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I suspect that many of us are still reeling from the gut-punch of this election cycle.

The question that kept gnawing at me as I watched the digital maps and talking heads dance across the flat screen, was how did we, as Americans, fall so low that we have now elected to this lands (and the worlds) highest, most powerful political office, a person who Atlantic Magazine described as the most ostentatiously unqualified major-party candidate in the 227-year history of the American presidency. How did our political system produce two candidates that everybody loved to hate. How did we fail to see the parallel of pre-war Germany re-enacting itself in 2016 America? I dont know the answer to these questions.

Is it that campaigns for public office have become a theater of the absurd, funded by troughs of money from a select, powerful few who are accountable to no one? Probably.

Is it that the political parties are so imbued with and committed to demanding conformity to their platforms that they have completely lost track of what is needed by our collective whole? That has to be a big part.

Is it that willful ignorance has become an art-form because we have marginalized and devalued education  because we teach our children to regurgitate data, but not to think and retain knowledge? Yes, that too is likely.

Is it because we have allowed the theocrats and oligarchs bombast and rhetoric to drown out reasoned civil discussion and debate? No, doubt.

Might it be because we get our news from media that sensationalizes, instead dispassionately reporting, informing and analyzing? Yes, that also. Or, is it that we just dont respect each other? It's easier to slice, dice and stereotype people. That, too, is a part.

I think these are merely symptoms of the greater evil: the moral and spiritual lethargy that comes from taking for granted what we have and enjoy as nation. To be sure, there are a great many of us who have nothing to take for granted. But the majority of us  the post-war beneficiaries of varying degrees of the good life, the American Dream  have lost sight of the privation, the struggle, and the quest for excellence of our parents, our grandparents and theirs, that got us where we are today. We are secure; we have peace; we have resources; we have wealth; we have power; the lights go on every morning; we have water and food. These have always just been there.

It has become cliche that freedom isnt free. But, really, it isnt. We must take back our national anima, our collective conscience. We need goals to use our wealth and power for national and global betterment  not just for individual gain. We must reacquire our identity as Americans instead of being just different groups of warring individuals. We must elect states persons to public office, instead of money-dependent, political hacks. We need leaders, not demigods. We must have vision, instead of myopia. Indeed, We the People must lead, instead of blindly following what the puppets of wealth and special interest dole out to us.

Have we ever been perfect? Certainly not. Have we ever been better? Most assuredly, we have. Can we survive another 227 years? That remains to be seen. It is really up to us.
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A public letter to Annie Petrie, principal at Napa High:

I am very disappointed at your and the school district's response to Thursday's student demonstrations. The email and phone message you sent to parents gave a sense that your main concern was about the schools liability, or as you call it student safety. Nowhere do you demonstrate an understanding of the depth of despair that your students are feeling this week.

Let me describe it for you: your students have listened to months of rhetoric about sending millions of people back to Mexico, building a wall and tearing down any diplomatic and economic relationships our country currently has with Mexico. This ugly and threatening message is directed right at our community of undocumented immigrants and is insulting to our large Hispanic community. Many of these immigrants have children in our school district; they are your students.

Now imagine: this week the people who have been delivering these threatening messages are now in power in all branches of government. Compounding this, none of the kind people who are protective of these immigrants have any power to help them.

And finally, imagine what is going on in the minds of those students and their families this week. Yes, they are panicking and in turmoil. On Wednesday morning my daughter left for school with tears in her eyes, worried sick about friends at school whose lives might be ruined by our new president and our Republican congress.

How very petty it sounded to hear you were passing out unexcused absences to students who are protesting. While I can appreciate the need to maintain order and to keep our kids safe, you might have demonstrated a bit of empathy for what our community and children are experiencing by forgoing this insult. You should know enough about your student body to understand the deep insult this election has brought to our hardworking, and hugely important Hispanic community. We are talking about local families who are frightened to the core about having their lives turned upside down.

Yes, tolerance and respect for different viewpoints" is important, but you have missed the most important issue and the one that most affects your school the direct impact that Tuesday's election will have on our students. At this critical time, these students need our full support, and a show of empathy and understanding from you and the Napa High student body.

Ill be frank, your voicemail and letter to the parents gave the impression that you are out-of-touch with the issues at the heart of these demonstrations and the deep need your students' have to express their upset. As the leader of our high school, you need to deliver power to our students, especially at this time when they are feeling powerless. This is not the time to slap them on the wrist, or to trivialize the issues with platitudes about learning about the the democratic process. Your teachable moment in this emotional and traumatic election should have been in encouraging students to exercise their constitution right to freedom of speech.

Let our students demonstrate! They are desperate to give a voice to those who do not have one in our political system, many of whom are their fellow students. Let them feel the power of caring deeply about the people in our community.

Christina Andrews

Napa
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As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closes in on an announcement regarding the final easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline crossing, and after the corps asked the company twice to stand down for 30 days to de-escalate surrounding tensions, Dakota Access LLC said Friday it will stop work if the corps guarantees a completion date.

If we can agree on a date certain upon which we can complete construction, Dakota Access is prepared to suspend construction activities near Lake Oahe for a reasonable time period as part of an effort to defuse tension and to facilitate the peaceful removal of protesters from the protest site, the company said in a statement issued through spokeswoman Vicki Granado.

This quid pro quo follows a strongly worded statement late Wednesday from the corps Col. John Henderson requesting a work stop to de-escalate tensions between the pipeline and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and supporters, camped by the hundreds near the construction site. Anti-pipeline activities have resulted in more than 400 arrests and an estimated $10 million in law enforcement expenses.

In an interview with CBS that aired Friday, Dakota Access CEO Kelcy Warren said he offered to reimburse North Dakota and Morton County for those costs, but authorities have yet to accept his offer.

Days to announcement

A corps attorney told a federal court judge Thursday that it will announce next steps or a path forward on the easement within days. The hearing stems from a suit filed against the corps by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Its attorney, Jan Hasselman, of Earth Justice, said if an easement is issued the tribe will go back to court for a preliminary injunction.

The tribe lost an earlier injunction request, but Hasselman said, This last (river) segment contains different risks and different statutes come into play. We hope the corps announcement will be to deny the easement or to conduct a full environmental impact statement.

The corps has withheld the water-crossing easement since September as it reviews its earlier decisions in light of tribal consultation and preservation of sacred tribal sites.

Granado said the company believes it already has authority to drill under a permit issued by the corps in July, and that the prolonged review reeks of political interference.

Nearing completion

Meanwhile, the North Dakota Public Service Commissions case docket shows construction within North Dakota is nearing 100 percent, and oil may soon start filling at least one of the six pipeline terminals.

If the Trenton terminal starts taking on oil next week, as estimated in the PSC docket report, that oil will sit there for a while. Pending an easement, the company still needs 60 days to stage the drill bore, tunnel the opening, string the double-thickness pipe at a minimal depth of 90 feet below the bed of the Missouri River/Lake Oahe, and test it, according to reports from a federal court hearing Thursday.

The project is 84 percent complete across its 1,172-mile route from North Dakota to Illinois.

140 million gallons

The company has permits from the State Water Commission to draw 140 million gallons of water to use in hydrostatic testing of the pipeline in North Dakota, using the pressurized water to test for leaks.

The water is permitted from the Little Missouri River (54 million gallons), the Missouri River (54 million), Beaver Creek (20 million), the Knife River (5 million), the Heart River (4.5 million) and a Mountrail County slough (1.5 million). The permits expire at the end of December, except for the Little Missouri River permit, which expired Nov. 1.

Karl Rockeman, director of the North Dakota Health Departments water quality division, said the department issued permits to discharge that water at 33 specific locations along the route.

They have to describe where it will be discharged and sample the discharge where its released from the pipe, so theres no potential for contaminants like oil or grease in the discharge," he said. "If they discharge without sample results, they would be in violation.

Dakota Access said Tuesday it is mobilizing the drill bore equipment toward the river crossing.
TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday urged the incoming administration of the United States to remain committed to the last year international agreement which put an end to Tehran's nuclear disputes.

Zarif warned that, Iran might consider "other options" in case any party involved in Iran's nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), fails to comply with its commitments, Press TV reported.

He said that Iran has been implementing its part of the bargain, while the U.S., even with the current administration, has not fully implemented its part.

"Iran wants to remain committed to JCPOA provided that everybody else is prepared to do the same," he added.

Following the election of Donald Trump as the new president of the U.S. on Tuesday, Iranian officials have expressed their concerns over the remarks of Trump against Iran's nuclear deal during his campaign.

Trump has said that the nuclear deal sealed by Iran and the world powers in July, 2015 and implemented in January was "the worst deal ever negotiated."

Rouhani said Wednesday that his country expects respect from the U.S. president-elect.

The nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers, including the outgoing U.S. administration, is a reflection in a UN Security Council Resolution, and it cannot be dismissed by one government's decision, Rouhani said.
CAPE TOWN, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Brian Molefe, the scandal-hit CEO of South Africa's electricity utility Eskom, announced on Friday that he would resign but denied any wrongdoing.

"I have, in the interests of good corporate governance, decided to leave my employ at Eskom from 1 January 2017. I do so voluntarily," Molefe said in a statement.

Molefe will be the first CEO at state-owned companies to resign since the state capture report was released on November 2.

The report, compiled by former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, sheds light on how the wealthy Indian Gupta family used their close relationship with President Jacob Zuma to influence the appointment of cabinet ministers and CEOs of state-owned enterprises, including Eskom, weapon manufacturer Deniel and the South African Airways (SAA).

According to the report, several CEOs of state-owned enterprises met with senior members of the Gupta family before being appointed by Zuma. Molefe is implicated in the report.

In his Friday's statement, Molefe lambasted the state capture report which he said did not make any findings but what were termed "observations" based on an investigation not completed.

"Observations" made in the report relating to his conduct "are in material respects inaccurate, based on part-facts or simply unfounded," Molefe said.

"I am confident that, when the time comes, I will be able to show that I have done nothing wrong and that my name will be cleared," he said.

Molefe said his announcement to resign was not an admission of wrongdoing but rather what he feels to be the correct thing to do in the interests of the company.

First appointed in an acting capacity in March 2015, Molefe is credited with successfully turning cash-strapped Eskom around.

Eskom, which provides more than 95 percent of electricity consumed in South Africa, was blamed for massive blackouts that lasted for more than one year before Molefe became Eskom CEO.
NEW DELHI, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Worried shoppers rushed to stores in many Indian states Friday to buy iodised salt packets, officials and locals said.

The panic shopping was triggered by rumours of impending salt shortage across the country with crowds throwing stores to take enough supplies home. The rumours about imminent salt scarcity was reported from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, New Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

These rumours have come at a time when people are already perturbed over poor cash flow in the country after the Indian government's announcement to demonetize currency notes of 500 and 1000 Indian rupees.

Reports said salt prices skyrocketed, with a packet weighing one kilogram sold between 3 U.S. dollars (200 INR) to 6 U.S. dollars (400 INR) in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad district.

Ordinarily a kg of iodised salt cost 22 cents in India.

Despite assurances from local authorities dispelling salt shortages, people made a beeline at stores to make purchases and carry packets home.

Locals said some shopkeepers also panicked after hearing the rumours and closed their shops.

Police in Uttar Pradesh said strict action would be taken against people responsible for spreading rumours.

In New Delhi, police issued advisory and dispatched teams for patrolling to dispel rumours and inform the crowds outside stores that there was no shortage of salt in India.

India's Minister for Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan said there was no shortage of salt and urged people not to heed to rumours.

"There is no scarcity of salt in the country and also no increase in its price. I appeal to the people not to pay attention to the rumours," Paswan said.

"If somebody spreads the rumours of price rise of salt or sells it at high price, state government should immediately take stringent action," he said.

In Mumbai, police urged people not to believe any rumours around shortage of essentials.

"There is no shortage of salt or any other necessary commodity nor any price hike information," the Mumbai Police posted the advisory on it twitter page.

In 2013, rumours of an impending salt shortage led to panic-buying in India's north-eastern states and parts of Bihar and West Bengal.
LUSAKA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Zambia will continue being part of the International Criminal Court (ICC) despite some African nations planning to pull out, state media reported on Friday.

"Zambia is not pulling out of the ICC, if need will arise in future, we will come back to the people because it is not a decision which can be made overnight as cabinet has to deliberate over it," foreign minister Harry Kalaba was quoted saying by the Zambia Daily Mail.

Some African countries have announced plans to pull out of the ICC, after accusing the court of disproportionately bringing charges against suspected human rights abusers from the continent.

African countries that have decided to withdraw from the ICC included Gambia, Burundi and South Africa.

The ICC, which opened in July 2002, is the first legal body with the permanent international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
This file photo taken on October 4, 2016 shows Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence speaks during the US vice presidential debate at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. (AFP/Photo)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has tapped his running mate Mike Pence to head his transition team, removing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie from the post, local media reported Friday.

The replacement was aimed to tap into Pence's resources and contacts in Washington to speed up the process, the New York Times cited sources in the transition team as saying.

Pence, who has served six terms in the House of Representatives, was seen to have a better understanding of the Washington political landscape than Christie, whose political life was mainly limited to the state of New Jersey.

Christie, who has led the team since May, will serve along side former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and retired general Michael Flynn as vice chairs of the team, according to the report.

The news came as Trump tweeted earlier Friday "Busy day planned in New York. Will soon be making some very important decisions on the people who will be running our government!"

Speculation on Trump's picks for his new government has circulated since his election Wednesday, with the media connecting inner members of his campaign team with important government jobs.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Trump's campaign chief Steve Bannon are also popular guesses to fill in top slots.

Trump has met with President Barack Obama in the White House on Thursday to discuss the transition, and both men vowed to facilitate a smooth handover.
LUSAKA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Zambia's parliament on Friday unanimously ratified the Paris Agreement, as officials highlighted the country's commitment on climate change issues.

Zambian Vice-President Inonge Wina said the government was committed to addressing the effects of climate change, adding that the benefits of the Paris Agreement included technological transfer and capacity building.

"We need to sensitize our communities on the need to address climate change through tree planting and sustainable protection of the environment," she said when the motion was moved in parliament.

She said if left unchecked, climate change could cause harm to the country's economic development.

On September 20, Zambian President Edgar Lungu appended Zambia's signature to the Paris Agreement during the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The overall objective of the agreement is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius.
PARIS, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- French President Francois Hollande held phone talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday during which they vowed to work together to clarify positions on key issues, mainly security, the Syria war and the Paris agreement, according to local media report.

Hollande and Trump "agreed to work together on a number of key issues in order to clarify positions: the war against terrorism, Ukraine, Syria, Iran's nuclear deal and the Paris climate change agreement," AFP reported, citing source close to the Elysee.

At the phone conversation which lasted between seven and eight minutes, they also "recalled the history and values that the two countries have in common and the friendship between France and the United States," it added.

The phone talks took place in "good condition," according to the report.

Earlier on Friday, the French president called on Trump to clarify his stances.

"My duty is to make sure we have the best possible relations with the United States, but a relation that is based on frankness and clarity," Hollande told France 2 TV.

"The campaign is not always an opportunity for a candidate to make himself quickly understood ... We need to talk," he added.
MARRAKECH, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank would continue to be a strong partner of China, with the country's commitment and leadership on climate changes issues, vice president for sustainable development of the World Bank said on Friday.

Laura Tuck made the remarks during an interview with Xinhua in the 22nd Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) held in Marrakech of Morocco.

Tuck hailed China's effort on climate issues, praising its impressive National Determined Contributions (NDC) targets for 2030, which will take a variety of measures to achieve, among them the planned Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

Tuck said the ETS China will be worth 50 billion U.S. dollars, the largest in the global range.

"The scale of the ETS China would be an inspiration for the countries and it has the potential to change investment and consumption decisions made by individuals and that can lead to a much lower-carbon economy," said Tuck, adding that it could be a "model."

China is the first developing country to set up the national carbon emission trading market based on its seven pilots that are running now.

Xie Ji, deputy chief of Chinese delegation to COP22, confirmed that China will push forward the emission trading market "actively and steadily."

Tuck stressed that the World Bank appreciated China's efforts in developing the ETS based on their experiences and analytical work.

The World Bank is also providing 8 million dollars to back China's ETS plans, including policy development like cap setting, legal frameworks and monitoring.

She added that another 2 million dollars would be provided through the Partnership of Market Readiness as China is moving into the implementation phase of its national system. Enditem
Lynn D. Strombeck, 61, passed away peacefully at Sanford Health, on Nov. 7, 2016, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at First Presbyterian Church, Bismarck, with the Rev. David Reiter officiating, followed by fellowship at the church. Cremation has taken place. Private family burial will take place at a later date.

Family will be receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at Bismarck Funeral Home.

Lynn was born Aug. 13, 1955, in Princeton, Minn., the son of Duane and Doris (Olsen) Strombeck. He was raised on the family farm in Princeton, graduating in 1973 from Princeton High School.

Throughout high school, Lynn worked with his father, Duane, at their family electrical contracting business, Strombeck Electric. Always mechanically gifted, a trait he inherited from his father, Duane, Lynn practiced and perfected skills at his fathers side, learning about electricity and how to fix nearly anything. This early experience led Lynn to pursue engineering as a career, first through attending two years at Anoka Ramsey Community College in Coon Rapids, Minn., then transferring to North Dakota State University in Fargo. While he was studying to be an electrical engineer at NDSU, he met his future wife, Kathryn, a student at neighboring Moorhead State University. Lynn and Kathy were married in St. Cloud, Minn., on Aug. 24, 1979.

Upon graduation with his masters of electrical engineering degree, in 1980, Lynn accepted a consulting engineering position on a temporary basis, in Bismarck, with SSR Engineering. The plan was to stay in Bismarck long enough for Kathy to finish her college degree, then head south, becoming part of the outmigration trend that was common in North Dakota in the 1980s. Bucking that trend, they stayed in North Dakota a bit longer, and welcomed their first son, Jacob, born in 1987.

In 1991, Lynn accepted the position of city engineer and utilities manager with the city of Lake City, Minn. Kathy remained in Bismarck, raising their son and attempting to sell their home in preparation for their move to Minnesota. After six months, plans again changed and Lynn and Kathy finally recognized that Bismarck and North Dakota needed to be their forever home. Returning to Bismarck, Lynn joined MEI Engineering as project engineer, eventually purchasing a portion of the company and still serving as its president at the time of his death.

Lynn and Kathy welcomed son Bennett in 1997 and son Zachary in 2000. Over the years, the family enjoyed weekends at the lake, RV-ing throughout the Midwest, and vacations in Florida to spend time with Lynns parents and brother Curtis at their winter home in Englewood, Fla.

Lynn is survived by his wife, Kathy; his mother, Doris, Princeton, Minn.; his son, Jacob (special friend, Kathryn Mol), Fargo; his son, Bennett, Fargo; his son, Zachary, at home; his brother, Curtis, Princeton, Minn.; his aunt, Bonnie Strombeck, Isanti, Minn.; his brother-in-law, David Lind, Dallas Texas; his brother-in-law, Brian (Karen) Lind, Minneapolis; his sister-in-law, Laura (Jon) Bloomberg, Minneapolis; a special cousin, Gary Olsen, Bismarck; five nephews and one niece; and numerous cousins.

Lynn was preceded in death by his father, Duane; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Jean and Gordon Lind; two uncles and one aunt; as well as his grandparents.

Lynns family would like to thank Dr. Dave Field, Dr. Ed Wos, and the staff at Sanford Oncology and Infusion Center for their commitment, compassion and exemplary care.

The family suggests memorials to the American Cancer Society or the Bismarck Cancer Center.
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- A report on measles by the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and partners said that despite a 79 percent worldwide decrease in measles deaths between 2000 and 2015, nearly 400 children still die from the disease every day and progress has been uneven, a UN spokesman told reporters here Friday.

"The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan account for half of the unvaccinated infants and 75 percent of measles deaths," Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here.

"Making measles history is not mission impossible," said Robin Nandy, the UNICEF immunization chief. "We have the tools and the knowledge to do it; what we lack is the political will to reach every single child, no matter how far. Without this commitment, children will continue to die from a disease that is easy and cheap to prevent."

Mass measles vaccination campaigns and a global increase in routine measles vaccination coverage saved an estimated 20.3 million young lives between 2000 and 2015, according to UNICEF, WHO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But progress has been uneven. In 2015, about 20 million infants missed their measles shots and an estimated 134,000 children died from the disease.

"It is not acceptable that millions of children miss their vaccines every year. We have a safe and highly effective vaccine to stop the spread of measles and save lives," said Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele, director of WHO's Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals. "This year, the Region of the Americas was declared free of measles -- proof that elimination is possible. Now, we must stop measles in the rest of the world. It starts with vaccination."

"Measles is a key indicator of the strength of a country's immunization systems and, all too often, it ends up being the canary in the coalmine with outbreaks acting as the first warning of deeper problems," said Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. "To address one of the world's most deadly vaccine-preventable childhood killers we need strong commitments from countries and partners to boost routine immunization coverage and to strengthen surveillance systems."

Measles, a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through direct contact and through the air, is one of the leading causes of death among young children globally. It can be prevented with two doses of a safe and effective vaccine.

Measles outbreaks in numerous countries -- caused by gaps in routine immunization and in mass vaccination campaigns -- continue to be a serious challenge. In 2015, large outbreaks were reported in Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. The outbreaks in Germany and Mongolia affected older persons, highlighting the need to vaccinate adolescents and young adults who have no protection against measles.

Measles also tends to flare up in countries in conflict or humanitarian emergencies due to the challenges of vaccinating every child. Last year, outbreaks were reported in Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan.
BRUSSELS, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- A cultural organisation launched a campaign here on Friday in a bid to end the long-standing controversy over racial undertones in regards to the Saint Nicolas' Day, a festival that falls on Dec. 6 in west Europe.

DeBuren, a Brussels-based organisation dedicated to promoting the Dutch culture, proposed the "Peitenpact" initiative calling on locals to celebrate the centuries-old festival while keeping an open mind to the traditional character "Zwarte Piet," or "Black Pete," which has long been criticised for its racial implication.

"Saint Nicolas' Day is for everyone, especially for all children. We therefore advocate a Saint Nicolas' Day which respect all traditions but put inclusiveness at the centre," it said in a statement.

The Saint Nicolas' Day, widely celebrated in European countries, sees the character of Saint Nicolas, a bearded bishop in a canonical robe, handing out gifts to children.

In the Dutch-speaking regions in Europe, namely the Flemish part of Belgium and the Netherlands, Saint Nicolas is traditionally accompanied by his sidekick "Black Pete," a soot sweeper dressed in clown costume, with black face paint and a fuzzy black wig.

Opponents argue that the appearance and the function of "Black Pete" are offensive to people of African origin, while supporters insist that it's all just harmless humour and the tradition should not be modified.

The organisation believes that it is necessary to make "small changes" to ease the nerves around stigma and racism.

It calls on citizens, enterprises and educational institutions to keep the role of Pete but eliminate all the racial references in their festival activities and commercial campaigns.

Saint Nicolas can choose whether he needs a helper and what kind of helpers he needs, the organisation suggests.

"Soot sweeping Pete, rainbow Pete, Pete without face paint... It will amuse everyone, young and old," it said in the statement.

A number of schools, communities and business owners in the region have already voiced support for the initiative, which has been made available online for the public to sign.

"The heated debates that started in recent years seem endless. We encourage lively debates, but at a certain point we have to come to a compromise," the organisation said.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Obama administration has given up all hope of enacting the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, just days after a surprise victory of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in U.S. election, local media reported Friday.

Republican congressional leaders had made clear that they wouldn't consider the 12-nation Pacific trade deal in the remainder of President Barack Obama's term, the Wall Street Journal quoted U.S. officials as saying, as Trump had stood against the deal.

Trump had broken from the longstanding Republican orthodoxy in favor of free trade and embraced a protectionist trade stance throughout his presidential campaign, trying to appeal to angry and frustrated blue-collar voters who have seen manufacturing jobs lose in an increasing global economy.

Trump had vowed to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and other existing major trade deals, and promised to never sign massive trade agreements like the TPP, which he said would "destroy" U.S. manufacturing, as part of an effort to restore American jobs.

The Obama administration had lobbied hard for months in the hope of approving the TPP deal during the so-called lame-duck session of Congress after the election, if Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had won.

The failure to pass the TPP deal, the biggest trade agreement in more than a decade, was a bitter defeat for Obama and it would also dent American prestige in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The TPP deal involves Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. It was formally signed by ministers from these 12 countries in February after more than five years' negotiation.

The TPP now undergoes a two-year ratification period in which at least six countries, which account for 85 percent of the combined gross domestic production of the 12 TPP countries, must approve the final text for the deal to be implemented.

If the United States, the largest economy among TPP participating countries, does not ratify the TPP, the Pacific trade deal cannot enter into force.
WARSAW, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The 98th anniversary of regaining independence was celebrated in Poland on Friday.

Major celebrations were held in the country's capital city of Warsaw, including commemorative events with the presence of the country's president and prime minister.

Polish President Andrzej Duda gave a speech and laid flowers at the monument to Marshal Jozef Pilsudski. He also attended the ceremonious guard briefing by the Tomb of the Unknown soldier.

"Today someone can say that Poland is independent again... We all know well independence is not given once and for good. One needs to fight for it every day in a certain sense. The independence needs to be built everyday," the president said.

He said the Poles were a nation that never gave up.

"We are fighting for independence today by everyday work, each of us by trying to be together, to build something called a social fabric, and also to serve others," Duda said.

In a formal speech given on occasion of the Independence Day and broadcast nationwide on Thursday, Duda noted Europe is currently experiencing "difficult times," connected with mass migration, war in the Middle East and in the south, terrorism, changes affecting the integrity of the European Union.

"This makes us realize how much we need integrity, unity despite different opinions. When Poland is broken, it is a weak Poland. When it is united, it is a strong Poland. United around an undisputed value, which is independence," he said in the speech.

The major celebrations were followed by large-scale marches through the city of Warsaw.

The whole country observed 63 gatherings of a total number of about 120,000 people.

Polish National Independence Day is a national day celebrated on Nov. 11 to commemorate the anniversary of the restoration of Poland's sovereignty in 1918, after 123 years of partition.
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations is going to hold the first ever global conference on sustainable transport on Nov. 26-27 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, said Wu Hongbo, UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs on Friday.

Wu told reporters here that the conference will be convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and it will bring together governments, the UN system and other international organizations, the private sector as well as the civil society to determine a new direction for global transport.

"This first ever United Nations conference dedicated to the sustainable transport reflects the growing awareness of the crucial role that sustainable transport plays in advancing sustainable development and climate change actions," he said.

According to Wu, the two-day conference will highlight discussions on topics including rural and urban transport, multi-model transport, public transport, road safety as well as the links of the sustainable transport to climate change and energy,.

Statistics show that at present, transport sector is responsible for approximately 23 percent of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and 3.5 million premature deaths result from outdoor air pollution annually.
CARACAS, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's socialist government and conservative opposition leaders were set to renew national dialogue on Friday to address the political crisis.

The government has put together a package of proposals to promote national stability and will be submitting it to the negotiators, President Nicolas Maduro said during a regularly scheduled radio broadcast.

"It is a very complete document that we are going to explain to the nation in the next few days, a document that I think will please the great majority of Venezuelans who want peace, who want work," said Maduro.

The document, with the theme "For a process of dialogue for peace, economic prosperity, social contentment, and national sovereignty. Let's build consensus for the peace and life of the country," is to be delivered to the negotiating tables, each of which is discussing a different point of contention.

Maduro said the government will also submit a video compiled by filmmakers and university students around the country, which depicts the opposition's "campaigns of hatred (and) intolerance, which have crossed the boundary of what is normal, what is allowed, what is legal."

Anti-government protests in the past have led to fatal clashes and the imprisonment of opposition leaders for inciting violence.

Maduro also called for "patience, perseverance, democratic attitude (and) a capacity for understanding," for national dialogue to succeed.

On Thursday, Venezuela's conservative opposition gave the government a Friday deadline to either set a date for a presidential recall referendum or move up presidential elections.

Maduro rejected the ultimatum, and urged the coalition of right-wing parties, known as the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), to stick to dialogue.
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- A tow truck collided with a China Southern Airlines flight just before takeoff late Thursday night, resulting nearly 1,500 passengers grounded at Los Angeles International Airport.

The collision happened just before midnight on the tarmac between Terminal 4 and Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).

Photo from the scene showed the tow truck collided with the China Southern Airbus 380 aircraft on a runway at the Airport. The damaged tug vehicle under the front of the plane.

"This is an extremely rare accident," Lingzhi He, China Southern Airlines North America managing director, told Xinhua on Friday. "Officials are still waiting for the inspection results now."

It was an outbound China Southern Flight CZ328 scheduled to fly to Guangzhou, China, carrying more than 400 passengers. None of the passengers were injured, and the tow truck driver sustained minor injuries according to the LAX.

Three flights, the China Southern Airlines flight as well as two American Airlines flights at Terminal 4, were canceled. Two other flights were delayed. About 1,500 passengers were affected by the late Thursday accident.

"Passengers deplaned by using portable stairs and were returned to TBIT, and were accommodated via re-scheduling refunds or hotel rooms," LAX spokesman Frederick Badlissi told City News Service. "While awaiting accommodations and rescheduling, passengers were provided bottled water and snacks."
QUITO, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa congratulated China's official Xinhua News Agency on its 85th anniversary, celebrated earlier this week.

"Congratulations for 85 years of continually providing the best information, (access to) which is a citizen's right, it's not a concession granted by the media," Correa told Xinhua during an exclusive interview.

"Privately-owned media, especially in Latin America, are businesses that place certain interests ahead of a citizen's right to information, so Xinhua is an important global player in guaranteeing all citizens the right to transparent, accurate and timely information," said Correa.

"So, many thanks for your work," Correa told the agency.

Xinhua News Agency was founded on Nov. 7, 1931 as the Red China News Agency in Ruijin in southeast China. The agency adopted its current name in January 1937 in Yan'an, in northwest China.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Xinhua became the state news agency.

With 85 years of development, Xinhua now operates 32 domestic branches and 180 overseas bureaus worldwide, reaching users in over 200 countries and regions.
FREETOWN, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The newly accredited Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone Wu Peng presented his letters of credence to Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma here Friday at a ceremony held at the State House.

In his address, Wu spoke of the long-standing relationship between the two countries and noted that the two countries have shared good and bad times and have always shown mutual support for each other's core interests and major concerns.

He commended President Koroma's leadership in developing the country's economy and his efforts in defeating the Ebola virus. As an important country in Africa that holds the presidency of the African Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government on the United Nations (UN) Security Council reform, Sierra Leone has made significant contributions to upholding the solidarity and fundamental interests of Africa and promoting regional peace and development.

He also mentioned the fruitful cooperation between the two countries in economy, culture and building a tangible health care system.

Ambassador Wu assured the government and people of Sierra Leone that China is ready to work with Sierra Leone to deepen the friendship and mutual trust and at the same time expand cooperation as both countries implement the "consensus reached between our leaders as well as the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Johannesburg Summit."

Accepting the ambassador's letters of credence, Koroma acknowledged the kind sentiments expressed by the envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He appreciated the long-standing relationship between the two countries and commended China for the valuable role it has played in Sierra Leone's socio-economic development.

Noting that Sierra Leone has benefited a lot from China and that the two countries have supported each other at both bilateral and multilateral levels, Koroma said China has "been outstanding in her support of Sierra Leone's development efforts especially in the areas of agriculture, education and building a resilient health care system."

Describing China as a "dependable partner," Koroma looked forward to China's continued support as the country continues to implement the second phase of its recovery program.

He said the country will explore all the opportunities offered by FOCAC in fully implementing the country's socio-economic development plan.

After being greeted by a military honor guard, the ambassador was presented to the president by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Samura Kamara.

The ceremony was witnessed by Vice President Victor Foh and other government functionaries.
YANGON, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Two wanted media men of Myanmar's local Eleven Media Group had submitted themselves to the police and were remanded at a township court in Yangon Friday after they failed to appear in the police station as summoned, official media reported Saturday.

Dr. Than Htut Aung, chief executive officer, and U Wai Phyo, chief editor of the Daily Eleven, were prosecuted by Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein under the country's Telecommunications Law for being responsible for writing an article slandering the regional chief minister and the regional government.

The article, titled "One year after the election" and published in Nov. 6 issue of Daily Eleven, tantamounted to defaming the regional government, U Phyo Min Thein charged.

Than Htut Aung accused U Phyo Min Thein in his article of having "rosy relations with corrupt officials" and of wearing a Patek Philippe watch worth 100,000 U.S. dollars which was described as a gift from a convicted drug lord.

The chief minister reiterated that the watch he wears is a more affordable Rolex watch bought by his wife, not a Patek Phillipe as described by Than Htut Aung.

Meanwhile, U Man Weik, who was accused of giving the expensive watch to the chief minister as described on Than Htut Aung's facebook, has appeared at the police station to receive interrogation by the police.
Hillary has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time and we owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country. I mean that very sincerely. Now its time for America to bind the wounds of division. We have to get together. To all Republicans, Democrats and independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.

 President-elect Donald Trump, after Hillary Clinton conceded the presidential election to him on Wednesday morning.

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"Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead."

 Hillary Clinton, conceding the election to Donald Trump.

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Such a beautiful and important evening! The forgotten man and woman will never be forgotten again. We will all come together as never before.

 President-elect Donald Trump, in a tweet at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.

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"This is painful and it will be for a long time. But I want you to remember this: Our campaign was never about one person or even one election. It was about the country we love and about building an America that's hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted."

 Hillary Clinton, conceding the presidential election on Wednesday.

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"Nationally, this has been a crazy campaign year. As a nation, we're more divided than we've been in over a century. Regardless of tonight's outcome in national races, tomorrow brings a new day, and we as North Dakotans have the power to choose our destiny."

 Doug Burgum, in a speech Tuesday night after winning the North Dakota gubernatorial race.

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"There's a balance in finding the appropriate levels in fines and what triggers them."

 Public Service Commission Chairwoman Julie Fedorchak, after a $15,000 fine was proposed for Dakota Access Pipeline for not filing proper certification on a reroute.

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"It's very rigorous. I think these rules really raise the bar."

 Department of Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms, on a set of revised administrative rules governing the oil and gas industry being sent to lawmakers next month for final approval.

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"The last thing we feel like doing is forgiving today, but we do it anyway. It is medicine that will heal the world."

 Lyla June Johnston, a Cheyenne River Sioux tribe member, who helped organize a forgiveness march on Sunday involving Dakota Access Pipeline protesters.

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"They've thrown fire bottles at our police; that's why I'm not coming out. This is peaceful, but they have used Molotov cocktails. This is their thing and we won't interrupt. If they would keep it like this, we would have no problem."

 Mandan Police Chief Jason Ziegler, declining the opportunity to participate in a forgiveness ceremony.

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"It's clear that the urea plant, along with the development of the new Coyote Creek Mine, is contributing a lot to the Mercer County economy, as well as other counties."

 Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger.

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"We all want kids to quit smoking, but with this measure, the devil was in the details."

 Mike Rud, an organizer of the coalition Vote No on 4 ND. The measure that would have raised tobacco taxes failed on Tuesday.

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"I believe that the North Dakota population voted for caring. They have friends, neighbors with medical issues, and they really think this would at least get them the opportunity to explore medical cannabis and see if it's right for them."

 Riley Ray Morgan, committee chairman for Measure 5, after the medical marijuana measure passed on Tuesday.
Peruvian Second Vice President Mercedes Araoz speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Lima, Peru, on Oct. 24, 2016. Araoz has said that her country's relationship with China is a "priority". (Xinhua/Luis Camacho)

LIMA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Peruvian Second Vice President Mercedes Araoz has said that her country's relationship with China is a "priority."

Araoz made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Peru, during which he will attend the 24th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting from Nov. 19 to 20 in Peru's capital Lima.

According to Araoz, since the free trade agreement (FTA) between Peru and China came into force in 2010, "relations have been solid with many reciprocal advantages seen in commerce, investments and culture. This is due to the existence of historical and economic affinities as well as transparent and fluid dialogue."

She said that bilateral cooperation is crucial in strengthening relations and boosting economic growth. This cooperation has been highlighted by the visit of Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to China in September and by the upcoming visit by President Xi to Lima.

"President Kuczynski seeks to take up opportunities to learn from each other. Both cultures can see they are unique because they have millennial histories while having remained brothers for many years," said the vice president, adding that Kuczynski and Xi will inject new impetus into bilateral relations.

On investment, Araoz said China was particularly interested in infrastructure in Peru, such as roads and railways, as well as carrying out mining projects with refineries meeting high environmental levels, as well as exploring manufacturing and services opportunities.

Araoz, who served as minister of foreign commerce and tourism from 2006 to 2009, recalled the process of negotiating the FTA between China and Peru.

"The Chinese side was very open to taking many of our proposals on board. For example, the customs treaty is a part of the trade deal, which involved things that China has had difficulty in granting to other countries. But they gave it to us. They also gave us investment concessions they do not normally give," said Araoz.

"I think they did give us preferential treatment, which turned it into a space of friendship and familiarity," she added.

Araoz, however, said that Peru and China still have work to do in areas such as intellectual property, which both countries see as important.

On the APEC summit, which will be held in Lima for the second time in November, Araoz said that all is going well, concerning the organization, logistics and security, as well as the agenda itself.

"This is the time to discuss sustainable development. The agenda therefore covers all topics ranging from food security, human capital, and better integration," she said. "While there are certain differences in terms of the agenda we have yet to reconcile, we are continuously getting closer. We also incorporated the role of small and medium enterprises in global value chains, where there are many similarities."

She also explained how these topics would be wide-ranging. For example, the topic of food security will include a discussion on how to stimulate more opportunities in rural areas, including opening businesses, removing tariffs and improving education.

Araoz also said that China is seen within APEC as being able to contribute a lot thanks to its fast growth and technological development.

"China has a history of having developed commercial agreements with its peers. Therefore, we think we can work very closely together," she said.

Dialogue with other institutions will take place at APEC, including one between APEC members and the Pacific Alliance -- a Latin American trade bloc comprised of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru -- and another with Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund.
Yan Yongming, a graft fugitive who had been on the run for 15 years, arrives at Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 12, 2016. Yan returned to China Saturday to turn himself in. Yan, 47, who was the former chairman of the pharmaceutical company Tonghua Golden-horse in northeast China's Jilin Province, had been hiding in Australia and New Zealand since November 2001. He had fled China after being charged with embezzlement, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said. He was number five on China's top 100 fugitives listed in an Interpol "red notice" and the 36th to be returned so far. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)

BEIJING, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- A graft fugitive who had been on the run for 15 years returned to China Saturday to turn himself in, according to the Communist Party of China's disciplinary watchdog.

Yan Yongming, 47, who was the former chairman of the pharmaceutical company Tonghua Golden-horse in northeast China's Jilin Province, had been hiding in Australia and New Zealand since November 2001. He had fled China after being charged with embezzlement, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said.

He was number five on China's top 100 fugitives listed in an Interpol "red notice" and the 36th to be returned so far.

After close cooperation between Chinese and New Zealand law enforcement agencies, Yan confessed to his crimes, offered to return "a huge amount of ill-gotten money," and pay a hefty fine, the CCDI said without further details.

"Yan's return, once again, proves there is no safe haven, and the 'sky net' will get increasingly tighter," the CCDI said in the statement.
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed a call from Donald Trump, the U.S. president-elect, for unity after what has been described as a bitter and divisive presidential campaign.

In a phone call on Friday afternoon when anti-Trump protests were underway across the United States, Ban congratulated Trump again on his election as the forty-fifth President of the United States of America, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here.

"The secretary-general welcomed President-elect Trump's calls for unity following a hard-fought election," the spokesman said.

Since Trump's election victory on Wednesday, people took to the streets in such U.S. cities as Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco to protest the billionaire's election. The protests continued into Friday night.

"The secretary-general expressed confidence that the United States and the United Nations would maintain their traditional strong ties of cooperation to advance peace and security, sustainable development and human rights throughout the world," the spokesman said.

"They agreed to stay in continued contact," he added.

Ban is to leave his office on Dec. 31 at the end of his two five-year terms while Trump is to be sworn in as the U.S. president on Jan. 20.
JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- As the world continues to grapple with the reality of having Donald Trump as the next U.S. president, political experts and economists in South Africa say future dealings with him remain uncertain.

During his campaign trail, Trump said many things which, if implemented, could be detrimental to the world. John Stremlau, professor of International Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, told Xinhua that the world waits to see if his threats would become a reality.

"Is he going to change his behavior, we wait to see. Besides backing away from his rhetoric campaign, maybe there is hope you can do business with him. He is a businessman but not a robust multi-lateralist, very much a zero-sum trader," Stremlau said.

"I hope to see China, the United States and Africa collaborate in cases like war on Sudan and trilateral maritime safety. These ought to be a win-win for China, the United States and Africa. Maybe Trump is going to change his behavior, but that will be verified," Stremlau said.

Trump also threatened to build a wall to keep out illegal Mexican migrants. His victory saw the Mexican currency, the peso, tumbling against the U.S. dollar. Lesiba Mothata, chief economist at Investment Solutions in South Africa, said if Trump carries out his threats, there will be trade wars between the United States and Mexico.

Mothata said that with the world facing weak economic growth, Trump's promise to exercise fiscal policy would be welcomed by the markets.

"Nothing is official, it's still unclear and uncertain. If the promise he made on fiscal policy plays out in terms of spending plans on infrastructure, it could prove useful to the globe. This could be a new direction in terms of igniting new growth in the world. This could promote South Africa and commodity-producing markets and emerging markets," Mothata said.

After President Barack Obama promised 7 billion U.S. dollars to support the building of reliable electric power grids in sub-Saharan Africa, Trump said African leaders and the opposition political parties are greedy.

However, Mothata said the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) which the United States signed with some African countries remains legal. The AGOA is meant to ensure that some African products get duty-free access to American markets and vice versa. It remains to be seen how cooperation between the United States and South Africa would be like.

Euvin Naidoo, another South African economist, said while the future looks uncertain, South Africa and African countries could exploit some of the policies Trump promised.

Mothata believes that BRICS will be unshaken by Trump's win and its member states of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will be more united.

"These five countries will further pull themselves together, and emerging markets will have a big share of global trade and a strong voice when put together," he said, adding that BRICS will gain stronger impetus.
FLASH: AT LEAST 3 KILLED, 13 INJURED IN BLAST IN US BAGRAM AIRBASE IN AFGHANISTAN
By Peter Mertz

DENVER, the United States, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- When China's revolution started in 1911 to overthrow the imperial Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Sun Yat-sen, China's founding father, was 11,632 km away, in Denver, a city in the western U.S. state of Colorado.

"He read about the start of the revolution he started in the Rocky Mountain News when he was at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver," retired history professor John Yee told Xinhua in a recent interview. "As soon as he heard, he rushed back to China, and was named the first president of the country."

Yee, 95, born and raised in southwest China's Yunnan Province, remembers well the story of Sun Yat-sen's rise to power. Yee later became a college history professor in Denver.

According to Yee, Sun came to Denver to get funding for his fight against the Qing Dynasty because many Chinese immigrants had settled in the area and become successful businessmen.

"You need money to finance a revolution," said Yee. "Sun Yat-sen knew Denver's Chinatown was filled with hard-working successful Chinese people who would help."

Yee calls Sun China's "George Washington."

"People don't realize how long the Qing Dynasty ruled China," Yee said. "They took over in 1644 and lasted for 268 years -- that's longer than the United States has been in existence," he said.

"Sun Yat-sen was the first president and founder of China, and the story was very romantic and dramatic, just like the start of the American Revolution in Boston, when the British were coming to invade America," Yee said.

In U.S. history, the famous "Midnight Ride" of revolutionary Paul Revere in 1775 warned local settlers that a powerful British army was coming to burn their homes and farms. It was a call to arms.

"Same exact thing," Yee said emphatically. "In China, the all-powerful Qing Dynasty controlled everything and was ruthless. Sun Yat-sen's movement freed China."

Yee said the 1911 Revolution, which started with an uprising in Wuchang, central China's Hubei Province, is a source of great pride and historical lore for the Chinese people, just like Revere's famous ride.

"Thanks to Sun Yat-sen, the Chinese people rose up and overthrew the corrupt Qing," Yee said. "It is a great, storied, part of Chinese history, something all Chinese are proud of. It ended imperial rule in China forever."

Yee was a translator with the famous Flying Tigers -- a volunteer group composed of U.S. pilots -- in Kunming, capital city of Yunnan Province, fighting against Japanese aggressors in WWII.

Yee worked in the control room with legendary U.S. General Claire Lee Chennault from 1941-42 before being transferred to the United States in 1943 as part of then U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt's Lend-Lease Program.

Yee was part of a select group of Chinese officers who were in the United States for advanced military training to fight the Japanese during WWII.

After the war, Yee stayed in the United States, where he earned advanced degrees in history and became one of the first teachers in the West to teach Chinese history, as a professor at the University of Colorado and the University of Denver.
KABUL, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and 13 others injured in a blast inside Bagram Airfield, the main U.S. and NATO base, in Afghanistan's eastern province of Parwan early on Saturday, sources said.

A provincial government spokesman told Xinhua that the nature of the blast was a suicide bombing while the identity of the casualties remained unknown.

"The initial probes found that a man disguised as a daily wager made his way to pass the first checkpoint of the base and detonated his explosive jacket inflicting casualties. Details about the incident will be released later today," the spokesman added.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack.
An Airbus 330-200 plane of Air China arrives at Sydney Airport, Australia, Nov. 12, 2016. The plane touched down at Sydney Airport on Saturday, marking the first direct route from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan province, and the start of a service running three times a week. (Xinhua/Zhu Hongye)

SYDNEY, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's flag carrier Air China welcomed a major flight between Sydney and Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan province, on Saturday.

An Airbus 330-200 plane flying Sydney's first direct route from China's fourth-largest international airport touched down at Sydney Airport, marking the start of a service running three times a week that is expected to bring 23,000 Chinese visitors and 89 million Autralian dollars of their expenditure to the New South Wales (NSW) economy.

"Chengdu, the land of abundance and capital of Sichuan province, is a city proud of its natural endowment, historical heritage, cultural diversity and hardworking people. The city and its surrounding area are leading other cities in China's west in economic development and have been working to build and strengthen their ties with Australia," Consul General of the Consulate-General of China in Sydney Gu Xiaojie said at an event in Sydney Airport welcoming the new route.

"Air China's direct flights will help to strengthen Chengdu and Sichuan's cooperation with the most dynamic and prosperous city in New South Wales, hence creating new opportunities for the Chinese and Australian people to deepen mutual understanding, friendship and economic cooperation."

The consul general said the Chinese and Australian economies are "highly complementary", with recent years witnessing "rapid growth in bilateral trade and investment, tourism, education, science and technology".

New South Wales is the destination of more than half of Chinese investment and students and 40 percent of tourists to Australia, "and we value our friendly relationship with the state very much", he said.

Chengdu is Air China's second-largest hub offering connections to more than 40 destinations within China and international cities such as Frankfurt, Paris and Rome. The new flight, which offers 237 seats on the aircraft, will help Sydney Airport host seven airlines flying to 13 Chinese cities by the end of the month, said Sydney Airport Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kerrie Mather.

"In the year ending June 2016, New South Wales welcomed almost 640,000 people from China and they spent some 2.1 billion Australian dollars in our local economy, which is very welcomed. The partnership with Air China will help continue to grow that, for our local economy, and likewise, we will look forward to sending more people to Chengdu and China," NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Major Events and Tourism Jonathan O'Dea said.

The managing director of Air China's Southwest Branch Liu Yong said the Chengdu-Sydney flight will establish a new "bridge in the sky" to help boost economic, trade and cultural exchanges.

"The weather forecast said there'd be rain, but it turned out to be nice and sunny, a very smooth first flight. It's a good sign for our new link and I'm confident of it," Liu said.

"Chinese nationals continue to be our largest foreign contributor in inbound passengers and this new service will drive further demand," Mather said.

As part of continued efforts to meet that demand, Sydney Airport has rolled out a number of initiatives to welcome Chinese passengers. These include Mandarin-speaking "ambassadors" to help visitors, as well as retail, food and beverage offerings tailored to Chinese travelers, and a presence on Chinese social media platforms to ensure that passengers are kept up to date, she said.

"It's going to be great for Sydneysiders as well. Chengdu is one of the fastest developing cities in the world and an ideal destination for people who want to explore western China," she said.

"It's famous for the giant pandas and for Sichuan cuisine, which is personally my favorite. I'm sure Sydneysiders will love Chengdu as much as I do."
BEIJING, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Saturday is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen, forerunner of China's democratic revolution and instrumental player in ending more than 2,000 years of feudal rule in China.

Apart from remembering him, the best tribute to Sun is to carry forward his spirit, pursue his wishes for a unified and rejuvenated China, and unite all Chinese, including compatriots in Taiwan, to achieve these ends.

As a revolutionary pioneer, Sun's patriotism and perseverance despite many hardships are cherished by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Sun coined the phrase of "rejuvenation of China." He was a staunch champion of national unity, knowing that reunification and rejuvenation were two sides of the same coin.

Quashing Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan and returning the island to the motherland were an important part of Sun's pursuit for national reunification.

His three visits to Taiwan in 1900, 1913 and 1918 planted revolutionary seeds across the island. The 1911 Revolution led by him which overthrew the ruling Qing Dynasty inspired locals to intensify the fight against Japanese aggression.

Although the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have taken different development paths since 1949 and are still not unified, the fact remains that both sides belong to the same China.

Since 2008, cross-Strait ties have seen peaceful development thanks to the political trust built up from the 1992 Consensus.

Sun unequivocally opposed any remarks or actions that attempted to split the nation. He once said that united, the people of the entire country benefit; disunited, people suffer.

Now the shadow of "Taiwan independence," however, again looms large in areas across the Taiwan Strait.

Since taking office in May, Taiwan's current leader Tsai Ing-wen and her administration have not formally recognized the 1992 Consensus, leading to suspension of cross-Strait communication mechanisms and impairing the interests of people on both sides.

It is shameful that some political forces continue to voice support for "Taiwan independence." Their behavior is selfish as they are merely seeking gains for a single party or individual, while ignoring the well-being of the people.

Addressing a gathering to commemorate the anniversary of Sun's birth, President Xi Jinping vowed on Friday that "we'll never allow anyone, any organization or political Party to rip out any part of our territory at any time or in any form."

China experienced more than 100 years of upheaval and struggle and this is still very fresh in the memories of Chinese.

In commemoration of Sun, compatriots across the Taiwan Strait and Chinese all across the globe should unite more closely and oppose "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces to make sure that the country is never torn apart again.
BEIJING, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's largest online shopping day that falls on Nov. 11 has evolved into one with global impact, providing foreign companies with an alternative to access the enormous Chinese market and consumers outside China with quality products at lower prices.

In Japan, many local businesses including Yahoo Japan, FamilyMart and Softbank have started to put on sale on Nov. 11 to coincide with the Chinese "Double 11" event, during which millions of Chinese shoppers spend large sums online for home appliances, clothing, luxury goods, among others.

Leading Thai skincare brand Snailwhite and SPA chain operator Thann opened their flagship stores on Tmall, one of Alibaba's business-to-consumer online platforms.

Li Jin, manager of Snailwhite's Tmall store, said the brand participated in last year's "Double 11" promotion activities and recorded a sales performance far exceeding traditional store sales.

"We have chosen 36 products this year for the Nov. 11 promotion this year and expect even better results than last year," he said.

In Australia, local dealers are increasingly recognizing the vast business potential from the annual Chinese online shopping frenzy.

Beef suppliers, dairy producers and wool manufacturers are rushing to set up online stores targeting Chinese customers.

Prime Fresh, a Sydney-based supplier of beef cuts, said its sales surged at least 50 percent in recent weeks thanks to promotion activities for Nov. 11, also known as the Singles' Day in China.

Paul Greenberg, CEO of Australia's National Online Retailers Association, told Xinhua that compared with large-scale retail promotions in Western countries, China's Singles' Day features a new sales mode (online rather than in brick-and-mortar store), better logistics and payment solutions. "All these are unique contributions to the global business by China's e-commerce sector," he said.

British chain supermarket operator Waitrose, in partnership with a Chinese marketing and logistics company, started exporting to China in April, selling through the Royal Mail shop on Tmall, said The Guardian.

"Singles Day is a big occasion for consumers and businesses in China and has the potential to give the products we offer more exposure and provide another opportunity to test demand for our brand," Nigel Roberts, a Waitrose manager, was quoted as saying.

On the consumer side, the massive promotions by Chinese e-commerce operators at around Nov. 11 have also offered overseas shoppers strong incentives to spend.

Chicago resident Matthew Eisenberg told Xinhua that he has never missed "Double 11" since he knew about it.

Still paying his student loan, the data analyst lives frugally and Chinese online shopping sites help make his life much more comfortable.

Items he often buys online include Chinese digital products and Vietnamese coffee beans. Compared with similar products selling in the United States, they are of good quality with lower prices, he said.

Apart from the price factor, Chinese online shops appeal to overseas consumers because of their detail-oriented services and payment policies.

"When you are browsing the page of a shirt, the system will alert you that the Chinese size is different from the Brazilian one and you could communicate directly with a shop assistant," said Philipe Lima, a 31-year-old software engineer in Rio de Janeiro.

"My personal experience also shows the payment system is very secure," he told Xinhua.

La Nacion, a prestigious Argentine newspapers, has just reported that 80 percent of the packages delivered by the Argentine Postal Service are from China, an indicator of booming e-commerce between the two countries.

Jorge Castro, director of the Institute of Strategic Planning in Buenos Aires, noted that the Nov. 11 shopping day are attracting a growing number of Argentine customers.

Thanks to e-commerce platforms, Argentine customers are able to buy across the globe while Argentine businessmen are selling products like red shrimps and cod to the rest of the world, all online. "It is exactly a win-win feast," Castro commented.
Those who served our country were thanked for America's privilege to keep its peaceful transfer of power at a Veterans Day ceremony Friday in Bismarck.

"Veterans Day honors generations of heroes  generations gone and generations with us who served in wars, served in conflicts, difficult peace, war on terror, whatever name we call it by. We are in debt to the veterans for their sacrifice: sacrifice of time, sacrifice of courage, sacrifice of commitment, your safety, your security and your loved ones who are behind when you go out to serve. We will always be grateful," Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley said.

The ceremony was held at the North Dakota State Heritage Center. As veterans and family members filled the auditorium, the AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary Choir performed traditional to progressive patriotic music.

Jim Nelson, commander of AMVETS Post 9, emceed the events. U.S. Navy veteran Delvin Owens, 93, was recognized for being born on Veterans Day. Later, each military branch's song was played as their respective flags were placed onstage and members of that service stood up to give respectful salutes.

Kristen Hamman, from the office of Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., read his letter to those assembled: "The United States is now the freest and most successful nation the world has ever known because of the selfless service and sacrifice of our veterans."

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., described the peaceful transfer of power in the country through the election process as "a miracle" afforded to us by veterans who served. She thanked the veterans for continuing to serve their communities in other leadership positions after they returned home.

"You helped build the greatest country in the history of the world," she said. "The service didn't just stop in the military. It happened in all of your communities. Without that commitment, we wouldn't be the country that we are, and we wouldn't be the state we are."

Among those community servants was Herbert Wilson, who served from September 1942 until August 1945 in the U.S. Army Air Corps, flying B-24 bombers in England.

"Seventeen percent didn't come back when we went up," he said.

Wilson later became a doctor on the GI Bill and came to North Dakota in 1952, where he treated Native American people in Fort Berthold and New Town.

"It was really tremendous," Wilson said of Friday's ceremony. "We really had a good number attend."

"North Dakota veterans have answered the nation's call and made all of North Dakota proud," said Adj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann of the North Dakota National Guard. He also admonished vandals of the the World War II Memorial in Washington.

Heitkamp added to that criticism of vandals, saying they were unable "to see there is consecrated and hallowed ground that should be beyond politics, beyond reproach, beyond protest."
KABUL, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and 14 others injured in a blast inside Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan's eastern province of Parwan early on Saturday, sources said.

"On November 12, an explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded. We will provide updates as appropriate," the NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) said in a statement.

The Bagram Airfield, some 50 km north of Afghan capital of Kabul, has been serving as a main U.S. military base in Afghanistan over the past 15 years.

Earlier on Saturday, a provincial government spokesman told Xinhua that the nature of the blast was a suicide bombing.

"The initial probes found that a man disguised as a daily worker made his way to pass the first checkpoint of the base and detonated his explosive jacket inflicting casualties," spokesman Wahid Seddiqi told Xinhua.

As the identities of the casualties were not immediately known, unofficial sources said the victims were local workers who were waiting to pass through a gate.

The blast occurred at about 5:30 a.m. local time, according to RS.

"Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident," the RS statement said.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack. He twitted that the attack was part of the insurgent's yearly rebel offensive.

On Thursday night, four Afghan security forces and three militants were killed and more than 130 residents wounded in a Taliban suicide truck bombing and ensuing gunfight against German Consulate office in northern Mazar-e-Sharif city.
DAMASCUS, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian forces have fully recaptured two important areas fallen recently to the rebels during a wide-scale offensive in the country's northern province of Aleppo, state news agency SANA reported on Saturday.
(Source: Xinhua)

DAMASCUS, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian forces have fully recaptured two important areas fallen recently to the rebels during a wide-scale offensive in the country's northern province of Aleppo, state news agency SANA reported on Saturday.

The Syrian forces backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah retook the suburbs of Dahyeit al-Assad and Menyan, which had been overrun by the rebels during a wide-scale offensive on government-controlled areas in western Aleppo late last month.

SANA said the recapture of Dahyeit al-Assad came after a "qualitative" operation that yielded its result on Saturday morning, just a day after the military forces captured Menyan.

According to the report, tens of rebels were killed as the Syrian forces also captured some areas near Dahyeit al-Assad and Menyan.

With this achievement, the Syrian army has regained much of what it had lost to the rebels during their latest offensive.

The rebels recently launched two offensives with the aim of breaking the siege imposed by the government forces on rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo. They managed to storm some areas, without achieving a breakthrough.
BEIJING, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Singles' Day, China's annual online shopping event on Nov. 11, smashed all previous records Friday as Chinese splurged across online market places.

Seen by many as China's version of Black Friday in the United States, Singles' Day has grown into a huge battle for market share among Chinese e-commerce companies.

Following are some of this year's figures:

-- Orders worth 10 billion yuan (1.47 billion U.S. dollars) were placed in the first six minutes 58 seconds on Alibaba, China's e-commerce giant.

-- China's 16 biggest e-commerce sites rang up 177 billion yuan in sales during the 24 hours, according to data provider Syntun.

-- Alibaba was the largest winner, with a 68.2-percent market share, followed by JD.com and Suning.com.

-- People from over 220 countries and regions worldwide bought items online, according to data from Alibaba.

-- Some 82 percent of Singles' Day transactions took place on a mobile phone.

-- Around 1.07 billion delivery orders were placed during the 24-hour period.

-- More than 39,487 brands participated in this year's Singles' Day.

-- Over 47 million customers bought products sold by international brands.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- China hopes to forge an effective cooperative partnership with the Trump administration so as to carry forward China-U.S. relations, Chinese ambassador Cui Tiankai said Friday.

China expects to see a smooth transition of power in Washington, Cui told CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour.

Asked to comment on Trump's threats during his campaign trail to impose high tariffs on Chinese imports and fight a trade war with China, Cui said China never wants to have any war, either trade war or other wars, with any country. "Besides, both China and the U.S. are members of the WTO (World Trade Organization), so we should both play by the WTO rules."

He said China-U.S. relations are based on and defined by growing common interests and mutual needs. "As far as the economic relation is concerned, I think it's a mutually beneficial one."

The two countries are cooperating with each other in many other areas, he said.

China and the United States have benefited a great deal from the growing relationship and enhanced cooperation in the past decades. "I'm confident this will continue," said the Chinese diplomat.

Commenting on Trump's claim that climate change was a Chinese-made hoax, Cui noted that both countries took lead in reaching a climate change deal in Paris.

"Climate change is a global challenge, and all countries should work together to responde to it. And whatever other countries may do or may not do, China will continue to make genuine efforts to respond to climate change to seek to realize green and sustainable development," said the Chinese ambassador.

On isolationist measures Trump has vowed, Cui said that multiple global challenges call for joint efforts of the international community, and that China hopes to see a continued important U.S. role.

With regard to Washington's future Asia-Pacific policy, Cui said the region has maintained general stability in the past few decades and is now the most economically dynamic region in the world.

"I think it will serve everybody's interests if we can continue to go forward on this track. China is ready and willing to work with any other partners for the continued stability and prosperity in the region, and we certainly see the U.S. as an important partner," he said.

Trump, the Republican candidate, won the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential race. He is to take office on January 20.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday congratulated Trump on his victory, and said he hoped they could work together to boost China-U.S. relations. Xi said the two countries bear special responsibility of maintaining world peace and stability and boosting global development and prosperity.
by Yoo Seungki

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Public anger exploded on the streets over a scandal involving South Korean President Park Geun-hye's longtime confidante, Choi Soon-sil, who is alleged to have meddled in state affairs from the shadows and peddling undue influence for personal gains.

Ranging from couples with their babies and children to students in school uniforms and grey-haired old men, ordinary South Koreans crowded the streets in central Seoul on Saturday as seen in the previous two weekends.

Protesters shouted for the scandal-hit president's resignation, with a wider array of posters in their hands reading "Park Geun-hye, step down," "Incompetent president destroys country," "Is this called a country?" People marched in the evening with paper cup-wrapped candles in hand.

Banners along the road varied, demanding President Park distance herself from all state affairs, including diplomacy and defense. One banner from the minor Justice Party proposed a roadmap of Park's resignation, the forming of interim cabinet and early presidential election.

The embattled president made public apologies twice and accepted a coalition cabinet formed by the parliament, but people get infuriated further on growing views that Park has yet to sincerely confess to her sins.

As Donald Trump's presidential win in the United States caused security uncertainties on the Korean Peninsula, people call for Park's rapid resignation as she already lost credibility and authority in the diplomatic stage.

"(Park) has yet to sincerely apologize. (Park) can no longer govern our country as she already lost credibility and authority," said Shin Yoon-seo, a 17-year-old high school student attending the rally with fellow students.

Choi, whose friendship with President Park dates back to the mid-1970s, is suspected of pulling government strings behind the scenes. Allegations range from selecting wardrobe to be worn by the president in official events to the editing of important presidential speeches and the appointment of senior government officials.

Some local media outlets even speculated that Choi may have engaged in the July decision to deploy a U.S. missile shield system in southeast South Korea by the end of next year. It was a surprising decision because Seoul had previously refrained from even raising the issue.

During Saturday's rally, dissatisfactions with Park's business-friendly policies also burst into a fit of rage especially among workers and farmers. At least 100,000 members and supporters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the country's two umbrella labor union groups, joined the protest.

The Park Geun-hye administration has been criticized for labor policies that allow companies to fire regular employees more easily and increase irregular workers more comfortably. The number of irregular workers has increased since the Lee Myung-bak government that ended in February 2013.

"Under the governments of Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, regular workers fell and irregular workers rose. Park Geun-hye is seeking an illegal alteration in administrative directives to produce more irregular workers, which is in violation of labor law," said 44-year-old Choi Dong-sik, a KCTU participant in the rally.
by Ronald Ssekandi

KAMPALA, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Despite a raging war in many parts of Somalia, many Somali refugees are choosing to return home, Somali and UN officials told Xinhua, while calling for international support to support this trend.

Mariam Yassin Hagi Yussuf, a senior official in Somalia's Office of the Prime Minister, told Xinhua in an interview in Kampala that many Somalis in the diaspora are choosing to return due to enhanced security back in Somalia.

"People miss home, if you feel you are stuck in your life, you are not moving, then it is better that you go back home," said Yussuf, who is also in charge of children and migrants' rights.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) over 200,000 of the 600,000 Somali refugees in Yemen have expressed willingness to return home.

Another 200 Somali refugees in Djibouti are also willing to go home, while thousands are set to be voluntarily repatriated from Kenya.

In anticipation of the increasing number of returnees, the Somali government has established a national coordination mechanism where migration issues will be handled both at the federal and regional government level.

Yussuf said the government is also waiting for parliament to enact a law on anti-trafficking and smuggling of migrants.

According to the Somali government, many local youths are being trafficked out of the country. Many end up being abused and some die on the Mediterranean Sea as they try to access Europe.

"We are tackling the root causes of migration starting from insecurity, non-sufficient education, and lack of job opportunities. By tackling the root causes, we believe we will reduce the risk of people leaving the country," she added.

Mohamed Abdi Affey, UNHCR Special Envoy for the Somalia Refugee Situation, told Xinhua in an interview that the country is in a critical stage and needs all the international support as many Somalis are willing to return home.

He argued that the Somali crisis seems to have gone off the international agenda, which is now occupied by other emerging crises.

"This return means there should be focus on facilities inside the country so that the conditions are bearable for those who are coming back," he said on the sides of a regional meet on migrants in eastern Africa.

Affey called for continued support of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which he said had helped to bring relative peace in Somalia.

He said the possible pull out of some peacekeeping troops as some countries have suggested would be disastrous.

"AMISOM presence has contributed substantially to peace and stability of Somalia. I would request that any pullout would be reconsidered before Somalia has a sufficient security force that can be able to protect its population," he said.

Uganda, the largest troop contributor to the 22,000-strong African Union force, said would pull out its troops by 2018 since it first deployed them in 2007. Kenya, another troop contributing country also planned a withdrawal.

The AU Peace and Security Council in June said it planned to withdraw the entire contingent by October 2018, and by December 2020, the mission will have been fully transferred to the Somali National Army.
BEIJING, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Commerce said Saturday that the European Union should avoid abusing trade remedy measures, after the latest decision by the European Commission to impose anti-dumping duties on some Chinese steel products.

The European Commission Saturday decided to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of seamless steel tubes from China for six months.

China is highly concerned about the increasing steel trade protectionism from the EU, and hopes the EU will strictly respect relevant World Trade Organization rules, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

The "analogue country" investigation method used by the EU, a practice using price data in a third country to calculate the value of products from a non-market economy country, is unfair and unreasonable and has seriously damaged the interests of Chinese companies, it said.

It reiterated that the root cause of Europe's steel industry woes was not imports from China but weak economic growth.
South Sudan's government soldiers take position at a battle field in Alelo near South Sudan's northern town of Malakal, Oct. 16, 2016. Fresh clashes between government and opposition forces near the northern town of Malakal have killed at least 56 over the weekend. (Xinhua/Gale Julius)

NAIROBI, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan could slide into genocide if the conflict-torn nation fails to curb ethnic-targeted killings, a UN advisor has warned.

UN Secretary General Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng said inflammatory rhetoric, stereotyping and name calling between ethnic groups were on the rise in the country and could turn into ethnic cleansing if not stopped outright.

"I am dismayed to report that what I have seen and what I have heard have confirmed my concern that there is strong risk of violence escalating along ethnic lines with the potential for genocide," Dieng said after concluding his five-day visit to the oil-rich yet poverty-ridden country.

"Inflammatory rhetoric, stereotyping and name calling have been accompanied by targeted killings and rape of members of particular ethnic groups," he added.

"I am particularly concerned by the involvement of the youth in the spread of hatred and hostility as they are susceptible to divisions within society," Dieng said while lamenting the abuse of social media to spread hatred.

The UN advisor urged South Sudan leaders to allow inclusivity to foster unity among the various fragmented communities.

Since the renewed violence broke out in the capital of Juba between forces led by ousted First Vice President Riek Machar and troops loyal to President Salva Kiir in July, violence and targeted killings have spread to hitherto peaceful areas of Yei and Eastern Equatoria's Magwi area.

"I have seen that there is extreme polarization among some tribal groups which have increased in certain places since the outbreak of violence in July this year," Dieng noted.

"What began as a political conflict has transformed into what could become an outright ethnic war with the stalling of the implementation of the peace agreement," he said.
HARBIN, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The northeastern province of Heilongjiang, a major coal production base, will close 44 coal mines in the coming three to five years, according to the provincial government.

By closing 24 mines run by the state-owned Longmei Mining Group and another 20 local mines, the province will cut coal production capacity by 25.67 million tonnes, according to a coal mining overcapacity reduction plan released by the provincial government Saturday.

It said the government will not approve any new mining projects in the coming five years.

Meanwhile, small mines with less than 150,000 tonnes of annual output will be closed over safety concerns, it said.

The government will also close mines with outdated machinery and systems, which do not have the ability to upgrade, it said.

China is downsizing its coal industry, and plans to cut coal capacity by half a billion tonnes in the next few years. H Last year, Heilongjiang shut down 233 mines, removing 13.11 million tonnes of obsolete capacity, according to the provincial work safety authorities.
GMA/Google(KABUL) -- Four people were killed and 17 others were injured in a deadly Taliban suicide bomb attack inside Bagram Airfield, the large U.S. military base in Afghanistan.



"I am deeply saddened to learn that an explosion early this morning at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan has resulted in U.S. casualties," said Defense Secretary Ash Carter in a statement Saturday.



"An apparent suicide bomber has taken the lives of two U.S. servicemembers and two U.S. contractors working on the base," said Carter. "The explosion wounded 16 other U.S. servicemembers and one Polish soldier participating in our NATO mission."



He added: "I want to express my sincere condolences to the families of the fallen, and I want to reassure the loved ones of those injured that they are getting the best possible care."



A U.S. official said the attack occurred inside the base, with the attacker wearing a suicide vest. The blast occurred as the military personnel were moving between morning physical exercises and a dining hall, according to the official.



Carter said that force protection for the 9,800 American troops in Afghanistan "is always a top priority, and we will investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it."



"For those who carried out this attack, my message is simple. We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future," said Carter.



The attack occurred at just after 5:30 a.m., according to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission.



The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack, which they said was carried out by a suicide bomber.



Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said the bomber managed to enter the base with explosives and detonate himself among American servicemembers who were in the midst of doing their morning exercise.



General John W. Nicholson, commander of Resolute Support for the U.S. Army, said in a statement, "To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences. For the family and friends of those wounded in todays attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today."



He added: "To those who target Coalition forces, ANDSF, and Afghan civilians, Resolute Support and USFOR-A will continue to pursue our Train, Advise, and Assist mission to help our partners create a better Afghanistan."

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
A former government official of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks from a construction contractor has pleaded guilty to federal charges in North Dakota. Randall Phelan was an elected representative of the governing body of the Three Affiliated Tribes from the end of 2012 to the middle of 2020. Investigators say Phelan used his official position to help the contractors business by awarding contracts, fabricating bids and managing fraudulent invoices. His trial had been scheduled to begin Tuesday. Phelan and two others were originally charged with receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the bribery scheme on the oil-rich Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The contractor has pleaded guilty to bribery.
Photo taken on Nov. 12, 2016 shows students attending the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK), or the Chinese Proficiency Test, at Dhaka University Confucius Institute in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. The number of Bangladesh students appearing in the HSK, Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi or the Chinese Proficiency Test, has shot up. The HSK, designed and developed by the HSK Center of Beijing Language and Culture University, is one of the most important academic testing systems in relation to Chinese language study around the world.(Xinhua/Jibon Ahsan)



DHAKA, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The number of Bangladesh students appearing in the HSK, Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi or the Chinese Proficiency Test, has shot up.

Scores of students on Saturday appeared in different levels of HSK examinations held at the Dhaka University Confucius Institute in Bangladesh capital Dhaka.

"Today we conducted HSK level 2, 3 and 4 examinations," Zhou Mingdong, director at Dhaka University Confucius Institute told Xinhua.

She said some 63 students from the Dhaka University Confucius Institute and other Bangladesh educational institutes appeared in the examinations Saturday.

She said more and more students have been showing interest to learn Chinese language and appear in different levels of HSK examinations to test their Chinese ability to face practical and real-life situations.

The Dhaka University Confucius Institute has become a prime destination for Chinese language learners, she said.

"We'll hold another HSK examination next month for students of other levels," she added.

The HSK, designed and developed by the HSK Center of Beijing Language and Culture University, is one of the most important academic testing systems in relation to Chinese language study around the world.
ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has called for additional forces to facilitate operations in Somalia as the conflict-torn nation held elections amid constant threats from Al-Shabaab.

The call was made after a meeting between Chiefs of Defence Forces of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) of AMISOM on Friday in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

The meeting was held to review the progress made in the provision of security in support of the electoral process in Somalia, as well as to consider options for strengthening the AMISOM operational effectiveness in light of future offensive operations, according to an AU statement on Saturday.

The meeting requested the deployment of additional forces to enable AMISOM and Somalia National Security Force (SNSF) to conduct necessary operations in Juba Valley, Hiraan regions and North East coastline.

In this regard, the meeting stressed the need for the UN and the international community to support additional forces of up to 4,000 troops for a maximum period of six months to conduct offensive operations.

Chiefs of defence forces of TCCs, namely Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya, and the defense representative of Uganda attended the meeting.
SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- A South Korean opposition lawmaker has claimed that a political heavyweight might have worked behind the scenes for the deployment of a U.S. missile shield on South Korean soil.

In his posting on Facebook, Kim Jong-dae, a lawmaker of the minor Justice Party, questioned the decision-making process of the South Korean government with regard to the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

Kim alleged that Lockheed Martin, the THAAD manufacturer, had repeatedly contacted heavyweights of the Park Geun-hye government to lobby for the deployment.

He demanded that the secret figure pulling the strings be found.

Reversing an earlier stance of "Three Nos," South Korea abruptly announced a joint decision with the United States on July 8 to install one THAAD battery in the country by the end of next year.

The "Three Nos" refer to no proposal, no consultation and no decision on THAAD deployment.

Kim pointed out that as the southern town of Seongju was selected as the site for deployment, Seoul would be outside the THAAD range and additional defense system would therefore also be needed.

"By supplying six Patriot missile batteries to defend Seoul at 600 billion won (about 515 million U.S. dollars) per each unit, a new market of 3.6 trillion won (about 3.1 billion dollars) will be created," Kim said. "Additional markets will open when it sells missile-defense combat systems on the Korean Navy's irrational procurement of three Aegis-class ships. Furthermore, another 2 trillion won (about 1.7 billion dollars) market will be offered if Korea purchases just one THAAD battery."

"If it manages to accomplish the THAAD deployment by lobbying anyone possible, the rest is offered automatically," he said. "And you can easily guess who sits in the palm of Lockheed Martin's hand."

The large amount of money is significant to Lockheed Martin, especially when its star product, combat aircraft F-35, is having poor sales.

Established in 1912, Lockheed Martin is the world's largest military enterprise, whose history is packed with scandals, including the astonishing bribery scandal in 1976 in Japan.

The scandal was revealed in 1976 when the vice-chairman of Lockheed told a Senate subcommittee that the company had paid about 500 million yen (about 4 million dollars) in bribes to Japanese Prime Minister Kabuei Tanaka and other heavyweights in order to influence the All Nippon Airways to buy Lockheed's L-1011 TriStar planes instead of McDonnell's DC-10s.

Tanaka was sentenced to four years in prison.

In 1999, Lockheed Martin was again brought to court. South Korea wished to purchase military equipment and finally the contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin's Loral Cooperation. However, Korea Supply Company, which was also competing for the contract, accused Linda Kim, an employee of Loral Cooperation, of bribing two military officers and offering sex favors to South Korea's defense minister to secure the contract from then South Korean government.

Although Lockheed Martin strongly denied the accusation, Linda's lawyer admitted that she had a criminal record of offering bribes and sex favors and was once sentenced in prison for that reason.

According to Forbes, 80 percent of Lockheed Martin's annual revenue is from the U.S. government, of which 61 percent is from the Pentagon. At the same time, Lockheed Martin spends about 15 million U.S. dollars every year to lobby the government and even use illegal methods in order to influence Washington's decision-making process and to get profitable projects.

"Lockheed Martin looks like a classic case of a company that is too big to fail," said William Hartung, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, in an article.

"It supplies the Pentagon with so many kinds of weapons systems that it appears to have made itself indispensable," Hartung said.

Under such circumstances, quite a few members of the U.S. Congress spare no effort to support Lockheed Martin, he said, which explains why the company can get away from severe punishment even though it was reported to have involved in 81 alleged improper behaviors, including inappropriate competition and fraud.

Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned the nation about the potentially corrupting influence of the "military-industrial complex" in his farewell address in 1961. Yet more than five decades later, most U.S. military giants, like Lockheed Martin, become even stronger and push many regions around the globe into turmoils for their own interests.
People attend a rally in downtown Seoul, capital of South Korea, Nov. 12, 2016. South Koreans staged peaceful rallies across central Seoul on Saturday night to demand President Park Geun-hye step down over a scandal involving her longtime confidante and former aides. (Xinhua)

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Over 1 million South Koreans staged peaceful rallies across central Seoul on Saturday night to demand President Park Geun-hye step down over a scandal involving her longtime confidante and former aides.

Organizers estimated that the number of participants in the Saturday rally, the third since the scandal came into focus last month, topped 1 million in Seoul alone, according to local media reports. Last Saturday, some 200,000 people turned out in the capital city.

It would be the country's largest mass rally at least since June 1987 when about 1 million demonstrators gathered to ouster the military dictatorship. In 2008, some 700,000 protested against then-President Lee Myung-bak who resumed U.S. beef imports during the outbreak of mad cow disease.

Police said around 260,000 people turned out in Seoul, beating its earlier expectation of up to 170,000. Police estimates are usually far lower than figures released by organizers as it does not include people coming back home after early participation.

Ranging from couples with their babies and children to students in school uniforms and grey-haired old men, ordinary South Koreans crowded the Seoul streets as seen in the two previous protests.

Despite the huge number, demonstrators stayed calm and rallied peacefully. People showed restraint and instead, poured out anger by shouting for the president's resignation and holding up posters and candles.

The embattled president made public apologies twice and accepted a coalition cabinet formed by the parliament, but people get infuriated further on growing views that Park has yet to sincerely confess to her sins.

As Donald Trump's presidential win in the United States caused security uncertainties on the Korean Peninsula, people call for Park's rapid resignation as she already lost credibility and authority in the diplomatic stage.

At least 100,000 people left for Seoul from across the country to attend the Seoul protest, including some 1,000 residents in the southern resort island of Jeju coming here by flight. Tickets for train and express bus bound for the capital city sold out early, with chartered buses being hardly to find on unusually strong demand.

Thousands of protesters staged separate rallies in major cities nationwide. Even South Koreans living in about 30 cities of 10 foreign countries marched to demand the scandal-plagued president's resignation.

A private association to demand Park's resignation, which is composed of about 1,500 civic groups, held an evening event in the Gwanghwamun Square, just 1 km away from the presidential Blue House where the presidential office and residence are located.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, another organizer and one of the country's two umbrella labor union groups, held an occasion in a Seoul Plaza in front of the city hall, close to the Gwanghwamun square.

Around 25,000 police officers were allegedly deployed to prevent any violence or any march to the presidential office, but no big scuffle has been reported yet.

This Saturday's rally is expected to become a watershed to determine the fates of President Park and her ruling Saenuri Party. The Blue House has not announced any official response to the country's biggest rally in about 30 years, and only a part of Saenuri members individually joined the protest.

All leaderships of three major opposition parties actively participated in the protest, demanding Park immediately step down. The minor Justice Party proposed a roadmap of Park's resignation first, the parliamentary forming of an interim cabinet and early presidential election.

President Park's approval rating stayed at 5 percent for two weeks in a row, the lowest for any South Korean president, according to a Gallup Korea poll released on Friday. Another pollster survey showed on Friday that more than 60 percent of respondents said Park should step down or be impeached.
NICOSIA, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus's community leaders have come close to an agreement on territorial issue which will pave the way to a comprehensive agreement,the government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said on Saturday.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci decided to take a week's recess for consultations after completing five days of UN-led sustained negotiations in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland that focused on territorial adjustments.

"We consider that an agreement on territorial issue is within reach," Christodoulides said in remarks reported by state radio.

He said President Anastasiades requested the recess to consult with Cypriot party leaders and also brief Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Anastasiades and Akinci will meet again in Geneva on Nov. 20 for yet another round or sustained negotiations expected to last up to three days, in the presence of Espen Barth Eide, UN special adviser on Cyprus.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey sent troops that occupied 37.5 percent of the island's territory in reaction to a short-lived coup engineered by the military rulers of Greece at the time.

Territorial adjustments that will bring down the territory under Turkish Cypriot control closer to their population ratio of 22 percent and allow the maximum possible number of displaced people to return to their cities and villages were exhaustively discussed at Mont Pelerin.

It was the first time in almost 40 years of Cyprus negotiations that the territorial issue was discussed directly.

"There has been a remarkable progress that allows us to be optimistic," Christodoulides said.

He said that despite progress, there are still issues that need to be discussed further or in more depth.
TEHRAN, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday called for civilian nuclear cooperation with Hungary, semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"The two countries can cooperate in various sectors of the civilian nuclear energy applications," Rouhani said in a meeting with the visiting Hungarian Parliament Speaker Laszlo Kover in the capital Tehran.

Rouhani also urged Hungarian investors and companies to partake in Iran's industrial and agricultural projects.

Kover expressed his country's determination to strengthen cooperation with Iran, saying "Hungary is fully ready to expand its cooperation with Tehran, specially in economic fields, and this will no doubt benefit the two countries."

He stressed that Hungary is ready to cooperate with Iran in the nuclear energy field.
MOSCOW, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said Saturday that it has detained a group of terrorists on suspicion of plotting attacks in the capital city of Moscow and Russia's second largest city of St. Petersburg.

With the help of counterparts from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, 10 people, some from Central Asia, who were planning high-profile attacks in Moscow and St. Petersburg, were detained in Saturday's special operations, the FSB said in a statement.

Improvised explosive devices stuffed with shrapnel, firearms, as well as remote control and communication devices have been found from them, it added.

The suspects have admitted their link to the Islamic State terrorist group, according to the FSB.
ISLAMABAD, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people were killed and 20 others injured when a blast hit a shrine in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan Province on Saturday night, local Urdu TV channel Dunya reported.
BAKU, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The first stage of the large-scale military drills kicked off in Azerbaijan Saturday, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The Azerbaijani armed forces examined the system of combat readiness of the army, conducted movement of military concentrations to the starting positions and deployment of field control points.

In accordance with the plan of drills, the participants of military exercises implemented redeployment of command and control centers and troops, which were placed on a state of alert, to the areas of operational purpose.

They also redeployed combat aircraft to alternate airports and moved units of missile troops and artillery on the temporary fire and starting positions.

Air Force facilities provided security for the movement of military equipment.

The exercises involving up to 60,000 personnel, 50 aircraft and helicopters, over 150 tanks and armored vehicles, alongside 700 systems of missile and artillery troops, were carried out according to the plan approved by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in order to verify the command and control systems and weapons.

The Azerbaijani armed forces are considered the most modern in the Caucasus region, consisting of Air Force and Air Defense Forces, the Navy, and the Army.

The country's armed forces regularly conduct military exercises to improve the skills of military personnel.
ISLAMABAD, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 people were killed and 95 others injured when a bomb went inside a shrine in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan Province on Saturday night, officials said.

Sanaullah Zehri, home minister of Balochistan, said that the blast happened when devotees were preforming Dhamal, a kind of Sufi dance, in the Dargah Shah Noorani shrine of Hub, the town in Khuzdar district of the province.

He said that the killed and injured people include a large number of women and kids who have been shifted to nearby hospitals.

Muhammad Jafar, Superintendent Police, said that devotees dance inside the shrine every night, but tonight there were more people than usual.

He said that police and paramilitary troops reached at the blast site and cordoned it off.

Nature of the blast has not been officially determined yet, but some local media reports said that the attack was carried out by a teenager suicide bomber.

No group has claimed the attack yet.
Photo taken on Nov. 12, 2016 shows the international forum on Tokyo trials and world peace is held in Shanghai, east China. The forum opened Saturday in Shanghai, attracting 25 famous jurists and historians from countries including China, the United States, Japan, Britain and New Zealand. The year marked the 70th anniversary of the opening of Tokyo trials.(Xinhua/Pei Xin)



SHANGHAI, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- An international forum on Tokyo trials and world peace opened Saturday in Shanghai, attracting 25 famous jurists and historians from countries including China, the United States, Japan, Britain and New Zealand.

The year marked the 70th anniversary of the opening of Tokyo trials.

"Tokyo trials were the kind that defended civilization," said Gao Wenbin, then a translator and secretary to Chinese prosecutors. "I am 95 years old this year, but history should not be forgotten and facts should not be distorted."

"I deeply believe that any schemes that go against historic trend will not succeed and justice will eventually prevail over evil," said Gao.

After WWII, the Allied Forces tried Japanese war criminals at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo. Known as the Tokyo trials, the proceedings played an important part in shaping the postwar Asia-Pacific order.

Zhang Jie, president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said Tokyo and Nuremberg trials were the attempts to avoid bitter wars by punishing war criminals.

"In many corners around the world, there are still many regional disputes and tensions and peace is still one that many people seek and aspire for," said Zhang.

The two-day forum, hosted by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, has six panel discussions.
NEW DELHI, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- A journalist working with a vernacular daily was shot dead Saturday in India's eastern state of Bihar, officials said.

The killing took place at Sasaram in Rohtash district, about 153 km west of Patna, the capital city of Bihar.

"Today unidentified criminals shot dead Dharmendra Kumar Singh, while having tea at a road side stall at his Amra tola village," a police official said. "The 35-year-old Singh was correspondent of a Hindi daily - Dainik Bhaskar."

Following the attack, the assailants escaped from the spot, eyewitness told media. Police have started investigations to nab the assailants.

Reports said Singh had written articles on illegal stone chips units and quarrying business in Rohtas district.

In May this year, gunmen killed Rajdeo Ranjan, the bureau head of another Hindi-language daily Hindustan in district Siwan of the state.

Last year nine journalists were killed in India, according to Reporters Without Borders.

The Paris-based media watchdog said five of them were killed in the course of their work.

India ranks 133 on the World Press Freedom Index for 2016, released by Reporters Without Borders for 180 countries.

India is becoming a "more dangerous place to practice journalism," says New York based Committee to Protect Journalists.
NEW DELHI, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Indian authorities have taken into custody a U.S. national for allegedly flying a drone near iconic Taj Mahal in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh's town of Agra, just 250 kms from the national capital.

A senior police official said Saturday that the American tourist, identified as R. Nicholas, was detained for the incident Friday for flying a small white-colored drone at least twice near the historical monument, which is a high-security zone.

"After security forces spotted the drone, a massive search operation was launched and the American tourist was found operating the flying object from the terrace of a local hotel. He was immediately taken into custody," he said, on condition of anonymity.

The official added that the U.S. embassy in the Indian capital has been informed about the detention.

Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of ancient world and is visited by millions of tourists every year. Drones are banned near the monument like in sensitive places such as airports.
ISLAMABAD, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Rescue work is underway after a deadly blast at a shrine which left 30 people killed and 95 others injured in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan Province on Saturday night, officials said.

Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, the spokesperson of Balochistan government, said that they have dispatched 50 ambulances to the Dargah Shah Noorani Shrine, which is located at the top of the mountain in Hub town, located in Khuzdar district of the province.

He said that the blast site is hard to access as darkness and tough mountainous terrain is a hindrance to the rescue teams, so they have also sent a team of doctors and paramedics to treat the injured people at the blast site.

He said that helicopters would be used to shift the critically injured people to hospital if needed.

Kakar said that a state of emergency has been imposed in hospitals in Khuzdar and neighboring Lasbela districts.

Hamkim Lasi, head of non-profit organization Edhi Foundation in Khuzdar, said that they have dispatched 12 ambulances to the blast site, adding that the death toll is feared to rise as there is no hospital in the nearby area where injured can be treated.

He said that the nearest hospital is in downtown Hub, which is located some 120 km from the blast site.

Sanaullah Zehri, home minister of Balochistan, said that the blast happened when devotees were preforming Dhamal, a kind of Sufi dance, in the shrine.

He said that the killed and injured people include a large number of women and kids.

Muhammad Jafar, Superintendent Police, said that devotees dance inside the shrine every night, but tonight there were more people than usual.

He said that police and paramilitary troops reached at the blast site and cordoned it off.

Nature of the blast has not been officially determined yet, but some local media reports said that the attack was carried out by a teenager suicide bomber.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the blast and vowed to eradicate militancy from the country.
KATHMANDU, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Frequent exchanges of high-level visits between Nepal and India recently have helped enhancing bilateral ties, leaders and officials of both countries said.

Indian Army Chief General Dalbir Singh, in Nepal for a three-day visit, held talks with Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday.

The Nepalese Prime Minister said Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's recent state visit to Nepal was successful in terms of enhancing age-old ties between the two countries, according to a statement of the Prime Minister's secretariat.

The Indian Army Chief said that the Indian Army will establish a new pension paying office at Butwal of western Nepal bordering India, aiming to facilitate pension distribution process to Nepali nationals retiring from the Indian Army.

The Indian Army Chief also called on Nepal's Defense Minister Balkrishna Khad and discussed defense cooperation.

The two countries are currently holding the Surya Kiran "X" joint military exercises as an annual routine.
Photo taken on Nov. 9, 2016 shows a freighter loaded with iron ore at the mining area of Shougang Hierro PERU S.A.A., a subsidiary of Chinese iron and steel giant Shougang Group, in Marcona, Ica province, Peru. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

LIMA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Peruvian Second Vice President Mercedes Araoz has said that her country's relationship with China is a "priority."

Araoz made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Peru, during which he will attend the 24th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting from Nov. 19 to 20 in Peru's capital Lima.

According to Araoz, since the free trade agreement (FTA) between Peru and China came into force in 2010, "relations have been solid with many reciprocal advantages seen in commerce, investments and culture. This is due to the existence of historical and economic affinities as well as transparent and fluid dialogue."

She said that bilateral cooperation is crucial in strengthening relations and boosting economic growth. This cooperation has been highlighted by the visit of Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to China in September and by the upcoming visit by President Xi to Lima.

"President Kuczynski seeks to take up opportunities to learn from each other. Both cultures can see they are unique because they have millennial histories while having remained brothers for many years," said the vice president, adding that Kuczynski and Xi will inject new impetus into bilateral relations.

On investment, Araoz said China was particularly interested in infrastructure in Peru, such as roads and railways, as well as carrying out mining projects with refineries meeting high environmental levels, as well as exploring manufacturing and services opportunities.

Araoz, who served as minister of foreign commerce and tourism from 2006 to 2009, recalled the process of negotiating the FTA between China and Peru.

Pupils have a class in Jose Maria primary school in Santa Cruz de Cocachacra, Lima Province, Peru, on Nov. 11, 2016. Jose Maria primary school was constructed with the aid of China and was put into use in March this year. Currently a total of 140 students are receiving educaiton here. (Xinhua/Luis Camacho)

"The Chinese side was very open to taking many of our proposals on board. For example, the customs treaty is a part of the trade deal, which involved things that China has had difficulty in granting to other countries. But they gave it to us. They also gave us investment concessions they do not normally give," said Araoz.

"I think they did give us preferential treatment, which turned it into a space of friendship and familiarity," she added.

Araoz, however, said that Peru and China still have work to do in areas such as intellectual property, which both countries see as important.

On the APEC summit, which will be held in Lima for the second time in November, Araoz said that all is going well, concerning the organization, logistics and security, as well as the agenda itself.

"This is the time to discuss sustainable development. The agenda therefore covers all topics ranging from food security, human capital, and better integration," she said. "While there are certain differences in terms of the agenda we have yet to reconcile, we are continuously getting closer. We also incorporated the role of small and medium enterprises in global value chains, where there are many similarities."

She also explained how these topics would be wide-ranging. For example, the topic of food security will include a discussion on how to stimulate more opportunities in rural areas, including opening businesses, removing tariffs and improving education.

Araoz also said that China is seen within APEC as being able to contribute a lot thanks to its fast growth and technological development.

"China has a history of having developed commercial agreements with its peers. Therefore, we think we can work very closely together," she said.

Dialogue with other institutions will take place at APEC, including one between APEC members and the Pacific Alliance -- a Latin American trade bloc comprised of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru -- and another with Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades (R) walks with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci (L) in a street of Nicosia, Cyprus, on May 23, 2015. (Xinhua/Stefanos Kouratzis)

NICOSIA, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus's community leaders have come close to an agreement on territorial issue which will pave the way to a comprehensive agreement,the government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said on Saturday.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci decided to take a week's recess for consultations after completing five days of UN-led sustained negotiations in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland that focused on territorial adjustments.

"We consider that an agreement on territorial issue is within reach," Christodoulides said in remarks reported by state radio.

He said President Anastasiades requested the recess to consult with Cypriot party leaders and also brief Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Anastasiades and Akinci will meet again in Geneva on Nov. 20 for yet another round or sustained negotiations expected to last up to three days, in the presence of Espen Barth Eide, UN special adviser on Cyprus.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey sent troops that occupied 37.5 percent of the island's territory in reaction to a short-lived coup engineered by the military rulers of Greece at the time.

Territorial adjustments that will bring down the territory under Turkish Cypriot control closer to their population ratio of 22 percent and allow the maximum possible number of displaced people to return to their cities and villages were exhaustively discussed at Mont Pelerin.

It was the first time in almost 40 years of Cyprus negotiations that the territorial issue was discussed directly.

"There has been a remarkable progress that allows us to be optimistic," Christodoulides said.

He said that despite progress, there are still issues that need to be discussed further or in more depth.
This file photo shows Chinese female J-10 fighter pilot Yu Xu. Yu died in an accident during a routine flight training on Saturday, an Air Force spokesman said. (Xinhua/Shen Ling)



BEIJING, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Yu Xu, a female J-10 fighter pilot, died in an accident during a routine flight training on Saturday, an Air Force spokesman said.

Born in 1986, Yu was from Chongzhou city in southwest China's Sichuan Province. She joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force in September 2005, and was serving as a flight squadron leader.

All servicemen of PLA Air Force were deeply regretful and mournful of Yu's unfortunate death, said Air Force spokesman Shen Jinke.

The Air Force will continue to conduct training by the highest standards and faithfully fulfill its mission, Shen said.
Rescuers transfer a man injured in a bomb blast at a shrine to a hospital in Hub town, southwest Pakistan, on Nov. 12, 2016. At least 40 people were killed and over 100 others injured after a suicide blast hit a shrine in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan district on Saturday night, local media and officials said. (Xinhua/Stringer)

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 40 people were killed and over 100 others injured after a suicide blast hit a shrine in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan district on Saturday night, local media and officials said.

Local Urdu TV channel Abb Takk reported that 40 people including women and kids were killed, adding that the blast targeted devotees who played Dhamal, a kind of mystic dance, at Shah Noorani Shrine located at a hilltop in Hub town of the province's Kalat region.

However, the officials put the death toll figure at 30.

Hashim Galzai, the Commissioner of Kalat said that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who blew himself up at the place where the devotees were dancing.

He said that there were over 500 people, coming from different parts of the country, inside the shrine when the blast happened.

Rescue work by Army, government and non-profit organizations is underway, and altogether 87 ambulances carrying doctors and paramedics have been dispatched to the blast site, as there is no major hospital in the remote area where the shrine is located.

Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, the spokesperson of the Balochistan government, said that they have dispatched 50 ambulances to the shrine.

The Inter-Services Public Relations, Pakistani Army's media wing, said that 25 ambulances with doctors and paramedics have left for the blast site and an emergency has been imposed in military hospitals in Kalat region and Karachi.

Hamkim Lasi, head of a non-profit organization Edhi Foundation in the area, said that they have dispatched 12 ambulances to the blast site.

He said that the blast site is hard to access as darkness and tough mountainous terrain is a hindrance to the rescue teams, and the nearest major hospital is in downtown Hub, which is located some 120 km from the blast site.

Superintendent Police Muhammad Jafar said that police and paramilitary troops reached the blast site and cordoned it off.

No group has claimed the attack yet.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the blast and vowed to eradicate militancy from the country.
Demonstrators protest in response to the election of Republican DonaldTrump as President of the United States in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. November 11, 2016. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed a call from Donald Trump, the U.S. president-elect, for unity after what has been described as a bitter and divisive presidential campaign.

In a phone call on Friday afternoon when anti-Trump protests were underway across the United States, Ban congratulated Trump again on his election as the forty-fifth President of the United States of America, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here.

"The secretary-general welcomed President-elect Trump's calls for unity following a hard-fought election," the spokesman said.

Demonstrators carry signs during a "Love Rally" atWashington Square Park in New York on November 11, 2016, to protest the election of US President-elect Donald Trump. (Xinhua/AFP PHOTO)

Since Trump's election victory on Wednesday, people took to the streets in such U.S. cities as Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco to protest the billionaire's election. The protests continued into Friday night.

"The secretary-general expressed confidence that the United States and the United Nations would maintain their traditional strong ties of cooperation to advance peace and security, sustainable development and human rights throughout the world," the spokesman said.

"They agreed to stay in continued contact," he added.

Ban is to leave his office on Dec. 31 at the end of his two five-year terms while Trump is to be sworn in as the U.S. president on Jan. 20.
Wan Exiang, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, presides over the first round of a ceremony to pay respect in front of a Sun Yat-sen monument at Biyun Temple to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Sun's birth, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 11, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Officials and residents in many parts of China gathered Saturday to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's birth.

Born in 1866, Sun is the forerunner of China's democratic revolution and an instrumental player in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and ending feudalism in China.

In Zhongshan City in south China's Guangdong Province, his birthplace, more than 300 people, including relatives of Sun and his followers and many from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, gathered at Sun's former home to pay their tributes.

They presented flowers and bowed three times before Sun's statue.

In Guangdong provincial capital Guangzhou, senior officials and representatives of the public gathered at the Sun Yat-sen memorial hall to commemorate Sun.

Guangdong's Party chief Hu Chunhua said in his speech that people in Guangdong are proud that such a great man was born here and the great spirit of Sun will encourage local people to move forward.

Hu and other senior officials laid flowers in front of a statue of Sun.

In Shanghai, local authorities held a conference to commemorate Sun.

In his address to the gathering, Shanghai's Party chief Han Zheng called local officials to inherit Sun's precious spiritual heritage and push forward the reform, opening-up and modernization drive.

Shanghai should take the lead in terms of reform and innovation, Han said.

Local officials and residents also gathered at Sun's former home in Shanghai and bowed three times to pay respects.

In Nanjing, nearly 200 officials and residents visited Sun's mausoleum to pay their tribute.

"The Communist Party of China shared the same dream of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Sun," said Yu Weigang, a professor with East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai.

"We have made great leap forwards in the infrastructures, people's living standard and the country's international status," said Yu. "But we should never forget our dream and gather greater courage to move forward."

In Taiwan, Hung Hsiu-chu, chairwoman of the Kuomintang (KMT) Party unveiled a special exhibition marking the 150th anniversary at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei.

Events were also organized in Hong Kong and Macao to commemorate Sun's birthday anniversary.
THE HAGUE, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- During the arrival of Dutch traditional "Sinterklaas," the Dutch police arrested around 200 protesters, opponents of the controversial figure "Zwarte Piet" ("Black Pete") in Rotterdam on Saturday.

The anti-Black Pete protesters were arrested for ignoring the Rotterdam ban on demonstrations for this day.

Their original plan to demonstrate during the official arrival of Sinterklaas in Maasssluis, in the province of South Holland, failed, because their bus was stopped by the police.

Sinterklaas is annually celebrated in the Netherlands with the giving of gifts on December 5. Sinterklaas himself, a traditional figure based on Saint Nicholas, is a white man with a long white beard, but his servants, the "Black Petes" are traditionally portrayed in blackface and wigs of curly black hair.

For decades, the celebration of Sinterklaas has been surrounded by a discussion about whether Black Pete is racist and in recent years this discussion became more fierce. Opponents think Black Pete is a racist figure and proponents think Black Pete is part of Dutch culture.

This has already led to several changes in the appearance of Petes, with the entrance of white and colored ones, and a ban on Black Petes in some places.

Every year in mid-November, Sinterklaas arrives by boat from Spain, according to the story Dutch children believe in, in a different Dutch city and this time is was Maassluis. It was already made known that the Petes in Maassluis would mostly be black or dark brown.

Hundreds of police officers, dozens of riot vans, a police helicopter and hundreds of volunteers were present in Maassluis to guarantee the security of the 20,000 spectators.

All attendees had to go through extra security checks to watch Sinterklaas entering the city. In Maassluis no major incidents occurred.

The opponents of Black Pete, united in the group "Kick Out Zwarte Piet", had also announced to demonstrate during the traditional arrival, but because they had not made an official application for this, they were not allowed to and their bus was stopped by the police and never reached Maassluis.

The anti-Black Pete protesters then decided to protest in Rotterdam, at the arrival of "Sinterklaas" near the Erasmus bridge.
Syrian women walk during a sandstorm near at a temporary refugee camp in the village of Ain Issa, housing people who fled Islamic State group's Syrian stronghold Raqa, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the group's de facto capital on November 10, 2016. (AFP/Xinhua)

TEHRAN, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian Foreign Ministry official said Saturday that the United Nations should dispatch immediate humanitarian aid to the crisis-hit people in Syria, Press TV reported.

The United Nations should also adopt strategies to effectively fight terrorism and prepare the ground for the Syrians to determine their own future, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari said following a meeting with the visiting Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

Jaberi Ansari described his talks with de Mistura on the latest humanitarian situation in Syria and international efforts to help solve Syrian crisis as "good and serious."

He expressed hope that the recent regional and international developments would lay the ground for the United Nations to take more effective measures to restore security and peace to Syria through dialogue.

The UN envoy arrived in Tehran on Saturday at the invitation of Jaberi Ansari to discuss the ongoing conflict in Syria.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar and President of COP22 speaks during the Daily Conference at the UN World Climate Change Conference 2016 (COP22) in Marrakech, Morocco, November 12, 2016. (Reuters photo)

MARRAKECH, Morocco, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- China plays "very important" role in promoting and consolidating South-South partnership, Climate Change Conference (COP22) President Salaheddine Mezouar said here on Saturday.

In an interview with Xinhua, Mezouar said South-South cooperation is a main area of discussion at COP22 as it has a great potential for boosting climate change agenda.

He said this approach will enable developing countries to have common responses to their pressing needs.

"My conviction is that China has an extremely important role to play in accompanying, reinforcing and boosting South-South partnership and support sustainable development policies in the African continent," said Mezouar, who is also Morocco's Foreign Minister said.

China's pavilion at COP22 will host on Monday a high-level forum on South-South cooperation on climate change.

The event will be attended by top officials including Salaheddine Mezouar, Xie Zhenhua, China's special representative on climate change affairs, and other top officials from the UN agencies and other developing countries.

"I am looking forward for the meeting," he said, adding that it will deepen exchanges among developing countries so that they can better address climate change, achieve sustainable development and maintain the momentum towards wider South-South cooperation.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Four Americans were killed early Saturday morning in an explosion at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said.

"An apparent suicide bomber has taken the lives of two U.S. service members and two U.S. contractors working on the base," Carter said in a statement, adding that the explosion also wounded 16 other U.S. service members and one Polish soldier.

"Force protection is always a top priority for us in Afghanistan, and we will investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it," he said.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack. He twitted that the attack was part of the insurgent's yearly rebel offensive.

The blast on Saturday morning took place at Bagram Airfield, a main U.S. military base in Afghanistan over the past 15 years, located some 50 km north of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

On Thursday night, four Afghan security forces and three militants were killed and more than 130 residents wounded in a Taliban suicide truck bombing and ensuing gunfight against German Consulate office in northern Mazar-e-Sharif city.

These attacks highlight the rising insecurity in Afghanistan after the conclusion of the NATO-led forces combat mission in late 2014 and withdrawal of major parts of combat troops, analysts said.
Demonstrators gather to protest a day after President-elect Donald Trump's victory, at a rally outside Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles, California, on November 9, 2016. (AFP/Xinhua)

ANKARA, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Saturday issued a travel warning concerning the United States as thousands of Americans have taken streets for the fourth day in a row to protest the President-elect Donald Trump.

"Turkish citizens should stay away from demonstrations in the U.S. cities, take necessary security measures at their homes and work, and inform security officials immediately in possible racist abuse or attacks," the statement on the ministry's website said.

Anti-Donald Trump demonstrations "occasionally featured acts of crime and violence," the statement said, adding that "based on demonstrators' social media posts, it's clear the demonstrations will likely continue for some time."

The alert especially applies to New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Oakland and Portland.

The move came after the U.S. State Department issued its travel warning on Turkey in October, ordering family members of consulate employees in Istanbul to leave the country due to threats against U.S. citizens.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- A man was shot and injured during a protest march against the election of Donald Trump in the city of Portland, the U.S. state of Oregon, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place in the early morning hours of Saturday, Portland Police Bureau said on its Twitter account, adding that preliminary information indicated that a suspect was in a vehicle on the Morrison Bridge and there was a confrontation with someone in the protest.

The victim was provided medical aid and transported to a Portland hospital for treatment to non-life-threatening injuries, it said.

Several witnesses told investigators that the suspect was a male, late teens, who fled the area likely in the vehicle described as a gray or silver sedan.

The shooting came after Friday night protests turned violent, when police used tear gas in response to "burning projectiles being thrown at officers," the police said.

A large crowd gathered in front of City Hall and about 1,000 people marched through the city, disrupting traffic, the police said.

Since Trump's election victory on Wednesday, people took to the streets in such U.S. cities as Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco to protest the billionaire's election.
Demonstrators gather to protest a day after President-elect Donald Trump's victory, at a rally outside Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles, California, on November 9, 2016. (AFP/Xinhua)

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of protesters marched again on Saturday in major cities across the United States to demonstrate against the election of Donald Trump to be the 45 president of the United States.

The "we reject the president-elect" chant echoed far and wide again in New York City Saturday, as thousands of angry New Yorkers protested for the fourth consecutive day against Trump's win in Tuesday's presidential election.

The protesters, most of them young people, gathered at Union Square in force and soon marched towards the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, residence and campaign headquarters of the real estate mogul and reality show star turned politician.

Holding signs "Love trumps hate" and "Not my president," demonstrators filled the busy avenue famous for its high-end retail stores for almost fifty city blocks and cut off through traffic.

The police force of the city was on high alert, barricading the entrance of Trump Tower and many storefronts in case the protest turns violent.

"We are not trying to change the result, but to express our discontent and anger for this mistake made by many uninformed voters," said protester Chris Wells.

"This man is totally unqualified to be our president and I fear for our future," he added.

On the west coast, about 10,000 marchers poured onto the streets of Los Angeles, the state of California, to show their anger and frustration against the president-elect.

About 8,000 protestors gathered on Saturday morning at MacArthur Park, downtown Los Angeles, which has been the site of numerous demonstrations over the years.

Protesters were marching through downtown Los Angeles, chanting "not my president" and holding signs of "HATE NEVER MADE US GREAT!" and "United against HATE."

Various streets and freeways were closed in the city downtown area due to the protest, Los Angeles police Department (LAPD) tweeted. "No arrests have been made."

During an anti-Trump protest that stretched from Friday night into early Saturday, several thousands of protestors marched through downtown Los Angeles when some of the demonstrators began vandalizing property, blocking main roads, assaulting, and interfering with officers, and refusing to leave when conditions became unsafe.

As a result, 187 adults and eight juveniles were arrested, according to the LAPD.

Los Angeles police have arrested hundreds of people over the last few days, including Wednesday night when some demonstrators blocked lanes on the 101 Freeway.

Trump's election victory has sparked four consecutive days of protests in the United States. Protesters also took to the streets of Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Portland, Philadelphia, Louisville, Kentucky, Baltimore and other cities.
Indigenous people call for more attention to them in reaction to global climate crisis at a demonstration during the 22nd Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) in Marrakech, Morocco, on Nov. 11, 2016. (Xinhua/Meng Tao)
A visitor views photos at the memorial hall of Sun Yat-sen's former residence in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 12, 2016. A ceremony was held on Saturday in Shanghai to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen. Born in 1866 in south China's Guangdong Province, Sun Yat-sen was the founder of the Kuomintang Party, and is a revered revolutionary leader who played a pivotal role in overthrowing imperial rule in China. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)
BLACK REPUBLICAN BLOG - The Republican Party is the party of civil rights and the four Fs: faith, family, freedom and fairness. The Democratic Party is the party of the four Ss: slavery, secession, segregation and socialism (Quote By Author Michael Scheuer).
Born yesterday, November 11, 1821, in Moscow, Fyodor Dostoyevski was haunted all his life by an overwhelming burden of sin, its temporary relief, and its hyperbolic return in the catastrophic sequence of events that led to the second World War. He suspected that the evil that men do lives after them while their good is oft interred with their bones. There was no remedy other than a centralized government within which the church was universally respected. "Only God can save us now," he said when he saw rioters in the streets and foresaw the Russian Revolution and the so-called dictatorship of the proletariat, which amounted to ruthless totalitarianism comparable to that of the Nazis.

On the basis of his novels, The Brothers Karamaziov and Crime and Punishment in particular, it is possible to mount the argument that the great writer knew in his bones that on his birthday ninety-seven years later, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year, the War to End All Wars would end -- with the seeds of a new global conflagration already planted.

Asked to provide a head note on the great writer for a new edition of the Astrological Dictionary of Artistic Greatness, Walter Lehmann wrote:

<<< Dostoyesvki suffered from epilelptic fits (see The Idiot) but did well in his examinations though he loathed mathematics. On April 23, 1849, the twenty-seven-year-old Dostoyevski was arrested for belonging to a group of crazy liberal loudmouth intellectuals. He was sent to Siberia, was sentenced to be executed, and faced a firing squad in the freezing rain. But it turned out to be a mock execution and Dostoyevski went back to his cell the shape and size of a coffin convinced that it is better and wiser to be a saintly fool in Siberia than to pimp in St. Petersburg. Released in 1854, he wrote Crime and Punishment in a hurry because he needed the money to cover his gambling debts. He was a compulsive gambler. Confronted by Sartre on the matter of his anti-Semitism, he reminded the other that he was not alone in this particular vice, naming Ezra Pound and Edgar Degas as similarly stupid on the subject of Jews.

From analyzing Dostoevski's astrological profile, you can safely arrive at several conclusions. His favorite songs would have been I Fall in Love Too Easily (Sinatra version, late 1940s) and He's a Rebel (from the early 1960s). The prophetic nature of his writings, including The Brothers Karamazov and Notes from Underground, doom him to be a Cassandra without honor in his native land. He believed that his novels constituted irrefutable proof that politics implies either madness or betrayal or both; that the sensual man can win absolution while the intellectual who has demolished god will face eternity alone; and that a beggar woman in the street with her children can out-argue all the philosophers and police inspectors in Saint Petersburg. Much of what he wrote was difficult for the Russian people to accept. Yet his fame eclipses that of all other Russian authors with one exception. His chart predicts him to die in his sixtieth year, and this indeed he did on February 9, 1881.

Dostoyevski's birth pattern -- a full house, with only one empty chamber -- is replicated exactly on the second day of August 1914. Had this fact been understood correctly, World War I might have been averted. The celestial mechanics of Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto intimate that Dostoyevski would die on the same day as the end of the war, and indeed, the armistice was signed on the novelist's ninety-seventh birthday. The sweet release would have come more than four years earlier if in the prison of his days the free man had learned to praise. The German minister smoked a Turkish cigarette in a jade holder. "Nothing ever happens in Brussels," he shrugged.

On November 11, 1918  Dustys birthday  in graveyards in the Ukraine and Byelorussia, in Latvia and Estonia, school children in tatters stood shouting, "Hooray for Karamazov!"

>>>

-- DL
The beauty of bobcats is their greatest vulnerability  trappers and trophy hunters target them to make money from the sale of their speckled fur, often resorting to horrific killing methods, including bludgeoning, drowning, or strangling trapped bobcats. Photo by Patrick Fallon/AP Images for The HSUS

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This week, Illinois reopened its first bobcat hunt in more than 40 years. In the days to come, many of these small but beautiful creatures  only slightly larger than the average housecat  will be chased down by packs of dogs, shot with guns or bows and arrows, and violently clasped and placed in a vise-grip by unforgiving steel-jawed leghold traps. Not for meat, not for public safety, and not for farm animal protection. Just for the sport of it, and for their fur.

Illinois native carnivores  including bobcats  were once abundant, but then were wiped out because of unregulated hunting, predator control, and habitat loss. After being listed in the state as a threatened species in 1977, bobcats began a comeback and reclaimed some of their original habitat. Unfortunately, the states trophy hunters and trappers saw this restoration as an opportunity, rather than as a cause for celebration. Instead of resolving to maintain protections, state lawmakers, goaded by downstate colleagues whose rhetoric showed they were out for blood, passed legislation legalizing a hunting and trapping season for the first time since 1972. The bill narrowly passed in the Senate, but was defeated in the House. Downstate legislators stamped their feet, however, and got a re-vote, flipping Republican lawmakers from the Chicago suburbs and delivering a victory to the trappers and trophy hunters. Governor Bruce Rauner, to the disappointment of thousands of Illinois residents who wrote to him asking him to veto the bill, enthusiastically signed the legislation.

The beauty of bobcats is their greatest vulnerability  trappers and trophy hunters typically target them to make money from the sale of their speckled fur, often resorting to horrific killing methods, including bludgeoning, drowning, or strangling trapped bobcats, as bullets or arrows might damage the value of their pelts. Many of the pelts are sold to Russia where a bobcat coat can retail for up to $150,000.

The rationale used to defend this hunt was ludicrous for a number of reasons, including the fact that theres never been a statewide population study. While lawmakers were debating whether to open a season on bobcats, one representative absurdly claimed that he saw a bobcat walking across his yard, and thought he was looking at a saber-tooth tiger. As bobcats typically average about 15 to 35 pounds, this amounted to nothing more than hyperbolic fear-mongering. Bobcats pose no risk to public safety.

A Mason-Dixon Polling & Research statewide poll of Illinois voters last year revealed that two-thirds of voters in the state oppose the trophy hunting and trapping of bobcats. That same poll showed that a whopping 78 percent of voters oppose the use of steel-jawed leghold traps to kill the animals, and 77 percent support a prohibition on the sale of their pelts. Thankfully, State Sen. Don Harmon has introduced legislation  S.B. 2143  to do just that.

After passing out of committee earlier this year, S.B. 2143 is still pending, with a full vote in the senate looming. Were grateful that Sen. Harmon and many other legislators continue to stand up for bobcats, and we thank them deeply for their ongoing commitment to protecting these animals. This bill can make the opening of the bobcat hunting and trapping season the last one ever.

Of course, Illinois is not the first state to allow a trophy hunting and trapping season for bobcats. Trappers and others are constantly trying to legalize hunts in states where they remain protected. Indiana is currently considering a bobcat trophy hunting and trapping season. Just last year, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission tried to legalize bobcat hunting, but thousands of residents voiced their opposition in response, and the proposal was ultimately withdrawn. This outpouring of opposition demonstrated the great power that residents have to truly affect change, and we must remain vigilant in our fight to keep bobcats, and other species, protected.

Lets rally for the bobcats in Illinois, but in every other state, too, where theyre at risk.
Trade Minister says PM looking at Tobago transport

Responding to a question about how to solve these problems to ensure a smooth business link between Trinidad and Tobago, Gopee-Scoon replied, I think its certainly more than business.

Trinidad and Tobago is one country. The Prime Minister is taking a special interest in this. Rowley, who is also the Diego Martin West MP, is from Mason Hall in Tobago.

Gopee-Scoon also indicated that the Tourism Ministry and other entites are also looking at these longstanding issues, especially if we are going to be focusing on Tobago to increase our revenue. Against this background, she reiterated, There is special interest, targeted interest at this time on improving the transport between Trinidad and Tobago. Providing an update on the trade mission she led to Cuba last week, Gopee-Scoon said it was largely successful and her Cuban counterpart has given a commitment to attend the next Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) to be held in this country next year.

She said seven local companies are currently on the ground in Cuba which is an excellent market with 11 million persons.

Gopee-Scoon also said local companies have expressed interest in investing in the Marion Economic Zone in Cuba.

Gopee-Scoon also said Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh is looking at the possibility of importing drugs from Cuba and one local business landed an agreement to send 52 containers of goods to Cuba between now and December.While in Cuba, Gopee-Scoon said she was fortunate to meet with Haitian Commerce Minister Jessy C. Petit-Fr?re who wants to visit TT next year.

Gopee-Scoon said she would be discussing this with Rowley and local businesses are interested in investing in Haiti as well, which has a market of nine million persons. Earlier in the briefing, Acting Attorney General Stuart Young reconfirmed that Haitian student Luxon Saint-Herve can stay in TT, after a High Court judge ordered so on Monday in the San Fernando Supreme Court.

Relating the sequence of events and the intervention of his ministry in the matter, Young said, A decision had been made and there was no threat of the student being deported. It was a satisfactory outcome. Gopee-Scoon also said Venzuela has made three purchases of manufactured goods from TT under a trade arrangment between the two countries in May. She disclosed that a trade mission could be going to Venezuela next year and the South American nation also provided investment opportunities for local manufacturers, in the context of ongoing TT-Venezuela energy talks.
CIBC extends helping hand

One hundred and fifteen thousand dollars raised from the 2016 CIBC FirstCaribbean Walk for the Cure will fund this initiative, with an initial period from November 9th to December 13th.

CIBC FirstCaribbean will also be donating TT$50,000 directly to Vitas House Hospice to advance the care of its cancer patients. Additionally, TT$6,450 will be donated to The Foundation for the Enhancement and Enrichment of Life (FEEL) in honour of Mr. Roy Cape, who participated in this years Walk for the Cure to share his own experience and help raise awareness of the importance of prostate cancer screening.

With prostate cancer leading cancer mortality among men in Trinidad and Tobago, CIBC FirstCaribbean devoted this years edition of its annual Walk for the Cure to raising awareness and funds for the critical cause. The event took place on Sunday 2nd October at the Queens Park Savannah, Port of Spain.

The funds donated to Vitas House will cover 50 percent of the costs of both the digital rectal examination and blood test which comprise the prostate cancer screening, and usually costs TT$300 at the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society.

This offer is available to men over the age of 40 who opt to take both tests at the same time.

Additionally, CIBC FirstCaribbean will pay 75% of biopsy costs for patients in need of assistance, as determined by the Cancer Society.

Anthony Seeraj, Managing Director of CIBC FirstCaribbeans local operation, emphasised the necessity of men safeguarding their health and wellness.

Without a doubt, prostate cancer is a deadly threat affecting our entire male population in Trinidad and Tobago, he said.

This is an issue which we must treat with urgency, and CIBC FirstCaribbean is proud to advance our impact by raising awareness and providing tangible assistance to encourage prostate cancer screening. One of the focuses of our organisation is ensuring the health and wellness of the communities we serve, so we are privileged to partner with Vitas House on this critical initiative, he added.

Lilia Mootoo, General Manager of Vitas House Hospice Trinidad and Tobago noted the significance of CIBC FirstCaribbeans support. CIBC First- Caribbean has been a steadfast supporter of Vitas House over the years, assisting us in our aim of delivering quality care to our patients, she remarked.

It is imperative that citizens are made aware of the great risk they are facing by not getting tested for certain cancers. By establishing this initiative which will provide much needed opportunities for prostate cancer testing, and shining a light on the gravity of the issue, CIBC First- Caribbean is helping to fill a crucial gap. I hope as many people as possible take advantage of this important service, she said.
Teen charged for Tajudeen Bar muder

The boy was brought from the holding bay cells of the San Fernando Magistrates Court and into the courtroom before Senior Magistate Nanette Forde-John, who read the charge to him. The charge alleged that on that day inside the bar, located at Cipero Road, he murdered Mohandass Ramsumir, 62. In the courtroom, the boy stood next to his mother, the magistrate having informed the court police prosecutor that members of the public should leave the courtroom because she was sitting in her capacity as a juvenile. She then proceeded to tell the boy that the charge was laid indictably and that he was not called on to plead. The murder charge against the boy arose from a robbery incident at about 4.30 pm at the bar in which two men entered and robbed patrons. Ramsumir, of Balisier Avenue, Pleasantville, was shot.

He was rushed to the San Fernando General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Sgt Vishal Parasram of the Ste Madeline Police Station, laid the charge after a file was submitted to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution.

After consultation with the court police prosecutor,Forde-John told attorney Alvin Pariagsingh who represented the teen, that there was no material at the time to disclose to the defence.

The magistrate remanded the boy to the St Michaels Home for Boys and ordered that he reappear on November 25.
Manzanilla man guilty of manslaughter

Prakash Jawahir, 27, was on trial before Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas, charged with the murder of Steven Thomas, of Mulchan Street, on Easter Sunday April 12, 2009, at Manzanilla Main Road, near the 11-1/4 mile mark.

Although indicted for murder, the jury which deliberated on Thursday returned just after 6 pm with a verdict for the lesser count of manslaughter.

According to the prosecutions case, Jawahir chopped Thomas four times with a cutlass, almost severing one of his arms on the Manzanilla Main Road, just after 7 pm that night.

Jawahir was intoxicated at the time of the event, and witnesses described his state on the night as his head was real bad. Jawahir, who was defended by attorneys Michelle Solomon and Trevor Clarke, never disputed that he chopped Thomas, telling police at the time that he did so to help out his cousin who was being beaten by Thomas before the chopping incident took place.

He had also admitted to having threatened to planass Thomas with a cutlass. According to Jawahirs defence, he saw his cousin being beaten by Thomas with a four-foot long junk of wood which led to the relative receiving wounds to his head, blood in the anterior chamber of his eye and a fracture to his eye socket. One of Thomas friends was also involved in the beating incident.

It was at this point Jawahir intervened and chopped Thomas.

Jawahir will be sentenced by Justice St Clair-Douglas on November 29.

The prosecution was represented by attorney Stacy Lalloo Chong.
Murdered moms son in jail

On Wednesday last, Balgobins body was found in an open field not too far from her Enterprise home. She was stark naked and in a foetal position.

Her head was bashed in. The tiger-patterned leggings and blouse she was wearing, at the time, was found next to her body. Balgobins casket will remain closed during the funeral service because of the condition of her face. The face mash up bad so we cant open the box. A framed picture will be on top of the box instead. According to police reports, at about 5 am, Balgobin, a grandmother of one, was walking through a track near Walcott Street, close to African Grounds, Enterprise when she was approached by a man she knew. Reports are that he attempted to rob her and a fight ensued during which time she was struck several times in the head. Her funeral service will be conducted under Hindu rites and will be followed by cremation at the Waterloo Cremation site.

Also being laid to rest today is Larry Sieunarine, a father of two who was shot and killed in his bed on Thursday morning.
Bolt takes further action against Express

Fitzwilliam Stone Furness- Smith and Morgan are the legal counsel for Bolt and Williams-Imbert.

Moe said the firm has since become aware of the articles HDC: $12M paid in August 2015 and Kamla: Imberts wife was paid $13m which were published in the Express on November 9. While the former article had no authors name attached to it, the latters author was identified as Express political reporter Anna Ramdass. On the former article, Moe said Bolt never received a payment of $12 million in August 2015 as alleged and the allegation is wholly false. The true position is that the sum of $12 million represents an approximate aggregate of several payments made to Bolt over an extended period of ten years in respect of services rendered by Bolt to the HDC, she said.

Moe added the aggregate includes the sum of $1.5 million representing monies paid by Bolt on behalf of the HDC for reimbursable expenses such as site security and utlities for which Bolt was entitled to be reimbusres and accordingly contains no profit element whatsoever. On the second story, Moe said contrary to claims made by Persad-Bissessar in that story, Bolt did not charge a single rate of 10.8 percent on work undertaken by it for the HDC. She said Bolt charged different rates for different projects given that the scope of work on each project differed considerably, a rate of 10.6 percent was charged on the Mora Heights project in Rio Claro and Imbert has never been a director or shareholder of Bolt.

Moe told Lyder that had proper enquiries been done by the Express,you would have learnt not only that Bolts conduct was above reproach but also that approximately half of the payments made to Bolt were made when the United National Congress formed the government. Moe said Bolt and Williams-Imbert are demanding a full and equivocal apology from the Express and a commitment not to repeat the allegations therein.

Reminding Lyder about the provisions in the amended Civil Proceedings Rules, Moe said if there is no satisfactory reply to this pre-action protocol letter within 14 days of its receipt, our clients will take such steps as they may be advised.
Oyster vendors long wait for justice

On September 30, 2001, Rassol was chopped in the hand and face by a man during an argument.

Ramnarine Sylvan was later arrested and charged. A Preliminary Inquiry was conducted in the San Fernando Magistrates Court as the charge against Sylvan was laid indictably. Rassol told Newsday yesterday that he attended the magistrates court on about 50 occasions during the PI. On June 17, 2011, Sylvan was committed to stand trial by former magistrate Roger Ramgoolam. The magistrate has since resigned from the bench and is a lecturer at the Sir Hugh Wooding Law School.

Rassol said that 15 years after the incident, it seems like an eternity waiting for the trial to start. Five years have passed and I am still awaiting a hearing in the High Court.

Is this what justice looks like in 2016, Rassol asked. He said that checks with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in San Fernando for an update on what might have become of the committal file, but nothing has been forthcoming.

When an inquiry is completed, all notes of evidence are typed by clerks in the magistrates court and together with all other relevant documents, are sent to the office of the DPP for preparation of the indictment against the accused and notices to witnesses. It has been five years and I have heard absolutely nothing. Attorneys in the DPPs office have not been able to tell me anything, except that they are looking into the matter. Rassol said that since the incident 15 years ago, he has not done much oyster harvesting because of the injuries he suffered on the left and two of his fingers.

He is hoping that when justice is delivered in the court, he would be afforded monetary compensation.

But that is providing, Rassol said, if my witnesses are still around to testify because as you know, time waits on no man even if that man is awaiting justice.
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Write with your hand help you process new information.

Tsung Dao Lee said, using chopsticks can help your brain work better, I heard in his seminar. I wanted to ask him if any scientific evidence to back up his ideas. Not at that time as scientists didn't have the tool.

I's intrigued by that as at the time i started learning how to handle forks, knift and spoon. I thought Lee made sense if you think about how human survived by using hands in far ancient time. Brain is the most powerful organ for survival. If you get your brain powered up, you could survive!

Yeah, it makes sense now with the new tool - if you like to know more, you gotta read yourself - a way to power your brain up.

Whats Lost as Handwriting Fades

Does handwriting matter?

Not very much, according to many educators. The Common Core standards, which have been adopted in most states, call for teaching legible writing, but only in kindergarten and first grade. After that, the emphasis quickly shifts to proficiency on the keyboard.

But psychologists and neuroscientists say it is far too soon to declare handwriting a relic of the past. New evidence suggests that the links between handwriting and broader educational development run deep.

Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and retain information. In other words, its not just what we write that matters  but how.

Continue reading the main story Related in Opinion

When we write, a unique neural circuit is automatically activated, said Stanislas Dehaene , a psychologist at the College de France in Paris. There is a core recognition of the gesture in the written word, a sort of recognition by mental simulation in your brain.

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24:43 0:00 Play Pause Play Restart Podcast: Your Brain on Cursive, Google Glass Operation, Tattoos for Healing Handwriting is being dropped in public schools  that could be bad for young minds. Googles new hands-free computer is finding its way into operating rooms. Breast cancer survivors find the start of their new lives in a tattoo artists work.

Subscribe to the Podcast  David Corcoran, Kassie Bracken and Jeffery DelViscio

And it seems that this circuit is contributing in unique ways we didnt realize, he continued. Learning is made easier.

A 2012 study led by Karin James , a psychologist at Indiana University , lent support to that view. Children who had not yet learned to read and write were presented with a letter or a shape on an index card and asked to reproduce it in one of three ways: trace the image on a page with a dotted outline, draw it on a blank white sheet, or type it on a computer. They were then placed in a brain scanner and shown the image again.

The researchers found that the initial duplication process mattered a great deal. When children had drawn a letter freehand, they exhibited increased activity in three areas of the brain that are activated in adults when they read and write: the left fusiform gyrus, the inferior frontal gyrus and the posterior parietal cortex.

By contrast, children who typed or traced the letter or shape showed no such effect. The activation was significantly weaker.

Dr. James attributes the differences to the messiness inherent in free-form handwriting: Not only must we first plan and execute the action in a way that is not required when we have a traceable outline, but we are also likely to produce a result that is highly variable.

Photo

Karin James, a psychologist at Indiana University, used a scanner to see how handwriting affected activity in childrens brains.Credit A. J. Mast for The New York Times

That variability may itself be a learning tool. When a kid produces a messy letter, Dr. James said, that might help him learn it.

Our brain must understand that each possible iteration of, say, an a is the same, no matter how we see it written. Being able to decipher the messiness of each a may be more helpful in establishing that eventual representation than seeing the same result repeatedly.

This is one of the first demonstrations of the brain being changed because of that practice, Dr. James said.

In another study, Dr. James is comparing children who physically form letters with those who only watch others doing it. Her observations suggest that it is only the actual effort that engages the brains motor pathways and delivers the learning benefits of handwriting.

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The effect goes well beyond letter recognition. In a study that followed children in grades two through five, Virginia Berninger , a psychologist at the University of Washington, demonstrated that printing, cursive writing, and typing on a keyboard are all associated with distinct and separate brain patterns  and each results in a distinct end product. When the children composed text by hand, they not only consistently produced more words more quickly than they did on a keyboard, but expressed more ideas. And brain imaging in the oldest subjects suggested that the connection between writing and idea generation went even further. When these children were asked to come up with ideas for a composition, the ones with better handwriting exhibited greater neural activation in areas associated with working memory  and increased overall activation in the reading and writing networks.

Photo

Samples of handwriting by young children. Dr. James found that when children drew a letter freehand, they exhibited increased activity in three significant areas of the brain, which didnt happen when they traced or typed the letter.Credit Karin James Continue reading the main story Recent Comments

It now appears that there may even be a difference between printing and cursive writing  a distinction of particular importance as the teaching of cursive disappears in curriculum after curriculum. In dysgraphia, a condition where the ability to write is impaired, usually after brain injury, the deficit can take on a curious form: In some people, cursive writing remains relatively unimpaired, while in others, printing does.

In alexia, or impaired reading ability, some individuals who are unable to process print can still read cursive, and vice versa  suggesting that the two writing modes activate separate brain networks and engage more cognitive resources than would be the case with a single approach.

Dr. Berninger goes so far as to suggest that cursive writing may train self-control ability in a way that other modes of writing do not, and some researchers argue that it may even be a path to treating dyslexia. A 2012 review suggests that cursive may be particularly effective for individuals with developmental dysgraphia  motor-control difficulties in forming letters  and that it may aid in preventing the reversal and inversion of letters.

Cursive or not, the benefits of writing by hand extend beyond childhood. For adults, typing may be a fast and efficient alternative to longhand, but that very efficiency may diminish our ability to process new information. Not only do we learn letters better when we commit them to memory through writing, memory and learning ability in general may benefit.

Continue reading the main story

Two psychologists, Pam A. Mueller of Princeton and Daniel M. Oppenheimer of the University of California, Los Angeles, have reported that in both laboratory settings and real-world classrooms, students learn better when they take notes by hand than when they type on a keyboard. Contrary to earlier studies attributing the difference to the distracting effects of computers, the new research suggests that writing by hand allows the student to process a lectures contents and reframe it  a process of reflection and manipulation that can lead to better understanding and memory encoding.

Not every expert is persuaded that the long-term benefits of handwriting are as significant as all that. Still, one such skeptic, the Yale psychologist Paul Bloom , says the new research is, at the very least, thought-provoking.

With handwriting, the very act of putting it down forces you to focus on whats important, he said. He added, after pausing to consider, Maybe it helps you think better.
BABY IS SLEEPING

The baby, Mercy La Foucade, was born on February 8 and is believed to have died at home sometime in early March. Instead of alerting the authorities to the death and then going through final rites and then burial or cremation, baby Mercys family opted to keep her body in the crib.

No one in the village had a clue that inside the small, wooden house, a babys body lay in a crib for over five months, decomposing down to bones.

According to reports, a female relative became suspicious after asking about the child and was prevented from entering the room in which the crib is kept.

The relative then went to the La Brea police and reported her suspicion that something was not right in the house. At one oclock Thursday afternoon, officers went to the house where the child was last seen alive and spoke to a 40-year-old woman who is a mother of three - a girl aged 18, a boy aged 15 and a 13-year-old girl. Asked the whereabouts of her granddaughter, the woman claimed the baby was sleeping.

When officers demanded to see the baby themselves, the woman still refused asking if they had a search warrant. Officers later entered the house and then a bedroom.

What they saw, shocked them.

They saw baby Mercys body - mere skeletal remains - clad in a jersey, disposable diapers, socks on both feet and wrapped in a brown blanket. A mosquito net was placed over the crib. Officers contacted the District Medical Officer who ordered the remains removed to the Forensic Science Centre in St James for autopsy.

All four members of the babys family were detained and taken to the La Brea police station where they remained in custody up until yesterday. Newsday understands that Homicide Investigations Bureau officers were informed of the find but until an autopsy is done to show cause of death, the babys death is not being treated as a homicide. Neighbours of the detained family said yesterday that the woman and her children never reported that the baby had died and although they became suspicious, when they did not see the baby being taken for walks, they thought the family was merely keeping to themselves.

Police investigators said yesterday that they had never encountered such a situation before and will attempt to have the detained four undergo psychiatric assessment as part of the ongoing investigation.

The four detained persons continue to insist that the baby is not dead and that they want to be released so they can go home to bathe and feed baby Mercy. When Newsday visited the scene yesterday inside Chin Fong Street, officers were still conducting interviews with neighbours.

An officer told Newsday that when police first visited the house to enquire about the baby, they were told that she was inside sleeping. After pressing to see the baby themselves, the babys 40-year-old grandmother told them to get a warrant. Police said that checks at health centres in La Brea and at the San Fernando General Hospital to see if baby Mercys birth was registered, turned up nothing.

Officers said that the 18-yearold gave birth in February at home with her 15-year-old sister acting as midwife. A resident told Newsday the last time she heard the babys sounds was five months ago. But even so, I never suspected she was dead and in the house. I was shocked when I heard the news that police had found the babys body. Even as I speak to you now, my pores are raising all over again, the resident said. The woman said that in March, the babys usually jovial family began moving differently, keeping to themselves and acting cold with everyone. But still we did not suspect anything, the resident said.

The resident said that the babys mother was the only one to complete secondary school education as the other two had dropped out school. Investigations are being led by Sgt Taitt and Sgt Gokool of the La Brea Police Station.

With additional reporting by KWAME WEEKES
Moses empathises with Trinis in US

However, Moses declined to express any views on what could be any changes to US immigration policy that the incoming Trump administration could make after Trump is sworn in as the 45th US President next January.

Several Caribbean nationals resident in the US, including TT nationals, have expressed concern over what their immigration status would be in the aftermath of the election. Responding to Newsday on this issue at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, Moses said, Thank you very much for the concern.

I share and empathise with the issues inherent with your question. He added, However, our preference would be to treat with the matter in a more circumscribed manner ... meaning those relating to issues of the detainees in Venezuela. Earlier in the briefing, Moses and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young updated reporters on efforts to bring five TT nationals detained in Venezuela back home.

Commenting on a report which alleged that Eden Charles had been removed as this countrys deputy permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, Moses said, Those are not the facts. As another reporters asked him to clarify what he meant, Moses only said, The underlying assumptions...I cant bring credence to them. However he explained that the very nature of his ministry and the various overseas missions it is connected to necessitates staff being rotated among different missions and headquarters. Regarding the filling of vacant posts at some of these missions, Moses said one such exercise was completed recently and information would be provided about another one to come, in the near future.
'Man from UNCLE' actor Robert Vaugh dies aged 83

United Kingdom,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

London, Nov 12 (IANS) Actor Robert Vaughn, best known as the secret agent Napoleon Solo in 1964 TV hit series "The Man from UNCLE", has died after a battle with acute leukaemia aged 83, media reports said.

Vaughn died in New York on Friday morning surrounded by his family, his manager, Matthew Sullivan told the BBC.

Vaughn, who was "a few months shy of 84" had been seeking treatment for his leukaemia, Sullivan added.

Vaughn was also famous for his role as Lee in the "Magnificent Seven", and television roles in "Hustle" and "Coronation Street".

David McCallum, who starred alongside Vaughn in "The Man From UNCLE", said he was "utterly devastated" by the news.

"Robert and I worked together for many years and losing him is like losing a part of me. My deepest sympathies go out to Linda and the Vaughn family," he said.

Other notable films of Vaughn include "Bullitt" and "Towering Inferno", both with Steve McQueen, and was the villain in "Superman III".

The actor is survived by wife Linda, son Cassidy, 40, and daughter Caitlin, 35.

--IANS

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Ku Klux Klan announces Trump victory parade

United States,Politics,Terrorism, US Elections, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

New York, Nov 12 (IANS) As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to move into the White House, one of the largest Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the country has announced a parade in his honour, media reports said.

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK), is a movement in the United States that has advocated extremist ideologies such as white supremacy and nationalism, anti-immigration, anti-Catholicism etc. and expressed it through terrorism aimed at groups or individuals whom they opposed.

The Loyal White Knights of Pelham, North Carolina said on its website it will hold the event on December 3, NBC news reported.

The time and location of the event were not listed.

An official newspaper of the KKK had endorsed Trump days before the presidential election but Trump's campaign was quick to reject the support.

"Mr. Trump and the campaign denounces hate in any form. This publication is repulsive and their views do not represent the tens of millions of Americans who are uniting behind our campaign," the campaign said then in a statement.

Trump was criticised for being slow to condemn former Klan leader David Duke after he gave the candidate his backing.

Duke celebrated Trump's win over Democrat Hillary Clinton, tweeting early Wednesday, "This is one of the most exciting nights of my life. Make no mistake about it, our people have played a HUGE role in electing Trump!"

The announcement comes amid a background of vandalism and hate crimes by Trump supporters on minorities as well as attacks on Trump supporters and a firebombing of a Republican office in North Carolina.

--IANS

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Iranian films to be screened in Pakistani cinemas

Pakistan,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Cinema/Showbiz,Business/Economy, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Islamabad, Nov 12 (IANS) After a ban was imposed on airing Indian content in Pakistan, the country's cinemas are all set to screen Iranian films.

The move comes in a bid to save the declining Pakistan film industry as it was previously functional with screening of Indian movies which were banned as the relations between New Delhi and Islamabad dipped to a new low after the September 18 attack at an Indian Army base in Uri town of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistani film distributors have initiated formal contacts in Iran and Turkey for the import of their movies, Dawn online reported.

Executive Director of Pakistan National Institute for Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) Fouzia Saeed earlier told IRNA news agency that Iranian movies which are culturally very close to Pakistani society ought to be screened in the country's cinemas.

"Iranian movies are being appreciated globally and their screening in Pakistan must be encouraged," she said.

Mohsin Yaseen, General Manager Marketing of Pakistan's Cinepax Cinema, also said they would love to experiment with Iranian movies which are the best way of cultural exchange.

"From your platform, we would like to request the culture department of Iranian consulate, if they can help us under the exchange of cultural programme and help us to reach producers of Iranian movies to release movies in Pakistan," he said.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) in October issued an order limiting the amount of airtime allowed for Indian content in Pakistan, mimicking the format India adopted for the airing of Pakistani content.

--IANS

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First Chinese trade convoy arrives in Pakistan's Gwadar port

Pakistan,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Business/Economy,Diplomacy, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Islamabad, Nov 12 (IANS) The first Chinese trade convoy carrying 75 containers for export to the Middle East and Africa arrived in Pakistan's Gwadar port through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor while a Chinese ship docked at the deep-water port, as both countries prepare to formally launch trade activities through the upgraded port.

The ship anchored at the port on Friday and a second trade convoy was scheduled to arrive on Saturday, Dawn online reported.

The goods will be exported to countries in the Middle East and Africa.

The CPEC is a $46 billion network of roads, railways and energy pipelines linking western China to the Gwadar deep-water port on Pakistan's Arabian Sea coast. The corridor passes through Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province.

The loading of 300 containers on ships will be completed on Saturday and they will depart from the port the following day for destinations in the Middle East and Africa, Ary News reported.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend a ceremony on Sunday to mark the opening of trade activities through the corridor.

Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri and ambassadors of 15 other countries will also attend the event.

The Gwadar Yakjehti Council took out a procession in support of the CPEC project.

China will invest $46 billion in Pakistan over six years under the CPEC project which links Kashgar in China's Xinjiang province to Gwadar port close to Pakistan's border with Iran.

About $4.5 billion of the planned investment in the corridor will go towards road infrastructure, with two-thirds of the total $46 billion funnelled towards energy projects.

--IANS

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Modi leaves for India

Japan,Diplomacy, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Osaka (Japan), Nov 12 (IANS) Concluding his three-day visit to Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for India from the Japanese city of Osaka on Saturday.

"Sayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM @narendramodi enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Modi arrived in Japan on Thursday to attend the annual India-Japan bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Friday.

Following the summit, 10 agreements were signed between the two sides, including the landmark civil nuclear agreement.

Modi also attended an India-Japan Business Leaders' Forum and addressed a luncheon meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Keidanren or the Japanese Business Federation.

On Saturday, Modi, along with Abe, travelled by the Shinkansen high-speed rail from Tokyo to Kobe and visited the Kawasaki Heavy Industries plant there to get first hand knowledge of the technology.

The Prime Minister interacted with the Indian community both in Tokyo and Kobe.

This was Modi's second visit to Japan in two years.

--IANS

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Colorin Colorado , a bilingual website for educators and families of English-language learners, has compiled a resource list for ELL teachers who are discussing the 2016 presidential election and its implications with their students.

The guide provides links to advice on preventing bullying, ensuring respect for differences of opinion, and allowing an open forum for students to share their thoughts.

Immigrant communities across the country have expressed fear that President-elect Donald Trump will follow through on his campaign promises to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, deport scores of undocumented immigrants, and ban Muslim immigration.

Schools across the nation have offered counseling and support for anxious students in the aftermath of Trumps victory. Since Election Day, dozens of reports have surfaced of students invoking Trumps name and statements to harass Hispanic and Muslim peers.

The Colorin Colorado guide also includes a link to an Education Week post exploring how Erwin High, in the Buncombe County, N.C., schools, responded after students posted anti-immigration signs in a school hallway last fall as part of a class assignment. The display roiled a school community that assumed it had a solid relationship with its immigrant students, including Spanish-speaking English-learners.

The guide includes a message that Kristian Robertson, the Roseville, Minn., schools English-learners program administrator, shared with her staff.

This election included a difficult conversation about immigrants and immigration. Today our students may be worried that some of the plans discussed will be enacted and cause harm in their lives. Please be sensitive this week as students bring up election results, wish to vent, or may act out in some way, Robertson wrote.

Listen and acknowledge their feelings, but redirect them to focus on the positive things in their lives that will continue to be there supportive family educators and a school community that will keep them safe. Be careful with your own words and discussions that students may overhear.
Journalist shot dead in Bihar

Bihar,National,Media,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Patna, Nov 12 (IANS) A journalist was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bihar's Rohtas district on Saturday, police said.

Dharmender Singh, correspondent of Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, was shot dead outside a roadside tea shop in Sasaram, a police official said.

The victim's family said he was being threatened by the stone mining mafia.

Locals took to the streets to protest the murder and demanded justice.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with its allies Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) has condemned the incident and blamed the Nitish Kumar-led state government for the deteriorating law and order situation in Bihar.

In May, Rajdeo Ranjan, a senior journalist of Hindi daily Hindustan, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Siwan district.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is still probing the case.

--IANS

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Bank employees hold conference amid cash chaos in Kerala

Kerala,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 12 (IANS) Amid chaos in banking operations in Kerala following demonetisation, a three-day state conference of bank employees began in Thodupuzha on Saturday, leaving many furious.

State BJP General Secretary K. Surendran lashed out at the organisers of the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) for holding the meet at a time when they should have been more committed to the customers' needs.

"The CPI-M in Kerala should have advised the organisers of the conference to postpone their meet as people were running from pillar to post for withdrawing their money.

"In the three-day meeting, a few of the CPI-M ministers are also taking part. May be the CPI-M is playing a political game to enable people to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said Surendran.

Inaugurating the event, CITU state general secretary and senior CPI-M leader Elamaram Kareem said the meeting was planned not in consultation with the Prime Minister but long back.

"Everything has been taken care of so that the normal banking operations would not be affected as adequate staff is there in the banks," said Kareem.

According to information, of the 550 employees who were to take part in the event on Saturday only 375 were registered.

People across the state on Saturday thronged various ATMs and banks to withdraw their money, but like Friday the ATMs were cash-dry in an hour.

"It's unfortunate that they are acting irresponsibly. Many are suffering as restrictions on withdrawal are in place. Everyone would have appreciated if they had postponed the meeting," said an angry housewife.

She said that this was an unprecedented situation as she returned after waiting for an hour to withdraw money from an ATM.

K.S. Krishna, general secretary of the State Bank of Travancore Employees Union overseeing the operations of the various ATMs of the bank, said the problem now was that there was a shortage of Rs 100 notes.

"We directly operate most of our ATMs and on Friday itself we refilled at least five to six times," he said.

Krishan said: "So far there is no information on the new Rs 500 denomination. The distribution of currencies is done by the local Reserve Bank of India offices."

Meanwhile with Sunday also a working day for all the banks in the state, the problem of shortage of Rs 100 notes appears to be the main issue.

According to estimates, Kerala has about 6,900 bank branches and 8,000 ATMs.

--IANS

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Jaitley hits out at opposition over demonitisation move

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday hit out at opposition parties for raising questions on the government's move to demonitise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, saying that some of them were "feeling the pain".

Addressing a press conference here, Jaitley said some of the political reactions to the government's decision were "irresponsible".

He took a dig at Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav who had termed the decision anarchist and called for keeping it in abeyance for at least a week.

"Some people are feeling the pain. (Saying that) give break for a week... This gives the whole game away," he said.

He also slammed Congress leader Kapil Sibal for his remark that why should a person stand in line to deal with his own money.

"You have to pay tax on your own money," Jaitley said, adding that people have a right to know if Congress has paid its taxes.

Sibal had on Saturday accused the Narendra Modi government of carrying out its decision to demonatising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes "in haste and in an unplanned manner" and said people were suffering due to it.

The decision to demonitise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes was taken on Tuesday.

--IANS

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Rail network to make northeast India a 'destination': Prabhu

Mizoram,National,Business/Economy, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Aizawl, Nov 12 (IANS) The railway network would make northeast India a "destination" instead of being a transit point, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu said in Mizoram.

"The railway network would make resource rich northeast India a "destination" instead of being a transit spot," Prabhu said late Friday while laying the foundation stone of the railway station building at Sairang, 20 km north of Mizoram capital Aizawl.

Underlining the role of railways in economic development of the northeastern region, he said: "Railway would not only be the engine of growth but would also be the catalyst of social transformation."

"Railway network would also bring people of the region more closer and help to overcome various problems in tapping the resources and to supply goods," he added.

Citing examples of rich natural resources found in Mizoram, the minister called for better utilisation of the natural resources like the bamboo.

Prabhu announced that railways would plan to use more bamboo products made in the region in the Indian railway system to give a boost to the potential industry.

He said that Indian railways would construct all future stations in the country keeping the local ethos as a major part of the design.

Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain, who was also present on the occasion, said that the new broad gauge line from Bairabi to Sairang was part of the Indian railway's vision to connect all the capitals of northeastern states through broad gauge line by 2020.

The 50.38 km new line, being laid by the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR), originates from Bairabi (under Kolsib district in northern Mizoram) and terminates at Sairang station, which is 20 km from Aizawl.

"Due to the very steep gradient of the mountainous terrain between Sairang and Aizawl, it was not feasible to take the line up to Mizoram capital city," Gohain said, adding that efforts are being made to complete the project in the stipulated time.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said that the extension of broad gauge railway line up to Sairang would be a milestone in the progress of Mizoram.

Speaking at the function, Mizoram Governor Lt Gen (retd.) Nirbhay Sharma emphasised on building railway connectivity with neighbouring Bangladesh and Myanmar in the near future as it would be vital for the development of Mizoram.

The governor also requested the state government and railway authorities to consider construction of a high quality hospital and a school at Sairang for the benefit of the people.

The 50.38 km Bairabi-Sairang new broad gauge line alignment passes through complicated mountainous terrain covered with dense forest throughout its length.

At least 23 tunnels -- the longest being 1,766 metre -- and 38 major bridges and six tall bridges (the tallest being 117 metre high) would be constructed in the railway line, which is scheduled to be completed in 2019-20.

Mizoram Transport Minister John Rotluangliana, state's Lok Sabha member C. L. Ruala, NFR's General Manager Chahatey Ram, General Manager (Construction) H. K. Jaggi among others were also present at the function.

--IANS

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COP 8 on tobacco control in Geneva under India's presidency

Uttar Pradesh,National,Business/Economy,Health/Medicine, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Greater Noida, Nov 12 (IANS) The eighth edition of the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) will be held in Geneva under the presidency of India, it was announced here on Saturday.

According to a senior health official, the event is likely to be held in late 2018.

"The event is to be presided by India in Geneva in 2018," the official told IANS.

WHO FCTC is the world's biggest convention to frame anti-tobacco control policies. The seventh edition of the six-day-long convention concluded here on Saturday.

--IANS

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About Rs 2 lakh cr deposited in banks till Saturday afternoon: Jaitley

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said around Rs 2 lakh crore has been deposited till 12.15 pm on Saturday in banks across the country, following the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

"The largest banker in the country State Bank of India (SBI) saw deposits of Rs 47,868 crore till Saturday afternoon," Jaitley said while briefing the media here.

He said SBI's deposits are around 20 per cent of the total deposits in all the banks in the country.

Giving an indication of the process being long-drawn before things return to normal, he said: "It is a massive operation which has just started. How big will it become, it can be estimated only on basis of these illustrative figures."

He said that Rs 14 lakh crore is in circulation in the economy in high denomination notes, though it remains to be seen how much of it comes back into the banking system.

Jaitley also said that though the banks have sufficient new currency, it will take two-three weeks to recalibrate the ATMs across the country for the new notes. "It will be a slow process. Such a big cash replacement cannot happen in a mechanical way overnight," he said.

The Finance Minister said that it was to maintain secrecy that the two lakh ATM machines of the country were not recalibrated in advance.

Jaitley also said that despite allegations by opposition parties that there was a spike in bank deposits prior to the demonetisation announcement, no such spike has been seen in any month, except September 2016.

"That month the increase was because of money released on account of the Seventh Pay Commission payments," he said, adding that therefore there was no substance in the allegations that information about demonetisation was leaked.

Thanking bank employees for not taking any days off, Jaitley said the number of customers the banks are servicing can be estimated from the fact that SBI alone has done 2.28 crore transactions in less than three days.

"In total if you multiply it by four to five times, it can be estimated how many people banks are servicing," he said.

He reassured people that there is sufficient time till December 30 for people to deposit the demonetised notes.

"We are constantly monitoring the cash crunch prevailing. Finance Ministry is constantly in contact with the RBI over the issue. In the short run there may be some disruptions, but in the long run it is good for the economy," he said.

Jaitley said that there will be no exemptions to any section of the society on the basis of pleas like large traders and wholesalers need huge amounts of cash for transactions.

"We will not tolerate any illegal cash or bullion transactions. There will be no exemptions to any section of the society. I get hundreds of requests everyday from various sectors for exemption, like from traders, NGOs, etc," he said.

He once again denied the rumours about digital lockers and chips being fitted in the new notes.

--IANS

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Kalasalingam University signs MoU with Bosch Company

New Delhi, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 NI Wire

The Main aim is for establishing KLU-BOSCH Joint Program Jointly developed by Bosch along with the KLU in the campus of KLU upon the following understanding.

The proposed Joint Training Program will be established by KLU as per the concept to be designed by Bosch. The proposed Joint Certification Program will cover Madurai and Virudhunagar Districts.

It will act as the bridge to address the technological gap and focus on various technical training Programs for Bosch dealer network. This joint training program will also enable training to the diploma, degree students of KLU, nearly institute students and industries personnels

BOSCH concept is the efficient combination of hardware, teach ware and courseware which is offered by BOSCH as industry oriented training in the field of automotive technology.

KLU with assistance of BOSCH will establish and maintain the training center premises for conducting training courses according to the BOSCH concept.

KLU in the premises and with Bosch approved courses, will impart training to the eligible & selected undergraduate, post graduate, Polytechnic, Vocational school students to meet industry requirements, bridging the industry academic gap and enhancing the competency levels of students for better employability.

KLU will also provide industrial training to nearby industrial personal, and wherein the successful students will be awarded a joint certificate of BOSCH and KLU.

Joint certification by BOSCH & KLU will be awarded to the students In this Memorandum of Understanding by the hand of, on behalf of BOSCH LIMITED, Abhijit Kallianpur Business Unit Head, Automotive Service Solutions , Bangalore. And by the hand of, on behalf of KLU campus,Dr. K. Sridharan, Chancellor, signed.

Dr. S. Shasi Anand, Director, Dr. S. Saravana sankar, Vice Chancellor, Dr. V. Vasudevan ,Registrar also present in this occasion Dr, Udhayakumar , Dean International relations organized this MoU.and submitted the road map with plan of activities .
Amarinder questions Kejriwal's silence on SYL verdict

Punjab,National,Politics, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Chandigarh, Nov 12 (IANS) Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh on Saturday questioned AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal over his silence on the apex court judgment which declared the state's 2004 law intended to deny Haryana its share of Sutlej-Yamuna water unconstitutional.

He asked the Delhi Chief Minister to clarify his stand on the issue.

"Kejriwal has not uttered a single word in support of the state," said Amarinder Singh, asking the AAP leader what this silence on his part meant.

"Does it mean you are not supporting Punjab's stand on the issue," the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief said.

He demanded that Kejriwal spell out clearly whether he was with Punjab or Haryana or with Delhi in the Satluj-Yamuna Link canal (SYL) case, an official statement quoting Amarinder Singh said.

"Will you, or will you not, allow Punjab's water to go to Haryana and Delhi."

"You have been doing a flip flop on the issue for the past several months, clearly indicating your duplicity in the matter," he said.

The Congress will hold a protest rally on the SYL issue at Khuian Sarwar village on the Abohar-Ganganagar highway, 15 km from Abohar, on Sunday.

Khuian Sarwar, a village in Fazilka district, is the area that will be the worst affected if the Supreme Court's decision on the SYL is implemented.

To lodge their protest over the verdict, all 42 Congress legislators, including Leader of Opposition Charanjit Singh Channi, submitted their resignations to assembly secretary Shashi Lakhanpal Mishra here on Friday.

Holding that the Punjab Termination of Agreement Act, 2004, was not in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution, the Supreme Court's constitution bench of Justice Anil R. Dave, Justice Shiva Kirti Singh, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Amitava Roy on Thursday answered in the negative all the four questions referred to the top court in a Presidential reference.

While Justice Dave pronounced the opinion for the majority of the judges, Justice Singh, while agreeing with the majority view, gave his own observations.

At the initiative of the then Congress government headed by Amarinder Singh, the Punjab assembly had unanimously passed the law terminating all the agreements with Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh and Delhi on the sharing of Sutlej-Yamuna river water.

This act was brought to tide over the January 15, 2002, apex court judgment and decree and subsequent judgment and order of June 4, 2004.

--IANS

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Spain to finally ratify Paris agreement

Spain,Politics,Diplomacy,Environment/Wildlife, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Madrid, Nov 12 (IANS) Spain's Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Environment, Isabel Garcia Tejerina confirmed that the Spanish government would send the Paris agreement to be ratified in parliament.

Tejerina explained in a press conference on Friday that "the battle against climate change is a priority" for the Spanish government, and the Paris agreement would be "ratified as soon as possible".

She added that on November 15, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy would attend the climate change conference which is being held in the Moroccan city of Marrakech from November 7-18, while highlighting the efforts currently being made in the European Union to fight the problem.

Spain has until now been not ratified the accord, which came into effect on November 5, as it had no effective central government for over 10 months, Xinhua news agency reported.

The situation came to an end in October when Rajoy returned to power as Prime Minister, opening the door for the required legislation to finally be approved.--IANS

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Robert Redford retiring from acting after two movies

United States,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Los Angeles, Nov 12 (IANS) Veteran Hollywood actor Robert Redford will retire from acting after completing production on his final two films.

In an interview with his grandson Dylan, Redford discussed the importance of storytelling, painting and announced that he plans on quitting acting to focus solely on directing and sketching, reports variety.com.

Dylan asked Redford if he wants to return to painting, another one of the actor's long time passions.

"Yeah, a lot - And a lot lately because I'm getting tired of acting. I'm an impatient person, so it's hard for me to sit around and do take after take after take. At this point in my life, age 80, it'd give me more satisfaction because I'm not dependent on anybody. It's just me, just the way it used to be, and so going back to sketching- that's sort of where my head is right now," Redford said.

"I'm thinking of moving in that direction and not acting so much," he added.

Redford says he plans on retiring from his long career in front of the screen after two acting projects in the works come out - "Our Souls at Night" with actress Jane Fonda and "Old Man With a Gun," with actors Casey Affleck and Sissy Spacek.

"The Sting" actor recently starred in the 2015 film "A Walk in the Woods", which chronicles two long-lost friends' 2,000 mile journey across the Appalachian trail and became an indie success. He won a directing Oscar in 1980 for his film "Ordinary People," and was honoured by the Academy in 2002.

--IANS

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The Center on Reinventing Public Education published a report this month that shows different ways states have intervened in schools, mapping four turnaround approaches: state support for local turnarounds, state-authorized turnaround zones, school takeovers, and district takeovers.

The Every Student Succeeds Act, which goes into full effect next fall, directs states to intervene in low-performing schools and districts but gives them a freer hand in choosing how to go about it. The Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, signed by President Barack Obama in December 2015, is the newest reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

The report from CRPE has found that state involvement can be most effective when turnaround policies are tailored to a school or districts particular circumstances.

One states success can easily be anothers failure if policy ideas are imported with little attention to the factors that made the turnaround effort effective in the first place, study author Ashley Jochim wrote.

Jochim, a research analyst at the CRPE, found that successful interventions required four key ingredients.



The will to make real change happen.

The authority to execute effective strategies.

The capacity to perform the turnaround.

The political support to sustain change.

States should do more to learn from the experiences of other states, but they must approach imitation cautiously, Jochim wrote.

She gave the example of Louisiana, where large infusions of talent and philanthropy and weak opposition enabled reforms to take root.

The variability in local contexts gives no guarantee that a strategy deployed with success in one district or state can be replicated in another, Jochim wrote. The report also notes that states can combine strategies as well.

ESSA mandates that states identify schools performing in the bottom 5 percent every three years, as well as those with graduation rates below 67 percent. Such schools qualify for turnaround treatment.

Read Jochims report right here.

Chart: Who takes control during a turnaround depends on the state you live in. Source: Measures of Last Resort: Assessing Strategies for State-Initiated Turnarounds by Ashley Jochim from The Center on Reinventing Public Education.
Rahul asks party workers to help people in banks

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday appealed to his party workers to help people standing in queues at banks and ATMs due to the demonetization move.

"It is my appeal to all the Congress workers that they should help people in queues outside banks, especially senior citizens and the ones finding it difficult to fill the form," Gandhi said in a tweet.

"Apart from this, if you come across any poor people having problems in depositing the money, offer complete help," he said.

After the government demonetized Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on Tuesday night, the Congress leader had himself joined a queue at a bank on Friday to get the demonetized currency notes exchanged.

--IANS

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Syrian forces recapture 2 key areas from rebels

Syrian Arab Republic,Defence/Security,Terrorism, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Damascus, Nov 12 (IANS) The Syrian forces on Saturday recaptured two important areas fallen recently to the rebels during an offensive in the country's northern province of Aleppo.

The Syrian forces backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah retook the suburbs of Dahyeit al-Assad and Menyan, which had been overrun by the rebels during a wide-scale offensive on government-controlled areas in western Aleppo late last month, Xinhua news agency reported.

SANA said the recapture of Dahyeit al-Assad came after a "qualitative" operation that yielded its result on Saturday morning, just a day after the military forces captured Menyan.

According to the report, tens of rebels were killed as the Syrian forces also captured some areas near Dahyeit al-Assad and Menyan.

With this, the Syrian army has regained much of what it had lost to the rebels during their latest offensive.

The rebels recently launched two offensives with the aim of breaking the siege imposed by the government forces on rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo. They managed to storm some areas, without achieving a breakthrough.

--IANS

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Chaos continue in Punjab, Haryana over demonetisation

Punjab,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Chandigarh, Nov 12 (IANS) Banks across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh witnessed chaos on Saturday as cash-starved people queued for hours to exchange and withdraw money, even as most of the ATMs remained cashless owing to heavy rush.

However, financial transactions at private banks like HDFC and ICICI remained unaffected.

Industrial hubs in Punjab and Haryana bore the brunt as industry representatives complained their business transactions were badly hit owing to less circulation of new money.

People, including elderly, in large numbers were seen queuing up to exchange the currency notes to meet out their daily expenses.

At some of the places like Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala in punja and Haryana's Karnal, Rohtak and Ambala towns, non-functional ATMs agitated the people about the lack of preparedness for exchanging the currency.

Justifying the decision of the central government, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said after initial hiccups, the scheme, which is the brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would act as a catalyst to wipe out social maladies like corruption and black money from country.

--IANS

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Demonetisation: No end to people's hardships in Telangana, Andhra

Andhra Pradesh,National,Business/Economy, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Hyderabad, Nov 12 (IANS) There was no end to the hardships being faced by people following the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes as chaos continued at banks across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.

Lakhs of people were standing in queues since morning outside banks in Hyderabad and other towns and villages in Telangana.

With Automated Teller Machines remaining cashless in both the Telugu states, there seems to be no end in sight to the people's woes.

People had to wait for hours to exchange or deposit the demonetised notes. Those coming for the exchange were seen returning disappointed at not getting the much needed small currency notes.

At many banks, people were given two new notes of Rs 2,000 in exchange for the demonetised notes. At banks in Vijayawada in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, people refused to accept the big currency notes.

According to them, the availability of new notes of Rs 500 would have provided some relief.

Many skipped their work to stand in queues. Patience was running out as people vented their anger over poor arrangements made at the banks at a few places.

With severe shortage of Rs 100 or lesser denominations, people were facing a tough time in buying milk, vegetables and other daily essentials.

While those having debit or credit cards got them swiped at major stores, others had no option but to stand in serpentine queues at banks for the exchange.

ATMs remained cashless for a fourth consecutive day. A few machines which were functional with Rs 100 notes ran out of cash in no time.

Officials said it would take more time for the ATMs to re-open as they were not re-calibrated to dispense the new currency notes.

Business remained dull in both the states due to demonetisation. Small traders were the worst affected. They complained that their business had come down by 50 per cent.

The rumours of salt and sugar shortage since Friday night added to the people's woes. The two essential commodities ran out of stock at a few places as people resorted to panic buying.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said there was no shortage of salt or sugar. He said strict action would be taken against those spreading rumours.

--IANS

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If serious about black money, PM should probe BJP's 2014 poll campaign expenses: Sibal

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) The Congress on Saturday demanded a probe whether black money was involved in the BJP's campaign in the 2014 polls if the ruling party was serious about tackling the malaise, while attacking it on the "hasty" and "ill-planned" demonetisation move which had left the nation "suffering".

"If the BJP is actually serious about ending the menace of black money, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi should set up a commission of inquiry to probe if any black money was involved in BJP's election campaign before he became the Prime Minister," senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal told reporters here.

"The visuals of the campaign on TV suggested there was a lot of black money involved in it," he said.

Sibal added that the Prime Minister should also promise that in all the coming elections, including Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the BJP will make details of all its expenses public.

"Prime Minister Modi should promise to the nation that in all the coming elections, the BJP will put details of all the expenses on its website regarding setting up of tents, tables, arrangement of drinking water etc along with details of the cheques used to make the payments.

"It is only then that the people will realise it (demonetisation) is not another 'jumla'," Sibal said.

He slammed the Narendra Modi government for acting "in haste and in an unplanned" manner by demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, and said the nation was suffering due to it.

"This is a decision made in haste, not a well thought out decision. Black money getting converted into another type of black money now," he said, also targeted Modi for travelling to Japan while leaving the nation in chaos.

"At a time when the Prime Minister should have been present in the country, he is not here but in Japan," he said.

Sibal said people are facing inconvenience due to the government's move as there were long queues outside banks and ATMs to deposit or exchange their spiked currency or take out cash.

"Account is mine, money is mine, then why should I stand in a line?" he asked.

He added there are many places in India which have no bank branches, let alone ATMs.

"The result is that people are being exploited. Dollar is being sold in black market at the rate of Rs 180 to Rs 200. Touts are accepting Rs 1000 notes giving back Rs 700 in valid denominations."

"Is that not black money? The black money is not getting exposed, it is just being converted," Sibal said.

"Gold prices have risen to Rs 70000. People will sell the same gold later and get back their black money," he added.

"Narendra Modi says that he is a common man, but neither has he ever stood in a line in an ATM, nor does he know how expenses run. He doesn't know the price of flour, pulses, sugar."

Sibal's comments come a day after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi joined a queue outside a bank to withdraw money.

Taken aback by the mass crisis, the government has extended till November 14 midnight the original 72-hour deadline for utilities to use the banned currency.

--IANS

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Modi government should go: Mamata

West Bengal,National,Politics, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Kolkata, Nov 12 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said the Narendra Modi-led central government should step down on moral grounds after its "draconian" decision to demonitise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 rupee notes left the country "on its knees".

"This government has no moral right to continue. They should go. This is an anti-people government, this is an anti-poor government. This is not a democratic way of running things. Total dictatorship is going on," Banerjee told reporters here after visiting some banks in south Kolkata and talking to the customers and the bank staff.

The chief minister also sought a probe by sitting Supreme Court judges into the economic losses the country has suffered over the past few days.

"There should be a probe by five sitting judges of the Supreme Court about the scale of economic disaster, and whether the decision has been taken to grease the palm of some others or sell off the country.

"This decision has taken the country backward. It has made the country unstable" she said addressing the media at the state secretariat Nabanna.

The Trinamool Congress supremo yet again urged all opposition parties to unite against the move and help the harried masses.

"Let us all opposition parties work together to save the masses from the disaster. I don't care even if I am killed. I will stand for the masses."

--IANS

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Facebook bug 'kills' Mark Zuckerberg, other users

Costa Rica,Technology,Human Interest/Society, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

San Francisco, Nov 12 (IANS) A bug accidentally killed several Facebook users - including founder Mark Zuckerberg - with messages being posted on their accounts meant for memorialised profiles.

The bug on the social media platform on Friday delivered morbid news to Zuckerberg, with a message on his profile: "Remembering Mark Zuckerberg".

"We hope people who love Mark will find comfort in the things others share to remember and celebrate his life," the message read.

Other users found same messages on their profiles, www.today.com reported.

"For a brief period today, a message meant for memorialised profiles was mistakenly posted to other accounts. This was a terrible error that we have now fixed. We are very sorry that this happened and we worked as quickly as possible to fix it," Facebook said in a statement.

The social media giant has 1.79 billion users.

"Yesterday I was on Facebook Live! Today I'm Facebook Dead," wrote the Washington Post's journalist Emily Guskin.

Memorialised accounts are a place on Facebook for friends and family to gather and share memories after a person has passed away.

--IANS

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Presses printing currency notes at full capacity: RBI

Maharashtra,National,Business/Economy, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Mumbai, Nov 12 (IANS) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Saturday said that the printing presses are being worked to their full capacity to meet the requirements of the people after the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

"To sustain the demand, printing presses are printing the currency notes at full capacity so that adequate quantum of notes is available," RBI said in a statement.

On November 10 - the day the banks opened after the announcement of demonetisation, about 10 crore exchange transactions were reported in a single day, it said.

Adequate stocks of new notes are ready in the currency chests located at more than 4,000 places across the country. Bank branches are linked to them to source their requirements from them, RBI said.

The banks and the RBI are also open on Saturday and Sunday to meet the urgent requirements of public and to ease the situation.

The central bank also encouraged people to switch over to alternative modes of payment, such as pre-paid cards, Rupay card, credit or debit cards, mobile banking and internet banking to alleviate the pressure on the physical currency.

The scheme for exchange of the specified bank notes for other denominations is available all across the country till December 30, 2016 and even beyond, at specified RBI offices. As there is ample time, people need not rush to exchange putting avoidable strain on the banking branch network, it said.

The withdrawal of the legal tender of the existing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, has cast a huge responsibility on the banking system to swiftly withdraw these specified bank notes in a smooth and non-disruptive way, it added.

The RBI said the process entailed swift withdrawal of the specified bank notes from the ATMs within a few hours of the announcement and reloading them in a matter of two days.

"Just a day after the announcement, all bank branches have been providing exchange facility for public. To minimise the inconvenience the branches of banks and all RBI offices have been working well beyond normal business hours, with additional counters opened to cater to the huge turnout of public," it said.

--IANS

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30 killed, 100 injured in Pakistan shrine bombing

Pakistan,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Terrorism, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Quetta, Nov 12 (IANS) At least 30 people were killed and around 100 injured on Saturday in a bombing at a shrine in Pakistan's Balochistan province.

The explosion took place at the Shah Norani shrine in Balochistan's Lasbella district.

According to details, the blast occurred when "dhamaal" was taking place in the shrine.

Edhi Foundation in charge, Lasbella Hakeem Lassi, while confirming the death toll, told Geo News that more than 100 people were also injured.

He said the injured were being shifted to a hospital for medical treatment.

He said that more than 10 ambulances of Edhi foundation have reached the blast site and rescue efforts were underway, Geo News reported.

Lassi said that more than 500 people were in the shrine at the time of dhamaal.

Emergency services were facing problems in reaching the shrine due to its remote location and poor communication infrastructure. The shrine is also located in hilly terrain.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, Dawn News reported.

"People who are critically injured in the blast will be transported to Karachi," said Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti.

Since no major hospital is located near the shrine, the injured are to be shifted to Karachi for further treatment. Many injured are being shifted in private vehicles.

The shrine is frequented by a large number of devotees on Friday, and is visited by people from across the country. Iranian nationals also frequent the shrine.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has expressed his grief over the killing of innocents and condemned the blast.

In October, heavily-armed militants wearing suicide vests stormed a police academy in Quetta, killing at least 61 people and wounding at least 117.

The attack was carried out by Al-Alimi faction of the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ) militant group.

In August, a suicide bomber targeted the emergency services ward at Quetta's Civil Hospital killing at least 70 people and leaving scores injured, majority of those killed were lawyers.

Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) splinter group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), had claimed responsibility for the bombing.

--IANS

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The Vamps to play at Global Citizen Festival India

India,Cinema/Showbiz,Bollywood, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Mumbai, Nov 12 (IANS) Britain-based boy band The Vamps will return to India later this month to play at the Global Citizen Festival India, where names like Jay Z and Coldplay will plug their music chords.

The Vamps, artistes of Virgin EMI UK, made their debut India visit earlier this year for a collaboration with Vishal-Shekhar for the song "Beliya".

They will be coming to India on November 16. Global Citizen Festival India will be held at the MMRDA grounds here on November 19.

"Global Citizen Festival is an amazing event for such a good cause and we are honoured to have been asked to be a part of it," James McVey said in a statement issued on behalf of the band.

"We had an incredible first visit to India in August and are very much looking forward to coming back to see our fans, perform our new single 'All night' and our other hits at this world renowned festival," McVey added.

Apart from McVey -- the lead guitarist and vocalist -- The Vamps comprises Brad Simpson (lead vocals and guitar), Connor Ball (bass guitar and vocals) and Tristan Evans (drums and vocals).

The Vamps also worked on a song for Ajay Devgn's recently released "Shivaay".

The inaugural Global Citizen Festival India will see participation from international as well as Indian celebrities.

--IANS

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When Donald Trump was elected president of the United States early Wednesday morning, many teachers across the country spent the day fielding students questions about the outcome . But some teachers had questions of their owndid Trumps win mean their days in the classroom were numbered?

For the 146 DACAmented teachers currently in classrooms through Teach for America, the elections outcome signals an unknown future. President Obama granted temporary relief from deportation and work authorization under 2012s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act to immigrants without documentation who came to the country as children. TFA has since sought out college graduates with DACA status (also known as DREAMers) to build up a corps of teachers.

But Trump could easily move to cut DACA and increase deportations. He said after meeting with President Obama on Thursday that strict immigration and border security are among his top priorities , the LA Times reported. During a presidential campaign filled with rhetoric about promises to build a wall between the United States and Mexico, anxieties for students of color, particularly Latino and Muslim students, have run high . Their fear was palpable this week, teachers told Education Week Teacher, as immigrant students and students from immigrant families expressed concerns over deportation . Many teachers under the DACA program also have students in similar situations. But what do you do when you have the same concerns as a teacher?

Viridiana Carrizales, the director of DACA corps member support, fielded many early morning phone calls from teachers on Wednesday. Most of the teachers students know about their DACA status and many worried that their students would be afraid of losing them. Some teachers cried, she said, and werent sure they could face their students knowing their position was no longer secure.

Ive seen many teachers who are really afraid not only for what can happen to them but to their families, Carrizales said. Theres a lot of anxiety given that theres so much uncertainty. Ive also seen tons of resilience, teachers who are waking up every day thinking about their students and families and putting their own feelings aside to help the kids they are responsible for in the classroom.

One teachers 4-year-old kindergarten student painted a picture of her family inside a box. This is my family hiding from Donald Trump, she wrote.

A school district in Denver was the first in the nation to employ two DREAMer teachers who came through the TFA program in 2013. These teachers often are bilingual or multilingual and have a deep personal understanding of the challenges that many of our students face who similarly came to this country in undocumented status as young children, Tom Boasberg, the districts superintendent, told Think Progress.

In states such as New York, California, and Nevada, bills passed as recently as this year to allow individuals without citizenship to teach , according to Emmanuel Felton in a Teacher Beat post published in March. Among the teachers with temporary resident status who go through Teach for America, some work in states where they could not otherwise apply for teaching licenses. But not everyone is supportive; some feel that teachers under the DACA program take away positions from legal residents who are trying to get teaching licenses and jobs.

Though TFA representatives declined to let the teachers speak to the media directly over concerns for their safety, the Emerson Collective, an organization that works on issues of education and immigration reform, spoke before the elections end to DREAMer teachers in California and Colorado about their experiences in TFA :

How Teach For America Empowers DACAmented Teachers from Emerson Collective on Vimeo .

Teach for America developed plans of support for teachers with temporary resident status this summer in preparation for Trumps potential win. While Carrizales plans to share details with corps members soon, she said this could include anything from working with school to help them support young people regardless of the outcome or financially helping teachers transfer out of the classroom or move closer to their families if DACA is overturned.

We have a pretty big group of teachers and have been able over the past three years to build community, Carrizales said. Theyre finding a lot of support and love and comfort knowing theyre not alone.

The group Educators for Fair Consideration released an open letter to undocumented young people on Friday offering support and suggestions for what they can do nowincluding looking into other forms of immigration relief and being familiar with their rights.

In a private Facebook group of support for TFAs DREAMer teachers, one teacher shared the following message this week with fellow corps members:

To all the DACAmented teachers, you are important today. You are in a position to reach so many young minds. Your struggle and strength will shine through and transcend into your curriculum. Share your stories. Be vulnerable. ... We are capable of cultivating people power, so let us plant seeds.

Image credit: Getty
Obama urges reconciliation in message for US veterans

United States,Politics,Defence/Security, US Elections, Sun, 13 Nov 2016 IANS

Washington, Nov 13 (IANS) President Barack Obama urged all Americans to reconcile their differences and called for "loving our neighbours as ourselves" in a speech honouring veterans of the US Armed Forces.

In his regular Saturday address, Obama said veterans were an example of unity for a nation that at times is divided along partisan lines, Efe news agency reported.

"This weekend, as we search for ways to bridge our differences, we look to the principles that are more enduring than politics," Obama said a day after the Veterans Day holiday.

Obama described the US military as a "united team" and the country's "single most diverse institution," made up of native-born Americans and immigrants, Christians, Muslims, Jews and non-believers.

Without mentioning Republican Party nominee Donald Trump's victory or protests that have erupted in several US cities, Obama appealed to the values of solidarity and patriotism.

"We can practice kindness. We can volunteer, serve and respect one another. We can always get each other's backs. And we can show how much we love our country by loving our neighbours as ourselves," Obama, who will leave office in January, said.

Trump's upset victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's presidential balloting put an end to one of the most contentious and polarizing election campaigns in the country's recent history.

--IANS

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India, Bhutan sign new bilateral trade agreement

Delhi,National,Politics,Diplomacy,Business/Economy, Sun, 13 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) India and Bhutan signed a new bilateral trade agreement on Saturday to enhance trade between the two countries through trade facilitation by improving procedures, an official statement said.

"The bilateral agreement aims at cutting down on documentation and adding additional exit and entry points for Bhutan's trade with other countries. It is also expected to further strengthen the excellent relations between the two countries," Commerce Ministry said in a statement.

The agreement was signed by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and H.E. Tengye Lyonpo Lekey Dorji, Minister for Economic Affairs, Bhutan.

Sitharaman also had a bilateral meeting with a high level Bhutanese delegation led by Dorji where both the leaders discussed various issues related to bilateral trade, transit and investment.

The first agreement on trade and commerce between Bhutan and India was signed in 1972. Since then, the agreement has been renewed four times.

The last agreement was renewed on July 28, 2006 and was valid till July 29, 2016. The validity of the agreement was extended for a period of one year or till the date of coming into force of the new agreement, whichever is earlier, by exchange of diplomatic notes between the two countries.

--IANS

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The telecoms industry is gearing up for the rollout of 5G in the next couple of years, which is expected to provide Internet connections 40 times faster and with at least four times more coverage worldwide than current 4G connectivity. Delivering on these expectations requires a cost-effective and reliable means of providing connectivity on a massive scale, and Internet service providers (ISPs) across the globe are weighing their options for deploying 5G as quickly and efficiently as possible.





Why wireless?

Where 4G was a pure mobile play, it seems increasingly likely that 5G will be initially introduced over fixed wireless. This is because fixed wireless currently offers the greatest commercial value for 5G technology, providing reliable, high-performance connectivity that can be established with relative ease and at a low price point in densely populated areas.

Verizon (News - Alert) has voiced its goal of being the first U.S. company to roll out 5G technology and, earlier this year, CEO Lowell McAdam stressed that the companys focus is on fixed wireless rather than mobile, as it offers the return on capital you need. This logic has also resulted in U.S. Cellular and Nokia (News - Alert) testing 5G technologies together over fixed wireless, as the companies look to play a key role in the introduction of the technology across North America.

5G on trial

However, given the scarcity and cost of the precious cellular frequencies, carriers are looking to increase capacity for 5G over fixed wireless by hunting for alternative spectrum. The critical dialog now is about which bands will be a good match technically for these types of fixed applications, and of course, which is the most cost effective.

A number of interested parties have pushed the FCC to progress its plan to open up additional high-frequency, mmWave spectrum for 5G. The commission first allocated high-frequency spectrum for 5G earlier this year, and last month it announced a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would open an additional 17.7GHz of spectrum for licensed fixed and mobile use.

In October 2016, U.S. Cellular and Nokia completed tests on 28GHz spectrum in both an outdoor setting and indoors in a lab. The outdoor trial involved a point-to-point, clear line-of-sight scenario between a base station and user equipment, with real world environment impairments such as dry wall, windows and metal panels introduced. However, it is unlikely this same success could be replicated in a densely populated urban setting, where manmade infrastructure and foliage are more widespread and impair high frequency mmWave signals. Furthermore, in higher frequency bands, it is more likely that weather will negatively impact signal propagation. As a result, using the mmWave spectrum, homes and businesses could experience limited connectivity.

At longer distances, without being able to penetrate barriers like foliage, and with limited ability to generate multi-path, line-of-sight becomes a virtual necessity with mmWave band connectivity. The only viable solution is to shorten links to overcome environmental challenges, resulting in a much denser constellation of base stations, closer to households. This in turn will significantly increase the cost of covering an area. Furthermore, the current cost of the equipment in the 28GHz spectrum is over $700 per subscriber due to expensive high frequency RF components and requires professional installation. This begs the questions of whether the mmWave bands are appropriate for delivering 5G.

The sub-6GHz spectrum solution

Fortunately there is an alternative. Rather than using mmWave channels that are not proven in dense urban areas, ISPs should switch their focus to reusing a small amount of spectrum in the 6GHz spectrum, used by Wi-Fi. Over 14,000 wireless ISPs globally have quietly proven in rural areas where the sub-6 GHz bands are extremely effective at delivering fixed wireless services at long distances.

The 5Ghz spectrum has traditionally been subject to potential interference from Wi-Fi operators in the same frequency bands. However, by using GPS+GLONASS to synchronize transmissions across the network, a single channel can be reused in a given geography. This means it will not suffer from the self-interference typically seen in Wi-Fi and FDD microwave deployments as more radios are added to increase network capacity.

MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology can also help solve the problem of interference by using a large number of antennae at the base station, allowing it to serve many users in densely populated urban areas while staying in the confines of the radio spectrum. This approach results in improved signal propagation and near-line-of sight performance, as well as considerable cost savings; the current cost of the subscriber equipment in 28GHz is more than seven times that of sub-6GHz equipment.

There is also potential to utilize the 3.55-3.70GHz in the deployment of 5G services, leaving as much spectrum available to Wi-Fi as possible. The FCC has already established regulations for the 3.5GHz band (the Citizens Broadband Radio Service band), which will make 150MHz of spectrum available for ISPs. Google (News - Alert) is actively conducting experiments in the 3.5GHz band in up to 24 areas in the U.S., and preparing for the new SAS spectrum sharing database to go live in early 2017. With new innovations in fixed wireless spectrum re-use, using the 3.5GHz band could further extend the value of the sub-6GHz spectrum and raises geocapacity to unprecedented levels.

5G adoption will be vital in order to support the increasing demand for data and connectivity, particularly in light of the expanding IoT. Despite ongoing debate, it is likely that fixed wireless for 5G within the sub-6GHz spectrum will offer the best commercial model for operators. Unlike mmWave spectrum, advances in technology mean 5G can be reliably delivered in built up urban areas, and the costs of equipment and deployment are considerably lower than those incurred deploying 5G in mmWave spectrum. Capacity is a major challenge for wireless networks, and a solution will only come about with continued trialling of technologies and methods, ultimately creating an efficient 5G infrastructure which will serve all environments on a global scale.

About the Author

As Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Mimosa (News - Alert), Jaime is driving a disruptive wireless alternative solution for gigabit fixed Internet and Wi-Fi applications. With his prior experience as CTO of 2Wire (acquired by Pace), Jaime pioneered delivering IP services to the home over Fiber and xDSL.

At Mimosa, he now aims to surpass the capacities of legacy wireline technology and deliver multi-gigabit wireless access solutions at a fraction of the cost. Previously, he headed Product Management at Polycom, and Zhone Technologies (News - Alert). Jaime holds a BSCE from the University of California, Irvine, USA.







Edited by Alicia Young
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LTE (News - Alert), smart cities, software-defined networking  these three things are some of the most important topics in networking and communications today. And all of the above were topics covered this week in Next Generation Communications.





On the LTE front, we learned about the recent formation and new portfolio of Nokia (News - Alert) Group Communications. This effort focuses on LTE-enabled public safety solutions.

Nokia Group Communications further bolsters our comprehensive public safety offer with capabilities that will help first responders react more effectively in a crisis, said Henri Tallon, Nokia's head of public sector. With new applications like push-to-video, fully standards-ready, we can ensure public safety teams are better informed of a situation and therefore enhance safety and security for all concerned.

In other recent LTE news, ETELM of South Africa later this month at the AfricaCom event will debut its new e-LBS system for LTE base stations. The initial version will work on 700MHz, with support for 400MHz and 2.6GHz expected in the future.

We have harnessed LTEs multi-broadcast features to ensure the widest possible coverage area from our eNodeB cell, including group call functionality which is so vital to mission-critical users, said ETELM President Pierre Minot. Our technology is the only one on the market which provides full integration between PMR and LTE, and is designed for enterprise and mission-critical LTE applications. It is ideal for operators looking to offer enterprise solutions and extend geographic coverage of their commercial networks at the same time.

As for smart cities, Marc Jadoul (News - Alert), market development director of the Internet of Things at Nokia, this week contributed an article on the six steps to smart city success. In it, he also notes that Nokia recently collaborated with Machina Research to publish The Smart City Playbook, which offers further guidance on best practices in this arena.

Speaking of Nokia, dtac of Thailand has tapped the supplier to provide IP/optical, security, and switching solutions for its network transformation. That deal will include the Nokia 7950 Extensible Routing System, the 1830 Photonic Service Switch, and a security gateway system.
With so much going on in the world, it feels nearly impossible to keep up with the top stories and breaking headlines. But is it really worth the trouble? Some argue that it causes unnecessary stress, while others simply dont see it as a priority. However, such an attitude prevents people f
Participants at an event held in the civil society area at COP22 Green Zone called for enlisting the Khettara in the UNESCOs world heritage list.

The Khettara, a centuries-old water transportation system using underground canals to irrigate fields in Moroccan oases, was at the heart of an event held by the Meftah Essad Foundation for Moroccos Intangible Heritage.

The event was an opportunity to showcase the ecological efficiency of the Khettara as a time-honored system in Moroccos dry and semi-dry lands naturally and sustainably pumping underground water through gently sloping tunnels.

The participants in this event highlighted the ecological and patrimonial dimensions of the Khettara notably in terms of safeguarding oases against desertification and preserving water resources as the underground canals significantly curb evaporation and ensure the sustainable use of underground water, COP22 organizing team said in a statement.

The statement quoted Abdelati Lahlou, member of the Meftah Essaad Foundation, as describing the Khettara as a manifestation of the adaptation of human beings with nature.

Lahlou added that including this Moroccan water management know-how on the UNESCOs list of world heritage will help ensure the continuation of these environment-friendly irrigation structures.

COP22 is an ideal opportunity to shed light on this Moroccan ecological heritage and raise awareness about the importance of its restoration, he added.

The statement noted that the results of a study conducted by the Foundation in 2014 showed the Khettara contribution to fighting desertification and curbing rural flight.

The study, presented at the event, urges immediate action to rehabilitate these underground water canals in order to prevent the depletion of underground water as a result of a surge in individual water.
Africas first bike share experience was launched in Marrakech, which currently hosts the climate summit (COP22), November 7 through 18.

The initiative, dubbed Medina Bike, adds to the momentum towards making environment protection and eco-friendly practices at the heart of the daily lives of citizens.

Three hundred bikes will thus be available for use for the locals and visitors of Marrakech at 10 docking stations throughout central Marrakech.

This experience, the first of its kind in Africa, offers users prices of 50, 150 and 500 dirhams for passes for a day, a week or a month respectively while a 30 minute ride would cost 30 dirhams only, less than 3 dollars.

Citylab.com reports that the tender for Medina Bike was launched by The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and won by the French firm Smoove in partnership with a local Moroccan company, Estates Vision.

On Wednesday, Morocco unveiled its first locally-made pickup truck running on electricity

Baptized Aslan, the ecology-friendly pickup truck is equipped with electricity-dependent engine and is manufactured by the kingdom technology and innovation center, Tamayuz Supply Chain.

According to the national transport and logistics company (SNTL), which is sponsoring the project, Aslan offers comfort, power and security. It is tailor-made for urban commutes, but can also be used for outside urban areas travels.
Afghan soldiers guarding the road leading to main gate of Bagram Airfield, which is north of Kabul. Photo: Massoud Hossaini/AP

Four Americans, two service members and two contractors, were killed when a man detonated his suicide vest early Saturday morning at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. NBC News reports that an additional 16 American service members were injured in the blast, as well as one coalition soldier from Poland, and notes that the bomber struck as people were gathering for a postVeterans Day fun-run. The Taliban has since claimed responsibility for the bombing, which it said it had been planning for four months. The base, which is the largest U.S./NATO facility in Afghanistan, was put on lockdown following the attack. The identities of the victims have not been released.

It is not clear how the bomber was able to bypass the bases multiple layers of security, but an Afghan official who spoke with the Associated Press said that laborers who work at the base typically line up to enter the gates around the time the attack took place, and the bomber may have hidden among them.
A Syrian refugee woman who fled to Turkey. Photo: Cem Genco/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

In defiance of her father, a military leader loyal to Bashar al-Assad, Loubna Mrie, 25, fled Syria for Turkey, making her way to the United States on a student visa in 2014. Here, she talks about Trumps election.

I havent been granted asylum yet. So my first reaction was, Oh, my God, I have to leave. When I calmed down and I talked to my lawyer, she said, It doesnt mean that you have to leave right away. Lets wait for the dust to come down. But Im sure Trump will shut down the resettlement program. Lots of my friends are waiting for their families to come here.

Apparently Trump has no idea whats going on in Syria. His main argument was just to stand against everything that Hillary Clinton said. For example, he said we should work with Russia against ISIS because ISIS today is being supported by Hillary Clinton, which is not true. It makes me scared, sure, but also maybe Americans should know what its like to have a dictator. Maybe they will have some sympathy for people who are fighting for their freedom of speech in other countries.

I went yesterday to the streets as a solidarity act. I know what its like to have a president that you dont agree with. What makes me really upset is that in the Arabic world, those dictators were imposed. But this dictator was elected.

*This article appears in the November 14, 2016, issue of New York Magazine.
Howard Dean, who led the DNC during the very successful 2006 and 2008 campaigns, might be a unity figure today. Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images for Comedy Central

Even as Democrats lick their wounds after the outcome of the 2016 elections, political life must go on, and there is a leadership vacuum at the Democratic National Committee that must soon be filled. Long-time DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, disliked intensely by Bernie Sanders partisans, was driven from the job on the eve of the Democratic National Convention after WikiLeaks released emails showing DNC staffers bad-mouthing Sanders. Several other top staffers, including the DNC executive director, left soon afterward. Interim chair Donna Brazile, usually a calming influence, instead added to the DNCs problems when yet another WikiLeaks release suggested she may have used her paid position at CNN to give a sneak peek at a debate question to Hillary Clinton.

The overall tensions at the DNC were illustrated on Wednesday morning, when, at a staff meeting, someone (we dont know exactly who) interrupted a Brazile pep talk to scream at her and people like her for ruining the party and the country.

The election of a permanent DNC chair is scheduled to occur next March. It is unclear whether Brazile can hang on until then, but shes showing no interest in the permanent gig, and instead, the two early candidates are men long identified with the progressive wing of the party: former chair (and Vermont governor, and 2004 presidential candidate) Howard Dean and U.S. Representative (and co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus) Keith Ellison, of Minnesota.

Ellison, who was the rare member of the House supporting Bernie Sanderss presidential campaign, has already received Sanders s endorsement for the DNC gig, and other like-minded groups and individuals seem to be consolidating quickly around the idea.

Perhaps as a younger pol not connected to the Clinton campaign, who is also known for innovative grassroots organizing techniques, Ellison makes sense as a change-of-pace leader for the DNC. He did do yeoman work for the Clinton general-election campaign, and has been endorsed by incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, not exactly a fiery socialist. But all in all, most of Ellisons advocates seem determined to use his candidacy as part of a self-conscious coup to move the party conspicuously to the left. That goal certainly comes through in Sanderss statement of support:

You cannot be a party which on one hand says were in favor of working people, were in favor of the needs of young people but we dont quite have the courage to take on Wall Street and the billionaire class. People do not believe that. Youve got to decide which side youre on, Sanders told the AP in an interview endorsing Ellison.

In others words, Ellisons candidacy looks a lot like a continuation of Bernie Sanderss presidential campaign, combined with a house-cleaning aimed at removing Clinton supporters, scornfully dismissed as corporate shills. It appears intended not to launch a struggle for the soul of the Democratic Party, but to announce that the struggle is over and a new faction is now in charge.

Now, perhaps many, or even most, former Sanders for President supporters think he would have won the presidential general election that Hillary Clinton lost. It is unfortunately a proposition that is impossible to prove either way, though it should be acknowledged for future reference that Sanders might have looked like a very different candidate after being pounded by both right-wing and mainstream media for months over various episodes from his past (serving as a Socialist Workers Party elector in 1980 comes to mind). Perhaps Sanders supporters specifically and progressives generally deserve a much more prominent or even leading voice at the DNC and in other party councils.

But is a purge what the Democratic Party most urgently needs right now? And is a very public ideological shift to the left that cedes more ground to a Republican Party torn between different extremist visions a good idea at the moment? Is a Jeremy Corbyn (the lefty leader of the British Labor Party) moment what Democrats really need?

This will not happen, of course, without a fight. Today, Politico lists a bunch of people, many of them former Clinton supporters, who are sniffing around the DNC gig:

Meanwhile others in the party, including New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman and DNC vice chair Raymond Buckley  who runs the Association of State Democratic Chairs  South Carolina Chairman Jaime Harrison, and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra are said to be open to bids of their own, fielding calls from other DNC members about their interest. Former presidential candidate and Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley said on Friday morning that he is considering a run. DNC vice chair R.T. Rybak, the former mayor of Minneapolis who nearly got the role under Barack Obama, and retiring New York Rep. Steve Israel  a former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair  are also in the mix.

It is another candidate, however, who seems best positioned to be a unity candidate: none other than Howard Dean. He still has some progressive credibility, although his occasionally abrasive support for Hillary Clintons nomination repositioned him a bit. He knows the job, having done it before, in a tenure that, coincidentally or not, coincided with two Democratic landslide victories, in 2006 and 2008. And in the wake of an election where Democrats appear to have lost 32 states, a return to Deans 50-state strategy is probably a good idea.

Ultimately, the identity of the DNC chairman is less important than filling the lower leadership jobs with smart and energetic people who represent fresh blood. But there is no getting around an early decision by Democrats as to whether their most urgent challenge is to get a grip on why they lost and develop a detailed plan for recovery, or simply to throw out the Clinton/Obama crowd and claim the DNC as a trophy for the left.

They have a while to figure this out. But there is no time like the present to declare a temporary truce.
Keep getting used to it. Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

It turns out that one of the Trump transition teams many duties will be helping President-Elect Trump decide just how many nights hell have to sleep at the White House each week. The New York Times reports that Trump has told his advisors that he would like to continue to spend as much time as he can at his beloved Trump Tower penthouse in New York, and may retreat there, or to one of his other estates in New Jersey or Florida, on the weekends. The sudden dilemma for Trump, who labored to sleep at his New York home as much as possible during his campaign, has emerged as he recovers from his apparent shock at actually winning and comes to terms with how being president is going to completely upend his preferred lifestyle. Trump advisors, however, are hoping that Trump will eventually warm up to White House living as he grows less overwhelmed and more comfortable in the job. As it turns out, one of Trumps top advisors seems like hes a little overwhelmed as well:

Unprepared? Jared Kushner asked on his West Wing tour how many staffers would remain for the next administration https://t.co/aNhwWqkCI7  Amy Fiscus (@amyfiscus) November 12, 2016

Meanwhile, Trump Tower is already being converted into a veritable fortress, complete with a no-fly zone above and dump trucks and Jersey barriers around. And while  when it comes to Trump Administration policy  New York mayor Bill de Blasio has vowed to protect the city from the new president, midtown Manhattan may not be so lucky when it comes to the physical space around Trump Tower. CNN reports that its not yet clear just how much the security around the building will impact the neighborhood and surrounding businesses. City zoning rules require that the space in front of Trump Tower be kept open, but the Secret Service has reportedly floated the idea of closing down some lanes of Fifth Avenue, or even shutting it down completely. Any plans will also need to take into account the likelihood of regular or continuous protests against Trump being held near or outside his part-time residence. In addition, presidential visits to anywhere  let alone a crowded city like New York  perpetually lead to traffic nightmares for residents, and such disruption may soon become a weekly fact of life for many New Yorkers.

If this weeks protests are any indication, the new president might not like spending as much time back in New York as he thinks. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Then again, Trump may also spend time away from the White House because hed rather keep campaigning, even now that hes won. The Times adds that the president-elect has expressed a desire to keep holding large rallies around the country, because Trump likes the instant gratification and adulation that the cheering crowds provide, and his aides are discussing how they might accommodate his demand.
Trump promised a much more conservative Court hostile to precedents like abortion rights. He may have the chance to deliver. Photo: Zach Gibson/Getty Images

Donald Trumps pledge to appoint conservative pro-life justices to the U.S. Supreme Court was reportedly central to his ability to attract 81 percent of the white Evangelical vote on November 8, despite his pagan lifestyle. Religious folk werent the only ones thinking this way: More secular-minded Republicans like Hugh Hewitt focused on the Courts power to rein in government and decided to vote for Trump even if they considered him generally an ignorant lout (you know, the guy who was clueless when Hewitt asked him about the nuclear triad during a Republican debate).

So now that hes won, what is likely to happen to SCOTUS?

Well, the most important thing that happened to the Court aside from Trumps election is that Trumps party held on to the U.S. Senate. The Republican conference also shed one of the very few senators (Mark Kirk of Illinois) who might have voted against a Trump nominee hell-bent on overturning constitutional abortion rights. Yes, in theory, Democrats could filibuster a Trump nominee they dont like, but then they would be inviting an almost certain invocation of the nuclear option by Mitch McConnell to extend the current majority-vote rules for judicial confirmation to SCOTUS. Theyd be more likely to use the threat of a filibuster to try to influence Trump to pick someone less reactionary than would otherwise be the case, but it is not clear if Republicans will have any interest in compromising on a topic so important to key elements of their base.

So poor Merrick Garlands nomination is over, and the odds are very high that whoever Trump chooses to succeed Antonin Scalia will be confirmed. That right away will break the current 4-4 deadlock of the Court on a lot of topics, including the big cases left undecided last year on President Obamas immigration enforcement initiative and on the right not to join public-sector unions.

Trump would have a much bigger impact on the Court if he got two appointments. Thats what it would probably take to discharge Trumps debt to the Christian right by engineering the reversal of Roe v. Wade and its guarantee of a constitutional right to abortion, since swing vote Anthony Kennedy chose to implicitly reconfirm Roe in the Whole Womens Health v. Cole case involving state restrictions on abortion clinics.

That leads to the delicate subject of judicial mortality. Two of the five justices in the majority on Whole Womens Health are in their 80s: Ruth Bader Ginsburg (83) and Anthony Kennedy (80). A third, Stephen Breyer, is 78. After that, the age of justices drops dramatically to Clarence Thomas at 68, Samuel Alito at 66, Sonia Sotomayor at 62, John Roberts at 61, and Elena Kagan at 56. Let us just say that so long as a Republican is in the White House, time is not on the side of a constitutional right to abortion. And if and when Donald Trump gets to nominate that potential fifth vote to reverse Roe, you better bet that he will have to remove any doubt his nominee would rather exercise their Second Amendment rights on themselves than betray the Cause of the Unborn. The Betrayal of the Unborn by so many other Republicans nominees in the past was a significant factor, as it happens, in the estrangement of the Republican base from party elites that Trump so successfully exploited to climb to the presidency.

It is possible, of course, that the Senate could swing to the Democrats in 2018 and frustrate some hypothetical second Trump SCOTUS nomination much as Republicans frustrated Obamas third. But the wildly pro-Republican Senate landscape in 2018 means that the kind of Democratic wave that would flip the House might not produce the net gain of three seats it would take for Democrats to recapture the Senate. So even if President Trumps power to get legislation through Congress is destroyed, his ability to get SCOTUS nominees through the Senate could well survive.

Progressives who care about constitutional law, even if they are not religious, should pray every day for the health of Justices Ginsburg and Breyer, and when it comes to the right to abortion, Justice Kennedy as well. Otherwise, the gamble of many Trump-disliking conservatives that he could reshape the Court in their direction for many years to come might very well pay off.
I love my parents even if we disagree on politics.

I finally made the call to my parents Wednesday night, the call I didnt want to make, even as the despair and disbelief felt by pretty much everyone I know turned to social-media chatter about the not my president protests and recriminations about what could have been done  what, if anything, each of us could have done to avert this dumbfounding moment of whats next for this country.

There is a recurring fantasy among the so-called cosmopolitan elites, perhaps especially urgently felt among those of us who moved to New York from somewhere else that felt too constricted to accommodate us or who we could be, that we could coax and argue other people  people out there  into our state of supposed enlightenment. That there could be a real discussion going on here, of good-faith people, who only needed to be shown the error of their thinking.

To tell you the truth, I didnt want to just assume that my Republican parents voted for Donald Trump. My mother had mentioned a sympathy for Bernie Sanders and his rigged economy critique, and my father was a career military intelligence man who spent most of that time parrying the dark intentions of Soviet Russia. But I usually avoid discussing the election, any election, or politics, generally, with my parents, who are southern by heritage, military by multigenerational tradition, and Christian in some well-what-else-would-we-be sense of dutiful conventionality. Its been a delicate enough thing for us to engineer a relationship  to be fair, having an arty urban gay son without interest in joining the Navy or watching NASCAR wasnt exactly what they were picturing when they had me, either  even without an election season like this one.

But as I sat in my East Village bedroom while my boyfriend, Kendall, watched Atlanta in the other room, and they had me on speakerphone from their house in Virginia, I already knew the answer. They have two gay sons  plus a daughter who worked briefly for Pat Robertson, but thats another story entirely  but their (eventual) acceptance and embrace of us and our partners did not extend to the logic of who they supported at the ballot box. They could be one person at the holidays, and another in their personal convictions.

Kendall, who grew up very differently than I did, in a housing project in Detroit, was more scared than I was of a candidate who appealed so brazenly to racists, who talked so openly and (barely) codedly about law and order. Kendalls family  black working-class people, mostly, who are so proud of him for finding his way out to achieve his dreams in New York, and are quite sweet to me, even as they find me a bit of a curiosity  was fully terrified. How dare we, after eight years of having a black president? To him, and his family, this was an about-face, a retreat to some American white-supremacist mean.

Id never told Kendall this, but Trump often said what I knew my father felt. Not the misogynist stuff, but the tone of disgust at the blithe self-dealing of many in Washington. Which I admit at first I found a bit thrilling, especially early on, when he was heckling the GOP primary candidates on their Club for Growthapproved pieties and blatant hypocrisies. Yes, Trump seemed to me as disingenuous as any confidence man, willing to say anything he thought might help him close the deal, but part of why he was so effective was that, to my ear, about a third of the time he seemed to be the only person onstage willing or perhaps able to tell the truth about anything. It was fascinating. And it reminded me of the nationalist nostalgia of my father, his impatience and suspicion. My mother, who grew up poor in Appalachia, is more oblique in her views, but just as stubborn.

And from where they were, in their riverfront home in Virginia, which my mother does her best to run like a four-bedroom Downton Abbey, it all makes sense. Or, rather, there was little to contradict it. As my mother pointed out, she would have been surprised if anyone around them voted for Hillary Clinton. When we go for holidays, Kendall jokingly calls it the Plantation House, which it looks a bit like, though in fact it was a rather grand farmhouse built by bootleggers in the 1920s. Then theres that portrait of my great-grandmother, an old Virginian with the landscape view of Robert E. Lees plantation behind her.

I love my parents, and they love me, and I know that I am of them, a kind of remix of them. But like millions of Americans, my parents were convinced of Hillary Clintons core perfidity, and nothing would change their mind on that. And so they got over their skepticism of Trumps vulgarity, and cherry-picked among his inconsistencies, and thought maybe this change, whatever it is exactly  they werent sure  was worth rolling the dice on. And besides, as my father, who is 71, put it, they might only have a couple more elections left to vote in, and we can always try again in four years. To my mind, they confused nihilism for nationalism. And in the end, their reason for voting Trump was, What the hell? At least its not her.

Which left me wondering: What if I had tried harder? Even if you think you have the righteous prophetic fact-y dudgeon of a John Oliver, he has probably never changed anybodys mind  you wouldnt be watching him unless you already agreed with him  and listening to my parents talk about Trump, I was reminded about how depressing it is to hear talking points tumble out of the mouths of otherwise sentient humans. I got a little riled up. I told them they were not taking responsibility for their actions when they called it, essentially, a protest vote. (They didnt think hed actually win.) Which is an odd thing to tell a septuagenarian determined to stand athwart history and yell: Hold up! But history keeps rolling on, eventually burying us all in its wake.

My brother and his husband have three adopted kids. My parents love being grandparents: They take the kids, who are biracial, to Disney World and the beach. On Thursday, I texted my brother to say, I know I shouldnt be surprised, but I am disappointed in Mom and Dad. He responded: ? Did you discuss the election? We wondered if we should have tried to change their minds. I guess Im not engaged enough to invest, he texted back. Which is also sad.
Nate Silver. Photo: Kate LaRue/FiveThirtyEight

The morning after America learned that Donald Trump will improbably be Americas next president, Nate Silver, over delicious scrambled eggs with lox at Friedmans on West 31st Street, the sort of coastal-elite place a Trump voter might find objectionable, acknowledged that, along with category-9/11 shock, he felt some vindication, too.

The past few weeks had been rough on American politics most famous moneyballer. In the run-up to the election, FiveThirtyEights Silver, whose enthusiasm for food once inspired him to statistically rank the countrys burritos, had found it hard to eat. And for much of the campaign, Silver, normally a sound sleeper, had found himself waking up in the middle of the night out of anxiety about whether there was a new poll and just general nervousness. The previous night, hed finally had a nice meal, pigging out on pasta at Lupa with his partner, but even this morning he had awoken at an uncharacteristically early 6:30. Cause you wake up and are like, Its over. But its kind of not over. Everything is forever changed. Everything is different than we thought it was.

Leading up to November 8, Silver had staked out the heretical position that Hillary Clinton had only a 70 percent chance of winning the presidency, rather than, say, the 99 percent odds that the Princeton Election Consortium was giving her. Silver has long maintained that forecasters tend toward overconfidence (he views cases where he himself has gotten everything right  such as in the 2012 election, when he accurately predicted the outcome in 50 of 50 states  as a weird fluke). But for nervous voters who seemed to think he should be a clairvoyant oracle rather than a rigorous sifter of probabilities, Silver was Nostradumbass. He had duked it out on Twitter with a Huffington Post reporter whod disparaged his work as political punditry dressed up as sophisticated mathematical modeling, prompting Silver to deem the reporters article fucking idiotic. As it turned out, Trump won largely for the same reasons that Silvers model had given him better odds than others: The high number of undecided voters had ended up breaking in Trumps favor, and Clinton had underperformed in the Midwest. Silver told me the postelection reactions to FiveThirtyEights model, ranging from very favorable (from poker players and investors) to you suck (from laypeople), had been running two-to-one.

Nonetheless, over the past 48 hours, there had been much handwringing about the entire project of electoral science. Ive believed in data for 30 years in politics and data died tonight, GOP strategist Mike Murphy tweeted. Silver mentioned an article just that morning in the Times: How Data Failed Us in Calling an Election. Even Silver, despite having been more accurate than almost anyone else, had been dragged into the breast-beating. (Nate Silver Blew It Bigly on the Election - Can His Brand Recover? a befuddled the Wrap mused).

Silver sees the elegies for polling as premature, noting that traditional reporters, seeing data as a threat to their craft, are always looking for ways to belittle it, and that polls still offer a much more accurate picture of reality than the conventional wisdom of the commentariat. But he allowed that, clearly, current polling needs to be improved upon. It failed to predict this years underwhelming voter turnout and also the emergence of Trump Democrats, and arcane methodological questions need to be answered, like whether response bias was a factor (people depressively not responding to pollsters after, say, a debate in which their candidate fared poorly, or ignoring calls from the loathsome MSM), and how best to reach people, as online polling eventually eclipses phone polling.

Still, though he hadnt yet unpacked which state polls were righter and wronger, he saw the larger problem as being the tendency for people to equate probability with certainty, to ignore the fact that a 30 percent chance that Trump would win meant he literally did have a 30 percent chance of winning. This was not an epic polling error, Silver said. The swing percentage is not all that large. For Clinton to go from a 2-point lead to a 6-point lead only takes 1 in 50 people to change their mind. So thats not that big. It just so happens that a 3-point lead isnt that safe, and a 6-point lead is a lot safer.

Silvers model had said very clearly that there was a 30 percent chance Trump would win, and he had. I suppose I would have hoped the 30 percent involved something a bit less consequential for the country, Silver said. John Kasich becoming president or something.
Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Advertisers have a dozen reasons to purchase ads on Facebook, but the foundational pitch, the one thats allowed Facebook to outpace all newspapers, combined, in advertising revenue, is this: The Facebook News Feed is influential. That is, as Facebook tells its potential clients, the average user, who spends 20 minutes a day scrolling through a custom-tailored and exactingly targeted News Feed, is likely to buy things that appear in that News Feed. Theres some evidence that this is true; further, Facebook itself has done some (extremely shady and manipulative) research into how the composition of a given users News Feed affects that users mood. It also just makes intuitive sense. The truth is that Facebook, as a business, just doesnt make sense unless you believe that its most profitable product, the News Feed, is influential.

So it was odd to hear Mark Zuckerberg essentially say the opposite last night at the Techonomy conference, as Will Oremus reported in Slate:

False news stories that were shared hundreds of thousands of times on the network [] surely had no impact on the election, [Zuckerberg] said, speaking at the Techonomy conference.



Voters make decisions based on their lived experience, Zuckerberg went on. The notion that fake news stories on Facebook influenced the election in any way, he added, is a pretty crazy idea.



In an extended onstage interview with David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect, Zuckerberg noted that fabricated stories made up a small fraction of all the content shared on Facebook. And he suggested that the criticism Facebook has received for fueling such falsehoods was rooted in condescension on the part of people who failed to understand Donald Trumps appeal. I think there is a certain profound lack of empathy in asserting that the only reason someone could have voted the way they did is because they saw fake news, Zuckerberg said. If you believe that, then I dont think you internalized the message that Trump voters are trying to send in this election.

Zuckerberg is arguing against a straw man, here; no one Ive seen has argued that the only reason someone could have voted the way they did is because they saw fake news. It was a close election  a few hundred thousand votes would have swung it to Clinton  and close elections tend to be the product of multiple and difficult-to-unravel factors. It seems hard to argue that Facebook wasnt one of those factors. Fake news wouldnt even need to do anything as challenging or specific as transform Clinton voters to Trump voters to have changed the outcome of the election: Emotionally charged fake news could have galvanized Trump voters and ensured high turnout; or its scale and volume could have drowned out (or offered false counterweight to) the rigorously reported mainstream-media stories about Trumps greed, corruption, and mendacity.

In the wake of Trumps election theres been a lot of discussion of bubbles. Maybe the media is in a bubble that prevented it from seeing the depth of support Trump could maintain in the Rust Belt. Maybe Midwesterners are in a bubble that stokes racism and xenophobia and fear of difference. One particularly opaque bubble seems to be that from which the titans of social media are observing their platforms. Heres Jack Dorsey, founder and CEO of Twitter, in the days following Trumps election:

I commit to using the privilege I currently have to always speak this truth to power, and to ensure the common good leads everything we do.  jack (@jack) November 10, 2016

Unacceptable, Dorsey writes about reports of politically motivated harassment and abuse, on the network he founded, so memorably described by a former employee on BuzzFeed as a honeypot for assholes. If Dorsey believes such abuse is unacceptable, where has he been for the last ten years? Twitters marauding bands of misogynist, racist, and anti-Semitic trolls have become so notorious  and so much worse since the launch of the Trump campaign last year  that the harassment problem caused at least two suitors to walk away from an opportunity to buy the company.

The tech industry, and especially its social-media sector, has always been excited about its potential for revolutionary change  in some cases, quite literally. But its brightest lights  the founders and CEOs  seem reluctant to acknowledge the consequences of those changes. Do they even use the services theyve created? The fact is that Zuckerberg and Dorsey are both too famous, in real life and especially on their own platforms, to ever have a regular user experience. When you lead a company and have millions of followers, youre unlikely to be having enjoyable semi-private conversations that get crashed by abusive strangers, or to spend enough time scrolling through your News Feed that you start coming across clear lies shared by friends and family.

Now, you cant blame social-media CEOs for denying their products are being used for (or are, in fact, incentivizing!) misinformation and harassment campaigns, any more than you can blame the arms-manufacturer CEOs for slapping guns dont kill people, people do stickers on the buttstocks of their AR-15s. And its true that there isnt really an easy solution for either Twitter or Facebook that doesnt also create concerns about speech and press protections.

But if you lead a revolution, at some point youre going to have to govern. Zuckerberg and Dorsey have created tools that legitimately changed the world, and not always for the worse. But in so doing theyve also eliminated the physical and cultural structures  from establishment-newspaper dominance to the primacy of face-to-face interaction  that helped keep harassment, abuse, and misinformation to a smaller minimum. Now that the world is changed, its up to them to ensure that the best values of the past endure. They could start by at least acknowledging the problem.
Photo: Getty Images

The Cut asked for reflections from women of color after this weeks election results, and we received an overwhelming response. Women told us they feel lost, hurt, and scared: from the fate of their families, to health-care access, to their own personal safety, they gave us brutally honest replies. Despite the anxiety, there was a willingness to fight and share their stories. Read on and share your own in the comments.

Stephanie, 21, Ohio

I come from a conservative family. My parents were born and raised in Lebanon during the civil wars, and they came to America in 1993, like many immigrants, to provide a better chance at life for their children. This election has brainwashed my parents to believe a deceiving man and his version of democracy. They dont view it this way, but I do. I voted for Clinton in this election, and the tension between me and my parents has been at an all-time high. But how could they vote for Trump? His beliefs stretch as far as hating the type of people that my parents are. I hate what this election has done to them. I hate what it has done to my family and to me. I dont want to regret that which my parents have granted me: a chance at living in a society of freedom and democracy, in a place of diversity and acceptance. But I fear that I have.

Cecilia, 37, New York

I come from a tiny family of mostly retired single black women (widowed or that have always been single parents by choice) that all reside in the Northeast, and are financially secure. It was all a foregone conclusion that I would go to college. Ive never been told I was worthless to my face  as my parents and grandparents who were born in this country obviously have  until today. I feel young, stupid, and naive for underestimating the potential for misogyny to be anywhere near as damaging as racism. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel and it has just been blasted shut.

Im afraid of fashion houses downsizing and outsourcing more of their [expensive] design work going forward. Being a black woman will only compound any difficulties I may have maintaining a foothold in an industry that is notoriously hostile to outsiders of any kind. My only plans this week are to go to Walgreens and buy up all of the Plan B.

Liz, 24, New York

My mom is from Colombia and a U.S. citizen, but my dad is an illegal immigrant from Mexico. Ive petitioned for him to become a U.S. citizen for over four years now with no luck at all. He was waiting on immigration reform to pass in order to help his case, but I have little hope now. It hurts because I know my dad is a hard worker who paid his taxes for all 20 years that hes been living in the U.S. He speaks English well and has a life here. My dads mother is really sick in Mexico and he was so desperately hoping to go home and see her. I dont think he will be able to.

My friend told me this morning she overheard a white man walk by a day laborer at the local gas station where they stand and wait for work in the mornings. The man said in an upbeat voice, Hey, buddy, whats got you down today? before laughing and walking away.



El, 26, New York

My parents are immigrants from Mexico. They are now naturalized, but they come from very, very, very poor towns in Mexico. They came here and my dad worked his way up from being a busboy at a pizzeria to owning four of them. My mom is awesome and is a certified nurse assistant and Ive been very lucky to be able to go to great schools. I got scholarships in high school and college and full rides to incredible institutions. Ive been very lucky and its the most debasing feeling to feel that despite the work that Ive put in and my family has put in and despite all of the accomplishments that my parents have done  theres still no recourse. Theres still someone who can be elected to this position.



Ive been fighting battles most of my life: being the poor kid at a rich school or being the only Latina in the room, or the only nonwhite, or the only one from the Bronx, or the only one whos parents didnt get past middle school. Its always been a battle. I want to galvanize. Im usually very positive and action-oriented, but at a certain point, Im just exhausted. Im tired of fighting a battle on every front. I think thats the scariest part. Its like, When do I get a chance to rest and when can I hand the baton over? I dont want it back. Take that shit.

JiYoung, 31, Seattle



I am acutely afraid. Not for me or my family  Im a natural-born U.S. citizen in a liberal city. I think people consider Asians to be harmless minorities. What I am really afraid of is the possibility that oppression will occur against other groups and I will have to speak up. I am afraid of what might happen when I speak up. Im not a brave person and this new reality will have to force me to get over my chicken-shit cowardice.

I feel indicted for being poor, yellow, and female by white people in general and white evangelicals in particular. My current church is multi-ethnic and has several women pastors, but I grew up in the white evangelical church, so this rejection is reopening old wounds. I always felt like I didnt quite belong with them and this election has confirmed that Im an other.

Hawa, 28, New York



As a black person, as a Muslim, as a woman, as a daughter of Somali parents, I cant begin to describe how paralyzed I feel for the future of my family, friends, and my country. I just messaged my younger brother to see how he was doing (it was his first time voting in a presidential election), and he said: Im scared, to be honest. And confused that this actually happened. These voters are scarier than Trump. I share his feelings.

For the first time in my life, I am sincerely scared of white people. I fear traveling in red states, even for vacation. This is a demographic that historically and presently commits violent discriminatory acts against those that are different from them. I dont know how to act now when in their presence (even at work)  I worry my anger and fear will hinder my relationships with them, even those who share the same beliefs. I recognize how hypocritical and unfair this may appear and is something I must combat and will actively do so, but I dont find my sentiments irrational, either, considering the current political climate. No matter their political affiliation, they will be fine. But others and myself cannot afford to wait four years for things to shift to the left.

Jasmine, 40, Chicago



I am a college-educated Asian white-collar worker living in Chicago, a blue city in a blue state. For those reasons, I dont feel immediately fearful, and for that I am profoundly grateful. Especially since Illinois is sending Tammy Duckworth to the Senate. But I have a lot of loved ones that are afraid of what the future may bring, and despite what little privilege I have I feel powerless to be able to help them.

When it comes to action, I think Ive already begun. Working as an election judge was an eye-opening and empowering experience for me. I would encourage more citizens to do it, if only to see what politics looks like at the very local level, and understand the importance of civic engagement all the time, not just during campaign season. At the moment, Im gonna get back to my job, continue to make (possibly inappropriate) jokes with my brother because humor is how I cope when Im not stress-eating, and send notes to my precinct captain, alderman, mayor (yes, its Rahm Emanuel, but better or worse hes what Ive got to work with), state representatives, congressmen, Senator-elect Tammy Motherfuckin Duckworth, and Senator Dick Durbin to thank them for the service and ask one very important question: Whats next?

Neha, 26, New York



As an immigrant, I feel homeless. Im sure some people might find that dramatic. But as someone who was raised in this country (I moved here when I was 1), I would always be so proud of America in front of my family in India. I really believe in democracy and thought America was this beacon of hope and light and freedom. Today it feels like Ive been living a sham. Id be scared to visit most places outside of New York or California. Its been shocking seeing how many people I went to high school with or friends-of-friends who supported Trump and basically dont support me or my choices as a person at all. But I also dont feel like I could go back to India and ever feel connected because America is my home. So, to sum up, I just feel lost. What makes it worse is Im dating a Pakistani Muslim man (who was born and raised here). We are trying to unite our families despite deep cultural and religious problems in our home countries, and keep reassuring our parents that one day our kids will be fine in America and accepted as Indian-Pakistani-Muslim-Hindus, but I just now realized that they may have it just as hard here (if not much worse) as they wouldve there. I feel naive.

Diana, 34, New York

Ive watched as a select few Asian-Americans on my feed rejoice in a Trump victory. To them, it means more money in their pockets without a thought to the consequences it has on all people of color. Theyre quick to claim it wont affect them because it doesnt affect their own ethnicity. But as weve seen this year with the Fox News Chinatown segment and the Michael Luo Go back to China incident, racism is insidious. Its a subtle feeling that you never truly belong here. Youre a stereotype, trotted out to show that the American Dream is within reach  but only if youre an obedient Asian American who doesnt cause too much trouble.

Today Im going to cry and protest. Tomorrow Im donating my time and money to the next generation. I want them to speak out, empathize, and stand up for the progress we desperately need.

Chrystina, 34, Los Angeles



Self-care is a luxury that Im not sure as a black woman in America I have. I try to not be callous and hardened but after all of the police shootings and constant punches in the gut to people of color and women in this country, on days like this you feel helpless. I am spending my day researching the ACLU and making sure that the high-school student that I mentor understands that she can still go to college regardless of Trumps opinions on immigrants (and children/grandchildren of immigrants) access to higher education. Im also checking on loved ones, including my 85-year-old grandmother who has been on such a high post-Obama, and now  well, you can imagine. In fact, just received a text from my sister-in-law who lives in France asking if she could FaceTime with my son to cheer her up from afar. Tomorrow is a new day.
Immediately after Donald Trump was elected president, People magazine began to cover his family in a positive, cheery light: photo slideshows of Ivankas way too cute family and Melanias best style moments on the campaign trail. This immediate normalization of a man who had run the most frighteningly sexist, racist campaign in recent history was made even more noticeable by the fact that writer Natasha Stoynoff had, a few weeks before, written an account alleging that Donald assaulted her while she was working on a story for the magazine back in 2005. In the wake of its new Trump coverage, many have called for a boycott of People magazine on social media.



In an internal email sent to Time Inc. staff on Friday morning, chief content officer Alan Murray addressed the criticism, writing:



People also made its mark in this election cycle, with its powerful and brave coverage of Natasha Stoynoffs story. The fact that some self-appointed social media critics then objected to the magazines excellent post-election Trump issue only demonstrated that we had done our job: covering important and compelling people and events without fear or favor.

The Cut has reached out to People for comment about the magazines post-election coverage of the Trump family and will update this post as it becomes available.*



Read Murrays full email below:



All,



Election 2016 was a challenging one for those of us in the media business. Emotions ran high. Facts were intermittent. Attacks on the media were persistent. And staying true to Time Inc.s mission of serving all our diverse and passionate audiences was harder than ever.



But we came through with flying colorsand we expanded our audience in the process. The joint Time and Fortune news machine set new records for both sites, reaching nearly 5.5 million people Tuesday evening and 10 million on Wednesday. Our live video stream had a stunning 14 million views. And for anyone trying to make sense of it all, David von Drehles masterful story for Time magazine was without peer.



People also made its mark in this election cycle, with its powerful and brave coverage of Natasha Stoynoffs story. The fact that some self-appointed social media critics then objected to the magazines excellent post-election Trump issue only demonstrated that we had done our job: covering important and compelling people and events without fear or favor.



Other brands also participated in the conversation, from People en Espanols Alicia Machado cover to Essences delightful election day survival guide to Real Simples election-night purple cocktail to Moneys coverage of Trumps tax plan and Affordable Care Act repeal.



To top it off, our product team produced an excellent election day get out the vote banner that received nearly 28 million views and generated some 70,000 follow-up clicks.



Congratulations to all involved. Its a great demonstration of what we can do together, and it makes me proud to be a part of Time Inc.



Alan

Update (12:35 p.m.): In response to a request for comment, a Time Inc. spokesperson sent the Cut the following memo sent to People staff by editorial director Jess Cagle:

Dear Colleagues,



This week the PEOPLE cover story is about president-elect Donald Trump, and as you may have seen, we are getting some heat for it. Weve been called out for trying to pander or normalize Trump, just weeks after we published a story, by former PEOPLE writer Natasha Stoynoff, about being physically attacked by Trump in 2005.



I assure you that the cover on the president-elect is in no way a celebration or endorsement of this deeply polarizing figure. And we continue to stand steadfastly by Natasha. Her attack is of course recounted in the cover story. Last Friday, we posted a video in which she again discusses the attack and responds to the nasty things Trump has said about her recently. We will never forget what happened to Natasha, and frankly we dont want our audience to forget, either.



Some readers are sickened to see Trump on the cover. Others are thrilled by it. In any case, it seemed wrong to put anyone other than the president-elect on the cover this week. He was elected president. We cant pretend it didnt happen. Some of you have been criticized on social media for my decision. This is unfortunate and unfair to you. Some of you may personally disagree with the decision. Im here if anyone wants to talk.



Let me assure you that no matter who is in the White House, PEOPLE celebrates tolerance and inclusion. We strive to entertain, empower, and inspire our audience. We will continue to do all the things that make us proud. Our campaign against gun violence, for example, will continue with renewed fervor.



Thanks for listening, and thanks for the great work youre doing.



Jess
Letters to Trump from first-grade students in California.

The morning after the election, Marie Keating invited her first-grade students to write letters to Donald Trump. What would you ask of our new president? she wondered. She looked at the ten 6-year-olds gathered around her in a tight circle on her classroom floor. She saw they were tired and upset.

They talked about the importance of democracy before Keating sent them back to their desks. She went to each of them and asked what they might write to Mr. Trump. I dont want him to send my family back to Mexico, one girl replied. Keating says she fought to hold back her tears: I said, Do you feel like you can ask him to not do that? She said, Okay, how do you spell Mexico?

Keating took the letters to the head of Woodland School in Portola Valley, California, sent them to her mom, and later posted them to Facebook. These kids are asking for what they need but theyre also doing it kindly, she said. Im very proud of them.
Photo: UpperCut Images/Getty Images

This summer, the Clinton campaign released an ad called Role Models in which wide-eyed kids watched some of Donald Trumps most appalling moments: calling Mexicans rapists, mocking a disabled reporter, longing for the good old days when protesters would be beaten. The ad gave parents a glimpse of what a Trump presidency might be like, but nothing could have prepared them for how to explain to their children what happened in the wee hours of November 9. How do you tell a kid whos excited about Hillary Clinton that the other guy won  especially when youre still trying to wrap your own mind around the news?

Latham Thomas, who is black, took her 13-year-old son to Hillary Clintons Election Night party at the Javits Center in hopes of celebrating the breaking of the ultimate glass ceiling. But by 9 p.m., she said, the mood went from joyous to ominous. My son wanted to go, she says. We left by around midnight. He was like, I dont want to cry out here, because, how is this our reality? He only knows President Obama. I took him to Obamas inauguration when he was in kindergarten.

Thomass son asked if he could take Wednesday off from school. I thought he wanted to avoid gloating classmates, she said. But he clarified that he felt drained seeing everyone so sad at the party and knowing We were going to wake up to realize were stuck with a bad guy. And I do feel like we need to talk to our kids and give them the space to speak. This election was so nasty and so prominent  it was in the media and social media, and the kids were exposed to everything.

She decided to compromise with her son and let him sleep in, waking him up to watch Hillary Clintons concession speech so they could discuss it afterward. And then I took him to school. I assured him it would be a short day, but felt it was important he go. I said, We are going to get up and do what we have to do and were not going to not be who we are. But I dont want you to hold on to feelings. I just dont want him to let somebody make him change who he is or alter his peace of mind.

Thomas worries for her son, who, at 13, is not finished growing. As he gets older, the same people who say my black son is cute now will be trying to put him in jail because they will find him threatening. And with Trump at the helm, and the possibility of stop-and-frisk-happy Rudy Giuliani as Attorney General, that anxiety only intensifies.

Linda Villarosa, who lives in Brooklyn with her partner and high-school-age son (she also has a daughter away in college), watched the returns with her family. By nights end, Nic, our very woke 17-year-old, was curled in my arms, crying  all six-foot-two of him, she says. We had just gotten off the phone with his grandmother. Through my mothers sobs, she said she felt like all of the struggle she had been through as an 86-year-old black woman in America had been erased. Nic was 9 when President Obama was elected, came of age at a time of political idealism and social change, so his world was shattered.

But by Wednesday afternoon, Nic was transforming his grief into action. He texted me from school and asked if he could attend the rally against Trump in Union Square, Villarosa says proudly. I said yes, of course, and Im going with him.

Jasmine Banks, a licensed therapist in Arkansas, says its important to validate your kids feelings. When they say, I think Trump hates black people so much that hes gonna come kill all of us, dont detract from the reality that this has happened around the world, but also remind them youre their parents and its your job to keep them safe. Remind them you love them very much.

Banks currently lives in a former sundown town (i.e., 40 years ago there was a sign that read Niggers Not Out Past Dark) with her genderqueer partner, Mo, and three kids ages 9, 6, and 5. She says that we allow our kids to feel the fear and reflect back what theyre feeling, like, Oh, buddy, that sounds very scary, youre very scared right now, youre feeling a lot of anger. They prepared their children for the prospect of a Trump presidency because they are black children and so they have a full understanding of what our future can look like when people in power who support white supremacy have the reins for things.

Her 9-year-old son had a mock election at school, and Trump won handily. Most of his friends said Hillary wanted to kill babies in their mommies belly, she wanted to let people be gay, and she was going to let Mexicans come and take over America, says Banks, so we had a lot of ground to cover.

Still, no amount of preparation can quell the anxiety. My oldests first question was whether my partner and I, who are engaged, can still get married in May. What a difficult question for a child to ask, says Banks. I explained its gonna take awhile for him to be able to make any changes to laws that have been established. But I didnt want to get in the trenches about it all, I just wanted to honor that thats where he was at and thats how he saw it.

I think its really important for folks to recognize that the wound on the collective psyche of children in the U.S. is going to be a deep and lasting one, she went on, particularly for those of us on the margins, because our kids dont see this as a moment where a person just hates the collective Muslim identity, or the collective black identity. They look for the things that they identify within the people who keep them safe  their moms and dads and caregivers. They personalize it because thats where theyre at in the world. They see a president who hates their mom.

Sara Duyal (not her real name), a divorced mother with two daughters, ages 8 and 10, is surrounded by Trump supporters  not only her New Jersey neighbors, but her Turkish-Muslim parents and her ex-in-laws. My parents accused me of brainwashing my daughters toward Hillary. Its been an awful ride. They believe in nationalism taken to almost a religious fervor. They will try to couch it in feminist terms, like Islamophobia is understandable because of terrorism and because Islam oppresses women. But theres no feminism involved beyond the ripping off of hijab. My parents have always been Republicans, but their Trump support really surprised me.

Her girls, she says, dont yet fully grasp what it means that Trump has carte blanche now that the House and Senate are also Republican, though her older one is worried about her little cousins, who emigrated from Turkey. She thinks theyre aware of her own anxiety, but she doesnt believe in hiding her politics from them. We have very frank talks where Ive explained fascism and Marxism to them, she says. I am very opinionated and I always answer their questions as they come  that open dialogue is essential. So is my never asking them to care about or pledge allegiance to things they dont care about. But they were not ambivalent about Trump, even though both sets of grandparents are supporters  I did not feel I had to influence them because they have a natural zero-tolerance policy toward bigotry.

You have to teach children bigotry, Sara goes on. My younger daughter was most upset about what Trump had to say about Mexicans, and especially the idea that people can be deported en masse or that a wall could be built to keep people out who wanted to improve lives for their children. She immediately started talking about how nobody would stand for that and how everyone would protest, while my older daughter thought he came across as crazy and unsafe to have as a president. So while sometimes I think they think Im overly dramatic, ultimately I have confidence in my girls views and in their fathers and my ability to make them feel safe.

Making daughters feel safe in a Trump world, though, isnt easy. Jen Deaderick and her 12-year-old daughter were canvassing for Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire last weekend when a man yelled Ill grab your pussies! at Jens daughter and their friend as they held up Hillary signs. She knows its connected to Trump, says Deaderick, who lives outside of Boston.

I had to convince her to go to school on Wednesday, so I compared it to when I went through September 11. It was scary to go into Manhattan, ride the subway, go into tall buildings. But we did it because we felt like if we didnt, then the terrorists win. Thats when I realized this election feels like terrorism to me. But I reminded her of all the kids in her school who would be scared today, and told her it would be good for them to all be together, to take care of each other. Quelling her disappointment, however is another matter entirely. She said, You told me I was witnessing a vote for our first woman president!

Robin Martys 8--year-old daughter, Violet, woke up on Wednesday and said, You never woke me up, expecting to be roused to hear great news. I had to tell her that Trump had won. Her face flushed and tears filled her eyes. I told her that sometimes the good guy doesnt win. It just means we have to try harder, and help the rest of our community along the way. That seemed to help.

When her daughter, who is the eldest of Martys three kids, happened to catch the final ten minutes of the second debate, Trump became more real for her. She was horrified  they were talking about the sexual-assault allegations. While we talk about how Republicans often dont support same-sex marriage or pay equity or why its important to allow people from other countries to come here to be safe, this election felt too NC-17 to let her dig into. The idea that I had to shelter my child from a presidential campaign was horrifying. How do I tell her not to swear like the fifth-graders when shes watching a presidential candidate say bitch or pussy?

But just as it is important to keep talking with our kids, it is also important to keep them, and ourselves, from feeling powerless. I told Nic that that its young people like him who are the future, and that they will lead us out of this mess, said Villarosa. But then I came correct: Its not just on his generation; all of us have to figure out together how to hold tight to our values and make our way back to what is real and right.
Marsha Blackburn. Photo: Mike Stone/Getty Images

Mere days after Donald Trump was elected as the next president of the United States, he has already dealt women a serious blow by naming Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn  an outspoken opponent of Planned Parenthood  to his transition team.

Vice-President-elect Mike Pence, a man whos notoriously anti-choice and also doesnt understand how condoms work, was named the chair of the 12-member committee. Its female members include Trumps favorite daughter, one of his donors, the Florida attorney general who accepted controversial donations from Trump, and of course, Blackburn. The Republican congresswoman from Tennessee is perhaps best known for her witch hunt against Planned Parenthood.

Blackburn is the head of the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives, which was formed last year to investigate whether there was a link between abortion doctors and fetal-tissue research. After names of medical professionals were released to the public this summer, Democrats called out the panel for its reckless disregard for the safety and privacy of doctors and researchers. In September, Democrats walked out of a Planned Parenthood hearing before the panel, ThinkProgress reports.

So if one things for sure in this time of uncertainty, its that the woman spearheading the fight against Planned Parenthood in Congress is helping to shape the countrys future.
Photo: David Urbanke

In the first episode of Atlanta, aspiring rapper Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry) and his righthand man, Darius (Lakeith Stanfield), visit Paper Bois uncle for some career advice. But Darius  slouched in the passenger seat, stoned, gazing off into the sky  has his own line of inquiry. You dont know me. My names Darius, he drawls. But I was just wondering: Can I measure your tree?

Why does he want to measure a tree? Like many things about Darius, his motives are inscrutable. A modern-day philosopher-poet who seems to have been beamed down from another planet, Darius is arguably the most intriguing character on falls most intriguing show. While he may not have the most screen time of the bunch (that distinction goes to Donald Glovers Princeton-educated hustler-protagonist, Earn, and his cousin, the aforementioned Paper Boi), Darius, the third wheel of the gang, is a reliable scene-stealer. Hes the kind of guy who answers the door with a knife in one hand and a tray of cookies in the other, constantly slinging surrealist non sequiturs that cut to the core of Atlantas funny-serious, banal-profound tone. (If you can use a rat as a phone, man, thatd be genius, he muses at one point. Theres like five rats to every person in New York City. Everyone could have an affordable phone.)

Darius is like the weird part of your brain that you repress a lot of the time, Stanfield tells me. He says the inappropriate things youre thinking.

Even if you have yet to discover the joys of Atlanta  whose acclaimed first season ended November 1  chances are youve come across Stanfield, who has spent the past few years forging a career out of small but highly memorable supporting roles: as a teenage group-home resident in 2013s Short Term 12 (as well as the original short), as a bullying Blood in 2015 indie darling Dope, as a civil-rights activist murdered by cops in Ava DuVernays Selma, as an impressively accurate Snoop Dogg in N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton. The 25-year-old actor has a preternatural ability to attach himself to projects that will ignite conversation, with most of his cinematic ventures falling inside a Venn diagram of acclaimed Sundance-baity indies, boundary-pushing auteur projects, and pathbreaking takes on African-American identity.

Im more inclined to work on things where the imagination is taken to the outer reaches of what we can portray, Stanfield says. I get more out of the story when its flipped up on its head just as I do with life itself. I think Im just naturally more attracted to those who can push the line a little bit further.

Stanfield grew up first in San Bernardino and later in Victorville, California, in a family that often struggled to make ends meet. I was beamed down from a spaceship, he riffs when I ask about his upbringing, one of the many Dariusisms hell offer up during our interview. Humble beginnings, and imagination, and always seeing myself in a different position than I was in. In a recent Complex interview, he opened up about experiencing violence as a child, including being beaten by his mothers abusive boyfriend, but our conversation stays light, as Stanfield describes his mother as a wizard who taught him to make the best of tough circumstances.

She somehow cast spells on us to have us re-create our perspective of what was going on, he recalls. I remember she one time told me she was giving us all salmon, and wed never had salmon before, we were excited like, Woo! This is a delicacy! And then she was like: Its chitlins. We couldnt tell the difference, cause wed never had it before, he laughs. She was a professional at molding perspectives to just keep us light, keep us laughing. She was a beautiful beacon of hope for us. She keeps me going.

As a kid, Stanfield binged on films with a black perspective (of which there werent all that many), rewatching VHS copies of Menace II Society, Poetic Justice, and Love Jones on repeat, which fueled his desire to act. When he was a teenager, he got himself into modeling school, which he parlayed into an audition for Short Term 12, Destin Daniel Crettons Sundance-award-winning short film about kids at a youth home. When Cretton decided to remake the film as a full-length feature, he asked Stanfield to reprise the role.

Photo: David Urbanke/DAVID URBANKE 2016

Fendi felt-wool coat; Hermes shirt; Burberry silk tie; Emporio Armani suit



I took it really, really seriously, and I wanted to embody that character as much as possible, says Stanfield, who devotes intense, Method-like preparation to his roles. I already knew this character intimately, and I knew to play this character I had to detach myself completely from everyone in the cast. Subsequently, he didnt speak to the rest of the cast, including co-star Brie Larson, for most of shooting. I made an effort to isolate myself, because thats what the characters life was.

Short Term 12 was a sensation, and Stanfield got nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for his heartbreaking performance as Marcus, an abused 18-year-old who channels his pain through rap (he also co-wrote an original song for the film). The film opened a lot of doors for him. After Ava DuVernay met him at an Independent Spirit Awards brunch, she hired him to embody murdered civil-rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson in her MLK drama Selma.



On the Selma set, Stanfields Method-acting tendencies were put to the test once again. In the scene where Jackson is beaten and shot to death by cops, Stanfield asked to forgo padding, so as to feel every blow. I was sore as hell afterwards, he said. But I thought, If they can go through those real tragedies and experience that, I need to put myself through the ringer to portray this as much as I can. When the cameras stop rolling, theyre giving me ice packs, theyre bringing me juice to sip on, theyre giving me water and fans. [Civil-rights activists] didnt have no juice packs.



Often, Stanfield has found himself in films that wrestle with complex issues of race and social justice, which is a deliberate choice. I think Im just interested in telling the truth, and while youre interested in telling stories that are true, then youre going to be a part of these conversations, says Stanfield. Being black in America is an interesting path that one must walk, and its really something thats difficult to understand unless youre in the shoes of that, walking on the ground every day. So its something Im constantly thinking about, constantly exploring.

Stanfield feels its important to have black voices telling black stories, and counts himself as lucky to have worked with some of film and televisions preeminent black creators, like DuVernay and Glover, who brought together an all-black writers room to make Atlanta. Its a unique perspective, and one that is misunderstood sometimes, even by people who exist in it. Even black people dont understand sometimes their struggle in this country and globally, he says. So Im interested in people that are courageous enough to tell that story from a unique perspective. I think weve seen some things about what its like, and now were at this point where we can start exploring other different things, and I think thats an exciting time.

Photo: David Urbanke/DAVID URBANKE 2016

Ralph Lauren green-wool top coat and dress shirt; Giorgio Armani silk tie; Canali suit trousers

Still, Stanfield is more interested in playing characters that feel truthful than in beating some activist drum. Like Darius, he possesses a zany, offbeat energy, capable of veering from serious to playful in milliseconds. When hes not acting, he likes to be creative in other venues. Living, music, throwing paint on canvases, dancing, playing around, going to parties, he says. Im just a weirdo, so Ill break mirrors and shit and be like: This is art. Next, hell be working on finishing the LP for his hip-hop project, Moors, as well as acting in a number of anticipated films, including Adam Wingards manga adaptation Death Note, and War Machine with Tilda Swinton and Brad Pitt. Hell also take on his first leading role: In Matt Ruskins Crown Heights, the true story of Colin Warner, who was wrongly incarcerated for murder. (Im still dreaming about it, he muses. Being in a cell. My training was a cell.) In the future, he says hed most like to work with Ryan Coogler (of Fruitvale Station), or Quentin Tarantino, who both seem in keeping with the kind of boundary-pushing directors he has been drawn to.



And, of course, hell soon be going back to shoot season two of Atlanta, a show he likens to a quenching of thirst. Its like if you were in a drought and you had no water and someone brings you a water bottle and youre like, Damn, this is a beautiful thing, he says with a laugh. Its really time-appropriate, and people have been waiting for a thing like this, and here it is.



Glover, who cast Stanfield on Atlanta after meeting him at a party in LA, says his dedication to his craft is self-evident. Hes not looking for the joke. The joke comes to him because hes being sincere to the situation and the characters expectations, says Glover. Sometimes he wont break out of character after the take, which was almost scary to be a part of. But you start to understand his process more the more you work with him. It actually puts me at ease now. It lets me know the scene makes sense.

Atlanta is both his foray into TV and his first comedic role, but he has been mistaken for a comedic actor a lot since becoming Darius, which he doesnt mind. I like to laugh, he says. Please make me laugh! I could use a couple laughs now and again. Still, as hes come into his own as an actor and musician, some of the darkness that he used to carry around in his younger life has lifted. One thing that happens with the growth is Ive got less and less anger. Ive got less anger at the world, angry at people, angry at circumstances.



Photo: David Urbanke/DAVID URBANKE 2016

Canali suit; Ralph Lauren dress shirt, Giorgio Armani silk tie; David Yurman watch

In the age of Black Lives Matter, it can be easy to take on one heavy, politically oriented project after another, but Stanfield welcomes Atlanta for its ability to depict the nuance and complexity of black experience, to balance the heavy and the light. Were telling it from a real perspective, theres no tear-jerking, and it aint trying to get you to feel nothing, he says. He points to last weeks season finale, which depicts a devastating act of police brutality followed by a moment of absurd banality. In places like Atlanta, people are getting shot on a daily basis, and theres a desensitizing aspect to it, he explains. Is it a good or bad thing? Thats up to the audience to decide how they feel about it, but here is the actual depiction of what its like. Its normal to us.

I like the fact that theyre juxtaposing something like that with, Hey, can I measure your tree?  Stanfield adds. Thats the spectrum of experience. Which is dope.

Lead image photo: Topman suit jacket; Calvin Klein dress shirt; IWC watch

Photos by David Urbanke; styling by Diana Tsui; grooming by Jillian Halouska; fashion assistant, Mars Johnson
Things dont look good for LGBT equality under Trump. Photo: MARIA BELEN PEREZ GABILONDO/AFP/Getty Images

Its grim, Ive got to say is how Dr. Patrick Egan, an associate professor of politics and public policy at New York University, described the state of LGBT rights under President Donald Trump. Trumps election has many LGBT Americans worried theyll be stripped of their rights during his presidency, and although Trump himself is pretty progressive on LGBT issues  hes even thrown the Q in there a couple times  he ran for office on one of the most anti-gay platforms in history. That, said Egan, is cause for concern. Because even if Trump doesnt have a vendetta against LGBT Americans, his coalition (and his vice-president) do.

Luckily, one measure thats likely safe from a Trump regime is marriage equality. During the primaries, Trump said he would strongly consider overturning the Supreme Courts decision that allows same-sex couples to be married in all 50 states. But thats not realistic, Egan said. Trump has promised to appoint conservative justices to the Supreme Court, but even with Justice Antonin Scalia on the bench, the court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage 5-4.

Whats more, for the court to even consider overturning its ruling, a relevant conflict on the issue of same-sex marriage would need to occur on a state level. Then, the court would need to agree to hear it. And even then, Egan said, the justices are unlikely to overrule a precedent thats been established so recently. Based on a fair amount of political science research, even the most ideological judges tend to be pretty reluctant to reverse established precedent, he said. Theres also no call from the general population to reverse marriage equality  public-opinion polls have long shown an overwhelming majority of Americans to be in favor of marriage equality.

Another measure that probably wont be overturned is the ability of LGBT Americans to serve openly in the military. Dont Ask, Dont Tell was repealed with wide support under the Obama administration in 2010, and there have been few calls to reinstate it.

But the Trump administration is likely to target LGBT rights in other ways, and one is by halting progress altogether. Were going to see absolutely no movement on any aspect of the LGBT rights agenda at the federal level, Egan said. So efforts to pass the equality act, which would establish employment discrimination rights for LGBT folks, are dead. And any other efforts to move the agenda on a legislative level through Congress are just not going to happen  thats just completely dead in the water.

Whats more, a lot of the work done behind the scenes by the Executive branch of the Obama administration  things like making sure same-sex couples received tax benefits and survivors benefits, and awarding grants to LGBT social-services organizations  will be discontinued. In individual lives, this sort of withdrawal of support within executive agencies for LGBT efforts is going to be felt quite profoundly, Egan noted.

That includes any sort of support for transgender individuals. The White Houses sweeping guidelines for protecting transgender students from discrimination in public schools? Gone. In fact, the Trump administration is likely to stand behind state judges who rule against the guidelines. It remains to be seen how the Supreme Court will rule in precedent-setting cases such as G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board, in which a trans student sued his school for barring him from the mens restroom. But its unlikely Trumps administration will openly oppose discriminatory bathroom bills as Obamas has.

Its also unlikely that Trumps Department of Justice  which could be headed by Rudy Giuliani  will do much to address discrimination against LGBT individuals on a state level. My sense is, to the extent they take sides at all, they will take sides with those businesses and individuals who are discriminating and claiming theyre doing so on the basis of their religious beliefs, Egan said.

He added, An interesting question is, with Republicans in control of both Houses of Congress and the presidency, will some kind of stronger version of a religious freedom law be introduced in Congress by Republicans and be signed by Trump? My expectation is yes. The best way for Democrats in the House  and particularly in the Senate  to oppose such a law would be through filibustering, or holding the congressional floor until a vote on a bill becomes impossible. But theres some indication Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell might seek to end the filibuster altogether.

Although its hard to parse where Trump stands on any given issue, he hasnt been outwardly hostile toward the LGBT-rights movement. I think its sort of a nonissue for him, Egan said. Whether or not Trump moves to restrict LGBT rights will depend instead on whether or not he feels the need to pay back the Christian right for its support  and whether he listens to input from the conservative groups galvanized by his victory. In other words, we dont know how Trump will respond to anti-LGBT bills until they cross his desk next year.

But one thing is clear: Trumps administration will be a giant step backward for LGBT inclusion and equality. I dont think were being alarmist, Egan said. I think hes leading a party where most of the energy in the party comes from people who have really been eager to change the trajectory of things, and theyre going to use this opportunity to do it.
A unicorn chaser for an American week of purgatory (don't think about The Postman, don't think about The Postman, don't think about The Postman).



Recently, Miranda shared that he and his family took a trip to Austriahis wife's family originates from that part of the worldand since one of the mandated films in his family growing up was The Sound of Music, clearly they all had to go on the tour that visits all of the filming locations from the movie, right?

However, his dad Luis took it one step further by hiring a professional film crew and deciding to recreate one of the most famous scenes from the movie, in which Maria and the Von Trapp kids sing "Do Re Mi" and frolic through the streets of Austria (much to the later chagrin of the Captain). Taking advantage of the fact that they were in the country where it happened, the Miranda family embraced the moment wholeheartedly and the result is one of the most uplifting videos I've seen all week.
is scream queens finally coming back this week??????

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Yes, on my birthday 



Fucking FINALLY!!

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lol

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is there a word for female hoteps/ankhs?



what is this caribbean sound with "african" imagery lmao



the song isn't too bad but the video is very confusing for me

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is there a word for female hoteps/ankhs?

Self hatred.

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I call them Ankh Aunties.

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i just call them stupid.

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once you get past that radio clip - and the un needed clip at the end - everything is really, REALLY on TBQH. I love it all

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ia this is great!

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this ep was shockingly enjoyable, I generally don't enjoy her music and her lyrics are still embarrassing but they're good bops if you don't listen too hard

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oh, there's an EP attached to this? Interesting!



And yeah - the lyrics are confusing too but I like the song enough and need all the smiles/good times I can get right now.

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This is all very Dawn Richard.

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That still 



...why are Americans so infatuated with ancient Egypt lmao

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This is embarrassing.

I wonder if hoteps realize that there are other African countries outside Egypt... and that there's a huge chance that they are NOT from Egypt.

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you sound like someone who's been drinking that fluoridated water for too long.

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I sound like someone who took a geography class.

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I should add that the visual looks dumb with the song but. yk. cut ha at least a little bit of slack



Edited at 2016-11-12 06:52 am (UTC) I mean I don't disagree that she is #hoteptwitter personified but tbf her tattoo representative of kush, not Egypt. she did at least a little bit of her hw, and idt we should shit on her for trying to recreate the image of the most famous African female royal that ain't cleopatraI should add that the visual looks dumb with the song but. yk. cut ha at least a little bit of slack

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First she literally brands herself a hotep and now this. Lord help this child.

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From #AllLivesMatter to full Hotep in a year. lmao

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What is this cultural appropriation?

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I would watch the hell out of an ancient Egypt period series on showtime. But in the vain of Spartacus. I need fast paced sex violence and treachery.

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Fuck yeah

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I forgot to add with a majority of the cast being people of color.

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wait this is a bop

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wait was the Lauren visual posted in full? bc it's bops on bops TBH, this and gmfu are 

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hoteps are so weird

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Kudos Katy.

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I remember having 13 cavities as a teenager, and the best option my parents could come up with was to try and take me to Mexico because we couldn't afford anything in California.



Damn.

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Have you ever heard this before?

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No because I don't live near the border.

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I live in san diego and everyone my age goes to tijuana for dental work

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I did my public health rotation for nursing school within a school system. About 90% of the elementary school kids had at least one cavity. We had kindergartners with mouths full of silver.

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Yeah, I need extensive dental work and I've been researching dental care in Mexico too. "Best country in the world" and its citizens have to leave it to get medical care. I even have dental insurance.

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I'm from San Diego. Everyone I know does this. I didn't even know about health insurance because we went to TJ for all our dental/medical needs.

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smh at broke ass republicansthis party doesn't care about you!!!!!!

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I donate every month but I just upped my contributions - also is she channeling her inner Swift with that third person reference

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I think she specifically says "Katheryn Hudson" as in the person she was before fame and wealth came into her life. It's a little cringey and a little cute.

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Also Obama is trying to protect PP before he leaves office. Bless this man.



WASHINGTON  The Obama administration has proposed a new rule that would prevent states from defunding Planned Parenthood or any other family planning provider for political reasons.



The new rule, which the Department of Health and Human Services proposed last week, says that states cannot withhold Title X federal family planning money from certain recipients for any reason other than the providers ability to deliver services to program beneficiaries in an effective manner. That means states can no longer vote to defund Planned Parenthood because some of its clinics offer abortion services.





http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/obama-planned-parenthood_us_57d2c654e4b06a74c9f42f46 This election has made me have a lot of respect for her.Also Obama is trying to protect PP before he leaves office. Bless this man.

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Oh wow.

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ugh, this would be great

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Yaaaas

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I hope this sticks. I feel like its the social side of things that the republicans will screw over, like abortion, health care, gay rights and climate change.

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unfortunately, nothing is permanent and from what i've read from other people, it can definitely be still be fucked with

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please let this happen

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Psssst. If every Hillary voter donates $10 a year to planned parenthood, that covers it's $528 mil. federal budget. https://t.co/Z0Eu8bE2Dl  Rory Panagotopulos (@RoryPan) November 10, 2016

I stopped a few subscriptions I barely use to start doing a monthly donation to PP. It's vital and I'm so terrified of what will happen without people having access. I'm also scared for the safety of PP employees. They were always in danger but even more so under Trump. And R's and SCOTUS might end up fucking over generations to come.

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I am doing $5 a month to PP and the ACLU. It's not a lot but it's making me feel like I'm being proactive instead of just crawling into a hold of depression like I feel like doing instead.

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$5 a month can actually do a lot of good even if it's all you can afford. Doing it every month is amazing! Compare that to people who might do a one-time $25 donation. In one year you've donate $60 which is going to cover someone's exam/script for a little while.

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I just signed up for $10 dollars monthly. It's not a whole lot, but apparently enough to cover 12 people's donations!

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I just signed up for $15 a month!

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Guys pic.twitter.com/LOkHIfmnN7  a wandering ghost (@pale_teen) November 11, 2016

In case you're like me and want a little dose of pettiness with your charity:

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Yaaasss

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damn

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omg yes

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I'm all for signing ppl up on Scientology and that extra shit but that would piss him off and lead him to retaliate

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That's my fear as well. Better to do behind the scenes damage because the repercussions that come from consistently poking the super right-wing bear about this could be far worse IMO.

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Can Canadians donate too? Cos I am down for this.

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lol i hope his office is flooded with donation certificates.

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lmfao holy shit, I hope everyone does this

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I'm totally going to do that this week.

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YAAAS GET HA!!!!

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this is amazing



I'm gonna ask my anti choice sis for money (instead of clothes) for xmas and donate that in pence's name



Edited at 2016-11-12 04:17 am (UTC)

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I donated yesterday, but now I will again just for this.

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Just donated in his name!

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I'm totally doing this for an LGBT+ org

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lmaoooo amazing

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Hmm. I'm not going to do this in his name, because if everyone does it, the news headline will be "Pence supports PP!" and people will be like "SEE THE REPUBLICANS AREN'T THAT BAD!"

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I don't know too much about PP cause I'm not a woman -I'm a gay man. But PP sounds like the equivalent of Callen Lorde or GMHC in the gay community (NYC)



I do not know what I would do without those 2 clinics. So I hear you

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Just in case you ever need it, PP does do men's sexual health too!

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Sounds like you have an awesome mom!

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I respect her for this post. <3

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I wonder if her parents voted Trump considering their conservativeness.

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They did, she mentioned it in an interview.

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yes they did

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my more independent cat has been crying and extra cuddly/needy since tuesday...



coincidence? I think not! She is not happy with the results either





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I think she knows you're not happy about something and is trying to help you feel better! :3

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probably <33



she has been so possessive lately.



animals > people tbh

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my one dog was acting the same way when I got home from work

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I just read that Clinton is on pace to win the popular vote by a larger percentage than Gore in 2000, Nixon in 1968 and Kennedy in 1960. And not only that but millions more Americans voted for Dem senate candidates than GOP candidates. I wanna die.



Edited at 2016-11-12 04:10 am (UTC)

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i had to put my cat down on the 10th :(. he had been acting off since the election.

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awww. My more independent cat has been doing the same! Bless the kittens <3

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been impressed with her lately

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we have the opportunity through work to donate through our paycheck and this will be the second year that i'm donating some of my donation to planned parenthood. the other half is going to a woman's shelter





it was prior to the election that i did it but it was always my personal fuck you to trump/pence

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I work for the federal government, so I smile a little when I make donations to PP because the tax dollars of people who hate PP are still ending up at PP via me

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your faves could never

say what you will about katy, she gives back unlike most celebs who talk the talk so bye.

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ia, i'm happy she's so vocal

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I keep seeing the term "Cuck" thrown around. What exactly does it mean? I'm scared to google that.







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It's from cuckold.

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the basic definition (from cuckhold) is a man who lets another man have sex with his wife. which thanks to 4chan/reddit/youtube has just come to mean any time youre not an asshole.

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From a page of Trump supporter slang. ""Cuck" is not a Trump supporter original. Short for "cuckold," "cuck" has been used since approximately 2007, according to Urban Dictionary. However, when Trump fans use the word, they're not using it in a literal sense, meaning, a description of a man whose wife is cheating on him. They use cuck to describe people they don't like or agree with, specifically, Sen. Bernie Sanders and his supporters. Jeb Bush, filmmaker Michael Moore, and former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney are also "cucks.""

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Gotcha. Thanks ya'll.





That's so disgusting. I'm not shocked that those types use such a foul term.

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the term originates in porn - a woman has sex with another man in front of her bf or husband, to punish and humiliate him - and then found it's way to 4chan, reddit and all the other boards.



Edited at 2016-11-12 07:07 pm (UTC)

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It's just another catch-all term used by shitty people to shut down any opposition (see also; "bitch" "crazy" "white knight" and everyone's favorite "sjw"). It means whatever they conveniently need it to mean, so basically it's meaningless.

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It's also the standard insult used by cretins from the /r/The_Donald subreddit for anyone that doesn't follow their disgusting delusions.

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the word 'cuck' NEEDS to die

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i hate it so much. apparently it originated from porn?!



either way its some toxic masculinity bullshit

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for them maybe, but it's been used for centuries

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Seriously, they've ruined the Miller's Tale for me

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mte it's so overused

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Wtf is a cuck



God and it IS only week 1. Pleaaaase turn up for mid terms.

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ugh I just saw this too :( like he said, this happened at a bar in freaking Los Angeles, imagine what it's like for minorities elsewhere, in smaller cities for example





also, the election made me want to reach out and find more ways to help or be of use to society. I already volunteer with refugees at a non-profit but I know I can do more. I wanted to find something within the LGBT community to help, I know I've been lacking with that. I'm not even in the US but I'm already scared of our next presidential election, and it has never been a safe place for us here anyway.



Edited at 2016-11-12 06:39 pm (UTC)

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<3 you for helping refugees, one of the many groups of people that Trump and his ilk demonized and stepped on on their way to power.

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do i even want to know what "cucks" means?

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Cuckold = a person who gets off on seeing their partner having sex with other people.



Cucks = "The word gained political potency during the 2016 election in the portmanteau cuckservative (cuck + conservative) used to imply that the mainstream conservatives of the Jeb Bush variety are weak and effeminate."



It's basically a sexist term for men.



Edited at 2016-11-12 06:37 pm (UTC)

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Technically it doesn't have to do with "getting off", it just simply means a man who's wife has cheated on him and is meant to portray the man as being "not a man" because he "couldn't keep his wife".

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Anyone who says we need to 'unify' with people like that need to realize that has NEVER helped. Liberals are way too damn nice and understanding to their opponents and arguably patronizing to people they claim to want to help for some reason.

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What did the GOP do as soon as Obama got elected in 2008? That night they held a meeting and promised to be a thorn in his side and obstruct everything. Dems need to play the same game.



Everyone must laugh at Republicans in face next time they call for unity.



Tomi Lahren: "we didn't experience protests when Obama won, because republicans lose with grace" pic.twitter.com/kpXYdmtz9G  Stephen (@StephenOssola) November 12, 2016





Edited at 2016-11-12 06:46 pm (UTC) Fuck unity. Fuck "give him a chance." Where was GOP unity during 8 years of Obama? And could you imagine if Trump won the popular vote/senate popular vote? They would protest. They didn't fucking mind the Tea Party did they? Nope. And any Dem who calls for unity can go to hell - I don't want that in this party. Coddling racists does not belong in a party that wants to be the future. At least Harry Reid had the guts to call it like he sees it.What did the GOP do as soon as Obama got elected in 2008? That night they held a meeting and promised to be a thorn in his side and obstruct everything. Dems need to play the same game.Everyone must laugh at Republicans in face next time they call for unity.

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This is disgusting. Ugh. People can be so vile.

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fuck unity indeed.

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Mte. I'm already seeing friends-of-friends on Facebook (ie. not people I have added, thank goodness) making posts like "Wait until human rights have been violated before protesting. Protesting because an election didn't go your way just makes you a brat" and I'm like "??????????????????" Thank god these are not people I'm friends with or even know. It only shows up because people I'm friends with commented on those posts and are usually like "Protest is a useful tool though." I'm already sick of people acting like the protests are unreasonable and like it's just people being "sore losers."

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I'm from Washington and this is a horrible wake up call. I'm so sorry to your friends.

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I'm sorry about your friends :( I'm scared something like that will happen with me & my wife tbh. What a shit show...

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So many of the stories about POC being harassed post-election are happening in "liberal" places. It's terrifying.

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POC have been posting their hate crime experiences on r/politics and the responses are as predictable as it gets

"I don't believe"

"That doesn't sound real"

"Well you should have gone to the police instead of posting about it here"

"Well why don't you have video"

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Yuppp, I made the mistake of looking at the comments (why do I always do this tho) and replies on FB posts and Twitter and they're all like that, ugh

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I hate hate hate these responses. Every. Fucking. Time. You challenge the oppressors by relaying the experiences of being oppressed, that's what they answer.

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Their goal is to silence them. No voice no change.

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Even on facebook. A white friend of mine posted about how she saw someone get harassed in liberal northern VA. This lady comments, "I don't believe most of these stories, but since it's from YOU, I believe it."



So it takes a white girl saying she saw it for you to believe it? But no POC or LGBT folks could ever be telling the truth about their harassment?! Considering I've been physically attacked by racists in "blue" Philadelphia, this lady can eat shit.

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oh yeah, they're working overtime to deny it's happening.

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GOD white men are something else

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Harambe became a big meme thing because it's a "funny African name" that people can make fun of without feeling racist. Come at me.  Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) August 23, 2016

One of the few people that have said this. I also want this gross meme to die, I only see white guys using it

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omfg thank you, i haaaaated that damn meme

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YUP

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yep

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Jeezus christ I love Kumail.

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ita with him

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yup

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yas say it! Fuck that unfunny shit tier meme

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IA. Also I clicked on this and OF COURSE the first person replying to him (and disagreeing) is Max Landis, OF COURSE.

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looooooooooooool he just can't resist being trash

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oh fucking course. ugh. he just got a new project too. whhhhy?

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oh damn exactly how trash is that guy? i've never heard of him before. can i stil enjoy dirk gently which i just found out he is show runner of

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someone FINALLY FUCKING SAID IT

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yes THANK YOU. Kids constantly go on about it in class and I always shut it down because it is so secretly racist.

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I love him

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I can't believe someone used the word "cuck" unironically irl

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My parents were like 'now that he's president, let's give him the benefit of the doubt. he hasn't done anything bad yet!'



Fuck do I feel vindicated in ditching them when I move to Europe. Bye!

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I hate this argument. See it every day. Uh yah, I'll just turn my cheek away from his racism and sexism and give em a chance.

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where u going?

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Think about this for a second



"The system is sort of defenseless against somebody who acts in bad faith." https://t.co/RS187dnF90  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 12, 2016





Did anyone see this?



It appears that every single black freshman student at @Penn got a racial threat today. https://t.co/BIqQkciSgR pic.twitter.com/FP5aQ9TrcH  Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) November 11, 2016





I'm a TA in first year seminar psych class and my prof and department all agreed we will be discussing this next week and creating rules, boundaries and a safe space at least in our classroom. And at this point idgaf if anyone whines to our dean.



Absolutely horrified for kids and high schoolers too. I was in elementary/HS throughout Bush and that was horrible. Trump will be even worse + paired with social media access. This fucking trash country. This is sf shameful. Hate crimes are only going to increase and we don't even have a normal fucking president that will denounce this. THIS was/is his base. Just like his first tweet after he saw protests. He said the media was inciting violence. Trump always thinks he's the victim and cannot take criticism. Two terrifying traits to have.Think about this for a secondDid anyone see this?I'm a TA in first year seminar psych class and my prof and department all agreed we will be discussing this next week and creating rules, boundaries and a safe space at least in our classroom. And at this point idgaf if anyone whines to our dean.Absolutely horrified for kids and high schoolers too. I was in elementary/HS throughout Bush and that was horrible. Trump will be even worse + paired with social media access. This fucking trash country.

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And Trump won't say a word - only tweet about how it's "unfair" that ppl are protesting against him. 15 hr later his ppl were tweeting for him and saying the protests were good. They can all fuck off ESPECIALLY Kellyanne.

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I need someone to tell me why Penn State is such trash. Wtf is wrong with that school.

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I almost played soccer there. I had narrowed down my last few offers based on campuses I liked and almost went there...I am sf thankful I didn't. This was before Sandusky too. I could not imagine having gone there and having to witness students fucking rioting in defense of Paterno. I mean, no school is perfect but I hear so much awful shit about Penn.

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Penn State is trash, but this happened at Penn which is the University of Pennsylvania (also trash).

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Yes, it was at U Penn, which is known for being the "Party/Rich Kids" Ivy. Coincidentally or not, it's also where Dump and most of his crotch fruit attended.

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university of pennsylvania aka trump's alma mater, not penn state



oh nvm should've refreshed before replying



Edited at 2016-11-12 07:47 pm (UTC)

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I'm surprised it's UPenn and not Penn State tbh

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scary part is that even though trump has the chance of being a one term president, he really inspired a group of hateful people to feel comfortable spewing their hate now that they have a platform. that is going to last way longer than 4 years.

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This is what I've been saying to the idiots who keep saying that "Hillary was just as bad/worse anyway!"

A Hillary victory wouldn't have opened a bigger door to loud and proud bigotry. And it's everywhere, not just in the US. First Brexit, now Trump, Lepen and her minions are happy dancing right now because they know they're next, etc.

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Here's Christoph Waltz talking a lot of sense about normalizing Trump. (Video by @ZIBnews English subtitles by YT) pic.twitter.com/e33BlIFDuo  Mobergs reflektioner (@MartinMoberg) November 12, 2016





i was really pissed when i heard obama say that too tbh i was really pissed when i heard obama say that too tbh

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mfte. Wish he's successful as president? If Trump is successful with what he said/promised in his campaign we're all fucked. wtf.

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spot on



i really don't get the "if he succeeds we all succeed" like ?????????? if he succeeds that means he's gonna do everything he goddamn said. which most people voted AGAINST. i swear every time i hear that shit i wanna slam my head against a wall. i feel like i'm living in a dream i can't wake up from where no one makes any sense

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ilh

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god I want to fuck him even more now. I didn't think that was possible.

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AGREE

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no lies detected.

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bless you, you funky-sounding Austrian



bless you for your zero-bullshit attitude





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FUCK THAT FELT GOOD



thank you for posting it

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Christoph Waltz is spot on.

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Christoph has made great comments regardings trump and brexit i was surprised.

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This made me hornier for Christoph than I already am. And he's absolutely right.

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fucking spot on

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both of my parents are immigrants and i'm terrified that they'll be targeted and harassed, especially my mom. she's a very sensitive lady. idgaf if white folks wanna get bold and brave with me and tell me to go back to my own country or spew whatever shit they feel like, just leave my family alone.

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On the other hand, I hope my parents hear it so they realize the gravity of the situation.

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i'm so glad my parents aren't brushing him off. they've been through too much shit in their lives to have any kind of positive outlook on this impending trump disaster. none of this 'maybe it won't be so bad' in my family, thank god !





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I love this piece.



This bitter sarcasm is pretty much where I am right now.

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IDK. I'm scared of the day they find me. I posted that message I think you saw because I have a ton of followers and I want them to know that I'm not a secret asshole Trump supporter but am with them a 100% and I got one lame Trump supporter trying to come at me but thankfully that was it.

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Time to go on a blocking spree bb

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I'm going to try it while using another language, I'm in a foul mood.

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I tweeted something about Trump months ago and someone started harassing me on Twitter. Looking at his profile, he was a white supremacist in California. It greatly unnerved me.

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I posted something earlier, with no hashtags. The trump supporters found me and started harassing me personally. They actually go into every profile, find something they can use to insult you with, and go to town. they need serious help.

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i was right the fuck in with that first jill stein comment. like congrats green party, you played yourself.

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Lol same and same.

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Lol same and same.

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Fallon & SNL deserve to be torn to shreds tbh

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Same. I quit SNL for life October 2005. As for Fallon? He's long overstayed his welcome.

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Agreed.



And I know it won't happen but I'd rather SNL not mention the results tonight. No skit. Nothing. Just leave it alone.

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If people still watch fallon and snl even on yt, choke

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mte

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They're doing some bullshit tonight, completely ignoring that they themselves were complicit.

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yep. not that I grew up watching SNL so it wasn't like I had to quit but after they had Trump on I was like: nope. I'm done.

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do people have any reason for wanting michelle to run other than "we like her!"?

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it's fairly well known that michelle HAAAAAAAATES the politics game which makes all these michelle 2020!!!!! people look extra clueless

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I wish ppl would stop. She's already said she has zero interest in politics and doesn't want to run.

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I think they just see Hillary and think Michelle can do the same because they're... both the wives of presidents. Not the best criteria lol.

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I mean at this point it's very clear that the only thing people care about is someone they like. The democrats should just run George Clooney. He doesn't have any experience either but he's more stable and his heart at least seems to be in the right place.

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nah people are just stanning



she's said herself she has no interest and honestly she could probably do just as much good outside of politics

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I love, love Michelle. But beyond her not saying she even has interest, people have to be delusional if they think white people wouldn't vote for a white woman with 30 years experience but they'd vote for a black woman?



People STILL want to believe the election had nothing to do with race/sexism and was just about the economy (when Trump has no economic plan) or Hillary being unlikable.

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She's an accomplished lawyer, now has insight of how the white house works from the inside, she's an engaging speaker and yes people find her extremely likable which in this day in age is 80% of what it takes to win. qualifications and experience are now out the window even though she has a bit.

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they only like her now bc she's spent eight years carefully cultivating her image



if she ever runs for office, all the right-wing smear attacks will come rushing back

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I really believe the Obama's can be much more effective and influential in other ways then running for office. Both of them are gifted speakers, and very inspiring. I'd love to see the President go back to his community organizing roots. And I'd love to see Michelle use her law degree to fight for civil liberties.



These 2 can still make a difference and enhance their legacy, by staying involved and engaged, but not in office.

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WW women wouldn't even vote for HRC. I have no goddamn hope they'd vote for Michelle anyways.

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People were more willing to vote for a black man than a white woman. I think it'll be a looong time before a woman is elected.

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I don't want her to disappear from the media. She is a great and passionate speaker. I hope she becomes the next Oprah. She can create cultural change and inspiration through that, without having to get involved in politics.

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She doesn't want it, and imo if she doesn't have the burning desire like Hillary did, she shouldn't do it. The right treated Michelle like absolute garbage, and I'd imagine it would only get worse on the campaign trail; that's too much to endure unless you want it so badly you can taste it.

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i love michelle so much that i don't want her to run. i don't even want to imagine the type of racist and sexist shit she's going to receive if she was going to campaign because bigots are threatened by a successful and educated black woman.

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disclaimer: I know she's never going to actually run because she's not interested, it's more of a "we gonna miss you" thing from me.



BUT, playing devil's advocate: she's an accomplished lawyer and her time as First Lady taught her the head of state side of the job - public outreach, meeting with dignitaries, etc. and so on. She's clearly intelligent and is v. charismatic in speeches.



I mean theoretically if she was actually gonna try for it I'd probably suggest that she hold some other office here in Illinois first... but l o fucking l Trump just got elected to the Presidency, who needs experience? -_-

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Michelle has a higher approval rating than any politician in the game right now, which funny because she has no interest in politics.



she's very smart, a great speaker (her speeches as consistently been the highlight of any event) and has the charisma to get high turn out.



I think she would do well as POTUS but she has no interest in that and I can't blame her.

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The closest I think she would ever come to the White House beyond being First Lady would be Supreme Court. Outside of the nomination process, she wouldn't have to play the politics game ever. It's a lifetime appointment with no approval ratings. She just gets to make her decision and can't really be challenged on it.

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Not really -- but lbr, she'd be way better than Trump. She may not have much direct political experience, but she's very intelligent, insightful and, y'know, not an actual sociopath.

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The media royally fucked this up by taking him so lightly and most of us could see that coming. They really are at fault here and fuck the NY Times. I'm still pissed they didn't retract or apologize for putting words in the mouth of that woman who said she touched against her will and instead they used the word "embraced". That's bullshit.

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The media made this happen. They kept excusing him and putting him out there and talking about him.

fuck the media

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ITTTTA

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mte



they propped him up for ratings and look what we got

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The media continue fucking this up with all the conciliatory kumbaya bullshit.

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lol! America is a huge pile of dung rn and it's going to get worse

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i dont know if i'm ever going to accept trump as president. maybe in a few months or when he's officially president, as a white person i kinda feel embarrased to be white, seeing how many trump supporters there are and the amount of 'hate' there is from there is just gross. this is the first election where i've paid close attention to, i was watching back in 2008 and 2012 (before 2008 i was way to young to remember) but i just feel annoyed,mad at how this country is becoming.



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do i really need to subscribe to the new york times to read this??

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I read it and I don't subscribe

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No, they're free for the next few days because of the election

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weird i couldn't read it but a coworker gave me his login

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Just click the link in the tweet.

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it's their paywall

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read it in incognito mode on your browser or delete all your cookies.



Edited at 2016-11-12 07:45 pm (UTC)

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I know it looks like a virus lmao, but it's a website brazilians use to not give awful media any clicks. This site takes sort of like a screenshot of the article and gives you access. It's especially useful when you encounter websites that only give access to like, 10 articles a month. Here's the website if you (or anyone else) is interested: If you don't want to give them views, you can read the article here: http://nfde.xyz/8ijp I know it looks like a virus lmao, but it's a website brazilians use to not give awful media any clicks. This site takes sort of like a screenshot of the article and gives you access. It's especially useful when you encounter websites that only give access to like, 10 articles a month. Here's the website if you (or anyone else) is interested: http://nfde.xyz/

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I'm enjoying Armie calling people out:



Call them the fuck out.I'm enjoying Armie calling people out:

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IA but coming from the dude who made the Lone Ranger? It's hard to take him seriously.

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"adjust your hood so you can see better" loool

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lmao @ adjust your hood

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Screaming at "adjust your hood"

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"Adjust your hood so you can see better" DAMN!!!



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Go armie. Damn

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the last tweet lmao

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get em armie!

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Omg lmfao

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I never knew he had a personality. That was a great reply

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"adjust your hood so you can see better"





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lmao don't make me stan for him

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"Adjust your hood" is going to become an ontd classic lol.





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Arnie is the one of the last celebs I thought would come out against Trump and his supporters.



"adjust your hood" DAMN

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lmfao I didn't expect this from him, get 'em

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Am I am asshole for calling Hammer out on twitter and telling him to accept his part because making films that perpetuate racist tropes is part of why people don't take racism seriously in general.

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I RT'd this this morning OMG "adjust your hood" is fucking brilliant

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I've seen the "he didn't seek their endorsement" thing a lot recently.



That's not how endorsements work?!?!

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lol omg @ "adjust your hood so you can see better"



a quality clap back

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I would have pegged him as a Drumpf supporter before this...IDK why.

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screaming

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i need to stan whoever this is

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omg @ adjust your hood so you can see better

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LMAO at his reply

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omg loool @ "adjust your hood so you can see better"

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ontd is definitely gonna use the adjust your hood line the next time a racist small icon troll makes a comment here

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I laughed out loud at 'Adjust your hood so you can see better'. I'm going to use it from now on.

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imma have to start stanning this dull frankenstein

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Good on him for calling people out but it's impossible for me to fully stan him since he was in The Lone Ranger and in Birth of a Nation...

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GO IN

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Omg...that last tweet lmao

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"Adjust your hood so you can see better" DEAD. I BET THAT PERSON IS SHOOK AS FUCK.

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suddenly i stan armie hammer

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Great response.

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i knew i was right to keep this icon

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OMG

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lmaoo

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YES @ the media, fuck everyone who thinks that Hilary's e-mail in any way compares to everything Donald stands for

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Fallon can fuck off forever

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Shaking my damn head at that "too emotional" bullshit because I've heard it before as well. Maybe the world would be a better place by having leaders that displayed empathy and emotional IQ.

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My friend's sister is black AND trans and a Trump supporter. When she announced that over drinks, my friend, her boyfriend, and I were like "WERE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS. NOPE"

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Misogyny *in addition to racism. All these men and women uncomfortable with a president who's a woman. I wonder if the ~ideal man~ (ie wasp) ran against trump what the results would be?



Edited at 2016-11-12 07:51 pm (UTC)

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I have Muslim family in the States, and the ones who voted for Trump used this excuse. Shes crooked so apparently theyre okay with Trumps racism and hatred of Muslims and immigrants. One of my moms cousins voted for Trump because she had to pay a fee for some Obamacare premium or something (which was completely her own fault).

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years of brainwashing really fucks people up

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I'm still pissed that that ~Crooked~ Hillary shit still stands. It would be tolerable were it on the basis of the truly shady things she's done wrt to Foreign Policy (and I do not mean Benghazi), but no it's on non-issues like a private email server? I can't.

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Oh man that would've been a sweet ass email to write.

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lmao did your fucking teacher see how trump and all the other white men have been behaving before during and since this election? men are so weak and fragile

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Has Fallon spoken out about the backlash at all?

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I think he just says that is how he is with everyone.

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that totally misses the point. what a moron.

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Well good to know he'd tussle satan's horns

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he and tina fey did a bit on snl where they played undecided voters and jimmy said he didnt like trump and tina said well stop touching his hair and acting like you do

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when he was on weekend update with doing a character with tina the other week they made fun of it and were essentially like "why does everyone care what i think"

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what i belatedly realized was that it was too much to ask for the US to elect a democrat after 8 years of Obama. wasn't bush sr. the only recent (ish) president to succeed a 2-term pres from the same party (reagan/GOP)? people get frustrated and vote accordingly.

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Harry Truman after FDR (and FDR had FOUR terms)

And yeah, Bush after Reagan



Americans are fickle. They blame the president/president's party for shit going on, yet how long has their Congressperson been in office?

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right! thanks bb.



and mte. they always feel neglected by the time the 2nd term ends, because the POTUS hasn't magically fixed everything, and they cast their vote in anger and resentment. meanwhile, they don't give two shits about actual local/state elections which would affect them even more directly.

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I actually hope Drumpf sticks by his promise to impose Congressional term limits.

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fickle and dumb as fucking rocks

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Yeah, people think that the president is the king of America and anyone who's not strongly to one side or the other always blames the outgoing party for everything wrong in the world. I would have thought that Hillary would have bucked the trend a la HW given that Obama is reasonably popular and Trump is, well, Trump. Guess not.



Only hope is that Trump has hitched his train SO strongly to the brick-throwing Make America Great Again shit that they blame him twice as much for not delivering.

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Correct. This is a legit thing and taught in classes. Which is one of the reasons I expected the Dems to lose and they did. It's just America and this is the pattern. You'd hope people with functioning brains wouldn't vote in a hateful corrupt racist rapist with no qualifications as Prez but here we are.

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And here's a very scary thing I can't stop thinking about lately: our media and press is very white. Our newsrooms have little diversity. Now this same white media will help enable Trump, normalize him, give him a chance and ultimately be complicit in furthering white supremacy. I won't feel sorry for any of the pundits and journalists who enable him once Trump censors them. They helped create this. They helped make this.



Look at this shit. Look at the media feeling all sorry for themselves while people could die under a Trump presidency. /sorry I'm so angry but fuck them too.



It's bc you white liberal members of the media class ignored/continue to ignore poc and what's been happening to them over the last decade https://t.co/PaRG1EHNwD  Ayesha A. Siddiqi (@AyeshaASiddiqi) November 12, 2016





"My colleagues feeling down...not bc of who won tho...bc we look bad" fuck your feelings y'all are scum  Ayesha A. Siddiqi (@AyeshaASiddiqi) November 12, 2016

I give it a few months before he is completely normalized as a president as if this is all normal. It's already happening.And here's a very scary thing I can't stop thinking about lately: our media and press is very white. Our newsrooms have little diversity. Now this same white media will help enable Trump, normalize him, give him a chance and ultimately be complicit in furthering white supremacy. I won't feel sorry for any of the pundits and journalists who enable him once Trump censors them. They helped create this. They helped make this.Look at this shit. Look at the media feeling all sorry for themselves while people could die under a Trump presidency. /sorry I'm so angry but fuck them too.

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Yup.



I watched a lot of CNN over the course of the election (no fucking more though) and it was so odd to watch these white people dance around all the race issues. Like the actually brought it up from time to time but it was like they had no framework and they would only ask really open leading questions like "Some people say that what he's doing is racist. Is that a lie?" Like what the fuck.



Also I honestly have so much respect for Don Lemon who handled things really well. Every time one of his white surrogates would try to weasel out of it or misquote him he would be like "Oh you're not sure what he said? Well let's roll the tape again so you can watch it."

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The other thing that is annoying is that they will trot out one minority who voted for him and interview them and/or some white people who voted for Obama and say because of those things there is NO WAY race played a part in this. Even MSNBC has been doing it. Makes me want to vomit.

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don lemon was amazing this entire election circuit. he really redeemed himself from all the nu!black shit he used to be on.

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Up until last month, I lived in the same building as Don Lemon. Should have thanked him for that before I moved, because his colleagues didn't do shit, and it was driving me INSANE.

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honestly i only put up with cnn for van

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Don Lemon, Van Jones, Angela Rye, Bakari Sellers, & Charles Blow on CNN and Joy Reid on MSNBC >>>



They're the ones who kept me sane watching election coverage.

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People are already normalizing it which is scary. I have seen so many "well! There's nothing we can do so blah blah blah" excuses online.

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yep

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And for young people, they don't have Stewart and Colbert to tell them how fucked up the mainstream news is. These young people now go on facebook and youtube, where they find horrible fake alt news. There is no one left in the media that will call the mainstream news out on their bullshit and actually have a voice people will listen to.

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lol seriously

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And America is a White majority. So, they'll always goof it up for everyone.

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The era of the mighty U.S. major oil industry is coming to an end as the countrys largest petroleum company is in big trouble. While ExxonMobil has been the most profitable U.S. oil company in the past, it has now suffered its worst year on record.

Just over four years ago, ExxonMobil enjoyed a $45 billion net income profit in 2012. Now compare that to a total $5 billion net income gain for the first three-quarters of 2016. If Exxon continues to report disappointing results for the remainder of the year, its net income will have declined a stunning 85 percent since 2012.

Actually, the situation at Exxon is much worse if we dig a little deeper.

Profitability Is Much Less When We Factor In Capital Expenditures

To understand the real profitability of a company, we have to look at its cash flow, or what is known as free cash flow. Free cash flow is calculated by deducting capital expenditures (CAPEX) from the companys cash from operations. ExxonMobils free cash flow declined from $24.4 billion in 2011 to $1 billion for the first nine months of 2016:

So, here we can see that Exxons free cash flow of $1 billion (2016 YTD) is down 95 percent from $24.4 billion in 2011. The reason for the rapidly falling free cash flow is due to skyrocketing capital expenditures and falling oil prices. But, this is only part of the picture.

If we include dividend payouts, Exxons financial situation drops down another notch. While free cash flow does not include dividend payouts, the money Exxon pays its shareholders must come from its available cash. By including dividend payouts, the company was $8.3 billion in the hole in 2015:

Now, even though Exxon stated a $45 billion net income for 2012, its free cash flow minus dividends was only $11.5 billion. Moreover, the company didnt make any money in 2013 or 2014 after dividends were paid to their shareholders. Thus, deducting dividends from the equation provides a more realistic picture, especially since Exxon has been forking out serious sums of money to its shareholders.

That being said, there seems to be something seriously wrong going on at Exxon when we look at the long-term chart below:

Let me start off by saying, this chart is an extension of the chart above it. Even though the title doesnt include dividend payouts, the legend in the chart displays it. The white line represents the average annual oil price. There are several important factors shown in this chart.

As the price of oil increased from $20 in 2002 to $97 in 2008, Exxons free cash flow minus dividends surged to $32 billion from $3.4 billion. Thus, the higher oil price led to larger free cash flow profits. Well, that was the good news. The bad news is, Exxons surplus cash declined significantly when the oil price was over $100 from 2011 to 2013. Even though the oil price in 2011 and 2012 was higher than it was in 2008, the companys free cash flow including dividends was less than half. Furthermore, Exxon made no surplus cash in 2013 when the oil price was above $100. While Exxon enjoyed surplus cash over $20 billion from 2004 to 2007 when the price of oil was between $38 and $72, how is it that the company made no surplus cash in 2013 when the oil price was north of $100?? We will get into that in a minute. Even though Exxon suffered negative free cash flow (including dividend payouts) in 1998 (-$2.5 billion) and 1999 (-$1.9 billion), the oil price was at a low of $13 and $18 respectively. Compare that to a cash deficit of $8.3 billion in 2015 at an average oil price of $52. triple what is was during the 1998 and 1999. The reason for the huge decline in ExxonMobils surplus cash, even at much higher oil prices, was due to two factors; 1) higher capital expenditures and, 2) higher dividend payouts.

While higher dividend payouts put more stress on the companys financial situation, the real problem is the massive increase in capital expenditures

The Massive Increase Of Capital Expenditures Is Causing Havoc At ExxonMobil

Very few investors realize the devastating impact of rising capital expenditures on Exxons financial bottom line. This chart shows annual capital expenditures versus the companys oil (total liquid) production:

For example, in 1997, Exxon spent $11.8 billion on capital expenditures while producing 2.5 million barrels per day (mbd) of oil. However, their capital expenditures nearly tripled to $34 billion in 2012 as total liquid production fell to 2.2 mbd. Basically, Exxon spent three times more money in 2012 to produce 300,000 barrels per day less than it did in 1997.

When the company realized towards the end of 2013 that the market would not afford to pay $120 a barrel (the cost for new oil projects), Exxon started cutting back on exploration and capital expenditures. Even though total liquid production increased to 2.34 mbd in 2015, capital expenditures declined to $26.5 billion. Related: Oil Tanks As Iran 'Claims' To Have Ramped Up Oil Production

Unfortunately, the situation continued to deteriorate in 2016. According to Exxons Q3 report, capital expenditures in the first nine months of the year declined another 40 percent compared to the same period in 2015. Without increased capex spending, it is going to be quite difficult for the company to sustain production and to remain profitable.

So, when we consider that Exxon had to triple its capex spending to maintain production as well as increase dividend payouts to keep shareholders happy, the falling oil price is totally gutting the company from within.

While the evidence shown here is bad enough, I hate to be a broken record, but the situation is far worse for Exxon when we include two more negative factors.

Exxon Spent The Majority Of Its Surplus Cash To Buy Back Shares Rather Than Fund New Oil Projects

It seems as if Exxon realized early on that peak oil had finally arrived (privately, of course), so it decided to not waste too much money on future oil projects. Instead, the company spent a massive amount of money on stock repurchases over the past two decades especially since 2005.

While Exxon had been repurchasing their stock for several years, I had no idea of the total amount. You see, the net total free cash flow, including dividends, for Exxon was $190 billion from 1997-2015. Looking over companys balance sheet, I had no idea where all that money had gone. I was talking to financial expert Vic Patane a few days ago, and he said, You should check out their stock repurchases. So, I did and what a surprise.

According to ExxonMobils Annual Reports, the company spent a staggering $260 billion on stock repurchases since 1997:

The lions share of their stock buybacks were between 2005 and 2014. In that ten-year period, Exxon purchased a staggering $220 billion of its own shares. Now compare that to the companys total capex spending of $245 billion during the same time period:

Amazingly, Exxon only spent 11 percent more on it total capital expenditures than it did on stock buybacks. Which means, the largest oil company in the United States decided to repurchase roughly a third of its outstanding shares (2005 to 2014), rather than use its surplus cash to fund new oil projects. Exxons outstanding shares declined from 6.1 billion in 2005 to 4.2 billion in 2014.

This is certainly an interesting way for the leading U.S. oil company to use its surplus cash. For those who continue to be skeptics of the peak oil theory, you need to wake up and look at the data!

Okay, now that we know the lower oil price is gutting the entire U.S. oil industry, what is it doing specifically to Exxon? Good question.

Exxons Long Term Debt Surges In The Last Three Years

Before I present Exxons chart on its rising long-term debt, we need to look at the impact of the companys share buybacks on its bottom line. When factoring in Exxons share repurchases on top of its increasing capital expenditures and dividend payouts, the companys financial situation started to deteriorate in 2011 when the oil price shot up to $110 Go Figure:

So, if we include share buybacks, capex spending and dividend payouts, Exxon basically broke even in 2010 and actually had to start tapping into cash reserves or borrow money to fund their deficits. In just five years (2011-2015), the company spent $58 billion more than they received from operating cash. Related: U.S. Oil Rig Count Inches Up As Production Jumps

This has had a profound impact on Exxons long-term debt, shown below:

As we can see, Exxons long-term debt has exploded from $6.9 billion in 2013 to $29.5 billion in the first half of 2016. Basically, the company is now borrowing money to repurchase shares or pay dividends. This is not a viable long-term business model.

And, we are already seeing the negative ramifications of low oil prices as Exxon only repurchased $4 billion of its shares in 2015 versus $35.7 billion back in 2008.

Investors need to realize that the U.S. major oil industry is in big trouble. If the largest oil company in the country is already suffering, what does it say for the rest of the industry? Well, let me give you just one example.

Chevron is the second largest oil company in the United States. In 2015, Chevron spent a stunning $18.2 billion more on capital expenditures and dividend payouts than the companys operating cash. Thus, Chevron spent $10 billion more than ExxonMobil did last year ($8.3 billion after capex and dividends).

This paints a very gloomy picture for the sustainability of the once great U.S. major oil industry, especially when oil prices continue to decline. As was mentioned in previous articles, the Hills Group and Louis Arnoux forecast that within ten years, 75 percent of U.S. gas stations will be closed, and the oil industry as we know it, will have disintegrated.

Well, it seems as if their forecast is playing out just as they said, with Exxon recently announcing some extremely bad news.

Exxon To Write Off 20 Percent Of Its Petroleum Reserves

I dont know how many Americans caught this little tidbit released last week when Exxon stated its Q3 report, but it was a whopper. According to the article, Exxon Warns On Reserves As It Posts Lower Profit:

Exxon Mobil Corp. warned that it may be forced to eliminate almost 20 percent of its future oil and gas prospects, yielding to the sharp decline in global energy prices.

Under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and New York state over its accounting practicesand the impact of future climate change regulations on its businessExxon on Friday disclosed that some 4.6 billion barrels of oil in its reserves, primarily in Canada, may be too expensive to tap.

From what I have read, the 4.6 billion barrel reserve write-off is mostly from its oil sand projects in Canada and its onshore shale deposits in the United States. However, this amounts to more than 20 percent of ExxonMobils oil or liquid petroleum reserves.

At the end of 2015, the company reported a total of 24.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent. That figure includes oil, liquids and natural gas. However, if we just consider their oil and liquid reserves of only 14.7 billion barrels, a 4.6 billion barrel write down would amount to nearly one-third of their oil reserves. This is much greater than the 20 percent stated in the article.

When Exxon reduces its oil and liquid reserves by 4.6 billion barrels, it will only have 12 years worth of reserves remaining, at current production levels. But, what if the price of oil continues to decline toward the $12 maximum price suggested in The Hills Group Report by 2020? What would that do to Exxon or other U.S. oil companies reserves and future oil production?

The 100+ year era of the U.S. major oil industry is coming to an end and fast. Unfortunately, Americans have no clue just how dire the situation has become as many probably still believe in the delusion of U.S. Energy Independence.

I would imagine by 2020, the U.S. will be a much different place. Regrettably, most Americans are not prepared.

By Steve Srocco via Peakoilbarrel.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The recent launch by the citys Office of Violence Prevention of a comprehensive strategic planning process provided a great opportunity to begin building a united front against violence, said Khalil Coleman, co-founder of the Safe Zones Initiative, a program focusing on gun violence prevention.

The process brings in community residents who are usually excluded from the discussion and "allows those voices to be heard," Coleman added.

Coleman was one of more than 100 attendees representing nonprofits and grassroots community, business, government, religious, public safety and health organizations at the recent event held at Discovery World. The planning process is funded by a $93,000 Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment grant. The Prevention Institute of Oakland, California, is providing expertise and technical assistance.

Reggie Moore, director of the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), and his team invited a cross section of the community to the launch to make sure a variety of people were engaged from the beginning. "I was really honored to hear directly from (them) about what their concerns and their aspirations are for increasing public safety in Milwaukee," Moore said.

Community member Sai Norman said, "Police come into our neighborhoods and do not respect us. When they come, the first thing they do is reach for their guns. We need to police ourselves."

Attendee Bianca Williams, 25, founder and director of A Cry for Help Foundation, a grassroots effort that provides housing, food and clothing to those in need, suggested that the event should have included more youth. "I believe the main ones who are causing a lot of this violence and stealing cars are the youth. So its very important that they be at the table," she said. Williams also questioned the need for experts from out of state who have to start at the beginning to understand the community.

Moore said in an interview that his team facilitated a condensed version of the session with a group of young people on the evening of the launch, from organizations including Running Rebels, Urban Underground, St. Charles, and PEARLS for Teen Girls. The youth were invited to contribute their insights.

Moore also explained that the Prevention Institute is one of only two large organizations specializing in violence prevention planning and was selected for its extensive experience and excellent reputation. "Theyve been instrumental in helping many cities around engaging in these planning processes," he noted.

"If there was a surgeon in another community who was renowned for finding a cure to a particular disease that affected a significant portion of Milwaukees population, we would be irresponsible not to work with them or engage them," Moore said. Milwaukee is seeking the best thinking, best practice and best research from around the country to help come up with solutions, he explained.

The institute approaches violence prevention using a framework that analyzes the aspects of a community that encourage or discourage violence. It views trauma as both a cause and consequence of violence. Experts in local communities and the federal government are looking at violence as a community issue and not just an individual health issue, Moore added.

During a presentation that was mostly focused on process, Prevention Institute representatives noted that violence prevention efforts are most successful when public health, not criminal justice, is at the center. Poverty alone does not cause trauma; rather, it is inequality that is traumatizing. According to institute board member Howard Pinderhughes, its approach addresses both interpersonal and structural violence, the systematic ways in which social structures harm or disadvantage individuals. Pinderhughes is also chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at University of California, San Francisco.

Brian Cooper, director of James Place 26th Street, a faith-based community resource center at 2522 W. Capitol Dr., said attending the launch provided an opportunity to meet people and learn about other organizations working on community issues.

"I think (the discussion) is really broad right now," but the vision and the goal are good, and the success of the process will depend on the participants coming together, Cooper said.

Noting that he grew up outside of the city, Cooper added, "Its important to hear from people who did grow up (in the central city) and I will try to be humble and hear more input than give more input."

The Prevention Institute, which focuses on increasing equity in health and safety, has been the lead consultant in 10 cities creating similar violence prevention plans. It also has led technical assistance for 25 cities and provided expert review of plans for a number of other cities, according to Lisa Fujie Parks, program manager. Since September, the institute has gathered information about Milwaukee through surveys, interviews, at the launch and at a steering committee meeting.

Opinions are widespread and will continue to be collected, said Parks. So far, information gathered at the launch and elsewhere indicate that significant contributing factors to violence in Milwaukee include a lack of access to employment and other opportunities, segregation, disconnection between residents and organizations, and limited trust between community and government.

Significant factors helping to prevent violence include strong neighborhood centers and neighborhood-based initiatives, positive community building activities, and positive after-school and workforce development efforts.

Moore noted that there will be many engagement opportunities over the coming months to go deeper into what strategies community members would like to see for reducing and eliminating violence.

The Office of Violence Prevention expects to schedule a second planning meeting in January. The strategic plan is expected to be drafted by spring and made public in early summer.
Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) November 12, 2016: Make no mistake about it, the 2016 presidential election was a referendum on so-called "second wave" feminism that emerged in the late 1960s and 1970s that ushered in decades of so-called "political correctness."

Both as a contender in the Republican presidential primary contests and then as the Republican Party's 2016 presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump's major strategy was to assault the spirit of "political correctness." In addition, he made out-sized promises -- and threats -- as further assaults on the spirit of "political correctness." Each assault was reported by the media, thereby giving him an enormous amount of unpaid-for-publicity.

For her part, Hillary Rodham Clinton decided to run for president even though she knew that she was not a charismatic speaker, as former President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, and First Lady Michelle Obama are. In the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, then-Senator Barack Obama demonstrated by a reasonable doubt that he was a charismatic speaker. As a result of her loss to him then, she should have learned that she is not a charismatic speaker. Perhaps she was betting that the Republican Party's 2016 presidential candidate would not turn out to be a charismatic speaker either.

In any event, Trump emerged as the Republican Party's 2016 presidential candidate, and he is not a charismatic speaker. As noted, his major campaign strategy was to repeatedly assault the spirit of "political correctness."

Hillary's strategy was to express indignation at his various hyperbolic assaults on the spirit of "political correctness." Talk about taking the bait!

No doubt Hillary's expressions of indignation at the hyperbolic statements with which Trump successfully baited her into replying to, appealed to the Democratic Party's feminist base. However, by taking Trump's bait and expressing indignation repeatedly, she was preaching to the already converted feminists in the Democratic Party's base. But what was her message to non-feminists who do not necessarily subscribe to all of the attitudes and views advanced by the spirit of "political correctness"?

For the record, both white men and white women voted for Trump, including both white men and white women in crucial battleground states that Obama had carried in 2008 and 2012.

In light of Trump's success in winning several battleground states by turning them from blue to red, Hillary should also reflect on why she did not learn anything, evidently, from Senator Bernie Sanders' successes in the Democratic presidential primary.

However, in early contests in the Democratic presidential primary, Senator Sanders himself declined to compete against Hillary in the South. This shows that he understood full well that he appealed primarily to white people, just as Hillary understood full well that she is not a charismatic speaker. This also shows that Senator Sanders would not have been as strong a presidential candidate for the Democratic Party as Hillary was.

Now, if we assume that Hillary herself made the calls in her own campaign, then we should wonder about her campaign's misadventures in fantasizing about Arizona (wouldn't a big landslide victory over Trump be great?), for example, toward the end of the campaign, while Trump was in the process of turning key battleground states from blue to red. Toward the end, her campaign made some serious tactical mistakes, and as a result, she lost decisively in the Electoral College, which is part of the system of checks and balances in our federal government.

In light of Trump's decisive victory in the Electoral College, despite the fact that he also is not a charismatic speaker, and despite receiving fewer votes in winning in 2016 that former Governor Mitt Romney received in losing in 2012, I would say that Trump succeeded spectacularly in turning the 2016 presidential election into a referendum on the spirit of "second wave" feminists such as Hillary, and he managed to appeal to enough white women voters in crucial battleground states to turn it into a victorious election for him in the Electoral College. (As I write, Hillary has a small lead over Trump in the popular vote. As expected, she won in non-battleground blue states.)

No doubt Hillary's 2016 candidacy was motivated by the fantasy of being the first woman to be elected president of the United States -- despite her handicap of not being a charismatic speaker. No doubt another woman will eventually be elected president in the future.
It appears as another spectrum, which equally reveals that Pakistani society remains shallow in the subject of social justice. Herein, the court litigation is averted. The influential persons illegally utilize the personal references and make possible to flow money for taking the wished verdicts. In fact, the warlords and mafias wander with no fear despite the obvious involvement in the heinous acts that are adequate to jeopardize the rule of law.

Recently, Mr. Shahrukh Jatoi (son of a feudal), accused of beheading Shazeb Khan, a university student on December 28, 2012, is sinfully saved by using face-saving tactics. Actually, the astringent threats to the rest of family of Shahzeb Khan forced his family to give pardon to the murderer. Similarly, The HAREEZ and MUZERAS are at the mercy of the landlords.

Regrettably, the courts are used for the sake of taking revenge from the political rivals and are repeatedly committed during the existing regimes. This is malpractice that derails the public confidence in the judiciary system.

Consequently, the common man, being victimized, is forced to take up arms, transgress the law, perpetrates revengeful deeds and goes into being declared as fugitive (MAFROOR), further setting examples for those who are being exploited. Briefly, this factor (implementation of justice) also exposes the prevailing inequity in the Pakistani society, which projects that the injustice destiny of the nation will last for the untold period.

Conclusion

All the parameters regarding social justice that through definitional aspects are highlighted have been investigated and endorsed in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Prophet PBUH. Each feature has patently been elucidated and both rulers and the public are plausibly urged to form balanced, sympathetic, keen and ethos-based relations.

The balanced relations can best be established if reciprocal dignity and mutual respect are safeguarded. The Pakistani society that is portrayed in the article egregiously lacks in ethos and moralities that instrumentally introduce justice in the routine dealings. Thus, the said spectrums, social stratification, economic in equilibrium and implementation of justice, are the mirror through which the gloomy picture of malpractices converse to social justice is obvious.

In these arrays, the defined parameters and accordingly highlighted holy commandments are sad fully ignored. In pursuit of getting rid of injustice and making the society as the paragon of the social justice, all the three coherent spheres are likely to be improved.

If the discrepancies among the diverse segments of the society are expunged, the churlish-show of supremacy will reversely be antidoted. The more mindset of false-power show and acquisition is avoided, the greater chances of internal integrity will be ensured. The more economic divergence and in equilibrium are missed, the more public confidence in the judicial system, law and order will be enhanced.

Achieving the said agendas for social justice requires not only the rulers to be morale but also necessitates the masses to be pragmatic, practicing moralities and undertaking piety. Although the commandments in both forms; Quran and Ahadith are available, yet the true devotees and followers are required to prove the universal truth of the peaceful message of Islam.

This can only be accessible when a systematic cognizance for learning and practicing the teachings and the Sunnah of Holy Prophet PBUH is ushered by the intellectual circles.
Masha Gessen, who grew up in Putin's Russia, has six rules for us: 1. Believe the autocrat; 2. Do not be taken in by small signs of normality; 3. Institutions will not save you; 4. Be outraged; 5. Don't make compromises; 6. Remember the future.

Rule #1: Believe the autocrat. He means what he says. Whenever you find yourself thinking, or hear others claiming, that he is exaggerating, that is our innate tendency to reach for a rationalization. This will happen often: humans seem to have evolved to practice denial when confronted publicly with the unacceptable. Back in the 1930s, The New York Times assured its readers that Hitler's anti-Semitism was all posture. More recently, the same newspaper made a telling choice between two statements made by Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov following a police crackdown on protesters in Moscow: "The police acted mildlyI would have liked them to act more harshly" rather than those protesters' "liver should have been spread all over the pavement." Perhaps the journalists could not believe their ears. But they shouldboth in the Russian case, and in the American one. For all the admiration Trump has expressed for Putin, the two men are very different; if anything, there is even more reason to listen to everything Trump has said. He has no political establishment into which to fold himself following the campaign, and therefore no reason to shed his campaign rhetoric. On the contrary: it is now the establishment that is rushing to accommodate himfrom the president, who met with him at the White House on Thursday, to the leaders of the Republican Party, who are discarding their long-held scruples to embrace his radical positions.
Why do people wish to create a sustainable neighborhood? Better yet, why are most of us stuck in the system we are currently in? What power do you think you have? None? Apparently, for we tend to turn our freedom and power over to the corporations and the rich, what many refer to as 'The Man!'

Consider the last election. Trump vs Hilary. Good God is all I can say! And we think we have choices in our so-called democracy? No, as late comedian George Carlin puts it, we don't have a democracy, we have owners. We don't have power, the Koch Brothers, Rothchilds, Rockefellers etc. are our Lords and Savior.

My question to the reader is: What if you voted to empower yourself, your family and your community instead of the likes of Trump and the Koch Brothers?

The readers' imagined response is: But this sentence means our being responsible, Burl! What the Sam Blazes is wrong with you, boy? Are you a hippie or something?

God forbid we take responsibility. To take responsibility, you don't say, "oh, its Obama's fault, or Trump's, or the newly-cast owners of this country on the DBC Network." We all need to take responsibility to birth and form a sustainable and love-filled future. No external god is needed, be he in the form of Trump or someone else, even Hilary Clinton. To do this, we need to end our love affair with politicians.

Yes, we need a divorce from external gods, including politicians and corporations. We need to go internal, into the depths of our naked being. Ready to be a stripper?

Next, lets discuss Trump's love for power over others, especially the ladies. Does this mean he is going to "screw" the labor class? Absolutely, and he won't even give us a kiss or a dozen roses. Labor is a feminine process. Way to go Archie Bunker. Oh, ye of the working class, place your head on the chopping block. Make sure that executioner's axe is sharp!

Have you ever heard of Eric Fromm's book, Escape From Freedom? Is this what we are doing"surrendering our power to the likes of a Donald Trump (or even a Hilary Clinton if she had won). Get your neck on that chopping block boys and girls!

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Progressives have been arguing incessantly over which presidential candidate should get our votes: a lesser evil from the two-party duopoly, or a third party candidate who has no chance of winning? I suspect we'll soon be longing for the lesser crazy and the minor fascist, but the point is now moot.

Yes, a lesser evil is still evil, but no, a third party presidential candidate without significant support already in the legislatures is never going to get serious consideration from a significant number of voters.

It doesn't matter now. We don't have to argue about a presidential candidate in 2018. We can be of one mind on what to do. We don't have to consider whether it's best to run as a Democrat or a Green. Every seat in the House and a third of the seats in the Senate will be up for grabs. State houses and governorships across the country will be contested.

A hundred million citizens are going to be horrified in the days ahead, appalled by Republican policy makers and dismayed by Democratic sell-outs and losers. In each state, in each district, we need to be recruiting real progressive candidates for office in 2018, whatever their affiliation.

There will never be a better time. The Republicans will never been more clearly exposed for who they are, and established Democrats for who they aren't.

We can worry about divisive questions of party affiliations later on, when we've got winning candidates preparing to take office and real coalitions to build. And then in 2020, when we've got elected people with proven records of fighting the good fights we can hold our own nomination from among the prominent candidates who have emerged to run for President, be they Democrat or Third.
In the aftermath of the stunning political upset wrought by the electoral victory of Donald Trump over his Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton there has been loud wailing and gnashing of teeth within the Democratic Party, and Liberal America as a whole. Right now the party is hurting and in a state of shock, disorientation, and gloom like few times in its history. The party was so SURE that one of the worst Republican candidates in history would lose the election to an experienced political veteran.

WTF went wrong? How could almost ALL polling houses have missed this one and never saw it coming, even with the late-game crap that James Comey, the FBI Director, pulled and the almost overnight change in the campaign narrative? I'm sure that in the coming weeks, months and years many will analyze the political intervention of the FBI director that helped to swing the election to his Republican brother in the most blatantly partisan of actions. That was truly the "October Surprise."

But I prefer to look at ways and means to rebuild the party in the interim and the period before 2020 and the next presidential contest. In these series of articles I'll explore avenues and link them to historical data that show that Democrats have a great opportunity to rebuild and reorganize a party that has lost its way and rejected its historical mission to be the vanguard of the least and most vulnerable among us. The Democratic Party MUST return to the values of the New Deal (a retooled 21st century model) that it rejected in favor of a pompous and arrogant meritocracy that thumbed its nose at working class people who bolted from the party into the arms of Donald Trump.

The Democrats have been here before. The party took a severe mauling when Ronald Reagan (1981 -- 1989) won with two crushing landslides. It had to face the complete ideological goring of Michael Dukakis and the vexing loss of Al Gore against George W. Bush (2000), a president whose IQ is above President-elect Donald Trump. And John Kerry's bumbling campaign (2004) and electoral loss only served to plunge Democrats into deeper and deeper despair. So when Barack Obama came around it looked as if the party had finally rebounded and a Hillary Clinton presidency would seal the deal and handle the unfinished business of the Obama Era.

The Trump's minority electoral vote victory threatens to undo the progressive agenda set out by President Obama and usher in a period of pain and gut wrenching anguish as only a weak, powerless opposition party can experience. But that's a defeatist attitude and Democrats and Liberals must pick themselves up and regroup -- for America's sake. Democrats must remain focused on DEFENDING the interests of working class America and PROMOTE an attractive, progressive alternative to the Republican Party that will have its fair share of internal civil war that a President Trump cannot quell. There is opportunity in chaos -- if you are prepared.

Admittedly, the transformational path for Democrats will not be easy. For one thing there is the Bernie Sanders wing of the party that has not forgiven the DNC mainstream and the party's establishment for jipping their man in the primary. This wing is now emboldened by the fact that EVERY pre-November 8 poll showed Bernie resoundingly beating Trump. They believe that this was a missed opportunity. The Clinton Centrist wing is perhaps now very wounded and the mistakes that the party and her campaign made will not only be a long-festering sore, but a source of political distrust from rank and file Democrats AND Sanders's supporters. Already we're seeing the opening salvo for control of the DNC by former Virginia governor Howard Dean's stated intention to run for DNC chair.

He's "old school" and was a staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton who was extremely disparaging in his attacks against Bernie Sanders. His candidacy may very well be a non-starter given the anger that Sanders's supporters still have for him. I'm also not sure that Dean is the right person to lead, unite the party, and entertain open, frank discussions and criticisms. The Party MUST take a hard, cold and sober look at itself and decide how best to move forward based on this critical self-examination. It has to jettison the elitist, meritocratic approach that it embraced while nursing a barely concealed contempt for its blue-collar working class base.

While the 2016 Presidential Elections ultimately boiled down to race (NOT RACISM) judging from the facts and proved by statistics (see below) that BOTH white men and women voted for Donald Trump in near record numbers and that Blacks, Hispanics and "others" voted for Hillary Clinton, Democrats MUST examine and understand the depth of anger particularly felt by white men in America today. Curiously, BEING WHITE trumped ALL of the odious and sexist statements by Donald Trump, some bordering on sexual harassment. Those things appeared not to bother white women, and white men could care less what Trump stands for as long as he's white. In many ways white men and women were getting back at the Democratic Party for having the audacity to nominate a Black man who subsequently won the presidency. America is today Republican AND white.

But despite all of this Democrats should not be discouraged. Let's start with the fact that most Americans did not want Trump to become the next president of the United States. He lost the popular vote and exit polls found that 60 percent of voters held an "unfavorable" opinion of him. About one in five of his own voters viewed him as unqualified and lacking the temperament to be president. This points to a truly divided nation but Democrats can move forward with the knowledge that a majority of the country voted against Donald Trump and his right wing platform and agenda. And the inference from the exit polls that show even his supporters view him as unqualified to be president suggests that those who voted for him may have corked their noses while doing so.

Democrats can represent this majority on the floor of the United States Congress. They can take the fight to the Republicans and do so with the backing of a majority of Americans. If Democrats fail to grasp this important strategy then they don't deserve our vote and support. In their recalibrating and reorganizing to take the political fight to Republicans, Democrats have to remember that most Americans -- even those who voted for Trump -- never supported his signature proposal. His much ballyhooed immigration proposal to deport approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants is NOT POPULAR. Only 25 percent of Americans support his deportation plan and 70 percent are in favor of a path to legalization. Moreover, according to exit polling, only 41 percent of American voters support Trump's Mexican border wall with 54 percent opposing and rejecting it.

What Democrats have to do is pick their battles. They can take Trump's signature proposals, turn it on its head, and effectively turn them against him knowing that they have the support of a majority of the American people. Democrats can also capitalize on the present divided state of America, a situation that Trump aggravated and helped create. Again, all they have to do is look at the exit polling (even though many people are now turned off of polls; but I'm still a fan of data and numbers). The data points to the fact that 26 percent of Americans say they are Liberal, 39 percent moderate (left-leaning) and 35 percent conservative.

Democrats can use the data about the Affordable Care Act, so-called "Obamacare," to their advantage. 48 percent of people think that the healthcare law was "about right" or "did not go far enough" while 47 percent, stated, "it went too far." Forty-five (45) percent want the next president to "continue Obama's policies" while 48 percent want the president to be more conservative. These policy concerns and how Americans view their next president opens the gates for serious ideological battles that Democrats can wage with great effect. There is also the minimum wage fight that's popular with Americans of all hues and stripes, and issues of climate change that's very popular with the American right AND left that Democrats can take the lead on and win -- with the people behind them.

Finally, some words of caution. Whatever the Democratic Party decides as the way forward it has to be very careful a precise. If the party veers too sharp leftwards, in the Bernie Sanders way, it runs the risk of alienating the upper tier of the party and its more conservative elements that could bolt to the Republicans, so deep is the disconnect, anger, and distrust between the mainstream, working class Democrats and the meritocracy. That could split the party asunder and render it useless in the coming battles.

Or the party could break with its neoliberal centrism in economics and identity politics that have become foundational principles of the party for two decades now. That would usher in a policy of class-based economic populism. There is also another way. Democrats could wait and see what President Trump does and rely on his potential and proclivity to just wreck everything by sheer incompetence and his dictatorial leadership style that he's honed in his business dealings. The United States government is not a business -- there are checks and balances and an opposition party. Maybe "wait and see" is the best strategy because nobody quite knows what President Trump will do.

[Next week: More Options In Rebuilding The Democratic Party]

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From Nation of Change

Trump is in the White House, but the takeaway from voters in this election is a mandate for progressive economic populism and more diversity among public officials.

Buckle-up friends, it's going to be a hairy ride.

Start with Day One for President Trump (gotta get used to saying that). He will need to be up-and-at-'em no later than 12:01 am, for during his campaign he promised to get oodles of big stuff done on his very first day in office, including: "Repeal Obamacare"; Begin working on impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful, southern border wall; Meet with Homeland security officials and generals to begin securing the Southern border; Fix the Department of Veterans Affairs; "Repeal every single Obama executive order"; Suspend Syrian refugee resettlement; "Get rid of gun-free zones in schools"; "End the war on coal"; "Defend the unborn"; "Start taking care of "our military"; And convene top generals and inform them they have 30 days to come up with a plan to stop ISIS.

Good grief! Americans have actually put a xenophobic-misogynous-racist-nativist-narcissistic blowhard in the Oval Office. Has our country gone right wing? Or completely nuts?

No. Trump was not elected on issues, but on anger -- a deep seething fury that the economic and political elite themselves have created by knocking down the working-class majority, then callously stepping over them as if they didn't exist. Exit polls revealed that most Trump voters don't think he's any more honest than Hillary Clinton (only 38 percent of all voters had a favorable opinion of him, with only a third saying he was qualified to be president). Also, his own voters disagree with much of his agenda (especially his grandiose wall across the Mexican border).

But his core message -- "The system is rigged" by and for the elites -- came through loud and clear to them, so they grabbed him like a big Bois-D'arc stick to whap the whole establishment upside its collective head.

The major message from voters was, "We want change." The Donald was the one most likely to shake things up (or blow things up), while Clinton clearly was the candidate of the status quo. As a West Texas farmer told me several years ago, "status quo" is Latin for "The mess we're in," so change voters, including those who would normally side with Democrats, cast their ballot for the Republican.

Indeed, on specific issues, voters around the country supported very progressive changes offered to them in a variety of ballot initiatives:

-- All four states that had minimum wage increases on the ballot passed them -- Arizona (59 percent for it), Colorado (55 percent), Maine (55 percent), and Washington (60 percent). Plus, a South Dakota proposal to lower its minimum wage was rejected by 71 percent of voters.

-- Two states had initiatives calling for a constitutional amendment to repeal the Supreme Court's Citizen United decision that has allowed unlimited corporate cash to flood into our elections -- California (53 percent for it) and Washington (64 percent "yes"). Also, 52 percent voted for campaign finance reform that will provide public funding of elections there.

-- A Minnesota initiative to take away the power of state lawmakers to set their own salaries, instead creating a bipartisan citizens council to consider any increases, won a whopping 77 percent approval.

In addition, many solidly-progressive "firsts" were elected on Tuesday, such as the first Indian-American woman in Congress (Pramila Jayapala of Washington), the first Latina U.S. senator (Catherine Cortez Mastro of Nevada), first Indian-Black woman elected to U.S. Senate (Kamala Harris of California), and first openly-LGBT governor (Kate Brown of Oregon). Stephanie Murphy (of Florida)is the first Vietnamese-American woman elected to Congress, Ihlan Omar (of Minnesota) is the first Somali-American Muslim woman elected to state legislature, and Sam Park (of Georgia) became the first openly gay state legislator there.

Trump is in the White House, but the takeaway from voters in this election is a mandate for progressive economic populism and more diversity among public officials.


Beit Ommar Demo June 4 2011 2

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To start, we insisted that Israel was a theocracy. Some objected saying no, it is a democracy. We pointed out so is Iran, and further, the Founders had in our own history, the theocratic seventeenth-century Massachusetts Bay Colony and its democratic trappings. We can also point out that Israel has no constitution and never had one. Its fundamental laws are what are passed by the Knesset, its parliament, which could change all at a moment's notice. Its current basic laws support the continued majority Jewish power in the country indefinitely, making and enforcing the laws of the country. The minority rights in religious matters are merely those of sufferance, and can be withdrawn by the majority at any time, or denied, as the Israelis have continuously done with the property rights of Islamic and Christian Arabs. But even though Israel is an obvious theocracy, that need not be proved to deny congressional military aid to Israel, under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Israeli laws, like the discriminatory Right-to-Return law that does not extend to former Arab inhabitants of Palestine or their descendants, and its action in government-supported encroachments by settlements and protection of settlers in Arab lands by its armed forces, equally clearly bar Israel from any claim to U.S. taxpayers' money.

Israeli settlements are Jewish Israeli civilian communities built on lands occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War, and currently exist in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and in the Golan Heights. Government spending per citizen in the Jewish settlements is double that spent per Israeli citizen in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, while government spending for settlers in isolated areas is three times the Israeli national average. Most of the spending goes to the security of the citizens living there. On 30 June 2014, according to the Yesha Council, 382,031 Jewish settlers lived in the 121 officially recognized settlements in the West Bank, over 300,000 Israelis lived in settlements in East Jerusalem and over 20,000 lived in settlements in the Golan Heights. In January 2015 the Israeli Interior Ministry gave figures of 389,250 Israelis living in the West Bank and a further 375,000 Israelis living in East Jerusalem.

Many settlements began as military outposts and were later expanded and populated with civilian inhabitants. According to a secret document dating to 1970, obtained by Haaretz, the settlement of Kiryat Arba was established by confiscating land by military order and falsely representing the project as being strictly for military use while, in reality, Kiryat Arba was planned for settler use. The method of confiscating land by military order for establishing civilian settlements was an open secret in Israel throughout the 1970s, but publication of the information was suppressed by the military censor.






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We got 1,001 things wrong in the latest U.S. election. Here are the top 10:

1. Expecting an election to solve deep injustices that require a massive movement, as have all the deep injustices of the past. This can be fixed through education and activism.

2. Rigging the DNC primary to deny Bernie Sanders a nomination. This could have been fixed by Sanders running as an independent. It can now be fixed by all DNC donors abandoning it and putting their funds into activism. Of course the DNC should dump Brazile and all Clintonites, but installing Howard Dean or Keith Ellison hardly solves anything. Disempowering parties through some of the proposals below would work.

3. Rigging the RNC primary by giving Donald Trump endless free media coverage. This can be fixed by busting up the media cartel, requiring free and equal air time for candidates, limiting the election season, banning legalized bribery, and publicly funding elections. (These things also disempower parties.)

4. Voter suppression that Greg Palast says stripped 1.1 million voters from the rolls in swing states, but which Democrats seem not to give a damn about -- perhaps because Putin didn't do it. This can be fixed by creating a right to vote, making voter registration automatic, debunking the myth of "voter fraud," undoing the anti-voter restrictions of recent years, providing adequate polling stations, and making election day a holiday.

5. Unverifiable election machines, including optical scanners, that have left us in an awkward situation. Exit polls, which the U.S. Department of State uses to judge the credibility of elections in other countries, show that Clinton won in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. But we are supposed to just take it on blind faith that in fact she didn't. This can be fixed by publicly hand counting paper ballots in every polling place. Of course the acceptable position is to believe on faith that the vote counts are accurate, but since when is taking it on faith the progressive position, when taking it on empirical evidence is a perfectly possible alternative?

6. The winner-take-all system in most states, which concentrates the election on a handful of states and leads to the winner of the popular vote losing the election. This can be fixed by states choosing to distribute their electoral college "votes" in proportion to their actual human votes.

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I speak here for no one but myself. No complicity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just because Trump isn't looking for war with Russia or any other nation (at this time) and wants to 'bring jobs back to America' doesn't mean that his intentions are anything remotely benevolent. He just doesn't want to die in a nuclear war and his brand of capitalist authoritarianism requires that people have jobs. Trump may well be the man who finally shows you just how depraved capitalism really is.

I know a very rich man who enthusiastically supported and voted for Trump. This man is a medical doctor and he once told me that he thinks there should be no medical facilities for prisoners in American prisons. He said it is a waste of time and money and is morally wrong. He said that people held in prisons don't deserve medical treatment and he has no problem with them just being left to die. No, I am not making this up. He really said it and meant it. And if you met him he would probably seem to you to be a very ordinary man who happens to have lots of money.

I asked him once what we should do about certain super-rich people who financially exploit, cheat, and sometimes ruin the lives of other people. He said he didn't have any idea what we should do about it and didn't care because "that's life." He said he thinks Trump is perhaps the man to make it possible for America to finally realize its true potential. I didn't ask him what he meant by that, but knowing that he equates 'morality' with making money, I had a pretty good idea.

Trump represents a certain type of maverick venal power-decadence that the USA has always been fascinated with and that can look like anyone from Cornelius Vanderbilt to Al Capone. It is in part the fantasy fascination of the ordinary frightened little clockwork conformist with the seemingly fearless daring of the opportunist who just takes what he wants with a perpetually grinning absence of compunction. A fascinating cavalier 'freedom'. And the USA has always had a rather immature and undeveloped idea of freedom. It's a stunted freedom that is always held by the chains of some form of venality. 'Americans' are profoundly vulnerable to this. Is the rise of Trump a sign of entrance into a new age of secretly idolized super-robber barons and super-gangsters who have government complicity? The Age of American Capitalist Feudalism. It's a very real possibility.

I see many people gazing on the alienating spectacle of President Trump and angrily longing for the days when it seemed that Bernie Sanders was bringing a genuinely moral 'revolution'. Let me address this issue of Sanders one more time and be done with it.

Sanders claimed in his primary run to be standing up against the oligarchs who are closely connected with a man such as Trump because they are connected with anything that has to do with big money. Sanders laid out his stance in terms of insurance companies, bankers, college tuition, and other domestic issues and called out the oligarchs on the unfairness of their practices in these areas. Now it can easily be demonstrated that the real essence of the oligarch agenda lies in its global-hegemony project. All of the oligarch domestic practices and policies in the USA are just the consequence of this larger agenda. So the place to shoot for the kill in the attack on oligarchs is here in the heart of oligarch agenda: foreign policy. Take out the oligarch foreign policy and the domestic policy will necessarily dissolve. But if you try to take out the domestic policy without addressing the foreign policy then you will get hopelessly tangled up in bureaucratic bull sh-t so deep that you'll be lucky to escape with any sanity because that's all the domestic domain is in the oligarchic system: bottomless bureaucratic bull sh-t. That is its design.

If Sanders had attacked the oligarchy in its heart of foreign policy everything else would have followed like falling dominoes. Take out the oligarch foreign policy and it becomes easy to address the domestic-policy issues. So why didn't Sanders do this? Why didn't he repeatedly and passionately raise the issue of the oligarch foreign policy that was turning domestic USA into an economic nightmare as well as threatening the rest of the world? Why? Because he wasn't against that foreign policy. He never once challenged that foreign policy in general. There were details in that foreign policy that he questioned, but more than 95 percent of the time he supported that foreign policy. And he never explained to anyone the rationale of opposing the oligarchs in domestic policy and supporting them in foreign policy because no one openly challenged Sanders on this blatant contradiction in his campaign message. So he got away with it.

Sanders was never really standing against the oligarchy in any essential way. He was merely 'demanding' that the oligarchy be somehow more 'compassionate' in the domestic consequences of its larger agenda, which he never even considered challenging. Sanders was like a 'soft-hearted' mid-level Mafia flunky who feels sorry for the ordinary people in the neighborhood who are subject to the Mafia tyranny. So he 'demands' that the goons be more gentle when they go to collect. But he never addresses the larger Mafia policies because he knows if he does he will soon be on the bottom of the East River sporting a new pair of cement shoes. And when the goons finally take soft-hearted Bernie into the back room and ask, "You gotta problem, Bernie? Don Giordano wants to know if you gotta problem. You gotta problem?" Bernie says, "Who me? Hey, Don Giordano knows I'm a true patriot. Look how long I been holdin' up that F-35! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha..." And Bruno says, "Hey, Bernie we're real glad to hear that, Bernie Little Buddy. You can go back home now, Gumba. And tell your wife, Hello, personal from Don Giordano."

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Donald Trump, who campaigned as a man of the people and an outsider with very independent politically incorrect foreign policy views, and who finished second in the popular vote, has already made it clear he is in the neo-con camp....................or they in his. He selected James Woolsey, as his foreign policy advisor. Woolsey was CIA chief, was the first to accuse Saddam of complicity in 9/11, hours after the attack, and he is a member of the Project for the New American Century, which wrote the blueprint and rationale for invading 7 ME nations, leading through Iraq and Damascus to Iran, and suggesting we need "a new Pearl Harbor" to mobilize public support for these wars.

9/11, produced by Dick Cheney with the help of the CIA, was this Pearl Harbor, needed to mobilize public support for all out war and a total spy state: welcome 1984, now as farce in the comic impersonator born as Donald Trump.

He is a spook/spokesman, the public face of the Deep State, the living merging of the Deep State and Wall Street. (Jefferson:"Banks are even more dangerous than standing armies." In Woolsey the two have merged and will soon occupy the White house, with Trump serving, as Reagan did, as the salesman for the Deep State, keeping it folksy.

So either the Deep State has infiltrated the rogue Trump circle to make sure he stays on script (they murdered JFK when he went off script)......................OR

TTrump is in bed with the Deep State, and Woolsey is his liaison to the deeper levels, the CIA and below, as well as to investment banking community, with its revolving door with the CIA leadership.

Either way, it debunks the idea Trump is independent of outside or dark influence such as the corruption of money (not Donald: he has no interest in money).: he is either a tool or a member in good standing, showing his true colors for those who know how to google and/or have a good memory concerning his key foreign policy advisor.....

I BUSINESS NEWS | Thu Nov 10, 2016 | 6:39pm EST

Those who predicted the victory of Trump and support him 3% of the time, now predict that the Iran deal, which is working perfectly, will be sabotaged, fear mongered (nukes! nukes!), and perhaps even repealed. This will also help Trump repay his largest donor, Sheldon Adelson, flipping his early position of "neutrality" to robust support for right-wing Israeli policies such as more illegal settlements, end of the 2-state solution, and accompanied by glee from Netanyahu.

In Defense Industry Stocks Surge Following Donald Trump Victory

The Intercept: Naomi Klein lays out in detail how this Amerian Century war on the Middle East was based on creating a shock so profound that radical changes could be made, enormous new powers assumed, and rights stripped, while the public reeled in fear and confusion. After 9/11, Bush's approval leaped to 92% and "defense" stocks skyrocketed. It worked!

So, that's the plan, and Woolsey is there to direct it. Trump may be the Prince but Woolsey is now his Machiavelli.

Is Trump the ultimate snake oil salesman for the neo-con PNAC script....or is he the clueless, blustering buffoon Woolsey was sent to control? Woolsey is not the only one who plays this role but clearly, Bush chose a neo-con with Deep State ties. We have entered the era of serial coups, with elections being both a nuisance and a distraction. Bush had his handler in Cheney, who was selected by.....Cheney) but Woolsey is close to Trump and is filling his vacuous mind with neo-con poison (Iran is secretly building nukes, Syria is using CW, etc.) Trump, being ignorant, will believe lies Woolsey knows not to be true but useful to advance the PNAC agenda of total destabilization of all but the fascist monarchies and fascist Israel in the Middle East, a combined hubris and a disease that can only be cured (paraphrasing Cortez) by oil. We are the aliens seeking a cure for our lust for fossil fuels, slaying the natives by getting them to slay each other.

In Oil edges higher after shock Trump victory for U.S. presidency

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So now we know. The 45th President of the United States will be Donald Trump, a billionaire who has presented himself as an insurgent anti-establishment figure who promised change. And what did the Democratic Party machine do? Instead of choosing their own insurgent who defined himself as a democratic socialist -- Bernie Sanders -- they chose the establishment-personified figure, Hillary Clinton. How dumb was that? The success of the Trump campaign has, in my view, been a vote against Clinton rather than for Trump, and can be summarized as "anyone but Clinton."

One of the best responses to Trump's success came from the leader of Britain's Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn:

"Trump's election is an unmistakable rejection of a political establishment and an economic system that simply isn't working for most people. It is one that has delivered escalating inequality and stagnating or falling living standards for the majority, both in the US and Britain. This is a rejection of a failed economic consensus and a governing elite that has been seen not to have listened. And the public anger that has propelled Donald Trump to office has been reflected in political upheavals across the world."

I don't know what a Trump presidency will mean for America and the world, no-one knows, but I think we can be sure of one thing, that demonization of Russia and Putin will stop. The Clinton team and establishment figures that supported her have made Russia enemy number one in their campaign. I hope a more mature dialogue between the two heavily nuclear-armed states will begin that respects the interests of both nations.

Hillary Clinton was advocating stronger military intervention in Syria, and the enforcement of no-fly zones that would have put America on a collision course with Russia. What a catastrophe for the whole world that would have been!

Let us de-escalate the conflict and let the Syrian people decide who will govern them. The insistence by the US and the West that Assad must go first has been the stumbling block to ending the unbearable suffering of the Syrian people. It is not up to the Americans, the West, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia or anyone else to decide how Syria should be governed and by whom. Let us have elections in Syria supervised by international bodies to ensure that they are fair and free. Russia says they want parliamentary and presidential elections in Syria, and so let us take the Russians at their word and work for that to happen

I was listening this morning to someone on the Today program talking about the US becoming isolationist under President Trump; this is not a bad thing, in my view, when it comes to foreign policy. Interventionist US led to the catastrophic Iraq war and the continuing suffering of its people. Interventionism destroyed the Libyan state, and now lawlessness and anarchy are blighting the lives of its people. Military interventions abroad and particularly in the Middle East, rarely if ever, produce good outcomes for the people who have the misfortune of being interfered with. Commentators should stop making statements as if they are evident truths, no explanations required. Serious journalists should not let them get away with it.

What lessons here in Britain do we learn from America as it elects President Trump? Well, the anger with establishment figures and politics as usual is deep and profound. This is reflected in Britain by the Brexit vote. The lesson for the Parliamentary Labour Party is this; stop undermining Jeremy Corbyn. Any other Labour politician chosen as leader will be seen as an establishment figure and Labour will be punished for it. The only person in the Labour Party capable of winning the next general election is Jeremy Corbyn.

Had the Democrats chosen Bernie Sanders as their candidate we would now be talking about President Sanders instead of President Trump.
Meteorologist Paul Douglas writes about Minnesota weather daily, trying to go beyond the "highs" and "lows" of the weather story to discuss current trends and some of the how's and why's of meteorology. Rarely is our weather dull - every day is a new forecast challenge. Why is the weather doing what it's doing? Is climate change a real concern, and if so, how will my family be affected? Climate is flavoring all weather now, and I'll include links to timely stories that resonate with me.
The Atlantic bluefin can grow up to four metres (13 feet) in length and is a highly sought-after and expensive delicacy, with one specimen selling for more than $1.75 million according to the WWF

Fishing and shipping nations gather in Portugal next week to consider the fate of the endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna and overharvested Mediterranean swordfish, two pricey gourmet favourites.

While conservationists want stricter protection of these and other species, some member nations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) are seeking bigger fishing allowances.

Representatives of the body's 51 parties50 countries and the EU blocwill meet in the coastal town of Vilamoura for a week starting Monday.

"Additional actions are required if ICCAT is to achieve its mandate to sustainably manage the fish stocks and fisheries under its control," said the Pew Charitable Trusts, which advocates for nature conservation.

The ICCAT is responsible for conservation of tunas and related species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas, as well as creatures which get tangled up as by-catch in tuna fishing.

Two years ago, the commission's members decided on a 20 percent annual increase over three years in bluefin tuna quotas in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, despite objections that evidence of stock recovery was sketchy.

The Atlantic bluefin, called Thunnus Thynnus by scientists, is the biggest tuna, growing up to four metres (13 feet) in length.

Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks were decimated to a low of 150,000 tonnes in the mid-2000s, leading to protests and calls from activists to amend quotas

It is a highly sought-after and expensive delicacy, especially as sushi and sashimi in Asiaa single specimen has sold for more than $1.75 million (1.6 million euros), according to the WWF.

Europe does most of the fishing.

Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks were decimated to a low of 150,000 tonnes in the mid-2000s after a decade of quotas as high as 50,000 tonnes per year.

The fish spawn just once a year and do not reach reproductive maturity until they are eight to 12 years old, making their numbers vulnerable to overfishing.

With the aid of lower quotas, the spawning stock rebounded to 585,000 tonnes by 2013, nearly double the levels of the 1950s, according to ICCAT figures.

But conservationists point out the numbers are mere estimates, given that headcounts are very hard to do. And illegal fishing is a major problem, they say.

The ICCAT has raised the 2014 quota of 13,500 tonnes to 16,142 tonnes in 2015 and 19,296 in 2016.

President of sushi restaurant chain Sushi-Zanmai, Kiyoshi Kimura, displays a 200kg bluefin tuna at his Tokyo restaurant that was traded at $117,000

The 2017 quota was provisionally set at 23,155 tonnes, but has to be reviewed after a new stock assessment due early next year.

Some states, including Spain, have called for increases to be discussed already at this year's meeting, according to Paulus Tak, an international ocean policy expert at Pew.

And Turkey has lodged a formal objection to the 2014 decision, which means it can set its own quotas.

Not reviewing quotas ahead of the 2017 assessment was "critical", said Tak, "in order to avoid jeopardising the recovery of the stock".

Swordfish, bigeye

Conservation groups are also rallying for better protection of the Mediterranean swordfish.

The species as a whole is not threatened, but its Mediterranean sub-group is "overfished", according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which keeps a "Red List" of species that are endangered or at risk of becoming so.

The swordfish species as a whole is not threatened but its Mediterranean sub-group is overfished having fallen an estimated two-thirds from 1985

"The Mediterranean swordfish stock is really in a bad condition," the WWF's Giuseppe Di Carlo told AFP ahead of the annual gathering.

"It has been overfished for the last 30 years and it is now getting urgent to put in place an ambitious recovery plan."

The Mediterranean stock has fallen an estimated two-thirds from 1985, and 70 percent of total catches were of immature fishbefore they had a chance to reproduce.

"But there is currently no plan for the sustainable management of this stock," said Di Carlo.

Italy is the main taker of Mediterranean swordfish, followed by Morocco, Spain and Greece.

The commission will also be asked to consider the status of other species at risk, including the bigeye tunaanother favourite in sashimi.

"Although tuna do provide food and livelihoods for people, they are more than just seafood," said the WWF.

"Tuna are a top predator in the marine food chain, maintaining a balance in the ocean environment."

 2016 AFP
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The Green Party in Warren County had candidates on the ballot Tuesday in every race except judges and coroner.

We tried really hard to put forward a physician assistant to run for coroner, said Matt Funiciello, the Green Party candidate in the 21st Congressional District.

Local Green Party candidates are committed to continuing their full ballot strategy and expanding the party base, even though their share of the vote on Tuesday was less than what they had hoped.

We dont have a choice but to move forward on the issues that are driving us, Funiciello said.

He said he fully expected to receive at least 22 percent of the vote on Tuesday, double his 11 percent showing in 2014.

On election night, he only received 4.38 percent of the vote.

This was a very large disappointment, he said.

Funiciello said perhaps he became too optimistic based on the enthusiasm at his campaign events throughout the district.

Robin Barkenhagen, the Green Party candidate in the 114th Assembly District, received 12.31 percent of the vote, and Steve Ruzbacki, the Green Party candidate in the 45th Senate District, received 10 percent of the vote, both running in races with no Democratic candidate.

Disappointment cannot distract from determinism, Barkenhagen said.

The Warren County Green Party is working with Green Party members in Essex, Franklin, Washington and Saratoga counties to organize new chapters, Barkenhagen said.

We are going to try to make sure by 2018 every county in CD (Congressional District) 21 has a county party organized, he said.

In the meantime, the Warren County Green Party Committee is endeavoring to field as many candidates as possible for municipal elections in 2017, and is encouraging members to volunteer on municipal planning, zoning and advisory boards, Barkenhagen said.

Green Party candidates take solace in the fact that party enrollment is increasing, and that the Green Party generally fared better in Warren County than in the rest of the state on Tuesday.

Warren County Green Party enrollment had increased by 56 people to 188 over the past two years, as of Nov. 1, according to the state Board of Elections.

The increase moved the Green Party into fifth place for enrollment among political parties in the county, ahead of the Working Families Party.

Funiciello received the highest number of votes and the highest percentage of votes, by far, of three Green Party congressional candidates in New York on Tuesday.

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein received 2.8 percent of the vote in Warren County, double her statewide percentage of 1.4 percent.

Warren County had the second highest percentage for Stein in the state.

Similarly, Green Party U.S. Senate candidate Robin Laverne Wilson received 2.23 percent of the vote in Warren County, compared with 1.43 percent statewide.

Barkenhagen said his biggest disappointment was that 9,312 people in the 114th Assembly District cast ballots but did not vote for either Assembly candidate, leaving the column blank instead of selecting a candidate.

The reason we run is so that they (incumbents) dont run unopposed, he said.

Funiciello said Republicans seemed less inclined this election than in 2014 to cross party lines to vote for him.

You can see a lot of the Republicans who strayed over to our side last time around out of disgust with the two-party system were far more interested in (Donald) Trump and giving him the support down-ticket he needed, he said.
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BEIJING - China's largest online shopping day that falls on Nov 11 has evolved into one with global impact, providing foreign companies with an alternative to access the enormous Chinese market and consumers outside China with quality products at lower prices.

In Japan, many local businesses including Yahoo Japan, FamilyMart and Softbank have started to put on sale on Nov 11 to coincide with the Chinese "Double 11" event, during which millions of Chinese shoppers spend large sums online for home appliances, clothing, luxury goods, among others.

Leading Thai skincare brand Snailwhite and SPA chain operator Thann opened their flagship stores on Tmall, one of Alibaba's business-to-consumer online platforms.

Li Jin, manager of Snailwhite's Tmall store, said the brand participated in last year's "Double 11" promotion activities and recorded a sales performance far exceeding traditional store sales.

"We have chosen 36 products this year for the Nov 11 promotion this year and expect even better results than last year," he said.

In Australia, local dealers are increasingly recognizing the vast business potential from the annual Chinese online shopping frenzy.

Beef suppliers, dairy producers and wool manufacturers are rushing to set up online stores targeting Chinese customers.

Prime Fresh, a Sydney-based supplier of beef cuts, said its sales surged at least 50 percent in recent weeks thanks to promotion activities for Nov 11, also known as the Singles' Day in China.

Paul Greenberg, CEO of Australia's National Online Retailers Association, told Xinhua that compared with large-scale retail promotions in Western countries, China's Singles' Day features a new sales mode (online rather than in brick-and-mortar store), better logistics and payment solutions. "All these are unique contributions to the global business by China's e-commerce sector," he said.

British chain supermarket operator Waitrose, in partnership with a Chinese marketing and logistics company, started exporting to China in April, selling through the Royal Mail shop on Tmall, said The Guardian.

"Singles Day is a big occasion for consumers and businesses in China and has the potential to give the products we offer more exposure and provide another opportunity to test demand for our brand," Nigel Roberts, a Waitrose manager, was quoted as saying.

On the consumer side, the massive promotions by Chinese e-commerce operators at around Nov 11 have also offered overseas shoppers strong incentives to spend.

Chicago resident Matthew Eisenberg told Xinhua that he has never missed "Double 11" since he knew about it.

Still paying his student loan, the data analyst lives frugally and Chinese online shopping sites help make his life much more comfortable.

Items he often buys online include Chinese digital products and Vietnamese coffee beans. Compared with similar products selling in the United States, they are of good quality with lower prices, he said.

Apart from the price factor, Chinese online shops appeal to overseas consumers because of their detail-oriented services and payment policies.

"When you are browsing the page of a shirt, the system will alert you that the Chinese size is different from the Brazilian one and you could communicate directly with a shop assistant," said Philipe Lima, a 31-year-old software engineer in Rio de Janeiro.

"My personal experience also shows the payment system is very secure," he told Xinhua.

La Nacion, a prestigious Argentine newspapers, has just reported that 80 percent of the packages delivered by the Argentine Postal Service are from China, an indicator of booming e-commerce between the two countries.

Jorge Castro, director of the Institute of Strategic Planning in Buenos Aires, noted that the Nov 11 shopping day are attracting a growing number of Argentine customers.

Thanks to e-commerce platforms, Argentine customers are able to buy across the globe while Argentine businessmen are selling products like red shrimps and cod to the rest of the world, all online. "It is exactly a win-win feast," Castro commented.




















Defeated Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton is not about to go quietly into that good night. On the morning after her surprising and unanticipated defeat at the hands of Republican Party upstart Donald Trump, Mrs. Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, entered the ball room of the art-deco New Yorker hotel in midtown Manhattan and were both adorned in purple attire. The press immediately noticed the color and asked what it represented. Clinton spokespeople claimed it was to represent the coming together of Democratic Blue America and Republican Red America into a united purple blend. This statement was a complete ruse as is known by citizens of countries targeted in the past by the vile political operations of international hedge fund tycoon George Soros.









The Clintons, who both have received millions of dollars in campaign contributions and Clinton Foundation donations from Soros, were, in fact, helping to launch Soross Purple Revolution in America. The Purple Revolution will resist all efforts by the Trump administration to push back against the globalist policies of the Clintons and soon-to-be ex-President Barack Obama. The Purple Revolution will also seek to make the Trump administration a short one through Soros-style street protests and political disruption.









No sooner had Trump been declared the 45 th president of the United States, Soros-funded political operations launched their activities to disrupt Trump during Obamas lame-duck period and thereafter. The swiftness of the Purple Revolution is reminiscent of the speed at which protesters hit the streets of Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, in two Orange Revolutions sponsored by Soros, one in 2004 and the other, ten years later, in 2014.

As the Clintons were embracing purple in New York, street demonstrations, some violent, all coordinated by the Soros-funded Moveon.org and Black Lives Matter, broke out in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Oakland, Nashville, Cleveland, Washington, Austin, Seattle, Philadelphia, Richmond, St. Paul, Kansas City, Omaha, San Francisco, and some 200 other cities across the United States.





President-elect Trump is facing a two-pronged attack by his opponents. One, led by entrenched neo-con bureaucrats, including former Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency director Michael Hayden, former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, and Bush family loyalists are seeking to call the shots on who Trump appoints to senior national security, intelligence, foreign policy, and defense positions in his administration.









These neo-Cold Warriors are trying to convince Trump that he must maintain the Obama aggressiveness and militancy toward Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and other countries. The second front arrayed against Trump is from Soros-funded political groups and media. This second line of attack is a propaganda war, utilizing hundreds of anti-Trump newspapers, web sites, and broadcasters, that will seek to undermine public confidence in the Trump administration from its outset.









One of Trumps political advertisements, released just prior to Election Day, stated that George Soros, Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen, and Goldman Sachs chief executive officer Lloyd Blankfein, are all part of a global power structure that is responsible for the economic decisions that have robbed our working class, stripped our country of its wealth and put that money into the pockets of a handful of large corporations and political entities. Soros and his minions immediately and ridiculously attacked the ad as anti-Semitic. President Trump should be on guard against those who his campaign called out in the ad and their colleagues. Soross son, Alexander Soros, called on Trumps daughter, Ivanka, and her husband Jared Kushner, to publicly disavow Trump. Soross tactics not only seek to split apart nations but also families. Trump must be on guard against the current and future machinations of George Soros, including his Purple Revolution.

































US president-elect Donald Trump hailed Israel as a beacon of hope to countless people on Friday in his first public message to the country since his upset victory.





Israel and America share so many of the same values, such as freedom of speech, freedom of worship and the importance of creating opportunities for all citizens to pursue their dreams, Trump said in the message published by the Israel Hayom newspaper.





Israel is the one true democracy and defender of human rights in the Middle East and a beacon of hope to countless people.





He added that he hoped his administration would play a significant role in helping the parties to achieve a just, lasting peace, saying that any deal would have to be directly negotiated between the two sides.





France is currently pushing for an international conference to discuss peace in the Middle East, but Israel says any talks should be bilateral ones between the two sides.





The Palestinians have called for international involvement, accusing Israel of reneging on past agreements.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among the first leaders Trump spoke to after his election victory.





Israeli right-wingers have hailed Trumps win as an opportunity to consolidate control over the West Bank.

Meir Turgeman, chairman of the Jerusalem municipality planning committee, told Israel Radio that it provided a green light to revive suspended permits for Israeli construction in East Jerusalem.





He said the municipality intended to authorize thousands of housing units that had been frozen.

















The Marxist Coup Brewing within our Republic







No one should think that the globalist power structure, for which Hillary Rodham Clinton is the face, will willingly cede their power No one should think that the globalist power structure, for which Hillary Rodham Clinton is the face, will willingly cede their power. They will not go quietly into the night. Instead, they will utilize the tactics of their patron saint, Saul Alinsky, whose book Rules for Radicals was dedicated to Lucifer himself. We are seeing this play out on the streets of Portland, Los Angeles, New York and other cities in between.



Thousands of intellectually impaired malcontents and morally bankrupt lawless anarchists, or a generation of Clinton, Obama and Sanders supporters, are mere cannon fodder for the Clintons and the larger criminal cabal that has allowed to exist for so long. However, they are too blinded to see that they are pawns in a much larger globalist agenda to retain their power and elite status.



Again we see the lies of the leftist media and their card-carrying Socialist comrades deceptively claiming that these protests are both spontaneous and organic. They are neither, and are as spontaneous as the attack in Benghazi was in 2012. They are well planned, organized and funded by the same people who refuse to cede power. The media is even reluctant to call them for what they are: organized riots, complete with injuries and property destruction. Left unexposed, these riots will not only continue, but spread.

It is now Hillary Clinton and her Marxist supporters who are threatening our Representative Republic through the petition website Change.org. Immediately following Donald Trumps election victory, a petition was launched to sway the Electoral College to Make Hillary Clinton President on December 19. The Electoral College will meet and vote on December 19, 2016, to certify the Trump victory as defined within our Constitution. Remember, the United States is a Representative Republic and not a Democracy, no matter how many times journalists want to change our constitution through language and the repetitiveness of their lies.

Unable to comprehend such duplicity and blinded by their idolatry, these useful idiots, including the Hollywood elite are pushing for the Electors of the Electoral College to cast their ballots for Clinton on December 19, 2016. They believe that they have the chance to change the outcome of the election, an event that would surely throw this already heavily divided country into a very real civil war, something the Marxists Progressives have been longing for. In fact, my own government insider admitted as much exactly as I have documented in my previous reports.

As to the petition to the Electoral College, it should be noted that they currently have over 2.2 million signatures and are gaining on their goal of three million.









Are We Disillusioned Yet?




















































































South Korea says North Korea has fired a total of more than 10 missiles off its eastern and western coasts, reports AP.
READ MORE:Rate of teacher absenteeism declines

He thanked the teacher unions and the Ghana Education Service for reducing teacher absenteeism from 27 percent to 7 percent.

"I want to thank the teacher unions, GNAT (Ghana National Association of Teachers) and GNAGRAT (National Association of Graduate Teachers) and also the Ghana Education Service. Today as I speak, as at this year, teacher absenteeism is down from 27 percent to seven percent," he said at the commissioning of the Frafraha Community Day School.

The gradual reduction of teacher absenteeism has been attributed to strict measures put in place by the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to tackle the issue.

The Brong Ahafo and Upper East Regions recorded the lowest teacher absenteeism rates in the country. The two regions recorded 2 percent as against the national rate of 7 percent.

READ MORE: New teachers to be licensed before they teach in public schools
The victim, who narrated the story to the Punch, said: On Thursday night, my wife went out to use the toilet. We normally use potties. But when she got to where she put her potty, she could not find it, so she came back to ask me but I told her I had not seen it.

She went outside to look for it and that was when she saw our neighbour (Essien) coming out of the toilet with it.

My wife came back to report to me. I was preparing to go out and challenge the man for using my wifes potty when my wife cautioned me not to go.

She said she would prefer to go and meet the mans wife and talk to her. I agreed and let the matter go.

The following morning (Friday), I went to work but when I came back in the night, I saw the potty at my entrance, even though we usually kept it out of sight in a corner of the house.

When I asked my wife about it, she said she did not know who put it there, so I picked the potty and put it under the staircase where we usually kept it.

When I was returning it, Essien blocked my way and said I should not put it there again, I asked why and he said because my wife was accusing him of using the plastic.

I told him that if my wife really accused him, all he needed was to deny or ignore her that he really did not use it.

I tried to go past him and put the potty there but he pushed me to the ground. We were about to fight when neighbours separated us. I went inside and sat down.

Later, I went to put on a boxer and sat outside to take fresh air. I was receiving a call when I heard I will surprise you today. I will show you today.

I turned around and he rushed at me. We were fighting when he grabbed my manhood and held on to it so tightly that I fell down and fainted.

I think he did not know that I had actually fainted because I was told he still held on to it even when I had passed out. I learnt that it took three men in the compound to force him to let go.

I was later told that after Essien let go, my neighbours realised how serious my injuries were as I laid unconscious on the ground, so they quickly revived and rushed me to a hospital where I was stitched up and hooked on a drip.

Chiagba further explained that he had not been able to walk properly since the incident, adding that he had expended a lot of money on treatment and believed Essien must be made to reimburse the money he spent on his treatment.

But Essien, a Calabar, Cross River State indigene, who has since been arrested by policemen from the Egbeda Police Division, Lagos, said he did not mean to inflict such an injury on Chiagba.

According to the police image maker, Dolapo Badmus, Essien has been charged before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates Court in the state for battery and assault.
READ MORE: Ayariga heads to court again over disqualification

Whoever appointed her was the worst mistake Ghana has ever done in our history and for that matter we are calling immediately for her resignation that she is not qualified," Ayariga told the media Friday.

"Her institution is no more credible, not free, not fair, to supervise the general election. And if we proceed with this woman whatever comes our faith we should accept it in good faith because we have called for it, he said.

READ MORE: PPP supporters clash with students leaves many injured

Speaking at a lecture in the UK last week, Charlotte Osei said, "there will be one winner and certainly several losers including Hassan Ayariga, I am sure."
Intended as a discussion group, the blog has evolved to be more of a reading list of current issues affecting our county, its government and people. All reasonable comments and submissions welcomed. Email us at: bill.pysson@gmail.com REMEMBER: To view our sister blog for education issues: www.district100watchdog.blogspot.com
He accused the commission of manipulating the laws to disqualify him.

We will go to court but I dont want to hold the whole country to ransom, [so] I will not put an injunction on the election but I will seek for justice to be delivered to me and to the whole world to know that that people cannot take the law into their own hands and do whatever they want and walk away with it, he said.

The disqualified flagbearer said his decision to go to court is for the good of the nation, warning that what the commission did to him could happen to anyone in the future.

He said: We want justice for our nation; we want justice for the many million Ghanaians who are before me and around me.

"It is not about Hassan Ayariga and the EC, it is about our nation and all of you want to see that justice is delivered.

"In mathematics, once you get one equation wrong, no matter the formulas you use, the end result will be wrong.

"So if we allow the virus of the EC to affect Hassan Ayariga it will affect the rest of you in the future and we dont want that to happen so lets correct the virus now.

Ayariga failed to make the cut after the Supreme Court ordered the EC to extend the deadline for the submission of nomination forms following the disqualification of 12 presidential nominees.

In all, seven presidential nominees have been cleared by the commission to contest in the December vote.
I was a minister in former President Rawlings government when we wanted to give Muslims public holidays, the NPP resisted it. In fact, we suffered, he said at Takoradi Zongo in the Western region.

Prof. Ahwoi, who is credited with Ghana's chaotic local governance system, said president John Mahama and his vice president, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, are committed to the course of the Zongo communities.

He noted that though the president and his vice are not Muslims, they are committed to working with the Chiefs and people of the Zongos.
As Omane Boamah went off discussion and the host tried to whip him in line, he lost his cool, accusing host Sampson Lardy Ayenini and Joy FM of whitewashing Akufo-Addo.

The president's spokesman also turned his blazing gun on former Attorney General Martin Amidu, calling him a liar, demanding that Joy FM puts him on the phone for him to address him.

When his demand was refused, he quizzed: "Sampson, why are you not putting him online?"

At that point, a banter ensues between him and the host, as Sampson tells him, "I am not one of those dumb host" who succumbs to your demand.

Omane Boamah then responded: "I won't sit down here and allow you to turn the truth outside down. Martin Amidu has lied, yet you are not interested in putting him online."

Other panellists on the show had to remind him that he is a Minister of state and that his conduct on the show was repugnant.
DeNiro is one of many world celebrities who spoke out against Trump due to his divisive agenda if elected president.

The actor's short video was an online hit after he was seen slamming the business mogul, making it clear that he won't like to have him as president.

That boat has now sailed, but DeNiro is yet to come to terms with the outcome of the US presidential election.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, he said, I feel like I did after 9/11.

Well just see what happens. There will be many, many, many, many, many people watching.

DeNiro, in his viral video directed at Donald Trump called the politician blatantly stupid, a punk, a dog, a pig, a con, and a bulls artist, among other things. He also said hed like to punch [Trump] in the face.

It looks like he will not be getting his wish to punch Trump in the face being that the latter is about to occupy one of the most powerful and coveted position in the world.

The actor was quite aware of this when he said, I cant do that now  hes the president,

And I have to respect that position, even though we all know what he, anyway.

"We have to see what hes gonna do, and how hes really gonna follow through on certain things.

"As we even see now, in a lot of cities, a lot of people are getting very upset and protesting.

It is yet to be seen what will follow soon as Trump assumes the role of the president.
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According to reports, the clergyman was taken at his farm located in Kufi area, along Olounda-Aba road, Ibadan.

Rt. Rev. Amos Ajiboye, the bishop of the diocese has released a statement calling on the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi to assist in finding the kidnapped priest.

The whereabouts of the priest is still unknown. On behalf of the Prelate of the church, His Eminence, Dr. K. Uche, and the Archbishop of Ibadan, Most Rev. M.K. Stephen, I appeal to the Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the state Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to please assist in finding the whereabouts of the minister of God and help release him unhurt.

Report says that Ogunbekun was at the farm with two of his staff when five gunmen abducted him and took him to an unknown location.
He came into the year riding the buzz of his hit single Ojuelegba, and two massive collaborations: Soweto Baby with South African powerhouses DJ Maphorisa and DJ Buckz, and Roll Up (Re-Up) with Emtee.

But things really picked up when Drake snapped him up for his chart-topping summer anthem One Dance.

Since then, he has won a slew of awards, the most notable being the nod for Artiste of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards.

You can be forgiven for thinking hes done though, because he isnt.

Yesterday, on the 10th of November 2016, Wizkid tweeted "#TeamWizkid homecoming concert in lagos looking live!! i cut all VIP tickets! No VIP we all one! One price for all! Date in a bit!" at his 2.3 million fans.

It was meant to be an update of sorts on the concert that would welcome him home from a year of globetrotting.

In response, one of his fans, Twitter user @casted_dammy asked that the concert be held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere.

It sounded like a terrific suggestion, the stuff of Eureka moments. And Wizkid thought so too; he tweeted at the Lagos State Governor asking for permission to use the venue.

Ultimately, security concerns mean that the arena will not host the concert, but it got us wondering: Could Wizkid fill up Teslim Balogun Stadium if he got the chance?

Nigeria does not have an active concert culture.

We have the biggest stars on the continent, the millions of teeming fans and all the space we could want, but the shows are in short supply.

It seems mostly due to constant security problems; the fear of going to see live music and coming home in complete pain and sorrow.

Theres also the problem of cost, not everybody wants to pay five thousand naira to stand in the heat and enjoy body odor for 5 hours because of Wizkid, or Olamide, or anyone for that matter.

In recent times, apart from the seminal Star Trek, only Phyno has gone near the idea of a proper stadium concert.

The Igbo stars fans shut down the Chuba Ikpeazu Stadium in Onitsha for the 2015 edition of PhynoFest.

Before that, courtesy of Nigerias obsession with Makossa, Awilo Longomba filled the National Stadium, Surulere in 2000.

It has not happened since.

Wizkids case seems completely different.

No act has enjoyed this much of a high since Dbanj dropped Oliver Twist and got us asking for more that would never come.

Also, he hasnt done any major shows in the country since the start of the year, and with the list of hits hes dropped, it would be the perfect time to hold a concert for the fans.

Add that to the fact that hes finally coming into his own as a stage performer and you might just have all the reasons why the concert should be an overwhelming success.

Being Young Pablo, though, does not exempt Wizkid from the basic problems that any other artiste would face; price and security.

Then, theres Lagos itself; during the festive season, the city is a difficult place to navigate. Fans would have to deal with the trouble of getting in and out of the area surrounding the venue; many tears of frustration will be shed on that day.

Then theres the problem of managing things at the venue. We are not really popular for our decorum; imagine the scenes when Wizkid remembers that he can throw money to his people.

The bid to make the Teslim Balogun dream a reality has since been shut down as Wizkid says he will inform fans of the venue and date for his homecoming concert.

The jury here is still out on whether or not he can pull it off, theres little we can do than wait to see if hell try again.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said this at news conference in Lagos to mark his one year in office.

Adewole said that the ministry would also work with the private sector to publish a directory of health facilities in the country.

He said that the ministry had during the period evolved a development plan even in the face of economic challenges and distractions resulting from Lassa fever and Polio outbreaks.

According to him, Lassa fever has been put under check and rehabilitation work has commenced in seven laboratories across the country to aid quick and better diagnosis of disease outbreak.

Adewole said that healthcare delivery required collective efforts and should not be left for government alone.

We have decided to work with the private sector in the coming year because they have the discipline, resources and efficiency to drive the sector.

We want to establish a Bank of Health similar to Bank of Industry and Bank of Agricultural, so that those who want to set up health facilities can have access to resources.

We believe that the one million dollars that is estimated to leave Nigeria due to medical tourism will be trapped here.

 Those who go to India, Europe, even Ghana and Benin Republic, will have no reason to leave the country for medical care, he said

Adewole said that a technical working group had been set up in collaboration with the private sector to publish health facilities directory and their services.

Publishing a directory of health facilities across the country and the services they render is important, be it renal or heart transplant or even cancer surgeries.

This will help Nigerians to make informed choices and know where to go, he said.

The minister said that the ministry would also embark on the revitalisation of seven teaching hospitals in 2017, adding, however, that we cannot rehabilitate all the teaching hospitals in 2017; we will do it in phases.

We are hoping to do seven with two cancer machines next year and then we scale up further.

On liver cancer, which is the commonest in Nigeria, Adewole said that the ministry would be working with International Agency for Research and Cancer to reduce the burden.

The agency is developing a new initiative to store groundnut properly because there is a link between Aflatoxin in groundnut and liver cancer.

With that initiative, we are going to reduce liver cancer in Nigeria, he added.

He urged the media to partner the ministry to help get feedback, criticisms and help to restore the confidence of Nigerians in the health sector.

Year one is gone; we recognise what we have done. For the ones we are yet to do and the challenges in the sector, we are on track; we are committed and focused.
In a recent report by Punch Newspaper, the insurgents reportedly demanded $50million as ransom for the Chibok girls but the FG paid only a quarter of the sum.

The report also revealed that the ransom was paid in two currencies  the naira and the CFA Francs to the leaders of the sect to facilitate the release of the girls.

This is coming despite denials by the Federal Government that money was paid to the sect to secure the release of the abducted girls.

A military source told Punch that it is unfortunate that the government's desperation to secure the release of the girls saw the FG yielding to the demands of the insurgents.

It is unfortunate that in governments desperation to secure the release of the Chibok girls, it has put our (soldiers) lives in danger by yielding to the demands of the group to collect a ransom and secure the release of its commanders.

It is now obvious that the group has reinforced and bought more weapons to fight us.

Funds were given to Boko Haram and now we can all see the result of that action; there have been renewed attacks recently and many of our men have been killed in the process but we will not relent, we will continue to do our best to secure this nation.

The military had reservations about the arrangement but it was not in our hands; it was a political decision that we had to abide with and it was the DSS that was directly in charge of the operation, the source disclosed.

ALSO READ: FG, Boko Haram finalise negotiations for release of 2nd batch

The military sources insisted that Boko Haram did not release the girls without getting anything in return and that the Federal Government indeed paid a ransom.
Boko Haram, which has killed and kidnapped thousands of people, had seized an area approximately the size of Belgium in northeastern Nigeria by last year but has since lost significant ground amid growing regional military pressure.

Analyst and security sources think the fighters are probably recent recruits that Boko Haram has struggled to retain as it has ceded territory. Defections of Boko Haram fighters have been reported in Nigeria but are not known to have previously occurred on such a large scale.

"They surrendered to our troops on the front line in Lake Chad," said Colonel Mohammad Dole, Chief Military Public Information Officer for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) headquartered in Chad's capital N'Djamena.

"The surrenders are taking place because of the firepower of our operations. The groups, many of them armed, have been arriving since September and their number keeps increasing," he said.

Some 240 fighters, most off whom are Chadian, are now being held in detention along with their families, Dole said.
J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. He is particularly interested in the experiences of children in 1765-75. He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. He was consultant for an episode of History Detectives, and contributed to a display at Minute Man National Historic Park.
Dogara made the call at Obosi, Anambra, while speaking at an economic empowerment programme launched by member of the house, Rep. Obinna Chidoka (PDP-Anambra), representing Idemili North and South Federal Constituency.

According to a statement by Mr Iliya Habila, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, the speaker advised Nigerians not to allow the difficulties of the recession to becloud the opportunities in the country.

The truth is that in every difficulty there are challenges.

We should not let the difficulties we are facing as a people and as a nation to becloud us from seeing the opportunities that are available from these national challenges that we are facing.

Challenges related to the economic recession should never be the excuse whereby hard working citizens will fold their hands and continue to look up to government to perform the magic.

For us, the wealth of a nation is not measured by how rich the nation is; it is measured in gross national product.

It, therefore, means that it is accumulative wealth of the people that translates into the wealth of the nation.

If our citizens are rich and wealthy, Nigeria will be a wealthy nation. If our citizens are poor and hungry, Nigeria will remain a poor nation, he said.

Dogara expressed belief that items distributed to the people at the event by the legislator would ensure their self-reliance and empowerment for their families.

He said the House of Representatives believed that apart from legislation, lawmakers were also duty-bound to assist their constituents with items to empower them.
Fashola told newsmen in Lagos on Friday night that the government had to lay the structure and establish a system before calling for private participation in the housing sector.

He said that most of the building materials to be used would be sourced locally to fast-track growth and reduce unemployment.

If we achieve what we are planning, we would have built a system; if it becomes enduring like the new pension scheme, the better.

When acceptability has set in, the private sector can be called in, he said, adding that the Federal Mortgage Bank would play a significant role in providing funds.

Fashola said the socio-cultural needs of each geopolitical zone would be considered in arriving at what architectural designs to choose for a particular town.

He said that the targeted group would be civil servants on levels eight to 15 and their contemporaries in the private sector who would spend an agreed number of years to pay for the houses.
Lt.-Col. Olaolu Daudu, the Coordinator of the Joint Media Campaign Centre of Operation Delta Safe, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Saturday that measures had been put in place to restore peace in the region.

Troops in Delta foiled an armed robbery attempt and rescued 6 civilians returning from market along Bomadi Agadama road by Ohoro Junction in Ughelli North Local Government Area. The suspected robbers fled on sighting troops.

In another development, troops deployed at Koluama conducted a raid on Sea Pirates hideout in Kasabubou Forupa Waterways, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

Troops rescued three persons namely; Peter Atijera, Lukeman Balogun and Pious John and recovered Speedboat mounted with Double Engine 115/80 Horse Power, 2 Binoculars and one Motorola radio.

The Air Component of Operation DELTA SAFE while on patrol over Isaka town, Kidney Island, Alakiri and Bille in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State sighted two barges loaded with illegally refined products which were incapacitated, Daudu said.

According to him, troops of Sector 3 resolved a major fracas between the youths of Ayama village in Aladja community of Warri South West in the process of which one Mr Sunday Obuche of Ayama Community was killed.

Daudu noted that the presence of troops forestalled the degeneration of the crisis and further loss of lives.

He stated that the corpse of Obuche has been deposited at the Oviam Aladja Police Station while a meeting with the warring factions will be held to forestall reprisal attacks.

The spokesman also said the troops rescued three indigenous staff of LEX Oil, who were kidnapped on Nov. 3 at Ikuru town in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers.

Furthermore, troops in conjunction with personnel of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) conducted a raid on a suspected illegal drug dealers hideout at Emu Obodeti Community in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Delta State.

The operation led to the arrest of one Moses Eni and Mrs Boyi Kamanda with 55 bags of substance suspected to be Indian hemp recovered.
Going by the number of rice farmers benefiting from the VCDP and the hectares of land they cultivate, you will agree with me that Niger State has the potentials to feed Nigeria and West Africa, he said.

Ahmed said 146 rice farmers were benefiting from the programme in the state and were cultivating a total of 10, 000 hectares of land.

He said that these farmers produce 120, 000 metric tonnes of rice per annum.

The VCDP coordinator added that the state has arable land and large number of farmers, especially youths, embracing modern techniques in farming.

The Programme Coordinator said that the VCDP was providing effective agronomic practices to the rice and cassava farmers for yield increase.

The farmers have testified that before the VCDP came into their clusters they were getting one metric tonne of rice per hectare.

As at today, they are harvesting four metric tonnes of rice per hectare of land.

It is encouraging because the state and the country can become self sufficient in food production, he said.

Ahmed said that the programme, which started as a pilot scheme in three local government areas in the state, had been increased to five local governments.

He said that IFAD was also assisting five other local government areas in the state under the Federal Government Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) arrangement.

Alhaji Shehu Yusuf, the Chairman of All Farmers Association in the state, reiterated that the state has the arable land to feed the country and West Africa with rice.

As I speak to you, 7, 000 members of AFAN in Niger State are benefitting from the federal Government ABP scheme.

Each person is expected to cultivate one hectare of land with a yield of 5.5 metric tonnes per annum, making a total of 385, 000 metric tonnes of rice annually, he said.

Also speaking, Mallam Mohammed Ndako, the Chairman of Jinji Farmers Cooperative Society in Katcha Local Government Area of the state, commended VCDP, saying ABP had increased yield and income.

Alhaji Umar Kutigi, the Director of Agriculture Communication in the Niger Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the state had a land mass of 86, 000 square kilometres.
In an interview session in Lagos on Saturday, November 12, 2016, Adeosun explained that it will take sometime before the masses start feeling the impact of the funds injected into the economy.

Adeosun said that the administration is so concerned and determined to put basic infrastructures in place after projects have been stalled due to lack of finance.

She said: "There are a number of reasons why the impact of the injected fund into the economy is not felt by the masses and common Nigerian on the streets or as people would like. One is this, of course these are long term projects and you have to go through procurement process which slowed us down."

Speaking further, she said: "Secondly, many contractors who havent been paid since 2013 sat on the first tranche paid to them because they didnt know when another payment is coming but when we paid the second funds, which is another N350billion, we now started seeing a lot of activities, so if you think about the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, you will find out that there are more work going on than in the last three months and that is because the contractor said, look we havent been paid since 2012 and you want us to work but after we were able to pay twice, they knew we meant business.

"We are still planning to release another fund, hopefully, before the end of the year to the contractors because we are very committed to these and we know the only way to get this economy to move is this and that is why the impact hasnt really been felt and also you will need to follow due process, you cant just do the contracts yourself, so we have been advertising and reaching out to people giving the Nigerians the opportunity to partake, so that slowed things a bit down but I think that is better for everybody and there is more transparency in what we do," she said.
According to a report by Sun Newspaper, the governor said this on Friday, November 11, 2016 at a judiciary event in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Wike said: I was afraid to come out for this programme when I heard that all the security heads in this state came for the programme.

So, I told my orderly to pack some of my things into a bag that I may not return because they may arrest me from there.

My orderly asked, but you have immunity, I told him that there couldnt be immunity in Nigeria when people are arrested anyhow. We dont respect the rule of law. Anybody can be arrested at anytime, the governor stated.
On Saturday, Fadayomi, the Chairman of APC in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the APC had been able to sell itself adequately to the members of the constituency.

According to him, the party is fully on ground and admired by most of the residents.

Even if all opposition parties form an alliance, we are going to defeat them.

We will work hard to put our new candidate in the position formerly occupied by our party before the demise of Mr Elijah Adewale, he said.

The chairman said that the party would unite all its members including those who might feel unhappy about the outcome of the partys primary election held on Friday.

Fadayomi urged the party members to leave their differences behind and work together for the partys victory.

NAN reports that Mr Nurudeen Akinwunmi on Friday defeated Mr Adisa Owolabi to emerge the winner of the APC primary election for the bye-election.

The Chairman of the APC Primary Election Organising Committee, Mr Ismael Ahmed, said that Akinwunmi polled 219 votes to defeat Owolabi who secured 166 votes.

According to him, 392 delegates were screened for the poll from 11 wards that made up the federal constituency.

He said that the total number of votes cast was 388, out of which 385 were valid and three invalid.

An official of INEC in the state, Mrs Bose Oluwatomisin, had told NAN, It was free and fair and the atmosphere was peaceful.

There was internal democracy, the election had no rancour, though there is always room for improvement.

NAN reports that Mr Elijah Adewale, who represented the constituency in the House of Representatives, died in Abuja on July 20.
According to a report by Daily Trust, the state's Chief of staff, Abdulrahman Abba Jimeta made this known on Thursday, November 10, 2016.

Abdulrahman Abba Jimeta said all elected and appointed officials in the state would work for Atiku as soon as he declares his intention to contest.

Speaking in Hausa said " the entire Adamawa.state government is firmly behind the former Vice President .where ever he (Atiku) goes,the state government is behind him".

"From the Governor ,to the Deputy governor,the Secretary to the state government , the Commissioners ,the special advisers and special assistants and all other political appointees and members of the State House of Assembly are behind Atiku Abubakar", he stated.

Speaking further the state's Chief of Staff said: "Such an important figure in Adamawa State, we as a government ,have nothing to pay him back, than to support all his,political ambitions and to give him our support if he declares to run for any political office".
DES MOINES  Iowa Republicans dramatic victories in Tuesdays election can be traced in large part to the partys voter-contact program it has been preparing since the wake of the previous presidential election, top national Republican officials say.

Republicans in Iowa won the presidential vote for the first time since 2004 and just the second time in the past seven presidential elections post-Ronald Reagan.

The Iowa GOPs four congressional incumbents also won, and the party took control of the state Senate by defeating six Democratic incumbents, giving Republicans full control of the Iowa Capitol for at least the next two years.

Throughout the 2016 election season, national and state party officials expressed confidence in their voter-contact program, which was established shortly after the 2012 election. Those officials said this week they feel vindicated by Tuesdays results.

I think that Tuesdays historic win for Donald Trump and really Republicans across the country was made possible because of (Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus) strategic vision to build a world-class, permanent, data-driven ground game, Juston Johnson, the national partys regional political director for Iowa and Wisconsin, said Friday.

The national GOP determined after the 2012 election it needed to establish a long-term, data-driven voter-contact program in key presidential battleground states, including Iowa. The work began in late 2013 to prepare for the 2014 mid-term elections.

The national party partnered with battleground state parties, including Iowa, to develop a long-term strategy that started early with building relationships with organizers and voters. Republicans modeled some of their work on President Barack Obamas successful ground game, making their own tweaks and additions.

They also trained staff to develop neighborhood outreach leaders and relied on a data-rich voter-contact program to maximize turnout.

While it is impossible to draw a definitively direct correlation, the short-term anecdotal evidence suggests the program been dramatically effective.

In 2012, Iowa went for Obama for the second time, but the state had a Republican Gov. Terry Branstad. Iowas congressional delegation was a three-three split of Democrats and Republicans, and the Statehouse was under split party control.

In four years and two elections, Iowa now has five congressional Republicans and one Democrat, the Statehouse will be under complete Republican control come January, and the state went for Donald Trump by almost 10 percentage points.

Republicans also have grown their advantage over Democrats in state voter registration: As of Nov. 1, active registered Republican voters outnumbered Democrats by more than 33,000. After the 2012 election, Democrats led Republicans by 4,461 active registered voters.

And they narrowed the early-voting gap: In 2012, Iowa Democrats cast 68,000 more early votes than Republicans; in 2016, that advantage was reduced to 42,000.

The hard work that we set out to do definitely paid off, Matt Dailer, the national partys Iowa political director, said Friday. The fact we were there for so long, we built relationships with people who got to be part of the discussions.

When Trump secured the Republican nomination, his campaign ceded the ground game operation to the party, which already was running its expansive operation.

I think that we need to acknowledge and thank, frankly, the Trump campaign for their efforts. But I can give them credit for understanding what the RNC had built and had been working on for more than a year and a half and just fully bought into our plan, Johnson said. I dont think that can be overemphasized, because what that allowed us to do was to create efficiencies within the program, so we werent duplicating effort.

In 2012, Iowa went for Democratic President Barack Obama for the second time, but had a Republican Gov. Terry Branstad. The states Congressional delegation was a perfect three-three split of Democrats and Republicans, and the statehouse was under split party control.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  John and Jill Hesseling had planned on getting married in July, 2004. Jill had the dress picked out and the big day was planned. Then John got a phone call that would put their lives on hold.

He came up to me and he told me, Im getting deployed, Jill said.

That February, the high school sweethearts would marry at the Muscatine Courthouse. They canceled their July wedding and at a time when most newlyweds make honeymoon plans, they drew up a will and power of attorney in case John never came back.

You dont really think of having to do a will, Jill said. You dont think about having to do it at that age.

John, who served in the Iowa National Guard, would turn 21 during his pre-deployment training in Texas.

Its just a very real experience to leave a brand new wife and your life behind and go, he said.

Jill came to Texas to see John one last time before he left for Afghanistan and the magnitude of their sacrifice hit her.

I think you dont realize the extent of the sacrifice that its going to be. You think, we can do this its not going to be so bad, she said.

But saying goodbye was painful.

You say I love you, with meaning, she said. And its like, you say like it could be the last time because you dont really know. And so you hug and you dont want to let go.

In Afghanistan, John served as a combat engineer. He recalls the hot summer and the freezing winter he spent there.

I grew up quite a bit, he said about his time there.

He remembers going into villages and seeing the Taliban in action.

You go into a town and you could tell how friendly they [villagers] were, he said. If you went into a town and they ran inside, you knew that the Taliban had been through there and had convinced them that we are the bad people and that they will be hurt if they cooperated or interacted with us.

Other times, he said, kids would ask him for Pepsi and candy.

Back at home, Jill had to adjust to a new life without John. She worked overtime. She bought a home. She wrote him letters and waited for his calls. But she was also worried. She knew police officers would come to her home or work if John was killed.

Every time a cop drove by your house or youve seen one in your workplace, your heart just drops to your stomach and you think, like, is that something for me? she said.

Jill tried to ignore those feelings, but her worries would resurface every time she heard news from Afghanistan. But she would also rejoice in the letters he sent her.

Every letter you would get in the mail was the best thing ever, she said.

John would come back a year and a half later and their lives would resume.

Its weird, he said. You come back to somewhere youve been your entire life and its different.

At home, Johns Army training would surface at odd moments. When he saw lightning bugs he would reflexively reach for his night goggles. And although a year and a half passed since their hasty wedding at the courthouse, John and Jill had never lived together.

Five years later, John would join the Muscatine Police Department, where he is now a detective.

He cares about his country, he cares about his family, he cares about his community, I mean, because of the Army he became a police officer. He wanted to continue his work and serving, Jill said.

And in many ways, she said, being an Army wife and being a police officers wife is very similar.

Even being a police officers wife, you still sacrifice. It doesnt stop. He goes to work every day and I cant tell you if hes coming home.

But, she said, she is also keenly aware of the value of their lives together.

You cant let yourself focus on that, and you try not to take anything for granted.
An email sent this week by Niabi Zoo director Lee Jackson saying there will be no public-private partnership that would place governance of the zoo in the hands of a third party has irked members of the non-profit Niabi Zoological Society and some members of the Rock Island County Board.

For more than a year, we have been evaluating the possibility of entering into a public-private partnership with the Niabi Zoological Society, wherein the Forest Preserve would enter into a management agreement with the Society transitioning the Zoo to public ownership with private management by the zoo, Jackson wrote. We were very thorough in this evaluation.

Jackson based his statement on an opinion issued by the civil division of the Rock Island County States Attorneys Office.

But Jacksons position goes against a plan that County Board members had embraced just a year ago.

In October 2015, the County Board released an action plan for the zoo prepared by Philadelphia-based business consultant Schultz & Williams. Strengthening the Niabi Zoo will require shifting the Zoos governance from the Forest Preserve Commission to a new five-member steering committee and oversight board, the plan said.

The plan said that taking the zoo out of the hands of the Forest Preserve Commission "will create greater appeal for donors who articulated a reluctance during their interviews for the Societys recently completed feasibility study to support the Zoo as a publicly managed facility.

In essence, the strategic plan said that major donors did not want to donate if the zoo remained under the control of the Forest Preserve Commission, which is made up of the entire County Board.

In his email, Jackson said, We will move forward, however. We believe that a focus on reinvigorating our current structure is our path forward.

He said Friday that more information about his decision and his plans will be forthcoming.

County Board member Drue Mielke, of Coal Valley, questioned the timing of the opinion, but was more concerned about the financial viability of the zoo.

The zoo is in the center of my district, Mielke said Friday. Its a big part of my district.

With potentially thousands of dollars in donations to the zoo at stake, Mielke said that, "It is very important for us to get outside sponsorship for the zoo. Anything that prohibits that is bad news. That outside sponsorship will provide the funds necessary for this zoo to soar.

Mielke added that Jackson does not have the authority to make such a unilateral decision.

"He operates the zoo, but we are the elected officials," Mielke said. "We set the policy."

Rock Island County States Attorney John McGehee said Friday that there is no state statute prohibiting the zoo from entering into public-private partnership.

However, "entering into public-private partnerships always raises legal issues, he said. "Niabi has its own taxing levy. It is its own separate entity. But it is overseen by the Forest Preserve Commission.

"The county cannot just give up its oversight and decision-making responsibilities," he said.

County Board member Kai Swanson, Rock Island, said that the idea of a public-private partnership means different things to different people. On one end of the spectrum, the county holds the title to the land but the decisions are in the hands of others. On the other end, the private partner simple runs a couple of fundraisers during the year while decisions are made by the public entitys leaders.

There are significant issues to how we move forward with the public-private partnership, Swanson said. If a public-private partnership is in the cards at some point, he he would like to see something in the middle of the spectrum.

In the meantime, Swanson said that, We just hired a very capable manager, referring to Jackson. The problem is we have not quite gotten to the point where weve given him the governance structure where he can soar. We will be closer today in the next 30 days when there will be a new president of the Forest Preserve Commission.

The former president of the Forest Preserve Commission, Steve Ballard, of Moline, did not run for re-election to his District 10 seat.
There's kind of a funny story to go along with a two-month delay experienced during the construction of a new entrance and elevator at Salem Lutheran Church, 1724 15th St., Moline.

The $624,000 construction project is the first big one in 48 years, the Rev. Randy Willers said. It consists of an elevator, carport and vestibule that will make the entire building handicapped-accessible.

"This new addition helps to fulfill our vision of being a welcoming place," Willers said. The larger elevator will provide better accessibility for funerals, and the new entrance will improve the appearance of the church on the east side.

"This will clearly mark it as a place of worship," Willers said.

Salem Lutheran's lot is not big, just about 800 square feet. Part of the solution for spreading out was to buy an adjoining alley from the city of Moline and adjacent property.

Once the church owned the land, a couple of houses were torn down and the effort began to vacate the utility lines. AT&T was contacted, but nothing was heard back.

"We thought we had it all," Willers said of identifying the underground utilities.

Digging began for the elevator pit and the shovel ran into a telephone cable that served 1,800 phone lines.

Within minutes, there were a dozen AT&T trucks and crews responding to the site, Willers said. They spliced the lines together for their customers.

After that, it took at least two months to figure out how to move forward. As it ended, the church paid for the excavation of the phone cable, and then AT&T moved it outside of the elevator pit.

"This got us moving again," Willers said.

Salem Lutheran was founded in 1908 (the last time, before this year, that the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, Willers said.)

A basement was dug out and covered in 1910, and sanctuary finished in 1917. A couple of additions went on after that, including in 1968 when an auditorium and Sunday School space was built at the structure's north end.

The congregation is excited about the current project, which has been at least six years in the making. Willers said the bids went out almost three years ago, and the costs were much higher than expected. So, officials simplified the design and extended the capital campaign until $624,000 was raised, Willers said.

The effort was greatly helped by an Arizona couple.

The Gary Dean and Christine Newman Jones Foundation made a generous donation to the project, Willers said. Gary Jones grew up in Moline and his mother attended Salem Lutheran for many years.

Groundbreaking was June 26. The contractor is Bush Construction, Davenport.
WASHINGTON -- It's common to describe ruthless or devious politicians as "Machiavellian." But rarely in America have we seen an embodiment of the traits Machiavelli admired quite like Donald Trump, the president-elect.

Go down the list of Trump's controversial characteristics and you will find many of the qualities the cynical Machiavelli thought were essential for a tough leader. Trump can be a liar, which the Florentine philosopher believed was sometimes a necessary part of leadership. He can be a bully, like some of the Italian potentates Machiavelli lauded. He has boasted of a voracious sexual appetite, like Machiavelli himself.

To say that Trump displays attributes that Machiavelli deemed necessary in the fractious, perpetually warring states of the 16th-century is not to recommend him as a modern leader. Nobody would want a neo-feudal dictator to lead a 21st-century democracy, you might think. But the American public voted Tuesday for Trump, perhaps in part because it shares Machiavelli's concept of strength, or as he liked to call it, "virtue."

(Full disclosure: One reason I'm interested in Machiavelli is that I wrote the libretto for an opera about him, composed by Mohammed Fairouz, which will premiere in March at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam.)

Machiavelli mocked the version of "political correctness" of his day. He thought most advice manuals for princes were nonsense, in calling for saintly goodness rather than strength. For Machiavelli, leadership was about the decisive exercise of power, not about morality. The prince's task was to create a strong state, not necessarily a "good" one.

"Everyone knows how laudable it is for a prince to keep his word and live with integrity instead of by trickery. But the experience of our own time shows us that the princes who have accomplished great things are those who cared little for keeping faith with the people, and who used cleverness to befuddle the minds of men," he wrote in "The Prince."

The leader's responsibility was to see the world as it truly was, not as a morality play: "A man who wishes to always do good will surely be ruined among so many who are not good. Thus it is necessary for a prince wishing to retain power to learn how not to be good, employing this art or not according to need."

Trump's hunger for public affirmation might have worried Machiavelli. Leaders inevitably want to be both feared and loved, but Machiavelli famously warned that if they have to choose, it "is much safer to be feared."

Machiavelli's model of a virtuous leader was Cesare Borgia, who in most historical accounts comes across as a bloodthirsty and rapacious military commander. But Machiavelli thought those qualities allowed Borgia to govern decisively. "Cesare Borgia was considered cruel, yet his cruelty brought an end to the disorders in the Romagna, uniting it in peace and loyalty," he explained.

Machiavelli had a chip on his shoulder, politically. He had served as a senior adviser to the republican government that briefly ruled Florence after the Medici dynasty was toppled in 1494. This experiment briefly empowered the fanatical monk, Savonarola. When the Medici regained power in 1512, a cash-strapped Machiavelli tried desperately to gain their confidence. He actually wrote "The Prince" to curry favor with the Medici, but they spurned it. His masterpiece wasn't published until 1532, five years after his death.

Machiavelli's free-wheeling sex life contributed to what was, bizarrely, his greatest renown later in life. He became celebrated as the author of sex farces, including one called "The Mandrake," about a randy old man's misadventures with a Florentine herbal version of Viagra.

In an excellent 2011 biography, Miles J. Unger writes that Machiavelli's personal insecurities help explain his deep cynicism: "Disappointed in his hopes, burning with unfulfilled ambition, he wrote a pugnacious work that makes a fetish of strength and oozes contempt for anything that smacks of weakness or vacillation."

We live in a world in which Machiavellian personalities -- ruthless leaders with a cynical view of human nature -- seem increasingly dominant. Atop the world stage these days are autocratic tough guys, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Trump may be tempted to take his place beside them on the rostrum. But when he takes the oath of office Jan. 20, he will represent a democracy whose Constitution and Bill of Rights remain the hope of the world.
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Recall grotesquely maniacal Donald Trump, in face of his perverted ways being subject to rejection by the American electorate, excused himself as being victim of our democratic elections being rigged by everyone against him.

All along in this presidential campaign, and most pointedly in his last debate, Trump has displayed a total lack of decency, concern for the welfare of anyone but himself, and a willingness to reject the will of we people expressed through our right to vote in secret ballot. Such leaves all with justifiable concern for our lives, that of those we care for most deeply, and the places we call home, getting painted in a post-election stench of Trump having gained total power over us all.

What is to stop him when all federal agencies of the law, investigation, security, military and secret service are in the hands of men that are beholding to him and with further backing by private warriors of the National Rifle Association?

On public radio prior to the last debate, Ralph Nader dismissed the threat by contending that a Republican-led Congress would impeach Trump. Who in a snowballs chance in the bonfire of the vanities are they going to send to bring Donald in, Barney Fife?

Sam Osborne

West Branch, Iowa
NATION

Megabus to end run through Q-C

Discount bus company Megabus has announced it will make its last trips between Omaha and Chicago on Jan. 9.

The route has stops in Davenport, Iowa City and Des Moines.

Megabus says the route cancellation is part of a wider reorganization of Megabus' Midwest hub, with job losses in Chicago and cutbacks in some other routes.

According to the Omaha World-Herald, the New Jersey-based company says low gas prices have reduced demand for its services.

Racial incidents continue at schools

A student at the University of Oklahoma has been temporarily suspended and police are investigating a threat against a Muslim student near the University of Michigan amid racially charged outbursts at schools and universities across the country following Donald Trump's presidential election.

The Associated Press and other local media outlets identified several reports of racist incidents at schools since Tuesday, including a group chat that the Oklahoma student got involved with aimed at black freshmen at the University of Pennsylvania, Trump's alma mater.

The chat contained "violent, racist and thoroughly disgusting images and messages," and Penn is "appalled" its students were added to the GroupMe account," UPenn President Amy Gutmann said. Gutmann said UPenn police have been working with the FBI. She earlier said officials had increased campus safety and were "reaching out to support the affected students."

University of Oklahoma President David Boren in a statement said the student has been temporarily suspended as the school investigates further.

"It would appear this matter did not originate at the University of Oklahoma, but started elsewhere," Boren said in a statement.

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, police are looking into a report of a man who threatened to set a Muslim student on fire with a lighter if she didn't remove her hijab on Friday. The incident apparently happened near the University of Michigan campus, according to Ann Arbor police Sgt. Patrick Maguire. He added that the department is "investigating it actively ... and soliciting information from anyone who may have witnessed anything."

WORLD

Turkey warns against traveling to U.S.

Turkey has issued a travel warning for its citizens about going to the United States, citing violent protests following Tuesday's contested presidential election as well as increasing verbal and physical attacks and harassment of an "anti-immigrant" and "racist" nature.

In a statement posted on the Foreign Ministry's website Saturday, it said the anti-Donald Trump demonstrations "occasionally featured acts of crime and violence" and noted that security forces had detained many demonstrators.

It says "based on demonstrators' social media posts, it's clear the demonstrations will likely continue for some time."

Dutch police detain protesters

Dutch police have detained dozens of protesters and arrested a man carrying a large knife in a bag amid tight security for the arrival of the Dutch Saint Nicholas.

The arrests Saturday came as thousands of families lined the historic harbor of Maassluis to welcome the character known as Sinterklaas, with children clambering up trees and street lights to get a better view.

The Sinterklaas celebration has in recent years been at the center of a debate about race in the Netherlands. That's because of his helper "Black Pete," who is often played by white people in blackface makeup.

Police spokeswoman Marjan Koert had no further details about the arrest of the armed man. Police tweeted that two busloads of protesters were detained in nearby Rotterdam.
HOT SPRINGS | At age 79, Thomas ODell of Hot Springs is fairly young to be a veteran of the Korean War.

But when you take into account that O'Dell used a fake identification card to join the Army as a 15-year-old boy, it makes sense he is on the younger side of the roughly 5.7 million Americans who served in Korea. O'Dell was in Korea from 1950 to 1953 as part of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division.

Even now, and especially on the Veterans Day holiday that took place Friday, O'Dell's senses still tingle with the memories of his service abroad.

He can still hear the rattle of .30 caliber machine gun fire on Pork Chop Hill. He can still feel the freezing cold of a trench on Hill 347, where he held a warm cup of coffee in a front-line machine gun bunker. He can still endure the fear of hearing a Chinese bomber roaring down on him from above.

ODell was a 15-year-old kid, born in Minneapolis in September of 1937, and from Buffalo Gap, S.D., when he enlisted in the Army with a fake North Dakota drivers license that claimed he was 18 years old.

We were in Bismarck, my stepfather and I, working construction, ODell explained. I was an oiler on a crane. An oiler keeps the hinges on the crane oiled and drives it. To do this I had to get a drivers license, and in those days, in North Dakota, there was no formal test, no proof of age or anything, all you had to do was go in and sign up for one. So I got one.

In the early days of the Korean conflict, on a day off from construction work, ODell and a group of fellow workers, all about three sheets to the wind, walked past the Post Office where a recruiting station was set up.

ODell, who described himself as big, 150 pounds, and boisterous for a 15-year-old, went inside to see if he could join an Airborne troop because he had a great deal of admiration for these soldiers, in part because his relative was in the Airborne troops during World War II.

The recruiter asked for proof of age. ODell showed him his North Dakota drivers license. The recruiter said he needed more than a drivers license, so ODell told him to check in with the hotel where he was staying, to verify his age that way.

The recruiter called the hotel, the bell hop answered, basically vouching for him and that was it, ODell  they called him Whitey back then because his blond hair got bleached almost white in the summer sun  was now in the Army.

ODell recalls there being a need for more troops at the time and recruiters maybe not being so picky about making sure all the paperwork was in order. Back in the 1950s, everyone was more patriotic back then. Everyone was talking about it, he said.

ODell was soon shipped off to Fort Sheridan, Ill., for basic training.

Everything, including riding the train, was new to ODell, a big adventure, he said.

ODell first went to a replacement depot, where soldiers were mustered out into new units who needed replacement soldiers. He recalled it being very cold and how he was issued a sleeping bag with blood all over it.

Wounded soldiers were hauled off the front lines in sleeping bags like this and the bloody bag didnt bother him, he said.

The depot also happened to be located next door to an airfield full of old propeller planes  as close as he would come to achieving his desire of being Airborne, at least in Korea. From the replacement depot, ODell and others were sent directly to the front lines.

ODells machine gun platoon was sent to a trench system overlooking the front lines.

He recalls riding in a Deuce-and-a-half troop transport truck, with artillery shells falling close by, and his first night in the trenches, how he slept next to a foreign soldier  units from many countries were part of the United Nations forces trying to push back the influx of North Korean and Chinese communist troops who had invaded South Korea from the north. The next morning, he realized his trench mate was dead. Other soldiers wrangled over the dead mans quilted jacket because it was so cold.

ODell saw plenty of action in Korea. Being a machine gunner, he was in high demand and was shipped around to various companies where he was needed. He participated in fights on Old Baldy, Pork Chop Hill, Erie and Arsenal  all tough fights, especially Pork Chop Hill, probably one of the Korean conflict's most famous battles.

He watched 16-inch naval gun shells from the U.S.S. Missouri try to pound enemy attackers off positions on Old Baldy. At Erie, his rifle company was hit with a night attack. The Chinese communist bugles blared and when he looked out of the trench the enemy appeared frozen, like statues, in the flares shot up to illuminate their attack. He watched from Hill 347 as American troops took Pork Chop Hill, a key pivot point, from the Chinese communist, then were driven off the hill. And he was with the group that retook the hill later.

ODell described war just like many others have, long days, weeks of sheer boredom followed by hours, moments of scare-the-crap-out-of-you terror and fear for your life. He was lucky, however, and even when a Chinese plane dive-bombed the bunker he was in, all it did was blow up the ground and the spent C-ration cans the soldiers had thrown outside.

And his time in the Army wasnt all blood and guts, either. He recalls some wild times on a leave in Japan where he met Gen. Douglas MacArthurs jeep driver, friends he made across racial lines, fun he and fellow soldiers had.

One day his sergeant and a chaplain walked into the machine gun bunker and asked all but ODell to leave. The chaplain had a manila envelope in his hand, the kind of envelope his grandmother often sent. Turns out his grandparents had sent the Army a copy of his birth certificate, requesting that he be removed because he was just a boy.

The chaplain showed him the birth certificate and told him that his ruse was up, and that to avoid bad publicity, he would be taken off the front lines, returned home and given an honorable discharge.

The chaplain and the sergeant said ODells issue would be dealt with after they returned from battle and the paperwork would be processed then to get him out of the service.

ODell waited and was called into action on the second battle for Pork Chop Hill. However, nothing ever came of the paperwork the chaplain and sergeant had started to get him out of the service. Both, he later learned, were killed in the fighting on Pork Chop Hill, among the four company commanders killed and seven chaplains killed.
Deadwood police are advising local residents to keep a close eye on their pets after a spate of recent mountain lion sightings.

The Deadwood Police Department on Friday warned residents that many mountain lions had been seen in town in recent weeks. Last fall, at least two residents reported attacks on their dogs by mountain lions. Other pets simply vanished.

A police spokesman said Friday that there had been numerous sightings of the big cats within Deadwood City limits in the past two weeks.

As the chief has said in the past, mountain lions are here to stay, the spokesman said. Just be cautious and keep an eye out for them.

Jordan Oster, 33, a Deadwood resident, said she and two of her girlfriends were in front of their homes on Williams Street last Saturday night, getting ready to head to dinner downtown, when a mountain lion spooked and ran past them.

It was 5 feet from us and jumped the guardrail and went down below into a wooded area, Oster said. I was scared, Lori was scared and Desiree just stood there."

She said the lion passed right in front of them.

It was chasing a deer or scoping out the neighbors dogs and we must have spooked it, obviously, she added.
DEADWOOD | Theres a moose on the loose in them thar hills.

The South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Department confirmed Thursday that its staff has been monitoring relatively rare but repeated reports of a cow moose moving in a northerly direction through the central and northern Black Hills.

The moose was first spotted by the GF&P in March near Crazy Horse Memorial as wildlife officials conducted an aerial survey for elk, according to Regional Wildlife Manager Trenton Haffley. Since then, reports of a moose sighted near Hill City and Deerfield Reservoir, and later on Rochford Road south of Lead, have been made to the agency, he said.

Its somewhat rare, but its not overly alarming and nothing we are concerned about, Haffley said Thursday from his Rapid City office. If shes been hanging around out there for a few months, people probably just quit calling us.

Carol and Ralph Reausaw, who live in Spearfish Canyon, spotted the moose in October off Rochford Road near the Lead Country Club and quickly reported it to the GF&P.

It was just after dark and we were driving on this gravel road and it walked right across the road in front of us, Carol Reausaw said Friday from Arizona. It was such a shock. We said, 'Its a deer, its an elk  no its a moose.

The Reausaws watched as the animal, the first moose they had ever seen in the Black Hills, scurried through the ditch and vanished into the trees.

Though rare, Haffley noted moose have been spotted in the Black Hills several times in recent years. Moose are far more common in Canada or the northern woods of Minnesota than in the Dakotas.

In July 2015, another misplaced moose was spotted and photographed near Timber Lake in northcentral South Dakota, according to Associated Press reports. In October 2009, a young bull moose that had earlier been spotted browsing in Custer State Park and swimming in Pactola Reservoir was killed by a poacher.

In September 2003, GF&P conservation officers shot and killed a moose in the front yard of a home in the 3600 block of West Main Street in Rapid City. The agency later said the animal had posed a danger to the public.

On Thursday, Haffley predicted that the latest moose in the area eventually would wander off to a more friendly environment.

We dont feel the habitat is terribly suited to moose in the Black Hills, the wildlife official said. Eventually theyll realize this isnt the place for them and move on.

Rumors had also surfaced recently of a bull moose being seen several times in the area near Wall east of Rapid City, though that was not confirmed.
Since President Obama took office nearly eight years ago, the world has changed. During his time in office, ISIL rose to prominence due to the administrations determination to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq. Iran has ascended as a regional destabilizing power and is on a path to acquire nuclear weapons. The U.S. effort to combat the Taliban in Afghanistan faces potential under-resourcing. Russia has increased its nuclear arsenal and continues its aggression against Ukraine. In Libya, the administration half-heartedly led a U.S. military intervention, only to abandon the mission prematurely, which has created another destabilized country within which terrorists seek safe haven to plot attacks against our homeland.

It is clear that the presidents course to defeat ISIL and terrorism abroad is not working. We need more proactive efforts and not more delayed, reactionary half-steps if we are to defeat the terrorist organization, stop the terrorist groups online radicalization and keep Americans safe at home.

A side effect of the instability and chaos in the Middle East is a dramatic increase in refugees. In Syria alone, the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees estimates that nearly 4.8 million Syrian refugees have fled the country and another 6.6 million are internally displaced. In Libya, nearly 2.5 million are in desperate need of humanitarian aid, according to the U.N. News Center. Russia recently indicated that it would not consider a humanitarian cease fire to allow refugees, anti-government fighters and injured citizens to escape Syria safely, or allow aid vehicles to deliver food and medical supplies to those unable to flee.

While most refugees are being relocated in Europe, many Americans are concerned about the prospect of a terrorist slipping into the U.S., taking advantage of the refugee program.

I support efforts to help others seek shelter from persecution. However, we must be cautious to protect our national security. While we as global leaders should take steps to assist in humanitarian efforts when possible, I believe the refugee admission program needs further safeguards to make sure the refugees we admit have no ties to terror organizations and that they properly assimilate into American society.

As events unfold around the world, many have wondered from where our foreign policy problems stem. I agree with other elected officials and experts that many foreign policy failures are a symptom of this administrations leading from behind mentality. In less than three months, a new president and new Congress will have an opportunity to reset our foreign policy. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I look forward to working with the new administration and my colleagues on a new direction for our country which includes stronger leadership to protect our citizens, advance our global interests and support our allies abroad.
Opinion / Letters

Dear E D MnangagwaWe the people of Matabeleland do hereby serve you with this petition, letting you know that you are not welcome in our land. It has come to our attention that ( Arda ) has partnered with a local company linked to you in particular as the Zimbabwean Vice President. The company is called Trek Petroleum and the other is a foreign based South African private company called Tongaat Hullet.We know that this is an evil project meant for the continuous colonization of Matabeleland by the Shona as part of implementing your Satanic Shona's 1979 Grand Plan.It is on record that Matabeleland was colonised in 1893 by Cecil John Rhodes's BSAC. Ever since that time we have never known peace. In 1980 the British transferred its Matabeleland Rule by conquest to Mashonaland ( Zimbabwe) which carried on ruling us the same way on behalf of the British.We have now come to time to say enough is enough.The government of Zimbabwe has been marginalising Mthwakazi in development since 1980 to date. As Matabele we have experienced the worst form of evil since the colonization of Matabeleland by Rhodes . In the past hundred years we have suffered three consecutive genocides first in 1893 to 94 where the British South Africa Company killed more than 20 000 civilians including women and children. This was after they had fought and killed more than 6 000 of King Lobengula's warriors using the new maxim machine gun of the time.Thousands more of our people were killed in the seventies during the war of liberation against White colonialism which in turn only benefited Mashonaland in 1980.As if that was not enough in 1982 to 87 Mugabe unleashed the North Korean trained fifth brigade to wipe away the entire Mthwakazi Nation.That marked the Rule by Conquest by the so called majority tribe from that time till today. Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa during the Gukurahundi you took the lead, you were in the fore-front killing our people. Surprisingly up to today you never apologized neither your government.Today Mnangagwa you are in the forefront together with your company and associates destroying people's homes, grazing land as well as graves some of which are victims of Gukurahundi genocide in which you are personally guilt of killing them. Is this not the second Gukurahundi genocide you are up to? Our wounds are still fresh yet you open some.It is totally unacceptable for the Zimbabwe government to allow such satanic act to take place, the above companies are not different from BSAC and Mnangagwa you are not different from Cecil John Rhodes if not worse.We would like to warn you to stay away from Khezi and vacate the place with immediate effect or your actions will be strongly resisted by the whole of Mthwakazi people.THE REASON WHY TREK PETROLEUM, MNANGAGWA, ZIMBABWE GOVERNMENT REPRESENTED BY ARDA, TONGAAT HULLET OF SOUTH AFRICA AND THE ARMY MUST STAY AWAY IS THAT;1. they invaded our land in Khezi without consulting us the locals.2. This place Khezi -Maphisa is the rural home to the Late ZAPU President Dr Joshua Nkomo himself being a victim of your gukurahundi genocide. Khezi is one of the most affected areas in Matabeleland by Gukurahundi genocide which took place in 1982 to 87. Therefore a situation where army trucks, army helicopters frequently come to the erea is totally unacceptable and reminds our people of Gukurahundi.3. The local people have been staying there for over 70 to 100 years and there are graves, they have put permanent structures, therefore in our African culture the dead must be respected. In this situation where they are exhumed and their bones scattered it is un- African. If this is a genuine development agent, I think Mnangagwa do it in your home area we don't need you here . You killed our people and never apologised now you coming with your dirty bloody hands we will resist you.It is on record that Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo stopped Zipra from fighting back during Gukurahundi genocide and insisted a peaceful solution. Its unfortunate that Umdala Wethu is no longer with us and this is 21first century we will resist you Mnangagwa.4. Your company is only employing Shona speaking people and the few locals who were once employed were never given their allowances, prompting them to quit jobs without their salaries.5. Mnangagwa you have imposed a curfew in the area, there are times were the locals are not allowed to freely walk around. The people of Khezi complained that the most feared and dangerous CIOs and other state security agents have been recruited and are now in charge of the land. All are are Shona speaking which reminds them of Gukurahundi.6. The land in question belongs to Mthwakazi people therefore Mnangagwa has no legal base to capture our land in the name of development. It is frivolous and satanic for Mnangagwa who is the face of Gukurahundi genocide to come to Matabeleland and expect to be accepted by the locality people. He must go to hell together with his colonialists companies in Khezi. The Arda issue has a potential to cause war in this country.We say enough is enough we have been in the past watching Shona supremist and tribalists taking our land since year 2000 when the chaotic land reform started. The Satanic Mugabe unleashed terror in Matabeleland, taking all prime land in Matabeleland from White people giving it to Shona people at the expense of our people.Our people have been deprived of their rights since 1980. We have been sidelined from all developmental issues be it education, employment, development, allocation of national resources,.Shona people have captured all the state institutions which they use to intimidate Mthwakazi people.Enough is enough and hands off Mthwakazi people and their resources.FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN OUR LIFE TIME.MTHWAKAZI REPUBLIC PARTY (MRP).
The Bitterroot Valley will join in a national day of protest Tuesday in what organizers are calling Stand with Standing Rock, in Solidarity.

Sarah Monson and Suzanne Alene Shope are organizing the peaceful show of support for the water protectors at Standing Rock.

Numerous national organizations are calling for a national day of action at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers offices across the country to ask President Obama to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Sioux Nation members and others have been protesting the construction of the pipeline since August. The protest has produced confrontations with law enforcement.

In a press release, organizers of the national event say the mass mobilization is important now due to the recent election of Donald Trump as president.

This mass mobilization will show President Obama that its more important than ever for him to reject the Dakota Access Pipeline while hes in office, the press release said. These actions will also be a powerful moment for people across movements to unite in solidarity with indigenous peoples in Standing Rock and to strengthen the resistance movement to fight fossil fuels and white supremacy under a Trump administration.

Monson said she has received numerous calls from people asking for details since she first posted the event on Facebook.

So far, its been shared by 600 people, she said. They are excited about doing something right here. They have felt kind of helpless watching whats happened at Standing Rock. They were interested in jumping on board, but didnt know how.

The event in Hamilton will take place from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Highway 93 and Main Street.

If people cant attend, Monson encourages them take a photograph of themselves holding the sign and post it on the Facebook page: Stand with Standing Rock, in Solidarity  Bitterroot Valley, Mt.

Its a human rights issue and an environmental issue, Monson said. It doesnt just affect them. It affects everyone. Their rights are being trampled on. History cant just keep repeating itself. Enough is enough.
Three Plein Air paintings tied for first place in the recent Peoples Choice voting at Art Focus in Hamilton. The winning paintings were by two Corvallis artists: two oil paintings by Steve Wilson and a watercolor by Roberta Burruss.

Over 20 artists from Montana, Idaho and Washington attended the Montana Professional Artists Associations Plein Air painting challenge to paint outside in the Bitterroot Valley early October. The artists painted in the crisp fall air then submitted 38 paintings to Art Focus. The gallery juried the art for display and visitors to the art gallery voted on their favorites.

Art Focus manager Douglas Taylor said he was pleased to see the number of visitors that voted.

Visitors to the gallery became a part of the process, helping to select what they felt was the best or favorite painting, Taylor said. All artists worked in oil paint except for two watercolorists and one acrylic painter. Most people marveled at the fact that the paintings were done outside in one sitting, en plein air.

Plein Air painting is art created outside with artists painting quickly to capture the changing light and landscape scenes. The final paintings are usually small. The artists captured the beauty of the Bitterroot Valley in the colorful fall.

Burruss painting has already been purchased by collector Todd Smith.

It sold opening night which is always a nice treat for an artist, a double win, Burruss said. The day I painted it was lovely. I sat along the river at the Lee Metcalf, boats were coming by, and I sketched the first one into my sketchbook. I had a conversation with every boater that went by. When the last one went by, I decided to add a boat to my painting.

Burruss said that oil painters enjoy standing up to paint but she sat in a camp chair holding her paper and palette in her lap.

She said finding the right location was a challenge.

I originally planned to be with the river and with a mountain, Burruss said. I could not find the scene because you have to catch the river curving toward the mountain in order to get that view. I finally got out Google map to find a location that looked down river with no tall trees but with mountains. It all came together and I had a wonderful time.

Burruss said she will be in the Christmas show of the Bitterroot Art Guild.

Wilson said Plein Air painting is different.

I dont get Plein Air, Wilson said. Im so used to doing details and using just one stroke to give the illusion of an object is challenging. I spent less time on the piece and not getting all the details but trying to get the right colors was challenging.

Wilson said part of the challenge is the outdoor lighting.

When you paint outside you have brighter light and I tend to paint darker to compensate, he said. Im really learning.

Wilson said he was honored to be considered and grateful to have tied for first.

Any time you get recognition it is hard to believe because youre your own worst critic, he said. When you win something it builds yourself confidence.

Wilson won gift certificates for art supplies and framing and Burruss a gift certificate for framing.

Taylor said the event was a success and will probably draw more participating artists next year.

The artists were very excited about the friendships developed, challenge of the mutual goals shared and encouragement from fellow artists, the public and collectors, he said. The artists were enthusiastic to do another paint-out again next September, with a juried exhibit in October at Art Focus.

For more information about next years Plein Air paint-out as a painter or viewer, contact Art Focus at 406-363-4112 or info@artfocusmontana.com.
HELENA - Amid nationwide demonstrations against the election of Republican President-elect Donald Trump, several Democratic state lawmakers spoke to a solemn crowd of roughly 200 during a peaceful Rally for Unity Thursday evening at the steps of the State Capitol.

The grassroots gathering was not associated with any organization and had no official program. One of its planners, Kylie Gursky, said it was held because we believe we must work together to build communities that ensure safety and dignity for everyone and challenge bigotry and intolerance.

In response to the election of Donald Trump, many people are uncertain and fear for themselves and their families, she said. We gather to say that we will love and protect our neighbors, to say that we will resist racism, sexism, and Islamophobia.

Among the speakers were state Rep. Jenny Eck, Sen. Christine Kaufmann, and Rep.-elect Kim Abbott, all Helena Democrats. Though some of the speakers and other attendees expressed their disapproval of the president-elect, Eck said she didnt consider the event to be an anti-Trump rally.

It was about what do we stand for, what do we believe in and what can we do about that, she said, adding that Trump has said some very scary things.

We need to be ready in case we do need to defend the people who could be impacted by what hes talking about, Eck said. Theres a lot of people scared, and rightfully so.
Comments and links to reports on science, and its applications.
Kathmandu, Nepal: The government is going to table a constitution amendment bill by Tuesday. The allies of the incumbent government particularly the Nepali Congress and the CPN Maoist Center have reached on the conclusion to table the constitution amendment bill in the parliament with the aim to take into confidence to the agitating Federal Alliance (FA) a loose alliance of Madhesi and indigenous parties.

With the decision o table the constitution amendment bill in the parliament, the government has intensified discussions with various political parties represent in the legislative parliament particularly with the CPN UML, the main opposition party in the parliament.

The Madhes based parties have repeatedly been exerting pressure to the government to address their demands by amending in the constitution. However, neither the government allies nor the opposition parties have agreed to address their demands by amending the constitution.

As political parties have been differing over the issues forward by the agitating FA, it is likely that the key contentious issues including the number and boundaries of the federal states and naturalized citizenship would not be addressed even after the amendment in the constitution.

Despite the fact is there, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had vowed on Friday that the government is going to register the constitution amendment bill in Parliament by Tuesday even if the main opposition party CPN-UML is not ready to support the amendment.
KATHMANDU, Nov 12: Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Saturday held a meeting with CPN-Maoist Center Chair and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Discussion on giving final touch to the proposal of the constitution amendment figured during the meeting that took place at the PM's official residence in Baluwatar.

According to the PM's press advisor Govinda Acharya, the two leaders focused on the issues relating to the revision of one of the contentious issues in the constitution amendment-delineation of the federal province.

Various Madhesh-centric political parties have been demanding for the second amendment in the new national statute, expressing their displeasure over proportional inclusive representation and citizenship among other issues.

PM Dahal has intensified deliberations with all concerned political parties to reach a logical conclusion towards this end. RSS
Kathmandu, Nepal: Federal Socialist Forum Nepal chairman Upendra Yadav has threatened at again to launch nationwide protest against the government.

Speaking at a program organized to exchange greetings on the occasion of Nepal Sambat 1137 in Kathmandu on Saturday, Yadav alleged the government and its allies for not taking seriously the demands raised by the Madesi and Janajaties.

During the function, he also said that registration of the constitution amendment proposal will not be accepted until it was brought in the consent of the dissenting forces.
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Turkish director, executive producer and script writer Biray Dalkiran is shooting his new movie "The Crossbreed" in USA. First teaser poster of the movie has been released.

"The Crossbreed" will be the nineth feature film and the third horror movie of the succesful director. He has also directed horror movies "Araf" (aka "Abortion") which is distributed in USA and Cehennem 3D (aka "Hell 3D") which is the first 3D movie of Turkey. In this new movie Biray Dalkiran tells a story about an event that already told by three big religions in the holy scriptures and the event is based on a true story. Basically, the film talks about a couple of journalist lovers. They visit one of American villages to research a mysterious

event and the secrets will be disclosed.

Also the official website www.thecrossbreed.com and social media accounts has been opened.
Stories to share from the St. Francis of Assisi School in Silay Community.
On Facebook, I see dead people. Do you?

Although the times might feel apocalyptic, I'm happy to report your friends aren't all dead (probably, unless you're a dinosaur). Or, at least, they're not dead on the outside.

Venturebeat is calling the event an instance of a bug (or is it a new feature?) and has reached out to the company to learn more

It's also possible that a hack of a kind has occurred. On Facebook's memorial page instructions, the company explains you can memorialize others' accounts.

Facebook what is happening i am not dead. pic.twitter.com/irVc3UvJ8Y  Kate Nocera (@KateNocera) November 11, 2016

It even looks like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has met an untimely fate  if his website is to be believed and doesn't proliferate fake news or anything.

Ah. Facebook's algorithm has killed Mark Zuckerberg. pic.twitter.com/6UWL1ECpqg  ST. (@seyitaylor) November 11, 2016 Facebook Thursday: Fake news is not a problem

Facebook Friday: Mark Zuckerberg is dead. Your friends are dead. We are all dead.  Julia Carrie Wong (@juliacarriew) November 11, 2016

Is this like at the end of (spoilers) Lost? Or the Chronicles of Narnia? Take me to fucking Narnia, baby.

Previously: Is Facebook To Blame For President-Elect Donald Trump?
.@Oaklandish, opened by woman of color 2 celebrate pride of America's most progressive city. Lift her up, don't tear down. #oaklandprotest pic.twitter.com/Ci9tU7vHSq  Libby Schaaf (@LibbySchaaf) November 10, 2016

Kyle Ludowitz, a photojournalist living in Oakland who is a UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Masters Candidate, was reportedly attacked while documenting protests against Donald Trump in Oakland Wednesday night by four masked protesters. He described them as anarchists, and they were responding violently to his documenting them as they vandalized and looted a business.

"Particularly with the election of Donald Trump, theres a very strong sentiment against the media, he told the Chronicle. I was expecting more violence from the police, so this caught me off guard.

War photojournalist is hospitalized after savage beating by four anti-Trump activistshttps://t.co/k29ci1Rdy6 pic.twitter.com/8maK9b1Of9  Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) November 11, 2016

Most journalists have perceived the threat to their field and their persons as coming from the Trump campaign and Trump supporters, but the chaos legitimized and inspired by his election is clearly a danger to all. Ludowitz, who has covered conflicts in Egypt, Syria, and Palestine according to his website, was taken aback by what he saw at home. "I was mostly being punched in the face until I fell to the ground. I tried to protect my gear and they started kicking," he told Dailymail.com.

Ludowitz is 27 years old. Both of his cameras were destroyed in the attack, setting him back $5,000.The Committee to Protect Journalists writes that he was treated for a broken cheekbone.

"The media should never be targeted for doing the important work of documenting events of significant public interest," says Carlos Lauria, senior coordinator of the Americas program at CPJ. "Journalists have faced increasing threats and violence at political events throughout the U.S. presidential election campaign. The trend toward heightened violence targeting the press is alarming, and must be reversed."

Previously: Thousands Protest Trump In Oakland For Third Night As Vandalism Harshly Criticized
The principal of Milpitas High School was placed on leave this week following the release of video showing him yelling "fuck Donald Trump" at a school-wide assembly. As CBS 5 reports, the popular principal had called the assembly to address election-related stress in the student body. Snapchat video of the exclamation shows students egging him on, and then erupting into cheers after he said what many of them were likely thinking.

The length of the leave is unclear, but many students believe principal Phil Morales shouldn't be in trouble at all. The principal should be allowed back on the campus because he was voicing his discretion right with us, and just because hes an adult doesnt mean anything, one student told the channel. Maybe it was kind of far to use profanity, but I think it was good that he was standing with us, explained a second student.

Not all parents agreed. "Not all of us voted for the same person and that's OK," a Milpitas High School student's mom, Lori Garmany, told ABC 7. "But once that person is now here we should've been taking that time today to teach them tolerance, to teach them we need to unite together."

That the person who perhaps most needs a lesson in tolerance is in fact the object of Morales's profanity appears to be lost on Garmany. Meanwhile, students around the Bay walked out of classes yesterday in protest of Trump.

Related: Is Facebook To Blame For President-Elect Donald Trump?
That little Hayes Valley park at Octavia Boulevard has welcomed a few Burning Man art and sculpture pieces over the years, probably none more iconic than David Bests Temple structures that held court there in 2005 and 2015. But the iconography is back in a big way at Patricias Green with the just-completed installation of Trillian and Dodi, two dazzling new sculptures from Bay Area art collective HYBOCOZO. After we received word last month that Rec and Parks was considering the installation of the sculptures in a partnership with the SF Arts Commission, we can now confirm that these babies are up and fully functional in their multicolor LED glory.

They went up in one day, the pieces co-creator Serge Beaulieu told SFist, noting that additional wiring and lighting for nighttime magic was required but is now completed. We need to add proper signage over the next month.





The yellow caution tape and orange cones seen in the image above are now removed. The two sculptures will remain at Patricias Green for an entire calendar year, bringing a modicum of joy to a city that really needs it right now.

We call these works Burning Man art, but only one of these sculptures has actually been to Burning Man. Dodi [the smaller one] has been to Burning Man twice, 2014 and 2015, Beaulieu said. Trillian is brand new.



Image: HYBOCOZO

If any of you sci-fi and fantasy dorks just perked up thinking the name Trillian is a reference to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series, you are correct. Some of HYBOCOZOs other works have Hitchhiker's Guide-inspired names like Heart of Gold and Deep Thought. Indeed, deep thought can be inspired by these the sculptures laser-cut tiles inspired by mathematical physicist Sir Roger Penrose.



Image: HYBOCOZO

The Penrose Tiling pattern carries a deep significance for our artwork, co-creator Yelena Filipchuk said in a release. It represents the eternal and relentless search for a connecting thread in the universe. It is this quest which ties all of humanity together.

While the new piece Trillian is 10 feet tall and weighs 1,000 pounds, the smaller work Dodi is 6 feet high and weighs 600 pounds. [The name] Dodi is derived from the geometry, a 12-sided dodecahedron, Beaulieu said.

Or as sci-fi and fantasy dorks call it, a 12-sided die.

The installation is part of San Franciscos now-annual Illuminate the Arts Festival of Light, a collection of 35 separate permanent and temporary lighted art installations that will grace the city from Thanksgiving through New Years Day.

Related: Check Out This Cool Hyperlapse Of Burning Man Interactive Art


Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that fact that the San Francisco Veterans Mural Project (Veterans Alley) has housed several veterans both directly with property owners of Shannon Street/Veterans alley and through formerly homeless veterans as well as with the HUD-VASH program.

From the War Memorial Opera house to the Presidio's National Cemetery, San Francisco pays homage to veterans in many ways. Among the most powerful: A small alley in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood that runs between Post and O'Farrell north-south and sits between Taylor and Jones Streets to the east and west. Known formally as Shannon Street,it was unofficially renamed Veterans Alley in 2011 by Amos Gregory, a United States Navy Veteran and 16-year San Francisco resident. While less known to tourists than Clarion Alley in the Mission, like that walk of murals, Veterans Alley is a side street full of colorful, imperative personal and politic public artwork.

The alley "allows US military veterans to paint their own stories on the public walls," Gregory wrote in El Tecolote last year. An activist for homeless veterans, a photographer, an artist, and a journalist, Gregory goes on to explain that "The project was created to give voice to the Tenderloins veteran population, which has long been oppressed, and suffered due to their veteran status, chronic homelessness and self-medication through drugs and alcohol."





This Veterans Day, as restaurants are offering Veterans Day deals and National Parks open their gates for free, SFist spoke with Gregory to discuss his work and Vets Alley.

"Art is a meditation, the art we are doing," Gregory tells SFist. "The visual art, the photography, the painting. It requires an extreme amount of concentration. And the public nature of what we do takes a story that's embedded deep inside of someone  experiences that are years past  and puts them on a wall, a public wall that's publicly accessible. So, in the end, you've now taken this story and you've given it to the world." IN addition to guidance, The Veterans Mural Project/Veterans Alley provides paint, brushes to military veterans, their supporters, and the community.



via Amos Gregory

Gregory says the project is particularly useful for homeless veterans who come together and can, through working with him, seek services. "For quite a few homeless vets that we've housed, through the project, this is our first interaction with them. This is a way to engage with them, gain their trust, get their story out, and then, through the process, to hand them off to other services. We're not equipped to do everything to help them, but what we can do is to be that first lynchpin, to provide that first step of healing, and to direct them to more people who can help." Gregory explains that the project has helped house veterans directly through the VA and local property owners but does not receive city support for more. So far, it has housed several veterans both directly with property owners of Shannon Street/Veterans alley and through formerly homeless veterans as well as with the HUD-VASH program.



Caleb Pershan/SFist

In April of 2015, Mayor Lee indicated that all homeless veterans living in San Francisco were on track to be in stable housing by that year's end, as CBS 5 wrote at the time. No one who has served our country should be homeless in our city," the mayor reportedly said.

"He failed," Gregory tells SFist. "The City of San Francisco failed. The number that they're using for veterans, first of all, is a lowball number, and they haven't been updating that number because they keep trying to hit their goal. As you know, homeless people come to this city all the time. I've got a few new Afghanistan vets that just landed here, and they're homeless."

Gregory is proud of the radical inclusivity espoused at Veterans Alley. "Our program has not discriminated against anyone. I've had right-wing vets help me paint Bowe Bergdahl and then you've got left-wing vets painting Chelsea Manning right across the street, less than 50 feet away. We're all just vets, we're the most demographically diverse group in America today."



Amos Gregory beside a mural.

Asked about California's move to legalize marijuana, of which Gregory is a proponent for its medical uses among veterans, he seems cautiously optimistic. "That's the first step for us, but it's still a federal crime, and we're subject to the VA, so we're going through the federal government. There's a lot of restrictions on us getting medicinal marijuana, and that's one of the things we're advocating for."

Gregory cites one mural he's created in Vets Alley that pictures drones dropping pills as bombs. "The pills falling all around us represent the overprescription of opiates and antipsychotics to veterans," he explains, "particularly the antipsychotics can be related to a high incidence of suicide. The opiate treatment, the methadone treatment that many go through with the VA, when I was working on the mural, I was working with three vets who were going through that. This was part of their therapy for those things. They're hooked on opiates, but they don't have any help to get off them, or to relieve the chronic pain or anxiety that they have. Then there's there's penalization for marijuana use: If you're in a program where you get caught with marijuana in your urine, you could lose all your meds and housing, so it's very restrictive for us, it's a catch 22. The VA is coming around, but slowly."

Gregory is also a founder of The Syrian Refugee Mural Project. "We began our project in 2013 by creating artwork (public murals) for Syrian children in San Francisco... to raise awareness of their plight," He explains of that project. "We started directly working with Syrian children in their schools located in Antakya, and Istanbul Turkey, in 2015 and 2016... We partner with the Turkish Ministry of Education, Syrian non-profit (NGO) organizations and schools servicing Syrian refugee children."

Vets Alley and the Syrian Refugee Mural Project accept donations online, and you can also sign up to volunteer with Gregory.
Protesters covering their faces, preparing to get gassed in Oakland pic.twitter.com/mumCAeGdmJ  Ellen Cushing (@elcush) November 11, 2016

"As the Mayor of one of America's most diverse and progressive cities, I understand the shock and dismay so many feel about a Trump presidency," Libby Schaaf wrote in a statement to her City of Oakland. But after a third night of unrest and protest, Schaaf had strong words for those who would vandalize their home out of rage at the results of the national election. "The best way to protest this election is to show that Oakland comes together and does not fall apart," Schaaf wrote. "Oakland chooses community, not chaos, in where we go from here."

Yet chaos is what many Oaklanders no doubt feel in their hearts, and to express their anguish as well as demonstrate their strength, for another night following the election of Donald Trump to America's highest office, thousands flooded the streets. Their numbers began in the hundreds at Frank Ogawa Plaza, KRON 4 reports. Protesters the previous night, Wednesday, had numbered in the thousands in the East Bay city, and they did again last night, with roughly six or seven thousand on the streets according to the news channel. As they had the night before, Oakland police declared unlawful assembly and deployed tear gas.

For the third night in a row, Oakland stops traffic on Broadway in protest of president-elect Trump pic.twitter.com/OWhdkngD8z  Ellen Cushing (@elcush) November 11, 2016 At least a thousand, probably more, facing off with cops in downtown Oakland pic.twitter.com/NQTEK8Qr08  Ellen Cushing (@elcush) November 11, 2016

The protest was declared an instance of unlawful assembly at around 9 p.m, and 11 people were arrested. One person arrested had a cache of Molotov cocktails, says KRON 4, and although bottles and more were thrown at police, no officers were injured. Some protesters blocked 580, though the CHP removed them fairly fast.

Currently E/B I-580 East of I-980 blocked by approximately 100 protesters.  CHP Golden Gate (@CHP_GoldenGate) November 11, 2016 E/B I-580 just East of I-980 all lanes are open and protesters off at Webster.  CHP Golden Gate (@CHP_GoldenGate) November 11, 2016

The Chronicle reports that Richmond was also the scene of protests. Highway on- and off-ramps were periodically closed by the California Highway Patrol in an effort to keep demonstrators from blocking Interstate 80 in the afternoon.

KRON 4 also reported on damage to at least seven buildings in downtown Oakland. Cleanup crews were on the scene as of this morning, and damage to local business was met with harsh criticism by local political leadership.

Here, it bears noting that OPD frequently characterizes vandalism as rare among protesters, the work of a few under the cover of many more demonstrating peacefully. Of course, that doesn't keep critics from decrying the protests as a whole, or from tarring all protesters with the same brush. To these critics, all demonstrators need to be shamed for brazen criminal behavior that the vast majority of them don't condone. That act of criticism unfairly implies everyone who marches is, if not directly responsible for vandalism, then at least complicit in it, a wrongheaded and frankly offensive sentiment.

Oakland journalist and artist Susie Cagle added her thoughts, citing OPD's years of experience handling protest that hasn't, in her view, amounted to much progress on the part of the department.

You'd think that years of practice & very expensive legal outcomes would improve Oakland's handling of mass protest but you'd be mistaken  Susie Cagle (@susie_c) November 11, 2016

Previously: Tear Gas, Fires, And Broken Glass: 6,000 Protest Trump In Oakland
For more than 25 years, David Thoreson has sailed the high seas while documenting his tales in writing as well as through stunning photography that captures the powerful damage caused by climate change.

"I've never thought of global warming as being a political issue," said the Algona, Iowa, native. "Instead it's a human issue that impacts the entire planet."

Thoreson ought to know.

A self-described "accidental explorer," he began sailing around the world with Roger Swanson, a hog farmer-turned-sailor from southern Minnesota who had a passion for adventure.

"I was a crew member on (Swanson's) sailboat the Cloud Nine," Thoreson said. "I was there when Cloud Nine waged (an unsuccessful) attempt to navigate the Northwest Passage in 1994. And I was there when we were successful in 2007."

It was during their second attempt to navigate the treacherous Northwest Passage -- the sea route connecting the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelagos -- that Thoreson realized he was witnessing a rapidly changing Arctic and ocean environment.

"In 1994, we faced icebergs and bad weather," he said. "Thirteen years later, all of the icebergs were long gone."

Thoreson details his findings in "Over The Horizon: Exploring the Edges of a Changing Planet," (2016, Mark Hirsch Publishing), which he describes as a pictorial memoir.

"This is definitely the story of my life told through words and photos," he said of the book that is now available at book stores, online retail book sellers like Amazon and Barnesandnoble as well as at davidthoreson.com.

In addition to becoming the first American explorer in history to sail the Northwest Passage in both directions, Thoreson has sailed more than 65,000 nautical miles. A sought-after speaker, he's shared his observations during TED Talks as well as at the World Science Festival and the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize awards.

"I look at myself as being someone who collects data," he said. "I'm collecting that data as a way to document things that we are in danger of losing."

Sioux City Journal: In addition to talking about your personal experiences, "Over the Horizon" also talks about the native hunters and the scientists in the Arctic who are addressing climate change head-on. Why do you think that was important?

Thoreson: I believe climate issue to be a game-changer as well as a powerful force crossing previously unexplored boundaries. But it's also a conversation that needs to begin from the bottom up, not the top down. We can't just rely on governmental officials or corporations. We need to get the perspective from people whose lives are directly impacted by this change.

Q: Plus you think global warming should be non-political and non-partisan, right?

A: That's correct. Living in Iowa, we've seen a major increase in wind energy as an alternative to oil or fossil fuel. People don't look at wind energy as being something strange. It's become something that is pretty normal.

Q: So minds and attitudes can be changed over time. That's good.

A: It is, but the clock is ticking. We may soon be thinking, "we humans have had a pretty good go of it for so long." If we do nothing about climate changes, the world that we know will be something much different.
SIOUX CITY | A 38-year-old man died and another man was injured early Friday after speeding away from a Woodbury County Sheriff's deputy and crashing into a retaining wall on Sioux City's west side.

Woodbury County Sheriff Maj. Greg Stallman said at about 4 a.m., a deputy attempted to pull over a car with two men inside for a traffic violation on Hamilton Boulevard. The driver quickly turned onto West Third Street and crashed seconds later into a brick retaining wall at the corner of West Third and Ross streets.

Djuan Raemel Beverly was pronounced dead at the scene and Jerell Martice Wilson, 23, was injured and taken to a local hospital.

Stallman said he did not know the severity of the man's injuries, nor who was driving.

The Iowa State Patrol is conducting the accident investigation and will attempt to determine how fast the car was traveling when it crashed.

Stallman said Sioux City police are determining if alcohol or drugs were a factor.

He said sheriff's deputies do not routinely patrol Sioux City streets, but are often in the city serving warrants or investigating other incidents. If a deputy notices a traffic violation while driving through the city, it is not uncommon for the deputy to make a traffic stop, he said.

The Journal's Nick Hytrek contributed to this story.
CEDAR RAPIDS | He didnt get their first vote, but president-elect Donald Trump will get the final votes of a handful of Iowans who have one more vote to cast.

Nothing theyve seen or heard since the Feb. 1 first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses and nothing they are likely to hear between now and Dec. 19 when Electoral College electors meet will dissuade Iowas six GOP electors from voting for their partys presidential nominee.

I certainly do not want the alternative, says James Whitmer of Waterloo, who describes himself as a rock-ribbed conservative backing GOP nominee Donald Trump.

The passion runs as deeply among Democratic electors who can only watch and consider what might have been.

Absolutely and without reservation, Joan Peck of rural Benton County says about her hope to cast an Electoral College vote for Hillary Clinton.

Whitmer and Peck are polar opposites on the political spectrum, but they watched Tuesdays election results with heightened anticipation as members of their respective parties slates of Electoral College electors. The electors, selected by the parties, will cast the states six Electoral College votes.

For them, the election didnt end Nov. 8, but merely enter another phase. It might not seem possible, but Remsen pork producer Don Kass predicts it could get crazier.

Kass, a member of the Plymouth County Board, was a Republican elector in 2004 and you wouldnt believe the bizarre mail I would get from people asking me to change my vote to John Kerry rather than President George W. Bush.

Kass wouldnt say who he supported in the caucuses, but none of the GOP electors said they backed Trump. Whitmer and Alan Braun, a Norwalk physician, backed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Polly Granzow, a former state representative from Eldora, and Dylan Keller, a University of Norther Iowa student from Donnellson, backed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Retired OBrien County recorder Kurt Brown of Primghar was a Ben Carson supporter. Dylan Keller did not respond to questions.

Unlike 23 other states, electors in Iowa arent bound to vote for their partys candidates. Theres little likelihood any one of Iowas electors will cross party lines.

I dont want people to find my name if they Google every elector who ever went against their pledge, Braun said.

Like everyone else, Im not happy with everything, Granzow said, but I agree with the policies hes presenting.

Keller, who describes himself as a Japanese, Mennonite, Republican from southeastern Iowa, will be faithful to his pledge to vote for the GOP nominee, but my electoral vote is in no way for Trump, the man, but for the Republican Partys nominee that so happens to be Donald Trump.

Democratic electors also said they would cast their Electoral College ballots for their partys nominee, Hillary Clinton, if they had the chance.

Ive supported Clinton since 2007 and I gave my promise to vote for her and I plan to stand by it, Carrie Tedore of Dubuque, who calls politics her hobby, said.

Theres no way I could ever cast a vote for him, AFSCME Local 61 President Danny Homan said about Trump.

Tedore, Homan, Peck and elector Randal Black of Mason City backed Clinton in the caucuses.

For the other two Democratic electors, its not a question of voting for Trump, but whether they might vote for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who they backed in the caucuses.

A few Sanders delegates approached me and said, You know, you can vote for whoever you want, Jack Schuler, a Des Moines high school English teacher, said. He wont because it goes back to representing the person chosen by the people.

Although he believes there are many Democratic politicians who would have been a better nominee than Clinton, Nick Kruse, an accounting major at the University of Iowa, agrees with Sanders when he says that Clinton is 100 times better than Trump.

This vote does not just belong to me, Kruse said. If the voters select Clinton on Tuesday, as I hope they do, I will respect and represent their vote.

Being an elector isnt a high-profile job  until Dec. 19 when they cast their ballots. Most electors say only friends and people who follow the process closely know their role.

Some people have talked to her about the responsibility of being an elector, Tedore said, but mostly because I bring it up because Im so proud to do it.

Likewise, Peck considers it an honor and privilege to have been selected to represent the party.

Not getting the opportunity to cast an electoral vote is disappointing.

After casting one of the first-in-the-nation votes for president in the Iowa caucuses, Peck says she hoped to be able to cast one of the last-in-the-nation votes as an elector.

FYI  Electoral College Timeline:

Nov. 8: By casting their ballots, registered voters help choose the electors who will represent their state in the Electoral College.

Dec. 19: Electors meet in their states and vote for president and vice president on separate ballots.

Dec. 28: Electoral votes must be received by the U.S. Senate president no later than nine days after the meeting of electors.

Jan. 3, 2017: The Archivist of the U.S. at the Office of the Federal Register have a ceremonial meeting with the secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the U.S. House.

Jan. 6: House and Senate meet in joint session to count the electoral votes. If no presidential candidate wins 270 or more electoral votes, the House elects the president by majority vote, choosing from the three candidates who received the greatest number of electoral votes. Each state would have one vote.

Jan. 20: The new president is inaugurated.
Are there any travel surprises left in Europe?

Put Romania on that list. Youve heard of it, of course. Its somewhere in the gray background of Eastern Europe, one of the former Soviet realms, home of the cruel dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and the fictional bloodsucker Dracula. Thats about it for common knowledge.

But if you travel to surprise yourself, Romania is worth a visit. It has a fascinating mosaic of history, stunning mountain and pastoral scenery, cityscapes that echo Prague and Paris, imposing citadels, jewel-box churches and tiny villages that make you feel as if youve stumbled into the 14th century. Its an affordable, accessible land that your hosts, with few exceptions, havent figured out how to make touristy.

A little background: Romanias name reflects its roots as a Roman province. Its history is a litany of invaders  Germany, Hungary, Ottoman Turkey, Habsburg Austria, Soviet Russia  and rebellions against them. Its ethnic heritage is Latin, unlike its Slavic neighbors. Thats reflected in the cuisine and language  if you understand Italian, you can puzzle your way through basic Romanian.

Romanian cuisine is heavy on red meat, but vegetarians need not despair. One night at dinner, my wife and I asked for a typical Romanian salad and were rewarded with a dish of fresh tomato wedges with a big dollop of baba ghanoush and a crown of slivered scallions.

Dessert was usually out of the question after meals of stuffed cabbage or roast pork, but in town squares, its easy to find a bakery selling gogosi, a sort of puffy crepe folded to hold fruit or chocolate and sprinkled with sugar.

And then theres Dracula. The name, derived from dragon, was used by a 15th century order of knights including Vlad Tepes, a warrior-prince who acquired the nickname The Impaler from his practice of skewering captured enemies vertically on sharpened wooden posts.

The name Dracula entered popular culture when Irish writer Bram Stoker took it as the title of his novel and the name of its bloodthirsty, supernatural Transylvanian villain. Though Stoker never visited Transylvania, the novel, published in 1897, was a sensation and an enduring gift to every souvenir vendor in Romania.

Our itinerary was weighted toward Transylvania, in the center of the country. Our expectations for the capital city of Bucharest were low. We didnt bank on the broad, tree-lined avenues feeding into grand plazas and lined with lovely Baroque buildings.

Vlad, though born in Transylvania, ruled from Bucharest, and ruins of his palace in Bucharests Old Town, fronted by an intimidating bust of Vlad himself, are a highlight.

As if to provide a rustic counterweight to the palace, the National Village Museum stands in a peaceful park north of the city center.

Beginning in the late 1930s, Romanian sociologist Dimitrie Gusti dismantled examples of classic village architecture  homes, churches and other structures  across the country and rebuilt them around a small lake.A visit is like a region-by-region tour of long-ago rural Romania in an hours walk. On the Sunday we visited, it was also a handicraft market, with costumed vendors selling lace and embroidery, leather goods, reproductions of icons and intricately painted eggs.

Transylvania means across the woods, and thats an apt description of the driving route there from Bucharest  up, over and down the Bucegi Mountains, a little more than 8,000 feet at their highest and mostly covered with thick pine woods.

If youre a fan of twisting two-lane roads, this is the place for you. The roads were mostly smooth and the drivers cautious, but the combination of thundering semitrailer trucks and horse-drawn carts made for some exciting moments.

En route theres time for lunch in Sinaia, an Alpine resort town with a clean-scrubbed Swiss feel. Stopping here is an excuse to visit Sinaia Monastery, an Orthodox monastery housing two small churches, and Peles Castle, a sprawling summer palace built in a unique blend of Gothic and Renaissance styles. It was finished just over a century ago, as the Romanian monarchy was in its twilight. The terrace of the adjacent hotel and restaurant provides a beautiful mountain-valley view for coffee or lunch.

We chose the regional capital of Brasov as our Transylvania base, more for its central location than for its sights. Sighisoara, two hours to the northwest, is crowned by a hilltop citadel surmounted by a 14th century clock tower with animated figures that strike the hours. Down the street is the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, in a building that now houses one of the citys better restaurants.

Closer to Brasov is soaring Bran Castle, one of the best-preserved castles in central Europe. Completed in the 14th century and still owned by Habsburg descendants, the castle is now besieged by souvenir stalls and marketed as Dracula Castle (Vlad may or may not have been imprisoned briefly there).

Inside, furnishings and photos tell far more poignant and factual tales of castle residents, such as Queen Marie, a granddaughter of Britains Queen Victoria who married into Romanian royalty and was decorated for bravery as a battlefield nurse during World War I.

One hidden gem of Transylvania is Viscri, a hamlet set in farm fields of green and gold, reachable via a detour off the main road from Brasov to Sighisoara. Viscri was settled by German-speaking Saxons invited in the 12th century to defend the Holy Roman Empires southern border.

The villages centuries-old tile-roof houses are a favorite of restoration champions, including Britains Prince Charles, who owns a bed-and-breakfast in town and visits occasionally. Some houses are lovingly renovated, painted vivid lilac or sky-blue, while others are in major disrepair.

There is little effort to tend to tourists here. Villagers get around with horse-drawn carts, with only a sidelong glance at visitors, and cows and geese wander unimpeded.

Viscris church, like many in Transylvania, was built as a fortress, a hilltop spot for villagers to run to when marauders threatened. Inside, a steep, stone staircase climbs to slit windows where an archer could let loose at attackers.
Designed to meet the needs of pre-service as well as professional school library media specialists, this blog provides news and information, book and technology reviews, and professionals sharing their expertise.
SOCIEDAD ASIATICA

THE ASIAN SOCIETY

COMISION DIRECTIVA



THE DIRECTIVE BOARD



PRESIDENTE:

Liliana Garcia Daris



Universidad del Salvador.

Argentina

VICEPRESIDENTE:

Won-ho Kim

Universidad de Hankuk de Estudios Extranjeros.

Corea

SECRETARIO:

Luis Diaz Brougton



Universidad de Santiago, Chile



PROSECRETARIO:



Martha Barriga Tello

Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru



VOCALES:



Mauricio Martinez



Universidad de los Andes, Colombia



Juan Uriburu Quintana



Universidad de Chenchi, Taiwan

CONSEJEROS ACADEMICOS

ACADEMIC ADVISERS



ASH NARAIN, Roy,

Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi.

India



GARCIA BAZAN, Francisco,



CONICET, Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy



MATSUSHITA, Hiroshi,



Universidad de Kobe, Japon



MIEMBROS FUNDADORES



FOUNDING MEMBERS



ALBERT, Liliana



Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



ANTON PACHECO, Jose Antonio



Universidad de Sevilla, Espana



ANTONIJEVIC, Ingrid



Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Chile



BARRIGA TELLO, Martha



Universidad Nacional de San Marcos, Peru



BERGMAN, Sergio

Melton Institute de Jerusalem, Israel



BERTOLINI, Luis



Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



CABEZON, Jose



Universidad de Santa Barbara, Estados Unidos



CAGNI, Horacio



Universidad Catolica de La Plata, Argentina



CARRANZA, Francisco



Universidad de Dankook, Corea



CASTLETON, Barbara



Ohio State University of Athens



CASTRO, Jorge

Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



CHAOUL-REICH, Alejandro



Universidad de Texas, Estados Unidos



CHELMICKI, Hanna I.



Universidad del Salvador, Argentina



DIAZ BROUGHTON, Luis



Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Chile



FRANCO, Raul



Universidad del Salvador, Argentina



GADRE, Vasant



Universidad Jawaharlal Nehru, India



GARCIA DARIS, Liliana

Universidad del Salvador, Argentina

GLUCK, Carol



Universidad de Columbia. Estados Unidos

HOPKINS RODRIGUEZ, Eduardo



Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru



KIM, Wonho



Universidad Hankuk de Estudios Extranjeros, Corea



KO, Heysun



Univesidad de Dankook, Corea



LOPEZ DEL CARRIL, Luis Maria



Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



LUCO, Enrique



Universidad del Salvador



MARTINEZ, Mauricio



Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia



MASATERU, Ito



Universidad Nacional de Osaka, Japon



MATSUSHITA, Hiroshi



Universidad de Kobe, Japon



MINKOWICZ, Gabriel

Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires

MONETA, Carlos Juan



Universidad del Salvador, Argentina



MORROW, John Andrew



Minot State University, Dakota del Norte, USA



NGUYEN, Thiet Son



Academia de Ciencias Sociales de Vietnam, Vietnam

OVIEDO, Eduardo

CONICET. Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina

PEREIRA, Ronan Alves

Universidad de Brasilia. Brasil

PEREYRA, Violeta



Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina

REMETE, Andrea

Universidad del Salvador, Argentina



RIMOLDI DE LADMAN, Eve



Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



ROMERO CASTILLA, Alfredo



Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico

TEDIN URIBURU, Virgilio



Universidad de Harvard, Estados Unidos

UEHARA, Alexander



Universidad de Sao Paulo. Brasil

URIBURU QUINTANA, Juan



Universidad de Chenchi, Taiwan



VITTOR, Luis Alberto



Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy



XU, Shicheng



Academia China de Ciencias Sociales, Republica Popular China
LEONARDTOWN, Md. (Nov. 12, 2016)A head-on crash on Thursday left one man dead. His passenger was flown to a local hospital and was last known to be in stable condition. The crash occurred in the area of Maryland Route 4, south of Patuxent Beach Road, in California. Ultimately, three vehicles were involved.



On scene investigation revealed a gray 1992 Toyota Corolla, bearing Virginia registration, was traveling northbound on MD 4 south of Patuxent Beach Road when it traveled across the solid double yellow line into oncoming traffic. The Corolla collided with a silver 2010 Dodge Caravan bearing Maryland registration, operated by Robert Michael Johnson, age 29. The Dodge was then struck in the rear by a blue 2008 Chevrolet Aveo, operated by Allie Renne Nelson, age 31. After the Corolla and Caravan collided, the Corolla rotated clockwise from the collision and came to a final rest on the right shoulder of the roadway on the southbound side of MD 4.



A passenger in the Corolla, identified as John Wayne Allen, age 36, was flown to Prince George's Shock Trauma by Maryland State Police Aviation Trooper 7. Mr. Wayne was in stable condition as of the last update.



The driver of the Corolla, identified as Craig Edward Wareham, age 46, was pronounced deceased at the scene.



The accident is under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact TFC M. Johnson at 301-475-8955.
Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.




The essential component of totalitarian propaganda is artifice (het toepassen van kunstgrepen. svh) . The ruling elites, like celebritie...
The implications of Donald Trumps shocking victory in the U.S. presidential race have not taken long to emerge in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as the Israeli officials seem to be seizing the chance to create facts on the ground before Trumps four-year term even begins.

The Israeli infrastructure minister, Yuval Steinitz told a Hebrew broadcast early yesterday that settlement construction across the West Bank and East Jerusalem will see a swift and wide expansion in the coming period. The Israeli minister noted that, due to political pressure from the U.S., settlement expansion had not gone as planned in these areas, and the election presents an opportunity to work without obstruction.

In addition, a second Israeli television station reported yesterday that the Israeli cabinet approved 7,000 new settlement housing units in Jerusalem that have been frozen for years because of opposition from the Obama administration.

The quick response from the Israeli side to Trumps triumph strongly suggests that Israel plans to fully capitalize on his winning to serve its interests with settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories and the ongoing distortion of the demographic and geographic reality on the ground. It also appears that the Israeli government hopes the new U.S. administration will aid them in the diplomatic battle as well, and possibly put an end to the U.S.-led peace process.

Naftali Bennett, the education minister in Netanyahus government has said that Trumps arrival in the White House would put an end to the two-state solution. Bennett stated.  The era of a Palestinian state is over .

It is not astonishing that Israeli officials moved to expand the settlements after Trumps victory. Trump has already pledged that if he was elected he would move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which would indicate a clear American recognition of the Israeli claim over the city.

Palestinian Response

For Palestinians, it was not expected that the winner of the U.S. election, whoever it was, would shift American policy toward the Palestinian cause. United States foreign policy has been always characterized by a bias in Israels favor.

Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump vowed to unconditionally support Israel during their heated campaign as this matter has never been disputed between the Democrats and the Republicans. The outgoing American president, Barak Obama has just handed Israel the biggest military aid package in the American history. His successor will definitely follow in his footprints. Although, Palestinians see that it may be harsher this time.

A lack of interest and frustration with the U.S. election has been the widespread response on the Palestinian street and among political parties, except for the Palestinian Authority (PA) which still expresses a willingness for peace talks and negotiations with Israel regardless of the total lack of interest on the Israeli side.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said that the PA would deal with any president elected by the American people on the principle of achieving permanent peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution on which is stubbornly rejected by the Israelis as they claim it constitutes great danger for their entity and security.

Hamas, the Islamic movement that controls the besieged Gaza Strip, asks for re-evaluating and re-balancing for the American policy toward the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Sami Abu-Zuhri, Hamass spokesperson, said that America has always been a reason behind the Palestinians continuous suffering as it provides the Israeli occupation with military, financial, and logistical support that has been used against the Palestinian people.

We do not expect changes in the U.S. policy, it will remain as it was, very biased for the interests of Israel, Abu-Zuhri noted.

Other Palestinian parties called on the PA to stop looking at the U.S. as a silver bullet for the Palestinian case since it failed to fairly respond to Palestinians complaints against the Israeli crimes, intransigence, settlement expansion, and movement restrictions in the past.

Islamic Jihads, Hani Habib, said that the PA should work for achieving Palestinian unity between the disputed sides in order to end the split and work together for the Palestinians people full rights.

Unconditional support

The US policy has been stable when it comes to Israel, said Hussam el-Dajani, a political commentator based in Gaza.

We are sure that the unbounded support will continue for Israel, but cannot determine how exactly the American administration will react to the conflict. Will the negotiation process be resumed and on what basis?, he wondered.

He noted that if Israeli practices in the West Bank go uncontrolled, and the facts on the ground continue to be altered with of a green light from America, an angry collective Palestinian response is to be highly expected. If Israeli practices change a lot on the ground, Palestinians will detonate in the face of Israel. It will be paying a heavy price if the far-extremist Israeli government was not deterred. Therefore, I do not see it will be 100 percent positive for Israel at least in the long term, el-Dajani added.

Redwan el-Agres, a Palestinian activist said that it is better for the ugliness and bias of U.S. policy to be explicit rather than to have it hidden and embellished as it would have been if Clinton was elected. Clinton and Trump would have worked against us, let them do it without deception at least, he concluded.
This post is, as may be obvious, not just about Donald Trump, elected to be the 45th President of the United States.





This is also about the 45-odd percent of the American voters who did not vote (OK, I am rounding up). And, about the world political system that we had since the 1945, that is breaking now. And, with it, the 45 year old system of globalisation and free trade around which there was a common political consensus, which is now at the mercy of the 45th President of the United States.





Was I surprised that Trump managed to get elected? Not really. Was I disappointed? No, because this was always in the realm of the possible. Am I sad? Most certainly, because what it signifies and what I expect to happen next.





Apart from those few who are genuinely excited about a Trump Presidency, I got three other reactions from the people I interacted on the subject, all three I disagree with.





The first was that this was all a madness. A friend wrote on Facebook that the Brits are relieved that they can call the Yanks stupid again. A London Bar put a sign outside requiring all Americans to be accompanied by an Adult. I disagree with this because there is a pattern here which we overlook at our peril. It is not just Brexit, but there is a trend across the world, from Philippines to India to Austria to Italy and elsewhere, towards an anti-globalisation consensus. While some individuals may be voting irrationally, there is a collective picture here which is not irrational at all.





The second is that this is all inconsequential. Trump will be an one term President. While that may happen, this may be one hell of a term! With all those Supreme Court appointments that may come up within the next few years, and Republicans controlling all the branches of the Government, this may change United States forever. Indeed, some people are hoping that Republican establishment may impeach Trump, as he is bound to veer away from official party position on so many issues. We have indeed heard predictions about Trump's evident demise so many times, which have been proved wrong.





The third is an optimistic, all-American view that the decent people in America will make it all work, as they have always done in the past. Indeed, very sensible - one person tweeted that expecting Trump to fail is like wishing the Pilot to make mistakes when you are on board in the aircraft - but this is both ahistorical and elitist. Ahistorical because such turns have, in the past, impacted a country and its future, in different countries around the world but also in the United States. It is a mistake to underestimate the power of the modern state, the evil people can do for a mere promise of job and stability, and the way the actions of an empowered individual can shape the destiny of a whole people. Elitist because, underlying this view is the assumption that this is all a mistake, and a desire to treat the symptoms without curing the disease.





Instead, Trump's election is a definitive break - from the Post-War Political system and Post-WTO globalisation consensus, but part of a bigger story of Brexit and surge of Fascism across the world. The elite, as represented in Hillary Clinton, have made the rhetoric work for them for generations, handing out empty promises, meaningless hopes and pointless futures in equal measure. They have built a world of political exclusion, striving to tame active citizens into passive consumers, stripping education of ambition and engagement and making it into a tool of need fulfilment. As it seems now, this has created a political underground, a despairing kind rather than an inspired one, and the very success of liberalism, political and economic, is now undermining its existence.





It is the moment of breaking of times, apocalyptic rather than inconsequential, meaningful rather than crazy. But this is not about losing hope and writing off the next few years or decades, but to see beyond the hegemonic ideas that engulfed us. The Consumer Civilisation is crumbling under its own contradictions, and other possibilities are emerging. We are looking at a new generation for whom all that selfish self-promotion is so last century, and for whom, social responsibility is cool again! Indeed, the political left is devoid of leadership - that is why 45% stays home - but when ideas break down, possibilities and leaders who inspire emerge. My mood is sombre, but my expectations soar - it is the hour of the ideas all over again.












The bookkeeper who embezzled half a million dollars from the Longview YMCA between 2007 and 2012 is facing a lawsuit from the nonprofit.

Tomi Dupper, now 61, pleaded guilty to first-degree theft for stealing cash and taking a loan against her retirement to which she falsified a repayment.

Dupper told police she needed the money to pay bills because she was having financial trouble but intended to repay the YMCA. Shed worked for the YMCA for 23 years.

Dupper was sentenced in April 2014 to two years in prison. She was ordered to pay the YMCA nearly $293,000 at no less than $25 monthly. The restitution amount was based on what Dupper still owed the YMCA after she forfeited her retirement and the agency recovered some money from insurance. Of the $293,000 still owed, Dupper has paid only $350.

But this June, the YMCA filed a civil suit against Dupper in Cowlitz County Superior Court. It alleges that she gave 10 acres of rural Longview land to her daughter Kari Kosa in July 2013 for free in order to keep it from being seized and sold to compensate the YMCA. She reserved a life estate in the property, meaning that she retained all rights and benefits to the land for the remainder of her life.

This year, the county assessors office valued that land at $102,580.

Dupper, who hasnt retained an attorney, wrote to the court that she didnt give away the land to defraud the YMCA. She argues that her daughter wanted to build a home on the property months before Dupper was fired. Dupper said she reserved her life estate to protect the well on the property.

Dupper said she wanted to give her daughter the land to provide stability to the single mother of three.

Emails Dupper provided the courts show her daughter began speaking with a home builder as early as February 2012, 13 months before Duppers arrest.

Lives go on even if a person is under criminal indictment, Dupper wrote in court documents. Kari Kosa and her children were to continue to move forward with their plans.

But Dave Nelson, attorney for the YMCA, argued that Dupper admitted to the embezzlement in December 2012, well before she began transferring the land to her daughter in July 2013.

By the time of the arraignment, Dupper reasonably should have believed that she would incur a debt to repay the embezzled funds that were beyond her ability to pay, Nelson wrote.

Dupper said she was surprised to find out just how much shed stolen from the YMCA.

Tomi Dupper did know that she had extensive debt from a failed business, had extensive debt from long-term divorce proceedings, the allocation of debt from said divorce, and loss of community funds, Dupper wrote in response to the lawsuit. As far as she should have realized that she had embezzled funds beyond her ability to pay, she never realized the extent of it.

The YMCA wants the courts to order the sheriffs office to sell the land and give the proceeds to the YMCA.

Dupper and her daughter did not respond to requests for comment.

The next hearing will be Wednesday at 2 p.m.
The Port of Kalama adopted a $44.4 million budget this week that includes ambitious plans for new industrial buildings, completing the McMenamins hotel and restaurant and building facilities for the proposed methanol refinery at the north port.

Next years budget is a 52 percent increase over the 2016 budget, which was $29.2 million. The biggest chunk of the 2017 budget is the $32 million the port plans spend on capital projects..

The port expects to finance those project partly out of revenues, which are project to total $14.4 million next year. But it also expects to sell $30 million in bonds to raise money for the work.

Port Commissioner Randy Sweet said Friday that port may not actually need to sell all $30 million worth of bonds. Some of the spending plans hinge on whether the methanol plant gets all the necessary approvals. The port has to conservatively plan for the large-scale expenses anyways, he said.

In the north port area, where Steelscape is located and where the methanol plant would go, the port expects to spend $1 million building a second dock and $2 million on construction a new water well system.

This month, port contractors completed construction of two new warehouses on Steelscape property to accommodate the methanol plant. The $4.5 million project was paid for largely with cash reserves, and part of the bonds the port will take out next year will help to pay the port back for those expenses, Sweet said.

The 2017 budget also includes $8 million for new light industrial buildings near the Owens-Illinois glass plant at the mouth of the Kalama River. The buildings will allow the port meet growing interest in its properties from prospective new tenants. Commissioners in September awarded a $588,000 design contract for 120,000 building to Longview-based Collins Architectural Group.

Our buildings are full so weve got to put up that new building weve actually got people actually knocking on our door, Sweet said.

Construction of the much-anticipated McMenamins hotel and restaurant will cost the port an estimated $6.8 million next year. (However, the port already has spent money on foundation work, and it has conservatively planned to spend $8.2 million on the project over this year and next.)

Once the port completes the shell of the hotel and restaurant, McMenamins will spend an additional $3 million customizing the space.

In anticipation of long-term growth, the port also expects to spend $5 million to develop utilities, roads and infrastructure at the future site of Spencer Creek Business Park east of Interstate 5.

Next year, anglers and boating enthusiasts also will notice some big changes to the ports decades-old marina as the port expects to spend $3.5 million marina renovation project.

Its not a huge revenue generator, but its a very much- loved marina and its time we do something with it, Sweet said.

While the ports capital budget is set to expand, the operating budget actually will drop slightly from $7 million this year to $6.4 million next year due to lower dredging costs.
For more than 150 years, 180 letters lay stashed in the attic of a Kelso funeral home. They were penned by soldiers who served in the U.S. Civil War, and recount the struggles of battle. But little was was known about the writers themselves.

No longer. Retired Kelso teacher and historian John Simpson has unveiled the history behind these letters and the lives of their authors.

Cowlitz County Historical Museum three years ago asked Simpson, a scholar of Civil War history, to assess the letters significance after they were turned over to the museum. Simpson decided to go beyond the Civil War and delve into the lives of their authors and publish their story in a book.

I think these chapters here have relevance to whats going on today, and I think thats what a good book should do. It should tell a story that captivates people, but it should also have some meaning to it  that theres more to it than just the story itself, said Simpson, who last week gave an annual update on his progress to an audience at the county historical museum.

Ive had to become almost like a first-year college student these last two-and-a-half years, reading books and contacting people to build a story that is worth telling. And I think were on the way.

The letters are mainly correspondence written home from brothers Phillip and Philander Ellithorpe of western New York state. Philander survived the war but lost his arm. Phillip died from wounds at Gettysburg. The letters date from 1860 to 1865 and include letters written home from two other men who married the Ellithorpes sisters. One of their descendants ended up owning the Kelso funeral home, where the letters were eventually found by former City Councilman Alan Slater.

Simpson spends about five hours a day in his man cave in his house researching historical records and scouring the Internet. He has traveled several times to the East Coast to follow up leads and acquaint himself with the Ellithorpes world.

He said this book, his sixth history book, is a look at the Civil War from the ground up. It focuses on the rank and file, not the high-ranking. Simpson said this approach lets him compare the veterans issues in the Civil War and veterans issues today, such as pension problems.

Simpson said his fascination with Civil War started at a young age. Two of his teachers lit his fire for the subject. But the letters project has pushed him out of his comfort zone. Simpsons studies had focused on the Confederate side in Tennessee; the Ellithorpe brothers fought for the Union side and came from New York.

Simpson is planning another trip to New York in May to tie up loose ends and find some remaining records. Simpson said his book will be in line with a movement among Civil War historians to go beyond the savagery of battle and focus on the social aspects of war. Simpson said he will use quotes and excerpts from the letters to provide his readers an unvarnished view of the war through the soldiers voices.

Once such letter is particularly striking. Phillip Ellithorpe, while working on an ambulance, had to bring his tentmate back from the battlefield at Antietam, one of the wars bloodiest battles. The tone of his letter describing the experience differs dramatically from his earlier epistles, Simpson said.

I want the readers to get a sense of who these guys were. What their fears were, what their concerns were. I want voice to come out, and the only way voice is going to come out is if I use their words, not mine, Simpson said. I guess what I want to present ...I want young people to realize that the glamour, the excitement quickly faded away.

Death and violence stripped away the luster of patriotism and zeal the brothers initially felt for the war, he noted.

But as the war progressed, and you get into those horrible battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, the luster is gone. They realize this isnt any war of chivalry and such. This is a terribly, dirty, deadly environment that theyre in. And they were in survival mode. ... Thats what Id like young people to understand.

Simpson is hoping to finish his book in the spring of 2018. After publication, Simpson said he will find proper homes for the letters, placing them in museums across the U.S. for other historians to access them and so they can engage a younger generation.

History should be .... teaching the young people ...to appreciate history, to get them hooked and asking questions about this. ... The Civil War affected people in so many ways that I dont know that young people (understand).
UNICEF (The United Nations Childrens Fund), while celebrating World Pneumonia Awareness Day has brought up a new statistics which is revealing some most shocking news about the effects of dirty air in the current generation. As per the reports of UNICEF, four kids are dying per hour in Utter Pradesh due to the polluted and dirty air. The statistics also discloses that more than 1.4 million children die each year due to the diseases like Pneumonia & Diarrhoea.

The new figures have been mentioned in the journal report released by UNICEF on 11th November, at the eve of World Pneumonia Awareness Day. Pneumonia is a certain kind of infectious that mostly affects children under five years. The report alleged this disease to take the lives of nearly million children in 2015 which means, approximately one kid is dying in every 35 seconds, and surprisingly the death figures of Pneumonia are more than of malaria, TB, measles, and AIDS.

The study also indicates that despite the remarkable progression in health conditions, the mortality of lids under-five from 2000 to 2015 is an actual matter of concern. Among other diseases, the infectious illness like pneumonia and diarrhoea go ahead the list of reasons of death of under-five. The report also shows Asian and African countries to be highly affected by the infections of pneumonia and diarrhoea, leading a violent mortality rate in UP which is said to be slated on four kids in one hour.

While publishing the new testimony, the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Fatoumata Ndiaye said, the involvement of air pollution in the on-going climate change is the fundamental reason for the mounting mortality rate among under-five. The dirty air is damaging the well-being and growth of children by causing pneumonia and a number of other respiratory infections like Diarrhoea.
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Eleven-year-old Pune girl Anvita Prashant Telang has been named national winner of the "Doodle 4 Google" contest. The sixth standard student from Vibgyor High School in Balewadi area was chosen for her Doodle submission on the theme titled "If I could teach anyone anything, it would be". The Doodle will be featured on the Google India homepage on November 14 to celebrate Children's Day.

"With 'Doodle 4 Google' competition, we aim to promote creativity, passion and imagination in younger users. We congratulate Anvita for being judged as the winner this year," said Sapna Chadha, Head of Marketing, Google India, in a statement. The entries that came from over 50 cities across the country were evaluated on artistic merit, creativity and theme communication as well as their unique and novel approach to the Doodle. The Doodle represents greeneries, water, water life, balloons, making it a lovely vibrant picture.

This comes after an elaborate call for voting for the finalists announced of for the 8th Doodle 4 Google event. The finalists went through two rounds of judging, first by school judges and then by national judges comprising of Art Director Savio Mascarenhas, Googles Chief Doodler Ryan Germick, Cartoonist Ajit Ninan and Creative Rob.

With inputs from IANS
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More than 40 international business and technology organizations representing hundreds of companies on Friday expressed deep concerns to the Chinese government about a new cyber security law they said would likely increase the separation between China and the rest of the world economy.

Beijing has adopted a cyber security law it called necessary to counter growing threats of hacking and terrorism.

The measure, to take effect in June 2017, was swiftly condemned by overseas critics, including business and human rights groups. They said it threatens to shut foreign technology companies out of various sectors deemed "critical", and includes contentious requirements for security reviews and for data to be stored on servers in China.

Chinese officials have said it would not interfere with foreign business interests.

In their letter, the groups warned that Beijing's efforts to control more of China's Internet and technology would "effectively erect trade barriers along national boundaries" while failing to achieve its security objectives.

The cyber security law would also burden industry and undermine "the foundation of Chinas relations with its commercial partners, the groups wrote in a letter addressed to the Chinese Communist Party Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs.

The letters signatories include the Information Technology Industry Council, the Internet Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Australian Industry Group and BusinessEurope, among others.

The law's adoption comes amid a broad crackdown by President Xi Jinping on civil society, including rights lawyers and the media, which critics say is meant to quash dissent.

U.S. Senator Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican, told Reuters he was extremely troubled by the new law.

The measure could further infringe upon the privacy of its people and potentially have a widespread impact on the international business community, said Gardner, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity.

Gardner said he voiced concern with Chinese officials about the law during a recent visit to the country and would press the Obama administration to address Beijings broader actions in cyberspace, which threaten U.S. economic and national security."

Reuters
The Shiver: Tonights group of sharks: Dallas Mavericks owner and tech-sector maverick Mark Cuban in his usual stage-right chair, real-estate impresariess Barbara Corcoran, venture capital mogul Kevin Mister Wonderful OLeary, QVC Queen Lori Greiner and at the end of the line, guest Shark Silicon Valley venture capitalist Chris Sacca.

The Bait: A better baby cover-up, a lemonade stand for the gig economy, a Korean BBQ chain and a lockbox that would make Al Gore giddy.

Company: Melanie Disbrow, Milk Snob

Seeking: $125,000 for a 5 percent stake

Disbrow walks the Sharks through a common struggle of new parents: trying to cover car seats and strollers to protect little ones from sun and weather, when babies, toddlers, or that very weather constantly rips off blankets and other covers.

Enter Milk Snob, a sort of overgrown tube top that functions as a cover for a stroller, a breast-feeding cover-up and a newborn wrap. The fabric is stretchy, so its strong, but breathable, for obvious reasons:

Ready to take it to the next level! And our Sharks already like it! #SharkTank #MilkSnob pic.twitter.com/LY1Gbljbb4  Shark Tank (@ABCSharkTank) November 12, 2016

In just 18 months, Disbrow has hauled in $1.2 million, with $600,000 of that in the last six months. The price $36 online, with just a $7.60 manufacturing cost. All of her marketing is through social media and mom-to-mom buzz, and so far its been a great success. Saccas blown away: He immediately offers $125,000 for 8 percent. You know what? Cuban goes full chivalry on this one. Im going to go out because thats a great offer.

Wait, @mcuban just endorsed my offer? Are pigs flying? Did hell freeze over? I am so confused. #SharkTank  Chris Sacca (@sacca) November 12, 2016

Lori offers $125,000 for 10 percent, which is obviously a worse deal, on paper but heyQVC! Thats perfect for a product like this.

Mister Wonderful offers $150,000 for 10 percent, too, but its hard to see his offer competing with the other two on the table.

Disbrow asks Lori if shell go down to 8 percent, but if Loris going to flog this thing on QVC she wants a bigger stake. Instead, Lori raises the cash match Mister Wonderful. Sacca still wants in, though, and Disbrow has some choices to make. Time for our first DRAMATIC COMMERCIAL BREAK!

When we come back, Disbrows hesitant. She wants Lori and Chris to partner on the deal, but she doesnt want to give up more than 10 percent equitywhich is not enough for two Sharks to sink their teeth into. Sacca goes out. Kevins also out, because she hasnt shown the slightest interest in dealing with him.

Suddenly, Loris the last Shark left. Disbrow hesitantly turns to her.

Lori, you actually were my pick.

Swim or chum? so Id love to accept your offer. SWIM.

Should you buy? Its been a few years since Ive been in the baby-wearing business, but Im not sure this would make a great wrap. If youre baby-wearing, a lot of strollering isnt necessary. And I dont believe a mama needs a muu-muu thrown over her when shes feeding. There are better dedicated baby-wearers out there, and its not $36.99 better than a blanket. SHOULD NOT BUY.

Company: Jack & Steve Bonneau, Jacks Stands & Marketplaces.

Seeking: $50,000 for a 10 percent stake

A kid pitcher! And not just any kid pitcher: A nine-year-old kid (at the time of filming; now hes 10) whose business is helping other kids start businesses. Jack had really wanted a $400 LEGO Death Star set, so he opened up a lemonade stand and hustled. $900 later, he had an idea that would help every kid near him start a business:

Jacks Stands from Colorado is already one our favorites! #SharkTank pic.twitter.com/QMB8LH4d1q  Shark Tank (@ABCSharkTank) November 12, 2016

Now, Jacks Stands and Marketplaces offer space and time for kids to come and hawk their wares at mall kiosks. The kids keep a 15 percent cut of whatever theyre selling, and Jack and his dad (I work for Jack! he insists) get rich. Well, thats the plan. So far they have seven locations in Colorado, two in malls, and earnings havent been great. Despite this, Jackwho knows all the numbers, his dad is barely speakingsays hes projecting $150,000 in sales over the next year, and $1,000,000 the year after that:

Jack has some aggressive revenue projections, but would you be willing to bet against this kid? #JacksStands #SharkTank  Chris Sacca (@sacca) November 12, 2016

Mister Wonderful loves Jacks hustle, but struggles with kids because he doesnt want a part-time partner. Hes out. Sacca asks how he got funded, and turns out he got a starter loan of $1,000 from his parents, earned enough to pay them back, got a $5,000 loan from a bank, and has almost paid them off. Now this little Denver Broncos fan is rocking it out on Shark Tank:

Jack, pronounces Cuban, youre incredible. But not incredible enough: He doesnt see them growing beyond the Denver area. Hes out. Barbara and Lori say the same thing: Youre super awesome, but not investible. Theres no way Im going to let the best pitch of the year get out the door without an offer, Sacca says. He offers a $50,000 loan at two percent interest, disbursed in $10,000 chunks as Jack needs it. Sacca also wants a contingency that Jack do a YouTube show or podcast that grows an audience online. If you take that deal, Mister Wonderful says, youll be the most in-debt nine-year-old in the world.

Swim or chum? He immediately takes it. OLeary cracks up: Hes nine years old and $60,000 in debt! SWIM.

Should you buy? Well, heres the problem with the business: The only way you can buy what hes selling is if youre a kid with a business in Denver. If you are, and you need a space to hawk your wares, you SHOULD BUY.

Company: Jae Kim, Chilantro

Seeking: $600,000 for a 50 percent stake

Kim emigrated from South Korea with his single mom when he was 11 years old. Hes applied for Shark Tank three times: Once with one food truck, once with five food trucks and now with a fleet of trucks and a fast-casual restaurant. The third times the charm, and here he is with a sampling of the food:

His fast-casual thing is very Chipotle: Build a bowl with starch (white rice, brown rice or noodles), protein, veggies, special sauces and the original kimchee fries. The Sharks love it:

This. Food. Is. So. Good. Then he serves it all over fries!! @ChiLantroBBQ is painfully good stuff. His success is no accident. #SharkTank  Chris Sacca (@sacca) November 12, 2016

Kim describes his first business, a coffee shop, as a failure. He didnt have a vision and couldnt grow it. But when asked how he founded Chiantro, he references his $30,000 in savings.

Cuban jumps in to applaud him: You started your business, you paid for college, and you saved $30,000.

Earnings last year were $4.7 million. Each food trucks pulling around $300,000, and $1-1.5 million for each restaurant. He hopes to do expand to 15 restaurants.

Youve actually lived the American Dream in every way, Mister Wonderful says, and hes right.

Sacca loves the food, but he doesnt really see the opportunity here: He cant be the guy that helps Kim go from a vision to reality, and now the visionwhich isnt a game-changing revolution in foodis pretty much just growing whats already there. Hes out. Cuban says restaurants are not his thing; investing in one is a huge time sink if you want to be involved at all. Hes out. Lori loves the food, but shes out too.

Barbara, though, is in. And shes done this once before with Tom + Chee in Season 4. That business had a lot of growth and success, but also hit some bumps in the road (the one near me opened, struggled with quality consistency, and closed).

I know the structural problems they had in growing their business, Barbara says, and knows exactly how to grow Chilantro without putting a foot wrong. She offers the $600,000 for a whopping 30 percent stake. She warns not to treat her like dumb capital: Her expertise is valuable.

He counters: His business is robust and profitable. Even if she wants out, he can buy her back out quickly. Would she take 20 percent instead?

Swim or chum? You got yourself a deal, she says, and he does! SWIM.

Should you buy? The food looks phenomenal and Korean BBQ is great. If theres a location near you, you SHOULD BUY.

Company: Junior Desinor, TOOR

Seeking: $500,000 for a 10 percent stake

When youre house-hunting and see a great house for sale, your options are limited. You can call a number and leave a voicemail, or hope one of those little flyers is left. But if you want to tour the house, you could be waiting weeks for an agent or open house. Desinor says all thats about to change with the worlds smartest lockbox.

He invites Barbara to come try and get the keys: Just press the button and it sends a request to the house owner, who can approve it and open the lockbox, releasing the keys. Barbara can let herself in, tour the house and put the keys back when shes done.

She shakes Desinors hand.

Nice handshake, she says, clearly impressed with the cut of his jib. Nice suit.

Mister Wonderful immediately asks the question were all thinking: What happens if they just take the keys? Or hang out way too long?

The beauty of our product is that you decide what kind of showing you want to have, Desinor says. Theres a notification sent if the keys are out of the box too long, and you can also set the app to require an agent come over. That settled, the Sharks want to know what sales look like.

Zero. Theyre brand new.

But TOOR had a really successful Kickstarter, and the demand is clearly there. The Sharks want to know how he got this idea; it grew out of his practice as a real-estate agent.

His parents are from Haiti, he says, and worked hard to send him to a fancy Dallas-area private school. Going to friends neighborhoods and seeing big, fancy houses (including Cubans) inspired him to start. Sacca, a Silicon Valley VC, knows him some big, fancy houses, though, and he sees a problem: There are already smart lockboxes that use Bluetooth to open in the presence of an agent; the only innovation TOORs really offering is the remote interface.

When Desinor says the old-school real estate companies are way behind the times, and his TOOR has a utility patent pending, Sacca gets testy. Hes seen agents unlock homes with a smartphone while touring!

Hes entirely right, Barbara says. This clearly answers a need, and youre not going to see anything like it out of the old guys in the industry. Additionally, she notes, Youre one of the best salespeople Ive seen in my life. Considering shes worked in real estate much of her career, thats saying something.

I like when people make better mousetraps, Lori says, but its too early for her. Shes out.

You blew it, Mister Wonderful says, by asking for half a million dollars on a five-million dollar valuation when his product is still a prototype. Kevin offers $100,000 for 10 percent equity, then a $400,000 loan at 18 percent interest. Kevin demands a quick answer and Desinor ponders as we go to our second DRAMATIC COMMERCIAL BREAK.

Ill save you some time, Cuban says. Hes not into real estate, and he cant help. Hes out. Barbara wants to jump in here, joining Kevins deal

I dont want a better mousetrap. I want a bear trap, making tens of millions. Saccas convinced that this thing is only a couple of years ahead of the everybody else, because people are already moving to tech-activated locks. House keys are doomed!

Desinor counters: $250,000 for 10 percent in equity, and $250,000 line of credit. Barbara and Kevin confer, then counter at $200k cash/$300k creditwith the contingency that hes willing to ramp up big-time and get into major retailers. Are we there for our FOURTH deal of the night?

Swim or chum? We are! SWIM.

Should you buy? Honestly, Im not even sure whos buying these. Agents? Sellers? Even if Im selling my house, Im not cool with unsupervised visits. Oh, and theres something about a $100-a-month subscription model? Im not into it. SHOULD NOT BUY.
BB retrieves $15m of cyber heist

Philippines Authority has repatriated $15 million of $81 million cyber heist to Bangladesh Bank (BB).



The two-member team of the Central Banks Anti-Money Laundering Department headed by Debaprosad Debnath, general manager of the banks Financial Intelligence Unit, accepted the fund in cash on Friday, Bangladesh Bank sources confirmed.



Earlier in September, a Philippines court ordered the country`s central bank to repatriate $15 million dollars surrendered by casino boss Kim Wong and his Eastern Hawaii Leisure Company, to Bangladesh Bank, saying only BB is the rightful owner of the money.



Later, the Anti-Money Laundering Council of Philippines Central Bank took initiatives to return the fund.
Oppression on minority community resented

Chittagong Bureau :

Bishwajanin Shanti Sangha(World Peace council) Chittagong unit expressed deep concern and resentment over the attack on residences and mandirs of Hindu community in different areas including Brahmanbaria .

In a statement , the leaders of the council said no religion supports such atrocities on other religion and all the religions speaks about peace in the community irrespective caste and creed. The leaders of Chittagong unit of BS Sangha expressed deep shock over the attack on minorities and demanded exemplary punishment of the attackers.

The signatories of the statement are Chairman Principal Dr. Abdul Karim, founder of the sangha dr.

CS Das, Secretary General Advocate Sukhomoy chakraborty, vice chairman Habibur Rahman Habib, Joint secretary dr. Anjan Kumar Das, Joint secretary Shib Prasad, Women Affairs secretary councilor Nili Nag, Social Welfare Secretary Prof. dr. Debratha Bhattachariya, Organising Secretary M. Abdul Matin Biplob, Education & Research secretary Prof. Dr. Jaharlal Bhattachariya, Finance secretary Dr. Pranab Biswas, coordination secretary Joydev Chandra, Press secretary Dr. Debashis Majumder, EC member Dr. Manash shekor and Mohan chowdhury.
JALDHAKA (Nilphamari): A rally was brought out in Jaldhaka Upazila to mark the 44th founding anniversary of Jubo League on Friday.
No respite from traffic gridlock

Excess vehicles, illegal parking main cause: Experts

Reza Mahmud :

Residents in Dhaka city see no respite from the traffic gridlock as a result of excess number of vehicles against the streets capacity, illegal parking and poor traffic management by the authorities concerned.

Experts and the officials of the traffic department have expressed concerned over the city's worsening traffic congestion that causing a loss of around Tk 60,000 crore every year.

"There is no sign to ease the tailback in the capital. Rather, the situation is aggravating day by day. It plagued the city with huge economic loss," Dr. Sarwar Jahan, Professor of Urban Planning of Bangladesh University of Engineer and Technology (BUET), told The New Nation on Saturday.

Sarwar Jahan said, the private cars are the main players behind the traffic jam on the city streets. "There are more than 1.5 crore people living in Dhaka. The vehicles are increased comparatively with the growing people. But the streets are not increased further intensifying the traffic congestion," he said.

He said, the international standard practice is that a city has to furnish with 25 per cent streets of its total size. But there are only 7 to 8 per cent of streets in our capital. Big portions of those streets are also grabbing by the illegal car parking and vendors.

The urban planner recommended quick implementation of metro-rail and expressway with the public transportations to ease the traffic gridlock.

He also stressed the need for administrative decentralization soon. "Increasing numbers of vehicles in limited road capacity is the main cause of the gridlock. The Traffic Department is finding it hard to improve the situation," Additional Commissioner (Traffic) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mosleh Uddin Ahmed told The New Nation yesterday. "We have increased the number of cases filed against the illegal vehicles and drivers. Previously, we filed around two thousand cases, but now it reached four thousand everyday against the persons who violate traffic laws," he said..

Mosleh Uddin also said that they are now arranging traffic education in different educational institutions.

According to the Traffic Department, the streets of the capital city have capability to run only 3.0 lakh vehicles. But around 9.0 lakh vehicles are being registered with the Bangladesh Roads and Transport Authority (BRTA).

The actual number of vehicles could even more than the figure, he said, adding there were around 5.0 lakh vehicles in the city in 2009. Besides, there are around 12 lakh rickshaws running while the licensed number of these vehicles is only 79,000.

Experts said, around 3.0 lakh private cars run on the city streets everyday. The huge number of cars carried very few people. The uneducated drivers are also the big cause to increase gridlock, they said..

Stakeholders said, public buses stopped here and there to pull passengers outside of the bus stands are also a big cause of gridlock.

The most important points in the city like Farmgate, New Market, Science Lab, Mohakhali, Rampura, Badda, Gulistan, Syedabad and Jatrabari areas are seen full of gridlock in everyday for the reckless passenger pulling by the buses.

On the other hand, the illegal car parking in roadside is the major cause of unbearable gridlock.

"You see, lot of cars and big sizes microbuses were parked by dominated huge portions of streets in Motijheel area. A narrow portion only is open for the running vehicles in whole Motijheel and Dilkusha commercial area.

It causes inevitable traffic gridlock and untold suffering to the passengers.

But the authority seemed undone to curb the situation," said Abdul Hakim, a bus driver at Motijheel.

But the traffic officials said they frequently conduct operations to hold the cars and fine their owners and even filing cases but the situation remains the same.

Traffic officials said, without creating consciousness among the car owners, it is difficult to make the streets free from illegal parking.

According to the Traffic Department, there are around four thousand traffic officials' works in more than 600 traffic signal points everyday. Around 20 per cent of them are in vacations most of the time.

The rest 80 per cent of the officials faced difficulties to control the huge vehicles.

"Before understanding the problems of the traffic system and way to curb that, the officials were transferred to other offices.

It is the major cause to remain the traffic department comparatively inexpert. So, the higher traffic officials should stay for long term in their posts," said an official preferring anonymity.

Mayors of the two city corporations of the capital are also trying to improve the situation by using their own tools like removing big bus and truck stands out side of the capital.


Syndicates busy in human skeleton business

Tk30cr trading per year: Students, sweepers involved

Md Joynal Abedin Khan :

Underground business on human skeleton is booming across the country with the alleged involvement of a few students of medical colleges, some sweepers of hospital morgues, owners of several private hospitals and some unscrupulous members of law enforcing agencies, police and hospital sources said.

They added many syndicates in collusion with them are now passing their busy time to run this clandestine trading of human skeletons as the demand of the 'commodities' are on rise for the students of medical colleges in the country.

Around 4,000 pieces of human skeletons are needed for the students of the medical and dental colleges, while more than 5,000 pieces of the commodities are smuggled to India for use of different purposes, the sources said.

They said, people involved buy a body at Tk 20,000 and sell each of the human skeletons around Tk 50,000 after processing of the body.

The syndicate members earn around Tk 30 crore by conducting this illegal business at home and abroad per year, the sources added.

According to official data, there are 3,389 students get admission in 23 government medical and ten dental colleges, while 4,075 students get admission in 55 private medical and 12 dental colleges every year. About 50 per cent students may able to collect human skeletons from the senior students. But, the rest of the students are to collect skeletons from illegal channels.

Each of the first year students has to buy a human skeleton from the syndicate by paying around Tk 50,000, it said.

Detective sources said, skeletons and human bones are also dug up from burial grounds in different cities and districts. Then the skeletons cleaned, packed in cardboard boxes or jute bags before being carried to the destination, they said.

The law enforcing agencies have arrested many people and recovered hundreds of human skeletons from their possession in the city and different other parts of the country in the last three years, they added.

On November 5, police recovered at least 38 human skulls and some bones from a flat in capital's Kafrul area and arrested Kamruzzaman Ronny, the tenant of the flat, in this connection.

Ronny rented the flat a month ago introducing himself as the owner of a chemical factory in Old Dhaka and a physician at Mitford Hospital, police said, quoting landlord Elias Saifullah.

Masud Ahmed, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Mirpur Division), said "The parts of human skeletons stored in several cartons were seized from Kafrul and arrested Ronny. He (Ronny) told police that he sells human skeletons to medical students."

Earlier in June last year, 13 bodies were stolen from the city's Jurain graveyard.

At least seven bodies were also stolen from a graveyard at Gaqulnagar village in Ashulia in May this year. A general dairy was filed with Ashulia Police Station in this connection.

In Gazipur, at least 23 bodies were stolen from a graveyard in Gazaria of Gazipur district in June this year.

In Faridpur, 12 bodies were stolen from a graveyard at Nagarkanda upazila in the district on June 12 last year.

In Sherpur, some miscreants also stole five bodies from a graveyard in the district in April.

Rapid Action Battalion arrested two human skeleton traffickers in Sylhet in February. The arrested were identified as Bellal Hossain, 40, and Hira Miah, 21, both employees of Histology Department of Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital.

Keya Akhter, student of Rangpur Medical College, said, "Many students of the medical college are involved in skeleton business. They have a strong syndicate on the college campus and outside the campus."

She said each of the students generally has to pay Tk 25,000 for a half set of human skeleton and Tk 50,000 for full set of the bone.

When contacted, Professor Shamim Ara, Chairman of Anatomy Department of Dhaka Medical College, told The New Nation on Thursday, "Our students get almost all skeletons donated by some people and institutions. Even they write their names on skeletons. Some of them also collect these from the senior students."


Philippines returns $15.25m

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has retrieved $15.25 million, part of $81 million stolen from its account with the New York Federal Reserve Bank on February 5 and ended up to the Philippines banking system.



The Philippines authorities on Friday handed over the fund to a BB team in Manila.



BB retrieved the fund after 10 months of the high-profile cyber heist in which cyber criminals attempted to launder nearly $1 billion from its reserve account with the New York Fed in February last year but succeeded to launder $101 million using SWIFT financial messaging system.



Some $20 million went to Sri Lanka, where it was blocked by authorities. The rest of $81 million entered into four fictitious accounts at the RCBC Bank in Manila.



"The Philippines Anti-Money Laundering Council handed over the $15.25 million, portion of the $81 million heist fund, to a two member team of BB's anti-money laundering department in Manila on Friday," BB Deputy Governor Abu Hena Mohd Razee Hasan, told The New Nation on Saturday.



He said, Bangladesh ambassador in Philippines John Gomes accepted the fund in cash in presence of the BB team. Prior to handing over the fund to BB, the money was kept into the vaults of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the central bank of Philippines.



The two-member BB team traveled to Manila on November 7 to complete the process with the BSP to get back the fund which had been surrendered by casino operator Kim Wong and forfeited by the Philippine government.



The members are Debaprosad Debnath, general manager and Abdur Rob, a Joint Director of the central bank's Financial Intelligence Unit,.



"The recovered $15.25 million will be deposited to BB account with the NY Fed in a day or two," said Razee Hasan.



Earlier, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Manila ordered the release of $15 million to Bangladesh central bank declaring Bangladesh as the rightful owner of the heist money.



Following the order, Bangladesh's central bank filed an execution suit with a Philippine court to get the money bank in its account. The case was also settled and the order issued in favour of Bangladesh.



Razee Hasan, who is also the chief of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFUI) said, the recovered money consisting with the US dollar and Philippine peso will be deposited to BB account with the New York Fed in the next working day through two bank accounts with Standard Chartered Bank and Bangladesh embassy in Manila.



When asked, he said, "The Philippines authorities earlier engaged an all-out effort to trace the BB heist fund. They have already made tremendous progress in this regard. Process is on to retrieve the traced fund".


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Facebook and Twitter could be Next to Get BLOCKED!

"The Russian court's decision has the potential to deny access to LinkedIn for the millions of members we have in Russia and the companies that use LinkedIn to grow their businesses. We remain interested in a meeting with Roskomnadzor to discuss their data localization request."

As reported late October, the world's largest online professional network LinkedIn is going to ban in Russia beginning Monday following a Moscow court decision this week that found Microsoft-owned LinkedIn to be in violation of the country's data protection laws.Here's why LinkedIn is facing ban in Russia:In July 2014, Russia approved amendments to the Russian Personal Data Law that came into force on 1st September 2015, under which foreign tech companies were required to store the personal data of its citizens within the country.Legislation put in place for protecting its citizens' data from the NSA's worldwide surveillance revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden.The Russian state's federal media regulator, known as Roskomnadzor, is now threatening to block any company that stored its citizens' personal data on non-Russian servers.Not just LinkedIn, even other bigger companies, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter, could be next on the list of getting blocked in Russia if they fail to comply with the law.Major companies, including Google , Apple, and Viber, have reportedly moved some of their servers to Russia this year, although Facebook, Microsoft, and Twitter denied complying with the law.LinkedIn is the first big name to fall for not complying with the law, as a Russian court upheld a ruling to ban the professional network from operating in the country, the New York Times reports LinkedIn is reportedly willing to discuss arrangements that could allow the company to operate in Russia. Here's a comment from a LinkedIn spokesperson:It seems that Roskomnadzor has chosen LinkedIn its first target due to the company's history of security issues. The massive 2012 LinkedIn hack exposed over 117 Million passwords and usernames.The ban could take effect on Monday, with Russian internet service providers (ISPs) blocking access to LinkedIn's web address.LinkedIn, which has some 5 Million users in Russia, could still appeal the court's decision to avoid being blocked across the country.Roskomnadzor  known as the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies, and Mass Communications  is Russia's telecommunications watchdog that runs a huge blacklist of websites banned in the country.Russia is not the first country to enforce data localization law on foreign tech companies. A few months ago, Iran also imposed such regulations on all foreign social media and messaging apps to move 'data and activity' associated with Iranian citizens onto servers in Iran within one year.
The state Department of Natural Resources doesn't have the staff, funding or capability to conduct the thousands of "administrative enforcement actions" necessary to address the violations alleged by the parish, the judge ruled.

Wikimedia

A Louisiana parish's lawsuit against oil and gas companies over coastal wetland loss  litigation backed by Gov. John Bel Edwards  has been revived by the same state judge who dismissed it in August.

District Court Judge Stephen Enright Jr. had ruled in August that the lawsuit was premature because the parish first should have sought remedies through state regulators.

However, in an order dated Monday, Enright said the state Department of Natural Resources doesn't have the staff, funding or capability to conduct the thousands of "administrative enforcement actions" necessary to address the violations alleged by the parish.

Jefferson has filed seven such lawsuits against oil companies, claiming damage from abandoned open waste pits, the dumping of brine and oilfield waste dumped into marshes and the failure to fill in miles of canals companies dredged while drilling in delicate coastal areas.

Similar lawsuits have been filed by Plaquemines, Cameron, St. Bernard and Vermilion parishes. Also, a federal appeals court decision is pending in a lawsuit filed by a New Orleans-area flood control board that seeks damages from dozens of oil companies over damage to wetlands that form a hurricane buffer for the city. That suit was rejected by a federal judge, but an attempt to revive it is pending at the federal appeals court in New Orleans.

Gov. John Bel Edwards has said his administration will take a more active role in wetlands damage litigation and will pursue its own lawsuits against companies if other coastal parishes decide against suing. In a conference call Thursday, administration legal advisers said they believe Enright's order will lead to decisions by other parishes on whether and how to proceed.

Oil industry representatives have been harshly critical of the lawsuits.

The Louisiana Oil and Gas Association and the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association issued a joint statement Thursday in reaction to Enright's decision.

"Judge Enright's reversal is based entirely on assertions made by Gov. Edwards and DNR officials that the state doesn't have the staff, the funding or the capability to address permit violations alleged in the coastal lawsuits," the statement said. "Governor Edwards' and DNR's claim that they are incapable of addressing the alleged violations through the state's well established administrative enforcement process is absurd. DNR manages an annual budget of $69 million and employs hundreds of scientists and inspectors."

Earlier, state lawyers noted that there are more than 40 lawsuits by multiple parishes involving multiple defendants and thousands of alleged violations. "In order to do this administratively, it would effectively shut down the department," said Megan Terrell of the governor's coastal office. "They have six field biologists that would be required to do most of this work. In the meantime they still have to perform their regular duties."

Associated Press reporter Michael Kunzelman in Baton Rouge contributed to this story.
Louisiana's $315 million deficit from last year was mainly driven by continuing dips in employment that are hammering personal income and business tax collections.

Louisiana's $315 million deficit from last year was mainly driven by continuing dips in employment that are hammering personal income and business tax collections, the Legislature's chief economist said Thursday.

Greg Albrecht delivered the grim assessment to the state's income forecasting panel, the Revenue Estimating Conference, with a warning: "There's no improvement in sight so far."

The economist, who has described Louisiana as in a recession, told the forecasting panel that the number of private-sector jobs in the state has been falling since last year, particularly in the oil and gas industry, but also in other high-paying fields.

"We've had declining employment or slowdown since the beginning of 2015," Albrecht said.

That has a ripple effect across income and sales tax collections, as people earn and spend less money, hitting state coffers  and providing fewer dollars to pay for state services and programs.

Louisiana's unemployment rate is 6.4 percent, third-worst among states. The number of people working in the mining sector, which includes the oil and gas industry, has fallen 30 percent since December 2014, according to Albrecht's data.

The state closed the books on the financial year that ended June 30 having collected $315.5 million less than budgeted. Gov. John Bel Edwards and lawmakers will have to close that gap in the current budget year and already are drawing up plans for potential cuts.

"What we need is employment growth to stop declining. It boils down to that," Albrecht said. "Recovery for us is being pushed back. It doesn't look like we're going to even start to see anything until we're well into 2017 sometime."

In the two heaviest hits, Louisiana took in $105 million, or nearly 4 percent, less than expected from personal income taxes and $110 million, or 31 percent, less than expected from corporate taxes.

The state has had difficulty forecasting corporate tax collections.

Albrecht said economists initially projected Louisiana would bring in more than $780 million in corporate taxes during the past fiscal year, a number that was repeatedly revised downward. And the state still didn't reach the lowest forecast. When the budget year was over, Louisiana received $249 million in business tax payments.

Albrecht said the amount of tax breaks paid to businesses continues to soar, despite legislative efforts to scale back the tax break spending. He said the increase could be a combination of companies rushing to claim available tax breaks or being able to write off the larger losses that they are seeing in the state's struggling economy.

Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, the governor's top budget adviser, warned that Louisiana's income projections in the current year also could be too high, worsening the financial gap.

"The big challenge for the state right now is to reverse that (unemployment) trend and get more people working so that they're paying income tax and that they're buying more things," Dardenne said.

But the revenue forecasting panel didn't drop this year's income projections yet, waiting another month to review tax collection data. The state gave out extensions for tax payments after mid-August floods ravaged south Louisiana, adding more uncertainty than usual into the mix, so state officials want more time to track the numbers.
By AM Saturday, November 12, 2016 Share Tweet Share Share Email

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 targeted assassinations at the beginning of the 9Os of individuals branded miscreants (kofr), who were just democrats like you and me, i.e. those standing for a democratic system as opposed to a theocratic one. May I remind us all that in 1991, i.e. before the electoral process was even started and therefore before elections were cancelled by the government, Ali Belhadj, the then vice-president of FIS (Islamic Salvation Front) stated in front of the international press that:  If we have the law of God, why should we need the law of the people: one should kill all these unbelievers.



 assassinations of broad categories of people in the mid 90s: journalists, intellectuals, artists, foreigners, women, etc.. ; the targeting of each category of people was announced in advance in the fundamentalists printed media in the UK and crimes were later claimed in the same media through communiques signed by GIA ( Islamic Armed Group).



 extermination of entire villages branded miscreant, towards the end of the decade: that meant the simultaneous eradication of up to twenty members of the same family in one go.



Now guess what happened? It was their victims, i.e. the Algerian democrats, the antifascist, antifundamentalist Algerians, who never took arms against their executioners but only their pen, that the Left and human rights organisations vilified and branded eradicators!



I cannot even start telling you how one experiences a sense of madness when responsibilities are turned upside down in such a way; one feels like the raped girl, the battered woman, the child being caned who have been told by judges, police, families and media alike, over such a long period of time in history, that they were the ones truly responsible for sexual attacks, domestic violence and physical punishment in education; and that it was their own behaviour (how libertarian indeed! just being able to exist in the public space, to express an opinion, in short just enjoying ones fundamental human rights!) which induced these responses  which were thus seen as legitimate.



Yes, we do have an already quite long experience of perversity, which magically turns the victim into the abuser and blames her for the crimes that are committed against her.



Some days ago, a film by Deeyah Khan, Islams Non-Believers, which showed the fate of atheists in Muslim-majority countries, pointed at the growing number of young people who, at risk of their lives, declare themselves atheists  one of the most important phenomenon in this decade, although the European media failed to give it the importance it deserves  and the organisations who help them. The film gave the floor to young atheists and underlined the work done by the Council of Ex-Muslims that has popped up in many places in Muslim-majority countries and in the diaspora. It especially showed the work done by the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain with its formidable organizer Maryam Namazie.



It does not come as a surprise that this film sparked protest from Muslim fundamentalists and that their views were propagated and circulated all around, on the web and in the papers. One could expect such a backlash. They argued as usual that denouncing those who call for the murder of atheists in public statements that are available on the web is an attempt to malign them by mis-interpreting what they say; it is equated with attacking Islam itself, i.e. being a miscreant, a kofr who therefore deserves death penalty! Quite clear These are truly threats addressed to anyone involved in the film, from the director to the youth being interviewed in the film and up to their support organisations.



What do these young people say, in fact? That when they stopped believing in the faith they were born and raised into, an often long and painful process that generally starts at teenage years, they were drowning into a horrendous moral and emotional solitude; and that long before having to cope with a very grounded fear of being slaughtered for their opinion, they endured years of agony while facing the prospect of family rejection and being ostracised socially.



In Algiers where I grew up and where there were after independence (1962) scores of really areligious youth  if not declared atheists  how many have I seen who were truly terrorized at the idea that their mother could find out that they did not observe the fast during Ramadan! Who, amongst high ranked civil servants, dared open the canteens during the fasting period in state-owned plants? (The response is: only one in the whole of Algeria, in the national steel sector.) How then to be surprised when 50 years later, whilst reaction, the extreme-right and fundamentalism flourish worldwide, bloggers are assassinated in Bangladesh or libertarian writers in Egypt or India or elsewhere?



Director Deeyah Khan reviews the recent cases of atheists murders in Bangladesh so that one can better understand the fear that is gripping young atheists, even those who took refuge in the UK, as several of them hid their faces while testifying in the film, for fear of reprisal.



Yes, fear, today, in the UK, in London  fear of being physically attacked, of being assassinated. Is this fear so unfounded? I am afraid it is not unfounded: there are several journalists of Algerian origin, experts on Muslim fundamentalism, who have been living for years under police protection in Paris, or a director and actress of Algerian origin whose attackers attempted to burn her alive in broad daylight, in the street adjacent to the theatre where she was about to act in her play: I am 30 and I still hide when I smoke It never stopped since the Rushdie affair



Muslim fundamentalists who presently raise their voices against the film Islams Non-Believers are preparing the ground so that the eventual brutal responses they threaten young atheists with will be already considered as legitimate by those who should be our allies, namely organisations of the Left and human rights: after all, if they insult Islam, and if Muslims feel offended



One remembers Charlie



Just imagine for one second that Christian fundamentalists call for the murder of atheists in Europe on a regular basis, for the reason that Christianity is being insulted by their absence of faith One would be back to the times of Chevalier de la Barre, who himself was so young a man when he was tortured and executed for exactly the same reasons of ex-Muslims today. Would this be tolerated by the Left and human rights organisations, if it were Christian fundamentalists doing that? I doubt it. Then why this special treatment, this tolerance which only covers up for an unconscious racism, in the wake of such violations of the right to freedom of conscience and freedom of expression, including in the heart of Europe,  when it comes to Islam?



We know why and there is no reason to come back to it  but we do not consider these reasons acceptable. No, it is not an insult to Islam, or to Christianity, nor to any other religion, if an individual states in public that s/he does not believe any longer in their god. It is exercising a fundamental right, a right that is upheld under international human rights laws. Those who impede, or forcibly prevent exercising this right, or inflict punishment on whoever is exercising it, those are the ones who commit a crime. Not those exercising their right. In this day and age, reaffirming it is not totally useless.

For the past three decades, we have been witnessing the implementation in politics of the concept of perversity in psychology. Case study, truly.I first realized that during the dark decade in Algeria, which made about 200,000 victims, most of them at the hands of armed fundamentalist groups  with women constituting a large proportion of the victims.Following an inexorable process, these are the steps being taken by fundamentalists:
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Texas: Biden administration sends emergency wind turbines to help fight the blackouts

BREAKING: Biden signs executive order canceling the number 45

ATTENTION: It is your duty to report anyone who says this is no longer a free country. Fact-checking commissars are monitoring all state-approved social media platforms for your convenience

OUT: If you don't vote, you can't complain!

IN: If you didn't vote Democrat, you can't complain!

Social media justice: followers removed from pro-Trump accounts will be added to Biden's Twitter account

Fact check: a democratic election is the one in which votes are counted until Democrats win

JUST IN: China bans Twitter for being too totalitarian

Pelosi introduces new House rule to replace 'gender' terms like mother, daughter, father, son with the word 'comrade'; the only acceptable pronoun will also be 'comrade'





Sources: Biden transition team demands access to White House basement to begin renovations

BREAKING: President Trump pardons America for its past

Prime Minister Modi: to avoid accusations of racism India will change its name to Cleveland

Biden creates Antifascist Librarian Justice Committee; the first book scheduled for burning is Fahrenheit 451

Media study: 148% of Americans believe voter fraud doesn't exist

2020 Election forecast: if Joe Biden emerges from the basement on Election Day and sees his shadow, expect four more years of Trump

BREAKING: President Trump pardons Corn Pop

Toobin, though on administrative leave, is still pulling for Biden

Chinese whistleblower: Biden-20 was genetically engineered in a Wuhan lab

Nancy Pelosi sponsors a bill to create the office of removal of the President

New college humanities major: Critical Trump Studies

Opinion: Joe Biden is just an idea

CNN: Biden took a solid second place in the debate, while Trump only came next to last

Having ordered that all Californians switch to electric cars by 2035, Gov. Gavin Newsom follows up by mandating them to have electricity by 2035

Election 2020: Joe Biden pledges to a peaceful post-election transfer of power to George Soros

Out: Flatten the curve. In: Flatten the country.

Breaking: the Democrat Party has finished transitioning from being the party of JFK to being the party of Lee Harvey Oswald

Paradigm shift in Chromatics: Study shows Indigo (#3F00FF) mixed with Jamaic (#C0FF01) yields Black (#000000)

Study: the trouble with wokeism is eventually you run out of victims

Stacey Abrams refuses to concede to Harris; declares herself Biden's VP

Election 2020: Spunky former presidential candidate wins VP slot by a head

Churches in many states to hold services in opened up pubs and bars

Election 2020: Xi Jinping still undecided on vice president for Joe Biden

Reports: Republicans pounce on 'Republicans pounce' reports

Minneapolis launches online looting app to combat Covid-19

DNC study finds lockdowns no longer necessary as the economy is now being destroyed more effectively by looters and rioters

With America in lockdown, China offers to host Democrat primary

Bernie Sanders tests negative for President

In related news, Joe Biden follows other candidates in withdrawing from race and endorsing Joe Biden

New York Governor Cuomo shuts down all 'non-essential' business, surprised to find himself out of a job

Biden commits to picking a woman as running mate as long as she passes his sniff test

Joe Biden's coronavirus prevention tips: always rub hand sanitizer on young girls before sniffing and fondling them

Russian lawmakers warned that the American Democrats are meddling to re-elect Putin

Joe Biden promises lucrative board member jobs as door prizes to get people to his rallies

Democrats now worried they might even lose the illegal alien vote

Soleimani's remains FedExed back to Iran and now no one knows what happened to the box

BREAKING: massive search underway in Iran after Soleimani's boxed FedEx'd remains stolen off front porch

Liz Warren harshly critical of Biden's suggestion to coal miners that they should learn to code, offers to have them trained as romance novelists instead

Pelosi: "First we have to impeach Donald Trump before we can find out why we impeached him."

Schiff calls his Amazon Alexa to testify: 'She knows absolutely everything'

Iran answers to new Reagan statue in Berlin by erecting Obama statue at Tehran airport where he delivered pallets of cash

California accepts award for most progressive environmental policies; further progressive developments to be announced as blackouts permit

BREAKING: Romney DNA test reveals he is 1/1024th Republican

California Governor Gavin Newsom blames electricity blackouts on Ukrainian kulaks, vows revenge

Rat falling from White House ceiling fears for his life, begs reporters for protection, offers a tell-all memoir

Latest UN climate report shows this month so far has seen the scariest climate pronouncements on record

Climate science: there's no need for climate protests in China because China is already communist

Islamic clerics split on whether Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib should be traveling around the world without an accompanying male relative

Dem candidates call for the Beatles' song 'Get Back' and the 'White Album' to be banned; surviving two white guys of the group must pay reparations

Bond's number is up: next 007 will be a black woman, played by Barack Obama

NYT: moon landing was one small step for Man, one giant leap for White Male Supremacy

HURRICANE WATCH: Tropical storm Barry has records sealed, once offshore expected to change name to Barack

Trump politicizes the 4th of July, declares it henceforth to be called the 45th of July, or July the Trumpth

Barack Obama critical of Trump for failing to insert 'I, me, my' into his 4th of July speech: "very unpresidential!"

Congressional Democrats: John Dean's testimony proves Trump is Nixon in disguise and must be impeached

Bernie Sanders admits to being a millionaire, promises to eat himself if nominated

International Women's Day observed, women only paid 73% of attention afforded to men

Democrats: anti-Semitism means never having to say you're sorry

AOC: aborting babies helps preserve the planet for the next generation

Bernie Sanders launches presidential campaign, promises to "build a great big beautiful Iron Curtain" around America if elected

West Virginia renames itself Eastern Kentucky to avoid further embarrassment from Virginia

BREAKING: Justice Ginsburg released from hospital after breaking 3 ribs at late night bar brawl in Adams Morgan

DNA news: Senator Warren tanking in latest totem polls

Orwell studies: 84% of academics believe problems raised in 1984 can be fixed with solutions from Animal Farm

Progress in gender justice: online dating industry issues recommendations for men to wear body cameras, bring attorneys as chaperones

Study: the only people who don't know what socialism is are the socialists

Poll: 1 in 3 #FightFor15 activists believe movement is related to lowering the age of consent across America

CNN expert: Kavanaugh confirmation will increase global warming by 3 degrees

Harry Reid comes forth to say Judge Kavanaugh didn't pay any taxes in high school

Hollywood to America: If you've got a flag on the Moon, you didn't plant that; some other country made that happen

Protest march in straight jackets against Trump ends in chaos as participants try but fail to free themselves

HEADLINES YOU WILL NEVER SEE: California Gov. Jerry Brown single-handedly stops wildfires in his state by issuing an immediate statewide ban on wildfires

San Francisco closes all Planned Parenthood clinics after sting operation catches employees using plastic straws

Vegan mother undergoes experimental surgery to force her breasts to produce almond milk

With none of his emails answered, frustrated Nigerian man commits suicide and leaves $100bn fortune to charity

California gives new meaning to strawman argument as caped Strawman battles supervillains in restaurants, bars, and fast food joints

Violence increases in Mexico as cartels switch from smuggling drugs to plastic straws to San Francisco

Obama proposes a Paris Economic Change agreement among nations to address how world will cope with future runaway economic warming

Stormy Daniels plans border visit to give migrant children freebies

San Francisco: man dumping off 20 lbs of human waste in plastic bag on street corner cited for using non-biodegradable plastic bag

BREAKING: ICE renamed Planned Citizenship, immediately absolving it of all criticism

Senate Democrats demand Supreme Court nominee not be unduly influenced by U.S. Constitution

BREAKING: In 2018, Obama and Biden can finally celebrate Recovery Summer

IG Report: the FBI broke the law, but since there was no criminal intent, no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case

Pelosi on Trump's MS-13 "animals" comments: "Four legs good, two legs bad"

Iran nuclear talks set to resume between the United States and John Kerry

Report: The Mueller investigation has finally determined that the lyrics to Louie Louie are not about Trump and Russian collusion

MARKETS: Demand for carbon credits spikes as Hamas seeks to undo damage to Earth's atmosphere caused by burning 10,000 tires on Gaza border

BREAKING: After state reassignment surgery Pennsylvania will henceforth be known as Transylvania

Experts: If we don't act now, unicorns will be extinct in just ten years. Children will ask, "Mommy, what's a unicorn?" Women and minorities will be forced to seek alternative hallucinations

Korean war must continue: Hawaiian federal judge declares Trump's peace effort unconstitutional

New York: feminists march on Broadway, demand the street be given new, non-misogynistic name

Experts: California's planned transition of all state jobs from citizens to illegal aliens by 2020 will help to avoid bankruptcy and save money for social programs for illegal aliens

Putin: If I didn't want Hillary to be president she would be dead

Doritos maker PepsiCo to introduce snack line for women; new Doritas chips will be 77% as big as Doritos and won't make any scary 'crunchy noises'

TMZ: Tooth Fairy accused of sexually assaulting millions of children, outs self as Transgendered Tooth Recovery Specialist

RUSSIA COLLUSION: Trump offers Putin to trade Rep. Maxine Waters for two unnamed members of the State Duma

Ikea founder dead at 91; his coffin arrived in a box with confusing instructions and took 3 hours to assemble

This Thanksgiving ex-president Obama continues with his tradition of apologizing to turkeys everywhere for the injustice they suffered since America's founding

Oslo, Norway: 2017 Nobel Peace Prize goes to advocacy group about which you'll forget immediately after reading this headline

Cambridge, MA, library to replace racist 'Cat in the Hat' with inclusive 'Che in a Beret'

Millions of men worldwide eagerly await broadcast of Hugh Hefner's funeral, solely for the articles

Bill Gates offers to pay for Trump's wall on condition he gets to install Windows

Bernie Sanders introduces single-payer public transportation bill to end America's unequal, unfair, and expensive private transportation system

DNC embroiled in controversy after official Twitter account accidentally 'likes' pictures of US Constitution and Bill of Rights

Hurricane Irma hits Cuba, causes millions of dollars worth of improvements to property and infrastructure

Climate study: extreme weather may be caused by unlicensed witches casting wrong spells in well-meaning effort to destroy Trump

Ex-president Obama declares Irma "Hurricane of Peace," urges not to jump to conclusions and succumb to stormophobia

CNN: Trump reverses Obama's executive order banning hurricanes

ISIS claims responsibility for a total solar eclipse over the lands of American crusaders and nonbelievers

When asked if they could point to North Korea on a map many college students didn't know what a map was

CNN: We must bring America into the 21st century by replacing the 18th century Constitution with 19th century poetry

Pelosi: 'We have to impeach the president in order to find out what we impeached him for'

BREAKING: As of Saturday July 8, 2017, all of Earth's ecosystems have shut down as per Prince Charles's super scientific pronouncement made 96 months ago. Everything is dead. All is lost. Life on Earth is no more.

DNC to pick new election slogan out of four finalists: 'Give us more government or everyone dies,' 'Vote for Democrats or everyone dies,' 'Impeach Trump or everyone dies,' 'Stop the fearmongering or everyone dies'

Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power" is humanity's last chance to save the Earth before it ends five years ago

Experts: The more we embrace diversity the more everything is the same

BOMBSHELL: TMZ offers Kathy Griffin $5 mil to keep any future sex tape private

DEVELOPING: CNN, WaPo, NYT anonymous sources say Vladimir Putin may have ties to Russia

BREAKING: Manning and Snowden have come out with strong condemnation of Donald Trump leaking classified information to Russia

Gun store goes into lockdown over report an "active university professor" roving the grounds

Dozens injured at Ralph Lauren & Louis Vuitton headquarters after Ivanka calls in missile strikes on rival fashion houses

BOMBSHELL: Evidence proves Donald Trump conspired with his campaign to defeat Hillary Clinton

University ranked "very intolerant of free speech" fights the accusation by banning the study and all involved

Concerned that Russians don't consume enough alcohol in the month of March, Russia's Orthodox Church makes St. Patrick's Day official holiday

Grassroots group calls for "The Million Regulators March" on Washington, supported by all who fear the loss of their betters telling them what to do

Experts: Starbucks CEO Schultz's hiring of 10,000 Muslim refugees likely to blow up in his face

Will the groundprog be frightened by its own shadow and hide - or will there be another season of insane protests?

Trump signs executive order making California and New York national monuments; residents have two days to vacate

Women's March against fascism completed with 400,000 fewer deaths than anticipated

Feminist historians uncover ghastly concentration camps where so-called "housewives" were forced to live inauthentic lives slaving away in kitchens

Dictionary of the future: Global Warming was a popular computer simulation game, where the only way to win was not to play

"Anti-fascist" groups violently protest misspelling of their original name, "aren't-we-fascists"

Post-inauguration blues: millions of democrats distraught as the reality of having to find real jobs sets in

"Journalism is the continuation of war by other means" is exposed as a fake quote by mainstream media journalists

Congressional Democrats: "We cannot just simply replace Obamacare with freedom because then millions of Americans will suddenly become free"

Schoolchildren jailed for building only white snowmen

Obama's reckless attacks on Russia serve as recruitment tool to create more Russian hackers

Hillary: "I lost, so I'm going to follow our democratic traditions, poison the wells, and scorch the earth"

Children in Venezuela cook and eat their Christmas toys

Hillary: "I can hack Russia from my bathroom"

Hillary suggests to counter "fake news" with government newspaper called "Truth" ("Pravda" for Russian speakers)

BREAKING: Millions of uncounted votes found on Hillary's private voting machine in her Chappaqua bathroom

New York Times: Fidel Castro world's sexiest corpse

After years of trial and error, CIA finally succeeds with the "waiting it out" technique on Fidel Castro

Post-election shopping tip: look for the PoliticsFree label at your local grocer to make sure you don't buy from companies that don't want your business anymore

In Hillary's America, email server scrubs you

Obama transfers his Nobel Peace Prize to anti-Trump rioters

Democrats blame Hillary's criminal e-mail server for her loss, demand it face prison

Afraid of "dangerous" Trump presidency, protesters pre-emptively burn America down to the ground

Clinton Foundation in foreclosure as foreign donors demand refunds

Hillary Clinton blames YouTube video for unexpected and spontaneous voter uprising that prevented her inevitable move into the White House

Sudden rise in sea levels explained by disproportionately large tears shed by climate scientists in the aftermath of Trump's electoral victory

FBI director Comey delighted after receiving Nobel Prize for Speed Reading (650,000 emails in one week)

U.N. deploys troops to American college campuses in order to combat staggeringly low rape rates

Responding to Trump's surging poll numbers, Obama preemptively pardons himself for treason

Following hurricane Matthew's failure to devastate Florida, activists flock to the Sunshine State and destroy Trump signs manually

Tim Kaine takes credit for interrupting hurricane Matthew while debating weather in Florida

Study: Many non-voters still undecided on how they're not going to vote

The Evolution of Dissent: on November 8th the nation is to decide whether dissent will stop being racist and become sexist - or it will once again be patriotic as it was for 8 years under George W. Bush

Venezuela solves starvation problem by making it mandatory to buy food

Breaking: the Clinton Foundation set to investigate the FBI

Obama captures rare Pokemon while visiting Hiroshima

Movie news: 'The Big Friendly Giant Government' flops at box office; audiences say "It's creepy"

Barack Obama: "If I had a son, he'd look like Micah Johnson"

White House edits Orlando 911 transcript to say shooter pledged allegiance to NRA and Republican Party

President George Washington: 'Redcoats do not represent British Empire; King George promotes a distorted version of British colonialism'

Following Obama's 'Okie-Doke' speech, stock of Okie-Doke soars; NASDAQ: 'Obama best Okie-Doke salesman'

Weaponized baby formula threatens Planned Parenthood office; ACLU demands federal investigation of Gerber

Experts: melting Antarctic glacier could cause sale levels to rise up to 80% off select items by this weekend

Travel advisory: airlines now offering flights to front of TSA line

As Obama instructs his administration to get ready for presidential transition, Trump preemptively purchases 'T' keys for White House keyboards

John Kasich self-identifies as GOP primary winner, demands access to White House bathroom

Upcoming Trump/Kelly interview on FoxNews sponsored by 'Let's Make a Deal' and 'The Price is Right'

News from 2017: once the evacuation of Lena Dunham and 90% of other Hollywood celebrities to Canada is confirmed, Trump resigns from presidency: "My work here is done"

Non-presidential candidate Paul Ryan pledges not to run for president in new non-presidential non-ad campaign

Trump suggests creating 'Muslim database'; Obama symbolically protests by shredding White House guest logs beginning 2009

National Enquirer: John Kasich's real dad was the milkman, not mailman

National Enquirer: Bound delegates from Colorado, Wyoming found in Ted Cruzs basement

Iran breaks its pinky-swear promise not to support terrorism; US State Department vows rock-paper-scissors strategic response

Women across the country cheer as racist Democrat president on $20 bill is replaced by black pro-gun Republican

Federal Reserve solves budget crisis by writing itself a 20-trillion-dollar check

Widows, orphans claim responsibility for Brussels airport bombing

Che Guevara's son hopes Cuba's communism will rub off on US, proposes a long list of people the government should execute first

Susan Sarandon: "I don't vote with my vagina." Voters in line behind her still suspicious, use hand sanitizer

Campaign memo typo causes Hillary to court 'New Black Panties' vote

New Hampshire votes for socialist Sanders, changes state motto to "Live FOR Free or Die"

Martin O'Malley drops out of race after Iowa Caucus; nation shocked with revelation he has been running for president

Statisticians: one out of three Bernie Sanders supporters is just as dumb as the other two

Hillary campaign denies accusations of smoking-gun evidence in her emails, claims they contain only smoking-circumstantial-gun evidence

Obama stops short of firing US Congress upon realizing the difficulty of assembling another group of such tractable yes-men

In effort to contol wild passions for violent jihad, White House urges gun owners to keep their firearms covered in gun burkas

TV horror live: A Charlie Brown Christmas gets shot up on air by Mohammed cartoons

Democrats vow to burn the country down over Ted Cruz statement, 'The overwhelming majority of violent criminals are Democrats'

Russia's trend to sign bombs dropped on ISIS with "This is for Paris" found response in Obama administration's trend to sign American bombs with "Return to sender"

University researchers of cultural appropriation quit upon discovery that their research is appropriation from a culture that created universities

Archeologists discover remains of what Barack Obama has described as unprecedented, un-American, and not-who-we-are immigration screening process in Ellis Island

Mizzou protests lead to declaring entire state a "safe space," changing Missouri motto to "The don't show me state"

Green energy fact: if we put all green energy subsidies together in one-dollar bills and burn them, we could generate more electricity than has been produced by subsidized green energy

State officials improve chances of healthcare payouts by replacing ObamaCare with state lottery

NASA's new mission to search for racism, sexism, and economic inequality in deep space suffers from race, gender, and class power struggles over multibillion-dollar budget

College progress enforcement squads issue schematic humor charts so students know if a joke may be spontaneously laughed at or if regulations require other action

ISIS opens suicide hotline for US teens depressed by climate change and other progressive doomsday scenarios

Virginia county to close schools after teacher asks students to write 'death to America' in Arabic

'Wear hijab to school day' ends with spontaneous female circumcision and stoning of a classmate during lunch break

ISIS releases new, even more barbaric video in an effort to regain mantle from Planned Parenthood

Impressed by Fox News stellar rating during GOP debates, CNN to use same formula on Democrat candidates asking tough, pointed questions about Republicans

Shocking new book explores pros and cons of socialism, discovers they are same people

Pope outraged by Planned Parenthood's "unfettered capitalism," demands equal redistribution of baby parts to each according to his need

John Kerry accepts Iran's "Golden Taquiyya" award, requests jalapenos on the side

Citizens of Pluto protest US government's surveillance of their planetoid and its moons with New Horizons space drone

John Kerry proposes 3-day waiting period for all terrorist nations trying to acquire nuclear weapons

Chicago Police trying to identify flag that caused nine murders and 53 injuries in the city this past weekend

Cuba opens to affordable medical tourism for Americans who can't afford Obamacare deductibles

State-funded research proves existence of Quantum Aggression Particles (Heterons) in Large Hadron Collider

Student job opportunities: make big bucks this summer as Hillarys Ordinary-American; all expenses paid, travel, free acting lessons

Experts debate whether Iranian negotiators broke John Kerry's leg or he did it himself to get out of negotiations

Junior Varsity takes Ramadi, advances to quarterfinals

US media to GOP pool of candidates: 'Knowing what we know now, would you have had anything to do with the founding of the United States?'

NY Mayor to hold peace talks with rats, apologize for previous Mayor's cowboy diplomacy

China launches cube-shaped space object with a message to aliens: "The inhabitants of Earth will steal your intellectual property, copy it, manufacture it in sweatshops with slave labor, and sell it back to you at ridiculously low prices"

Progressive scientists: Truth is a variable deduced by subtracting 'what is' from 'what ought to be'

Experts agree: Hillary Clinton best candidate to lessen percentage of Americans in top 1%

America's attempts at peace talks with the White House continue to be met with lies, stalling tactics, and bad faith

Starbucks new policy to talk race with customers prompts new hashtag #DontHoldUpTheLine

Hillary: DELETE is the new RESET

Charlie Hebdo receives Islamophobe 2015 award; the cartoonists could not be reached for comment due to their inexplicable, illogical deaths

Russia sends 'reset' button back to Hillary: 'You need it now more than we do'

Barack Obama finds out from CNN that Hillary Clinton spent four years being his Secretary of State

President Obama honors Leonard Nimoy by taking selfie in front of Starship Enterprise

Police: If Obama had a convenience store, it would look like Obama Express Food Market

Study finds stunning lack of racial, gender, and economic diversity among middle-class white males

NASA: We're 80% sure about being 20% sure about being 17% sure about being 38% sure about 2014 being the hottest year on record

People holding '$15 an Hour Now' posters sue Democratic party demanding raise to $15 an hour for rendered professional protesting services

Cuba-US normalization: US tourists flock to see Cuba before it looks like the US and Cubans flock to see the US before it looks like Cuba

White House describes attacks on Sony Pictures as 'spontaneous hacking in response to offensive video mocking Juche and its prophet'

CIA responds to Democrat calls for transparency by releasing the director's cut of The Making Of Obama's Birth Certificate

Obama: 'If I had a city, it would look like Ferguson'

Biden: 'If I had a Ferguson (hic), it would look like a city'

Obama signs executive order renaming 'looters' to 'undocumented shoppers'

Ethicists agree: two wrongs do make a right so long as Bush did it first

The aftermath of the 'War on Women 2014' finds a new 'Lost Generation' of disillusioned Democrat politicians, unable to cope with life out of office

White House: Republican takeover of the Senate is a clear mandate from the American people for President Obama to rule by executive orders

Nurse Kaci Hickox angrily tells reporters that she won't change her clocks for daylight savings time

Democratic Party leaders in panic after recent poll shows most Democratic voters think 'midterm' is when to end pregnancy

Desperate Democratic candidates plead with Obama to stop backing them and instead support their GOP opponents

Ebola Czar issues five-year plan with mandatory quotas of Ebola infections per each state based on voting preferences

Study: crony capitalism is to the free market what the Westboro Baptist Church is to Christianity

Fun facts about world languages: the Left has more words for statism than the Eskimos have for snow

African countries to ban all flights from the United States because "Obama is incompetent, it scares us"

Nobel Peace Prize controversy: Hillary not nominated despite having done even less than Obama to deserve it

Obama: 'Ebola is the JV of viruses'

BREAKING: Secret Service foils Secret Service plot to protect Obama

Revised 1st Amendment: buy one speech, get the second free

Sharpton calls on white NFL players to beat their women in the interests of racial fairness

President Obama appoints his weekly approval poll as new national security adviser

Obama wags pen and phone at Putin; Europe offers support with powerful pens and phones from NATO members

White House pledges to embarrass ISIS back to the Stone Age with a barrage of fearsome Twitter messages and fatally ironic Instagram photos

Obama to fight ISIS with new federal Terrorist Regulatory Agency

Obama vows ISIS will never raise their flag over the eighteenth hole

Harry Reid: "Sometimes I say the wong thing"

Elian Gonzalez wishes he had come to the U.S. on a bus from Central America like all the other kids

Obama visits US-Mexican border, calls for a two-state solution

Obama draws "blue line" in Iraq after Putin took away his red crayon

"Hard Choices," a porno flick loosely based on Hillary Clinton's memoir and starring Hillary Hellfire as a drinking, whoring Secretary of State, wildly outsells the flabby, sagging original

Accusations of siding with the enemy leave Sgt. Bergdahl with only two options: pursue a doctorate at Berkley or become a Senator from Massachusetts

Jay Carney stuck in line behind Eric Shinseki to leave the White House; estimated wait time from 15 min to 6 weeks

100% of scientists agree that if man-made global warming were real, "the last people we'd want to help us is the Obama administration"

Jay Carney says he found out that Obama found out that he found out that Obama found out that he found out about the latest Obama administration scandal on the news

"Anarchy Now!" meeting turns into riot over points of order, bylaws, and whether or not 'kicking the #^@&*! ass' of the person trying to speak is or is not violence

Obama retaliates against Putin by prohibiting unionized federal employees from dating hot Russian girls online during work hours

Russian separatists in Ukraine riot over an offensive YouTube video showing the toppling of Lenin statues

"Free Speech Zones" confuse Obamaphone owners who roam streets in search of additional air minutes

Obamacare bolsters employment for professionals with skills to convert meth back into sudafed

Gloves finally off: Obama uses pen and phone to cancel Putin's Netflix account

Joe Biden to Russia: "We will bury you by turning more of Eastern Europe over to your control!"

In last-ditch effort to help Ukraine, Obama deploys Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson's Rainbow Coalition to Crimea

Al Sharpton: "Not even Putin can withstand our signature chanting, 'racist, sexist, anti-gay, Russian army go away'!"

Mardi Gras in North Korea: "Throw me some food!"

Obama's foreign policy works: "War, invasion, and conquest are signs of weakness; we've got Putin right where we want him"

US offers military solution to Ukraine crisis: "We will only fight countries that have LGBT military"

Putin annexes Brighton Beach to protect ethnic Russians in Brooklyn, Obama appeals to UN and EU for help

The 1980s: "Mr. Obama, we're just calling to ask if you want our foreign policy back. The 1970s are right here with us, and they're wondering, too."

In a stunning act of defiance, Obama courageously unfriends Putin on Facebook

MSNBC: Obama secures alliance with Austro-Hungarian Empire against Russias aggression in Ukraine

Study: springbreak is to STDs what April 15th is to accountants

Efforts to achieve moisture justice for California thwarted by unfair redistribution of snow in America

North Korean voters unanimous: "We are the 100%"

Leader of authoritarian gulag-site, The People's Cube, unanimously 're-elected' with 100% voter turnout

Super Bowl: Obama blames Fox News for Broncos' loss

Feminist author slams gay marriage: "a man needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle"

Beverly Hills campaign heats up between Henry Waxman and Marianne Williamson over the widening income gap between millionaires and billionaires in their district

Biden to lower $10,000-a-plate Dinner For The Homeless to $5,000 so more homeless can attend

Kim becomes world leader, feeds uncle to dogs; Obama eats dogs, becomes world leader, America cries uncle

North Korean leader executes own uncle for talking about Obamacare at family Christmas party

White House hires part-time schizophrenic Mandela sign interpreter to help sell Obamacare

Kim Jong Un executes own "crazy uncle" to keep him from ruining another family Christmas

OFA admits its advice for area activists to give Obamacare Talk at shooting ranges was a bad idea

President resolves Obamacare debacle with executive order declaring all Americans equally healthy

Obama to Iran: "If you like your nuclear program, you can keep your nuclear program"

Bovine community outraged by flatulence coming from Washington DC

Obama: "I'm not particularly ideological; I believe in a good pragmatic five-year plan"

Shocker: Obama had no knowledge he'd been reelected until he read about it in the local newspaper last week

Server problems at HealthCare.gov so bad, it now flashes 'Error 808' message

NSA marks National Best Friend Day with official announcement: "Government is your best friend; we know you like no one else, we're always there, we're always willing to listen"

Al Qaeda cancels attack on USA citing launch of Obamacare as devastating enough

The President's latest talking point on Obamacare: "I didn't build that"

Dizzy with success, Obama renames his wildly popular healthcare mandate to HillaryCare

Carney: huge ObamaCare deductibles won't look as bad come hyperinflation

Washington Redskins drop 'Washington' from their name as offensive to most Americans

Poll: 83% of Americans favor cowboy diplomacy over rodeo clown diplomacy

GOVERNMENT WARNING: If you were able to complete ObamaCare form online, it wasn't a legitimate gov't website; you should report online fraud and change all your passwords

Obama administration gets serious, threatens Syria with ObamaCare

Obama authorizes the use of Vice President Joe Biden's double-barrel shotgun to fire a couple of blasts at Syria

Sharpton: "British royals should have named baby 'Trayvon.' By choosing 'George' they sided with white Hispanic racist Zimmerman"

DNC launches 'Carlos Danger' action figure; proceeds to fund a charity helping survivors of the Republican War on Women

Nancy Pelosi extends abortion rights to the birds and the bees

Hubble discovers planetary drift to the left

Obama: 'If I had a daughter-in-law, she would look like Rachael Jeantel'

FISA court rubberstamps statement denying its portrayal as government's rubber stamp

Every time ObamaCare gets delayed, a Julia somewhere dies

GOP to Schumer: 'Force full implementation of ObamaCare before 2014 or Dems will never win another election'

Obama: 'If I had a son... no, wait, my daughter can now marry a woman!'

Janet Napolitano: TSA findings reveal that since none of the hijackers were babies, elderly, or Tea Partiers, 9/11 was not an act of terrorism

News Flash: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) can see Canada from South Dakota

Susan Rice: IRS actions against tea parties caused by anti-tax YouTube video that was insulting to their faith

Drudge Report reduces font to fit all White House scandals onto one page

Obama: the IRS is a constitutional right, just like the Second Amendment

White House: top Obama officials using secret email accounts a result of bad IT advice to avoid spam mail from Nigeria

Jay Carney to critics: 'Pinocchio never said anything inconsistent'

Obama: If I had a gay son, he'd look like Jason Collins

Gosnell's office in Benghazi raided by the IRS: mainstream media's worst cover-up challenge to date

IRS targeting pro-gay-marriage LGBT groups leads to gayest tax revolt in U.S. history

After Arlington Cemetery rejects offer to bury Boston bomber, Westboro Babtist Church steps up with premium front lawn plot

Boston: Obama Administration to reclassify marathon bombing as 'sportsplace violence'

Study: Success has many fathers but failure becomes a government program

US Media: Can Pope Francis possibly clear up Vatican bureaucracy and banking without blaming the previous administration?

Michelle Obama praises weekend rampage by Chicago teens as good way to burn calories and stay healthy

This Passover, Obama urges his subjects to paint lamb's blood above doors in order to avoid the Sequester



White House to American children: Sequester causes layoffs among hens that lay Easter eggs; union-wage Easter Bunnies to be replaced by Mexican Chupacabras

Time Mag names Hugo Chavez world's sexiest corpse

Boy, 8, pretends banana is gun, makes daring escape from school

Study: Free lunches overpriced, lack nutrition

Oscars 2013: Michelle Obama announces long-awaited merger of Hollywood and the State

Joe Salazar defends the right of women to be raped in gun-free environment: 'rapists and rapees should work together to prevent gun violence for the common good'

Dept. of Health and Human Services eliminates rape by reclassifying assailants as 'undocumented sex partners'

Kremlin puts out warning not to photoshop Putin riding meteor unless bare-chested

Deeming football too violent, Obama moves to introduce Super Drone Sundays instead

Japan offers to extend nuclear umbrella to cover U.S. should America suffer devastating attack on its own defense spending

Feminists organize one billion women to protest male oppression with one billion lap dances

Urban community protests Mayor Bloomberg's ban on extra-large pop singers owning assault weapons

Concerned with mounting death toll, Taliban offers to send peacekeeping advisers to Chicago

Karl Rove puts an end to Tea Party with new 'Republicans For Democrats' strategy aimed at losing elections

Answering public skepticism, President Obama authorizes unlimited drone attacks on all skeet targets throughout the country

Skeet Ulrich denies claims he had been shot by President but considers changing his name to 'Traps'

White House releases new exciting photos of Obama standing, sitting, looking thoughtful, and even breathing in and out

New York Times hacked by Chinese government, Paul Krugman's economic policies stolen

White House: when President shoots skeet, he donates the meat to food banks that feed the middle class

To prove he is serious, Obama eliminates armed guard protection for President, Vice-President, and their families; establishes Gun-Free Zones around them instead

State Dept to send 100,000 American college students to China as security for US debt obligations

Jay Carney: Al Qaeda is on the run, they're just running forward

President issues executive orders banning cliffs, ceilings, obstructions, statistics, and other notions that prevent us from moving forwards and upward

Fearing the worst, Obama Administration outlaws the fan to prevent it from being hit by certain objects

World ends; S&P soars

Riddle of universe solved; answer not understood

Meek inherit Earth, can't afford estate taxes

Greece abandons Euro; accountants find Greece has no Euros anyway

Wheel finally reinvented; axles to be gradually reinvented in 3rd quarter of 2013

Bigfoot found in Ohio, mysteriously not voting for Obama

As Santa's workshop files for bankruptcy, Fed offers bailout in exchange for control of 'naughty and nice' list

Freak flying pig accident causes bacon to fly off shelves

Obama: green economy likely to transform America into a leading third world country of the new millennium

Report: President Obama to visit the United States in the near future

Obama promises to create thousands more economically neutral jobs

Modernizing Islam: New York imam proposes to canonize Saul Alinsky as religion's latter day prophet

Imam Rauf's peaceful solution: 'Move Ground Zero a few blocks away from the mosque and no one gets hurt'

Study: Obama's threat to burn tax money in Washington 'recruitment bonanza' for Tea Parties

Study: no Social Security reform will be needed if gov't raises retirement age to at least 814 years

Obama attends church service, worships self

Obama proposes national 'Win The Future' lottery; proceeds of new WTF Powerball to finance more gov't spending

Historical revisionists: "Hey, you never know"

Vice President Biden: criticizing Egypt is un-pharaoh

Israelis to Egyptian rioters: "don't damage the pyramids, we will not rebuild"

Lake Superior renamed Lake Inferior in spirit of tolerance and inclusiveness

Al Gore: It's a shame that a family can be torn apart by something as simple as a pack of polar bears

Michael Moore: As long as there is anyone with money to shake down, this country is not broke

Obama's teleprompters unionize, demand collective bargaining rights

Obama calls new taxes 'spending reductions in tax code.' Elsewhere rapists tout 'consent reductions in sexual intercourse'

Obama's teleprompter unhappy with White House Twitter: "Too few words"

Obama's Regulation Reduction committee finds US Constitution to be expensive outdated framework inefficiently regulating federal gov't

Taking a page from the Reagan years, Obama announces new era of Perestroika and Glasnost

Responding to Oslo shootings, Obama declares Christianity "Religion of Peace," praises "moderate Christians," promises to send one into space

Republicans block Obama's $420 billion program to give American families free charms that ward off economic bad luck

White House to impose Chimney tax on Santa Claus

Obama decrees the economy is not soaring as much as previously decreeed

Conservative think tank introduces children to capitalism with pop-up picture book "The Road to Smurfdom"

Al Gore proposes to combat Global Warming by extracting silver linings from clouds in Earth's atmosphere

Obama refutes charges of him being unresponsive to people's suffering: "When you pray to God, do you always hear a response?"

Obama regrets the US government didn't provide his mother with free contraceptives when she was in college

Fluke to Congress: drill, baby, drill!

Planned Parenthood introduces Frequent Flucker reward card: 'Come again soon!'

Obama to tornado victims: 'We inherited this weather from the previous administration'

Obama congratulates Putin on Chicago-style election outcome

People's Cube gives itself Hero of Socialist Labor medal in recognition of continued expert advice provided to the Obama Administration helping to shape its foreign and domestic policies

Hamas: Israeli air defense unfair to 99% of our missiles, "only 1% allowed to reach Israel"

Democrat strategist: without government supervision, women would have never evolved into humans

Voters Without Borders oppose Texas new voter ID law

Enraged by accusation that they are doing Obama's bidding, media leaders demand instructions from White House on how to respond

Obama blames previous Olympics for failure to win at this Olympics

Official: China plans to land on Moon or at least on cheap knockoff thereof

Koran-Contra: Obama secretly arms Syrian rebels

Poll: Progressive slogan 'We should be more like Europe' most popular with members of American Nazi Party

Obama to Evangelicals: Jesus saves, I just spend

May Day: Anarchists plan, schedule, synchronize, and execute a coordinated campaign against all of the above

Midwestern farmers hooked on new erotic novel "50 Shades of Hay"

Study: 99% of Liberals give the rest a bad name

Obama meets with Jewish leaders, proposes deeper circumcisions for the rich

Historians: Before HOPE & CHANGE there was HEMP & CHOOM at ten bucks a bag

Cancer once again fails to cure Venezuela of its "President for Life"

Tragic spelling error causes Muslim protesters to burn local boob-tube factory

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu: due to energy conservation, the light at the end of the tunnel will be switched off

Obama Administration running food stamps across the border with Mexico in an operation code-named "Fat And Furious"

Pakistan explodes in protest over new Adobe Acrobat update; 17 local acrobats killed

White House: "Let them eat statistics"

Special Ops: if Benedict Arnold had a son, he would look like Barack Obama







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Rank-and-file Illinois legislators make $67,836 a year, plus per diem.

But the job application process can costs millions.

Between just three legislative races in Southern Illinois, six candidates raised roughly $10 million between March 16 and Nov. 8, the general election cycle.

These figures are according to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, which published a breakdown of the most 10 most expensive House races and five most expensive Senate races this cycle.

The rankings are by dollars raised rather than campaign contributions spent because expenditures data for the last month of the election will not be available until January.

Of the top 15 most expensive races in both chambers, seven broke the $4 million mark in money raised. Of the three Southern Illinois races ranking, more than $3.5 million was raised in two of those races, and more than $2.6 million in the other. The totals also include money spent in support of or opposing candidates in races by independent expenditure committees.

The funds raised by vote figures were reached by taking the total funds raised by a candidate and dividing that by the votes that candidate received.

The most expensive race in this region was between incumbent Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, and Republican Dale Fowler, the mayor of Harrisburg. Fowler, who was the winner, raised $1.65 million, and Forby raised $2 million.

Combined, they raised $3.73 million, when money spent by independent expenditure committees is included, ranking it third among the five most expensive Senate races in Illinois. Forby raised $48 per vote to Fowlers $31.

Sarah Brune, the executive director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said her takeaway from the spreadsheet breaking down the races by funds raised per vote is that the candidate who spends the most money is not always the winner.

Next in line, as it relates to money raised in a legislative race in Southern Illinois, was the battle between incumbent Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, and Dave Severin, a business owner from Benton. Severin was the winner.

Combined, they raised $3.51 million. Statewide, the race for the 117th District ranked 7th of the 10 most expensive races.

Bradley raised just over $2 million and Severin raised about $1.49 million. That breaks down to Bradley raising $85 per vote, and Severin $55 per vote.

Driving up some of the costs this election season is that television ads  where most of the money goes  started earlier in the cycle than usual, well before Labor Day. Throughout the region, viewers of local television markets were inundated with campaign commercials, many of them highly negative and personal.

While successful fundraising is almost always part of the equation for a successful candidate, there seemed to be a point of oversaturation and diminishing return this year, Brune said. And success isnt always measured by the size of ones piggy bank.

There are many other forces at play to organization on the ground, to national trends, she said. For example, in Southern Illinois this cycle, Republican president-elect Donald Trump drove larger numbers of registered voters to the polls in many counties as compared to recent past presidential election cycles.

Coming in third of among the most expensive regional races was the 58th Senate District race to replace retiring Republican Sen. Dave Luechtefeld that was won by Republican Paul Schimpf, a retired Marine from Waterloo.

Former Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, a Democrat from Carbondale, raised $1.462 million compared to Schimpfs $1.21 million. That breaks down to $39 per vote for Simon, and $21 per vote for Schimpf.

Combined, they raised $2.67 million, and ranked fifth statewide in terms of the amount of money raised in competitive Senate races.

Not ranking was the race between incumbent Rep. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, and challenger Marsha Griffin, a Democrat from Jonesboro and the race between Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, and Jason Kasiar of Eldorado. The incumbents  Bryant and Phelps  won in both of those races.

Once spending totals are filed by the campaign committees, its likely to show the amount of money spent during the election cycle between the races combined is unprecedented for Southern Illinois.

But John Jackson, a visiting professor at the SIU Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, pointed out that for all the money that was spent on messaging, very little of it went to furthering the discussion on the real issues facing the state.

Most of the commercials were not about the candidates views and ideas on how to solve the budget, for example. Instead, the vast majority of the money appears to have been spent on ripping apart opposing candidates or, in some cases, attempting to tie them in various and largely untenable ways to sex offenders or other soft-on-crime policy positions.

Most of the money came from committees controlled and/or financed by party leaders, namely Gov. Bruce Rauner on the Republican side and House Speaker Michael Madigan, and to a lesser degree, Senate President John Cullerton, on the Democratic side.

At the end of the day, Democratic control of the General Assembly, which still remains, was only eroded slightly by the Republicans. Jackson said the bright spot he sees in all of this is that perhaps the outcome will signal that its time to get back to work finding common ground to tackle the serious financial issues facing the state.

The question is, do the leaders on both sides decide, Hey nothing really changed after all that effort and smoke and fire and bad names we called one another, so maybe its time to get serious and compromise and get on with passing a budget and revenues to support a budget? Jackson said.

Brune agreed.

With so many close races across the state, were hopeful people can come together to focus on things like the budget and the pension issues were having in Illinois, she said.

The 100th General Assembly will be sworn in on Jan. 11.
Members of the Benton American Legion honor guard talk before a ceremony at the Masonic Odd Fellow Cemetery Friday.

Richard Loyd, of Benton, a Navy vet who served in Vietnam, was a member of the honor guard. For him, Veterans day is less about him and more about those lost in in battle.

"Everybody has friends that died ... It never leaves you," he said. "It's all about them."

Each Veterans day, Loyd said he thinks of his father, Leo Loyd, who served in the Army in World War II.

"He's always on my mind," Loyd said. For him, the community of vets provides a friend group he can relate to like no other. "We all know. We've all been there," he said of their shared experience of service.
CARBONDALE  An overwhelming majority of Illinois voters agree that judges should be allowed to make exceptions to mandatory minimum sentencing requirements for certain veterans who are convicted of crimes, according to the results of the latest poll from Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

Among the 1,000 Illinois registered voters surveyed, seven out of 10 (69 percent) say they agree that judges should be allowed to make exceptions to minimum sentencing laws for veterans who are convicted of crimes but have service-related disabilities. Only 22 percent of respondents disagree and 9 percent answered otherwise. Post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury were listed as examples of these disabilities.

The survey was conducted Sept. 27-Oct 2. It has a margin for error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Political differences exist, but support is strong in each party. Democrats show the most support. Seven in 10 Democrats agree that judges should be able to make these sentencing exceptions for certain veterans and only one in five disagree. Two-thirds of Republicans agree that judges should be able to make sentencing exceptions for certain veterans and one in four disagree. Among independents, 67 percent agree and 20 percent disagree.

Differences by geography emerge, but clear majorities in each region of the state show strong support for the idea of judges having more sentencing discretion when it comes to veterans. In the Chicago suburbs (suburban Cook and the collar counties), 72 percent of respondents agree that judges should be allowed to make exceptions to minimum sentencing law for certain veterans and only 20 percent of respondents in the Chicago suburbs disagree. In Chicago, support is slightly lower than the suburbs, with 68 percent of respondents in the city agreeing and 20 percent disagreeing. Support is at its lowest in the rural parts of the state where 63 percent agree with the statement and 26 percent disagree.

Though mandatory minimum sentencing laws can serve a purpose, they can also unjustly tie judges hands, said Delio Calzolari, institute associate director and one of the designers of the poll. The unique and varied issues faced by veterans returning from over a decade and a half of conflict overseas require courts to have more discretion and be more flexible to achieve justice for all parties involved. Calzolari is a U.S. Navy veteran and attorney.

Support is statistically the same for military and nonmilitary households. The poll considers a military household one in which the respondent or any member of the respondents immediate family served in the military. Seven in 10 of military household respondents and two-thirds of nonmilitary households agree that judges should be allowed to make exceptions to minimum sentencing law for certain veterans. One in five of military and one-quarter of nonmilitary households disagree.
"It is a day to reflect. It is a day to think about all you have done, veterans," retired U.S Army Maj. Gen. Abraham J. Turner said Friday.

"It is a day to think about some of your friends who may not be here right now. Some of your friends who did not make it back, he said.

Turner spoke at the annual Veterans Day observance at the Orangeburg Veterans Memorial.

A patriotic spirit filled the air as veterans gathered with hats and shirts proudly proclaiming their service in the United States military.

"Today is a day for you to understand that we care about every veteran," Turner said. "We are in a country that cares about our veterans."

Turner reminded veterans they built the foundation upon which we are all walking upon right now.

"You paved the way for all of us to follow you," Turner said.

He also praised younger service members and those in ROTC programs.

"What makes these young Americans who have all these options to do other things still serve?" he said. "I think they have a commitment they have learned from loved ones, parents and relatives. ... Most of all, they are committed to serving our nation."

Turner encouraged all veteran organizations to actively reach out to millennials and ROTC members.

"If you don't do that, then our future as a veterans service organization is doomed," Turner said.

One of those present for the ceremony, Korean War veteran Richard Skolasky of Branchville, said he comes each year. His son is a retired U.S. Marine.

Veterans have been shoved aside," Skolasky said.

Skolasky says he was told by the veterans hospital that his medical expenses would be covered for his entire life only to find out today he is paying for his medical expenses.

"They lied to us, he said.

He is hopeful the U.S. government under President-elect Donald Trump will take care of veterans and rebuild the military.

Retired U.S. Navy E7 Ed Edwards, who served from 1947 to 1967, said he supports veterans.

"I can relate to them," Edwards said. "They are good people. All shapes and forms and all colors. I have served with every nationality and all manner of people."

Edwards believes president-elect Trump supports veterans.

"I believe he will build up the military and support the military and law enforcement," Edwards said.

Vietnam veteran William Johnson, who lost a leg in service, says it is important to honor veterans and the country.

"Now that we have a new president, people are angry at him for some of the things he has said," Johnson said. "I feel like we are one country and what we should do now is uphold the ones that lead and hopefully move in the right direction.'

"If they make the wrong decision, then we are all going to be in trouble," Johnson continued. "It won't matter who we are or what race we are. We need to send up prayers and if we don't pray, we need to send up good thoughts."

During Fridays event, Vietnam veterans who served from Nov. 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975 received a lapel pin for their service.

The pin has an eagle and a laurel wreath to symbolize courage, honor, strength, victory and integrity. The pin's words let the wearer know "A grateful nation honors you."

Orangeburg City Councilman Charlie Jernigan reminded all gathered that without those who have served, peaceful assemblies like the Veterans Day ceremony would not be possible.

"Freedom is one of the things that is not free," Jernigan said.

Jernigan thanked the family members of veterans who have sacrificed so much.

The Rev. Kris Aaron, First Baptist Church of Orangeburg minister to students and families, offered prayers of thanksgiving for veterans. Aaron said one of God's gifts is freedom.

The Pledge of Allegiance was said and the National Anthem was performed by the William J. Clark Middle School Chorus. The chorus also performed Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy to the delight of those in attendance.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2779 and 8166 recognized prisoners of war and those missing in action. A wreath laying ceremony remembered these individuals.

The Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School JROTC drill team and the Lake Marion High School JROTC also performed.

Taps was played by Steve Jarvis.

Sponsors of the ceremony were the Orangeburg County Veterans Council, the Orangeburg County Veterans Affairs Office; American Legion Post 4; Greater Orangeburg Leathernecks Marine Corps League, Detachment 1259; Military Order of the Purple Heart No. 932; Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary Posts 2779 and 8166; and Quilts of Valor.

The Orangeburg County Veterans Council provided refreshments following the ceremony.
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By Trend





A presentation of the Baku International Sea Trade Port was held at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, said the port in a message Nov. 11.

The presentation was held during the working visit of the ports head Taleh Ziyadov to Belgium.

Addressing the presentation, Ivo Vajgl, a member of the European Parliament from Slovenia, noted that Azerbaijan, besides being a reliable energy partner of the EU, will also be a strategic transportation partner.

Ziyadov, for his part, said that transportation and logistics infrastructure, petrochemical and pharmaceutics zones are planned to be created in the free trade area in the Baku Ports territory, and the work to produce, package and label different products will be carried out there.

Therefore, 1,000 jobs will be created in the free trade zone that will contribute to attraction of big investments to Azerbaijan, noted Ziyadov.

During the visit, Ziyadov also held negotiations with Henrik Hololei, director general for mobility and transport at the European Commission, and discussed prospects of future cooperation.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree March 17, 2016, on measures to create a free trade zone type special economic area covering the territory of the Baku International Sea Trade Port in the Alat township of Bakus Garadagh district.
By Trend





The 26th meeting of the Trade and Transport Facilitation (TTF) Project Steering Committee of the GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development will be held in Azerbaijan, the countrys State Customs Committee said in a message Nov. 11.

The decision was made during the 25th meeting of the committee in the city of Lviv, Ukraine.

At the meeting, Azerbaijan was represented by chief of the Main Department for Activity Assessment and Development Programs of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, customs service major-general Igbal Babayev and Chief of External Relations Department of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan Dilavar Farzaliyev.

The GUAM member countries also discussed the technical conditions to organize preliminary information exchange regarding the goods and vehicles transported across their state borders, according to the message.

The establishment of internal procedures to sign the protocol on mutual recognition of customs inspection results regarding a number of products, as well as coordination of the agreement to simplify transit of goods and vehicles among the GUAM member countries were considered.
By Trend





Oil prices tumbled more than 3 percent on Friday after OPEC said October output reached another record, casting doubt on whether its plan to limit production is achievable or enough to ease persisting oversupply in the market, Reuters reported.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said Friday that its output rose to 33.64 million barrels per day (bpd) last month, up 240,000 bpd from September.

Crude futures have wiped out gains made since the end of September when OPEC said it would agree to cut oil production to shore up persistently low prices.

While investors have been skeptical that a deal to cut or freeze oil output levels will be reached at an OPEC meeting on Nov. 30, an increasing amount of data has underscored a global skew towards oversupply.

Following its latest data, the cartel would have to trim up to a million barrels per day of output to make good on its promise to reduce production to between 32.50 million bpd and 33.0 million bpd.

"The next couple of weeks, even if they get a deal done, there's so much oil coming to the market," said Tariq Zahir, trader at Tyche Capital Advisors in New York.

"Prices deserve to be here, maybe even a little lower."

Adding to bearish sentiment was U.S. rig count data by oil services company Baker Hugh, expected at 1 p.m. EST, which have shown an increase in 20 weeks out of the last 23.

International Brent crude futures LCOc1 traded at $44.34 per barrel at 11:13 a.m., down $1.50, or 3.27 percent, its lowest since August.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 were down by $1.51, or 3.4 percent, to $43.14 per barrel.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said the supply overhang could run into a third year in 2017, should OPEC fail to act.

In its monthly oil market report on Thursday, the IEA said global supply rose by 800,000 bpd in October to 97.8 million bpd, led by record OPEC output and rising production from non-OPEC members such as Russia, Brazil, Canada and Kazakhstan.

Beyond oversupply, a surging dollar .DXY following the initial shock of Donald Trump's U.S. presidential election win also put pressure on prices, traders said.
By Azertac





The Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (IRCICA) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding.





President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva and Director General of IRCICA Halit Eren discussed signing the memorandum as part of the meeting.





Gunay Afandiyeva spoke about the activity of the Foundation as well as its projects in protecting and promoting the historical-cultural heritage of Turkic nation. The president highlighted the aims of the Foundation. She added the Foundation was established with the initiative of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and with the support of heads of the states of member countries.





Halit Eren, in turn, stressed the importance of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation among the Turkic nation, expressing hope that the Foundation and IRCICA would successfully carry out joint cooperation.





Gunay Afandiyeva emphasized the significance of holding the various international events aiming to deliver realities about Karabakh to world.





They exchanged views on prospects of future cooperation.








President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has viewed conditions created at a newly built residential settlement for IDPs in Horadiz, Fuzuli district.





Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister, chair of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs Ali Hasanov informed the President that the settlement occupies a total area of 417 hectares. It includes apartments, a school, a kindergarten, an administrative building, a medical center, a community center, and a post office.





IDPs from 16 settlements and the last remaining settlement in Fuzuli district will be settled here.





The head of state visited an IDP`s house.





The President was informed that the settlement features 400 apartments, including 20 one-room, 200 two-room, 168 three-room and 12 four-room apartments.





The head of state viewed a 120-seat kindergarten.





President Ilham Aliyev then viewed a 320-seat school. The head of state spoke to cadets of military schools and watched performance of young sportsmen here.





This is the 95th residential settlement built for IDPs and refugees in the country.





President Ilham Aliyev then met with representatives of Fuzuli district general public and IDPs.





IDP Elnara Mammadova and Head of the District Elders Council Majnun Namazaliyev thanked the President for his care and attention.
By Trend





Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Lubomir Zaoralek said the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as an important international agreement was the outcome of a successful diplomacy, IRNA reported.

Making the remark in a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif here on Friday, he said the two countries were now able to increase the volume of their cooperation in political, cultural and economic areas so the visit could be high significance for both countries.

He said the two nations could also cooperation in the issue of Syrian crisis until its final settlement by fighting the terrorist Daesh group.

The Czech foreign minister said that in the post-JCPOA era, the two countries could expand their banking relations.

Zaoralek also expressed happiness over the visit of Zarif to his country which is the first one to take place by an Iranian foreign minister in twelve years.

Zarif, who is on a tour to three Eastern European countries arrived in Prague, capital of Czech Republic on Thursday evening.

Zarif's trip to Prague is the last leg of his visit to three Eastern European countries which had already taken him to Slovakia and Romania.

Earlier in the day, he signed a memorandum of understanding after his meeting with his Czech counterpart on consolidating political interaction.
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has signed a $200-million pipe supply contract with an Omani factory as part of its in-country value (ICV) strategy to retain more of the oil and gas industrys wealth in the sultanate.



The four-year deal will mean the Gulf International Pipe Industry (TMK-GIPI) mill based in the Sohar Industrial Estate will manufacture a variety of pipelines sized 6-24 inches in diameter for both PDO and other operators, said a statement from the company.



TMK-GIPI is the first manufacturer of high-pressure steel line pipes and casing pipes in Oman and its production plant is also the first in the region to make high pressure 24-inch electric resistance welded (ERW) steel pipes, it said.



As a result of the contract award, the company will expand its current production range and introduce a new manufacturing line for small pipeline categories to cater for high demand of such sizes from PDO and the rest of the oil and gas industry, it added.



The agreement marks the successful implementation of one of the business opportunities launched by PDO for Omani businesses at the major ICV Blueprint Strategy Summit in Muscat in December 2013. This laid down a framework for the development of a robust and sustainable local supply chain for the sector.



PDO managing director Raoul Restucci, said: "We are delighted to sign this contract with TMK-GIPI which will see an Omani factory manufacturing piping both for us and other operators. As well as boosting ICV, there is also a fantastic opportunity for this state-of-the-art plant to supply its products and services across the region.



"This deal makes concrete our commitment outlined at the ICV conference three years ago to do everything we could to leverage the collaborative efforts of the oil and gas sector to progressively and effectively develop a competitive Omani supply chain, he said.



"This is vital for the development of jobs, training and skills for nationals, increasing investment in the sultanate generally and ensuring the ongoing prosperity and diversification of its economy, he added.



Vladimir Shcherbatykh, CEO of TMK-GIPI, said: "We are honoured that this contract will build on our long-term partnership with PDO. We are committed to developing our investments in Oman and to support PDO to achieve its long-term goals.



"It is a great opportunity for our company to work more closely with PDO, which will allow us to reach our common goals in terms of the ICV programme and to work together for the betterment of Oman, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Thousands took to the streets of cities across the US late Friday and early Saturday as anti-Donald Trump protests saw highways and interstates blocked, numerous arrests - and a shooting at a march in Portland, Oregon.



Angry crowds gathered once again outside the 58-story Trump Tower, the President-elect's home in New York, reported CNN.



Protester Shoshi "Rabin" Rabinowitz explained her motivation for being there: "Words can't describe how disgusted I am that he was elected over Hillary (Clinton)," she said.



There have been nightly protests since Trump's election and more demonstrations are expected through the weekend.



Trump has tweeted about the protests. On Thursday night he said, "Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!"



He was more conciliatory Friday morning, saying: "Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!"



Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!



On Friday protests were held in several cities including Los Angeles, New Haven, Connecticut; Orlando, Florida; Chicago; Boston; Asheville, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Columbus, Ohio; and at high schools in Denver and Omaha.



Arrests were made in Los Angeles -- but the police department was not able to immediately provide the number of people arrested.



Groups in that city and elsewhere across the country are angry about policies Trump has promised to enforce concerning immigration, the environment, LGBT rights and other issues.



The Facebook page for a protest planned in Burlington, Vermont, said: "Come protest the xenophobia, racism, homophobia, misogyny,and climate science denial of the Trump/Pence regime!! Come show your support for our Muslim, queer, immigrant, and female family!!"



In Portland Oregon, a man was injured in a shooting on the Morrison Bridge during a protest march early Saturday morning.



Protesters also blocked the street outside Portland's City Hall on Friday. As the sun set on the crowd, police tried to disperse the protestors but tensions remained high.



Earlier in the day, city officials appealed for calm after a Thursday night protest by about 4,000 people turned violent. Windows on businesses were broken and a car dealership was vandalized. Twenty-six people were arrested, said the report.



"We had some anarchists who hijacked that event and did terrible damage to our neighbors and friends," Mayor Charlie Hales said at a news conference. "They spread violence and fear and detracted from the legitimate exercise of those First Amendment rights."

In Boston, hundreds of people gathered on Boston Common for a "Love Rally in the Common."

In Miami, hundreds of people walked down Biscayne Boulevard chanting "Love Trumps Hate" and some protesters even walked onto Interstate 95 and surrounded cars, forcing four lanes of traffic to a standstill.



In Atlanta, an American flag was burned near the Georgia State Capitol building, something that didn't please protesters Sanjay Mendonca and Akshita Mendonca. Aged 40 and 39, respectively, they voted for Hillary Clinton.



"The current situation is not good for us and our children," Sanjay said. "I'm here for my kids because I don't want them to think we didn't do something ... A lot of people feel hopeless right now."
Don and K. Hulbert spend an afternoon each month creating art alongside people with dementia and their caregivers. The art sessions help give K. relief from the frustrations and fears of her Alzheimers disease and Don a chance to connect with others coping with a loved ones dementia.

The couples art will be among works on display Nov. 17 at Wyoming Dementia Cares free Art Through the Eyes of Dementia show opening at Edgewood Meadow Wind Assisted Living & Memory Care in Casper.

The event features art created by people affected by dementia-related illnesses and their caregivers, who participate in the Here and Now: A Dementia-Specific Art Program class at the Nicolaysen Art Museum.

The event spotlights the programs and resources offered by Wyoming Dementia Care, a nonprofit that serves people with dementia and their families, said Dani Guerttman, the nonprofits caregiver services program manager. Professionals will be on hand to answer questions about services from skilled nursing and neurology to the assistance offered by organizations like Central Wyoming Counseling Center and Meadow Wind.

The art on display includes paintings, woodcarvings, ceramics, masks, monoprints, clay sculptures and more, the Nicolaysens education curator Zhanna Gallegos said.

The classes are designed to be fun and therapeutic, Guerttman said. They allow participants to interact with others in similar situations and feel less isolated, she said. People with dementia often find art can help them express their feelings more easily than speaking. The projects and activities also are designed to help spark long-term memories that connect people to their lives and loved ones while also focusing on experiencing the present moment.

Its also an outlet for caregivers themselves, because they can see their loved one in a different light and different atmosphere and actually enjoy activities together, Gallegos said.

Professionals at the classes also can give caregivers a break to work on their own projects or chat with others, Guerttman said.

Don looks forward to the show, especially seeing his wifes art on display, which is much better than his, he said. She studied art in college and enjoys exploring her creative side through the classes.

She gets a lot out of it, Don said. It goes beyond the program the days we are there, because she has more of an interest in art now that she continues to pursue at home.

Since the class, shes started collecting objects for still-life photographs. She recently arranged peppers on a plate for him to photograph. On walks, she collects branches, leaves and stones. She also colors at home using coloring books for adults.

The program is a positive influence, particularly for my wife, Don said.
When lawmakers, lobbyists and observers gather Jan. 11 in Cheyenne for the start of the 64th Legislature, they will notice even more Republicans and men in a state that already has among the fewest number of women and Democratic lawmakers in the nation.

During Tuesdays election, voters made choices throughout the state that ultimately resulted in the loss of one Democratic seat in the Legislature. Currently only 13 Democrats serve in the 90-member Legislature.

There will also be two fewer women, down from the current 12.

Observers are split about whether the choices that voters made on Election Day will result in a more conservative lawmaking body.

Some believe the number of social conservatives is down, based on their reading of newly elected Republicans.

Others say the number of social conservatives is up, which they warn will mean more debates about social issues such as abortion or transgender bathrooms at a time when the state faces difficult financial decisions because of the energy downturn and revenue shortfall.

Freshmen

Several lawmakers chose to retire at the end of this term. Others lost re-election bids. The result is a slew of new lawmakers: 19 freshmen in the 60-member House and six in the 30-member Senate.

It is the greatest turnover in the Wyoming Legislature since 1992, said Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne.

These legislators are coming into a time where we have to find another $150 million on short notice, Zwonitzer said. They have to learn about the budget. Historically, you come in a general session in the middle of a two-year budget cycle. You have time to learn about all these pots of money and where they go. When you come into a $150 million deficit in the current cycle, thats a drastic learning curve of the state budget.

A lot of people know the general issues that affect them. They know what theyre running on  business issues, social issues or community development issues. They really dont know how the state budget works.

Candidates make promises on the campaign trail that they learn fast are not realistic when they are mere freshmen in the Legislature, an institution that values seniority, tradition and decorum, said Bri Jones, executive director of the Equality State Policy Center, a government watchdog group.

I think that campaigning is very different from governing, so it will be interesting to see the differences that arise out of campaigning versus governing, she said.

Jones said some newly elected legislators campaigned on the ideological fringe. The longer a lawmaker serves, the more he realizes he must compromise and work with others to increase the likelihood of a bill becoming a law.

I think with age and experience comes a little bit of moderation, she said.

Leadership

The political direction of the Legislature will depend on who lawmakers elect to lead them in the House and Senate, said Kristin Walker, a Republican strategist from Jackson.

I think more than looking at rank-and-file members, I think its looking at how the new leadership is going to trend  especially in the House, because its going to be pretty much all new leadership, and as a result its going to be all new chairs of committees, she said.

Legislative leaders are powerful. They can kill bills they dislike and choose which legislators lead and serve on committees. If a current committees makeup is perceived as too liberal or conservative, leaders can assign new members and remove those considered problematic.

Zwonitzer said theres a good chance the next leadership will be more conservative than the existing leaders, who are moderate Republicans. Those leaders will be chosen in a week, when Republican lawmakers caucus in Casper.

The House leadership will probably go a little more to the right, he said. The people who have announced (theyre running for leadership positions), well see a shift to the right. I would say thats a good thing because were having a fiscal downturn and were going to make tough decisions. Were not going to have a lot of social issues and other stuff come up because its going to be about the budget.

Social issues

Zwonitzer said he doesnt think there will be more social conservatives among the rank-and-file in the Legislature than among the current makeup. He bases that on the legislators-elect he knows and by reviewing campaigns of others.

But Jeran Artery, a board member of Wyoming Equality, disagrees. He believes the Legislature will take a hard right on social issues.

I heard legislators, former legislators who have been taken out, theyve said, I think my yes vote on your bill cost me the primary, cost me the election, Artery said.

During the primary, some candidates challenged incumbents for supporting a 2015 bill that would have protected LGBT Wyomingites at work. The challengers dismissed the bill as a plan to allow men to wear wigs and use womens bathrooms, putting women and girls at risk of sexual assault.

Artery said transgender bathrooms was never the intention of the nondiscrimination bill or other bills supported by his organization.

Thats what I think bothered me, he said. A lot of these candidates were willing to lie to get elected.

Democrats, women

Despite twice as many Democrats running this year than in the past, the states minority party lost a number of races. It gained some, too. But ultimately the net loss was one seat.

The Republican Party raised $500,000 over the past months and spent about $150,000 in 17 key legislative races. The strategy worked.

Kristin Walker, the Republican from Jackson, believes people in many rural states, including Wyoming, feel left behind in the countrys recent economic uptick. That goes for social issues as well, she said. Many Wyomingites disagreed with the direction of the country. They took their frustrations to the ballot box and elected Trump and downballot candidates who they felt best represented their beliefs.

Walker has helped organize events for the Wyoming Womens Legislative Caucus, a bipartisan group for women legislators. The caucus also organizes leadership conferences to encourage women throughout Wyoming to run for state and local office.

Walker said there will only be 10 women to the 80 men in the Legislature next year.

She noted two prominent women leaders lost their elections  Rep. Rosie Berger, a Sheridan Republican who had hoped next year to become the first female House speaker in decades and Rep. Mary Throne of Cheyenne, the leader of the House Democrats for the past four years.

Although the House is losing prominent women, one bright spot in the increase in women in the Senate, which currently only counts one woman among its members, Walker said.

Sen. Bernadine Craft, D-Rock Springs, is retiring but will be replaced by Liisa Anselmi-Dalton, also a Democrat from Rock Springs.

Republicans Affie Ellis and Tara Nethercott will be two new women in the Senate. Ellis and Nethercott defeated Democrats Floyd Esquibel and Ken Esquibel.

Two current committee leaders are women  Reps. Elaine Harvey and Ruth Ann Petroff. Both chose not to seek re-election.

If there are no women leaders in the Legislature next year, their perspective will be lost in state discussions, Walker said.

I think not having women in leadership rolls will also play a role in the kinds of bills that go forward, she said.
LARAMIE  Considering its a lake that doesnt hold water, Barber Lake is a popular destination.

Sitting just a few miles west of Centennial and half a mile from Wyoming Highway 130 on Barber Lake Road, the low-elevation stop offers a picnic site adjacent to a lake stocked each year by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Its a very, very popular fishery, said Lee McDonald, a fisheries biologist with the department.

The lake offers wheelchair-accessible fishing, and its free of snow and ice much earlier in the summer than its high-alpine cousins up the mountain. McDonald said Game and Fish tries to have the lake filled with water and stocked with catchable-sized rainbow trout by Memorial Day.

Game wardens have mentioned its more heavily used than any other single lake in the range, he said. It gets a lot of use.

But, like summer tourists and warm weather, Barber Lake at its finest is a temporary condition.

Barber Lake is man-made, and it leaks. Despite efforts by the U.S. Forest Service in the past to remedy the problem by adding clay to the lake bed and lining the outlet with plastic, it doesnt hold water, Forst Service spokesman Aaron Voos said.

Lowell Hart, who works as a caretaker at nearby Snowy Range Lodge, said the sight of a stocked lake losing water isnt pretty.

It creates quite a stink, he said.

Hart doesnt think stocking it each year is a good use of resources, considering the transplanted fish lose their home a few months after they move in.

Is it a good idea to fill a lake that you know is going to drain out, and when you cut the water, you know that all the fish that are put in there are going to get beached? he said. Its heartbreaking.

The U.S. Forest Service holds a water right, dating back to 1919, thats used to fill the lake by diverting water from nearby Libby Creek through a short canal.

McDonald said the lake only stays filled as long as water is flowing into it, and the Forest Service must yield to senior water rights.

Some years we cant fill or it or we cant maintain it for very long, he said.

In the summer, the water was shut off in mid-August, McDonald said, and the lake drained after about three weeks.

Hart said he and several other neighbors tried to move a few fish into Libby Creek before the lake dried out, even though hes not sure theyll survive the winter there.

While I was up there ankle-deep in mud, it made me a little hot, he said.

McDonald said the popularity of the lake, its proximity to several campgrounds and the fact that it provides wheelchair access make it worth stocking, even knowing the trout wont survive.

We definitely feel good about being able to provide a fishery there, he said.

Lake Marie, near the summit of the Snowy Range Scenic Byway, has a paved sidewalk along the south shore, but wheelchair-accessible options in the Snowies are few. In Curt Gowdy State Park, Granite and Crystal reservoirs have accessible amenities.

Were always looking for more places, and when those opportunities present themselves, we go with them, McDonald said. Its a pretty high value to us, when we do have those areas.

Tia Reed teaches in the Personalized Learning Services program at Laramie High School. The program is for students with severe cognitive or physical disabilities. About 10 students went on a field trip to Barber Lake in the summer.

Reed said the lakes proximity to the highway meant students could ride a school bus all the way in. Those with mobility limitations could fish off a concrete pad that abuts the shore and use the accessible restroom.

Its easy for kids that arent very mobile to stand there and fish over a ledge, she said.

Students were able to see the fish swimming in the lake, and while only one student caught a fish, many felt nibbles at the ends of their lines.

Fishing is something recreational that they can do, that they can learn and use the rest of their life, Reed said.

Game and Fish loaned fishing poles to the group and provided a classroom-wide license. Reed said Barber Lake was ideal for the field trip because the high school students are too old to fish at Huck Finn Pond at LaPrele Park, but not experienced enough to catch a fish at other area lakes. Huck Finn Pond is stocked and also has a wheelchair-accessible dock, but fishing is limited to children.

Game and Fish uses catchable-sized fish  meaning they measure 8 or 9 inches long  in waters that cant sustain a fish population long-term, McDonald said. Such waters might have too many anglers, or they dont have the right habitat.

Thats a classification we use for fish we can put into a fishery and make it an instant fishery, but without a huge expectation that its going to maintain itself over time, he said.

He said its unfortunate that Barber Lake drains for the winter with live fish still in it, and Game and Fish personnel try to remove as many fish as they can. This year, they captured about 200 fish and moved them to nearby Hanging Lake. They estimated there were 40 or 50 left when they gave up because the water was too muddy, he said.

By trial and error, Game and Fish stocks the lake with enough fish for anglers, but not too many, he said. This year the department added 2,000 rainbows.

Its a tradeoff between being able to provide a good fishery that makes it justifiable to manage it that way, I think, he said.
GREAT FALLS, Mont.  A Montana man who lied about serving in the military to have his burglary and theft case assigned to a Veterans Treatment Court has been found in contempt of court and sentenced to community service with a veterans service organization.

District Judge Greg Pinski fined Ryan Patrick Morris of Great Falls $500 on Wednesday and gave him a year to complete 441 hours of community service  one hour for each Montana veteran killed in the line of duty since the Korean War.

Morris also must tell the organization the reason for his sentence.

Morris was charged with stealing a television in April. During his first court appearance in May he said he was a military veteran.

A day after Pinski told Morris to meet with the Veterans Court coordinator about admission to the program, Morris was accused of violating the conditions of his bail by carrying a firearm and drinking alcohol.

In a September hearing over the alleged violation, Morris said he had done seven combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and had a hip replacement after being injured by an improvised explosive device. He said he was on the outreach team helping Great Falls Mayor Bob Kelley with his effort to end veteran homelessness.

Morris, however, refused to sign a release for the court to obtain an official service record. In October, Morris father contacted the Veterans Court coordinator and said his son had never severed in the military.

Pinski told Morris that the disrespect he showed the court pales in comparison to the disrespect he showed Montana veterans.

Id like to offer my deepest apology to any veterans out there that Ive disrespected, Morris said.

Morris remains jailed with his bail set at $20,000. The initial burglary and theft case is still pending.
The most recent proposal to build a $26.7 million reservoir in southwest Wyoming failed this week.

The Wyoming Water Development Commission voted against the Sublette Creek Reservoir, citing concerns by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department that too much water would be diverted, harming the Smiths Fork fishery.

Their concern was that the water levels are being diminished in Smiths Fork, and that it would cause the temperatures to rise in late summer, and if those temperatures exceed a certain threshold, then you have the potential for a fish kill, said commission director Harry LaBonde.

After the vote in a joint meeting of the commission and the Legislatures Select Water Committee, Demont Grandy of the Cokeville Development Company said they were not planning to further pursue the project.

As far as Im concerned, its over, Grandy said, noting area irrigators had been looking at it for nearly 35 years.

Siting problems have long plagued the undertaking. About $1 million in studies have been conducted and three potential locations rejected.

Another issue that raised concern was the projects financial viability. In reports to the commission, the development company said its members could pay for operations and maintenance but not the dam itself.

Water storage rates would be between $17 and $178 per acre-foot, depending on the districts financing costs and varying reservoir volumes. The small irrigation district said its members could afford to pay around $4 per acre-foot for water.

Commissioner Floyd Canfield has been a strong proponent of the project. The 4,100-acre-foot reservoir would help provide protection during times of drought should Wyoming ever need to supplement water flowing downstream under the Colorado River Compact, he said.

What were trying to do is were trying to find a way to use a pre-compact water right. Thats the objective, Canfield said. Its a very hard place to do that.

State water officials suggested that enough data had been collected on the projects drainage area that, should another potential site be located, the sponsors could start with a Level II, Stage II study, rather than beginning from scratch.

The commission supported that recommendation in the motion to deny project funding.

So, to me, I think that I would go for the motion, and hope that between the state engineers office and the agency, we could continue to work with the sponsor on a couple of spots, said commissioner David Evans.

Even if another site is located, the timing of the rejection could affect its prospects. The state is facing significant revenue declines stemming from the energy downturn, and the commission is already set to approve projects that would commit about two-thirds of the $158 million in the Level III construction account.

I think we have to start prioritizing things, and limiting how much money we use in studying sites, Canfield said. Its the state of Wyomings money, citizens money, and maybe spend it a little more judiciously. Thats my feeling.
Theres nothing like a visitor from the old country to make you reflect on your past and think back to your origins, particularly if that visitor is a cousin who was named after you.

I looked back on family, clan, country, on the awful war and postwar years with their cultural and social constraints, their religious bigotry. How I swore I would make life better for myself than what my parents had! Id make up for the poverty and family strife that ruined my childhood.

Yet when the time came, I was terrified to leave  though, come to think of it, I practiced when I first ran away from home.

My cousins childhood was no bed of roses, either, though back then it seemed to me that her family was immeasurably better off than mine.

What was it like for you to bear my name? I asked. You never got to celebrate your special day.

In her all-Catholic village of Neibsheim, no one celebrated birthdays; instead, you are feted on Name Day, the birthday of the saint for whom you were named. There was no Saint Edith in those days, though there is now. The Name Day celebration features a Gugelhupf baked in a fluted tube pan. Gifts are few.

Ediths mother had married the baker of Neibsheim. My dad, like his brother-in-law, was a master baker. He wandered into the eastern parts of Germany and married Protestant in Leipzig, a city that, together with Weimar, constituted the regions cultural and political center.

A Name Day hardly mattered for any of us. Edith said with a frown. We children worked every day, including Sundays after church.

Same in my family, I said. Karl and I thought we were slaves at home, Karl in the bakery, I in the store. We never got a penny of pocket money.

I looked up to you after your family moved near us and I got to know you. Until then, you were just an abstraction, Edith said.

You looked up to me? But I was Protestant!

The Catholic faith troubled me even as a child. Maybe it did my mother as well, though she never let on. Naming me after you may have been her way of expressing solidarity with her brother. Betrayal of Catholic values? I dont think it mattered to her.

Everyone in Neibsheim hated my mother for leading him away from the True Faith. At school, the kids bullied Karl and me. Their teachers goaded them on. The 18 months we lived in Neibsheim were awful. I was so glad when we moved to Bruchsal!

My classmates called me Cow Eyes. Her eyes are large. They give her face an air of quiet sadness.

At school, my son was tormented also, she added. Rolf eventually found a way out. He and his wife migrated to Switzerland, where they teach the children of a subalpine village.

I wanted to become a teacher, Edith went on. I wanted to go to Realgymnasium, as you did. My parents wouldnt allow it, not even after my teacher came to plead my case.

Yes, I got a bit of higher education, but not for long, I said. My dad took me out of school to apprentice me. Help in the kitchen and the store, look after my baby brothers. I thought of killing myself. I ran away from home before I was 15.

You did? I never knew.

Stole money from the till and got a train ticket to Mainz. Before boarding the train, I had my braids cut off  at the train depot beauty parlor.

I hated those braids. Mother grabbed them whenever she got angry, which was often. Shed jerk me around, then send me into the wall or a piece of furniture. Invariably, she made me apologize afterward for having provoked her.

Why Mainz?

I knew of an American base nearby. Our teacher pointed it out on a train excursion.

And then?

I pretended I was 17 and signed on as a domestic with an American family.

Those two weeks, when I managed to make myself understood in another language, boosted my morale and my linguistic skills. Its what helped me decide on immigration later on. Leaving for college was not an option, yet I was certain, to remain would mean death or dying.

You had to return home, of course.

Of course I did. But the braids were gone.

The decision to immigrate was, however, driven by terror, since I suspected I would not survive the journey. The ship would break apart; the airplane would crash. Would I make it to the land of my dreams?
Editor:

"Trump stuns in huge upset," Nov. 9, Casper Star-Tribune.

Really? What actually won was America's desire to upset political stagnation with change, new blood and about 30 percent of votes cast against one candidate or another, while this past presidential election cycle brought political stonewalling and stone-throwing to new heights.

When Jesus said, 'Let he among you without sin cast the first stone,' which is blame based in pride and prejudice, civilization's greatest evils (words not available to Jesus at that time, at least by translation) he was not joking.

Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice" portrayed these difficulties, where in the middle of the novel, the hero, Mr. Darcy, took upon himself a spiritual reformation, by which he was enabled to win over the love of his life, Elizabeth,and they lived happily ever after, according to the novel.

Make the country great again, put the workers back to work, get rid of the discontents, rebuild the military -- all words seconded by Donald Trump, firstly motioned by the greatestpolitician/ego-manic of all time, Adolf Hitler, assisted by Japan and Italy as the Axis forces of WWII.

What America needs is not new leadership, for we are in dire straits, asking for spiritual reformation, bringing together all peoples of the nation to suit one cause, a nation of the people, by the people and for the people as one nation undivided, with liberty to choose one's lawful lifestyle and with justice for all, as no stones cast in the behalf or the befourth of anyone, producing peace on Earth and good will towards men, inclusive.

Amen.
Editor:

The editorial boards endorsement of Liz Cheney reminds me of its past endorsements (Mead over Gosar, Enzi over Hardy).

You say that the Democrat has better ideas, but the people with the 'R,' if they can catch a clue, will do better. The problem is your man never catches the clue. (I will modify that. Mead adopted several of Gosar's ideas such as Medicaid expansion.)

She believes the Affordable Care Act, for example, is unfixable and should be repealed.  Wyomingites and other Americans will be looking to her for a better solution on health care. She has no plan.

You pointed out about Ms. Cheney, Cheney has loudly criticized the White House over coal, health care and national security, among other issues.  Cheney should focus on coming up with solutions to those problems and moving them through Congress. This has been the case with all the Republicans that you have endorsed. They have yet to come up with solutions and move them through Congress.

You go on to say She and her colleagues in Congress will need to work together to identify solutions that will truly defend Wyomings signature industry and the people it employs. For the past few years the Congress has been pretty much at a standstill due to lack of compromise and cooperation. I dont think electing more of the same types of representatives will help.

Greene is a good candidate  one of the strongest Democrats to run in recent years. His love for Wyoming is clear. He knows the energy industry well, thanks to his role in the family business, and he is able to speak with authority on domestic issues. He is also the right kind of Democrat for the Cowboy State  one who isnt afraid to oppose members of his own party on issues that matter to the state, such as energy development.

What more do we need? When will you learn? When will the Wyoming voter learn? With Republican leadership and your guidance, Wyoming will continue to lag behind the rest of the world in innovation and growth.
Editor:

Charlie Scott is a career politician who takes welfare payments from the feds. Last year he raked in $59,000. Despite repeated requests for a public accounting silence! Scott wants to continue getting his freebies from the feds while Wyoming taxpayers support his cush job as the longest-"serving" politician in the Legislature.

He continues to aim attacks on the poor who become "weak and dependent" by accepting welfare payments, blatant hypocrisy while stuffing his own pockets with his one year welfare take of 59 grand. Isn't it time to boot out this corpulent hog from the welfare subsidy trough?

Wyomingites should no longer subsidize the personal business expenses of someone who refuses to answer questions regarding his welfare payments from the federal government.

And speaking of hogs at the trough, Eli Bebout's company receives over $25 million from Wyoming D.E.Q. Bebout (another career politician) says it's just fine for him to vote on a D.E.Q. budget that he receives millions in cash from. An "investigation" by a cohort of his colleagues found no conflict of interest, essentially saying "nothing to see here, folks, everything's fine." Really!!?? Seriously??

A timely, thorough ethics investigation by an independent entity is long overdue. Wyoming voters must be provided with a detailed explanation of his multi-million dollar state-funded projects.

Eli and Charlie: We eagerly await your forthcoming press conferences to provide a public accounting of money received from state and federal governments.
I am just so angry at the Democratic Party. You completely failed us. You cheated your own party members. You corrupted your own nomination process. And you brought us Trump. You screwed the country by screwing the process. It just had to be Hillary Well, no it didn't. You tried to cheat for her and force her into office and the people said no. Now we're all stuck dealing with the consequences of your dishonesty and your disrespect of the democratic process. Wyoming's state Democratic Party with its obvious predetermined preference for Clinton has plenty of guilt to share in this too. As does every single "super" delegate who refused to represent the will of the caucus voters in this state. And anyone who willfully turned a blind eye to the cheating revealed by Wikileaks. Youre complicit. You've all done a great disservice to your party and to this nation. This is your fault, Democrats. Its not the third parties, its not the FBI, its not the media, its the Democratic Partys fault, period. You need to own up to the mess you have created and quit scapegoating and looking for someone else to blame. And then you need to listen and you need to change so that something like this can never. Happen. Again. Otherwise, I hope you never recover from this and that a new, decent and honest party that actually strives to represent the people emerges from your ashes.
When a punishing drought besieged California in the late 1980s, relief came with 30 days of rain in 1991  dubbed the March Miracle because of how it revived the states agricultural economy.

Those significant swings in the weather may have had another consequence, though. The next year, Kern County health officials counted more cases of valley fever than ever before, with roughly 3,342 diagnoses and 25 deaths. By contrast, a decade earlier in 1982, fewer than 200 people were diagnosed with the disease and seven died.

In the quarter century since, researchers and public health officials have come to see such dry and wet cycles as predictors of an upswing in the disease. That same weather pattern repeated itself between 2015 and 2016, and yet no one at the state or county level sounded an alarm in California or took measures to prepare for the threat of a valley fever surge.

On the contrary, as recently as August, health officials in Kern County told the Center for Health Journalism Collaborative, a consortium of news outlets brought together by the USC Center for Health Journalism, that the number of cases this year would be lower than in 2015. Health officials did not warn the public of a looming epidemic until September.

Now officials say that as many as 2,000 people in Kern County alone could contract valley fever by 2017.

Epidemic surprises officials

Although there are no state guidelines for when an epidemic should be declared, such a proclamation focuses attention on a disease. And attention is something health care officials say valley fever desperately needs.

Although the cumulative total of illness and death for valley fever is higher annually than hantavirus, whooping cough and salmonella poisoning combined, the disease has historically received comparatively little in research dollars or federal public health attention.

From our perspective, this has already been the worst year, said Dr. Royce Johnson, an infectious disease doctor at Kern Medical Center who has spent years researching and treating valley fever.

In Kern County, 890 confirmed cases of valley fever were reported through June of this year, nearly 80 percent more than the number of cases the county sees in a non-epidemic year. At least one person has already died.

Nationally, more than 8,000 people contracted valley fever through early October. Thats a rate of roughly 28 people every day; the cases are concentrated in just two states: California and Arizona.

So far this year, California has seen 2,210 cases, which is more than a quarter of those reported nationally, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

Arizona had more than half of all cases at 4,971. And last year was even worse in Arizona, with more than 7,000 cases reported, including a spike of 138 percent between July and October, compared with the same time period the prior year.

As in California, researchers studying valley fever in Arizona believe weather plays a key role. One theory about Arizonas dramatic uptick in cases is that a wet winter in 2014-2015 spawned the growth of more valley fever-causing coccidioides fungi, which then spread to animals during the dry early summer season.

Other factors that can affect fluctuations in reported cases, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services: the migration of susceptible people to higher-risk counties in Arizona; increased recognition and testing by health care providers; increased awareness among the general public, and an increase in the number of people with weakened immune systems due to aging.

The biggest spike this year was in September in California, where 20 new confirmed cases were reported for the week of Sept. 19, an 80 percent increase over the previous week, according to the CDC. Arizona saw a 9 percent jump.

Only then did Kern County health officials begin warning the public to exercise caution, but they hesitated about calling it an epidemic.

Now they are doing so.

Predictions

not precise

Valley fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis, starts with breathing. Fungal spores embedded in dry dirt throughout the San Joaquin Valley, Arizona and other parts of the Southwest get swept up in the wind. If inhaled, those spores become lodged in the lungs.

Sometimes the body fights the infection and a person becomes immune to the disease,which is the case for most people. But in other cases, the spores take root and move from the lungs to other organs, leading to a lifetime of health problems and, in rare cases, death.

Cocci, the fungus that breeds the disease, needs water to grow and heat to spread its spores.

During the rains, the fungus proliferates in the soil, said Dr. John Galgiani, director of the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Then, he explained, a larger number of spores end up in the air when the soil dries.

Every seasoned valley fever researcher says the same thing. But that knowledge has not translated into accurate predictions of trends in valley fever cases. Such forecasts could lead to early warnings for public health officials, care providers and the public.

This summer, public officials charged with monitoring diseases like valley fever believed that the old pattern of dry periods followed by rains would not lead to more diagnoses.

My gut feeling is no, Kirt Emery, a Kern County Department of Public Health Services epidemiologist told the Center for Health Journalism Collaborative in June when asked if weather patterns could lead to another epidemic. A few weeks later, though, Emerys department issued a press release saying that, indeed, new cases were on the rise again.

Despite a bout of dry weather throughout California, Emery and others had not been predicting a rise in infections because reported valley fever cases were decreasing for most of the year.

Meanwhile, in Arizona, numbers of reported cases fell by about 1,000 this year, something Galgiani attributes to a wet summer monsoon season stretching into September and October  the peak months for valley fever. Those numbers in Arizona also might be skewed, researchers caution, because of a series of changes in reporting standards by a major commercial lab.

Symptoms can present anywhere from one to three weeks after exposure, though, and doctors often misdiagnose the disease for the first several weeks, so it can take time for diagnoses to catch up with the course of an active epidemic.

Science slow

to catch up

Despite understanding the basic weather pattern that may lead to an outbreak, scientists still have no reliable way of mapping out just how many fungal spores are growing or blowing through the air.

It also remains impossible to track how many people develop immunity to the disease after being exposed. Each wave of a valley fever outbreak should, in theory, immunize a significant proportion of the population to the disease.

And even though researchers have been observing these weather patterns for decades, they have been slow to publish findings in academic journals about the correlation between weather and valley fever, a topic under investigation since the 1940s.

Why does that matter? Because publishing provides the evidence needed to set policies and priorities.

Scientists and public health officials agree there havent been enough large-scale studies on why and when valley fever cases spike. Federal or state research dollars arent there to mount a major study and few researchers focus on the topic as a result.

Those studies that do exist offer divergent findings on the connections between weather patterns and spikes in valley fever.

In Arizona, which has one strain of cocci, findings have shown a strong connection between climate patterns and incidence, while in Kern County, which has another strain, only a weak connection has been found.

Despite that, Ronald Talbot, a retired Kern County Department of Public Health Services epidemiologist and lab director, said that weather has consistently proven to be the most predictive factor in epidemics.

He studied weather patterns during his career and theorizes that in years when the region receives more than four inches of rainfall in February and March, the incidence of valley fever increases in September and October.
Donald Trump took regular aim during his campaign of a trade deal that bolsters Arizona's economy with about $30 billion in annual trade with Mexico.

He denounced the North American Free Trade Agreement as a "disaster" as he told voters from states where manufacturing had dried up that their jobs had been exported to Mexico. He said one of his first acts in office would be to renegotiate NAFTA and bring those jobs back to the United States.

Now that his presidency looms, what will he actually do?

The NAFTA treaty with Mexico and Canada was signed by President George Bush in 1992 and the implementing legislation was signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993. Since then, U.S.-Mexico trade quintupled to about $500 billion annually as tariffs were virtually eliminated.

Trump called NAFTA "the worst trade deal ever approved in this country." He said he would put a 35-percent tariff on imports by U.S. companies operating in Mexico, which could affect a broad swath of the Arizona economy.

The local business community in Nogales adamantly opposes getting rid of NAFTA, said Bruce Bracker, a Nogales businessman and past-chairman of the Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority.

"Arizona's economy is absolutely dependent on NAFTA," Bracker said, noting that 639,000 trucks drove through Nogales ports last year.

Area business people are anxious about what Trump might do, and many hope that the bluster of his campaign will give way to a position that's "a lot more moderate," Bracker said.

Trade with Mexico supports about 100,000 jobs in Arizona and retailers depend on the roughly $8 million Mexican shoppers spend daily in Arizona.

The binational trade that goes through Nogales, as well as an increasing number of companies with offices in Arizona and Sonora, operates under NAFTA rules.

Every day, hundreds of trucks haul thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables from farms in Mexico through the commercial port of entry in Nogales. The same goes for a wide array of industrial products made in assembly plants in Nogales, Sonora. Trains roll through downtown Nogales daily carrying Ford sedans made at a plant in Hermosillo and tons of Mexican cement.

About 34,000 people work in more than 100 assembly plants just south of the border, churning out electronic appliances, aerospace parts, machinery and equipment, and other industrial goods.

The companies that own the assembly plants  maquiladoras, as they are known in Spanish  are based throughout the United States, including California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, Minnesota and states that proved key in the 2016 election: Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Iowa and Michigan.

Other companies are based or have offices in Nogales, Arizona, or in Rio Rico, Tucson, Phoenix, Chandler and Tempe. In Tucson, hundreds of companies export goods to Mexico or Canada under NAFTA rules.

Despite the broad powers a president has over international trade, Trump likely will face opposition from Republican members of Congress who traditionally support free trade.

When the NAFTA vote went to the House it found support among 234 Republicans. Last year 190 Republicans voted to give President Obama fast-track authority to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

Trump also might find himself consorting with an unlikely ally for a Republican president: labor unions who blame NAFTA for the nation's widespread loss of manufacturing jobs.
Eleven million Americans, including 180,000 Arizonans, signed up for health insurance thought the government-run individual marketplaces created through the Affordable Care Act in 2016. Most qualified for federal subsidies to help pay for those private plans.

A majority of Americans get their health insurance through their employer or a government program, and a minority need to buy it through the individual marketplace, which is sometimes also called a health exchange.

But the law, passed in 2010, has other provisions that gave coverage and insurance protections to millions more Americans, including:

Keeping young adults on their parents health insurance until they turn 26.

In Arizona, an estimated 60,000 young adults under the age of 26 gained coverage by staying on their parents plans, says an analysis by the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers. Nationally that number is 2.3 million, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says.

In conjunction with the Affordable Care Act, several states including Arizona expanded their Medicaid programs. Arizona both expanded its Medicaid program and restored coverage for childless adults. The Medicaid expansion has resulted in 81,116 Arizonans getting coverage, and 316,763 childless adults have signed up since 2014.

Elimination of lifetime and annual limits on coverage.

Before the law, people who needed expensive and unexpected health care for cancer, for example, could find out their plan would only pay up to a certain amount, like for instance $300,000.

The consumer would then be on the hook to pay for the rest, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Eliminating of pre-existing condition exclusions for coverage.

Insurers can no longer reject people because of past health conditions.

Insurers cannot charge women more than men.

Private health insurance plans generally must provide coverage for an additional set of preventive health services for women without cost-sharing requirements.

The medical loss ratio provisions in the Affordable Care Act limit the amount of premium dollars insurers can spend on administration, marketing, and profits.
PHOENIX  When Donald Trump was giving his victory speech, cheerleader Jan Brewer was in a hospital emergency room, straining to watch what was happening on the TV.

The former Arizona governor wanted to be close when her candidate took the stage early Wednesday morning in New York City. In fact, she was heading there from the VIP area when she passed out.

Turns out she had pneumonia. And Brewer, now back in Arizona and still on antibiotics, said she still hasnt seen the full video of what she missed.

It was really sad for me, Brewer told Capitol Media Services on Friday.

I did work hard for him, she continued. I just kept pushing and pushing. And I didnt get to see him do his victory speech.

Brewer has been one of Trumps key surrogates, appearing on national talk shows to explain his positions and defend him when there was negative news. It was Brewer, for example, who said that Trump was being waterboarded by women who had come forward to accuse him of sexual assault or harassment.

And Brewer wanted to be with Trump when the votes were counted.

Its a shame, she said. I went all that way and I was so excited.

The former governor also said it was sweet that she predicted what others could or would not.

I had that gut feeling in me for days, Brewer explained. It was so good to beat the pundits and the pollster and the media, you know?

But the moment of victory occurred without her.

I got down there (to the main floor), and I kept getting warmer and warmer, Brewer recalled. The next thing you knew I was on the floor.

Some of what happened she reconstructed later with the help of her son, Michael, who was with her at the Hilton.

I dont remember falling, I dont remember going to the ground, I dont remember them getting me up, she said of those in the crowd.

But I remember them dragging me out of there, mad and upset, she continued, Of course I was upset.

That led to the ambulance ride to Cornell Medical Center. Brewer said she figured shed at least get to watch in real time what she could not be there to witness in person.

It was not to be.

She said hospital personnel did turn on the TV in the room.

But they were bringing equipment in and poking me and doing CAT scans, she said. I couldnt see it.

Brewer said she did watch some clips when she got back home to Glendale. But she is counting on seeing the whole thing, beginning to end, on her computer.

When I get a minute and am feeling really good Ill turn it back on, she said.

Brewer quipped that there was something positive that came out of the unexpected and unwanted trip to the hospital.

Before releasing her, they asked her a series of questions, like math and even what day it is, to ensure that the fall didnt damage more than her arm and leg.

I answered all of them, she said proudly, saying that shows shes still in control of her faculties. I was comprehending pretty good.
A Tucson pastor ended up in handcuffs last week after kneeling on the lawn of the North Dakota governors mansion as part of the protest against a proposed oil pipeline.

The Rev. Alison Harrington of Southside Presbyterian Church, which is known for social justice work with undocumented migrants, was arrested during a protest of the Dakota Access pipeline.

Protesters said the pipeline could threaten the water supply and sacred sites of the Standing Rock Sioux.

She was charged with a misdemeanor count of criminal trespass and spent the weekend in the Cass County jail in Bismarck. She is one of more than 400 people who were arrested in recent months in protest of the pipeline.

Law enforcement officers in riot gear faced off with protesters in recent weeks, prompting headlines around the country and a rush of protesters, including about 500 clergy members who answered a call for solidarity from a North Dakota priest.

I was just feeling pulled to be there, Harrington said Friday after returning to Tucson from North Dakota.

At Standing Rock, she and other clergy felt particularly moved to action due to the fact the pipeline is being laid because of church doctrine, Harrington said.

The Catholic Churchs centuries-old Doctrine of Discovery legitimized settlers taking land from Native Americans and the clergy gathered in Standing Rock to repudiate the doctrine, she said.

We are here to say that we were wrong, they said at a ceremony with tribal leaders in which a copy of the doctrine was burned.

Clergy prayed with the protesters, known as water protectors, but Harrington said she felt more action was needed.

Prayer is a beautiful thing and its the thing that we need to begin with, but its not the thing we should end with, she said.

So on Nov. 3 she and four other clergy members, all of whom expected to be arrested, decided to kneel on the lawn of the governors mansion in an attempt to see if we might have a cup of tea with him and talk some sense into him about opposing the pipeline. Thats when they were arrested.

The $3.7 billion, 1,200-mile pipeline is being built to transport oil from North Dakota to a distribution center in Illinois, according to Energy Transfer Partners, the company building the pipeline. The companys website says about 470,000 barrels of oil would travel through the 30-inch diameter pipeline daily.

Clergy from a variety of denominations  including Tucsons United Church of Christ, St. Georges Episcopal Church in Holbrook, and Amados Unitarian Universalist Congregation Church  traveled to North Dakota to protest the pipeline and the law enforcement tactics used to push protesters away.

When Harringtons arrest was announced at a service last Sunday, members of the Tucson congregation clapped in support, said Kenneth Kennon, a former pastor of the Christian Church of Disciples of Christ and longtime congregation member of Southside Presbyterian.

Im personally very pleased with what shes doing, Kennon said, adding he cannot speak for everyone in the congregation.

The churchs support for Native American rights shows the church returning to its roots, Kennon said.

The church was founded in 1906 to serve Tohono Oodham families who moved to Tucson to build the railroads, but couldnt find a house of worship.

Native Americans still make up a significant portion of the congregation and the church has supported protests at Wounded Knee in 1973 and at Oak Flat last year to help the San Carlos Apache tribe stop a mining project.

People kind of know us as the migrant rights, the sanctuary church  and we certainly affirm that aspect of our identity  but its more than that for us, Harrington said. Its more about how we understand ourselves as a people of faith, called to love one another and called to spread that love.
Tucsons political establishment got the cold shoulder this week when voters chose the newest member of Pima Community Colleges Governing Board.

The candidate heavily favored by local politicos was defeated by a challenger backed by college leadership experts and open government advocates.

Luis A. Gonzales, a former state senator, won the boards District 5 seat with 19,612 votes compared to 16,603 for attorney Martha Durkin, a retired deputy manager for the city of Tucson. A third candidate, Francis Saitta, drew 3,843 votes.

Durkin, appointed to the board temporarily last year after a member resigned, is a strong supporter of the PCCs current administration, which Gonzales has criticized as inept and secretive. She did not respond to requests for comment on the election outcome.

Gonzales said PCC Chancellor Lee Lambert has reached out by phone, expressing his willingness to work together for the good of the college. It was a short conversation, very cordial.

Gonzales said he wants to help the school recover from years of accreditation problems and intends to ask tough questions about areas he believes are not working well. They include the public information office, the human resources department, the international education program and efforts to increase enrollment and improve diversity.

Durkins supporters included Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, former mayor Bob Walkup, U.S. Congressman Raul Grijalva, Tucson Unified School District board president Adelita Grijalva, City Councilman Richard Fimbres and Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias. She also was backed, financially and otherwise, by the other four members of PCCs Governing Board.

Gonzales supporters included Zelema Harris and Augustine Gallego, two nationally-recognized college leadership experts and Ted Maxwell, vice president of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council. He also was backed by the Coalition for Accountability, Integrity, Respect and Responsibility, the local citizens group that is PCCs biggest critic.

Gonzales outdid Durkin in campaign fundraising by a large margin. As of Oct. 27, he collected more than $19,000 in donations  nearly double the $8,770 she raised, campaign finance records show.

Gonzales will be sworn in to a two-year term in January. PCC board positions are unpaid.
Gertrude Shankman, born six years before women had the right to vote, thought she would see the first female president elected Tuesday.

Yes, I voted, the 102-year-old told the Star before the presidential election. I cant wait to find out if Im right.

She was wrong.

Shankman, born in 1914, grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and married at the age of 19.

A mother to two, she spent her years as a homemaker and working in her husbands shoe store. When he retired, she worked as a legal secretary, teaching herself shorthand and how to type.

Where do you think I got my politics? she said, laughing. She spent most of her life on the East Coast, moving into Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging in Tucson about 10 years ago.

She grew up in the years when voting was new for women, but it was always part of her life. She remembers her father giving her placards endorsing candidates to hand out to customers in the familys store.

As an adult in Florida, she volunteered with the League of Women Voters, offering rides to get women to the polls. It didnt matter whom they voted for, she just wanted them to vote.

She had high hopes for this election.

Well, having lived so long with womens suffrage ... and now that were voting, there we are with a woman, Shankman said in the days before the election.

Like so many, Shankman feels the sting of Hillary Clintons defeat. And yet she still has hope.

My reaction is that I have confidence in people, she said after the election.

This is not the first time she has disliked a president, and it is not the first time she has seen the country wade through murky waters.

We mustnt let it get to us, she continued. We must have faith. We must do better. We must convince people to vote. Have faith. We will survive or succeed.

Theres a bit of sass in that last statement.

At my age, you need attitude, she quipped.
When John Fleck started writing about water for newspapers in his 20s, his narrative was clear: The West is headed for disaster. Like many covering water, he looked for tales of farmers abandoning their fields and of cities and towns turning to dust.

But he couldnt find many stories like that. Instead, he found cities like Albuquerque whose water table rose, not fell, as residents learned to cut their water use in half. And he found farmers in Yuma Arizona who managed to earn more money and use less water at the same time.

He and other water writers had grown up on the adage long attributed incorrectly to Mark Twain, that whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over. But when he searched for stories of water conflicts and lawsuits of the kind that dominated the age of his forebears, again, Fleck couldnt find much.

Instead, he found water districts that agreed to use less water to save their aquifers, and water managers and environmentalists who negotiated ways to save the seemingly abandoned Colorado River Delta.

The result of these changes in thinking are out in a new book by Fleck: Water is for Fighting Over: And Other Myths About Water in the West.

No longer a journalist  he left his Albuquerque Journal job last year  Fleck at 57 is now director of the University of New Mexicos Water Resources Program. Hes also a player in the Colorado River drama, having worked with a Colorado water district thats studying how to bail out the Upper Colorado River Basin in the face of a declining Lake Powell.

Here are some questions and answers with Fleck:

Q. How did you develop your earlier view that we were headed for water apocalypse?

A. I began my journalistic career in the 1980s, covering water for the Pasadena Star-News, during a really significant drought in Southern California. It was around that time that the book Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner came out, on top of other environmental journalism and literature of that time, like A River No More, great books by great writers, arguing that we had made a series of fundamental mistakes, building big dams and building cities and farms that were dependent on them. The result was that sooner or later, we were heading for a crash. I embraced that narrative.

Q. How did you begin to change your view?

A. Covering water in the middle 2000s for the Journal, I was believing that narrative and pursuing that narrative. Albuquerque was aggressively pursuing water conservation and reducing its reliance on over-pumping its aquifer. But then the drought got bad in 2013 and 2014 and the little town of Maxwell, New Mexico, ran out of water and I documented what it was like for a town to run out of water.

But what I realized was that Maxwell was the exception and that most communities werent running out of water. I started asking myself why it wasnt happening and I started looking for alternative story lines.

Q. What did you find?

A. Id get monthly pumping reports, looking for Albuquerque to fail at its conservation efforts; Id keep checking U.S. Geological Survey groundwater-level data expecting it to decline, but it kept rising and rising. I found communities were succeeding at coping with having less water. I started realizing that was the story: how communities are adapting. Once I started looking for it, I saw it all over the place.

Q. Such as?

A. For example, Las Vegas, their water use peaked and they were really in trouble in 2002-2003, but their water use has been steadily declining since then. Look at the water data in Arizona. Total water use in Arizona peaked in 1980 and its been dropping for 30 years even as your population has grown.

Q. But Arizona is still predicting increased water use here, by nearly 25 percent by 2035 compared to 2010, and by up to 52 percent by 2110.

A. Everybody does. People keep thinking we wont get going and keep going with conservation. People dont know the bottom of their conservation curve. If you look at every major city in the Colorado River Basin  Denver, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Las Vegas and Tucson  everybodys water use is going down as their population is rising.

Q. How does this thinking apply to farming?

A. In Yuma, one of the biggest farming areas in the Colorado River Basin, water use peaked in the early 1980s, and now maybe its 25 to 30 percent below those levels. But those farmers are really successful. They are shifting to higher value crops, winter veggies, and getting out of cotton and alfalfa, which has made them enormously successful with less water.

Q. So, were Cadillac Desert and A River No More wrong?

A. They were right in their description of a problem. What they missed was the human adaptability that would emerge in response to that problem. ... They argued that we created something unsustainable.

What were seeing is the core of what sustainable life in these desert communities will look like, and that these communities can survive and even thrive with less water.

Q. Does this mean our water supply can support unlimited growth?

A. We need to be careful about how we frame the hypothetical. Communities have a choice. If they want to grow, they have to make substantial changes in their water use. If they are willing to make those changes, then the ability to use less water allows them to grow for a long time.

Q. How?

A. We have the capability in our water systems, and Las Vegas is our clearest example, to reuse water that we use indoors. You can get to very low numbers of water demand and meet your indoor needs. You have this choice of what you want your outdoor landscaping to look like. Thats the water you cant reuse, that just evaporates into the atmosphere.

Q. Does that mean Tucson could grow to 5 million people in say 500 years and still have enough water?

A. If you want to grow you can. This is about self-determination for communities. Water doesnt have to be a constraint. We can think about 500 years; I dont know how to think about Tucson at 5 million people. Im not necessarily saying unlimited growth, but it could grow a lot more and we could learn to live with it water-wise. But if people want big houses with big lawns  no.

Q. Another of your themes is that water problems will be better solved with cooperation than conflict. You wrote that Arizona is its own worst enemy.

A. Arizona from the beginning viewed water-sharing arrangements through the lens of this deep political hostility toward California. Rather than signing early on in participating in the development of these water supplies, Arizona fought. It refused to ratify the Colorado River Compact of 1922. It called out the National Guard to prevent construction of Parker Dam in the 1930s. You repeatedly went to the Supreme Court. 

So by the time you got the Central Arizona Project authorized in 1968  you ended up with this junior priority (in which Arizona stands to lose all of its CAP water during a shortage before California loses any of its river supply).

Q. Even then, California had power and we had little. How would being more cooperative have helped Arizona?

A. Theres no way to replay this history so I know if Im right. But if you had been involved when (early) decisions were being made  there could have been provisions in that federal law for water supply and infrastructure in Arizona as well as California.  You may have gotten screwed anyway, but for sure you were excluded by staying outside.

Q. Your book shows the Southwest has survived by learning to use less water and to find cooperative solutions. But were heading into tougher times that are going to put those theories to their ultimate test.

You wrote about Lake Mead dropping 70 feet over five years starting in 2000. If that happens again, the lake would be at barely 1,000 feet, a level all parties agree is dangerous for the region in part because Hoover Dam could no longer generate power. How will adaptation and cooperation play out if we hit that wall ?

A. Its a really important question. When and if that happens, we have a choice of one of two paths: the conflict path or the collaboration path. I think we have to be on the collaboration path. Thats the only way we can succeed in sharing the pain without having to write some communities off completely.

Q. But how will it turn out?
Tree-ring researchers at the University of Arizona have helped date what they called the oldest tree in Europe  a 1,075-year-old Bosnian pine growing in the mountains of Greece.

To be precise, and to head off arguments with backers of a Welsh yew, a Portuguese olive tree and a Norway spruce, it is the oldest non-clonal European tree whose trunk has been cored and its rings counted and cross-dated.

It joins a Fitzroya in Chile, an Atlas cedar in Morocco, a Huon pine in Tasmania, a Siberian larch in Mongolia and the granddaddy of them all, a bristlecone pine in California, in the roster of ancients on each continent.

All seven continents have tree-ring stories to tell  even, weirdly enough, treeless Antarctica.

North America

North America, specifically the United States, has plenty of champion trees, including the oldest one on the globe  a bristlecone pine more than 5,000 years old.

It also boasts giant sequoias more than 3,000 years old, along with juniper, pine and cypress that have survived a millennium or two.

Most of those discoveries were made by researchers at the University of Arizonas Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, the birthplace of the science that uses tree rings to answer questions about sylvan chronology, global climate and even social and political history.

South America

The Andes of Chile and Argentina contain forests of ancient trees known as Fitzroya, also called Patagonian cypress or alerce in Spanish. It is the second-oldest tree species.

One dates back 3,645 years. Like most of the champions, Fitzroyas live at high altitude, where slow, steady growth seems to be their key to longevity.

Europe

The Bosnian pine dated by UA tree-ringers in 2016 is a relative child at 1,075 years, but it grows in a region where people have been felling trees for homes, ships and fuel for more than 5,000 years, said dendrochronologist Valerie Trouet.

Europe is also home to ancient groves of olive trees whose rings are uncountable; fabled, old trees whose fables cant be documented; and a Norway pine, part of a communal grove whose roots grew nine millennia ago but whose stem is a 100-year-old youngster.

Asia

Somewhere in Asia are trees that are certainly older than the record-holding Siberian larch, whose 750 rings were sampled and counted after it was discovered growing in Mongolia.

One well-documented tale is of a sacred fig in Sri Lanka, the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, said to be a cutting of a sacred fig from the Indian state of Bihar under which Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, sat while achieving enlightenment.

Then there is a giant trunk of a cedar tree found washed up on a beach in Lebanon that dendrochronologist Ramzi Touchan carbon-dated at 6,000 years old.

Africa

Touchan also found and dated the African record-holders, also cedars. He found the oldest one in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. It is 1,025 years old, and he is worried about it. It has been cored by scores of research teams and possibly weakened.

Australia/Oceania

A couple of contenders grow on islands off mainland Australia. A giant kauri tree in New Zealand has never been dated, but claims for it range from 1,250 to 2,500 years. It is a survivor of two waves of deforestation that hit the island when Polynesians and, later, Europeans, arrived.

The oldest documented tree on the continent is a 1,114-year-old Lagarostrobus franklinii, or Huon pine, on the Australian island state of Tasmania.

Antarctica

Nothing bigger than lichens or mosses grows in Antarctica, where four months of total darkness, ice sheets and sub-zero temperatures make it inhospitable to woody plants. But there were times during the Triassic and Permian periods, more than 250 million years ago, when forests grew along its coastline. Scientific explorers have discovered fossil stumps and trunks, their wood long ago silicified or replaced with minerals in water that flowed through.

A NASA/USC/LSU study in 2012 also found leaf wax from the middle Miocene epoch (15 to 20 million years ago) in sediment cores drilled beneath the Ross Ice Shelf.

Why North America?

There are a number of reasons why North America hosts the oldest trees on the globe.

Its deforestation did not begin until the 1700s. It is the birthplace of the science of dendrochronology, with the longest history of tree-ring investigations. It also hosts some long-lived species of trees.

The bristlecone pines of the White Mountains in California are, almost without doubt, the oldest trees in the world, and were discovered almost by accident by dendrochronologist Edmund Schulman in the 1950s, said Malcolm Hughes, a Regents professor at UA and former director of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research.

Stunted by short growing seasons and twisted by wind, bristlecones grow at tree line or just below. They are unlikely looking champions. The largest of them do not reach 50 feet in height.

Trouet said the bristlecone has the right ingredients for longevity  slow growth, hard wood and an environment that is not attractive to insects.

Fast growth is not conducive to long life, she said, explaining why the list of big trees is not studded with denizens of tropical rain forests.

As Neil Young would say: They burn out rather than fade away, said Trouet.

The bristlecones easily last hundreds of years and sometimes thousands. Tree-ringers mine them to reconstruct past climate. They have combined cores of living trees  pencil-thin samples collected with boring tools  with information from dead trees, to create a climate chronology that spans 9,000 years.

The most famous bristlecone pine story concerns the late Donald R. Currey, who was a graduate student at the University of North Carolina when he cut down a bristlecone pine in 1964 on a peak in eastern Nevada to count its rings. The tree, called Prometheus, was found to be 4,862 years old. It was the oldest tree known to exist at the time.

Researchers from the UA Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research have discovered two older ones. The champion a 5,066-year-old tree, was core-sampled in 1957 by Schulman, who died in 1958. His sample sat, unexamined, in the archive at the UA tree-ring lab until researcher Tom Harlan, cross-dated the core just before his death in 2013.

Schulman, assistant to A.E. Douglass who established the science of dendrochronology, had turned his attention from giant sequoias, which grow at a fairly steady pace, to bristlecones. They were older and they grew in tough climates, producing a better record of wet and dry years in their rings.

That climate record is what Trouet and fellow researchers at the University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research were doing in Greece this year when they took a core sample of the Bosnian pine they named Adonis.

The group is comparing climate records left by old trees in Scotland and Greece to correlate with changing patterns in the jet stream over Europe.

They werent looking for the oldest tree, but its always nice to find one, Trouet said.

Adonis had been cored by Swedish dendrochronologist Paul Krusic in 2013, but his sampling tool was only 24 inches long.

In 2016, the team returned with a coring tool a full meter long.

Trouet said Krusic got some pushback in Europe, particularly in Sweden, when the discovery was announced. Some Swedes argue that the oldest tree in Europe is a 9,558-year-old Norway spruce that grows in Sweden.

That tree, said Trouet, is a clone. Its root system may be thousands of years old but its stem would not have more than 100 or so rings.

Tree-ringers arent all that interested in clones  or in trees whose interiors rot as they age.

Thats why Trouet also dismisses the claim of a 4,000-year-old yew tree on the grounds of St. Digains Church in Llangernyw village, Wales. The center is hollowed and you cant simply extrapolate the age using the outer rings and a measurement of the trees radius.

Old trees grow slowly, she said. Younger rings are wider. Its a linear extrapolation of a nonlinear phenomenon  the tree may be old, but you cant prove it.

The same is true of olive trees which may be quite old, but elude measurement by tree rings.

Trouet also assumes that Asia has older trees than the 750-year-old Siberian larch.

There is, in fact, a historical record for a ficus or bohdi tree in Sri Lanka that is more than 2,000 years old, and there are sugi or Japanese cedars that are thought to be as old, though their interiors have also been hollowed by decay.

In Africa, a Namibian baobob tree called the Grootboom was considered the oldest tree on the continent until it died.

The new African oldie may be an Atlas cedar in the mountains of Morocco that was cored and cross-dated by Touchan of the UA tree-ring lab.

Touchan and a team have used the cedars of North Africa to reconstruct wet and dry years, finding that recent drought in the region is as bad as any in history.

Basically, the oldest trees are where the tree-ringers travel to document them.

To be fair, a lot more tree-ring research has been done in the western United States than in Asia, she said.

Dendrochronology is a science that began at the University of Arizona and concentrated, at first, in the western United States.

Douglass, the UAs first astronomy professor, was already investigating tree rings in an attempt to correlate them with a long historical record of sun spots when he came to the UA in 1906.

He quickly zeroed in on the giant sequoias that were harvested for wood before John Muir and a nascent conservation movement lobbied for their protection. Douglass collected cuts and slabs from logged trees and shipped them back to Tucson. His discoveries are still No. 2 and No. 3 on the list of oldest sequoias .

The oldest sequoia identification was done by Touchan and his UA colleague Hughes.

Tree-ringers dont purposely set out to break records, but there is a certain honor that goes with that, said Hughes.

Peter M. Brown, of Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research, keeps a list of the oldest documented trees, from which the record-holders in this story were identified. Brown doesnt expect the bristlecone pine to be unseated as the overall champion, but one never wants to say never.

Some trees elude measurement, he said. They dont reliably form rings or they hollow out as they age. On mainland Australia, there are 300 recognized species of eucalypts and not a single one of them works for dendrochronological purposes.

Brown hasnt followed all the historical claims and does not consider a record official unless it has been verified by coring or some other means, such as radiocarbon dating.

Hughes said he is always skeptical of historical claims. He was once asked to core and date an apple tree that grew at Woolsthorpe Manor, the childhood home of Sir Isaac Newton in England. It was suspected of being the same tree whose falling apple inspired Newtons gravitational theory.

The apple tree is there and its in almost exactly the same position as one in an almost contemporaneous woodcut, he said. But when Hughes investigated in 1978, he determined that the tree had begun its life in the early 20th century. Newton lived from 1643 to 1727.
Help India!

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Couple of week after ousting Cyrus Mistry as Chairman of Tata Sons, on Thursday Mistry was also removed as chairman of Indias largest software services firm, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and replaced with Ishaat Hussain as an interim chairman.

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[Photo credit:Mid-Day]

TCS said it has received a letter dated November 9, 2016 from Tata Sons Ltd nominating Hussain as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company in place of Mistry with immediate effect.

Following are some of the details of the 69 years old Hussain:

1. Born on September 2, 1947, Ishaat Hussain completed his schooling from The Doon School in 1963 and joined St. Stephens College Delhi to pursue graduation in Economics.

2. He completed degree of Chartered Accountant from England and Wales and also attended the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School.

3. He is associated with the Tata Group since 1983 after Indian Tube was merged with Tata Steel.

4. Hussain joined the Board of Tata Sons as an Executive Director on July 1, 1999.

5. He took over as Finance Director of Tata Sons Ltd. in 2000

6. In November 2006, Hussain was appointed a Public Interest Director of Bombay Stock Exchange Limited.

7. In January 2008, he was appointed a Trustee on the board of India Foundation for the Arts (IFA).

8. Prior to joining Tata Sons, Hussain has worked as the senior vice-president and executive director  finance in Tata Steel for almost 10 years.

9. Besides being on the board of Tata Sons Limited, Hussain is Chairman of air conditioning & engineering arm Voltas Limited and satellite television provider Tata Sky Limited.

10. He is also on the boards of several Tata Companies such as Tata Steel, Tata Industries, Tata Teleservices, Titan Industries Limited.
Help India!

By BP Mahesh Chandra Guru for TwoCircles.net

Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan were indeed the great rulers of Southern India, who did their best to expand, consolidate and develop the state of Mysore. Haider Ali played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Mysore State while Tipu Sultan thoroughly modernised the state. Haider Ali was a great warrior, while Tipu Sultan was a great visionary. They vehemently fought against the British imperialism and upheld the sovereignty of India. Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan remain in the history of India as the towering personalities who cherished self-rule, self-esteem and self-progress.

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Tipu was born on November 20, 1750 at Devanahalli, north-west of Kolar in Karnataka State. He displayed utmost courage, skill and competence in the battle against the Marathas in 1769. Tipu also played a heroic role in the second battle of Mysore against the British which spread over the period from 1780 to 1784. Tipu Sultan took charge of his State in the formal manner on December 20, 1782. The State of Mysore extended from east to west up to Four hundred miles covering a vast area of 80,000 square miles. The entire territory had never been under the rule of single monarch before Haider Ali.

Tipu efficiently managed the state of affairs and sustained the fight against the British with the help of the French forces. Tipu Sultan emerged victorious in the battle of Cuddalore and the British suffered enormous loss of life and property in this battle. The Treaty of Mangalore was signed in 1784 with a condition that both the parties would never assist the opponents of one another directly or indirectly. This treaty was indeed a crushing defeat for the British and a victory for Tipu even though he had strength and an enormous chance and strength to rout the British from India.

Tipu returned to Srirangapattanam after the peace agreement with the Marathas and sent a diplomatic mission to the Ottoman Caliphate in order to develop strategic relations between South India and the Persian Gulf in 1789. The British formed an allied front for waging a full-fledged battle against Tipu who was the most formidable adversary in South India. In 1798, Lord Wellesley was sent to India with a view to ensure absolute colonization of the Indian sub-continent by the then Prime Minister Pitt. Tipu had prepared the ground for the ouster of the British from Indian soil by entering into diplomatic relations with foreign powers like the French, Arabs and others. The British declared the Anglo-Mysore War in 1799 and caused multi-pronged attack against Tipu.

He made up his mind to accept martyrdom gracefully rather than running away from the battlefield and was fully prepared to accept the command of His Almighty.

After the death of Tipu, the fourth and final battle of Mysore came to an ominous end. General Harris came towards Sultans dead body and yelled at the top of his voice: Today, India is ours. The death of Tipu Sultan closed an illustrious chapter in the freedom struggle of India.

Several works of eminent historians have expressed the view that Haider Ali laid a strong political and economic foundation for the State of Mysore. Haider Ali was neither a diplomat nor an economist of a high order yet, he valiantly expanded the State of Mysore and mobilized enormous economic resources. On the other hand, Tipu Sultan had the ability to lead his kingdom to modernization both politically and economically. This inference is drawn on the basis of the economic policy and reforms carried out by Tipu Sultan. Undoubtedly, Tipu Sultan rightly understood the need and importance of a dynamic economic policy. He formulated several regulations connected with trade and commercial transactions, the most innovative scheme brought forward being Public Investment. The scheme was unique in the sense that the returns were paid in inverse ratio. The amount invested by the general public in that scheme was reinvested by the government in government trade. Another aspect of Tipu Sultan regime which deserves to be noted is his secular policy.

Gandhiji wrote in Young India that Tipu was an embodiment of Hindu-Muslim unity. His letters to Shringeri Mutt and religious gifts and land grants to several Hindu temples speak his deep respect towards Hindus also. Therefore, to call Tipu a bigot is highly erroneous. Tipu Sultans intricate, complex international maneuvering, risks, initiatives, friendships and negotiations were primarily aimed at upliftment prosperity, providing security and improving the life of the people and his state a truly developed state like Britain or France were at that time.

The Government of Karnataka headed by Siddaramaiah have decided to celebrate the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan despite strong protest by the Hindu fundamentalists supported by BJP, Vishwa Hindu Parishas, RSS, Bajarang Dal and other organizations. Several individuals like Pejavara Shri, Pramod Mutalik, Chidananda Murthy, S.L.Bhyrappa, B.S.Yedurappa, Shobha Karandhlaje, Pratap Simha and others who are wedded to Hindu fundamentalism rather than Indian nationalism have protested against the celebration of Tipus birth anniversary. As a matter of fact, Tipu Sultan was a great champion of Hindu-Muslim amity, agricultural modernisation, industrialisation, rocket technology, sericulture, protection of Hindu temples, social justice and nationalism. Unfortunately, some vested interests have branded Tipu as an anti-national ruler which is biased, baseless, unfounded and motivated.

Tipu Sultan will continue to be the fragrant flower, success story, milestone and role model in Indian history. The immense contributions which are available for researchers are open for study and judgment. To scholars, Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan appeared as great rulers; to the fraternity of historians they are great role models and to lovers of philosophy, they were great philosophers. Tipu Sultan lived like statesman and his contributions are marvelous for the progress of Mysore State.

In conclusion, it could be stated with great pride that the uncompromising and death defying fight against British colonialism and capitalism put up by Tipu has been a rare event among the rulers of India. Hence, all nationalists and secularists salute Mahatma Tipu and love to cherish his monumental contributions to the country with pride and gratitude.

The author is Professor, University of Mysore
Faithless and Rudimental are among the major names from the UK Dance scene who have already committed themselves to supporting Rave For Refugees next month. Tickets went on sale this week for the London-based events on December 8th and 15th at the popular Music venue, Electric Brixton, with all proceeds going towards raising much-needed funds for the charity Help Refugees.

Assisting refugees in Greek camps

Dance music fans can look forward eagerly to two club nights that are intended to launch a national campaign to assist refugees, as around 9,000 pregnant women and 24,000 children look to survive the winter in camps in Greece.

Faithless headline event

The Thursday evening sets will feature many notable stars, with British electronica band Faithless set to headline the December 8th event. Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo have enjoyed substantial chart success since their formation in the mid-1990s with over 15 million record sales worldwide. After announcing their split back in 2011, the respected group reformed last year to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

Jon Hopkins and Eats Everything also feature

Joining Faithless on the 8th of December gig will be DJ sets from Jon Hopkins, Eats Everything, Daphni and Skream. The following weeks line-up looks just as intriguing, as Rudimental will feature alongside Chase & Status, Shy FX and Sigma.

Supporting shattered lives

Faithless commented that "We want to support the incredible work that Help Refugees are doing in terrible circumstances for those whose lives have been shattered by war & conflict." Clearly moved by their predicament, the groups statement assigned Rave For Refugees with the tagline Choose Love  We come 1.

Modest initial goals

The humanitarian organisation Help Refugees was formed by a group of friends in 2015, recognising the increasing refugee crisis.

Their immediate goal was to raise the modest figure of 1,000 through a social media campaign, but the publics response ensured that donations reached 56,000 in the first week alone.

With essential funds being backed up by the receipt of around 7,000 packages of donated goods per day, it was clear that they had struck a chord with many around the globe.
An album clearly born out of his struggles prior, James Arthur's "Back from the Edge" is a truly emotional musical account of his thoughts and feelings.

Simply, if you liked his debut album, you're going to love his latest offers and if you hated him before, there's a slither of a chance that this release will change your opinion of the Impossible single.

The opening track off the album, also named Back from the Edge, is of similar style to Arthur's previous songs but his vocals sound much more relaxed.

By the time you get to the eighth track, it's abundantly clear what the message is; James has been through a great deal of trials since his 2013 release of his eponymously titled debut album.

At times, Arthur can sound like a more edgy version of Ed Sheeran and this isn't any more true than on "If Only" (which is only available on the deluxe version of the album) - have a listen for yourself below.

Not every song on the album is depressing and about James' struggles over the last couple of years; Sermon, a song featuring Manchester rapper Shotty Horroh - who, by the way, is more out of place than Rizzle Kicks at the UK music charts - is much more up-beat track.

It seems Sermon, or "Serm-uh-uh-uh-uhn" as Arthur would sing it, is a touching song about a love interest and the lyrics "these are my words, this is my voice, that is my sermon. Give me your heart, give me your pain, give me your burden," are somewhat poetic.

My picks from the album would have to be, obviously, the lead single as it is a true hit, "Who I was", "Finally", "The Truth" and the aforementioned Sermon.

All of the best songs on the album have a similar message; they're about his redemption and all of the pain he has been through - and caused - since rising to stardom. This shows the emotion behind the songs and, indeed, the entire album.

To conclude, the entire album is mainly about his past struggles, rise back to the top and, now that he's back to where he wants to be, he's doing the best he can. Who I Was, Finally and The Truth (my picks) are all very emotive songs and Arthur's voice suits the style perfectly.

If you listen to Finally, more specifically, you can hear the emotion behind the track; James Arthur is now in a position where he can make his parents proud.



(See one of our other reporter's take on Shawn Mendes' new music)
A heroic medic who works for the emergency services in South Africa says adrenaline and rescue dedication could be what drove him to manage to save multiple lives during the devastating floods as the country continues to suffer extreme weather. He was in a suburb where the water drainage was simply unable to cope with the volumes of floodwater when he went to help a family and a dog that were trapped in a lower unit in the suburb of Orchards.

Paramedic hero broke open metal bars with his bare hands to rescue people

He described to Radio Jacaranda how the husband asked for help, and when he went to see for himself, he found them on top of a bunk bed.

The wife and children were terribly afraid as they could not get out. He broke the window, but there were also burglar bars. Asked how he managed to break the burglar bars, he said he did not know. He said he managed to find a piece of wood and with that and then using his bare hands, he managed to push and tug and bend the metal bars.

More rain forecast

He later went on and saved a dog and multiple other stranded people whose lives were threatened by the wild rising waters. He also said that all the emergency personnel were out there doing what had to be done and they are on standby. He wished them all well and hoped they would stay safe as the rain is forecast to last through the weekend.

Speaking to News24, when asked about his heroic feats, the paramedic, Avi Lang, said that this is what he does.

"This is my passion, this is what I do. I am passionate about rescue. The reason I do what I do is to help people. I am lucky that I have the ability to do it. I didnt even think  I heard that somebody was in danger and I went into action."

Tragic stories of people drowning and being swept away

The floods have been severe. Localized flooding in the area roared into devastating flooding on the 9th November when there was a cloudburst event.

Overnight rain last night brought more waterlogging. So far two people were drowned in the suburb of Linksfield on the East Rand on Thursday and police divers are searching for a three-year-old child that was swept away from the high-density suburb of Alexandra.

There has been flooding and damage to major highways. A wall collapsed at the Johannesburg Zoo, traumatizing some animals, but zoo staff rushed to secure the animals and keep them safe. The weather also brought disruption to the international airport. The new breaking news is that a boy was saved from a vehicle but his mother was swept away by the flood waters.
In a major security breach in Afghanistan, an explosion in the US largest military base led to the killing of four people with 14 other people injured. NATO said that the Taliban had claimed responsibility for this terrorist attack. The heavily guarded Bagram Airfield, in the North of Kabul, witnessed an explosion early morning. The Taliban has decided to increase attacks on NATO forces before the winter's onset in Afghanistan.

The Casualties at the US largest military base in Afghanistan

While the nationality of the people killed or injured is still not known after the blast, the security situation in the war-torn country has grown worse.

It is almost two years since NATO ended its combat operations in Afghanistan. In its statement, NATO said that an explosive device was detonated at Bagram Airfield causing multiple casualties. At this time four people are reported dead with fourteen others injured. The security forces and paramedics are at the site of the incident to do the required.

The Blast at NATO Airfield

The spokesperson of the Parwan province said that the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber who triggered the blast near the dining area at the Airfield. While the identity of the suicide bomber has still not known, it is suspected that the suicide bomber was an Afghan worker, working at the Airfield. The District Governor of Bagram said in his statement that the explosion took place at 0100 GMT, and was a powerful one with tremors felt across the area.

John Nichloson, the NATO Commander in Afghanistan, said: "For the family and friends of those wounded in the attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best possible care and we will keep them in our thoughts today." On the other hand, the Taliban spokesman claiming responsibility of the blast said that massive casualties are incurred by the "US invaders."

Although the Bagram Airfield has frequently being attacked by the Taliban in the recent past this latest development will cause a lot of headaches for the newly elected US President Donald Trump
Unified Communications Week in Review: Damovo, UC Market, Polycom & More

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By Alicia Young

Web Editor By Alicia YoungWeb Editor

Welcome back to the week in review, where we take a look at all the top stories making headlines in Unified Communications this week.

The week started off with news that communications service provider Damovo is stressing the use of UC as a service (UCaaS) for customers that have long used on-premise software, but are looking for something fresh and able to withstand future market fluctuations. This announcement comes after the release of its Aquila cloud aggregation software, which moves all its unified communications (UC), networking services and contact center software to the cloud. You can find out more about what the Damovo UCaaS product has to offer HERE.





In broader news, the UC market seems to have a bright future. A Global Market Insights report suggests that the global UC industry was worth $34.8 billion in 2015, but by 2023, will approach triple that at $95 billion. There are several factors contributing to this growth, including increased mobile device use, rising mobility at the enterprise level, the accompanying growth of the bring your own device (BYOD) doctrine, the growth of unified communications as a service (UCaaS) and the ongoing rise of big data operations. TMCs (News - Alert) Steve Anderson has everything you need to know HERE.

Meanwhile, a new study from Unify (News - Alert) Square found that a growing number of users are happy with UC, but not with the support it gets from IT. According to the study, 25 percent of respondents considered themselves very satisfied with UC systems currently in place, but when IT respondents were asked, only 1 percent expressed satisfaction levels that were that high. Further, 70 percent of end users note that IT has never actually done a similar survey to find out just how satisfied the end users were with UC systems. There seems to be a major disconnect here, and it needs to be addressed. You can keep reading HERE.

To round of the week, TMCs Casey Houser reported that Polycom (News - Alert), a developer of videoconferencing software and hardware, has been playing a major role in Spains affairs. Spains Ministry of Defense Headquarters and its armed forces headquarters keep in constant communication thanks to the Polycom RealPresence suites. Additionally, both Defense departments use the system to keep in contact with members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). You can read more about the benefits Polycom brings to these Spanish organizations HERE.

While some exciting news has been highlighted here, thats certainly not all that went on this week. Be sure to head to the Unified Communications homepage for all the updates, and come back next week for the latest insights. Have a great weekend!
Donald Trump won the presidency on Wednesday morning following the Democratic party's defeat. Protests have broken out, #Calexit is a thing (a hashtag for California secession), and a #proudtobecanadian hashtag arguably now has less to do with Canada and more to do with not being American.

Many of those that backed Hillary Clinton to win the presidency with betting firms lost a bundle. Yesterday I researched the odds well ahead of the polls closing and found that huge sums were being bet on Clinton, something that actually sold me on her chances of winning the election (#oops).

Now that the election markets have ended one sportsbook, Paddy Power, has released odds on how Donald Trump's reign as president will go.

Will Trump build wall between USA and Mexico?

Is Donald Trump outlandish with his campaign talk or serious? If he is serious that still doesn't mean that he can simply fulfill his election promises with as much ease as turning on a lightswitch. According to Paddy Power sportsbook, Trump is an underdog to build a wall all along the Mexican border, priced at 4/1 to do so.

On the matter of impeachment, talks of it happening to Trump have already begun. The president-elect takes control of The White House with some already-existing legal troubles. Robert Sobel covered them in an article from November 9th entitled "Donald Trump could be impeached upon inauguration for fraud and racketeering, report." The odds with Paddy Power imply that the wall all along the USA/Mexico border is more likely than impeachment, the latter set long at 8/1.

Don't bet the super-duper long-term stuff

Whether Trump will be impeached and/or whether he will build a wall are things that remain to be seen. For certain, one thing politics has taught us this week is that predicting matters is not simple. Most thought that Clinton would be president, however that's not how things played out on Tuesday evening and into Wednesday morning.

When it comes to the odds, I've written about the topic of betting extensively for years now and one thing I advise is not to gamble on the really long-term bets. These are betting markets that won't be resolved for four years, meaning anything you punt will be locked up for that long. If you lose, then you kiss the bet goodbye, but even if you win you're waiting until 2020 to get your money and return back.
Nick Viall is headlining ABC's The Bachelor 2017 season this winter and filming is moving along at a rapid pace. HIs hometowns are right around the corner and gossip guru Reality Steve is breaking down all of the spoilers. He's been teasing a couple of juicy things regarding some of Nick's bachelorettes and fans wonder what else he might be revealing as things progress. What's the latest?

One of Viall's bachelorettes is allegedly a prior hook-up of his

Reality Steve recently shared that one of Nick Viall's bachelorettes is connected to the franchise in some way, and many assumed he meant that a former contestant was returning for his season.

It turns out that the lady he referenced is not a former contestant. Rather, it seems that Jade Roper Tolbert's maid of honor is on The Bachelor 2017 season. Not only is Jade's friend Elizabeth Sandoz one of the bachelorettes this winter, but she allegedly hooked up with Nick the night of Jade and Tanner's wedding, then never heard from him again until she showed up at filming.

The gossip guru had just teased that he had another juicy reveal on the way, tweeting that he would be sharing details on a girl this season with kind of a big name in this franchise. It may have taken readers a moment or two as they read his relevantpost, or caused a double-take or twobecause the connection wasn't necessarily obvious to those who don't follow all of his Bachelorette or Bachelor spoilers closely.

Reality Steve spoiled another bachelorette name that may cause a double-take

Another one of Viall's bachelorettes is named Brittany Farrar, but she doesn't seem to have a connection to the franchise. However, a different Brittany Farrar certainly does. Bachelorette fans may remember that JoJo Fletcher's fiance Jordan Rodgers used to date a gal by the same name, and she spoke up a couple of times via social media to blast her ex-boyfriend for cheating on her.

This gal's posts generated a lot of buzz regarding JoJo and Jordan as a couple and spoiler fans can't help but chuckle a bit at the fact that the show cast a bachelorette with the same name for Viall's season. Bachelor spoiler fans still wonder if there is another familiar name in the mix of Nick's group of bachelorettes, but nothing more solid has emerged as of yet.

Is Nick Viall sincere in trying to find love this winter? Will his fourth spin with the franchise bring lasting love? Fans are definitely buzzing about ABC's The Bachelor 2017 season and cannot wait to hear final rose spoilers when they emerge in another month or so.
China, UK see enhanced cooperation in trading Updated: 2016-11-12 09:52 By LI WENSHA and CECILY LIU(China Daily)

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond (second from left) opens the London Stock Exchange with LSE CEO Xavier Rolet (left), joined by a banking and financial delegation from China on Thursday. [Photo/Agencies]

Chinese and British leaders affirmed on Thursday that they want to use the momentum of a new "golden era" in their relations to further cooperate in a range of economic and trade fields.

As the most senior Chinese delegation to visit this year met top British officials for the eighth China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue, areas of cooperation under discussion included trade, investment, market access, financial services, macroeconomic policy and infrastructure. A total of 63 agreements were reached, including moving the feasibility study on London-Shanghai Stock Connect to the next stage.

This year's dialogue, led by Chinese Vice-Premier Ma Kai and British Chancellor Philip Hammond, built on the two countries' strong collaboration at the G20 Leaders Summits in Hangzhou in September. It followed a fruitful meeting between Ma and British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday.

Hammond confirmed the UK will invest up to $50 million in the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to support infrastructure projects in developing countries. The commitment makes the UK the second contributor to the AIIB after China, and builds on the UK's early decision to join the AIIB.

Ma said both governments affirmed at the dialogue their commitment to strengthen a comprehensive bilateral strategic partnership. Ma said China respects the UK public's choice to leave the European Union and looks forward to deepening its partnership with the UK's new government.

"Our trade relationships are now more important than ever. China's services imports, where the UK has such a strong competitive advantage, has more than tripled since 2010," said Hammond on Thursday.

He said that Britain is home to more Chinese investment than any other European country, adding that this market opportunity will become more important post-Brexit.

The two sides agreed to push the UK's regional development plan and China's Belt and Road Initiativeand build links between the UK's industrial strategy 2050 and Made in China 2025.

They will also enhance cooperation in trade and investment and use the opportunity of the massive Hinkley Point power station project to deepen cooperation in nuclear energy. Other areas of joint interest will be in high speed railways and space projects.

Hammond announced that the two sides also agreed to work on the next step of a feasibility study to connect the London and Shanghai stock exchanges.

The stock connect, the first of its kind outside China, is one part of a new long-term, strategic plan for UK-China financial services cooperation which was agreed upon as part of the dialogue.

The plan sets out how China and the UK will work more closely to enhance cooperation and boost market access over the coming years, focusing on eight key areas: capital markets, asset management, insurance and pensions, banking, green finance, fintech, the Belt and Road Initiative and financial inclusion.

Hammond said the two countries were also committed to establishing new platforms for cross border trading of green bonds, which will be a major step in the continued development of green finance.

Contact the writers through cecily.liu@mail.chinadailyuk.com
Study finds more think tanks rated 'influential' Updated: 2016-11-12 07:56 By Zhou Wenting in Shanghai(China Daily)

China trails only the United States in the number of world-class advisory institutions

A growing number of Chinese think tanks have been ranked as "influential" in the world in the past decade, according to a report released on Friday.

Nine Chinese think tanks were included in a list of the world's top think tanks in the 2015 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, jointly published by the think thank and civil societies program at the Lauder Institute of University of Pennsylvania and the Think Tank Research Center at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences in Shanghai.

The number compares with only six in the 2007 report, which listed 228 think tanks as the best in the world.

The 2015 report places China as the country with the second-largest number of think tanks, at 435. The United States had the most, with 1,835 think tanks.

Back in 2007, China ranked the 11th with 73 think tanks, and the US took first place with 1,776.

Think tanks in China have been emerging in many sectors of economy, international relations, culture and environment, said Wang Ronghua, honorary chairman of the Think Tank Research Center.

James McGann, director of the think thank and civil societies program at the Lauder Institute of University of Pennsylvania, said the development of think tanks in China has been greatly stimulated in industries such as energy, mining and pharmaceuticals, which are the major segments of the national economy.

McGann attributed the currently dynamic environment for Chinese think tanks partly to President Xi Jinping, who has emphasized the role of think tanks as catalysts for modernization and reform.

Experts said that the long-term healthy development of a country is closely related to mature and competitive think tanks, especially as globalization progresses and the relationships between countries and regions grow closer than ever.

"Think tanks have played a significant role in China's development. Taking Shanghai as an example, developing and opening up Pudong, hosting the World Expo in 2010, and rendering partner assistance to certain provinces in western China were all first suggested by think tanks," Wang said.

Wang also mentioned that Chinese think tanks are still weak in the study of some countries, especially developing countries.

He suggested that officials should have work experience in think tanks to establish better communication between them and government and boost the think tanks' development.

zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/12/2016 page3)
Officials face full force of law Updated: 2016-11-12 07:56 By Zhang Yan and Zheng Caixiong(China Daily)

Chinese courts sentenced two senior officials for corruption on Friday. One received the death penalty for murder and the other got a death sentence with a two-year reprieve for accepting 141 million yuan ($20.7 million) in bribes.

Zhao Liping, former police chief and senior political adviser in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, stood trial in a court in Shanxi province for murder.

The 65-year-old former deputy chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference's Inner Mongolia Committee was also stripped of his political rights for life and fined 2 million yuan, according to the Taiyuan Intermediate People's Court. He is the first official of vice-minister level to be sentenced to death with no reprieve since President Xi Jinping began a sweeping anti-graft drive in early 2013.

Zhao was also convicted of illegally possessing explosives, firearms and ammunition, as well as taking bribes of 23.68 million yuan, according to the court verdict. In return for the bribes, Zhao helped secure promotions and business deals for others.

In March last year, Zhao shot and killed a 28-year-old woman in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia. No details of the murder were released.

While probing the homicide, police found two guns and 49 bullets that Zhao had hidden, and about 90 detonators were found in Zhao's office, according to the verdict. He was given the death sentence due to the serious nature of his crimes and his refusal to confess, "which resulted in great social harm and extremely bad influence", the court said.

Former adviser probed

Also on Friday, a local court in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region sentenced Zhu Mingguo, a former top political adviser in Guangdong province, to death with a two-year reprieve for accepting a huge amount of bribes.

Under Chinese criminal laws, such a suspended death sentence can be reduced to life in prison if the convict behaves well during the reprieve period.

Zhu, 59, was also found to own properties worth more than 91 million yuan for which he failed to identify the sources, according to the verdict from the Liuzhou Intermediate People's Court.

Zhu got lighter punishment because of his good attitude regarding his crimes and because he returned the bribe money, according to the verdict.

All of the properties that Zhu gained illegally were confiscated, and Zhu was deprived of his political rights for life.

Since November 2012, fighting corruption has become a top priority for the country, and more than 140 officials at or above vice-minister level have been sentenced or placed under probe for graft.

Zhou Yongkang, former top security chief, was sentenced to life imprisonment in June last year.

Contact the writers at zhangyan1@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/12/2016 page1)
Boss's kind gesture praised Updated: 2016-11-12 07:56 By Ju Chuanjiang and Zhao Ruixue in Jinan(China Daily)

A company boss is praised by internet users for giving his employees a half-day off to shop during the annual online Singles Day shopping spree, which started on Friday just after midnight.

"Considering our employees would stay up late to buy things online, and that would affect their rest and consequently their efficiency at work, I made the decision to give them a half-day free," said Qiu Ling, general manager of Lingdong Media Co Ltd in Jining, Shandong province in eastern China.

The company has more than 30 employees, most of them of the post-1980s and post-1990s generations, with an average age of 29.

"I know they prefer online shopping more than window shopping," said Qiu.

He hoped, in the notice announcing the special leave, that his single employees would soon find partners.

Netizens quickly took note of Qiu of as the news spread online, with some praising him as a nice, considerate boss.

"As a media company, it's better to have a flexible work system within which employees more easily come up with innovative ideas. I think his (Qiu's) decision is smart," said Wu Dongmei, who works for a foreign-backed company in Qingdao, also in Shandong province.

For student shoppers, some universities and colleges also offered special treatment - supplying electricity all night instead of the usual practice of cutting electricity after 10 pm.

Communication University of China in Beijing posted on its micro blog that electricity would stay on Thursday night. It also urged students to arrange their time reasonably and not disturb other students.

But not everyone supports the annual online shopping spree. A restaurant in Chongqing in southwestern China was reported to delay salary payment on Thursday to the end of next month, saying "to help employees save money, avoid family conflicts and protect employees from small-scale bankruptcy".

The 31-year-old restaurant manager was quoted as saying he had bad experience on last year's Singles Day online shopping festival during which he spent 20,000 yuan ($2,930), and some things he bought were useless.

The manager said the average age of his employees is around 25 and they don't have much savings. He is worried that once their salaries were paid, they would soon be spent, China National Radio reported.

"Our company never delays salary. But this time, we just want to protect employees from unreasonable consumption. For employees who have emergency, I will pay them," CNR quoted the manager as saying.

Contact the writer through zhaoruixue@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/12/2016 page3)




China's Global Newspaper





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Vice President-elect Mike Pence to head Trump's transition team Updated: 2016-11-12 04:30 (Xinhua)

WASHINGTON -- US President-elect Donald Trump has tapped his running mate Mike Pence to head his transition team, removing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie from the post, local media reported Friday.

The replacement was aimed to tap into Pence's resources and contacts in Washington to speed up the process, the New York Times cited sources in the transition team as saying.

Pence, who has served six terms in the House of Representatives, was seen to have a better understanding of the Washington political landscape than Christie, whose political life was mainly limited to the state of New Jersey.

Christie, who has led the team since May, will serve along side former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and retired general Michael Flynn as vice chairs of the team, according to the report.

The news came as Trump tweeted earlier Friday "Busy day planned in New York. Will soon be making some very important decisions on the people who will be running our government!"

Speculation on Trump's picks for his new government has circulated since his election Wednesday, with the media connecting inner members of his campaign team with important government jobs.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Trump's campaign chief Steve Bannon are also popular guesses to fill in top slots.

Trump has met with President Barack Obama in the White House on Thursday to discuss the transition, and both men vowed to facilitate a smooth handover.
Trump unveils policy priorities including amending Obamacare Updated: 2016-11-12 06:02 (Xinhua)

WASHINGTON -- US President-elect Donald Trump has softened on his tough words against the Affordable Care Act Friday, opting to amend the law rather than to appeal it.

Trump made the remarks as he unveiled his policy priorities in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

The decision to leave in place parts of the Act, also known as Obamacare, was made after conferring with U.S. President Barack Obama, according to the report.

Before elected president, Trump has been fiercely critical of the signature legislature pushed forward by Obama, vowing to quickly repeal it after taking the helm.

The softened tone is viewed as a compromise after Trump ran a campaign that promised policy u-turns from the current administration.

The Obamacare was a hotly debated topic during the election, with voters' views on the 2010 health law highly polarized. Anger over soaring health costs may have pushed some traditionally pro-Democrat regions toward Trump's direction, according to media reports.

Other plans prioritized by Trump included deregulating financial institutions to allow "banks to lend again" and securing the border against drugs and illegal immigrants.

Addressing the anti-Trump protests that erupted in multiple cities after the election, Trump said he wanted "a country that loves each other," adding that the best way to ease tension would be to create jobs.

Earlier today the New York Times reported that Trump had tapped his running mate Mike Pence to head his transition team, in a bid to use Pence's resources and contacts in Washington to speed up the process.
Tow truck collided with China Southern Airline plane at LAX, 1,500 passengers grounded Updated: 2016-11-12 07:29 (Xinhua)

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LOS ANGELES - A tow truck collided with a China Southern Airlines flight just before takeoff late Thursday night, resulting nearly 1,500 passengers grounded at Los Angeles International Airport.



The collision happened just before midnight on the tarmac between Terminal 4 and Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).



Photo from the scene showed the tow truck collided with the China Southern Airbus 380 aircraft on a runway at the Airport. The damaged tug vehicle under the front of the plane.



"This is an extremely rare accident," Lingzhi He, China Southern Airlines North America managing director, told Xinhua on Friday. "Officials are still waiting for the inspection results now."



It was an outbound China Southern Flight CZ328 scheduled to fly to Guangzhou, China, carrying more than 400 passengers. None of the passengers were injured, and the tow truck driver sustained minor injuries according to the LAX.



Three flights, the China Southern Airlines flight as well as two American Airlines flights at Terminal 4, were canceled. Two other flights were delayed. About 1,500 passengers were affected by the late Thursday accident.



"Passengers deplaned by using portable stairs and were returned to TBIT, and were accommodated via re-scheduling refunds or hotel rooms," LAX spokesman Frederick Badlissi told City News Service. "While awaiting accommodations and rescheduling, passengers were provided bottled water and snacks."
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PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
HA NOI  The idea of taxing those owning multiple houses, in a bid to prevent speculation, is causing a stir over whether such a tax is feasible, and the impact it might have on the housing market.

The market has recently been heated, following the disclosure that the finance ministry was studying a draft on collecting a housing tax from those owning more than one house. The idea was also raised five years ago, but rejected.

Although director of the finance ministrys Department of Tax Policy Pham inh Thi recently said that the idea was a long-term orientation and would certainly not come into effect next year, as rumoured, it caused concerns among industry experts over its feasibility, as well as the impact it might have on the property market.

According to Le Hoang Chau, president of HCM City Real Estate Association, taxing those owning multiple houses would be a solution to prevent speculation, as well as reducing the risk of causing market bubbles.

The tax would help not only improve the markets transparency, but also create opportunities for those who had real demands to buy houses, Chau said.

How to tax properly will not be an easy matter, Chau said.

International practices

Tax-related tools to regulate the realty market have been used in many countries and territories, such as mainland China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, European countries and the US.

According to Chau, Singapore was one among the countries which imposed the highest taxes on owning multiple houses, up to 7 per cent on a second house and 10 per cent on a third house, which came into effect in 2013.

In Japan, tax rates were 1.4 per cent to 2.1 per cent, and prices were set at market prices, which were reviewed every three years.

In the UK, second property assets with a value of more than 40,000 pounds (US$49,000) would be taxed an additional 3 per cent, while those valued at more than 1.5 million pounds would be taxed up to 15 per cent.

In Korea, different tax rates were given to different types of property, such as 0.25 per cent on apartments and 4 per cent on villas.

In Viet Nam, there were taxes on land use, but no tax on property assets.

According to the Law on Non-Agricultural Land Use Tax, in effect from the beginning of 2013, residential land in urban areas was taxed between 0.03 per cent to 0.15 per cent of the Governments land prices. A problem, however, was caused by the Governments land prices, which were much lower than market prices, so the impact on the property market was modest.

Worries

Several property experts agreed with the idea of taxing those owning multiple houses.

According to Chau, imposing taxes on second houses would help reduce speculation and property prices would decrease as a result, forcing property developers to improve their products to meet market demands.

With the aim of first preventing speculation, the tax would, in the long term, stablise housing prices and improve market transparency, Chau said.

However, Chau noted that tax rates should be considered carefully and calculated based upon property asset values and total area.

The tax should not be applied on social houses, relocation houses and commercial houses valued at less than VN1 billion, according to Chau.

Its important to ensure fairness, he said, adding that finding a method to clarify ownership of multiple houses to be subject for the tax was also a matter of concern.

Economic expert Tran Du Lich said that the tax should be applied, in line with international practices. Property asset taxes would become the major revenue of urban areas, where land is limited, Lich added.

According to economic expert Le Ba Chi Nhan, the finance ministry should pay attention to that policy, if applied, since it could cause the market to become depressed if people would be hesitant to purchase another house, especially when the market was showing signs of slowing down.

Nguyen Van uc, deputy director of at Lanh Real Estate Company, said he did not agree with the idea of imposing taxes on second house. He noted that when buying houses, buyers now pay value added taxes and land use fees, which were estimated to add 20-30 per cent to the cost.

In addition, the property market of Viet Nam was not transparent enough to apply this type of asset tax, he said. - VNS
Developing a national brand name is an urgent need for improving the competitiveness of Vietnamese rice, a conference heard in HCM City yesterday.  Photo vietnamnet.vn

HCM CITY  Developing a national brand name is an urgent need for improving the competitiveness of Vietnamese rice, a conference heard in HCM City yesterday.

The fourth rice symposium, organised by Viet Nam Economic Times with support from Bayer Vietnam and titled How to enhance Viet Nam rice quality and brand positioning to meet market needs gathered more than 150 experts and officials from Government agencies and representatives of rice trading companies.

Experts told the conference that Vietnamese rice had been exported to over 80 markets including Southeast Asia, the US, Japan, Africa, and the Middle East.

But in recent years exports were not stable and were diminishing due to the lack of clear plans to develop global trademarks for its rice.

ao The Anh, director of the Centre for Agrarian Systems Research and Development, told the conference that without national brands, Vietnamese rice was often packaged with the name of exporting companies or importing countries.

Even in the domestic market, Vietnamese rice varieties are less competitive than those imported from neigbouring countries, according to Anh.

Some companies have started to build their own brands, but these are yet to become well-known.

It is now imperative to have a national brand name.

Huynh Van Nghiep, deputy director of the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institution, said the advantage of low labour costs no longer existed.

Production costs kept increasing while rice prices were down due to problems related to quality and trademark.

Besides ensuring quality, expanding the distribution system and improving packaging, Viet Nam should also develop a national brand name for rice, he stressed.

The gathered experts agreed that the brand name for Vietnamese rice must be based on quality.

Anh said Vietnamese rice quality was not uniform because there were many varieties of paddy.

"In the Mekong region alone there are 100 varieties," he pointed out.

He admitted it was very difficult to manage a national trademark with many kinds of paddy, citing the examples of Thailand, whose rice trademark is just for two varieties, and India, for whom it is only for basmati.

Speaking about how to create Vietnamese rice brand names, Kohei Sakata, general director of Bayer Viet Nam, said: The missing part now, from my perspective, is to really make sure that the quality is as high as required in other markets. We also need to ensure equal quality across different farms and sectors. So in order to achieve high quality at an equal level in many places, the value chain needs to be close to each other.

Nghiep said it was a big challenge to develop a national brand for Vietnamese rice.

It needs co-operation among various sectors and companies and a clear plan, according to Nghiep.

He suggested having national standards for each rice category, saying from that there would be studies to develop them.

Various rice strains should be planted in different areas with different technologies to produce rice of quality that meets international standards, he said.

Food hygiene standards should also be created, he added.

Along with these, the experts said, there should be co-operation among companies to avoid small scale of production.

This year Viet Nam has been facing many challenges and heightened concerns over the Mekong Deltas future due to an extremely severe drought which resulted in higher salinity levels in the delta as seawater intruded unusually deep into rivers. - VNS
HA NOI  Shares were volatile on the two local exchanges yesterday with lower trading liquidity as investors worried over the potential economic policies from US president-elect Donald Trump.

The benchmark VN Index on the HCM Stock Exchange gained 0.2 per cent to close at 679.2 points, extending a two-day increase of 1.3 per cent.

On the opposite side, the HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange was choppy and fell 0.2 per cent to 81.19 points.

Investors were hesitant to trade yesterday as they worried about uncertain economic policies issued by the new US president that could impact the Vietnamese economy, BIDV Securities said in a note.

Real estate and construction companies were the strongest gainers yesterday, driven by Vingroup JSC (VIC), FLC Group (FLC) and Faros Construction Corp (ROS).

FLC jumped 3.9 per cent after the group yesterday announced its pre-tax profit for the past ten months was VN1.2 trillion (US$53.3 million), reaching the companys projected profit for this year.

ROS surged 7 per cent to soar 14.4 per cent in the last two sessions. VIC gained 2.8 per cent to increase 3.5 per cent during the same period.

Owning more than 724 million shares of Vingroup, the groups chairman Pham Nhat Vuong remained the richest on Viet Nams stock market with total asset value of nearly VN31.86 trillion.

The gains in these three stocks created a race between Vingroups chairman, Pham Nhat Vuong, and Trinh Van Quyet, who owns both FLC Group and Faros Construction Corp.

At the end of the day, Vuong remained the richest on Viet Nams stock market with total asset value reached nearly VN31.86 trillion, while Quyet was still second richest with total asset value of VN31.15 trillion.

Significant gains were also seen in the stocks of natural rubber companies and coal mining businesses as both rubber and coal prices set one-year highs during the sessions, BIDV Securities Corp (BSC) said in a note.

Those stocks included Phuoc Hoa Rubber JSC (PHR), ong Phu Rubber JSC (DPR), Vinacomin Nui Beo JSC (NBC) and Vinacomin Ha Tu Coal JSC (THT).

Finance-banking shares struggled yesterday. Of the nine listed banks, none of the large-cap bank stocks made gains.

Securities firms and insurance companies also performed poorly, dragged down leading stocks such as insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), Bao Viet Securities Corp (BVS), HCM Securities Corp (HCM) and Sai Gon Securities Inc (SSI).

Liquidity continued to slide with more than 156 million shares exchanged, worth VN2.2 trillion. The figures were down nearly 15 per cent in value and 6.9 per cent in volume.  VNS
A NANG  Small scale production, scattered investment, poor connections and logistics services set big challenges for key economic zones in the coastal central region, considered a major centre of logistics for the country.

Chairman of Viet Nam Logistics Association (VLA), Le Huy Hiep said this at a recent workshop on co-operation in developing logistics systems and centres in central Viet Nams key economic region.

The region has 20 deep sea ports, but the system only handles 55.5 million tonnes of cargo  13 per cent of the countrys sea ports per year. Meanwhile, the central regions port system could host 300,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), an equivalent of 2.8 per cent of total domestic market share, Hiep said.

The regional port system only plays a role as a collection centre for cargo being sent to major ports in northern and southern Viet Nam. The region has only 422 businesses operating in logistics, with 8,000 labourers, and a revenue of VN4 trillion (US$178 million), he said.

Hiep also said production capacity in industrial zones (IZs) across the region has not yet developed in supplying enough cargo for logistics businesses.

He said most ports lack high capacity piers for giant ship docking, while ageing facilities and services at ports could not meet the demands of investors.

Hiep also complained that four airports, built at a distance of 200km or 300km from a Nang to Quang Nam, Hue and Binh inh, only managed a small airfreight of 10.8 million passengers and around 1 million tonnes of cargo per year.

He said a Nang International Airport alone could play its role as a regional destination for international air cargo and flights.

a Nang hosts 6.7 million tourists, and 1 million tonnes of cargo per year.

Chairman of a Nang citys Peoples Committee, Huynh uc Tho, said the city plans to invest in a national logistics centre in Hoa Vang district, on an area of 30ha and with investment of $370 million.

Tho said the centre will connect with the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) that links Viet Nam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, the a Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway as well as the north-south Viet Nam national highway and railway system.

He said the centre will be situated between two key ports  Tien Sa and the anticipated new construction at Lien Chieu.

Director of Viet Nam Institute of Economics, Tran inh Thien said logistics in Viet Nam is still new and the cost of logistics service is unusually high.

He said logistics counts for 25 per cent of the total cost that businesses and investors have to pay.

The region has yet to develop as a transit hub for cargo from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and the Central Highland region and the Greater-sub Mekong, Thien said.

He suggested the region needs a maestro in arranging roles and the function of each port and airport.

He said Chan May port in Thua Thien-Hue could play a role as a cruise port rather than cargo port, while ports in Quy Nhon, Dung Quat, Chu Lai and a Nang are set for specific demands of cargo, oil tankers or regular shipping routes.

Director of Chu Lai Open Economic Zone Authority (EZA) o Xuan Dien said exporters often pay an extra $30 or $50 to transport cargo by road from Quang Nam to HCM Citys ports for export, while railway and expressways are yet to meet the demand of large cargo quantities.

Bui Tat Thang, director of the Institute for strategic development under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said the region should be built up as a transit point for north-south cargo, with warehouses for exports and imports via EWEC.

He said the region should call on investment from the private sector in logistics in order to provide cheap and high quality services.

He said the region has not yet built linking roads to connect industrial parks, and economic zones to the national transport system (roads, railways, airports and seaports).

Nguyen Xuan Thang, from Fulbright University Viet Nam, said that a key logistics centre in a Nang could be a good choice as it helps connect Chan May port and Economic Zone in Hue, as well as a Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway in linking with Dung Quat and Chu Lai Economic zones in Quang Ngai and Quang Nam.

He said a Nang should consider building a railway to transport cargo from Tien Sa to the logistics centre.

He suggested each province could develop its own style of logistics centre for local demand, but it needs a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) investment model rather than from the State budget.

According to VLA, there are only 40 foreign shipping companies in Viet Nam, accounting for only 5 per cent of the countrys total number of shipping firms, but they transport up to nearly 90 per cent of Vietnamese import and exports, mostly to Europe, the US, the Middle East and Africa.

Quang Nam has launched the first regular Chu Lai-Incheon, Korea sea route, and the Chu LaiTruong Hai logistics and port service unit.  VNS
A view of Taiwan-invested Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company.  Photo laodong.com.vn

HA NOI  The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) reported the results of an investigation into Taiwan-invested Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Companys efforts to deal with the environmental incident it caused in four central provinces.

According to the MONRE report released on Thursday, Formosa distributed US$500 million to the Vietnamese government. The company has implemented temporary and long-term measures as required by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha in production technology transformation.

Formosa has constructed nine liquid waste systems for its cast iron and steel complex. Treatment stations for domestic, bio-chemical and industrial liquid waste and air treatment system are also operating up to technical standards, the MONRE said.

To improve Formosas capacity to deal with environmental incidents, Minister Tran Hong Ha asked the company to work with scientific and technological agencies and domestic and foreign experts to upgrade environment protection infrastructure and finish the upgrades before March 31 next year.

According to the MONRE, Formosa is applying wet coke quenching technology instead of coke drying quenching (CDQ) as required.

To fulfill its pledge with the Vietnamese Government, the MONRE said that Formosa would transform technology from wet method to dry from March 31 next year and cease using the CDQ system by June 30, 2019.

Formosa will also study clean technologies for production, especially in its power plants.

According to the MONRE report, Formosa has stopped transferring nontoxic and toxic solid waste to unauthorised units for treatment.

However, the company still stores about 711.5 tonnes of toxic mud. The amount rises by 97 tonnes per month. Part of this mud has been moved to Ha Tinh Industrial Waste Processing Limited Company for transport and treatment.

Up to October 29, 125 tonnes of bio-chemical waste mud was transferred.

The MONRE assigned the Viet Nam General Administration of Environment, Ha Tinh Provinces Department of Natural Resources and Environment and Ha Tinh economic zone management board to inspect the companys environmental protection efforts.

Centres of Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality and Viet Nam General Administration of Environment will take samples of the waste.

The MONRE will consider allowing Formosa to resume operations only when it finishes waste treatment supervision.

Earlier in June, Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh accepted responsibility for causing an environmental disaster in the central Viet Nam, which caused mass fish deaths in four provinces of Ha Tinh, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Tri, Quang Binh.

Formosa pledged to deal with shortcomings in waste and wastewater treatment, improve its production technologies to ensure waste is completely treated before being discharged, and not to repeat such an incident. - VNS
HA NOI  Canadian culinary specialties will be presented at the Savour Canadian Delights event in Ha Noi from now to November 18 as part of a Canadian food branding series.

The event showcased fine Canadian culinary specialties as part of the Embassy of Canadas food branding activities to promote the best Canadian food products to Vietnamese consumers.

In this iteration, a number of high-end restaurants will highlight Canadian ingredients in their menus. Sheraton Hanoi Hotel is carrying Canadian lobster and a range of other Canadian seafood in its a la carte menu until November 18.

Le Meridien Saigon Hotel is featuring Canadian lobster and craft beer in a buffet dinner menu every Friday and until December 17.

Canadian beef can also be found in Yakiniku Buffet package at 60 SumoBBQ and Gogi House restaurants of Golden Gate Company in Ha Noi and HCM City in December and January.

Savour Canadian Delights is an annual event introducing Canadian fresh fish and seafood from both Atlantic and Pacific coasts (lobster, oyster, black cod, snow crab, salmon); beef, pork and canola oil from Alberta; fresh and dried fruits from British Columbia; and wine and beverage from Ontario. For the first time in Viet Nam, wild-caught salmon from Canadas Pacific coast and craft beer are featured.

From seafood and meat to fruits and beverage, Canada is well positioned to supply quality and healthy food ingredients to Vietnamese consumers, said Ambassador Ping Kitnikone.

Agri-food and seafood is an increasingly important component of the bilateral trade relations. Canadian export of agri-food and seafood to Viet Nam alone was valued at US$265 million in 2015, up by nearly 50 per cent.

Viet Nam has a rich cuisine that Im eager to discover, she told Viet Nam News. The potential of co-operation in the field of food and cuisine between two countries is absolutely big. Through it, we also strengthen the mutual understanding as cuisine is an important part of culture.  VNS
Nguyen Thanh Phong, Chairman of the HCM City Peoples Committee receives Irish President Michael Higgins yesterday in HCM City.  Photo Thanh Vu

CM City  Ireland will step up its co-operation with HCM City in hi-tech agriculture and biochemical technologies, Irish President Michael Higgins said yesterday.

He was responding to a request from Nguyen Thanh Phong, Chairman of the HCM City Peoples Committee, that Irish businesses increase their investments in the city, particularly in areas that Ireland is strong in, like agriculture, food processing, diary products and telecommunications.

The city also hopes for greater co-operation with Ireland in climate change responses.

Speaking at a reception for the visiting President and his spouse Sabina Higgins, Phong also suggested that Ireland continue assisting Viet Nam in education and training.

He also called on Ireland to facilitate access for Vietnamese garments and textiles, footwear, farm produce, processed food and handicrafts.

Phong said President Higginss visit would contribute to enhancing fruitful relations between Viet Nam and Ireland.

Higgins responded that based on the outcomes of his meetings with Vietnamese leaders and the freshly-signed agreements, he was confident that bilateral ties woud be taken to new heights.

Irelands investment strategy dovetails nicely with Viet Nams green and sustainable development strategy, he said.

Both countries should support each other in the task of achieving balanced, sustainable growth, the Irish President said.

He said Ireland also wishes to partner with HCM City in facilitating the entry of either countrys products into each others markets,.

After the meeting, President Higgins and municipal leaders witnessed the signing of several MoUs (memoranda of understanding) on co-operation in education, aviation, research and biodiversity preservation.

The President and his wife attended an exchange between Vietnamese and Irish businesses, and visited several historical sites in HCM City. -- VNS
NA Secretary General and Chairman of the NA Office, Nguyen Hanh Phuc.  Photo vietnamnet.vn

HA NOI  National Assembly deputies will now be allowed to debate ministers directly on the latters presentations and answers.

The new development in parliamentary proceedings was announced yesterday by NA Secretary General and Chairman of the NA Office, Nguyen Hanh Phuc.

Briefing the press on the sidelines of the second meeting of the 14th legislature in Ha Noi, Phuc said that after the ministers conclude their presentations, the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the sector or field would add their comments on the issue.

The final answers to issues raised by deputies would be given by the Prime Minister, Phuc added.

The ministers of Industry and Trade, Natural Resources and Environment, Education and Training, and Home Affairs are set to appear at the upcoming National Assembly (NA)s question and answer session scheduled to last two and a half days from November 15-17.

On specific issues to be raised during the Q&A session, Vice Chairman of the NA Office, Nguyen Manh Hung, said the Minister of Industry and Trade will be asked about the causes of failed or delayed projects, the responsibility of people in charge, as well as follow up measures.

The minister is also expected to face questions about multi-level marketing, retail networks in the context of regional and international integration, and the fight against fake, smuggled and low-quality products.

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment is expected to talk about the implementation of policies and laws regarding environmental management in industrial and service facilities, craft villages and residential areas.

He is to explain the responsibility of ministries, agencies, organisations and individuals for polluting projects, management of environmental pollution settlements, climate change responses and the exploitation of natural resources and minerals.

The deputies are set to ask questions about educational reforms, the quality of tertiary education and changes to the high school graduation exam and the university entrance exam in the coming five years.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Home Affairs will be asked about State employee management, salary changes and promotion policies, ways to improve public workers performance and improvement of public services.

Resolutions approved

In yesterdays afternoon session, the NA adopted a resolution on exemptions and reductions in annual agriculture land use tax with 81.34 per cent of the deputies voting in favour.

The tax exemption will apply to households and individuals allotted agricultural land by the State; households and individuals who are members of co-operatives in agricultural production; and households and individuals whove contributed their land for the establishment of agricultural production co-operatives.

The exemption period will run from 2017 until the end of 2020.

The NA adopted another resolution on the State budget estimate for 2017 with 79.31 per cent of votes.

The total State budget collection is estimated at more than VN1,200 trillion (US$54.5 billion) while the total spending will be over VN1,390 trillion ($63.1 billion), making the budget deficit account for 3.5 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).



Discussion on laws

In yesterdays discussions many NA deputies agreed that some clauses of the 2005 Railway Law, which took effect on January 1, 2006, have proven problematic and inadequate for current and future development of the sector.

They said it was of utmost importance that the Railway Law is amended to meet current development demands.

They noted that the railway infrastructure is degraded and outdated. While most countries were using tracks that are 1.435 metres wide (broad gauge), Viet Nam was still using 1m-wide tracks (metre gauge).

Furthermore, information technology had not been applied in most of the sectors management and operation activities, the deputies said.

Deputy Nguyen Van The of Soc Trang Province said draft amendments to the law, submitted to the NA, had very few incentives for catalyzing growth of the railway sector.

"Transparency and clear policies are important to attract investment to the sector," The said.

Sharing his opinions, many deputies proposed adding more content to the amendments, especially on attracting private investment, encouraging fair competition, and improving the current railway infrastructure.

The NA also discussed the draft Law on Technology Transfer.  VNS
HA NOI  Designs flaws in low-cost housing for workers at Ha Nois Bac Thang Long Industrial Zone are blamed for a high rate of unused apartments and dire need of employee housing.

Tran Anh Dung of the Low-cost Housing Development and Management Company, which manages housing in Bac Thang Long Industrial Zone, said hundreds of applications for housing rentals have been received, but more than 20 per cent of two five-story apartment buildings were still unused since being made available for rent two years ago.

Companies operating in the industrial zone are also seeking fewer apartments for their single workers, who do not want to live in such unfit conditions . For example, Canon wants to rent six apartment blocks instead of 11 as it did previously, Nissei wants one block instead of five, Panasonic wants one block instead of three.

Dung said that workers were not interested in such housing. For example, each apartment is deigned to house from 18 to 24 single workers, with only one bathroom.

Workers pay VN120,000 (US$ 5.3) monthly, meaning that each apartment costs VN 2.2 million ($98.5) to VN2.9 million ($130).

That is far higher than what workers pay for a 48-sq.m family apartment - VN1.2 million monthly - and VN 1.33 million for a 54 sq.m family apartment.

Tran Thi Mai Hoa, a worker for Denso Viet Nam Ltd Company, said she was happy to rent a 54-sq.m apartment in Kim Chung Low-cost Housing Block, paying about VN1.4 million monthly for the apartment with a living room, a kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Its enough for us  a couple with two children and an elderly relative, she said. My husband and I used to pay VN 800,000 ($ 36) per month for a room with area of less than 12 sq.m, she said, adding that the room was too narrow that they have to send their kid to their parents.

When compared with family apartments, those for single persons are much less attractive.

Dung from the housing management department said his company was considering proposing to the Ha Noi Peoples Committee to redesign the apartments, divide them into smaller ones for families or single workers.

However, extra costs including power lines, water pipes were too high, Dung said.

Ngo Duy Hieu, National Assembly deputy of Ha Noi, said demand for low-cost housing among workers was huge, not only in Ha Noi but across the country.

According to the Ministry of Construction, Viet Nam currently has 2.2 million people working in industrial parks but only 20 percent of them have their own homes. In Ha Noi, there are about 140,000 workers, 70 per cent of whom are migrants needing to rent houses.

Workers have to rent expensive poor-quality accommodations because they cannot access low-cost housing projects which, to some extent, are subsidised by the Government through preferential policies, he said.

Low-cost housing should not be just a place to sleep. Workers work hard, even take night shifts. Poor quality accommodations surely have a negative effect on their health and productivity, he said.

Hieu said developers usually complain about low profits of low-cost housing projects, and urged joint efforts by the Government and private sector to ensure better housing for workers.

Ngo Chi Hung, vice head of Ha Noi Industrial and Processing Zones Management Board, said that low-cost housing projects in Thang Long Industrial Zone could offer housing for about 23,000 workers, but just 6,000 workers moved there because workers could not afford rental rates.  VNS
For the first time in years, Luong Van Huu feels happy after completing procedures for land use right certificates. in the past, the processing of certiificates attesting to land and house rights could take as long as a month. People had to travel great distances in order to hand in documents and get the required papers.
Mauritius Prime Minister is set to visit the city on November 18, where he is expected to discuss various issues, including one that provides a subsidy for Bollywood films shot there, with the Maharashtra government.

An official from the Maharashtra Finance department said Jugnauth, along with a team of eight officials will visit Mumbai on November 18, where the both governments are expected to sign deals which would benefit manufacturers and exporters in both nations.

"Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar will hold a meeting with the Mauritius PM at the state guest house Sahyadri, where a 100 people, besides officials from both governments, would be invited," he said.

"60 industrialists, 20 Bollywood personalities and 20 secretaries of Maharashtra government would be among the 100 invitees, who will take part in the meeting," he added.

According to the official, both sides would discuss ways to make exporters and manufacturers in both countries work together and that Maharashtra government will aggressively promote its 'ease of doing business' initiative to the Mauritius government.

"Also, Maharashtra government will try to persuade Mauritius to give a subsidy on Bollywood films being shot there. That, in turn, will boost the tourism sector of Mauritius," he added.

Besides, the official said that state government will also promote Maharashtra as a beach tourism destination, by adopting the Mauritius model of tourism to beautify the state's beaches, as part of efforts to improve the quality of the shores.

"We want to replicate the efforts put in by the Mauritius government to beautify their beaches. We will thus seek their expertise in doing so," he said.
IS families may not return to Victoria until after state election Details surrounding the return of wives and children of former Islamic State fighters to Victoria remains unclear, with suggestions a second group reportedly unlikely arrive until after the state election due to complexities of the cases.

South Korean PM apologises to Australia following horror stampede South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has apologised to Australia following the devastating Itaewon crush which killed more than 150 people including one Australian with the government pledging equal support for both foreign and local victims.

Political weapon: Chinas fresh warning for Australia China has taken a swipe at Canberra warning Australia not to use its large resources deposits as a political tool or weapon.

This is a dangerous time: Concern over two men missing in NSW floods 01:12 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed his concern at the news authorities are searching for two men who have gone missing in floodwaters...
IOWA CITY (AP)  Hundreds of protesters angry about the election of president-elect Donald Trump blocked Interstate 80 in Iowa City for about a half hour, backing up traffic for miles.

Media outlets reported the protests began Friday afternoon when about 200 high school students walked out of class and held a rally on the University of Iowa campus, dubbed a "Not My America" protest. University students joined the protest and listened to speeches before marching through downtown and down Dubuque Street toward the freeway.

Protesters walked out onto I-80 about 5 p.m. Iowa City police and state troopers held back traffic but didn't intervene in the protests.

Protesters dispersed about a half hour later and walked toward downtown.

The protest caused huge traffic snarls on the freeway and Dubuque Street.
WATERLOO  A 19-year-old woman died after she was shot riding in a car Friday night.

The name of the victim hasnt been released pending family notification, and no arrests have been made.

Residents called 911 shortly after 11 p.m. Friday after hearing shots in the area of Gable and Linn streets.

I heard six shots and came downstairs, said a resident who lives a few doors down from the shooting.

He said when he looked outside he saw several people outside screaming. He said people at the scene were saying a female had been shot in the head.

Police said the woman and two others were inside a silver Chevrolet Impala when she was shot. No other injuries were reported.

Paramedics with Waterloo Fire Rescue took the victim to Unity Point Health-Allen Hospital. She was transferred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City because of the severity of her injuries, but she later died, police said.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday in Iowa City.

Police investigators blocked off the intersections and searched the Impala, which had a flat rear tire and bullet holes in the back.

It was the third homicide this year and the latest in a string of shootings.

Otavious Brown, 21, was shot and killed while standing outside in the 800 block of Logan Avenue on July 17.

Four people have been charged in his death.

Then on Oct. 26, 35-year-old William Frazier Barnes Jr. was shot in the leg while driving in the area of Willow and Beech streets. No arrests have been made in that case.

A week later, on Nov. 1, Darrell Deshay Lanier, 22, was shot in the area of Rhey and Franklin streets as he was walking home.

He died in the hospital several days later. No arrests have been made.
DES MOINES  Senate Republicans got the first taste Friday of their new-found majority status.

This caucus has been in the minority for a long time, and we are excited with the opportunity to be in the majority and its a responsibility that we take real seriously, Sen. Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, told reporters after emerging from a closed-door caucus as the leader of the Senates 29-member majority.

Republicans, who picked up six seats Tuesday, elected Dix as majority leader, Sen. Jack Whitver of Ankeny to serve as Senate president, Sen. Jerry Behn of Boone as president pro temp, Sen. Charles Schneider of West Des Moines as majority whip, and Sens. Michael Breitbach of Strawberry Point, Randy Feenstra of Hull, Amy Sinclair of Allerton and Dan Zumbach of Ryan as assistant majority leaders.

The Senate will have 19 Democrats and one independent, Sen. David Johnson of Ocheyedan. A vacant seat created by the death of Davenport Democrat Joe Seng will be filled in a special election next month. The 85th General Assembly is slated to convene Jan. 9 with Republicans in control of the House, the Senate and the governorship.

Dix, 53, a 16-year veteran of the Legislature who operates a farm near Janesville, said the new Senate leadership team expects to make committee assignments in the coming weeks and begin charting its 2017 agenda.

Senate Democrats are expected to meet later this month to select a new leadership team after Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, was ousted from a post he occupied for a decade when he lost to Dan Dawson in the Senate District 8 race.
CEDAR RAPIDS  With two judges from his home state on President-Elect Donald Trumps list of possible nominees, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley sees a good chance for an Iowan to sit on the countrys highest court.

However, the freshly re-elected Grassley said its not his personal mission to put an Iowan on the Supreme Court for the third time in history.

I only have a personal stake in just one thing and thats getting strict constructionists on the Supreme Court, Grassley said following the election.

Among the 20 strict constructionists Trump identified as possible nominees are Steven Colloton and Edward Mansfield.

Colloton, an Iowa City native and Yale Law School graduate, serves on the Eighth Circuit Court of appeals. He clerked for former Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Before joining the Eighth Circuit Court, he was U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa and an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Iowa from 1990 to 1991. Colloton also was an associate independent counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr in 1995 and 1996.

I think his (Collotons) record is very clear when I suggested him to George W. Bush as a strict constructionist and being, you might say, a disciple because he was a clerk for Justice Rehnquist, Grassley said. I think he falls very much into that pattern of a person who ought to be considered.

Mansfield, also a Yale Law School graduate, was appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court by Gov. Terry Branstad in 2011. Previously, he served on the Iowa Court of Appeals. He was a former clerk with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit worked in the private sector and has been teaching as an adjunct law professor at Drake University since 1997.

Putting an Iowan on the court is not his priority.

Obviously, Ive never done that before, Grassley said. I dont know the last time a United States senator (from Iowa) did put somebody on the Supreme Court. It could have been when the guy from Keokuk went on in 1862 or the dean of the Iowa law school went on in 1943. I suppose Iowa senators had something to do with that, but not since.

Iowans who have served on Supreme Court Abraham Lincoln appointee Samuel Freeman Miller from 1862-90, and Franklin Roosevelt appointee Wiley Blount Rutledge from 1943-49.
WATERLOO  A large poster board sits folded in a corner of Veterans Memorial Hall.

Accompanying it is a somewhat dog-eared promotional flier.

The poster board and the flier describe plans for a large veterans building in Waterloo.

Those plans, drawn up in the 1980s, never happened. Veterans couldnt make it happen.

Id like to see that happen. That would be awesome, said Kevin Dill, executive director of the Black Hawk County Veteran Affairs Commission, as he viewed the aged plans.

It requires unity. And unity among local military veterans was a theme of Dills talk at Waterloos annual Veterans Day observance at Memorial Hall and Soldiers and Sailors Park Friday.

Unity to lobby for veterans benefits. Unity to drum up community support for Honor Flights of veterans to Washington, D.C. And yes, unity to support financially ailing veterans posts and to see if one building to house them all can become a reality.

Just as veterans banded together with those in their units, so too must veterans within Waterloo become a band of brothers and sisters and speak with a unified voice, Dill said in emotional remarks.

We were ready to give our lives so others could have life, Dill said. It makes me sad to think about where we are in our country, with our division. And we have division right there today. My prayer is, as VA director, that eventually we would all become one voice, one brotherhood again.

That unity is especially important in working with younger veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Weve forgotten as a nation what they did for us. And I want to bring that back, Dill said.

Dill, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, suffers from a neuromuscular disease from his service. His commission and staff tell him to slow down. The guys who were in Iraq and Afghanistan, they dont get a break. So we dont get a break, he said.

Dills remarks resonated with many in attendance, including John Mrzlak, former commander of Waterloo AMVETS Post 19 in Waterloo, which had to sell its building a few years ago due to financial difficulties. Additionally, Sullivan Brothers Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1623 has issued a public plea for assistance. Recently relocated Becker-Chapman American Legion Post 138 is trying to raise funds to finish its new building at West Sixth and Commercial and install a new roof.

Were going to survive if we all get together and work together, Mrzlak said. I think all the Waterloo posts ought to get together and see if we can build something like Waverly did. Maybe the citys got something we can start with and fix it up or add onto it.

Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Evan Curly Hultman of Waterloo, who helped raise funds for the new $4 million Waverly Area Veterans Post that opened two months ago, was a leading proponent of the Waterloo project in the 1980s and has also recently aided Post 138.

Also, Mrzlak and Black Hawk County Supervisor Craig White, co-organizer of Cedar Valley Honor Flight, said that group needs a substantial increase in support to continue its annual flights of aging veterans to visit military memorials. White said the organization has enough saved up for one more flight; typically, the group does three flights a year.

Donations can be sent to Cedar Valley Honor Flight, P.O. Box 182 Cedar Falls, IA 50613.
In a matter of weeks, I will be getting on a plane to England. It is a part of my good fortune that I occasionally get to go searching for my ghosts; in this case, I will be looking for the ashes of one of my dead forbears, Deryck Alldriht, who founded what would become my coven and then promptly disappeared from the lives of everyone who knew him in America. I dont know what I will find once I start digging.[1] I hope to learn something more of who Deryck was  what led him into the Craft, to America, to his grave  but I could just as easily find myself staring at an anonymous graveyard in a few weeks as ignorant as before. This is a problem with quests, and questions: we never really know where they end.

As I prepare for this new spectral investigation, I think back to Iceland, two years ago now, the last time I went hunting for the dead who have shaped my faith: in that case, Egill Skallagrimsson, a far older shade than Deryck Alldriht.

This is a dream, or a memory, or a dream of a memory.

My tongue is sluggish for me to move,

my poems scales ponderous to raise.

The gods prize is beyond my grasp,

tough to drag out from my minds haunts.[2]

I can hear Egill digging. His spade sounds like Seamus Heaneys grandfathers spade, the one that cut turf on Toners Bog: that clean, rasping sound. I hear him clear his throat. He is an old man, and his body is starting to fail him. Soon he will have to leave his home, going away to his daughters house at Mosfell. But today, at least, he is digging, planting what little will grow in Iceland. His sons are off watching the sheep. His wife is spinning the wool that is the lifeblood of Iceland. The sun catches the gleaming edge of his spade, and it makes him think of the gleam of a silver coin, one of the thousands he keeps hidden in two big chests. He would be one of the richest men in Iceland if he ever brought it out from his hiding place, which he never will.

Egill is dead, and has been for a thousand years. But I hear him, all the same.

The place where we stand, Egill and I, is called Borg. Egills father, Skalla-Grim, settled it when men first came to Iceland; he built the farm where his dead fathers casket washed ashore. There isnt much here: a church and a house for its priest, a graveyard, and a monument. Both the church and the house have red tin roofs; neither building is especially old, and I do not take the time to look at them very closely. Nor do I have much to say about the graveyard; it is pretty, green, and in places overgrown. My Icelandic is not good enough to read most of the tombstones.

The only tombstone I find notable is a block of stone about the width of an American lightpole, which has a name inscribed in runic characters. The guide tells us that the stone is for Kjartan Olafsson, one of Egills grandsons. I know his story  I had read it only a few months before. Kjartan had been in love with a woman named Gurun, but he went off adventuring and would not take her with him. Kjartans best friend, Bolli, married Gurun instead, and this led to a bitter feud. Bolli killed Kjartan, but Bolli held him as he died, realizing the tragedy of what he had done. Eventually Bolli himself was killed by Kjartans brothers, who were then killed by Bolli and Guruns son. The sagas often go like that. They are tragedies of errors that begin with one small mistake  a poor marriage, or an argument over whose sheep get to graze on a given patch of earth  and end only when so many are dead that vengeance no longer seems practical.

Since heavy sobbing is the cause 

how hard to pour forth from the minds root

the prize that Friggs progeny found,

borne of old from the world of giants,

unflawed, which Bragi inspired with life

on the craft of the watcher-dwarf.

Blood surges from the giants wounded neck,

crashes on the death-dwarfs boathouse door.

Egill is singing to himself as he works. He is an old hand at poetry; he comes up with new verses the way other people come up with simple sentences. He is an old devotee of Oinn, and skilled in all the things that Oinn represents: verse, magic, love-making, warfare. This is a man who once conducted a bloody feud of his own against the king of Norway himself, Eirik Bloodaxe. He has traveled everywhere a man from the Northlands could travel, fighting and raiding, repaying insults with blood and aid with a peculiar loyalty. He would have been the perfect Viking hero, if only he hadnt grown old.

My stock stands on the brink,

pounded as plane-trees on the forests rim.

No man is glad who carries the bones

of his dead kinsman out of the bed.

Egills curse is that he lives. His brother had died as a young man; his brother, who had better composure, better manners, who was handsome, tall, and strong, unlike Egill, who is dark, ugly, has a skull as thick as a trolls. His brother died; Egill lives to see old age, to become blind and infirm, to become beholden to the serving-women who take care of him. He lives to bury his sons.

I cannot hold my head upright,

the ground of my face, my thoughts steed

ever since the raging surf of heat

snatched from the world that son of mine

whom I knew to shun disgrace,

avoid words of ill repute.

I remember still when the Gauts friend

raised high to the gods world

the ash that grew from my stock,

the tree bearing my wifes kin.

The song he is singing is called Sonatorrek  On the Loss of My Sons. His son Bodvar had gone out to sea and drowned in a storm. Egill had gone out to collect the body and laid it in the family tomb; then he shut himself in his room and waited to die. His daughter convinced him to live long enough to write a poem in memory of his fallen child. This is the song he is singing now.

I was in league with the lord of spears,

pledged myself loyal to believe in him,

before he broke off his friendship with me,

the guardian of chariots, the architect of victory.

I do not worship Villirs brother,

guardian of the gods, through my own longing,

though in good ways too the friend of wisdom

has granted me redress for affliction.

A chill runs through me as I listen to his ancient poem, for I too have thrown my lot in with the Lord of Spears, and I wonder if one day I will have the same lament. Egill asks Oinn the question we all ask in our moments of pain: My god, my god, why hast thou forsaken me? And like all of us, he gets no answer.

We are standing in the wet grass of the meadow. Black stone pavement leads to the highway behind us, but before us is the sea. I dont know how to describe this feeling, this opposite of otherworldliness. Egill is not nearly so sentimental. This land provides too little food to stand around philosophizing on a summers day. Save it for cold winter nights, huddled around the hearth. Egill knows he does not have many winters left.

Now my course is tough:

Death, close sister of Oinns enemy, stands on the ness:

with resolution and without remorse

I will gladly await my own.

Egill reaches the end of his chant. I want to stay here with him forever, staring out into the mist and the sea. But the tour bus is leaving, and we have many stops yet. He nods to me as I walk past, and then stoops low again, sinking his spade into the earth.

Notes:

[1] Thats only a metaphor. Probably.

[2] All of the stanzas of Sonatorrek quoted here are from Bernard Scudders translation of Egils saga in The Sagas of Icelanders, Viking-Penguin, 1997.
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No posts for a few days!

Packing and trying to get to The Tiny Russian Village

Svetochka has taken next week off, Boza has a year supply of eye drops & six months worth of food, Sammy the Volga is in great shape and I am definitely ready to see the village again

It will not be easy and we will have to ad lib to get there. It is snowing like crazy, but it is only -4 or so in the Tiny Russian Village. I just walked Boza in Moscow and the snow is blowing and it is -10 as I walked him

Today Svetochka and I will go to Globus and finish stocking food. I plan on having cases of canned goods to allow me to not have to leave the village for months. This year I doubt Boza will be able to walk with me to the village nearby. His eyes are too bad and I worry about such things. I have to spend much time keeping one eye on him and try to keep myself from getting in trouble

We will see! (No pun intended)

So pardon me while we get ready to go and I ignore the blog for a few days. Once in The Tiny Russian Village! I will set up shop and get going again

WtR
MSPs that want to be successful in the long run must look at cybersecurity as a foundational service, one they 
There are a lot of side benefits to birding. Those of us who have had our eyes magnetically drawn to all things avian have realized this from time to time, especially if we have spent years squishing through marshes in search of LeContes Sparrows, giving blood to bugs in places like Alaska, heavenly scented boreal bogs, and muddy mangroves, and trudging through thin air landscapes to see if we can spot a bird that looks kind of like a chicken.

But, while we are making sacrifices for the avian quest, we also experience side benefits much less trying in nature. Not only did I see that little, straw-colored sparrow that had migrated from the remote wetlands of Ontario, I shared the unique experience with people who would rather explore the real world than say mean things on social media. Mangroves in the Yucatan yielded looks at a creeping Rufous-necked Wood-Rail marveled at with a birding friend long before a lost, curious individual photobombed its way into the modern birding world. While seeing that wild, white, chicken-like bird on the tundra of Rainbow Pass, I witnessed the magic of snow flakes making their silent mark on the high, rocky grounds of the mountains.

Other birding experiences have given me opportunities to meet kind, generous people in Mexico who seemed to belong to another time, to wonder if a nearby foraging bear was too close while doing a point count in Colorado, and to feel the deep territorial growl of a Jaguar in the primeval black of a Peruvian rainforest. In tamer forests right above the falls at Niagara, I once had the benefit of meeting an adult son with his loving mother in the middle of the forest.

It was spring migration and they werent birding but he greeted me with open arms and a hug. I was pretty sure that I didnt know him but his open, loving, trusting greeting made me wonder if I had met him before, maybe in grade school. He asked and I told him my name and that I was watching birds.

He said,Watching birds Pat? What are you seeing?

I told him I had seen an Ovenbird. He immediately said, I was making cookies the other day and they got burned. So, so, you think that Ovenbird had something to do with it Pat? His mother smiled, I probably did too, and we explained that, No, this bird just has that name but it doesnt really get involved with ovens, at least not the ones for cookies. He said, I like this forest Pat, I like being in the forest. Its so beautiful in here, all green and beautiful. Right mom? Lets stay here for a while and not go back yet, ok?.

Sure son but lets say goodbye to Pat first.

Ok mom, bye Pat! Bye, bye, I hope we dont run into any more Ovenbirds!

His patient mother with the caring eyes turned her head and mouthed, Thank you.

I waved goodbye, Red-eyed Vireos and eye-candy Bay-breasted Warblers sang from the canopy, and I kept birding. Normally, I would have avoided other people to focus on birds, just been polite and walked on. Most of us would because, after all, we have limited time to see the transients that suddenly arrive and leave during the height of May migration and its a serious thing. But so is meeting people who show unconditional love. No, he couldnt take care of himself and conversation edged towards the non-sensical but I am better for that brief meeting in the small patch of rare, mature forest on Goat Island and am grateful for it.

I never again saw the son who was finding solace in a patch of old growth forest, a place where I have also found sanctuary in times of mental duress and when events seemed being control. I wish I could have met him again and shown him some birds, seen if a chickadee would eat from his hand, asked him and his mother how they were doing. I wish I could go there now and walk next to trees that were young when the island part of the Seneca nation but at least there are no shortage of mountains, old forests, and hundreds of birds to look at in Costa Rica. Here, just as elsewhere, the opportunities to take solace, re-focus and energize the mind, and reap the side benefits of birding are numerous. They are also crowned with Emerald Tanagers and Snowcaps.
Livia Gershon in Aeon:

The Free State Project began life in 2001 with a call-to-arms by Jason Sorens, then a political science PhD student at Yale. Sorens suggested that a few thousand activists could radically change the political balance in the small state. Once weve taken over the state government, we can slash state and local budgets, which make up a sizeable proportion of the tax and regulatory burden we face every day, he wrote. Furthermore, we can eliminate substantial federal interference by refusing to take highway funds and the strings attached to them.

Sorens views  which focus on problems with taxes and regulations and dont dispute the governments role in protecting commerce and conducting foreign policy  suggest a more-Republican-than-the-Republicans sort of outlook. But some people whove responded to his call subscribe to an entirely different ideology: an anarchism that sees government as a tool of wealthy capitalists. The rest fall somewhere in between. Free Staters say that what brings them together is a common belief that government is the opposite of freedom.

The crowd that gathered in February for Liberty Forum 2014 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nashua was a pretty good reflection of the US libertarian movement: mainly male, and overwhelmingly white. A few people openly carried guns, which is thoroughly legal in New Hampshire.

One of the first speakers, Aaron Day, a Republican activist and member of the Free State Project board, railed against government plans to expand Medicaid. His PowerPoint flashed images comparing President Barack Obamas health insurance reforms to the Soviet famine of the 1930s, when Stalin shipped away Ukraines wheat, leaving its people to starve. Day announced hed be running for state Republican Party chair and called for everyone in the audience to seek local office. If I was looking for the embodiment of right-wing libertarianism, here he was, a true believer in cutting the government down to size from within  starting with programmes that benefit the poor.

More here.
John Banville at the Dublin Review of Books:

The Frankfurt School, the popular name for the determinedly Marxist Institute for Social Research, flourished, ironically, on a capitalist fortune. Hermann Weil was the worlds largest trader in grain, but after his death in 1928 his son Felix, in a classic instance of oedipal rebellion, used his inheritance to provide an annual grant of 120,000 marks to ensure the continued solvency of the institute, which had been founded in 1923 by Carl Grunberg, a professor of law at the University of Vienna. Grunbergs successor, the sociologist Max Horkheimer, took over the directorship in 1930, and brought in many of the schools leading figures, including Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, Erich Fromm and the much younger Jurgen Habermas, who is today one of Europes most formidable philosophical voices.

From the outset the Frankfurt School had its passionate detractors. It was the Hungarian Marxist critic Gyorgy Lukacs who contemptuously dubbed it the Grand Hotel Abyss, equipped, as he wrote, with every comfort, on the edge of an abyss, of nothingness, of absurdity. As Stuart Jeffries writes, Horkheimer, Adorno and Co were regarded as virtuosic at critiquing the viciousness of fascism and capitalisms socially eviscerating, spiritually crushing impact on western societies, but not so good at changing what they critiqued.

Yet leading figures of the school such as Horkheimer, Adorno and Fromm cannot be accused of hypocrisy or Sartrean bad faith.

more here.
Michael Dirda at The Washington Post:

In the early 1950s a teenage Robert Silverberg began to submit stories to science fiction magazines. About this same time the Paris Review was inaugurating its celebrated Writers at Work interviews. In a properly run world, Silverberg would by now have been among the authors honored by that literary quarterly, since his has been one of the most prodigious careers in all American letters. Still, one can hardly imagine the result being better, or more sheerly enjoyable, than the seven long conversations conducted by Alvaro Zinos-Amaro in Traveler of Worlds.

That word prodigious captures two aspects of Silverbergs professional life. First, he was a prodigy, publishing his first novel  the popular juvenile book Revolt on Alpha C  in 1955, when he was just 21. In 1956 he won a special Hugo award as the most promising young talent in science fiction. (The runner-up was Harlan Ellison.) Determined to earn his living with his typewriter, Silverberg then began to produce fiction and nonfiction at an astonishing rate, using both his own name and an unknown number of pseudonyms. One year he wrote 40 novels (though many of these were just quick-cash pornography). He worked much harder on popular introductions to archaeology and accounts of historys byways, such as the still valuable Lost Cities and Vanished Civilizations. By 1961 Silverberg had grown wealthy enough  largely through investments  to purchase a mansion that had once belonged to New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. Money, as he says here, makes for a quieter life, and Im not interested in turbulence.

more here.
Rafia Zakaria in The New York Times:

For the anniversary of 9/11 this year, CNN convened a special panel it titled 9/11 Kids to Terrorists: You Lose.  It featured 10 young men and women, all of whom had lost fathers on that fateful September day. Seated in a studio, they spoke poignantly of growing up with loss, of milestones punctuated by the absence of fathers. I remember watching the tribute and thinking of those who were not included, and its very literal assessment of casualties and those affected by it. Sept. 11, 2001, was also the day amid whose macabre details lay Americas introduction to Islam. The generation of Muslim American children who have grown up in its shadow are, in a different but just as pertinent sense, also 9/11 kids. Amani Al-Khatahtbehs memoir Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age is a chronicle of how these other children of 9/11 have been affected by Americas inveterate gluing together of Muslim and terrorist. It is an account that should both enlighten and shame Americans who read it.

Al-Khatahtbeh, who is also the founder of the media site Muslim Girl, was in fourth grade at the Bowne-Munro Elementary School in East Brunswick, N.J., that sunny September day. It was yearbook photo day, and she had dressed for it in a stiff pair of jeans and a blue shirt. The photographs never happened; instead there was early dismissal and the struggle to understand what her mother meant when she said the twin towers were not there anymore and that two planes crashed into them. At home, in front of the television, her fathers ominous words would make more sense: This is a horrible thing that happened. . . . And theyre going to blame us. And its going to get much worse.

He was right.

More here.
SD Secretary of State office says Smith remedied campaign finance mistake

Rep. Jamie Smith's campaign originally did not include the mailing addresses of his donors in violation of campaign finance law.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE: PBYI).

On September 30, 2016, a United States District Judge for the Central District of California United States District Court denied a motion to dismiss in a shareholder class action against Puma, CEO, President, and Chairman Alan H. Auerbach, and Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration and Treasurer Charles R. Eyler. The class action alleged that, in violation of the federal securities laws, Puma and the other defendants failed to inform shareholders that the shift in what its breast cancer drug, called neratinib, could actually treat would require additional studies and push the timeline for filing the NDA into the first quarter of 2016, and that Puma made false and misleading statements concerning the results for its phase 3 trial.

In denying Puma's motion to dismiss the securities fraud class action, the court stated that the plaintiff had "adequately and specifically alleged why each of these statements and several others could be false or at least misleading." The court further held that the complaint contained allegations adequate to show that Auerback "knew about the allegedly real trial results when he made the alleged misrepresentations."

KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Puma's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to Puma's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws.

If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Puma shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com).

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner

lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com

1-877-515-1850

206 Covington St.

Madisonville, LA 70447

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160819/399590LOGO

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/puma-investigation-initiated-by-former-louisiana-attorney-general-kahn-swick--foti-llc-investigates-puma-biotechnology-inc---pbyi-300360479.html

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In a bid to change the history, two famous countries upturned the tables overnight, creating astonishing history. In a bid to end the menace of black money in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the 500 and 1000 currency bills be changed overnight and the older ones be banned. On the other side of the world, Donald trump was elected the president to the antagonism of many Americans, clearly demonstrating the annoyance at the win in the election alongside Hillary Clinton for the president of United States of America. Reports by Telegraph have avowed that tacit protests have even started sweeping US with protestors burning effigies and blocking traffic all the way in 10 cities including Washington and Los Angeles.

Prime minister of India Narendra Modi has been in praises, ever since he made the sudden announcement to take over the old notes with new 500 and 200 rupee currency with the banks working overnight, helping people exchanging cash and depositing money.

"This is the biggest and the boldest step by the government for containing black money. It is like a surgical strike on black money," Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia tweeted today.

While it might be a little over the counter problem for common people since no shops, no travel mode and no eateries have been acknowledging old notes, there is a huge triumph for wasting up the black money holed up in cash. But for the eulogizing part, Indians are contributing to their level best in making this new change worthwhile by praising the move and the timing to implement the same overnight.

In the western world, Trump has even been warned against his US isolationalist comments and his plan to impose 45% tariff on Chinese imports. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to tear up trade deals and pursue a more unilateral foreign policy under his "America First" principle during a tempestuous election campaign earlier. This has taken the China ministry by storm as they think that the current president is completely unpredictable.

According to the Independent, the stock market rushed down with the won of the 45th president of United States and experts predict that it may have results worse than Brexit.

According to the Business Standard, the change in currency overnight is going to have negative impact on the stock market but no long term effect. In a curb to cut down black money, fake denominations of currencies roaming in the market freestyle can be easily handled.

The social media has been roaring since hours both the announcements were declared. Trolling them on internet, it has been circulated that US got TRUMPed and India got MODIfied. The future will tell, thats for sure.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 54F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 54F. Winds light and variable.
November 11, 2016

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  For the second year in a row, the Women's Affairs Center in the Gaza Strip organized on Nov. 3 a womens film festival headlined "Women for Change" in which several drama films produced by the center and tackling bold topics were shown.

Hanin Kullab, 32, produced a short film called "Lailat Farah" ("A Joyful Night"), which was shown at the festival held inside Rashad al-Shawwa hall in Gaza City. The film talks about early marriage for men and women, which is a rampant phenomenon in the Gaza Strip.

Kullab told Al-Monitor, "The 13-minute film tells the story of Farah and Firas, who barely reached 15 years of age and got married based on a decision from their parents. They were faced with a reality they did not choose. The wedding night was not a typical one for them. They talked about their dreams, their usage of social media platforms like Facebook and their love for songs. They decided to rebel against their reality by standing in the Unknown Soldier Square in Gaza City holding banners that read, 'We are still kids.'"

She realized that the storyline was not new, but she made sure to tackle the topic from a bolder angle that differs from local productions. She focused on the marriage of minors by delving into the details of their wedding night, which is daring in Gaza's traditional society.

Producer Rima Mahmoud, 28, tackled a less-explored topic on camera. Her film, which was screened during the festival, reflects the five minutes that Israel grants families to evacuate their houses before shelling them during war. The families are thus torn between running for their lives or staying with their memories hanging on the walls. The film is called "Arwah Alika" ("Souls in Limbo").

Mahmoud told Al-Monitor, "This is the story of each Palestinian citizen at times of war as he awaits death at any moment while at home. There is a thin line between life and death, and five minutes is all the time that Israel gives to evacuate houses that hold most of our memories before shelling them. These five minutes reflect souls in limbo, stuck between memories and life, and only separated by destiny."

Mahmoud noted that the film reflects the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who have been experiencing injustice in their own country and have endured the conflict with Israel. She said, "Boldness does not only concern choosing delicate topics, but also focusing on regions that have not enjoyed enough coverage."

Nine films participated in the festival, and they were produced by the Women's Affairs Center in the Gaza Strip, which specializes in women's affairs, achievements and problems, and focuses on developing their skills in all fields. All films talk about women's affairs and highlight their problems, whether social or political, and reflect their achievements in several fields.

Siham Ahmad, 25, from Gaza City, found a new kind of expression of women, their problems and creations in the festival.

She told Al-Monitor, "The diverse films that I have watched reflect the reality of Palestinian women, showing details that are often missing  spontaneously or deliberately  in the media. We rarely see this in the media or even in cinematic productions. These films do women justice in showing their skills and reflecting their problems."

Abdullah Hasanein, 35, believes these films will constitute a turning point for women's image in the media and revive interest in film productions related to women.

He told Al-Monitor, "These films will encourage producers or organizations to shift to films that reveal uncharted territories in Palestinian media, due to their boldness."

Itimad Washah, the video program coordinator at the Womens Affairs Center in the Gaza Strip, told Al-Monitor, "The participating films in the festival advocate Palestinian women's rights and detail their suffering and the blockade imposed on them."

She added, "The festival aims at giving a realistic image of Palestinian women's rights from all aspects, whether social, economic or political. Each film carries a message for positive change in women's issues and for altering the stereotypical image of these issues in the media, like the Lailat Farah film that talks about early marriage. Films also highlight women's achievements and ability to stand out and be creative, like 'Al-Rehla' ('The Journey') documentary, which depicts the first Palestinian woman to climb the highest peak in Africa with a prosthesis."

She noted that the lack of sufficient funding to produce films and the absence of professional film cadres have impeded film production in the Gaza Strip.

This left an impact on some participating films in the festival. Mustafa al-Nabih, a Palestinian producer and member of the artistic committee overseeing the participating productions, said that some films were closer to radio work: The script outweighed the visual effects. He told Al-Monitor, "You can close your eyes and follow the story, although cinema speaks a visual language and dialogue was put to make up for the lack of visuals. Some productions ended with speeches, and this weakened them."

He noted that quantitative experience leads to qualitative changes, saying, "It is only normal for producers in the Gaza Strip to develop their storyline, because they are seeking all that is new and welcoming criticism. Besides, their experience has expanded and they are constantly in contact with people in the same field and follow others' work."

Nabih said, "Palestinian women have been working with Palestinian media companies and communicating through social media with fellow women inside and outside of Gaza working in the same field. As a result, their perspective has widened. We have budding female producers who are quickly and distinctively improving. In a short period their names will shine in Arab and foreign media, and they will win Arab and international awards."

Despite obstacles to cinematic productions in the Gaza Strip like lack of funding and artistic staff, Palestinian female producers are trying to think outside the box in their films, whether in content or form.
November 12, 2016

European Union and allies remain committed to Iran deal

US President-elect Donald Trump will give priority to new sanctions and pressure on Iran, while considering whether and how his administration might seek to renegotiate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The trend in Europe and Asia, however, is heading in the other direction, where the emphasis is on breaking down, rather than erecting, barriers to business and engagement with Iran. It is difficult to envision a global retreat from Iran, absent an Iranian breach in its commitments to the JCPOA.

During the upcoming lame-duck session, the Senate is likely to take up several Iran sanctions bills, including targeting countries and individuals that support Irans ballistic missile program. Julian Pecquet reported that the House Rules Committee is preparing legislation that seeks to block the sale of Boeing civilian aircraft and prohibit Export-Import Bank financing of deals with Iran.

These initiatives foreshadow what is likely to be a well-coordinated effort by the incoming Trump administration and the Republican-majority Congress to pressure and sanction Iran with the goal of a possible renegotiation of the Iran nuclear deal, as Trump promised to do during the presidential campaign. Even if Hillary Clinton had won the presidential election, there seemed to be a consensus that more sanctions bills would have been forthcoming, as The Washington Post reported.

It is uncertain whether the Trump administration could force a renegotiation of the nuclear deal, unless the International Atomic Energy Agency reports a violation by Iran. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told CNN Nov. 9 that the JCPOA is not a bilateral agreement between the US and Iran.  Its a multilateral agreement that we have negotiated  enframed into a UN Security Council resolution, actually more than one.

The EU is seeking a presence in Iran. Changiz Varzi reported that while Iranian hard-liners may seek to complicate or thwart the effort, Irans Foreign Ministry grasps the trade and diplomatic benefits of an EU office. Russia and China, like the EU, are signatories to the JCPOA and are already at the head of the queue for business with Iran. Blocking the Boeing aircraft sales would be a loss for the American company and a benefit to Europes Airbus.

Saudi Arabia, however, might welcome and encourage the Trump administration to turn up the heat on Iran. Bruce Riedel wrote that the kingdom is losing ground to Iran in regional affairs, as it lacks the tools and instruments to project power that Iran has developed over decades. There is no Saudi equivalent of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which can provide expertise and advisers to groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. There is no Saudi general like Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force in the IRGC with years of experience in covert operations. The Saudis have good intelligence services but they are not on-the-ground, battle-hardened practitioners like the IRGC. Riyadh traditionally has relied on financial support to project power. With the fall in oil prices, that is harder to draw on. Saudi Arabia canceled a multibillion-dollar military aid project for Lebanon in part to save money. The rivalry is costing both Riyadh and Tehran a fortune, but there is no end in sight.

Iran will not become the hegemonic power in the region, Riedel concluded. It faces many enemies and constraints. Iraqi, Syrian and Lebanese Shiites do not want an Iranian overlord. But Iran is increasingly the most influential player in the Fertile Crescent at the expense of Saudi Arabia.

In Lebanon, which is often a bellwether for regional trends, Michel Aouns election to the presidency, and his brokering of Saad Hariris return as prime minister, which involved deft diplomacy with Hezbollah, can be taken as another sign of Irans regional ascendancy. Ali Hashem reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was the first foreign minister to congratulate Aoun during a visit to Lebanon that included meetings with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, as is custom, and Hariri, a sign of the new Lebanon trend. Although the new Lebanese government was blessed in Tehran, Hashem warned that the Iranian-Syrian-GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] race in Lebanon confirms fears that the new Lebanese administration is going to face serious challenges with respect to regional differences. As this column reported last week, Aouns ultimate objective is to forge an independent, nationalist course for all Lebanese, which will require continued, steady navigation of regional currents.

Obama takes fight to Jabhat al-Nusra

The Obama administration has directed the Pentagon to give priority to targeting the leaders of al-Qaedas Syria affiliate, the so-called Conquest of Syria Front (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra), a shift in priorities that may offer the potential for a breakthrough in US Syria policy, including an end to the siege of Aleppo.

Adam Entous of The Washington Post reported, Officials who supported the shift said the Obama administration could no longer tolerate what one of them described as a deal with the devil, whereby the United States largely held its fire against al-Nusra because the group was popular with Syrians in rebel-controlled areas and furthered the US goal of putting military pressure on Assad. Russia had accused the United States of sheltering al-Nusra, a charge repeated Thursday in Moscow by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The president doesnt want this group to be what inherits the country if Assad ever does fall, a senior US official said. This cannot be the viable Syrian opposition. Its al-Qaeda.

The new approach, which the Post suggests would accelerate under a Trump administration, is vindication for US Secretary of State John Kerry, who had sought to work out a deal with Russia that would have included military coordination against Jabhat al-Nusra. We shared Kerrys view that arguments within the administration against working with Russia to take the fight to al-Qaeda were completely screwed up, and, unlike many media outlets, this column has avoided lumping Jabhat al-Nusra and its jihadi brothers-in-arms, such as Ahrar al-Sham, as rebels, simply because they are fighting Assad.

The shift in US priorities should lead to wider recognition and reporting of Jabhat al-Nusras role in Aleppo. The UN plan for Aleppo includes the departure, not the accommodation, of Jabhat al-Nusra forces. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said in October that 1,000 Jabhat al-Nusra fighters are holding Aleppo hostage, and that he would personally escort them from the city, if they would agree to leave.

Ending the siege of Aleppo, including the defeat of Jabhat al-Nusra, is more urgent than ever. Jan Egeland, the special adviser to de Mistura, warned this week of mass hunger in advance of a killer winter. Humanitarian assistance can only take place in the context of a US-Russian agreement. Building on a shared interest in defeating al-Qaedas affiliate is a good place to start.
November 11, 2016

NAJAF, Iraq  Iraqis paid close attention to the US presidential race, especially to the candidates' positions on their country. Many Iraqis welcomed Donald Trump's presidential victory, as well as his anti-terrorism and anti-chaos rhetoric on Iraq.

Once the announcement came that Trump had won, many Iraqi politicians and citizens expressed joy. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated the new US president for his victory, and said that he looks forward to further cooperation between the two countries in all fields, particularly on security issues and the fight against terrorist groups in Iraq.

Iraqi President Fuad Masum and parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri also sent Trump congratulatory messages. Jabouri anticipated a Trump presidency to "bring gains for the Middle East and Iraq, particularly in the fight against terrorism and elimination of the Islamic State [IS] organization, in a way that brings about security and stability to the region and the world."

The government-funded Iraqi Media Network welcomed the Trump victory in an article that mentioned previous speeches of Trump, in which he said that he would defeat IS and that nobody would be tougher on IS than him, and so on. The author perceived Trump's Middle East policy to be closer to Iraq, as well as a deterrent to religious extremism in the region and the tide of Saudi Wahhabism.

Muwaffaq al-Rubaie, a leader and parliamentarian for the National Alliance and former national security adviser under the presence of US troops in Iraq, said Nov. 9 that Donald Trump's victory "is a good sign for the Middle East in general, and Iraq in particular." He argued, "Obama withdrew US troops from Iraq in late 2011 without guarantees, which caused the return of terrorism to Iraq. Thus, Trump's victory would be a good thing for Iraq." He said that, in general, "Republicans are better than Democrats for Iraq, because everything that has happened to Iraq occurred under the Democrats' era."

Former Iraqi ambassador to the United States, Lukman Faily, previously told Al-Monitor, "The superficiality of the US-Iraqi relationship [under the Obama administration] is one of the reasons [IS] was allowed to run rampant for as long as it did." Faily criticized the United States for being reckless about decisive actions to repel terrorists and failing to prevent them from committing major humanitarian crimes in the past two years. Faily said that Iraqi officials, including former Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, visited the United States in 2013 asking for assistance to hit IS camps in the Iraqi desert, back when IS was preparing to expand their control in Iraq and Syria. Yet the United States did not take these warnings seriously and did not provide any support for Iraq during that critical time.

Also, the complete withdrawal of US forces from Iraq in 2011 occurred under Obama, causing a security vacuum in the country and allowing terrorist groups to restructure their ranks in a stronger and fiercer organization. Al-Monitor learned from one of Maliki's close advisers, who declined to be named, that "Maliki insisted that a number of US troops remain to ensure security, but Obama had strongly rejected it."

During his campaign, Trump criticized the withdrawal from Iraq, where the United States was in control of the situation, particularly in Mosul. Yet it lost Iraq after the withdrawal of its troops in 2011 in exchange for nothing. In Trump's opinion, the United States should have kept its troops in place to prevent the emergence of IS and prevent Iran from controlling Iraq.

Even after the fall of Mosul in June 2014, when IS descended on central and southern Iraq, the Obama administration's assistance was not serious and sufficient enough to repel the IS onslaught and prevent disasters and genocides from taking place  similar to what happened to the Yazidis in Sinjar and to Christian and Shiite minorities in Ninevah and other provinces.

Also, the Obama administration is criticized for neglecting Iraq when a modern democracy was being built. This neglect led to the collapse of the political partnership between Iraqi components during the reign of Maliki and caused IS' tragic rise.

With such impressions about Obama, Iraqis greatly welcomed Trump saying during the election campaign, "We are going to convey my top generals and give them a simple instruction.  They will have 30 days to submit to the Oval Office a plan for soundly and quickly defeating [IS]. We have no choice." Some American nationals of Iraqi origin, such as Nahren Anweya, supported Trump and ran a campaign for him in the media and social networks during the presidential race.

A Fox News poll showed that Iraqis preferred a Trump presidency out of a hope that chaos and terrorism would end in their own country. They attributed chaos and terrorism to the Obama administration's weak and reckless policies toward Iraq.

In fact, Trump's policies toward Iraq are still close to mere election slogans, far from understanding core problems and offering clear solutions. It is still unknown whether Trump would be supportive of a unified Iraq or carry on with the country's partition. How will he deal with Iranian influence in Iraq and deter Turkish and Saudi ambitions in Iraq? Time has all the answers.
November 11, 2016

Following the election of Gen. Michel Aoun as president of the Lebanese Republic on Oct. 31 and the appointment of Saad Hariri as prime minister on Nov. 3, the two men will face numerous challenges, starting with forming a national government. Hariri is seeking to form his government before Independence Day on Nov. 22, but he is currently unable to meet the demands of some parliamentary blocs that seek key portfolios or service ministries.

On Nov. 8, Aouns Change and Reform parliamentary bloc called on politicians to facilitate the formation of a new government. Hariri's Future Movement parliamentary bloc urged political parties to keep their demands for ministries realistic to help Hariri form a new government.

Aoun and Hariri will have to address many serious socio-economic and political problems, especially the deteriorating economic situation and rising unemployment rate. They will need to maintain security and stability, combat terrorist networks and meet the needs of more than a million Syrian refugees residing in Lebanon.

Aoun acknowledged the difficulty of this mission in his inaugural speech, describing himself as a president who took office in difficult times and a president highly expected to overcome difficulties and secure stability. He pointed out that political stability can only be achieved by respecting the National Pact, the constitution and the law through national partnership. He also stressed the need to fully implement the National Pact and the Taif Agreement without any kind of selectiveness or discretion and develop it as needed through a national consensus.

Aouns recent recognition of the Taif Agreement, which he had rejected in 1989 for limiting the presidents powers, indicates that he has adopted a realistic policy of compromise, especially in light of the Future Movement's rejection of any amendment to the agreement.

As for economic and social stability, Aoun said he would adopt a transformational approach that starts with economic reform based on planning and coordination between the ministries.  We cannot advance without a comprehensive economic plan, he said. This socio-economic reform can only succeed with the consecration of a system of transparency and a legal system that helps prevent corruption. This can be done by appointing an anti-corruption committee and engaging the monitoring bodies and enabling them to carry out all their duties.

In his Baabda Palace speech Nov. 6 in front of a crowd that came to celebrate his presidential victory, Aoun stressed that his goal is to build a strong state based on a constitution respected by all politicians. He said that no politician shall breach the constitution, and corruption will be uprooted. Aoun added that the Lebanese people need projects to provide water, electricity and roads, and he will seek to start them as soon as possible.

Political analyst Amin Qamouriyeh told Al-Monitor that Aoun was looking forward to marking his reign with social, political and development reforms and uprooting anti-corruption, but the current [limited] powers of the president of the republic do not allow him to repeat the experience of former reformist President Fouad Chehab. Chehab, who ruled the country from 1959 to 1962, fought corruption and worked toward the institutionalization of the state.

Qamouriyeh added, The current financial situation does not allow [Aoun] to carry out development projects and bring about reform at the level of the semi-dysfunctional institutions. It should be noted that corruption is deeply rooted and difficult to combat, even with the convergence between him and the prime minister.

Lebanese researcher Michel Abu Najm told Al-Monitor that Aoun "will put the building of the state on track and countering corruption will be his priority, despite the fact that the Taif Agreement limited the powers of the president. However, the agreement still granted the president the positions of guarantor of national unity and protector of the constitution, and this is more than enough for the president to launch his works in cooperation with other constitutional institutions.

For his part, Lebanese analyst Toufiq Shuman told Al-Monitor that Aoun has built his popularity on reform and anti-corruption slogans, and therefore [has always] criticized the economic project of late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri that has been in place since the early 1990s. However, the question today is whether Aoun will be able to deliver on his slogans and promises, as corruption in Lebanon has become the general culture with sectarian, political and partisan protection and based on the quota system  which in turn produced interest lobbies inside and outside the state.

Shuman added that the limits of presidential powers raise questions about Aoun's ability to implement his program and vision, especially since the prime minister is responsible for executing the general policy that is set by the Council of Ministers, according to the Lebanese Constitution.

Aoun stressed the need for effective parity among Muslims and Christians. He said, The first obligations of such a parity is to adopt an electoral law that ensures fair representation prior to the date of the next election.

This comment shows that Aoun is in favor of proportional law and against the current majoritarian electoral law, which allows Muslim leaders to choose some Christian parliamentarians in Muslim-majority provinces. The electoral law is likely to stir controversy between Aoun and his allies Hezbollah and the March 8 coalition, and Hariri and his allies the March 14 coalition. Based on the current law of 1960, Hariri and the March 14 coalition enjoy the majority in parliament.

Abu Najm said, "The election law will be subject to consultations between President Aoun and other political components, but he will work on changing the current law of 1960 and reach a law that enjoys popularity."

According to Aoun, the first pillar of security is national unity and protecting Lebanon from the flames raging in the region. He called for the need to stay away from foreign conflicts, all the while respecting the Charter of the League of Arab States, and Article 8 in particular, and the need to adopt an independent foreign policy based on the supreme interests of Lebanon and international law.

Article 8 states that each member state shall respect the systems of government established in the other member states and regard them as exclusive concerns of those states. Each shall pledge to abstain from any action calculated to change established systems of government.

It seems that Aoun was trying to balance Hezbollahs stance, which supports the Syrian government, and the March 14 stance, which supports the Syrian opposition, by reaffirming respect for the current Arab regimes and Lebanon's obligation not to interfere in their internal affairs.

As for the conflict with Israel, Aoun said in his inaugural speech, We will spare no effort and no resistance to liberate the remaining occupied Lebanese territories and protect our country from an enemy that still covets our land, water and natural resources.

A source close to Hezbollah told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, President Aouns statement about the need for the resistance to liberate the Lebanese territories occupied by Israel confirms the legitimacy of the resistance and its backbone, Hezbollah.

The source added that Aoun also mentioned protecting Lebanon from Israel, which implies a role for weapons as a deterrent to Israeli interference.

We shall prevent, deter, counter and even eliminate terrorism, Aoun said.

According to the Hezbollah source, This is a clear understanding of Hezbollahs intervention in Syria, which is aimed at deterring terrorism and fighting it proactively  through both the security forces and Hezbollah inside Lebanon.

Qamouriyeh concluded that the self-distancing policy is impossible and that moving forward, Aoun will try to avoid the issue of Hezbollah and its role in Syria.

Although the president's powers are limited and the actual powers are in the hands of the Cabinet, a strong president like Aoun, who enjoys a strong parliamentary bloc and a large number of ministers and influential allies, can still bring about some change and achieve some reforms in this troubled system.
November 11, 2016

MOSUL, Iraq  Since the start of the highly anticipated Mosul offensive on Oct. 17, Iraqi security forces have received over 40,000 civilians fleeing eastern Mosul, according to a report published Nov. 9, by the Ministry of Displacement and Migration.

For two days, as Iraqi special forces battled Islamic State (IS) militants east of Mosul, Adib, who lives in the Intisar neighborhood in eastern Mosul, was trapped in the crossfire, unable to bury his brother's body as it began to decompose.

Finally, a group of people from his neighborhood offered to help him take advantage of a lull in the fighting to take the body to the nearby village of Sherzad, where they dug a grave and laid him to rest.

"The army liberated us but IS placed an [improvised explosive device] on my brother's front door," said Adib, placing rocks to mark where the head and feet were buried. "When my brother Khaled tried to open the door, he was killed and two of his children were wounded."

As Iraqi security forces push into densely populated areas of Mosul, the challenge is to win back not only territory but also the hearts and minds of civilians, many of whom initially welcomed IS as an alternative to the security forces they perceived as sectarian and heavy-handed.

Most residents have since come to despise the hard-line militants who massacre their opponents and have brought ruin on Iraqs Sunni community since overrunning large swathes of the country and declaring a modern-day caliphate in the summer of 2014.

How the Iraqi army behaves toward the citys residents as the battle unfolds will be the ultimate test for the future stability of Ninevah province, but it is complicated by IS' use of civilians as human shields.

So far, all fear seems to have perished. The Iraqi security forces have displayed a high-level professionalism, possibly due to the new leadership under [Prime Minister Haider al-] Abadi, said Rasha al-Aqeedi, a fellow at al-Mesbar Studies and Research Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with a primary focus on Iraq. "This is indeed very positive. However, Mosul ops are not ending anytime soon and reports have begun to surface about violations and abuses of civilians at the hands of paramilitaries and sectarian elements.

On Nov. 10, rights watchdog Amnesty International urged Iraqi authorities to urgently investigate reports that fighters wearing federal police uniforms had tortured and extrajudicially executed residents in villages they captured south of Mosul in cold blood.

The number of civilian casualties from crossfire, as well as mines planted by IS, is also increasing, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "Families are at extreme risk of being caught in crossfire or targeted by snipers. Tens of thousands of Iraqi girls, boys, women and men may be under siege or held as human shields," it said in a statement Oct. 16.

The US-led international coalition has launched hundreds of airstrikes against IS targets in and around Mosul  the highest density anywhere across the militants so-called caliphate  and admitted this week that over the past year, 24 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria may have killed 64 civilians and injured eight other civilians, mostly near the city.

"It's a key tenant [sic] of the counter-[IS] air campaign that we do not want to add to the tragedy of the situation by inflicting addition [sic] suffering," the USCENTCOM statement read.

But Airwars, which monitors the toll of civilian casualties as a result of international airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, said its researchers had tracked and attempted to vet over 110 separate claims of civilian casualty incidents in Mosul itself in two years of airstrikes. The civilian toll of those attacks could be as high as 1,300, it recently reported.

In Gogjali, on the eastern fringes of Mosul, locals claimed at least three airstrikes in the past six months had killed civilians. "The airstrike around six months ago killed 15 [IS] in this house," said Ibrahim Akram, pointing to a flattened house with smoke rising in the distance as the army battled IS in another residential area. "But three civilians died too in the house next door."

IS has wasted no opportunity to draw attention to casualties resulting from coalition airstrikes and Iraqi artillery fire as an argument that Sunnis must resist, publishing videos showing the mangled bodies of children and adults allegedly killed by airstrikes or artillery fire.

In a new video released by the IS branch in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, this week via Telegram, three angry IS militants call on the Sunni people of Mosul to resist the Shiite army. "When they entered Homs  they exploited women, killed children and slaughtered them," screams angry IS preacher Abu Abdul Rahman al-Qonayteri in military fatigues. "Oh people of Mosul  they will do the same to you, God forbid  so be steadfast, as you are in the right."

Not far from the graveyard in the village of Sherzad, children mingled with soldiers as the soldiers fired mortar after mortar into the Intisar neighborhood.

"Keeping a safe corridor open for civilians must be a priority as the battles shift into urban warfare," said Aqeedi. "Door-to-door fighting against a group like IS puts hundreds of thousands at grave risk."

Despite the danger, Adib and his friends waited for several hours to cross back into their quarter in east Mosul. "I need to go back to the Intisar neighborhood," said Adib, whose saddened face spoke volumes about the tragedy that is unfolding in the streets of Mosul. "My family is still there."
November 11, 2016

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  The General Prosecution Office in Gaza announced Oct. 30 that First Instance Courts in the provinces of Gaza, Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip issued six death sentences in October against people convicted of murder, bringing the total number of death sentences in Gaza during 2016 to 16.

Of these sentences, 12 were issued by military courts and four were rendered by civil courts. Three of them were executed in May 2016 without prior ratification by the Palestinian president in a clear violation of the Palestinian Basic Law of 2003. Article 109 of this law specifies that a death sentence pronounced by any court may not be implemented unless ratified by the president of the Palestinian National Authority.

But ever since he came to power, President Mahmoud Abbas has been refraining from ratifying death sentences for legal and human rights considerations.

Hamas-appointed Attorney General Ismail Jaber told Al-Monitor, During the month of October, the General Prosecution Office was able to obtain six death sentences by the Courts of First Instance in the Gaza Strip against defendants convicted of murder. He stressed the need to issue deterrent sentences against criminals, especially in cases that affect the security and stability of society.

Faraj al-Ghoul, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) for the Hamas parliamentary bloc in the Gaza Strip, told Al-Monitor, The death sentence is included in Law No. 74 issued by the British Mandate in 1936. We are not violating the law since this law has yet to be abrogated.

He explained that death sentences aim to protect the community and achieve security and justice, and they are mainly being executed in application of the law. But Ghoul noted that the social and security system in the Gaza Strip is governed by laws, courts and competent judiciary commissions in light of the Government of National Consensus' failure to fulfill its duties in the Gaza Strip.

Regarding the need for the Palestinian presidents ratification of the death sentence to allow the competent authorities to execute it, Ghoul stressed that the president's ratification only occurs when the judgment issued by the Palestinian court becomes final and conclusive and after the exhaustion of all means of recourse, pointing out that courts in Gaza implement all trial procedures.

He continued, There is no legitimate justification for Mahmoud Abbas ratification of the death sentences since his legal presidential term expired in 2009, and the Palestinian law authorizes the PLC to ratify sentences in case of a presidential vacuum. This is exactly what we are doing. The presidential elections should be held as soon as possible.

Abbas remains in office although his presidential mandate expired in January 2009 and was extended for one year only under Article 53 of the Basic Law to avoid a constitutional vacuum.

Ghoul noted that the failure to implement the judicial rulings is a crime punishable by law. This was specified in Article 106 of the amended Basic Law of 2003, which guarantees a fair remedy by the Palestinian Authority and the competent court to the aggrieved party as a result of the nonexecution of the judicial rulings.

Ghoul pointed out that Abbas is illegally exercising his powers as president, noting that the Government of National Consensus, formed in 2014, is illegitimate and did not obtain the PLC confidence.

He said, The elected legislative council is the only legitimate authority since it obtained the peoples confidence in the 2006 elections. This council may not be dissolved or its work hindered in any way according to Article 113 of the Basic Law. Human rights organizations in Palestine oppose the death sentence since they are financially subordinated to foreign parties, which can impose their will on these organizations even if contrary to their conscience and social responsibility.

Mohammad Atallah, a human rights researcher at the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), told Al-Monitor, The legal interpretation invoked by the Gaza government as a pretext for the execution of death sentences is not a sound interpretation. The execution of death penalties is tantamount to murder, contrary to the law.

He asserted that the Legislative Council is not authorized to ratify death sentences, since Article 109 of the Basic Law strictly limits the power to execute death sentences to the Palestinian president, even in the case of a presidential vacuum where all executions shall be postponed until a new president is appointed.

He pointed out that 91 death sentences were issued after the 2007 Palestinian split in the Gaza Strip, while since 2002, no death sentence has been issued in the West Bank, which is a clear indication of the lack of justice in the Gaza Strip.

Atallah also noted that Palestinian law imposes restrictions on the death sentences by virtue of strict and clear controls and procedures. We cannot disregard legal provisions in order to apply religious provisions or social norms," he said. "For example, the Islamic Sharia allows the killing of the murderer if the victims family does not accept financial compensation.

He explained that the judicial sector in Gaza is suffering from an acute shortage of capacities, and all court judgments are not conclusive and may be subject to review, and therefore cannot be implemented.

Torture is one of the main methods used by the Gaza government to extract confessions from the accused, and this is a clear violation of the text of the constitution, he said, noting that Palestine joined the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 2014, which requires the ratification of its Second Optional Protocol aiming at the abolition of the death sentence.

Atallah stressed that the PCHR has a firm stance on the death sentence that is not in line with the inclinations of the largest segment of society in the Gaza Strip, which is influenced by the false ideas related to the religious nature of this punishment, or the allegations that it represents a vital deterrent against crime.

On this point, Ghoul recalled that any international convention signed by the Palestinian president after the expiry of his term is deemed null and void, and when the president signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 2014, he did not submit it to the PLC for prior consultations. He indicated that Article 41 of the Basic Law of 2003 reads as follows, President of the National Authority shall promulgate the laws voted by the PLC.

He pointed out that signing international conventions requires a subsequent amendment of the laws to align them with the provisions of the ratified conventions, and as long as laws are not amended, then local laws shall apply and international conventions shall remain consensual agreements that do not bind the state.

Atallah attributed the failure to amend local laws in line with the signed international conventions to the disruption of the PLC and its inability to reach a quorum and hold sessions as a result of the Palestinian internal division and Israels arrest of most members of parliament, pointing out that the Palestinian state is witnessing a flagrant legislative vacuum.

He pointed out that the families of the persons subjected to the death sentence are entitled to file lawsuits against the security forces in Gaza before international human rights bodies, especially in light of the absence of an independent forensic body and a criminal laboratory for a thorough and full examination of evidence, which prevents achieving accurate results based on certainty according to the fundamental philosophy of criminal justice.

In light of the insistence of the security authorities in the Gaza Strip to apply the death sentence, human rights organizations can only oppose and condemn these sentences until the unification of the Palestinian judiciary and the end of the political division between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
November 11, 2016

A veteran Palestinian thinker and legal expert believes that US President Barack Obama should use his remaining months in the White House to ensure that a UN Security Council resolution recommending the recognition of Palestine be permitted to pass. Camille Mansour, a former Sorbonne professor and adviser to the negotiating team of the PLO, told Al-Monitor, Now that he is freed from elections-related political shackles, he can allow for Palestine to join the UN as a state under occupation.

According to Mansour, Obama could accomplish a number of goals with such a decision. He said that it could be Obamas gift to Middle East peace before leaving office Jan. 20. He has the ability to instruct single-handedly his UN representative to support or abstain from a resolution that will become irrevocable once the UN Security Council passes it, Mansour said. Even Obama's successor, Donald Trump, will not be able to reverse it.

Mansour's idea has been discussed by numerous pundits, as has a Security Council resolution against Israeli settlement activity. Mansour said that some decisions within the two-state parameter could be invalidated by the new president. The idea of a Security Council resolution regarding settlements or a framework for a future resolution can easily be reversed by the newly elected president, Mansour said. Recognition of a state, however, once it is approved by the United Nations is much more difficult to reverse, he argued, as the state would have received international legitimacy.

Israel has rejected taking part in an international peace conference advocated by France. On Nov. 7, Jacob Nagel, Israel's acting national security adviser, told French peace envoy Pierre Vimont that Israel would not participate in any international conference, considering such a forum an international diktat. Israel instead claims it wants direct talks with the Palestinians.

Palestinian and international political observers are worried that the newly elected US president will abandon the Middle East or alternatively make extremist decisions, such as enacting his campaign promise to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Palestinian government, headed by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, had at its Sept. 27 Cabinet session condemned Trump's statement.

Palestinian officials appear, however, to be accepting of the new reality, with President Mahmoud Abbas welcoming Trump's election in a Nov. 9 message, also saying that he hopes a comprehensive peace will be achieved during his term.

PLO Secretary Saeb Erekat reiterated the need for the new US leader to stay committed to the two-state solution. We hope from the new US administration to translate talk about the two-state solution into a reality, because security, peace and stability in this region can only happen if the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 is defeated, he said.

Meanwhile, Hamas called on the president-elect to reconsider US policy toward the Palestinian cause. The suffering of the Palestinian people is continuing because of biased, successive American administrations in favor of Israel, the movement said in a statement released Nov. 11.

Obama making a controversial decision on the Middle East conflict would not be easy even though freed, as he is, from election shackles. There are skeptics who think he will not have the courage to make a bold decision as a lame duck in the White House.

Of three options, recognition of Palestine would be the toughest and a condemnation of settlements the mildest. Regarding the third option, Israel and Trump's pro-Israel supporters are already sending signals to Obama to forgo any kind of action at the United Nations.

Although Trump would not be able to reverse recognition granted by the Security Council, he and a pro-Israeli Congress could choose to punish Palestinians by withholding financial support to the Palestinian government. Censure of the settlements, however, would probably not elicit a strong reaction after Trump takes over.

Obama has long supported a two-state solution, but right-wing Israeli officials believe that Trump's election has buried the idea of a Palestinian state. Allowing a vote for Palestinian statehood  whether by withholding a veto or abstaining  would be a small step in helping translate thus far unimplemented US policy and guarantee that the new president will not be able to bury the two-state solution.

This is especially needed given the United States' 10-year, $38 billion military aid package to help protect Israel by supplying it with a huge, up-to-date military arsenal. It is important that before passing the baton to Trump, Obama round out his legacy by responding to the will of the Palestinian people by permitting a vote for the State of Palestine.

It is no surprise that Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu have not seen eye to eye on the Middle East conflict and the Iranian nuclear deal. A positive decision on Palestinian statehood would be a peaceful response to the right-wing Israeli prime ministers anti-Obama interventions in US policy, especially regarding Iran. It will also help redeem his presidency not only in the eyes of Palestinians, but those of many progressives in the United States and around the world.

Progressives have been staunch supporters of Palestinian rights, including the right to statehood. Passage of a Security Council resolution recommending a Palestinian state would seal a progressive legacy for Obama and help make up for his inability to reach a breakthrough in the Middle East conflict during his eight years in office.
November 11, 2016

A shopping mall named Shengal  an exotic name to Russians  is located in the eastern part of Moscow. Shengal is the Kurdish name of the city of Sinjar, which is located in northern Iraq where Yazidis live. Most of the customers I met in the shopping center have no idea what Shengal means. They also are unaware that on the ground floor of the building there is a TV studio called Lalish TV, the only satellite Yazidi channel in the world.

Lalish TV was launched in April. We are the only Yazidi channel in Russia that broadcasts in the Yazidi language [Kurmanji or Kurdish dialect] for Yazidis all over the world. We have no link with any political party or movement. We are not politicized. Our aim is to help Yazidis save their identity. We want to give them more information about Yazidi culture, language, religion and history, a representative of Lalish TV told Al-Monitor.

Mirza Sloyan, a Yazidi Russian businessman, sponsors Lalish TV. Areas of broadcasting include Russia, Europe, Armenia, Georgia and Iraq. Some of the programs are produced in Moscow; the others are produced in studios based in Germany and France.

The estimated population of Yazidis in Russia is 40,586, according to the 2010 population census. The majority of them live in big cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl and Krasnodar. Some Yazidis identify themselves as Kurds or Yazidi-Kurds. For many years they have been members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) or of Iraqi political parties such as the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. In all of these establishments, Kurdish identity prevails over the Yazidi one.

History of the Yazidi minority in Russia dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. At that time, thousands of Yazidis had to leave their homes in order to avoid persecution by the Ottoman Empire. They moved to Armenia and Georgia, which were parts of the Russian Empire at that time. In the Soviet Union, when all Soviet citizens had to put their nationality in passports and other identity documents, Yazidis preferred to identify themselves only as "Yazidi." Jangir Sindjoyan, a political observer of the news portal Ezidipress, the only news source about Yazidis in the Russian language, told Al-Monitor, After the collapse of the USSR, many Yazidis left Georgia and Armenia and moved to Russia. My family also came to Russia from Georgia. In Russia, Yazidis work in the spheres of education, media [and] have [their] own business[es]. There are many prominent sportsmen of Yazidi origin.

Despite a large number of Yazidis living in Russia, until this year there was no single platform upon which all Russian Yazidis could unite. Politically active Yazidis joined different Kurdish organizations in Russia linked to the PKK or other Iraqi Kurdish parties. Then mass killings of Yazidis in Iraq in the summer of 2014 pushed Russian Yazidis to activate, and on Sept. 28, the Yazidi Congress  the first and only Yazidi organization in Russia  was registered.

The genocide against Yazidis in Iraq pushed us to establish the Yazidi Congress, Samvel Kochoi, head of the Yazidi Congress in Russia, told Al-Monitor. There are more than 50 representatives of the congress all over Russia. It has several objectives. First, there are a number of unsolved problems regarding Yazidi religion, language, culture and history. The congress wants [to solve all of them] by attracting scientists and religious authorities. There is a huge identity problem; some Yazidis identify themselves as Kurds, some deny their Kurdish identity and identify themselves as Yazidis, said Kochoi. The Yazidi Congress organizes different conferences, roundtables and seminars where all these problems are discussed.

One of the main objectives of the organization is to communicate with Russian authorities and media. The Yazidi Congress wants Russia to recognize the assault on Yazidis in Iraq as genocide. They have already sent the request to the Russian parliament but have received no concrete response yet, Kochoi said. Head of the Russian Federation Council's International Affairs Committee  the upper house of the Russian parliament  Konstantin Kosachev told Al-Monitor he "has no information about the request of the Yazidi Congress. A representative in the International Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma  the lower house of parliament  had neither confirmed nor denied receiving the request from the Yazidi Congress. A source in State Duma told Al-Monitor that the Russian parliament is very cautious when it comes to questions such as whether or not to recognize any genocide.

According to Kochoi, Russia shows little interest in Yazidis, although Russia  which is now leading a military campaign in Syria  should be interested in cooperation with Yazidis more than any other country. Yazidis are a major international factor in the Middle East. They are being killed only because of their identity, the Yazidi identity, not Kurdish. The radicals from ISIS [Islamic State (IS)] target and kill Yazidis [and] consider them 'heretics.'

When asked why he wants Russia and other countries to recognize genocide against Yazidis, Kochoi replied, First, we want to receive moral support and solidarity. Second, we need guarantees that no one could threaten lives of Yazidis in Iraq, and if there is any threat to them, they will be protected. Third, Yazidis need compensation. They lost everything. There were 72 acts of genocide against Yazidis, but the last one, organized by [IS], was the most severe.

The official recognition of Yazidi genocide could be the start of the establishment of a Yazidi autonomous region in northern Iraq. We want to be an autonomous region in Iraq, like Iraqi Kurdistan. It will be ideal for us, Kochoi said. He thinks that if Iraq collapses, then with the support of Russia and Western countries, a Yazidi state or Yazidi-Christian state could be established.

Shengal, or "Sinjar" in Arabic  the territory where Yazidis live in Iraq  is a disputed territory between Baghdad and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Kurdistan. After the Mosul campaign is over, the question of this disputed territory will be raised again. The leader of Iraqi Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani, has already said, Aside from the Kurdistan flag, we do not accept any other flag rising over Sinjar. The representatives of the Yazidi Congress in Russia are skeptical about his statement. They are afraid that becoming part of Iraqi Kurdistan will mean assimilation with Kurds and total loss of Yazidi identity.

If the question of the future of Yazidi-populated Shengal is raised, will Moscow support Yazidi autonomy in northern Iraq? Russia could support this decision, especially considering that everything changes so fast in the region. The forecast should not be based on Russian unwillingness to recognize the genocide against Yazidis. There is a strong possibility that the request sent by the Yazidi Congress was lost somewhere in the bureaucratic structures of the Russian parliament. It is necessary to remember that Russia tries to avoid recognizing any genocide, as it could lead to complications with regional powers and disastrous consequences for itself. While theres great sympathy and a tacit support for the Yazidi case among Russian policymakers, political action is highly unlikely.
November 8, 2016

BAGHDAD  On Oct. 19, Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr met with leaders of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) in Najaf, southern Iraq, to discuss the importance of reconciliation between him and Vice President Nouri al-Maliki. Soon after, Salah Abdul Razaq, a leader of the State of Law Coalition headed by Maliki, announced Oct. 23 that Iran is playing a role in bringing Sadr and Maliki together, as the current challenges are bigger than the differences between the two parties. On Nov. 9, the head of the predominately Shiite National Alliance Ammar al-Hakim in a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei thanked Iran for its support to Iraqi politicians to unite against the internal and regional threats.

With the help of some Iraqi politicians, Iran is seeking to reunite the Shiites in the near future, to strengthen them and allow them to play a greater role in the Iraqi political process and participate in determining the future of Iraq in the post-Islamic State (IS) phase.

Since Iran believes that the differences between the leaders of the National Alliance and its main political blocs have weakened the alliance, it is currently working on achieving reconciliation between Maliki, the head of the State of Law Coalition, and Sadr, the head of the Sadrist movement, who both are a part of the National Alliance.

Ali al-Adeeb, a leader of the Islamic Dawa Party and Malikis close associate, spoke about attempts to achieve reconciliation between Maliki and Sadr, but he neither mentioned the exact party making such efforts nor the extent of their success.

It seems that one of the first steps taken to achieve the Maliki-Sadr reconciliation was when Sadr met with PMU leaders in Najaf, as most of the leaders who met with Sadr are close to Maliki.

In this regard, a National Alliance source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Shiite parties were supposed to initiate a reconciliation process between the two figures before the meeting between Sadr and the PMU leaders  as per the decision the federal government took on Oct. 10  to allow the president's deputies back into their positions, including Maliki himself, which prompted Sadr to oppose, thus delaying the efforts of reconciliation.

Shiite politicians are making efforts to reunite the Shiites for the post-IS phase. Some accuse the Islamic Republic of Iran of trying to further control Iraq through the Maliki-Sadr reconciliation, because it believes estrangement between the two would weaken the Shiite alliance and impede Irans projects in Iraq.

Hakim, the new president of the National Alliance, the largest political coalition in Iraq, will likely take it upon himself to achieve reconciliation between Maliki and Sadr. This effort may have been one of the essential tasks that allowed him to head the alliance, in light of Irans desire to secure a strong alliance.

Reports indicate that when Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Irans supreme leader, visited Baghdad Oct. 22 to attend the Islamic Awakening Conference, he made a proposal to Hakim, illustrating the importance of mending the relationship between Sadr and Maliki and preventing any future disputes between the two.

The first step toward the Maliki-Sadr reconciliation  albeit indirect  came on July 15, when Maliki praised the Sadrist movements protesters for what he described as shutting down a conspiracy that the Baathist movement had been plotting in order to penetrate the protests launched on July 31, 2015.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, member of the State of Law Coalition Saad al-Matlabi said, The dispute between Maliki and Sadr is not personal; it is a practical dispute over the political process and the situation in Iraq.

Mounadel al-Moussawi, a member of parliament for the Sadrist movement, also told Al-Monitor that the dispute between Sadr and Maliki was not personal. "Eliminating the disagreement is in everyone's interest. Their dispute is over the political process, and we wish all differences would come to an end for Iraq to enter a new phase, he said.

Before signs of reconciliation between Maliki and Sadr emerged, there were signs of understanding between their parliamentary blocs when they allied with other blocs to oust parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri.

It seems that Sadr would be stubborn during the negotiations phase, which he will resume with the National Alliance, and the 14 conditions that he presented to the alliance will be a prelude to settling the differences with Maliki.

However, some believe that reconciliation between Maliki and Sadr could be detrimental to Haider al-Abadis position as the head of the Iraqi government, but in fact, reconciliation can enhance the presence of Abadi in office, because Sadr requires the absence of Maliki as the head of a new Iraqi government. Although Hakim may politically disagree with Sadr and Maliki, he does not want to head a fragmented alliance. Thus, he is trying to unify the alliance to prepare it for a better performance in the upcoming elections.

In a nutshell, Sadr and Maliki will not announce a date for their reconciliation meeting, but will instead surprise everyone with news of mended ties and the start of a new chapter. If this were to happen, it would be through the National Alliance and based on an Iranian idea to strengthen the Shiite alliance in the coming period.
November 11, 2016

A short time ago, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim clearly declared Turkeys condition to join the Raqqa operation in Syria: If the YPG [People's Protection Units] will be there, we wont be.

When the Kurds under the umbrella of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) assumed de facto leadership of Operation Euphrates Wrath, Turkey was once again sidelined. But the United States wants Turkey to remain engaged with the Raqqa operation, and assigned Ankara the role of finding the power that will govern Raqqa after its liberation.

Last summer, Turkey had proposed a joint operation with the United States that excluded the SDF led by the YPG, and it has now set its red lines for Operation Euphrates Wrath, which is the same as it was with Manbij: The YPG will not enter Raqqa.

Despite Turkeys strong rhetoric, the YPG continues to be an integral part, actually the backbone, of the international coalition. However, according to YPG Commander Sipan Hemo, the option of the Kurds controlling Raqqa was never on the table in discussions with the YPG.

In the first phase of the offensive, the SDF will surround Raqqa from three directions. A new plan will be made when it is time to enter the city in the second phase. The Raqqa Military Council is made up of the citys inhabitants; the Kurds have no intention of staying in Raqqa. In a meeting in Ankara with Gen. Hulusi Akar, US Gen. Joe Dunford acknowledged that a new force will be prepared for the second phase.

The right force for that operation means an army made up of Arabs along the lines of the train-and-equip program the United States wanted to implement against the Syrian regime.

The Turkish government is insisting that the Kurds are determined to hold on to Raqqa. But from the outset, the Kurds have been saying that even if the Islamic State (IS) is defeated in Raqqa, it would be too risky for the YPG to remain in the town. The Kurds are acutely aware that an Arab-Kurdish war could ignite if they stay on in the Arab-dominated town. You dont have to be an expert to know that the people of Raqqa will not accept a Kurdish ruler running their lives.

Dunford tried to reassure Turkey by saying, We always knew that the SDF wasnt the solution for holding and governing Raqqa. What we are working on right now is finding the right mix of forces for the operation.

He wasnt completely dismissing a Kurdish perspective for Raqqa  the United States knows the participation of local elements, mostly tribes, is essential, because the SDF cant handle it alone.

The basic problem now is that, although the SDF has emerged as an organized and mobile force thanks to the YPG contributions, the Arab elements of the force have not reached the competence levels desired by the United States, and Raqqa needs a larger Arab force.

The United States tried to see if the experience gained in Iraq when organizing tribes against al-Qaeda would also work in Syria. So far nothing positive has come from its probes.

There are some organizations that could be recruited to expand the Arab force, but they come with different sets of problems. Because of their target choices and their own agendas and reservations, they cannot be included in the SDF mix. These organizations with Islamic doctrines may be the enemies of IS, but they demand that if they are going to join the US-led force, the United States must first declare the Syrian regime as the priority target. Also these groups are either in touch with al-Qaeda or are in its periphery. These groups categorically reject partnership with the YPG, as they see it as a Marxist outfit.

The US administration will either have to make do with a few more groups joining the SDF that will be led by the YPG or revert to the unsuccessful train-and-equip project with Turkey.

If the Americans really promised Ankara that the YPG would not enter Raqqa, it will do well to remember the tactics at Manbij. Since October 2014, several formulas have been devised to soothe Turkey over Manbij, and they appear to have worked.

Turkeys warning about not giving weapons to the YPG was bypassed by the United States saying those guns were for the SDF. When Turkey warned that the YPG could not cross to the west of the Euphrates, the United States overcame it by having the YPG cross the river from the south in SDF uniforms and saying that the YPG would liberate Manbij, but would not enter the town.

It will take a miracle for the United States to put together a credible Arab army to liberate Raqqa. This simply means that the Manbij rules of engagement will also apply to Raqqa.

This was thus another crossing of Turkeys red lines. Turkey had some expectations while trying to keep the SDF out of the Raqqa operation. Ankara was hoping to send in Turkey-supported Syrian opposition groups to al-Bab after Jarablus and al-Rai and put an end to aspirations for a Kurdish corridor from Kobani to Afrin. Meanwhile, Russia turned on the red light to Turkeys entry to al-Bab. An American official told news agencies that Russia had warned Turkey to not move farther than 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) in Syria. This is why the Turkey-supported groups that had gone in 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) had to halt.

Turkey couldnt play its cards at Mosul. Instead, it massed its troops in Silopi at the border. At least in the first phase of the Raqqa operation, Turkey was left on the outside. Ankara is aware that the United States has several objectives in the Raqqa operation: not to upset Turkey, to prevent Ankara from becoming a game spoiler in Syria and, of course, to keep the Incirlik Air Base open to coalition air forces.

Turkey already had embarrassing disappointments in achieving its demands at Manbij, and it will be much more difficult for Turkey to achieve its goals in Raqqa.


We will never know whether the dark-eyed, dark-skinned 8-year-old girl - we don't know her name, but let's call her Denise -- was murdered, died of natural causes, or was simply interred in the Siberian cave where her remains were discovered.



Those remains consisted of a pebble-size bone fragment from her pinkie finger. Yet thanks to the remarkable ability of modern scientists to extract and piece together the fragments of DNA trapped in that bone, her entire genome has now been reconstructed. And her genome tells us that Denise, who died some 40,000 years ago, belonged to a previously unknown human species.



Think about that.



A new human species deduced from a fragment of one finger bone 40,000 years old!



Aside from her genome, we know next to nothing about her species, now called Denisovans. Our sum of knowledge about them is that pinkie bone plus two teeth and a toe bone from other individuals. From her genes, we can guess pretty accurately her skin, eye, and hair color. But we have no idea what she, or Denisovans generally, looked like. Were they tall or short, stout or thin? Were their brains as big -- or bigger -- than ours? What sort of tools or weapons might they have used? Might they have made art? Had a language?

Hobbits were about 3 feet tall and 50 pounds.





Although we know so little about Denisovans, we know a lot about a second human species alive at the same time - Neanderthals. We've been finding Neanderthal artifacts, skulls, and skeletons since the mid-1800's. We know they lived in Europe and Asia for at least 400,000 years and vanished about 40,000 years ago. They were bigger and stockier than we are. Surprisingly, they had a bigger brain too. Neanderthals probably also had a language, possibly many languages given how widespread they were. They used fire. They mourned and buried their dead. They painted figures on the walls of caves.



But until we managed to sequence Neanderthal DNA from some of the many skeletal remains in existence, we didn't realize that they also had red hair and light skin. We also never suspected that our own ancestors mated with them during that relatively brief period when we both occupied the same areas of Europe and Asia. As a consequence, today almost everyone not native to Africa has a couple of percent Neanderthal DNA.



For that matter, almost all non-African natives have a smidgeon of Denisovan DNA too. In fact, one Denisovan gene that helped them use oxygen particularly efficiently has been inherited by Himalayan sherpas and may be behind their ability to thrive at the high altitudes and ferry rich tourists to the top of Mount Everest for a living.



There was apparently considerable hanky-panky going on between these three human species some 50,000 years ago.



For all it tells us about our relatively recent history, DNA plays little role in our knowledge of the earliest human history. DNA simply does not survive intact for millions of years. In warm, humid climates like tropical Africa where humans arose, it doesn't even last for tens of thousands of years. Preservation of ancient DNA like Denise's, requires the proper conditions, in her case a cool Siberian cave.



From abundant fossil evidence though, we know that humans arose in Africa, splitting off from our common ancestor with chimpanzees about 6 million years ago. In that sense, we are all Africans.



The DNA of living people confirms that African origin.

Native Africans today have far more DNA diversity than the rest of the world combined, which is exactly what you would expect if people in the rest of the world descended from a small, adventurous group of Africans from one small corner of that continent.

Recently researchers sequenced the DNA of hundreds of people from around the world discovering that although there were likely many migrations out of Africa, modern non-Africans pretty much all descended from a wave of migrants about 60,000 years ago. We also know that our DNA - that is, the DNA of the rest of the non-African world -- is most closely related to modern Africans living in the northeast corner of Africa, where humans would have been able to walk out of Africa into present day Israel and the Arabian Peninsula and from there to the rest of the world.



In addition to these three human species - us, Neanderthals, Denisovans - all alive at the same time, there was also a 4th species -- tiny humans, commonly called Flores man or "hobbits." The hobbits lived in isolation on some small islands in what today is Indonesia. No DNA from them, alas. The tropical climate is too warm and moist. We do have almost complete skeletal remains though.



Hobbits were 31/2 feet tall and weighed only 50 pounds or so. That may seem surprising, but it isn't. It is well known to biologists that species that evolve on islands often become much smaller or much larger than their mainland relatives depending on the island's ecology. Living with the hobbits, and probably being hunted by them, were pony-size elephants. Also, living with the hobbits, and possibly preying on them, were crocodile-size lizards that today we call Komodo dragons.



Three of the four human species alive during Denise's time - all except us -- vanished. What happened to them?



Well, I don't want to point the finger too obviously at yours truly, but wherever and whenever our own species shows up, certain things seem to happen. Not long after we showed up in the Middle East, Neanderthals disappeared, then we showed up in Europe and they vanished. Hobbits also disappeared about the same time that our species arrived on the Indonesian islands. The pony-size elephants disappeared around that time too. We don't yet know enough about the Denisovans to know if they vanished too soon after we arrived in Asia, but I'm just saying....



As of today, all evidence points to none of the other human species surviving for long after their first contact with our species.



It may not be a smoking gun, but I wouldn't want to have to defend ourselves in front of a jury.

Steven Austad is Chair of the Biology Department at UAB. Before becoming a research scientist, he had various lives as an English major, a newspaper reporter, a New York City taxi driver, and a Hollywood wild animal trainer. Living now in Birmingham with his veterinarian wife, 6 dogs, 2 parrots, and a cat, his column posts every other Saturday morning on AL.com.
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More than 500 people gathered at Kelly Ingram park for a unity rally on Thursday, Nov. 12.

(Joel Valencia)

Before an estimated 500 people took to the streets of downtown Birmingham for a unity rally Thursday night, Sylvia Kay said she was dealing with threats on the rally's event page on Facebook.

It was something Kay didn't see coming as she started organizing the event. The point of the rally held at Kelly Ingram Park was to provide a space for a diverse crowd of people to come together to support one another following the election of Donald Trump as president. But about 30 minutes after Kay started the page, she said those who opposed the event started making threats.

Some of the initial threats talked about how the participants should be sprayed with fire hoses and attacked by dogs - images seen during the Civil Rights Movement and now immortalized in the monuments that stand in the same park where the rally was held.

At first she thought she could stop the threats by changing the settings on the event page. Instead of letting people post freely, she had to approve the posts before they appeared on the page. But that didn't stop people from saying things in the comment section, she said. So she contacted Birmingham Police to provide security for the event.

Kay said she has organized three rallies since she moved to Birmingham from London about six years ago, but she this is the first time she had to call law enforcement for safety reasons.

"People started getting scared of coming to rally," Kay said. "I never seen so much hate."

Jordan Giddens, one of the five organizers who helped Kay with the event, said he saw more threatening messages when he started live streaming the march on the event page.

Giddens said the group doesn't feel intimidated by those who made the threats. Instead, he said he welcomes them to the second rally that will be held on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 5 p.m. at Kelly Ingram.

"One day I hope the world can embrace the diversity and differences in others, because that is what makes this country so beautiful and special," he said. "We love you regardless of your threats because I believe love will conquer all."

Unlike the first rally, Kay said there will be speakers from across the state talking during the event. Birmingham police will be providing security again, she stressed.

"We have to make sure everyone is safe because we are trying to do everything peacefully," Kay said.
An auction proposal for the mothballed Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in northeast Alabama could mean close to 1,000 jobs for the region.

The proposal from Nevada-based Phoenix Energy outlines converting the plant in Jackson County into a clean energy producer that would produce electricity cheaper than the Tennessee Valley Authority - the federal utility that provides power for much of north Alabama and parts of six other states.

TVA has deemed Bellefonte excess inventory and has put it up for sale at auction. Initial bids were presented in September and "qualified bidders" will make their final proposals on Monday.

TVA has confirmed that there are multiple bidders, though the utility has declined to say how many. Michael Dooley, managing partner and principal engineer for Phoenix energy, said he believed there were three bidders seeking to obtain Bellefonte.

TVA has set a minimum bid price of $36.4 million for the plant and the 1,300 acres upon which it sits in Hollywood near Scottsboro.

Dooley said Phoenix Energy uses induction energy to produce clean energy, describing it as "completely emissions and toxic waste free and clean atmospheric and ecological environmental safe and friendly electric power generation plant design."

The clean energy production would also benefit the Google Data Center planned for the area as well, Dooley said. Google has said it plans to use renewable energy to power its data center, which will employ up to 100 people.

The project, under the Phoenix Energy proposal, would provide more than 580 permanent direct full-time management, engineering, administrative, technical, design and maintenance jobs as well as 350 direct long-term and short-term temporary construction, seasonal and maintenance jobs. The project would also attract more than 500 vendors, service, retail and supporting jobs for the region.

"That would be a big economic draw because people would drive 30, 40, 50 miles to come to work," said Dooley, a former Bellefonte employee who lived in Huntsville, attended high school in Mobile and graduated from Auburn University.

"It would be an economic boon to the southeast corner of Tennessee, the northeast corner of Alabama and the northwest section of Georgia."

Dooley said Phoenix Energy has submitted a bid of $38 million for Bellefonte as well as a plan to allow TVA to recoup its $5 billion sunk cost into the plant. Dooley said the plant could be partially online in about a year and the total cost for Phoenix Energy would be about $300 million.

The full project would take about five years, he said.

If Phoenix Energy won the Bellefonte auction, Dooley said the company could sell electricity to TVA far cheaper than the utility can generate it themselves

"We can generate electricity at probably less than 2 cents a kilowatt hour and we would offer to sell it to TVA at 3 cents a kilowatt hour," Dooley said. "Their coal plants don't generate electricity at that cost and their gas plants, the few that they have, don't either and not even their nukes do that. We would be able to offer their electricity at a lower cost.

"They are going through a systematic program of shutting down their coal plants. This could accelerate their plan on shutting down coal plants. And with our coal to oil conversion process, it would not really impact the northern Alabama, southern Tennessee coal industry that much because we could take a lot of the coal going to the power plants and can be environmentally friendly converting it to oil."

That's another aspect of the Phoenix Energy proposal - using different methods to produce energy in an environmentally-friendly format.

In addition to converting coal to oil, Dooley said his company could take carbon dioxide emissions and ultimately liquefy it for commercial sale.

The timeline for Phoenix Energy would have an immediate impact on the region, said Brian Smith, principal projects and configuration manager.

"The day we take possession of the property, the next day, we would hit the ground running and with our development plan - and we do have a very aggressive development plan - we would be hiring people immediately," Smith said. "We would be ramping up quite quickly. Even though we have a five-year build time, if we can get it done in three or four years, that's even better."
A Georgia man was fatally stabbed following a family dispute Friday night in DeKalb County.

Cody Earl Seegar, 29, of Summerville, Ga. was pronounced dead at a residence located on DeKalb County Road 1945 in Henager, according to the sheriff's office.

According to the report, Seegar and another man, Anthony Tracy Shaw, 48, of Summerville, Ga., invaded a house to confront the homeowner about a family dispute that occurred earlier the same day.

Seegar began to physically assault the homeowner, causing the homeowner to stab both Seegar and Shaw one time.

While Seegar died at the scene, Shaw was transported to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, Tenn. for treatment of his injuries.

The investigation remains ongoing. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office didn't say whether the homeowner will be charged.
Ramallah, occupied West Bank  In a light-filled office in Ramallahs first technology park, a group of sleep-deprived youth in their mid-20s are discussing the next steps to promote and develop their newly launched start-up.

BuildPalestine is a crowdfunding platform that aims to reshape the relationship between donors and the Palestinian cause by connecting supporters from around the world with local grassroots initiatives.

The platform, officially launched this week, aims to establish an alternative aid paradigm for Palestine, which has received more than $23bn from the donor community since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993. Palestinians are among the largest per capita recipients of international development assistance in the world, yet critics believe that the aid industry has distorted Palestinian economic development, and that international donor agendas have interfered in internal political matters.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian economic outlook remains worrying, according to the latest World Bank report. The international body said that Israeli restrictions, including the Gaza blockade, are mainly to blame for slow economic growth, which has resulted in high unemployment and stagnation in the average income of Palestinians. Aid delays are also preventing any meaningful recovery in Gaza, as only 46 percent of the $3.5bn pledged at the Cairo Conference has so far been delivered.

BuildPalestine circumvents formal aid channels to connect needy communities directly with individual donors.

The overall objective is to connect and engage millions of supporters around the world, to build a network, Besan Abu Joudeh, one of BuildPalestines cofounders, told Al Jazeera. The 26-year-old Palestinian-American moved to Ramallah a year ago with a desire to contribute to building the Palestinian economy.

I saw a lot of issues, and the international community was not strategically engaged in tackling them. And its a huge resource, she said, adding that her priority is to reach Palestinians in the diaspora like herself.

For now, the team is only equipped to take on small-scale projects that will benefit from a cash injection amounting to a maximum of $5,000.

READ MORE: Black November

A year ago, a group of five volunteers, part of the Palestinian Association of Emergency Medical Services, decided to start providing first-aid training to local communities in Gaza to enable them to deal with emergencies on site, before an ambulance arrives.

Hanan Abu Qassem, 28, one of the organisers, was working as a paramedic during the 2014 Gaza war.

Ambulances often arrived late. Sometimes they were prevented from entering certain areas, she told Al Jazeera. With this project, I can save lives.

The funds they seek will be used to print brochures, provide first-aid kits to different neighbourhoods and train first-aid responders.

BuildPalestine vets the projects it features on its platform, whose scope can range from education to youth to community development. Currently, donors can support higher education scholarships for young women from refugee camps; an educational programme by the Bethlehem Museum that aims to bring young Palestinians closer to their history via subsidised school tours and workshops; and a new women-focused project by Palestines only centre for music and art therapy.

Team members say that making donors feel safe is a priority at this stage, which is why, for the time being, it is not open to individuals, such as other crowdfunding platforms.

The donor system, the way its set up, is that youve got your priorities that are set, and then your grant cycles that are run, Abu Joudeh told Al Jazeera. When the grant cycle ends, local organisations are unable to continue without funding, and weve seen that happen to a lot of great projects. This is the main downfall of having a donor-dependent economy.

In the past year, we saw that aid to Palestine dropped significantly with the crisis in Syria and with alternative priorities around the world, especially from the Europeans, Abu Joudeh added.

The foreign aid system, the way it has been applied in the last 20 years, has totally distorted the Palestinian market and society. by Sam Bahour, business development expert on BuildPalestine's advisory board

Meanwhile, according to a report published last year, the crowdfunding market grew in 2014 by more than 140 percent in both Europe and North America, and by more than 300 percent in Asia. Some $3.6bn was donated to social causes via crowdfunding in the same year, while more than 344 crowdfunding platforms existed in the United States alone in 2013. The numbers are growing, prompting the World Bank to release a study hailing its potential for the global south.

The foreign aid system, the way it has been applied in the last 20 years, has totally distorted the Palestinian market and society, Sam Bahour, a business development expert who is also part of BuildPalestines advisory board, told Al Jazeera.

That ranges from skewing how the labour force is structured, with the cream of the crop going towards high-paying but short-term, international-funded jobs, which puts companies and local NGOs at a disadvantage, Bahour said, adding that donor money is also being poured into donor agendas. For example, 42 percent goes into security  and not one Palestinian feels secure  while education, agriculture, manufacturing, are completely collapsing.

While BuildPalestine cannot be a substitute to reforming the donor system, it works in parallel to that. It provides opportunities where funds go directly to the project  and thats a powerful statement.
The sound of artillery can be easily heard from the mountaintop of al-Qosh.

Although the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group was pushed back from nearby villages, the few people remaining in Saint Hormizd Monastery and the town itself are still living in a state of tension. The town, about 50km north of Mosul, is now largely deserted.

The monastery, considered to be one of the oldest still standing in Ninevah province, is virtually abandoned, with no visitors and no masses. None of the archbishops live here any more, having fled alongside most of the towns residents when ISIL, also known as ISIS, took control of large parts of Ninevah.

The monastery overlooks the Ninevah plains, and battles between the Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi forces against ISIL can be watched from the top.

I just pray every day that all of this will end very soon. We have been living in fear of ISIL for more than two years now, said Matta Rammo, 49, one of two guards who remains at the monastery.

Ghazwan Elias, 36, who heads a local community organisation for the less fortunate, described the situation as catastrophic.

All my people have left the town. I refuse to leave, he told Al Jazeera. I want my children to be raised here, in my country, here in Iraq.
The scrutiny of the three African withdrawals from the ICC should not be reduced to accusations of seeking impunity.

On November 16, the signatories to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court will come together for the 15th session of the Assembly of States Parties, and for the first time theyll have to face defections. In a matter of weeks three states withdrew from the ICC after being signatories to the Rome Statute for more than a decade.

On October 12, Burundis parliament adopted with an overwhelming vote a law on the withdrawal of the country from the Rome Statute. On October 19, South Africas Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane signed an Instrument of Withdrawal. And Gambia, from where the current ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda hails, jumped on the bandwagon by declaring its decision to withdraw on October 26.





Unsurprisingly, this latest development has unleashed a fierce debate, largely cast in black and white terms as a struggle between good and evil, between those supporting justice those seeking impunity.

Amnesty International decried South Africas announcement as deep betrayal of millions of victims worldwide. Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, questioned the commitment of Burundi, South Africa and the Gambia to justice.

Beyond the black and white

While these sentiments are understandable, we should not forget that major powers such as China, Russia and the United States have refused to become ICC members. The discussion on the three withdrawals should not be reduced to a black-and-white choice between justice and impunity.

The withdrawals are not a rejection of the ICC in its entirety, or even less so of the ideals of international justice. Instead they are a reaction to the structural flaws underlying the international legal order which, as it stands, now looks more like an Orwellian animal farm, where some are more equal than others.

The ICC's battered relationship with Africa is on the verge of breaking. But the current crisis might turn out to be an opportunity for inclusive discussion and change. by

It is a legal order characterised, as the academic Amy Niang put it, by the absence of a moral equivalence in the implementation of legal principles across all countries regardless of size and political and economic endowment. It maintains a status quo where might is right.

The ICC has been made to reinforce and entrench the Orwellian animal farm character of the system by vesting the veto-holding members of the UN Security Council with the power to refer situations in some countries to the ICC, while shielding themselves  or close allies  from scrutiny of the court.

OPINION: African leaders and the bias of international justice

The withdrawals relate to concerns raised over the years on how the ICC has gone about implementing its mandate in Africa. In this regard, the first concern is about the launching of prosecutions during ongoing armed conflicts where mediation efforts are under way.

In its Instrument of Withdrawal, South Africa stated that it has found that its obligations with respect to the peaceful resolution of conflicts at times are incompatible with the interpretation given by the International Criminal Court of obligations contained in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

An ICC agenda?



Related to this is also the concern around the prosecution of sitting heads of state and governments. In the context of Sudan and Ivory Coast, this is seen as attempt at regime change in the name of pursuing the ICCs agenda of prosecutorial justice or as a breach of the sovereign electoral choice of citizens in the case of Kenya.





The decision of the African Union extraordinary summit in 2013 was not to initiate or continue prosecution of heads of state or government during their term of office to avoid politicisation and avoid fear of the ICC being used to effect regime change (PDF).

The issue of temporal immunity came out clearly in South Africas withdrawal. Its Minister of Justice Michael Masutha argued that the implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Act, 2002, is in conflict and inconsistent with the provisions of the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act, 2001.

While there is no agreement on mass withdrawal, South Africa, Burundi, and Gambia are unlikely to be the only African states to leave the ICC. Uganda, Chad, Kenya and Namibia are also considering their withdrawal.

The ICCs battered relationship with Africa is on the verge of breaking. But the current crisis might turn out to be an opportunity for inclusive discussion and change.

Demands for immunity for serving heads of state and the taking into account of reconciliation efforts before prosecution have been voiced before. Perhaps this time the ASP will give these concerns due hearing and curb further withdrawals and the longstanding fierce opposition from many African states.

Solomon Ayele Dersso is a senior legal scholar and an analyst on Africa and African Union affairs.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Congratulating President-elect Donald J Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared a YouTube clip on his Twitter account stating that he is confident that the two of us working closely together will bring the great alliance between our two countries to even greater heights.

Although Netanyahu did not specify the issues that he believes would strengthen the already close US-Israeli alliance in the clip, his right-wing choir was quick to explain.





Minister of Education Naftali Bennett, the head of the Bayit Yehudi party, asserted that the era of a Palestinian state is over.

Trumps victory, he clarified, is an opportunity for Israel to immediately retract the notion of a Palestinian state  which would hurt our security and just cause. This is the position of the president-elect, as written in his platform, and it should be our policy, plain and simple.

The possibility of an independent Palestinian state is, of course, inseparable from Israels settlement project. Not surprisingly, therefore, Yossi Dagan, head of a Jewish regional council in the colonised West Bank, declared that the US elections mark a shift in this respect as well: We have high expectations for a significant change in how the Israeli government treats Judea and Samaria following the election of a US president who is a friend to the settler movement in the West Bank. We expect an end to the construction freeze, and even more.

As if to confirm Trumps support of the settlement enterprise, Jason Greenblatt, Trumps chief legal officer and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, who has been tapped as Trumps adviser on Israel, commented on Israels Army Radio that, in the next four years, there would be a stark departure from the long-time American stance that Israeli construction in areas captured in the 1967 Six-Day War makes it more difficult to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Trump, in other words, is very unlikely to pressure Israel to slow down settlement construction on Palestinian land.

Israel will get what it wants

Alongside settlements, Israeli politicians believe that Trump will help legitimise Israeli sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem, including the swath of land that is most sacred to Muslims. Likud Member of Knesset Yehudah Glick rushed to invite Trump to celebrate his victory on the Temple Mount, known to Muslims across the globe as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary.

Given that Trump does not appear to believe in the Armageddon, it is unlikely that he will revel in his victory at the worlds third-most holy mosque. His extremely conservative and evangelical vice president, on the other hand, would have probably wanted him to do so.

Trump may seem to be capricious, but there is a direct and very straight line connecting his racist and misogynist views to Israels colonial project.

At the 2009 AIPAC convention, Mike Pence declared that Israels enemies are our enemies; Israels cause is our cause. If this world knows nothing else, let it know this: America stands with Israel. One issue the next president and his vice president clearly agree upon, however, is the need to legalise Israeli rule in all of Jerusalem, and they intend to carry this out by moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Netanyahu likely had Jerusalem in mind when he commented on the deepening US alliance with the Zionist state in his YouTube clip.

Finally, a third issue that will further boost US-Israeli relations in Netanyahus view is Trumps views on Iran. In an AIPAC meeting in March this year, Trump announced that his number one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran and to stand up to Irans aggressive push to destabilise and dominate the region.

While a few commentators have claimed that it is unlikely that Trump will disregard the nuclear deal with Iran, Netanyahu is set to pressure Trump to stand by his previous promises. It is, therefore, not surprising that in one of his first tweets after the elections, Netanyahu noted: We are also concerned by Iran, which champions the destruction of Israel and also supports 360-degree terror on five continents.

While everyone appears to agree that Trump loves Israel, some commentators say that he remains a mystery because he is utterly unpredictable. On my own WhatsApp account, acquaintances have compared him to former Prime Minister Menachem Begin, claiming that, like Begin, who surprised the world when he agreed to withdraw from Sinai in return for peace with Egypt, Trump may do the unexpected and pressure Israel to dismantle settlements and withdraw from the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

OPINION: What will Trump do on Syria?

This, however, is wishful thinking thats totally disconnected from reality. Two points need to be made in response to this line of reasoning, which seems quite prevalent among certain liberals in Israel and the West.

First, Trump has surrounded himself by extremely right-wing pro-Israel advisers who want to bolster the colonial settlement enterprise, move the US embassy to Jerusalem, and undermine the Iran nuclear deal.

This is why the replacement of the first African American president by a man endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan was received with such great fanfare in the corridors of Israeli power.

Second, and most importantly, Trump may seem to be capricious, but there is a direct and very straight line connecting his racist and misogynist views to Israels colonial project. And history has taught us that it is reckless to brush aside racist and demagogic leaders.

Neve Gordon is a Leverhulme visiting fellow at SOAS, University of London.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy
Attack claimed by Taliban at facility near Kabul that houses the largest contingent of US soldiers in the country.

NATO says at least four people have been killed in an explosion inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, with the Taliban claiming responsibility for the attack.

The explosion struck at dawn on Saturday inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield, north of Kabul, as the Taliban step up attacks on Western targets before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs.

The nationalities of those killed were not immediately known after the blast, which highlights a worsening security situation nearly two years after NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan.

An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded, NATO said in a statement.

READ MORE: No consensus in Afghanistan on how to deal with Taliban

Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident.

Waheed Sediqqi, spokesman for the Parwan provincial governor, said the bomber managed to enter the heavily protected site and was standing in a queue with Afghan labourers when he detonated a suicide vest.

Bagram Airfield, close to Kabul, has frequently come under attack by Taliban fighters.

Al Jazeeras Abdullah Shahood, reporting from Kabul, said the base is in a heavily guarded area where people only with exclusive access can enter.

An Afghan police official told us that the person who got in with the explosives must be a dual citizen and someone who has an access pass and is trusted to go without escort, he said.

Worsening situation

The explosion underscores a worsening security situation nearly two years after NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan.

The US currently has around 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, with the largest contingent stationed at Bagram Airfield.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistans largest US military base.

It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.

On Thursday, four people were killed and 128 others were wounded when a suicide bomber drove a lorry loaded with explosives into the German consulate in the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif.
Hundreds of thousands of Indians stand in line for third day to swap banned notes as banks struggle to cope with demand.

Anger has intensified in India as banks struggle to dispense cash following the governments snap decision to withdraw large-denomination banknotes in what it said was an attempt to uncover billions of dollars in undeclared wealth.

Tempers frayed on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of people queued for hours outside banks for a third day to swap 500 and 1,000 rupee banknotes ($7 and $14) after they were abolished earlier in the week to curb black money and to tackle counterfeit currency.

Its absurdity on the part of the government to have announced the demonetisation overnight, as 85 percent of currency is held in 500 and 1,000 rupee denominations, Prabhat Patnaik, an economist and professor emeritus at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said.

It's absurdity on the part of the government to have announced the demonetisation overnight. by Prabhat Patnaik, economist

Government could have given a period of time, say six months to a year, to exchange old notes with new ones  but not abruptly.

Customers argued and banged on glass doors at a Standard Chartered branch in the capital New Delhi after security guards blocked the entrance.

Nearly half of Indias 202,000 ATMs were not operating on Friday and those that did work quickly ran out of the new notes as scores of people descended upon them.

It seems utterly ridiculous that no measures were taken to provide currency notes to millions of people across the country before such a big step was taken, Patnaik told Al Jazeera.

On Saturday, Arun Jaitley, finance minister, said cashpoints had not been adjusted to handle new currency notes prior to the announcement in order to keep it under wraps.

Recalibration of ATMs will be completed within two weeks, he added.

READ MORE: India sets up team to unearth black money

Serpentine queues have been seen across the country and part of the delay is because people are required to present proof of identity, even though millions of Indians still lack proper identity cards.

Others turned on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, criticising his ongoing visit to Japan while ordinary people suffered at home.

He is taking bullet train rides in Japan and here you have old people knocking on bank doors for cash, said Prabhat Kumar, a college student who said he had spent six hours in the queue.

He has made a terrible mistake.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a Modi rival, accused the prime minister of wreaking havoc on poor and working Indians, while the wealthy found ways to skirt the new rules.

Theres chaos everywhere, Kejriwal said.

Modi said he would pursue the fight against corruption and tax dodgers, even if it meant scanning decades-old records.

If unaccounted money is found out during the current clean-up drive, accounts of tax evaders dating back to the countrys independence in 1947 will be checked. If required, I will hire people for this task, Modi told the Indian community in Kobe, Japan.

He said he recognised that people faced difficulties as the transition to the new series of banknotes takes place, but added that he was confident they would stand by the decision as part of what he called the war against corruption.

READ MORE: India  The next global economic powerhouse?

Much of Indias rural economy is powered by cash transactions, with few people having bank accounts.

The shock decision on Tuesday has left millions of people without cash and threatens to bring much of the cash-driven economy to a halt.

Withdrawal of purchasing power will lead to contraction of the economy and recession, Patnaik said, adding: A lot of small businesses will temporarily shut down and it will be difficult to revive them.



The hunt for Indias black money

Jaitley, however, said that there could be short-term disruptions to the economy, but this would prove positive in the longer term.

Traders at a Delhi vegetable market said they were considering shutting it down.

We might have to close down until the situation stabilises, said Metharam Kriplani, president of the Chambers of Azadpur Fruit and Vegetable Traders.

People in Mumbai said grocers were charging 10 times the price of salt in return for accepting the old cash notes.

In another incident, a newborn reportedly died after a doctor at a local clinic refused treatment because the parents could not pay the bill in banknotes of less than a 500-rupee denomination.

The government has asked people to exchange the old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes by December 30. The countrys central bank in a statement carried by local PTI news agency said printing presses were running at full capacity to sustain demand for new notes.

Modis move was aimed at shrinking the black economy, the term widely used to describe transactions that take place outside formal channels, and which could be as high as 20 percent of gross domestic product, according to investment firm Ambit.

India demonetisation: Chaos as ATMs run dry

Patnaik, the economist, said there was a complete misconception around the idea of black money.

It is not just holding of notes, black money involves a range of activities that are undeclared and unaccounted for, he said.

Normal [legal] businesses also do transactions in cash and they will also be affected by the governments decision.
China invest $46bn in CPEC project, hoping link to Gwadar port will lead to easier trade with Middle East and Africa.

Parts of a multibillion-dollar trade route between China and Pakistan have opened, with the first Chinese trade caravan reaching Pakistans port city of Gwadar.

The 3,000km trade route, called the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), links Chinas Xinjiang province with Gwadar in Pakistans Balochistan province.

China is investing $46bn in CPEC and hopes it will lead to easier trade with the Middle East and Africa.

The route cuts across the high road over Khunjerab Pass, situated more than 5,000 metres above sea level.

Once a part of the ancient Silk Route, this road will become a vital link for China to Gwadar. It is being built with Chinese help to become part of a new maritime Silk Route.

This investment will help to turn around not only Pakistans economy but also it will enable Pakistan to become self-sufficient in energy and improve its infrastructure, Ahsan Iqbal, minister for planning and development of Pakistan, told Al Jazeera.

However, local Pakistani manufacturers, under the Organisation for Advancement and Safeguard of Industrial Sector (OASIS), say the CPEC poses new challenges for the domestic industrial sector.

The Chinese industry has achieved economies of scale over the years, primarily due to their huge domestic market, industry-friendly policies and multiple incentives by the government, Atif Iqbal, OASIS executive director, told local Pakistani media on Friday.

Supporters of the CPEC say it is a one-time opportunity for Pakistan to resolve its crippling power-supply shortfalls, and for the first time to establish a nationwide network of logistical infrastructure.
A 2020 goal of $100bn in climate finance was originally set in Copenhagen in 2009, but that is now in question.

President-elect Donald Trumps policies are likely to make it harder for developing nations to obtain the growing finance they need to combat climate change, threatening one pillar of a 2015 international agreement to slow global warming.

There is widespread unease about climate finance at the November 7-18 talks on climate change among almost 200 nations being held in Marrakesh, Morocco after Trumps election victory.

My only worry is the money, said Tosi Mpanu Mpanu of Democratic Republic of Congo, who heads a group of the 48 least developed nations. Its worrying when you know that Trump is a climate change sceptic, he told Reuters news agency.

Many developing nations promises to act under last years Paris Agreement set pre-conditions including increasing funds to help them limit greenhouse gas emissions and make their economies more resilient to heat waves, floods, storms and rising seas.

Without extra money, they say they wont be able to do so much. Trump, who has called man-made climate change a hoax, wants to cancel the Paris Agreement and halt any US taxpayer funds for UN global warming programmes.





If he follows through, that will threaten a collective pledge by wealthy nations in Paris to raise climate finance from both public and private sources from a combined $100bn a year promised for 2020.

Since Trumps win, nations from China to Saudi Arabia have reaffirmed their support for the Paris Agreements goal of eliminating net greenhouse gas emissions sometime from 2050 to 2100.

Investments in green growth can be braked  green finance can be braked, under Trump, French Environment Minister Segolene Royal said, calling some of Trumps climate policies catastrophic.

Irans water crisis

Among the first casualties could be the Green Climate Fund (GCF), meant to help developing countries act. Rich nations promised the GCF $10bn in a first round of funding in 2014, including $3bn from the United States.

President Barack Obamas administration has only made $500m available so far, and Trump may withhold the rest.





The collective 2020 goal of $100bn in climate finance was originally set at a summit in Copenhagen in 2009. Democrat Hillary Clinton, defeated by Trump, announced US support for the plan at the time as US secretary of state.

In the run-up to a Paris summit last year, the United Nations sometimes referred to climate finance as a golden key to unlock a global deal.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has estimated that climate finance reached $62bn in 2014 and a report last month, before the US election, said the $100bn seemed in reach.

Many environmental groups say the flows are exaggerated.

Morocco sees no turning back for climate pact

Moroccan Environment Minister Hakima el-Haite said developing nations were most likely to suffer from a lack of funds to help them adapt to climate change, such as building sea walls or developing drought-resistant crops.

A shift from fossil fuels was more robust because falling prices of solar or wind power were making renewable energies competitive with coal or oil in many markets.

This is not a business where we need to have funds, she said of a shift to renewables.

According to the International Energy Agency, renewables accounted for a record 153 gigawatts of electricity capacity added worldwide in 2015, more than half of the world total. Cumulative installed renewable power capacity overtook coal for the first time last year, it said.
Portland police say suspect confronted and then shot a demonstrator who was taken to hospital with non-lethal injuries.

A police manhunt is on for a suspect who shot an anti-Donald Trump protester in Portland, Oregon, after they got into a confrontation, as demonstrations against the US president-elect continue.

Protests have taken place in various parts of the United States since Wednesday after the controversial Republican candidate Trump was elected the 45th US president.

On Saturday, hundreds resumed marches in New York City. In Chicago, hundreds more  including families with small children  chanted No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcome here as they marched through Millennium Park, a popular downtown tourist attraction.

Were horrified the country has elected an incredibly unqualified, misogynist, racist on a platform that was just totally hateful, said Mary Florin-McBride, 62, a retired banker from New York who held a sign reading, No Fascism in America.

Police said in a statement that the Portland attacker got out of his vehicle on a bridge where he confronted and then shot the anti-Trump protester, who was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.





A search was on for the gunman, who reportedly fled in the vehicle after the attack and is still at large.

Anti-Trump protests swept across the cities of Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco and Portland on Friday, drawing about thousands of people who voiced anger at the billionaire businessmans controversial campaign rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims and women.

Other small demonstrations were held in US cities. Some waved American flags or carried signs reading Not My President.

Earlier in the night, protesters blocked traffic and threw objects at Portland police dressed in riot gear, who responded with pepper spray and flash-bang devices. At one point, police pushed protesters back and appeared to take at least one person into custody, according to footage on a local NBC affiliate.

IN PICTURES: Violence erupts as anti-Trump rallies sweeps US cities

Hundreds joined a Love Rally on Friday afternoon in Washington Square Park in New York Citys Manhattan.

In Los Angeles on Thursday night, police arrested about 185 people, mostly for blocking roadways or being juveniles out past curfew, according to police.

One officer was treated in hospital for injuries suffered during the protest.

Anti-Trump demonstrators have voiced concerns that his presidency, due to start on January 20, would infringe on Americans civil and human rights.

They cited his campaign promises to restrict immigration and register Muslims, as well as allegations against the former reality-TV star that he had sexually abused women.

Protesters in various cities have chanted slogans and carried signs reading Impeach Trump.
Portland activists say a grassroots movement is needed to keep president-elects policies from coming to fruition.

Portland, United States  Protesters in Portland who have staged days of rallies following Donald Trumps shock election victory say they must build a strong grassroots resistance movement to survive his presidency.

Im devastated by what has happened, said Cindy Quale, who attended Fridays rally at Portlands City Hall. Therell be horrible things happening because of the election.

Trump campaigned on a platform described by many as racist, misogynistic, and bigoted.

His election stunned many Americans, especially those who supported the social justice progress made under Democrat President Barack Obama over the past eight years.

Protests erupted on Wednesday in Portland and other cities across the US, including New York City, Los Angeles and Seattle following Trumps election as the 45th US president.





Portland activists said they had to act now to voice their opposition to the types of harmful policies Trump talked about during the often nasty campaign.

Donald Trump is going to help ruin America  simply Im not okay with that  my family is Mexican, said a protester named Lillith, who declined to give her last name.

The system clearly isnt working and we need to start something different, Lillith said as she held a sign saying: #NoMorePresident.

Fridays protests began with a heal-in of hundreds organised by Portlands Resistance  a group formed after the Republican leaders victory.

Last night, in the ongoing wake of Portlanders desperate attempts to understand their new reality under a Trump regime, a movement was born  one that we hope will help to elevate Portland as a bastion for peace, refuge, sustainability and social innovation for years to come, the group said in a press release.

Demonstrators said they planned to take a break from marching after violence broke out in Thursdays rally, following which local police asked protesters to stay home. One person survived a gunshot wound, dozens were arrested, and property was damaged as police clashed with some protesters.

The organisers disavowed the violence by a section of the protesters. But at the same time, quoting Martin Luther King Jr, said, Riots are the language of the unheard.

Heal-in is Portlands Resistances new tool of protest that involves diologue and sharing of ideas on a diverse range of issues such as race and police violence.

In order to survive president Trump, there needs to be a strong resistance, the group said.

About 200 people joined the heal-in, where they broke off into several circles to allow people to speak about their ideas for making Portland a better city, and to discuss their campaign to repair damage done in Thursdays demonstration.

Speakers talked about the threat Trumps campaign promises posed to them and their families. From police violence to racist policies Trump campaigned on, activists said they needed to mobilise.

One speaker brought up police violence and the role that racism plays in it. At the end of her speech, she shouted I hate racism! with the crowd repeating the words.

A protester named Meera, who declined to give her last name, said she came out in support of her family.

My mom is Muslim, Meera said. One idea Trump floated during his campaign was a ban on Muslim travel to the US and creating a special database to identify Muslim citizens.

Don Waggoner, another protester at the heal-in, said: Im here to oppose fascism.

The idea that American citizens would have to carry special IDs is textbook fascism. We have to do something otherwise well all end up in a cell, Waggoner said.

As activists continued to discuss ideas on how to oppose impending racist policies, hundreds more protesters gradually joined them.

Many had handkerchiefs over their faces and some held shields in anticipation of clashes with police.

As they began their march, appeals to remain peaceful were blarred out of loudspeakers.

Police had lined up a block away and informed protesters to stay on the authorised route. One demonstrator with his face covered walked towards the police line alone, with two middle fingers up in the air.

As the police message repeated, protesters began shouting, Whose streets? Our streets!

People marched carrying posters with the anarchist symbol, while a protester threw a Molotov cocktail. The march eventually broke into different groups, with one splinter group vandalising parts of the city and another disrupting traffic.

Police used flash bangs and tear gas on Friday against protesters who didnt follow the authorised march route. One was shot by an unknown assailant near the Morrison bridge.

Its cause and effect, said protester Waggoner.

An activist named Jessie, who declined to give his surname, said he thought the protests would continue for at least a week.

It could even start something bigger, like World War III or a civil war, Jessie said, holding a shield.
Thousands unhappy with president-elects campaign rhetoric take to the streets of major cities for third straight day.

Thousands of protesters have taken their frustration over Donald Trumps presidential election win onto the streets for a third straight night, following previous outbreaks of window-smashing and fire-setting.

Protests swept on Friday across the cities of Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco and Portland  where one protester was shot, voicing anger at Trumps controversial campaign rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims and women.





The unidentified man was wounded on Portlands Morrison Bridge in the early hours of the morning, as he and other protesters crossed it during a demonstration.

Other small protests were held in Detroit; Minneapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Olympia, Washington DC; and Iowa City.

In the Portland incident, police said in a statement that a man got out of a vehicle on the bridge where he confronted and then shot a protester, who was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The suspect is still at large, police added.

Earlier in the night, protesters blocked traffic and threw objects at Portland police dressed in riot gear who responded with pepper spray and flash-bang devices. At one point, police pushed protesters back and appeared to take at least one person into custody, according to footage on a local NBC affiliate.

IN PICTURES: Violence erupts as anti-Trump rallies sweeps US cities

Hundreds joined a so-called Love Rally on Friday afternoon in Washington Square Park in New York Citys Manhattan.

There were no reports of violence or arrests at the rallies, unlike on Thursday night when demonstrators in Portland threw objects, damaging new cars at a dealership.

Police there arrested at least 26 people.

Arrests in Los Angeles

In Los Angeles on Thursday night, police arrested about 185 people, mostly for blocking roadways or being juveniles out past curfew, according to police.

One officer was hospitalised for injuries suffered during the protest.

Anti-Trump demonstrators have voiced concerns that his presidency, due to start on January 20, would infringe on Americans civil and human rights.

They cited his campaign promises to restrict immigration and register Muslims, as well as allegations against the former reality-TV star that he had sexually abused women.

Protesters in various cities have chanted slogans, including No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here! and carried signs reading Impeach Trump.

In Portland, up to 200 people took part in protests on Friday they called Heal-in.

In Tennessee, Vanderbilt University students sang civil rights songs and marched through the campus across a Nashville street, temporarily blocking traffic.

A protest also occurred in Minneapolis.

In Chicago, multiple groups planned protests for Saturday.

Call for unity

Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman, acknowledged on Friday the tight race with the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, but said anti-Trump protesters have to accept the election results.

He pointed to Trumps call for unity and meetings on Thursday with President Barack Obama and Republican leaders as reasons for reassurance.

Security barricades now shield some of Trumps most visible properties, including the newly opened Trump International Hotel near the White House and Trump Tower in New York.

Trumps base of support in the election was the broad middle of the country, from the Heartland through the Rust Belt, with voters in states that had long supported Democrats shifting to Trump after he promised to renegotiate trade deals with other countries.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters in Seoul demand Park Geun-hyes resignation over corruption scandal.

Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans have taken to the streets of Seoul to demand the resignation of scandal-hit President Park Geun-hye, in one of the largest anti-government protests in decades.

On the back of official appeals for calm, police deployed around 25,000 officers on Saturday for the third instalment in a series of weekly mass demonstrations in the South Korean capital that have left Park fighting for her political life.

In an effort to soothe public anger, Park has issued several apologies, reshuffled her top officials, and even agreed to relinquish some of her extensive executive powers, but the popular calls for her to step down have been relentless.

We are feeling the weight of the serious public mood, Jung Youn-kuk, presidential spokesman, acknowledged on Friday.

Prosecutors are investigating allegations that Choi, 60, leveraged her personal relationship with the president to coerce donations from large companies like Samsung to nonprofit foundations which she set up and used for personal gain.





The scandal engulfing Park is focused on a close personal friend, Choi Soon-sil, who is currently under arrest on charges of fraud and abuse of power.

She is also accused of interfering in government affairs, despite holding no official position.

On Saturday, prosecutors questioned the head of the countrys largest steelmaker as well as a top Samsung executive.

Kwon Oh-joon, Posco chief executive, was interrogated about allegations surrounding the 2014 sale of the companys in-house advertising unit.

Kwon was the first head of a major South Korean conglomerate to be questioned over the scandal.

The allegations are that one of Chois associates attempted to force the company that bought Poscos advertising subsidiary to hand over 80 percent of its shares.

Reports of the unhealthy influence Choi wielded over Park have sent the presidents approval ratings plunging to record lows.

READ MORE: Park Geun-hye: Scandal is all my fault and mistake

Police said they had planned for a crowd of around 170,000 for Saturdays demonstration, while organisers said they expected between 500,000 and one million to turn out.

Tens of thousands arrived in Seoul by buses and trains from provincial cities around the country. One group of 1,000 protesters flew in from the popular southern resort island of Jeju.

Such numbers make it one of the biggest anti-government rallies since the pro-democracy protests of the 1980s.

The organisers were talking about a million people coming to the streets of Seoul today, Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett said, reporting from Seoul.

Its impossible to estimate at this point, but it is an enormous protest and very well-organised.

A protest in June 2008 against then-president Lee Myung-baks decision to lift an import ban on US beef drew 80,000 people according to police, while organisers claimed 700,000.

In a televised press conference on Friday, Lee Joon-sik, deputy prime minister, voiced concerns at the possibility of illegal collective action or violence.

We hope the public will cooperate so that the demonstration will be legal and peaceful, Lee said.

The two previous rallies were largely peaceful, with a large number of families attending, including couples with infants and young children.

Although opposition lawmakers said they would attend Saturdays protest, they have largely avoided direct resignation calls and appear more interested in extracting more concessions from Park in terms of devolving power to the legislature.

Among people in their 20s, Parks support is down near zero percent in the latest Gallup poll, said Al Jazeeras Fawcett.

But [the opposition] arent really sure what to do with it because if they do drive her from office, there isnt really a unifying figure on the left of politics to take up the mantle of the presidency right now.

The candlelight rally was scheduled to begin at 4pm local time (07:00 GMT) at Seoul City Hall, followed by a march in the direction of the presidential Blue House.

Police plan to erect roadblocks to keep the crowds well away from Parks official residence, and organisers said they would respect police boundaries.
ISIL fighters have launched several fierce counterattacks against Iraqi forces on the eastern outskirts of Mosul city, underscoring the intense battle ahead as government troops and their allies push into densely populated neighbourhoods.

An ISIL suicide car bomber targeted Iraqi troops in the citys eastern Qadisiya neighbourhood early on Saturday, setting off heavy fighting that involved mortar rounds, gunfire, and rocket-propelled grenades.

Iraqi officers told the AFP news agency that fighting was also under way in the adjoining Arbajiya area.

The fighting is intense this morning. Were trying to fortify our positions in Arbajiya before continuing our attack into al-Bakr, Colonel Muntadhar Salem, of the counterterrorism unit, said.





Salem later clarified that the aim was to surround the al-Bakr neighbourhood, but not to assault it for now.

To the south of the city, militarised Iraqi police said they had come within 5km of Mosuls airport, which satellite images show has been heavily fortified by ISIL.

The images, taken earlier this month by US-based private intelligence firm Stratfor, showed ISIL fighters having cleared terrain and levelled buildings around the airport and a nearby former military base on the west bank of the River Tigris.

Rows of concrete barricades, earthen mounds and rubble could be seen blocking key routes into the city centre.

READ MORE: Inside ISILs bomb-making factory

Thousands of Iraqi regular troops and special forces, Shia militias, Kurdish Peshmerga, and other groups in an alliance of 100,000 fighters.

The nearly four-week campaign that began on October 17 to drive ISIL, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group, out of the biggest city under its control is also backed by thousands of western personnel on the ground and US-led air power, including fighter jets and Apache helicopters.

The International Organization for Migration said on Saturday more than 49,000 people had been displaced since the operation began.

In recent days the advance has slowed as they fight their way into densely populated neighbourhoods, with the urban landscape making defence easier for ISIL.

Iraqi armed forces do not release casualty figures, but field medics have noted that dozens have been killed and wounded.

Winning back Mosul would be a major blow to ISILs self-declared caliphate. In a rare audio message released earlier this month, ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi  whose whereabouts are unknown  said there could be no retreat in a total war against the forces arrayed against ISIL, telling fighters they must stay loyal to their commanders.

In a brief published on Friday, the UNs human rights office said ISIL carried out a series of executions and abuses and that 40 people had been killed by the armed group for treason and collaboration with Iraqi forces and their allies closing in on the city.

Dressed in orange jumpsuits, the bodies of the victims were hung from electrical poles in several areas around Mosul, the UN said.

Civilian deaths

As street battles raged deeper into the city, civilians  some of them carrying white flags  walked towards the citys outskirts.

Meanwhile, the UN warned of a possible exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees from Mosul, which is still home to as many as 1.5 million people.

The World Health Organization said it has set up 82 rapid response teams to manage risks of epidemics, chemical exposure, and other health worries among people fleeing Mosul.

The UN health agency said water and sanitation in camps for displaced people could face disruptions as the numbers of those fleeing Mosul grew, raising the risk of food and water borne diseases such as cholera.
Army and allies regain control of several districts, rolling back recent rebel gains in besieged northern city.

Syrian government forces recaptured territory in the contested city of Aleppo, reversing all gains rebels made two weeks into their counterattack.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor with sources on the ground, said on Saturday that the army and allies made several advances on the divided citys western edge, hampering the rebel offensive to break the siege on opposition-held districts.





The group said government forces regained control of Al-Assad and Minyan districts in the west of Aleppo.

State television said the army swept the suburban area for land mines.

The epic battle for Aleppo has failed, said the Syrian Observatorys chief Rami Abdurrahman, using the term the rebels had assigned to the offensive.

Zakaria Malahifji, head of the political office of the Fastaqim rebel group fighting in Aleppo, confirmed the armys gains.

Of course, when the regime takes control, it has a negative effect, but there is persistence among the rebel factions, he said. And hopefully there will be change in the coming days.

The city has been divided for years between the government-held west and rebel-controlled east.

UN: Eastern Aleppo residents at risk of mass starvation

Syrian forces launched a major Russian-backed assault on eastern Aleppo in September after besieging the area, which is home to about 250,000 people.

On October 28, rebels counterattacked in a bid to break the siege, targeting western districts of Aleppo, but their progress slowed after early successes.

Aleppo has become the most intense front in the war pitting President Bashar al-Assad  helped by Iranian militias and Russian air power  against rebel groups, some backed by Turkey, the United States, and Gulf monarchies.

Russia said its air force has been observing a moratorium on air strikes on rebel-held eastern Aleppo since October 18.

I live in Aleppo, under siege

Prior to that, the Syrian Observatory and emergency workers said heavy air strikes had killed at least 450 people, and hit hospitals and other civilian facilities.

An armada of Russian warships, meanwhile, is now in the eastern Mediterranean off the Syrian coast after being sent to reinforce Russias military in the area.

The commander of Russias flagship Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, Sergei Artamonov, said via videolink the ships are now jointly carrying out tasks, manoeuvering to the west of the Syrian coast.
Brazen attack by disguised suicide bomber at Bagram airbase north of Kabul also wounds 17 other people.

A Taliban suicide bomber dressed as a labourer blew himself up at the NATO airbase at Bagram north of the Afghan capital Kabul, killing four Americans and wounding at least 17 people.

Two US military service members and two US contractors were killed on Saturday, and 16 other US service members were wounded, along with a Polish soldier who was part of the NATO mission.





For those who carried out this attack, my message is simple: we will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future, US defence chief Ashton Carter said in a statement.

The explosion struck at dawn on Saturday inside the heavily fortified Bagram based as the Taliban steps up attacks on western targets before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs.

Waheed Seddiqi, spokesman for the Parwan provincial governor, said the bomber managed to enter the heavily protected site and was standing in a queue with Afghan labourers when he detonated a suicide vest.

Bagram Airfield, close to Kabul, has frequently come under attack by Taliban fighters.

No consensus in Afghanistan on how to deal with Taliban

Al Jazeeras Abdullah Shahood, reporting from Kabul, said the base is in a heavily guarded area where people only with exclusive access can enter.

An Afghan police official told us that the person who got in with the explosives must be a dual citizen and someone who has an access pass and is trusted to go without escort, he said.

Worsening situation





On Thursday, four people were killed and 128 others were wounded when a suicide bomber drove a lorry loaded with explosives into the German consulate in the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif.

The Taliban said that attack was retaliation for air strikes near the northern city of Kunduz last week, which killed more than 30 civilians.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Saturdays blast  which he said had been planned for four months  had caused heavy casualties, killing 23 Americans and wounding 44. The group often exaggerates the number of casualties caused by its operations.

The explosion underscores a worsening security situation nearly two years after NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan.

The US currently has about 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, with the largest contingent stationed at Bagram Airfield.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistans largest US military base. It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.
Dr Marc Lamont Hill is an award-winning journalist and author and is the Steve Charles Professor of Media, Cities, and Solutions at Temple University. Hill is known for his work addressing the intersections of race, justice, politics and culture. His latest best-selling book is We Still Here: Pandemics, Policing, Protest and Possibility which follows on the success of Nobody: Casualties of Americas War on the Vulnerable from Flint to Ferguson. Hill has received numerous prestigious awards from the US National Association of Black Journalists, GLAAD, and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
Donald Trump wins a smashing victory on Tuesday, and the aftermath is all lovey-dovey. The Wicked Witch of the West Hillary makes a gracious concession speech. President Barack Obama extends an olive branch to Trump. Meanwhile, Soros-backed leftist agitators agitate the campus snowflakes, twenty-something basement dwellers, and alternative music wannabes to take to the streets. The election results are causing tantrums. But the universal, thundering condemnation by Democrats of their spoiled brats brigades gives heart. No? No thumping condemnation across the Democratic Party? No mainstream media outcry? That should give you a hint to real feelings.

Hillarys and Baracks magnanimity cant be hooey, say the right-proper elites. The mainstream media (the propaganda organ of the Democratic Party, lest we fail to remind) praised both for their post-election swellness, albeit without the MSMs typical ebullience. Republicans did so as well, because a lot of Republicans arent terribly street-smart.

Realists have serious doubts about Baracks and Hillarys sincerity. Yep, theres still some decorum left in America, and both had to abide it on Wednesday -- and Barack with Trump at the White House on Thursday. Very shortly, though, Donald Trump, demeaned but days ago as a loutish orange-haired hotel and casino builder and operator with illusions of Putin, will have the power to unleash hell on both. Both must have bouts of cold sweats with the thought. Could the hell being visited upon Clinton and Obama factor into their niceness toward The Donald?

Rudy Giuliani  Trumps top choice for attorney general -- is rumored to be a bulldog. Theres word on the street that he took down the NYC mob in the 80s. There are rumblings around DC that Barack has been advised by Trumps agents not to pardon Hillary.

Hillary, in particular, but Barack, too, has dirty hands. Something about private servers, highly classified information being exchange over said servers, lying, and such. Barack, the fortunate son, probably skates. Hillary may not be so fortunate, she having spent her adult life scooping up poop behind her compulsively horny and dishonest hubby. Oh, and having to clean up her own mountain of poop, too.

Unless Barack pardons her, defying the warnings. Thats a distinct possibility, but how would that play as part of Baracks legacy? Isnt pardoning Hillary tantamount to an admission of a lot of wrongdoing on her part? Pardoned without any indictments (yes, multiple in Hillarys case)? Heck, without one grand jury being convened. Without convictions? Smells like a fix. That might just be the conclusion drawn by the public and future historians.

If Barack fixes Hillary, hed have to fix Bill, too. But just fixing it for the two Arkansas grifters isnt enough. There are, perhaps, a couple of dozen lesser personages who are accessories to Hillarys and Bills crimes, high and low. That big web spun from Hillarys violations of national security and the Clintons play-to-pay mega scheme -- branded drolly the Clinton Foundation -- has ensnared a lot of people, mostly Democrats.

Hillary and Bill set free by Barack the Benevolent might not sit well with many of those lesser personages implicated. A bunch may not share John Podestas Goebbels-like fealty to the glue factory-destined Clintons.

The Clintons living the remainder of their seedy existences in luxury and narassitic indifference at Chappaqua and Orgy Island might rankle pardon-deprived minions, particularly when they find themselves in the crosshairs of a special prosecutor. Kitchen duty at maximum, medium, and minimum security pens doesnt quite have the charms of a Jeffrey Epstein bacchanal. Many will sing like canaries, turning states evidence for reduced sentences, thereby doing in bigger fish among their comrades. The affair will have the eerie reminiscence of the Donner Party.

What of Huma, Hillarys joined-at-the-hip aide? No pardon for her. How much will Hillary be willing to pony-up and raise to lawyer-up Huma? But even the best most highly paid, high-powered attorneys cant guarantee Huma walking. Her erstwhile nothing-to-lose perv husband, Tony Weiner, may now be driving a few nails in Humas legal coffin. Huma may rue the day she fashioned the chains that conjoined her to Tony and confined her in the Clintons dungeon.

Nonetheless, even if the Clintons never see the inside of a court of law, moreover a jailhouse, the revelations and testimony from the help about the Clintons criminal undertakings will convict them in the court of public opinion. Historians will one day rank both in the annals of ignominy a thousand rungs lower than Aaron Burr and Benedict Arnold combined. As Trump might say, the Clintons are bad hombres.

Of course, its going to be up to President Trump to kick off the legal festivities. Donald Trump, if anything, is a man of his own mind. His mind needs to continue to bend toward justice. Not malice, not revenge -- justice.

In the coming days, many will be the whispers in Trumps ear with the same message: For the sake of the nation, lets just move on. But justice unrequited would leave a huge agenda item unaddressed. Leniency for the Clintons and their henchmen sweeps justice under the nations rug. Its vital that the rule of law not be trampled. There cant be two standards of justice in America, one for elites and the other for Joes and Janes. Pursuing justice isnt a distraction; its an imperative.

For those of us who back Trump, were confident that his campaign declarations will translate into presidential action. His attorney general -- be that Rudy or someone else -- spearheading investigations and indictments would play too partisan. But a special prosecutor -- a professional of stellar, fierce reputation, amply resourced -- is the ticket. Let the facts and evidence lead to findings and decisions. Americans will abide indictments or exonerations honestly and diligently arrived at.

Its always wise to be wary of politicians bearing gifts. When theyre Democrats, that goes double.
While Hillary Clintons basket of deplorables was marching to the polls, pitchforks and torches in hand, to deny her access to the presidency and a new revenue source for the Clinton Foundation, Scooter Libby got his law license back and was reinstated to the bar by the D.C. Court of Appeals.

Libby was vice president Dick Cheneys chief of staff when he was charged with obstruction of an investigation into the outing of Valerie Plame as a CIA operative. Plame was in fact a desk jockey at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, not a secret agent in harms way. As Investors Business Daily noted:

Remember the alleged outing of the already known CIA officer and desk jockey Valerie Plame? We were told then that the Vanity Fair cover girl's 15 minutes of fame jeopardized our national security even if everybody already knew who she was. "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, went to jail because his memory of events and who said what to whom regarding Plame differed from the recollections of others, particularly news reporters.

Libby in fact did not out Plame, who was not a covert operative. Hillary Clinton, whose faulty memory caused her to say to the FBI she couldnt recall some 39 times, did in fact endanger the lives of foreign operatives in her carelessness, as FBI director James Comey put it, regarding classified emails.

Scooter Libbys crimes included making false statements to the FBI in the case of the alleged outing of well known CIA desk jockey Valerie Plame. If anyone has made false statements to the FBI, it is one Hillary Rodham Clinton. Saying you dont recall more than three dozen times doesnt pass the Pinocchio test.

Plame was, as noted, a well known desk jockey at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Hillarys lies and reckless carelessness included the transmission of emails containing the names of actual CIA operatives in the field involved in clandestine operations. As the New York Post reported:

Hillary Clintons e-mails included the names of CIA officers serving overseas and foreigners who are on the spy agencys payroll -- potentially endangering their lives, it was reported Monday. Its a death sentence, a senior intelligence-community official told the Observer. If were lucky, only [foreign] agents, not our officers, will get killed because of this. The paper said the intelligence community is in panic mode trying to determine which agents may have been compromised. CIA officials assume foreign agencies intercepted unencrypted e-mails stored on Clintons. home server while she was secretary of state.

So why was Libby convicted and Hillary Clinton not even indicted? In an interesting historical footnote, Comey, who falsely claimed that no serious prosecutor would take the case of Hillary Clinton, was among those who found sufficient evidence to prosecute and convict Libby. Comey, it appears, has even more explaining to do. As the Daily Caller reports:

Washington D.C.-based former U.S. Attorney Joe DiGenova believes the Libby decision is a terrible blow to FBI Director James Comey, who announced Sunday that the agency had no new conclusions on Hillary Clinton and her private server from the 650,000 new emails found on Anthony Weiners laptop. Scooter Libby was restored to the practice of law by the DC court of appeals because they believed that Scooter Libby presented evidence that his original trial had been corrupted by false testimony. And that false testimony was coerced by Jim Comeys friend Patrick Fitzgerald and Comey was part of the team to destroy the vice president of the United States and it didnt happen, DiGenova said. He added, Its such a smack in the face to Jim Comey. Comey and Fitzgerald tried to frame Scooter Libby, and they did.

The evidence against Hillary is damning, and the line of prosecutors willing to take the case would encircle the FBI building in Washington, D.C. Judge Michael Mukasey, former attorney general under President George W. Bush, listed the charges that Hillary Clinton could face on Fox Radios Kilmeade and Friends:

We are looking at a range of things, everything from the misdemeanor that was charged against General Petraeus, which is putting classified information in an unprotected, unclassified setting, thats a misdemeanor. Then there is destroying government records. Then there is taking information related to the national defense and treating it with gross negligence such that it becomes disclosed. And finally, there is obstruction of justice.

There is the destruction of evidence under congressional subpoena. As even Comey admitted, Hillary lied about sending and receiving classified material, about having only one device, and about turning over all her emails. If intent is needed, what is accidental about smashing devices with hammers or using BleachBit to render emails unrecoverable? If you need a motive for having a private server, which speaks to intent, the obvious purpose is to cover up the pay to play trail that leads from the State Department to the Clinton Foundation.

As Investors Business Daily editorialized, donations to the Clinton Foundation even played a factor in the refusal of Hillary Clintons State Department to designate Nigerias Boko Haram as a terrorist organization for two years:

Hillary's emails may be only the tip of an iceberg that could include Clinton Foundation donations to shield Boko Haram from being designated a terrorist group and her brother's involvement in a Haitian gold mine. In interviews with the Post, both Rodham and the chief executive of Delaware-based VCS Mining said they were introduced at a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, which seems more and more to be an unseemly mix of charitable work with the political and business interests of Clinton Foundation donors. And then there's Hillary's strange dealings regarding the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram, which just recently pledged its allegiance to the ever-expanding Islamic State -- dubbed the "JV team" by President Obama, who has yet to make good on his pledge to degrade and destroy them. Last May, we wondered why for two years on Hillary Clinton's watch the State Department refused to designate a Nigerian Islamist group as a terrorist organization. This group has murdered thousands as it wages a real war on women. As Josh Rogin at the Daily Beast reports, the Clinton State Department "refused to place Boko Haram on the list of foreign terrorist organizations in 2011" after the group bombed the United Nations headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria How many of the more than 30,000 "personal" emails that Hillary deleted from her private account relate to these matters? Is that why she needed a private email server? We need to see that server. It might provide, er, a veritable gold mine of information.

This is but one example. The public corruption of Hillary and Bill Clinton was also on display in Colombia, Haiti, and other places. Hillary Clinton has endangered the lives of our foreign operatives; placed our national security at risk; lied to Congress, the FBI, and the American people; and used her public office to enrich herself and her family without the benefit of a business or private-sector job.

Various FBI offices are said to still be investigating the Clinton Foundation, and we can only hope so. Comey doesnt think theres any fire under all that smoke, but perhaps a Trump attorney general might think differently. We have hope in Trumps own remarks in a presidential debate as reported by the New York Times:

About 20 minutes into the debate, Donald Trump delivered a menacing threat to Hillary Clinton. If I win, he warned, Im going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation, because theres never been so many lies, so much deception.  Its just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country, Mrs. Clinton observed. Because, Mr. Trump replied youd be in jail.

This is not a third-world country, where leaders incarcerate their predecessors and opponents on a whim. But we are a nation of laws, and Hillary Clinton has broken many of them. Her only accomplishment in public office has been to so far avoid prosecution. President Trump should keep his promise to incarcerate this fugitive from justice. The voters have denied Hillary Clinton the presidency. A Trump Justice Department should deny Hillary Clinton her freedom.

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine, and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
On June 23, 2016, U.K. voters shocked the world by voting for Britain's exit from the EU, or "Brexit," 52%-48%. P.M. Theresa May hopes to invoke Article 50 and go for a hard Brexit shortly. A majority of economists in both the U.S. and the U.K. (as well as most politicians, in fact), including the IMF and BlackRock, predicted an economic calamity if the withdrawal happened. The pound would collapse, the Eurozone and especially the U.K. would fall into deep recession on par with the 2008 crisis, and there would be widespread economic and sociopolitical panic.

Four months later, the only real casualties are the reputations of such predictors of ruin.

Paul Krugman, a self-avowed Keynesian economist with strongly liberal political views, warned in advance that such predictions were unfounded. In fact, he's one of the few who had asserted anything different from the mainstream story of a complete U.K. recession. Despite being an opponent of the U.K. exit, Krugman urges economists to not let political opinions cloud their economic reasoning in "The Macroeconomics of Brexit: Motivated Reasoning?"

I'm not a huge fan of Krugman's economic beliefs and especially his political principles, but he is a brilliant award-winning economist who makes some insightful observations. Krugman agrees with most economists when he asserts that U.K. trade will probably take a bit of a blow  most U.K. imports and exports are from the EU, so backing away from the Single Market would intuitively lead to some trade conflicts. The U.K. would have to renegotiate extensive trade deals with most of the European countries. In fact, even if the U.K. somehow ends up with a Norway-type agreement with the EU (Norway has rejected calls to be part of the EU; instead, it's part of the European Free Trade Association), firms would be less excited about investment because of the widespread uncertainty, and trade flows would be inhibited. By reducing the I portion of Aggregate Demand, where GDP = C + I + G + (X-M), the real GDP would decrease (Figure 1.0). I purposely made the shift to the left of the aggregate demand curve miniscule, as it is in fact not clear at all whether the uncertainty will impact business investment, or whether, indeed, it will affect it at all.



Figure 1.0  Impact of Brexit on Investment and AD (S. Chan)

On the other hand, Krugman disagrees with many of his fellow economists, whom he accuses of "sloppy thinking." Many are blind followers of "free trade," however accurate that term is, and expect that the slightly decreased long-term output of the U.K. as a result of Brexit would translate to an immediate massive recession, which has certainly not happened. Krugman remarks that sometimes uncertainty will cause businesses to invest even more  in effect, to cover themselves for the future because of the uncertainty. Because the pound would drop, it would be wise for businesses to invest as soon as possible so they could buy more foreign currency and resources with the same nominal amount. There is uncertainty then, but uncertainty in and of itself may not create an aggregate demand shock.

Critics would argue that uncertainty  especially in a huge policy shift like Brexit  will induce shareholders to sell off stock and for businesses to save up for the unexpected along with decrease in consumer confidence, causing major loss in real GDP, but we haven't seen that happen so far. British stocks are back to pre-Brexit level heights and are climbing (Figure 1.2). In fact, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) itself has walked back its gloomy assessment of the U.K.'s economy and predicts a several-percentage-point increase in GDP next year  some of the biggest growth in developed nations. This is because, when the uncertainty is resolved, we could have an explosion of investment as delayed investment decisions are made a few months later. In addition, while consumer spending took a bit of a dip, they are back up to pre-Brexit levels.



Figure 1.1  GBP vs USD: Not that big of a drop (Bloomberg Markets)



Figure 1.2  British Stocks: Small dip, Massive recovery (Bloomberg)

However, possibly a side that many economists have not brought up is the fact that because the U.K. has a different currency from the Eurozone's, it is bringing the aggregate demand back to equilibrium. When its currency is devalued (precisely due to the fact that it has a more flexible currency than the Eurozone), this could allow foreign countries to buy more U.K. products  which are seen as cheaper, relative to pre-Brexit  causing the net exports of GDP to go up. In effect, then, it is likely that aggregate demand will not shift much due to Brexit  any decreased investment will be counterbalanced by the drop in the pound, leading to greater net exports. Monetary policy, then, can offset any decrease in aggregate demand.

Krugman argues that everybody will become so scared about the safety of their U.K. assets that the real value of the pound bounces low enough and expanding exports soak up all labor exiting from investment-goods industries, bringing it back to full employment (Figure 1.3). In fact, the pound has not fallen anywhere near as far as consensus would have it (Figure 1.1).

The independent currency the U.K. possessed is precisely what gave it more incentive to leave the EU. If the U.K. had the euro, we might run into major issues like what happened with Greece in that country's debt crisis. With a semi-rigid currency, the U.K. would not be able to drive the pound down, allowing for greater investment at home to create more exports and hence greater aggregate demand. In fact, probably a solution to some of Greece's problems would be to leave the euro immediately. Sure, their currency would devalue, but it would fuel domestic investments and allow for a greater exports-minus-imports difference (yes, their trade balance is insanely negative). That's a whole different essay.



Figure 1.3  Possible Increase of AD due to Increase in X-M (S. Chan)

Granted, Brexit will cause some problems for aggregate demand as a whole, but this could be offset by another factor: diversification of the U.K. economy and a less stratified, more equal economy as whole. As Krugman argues in another article, "Notes on Brexit," this weakening of the financial sector helps British manufacturing and industry. Before Brexit, the U.K. was experiencing something called the "Dutch Disease"  essentially, when natural resource exports or financial exports crowd out manufacturing and boost up the currency.

By letting the currency drop, I suspect that while London's great financial section will take a hit, U.K. manufacturing will increase. This in turn will cut into the trade deficit, which was draining blue-collar jobs that rely heavily on exports. China's currency devaluation is part of the reason why its manufacturing is exponentially growing and its trade surplus is the highest in the world, resulting in some of the largest GDP growth. Meanwhile, after the uncertainty from Brexit dies down, it's likely that financial firms that had fled to the Continent will return and reinvest.

The negative effects of Brexit have been overhyped and are, as Krugman points out, spurious. The worst that can happen is a small percentage decrease in GDP in perpetuity and a reshuffling of the British economy. The proof for the negative effects of even these events is not entirely conclusive.

Meanwhile, there are several notable benefits of leaving the European Union. Firstly, there is the freedom and liberation from an essentially unfree and undemocratic governmental body  the EU has become an elitist globalization advocate. Britain leaving the EU would allow itself to re-establish national sovereignty, leaving out the possibility of another Greece problem. In addition, the EU is failing fast  Britain's unemployment is one of the least in the EU at about 5%, matched only by Germany. Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland are all out of the EU, and they maintain some of the lowest unemployment rates in Western developed nations (under 5%). The U.K. still is in on the Commonwealth, which has been expanding rapidly compared to the sick, ailing EU, ahead in both growth and GDP (given that the U.K. drops out of the EU).

Given all this, I think the U.K. has been wise to leave when they could. We'll see in the next couple of years whether France and Germany follow.
Paul Krugman writing for the New York Times on Wednesday expressed dismay at the victory of Donald Trump. He said in part; We thought that the great majority of Americans valued democratic norms and the rule of law. Here is a newsflash for Mr. Krugman: we do.

Trump might not have been a perfect candidate. But his resounding election represents a collapse of the establishment. An establishment based on crime. The halls of power live off of theft through confiscatory taxation, licensed killing by abortion, and political kidnapping. An establishment, never forget, that Mr. Krugman supports.

Yes, Mr. Krugman, we still believe in the rule of law. Trumps election was all about restoring the rule of law and applying the law to an establishment that feels exempt from legal oversight. Yet the establishment does not understand this reasoning. The only possible reason for Trumps support, from the point of view of the elites, is some sort of latent desire in the minds of the productive citizens of the United States for the good old days of lynchings and segregation. I hardly think it is the Trump supporters that are stuck in the past.

Judging by the sheer outrage radiating from the media clearinghouses after the results came in, the establishment feels threatened. They do not feel comfortable in a world that is not dominated by the Clinton and Bush machines. In a nation where the elite are shunned, their practices are scrutinized, and the people hold institutional crime to account, they are operating in completely new territory.

We cannot let them get accustomed to the terrain. When the Allied forces in World War II swept into North Africa, exposing the soft underbelly of Nazi-occupied Europe, Winston Churchill made the following rousing observation: Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. I ask the readers, what would have happened if the Allies had stopped advancing after reaching Tunisia? Hitler would have made up the lost time very easily.

And in the words of Patrick Henry, we must not react by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope. Trump is merely one man. Every vehicle of the establishment will be called out to oppose him or buy his people off. If we bask in the sun of Trumps largely unexpected victory, the establishment will recover from the knockout blow and again operate without the oversight of the people. Criminality will advance yet again from the bureaus of D.C.

Electoral victory, and the four years of respite from the norm that the victory brings, (the same norm which Mr. Krugman longs for) must be backed up by real political action at all levels of government. Allow me to set forward a list of tactical objectives that must be understood, and pushed, over our short respite from an establishment-controlled paradigm.

1. Abortion should be limited by regulation of abortion mills to keep them sanitary.

Following the Kermit Gosnell trial in 2013, state level regulations have been slowly closing down many unsanitary and dangerous facilities. Abortion mill closures quantifiably save lives. We can step in here and force movement in the right direction by entering into a conversation with our state representatives. It is up to us to hold our delegates to their promises. Also, giving financial aid to organizations that help single mothers and adoption agencies, or founding new services with the same goals, replaces the demand for establishment-licensed killing.

2. Property taxes should be opposed, and replaced or abolished where possible.

The bureaucratic elite lives off of confiscatory taxation. Property taxes are the least justified because the claim behind the tax is that the government has a right over private property. Clearly, the reasoning violates the right to property held so dear by the Founders.

Private business and private charity should replace government coercion in supplying the services financed by property taxation. Local school systems and welfare need some vigorous competition from private sources. In Detroit, illiteracy rates hit 93% in 2015. The citizens of Detroit are literally being robbed in order to finance the creation of an ignorant class of citizens doomed to sit on the states payroll. Detroits situation is merely an extrapolation of where the rest of the nation is heading.

Such actions are unacceptable in a country wishing to preserve its freedom. But we cannot expect others to do the work for us. Private institutions that actually help those suffering and abused children should be founded. Or perhaps a new service could grow off an existing non-profit or religious organization like a church or synagogue. Either way, those children must be saved from the entity that wishes to enslave them, and thereby a powerful argument for property tax reductions may emerge.

Do not lie supinely on your back and hope that your newly elected representative will do it for you. You elected him or her to get out of your way, not to solve your problems.

3. Voter fraud must be limited by auditing the voter rolls for deceased persons, illegals, and felons.

Prior to the election on November 9, several stories broke about voter fraud in Virginia, California, and Colorado, just to name a few. Now that we have elected legislators opposed to voter fraud, it is time to hold them to their promises. Call them, write them, and enlist the support of the community and other elected officials such as the sheriff. Just and fair elections are essential to the republican process. Oh, and yes, Mr. Krugman, fair elections do represent the rule of law.

The above is only a very short list of issues that must be hit, and hit hard while the establishment is still reeling. Private entrepreneurship, lobbying of state representatives, writing letters to the editor, political blogging, going down to your state house and testifying before a legislative committee; it all needs to happen. We have our respite from the onslaught of the criminal establishment, but we need to do something with it or we will not be better off four years down the road.

To modify an expression I have heard quite often recently -- weve drained the swamp but we still have to kill the gators.
It is no secret that Kurds have been working towards self-rule for decades now. Iraqi Kurds gained autonomy in 1992 after the U.S. implemented a no-fly zone during the first Gulf War. Syrian Kurds are also carving out their historical territories in northern Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011. Sykes-Picot is slowly but surely fading; world powers U.S. and Russia are scrambling to maintain influence. While the international community is occupied with Kurdish referendum calls, in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Rojava gaining broader support in Syria, Erdogan has quietly upped his aggression towards the Kurds in Turkey.

A fully independent Kurdistan, encompassing all four regions (Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran) is a complex undertaking, one that will be gradual and will take shape in a domino effect. The KRG will be first to gain independence from Iraq, following the battle to liberate Mosul from ISIS. Kurds in Syria have already declared a federal state called Rojava (West-Kurdistan) and are determined to follow through despite Ankaras objection. Turkeys Kurds must follow suit and prepare for self-rule.

There are 20 million Kurds in Turkey alone, mostly living in the south-east region, the inevitable divorce is in the making, all thanks to Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish state has not treated its Kurdish minority as equals ever since the creation of the republic in 1923. For nearly a century, the Kurds in Turkey have suffered under numerous regimes and military campaigns, recent events against elected Kurdish officials has only added fuel to the fire and triggered anger across the country.

Erdogan will not allow Kurds to live in peace unless they submit wholeheartedly to the Turkish nation. Kurds have attempted to approach the Turkish state through armed struggle and through nonviolent means, and both have failed. The question is, will the Kurds continue to live under fire or will they take action the way their counterparts did in Iraq and Syria?

It is obvious that the authoritarian regime of Erdogan is many more steps ahead of the Kurds. Realizing that Kurds in Syria are gaining ground, he has quietly attempted to block any sort of unification with the Kurds in Turkey by building a 560-mile long concrete wall bordering Rojava. The wall is estimated to be completed within five months. Erdogan has used the guise that the security wall is to prevent terrorists from spilling over into Turkey. Furthermore, he has continued to bombard the YPG Kurds, a U.S. ally in Syria. Turkeys involvement in Syria is also increasing under Operation Euphrates Shield which is aimed at preventing the unification of the Kurdish-controlled cantons of Jazira, Afrin, and Kobane by forcing the YPG to move west of the Euphrates River.

Just a few days before the early morning purge against the democratically elected pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party or HDP, a Turkish court prevented co-chair of the HDP Figen Yuksekdag from traveling abroad. Turkish news Anadolu agency stated that the court decided Yuksekdag was a "flight risk" and had links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Turkey views as a terrorist organization. Figen Yuksekdag is now in prison, as is the other co-chair Selahattin Demirtas. The illegal detainment of Kurdish MPs was followed by the replacement of elected Kurdish administrators in the south-east with unelected Turkish appointed ones.

To make matters worse, Erdogan is working towards reinstating capital punishment, something the EU is strongly against. The death penalty was abolished in 2003 two years before Turkey began the process of joining the 28-nation bloc. Erdogan has urged the Turkish parliament to move forward with the bill announcing he believes the government will pass it with the right decision. If the parliament does go through with the decision, the accession talks with the EU would end. Capital punishment in Turkey is aimed towards the Kurds, squashing any hope of Kurdish aspirations for self-rule by instilling fear among the population. It would not be surprising if in the near future the detained Kurdish MPs face the death penalty.

Lastly, Erdogan is demanding that Turkey move towards an executive presidency system in order gain greater control. Since 1982, the office of the president in Turkey holds only symbolic powers, which exempts him from political responsibility, giving greater control to the prime minster. This was one of the main reasons why former PM Ahmet Davutoglu was replaced with Binali Yildirim in early 2016 -- because his views aligned much better with Erdogan. Erdogan also realizes that a Turkey within the European Union would mean more restrictions on his position. Greater decision-making power would allow him to bypass the restraints he currently faces to go after the Kurds.

Erdogan is clearly laying the groundwork to make it much easier to target those who mention desires for any sort of self-rule. Before it is too late, Kurds in Turkey must work to implement autonomous zones in the east. This comes with its own difficulties and will require the assistance of Rojava and the KRG, mainly from pro-PKK Talabanis Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Turkeys democracy has not progressed since its founding, and the Kurds inside the country have been held hostage. The Kurds in Turkey should act now before Erdogan becomes the sultan he believes he is.
During the early morning hours of November 9, 2016, Donald Trump greeted his supporters and well-wishers at the Hilton Hotel in New York City after it was announced that he had won the presidency. During his remarks he referred to the forgotten man who is no longer forgotten. In doing so, he provided a clue to his political identity that has eluded the commentators.

It is interesting to this writer that his expression forgotten man is a term identified with the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and was first used by FDR to define his vision in a radio speech given on April 7, 1932. Lets look at the parallels between that speech and the Trump persona offered during the campaign.

FDR in this radio address said, [I am not going to] speak merely as a Democrat myself. The present condition of our national affairs is too serious to be viewed through partisan eyes for partisan purposes. DJT repeatedly describes himself as leading a movement. This movement transcends so-called partisan politics.

FDR referred to his participation in WWI which was ten million men equipped with physical needs and sustained by the realization that behind them were the united efforts of 110,000,000 human beings. It was a great plan because it was built from bottom to top and not from top to bottom. Similarly, DJT has condemned the elitist stance of the Democrats who want to govern with a top-down, we-know-whats-best-for-you attitude. Thus, they consistently enlarge government and remove liberties through regulations and dumb trade agreements under the so-called principle of the greatest good for the greatest number (but in reality a father knows best philosophy where the federal government is father).

Trump is accused by his opponents as being too negative with his Make America Great Again slogan, with its implication that we have fallen from greatness, and that the hope and success that formerly resided within these borders is no longer there. FDR noted with parallel negativity that the Nation faces today a more grave emergency than in 1917. How negative is that? Even though we were in the Great Depression to say things were worse than after a war where millions were killed or died could be seen as a pretty negative statement.

However, FDRs central point appeared about half-way through his speech. He said, These unhappy times call for the building of plans that rest upon the forgotten, the unorganized but the indispensable units of economic power that build from the bottom up and not from the top down, that put their faith once more in the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Compare this with Trumps reference to the forgotten man, and also with his emphasis on election night as well as throughout his campaign that he intends to rebuild our inner cities and the American infrastructure. One cannot hear these words without an almost reflexive thought about the Works Progress Administration, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Public Works Administration under the New Deal.

FDR called the publics attention to a particular sector of the economy that was suffering: the small farms of the agricultural sector. He said, How much do the shallow thinkers realize, for example, that approximately one-half of our whole population, fifty or sixty million people, earn their living by farming or in small towns. They have today lost their purchasing power. Trump has also focused on one sector of the economy as the key to understanding our sinking growth rate: the manufacturing sector, which has atrophied over the past 40-50 years under both the Democrats and the Republicans.

For FDR, the result of farm poverty is that The result of this loss of purchasing power is that many other millions of people engaged in industry in the cities cannot sell industrial products to the farming half of the Nation. For Trump, the decline of manufacturing has meant increased dependence on foreign countries, more people needing food stamps and governmental benefits of all kinds (a loss of individual self-sufficiency), and a flat or even negative GDP growth rate that is getting worse, not better. Trump says he wants to reverse this trend of shipping manufacturing jobs abroad, and possibly provide incentives that bring back some of those jobs that were shipped abroad.

Trump, like FDR in his 1932 speech, also puts considerable emphasis on trade policy. FDR condemned the existing law governing trade policy at that time, the Smoot-Hawley Act with its high tariffs. He said, This country during the past few years, culminating with the Hawley-Smoot Tariff in 1929, has compelled the world to build tariff fences so high that world trade is decreasing to the vanishing point. Trumps view of trade is just the opposite. He believes the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction, although he is not denying the value of free trade. Rather, he sees an unfairness in our multilateral free trade system that is unjustly and unnecessarily impoverishing the forgotten man (many citizens who are being boiled alive in a cauldron of currency and trade manipulation). Like FDR, he understands that the forgotten man cannot be remembered apart from dealing with the trade dimension of the economy.

FDR stressed the restoration and uplifting of the farm sector and the towns dependent on that sector. Trump emphasizes the uplifting of the manufacturing sector and the millions of people, both whites and ethnic minorities, who have not transitioned to the supposedly new service economy. FDR suggested a rethinking and revamping of our trade policy with a view to stimulating growth and with it the economic viability of the forgotten man and woman. And lastly, FDR proposed relief for the small banks and institutions. Similarly, Trump is proposing deregulation whereby the regulatory burden on small businesses, including smaller banks, will be reduced. Like FDR, Trump does not want to see only bailouts of the major investment banking firms, the largest commercial banks, and vast companies like AIG. He sees the failure of the bailouts and the Stimulus Act of 2008 to help Main Street, to help those most hurting in a weakened economy.
It pains me to say this, but it was truly disappointing seeing Bishop T.D. Jakes on MSNBC helping to further the left's lie that the election of Trump is horrible for America. Jakes said, "We are dealing with shock, grief over election outcome."

Clearly, Jakes was complicit in helping MSNBC undermine Trump's presidency by branding him an evil racist and sexist. MSNBC, which has no moral bottom, wanted to send minorities the message that they should be fearful of Trump and the angry white voters who elected him. These people are scum, folks.

Several black Christian leaders have joined the left in furthering the socialist-progressive agenda, allowing their mission to trump truth, facts, and even Jesus. For crying out loud, when you research the term "abuser of women," Hillary's picture is there. Her Democratic Party has a long history of racism against blacks: the KKK, Jim Crow laws, the bigotry of lowered expectations, Planned Parenthood founded for the purpose of black genocide, and so on.

And yet, MSNBC, Oprah, and other powerful blacks choose to ignore Hillary's multiple crimes against women, blacks, and America. Instead, these evil leftists have launched an all-out assault on Trump to convince minorities that white Americans just elected Hitler.

I remember my 88-year-old preacher Dad saying to us as kids, "While you did not join the devil in committing sin, you held the devil's coat." Jakes's language regarding the election of Trump is not as harsh as MSNBC's and Oprah's, but he is definitely holding their coats.

Publicly criticizing a man of God is awkward territory for me, folks. 1 Chronicles 16:22 says, "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm." I believe that Jakes is a man of God. Over the years, Bishop Jakes's ministry has blessed me on numerous occasions.

Dishearteningly, Jakes's behavior represents the baffling and disturbing disconnect I have seen in many black Christians between their politics and their faith. It appears that many black Christians have chosen the false gods of their racial bigotry and their loyalty to the Democratic Party over their commitment to Christ. I am not being provocative. I am simply stating the truth.

A black pastor's wife  a relative of mine  claims to be devout. And yet her Christianity takes a back seat to Obama (his picture plastered all over her home) and her loyalty to the Democratic Party. How does she ignore Obama and the Democrats' aggressive War on Christianity and anti-biblical platform?

Facts proving how Obama's presidency and Democrat policies have harmed blacks only spark outrage in her, seemingly to the point of wanting to kill the messenger. H er zombie loyalty is impenetrable. She voted for Hillary, ignoring the fact that Hillary would have led the charge to further ban God from the public square, murder more black babies, and push through the anti-Christian LGBT agenda.

One could say, "This black pastor's wife is simply a product of decades of the left demonizing Republicans." Fine. But why is her mind so closed to hearing the truth? I am not one to run around talking about spiritual possession. However, I wonder. Is there a spirit of stupidity? Just kidding.

My black pastor's wife relative is a brain-dead racist fool. However, high-profile black Christians such as Jakes and Tyler Perry, who should know better, are Hillary supporters/Democrat operatives. They have even adjusted their views to line up with the Democrats' anti-biblical take on various issues. Tyler Perry joined the left in calling Georgians bigots for not wanting men to use women's restrooms.

I heard an old Jakes sermon in which he preached against what he called "the spirit of lesbianism." Now Jakes is furthering the Democrat narrative that gays are among the victimized groups threatened by Trump's presidency.

As I said, it appears that some black Christians have decided that the Democratic Party's platform trumps Jesus's platform.

Not all black Christian leaders worship on bended knee the false gods of racial bigotry and loyalty to the Democratic Party. Though they are attacked as traitors and Uncle Toms, thank God that there are black pastors who stand on the word of God. They encourage blacks to vote for candidates who line up most with biblical principles  Pastor Mark Burns, Pastor Darrell Scott, Pastor Jesse Lee Peterson, and Bishop E.W. Jackson, to name a few.

I don't know, folks. It is all so sad. All I know to do is to pray for Jakes, my black pastor's wife relative, and other black Christians to abandon their blasphemous loyalty to skin color and the Democrats and return to their first love, Jesus Christ.

Lloyd Marcus, The Unhyphenated American

Chairman: The Conservative Campaign Committee

http://www.lloydmarcus.com/
President elect Trump announced on Friday that New Jersey governor Chris Christie was being replaced as head of his transition team with vice president-elect Mike Pence.

The move comes in the wake of the conviction of two close Christie aides in the Bridgegate scandal.

Politico:

While Christie has long been a high-profile surrogate and member of Trump's inner circle, his viability as part of the team was thrown into question when two of his closest allies were convicted on charges of fraud and conspiracy related to the Bridgegate scandal. A source close to Trump said Christie will still be around  hardly a ringing endorsement. Christie issued a statement Friday afternoon, thanking Trump for the opportunity to continue in the transition effort. "As we now enter the post-election phase, I look forward to working with Vice-President Elect Pence and the rest of the leadership team to implement that template as we prepare for January 20, 2017, he said, adding, I want to thank President-Elect Trump for the opportunity to continue to help lead in this next phase and thank all of the pre-election leadership team for the outstanding work they have done over the six months leading up to Election Day." Putting Pence at the top of his transition team could signal an interest on the part of Trump in more quickly building ties to Washington, a city where he is an outsider, having never served in government at any level. The Indiana governor and vice president-elect is a former member of the House of Representatives who has maintained close ties to the capital, one of the main reasons he was selected as the Manhattan billionaire's running mate. Since then, he has served as the bridge between Trump and Republicans skeptical of his unconventional rise through the party. Many prominent GOP senators, including Sens. Jeff Flake, Marco Rubio and John McCain all said they were heartened when Pence's name began to surface as a potential vice presidential pick. In his own statement, Trump also announced that some of his most prominent surrogates will serve as vice chairs of his transition teams executive committee. Ben Carson, Newt Gingrich, Michael Flynn, Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Jeff Sessions will formally take on those roles. Christie will also serve as a vice chair.

Replacing Christie was a no-brainer, but putting Pence in charge is an excellent move. Pence not only has good ties to the Washington establishment, but he has good conservative credentials that should reassure some on the right who may have worried that Trump would keep conservatives at arm's length during the transitions. Pence's appointment guarantees that the right will at least have a voice in cabinet selections as well as the equally important assistant secretaries who many times carry the load for the politically appointed cabinet member.

With the exception of Christie, who probably won't be on the short list for any cabinet position, the transition vice chairs are all in line to be given serious consideration for a cabinet slot in a Trump administration. It will be interesting to see where president-elect Trump will go to fill out the remainder of his top advisers  especially in foreign and defense policy, where establishment Republicans totally repudiated Trump, with many voting for Hillary Clinton. There are sure to be many experts from think-tanks eager to serve in a Trump administration, so he won't have any trouble filling open slots.
The wailing, the shrieking, the gnashing of teeth, the pitiful cries of liberals are a cacophony of outrage and disbelief. Their corrupt cesspool of a candidate, Hillary Clinton, was rejected by a public grown tired of the condescending contempt heaped on our heads by liberals who scream "racist," "sexist," or "Islamophobic" if we dare utter a peep of dissension from their warped view of America.

Large swathes of the media maintain that the Democratic loss arose from a horrific combination of racism and sexism inherent in the hearts and minds of Americans. President Obama admonished men that they are sexist if they wouldn't vote for Clinton. Spoiled, self-centered celebrities spewed curse-filled rants on Twitter lamenting that Clinton lost because Americans are racist and sexist. As one untalented actor stated, "rural is stupid."

The left fanned the flames of every grievance imaginable, told the members of every identity group that they were the victims of blatant, pervasive discrimination. They systemically shamed anyone who questioned that orthodoxy with the swift and brutal repression employed against heretics during the Spanish Inquisition. They created a victim culture that disparages all whites as racist by virtue of being born white and all men as sexist by being born male. Now they are distraught by what their histrionic accusations have wrought. It is beyond their comprehension why those they unabashedly stereotype as deplorable and irredeemable have voted down their tyranny of character assassination.

Democrats wonder why the polls didn't reveal the deep disgust of millions of Americans with both their corrupt candidate and their deformed ideology that impugns basic American values and maligns the majority of the nation as inherently racist. It was impossible to voice opposition to Hillary Clinton without being viciously attacked as sexist, racist, Islamophobic  every atrocious name they can think to hurl indiscriminately at you.

I wrote about Hillary Clinton's corruption and was insulted as a narrow-minded, sexist idiot. This brand of public shaming leads many people to avoid talking publicly about any remotely controversial issue because, if you don't enthusiastically acquiesce to leftists' version of the victim culture, you are vilified. Yet they can't understand why people didn't voice their disagreement with them.

The Democrats poured gasoline on the burning emotions among different groups of voters and denigrated objective standards of behavior. They insisted that any statement or action by the opposition that subjectively offended anyone, no matter how thin-skinned or irrational, constitutes an unacceptable affront and "hate language." Now they are shocked that millions of voters were offended by being labeled irreparable bigots and misogynists?

The left created and advocates a mistaken belief that America is a hateful, racist, sexist society. While discrimination exists and progress remains to be made, that blanket assertion is simply not true of the vast majority of American citizens.

I have news for the Democrats: rational, caring, thoughtful people resent unfounded accusations that assault their character. Rather than examining how their choice of Clinton, the only presidential nominee ever under FBI investigation, led to defeat, many Democrats continue to slander millions of hard-working Americans for voting against their flawed candidate. What happened to their claimed inclusive, tolerant philosophy? It certainly doesn't extend to those who vote against them.

Tammie S. Haynes is an attorney and mediator living in the Houston area. She may be reached at tshaynes@tshayneslaw.com.
Under sharia law, unrelated men are not allowed to touch veiled women (unless they are sex slaves being raped, or women being beaten for walking outside the home, or women having their clitorises cut off). You can therefore understand why sharia-compliant hijabis are outraged at being patted down by the TSA when they go to board planes.

An American and a Muslim, Ms. Syed wears a hijab, or head covering. More often than not, she said, she is pulled aside at security check-in for secondary screenings and pat-downs, the examiner feeling her head through the hijab.

Could it have something to do with the fact that hijabs and burkas give people cover to hide weapons?

"Persons wearing head coverings, loose fitting or bulky garments may undergo additional security screening, which may include a pat-down," Mike England, a T.S.A. spokesman, said in an email interview. "Unfortunately, the global terror network created racial profiling against Muslims," said Hilal Elver, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara and author of "The Headscarf Controversy: Secularism and Freedom of Religion."

If only that were true. But if you've traveled at all in the past ten years, you know that children and nuns are just as likely to be the subject of intensive pat-downs as Muslims are.

Ms. Syed said that when traveling with non-Muslim colleagues, she avoids passing through security alongside them. "I don't want them to see the humiliation I am going to go through," she said.

Oh, the pain!

Daayiee Abdullah, an African-American man who is president of the Mecca Institute, an online Islamic seminary in Washington, said he reserved the right to wear cultural clothing like a thobe  a long robe  or skullcap while traveling, even though he realizes it may mean heightened scrutiny at airports. He is also an openly gay imam.

Question for discussion: If Imam Abdullah identified himself as a gay imam, where would he be more likely to suffer an indignity: at King Khalid International Airport or at JFK?

Some travel hubs, including Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, have noticeable numbers of Muslim women with head scarves working at security checkpoints.

With that level of security, it sounds as though Detroit may be the safest airport to fly from in the U.S.

But if it's any consolation to Muslims who feel unhappy with pat-downs, there is always the option to cash out:

Raed Jarrar, an Iraqi-born United States citizen, is government relations manager for the human rights organization American Friends Service Committee. Mr. Jarrar won a $240,000 settlement in 2009 from the airline JetBlue over an incident a few years earlier. He had been stopped from boarding a flight while wearing a T-shirt with the phrase, "We Will Not Be Silent" in Arabic and English, the slogan of an antiwar group.

Once again, we see zero acknowledgement from "moderate" Muslims that the enemy is radical Islam and that it is only a reasonable precaution to search people who dress in sharia-compliant way. In fact, it benefits innocent Muslims to do so, making it less likely their plane will blow up during their flights. But from the way the indignant Muslims put it, they are more hostile to the basic security functions at airports than they are to their very deadly co-religionists, making us wonder what they are thinking.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at NewsMachete.com.
There is no valid reason for the "protests" each night since Trump's election in cities such as New York and Miami and the riots in Portland. What exactly are they protesting? We had an election, Trump won, and Hillary conceded. It is over. If the "protesters" do not like the results, there is nothing they can do about it under our laws. We do not reverse election results because mobs riot in the streets. They should go home and work on reforming the Democratic Party to nominate a better candidate for 2016.

The MSM have reported that these actions are "constitutionally protected speech," but these appear to be well organized rallies by anarchists and others opposed to our system of elections. What do these "protesters" expect to achieve by rioting and vandalizing, as they have done in Portland? The Portland district attorney should convene a grand jury to investigate who is organizing these "protests." The Obama Justice Department certainly will not investigate.

The MSM spent the weeks before the election agonizing over whether Trump would "accept" the results of the election. Mike Wallace pressed Trump on whether he would "accept" the results and kept at it when he questioned Mike Pence. Of course, Wallace and the MSM assumed that Hillary would win, because they never asked her if she and her supporters would accept the results.

Hillary and her chief campaigner, Obama, have not stepped up to denounce this rioting. They should tell these protesters that the election is over, Trump won, and under our system, there is nothing to accomplish by this conduct.

This conduct by the rioters is not unexpected, given the savage attacks by the MSM, Hillary, and Obama against Trump during the last week of the campaign. They accused Trump of being a KKK racist, a sexist, and totally unfit to be president.

Obama and Hillary contributed to this polarization. It is time they step up to tell the rioters to accept the results of the election.
John Robert Bolton is the right person to take the helm of the State Department. Donald Trump himself has praised Bolton and suggested him for the post. Here I am going to tell you why his hunch was right, and why he must stay on that track.

Bolton is best for three reasons. First, he is well versed in security matters, and we live in volatile times when security issues have come to overwhelmingly dominate U.S. foreign affairs and thus should be adeptly tackled in foreign policy. Bolton is quite familiar with security threats, as he has been studying them and working to neutralize them for the greater part of his career. As under secretary of state for arms control and international security affairs (2001-2005), Bolton advised President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell on matters of security policy, especially with regard to international and regional security, defense relations, arms control, and non-proliferation.

Second, Bolton knows very well the proclivities of the Iranian regime. If you remember, one of the momentous electoral promises of candidate Trump was to abrogate the extremely ill conceived and predictably ill going so-called nuclear deal with the regime of the mullahs. The deal was supposed to curb the military nuclear ambitions of the rogue regime and then to neutralize its multiple threats to the region by opening up Iran to the free world. Not only it did not happen that way  as I confidently predicted  but the mullahs augmented their offensive all around the world. As a result, dealing with the deal has become absolutely mandatory.

As it happens, Bolton is the greatest authority on that matter. In the early 2000s, during the first phase of attempted Iranian nuclear development  a significant threat that probably not many would remember today  Bolton was a prime mover in a concerted international effort to contain the Iranian regime. As far as I remember, he was the only Western official to outspokenly state that the regime of the mullahs was intent upon producing warheads. Back then, not many took kindly to Boltons candor, but he is now vindicated.

Third, and probably best of all, Bolton is blunt, or at least that is what his opponents like to call him. For evidence, these opponents usually cite Boltons attack on the then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il amid the Clinton administrations negotiations with him to obstruct the countrys nuclear ambitions. Bolton had unabashedly dubbed the man a tyrannical dictator, which many felt would lead to the North Koreans leaving the table. Bolton would go on to call the Iranian mullahs liars a decade later during a similar round of negotiations. As it happens, both are now back on the same track they used to be on when Bolton called them names.

If calling dictators and liars what they are is blunt, then I am for bluntness. Indeed, in an age of trendy relativistic obfuscation and increasingly jargon-ridden, meandering political discourse that never gets off the ground, let alone gets anywhere, the cut-through-the-BS message of Bolton can be a blessing. Simply put, Bolton is a man who speaks his mind in the plainest manner. You might not always like what he says, but you cant help admiring his forthright attitude. And I dont need to remind you that it was the very same quality that took Trump to the White House despite punditrys predictions to the contrary.

Reza Parchizadeh is a political theorist and analyst. He has a B.A. and an M.A. in English language and literature from the University of Tehran, Iran; has studied media and communication studies at Orebro University, Sweden; and is a Ph.D. candidate in English literature and criticism at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). Reza has published five books and many articles so far both in Persian and English. Some of his articles have been translated into Arabic. His research interests include theory, philosophy, history, geopolitics, security, and cultural studies. Reza is director of the Persian-language think-tank Tahlil Rooz.
For a number of years, my online discussions with liberals have met with a common frustration. It is this: two people can hear the exact same thing and yet hear them entirely differently.

This became glaringly apparent in this year's presidential election. Time after time, Donald Trump would say something entirely innocuous  and true  and the left would cry, "racism!"

For example, he pointed out that the (effectively) open borders policy of Barack Obama has resulted in an influx of a disproportionate number of rapists and murderers from Mexico, which is demonstrably true. Yet those on the left heard Trump say that all Mexicans are murderers and rapists.

Of course, part of the problem is that Trump was speaking without carefully parsing his every word (as most of us do in casual conversation). Trump's rhetorical naivete left an opening into which propagandists of the left lunged like hungry wolves upon a wounded fawn. To be sure, a great many liberal critics of Trump know better, but unfortunately, once their false meme was established, it became accepted by the left as undeniable truth. For the remainder of their lives, many people will sincerely believe that Trump deliberately insulted every Mexican on the planet, despite his recent cordial visit with Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto. Nothing will ever change their minds.

Another part of the problem is that people often hear what they expect to hear. Often, they even hear only what they hope to hear. When they expect to hear a white person say something racist, there is an increased likelihood that they will interpret his words, however innocent, in the most unfavorable light. Such people may even seek to be insulted so that their prejudgments can be vindicated.

The difficulty is in separating those whose misinterpretations are honest mistakes from those who deliberately twist what is said so as to use it as a weapon. One cannot have a productive discussion with someone who is interested only in engaging in propaganda. It is a waste of time to try.

Another big problem with people on the left is their prejudice. For example, on an online discussion board where I had engaged in a long series of exchanges with liberals, one of them finally described me as some sort of uneducated "goober" who had probably never crossed a county line, and who probably had never befriended or worked with people of other races and religions. The list of condescending terms was long, and not a single one of them was true. To wit: as a veteran of twenty years of military service, I lived in Asia for seven years, not only on base, but among the natives. While there, I learned adequate fluency in two Asian languages. I had been in constant close contact with my comrades-in-arms who were members of a multitude of races, religions, and cultural backgrounds. I have a college degree, and of course in college I was thoroughly exposed to leftist ideas.

I inquired as to what made my respondents so sure that I was the ignorant buffoon they thought I was. Their reply was that my conservative opinions could only be those of someone who led an insulated life without contact with people of diverse backgrounds. Most of them probably still believe the stereotype with which they had painted me.

I once met a lady from the northeastern United States who told me that she had accompanied her husband, with her two small children, to a job assignment in Mississippi. After a few weeks, she abruptly returned to New England, because, as she explained, in a hilariously deep Southern accent, her school-age children had begun to "Tawk lack thee-iss hee-eer," and she was not going to have her kids speaking in a redneck dialect. (Full disclosure: As a child, I had a Southern accent, and my late mother was from Connecticut, where eventually I attended high school when my father got a job there. Now I speak mostly normally.)

While that anecdote is somewhat humorous, it actually does reveal a liberal prejudice, which is that if you speak with a drawl, you are not to be taken seriously.

On a more sinister note: Van Jones, an African-American news commentator on CNN, gave an astonishing explanation of why he thought white voters voted for Donald Trump. It could only be because we whites are racist. He entertained no other possibility. If his description was purely an exercise in propaganda, my only fear is that he has infected the minds of many young people with a false and dangerous meme.

On the other hand, if he really believes what he said, then it is truly depressing to think that intelligent people can be so abysmally deceived. Could the situation really be that hopeless?
There was another night of protests against Donald Trump's presidency in Portland, Oregon. All nights witnessed violence. Clearly, these rioters aren't giving Trump the benefit of the doubt. After all, it's quite possible that Trump will nuke Israel or marry a Muslim illegal immigrant.

Anyway, the fascistNazibigotedracist Portland police arrested 29 completely innocent and lovely people. All of them were innocent by  their own  definition. And all of them were protesting violently and hatefully against violence and hate.

These Portland peaceniks, according to the police, were also carrying bats and rocks (during their cerebration of love and joy). Pacifist objects were also thrown at the police. The police responded with racist pepper spray.

In Philadelphia, crowds held placards with the slogans "Not Our President" and "Make America Safe For All." Now, I'd suggest that rioting and random violence (against Trump supporters) isn't the best way to Make America Safe for All. That's unless anyone to the right of Pol Pot is excluded from this universal all. The other thing is that Trump is their president, whether they like it or not. And clearly  from the tantrums they've had outside their safe spaces  these cretins don't like it. Still, as some left-leaning Christian churchman put it: Their hearts are in the right place. Yes, their hearts are hidden under their weapons and Che Guevara t-shirts.

In Baltimore, the demonstrators marched through the city  in the process blocking all the capitalist traffic  waving rainbow banners (probably hugging flowers, too). Now, that's a strange fusion: rainbow banners and random violence. As we all know, historically, all those Communists and Trotskyists who were against nuclear weapons were only really against the British and American capitalist states having them (i.e., not against the Soviet Union and China having them). Now we have pseudo-pacifists and peaceniks who believe in violent demos and violent revolutions. These people just don't like capitalist violence.

Now for Chicago. Im with the driver who shouted, Shut up and accept democracy at these juveniles. Im also with Rudy Giuliani. He called protesters (on college campuses) a bunch of spoiled crybabies. Some may think thats a bit over the top on Giulianis part. However, he was reacting to the sad fact that these students were suffering from what clinicians call democracy-anxiety  and, thus, theyre now being offered therapy (to ease their massive political woes).

Perhaps this is a naive question. Ill ask it anyway: whats the connection between Trump being elected and the smashing of shop and car windows? Did Trump own these shops and cars? As for setting rubbish alight: that rubbish mightnt have even voted for Trump. (My guess is that the rubbish was Clintonite.)

So what has Trump had to say about all this?

On the one hand, Trump has said that the demonstrations were incited by the media. On the other hand, Noam Chomsky (Praise Be Upon Him) often tells his legions of disciples that the platonic mainstream media is uniformly evil  that is, right-wing (i.e., non-Chomskyan). The fact is, however, that the mainstream media  not every nook and cranny of it, of course  is culturally and politically left-wing and only economically capitalist. For Chomsky, thats still not enough. He wants his books to sell even more than they already do. He wants his monthly books to be reviewed by the New York Times every week instead of every few months (as is presently the case). Only then will Chomsky, and his mindless tribe, be happy.

Readers will be aware that many Clintonites and violent demonstrators have said that the Trump presidency will create deep divisions along racial and gender lines. Oh yeah?! So, on the 7th of November, 2016, every damn thing was hunky-dory? So what was all that guff coming out of the backside of the Black Lives Matter movement? Shouldnt these morons have said that Trumps presidency would create deeper divisions, not deep divisions? Trump could of course create deep divisions if he were omnipresent and omnipotent. As it is, certain Americans (as groups) create divisions for themselves to bathe in, not individuals on their own. And even the most powerful man in the world can only really tap into moods and positions that already exist.

Lets face facts. Liberals/Leftists have a serious problem with democracy. Of course, most people already know that. Just a quick glimpse at the 20th century demonstrates it. The U.K.s Brexit Show showed it, too. And now we have riots in Portland. Democracy is all fine and dandy when it goes the right way  when it delivers exactly what these people want. When it goes in the wrong direction, then theres violence and talk of revolution  or, in the U.K.s case, talk of another referendum or even of London's separation from the rest of England (as some are also saying about California).

These students, layabouts, and Clintonites simply dont accept democracy. Thats crystal-clear. They accept democracy when it goes the way they want it to go. When it doesnt, theyre against it.
As the voluntary institutions of civil society atrophy, to say nothing of the notion of a transcendent Deity with an objective moral code, the state expands to fill the vacuum, and with it, the power of the American Executive. Those of the Progressive persuasion, for whom the public sphere has bled profusely into the private, see civil society as a great monolithic canvas: comforting when its values are force-fed into the culture and a horror when they are thwarted.

This is no doubt a psychological projection that reasons that the mantle of irresistible unitary power that was wielded to the aid of its own Progressive transformation will likewise be used as a double-edged instrumentality to carve the conservative agenda into the flesh of the political landscape. Little do they understand that in receding to the default position of constitutional government, a greater liberty will emerge that will benefit both armed camps.

The fact that this swing of the pendulum is met with such bitter resistance is perhaps owing to several notions: the willful ignorance or misunderstanding of constitutionalism and its corresponding litany of republican rights and/or the affirmative rejection of both for the unitary hammer of the majoritarian  the General Will of the Jacobin.

Either way, the next four years require a Promethean exertion of effort toward enlightening an emotion-driven population on the explication of ordered liberty and the bolstering of firewalls that will serve as defensive ramparts once the pendulum swings back. Indeed, Trump's agenda will require the erecting of a wall of separation, but perhaps one of a more prudent and lasting character  one that will ensure the self-preservation of the classical Western virtues, the rule of law, and the fires of free enlightened conscience once the shadows inevitably regroup  nothing less than a return to the genius of limited governance and the redemption of constitutionality. Having newly returned from our own bitter exile, the very first order of business must be to repair our own "Jerusalem wall."

Sadly, it is the doom of men that they soon forget.

Glenn Fairman writes from Highland, Calif. He can be contacted at arete5000@dslextreme.com and followed at www.stubbornthings.org or on Facebook.
Not all that long ago, AT&T was called out by the Federal Trade Commission over their practices in regards to throttling the speeds of unlimited data subscribers who ran over a certain amount of data within a given month. The case was eventually dropped, but the FTC wasnt quite done with it. AT&T, along with all other mobile providers, had been reclassified from an information service to common carrier status, which fell outside of the FTCs jurisdiction. Just when AT&T thought the case was behind them, however, the FTC made a motion to reopen it. AT&T filed papers stating why their throttling should be considered to be outside of the FTCs purview, and asking the courts to uphold the dismissal put forth by an appellate court back in August.

The dismissal hinged on the fact that AT&T is a common carrier, and thus exempt from being answerable to the FTC. The acts of throttling that were brought up in the case, however, happened before the reclassification that put AT&T on the books as a common carrier. The FTC is arguing that this is sufficient to give them jurisdiction over the case, while AT&T is firing back that pressing a case against a common carrier, of any nature, is unprecedented in the FTCs history and clearly against the rules that the commission is forced to abide by. It should be noted that the party AT&T is petitioning to uphold the dismissal is the same appellate court that put the motion through in the first place.

The FTC is arguing that fully dropping the case against AT&T would set a dangerous precedent, and severely reduce the commissions ability to keep the likes of email providers and cable companies in line when their behavior harms consumers. Because of the unique nature of the case, AT&T is arguing that the FTCs stance is hyperbole, and that dropping this case will not place any implied limitations on the authority that the FTC lawfully wields. AT&T also argues that the FTC is still able to bring suit against separate subsidiaries that are associated with common carriers, such as large entities that provide services covered by the FTC alongside common carrier services.
The last few weeks have been full of Google-related news and unlike previous years, most of it being hardware-related news. There are some new phones, a new VR headset, a new home thing, an updated Chromecast and more. Now, while some of these products (like Google Home) do offer Android TV-usage, there was no major Android TV announcement of late. Yes, the Mi Box was released but compared to their other announcements that have come through, the Mi Box is not exactly a made by Google endorsed product. So at the superficial level, with all this new hardware coming from Google, the absence of any Android TV devices that are made by Google is bad enough. However, what makes this all worse is that Google seems to be doing very little to actually promote the Android TV platform and that is disappointing.

It is no secret that Android TV needs bigger levels of adoption. It does. Android TV devices do not sell in the region that other competing products do and this has a knock-on effect for development as a whole. If more people are using, more development comes. Less people using, less development comes. Or at least, slower rates of development. Now, this also happens to be at a time when Google is on one of its biggest marketing splurges in recent memory. So Google right now is in marketing mode and yet Android TV literally gets no help on the marketing front from Google at all. To put this into perspective, this week saw Google release seven new promotional spots for Chromecast. While they might only be short spots, they are still spots. Ones which showcase Chromecast, what it can do and why you should buy it. Something which is largely absent from the Android TV scene. Google almost never seems to release any adverts showcasing Android TV, its abilities, or why you should buy it, even though it is a much more powerful TV-solution than Chromecast.

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Now obviously Chromecast is one of the new wave of Google products and it makes sense that they would be looking to push the product in the same way that any other manufacturer would hope to push sales of their latest products. But that should not take away from any motivation or incentive to support and promote Android TV. Google might not have a directly vested financial motivation to advertise and promote the platform, but at a time when they are in marketing mode and spending on advertising anyway, it would help the public to become more aware of Android TV. Which in turn would put the platform in a much better position, if Google did ever decide to release a Pixel Player. Not to mention, it would keep the general Google buzz going and further advertise how wide the Google ecosystem has become.

So although they might not necessarily reap the benefits of any direct Android TV marketing or promotion, it is still in their interest and especially as all of these products are part of a wider Google connected ecosystem. In fact, that itself is another example of how little Android TV gets when it comes to promoting the platform. Android TV is one of the products that can be used with Google Home  which is a product that Google is currently marketing hard and promoting, and yet few people are probably aware of this. Even when Google introduced Home, they did so with much of the focus on how it can connect to your Chromecast and how you can cast content hands-free with ease. But very little said about Android TVs compatibility, even though it is as fully compatible as Chromecast.

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And this is exactly where Google could defend any money spent on promoting Android TV. While they do not have a direct made by Google Android TV product on the market, the platform is one of their products and and does play nicely with their ecosystem. So advertising that it is compatible with products like Google Home would not only help the wider consumer market to understand the features and usefulness of Android TV, but would also make it clear to current Android TV device owners that their product works with Google Home. It might even sell a few Google Home devices to those Android TV owners. So indirectly, there could also be a few financial benefits to promoting the platform.

And yet, Google does not seem to promote the platform at all or on any level. It seems they have literally just left it to the manufacturers of the hardware to do all the promoting  which is another issue as none of them seem to really actively promote the platform either. They do a little to their already-aware customers, so for instance NVIDIA is quite active when it comes to reasons why you should buy the SHIELD and so on, but that in itself is preaching to the choir. Which means that from Google down to the manufacturers, Android TV gets such little marketing attention and investment. Which is somewhat ironic considering this is one of the best cord cutting tools out there and especially at a time when there seems to be a seismic shift away from traditional forms of consuming TV to cord cutting ones. Which does mean that there has never been a better time for Google to be promoting Android TV, like they do their other products, platforms, apps and services. It just makes sense on so many levels.
HTCs most recent device, the Bolt, was just launched this morning officially and will be available at Sprint retail stores and online through Sprints website for the price of $599. The smartphone, which bears a striking resemblance to the HTC 10, is made of all metal and even carries the same chamfered edges as HTCs 2016 flagship device. While manufacturers do sometimes release smartphones that will be exclusive to one carrier in the U.S. (in this case that carrier is Sprint) it isnt uncommon for them to also launch the device in other parts of North America, such as Canada. That wont be happening with the HTC Bolt, as HTC has reportedly confirmed that there will be no Canadian version of the phone.

The potentially silver lining to this, if the Bolt sounded like your type of device, is that there is a possibility, it seems, that HTC will release the Bolt under the guise of a different name for other regions. It is important to note that HTC themselves have said nothing of the sort, but there is a rumor that the HTC Bolt and the HTC 10 Evo could be one in the same, with the HTC 10 Evo essentially being the Bolt but launched on a global scale, meaning for international regions, and perhaps Canada.

For now, this is just a rumor, but the rumor stems from Evan Blass who is well known for making these sorts of details public. There is no other information about the HTC 10 Evo at the moment, but if it does end up as a global variant of the recently launched Bolt, then consumers could probably expect it to carry most of if no all of the same hardware specifications, such as the 5.5-inch Quad HD display, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage space, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with an Adreno 430 GPU for the graphics, and expandable storage support. It could also likely have a 16MP rear-facing camera with OIS and dual LED flash, as well as an 8MP front-facing camera for selfies and video chat, an IP57 rating for water and dust resistance, and a 3,200mAh battery to kee the phone going.
Back at the end of May 2016, Google held their annual developer conference called Google I/O, and while they didnt use this time to announce new smartphones  that came later in the year as expected  they did announce and show off new hardware. This was our first glimpse of Google Home. A stylish take on a smart speaker that could integrate into our lives and provide us with a hands-free way to connect and control a number of other smart devices around the home, like lights, thermostats, and presumably anything that could be considered an IoT device with the ability to connect up to a local Wi-Fi connection. While Google Home is a smart speaker and it in fact dose connect up to and control a handful of different smart, connected products, such as the Nest thermostat and Philips Hue Lights, there are many that it still has no compatibility with, and this is a problem. At least for now.

The biggest issue with this is that it leaves many people out in the cold on using Google Home the way its intended to be used, or the way it should be intended to be used. Google Home is a competitor to Amazons Echo in many ways and although it does do some things quite a bit better than the Echo, thanks to being powered by Google Assistant, there are quite a few things it doesnt do as well too. The most obvious and one which has already been touched on briefly is its lack of compatibility with other hardware types. There is no doubt that more hardware support is coming. Google would be foolish not to have this in mind and chances are theyre working rather diligently to introduce more compatible devices and widen the scope of Google Homes control, but at the moment its hard not to look at it and see it as nothing more than a Google Search made manifest into a physical product that you can have a conversation with, which is also capable of controlling a few smart home devices. Of course, to its credit it doesnt just answer your questions and feed you a response, itll actually complete actions for you too, as displayed in the Google Home demo video that was shown off during Google I/O, but it needs to do more, perhaps the launch should have been pushed back a bit to allow time for more device support from the start.

https://youtu.be/2KpLHdAURGo

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All that said, Google Home is by no means a crippled product, at least not on a large scale. It has compatibility with Nest, naturally, as well as Samsungs SmartThings devices, IFTTT, and Philips Hue. However, when comparing this to Amazons Alexa-powered Echo speaker it feels a little flat, as the Echo supports all those device types as well as Ecobee, Wink, Insteon, Belkin WeMo, Lifx, Big Ass Fans, and then a whole range of other devices thanks to the Alexa Skills, which has enabled developers to take the software and open up support for other smart device brands and categories that have not yet been added by Amazon themselves. Therein might lie one of the bigger strengths of the Echo, and by comparison one of the bigger faults of Google Home  the open software that lets developers add compatibility. This alone would help Google Home immensely, as Google wouldnt have to be the sole developer to make everything work. They would be able to rely on the community to assist them in adding support for various devices, and that could have been huge.

Its not all bad, though, as there are ways around not having support for a specific device type or brand of smart devices. With a little bit of ingenuity and the use of IFTTT and some other products, it is possible to get Google Home to work with smart devices that are not on the supported list. Using IFTTT along with a Raspberry Pi with a Z Wave antenna running Domoticz (which is a lightweight home automation system), one could enable commands to complete a task using IFTTTs Maker channel for Google Assistant, opening up a handful of possibilities that werent there before, such as getting Google Home to start your coffee brewer in the the morning. This is all possible thanks to Maker and Domoticz, with Domoticz being the Home Automation element and the Maker channel being the bridge between Google Home and the devices connected to the network through Domoticz, by sending and receiving the commands between them.

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Despite this, though, not everyone is going to know about this method and surely it wont work with everything. Theres also the fact that this is not as straightforward a method as having Google Home connect and talk directly to a specific brand of home automated device, like it does with Nest. Of course, Nest is essentially Googles own product, so its support was assured from the beginning. While Google will more than likely be opening up support for more devices in the future, soon or further out, it still lags behind the Echo in this regard. Yes, the Amazon Echo has been out longer and has had more time to gain support for more devices, but this shouldnt matter. The argument could be made that Google Home should have had support for the same list of device brands so as to be on more equal footing with the Echo, and the fact that its not feels just a little bit lazy.

The good news, at least to some degree, is that Google does plan to open the SDK for Google Assistant this year. The downside is that it wont be opening up until next month, so those who would be able to work with the SDK and further empower Google Home to control and manage different devices that arent already supported, will have to wait to get their hands on the software that will make it all possible. For now, Google Assistant is closed off and allows for no access for third-parties, the development community, or really anyone outside of Google. While the Google Assistant SDK is being opened up fairly quickly after the initial release of the product, it could still be almost two months away if Google doesnt release the SDK until the end of December, which means realistically there wont be support for more devices and third-party integration of Google Assistant until early next year and beyond. This leaves customers with a more limited offering of devices that can easily work with the speaker until then, which is a shame. Still, Google is releasing the Google Assistant SDK and that does mean that Google Home will eventually be gaining more support. Google did mention prior to the Google Home launch that they had plans to do this, they just hadnt mentioned when at the time.

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Of course, compatibility with devices is not the only misstep with Google Home. In its current state it only allows for connection of one Google account, which means those with multiple speakers and multiple family members in the home that would want to connect up their own accounts arent allowed to do so. This might not seem like a problem, but on the contrary, it certainly can be for many users. Perhaps not a big one, but a problem nonetheless. The reason it can pose an issue is that with only one Google account, all the data that ends up connected to it from search queries to commands to contextual conversations, resides with that one account. This means that any user who speaks to Google Home and would want to carry that connected data with them on their own Android device would not be able to because their account isnt connected to the speaker. Google is working on bringing multiple account support into the fold as well, but it feels like something thats a little bit of an oversight and should have been implemented from the beginning, perhaps more so than support for more devices, as Google is positioning this device for the home and chances are that many people who buy one will have multiple people (and thereby multiple Google accounts) who could benefit from it.

It also seems to have some issue (speaking from personal experience) with recognizing the Ok Google Command. This is limited to a small percentage of times, mind you, and its also possible that the commands were being recognized but it wasnt noticeable because the device was across the room. This could be looked at as more of a personal issue as the lights on top are there to provide you with a visual notification that its heard you and is waiting for you to issue a task or ask a question, but that doesnt take away from the fact that people talking to the speaker might not always be able to see the lights when interacting with it. Whats more, is that Google Home and other Google Assistant-enabled devices seem to sometimes compete with each other for the interaction. With Google Home and two other Pixel devices in the same room, all powered by Google Assistant and all designed to respond to the same commands, you can imagine how it might begin to become a problem with knowing what device is going to recognize the commands and following up with a response. Google might be able to get around this by allowing users to customize the OK Google command, but it doesnt seem like this is something that will be implemented. Because of this, right now speaking with Google Home feels a little cumbersome, as there was more than one occasion earlier this week my Pixel would pick up the command instead of or alongside Google Home, but would then kick back the response instead of the speaker, as it almost seemed like Google Home wasnt able to process the command due to there being another source that could act in the same way. Most of these are just minor things that make Google Home a little less than stellar, but theyre also all things which can be fixed and Google is surely doing just that, working towards fixing them, and when they are fixed, Google Home will end up being a more cohesive and well-rounded product that could benefit just about everyone.
A special sort of of Armageddon: Daily Mirror cranks up fear of a Trump Presidency

The United Kingdom is At The Back of The Queue, says the Daily Mirror. The front-page headline echoes the words of Barack Obama, who thoughtfully flew to the country to remind British citizens that a vote for Brexit would mean the country relegated to the foot of the international business league table. Vote for Brexit and British companies seeking to do business with the US would be behind Germany, France, Egypt and Chad. At first glance, then, the headline looks sarcastic.

So much for being at the back of that queue, Barack, with Donald Trump in charge, a man with solid links to the UK, well be closer to the front.

But the Mirror is serious. It says that after becoming President-elect, Trump only called Theresa May after first speaking with nine world leaders.

Were Number 10!

The UK got the call after Trump dialled Ireland, Egypt, India, Mexico, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Turkey and Israel. He then called the UK. Yes, that means that after Ireland, the UK is the second most important European Union nation in Trumps pecking order  ahead for France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The Mirror calls this a snub. But isnt it progress? In 2009, the Guardian reported: Barack Obama snubs Gordon Brown over private talks  White House spurned five requests from PMs aides for bilateral meeting. The Telegraph noted: Barack Obama rebuffs Gordon Brown as special relationship sinks to new low.

In other Special Relationship news, the Mail says May is Trumps Tatcher.

And the Express says Trump will help the UK thrive after leaving the EU.

Having read in the tabloids that Trump is both dire and great for UK-US relations, the Mirror lists on Page 3  after more headlines of doom (A new danger for the world order; Poor start to Special Relationship) 10 reasons Donald might not be all that bad. That comes after Thursdays front page which predicted a Trump-triggered armageddon.

At number 3, the Mirror notes:

OK, so he didnt get round to ringing Theresa May for a while. But his mother is Scottish. He has many business interests in the UK. And he;s a big fan of Brexit. He will probably want to hug us close

And at Number 10: Starting WW3 is not in his interests.

To recap: the Mirror hasnt got a clue what a Trump Presidency means. But if it can scare the readers, why not?

Paul Sorene

Posted: 12th, November 2016 | In: Key Posts, Politicians, Reviews, Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
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YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Minister of foreign affairs of Armenia Edward Nalbandian held a meeting on November 12 with Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju  Minister of Civil Aviation of India and special envoy of the Indian government, the ministry told ARMENPRESS.

Minister Nalbandian welcomed the guest and noted that Armenia attaches great importance to the continuous development of relations with India, which are based on thousands years old friendship between the two peoples and mutual understanding between the states.

Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju thanked for the reception and noted that India attaches importance to further deepening the friendly relations with Armenia.

Issues related to the bilateral mutual cooperation agenda, international and regional matters were discussed.

The necessity of boosting bilateral cooperation in the fields of tourism, culture, agriculture, and healthcare, scientific-educational and trade-economic sectors was touched upon.

The sides expressed satisfaction regarding the cooperation within the framework of international organizations. The importance of boosting inter-parliamentary contacts, expanding legal-contractual field, high level mutual visit organization was emphasized.

The ministers also discussed issues of cooperation in the civil aviation field and the possibility of re-launching the Yerevan-New Delhi direct flights.

Minister Nalbandian briefed the guest on the consequences of the Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno Karabakh and the situation which has formed in the negotiations process as result of it.

Minister Nalbandian stressed that Armenia highly appreciates Indias continuous support for the peaceful, negotiated settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju in his turn highly appreciated Armenias support in delicate matters for India.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Russian security services have stopped a plot to blow up targets in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said, RT reports.

An operation conducted on November 12 in Moscow and St. Petersburg resulted in the arrests of 10 terrorists. They had a total of four powerful IODs in their arsenals, which were seized, the FSB said in a statement.

The suspects of Central Asian origin were arrested in collaboration with law enforcement in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the report said.

The suspects confessed to having contacts with leaders of the terrorist group Islamic State based in the Middle East.

They also identified targets of their attack, accomplices and a support base both in Russia and in other countries, the report added.

The security service said the suspects planned a series of gun and bomb attacks in Russias two biggest cities, focusing on public places with large gatherings of people.

Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) is a terrorist group based in Iraq and Syria, which has also expanded into Libya and Afghanistan. It organized several high-profile attacks in large European cities in the past two years, most notably in Paris and Brussels.

Fighting IS is one of the key goals of Russias military presence in Syria, where the group is trying, among other things, to topple the elected government and impose a regime of fundamentalist Islam.
Modi termed the demonetisation as Swachhata Abhiyan and hailed the undaunting spirit of people despite their hardship.

Kobe: Hinting at more action to unearth black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said those holding unaccounted money will not be spared and there is no "guarantee" that no further steps would be taken after December 30 till when people can deposit the demonetised notes.

He assured honest people that they will not face any trouble.

"I would like to announce once again that after the end of this scheme, there is no guarantee that something new will not be introduced to punish you (thikane lagane ke liye)," Modi said.

He was addressing the Indian community at a reception here.

"I make it very clear that if anything unaccounted comes up, then I will check its records since Independence. Will deploy as many people as required for this. Honest people will not face any problem. No one will be spared. Those who know me, they are intelligent as well. They think it is better to offer it in Ganga than in banks," Modi said.

He was referring to reports of the demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes flowing in Ganga river.

Modi termed the demonetisation as "Swachhata Abhiyan" and hailed the undaunting spirit of people despite their hardship following its announcement on November 8.

"I salute my countrymen. People stood in line for four hours, six hours but accepted the decision in national interest the way people of Japan tackled the aftermath of the 2011 disaster," he said.

"I thought long and hard about the possible difficulties and it was also important to keep it a secret. It had to be done suddenly but I never thought I will receive blessings for this," he said.

"I salute each and every Indian. Many families had weddings, health problems... yes they faced inconvenience but they accepted the decision," the Prime Minister said.

Apparently referring to the opposition which has attacked the government action, Modi said a section is trying to incite people for speaking out against him but people have accepted the decision in the national interest.

"Law should be equal for everyone. People are happy about the fact that even Modi's Rs 1000 notes are not usable anymore," Modi said.

Underlining that the world is acknowledging that India is the fastest growing economy among the large global economies, he said the country is also receiving historically high FDI.

"IMF, World Bank all are saying in one voice. IMF also said that India is the shining star. World economists believe India is growing at a very fast rate...I have my own definitions (of FDI). The first definition is First Develop India and the second is the Foreign Direct Investment. India is receiving historically high rate of FDI," he said.

In the last two years, black money to the tune of Rs 1.25 lakh crore have been unearthed due to various initiatives of the government, Modi added.
People left homes as early as 6 am to try out their luck to get cash in hand leading to serpentine queues outside ATMs.

People queue up outside an ATM to withdraw money in Mumbai. (Photo: PTI/File)

Mumbai: Greater rush of people to procure Rs 100 bills and new currency notes was witnessed on Saturday outside banks and ATMs across the city, even as some of them were shut down after being short on cash.

People left homes as early as 6 am to try out their luck to get cash in hand leading to serpentine queues outside Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in South Mumbai and suburbs.

Several people complained that most of the ATMs were not functioning properly in South Mumbai including, in areas of Lalbaugh, Worli, Kurla, Mahim, Parel and Dadar. Similar was the case in some localities of suburban Andheri, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli and Borivali, forcing people to return empty-handed.

Byculla resident A. K. Jain was visibly pissed after his attempt to withdraw cash failed on the second day as well.

"The decision (to scrap Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 bills) has come down hard on the service class, who usually withdraw money from banks or ATM between 1st and 8th of every month. Some of those who withdrew before the announcement got notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. Now, they are running pillar to post to get them exchanged," he said.

Kurla resident Amit Mishra, a senior executive with a pharmaceutical firm said, "I tried my luck with two banks at LBS Road but huge line there forced me to come back. However, I will try my luck later in evening and I hope to get money".

Though he lauded the efforts made by bank employees "who are putting extra working hours for smooth dispensation of new bank notes".

Meanwhile, a bank here is said to have floated a mobile ATM to dispense money to customers, fetching a decent response.

Shrikant Manohar, who drew money from the mobile ATM said, "It was no less than a surprise. People lined up for hours, while I got cash with this mobile ATM as it came to my doorsteps."

Congress city unit president Sanjay Nirupam also visited an ATM counter in his area and interacted with people waiting anxiously in hope of getting cash.

Similar chaos were seen on city outskirts where people faced hardships after ATMs ran dry.

A resident from Palghar district, Sanket Gavas, took to social media and tweeted, "People standing in heat in long queues for hours outside bank branch as ATMs are empty in Virar West Palghar Mumbai (sic).
Ban a well-planned move: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: The Union home ministry has asked all states to provide adequate security cover to banks, ATMs and vehicles transporting cash following demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. The home ministry has also constituted a three-member team of senior officials who are in regular touch with the State Government to ensure proper safety for all banks, ATMs and vehicles transporting cash.

The ministrys team is in constant touch with the director-generals of police and constantly monitoring the situation even though so far no major incident of violence or crime has been reported from anywhere in the country.

The home ministry has also informed the states that in case they require any assistance, in terms of additional central police forces, these would be rushed immediately even at a short notice. Ministry officials said two separate advisories have been sent to the States in this regard and the feedback was that the situation was expected to normalise in the next four to five days.

Various state governments have informed the Centre that they have deployed adequate police personnel at all banks and ATMs to ensure that no untoward incident takes place even as large footfall has been witnessed at these places across the country.

Meanwhile, speaking at an event in Lucknow home minister Rajnath Singh said the decision to demonetise high denomination currency notes was a well-planned move and not taken in haste as he maintained it will go a long way in checking corruption in politics.

Recently a decision to demonetise currency notes in the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 has been taken. It surprised people not only in the country but the world over and will bridge the gulf between the poor and rich. People said the government has acted in haste and more time should have been given. I want to say that there had been no haste. It was a well-planned move. It has been taken after enough consideration about the future, the home minister added.

Also speaking on the issue Union I&B minister M. Venkaiah Naidu lauded the governments decision stating that the Prime Minister wants to realise Swachchh Bharat, in terms of tan, man and dhan (body, mind and wealth).

Mr Naidu said that while some people maintain the government has taken a sudden step of demonetising of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, the government has been taking steps related to curbing the black money menace ever since it came to power.

Some people are saying it was done all of a sudden, people should have been given advance notice...Advance notice for what? I am not able to understand, he added.

The Minister said that the media while highlighting the inconveniences, should also show the larger picture on the benefits of the move for the country. He said some people were calling it an emergency, but those who are worried are people like unscrupulous arms dealers, drug dealers.
Clears 34 names on list of 77 submitted by SC collegium for appointment

New Delhi: The Centre on Friday informed the Supreme Court that it had returned to the collegium for its reconsideration of 43 of the 77 names recommended for the appointment of judges in various high courts and that the remaining 34 have been appointed as judges.

Giving the information before a bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh (who retired on Friday), Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said, Not a single file is pending with the government regarding the appointment of judges to the high courts. It is for the collegium to decide, he said.

The AG also told a bench that the finalisation of the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) on the appointment of judges is also pending with the Supreme Court collegium since August 3 as it has not sent back its views. Since February, the Supreme Court collegium has cleared 311 names for the appointments, but the Centre approved only around 80 names.

On October 28, the apex court slammed the NDA government for failing to appoint judges in various high courts despite the collegium clearing some of the names more than nine months ago. An angry CJI told the AG, You can as well close down the courts. Close down justice.

The collegium has cleared 75 names of high court judges (for transfer/appointment) but they have not been approved. I don't know why, where these files are stuck, a three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice had said, adding that the vacancy in high courts has risen to 43% and there are four million cases in the high courts. The whole system is collapsing.

The Bench is hearing a batch of petitions for a direction to the Centre to fill up vacancies in various high courts pending for a long time, resulting in mounting arrears of cases. When one lawyer, Nedumpara Mathews, asked the CJI not to hear this case as he was heading the collegium, the CJI said the court will pass an order in this regard, and posted the matter for further hearing on November 18.
The martyred jawan has been identified as Harshid Badarya.

An army jawan was on Saturday killed in a ceasefire violation in Jammu & Kashmirs Kupwara district. (Photo: PTI)

Srinagar: An army jawan was on Saturday killed in a ceasefire violation on the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district, police said.

Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by indulging in firing and shelling in Keran sector on Saturday morning, a police official said.

He said that in the incident, army jawan Harshid Badarya lost his life.

The firing has stopped, the official said, adding further details were awaited.
Lack of small denomination currency triggered rumours of black marketing of essential commodities like salt.

The Centre on Friday said there has been no increase in prices of the commodity which is being sold at Rs 14-15 per kg in retail markets. (Photo: PTI/Representational)

New Delhi: Rubbishing rumours of shortage of salt in the country, the central government on Friday said there has been no increase in prices of the commodity which is being sold at Rs 14-15 per kg in retail markets.

"This is rubbish. There is no truth in this rumour. There is no shortage of salt in the country. On an average, salt prices are ruling at Rs 14-15 per kg same at last year's level. There has not been increase in prices," Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said.

Unnecessary panic is being spread that salt is being sold at Rs 200 per kg. "Those who have sold at Rs 200, the UP government should take action and arrest them," he said.

If anyone is selling at such high rates in any parts of the country, the state governments should take immediate action, he added.

In a series of tweets, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman too said there was no shortage of edible salt.

"Baseless rumours being spread. Salt Commissioner & Jt. Secretary Shri Raghavendra monitoring the situation. Asst.Salt Commissioners reporting from the field. No shortage. Monitoring will be on-going," she tweeted.

Lack of small denomination currency today triggered rumours of black marketing of essential commodities like salt as shopkeepers refused to provide change when offered with higher denomination notes.

In Uttar Pradesh, there were reports of panicked customers flocking to market as rumours flew thick and fast that salt has gone out of shelves and shopkeepers are selling at a premium -- a high as Rs 200 per kg.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Hem Pande said, "There is no truth in this rumour. It is all rumour mongering. There is no problem in supply, distribution and prices of salt in the country."

He said that the prices have been ruling stable at Rs 12 per kg in the wholesale markets and Rs 14-15 per kg in retail.

Asked if the Centre has spoken on this issue with the UP government, Pande said, "We have spoken to state officials and they too informed us that there is no truth in this rumour. Prices in UP are ruling on an average at Rs 16-17 per kg".

The centre has also checked the price situation of salt in other states as well and there has not been any increase in the rate of the essential commodity.

Meanwhile, Delhi government also appealed to Delhiites not to pay attention to rumours of shortage of salt in the city and assured that there is no scarcity of such essential commodity.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said teams of food supply officers and sub-divisional magistrates are rounding city's markets where salt is available in sufficient stock.
From November 15 to 27 the Hand in Hand 2016 exercise will be held in Aundh near Pune.

New Delhi: While relations between India and China have been marked by tension in recent times over a host of issues like the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a terrorist tag to Masood Azhar, founder of UN-designated terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed, to speak of the teeming boundary disputes, it is business as usual for military ties between the two Asian giants.

From November 15 to 27, in continuation of the series of joint exercises between the militaries of India and China, the Hand in Hand 2016 exercise will be held in Aundh near Pune.

This edition will be the sixth joint training exercise by the Indian Army with Peoples Liberation Army of China and is held annually, alternately, in both the countries. The first exercise was held in Kunming, capital of Chinas Yunnan province in 2007, while the last exercise was also held in October 2015 in Kunming Military Academy, Yunnan.

The aim is to share the expertise in drills and practices while tackling insurgency and terrorism, thereby promoting healthy military-to-military relations among the two Armies and developing joint strategies for conducting operations in a counter terrorism environment, an Army release said. The exercise is planned at the company level with respective battalion headquarters controlling the training. A Joint Directing Panel comprising senior officials of both countries will supervise the exercise. The exercise Hand in Hand 2016 will be conducted in three phases. The first phase consists of familiarisation with the weapons and equipment.

The second phase consists of basic training, including combat conditioning, firing of personal weapon, support weapon and drills like establishment of covert observation post, house clearing, cordon and search, humanitarian and disaster relief operations. The third phase includes a joint exercise. It contributes in developing mutual understanding and respect for each others military. Senior military observers of both the countries will attend the exercise.

On October 19 too, a joint Indo-Chinese army exercise took place in eastern Ladakh, which was a sequel to an exercise on February 6 in eastern Ladakhs Chushul Garrison. These exercises are seen as efforts complementing the Hand in Hand series of joint exercises.
The father of the new-born, a carpenter by profession, has filed a case against the doctor who refused treatment.

Mumbai: A doctor attached to a nursing home in suburban Govandi allegedly refused to treat a premature baby as the parents could not pay the necessary deposit in the wake of demonetisation, following which a case was registered against her.

Jagadish Sharma, father of the newborn, had filed a case in this regard with Shivajinagar police station in the city.

On November 8, Sharma's wife Kiran, who was pregnant, was admitted to the nursing home for tests, including sonography.

She was expected to deliver a baby around December 7. On November 9, Kiran went into labour prematurely and gave birth to a boy at home before she could be taken to hospital. Afterwards the mother and the boy were rushed to the nursing home.

The woman doctor administered preliminary treatment but allegedly refused to treat the baby further unless Sharma, a carpenter by profession, paid a deposit of Rs 6,000 in notes of less than Rs 500 denomination, police said.

Sharma alleged that he requested for some time for getting the Rs 500 notes changed into lower-value currency but the doctor refused and turned them away.

The mother and the baby were taken to another hospital where the infant's condition worsened and he died before getting treatment, as per the complaint.

"Today we registered a case against the doctor for causing death by negligence (IPC section 304A) and disobedience of order duly promulgated by public servant (IPC section 188)," said Shahaji Umap, Deputy Commissioner of Police, zone VI.

There were clear instructions from the state government to hospitals that they must continue to accept Rs 1,000 and 500 notes and a circular to this effect had been issued, the DCP said.

"In our investigation we found that the baby died due to refusal by the doctor to treat him," the officer said. No arrest has been made so far.
Dhanmendra Singhs news stories against illegal mining in Rohtas may have angered criminals, leading to his murder, sources said.

A journalist with a leading Hindi daily newspaper was shot dead in front of his house in Bihar on Saturday morning. (Representational image)

Patna: A senior journalist with national Hindi daily was killed in Sasaram, Bihar, early Saturday morning by three unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants.

The incident occurred while the victim, Dhanmendra Singh, was having tea near his residence in the morning, according to sources.

Singh was rushed to a local government hospital from where he was referred to Varanasi for further treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries midway.

Bihar police have launched a probe into Singhs murder and are conducting raids to nab the accused, sources from Sasaram said.

Singhs news stories against illegal mining in Rohtas may have angered criminals, leading to his murder, sources said.

The murder is the latest in the string of crimes that have occurred recently. The incident has occurred at a time when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was winding up his first phase of Nischay Yatra.

The journalists murder has also invited sharp criticism from the opposition in Bihar. Senior BJP leader and former deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi who rushed to Sasaram to meet the bereaved family of the slain journalist said that the state government must concentrate on improving law and order condition of the state.

Dhanmendra Singh is the fourth journalist to be killed in Bihar. No one including engineers, doctors and journalists are safe in Bihar and the state government has been claiming that law and order situation has improved, he said.

Earlier on May 13 this year a Siwan based journalist Rajdeo Ranjan was killed by unidentified gunmen when he was returning to his house from office. A CBI probe into the matter is underway. Former RJD MP Mohammad Shahbuddin has been accused in the murder of the Rajdeo Ranjan.
The incidents have also invited sharp criticism from the opposition in Bihar.

The incidents have also invited sharp criticism from the opposition in Bihar. (Representational image)

Patna: A senior journalist working with a prominent vernacular daily was killed in Sasaram early Saturday morning by three unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants apparently over his articles against illegal mining in Rohtas.

Dhanmendra Singh, a scribe with Dainik Bhaskar, was having tea at a roadside teastall near his house when some men on a bike pumped bullets in his stomach from point blank range and fled.

Singh was taken to a local government hospital, which referred him to Varanasi for further treatment but he succumbed to his injuries midway.

Sources from Sasaram told this newspaper that police has launched an investigation into the murder and raids are being conducted to nab the accused.

News agencies reported another killing in the state on Saturday where the victim was a former journalist Ram Chandra Yadav. Yadav was shot dead in Darbhanga by unidentified men. As the news of murder spread, agitated locals protested outside a police station and blocked the National Highway.

The murders are latest in the string of many such crimes putting the spotlight back on the deteriorating condition of law and order in the state. The murders took place at a time when chief minister Nitish Kumar is winding up his first phase of Nischay Yatra.

The incidents have also invited sharp criticism from the opposition in Bihar. Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who rushed to Sasaram to meet the bereaved family of the slain journalist Singh, said that the state government must concentrate on improving law and order condition of the state.

He said, Dhanmendra Singh is the fourth journalist to be killed in Bihar. No one including engineers, doctors and journalists is safe in Bihar and the state government has been claiming that law and order situation has improved.

Earlier on May 13 this year, a Siwan-based journalist, Rajdeo Ranjan, was killed by unidentified gunmen while he was returning to his house from office.
Amit Shah claimed that with this decision, the government has taken its war against black money to a decisive level.

New Delhi: Taking a swipe at the Opposition parties, including the Congress, BSP and SP, BJP president Amit Shah on Friday wondered why leaders, including Congress, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, BSPs Mayawati and AAPs Arvind Kejriwal have joined ranks with those dealing in black money, fake currency, hawala and drug, who are rattled by the governments decision. Mr Shah claimed that with this decision, the government has taken its war against black money to a decisive level.

Asserting that rival parties have exposed themselves by criticising the Centres move, Mr Shah said though people are facing inconvenience but whenever a big change is made, some inconvenience happens.

Mr Shah insisted that the governments move had nothing to do with the impending Assembly polls, but said that the BJP will benefit politically going by the reactions of opposition parties.

I can understand the pain of those keeping black money, fake currency, terrorists, hawala operators, Naxalites and drug dealers with this decision. What has amazed me is the way some political parties are rattled...I want to ask Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati, Rahul Gandhi (Congress vice president) and Arvind Kejriwal as to why you are so rattled? If politics become cleaner with a measure and black money is taken out of electoral politics, then why should it pain political parties, he said.

Mr Shah challenged political parties to face the polls with the issue and said People will decide. He said while opposition always questioned the Modi government over black money but now when it has given such a hard blow to black money, they are rattled.

What is the problem of these four parties? They have exposed themselves and shown their true faces, Mr Shah said.

When asked about BSP supremos charge that the move amounted to economic emergency, he said it has caused economic emergency in her party BSP.

All patriots, the common man, tax payers... Have welcomed the move. I want to make it clear that no tax payer needs to worry and the government will protect the interests of the poor, farmers, labourers, small traders, Mr Shah said.
The TMC chief said that she was ready to work with CPI (M), SP, Cong, despite ideological differences, in order to save the country.

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, on Saturday said that she was ready to work with arch rival CPI (M), and other Opposition parties like SP, BSP, and Congress despite ideological differences, to save the country from the NDA government.

"We may have ideological differences with CPI-M but we are ready to work with it, Congress, SP, BSP to save the country, Mamata said, speaking at a press conference in Kolkata.

This anti-people, anti-poor Govt has no moral right to continue in power. This is a dictatorship. This draconian decision needs to be withdrawn, she added.

"Only one percent people hold black money. Why the other 99 percent are being harassed for this? A few money launderers are profiting due to this black decision. This is a dangerous, disastrous and draconian decision. This is surgical anarchy. Even eminent economists are saying this demonetisation will not affect black money," she asked.

Pointing out that the sudden decision by the government put the common man in dilemma, she said, I personally visited several banks today to listen to tales of hardship of common people. Rs 100 notes are not available in banks. More than two lakh ATMs are closed, money is not available.

"This is a betrayal with people. A sudden midnight decision was taken. But few ruling party people knew about it. Few 'dalals' are taking advantage of the economic disaster. I appeal to the government to withdraw this decision," she added.

The TMC supremo also asked the BJP-led Centre as to how much money is being wasted for printing 2000 rupee notes and recalibrating ATMs.

"This is common man's money: The Centre cannot scare us. We are not afraid of them," she said.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee, demanded the withdrawal of governments move, calling it anti-people.

"Withdraw this 'black' political decision which is anti-commoner. Markets across India ruined, purchasing power crashing, people pained," she tweeted.

Claiming that she had said this before, Banerjee said, "But given the way the young, old and everyone is suffering, let me again appeal to the Central government" (to withdraw the decision).

"This has turned out to be a big black scandal. Hardship for the common citizens and full advantage to the money launderers," she said.

The TMC chief on Thursday called upon all opposition parties to work together against the "anti-poor government at the Centre".

"Let us fight this political and financial anarchy together. We will be with you all," Banerjee had said.

Mocking the Prime Minister, she had said Narendra Modi "has gone to Japan after making the people poor in India."

Trinamool Congress has already given a notice in the Rajya Sabha for a discussion on the demonetisation issue on November 16, the opening day of winter session of Parliament.

TMC leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay has said the party would bring an adjournment motion in the house on the same day. Mamata also penned a poem on the demonetisation issue.
Demonetisation of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes and introducing Rs 2000 note will not help curb black money, he claimed.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that to solve the problem of black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should first take action against Swiss bank account holders and stop "harassing honest" traders.

He met traders in Azadpur Mandi, Laxmi Nagar and Gandhi Nagar markets in the evening and demanded that the government rollback the decision.

"Two days ago the decision to demonetise notes of higher denominations was announced by the Prime Minister and people of the country are distressed. Are not people distressed?" Kejriwal asked a crowd in Gandhi Nagar that replied loudly in the affirmative.

Demonetisation of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes and introducing Rs 2000 note will not help curb black money, but increase it as it will be easier to amass money in larger denomination, he said.

He met wholesale traders in Azadpur Mandi who said they were facing problems in carrying out cash transactions.

"Friends of BJP were informed in advance" about the demonetisation move. They parked their money safely, while common men were left to fend for themselves, he alleged.

"I want to ask Modiji if the black money is lying with traders or with Ambani-Adani. Why don't you catch Ambani-Adani?" he said and added that the government should stop "harassing honsest" traders.

He claimed that in 2011, the Centre had a list of 648 people with Swiss Bank accounts and said the Prime Minister should take action against them.

"The Congress(government) did nothing. Modi is not doing anything because the names of his friends are there in that list," he alleged.

"The problem of black money will be solved if these people are sent to jail," he said.

He assured traders that no raid will be conducted either by the VAT department or the Sales Tax department for the next one month and asked people to pay no heed to "rumours".

A group of Congressmen held a demonstration and raised slogans against Kejriwal, who retorted accusing it of "siding" with BJP.
The plots are seen an assets for the MSRDC considering that they are in the high profile areas of south Mumbai.

The Maharashtra government has handed over two pieces of foreshore land at Nepean Sea Road and Malabar Hill to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) under the public works department (PWD). The land measuring 6,210 square metres at both places were unaccounted earlier and the revenue department has now acquired the same for the MSRDC.

The plots at Malabar Hill and Nepean Sea Road are government properties but were never taken into account before. Now we have given it survey numbers. The MSRDC had demanded the plot and hence, we have handed it over to the authority. Now, the MSRDC will have to prepare rules and regulation before any development can take place of the two lands, an official from the revenue department said. The department has also issued a government resolution dated November 10, 2016.

The plots come under Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) and hence, require permission from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and Ministry of Environment and Forest for the undertaking of any work. The plots are shown in the proposed Development Plan (DP) by the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) in the D ward. The MSRDC will have to prepare land disposal rules for the plots, the official added.

However, vice chairman and managing director of the MSRDC Radheshyam Mopalwar said the plots were handed over to the authority long ago. We had given the plots in 1996 and 2002. During this time, legal procedures were conducted such as making a property card on the authoritys name. Now we can appoint a consultant to understand what can be done on the plots. Currently, we have no plan for any development on the plots, Mr Mopalwar said.

The plots are seen an assets for the MSRDC considering that they are in the high profile areas of south Mumbai. The land prices are also very high in the area. It is not exactly known if the MSRDC has paid any price for the plots at Malabar Hill and Nepean Sea road.

The MSRDC has its office in Nepean Sea Road which might help the authority to expand after the new plot is made available. Also, the authority will have to show its assets for the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, an official from the Mantralaya said on the condition of anonymity.
Cops refuse to accept old notes as penalty; seize licences instead, to be returned in lieu of change.

The violators are given a receipt that says they will get their licence back when they get change from a bank.

Mumbai: The Centres demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes has had a curious impact on Mumbais commuters  the Mumbai traffic police is not accepting Rs 500 notes while charging fines and is instead confiscating the licences of those who flout rules. The violators are given a receipt that says they will get their licence back when they get change from a bank.

Murad T, a resident of Chembur, was driving without wearing helmet while on his way to a bank to exchange notes on Friday morning. Two traffic policemen stopped him near Sions Kumbharwada bridge for helmetless driving. But Mr Murad said when he was ready to pay a fine of Rs 200, the policemen didnt accept it and instead seized his licence because they didnt want to accept a Rs 500 note.

Mr Murad said, I was asked to pay Rs 200. I told them that I have only notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 and was going to the bank to change them. They asked me to submit my license and come back once I had changed notes. I was waiting near IDBI bank for almost three hours but I couldnt change the notes because bank didnt have enough notes. So I went back to the traffic policemen and narrated the whole incident, but they didnt listen to me and gave me a receipt, asked me to got to the local traffic department whenever I managed to get change and collect the seized license. I saw them doing the same with other drivers too.

Another commuter, Arshad Shrivastav, also had his licence seized in South Mumbai for driving without wearing a helmet. We were two riders and both didnt wear helmets, so I told the traffic policemen that you are government servants and should accept the Rs 500 note. The fine was Rs 400 for both of us but they didnt accept that note and seized our licence.

Traffic police PRO T. Koregaokar said, Its a regular practice that if commuters dont have money, we seize their licence and ask them to collect it from the office. As for these particular incidents, I have to check what exactly happened.
Deepika, Ranbir, Parineeti and others celebrate ADHM's success with KJo
The 6-month long state of emergency was declared on October 9, an unprecedented move by current govt.

Unrest in the country had begun in the central Oromo region and then spread to Amhara in the north, causing hundreds of deaths, according to human rights organisations. (Photo: Representational Image/AP)

Addis Ababa: Authorities have arrested more than 11,000 people since Ethiopia declared a state of emergency in early October amid violent protests, state TV said on Saturday.

Ethiopia has been in political crisis for around a year with frequent outbreaks of violence as authorities have brutally cracked down on anti-government demonstrators.

"Some 11,607 individuals have so far been detained in six prisons, of which 347 are female, in connection with the state of emergency declared in the country," State of Emergency Inquiry Board chairperson Taddesse Hordofa said in a statement broadcast by EBC.

Hordofa reeled off a long list of offences ranging from serious crimes such as "attacking security forces using firearms" or "killing civilians and members of security forces" to the much more mundane "denying provision of public services" and "disrupting movement of vehicles".

This figure is a huge increase on the 2,500 arrests that Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn's government had announced at the end of October.

The six-month state of emergency was declared on October 9, an unprecedented move by the current government, which has been in power for 25 years.

Unrest in the country had begun in the central Oromo region and then spread to Amhara in the north, causing hundreds of deaths, according to human rights organisations.

Those regions are where the majority of arrests have been made and make up 60 per cent of the country's population.

On October 31, Ethiopian defence minister Siraj Fegessa announced that 2,000 people who had participated in protests had been released, although today's announcement included no details on how many of the 11,000 remain in prison.
During the visit, India and Japan signed 10 pacts covering a range of areas.

Sayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. (Photo: Twitter)

Osaka: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday left for home after concluding his three-day visit to Japan, during which the two countries signed a landmark civil nuclear deal and nine other agreements in various areas.

Modi left from the Japanese city of Osaka for New Delhi. "Sayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM @narendramodi enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Before his departure, Modi addressed a luncheon gathering of business leaders in Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay.

He also travelled in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which is being introduced in India on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch, with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

During the visit, India and Japan signed 10 pacts covering a range of areas such as boosting Japanese investment in infrastructure, railways, and for cooperation in space and agriculture, as part of agreements to bolster bilateral ties.
Afghan government has been trying to woo the militant group for peace talks.

The Taliban leaders insisted they could only say whether or not the group will join talks after two or three months. (Photo: AFP/Representational Image)

Islamabad: Afghan Taliban negotiators have told Pakistan that they need more time to prepare themselves for the peace talks with the Afghan government, a media report said on Saturday.

Afghan government has been trying to woo the militant group for peace talks after a leading warlord of Soviet jihad era, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, inked agreement to end violence.

Three senior members of the Qatar-based Taliban political office arrived in Pakistan in late October after reports suggested that a senior Taliban leader had met Afghanistan's spy chief in the Gulf country in the presence a senior US official, the Express Tribune reported.

"The Taliban representatives have wrapped up their nearly two-week visit and conveyed to Pakistani officials that they have not yet decided to enter into dialogue with the Kabul administration," the paper said, citing a Taliban source.

The Taliban leaders insisted they could only say whether or not the group will join talks after two or three months.

Other sources familiar with Taliban internal discussions said Pakistan told the visiting negotiators that it wants the Taliban to join the peace process.

Pakistan is seemingly upset at the Talibans refusal to come to the negotiation table and could press them to review their stance on the peace process.

It is widely believed that the arrest of senior Taliban leader Ahmadullah Muti alias Mullah Nanai last month in Balochistan was aimed at conveying a message to the group to join the peace process.

Taliban sources confirmed the detention of Nanai and three other leaders but gave no reasons for the arrests.

A Taliban official had earlier stated that the Qatar-based Taliban leaders had also "sought an explanation" from Pakistan over the arrest of their leaders.

The refusal by Taliban to end violence is a major setback to Kabul as it has pinned hope on insurgents agreeing for peace to retrieve the sagging fortunes of the country.
Abdeslam is accused of having provided logistical support to the seven jihadists who died at the various scenes of the terror attacks.

The Hague: The main Paris attacks suspect, Salah Abdeslam, has become even more radicalised since being imprisoned for his presumed role in the slaughter of 130 people a year ago, his former lawyer has said.

"He's got a beard, he's become a true fundamentalist whereas before he was a kid wearing Nike trainers," Belgian lawyer Sven Mary told Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant's Saturday edition.

Belgian-born French national Abdeslam is believed to be the only jihadist survivor of the November 13 attacks in the French capital that Belgian authorities claim were orchestrated by the Islamic State high command.

After four months on the run, the 27-year-old of Moroccan origin was arrested in Brussels in March and subsequently transferred to France in April.

Lawyer Mary said Abdeslam's detention conditions at a prison in the Parisian suburb of Fleury-Merogis amounted to "psychological torture" and had contributed to his apparent radicalisation.

He is kept in solitary confinement and subjected to round-the-clock video surveillance.

Abdeslam is accused of having provided logistical support to the seven jihadists who died at the various scenes of the terror attacks: the Bataclan concert hall, the Stade de France national stadium and several bars and restaurants in central Paris.

In July, his lawyers had attempted unsuccessfully to end the constant surveillance, but authorities had deemed the "exceptional character of terrorist acts" as justifying that "all precautions are taken".

Last month both Mary and another lawyer, Frank Berton, gave up defending Abdeslam over his refusal to answer investigators' questions since being transferred to France.

Mary said then that the lawyers felt they were doing nothing more than paying "social visits to the prison" and had decided to quit the defence.

Abdeslam's brother Mohamed last month urged him to speak to French authorities but also said he felt Salah "is more radicalised now, rather than de-radicalised".
Detectives nabbed the 24-year-old, an intelligence wing leader of the banned outfit Ansar al-Islam from Dhaka's main railway station.

Bangladesh has been roiled by gruesome killings, with a particularly bloody massacre in July that left 22 dead after an assault on an upscale cafe in the capital. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

Dhaka: Bangladesh police said on Saturday they had arrested an Islamist militant leader wanted in connection with the murder of a blogger and publisher.

Khairul Islam "directly took part" in the killings of Niloy Chottopadhay and Faisal Arefin Deepan last year, police said, two of the dozens of deadly attacks on secular activists and foreigners.

Detectives nabbed the 24-year-old, an intelligence wing leader of the banned outfit Ansar al-Islam, also known as Ansarullah Bangla Team, from Dhaka's main railway station late Friday.

"He directly took part in the (two) killings besides running reconnaissance for months on the victims," Masudur Rahman, Dhaka police spokesman, told AFP.

"The killings took place by the order of Major Zia," the official said, referring to Syed Ziaul Haque, a former army officer who allegedly heads ABT, one of two major banned domestic terrorist outfits blamed by the government for the wave of violence.

Chottopadhay, a blogger, was hacked to death in August last year at his home by machete-wielding assassins. Deepan, a publisher, was killed in his office in October 2015.

Bangladesh has been roiled by gruesome killings, with a particularly bloody massacre in July that left 22 dead after an assault on an upscale cafe in the capital.

The Islamic State group and al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent have said they were behind most attacks, but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government has blamed ABT and another banned outfit Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh.

The July carnage triggered a security force crackdown on Islamist extremists, with police shooting dead nearly 40 suspected militants since.
The news channel also claimed to have Trump's childhood photographs and even broadcasted them.

The story was broadcasted by Pak-based Neo News channel last month when Trump was campaigning for Presidency. (Photo: YouTube Screengrab)

Islamabad: A Pakistani news channel ran a news report stating that US President-elect Donald Trump is originally from Pakistan. The report also stated that although they have not verified the fact, many people have been claiming it on social media.

In the video clip that's going viral on the internet, the anchor narrates the story of how Trump was born and brought up in the country and later travelled to the US.

The story was broadcasted by Pak-based Neo News channel last month when Trump was campaigning for Presidency.

The anchor, in the video, says, "Presidential candidate Donald Trump was born in Pakistan and not in America." She then goes on to narrate the story behind Trump's origin.

The news report stated that Trump's actual name was Dawood Ibrahim Khan and he was born and brought up in Waziristan in 1954. He stayed with his parents in the country until one day when he lost them in a road accident. Thereafter he was taken to London by British Indian Army captain. In London, Dawood was adopted by the Trump family.

The news channel also claimed to have Trump's childhood photographs and even broadcasted them.

Watch the video here:
Kabul: An explosion struck the largest US military base in Afghanistan early Saturday, killing four and wounding 14 others, NATO said.

No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast, which occurs as the Taliban step up nationwide attacks before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs.

"We can confirm that there was an explosion at Bagram Airfield this morning just after 5:30 am (0100 GMT). There have been casualties," the military coalition said in a brief statement.

"Our Force Protection and medical teams are responding to the situation," it added, without offering any other details.

The explosion underscores a worsening security situation nearly two years after NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan.

Bagram Airfield, close to Kabul, has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistan's largest US military base.

It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.
More than 2,100 Sikhs arrived in Lahore on Saturday from India on three special trains.

Indian Sikh pilgrims waves upon their arrival at Wagah railway station near Lahore. (Photo: AP)

Lahore: Over 2,100 Sikh pilgrims from India arrived in Lahore on Saturday to participate in the 548 birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, at his birthplace in Nankana Sahib in Pakistan's Punjab province.

"More than 2,100 Sikhs arrived here today from India on three special trains," Evacuee Trust Property Board spokesman Amer Hashmi told PTI.

He said the Pakistan's embassy in New Delhi had issued more than 3,300 visas to Indian Sikhs however only 2,100 pilgrims have arrived in Lahore so far.

Hashmi said ETPB chief Siddiqul Farooq and Pakistan Gurdwara Parbhandik Committee office-bearers greeted them at Wagah Border.

Several Sikhs have complained about currency exchange rate at the Wagah immigration. However, authorities have promised to intervene and assured better currency exchange rate to the Sikh pilgrims.

The officials also deported a Sikh pilgrim after he was found to be on the list of 'black-listed' passengers, Hashmi said, adding for the first time the visiting Sikhs were served food at the Wagah railway station.

Talking to reporters, Sikh leader Sardar Sohan Singh said, "We always receive love from the people of Pakistan. We want cordial relations between the two countries and people to people contact."

Saddiqul Farooq said the board has taken good care of the Sikh holy places in Pakistan.

"You will find a difference when you get to Gurdwara Janamasthan in Nankana Sahib," he said.

He told the Sikh groups leaders about extensive renovation work in gurdwaras in the country especially in the Punjab province.

The Indian Sikhs have left for Nankana Sahib, some 80 km from Lahore, where they will attend the main function on November 13. The Indian pilgrims will also visit other gurdwaras in Punjab province before they leave for India on November 21.

Guru Nanak Dev was born at Rai Bhoi Ki Talvandi (present day Nankana Sahib) near Lahore. He spent the last years of his life at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, about three kilometers from the International Border that separates India and Pakistan.
Christian and Muslim leaders gather in the Iranian capital to discuss dialogue, extremism, violence and security. Cardinal Onaiyekan stresses the importance of practical actions and political decisions in the interests of peace. Iraqi Sunni leader: United to counter the radical ideology. Ayatollah Mohaghegh Damad: Iran a land of dialogue that promotes friendship between Christianity and Islam.

Teheran (AsiaNews) - To strengthen inter-religious dialogue, combat fundamentalist ideology at the root of war and violence, relaunching the peace projects involving personalities of all faiths in a common path of encounter and discussion: These are some of the objectives outlined in the fourth Christian-Muslim Summit, which was held in Tehran (Iran) from 6 to 9 November.

The meeting, which was widely reported on Iranian media, was hosted by the International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, which belongs to the Organization for Islamic cultures and religions.

The theme of the 2016 summit "To respect and preserve human dignity, setting the stage for peace and global security." The event  which was previously held in Washington (2010), Beirut (2011) and the Vatican (2014)  was attended by prominent Christian figures (Catholics, Anglicans, Protestants) as well as notable Muslims (Sunni and Shia) coming from Iran, Iraq , Lebanon, Nigeria, the United States, the Vatican and Hong Kong.

The Catholic Church was represented by Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja. In his address the cardinal, representing a nation of almost 170 million inhabitants divided in half between Christians and Muslims, stressed the "coexistence" between faiths in Nigeria, although "there are sometimes clashes." However, encounter and dialogue are "the best solutions in the eyes of God to solve the problems."

People "want peace," stressed Cardinal Onaiyekan, and many are working hard to realize this goal, such as these people who are present in this meeting and certainly this summit is one of those steps that are taken in the world to lead humanity to peace". The archbishop of Abuja continued: "Although some believe that these efforts are useless and without results and waste of time and money, they should be told that this group should be trusted and we should believe that the continuation of these meetings will certainly lead to global peace. However, we should not think that these talks are enough, but we should take action and even make political decisions in this regard".

Abouzar Ebrahimi Torkaman, the head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, which hosted the event touched on the issue of violence in religions, emphasizing that it "is not rooted" in it but "is generated by ignorance" of precepts of faith and "irrationality". He added: "Networking is one of the important goals of these meetings. If we could not fulfill the decisions that we have taken in these meetings by a network of interested and leaders, not serious results will be achieved and will be more of the same kind as that Ferdowsi, the great Iranian poet, said a thousand years ago: they sat, said and stood"." Finally, to combat extremism, he said that education and the educational process in schools must be addressed.

The Ayatollah Taskhiri, among the closest collaborators of Khamenei for matters relating to the Muslim world, urged religions to commit to the path of dialogue on an equal level between members of different religions. We must not forget, warned the Shiite leader, the value of interreligious dialogue in the interests of peace and security "as it is written in the Koran."

Sunni Sheikh Mahdi Sumaidaie, General Mufti of Iraq, emphasized the problem related to extremism and the ideology of takfirism, which has caused much bloodshed not only in his country, but in many areas of the world. He called for joint efforts of Christians, Muslims and Jews to reinstate a peaceful coexistence, which has happened and is still happening not only in Iraq but also in other parts of the Arab world and the West. "Tackling takfirism  he said  means confronting fundamentalism, and those who say that it is permissible to kill." "Some criticize the Sunni leaders who remain silent in the face of extremist violence - said the mufti - but it is not true, because we make our voice heard [...] and we invite all to work for peace."

Finally Ayatollah Mohaghegh Damad, head of the department of Islamic studies at the Academy of Sciences in Iran recalled that the country has always been "a land of dialogue" and this has favored the "working revision" of the precepts of the faith in the context of the summit. A task carried out "without prejudice" and based on the value of the "dignity" of human contained in the scriptures. Addressing the media, he has asked them to spread "the message of peace" which is at the base of the summit; it is founded on the values of "friendship, reconciliation and love" that bind Christianity and Islam "over the centuries and for years to come."
Yesterday, the Chinese president celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen. A united nation creates benefits for all the people while a divided country opens the way to external invasions. A threat to democratic Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - "We will never allow any one, any organisation, any political party to remove a part of territory from China in any form and at any time [...] All forms of separatist activities will be resolutely opposed by the entire Chinese people. It is our solemn pledge to the people and to history never to let the country be torn apart again". This was Xi Jinpings speech focused on "separatism" to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen yesterday.

He, founder of the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang), led the Chinese revolution of 1911, which ended with the fall of the Qing and the birth of the Republic of China. Xi Jinping spoke for 45 minutes in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, in the presence of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party Politburo. A united country, said the Chinese president, creates benefits for all the people, whereas a divided nation inevitably faces threats. The latter, he said, China has experienced in the last century, with the invasions of foreign countries such as Japan and the European powers.

According to several observers, the great emphasis that Xi Jinping has put the issue of separatism reveals the concern of the Party regarding the "Strait relations" with Taiwan. The island is ruled by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the pro-independence Chairman Tsai Ing-wen, who refuses to accept the principle of "one China."

Wang Weinan, an expert of the Academy of Social Sciences in Shanghai, says: "The mainland sees pro-independence sentiments becoming part of the mainstream discussion in Taiwan, and yet the counterforce, like the KMT, has become weaker with no rebound in sight soon ".

According to Wang, the Xi Jinping's speech can also be regarded as a warning against the Hong Kong separatists. On 7 November, Beijing decreed that two young localist, Sixtus Baggio and Leung Yau Wai-ching, who had refused to swear alliance with China be excluded from Hong Kong parliament.
What Men Feel While Christmas Shopping

7 Things That Go Through All Men's Minds While Christmas Shopping

One unintended consequence of the US elections this week was that, for once, the unveiling of the John Lewis Christmas advert didnt dominate the national conversation. But, as in previous years, this remains the starting gun for the full-on descent into the festive season: more than high-street turkey sandwiches, more than Starbucks latest syrupy crime against conventional coffee, more than the mysterious appearance on menus of pigs in blankets. This years spot is a heart-rending tale about the neighbourhoods feral animals taking over a little girls new trampoline, set to Vaults acoustic cover of Randy Crawfords "One Day Ill Fly Away". However, it also serves as a reminder that once again, youre leaving it late in the day to organise your Christmas shopping and will be frantically charging around the local precinct at 9pm, with the following thoughts going through your head.

1. Deranged childlike wonder

It doesnt matter how old and cynical you get, or how tawdry the commercialisation of Christmas might be. Therell be a moment when a choir fires up from somewhere, the snowflake-shaped lights sparkle overhead and wink back from the puddles and you feel like youve just wandered off the set of Its A Wonderful Life, radiating nothing but joy towards your fellow man. The fact that you might be outside Poundland in Watford and its tipping down with rain makes no difference  the same part of your brain which responds to fireworks, pictures of cats in onesies and new Star Wars trailers has just been engaged. Sadly, this is likely to be followed by

2. Crippling depression

Christmas shopping is like visiting Las Vegas. Fine for a short period of time, but if you look too closely you start to notice the deranged hobos, slot-machine addicts and other assorted human wreckage. Hopefully your local shopping centre isnt that bad, but if youre in there any longer than an hour, its amazing how fast the looped music, creaking tableaux of giant mechanical bears, warring families and mindless consumerism can send your serotonin levels plummeting.

3. Faint irritation at the John Lewis advert

The more you think about that advert  perhaps while numbing your buttocks on a bench outside the Early Learning Centre while waiting for your partner to emerge  the more the plot holes open up. Had it followed anything approximating real life, the child would have been woken up in the middle of the night by the terrifying mating squawk of the foxes, before running out to find toxic turds all over her new gift, a shredded binliner in her sandpit, a dismembered squirrel scattered around the flowerbeds and the family dog getting savaged by a tuberculosis-riddled badger.

4. Incipient alcoholism

On a cold winters day, with shopping bags cutting into your hands and endless text messages coming in from your partner and instructing you to track down weirdly specific kinds of wrapping paper, there is nowhere on earth more appealing than a British pub. Ideally, an independent snug with craft beers on tap and an open fire will present itself. But failing that, youd cheerfully make do with a bomb-proof hostelry beneath a multi-storey car park where half the punters are in mobility scooters and theyve reused the bunting from 2012. As long as its got alcohol, tinsel and a seat, youll drop in for a quick one. The fact its only 11am is neither here nor there  normal drinking hours dont apply in December.

5. Financial delirium

All year round, you keep a brutally tight grip on the purse-strings, carefully monitoring your outgoings through bookkeeping apps, sensible budgeting, and a set of tax arrangements which would put Amazon to shame. Which makes it all the more surprising that two days before Christmas youve completely blown the limit on three different credit cards, have just given 20 to a Big Issue seller without even taking a magazine, treated yourself to a solo Michelin-starred lunch on a whim and have bought your mum a snow-globe which cost more than your weeks rent. Basically, none of this is real until January  and the bailiffs  arrive.

6. Genuine bafflement at just how many relatives youve got

For all that you see of your family, you might as well have been raised by wolves. Youre not even sure if most of them outside of your immediate circle are still alive, or how theyre all related to each other. Yet, for some reason, your mum has still sent you seven nagging, emoji-heavy texts reminding you that it would really mean a lot to your uncle, his third wife and your second step-cousin if you sent them something. Its no wonder you cant afford a house with these parasites taking it out of your wallet every December.

7. Mild resentment towards people with children

Your shopping list has quadrupled in the last two years thanks to a number of your friends giving birth. Now, its not enough just to grab your mate a paperback or a novelty mug on the way to the pub on Christmas Eve. Theres got to be very specifically tailored gifts for his children, whose tastes seem to change in the arbitrary, never-ending way of a particularly unhinged Roman emperor. Plus, they only like wrapping paper in one colour, it cant be too different  or too similar  to what youve got for their siblings, and you wont be getting a single thing in return off your mate because well, you know, its an expensive time of year with the kids. The final insult is that the children will look at the presents for about eight seconds before wearing the box as a hat, having a sleep-deprived meltdown and then vomiting Haribo all over the cat. Merry Christmas.

Related Readings

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Top 25 Christmas Gifts For Him
We have looked at the Partner (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 309) but do not meet the requirements We have looked at Student Visa, but would breach the "Genuine temporary entrant" requirement. We have looked at the Tourist Visa (ETA), but this would not allow her to study or work once we apply of the Partner visa (bridging visa rules) And we would be breaching the Tourist Visa (ETA) rules.

Hello Everyone.I need some urgent help.Short version.My partner is from Japan, and has been in Australia for the last 8 months on a Working Holiday Visa. She has had to go back to Japan for family reason. We were unable to marry before she left, and now we need to find a visa for her to return to Australia on so we can be married. Due to time of relationship we cannot get the Partner (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 309). Study and Tourist visa might be possible, but we just don't know.Long VersionI meet my partner and I meet over three years ago when I was visiting a friend in Japan. Since that time we have both travelled to see each other a number of times. In December last year she came to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa and we lived together and decided to get married. This is where it gets complicated.We planned to get married this month, before the Working Holiday Visa expired, however due to two events, we were unable. 1 - Although I have been separated for over 4 year, my divorce was not completed. We had a court date in August but it was knocked back due to a missing document and now will happen this month. 2 - She had to return to Japan due to a sick Family member. She plans to stay in Japan until just before the wedding date.We have now planned to get married at the end of December, and have spent money organising this, as well as friends and family paying for flights etc. The problem is the wedding date is after her Working Holiday Visa expires.I am hoping there are other options. Something we can do. Any advice is really needed.What can we do?Thanks in advance.James.
It all started last year, when AMS Performance led the battle for the R35 GT-R 1,320-feet sprint record within the US. However, back in January, Bahrain-based Ekanoo Racing stole the record, with the team then beating its own record the following month.However, earlier this week, Ekanoo Racing delivered a new Godzilla world record - in fact, the crew also set a Porsche 991 1/4-mile record with a 911 Turbo S, but we've already mentioned that in the Nissan story.And at the end of that article, we wondered what the American aftermarket developers engaged in this battle think of the Bahrain-captured record.Well, the piece of footage at the bottom of the page allows us to get an answer to that question - the clip shows AMS Performance bringing the record back to the US.And the machine used wasn't the tuner's developer car. Instead, we're talking about a customer vehicle. However, this isn't your "average" client car - the new record was set using the Alpha G, which, according to the estimations dropped by AMS Performance in the past, packs around 3,000 ponies.Its owner, Gidi, used to race a 2,000 hp AMS-build GT-R that slipped on its spilled oil and crashed at over 100 mph. Which means we're dealing with a bit of a Phoenix story here.The Alpha G GT-R managed to deliver a 7.14s run at 212 mph and you can check it all out in the video below. The clip also allows us to see how extreme trying to handle such a setup in low-speed, parking-like scenarios can be.And since Ekanoo Racing had already dropped the usual "our new setup still has untapped potential", we'll be here with that popcorn.
Photo of 2017 Land Rover Discovery by Paul Clinton.

The 2017 Land Rover Discovery became a gift that arrived early at a Nov. 11 media event in Venice, Calif. that paired the luxury SUV with coconut water, kale salad, and a celebrity surfer. The event came several days before Land Rover shows the vehicle for the first time in North America at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

As Land Rover unveiled its 2017 Discovery to automotive journalists, surfer Laird Hamilton and volleyball player Gabby Reece stood by to describe their day of testing the vehicle that replaces the Land Rover LR4 with a splash.

The 2017 Discovery arrives at about the same length  detailed specifications are forthcoming  but sheds 1,000 pounds by incorporating extensive aluminum body panels. The supercharged 3.0L V-6 gasoline engine carries over with the ZF 8-speed transmission, and the vehicle adds a 3.0L V-6 diesel-powered model.

The gasoline model can tow 8,201 pounds, while the diesel model can tow 7,716 pounds.

Photo of 2017 Land Rover Discovery HSE by Paul Clinton.

Body styling has been significantly reworked to give the vehicle more of a low-slung front end, and a legacy infotainment system has been replaced with the InControl Touch Pro that can be paired with an 8- or 12-inch touch screen. Land Rover added a new navigation system to the package.

Land Rover is also offering a connected seating configuration system known as Intelligent Seat Fold that allows users to configure the three-row SUV in at least six different ways to accommodate up to seven people and regular or elongated cargo.

When it goes on sale around June, the Discovery will arrive in three trim grades, including SE, HSE, and HSE Lux. The seating system is available on the HSE Lux model. The base model will retail for $49,990.
As GAMA released another disappointing aircraft production report this week, the Teal Groups Richard Aboulafia recently told the National Air Transportation Association that market data suggests next year wont be much better. And although Teal says its cautiously confident that things wont get worse, Aboulafia told us in this AVweb podcast that were far from the disastrous days of 2009.

Were not in freefall. This may be a disappointment. Were not in a 2009 situation, Aboulafia told us. Nonetheless, for the near term through the 2020 time frame, there are no market trends that suggest a strong uptick. No one wants to use the phrase the new normal, but it sure looks like the new normal to me, Aboulafia says. It looks as if the recovery doesnt seem to be gaining momentum. Weve actually lost a little ground over the past couple of years, he adds.

Teals global data shows business aircraft production was down 6.3 percent during 2014-15, regional jet production declined by 10.5 percent and civil rotorcraft were off by 9.4 percent. GAMA data shows that piston production declined from 1030 units in 2013 to 783 in 2015, a retreat of 24 percent. Piston production increased by 16 percent between 2010 and 2013.

Teals data paints a complex explanation for the decline and although theres a connection between world GDP and aircraft demand, the curve isnt a perfect fit. After the crash of 2008, world GDP recovered tepidly with an uptick curve, but aircraft deliveries flattened. Aboulafia described what he calls the great bifurcation in 2008, where the top half of the business aircraft marketboth in size of aircraft and costgrew sharply while the lower end plummeted even more dramatically.

And the growth that weve seen in the so-called recovery was all at the top end. And thats where were seeing some damage now, primarily due to low oil prices, weak emerging markets and an unfortunately changing business culture in China, Aboulafia says.

Another less obvious business cultural change shown by Aboulafias data is sharply reduced aircraft utilization. On a per aircraft basis, its 11 percent from a high in 2007 and the recovery curve since then has been a shallow climb. There seems to be some sort of shift underway in how business aircraft are appreciated and used. Thats not good for utilization, Aboulafia says.

One way manufacturers have responded to this is ever larger aircraft. The three top producers, Gulfstream, Dassualt and Bombardier, are proposing yet larger, wider cabin airplanes. Cessna recently introduced its largest cabin, the Citation Hemisphere. I think theyre thinking, If we cant sell in units, we can in dollars,' says Aboulafia.

This has implications for FBOs and MROs and aftermarket businesses modeled on high volume. The market, says Aboulafia, is currently going in the opposite direction. See a further analysis of Teals data in todays AVweb blog.
12 November 2016 11:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

A presentation of the Baku International Sea Trade Port was held at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, said the port in a message November 11.

The presentation was held during the working visit of the ports head Taleh Ziyadov to Belgium.

Addressing the presentation, Ivo Vajgl, a member of the European Parliament from Slovenia, noted that Azerbaijan, besides being a reliable energy partner of the EU, will also be a strategic transportation partner.

Ziyadov, for his part, said that transportation and logistics infrastructure, petrochemical and pharmaceutics zones are planned to be created in the free trade area in the Baku Ports territory, and the work to produce, package and label different products will be carried out there.

Therefore, 1,000 jobs will be created in the free trade zone that will contribute to attraction of big investments to Azerbaijan, noted Ziyadov.

During the visit, Ziyadov also held negotiations with Henrik Hololei, director general for mobility and transport at the European Commission, and discussed prospects of future cooperation.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree March 17, 2016, on measures to create a free trade zone type special economic area covering the territory of the Baku International Sea Trade Port in the Alat township of Bakus Garadagh district.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 November 2016 12:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The 26th meeting of the Trade and Transport Facilitation (TTF) Project Steering Committee of the GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development will be held in Azerbaijan, the countrys State Customs Committee said in a message November 11.

The decision was made during the 25th meeting of the committee in the city of Lviv, Ukraine.

At the meeting, Azerbaijan was represented by chief of the Main Department for Activity Assessment and Development Programs of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, customs service major-general Igbal Babayev and Chief of External Relations Department of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan Dilavar Farzaliyev.

The GUAM member countries also discussed the technical conditions to organize preliminary information exchange regarding the goods and vehicles transported across their state borders, according to the message.

The establishment of internal procedures to sign the protocol on mutual recognition of customs inspection results regarding a number of products, as well as coordination of the agreement to simplify transit of goods and vehicles among the GUAM member countries were considered.

--

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12 November 2016 10:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The US is likely to maintain its South Caucasus strategy by working with Russia and Turkey to further resolve issues in the region, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in particular, Theodore Karasik, senior advisor at Gulf State Analytics, told Trend Nov. 11.

The transition between [the US] administrations is not likely to result in major changes to American policy, Karasik stated.

Trumps policy is the exact same policy articulated by the Obama administration in its last months in office where Washington literally ceded the South Caucasus to Moscow and Ankara, he explained.

Meanwhile, said Karasik, it is important to remember that the Trump administration is looking for "bargain deals" with energy remaining the key focus.

There is one South Caucasus country  Georgia  that may benefit from the Trump administration, Karasik said.

This is due to Trump's earlier visits to that country, the expert added.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

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12 November 2016 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

November 12 sees the next anniversary of the Constitution Day in Azerbaijan  a significant event in the history of the country and nation.

The Constitution of indepedent Azerbaijan, adopted 21 years ago by nationwide voting, laid the legal foundations of the transition to the democratic republic.

This year was remembered with a particular importance for the country's constitution, as Azerbaijan has reformed its constitution for the third time in an effort to improve the state administration system and cope with the challenges of the modern world.

Before, the Constitution was amended through the referendum twice in 2002 and in 2009.

The advanced constitution with 29 changes is considered a new guarantee of political stability in Azerbaijan, aiming to prevent any weakening in the government.

All 29 amendments were approved by between 90 percent and 95 percent of voters, thus allowing to take an important step towards protecting the country's independence, even more successfully organizing national security and protecting human rights.

The adoption of the Constitution comprised of 5 sections, 12 chapters and 158 articles in 1995 became one of the most significant milestones in the history of the state. This important document laid the beginning of a new page in Azerbaijans history.

The Constitution did stand not only for a legal recognition of the new social system, but also was an indication that the development of the country had entered a new stage.

Through this law, Azerbaijanis announced their intention to defend the country, to guarantee the democratic system, to achieve the establishment of civil society and to live in friendship, peace and security with other nations.

The basic law proclaimed Azerbaijan a democratic, legal, secular and unitary republic, as well as secured its citizens rights and freedoms as the highest goal of the state.

On this glorious day, every Azerbaijani citizen feels his or her involvement in the formation of a free, democratic society aimed at providing for a bright future to subsequent generations.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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12 November 2016 19:14 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has viewed Qarabag Taxil LLC pilot grain farm as part of his visit to Beylagan district.

The project attracted a 10 million manat low-interest loan provided by the government. The complex features a 20,000 ton storage, a grain drying system with the capacity of 100 tons per hour and a 6,000 ton logistic center.

Qarabag Taxil LLC farm occupies a total area of 4,800 hectares in Aghjabadi and Beylagan districts. The company is an affiliate and production line of Saba LLC. Azerbaijan Investment Company owns a 25 per cent stake in the company.

President Ilham Aliyev watched cultivation and harvesting process.

Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev informed the head of state of the production process at the farm.

The head of state then viewed stands highlighting the activity of Qarabag Taxil LLC pilot grain farm.

The project created 130 new jobs, with the average monthly salary of 350 manats.

President Ilham Aliyev met with local residents and staff of the farm, and then posed for photographs with them.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 November 2016 10:36 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Uzbekistan will export one million tons of fruits and vegetables by late 2016, Ulugbek Rozukulov, Uzbek deputy prime minister, said at the first International Fruit and Vegetable Fair in Tashkent.

"Uzbekistan exported around 700,000 tons of agricultural products in 10 months of 2016 and this figure will reach one million tons by late 2016," Rozukulov added.

In total, the export of fruits and vegetables from Uzbekistan will increase by 1.4 times in 2016.

He added that the supplies to Russia and neighboring countries increased by three times, to South Korea by five times, to the UAE by 1.8 times, and to Germany by 1.6 times.

Rozukulov said that agricultural products have been recently exported to such countries as Norway, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, Cyprus, Macedonia, and the US.

Around 16 million tons of fruits and vegetables are produced in Uzbekistan annually.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 November 2016 12:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Lubomir Zaoralek said the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as an important international agreement was the outcome of a successful diplomacy, IRNA reported.

Making the remark in a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif here on Friday, he said the two countries were now able to increase the volume of their cooperation in political, cultural and economic areas so the visit could be high significance for both countries.

He said the two nations could also cooperation in the issue of Syrian crisis until its final settlement by fighting the terrorist Daesh group.

The Czech foreign minister said that in the post-JCPOA era, the two countries could expand their banking relations.

Zaoralek also expressed happiness over the visit of Zarif to his country which is the first one to take place by an Iranian foreign minister in twelve years.

Zarif, who is on a tour to three Eastern European countries arrived in Prague, capital of Czech Republic on Thursday evening.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
12 November 2016 16:20 (UTC+04:00)

The Minister of National Defense of China Chang Wanquan is expected to arrive in Iranian capital of Tehran on November 13.

The three-day visit will take place at the official invitation of Iranian defense minister, Brigadier-General Hossein Dehqan, IRNA news agency reported.

The Chinese minister is slated to meet several high-ranking Iranian officials to discuss bilateral issues as well as regional and international developments.

---

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12 November 2016 17:37 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Irans President Hassan Rouhani has said Tehran and Hungary can enjoy peaceful nuclear cooperation.

Speaking in a meeting with the visiting Speaker of Hungarys National Assembly Laszlo Kover, Rouhani said his government had based its foreign policy on expanding relations with friendly countries, IRIB reported November 12.

Hungarys competencies in the field of industry and agriculture has created proper bases for the expansion of Tehran-Budapest ties, Rouhani noted.

He also emphasized the implementation of the eight documents that were signed when Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban visited Iran last year.

According to the documents, Tehran and Budapest will boost their political consultations and promote their cooperation in the fields of economy, investment, tourism as well as cultural, scientific and educational exchanges. The two sides will also cooperate on health, medicine and communications technology.

Iran and the Hungarian multinational oil and gas company MOL in late October launched a new round of negotiations to sign a long-term oil deal.

According to traders and shipping data, MOL had commissioned a cargo of 140,000 tons of Iranian heavy crude oil for October 23.

---

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The government purchased fake chinese APCs for our soldiers. They cant withstand a small impact of an IED. Effects of Corruption!!The government purchased fake chinese APCs for our soldiers. They cant withstand a small impact of an IED. pic.twitter.com/0rNy8FFNvv November 12, 2016

President Uhuru Kenyatta was furious on the increasing persecution rate of the Kenya Defense Force in South Sudan. The president with the Defense team decided to withdraw the Defense forces from South Sudan. The increase in mortality rate of our defense force who are also in Somali now is scaring. The attacks that people have forgotten which were carried out against our forces in the battle to secure Kenya is now being directed to the Weapons which they are using.Devasted Kenyans when on twitter and show off what the defense forces were given to go for a fight. The defense ministry scandal that the opposition leader Raila Odinga roared shows was a real. The procurement of the Military weapons had irregularities and purchased fake tankers and other defense gadgets which ended up broken in the battle.Do these gadgets contributed to the attacks in Somali? Is the government playing with people souls in the battle? The scandal that Odinga revealed about the defense tendering and procurement looks like, it had a right notation.
High Wind Warning for Oregon Coast; King Tides After Weekend

Published 11/11/2016 at 6:23 PM PDT - Updated 11/11/2016 at 6:33 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Oregon Coast)  A wind warning is now in effect for the entire upper half of the Oregon coast, in place until 8 a.m. on Saturday morning and possibly bringing gusts up to 65 mph on beaches and headlands. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Portland issued the warning, covering the towns of Florence, Yachats, Newport, Lincoln City, Pacific City, Tillamook, Manzanita, Seaside, Cannon Beach and Astoria. (Above: stormy waves just south of Yachats).

Winds will calm considerably by the late afternoon.

Meanwhile, some super-sized tides are headed for the region Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, known as the King Tides. Just prior to that, however, Saturday will see sizable wave height around 14 feet, possibly creating some decent stormwatching sights on the windiest day.

The NWS said the big winds kick in after midnight tonight and continue until mid morning. Winds in the coastal towns will be from the south at 20 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. But on the beaches and headlands, things will roar to the tune of 40 mph sustained winds and gusts up to 65 mph.

The impact here will be some difficulty traveling, downed trees and likely power outages, the NWS said.

A high wind warning means a hazardous high wind event is expected or occurring, the NWS said. Sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph or gusts of 58 mph or more can lead to property damage.



Predictions also call for possible thunderstorms before 10 a.m along the Oregon coast, along with plenty of rain for the weekend.

By Saturday afternoon, winds decrease to more around 15 mph, backing off quite a bit, which will make watching the big waves much easier. Later that night brings a chance of fog.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are simply wet and somewhat breezy, with Tuesday looking to be somewhat dry. High tides that day and Wednesday are in the mid afternoons and as high as almost ten feet in some spots.

Monday is the largest Super Moon of the whole year, see more on that here. Cloudy skies will likely dampen the fun for that.

There is also the King Tides Project happening over those three high-tide days. Volunteer photographers are asked to document the highest tides of the year, showing the intersection of the ocean with both human-built infrastructure (roads, seawalls, trails, bridges) and natural features such as cliffs and wetlands. Anyone capable of wielding a camera can participate.

The three extreme tidal series participants will be photographing this winter begin with the series taking place this week. The other two rounds are December 12 - 15, and January (2017) 10-13. Such high tides are known in Australia, where the project originated, as King Tides, (hence the name).

Information on how to participate and post photos can be found on the projects website, http://www.oregonkingtides.net/. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours - Click here for Oregon Coast Weather and tides.















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A missing Baytown teen whose body was found Thursday following the Tuesday discovery of her fatally shot mother and daughter was stabbed the death.

Authorities realized 16-year-old Kirsten Fritch could not be accounted for after her relatives were slain and her mother's car disappeared.

She died of "sharp force injury" to "the abdomen, the chest and the neck," John Florence, an investigator with the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office, confirmed Friday. The type of weapon used had not been determined, he said.

TRAGIC END: Teen's body was found on the northeast edge of a wooded area

Cynthia Morris, 37, and her 13-year-old daughter, Breanna Pavlicek, were found shot to death at their Baytown home on Tuesday. The medical examiner's office said Thursday that Morris was shot in the torso and neck while Breanna had firearm wounds to her head, neck and right shoulder.

Police issued an Amber Alert this week and identified a person of interest  Kirsten's 21-year-old boyfriend Jesse Christian Dobbs. He was arrested Tuesday night after arriving at a Texas City bar reportedly wet and shoeless.

Officers with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI assisted local police in searching the immediate surroundings of the bar on Wednesday. Authorities enlisted Equusearch founder Tim Miller, along with three-dozen volunteers, who began their work on Thursday morning. Kirsten's body was found less than 1,000 feet from the bar in the underbrush of a wooded area. The Goose Creek Memorial High School student and orchestra musician had plans attend college to study medicine.

FAMILY HORROR: Girl's mom, sister found dead inside home

Dobbs, who is being held at the Galveston County Jail, is the lone suspect in all three deaths.

As of Friday afternoon, he was charged with resisting arrest in addition to a municipal hold requested by the Texas City Police Department, jail records show. His bail is $50,520.
United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. United States of America, Appellee, v. Ernesto Olivo, DefendantAppellant. No. 153287cr Decided: November 10, 2016

PRESENT: PIERRE N. LEVAL, ROBERT D. SACK, REENA RAGGI, Circuit Judges. Appearing for Appellant: Richard Harris Rosenberg, Law Office of Richard H. Rosenberg, New York, New York. Appearing for Appellee: Russell Capone, Assistant United States Attorney (Adam S. Hickey, Assistant United States Attorney, on the brief), for Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, New York, New York.

SUMMARY ORDER

Defendant Ernesto Olivo appeals his conviction following trial of conspiracy to traffic five kilograms or more of cocaine, 500 grams or more of mixtures containing methamphetamine, and 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. See 21 U.S.C.  841(b)(1)(A), 846. Presently incarcerated, serving a belowGuidelines mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years, Olivo challenges (1) the admission of hearsay statements, (2) the prosecution's misuse of certain hearsay statements in summation, and (3) the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his conviction. We assume the parties' familiarity with the facts and record of prior proceedings, which we reference only as necessary to explain our decision to affirm.

1. Informant Hearsay

Olivo argues that the district court erred in allowing the government to elicit, over objection, on redirect examination of a government agent, a confidential informant's (CI's) out-of-court statement that Olivo had told the CI about an 18kilogram cocaine shipment from Ecuador to Miami. Olivo argues not only that the statement was inadmissible as hearsay, but that its admission violated his Sixth Amendment right of confrontation. See U.S. Const. amend. VI. He further argues that the government compounded these errors by referencing the statement for its truth in summation. We generally review a preserved challenge to the admissibility of evidence for abuse of discretion. See United States v. Coplan, 703 F.3d 46, 82 (2d Cir. 2012).

Where a defendant argues that the improper admission of hearsay evidence violated the Confrontation Clause, our review is de novo, subject to harmless error. See United States v. Jass, 569 F.3d 47, 55 (2d Cir. 2009). We review a challenged summation comment in the context of the entire trial to determine if it substantially prejudiced the defendant. United States v. Williams, 690 F.3d 70, 75 (2d Cir. 2012) (internal quotation marks omitted). In so doing, we consider the seriousness of the misconduct, any curative measures, and the certainty of the conviction absent the improper statements. See United States v. Banki, 685 F.3d 99, 120 (2d Cir. 2011).

Applying these standards here, we conclude that even if the defense did not open the door to admission of the challenged statement, cf. United States v. Rosa, 11 F.3d 315, 335 (2d Cir. 1993), its admission was harmless in light of the district court's limiting instructions, which made clear that the challenged CI statement was not to be considered for its truth. Statements admitted for purposes other than establishing the truth of the matter asserted raise neither hearsay nor Confrontation Clause concerns. See United States v. Certified Envtl. Servs., Inc., 753 F.3d 72, 89 (2d Cir. 2014) (holding that statement received for purpose other than its truth does not raise hearsay concerns); see also United States v. Paulino, 445 F.3d 211, 21617 (2d Cir. 2006) (same re: Confrontation Clause concerns) (citing Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36, 59 n.9 (2004)). We assume the jury followed the district court's instructions on the issue. See United States v. Stewart, 433 F.3d 273, 310 (2d Cir. 2006).

In its rebuttal summation, however, the prosecution appeared to cross the line drawn by the district court and to reference the challenged statement for its truth. The mention was brief, and drew no immediate defense objection, as one might expect if prejudicial error. Indeed, it was only when the district court, at the close of summations, questioned the government's use of the statement that defense counsel objected and moved for a mistrial. Denying the motion, the district court thereafter twice instructed the jury that the CI's statement could not be considered for its truth. We presume the jury followed these instructions, which were sufficient in this case to cure the error. See id.

In any event, Olivo cannot show prejudice because other evidence persuasively linked Olivo to the distribution of an additional 15 kilograms of cocaine. Moreover, the jury found Olivo guilty of trafficking in quantities of methamphetamine substances and pure methamphetamine, independently triggering the mandatory minimum sentence that he is serving. See United States v. Zvi, 168 F.3d 49, 5556 (2d Cir. 1999) (upholding conspiracy conviction where jury found valid objects proved, even if other objects legally deficient).

2. Text Messages

Olivo raises a hearsay challenge to the admission of various text messages found on cell phones seized from his apartment. We need not decide if this particular challenge was forfeited in the district court so as to be reviewed only for plain error because Olivo cannot demonstrate any error.

A statement is not hearsay when it is made by the defendant himself, see Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(2)(A), or by a coconspirator during and in furtherance of the conspiracy, see Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(2)(E). We review a district court's factual findings regarding the conspiracy for clear error and its decision to admit coconspirator statements for abuse of discretion, which we do not identify here. See United States v. Gupta, 747 F.3d 111, 124 (2d Cir. 2014). Certainly, there was ample independent corroborating evidence that Olivo was a participant in the cocaine distribution conspiracy. See United States v. Tellier, 83 F.3d 578, 580 (2d Cir. 1996). To the extent Olivo characterizes the text messages as mere chit chat not in furtherance of the conspiracy, see United States v. Diaz, 176 F.3d 52, 85 (2d Cir. 1999) (noting that in furtherance requirement not satisfied by mere idle chatter (internal quotation marks omitted)), that argument is belied by the statements themselves, which, though coded, plainly reference drug trafficking, particularly when considered in light of the testimony of cooperating witnesses detailing Olivo's drug activities. The same conclusion applies to Olivo's argument that there is a lack of evidence identifying the persons communicating with Olivo on the text messages or their roles in the conspiracies. The law does not require proof of either in order to permit a preponderance finding (1) that a conspiracy existed, (2) that the declarants were members of the conspiracy, and (3) that the statements were made in furtherance thereof. See United States v. Coppola, 671 F.3d 220, 247 (2d Cir. 2012); United States v. Eppolito, 543 F.3d 25, 4748 (2d Cir. 2008); United States v. Provenzano, 615 F.2d 37, 45 (2d Cir. 1980) (noting that when sufficient evidence of conspiracy is presented, evidence sufficient to connect it to additional co-conspirators need not be overwhelming (quoting United States v. Head, 546 F.2d 6, 910 (2d Cir. 1976) (internal quotation marks omitted))). The district court did not abuse its discretion in finding these elements satisfied here.

3. Sufficiency of the Evidence

Olivo argues that the evidence was insufficient to prove a conspiracy to traffic in five or more kilograms of cocaine and that the district court should not have allowed that object of the conspiracy to be considered by the jury, as he requested in his motion pursuant to Fed. R. Crim. P. 29(a). We construe the district court's initial decision as one reserving decision on the motion, and conclude that the court acted within its discretion in so doing. See Fed. R. Crim. P. 29(b). At whatever point Rule 29 relief is denied, we review the district court's sufficiency determination de novo, considering the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, drawing all inferences in the government's favor and deferring to the jury's assessments of the witnesses' credibility. United States v. Pierce, 785 F.3d 832, 838 (2d Cir. 2015) (internal quotation marks omitted). When we do that here, we conclude that the evidence easily supported the jury's verdict as to the cocaine object of the conspiracy. Indeed, even discounting the 18 kilograms of cocaine shipped from Ecuador to Miami, as the district court did in imposing sentence, record evidence linked Olivo to additional cocaine shipments of at least 15 kilograms. Thus, Olivo's sufficiency challenge fails on the merits.

4. Conclusion

We have considered Olivo's remaining arguments and conclude that they are without merit. Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.

FOOTNOTES

. Although Olivo dismisses the text messages' references to drug quantity as inconclusive, when we view the messages in the light most favorable to the government, we must assume that the jury construed references to work and keys as kilogram drug weights. See, e.g., J.A. 40, 47; Gov't Add. 9, 11; see also Trial Tr. 225:1418 (testimony by cooperating witness that work was code word for cocaine); Trial Tr. 528:13529:7 (questioning undercover agent on use of code words).
For Texas Democrats, it has to be considered a moral victory. For the first time since 1976, they managed to keep the margin of defeat for their presidential candidate below double-digits.

Well, barely. Current returns show Donald Trump getting 52.6 percent of the state vote as compared to 43.4 percent for Hillary Clinton, with the rest going to minor candidates. That's a difference of 9.2 percentage points between Trump and Clinton. It's close to 10 percent or greater, but the main number starts with a 9.
Environmentalists already bracing for hard times in the wake of the election of Donald Trump won't be cheered by the names being floated for secretary of the Interior in the president-elect's cabinet.

The leading contender, according to Politico, is Indiana oilman Forrest Lucas. Also mentioned as candidates are former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer; Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin; Wyoming Rep. Cynthia Lummis; and Oklahoma oilman Harold Hamm.

A sleeper candidate is the president-elect's son, Donald Trump Jr., who is a big fan of trophy hunting, which he seems to think makes him qualified for the job.

Palin made the pro-oil exploration slogan "Drill baby, drill" a catchphrase of the 2008 election when she ran for vice president on the Republican ticket with Sen. John McCain.

To environmentalists, entrusting an oil executive or other Big Oil-friendly candidate with the stewardship of the nation's natural resources is akin to putting the fox in charge of the hen house.

As Khalid Pitts, the Sierra Club's national political director, told Politco in September:

"Putting an oil executive in charge of our public lands and precious coasts in places like North Carolina, Virginia and Florida is a virtual guarantee that Trump's promise to throw open season on drilling in our special places will come true if he's elected."

Lucas, the 74-year-old founder of California-based Lucas Oil Products, may be more disliked by animal-rights activists that he is by environmentalists. According to Politico, he is one of the biggest donors to groups that attack the Humane Society, the Society for Prevention of Cruelty of Animals and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

He has defended puppy mills, circuses, animal agriculture and trophy hunting. A nonprofit that he founded and bankrolled produced the feature film "The Dog Lover," which portrays dog breeders and puppy mills as victims of animal-rights agencies "who aren't REALLY interested in animal welfare."

A review of the movie on Roger Ebert's website called it "shamelessly manipulative" and "a pretty bald piece of anti-SPCA and/or PETA propaganda."

Many of the promises made by Trump during the campaign may never be kept, but his vow to gut regulations on oil and gas exploration to boost fossil fuels development appears to be doable.

In an interview with Fox News Sunday last year, Trump revealed his feelings about protecting the nation's natural resources.

"Environmental protection, what they do is a disgrace; every week they come out with new regulations," Trump told host Chris Wallace.

"Who's going to protect the environment?" Wallace asked.

"We'll be fine with the environment," Trump replied. "We can leave a little bit, but you can't destroy businesses."

Americans will have to decide if they're OK with being left with a "little bit" of the nation's natural treasures.
On November 1, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2017 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Payment System final rule. The policy changes contained in the rule signal that the reimbursement environment for spine surgery is continuing to evolve, and this shift is not confined to Medicare. Commercial payors are fully expected to react to the CMS rule with updates of their own. What does this mean for ASC owners and operators? All ASC stakeholders must familiarize themselves with the rule changes and assess the impact on their practices and care patterns. In the case where providers determine that there are potential adverse effects, they should reach out to their commercial payors ahead of January 1, 2017, when the rule goes into effect. Providers may also want to reach out to optimize potential new reimbursement opportunities created by the rule.

Understanding the 2017 Rule Changes

CMS acknowledged that it is possible to deliver safe, effective, and lower-cost spine care in a freestanding ASC in its 2015 payment ruling, which added nine surgical spine codes to the list of ASC covered surgical procedures. Improvements in technology and clinical standards have made it possible for these procedures to be performed in the ASC setting with favorable outcomes and without an overnight hospital stay. These are key criteria that CMS considers when approving surgical procedures for the ASC list that were previously only allowed in the HOPD or inpatient setting. The 2017 rule is an expected update, with many of the changes continuing the trend of moving higher-acuity cases to the outpatient setting. This article explains the four categories of CPT spine code changes included in the rulenew assignments, removal from the inpatient-only (IPO) list, additions to the ASC covered list, and rate adjustments for 2015 code additions. It also comments on the broader impact of the rule within the context of todays healthcare environment and the varying methodologies payors use to set reimbursement rates.

Eight New CPT Code Assignments

There are some wins here for ASCs. Four of the new assignments are for insertion of an interspinous process stabilization or distraction device without fusion (22867, 22868, 22869, and 22870), and the initial-level codes (22867 and 22869) will be reimbursed. The additional-level codes (22868 and 22870) will be packaged with no additional reimbursement. These procedure codes are taking the place of temporary codes 0171T and 0172T (code 0171T was previously on the list of ASC covered procedures as a device-intensive procedure due to the cost of the implant being greater than 40% of the payment). This group of four codes presents an opportunity for ASCs that work with physicians who are currently providing these procedures in the hospital setting to move them to the ASC. There is also a payor negotiating opportunity if an ASC has previously attempted to negotiate for reimbursement for temporary code 0171T and met with resistance. It is very typical for payor network management to decline to contract for temporary codes or for payor medical directors to hesitate to approve exceptions to standard contracting for temporary codes; the addition of permanent codes creates a better environment for parties to return to the negotiating table.

There is also a new procedure code for lumbar endoscopic decompression of the spinal cord (62380), which is payable in the ASC as a device-intensive procedure, thus presenting another possible reimbursement negotiating opportunity for ASCs with physicians who perform the procedure.

For CY 2017, the AMA CPT Editorial Panel deleted CPT code 22851 and replaced it with three new codes to identify the insertion of an interbody biomechanical device with integral anterior instrumentation for device anchoring (e.g., a cage with anchoring screws). These are excluded from payment in the ASC setting (22853, 22854, and 22859) and do not present any new reimbursement opportunities from Medicare. However, commercial payors could be open to discussing reimbursement for these devices. In addition, ASCs with commercial contracts that reimburse for CPT code 22851 will want to ensure that the same rates transfer to the new codes.



Four Removals from the IPO List

There is some good news here too. CPT codes 22840, 22842, and 22845 represent spinal instrumentation procedures considered to be add-on codes to spinal fusion procedures that are currently performed in the ASC setting. CMS is removing these three spine codes from the IPO list and moving them directly onto the ASC covered list, which will facilitate discussion with the commercial payors as ASCs seek to negotiate contracts to perform these services. Procedure code 22858total disc arthroplasty (artificial disc), anterior approach including discectomy with end plate preparation; second level, cervicalis being removed from the IPO list but will continue to be excluded from the ASC list of covered procedures because of the final rule, in which CMS states that this procedure would generally be expected to require at least an overnight stay for recovery. Nevertheless, taking this code off the IPO list gives ASCs the opportunity to approach their commercial payors to seek reimbursement for this procedure. In addition, ASCs that have spine surgeons who are already performing single-level total disc arthroplasties (22856) are well positioned to extend this service to a second cervical level. It is possible that some commercial payors will make changes to their medical policies and/or incorporate this code into their reimbursement methodologies, allowing this procedure in the ASC setting.

Eleven Additions to the List of ASC Covered Surgical Procedures

Three of these additions are spine-specific autograft codes that include the harvesting of the graft (20936, 20937, and 20938). Six are instrumentation codes for spinal fusion (22840, 22842, 22845, 22853, 22854, and 22859). The final two procedure codes (22552 and 22585) are the procedure codes for the second level of both anterior cervical disc fusion (ACDF) approaches; this has become a more common outpatient procedure in the past several years. The final rule from CMS lists these codes with a payment indicator of N1 for packaged procedures with no separate payment made. Unfortunately, this means that it will still not make good financial sense to transition healthy Medicare patients to the ASC setting for these procedures.

This forces commercial payors to make an important decision. They could follow CMS by pricing these codes as add-on procedures with zero reimbursement, thereby creating a case rate for the primary codes for cervical (22551 and 22554) and lumbar (22612) fusions. Alternatively, they could integrate these codes into their existing payment methodologies and create more of an economic incentive for spine surgeons to migrate care to ASCs. This ruling will signal to payor medical directors that the spine cases moving to the CMS ASC covered list are safe in the ASC setting and that they no longer will always require an overnight stay, which should incentivize them to price or negotiate rates with ASCs that allow their surgeons to perform these cases and continue to bend the overall healthcare cost curve.



Rate Adjustments for Codes Added in 2015

Overall, the rate changes that have been approved for the last two years are probably not significant enough to sway ASCs to start performing new procedures for Medicare beneficiaries. For example, the primary ACDF code (22551) reimbursement is decreasing by 10.7%, and that actually further disincentivizes physicians from performing these surgeries for healthy Medicare patients in the ASC space, despite the fact that its a lower-cost setting. The primary code for a posterior lumbar fusion (22612) is increasing by 40.8% after decreasing last year by 55%, but this does align the rate with the cost of this procedure. Also, the widely performed lumbar laminotomy code (63030) reimbursement is increasing by 6.5%, but, again, the rate is inadequate. The overall theme here is that these rates are not substantial enough to incentivize physicians to perform these cases in their ASCs. It appears that CMS is not considering the individual case cost, including the high cost of implants for fusion cases or the capital requirements needed for equipment to perform these casesoften several hundred thousand dollars. ASC operators with commercial payor contracts with ACDF reimbursement that is based on Medicare rates should contact their payors to discuss some of the adverse changes to their expected reimbursement.

The table below details the procedure codes that were added to the ASC approved list in 2015 and the rate adjustments after that ruling.



More on the Impact of the 2017 Rule

The degree to which the CMS ruling will benefit surgeons, ASCs, and other interested parties hinges on the decisions that payors make about pricing all of the spine CPT codes included in the rule. Several regional and national payors have moved to an APC-based methodology for new contract negotiations. These payors are likely to follow CMS by adding new spine procedures to their fee schedule and pricing many of them at zero dollars, making it less lucrative, and perhaps even cost prohibitive, for ASCs to perform these procedures. Conversely, the payors that continue to operate on a proprietary payment system, which are the majority, are likely to approve and price these procedure codes, which will potentially provide for some degree of reimbursement and room for negotiation of rates for ASCs that want to perform these procedures.

Regardless of their payors reimbursement model, spine centers must be diligent in investigating how these procedures are handled within their existing contract reimbursement methodologies and also be on the lookout for upcoming changesit is virtually guaranteed that commercial case-level payment will be impacted by this CMS ruling. Some payors will implement changes on January 1 when the rule goes into effect, while others will wait until the end of the first quarter in April, and still others will make changes mid-year at the beginning of July. ASC owners and operators, as well as spine surgeons, should begin conversations with their payor representatives now to equip themselves with the necessary rate information from their contracts and be prepared to renegotiate contract terms if payors introduce adverse changes to their overall case-level reimbursement.

Today, reimbursement often determines the care setting, and the ASC remains the exception rather than the rule. However, that may change as patients who are increasingly exposed to financial risk through higher out-of-pocket expenses become more cost conscious. Tung Ha, DO, a neurosurgeon at Fourth Corner Neurosurgical Associates in Bellingham, Washington, who practices at Cascade Outpatient Spine Center, shares that some of his patients are already asking to have their surgeries performed in the ASC because they are aware that the cost is lower than in the hospital. Dr. Ha and many other surgeons believe that the ASC should be the first-choice setting for surgery, with the hospital being selected only if the ASC is not clinically appropriate. This paradigm shift will require a major change in the reimbursement of these procedures by CMS and other payors. For now, ASCs can move the conversation in the right direction by staying informed.
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The feat will take place above the Eden Project

A daredevil grandmother is taking on England's longest and fastest zipwire for charity.

Alison Midwood, 87, who is known as Granny Bin, will fly over Cornwall's Eden Project to raise money for ShelterBox.

She will be suspended on a 660-metre (2,165ft) zipwire above the famous biomes and travel at up to 60mph - despite never having been on one before and not being in the best of health

Mrs Midwood, who was called Binnie as a youngster after a great aunt Albinia, has a family connection with the Cornwall-based international disaster relief agency ShelterBox.

Her granddaughter Alice Jefferson is a member of the charity's operations team and has just returned from deployment in Iraq preparing to help the people of Mosul.

Ms Jefferson said: "Granny Bin is a bit of legend and is on a fundraising mission for ShelterBox.

"I'm still not fully sure of how she came up with the idea, but I think it's pretty epic, especially given that she's never been on a zipwire - not even a little one - and she's not in the best of health.

"After a cancer operation, and diagnosis of a chronic auto-immune disease, she's now more determined than ever to live life to the full.

"We had time to squeeze in a visit to Eden to check how the big day will work. Granny Bin has been given the all-clear by the medical powers that be, and wasn't put off by seeing others hurtling 660 metres over the biomes.

"All is looking good, so please dig deep and help to motivate Granny Bin to complete this challenge. Who knows what her next target will be? Go Granny go."

Mrs Midwood, who lives near Liskeard, Cornwall hopes to raise 500 for charity. She is taking part in the challenge on Saturday.
Danny DeVito and Lucy DeVito attend the premier of The Comedian in Los Angeles (AP)

Hollywood star Danny DeVito said America was "skunked" by Bernie Sanders' failed presidential bid as he heaped praised on Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party.

The 71-year-old actor said he remained a "big fan" of Mr Corbyn after publicly endorsing the Labour leader earlier this year, but admitted he did not know anything about Prime Minister Theresa May.

At the Los Angeles premiere of his new film, The Comedian, on Friday, DeVito told the Press Association: "You guys got Jeremy. I'm a big fan of Jeremy, well because the Labour Party is an important thing. It's very good.

"We got skunked over here that Bernie didn't get in but we'll keep working on it and try and get up to you guys."

Asked whether he liked Mrs May, DeVito replied: "I don't know anything about her."

In an interview with the Press Association in April, DeVito said he believed Mr Corbyn would make a "great PM" compared to then-prime minister David Cameron.

He said: "I like the idea of people telling the truth. I like them to get to the bottom of things. In our government we have a lot of subterfuge.

"I think he (Mr Corbyn) would make a great PM. Way better than Cameron."

DeVito, whose acting career has included starring roles in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Twins, LA Confidential and the classic TV series Taxi, also criticised former prime minister Tony Blair.

"Look at your history, for crying out loud," he said at the time.

"A little sketchy guy hanging out with George Bush. What was his name? Blair."

Following DeVito's comments in April, Mr Corbyn wrote on Twitter: "Really pleased to get an endorsement from @DannyDeVito. I feel a Twins sequel coming on."

The Comedian, which had its premiere at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre as part of AFI Fest, is released in US cinemas on January 13. A UK release date has not been confirmed.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E star Robert Vaughn has died of leukaemia at the age of 83.

Vaughn played suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s TV series and was also well known for portraying the skittish gunman Lee in the original The Magnificent Seven film.

He died after a brief battle with acute leukaemia after being treated in hospitals in New York and Connecticut, his spokesman confirmed to the Press Association.

Manager Matthew Sullivan, who represented him for 30 years, said Vaughn was "the most wonderful human being" and confirmed he died with his family around him.

Vaughn was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar and Golden Globe for his early role in The Young Philadelphians and in 2012 he became the first major American star to feature on Coronation Street.

He played Milton Fanshaw, a wealthy American who met Sylvia Goodwin, played by Stephanie Cole, on a cruise.

He became a familiar face on British television with his role in the BBC show Hustle where he played conman Albert Stroller from 2004 to 2012.

Mr Sullivan added: "He had a blast doing Hustle for the BBC, he loved that show and him and Linda loved living in London, it was one of his greatest joys doing that show.

"Even at 83, women would still come up to the table to talk to him."

His Hustle co-star Adrian Lester called Vaughn a "real gent" and revealed he used to tell tales on set about film stars including Marilyn Monroe and Steve McQueen.

Lester said: "Old school charm in a three piece suit. He did everything on set and off with a twinkle in his eye and never once pulled rank or status or claimed he was too tired or just forgot. He set the standard that we all tried to match.

"I'm going to miss his stories, about Monroe, McQueen, (Charles) Bronson, (James) Coburn ... and his jokes. His very silly, very funny jokes.

"A generous, kind, example of statesman like skill. We were all blessed to have known and worked with him. The last 'Magnificent' to leave us.

"They really don't make them like him any more.

"Marc Warren called him 'The Legend'. The rest of us just called him 'Sir'.

"All our thoughts now are with Linda and the family."

The Man From U.N.C.L.E saw Vaughn's Solo paired with David McCallum's blond Russian Illya Kuryakin, in roles that were revived by Superman actor Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer for Guy Ritchie's big screen reboot in 2015.

Mr Sullivan said Vaughn enjoyed seeing a new version of the spy story that made him famous. He said: "He and Linda were living in Connecticut and the studio hired out an entire cinema for them to watch the movie.

"He did enjoy it. He loved passing on what was next."

The actor is survived by wife Linda, son Cassidy and daughter Caitlin.

Vaughn, who was the last surviving member of The Magnificent Seven, also had a starring role in Bullitt, again opposite McQueen and appeared in TV series Columbo.

A spokesman from Coronation Street said: "Everyone at Coronation Street is deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Robert Vaughn and we offer our condolences to his family.

"Robert was a terrific actor. We were privileged to have him join us on the cobbles."

He carried on working well into his 80s, playing a dying father in Gold Star and starring opposite Matthew Broderick and Camilla Belle in The American Star, which were both released this year.

Gavin Free, who worked with him on Hustle said: "Aw.RIP Robert Vaughn. I got to work with him on Hustle 5 years ago. He did his own slow mo stunts that day while in his late 70s."
Val Kilmer appeared to be struggling to speak as he made his first public appearance since denying reports he has cancer.

His friend Michael Douglas had claimed Kilmer has the same tongue cancer he had been diagnosed with, something Kilmer has denied.

Video footage of the Batman Forever actor presenting the film version of his one-many play Citizen Twain in Los Angeles shows Kilmer slurring and dabbing his mouth with a tissue.

Kilmer has previously told fans Douglas had been "misinformed" about his condition and added he has not spoken to the star for nearly two years.

Douglas, who was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2010 and was given the all-clear the following year, said his friend was "dealing with exactly what I had", adding: "Things don't look too good for him."

He said: "My prayers are with him. That's why you haven't heard too much from Val lately."

But Kilmer, 56, who worked with Douglas on the 1996 film The Ghost And The Darkness, assured fans in a lengthy Facebook post that he is not suffering from cancer.

"I love Michael Douglas but he is misinformed," he wrote.

"The last time I spoke to him was almost two years ago, when I asked him for a referral for a specialist to get a diagnosis for a lump in my throat, which prevented me from continuing a tour of my play Citizen Twain.

"I ended up using a team at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) and have no cancer whatsoever. I still have a swollen tongue and am rehabbing steadily."

The footage of Kilmer introducing his film shows the actor telling the crowd he had to cancel his upcoming tour for the play because his "tongue swelled".

He said: "I went into rehearsals down in Florida and started having trouble with my speech. Obviously I'm still recovering. My tongue swelled up and I cancelled the tour. As I'm recovering, I'm showing this."
We all like to remember and celebrate events that are important to us - occasions that are meaningful, not only in our own personal lives, but events that reach beyond the home that have shaped us and our communities.

My identity, first and foremost is in Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus, but I am also a husband and a father, an ordained minister who has served in both parts of our island; someone who values the civil and religious liberty won long ago so that I can call myself a Presbyterian - and be able to practice my faith freely. Our identity is multifaceted.

For generations our communities have commemorated key events with bonfires - part and parcel of identity and culture. Bonfires are neither good nor bad in themselves but like, say a motorcar, they can be either used or abused.

My comments on bonfires on both sides of the community made up a small paragraph of a very broad lecture that I gave at Ulster University on Thursday evening.

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It was part of a week-long visit I have been making to our Presbytery of north Belfast and the annual Chaplaincy Lecture, which was about hope, leadership and compassion in the city, was part of that. While there are still some bonfires that are contentious, many people across Belfast and beyond have shown considerable local leadership, working hard to turn bonfires into more community orientated events so that they are neither dangerous nor belligerent.

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I commend that progress and want to acknowledge their hard work. I appreciate that there is still some way to go in this area, as it does remain unfinished business.

Bonfires in themselves are not sinful. But they can become sinful when instead of positively celebrating culture they are hijacked to inculcate triumphalism and fear. When negativity is passed on from one generation to the next that is wrong, because sectarianism is sinful - a cancer that eats away at the very core of our hearts. When bonfires cause pressure on an overstretched PSNI, or bring potential risk to the Fire Service's life and limb, damage property, local people's health or the environment, then it is something that we need to call wrong and find a better way.

In talking about hope, leadership and compassion in the city, I made the point that human flourishing and true happiness is when our hearts are captured by an affection beyond ourselves to loving God and loving our neighbours more than anything else.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close A house catches fire at the Lower Shankill bonfire as it is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The Lower Shankill bonfire is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph A house catches fire at the Lower Shankill bonfire as it is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The Lower Shankill bonfire is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The Lower Shankill bonfire is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The Lower Shankill bonfire is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The Lower Shankill bonfire is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The Lower Shankill bonfire is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The Lower Shankill bonfire is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The Lower Shankill bonfire is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The Lower Shankill bonfire is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The Lower Shankill bonfire is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The Lower Shankill bonfire is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph A bonfire is lit on the Shankill Road in Belfast on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PA PA A man dampens down a building as a bonfire is lit on the Shankill Road in Belfast on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PA PA A man dampens down a building as a bonfire is lit on the Shankill Road in Belfast on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PA PA A bonfire is lit on the Shankill Road in Belfast on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PA PA A bonfire is lit on the Shankill Road in Belfast on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PA PA A man uses petrol to light a bonfire on the Shankill Road in Belfast on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PA PA Bonfire at Tennent Street in west Belfast. 11th July 2016. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Highfield Estate bonfire in west Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Bonfire at Tennent Street in west Belfast. 11th July 2016. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Bonfire at Tennent Street in west Belfast. 11th July 2016. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Eleventh night bonfire in the Highfield Estate in west Belfast July 11 2016. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Eleventh night bonfire in the Highfield Estate in west Belfast July 11 2016. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Eleventh night bonfire in the Highfield Estate in west Belfast July 11 2016. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Eleventh night bonfire in the Highfield Estate in west Belfast July 11 2016. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. A huge bonfire in Tigers Bay area of Belfast before it is lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PA PA An 11th Night bonfire at Edgarstown, Portadown, covered in at leat 30 Sinn Fein and SDLP election posters. This follows a complaint to police about another bonfire in Portadown's Corcrain Estate as a hate crime by Sinn Fein. A huge bonfire in Tigers Bay area of Belfast before it is lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PA PA A huge bonfire in Tigers Bay area of Belfast before it is lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PA PA Loyalists climb up one of the largest 11th night Bonfires with Irish tricolour flags in the lower Shankill road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 11, 2016, ahead of the lighting of the traditional 11th night bonfires. The Eleventh Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July, an annual Protestant commemoration of the famous battle were Protestant King William III of Orange defeated Catholic King James II at the battle of the Boyne on July 12, 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Two women take photographs of one of the largest 11th night Bonfires in the lower Shankill road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 11, 2016, ahead of the lighting of the traditional 11th night bonfires. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Children atop the huge bonfire in Sandy Row, Belfast with a banner displaying an offensive message directed at SDLP MLA Clare Hanna. PA Loyalists gesture at the foot of one of the largest 11th night Bonfires after raising Irish tricolour flags in the lower Shankill road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 11, 2016, ahead of the lighting of the traditional 11th night bonfires. The Eleventh Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July, an annual Protestant commemoration of the famous battle were Protestant King William III of Orange defeated Catholic King James II at the battle of the Boyne on July 12, 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Loyalists gesture from the top of one of the largest 11th night Bonfires after raising Irish tricolour flags in the lower Shankill road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 11, 2016, ahead of the lighting of the traditional 11th night bonfires. The Eleventh Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July, an annual Protestant commemoration of the famous battle were Protestant King William III of Orange defeated Catholic King James II at the battle of the Boyne on July 12, 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A youth balances on a fence as Union flags flutter in the breeze beside one of the largest 11th night Bonfires in the lower Shankill road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 11, 2016, ahead of the lighting of the traditional 11th night bonfires. The Eleventh Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July, an annual Protestant commemoration of the famous battle were Protestant King William III of Orange defeated Catholic King James II at the battle of the Boyne on July 12, 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Loyalists climb up one of the largest 11th night Bonfires with Irish tricolour flags in the lower Shankill road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 11, 2016, ahead of the lighting of the traditional 11th night bonfires. The Eleventh Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July, an annual Protestant commemoration of the famous battle were Protestant King William III of Orange defeated Catholic King James II at the battle of the Boyne on July 12, 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A youth balances on a fence beside one of the largest 11th night Bonfires in the lower Shankill road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 11, 2016, ahead of the lighting of the traditional 11th night bonfires. The Eleventh Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July, an annual Protestant commemoration of the famous battle were Protestant King William III of Orange defeated Catholic King James II at the battle of the Boyne on July 12, 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A youth balances on a fence as Union flags flutter in the breeze beside one of the largest 11th night Bonfires in the lower Shankill road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 11, 2016, ahead of the lighting of the traditional 11th night bonfires. The Eleventh Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July, an annual Protestant commemoration of the famous battle were Protestant King William III of Orange defeated Catholic King James II at the battle of the Boyne on July 12, 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Foreign tourists take a tour past one of the largest 11th night Bonfires in the lower Shankill road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 11, 2016, ahead of the lighting of the traditional 11th night bonfires. The Eleventh Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July, an annual Protestant commemoration of the famous battle were Protestant King William III of Orange defeated Catholic King James II at the battle of the Boyne on July 12, 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A man climbs up one of the largest 11th night Bonfires in the lower Shankill road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 11, 2016, ahead of the lighting of the traditional 11th night bonfires. The Eleventh Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July, an annual Protestant commemoration of the famous battle were Protestant King William III of Orange defeated Catholic King James II at the battle of the Boyne on July 12, 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A woman steps out of a taxi to take a photograph of one of the largest 11th night Bonfires in the lower Shankill road area of Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 11, 2016, ahead of the lighting of the traditional 11th night bonfires. The Eleventh Night refers to the night before the Twelfth of July, an annual Protestant commemoration of the famous battle were Protestant King William III of Orange defeated Catholic King James II at the battle of the Boyne on July 12, 1690. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 11: Loyalists make final preparations to their bonfire on the Newtownards road on July 11, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The lighting of the bonfires at midnight on the eleventh night marks the start of the annual twelfth of July celebrations within the protestant community. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 11: A woman walks past tables stacked with sweets, fizzy drinks and crisps as Loyalists make final preparations to their bonfire on the Newtownards road on July 11, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The lighting of the bonfires at midnight on the eleventh night marks the start of the annual twelfth of July celebrations within the protestant community. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 11: Loyalists make final preparations to their bonfire on the Newtownards road on July 11, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The lighting of the bonfires at midnight on the eleventh night marks the start of the annual twelfth of July celebrations within the protestant community. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 11: A Loyalist poses for a drone as he is filmed making final preparations to a huge bonfire on the Ballymacash estate on July 11, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Ballymacash bonfire is reported as the largest bonfire construct in the province. The lighting of the bonfires at midnight on the eleventh night marks the start of the annual twelfth of July celebrations within the protestant community. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 11: Loyalist Peter Stenhouse carries a wooden pallet as he makes final preparations to a bonfire on the Ballymacash estate on July 11, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The lighting of the bonfires at midnight on the eleventh night marks the start of the annual twelfth of July celebrations within the protestant community. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 11: A Loyalist poses for a drone as he is filmed making final preparations to a huge bonfire on the Ballymacash estate on July 11, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Ballymacash bonfire is reported as the largest bonfire construct in the province. The lighting of the bonfires at midnight on the eleventh night marks the start of the annual twelfth of July celebrations within the protestant community. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 11: A Loyalist poses for a drone as he is filmed making final preparations to a huge bonfire on the Ballymacash estate on July 11, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Ballymacash bonfire is reported as the largest bonfire construct in the province. The lighting of the bonfires at midnight on the eleventh night marks the start of the annual twelfth of July celebrations within the protestant community. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 11: A Loyalist poses for a drone as he is filmed making final preparations to a huge bonfire on the Ballymacash estate on July 11, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Ballymacash bonfire is reported as the largest bonfire construct in the province. The lighting of the bonfires at midnight on the eleventh night marks the start of the annual twelfth of July celebrations within the protestant community. The Orange marches and demonstrations celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II on the banks of the river Boyne. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Men construct a bonfire in the Ballymacash area of Lisburn, as building continues on huge loyalist bonfires, which are traditionally lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 10, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA File photo dated 10/07/16 of a completed bonfire in the Hopewell area in the Lower Shankill, Belfast, as huge bonfires, are to be lit in loyalist communities across Northern Ireland ahead of the main date in the loyal order parading season - the Twelfth of July. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo.Issue date: Monday July 11, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA An bonfire under construction in the Ballymacash area of Lisburn, as building continues on huge loyalist bonfires, which are traditionally lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 10, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA An bonfire under construction in the Ballymacash area of Lisburn, as building continues on huge loyalist bonfires, which are traditionally lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 10, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Men construct a bonfire in the Ballymacash area of Lisburn, as building continues on huge loyalist bonfires, which are traditionally lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 10, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Men stand on a bonfire under construction in the Ballymacash area of Lisburn, as building continues on huge loyalist bonfires, which are traditionally lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 10, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA A completed bonfire in the Hopewell area in the Lower Shankill, Belfast, as building continues on huge loyalist bonfires, which are traditionally lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 10, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA A completed bonfire in the Hopewell area in the Lower Shankill, Belfast, as building continues on huge loyalist bonfires, which are traditionally lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 10, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA A bonfire under construction near Chobam Street, Belfast, as building continues on huge loyalist bonfires, which are traditionally lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 10, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Men construct a bonfire in the Ballymacash area of Lisburn, as building continues on huge loyalist bonfires, which are traditionally lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 10, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA A completed bonfire in the Hopewell area in the Lower Shankill, Belfast, as building continues on huge loyalist bonfires, which are traditionally lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 10, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA A completed bonfire in the Hopewell area in the Lower Shankill, Belfast, as building continues on huge loyalist bonfires, which are traditionally lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 10, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA A completed bonfire in the Hopewell area in the Lower Shankill, Belfast, as building continues on huge loyalist bonfires, which are traditionally lit on the "Eleventh night" to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 10, 2016. Authorities in Northern Ireland are cautiously optimistic the main fixture in the loyal order parading season can pass off peacefully, but have a major policing operation planned to deal with any unrest. See PA story ULSTER Twelfth. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Pacemaker Press 11/7/2016 A on looker watches on at the preparations the for 11th night Bonfire at Ballymacash in Lisburn, ahead of the 12th of July celebration across Northern Ireland. Pic Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 11/7/2016 Preparations the for 11th night Bonfire at Donegall Road in Belfast, ahead of the 12th of July celebration across Northern Ireland. Pic Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker Pacemaker Press Belfast 11-07-2016: Pallets for a bonfire are stacked near Sandy Row in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Picture By: Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 11-07-2016: Pallets for a bonfire are stacked near the Comber Greenway in east Belfast, blocking a cycle path leading into the city Swings and a climbing frame have been removed from a 250,000 playground next to the Comber Greenway in east Belfast because of the dangers posed by an Eleventh Night bonfire. Homes and windows are being boarded up near the bonfire. Picture By: Pacemaker. Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 10th July 2016 Ballymacash bonfire in Lisburn in the final stages of preparation for the 11th July celebrations. Picture: Philip Magowan / PressEye Philip Magowan Ballymacash bonfire in Lisburn in the final stages of preparation for the 11th July celebrations. Picture: Philip Magowan / PressEye Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 10th July 2016 Ballymacash bonfire in Lisburn in the final stages of preparation for the 11th July celebrations. Picture: Philip Magowan / PressEye Philip Magowan Pacemaker Press Belfast 11-07-2016: Pallets for a bonfire are stacked near the Comber Greenway in east Belfast, blocking a cycle path leading into the city Swings and a climbing frame have been removed from a 250,000 playground next to the Comber Greenway in east Belfast because of the dangers posed by an Eleventh Night bonfire. Homes and windows are being boarded up near the bonfire. Picture By: Pacemaker. Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 10th July 2016 Ballymacash bonfire in Lisburn in the final stages of preparation for the 11th July celebrations. Picture: Philip Magowan / PressEye Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 10th July 2016 Ballymacash bonfire in Lisburn in the final stages of preparation for the 11th July celebrations. Picture: Philip Magowan / PressEye Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 10th July 2016 Ballymacash bonfire in Lisburn in the final stages of preparation for the 11th July celebrations. Picture: Philip Magowan / PressEye Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 10th July 2016 Ballymacash bonfire in Lisburn in the final stages of preparation for the 11th July celebrations. Picture: Philip Magowan / PressEye Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 10th July 2016 Ballymacash bonfire in Lisburn in the final stages of preparation for the 11th July celebrations. Picture: Philip Magowan / PressEye Philip Magowan Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 10th July 2016 Ballymacash bonfire in Lisburn in the final stages of preparation for the 11th July celebrations. Picture: Philip Magowan / PressEye Philip Magowan Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye  Sunday 10th July 2016 The Bonfire at Drumtara, Ballee, in Ballymena which is stacked with tyres.  Press Eye - Belfast - Norther The Edgarstown bonfire in Portadown in the final stages of preparation for the 11th July celebrations. Photo: PressEye Philip Magowan The Edgarstown bonfire in Portadown in the final stages of preparation for the 11th July celebrations. Photo: PressEye Philip Magowan Ballycraigy bonfire in Antrim Pacemaker Press Belfast 08-07-2016: Bonfire in the Loyalist Ballybeen estate in Dundonald, close the Parliament buidlings, Stormont. Picture By: Pacemaker. Pacemaker Press Belfast 08-07-2016: Bonfire in the Loyalist Ballybeen estate in Dundonald, close the Parliament buidlings, Stormont. Picture By: Pacemaker. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th July A bonfire is prepared on the Milltown Road in south Belfast ahead of the 11th night bonfire celebrations which will take place across Northern Ireland this Monday night. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Credit - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Belfast, UK - July 07 , Tyres on the Ballybeen Bonfire in Dundonald on July 07, 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Credit - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Belfast, UK - July 07 , Tyres on the Ballybeen Bonfire in Dundonald on July 07, 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Pacemaker Press 5/7/2016 Preparations get well under way at Chobham Street Bonfire in East Belfast, on the run up to The 12th of July. Pic Pacemaker / Facebook

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Whatsapp A house catches fire at the Lower Shankill bonfire as it is lit during July 12th celebrations in Belfast , 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Jesus, I believe is the light of the world who places a fire of love within our restless souls so that instead of having to assert ourselves at the expense of others we can be secure in his love that expressed itself at the cross.

My comments have sparked considerable discussion. It is good to have that now, before we get to the spring and summer. I encourage everyone to continue the conversations about the future and I pray for everyone working so hard so that together we can all flourish in a city of hope.
Former INLA man Dessie O'Hare has been granted bail as he fights extradition over his alleged role in the imprisonment of a Dublin family.

O'Hare (60), who was once known as the 'Border Fox', will be released from custody once a 20,000 cash surety is lodged, a judge in Belfast ruled.

He is also to be banned from leaving Northern Ireland and must report to police daily.

O'Hare was detained at his Slaterock Road home in Newtownhamilton, Co Armagh, early on Tuesday morning in what was described as a special operation in the area.

He is wanted in the Republic of Ireland in connection with three counts of false imprisonment, threats to kill, grievous bodily harm and violent disorder.

The alleged offences relate to an incident at Garters Lane in Saggart, south Dublin in June last year.

With the ex-republican having confirmed he does not consent to extradition, a full hearing is due to take place next month.

Lawyers for the Irish authorities opposed his release until then, claiming he could flee.

They argued that he is being sought in connection with serious offences of violence and intimidation.

Counsel for O'Hare rejected claims that he would go on the run.

Sean Devine argued: "Are they really suggesting he's going to be an international fugitive over somebody getting chucked out of the house."

With his Irish passport in the hands of the authorities, Her Honour Judge Patricia Smyth ruled there were enough safeguards to grant bail.
Thousands of families with children across Northern Ireland are homeless, shocking figures have revealed. Stock image posed by model

Thousands of families with children across Northern Ireland are homeless, shocking figures have revealed.

Around 4,100 currently do not have a permanent home - a jump of 12% in the past two years alone.

The bleak statistics offer an alarming insight into the plight some families face today.

They were revealed after an Assembly question by Ulster Unionist MLA Roy Beggs, who said the shocking statistics were "unacceptable". "More needs to be done by the Northern Ireland Executive to end homelessness amongst families with children in particular," he added.

"It is unacceptable that the number of homeless families is increasing.

"The Executive should be working to protect our most vulnerable and ensure that no family is faced with homelessness.

"A home is a very basic human requirement and the absence of a stable home and learning environment can set a child's development back from their very early years.

"I have asked the Minister for Communities what action he is taking to reduce the unacceptable number of families with children currently in temporary accommodation.

"The Northern Ireland Executive needs to do more to assist these people."

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Research shows that west Belfast has the highest number of families who are homeless, with 241 living in a range of temporary accommodation including hostels, bed and breakfasts and hotels. Many of these cases are single-parent families.

The Ballymoney area has the fewest, with just four families who presented themselves as homeless.

The news comes after this paper revealed more than 23m had been spent on emergency housing in the past five years.

The number of homeless people hit a record high, with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) spending millions of pounds every year on emergency accommodation. Statistics from NIHE showed that more than 4.9m was spent on housing people who were considered homeless in 2015 - an increase of 1m in four years.

By March last year, 11,202 people were listed as being homeless, the highest number since records began.

Director of Shelter NI, Tony McQuillan, said the figures exposed the "invisible homeless" problem" here.

"We are disappointed and very annoyed at these figures, but it shows the scale of things that's been happening for many years," he explained.

Responding to the statistics, a Department for Communities spokesperson said that tackling homelessness is of "critical importance to the NI Executive".

"That is why along with extensive investment in social and affordable housing, the NI Executive, through the Department for Communities invests some 35.5m into preventing homelessness and to providing valuable support services to people, including families with children, experiencing homelessness.

"Homelessness is not the same as 'rooflessness' which means that someone is without shelter of any kind and sleeping rough. You may be homeless because your current home is unsuitable or you don't have any rights to stay where you live.

"Reasons for homelessness continue to be linked to wider societal issues such as relationship breakdown, debt, underlying health issues, or addictions. Therefore while housing has a central role to play, tackling homelessness, requires a collaborative response from across all in society including the statutory, voluntary and community sectors.
An Antrim man is to be jailed for life after pleading guilty to the murder of the owner of a Chinese restaurant.

Christopher David Menaul (25) admitted killing Wing Fu Cheung and wounding Mr Cheung's 57-year-old wife, Kam-Fung Cheung, who was stabbed in the hand. He also robbed her of a handbag, an iPad, iPhone, 200, an Ulster Bank card and an American Express card.

Defence QC Martin O'Rourke asked Belfast Crown Court for his client, originally with an address in Barra Street, Antrim, to be re-arraigned on the three charges he had previously denied.

Following his guilty pleas, Mr O'Rouke also applied to Mr Justice Treacy to adjourn the tariff hearing on the life sentence which resulted from Menaul's guilty plea to murder.

Adjourning the hearing to determine the minimum term Menaul will have to serve, Mr Justice Treacy told the defendant that, as his counsel pointed out, the law provided only one sentence for murder - life.

Although no details surrounding the case was given, last April a court was told that on the night of January 7, 2015, Mr Cheung, also known as Nelson, and his wife, also known as Winnie, were driving to their Ballymena home in their 4x4 after leaving their Chinese restaurant, the Double Value, in Randalstown, when they were rammed by another vehicle.

A prosecution lawyer said that after Mr Cheung got out of the passenger seat, he was confronted by two males and subsequently stabbed up to 18 times.

It was also claimed in court that the victim was hit with such force that one wound "went straight through his body and out his back".

The trial of three other people, including a husband and wife, facing charges arising out of the fatal attack is scheduled to begin in the new year and is expected to last four weeks.

A 35-year-old Portuguese national, Virgilio Agusto Fernando Correia, originally with an address in Grant Avenue, Randalstown, is accused of Mr Cheung's murder and attacking and robbing his wife.

Also facing a charge of murder is an engineer, now living at a PSNI-approved address, whose wife is accused of a series of separate charges.

They are Gary and Lisa Thompson, both aged 34, and formerly of Cunningham Way in Antrim.

In addition to the murder charge, Gary Thompson is also accused of robbery, wounding, assisting offenders, handling stolen goods and committing an act to pervert the course of public justice.

His care assistant wife, also living at an approved address, denies assisting offenders, handling stolen goods and committing an act with intent to perverting the course of justice.
A mother-of-two who has dreams of becoming an actress and going to university harbours a painful secret... she has been homeless for over five years.

Shauna Lawson has been forced to raise her young sons in cramped conditions in three different hostels - one of which was used to house people suffering from psychological problems.

The Co Londonderry woman (32) said her goal in life is to have a permanent place to live where she calls home and where her sons, Brandon (11) and eight-year-old Cameron can live in a safe, secure environment.

Shauna, a single parent, was living in private rented accommodation when she lost her job in 2011 and couldn't afford to pay the rent.

Just days before Christmas, the family took down the Christmas tree, packed up some of their belongings and moved into a Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) hostel where they lived for over two years.

Despite their desperate situation, the family are not on the waiting list for a council house and face the grim reality of possibly never having a place to call home.

According to the NIHE website, homelessness does not just describe people living on the streets.

It can happen to anyone and includes people staying with friends or family, living in a hostel, in overcrowded conditions or who are at risk of violence.

Speaking from her hostel - also known as a family centre - in west Belfast where she has lived for six months, the aspiring actress said she tries to keep family-life "as normal as possible".

"It's very difficult living in a place we can never make a home. I try to shelter the two boys and to keep a normal, active family life," she said.

"But it's not normal and you are made to feel as if you are not a part of the community.

"People assume and judge, they think there is something wrong with me.

"There's a stigma attached to homelessness and people believe that I have created this situation."

Her youngest son, Cameron, has been living in hostels since the age of three and is so accustomed to the lifestyle that he only recently became aware that he has no home.

The primary school pupil is now taking part in a campaign for Homeless Awareness Week which takes place later this month.

To qualify for a council home, applicants have to be awarded a total of 200 points which is calculated depending on a person's circumstances.

"I only have 147 points so I'm nowhere near the waiting list for a council house. I've accepted that I will never get a house.

"The problem is they aren't building the houses, there's people who can't move up the scale as there's others who are classed more in need.

"I never had anyone who could take me in so I lost out on points there too.

"The points system is failing because I'm still homeless after five years and nowhere near the waiting list."

Residents living in the hostel - which is run by Ark Housing - have to abide by a number of rules which includes visitors having to leave by 10.30pm.

"I've had one person visiting me in the last six months. But the facilities here are good compared to Derry, I was only moved on after I was being harassed and intimidated by a neighbour."

After becoming homeless, Shauna turned to acting as a hobby and to escape reality.

She has since appeared in television shows, theatre and music videos and now has plans to go to Queen's University to do film studies.

"I want to make something of myself and for the kids.

"But I also want a permanent house, a place we could call home.

"I could start doing the things people take for granted."
St George's Market could become the inspiration for a new restaurant at Belfast City Airport - but the market's produce will not necessarily feature on the menu, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.

Belfast City Council suggested that a market-inspired restaurant could be placed in the airport's departures lounge - should councillors approve the idea. But traders have vented their anger about the proposal with some describing the situation as "false advertising" and "fraudulent".

Jane Harnett, owner of Harnett's Oils a rapeseed oil firm in Banbridge, said she was "particularly disappointed" food stall holders had not been consulted.

According to a council report, the proposal would allow the St George's name to be used as well as branding using pictures from the market, and would also allow story boards telling the history.

Jane Harnett has traded at the market for nine years and already supplies some restaurants. "There's absolutely no reason why most, if not all, of the ingredients used couldn't come from St George's - there's such an array of goods on offer. There's fish, lamb, beef, venison, goat meat, fruit, veg, eggs, oils, seaweed and even peppers and chili products - there are some fantastic local producers here.

"People might have a lovely meal at the restaurant and decide they want to go down to the market to pick up some of the things they've tried but they won't be able to.

"It's a really good idea to link up with the airport, but I feel any restaurant using St George's brand needs to promote what St George's has inside."

The report said the council has already asked the company catering at the airport to consider using products from the market traders where possible. But there would be no guarantee anything sold at the market restaurant would have to come from St George's.

John McCarthy has been running his business The Market Butcher at St George's for more than 30 years and said he is trying to expand his business into supplying restaurants and is baffled why the traders have been overlooked.

"That's actually what we're trying to do - expand into food service," he said. "A lot of Belfast restaurants will come to the market to buy meat when they run out, but what we want to do is deliver straight to them."

Fishmonger Anthony Flynn added: "It gets to use the reputation of St George's but doesn't give anything back - that doesn't sound fair to me."

South Belfast SDLP MP Alasdair McDonnell, who was shopping at St George's, also backed traders. "I would hope that if the branding is going to be used from the market then the product should be from the market as much as possible," he said.

Belfast City Council declined to comment.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. star Robert Vaughn has died of leukaemia at the age of 83.

Vaughn played suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s TV series and was also well-known for portraying the skittish gunman Lee in the original The Magnificent Seven film.

He died after a brief battle with acute leukaemia, his spokesman confirmed.

Manager Matthew Sullivan, who represented him for 30 years, said Vaughn was "the most wonderful human being" and confirmed he died with his family around him.

Vaughn was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and Golden Globe for his early role in The Young Philadelphians and in 2012 was the first major American star to feature on Coronation Street. He played Milton Fanshaw, a wealthy American who met Sylvia Goodwin, played by Stephanie Cole, on a cruise.

Vaughn became a familiar face on British TV in BBC show Hustle, playing conman Albert Stroller from 2004 to 2012.

Mr Sullivan added: "He had a blast doing Hustle for the BBC. He loved that show and he and Linda loved living in London. Even at 83, women still came up to the table to talk to him."

The Man From U.N.C.L.E saw Vaughn's Solo paired with David McCallum's blond Russian Illya Kuryakin, roles revived by Superman actor Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer for Guy Ritchie's big-screen reboot last year.

The actor is survived by wife Linda, son Cassidy and daughter Caitlin.

Vaughn, who was the last surviving member of The Magnificent Seven cast, also had a starring role in Bullitt with Steve McQueen and appeared in TV series Columbo.

Recently, he played a dying father in Gold Star and starred with Matthew Broderick and Camilla Belle in The American Star, both released this year.
A man dressed as Sinterklaas (Saint Nicolas) follwoed by another one dressed as Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) gestures as he arrives on November 12, 2016 in Antwerp. AFP/Getty Images

Dutch police have detained dozens of protesters and arrested a man carrying a large knife in a bag amid tight security for the arrival of the Dutch Saint Nicholas.

The arrests came as thousands of families lined the historic harbour of Maassluis to welcome the character known as Sinterklaas, with children clambering up trees and street lights to get a better view.

The Sinterklaas celebration has in recent years been at the centre of a debate about race in the Netherlands because of his helper, "Black Pete", who is often played by white people in blackface make-up.

Police spokeswoman Marjan Koert had no further details about the arrest of the armed man. Police tweeted that two busloads of protesters had been detained in nearby Rotterdam.
About 6,000 pro-Kurdish demonstrators are holding a rally in Cologne, Germany, in protest against the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Police said Saturday that the rally in an industrial area along the river Rhine has been peaceful so far.

Erdogan's government recently ordered the arrest of nine lawmakers of the pro-Kurdish HDP party, which it accuses of acting as the political wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK - an allegation the HDP rejects.

The PKK has waged a three-decades-long insurgency against the state, and Erdogan has blamed Europe for supporting and arming the group.

AP
Pro-Kurdish demonstrators protest against Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the political repression that followed July's failed military coup, in Cologne (AP)

Turkish opposition groups protested on Saturday in Istanbul after the Interior Ministry halted operations for 370 civic groups on terrorism-related charges - organisations that included professional associations and women's and children's rights groups.

The organisations were told about the government decision on Friday evening, when police raids shut down their offices and collected their records.

The Interior Ministry said 153 of the organisations had alleged ties to the Gulen network, 190 to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, eight to the Islamic State group and 19 to the banned far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Army-Front, or DHKP-C.

Lawyers at the left-wing People's Law Bureau resisted the raid, and their door was later broken down by armed special forces who cleared the offices, detained four lawyers and changed the office's locks. The four were released on Saturday morning.

The Progressive Lawyers' Association, which was also shut down and whose members work at the People's Law Bureau, said it was not subject to such an order due to legislation protecting lawyers.

Nergis Aslan, general secretary of the Progressive Lawyers' Association, told The Associated Press the Turkish government gave no explanation for the shutdown.

"There is serious suppression against any form of oppositional organisation, association or any sort of group. We were expecting it," she said.

Turkey has come under intense criticism from opposition groups and its allies over its crackdown on dissenting voices during the state of emergency declared after the July 15 coup.

Close to 37,000 people have been arrested, more than 100,000 people dismissed or suspended from government jobs, and 170 media outlets and scores of businesses and associations have been shut down over alleged ties to terrorist organisations.

Critics note that the purge, initially meant to eliminate the Gulen network that the government accuses of staging the coup, has since been extended to other opponents of the government, including pro-Kurdish and left-wing individuals.

Mehmet Onur Yilmaz of children's rights organisation Gundem Cocuk said they were not given a reason either for their shutdown but noted that his group had filed annual reports on child abuse, warning the government of its shortcomings.

"We would like a Turkey where none of that exists of course, but what they want is a Turkey where none of this is visible," he added.

Deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus defended the closures on Saturday, saying Turkey has to take measures against multiple terror threats.

"Yes, we are in a period of state of emergency, but we are acting within the legal limits afforded us by the state of emergency," he said, adding that any mistakes would be rectified.

In the German city of Cologne, 20,000 protesters marched on Saturday against Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government's crackdown on dissent.

AP
Amazing spirit: Joan Wilson with a picture of her daughter Marie, who died in the 1987 Enniskillen bomb

One of the people I most admire is Joan Wilson, whose daughter Marie died after a Provisional IRA no-warning bomb exploded beside the Enniskillen Cenotaph 29 years ago this week. Ten other people died and many were severely injured.

Joan's husband Senator Gordon Wilson, who was badly injured in the blast, rose to local and international prominence when he gave a remarkable interview that evening to a BBC Radio Ulster reporter.

He said that he bore "no ill-will" and, although it took him quite some time to forgive the perpetrators of the explosion, he said that he prayed for them every night.

Some years later I wrote a book about Marie and in it I recorded the words of Joan after watching her daughter die in the Erne Hospital.

She told me: "I could only utter the words 'The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord'. I knew that I had to lean hard on the Lord now. He was my only strength." How noble that was.

Sadly, tragedy followed after tragedy. A few years later Joan lost her son Peter in a motor accident and later her husband Gordon died.

With great courage Joan rebuilt her life through the love of family and friends and this week she experienced the joy of the birth of two great-grand-daughters on the eve of the anniversary of Marie's death.

For some 28 years I have kept in touch with Joan and when I met her in Enniskillen in August her strong spirit still shone through.

I mention Joan in detail because she was one of the people whose suffering and family tragedy I knew at first hand.

Sadly, she was not the only one. There are many other survivors and families of those dead and injured during the Troubles.

It is hard to take in the anguish of thousands of people, but the memory of one individual or family hits home.

What must it be like, therefore, for the families of those who died or were badly injured in two world wars and in many other conflicts?

All we can do in this Week of Remembrance is to stand at a cenotaph and attend a church service to honour the dead and perhaps ask ourselves: how could this have happened?

Tragically, however, we might also ask ourselves is the world a better place since all this sacrifice took place.

Western Europe, thankfully, has experienced peace for nearly two generations but the strains are now apparent.

The European nations are grappling with a virtually insoluble migrant problem, and the unfortunate reality of Brexit has taken us on a perilous path where no-one in the UK or the EU knows where it will lead in the long run.

In the USA we have witnessed the seismic shock of president-elect Donald Trump, which has created a huge political earthquake.

The people have spoken, but one is entitled to ask - as with Brexit - are 'the people' right? Democracy, as someone once said, is the least flawed of all the other options.

The mesmeric but distasteful Mr Trump has shown himself, so far, to be totally unsuitable for the role of president, despite his honeyed acceptance speech.

However, as Hillary Clinton said in her eloquent and moving final address, we must treat him, at least, with an open mind.

The people of America and of the UK will have to live with the harsh realities of their democratic votes and only time will tell whether their choices lead to chaos or stability.

In the meantime, we might reflect during this Remembrance weekend on the great divisions in so many countries and other parts of the world, including our own.

The sombre truth is that we all have to learn to live with division - and try to bring healing.

If we fail to do so, we will remain in a perilous condition, and future Remembrance Days may witness even more casualties, despite the supreme sacrifices of those we are honouring this week.
Muslims from across the UK have been collecting for the Poppy Appeal

Historically, the driving ambition behind the charity the Royal British Legion and its poppy appeal has been to highlight the great sacrifices made by British soldiers during the first and second world wars.

This is not because the sacrifice of a British soldier is any more worthy of our memory than that of a non-Brit. It is simply because British citizens wish to praise and financially support those who fought to protect their own soil against the advances of tyranny.

It is for this reason that the Poppy Appeal takes place each year on the eve of Remembrance Sunday. A day not established to support the killing of Muslims in Iraq or Afghanistan, the ongoing war on terror, Islamaphobia  nor any other action perceived to attack Islam.

Instead, it remembers the very minute of peace that marked a cessation to the hostilities of the First World War. With this in mind, each year the British public, and active servicemen and women dressed in full regalia take to the streets as a mark of respect and remembrance for the sacrifices of British soldiers during the two global and catastrophic wars of the past century.

The Poppy Appeal is a non-political event that mostly works to help servicemen and woman injured while on active duty and their families. Many of the people they help have lost their limbs or suffered other serious debilitating injuries.

It does not support wars or political agendas  only people. And those who it helps, like their forefathers, are committed to offering life and kin to defend their country. The soldiers supported by the RBL are mostly ordinary working class men and women and not the decision makers responsible for war  regardless of whether it is just or not.

Young British Ahmadi Muslims proudly support dozens of charities and worthy causes across Great Britain. Over the past decade, the RBL has been one such charity. In the run up to Remembrance Sunday, Ahmadi Muslims, young and old, are out in force across London and the wider UK selling poppies.

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The work of these well-intentioned young Muslims is being met with great support and joy by the thousands of Muslim and non-Muslim passers-by.

Perhaps the image of young Muslims supporting World War II veterans came as a breath of fresh air to ordinary British people who are more accustomed to the dreadful sight of radical Muslims burning poppies or spitting and assaulting young poppy sellers as happened last year.

These are the same extremists that gave birth to the equally radical English Defence League. Together these hate-driven groups have made significant progress in turning the poppy appeal into a political mechanism through which one must proclaim his or her allegiances  you are either with the cause or against it.

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The young Muslim Poppy sellers are members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association; a group that chooses to support charities on the basis of what it believes is the right thing for God-fearing people to do.

Not on the basis of what appeals the most to polarised audiences or creates the most attractive sound bite. Fear of God and charity for His sake, they believe, must lead to something far more lasting and meaningful than the reactionary, impulse driven goals of the ignorant.

Despite this, some Muslims, including some of an ordinarily moderate disposition, have raised their voices against the sight of young Muslims collecting poppies.

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For them, it is a symbol of support for the great Western devil that has been crusading across the Muslim world and killing all that proclaim their allegiance to Allah and His Messenger. It thus follows that as the RBL supports those seriously injured in the wars of today, to associate oneself with the Poppy Appeal is to betray ones faith and the faithful.

Although I reject this, let's pause for a second and suppose that they are right in their belief that the British Army is the enemy of every Muslim  even if that Muslim is himself or herself British.

The important question which follows on from this is: How would the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have reacted to the injured soldiers of armies engaged in wars against Muslims?

This question is important because Muslims, be they liberal, extreme, or somewhere in the middle, believe equally that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) set THE guiding example for all Muslims which cannot be departed from. This is also the firm belief of Ahmadi Muslims.

We learn from the earliest Arabic biographies of the Prophet that he is reported to have instructed Muslim physicians to treat injured enemy soldiers on the battlefield.

Even when armies attacking him were not injured, he allowed for breaks in the battles so that the enemy, thirsty and starving, could freely cross the Muslim lines and take water from the Muslim controlled water wells. Clearly, the Prophetic example seems to be at great odds with the modern Muslim anti-poppy brigade.

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The example of the great Ayyubid Muslim warrior and Caliph, Salah al-Din al- Ayyubi (Saladin), is also noteworthy. Western and Eastern historical accounts of the Siege of Acre, which occurred during the Third Crusade, famously mention that Salah al-Din was quick to send his own personal physician to treat the King of England, Richard I (famously known as Richard the Lion Heart), when he fell desperately ill.

This was in the heart of the battle with help extended to no less than the King of the enemy forces. Again, another example which appears at odds with the opinion and actions of many Muslims today. The neutral reader will no doubt be wondering if the impulsive and angry reaction of many Muslims today is in submission to their religion or, as is more likely the case, their egos.

I propose that the issue we face today with radical Muslims, whether they are burning poppies in London or the Shrines of Muslim Saints in Mali, is that they clearly lack an important quality that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his true spiritual lineage were charged to the brim with  namely, chivalry.

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Futuwwah, the Arabic word for chivalry, was once treated as an essential component of a Muslims moral DNA. In fact, futuwwah is derived from a root word (fityan) that the Holy Quran uses to describe the very fabric of what makes a man when he comes of age. It was so close to the Muslim heart that a whole genre of literature was at one time dedicated to its study.

One of the greatest students of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Ali b. Abi Talib, who later became the fourth Successor (Caliph) to the Prophet, is an example of an individual who excelled in this quality. For example, during a battle he was being attacked by an enemy; Ali was a more skilled warrior and quickly positioned himself to kill the man.

As Ali was about to strike the fatal blow, the man spat in Alis face as a final act of defiance. Ali immediately sheathed his sword and said that to kill the man had now become unlawful to him. Clearly shocked by what had happened and his sudden escape, the man was quick to quiz Ali as to why on earth he had released him from almost certain death.

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Ali replied that when the man spat on him: it aroused the anger of my ego. Had I killed you then it would not have been for the sake of God, but for the sake of my ego. I would have been a murderer. You are free to go.

Such is the nobility of the once strong Muslim chivalry. The very quality that flowed through the veins of the same Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who forbade

Muslims from attacking during the night and in secret; killing the sick or injured; making use of the cattle and food found on enemy lands without the permission of the owner; damaging the trees or infrastructure of the enemy; attacking women, children and religious leaders; and from even raising their voices during a battle.

Sadly, it's difficult today to find the chivalrous example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in a Muslim world rife with oppression, hypocrisy, tyranny, hatred and aggression. If chivalry is still prevalent in the Muslim Ummah (Community), then I suggest that it might be found in the young British Muslims giving up their days, for the sake of Almighty God, to collect money for those in need.

Farooq Aftab is an Ahmadi Muslim, lawyer, human rights activist, and legal adviser to the international NGO, Human Rights Committee. He regularly liaises and advises NGOs and government bodies on human rights and persecution issues with a particular focus on the persecution of minorities.
This past week an overwhelming majority of Americas Christians went to the polls to vote in a candidate whose campaign targeted women, Muslims, minorities and people with disabilities as scapegoats, and whose televised rallies brimmed with hate language and bullying antics that until now my children had thought were not allowed on the playground (but apparently are in the White House, with the blessing of most Christian voters).

The Christian-Trump Ticket

To what extent my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ went to the polls for Trump with at least some doubt or second-guessing remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that many Christians publicly invoked their Christian confession as the reason for their support of Trump, praying in Jesus name (and for others to overhear) that Donald Trump would become the next president, and preaching from the pulpit about God-ordained catastrophe if that didnt happen.

From various corners, they predicted in apocalyptic tones that any outcome other than President Trump would mean our nation had stepped over the precipice as Nation Beyond Repair. In no uncertain tones, these Christians implicitly told me that genuine Christian witness equaled a vote for Trump. There was no biblically faithful alternative.

And this week the great majority of Americas Christians got what they hoped and prayed for in Jesus name. Catholics, Protestants, and Trumps biggest and most loyal cheerleaders  white evangelicals, both men and women, who reportedly were instrumental in propelling Trump to victory  prayed into office the most openly racist and mysogynistic presidential candidate of our time, and then anointed that result with prayers of thanksgiving for Gods grace, in the form of victory exclamations like that of Vice President-Elect Mike Pence.

Some Exceptions to the Christian-Trump Ticket

In the lead-up to the election, a small handful of Christians sought to challenge and critique this disturbing marriage between evangelicals and Trump. Christianity Today editor Andy Crouchs warning that strategy [regarding issues like Supreme Court appointments] becomes its own form of idolatry was one case in point. Popular Christian author Philip Yanceys frank bafflement, in an article in The Huffington Post, was another.

The influential evangelical teacher, Beth Moore, courageously called out the obvious and latent mysogynism of evangelicals all-too-comfortable endorsement of a Trump presidency: Try to absorb how acceptable the disesteem and objectifying of women has been when some Christian leaders dont think its that big a deal, she was quoted as saying by CNN.

From outside the Christian camp, the happy marriage of evangelicals and Donald Trump drew mockery that, however offensive, was also bitingly incisive. A case in point? Bill Maher thanking Trump for exposing evangelicals as shameless hypocrites.

Whats to Mourn  The Tragedy of Trump in Jesus Name

In the aftermath of this election, my husband, children and I, our neighbors, school, and community, as well as many in our local church family, have been in a state of shock and mourning over the message this election has sent, both to us and to the rest of the world. For some of us, it has been a gut-wrenching grief probably best encapsulated by the following observation in a recent article in The Atlantic: White, conservative Christians may have thought they were just casting a vote for president, but some of their brothers and sisters in the church see their choice as a direct and personal assault.

And from a place of painful dislocation, many of us now struggle to see a place for ourselves within an expression of Christianity we want only to run away from. It is an expression of Christianity that now (once again) has implicitly told me, a woman once ordained for Christian ministry, that I should know my place in subjection to men who can objectify, mistreat and rule over women both at home and in the workplace without accountability  and with respect to the last case, even in the rare but real and tragic circumstances where a pregnancy could endanger our health and life. It is an expression of Christianity that turns a blind eye to the bullying of an authoritarian strongman for the sake of political expediency, and as a convenient outlet for eight years of pent-up racist and reactionary anger towards a president pejoratively dubbed by some of the very same Christians as not American by birthright and a closet Muslim.

But the wounds of Christians who dont just feel left behind by a Trump-Christian ticket, but are repulsed and feel assaulted by it, pale in comparison to what I suspect is the greater tragedy at play: as one mostly solid voting bloc in favor of Trump, Christians traded in Gods mission of radical hospitality to the world (which necessarily is not about us) for a fearful and elusive grab at power in the form of a political messiah. Jesus words to Peter when Peter fell into a similar trap  Get behind me Satan, Jesus commanded, in response to the suggestion He wear the mantle of a political messiah  here come to mind.

So I struggle brokenheartedly to identify even one way in which an overwhelming display of political allegiance to Trump serves as either a winning form of Christian evangelism or as a life-giving expression of Gods mission to the world. And, I suspect, this Faustian compromise (if there ever was one) has damaged the integrity of Christian public witness (or at least what was left of it) for years to come.

If what the late Archbishop William Temple once said is true  that the church is the only organization that does not exist for itself, but for those who live outside it, then Christians have made a tragic deal in return for a Trump residency in the White House. We have traded in our raison detre as church, the only organization that exists for those who live outside it, for one idolatrous and elusive grab at power. We have circled the wagons and tacitly proclaimed that we, the church, only really exist for ourselves and our own political agenda  and to hell with those who live outside us, who thanks to this election are an only growing circle of hapless outsiders.

Looking for Jesus  the One Who Binds Wounds

Where was Jesus during the past 18 months? Was Jesus in the prayers of church leaders who laid hands on Trump praying against the forces of evil that would keep him from becoming president? Was Jesus in the dark and fear-laden emails I received telling me my faith meant a Trump vote? And where is this Jesus now? Is He in the confident cheers of a God-ordained mandate for our country? Is He in the public thanksgiving for Gods grace in the form of a Trump victory?

Such questions have caused me to wonder where I belong  and if I have to choose, it would be with the rest of you asking the same questions.

Were a messy and imperfect bunch.

Were saints and sinners, Christians and non-Christians, men and women, people of all races, religions and doubts.

Were spiritual but not religious.

Were also atheists and agnostics, Jews and Muslims, gay and straight.

Weve got wounds and disabilities of the kind Trump has no patience for.

Weve got issues and preexisting conditions (in the words of Bill Maher above) that need more than a political savior to heal.

And many of us long to relate to a God who is altogether different from a heavenly bully and authoritarian strongman dispensing punishments to those who fall short of a list of very narrow criteria for righteousness and inclusion. The God of our understanding and the God we catch holy glimpses of  this God of beauty and truth, freedom and light, gentleness and compassion, whom we seek to know better precisely because this God is the only God we can relate to  is One who also freely invites us into a joy-filled relationship that is predicated first on the assurance of our unconditional and equal mutual belonging as those made in Gods image. We shall love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

Appeals to Scripture aside  who among us can fall in love with or love a God who wants our belief and moral obedience before our most basic human belonging? Yet the God behind a Donald Trump presidency would seem to assert this very thing  and it sounds like a loud, clanging cymbal.

This Sunday my family and I will be skipping church to take a healing hike in the woods. And in the weeks to come, Ill be seeking solace in the following Good News: that the only One in human history who could ever be justified in commanding a bully pulpit rejected that platform, choosing instead to draw near to us in the form of a baby in a manger and then a cross. This God is the only One who ultimately can bind these wounds of division that a Trump-Christian ticket has opened up, and humorously, with little trace of self-irony, now says it aims to lance.

This same God tells those who mourn they are blessed.

Where is Jesus now? Jesus is with all those who mourn, whatever their vote, in the aftermath of a campaign victory that ultimately sent the message to those who live outside [the church] (as well as to some of us in it) that Gods economy is one of scarcity and exclusion, in which lies, anger, hatred and ruthless domination are the only way to win, and a Trump political victory  the sign of favor and grace upon Gods people.

In the meantime, empires and political strongmen will come and go. They will fall on their own tin swords.

But Jesus comes to those in need of a Redeemer, and that mission, like the gentle dawning of a new day in all its blooming splendor, will not be thwarted  even by Gods people.
Abdul Rauf Merchant, alias Daud Merchant, (right) is pictured during his arrest at a house in Brahmanbaria district, in eastern Bangladesh, May 28, 2009.

Bangladesh has sent home an Indian underworld figure who is an aide to a crime boss linked to the 1993 Mumbai terrorist attack after his release from a Bangladeshi prison this week, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal confirmed on Friday.

Abdul Rauf Merchant, also known as Daud Merchant, was handed over to authorities in India, where he was wanted over his conviction for the 1997 murder of Indian music producer Gulshan Kumar.

Merchant, a 45-year-old Indian national, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2002, but was arrested and jailed in Bangladesh in 2009 after trying to flee India while on parole. Following his arrest in Brahmanbaria, a district in eastern Bangladesh, he was charged, sentenced and imprisoned for trying to enter the country illegally.

Yes, we have handed Daud Merchant to the Indian authorities as he finished his jail term in Bangladesh. He has been a listed criminal and a dangerous person. We cannot allow such person on our land, Kamal told BenarNews.

A police official in Mumbai confirmed Friday that the handover had taken place, saying that a team was sent from Mumbai to northeastern India to pick up Merchant after Bangladesh transferred him to the custody of the Indian border guard.

The Bangladeshi side had informed us about Merchant's deportation, but the date of exchange was kept under wraps, the police official told BenarNews on condition of anonymity.

Merchant was handed over to the Mumbai Police team in Meghalaya on Wednesday night in the presence of the Border Security Force (BSF) and brought back to Mumbai on Thursday morning.

On Friday, a court in Mumbai sent Merchant to jail after he was brought back to the city. He had served as an aide to international criminal kingpin Dawood Ibrahim, who is on the run from Indian authorities and is listed by U.S. officials as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

On [the] courts order, we have sent him to Arthur Road jail today. Now, the jail authorities will decide which jail he should be kept in for completion of his sentence, the Indian Express newspaper quoted Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sanjay Saxena.

Indian mafia lord

Dawood Ibrahim, 60, an Indian citizen and head of D Company, a South Asian international criminal syndicate, is alleged to have been behind the bombings in 1993 that targeted the Mumbai Stock Exchange and other sites in the city that left 350 people dead and more than 700 injured.

The attack was the deadliest act of terrorism in Indian history. In July 2015, India executed Yakub Memon, the sole suspect who was convicted in connection with the 93 bombings.

Ibrahim heads D Company, a transnational syndicate that operates in India, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates and is involved in drug trafficking, extortion, smuggling and contract killings, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

Dawood Ibrahim, an Indian crime lord, has found common cause with al-Qaeda, sharing his smuggling routes with the terror syndicate and funding attacks by Islamic extremists aimed at destabilizing the Indian government, U.S. treasury officials said in 2003 when the department placed him on the terrorist list.

He is wanted in India for the 1993 Bombay Exchange bombings and is known to have financed the activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba, officials said, referring to a militant group that later was blamed for the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed 166 people.

High-profile expulsions

Merchant is the second high-profile Indian national wanted by authorities to be deported by Bangladesh in the past year.

Last November, Bangladesh handed over Anup Chetia, founder of the United Liberation Front of Assom (ULFA), a northeast Indian armed separatist group, after he had spent 18 years in a Bangladeshi jail cell for illegal entry. Chetia was expelled following the signing of an Indo-Bangladeshi extradition treaty.

We fully back the government in the extradition of criminals like Daud Merchant. We do not want terrorists and criminals to use our land for anti-state and criminal activities, Md Suhrab Uddin, a member of Bangladeshs Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, told BenarNews.

Rohit Wadhwaney in Jaipur, India, contributed to this report.
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First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

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It can be tough to be a vegetarian. You have to work harder than everyone else to make sure youre getting all the nutrients your body needs. So, when its time to take a
Michael Koppy will play at Charles and Myrtle's Coffeehouse on Saturday at 8 p.m. The coffeehouse is inside Christ Unity Church at 105 McBrien Road. There is a $10 suggested donation at the door.

Review for Michael Koppy:

Michael Koppy is a cross between Gordon Lightfoot, Shel Silverstein and The Daily Shows Jon Stewart, panoramicly insightful, and often downright hilarious. He combines poetry, history, nostalgia and his unique world view into a complete and entertaining whole.

To call Koppy a character would be an understatement...hes a true American original.
Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and their team are excited to return to Tennessee. They plan to film episodes of the hit series AMERICAN PICKERS throughout the region from November - December.

AMERICAN PICKERS is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique picking on history. The hit show follows Mike and Frank, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for Americas most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them.

As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, Mike and Frank are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, the Pickers want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items. The pair hopes to give historically significant objects a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about Americas past along the way.

Mike and Frank have seen a lot of rusty gold over the years and are always looking to discover something theyve never seen before. They are ready to find extraordinary items and hear fascinating tales about them. AMERICAN PICKERS is looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure.

If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through, send us your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to: americanpickers@cineflix.com or call 855-old-rust.
PR Newswire

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 11, 2016

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE: PBYI).

On September 30, 2016, a United States District Judge for the Central District of California United States District Court denied a motion to dismiss in a shareholder class action against Puma, CEO, President, and Chairman Alan H. Auerbach, and Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration and Treasurer Charles R. Eyler. The class action alleged that, in violation of the federal securities laws, Puma and the other defendants failed to inform shareholders that the shift in what its breast cancer drug, called neratinib, could actually treat would require additional studies and push the timeline for filing the NDA into the first quarter of 2016, and that Puma made false and misleading statements concerning the results for its phase 3 trial.

In denying Puma's motion to dismiss the securities fraud class action, the court stated that the plaintiff had "adequately and specifically alleged why each of these statements and several others could be false or at least misleading." The court further held that the complaint contained allegations adequate to show that Auerback "knew about the allegedly real trial results when he made the alleged misrepresentations."

KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Puma's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to Puma's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws.

If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Puma shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]).

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing [email protected] Covington St.Madisonville, LA 70447

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160819/399590LOGO

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/puma-investigation-initiated-by-former-louisiana-attorney-general-kahn-swick--foti-llc-investigates-puma-biotechnology-inc---pbyi-300360479.html

SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
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More than 70 veterans work at the WACKER POLYSILICON North America site in Bradley County. Friday morning, students from Bradley Central High School honored these veterans at the factory in Charleston.



Today is a very special day; to all our veterans, thank you for your service and your sacrifice, said Mary Beth Hudson, vice president and site manager for WACKER POLYSILICON North America at todays all-team meeting for employees.



Bradley Central High Schools JROTC colorguard presented and posted the flags, the choir sang the national anthem and the members of the band played an armed forces medley.



The students from Bradley Central truly made this morning special for our veterans and all our employees, said Ms. Hudson after the event. It was such a wonderful way to honor our veterans, and we are so appreciative of the school, the teachers and students for all they did to make this an incredible event. The students impressed us with their professionalism and talent.



Bradley Central High School is WACKERs Business and Education Serving Together (BEST) Partner. BEST is a program of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce that connects a business and a selected school to enhance the quality of life for our community and provide business support for our educational programs.


The Erlanger schedule for Nov. 21-25 includes family planning classes, weight management information, and diabetes education.



Erlanger offers online childbirth education class. The online class is an easy-to-understand interactive program that includes more than 70 videos, animated illustrations, downloadable PDF files, review quizzes and information specific to Erlanger East and Erlanger Baroness birthing services. By choosing the online childbirth program, participants will have access to all the information for six months. The cost for the courses is $25. Visit www.erlanger.org/classes to register for the online course.



For more information on the online childbirth program and other classes and events mentioned below, call Erlangers HealthLink at 423-778-LINK (5465), seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to midnight. HealthLink Plus is a free membership program open to adults 18 and older.



Monday, Nov. 21

Bariatric Support Group

5:30-6:30 p.m.

Erlanger East (Gunbarrel Road)

Bariatric Support Group meetings are for individuals scheduled to have Bariatric surgery or who have already had weight loss surgery. Call Erlangers HealthLink at 423-778-2906 for more information.



Wednesday, Nov. 23

Bariatric Support Group

noon-1 p.m.

Erlanger Medical Mall (C620)

Bariatric Support Group meetings are for individuals scheduled to have Bariatric surgery or who have already had weight loss surgery. Call Erlangers HealthLink at (423) 778-2906 for more information.



Friday, Nov. 25

Cancer Support Group

10-11:30 a.m.

Ronald McDonald House

Have you or someone you know been touched by cancer? Erlanger Cancer Center and Pastoral Care services offers a cancer support group open to patients, family members and friends and offers education through self-care topics and support with discussions and fellowship. A cancer navigator and pastoral care representative will guide attendees through topics that include navigating through a cancer diagnosis, management of cancer treatment, emotional support and much more. For more information on the support group, call 423-778-5030.
From flag retirement ceremonies, to pinning commemorations, Morning Pointe Senior Living communities in Chattanooga, Collegedale and Hixson honored the men and women of the Armed Forces for their service.

Special guests and dignitaries, elected officials, non-profit organizations, students from area schools and members of the community came together to thank veterans residing at the assisted living and memory care communities.

As part of Morning Pointes life enrichment and Meaningful Day programs, veterans and their families receive special recognition for their sacrifices through annual observances.

During a Veterans Day Luncheon at The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer's Center of Excellence, Collegedale, tears welled up in the eyes of resident Evelyn Delaney, who witnessed the pinning of her son, Jim Delaney, Vietnam War veteran who received his very first recognition for his service.

In addition, Mrs. Connie Reynolds fifth-grade class at Ooltewah Adventist Kindergarten School sang patriotic songs at The Lantern at Morning Pointe of Collegedale. This is the fourth year that the class visited the memory care community to thank the veterans for their service.

"Every year it is our honor to have this opportunity to tell veterans that we are grateful for what they have done for our nation," says Dawn Dunn, Lantern program director.

Prayers and patriotic songs were heard from Morning Pointe of Chattanooga at Shallowford during a special luncheon. Commemorative hats were given to each of the veterans during the event. Residents and volunteers at The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimers Center of Excellence, Chattanooga planted miniature American flags along the lawn to honor their husbands, wives, sons and daughters who made sacrifices for their nation.

Today, we were proud to honor all veterans for the service they provided to keep our country safe, says Chris Lindberg, Lantern program director. But at Morning Pointe, we are thankful all year long for our veterans and for American freedom.
The Tellico Reservoir Development Agency (TRDA) and Cleveland State Community College (CSCC) Foundation will hold a ribbon cutting on Friday, November 18 at 11:30 a.m. at the new Monroe County Center located at 121 Grand Vista in Vonore, TN. The purpose of the event is to signify the official donation of the property from the TRDA to the CSCC Foundation.



The Cleveland State 2020 Community First Plan envisioned the development of an industrial training center in Vonore, but we had no idea that we would receive such an amazing gift from the TRDA, stated Dr. Bill Seymour, CSCC President. This property will enable the college to quickly implement credit and non-credit programs that will support industry in the area and have a significant impact on employment and economic development.



Ron Hammontree, Executive Director of the TRDA, said, The TRDA realized the need for workforce training in the area to support Monroe County industries and felt like this was a significant movement in that direction to have a facility in the county.



According to Patty Weaver, CSCC Director of Off Campus Sites, funds from the recent LEAP 2.0 Grant that CSCC received in partnership with Pellissippi State and the Tennessee Center of Applied Technology at Knoxville (TCAT) will go to support ongoing efforts to offer advanced manufacturing and mechatronics at the new Monroe County Center.



Ms. Weaver stated, Susan Webb-Curtis, Dean of Business and Technology, and Tim Wilson, Technology Department Chair, along with various industries and businesses in Monroe County, were instrumental in making this happen.




Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Marcela Reyes carefully rolled out clay and sculpted it in the form of a flower  the outline of the petals representing her journey as a Colombian immigrant.

Reyes described the bittersweet experience of coming to Canada back in 2009. It was an exciting time, but also terribly sad when she had to leave her family.

Something good, something not, she said as she traced her finger through the highs and lows of the sculpture. But the line is continuing, which means there are ups and downs.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Brandon University student Albyn Carias, right, checks out clay work done by Assiniboine Community College ESL student My Tran at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba on Thursday. EAL students were helping Carias with his thesis for his bachelor of fine arts, creating individual clay pieces that will all be joined together as part of his thesis exhibition exploring immigrants in Brandon and immigration issues.

She also incorporated the sun into her piece, representing happiness in her new country.

My family is here now, and my childrens lives are changed, Reyes said.

Reyes, along with her English as a second language class, participated in a clay workshop on Thursday at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. The workshop was hosted by Brandon University fine arts student Albyn Carias. Now in his fifth year of studies, he is working on his thesis  delving into the stories, experiences and struggles of immigrants in Brandon.

Carias, who is originally from El Salvador, immigrated to Canada nine years ago with his family. His parents were recruited to work at Maple Leaf Foods.

Because of the Maple Leaf involvement, Brandon has become this massive place where all cultures have come together, he said. It sounds really great but at the same time, theres a lot of cultural difficulties that is attached to it.

Starting a whole new life while adapting to a new culture and climate comes with its challenges.

Issues around the language barrier, how we came here together, and  theres also subjects like racism that will be attached to it and stereotypes and discriminations, he said. Those things that do go on but is not being discussed.

During the workshop, Carias had each student create a piece to represent their own journey. The class from Assiniboine Community College represented immigrants from Colombia, Vietnam, El Salvador, China, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Mexico, Nigeria and Sudan. The end product will link them all together and be hung up on the wall as one piece. This will be one component of Carias thesis, which will be presented next year.

Im learning as I go through this, Carias said. My main theme is to create discussion when it comes to immigration here in Brandon. This workshop, Im just giving them a chance to have fun with it.

Yolanda Quiring, ESL instructor at ACC, has watched Carias grow up in Brandon. She first taught him when he was in middle school and he then went on to high school with her own children. They stayed in touch over the years and when his thesis idea came up, she was happy to be a part of it with her class.

Thats what this class is all about  real life, trying to incorporate into this culture with their English and their actions, Quiring said.

The students also submitted a written piece to Carias, talking about their journey to Canada and their own experiences.

I told my class this is a journey that were on with a local artist. We dont know the twists and turns because hes figuring out as he goes.

 jaustin@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @jillianaustin

Trump built up a lot of fear

BY JILLIAN AUSTIN

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Brandon University student Albyn Carias, centre, checks out clay work done by ACC ESL students on Thursday.

Part of Albyn Carias motivation for his thesis on immigration came after watching the sensational and shocking American election campaign.

With (Donald) Trump being elected, there needs to be a conversation about what Brandon is, so thats my aim, he said. He built up a lot of fear when it came to the Syrian refugees, like the way they dressed.

His goal is to create conversations about the challenges faced by newcomers, while helping people understand different cultures.

Some people have attitudes, some people have really kind hearts  This is an emphasis on people themselves, he said.

His parents worked hard to bring the family to Canada, and Carias said he saw them endure discrimination as they began their new life.

They struggled a little more, so this work is mostly for them, he said. Brandon has had a huge welcoming side to it, as well as some bad things that have happened. Thats why I want to discuss this.

Many immigrants in Brandon spoke about how thankful they are to be on this side of the Canada-United States border, following Trumps victory.

Here is my home now, and here is very different than the U.S., said Francisco Alonso, originally from Mexico. Here, the feeling is good, you feel comfortable  You feel, you see the support of the Canadian people for immigrant people. You can feel that, and that is very important.

Meanwhile, Girma Samuel of Ethiopia, said he is still shocked by the U.S. election results, and the implications it may have for immigrants south of the border.

In the process of the election campaign, I heard a lot of things that Donald Trump planned to do if he is elected the president of the United States, he said. Thats why Im just shocked.

Birhane Adane of Sudan arrived in Brandon in 2012, and is grateful for the city he now calls home.

When I came to Canada, I saw a lot of improvement in my life. It changes your life, he said. I have seen a lot of stuff, so just for me Brandon is the best place.

 jaustin@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @jillianaustin
Attorney Martin L. Pierce, a certified estate planning specialist in Chattanooga, has been selected for inclusion as a 2016 Mid-South Super Lawyer in the areas of Estate Planning and Probate.

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers are selected to receive this honor.

Other law practice areas in which Mr. Pierce appears in the 2016 Mid-South Super Lawyer listings include: Elder Law; Wills; Trusts; Business & Corporate; Contracts; and Tax.

A member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and a certified estate planning specialist, Mr. Pierce practices law in Tennessee and Georgia.

Mr. Pierce qualified for inclusion as a 2016 Super Lawyer through a multifaceted selection process including independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys, said officials.

The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.

To contact Mr. Pierce of Pierce Law Firm, PLLC, visit 4513 Hixson Pike, Suite 109, email mpierce@martinpiercelaw.com or call 648-4303.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Having recently had a heart attack, Peter Neufelds doctor would have advised him to stay at home and rest.

Well, thats what Im told Im supposed to be doing, Neufeld said.

Instead, the longtime Royal Canadian Legion member was front row for the citys Remembrance Day ceremony on Friday.

Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun Mayor Rick Chrest lays a wreath during a Remembrance Day service at Westman Place on Friday.

I want to be here, I want to be part, said Neufeld who wore a poppy on the left breast of his blue blazer, and still wore a hospital band from his recent stay around his right wrist.

This marked the first time in 25 years that Neufeld, a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 247, hadnt marched with the colour guard in the ceremony.

Carrying the colours, given his condition, would now be a strain, so he handed them on to someone else and took a seat in the stands.

When the 85-year-old stood for the start of the event, he did so gingerly.

But he was still there to watch his Legion friends carry the colours into Westman Place.

Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun Peter Neufeld laughs during the Remembrance Day service at Westman Place.

In return, his friends in the colour guard gave him the thumbs-up.

Anyway, he said, it did his heart good to see the arena so full of people paying their respects to the military and those who gave their lives.

You have to respect that, absolutely, Neufeld said of those who served their country.

Neufeld, a former Brandon alderman, didnt join the military. It wasnt for him. But like others, given Brandons proximity to CFB Shilo, parts of his life were intertwined with it.

As an electrical contractor, hed worked as a civilian at CFB Shilo for 5 1/2 years. He had a lot of respect for the father of his late wife, who served during the Second World War with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.

Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun Soldiers from CFB Shilo line up in formation beneath a display of the poem In Flanders Fields during the Remembrance Day service at Westman Place in the Keystone Centre on Friday.

I always looked up to him, said Neufeld, whose blazer was also adorned with a row of medals for his service to the Legion.

CFB Shilos commander, Lt.-Col. John Cochrane, highlighted the close relationship between Brandon and Shilo during his address.

The support and respect that the military receives in Brandon, Westman and indeed all of Manitoba is second to none, Cochrane said. Not only on Remembrance Day, but every day of the year, and we thank you.

While many opted for the large formal ceremony at the arena, others chose a quieter way to mark Remembrance Day.

At the Brandon Municipal Cemetery, Joe Dauphinais and his fiancee, Kelsey Brown, quietly strolled among the rows of gravestones in the Veterans section.

Colin Corneau Master Cpl. Scott Lawrence holds daughter Finley as she wears a headband reflecting her fathers poppy at the Keystone Centre.

We have gone to ceremonies in the past, but we found that we like doing something a little more personal, Brown said.

Dauphinais grandfather served in the Second World War. After the couple placed poppies at his marker in the cemetery, they went to the graves of other soldiers to show their respect.

We found a lot of graves from the South African war and World War I and I imagine, at least for the South African war, they might not have a lot of family members still left alive and I think its important to keep the older conflicts in mind as well, Dauphinais said.

They sacrificed just as much for Canada as some of the other combatants.

Brown said the walk in the cemetery brought home to her the scale of the sacrifices made by locals.

Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun The colour party heads into Westman Place for Fridays Remembrance Day service.

Im just kind of astounded at how many graves there are just from the Brandon area. Theres hundreds of tombstones, she said.

 ihitchen@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @IanHitchen
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Marking Remembrance Day with a movie and popcorn?

Well, in this case it was appropriate given that the film was a documentary about the XII Manitoba Dragoons.

Filmmaker Graham Street retraced the path the regiment took as it helped liberate Europe in the Second World War.

Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun Brandon filmmaker and historian Graham Street introduces his latest documentary on the Westman-based XII Manitoba Dragoons at Brandon Universitys Evans Theatre on Friday.

In that sense, Street says, the film itself is a tribute to the liberty the soldiers helped to defend.

Without the men from the XII Manitoba Dragoons, the footage that I capture of them now probably might not have been possible at this point if they hadnt sacrificed what they did, Street said. Because, who knows what the world would have been like?

Then and Now: Life in the Regiment premiered on Friday at the Evans Theatre at Brandon University.

It took two years to make, and Street had the assistance of Shaun Cameron and Nate Bower.

Veterans of the regiment were among those in the audience for the 50-minute films premiere.

Its now available to view as part of MTSs Stories from Home programming.

MTS funded the film, which is free to all MTS Ultimate TV customers through video-on-demand.

The movie uses footage taken by members of the regiment themselves during the Second World War in Europe to create the Then aspect of the film.

While it shows some battle scenes, much of the footage shows life when the soldiers werent in the midst of fighting  from training near Virden to a liberation ceremony in Ostend, Belgium.

Its not Department of Defence footage, it is from the unit level, so its very, very authentic, Street said.

Streets role was to provide the Now of Then and Now. He followed the path of the XII Manitoba Dragoons through Europe and filmed footage in the same locations from the same angles to show how the areas look now.

In that way, past and present are connected and the movie shows the world made possible by the regiments efforts.

The regiments task was reconnaissance. They went ahead of the main allied force to scout German positions, then relayed what they found back to commanders to decide on a course of action.

Using quick armoured scout cars, sometimes they were days ahead of their fellow soldiers in the allied force behind.

As such, they were the first troops that liberated Europeans would see as the German army.

Former regiment member 93-year-old Jack Houston saw the film for the first time Friday.

Not only was he a subject of the film as one of the soldiers who served with the regiment, but he was also interviewed by Street for modern perspective.

The film showed mainly the better times of the regiments time in Europe, Houston said  not, for example, when 17 lives were lost in one day due to friendly fire.

But the film is a fitting tribute to the task that regiment members undertook on behalf of its government, he said.

The film shows that it was a success, Houston said.

Houston said that he hoped the movie would help audiences appreciate the sacrifice he and his colleagues made.

Just be thankful that we went and preserved the peace and harmony that weve enjoyed in this country for so long, Houston asked. Every one of those men had their life on the line at any moment.

Bill Pierson, who is from the Eden area, was a member of the 12 Manitoba Dragoons in the 1960s as a reservist.

He marvelled at the footage taken during the war and said it made him proud to be a former regiment member and others should be pleased, too.

They should be proud of it, Pierson said.

The XII Manitoba Dragoons Museum helped produce the film, and is located at the Brandon Armoury.

 ihitchen@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @IanHitchen
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Keystone Agricultural Producers is worried the trend of mergers between large agriculture companies is detrimental to farmers.

Among several policies KAP members issued at their fall advisory council meeting last week in Portage la Prairie, the organization agreed to lobby the Competition Bureau and all government levels to examine the short- and long-term effects of large-scale consolidations.

Major players in the biotech seed and agrochemical sectors recently proposed mergers: Bayer struck a deal to buy Monsanto, DuPont wants to merge with Dow and Chinese mammoth ChemChina intends to buy Syngenta.

Each of these offers, along with the proposed amalgamation of fertilizer producer Potash Corp. and farm supply retailer Agrium, is awaiting formal approval.

KAP president Dan Mazier compared the industrys inclination to merge with the grocery sectors.

Its just like when they shut down two or three grocery stores, that takes out competition.

The big-ticket merger is Bayers proposed $66-billion purchase of Monsanto. If the deal succeeds, it will make Bayer the worlds largest crop seed producer.

The consolidation might see increased prices for seeds and pesticides passed down to farmers and eventually the grocery aisle.

Mazier said a merged company can leverage the expertise of two previously separate enterprises, which is beneficial, but it also represents one last player investing in research and development.

Major consolidations have happened for decades. Mazier remembers working for Simplot in the 1990s when there was industry concern about the nationalization of fertilizer companies. There were 60-70 companies back then, and now theres maybe one-quarter of that, he said.

Many producers are alarmed by the rapid consolidation, he said.

Weve heard lots from our members on this and rightfully so. I think every time this happens, its another little chink out of our whole industry, Mazier said. Theyre telling us it will make them better, so hopefully they will make better products.

Mazier said KAP members want a thorough examination of prospective mergers before any deal is approved, and if they are, continued scrutiny to ensure healthy business competition.

In another resolution, KAP members asked the province to ditch its arbitrary deadline for when producers must apply manure or incorporate fertilizer.

This year, the province pushed back its Nov. 10 deadline to give farmers more time.

They should leave it in the farmers hands to decide whether its hot or cold enough to put on their nutrients, he said. We dont like the calendar date.

Producers are also frustrated with Manitobas practice of funding education using property taxes, especially this year when a marked increase in the value of agricultural land has left tax bills soaring.

KAP wants a model where school taxes from farmland and farm buildings are removed and education is funded through personal and corporate income taxes and residential properties.

Mazier, who farms in the RM of Elton, said the blow in school taxes is severe because his land tax bill is 70 per cent higher than last year.

He said a similar hike wouldnt fly in urban centres.

It would never happen in any other industry, but in rural it happens this way, he said.

KAP is also asking the province to exempt direct costs, like fertilizer and fuel, from any carbon-pricing schedule Manitoba adopts. Producers at the meeting argued they would ultimately pay the cost of a carbon price and asked for a made-in-Manitoba system to help them sequester carbon and reduce emissions.

 ifroese@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ianfroese
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A handgun found in a purse during the high-risk arrest of suspects in a taxi cab was stolen from Dauphin, and apparently bought for $400.

Its one of the details that continue to trickle out regarding recent shootings in Brandon.

Crown attorney Kaley Tschetter argued against the release of one of the accused found in the cab during a bail hearing this week. Given the arrests connection to a shooting investigation, the public would be concerned.

They would be extremely concerned with the criminal justice system if Mr. Pashe were to be released, Tschetter said during a bail hearing in Brandon court on Thursday.

Clinton Paul Pashe, 39, faces weapon and drug charges related to the dramatic Oct. 3 arrest.

Tschetter provided further details of the arrest during the bail hearing.

She said police were investigating a Sept. 24 incident in which a man was shot outside a business on the 300 block of 10th Street.

On Oct. 3, police attention was on one of the men who was at the shooting scene and reportedly had a handgun, although he wasnt the one accused of firing the shot that wounded the victim.

Police had the mans city home under surveillance as they worked to secure a warrant to search it.

One officer observed the suspect getting into a taxi at the corner of Lorne Avenue and 13th Street.

That man, another man and a woman were passengers in the taxi as police followed it to College Avenue, where it made a stop at a home.

It then continued before police stopped it on the 100 block of 18th Street. Tschetter said police stopped the taxi once multiple police units were available.

Police arrested the passengers at gunpoint.

One of the men had a bundle of cash in this pocket, while another had methamphetamine and cocaine on him.

Inside the cab, they also found a purse that held a .22-calibre handgun with a magazine that was loaded with 10 bullets. The purse also contained brass knuckles and $890 bundled cash.

A check of the gun showed that it had been stolen from Dauphin, but the woman from the cab said she bought it from a woman in Winnipeg for $400 and planned to resell it.

That woman  also found with methamphetamine  told police that she was on the way to the mall to buy shoes when she and her companions were arrested.

Pashe is the man accused of having the meth and cocaine on him. The allegations havent been proven and hes presumed innocent.

He was also wanted for failing to attend court in connection with allegations that he was the driver during a drunk driving hit-and-run in April.

Judge Donovan Dvorak noted the publics concern with guns and drugs, but he said any connection between Pashe and the handgun found in the cab seemed weak.

Dvorak released Pashe on bail to live at the Dakota Tipi First Nation. His two co-accused remain in custody.

 ihitchen@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @IanHitchen
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An ex-employee who allegedly broke into his former place of work will make an appearance in court in January.

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Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man who was suffering delusions when he hit two women with his vehicle, sprayed chemical in the faces of police and attacked a sheriff has been found not criminally responsible.

Defence lawyer Scott Newman said his client was in acute psychosis at the time and didnt understand his actions were wrong.

The doctors report gives us ample evidence for that finding, Newman said in Brandon provincial court on Thursday. He has had a protracted history of involvement with mental health services prior.

Raymond John Prysunka, 60, was found not criminally responsible (NCR) due to a mental disorder on counts of assaulting a peace officers.

Crown attorney Grant Hughes said that police were called to Houstons nightclub shortly after closing time on July 29.

Prysunka had got in a confrontation with a couple of taxi cab drivers, during which hed made unspecified racial comments.

A woman nearby stuck up for the cabbies, telling Prysunka that he had no right to speak to them like that as they were part of society.

When Prysunka drove off, he struck that woman and another with his vehicle. The women werent seriously injured.

When a pair of constables tracked Prysunka down to his Hilton Avenue home, he sprayed them in the face and eyes with a squeeze bottle full of Roundup herbicide.

Prysunka was Tasered during the ensuing struggle before being tackled by one of the officers.

The offender and both police officers went to hospital to be treated for exposure to the chemical.

Both officers were treated and released. However, one had burning eyes and needed followup with an eye doctor.

Newman said that Prysunka was talking non-stop at hospital and expressing delusions. Officers noted that he was singing the Canadian and U.S. national anthems, and he claimed he was trying to stop terrorists.

He believed that the treating psychiatrist was a Syrian immigrant.

Such delusions continued even five days later, while he was at a Winnipeg psychiatric ward for assessment.

He believed the apocalypse and a holy war was approaching, that hed been poisoned and that Hillary Clinton was an imposter.

Prysunka was held in custody and on Aug. 2, following a court appearance, he was being escorted to cells when he assaulted a sheriff. Other sheriffs restrained Prysunka, and it doesnt appear there were any serious injuries.

Newman said that his client had prior mental health struggles and wasnt consistently taking his medication, and at the time he was only sleeping two hours per night.

Prysunka had been referred to a psychiatrist in 2013, and determined to have post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, agoraphobia and insomnia.

His mental health problems appeared to be linked to trauma from a prior incident in which he was stabbed, Newman said.

Since being held in custody, Prysunka has taken medications and is recovering but will need supports when he returns to the community, Newman said, adding the provinces review board would be able to help.

Judge Donovan Dvorak ruled Prysunka NCR and referred disposition to the review board. In general  depending on the risk a person poses to themselves or others  dispositions range from release into the community with or without conditions to detention in a mental health facility subject to annual review.

 ihitchen@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @IanHitchen
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This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A trip to Cuba has landed a registered sex offender in hot water. Officials also learned that he wasnt living where they thought he was.

Ronald Evan Hardy, 48, pleaded guilty in Brandon provincial court on Thursday to failing to notify the sex offender registry that hed travelled to Cuba for eight days and that he had a secondary address in Alberta.

Hardys original case made headlines back in 2002 when Deloraine residents tried to run him out of town.

He was convicted of possessing, making and distributing child pornography. Hed collected 14,000 pictures and videos of 4,000 children as young as six months being raped and tortured.

He also admitted to making child pornography by taking topless and nude photographs of a 14-year-old girl and then posting them on the Internet.

While out on bail, and as a judge considered whether to deliver a conditional sentence that would allow Hardy to continue living in Deloraine, two citizens launched a petition to ask the judge to keep Hardy out of their community.

In February 2002, the judge rejected a conditional sentence and imposed one year in jail to be followed by three years of probation.

On Monday, Crown attorney Brett Rach told court that Hardy received an order to be registered with the national sex offender registry for life.

He was supposed to notify the Manitoba branch of the registry of absences from his residence longer than seven days.

But in January, the Internet Child Exploitation Unit received word from the Canadian Border Services Agency that Hardy had travelled to holiday hot spot, Varadero, Cuba, from Dec. 26, 2015, to Jan. 3, 2016 (eight days).

ICE members then went to Hardys Deloraine address to speak with him, but nobody was home and the water was disconnected.

A neighbour told them that Hardy hadnt lived there for some time; he just had a mailbox there and came to town to pick up mail once a year.

The neighbour believed that Hardy lived somewhere in Alberta.

While they were aware that Hardy was working in Alberta, registry officials werent aware that he was spending most of his time there.

The Manitoba registry centre tried to get an address for him in Alberta, but wasnt able to. As such, hed failed to notify officials that he was living in Alberta and therefore had a second address there.

Defence lawyer Derek Cullen said his client still keeps Deloraine as his permanent address but works on extended logging contracts in Alberta.

Cullen said Hardy doesnt have a fixed address in Alberta; he lives in a trailer which he moves around to various work sites.

He informs probation officials in that province when he moves.

As to Cuba, Cullen said Hardy had an epiphany after having a heart attack and bought a ticket. Hed mistakenly believed that he only had to report if he was away for 14 days.

Otherwise, Cullen said, Hardy has had no further criminal involvement since the child porn offences and has complied with his order for the last 11 years. Hardy contacted Cullen on his own initiative when he realized he was in breach.

Judge Donovan Dvorak fined Hardy a total of $1,000 for his two offences.

 ihitchen@brandonsun.com, with files from the Winnipeg Free Press

 Twitter: @IanHitchen
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

So you went to night school to be trained as a computer programmer, but you still stayed in the insurance business. Why is that?

I just loved insurance.

Thats kind of a neat perspective. What about insurance did you love? Theres a lot of people in the business, so I guess theres must be a big draw 

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Born and raised in Neepawa, Val Hutsal moved to Winnipeg right after graduating from high school and spent 12 years in the provincial capital. She earned her Chartered Insurance Profession designation from the Insurance Institute of Canada and, although she also received a certificate from Red River College in computer programming, she remained in the insurance business, working for a large company in Winnipeg. Since moving to Brandon in the early 1990s, she and her husband, Greg, have been involved in their own insurance business, Dick Agencies. And her appreciation of her own circumstances, as well as compassion for those who are perhaps not as comfortable, led her to join an organization called 100 Women Who Care, a cause in which she truly believes.

Its dealing with people. I just love the interaction. And youre helping someone.

And here you are, still at it.

Yes. When I met my husband, Greg, we got married and moved to Brandon in the early 90s, and started here at Dick Agencies, and weve worked together ever since.

Was it always Dick Agencies, right from the beginning?

It was. The companys been here since 1948. It was started in 1948 by Dave Dick. And there was only one other owner in between Dave and us.

So in the same vein as you like insurance  because its helping people  is that what prompted you to get involved with 100 Women Who Care?

How it all started was I received an email because Im on the email list for Brandon Area Community Foundation (BACF). So I received an email, and I thought, Oh  this looks interesting. And so I researched it online, then I phoned Laura (Kempthorne, general manager of BACF), and I said, Im really interested in this! Can you explain it to me? So she went through everything with me and talked about the commitments and she said to me, You know, if youre not ready to commit to the program, why dont you come to the first meeting and see what its all about, and then you can decide at that time? And I said, You know what? Im in. Right from the get-go. Even without going to the meeting.

What was it about it that appealed to you? Just its local focus  helping local charities?

Yes. Because its 100 Women Who Care, and its giving back to Westman and Brandon, and just the community itself  the involvement.

@interview Q:I know that you have 78 members now  Im sure youd be happy not only to hit the 100-women

mark, but also 150 women. Or more.

Oh, we would! Wed love that. And you know what? Its the networking, its the meeting new people, and that we get to see the different groups out there that are in need.

@interview Q:I understand that, although this is similar, its a slightly

different format than the 100 Men Who Give a Damn, which also started in town earlier this year.

Thats right. How it works is this: Every woman who joins has to commit to donating $300. The first $100 goes to the BACFs Womens Endowment Fund, which provides annual grants that support women, girls and their families. And then its $50 for each of the four meetings we have throughout the year, whether you attend or not. And each meeting is only an hour long  thats one thing we stick to.

All of the charities have to be non-profits and be registered and in good standing with the Canada Revenue Agency. Each of the members of 100 Women gets to nominate a charity they think is deserving of a contribution, and the names of three members are drawn randomly. Then, the women have five minutes at the meeting to present the details about their chosen organization. So they give us their pitch on why we should donate to their cause and give personal experiences. And that can be very moving. Then we can ask questions and then we do a vote. And the charity with the most votes gets the money.

These short presentations are not about stats, but they have more of a personal side that has really been interesting to hear.This process has not only given more awareness to these groups but personal donations to them as well.

Just to clarify, every member gets to put their charity of choice in the ballot box. Once a charity has been awarded our donation, they are not eligible again for the current year. The charities that didnt get picked that night get thrown back into the ballot box for another opportunity.We will start the process all over again in April 2017. If you register for our group in 2017 you can speak to any charity  the slate is wiped clean from the past year.

Do you have a particular cause?

Well, I havent actually given mine yet. You dont have to, at the beginning, decide where youd like to recommend the money go. But certainly, there are a lot of worthy organizations in Brandon and the surrounding area.

You sort of touched on this a while back, but why were you so gung-ho on this right out of the gate?

I think I really liked the idea that you have control, or at least you have a say, as to where the money goes. And although my husband and I donate on a regular basis to different charities, in this case, you can ask questions, you can find out further information, and I just felt it was very open. And the money stayed locally  that was very important to me.

This much philanthropy  its got to make you feel good, yes?

Thats exactly right. When you walk away and you realize that that group or that association is going to receive $3,800  it depends how many members we have  but certainly you feel pretty good at the end of it. Its a win-win, I think. I phoned a couple of my friends and I said, You should come and see what this is all about. Because its great.

@interview Q:<t-2f$>I get the sense that this is so meaningful because of the size of the donation.

Because you could donate $50 to an

organization and thats going to help for, like, a few hours or a day or whatever. But when they get this massive influx of cash 

Thats going to make a difference. You know, really its going to make a difference in their budget  for sure it will.

The only commitment is the one hour. And if you cant attend, you can vote by email. So four or five days before the next meeting, you can be given the three different charities, information about them, and you can vote ahead of time. Its really interesting. And I think its a great idea! I really do.

The first meeting really got me in because you hear their personal stories which means a lot more than you writing a cheque to a group, because maybe thats the last you hear of it. Well in this, if they did use your money to award to a project, youre going to read about it in the newspaper or hear about it.

And theres an extra sense of gratification, then?

I guess so. The people who participate are from all walks of life, so you get to meet a whole bunch of different people and really broaden your horizons, too.

Other communities across Manitoba and Canada have this club and have become very strong and respected groups in their communities, so we hope that will happen here.If it does, theres so much more we can do.

The next 100 Women Who Care meeting takes place Tuesday, Nov. 15, at Prairie Oasis Senior Centre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Laura Kempthorne at the BACF by calling 204-571-0529, by email at info@bacf.ca or check out the website at bacf.ca




John Thunder Thornton was named the recipient of Tennessee Wesleyan Universitys 2016 Distinguished Entrepreneur Award this Tuesday. Mr. Thornton is the third recipient of this award, presented annually by the TWU business administration department. TWU Board of Trustees Chairman Allen Carter introduced Mr. Thornton and presented this years award.To have my name alongside Claire [Tucker]s and the entrepreneur of entrepreneurs Bobby Goodfriend is a real honor, Mr. Thornton said.Im so grateful to be here and receive this prestigious award. Thank you all so much.Mr. Thornton graduated from Tennessee Wesleyan in 1975 with a degree in business management and began his business career working at Salem Carpets. In 1984, he founded American Rug Craftsmen, Inc., which grew into the countrys largest producer of decorative carpets and floor mats. The company became a supplier to Walmart and was named Walmarts vendor of the year twice. In 1992, Mr. Thornton was named Ernst and Youngs Entrepreneur of the Year.In addition to his success with American Rug Craftsmen, Mr. Thornton also founded Thunder Enterprises LLC, real estate development company in 1991. He also founded Thunder Air, Inc. in 1992. Thunder Enterprises continues to develop high-end real estate in eight states, including Tennessee.Mr Thornton discussed his business successes with attendees of the event, including many TWU business students, sharing a story about the starting of American Rug Craftsmen. His first day with the business was the day his oldest son was born. He left the hospital and went to work, then did not take a day off for the next five months.One of the key ingredients to being successful in your own business is hard work, Mr. Thornton said. Theres no substitute for it. You just have to work harder than you could ever imagine.Mr. Thornton also discussed the importance of believing in hard work and in the business project. In addition to sharing several life lessons he learned from Pat Summitt, Mr. Thornton shared his insights into being an entrepreneur and starting a new business.When you start a business, its so important to believe in yourself, Mr. Thornton said. I think thats probably rule number one. Youve got to believe in yourself and youve got to believe in your plan and your project and what you hope to accomplish in that business. Youve got to know what you believe, and believe it. Believe it with a passion. This is so important.
Opinion

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This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

What a week it has been south of the border.

Pollsters and politicians alike are in for years of reflection and study dissecting Donald Trumps unlikely path to victory Tuesday night.

I have made a concerted effort throughout the campaign to avoid commenting on the U.S. election in my column. I chose to take this route for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, my colleague in the columnist camp at The Brandon Sun, Kerry Auriat, did a masterful job dissecting the American billionaires path to victory over the last few months. The collection exposed Trump as ultimately electable when stacked up against the boatload of problems facing Hillary Clintons campaign.

The second reason was I do not care for most of things the now president-elect said about women and immigration, among a multitude of others. His decorum as a candidate was frankly quite deplorable, and I chose not to focus on his attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator currently boiling under the surface in the United States. His vitriolic message seemed to be swept aside though in the face of a nation clamouring to rid themselves of the so-called elite nature of Washington, D.C.

As a bit of an aside, I was astounded at the number of Trump supporters we had locally. A poll done by the CBC found that Manitoba had the highest number of Donald Trump followers in the nation. The Mainstreet/Postmedia poll showed a whopping 28 per cent of respondents would vote for Trump. In fact, he and his message played well across the Prairies. Clinton still scored far higher nationwide, but it is worth noting that the former reality star has a bit of a base here in friendly old Manitoba.

When the dust settles, Canadians will have to move forward and begin to work on building a relationship with the most powerful man in the free world. For Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, this wont be easy, but some savvy political work during the American campaign by Trudeau, may end up helping our nations form some semblance of a relationship moving forward.

Trudeau did not comment on the candidates during the run up to Tuesday, rather taking the opportunity to state he would work with either leader moving forward. However small the gesture, it is positive that the prime minister chose to remain silent while others spoke out on the circus taking place just over the border.

Admittedly, the prime minister has to be a bit nervous though about the Republican win, as Trump has been far from shy in his dislike for the state of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Canada is a major exporter to the United States, and in a competitive market, it may become increasingly difficult to find a home for our goods. If the American government further ups the ante by closing the supposed loopholes to trade that cause jobs to be sourced elsewhere, then Canadians do have reason to worry. Trade is immensely important to our economy and is a driver for so many sectors of the workforce, as we prep goods and raw material for consumption in the United States.

Another stark difference will come regarding refugee claims to North America. The prime minister made headlines for welcoming refugees at the airport, while Trump and his associates have been elected on a mandate to close borders to refugees from countries like Syria. The two governments have worked for some time jointly to screen refugees coming over. But now, it would appear that president-elect Trump is prepared to go it alone.

If you humour me for a moment, though, there could stand to be some similarities here. Both Trump and Trudeau are children of the wealthy elite. They led their parties to victory on a platform working for the grassroots membership. And both have been given a strong mandate in their respective countries for the foreseeable future. If they both can, at the very least, find some common ground, then we as Canadians may make the best of what was an ugly situation.

I went into this election feeling I was with her in showing my support from abroad for Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party. I still am. I think Clinton represented the greatest possibility for the United States, but it would appear even that was not enough.

As Canadians, we are now forced to hear out the Trump movement  even if we dont completely understand, agree with or ultimately accept it.
Opinion

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This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Now that all the dust has settled, and concession and victory speeches have been made, you may be wondering what the election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States will mean to Canada.

In regards to something as important to Canadians as the Keystone XL project, Trump crowed: absolutely approve it, 100 per cent.

That sounds definitive. Should we accept these decisive comments at face value? Well, that might not be the best idea in the world.

Donald Trump, like Democrat Bernie Sanders, stumped heavily on the twin themes of voter discontent and anger at the Washington establishment.

While occupying opposite ends of the political spectrum, they ran similar campaigns raging against the Machine.

In both cases, whether railing against Wall Street or China and trade deals, the sad reality is that political life is all about compromise and making deals. One can rage against The Man, but it seldom works.

So, what happens when it does work?

In this case, generally speaking, elected officials tend to very quickly compromise their principles to bring them into alignment with reality. It is too easy to make grand pronouncements from the bully pulpit and quite another to actually convert rhetoric into government policy.

Assuming we take president-elect Trump at his word, it appears as though Keystone XL is a done deal. So congratulations to all those who will be positively impacted by the momentous decision.

Will Trump pull the U.S. out of the North American Free Trade Agreement? The answer, in my humble opinion, is no. Trade agreements are highly complicated contracts that require years of negotiation and compromise. Once the agreements come into effect, industries amend their own business practices to accommodate these new rules.

While some American companies will be pressuring Trump to stand by his word and dump NAFTA, others will be lobbying the new president to step back from his commitment. This is, by no means, a sure thing.

Is NATO dead? How about NORAD? In both cases, candidate Trumps intemperate observations will, most likely, by tempered by the cold realities of the close relationships between militaries and security agencies globally. The bureaucrats who manage these relationships are familiar with the comings and goings of politicians. We will move beyond these promises once the cold light of reality strikes the president.

Will Canada be expected to pay for more of NATOs role in foreign engagements? This type of request will most likely be made, but will it come to fruition? My sense is that these negotiations will occur behind closed doors. We may offer our support in other ways, including on the diplomatic stage.

Will he build a wall to stop Mexicans from entering the U.S.? No, but he might try. This has been a cornerstone of his policy platform, such as it is. Unless he has been hiding many of the thoughtful details behind this pledge (sarcasm intended), the engineering behind such a wall would be incredibly daunting. Think about how long it took our past government to build two bridges over the Assiniboine River. Do you really think a wall hundreds of miles long can be built without serious planning, land acquisition, court cases, and so on?

Ultimately, Trumps rhetoric will be hampered by the reality of economic integration. We live in an interconnected world. So if Trump shuts down immigration, illegal and otherwise, what happens to the crops normally picked by immigrants in states like California and Texas?

Believe it or not, Operation Wetback initiated by former president Dwight Eisenhower some 60 years ago died a quick death when the obvious abuses of such a plan occurred. In other words, human rights were abused and people died. There is no reason to believe such a plan would work today.

To get down to brass tacks, understand that economic and social integration between our two nations has been a central feature of this special relationship for decades. North-South trade between Canada and the U.S. is vitally important to citizens and businesses on both sides of the border. The days of nations being self-sufficient and producing all of their needed goods and services are long gone, my friends.

My sense, and it may be a combination of optimism and experience, is that Trump will prove to be more socially liberal than he has made himself out to be. He may find himself facing challenges from business sectors that will both gain and lose from any of his policies.

In other words, talk is a lot cheaper than actions. Moreover, he will have to work with Congress to enact many of these policies  given the number of his own party members who have rejected him, Trump should not expect an easy ride.
Opinion

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This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its getting to be a habit, one that Im extremely happy to indulge in each and every year.

The Westman Wine Festival, which took place Oct. 26 and 28 at the Victoria Inn, was, as expected, a roaring success once again. The gala dinner on Wednesday was, in my opinion, the best Winefest dinner in the 14 years of the events existence.

Right from the reception wine, the Ogio Prosecco Brut ($16.96) from Italy, to the Creamy Mushroom with Smoked Parmesan Soup paired with Enigma Chardonnay ($13.99) from California, to the Chicken Roulade Citron with Tilimuqui Single Vineyard Torrontes ($12.56) from Argentina and the Mission Hill Family Estate Five Vineyards Pinot Noir ($19.99) from B.C., the Black Magic pasta with a chili cream sauce and charred leeks, paired with Tom Gore Vineyards Chardonnay ($19.99) from California and the Young Brut Red ($18.99) from Australia, through the Slow Roasted Bison (done perfectly medium-rare for more than 100 people, a rare feat in and of itself) served with Banfi Aska Bolgheri Rosso ($25.95) from Italy and the Bonterra Organic Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ($19.96) from California, to, finally, the Philadelphia-style cheesecake with Dr. Zenzen 1636 Hochgewachs Riesling ($20.69) from Germany, this was a gastronomic feast if ever there was one. Mega-congratulations to chef Brett Rystephanick and the Vic Inn team for delivering an absolutely superb meal, and to the MLLB staff for choosing such incredible pairings. The wines were delicious and I happily recommend them all. And thats never happened before either.

Submitted Banfi Aska Bolgheri Rosso from Italy was among the various wines served at the Westman Wine Festivals gala dinner at the Victoria Inn on Oct. 26.

Then, there was the public tasting. A sell-out crowd was on hand to sample more than 110 wines, and there were some stunners in this collection as well. Since one cant make it around to all the tables or taste all the wines  believe me, Ive tried, and its a really bad idea  here are a few of the ones that impressed the heck out of me.

The Copper Cane Beran Zinfandel ($29.92) from California was terrific, an amalgam of red licorice, cherry and dark berries with a hint of tobacco. I adored the Bottega dei Poeti Prosecco Brut ($17.99) from Italy, and surprisingly, at least to me, I didnt mind the M+ Raspberry Moscato, a flavoured wine from Australia, which, although sweet, has its sugariness tempered by the tartness of the raspberry. At $12.99, its certainly worth a try if youre a fan of sweet wines.

The Marques de Riscal 1860 Tempranillo from Spain prompted me to write Oh yeah! in my notes. This wine delivers aromas of stewed red fruit, burnt chocolate, black pepper and smoky oak. Fresh, fruity and oaky, this is a rare treat, especially for the price  $16.99. More on this one closer to Christmas.

Both the Longhand Pinot Grigio and the Longhand Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot from B.C. sell for $16.99 and are fuller bodied than I expected, which, for me, is a plus. Both the William Hill North Coast Chardonnay and Cabernet from California are fabulous  Ill have more on these beauties in an upcoming column. Theyre priced at $18.99 and $21.99, respectively.

For something a little different, I really enjoyed the Gougenheim Malbec Bubbles ($14.99) from Argentina. The Sand Point Sauvignon Blanc ($16.99) from California is citrusy, but the tropical fruit and melon flavours temper the citrus very nicely.

Ive had the Mionetto Prestige Prosecco Treviso Brut (18.99) from Italy before and really enjoyed it, as I did again at the Winefest. I was terribly impressed by the Dona Paula Estate Black Edition Red Blend ($18.99) from Argentina, and I hope to try it again in less frenzied circumstances.

For $12.99, the Luccio Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie from Italy is definitely worth a try, as are Le Grand Noir Pinot Noir and the Le Grand Noir Cabernet Sauvignon, both for $15.99.

Rigby Orchards White Manitoba Mead is also worth a go  my husband and I fell in love with mead decades ago in Victoria at The Olde Englande Inn, which no longer exists. But to have mead made right here in southwestern Manitoba is extra cool, and its very, very nice. The Rigby White Manitoba Mead sells for $17.25.

The Chateau St. Jean Bijou Chardonnay from California is charming for $19.99, and the Gentlemans Collection Batch 3 Cab Sauv ($19.03) was an interesting combination of sour and sweet. The Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($22.99) was delicious as usual  a great melange of flavours including blackberry and bramble with a hint of cigar box and oak. The latter two wines both hail from Australia.

The Ortas Prestige Rasteau ($24.99) from France boasted black fruit, smoke and leather with hints of flint and pepper. I also really enjoyed the Bodegas Muriel Vendimia Seleccionada Reserva from Spain  fresh, fruit-forward and smooth, this is a keeper at $21.99

And finally, Lagar de Bezana Aluvion Gran Reserva from Chile, which prompted me to write Wow! in my notes. Cabernet Sauvignon is supplemented, enhanced and rounded by Syrah, Petit Verdot, and Carmenere. A beauty, this one sells for $29.99.
Opinion

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This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Youd be forgiven if the fact that the federal Conservative party is in the middle of a leadership race happened to escape your attention the last few weeks. With the unfolding drama of the American election south of the border, the attention of Canadians has been drawn  well  Trump-ward.

With all the hoopla of a Trump victory, the first Conservative leadership debate, held on Wednesday night, was given little attention by the masses.

As the CBC reported, 12 contenders  two women and 10 men  set the tone for the next six months of campaigning as they answered questions on free trade, immigration, the environment and carbon taxes.

But for the sheer number of candidates, it is Kelly Leitch who has taken the early lead among Conservative supporters, according to a Mainstreet Research poll conducted for Postmedia. She is apparently the top choice, thus far, among 19 per cent of Tory voters.

And considering the recent election of Republican Donald Trump south of the border, that is quite telling.

Last month, Leitch rocketed into her campaign by announcing that she proposes to screen all prospective immigrants to Canada, to try to weed out individuals who dont hold Canadian values. This is the same former Harper government minister who helped announce a pending tip line for reporting barbaric cultural practices during the 2015 federal election campaign.

Suffice to say, she hasnt backed down. Following the Tuesday night election of Trump in the U.S., Postmedia reports that Leitchs team sent out a fundraising email in the middle of the night, congratulating the president-elect on his victory. That in itself is not problematic  several leaders and wannabe leaders around the world did their duty and congratulated Mr. Trump. He did, after all, win the election.

But the rhetoric in that press release reinforced the fact that she self-identifies with some of Trumps more worrisome policies.

Tonight, our American cousins threw out the elites and elected Donald Trump as their next president. Its an exciting message and one that we need delivered in Canada as well, Leitch stated in the email bearing her name.

Her intentions of singling out minorities in Canada drew a few verbal assaults from many of her fellow candidates on Wednesday night. Michael Chong, for instance, chided her for wanting Conservatives in Canada to ape Donald Trumps divisive path to the presidency.

Canadian conservatives win when we offer voters an ambitious, inspiring and inclusive vision of our country and its potential. Kellies policy of singling out newcomers to Canada for special values screening by government is a losing strategy, Chong said in an emailed statement.

The very real concern here is that the intemperate policies espoused by The Donald down south could spill over into Canada. And its not so hard to imagine. All one has to do is look at the vitriol that has been spewed at Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley, who has regularly and consistently been the target of hateful and threatening comments that go well beyond mere difference of opinion.

She, of course, is not Muslim. But that does not take away from the fact that ordinary Canadians are quite capable of letting hate get in the way of civil discourse.

We are pleased, however, to note that our own Brandon-Souris Conservative MP, Larry Maguire, seems to have settled on a moderate Conservative voice for the leadership of the party  Erin OToole  a former Canadian Air Force captain and lawyer who is currently polling somewhat behind Leitch. Late last week, Maguire announced his endorsement of OToole.

It was, in fact, a bit of a relief. Earlier this year, the Suns editor sat down with Maguire and talked turkey about the leadership race, and who Maguire intended to support. Though Maguire was at first hesitant to name names, as he was waiting to see who all gets in the race, the first name that came to his mind was Leitch, who originally hails from Alexander, just up the road from Brandon.

Very intelligent person, Maguire said. She was a very good friend of Jim Flahertys. One of his best friends, actually  the doctor who actually tried to help him survive. Shes got a very good background in social policy and finances.

That may well be true, but putting Leitch into a leadership position in the federal Conservative party would probably do more to erode support for the Tories than enhance it.

OToole suggested during Wednesday nights debate that Canadas experience is different than that of the U.S., saying that he doesnt necessarily think the same anti-establishment, anti-elite sentiment found in the U.S. election will spread here.

He may well be right. But with Leitchs comments, its obvious that the seeds are there. All they need is fertile soil.
Thirty-seven Irish companies are taking part in a trade mission to the Middle East this weekend.

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan will lead the three-day visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The aim is to develop further contacts in the region and strengthen economic and political ties.

Minister Flanagan will also meet members of the Irish business community based there.
A man has been charged with attempted murder following a shooting in Dublin earlier this month.

25-year-old Dwayne Keane, of Drogheda Street in Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, was charged this evening at Dublin District Court in connection with the incident.
Lego said it has "no plans" for future free giveaways in The Daily Mail following a campaign calling on advertisers to boycott newspapers that promoted "demonisation and division" during the Brexit debate.

The toy company confirmed to a father, concerned about the commercial relationship, that it had no plans for further promotions of its play bricks with the newspaper.

In the letter that went viral on Facebook, Bob Jones said that the newspaper's headlines created a "distrust of foreigners" and said he felt uncomfortable about buying the bricks for his son after the tie-up.

Mr Jones ended his letter to the Danish company with the hashtag StopFundingHate, the name of the campaigning group that is targeting advertisers with The Sun, The Express and the Daily Mail because of those newspapers' editorial stance over the referendum debate.

In response to the letter, Lego said today: "Our agreement with The Daily Mail has finished and we have no plans to run any promotional activity with the newspaper in the foreseeable future."

We have finished the agreement with The Daily Mail and are not planning any future promotional activity with the newspaper  LEGO (@LEGO_Group) November 12, 2016

The company - which ended its relationship with Shell in 2014 after a Greenpeace video highlighted the oil group's plans to drill in the Arctic - declined to say if it was responding to the campaign or if it had changed its marketing plans.

A Daily Mail spokesperson confirmed the end of the commercial agreement but did not address the boycott campaign.

The move was welcomed by Gary Lineker who had crossed swords with The Sun about the media portrayal of child refugees after describing the media treatment of young migrants arriving in the UK as "hideously racist".

Lineker, who has appeared in numerous adverts for Walkers Crisps, said he had talks with the food manufacturer about its advertising policy. He retweeted the message from Lego today with the comment "Brick by brick..."
KARACHI: The 2022 Aga Khan Music Awards concluded with the presentation of awards to 15 laureates by His Highness...

NEW YORK: Taylor Swift on Tuesday announced she was returning to touring, getting back on the road for the first...
NEW YORK: US natural gas futures dropped about 5% on Tuesday on forecasts for the weather to remain mild for the ...
Tesla aims to start mass production of its Cybertruck at the end of 2023, two years after the initial target for the...
President Xi Jinping sent a strong signal of safeguarding national unity and fighting separatists at a high-profile ceremony on Friday to mark the 150th birthday of a statesman who was widely respected by people on the Chinese mainland and in Taiwan.

President Xi Jinping pledges to safeguard national unity and fight separatists at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday to mark the 150th birthday of Sun Yat-sen. [Photo / Xinhua]

"We will never allow any people, organization or political party, at any time, in any way, to split from any part of China's territory," Xi said during an hourlong speech at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Sun Yat-sen played a pivotal part in the 1911 Revolution that overthrew the imperial rule of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and founded the Republic of China. He also was the founder of the Kuomintang, which governed Taiwan from the 1940s to 1990s and from 2008 to last year.

"We will never tolerate a reoccurrence of the tragedy of national separation," Xi said, adding that China had experienced a century of misery resulting from separation.

Wang Hailiang, a researcher at the Taiwan Research Institute in Shanghai, said that Xi spoke at a time when Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which takes an ambiguous position toward the one-China policy, is trying to erase Sun's influence on the island.

The DPP's move goes against Sun's last wish to unify China, as well as against a historic trend, he said.

Zhu Lijia, a professor of public administration research at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said that national unity is the core of Sun's thought, since he opposed all forms of separation.

Zhu said Taiwan's ruling party is "not enthusiastic" about Sun.

Xi, who called Sun a national hero and compatriot, said the revolutionary leader was a firm supporter of national unity.

The mainland would like to communicate with all political parties, organizations and people in Taiwan, as long as they acknowledge that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China, he said.

The president called on all Chinese people, including those in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, regardless of their political affiliations, to make joint efforts for national rejuvenation, a goal to which Sun was dedicated.

"Mr. Sun Yat-sen said, 'What is the biggest issue for a people? That is, to know how to love the nation'," Xi quoted him as saying.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of China's top political advisory body, said that Xi's speech showed China's "solemn stance and firm determination" to safeguard national unity.

Hung Hsiu-chu, chairwoman of Taiwan's Kuomintang, visited the mainland early this month.

During the trip, Xi met with her and made a six-point proposal on cross-Straits relations that included opposing "Taiwan independence" and promoting social and economic cooperation across the Straits.
Polls show that most people in wealthy countries, such as Australia, assume the world is much more poverty-stricken, desperate and sickly than it actually is.

Mid-50s or 60s maybe? Well, that's far too low  life expectancy at birth reached 71.4 years last year, the World Health Organisation says.

What would you say is the average life expectancy for the world's population right now?

The world isn't in as quite as bad a shape as you might imagine.

Why? One reason is that people tend to be far gloomier about the wider world than they are about their own prospects and their local area.

This trait is reflected in a small way in the long-running survey of Australian consumer confidence taken by Westpac and the Melbourne Institute. When respondents are asked to assess the outlook for their own family finances for the next 12 months they have been consistently more optimistic than they are about the prospect for the whole national economy for the next 12 months.

Analysis by economists Mohamed Nagdy and Max Roser published recently by OurWorldinData.org said it is a "peculiar empirical phenomenon" that while people tend to be optimistic about their own future, they can at the same time be deeply pessimistic about the future of their nation or the world.

"No matter where you ask, people are much more negative about places that are far away  places which they know less from their own experience and more through the media," they said.
A Trump presidency in the US could have serious impacts on Australia's climate science and other research, with fears the cuts could be "CSIRO times 50".

Donald Trump's pledge to end US participation in the Paris climate agreement and expectations he will appoint climate change denier Myron Ebell to a key environment role has scientists bracing for fallout.

Australia's climate research relies on many US programs, some of which have been targeted by the Republican-controlled Congress. President Barack Obama resisted cuts to agencies such as NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration but he will leave office on January 20.

At the extreme end, a Trump administration could jeopardise global climate research efforts by withholding access to observational data that underpins climate models, with the output used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said David Karoly, an atmospheric scientist at Melbourne University.
Following in the footsteps of Australia's "I'll ride with you" social media movement after the Lindt Cafe siege, some Americans are wearing safety pins to stand in solidarity with immigrants and other minorities.

As anti-Trump protests around the county continue, the campaign encourages those wanting to fight against intolerance to wear a safety pin on their jackets and shirts to show solidarity with women, the LBGTQ community and groups alarmed by Donald Trump's election win and the vitriol both he and some of his supporters displayed during the gruelling campaign.

The movement is an American interpretation of what many Britons did in the aftermath of the shock Brexit decision.

"So I have an idea similar to #ridewithme to help protect those eing [sic] abused as result of Brexit referendum - but I need your help," @cheeahs, the Twitter user who launched the trend, said back in June.
The Greens have named an environmental lawyer as a candidate they hope can knock Queensland Environment Minister Steven Miles out of the House.

Michael Berkman has been announced to run for the Greens in the inner-city seat of Mount Coot-tha. It follows the naming of Greens candidate Amy MacMahon last week to challenge Deputy Premier Jackie Trad for the South Brisbane seat.

The Greens have named environmental lawyer Michael Berkman to run against state Environment Minister Steven Miles in their 'most winnable' seat.

The Greens and One Nation are actively campaigning to win seats from vulnerable Labor and LNP members of Queensland Parliament.

Berkman took no pause at hitting out at his opposition Steven Miles, labelling him 'third rate' and a 'disappointment'.
Moreton Bay has the potential to be a new nesting ground for sea turtles as ecosystems get warmer further north.

Currently the area plays an important part as a feeding ground for turtles as they prepare to migrate north off the coast of Bundaberg and further.

Researchers are going to great lengths to keep loggerhead turtle nesting ground viable for future generations.

Dr Kathy Townsend, a research fellow with the University of Queensland, works at a turtle monitoring station on North Stradbroke Island.

She said scientists were keeping an eye on on the area as a potential future nesting spot for the marine reptiles.
Police are appealing for public help to locate a missing 14-year-old Upper Coomera boy who has not been seen since Tuesday.

The last sighting of the boy was on November 8 at Southport and he is believed to still be in the area.

The 14-year-old Upper Coomera boy was last seen in Southport on November 8. Credit:Queensland Police Service (Supplied)

Police are concerned for his welfare due to his age and because he suffers from a medical condition.

He is described as Caucasian in appearance, slim build, approximately 150cm tall, brown eyes with shaven brown hair.
A man has escaped an attempted carjacking by up to five men at Laverton North in Melbourne's west on Saturday.

Police say the victim was in a red Ford ute in a car park on Fitzgerald Road, near Leakes Road, about 5.30am.

One of the men jumped on the bonnet of the ute causing the victim to drive a short distance to shake him off.

Victoria Police spokeswoman Amelia Penhall said the victim saw four or five men of "African appearance" approaching and locked his car doors.

"One of the men attempted to open the door but was unable to get inside the car," she said.
Anti-Trump protesters took to the streets around the US. Credit:AP So she did two things that morning. She joined the National Organisation for Women (NOW), a grassroots feminist organisation dating back to the 1960s, and she signed up for training to become a "clinic escort"  someone who accompanies patients to women's health clinics, which provide reproductive healthcare and other services, and which are often surrounded by obstructive protesters. "Thinking about what the result of the election meant made me realise we haven't come as far as we thought in terms of acceptance, race relations, and women's rights," she said. Given the misogynist rhetoric of the incoming president, and that vice-president-elect Mike Pence had promised to overturn the decision that made access to abortion in the US possible, this seemed one small way to channel despair into action. Bernie Sanders: "Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media." Credit:AP The question, though, of where to go from here for liberals and progressives, for "the Obama coalition" of African-Americans, progressive whites, minorities and millennials who helped elect him, and for the Democratic Party itself, is unclear in the face of a new president so profoundly unlike any other before him, and whose next moves are so difficult to predict.

But not everyone is standing still and waiting. Elizabeth Warren: "What happens next is partly about Donald Trump ... But it is more about the rest of us." Credit:AP Williams wasn't alone in immediately reaching out to the kinds of community and civil organisations that have long plugged some of the gaps in the country's porous social safety net, or worked to advance equality or uphold constitutional rights, often in opposition to US governments of the day. The website of the American Civil Liberties Union  which last year recently brought the case to the Supreme Court which saw marriage equality legalised across the country  crashed on Wednesday morning as donations poured in. Popular progressive figures: Barack and Michelle Obama. Credit:AP

The organisation itself issued a simple message to Trump  "see you in court"  promising to challenge him on his raft of unconstitutional policies, from the Muslim ban to any curtailing of a free press. Planned Parenthood, the premier women's health provider which Pence has pledged to defund, was hit by a flurry of frantic calls from women worried about losing their health insurance, making appointments for long-term birth control like IUDs, but also with a wave of donations and offers to volunteer. "Planned Parenthood's been around for 100 years, we've been fighting for the right to reproductive healthcare for that long," the organisation's president Cecile Richards said. "Our doors stay open." Volunteering and engaging with community and civic groups was imperative at this time, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said on Thursday, as was her party preparing to fight back on any curtailing of rights and freedoms. "This is painful, this really and truly hurts," she said on MSNBC. "What happens next is partly about Donald Trump ... But it is more about the rest of us, what the rest of us say and what the rest of permit."

In the few days since the election, Warren, a firebrand progressive from Massachusetts, and Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist and formerly Independent senator who was the party's alternative nominee during the primary, have emerged as two of the few senior voices stepping into the post-election vacuum to rally their supporters in public and begin the Trump opposition. Many accepted as a truism that the shifting demographics of America  a much larger non-white population, the wider embrace of progressive ideas  would naturally secure the Democratic party in the White House, and that the prospect of a Trump presidency would propel people to the polls in opposition. That thinking was clearly wrong: while African-Americans, minority voters, women and millennials chose Clinton, they were not excited enough to turn out for her in sufficient numbers. Trump's nativist and sexist rhetoric proved far less repellent than they had counted on to others. The "blue wall" of rust belt states that were supposed to be a lock for the Democrats crumbled in the face of Trump's anti-globalisation message and promise of change from an outsider. That Sanders' own anti-establishment, anti-income inequality message of change had resonated far more strongly with young voters and those in that same region has been front of mind for many in the wake of this defeat. Michael Moore, the left-wing filmmaker who correctly predicted a rust belt victory for Trump and had supported Sanders from the beginning, urged a takeover of the party that had failed to understand voters in so many key states. That was No.1 on his morning after to-do list. There was also this: "Any Democratic member of Congress who didn't wake up this morning ready to fight, resist and obstruct in the way Republicans did against President Obama every day for eight full years must step out of the way and let those of us who know the score lead the way in stopping the meanness and the madness that's about to begin."

Many in the party will no doubt lay the blame with outside forces like WikiLeaks and FBI director James Comey, and defend the message of a campaign which did win the popular vote by a thin margin (and indeed this is precisely what the campaign leaders are reported to be doing in the aftermath). Sanders delivered a frank assessment of why he believes they got trumped and a blueprint for how he and others would deal with the new administration. "Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media," said Sanders in a statement. "To the degree that Mr Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him. To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him." At the ages of 67 and 75 respectively, neither Warren nor Sanders is likely to be regarded as a future 2020 candidate, but both have the profiles and, it would seem from this week, the willingness, to lead that opposition. A fight over the direction of the party lies ahead, but there are other signs of a shift to the left too: the current frontrunner to become the new chair of the DNC, is Keith Ellison, a Minnesota congressman from the party's progressive wing who is also black, Muslim and regarded as having a knack for grassroots organising. By Friday he had already been endorsed by both Sanders and the Democrats leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer. "The Democratic Party has to be focused on grassroots America and not wealthy people attending cocktail parties," Sanders told The Washington Post. The challenge for the party, whichever direction it goes in, is profound. Despite the charismatic two-term leadership of Barack Obama, Democrats' power has been weakened over several years, with Republicans taking back both houses of Congress and a growing majority of state legislatures. Reproductive rights, voting rights and protections for the environment were already being challenged and rolled back in many of these states. Not only is Trump the president, but the party he commandeered now controls both houses of Congress until at least the mid-term elections in 2018. What opposition voices, community organising and activism can do is extremely limited.
Warminster boy makes Phillies nation proud with viral video from Game 1

Carson Wallace, 5, of Warminster, starred as one of the Phillies most savage fans as his celebration and taunt of an Astros fan went viral.
Well, were four episodes in to the eighth season of The Vampire Diaries and things are getting wild. Im guessing during the hiatus, a few writers sat in a room and said, Its the final season, lets throw everything at these guys. Lets make everyone as miserable as possible. Well throw in some happy times, maybe a Stefan and Caroline engagement, but then well ruin it by killing off their friends. And then everyone else was like, Done!

Warning: you might want to turn a light on because this episode An Eternity of Misery is dark!

The First Psychic

The show opens with two girls in 750 B.C. alone in the woods. One is scared and asks the other to tell her a happy story. The other girl proceeds to tell her how a long time ago, there was a man in a village named Arcadius. He went by the name Cade. He was a gentle man full of kindness and respect. He also had a special ability; he was psychic. Not just that, he was the first psychic. One would think thats pretty cool, but one day he overstepped his bounds and said the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time. The villagers turned against him and burned him at the stake. He saw the evil consume his murderers and before his last breath, he let out a psychic blast that was so powerful it created his own world  hell.

(That doesnt seem like a happy story to me, but it is important to remainder of this episode.)

In present day, Stefan and Alaric have Sybil quarantined in the Armory. They think they can torture her with the tuning fork and shell tell them why Damon is still being controlled by her, and how he can be saved. But nothing is ever that easy on The Vampire Diaries. Instead of a flat out answer, we get an hour of storytime and allegory.

The Vampire Diaries Recap: Applesauce Penguin, Brother>>>



Sybil cryptically reveals her history to Stefan and Alaric. In the episode, it isnt initially clear which role Sybil plays in this story, but for the sake of recapping, Ill keep it simple. It goes like this, when she was a child she developed psychic abilities. Of course, this was way after Cade has been killed for his special power. The villagers were still uneasy, so anyone who possessed psychic ability was banished to an island. She arrived on the island of misfit toys thinking she was completely alone, but she wasnt. There was another girl there as well, and she could read minds too. The two became like sisters.

There was no food on the island, and the girls were hungry. They saw a ship in the distance, and decided to try to call for help. It worked, sort of. The ship attempted to come ashore but crashed in the rocks killing all of the sailors. The older girl was able to salvage some of the ships provisions so they could eat. When Sybil found out the sailors had died trying to help them she became very sad. She said if God intended for them to eat, then he would provide food. She asked that the older sister never call on the ships again. The older girl promised she wouldnt.

As time went on, the older girl was still bringing food back to camp. She said she was able to hunt wild boar on the other side of the island. Sybil eventually found out this wasnt true. The girl was calling ships ashore, and sailors continued to die. She finally realized there were never provisions on those ships either. She had been eating the bodies of the sailors. Her siren sister forced her to be a cannibal. (Like I said earlier, this episode is dark.)

The story raises a few questions. Stefan and Alaric want to know who the other siren is. Sybil wants to know which character from the story Stefan identifies with the most  is he good or evil?

The Vampire Diaries Poll: Will Stefan and Caroline Really Get Married?>>>

Damon Cant Be Stopped

Damon technically isnt under Sybils spell anymore, but he continues to find himself doing what he thinks she would want him to. He ends up at an auto body shop. Hes looking for a guy named Peter Maxwell, but he finds Lou. Damon is still on his spree so he feels the need to kill Lou after finding out he had been married five times, and had actually killed one of his wives. Damon pours gasoline all over Lou. Then when Lou goes back to the weld job he had been working on hes suddenly engulfed in flames.

Peter Maxwell owns the body shop. He shows up not much later, and Damon is waiting for him. Damon questions if he knows Sybil. Peter says he doesnt, even after being compelled. Damon tells him hes looking for a family heirloom, but he doesnt know specifically which heirloom. Damon wants Peters watch. He tosses it to him. When Damon catches it, it burns his hand. He realizes Peter is on vervain. This is enough to make Damon stab him. Right after stabbing Peter, someone shoots Damon through the gut. Damon turns around to see Matt Donovan, Peters son. Matt shoots him again.

When Damon comes to, hes chained to a chair in the shop. Matt wants to know why he tried to kill his father. (Matt is clearly out of the loop here.) When it looks like hes going to torture Damon for awhile, Damon tells him he should be more concerned with Tyler Lockwood. Damon tells him he tore into his neck the night before and left him in the truck of the car at a park and ride. If he wants to save him, he better hurry. Matt leaves  and hes going to be too late.

Damon uses this time to try to break free. He struggles before knocking over a tall shelf rack, causing it to fall on him knocking the chair over. He also finds the heirloom he had been looking for. It looks like a cannonball with some weird symbol on it.

Quiz: Which Vampire Diaries Family Do You Belong To?>>>



Who is the Siren Sister?

While Alaric is at the Armory, Georgie breaks into his house to steal a book. She gets caught by the nanny, Seline. She says shes going to call Alaric. Georgie tries to intimidate her by sounding pretty threatening. The next time we see Georgie she is at the Armory. Alaric does get a call from Seline which seems to alarm him a little bit. He goes after Georgie, but its a trap. She locks him in that weird tunnel from the first episode  the one where the only way you can find your way out is if you cant see or hear anything.

With Alaric out of the way, Georgie finds Stefan and vervains him in the neck. He falls to the ground unconscious. Sybil uses this tuning fork-free moment to jump inside Stefans brain. Theyre in a cave back on the island. Sybil continues her story about cannibalism. She reveals that she tried so hard to be good, but her sister forced evil upon her. Stefan asks if hes supposed to feel sorry for her. She says it depends and asks him again which side he is on. Theres a noise and its finally revealed that her siren sister is Seline!

Stefan wakes up and is only able to remember pieces of what just happened. Sybil erased the part about Seline. Lucky for us, the next scene is Georgie calling Seline telling her she did what she had asked. Seline tells her to pull over and she will find her.

Back at the Armory, Stefan is confused. He doesnt understand why Sybil didnt escape. She isnt done with her story yet. Shell tell him how to save Damon, but again she needs to know if he is good or if hes a monster. Stefan is honest and says that he is both. With that answer, Sybil tells him hes ready for the truth.

She continues her story about the island. When she found out Seline had been feeding her sailors for breakfast, she threw herself off a cliff. As she lay dying, they prayed for mercy, love and forgiveness. God never answered, instead Cade showed up. He said he would save both of them if they served him. They would feed on the bodies of the morally corrupt to keep themselves beautiful, and he would collect the souls in hell.

Stefan doesnt believe in hell. Sybil says if he wants to save his brother all he has to do is kill the devil.

Seline vs. Georgie

Seline finds Georgie pulled over on the side of the road. She wants to know where Sybil is. Georgie says she didnt want to come. She says that Sybil told her to tell Seline to piss off. Seline decides she has to kill the messenger She snaps Georgies neck. Georgies body falls to the ground, but shes not dead  but she is, but she isnt!

Seline is hovered over Georgies body eating her face like shes overdosed on Flakka, but we also see Georgie standing behind her. Georgie doesnt have much time to process her confusion before she is sucked up into the sky  the same way Katherine was.

Yikes. What did you guys think of tonights episode? Sound off in the comments below.

The Vampire Diaries airs Fridays at 8/7c on The CW. For more news check out our The Vampire Diaries Facebook page.

(Image courtesy of The CW)
Why do people keep leaving their cars unlocked in NJ? We asked

Vehicle thefts have steadily risen since 2020. To counteract that, the state Attorney General's Office is urging people to lock their cars.
New techniques for dredging the River Parrett are being tested this November and December, as Somerset Rivers Authority seeks cheaper and better ways of maintaining tidal rivers.

Three weeks of trials are being carried out between Westonzoyland Pumping Station and Burrowbridge to see how effective water injection dredging and agitation dredging can be at getting silt moving down to Bridgwater Bay and preserving the River Parretts capacity.

Some locals in Burnham-On-Sea believe the new techniques could lead to extra silt gathering in the estuary at Burnham, creating new sand banks and building up local beaches over time.

The techniques being trialled for Somerset Rivers Authority are water injection dredging and agitation dredging  two ways to keep silt moving downstream on an outgoing tide when the water can carry it away.

The vessel being used on the Parrett for the work is called Borr. Having been delivered to Dunball Wharf in halves, then re-assembled, the Borr is now set to motor upstream through Bridgwater on Saturday night (12th November).

Three weeks of trials are due to start on Monday 14th November, in conjunction with detailed monitoring before, during and after. Along the trials section, there is 150% more silt than there was in April and in places, four times as much, says the SRA.

Work therefore carries on from where 2.2km of maintenance dredging was finished earlier this year by the Parrett Internal Drainage Board for the SRA. That dredging, and the trials, aim to maintain the 8km of river dredged in 2014.

Cllr John Osman, SRA chairman, said this week: This is the first time that such trials have been done on the Parrett in conjunction with a long-term programme of detailed monitoring.

Potentially, new methods offer Somerset big benefits: done at the right times, in the right places, they could be much cheaper, more effective, and better for the environment, local residents and farmers.

The trials are being delivered for the SRA by the Parrett Internal Drainage Board with contractors Van Oord.
On November 8, at 8:00 pm when Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his address to the nation, most employees at Paytm were winding up for the day. The office was emptier than usual as their top boss Vijay Shekhar Sharma had allowed them to work from home, given the smog in the Capital then.
reported a net profit of Rs 440 crore in the September quarter, more than three times jump from the corresponding period last year even as revenues remained flat mainly because of fall in company's total expenses.
Proxy advisory firm Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS) has suggested some structural changes in the ownership and management of three key arms of the $100-billion Tata Group  the trusts, the holding company and the operating companies.
Airlines is the largest European airline in India with around 2.3 per cent of the market share of Indias international traffic. However, the German carrier faces challenge from Gulf airlines which dominate the Indian market. High costs and low fares in India is an issue too, Wolfgang Will, Lufthansas South Asia director tells Aneesh Phadnis. Excerpts:
The war between the Tatas and the Mistrys has claimed the board seat of Nusli Wadia - the seniormost independent director of Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals, with companies seeking Wadias ouster from their boards along with their Chairman Cyrus Mistry.
Amid rumours of a in different parts of Delhi, Capital Region (NCR) and Uttar Pradesh, both central and Delhi governments on Friday clarified there is no such shortage.

"There is no shortage of salt. State governments have all powers to ensure its availability at reasonable prices," a central government spokesperson said.

The clarification came after rumours were rife that the price of salt has gone up to Rs 250 per kg in Delhi/NCR and Rs 400 per kg in Uttar Pradesh.

This led to a panic-like situation in Noida, Laxmi Nagar, Chandni Chowk and some other places in the capital.

"The department monitors the prices of 22 essential commodities on daily basis. As per the prices reported by centres from across the country, there has been no increase in price of salt whatsoever," Department of Food and Consumer Affairs said in a statement.

There has been no report about any disruption in production of salt, its supply and distribution, it added.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also took to Twitter to dispel the rumours.

"Some people are spreading rumours that there is a shortage of sugar and salt. This is completely false. Anyone hoarding salt won't be spared," he tweeted.

Manish Sisodia, the Delhi deputy chief minister, also urged people of Delhi not to believe on the rumours.

"There is no shortage of salt in Delhi. Teams of SDMs and Food Supply Officers are patrolling. Salt is available everywhere. No cause for panic," Sisodia tweeted.

On his part, Delhi Food and Supplies Minister Imran Hussain also held an urgent meeting at his residence following the rumours.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed in southeast Delhi's Jamia Nagar area as residents hurled stones at police buses amid rumours of shortage of salt and hike in prices of the essential commodities.

As rumours spread, scores of people stepped out on the Kalindi Kunj-Jamia Nagar road and vandalised buses, a senior police officer said.

They also threw stones at the police buses which were rushed to the spot to control the situation. Four policemen have been reportedly injured in the incident, he said.

While police were trying to calm things down, a rumour spread that a trader was shot at during a fight due to the shortage of salt, he said.

Police placated the residents and brought the situation under control. Additional force from a neighbouring police stations was also called in, he said.

A large number of police personnel are deployed in the area in view of the incident.

Earlier, rumours of no salt stocks in Uttar Pradesh led to panic buying in many parts of the state.

Lucknow Senior Superintendent of Police Manzil Saini trashed reports on paucity of salt and dubbed it as "mischief" by some rumour mongers.

While it was yet to be determined how the rumour started, people flocked to grocery shops and retail outlets in large numbers to buy salt in large quantities. As the panic spread, several quintals of salt vanished from shop shelves.

In some areas salt was said to be selling, if available, anywhere between Rs 100-200 per kg.

Meanwhile, police was directed to increase patrolling as the rumour could result in a law and order situation, an official told IANS.

Lucknow Inspector General of Police A Satish Ganesh asked all SSPs in the zone to start special patrolling in busy thoroughfares and markets to prevent untoward incidents.

A special team has been put on the trail of a message that went viral within minutes of appearing on social media sites, triggering panic.





In Mumbai too, police officials stepped in on Saturday to dispel rumours about steep hike in prices of essential commodities including salt.

"Rumours about price hike are doing rounds. These are baseless," police spokesperson DCP Ashok Dudhe said.

Mumbai police control room was inundated with frantic calls from people wanting to know if the prices had really skyrocketed.

There were rumours about some shop owners selling salt at Rs 700 per kg in eastern suburbs.

After demonetisation of high currency notes of Rs 1000/500, people are facing shortage of cash. Rumours were spread about shortage of salt and sugar, police said.

Some shop owners in eastern suburbs took advantage of the situation, police said.

Shop owners from Govandi, Shivajinagar, Bainganwadi, Mankhurd, Antop hill were allegedly selling salt at higher rates. Some citizens contacted police control room and provided information.

Police teams visited these shops to prevent such sales.

It also appealed to Mumbaikars via Twitter not to believe rumours, saying there is no shortage of salt or any other necessary commodity nor is there any price hike.

A police official said the rumours may have originated from Uttar Pradesh.
The weekend saw even more rush and chaos outside bank branches and ATMs with cash-strapped people struggling to buy even daily items even as Delhi Police deployed more forces to maintain calm and warned of strict action against those trying to spread rumours on social media.

To manage anxious crowds, as many as 3,400 personnel of paramilitary and Delhi Police along with 200 quick reaction teams have been deployed at ATMs and banks across the capital.

In addition to this, RAF jawans were also deployed at certain points to monitor the situation. Senior officers of Delhi Police were also present at important junctions to oversee the security arrangements.

"The crowd is more since it's a weekend and many people have an off today. The crowd is swelling by the hour," a senior police officer said.

In Chandni Chowk, owing to a large crowd outside ATMs, rumour spread that there was a stampede in which four people were injured. Following the rumours, senior officials from the district also visited the area to calm the situation.

Referring to the rumour, senior officers said they will come down strictly on people who spread rumours to create panic.

"There is no stampede outside any #Bank or #ATM in #ChandniChowk. Please don't spread or come under the influence of any #Rumour ! We will also be taking cognisance of all social media accounts which are spreading #Rumours !! It's an offence under section 505 of IPC. (sic)" said DCP(North) Madhur Verma, in a series of tweets.

"Don't believe in #rumours! Situation is peaceful and people are cooperating. #CashRush #Bealert. Appeal to all to maintain peace and law and order when waiting in line at Bank! #Bealert #Besafe #CashRush #Alliswell," tweeted Esha Pandey, additional DCP-I (North).

Yesterday, rumours had spread about shortage of salt following which clashes also broke out in certain parts of Delhi and police officers took to social media to dispel rumours.
Union Minister on Saturday exuded confidence that Centre's various programmes like Digital India, Make in India, and Skill India will bring a marked change in the country.

"Digital India, Make in India, and Skill India are the main programmes which will bring a marked change in the country," he said at a function here.

"Out of the total population of 125 crore, 105 crore people have mobile phones... 107 crore have Aadhar cards, 50 crore use the Internet," the Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology said.

Prasad claimed the number of mobile manufacturing companies in the country has gone up to 40 due to the concerted efforts of the government.
Dharmendra Singh, a journalist with the Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bihar's Rohtas in wee hours on Saturday.

Singh was standing at a tea stall near his house early in morning when three bike-borne assailants opened fire on him, peppering his chest with bullets.

The incident took place near Amra Lake in the Mufassil police station area.

Locals immediately rushed him Singh to the Sadar Hospital in Sasaram, where he received primary treatment and was referred to Varanasi. However, Singh succumbed to injuries on his way to Varanasi.

A case has been registered and the police is investigating to nab the assailants.

Earlier in October this year, a local television journalist was allegedly shot dead by motorcycle-borne miscreants in Dheena area in Uttar Pradesh, making it the third such incident in four months.

Hemant Yadav (45) worked with a news channel was shot by bike-borne miscreants, Superintendent of police Amit Verma said. In June, journalist Jagendra Singh was allegedly set on fire during a police raid at his house in Shahjahanpur. His family alleged that the police officials set him on fire. Singh, who was in his 50s, succumbed to injuries on June 8.

An FIR was registered against six persons including a UP minister, who was said to be angry over Singh's Facebook posts about his illegal mining activities and land grabbing.

In another incident, two persons in Bareilly district, allegedly killed a part-time reporter from a local Hindi daily Sanjay Pathak, in August.

Police said Pathak (42) was hit several times on the head with some heavy object and might have died of excessive bleeding.
Donald Trump's administration would build on progress made in Indo-US ties and be less tolerant of Pakistan's "dual policies" on terror, but the issue of H-1B visas could be a potential area of friction with New Delhi, a noted US expert on South Asian issues has said.

"It seems likely that a Trump administration will build on the marked progress made in US-India relations over the last couple of years," Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation, a top American think-tank told PTI.

She said there is bipartisan recognition in the US that India plays an important role when it comes to achieving American objectives in the Asia Pacific, namely ensuring a rules-based international order and free and open seaways.

"President-elect Trump made several positive comments about India on the campaign trail, which seems to reflect his support for bolstering the partnership," said Curtis, who at The Heritage, focuses on US security issues and regional geopolitics.

Curtis said Trump's tougher stance on terrorism, in general, will find favour among Indians, who are wary of attacks by Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

"It is expected that a Trump administration will work more closely with India on combating terrorism in the region and will be less tolerant of Pakistan's dual policies toward terrorism," Curtis said.

However, H-1B is a potential area of conflict between the two countries, she noted.

"One area of potential friction could be over the H1-B visa issue. It is still unclear how Trump's global business background will impact on his commitment to protect American workers," she said.

"He has both acknowledged the importance of allowing high tech companies to access global talent, while also pointing out potential flaws and misuse of the H1-B visa program. His administration may seek some changes to the H1-B visa requirements but is unlikely to do away with the program completely," Curtis said.
Prime Minister along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe On Saturday travelled in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which is being introduced in India on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch.

Modi and Abe travelled in the train, whose speed ranges from 240 kms per hour to 320 kms per hour, from Tokyo to Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in Japan.

"On the way to Kobe with PM @AbeShinzo. We are on board the Shinkansen bullet train," Prime Minister Modi tweeted along with pictures of him in deep conversation with Abe.

#WATCH: PM Narendra Modi and Japan PM Shinzo Abe inside the Shinkansen bullet train to Kobe #Tokyo pic.twitter.com/tt0BMbTaGt  ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

"A unique friendship on a unique train journey. PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo inside the Shinkansen bullet train to Kobe," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

The construction of the high-speed train corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will start in 2018 and the train service will be operational from 2023.

Abe, at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi here yesterday, had said that the designing of the project will begin by the end of this year.

He said the ambitious project "symbolises a new dimension in the special relations" between the two countries and hoped that introduction of the rapid train network will spur further economic growth in India.

The high speed rail system 'Shinkansen' was introduced in Japan in 1964.

Earlier when Modi arrived at the Tokyo Station to board the train Swarup said, "Putting #IndiaJapan relations on the fast track! PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo arrive at Tokyo Station to board the Shinkansen.
Chaos reigned outside banks and across the nation, while at least one death due to exhaustion was reported, as panicked customers stood in long, serpentine queues for several hours to withdraw cash on a second Saturday, which, in a normal course, is a bank holiday.
Hinting at more action to unearth black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said those holding unaccounted money will not be spared and there is no "guarantee" that no further steps would be taken after December 30 till when people can deposit the demonetised notes.

He assured honest people that they will not face any trouble.

"I would like to announce once again that after the end of this scheme, there is no guarantee that something new will not be introduced to punish you (thikane lagane ke liye)," Modi said.

He was addressing the Indian community at a reception here.

"I make it very clear that if anything unaccounted comes up, then I will check its records since Independence. Will deploy as many people as required for this. Honest people will not face any problem. No one will be spared. Those who know me, they are intelligent as well. They think it is better to offer it in Ganga than in banks," Modi said.

He was referring to reports of the demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes flowing in the Ganga river.

Modi termed the as a "Swachhata Abhiyan" and hailed the undaunting spirit of people despite their hardship following its announcement on November 8.

"I salute my countrymen. People stood in line for four hours, six hours but accepted the decision in interest the way people of Japan tackled the aftermath of the 2011 disaster," he said.

"I thought long and hard about the possible difficulties and it was also important to keep it a secret. It had to be done suddenly but I never thought I will receive blessings for this," he said.

"I salute each and every Indian. Many families had weddings, health problems... Yes they faced inconvenience but they accepted the decision," the prime minister said.

Apparently referring to the opposition, which has attacked the government action over the scheme, Modi said a section is trying to incite people for speaking out against him but people have accepted the decision in the interest.

"Law should be equal for everyone. People are happy about the fact that even Modi's Rs 1,000 notes are not usable anymore," Modi said.

Underlining that the world is acknowledging that India is the fastest growing economy among the large global economies, he said the country is also receiving historically high foreign direct investment (FDI).

"IMF, World Bank all are saying in one voice. IMF also said that India is the shining star. World economists believe India is growing at a very fast rate...I have my own definitions (of FDI). The first definition is First Develop India and the second is the Foreign Direct Investment. India is receiving historically high rate of FDI," he said.

In the last two years, black money to the tune of Rs 1.25 lakh crore have been unearthed due to various initiatives of the government, Modi added.
The Sessions Court of Mumbai on Friday granted four days of police custody of two former directors and two shareholders of the Hong Kong-based marketing franchise in connection with online cheating case.
Prime Minister on Saturday asserted that those holding unaccounted money would not be spared. Addressing the Indian community in the Japanese city of Kobe, Modi said, after the end of this scheme, there is no guarantee that something new will not be introduced to punish you (black money hoarders), said Modi.
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Bilateral Trade agreement between India and Bhutan

Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman and H. E. Tengye Lyonpo Lekey Dorji, Minister for Economic Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan signed the Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between India and the Royal Government of Bhutan in the presence of H. E.

Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan at the Gyalyong Tshokhang in Thimphu on 12 November, 2016. The first Agreement on Trade and Commerce between Bhutan and India was signed in 1972. Since then, the Agreement has been renewed four times. The last Agreement was renewed on July 28, 2006 and was valid till July 29, 2016. The validity of the Agreement was extended for a period of one year or till the date of coming into force of the new Agreement, whichever is earlier, by exchange of diplomatic notes between the two countries. The new bilateral Trade Agreement aims to enhance trade between the two countries through trade facilitation by improving procedures, cutting down on documentation and adding additional exit/entry points for Bhutans trade with other countries. It is also expected to further strengthen the excellent relations between the two countries. During the visit, the Commerce and Industry Minister also had an audience with His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan and called on Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay, Honble Prime Minister of Bhutan. She also had a bilateral meeting with a high level Bhutanese delegation led by Lyonpo Lekey Dorji, Minister for Economic Affairs of Bhutan where both the leaders discussed various issues related to bilateral trade, transit and investment.
MoS Dr Jitendra Singh addresses the National Workshop on Public Service Delivery in Jammu

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has called upon the State Governments including the Government of Jammu & Kashmir to emulate the Centres path-breaking administrative reforms introduced over the last two years of the government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He said, while some of the States have been quick to adopt these reforms in governance, some of the other States have been slow to move, but are being constantly persuaded to move ahead expeditiously.

While addressing the special session of the two-day workshop organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, in Jammu today, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the government has demonstrated its commitment to live up to the dictum of maximum governance, minimum government" with citizen-centric approach in a short span of over two years and hoped that some of the States, which are yet to evolve to the higher standards of best practices in governance, would soon pick up the queue and follow.

Dr Jitendra Singh congratulated the Union Ministry of Personnel and the Central University of Jammu headed by Vice Chancellor Prof. Ashok Aima for having come forward to organize this first-of-its-kind event in Jammu, where senior Secretaries and officers from over 20 States of India are sharing their experiences in governance, administration and particularly on the theme of Right to Services Act".

Dr Jitendra Singh said that in the last two years, he was proud to note that the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) and Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (ARPG) have managed to place virtually every possible information in public domain. He said that the situation today is such that an IAS officer who is promoted or transferred does not wait to receive the personal copy of his order, but he is able to access it on the website on real-time basis.

Not only this, even the decisions taken at the highest level including ACC headed by Prime Minister, are available at the website on real-time basis.

Referring to some of the revolutionary decisions taken during the last two years, Dr Jitendra Singh mentioned the decision to do away with attestation of certificates by Gazetted Officer. Such a decision, he said, also sent out a message that the government has the capacity to trust the youth of this country.

Another revolutionary decision taken by the government, Dr Jitendra Singh said, is the abolition of interviews for appointment to the posts at junior levels. This has not only provided level-playing field for youth from all kinds of socio-economic backgrounds, but has also eliminated the scope for favouritism and nepotism, he added.

Dr Jitendra Singh also complimented the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) headed by him for having activated the Grievance Cell in Government of India and recorded a high disposal rate of grievances. Again, he called upon some of the State governments to activate their grievance cells.

Dr Jitendra Singh hoped that the exchange of views on the Right to Services Act" during the two-day workshop will offer valuable cues to increase citizen participation in governance. He said while the government follows the approach of zero tolerance towards corruption, it is, at the same time, careful to ensure that honest and performing bureaucrats are not intimidated and one of the evidences is the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act" expected to be brought up in the next Session of the Parliament which would provide every officer at every level - the privilege for permission before being prosecuted.
Speech of the President of India at the Inauguration of American Association of Thoracic Surgeons and International Coronary Congress (AATS ICC 2016) Meeting

1. I am indeed happy and consider myself privileged to be present amidst you this morning for the inauguration of the Second International Coronary Congress. It is my privilege because I am speaking as a layman in the midst of so many experts present in this hall.

2. Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of deaths globally. Among cardiovascular diseases, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) has the largest stake in taking lives of the people. Coronary arteries carry blood and oxygen to the heart. Therefore, a disease which affects the coronary arteries deprives the heart of oxygen, leading many a times to heart attacks. The precious assets of our nation the young population - are becoming increasingly vulnerable to CAD and heart attacks. By 2020, India may account for 60 percent of the worlds heart patients. In gearing up to meet such an eventuality, a lot of responsibility lies on the shoulders of cardiac specialists like you.

3. The First International Coronary Congress was held in New York last year. As mentioned by Dr. Trehan, the scientific content and discussions have provided clarity in decision-making in relation to complex coronary artery diseases. The discussions here, I am quite confident, will enrich your clinical experience in daily practice. I compliment you all for being part of this forum.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

4. Healthcare is a priority area to our country. However, the challenges at meeting the healthcare requirements are acute in the case of developing economies with large populations. Doctors have a responsibility to work on creating greater awareness about prevention and treatment among the general population. The most common cause leading to CAD and heart attacks are wrong lifestyle choices. Hence, precautionary strategies have to take centre-stage in the fight against heart diseases. Our healthcare sector has to be equipped to not only treat people but also guide them about prevention of medical conditions.

5. The rural and urban poor are more susceptible to health problems due to poor access to healthcare, high cost of treatment and lack of awareness. They also tend to ignore early signs of such diseases as seeking treatment might mean missing on wages. We have to make an effort to bring such population in the treatment loop. You all should think and work towards a mechanism where the poor has access to super specialty diagnosis and treatment.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

6. This international conference, to my mind, is a great platform where steps necessary to strengthen our healthcare system into one that is universally accessible, affordable and effective can be discussed. To build such a system, we require not only a robust healthcare infrastructure, but also trained and motivated personnel. We can study the systems prevalent in other nations that have turned successful in providing treatment to their entire population. Having said that, our country is unique on account of the size and geographical spread of our population. We have to develop suitable solutions to meet our requirements.

7. In this regard, I want to state that the fusion of ICT with medical science has enormous potential in meeting the challenges of healthcare delivery in rural and remote areas. Blending technology can also aid education, training and management in health. The range of technology application in healthcare is immense. From a simple telephonic discussion of the medical problem of a patient to a complex platform where diagnostic tests and consultation with specialists are performed, IT based solutions offer a ray of hope in overcoming physical distance in medical treatment. Tele-cardiology has made good progress in the past few years. It is helping patients in remote regions to get timely and expert reports, leading to correct diagnosis and proper treatment. But there is scope for refinements. This forum should take up these issues, discuss their feasibility, and find solutions to problems that might occur during implementation. With your concerted effort, the gap between rural patients and urban facilities can easily be bridged.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

8. While universal health coverage is a challenge many countries are still grappling with, more and more patients are looking for simpler therapies to improve their quality of life. This has led to the rapid growth of alternative medicines worldwide. Recognizing that a unitary medical system alone will not suffice the health needs of a huge population, India has adopted a pluralistic healthcare system. This approach is also based on the fact that every medicinal system exhibits strength in remedying specific lines of ailments. The allopathic system of medicine should explore complementarities with other systems in fighting diseases and medical conditions.

9. The insightful minds in front of me and the cardiac specialists round the globe have an arduous task at hand. They have to work towards the aim of a healthy heart for everyone. They have to develop innovative platforms for not only treatment but also prevention of heart diseases. The concept of Heart Team", where the best management for a patient is decided under one single roof, is appealing. Your efforts should be directed at such unique models of giving customized treatment to each and every individual.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

10. The medical profession is an occupation that is a noble mix of knowledge and compassion. It empowers you to lend a helping hand to the society at large, to touch and transform the lives of people. Curing the sick and healing the bedridden are considered Gods own work carried out through your hands. The society admires you for your selfless endeavours. The faith that people repose in you is sacrosanct and has to be respected at all times. I hope that you all will remain steadfast in your conviction to the higher objective of selfless service to society. I congratulate you for your achievements and wish you success in your future endeavors. Let me now conclude with these words of Mahatma Gandhi:

It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver".

Thank You.

Jai Hind.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dalian Wanda Group is investing 100 billion yuan ($14.7 billion) to build a theme park complex and series of commercial centres in Chinas central Hunan province, as its chairman Wang Jianlin targets to surpass Walt Disney to build the worlds largest tourism company by 2020. The Beijing-based conglomerate has signed an agreement with the local government to plow 50 billion yuan in a Wanda City project in Changsha, the provincial capital, with the remainder of the investment to build 15 Wanda Plaza malls in cities such as Yueyang and Changde, according to a statement ...
The number of deaths from has fallen by 79% worldwide since 2000, thanks mainly to mass vaccination campaigns, but nearly 400 children still die from the disease every day, global health experts said on Thursday.
Donald Trump shook up his White House transition team today, appointing running mate to head the process of filling key administration posts, and demoting New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to a deputy role.

"The mission of our team will be clear: put together the most highly qualified group of successful leaders who will be able to implement our change agenda in Washington," the president-elect said in a statement as his team gathered in Trump Tower in New York.

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, as well as three of Trump's grown children, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump, will sit on the transition team's executive committee, he said.
Lady Gaga, Pink, Sia and other celebrities are encouraging their fans to legally prevent Donald from assuming presidency as a part of a new campaign against the newly elected US president.

The effort is attached to a petition with more than 3.1 million signatures at publishing asking the electors of the Electoral College to reject their states votes on December 19 and instead vote for Hillary Clinton, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Gaga also took to Twitter to request her fans to sign the petition.

"If you feel scared about the current state of American politics and Whitehouse sign this petition," she wrote.

Pink also tweeted, "Electoral College Electors: Electoral College Make Hillary Clinton President on December 19 - Sign the petition."

The petition argues, "Mr is unfit to serve. His scapegoating of so many Americans, and his impulsivity, bullying, lying, admitted history of sexual assault, and utter lack of experience make him a danger to the Republic.
Islamic State militants have summarily killed scores of civilians in the Iraqi city of Mosul in recent days, sometimes using children as executioners, and have used chemical agents against Iraqi and Kurdish troops, United Nations officials said on Friday.
Vice President-elect Mike Pence is replacing Chris Christie as the head of Donald Trumps transition team as Trumps influential oldest children take formal roles alongside seasoned Washington hands. Christie will stay on as a vice chairman of the transition executive committee, Trumps transition office said Friday. The move is a demotion following the conviction of two of the New Jersey governors former allies just days before the election on charges stemming from the George Washington Bridge traffic plot. Trumps three oldest children  ...
The medieval ship lay more than a half-mile down at the bottom of the Black Sea, its masts, timbers and planking undisturbed in the darkness for seven or eight centuries. Lack of oxygen in the icy depths had ruled out the usual riot of creatures that feast on sunken wood.
President-elect said he would consider leaving in place certain parts of the Affordable Care Act, an indication of possible compromise after a campaign in which he pledged repeatedly to repeal the 2010 health-care law.
Annual talks on commerce and trade will be held by China and the United States in Washington D.C., where both nations will exchange ideas of important economic and trade issues, as well as ways to expand cooperation in their last high-level economic dialogue this year.

The state owned Xinhua news agency quoted China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang saying at routine press briefing that the 27th Session of the China-U.S. Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) is scheduled for Nov. 21 to 23.

The talks will be co-chaired by Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Trade Representative Michael Froman.

The talks will also be attended by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

A CEO roundtable conference and conferences on the digital economy and agriculture and food will also be held by the two countries on the sidelines of the JCCT.

U.S. was China's second largest trade partner, biggest export market and the fourth largest source of imports in 2015 where as the China was the largest trade partner and import source, and the third export market of the U.S..

The bilateral trade volume of goods stood at 558.4 billion U.S. dollars, with more than 160 billion U.S. dollars of mutual investment.

JCCT was launched in 1993 as the the first high-level economic dialogue mechanism between the two sides.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following the furore over the move by the Centre, especially among the masses, the Congress Party on Saturday demanded a court monitored probe the matter.

Congress leader Sharmishtha Mukherjee told ANI that the Congress has already raised the issue well before Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"Off course there are rumours in social media and many leakages that allegedly says that Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) workers knew about it ( of currency). Prashant Bhushan shared a post that a West Bengal BJP worker submitted 3 crore rupees before the announcement. If these are mere coincidences and allegation then we would ask for a court monitored probe, but the agencies are also under the central government.," she said.

Mukherjee also questioned how the move by the government to introduce the Rs 2000 note would curb the use of and creation of black money.

"How is the introduction of a high valued note, that is 2000 note, going to help in the crackdown on black money and hoarding. This is the contradiction that the government needs to answer, and Kejriwal was not the person to point it out we have pointed it out much before," she said.

Mukherjee said if the centre has deliberately put away money before the demonetisation move, it should be seen as a criminal act.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday questioned the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, alleging that the whole move was a huge scam by the NDA government and that the BJP and added that some other players had been given prior information of the move.

A huge scam has been perpetrated a few days ago in the name of tackling corruption," Kejriwal alleged.

"When the PM announced the move, he had informed all of his friends who had black money and they secured their money," Kejriwal said.

On November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to nation announced that 500 and 1,000 rupee notes would no longer be legal tender.
India's much-awaited consumer desire indicator, India's Most Attractive Brands 2016, a study comparing the 'Attractiveness' held in brands, has been released. TRA Research, a Comniscient Group company, has listed the brands that have successfully elicited the desire-based yearning in their audience. LG has taken the crown of India's Most Attractive Brand in the just launched 2016 study.

India's Most Attractive Brands is a primary research which lists 1000 brands in over 270 categories across India. In the Diapers category, new entrant Libero has been come out as the Most Attractive Diaper Brand for the first time in India's Most Attractive Brands Study 2016.

Commenting on this new development in the Diaper category, N. Chandramouli, CEO, TRA stated, "The Diaper category has seen a surprising shift in the top ranks, with new entrant Libero ranking higher than last year's leader, Huggies. The difference in their Attractiveness Quotient, which is a measure of their overall attractiveness, is roughly 40% and depicts the changing consumer preferences with regards to diapers."

Huggies has seen a dip in the rank, from being the category leader in 2015 with All India Rank 220 to ranking 2nd in 2016 with All India Rank 401. Pampers managed to secure the third position in the Diaper category falling from rank 301 to rank 417 across India. The Japanese brand MamyPoko Pants which had featured in previous reports could not make it to the list this year.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Kamal Kumar Johari - Managing Director Nobel Hygiene (manufacturers of Teddyy diapers)said, "Consumer is the king and the shift clearly indicates that consumer preferences are changing rapidly. We are the only Indian diaper manufacturers and understand the Indian body type well. We have customised our products according to Indian baby body type and are competing with the multi-national brands, innovating and consistently delivering better quality."

In India the hygiene industry is experiencing an unprecedented growth as hygiene products are being adopted by masses. With the awareness and increasing purchasing power, customers are fast shifting from cloth nappies to baby diapers. Indians give birth to around 27 million babies each year, yet the penetration rate of baby diapers remains at less than two per cent. According to "India Diaper Market Outlook, 2021", India's diaper market will be growing at a CAGR of 22.23% Y-o-Y.

These revelations were a result of The Most Attractive Brands 2016 Report, the third in its series, published by TRA Research (formerly Trust Research Advisory), a leading research organization dedicated to brand analytics. This year's study covered 2338 consumer -influencers across 16 cities in India, generating 5 million datapoints and 10,000 unique brands from which the top 1,000 brands have been listed in this year's report. The 208 page, hardbound report is available for Rs. 14,000/-.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his announcement to demonetise currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 to fight the plague of black money earlier this week, tempers have been flying high. There have been reports of chaos prevailing in some parts of the country and even deaths occurring.

A child recently succumbed because a doctor refused to attend to him because his parents had only Rs. 500 notes that have been declared no longer legal tender. A distressed woman jumped off the Howrah Bridge because she couldn't manage to get cash from her ATM. Two elderly people died while standing in long queues in Kerala.

Poor management has given rise to large scale disenchantment.

Tehseen Poonawalla, an entrepreneur and political commentator, has claimed that the government is colluding with the real culprits.

In a series of hard-hitting tweets, Poonawalla has alleged that the BJP is laundering black money through the Patanjali Group run by one of its key supporters Baba Ramdev.

He has alleged that the meteoric rise in the sales of Patanjali products is not due to anything else but the BJP's money.

His tweets have incited divided reactions, leading many to claim that Modi's fight against black money is causing unprecedented inconvenience to the ordinary citizen. Some say it's a totally bureaucratic tactic.

Reportedly, the cost involved in the demonetisation of the old currency and replacing them with new ones will be less than the black money being checked.

Whether the government is well-intentioned or not, the common people have been hit the hardest. In a country as large as India, perhaps, Prime Minister Modi could have considered a lot more than he did.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Coming down heavily on the Centre for scrapping Rs. 500 and 1,000 currency notes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday asserted that this "dangerous, disastrous and draconian" decision of the ruling dispensation was nothing but "surgical anarchy."

Addressing a press conference, Mamata said, "Only one percent people hold black money. Why the other 99 percent are being harassed for this? A few money launderers are profiting due to this black decision. This is a dangerous, disastrous and draconian decision. This is surgical anarchy. Even eminent economists are saying this demonetisation will not affect black money."

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief also asserted demonetisation also took place in the UPA regime but it took place in a planned manner without causing any hindrance to people.

The West Bengal Chief Minister informed that she personally visited several banks today to listen to tales of hardship of common people.

"More than two lakh ATMs are closed, money is not available; people are facing lot of problems. A small child died in Mumbai because hospital did not take 500 rupee notes. Several weddings have been postponed," she said.

"This is a betrayal with people. A sudden midnight decision was taken. But few ruling party people knew about it. Few 'dalals' are taking advantage of the economic disaster. I appeal to the government to withdraw this decision," she added.

The TMC supremo also asked the BJP-led Centre as to how much money is being wasted for printing 2000 rupee notes and recalibrating ATMs.

"This is common man's money: The Centre cannot scare us. We are not afraid of them," she said.

She also appealed all the opposition parties to come together and stand against the Centre's move.

"We thank the parties who have opposed the note ban. There should be more protests. Will Emergency be imposed next?" she said.

The West Bengal Chief Minister also said that the "anti-people, anti-poor government" at the Centre has no moral right to continue in power.

"This is a dictatorship," she said.

"Ministers who have no connection to grassroots are giving us lectures. They said they will give 15 lakhs to people. But now they have even taken away people's piggy banks. I don't care if I am jailed for voicing my opinions. I will speak for common people. I supported them on the Goods and Services Tax (GST). But this is a disaster," she said.

The TMC chief also called for a judicial inquiry on the economic loss in the country due to note ban in the last few days.

On November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to nation announced that 500 and 1,000 rupee notes would no longer be legal tender.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The demonetization of currency denominations of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 has forced the charity department in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra to seal donation boxes in all temples located in eight districts till December 31.

The decision has been taken to prevent large scale black money coming into these donation boxes.

A charity department official in Aurangabad said that after the deadline for the depositing of banned notes in banks ends on December 30, all donation boxes will be opened under supervision on December 31. The counting of currency will then take place and a report will be submitted to the state department.

Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday announced that the government had decided to demonetize Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes to tackle the menace of black money.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 Flash

Zambia will continue being part of the International Criminal Court (ICC) despite some African nations planning to pull out, state media reported on Friday.

"Zambia is not pulling out of the ICC, if need will arise in future, we will come back to the people because it is not a decision which can be made overnight as cabinet has to deliberate over it," foreign minister Harry Kalaba was quoted saying by the Zambia Daily Mail.

Some African countries have announced plans to pull out of the ICC, after accusing the court of disproportionately bringing charges against suspected human rights abusers from the continent.

African countries that have decided to withdraw from the ICC included Gambia, Burundi and South Africa.

The ICC, which opened in July 2002, is the first legal body with the permanent international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Josep-Maria Terricabras MEP (Greens/EFA) and the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) in partnership with Mahatma Gandhi International, recently convened a high-level conference entitled "A Recipe for Disaster

The conference was successful in raising awareness of the immense human suffering that the policies of Pakistan, often in collusion with China, are causing to people of Gilgit-Baltistan, Sindh and Balochistan on a variety of issues, including the controversial construction of mega dams in Gilgit-Baltistan, lack of jobs, poor levels of education and other forms of socio-economic discrimination.

During the conference, Terricabras reminded the audience that the legitimate claims of the people must be addressed in an open and democratic manner even though sensitive topics often trigger discomfort.

Marino Busdachin UNPO Secretary General highlighted that human rights and the environmental situation in Gilgit-Baltistan is deteriorating and may soon "reach a level where it will be difficult to be considered by the international community".

According to unpo.org, during the conference, Csaba Sogor MEP (EPP) stressed that the European Union must unconditionally "set a good example for minority and human rights protection in its member states."

Senge Hasnan Sering, president of the Institute for Gilgit-Baltistan Studies and Board Member of the Gilgit-Baltistan Congress, who was also in attendance, highlighted the environmental dangers affecting the indigenous people of the region that are caused by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and by the illegal construction of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam in the disputed territory.

He explained the intricacies of Gilgit-Baltistan's ecosystem. "The greenest part of which will be submerged by foreigners with the construction of the Diamer Bhasha Dam. What is more, there is no way that local people are going to receive royalties from the dam because its turbines are located in a Pakistani province."

Mirza Wajahat Hassan, exiled chairman of the Gilgit-Baltistan Thinkers Forum, elaborated on human rights violations in Gilgit-Baltistan and on the marginalisation of its people in an elaborate account of the region's long history, expanding the discussion to the severe disregard for human rights shown by the Pakistan government in a territory over which they are not even supposed to have jurisdiction.

The second panel discussed the repercussions of environmental degradation in Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and Sindh through the CPEC.

Dr Siegfried O. Wolf, a lecturer at the University of Heidelberg and Research Director at the South Asia Democratic Forum, explained that minorities are concerned about the massive influx of Chinese military into the region.

He also said that the CPEC chiefly represents a strategic decision on behalf of China to assist Pakistan in their economic development.

He insisted that the closure of the Sost dry port in Gilgit-Baltistan, provoked by the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, will cost up to 20,000 jobs.

Dr Lakhu Luhana, Secretary General of the Sindhi Congress, put the spotlight on the adverse effects that the enormous reservoir dams would have on the everyday life of indigenous populations along the lower Indus River.

He pointed out that the River Indus is the lifeline of the Sindhi people and deplored the government's brutal crackdown on any expression of opposition, stating that scores of Sindhi activists have been forcibly disappeared or imprisoned for very long terms.

In light of the controversial plans to build six mega dams in the Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, the conference discussed the resulting environmental degradation and its impacts for Gilgit-Baltistan and beyond the region, as well as human rights violations perpetrated by the Government of Pakistan.

The participants of the conference adopted the following declaration:

Whereas Pakistan has no right to build any dam in an area which is disputed under United Nations Security Council resolution and whose fate is still to be settled under international law;

Whereas the major development projects by Pakistan in Gilgit-Baltistan are causing severe environmental degradation, damaging sensitive ecosystems; displacing local population; destroying historical sites and changing demography in the wider region;

Whereas the people of Gilgit-Baltistan have the legitimate right to protest peacefully against the construction of development projects in the region until they are granted full participation in decision-making;

The conference also urged the Pakistan Government:

- to refrain from use of the oppressive measures leading to human rights violations against the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and further demand that the perpetrators of human rights violations within the military, paramilitary and police units of the state and non-state actors should be brought to justice;

- Release all political prisoners, including more than 100 peaceful protesters arrested and charged [November 2016] for terrorism for demanding religious freedom for Shias;

- Pay compensation to residents whose lands have already been used to build the Diamer-Bhasha Dam and the Karakoram Highway; halt the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, which is posing a serious threat to the community and wider region.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ex-servicemen of the Indian Army of Nepali origin have lauded the Government of India for its steadfast commitment to their welfare, saying that India has not only put money into their accounts but has put money into Nepal's account and has been doing so for years.

Speaking exclusively to ANI over the phone, these former Indian Army soldiers who now live in Nepal were effusive in their praise of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee taking time out of his busy two-day state visit to Nepal to spend time with them at the ex-servicemen's pensioners camp organized in Pokhara, where he highlighted their foundational and time tested association with India, as also reiterating New Delhi's commitment to deliver to them the benefits of one rank, one pension (OROP) at the earliest, besides other welfare measures.

These ex-servicemen, most of them Gurkhas, who have been serving in the Indian armed forces for more than 200 years, said they were extremely proud, happy and satisfied to meet the Indian president and recalled their enormous and well documented contribution in safeguarding India's borders from external aggressors in the years gone by.

They said it was a particularly great moment for them when President Mukherjee described them as the pride of the Indian Army and as people who had earned a name for themselves on battlefields and in other military-related operations.

Colonel (Retired) Sher Bahadur Gurung told ANI, "We have no complaints. The minor problems affecting the Gurkhas here and there as regards documentation on pension and other benefits are being taken care of very efficiently. The main problem that we face is that a majority of the ex-servicemen of the older generation are uneducated and don't understand the finer points of what they are entitled to. The younger lot has a better understanding because of the education that they have received."

Col. (Retired) Gurung further said, "We Nepali Gurkhas are treated at par with Indian soldiers. There is no differentiation in either pay or pension."

When asked to give his view on how the Indian government's pension for ex-servicemen is benefitting the economy of Nepal, Col. (Retired) Gurung said, "You have asked me a million dollar question. I will only say that a significant amount of money has come in from India and has been of great help to Nepal."

Commenting on President Mukherjee's visit, he said, "It was a very welcome visit. We were very happy and grateful to see him at Pokhara. It was a great privilege."

Colonel (Retired) D.B. Thapa, another ex-serviceman of Nepali origin, told ANI, "The President of India's visit to the pension camp at Pokhara has left us all in a jubilant mood. To see our Supreme Commander gave us a very nice feeling and we are grateful. We, however, would like to see the Indian government giving us more encouragement and strength. The benefits and welfare measures are many and quite sufficient for our families and for us to lead our social lives.

He also said that the pay and pension received from India was much better than what the United Kingdom offers to its Gurkha retirees.

Diverting, Col. (Retired) Thapa also sought to highlight the fact that there are some elements in Nepal who are promoting anti-India feelings and made it a point to stress that India was not behind the recent blockage in the Terai region. He, however, said that the people of Madhes need to be looked after better and was confident that things won't be allowed to go out of hand.

"What India can do, no other country, including China, can do. They will not be as effective. The majority of the people are pro-India. I would like to see the Government of India strengthen the hands of the ex-servicemen. I absolutely believe that India and Nepal share a wonderful emotional and economic relationship. We are very happy and there is no discrimination. In the British Army, there is too much discrimination."

Recalling that India's Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae had informed during an interaction that India has a role to play in 300 to 400 projects in Nepal, Col. (Retired) Thapa suggested that ex-servicemen of Nepali origin should be given an opportunity to participate in them, and believed that there would be a 40 percent improvement in delivery and effectiveness because of the discipline with which the tasks on hand would be attended to.

"Our morale is high, but our identity needs to be highlighted. Nepal should treat us with more respect," he said.

Colonel (Retired) Jhum Bahadur Gurung said that 126,000 ex-servicemen of Nepal origin greeted President Mukherjee when he came to visit them at Pokhara.

"It was excellent. There was pin drop silence when the president was speaking. All thanks to defence attache Col. Mannat Singh Maan," he said.

Col. (Retired) Gurung candidly acknowledged that Nepal is still economically far behind India and that the country lacks a "far-sighted leadership."

"We have definitely benefitted from India's contributions. There still 32,000 soldiers of Nepali origin in the Indian Army. We get our pensions every month on time and it is a great boost for the Nepal economy. I joined the Indian Army as a sepoy 33 years ago and retired as a colonel. India is my second home. However, I must say that Nepal has an employment problem. Many of us have to go abroad to earn. Currently 40 lakh Nepalis are placed in 108 countries and all of them are sending remittances back home. It is but obvious that the political leadership in Nepal needs to do more to improve employment prospects, create vacancies. So far, we have a very good relationship," he said.

Subedar Major Kaji Raj Thapa said,"We have got more than we expected from India. It is a relationship of blood. We face no problems as far as our pensions are concerned. There is good progress. India is helping us with education, health and earthquake relief. Ex-servicemen should be involved in Indian projects in Nepal so that the future of their children is taken care of. I have spent 28 years in service and enjoyed every moment of it."

During his interaction, President Mukherjee said it was a matter of pride for India that around 126,000 ex-servicemen and their dependents are drawing pension from the Indian Army in Nepal.

He said relations between India and Nepal are based on multi-faceted social and cultural contacts, and reminded that both nations shared an open border and a friendship treaty that has elevated bilateral relations to a higher level.

This relationship, he said has also strengthened the friendship between the armies of both countries, and the ex-servicemen have made important contributions to the security and development of both our countries.

He said the objective in 2016-17 is to distribute around 4000 crore Nepali rupees under 'One Rank One Pension' and the 7th Central Pay Commission, he said.

He said that the Indian Army has an ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme in Nepal to take care of their health in old age, and added that approximately one crore Nepali Rupees has been distributed as medical assistance.

He said the Indian Army is providing scholarships to their dependent children; drinking water projects in 1049 villages and electricity through solar electrification projects in 17 remote areas.

The President said it is a matter of satisfaction and pride that a decision has been taken to increase the original pension drawn on December 31, 2015 by 2.57 times and that the 7th Pay Commission had recommended a payment of 2.57 times of the pension drawn on January 1, 2006.

The ex-servicemen said they were happy to hear about India's commitment to rehabilitation efforts pertaining to the devastating earthquakes that struck Nepal last year.

The Government of India has provided 32,000 Nepali Rupees per pensioner in addition to other aid to 6832 earthquake affected ex-servicemen.

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The first trade convoy carrying goods for export through the western route of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and a Chinese ship has arrived at the Gwadar Port on Friday.

The convoy, comprising 60 containers, started its journey to Pakistan from Kashgar through the western route and arrived in Quetta in the first phase and later departed for Gwadar, reports the Express Tribune.

The second trade convoy comprising over 100 containers is set to arrive in Gwadar today.

According to official sources, while one Chinese ship has been anchored at Gwadar Port, another is expected to reach on Saturday. The goods would be exported through Gwadar port to the Middle East and African countries.

To commemorate the occasion, a ceremony will be held at Gwadar Port on November 13 which will be attended by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Army chief General Raheel Sharif, Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri and ambassadors of 15 countries.

On Friday, a large number of people participated in a rally organised by Gwadar Yakjehti Council in the port city carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans welcoming the trade.

The speakers at the rally said that the CPEC project would prove a game changer for Balochistan and its development.

The corridor is about 3,000-kilometre long consisting of highways, railways and pipelines that will connect China's Xinjiang province to the rest of the through Gwadar port.

Meanwhile, the Baloch people and activists have continually protested against the CPEC, alleging Pakistan of being only concerned about the resources in Balochistan and not its people and exploiting the region's resources and trading it to Beijing.

Considered to be a part of China's One Belt, One Road initiative, the USD 46 billion project covers Balochistan and Sindh provinces and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

India has formally opposed the CPEC because it runs through PoK, which is a disputed territory.

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Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh on Saturday called on Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to hold discussions on the 'unique' army to army relationship between the two countries.

Prime Minister Prachanda was appreciative of growing surge in contacts at all levels, specially the highest level.

During the visit, General Dalbir Singh assured Prime Minister Prachanda of capability and capacity building of the Nepal Army.

The visit of the Indian Army chief comes days after President Pranab Mukherjee paid visits to Pokran and appreciated the "valuable" contribution of Gorkha regiment in the Indian Army.

General Singh's visit assumes special significance in the light of India's relationship with the neighbouring country, underpinning India's priorities in maintaining friendly relations in the region.

General Dalbir Singh will also be witnessing Indo-Nepal Joint Military Exercise Surya Kiran-X, conducted at Saaljhandi.

During the visit, General Singh also paid a courtesy call to Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and interacted with the chief of the Army Staff of Nepalese Army General Rajendra Chetri.

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A government school teacher in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district has been arrested for allegedly chopping off the hair of seven girl students.

As per the complaint lodged by the families of the girls, Pushpendra Patel, posted as math teacher at Government Higher Secondary School, Naharpali under Bhupdeopur Police Station, forcibly chopped off the hair of seven girl students of class IX and X on November 8, saying that they come to school to study, not to show off their long hair.

After being arrested, Patel said, "A student should remain as simple as possible, I had given them warnings."

Meanwhile, the victims said Patel should receive punishment for his act.

"We want him (teacher) to get punishment, he has insulted us by his action," one of the girls said.

A case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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After a successful launch of its flagship store in the upscale area of South Mumbai, Cadini, a fashion brand synonymous with premium Italian dressing for men has launched two swanky stores in Pune at Nitesh Hub, Koregaon Park and SGS Mall, Camp.

Cadini was founded in 1970 in Florence, Italy, as a manufacturer of men's garments and accessories. As a part of the Siyaram's Global Venture, Pune now becomes the second city in the expansion process of Cadini in India.

Over the past many decades Cadini is a renowned brand known for its high quality and timeless "Made in Italy" life style products. With presence in over 40 countries, Cadini impeccably crafts the "total look" for the quintessential man and is an internationally sought-after menswear fashion brand. To establish and mark its presence in India, Cadini has joined hands with India's largest and most preferred menswear brand - Siyaram's.

"With the changing lifestyle of the population across metro cities in India, preference for luxury brands have seen an increase in the recent past years. The menswear segment in India registered a retail value growth of 15% in 2015 with sales touching INR 1.3 trillion. The city of Pune, which is also known as the Oxford of the East, comes as a natural choice for us after Mumbai due to its perfect mix of population which is conscious about its looks and appearance. Trend shows that the citizens of Pune are breaking the stereotypes and are willing to spend more on apparel and accessories. Over the period of next one year, Cadini will bring the best of Italian menswear dressing in India which available across 15,000 square feet of retail footprint across metro cities in India," said Ramesh Poddar, Chairman and Managing Director of Siyaram Silk Mills Ltd.

Cadini has embarked upon an investment of INR 15 crore for its retail foray and is poised to open 10 to 15 stores in cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata this year. Cadini is targeting SEC A+ audience across the leading metro cities with an estimated revenue potential of Rs. 125 crore with the retail foray with each store having on an average an area of 1000 - 1200 sq.ft. Initially, Cadini stores will be company owned and operated. Subsequently Cadini will also offer outlets on the franchise model as well.

Cadini is positioned to gratify the luxury needs of the Indian man who is rooted to his rich cultural heritage and values. Its edge lies in offering high-quality unique menswear fashion that is inspired from the 'Made in Italy' concept and to a substantial extent is 'Made in India' leading to the best of Italian innovation and Indian manufacturing excellence.

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A case has been registered against two people in Jammu and Kashmir's RS Pura Sector for their alleged involved in anti- activities.

As reported, the two persons have been identified as Satvinder Singh and Dadu.

Satvinder Singh, a resident of Simbal Camp near Police Line Miran Sahib and Dadu, a resident of Phinder RS Pura, were apprehended from Suchetgarh road near Samshan ghat.

During the interrogation, it was revealed that they were collecting the secret information regarding the locations of the army and other security forces, and sharing it with Pakistan through Whatsapp.

An FIR has been registered against the two under relevant sections. Further investigation is on in the regard.

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After Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the Centre had informed corporate houses before hand about the radical decision to demonetise, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said Kejriwal is speaking out of frustration.

Badal told ANI, "Kejriwal is saying that Rs 1,000 currency notes should not be stopped because he must have collected bags of money before the Punjab elections, and now, they have all become useless. That is why, he is speaking all this out of frustration and panic."

Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told ANI, "I can see that Congress and Kejriwal are all about political hypocrisy and lies are their passwords."

"They have become a laboratory of putting the progress of nation into dire straits. The only thing that they are good at is, how to defame the progress and reforms of our nation, how to spread rumours, how to create rumours," said Naqvi.

Naqvi further said that both the Congress and the AAP are disappointed and are doing all this out of desperation.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday asserted that a few corporate houses were informed before hand about the radical decision to demonetize.

"In the name of demonetisation, a huge scam is being played out. Before the Prime Minister Modi announced the move on Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its friends had been alerted before and they had stashed their cash," Kejriwal said.

He said that in the last three months, thousands of crores of rupees have been deposited in bank accounts of some people and corporate houses, adding that deposition of such large sums creates suspicions.

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With civilians continuing to suffer in the crossfire between the Iraqi Security Forces and the ISIS in Mosul, Iraq, many residents have fled the area, while others have simply chosen to heed the Iraqi Security Forces instructions to stay in their homes if they feel safe enough inside.

On Tuesday, ISIS shot and killed 40 civilians in Mosul after accusing them of "treason and collaboration" with Iraqi security forces, according to a report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR.

"The victims were dressed in orange clothes marked in red with the words: 'traitors and agents of the ISF.' Their bodies were then hung on electrical poles in several areas in Mosul city," the report said.

More than 47,730 people have been displaced because of the ongoing military operations to retake Mosul from ISIS, and roughly12, 800 people have fled since Tuesday according to the International Organization for Migration.

Witnesses told CNN among the dozens executed this week, more than 30 people were shot in the head for having cell phones and their bodies were left at various intersections across Mosul as a warning.

The bodies are not being removed as residents fear reprisals from ISIS militants, witnesses said.

The UN human rights office released a report Friday, confirming that at least 60 civilians have been killed in Mosul this week, and reported new details of alleged atrocities by ISIS fighters.

On Wednesday evening, ISIS reportedly killed 20 civilians at the Ghabat military base in northern Mosul on charges of leaking information, the UN body said.

Their bodies were also hung at various intersections in Mosul, with notes stating: 'decision of execution' and 'used cell phones to leak information to the ISF.

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Afghan Taliban negotiators have told Pakistan that they cannot hold peace talks with President Ashraf Ghani led Afghanistan government for now.

"The Taliban representatives have wrapped up their nearly two-week visit and conveyed to Pakistani officials that they have not yet decided to enter into dialogue with the Kabul administration," the Express Tribune quoted a Taliban source, as saying.

"The Taliban leaders insisted they could only say whether or not the group will join talks after two or three months," the source added.

Three senior members of the Qatar-based Taliban political office arrived in Pakistan in late October after reports suggested that a senior Taliban leader had met Afghanistan's spy chief in the Gulf country in the presence a senior American official.

Pakistan is seemingly upset at the Taliban's refusal and could press them to review their stance on the peace process. It is widely believed that the arrest of senior Taliban leader Ahmadullah Muti alias Mullah Nanai, a senior Taliban leaders opposed to negotiations, last month in Balochistan was aimed at conveying a message to the group to join the peace process.

Taliban sources confirmed the detention of Nanai and three other leaders but gave no reasons for the arrests. A Taliban official had earlier stated that the Qatar-based Taliban leaders had also 'sought an explanation' from Pakistan about the arrest of the leaders.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Saturday night after concluding his three-day Japan visit.

During the visit Prime Minister Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of outer space, which would enable cooperation in satellite navigation, planetary exploration and space industry promotion, joint missions and studies.

Both the leaders also signed a historic civil nuclear cooperation deal and the Gujarat Government and Hyogo Prefecture also exchanged MoU of Cooperation.

Pitching for 'Make in India' initiative here Prime Minister Modi said that Tokyo plays an important role in the scheme, as India needs scale, speed and skill.

He also met Japanese Emperor Akihito, where they discussed the common bonds between their nations and deliberated on the future of Asia.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday departs for India after three-day official visit to Japan.

During his visit Prime Minister Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of outer space, which would enable cooperation in satellite navigation, planetary exploration and space industry promotion, joint missions and studies.

Both the leader also signed landmark civil nuclear cooperation deal and the Gujarat Government and Hyogo Prefecture also exchanged MoU of Cooperation.

Pitching for 'Make in India' initiative here Prime Minister Modi said that Tokyo plays an important role in the scheme, as India needs scale, speed and skill.

He also met Japanese Emperor Akihito, where they discussed the common bonds between their nations and deliberated on the future of Asia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that his prime objective is to make India poverty-free and thanked Japan for its help during earthquake in Gujarat in January 2001, which claimed 19,727 lives and left 166,000 others injured.

"When earthquake strike Gujarat, Kobe was the first to help the people of the state. 'First develop India', is my definition of FDI. However the other one is Foreign Direct Investment," Modi said while addressing the Indian community here.

Modi said that efforts are being made rapidly to make India free from poverty.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi who is on a three day-visit to Japan, also pitched his ' Make in India' initiative here saying that Tokyo plays an important role in the scheme, as India needs scale, speed and skill.

India and Japan also inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of outer space, which would enable cooperation in satellite navigation, planetary exploration and space industry promotion, joint missions and studies.

The exchange of MoU of Cooperation between the Gujarat Government and Hyogo Prefecture also took place.

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President Pranab Mukherjee will host the second Visitor's Conference i.e. a conference of Vice Chancellors/Directors/Director Generals of Institutions of higher learning for which he is Visitor from November 16 to 18 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

This is the second time such a conference bringing together in one forum all heads of higher education institutions is being convened by President Mukherjee. Earlier, separate conferences were held of Vice Chancellors of Central Universities, Directors of NITs, IITs, IISERs and IISC.

The agenda for the Visitor's Conference includes: (a) Creating world-class higher educational institutions; (b) Creating global alliance of institutes for research, innovation and technology development; (c) Making India a favoured destination for higher learning; (d) Technology-induced models of pedagogy; and (e) Funding options for higher education.

On the first day of the conference, the President will launch the Student Startup Policy in the presence of Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar and Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE.

The Student Startup Policy has been formulated by AICTE with the aim to propel Indian youth to contribute to the nation's socio-economic progress through promotion of technology-driven student start-ups. Through an exposure on entrepreneurship, the policy will lend crucial soft skills like decision-making in the students.

On the same day, eminent persons like K.V. Kamath, President, New Development Bank; Ela Ramesh Bhatt, Founder, SEWA; Prof. Ramachandra Guha, Historian; N.R. Narayana Murthy, Founder, Infosys will address the participants.

An Industry-Academia session will also take place on the first day of the conference where eminent personalities from Industry and Academy will participate. 32 Central Institutions and 65 industry organizations will exchange as many as 68 M0Us on the occasion.

On the second and third day of the conference, there will be panel discussions and group work on agenda items of the Conference as well as a presentation on converting Rashtrapati Bhavan into a smart township and extending the experience to select villages through Smart Model Gram project.

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Brushing aside criticism of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for standing in queue along with the common man in front of a bank in the Parliament Street area of Delhi on Friday, party leader and former union minister Shashi Tharoor said the former's motive was to show the people's plight in trying to exchange currency.

"I think what Rahul Gandhi has demonstrated with his visits is that the 'aam aadmi' is adversely affected by this. The target of this action was supposed to be black money hoarders, the business people who have got sacks full of money. Frankly, the very rich have found other ways, including of course, many of them have already invested their black money in real estate, gold and etc," Tharoor told ANI.

"But the problem with ordinary people is that they have no such recourse. Whatever money they have got in their hands, they have to withdraw it or change it and this is what it causing hour-long queues in all banks and at all ATMs," he added.

Responding to critics from the BJP camp who has been dubbing Rahul Gandhi's visit as a photo-op, the Rajya Sabha MP retorted, "If it is a photo-op, then who has provided the opportunity for such photo-ops."

However, he acknowledged the government's intentions to weed out black money and counter counterfeiting, but recalled that the Janata Party's decision in 1978 to demonetise currency notes had failed to prevent people from accumulating more currency notes.

Tharoor asked, "The Janata party government did the same thing, but within a short span, people again started accumulating the new notes. The present issue is, if in the previous attempt we could not prevent the new currency from becoming black, then how can we prevent the new currency from becoming black in the future?"

Rahul Gandhi visited State Bank of India's branch in Parliament Street and stood in a long queue with people.

"I have come here to withdraw Rs.4000. I will stand in line with the people who are suffering," he said.

The BJP criticised the act, saying he was indulging in "theatrics" to rile people's sentiments.

"Rahul Ghandi has never cared about people. All he cares about is taking photos. That is why Rahul Gandhi is often seen on roads clicking selfies," BJP secretary Shrikant Sharma told ANI.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar also took a dig at Rahul saying, "Had he queued up within the party, the fittest would have survived and Congress would have been better off.

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Kim Kardashian and husband Kanye West added fuel to the excitement of her younger brother Rob Kardashian on his first few days of fatherhood.

The 29-year-old reality star and the sole male in the Kardashian family recently welcomed his first child, a baby daughter with Blac Chyna.

Amidst the celebrations for the new addition to the Kardashian family, the couple received two pairs of Yeezy Boost 350 Infant, a line of sneakers for babies developed by West under the label of 'Adidas + KANYE WEST'.

Rob took to his official Instagram handle to post photos of the gifts huddled together under big pink balloons that had colourful "Welcome BABY girl" written on one of them.

"Thank you KimYe baby yeezys mooooovvvvvieeeee @kimkardashian," he captioned the photo.

The proud papa also shared a video of his precious newborn baby girl sleeping next to her mother Chyna.

The playful reality TV star could not help but poke fun at his fiance lightly snoring away.

"Just watching my girls sleep but man Chyna needs to chill with that snoring," he joked in the caption.

Dream is soundly asleep, swaddled in a white hospital blanket with a pink blanket draped over her.

Rob earlier tweeted his sisters to thank them for their support. He thanked Kourtney Kardashian "for being here and so supportive and so excited for DREAM to meet her beautiful cousins" while telling Khloe Kardashian, "love you Khlo money!!" and thanked her for doing "that 4 hour drive and crazy flight" to make it to the much awaited day.

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A senior Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer, Anjanabh Chaliha, serving as District Development Commissioner in Golaghat District, was on Saturday arrested from his residence by the Assam Police for fraudulently withdrawing government funds to the tune of crores of rupees.

The accused, allegedly devised a plan with Prabhat Kalita, the former chairman of Sadhana Jati Development Council.

Under the plan, Chaliha, the accused, was made an authorized signatory to one of the government bank accounts.

The mentioned account is being maintained by the Deputy Commissioner of Jorhat and Chaliha was not given any authority by the former to be authorized signatory of the account.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Rintu Goswami, a senior advocate, against the corrupt official last year.

Subsequently, Virendra Mittal, Deputy Commissioner, lodged an FIR yesterday and a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against the two accused.

The Jorhat Police with the help of Golaghat Police conducted a raid in the wee hours of Saturday and arrested Chaliha.

He was brought to Jorhat this evening by the police and was later produced before the district Magistrate. Kalita has been absconding since the filing of the case.

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Rashtriya Swayam Sewak (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has again reiterated the importance of strengthening the family system in India, as this is the key for society and the nation to remain steadfastly united in the face of looming threats.

Addressing the inaugural function of a three-day Prerana Shivir (training camp) of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, Bhagwat said, "We should sacrifice our selfish motives because self-centeredness is the biggest reason for the destruction of mankind."

"Man thinks the entire nature is under his command. We deal with the nature as a consumer which is the fault line and it will lead us to devastation. Without the help of 'Mathru Shakti' it is not possible to regain our lost glory," he added.

Touching upon some current social issues, Bhagwat said that in a country where travelling was a taboo once upon a time, India's scientists have now gone upto Mars.

India, he said, is taking on the challenge of environmental issues because of its scientific and technological advancement.

He also welcomed the demonetisation of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 currency notes, saying, "Looking at the current technology, it seems that the whole of financial exchange will be cashless in the near future."

Expressing his concerns over rising terrorism and extremism in the world, he said, "Due to extreme thinking, men have become enemies of each other. Nations discussing terrorism (Read Pakistan) are themselves supporting and backing it."

The Prerana Shivir was organised to mark the 80th foundation year of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti.

More than 3000 Sevikas from across India are participating in this convention at at Chattarpur.

Jain Muni Jayantkumarji blessed the occasion with his presence.

He said that the RSS and the Jain Sampraday both are doing great things for the betterment of society and the nation.

He said that sacrifice for greater good is the very basis of Indian philosophy.

He alos used the platform to express his concern over most people in government thinking about themselves first and then about their party and nation last. The nation, he said, should always be the top most priority.

A. Sita, Pramukh Karyavahika of Rashtra Sevika Samiti described the glorious journey of 80 years and presented the details of the programs and activities taken up by the organisation.

Many elite personalities were present in this inaugural function. Dr.Mrudula Sinha,Governor of Goa and Kiran Chopra, Director of the Punjab Kesari Group, besides others.

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Actor Arjun Rampal on Saturday supported the Centre's decision of scrapping Rs. 500 and 1,000 currency notes, however saying the movie has suffered because of demonetisation.

"Producer of my film 'Rock On 2' and the film has suffered because of this as well. But sometimes you have to make some sacrifices.

The backbone of people, who stash black money or involved in drug trafficking, terror funding are broken or at least injured due to this," Rampal told ANI.

The 46-year-old actor further asserted that there will be chaos but support the government's move to maintain secrecy, saying there was no other way to announce it.

"I believe and hope that this decision is beneficial in long run; it's time when we must stand together and support the government's decision." he added.

While makers of films 'Saasein' and '30 Minutes' decided to postpone their release, the makers of 'Rock On 2' stuck to their release date.

'Rock On 2' had one of the worst openings of the year collecting barely Rs.2.2 crores on

Friday, as reported by film critic Taran Adarsh. Occupancy at theatres remained poor across the country despite Book my show, Paytm running some offers for cine goers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that the government had decided to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes to tackle the menace of black money.

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Bollywood's ace choreographer Shiamak Davar knew it back then that "there was something special about Sushant Singh Rajput" and is now "extremely proud of where he has reached."

Sushant is one actor who has proved that dreams do get fulfilled. From being a background dancer, to a television actor, he has now hit the ball out of the stadium with his latest release 'MS Dhoni:The Untold Story'.

Not many people know that the 'Raabta' actor used to dance as part of Shiamak Davar's dance company just like Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and a few others in the industry today.

Expressing his pride on his journey from background dancer to a star, Davar says, "When Sushant wanted to take up engineering, I told him, 'Why don't you take up acting? You're fun, you have a good understanding of the craft'. I felt there was something special about him back then.

"He said, 'I don't know... education is important for me'. I said, 'Just try, if you fail it is okay, but at least try'. He listened to me and then he got a TV role in 'Pavitra Rishta' and then he went on to doing films," he added.

The 30-year old actor made his Bollywood debut with 'Kai Po Che' and was last seen and appreciated for his acting in 'MS Dhoni:The Untold Story'.

""In 'MS Dhoni..', he was fabulous, beyond words. The thing I like about him is that he is a very natural actor and a good dancer as well. I am very proud of him and of where he has reached," said the star chorographer.

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Sales decline 9.08% to Rs 123.94 crore

Net profit of Monte Carlo Fashions declined 1.69% to Rs 13.40 crore in the quarter ended September 2016 as against Rs 13.63 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2015. Sales declined 9.08% to Rs 123.94 crore in the quarter ended September 2016 as against Rs 136.32 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2015.123.94136.3219.7319.5425.6727.7919.5620.5513.4013.63

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Tempers flared at many places outside banks and ATMs on Saturday as tens of thousands of anxious people waited for the third consecutive day to deposit or exchange their spiked currency or take out cash.

Serpentine queues started forming outside banks much before they opened, with people armed with their old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes.

There was growing frustration and anger amongst people in the winding queues.

An IANS correspondent who went around Saket in south Delhi found massive crowds outside all state-run and private banks with people desperate to get in.

Although a second Saturday is a holiday for most banks, the government has ordered all banks across the country to function both on Saturday and Sunday.

Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Yes Bank, Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank, ICICI, Standard Chartered, Kotak Mahindra... the crowds were the same everywhere.

Although orderly, the long queues spilled on to the roads, creating traffic bottlenecks.

"Some queues are two kilometres long," said auto-rickshaw driver Babuddin. "I can't imagine when the people at the end of the queue will be able to enter the bank."

Police had to be called in after a quarrel broke out among impatient waiting crowds outside the Central Bank of India branch at Gulmohar Park in south Delhi. The residents welfare association had started giving tokens to colony residents, leading to a separate queue outside the bank.

"Why should there be a separate queue for residents.. What is so special about them," said an angry Sheila, a domestic help who was waiting in queue for the past few hours.

Imran Khan, a youth working in a private company in Noida, said that the government must plan better management to deal with the cash chaos.

"I was standing in queue since morning but could not enter the bank. I came here to deposit demonetised currency in my account but the mismanagement is creating problems," Khan told IANS.

At an HDFC bank branch in south Delhi, people lining up for hours could not make it to the bank as it was closing time when they finally reached the gates.

"I have been standing at the bank's entrance for hours. During the past two hours I saw only 15 people coming out. How can they take so much time? I am in this line since 8 a.m.," said Tanvi, a Delhi University student.

Another person in the line, Ranjan Karmi meanwhile wondered why there was such logistics trouble.

"We are ready to support the government in the decision they took, but why are we not getting our money changed? We have been in the line all day and now we are being told the bank is closed. Why can't they work for some more time," he said.

Another anxious customer, who runs a small business in Noida, seeing the massive queue ahead of him, said sarcastically, "Better go and ask Modi on what to do."

A man standing outside a bank in Chandni Chowk told reporters that he took leave in order to exchange the demonetised bills so that he could meet his daily needs.

However, there were some who appreciated the government initiative to demonetize the higher denomination bills to curb black money and fake currencies.

They said that people must show patience.

"People must have patience and support bank officials while depositing or exchanging cash," Tasleem Ahmed, who works in a private company in Noida, told IANS.

Ahmed said that he was standing in the queue for an hour outside the Lakshmi Vilas Bank in Noida Sector 16. He said that people were creating chaos while waiting for their turn.

On Saturday many ATMs were non-functional, with printed notices saying they had no cash.

Apologising for the inconvenience caused at the HDFC Bank ATMs, the bank said in a tweet: "Some of our ATMs could be running out of cash due to heavy demand.

"We're working round the clock to ensure they are replenished. We regret the inconvenience and thank you for your patience. We urge you to use your MobileBanking, PayZapp for payments."

Saturday was the third day after banks opened across the country following a day's closure after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday night that 500 and 1,000 rupee notes would no more be legal tender.

Taken aback by the mass crisis, the government has extended till November 14 midnight the original 72-hour deadline for utilities to use the banned currency.

--IANS

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Once a market bustling with customers, Chandani Chowk now appears relatively forlorn with shops have few customers due to a cash squeeze and their owners too facing a money crunch for purchases. Traders said it will take at least two months for them to be able to regain sale volumes due to government's sudden decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

A trader, who wished not be named, said: "We are failing to understand what is the government's intention behind this move. We are suffering huge losses, which is going to remain for few more months. It will be difficult for us to do business with less cash flow. We are exasperated. However, we cannot protests against it to avoid any negative repercussions."

According to the shopkeepers, one of the jewellery shops in the area was raided by the Income Tax department on Friday. "They did not tell us the actual reason for the raid. Everyone is scared. We see no other option than accepting the new regime," said a merchant, also requesting anonymity.All ATMs and the banks in the area were crowded since morning to get new currency notes. On other hand, shops in the area had worn deserted look.Many traders in Chandni Chowk market said that their business was expected to remain dull until adequeate number of currency notes of Rs 100 and Rs 50 are in the circulation.

"It's consecutive fourth day that we have not done any business. Although customers are getting new notes of Rs 500, and Rs 2000, they are facing problems in buying goods due to shortage of Rs 100, and Rs 50 notes.

"How are we supposed to return Rs 200 if a customer gives us Rs 500 note for a product of Rs 300, if we do not have enough cash?" asked Mohan Agarwal, a saree merchant.

Brijbhan Agarwal, a cloth merchant, said that orders from factories in Ahmedabad and Mumbai were stopped due to dip in the demand. "We hope things are settled down soon. However, the slowdown is the market is expected for at least two months," he said.

Meanwhile, there were traders, who backed the demonetisation move. Pawan Sharma, a saree merchant, said "We need not worry if we do not have unaccounted money. It is a good move that will benefit us in the long term."

There were few innovative traders among their gloomy neighbours, who took up to the online payment options to keep their business going.

Sanjay Tondon, a cloth merchant, have posted a big sticker of 'Paytm' and online banking payment outside his shop to woo customers without enough cash.

Interestingly, the only shops which claimed to have remained unaffected from the negative effect of demonetisation are famous Parantha shops. Rajat Sharma, of Gangaprasad Parathawale, said: "Initially, there was little problem with change. However, we have not witnessed any fall in the number of customers as of yet."

--IANS

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Despite the call for boycott of Chinese goods from some quarters in India, its government is keen to collaborate "more closely" with the Indian film industry for the benefit of the two south Asian nations, Chinese government officials said here on Saturday.

"It is only a small proportion of people who do not want to see the increase of exchanges between India and China. It is in the benefit of both nations. Though there are differences between the nations, the shared cultures far outweigh the differences. I hope more and more people realise the exchanges will help both nations," Chinese Consul General Ma Zhanwu told the media here.

In 2014, India and China signed an audio-visual co-production treaty to bring the film industries of the two neighbours closer.

China's official pick for the 89th Academy Awards is "Xuanzang", a result of the co-production agreement. It stars Indian actors Sonu Sood among others and has been extensively shot in Daulatabad Fort in Aurangabad.

Notwithstanding the increasing Chinese footprint in Hollywood with regards to investments and acquisitions, China is all for diversity, said the country's Deputy Director General of Film Bureau Zhou Jiandong at the 22nd Kolkata International Film Festival.

"We prefer diversity. We are dedicated to collaborations with all filmmakers across the board, including Indians. Chinese and Indian cinema is close because of the culture. We are looking forward to more close collaborations," said Zhou.

China in 2014 and 2015 imported the films "3 Idiots" and "PK" from India.

However, it is a blank slate for 2016 so far.

"We have not decided which films to import. We are starting with the showcases bilaterally (Indian films screened in China and vice versa)," he added.

China is the focus country at the KIFF this year. The fest is organised by the West Bengal state government.

The Chinese delegation said Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, also Bengal's brand ambassador, has evinced interest to visit the country.

--IANS

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Ratcheting up her demand for withdrawal of the Narendra Modi-led central government's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said the move has turned out to be a "big black scandal".

"This has turned out to be a big black scandal. Hardship for the common citizens and full advantage to the money launderers. I have said this before, but given the way the young, old and everyone is suffering let me again appeal to the Central government to withdraw this 'black' political decision which is anti-commoner," Banerjee tweeted.

The Trinamool Congress supremo, who has penned a poem decrying demonetisation, noted that India's purchasing power was crashing.

"Markets across India ruined, purchasing power crashing, people in pain," she said in another tweet.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday demanded rollback of the decision to demonetise, saying that the economy will collapse in the coming days if the decision was not withdrawn.

--IANS

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Republican Donald Trump's victory is the US presidential election has shattered the hopes and ignited fears amongst thousands of undocumented immigrants known as "dreamers".

They are the young people who were brought to the US by their parents as children, CNN said in a report on Saturday.

This population, which the American Immigration Council says is roughly 1.8 million, feels exceptionally vulnerable under a Trump presidency because many came out of the shadows when President Barack Obama offered them temporary legal presence through executive action in 2012.

Now, with a President-elect who promised to deport the undocumented, the fear of deportation was more real than ever.

But the Dreamers, named for the failed 2010 DREAM Act, which had proposed a multi-step process to permanent residency, are dealing with those fears in different ways.

Itzel, 22, from San Francisco said she was undocumented and unafraid.

"Had Hillary (Clinton) won, the Band-Aid would have continued masking all of our issues. And with Trump's presidency it takes the mask off and it exposes the reality of what it's like to live in fear in the United States," Itzel told CNN.

"I think that more people are going to be united against this hateful, racist, sexist, homophobic person."

Itzel was only four years old when her parents brought her to the US.

She now hopes that her family and people around the country turn their fears into action.

Mother of three, Estrella, 32, from Grand Junction, Colorado said she was scared of Trump but it was her five-year-old who took the fear most to heart.

"He said he knew he (Trump) was a bad man who wanted to take away his mom and his dad," Estrella said her son told her.

She had to calm her son down before taking him to school on Wednesday morning after the election results were out on Tuesday night, by reassuring him that she would not allow Trump to hurt him or his family.

Estrella was brought to the US illegally by her parents when she was one-year-old.

In Chicago, Rosa, 22, said she felt a triple threat after Trump's win because she is Mexican, a woman and a lesbian.

"I feel like it's a bad dream... I feel there are so many things and so many people against me and what I believe in and what I am and it's just very hard," Rosa told CNN.

Rosa was nine months old when her parents brought her to the US illegally.

Ignacia Rodriguez, an immigration policy advocate at the National Immigration Law Centre, said the deportation fears that dreamers are feeling are real and justifiable.

Those who took advantage of President Brack Obama's 2012 executive action and were entered into the "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Programme" only have temporary work permits, which will eventually expire.

When that happens, they are back to being undocumented and vulnerable to deportation, she added.

--IANS

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At least four persons were killed and 14 injured in a blast inside Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan's eastern province of Parwan early on Saturday, sources said.

"An explosive device detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. We will provide updates as appropriate," Xinhua news agency quoted the NATO-led Resolute Support as saying in a statement.

The Bagram Airfield, about 50 km north of Kabul, has been serving as a main US military base in Afghanistan over the past 15 years.

Earlier on Saturday, a provincial government spokesman told Xinhua that the nature of the blast was a suicide bombing.

"The initial probe found that a man disguised as a daily worker made his way to pass the first checkpoint of the base and detonated his explosive jacket inflicting casualties," spokesman Wahid Seddiqi said.

As the identities of the casualties were not immediately known, sources said the victims were local workers waiting to pass through a gate.

"Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident," the statement said.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack was part of the insurgent's yearly rebel offensive, he said in a tweet.

Four Afghan security forces and three militants were killed and more than 130 residents wounded in a Taliban suicide truck bombing and ensuing gunfight against German Consulate office in northern Mazar-e-Sharif city on Thursday night.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that greater participation and engagement of industries in Japan will benefit India's micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector.

"Greater participation and engagement of industries in Hyogo (prefecture of Japan) will benefit Japan and India's MSME sector for which it could prove transformational," Modi said at a lunch hosted in his honour here by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the state government of Gujarat and the government of Japan's Hyogo prefecture.

Modi recalled his visits to Kobe in 2007 and 2012 even before he became Prime Minister and said that the Indian community in this Japanese city has a long history of trade and commerce.

"I congratulate all residents of Kobe on the forthcoming 150 years of its port," he said.

"Our relationship is characterised by complete trust and mutual confidence. I thank (Hyogo) Governor (Toshizo) Ido for his valuable efforts to develop relations with Gujarat."

Earlier on Saturday, the third and last day of his visit to Gujarat, Modi along with Abe travelled by the Shinkansen high-speed rail from Tokyo to Kobe.

Following the lunch, he visited the Kawasaki Heavy Industries plant here where the high-speed trains are manufactured to take first hand knowledge of the technology.

During Abe's visit o New Delhi last year, Japan committed itself to develop a high-speed railway between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Modi arrived in Tokyo on Thursday and participated in the annual India-Japan bilateral summit with Abe on Friday following which 10 agreements were signed between the two sides, including the landmark civil nuclear agreement.

This is his second visit to Japan in two years.

--IANS

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Anxious crowds massed outside Gurugram banks to withdraw money or deposit or exchange their demonetised currency as over 80 per cent of the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) remained cashless here on Saturday.

People massed outside over 700 branches of various banks and more than 1,300 ATM booths for the third consecutive day to withdraw cash only to find that the ATM booths in the millennium city were out of cash.

While the ATMs of Axis, ICICI, HDFC, Dhanlaxmi and a few other banks near the railway station and on railway road were not working, the government run State Bank Of India (SBI) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) in the Sadar Bazaar were dysfunctional.

Similarly, the ATMs of Central Bank Of India, ICICI, Canara and some other banks here on Gurudwara road were not functional but people said Punjab and Sindh Bank ATMs were working.

People in queues outside the ICICI bank in this area created noisy scenes as the server of the bank was reportedly working slowly.

"We are standing in queue for nearly three hours but haven't moved even an inch," Vikas Sharan, an executive with a private firm, told IANS.

The same was the situation at the ATM booths in upscale New Gurugram areas.

According to a source, contractors and some factory owners have pressed their labourers into service to exchange their Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes demonetised on November 8.

Banks in Udyog Vihar, sector 33 and IMT Manesar areas which have a number of factories and companies, witnessed larger crowds.

Shops and business outlets in Gurugram were open on Saturday.

Sadar Bazaar, Bada Bazaar and other places have been witnessing low footfalls as customers and traders in old markets prefer transactions in cash and not through credit/debit cards.

Amid rumours of raids by the income tax department on Friday, a curfew-like situation prevailed in the markets in Gurugram, the tech hub and suburb of Delhi.

Most of the people facing problems in getting their old currency notes exchanged said the demonetisation taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was right.

It will cause inconvenience to the common man for a week or two but will help the country in the long run, they said.

Haryana Police has deployed nearly 2,000 policemen for security and to keep a check on the law and order situation outside banks and ATM booths.

--IANS

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A Gurugram-based gangster was arrested here for murdering a gang member of a rival gang, police said on Saturday.

Delhi Police arrested Kuldeep Gadoli from Dwarka area of south Delhi for the murder case of Manish Gujjar who was elder brother of his rival Binder Gujjar's gang active in Gurugram.

Kuldeep, elder brother of gangster Sandeep Gadoli, who was killed by Gurugram Police Crime Branch in Mumbai airport hotel in February this year on a tip off given by Binder Gujjar, had taken over his his brother's gang. He murdered Gujjar on October 17 to take revenge.

"Kuldeep was arrested by a police team on Thursday following a tip off when he came to meet one of his associates near a cremation ground at Dwarka sector-24," said Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime, Ravindra Yadav.

An automatic 9 mm pistol with three live cartridges was recovered from him.

During interrogation, he confessed that he along with his brother, Brahmprakash Gadoli and sister, Sudesh were running the Gadoli gang and murdering Gujjar with the help of Kaushal gang's members, Yadav said.

They targeted Gujjar on October 17 when he came to collect cash from his wine shop at Old railway road in Gurugram, Yadav said.

--IANS

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India and Bhutan signed a new bilateral trade agreement on Saturday to enhance trade between the two countries through trade facilitation by improving procedures, an official statement said.

"The bilateral agreement aims at cutting down on documentation and adding additional exit and entry points for Bhutan's trade with other countries. It is also expected to further strengthen the excellent relations between the two countries," Commerce Ministry said in a statement.

The agreement was signed by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and H.E. Tengye Lyonpo Lekey Dorji, Minister for Economic Affairs, Bhutan.

Sitharaman also had a bilateral meeting with a high level Bhutanese delegation led by Dorji where both the leaders discussed various issues related to bilateral trade, transit and investment.

The first agreement on trade and commerce between Bhutan and India was signed in 1972. Since then, the agreement has been renewed four times.

The last agreement was renewed on July 28, 2006 and was valid till July 29, 2016. The validity of the agreement was extended for a period of one year or till the date of coming into force of the new agreement, whichever is earlier, by exchange of diplomatic notes between the two countries.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday visited some banks and ATMs to take take stock of the grim situation that has gripped the city following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to demonetize Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes.

The Chief Minister visited three banks on Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Ashutosh Mukherjee road and Sarat Bose Road in South Kolkata and talked to the customers and the staff.

She also interacted with the harried customers queuing up before ATMs.

Banerjee listened to the woes of the customers, many of whom had lined up before the cash dispensers from early in the morning.

When customers told her that the banks were unable to give Rs 100 denomination notes, Banerjee told them to insist on the same. "I know you need the Rs 100 notes, because the Rs 2,000 notes won't solve your problems. You refuse the Rs 2,000 notes and ask for Rs 100 notes," she told people.

Entering the banks, Banerjee asked the officials how they were tackling the rush. When they pleaded they don't have the requisite cash stock to meet the demand, Banerjee said: "Ok, I understand your problem. Let me see what I can do."

An angry Chief Minister later lashed out at the Centre.

"The decision has been taken without prior planning. The plight of the people is due to the hasty decision by the central government," Banerjee told reporters.

"Some people are standing for four-five hours. All are common people. There are youth, employees, shopkeepers, housewives, students, self-employed people, and I don't see them having black money. This is a black policy of the black government," Banerjee said.

"There are no 100 rupee notes so from where will the banks give. All of a sudden so many people have been left in the lurch; I have not seen such bad days before," the Chief Minister said on her way back to the car.

Soon after her visit, Banerjee in a series of tweets reiterated her demand to withdraw the "draconian decision" of demonetization of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes announced by the government on Tuesday.

"Visited many public/private sector banks, 50 ATMs in Kolkata. People complaining. No 100/50 Rs. After hours in queue people only receive a Rs 2,000 note...How will they use this one 2,000 note for all daily needs? Total chaos, anger," she tweeted.

"Commoners worst hit by hasty decision. Getting worse every hour. Withdraw this draconian decision in public interest. Take strong action against black money launderers."

"50/100 rupees in short supply. Take strong action against those really corrupt. Do not harass the commoner. The public tension is understandable," Banerjee said on her Twitter handle.

ATMS that were slated to dole out cash from Thursday midnight, have not been able to live up to the government's promise. Many ATMs did not open on Thursday and Friday as the needed changes in the system to accommodate the new currency notes were yet to be incorporated, and lack of new notes was also an issue.

On Friday, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi stood in a bank queue in New Delhi to withdraw Rs 4,000, according to the new demonetization rules, and to send out a strong political statement to the Central government on the hardship being faced by common people.

--IANS

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said the Narendra Modi-led central government should step down on moral grounds after its "draconian" decision to demonitise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 rupee notes left the country "on its knees".

"This government has no moral right to continue. They should go. This is an anti-people government, this is an anti-poor government. This is not a democratic way of running things. Total dictatorship is going on," Banerjee told reporters here after visiting some banks in south Kolkata and talking to the customers and the bank staff.

The chief minister also sought a probe by sitting Supreme Court judges into the economic losses the country has suffered over the past few days.

"There should be a probe by five sitting judges of the Supreme Court about the scale of economic disaster, and whether the decision has been taken to grease the palm of some others or sell off the country.

"This decision has taken the country backward. It has made the country unstable" she said addressing the media at the state secretariat Nabanna.

The Trinamool Congress supremo yet again urged all opposition parties to unite against the move and help the harried masses.

"Let us all opposition parties work together to save the masses from the disaster. I don't care even if I am killed. I will stand for the masses."

--IANS

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Concluding his three-day visit to Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for India from the Japanese city of Osaka on Saturday.

"Sayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM @narendramodi enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Modi arrived in Japan on Thursday to attend the annual India-Japan bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Friday.

Following the summit, 10 agreements were signed between the two sides, including the landmark civil nuclear agreement.

Modi also attended an India-Japan Business Leaders' Forum and addressed a luncheon meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Keidanren or the Japanese Business Federation.

On Saturday, Modi, along with Abe, travelled by the Shinkansen high-speed rail from Tokyo to Kobe and visited the Kawasaki Heavy Industries plant there to get first hand knowledge of the technology.

The Prime Minister interacted with the Indian community both in Tokyo and Kobe.

This was Modi's second visit to Japan in two years.

--IANS

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President Barack Obama urged all Americans to reconcile their differences and called for "loving our neighbours as ourselves" in a speech honouring veterans of the US Armed Forces.

In his regular Saturday address, Obama said veterans were an example of unity for a nation that at times is divided along partisan lines, Efe news agency reported.

"This weekend, as we search for ways to bridge our differences, we look to the principles that are more enduring than politics," Obama said a day after the Veterans Day holiday.

Obama described the US military as a "united team" and the country's "single most diverse institution," made up of native-born Americans and immigrants, Christians, Muslims, Jews and non-believers.

Without mentioning Republican Party nominee Donald Trump's victory or protests that have erupted in several US cities, Obama appealed to the values of solidarity and patriotism.

"We can practice kindness. We can volunteer, serve and respect one another. We can always get each other's backs. And we can show how much we love our country by loving our neighbours as ourselves," Obama, who will leave office in January, said.

Trump's upset victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's presidential balloting put an end to one of the most contentious and polarizing election campaigns in the country's recent history.

--IANS

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Amid concerns over the threat by US President-elect Donald Trump, who has earlier vowed to cancel last year's Paris climate agreement, President COP22, Salaheddine Mezouar said that one country walking out of the deal will not mean anything.

The Moroccan minister, whose country is hosting the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22), said the Paris agreement is already in force and the rest of the world has to move on, whatever the next American administration may decide.

"We are confident in the interest and well being of all humanity. Withdrawal of one party from the agreement doesn't mean anything. There is absolutely no threat to COP22. You have to keep trust and confidence," Mezouar told the media here.

He also said that everyone is confident that the US will keep the trust and the momentum will continue as American people are strongly determined. He urged the world to be patient.

Executive Secretary of UNFCCC, Patricia Espinosa, said the Paris agreement carries an enormous amount of credibility and that she looks forward to working with the Trump administration.

"Paris agreement carries an enormous amount of credibility. We in the secretariat have a very clear responsibility in helping the parties to bring the process further. At the same time, we are ready to build a very strong and constructive relationship with President-elect Trump, in order to bring this agenda that is in interest of the world," Espinosa said.

Being hailed as the COP of action, COP22 is building up on the negotiations in terms of finance and mitigation processes of Paris Agreement, under which rich countries have pledged about 100 billion dollars in financial support to the developing countries a year starting 2020 to help them cut down the emissions. Of that $100 billion, about $63 billion will be mobilised through public funding.

Trump had pledged to roll out of the Paris agreement, which means that the threshold achieved for the Paris Agreement would be jeopardised as America alone accounts for 17 per cent of the global emissions, the biggest chunk after China.

Mezouar also said the conference is "going well" and negotiations are unfolding in the right spirit. He said there is need to increase the public funding.

Mexican Minister Espinosa said that there is need to speed up the work, adding, "we need a fully operational Paris agreement."

Commenting on the objections of many developing countries, which are not happy with the mode of work conducted under Adhoc Working Group on Paris Agreement (APA), Mezouar said that all the parties were consulted.

The UNFCCC head also lauded Indian cement company - Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd - for being the first cement company to join RE100 - a global collaborative initiative of the world's most influential companies committed to 100 per cent renewable power, led by The Climate Group.

(Kushagra Dixit is in Marrakech at COP22. He can be reached at kushagra.d@ians.in)

--IANS

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Geneva, Nov 12 (IANS/AKI) The International Organisation for Migration have evacuated 127 Somalis fleeing the conflict in Yemen, including women and children, the IOM said on Friday.

The Somalis arrived in Berbera, Somaliland, from Sanaa, Yemen on a boat organised by IOM with financial support from Saudi Arabia's King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), IOM stated.

The successful operation was the first under $10 million KSrelief-funded project and paves the way for a further 2,500 Somali nationals stranded in Yemen to be evacuated over the next seven months, IOM said.

The Somalis will be evacuated by air to Mogadishu and by sea to Berbera under the project implemented by IOM and by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).

Over 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since a Saudi-led Arab coalition in March 2015 began bombing Shia Houthi rebels who overthrew president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and allied with parts of the Yemeni army have engaged in fighting with forces across the country that are nominally loyal to the exiled president.

International efforts to find a political solution to the war are at an impasse.

--IANS/AKI

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A Pakistani woman who was raped on the orders of a panchayat in Gujrat in Pakistan died after she set herself on fire, a media report said on Saturday.

According to reports, a panchayat in Gujrat asked a man whose minor daughter had been raped to rape the daughter of the rapist, Geo news reported.

The man who had raped the minor girl had served a prison sentence that a local court had given him.

The victim who self-immolated was married and pregnant. In a statement she gave to the police on her death bed at Mayo Hospital in Lahore, the woman said she was raped on the orders of a panchayat.

Her husband refused to register a case against the perpetrators. "I don't want to register a case. Only Allah will give me justice," he said.

Eleven members of the panchayat have been detained for interrogation, police said.

Rape survivor Mukhtaran Mai said that such incidents will continue until justice is given to the victims.

Mukhtaran Mai added that the treatment meted out to rape victims and their families are the reason why cases against perpetrators are not registered.

Mukhtaran Mai was raped by four men after being dragged into the house of a Mastoi tribesman in her native village of Meerwala, in Muzaffargarh district of Pakistan.

The parliament in October made amendments to the rape law which make DNA test for victims mandatory, penalise the police for delaying investigation, and allow victims to testify in court through an in-camera session.

--IANS

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Saturday said that the printing presses are being worked to their full capacity to meet the requirements of the people after the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

"To sustain the demand, printing presses are printing the currency notes at full capacity so that adequate quantum of notes is available," RBI said in a statement.

On November 10 - the day the banks opened after the announcement of demonetisation, about 10 crore exchange transactions were reported in a single day, it said.

Adequate stocks of new notes are ready in the currency chests located at more than 4,000 places across the country. Bank branches are linked to them to source their requirements from them, RBI said.

The banks and the RBI are also open on Saturday and Sunday to meet the urgent requirements of public and to ease the situation.

The central bank also encouraged people to switch over to alternative modes of payment, such as pre-paid cards, Rupay card, credit or debit cards, mobile banking and internet banking to alleviate the pressure on the physical currency.

The scheme for exchange of the specified bank notes for other denominations is available all across the country till December 30, 2016 and even beyond, at specified RBI offices. As there is ample time, people need not rush to exchange putting avoidable strain on the banking branch network, it said.

The withdrawal of the legal tender of the existing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, has cast a huge responsibility on the banking system to swiftly withdraw these specified bank notes in a smooth and non-disruptive way, it added.

The RBI said the process entailed swift withdrawal of the specified bank notes from the ATMs within a few hours of the announcement and reloading them in a matter of two days.

"Just a day after the announcement, all bank branches have been providing exchange facility for public. To minimise the inconvenience the branches of banks and all RBI offices have been working well beyond normal business hours, with additional counters opened to cater to the huge turnout of public," it said.

--IANS

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The railway network would make northeast India a "destination" instead of being a transit point, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu said in Mizoram.

"The railway network would make resource rich northeast India a "destination" instead of being a transit spot," Prabhu said late Friday while laying the foundation stone of the railway station building at Sairang, 20 km north of Mizoram capital Aizawl.

Underlining the role of railways in economic development of the northeastern region, he said: "Railway would not only be the engine of growth but would also be the catalyst of social transformation."

"Railway network would also bring people of the region more closer and help to overcome various problems in tapping the resources and to supply goods," he added.

Citing examples of rich natural resources found in Mizoram, the minister called for better utilisation of the natural resources like the bamboo.

Prabhu announced that railways would plan to use more bamboo products made in the region in the Indian railway system to give a boost to the potential industry.

He said that Indian railways would construct all future stations in the country keeping the local ethos as a major part of the design.

Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain, who was also present on the occasion, said that the new broad gauge line from Bairabi to Sairang was part of the Indian railway's vision to connect all the capitals of northeastern states through broad gauge line by 2020.

The 50.38 km new line, being laid by the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR), originates from Bairabi (under Kolsib district in northern Mizoram) and terminates at Sairang station, which is 20 km from Aizawl.

"Due to the very steep gradient of the mountainous terrain between Sairang and Aizawl, it was not feasible to take the line up to Mizoram capital city," Gohain said, adding that efforts are being made to complete the project in the stipulated time.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said that the extension of broad gauge railway line up to Sairang would be a milestone in the progress of Mizoram.

Speaking at the function, Mizoram Governor Lt Gen (retd.) Nirbhay Sharma emphasised on building railway connectivity with neighbouring Bangladesh and Myanmar in the near future as it would be vital for the development of Mizoram.

The governor also requested the state government and railway authorities to consider construction of a high quality hospital and a school at Sairang for the benefit of the people.

The 50.38 km Bairabi-Sairang new broad gauge line alignment passes through complicated mountainous terrain covered with dense forest throughout its length.

At least 23 tunnels -- the longest being 1,766 metre -- and 38 major bridges and six tall bridges (the tallest being 117 metre high) would be constructed in the railway line, which is scheduled to be completed in 2019-20.

Mizoram Transport Minister John Rotluangliana, state's Lok Sabha member C. L. Ruala, NFR's General Manager Chahatey Ram, General Manager (Construction) H. K. Jaggi among others were also present at the function.

--IANS

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In a bid to avoid any untoward incident after a clash between two groups over a parking site at a religious shrine here, the Delhi Police on Saturday deployed 100 personnel to maintain peace in the area.

"We have deployed additional police force to maintain peace and harmony in the area and to avoid any problem, although there is no tension reported in Karbala," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad told IANS.

A group of local residents from BK Dutt Colony in south Delhi and visitors including some members of the Anjuman-e-Haideri trust clashed on Friday night, following a dispute over parking inside a dargah, adjacent to the colony.

Two people were injured and some vehicles were damaged during the stone-pelting.

A case of rioting was registered against an unidentified mob at the Lodhi Colony Police Station.

--IANS

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Spain's Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Environment, Isabel Garcia Tejerina confirmed that the Spanish government would send the Paris agreement to be ratified in parliament.

Tejerina explained in a press conference on Friday that "the battle against climate change is a priority" for the Spanish government, and the Paris agreement would be "ratified as soon as possible".

She added that on November 15, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy would attend the climate change conference which is being held in the Moroccan city of Marrakech from November 7-18, while highlighting the efforts currently being made in the European Union to fight the problem.

Spain has until now been not ratified the accord, which came into effect on November 5, as it had no effective central government for over 10 months, Xinhua news agency reported.

The situation came to an end in October when Rajoy returned to power as Prime Minister, opening the door for the required legislation to finally be approved.--IANS

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Britain-based boy band The Vamps will return to India later this month to play at the Global Citizen Festival India, where names like Jay Z and Coldplay will plug their music chords.

The Vamps, artistes of Virgin EMI UK, made their debut India visit earlier this year for a collaboration with Vishal-Shekhar for the song "Beliya".

They will be coming to India on November 16. Global Citizen Festival India will be held at the MMRDA grounds here on November 19.

"Global Citizen Festival is an amazing event for such a good cause and we are honoured to have been asked to be a part of it," James McVey said in a statement issued on behalf of the band.

"We had an incredible first visit to India in August and are very much looking forward to coming back to see our fans, perform our new single 'All night' and our other hits at this world renowned festival," McVey added.

Apart from McVey -- the lead guitarist and vocalist -- The Vamps comprises Brad Simpson (lead vocals and guitar), Connor Ball (bass guitar and vocals) and Tristan Evans (drums and vocals).

The Vamps also worked on a song for Ajay Devgn's recently released "Shivaay".

The inaugural Global Citizen Festival India will see participation from international as well as Indian celebrities.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) will elect next the party's new chair on November 17, with strong backing for the candidacy of black Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison.

Senator Bernie Sanders offered his support for Ellison on Friday, a Minnesota legislator and member of the state's Democratic Farmer-Labor Party, Efe news agency reported.

He is also the first member of Congress to practice Islam.

In a surprising manoeuvre, Democratic Senator Charles Schumer also pitched his support to Ellison, whose victory could revitalise the more progressive wing of the Democrats, following Hillary Clinton's defeat in the presidential election against Republican Donald Trump that left her party in turmoil.

The interim presidency of the DNC, has been occupied by Donna Brazile following the resignation of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz over influencing the primaries to aid Hillary Clinton.

Ellison will contest the party chairmanship against 2004 presidential candidate Howard Dean and possibly against former hopeful for the presidential nomination this year, Martin O'Malley, who says he is considering an attempt to become DNC chair.

Sanders, who lost the party's primary for the presidential nomination against Clinton despite inspiring millions, is coming back to promote a more progressive leadership of the Democratic Party.

--IANS

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Actor Aamir Khan has supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. He says the country's interest comes before anything including the release of his film "Dangal".

Asked if the decision might impact "Dangal" release, Aamir said: "It is more important to agree with what is good for nation. We should not see it's short term impact. What is necessary for the country needs to be done. If my film is getting affected, it is a small thing."

Aamir expressed his views about the move at the song launch of the film here on Saturday.

Nitesh Tiwari's film sees Aamir portraying the role of Mahavir Singh Phogat, who taught wrestling to his daughters Babita Kumari and Geeta Phogat. Geeta was India's first female wrestler to win at the 2010 Commonwealth Games where she clinched the gold medal while Babita won the silver.

Aamir plays both the younger and older characters of Phogat in the film. "Dangal" is scheduled to release on December 23.

Tiwari also said that "it is bound to affect certain things and help certain things. We should see it's larger picture".

Talking about his film, Aamir said: "The central thought of the film is that a girl is no lesser than a boy. The message of the film is that we should not create a difference between girls and boys."

--IANS

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Renewing her attack on the Modi government for of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday demanded withdrawal of this "black" political decision saying it is against the common people.

"Withdraw this 'black' political decision which is anti-commoner. Markets across India ruined, purchasing power crashing, people pained," she tweeted.

Claiming that she had said this before, Banerjee said, "But given the way the young, old and everyone is suffering, let me again appeal to the Central government (to withdraw the decision)."

"This has turned out to be a big black scandal. Hardship for the common citizens and full advantage to the money launderers," she said.





Withdraw this 'black' political decision which is https://t.co/QZ3BVOQUda across India ruined,purchasing power crashing,people pained. 3/3  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 12, 2016

The All India Trinamool Congress chief (TMC) on Thursday called upon all opposition parties to work together against the "anti-poor government at the Centre".

"Let us fight this political and financial anarchy together. We will be with you all," Banerjee had said.

Mocking the prime minister, she had said Narendra Modi "has gone to Japan after making the people poor in India".

Trinamool Congress has already given a notice in the Rajya Sabha for a discussion on the issue on November 16, the opening day of winter session of Parliament.

TMC leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay has said the party would bring an adjournment motion in the house on the same day.

Mamata also penned a poem on the issue.
Three workers were today injured when a boiler of a paint factory exploded in Siraspur village in outer Delhi.

Due to the impact of the explosion, the tin roof of the factory fell on the workers, trapping them.

A Fire department official said a call about the incident was received around 2.50 PM and five fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

The workers were rescued by a team of fire department, police and other agencies, a senior police official said.

Dilip (28) and his brother Vipin (19) suffered 90 per cent burn injuries and were rushed to Harish Chandra Hospital. Their condition is stated to be critical, he said.

Another worker, Rama Kant, who was on the roof of the factory at the time of the blast, was also injured and admitted to the hospital.

Police are on the lookout of the factory's owner.

"We are trying to trace the factory's owner. A case of negligence will be registered against him," the officer said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nearly 30 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 injured today in a blast at a popular shrine in Pakistan's volatile Balochistan province, officials said.

The blast occurred in the remote Hub region in Lasbela district where devotees were attending a Sufi dance called "dhamaal" at Dargah Shah Noorani shrine.

Balochistan Interior Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed the blast in which "several" people were killed.

However, an official of the Edhi Trust Foundation told local media that nearly 30 people, including women and children, were dead and around 100 injured in the blast.

"Our local focal person has told that about 30 people were killed," said the Trust's Hakeem Lassi.

Bugti said it was a remote area and it would be quite a task to retrieve the dead and injured when already darkness engulfed the region.

So far nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 30 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 others injured today in a suicide attack carried out by a 14-year-old boy at a popular sufi shrine in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province.

Some media reports put the death toll at 40 in the blast that occurred in the remote Hub region in Lasbela district where devotees were attending a Sufi dance called "dhamaal" at Dargah Shah Noorani shrine.

The target of the attack was an area where believers would perform 'dhamaal'. The blast site is situated some 250km away from Karachi.

Balochistan Interior Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed the blast which happened when about 500 to 600 devotees were present at shrine.

"30 people have been killed and 100 injured in the blast including women and children," said Tehsildar Javed Iqbal.

However, the Express Tribune reported that at least 40 people were killed in the blast.

It cited police sources as saying that the blast was a suicide attack carried out by a 14-year-old boy. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Rescue teams had reached the blast site and started shifting the deceased and injured to the hospital. However, rescuers were facing difficulty in accessing the site as the shrine is located in a remote area.

The death toll is feared to rise with women and children casulaties in the deadly blast.

"The shrine is located some 250 kilometres from Karachi in the remote mountains of Uthal and our vehicles have been dispatched there to carry out rescue operations and shift the injured to the hospitals," said Hakeen Lassi, an official of the Edhi Trust Foundation.

Local tehsildar Iqbal said security arrangements at the shrine were not proper.

"It is sad that although thousands of devotees from Karachi and other parts of the country visit the shrine everyday but there are no medical emergencies or ambulances at the site," he said.

He said the devotees take part in the 'dhamaal' everyday after sunset and the blast took place close to where they were dancing inside the compound of the shrine.

President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have strongly condemned the bomb blast. They directed the concerned authorities to speed up the rescue activities and provide best medical facilities to the injured.

This is not the first time that extremists have targeted a shrine in Balochistan. This is the third major incident of a bombing in the province since August.

In August, about 70 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack outside the civil hospital in the provincial capital Quetta. Last month, 64 police cadets and two army men were killed when three terrorists raided a police training centre in Quetta.

An emergency has been declared in hospitals of



Khuzdar and Karachi. The only hospital in the district is Civil Hospital Khuzdar, which is not equipped to handle the scope of the emergency.

Pakistan President Hussain said, "the government would eliminate the evil of terrorism from the country."



Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri said that provincial government would do everything for the victims as he ordered commissioner of Qalat division to submit a report about the attack.

Army said that it has also sent more than a dozen ambulances to help remove the bodies of victims.

The provincial government has set up a special team at the Home Ministry to deal with the situation after the attack.

Electricity services were also disrupted following the explosion, hampering rescue efforts further. Electric power to the shrine is supplied with generators, DawnNews reported.

Two platoons of the Frontier Corps had also reached the shrine with medical and rescue equipment.

"People who are critically injured in the blast will be transported to Karachi," said Bugti.

Syed Zulfiqar Shah, the deputy commissioner of Khuzdar, said rescue teams were facing problems as they were no mobile signal networks in the area.

The mineral and resources-rich Balochistan province has been hit by terrorism, sectarian violence, targeted killings and insurgency.

More than 1,400 incidents of targeting the minority Shia and Hazara community have been reported in the province during the past 15 years.

The province shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran and is said to be the home to some terrorist outfits as well who fled the northern and tribal areas after the military operation started there two years back.
At least 45 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 others injured today in a suicide bombing at a popular sufi shrine in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, an attack claimed by the Islamic State terror group.

The blast occurred in the remote Hub region in Khuzdar district of the province while devotees were participating in a Sufi dance called "dhamaal" at Dargah Shah Noorani.

At least 45 people were killed and more than 100 have been injured in the blast, rescue officials said.

While confirming the death toll, Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said ambulances and rescue teams had rushed to site.

The target of the attack was the area where devotees perform 'dhamaal'. The blast site is situated some 250 km away from Karachi.

The blast happened when about 500 to 600 devotees were present at shrine.

Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack via Amaq agency.

"35 dead and 95 wounded Shiite visitors in...Operation attack by the Islamic State fighter that targeted a shrine in a city in Balochistan," the agency said.

The Express Tribune quoted police sources as saying that the blast was a suicide attack carried out by a 14-year-old boy. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Rescue teams reached the blast site and started shifting the deceased and injured to the hospital. However, rescuers were facing difficulty in accessing the site as the shrine is located in a remote area.

The death toll is feared to rise and women and children were among those killed in the blast.

"The shrine is located some 250 kilometres from Karachi in the remote mountains of Uthal and our vehicles have been dispatched there to carry out rescue operations and shift the injured to the hospitals," said Hakeen Lassi, an official of the Edhi Trust Foundation.

Local tehsildar Javed Iqbal said security arrangements at the shrine were not proper.

"It is sad that although thousands of devotees from Karachi and other parts of the country visit the shrine everyday but there are no medical emergency facilities or ambulances at the site," he said.

He said the devotees take part in the 'dhamaal' everyday after sunset and the blast took place close to where they were dancing inside the compound of the shrine.

President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the bomb blast. They directed the concerned authorities to speed up the rescue activities and provide best medical facilities to the injured.

This is not the first time that extremists have targeted a shrine in Balochistan. This is the third major incident of a bombing in the province since August.

In August, about 70 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack outside the civil hospital in the provincial capital Quetta. Last month, 64 police cadets and two army men were killed when three terrorists raided a police training centre in Quetta.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 52 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 injured on Saturday in a suicide bombing at a popular sufi shrine in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, an attack claimed by the Islamic State terror group.

The blast occurred in the remote Hub region in Khuzdar district of the province while devotees were participating in a Sufi dance called "dhamaal" at Dargah Shah Noorani.

At least 52 people were killed and more than 100 have been injured in the blast, rescue officials said.

Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said ambulances and rescue teams had rushed to site.

"The rescue operations are going on and the casualties could rise as some people are still trapped at the place where the blast took place," Bugti said.

The target of the attack was the area where devotees perform 'dhamaal'. The blast site is situated some 250 km away from Karachi. The blast happened when about 500 to 600 devotees were present at shrine.

Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack via Amaq news agency.

"35 dead and 95 wounded Shiite visitors in...Operation attack by the Islamic State fighter that targeted a shrine in a city in Balochistan," the agency said.

The Express Tribune quoted police sources as saying that the blast was a suicide attack carried out by a 14-year-old boy. Colonel Junaid Kakar of the Frontier Corps also told the media that it appeared to be the work of a suicide bomber.

"All evidences point to a suicide bombing," he said.

Rrescuers were facing difficulty in accessing the site as the shrine is located in a remote area.

Women and children were among those killed in the blast.

"The shrine is located some 250 kilometres from Karachi in the remote mountains of Uthal and our vehicles have been dispatched there to carry out rescue operations and shift the injured to the hospitals," said Hakeen Lassi, an official of the Edhi Trust Foundation.

Local tehsildar Javed Iqbal said security arrangements at the shrine were not proper.

"It is sad that although thousands of devotees from Karachi and other parts of the country visit the shrine everyday but there are no medical emergency facilities or ambulances at the site," he said.

He said the devotees take part in the 'dhamaal' everyday after sunset and the blast took place close to where they were dancing inside the compound of the shrine.

President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the bomb blast and directed authorities to speed up the rescue activities.

This is the third major incident of a bombing in the province since August. In August, about 70 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack outside the civil hospital in the provincial capital Quetta. Last month, 64 police cadets and two army men were killed when three terrorists raided a police training centre in Quetta.
Myanmar's military said its troops killed six people and lost two soldiers in clashes with attackers in Rakhine state today, in the latest flare-up of violence in the crisis-hit region.

Northern Rakhine, which is home to the Muslim Rohingya minority and borders Bangladesh, has been under military lockdown ever since surprise raids on border posts left nine police dead last month.

Soldiers have killed several dozen people and arrested scores in their hunt for the attackers, who the government says are radicalised Rohingya militants with links to overseas Islamists.

The crisis and reports of grave rights abuses being carried out in tandem with the security crackdown have piled international pressure on Myanmar's new civilian government and raised questions about its ability to control the army.

Authorities have also heavily restricted access to the area, making it difficult to independently verify government reports or accusations of army abuse.

Today the military said it came under fresh attacks in the border region, first by a mob of some 60 people wielding "small guns and swords".

The clash broke out in the early morning during a "clearance operation" in Ma Yinn Taung village in Maungdaw township, according to an army statement.

"In that fight, six dead bodies of attackers along with a gun which the attackers stole on 9 October were retrieved," it said, adding that one soldier also died while others were wounded.

Troops then followed the attackers to nearby Gwa Zone village where they encountered a 500-strong armed mob, the military said.

"The army fought back but the group of attackers was very large and the army had to use two helicopters," the statement said, adding that one officer was killed in the operation.

The resurgence of violence in western Rakhine has deepened and complicated a crisis that already posed a critical challenge to the new administration led by democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

The state has sizzled with religious tension ever since waves of violence between the majority Buddhist population and the Muslim Rohingya left more than 200 dead in 2012.

More than 100,000 people, mostly Rohingya, were pushed into displacement camps by the bloodshed and have languished there ever since.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The "indefinite morcha" of AAP at Kapuri village in Punjab over SYL issue continued on the second day today, even as the party claimed that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is trying to "befool" people by writing a letter on the issue to the President of India.

"Rather than writing letter to the President of India, Badal should have talked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the President works on the advice of the Council of ministers," the AAP leaders said.

"Why does Badal shy away from raking up SYL issue in a strong manner with the Prime Minister and make him understand the ground situation of availability of water in Punjab," they asked.

"SAD is an oldest partner of NDA, and if he (Badal) fails to get justice from the BJP-led NDA government, what was point for him to continue in the alliance?" AAP's Patiala Zone in-charge Balbir Singh asked.

"If he cannot protect the rights of Punjab, Badal has no moral right to continue as the Chief Minister and he should immediately resign or sever his political ties with BJP, which has betrayed Punjab," AAP leader Gulshan Chhabra alleged.

Accusing Congress of adopting "double standards" on SYL issue, AAP leaders said while AAP's national spokesperson Sanjay Singh is sitting in the "morcha", Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala has hailed the Supreme Court's ruling on the SYL issue.

They also asked state Congress chief Amarinder Singh to clarify the stand of his party's national leadership on the issue.

The Supreme Court on Thursday held as unconstitutional the 2004 law passed by Punjab to terminate the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal water sharing agreement with neighboring states.

The judgement makes it clear that the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004 is "unconstitutional" and Punjab could not have taken a "unilateral" decision to terminate the water sharing agreement with Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today dismissed canard about shortage of salt in the country as "concocted rumours" and stressed adequate quantity is available in every state.

"Some people are spreading irresponsible rumours, like it happened yesterday regarding salt. It is there in adequate quantity in every state," he told reporters here.

He said that some of these rumours started on day one of the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

"These are all concocted rumours," he said, adding statements like some people were aware of the demonetisation earlier tantamount to "taking liberty with truth".

The Commerce and Industry Ministry too has dismissed the rumours of shortage of salt in the market.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), which comes under the Ministry, in a series of tweets said there is sufficient stock of salt in the country.

"Do not panic, plenty of edible salt stocks are available in North Eastern Sates, Bihar an West Bengal. Say No To Rumours!," it said.

Salt produced at Nawa and Phalodi from Rajasthan is supplied to Delhi.

"Refined salt is available in market at the rate of Rs 8-18 as per brand. Adequate edible salt has been supplied to Delhi & NCR areas by salt producers from Santalpur and Kharaghoda from Gujarat. There is no scarcity in Delhi," it added.

Salt producers and suppliers from Tamil Nadu confirmed that there is no scarcity of salt in the entire state, DIPP said, adding "no scarcity of salt and it is sold at normal rates in West Bengal".

Adequate salt has been produced, stocked and being supplied in Gujarat, which produces 75 per cent total salt in India.

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that "authorities are in the field and reporting back. No shortage".

Rumours about shortage of salt triggered panic among people in areas like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi and Maharashtra.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Afghanistan's parliament today dismissed three government ministers including that of foreign affairs over poor performance, in a blow to President Ashraf Ghani's fragile government.

Lawmakers voted to fire Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and the ministers of public works and social services, citing a failure to spend their allocated budgetary funds on time.

The dismissals come as Afghanistan is embroiled in an economic crisis and is struggling to rein in an emboldened Taliban insurgency.

"Three ministers were disqualified by parliament after failing to spend their allocated budgets," said lawmaker Abdul Rauf Inaami, the secretary of parliament's lower house.

"If the ministers do not have the capacity to spend their budget they do not deserve to have their jobs."



The ministers spent less than 40 percent of their budgets, Inaami said. Their removal is in accordance with the Afghan constitution, which gives parliament the authority to sack ministers.

Fourteen other ministers are expected to face a similar vote of confidence, which risks tipping the government into a political crisis.

The development adds to the troubles of Ghani's government, which is already marred by infighting since the fraud-tainted presidential election in 2014.

Former rivals Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah have since presided over a fragile US-brokered power-sharing agreement despite their openly bitter divisions.

Abdullah, a former anti-Soviet fighter, has publicly accused Ghani of monopolising power and not consulting him over key government appointments.

However, a two-year deadline to implement the terms of the agreement -- electoral reforms and a constitutional grand assembly of elders to establish the government's political legitimacy -- recently passed without any of those steps taken.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today called for unity among all the countries to face the biggest threat to the world posed by terrorism and asserted that the Centre's move to demonetise high-value currency notes will go a long way in curbing it.

"The biggest threat to the world is posed by terrorism...The entire world will have to unite against it," he said at a programme organised by 'Bhojpuri Adhyan Shodh Sansthan' here.

In an attempt to effectively reach out to the predominantly Bhojpuri-speaking audience, Singh said in Bhojpuri, "Na aata chahi na tata chahi, humhi ke Pakistan mein sannata chahi (we want nothing except silence in Pakistan)".

Stressing that the government will make all possible efforts for the promotion of Bhojpuri, the home minister said he has talked to the prime minister about the inclusion of Bhojpuri language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution and the prime minister has agreed to it.

The inclusion of Bhojpuri in the eighth schedule of the Constitution is a long-pending demand of the people of the Purvanchal area of the state.

Later, replying to a query during an informal interaction with the media, Singh said the decision to scrap the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes should be viewed in the light of terrorism and how it will go a long way in checking it.

"Pakistan and its intelligence agency ISI, who were running their terror activities through fake currency, are most troubled because of this decision," he claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police hurled tear gas and flash-bang grenades in response to rowdy protests in Portland, Oregon, as people around the country once again took to the streets denouncing Donald Trump's presidential election victory.

Early today, Portland police said on Twitter that they were investigating a report of a shooting and a possible injury on a Willamette River bridge that protesters were heading toward. They asked the public to leave the area. It wasn't immediately clear if the report had anything to do with the protests.

On last night, they reported, again on Twitter, that tear gas was used in response to "burning projectiles" thrown at officers. Hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti. Authorities said vandalism and assault had taken place during the rally, which organizers had billed as peaceful earlier in the day.

In other parts of the country, spirited demonstrations on college campuses and peaceful marches along downtown streets have taken place since Wednesday.

Hundreds joined a yesterday afternoon "love rally" in Washington Square Park in Manhattan.

Leslie Holmes, 65, a website developer from Wilton, Connecticut, took an hour-long train ride to the demonstration, her first protest since the 1970s, when she hit the streets of San Francisco to oppose the Vietnam War.

She described herself as an armchair liberal but declared, "I'm not going to be armchair anymore."



"I don't want to live in a country where my friends aren't included, and my friends are fearful, and my children are going to grow up in a world that's frightening, and my granddaughters can look forward to being excluded from jobs and politics and fulfilling their potential, so I'm here for them," she said.

Evening marches disrupted traffic in Miami and Atlanta. Trump supporter Nicolas Quirico was traveling from South Beach to Miami. His car was among hundreds stopped when protesters blocked Interstate 395.

"Trump will be our president. There is no way around that, and the sooner people grasp that, the better off we will be," he said. "There is a difference between a peaceful protest and standing in a major highway backing up traffic for 5 miles. This is wrong."



More than a thousand protesters took to the streets across California after night fell including downtown Los Angeles, where over 200 were arrested a night earlier. In Bakersfield, where Trump is far more popular than in most of the state, some held signs reading "Anti-Trump, Pro-USA."



Small protests also were held in Detroit; Minneapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Olympia, Washington and Iowa City. More than 200 people, carrying signs gathered on the steps of the Washington state Capitol. The group chanted "not my president" and "no Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA."



In Tennessee, Vanderbilt University students sang civil rights songs and marched through campus across a Nashville street, temporarily blocking traffic. A protest also occurred in Minneapolis.

In Chicago, multiple groups planned protests through today.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An army jawan was killed on Saturday in on the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district, police said.

Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by indulging in firing and shelling in Keran sector this morning, a police official said.

He said that in the incident, army jawan Harshid Badarya lost his life.

The firing has stopped, the official said, adding further details were awaited.
An Islamist leader, the prime suspect in the brutal murders of a secular blogger and a publisher in Bangladesh, has been arrested from the capital, police said today.

Khairul Islam alias Fahim, a leader of intelligence wing of the outlawed Ansar al-Islam also known as Ansarullah Bangla Team, was arrested from Kamlapur Rail Station area in Dhaka last night, said Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of the Detective Branch of Police.

Khairul, 24, was believed to be involved in the murders of Jagriti Prakashani publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan and secular activist Niladri Chatterjee Niloy, besides scores of deadly attacks on secular activists and foreigners.

Khairul participated in the murders of Dipan and Niloy, Joint Commissioner Detective Branch of Police Abdul Baten was quoted as saying by 'Dhaka Tribune'.

Baten said Khairul admitted his involvement in the killings during primary interrogation.

He said Khairul had joined the group in 2013 and the next year he met its senior leader Sayed Ziaul Haque, a sacked army major for his involvement in a failed coup in December 2011.

Khairul had started to collect information about the duo since January 2015 and provided it to the outfit's Askari section (armed wing) to carry out the killings, he added.

"Seeing CCTV footage, Khairul has identified four people involved in blogger and secular writer Avijit's killing and we are analysing the information," Baten said.

Dipan was hacked to death at his office in Dhaka's Shabagh area in broad daylight on October 31, 2015. The group had claimed responsibility for the murder.

Niloy was hacked to dead at his residence on August 7 last year.

Bangladesh has seen a spate of gruesome attacks on secular activists, religious minorities, bloggers and foreigners, many of whom have been hacked to death with machetes.

The country has launched a massive crackdown on militants after the July 1 Dhaka terror attack in which 22 people, mostly foreigners, were killed.
An Islamist militant leader who "directly took part" in the brutal murders of a secular blogger and a publisher in Bangladesh has been arrested here, police said today as they identified an ex-army officer as the mastermind of fatal attacks on secular writers in the country.

Khairul Islam alias Fahim, a leader of intelligence wing of the outlawed Ansar al-Islam also known as Ansarullah Bangla Team, was arrested from Kamlapur Rail Station area in Dhaka last night, said Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of police's detective branch.

Khairul, 24, was believed to be involved in the murders of Jagriti Prakashani publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan and secular activist Niladri Chatterjee Niloy, besides scores of deadly attacks on secular activists and foreigners.

"Ansar al Islam or Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) has claimed responsibility of murdering most of the secular writers and bloggers... Our investigations reconfirms that ABT leader (fugitive) major Syed Ziaul Haque was behind all those attacks," a police spokesman told PTI.

Police said Khairul "directly took part" in the murders of Niloy and Dipan last year.

"This Fahim or Jishan admitted to us his direct involvement in the murders of the two and links to the killings of other bloggers as well," said Abdul Baten, Joint Commissioner of Dhaka police's detective branch.

He said Khairul had joined the group in 2013 and the next year he met Haque, a sacked army major for his involvement in a failed coup in December 2011.

Khairul had started to collect information about the duo since January 2015 and provided it to the outfit's Askari section (armed wing) to carry out the killings, he added.

Police's comments on Haque, whom they termed as "operational chief", came three months after they announced a bounty of Taka 20 lakh (USD 25.4 thousand) on his arrest.

Haque and Bangladeshi Canadian Tamim Chowdhury were identified as leaders of militant outfits, one being responsible for the July 1 terrorist attack on a Dhaka cafe.

Chowdhury, said to be a top leader of Neo-JMB known to be inclined to ISIS, was killed two months ago in a police crackdown while Haque is still on the run.

Dipan was hacked to death at his office in Dhaka's Shabagh area in broad daylight on October 31, 2015. The group had claimed responsibility for the murder.

Niloy was hacked to dead at his Dhaka residence on August 7 last year.

Bangladesh has seen a spate of gruesome attacks on secular activists, religious minorities, bloggers and foreigners, many of whom have been hacked to death with machetes.

The country has launched a massive crackdown on militants after the July 1 Dhaka terror attack in which 22 people, mostly foreigners, were killed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre today made a visit to the Southern Naval Command (SNC) here.

During his maiden visit to the Southern Naval Command after assuming charge as MoS Defence, Bhamre held discussions with the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, Vice Admiral A R Karve.

He was also given a detailed presentation on the Command and its activities, especially with regard to training which is the main role of SNC, a Navy release said.

The Minister was thereafter taken on a guided tour of training facilities such as the unique Water Survival Training Facility (WSTF) at the naval base used to train aircrew in survival techniques at sea and the Damage Control Training facility (DCTF) 'Avinash' which is meant for imparting simulator training to naval personnel on controlling damage to ships at sea during war, it said.

Bhamre also got a firsthand insight into aircraft carrier operations when he visited INS Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy's flagship Aircraft Carrier, which is presently here in Kochi for its refit and drydocking, the release said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and Bhutan today signed the Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit that aims to enhance trade between the two countries through trade facilitation, cutting down documentation and adding additional exit/entry points for Bhutan's trade with other countries.

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the Minister for Economic Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan, Tengye Lyonpo Lekey Dorji signed the Agreement, Commerce Ministry said.

"The new bilateral Trade Agreement aims to enhance trade between the two countries through trade facilitation by improving procedures, cutting down on documentation and adding additional exit/entry points for Bhutan's trade with other countries," it added.

It is also expected to further strengthen the excellent relations between the two countries, it said.

The first Agreement on Trade and Commerce between Bhutan and India was signed in 1972. Since then, the Agreement has been renewed four times.

The last Agreement was renewed on July 28, 2006 and was valid till July 29, 2016. The validity of the Agreement was extended for a period of one year or till the date of coming into force of the new Agreement, whichever is earlier, by exchange of diplomatic notes between the two countries.

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An 18-year-old youth, who was declared brain-dead following an accident, has given fresh lease of life to four persons with his organs being harvested today.

M Dhananjay Reddy, a native of Gudireddi Gari in Chittoor district, was critically injured after an accident at Angallu near Madanapalli, 100 km from here, on November 10, said Dr Sivakumar, Director incharge of the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Sciences (SVIMS) super-specialty hospital where he was brought for treatment.

However, the team of doctors in the hospital after examination found him brain-dead and informed his parents.

Members of Jeevandhan Trust, a government organisation, approached Dhananjay's parents for donation of his organs, including heart, liver and kidneys, which was readily accepted by them, SVIMS officials said.

After harvesting, the heart was donated to Malar Hospital at Chennai, liver to Manipal Hospital at Vijayawada, one kidney to Narayana Hospital at Nellore and another kidney to the SVIMS here, giving fresh lease of life to four patients, they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A seven-member Central team visited several districts in Bihar to assess the damage caused by recent floods, to provide assistance to the state.

The inter-ministerial team headed by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs Ajay Ramesh Sule left for Delhi today after two days of interaction with state officials and visit to several districts for on-the-spot study of the damage incurred in the floods.

"The team appeared satisfied with the presentation made by state officials about the extent of damage caused by floods this year," Pratyay Amrit, Principal Secretary of Disaster Management and Power, told PTI.

The state government had in August submitted a memorandum to the Centre for Rs 4,111.98 crore flood assistance after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 23.

The central team visited Bhagalpur, Munger, Samastipur, Arwal among others for on-the-spot assessment of damage, Amrit said.

The visit came after Kumar questioned the Centre's "attitude" in providing "timely assistance" for the damage caused by flood in the state this year.

In a letter to the Union Home Minister last Saturday, Kumar had questioned the "delay in the arrival" of the Central team and said after he met the Prime Minister and Singh, state officials were in "regular touch" with the Centre.

The state was informed that the Central team's visit was



postponed for November 10-11.

But, through a letter on November 4, the Centre again informed about "putting off" the visit to November-end due to a meeting of Public Accounts Committee and commencement of the Winter Session of Parliament from November 16.

The Chief Minister had said farmers in the flood-affected areas have started sowing crops and have also begun repairing the houses. In such a condition, due to delayed visit, the Central team will face a practical problem in assessing the damage caused by floods.
Actor Chad Michael Murray has written a romantic novel.

The 35-year-old actor has put together an adventure-thriller-story called 'American Drifter' based on a dream he had, reported Us magazine.

"American Drifter's romance was inspired by a dream I had. The dream had played out so vividly, as if I was a fly on the wall watching this tale go down. Also, at that time, I had been searching for a story that would resonate with the youth of the world in a way that would make us feel the light and excitement for adventure," Murray said.

The novel, which isn't set for release until next year, follows the story of an American soldier backpacking through Brazil.

"'American Drifter' became a combination of those two journeys merging together with Rio de Janeiro setting the stage for an adventure thriller romance.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A glass door of a bank in Kerala was broken and clashes with bank officials erupted in Gujarat sparking police action as the weekend rush added to the chaos over demonetisation across the country for the third day today with serpentine queues outside bank branches growing longer.

The endless wait to get valid currency notes was also taking a toll on people waiting for hours in long queues as there were reports of many elderly people collapsing out of fatigue.

Security was beefed up outside bank branches as millions of anxious people struggling to buy daily items waited for hours to exchange the banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes even as the ATMs went dry soon after they were stocked due to the huge rush.

"The crowd is more since it's a weekend and many people have an off today. The crowd is swelling by the hour," a senior police officer said in Delhi.

Enraged over not getting ration from a fair price shop due to shortage of cash, people at Bardaha village in Chhattarpur in Madhya Pradesh allegedly looted groceries from the outlet in protest. Police claimed there was no such incident.

To add to the misery of cash-strapped people, several ATMs were non-functional.

Angry customers waiting outside a branch of the State Bank of Travancore at Vavvakkam in Kollam district allegedly broke a glass door after it decided to down shutters due to heavy rush when around 200 persons were inside the premises.

Apparently angered over this, more than 200 persons who were waiting in the queue outside the branch allegedly broke a glass door of the bank, officials said, adding the situation is now under control.

At several places in Gujarat, people clashed with bank officials leading to police action including lathi-charge and detention.

At a bank branch at Shihori in Banaskantha district, police resorted to lathi-charge after people clashed with bank officials when they refused to dispense money.

Similar incident was reported at a bank branch in Abdasa in Kutch when people clashed with bank officials.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A glass door of a bank in Kerala was broken and clashes with bank officials erupted in Gujarat sparking police action as the weekend rush added to the chaos over demonetisation across the country for the third day today with serpentine queues outside bank branches growing longer.

The endless wait to get valid currency notes were also taking a toll on people waiting for hours in long queues as there were reports of many elderly people collapsing out of fatigue.

Security was beefed up outside bank branches as millions of anxious people struggling to buy daily items waited for hours to exchange the banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes even as the ATMs went dry soon after they were stocked due to the huge rush.

"The crowd is more since it's a weekend and many people have an off today. The crowd is swelling by the hour," a senior police officer said in Delhi.

Enraged over not getting ration from a fair price shop due to shortage of cash, people at Bardaha village in Chhattarpur in Madhya Pradesh allegedly looted groceries from the outlet in protest. Police claimed there was no such incident.

To add to the misery of cash-strapped people, several ATMs were not non-functional.

Angry customers waiting outside a branch of the State Bank of Travancore at Vavvakkam in Kollam district allegedly broke a glass door after it decided to down shutters due to heavy rush when around 200 persons were inside the premises.

Apparently angered over this, more than 200 persons who were waiting in the queue outside the branch allegedly broke a glass door of the bank, officials said, adding the situation is now under control.

At several places in Gujarat, people clashed with bank officials leading to police action including lathi-charge and detention.

At a bank branch at Shihori in Banaskantha district, police resorted to lathi-charge after people clashed with bank officials when they refused to dispense money.

Similar incident was reported at a bank branch in Abdasa in Kutch when people clashed with bank officials.

In the national capital, Delhi Police deployed more



forces to maintain calm and warned of strict action against those trying to spread rumours on social media.

To manage anxious crowds, as many as 3,400 personnel of paramilitary and Delhi Police along with 200 quick reaction teams were deployed at ATMs.

In addition to this, RAF jawans were also deployed at certain points to monitor the situation. Senior officers of Delhi Police were also present at important junctions to oversee the security arrangements.

People complained of difficulties with several ATMs remaining closed, and banks exchanging the scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes with coins and small denomination currency.

"Nobody is accepting old currency notes, even hospitals are now refusing to do so because of which we are facing difficulty. Several ATMs still remain closed," said Ramesh Agarwal, who came to exchange his old notes at a bank in Ahmedabad.

A bank in Mumbai is said to have floated a mobile ATM to dispense money to customers.

Shrikant Manohar, who drew money from the mobile ATM said, "It was no less than a surprise. People lined up for hours, while I got cash with this mobile ATM as it came to my doorsteps.
The Coast Guard has saved the lives of 16 Bangladeshi fishermen whose fishing boat was sinking due to technical snag in the Bay of Bengal.

The Coast Guard ship 'Sucheta Kripalani' while on routine patrol off Odisha coast sighted a Bangladeshi fishing boat approximately 35 nautical miles East of Paradip.

The ship immediately launched its boarding party to investigate, a Coast Guard officer said.

"The master and crew of the vessel on preliminary investigation reported that the vessel after sailing on Nov 2 from Alipore Patuakhali district of Bangladesh developed a technical snag in its propeller shaft during cyclonic weather and had been drifting since Nov 3," the official said.

The crew was provided with necessary medical assistance and food by the Coast Guard ship and subsequently, the boat was towed to Paradip anchorage for further investigation, he said.

"A joint interrogation was conducted by Coast Guard, Immigration department, SIB and Marine Police officials at sea to ascertain the credentials of the crew as well as genuineness of the reported defect. Once found innocent, the boat was provided with technical expertise by the Coast Guard and broken propeller shaft of the boat was repaired," he said.

Coast Guard is presently escorting the Bangladeshi fishing boat alongwith its 16 crew to International Maritime Border with Bangladesh for repatriation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police officers shot an armed man inside a mental health facility after he stabbed several people and put down his knife but refused to drop his gun while his victims were bleeding badly, authorities said.

Seven people were taken to hospitals, including the man and at least four stabbing victims, Allegheny County spokeswoman Amie Downs said. It was unclear if any injuries were life-threatening after the yesterday afternoon attack at Turtle Creek Valley Mental Health/Mental Retardation in Homestead, just southeast of Pittsburgh.

Police implored 38-year-old Dustin Johnson to drop his gun or be shot based on texts from inside that the victims were bleeding profusely and needed help, Downs said. Johnson dropped his knife but not the gun before he was shot, she said.

Employee C J Fulton told WTAE-TV that the man complained that a stay at the facility had "ruined" his life.

There was no telephone number listed for Johnson, who was conscious when he was taken to a hospital for treatment, Downs said.

Johnson apparently gained entry to the secure facility before attacking people on the fifth floor, authorities said.

"He started talking to us regularly," Fulton told the TV station. "Next thing you know he pulled a gun."



Fulton said Johnson was angry from something that happened when he was staying at the facility.

"He just started saying, 'You ruined my life,' ... Then he proceeded to stab individuals and assault individuals," Fulton said.

The center says it provides care and support for people and communities dealing with behavioral, mental health, substance abuse and developmental issues. Its executive director, Fran Sheedy Bost, described yesterday's incident as a "hostage situation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Police's Crime Branch will now be investigating the case of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed in order to have a "fresh look" into it.

The order in this regard had come on Friday, R P Upadhyay, joint commissioner of police (Southeast) said.

"A few days back, Najeeb's mother had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and requested for a CBI probe in the matter. In order to get a different perspective on the case and have a fresh look at the evidence, the matter was transferred from South District to Crime Branch yesterday," another senior officer said.

Last month, an SIT was formed to trace Najeeb (27), who went missing on October 15 following an on-campus scuffle allegedly with the members of ABVP the night before, following the instruction of the Home Minister to Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma.

The SIT, headed by Additional DCP-II (South) Manishi Chandra, failed to gain any actionable clues in the matter.

The SIT was reconstructing Najeeb's personality after a doctor at VIMHANS told police that Najeeb was suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression.

Following this, the psychiatric angle had gained prominence in the probe. The team was also mulling over seeking help from psychiatrists from AIIMS or RML to chalk out a plan for investigation in the case.
Authorities today lifted curfew from parts of the summer capital where the curbs were imposed to foil the separatists' plans of holding a congregation at Jamia Masjid here even as normal life remained affected in Kashmir Valley for the 127th consecutive day.

"Curfew has been lifted in the five police station areas of the city where it was imposed yesterday as a precautionary measure," a police official said.

He said there were no curbs on the movement of people anywhere in the Valley.

The lifting of the restrictions led to an increased movement of people and transport in the city.

Inter-district cabs were also plying on some routes connecting the other districts of the Valley with the summer capital.

Some shops were also open in the areas in the civil lines and the outskirts of the city as well as in some of the rural areas in other districts of Kashmir.

However, most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments in the rest of the Valley were shut due to the strike.

They are expected to open later in the evening today as the separatists have announced a 15-hour relaxation in the strike.

As many as 85 people, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the ongoing unrest in the Valley.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
People clashed with bank officials at several places, leading to police action including lathi-charge and detention in Gujarat where long queues today continued outside bank branches across the state.

People complained of difficulties with several ATMs remaining closed, and banks exchanging the scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes with coins and small denomination currency.

"Nobody is accepting old currency notes, even hospitals are now refusing to do so because of which we are facing difficulty. Several ATMs still remain closed," said Ramesh Agarwal, who came to exchange his old notes at a bank.

People also complained that they were given coins in exchange for old notes.

"Officials said they have run out of new Rs 2000 notes and they only have coins for exchange," said Bipin Patel, who came to exchange his notes at one bank branch.

"They have given me coins of Rs 4,000 which is very difficult to carry," he said.

Rajesh Shah, a senior citizen, said lack of money has caused hardship in purchasing essential items such as milk, bread and vegetable.

"We stood in queues for two days to get our old currency exchanged. We have Rs 3 lakh in bank account, but we are unable to purchase essential items. Modi should first have made proper arrangement for cash before declaring this," said Shah.

At several places people clashed with bank officials leading to police action including lathi-charge and detention.

At a bank branch at Shihori in Banaskantha district, police resorted to lathi-charge after people clashed with bank officials when they refused to dispense money.

Similar incident was reported at a bank branch in Abdasa in Kutch when people clashed with bank officials.

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Delhi Police today received nearly 4,500 calls till 6 PM today as cash-strapped people standing in long queues outside banks and ATMs resorted to violence in some parts of the city.

"We received over 4,000 calls today. There were sporadic incidents of violence reported from the city but there were no reports of any grievous injury," said Sanjay Beniwal, Special Commissioner of Police (Operations).

Police said a case of stone pelting at IDBI bank in Roop Nagar was reported and one person was arrested.

At 12 noon, Imran (44), who had already withdrawn money from the bank once, tried to go inside again and was stopped by a security guard, they said.

He got into a scuffle with the guard and called six-seven other men who resorted to stone pelting, police said.

Imran is a resident of Malkaganj and was arrested from the spot, police said, adding they are scanning the CCTV footage from the bank to identify the other accused.

"No one was reported to be injured in stone pelting. The bank operations resumed after few hours," said a senior police official.

He said a case under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) IPC has been registered against the accused.

There were dime a dozen rumours floating about incidents of violence even as Twitter added more fuel to fire, police sources said.

A purported video from Metro Mall in Seelampur area of northeast Delhi went viral where people were "plundering goods" and police had to intervene.

Ajit Singla, DCP (Northeast) said, "The reports of miscreants taking away stocks from a mall in Seelampur area are false and baseless. It is a self-catering Mall which allows entry to card holders only and routine disbursal of stocks was being done."



He said some mischievous elements tried to show it as looting but local police intervened immediately and removed the miscreants.

"No complaint of looting received. Regular operations are being carried out in all market places in Delhi. Strict action as per law is being taken any such rumour mongering," he said.

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Stating that the decision taken by the Union government to demonetise the currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 was in the interest of the security of the nation, Union Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh today said the step would deter the funding of terrorism in the country.

"It (demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000) is going to be a major deterrence as far as the funding of terrorism is concerned. This was one of the main considerations to have arrived on this decision," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here on Saturday.

He said what was remarkable about the decision was that it was in the larger interest of the nation, in the interest of the security of the nation as well, "as the interest of the reinforcing economic capability of the nation."

"I think what is more gratifying is that the common man of the country has welcomed it," he said.

On the allegations leveled by the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Singh said that the statements which lack any evidence don't deserve a response.

"I don't think it deserves any response, we live in an evidence-based era and I don't think I need to respond to any unsubstantiated statements," he said.

"The 130 crore people of this country have wholeheartedly welcomed it. I was traveling in Uttar Pradesh yesterday, day before in Delhi and today in Jammu and have seen long queues outside the banks of an average common man and inspite of going through all the inconvenience ... There was not a single one who did not say that they did not welcome it," he said.

He said the decision was being hailed as it has come out with sincerity, honesty, and courage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi for standing in a queue at an ATM in Delhi, the Union Minister sought to know who used to go to the ATM on behalf of the Congress Vice President before the decision was taken.

"I usually avoid making personal comments but what amused me was that I wish somebody had asked him had he ever been to an ATM before or was it just after this, decision happened. Who was going to ATM on his behalf on earlier occasions?," he questioned.

On the question of opening of schools in the Kashmir Valley, the Union Minister said the Centre was in touch with the state government.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has said that it will soon set a timeline to take steps to open the schools.
Four Americans were killed today in a suicide bombing inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said, in a major breach of security.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield, north of the capital Kabul, which left 16 other US service members and a Polish soldier wounded as the insurgents ramp up attacks on Western targets.

The dead included two American soldiers and two contractors, in an assault which highlights rising insecurity in Afghanistan nearly two years after US-led NATO forces formally ended their combat operations.

"Force protection is always a top priority for us in Afghanistan, and we will investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it," defense secretary Carter said, adding he was "deeply saddened" by the .

"We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future."



The blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base, said Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province where Bagram is located.

"The attacker was one of the Afghan labourers working there," Sediqi told AFP.

Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi described the explosion around 0100 GMT as "powerful", saying it reverberated across the area. The base was put on lockdown following the attack.

The attack represents a brazen security breach inside one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan.

The United States has around 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, with the largest contingent stationed at the Bagram base.

The base is enveloped by multiple layers of Afghan and American guards, security cameras and watch towers, and a surveillance blimp keeps a close watch on the surrounding areas.

"To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences," said John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

"For the family and friends of those wounded in today's attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today."



Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said one of the insurgent group's suicide bombers carried out the assault, claiming it inflicted "heavy casualties on US invaders".

The militants are stepping up attacks nationwide before the onset of winter, when the fighting usually ebbs.

Bagram Airfield has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.

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Gauhati High Court judge Nishitendu Chaudhury died of dengue at a private hospital here today.

He was 55.

Justice Chaudhury was appointed as a judge of Gauhati High Court on May 22, 2013.

He was cremated with state honours with Assam. The Gauhati High Court Chief Justice, other judges, lawyers along with senior district civil and police officials were present at the crematorium.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal condoled Chaudhury's death describing him as a person who devoted his life to dispensing justice to the common people.

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Government is looking into sudden 'propping up' of money into zero-balance Jan Dhan accounts, after an unprecedented Rs 2 lakh crore of cash flooded the banking system within just two days of demonetisation of high value currency.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said law enforcement agencies are keeping a hawk eye on illegal currency changers, offering to change the junked 500 and 1000 rupee notes, as well as those investing their money in gold and bullion to hide unaccounted wealth.

"We are getting some complaints that suddenly monies have propped up in the Jan Dhan accounts, so there is a misuse and that is why the rationing in initial days takes place," he said, adding that the departments concerned will act if anything improper is found in the deposits.

The government is focusing on ensuring that replacement of currency notes withdrawn, with new legal tender, takes place smoothly and quickly so that inconvenience to people is minimised, Jaitley said, adding "the Enforcement Directorate and revenue department are keeping a close watch".

Cautioning those indulging in illegal usage of the demonetised currency, he said authorities will not hesitate to take action against any unlawful activity.

His statement comes amid reports that the old high denomination notes had been used to buy gold or were being exchanged for a premium.

ED is scrutinising as many as 67 foreign exchange dealers and Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence is also monitoring prominent jeweller and bullion traders.

The Finance Minister said India as a country should move towards plastics currency and more and more use electronic modes for transactions.

Country's largest lender State Bank of India has got Rs 47,868 crore cash deposits during the last two-and-a-half days and since SBI accounts for about 25 per cent of the banking system, the total cash mobilised by all banks put together could be around Rs 2 lakh crore, said.

In a surprise move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on the night of November 8 announced withdrawal of 500 and 1000 rupee notes but allowed people to deposit them in their bank accounts or exchange them with new Rs 2000 and Rs 500 notes till December 30.

To give comfort to honest taxpayers, it has said deposits of up to Rs 2.5 lakh in accounts of housewives and farmers will



not be reported to Income Tax authorities.

"The objective of the scheme was to get the idle cash into the banking system and if you multiply it (SBI's deposits) by 4-5 times, about Rs 2 lakh crore has become part of the banking system," Jaitley said.

He said the government had factored in that inconvenience may be caused in first few days but the long term advantages for the overall economy were far more, he said.

Businesses, he said, should brace for transacting through digital mode, cheques and payment gateways so that their lives remain simple going forward.

"As far as fake currency is concerned, government agencies are keeping an eye on that," he said.

(REOPENS DEL58)



Later in the day, Finance Ministry in a statement said so far only 60 per cent of the ATMs are in operation out of 2 lakh and rest are expected to be operational in the next few days.

Out of 2 lakh ATMs, about 1.2 lakh are operational, a Finance Ministry statement said adding that presently only Rs 100 notes are being disbursed from the ATMs.

"Recalibration (requires both software and hardware changes) of ATMs is going on, which will be completed by end of this month/ early December. Other denominations will then be disbursed by ATMs," it added.

To take stock of cash exchange programme, Finance Ministry today met officials from the RBI, Indian Banks Association (IBA). Besides, a few major banks participated in the review meeting.

The availability of cash and issuance of cash to bank branches and Post Offices on a daily basis is being constantly monitored and necessary rebalancing being done for more efficient allocation of banknotes of requisite denominations between different areas, Finance Ministry said in a statement.

To cater to the requirement of rural areas, banks were advised to supply notes of smaller denominations (Rs 100 and less) as well as Rs 10 coins.
The Madras High Court has vacated an interim order granted in 2006 restraining state and central authorities from enforcing penal provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act against unqualified medical practitioners.

Dismissing a plea filed by Private Medical Practitioners Association of India, the court, in a recent order, said "Persons claiming to have practical experience in modern scientific system of medicine ganged up to form an association and have filed this petition."



"When the petition came up for admission on April 6, 2006, a single judge of this court granted interim injunction as prayed for and thereafter, the case never saw the light of the day, until it was resurrected from the labyrinth of the record room, thanks to the orders of the Chief Justice and posted for disposal before this court as a 'specially ordered matter' this year," the court said.

In its plea, the association had sought a direction to restrain police from taking any criminal action against them and harassing them from practising.

The association submitted that its members had rich experience in curing diseases and some of them also did have the requisite qualification in alternative system of medicine and therefore, the police could not prosecute them.

The court had granted interim injunction and restrained authorities from enforcing the penal provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act and Drugs and Cosmetics Act in the case of unqualified medical practitioners.

Vacating the interim order, the court said: "during this period of ten years, members of this association and certain others successfully thwarted all attempts by police to check their illegal practice of modern medicine by taking umbrage under the order of interim injunction."



The court said in Tamil Nadu, medical degrees for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy are given by the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University. "After obtaining the degree, the intending practitioner should enroll himself in the state register maintained for each of the systems of medicine before commencing his practice."



"There will be no problem till these practitioners continue their practice in the respective medicine systems in which they are qualified...Only when totally unqualified persons claim themselves as doctors and prescribe medicine in the systems of medicine in which they were not qualified, be it allopathic or otherwise, on the assumed claim of experience, the problem crops up," the court said.

"Similarly, when those qualified in a particular stream



of medicine encroaches into a different domain and prescribes medicines not relating to their domain, the state's intervention becomes imperative," the court said.

For instance, when an Ayurveda practitioner prescribes Allopathic medicines, it said, the question that arises is whether he has violated the provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act.

Stating that two government orders that were passed in 1966 and 1972 permitting such practitioners had been withdrawn by the Centre in October 1982, the court said, the central order directed the state governments to crack down on unqualified medical practitioners.
Rumours of salt shortage led to panic among citizens in some parts of the city late last night, but police asserted that such information was baseless and warned those spreading such rumours.

People mobbed shops late last night and this morning following the rumours and traders sold salt for Rs 80 and Rs 100 per kg at some places, some city residents claimed. Rumours of shortage of sugar also did the rounds in the city.

Hyderabad deputy mayor Baba Fasiuddin and Jubilee Hills MLA Maganti Gopinath visited some shops at Borabanda area in the morning and asked police inspector to file cases against those who sold salt for higher prices, a release said.

The deputy mayor told residents in the locality not to buy any product for higher prices and that they would be available for MRP only.

Dismissing the rumours of shortage of salt, the Hyderabad Police today warned that strong action would be taken against those spreading such false information.

"In social media, some rumours have been floating around stating there is acute shortage of common salt/ table salt. Such is absolutely false and baseless," a release from the Commissioner of Police said.

Adequate quantities of salt are available in the market in Hyderabad, it said, asking people not to believe such rumours.

"Strong action will be initiated against those spreading these rumours," it added.

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Dismissing rumours of shortage of salt in the market, the Hyderabad Police today warned that strong action would be taken against those spreading such .

"In social media, some rumours have been floating that there is acute shortage of common salt/table salt. Such is absolutely false and baseless," a release from the Commissioner of Police said.

Adequate quantities of salt are available in the market in Hyderabad, it said, asking people not to believe such rumours.

"Strong action will be initiated against those spreading these rumours," the release added.

Yesterday, lack of small denomination currency had triggered rumours of black marketing of essential commodities like salt as shopkeepers refused to provide change when offered with higher denomination notes.

In several states, there were reports of panicked customers flocking to market as rumours flew thick and fast that salt has gone out of shelves and shopkeepers are selling at a premium -- as high as Rs 200 per kg.

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India today strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the German Consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif and said the terror strike is a grim reminder of the serious and grave threat that terrorism poses to the region and to humanity.

It also called on the international community to take concerted and strong action to fight this scourge, inter alia, by denying all support, sanctuaries and safe havens to all terrorists.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wish speedy recovery to those injured. India lauds the courage of the security forces that successfully thwarted the attack and saved many lives," the External Affairs Ministry said.

India strongly opposes terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stands in solidarity with the Government and people of Afghanistan and with Germany.

"The attack in Mazar-e-Sharif is a grim reminder of the serious and grave threat that terrorism poses to our region and to humanity. India calls on the international community to take concerted and strong action to fight this scourge, inter alia, by denying all support, sanctuaries and safe havens to all terrorists," it said.

A huge suicide car bomb struck the German consulate in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif on November 10, killing at least one person and wounding 29 others, in an attack claimed by Taliban insurgents.

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India has pledged about USD 10.95 million for development activities across several UN bodies for the year 2017.

"India has been a regular contributor to the UN since its founding. India believes that the UN should have the necessary resources to finance, in an appropriate and balanced manner, the activities and programmes of its three main pillars; Peace and security, Development and Human Rights," First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Mahesh Kumar said at a Pledging Conference for Development Activities on November 7.

Kumar said as a developing country, India has its own plate full of developmental challenges that need to be addressed, but it still has always contributed to increase the availability of core resources for the development activities of the United Nations system.

India announcedpledges of contributiontotalling about USD 10.95 million for development activities for 2017, including USD 4.5 million for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), USD 1.92 million for the World Food Programme, USD 1.25 million for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Near East (UNRWA) and a million dollars towards UN Women.

India also pledged resources to UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the world body's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Commission on Human Settlements Programme (HABITAT), Environment Programme (UNEP), Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and towards the Voluntary Fund for Technical Co-operation.

Kumar said India is also processing contribution for the Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and for the Victims of Torture and UN Volunteers.

At the pledging conference, 24countries committed to provide approximately USD 1.09billion towards development activities. The amount represented an increase of more than of 14-fold over those commitments made in 2015.

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India will not become a "pawn" for Japan to contain China, a Chinese state-run media on Saturday said, accusing Japan of exploiting Sino-India disputes for its own interests.

"Japan wants to use the disputes between China and India to court India to help contain China. Japan seeks to urge India to meddle in the South China Sea issue, even at the cost of changing its long-held position of reducing nuclear usage to offer special benefits of civil nuclear cooperation to India," Global Times said in an editorial on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to Japan.

"Looking at Japan's diplomatic policies over the past few years, (Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo) Abe administration has become more active trying to sway regional powers to encircle China," the daily said.

It said that India is in need of acquiring nuclear and military technology from Japan and attracting more investment for its manufacturing industries and infrastructure, like high-speed railways.

The daily, however, said that India is not likely to change its position according to the wishes of Japan.

"India takes a multilateral approach to diplomacy and pursues a status as a leading power. Japan's plans are full of antagonism, which contradict India's policies. Therefore India will practically assess specific cooperation with Japan case by case," the daily said.

"India will not become a pawn for Japan to contain China, as it wants to become a power on par with China and Japan and benefit from both sides. India will get closer to Japan but will not enter into a brotherhood relationship," it said.

The editorial, which was apparently written before India and Japan issued joint statement yesterday, said that "both sides hinted they would include the South China Sea Arbitration in their joint statement".

India and Japan yesterday sought a peaceful solution to the territorial disputes in the strategic South China Sea, saying parties involved in the matter must not resort to "threat or use of force", in remarks that could anger China which is opposed to any outside interference.

There is no official reaction by China yet about the outcome of Modi's visit, but ahead of his visit Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told media that New Delhi and Tokyo should respect the legitimate concerns of their neighbours.

A Chinese state media report on Wednesday warned India that it may suffer "great losses" in bilateral trade if it joins Japan in asking China to abide by an tribunal's ruling quashing Beijing's claims over the SCS.

China has been making aggressive advances in the strategic region - parts of which are also claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei - by rapidly building artificial islets that experts fear could be potentially used as military posts.

The state-run daily said Modi's trip should be viewed with an understanding of the changing geopolitics.

"Since Philippine, Malaysian and Vietnamese leaders visited China, the once unstable situation in the South China Sea has suddenly abated. Across the Pacific, Donald Trump, who has threatened to abandon Japan, is about to become the next US president. The Asia-Pacific regionis at a crossroads. That has made Abe anxious that Japan can no longer depend on the US for its purposes," it said.

It said that though China and India have many problems between them, the bilateral relations are improving.

"National leaders frequently meet and are securing the right direction in bilateral ties....Even if India signs the Indian Ocean-Pacific Pact, it won't have as much strength to contain China as Abe expects," it said.

"Lacking long-term strategies, Japan will head down another dead-end route," it said.
Over 2,100 Sikh pilgrims from India arrived here today to participate in the 548 birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, at his birthplace in Nankana Sahib in Pakistan's Punjab province.

"More than 2,100 Sikhs arrived here today from India on three special trains," Evacuee Trust Property Board spokesman Amer Hashmi told PTI.

He said the Pakistan's embassy in New Delhi had issued more than 3,300 visas to Indian Sikhs however only 2,100 pilgrims have arrived here so far.

Hashmi said ETPB chief Siddiqul Farooq and Pakistan Gurdwara Parbhandik Committee office-bearers greeted them at Wagah Border.

Several Sikhs have complained about currency exchange rate at the Wagah immigration.

However, authorities have promised to intervene and assured better currency exchange rate to the Sikh pilgrims.

The officials also deported a Sikh pilgrim after he was found to be on the list of 'black-listed' passengers, Hashmi said, adding for the first time the visiting Sikhs were served food at the Wagah railway station.

Talking to reporters, Sikh leader Sardar Sohan Singh said: "We always receive love from the people of Pakistan. We want cordial relations between the two countries and people to people contact."



Saddiqul Farooq said the board has taken good care of the Sikh holy places in Pakistan.

"You will find a difference when you get to Gurdwara Janamasthan in Nankana Sahib," he said.

He told the Sikh groups leaders about extensive renovation work in gurdwaras in the country especially in the Punjab province.

The Indian Sikhs have left for Nankana Sahib, some 80 km from Lahore, where they will attend the main function on November 13.

The Indian pilgrims will also visit other gurdwaras in Punjab province before they leave for India on November 21.

Guru Nanak Dev was born at Rai Bhoi Ki Talvandi (present day Nankana Sahib) near Lahore. He spent the last years of his life at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, about three kilometers from the International Border that separates India and Pakistan.

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A reporter working for Iran's state television IRIB was killed today in a mortar attack in the Syrian battlefront city of Aleppo, the broadcaster said.

Mohsen Khazaei died in the village of Minyan outside the northern city, one of two areas which Syrian government forces had recaptured from rebel fighters, it said.

IRIB said that a cameraman was also wounded in what it described as a "mortar attack launched by terrorists", a term designating insurgents fighting the Syrian regime which Iran supports.

Earlier in the day, the state television had broadcast footage showing Khazaei in Minyan.

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Jihadist Oussama Atar denied investigators' claims that he was the "mastermind" of the Brussels attacks in March that left 32 dead in a letter to his mother, a Belgian newspaper reported today.

La Derniere Heure (DH) published the entire letter - without explaining how it obtained a copy - that the daily said came from the 32-year-old Moroccan-Belgian, who is believed to be based in Syria.

"No, I am not the mentor or mastermind who directed the Brussels attacks and I wasn't aware of what Brahim and Khalid were planning (may Allah have mercy on them)," Atar wrote, referring to the El Bakraoui brothers, distant cousins who were two of the three suicide bombers responsible for the Brussels attacks.

Atar is believed to be a member of the Islamic State group and is also suspected of being a key plotter of the Paris attacks in November last year.

The letter, sent to Atar's mother Malika Benhattal after connecting with one of his sisters through Facebook, made no mention of the Paris attacks.

Investigators believe that Atar, using the pseudonym Abou Ahmad, was one of the commanders of the attacks both in Brussels and in Paris, which will mark the first anniversary of the massacre that killed 130 people tomorrow.

Regarding his current whereabouts, he told his mother he was not in Europe and had no plans to return as he blasted the "lies" said about him and the "war" against his family.

"No, I am not Osama bin Laden, nor the right hand of (IS chief) Abu Bakr Baghdadi," Atar wrote, adding that "at no time" did he meet the latter "in prison or elsewhere".

He has been on the radar of European security forces for more than a decade.

After being arrested in Iraq in 2004 following the US-led invasion of the country, he spent time in various jails including the notorious Abu Ghraib prison used by American forces.

After being released, in 2012 he returned to Belgium, whose intelligence and police forces have faced fierce criticism about the development of jihadist networks in Brussels.

Atar was one of the "most wanted in Belgium and even in Europe", a Belgian police source told AFP in August, when his sister Asma and their mother were briefly detained by police.

French investigators were able to link him to the Paris attacks following the arrests of two suspected extremists, an Algerian and a Pakistani, detained in Austria last December.

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A journalist of a prominent vernacular daily was shot dead in Rohtas district of Bihar this morning apparently over his articles on illegal stone chips units, the police said.

The scribe, 35-year-old Dharmendra Singh, was having tea at a road side stall at his Amra tola village where he was shot by some unidentified assailants, sub divisional police officer Alok Ranjan said.

The assailant pumped bullet in his stomach from point blank range resulting in his death.

He died on way to Varanasi, he said.

Singh is survived by wife and a son.

The victim was working for a prominent Hindi daily at Sasaram.

The SDPO said probe is on in the murder case.

The murder is suspectedly linked to illegal quarrying business in Rohtas district.

The killing of another scribe, Rajdeo Ranjan, at Siwan in the same district in May last had sent shockwaves throughout the country.

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A journalists' body has condemned the murder of a scribe in Bihar and demanded an immediate judicial probe in the matter.

In a statement released here, the National Union of Journalists (India) said that the Government should come forward with Journalist Protection Act and family members of the murdered journalist Dharmendra Singh should be paid sufficient compensation.

35-year-old Singh was having tea at a road side stall at his Amra tola village where he was shot by some unidentified assailants today, police.

The statement also said that according to a Press Council of India report as many as 90 journalists have been killed in the country since last two-and-a-half decades.

The statement added that in all these cases conviction rate is abysmally low due to influence from different quarters.

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Indian-origin California Attorney General has potential to become the first woman president of the United States, a media report has said, days after Hillary Clinton was unable to break the highest glass ceiling.

51-year-old Harris, whose mother was from Chennai and father from Jamaica, won the US Senate Seat from California in a landslide election this Tuesday, becoming the first black and Asian Senator from the state.

Soon thereafter she has launched her nationwide campaign against Trump's anti-immigrant policies and mass deportation.

"Meet Kamala Harris, Who could become the first woman President. California's popular attorney general is headed to Capitol Hill. The White House might be next," The Huffington Post wrote yesterday.

The Huffungton Post article came a day after she denounced Trumpism.

Noting that she has already made history with her Senate win, the daily said she has impressive track record as California Attorney General and has top Democratic leadership including the outgoing President Barack Obama and the Vice President Joe Biden on her side.

"These alliances could help boost Harris' profile across the country should she choose to run for president in 2020," The Huffington Post wrote.

In her concession speech, Clinton had said that the glass ceiling could be broken much earlier than thought.

""I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but some day someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now," Clinton told her supporters in New York on Wednesday.

"To all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams," Clinton said.
An investigation has been opened into Britain's longest-serving Indian-origin lawmaker Keith Vaz over alleged drug offences, the Scotland Yard today said.

Vaz, 59, resigned as chair of parliament's influential home affairs select committee in September amidasex scandal over allegations involving male prostitutes. The Metropolitan Police had said it was assessing if there was evidence to open a criminal investigation.

"Following that assessment, which included obtaining early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, the Metropolitan police service is now investigating offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The investigation started on Thursday November 10," the Met Police said in a statement.

A 'Sunday Mirror' article on September 4 said the Labour MP had paid male escorts and was secretly recorded offering to pay for cocaine if it was brought to a future meeting. He, however, had stressed that he did not want any himself.

He was also accused of encouraging others to use poppers, an illegal party drug.

The Met had received a letter soon after asking them to investigate.

The correspondence was passed on to a specialist team, which "started an assessment process to identify what criminal offences - if any - may have been committed".

Vaz, who had apologised to his family after the newspaper allegations, said on Friday: "I welcome a full investigation as a means of establishing the true facts and I am confident the police will pursue all lines of enquiry. I will cooperate with the investigation in any way I can."



It was announced at the end of last month that the 59-year-old had been appointed to the justice committee, despite opposition in Parliament.

MPs voted for him to be appointed to the committee by 203 votes to seven, a majority of 196.

Electing MPs to vacancies on Commons committees is mostly uncontentious, with each party given a set allocation of places.

The rare vote on the Labour Party backed appointment ofVazcame after Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen objected to the appointment over allegations hanging overVaz.

Bridgen had said then: "An allegation in the'Sunday Mirror', with supporting video footage, implied [MrVaz] had offered to purchase class A drugs while using the services of escorts.

"And yet here we are only a relatively few weeks later and the same member is seeking a position on the prestigious and influential justice committee while matters relating to his recent resignation remain.

"A potential police investigation still hangs over him.

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Actress Kriti Sanon has refuted reports that she fell sick on sets of her upcoming film "Bareilly Ki Barfi", saying she is "absolutely" fine.

There were reports that the 26-year-old star fell unconscious while shooting in Lucknow for the film and had to be rushed to a private hospital in the city.

Taking to Twitter, Kriti denied by posting, "Guys this is a false news!! For those who are asking... I am absolutely fine..."



Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, "Bareilly Ki Barfi" also stars Raj Kummar Rao and Ayushmann Khurana.

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In order to combat air pollution, the AAP government today asked Delhi Police to launch a crackdown against 1.91 lakh diesel vehicles older than 15 years across the national capital.

The move comes five days after Lt Governor Najeeb Jung had directed the transport department to start a process of deregistering such polluting diesel vehicles in the city.

K K Dahiya, Special Commissioner (Transport) has written a letter to Delhi Traffic Police's Special Commissioner asking him to comply with the NGT order according to which these vehicles cannot be allowed to ply on the city's roads.

"The transport department has sent a CD of diesel vehicles which are older than 15 years to Delhi Police and asked the force to impound them immediately. These vehicles cannot ply and cannot be parked in public places as per the order of National Green Tribunal," sources said.

They also said that traffic police have identified 21 sites across the city where these vehicles will be kept after impounding.

As per the green court order, city administration has to de-register diesel vehicles which are older than 10 years while directing the authority to phase out vehicles first which are older than 15 years.

Earlier this week, the Lt Governor had directed transport department to start process of de-registering these vehicles in the wake of city's pollution level reaching unprecedented level.

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Mahe region, an enclave of Puducherry in Kerala, should emerge as a shining example and role model for other regions of the Union Territory in the implementation of Swachh Movement, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi today said.

A release from the office of Lt Governor here said, during her visit to Mahe on Friday to review developmental projects there, she saw for herself the progress of the construction work of a trauma care centre at the government hospital among other projects.

"The visit brought to the fore certain crisis points that need focus of attention," the Lt Governor observed.

Later, during a meeting with the officials and public in Mahe, she said the region would be the first of four regions in the Union Territory to be declared as "open defecation free (ODF) on November 30."



Bedi also appealed to the residents of Mahe to partner with the government in its endeavour to make it ODF free by November 30.

Earlier on November 8, an official release had said that Mahe would be declared as ODF region on November 11, which was rescheduled to November 30.

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Actor Robert Vaughn, whose Napoleon Solo on NBC's spy yarn "The Man From UNCLE" set TV's 1960s standard for suavity, has passed away at the age of 83.

The iconic actor died after a battle with acute leukaemia, his manager, Matthew Sullivan, confirmed to Deadline.

"Mr Vaughn passed away with his family around him in New York," Sullivan said.

Vaughn's lengthy list of credits include "Magnificent Seven", "Bullitt", "Towering Inferno" and television roles in "Hustle" and "Coronation Street". But, he will no doubt be remembered for Napoleon Solo.

UNCLE aired from 1964-68, and paired Vaughn's elegant, dark-haired Solo with David McCallum's blond Russian Illya Kuryakin.

Vaughn had only recently finished two projects- an appearance on "Law and Order: SVU" and a starring role in the upcoming film "Gold Star", about a young woman caring for her dying father.

The actor earned a supporting Emmy for the 1977 "Washington: Behind Closed Doors" and an Emmy nomination for playing Woodrow Wilson in "Backstairs at the White House" (1979).

Vaughn also appeared onstage, including a 1955 production of The Pilgramage Play in Hollywood, later taking roles in Tom Stoppard's "The Real Inspector Hound" and more recently, "Twelve Angry Men" at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 2013.

He is survived by his wife Linda and two children, Cassidy and Caitlin Vaughn.

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A 28-year-old was shot dead and several others were injured in a clash between two groups over a minor issue at Karheda village, police said today.

Narender and Satwan, who had old enmity, yesterday had argument over some minor issue which soon turned into a violent clash with supporters of both the persons using firearms and lathis, they said.

During the clash, Satwan was shot dead, police said.

Security has been tightened and additional police force deployed in the village after the incident to avoid any untoward incident, police said.

In a separate incident, atleast five people including one woman were injured in a clash between two groups over eve-teasing a woman in Pamnawli village here, police said.

Police have registered a case against five persons and arrested them.

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Prime Minister on Friday called for greater participation and engagement of Japanese industries, saying it will benefit Japan and India's MSME sector for which it could prove "transformational".

Addressing a luncheon gathering of business leaders, Modi recalled his association with Hyogo Prefecture and his visits to Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in Japan, in 2007 and 2012.

Modi, who travelled to Kobe from Tokyo in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, was received at Hyogo prefecture guest house. The Governor of Hyogo Toshizo Ido and Mayor of Kobe Kyuzo Hisamaoto were present at Hyogo house.

An agreement has been signed between the state of Gujarat and Hyogo prefectural government to promote cooperation between them in the fields of academics, business, culture, disaster management and environmental protection.

"A stronger web of state and provincial connections. The leaders witness exchange of MoU of cooperation between the Gujarat government and Hyogo prefecture," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Thanking Governor Ido for valuable efforts two develop relations with Gujarat, Modi said ties between the two sides is characterised by complete trust and mutual confidence.

"Greater participation and engagement of industries in Hyogo will benefit Japan and India's MSME sector for which it could prove transformational," Modi said

The Prime Minister said Indian community in Kobe has a long history of trade and commerce. "I congratulate all residents of Kobe on forthcoming 150 years of its port," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday left for home after concluding his three-day visit to Japan, during which the two countries signed a landmark and nine other agreements in various areas.

Modi left from the Japanese city of Osaka for New Delhi.

"Sayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM @narendramodi enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Before his departure, Modi addressed a luncheon gathering of business leaders in Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay.

He also travelled in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which is being introduced in India on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch, with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

During the visit, India and Japan signed 10 pacts covering a range of areas such as boosting Japanese investment in infrastructure, railways, and for cooperation in space and agriculture, as part of agreements to bolster bilateral ties.
The demonetisation of high value currency notes by the Modi government has suddenly made 'money-changers' and 'entry-operators' active in managing black money.

Money changers are reported to be using zero balance 'Jan Dhan' accounts, mostly held by BPL families, as a vehicle to convert old currency by depositing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes up to Rs 2.5 lakhs in these accounts.

"I am getting handsomely paid for depositing up to Rs 2.5 lakhs in my 'Jan Dhan' account and withdraw money when the restrictions end," a tea stall employee standing in a queue outside a bank here said.

Reportedly, money changers are taking 20-30 per cent cut for the entire transaction of changing old banned currency with new notes.

There are more than 25 crore Jan Dhan accounts and the money changers and entry operators are tapping this segment to convert black money to legal currency.

However, All India Federation of Tax Practitioner Vice-president Narayan Jain said such a tactic was not practical on a mass scale, although some of these accounts might be misused.

A building material supply syndicate member in the satellite township of Rajarhat told a channel here that they were facing huge problem following the government decision.

"Most of our trade is transacted through hard cash. Now, we found out a way (through entry-operators). We manage to get Rs 70 lakhs for Rs one crore," he said.

Income Tax department sources said they were keeping an eye on such entry-operators and had tracked one in the city recently.

Jain cautioned that the people using entry operators to convert their black money might get double-trapped.

"I-T will enquire once high value transactions take place, so it is advisable to disclose the source of the money officially," he added.

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VHP leader Praveen Togadia has said the recent spate of murders of RSS and BJP workers in the South should not be politicised and no outfit which professes violence has the right to function in a democratic set up.

"The murders of RSS and BJP workers should not be politicised. It is not the question of RSS and VHP, but the question of majority community (Hindus). The majority community has the right to live safely just as other communities," he said.

He was replying to reporters' query on several murders of people belonging to BJP and RSS in Karnataka, on the sidelines of an event organised by VHP here last evening.

Asked whether pro-Islamic outfits should be banned, Togadia said: "No outfit which professes violence has the right to function in a democratic set up."



BJP has been pressing for ban on Social Democratic Party of India, Popular Front of India and others, as it suspects their involvement in the murder of several Sangh Parivar and BJP activists in Karnataka in recent months.

On Tipu Jayanti, which the state government celebrated for the second consecutive year to commemorate the 18th century ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom, Togadia said instead of celebrating the anniversary of a 'tyrant ruler', the government should celebrate rulers like Chhatrapati Shivaji and Rana Pratap, who fought for the country.

Protests were held in Mangaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu and other districts, against Tipu Jayanti, who protesters said "was a religious bigot who converted people to Islam and massacred many".

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A naxal deputy commander was killed in a gun-battle with security forces in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Kondagaon district, police said today.

The cadre, identified as Boti Kashyap, was gunned down in the skirmish last night at Kudoor village under Mardapal police station limits, Superintendent of Police, Kondagaon, Santosh Singh told PTI over phone.

Police had received a tip off that the Maoists will be holding a 'jan adalat' where they were to penalise some villagers, the SP said.

Following the alert, district police teams from Narayanpur and Kondagaon were sent to Kudoor. As soon as the security forces arrived at the spot, the rebels opened fire to which they fired in retaliation.

The naxals fled from the spot. Kashyap's body was recovered during the search, while an INSAS rifle, a 12-bore gun, one radio set and few other itmes were recovered, he said.

Singh further said blood was found spilled in the site alongside impressions of bodies being dragged from the spot which indicate that some more ultras might have been injured in the gun-battle.

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A 30-year-old Maoist was today arrested in Sircilla town of Telangana, police said.

Following a tip-off, police apprehended Suthili Kanta Chandramouli in Sircilla town and recovered a country-made revolver, letter head and a seal of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), Superintendent of Police of Rajanna Sircilla district, K Vishwajith, told reporters.

Chandramouli alias Jangam Mohan joined a Naxal group as a militant in 2002 when Katkuri Ramulu alias Praveen was its Commander, the SP said.

At that time Chandramouli was allegedly involved in offences of extortions. After some time, he left for Mumbai, the senior official said.

"Recently he arrived at Rajanna Sircilla district and hatched a plan to extort money from a businessman," the SP added.

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Ahead of the second India International Science Festival in New Delhi in December, National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) is organising 'Science for the Masses: a Public Outreach Program' here.

The program on Tuesday, from 10 AM to 3 PM, isaimed at showcasing the initiatives and plans of the scientific institutions to the common people and especially the students.

NGRI director Dr V N Tiwari and senior scientist Dr Purnachander Rao said although the India International Science Festival is being held in New Delhi, this was a precursor.

An exhibition on airborne geophysics, CSS Gas Hydrates, geo-chemistry, gravity and magnetics, groundwater and tsunami, and earthquake hazards will be the highlights of the NGRI event.

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A Nigerian national has been arrested by police for assaulting a Kenyan woman and seizing her passport.

The woman, Vinny, was staying with Edwin in Greater Noida for the last three years. A few days ago, the accused assaulted the woman over a petty issue and seized her passport, police said.

The vicitm filed a complaint with police following which arrested Edwin from Delhi, they said.

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The Congress today slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying not even three out of 10 voters in the national capital will support the AAP government at this juncture.

"I am telling you, today not even three out of 10 people in Delhi would vouch for AAP. The plight of the people is worst," Congress national spokesperson Ajay Maken told reporters here.

Campaigning for the Goa unit of Congress ahead the state assembly polls, he released a "charge sheet" of allegations against the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi.

Maken alleged that since the AAP took over the regime in Delhi, the people were feeling "cheated and disentranced".

"I caution the people of Goa not to follow the footstep or commit the same mistake and then later on repent the way people in national capital are doing now," Maken, a former Union Minister, added.

Elections in Goa are scheduled to be held next year.

"People of Goa should not be hoodwinked by Kejriwal. If you want to know, just give random call to any 10 people in Delhi or even your friends. Among them even if three people are satisfied with AAP government, then please go and vote for AAP in the 2017 Goa election," he said.

He claimed that following the Assembly clean sweep in Delhi by AAP, the party's voting percentage has been sliding down which was evident during the by-elections in thirteen municipal councils.

"The 13 municipal councils which went for by-polls, of them 12 were won by AAP during state election and one by BJP. But during by-poll, AAP was reduced to five, BJP won 3 and Congress which had zero percentage of voters won five seats," Maken said.

Responding to a question, Maken termed Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's statement on nuclear policy as a "knee-jerk reaction."



"If there is any hallmark of the Narendra Modi-led government, it is their knee-jerk reaction on foreign policy. For such issues and foreign policy matter do not require knee-jerk reactions. They require well thought out strategies and not just walk the cup reactions are required," he said.

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A Pakistani religious body will debate men's rights and their protection from domestic abuse next week, in a move seen as an effort to dilute a landmark legislation in the country to protect women from violence.

The conservative Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) will debate the issue in its meeting called on Monday. The decision was taken after CII member Sahibzada Zahid M Qasmi wrote to the body's chairman Maulana Mohammad Sheerani demanding laws to "protect" men from domestic abuse.

Qasmi, in his letter, said "some women in Pakistan torture men, and force them out of their houses... Islam grants rights to men as well and in this society those rights are being violated," Dawn online reported.

Qasmi has requested the council to discuss the matter and make recommendations for a "protection bill" for men similar to one for women passed by Punjab province in February.

When the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Bill was passed, Qasmi said he was contacted by men who said while women should be given rights as is permitted in Islam and Pakistan's Constitution, men should also be given their due rights, the report said.

Defending men's rights, Qasmi said some women call their relatives to take violent measures against their husbands.

"In various districts of Punjab, several cases have come forth where men's nails have been pulled out or their hands and feet have been cut off. These cases have been lodged in various police stations," he said.

"If a man forces his wife out of the house, there are shelter homes available for her to go to. But the state has made no such provision for men."



The move by the religious body is seen as an effort by religious leaders to dilute the bill passed by Punjab, which protects women from domestic violence and abuse.

Mainstream religious parties belonging to different schools of thought had rejected the women protection bill. They feel the bill was promulgated by Punjab "only to destroy and distort the family system in the country".

Already the CII is trying to formulate its own version of the women protection bill. The religious body has been criticised for saying that men are permitted to beat their wives in 'a light manner'.

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The main Paris attacks suspect, Salah Abdeslam, has become even more radicalised since being imprisoned for his presumed role in the slaughter of 130 people a year ago, his former lawyer has said.

"He's got a beard, he's become a true fundamentalist whereas before he was a kid wearing Nike trainers," Belgian lawyer Sven Mary told Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant's Saturday edition.

Belgian-born French national Abdeslam is believed to be the only jihadist survivor of the November 13 attacks in the French capital that Belgian authorities claim were orchestrated by the Islamic State high command.

After four months on the run, the 27-year-old of Moroccan origin was arrested in Brussels in March and subsequently transferred to France in April.

Lawyer Mary said Abdeslam's detention conditions at a prison in the Parisian suburb of Fleury-Merogis amounted to "psychological torture" and had contributed to his apparent radicalisation.

He is kept in solitary confinement and subjected to round-the-clock video surveillance.

Abdeslam is accused of having provided logistical support to the seven jihadists who died at the various scenes of the terror attacks: the Bataclan concert hall, the Stade de France national stadium and several bars and restaurants in central Paris.

In July, his lawyers had attempted unsuccessfully to end the constant surveillance, but authorities had deemed the "exceptional character of terrorist acts" as justifying that "all precautions are taken".

Last month both Mary and another lawyer, Frank Berton, gave up defending Abdeslam over his refusal to answer investigators' questions since being transferred to France.

Mary said then that the lawyers felt they were doing nothing more than paying "social visits to the prison" and had decided to quit the defence.

Abdeslam's brother Mohamed last month urged him to speak to French authorities but also said he felt Salah "is more radicalised now, rather than de-radicalised".

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Civic bodies in the national capital including the three MCDs and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) will accept demonetised higher currency notes from people in payment of property tax and water bills.

The property tax offices of all the three municipal corporations -- SDMC, EDMC and SDMC -- will remain open till midnight of November 14 to receive property tax even in the form of old currency of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, said a senior municipal corporation officer.

The offices will also open on Sunday.

Also, there is no limit for cash deposit which was earlier Rs 5000, he said.

Delhi Jal Board zonal revenue offices will remain open on November 13- 14 till 5 PM for consumers to pay their pending bills, said a senior DJB official.

The old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 will be accepted for bill payment to facilitate the consumers, he added.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned home tonight after concluding his three-day visit to Japan during which the two countries signed a landmark civil nuclear deal and nine other agreements in various fields.

"Sayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM @narendramodi enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup had tweeted on departure.

Before his departure, Modi addressed a luncheon gathering of business leaders in Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay.

He also travelled in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which is being introduced in India on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch, with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

During the visit, India and Japan signed 10 pacts covering a range of areas such as boosting Japanese investment in infrastructure, railways, and for cooperation in space and agriculture, as part of agreements to bolster bilateral ties.

Shedding its reservations, Japan yesterday made an exception to sign a landmark civil nuclear deal with India, opening the door for export of its atomic technology and reactors, after adding features like safety and security keeping in mind its sensitivities on the issue.

The nuclear deal, described as historic by Prime Minister Modi, was part of the ten agreements signed between the two countries.

Modi and Abe held wide-ranging talks which covered aspects like trade and investment, security, terrorism, cooperation in skill development, aerospace and people-to-people contacts.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unlikely to make any election-related announcement in his speech here tomorrow, Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said today.

Assembly election is due in the state early next year.

"This is a government function, not an election campaign meeting. So, I don't expect him to make any election-related announcement," Parsekar told reporters after inspecting the preparations for tomorrow's event at Shama Prasad Mukherjee stadium.

Parsekar and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar visited the stadium where the prime minister is expected to address a 10,000-strong crowd after laying the foundation stones for Greenfield airport at Mopa and Tuem Electronic City in north Goa.

Modi will be arriving at Dabolim airport in the state directly from Japan.

The chief minister said the government had distributed 10,000 invitations for the event, though the demand for the same was higher than that.

"We need a bigger stadium for this kind of events. Our plan is to have an auditorium which can accommodate 15,000 people (in the future)," he said.

The prime minister is scheduled to spend around two hours in Goa before flying to Belgaum in Karnataka and then, to Pune.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today warned of further action against those with black money once the December 30 deadline expires for disclosing demonetised notes, saying they will have to "pay for" unaccounted cash.

At the same time, he said honest people have nothing to fear from the government. He also made a veiled attack on the Opposition, saying a section of the people was "egging" others to speak against him on the scheme.

"I want to tell the people again and again that the government will do everything to protect the honest. But the dishonest beware, I will make you pay for it," he said addressing the Indian community here at a reception before winding up his three-day visit to Japan.

In a speech laced with barbs and humour, Modi said opportunities were given to those with black money to come clean.

"It is not as though opportunity was not given. Then also if you feel that it will be business as usual, I cannot be faulted.

"After December 30 scheme (the last date for depositing demonetised notes) if you feel that there will be no action, there is no guarantee that something new will not be introduced to punish you (thikane lagane ke liye)," Modi said.

"The world has changed. I gave you time. Now it is up to you, think about your son's future," he said, amidst cheers from the audience.

Referring to his November 8 announcement cancelling the



legal tender status of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, Modi said the government had not done it all of a sudden.

The government, he said, had earlier brought out schemes for declaration of black money, the first of which fetched Rs 67,000 crores.

"Even then people said Modi has failed. In the last two years a sum of Rs 1.25 lakh crores has been unearthed," he said.

Modi said what the government has done was not to harass anybody.

"Difficulties have been there. I have given 50 days time for people to go and deposit their honest money. But I make it clear, that if anything unaccounted comes up, then I will dig the records since Independence.

"I will deploy as many people as required for this. Honest people will not face any problem. No one will be spared. Those who know me, they are intelligent as well... They think it is better to offer it to the Ganges than put it in banks... people would refuse to put even 25 paise into the Ganges," Modi said.

He was referring to reports of the demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes dumped into the river.

Then he asked the audience should stolen wealth not be brought out.

Modi termed the demonetisation as "Swachhata Abhiyan" and hailed the undaunting spirit of the people despite their hardship following its announcement on November 8.

"I salute my countrymen. People stood in line for four hours, six hours but accepted the decision in the national interest the way people of Japan tackled the aftermath of the 2011 disaster," he said.

"I thought long and hard about the possible difficulties and it was also important to keep it a secret. It had to be done suddenly but I never thought I will receive blessings for this," he said.

"I salute each and every Indian. Many families had weddings, health problems...Yes they faced inconvenience but they accepted the decision," the prime minister said.

"Law should be equal to everyone. People are happy about the fact that even Modi's Rs 1,000 notes are not usable anymore," Modi said.

Talking about avoiding harassment of honest people, Modi said housewives have been allowed to deposit Rs 2.5 lakh in their accounts and there will be no questioning.

"We will not ask her where did the money come from. As a result of this, now you can see sons and daughters-in-laws are depositing Rs 2.5 lakh in the mother's account, who they had abandoned in old-age homes. Will the mothers not bless me?" he asked.

Underlining that the world is acknowledging that India is the fastest-growing economy among the large global economies, he said the country is also receiving historically high FDI.

"The IMF, the World Bank all are saying in one voice. The IMF also said that India is a shining star. World economists believe India is growing at a very fast rate... I have my own definitions (of FDI). The first definition is First Develop India and the second is the Foreign Direct Investment. India is receiving historically high rate of FDI," he said.
In a positive spin-off of the Centre's demonetisation move, local bodies in Tamil Nadu are witnessing a sharp rise in property tax collections, with the authorities allowing payments with scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

The Tiruchirappalli and Madurai corporations which usually collect a net average collection of Rs 40 lakhs and Rs 70 lakhs per day respectively have clocked more than Rs 2 crore receipts in the last two days, officials said.

The demonetisation of high-denomination currency has come as a boon to local bodies, which had been issuing repeated demands for payment of property tax dues.

Long queues were seen in most of the tax counters of the two civic bodies with people realising that it was an easy option to exchange the high denomination notes, with banks witnessing heavy rush.

The Tiruchirappalli corporation netted a revenue of Rs 2.35 crores on a single day yesterday and people continue to pay the tax today also, an official of the civic body said.

Property tax collection in the Madurai Corporation yesterday stood at Rs 2.50 crores with the taxes paid ranging from Rs 500 to Rs two lakh, another official said.

Madurai Corporation officials said they would accept the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes till the government allowed it.

"Repeated demand notices did not evoke any response from the taxpayers. But the demonetisation has worked (resulting in more payments)," said an official.

The government has extended use of old defunct 500 and 1,000 notes for paying household utility bills, fuel, taxes, fees and purchases from co-operative stores till November 14.

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Rahul Gandhi today made a fervent appeal to all partymen to come out and help the common people standing in queues outside banks and ATMs to exchange their old currency notes after their demonetisation.

"We appeal to all Congress workers to help all those who are standing in long lines outside banks in whatever capacity possible," he said, adding the week and underprivileged "need our support".

Gandhi also put out his video message through his twitter account asking the Congress party workers and the youth to help out the common people, especially the poor and elderly.

"Today is tough time for the people of the country, as the entire country is standing in queues outside banks. It is tough time and they need our support.

"Wherever people are standing in line, you should help them provide water and help them get their currency exchanged. The country and people, especially the poor, need out support and do help them out by standing with them and holding their hand," Gandhi said in his message.

Former Finance Minister P Chidamabaram today also hit out at the government saying an "unprepared" dispensation has pushed common man to misery.

"This scheme is not DeMonetisation. This is 'Old Notes for New'. Unprepared government pushes common people into misery and despair.

"The half-baked plan has benefited only touts and middlemen. Gov should publish the 2012 CBDT report that advised against DeMonetisation," he said on twitter.

Congress party has said that the common people were facing harassment as they have to stand in long queues outside banks to get their old currency changed.

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Upping the ante against BJP, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee today said she is not averse to working with CPI(M) and other opposition parties like Congress, SP, BSP to fight against the "anti-people" Modi government which has imposed an "undeclared emergency".

"We may have ideological differences with CPI-M but we are ready to work with it and other opposition parties like Congress, SP, BSP to save the country. The anti-people Modi government has imposed an undeclared emergency in the country," she told a press conference at the state secretariat.

"Congress, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh ji, (Arvind) Kejriwal have protested against the demonetisation issue. Let all the opposition parties work together to save the country," she said, adding that BJP will lose deposits in upcoming elections.

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of conducting a surgical strike on the common people in the name of unearthing black money, she said that the demonetisation move was taken without any proper planning causing immense hardship.

"The Modi goverment had misled the people on the surgical strikes (in POK). The people do not know what had happened," she said.

TMC Parliamentary party will raise the issue on the floor of Parliament and will seek answers on the issue of surgical strikes, she said.

Turning to Modi's statement from Japan on the future steps to curb black money, she said, "Now the Prime Minister is threatening the people of the country from foreign land.

"What will he do? He can put us in jail or shoot us for raising voice. I don't care. He can also declare emergency," she said.

Terming the demonetisation move as "dangerous, disastrous and draconian", Banerjee demanded that a probe should be carried out by the chief justice of India to find out the financial loss in the country during the period after the announcement of demonetisation of high value currency.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today described the submission of resignation letters by Congress MLAs, to protest the Supreme Court ruling on SYL issue, as "political stunt" and also claimed that AAP is a party of "hypocrites and opportunists".

The resignation of "treacherous" Congress leaders is aimed at "deriving political benefit" from this sensitive issue rather than safeguarding the interests of the state, he alleged here today.

Speaking at his 'Sangat Darshan' programme in Lambi Assembly segment here, Badal claimed it is an open secret that state Congress chief Amarinder Singh wants to contest the Assembly polls, for which he resigned from his Lok Sabha seat.

The Chief Minister asked him to explain why the other Congress MPs had not resigned to express solidarity with the state "in this hour of crisis".

"It is ironical that as polls for Punjab Assembly are due within a few months, all Congress MLAs resigned, but the MPs shied away as they have fairly enough time for their tenure to end," Badal claimed.

All Opposition Congress MLAs submitted their resignation to the Punjab Assembly Secretary yesterday to protest the Supreme Court's ruling favouring Haryana on the SYL issue.

Justifying SAD leaders' decision of not offering resignation, he said, "As the custodian of the Punjabis, Akali Dal is duty-bound to protect their interests, which can be done best by remaining at the helms of the affairs."



The Chief Minister said the state government has called a special session of the Assembly on November 16 to chalk out a strategy to deal with the crisis and also sought time from President Pranab Mukherjee so that the Cabinet can present the case of the state before him.

Hitting out at AAP, the Chief Minister alleged that it is a party with "dual face".

"The AAP government in Delhi had submitted an affidavit against the state in the apex court on SYL issue. Disguised in the robe of aam aadmi (common man), these people are working overtime against the interests of the state," Badal alleged.

SAD will hold a gathering of Punjabis at Moga on December 8 and start "Pani Bachao, Punjab Bachao" campaign, he said and exhorted for fulsome support and cooperation of people.

On demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination notes, Badal said this scheme will act as a catalyst to wipe out corruption and black money from the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actress Rosario Dawson will portray activist Donna Hylton in new film "A Little Piece Of Light."



The movie, be based on the biography of the same name, will centre on Hylton's upbringing in Jamaica before she was sold to an American family at the age of seven, reported Deadline.

After arriving in New York, she was sexually abused by her adopted father and would hide in closets to escape him.

As a teenager she was arrested for her part in the kidnapping and murder of a Rikers Island real estate agent and she was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Hylton spent her time in solitary confinement.

She was released in 2012 and began to fight for women's rights.

The "Sin City" star is reportedly searching for a female screenwriter and director for the project.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In restricted activity, select edible oils extended losses for the third straight week at the wholesale oil and oilseeds market following fall in demand from retailers and vanaspati millers against ample stocks position.

Castor oil in the non-edible section, also finished lower on reduced offtake by consuming industries.

Traders said besides fall in demand from retailers, adequate stocks position mainly kept pressure on select edible oil prices.

Volume of business dropped considerably as stockists and retailers kept their activity restricted due to tight fund positions after the government in a surprise move, banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes in a bid to curb black money, they said.

In the national capital, groundnut mill delivery (Gujarat) oil remained under selling pressure and lost Rs 400 at Rs 10,400 per quintal, while groundnut solvent refined held steady at 1,700-1,800 per tin in limited deals.

Palmolein (rbd) and palmolein (Kandla) oils also fell by Rs 100 each to Rs 5,700 and Rs 5,750 per quintal respectively.

Soyabean refined mill delivery (Indore) and soyabean degum (Kandla) too shed Rs 50 each to Rs 6,600 and Rs 6,300 per quintal respectively.

In the non-edible section, castor oil drifted lower by Rs 50 to Rs 9,650-9,750, while linseed held steady at Rs 9,900 per quintal respectively.

Grains: In thin trade, prices of rice basmati and other



bold grains moved up at the wholesale grains market due to uptick in demand.

However, wheat showed weakness as prices eased due to fall in demand at prevailing higher levels and ended lower.

Marketmen attributed the rise in rice basmati and a few other bold grain prices to upsurge in demand.

Trading activity remained restricted as enquiries from neighbouring areas remained negligible due to tight fund positions after the government in a surprise move, banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes in a bid to curb black money, they said.

Meanwhile, area sown for wheat, the main rabi crop, has gone up by 38 per cent to 25.72 lakh hectare in the ongoing rabi season, even as farmers wait for government's announcement of support price for rabi crops.

Wheat is the main rabi crop and sowing starts from October, with harvesting beginning in April.

As per the latest government data, wheat has been sown in 25.72 lakh hectare so far in the rabi (winter) season, as against 18.65 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.

In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety settled higher at Rs 5,600-5,700 and Rs 4,500-5,500 as compared to previous levels of Rs 5,500-5,600 and Rs 4,500-5,400 per quintal respectively.

Other bold grains like, barley and maize climbed to Rs 1,810-1,820 and Rs 1,560-1,570 from previous levels of Rs 1,570-1,675 and Rs 1,500-1,510 per quintal respectively.

Bajra, jowar yellow and white also edged up by Rs 50 each to Rs 1,450-1,455, Rs 1,800-1,850 and Rs 3,450-3,650 per quintal respectively.

On the other hand, wheat dara (for mills) fell by Rs 50 to Rs 2,100-2,105 per quintal.

Atta flour mills, maida and sooji also settled lower at Rs 1,150-1,160, Rs 1,230-1,240 and Rs 1,300-1,320 against last close of Rs 1,180-1,190, Rs 1,280-1,290 and Rs 1,350-1,360 per 50 kg, respectively on easing demand at prevailing levels.

Pulses: In thin trade, kabli gram prices edged up at the



wholesale pulses market during the week on mild demand from retailers.

However, moong prices ended lower on lack of buying support.

Elsewhere, other pulses moved in a narrow range in the absence of worthwhile activity and pegged at last week's levels.

Traders said mild demand from retailers helped kabli gram prices to end marginally higher.

Volume of business dipped as stockists and retailers kept their activity restricted due to tight liquidity after the government in a surprise move, banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes in a bid to curb black money.

In the national capital, kabli gram small variety edged up by Rs 100 to Rs 10,100-10,500 per quintal.

On the other hand, moong and its chilka local settled lower at Rs 5,100-5,600 and Rs 5,600-5,800 from previous week's levels of Rs 5,100-5,700 and Rs 5,600-5,900 per quintal respectively.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee today said it has appealed to President Pranab Mukherjee to intervene in the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal issue.

SGPC President Kirpal Singh Badungar told persons that the executive committee members appealed to President to save Punjab's river waters.

The farmers in the state are already reeling under a shortage of water for cultivation. In such a situation, they cannot afford to share river waters with the neighbouring state, he said.

Badungar said the Supreme Court asking Punjab to share river waters with Haryana will hit the farmers.

SGPC's executive committee has also asked the Centre and the Pakistan government to construct a special corridor to facilitate Sikh devotees travelling to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With a view to establish direct contact with people for preparing its 'vision document' for the crucial 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, BJP president Amit Shah today kicked off the party campaign here.

He said that as part of the 'Uttar Pradesh ki janata ki awaaz' campaign, the party will approach people to know about their aspirations and expectations from BJP, and take their suggestions in writing.

The BJP chief also launched a mobile number for the campaign, stating that the party will call back all those who would give a miss call on the number.

"Some 1,500 suggestion boxes named 'akansha' will be placed for taking written suggestions ...1,500 interactive programmes will be held for taking suggestions of youth, women and other sections of society," he said, adding that this process of dialogue and interaction will be completed in two months time.

"On the basis of the suggestions, the party will prepare its vision document," he said while flagging off 75 video vans for recording people's suggestions.

In an interaction with media persons later, Shah took a dig at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who had yesterday stood in a queue to withdraw money from a bank.

"No one goes to bank in a Land Rover to withdraw Rs 4,000," he said.

To a question on SP state unit president Shivpal Singh Yadav blaming BJP for spreading rumours on shortage of salt, Shah said, "He is facing BJP phobia."



The BJP president said that his party was committed on the issue of construction of Ram temple and its stand was totally clear.

At another programme in the state capital, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad termed demonetisation as a "right step to check circulation of fake currency notes and ISI backed terror activities."



"But it is difficult to comprehend the opposition by AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, BSP, SP and Congress...The entire nation needs to stand united on this issue," he said.

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Women self help groups (SHG) and Micro Finance companies will face action if the members of such organisations are found indulging in distribution of cash or gift articles to voters in Nellithope constituency, going to by-poll on November 19, a senior election official said today.

A release from the District Election Officer (DEO) Satyendra Singh Durswat, today said, in a recent meeting the members of SHGs and micro finance units were warned that action would be taken if they are found to be cooperating in the distribution of cash and gift articles in Nellipthope constituency.

"SHGs and the companies will be blacklisted and they would also face strict criminal action as cases would be booked against the members encouraging the offences," the release said.

The election authorities have received complaints that SHGs and micro finance companies were being misused by some for distribution of cash and gift articles to voters in the constituency.

In another release, the DEO said, an order under section 144 CrPC has been clamped in the constituency to prevent conduct of any surveyby any agency or group.

Complaints were received thatmembers of various groups and organisations were conducting a door-to-door survey to collect details of members of the households in Nellithope constituency, it said.

Such surveys would influence the voters and hence an order under Section 144 CrPC has been imposed to prohibit it except with the prior approval by the competent authority, it added.

The order would be in force till the process of electionis completed and will not be applicable for activities proposed by the government departments, the release said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today visited Chandni Chowk to listen to the problems of the traders in the wake of demonetisation of high-value currency notes by the Centre.

The traders told him that the lack of cash has hit their businesses and they were facing "severe problems" in meeting even their daily expenses.

"Neither do we have cash nor do the customers. We are facing a livelihood crisis," Kishan Kumar, a street vendor, told the deputy chief minister as he stopped by his stall.

The traders said their businesses were "severely hit" as the number of customers has dwindled over the last few days and some of the customers were still coming with the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes which were of no use.

"There is no work. Most of the customers do not have the new bank notes. They are still coming with the old notes. Rumours too are affecting business," Ajay Babu Saxena, a shop owner, told Sisodia.

"Modiji had said the move (to demonetise high-value currency notes) will put an end to black money. Do these traders have black money? They do not even have money to pay the school fees of their children or salaries to their staff," the deputy chief minister told reporters.

He condemned the move to demonetise high-value currency notes claiming that it did not unearth black money but affected the livelihood of small traders.

"If Modiji feels these people have black money, then there could not be a more incorrect thinking than that," said Sisodia.

He met about a dozen traders around Gouri Shankar Mandir in the Chandni Chowk area who were readying their shops for the day.

"The lack of cash has affected everyone. Although, no one is against digging out black money, the Modi government should have ensured that there was an adequate stock of new currency notes with the banks and in the ATMs where the people are spending hours for money," said a salesman of a shop where Sisodia stopped by.

The traders also expressed concern over rumours of VAT raids by the Trade department of the Delhi government.

Sisodia assured them that no such raid will be conducted when a trader asked him whether he should open his shop or not.

The traders also complained to the deputy chief minister regarding their problems in ordering goods as the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were not being accepted by the wholesalers and big traders.

Chandni Chowk MLA Alka Lamba and members of the AAP's traders' wing accompanied Sisodia during his visit.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag today assured Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" that India was committed to capacity and capability building of Nepal's army.

Suhag, who is on a three-day official visit here, called on 61-year-old Prachanda.

"Army chief assured him that we are committed to capability and capacity building of Nepal Army," Indian Army sources said.

Prachanda was appreciative of the growing contacts between the two countries at all levels, especially the recent "extremely successful" visit of President Pranab Mukherjee,.

Parcahanda said the visits will add to the growing bonds of friendship. Discussions were also held on unique army to army relationship, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Condemning killing of a journalist in Rohtas district, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today blamed the "rise in crime" in Bihar for a fourth journalist being murdered in the state in past one year.

Terming as "laughable" Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's claim of "slide in crime rates" since liquor ban, he asked how come the cases of kidnapping witnessed a rise of 200 per cent in August as compared to April this year when prohibition came into force.

"Likewise there is increase of 79 per cent in incidents of rape, 92 per cent in road dacoities, riot and theft by 26 per cent each and 19 per cent in murder during the period," Modi pointed out.

"Do murders of journalists Ajay Vidrohi in Sitamarhi, Mahendra Pandey in Gaya, Rajdeo Ranjan in Siwan and now Dharmendra Singh in Rohtas not put a question mark on claim of 'rule of law' in the state?" he said in a statement.

Reacting to the killing 35-year-old scribe Dharmendra Singh, he said, "It's a result of rise in crime that there was a murder of fourth journalist in Bihar in past one year."



Singh, who worked with a prominent vernacular daily, was having tea at a road side stall at Amratola village under mufassil police station of Rohtas when assailants pumped bullet in his stomach from point blank range resulting in his death around 6 AM today.

Modi has demanded immediate arrest of killers of Rohtas scribe, their speedy trial and a sum of Rs 25 lakh be extended to victim's dependents.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Syrian government forces have recaptured all of the areas taken by rebel fighters in a recent assault intended to break the regime siege on eastern Aleppo, a monitor said today.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the army had recaptured key areas including the western district of Dahiyet al-Assad and the village of Minyan outside the city.

The reversals undo all of the progress made during a recent push by opposition fighters, including former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham front, as they tried to end a government siege on eastern Aleppo city.

Government forces surrounded rebel-held east Aleppo in July, severing the last supply line into opposition neighbourhoods and imposing a blockade that has led to food and fuel shortages.

Rebels have tried several times to break the siege, succeeding briefly in August, but no aid has entered the east since July.

The monitor said over 450 fighters and civilians had been killed since the rebels began their latest bid to break the siege on October 28.

The dead include 215 Syrian and foreign opposition fighters, including some who carried out suicide bomb attacks, and 143 regime forces.

Nearly 100 civilians were also killed in the fighting, the majority of them in government-held west Aleppo, where 29 children were among those killed in waves of rebel rocket fire.

Once Syria's economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been ravaged by the war that began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

The city has been divided since mid-2012, and in September, the government announced an operation to recapture all of Aleppo.

The government assault, backed by Russian warplanes, has killed hundreds of people in east Aleppo and damaged and destroyed infrastructure including hospitals.

More than 300,000 people have been killed in Syria's five-year war.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
TMC is "repeating" the position taken by CPI(M) over the Centre's move to demonetise high- value currency notes, the Left party's general secretary Sitaram Yechury said today even as he expressed concern over people's "suffering" in the wake of the government's decision.

"CPI(M) was one of the first political parties to have reacted and opposed the government's move, saying it doesn't address any of the issues of black money, corruption or counterfeit currency or terrorism which the Prime Minister had talked (about). TMC is repeating grounds of our position," he said.

The Marxist leader though refused to elaborate any further on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement that TMC is ready to work with CPI(M) -- notwithstanding ideological differences between them -- and Congress, SP and BSP to "save the country".

Talking to PTI over phone from Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli, the Rajya Sabha member said the Centre's decision to demonetise Rs 1000 and Rs 500 currency notes has caused "suffering" to commoners across the country.

He asked the government to give more time to the people to arrange for their monetary requirements, "if it is not able to give public an alternative".

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation of high-value currency notes on November 8, CPI(M) had said the decision does not address the problem of black money stashed abroad or invested in real estate or gold and had insisted the government should make public names of top 100 defaulters of bank loans.

Observing the move was meant only to "harrass" the people, Yechury had said "to uncover the illicit money trail, we demand that the government release the name of top 100 defaulters of bank loans".

The Centre came under attack from Banerjee over demonetisation of the currency notes even as she said her TMC is not averse to working with rival CPI(M) against the "anti-people" Modi government, which she said, has imposed an "undeclared emergency".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With the Supreme Court ruling in favour of Haryana in the water sharing dispute, the Khattar government will now press for the execution of the apex court order passed in 2002 and 2004 for the completion of .

"We will now press for the execution of decree passed by the SC in favour of Haryana in 2002 and 2004 whereby the be constructed," Haryana Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan said on Saturday.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court held the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, as "unconstitutional" which passed by Punjab government to terminate the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal water sharing agreement with neighbouring states.

Haryana AG said that the execution petition was already pending with the Supreme Court, adding it was expected to be listed within a month.

When asked whether the SC ruling was an opinion, not binding in nature, Mahajan said the apex court has declared Punjab's legislation as "invalid and unconstitutional".

"President had asked for the opinion of SC whether the Act was valid or not. Now it is irrelevant whether President gives his assent or not when the SC has said that the Act was invalid," said Haryana AG.

On Saturday, Punjab Advocate General Ashok Aggarwal had said that SC had just given its advice and President may accept it or may not accept it.

When asked that Punjab was exploring options to bring a new Bill to scrap all water sharing pacts, Mahajan opined that the SC had declared that no state could pass such an Act.

"If another law is brought (by Punjab) then it will be not more than a 'dikhawa' (show off)," he said.

Mahajan asserted that any act passed by the Centre or state could be examined by the apex court to check its legality.

The Supreme Court had in its verdict in year 2002 and 2004 had ordered the completion of for sharing of Ravi Beas water.

The apex court had first decreed the suit of Haryana in 2002 asking Punjab to honour its commitments with regard to water sharing in the case.

Punjab challenged the verdict by filing an original suit which was rejected in 2004 by the Supreme Court which asked the Centre to take over the remaining infrastructural work of the SYL canal project.

But in 2004, the Congress government in Punjab led by the then Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had enacted a law to annual the water sharing pacts with neighbouring states.

Thereafter, then President A P J Abdul Kalam referred to SC for an advisory opinion on the issue relating to the Punjab's Act.
Donald Trump has indicated that he will consider retaining an "amended" version of the Affordable Care Act, a marked shift in stance on his major campaign promise of repealing President Barack Obama's flagship healthcare law.

The President-elect made the apparent U-turn after his meeting with Obama at the White House this week, according to the Wall Street Journal.

In an interview with the newspaper, Trump said his priority is to move "quickly" on Obamacare, which has become "expensive and unworkable".

At the same time, he "showed a willingness to preserve at least two provisions" of the law after the outgoing president Barack Obama asked him to reconsider repealing it during their meeting at the White House on Thursday, the daily said.

"Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced," Trump said. "I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that."



According to the Journal, Trump said he favours retaining a key part of Obamacare that stops insurers from refusing to cover people because they have existing conditions, as well as a provision that allows parents to provide years of additional coverage for children on their insurance policies. "I like those very much."



Trump also appeared to be committed on his promises of bringing jobs back through improved international trade deals and massive infrastructure investment, besides focusing on defeating ISIS.

"I want a country that loves each other. I want to stress that," Trump said in his first interview after winning the November 8 presidential elections, in which he defeated Hillary Clinton after mounting one of the most divisive campaigns in recent memory.

Trump said he would create jobs through nationwide



infrastructure projects and improved international trade deals.

He also said he would preserve American jobs by potentially imposing tariffs on products of US companies that relocate overseas, thereby reducing the incentive to move plants abroad, the Journal reported.

Trump so far has spoken to several world leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is yet to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said he got a "beautiful" letter from Putin.

On Syria, he said his main focus would be defeating ISIS rather than removing its current president Bashar al-Assad.

"My attitude was you're fighting Syria, Syria is fighting ISIS, and you have to get rid of ISIS. Russia is now totally aligned with Syria, and now you have Iran, which is becoming powerful, because of us, is aligned with Syria...Now we're backing rebels against Syria, and we have no idea who these people are," Trump said.

If the US attacks Assad, Trump said, "we end up fighting Russia, fighting Syria."



On the Israel-Palestine conflict, Trump said hopes to craft a deal.

"That's the ultimate deal. As a deal maker, I'd like to do the deal that can't be made. And do it for humanity's sake," Trump told the daily.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury today claimed that Donald Trump's "surprise" victory in the US Presidential elections would lead to "global uncertainties".

"Trump's election as the US President has evoked surprise as nobody expected him to defeat Hillary (Clinton)...His election would create uncertainties globally," he said while addressing Tamil Nadu CPI(M)'s state-level conference here.

Yechury claimed that Trump's policies would "take a toll" on the BPO sector in India and "restrict" the entry of Indian students to the US.

Hitting out at the BJP-led NDA government, he claimed that ever since the saffron party came to power, the country's industrial growth had become "sluggish".

Referring to unemployment and the agrarian crisis, he said, "Incidents of farmer suicides have increased by 26 per cent. Besides, 1.30 crore youths are joining the unemployed population every year."



On the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes by the Centre, the CPI(M) leader said, "The move has largely affected the common man. The demonetisation of the old notes and introduction of the new ones will only pave way for more corruption."



He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim of curbing black money through this move will not work and accused the Centre of "not taking steps to bring back black money hoarded in the foreign banks".

On the Centre mooting the idea of introducing Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country, Yechury said, "UCC must be uniform to all the religions. All this is being done to reap political dividends keeping the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election in mind."



Claiming that the CPI(M) was the "only political alternative" to the "sectarian right-wing forces" in the country, he said the party will not allow such forces to "exploit the discontent" of the common man.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two persons were arrest from along the RS Pura sector on the international border in Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly spying for Pakistan and sharing secret information on social networking app Whatsapp, police said today.

Police got information that Satvinder Singh and Dadu were roaming in the area along the international border in Suchetgarh sector and were taking pictures of the security establishments, a police officer said.

Acting swiftly, both of them were nabbed and during their questioning they revealed that they were collecting the secret information regarding the locations of the Army and other security forces, and sharing the same with Pakistan through Whatsapp, he said.

Both of them have been arrested and booked under various sections of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), the officer said, adding further investigations were on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two persons were killed and over 40 injured after a private tourist bus overturned in Kopri ghat near Bhimashankar, around 80 km from here, police said today.

The mishap occurred late last night when the bus, carrying pilgrims, was returning to Pune from Bhimashankar, an official of Khed police station said.

Around 90 pilgrims, majority of them are from Odisha had gone to Bhimashankar, one of the 12 'Jyotirlingas'. When the bus was on its way to Pune, its driver lost control while negotiating a sharp turn in the Kopri ghat and it overturned after hitting into road side barricades, he added.

Two pilgrims were killed on the spot and all the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals.

The deceased were identified as Prafulla Sahoo (43) and Mamata Mishra (45), both residents of Deogarh district in Odisha, said the official, adding the pilgrims were planning to visit the Shani Shinganapur shrine in neighbouring Ahmednagar district.

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Seeking to offer innovative solutions for Kerala's business capital Kochi, a visiting UK delegation has held discussions with top officials of the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL).

British Deputy High Commissioner Bharat Joshi, who was part of the delegation, today said during the meeting the business delegation presented their high tech smart city solutions --on how UK companies can help development of Kochi as a smart city.

"We are very excited on the opportunities. In fact we can deliver a smart city--make Kochi a nicer place," Joshi said after the meeting.

He said the UK, having experiences in building smart cities like London and Manchester, could share the lessons they have learnt with Indian cities, including Kochi.

As many as 20 of UK's most innovative companies began their two-day visit to Kochi yesterday to explore partnership opportunities.

The business delegation had visited New Delhi during Birtish Prime Minister Theresa May's visit early this week.

The UK invests more in India than the US and Japan combined and India is the third largest investor in the UK.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the partnership between the two countries during his visit to the UK in November 2015.

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A US has been apprehended by police after he allegedly flew a drone near the high-security .

Officials said the incident was reported around 2 PM on Friday when a small white-coloured drone was spotted twice near the historical monument which is a tight security zone.

A joint search was soon launched by local police and the CISF, entrusted to guard the Taj Mahal, to check on the object and after few hours they spotted a man atop a nearby hotel preparing to fly the machine.

"The man, a tourist from Ohio in US, has been identified as R Nicholas. He was detained by police and brought to a local police station. Flying of drones or any other flying object is prohibited in and around Taj Mahal," they said.

Prima facie nothing suspicious has been found in the flying machine and in Nichloas's activities, they said, adding, police is investigating the matter.

Police has also informed the United State of America Embassy in Delhi about the incident, they said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President-elect Donald Trump has shaken up his White House transition team, appointing Vice President-elect Mike Pence as its head and three of his children as part of the group that would shape the direction of Trump's Administration beginning January 2017.

Trump, who won the general elections on November 8, would be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on January 20, 2017, replacing Barack Obama, whose tenure ends that day.

Till then, the 70-year-old real estate tycoon has a transition team which would help him prepare to hit the ground running from day one.

The announcement by Trump came yesterday that Pence would be head of his transition team which was previously held by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

According to a media release, Pence would replace the New Jersey Governor to serve as the Chairman of the Presidential Transition Team.

Dr Ben Carson, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Speaker of House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, USA (Ret) former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Senator Jeff Sessions will join the team's Executive Committee as Vice Chairs, it said.

Among other members are two of his sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump along with daughter Ivanka Trump. The Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, Trump Campaign CEO Stephen K Bannon are other members of the transition team.

"Together this outstanding group of advisors, led by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, will build on the initial work done under the leadership of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to help prepare a transformative government ready to lead from day one," Trump said.

"The mission of our team will be clear: put together the most highly qualified group of successful leaders who will be able to implement our changed agenda in Washington. Together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding this nation specifically jobs, security and opportunity. This team is going to get to work immediately to Make America Great Again," he said.

He also announced that Chief of Staff to Senator Sessions, Rick Dearborn, will join Presidential Transition Team as Executive Director.

"President-elect Trump will bring about fundamental change in Washington and these are the right people to make that happen," Pence said.

"This team of experienced leaders will form the building blocks of our Presidential Transition Team staff leadership roster, and will work with elected officials and tireless volunteers to prepare our government for the transfer of power on January 20th," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Haryana government to withdraw its decision of not plying buses on Punjab routes as it might cause "unnecessary" panic.

Fearing possible law and order problems after the Supreme Court's ruling on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue on Thursday, the Haryana Transport Department had yesterday suspended services to several destinations in Punjab as a "precautionary measure".

"There is no occasion for such a decision as people of Punjab and Haryana have been living and continue to live like brothers in atmosphere of complete brotherly love, respect and mutual faith. There is no tension anywhere to warrant such decision," Badal said in a statement here.

Services were suspended after the Haryana Transport Department issued directions to all bus depots in the state to take necessary steps after assessing the situation for safety of their buses.

Bus services remained suspended on several routes, including those to Ludhiana and Katra in Jammu and Kashmir.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fliers will have to shell out more for airfares with the government going in for a levy of up to Rs 8,500 per flight on major routes from December 1 to finance its regional connectivity scheme that aims to make air travel more affordable for the masses.

The levy will be a lump sum charge on the entire flight which will be shared among the total number of passengers. The increase in the price of each ticket will, therefore, depend on the number of passengers on a particular flight.

The UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme has been floated to connect small cities by air as well as make flying more affordable for the common man with airfares being capped at Rs 2,500 for one-hour flights.

Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey on Friday said the levy will be Rs 7,500 for flights up to 1,000 kilometre distance, Rs 8,000 for a 1,000-1,500 kilometre flight and Rs 8,500 for flights above 1,500 kilometre.

It will be applicable only on scheduled domestic flights operating on major routes and excludes regional flights, he said. To provide viability gap funding for the flights operated under UDAN, the ministry will charge the levy from airlines on every departure on major air routes such as the Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata. The government has created the Regional Connectivity Fund (RCF), of which 80 per cent will be financed by the Centre and the rest by respective states.

With the levy, the government estimates to have Rs 400 crore for RCF, Choubey said.

On top of it, another 20 per cent funding will come from state governments. "We are looking at roughly around Rs 500 crore per year available in the kitty," he said. Choubey was speaking at a stakeholders' conference and pre-bid meeting on implementation of UDAN.

The levy will push air fares slightly higher as airlines are expected to pass on the burden to flyers. However, Choubey said that even if the levy burden is passed on to the customers, the air fares will not go up significantly.

Stating that the levy will come into effect from December 1, 2016, Choubey said even if it is being passed on entirely by airlines without any quantum being absorbed by them the increase in airfares should not be more than, let's say, one per centof a ticket price.

"That is the ballpark figure.The average increase in fares will be one per cent and if the airlines decide to absorb a part of it, then the increase would be much less," Choubey added. However, airlines have already criticised the move for imposing the levy as it will make flying more expensive for their passengers.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics have shown the number of births by mothers aged between 15 and 19 made up 2.8 per cent of all births in 2015, falling from the then low of 3.1 per cent in 2014.
And besides, the exhibitions are so wildly different each year that it's almost meaningless to put a dollar figure on it. Last year's big show was the contemplative, pastoral works of the great Australian painter Tom Roberts  a sleeper hit that was one of the gallery's most successful ever. The year before that, an actual living genius  the American light artist James Turrell  was on hand to oversee his complex vision taking shape via new walls, cornices, projectors and lights. The year before that, thousand-year-old treasures from dug-up graves in Peru were displayed in darkened corners. In 2009, some of the world's most famous French masterpieces were being couriered across three continents to get here. Need I go on? Insurance is expensive, and no one would expect anything less than the best of everything when it comes to creating these exhibitions which must withstand daily crowds of visitors moving through.
"There's something about Canberra and the arts that nowhere else in Australia has, that obsessive interest with the arts and very practical understanding of how important the arts and music in particular are."
"The average Joe might be pleased that there's now interest in reforms to do with access to information and that the government's prepared to look at issues to do with the integrity of public office."
Not long ago I was an outside believer who dwelled in the city and belonged to a group which the church paid special care to. Not only did people in the group leave their hometown and do hard work, they were often neglected and looked down upon, even marginalized. As a matter of fact, thinking back, the local believers were the people the church should pay special attention to. In modern urban churches, especially those with higher outsider populations and higher degrees of openness, the ratio of the born and bred believers compared to outside believers has become less and less. The number of local believers was negligible and they have gradually been marginalized.

In a county-level city in southern Jiangsu, called "Jianghai," the resident population is close to one million with local people and outside workers accounting for half each. Generally speaking, the local and outsider believers should be on par with each other. However, the truth is far from it. The local believers who go to church regularly in Jianghai are less than half of the congregants, even negligible. There are several churches with hundreds of people, but the local congregants only count in single digits. Therefore, it is very difficult to find local believers in the churches in Jianghai, and the few you see are mostly women or seniors.

In fact, the situation of the churches in Jianghai reflects the regional distribution of the churches of Jiangsu. Jiangsu is a large Christian province with more than one million believers. However, it is not evenly distributed. Believers are mainly concentrated in Northern Jiangsu, while the south of Jiangsu has very few. The division chief of Jiangsu Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs talked about the number and distribution of Christians in Jiangsu in his The Situation and Development Trend of Christianity in Jiangsu. "So far (2012), there are over 1.5 million believers in Jiangsu, and the Christians in Jiangsu are great in number and widely spread. Believers are mainly concentrated in five cities in Northern Jiangsu with a relatively underdeveloped economy, like Xuzhou, Huai'an, Yancheng, Lianyungang, and Suqian. There are over one million believers in northern Jiangsu, about 80% of the total number of believers in the province."

Based on that, there are both historical and realistic reasons why the churches in Jianghai are filling with mostly outside believers but very few local believers. It is not a single case, but a universal situation of the churches in southern Jiangsu. It can happen in any other urban church with a higher outside population and a degree of openness. A large population of outside believers pouring in causes urban churches to be dominated by mainly outside believers, and the churches of southern Jiangsu have become vibrant. It obviously changed the original status with no vitality, and effectively changed the "North More and South Less" distribution of believers in Jiangsu. Because of this, the ratio between believers in the North and South is more balanced, or at least it wouldn't be as dramatic as the difference between the base and spire of the Pyramid.

The prosperity in the churches in Southern Jiangsu because of the outside believers is false prosperity in the eyes of the locals since it has nothing to do with them. They realized the transferred prosperity by moving the believers from Northern Jiangsu, Henan, Anhui, and other places. The reason we call it "transferred prosperity" is because of the uncertainty of the members. They came from the underdeveloped regions with reviving churches, but when the outside believers leave, the local churches will return to their original state with no vitality. We can tell from this that behind the prosperity is a crisis. The scene of prosperity can also be a flash in the pan. Therefore, promoting the localization of the Gospel is rather important and urgent. Only with the gospel rooted here can we sustain the prosperity. We can learn from the Nestorianism in the Yuan Dynasty.

Nestorianism (Christianity) in Yuan Dynasty came to the hinterland of China with the Mongolians entering Dadu. It only existed in China for a little more than 100 years (1271-1368). When the Shun Emperor fled to Mobei, the Nestorianism which was popular for a while in Yuan Dynasty disappeared in China too. Why did the Nestorianism disappear in the land of China after existing for over 100 years? Later generations summarized three reasons. First, the believers were all Mongolians and Semu people, with no southern or Han people. Second, there were cultural differences. Nestorianism was never rooted in Chinese society, but only among Mongolians and Semu people. Third, there was internecine strife between different denominations.

Nestorianism as an outside religion in China went from prosperity to decline and eventually disappeared. It rings a bell for the churches in southern Jiangsu. So, while pasturing the outside believers, churches in southern Jiangsu should also pay attention to the born and bred locals. They should find ways to increase and improve the number and quality of local believers to seek a quality and quantity balance between local and outside believers. Moreover, they need to work hard on the combination between gospel and local cultures. The point is for Christianity take roots locally, in the soil of local culture. So not only will the locals take kindly to Christianity and believers, they will also feel sympathetically and favorably toward Christianity and believers.

(The author is a preacher in Anhui.)
When I say Lets talk turkey, it isnt about how to prepare the meat, but rather, how to use the holidays as a time to start talking to your provider and family members about your end-of-life wishes.

Talk turkey is a challenge to go beyond the How bout them Packers? and share what matters the most to you about how you want to be cared for. Making a point to set aside the precious time to speak honestly and openly about your end-of-life wishes can be a special gift to those that you love.

Its also a reminder to talk to your provider when you are in for routine checkups. If you were very ill, your doctors would respect your wishes as much as possible. But we cant honor your choices if we dont know what they are.

Thats why those 18 and older are encouraged to complete an advance directive. An advance directive is anything that tells your doctors what kind care you want if you are too ill to express yourself. A Power of Attorney for Health Care (POA HC) designates a person to make decisions for you if you are unable to speak for yourself. You also may clarify what care you prefer and if you have any limits.

Depressing, some people groan. Ill make those big decisions when the time comes.

Its human to want to put off thoughts of death and dying. Unfortunately, a health care crisis can happen at any time, at any age. I have witnessed, firsthand, when a patient is faced with a debilitating illness or a devastating accident and families who havent had these discussions often are left agonizing over What would my loved one want?

Personal care preferences are put in motion when doctors believe a person isnt able to make his or her own decisions. In Wisconsin, a Power of Attorney for Health Care form gives a designated decision-maker the right to make decisions. Without the form, even a spouse may need to attain legal guardianship to make health care decisions for a loved one. Going through the legal system adds time and money to an already stressful situation.

So, after the turkey meal and before turning on the TV, give yourself and your loved ones the gift of preparation:

Talk about your wishes with those close to you.

Seek guidance, if desired, from your provider and/or religious leader.

Fill out an advance directive to make your wishes known.

Where do I find a Power of Attorney for Health Care form?

The form is free, and you dont need an attorney to fill it out. Its readily available at your local library or online at:

How do I fill out the form?

If you dont know where to get started, dont worry. There are plenty of resources to help you. If you find the language intimidating, dont be afraid to ask for help from:

Your provider

Your local hospital  Spiritual care, palliative care, social services and hospice workers all can help you.

Your countys Aging and Disability Resource Center

Its uncomfortable, but tell your family, I know this is hard to discuss. Emphasize why its important by saying, I want to make it easier on you during a medical crisis.

What better time to have the conversation than during the holidays, when family members are gathered together? Talking about whats important at the end of life is one of the most meaningful gifts we can give each other.
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Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
Martin Treptow and Travis Hakes were on a mission to find all the family members buried at Tilden Lutheran Cemetery but two graves were missing. After some investigating, and landscaping, they finally found the two missing family members under an overgrown bush. The cemetery has about 40 people in it. 75% of its residents are relatives of Treptow and Hakes who are 4th cousins.
It was a day of recognition, a day to educate, and a day of thanks.

Veterans participated in several ceremonies Veterans Day on Friday, including one at Chippewa Falls Senior High School.

One of the ceremonys speakers was Chi-Hi student Steven Weiss, a cavalry scout in the U.S. Army. He recognized students who are currently enlisted as well as staff who have previously served. He said Veterans Day is all about honor.

Remember, veterans deserve the utmost gratitude and respect every day because they wouldnt hesitate to lay down their life for you, Weiss said. All gave some, some gave all.

Other speakers include Brian Gienapp, a Chi-Hi graduate and valedictorian of his class. He served as a fighter pilot and flew combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan as part of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

He talked about the importance of being a wingman, sharing examples of when a fellow troop gave him tap codes of encouragement during interrogation training, a jargon used commonly by prisoners of war to communicate with one another.

Retired Lt. Col. Steve Gilbertson spoke about some of the harsh realities of war that may be hard to comprehend for students. As a helicopter pilot, he was shot down twice during his service. Two of his roommates were killed in combat.

I simply want (the students) to appreciate what the veterans have done so that they can live the life they want to live, he said.

One of the veterans in attendance that Gilbertson specifically thanked was Retired Col. Dan Doughty, who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1952-1976. Doughty was shot down over what was then called North Vietnam and became of prisoner of war for seven years.

Gilbertson said Doughty was tortured beyond belief. Doughtys wife, who lived in Ladysmith, didnt know from day to day whether he was alive or not.

Joe Oberpriller, another veteran in attendance, served from 1951-1953. He was captured by the Chinese on July 23, 1952 during the Korean War. He was taken to the main prison camp of Camp Five Pyoktong, North Korea, on the border with China. Oberpriller was a prisoner of war for one year, one month and one day.

After a truce was signed on July 27, 1953, an exchange of prisoners took place at Freedom Village near Panmunjon. Oberpriller was released one month later on Aug. 24, 1953, and was honorably discharged afterwards. For being wounded, he was a recipient of the Purple Heart medal in 2012.

Both Doughty and Oberpriller enjoyed the ceremony at Chi-Hi and thought it was both excellent and beautiful. Doughty said he likes coming to veteran ceremonies and giving thanks to the veterans and all the people who attended the service.

Knowing people served their country and done very much and that they sacrificed a lot, he said. I think its very nice how they do recognize veterans.

Don Burghardt, former Army artillery member from 1951-1954, said the ceremony covered much of the interesting moments that were part of his life and made him feel really good. Burghardt did special services with the military band in Japan and Korea and said he was lucky to never see combat.

By having the ceremony at the schools, he said it allows students to appreciate the country, the freedom and everything. The veterans agreed the overall message of the ceremony resonated well with the Chi-Hi student body.

It penetrated into their souls and a lot of them came over and shook my hand, Burghardt said. Really means a lot.
While other car makers are beginning to concentrate most of their resources on developing electric powertrains, BMW is being criticized by its top labor chief for its lack of progress.



According to Bloomberg, Manfred Schoch expressed a public sharp disapproval towards the companys leadership, saying that BMW risks falling behind its rivals.

Management has been slow to decide on investing in more electric models. The carmaker must expand its range to include electric versions of its core lineup, including 3-, 5- and 7-Series sedans. Anything else would be detrimental to the business, he said.

Although BMW has two full-electric vehicles to its name and a third in the pipeline, the German car manufacturer doesnt allocate its resources to battery development. Furthermore, the i5 isnt expected to arrive on the market sooner than 2021  at which point Audi, Porsche, Tesla (doh) and Volkswagen will have more than one state-of-the-art product in their line-up.

Volkswagen, for instance, plans to introduce 30 battery-powered vehicles by 2020, while Mercedes plans at least 10 such models.

Management must invest in electric mobility now to remain competitive in the future, concluded Schoch.

PHOTO GALLERY
Ferrari will host their 2016 International Cavalcade, a supercar gathering and rally, in Japan.



Held between November 10 and 14, the event celebrates 50 years of Ferrari in the Land of the Rising Sun and also coincides with the 150th anniversary of trade relations between the two countries.

Organized in the former imperial capital city of Kyoto, this years Ferrari International Cavalcade has brought together approximately 70 Prancing Horses, driven by clients from more than 24 nations. The list is impressive, and includes past and present supercars and hypercars, including the F40, Enzo, 599 GTB, the limited edition F12tdf and the hybrid LaFerrari.

The itinerary saw Ferraristi arrive at a five-star hotel in Kyoto, in the Kansai Area, in the first day, only to drive off to the Awaji Island, heaading to Akashi Kaikyo bridge, on the second day. Guests then put their rides through their paces on the Central Circuit before checking out the rural landscape of Sasayama.

On the third day, the group will drive around Lake Biwa and go to Hieizan Enryakui, a UNESCO site, with a stop at the Castle of Hikone, while the fourth and final day will see them head south to explore the ancient capital of Nara, with stops at the Todai-ji Temple, the remains of the Heijo Imperial Palace and the summit of Mt. Wakakusa. Additionally, they will also visit Osaka, passing through Midosuji, only to stop at the Castle.

PHOTO GALLERY
Nothing says A-to-B transport more than Toyotas Camry; dependable, comfortable and utterly anonymous. Is it bad? Well no, as the 429,000 Camrys Toyota sold in the US last year show making it the best selling car in the country. But it does sit at the bottom of the pack in terms of allure compared to rivals such as Fords Fusion and Mazdas 6.



Fortunately, redesign time for Toyotas mid-sizer is just around the corner and recent spy photography suggests that Camry will receive a more stylish makeover and possibly some Toyota Racing Development (TRD) visual brawn and performance. Intrigued? Lets investigate further:

Sleeker and sportier looks:

The 2018MY ushers in an all-new look for Camry and unlike the current car, it appears rather promising. For those who saw the NASCAR version a while back wont be surprised; it adorns a similar Lexus-like spindle grille, large lower intakes and L-shaped LED headlight clusters.

Thankfully the bodywork also receives visual character; with taut lines, panel creases and pumped guards. The silhouette is reminiscent of the Lexus IS sedan; with an organic-looking glasshouse and rounded rear quarter windows, eschewing the mundane C-pillar inlays of the outgoing car.

Rear-end styling is dominated by sleeker taillight clusters, a more sculptured trunk lip spoiler and quad exhaust tips; quads on a Camry? Well if the recent prototype is indeed a TRD spec as we suspect, then yes.

Under The Skin:

Big news here is that Camry will migrate onto Toyotas modular New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform that also underpins the Prius and C-HR. However, here it will be tailored for midsize duty, with bigger dimensions, lower center of gravity and reduced weight thanks to aluminum components.

If the Japanese brands green lights the TRD model, then expect larger wheels, stiffer suspension and upgraded brakes. Although dont count on it being a hardcore canyon-carver; its more likely to tread the middle ground, competing against the likes of the Ford Fusion Sport.

Perhaps the biggest let down of the current car is its cabin presentation. Toyota plans to address this with a focus on more premium looking and feeling materials, attractive styling and a better infotainment system. Camry is currently very competitive on occupant space, so wed be surprised if cabin dimensions increase substantially.

Potent Powertrains:

Camrys current range of gasoline and hybrid engines will likely carryover, although a new 2.0-litre turbocharged four should make an appearance, coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Those aforementioned quad exhaust pipes certainly suggest something serious for the TRD model; however its most likely to be the new direct-injected 3.5-litre V6 found in the latest Highlander SUV. Expect an output north of 300-hp, channeling power through 8-gears with Stop-Start technology.

Mid-size Rivals:

Landing after the Camry, Hondas all-new Accord will show it no mercy with edgier, Civic-inspired styling and potent powertrains. Other competitors like Hyundais Sonata, Chevrolet Malibu, Mazda6 and Kia Optima are also worthy offerings for mid-size buyers.

Color us surprised if the all-new Camry makes an appearance at the upcoming LA Auto show (but dont rule it out), as a more likely reveal is tipped for early 2017, with the TRD version possibly landing a little later.

What are your thoughts on the next Camry? Tell us in the comments below.

By Josh Byrnes

Photo Renderings Copyright Carscoops / Josh Byrnes

Photo Gallery
Meet Lennart Ribring, a 97-year-old man who just bought a brand new Ford Mustang V8 in Sweden.



Lennart was one of the first people in Sweden to buy an original Ford Mustang in the 1960s and now, more than 50 years later, he treats himself with a brand new V8-powered example.

I fell in love with the first Mustangs that came out and I have hardly thought about another car since. You felt a bit like king of the road. said Lennart. I dont have long to live now, maybe. So, I want to take the opportunities I have to drive and have a little fun in life. This is the real thing.

Born in 1919, Lennart Ribring got his driving license when he turned 18 in 1937. Today, hes a retired businessman who still works part-time as an accountant.

His son Michael, who was taught how to drive by Lennart in their previous Mustang, says that his father is still fit to drive, despite his age. His eyesight is good, his reactions are good and he drives with confidence that others dont have, he comments.

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO
Photo: Contributed

An eye witness helped to take down an alleged suspect in downtown Kelowna, Friday morning.

According to Const. Jesse ODonaghey, police received a report of a theft in progress after someone witnessed a man smash-out the drivers side window of a black Acura before taking off along Ellis Street.

The suspect is allegedly believed to have been intoxicated.

Officers arrived in the area and quickly located their suspect who failed to follow commands and resisted arrest, said ODonaghey. The support of a police K9 was required to take the man into police custody."

Following the arrest, officers discovered the suspect to be in possession of suspected stolen mail belonging to multiple other individuals. Investigators are continuing efforts to return the mail to their rightful owners.

The 34-year-old Kelowna man of no fixed address, remains in police custody and faces several potential charges.
Photo: CTV

A string of fires in vacant homes, in Vancouver, has emergency officials asking for the publics help.

Vancouver Fire Asst. Chief John Dennis told CTV Vancouver, firefighters are responding to similar calls almost every night.

All along the Granville, the Oak Street, the Cambie, the Main Street corridors are abandoned homes. And people are finding their way in, and theyre making them their homes until they light a fire and something goes wrong, he said.

Thursday night a blaze broke out in yet another vacant house just hours after officials made a plea for help in their investigation.

Nearly 40 firefighters responded to a fire at a home on Cambie Street near 41st Avenue.

According to CTV it appeared as though someone had a fire in a fireplace but also in the middle of the floor.

There have been at least 26 suspicious fires in vacant homes in Vancouver this year, including nine since late October.

Investigators are trying to determine who might be responsible and whether any of the fires may be connected.

-- With files from CTV.
Photo: CTV

UPDATED: 7:30 p.m.

A "very large man" shot and killed by officers during a robbery and hostage-taking may have had further criminal intentions after trying to steal firearms from a Canadian Tire outlet, Vancouver police say.

Chief Constable Adam Palmer said the 38-year-old Vancouver man confronted and attacked a store clerk in what appeared to be a botched robbery on Thursday.

"A search of his home has provided police with concerning evidence of his possible criminal intentions, which will all be part of this ongoing investigation," Palmer told reporters on Friday.

He said the 380-pound man, who stood six foot one and was dressed in camouflage, stabbed a 53-year-old employee in the back and across the neck before removing guns from store cabinets.

The suspect then abandoned the weapons and took an 82-year-old man hostage at knifepoint as he left the store and confronted police on a rooftop parking lot, Palmer said.

The man was also believed to have had a bottle of pepper spray, though police said it's unclear whether he used it.

When police tried to arrest the man, he stabbed an officer multiple times, including in the head and stomach, Palmer said.

While the hostage was unhurt, the officer and the employee were rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Both people were reported to be in stable condition as of Friday afternoon.

Palmer commended the officers who responded to the incident, including those who provided first aid at the scene, which he said was instrumental in the recovery of the two people who were injured.

"The actions of our officers were absolutely heroic," he said. "I'm very proud of the way they performed yesterday."

Mental health is suspected to have played a role in the incident, Palmer said. He added that the man was originally from Alberta, where he was also known to police.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The annual report from British Columbia's police watchdog agency highlights several concerns about policing in the province, including suicides after arrests by RCMP and the lack of body cameras worn by officers.

The 2015-2016 report from the Independent Investigations Office also says some officers are failing to follow so-called duty-to-account guidelines, delaying writing reports about officer-involved shootings or in-custody deaths.

The IIO said it investigated allegations made against RCMP officers that they failed to take action to protect six people they arrested or questioned over sex-related offences who later killed themselves.

In five of the six cases, the report says investigators found insufficient evidence for a connection between police and the suicide, and in the last case there was no reason to believe officers committed any offence.

"However, after inquiry with the RCMP, it did not appear that there were any RCMP-specific policies or protocols which outlines guidelines, procedures or strategies towards minimizing the risk of suicide under these circumstances," the report said.

With six deaths over less that two years, the IIO report said it asked the RCMP complaints commission and the Mounties to examine procedures for releasing people from custody who may be at risk of suicide.

Command staff at RCMP's B.C. headquarters have responded to the IIO request, saying it will review officer training to identify someone who may be at risk.

The report also says IIO staff reviewed 71 investigations and found that footage from body-worn cameras would have potentially assisted in resolving 93 per cent of the cases.

A special legislative committee addressed the issue of body-worn cameras by officers to assist IIO investigations and recommended the provincial government aggressively pursue the steps necessary to implement the police use of the cameras.

In the event of a death or series injury, officers involved are required by all police agencies in the province to prepare a duty-to-account report, telling investigators what happened.

But an IIO audit identified multiple instances where officers failed the write a timely account, the report says.

"In fact, in a recent adjudication, it was reported that a municipal police agency allowed a subject officer to defer the writing of a timely duty-to-account because the officer hadn't been permitted to view a video of the incident."
Photo: Bonnie Gratz

Play opens next week

Writing a new play is not easy, particularly when it's about a monster in The Himalayas.

Last year, I embarked on the task after feeling really bad for those forgotten characters from Christmas stories.

Why does The Abominable Snow Beast roar all the time and never get a chance to tell his side of the story?

Why are Ms Snowman and Mrs. Claus unnamed when alongside Frosty and Santa? Is Sasquatch just a lonely soul who is misunderstood and camera shy?

Yeti The Untold Story of The Abominable Snow Monster, is my story of the mysterious, elusive snow beast that up until now has merely been the stuff of legend.

Following the crazy hit of our Christmas play last year, the New Vintage team and I have been at hard at work on the premiere of this winter play.

It has been a challenge. Many of the team recently finished Macbeth and jumping into a family show that takes place at the snowy North Pole took some acclimatization.

Others have had to explore moving in new and different ways as they are now big, furry and have enormous feet.

Our dates are also pretty awkward, just after Remembrance Day, before December; we are battling some serious anti-early Christmas sentiment.

That said we are now ready to open the real story of Yeti on Wednesday and a whole cast of characters promise you a wonderful kick off to the winter holiday season with the quirky vibe we are known for.

You will also learn some facts about Yetis because I used historical accounts of Yeti sightings, too.

That and my own experiences as a parent and teacher are the basis for this story.

Its a weird combination, but monster wrangling and parenting are sometimes strangely similar and this story is one that is really adorable on stage.

The songs are also songs I sang to my little boys, now huge and grown up, so it is very personal.

The plays theme of acceptance is also makes it a hit with schools; all of our matinees have been sold out since September.

Yeti  The Untold Story stars theatre favourites Torsten Norgel, as Yeti, with Ashley Plomp, Graham Daley, Adam Weaver, Sheila Campbell, Josie Morrow, Ashley Johnson, Justin Gaudio, Hailey Sabourin, Juice FMs Joseph Otoo, and Vince Walzak returns as Santa.

Pre-show snowflake making and post-show meet and photos with the characters will be added features of this fun event.

I hope you can make it to my newest play.

There are still tickets available to the evening performances of Yeti  The Untold Story of The Abominable Snow Monster for Nov. 16, 18-19, 22-23 shows at 7 p.m. Tickets, which range from $20-$10, are available at www.rotarycentreforthearts.com or by calling 250-717-5304.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
The following editorial appeared in the Wisconsin State Journal on Wednesday, Nov. 9:

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, has an unusual opportunity during his second term. He can take tough votes without having to worry about those decisions costing him the next election.

Thats because Johnson, who held his seat in Tuesdays race against former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, pledged during his campaign to make this his last term.

Announcing your departure six years before you actually leave comes with risk. Johnson could lose relevancy if the powers that be  both in and out of government  think his days in office are numbered.

But reducing Americas budget deficit and controlling its debt  two of Johnsons biggest goals  will require limits on spending, which isnt popular. Improving the nations finances also will be easier if the economy improves. Johnsons inclination is to support trade and boost exports to help get that done  despite a skeptical public.

We didnt endorse Johnsons campaign. But we wish him well in trying to ensure future generations of Americans arent buried in debt. His business background will help inform congressional efforts to smooth regulation, boost startups and help businesses expand.

Success will require compromise. Johnson should always remember that. Getting important legislation to the presidents desk will require some Democratic votes.

Johnson should stand on his principles, but he also must show more independence, challenging his party to accomplish more through negotiation.
With Donald J. Trump set to become the 45th President of the United States in January 2017, there has been renewed optimism by the cigar community in terms of the industrys battle against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As many know, the battle is centered on fighting the new Deeming Regulations the FDA has imposed on premium hand-made cigars. While certainly the optimism can be justified, the road ahead is still quite difficult and a lot will still need to happen for the cigar industry to make progress.

Why the Optimism?

It was the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Act that gave the FDA authority over premium cigars. This was signed into law by President Barack Obama, a Democrat. Obama, has also been associated by many with implementing many federal regulations under his presidency. Ultimately, it is President Obama who is looked upon as the one who handed the FDA power of the cigar industry.

The new President-elect, Donald Trump has pledged tor reduce regulations. In his Contract with the American Voter, Trump pledged that for any regulation created, there must be two regulations eliminated. Given this position, and the fact that Trump is not a Democrat, this is a contributing factor to the optimism the cigar industry has against the battle for the FDA.

Another reason for optimism is the Vice President-elect Mike Pence has shown signs of being friendly toward the cigar industry. In 2011, while he served in the House of Representatives; the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011 (HR 1639). In 2015 as Governor of Indiana, he signed Senate Bill 463 into law that ammends the Indiana State Clean Air Act that allowed for the establishment of new cigar bars.

The Challenge

In terms of President-elect Trump, while we know his position on regulations, his position (if any) is not clear when it comes to the tobacco industry and in particular the premium cigar segment. We do know he does not smoke and has told his children not to smoke. During this past election cycle, Cigar Rights of America wrote an open letter to the Presidential candidates asking for support in the battle against the FDA. We dont know if Trump read the letter, nor do we know if the cigar industry has had any contact with Trumps inner circle on this topic. There is also a general feeling that Trump will focus on bigger problems than what is facing the small cigar industry. As a result, it is very much an unknown if or how Trump would react to supporting the cigar industry against the FDA.

While we do know Vice President-elect Pence has supported the industry in the past, its a similar story. We dont know if he has seen the open letter, nor do we know if he has had recent contact with the industry.

Dont Count on Senator Marco Rubio or Rudy Giuliani

There is a feeling that both Senator Marco Rubio and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, both of whom have shown support for the cigar industry can possibly help penetrate the Trump inner circle. This feeling is most likely looking at the glass half full instead of half empty.

Senator Rubio has been a sponsor of the legislation in the Senate to exempt premium cigars since 2011. He has been a part of this legislation for six years and has shown an affinity for cigars. Back in 2012, Rubio gave a speech at the 2012 Republican National Convention where he talked about his grandfathers love of Padron Cigars and how he used to sit with his grandfather as he smoked cigars. He recently visited the J.C. Newman Cigar Factory as a part of what was most likely a campaign stop to show his support for the premium cigar industry. However, it is well-known that Rubio and Trump are not close. Rubio pretty much has provided only lukewarm support to Trump since losing his own chance at the nomination. As a result, the likelihood that he would be the agent to bring this issue to Trumps attention is a long-shot. While Rubio has demonstrated he understands the issues facing the cigar industry, he has not gotten much done to advance the cause of saving the premium cigar industry.

While Giulianis relationship is different, ultimately it is unlikely for him to be the agent of change either. Giuliani is closer to Trump and it is speculated he is up for a cabinet position. On election night, Giuliani appeared on Fox News and talked about his love of Little Havana, Padron, and Don Pepin Garcia. However, if Giuliani gets a Cabinet position, it probably wont be as Secretary of Health and Human Services (where the FDA falls under) but in another area (such as Homeland Security)  where it will focus his attention in other areas. In addition, Giuliani has been in many cigar shops and met with many cigar people. He hasnt shown any inclination to help the industry further in this cause. There is no reason to believe he will start doing this now.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services Post Will be Key

Since the Trump Administration will be naming a new Secretary of Health and Human Services, (HHS) this is going to be the appointment cigar enthusiasts will need to look at closely. This is because the FDA is an agency under HHS. If the cigar industry wants to have any influence in this area, the appointment will need to be of someone who is sympathetic to the needs of the cigar industry. Even more so, it needs to be someone who is willing to stick his neck out on the line. Possibly someone like a Governor Rick Scott of Florida could fit the mold of such a candidate. In 2014, Scott wrote a letter to the FDA calling for a premium cigar exemption. I am not saying Scott is a candidate, but it would probably take someone like that in order for the appointment to have any weight for the cigar industry.

Trump Cant Totally Undo the Regulations with the Swoop of a Pen

As President, Donald Trump cannot repeal the regulations with a pen. In order to repeal a law, a bill must be introduced to Congress. This means when the new Congress takes place the legislation for an exemption of premium cigars will need to be introduced again. While garnering a bunch of cosponsors over the years, these bills have failed to advance. They have served a purpose  namely to built support and awareness of the cause of the premium cigar industrys challenge agains the FDA. Unless something changes, it is unlikely these bills make it to Trumps desk on the Oval Office.

The funding mechanisms for the FDA that come through the Appropriations Bill could a way to get an exemption or move the predicate date for grandfathering from 2007. The upcoming Appropriations Bill still has to pass the House and be introduced to the Senate. It will ultimately need to be signed off by President Obama. The Appropriations Bill is an annual event, thus any language in the bill is only good for one year. In other words, an exemption and change in predicate date needs to make its way into each annual Appropriations Bill. This is a bill that would ultimately need to be signed by a President Trump.

Most Likely There Will Be Another White House Petition

Like it or not, we are most likely going to have another White House petition come 2017 on getting an exemption for premium cigars.

I realize the petitions seem like pushing on a rope. In general, I think the industry is going to need to make a bigger grass roots push with a petition  especially now that the threshold to get the petition looked at has moved from 25,000 signatures to 100,000 signatures. The cigar industrys first petition hit the 25,000 plateau, but ultimately was kicked back to the FDA. The cigar industrys second petition fell well-short of the 100,000 and didnt even reach 25,000.

A grass roots push will mean more than posting this on Facebook and social media. It will need to more than just the CRA Ambassadors doing their job. Its going to involve every manufacturer, brand owner, and retailer making direct contact outside of social media with consumers to sign this petition. Its also going to involve explaining to consumers why they are being asked to sign yet another petition. Ultimately, for a petition effort to work, its going to take a well-orchestrated plan.

I would even call on the cigar and electronic cigarette industry to possibly look at a joint-plan for a petition. While this might seem like an odd combination of joining forces, it is going to be necessary to get to 100,000 signatures. The fact that the cigar and vape industries both fell short on previous petition efforts did not help either industry. Perhaps a combined effort would get more attention on the over-reaching aspects of the regulations as a whole.

In the end, we do need a petition with large numbers if we want Donald Trump to take a look at this as it will show concrete numbers of support. But as I said, the approach most likely needs to change.

Troops and Cuba

One possible angle to gain some support centers the recent clarification by the FDA that donations to the troops of cigars by manufacturers are no longer allowed. This is something that has gained the attention of mainstream media  and it could get the attention of more people in Washington and in particular the Trump Administration on the impacts of the regulations. Trump has taken very pro-military stance  and perhaps if this issue gets his attention, it might lead to him looking closer at the over-arching reach of the regulations.

Cuba is another story. The idea that Cuban cigars cant be sold in the U.S. market because they have not been approved by the FDA does not help here. Trump has already said he is taking a tougher stance on opening diplomatic relations to Cuba and is in no rush to open up trade without pre-conditions being met.

Final Thoughts

The cigar industry is now being regulated. It now faces an enormous task of trying to undo what is now currently being put in place. If I look at the state of the cigar industrys battle with the FDA pre November 8th, 2016 versus post November 8th 2016, I dont see it much different. Much of the landscape is still the same. The challenges ahead still weigh heavy.

While on the surface, it seems like I am a pessimist, this is just a reality of the situation. Ultimately while we do have a new President taking office in Donald Trump, this industry has a long road ahead to creating the awareness necessary to gain support to the cause.
Teacher Carla Vande Steeg (upper right) and her class of fifth graders at Howard Cattle Elementary School held a fundraiser to raise money to provide Thanksgiving turkeys for needy families. Accepting their donation is Cindy Vande Steeg (back left), their teachers mother and founding member of Food For Life Ministry Inc.


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A supporter holds a campaign sign for Donald Trump with Pepe the Frog drawn on it during a rally in the Sun Country Airlines Hangar at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport Nov. 6. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

4chan's /pol/ boards have, for much of the 2016 campaign, felt like an alternate reality, one where a Trump presidency was not only possible but inevitable. At some point on Tuesday evening, the board's Trump-loving, racist memers began to realize that they were actually right.

"I'm f---- trembling out of excitement brahs," one 4channer wrote Tuesday night, adding a very excited Pepe the Frog drawing. "We actually elected a meme as president."

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The first threads for collecting examples of genuinely upset "libtards" and Clinton supporters in order to meme, mock and bombard them on Twitter began shortly after that. On 4chan, a night that even a lot of 4channers thought would be a meltdown turned in a celebration filled with schadenfreude, internet-savvy racism and frogs.

4chan has, over the course of Trump's ascendancy to president-elect, watched in delighted astonishment as their little fringe of internet life made its way repeatedly into the mainstream conversation of the elections. This is, after all, the decade-old internet forum whose beloved Pepe meme caused a weeks-long national panic  and a denunciation from the Clinton campaign  in September because of its new popularity among white supremacist Trump backers.

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The notorious message board has a long history of offending, harassing or "triggering" its enemies  mainly but not exclusively liberals, minorities and establishment Republicans  for its own amusement (i.e. lulz). The Trump movement was the perfect pathway for a wider audience of targets.

The "4chan vote" was not the crucial voting block that swung the election to Trump, but that sentiment  the belief that 4chan had actually contributed to or straight up caused Trump's win  was everywhere on the boards for most of the night. Just hours earlier, the boards were filled with much sadder Pepes and anxiety about the then-positive results for Clinton, along with insults directed at the journalists who, they knew, expected to watch the live collapse of the alt-right on the boards there all day long.

At around 8 p.m., the chaos of ironic and genuine hand-wringing posts about /pol/ members having trouble voting and accusations of voter fraud began to slowly give way to screenshots of Florida.

Florida was a "must-win" state for Trump, everyone had said, and /pol/ documented every fluctuation there. Soon though, panicked screenshots of a blue Florida gave way to red ones. One thread filled up with hundreds of Pepes to help meme Florida over to Trump, as if their energy could help Florida stay red.

"WE WON THAT," one thread began as Florida's red shade held. "HOW DO YOU FEEL GUYS. B--- IS GOING TO JAIL," in reference to Clinton. Wrote another 4channer: "Holy s-- I just cant believe (((they))) are allowing this." The triple parenthesis are a racist meme meant to signify that someone is Jewish.

Disbelief gave soon gave way to impatience and conspiracy for some. "CNN and NBC are up to something," one person wrote. "Neither of them have reported on Florida being won by Trump, both are reporting Hillary is in the lead. I feel they're holding off waiting for the Dems to meddle with the votes."

Another encouraged those in states where voters were still at the polls to "Use EVERY weapon in our meme arsenal to turn Blacks & Hispanics away from Hillary." The post re-upped a bunch of 4chan's "vote by text" hoax images and various other anti-Clinton memes. "WHATEVER IT TAKES (legally) TO MAGA! Push like your life depends on it (it does) SHARE AND MAGA!"

By about 9:45, 4chan had noticed that the New York Times' real-time predictions on the election's outcome had suddenly started favoring Trump, after starting off the day heavily favoring Clinton. The board became a typically chaotic mess of celebrations, threads urging "meme magic" for other swing states  particularly Michigan, Pennsylvania and Virginia  and speculation about the Trump presidency that, as the hours ticked on, became all but certain.

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"I should be sleeping, work tomorrow will be tough  but the morning will be a glorious one," one post reads.

They discussed which mainstream or liberal news coverage was the best to watch for potential journalist freak-outs as Clinton's path to victory disappeared. (The consensus was: The Young Turks, although one 4channer speculated that if any mainstream journalists "had handguns theyd be offing themselves right there on live tv") Brexiters joined in the celebrations, and one 4channer rewrote a popular post from the board's celebration of the Brexit vote to be about Trump.

Finally, by about 2 a.m., the anxiety had disappeared from the boards, as the calls handing Trump the presidency began to roll in.

And /pol/ reflected on how it good it felt, to them, to be right.
In September 2011, just 40 percent of mortgage applications to buy a home closed within 90 days. This September, more than 75 percent of applications were approved. (courtneyk / Getty Images)

It might be easier to get approved for a mortgage than you realize.

In the immediate aftermath of the housing market crash, options for would-be homeowners with little savings nearly disappeared, and lenders became more wary about saying yes even for plain-vanilla mortgages. But it's not 2010 any more.

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"Over the last four or five years, it's loosened up," said Matthew Koch, the senior vice president in charge of mortgage lending in Chicago for Fifth Third Bank and a member of the board of directors of the Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association.

In September 2011, just 40 percent of mortgage applications to purchase a home closed within 90 days, according to the software firm Ellie Mae, which processes about a quarter of U.S. residential mortgages. This September, more than 75 percent of applications were approved, the highest figure the company has recorded.

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A look at the supply side helps explain why. This week the Federal Reserve Board released its quarterly survey of senior loan officers. A "moderate net fraction of banks" reported they eased standards on nearly every type of residential mortgage. That's been the case for some or most of the mortgage categories in every report since July 2014.

"The tide is rising. It's not a massive wave," said Joe Tyrrell, executive vice president of corporate strategy for Ellie Mae. "It's getting better, but it's been getting better slowly."

Since there hasn't been one big shift at any given moment, perception hasn't quite caught up with reality.

James Tausche, senior vice president of residential lending at 1st Advantage Mortgage, has been in the business in Chicago for 25 years, closing more than $30 million annually. To him, it's clear that there are many misconceptions today about what it takes to get a mortgage.

"I've heard so many millennials saying, 'Don't you have to put 20 percent down to get a mortgage?'" he said.

That was never the case, although for a few years after the housing crisis it usually would have taken 20 percent down to qualify for a jumbo mortgage, a loan of more than $417,000. Since Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac won't repurchase jumbos, lenders were extra careful to be sure borrower equity was very high. Today, jumbo loans can be found for 5 or 10 percent down.

The minimum equity for conventional mortgages has dipped in recent years as well, from 5 percent to as low as 3 percent. Fannie and Freddie even changed the rules so a family member can provide a portion of the down payment as a gift.

Of course, getting the green light for a mortgage is based on more than how much money you can put down. Lenders have eased their requirements for those other factors too.

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The government didn't hike the minimum FICO credit score required for a Federal Housing Administration loan in the years after 2008, but to shield themselves against defaults, banks raised the score they would accept. These "credit overlays" are now almost gone.

For a conventional mortgage, the requirements for a credit score aren't as cut and dried, and here too, the market has been getting better for borrowers. Freddie and Fannie would like to see a FICO score of at least 740, but a lower number can still land a mortgage  you just have to pay a bit more in interest.

"But it might be just a slightly higher rate," Tausche explained. "An eighth of a point can mean $20 or $30 a month more. You can't get a large pizza delivered to your house for $20. Not a good one, at least."

As for being allowed to borrow enough to get the house they want, with the current required ratio of debt-to-income standing at 43 percent, most buyers will be more limited by their own fiscal prudence than how much the banks will lend them.

Over the last year or so, Fannie and Freddie also have partnered with a number of lenders to open up more opportunities for consumers without much capital or income. These programs offer special terms for borrowers with solid credit, many specifically targeted to first-time or minority homeowners.

Other programs provide homeowner assistance and even grants that help defray closing costs or lower the amount required for a down payment. "For borrowers in the low- or moderate-income range, or in low- or moderate-income census tracts, there is plenty of assistance available," Koch said.

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Koch estimated that there are as many as 30 such programs in and around Chicago. These include nonprofits that offer advice, grants and mortgages to low-income families, such as Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, and government agencies that can provide financial assistance to applicants working with a bank or mortgage broker, like the Illinois Housing Development Authority and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago.

There is some bad news among all this cheer. While in the end it might be easier to qualify for a mortgage than five years ago, the process to be approved is undoubtedly harder.

"Getting a mortgage before (the housing crash) was like getting a massage. Now it's like a colonoscopy," said Andy Harris, president of Vantage Mortgage Group in Oregon and a member of the executive board of the National Association of Mortgage Professionals. "You just have to prepare for it."

Two years ago, the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau created a mandatory new set of standards for residential lending: the qualified mortgage. Along with protecting borrowers against unscrupulous practices like overburdensome fees, the new rules are much more stringent about the documentation that banks and other lenders must get from applicants.

That means producing every pay stub and statement and explaining the source of every bank deposit. For independent contractors and borrowers who derive much of their income from investments, there is even more paperwork and questions.

That level of rigor might be a pain, but it does help ensure fewer borrowers go belly up. Anyone who read or watched "The Big Short" knows the dangers of subprime mortgages given too freely. Hearing about how lending is getting easier  and about a new generation of programs that make it possible to buy a home with very little equity  can be a little disquieting.

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But the experts say that we're far from going back to the "Wild West" of pre-2008, when borrowers could get subprime loans with poor credit, no money down and little chance to actually pay off the loan.

"The rules are looser, but they're responsibly looser," Harris said. "We are fully vetting and making sure that everybody has the ability to pay their mortgage."

Carl Vogel is a freelance writer.

ctc-realestate@chicagotribune.com

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Unofficial results show almost 14,000 Henry County residents voted for Republican Donald Trump, while about 9,000 voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton. The county chose Democrat Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

CAMBRIDGE, Ill.  Until Labor Day, support for Donald Trump in this conservative rural Illinois county near the Iowa state line seemed as subdued as a late Sunday afternoon.

Henry County Republican Chairwoman Jan Weber said she bought a few Trump lawn signs with her own money and hoped she would break even by selling them to supporters for party contributions of $2 each.

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Then, perhaps prompted by intense TV advertising in Iowa that spilled into Henry County living rooms, interest in Trump exploded. Requests for lawn signs were "overwhelming," Weber said. "Our phones were ringing all the time."

And, on Tuesday, support in places like Henry County propelled the blustery billionaire into the most powerful public office on Earth, inspiring some and sending others to take to the streets in protest.

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A sign posted in the front lawn of a house along Court Street in Cambridge, Ill., on Nov. 10, 2016. The town is in Henry County, which went for Donald Trump on Election Day. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Illinois, which has been reliably blue in presidential elections, turned out to be two distinct states in this year's version. Chicago and much of the metro region around it went blue for Hillary Clinton, who received Illinois' 20 electoral votes. Voters nearly everywhere else in Illinois went red for Trump. In Henry County, the results underscore the diversity that makes the Land of Lincoln a place many consider an authentic microcosm of the U.S.

This year's unofficial vote totals in Henry County show almost 14,000 people cast ballots for Trump, while about 9,000 voted for Clinton. In the previous two presidential elections, Henry County chose Democrat Barack Obama. In 2004, the county went red for Republican George W. Bush.

Named for fiery Revolutionary War statesman Patrick Henry, the county stands about 150 miles west of Chicago and 16 miles east of the Mississippi River. It has about 50,000 residents, three gun manufacturers, two ethanol plants and one town  Kewanee, population 13,000  that Rand McNally cited as America's friendliest small town in 2013.

Corn and soybean fields cover most of Henry County's rolling landscape. Hog and cattle farming are not as prevalent as they once were, and the county boasts the most miles of interstate of any Illinois county outside Cook.

It also is about 95 percent white and conservative. Voters overwhelmingly elect Republicans in county races and as state representatives and senators. That's why Bush received 52 percent of the vote in 2004 to John Kerry's 47 percent, residents say.

When Barack Obama came along in 2008, "They thought change," said the Rev. Randall Swanson of the Cambridge Lutheran Church, who has lived in Henry County for most of his 68 years. The church has stood on the corner of Court and West streets since 1875. "He was somebody different and they were frustrated after Bush and the wars."

Obama was a fresh face, an eloquent, articulate speaker with a powerful and poignant message of unity that resonated across the country, Swanson and others in Henry County said. Voters got caught up in the hope and precedent of sending an African-American man to the Oval Office for the first time, they said.

"On the night he was elected, it was my hope that he would have a successful presidency," said Marshall Jones, an African-American Republican member of the Henry County Board who also serves as a hospice chaplain and volunteers on the boards of several nonprofits.

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 10 The Rev. Randall Swanson talks about the presidential election at Cambridge Lutheran Church in Cambridge, Ill., on Nov. 10, 2016. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

That success failed to occur, said Jones, 65, who'd spent part of his Thursday morning teaching children in Junior Achievement and ministering to a hospice patient. Obama "thought he didn't need to talk to" Republicans in the House and Senate, Jones said. At the same time, Republicans gained a reputation as "obstructionists," he added.

"The past eight years have been at a standstill," Jones said. He has resided in Henry County since 1984. "We're not progressing at the rate we could or should be."

Then came the brutal 2016 presidential campaign. Henry County showed voters' perceptions can be different between Chicago and the Mississippi River, or Chicago and many rural regions of Illinois. That urban-rural divide became particularly evident across the U.S. in this presidential election.

While support for Trump was slow to build, Henry County Democrat Ted Sturtevant said in a phone interview that local voters viewed Trump as more aligned with their conservative views, particularly on prospective Supreme Court nominees, gun ownership and abortion.

In addition, Henry County, like many rural areas across Illinois and the U.S., is struggling economically. Population is dwindling. Most young people who leave home for college plant roots elsewhere, primarily in cities and suburbs.

"Trump talks like he can fix the economy," said Sturtevant, 78, a lifelong Henry County resident and County Board member. "That was probably the most important thing. People think of him as a successful businessman."

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Attorney Thomas Montgomery, who has practiced law since 1975 in Cambridge, said the reason for Trump's success in Henry County is similar to the reason the majority of voters chose Obama in 2008: He's a change agent but an even more rebellious version.

"He went in and destroyed not only the Democratic Party but the Republican Party as well," said Montgomery, wearing an orange and blue striped bow tie at his desk in an old bank building in the town of 2,100. A portrait of Abraham Lincoln was mounted on the wall behind him. Next to it was a Rotary International banner that read, "Cambridge, where agriculture works to serve the world."

"He's destroyed the political establishment," Montgomery said. "We want change . . . and here he is, a wild hybrid. You don't know what he is."

Dislike for Clinton also was strong and widespread in Henry County, Montgomery and others said. She was perceived as carrying the torch of Obama, whose Affordable Care Act was very unpopular in the area. Voters also viewed her as perhaps even more liberal than Obama on gun control and in her choices for the U.S. Supreme Court.

People here also were critical of Clinton's handling of the terrorist attack on the American Embassy in Benghazi in 2012, controversies over her private email server, her finessing of the truth and her arrogance, Montgomery said.

"She had a great ability to alienate," he said, "and people have strong feelings of hostility toward her."

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It would seem naive to claim that Trump's racially charged rhetoric played no role in drawing a certain brand of voters to him. After all, the Ku Klux Klan endorsed Trump.

But the role of race in this election is somewhat nuanced. Nationally, Clinton drew less than 40 percent of white Catholic voters, compared with nearly 50 percent who voted for Obama in 2008. More white women across the U.S. voted for Trump than Clinton, and Trump received more votes from African-Americans than 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney.

Montgomery, Swanson, Weber and even Jones dismiss the notion that Trump's racist language may have appealed to voters in the predominantly white county.

"I don't believe race played much of a role in Henry County," Jones said after a meeting of the Salvation Army advisory board in Kewanee. "The people here are looking for a change in policy, a change in direction. You will find some people with racist tendencies no matter where you are."

Montgomery acknowledged Trump "stated things rather bluntly and maybe inappropriately," but the Obama administration has been unsuccessful in bridging the racial divide.

Attorney Thomas Montgomery stands in his law office in Cambridge, Ill., on Nov. 10, 2016. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

As for Trump's demeaning comments toward  and boasting of groping of  women, GOP Chairwoman Weber called it "a hard pill to swallow, but I felt in my heart and my mind that he was the better person to lead our country, and I moved on from it."

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People in Henry County are reluctant to say how they voted in the presidential election, residents say.

Sturtevant, the Democrat, declined to share his decision, as did Montgomery, although he said he viewed Ohio Gov. John Kasich as "an ideal candidate." Swanson said he wrote in Kasich's name on the ballot.

On Election Day, Jones stood in the voting booth for "a good 15 minutes" filling out his ballot, he said. He was struggling with the presidential choices, and eventually left that space blank.

Like others in Henry County, Jones said people need to drop their strong political affiliation and concentrate on improving the lives of all Americans.

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"If we continue to splinter ourselves into so many groups," he said, "if we can't agree to disagree on certain issues and still make progress, we're in trouble."

At the Lutheran church, Swanson sat in the sanctuary. Sunlight streamed through stained glass windows. He said he had to return to work, needed to unload Sunday school craft materials from his car and get started on his sermon.

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"I'm thinking that a lot of us are trying to be optimistic," he said.

Down the street from Swanson's church is the Kwik Shop gas station and mini mart. Cars and trucks heading east toward Chicago pass a sign that covers the store's broad window.

"Pray for our country," it reads, "to be united."

tgregory@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @tgregoryreports
Riley Bolstad, 19, and her newborn Hudson at a Teen Parent Connection meeting at a Glen Ellyn church last week. The agency assisted more than 500 mothers last year. (James C. Svehla / for the Chicago Tribune)

Clarissa Mendez thought she was the only girl in the world in her situation.

The Bolingbrook 16-year-old was beginning her junior year of high school, and she was two months pregnant.

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The folks at Teen Parent Connection, a Glen Ellyn nonprofit that provides programs and services to pregnant teens and teenage parents, expected she might feel that way.

"The isolation factor is a big thing for young parents. They have many stresses in their life, and isolation is one of the big ones," said Becky Beilfuss, the agency's executive director.

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Beilfuss knows. She was once a pregnant teen coming to the agency for help. Now she leads it.

Mendez, referred to Teen Parent Connection by her school counselor, is now an 18-year-old high school graduate with an active 1-year-old daughter, Dianna. When the school told her about the agency, she decided to give them a chance.

She says they also gave her one.

"They gave me hope and motivated me," Mendez said. "They are the reason I was motivated to finish high school. They made a big difference for me."

Teen Parent Connection is one of many organizations that receives financial support from Chicago Tribune Charities, a McCormick Foundation fund.

Although teen birth rate has declined in DuPage County over the last several years, following the national trend, Beilfuss said the group continues to have a waiting list of teens wanting to be part of programs. The nonprofit had 350 referrals last year from the DuPage County Health Department, schools, churches and other organizations.

The Teen Parent Connection served about 540 parents last year through various programs that begin during pregnancy and continue through children's first five years.

The agency's Family Strengthening program, serving DuPage County parents ranging in age from 12 to 20, begins with prenatal care and support groups, and continues until the child turns 5. It includes home visits through the Doula Program that begin during the third trimester of pregnancy, and parents transition into a Healthy Families program within eight weeks of the birth.

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The Healthy Families program includes weekly home visits for the first year as well as support groups, focusing on parent-child relationships and helping parents move on with their goals, Beilfuss said.

And young fathers can take part in a Strong Dads program. Support groups include free child care and meals  two things parents of any age appreciate.

"Parenting is hard at any age, but it's especially hard when you are 16," Beilfuss said. "We like to keep them involved."

The agency's goal is to keep teen parents active in the support program until their child is 5, Beilfuss said. And they are rewarded for their efforts. Participation in programs, staying in school, earning good grades, getting a job and keeping doctor appointments for their child earn parents "baby bucks" that they can use at the agency's pantry to buy diapers, formula and supplies.

Mendez said she frequents the pantry for formula and clothes for Dianna.

She also continues to attend support group meetings, and she recently began working as a peer educator specialist for the agency, going to schools in DuPage County and sharing the struggles of her experience having a child at a young age.

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"They were lots of help with what to expect during pregnancy and after. They prepared me for after the baby is born," she said.

"And I've met a lot of friends through them," she added. "They always told me to keep my head up."

Joan Cary is a freelance reporter.
Chicago police promised Friday to meet monthly with a group of African-American students to work on improving race relations, an effort at quelling unrest in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood after a police-involved shooting of a black man last weekend led to protests and canceled classes at one school.

The promise came after a 2 1/2-hour closed-door meeting at Chicago Public Schools headquarters with the students, police, the 19th Ward alderman and the principal at Marist High School, which had been targeted by protesters after racist comments written by some students in reaction to the ongoing controversy were posted online.

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"I would describe it as a very productive conversation  opening up dialogue, working towards peace and bringing students from these schools and students from Marist High School in my community together to talk about a topic that many are uncomfortable with, and that's race relations in our country," Ald. Matt O'Shea said of Friday's conversation. "I thought today was a great first step and I look forward to continuing to work with these young ladies"

The six female students and Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Friday that they agreed to monthly meetings with the police superintendent, sessions with Chicago police officers to inform them about the movement's nonviolent message and a series of community town hall discussions in Mount Greenwood aimed at improving race relations.

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After the meeting, Johnson spoke to reporters inside the lobby and said he pledged to meet with the students representing Black Lives Matter Youth every month to talk about racism in the city.

"I want to commend them for their courage and bringing us, forcing us, actually, to come to the table to talk to them about their concerns," Johnson said. "They have forced us to have to tackle that head on and I think that we should."

The students, some of whom said they know black students at Marist, told reporters that, among other things, Johnson agreed to "workshops" for his officers to learn about the position of Black Lives Matter.

"So they understand that when we say 'Black Lives Matter,' we're not saying that their life doesn't matter," said Maxine Aguilar, a junior at Jones College Prep. "That they understand the point of our organization, as part of Black Lives Matter, is to protect black people similar to how their job as police officers is to protect all people, and that we should have a level of understanding with each other."

Johnson also agreed to monthly meetings with the students to discuss issues on "police brutality, systemic racism and the criminalization of brown and black children in school," said Eva Lewis, a senior at Payton College Prep.

"This meeting was very productive and we look forward to the officials that we met acting on the demands that we gave them," said Maxine Wint, a student at Kenwood Academy High School on the South Side.

Students said they also spoke with Marist Principal Larry Tucker about improving race relations at the high school during Friday's meeting, but that at his request, they could not comment on the specifics of the conversation because he preferred to share details with his students and their families before anything was announced publicly.

Jessica Daniels, a Payton student, said her fellow organizers had taken up the cause of black students at Marist, a non-CPS school, because they pride themselves on spearheading conversations about race across the city, regardless of location or school affiliation.

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"This is what we dedicate our lives to and so to see racial aggression being implemented in another school, we cannot stand as bystanders, and we had to act," she said.

The incident at Marist that sparked protesters' outrage involved several senior girls who were discussing, over a group text, the impact that the police shooting of a black man in Mount Greenwood  and the resulting Black Lives Matter protests  would have on classes this week.

One of the girls used profanity and the N-word, according to a screen shot shared widely on Twitter, and at least four others reaffirmed the racist message, screen shots indicate.

School administrators said they were "devastated" by the incident and promised disciplinary action against those involved. They also convened a meeting of the school's Peace and Unity student group on Monday to discuss the handling of race relations at the school, and held a schoolwide assembly Tuesday to reiterate Marist's values, officials said.

The students had planned a protest outside Marist on Friday, but it was canceled, students said, after CPS officials informed them they had reports their appearance could spark violence against them.

Marist also canceled classes Friday in response to the possible protest.

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"After communicating with local officials and assessing the situation internally, we feel it is in the best interest of our school community to not be in session tomorrow," a statement posted Thursday on the school's website reads. "Not only is safety our first concern, but limiting disruptions to the learning process is vital to our students' success."

Johnson said he did not feel the students would have been at any greater risk marching outside Marist than if they were marching anywhere else.

O'Shea said there would be a prayer vigil and town halls in his ward to bring residents together, as well as an outreach effort to local schools.

"Racism is learned. Kids aren't born with it. They learn it," O'Shea said. "I want to reach out to our local schools and bring children together to talk about this topic."

Johnson said the students at Friday's meeting planned to hold a protest march on Sunday, but it has been postponed.

"Everyone in Chicago has a right to have their voices heard, but you want to ensure that the venue that you choose you have the most impact, and I think those young ladies understand that they have an opportunity now to have an impact on race relations in this city," Johnson said.

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He said it was important for the police to be a part of Friday's conversation because the department is responsible to protect everyone's right to protest. He doesn't mind what rhetoric is used during protests as long as it doesn't lead to violence.

"Everybody has a right to their opinion," he said. "CPD doesn't take sides. We swore an oath to serve and protect the citizens regardless of which side of the fence you're on in these particular events."

O'Shea said he was "caught by surprise" and saddened by the tension that has erupted in Mount Greenwood over the last week.

"But I think today, we began to turn the corner," O'Shea said. "And we can begin the healing process and find peace and that's what my hope is, and I think I speak for everybody here today."

When asked if he can speed up the healing process, he said, "we've had racism in our country for more than 200 years. I don't know how much we can speed it up. But I know that in talking to the overwhelming majority of my community, they want to see the process sped up. And they want to start the healing. And they want to start an open dialogue."

Jeremy Gorner is a Chicago Tribune reporter; Zak Koeske is a Daily Southtown reporter.

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Hundreds of people attend a District 211 special board meeting on Dec. 7, 2015, to discuss the settlement the Palatine-based school district approved the week before to provide locker room access to a transgender student. Many people held signs that read Separate Is Not Equal and #WeStandWithHer. (James C. Svehla / Chicago Tribune)

As pundits scramble to untangle the implications of a Donald Trump presidency on a host of public policies, among the big unknowns is whether he'll seek to dismantle transgender student access protections provided by the Obama administration.

Current legal challenges to those policies could render them vulnerable, experts agree, though Trump himself has given little indication of his intentions.

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And while some advocates initially welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to hear a transgender student bathroom access case from Virginia, many are wary after Trump's election. It is all but certain he'll choose a conservative judge to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

"I think everybody is feeling pretty nervous," said Owen Daniel-McCarter, executive director of Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, a nonprofit that works with schools on LGBTQ issues.

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Since the election, the Chicago group has fielded questions about what the future might hold for issues like bathroom access, medical coverage and the ability to change genders on driver's licenses and passports.

Yet, according to the alliance, more than 25 percent of Illinois students are in gender-inclusive schools, and Daniel-McCarter said such progress is difficult to reverse.

"The train has left the station, and the question for districts is, are you getting on or waiting for someone to put you on it?" he asked.

In a landmark case in the northwest suburbs, the state's largest high school district granted a transgender student access to the girls locker room in January following a contentious battle with the U.S. Department of Education, fiery school board meetings and threats from the government of litigation and loss of millions in federal aid.

Palatine-based Township High School District 211 finally settled with federal education authorities after they found the district had violated Title IX, the law that bans sex discrimination in schools, by denying the student full locker room access. The district installed private changing areas.

A high-ranking Department of Education official called the agreement a "civil rights victory for all of us." But months later, a students' and parents' group sued District 211 and the federal government. A ruling in that case could come soon.

In the separate case the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear next year, that of Gavin Grimm, a transgender student who sued over access to the boys bathroom, justices are expected to take up the question of whether Title IX protections extend to gender identity, as the Obama administration has argued.

"This case presents difficult issues that schools are grappling with," said Adam Romero, a law professor at UCLA's Williams Institute, which focuses on gender identity issues. "On the one hand, I get that some people may not be comfortable using a restroom or locker room with someone with different anatomy. But on the other hand, many schools and workplaces have allowed transgender people to use the facilities that match their gender identity without any issue at all."

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Romero said excluding transgender students "can have a profoundly negative impact on their well-being and education."

Ed Yohnka is spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which is representing the unidentified District 211 student. He said it's "impossible to know" what Trump's impact on the issue might be.

Trump's transition team did not respond to requests for comment. The president-elect said little on the matter on the campaign trail, though when asked on the "Today" show which bathroom transgender people should use, he responded that they should use the bathroom that they feel is appropriate.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence, however, faced backlash last year as Indiana governor for supporting a so-called religious freedom law that critics said allowed businesses to deny service to gay and transgender people. According to recent reports, Pence has indicated support for local control of transgender issues.

Religious advocacy groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom were pleased at the Supreme Court's interest in the case, said Gary McCaleb, lead attorney in the lawsuit against District 211.

"Locker rooms are there to protect privacy ... not to affirm a person's self-perception of their sexuality," he said.

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School districts nationwide will be closely monitoring the Supreme Court's action, said attorney Jennifer Smith, of the Chicago law firm Franczek Radelet. The firm represents close to 100 districts in Illinois, including District 211.

The high court provides "an opportunity for clarity," she said. "But nothing is certain by the Supreme Court taking it ... and with the new administration, it's just very up in the air."

Some Chicago-area districts, including New Trier District 203 and Plainfield District 202, did not adopt a formal policy but instead address the needs of transgender students individually, officials from both districts said.

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"But as with a lot of things in education, there's the legal requirement and then there is our overall mission, which is to educate all students and to provide a safe and respectful environment for all students," said Timothy Hayes, a New Trier assistant superintendent.

For many transgender rights supporters who fear a Trump administration could undo years of progress under Obama, some hope still rests in the Illinois Human Rights Act, whose protections were extended to gender identity in 2006.

Of the 189 charges of discrimination filed in the past 10 years related to gender identity, 12 involved educational institutions, said Illinois Human Rights Commission spokesman Michael Theodore. Four were filed by students alleging the denial of preferred bathroom or locker room access in elementary or secondary schools, he said.

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Alex McCray was one such student. His downstate Williamsville district eventually agreed this year to allow transgender students to use the restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity, records show.

"It goes back to being acknowledged, to being treated equally," said McCray, now 19. "It's incredible because just a year ago I was doing it alone, at a single-school level in a small town, and now it's all the way up to the Supreme Court."

deldeib@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @deldeib
Warning: Contains graphic images and language. Thousands of people again marched through streets in downtown Chicago on Nov. 12, 2016, protesting the election of Donald Trump as president. They also joined a group protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline at Federal Plaza. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Carrying signs and chanting, "Not my president," thousands of people marched through the streets of downtown Chicago on Saturday to protest President-elect Donald Trump.

On the fourth day of demonstrations since the Tuesday election, protesters walked shoulder to shoulder down the Magnificent Mile to Millennium Park, pausing outside the Trump Tower along the Chicago River where police set up barricades to keep them from getting close.

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"No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA!" they shouted, some thrusting middle fingers in the air toward the 98-story skyscraper stamped with the Trump name.

Along the route, motorists honked horns in support and curious tourists and shoppers stopped to snap cellphone photos of the marchers. One man in a red University of Wisconsin sweatshirt shouted, "Go Trump!" as the crowd passed, but he was drowned out by protesters singing, "All you need is love."

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 17 People protesting both the Dakota Access Pipeline and the election of Donald Trump pass by the Chicago Theatre during a march from Federal Plaza to Trump Tower in Chicago on Nov. 12, 2016. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

"I think it's great," said Gloria Jackson, 53, who stepped out of Ronnie's Original Chicago Steak House on West Randolph Street to let her 11-year-old grandson shoot some video on her phone. "People can let their voices be heard. That's what this country is all about, whether you're for Trump or against him."

At least two groups participated in marches in and around the Loop and the Near North Side, according to organizers and police. The crowd was mostly young and very diverse, some marching in bluejeans and sweaters while others wore bandannas across their faces and militant garb.

The crowd swelled to as large as several thousand at one point as protesters marched back up Michigan Avenue to Ohio Street before being turned south by police to head through River North to Federal Plaza. There, they joined with another group protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline for a mid-afternoon rally. By 3 p.m., the protesters had dwindled to a few hundred as Native American chants echoed through the plaza and demonstrators linked arms and danced.

A group of Native-Americans lead people protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline during a march from Federal Plaza to Trump Tower in Chicago on Nov. 12, 2016. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Although loud and occasionally vulgar, the demonstrators were peaceful. Only two arrests, for obstructing traffic, were reported, according to police.

"(It went) fantastically," said Chicago police Lt. Godfrey Cronin, who was stationed at Federal Plaza around 3 p.m. "A bunch of young people got together, they didn't know each other, they controlled the crowd wonderfully and everybody peacefully protested, got their message out."

The ongoing Chicago demonstrations were among several held across the country, including in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Oakland, Calif., in the wake of Trump's stunning defeat of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Thousands of protesters took to Chicago's streets for nearly nine hours Wednesday and into early Thursday in an intense show of opposition to the president-elect. On Thursday evening, about 50 young people gathered at Trump Tower to protest, and a small group also demonstrated on Friday.

The Chicago events have been relatively peaceful and devoid of any of the heavy vandalism or effigy burning that occurred in other cities.

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A group of people protesting both the Dakota Access Pipeline and the election of Donald Trump rally in front of Trump Tower in Chicago on Nov. 12, 2016. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

As they had in previous protests, police on Saturday used bicycles to set up rolling barricades and keep the marchers to certain streets.

At times, the protesters had to compete with the usual throngs of Saturday shoppers and tourists. Access to The Bean sculpture in Millennium Park had been restricted beginning in late morning, but those restrictions were later lifted to the joy of scores of tourists who had gone downtown on the sunny, crisp autumn afternoon.

Earlier, protesters were in the River North area and also marched near Nordstrom on Michigan Avenue, but shopping appeared to go on unabated.

The event was organized by Dustin Kloeppel, 20, who on late Wednesday created a Facebook event titled "Millennium Park Protest" that he thought would attract only family and friends. Instead, he found himself surrounded by hundreds of people Saturday morning. Kloeppel said he hopes the protest will encourage people to stay involved in the political process and to vote.

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"I would really like to fight xenophobia, racism, sexism, transhomophobia, Islamophobia, all that stuff, because bigotry is not a beautiful thing and we need more beautiful things in our communities and in our lives," said Kloeppel, of Rogers Park.

People protesting both the Dakota Access Pipeline and the election of Donald Trump pass by the Chicago Theatre during a march from Federal Plaza to Trump Tower in Chicago on Nov. 12, 2016. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Richard Domenico Ehlert, one of the leaders of a larger group, said Saturday that police had been "been more cooperative than I ever would have imagined" in allowing them to exercise their First Amendment rights.

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"We do not accept Trump's hatred, his bigotry, his sexism and his homophobia," said Ehlert, 19. "With the popular vote we elected Hillary Clinton, not Donald Trump."

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Former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock appears March 6, 2019 after his scheduled hearing at the U.S. Dirksen Courthouse in Chicago. Federal prosecutors have agreed to drop all charges against him if he pays back money he owes to the Internal Revenue Service and his campaign fund. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

WASHINGTON  Aaron Schock was 27 years old when he was elected to Congress and became the first member of the House born in the 1980s.

Already a political veteran  he won a write-in campaign for the Peoria school board at 19  Schock was seen as one of Capitol Hill's up and comers. It didn't hurt that he was a gym disciple with a camera-ready face.

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But six years after being sworn in as a congressman in 2009, Schock resigned amid a federal and state criminal probe into how he spent campaign dollars and his $1 million-plus annual office budget.

Now, Schock, 35, faces a 24-count federal indictment handed down Thursday by a Springfield grand jury that accuses him of repeatedly pilfering his campaign accounts and his House allowance for personal expenses that included travel, a flight aboard a private plane to watch the Chicago Bears and even rent payments.

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Schock denied the charges in a long statement issued Thursday by his defense attorney's office, saying he intends "not only to prove these allegations false, but in the process, (to) expose this investigation for what it was."

Schock drew 2016 presidential politics into his plight, noting that "unlike some politicians, I did not delete any emails, nor did my staff smash or destroy any electronic devices," alluding to allegations over a private email server Hillary Clinton used during her years as secretary of state.

The spending scandal that spurred Schock's downfall erupted after what might have been a flash in the pan. He had his congressional office suite decorated with a motif inspired by "Downton Abbey," a highly popular British period drama on PBS.

An Illinois designer was paid for the work, but one of Schock's aides tried to cover up her compensation. Within days, the press began digging into the lawmaker's far-flung trips, reliance on private aircraft and practice of overbilling the government for auto mileage.

Schock was indicted on Thursday for crimes including theft of government funds, fraud, making false statements and filing false tax returns.

A federal grand jury in Springfield returned the indictment after a 20-month probe that put Schock's financial, campaign and travel records under the microscope of an array of federal agents, including those from the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The indictment represents a colossal fall for the ambitious central Illinois politician who won four elections to Congress.

Schock, a doctor's son born in Morris, Minn., moved to Peoria in childhood and as a teen started investing in real estate. He earned a degree in finance from Bradley University.

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He captured a seat on the Peoria school board in 2001 and later became board president. He sat on the board until 2005, when he won election to the Illinois House of Representatives. There, he served two terms until he heading off to Congress, full of promise.

He was seen as having the vitality and communication tools to help remake the Republican Party. He was among those cited in the 2010 book "Young Guns: A New Generation of Conservative Leaders," which was written by three lawmakers including Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., now the House speaker.

Schock was a robust fundraiser and at ease showing up on TV news shows to tout GOP policies. Republicans rewarded him with a seat on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee and he became a deputy whip, thereby earning a spot in House GOP leadership.

Still he was restless. Schock considered a 2014 run for Illinois governor before sitting out the race won by Republican Bruce Rauner.

In Congress, Schock's flamboyance set him apart from his party's gray-haired elders.

At a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on President Barack Obama's budget, Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., peruses Washington Life magazine, described as "Washington DC's premier guide to luxury, power, philanthropy & style." (J. Scott Applewhite / AP)

He was a gym fanatic who bared his six-pack abs on the cover of Men's Health magazine. He made the papers for adding political pizazz when showing up at star-studded events such as the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. On Instagram he documented his adventures in exotic locales from the Greek isles to the glaciers of Patagonia, once even posing for a photo while dancing the tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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Not content with a pastel-colored office, he brought in a decorator from a firm called EuroTrash and had his suite painted ruby red and styled along the televised drama about aristocrats and their servants.

Early in 2015, Schock aides tried to quash a Washington Post story on the redecorating, and one staffer asked the Post reporter to delete pictures taken on a smartphone. An aide said designer Annie Brahler of Jacksonville, Ill., donated her services. But records that emerged showed she did not work gratis.

The unflattering media reports that surfaced prompted a watchdog group to call for ethics investigations of the lawmaker from a city known for the vaudeville-era question: "But will it play in Peoria?"

On Thursday, Schock in his statement said he stepped down "amid a frenzy of negative reporting, which was overblown and inaccurate, but so distracting that it was preventing me from serving my constituents the way they deserve."

In farewell remarks from the House floor when he resigned in March 2015, he spoke of the Bible and Abraham Lincoln and lamented a "bloated" federal government and its "out-of-control spending."

Before leaving office, Schock repaid the government $122,590, which included more than $86,000 in public money from mileage reimbursements over six years. A Chevrolet Tahoe he traded in at a friend's car dealership in Peoria in 2014 had an odometer reading with about 89,000 fewer miles than the total he represented in seeking reimbursements from the government and his political funds.

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The repayment also included $35,000 in tax dollars paid to the interior designer and $1,237 for a charter flight from Peoria to Chicago for a Bears game.

In June 2015, the FBI seized materials from Schock's campaign office. The next month, the grand jury proceedings gained attention because of what became a long-running fight in open court between prosecutors and defense attorneys over what documents, texts and emails Schock had to turn over. Eventually, extensive materials, some redacted, entered the public domain.

During the long probe, Schock used leftover campaign cash to pay millions of dollars in legal bills.

After Schock quit, Republican Darin LaHood won his congressional seat and, Tuesday, was re-elected. He is the son of Schock's predecessor, Ray LaHood, who retired from Congress in 2009 after 14 years in the seat and became Barack Obama's transportation chief during the president's first term.

The ruby red walls were repainted beige even before the younger LaHood took the seat.

Schock mostly ignored the press after resigning, though in June in an interview with the Peoria Journal Star, he talked about being the focus of a long federal probe.

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"It's been a year, I'm not that interesting of a guy. It's not like I'm the Gambino crime family," he said. "If there were mistakes, they were honest mistakes, but nobody was like, 'Do it wrong! Screw up!' "

Schock said he had gone back to real estate development and was working with a firm involved in "large hospitality projects."

Schock said having been an elected official for 14 years, he enjoyed "the freedom that comes with not having the burden of public office."

In the statement that came out Thursday, Schock took a hard line on his former employer.

"I have learned a painful lesson in this investigation  our own government cannot be trusted," he said.

kskiba@chicagotribune.com

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BASHIQA, Iraq  New reports emerged Friday of public killings and other atrocities committed against Mosul residents by Islamic State militants, including dozens of civilians whose bullet-riddled bodies were hung from telephone polls after they were accused of using cellphones to leak information to Iraqi security forces.



The United Nations human rights office said IS fighters killed some 70 civilians in Mosul this week, part of a litany of abuses to come to light in recent days, including torture, sexual exploitation of women and girls, and use of child soldiers who were filmed executing civilians.



The revelations are the latest reports of IS brutality as the group retreats into dense urban quarters of Iraqi's second-largest city, forcing the population to go with them as human shields.



In its report, the U.N. human rights office in Geneva said IS shot and killed 40 people on Tuesday after accusing them of "treason and collaboration," saying they communicated with Iraqi security forces by cellphone. The bodies, dressed in orange jumpsuits, were hung from electrical poles in Mosul.





Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 64 A firefighter works to extinguish an oil well set ablaze by fleeing Islamic State fighters in Qayyarah, Iraq, on Nov. 9. (Chris McGrath / Getty Images)

A day later, the extremists reportedly shot to death 20 civilians at a military base. Their bodies were hung at traffic intersections in Mosul, with signs saying they "used cellphones to leak information."



A Mosul resident, reached by telephone, said crowds have been watching the killings in horror. One victim was a former police colonel, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.



The violence is part of a disturbing pattern. As the army advances, IS militants have been rounding up thousands of people and killing those with suspected links to the security forces. Soldiers last week discovered a mass grave in the town of Hamam al-Alil, 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Mosul, containing some 100 bodies.



At the same time, the militants have gone door to door in villages south of Mosul, ordering hundreds to march at gunpoint into the city. Combat in Mosul's dense urban areas is expected to be heavy, and the presence of civilians will slow the army's advance as it seeks to avoid casualties.



IS militants have boasted of the atrocities in grisly online photos and video. The United Nations has urged authorities to collect evidence of IS abuses of civilians to use in eventually prosecuting the militants in tribunals.

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Iraqi troops are advancing from four fronts on Mosul, the last major IS holdout in Iraq. As Iraqi special forces battle in eastern neighborhoods of the city, Kurdish peshmerga forces are holding a line north of the city, while Iraqi army and militarized police units approach from the south. Government-sanctioned Shiite militias are guarding western approaches.



In the formerly IS-held town of Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul, Kurdish commander Gen. Hamid Effendi said his forces were working to secure the area but faced booby traps that were holding up the advance.



More than a thousand unexploded bombs are believed buried in Bashiqa, Effendi said. Over 100 IS fighters have been killed in combat, he added, but wounded fighters likely remain in defensive tunnels built by the militants.



On Friday, teams went building by building into the night detonating explosives left behind in Bashiqa, which was deserted except for a few residents trickling in to check on their homes and businesses.



Among them was 60-year-old Khan Amir Mohammed, who discovered that his home had been turned into a mortar post by the militants, who dug seven tunnels on his family's 3 1/2-acre property before retreating.





An Iraqi Federal Police officer examines human remains at a site of a mass grave of victims of Islamic State militants in Hamam al-Alil, some 10 kilometers south of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016. (Marko Drobnjakovic / AP)

Ammunition tubes and English-language instruction pamphlets for launching mortars littered the floor in one room. Another had been turned into a makeshift mosque, with lines taped to the floor for worshippers to line up to pray.



A nearby shop where Mohammed sold animal feed had collapsed from an apparent airstrike.



"What can I say? I feel powerless," he said, surveying the destruction.



Down the road, Kurdish forces were detonating bombs left behind by the militants. First Sgt. Ayub Mustafa said his unit alone had disabled some 250 bombs, the vast majority homemade explosives.



"Apparently they have a smart electrician with them. They're well-made," he said.



Special forces troops entered the Qadisiya neighborhood on Friday, the 26th day of the campaign to retake Mosul, exchanging small arms and mortar fire with IS positions and advancing slowly to avoid killing civilians and being surprised by suicide car bombers, said Brig. Gen. Haider Fadhil.





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Peshmerga 1st Sgt. Ayub Mustafa holds part of a defused bomb planted by Islamic State militants in Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016. Iraqi troops inched ahead in their battle to retake the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State group on Friday, as the U.N. revealed fresh evidence that the extremists have used chemical weapons. (Adam Schreck / AP)

Regular army troops control 90 percent of the Intisar neighborhood, said one officer, but progress has slowed because "the streets are too narrow for our tanks." He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters.



Meanwhile, the U.N. cited new evidence the militants have used chemical weapons, escalating fears IS will resort to chemical warfare to try to hold onto the city, still home to more than a million people.



Rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva that four people died from inhaling fumes after IS shelled and set fires to the al-Mishrag Sulfur Gas Factory in Mosul on Oct. 23.



Shamdasani said reports indicated that IS has stockpiled large amounts of ammonia and sulfur and placed them near civilians. "We can only speculate how they intend to use this," she said. "We are simply raising the alarm that this is happening, that this is being stockpiled."



She also noted a video posted online by IS on Wednesday showing four children, believed to be aged 10 to 14, gunning down four people accused of spying for Kurdish and Iraqi security forces.



U.N. officials say about 48,000 people have now fled Mosul since the government campaign began on Oct. 17.

Associated Press
"Look, the numbers on each side of the aisle may change, but our problems haven't. The sooner everyone can set aside politics and focus on policy, the better."

 Senate President John Cullerton, on moving Illinois forward after the Nov. 8 election.

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We'll take Senate President John Cullerton at his word that he is ready to work with adversaries  he didn't name Gov. Bruce Rauner, whose fellow Republicans grabbed two seats from Cullerton's still-solid Democratic majority  and advance policies to improve Illinois.

We'll also take Rauner at his word that he will strive for unity: "This has been a long, grueling campaign cycle, both nationally and locally. For the good of the people of Illinois, let's  come together and focus on the future of improving the quality of life for every family in our state," the governor said.

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And we'll take House Speaker Michael Madigan at his word that he is not interested in reconciling, compromising or unifying: "Voters stated clearly that they wish to maintain a wide Democratic majority in the Illinois House of Representatives and maintain a strong check on Bruce Rauner and his anti-middle class agenda," Madigan said after the election.

There you have it. No surprise. Rauner and Cullerton are willing to wipe away the bitter residue of an election for the good of Illinois. Yet Madigan, who lost four seats in the House but still maintains a strong majority, will stomp his petty feet and pout. He's a lost cause.

If Illinois residents want a balanced budget, cost-saving pension reform, school funding reform, pro-business policies to curb the exodus of jobs and residents, a growing tax base, they should not count on the House to lead the way. Madigan's plan since Rauner's November 2014 election has been gridlock.

Madigan revealed once again, through his ungracious, arrogant postelection statement, that he's not changing. One of his top lieutenants recently threatened to let Illinois stagger without a budget for two more years until the 2018 gubernatorial election. We could expect Madigan to blame the human and financial costs of that dereliction not on his own stubbornness, but on the governor running for re-election.

Fine. Enjoy your "timeout" corner, Mr. Speaker. The rest of the General Assembly has work to do.

The problems plaguing Illinois didn't get much attention during campaign season, but they're still here  alarmingly unfunded pension obligations, disgraceful piles of unpaid bills, a costly low credit rating and a half-year budget that will expire at the end of next month. In one of the state's five pension funds, the Teachers Retirement System, the amount the state owes to the fund will jump in the next fiscal year by nearly 15 percent  and probably much more in subsequent years. That's partly due to low investment returns, but mostly it's the impact of all those years when lawmakers didn't make the required payments into TRS. And that's just one of the funds. Remember, the state is broke with no plan for its financial future.

Lawmakers return to Springfield on Tuesday for the first day of the fall session. They'll have six scheduled days to meet before January to address the expiration of the six-month stopgap spending plan they passed in June. Keep in mind, this is not just a numbers game. The budget is a reflection of need. It is a book of promises. To pass a budget that is wildly out of balance, or to fail to pass one at all, is a sucker punch to every Illinois family counting on something within those pages. Not passing a balanced budget as required by the Illinois Constitution is not simply political dysfunction. It's a cynical message delivered to citizens of this state that they don't matter, their needs don't matter, their tax dollars don't matter. Only politics matters.

Cullerton, in his own words, said otherwise: "The sooner everyone can set aside politics and focus on policy, the better."

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Set aside politics. Move forward, together.

Yet a certain someone in Springfield is not at all interested in that.

Madigan's motives are clear. The election is over, but Illinois' problems are growing. Gov. Rauner, President Cullerton, will you step up, together?

Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.
Aurora officials still don't know who Bubba is, but the City Council recently approved a $400,000 tax abatement for the mystery company anyway.

The company is looking to locate in the Duke Realty Corporate Park along Ferry Road on the northeastern edge of town. The money would go toward the company's share of putting in a light at Route 59 and Duke Parkway  when the road is extended out to the state highway.

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The company is a mystery right now because it is receiving Economic Development for a Growing Economy, or EDGE, program awards, administered through the Illinois Department of Commerce, and the state wants to announce who the company is.

EDGE awards are a tax incentive for companies looking to expand or locate in Illinois, choosing Illinois over another state.

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Duke Realty has dubbed the situation "Project Bubba" and a smaller one that goes with it "Project Bubba Jr."

Between the two, the projects would bring in a total of 1.3 million square feet of building space, up to 1,400 jobs and about $40 million in payroll.

Aldermen had delayed the tax abatement for two weeks to work out certain details of the agreement. With those worked out, aldermen unanimously approved the tax abatement at the last City Council meeting.

The state is expected to announce the name of the company soon. Officials with Invest Aurora, the city's not-for-profit development corporation, said they have vetted the company and have told aldermen they will be happy when they find out who it is.

slord@tribpub.com
The intersection at Raddant and Butterfield Roads near Marmion in Aurora may be in for an upgrade. (Steve Lord / The Beacon-News)

It looks like a long-awaited traffic signal at Raddant and Butterfield roads in Aurora might get built in the next couple of years.

Aldermen on the City Council's Finance Committee recently recommended an agreement between the Illinois Department of Transportation and the city for work at the intersection that would include a new signal, plus exclusive left-turn lanes, resurfacing, water-main relocation, a shared-use path and drainage improvements.

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Officials at Marmion Academy have long anticipated the light at the intersection, which sits at the eastern edge of their campus. Residents, too, who use Raddant as a collector through the southeastern edge of Batavia, as well as businesses that have sprouted up in Aurora on the north side of Butterfield, have wanted it there.

"Every time I go to a neighborhood meeting, or see Father Charles (Reichenbacher, of the Marmion board of trustees), they ask how we're doing with the light," said Ald. Tina Bohman, 1st, a member of the Finance Committee.

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The intersection also lies in her ward.

"They're desperate to get the light in," she said.

Marmion has been hiring off-duty Aurora police to do traffic control at the intersection when school lets out. But the situation is costly for the school and also depends on the availability of the officers.

The total cost of the improvements is estimated at about $1.66 million, but the deal with the state would end up costing Aurora only $54,000, officials said.

City officials said if the full council approves the funding agreement, the state would likely bid the project in January, with an eye toward starting sometime in 2017.

slord@tribpub.com
Stevenson senior Isaac Lucas (right) talks and thanks U.S. Navy Lt. Shane Michael Baldino (left) during Vet Fest at Stevenson High School. (Mark Kodiak Ukena / Pioneer Press)

Knowing they would be in school on Veterans Day for the first time in years, some Stevenson High School students decided to do something new to celebrate veterans for their service.

So, students a part of the Stevenson club "Students Helping Soldiers" brought local veterans with them to school on Friday Nov. 11 during students' lunch breaks to talk about their military experiences and get to know the veterans a bit more personally.

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"Not a large percentage of our school goes on to serve in the military and not many of them get to have the experience of meeting a veteran," said Stephanie Bush, a sponsor of the Students Helping Soldiers club. "It's just a way to open their eyes to people who have done something different in their lives."

The inaugural "Vet Fest" attracted 10 current and former members of the military  some of whom said they felt more appreciated by Stevenson students than they were normally accustomed to experiencing.

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On Friday, students a part of the Catalyst Club also put together care packages, using donated items from other students, and planned to send them to soldiers, school officials said.

During Vet Fest, retired Army Sgt. Robert Walton, who resides in Buffalo Grove, recalled how he and other soldiers were ridiculed for their service while fighting in the Vietnam War.

The tone is different now, he said.

"What's great now compared to when I got out of the service is that everyone thanks and appreciates veterans nowadays," Walton said.

Vet Fest attracted men young and old from several different branches, including James Labbe, a former Army soldier who is now an ensign with the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, as well as a lieutenant in the Chicago Police Department.

He brought his 10-month-old daughter, Sofia, to the Veterans Day gathering at Stevenson and shook hands with several students.

"It's good to introduce kids to veterans," Labbe said. "It's putting a face to the name 'Veterans Day,' instead of some symbolic holiday that you get time off for."

Stevenson officials used to give students Veterans Day off until district board members voted last year to move both the first and last days of school up. They eliminated a few of the students' vacation days in the process.

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Bush and other Students Helping Soldiers sponsor Dino Moran both said they started talking to students about how their club could do a Veterans Day observance in class once they learned students would be in school.

"The thought was to have something moving forward with Students Helping Soldiers leading it," Moran said.

Shane Baldino, a Navy lieutenant who served from 1991 to 2000 and now lives in Kildeer, said he was glad the students decided to do something unique to mark Veterans Day.

He said he hoped to educate some of the students about what military service can be.

"It's important for young kids to be aware of what the military is and the people who came before them who secured their freedom," Baldino said. "The reception has been really good."

rwachter@pioneerlocal.com

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Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin reads the names of 50 veterans that have been added to the village's Veterans Memorial during Friday's Veterans Day observance. (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

After Orland Park's Veterans Day ceremony, Richard Stake Jr. bent down next to a slab of black granite, held a piece of white paper against it and made a rubbing of his father's name.

Richard Stake Sr.'s name is one of hundreds etched in the pieces of granite at the village's memorial to veterans, called "Ara Pace," or place of peace. The names of 50 more that were recently added were read by Mayor Dan McLaughlin during a ceremony he said was intended to "honor our heroes."

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The memorial, directly south of Village Hall, 14700 S. Ravinia Ave., was created in 1995 by artist Virginio Ferrari.

After several veterans in the audience Friday were asked to stand and applauded, McLaughlin told them "thank you for answering the call of duty." He said that Orland Park's observance was "one small part of a national tribute" to veterans.

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Stake Jr., an Orland Park attorney, said he added his father's name to the memorial more than a year ago, and that the rubbing will go next to a portrait of his father in his office. His father, who died three years ago, was drafted into the Army in 1968 and discharged in 1971, then served with the Chicago Police Department until 1984, but also attending night school to study law, his son said.

A member of the Reber-Tesmond VFW Memorial Post 2604 holds the American flag during a Veterans Day ceremony in Orland Park. (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

He later worked for the Cook County state's attorney's office as a supervisor at the Markham courthouse, and his son followed in his footsteps, working as an assistant state's attorney before going into private practice, where he concentrates on estate planning. First responders and military veterans receive a 50 percent discount on the cost, Stake Jr. said.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"I do that in honor of my dad," he said.

Other family members who served in the military include his grandfather, stepfather and great uncle who died in World War II, he said. Reflecting on their sacrifices, as well as those of countless other veterans, is what Veterans Day is about, Stake Jr. said.

"These people give up so much," he said. "They go in (to the military) and, at a minimum, they are giving up four years or whatever their term of enlistment is, and sometimes their life."

Rev. Don Borling, pastor of All Saints Lutheran Church in Orland Park, delivered the blessing, telling the veterans gathered that it is "hard to say thanks enough for all you have done for us."

While veterans proudly wore the uniform of their respective branch of the military, "the most important uniform you wear is one made of honor and courage," Borling said.

Just prior to the blessing, a wreath was laid at the memorial by Erica Dennie and Doug Grecek, eighth-graders at Orland Junior High School. Boy Scouts had made cards of thanks that were given to families of veterans whose names had been added to the memorial as each was read by the mayor.

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A member of the American Legion Orland Memorial Post 111 sits during a Veterans Day ceremony in Orland Park. (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

James J. Clarke, a U.S. Army veteran, recently had his name added to Orland Park's Veterans Memorial. The names of 50 veterans recently added to the memorial were ready during a Veterans Day observance in the village. (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

mnolan@tribpub.com
Angel Kardaschow, President of Kards Inc. walks by the a 27-foot-long Radio Flyer wagon at Kards Inc in Elgin. Kards is refurbishing the 15,000-pound wagon in time for Radio Flyer's 100-year anniversary. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

The shiny red toy sitting in the shop at Kards Inc. isn't the kind of vehicle the Elgin body shop typically repairs.

Usually, the garage operated by Paul and Angel Kardaschow works on shiny red fire engines for departments that need rigs fixed or painted.

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Instead, for the past two months, the people at Kards have been repairing, repainting and restoring the World's Largest Wagon for Chicago-based Radio Flyer.

The wagon, which is nine times the size of the company's iconic Little Red Wagon and rolls on 1,000-pound rubber tires, has brought the body shop a fair amount of attention, too. The shop rolls projects they are working out into the parking lot.

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"We had it sitting in front of the garage door for a month," Paul Kardaschow said.

Located across from a hotel, travelers have been stopping by to take a picture with the attraction.

A firefighter couple doing a bicycle trip across the country heard about the wagon, and stopped by for photos, he said.

First built in 1997 for the Radio Flyer offices at 6515 W. Grand Ave. for the company's 80th anniversary, the wagon was moved off-site in August. It has been at the Elgin shop on Airport Road since September.

Getting the wagon from Chicago to Elgin took a somewhat circuitous route.

Folks at Radio Flyer contacted fire truck manufacturer Spencer, out of New Haven, Mich., to see if it could do the restoration.

It was Spencer that pointed Radio Flyer to Kards, Paul Kardaschow said.

This is the third touch up for the giant wagon since it was built, said Robert Pasin, Chief Wagon Officer at Radio Flyer's Chicago offices. He is the grandson of the original Radio Flyer's inventor, Antonio Pasin. The Italian immigrant started building the wagons on 1917.

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Although the wagon sits outside through Chicago winters "it wasn't in bad shape," but there were signs of rust developing on it. "It needed TLC," Paul Kardaschow said. "It looked great from 20 feet, but it needed work if you were up close."

"It is outside 365 days a year," in Chicago winters, too, Pasin said. "We wanted to make sure it looked as perfect and shiny and as spit-polished as possible."

The wagon's body is 27 feet long and 13 feet wide. Fully assembled, with the handle attached, and resting in the up position, it is 26 feet tall. Fifty adults can stand in the wagon's bed. Or 75 children.

The tires  manufactured by Bridgestone/Firestone  are eight feet in diameter and weigh a half-ton each.

Originally, plans were to take the wagon completely apart  the wheels from the bolsters  to do the restoration. "Once we took the deck off  the wheels were not going to come apart without a whole lot of effort. It wouldn't be cost effective," Paul Kardaschow said.

The staff at Kards built a steel stand to sit the 15,000-pound steel deck on while it was repaired and repainted. The Radio Flyer emblem was applied in late October and the wheels were reattached this month.

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The completed wagon will be stored in Elgin while its Chicago home is getting a facelift of its own.

The Grand Avenue Radio Flyer offices are getting ready to celebrate the 100th birthday with celebrations throughout 2017, Pasin said.

Once completed, the Big Red Wagon will stand in as the manufacturer's signage in front of the offices, Pasin said.

The Kardaschows, and their company, is relatively new to the truck repair business.

Until two years ago, they both worked in technology as litigation support for attorneys. Paul Kardaschow was let go in downsizing in 2014, and the couple looked to a broker to vet businesses for them to consider purchasing.

Van Eck Collision was the second business they had vetted, Angel said. The owners were planning to retire.

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The Kardaschows planned on taking on a very niche market  body work on emergency vehicles like fire trucks and ambulances.

For the first year, Angel Kardaschow kept working in the corporate world while Paul continued to build the business. By the second year, they had expanded to the point that both could work for the company. They went to Appleton, Wis., to learn about fire truck paint and repairs at the Pierce factory  the largest maker of fire trucks.

Because others who signed up for the class cancelled, the couple got one-on-one instruction, Angel said.

"That was the defining moment for me coming on board and changing our practices," she added.

Their employees can fabricate replacement body parts themselves, instead of waiting for the company to send replacement parts, Angel Kardaschow said.

Because they can make parts, they can schedule repairs in just one week, Paul Kardaschow said. For a fire department, being able to get their apparatus back quickly is a big deal.

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Fire trucks can cost a municipality or fire district from $500,000 to $2 million and often have 20 to 30 year life spans.

"You are talking about the largest capital expenditure for municipality," Paul said.

They also offer either pick-up or delivery service for the rigs. That way, the firefighters get to see their shop during the process.

He's often out meeting with fire chiefs and municipal leaders, talking about the businesses.

And the wagon isn't the only attraction at the shop. The own a retired fire engine that sits in the parking lot at 400 Airport Drive during the day. The doors are covered with the Kards logo, and the back is wrapped in an American flag.

It will sit next to the Radio Flyer until it can be delivered to its normal parking spot. But don't ask the Kardaschows which is the better toy because that's not a debate either one really wanted to take on.

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"Paul would say the fire truck because we bought one," Angel Kardaschow said. "I would say the wagon."

Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
Make sure no one is left behind.

That was the message Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain delivered Friday to the crowd gathered in Veterans Memorial Park along the Fox River to mark Veterans Day.

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Kaptain noted that the phrase "leave no man behind" could be traced back to colonial days and a company called Rogers' Rangers from New Hampshire that was fighting for the British against the French during the Seven Years' War. That phrase is just as important today, Kaptain said, and applies generally to everyone and particularly to taking care of those who have served their country.

Among the issues Kaptain said that veterans are facing include homelessness, affordable housing, addiction, afflictions related to environmental exposures in war zones, post-traumatic stress disorder and living with traumatic injuries on less-than-adequate pensions.

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"Leaving no one behind" also applies to those who are seeking to come to the United States who have helped the U.S. military as guides and translators in the current conflicts in Iran and Afghanistan, Kaptain said. He noted a story of one guide in Kabul who was waiting three years for his visa to come to this country and was killed by the Taliban and whose family went missing.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 24,084 veterans live in Kane County, with 93 percent of them men. About 9.9 percent of Kane County veterans have a service-connected disability, and 18.7 percent of Kane County veterans use the VA for health care. During its 2015 fiscal year, the VA spent $97,334,670 on health care, education, and disability benefits in Kane County.

Contacted Friday afternoon, Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission Superintendent Jake Zimmerman said that the VA has a plan in place to address homelessness. Related to it is a Kane County task force that in January 2015 identified 10 to 12 homeless veterans across the county, Zimmerman said.

According to information from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, communities across the country reported "less than 40,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness on a given night in January 2016. The January 2016 estimate found just over 13,000 unsheltered homeless veterans living on their streets, a 56 percent decrease since 2010."

Locally, Zimmerman said, for the last two years the Hines VA Hospital near Maywood has had an early intervention program to help veterans who need housing. And his office on two occasions worked with Elgin code inspectors and Hines social workers to assist two men, each with hoarding issues, who were at risk of losing their homes.

"That was a tremendous effort on the part of the city and the VA," Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman said that the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission sees a majority of its cases from those who served in Vietnam. Part of that is due to issues related to exposure to Agent Orange, he said. Another reason is that as that group ages, they are seeking  and in some cases just learning of  benefits available to help them through their retirement years.

Since post-1990 conflicts, including the Gulf War and ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iran, there are those the office is seeing who are dealing with issues related to exposures to environmental hazards, Zimmerman said. Of PTSD, Zimmerman noted that it is the third-most common claim for disability benefits across the nation, after ringing in the ears and hearing loss.

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This year, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill into law requiring that each judicial circuit establish a veterans court program by Jan. 1, 2018, a move Zimmerman supports.

Veterans who come back from a war zone such as Afghanistan or Iraq may have PTSD-related issues that lead to substance abuse or sometimes even criminal behavior, Zimmerman said.

"I've seen times when veterans come home, get DUIs or make other poor choices that lead to being in the court system," he said. "Given what they may have seen and that they were willing to put their lives on the line for their country, it should be on us to try to help them. They did their part."

As for the Veterans Day ceremony in Elgin, Kaptain also touched upon the recent election.

"We had an election that showed the fiber of our country," Kaptain said. "The transition should be a calm one, and that is what veterans want. That people are freely expressing their feelings about the results is one of the rights veterans fight for. We have to move forward together, or we don't move forward at all."

During his Veterans Day comments, City Council member Terry Gavin said, "Elgin has a long history of honoring and supporting the men and women who have been in the armed services."

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Gavin also noted the calm transition of power. And he reminded those gathered of the history of Veterans Day, which originated as Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, to mark one full year past the end of World War I. Armistice Day became a holiday in 1938, and President Dwight Eisenhower changed the name in 1954 as the day became one to honor all those who have served in the nation's military.

Former American Legion Elgin Post 57 Commander Tricia Dieringer, who served as the ceremony's master of ceremonies, said Elgin veterans group pool their resources to help families of veterans in need and find funds to help them.

"We band together," she said.

During her concluding remarks, Dieringer said, "Peace is what this day truly represented. We don't live for war. We fight for peace."

mdanahey@tribpub.com
Hampshire Middle School student Landon LaMarca reads his Patriot Pen essay, joined by Hampshire VFW Auxiliary members Donna Proffitt (from left) and Leola Widmayer along with Hampshire Middle School students Georgi Kerwin and Alexi Kagel. (Denise Moran / The Courier-News)

The Hampshire Middle School gym at 560 South State Street was filled on Friday morning with students, teachers and about 60 veterans who came together to honor Veterans Day and pay tribute to the men and women who have served.

The program included readings, speeches, and three patriotic songs performed by the Hampshire Middle School Band.

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Hampshire Middle School students Landon LaMarca, Alexi Kagel and Georgi Kerwin each read the winning compositions they wrote for the annual Patriot Pen essay contest. The Hampshire Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8043 and the Hampshire Ladies Auxiliary serve as local co-sponsors.

Donna Proffitt, president of the Hampshire VFW Auxiliary, said that Ethan Olson and Minh Nguyen, who were not present at the middle school program, were the Patriot Pen essay contest winners at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in Hampshire.

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Community Unit School District 300 board member Susie Kopacz has spoken at previous Hampshire Middle School Veterans Day programs. She said that this year was the hardest time for her to stand in front of the microphone due to the protests that have been taking place after the recent presidential election.

"There is dissension in America," Kopacz said. "It bothers me when I see people disrespecting our country. My father was a farmer who asked to go to war but was told that he was needed to grow food for our country. My father-in-law was a veteran who spent three and a half years in a prisoner of war camp in Japan during World War II. He was 225 pounds when he was captured. When he was freed, he only weighed 98 pounds. He said if he had spent one more month in the prisoner of war camp, he would have died. When he came back to America, he learned a trade and put his four sons through college."

Kopacz stressed the importance of education and particularly told the female students how fortunate they are to live in the United States.

"Girls, you live in a country where you can go to school and wear whatever you want to wear," Kopacz said. "That's what freedom is all about. Freedom is not free. We need to thank our veterans for our freedom. America is the greatest country in the world. The reason we are here today is to learn what it is to be an American."

United States Army veteran Tom Jones grew up in Elgin and served two years in Vietnam. He read letters written by his cousin, Gary, who served in the United States Marines and was killed in Vietnam at the age of 21.

"Gary was asked to describe what Vietnam was like," Jones said. "He said the mountains are beautiful and the water is so clear, but only God and the men here know that it is also hot, wet, muddy and lonely. There was death and destruction behind every bush during the war, and fighting men needed to be leery."

Jones said the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. carries his cousin's name along with others who gave their lives for our freedom.

"Never take freedom for granted," Jones said.

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Hampshire Middle School Principal Jim Szymczak asked the veterans in the audience to rise as their names were read aloud. The students gave the veterans a standing ovation.

The program in the gym was followed by a brunch for the veterans and their families. There was also the opportunity for veterans to talk to students in the classrooms.

Elgin resident Royal Smith, who served in the United States Air Force from 1960 to 1965, came to Hampshire Middle School with his wife, Jane. They have attended the Veterans Day program four times.

The Smiths have a granddaughter, Lydia Hessenflow of Hampshire, who is a 7th grade student at the school. Lydia's sister, Helena, is a freshman at Hampshire High School. Jane said that she was a member of the first Burlington Central High School graduating class of 1957.

Denise Moran is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
The Kane County Health Department is one of only 50 agencies throughout the country chosen to participate in the Healthiest Cities and Counties Challenge and is creating community councils to provide ideas, raise concerns and give opinions that will help shape its programs  a step toward helping the county win the challenge's $500,000 award.

The Aetna Foundation and the American Public Health Association recently gave Kane County a $10,000 award to start the challenge and help the Health Department focus on health equity by increasing community engagement by giving residents a larger say and more authority over program and funding decisions, providing them a voice, according to a Health Department news release.

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"Frequently, a small group of people make all the decisions in a community," Kane County Health Department Executive Director Barbara Jeffers said. "We have a half-million unique individuals in Kane County, Ill., and we are committed to giving everyone a voice."

The Health Department's approach is to set up community councils that will help gather people from all walks of life to discuss ways to improve the culture of health where they live, work and play, according to the news release.

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Meetings will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Ave., Aurora, and 6:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 25 at the Dundee Township assessor's office, 611 E. Main St., East Dundee.

Each community council will initially focus on the importance of nutrition and physical activity metrics, according to the release. Council members will later identity other health concerns and develop ideas to address the concerns and help the department serve the community's needs, it stated.

Griselda Hernandez, a Carpentersville Police Department social worker, said she is excited about the program.

"This is a really good opportunity for Carpentersville residents to participate in something that's going to be promoting their health, and I think that would be fantastic," she said.

The Healthiest Cities and Counties Challenge also coincides nicely with the recently launched in-school food pantry at Carpentersville Middle School, Hernandez said.

"Both are promoting healthy living," she said.

Agencies participating in the challenge will have to answer questions, explain the community's approach to the project and demonstrate how its efforts have changed the community, according to the release. Prize awards range from $25,000 to $500,000.

The Kane County Health Department has a video and will keep residents updated using #GiveKaneAVoice and its website, www.kanehealth.com/challenge.htm. For information on the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge, go to www.healthiestcities.org.

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Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. Freelancer Erin Sauder contributed.
Kane County board member Philip Lewis offered an alternative plan to the county's proposal to issue $55 million in general obligation bonds earmarked for the county's pension liability, a plan he said would pay off the debt within 10 years.

"My position is we should not be borrowing money to fund employee benefit expenses," Lewis said during a public hearing on the bond issue Tuesday.

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Lewis reiterated his opposition to a proposal from Robert W. Baird & Co., based in Naperville, calling for issuing $55 million in general bonds. The county's pension debt is $53 million. The total amount includes the cost of issuing bonds and setting up a contingency fund, officials said.

But Lewis said the county could commit another $4.4 million a year to Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund over the next 10 years and pay off the debt. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund charges 7.5 percent interest while Baird estimates the county would pay 3.5 percent interest, county documents show. A shorter term would mean a bigger savings for the county, he said.

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Kane County found $4.6 million to balance its fiscal year 2017 budget  which was passed Tuesday  and found $8.3 million the year before, Lewis said. The county could find the $4.4 million if it absorbed attrition during the 2017 budget year, he said.

"We are in this situation because we are underpaying IMRF, as our employee headcount and wages grew, our IMRF payment did not proportionally grow," Lewis said.

Lewis said the county has 14 new positions in the budget next year. The number of employees increased from 1,243 to 1,313 from 2012 to 2016, which resulted higher benefit costs from $85 million to $103 million, he said. "That is why we are in this jam," he said.

"What I believe we need to do here is we need to introduce and change our ways a bit," Lewis said.

"This is one of the worst proposals ever to come before this board," said Ken Shepro, who ran against Chairman Chris Lauzen in the spring primary and represented the county board during former Chairman Karen McConnaughay's tenure.

Shepro was a speaker at the public hearing. He said the idea of pension obligation bonds is rejected by most financial experts. The only people who recommend it are those who stand to make money, he said.

The county board will hold a special meeting at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday to vote on the bond issue.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
(Far right) Vanessa Gallegos, a student representative on the Leyden District 212 board, told board members Wednesday night that some students are worried about their families in the wake of Donald Trump's election. (Pioneer Press / Pioneer Press)

Leyden School District 212 officials said they met with about 32 students on Friday afternoon at West Leyden High School after some students considered staging a walkout protest over concerns about Donald Trump's recent victory in the presidential race.

Officials said that there was no walkout.

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On Thursday, officials had issued a "talk rather than walk" invitation to the students, asking them to meet at the auditorium, Supt. Nick Polyak said.

The idea is "to have a conversation rather than walk" and find other constructive outlets over concerns about the new Trump administration, he said.

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Tatiana Bonuma, principal at West Leyden, said the meeting with students began at 2:40 p.m. on Friday and lasted for about half an hour. She said she led the meeting alongside a dean.

"It was a very good day," Bonuma said. "We had seen on social media that some of our students were starting a conversation earlier in the week about a walkout. A lot of it was a result of what they'd seen on social media and media elsewhere. We offered the opportunity at the end of the day that instead of having a walkout to have a meeting about what they were trying to walk out for. ... We had a chance to speak to some of them in small groups and hear where they were coming from. We did not have a walkout in the building. They did not engage in that this week."

At the District 212 board meeting Wednesday night, Noelle Lowther and Vanessa Gallegos, the student representatives on the board, talked about concerns at the schools following Trump's surprising election. Both schools have strong Hispanic makeup, according to their 2016 Illinois School Report Cards  81.3 percent at West Leyden, at 1000 N. Wolf Road, in Northlake, and 50.3 percent at East Leyden, 3400 Rose St., in Franklin Park.

During the campaign, the president-elect preached a hardline immigration plan, including a plan to deport illegal immigrants and build a wall along the country's southern border. Loether said some students, expressing concern about the future, had talked about a walkout protest and "asking me whether I could cancel school," she told the board in her report.

Gallegos, who is Hispanic, described students as "a little bit sad" and worried about their families with Trump's election.

In one case, "a person ran up to me  I didn't even talk to her  and said 'well, I'm going to miss you,' " she told board members of the mood.

"I will say that I do admire that my classmates are willing to make a stand," Gallegos said in response to a question, "but I'm not sure how effective a walkout would be at the moment. The students acknowledge that a walkout won't kick Donald Trump out of office, but they believe protesting will give them a voice to show they won't stand with Trump's beliefs. Since Leyden is a very diverse school, with many kids from different minority groups, some students have grown worried and emotional after Donald Trump's election for fear of what their future holds."

"There are also students that are pleased with president-elect, Donald Trump, and have voiced their opinion openly over social media," she added.

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At the board meeting, Polyak thanked the students for bringing up the issue. He said school officials were looking for ways of offering reassurance to students who air concerns while also giving them "a productive outlet to have that conversation."

He acknowledged the sentiment behind a walkout such as students have staged in schools in different parts of the country "but if we can find a more productive way for folks to have that conversation" that would be the district's preference.

After Friday's meeting, Bonuma "the intent was to provide a place for them to bring concerns and start conversations."

"Most of the things they are concerned about are beyond our control," she said. "It's mostly providing students a place to have these conversations. One of the things I talked to them about was reminding them about actions and that for everything they do and say there is reaction. ... Be mindful of their words and mindful of their actions. The students I think are, you know, internalizing a lot of things and thinking a lot about what's going on and [making] sense of the week and all the events that took place this week from their angle and perception."

Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. Pioneer Press staff contributed
North Chicago's Fifth Ward Alderman Torrance Markham was charged with several counts of domestic battery against three victims at his home. (Lake County Sheriff's Office)

North Chicago Ald. Torrance Markham, 5th, said in an emailed statement this week that the seven counts of domestic battery filed against him last month "were made up by the North Chicago Police Department."

"I am appalled at the fabricated story," Markham said in response to a News-Sun account from Wednesday. "This incident involved my adult children and if you had checked their statements, (you) would have seen that accusations were made up by the North Chicago Police Department."

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Markham added that "my reputation be vindicated in court."

North Chicago Deputy Chief Lazaro Perez responded to the accusation by saying that "it would be improper of me to make a statement while this case is being handled by the Lake County court system."

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Mayor Leon Rockingham said he did not want to address the situation specifically, but added "I will tell you that well above being mayor and where I stand on the political side, I'm a Christian first. I will continue to pray for (Markham) and his family and that things can be worked out no matter what the situation is."

Rockingham said that as far as the alderman staying on City Council, any action would wait until after the court case is dealt with.

"I'm not concentrating on that at this point," Rockingham said. "I'll deal with it if there comes a time. That's kind of a state's attorney issue."

Markham is facing seven counts of domestic violence related charges against three victims, including a woman who is five months pregnant, in connection with an incident reported at the end of October.

Markham, who plead not guilty according to court records, had been held on $15,000 bail but was released after it was reduced to $7,500, and he is scheduled to appear in Lake County Circuit court Nov. 29, according to Cynthia Vargas, spokeswoman for the Lake County State's Attorney's Office.

According to court documents reported by Vargas, the incident occurred Oct. 27 at 4:42 p.m. at Markham's home in the 2100 block of 20th Street after Markham and a 50-year-old woman victim returned from a trip and Markham got into a conflict with a 27-year-old pregnant female who was supposed to be watching the house.

Markham allegedly started yelling at a 23-year-old male victim when the 27-year-old victim came into the house to defend him, and he grabbed her by the neck and also shoved her in the stomach area. The 23-year-old then grabbed his hands and the 50-year-old also stood between him and the pregnant victim, Vargas said.

The 50-year-old was scratched on the face and arms and the 23-year-old was "slammed onto a couch," and the pregnant victim went to call police when Markham allegedly tried to stop her, Vargas said.

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Vargas added that Markham was charged with three counts of domestic battery causing bodily harm, three counts of domestic battery physical contact, and one count of interference with a report of domestic violence.

Markham has been on the council since winning a seat in May of 2013, defeating Torrance Abrams.

Markham is the pastor at Greater St. James Temple Church of God in Christ in North Chicago. He took over being pastor of the church after his grandfather, Bishop James Markham, died in 1992, according to the church website.

fabderholden@tribpub.com

Twitter @abderholden
Members of the Lake County Black Lives Matter group protested outside Warren Township High School on Almond Road in Gurnee Nov. 11, 2016, a day after racist graffiti was found in girls' bathroom that said "White's only" (sic). (Frank Abderholden / News-Sun) (Chicago Tribune)

Lake County Black Lives Matter members protested in support of students at Warren Township High School on Almond Road Friday, drawing a mixed response after the school reported some incidents of people writing racist messages in bathrooms this week.

On Wednesday, the words "White's only" (sic) were found on a bathroom stall door in a female washroom at the school's Almond Campus, according to District 121 Superintendent John Ahlgrim. The incident sparked a student sit-in and protest.

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Ahlgrim said later Thursday that three "copycat" messages also were found scrawled on bathroom stalls at the district's O'Plaine Campus. All the graffiti was removed, and the situation is being investigated by Gurnee Police, he said in an email to parents.

"We're obviously saddened and upset," Ahlgrim said.

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On Friday, Jackie Sandoval, 17, a junior at the school, pulled up to the Black Lives Matter protesters and thanked them.

Jackie Sandoval, 17, a junior at Warren Township High School's Almond Road campus, thanks Lake County Black Lives Matter protesters for speaking out against a racist incident on campus this week. (Frank Abderholden / Lake County News-Sun)

"Thank you so much for your support," she told Clyde McLemore, chairman of the group, as the protest took place near the school sign on Almond Road. "I appreciate you guys."

Sandoval added that "kids were joking about how they did (the graffiti), and I reported it to the dean's office."

"We're trying to organize a club or organization so this will not be ignored," Sandoval said, adding that she was at the protest on Thursday held inside the school by a relatively small group of students.

According to Ahlgrim, the original group was joined by about 150 to 200 students. At that point, Almond Campus Principal Patrick Keeley addressed the students and allowed them to voice their concerns over the next period.

Sandoval said "we are known for our diversity, but it's not really celebrated or acknowledged." She added that she feels school staff members really do care about the racism issue, and they are planning a meeting next week.

Lake County Black Lives Matter members marched against racism Friday in Gurnee. Racist remarks were written on a girls bathroom wall at the high school's Almond Road Campus and three bathrooms at the O'Plaine Campus. (Frank Abderholden / Lake County News-Sun)

McLemore said he had received calls from people who were intimidated by someone flying a rebel flag on their truck.

"We just had eight years of a black president, and now we are going back to the 1950s and 'whites only,'" he said. "Some of these kids probably don't even know about Jim Crow. ... The writing on the bathroom walls was a disgrace."

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The half-dozen protesters on Friday chanted "this is what democracy looks like" and "let us end racism." One student drove past and yelled "white lives matter, too," and two women walking their dogs said the protest was childish and disgusting. Other students cheered the protesters and some took photographs with them.

While the school district and McLemore had talked about the protest, there were ground rules. At first, protesters said they thought they could park in the school lot to go over to the sidewalk in front of the school sign on Almond Road and the public right-of-way to protest, but the school said no.

"They have a right to protest, but they have no business here on school grounds," Ahlgrim said, adding that he had no opinion on the protest itself.

Protesters stand along Almond Road Nov. 11, 2016, in front of Warren Township High School, where racist comments were written on a bathroom wall this week. (Frank Abderholden / Lake County News-Sun)

Officials said they still do not know who wrote the graffiti, and that the incident is being investigated by the district's deans and Gurnee police.

In keeping with district protocol, Ahlgrim said the graffiti was photographed, and then immediately removed. It was discovered by a student who reported it to a teacher, but before it could be addressed by the school, someone had photographed it and the image was spread on social media.

The campus has about 2,100 students, of which approximately 65 percent are white, 30 percent are Hispanic and 10 percent are African-American, Ahlgrim said. In the email to parents, Ahlgrim said one of the "belief statements" in the district's Strategic Plan is that "we maximize the growth and achievement of our students power of our inclusive and diverse culture."

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"We will continue to be diligent in our efforts to make sure all students and staff feel supported at Warren Township High School, and we intend to be stronger to our commitment to our diversity as a result," Ahlgrim said.

fabderholden@tribpub.com

Twitter @abderholden
American Legion veterans march west on Washington Street to Washington Park to honor Veterans Day. The city of Waukegan held their annual Veterans Day Parade and Celebration on Nov. 11, 2016. (Rob Dicker / Lake County News-Sun)

In courtrooms and conference rooms throughout the Lake County Courthouse Friday, veterans of various wars and ages opened up about their personal experiences in what has become a labor of love for the county's legal community.

Almost 40 veterans were interviewed Friday by volunteers including attorneys, court officials and judges as part of the Fifth Annual Lake County Veterans History Project, held to preserve the memories of veterans for posterity in the Library of Congress.

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Those interviewed on Veterans Day included regional veterans of World War II, Korean, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Vietnam veteran Robert Hill of Elmhurst, with his wife Janet at his side, was interviewed in a conference room by Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Carolina DeLeon-Bond.

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Hill voluntarily signed up for three tours of Vietnam, serving from February of 1967 to October of 1969 as an Army combat engineer and demolition expert with the 87th Engineer Group. Serving primarily in Chu Lai and Ben Hua, Hill witnessed the Tet Offensive.

Launched overnight Jan. 30-31, 1968, the Tet Offensive was viewed as a turning point in the war as Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army infiltrators launched a widespread, coordinated surprise attack that was eventually beaten back, but is credited with greatly increasing opposition to the war in the U.S.

At 5 a.m. on the first morning of the offensive, Hill, who was in Chu Lai at the time, said a nearby ammo dump blew up  his first glimpse of the magnitude of what had begun.

"It was like an atom bomb went off," Hill said. "That's when it all started. They were already in Saigon and took over the Embassy. That first night, (American) gunships were all around the perimeter. They tore up the town."

Although Hill and his comrades had felt relatively safe in Chu Lai before then, "after that, you had to carry weapons wherever you went."

Hill, now 68, said his work primarily consisted of assisting the 169th Light Infantry, using C4 explosive to clear roads of bombs and booby traps, building fences and other structures and providing support as needed. Although the temperature often rose to 104, Hill said that age 18, it didn't bother him that much.

"At 18, you're so young you could deal with it. Everybody got used to it," he said.

Although a friend of his was critically injured by a mortar, none of his close friends were killed, and he said he considered himself lucky to be with the engineers, because they lived in better conditions and faced less immediate danger than the infantry troops did.

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Before his critically injured friend was airlifted out of country, Hill said he bought him a radio. He said his friend has thanked him often for that since, and that they are regularly in touch.

"I golfed with him yesterday," he said.

Hill said he has no regrets about his tours of duty, saying his time in the military helped pave the way for his career as a firefighter prior to retirement and taught him many life skills as well as creating friendships and bonds few experience in other situations.

He said the hardest part was the lack of support and gratitude he felt upon returning home.

"We didn't want people to know we were there. People hated us," he said. "That hurt when you weren't supported."

His wife said during the interview that, ironically, she was an ardent protester of the war and that the two came from different political backgrounds, but Hill said that was not a problem from his perspective.

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Hill said the negative response on returning from Vietnam has been at least somewhat offset by changing attitudes since then, and that he enjoys in participating in activities such as the history project.

"It's 50 years now," he said. "One of the reasons I appreciate things like this is that we didn't have it when we returned home."

Lake County Circuit Court Chief Judge Jorge Ortiz said the history project is important because it will help to forever preserve the memories of U.S. veterans.

"It is absolutely crucial that the events they witnessed and their memories of their comrades-in-arms be preserved," Ortiz said.

Court reporters Deborah Cohen-Rojas and Colleen Eitermann coordinated the local court reporters' support of the project.

"Both the official and free-lance court reporters covering this year's Lake County's Veterans History Project event are again very excited to be a part of this effort," Cohen-Rojas said. "These personal accounts of American war veterans will be electronically accessible by researchers and the public so that future generations may hear directly from our veterans and better understand the realities of war."

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The event included a large group breakfast and addresses by guest speakers before the interviews began.

In other Veteran's Day observations across Lake County, Waukegan held its annual Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony, featuring an address Col. Jill Morgenthaler, who signed up for U.S. Army boot camp in 1975 while pursuing a degree in economics at Penn State University. She graduated from college and boot camp in 1976 and was sent to Korea as a second lieutenant in 1977.

Antioch, Lindenhurst, Fox Lake, Lake Villa, Deerfield, Gurnee, Libertyville, Lake Forest, Barrington, Buffalo Grove and Highland Park were among the communities hosting Veteran's Day ceremonies, and students at Woodland Intermediate School in Gurnee hosted a continental breakfast for veteran family members of students, as well as a group of veterans invited through the Midwest Veterans Closet in North Chicago.

jrnewton@tribpub.com

Twitter @jimnewton5
North Central students listen to a speech after a solidarity march in Naperville, Ill., on Nov. 11, 2016. (Mike Mantucca / Naperville Sun)

More than 300 people dressed in black and carrying signs proclaiming "Hate Does Not Make Us Great" marched peacefully through downtown Naperville Friday afternoon.

The post-presidential election March in Solidarity event was led by and comprised mostly of students from North Central College in Naperville, though adults and high school students joined in as news of the event spread via social media.

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"We just want to spread the message of love," said Kevin Oyakawa, president of the College Democrats of North Central College and one of the march organizers.

Before the march, Oyakawa, a computer science major from Wadsworth, Ohio, urged participants to remain peaceful and not react to anyone who might disagree.

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Throughout the half-hour march, only one man appeared to question the group's motivation. Much of the route was met by honks and shouts of support.

While similar marches across the country in major cities have been political in nature and often aimed at the Republican Party or president-elect Donald Trump, fellow organizer Upasna Barath said they wanted to remove the politics and focus on coming together.

"In a time of divisiveness, we want to be talking about love and unity," said Barath, an economics and political science major.

North Central officials saw Friday's march as a teaching tool about democracy and many walked in solidarity with the students.

"As an educational institution, our students are learning to engage in civil dialogue and exercising their citizenship through freedom of speech," said Melissa Ramirez Cooper, NCC's director of communication.

Dorothy Pleas, director of multicultural affairs at the college, said she applauded participants for taking the high road.

"I feel like their unity and positivity is a great thing," she said.

Youssef Mekawy, founder and president of the Muslim Student Association at NCC, called on his fellow students to fight against xenophobia, racism and other attitudes that could surface due to the results of the election.

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"We will not allow this to be our social more," he said. "We march with message of love. Love will always defeat hate."

The fact that the demonstration was held on Veterans Day was not lost on the students.

Oyakawa asked for a moment of silence in support of veterans. The march started with the group chanting, "Thank you veterans."

Besides the NCC Democrats, the march united other college-based organizations, including the forensics team, the International Club, the student-led multicultural organization MOSAIC, and the Hispanic/Latino student-faculty group Raza Unida.

The group walked along the sidewalks starting at the fountain in Fredenhagen Park, just north of the DuPage River on South Washington Street, before moving north on Washington Street to Jefferson Avenue. They then journeyed around the North Central campus, through the Oesterle Library and ended in the Jefferson Commons to listen to speakers.

Naperville police offered assistance along the way by blocking traffic at some of the major intersections.

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Twitter @SBakerSun1
Hillary Clinton won a majority of voters in her hometown of Park Ridge, unofficial vote totals show.

An analysis of votes cast in 28 Park Ridge precincts in Maine, Norwood Park and Leyden townships shows Clinton received 54 percent of the vote for president of the United States, according to data from the Cook County Clerk's Office.

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Republican Donald Trump received 40.6 percent of the vote, followed by Libertarian Gary Johnson with 4.2 percent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein with 1.1 percent, the unofficial totals show.

Votes from all precincts located within the city boundaries of Park Ridge were analyzed, with the exception of Maine Township Precinct 1, which is split between a small part of northern Park Ridge and Niles, according to voting maps published by the Cook County Clerk's Office.

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The unofficial totals show that Clinton, who was projected to win the nationwide popular vote, but lost the general election to Trump based on electoral votes, won every Park Ridge precinct with the exception of three: Maine Township precinct 43, a neighborhood located directly east of Field School; Maine Township precinct 67, which is located on the western edge of the city and includes neighborhood surrounding Maine Park; and Maine Township precinct 88, a neighborhood that includes the Park Ridge Country Club and Prospect Park.

As a whole, 57.6 percent of all Maine Township voters cast votes for Clinton and 38 percent voted for Trump, according to the unofficial totals. She also received the majority of votes in Norwood Park and Leyden townships, the county data indicates.

"It makes me feel better that the township and city went for her," said Mary Wynn Ryan, who co-hosted an election night party recognizing Clinton's Park Ridge ties. "If we believe a person's background is a determination of what's next, then her background spoke well for her in this election."

Suzanne Henn, who organized the gathering with Ryan, said she had hoped Clinton would win Park Ridge. She and Ryan say they still believe the city should recognize the candidate's upbringing in Park Ridge based on her past accomplishments.

"The fact that we had our first female candidate running this time around  and who did win the popular vote  is huge in itself," Henn said. "It's something to be celebrated, something to be proud of that she's from our little community here."

jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @Jen_Tribune
Indiana legislators may not want to tackle the issue of medical marijuana in the Statehouse, but one Lake County Council member is looking to gain the support of his peers for a resolution supporting the practice.

Lake County Councilman Jamal Washington, D-Merrillville, said he would like fellow council members to consider a resolution supporting the decriminalization of marijuana for medical purposes when the council meets Tuesday.

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Washington said that with more states approving the decriminalization or legalization of medical or recreational marijuana, it is time for Indiana to allow access to the product that has been found to be effective treating symptoms of myriad diseases, from Alzheimer's to cancer.

"People should be able to have access to medical marijuana if it will help relieve their pain," Washington said.

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Two bills on the issue were presented in the Statehouse but did not make it out of committee in the spring session. The measure he is asking the council to consider would not serve to decriminalize medical marijuana in Lake County but would show the state legislature that county officials support statewide approval of the measure.

State Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, authored SB206, which would have established a medical marijuana program and permitted caregivers and patients who have received a physician recommendation to possess marijuana for treatment. Tallian's bill would have also established a department of marijuana enforcement as a state agency to oversee the program.

Council President Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, said the resolution, if approved by the council, would serve to let the state legislature know county officials would be behind a measure to decriminalize medicinal marijuana in the state.

"I have no issue supporting a resolution for medical marijuana," Bilski said. He would not be so quick to support a move to decriminalize recreational use of marijuana without future study, he added. He said he has concerns about recreational marijuana use and would like to see more information on states that have approved it and are handling some of the negative issues.

"Unfortunately, the county council does not have the authority to do anything," Bilski said, adding that if one of the council members feels the need to bring the resolution forward, it should be considered.

Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Tri-Creek School Corp. Superintendent Debra Howe sent an email to parents Thursday indicating that teachers and administrators have seen an uptick in inflammatory language that was used on the campaign trail. (Mark Davis / Post-Tribune)

Reports of racially charged incidents indicative of President-elect Donald Trump's campaign rhetoric have reached schools in Northwest Indiana.

Tri-Creek School Corp. Superintendent Debra Howe sent an email to parents Thursday indicating that teachers and administrators have seen an uptick in inflammatory language that was used on the campaign trail. Trump won the presidential election Tuesday. Since then, there have been more than 20 reports of these types of encounters around the country, according to The Associated Press.

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At the University of New Mexico, for example, a Muslim engineering student said a man attempted to snatch off her hijab Tuesday while she was studying, and school administrators in Vice President-elect Mike Pence's hometown of Columbus called for respect after reports of Hispanic students being taunted with chants of "build that wall," including on Election Day.

While the Tri-Creek schools' incidents haven't reached violent proportions, Howe said parents have called and are understandably upset, and she wants to nip any sort of nastiness in the bud before it has a chance to get worse.

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"No one has been disciplined severely yet, and I think we've caught it early," Howe said Friday. "We've been working hard on diversity in our schools, and we made sure faculty, staff and employees weren't making statements about any one candidate.

"We want our students to be comfortable, and we want everyone to be able to come together like a family."

But anyone who continues to harass any Tri-Creek student will be dealt with, Howe said, up to and including suspension and expulsion as the situation warrants.

Richard Weigel, superintendent of Portage Township schools, said he hasn't heard about bullying or other issues at his schools since the election, though he hasn't checked in with all of the building principals.

"We have such wonderful diversity here at Portage to begin with," he said, adding that both teachers and students treat each other with kindness.

The principal at the high school told him things were quiet and that the students there were doing great, Weigel said, adding that he talked to five juniors and seniors.

"It was as much of a diverse group as you can imagine, and we had a great conversation" that focused on their futures and how things were going, Weigel said, with no mention of the election.

Oren Segal, director of the Anti-Defamation League office that monitors extremism, said young people "were watching and observing this presidential campaign as closely as anyone else." Now that the campaign is over, "the impact of what they have seen is not just going to go away."

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A racial backlash also unfolded after the election of Barack Obama, America's first black president, in 2008. At the time, police documented alleged crimes, from vandalism and vague threats to at least one physical attack. Insults and taunts were delivered by adults, college students and even children.

Barbara Dahl, director of counseling services for Indiana University Northwest in Gary, said Friday that it's "appropriate and right" for schools that are dealing with high emotions and distress among their students to let them be heard, especially children. Dahl said she and her colleagues ended up changing their on-campus schedules to accommodate students concerned by the election results.

"We all have to move toward the success of a democracy, so we have the discussion about the election in a meaningful way," Dahl said. "This election is unprecedented, in my time and certainly in the time of our current students, and with so much negative rhetoric from this candidate, some of this fear is based on the reality of this campaign. It's not about a partisan win-or-lose anymore, and our humanity doesn't change.

"To not address it is to do your students a real disservice."

Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Freelancer Amy Lavalley and The Associated Press contributed.
His Grace Bishop Login, bishop of the New Gracanica and Midwestern Diocese, center, blesses the soil during a Saturday groundbreaking ceremony for a new cemetery at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Merrillville. (John Smierciak / Post-Tribune)

With prayer and a special blessing, clergy and church members broke ground Saturday on a new cemetery at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Merrillville, which will serve Orthodox Church members of all ethnic groups.

A solemn procession led by His Grace Bishop Longin and priests from several Orthodox parishes in Indiana and Illinois brought church members from St. Sava church building north to the site where the cemetery will be built.

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Ground was broken with gold-colored shovels, and the dirt blessed before it was placed around a cross marking the location of the first grave site.

"It's a beautiful project. It keeps us all together," said the Rev. Marko Matic, parish priest of St. Sava, which has about 380 members. "It will be an Orthodox cemetery, allowing our parishioners to be buried with all the Orthodox customs and traditions."

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Of special significance, he said, was that the ceremony took place on St. Varnava (Nastic) Day, marking the day the Gary native was consecrated a saint.

"He was the first child baptized at St. Sava when it was in Gary. Today is his day," Matic said.

The Rev. Bogan Zjalic, assistant priest at St. Sava, said a committee began working on bringing an Orthodox cemetery to the site five years ago because so many parishioners requested one.

Previously, many church members traveled as far as Gurnee, Ill., or New Carlisle, Ind., to bury loved ones in an Orthodox cemetery, he said.

About 40 acres owned by St. Sava in the 9100 block of Mississippi Street have been earmarked for the cemetery, with another 80 acres available if needed.

The new cemetery has had support from Russian, Greek, Romanian and Ukrainian Orthodox churches in Illinois and Indiana, Zjalic said.

Church member Radmila Milivojevic said the cemetery is not only important for members of the Serbian church, but for all ethnicities of the Orthodox Church.

Three phases are planned, with 2,100 grave sites in the first phase, church president Danica Pejnovic said.

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Planting grass and the remainder of the asphalt work needed for the first phase will be done in spring, officials said.

Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
COLUMBUS  Like many Americans, state Sen. Paul Schumacher will be watching closely during the early stages of Donald Trumps presidency.

And like many Americans, hes not sure exactly what to expect from the billionaire businessman and reality TV star.

I think it could be one extreme or the other, Schumacher said when asked whether Trumps victory will be good or bad for Nebraska.

That remains to be seen, which direction he will go, the Columbus attorney added. We clearly wont be going in the direction we were headed.

A lack of defined policy at this point makes Trump difficult to predict, according to Schumacher, a Republican who represents District 22 in the state Legislature.

But there are a few areas of interest that stand out.

Trump is almost certain to make appealing the Affordable Care Act a priority.

President Barack Obamas law expanded health insurance coverage to millions of Americans but has faced continued scrutiny since its adoption in 2010.

Schumacher said it will be interesting to see the alternatives proposed by Republicans and what impact they have on Nebraska, where lawmakers have repeatedly chosen not to accept federal Medicaid funding available through Obamacare to expand health care coverage for lower-income residents.

That will be a major thing, Schumacher said.

Opponents of Medicaid expansion in Nebraska argued that the state would be on the hook for millions of dollars in annual costs should the federal funding decrease or dissolve.

Schumacher believes federal assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture could also be targeted by the Trump administration. The president-elect may decide to decrease subsidies for ag-related businesses and farming operations, he said.

The same could be true for wind energy projects as Schumacher expects the next president to loosen rules on the use of coal to generate power.

That would be good news for Nebraskas public power districts and utilities, which received 61.5 percent of their electricity from coal-fired plants in 2015  almost double the national figure.

Obamas Clean Power Plan calls for a 32 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, a greenhouse gas linked to climate change, by 2030. Nebraska, one of several states suing to halt the plan, would have to reduce its emissions by 40 percent, using 2005 emissions as a baseline.

Schumacher said easing those rules would lengthen the lives of coal-fired power plants and could put costly upgrades aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions on hold.

The state senator knows immigration is another topic of local interest.

A general deportation order from Trump would have a major impact in Nebraska, where immigrants fill jobs in meatpacking plants, the service industries and other areas.

The state, already struggling to find enough workers to fill open positions, would need to replace this labor force if stricter immigration laws took it away.

There were also changes at the state level that will have a significant impact in the years ahead.

Nebraska voters overwhelmingly decided to reinstate the death penalty.

Schumacher, who was among the senators voting to repeal capital punishment in 2015, said Tuesday nights vote doesnt eliminate the problems associated with the death penalty.

Simply reinstating it doesnt make it work, he said.

The Legislature repealed the death penalty because its next to impossible to carry out, according to Schumacher, who referenced the problems the state is having while trying to purchase the drugs needed to carry out an execution.

Schumacher said the long appeal process and significant costs associated with the death penalty, along with a lack of evidence that it serves as a deterrent to crimes, were among the reasons he supported its repeal.

Yet, he wasnt surprised that 61 percent of Nebraska voters disagreed with that viewpoint.

Schumacher said state lawmakers spent many, many hours analyzing the issue before coming to their decision.

Without those facts, the natural inclination is to vote for revenge, and thats what happened, he said.

The Columbus senator will be joined in the Unicameral next year by 17 new lawmakers, including five who unseated incumbents in the general election. A super majority of the state Legislature will have two or fewer years of experience.

I think in large measure the people are just plain unhappy, Schumacher said of the upheaval.

The large turnover, which is also contributed to by term limits, can create problems in Lincoln.

Nebraska is facing an estimated $910 million shortfall in general funds for the next two-year budget cycle, based on the Legislatures spending projections.

Schumacher said inexperience may have contributed to the revenue shortfall as lawmakers authorized tax cuts and credits that will make it difficult to balance the budget. If state revenue numbers dont improve, he fears the Legislature may be forced to raise taxes or make draconian cuts in big budget items once the cash reserve runs dry.
Brandon's Hope was named in honor of Brandon Earl, 33, who died from a drug overdose in March, 2016. (Danielle Bellinger / Provided by Danielle Berger)

Brandon Earl was an avid Cubs fan with a passion for cars, riding dirt bikes, fishing, hunting and working out, according to his obituary.

"Brandon also volunteered as a counselor helping those with drug addictions and awareness," his obit states.

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Earl died in his DeMotte home March 31 of this year. He was 33.

What Earl's obit doesn't mention is that he died from a drug overdose.

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"Brandon struggled with addiction for 10 years, and he knew the struggle of trying to find affordable treatment," said Danielle Bellinger of Wheatfield, a friend of Earl's.

"One of the last conversations my husband Dustin had with Brandon before he passed was about hope," she said. "Brandon talked about how he had hope for himself, and how he loved watching other people get clean. His biggest hope was to get help for all those who are struggling with addiction."

Earl lost his struggle with addiction. But he went down swinging, his family and friends say.

"Brandon was clean for nine months before he relapsed with one batch laced with Fentanyl," Bellinger said. "We feel that Brandon is sadly the case for most addicts; the struggle of sobriety, the stigma and the shame of asking for help."

In Earl's honor, the Bellingers created a support group for addicts and their families. They named it Brandon's Hope.

"Our intent is to carry out Brandon's biggest hope," Danielle Bellinger said. "Our message is about drug prevention and awareness, starting in Jasper and Newton counties, and in time for all of Northwest Indiana."

Brandon Robert Earl, 33, of DeMotte, died from a drug overdose March 31, 2016, at his home. A drug prevention group, Brandon's Hope, has started in his name in Jasper and Newton counties. (Danielle Bellinger / Provided by Danielle Bellinger)

The group meets weekly at the Wheatfield Public Library, with its next meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. on Nov. 19. For more information, visit the group's Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/groups/184508055294097/.

Mike Hull, a public safety officer for multiple jurisdictions in this area, including Jasper County, said "without a doubt" overdose deaths are on the rise in rural counties, too.

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"I personally attribute this to the drugs being used," he said. "Drugs like methamphetamine and heroin release chemicals in your brain providing the feeling of a high. These chemicals can also be compared to our highest moments in life, like child birth, winning a competition, sex, and so on. The chemical high released from these drugs can reach between 1,000 to 10,000 times that of those life experiences."

"The problem is that (addicts) never reach their original high, and they keep chasing it, often resulting in overdoses," Hull said.

Earlier this month, Lake County Coroner Merrilee Frey warned our entire area about a spike in drug overdose deaths in her county.

"In the past eight days, we have had nine drug overdose deaths, with six being heroin-related," she told me. "It's a true epidemic. No other disease is taking the lives of our youth like this."

Newton County Sheriff Thomas VanVleet told me his county is no different than any other in Northwest Indiana, or in the country.

"We too have a drug problem and we are fighting the heroin epidemic," he said. "Fortunately, being a small county, we are not seeing the huge number of cases as those counties around us. However, we see a lot of traffic from people traveling to and from the source of the problem, in Illinois."

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"Our drug task force works with Kankakee County, Illinois, in an attempt to slow the process. But as soon as one drug provider is taken down, another one takes their place. It's the infamous revolving door."

Earl habitually used a similar revolving door when it came to his addiction.

"Once it gets a hold of you, it doesn't let go," Dustin Bellinger said.

Brandon's Hope was named in honor of Brandon Earl, 33, who died from a drug overdose in March, 2016. (Danielle Bellinger / Provided by Danielle Bellinger)

Earl's mother, Sharon Earl, was a member of the support group after it launched. But she has since stepped back from its outreach efforts. It's still too painful, she said.

"Sharon constantly reminds everyone that for 10 years she was with her son through whatever treatment plan they could get," Danielle Bellinger said. "They tried everything but, ultimately, it didn't save Brandon."

In an effort to broaden the group's reach, Brandon's Hope will be changing its name to Recovering Hope, she said. Nonetheless, the message remains the same.

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The Bellingers are reaching out to area churches, support groups, law enforcement agencies, social media groups, and anyone else who wants to join their efforts.

"The reality is that addicts are people like you and me, but they're struggling with a disease," Danielle Bellinger said. "We can't expect them to ask for help when they need it if we have created an environment that has shunned them. And one that makes them believe they are less than deserving of help and compassion."

Earl knew this. He lived it. He died with this in mind, his loved ones say.

Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Nearly every obit for a drug overdose death omits one crucial but socially sensitive fact  a cause of death. And understandably so.

I also had a close loved one who died from a drug-related cause of death. It's not the kind of death that families want to publicize in an obit, in the newspaper, or in public.

But here's the thing about addiction. Although Earl's drug habit killed him, it didn't define him. And there's always hope for anyone who's still around to read this.

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For families battling the bottomless hell of drug addiction, hope may be the only substance left that hasn't been inhaled, snorted or injected by their loved one.

Whether it's called Brandon's Hope or Recovering Hope, it doesn't matter. Hope is hope.

jdavich@post-trib.com

Twitter@jdavich
What's Quickly? It's where readers sound off on the issues of the day. Have a quote, question or quip? Call Quickly at 312-222-2426 or email quickly@post-trib.com.

Paul Ryan has already announced that with Donald Trump now at the helm, the GOP is going to move quickly to eliminate Medicare in its current form. What you'll get instead are vouchers you can use to purchase private insurance that might not come close to covering your needs. Let me be the first to say "I told you so." If you voted for Trump, you deserve this, but the rest of us don't.

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If all the Trump supporters were the deplorables, who are these people "protesting" the results?

There have always been all kinds of improper things going on in politics on both sides of the aisle. Don't act like your party is innocent of any of those things, because they are not. There is no such thing as honesty or integrity in politics.

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To get rid of the Electoral College requires an amendment to the Constitution of the United States. To do so requires that two-thirds of each House of Congress and three fourths of the States all agree.

These men that think Trump treats women good or that he hasn't done anything wrong, are a huge threat to all women and girls out there. Beware of all Trump backers, you are not safe around them.

We need to change our state laws concerning the DNA database. DNA samples should be obtained at the time of an arrest. In other states that has helped to solve many cold case crimes.

This is to the commenter about the sixth grade reading skills. I was one of the basket of deplorables, I voted for Trump, I have a bachelors degree in business administration, and majored in accounting. I ran a company of 35 employees for 24 years.

Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Trump campaigned on being an outsider, and yet everyone he is aligning himself with is a deeply entrenched insider. How is that for hypocrisy?

It's pretty simple, one party is accepting of all people regardless of the criterion. The other is accepting of all people as long as they are just like them.

You have the nerve to tell Cubs fans to get the chip off of their shoulders and to act like civilized citizens. Wow  I bet you yell at the neighborhood kids when they walk on your lawn too.

When President Obama ran for office, I did not vote for him either time. When he won, I was unhappy and afraid for our country. I did, however, respect the fact that he won and that he was our President. I did not go out and protest or whine and say I'm moving to Canada. People need to grow up and stop acting like spoiled children.

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Parents in the surrounding communities of Gary, you had better start attending your school board meetings. There is talk of shutting down Gary schools as a whole and sending them to neighboring communities. More than 5,000 students would need to be placed in other schools and I want to know how, when most of us are at capacity? Who is going to transport these students? Who is going to pay for it? What will happen to all the teachers' pensions? Where is the tax money going to go that is collected in Gary? There are so many questions that I hope can be reasonably answered.

Do not believe the baloney that trade sanctions will start a trade war and price increases. We have been in a trade war all along and we are losing badly. Huge trade deficits and very little made here anymore. And price increases will happen whether the products are made here or overseas. Most of the products are made overseas and prices are more expensive than ever. We may as well make it here and employ Americans. The price increase issue is a wash.

Read more at www.post-trib.com/quickly
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China is likely to meet this year's targets early for reducing overcapacity in the coal and steel sectors, a Chinese official said Friday.

Li Pumin, secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, told a press conference that the steel industry had completed its annual target of reducing production capacity by 45 million tonnes by the end of October.

The coal sector is also likely to meet its annual goal of cutting capacity by 250 million tonnes in advance, Li said.

At present, both sectors have made encouraging headway in cutting overcapacity, which helps to improve corporate profitability, optimize structure and balance market supply and demand, he said.

Facing surging coal prices and short supply in some areas, Li added the country would coordinate coal, electricity and heating supply to stabilize market prices while firmly cutting overcapacity and adjusting the sector's structure.

Cutting overcapacity is one of the major tasks in the country's supply-side structural reform.

In May, the Ministry of Finance earmarked a special fund of 100 billion yuan (14.68 billion U.S. dollars) to subsidize local governments and state-owned companies in reducing steel and coal overcapacity.
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Police in Shanghai have busted a gang suspected of fabricating official documents and spreading rumors online.

A Ministry of Public Security statement Friday said the group, with members from over 20 provincial-level regions in China, used WeChat as a major platform to spread rumors about the Chinese government's control of free speech online.

Han Wencai, a government official in Inner Mongolia, as well as five other suspects in the group have been placed under "compulsory measures" by police for public order violations, the statement said.

"Compulsory measures" include arrest, detention, issuing a warrant to compel a suspect to appear, bail pending trial or residential surveillance.

The statement said Han and other members of the group claimed to be officially employed "public opinion workers," and fabricated payroll lists for these "workers" before publishing the lists on WeChat.

Some of them said they were senior government officials and posted photos online. They also faked details of senior state leaders, including official speeches, discussions of official meetings about public opinion control, and voice records.

The materials gained attention online and were used to attack the Chinese government for violating freedom of speech.

According to the ministry's statement, the suspects have shown repentance.
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Wind farms in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. [File photo/China.org.cn]

Chinese officials have reaffirmed the country's determination to continue working on climate change despite climate skeptic Donald Trump's win in the U.S. presidential election.

The U.S. President-elect has questioned climate change and vowed to pull out of the landmark Paris Agreement, bringing uncertainties to the future climate agenda of the U.S. and the world as a whole. As the U.S. and China are believed to be the leading forces in the global green process, China's response has been closely watched at the ongoing UN climate change conference in Marrakech, Morocco.

Gou Haibo, deputy chief of the Chinese delegation to the climate conference, said on Nov. 9 that China would continue its effort in combating climate change despite the results of the U.S. presidential election. Two days later, two veteran Chinese negotiators reaffirmed the country's resolve in combating climate change.

"We have to wait and see whether the new U.S. government will withdraw from the Paris Agreement, but no matter what happens in the new government of the United States, I think China will continue our action and will continue participating in the global multilateral process." Chen Zhihua, an official of the Department of Climate Change of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), told a group of Chinese and foreign journalists on Nov.11.

Chen also said that even if the United States withdraws from the Paris Agreement, "the communication and cooperation with the U.S. government will continue."

Gu Zihua, an official from the Department of Treaty and Law under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that as the Paris Agreement has already come into force, it would take four years for the U.S. to formally pull out of the Paris Agreement. He said that it would be "politically problematic" if the U.S. decided to withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is the internationally recognized climate change framework. He also emphasized that there are disparities between "campaign policies" and "real policies" in the U.S., suggesting that everyone should "wait and see."

Asked whether China would assume the top leadership role in the global transition to a low-carbon economy, Chen said that the leadership role is defined by the UNFCCC and that developed countries are legally bound to contribute more to the mitigation work in climate change and provide financial and technological support to developing countries.

But Chen also said that China has made a lot of effort in combating climate change and that the country is one of the earliest in the world to have launched a national climate change program. The country has also set ambitious carbon reduction targets, he added.

Gu Zihua of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that China has not set its sights on asserting the top leadership position in global green action, but is more keen on making its own contribution as well as encouraging other countries to take active actions in the global climate change agenda.
CRETE -- Hes dried out eight permanent markers in the past year, collecting signatures from strangers in the Wal-Mart parking lot, outside of the grocery store, at the air show in Lincoln.

If you wore a uniform, any uniform, he wants you to sign his car. If your father or great-uncle or grandmother wore a uniform, he wants you to sign his car.

Wade Wilson, Joshua Witsman, Marines KIA. Merv White, Army. William Kalkwarf, Army. Jack Fry, USMC. Grandpa Don Bartlett. Ron Buss, 1963-1969, Air Guard.

Hes gathered more than 1,300 names since just before last Veterans Day, almost all of them American military, but a few police officers and firefighters and members of the Mexican Army and Australian Air Force.

He doesnt have to ask. People are drawn to his 1946 Chevy Sedan Delivery and all of the autographs covering its olive green panels, and soon theyre selecting a spot to add their own.

Right fender: Spc. Gaghagen, U.S. Army. Hood: Nelson OKeefe Jr. USMC 1944-1955. Behind the rear wheel: A dozen members of the Johnson family. Drivers door: RIP Robert Smith.

One name is missing. His.

Sam Aughe, 199th Light Infantry.

This isnt about me, he says.

But it could be.

He and this car have a history. He first wanted it nearly 50 years ago, when he 17, before the Army sent him to Vietnam.

It was just different, Aughe said. Its an ugly car, actually. So ugly, its neat.

It was the butchers car then. Tony Bohac would drive around Saline County making deliveries in the yellow Chevy, sometimes returning to Crete with a load of live hogs in the back.

Aughe tried to buy it, but Bohac wasnt selling.

Then the teen enlisted in the Army. He had planned to make the military his career.

The artilleryman was in his second year in Vietnam, lobbing shells into the jungle, when he was hit by the recoil of his howitzer. The force flipped him through the air and he landed on his back, upside down, against the blast wall.

His career plans changed.

After I got hurt, the Army didn't want me. And I didn't want the Army, either.

He didn't return to a hero's homecoming then. He didn't feel any of the honor he's trying to bestow with his Chevy now.

I was asked: 'How many women and kids do you think you killed?'

Back in Crete, he married Dolores Coffey and they started a family. He worked for the city, and then as a lineman, and then for the co-op, fixing cars. He's retired now, but still works on cars for family and friends.

Which is how he ended up at his old friend Fran Siedhoff's garage about two years ago. And how he was reunited with the '46 Sedan Delivery.

I went down there and there it was. I didnt even know he had the damn thing. I told him I was interested.

Siedhoff had found the Chevy in a scrap yard. He recognized it as the butcher's, so he bought it, tracked down the title, swapped motors to get it running again  and then parked it for about 30 years, until Aughe stumbled upon it.

I just had it in storage and Sam wanted it, and I said, 'Fine.'

The thought came to Sam Aughe during a sleepless night.

He'd owned the car for a couple of weeks and had been planning its restoration: Fresh yellow paint, like it had looked when he first saw it in the late 1960s.

But then this new thought from out of nowhere: Make it look military, make it honor those who served.

So he covered it in Army olive, with a white star on each door. He painted the grille and fenders red, white and blue. He spent about 400 hours getting it road-worthy.

He let his granddaughter christen it a year ago with the name of her other grandfather.

Then the names multiplied -- people stopping him in parking lots to ask about the car, Aughe giving them the marker, and his invitation.

A man signed for his father and uncle, both shot down over the same target on the same day, both ending up in the same prisoner-of-war camp. A woman honored her husband and brother, killed by the same IED in Iraq.

Another told him her relative fought in the Civil War. But she wasn't going to add it, and I said, 'Why not?' And she said, 'He fought for the Confederacy. And I said, 'I don't care.'

He's had state troopers sign it and federal agents. He's had members of foreign forces sign it. But mostly, he's handed his black markers to those who served all branches of the U.S. military, including the Coast Guard.

They all leave their names, but some add where they served and when. Others sign for their loved ones who were killed in action or are still missing or have since died.

He felt good, like his mission was accomplished, when an old vet signed the car and told him: At least now I know my name will be on something other than a damn tombstone.

But Aughe plans to keep driving his Chevy and keep collecting signatures until he runs out of room. Then he'll give it to a military museum.

That won't be anytime soon. The rolling memorial is more than 16 feet long, draped in what seems like an acre of sheet metal.

Plenty of places for more names, more honor.

And I do have a lot of space inside, too.
Photo taken on Nov 12, 2016 shows a giant screen displaying total gross merchandise volume (GMV) of Alibaba's online marketplace Tmall for Singles' Day shopping spree in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province. By 0 o'clock on Saturday, the total GMV of Tmall during Singles' Day has exceeded 120.7 billion yuan (about $17.78 billion).[Photo/Xinhua]

The world's biggest online shopping day of the year kicked off with a singing-and-dancing countdown gala filled with A-listers such as David and Victoria Beckham and Kobe Bryant, and it ended once again with a jaw-dropping sales record.

The star-studded, four-hour variety show on Thursday night ended at midnight, launching the huge event on Friday that brought hundreds of millions of shoppers to e-commerce sites and merchants.

For the first time, e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding offered a 3-D shopping experience for shoppers making purchases with virtual reality goggles.

Rival JD.com Inc enlisted robots to distribute the massive online orders that began pouring in as of midnight on Thursday and dispatched drones to speed up deliveries.

Additionally, US retailer Target and tech giant Apple Inc participated for the first time.

Alibaba, which initiated the Singles Day shopping festival on November 11, 2009, reported its estimated sales of the day at 112.9 billion yuan ($16.6 billion) by 10:30 pm on Friday.

The sales far exceeded the 91.2 billion yuan in transactions it generated last year, as consumers shrugged off any concerns and went into a "hand chopping" modea phrase that Chinese netizens coined to describe the guilty feeling after a spending frenzy.

Lu Zhenwang, an internet expert and chief executive officer of Shanghai-based Wanqing Consultancy, attributed the spectacular growth of the 2016 Singles Day sales to a rising number of smartphone shoppers and rural shoppers, as well as a big boost from first-time participants like Target and Apple.

Statistics from Alibaba showed that more than 80 percent of the 95 billion yuan in transactions made as of 5 pm on Friday were completed using mobile devices, a significant growth from the 68.67 percent recorded last year.

For rural shoppers, who have emerged as a force driving sales, high-priority items included shampoo, smartphones, electric pressure cookers and pants, according to Alibaba.

The shopping festival has become a national celebration for consumers with more online and offline retailers joining in.

"Both Alibaba and JD have persuaded more brands, even big international brands, to participate in the sales this year, which clearly gives shoppers, especially those who value quality, much more options," he said.

Chen Xue, a white-collar worker, said she spent more this year than for any previous Singles Day event, after she found an Apple MacBook on sale.

"The notebook is priced at 5,688 yuan on JD.com600 yuan less than its original price. So I didn't hesitate to buy it at all," she said.

Rather than using the sales event to dump unpopular products, many brands use it as an opportunity to access new markets and gauge demand.

Wyeth Nutrition, a unit of Swiss food giant Nestle SA, launched an exclusive milk formula product during the event and achieved sales volume of 20 million yuan in just a few hours, said Frank Qu, Wyeth's regional business head in China.

Andria Cheng, an analyst with London-based eMarketer, said, "The key for brands is how to turn the hype and possible sales boost tied to the event into something sustainable."
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond (second from left) opens the London Stock Exchange with LSE CEO Xavier Rolet (left), joined by a banking and financial delegation from China on Thursday. [Photo/Agencies]

Chinese and British leaders affirmed on Thursday that they want to use the momentum of a new "golden era" in their relations to further cooperate in a range of economic and trade fields.

As the most senior Chinese delegation to visit this year met top British officials for the eighth China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue, areas of cooperation under discussion included trade, investment, market access, financial services, macroeconomic policy and infrastructure. A total of 63 agreements were reached, including moving the feasibility study on London-Shanghai Stock Connect to the next stage.

This year's dialogue, led by Chinese Vice-Premier Ma Kai and British Chancellor Philip Hammond, built on the two countries' strong collaboration at the G20 Leaders Summits in Hangzhou in September. It followed a fruitful meeting between Ma and British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday.

Hammond confirmed the UK will invest up to $50 million in the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to support infrastructure projects in developing countries. The commitment makes the UK the second contributor to the AIIB after China, and builds on the UK's early decision to join the AIIB.

Ma said both governments affirmed at the dialogue their commitment to strengthen a comprehensive bilateral strategic partnership. Ma said China respects the UK public's choice to leave the European Union and looks forward to deepening its partnership with the UK's new government.

"Our trade relationships are now more important than ever. China's services imports, where the UK has such a strong competitive advantage, has more than tripled since 2010," said Hammond on Thursday.

He said that Britain is home to more Chinese investment than any other European country, adding that this market opportunity will become more important post-Brexit.

The two sides agreed to push the UK's regional development plan and China's Belt and Road Initiativeand build links between the UK's industrial strategy 2050 and Made in China 2025.

They will also enhance cooperation in trade and investment and use the opportunity of the massive Hinkley Point power station project to deepen cooperation in nuclear energy. Other areas of joint interest will be in high speed railways and space projects.

Hammond announced that the two sides also agreed to work on the next step of a feasibility study to connect the London and Shanghai stock exchanges.

The stock connect, the first of its kind outside China, is one part of a new long-term, strategic plan for UK-China financial services cooperation which was agreed upon as part of the dialogue.

The plan sets out how China and the UK will work more closely to enhance cooperation and boost market access over the coming years, focusing on eight key areas: capital markets, asset management, insurance and pensions, banking, green finance, fintech, the Belt and Road Initiative and financial inclusion.

Hammond said the two countries were also committed to establishing new platforms for cross border trading of green bonds, which will be a major step in the continued development of green finance.

Contact the writers through cecily.liu@mail.chinadailyuk.com
China's appetite for the UK property market remains strong despite fears that buyers may turn their back on the market because of Brexit. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Major Chinese property investment deals are still forging ahead in Britain, as China's appetite for the UK property market remains strong despite fears that buyers may turn their back on the market because of Brexit.

In a sign of post-Brexit confidence and that London is open for business, Chinese developer ABP, together with CITIC, have agreed to invest around 300 million pounds ($378.9 million) in the first phase of the 1.7 billion pound project at the Royal Albert Docks in East London.

Four Chinese banks will provide 1.2 billion pounds and ABP's development partner, Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group, will hold 25 percent equity in a platform companyThe East London Development Group.

ABP Chairman Xu Weiping told an East London-China Investment Summit: "These major investments are a vote of confidence in the UK and London market following the Brexit vote. ABP is delighted to be working alongside CITIC Group and Charoen Popkphand Group, two of Asia's biggest enterprises, to deliver the Royal Albert Dock project."

It's expected that some 30,000 jobs will be created upon completion and it's been hailed as the third financial hub of the city, following the likes of City of London and Canary Wharf.

And, that project is just one of many that Chinese companies have invested in London's market.

Sino-Australian investment firm ASF, meanwhile, is one of three shortlisted bidders for the regeneration of the Albert Island site in the Royal Docks area.

Last week, China's third-largest developer Greenland Group vowed to go ahead with building the Spire in West India Quayset to be the tallest residential building in Europewhatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, at a cost of 800 million pounds and scheduled for completion in 2020.

Also, Asian Growth Properties Limited purchased an office building in London for around 154 million pounds and there's also the Wanda One hotel and a residential project south of the Thames by the world's largest property developer, Dalian Wanda.

With property cooling measures being introduced by Beijing and the pound falling to a 31-year low, Chinese property investors have been seizing the opportunity to snap up commercial properties and luxury homes in London.
BEIJING - High Speed Railway (HSR) trains are joining the battle to deliver goods for the Singles' Day (Nov 11) shopping spree, in Beijing from Friday.

According to Beijing Railway Bureau (BRB), four daily trains will be running at 160 km per hour to carry goods from Beijing to Shanghai and Guangdong in the next 10 days, shortening each trip to 15 hours, including loading and unloading time.

"Each train has 15 compartments, and can carry 340 tons of goods," said Zhang Jinchao, deputy director at the BRB logistics center. "A total of 1,837 tons of goods have been transported today, with one of the trains carrying goods sold on JD.com and delivered by SF express," Zhang said Friday.

According to BRB, the center expects to send around 13,500 tons of goods and receive 14,000 tons during the Nov 11-20 period, both 80 percent increases compared with a year earlier.

HSR now covers over 500 cities in China, including major cities as well as counties in eastern and central China.

Since the first piece of HSR track was laid in the early 2000s, China's HSR network has seen average 30 percent annual growth in passenger trips, and the network exceeded 20,000 kilometers long as of September, according to China Railway Corp. The network is expected to reach 38,000 km by 2025.

Sales on Alibaba surpassed 10 billion yuan (about $1.47 billion) in just six minutes 58 seconds after the Singles' Day began, almost six minutes ahead of last year, the company said.

According to China Express Association, over one billion packages are estimated to be transported for the Singles' Day shopping spree, double last year's figure.

Nearly 14 billion packages were delivered in China in 2014, exceeding the United States for the first time.

"People say that e-commerce in China is a miracle, but in my opinion, the fast development of express services in China is the real miracle," said Jack Ma, president of the nation's e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Online shoppers in China reached 447 million by June this year, according to a China Internet Network Information Center report.

"We are selling more goods and delivering them faster. Delivering goods was a headache during Singles' Day five years ago, but now shoppers can receive what they bought in two or three days," said Zhang Yong, Alibaba's CEO.

Cainiao, an express delivery platform using big data, has made it possible for goods to travel faster. Over 70 percent of packages in China use this platform.

"If we don't try a new method and build a stronger logistics network, online retail will be hindered," said Tong Wenhong, Cainiao's CEO.

"Courier services have been renovating the delivery network. Cainiao uses big data to help courier companies optimize the process and improve delivery efficiency," added Tong.

Over 20 billion packages were delivered last year, using more than 2 million delivery staff. Aliresearch has predicted that the number of packages in China will reach 100 billion in the coming five to eight years.

Social logistics now accounts for nearly 11 trillion yuan (about $1.62 trillion), accounting for 16 percent of GDP last year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.
A picture that has gone viral on the internet shows that the two automakers signed the agreement on Nov 11, 2016. [Photo/autohome.com.cn]

German automaker Audi AG inked a deal with SAIC Motor to build a joint venture, a move to consolidate its lead in the Chinese market.

A picture that has gone viral on the internet shows that the two automakers signed the agreement on Friday.

News portal Sina.com reported that the joint venture will be a 50:50 sales company, and SAIC Motor will produce Audi models as an OEM, with the first model expected to hit the market in April.

Both Audi China and Volkswagen China declined to comment on the issue at press time, saying details will not be released until late Monday.

A picture that has gone viral on the internet shows that the two automakers signed the agreement on Nov 11, 2016.[Photo/autohome.com.cn]

Audi built its first joint venture with China's FAW in 1991, which has since been localizing and selling Audi models.

Audi dealers, who were not informed of the deal in advance, are voicing their anger, demanding a response from the automaker about how to protect their interests.

A public letter from the Audi Dealers Association said some dealers are faced with high inventory and "the interests of Audi dealers will be further damaged if you set up a new sales company".

Audi has been the champion in China's premium car market, but it is losing steam compared to its competitors.

Statistics show that Audi sold 440,233 cars on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong in the first nine months of this year.

Despite keeping the lion's share, Audi posted merely 6.2 percent growth year-on-year. In comparison, BMW's sales rose 10.6 percent year-on-year in the same period to 379,000 units, and Mercedes-Ben sold 344,791 units in the same period, a 29.5 percent surge, year-on-year.
A company boss is praised by internet users for giving his employees a half-day off to shop during the annual online Singles Day shopping spree, which started on Friday just after midnight.

"Considering our employees would stay up late to buy things online, and that would affect their rest and consequently their efficiency at work, I made the decision to give them a half-day free," said Qiu Ling, general manager of Lingdong Media Co Ltd in Jining, Shandong province in eastern China.

The company has more than 30 employees, most of them of the post-1980s and post-1990s generations, with an average age of 29.

"I know they prefer online shopping more than window shopping," said Qiu.

He hoped, in the notice announcing the special leave, that his single employees would soon find partners.

Netizens quickly took note of Qiu of as the news spread online, with some praising him as a nice, considerate boss.

"As a media company, it's better to have a flexible work system within which employees more easily come up with innovative ideas. I think his (Qiu's) decision is smart," said Wu Dongmei, who works for a foreign-backed company in Qingdao, also in Shandong province.

For student shoppers, some universities and colleges also offered special treatment - supplying electricity all night instead of the usual practice of cutting electricity after 10 pm.

Communication University of China in Beijing posted on its micro blog that electricity would stay on Thursday night. It also urged students to arrange their time reasonably and not disturb other students.

But not everyone supports the annual online shopping spree. A restaurant in Chongqing in southwestern China was reported to delay salary payment on Thursday to the end of next month, saying "to help employees save money, avoid family conflicts and protect employees from small-scale bankruptcy".

The 31-year-old restaurant manager was quoted as saying he had bad experience on last year's Singles Day online shopping festival during which he spent 20,000 yuan ($2,930), and some things he bought were useless.

The manager said the average age of his employees is around 25 and they don't have much savings. He is worried that once their salaries were paid, they would soon be spent, China National Radio reported.

"Our company never delays salary. But this time, we just want to protect employees from unreasonable consumption. For employees who have emergency, I will pay them," CNR quoted the manager as saying.

Contact the writer through zhaoruixue@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/12/2016 page3)
Most Nebraska counties broke stronger for Donald Trump last week than for any other GOP presidential nominee in at least 16 years.

The president-elect outperformed his recent Republican predecessors in 84 of the state's 93 counties, according to Matt Waite, a data journalist and professor of practice at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Trump garnered more support in those counties than Mitt Romney, John McCain or George W. Bush (twice).

Waite didn't look further back than 2000 because of time constraints and less-accessible data.

Lancaster and Douglas were the only counties Trump lost, according to unofficial final results from the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office.

"There were only a handful of counties that were actually competitive," Waite said Friday. "It was pretty much Lancaster, Douglas and then everyone else."

Hillary Clinton polled above 30 percent in four other counties: Dakota, Saline, Sarpy and Thurston.

And Trump scored support from more than 85 percent of voters in 18 counties: Arthur, Banner, Blaine, Boyd, Brown, Chase, Cherry, Dundy, Grant, Hayes, Holt, Hooker, Keya Paha, Logan, McPherson, Rock, Sheridan and Thomas.

In Grant County, he won 93 percent of the vote. In Hayes County, 92 percent.

"That's high," Waite said. "Even by Nebraska standards that's high."

The numbers from Lancaster and Sarpy counties are consistent with national trends that show Democrats swarming cities and Republicans clustering in suburbs or in small towns and rural areas, said John Hibbing, a political science professor at UNL.

"People like to live around people who think like them."

But Hibbing said the narrative that Trump's victory was the result of anxiety among working-class white people is "not entirely correct."

"The Trump vote was not just a bunch of poor people and economically threatened individuals," he said.

In exit polls conducted by national media outlets, Clinton saw more support than Trump in income brackets under $50,000.

Trump also had support from 42 percent of women -- "a pretty startlingly large minority," Hibbing said.

He said one possibility is that Trump voters are more sensitive to perceived threats -- racial, economic, military, criminal, etc.

Former Gov. Dave Heineman, who was Trump's honorary campaign chairman in Nebraska, said the candidate's historic success across much of the state can be attributed to voters' desire for change.

"I think that is a reflection of middle-class Nebraskans, middle-class Americans who want change," he said. "They are unhappy with both political parties and what they have failed to accomplish at the federal level."
Visitors to the Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, are impressed with the display of a rich variety of agricultural products from the province's Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture.

The prefecture which is China's largest habit of the Yi people is hosting an exhibition of agricultural products with its characteristics.

The five-day exhibition which ends on Tuesday features farm produces such as the pomegranate, buckwheat, cocoon silk and potato.

It is aimed at promoting the sale of green products from Liangshan, according to Song Min, an information officer with the Liangshan prefecture government.

Located in the southwest of Sichuan, Liangshan covers more than 60,000 square kilometers and has a population of more than 5 million.

Being mountainous and far from the provincial capital Chengdu, it is known for its fresh air, beautiful natural environment and green products.

Liangshan is China's largest pomegranate and buckwheat producing base and Sichuan's largest potato producing base, Song said.
About four months ago, Chinese women expressed their happiness at the approval of a long-awaited vaccine which protects against the cancer-causing human papillomavirus, better known as HPV.

Their happiness, however, didn't last long. It turned to disappointment, if not anger, as they learned early this month that the vaccine was being phased out in the United States.

GlaxoSmithKline has confirmed that it will no longer supply the US market with Cervarix because of the declining demand, after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the vaccine Gardasil 9.

Gardasil 9 is produced by US-based company Merck, and offers protection against nine strains of HPV, including the two main cancer-causing types, type 16 and 18. Cervarix offers protection against only type 16 and 18, which account for about 70 percent of all cervical cancer cases.

Although it has been available for many years in the US and other parts of the world, including even some less-developed African countries such as Rwanda and Uganda, it has taken more than eight years from the initial application for GSK to get the final approval to sell the Cervarix vaccine in China.

Now despite its proven effectiveness in preventing cervical cancer, the Chinese public is complaining that they still will not have access to the HPV vaccine which provides the broadest protection. And as one online post said, the vaccine that has been approved has become outdated before it becomes available.

China reports more than 130,000 cervical cancer cases each year, which account for 28 percent of world's total, according to official statistics. But Qiao Youlin, an acclaimed epidemiologist of oncology, who sits on the expert panel for HPV vaccine assessment and approval of the country's top drug authority, said Merck has not yet begun the approval process by applying to register Gardasil 9 with the Chinese authorities.

Qiao stressed that Cervarix protects against the major cervical cancer-causing HPV types and thus would reduce cervical cancer in China. But he said it is unlikely the vaccine will be integrated into China's routine immunization program as is the case in many other countries. So people will have to pay to have the vaccine.

Of course, given the sheer size of China's population, affordability is a practical concern. But the government should at least work more efficiently to introduce vaccines with proven effect internationally to enable the people to buy them at home.

Vaccines save lives and prevent infectious diseases, and save money on medical bills for the government. For cost-effectiveness, the government should gradually integrate the HPV vaccine into the routine immunization program, which works best to increase coverage and thus improve equity in people's rights to health.

Hepatitis B provides an example in this respect.

The world's first recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, still in use today, was introduced and approved in the US in 1986. In China, the vaccine was available and put on the recommended vaccination list by the government in 1992.

Worldwide, individuals infected with hepatitis B number 350 million; one-third of those live in China and most of them were infected in the 1980s. Many eventually developed liver cancer, costing lives and money.

As the world's second-largest economy, China shouldn't allow a similar scenario to happen again.

Over the decades China's drug management capacity, particularly the post-marketing evaluation, has been significantly strengthened and become more efficient, and streamlined approval procedures can be expected to strike a balance between safety and efficiency.

Last month, the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, the country's Cabinet, issued the "Healthy China 2030" blueprint, which promises to assure residents get equal access to basic health services by 2020. Let's start with accelerated introduction of new drugs, like the latest HPV vaccine.

The author is a senior reporter with China Daily. shanjuan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/12/2016 page5)
Before:

"I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words."

"My IQ is one of the highest - and you all know it! Please don't feel so stupid or insecure; it's not your fault."

After:

"We will get along with all other nations, willing to get along with us ... We will have great relationships."

"Every single American will have the opportunity to realize his or her fullest potential."

These contradictory statements are made by the same person, Donald Trump, who has just won the 2016 US presidential election and will become the 45th US president on Jan 20.

Trump was famous for being a big mouth during the presidential election campaign. Yet as soon as he won the election, he changed his style. He gave a victory speech like all normal US politicians and he is no longer the "reckless" campaigner.

On Thursday, after his first face-to-face meeting with US President Barack Obama in the White House, the president-elect even said he had "great respect" for Obama and called him a "very good man". That was in total contrast to his vitriolic barbs against Obama during the election campaign.

In fact, quite a number of scholars and media outlets say the outrageous comments by Trump were just campaign rhetoric. There will, of course, be changes in policies, but the US political system will remain the same and US interests will still be supreme.

So did Trump use the outrageous remarks as a strategy just to win votes? Nobody knows. But if he did use them as a strategy, it has worked.

As Darrell M. West, a senior researcher at Brookings Institution, said, Trump has won a very important group of voters, white blue-collar workers. Those white blue-collar workers believe they lost their jobs because of globalization and because Obama adopted favorable policies toward the minorities such as African Americans.

That's why Trump's remarks appealed to them: He called for trade protectionism and promised to curb immigration into the US.

But white blue-collar workers are not the only group that supports Trump. His supporters include many college graduates trying to find a job, war veterans who feel lost and all those who believe they have been deprived by globalization.

Trump won also because his supporters turned up in greater numbers to vote than those of Clinton. While Clinton focused on the elite group, Trump sought help from people living at the bottom of American society. Remember the slogan, "We are the 99 percent".

Trump's success has a lot to do with social media, too. Few, if any, TV channel dared to broadcast his racist, misogynistic and politically incorrect remarks in full for reasons of propriety. But they spread quickly on Twitter, perhaps because they appealed to Americans who are tired of elite politicians and their overused politically correct statements that do not solve any problems.

Furthermore, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation decided to drop the charge against Clinton in the email scandal on Nov 6, some people protested on Twitter, with one even launching a hashtag: "Hillary for Prision". The creator used "prison" instead of "prison" to bypass as well as make fun of the censorship on Twitter, which further damaged Clinton's image and pushed Trump toward his victory.

China Daily's editorial on Thursday said president-elect Trump may be different from Trump the presidential candidate. Trump will be sworn in as US president on Jan 20, 2017, and he has plenty of time to adjust to his new job.

The author is a writer with China Daily. zhangzhouxiang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/12/2016 page5)
Why is "Shared Development" the fifth and final of the Five Major Development Concepts - President Xi Jinping's guiding strategy to transform China? After all, China cannot realize its overarching goal of becoming a "moderately prosperous society" until poverty is eliminated and economic and social imbalances are reduced. Nowhere is this need more acute than in healthcare, a focus of reform.

To investigate the Five Major Development Concepts, I spent a week in Northwest China's Qinghai province - Xining the capital and Yushu in the Tibetan autonomous prefecture - meeting people, from senior provincial officials to hospital administrators to village doctors.

China still has about 50 million people living in poverty. Qinghai is one of the poorest provinces - 15 of its 48 counties are below the national poverty line. Compounding the problem, its population is less than Chicago's but its area is larger than France's, Qinghai's vast rural areas of 700,000 square kilometers are home to half of its 5.8 million people, most of whom are ethnic minorities. Many still live on the grasslands, herding cattle and horses.

Qinghai's rural people enjoy few benefits of modern urbanization, especially healthcare. Locally, shared development means urban areas helping rural areas. Nationally, shared development means developed regions helping less-developed regions. I saw both kinds of sharing at work in Qinghai.

To eliminate poverty, the government implemented, in 2009, a series of measures aimed at providing affordable, easy-to-access healthcare services. Healthcare now takes up more than 7 percent of Qinghai's GDP; in other provinces it accounts for only about 5 percent.

Today, 98 percent of Qinghai residents have universal healthcare coverage. For government subsidy recipients, the coverage could reimburse as much as 95 percent of their medical costs. A new emergency response system and telemedicine utilize latest technologies.

However, for some Qinghai residents, providing quality healthcare is challenging. This is especially true for highland herdsmen, who live in tents and have no modern appliances, not even radios or televisions. That's where help from other sectors of society comes in.

Foundations and individuals from all walks of life come to Qinghai to donate, contribute, assist and invest. Exemplifying shared development, more-advanced provinces and municipalities, such as Shanghai, are assigned by the central government to help Qinghai's autonomous prefectures.

The most daunting problem is a shortage of doctors at the grassroots level. According to Qinghai healthcare standards, there should be two general practitioners per 10,000 residents. By this standard, a single doctor working in rural areas would have to cover an area of 1,200 sq km.

The government pays doctors' salaries through a multi-level structure that transfers and allocates national tax revenues. In addition to healthcare, fiscal transfer payments cover poverty-reduction programs, equal and affordable educational opportunities, environmental protection, and targeted infrastructure development for China's less developed geographic regions, social classes and ethnic groups.

China's government says that it can effect continuous and robust poverty relief, which requires strategic consistency, because the CPC maintains long-term political power. It's an argument.

Sharing is a way of thinking. It begins by taking seriously society's responsibility for its poorest and most vulnerable members, and it operates at all levels. That's why healthcare in Qinghai is a microcosm of shared development in China.

Shared development is the last of the Five Major Development Concepts not because it is least important, but because it requires the prior success of the previous four concepts - innovative development, coordinated development, green development, and open development. A society needs robust resources to help its poor.

Only when poverty is eliminated and socioeconomic imbalances are reduced will the Five Major Development Concepts have fulfilled their mission. The target date is 2020, when the advent of a "moderately prosperous society" would mean that the first part of the Chinese Dream has been realized.

The author is a public intellectual, political/economics commentator, and international corporate strategist, and the host of Closer to China with R.L. Kuhn on CCTV News (Sundays at 9:30 am and 9:30 pm).

(China Daily 11/12/2016 page5)
Rabbi Mendel Blasberg at the Maghaim Aboth Synagogue. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"In Singapore we call it 'the mystery of Waterloo Street'," said H.H. Lee, a long-serving government interpreter who was with me during an exploration of the street in mid-July. Lee was commenting on the street's many religious landmarks which, put together, hold up a mirror to the multicultural community that's Singapore.

Moments before he made that remark, we found shelter from a sudden downpour inside Maghaim Aboth Synagogue, one of the oldest synagogues in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

The synagogue, whose name means "shield of our fathers", \was completed in 1878 by early Jewish settlersmostly merchants from Iraq who came to trade as early as 1831. Today the building, influenced by the architectural style of the late Renaissance in Britain, still serves as the biggest gathering place for the Jewish community in Singapore.

The building consists of two floors, the first for men and the second for women. There is also a special place right beside the door, reserved for elderly women who cannot climb the stairs.

The day we visited, the church's resident rabbi had gone to Canada on family business. His temporary replacement, Rabbi Mendel Blasberg from New York, was there to receive us. "The early Jewish immigrants to Singapore were either Iraqi or Persian Jews. At its peak, the community had around 800 members," he said. "However, a lot left during World War II and the Japanese occupation. Today the number is estimated at 2,000 to 3,000, including those who travel regularly to and fro."

About once a month a rabbi flies to Singapore from Israel to conduct circumcision for male infants, an important initiation rite required by Judaism.
A paromanic view of The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Liu Thai Ker speaks softly, his bearing alone exuding the considerable weight of his authority. His profound influence in town planning as head of Singapore's Housing Development Board and Urban Redevelopment Authority is well known, and many regard the 78-year-old as the father of urban landscaping in the country.

And Singapore being a city-state, Liu's experience has been eagerly tapped by many Chinese cities whose mayors have looked beyond national borders in an effort to renew and transform their cities through urban planning.

In the process, Liu has acquainted himself with everything he needs to know working with various levels of decision-makers in China. In short, he has become a kind of old China hand.

"China and Singapore share as many similarities as they do differences," Liu says, reflecting on the roles the two governments have played in shaping their own city- and townscapes.

"Both governments enjoy a high-level of control over planning matters," he says. "And their authority is reinforced by the fact that in both countries, land is owned by the state.

"The Singaporean Government set its eyes on urban planning right after the founding of the country in 1965, while China's central government and various tiers of local government started to put great emphasis on the issue from the 1980s."

Against this backdrop the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park, the much-lauded fruit of collaboration between the two countries, was delivered.

A county-level administrative area located in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, the park covers a total of 288 square kilometers, of which, the cooperation area covers 80 sq km. The agreement on jointly developing the park was signed by the then Chinese vice-premier Li Lanqing and the late Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on February 26, 1994. The Joint Steering Council of the project was led by the then Chinese vice-premier Wu Yi and the then Singaporean deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng.

"The approach is entirely top-down," Liu says.

The approach is seen to have guaranteed the smoothness of the project when things could have got bogged down at certain points in managerial, procedural and other quagmires. This also partly explains why another high-profile urban planning project between the two countries, the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, also adhered to the government-to-government model. Development began in 2008.

Between these two projects, and since 2008, China and Singapore have started a string of urban planning projects, many with Liu at the center. In the meantime things have veered toward the commercial, national governments no longer being involved. Instead, local governments, mostly at city and county level, have recruited Singaporean companies for their expertise in the area.

The lessons learned in the process have even found their way into a book, Challenges and Reforms in Urban GovernanceInsights from the development experience of China and Singapore. Copublished by China's Development Research Center of the State Council and Singapore's Center for Livable Cities, under the Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of the Environment, the book opens a unique window onto China's urbanization process by tracing the history of the planning projects that Singapore has helped China to develop in 33 of its cities. The great bulk of these projects is concentrated on China's coastal regions in the east and southeast.
The tired faces of office workers on the Batong line during evening peak hour, Nov 8, 2011. [Photo by Zhang Xinghai for China Daily]

The Beijing subway officially opened to the public on Sept 11, 1981. Since the most recent line opening late last year, the total length of the subway is about 554 km, with a share of more than 55 percent of the total public transport in the city. Now the Beijing subway has 18 lines, covering 11 municipal districts. Every day, tens of thousands of people take the Beijing subway.
Tow truck collided with China Southern Airline plane at LAX, 1,500 passengers grounded

Xinhua | Updated: 2016-11-12 07:29

LOS ANGELES - A tow truck collided with a China Southern Airlines flight just before takeoff late Thursday night, resulting nearly 1,500 passengers grounded at Los Angeles International Airport.



The collision happened just before midnight on the tarmac between Terminal 4 and Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).



Photo from the scene showed the tow truck collided with the China Southern Airbus 380 aircraft on a runway at the Airport. The damaged tug vehicle under the front of the plane.



"This is an extremely rare accident," Lingzhi He, China Southern Airlines North America managing director, told Xinhua on Friday. "Officials are still waiting for the inspection results now."



It was an outbound China Southern Flight CZ328 scheduled to fly to Guangzhou, China, carrying more than 400 passengers. None of the passengers were injured, and the tow truck driver sustained minor injuries according to the LAX.



Three flights, the China Southern Airlines flight as well as two American Airlines flights at Terminal 4, were canceled. Two other flights were delayed. About 1,500 passengers were affected by the late Thursday accident.



"Passengers deplaned by using portable stairs and were returned to TBIT, and were accommodated via re-scheduling refunds or hotel rooms," LAX spokesman Frederick Badlissi told City News Service. "While awaiting accommodations and rescheduling, passengers were provided bottled water and snacks."




1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.
(Photo : YouTube Screenshot) The listing shows that the OnePlus Pixel runs on Android Nougat version 7.1.

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A mysterious phone has surfaced on benchmarking website Geekbench. The device is labeled OnePlus Pixel and has a Snapdragon 820 chipset with a massive 6GB of memory.



The listing shows that the OnePlus Pixel runs on Android Nougat version 7.1. The phone did quite well on the benchmarks scoring 2326 points in single-core test and 5475 in multi-core test, according to Phone Arena. The Snapdragon 820 chipset from Qualcomm has a quad-core processor clocked at 1.59GHz.



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Not much is known about this OnePlus Pixel device, aside from bits of information provided by the Geekbench listing. There were speculations that the listing is for the OnePlus 3T. However, OnePlus confirmed last week that the 3T would have a Snapdragon 821 chipset, so that rules it out of the speculation game, according to GSM Arena. Moreover, OnePlus is scheduled to unveil the 3T on Nov. 15.



There are rumors that it might be a Google Pixel phone manufactured by OnePlus. However, Google and OnePlus have not hinted at this possibility. There is also the possibility that OnePlus might be ripping off Google's Pixel brand, but this theory sounds like a long shot.



Meanwhile, the OnePlus 3T will have a Snapdragon 821 chipset with 6GB of memory. The phone is expected to sport a 5.5-inch display with 1080 x 1920 resolution. Storage options are rumored to be a choice between a 64GB and 128GB variants, both models are also expected to support storage expansion.



The OnePlus 3T will come in three colors: black, soft gold, and graphite. The phone is also expected to run on the Android 7.0 Nougat operating system.



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TagsOnePlus, oneplus smartphone, Smartphone, Geekbench, oneplus pixel, Pixel, geekbench leak
(Photo : Indian Army) Two of the Indian Army soldiers killed by the Pakistan Army in 2016.

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A total of 5,674 soldiers of the Indian Army have been killed by fire from the Pakistan Army in ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) since 2001, and by Kashmiri Muslim terrorists supported by Pakistan, according to the Indian Army.



Of this total, 4,500 army soldiers died at the hands of the Pakistan Army while 1,174 soldiers died in clashes with Muslim terrorists supported by Pakistan.



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It is unclear if this death toll includes fatal casualties suffered by India's Border Security Force (BSF), the world's largest border defense unit, which also patrols the LoC. There are 16 BSF battalions operating in Jammu and Kashmir.



The death toll will certainly exceed 6,000 if BSF fatalities are included.



This grim total of 5,674 means Pakistan and Pakistan supported militants have killed one jawan per day along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir from 2001 until 2016. The disclosure by the army, however, did not state the exact time frame covered by this death toll.



The latest BSF fatality was killed in a gunfight with Muslim militants last Nov. 6. Two Indian Army soldiers were killed on the same day in an artillery and mortar bombardment by Pakistan Army units along the LoC.



The 1,174 army personnel killed in Muslim Kashmiri militant attacks included the 19 soldiers killed in a surprise early morning attack at Uri, a town in Jammu and Kashmir, last Sept. 18 that triggered the almost daily exchanges of fire along the LoC.



The death toll report issued by the army in response to a Right to Information request by activist Pankaj Darve from Vadodara city in Gujarat, also did not specify the number of cross border exchanges of fire that led to the deaths of Indian Army men at the hands of the Pakistan Army.



On the other hand, Indian Army sources told media that 7,908 militant terror attacks have occurred in India since 2001.



Darve described the number of Indian Army martyrs as "shocking and indicate that we lose military personnel more frequently in ceasefire violations than we are told. I plan to write to the government to make all these instances known to the people."



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TagsIndian Army, Line of Control, Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan Army, Kashmiri Muslim terrorists, death tokk, Border Security Force
(Photo : General Atomics) General Atomics Avenger (Predator C) UCAV.

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The Indian Air Force is on the verge of acquiring its first missile-armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) while the Indian Navy will purchase more reconnaissance UAVs for its surface warships.



The government approved a request by the Air Force to acquire 10 Heron TP medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs made Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) in September 2015. Heron TP is also known as IAI Eitan.



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IAF said these drones, which are normally used for reconnaissance missions, can also be armed with air-to-surface missiles to engage ground targets such as terrorist camps. Heron TP is capable of long endurance missions of up to 52 hours while flying at altitudes as high as 10,500 meters.



The Indian Armed forces currently operates unarmed Israeli Heron and Searcher UAVs used for day and night reconnaissance missions.



For years, the Air Force has said it needs unmanned aerial combat vehicles (UCAVs) to either disrupt terrorist attacks or support Indian Army troops in anti-terrorist operations.



While the Air Force looks forward to operating the Heron TP as an armed aerial drone against the Pakistan Army and Muslim terrorists supported by Pakistan, it remains more eager to acquiring the formidable General Atomics Avenger (Predator C) UCAV.



The Air Force says Hellfire anti-tank missiles fired from the Avenger can strike targets eight kilometers distant. The Avenger also has the ability to detect and track targets across the LoC and attack them while flying well within Indian airspace. It can fly for up to 18 hours to reach targets 2,900 km away.



The United States has cleared the way for India to acquire the Avenger by supporting India's membership in the Missile Technology Control Regime in Sept. 2015 and declaring India a "major defense partner" of the U.S. India immediately sent a request to buy the drones.



The Avenger will allow the Air Force to reach all of Pakistan, enabling it to retaliate against Pakistan-based terrorists without the risk of losing pilots. It will also be useful as a deterrent in border disputes with China.



The Air Force will discuss the final details of its purchasing up to 100 armed Avengers with U.S. Secretary of State Ash Carter during his visit to India this December. This deal, if approved, will make India the largest operator of this drone in the world.



The Avenger's design includes stealth features such as internal weapons storage. It will support the same weapons as the MQ-9 Predator, the deadliest drone in the world. India will discuss the purchase of 22 unarmed MQ-9 Predators during Carter's visit to India.



On the other hand, the Indian Navy (IN) will acquire more UAVs for its surface fleet and is turning to Indian firms and foreign aerospace companies to deliver what it needs.



The Navy operates two squadrons of the IAI Heron and the IAI Searcher Mk-II UAVs and plans to add at least two more squadrons. The drones are operated by Indian Naval Air Squadron 342 (INAS 342) and INAS 343.



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TagsIndia, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, Heron TP, Israeli Aerospace Industries, General Atomics Avenger (Predator C), Ash Carter
(Photo : Getty Images/Carl Court ) The LinkedIn app logo is displayed on an iPhone in London, England.

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Russia's communications regulatory agency Roskomnadzor has blocked the professional social networking service LinkedIn in the country. The agency said that the reason behind this is that LinkedIn was not able to move its personal data storage into Russia, a major requirement for any Internet service operating in the country.



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In a statement, Roskomnadzor spokesman said, "The access will be shut within days. LinkedIn failed to provide documents on moving personal databases to Russia."



Russia imposed a new rule last year making it mandatory for foreign Internet companies and services to store their Russian clients' personal data on servers or data centers that are physically located in the country.



Since the ruling was imposed, most Internet companies have quietly complied with the requirement. Social networking giants like Facebook and Twitter have obeyed Russia's ruling. It appears that LinkedIn is the first company to fail to follow the ruling.



Roskomnadzor claims that LinkedIn has more than 2.6 million users in Russia. The Russian agency stated that the reason for moving personal data into its borders is for localization purposes. However, some Internet activists and campaigners have been open about the possible use of this data for surveillance purposes, according to The Independent.



Roskomnadzor claims that major Internet firms have complied, or are in the processing of complying with the rule. The agency said that it has checked at least 1,500 Internet firms and services to make sure that they abide by the law.



In 2015, popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia was temporarily blocked in Russia. The ban was lifted shortly after an article about cannabis was edited to suit Russian censors.



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TagsRussia, Internet, roskomnadzor, internet censor, censorship, LinkedIn
(Photo : Getty Images) Tencent will offer its employees and contractors` 300 shares, which is currently valued at HK$200 ($26) a piece - $7,735 in total.

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China's tech giant Tencent managed to steal some thunder out of Alibaba's annual Singles' Day sales on Friday by announcing a gift of $220 million worth shares for its nearly 31,500 employees. The special generosity to its employees was shown to commemorate the 18th birth anniversary of the company.



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Tencent Holdings Ltd was formed on November 11, 1998, with an aim to redefine China's online world, which was still in the nascent stage. The company's WeChat is the most used messaging app in China.



The tech giant will offer every employee and contractor 300 shares, which is currently valued at HK$200 ($26) a piece - $7,735 in total. The total comes to around $220 million.



Reuters reported that these shares would be allotted to employees during the span of three years and allocation will start from next week



The employees will benefit from the fact that Tencent is currently the most valued tech company in the world, overtaking its rival Alibaba in August. Its market capitalization at the Hong Kong stock exchange stands at approximately $24 billion.



Meanwhile, there is a joke going around Tencent employees that while Jack Ma's (Alibaba's founder) employees are busy sweating over-time, Pony Ma's (Tencent's founder) employees are busy counting cash.



The joke clearly poked fun at the fact that Alibaba's employees were sweating it out to make their annual Singles' Day sales a grand success, while Tencent staff was getting rich while sitting on the couch.



However, all the hard work of Alibaba's employees seems to have paid off, as the company raked in close to $20 billion in sales by the end of the day, crossing the $14.3 billion mark it clocked in last year's Singles Day sales.



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(Photo : Getty Images) US President-elect Donald Trump will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to talk about China's growing presence in Asia

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US President-elect Donald Trump is set to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe next week in what experts believe would be the start of US-Japan talks on measures to counter the growing influence of China in Asia.



A top security adviser of Trump, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the president-elect would garner Tokyo's support and would push the country to " play a more active role in Asia."



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The adviser said Abe's unique position in the region presents an ideal leadership the push back against China.



Potential rift



Tokyo has expressed worry over a potential rift with Washington after Trump, in one of his campaign speeches, said Japan should pay more for the cost of maintaining US forces on its soil.



The political source said efforts to push back against China and the call for Japan to be more proactive in Asia bode well with Abe's hawkish foreign policies which include sending more military troops to operate overseas.



Numerous US Naval commanders have expressed willingness to join Japanese military in patrolling the disputed South China Sea.



New warships



Despite China's continuous construction of islands, Japan has refused to directly confront Beijing and has instead, made efforts to assist claimant countries.



President-elect Trump has said that in his first 100 days in office, he plans to have dozens of new warships built that will be deployed to the disputed South China Sea.



"It would send a message to Beijing as well as allies Japan and South Korea and other nations that the U.S. is intent on being in Asia for a long time", he said.



U.S. officials, however, doubt the realization of Trump's plans of building new warships saying it would take time and would be difficult for his plans to happen.



"Ships can't be built overnight," a high-ranking U.S. defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



Abe will meet with Trump in New York on Thursday en route to an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Peru.



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TagsPresident-elect Donald Trump, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, warships, Tokyo, APEC, US-Japan military alliance
(Photo : Indian Army) Soldier at the LoC.

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Pakistan told the five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council it is acting with restraint in the face of India's increasingly violent and deadly attacks and bombardments of Pakistani civilians and its military forces defending its side of the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir.



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Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry assailed the Indian Army's increasingly frequent use of heavy weapons (artillery pieces) along the LoC, warning that India's wanton disregard for maintaining the peace might lead it to make a "strategic miscalculation."



He slammed the unprovoked firing and ceasefire violations by the "Indian occupation Forces" in Indian-occupied Kashmir over the past two months. Kashmir is a Muslim majority state co-administered by Pakistan and India.



Aziz said Pakistan is alarmed India is now using heavy weapons against Pakistani civilian areas for the first time in 13 years.



By heavy weapons, Aziz apparently meant Indian Army 105 mm howitzers that have traded fire with Pakistan Army howitzers since this month.



The Indian Army on Nov. 5 admitted to firing the howitzers for the first time at Pakistan but said the big guns were used to destroy four Pakistan Army positions in revenge for the beheading of an Indian Army soldier, allegedly by Pakistani Special Forces troops.



"Pakistan has been compelled to respond but with maximum restraint," said Aziz. "The Armed Forces of Pakistan gave a befitting response."



Aziz also told the Head of Missions of the five Permanent Members of the Security Council (the United States, United Kingdom, France, China and Russia) visiting Islamabad that India isn't cooperating with the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) that supervises the UN-brokered ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir.



That ceasefire was provided for by the Karachi Agreement signed July 27, 1949 establishing a ceasefire line in Kashmir supervised by UN military observers.



Chaudhry said Pakistan was seriously concerned over the increased frequency and duration of indiscriminate firing by Indian military forces, and their deliberate targeting of villages and civilian populated areas.



Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said indiscriminate Indian shelling and machine gun fire has killed 26 Pakistani civilians and injured 107 others. It gave no figures for the number of casualties suffered by the Pakistan Army in its clashes with the Indians.



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TagsAizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Pakistan, India, Pakistan Army, Indian Army, Line of Control, Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council
Brandon Washington

Pastor of The Embassy Church in Denver, Colorado

The day after the election, my six-year-old daughters school convened an assembly in which her principal and teachers consoled the students. I was troubled by the despair conveyed from educators to first graders. That same day social media was littered with inappropriate optimism in response to the election. One camp anticipates the end of the world; the other anticipates mythical grandeur. In my estimation, both are modeling an unbiblical response to a presidential election. To an earthly president they have ascribed authority and competence that is unique to an eternal King. In light of this, The Embassy Church, on the authority of Psalm 72, has chosen to clarify expectations of an earthly president in a post-election sermon. Despair and optimism are both inappropriate because hope hinges on the temporary holder of a temporal office. Our hope is in the Christ who is divinely appointed as eternal King.

John Ortberg

Senior Pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California

Weve been doing a series all month called House of Cardsnot about political ideology, but about how to be a non-anxious presence by being rooted in a power deeper than human political power. Weve looked at the three most important elections in history, as well as the greatest political decision ever made (all in the Bible). This weekends message was already chosen before the election. Its title is How Not to Fall Apart, and it is based on the life of Israels first king, Saul.

Aaron Cho

Associate Pastor of Community Life and Formation Elder at Quest Church in Seattle, Washington

We are a multi-ethnic body here at Quest Church, and suffice it to say, many in our family are hurting, angry, devastated, and afraid after Tuesday's election results. We gathered with our pastoral team and prayed about how we will engage Quest post-election. All of our pastors were receiving emails, calls, and texts (not to mention tons of social media messages) from members who are struggling. We couldn't ignore it. We had to address it.

We decided to host a time of lament, prayer, and support Wednesday evening. Our pastors decided to change Sundays schedule and have each pastor offer a Scripture reading and reflection. We're inviting the church to respond by placing a sticky note of lament, confession, and/or an action step on the cross. Our response is not about any alignment with party lines or candidates. It's about the grievance of our democracy empowering a candidate who has again and again demonstrated a posture of racism, sexism, Islamophobia, and the list goes on. Our hearts are heavy, and we choose to sit in the muck and mire of our nation's depravity and seek Christ's incarnational peace, love, and hope.

Samuel Rodriguez

President of The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and the Senior Pastor of New Season Christian Worship Center in Sacramento, California

I will be preaching on the following message I posted to Facebook on the morning after the election: "A divided church will never heal a broken nation. Lord, make us one! #John17." The problem in America does not reside in the schism exacerbated by the electoral outcome. Our nation's greatest issue lies in the hands of a church divided by race, political agendas, and personalities. More than ever, God desires his church to be holy, be one, and be light.

Todd Wilson

Senior Pastor of Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois

I plan to make a few brief comments and lead our congregation in a pastoral prayer along the lines of 1 Timothy 2:14. I did, however, do a six-week sermon series on politics in September and October. It was called Extremist for Love. I did this, in part, because I think its better to lay groundwork biblically, theologically, and pastorally before situations arise rather than after. I remember a wise pastor and mentor saying that he sought to build into his people a theology of suffering so that when the suffering comes, people will have already been prepared.

Romell Williams

Senior Pastor of Lilydale Progressive M.B. Church in Chicago, Illinois

#ElectionGrief has been appearing in my social media streams since Wednesday. I think it fittingly describes the shock and surprise of Tuesday's election outcome for both believers and non-believers. Fear, concern, panic, and heartbreak must be addressed from the pulpit with a word for these perilous times. I will be preaching a Big God sermona message that demands each hearer to look away from the inconsequential temporary issues of life and up to our great, good, and glorious God. I will preach about the sovereignty of God, the supremacy of Christ, the urgency of our mission, the necessity of prayer, and the reality of eternity. I want my sermon to remind people that God is not the incumbent; he's the eternal.

Aaron Damiani

Senior Pastor of Immanuel Anglican Church in Chicago, Illinois

Here in Chicago, the dominant reality for most of our people will be anxiety and a burden to stand with the vulnerable, including the disabled and minorities. Given that so many evangelicals helped to elect Trump, our congregation is highly aware that the gospel and the Christian church are being associated with bigotry, racism, and sexual assault. Because we feel conspicuous right now, we are tempted to avoid more exposure and to seek approval. Giving into this temptation would distract us from our calling to be the distinct people of God for the common good. Were choosing our city and choosing to love our culture with the love of Christ. In this age of rage and fear, the church is called to be distinctas those who stand out because they exhibit the humility and love of Christ wherever God has placed us.

Linda Richardson

Associate Pastor of Church of the Savior in Wheaton, Illinois

I'm preaching on Malachi 34, which ends with, For those who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. At that point in the sermon I will talk briefly about the election, relating it to several Facebook posts I've seen, such as this one from President Obama: No matter what happens, the sun will rise in the morning. Jesus brings healing of all kinds into our lives, our country, and our world. It's his deep desire to do so. In addition, our worship leader is taking into consideration the need for unity as she chooses songs, and we are praying for unity in the Church.

Mitch Kim

Senior Pastor of Wellspring Alliance Church in Wheaton, Illinois

This Sunday I will encourage our people to continue the messy and mundane work of loving one another across political, generational, ethnic, and gender lines. Our diverse church can easily be divided by this election; while some sigh in relief because their contested values may now be upheld, others grieve in despair over the devaluing of women, minorities, and immigrants. In the midst of differences and diversity, Christ empowers us to a Trinitarian unity without uniformity (John 17:21). The division of our nation can only be healed by the unity of the church.

Tony Myles

Lead Pastor of Connection Church in Medina, Ohio

We're amending our sermon series to speak into the wake of the election. Our church is in Cleveland, and few members of our congregation felt like either major candidate deserved the win. The phrase lesser of two evils has dominated.

The election was fueled with anger and slander, and were culturally fatigued. There is a real sense of grief that has left us numblike after we lose a loved one. Were going to invite people Sunday to write their feelings and thoughts on paper as our Lead Team reads them from the stage. In this way, we can confess how we feel and then journey toward Jesus together.

Clay Brown

Senior Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Amarillo, Texas

The election will be referenced, but it will not be the focal point of the sermon. It will be a focal point of congregational prayers, however. In the sermon (Matthew 15:2128, on the faith of the Canaanite woman), I will focus on God's grace, the womans faith, her status as an outsider, and Jesus' response to her. Divine grace extends to all peoples, so we should extend grace to one another. That is a truth that certainly applies to post-election responses from both left and right.

Daniel Fusco

Lead Pastor of Crossroads Community Church in Vancouver, Washington

Vancouver pastor Daniel Fusco addressed the results of the election with the following 2-minute video, posted on the day after the election.
Christian Leader Expects Thousands of Disillusioned Muslims to Leave Islam and 'Beg' Christ for Healing in Mosul

Thousands of disillusioned Muslims embracing Christianity and "begging" Christ for healingThis is what a Christian ministry director expects to happen once Mosul is eventually liberated from the Islamic State (ISIS).

The director, who is working in northern Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan, told Christian Aid Mission that before ISIS captured Mosul in 2014, that city, the second biggest in Iraq, had the reputation of being closest to the gospel.

"So now they see the true face of Islam, they saw the teachings of Islam and they know what it means to be under the Islamic State," the ministry director said. "I believe a lot of heart-breaking stories will come out of Mosul with people who are ready to leave Islam and beg for Christ to take their lives and give them healing."

The director's ministry, which Christian Aid Mission assists, has been distributing Bibles, leading Bible studies and holding discipleship training sessions for displaced people for more than two years now.

The Christian leader said his ministry is getting ready to help hundreds of families who will be evacuated to camps for displaced persons once city residents begin fleeing en masse from Mosul as the war of liberation intensifies.

"We're getting ready for them. If we start seeing groups coming our way, then we're going to minister to them," he said.

The ministry director is appealing for assistance to Christians all over the world to provide aid supplies to the refugees. "We don't have many resources. I don't have a lot of food and medicine and other items, but we're going to do as much as we can," he said.

The ministry is asking for assistance to purchase food, clothing, blankets, tents, medicines and Bibles.

"I want to encourage people to supply whoever is working there, whether us or anyone else, to help these people, supply them with the Word of God, supply them with the tools they need to work with these refugees who are coming," the director said.

"And if Mosul is going to get liberated, Lord willing, we will be going to Mosul to do some work there. I hope to put a Bible in every house in Mosul and declare Christ as King of kings and Lord," he pledged.

Iraqi and other coalition forces have begun their offensive to drive ISIS out of Mosul. Latest reports said ISIS militants have forced about 1,500 families to retreat with them. They also abducted 295 former Iraqi Security Forces members from villages on the outskirts of the city, according to Reuters.

"They're keeping a lot of people hostages. Anybody running away, they're killing," the ministry director said.

"There were two brothers; they killed one of them while he was running out. Most of the people are hostages right now. They want to flee, they just can't," he said. "What's happening right now in Mosul is what they did to the Christians; it's genocide. They're killing everyone who's not working with them or not helping them."
Christian Mom From Tennessee Wants History Textbook Removed From Schools for Promoting Islamic Propaganda

A Christian mother from Tennessee is asking a county's board of education to remove a history textbook that supposedly promotes Islamic propaganda to schoolchildren.

Michelle Edmisten, a founder of the Facebook group Sullivan County Parents Against Islam Indoctrination, wants the book "My World History" to be "yanked from the school immediately."

Edmisten called the education board's attention to the textbook after her daughter was asked to use the publication for an assignment where students were asked about the name of Islam's holy book, and to identify the five pillars of Islam.

The mom told the board that her daughter felt that "some of the assignments went against her beliefs as a Christian."

"I would like to see parents, Christians, veterans, anyone that's anyone, stand up for this fight. How can I, as a Christian, say that I have these values?" Edmisten said, as quoted by The International Business Times.

This incident prompted the Christian mother to file a complaint with the education board asking the latter to pull out all copies of the textbook "My World History" from all schools in Sullivan county, saying the book gives "false claims and views on Islam" and tries to "normalise" the understanding of the Islamic faith to their children.

Under the policies of Sullivan County, school heads have 15 days to convene a review committee to "determine the extent to which the [challenged] material supports the curriculum."

Some groups such as the National Coalition Against Censorship, however, disagreed with Edmisten's complaint, saying it "sadly reflects larger efforts to purge lessons on Islam from schools in Tennessee."

The group also questioned moves to revise the school curriculum in the county retaining lessons on religions including Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism, but removing information "on the history and spread of Islam, the life and teachings of Muhammad, and the study of Islamic art."
Franklin Graham: 'Donald Trump Is A Changed Man. I Trust Him'

Donald Trump will put together the best team in Washington that America has seen for many years, influential US evangelist Franklin Graham said today.

In an interview with Christian Today, Graham said there was "no question" that God had a hand in the election of Trump as the next President of the United States, and predicted a "huge impact" from his nominations to the Supreme Court.

He revealed that Trump had told him personally that he will repeal the controversial Johnson Amendment of 1954, which prevents church leaders from endorsing or opposing political candidates from the pulpit.

In the face of deep political divisions both within and outside of the church, Graham called on Americans now to "come together" and unite behind their new President. According to polls, white evangelical Christians backed Trump by 81 per cent to 16 per cent  a larger margin of the evangelical vote than was achieved by a Republican candidate in the past three elections. However, Christians who did not support Trump have expressed outrage at his presidency, particularly over his rhetoric regarding women and minority groups.

Graham said Trump is a "changed man" from when he made his notorious lewd comments about women. Though he made courting the evangelical vote a hallmark of his election campaign, Trump faced some calls to step down after a 2005 video recording surfaced in which he could be heard openly speaking about groping women and trying to seduce a married woman.

"I know Donald Trump and have been with him on a number of occasions," Graham said, adding that he had spoken to him privately on Monday this week, the day before the election.

"What you see is what you get. Politicians are pretty good at smiling and being one thing in public and then when the doors are closed, they are different people."

Donald Trump, by contrast, is the same in private as he appears on television, Graham said.

"He's not polished, like a lot of politicians. He's a little rough around the edges. But he means what he says. People need to understand that he's a very powerful person, very strong, he's got a very good family, great children. He's going to put together maybe one of the best teams in Washington that we have seen in years."

Graham said there was no question that God a hand in the election. "The vast majority of the evangelical community supported Donald Trump because he has said he is going to support Christians, not only at home but around the world.

"So when we see Christianity being attacked worldwide, not just by militant Muslims but by secularism, it's refreshing to have a leader who is willing to defend the Christian faith."

He cited research that showed up to 35 million evangelical Christians did not vote in the last election four years ago. It was this that inspired him to visit all 50 states on his Decision America tour to encourage Christians to go to the ballot box.

"That's why I went to all 50 states and prayed on the Capitol steps encouraging people to vote. I did not tell them who to vote for. I said you pray before you vote. God will tell you who to vote for. But vote. Don't stay home. Because if you stay home we are going to lose this country.

"I think many Christians heard that. We know that over 80 per cent of the evangelicals voted for Trump."

Graham has personally known Trump for eight years, and said he'd seen "a change in him" during that time. "He came to my father's [evangelist Billy Graham] 95th birthday party three years ago and he had met my father on several occasions when my father was preaching in New York," Graham said.

Graham is by no means the only prominent evangelical to see a positive side to the election outcome. Theological and church leaders from Wayne Grudem to Bill Johnson have lined up to praise Trump, and he also won the support of Liberty University's Jerry Falwell Jr.

But the criticism has been vocal. Prominent Christians such as Shane Claiborne and Tony Campolo, sometimes referred to as "post evangelicals", have spoken out against evangelicals who they have accused of exalting Trump over Jesus. Claiborne said that as a result, many Christians in post-election America are now spiritually "homeless". He has called for these Christians to abandon the term "evangelical" and reclaim their identity as "followers of Jesus".

One aspect of the election result that was truly a surprise to so many was that Trump's moral character was apparently not a problem for many leading Christians. Some students at Liberty even set up a petition to distance themselves from Trump and the support he received from Falwell. The petition stated: "Associating any politician with Christianity is damaging to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But Donald Trump is not just any politician. He has made his name by maligning others and bragging about his sins. Not only is Donald Trump a bad candidate for president, he is actively promoting the very things that we as Christians ought to oppose."

Graham, however, emphasised that Trump should be assessed by the people he surrounds himself with, and said he knows a "handful" of pastors that have been talking to Trump. During the campaign, Trump appointed a "council" of evangelical pastors to advise him, he said. Graham was asked to join this council but the evangelist declined because he was doing his tour and did not want the prayer rallies to be political.

But, he said, the President-elect had changed "quite a bit" in the last few years.

Graham said: "I know there are a number of pastors that have had a great influence on his life. People change over a period of time. I think Donald Trump has changed. Now at the same time, if he gets mad he may use 'hell', or 'damn', or some other words to express his displeasure. But I trust him. I think when he says something he means it. If he says he's going to do something, he's going to do it."

According to Graham, the key to assessing Trump's character is to look at the people in his team.

"Donald Trump has surrounded himself with strong evangelicals and for me as a Christian, I'm very pleased with that," he said.

In an article today headlined Evangelical Christian will be the power behind the throne, The Times reports on the importance of the Vice President-elect, Mike Pence, a prominent and ultra-conservative evangelical. In Washington, The Times reports, it is being said Pence will be in charge of "domestic and foreign policy". When the question was asked: "What would Mr Trump be in charge of?", the answer came back: "Making America great again."

Graham did not say whether he considers Trump to be a Christian or not  "Only God really knows a person's heart"  but, "You can tell a lot about a person by the people that they surround themselves with. Our current president claimed to be a Christian but you don't see that in the people around him.

"Trump has strong evangelical Christians surrounding him. I've known Ben Carson for many years. He is a wonderful man of God. Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas  another fine Christian gentleman. Mike Pence. These are the people that he surrounds himself with."

Graham also knows Mike Pence and has spent time with him: "He is a man of God, he is a very strong evangelical. Donald Trump has surrounded himself with some strong Christians which is very encouraging."

He contrasted this with the Democrats: "If you take Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party, I don't know of one evangelical Christian in the White House. I don't know of one evangelical Christian on her campaign. None."

One of the key drivers of evangelical support for Trump has been his promise to nominate conservative, pro-life justices to the Supreme Court, and Graham said the Court would be "in good hands" under his leadership.

"These would be conservative judges, judges that are constitutionalist and believe in interpreting from the constitution, and not making law from the bench," Graham said. "Clinton wanted progressive judges on the bench. These would be people that would use that position to make law and go around congress. So I think the Supreme Court will be in good hands.

"President-elect Trump will nominate one justice in February. Within the next few years there will be two or three more. That will have a huge impact on this country for years to come."

Of the Johnson amendment, Graham said Trump had promised to "work to have that repealed".

Lyndon Johnson, then a senator, put forward an amendment in 1954 that to this day threatens organisations such as churches with loss of their tax exempt status if they support or oppose political candidates.

Graham said: "He's [Trump] told me that he's going to work to have that repealed. It will be huge. I think that the Johnson Amendment was a stupid thing. It was somewhat racial in the sense that Johnson did not want black pastors at that time to speak out against him."

He and many other evangelicals welcome the prospect of that change which will have a massive impact on the way churches and other religious groups engage in politics.

"It's stayed on the American landscape for all these years and Trump is the first one to say, I'm going to repeal it. I appreciate that about him," Graham said.

Since the announcement that Trump won the election, protests against his presidency have taken place across America. "There is a small group in this country that are anarchists," Graham said of the demonstrations. "They want to see anarchy, not just in the United States but worldwide. You have them in the UK as well. And they are just a small group. Of course they are very unhappy because their side did not win. So they use it as an opportunity to damage properly, to hurt innocent people."

He compared the election of Trump to the decision by the British people to leave the EU.

"The EU has some tremendous financial problems. The people of the UK voted on this and it's their decisions. I think there will be other nations that will leave the EU. I don't think the EU has been good for some countries. And I'm not sure it's been good for any country. Especially when you look at the way immigrants have come in from the Middle East. Once they get in to one EU country they can just flood into any country they want to. Europe has some great problems that European politicans are going to have to try and fix. The UK people are smart enough to realise that when a ship is sinking, it is better to get off it."

But, he said, it is now time for Americans to pull together and unite behind Trump.

"We have to come together behind our leaders where the will of the people has spoken. We are a democracy and so I wasn't pleased when President Obama was elected because I feared his policies would hurt us as the church and they have. But we got behind him. He was our President and we supported him. He is still our President. But we have new leadership. We need to come together as Americans. There needs to be healing. Let's move on."

Franklin was speaking to Christian Today 50 years after millions attended his father Billy Graham's month-long 1966 London Crusade at Earl's Court Arena.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has released the new film for this year's My Hope UK campaign, The Worth of a Soul.

Graham said the My Hope videos had "incredible" results from the start. "It's a tool for the Church. It just gives the Church a film they can use, in a service or a meeing, where the gospel is presented, where it is explained, and where there is an invitation. It is just a tool. It is for the Church, it is free."

The aim is to "take Jesus Christ before the masses, before the people, that he is the Son of God," he said. "People can have a one on one relationship with God."
Iraqi Christian Woman Impregnated By ISIS Fighter Refuses to Abort Baby She Named After Her Slain Husband

"He's my son; he's not the son of ISIS."

Thus declared Umm Al'aa, a 40-year-old Iraqi Christian woman who gave birth to a baby boy after being raped by an ISIS fighter in Gogjali, Iraq.

Speaking to CNN, Umm Al'aa (not her real name to protect her family) said when her son grows up, she will never tell him who his real father was.

She named her son Mohammed, after her husband, an Iraqi soldier who was killed on Nov. 1 during the battles on Mosul's eastern outskirts, where Iraqi and coalition forces are battling Islamic State (ISIS) fighters.

Umm Al'aa said Mohammed's real father was an ISIS militant who raped her while she was being held captive by the terrorist group.

Despite this, she said she will never allow herself to undergo abortion since she considers her still unborn child already a part of her family as much as her other sons and daughters.

She told CNN that she was already a mother and grandmother when ISIS seized her hometown in 2014.

She said the terrorists targeted her family when they refused to pledge allegiance to the jihadist group, like what their neighbours did.

She said she and her children were at the mercy of ISIS fighters who regularly came to their home to threaten them. But they still refused to bow to the jihadis.

One day, she said the militants attacked one of her young daughters and were about to rape her when their commander stopped them and told them that "We want the mother" instead. At that time Umm Al'aa was not at her home.

But a few days later, the militants spotted Umm Al'aa and kidnapped her.

She said for a year and a half, she lived as a prisoner. Then one of the militants beat and raped her.

"I tried to fight, I cried a lot. There was a lot of pain, I was beaten a lot, but I couldn't do anything," she told CNN.

She was already pregnant by the time she was released.

Despite her condition, Umm Al'aa was filled with joy that she could be with her family again. However, their happiness was cut short when her husband was killed in battle.

"He loved me a lot. My best memory of him was how much he loved and respected me," she said of her husband. "Yes we are poor people, but we were happy."
Mosul After Islamic State: Why Samaritan's Purse Is There For The Long Haul

Iraqi forces backed by foreign air power are fighting their way slowly and cautiously into Mosul. Islamic State overran the city in June 2014 with barely a shot fired, heralding the rise of an Islamist dictatorship responsible for some of the worst human rights outrages in modern times. Half a million people fled, including the Christian population of at least 70,000.

Islamic State is in its end-game, but it's had two years to prepare for it. There are tunnels, booby-traps and weapons caches. There are only a few thousand of them, but the damage they can do is terrible  and it's the civilians who will pay the heaviest price. So the 1.5 million remaining in the city are getting out as fast as they can.

Matt Nowery is the country director for Samaritan's Purse in Iraq. The organisation has been in the country since 2008, and it's now trying to help the Mosul refugees by providing food rations, shelter, clean water and cooking stoves. Speaking to Christian Today, he paints a vivid and heartbreaking picture of what's happening.

"Over the last week, there have been thousands of refugees. There's a full range of needs," he says.

"If you could picture several kilometres of cars with military escorts, every one with a white flag to show they're a civilian. There are dump trucks with a hundred people aboard. They are in shock."

Many others have been walking for hours and arrive at the camps exhausted. And it's not just their physical state: many of them are emotionally traumatised.

"When ISIS took over the city they were split down the middle," says Nowery. "Families were split and not able to contact each other. There are hundreds of family members looking in every car and dump truck to see if they can recognise someone. When they recognise someone there's such a range of emotions, it's hard to put it into words.

"Others are angry, screaming abuse  they don't understand what's happening. Many are confused. Others feel fear, they don't trust anyone, they don't know anyone or anything."

During the last week, numbers have risen to more than 40,000, double what they were before the assault began. Samaritan's Purse is helping provide blankets and other equipment to help refugees endure the winter, which can be bitterly cold in the region. But Nowery says no system could absorb the amount of people potentially displaced as the assault on Mosul continues: "There's no way we could meet all those needs."

Mosul, Iraq's second city, was also the heartland of the Christian population in the north of the country. When ISIS took it over, the Christians were forced to flee. Almost all of those leaving city now are Muslims, but Nowery stresses that Samaritans Purse serves those in need without distinction. "We are there to provide physical aid. It's an opportunity for us as an organisation to serve amid some of the worst trauma the world has seen," he says.

"I believe the people coming out of those villages and the city will remember who helped them in their hour of need. We're there to show the love of Jesus and to be his hands and feet."

And, he says, Samaritan's Purse is there for the long haul.

"It's a long, long job. We have been into the liberated villages and there is massive destruction. ISIS has been busy destroying infrastructure. They have torn out wiring, destroyed churches, water storage tanks. Rebuilding the villages is going to take a lot of work and a lot of time."

But he recounts a conversation with an 84-year-old priest displaced from Mosul he describes as a "God moment" for him. "He said, 'It may seem like a very dark place and that Islam is winning, but if you believe the same as me, you know who has the victory.'

"We have been here since the beginning and we have no plans to leave," he says. "We're going to help rebuild. We want to help provide education and health. This is a critical time and Christians are fleeing  Samaritan's Purse wants to put its arm round them and remind them Jesus loves them, and figure out what we can do to help them get on their feet."

Samaritan's Purse UK has urged Christians to pray for Mosul as it comes under attack.
Over 75 Percent of Christians Persecuted in North Korea Don't Survive Their Punishments

Christians don't fare very well in North Korea. Human rights groups are giving grim reports on the treatment of religious minorities in the East Asian country, saying that over 75 percent of those who are subjected to torture, imprisonment and all sorts of punishment do not live to tell their tales.

Reports obtained from the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, a South Korean non-profit organisation, showed that over 65,000 people have already been persecuted for their faith in North Korea. From that number, close to 99 percent of the 11,370 defectors confirmed that there is absolutely no religious freedom under Kim Jong-un's leadership.

What's worse, over 75 percent of Christians persecuted from their faith do not survive their punishments, The Christian Post reported. This is why only 1.2 percent of the defectors engaged in secret religious activities while they were still in North Korea.

Meanwhile, the group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) released a report called "Total Denial: Violations of Freedom of Religion or Belief in North Korea" in September revealing that members of religious minorities suspected of state crimes are "being hung on a cross over a fire, crushed under a steamroller, herded off bridges, and trampled underfoot."

As if the torture isn't bad enough, the North Korean government even goes a step further by punishing the relatives of these Christians and members of other religious groups.

"A policy of guilt by association applies, meaning that the relatives of Christians are also detained regardless of whether they share the Christian belief. Even North Koreans who have escaped to China, and who are or become Christians, are often repatriated and subsequently imprisoned in a political prison camp," the CSW report stated.

The report added that Kim Jong-un sees religious belief as a major threat to his leadership. Thus, he requires people to acknowledge him as their nation's "supreme leader."

As a result, North Koreans don't enjoy the freedom of expressing their religious beliefs. If they try to do so, they are subjected to discrimination, detention, and all sorts of inhumane treatment.
Pope Francis To Donald Trump: 'Put The Poor First'

Pope Francis has said he will not "judge" Donald Trump on anything other than how his policies affect the poor.

The interview with Eugenio Scalfari of La Repubblica was headlined in Italian The Republic Pope: 'Trump? I do not judge. I'm Interested only if he hurts the poor'.

Pope Francis told Scalfari: "I do not give judgments on people and politicians, I just want to understand the suffering that their approach causes the poor and excluded."

The Pope said his main concern was for refugees and migrants.

He was concerned about their "suffering and their distress". Unfortunately, he said, attempts to help them were oppsed by those who are afraid of job losses and wage cuts.

Francis even suggested an update to the words of Jesus. He said the command: "Love your neighbour as yourself," needs to change. It should now be: "Love your neighbour more than yourself."

The Pope was speaking days before the final big event of his Jubilee Year of Mercy this weekend. Around 4,000 homeless and marginalised people from 22 countries are in Rome for a special audience that was held yesterday and a Mass in St Peter's tomorrow.

Pope Francis admitted there are many poor people in rich countries who fear the immigration from abroad of other poor and deprived people. He said: "It is a vicious circle and it must be stopped. We must break down the walls that divide."

To achieve greater well being, he said, "we need to break down those walls and build bridges that allow a reduction in inequality and an increase in freedom and rights. More rights and more freedom. "

Scalfari has interviewed the Pope before but does not take notes and relies on memory to write up his articles. They met for an hour before the election, on November 7. Scalfari admits in his article that he personally, along with many Italians and Europeans, views the election of Donald Trump as "catastrophic". Italians fear a revived right wing will enable an Italian version of the Brexit referendum.

The switch in the Catholic vote from Democrat to Republican in the US was part of the swing that assured a Trump victory. Trump decisively won a majority of those self-identifying as Catholics, by 52 to 45 per cent. Barack Obama won Catholics by a smaller margin of 50 to 48 per cent in 2012.

Pope Francis added: "What we want is a fight against inequality. This is the greatest evil that exists in the world." He also attacked the culture of wealth, and Scalfari asked if he was propagating Marxist ideology.

The Pope acknowledged that this has been levelled at him often. "My response has always been that, if anything, it is the communists who think like Christians," Francis replied. "Christ spoke of a society where the poor, the weak, the marginalised are empowered... it is they who must help to achieve equality and freedom."
Samsung Gear S3 release date, specs, news: Flagship wearable arrives in South Korea before UK and US release next week

The global rollout of the new Samsung wearable, the Gear S3, has started. The smartwatch is now available in South Korea, while the staggered release is scheduled for US and UK next week.

Announcing the debut of the new flagship in South Korea, Samsung stated that the home country release of the wearable is the start of a global roll-out. The Samsung Gear S3 is then expected to release in other regions starting on Nov. 18. Listed markets other than the UK and US include Australia, Dubai, France; Germany, and Singapore.

The staggered release may have something to do with the LTE support for the new wearable, particularly the Gear S3 Frontier. Samsung has revealed that the global version of the device will support LTE functions. However, there are a number of LTE standards worldwide, and Samsung has to check the regions for compatibility. US mobile carriers, for instance, use unique LTE bands. However, Samsung has already acknowledged that pre-orders for the US version have already started. This means that the new wearable is already certified for use in US LTE bands.

The Gear S3 is designed as a circular smartwatch, with the face similar to that of its predecessor. However, there are a number of improvements over the previous-gen Gear S2. Aside from LTE support, the Gear S3 also has improved IP68 certification, meaning it is dust and water-resistant. The body and watch band have also been tweaked to military durability specs. In addition, the new wearable also supports Samsung Pay.

The pricing details for the Samsung Gear S3 will vary by region. In the US, it is said that the new wearable will have a price tag starting at $350. In addition, aside from mobile carriers, the US version will also be available in third-party retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Macy's.
Still No Justice 2 Years After Christian Couple Were Burnt Alive in Pakistan

The Pakistan justice system has yet to punish any of the hundreds of Muslims who beat up and burned to death a Christian couple who were accused of blasphemy two years ago.

In a report from The Christian Post, Mehwish Bhatti, an officer of the London-based charity British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA), said some of those allegedly involved in the killing of 26-year-old Shahzad Masih and his 24-year-old pregnant wife, Shama Bibi, were actually able to walk free from prison.

Bhatti said Yousaf Gujjar, the man who was the first to accuse the Christian couple of desecrating the Quran, was granted bail earlier this year.

Gujjar, a known employer of bonded labourers in the area, was allowed to walk free based on his alibi that he was not even at the brick kiln on the day the Christian couple were burnt alive.

Two other unnamed suspects were also allowed to post bail  one who claimed he was not a resident of the area where the Christian couple were allegedly murdered, and another who claimed that he was not part of the mob that killed the two Christians by burning them alive.

Bhatti nevertheless said justice may be at hand for the Christian couple's orphaned three children and their other relatives, because the Pakistani court may soon hand down decisions on the hundred others who were allegedly involved in the brutal killings.

"Still, 103 people are in police custody and soon any punishment will be announced," Bhatti told The Christian Post. "The 103 people in custody keep on appealing for bail but the family of Shama and Shahzad are trying hard to keep on making their bails canceled."

Aside from failing to secure justice from courts, the Christian couple's children has also yet to receive the 5 million rupees promised by the Pakistani government as assistance, prompting BPCA to take care of their needs for now.
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This month one of Houstons favorite privately-owned brands, Shipley Do-Nuts, turns 80 years old.

Founded in 1936 by Lawrence Shipley, Sr. and Lillie Shipley, the first doughnuts they created were cut by hand and served hot the whole day. Back then they were only a nickel for a dozen.

Imagine if they were that cheap today. Some of us wouldnt be able to fit into our own cars.

TUNA ON RYE: Learn all about the humble beginnings of Texas' own Jason's Deli

Over time the taste of the Shipley familys sweet creations would create lifelong fans out of many Houstonians who couldnt start a day without a hot cup of coffee and a glazed doughnut.

The company is still based in a building that Shipley and his wife Lillie bought more than 70 years ago off North Main.

Our first shop was not the North Main location like most people think. It was actually in a building where Revival Market is now at 550 Heights Boulevard, says company representative Stacey Michel.

Now Playing: Video Courtesy: Houston Police Department Video: FoxM9NJ

He (Shipley) wasnt doing as well as he thought, so he sold the shop in 1942, name and all. He perfected his recipe and re-opened in 1945 at Michaux and Euclid. The North Main store wasnt opened until 1950, says Michel.

The company began life as Shipley Cream Glazed Do-Nuts. The spelling was Shipleys idea, looking to make his business stand out from the pack. Its now just known as Shipley Do-Nuts, though some people still refer to it as Shipleys out of habit.

HOUSTON BABY PHOTOS: See Houston's booming growth in photos

It makes me laugh anytime I see us called Shipley's on social media and another fan will reply back with the correction, says Michel.

Generations of Houstonians probably have a Shipley story, be it getting a carton of chocolate milk and a bag of Shipley doughnut holes on the way to grade school, or looking forward to doughnut Fridays at the office.

Hint, hint to our Chron.com coworkers.

These days Shipley Do-Nuts has over 300 locations in six states, selling some 60 varieties of doughnuts.

By 2020 the company hopes to open its 400th location.

Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com. He's an intolerable native Texan with too much ink in his skin and too much brisket stuck in his teeth.
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After sacrificing time apart, and training in different cities, Kathryn and John Holler are celebrating the debut of their longtime goal this weekend: opening Holler Brewing Co. to the public at 2206 Edwards.

The couple, who lived abroad in Qatar because of John's job, returned to the States in 2015 with the goal of launching a brewery, the Houston Beer Guide's Cody Lee reports.

That would be an ambitious undertaking.

While the pair was away, the Houston beer scene was expanding at a rapid rate, with microbreweries cropping up from the Heights to the suburbs. The two would have to set themselves apart if they were going to install a new brewhouse in a a city already awash in hops.

More Information Holler Brewing Co. Where: 2206 Edwards St., Ste. A More info: hollerbeer.com, 832-781-0555 See More Collapse

BIG BUZZ: Houston beer fans react to news that Anheuser-BuschInBev will be acquiring Karbach

To that end, John began studying brewing at Chicago-based Siebel Institute of Technology and Kathryn gained on-the-job skills at Two Henrys Brewing Company in Plant City, Fla. The pair reportedly have ties to Florida, however, they told Lee, they wanted to return to Houston because it's "where their adult lives began" and where they learned how to homebrew.

Now, after nearly a year readying the site of the brewery, the pair will open Holler Brewing Co.'s home to the public with a weekend-long celebration.

ON THE ISLAND: Two Houston bartenders helping to transform Galveston's former 'red-light district'

Holler Berwing Co., situated near the Silver Street Studios in the Washington Avenue Arts District, will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, and from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. To sample brews, guests can pay $5 per token.

Six beers will occupy some of the 19 taps they've already installed in the tap room. Among those is the Dolla Pils Y'all, Looyah Milk Stout and a Belgian IPA  it packs a heavy, 8.2 percent ABV punch.
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First it was Texas. Then California. And now Oregon is following suit.

Angry residents in all three states have threatened to secede from the United States this year. Texas secessionists pushed for independence after Britain left the European Union. Some Californians called for independence after Donald Trump won the White House.

RUSSIAN CONNECTION: Texas secession would 'undoubtedly benefit the Kremlin,' separatists say in Moscow

Now, some Oregonians are calling for independence of their own. Lawyer Jennifer Rollins and writer Christian Trejbal have submitted a petition for a 2018 ballot initiative to have Oregon become its own country, according to the Oregonian.

"The Governor and Legislature shall actively pursue Oregon's peaceful secession from the United States of America," the Oregon Secession Act reads. "They shall seek secession alone or in conjunction with other states and Canadian provinces that seek to form a new nation."

Hillary Clinton won 51.7 percent of the electoral votes in Oregon and 61.5 percent in California, according to Politico. Trump by comparison had 41.1 percent of the electoral votes in Oregon and 33.2 percent in California.

Since the results of Tuesday's election, anti-Trump protests have been held in California, Oregon and other states across the nation.

Some Californians are also pushing for secession with "Calexit." Like Texas, some Californians look to Brexit as a model for leaving the United States. Organizers hope to get it on the ballot in spring 2019.

SUPPORT IN CALI: #CalExit picks up steam with angry voters after Silicon Valley exec's pledge

"Our 'Calexit' referendum is about California joining the international community," the campaign reads. "You have a big decision to make."

A Texas GOP panel struck secession language from a proposed party platform in May.
Process Technology is one of the fastest growing careers in the Houston area, due to baby boomers retiring from the field.

"The chemical and refining industries are in great need of process operators/technicians due to the large number of seasoned operators retiring in the next five to seven years," said Linda LaCoe, director of process technology at Lone Star College-Kingwood.

In preparation of the January 2017 start, LSC-Kingwood faculty are looking for interested students to enroll in the program. The college will host information sessions on Nov. 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the LSC-Atascocita Center cafeteria and Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. in the LSC-Kingwood Administration Building room 112. Potential students are encouraged to bring their unofficial transcripts if they have not enrolled in Lone Star College.

"Our goal is to inform prospective students about the process technology associate of applied science degree (AAS) and certificate," LaCoe said. "We will also discuss what process technology is and the job duties of a process operator/technician."

The brand new Process Technology program will start in January 2017 and will be housed at the LSC-Atascocita Center.

In order to be accepted into the Process Technology program, students must be at college level in reading, writing and math. Students should possess aptitude in science and math, have good interpersonal and communication skills, and be a team player.

LSC-Kingwood's Process Technology program will prepare graduates for entry level careers in the petrochemical, refining, power generation, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, plastics and related manufacturing industries. Program courses include introduction to process technology, process instrumentation, safety, health and environment, process systems, principles of quality, and troubleshooting.

In fall 2017, the program will move to the new Lone Star College-Process Technology Center located in Generation Park. The 40,200 square foot facility will be furnished with state-of-the-art simulation equipment, a fully functional pilot plant and general academic classrooms to train students.

The LSC-Atascocita Center is located at 15903 West Lake Houston Parkway. For more information on the program or information sessions, email Linda.Lacoe@LoneStar.edu or visit www.lonestar.edu/lsc-process-technology
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West University Place City Council Member, Brennan Reilly was the only voice of dissent at an Oct. 17 council meeting where members approved the city's 2017 budget.

Reilly said Monday that he had several problems with the proposed budget that led him to vote "no".

"The budget contained mistakes, mathematical errors in excess of $130,000 ... (and) the city adopted the maximum tax rate that could have been established without a roll-back election," he said.

The first problem, said Reilly, is that $130,000 was added to the budget due to a $65,000 item listed twice in error.

"We found the error on the 1st, and on the 17th it was never corrected, which is insanity. The money belongs to the residents. If we have something good to spend it on I have no problem appropriating it. I have a real problem taking money that won't be spent, it will just sit there."

The second reason Council Member Reilly couldn't get behind the budget that includes a property tax rate of $0.3168 per $100 home valuation, a decrease from the previous year's $0.3317, is because the new rate is just 1/1000th of a penny below the roll-back rate. The roll-back rate, said Reilly, is the maximum property tax rate that the city can set before residents are entitled to an election to roll back the rate.

Reilly said the tactic is a "game" the city is playing so that next year the formula used to determine the effective rate and the roll-back rate will be based on a higher number.

Last week, Rhonda Daugherty, finance director for the city of West University Place, said in another Houston Chronicle report that the city expects to see a 2.97 percent increase in revenue from last year based on the new budget, which is a $538,445 increase.

Reilly, who says there were no substantive responses to his objections during the approval process from anyone on council, doesn't see a need for the increase.

"We ought to figure out what we need to spend to provide excellent city services. When we run out of things to spend on, we ought stop," said Reilly.
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A little appreciation went a long way for the veterans at VFW Post 1839 in Cleveland, Texas as the local H-E-B store brought them an early Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 9 as part of Operation Appreciation.

Operation Appreciation is a veteran appreciation program that H-E-B uses to give back to war veterans living in the state of Texas.

"We're here to thank and honor veterans for serving our nation in wartime and peacetime and for the sacrifices they and their families make so that we all may enjoy freedom here at home," said H-E-B Cleveland Store Director Dora Gallegos.

Gallegos and a small group of H-E-B employees contacted Post 1839 and arranged to bring a classic Thanksgiving dinner for the veterans and their guests. Dinner included turkey, ham, potato salad, corn, green beans, rolls and dessert.

"This is our first time doing it participating in Cleveland," said Dora Gallegos. "It certainly won't be the last."

The employees delivered the food to Post 1839 at noon with the veterans thanking Gallegos and her staff for their kindness.

"We do appreciate it," said Post Commander Edgar Burwick.

Gallegos states that H-E-B is living up to its reputation to be more than just a store but also be a bigger part of the local area.

"We look to live our bold promise and give back to our community," she said.
Roy N. Kent

The Heights, dry since 1912, will now allow off-premise sales of alcohol after an overwhelming vote in favor of the measure.

Pending certification of the ballots, an overwhelming 64 percent of the voters in the area approved the sale of alcohol championed by the Houston Heights Beverage Coalition. The group was backed by H-E-B, which has submitted plans to build a new store at the site of the former Fiesta at 24th Street and Shepherd Drive. Opposed to the measure was the Keep The Heights Dry group, homeowners in the area that were concerned about upsetting the neighborhoods residential feel.
Voters approved Spring ISD's $330 million bond referendum on Election Day Nov. 8, giving the district the green light to fund five new schools, a stadium and a police command center, as well as address maintenance and busing issues.

The bond, which was the district's first to be proposed in nearly a decade, passed with 72 percent of the votes, in spite of some controversy over the $38 million dedicated to building the new stadium. Myron Spencer, who lost his run against incumbent Justine Durant for her seat on the Spring ISD Board of Trustees, said he and other parents believe the cost of the stadium is excessive.
Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies and Houston Police Department officers responded to an early-morning call about a drive-by shooting in far southwest Houston.

Around 3 a.m., a woman and several others were traveling in a white SUV on Almeda when a vehicle passed by and opened fire.
To most Americans, Veterans Day means honoring those who served in the United States Armed Forces, but its origins stretch back to the end of World War I, one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history.

Around the world, this day of commemoration is also known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, and all of them mark the end of the Great War on Nov. 11, 1918.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
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Caritas Cehia in cautarea unui expert/unei experte sau unei echipe de experti in prestarea serviciilor de consiliere psihologica (pe segmentul burnout) pentru echipa mobila de prestare a serviciilor psiho-sociale pentru refugiatii ucraineni
MORELAND HILLS, Ohio -- Squad call, mutual aid; Sterncrest Drive: Officers and paramedics were sent around 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 5 to a driveway where a woman, 29, was inside a car and may have overdosed.

Dispatchers learned she was conscious and alert, but a little incoherent at the time. EMT's from Orange also provided mutual aid and she was stabilized and transported to Ahuja Medical Center.

Damage to vehicle, Chagrin Boulevard: A teacher at Brady Middle School walked out to his 2003 Honda minivan about 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 3 and found a tree limb had fallen onto the front windshield, cracking it.

A report was needed to verify the damage and Orange School District officials took photos with plans to handle the repairs.

Neighbor trouble, Greentree Road: A resident reported on or around Nov. 1 that a landscaper next door was blowing leaves into the caller's yard, and the neighbor was refusing to clean them up. Police said the leaves were removed a short time later.

Cars vs. deer, Chagrin Boulevard, Route 87: Officers were dispatched at least twice to morning rush-hour crash scenes where deer had collided with cars.

Police in turn dispatched the deer, one on Nov. 5 about 8:15 a.m. on Chagrin Boulevard, and then about 6:45 a.m. on Nov. 6 in the 34900 block of South Woodland Road.

Officials reminded motorists that most deer-car accidents occur around dawn and dusk.

Erratic drivers, Routes 87 and 91: The driver of a black Volvo was reportedly going left of center and passing from the right side of the roadway around 7:15 p.m. on Nov. 6 along SOM Center Road. An officer almost caught up with the driver as the car turned toward Chagrin Falls, where police were also alerted.

-- A blue Cavalier, reportedly all over the roadway on South Woodland near the Polo fields about 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 3 and registering to a Geauga County address, was found parked and unoccupied a short time later on Farmcote Drive.

Attempt to locate, hit-skip; SOM Center Road: Moreland Hills police were on the lookout for a white Audi that reported struck another car at the Shell True North station in Solon about 4 p.m. on Nov. 4, last seen heading north on Route 91.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
Maple Heights police car

Maple Heights police are investigating the deaths of two people inside a Tabor Avenue home.

(File photo)

MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Police are investigating the deaths of two people after they were found dead inside a Maple Heights home Friday.

Neighbors on Tabor Avenue called police about 3 p.m. Friday for a welfare check after they had not seen two people at the home for at least a week, according to Maple Heights police Lt. Don Grossmyer

Officers knocked on the door and entered the home to find the bodies of two women, Grossmyer said.

Police haven't yet determined if the deaths are suspicious in nature. An investigation is pending as to the cause of their deaths, Grossmyer said.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is assisting Maple Heights police with the investigation, Grossmyer said.

As of Saturday morning, police were unsure if the pair's families had been notified of their deaths.

To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Upper Edgewater Shelter in the Lakefront Reservation is older than Cleveland Metroparks and has a little-known link to the park system it joined in 2013.

The shelter is thought to have been built around 1910 - eight years after Mayor Tom L. Johnson made William Stinchcomb Chief Engineer of Parks.

Metroparks officials insist that it was designed by Stinchcomb himself, the man who first proposed the concept of the countywide park system that he would formally operate from 1921 until he retired in 1957.

The low sloping roof and exposed eaves are very much of the Arts and Crafts era, as are the exposed beams inside.

Kelly Coffman, the Metroparks' senior strategic park planner, said the park system has 275 structures built before 1970, including buildings, picnic shelters and bridges.

Jim Rodstrom, the parks' chief of construction, said the Metroparks' devotion to conservation extends beyond natural habitats and includes exquisitely designed buildings that have been preserved throughout the park system.

They were built by versatile master craftsmen and are maintained today by skilled park personnel with similarly diverse skill sets.

One of these treasures is the Brecksville Nature Center, the last trailside center still standing in the Metroparks.

The roof alone is a great example of Arts and Crafts design with exposed eaves, low-profile roof and intentionally irregular edges on the clapboard siding that covers the upper portion of walls at both ends of the building.

Inside, it becomes a walk-in masterpiece, right down to the hand-carved detail, including incised leaf patterns, three-dimensional leaves and animals.

Rodstrom said the stone was quarried in the park, and the wood came from trees that grew there, processed in the park's own sawmill.

It was dedicated in 1939, the handiwork of craftsmen from for the Works Progress Administration, a federal infrastructure program developed to address the chronic unemployment of the Great Depression.

Across the road is another example, the open-air shelter of the Harriet Keeler Picnic Area that was begun in 1928 by Metroparks personnel and completed a decade later by the WPA.

Though simpler than the nature center, it displays many of the same design concepts.
Muslims hold prayer vigil for San Bernardino victims

Local Muslims, such as these members of the Bait Ul Ahad Mosque in Bedford who gathered with guests for a vigil at the mosque in 2015, are keeping a watchful eye on the Donald Trump presidency in light of comments he made about Muslims during his campaign. (Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Disappointment, concern, and watchfulness, mixed with conditional support and even hope, characterized the reaction of local Muslims to the election of Donald Trump as President.

Comments that Trump made on the campaign trail regarding a potential shutdown of Muslim immigration, and his remarks about the possibility of required Muslim registration and identity cards, are still vivid in the minds of this religious group that makes up about one percent of the U.S. population, or 3.3 million people.

Yet a cautious, wait-and-see attitude seems to prevail.

For now.

Isam Zaiem, board member of the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), described the election as "a sad day for America," in terms of the potential for actions and hate directed against the Muslim community by people bolstered by Trump's campaign statements.

But he also noted, "I'm hopeful that maybe Trump will change some of his rhetoric and settle down and treat all Americans the same, and be President for all of us instead of just those who voted for him."

Isam Zaiem: "I'm concerned. I'm very worried. But I'm hopeful." (Plain Dealer flle photo)

Zaiem said he was encouraged by Trump's remarks after the election about bringing America together. "I'm hopeful. I have to be," he said. "Otherwise it would be very depressing for all of us."

Maha Droubi, a member of the local Syrian community who helped organize NEOSOS, a group that aids Syrian refugees settling here, said, "I've been here 36 years and this is the first time I feel scared for America and for us (Muslims).

"What I'm afraid of is that the hate toward Muslims will be more obvious, more clear," she added.

Droubi believed that fear may have been shared by new Syrian refugees in Cleveland who did not want to be interviewed about Trump.

Farid Abdul Malik, 67, of Cleveland Heights, said Trump's statement about "taking or country back" refers to "a time when things were better for some people, particularly white people."

Malik said that as a black Muslim, he is "accustomed to some form of discrimination or abuse." Yet, "never do I despair," he added.

Similarly, he said he is not worried about the aftermath of Trump's election. "As a Muslim, my trust is totally in God almighty. Always has been. Always will be."

Abbas Ahmad, Imam of the First Cleveland Mosque, said he was struck by Trump's latest statements on national unity, after running what Ahmad perceived as a campaign of divisiveness.

For the moment, "Muslims have a wait-and-see attitude," Ahmad said.

Imam Abbas Ahmad: "He (Trump) didn't give us any substantial policies. All he did was talk hate and divisiveness, something we just don't agree with." (Lisa DeJong/ The Plain Dealer)

But waiting and seeing if Trump follows through on his campaign statements regarding Muslims also prompts some concern, he added.

"What really scares me are the people who support him," Ahmad said. "People need to be more educated in terms of what Islam is."

Khalil Alnadi, 45, of Medina, has lived in the U.S. for 23 years since emigrating from Jordan, is no fan of Trump.

However, "I think we need to move on and support the new President, and hope that the people around him give him the correct advice," he said. "It doesn't matter what he said (during the campaign). All that matters is what he's going to do. That's the bottom line.

"What's good about this country is that we have checks and balances," Alnadi said. "No matter how bad he is, we have that.

"This country is bigger than Trump," he added. "We need to support him and see how he does."

For many reasons, Trump won't be getting that support from Kamal, a 20-year-old Muslim from Cleveland, now attending college in Pennsylvania, who prefers that his last name not be used.

"I think his presidency gives legitimacy to Islamophobia," he said. "I'm not worried about the educated voters. I'm worried about the people who aren't necessarily educated on the issue of American Muslims."

As for Trump's actions as President, "I'm not going to jump to conclusions," Kamal said. "We have to be careful to see which policies he has used as a means to get elected, and which policies are actually incorporated."

He does believe that Trump's statements about bombing terrorist sites overseas will "add fuel to the Middle East conflict and every country in the Middle East that does not want to associate with America."

The Washington Post recently reported that social media sites associated with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda have said that Trump's election will further alienate Muslims from America and aid extremist causes.

Local Muslims had mixed reactions as to whether a Trump presidency will boost radicalism.

"No, not really," Alnadi said. "Every time there's an election, an extremist group always rises to the surface. With George Bush it was al-Qaeda. Now it's ISIS. Four years from now it will be somebody else.

"It's not religious," he added. "ISIS is no different than gangsters anywhere in the world."

Yet Farid Abdul Malik said the potential exists for young people to be swayed by extremist rhetoric in the wake of Trump's election. "They're vulnerable," he said. "Muslim leaders need to speak to these youths and organize some sort of strategy so they don't let their emotions overwhelm them."

Other local Muslims believed that the type of actions Trump takes in foreign policy will determine his impact on terrorism.

Ahmad Deeb, director of the Islamic Society of Akron and Kent, said he was concerned about the potential backlash of a Trump presidency on both the Muslim community and society in general.

He noted that during the campaign, Trump "wasn't very subtle at all regarding his disdain, almost, and feelings toward particular minorities, the Muslim community being one of those minorities.

"The culture of America is not built upon hate and anti-immigrant sentiment and sidelining a religious community, which Trump has done," he added.

While Deeb said he doesn't want to exaggerate the Muslim concern, he did believe that Muslims should organize and work with the leaders of other faiths to help "cultivate a culture that is not built on divisive elements, not built on an irrational fear of immigrants and minorities . . . one indicative of the beautiful, great diversity that is present in America.

"We just want what's best for the country, and in the end, we want Donald Trump to do a good job," he added.

Masroor Malik, 47, of Solon, who has lived here since coming from Pakistan 27 years ago, also said the election could have a positive side in prompting American Muslims to come together in support of their own rights and America's future.

"This could be a wake-up call for Muslims to make sure we organize to make sure we are equal members of society and share an equal part in the greatness of this country," he said. "We have high hopes for this country and hopefully everything will turn out to be good. But we need to be active, we need to be participating."

Malik said he was "shocked and saddened" by Trump's victory, "and somewhat fearful due to all the rhetoric used during the campaign against the Muslims.

"It's something we are dealing with, but one of the things, no matter how disappointed we feel, is that we are not going to be moved by fear, but by love and compassion," he continued.

"We're going to keep our heads up and hope for the best."
By Mike and Wendy Pramik, Special to The Plain Dealer

SANTA CLAUS, Indiana -- Our 7-year-old son sits at an old school desk and places a tight grip on a No. 2 pencil, then begins crafting a letter to Santa.

"I may have been bad," Max writes, "But may I have a Wii U and a Super Mario Maker?"

After signing the letter, he slips it into a mail slot and shakes a strap of sleigh bells. The jingle alerts Santa's elves that a new letter is on the way. It's a traditional scene, but there are no snowflakes falling outside, no festive music on the radio. The stores back home in Ohio haven't even begun to hang holiday displays.

"It's September 2. Are you sure it's not too early to send these letters?" bursts his older sister, Rosie.

It's never too early to celebrate the holidays when you're in Santa Claus, a tiny burg in southwestern Indiana where Saint Nick reigns supreme. It's home to fewer than 2,500 people, a tourist town where good tidings are spread no matter the time of year.

It's a place where we confidently tell our kids, "Yes, there is a Santa Claus."

We begin our visit at the Santa Claus Museum and Village, which is home to a historic post office building that helped earn the town its jolly moniker. Emily Thompson, director of the museum, tells us that Santa Claus was established in 1854 under the name of Santa Fe (pronounced "fee"). But when the townsfolk applied for a post office, they were asked to think of a new name because there already was a Santa Fe, Indiana.

So they changed it to Santa Claus in 1856, and its association with the old elf went down in history.

"Its name is its biggest draw," says Thompson, who lives in the gated community of Christmas Lake Village, where streets go by names like Prancer Drive and Blitzen Lane.

The nomenclature has spawned Christmas-themed attractions, most notably Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, an amusement park that opened in 1946 as Santa Claus Land and annually draws more than 1 million visitors from April through October.

A reason to visit during the park's off-season is the Santa Claus Christmas Celebration, held during the first three weekends in December. That's when the area's Christmas-themed attractions - including the Santa Claus Museum and Village, Santa's Candy Castle and the Santa Claus Christmas Store - go full tilt. Also on tap this year is a Christmas parade, a drivable lights display and a beer fest.

There's more to these rolling hills than Santa, however. A 10-mile drive northward along Indiana 162 leads you to St. Meinrad Archabbey, one of nine archabbeys in the world. The Benedictine monastery has a graduate seminary and school of theology. Tours are available daily, and guests are welcome to prayer and Catholic Mass. We witness busloads of visitors being dropped off at Abbey Press Gifts, where you can find scarves hand knitted by monks and original works by liturgical illustrator Brother Martin Erspamer.

A 15-minute drive northwest of St. Meinrad leads to the town of Ferdinand, which is home to an unbelievable craft brewery. Saint Benedict's Brew Works is on the grounds of the Sisters of St. Benedict, whose nuns have taught here since 1867.

Nuns don't actually make the tasty brews - including Raising Lazarus IPA and Sanctimonious Stout, says co-owner Vince Luecke. "But they do help us with quality control."

Back at the Santa Claus Museum and Village, we read letters to Saint Nick written during the Great Depression, then walk across the grounds and pop into the old Santa Claus Church, built in 1880. Thompson lets Max and Rosie pull a long rope to ring the church bell.

We then climb a small hill, which brings us before a 22-foot-tall concrete statue of Santa Claus, constructed in 1935 and dedicated to "the children of the world."

"How long until December?" Max suddenly asks. That's when he'll get a reply to his letter postmarked by the only post office on the planet bearing the Santa Claus name, a tradition here that dates back to 1914. Volunteers answer all of the mail and send it to a modern post office at the nearby Kringle Place Shopping Center.

In December, a special postmark, designed by a local student, is stamped on all the mail that passes through the Santa Claus Post Office. Last year, more than 400,000 pieces of mail got the postmark, including more than 22,000 answered letters from Santa.

Writing a letter puts us in the holiday spirit. We embrace the town for a weekend, touring attractions.

Down the road, we find Santa's Candy Castle, also built in 1935. The little brick fortress is the area's first tourist attraction, and just as it sounds, there is a lot of candy here, ranging from rainbow-colored lollipops to a wall full of Pez dispensers.

But the highlight is frozen hot chocolate. The house specialty is powdered chocolate mixed with milk and ice. It's a fantastic treat, but expect to wait in line for one.

We spend the night in a Christmas Cabin at Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort, a massive place with 500 campsites and other lodging options, including cabins, cottages and rental RVs. The campground annually holds the Santa Claus Land of Lights, billed as the largest campground holiday light show in North America.

The town's official Santa also stomps these grounds. We find him in the morning, regaling an attentive audience with his version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas." Our daughter walks up to him afterward and gives him a hug. He says she can visit him again at the Santa Claus Christmas Store.

When we find him, we discover there's no line. But Max is too nervous to sit on Santa's lap. He hides behind a shelf of ornaments, watching his 9-year-old sister approach the convincing Santa, who has a real beard and a belly full of jelly.

"Can you tell me why we celebrate Christmas, little girl?" Santa asks.

"Because it's Jesus' birthday," Rosie replies.

"Amen."

She tells him she wants a pony.

"I don't deliver live animals because they'll leave a mess in my sleigh," Santa says. "I don't do cell phones because they come with a monthly bill, and I don't do cash because it's not in my budget. And I don't do boyfriends because they're nothing but trouble."

"I don't want any of those," Rosie says.

"Do you know what you want yet?"

"I sent you a letter at the post office."

"Oh, you did? I haven't got it yet. It's a slow version of FedEx, OK?"

Mike and Wendy Pramik are free-lance writers in Columbus.
With Donald Trump's election into the White House, Jim Cramer is on the hunt for money managers' plays under the new leadership. He has his eye on the oil patch.

With Trump in the White House and the Republicans controlling Congress, many investors expect less regulation. This was clear from the rotation into bank and drug stocks this week, and Cramer expects the oil industry to be the next group to be picked up.

"With a Trump presidency on the horizon, I expect the oil industry to benefit from a wave of deregulation," the "Mad Money" host said.

Cramer focused on the exploration and production companies that could still survive with the price of crude in the low $40s. His top pick was EOG Resources , which is one of the largest independent oil companies in the patch.

"The thing that really sets EOG apart, though, is that it still has an ambitious agenda to increase its production, which makes this stock the best growth play in the oil patch," Cramer said.
Dado Ruvic | Getty Images

Election 2016 is over, but the hard feelings  at least on social media  may linger well beyond the closing of the polls.

In the runup to Tuesday's hard fought presidential contest, social media users on Twitter and Facebook found themselves regularly embroiled in heated political arguments. For many, the only way out was through the practice of unfollowing, blocking or outright "unfriending" those with whom they disagreed  even family members. A recent Monmouth University poll found that 7 percent of voters lost or ended a friendship because of the battle that pitted Republican President-elect Donald Trump against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The report noted that figure was in line with recent election cycles, despite the vitriolic contest that saw two of the most unpopular candidates in recent history vie for the White House. Perhaps nowhere was the phenomenon of broken relationships more visible than on Facebook, a microcosm of real-life. A Facebook spokesperson told CNBC that the social network doesn't track the number of accounts that choose to sever contact with others, but said the election generated 10 billion posts, likes, comments and shares among nearly 300 million users across the world.



I need my brother to explain why he let his political views dissolve our connection. I don't need an apology. Just help me understand why a brother blocked a brother. Greg Cope White author

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, accompanied by her husband former President Bill Clinton, pauses as she concedes the presidential election at the New Yorker Hotel on November 9, 2016 in New York City. Getty Images

Those same posts led to the testing of a lot of friendships and familial bonds  some of which ultimately snapped under the weight of an unusually long and bitter election season. Emily Potts, a Clinton supporter and a publicist for the Heron Agency in Chicago, insisted the online vitriol she encountered in 2016 was a different animal from any other year. "In 2012, I was able to gladly have a discussion with those who supported [GOP nominee] Mitt Romney, and often was able to sympathize with their point of view," she told CNBC. "This election could not have been more different."



Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Jimmy Millard, a Donald Trump supporter from Kennesaw, Georgia, said the 2016 election made Facebook an especially unpleasant place to be. He said that he was unfollowed, unfriended or blocked by friends whom he had known for more than 35 years. Unfortunately, a member of his extended family was also one of the casualties. "To this day he will not attend family events if he knows that I will be there, and when he does have the opportunity to respond to something I post on Facebook, it is always a bad conversation with him calling me names or dismissing my opinion as false without doing any research," he told CNBC. "I've been voting longer than he has been alive." U.S. Marine Corps veteran Greg Cope White, author of the book "The Pink Marine" and a Clinton supporter, was actually blocked on Facebook by his own brother, a Trump supporter. Both men are gay, but their political differences proved a bridge too far  at least for White's brother, who blocked him. "I need my brother to explain why he let his political views dissolve our connection," he said. "I don't need an apology. Just help me understand why a brother blocked a brother." White said that while he didn't get the outcome he had hoped for from the election, he has accepted it. "Trump won, and it's my duty to respect him in office," he said.



Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence (R) welcomes presidential nominee Donald Trump to the stage during a campaign event about the Affordable Care Act. Getty Images
As Americans set their tables to feed a multitude of friends and family for Thanksgiving, they may confront a stiff reality: A Thanksgiving meal this year may cost them a pretty penny.

Families are estimated to spend over $1.05 billion on turkey alone this year, according to Finder.com, a personal financial website. That's an average cost of $23.44 per 16 pound turkey. Because a traditional Thanksgiving feast consists of more than just the bird, it may leave many hosts wondering where to spend and where to save.

"Invest in the main attraction and in this case it's the turkey," Dawn Perry, food director of Real Simple Magazine told CNBC's "On the Money" in an interview. She added there are ways to save on the bird by shopping locally.

"Hook up with a local farmer, sometimes there are great deals right in your area," Perry said.

When it comes to deciding how much turkey to buy, Perry advises buying enough for 1.5 times as many guests as you are serving, so there is enough leftovers for people to take home. She advised that a 12-14 pound turkey should feed between 8-10 people.
Police in Alaska say an officer has been shot multiple times in what they described as an ambush.

The attack happened early Saturday morning. The man suspected of shooting the officer was killed, and the officer is expected to survive.



Police spokeswoman Jennifer Castro says the officer was in surgery following the shooting in downtown Anchorage just before 5 a.m.



The officer was responding to reports that a theft suspect was on foot, and the officer was pulling over his cruiser over when a man with a gun started firing. Castro says that the officer got out of his vehicle, and the shooter continued to fire as the officer was on the ground.



Another officer responded and returned fire at the shooter.



Per department policy, the names of both officers won't be released for three days.


Hello,



I have created a job application form.

I need to send this form converted as .pdf file via mail.

Code behind

C# using iTextSharp.text; using iTextSharp.text.pdf; using iTextSharp.text.html.simpleparser; using iTextSharp.text.html; using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Linq; using System.Web; using System.Web.UI; using System.Web.UI.WebControls; using System.Net.Mail; using System.Text; using System.Net.Mime; using System.IO; namespace myproject { public partial class ApplicationForm : System.Web.UI.Page { protected void Page_Load( object sender, EventArgs e) { if (!Page.IsPostBack) { Session.Remove( " clicks" ); } } protected MemoryStream getMemoryStream() { StringWriter sw = new StringWriter(); HtmlTextWriter w = new HtmlTextWriter(sw); this .Page.RenderControl(w); string s = sw.GetStringBuilder().ToString(); SelectPdf.HtmlToPdf converter = new SelectPdf.HtmlToPdf(); SelectPdf.PdfDocument doc = converter.ConvertHtmlString(s); MemoryStream Stream = new MemoryStream(); doc.Save(Stream); doc.Close(); return Stream; } protected String getHtml() { StringWriter sw = new StringWriter(); HtmlTextWriter w = new HtmlTextWriter(sw); this .Page.RenderControl(w); string s = sw.GetStringBuilder().ToString(); return s; } protected void add_Click( object sender, EventArgs e) { int rowCount = 7 ; rowCount = Convert.ToInt32(Session[ " clicks" ]); rowCount++; Session[ " clicks" ] = rowCount; for ( int i = 0 ; i < rowCount; i++) { TextBox TxtBoxE = new TextBox(); TextBox TxtBoxP = new TextBox(); TextBox TxtBoxD = new TextBox(); TextBox TxtBoxS = new TextBox(); TextBox TxtBoxR = new TextBox(); Label lblE = new Label(); Label lblP = new Label(); Label lblD = new Label(); Label lblS = new Label(); Label lblR = new Label(); TxtBoxE.ID = " TextBoxE" + i.ToString(); TxtBoxP.ID = " TextBoxP" + i.ToString(); TxtBoxD.ID = " TextBoxD" + i.ToString(); TxtBoxS.ID = " TextBoxS" + i.ToString(); TxtBoxR.ID = " TextBoxR" + i.ToString(); lblE.ID = " LabelE" + i.ToString(); lblP.ID = " LabelP" + i.ToString(); lblD.ID = " LabelD" + i.ToString(); lblS.ID = " LabelS" + i.ToString(); lblR.ID = " LabelR" + i.ToString(); lblE.ID = " LabelE" + i.ToString(); lblP.ID = " LabelP" + i.ToString(); lblD.ID = " LabelD" + i.ToString(); lblS.ID = " LabelS" + i.ToString(); lblR.ID = " LabelR" + i.ToString(); lblE.ID = " LabelE" + i.ToString(); lblP.ID = " LabelP" + i.ToString(); lblD.ID = " LabelD" + i.ToString(); lblS.ID = " LabelS" + i.ToString(); lblR.ID = " LabelR" + i.ToString(); lblE.ID = " LabelE" + i.ToString(); lblP.ID = " LabelP" + i.ToString(); lblD.ID = " LabelD" + i.ToString(); lblS.ID = " LabelS" + i.ToString(); lblR.ID = " LabelR" + i.ToString(); lblE.Text = " Employer " + (i + 1 ).ToString() + " : " ; lblP.Text = " Position " + (i + 1 ).ToString() + " : " ; lblD.Text = " From-Until : " ; lblS.Text = " Salary " + (i + 1 ).ToString() + " : " ; lblR.Text = " Reason for Leaving " + (i + 1 ).ToString() + " : " ; Panel1.Controls.Add(lblE); Panel1.Controls.Add(TxtBoxE); Panel1.Controls.Add(lblP); Panel1.Controls.Add(TxtBoxP); Panel1.Controls.Add(lblD); Panel1.Controls.Add(TxtBoxD); Panel1.Controls.Add(lblS); Panel1.Controls.Add(TxtBoxS); Panel1.Controls.Add(lblR); Panel1.Controls.Add(TxtBoxR); } } protected void btnsubmit_Click( object sender, EventArgs e) { string fname = " applicationForm" + DateTime.Now.ToString( " yyMMddHHmmss" ) + " .pdf" ; MailMessage mailMsg = new MailMessage(); mailMsg.From = new MailAddress(txtmymail.Text); mailMsg.To.Add( " my-email@gmail.com" ); mailMsg.IsBodyHtml = true ; mailMsg.Subject = " Contact Details" ; MemoryStream file = getMemoryStream(); FileStream filePDF = new FileStream(fname, FileMode.Create, FileAccess.Write); file.WriteTo(filePDF); file.Close(); filePDF.Close(); System.Net.Mime.ContentType ct = new System.Net.Mime.ContentType(System.Net.Mime.MediaTypeNames.Application.Pdf); System.Net.Mail.Attachment attach = new System.Net.Mail.Attachment(fname, ct); attach.ContentDisposition.FileName = fname; ContentDisposition disposition = attach.ContentDisposition; disposition.CreationDate = DateTime.Now; mailMsg.Attachments.Add(attach); SmtpClient smtp = new SmtpClient( " smtp.gmail.com" , 587 ); mailMsg.Priority = MailPriority.Normal; smtp.Credentials = new System.Net.NetworkCredential( " my-email@gmail.com" , " my-email-password" ); smtp.Timeout = 250000 ; smtp.EnableSsl = true ; System.Net.ServicePointManager.ServerCertificateValidationCallback = delegate ( object s, System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X509Certificate certificate, System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X509Chain chain, System.Net.Security.SslPolicyErrors sslPolicyErrors) { return true ; }; smtp.Send(mailMsg); Response.Write( " <Script>alert('Thanks for contact us,our team will be contact you as soon as possible')</Script>" ); txtfname.Text = " " ; txtlname.Text = " " ; txtfaname.Text = " " ; txtmoname.Text = " " ; txtmymail.Text = " " ; } } }

ASP.NET <%@ Page Language =" C#" AutoEventWireup =" true" CodeBehind =" ApplicationForm.aspx.cs" EnableEventValidation =" false" Inherits =" icts.ApplicationForm" %> < !DOCTYPE html > < html xmlns =" http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" > < head runat =" server" > < meta charset =" UTF-8" / > < title > Job Application < /title > < meta name =" viewport" content =" width=device-width, initial-scale=1" / > < link rel =" stylesheet" href =" https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/normalize/5.0.0/normalize.min.css" / > < link href =" css/bootstrap.min.css" rel =" stylesheet" / > < link href =" css/style.css" rel =" stylesheet" / > < /head > < body > < form method =" get" runat =" server" id =" form1" > < div class =" container" > < h5 > GENERAL INFORMATION < /h5 > < div class =" row" > < div class =" col-md-6" id =" col-md-6" > < div class =" col-sm-9" > < div class =" col-xs-8 col-sm-6" > < span > Surname < /span > < /div > < div class =" col-xs-8 col-sm-6" > < asp:TextBox ID =" txtlname" runat =" server" > < /asp:TextBox > < /div > < /div > < /div > < div class =" col-md-6" > < div class =" col-sm-9" > < div class =" col-xs-8 col-sm-6" > < span > Name < /span > < /div > < div class =" col-xs-8 col-sm-6" > < asp:TextBox ID =" txtfname" runat =" server" > < /asp:TextBox > < /div > < /div > < /div > < /div > < div class =" row" > < div class =" col-md-6" id =" col-md-6" > < div class =" col-sm-9" > < div class =" col-xs-8 col-sm-6" > < span > Date of Birth < /span > < /div > < div class =" col-xs-8 col-sm-6" > < asp:Textbox type =" date" runat =" server" ID =" bday" > < /asp:Textbox > < /div > < /div > < /div > < div class =" row" > < div class =" col-md-12" > < asp:Panel ID = " Panel1" runat = " server" > < /asp:Panel > < asp:Button ID =" Button2" runat =" server" Text =" Add field" OnClick =" add_Click" / > < /div > < /div > < div class =" row" > < asp:Button ID =" Button1" runat =" server" Text =" Submit" OnClick =" btnsubmit_Click" / > < /div >

With this code i am able to send a .pdf attachment via mail, but some of the fields are empty.

My form has text boxes, date input and radio buttons.



What would you suggest?



Thank you,





"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

- Benjamin Disraeli



How to add languages on a website?

How to security a website professionally?



Member 12847869 wrote: How to add languages on a website? What does this mean? Do you want multiple languages to show? Do you want the user to change the language? Are you translating everything?



Member 12847869 wrote: How to security a website professionally? Is there a database back-end? What kind of server? IIS? Apache? Do you need to secure certain pages or the whole site? Is anonymous allowed?



Hopefully you can see that your question needs a ton more detail for anyone to help.

There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.



I have created an API with Client Identifier, Client Secrets, Auth URL and Access Token URL in Vimeo. Still searching for solution to fetch private videos from Vimeo using REST/ JSON/ JQuery.

Any help appreciated to provide some sample code to fetch private videos from Vimeo using REST/ JSON/ JQuery.



Vimeo Developer API[^].

There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.



How do I get apis for Facebook, Google talk, skype, whatsapp for my project using javascript and html? How can i import my facebook, google talk, skype and whatsapp friends and chat through my website?



Member 12336044 wrote: For Skype they have mentioned that APIs are not public and same for whatsapp, So I can't login to skype and whatsapp. If you have solution please guide. And exactly how do you think we can provide a solution to that?



C# perhaps this is also very difficult to learn



HTML < input id =" rdo1" type =" radio" name =" rdoTest" value =" Hello" / > < input id =" rdo2" type =" radio" name =" rdoTest" value =" World" / > < var id =" test1" onchange =" alert('2');" > Test Value < /var >



JavaScript $( document ).ready( function () { $( ' [name=rdoTest]' ).change( function () { $( ' #test1' ).text($( ' [name=rdoTest]:checked' ).val()); }); $( ' #test1' ).change( function () { alert($( ' #test1' ).text()); }); });





My code here but nothing happened





<script> $(document).ready(function () { $( ' [name=rdoTest]' ).change(function () { $( ' #test1' ).text($( ' [name=rdoTest]:checked' ).val()); $( " #test1" ).trigger( " change" ); }); $( ' #test1' ).change(function () { alert($( ' #test1' ).text()); }); }); </script>

Peter Leow

https://www.amazon.com/author/peterleow



Hello, I am modifying a web page with a lot of CSS code. There are many div tags. Mid-way on the page are div tags that enable a button to appear. I wish for this particular button to automatically click when the page loads. I have tried many combinations of JavaScript and JQuery but nothing so far works.



The button is defined by div tags comparable to this:

<div class="Btn-info">

<div class="Btn-btn active">

<strong>THE BUTTON</strong> <span></span>

</div>

...

</div>





I haven't yet figured out if the second div name is "Btn-btn active", or whether it is named "Btn-btn" and active is an attribute.



My efforts at coding either a JavaScript or JQuery way to automatically click the button I see on the page have not worked. I have tried these variations:



<script type="text/javascript">

jQuery(function () {

jQuery('.div.Btn-btn').click();

})

</script>



OR





<script type="text/javascript">

jQuery(function () {

jQuery('.Btn-btn').click();

});

</script>



OR



<script type="text/javascript">

jQuery(function () {

jQuery('.Btn-info.Btn-btn').click();

});

</script>



OR



<script type="text/javascript">

jQuery(function () {

jQuery('.Btn-btn active').click();

});

</script>



So far nothing works. Does anyone out there have an idea about how to make this work? Many thanks if you do.





$("div.Btn-btn active").click();

});







Keep in mind - hopefully there is a onclick defined for that "button" somewhere (click handler)





div.Btn-btn.active").click()



...And it works! Thanks so much for the help!!!



Hi all

i am creating gps tracking system

i have to do two things with the marker

1- create context menu with some functions on the marker

2- add car number as label on the marker

the first thing is finished

Map With Context Menu



when i tried to do the second issue a conflict (i think) happened

i included a JS library

Map Label Library

both are working alone but when combined no thin work

code after combine

Map With Labels and Context Menu



some details

both depend on overlay

errors

TypeError: a.lng is not a function

...b=b||new _.G(0,0);var c=this.b;b.x=c.x+a.lng()*this.j;a=_.Za(Math.sin(_.Sb(a.lat...



InvalidValueError: not a LatLng or LatLngLiteral: in property lat: not a number



TypeError: c.lat is not a function

...,c=d.b.search(_.vi)):(c=a.ca,c=new _.G(c.lat(),c.lng()),a.da=c,_.uJ(d.j,{da:c,ye...



InvalidValueError: not a LatLng or LatLngLiteral: in property lat: not a number



Thank You



Hey guys, I know the title is simple but I'm new to javascript and would appreciate if you could help me out



here's the deal,

I ve got some records that i read from database, and I want to add the to top of my table this is run every 20 seconds



JavaScript var interval = setInterval( function () { loadTableData(selectedOption); }, 20000 );



here's what's happening inside loadTableData function



JavaScript function loadTableData(dataType) { $.get( " /JsonResultlink" , null , function (result) { var itemAdd; $.each(result, function (i, item) { loadRecordTimeOut = setTimeout( function () { if (result[i].VEHICLEPLATE !== undefined ) { itemToAdd = generateRow(result[i], dataType); $( ' .tto-violation-tablebody' ).prepend(itemToAdd); checkRowCount(); } }, 1000 * i); }); clearTimeout(loadRecordTimeOut); }); }



loadTableData is called in document ready and then every 2 seconds



Now I got 3 buttons that when each is clicked i call loadTableData with new dataType and show the result



now the problem is that in the middle of data being added to table i click one button I want the table to clear and the new data be displayed but what i get is that data loading becomes faster and i get both data from previous load and this load,



Please help me out and I'd like to learn clean coding so if you have any suggestions please let me know, appreciate it.



modified 5-Nov-16 6:59am.



here[^]

Cheers,

Peter

Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012


Hi,



I have employee evaluation for and it's populating the data from database and for every element of the evaluation there is a to choose the employee rating.



I want to know how can I implement this? How to name it? will all have same name?



here is my code:





prepare('CALL sp_web_get_employee_evaluation_elements_by_guid(:param_employee_evaluation_guid)');

$mysql_query->bindParam(':param_employee_evaluation_guid', $evaluation_guid, PDO::PARAM_STR);





$mysql_query->execute();



if ($mysql_query->rowCount() <= 0)

{

exit(header("Location: index.php"));

}



while($mysql_row = $mysql_query->fetch()) {





?>

ID: Element Rating : <select name="cboRating" id="cboRating" data-native-menu="false" required>

<option value="">[Select..]</option>

prepare($mysql_rating_category_command);

$mysql_rating_category_query->execute();





while($mysql_rating_category_row = $mysql_rating_category_query->fetch())

{

?>

<option value="<?php echo $mysql_rating_category_row["evaluation_rating_category_id"]; ?>"><?php echo $mysql_rating_category_row["evaluation_rating_category_name"]; ?></option>

<?php } ?>

</select>

</td>











Thanks,

Jassim







Technology News @ www.JassimRahma.com





modified 14-Jul-17 15:54pm.







If the rating has been provided then you can simply fetch the record for rating (fetch that column in MySQL) and render it in HTML. There is no need for select at all, otherwise if you want to provide updating of it too, then still create a rating select, but chose selected attribute for a special one that was selected by user.

The sh*t I complain about

It's like there ain't a cloud in the sky and it's raining out - Eminem

~! Firewall !~







SELECT is not an array



although my html output is showing correct result like this:

HTML < tr > < td style =" padding: 10px;" > < h1 > Work Performance < /h1 > < p > Efficient execution of duties. < /p > < select name =" cboRating[4613]" id =" cboRating[4613]" data-native-menu =" false" required > < option value =" " > [Select..] < /option > < option value =" 1" > Outstanding < /option > < option value =" 2" > Exceeds Expectations < /option > < option value =" 3" > Meets Expectations < /option > < option value =" 4" > Needs Improvement < /option > < option value =" 5" > Unsatisfactory < /option > < /select > < /td > < /tr > < tr > < td style =" padding: 10px;" > < h1 > Technical Knowledge and Skill < /h1 > < p > Mastery of job knowledge and skills required to perform the duties of the position. < /p > < select name =" cboRating[4614]" id =" cboRating[4614]" data-native-menu =" false" required > < option value =" " > [Select..] < /option > < option value =" 1" > Outstanding < /option > < option value =" 2" > Exceeds Expectations < /option > < option value =" 3" > Meets Expectations < /option > < option value =" 4" > Needs Improvement < /option > < option value =" 5" > Unsatisfactory < /option > < /select > < /td > < /tr >

here is my code:

PHP if (is_array( $_POST[ ' cboRating' ])) { foreach($_POST[ ' cboRating' ] as $key=>$value) { echo " Key : " . $key . " <br><br>" ; echo " value : " . $value . " <br><br>" ; } } else { echo " SELECT is not an array" ; }

Technology News @ www.JassimRahma.com



Some of you know that I have been trying forever to get a simple SignalR app hosting on my server.



According to the docs[^] you can Self Host, which appears to be a simple console app - not sure how THAT would work on a server), and also in a Windows Service (?? Would you install a Windows Service on you server just to do this?)



Yet the docs pages says NOTHING about hosting in IIS, and any progress you make towards it is the result of hours of Googling. I have been through DOZENS of web pages & blogs about how to get it hosted in IIS. Yet I have not found a single page that actually shows or walks you through creating a SignalR server app and installing it on IIS. Some of you have pointed me to a few pages, but they fall short.



I finally came across a page about creating a Web Deploy Package[^] and I was able to copy the package to my server and install it in IIS using Deploy=>Import Application... IIS reported that it was successful.



So I then attempted to connect using:



http://my.ip.address.:myport



which gives ma a directory listing, which leads me to believe that it's hosted OK.. But when I try to connect in my code I get ""StatusCode: 404, ReasonPhrase: 'Not Found'...."



If I include the Hub name in the url using http://76.91.83.141/MyHub I get "An error occurred while sending the request. Unable to connect to the remote server"



At this point I am BEGGING anyone who has gotten this working in IIS to please help. This CAN'T be that EFFING hard. WTF am I doing wrong????

If it's not broken, fix it until it is.

Everything makes sense in someone's mind.

Ya can't fix stupid.



I have tried with this code to access sms from mobile. BUt , port detecting error.

Please check it.



SerialPort _serialport = new SerialPort("COM4", 115200);

_serialport.Parity = Parity.None;

_serialport.DataBits = 8;

_serialport.StopBits = StopBits.One;

_serialport.Handshake = Handshake.XOnXOff;



_serialport.DtrEnable = true;

_serialport.RtsEnable = true;

_serialport.NewLine = Environment.NewLine;



_serialport.Open();

_serialport.Write("AT" + System.Environment.NewLine);

Thread.Sleep(1000);



_serialport.WriteLine("AT+CMGF=1" + System.Environment.NewLine);

Thread.Sleep(1000);



_serialport.WriteLine("AT+CMGL=\"ALL\"\r" + System.Environment.NewLine);

Thread.Sleep(3000);



MessageBox.Show(_serialport.ReadExisting());



VB <pre lang= " vb" ><pre lang= " vb" ><pre lang= " vb" >



HTML < input id =" rdo1" type =" radio" name =" rdoTest" value =" Hello" / > < input id =" rdo2" type =" radio" name =" rdoTest" value =" World" / > < var id =" test1" onchange =" alert('2');" > Test Value < /var >



JavaScript $( document ).ready( function () { $( ' [name=rdoTest]' ).change( function () { $( ' #test1' ).text($( ' [name=rdoTest]:checked' ).val()); }); $( ' #test1' ).change( function () { alert($( ' #test1' ).text()); }); });





My code here but nothing happened



<var> element doesn't seem to raise the change event on its own. You'll need to trigger it manually:

JavaScript $( ' #test1' ).text($( ' [name=rdoTest]:checked' ).val()).change();





"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer







HTML < var > raise the event on click or mouseover



change event.

change - Event reference | MDN[ ^ ]:

The change event is fired for <input> , <select> , and <textarea> elements when a change to the element's value is committed by the user.

<var> is not one of the elements that fires the change event.





"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer







please send me the code for parsing the excel sheet information and do GET, PUT and POST REQUEST dynamically.



Thanks and regards prathamesh





Longer answer: These forums are here to answer technical questions related to code that you have written, not to do your work for you.





Hi,

Urgently I need your inputs for our project which is using AngularJS 2 in MVC 5.



I want to choose the below grids in AngularJS 2 for the functionalities such as Bulk upload, Grid with tree view(insert single row), Exporting and Nested Grid.



 ag-grid

 ng2-grid

 angular2

 handsontable



Suggest me which one will be efficient and flexible and inputs for other grids are also welcome.



Please let me know if you have any samples or links for the same.





It is good and has a lot of sample code.



PrimeNG[^]

PrimeNG DataTable Samples[^]



I am using it since last 8 months. Its cool and open source.

Life is a computer program and everyone is the programmer of his own life.



i like hide one note behinde photo to after when i want use jquery to show it but i have problem to fix it note behinde photo...can you see it in







Life is a computer program and everyone is the programmer of his own life.



In a web form 2010 application, I Have the following html generated:

<html><body><p>test1 </ p > <p style= " page-break-after:always;" > </ p > <p>test2 </ p > <p style= " page-break-after:always;" > </ p > <p>test3 </ p > <p style= " page-break-after:always;" > </ p > </ body > </ html > [^]



I am using this html as a test case. I would like to have a page break for a file printed in a pdf format to print paragraphs on separate print pages?



Can you show me the html that needs to be used so the separate test paragraphs print on separate pages?



Do I need to use html5 ? If so, would you show me how to make the html use html5?



@Html.DropDownList( " truckclasslst" ,ViewBag.classes as List<SelectListItem>, new { @class = " js-select2 form-control" ,@style= " width: 100 %;" , ng_model = " t_class.ClassID" })



but , what about angular 2?





HTML < select class =" form-control" [(ngModel)] =" model.selectedId" name =" type" > < option *ngFor =" let item of myArray" value =" {{item.id}}" > {{item.name}} < /option > < /select > Life is a computer program and everyone is the programmer of his own life.



I am a Webdesigner with minor experience in C++, Phython, Java and VBA for offline applications who wants to broaden his horizons.



My task was to build a Website where Users can online "preflight" PDFs (only the most simple things like format and correct bleed).



So I researched how something like this can be achieved, or how such a "service" in general can be integrated into the web.



I stumpled upon things like SOAP, REST and ASP.NET. Now I am totally confused, can someone explain to me what the way to go is, if I have to programm such "webservices" where i need extra and complex funtionality that is handled on a server? (Another example would be a Service that changes the Format of a MP3 or something like that)



I am sorry if this question may sound stupid to some of you.



Greetings



Hello everyone,



I have a little problem while coding an e-commerce site, built on symfony3.



Here is an overview of my used table on mysql-side: [^]



As shown here, there is only one table where i am selecting the data from. No annoying joins between multiple tables which may slow down speed.



Here is a little mockup to show the actual status quo of what i want to render: [^]



The Usecase is to get a filtered product view (for example "give me all products where color is green"). Then you get all products listet (red area) + on sidebar the possibility to set further filters for filtering stuff like the brand or size (yellow area; in practical there are even some more filter to use).



The Problem now is, as you see, each result i have to use another adjusted query (for the sidebar different "GROUP BY" statements) with always the same subquery which represents the actual selected productcollection.



This is slowing down my site extremely heavy (as there are over 1 million products in the database as i need about 7-8 times the same query with a little bit different parameters every time).



I found the solution that it would be better to switch to MariaDB, so it would be possible to cache all the subqueries. That is not possible on the actual environment i am working on. MySQL caching is activated here.



Does anyone can give me some hints what i can do to minimize the the queries or mainly speed up the whole process when generating the data for the view? Is there any better solution as I do actually? I guess so..



Many thanks in advance for your help and ideas!


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Gradually the news is sinking in. The initial shock has been absorbed. Attention has shifted to what Donald Trump will actually do when he becomes President. Which promises will he keep? Which will he discard? Financial Times readers were given a clue this morning that bold tax cuts would be pursued. Anthony Scaramucci, a member of the President elect Economic Advisory Council says:

At 35 per cent, the US corporate tax rate is the highest in the developed world. As a result, US companies have stashed an estimated $2.5tn abroad. Mr Trumps plan would bring that home with a 10 per cent one-off repatriation fee while making our corporate tax structure more competitive. While he would ideally like to see rates at 15 per cent, getting US corporate taxes down to the UK rate of 20 per cent would add an estimated 3.3 per cent, or nearly $600bn, to our gross domestic product.

He adds:

Financial markets are responding positively to Mr Trump because he will tackle the key problems facing America: overregulation, a lack of fiscal policy, a messy tax code, unfair trade deals.

The US economy has been choked by over-regulation since the financial crisis, leading to the slowest recovery in 80 years. Small businesses have suffered under the demands of Obamacare and community banks have scaled back lending due to stringent provisions of Dodd-Frank financial regulation. The Department of Labors new fiduciary rule, due to take effect next April, would be the next piece of major legislation to kill jobs and hurt investors. You cannot rid society of all regulation without creating bad incentives, but the new administration will cut unnecessary rules and conduct more meaningful cost-benefit analyses.

What about the deficit? There is concern that the spending cuts might not be as bold to match. However there will be the reasonable expectation that a cut on business tax from 35 per cent to 15 per cent would have a dynamic impact. Economic growth would be stimulated allowing for tax revenues to grow over time. Allister Heath argues in the Daily Telegraph that a a temporary increase in the deficit would be acceptable.

He says:

The left often believes that its fine to borrow to invest; free-marketeers can make the argument that its tolerable to borrow to invest in a new, dramatically improved and simpler tax system. In other words, a temporarily bigger deficit, if it is doesnt become permanent, is accompanied by a sustainable spending reduction plan and genuinely leads to a drastic tax reform, would be fine.

Income tax is also due to be cut and simplified  the top rate would fall from 39.6 per cent to 33 per cent. The recent experience from the UK suggests that tax rate cut would be likely to result in increased tax revenue even in the short term. President Trump will also be encouraged by the increased revenue brought in by the tax cuts of his predecessor, John F Kennedy.

There is a lot of talk of countries competing against each other. Mostly this is nonsense. The richer the rest of the world is the richer we are. But there is some competition in the globalisation era between Governments for tax revenues. The British rate of Corporation Tax is already due to fall to 17 per cent by 2020. Philip Hammond, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will surely take into account changes in America in deciding if he should go further and faster. He may also reflect whether the 45 per cent top rate of income tax in the UK really sends out an open for business message to the worlds entrepreneurs  if the rate is falling to 33 per cent in the USA. Other Finance Ministers around the globe will be scratching their chins and having equivalent thoughts.

This bold example could be discredited if it coincides with trade protectionism. That could more than offset the benefits of the tax cuts and plunge the United States (and the rest of us) into recession. The indications (from Scaramucci, other briefings, and the reaction of the markets) is that this will not happen. But it remains an alarming possibility. It is why we had the curious situation before the election of many free market British Conservatives quietly rooting for Hillary.

Let us imagine for a moment though that trade is not restricted. That indeed, with Brexit negotiations between the US and the UK, trade becomes freer. Let us follow the Foreign Secretarys caution against a collective whinge-o-rama. Then the prize of greater prosperity could be considerable  not just for Americans but for the rest of us too.
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A New Addington dad who survived Wednesday's tram disaster faced his fears this afternoon as he rode the tram for the first time since the tragic derailment which claimed the lives of seven passengers.

In an emotional interview with the Advertiser aboard the service between New Addington and Addington Village, Tony Moore said he believed his mum Doreen, who died six weeks before the tram crash, had been "looking down on him" when he changed his mind and sat in a different seat to the one he normally takes on his morning commute - a decision he thinks saved his life.

Tony, a dad of one who lives in Salcot Crescent, spoke of how he was glad the disaster had not happened an hour later - when the tram would have been full of dozens of children on the way to school.

He also said he was suffering from flashbacks of the horrific scenes inside the tram, which derailed on a sharp left-hand bend shortly before Sandilands tram stop just after 6am on Wednesday.

Tony, 49, who as well as commuting regularly rides the tram to Sandilands with his 11-year-old son Ciaran on the way to Crystal Palace home games, now wants answers, as soon as possible, about why the disaster happened.

Suffering from flashbacks and visions, Tony said he had been looking at the trams in New Addington for the past couple of days before he summoned up the courage to step aboard this afternoon.

He told the Croydon Advertiser: "I was thinking I've got to do it [get on the tram], for my own benefit. I said to myself if I leave it, it will be a lot worse.

"I've had to do this, because it's playing up in my head, and I need to get on the tram.

"Riding it has helped, but the hardest thing is going to be going through Sandilands, going through that tunnel again. But I will conquer that."

On Wednesday, Tony got on the tram shortly before 6am, on his way to work as a leading hand for an engineering firm.

"The thing is, I normally sit in the middle of the tram. I lost my mum six weeks ago and when I came in, something told me not to sit in the middle, so when I got on I changed my mind and came over here," he said, speaking from a seat in the same position as the one he was in during the crash.

"And, I had this feeling 'don't sit there, sit here [pointing at his seat]'."

Friends and family have since told Tony that his life had been saved by his mother, who passed away after she was too unwell to undergo surgery at King's College Hospital in Denmark Hill.

"Everyone said it was my mum looking down on me on Wednesday, telling me to sit here, and not there, in the middle of the tram," he said.

"No one realises [how hard this is]. Losing your mum is hard, but to have this on top of it, is f****** harder. It's broken me.

"And, believe me, I'm a strong man, I'm really strong.

"I wanted to go back to work and my boss said no, it's too early, probably was, probably is.

"But I am going back to work next week. I don't know if it'll be on the tram, my boss has offered to have someone pick me up and drop me off."

Tony said that he first noticed something might be wrong when the tram was travelling through the tunnel between Lloyd Park and Sandilands.

He said: "When we were going through that tunnel [before Sandilands], it was going too fast. I had my music on but you could feel the speed.

"And it happened in a split second, a split second. Just boom, boom, boom.

"There was a girl next to me, she went flying into the window. I went over, caught my leg on there [the pole next to the door] and then I managed to grab it and pull myself up.

"I've never witnessed things in my life that I saw [then]. Everyone was hysterical.

"I put my torch on, and I saw some bloke with his face, his skin hanging down it."

Mr Moore said he could tell from inside the tram that at least four people had died.

"I've just come out with a badly bruised leg, but some are dead," he said.

"The things I've seen, f***, I never [want to] see it again.

"No-one knows until you're there in one of those situations. You've got people screaming, shouting.

"I quietened one of the girls down, I gave her my phone as she lost her phone so she managed to ring her mum, she had claret blood coming down here [pointing to his head]. I think she's still in hospital.

"One of my mates who was sat right in front of me, he's done his arm in, he's got to have a major operation next week."

"It's just frightening, and you see the injuries that people suffered. It shouldn't have ever f****** happened. Why, why has it happened? I was just going to f****** work. Why? Seven people have died," he added, blinking back tears.

"One of my mates, he saw someone's arm taken off. Imagine people's faces taken off. It's horrible, really horrible.

"I just keep getting visions, of people how they are and, screaming.

"From where I was to you, there was a dead body there. Frightening. It was unreal."

Tony said it "felt like hours" as they were trapped in the tram, which had come to rest on its side next to the track.

He explained: "The fire brigade came, we couldn't get out. It felt like hours. I think it took the fire brigade about five minutes to smash through the front window. Then they came in and smashed the doors and we crawled out.

"Me and my mate Ross helped a lot of people get out and we came out.

"But yeah it was horrible, horrible, horrible."

As well as lending his phone to other passengers to let their loved ones know they were safe, Tony was able to call his wife Jane to let her know he was OK.

He said a triage station was set up in a tram at Sandilands where the wounded could be assessed by medics.

"I was walking wounded, so I went to Mayday [Croydon University Hospital]," he added.

"It was manic there, but they were good.

"I was alright, I just had a bruised leg. There were people with loads of cuts and worse, so they took priority."

Later that day Tony arrived home to see his son Ciaran.

"I actually said to my boy when I got home I'm glad it's happened at this time because an hour-and-a-half later, the tram would have been full of kids," he said.

"And you're talking 50 to 80, 100 kids. They all could have died through the impact."

Tony decided not to turn to drink to cope with the emotional trauma of what he had experienced, and said his wife was "proud of him" for going to see the doctor, who prescribed him some medication to help calm him down.

Not interested in compensation, Tony now just wants the truth of what caused the crash to come out as soon as possible.

"I've been getting this tram for 16 years now, as long as it's been running, the same tram," he said.

"And, I don't know, what's happened has happened, it's f****** wrong. Very wrong.

"I'm not worried about compensation, I just want answers as to why it happened. I get this tram every day to work and all I want is answers.

"I don't want answers in five to six months time, I want answers now - you've got to remember there were seven lives lost."
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A police officer has praised the "exceptional community response" from Croydon residents and businesses offering food and drink to emergency services working to rescue those in the tram crash.

Paramedics, police, firefighters and specialist officers worked tirelessly in torrential rain on Wednesday morning after the initial calls came in from the Sandilands tram crash.

Nearby businesses and residents were quick to offer their help in whatever way they could, including letting them use toilet facilities too.

McDonald's, in George Street, in particular gave hundreds of teas and coffees away for free to help officers.

PC Stuart Lawless told the Advertiser: "We had numerous companies, residents and charities offering their assistance on the day.

"I know in particular I went to McDonald's and they provided more than 200 tea and coffee and Waitrose who provided officers with food.

"I also know the Salvation Army provided us with food as well as local companies and residents offering their services.

"Almost everyone in the immediate area did [help], the community response was exceptional."

Addiscombe Road reopened on Saturday morning after the tram wreckage was removed from the tracks and workers were seen removing parts of the track at the crash site.
Democrats saw a surge in new voters in Pennsylvania as midterms near
Trump: An important message to the world

The majority of commentators have issued angry cries of condemnation in response to Donald Trumps surprise victory.

That is understandable. For he is beyond doubt a bigot, a racist and a misogynist.

Nevertheless, such criticism ignores the fact that Trumps election to the most powerful job in the world marks a rare moment of convulsive change in world history.

Let me explain.

We were all taught in school history lessons that revolutions  apart from military coups  come from the Left. This one  rather like Brexit  comes from the Right.

The fact is that Trumps election symbolises a widespread revulsion at those who seized control of the political and economic establishment over the past half-century.

Starting in the Sixties, this elite captured first the universities, then the schools and then much of the mainstream media. It finally grabbed control of political parties and then the instruments of government (in the case of Britain, the Civil Service) and other key national institutions.

Clever, chippy and articulate, this new ruling class mocked traditional notions of honour, duty and public service. It considered the nation state as an artificial construction  and continues to do so.

This mindset is exemplified by the New York-based philosopher who is currently delivering the Reith Lectures  sponsored, of course, by the BBC, which to many is the HQ of political correctness.

The title of Kwame Anthony Appiahs lectures is Mistaken Identities, and the core of his argument is that the nation state is a mere social construction  in another words, a myth.

For Appiah (who the BBC grandly describes as a cultural theorist), we are now all common citizens of the world.

Disgraceful: Hillary Clinton described Trump supporters as 'deplorables' on the campaign trail

Such views have been shouted at us for the past 50 years  arguing that patriotism is either misguided or shameful.

People such as Appiah believe that national borders have no moral validity; that a refugee from a country such as Somalia has the same claim to state services in Britain (such as education, healthcare, welfare and housing) as the families of Welsh miners.

Its the same philosophy which lies behind the monolithic European Union.

However, I believe that this well-meaning but blinkered dogma ignores reality. It ignores history and culture and it assumes human beings are all the same. It forgets that it was Britain which stood alone and defeated fascism in World War II. It despises all longstanding institutions. It sneers at anyone who disagrees  and that includes the silent majority.

Indeed, such pernicious thinking was behind Hillary Clintons disgraceful description of such people as deplorables. Also, it has long mocked religion and sought to confine it to the private sphere.

Morally revolting: Sir Philip Green, pictured with his wife Tina in 2006

Most crucially of all, the ruling elite has set out to destroy the two-parent family, a framework which for millennia has done more than any other to shape human society.

It is important to point out that since the Sixties, laws have been passed that have made divorce much easier and there have been changes to the tax system which have encouraged single-parent families and marginalised fatherhood.

As academic studies have shown, the human cost of this giant social experiment is beyond computation in terms of broken lives. With its insidious attacks on institutions such as the family and the Church, and by destroying peoples sense of community, the liberal elite has removed those traditional bulwarks against exploitation of the vulnerable.

For it was families, community networks and church groups that came together to enforce standards of decency and morality. These also helped those who fell on hard times.

Meanwhile, this state-driven attack on these institutions has coincided with a period when differences in the wealth of the rich and the poor are at levels not seen since the Victorian era. A new class of super-rich has taken advantage of cheap labour offered by mass immigration. This international elite has also shamelessly exploited the increasing sense that national boundaries dont matter and have spirited their money away to places which impose less in taxes.

By doing so, they are defying the traditional contract under which people pay tax in a country to which they show loyalty. Whats more, they are abrogating any sense of duty or even fellowship with other human beings.

And then theres the grotesque example of Philip Green, the morally revolting High Street tycoon who was garlanded with a knighthood by Tony Blair and advised by Goldman Sachs, the amoral firm of greed-driven U.S. investment bankers who also financed Hillary Clinton.

While his ilk have accrued obscene amounts of insidious wealth, millions have become impoverished. Indeed, a large part of the explanation for Brexit was that three-quarters of the UK population have had stagnant or declining real incomes over the past decade.

The comparative figure in the U.S. is 80 per cent  and is part of the reason for Trumps victory.

As a tax-avoiding billionaire, Donald Trump will never be a genuine champion of the poor

As it happens, I dont believe that Trump, despite championing the dispossessed, will be able to change much as President. He wont build his wall with Mexico. He wont make peace with Putin. He wont bring back the jobs in Americas steel industry that have been lost.

I guess that he will end up joining the very same establishment that he vilified in order to win office. This is because he himself embodies too many contradictions.

His personal history (hes been married three times) is too chequered for him to be a convincing champion for family values.

As a tax-avoiding billionaire, he will never be a genuine champion of the poor. He has no serious programme for government. He will fail. But, like it or not, this odious man could be a vehicle for massive social and economic changes that will affect each and every one of us.

But his victory also sends a very important message to the world.

Such events are infectious: 1848 was the year of revolution in Europe and 2011 saw the start of the so-called Arab Spring. Expect a wave of populist uprisings across the world against liberal elites, starting with victory for Geert Wilders authoritarian Party for Freedom in the Netherlands next March.

The chances of the far-Rights Marine Le Pen becoming French president next spring have just sharply improved, too.

We have entered terrifying times.

Boris's shame over kidnapping

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson

It's more than two years since a British citizen called Andy Tsege was kidnapped and removed to Ethiopia on the orders of the countrys brutal government.

He was a victim of so-called extraordinary rendition (the state-approved apprehension and transfer of detainees to foreign countries for interrogation where there is a risk that they might be subjected to ill-treatment).

For the following 12 months, the father-of-three was held in solitary confinement. Hes not been allowed access to his family, or to lawyers, or charged with any crime.

It looks highly likely that hes been tortured even though his only offence appears to have been to criticise Ethiopias dreadful human rights record (Mr Tsege is a prominent campaigner who has spoken in front of the U.S. Congress and the European Union human rights committee).

He has lived in this country since he sought political asylum in 1979 after his younger brother was murdered by the Ethiopian government.

These are the facts. Shockingly, neither Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson nor his predecessor Philip Hammond have demanded Mr Tseges release.

There are now fears that he may be ill and that his life is in danger.

Mr Johnsons refusal to intervene on his behalf means that he  and Britain  will bear a heavy moral responsibility if something bad happens.

Our man in D.C. was asleep at the wheel

Why is Nigel Farage the only British politician with good links to the forthcoming Trump presidency?

Whitehall fingers of blame are being pointed at Sir Kim Darroch, British ambassador to the United States.

This ardent Europhile was asleep at the wheel during the presidential campaign  assuming Hillary Clinton would win.

Thus he failed to establish any proper relationship with Trumps team, even though this was a basic requirement of his job.

Indeed, Im convinced this was the main reason why Theresa May came so low down in the list when Trump rang foreign leaders on Thursday.

(Mrs May was tenth  after the leaders of Ireland, Australia, Egypt, Turkey and South Korea.)

There is a long tradition of similar Foreign Office mess-ups.

For example, our man in Tehran in 1979 informed his bosses in London that the ruling Shah was secure  not long before he was deposed in the Islamic revolution.

In 1982, the Foreign Office was confident the Argentines would not attack the Falklands. Look what happened next!
She hopes to raise more awareness about bone marrow transplants

Next January, she will have a second transplant from her older brother

Georgie Stephenson is facing the fight of her life, for the second time.

Two years ago the 26-year-old was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, a diagnosis she never expected to receive.

She fought hard against the disease, undergoing four rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant donated by her sister, Briony.

Georgie Stephenson, 26, from Victoria has been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a rare form of cancer, for the second time

But in August this year Ms Stephenson was told the cancer has returned, and she once again faces the gruelling treatment needed to fight the disease.

SUPPORTING GEORGIE To support Georgie Stephenson, visit her Go Fund Me page 'Good vibes for Georgie' here. Advertisement

'I was just gutted hearing that, after doing so well and getting my life back on track,' the registered nurse from Victoria said.

'I felt like I was me again.'

She relapsed in August this year, and said she was gutted to be told the diagnosis

Ms Stephenson relapsed after taking part in a 24-hour charity relay swim for Multiple Sclerosis

Ms Stephenson relapsed after taking part in a 24-hour charity relay swim for Multiple Sclerosis.

The diagnosis hit hard.

'In January 2014 I went in to hospital with an infected calf and a torn hamstring, and it just got progressively worse,' she said.

'So I went in and got it checked out, they did some blood tests and told me I had leukaemia.'

WHAT IS A BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT? WHAT IS BONE MARROW? Bone marrow is a spongy tissue found inside the which contains stem cells that produce the bodys blood cells. A bone marrow transplant can be used in patients with with leukemia, certain immune system and genetic disorders. DONATION PROCESS: Stem cells can be extracted from the bone marrow under general anaesthetic. JOINING THE REGISTRY: To join the bone marrow registry in Australia you must be between 18 and 45 years old, in good health, meet the eligibility criteria and be prepared to donate for anyone in the world. For more information or to join the registry, visit the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry or Australian Red Cross Blood Service. Advertisement

The 26-year-old has previously undergone a bone marrow transplant donated by her sister, Briony, 24

She spent the next month in hospital and underwent three rounds of chemotherapy in Geelong, near her hometown of Barwon Heads in Victoria.

Doctors said she required a bone marrow transplant, and tests showed her younger sister Briony, 24, was a match.

The procedure involved taking one litre of bone marrow from Briony's hip which was extracted using 30 needles, before it was transplanted in to Ms Stephenson the next day.

The treatment took a financial toll on the registered nurse, but a Go Fund Me page was able to raise more than $18,000 for her in 11 days

'The initial 100 days are the hardest part,' Ms Stephenson said of the transplant.

'We had to relocate to Melbourne for those three to four months.'

To be eligible for financial assistance Ms Stephenson needed to live 100km away from the hospital.

Unfortunately, her home was just 98 kilometres away.

The treatment took a financial toll on the registered nurse and her family, with her mum Robyn having to give up her job as a school teacher to care for her daughter full-time after the transplant.

A Go Fund Me page was set up to ease their financial situation, and in just 11 days friends and strangers raised more than $18,000.

'It's incredible, we never thought we would get so much support from so many people, people we didn't even know,' Ms Stephenson said

'It's incredible, we never thought we would get so much support from so many people, people we didn't even know,' Ms Stephenson said.

Since her relapse she has gone through another two rounds of chemotherapy, and she will have a second bone marrow transplant in January.

This time her older brother Cam, 28, will be her donor.

'There's only a 30 per cent chance that you'll have a sibling match in your family, and I've got two,' Ms Stephenson said.

She hopes by sharing her story she is able to raise awareness about bone marrow transplants

Cam matched three out of four cell types with his sister, making him a partial match.

Because Ms Stephenson relapsed with Briony's bone marrow, she was unable to be a donor for her sister a second time.

By sharing her story she hopes to educate others about bone marrow transplants.

'I used to donate blood, and I was never asked if I wanted to join the bone marrow registry,' Ms Stephenson said.

'But the more people on the registry, the more chances of someone finding a match.
For centuries people have used crystals to fix ailments, believing they could cure everything from headaches to muscle cramps and blood problems.

In recent years crystals have come back into fashion, and while some people buy them merely to accessorise, others have started using them for traditional healing.

Holistic nutritionist, Samantha Sargent, is among those who believe that crystals can help people in a number of ways  including by making their skin better.

Are crystals the key to clear skin? One company claims so

'I'm a big believer that if something has been around since time began there is some efficiency to it,' she told Daily Mail.

'Nature knows best. There is also a place for validity in science but there is so much we don't know about nature.'

She said that while she knows some people think the concept is a little hippy, more people are realising that there are benefits to crystal therapy.

'You don't have to wear tie dye and not bathe, you can still embrace nature and crystals and be yourself,' the nutritionist said.

Holistic nutritionist Samantha Sargent (above) says that crystals can help with numerous skin woes

UK company AEOS (above) grows crystals and then liquefies them to put into their products

WHAT CRYSTALS ARE GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN? Emerald: Rejuvenating skin Turquoise: Balancing dry skin Rose quartz: Reducing inflammation Clear quartz: Purifying and cleansing Amethyst: Clearing acne Advertisement

Ms Sargent explained that crystals like rose quartz, for example, are good for reducing inflamed skin and gently cleansing, whereas emeralds are good for rejuvenating skin and tightening it.

Ms Sargent is a big advocate AEOS, one of the only companies that is now using crystals in their skincare.

The brand which is based in England, hand-pick crystals from various parts of the world.

Crystals like quartz (above) can help with cleansing skin according to Ms Sargent

However crystal infused skincare will cost you, with AEOS products costing between $80-173

After selecting them, the company then works with an alchemist who spends 12 months transforming the stones into a tincture that can be absorbed by the skin before adding them to their skincare products.

Whilst it sounds incredible, it will cost youtheir luxury creams and cleansers are expensive, with products retailing for 49-105 (AUD $80-173).
A breast cancer diagnosis is the start of a lengthy and painful journey, through mastectomies, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and all its side effects.

At best it takes two months to remove the disease.

For 73-year-old Carla DiMaggio, after losing her firefighter son on 9/11 and four aunts to breast cancer at an early age, her diagnosis in 2014 came amid decades of grief.

But there was one nugget of hope: she was eligible for a groundbreaking new two-hour procedure, that can have patients back in work and cancer-free within 10 days.

Two years later, Carla, a grandmother-of-six from New York's Staten Island, remains cancer-free and incredibly grateful.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Relieved: Carla DiMaggio with Dr Cynara Coomer at Staten Island University Hospital after she had her procedure which removed her breast cancer and administered a full course of radiation therapy in two hours

Now she is sharing her story in the hope that she can reach more women who face the devastating prospect of life-changing, body-modifying surgery.

'I'm really blessed,' Carla told Daily Mail Online.

'It's really unbelievable how far breast cancer treatments have come.'

The procedure, called intraoperative radiation therapy (or IORT), is an electronic form of targeted radiation treatment ideal for women with stage 1 or 2 cancer that has not progressed to the lymph nodes.

Breast surgeons to work together with radiation oncologists in the operating room to deliver a single dose of radiation and simultaneously remove the lump while the patient is under anesthesia.

First, the breast surgeon removes the tumor.

Then a catheter-like device is inserted inside that cavity.

Once inside, the tip of the device inflates into a flexible balloon-shaped applicator, which contains a miniaturized x-ray source by Xoft System.

The radiologists energize the x-ray source to deliver a full course of radiation directly to the tumor bed.

This targeted dose of radiation - administered in under 12 minutes - kills cancerous cells while sparing healthy tissue, such as the heart, lung, and ribs.

After the radiation has been delivered, the balloon is deflated, removed, and the cavity is closed.

The entire procedure takes about two hours from start to finish.

Carla's doctor, Dr Cynara Coomer of Staten Island University Hospital, made it sound almost impossibly simple.

But Carla insists that is how it felt.

'It really went very well.

'To be very honest I was scared. I got there in the morning and I was crying.

'But Dr Coomer held my hand and reassured me.

'I was put out, and next thing I know I was being woken up - "Get up Carla! Carla! Wake up!"

'They asked me if I wanted water, I said "can I have a cup of coffee?" They said "of course!"

The Xoft System is able to deliver an entire course of radiation in as little as eight minutes, allowing patients who are candidates to return to their daily lives within days, rather than weeks

'When I came home that night my sister and my granddaughter were there. I took one pill for the pain then we sat and played cards.'

It took three days for Carla to regain proper movement in her arm and shoulders.

A week later, Dr Coomer gave her the green light to return to work at the Stop & Shop pharmacy in Staten Island, where she still works part time.

Carla was a perfect candidate for the operation, Dr Coomer explained.

She was vigilant about having mammogram scans, having lost four aunts on her mother's side to breast cancer when they were in their 50s.

Her oncologist spotted the lump on her right side during a routine scan in October 2014, and it was still in its early stages.

A month later she met with Dr Coomer who told her she had the option to try Xoft System's new treatment.

'I hesitated when she told me,' Carla admits.

'She said it was my choice but I was the perfect candidate and I said: "I'm scared, I'm afraid, but I'm in your hands doc!"'

When I came home that night my sister and my granddaughter were there. I took one pill for the pain then we sat and played cards Carla DiMaggio

The chance of side-stepping eight weeks of worry, and pain would be a relief to anyone.

For Carla, less two years before the 15th anniversary of her son's death, it was an indescribable opportunity.

Scott Davidson was one of the firefighters rushed to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Their entire truck was demolished.

To this day, Carla, who also has another son, wears Scott's badge around her neck as a pendant.

'This year was tough, the 15-year anniversary. It's a tough year every year; every day is tough for me and for everyone,' Carla said.

At the moment her fight is to save lives by telling other women about her experience beating breast cancer.

'If women out there can do this procedure, I think it's fantastic,' she said. 'If I can help other women to do this, I would be so happy.'

'For many early-stage breast cancer patients, IORT is a lifesaving treatment that can allow them to return to normal daily activities within days, rather than weeks,' Dr Coomer told Daily Mail Online.

'For those who are not candidates, traditional radiation treatment may be the best option. But for those who are candidates, IORT is a major medical advancement that may help them avoid unnecessary medical treatments that can result in serious side effects, as well as a substantial financial and emotional burden.'
The patients mother was almost whispering. We think shes depressed, she said, as the teenager in front of me stared at the floor. Shes off her food, cries all the time and wont come out of her room.

We were sitting in A&E after the mother had insisted that their GP refer her daughter for an emergency assessment - usually reserved for severely suicidal teenagers or those who have become very disturbed or psychotic.

How long has this been going on? I asked, trying to keep the scepticism out of my voice as the girl, who seemed entirely unconcerned, took out her phone and started texting someone. Nearly two weeks, the mother replied. Ever since she split up with her boyfriend.

Today we often hear about what is described as a growing mental health crisis affecting modern teenagers, and theres no doubt that mental health services are oversubscribed and underfunded (stock image)

I stared at the mother, then at her daughter, wondering where to begin.

How could I tell them, sensitively, that when youre a teenager, feeling sad and locking yourself in your room to mope after youve split up with your boyfriend or girlfriend is not a mental illness? Its normal.

Such appointments were not uncommon when I worked in child and adolescent mental health, and they took up valuable time that would have been better spent dealing with youngsters who had serious problems.

Today we often hear about what is described as a growing mental health crisis affecting modern teenagers, and theres no doubt that mental health services are oversubscribed and underfunded.

But part of the problem, as I have so often witnessed, is that some parents have lost all sense of perspective. Indeed, I am frequently astonished at how mollycoddled and cosseted children have become.

Forget wrapping kids in cotton wool. Todays little darlings have been hermetically sealed in their own mini-bubble.

They have been labelled the snowflake generation for being so overprotected that when they are criticised or put under the slightest pressure, they melt into a pool of tears like snowflakes in the sun.

To them, the smallest perceived slight or offence they suffer is catastrophic.

(Consider, for example, the furore this week with the University Challenge team from Reading accusing Jeremy Paxman of being sexist after he made an apparently innocent - if rather odd - quip about taking a mascot that looked like him to bed.)

The fact is, too many of todays teens and young adults have never been taught to deal with frustration, conflict, failure, boredom or even just plain old unhappiness.

Of course, parents feel they are only doing their best by being so overprotective, and in the main this is a welcome improvement on the stark, strict days when children were to be seen but not heard.

But it fails to prepare them for the real world because, try as we might, life cannot always be pleasant and untroubled.

We have created a generation who lack self-reliance and strength, who believe the world revolves around them and that their feelings are paramount. Crucially, this is fatal for their mental wellbeing.

Scouts and Guides provide youngsters with a sense of altruism, community and a feeling of belonging. They also teach children about having to get on with things, and introduce them to the outdoors - to adventure and danger

With this in mind, I wasnt surprised to read this week that research has shown those who were Scouts or Guides as children have better mental health later in life. Of course they do. Scouts and Guides are the antithesis of Generation Snowflake.

Their activities provide youngsters with a sense of altruism, community and a feeling of belonging. They also teach children about having to get on with things, and introduce them to the outdoors - to adventure and danger. This allows them to develop grit, resilience and self-confidence.

How different from todays pervading all must have prizes culture which does not prepare youngsters properly in case things dont always go to plan (which, as anyone who has had to put up an unwieldy tent in the rain will tell you, they dont).

Of course, resilience cannot guarantee to protect you against all mental illness - and none of this is to say that people with severe depression can simply snap out of it by sheer force of will, any more than someone with a broken leg can think themselves able to walk without pain. But it does mean that you can cope better with the difficulties life throws at you. As a result, you are less likely to be stressed or locked into periods of suffocating self-examination that can lead to depression and anxiety.

Scouting and Guiding offer a host of skills which teach children that they cant always have their own way, constantly challenging them as well as proving to them that they are capable of doing much more than they realise.

This, in fact, is often the basis of work in psychotherapy.

Nowadays, it seems to me that so few youngsters - unless they join groups such as the Scouts or Guides, or do the Duke of Edinburgh Award - ever get an opportunity to feel part of something bigger than themselves.

I was reminded of this while I was watching the new TV series The Crown this week. Whatever you think of the Royals, its impossible not to be bowled over by the tremendous sense of duty that the young Elizabeth felt. Yet how often these days do we hear words such as duty and selflessness used as attributes youngsters should strive for?

I am convinced that a life lived focusing entirely on oneself is a life destined for misery.

Indeed, we must all be aware of the painful truth that, in trying to make the next generations lives as pleasant and easy as possible, we are actually doing untold damage.

Hidden cost of going gluten free

A quarter of shoppers now buy products labelled free from (for example, those that dont contain gluten or dairy), according to new figures.

This is despite such items being more expensive and usually laden with sugar and fat to make them palatable (gluten is the stretchy stuff that makes bread doughy and delicious, so manufacturers have to compensate with extra fats to stop a gluten-free cake or roll tasting like sawdust).

A quarter of shoppers now buy products labelled free from (for example, those that dont contain gluten or dairy), according to new figures

The latest report highlights how many people are buying these products when they really dont need to. Only 1 per cent of us have coeliac disease, a medical condition that means gluten does sufferers serious harm and must be avoided at all times. Even if you factor in people with intolerances or allergies, it still doesnt add up to one in four of us.

But gluten-free has become big business - its fashionable, and buying into it makes people feel virtuous, as if they must be doing something healthy. And while eating these things when you dont need to will do you no harm, there is a flip side. We become blase. Who hasnt rolled their eyes when someone says they are not eating bread because they are intolerant?

For their part, doctors understandably become more cynical about such complaints and are reluctant to order tests on patients.

Normally I approve of people changing their eating habits if it makes them feel better psychologically, even though theres no scientific evidence. But not when it is simply faddiness dressed up as something more serious.

NHS pills harder to quit than heroin

A group of medicines - the benzodiazepines, which include drugs such as temazepam and diazepam (Valium) - have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years for the harm they can cause, and I was delighted to see this highlighted this week in the Mails Good Health.

I have long been a critic of these medications - once nicknamed mothers little helper - which are all too freely dispensed by GPs.

This is despite warnings about their dangers from organisations including The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, The Royal College of GPs and the Department of Health.

A group of medicines - the benzodiazepines, which include drugs such as temazepam and diazepam (Valium) - have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years for the harm they can cause

Over the years, I have seen so many people become helplessly hooked on these pills. In fact, I have sat in front of former drug addict patients who have said they are far harder to get off than heroin.

While they can be useful in the short term - for no more than a week - doctors and patients too often want an easy answer. The use of repeat prescriptions means people quickly build up a tolerance to the drugs, leading them to need more and more and so become addicted.

Even crueller, when people do try to stop taking them, the insomnia or anxiety for which they were prescribed returns worse than before.

The far safer and more reliable option for dealing with anxiety and sleep problems is psychotherapy, but of course this is costly and time-consuming.

My advice: If you are prescribed these pills, insist on getting another doctors appointment five days later to review your need. There are other, newer drugs that can help - and it could save a lot of heartache later.

Simon Stevens, the head of the NHS, plans to ban the sale of sugary drinks across National Health Service sites in an effort to tackle the obesity epidemic.

Certainly something needs to be done - not just for patients but for NHS staff, too. Of the 1.3 million employees in the NHS, more than 700,000 are overweight - thats a worse ratio than in the general population. So much for setting an example!

But Im not sure how realistic this plan is. Since hospitals became Foundation Trusts, they are run more like businesses and make big money by renting space to private shops.

Yes, stopping people guzzling fizzy pop is a good idea. But I suspect these plans will quickly go flat.

Simon Stevens, the head of the NHS, plans to ban the sale of sugary drinks across National Health Service sites in an effort to tackle the obesity epidemic

Are cancer drugs worth it?

Cancer is, understandably, a dreaded word. It provokes strong emotions and its potency is not lost on politicians.

Im sure this is why the Cancer Drugs Fund was set up to pay for drugs that the NHS otherwise would not provide (often on grounds that the drugs are not deemed effective enough to warrant the cost).

However, a cancer specialist this week told the British Medical Journal that many of the drugs given out are a waste of money, extending life by only a few months.

A few more months might sound worth it - but what few people appreciate is that many of these drugs come with awful side-effects.
They will be, without doubt, at the top of many Christmas lists: a fitness tracker.

They look like trendy watches, but contain high-tech gadgetry that tells us how many steps we take, distance covered and calories burned, our heart rate, quality of sleep, and a host of other data recorders.

Market analyst CCS Insight estimates that by the end of the year there will be about six million of these devices in use in the UK, and that number will triple by 2020.

Geard up: Tanith ready for the battle of the bands and her fitbit experiment

The idea behind them is, broadly, that by tracking our every move we can set activity goals  the Government-recommended 10,000 steps a day, for instance  and keep an accurate log of success.

SO HOW DO THEY WORK? Trackers first take into account your basal metabolic rate (BMR)  the bulk of calories you burn every day just to keep basic functions such as your heart and organs going, before you do any movement whatsoever. This is calculated by gender, age, height and weight  for me it is just over 1,300 calories. On top of that, they record active burn calories you use exercising. They do this using motion sensors called accelerometers which employ an algorithm, a measurement programmed into the software, to decide whether a movement has amounted to a step. Trackers also use tiny lights reflected on to the skin that detect changes in blood volume which the software uses to work out how fast your heart is beating. Advertisement

However, recent studies have found they make little difference to weight loss, and now doubts have been cast over what these devices, many of which cost upwards of 100, claim to do.

Experts at the University of Lancaster have discovered that many trackers are inaccurate, sometimes wildly.

Sharing their findings with The Mail on Sunday, psychologist Dr David Ellis, who has led research, warned: Theyre a rough guide only.

With Dr Elliss help, I put this to the test: I spent a full week wearing five of the latest and best-known trackers, ranging in price from 57 to 184, to see if they all come up with the same results.

Shockingly, NONE of them was accurate, according to my tests.

Generally, the different readings between two devices on any given day was about 2,000 steps and about two miles.

And over the course of the week, this grew to a whopping 11,656 steps, and 2,339 calories  the equivalent to about a days calorie intake for a woman my age and size.

Thats not much good for someone using a wristband for a weight-loss plan. Here, I report on exactly how each fared  and which brand was most fit for purpose

For five days, Tanith wore five of the leading-brand monitors: the Fitbit Charge HR, Garmin Vivoactive HR, Misfit Ray, Jawbone UP3 and Beurer AS81

THE EXPERIMENT For five days, I wear five of the leading-brand monitors: the Fitbit Charge HR, Garmin Vivoactive HR, Misfit Ray, Jawbone UP3 and Beurer AS81. They are all together on my left forearm, so they are all measuring the same motion. I keep them in the same order on my arm so there is no variation in their position. They communicate wirelessly to an app on my smartphone. For simplicity, I choose to record only movement (steps taken and distance covered), calories burned and hours of sleep. Before starting, I was counted and filmed running exactly 1,000 steps. (Astonishingly, all the bands over-estimated the number of steps I did.) Im 49, 5ft 5in, and Id like to drop a dress size by Christmas. After programming the gadgets by keying in my age, height and weight, I am ready to go Advertisement

Day One: Did my jog justify that glass of wine? I'm not sure...

Each week I go running in the park up to four times. I hope my trackers will work out how many calories I am using so I can get a clear view of how to lose weight.

But when I check my readings after my first jog, I am stunned to see that there are some big differences of opinion between the trackers.

The Fitbit tells me Ive done 5,496 steps while the Beurer showed 4,982  a difference of 514 steps.

By the end of the day this had totted up to a difference of 2,411 on steps and 408 on calories between the two.

So have I done enough work to justify that 150-calorie glass of wine after dinner?

I just dont know.

Day Two: Glued to my desk, but the bands keep counting

My only activity is a quick burst of housework, and for much of the day Im glued to my desk working  so Im surprised that the Garmin says I have done the equivalent of almost 3,000 steps.

Perhaps arm movements I make wiping, dusting and sweeping are being counted?

Dr Ellis says: If youre stirring a cooking pot, for example, some of devices might count those movements as steps.

Weirdly, the devices seem to be in agreement about my calorie use  all are around the 1,500 mark, despite a 2,286 gap between the band that counted the fewest steps and the band that counted the most.

Day Three: Family day out, shopping...and calorie confusion

The high step count of between roughly 6,000 to 8,000 reflects the fact I took the tube to take my two children down to Greenwich for Saturday music school and walked a lot to go shopping.

But the calories I have burned range from 2,001 from the Misfit down to 1,715 on Jawbone and 1,546 from the Beurer  a difference of 286 and 456 calories - the equivalent of a modest lunch.

If I am misled by so many calories a day, this could sabotage my weight-loss goal.

As for sleep, most nights the readings seem to be clustered within an hour or two of each other  and the real length of my sleep (Id say seven hours).

Oddly, the Beurer didnt record my sleep hours on the first day.

Recent studies have found they make little difference to weight loss, and now doubts have been cast over what these devices, many of which cost upwards of 100, claim to do

Day Four: A brisk walk, but did I put in enough effort?

Walking is one of the best exercises, but in order for it to count it needs to be brisk  you should get a bit sweaty and out of breath.

Or so says NHS advice. We go for a long, hilly walk in the country.

I feel Im giving myself a good workout, but my trackers dont all agree.

The Fitbit says I climbed the equivalent of 65 floors (it contains an altimeter).

This may explain why it credits me with the highest steps of 9,026 and the highest calorie burn of 1,946.

But the Beurer says I have done 6,226 steps  a third of the distance  and burned a lowly 1,555 calories.

Does this mean it isnt really counting how much effort Im putting in?

Day Five: I hit the golden 10,000 steps...I think

Today I go for a big run around the park. Afterwards four of the devices reward me with motivational messages because I have passed the 10,000 step mark.

The significance of this is that it is the mark the NHS recommends we hit every single day, as a minimum for fitness.

The odd device out is the Beurer, which Im disappointed to see claims Ive fallen short.

However theres a discrepancy in the number of calories they say Ive used, with Misfit showing that Id burned 2,475 calories, 791 more than the Beurer device.

So has my run paid off with some potential weight loss for today or not?

According to the Misfit, it has. But according to the Beurer, I will still need to be working harder.
Arrival Cert: 12A 1hr 56mins

Rating:

I dont know about you, but I love a high-concept film that stays high-concept right to the end: no sudden decision in the last reel that what we really need is guns, lots of guns, or a maddening revelation that it was all a dream. I love cleverness that stays clever... all the way to the cinematic finishing line.

Which is exactly what happens in the outstanding Arrival. It makes its big reveal, everything suddenly falls into place, and, almost before youve had time to think Wow, thats clever, the end credits roll. Fabulous.

Sure, two days later the doubts and second thoughts set in. Wasnt the visual depiction of the aliens a bit disappointing? And what about the stereotypical portrayal of the Russians and Chinese as trigger-happy warmongers? There are also likely to be, I should warn you, several puzzling points, all prompting the same query: So, how come if?

Amy Adams (pictured above) plays university linguistics expert Louise Banks, called in by US military when 12 huge ovoid spacecraft arrive on earth

But for me, that didnt matter. I can see the modest weaknesses in the film, but its strengths outweigh them and the end result, with its echoes of Close Encounters, Independence Day and 2001: A Space Odyssey, is not just one of the best sci-fi films youll see this year but quite possibly this decade.

Its intelligent, pleasingly complex and visually fascinating. In short, its a sci-fi film for grown-ups, albeit, I should add, grown-ups of all ages.

Its anchored by a nomination-grabbingly good performance from Adams. She plays university linguistics expert Louise Banks, who is called in by the US military when 12 huge ovoid spacecraft arrive on Earth. Despite the fact each one is 1,500ft high and must weigh thousands of tons, they hover effortlessly above the surface of the planet.

But do they come in peace or threatening an Independence Day-style war? Nobody knows because nobody can understand a single word the ships occupants are saying. Which, of course, is where Louise comes in.

Because what the waiting outside world doesnt yet know is that every 18 hours, a portal opens in the base of these spacecraft, and small teams of human experts are admitted for a mind- and physics-bending close encounter with the ships occupants. And, for once, we dont spend the whole film waiting to discover what they look like.

Intelligent, pleasingly complex and visually fascinating. Arrival is a sci-fi film for grown-ups, albeit, grown-ups of all ages

The movie is directed by Denis Villeneuve, the Canadian director best known for the vigilante drama Prisoners in 2013 and for Sicario, the highly rated drugs-trade thriller released last year.

Although hes moving into a very different genre here, he brings the same creative skills, building layers of tension and dramatic intensity with impressive skill. If you cant already see why Ridley Scott chose him to direct the long-but-anxiously awaited sequel to Blade Runner (due out next year), then his equally remarkable command of some wonderful visual effects surely settles the matter.

This is seriously good film-making.

Its a puzzling second story, however, unfolding in parallel to the first, that gives the film an emotional depth and Adams the chance to shine. Because from the start  thanks to increasingly sombre flashbacks  we know that Louise has lost a teenage daughter to cancer, a very human tragedy that may well have also taken a toll on her marriage, because theres no sign of a husband.

No wonder she seems sad and insular in her working life, warming only slowly to the Los Alamos theoretical physicist (Jeremy Renner) whos been brought along to help her work out what the aliens series of groans and clicks might actually mean.

Director Denis Villeneuve best known for vigilante drama Prisoners and drugs-trade thriller Sicario, brings the same creativity and dramatic intensity to a very different genre

Arrival is a rare film that gets better and better as it goes along, as you slowly stop comparing it to similar sci-fi films that have gone before, start enjoying it in its own right, and wait for the exquisite moment when the two narrative strands come together.

I loved the lesson in linguistics we get along the way, and Adamss very unglamorous, very non-Hollywood portrayal of Louise. Its not often in the film world that a normal fortysomething professional woman is allowed to look like a normal fortysomething professional woman, but Arrival is all the better for it.

Its also nice to see Renner  who seems to have been very much in superhero mode of late  tackling a serious role and reminding us what a good actor he is.

I do slightly worry that Arrival may be a bit too clever for its own commercial good, but how often these days are we able to say that of a science-fiction film? It gets the full five stars from me.

SECOND SCREEN

American Pastoral (15)

Rating:

100 Streets (15)

Rating:

Stepping up to direct a feature film is a brave move for any actor and Ewan McGregor complicates his debut by taking on the central role as well as choosing to tell a particularly all-American tale.

The potential for him to fall flat on his face was considerable. But American Pastoral (15)  an adaptation of the 1997 Philip Roth novel  is rather impressive, reminding us of a period of recent American history in danger of being forgotten, when young radicals rose up in violent protest against their own country.

McGregor plays Swede Levov, whose good looks and sporting talent help him capture the heart of a local New Jersey beauty queen in the early Fifties. As they embark on married life together, Swede and Dawn (Jennifer Connelly) encapsulate the American Dream with their idyllic semi-rural lifestyle.

But this glossy perfection does not last, thanks to their difficult teenage daughter Merry (later on Dakota Fanning), whose anger is ignited by the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war.

As McGregor and Connelly (pictured) embark upon married life together they encapsulate the American Dream in their idyllic semi-rural lifestyle. But this glossy perfection does not last

Roths novel incorporates real-life events and McGregors calm, unshowy but undeniably handsome adaptation accurately reflects all that.

But as Merry disappears and is pursued by the FBI, what he also delivers is an unexpectedly powerful reminder of a fathers unconditional love for a daughter.

The film is a tad too long but nevertheless is well acted and rather moving.

Screenwriter Leon Butler and director Jim OHanlon revive the multi-stranded, London-based drama form to bring us 100 Streets (15) HHH, focusing on a small area of west London divided by the Thames.

In Chelsea, Idris Elba and Gemma Arterton play a once-golden couple now at marital loggerheads following his infidelity and her revenge affair, while across in Battersea, Charlie Creed-Miles and Kierston Wareing play a taxi-driver and his wife hoping to adopt a child before they are deemed too old.

But its a young black man (Franz Drameh) who faces the biggest challenge  escaping his drug-dealing youth to find a life as a street-poet and actor.

Idris Elba and Gemma Arterton play a once-golden couple now at marital loggerheads following his infidelity and her revenge affair

Acting and writing are a little uneven, and the three strands sometimes feel contrived, but theres a strong central theme about the mess that people make of their lives and the mess that life can make of people.
Kenneth Clark: Life, Art And Civilisation

James Stourton

William Collins 30

Rating:

Aesthetes are not supposed to be popularisers. But Kenneth Clarks life was a spectacular demonstration of how nonsensical it is to try to set up a conflict between an elite and the widespread understanding and enjoyment of art in all its forms.

He was a walking embodiment of the artistic establishment, yet a figure who became one of the great communicators.

Kenneth Clarks life was a spectacular demonstration of how nonsensical it is to try to set up a conflict between an elite and the widespread understanding and enjoyment of art in all its forms

He was a guide and unapologetic teacher on television from the Fifties onwards, culminating  thanks to the guile and determination of David Attenborough when he started BBC2  in the 13 films that made up Civilisation, one of the landmarks in the history of television.

James Stourtons biography is an enthusiastic Grand Tour of Clarks world, written with a connoisseurs feeling for the painters, sculptors and institutional panjandrums who were his friends  and sometimes his enemies  and turned into a beautiful story of its own.

Stourton writes with a blend of passion and coolness perfectly suited to his subject and produces a picture that should satisfy the most pernickety critic.

Clark was the shooting star who never burned out. Director of the National Gallery at 30, he even excited the interest and admiration of George V, whose only known cultural enthusiasm was his stamp collection.

By the time war came, and the gallery collection had made its perilous journey to the slate caves in Snowdonia where the paintings were to be protected from falling bombs, he was confident enough to turn the empty gallery into a hugely popular venue for lunchtime concerts, and to have the dazzling idea of bringing great pictures back, one at a time, to hang for a while and act as beacons for Londoners living through the Blitz.

Clark could clearly be awkward and infuriating, but Stourton makes an eloquent case for his achievement

They queued in Trafalgar Square in their thousands. It was evidence of his conviction that he could bring to a vast audience his own volcanic enthusiasm for art, a passion that overwhelmed him first in Italy and led to a life-long love affair with painting and sculpture.

And he demonstrated that it could be done. Many egos were trampled underfoot on the way, and Clark could clearly be awkward and infuriating, but Stourton makes an eloquent case for his achievement.

By the time the audience for Civilisation came to know him in the late Sixties and watched his account of European culture over 20 centuries (the series stopped at the First World War), he had put his stamp on the artistic life of the country.

There was much that was surprising about it. When he was made chairman of the Independent Television Authority in 1954, he didnt own a TV set.

Yet he presided over the launch of commercial television with confidence and imagination. Everything about him seemed designed to perplex  the rich man (the family money came from Paisley cotton mills) who bought a moated castle in Kent (Saltwood) yet devoted much of his life to the democratisation of art, though that is a phrase he would surely have hated and never have used.

This is a story about our public life because it explores many of the byways of the establishment and describes how they have changed, and also about a complicated man to whom there clung, even at times of great success, a certain sadness.

By the time the audience for Civilisation came to know him in the late Sixties and watched his account of European culture over 20 centuries (the series stopped at the First World War), he had put his stamp on the artistic life of the country

There were bouts of family unhappiness, years of philandering and  so striking in a man who would weep in the presence of a Piero della Francesca fresco  a coldness that his children had to try to understand.

In the diaries of his eldest son, there are touching accounts of that truth as well as ample evidence of his character passed on, tempestuous and sensuous all at once.

A friend described his marvellous brain as hard, brilliant and cold as a diamond.
Kiln

58 Brewer Street, London W1

kilnsoho.com

Rating:

Kiln, promises the press release, will be a side-of-the-road-type restaurant. Of the type found in the Thai borderlands. Really? So, wobbly plastic stools, diaphanous paper napkins that fall apart at the mere mention of sweat and the constant pong of fags, diesel and suspect sewage.

Plus psychotically prowling stray cats, bowls of luu (ice-cold, pigs-blood soup), fragrant with lemongrass and strange, astringent herbs. And northern-style laap khom, jungly and fetid, made with raw buffalo meat, and bitter with the tang of fresh bile juice. In the words of Thai master David Thompson, robust, rustic and unapologetically honest.

But this is deepest Soho, rather than the sweaty fringes of the Golden Triangle, and things are, well, a little less fierce. There are proper loos, for a start, rather than the usual squat-and-drop. A long, shiny, stainless-steel bar. And prices more suited to London than Laos. Obviously.

Kiln, promises the press release, will be a side-of-the-road-type restaurant. Of the type found in the Thai borderlands

Isaan mushroom salad,

But when it comes to the cooking, Kiln puts its faith in wood. Theres the eponymous kiln, hewn from stone, both oven and supplier of searing coals, and the grill, where skewers are griddled above a bed of embers. And a trio of stone braziers, filled with glowing charcoal, above which sit battered clay pots and woks.

The only nods to modern technology (in the open kitchen, at least) are a large rice cooker and a couple of induction hobs. All very authentic, but while the faith in fuel is impressive, its what they do with it that really counts.

FROM THE MENU Lamb & cumin skewer 2.90 Chicken & soy 4.50 Isaan mushroom salad 6.50 Ginger & short rib curry 8.50 Advertisement

Luckily, chef and owner Ben Chapman has Far Eastern form. The Smoking Goat, his first Thai barbecue place, refuses to rub off any rough edges, and here at Kiln, flavours are more rowdy still.

A gloriously fire-licked and fatty lamb and cumin skewer (its roots Chinese rather than Thai) dribbles with ovine delight, and is seasoned with a splendidly heavy hand.

Smoked Thai sausage, slightly fermented, has that all-important lactic bite. Plus a lusty whack of chilli too. Again, the skin is charred, but not burnt.

Here, they know how to cook over coals. But soy chicken, although succulent, is too subdued, suffering rather in the mighty shadow of that glorious lamb and pork.

Pollock laap, sharp with lime, heavy with herbs and crunchy with roasted rice powder, is fabulously fragrant and just the wrong side of well behaved. It has a freshness and vitality that stirs the taste buds, while the chilli heat is pronounced but never boorish.

Rather like the smoky Isaan mushroom salad (where forest floor meets fresh and frolicksome), which skips across the tongue, equally lithe and spritely. And while the mackerel in the dry red curry is not as spanking fresh as it could be (Im talking a matter of hours), the base paste is fiery and complex and thrilling.

No problems with freshness, though, when it comes to tiny langoustines, their exquisite flesh still coyly translucent, and scattered with still more lemongrass, chilli, mint and kaffir lime.

There are three curries, and we try them all. Of course we do. The Burmese wild ginger and short rib is quietly magnificent; mild, coconut-spiked and warmly spiced with clove and star anise; the meat is obscenely soft and fatty.

A Southern-style pork curry couldnt be more different, with sour bite, bitter notes, and a slow-building burn. Beauty and the beast.

Pork curry

Pollock laap

With no coconut to quell the heat, its best eaten with mouthfuls of succulent, plump-grained brown rice.

Then an intensely peppery, stridently salty Tamworth pork curry. A trio that would thrill the locals in even the most discerning of Thai curry shops.

Finally, a clay pot filled with darkly delectable glass noodles, spiked with brown crab meat and lusciously fatty belly pork. Rustic, gutsy and beautifully balanced. Rather like Kiln itself.

Service is sweet, the wine list excellent. The whole place is just what Id hoped. A kitchen with a deep understanding of the art of cooking over coals. And one well versed in the tenets of real Thai cooking. Equally important, it knows when to hold back. And when to let rip.

A decade back, this sort of food was but a far-off fantasy for the lovesick farang. But now, along with Som Saa, the Begging Bowl, Janetira, the Smoking Goat and 101 Thai Kitchen, London is awash in true Siamese succour.

Lunch for two: 50

What Tom eat this week

Saturday

Down to my sisters for the weekend. Chicken pie for lunch, then chipotle beef stew for dinner.

Sunday

Roast chicken for lunch, with dripping roast potatoes. Then simmer the carcasses for a few hours to make a stock, which we pimp with chillies, lime juice, fish sauce, pak choi and the remaining chicken for a rather restorative Thai broth.

Salami

Monday

Lunch at my desk. Chick peas and Vietnamese prawn rolls from Planet Organic downstairs. Then dinner at Cafe Murano in St Jamess with my mother. Good salami, flatbread and tagliatelle with guanciale and courgettes.

Tuesday

Excellent spicy miso ramen at Bone Daddies in Kensington High Street. Afterwards, its down to the country, and beautifully cooked grouse for dinner. Washed down with some very serious claret.
Keeping on top of your finances is a message we send out on a regular basis. But sometimes, there is an event which requires us to be a little bit more forceful about conveying it.

It happened in the wake of the Brexit vote in June  and it has occurred again with Donald Trumps triumph across the Atlantic.

I trust our special report will get you to review your finances to ensure they are in good shape to withstand whatever Trump  and for that matter the march towards Brexit  brings.

Fraud: Last week thousands of Tesco Bank customers current accounts had their money stolen

Online banking is the present, the future. Goodbye bank branch, hello the internet.

But it does seem that in the industrys mad rush to get us all  old and young, individuals and businesses  to do our banking through apps, iPads and personal computers, it is failing to protect customers from cyber criminals.

Last weeks plundering of thousands of Tesco Bank customers current accounts by criminals marks a worrying ratcheting up in the war. It is the first time the pillaging of bank accounts has been on a mass scale.

Alarming. Frightening. What if it had been NatWest that the cyber criminals had targeted, a bank whose response to banking fraud seems at best lackadaisical (judged on what you tell us).

Although Tesco Banks reaction to the raid was adequate (no more than that) with full refunds made within 48 hours, it does beg the question as to whether this attack is the tip of the iceberg. That cyber warriors are slowly winning the war against the banks.

Under fire: Tesco Bank boss Benny Higgins

It is therefore imperative that the banks  challengers and high street mainstays  respond by committing maximum resources to warding off these thieves. Rather than focusing their best brains on inventing new banking apps and digital play things, the industry needs to change direction.

Banks big and small must put their eggheads to use in improving their IT systems. They must invest in top IT personnel to ensure customers can bank without worrying whether their salary is going to be spent illegally by someone hovering in cyber space.

I trust Tesco Banks directors, led by Benny Higgins, will be hauled over the coals by the Financial Conduct Authority. Personal fines might make them realise a little what it feels like to have your bank account plundered.

How apposite in the wake of the cyber-attack on Tesco Bank that Professor Russel Griggs (OBE no less) issued his report on how banks are treating customers hit by the closure of their local branch. The report is written from the standpoint that all closures are justified, regardless of whether they leave a town or village bankless.

How wrong. An hour of Mr Griggs precious time spent in the company of the good people of Colyton would surely have made him realise that bank branches are still a vital cog in the wheels of many communities.

Remove them  as Lloyds has just done in this vibrant Devon village  and the knock-on impact on the local community is dire.

Rather than suggest ways in which banks can better help customers deal with the loss of their local branch, Mr Griggs would have been better employed exploring how the big banks could work together to set up community banks.

Branches that customers of any bank could use with the running costs shared by all banks.
J.F. writes: My 95-year-old mother ordered a fitted chair from Westminster Recliners Limited on July 7, for delivery in August. The chair has still not arrived.

We have tried to contact the firm several times but were fobbed off with a mobile number that does not work, or told we cannot speak to the manager.

My mother has asked for the contract to be cancelled and her money refunded, but she has received neither the chair nor a refund.

Claims: The Westminster Recliners website

You told me your mother answered a magazine advertisement and was then visited by a salesman who quoted a price of 6,000.

When she refused to pay this much, the price suddenly dropped to 1,500. She paid 750 by debit card, with delivery agreed for August. On August 23 she received a request for the balance, with delivery set for September 5. She sent a cheque but the chair did not arrive. It was then promised for September 19, but here we are in November with no sign of the chair.

Westminster Recliners Limited is run by a father and son team, David and Oliver Waters, of Felixstowe, Suffolk. I tried repeatedly to get the company to explain what had gone wrong.

Does your mothers chair exist? If so, why has it not been handed over? If it was supposed to be custom made, why is it not ready? Why can she not have her money back? The company and its two bosses offered no comment and no explanation.

But perhaps I was being optimistic to expect one. You see, David and Oliver Waters and their company are well known to the Trading Standards Department at Suffolk County Council  and to local courts.

Does it exist? One of the firms seats

In 2013, Westminster Recliners was a trading name used by Mobility UK Limited, run by the two men. In March of that year they appeared at Ipswich magistrates court and pleaded guilty to using aggressive and misleading practices in breach of consumer protection laws.

Suffolk Trading Standards gave details of numerous complaints, often involving elderly customers, with salesmen falsely claiming to offer a reduced price because of links to the health insurer BUPA. In fact, BUPA was never involved.

Magistrates fined the company 3,000 with 10,000 costs. Also, David Waters, then 65, was fined 3,000 and ordered to pay 10,000 costs.

Oliver Waters, then aged 24, was fined 1,000 with costs of 10,000 for the consumer protection offences, and a further 1,000 for running the company while an undischarged bankrupt.

You might think this taught the appalling rip-off artist a lesson. Wrong. In January last year, Oliver Waters was back in the dock, this time at Ipswich Crown Court, where he and Westminster Recliners were convicted of almost the same offences.

Waters was given an 18-month conditional discharge after agreeing to tape record sales meetings for checking by Trading Standards, and to refund three customers who gave evidence. He and his company were also ordered to pay 86,000 in legal costs.

Suffolk County Council has now told me: Trading Standards are continuing to look at the business, and recommend that anyone in dispute with them should contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service helpline on 03454 040506.

Please urge your mother to call the helpline  and let me know how she gets on. I have a feeling the Waters may appear on this page again.
Last weeks shock victory for Donald Trump in the US Presidential election is likely to fuel market volatility over the coming months, particularly when combined with persistent concerns about the impact of Brexit on UK businesses.

But Van Elle should deliver strong growth, despite political and economic uncertainty. The company is a highly successful, hard-working British business, specialising in ground engineering services that make it safer and easier to build railways, roads, houses and a range of other buildings.

A private business for 32 years, Van Elle listed on AIM on October 26 at 100p. The shares are now 101p and should make strong progress over the next few years.

Track record: Van Elle has devised earth retention systems for railways

The company is the largest independent operator in its field, with a reputation for speed and efficiency and a long track record of profitable growth. Van Elle even remained profitable through the financial crisis, but in the past five years the group has really forged ahead.

It has moved into new markets, such as rail, invested heavily in new techniques and built a 13-acre manufacturing facility so it can make the products it uses. As a result, turnover almost tripled from 30million to 84million between 2011 and this year, while profits soared from just less than 1million to 10.7million.

Van Elle was founded in 1984 by Mike Ellis, a structural engineer by background. In 1986, his first engineering employee was Jon Fenton, a former member of staff at Norwich City Council. Keen for a new challenge, Fenton joined Elliss fledgling business working from a tiny office above a stable in Derbyshire.

In 2011, Ellis, then in his late 60s, handed over the day-to-day running of the firm to Fenton and today, Ellis is non-executive chairman and Fenton is chief executive.

The group initially focused on the installation of pilings to support houses in danger of subsidence. Over the years, it expanded into other areas and products, constantly aiming to stay ahead of the competition by working faster and creating new products.

These include smart foot, a modular foundation system, built out of steel and concrete, that is laid directly on the ground and can support buildings from homes to hospitals, schools and hotels. Individually designed for customers, the system is about five times faster than traditional foundation methods but just as effective.

Customer base: Includes Network Rail, housebuilders Bovis and Bellway and general contractors

Van Elle has also devised clever kit for roads and railways, such as ground anchors and soil nails that hold back earth when motorways are being expanded. But the company does not just focus on creating better products; it is also focused on completing jobs as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The group does around 1,000 pieces of work a year, for customers including Network Rail, housebuilders Bovis and Bellway and general contractors such as Balfour Beatty and Morgan Sindall.

In each case, Van Elle tries to go the extra mile, transporting equipment overnight on a Thursday, for example, so it can start a new job on a Friday morning, rather than after the weekend. This constant drive for efficiency means that Van Elle is one of the most profitable companies in the construction sector  and likely to remain so.

The company has 515 staff, many of whom have been with the group for more than a decade. Fenton believes in looking after his workforce, investing 750,000 in training last year and encouraging employees to work their way up the business, rather like he did.

The company also opens every Saturday morning to brief staff on the week ahead and to go over recent jobs. A board director is always there as well, so staff can always catch up with someone from the top of the business.

Having operated successfully as a private business for more than 30 years, the decision to float was not made easily. However, the group is keen to expand and being listed provides extra credibility with customers and potential acquisition targets.

Ellis also wanted to sell some shares, though he and his family retain 20 per cent of the business, while Fenton is the biggest individual shareholder with a 7 per cent stake.

Several companies have had to pull or reduce flotation plans this autumn against a backdrop of Brexit-fuelled economic uncertainty. But Van Elle has pulled it off, because large institutional investors are confident that the company will deliver strong growth.

The Government is committed to spending on roads and rail and there is a chronic shortage of homes in this country. Van Elle also works with many different customers in different sectors and it operates throughout the UK, from Shetland to Cornwall and everywhere in between.

Turnover and profits are expected to grow by more than 10 per cent in the year to April 2017, with double-digit growth likely to continue in the subsequent years as well.

There will be a small dividend next year, Van Elles first as a public company, but payouts should rise steadily thereafter.
Britannia Hotels, owner of the famous Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool, has recorded a huge leap in profits at its 52-strong chain.

Accounts just filed for the Cheshire-based company show turnover grew 6 per cent in the year to March 31, 2016 to 84million.

Pre-tax profits shot up even faster thanks in part to reduced costs  more than doubling from 14.2million to 33.3million.

Famous: The Adelphi Hotel is a landmark in Liverpool

The chain was founded in 1976 when hotelier Alex Langsam bought a 100-bedroom hotel in South Manchester.

The company has attracted controversy in recent years. It was twice branded the worst hotel chain in the country by Which? magazine.

Britannia was also criticised after it was paid by the Government to house hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers. This led to negative reviews on TripAdvisor from disgruntled paying guests.

In 2013, Britannia was fined 160,000 for breaching safety regulations during building works in Folkestone, Kent.
Theresa May is likely to outline the Governments negotiating priorities on Brexit in a speech to business bosses next week.

The Prime Minister is expected to outline what relationship Whitehall is seeking sector-by-sector when she speaks to the Confederation of British Industry a week tomorrow.

The Government has been coy about its aims in European Union talks, saying revealing its hand would weaken its negotiating position.

Negotiations: PM Theresa May will meet business leaders next week

It has been suggested that the UK could try to stay within the customs union for manufactured goods or just for the car industry, where supply chains are strung out across the Continent.

Experts said Ministers could try to get an enhanced equivalence deal on financial services too, which would enable UK banks and insurers to cater to continental clients when their single market passporting rights fall away.

EU rules allow countries with regulations that are equivalent to its own to offer some financial services to EU clients without hindrance.

A paper published earlier this month by think-tank Politeia outlined a possible enhanced equivalence negotiating stance for the City.
Hundreds of thousands of people will come to rely on relatives or carers to help manage their finances in the next 12 months because of illness or an accident.

But most families are unprepared for such an outcome.

One vital document gives family members authority to handle the financial affairs of a loved one in need  meaning they can stay on top of household bills.

Mission: James Ashwell set up the firm Unforgettable after caring for his mother Fay

It is known as a lasting power of attorney. But 44million people do not have one  85 per cent of the UK adult population. And two-fifths of adults do not know what one is.

It can be set up in less than an hour, registered properly with the relevant government department in eight to ten weeks  and costs from 110.

WHY YOU NEED ONE

James Antoniou, head of wills at Co-op Legal Services, says: There is not an automatic right for next-of- kin to make decisions on a persons behalf, so a lasting power of attorney can make all the difference. Sadly, it is common for families to require one when it is too late.

If a person is no longer able to make decisions for themselves independently, they are said to have lost mental capacity.

Five reasons why you should set up a lasting power of attorney 1. It allows you to determine who will look after your finances if health prevents you from doing so. 2. It is inexpensive to set up at a minimum of 110. 3. It is easy to arrange online. Visit lastingpowerofattorney. service.gov.uk/home 4. It is more satisfactory than finances being determined by the alternative Court of Protection. 5. The march of Alzheimers means more people are unable to handle money issues.

By this stage it is too late to arrange a power of attorney. The alternative route to helping a person organise their finances is laborious, expensive and time consuming.

Here, a relative must apply to the Court of Protection to become a deputy. The application fee is 400 while the starting annual fee is at least 320. This charge may drop to 35 in subsequent years depending on how much supervision the Court decides a deputy needs.

New deputies must also pay a 100 assessment fee and if their application is successful they will receive a court order spelling out what they can and cannot do in their duties.

The Office of the Public Guardian is responsible for supervising deputies, who need to keep records and write annual reports explaining the financial decisions they have made.

So the choice is between paying 110 now to complete and register a lasting power of attorney, or face the prospect of paying 500 in future with ongoing annual fees, burdensome paperwork and overbearing supervision by the State.

Lasting power of attorney replaced what was known as enduring power of attorney in 2007. These older documents are still valid if made and signed before October 1, 2007.

ACT EARLY

The time to draw up a power of attorney is when it is least needed, which is why so few people do it.

But the threat of long-term illness such as dementia  or a life-changing accident  make it an important task to tick off any financial to-do list. Over the next decade, the number of people with dementia will balloon to a million, according to the Alzheimers Society.

The rate at which adults in the UK develop dementia is equivalent to one person every three minutes.

'I didnt ask what Mum wanted when she was able to tell me' Impact: Peter Matthews keeps his five children in the loop on his finances After the ordeal of sorting a lasting power of attorney for his mother, Peter Matthews is determined his five adult children will have a different experience should he need their help in future. Peter, 66, who is married to Jayne, 61, and lives in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, was appointed power of attorney for his mother Doreen Tacchi in 2007. The family paid solicitors more than 1,000 for the service, which Peter says struck me as expensive for a piece of paper. Despite this fee, in 2014 he learned the papers had not been registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. He never knew this was necessary. In the seven years between 2007 and 2014, Doreen had been diagnosed with dementia. It is still possible to register power of attorney after diagnosis  but only if the person understands what is happening. Peter says: We had to ask my mother to sign, consenting to it being registered. Mums dementia by this stage was much worse. It took time and many attempts but finally when Mum looked me in the eyes and said, So you are after my money then and winked, I knew she understood. The experience had a profound impact on Peter. He says: I didnt ask Mum what she wanted years ago when she would have been able to tell me, I just did what I thought was best for her. You think your parents financial business is their own, but really it is yours too and one day you may need to take control. There needs to be an open dialogue between parents and children so everyone is prepared for whatever is around the corner.

HELP IS AT HAND

A new service launched this autumn to help people set up a lasting power of attorney. It is free and provided by Unforgettable  a company selling products that make the lives of people with dementia a little easier, such as simple-to-use music players and automatic pill dispensers. Founder James Ashwell says dementia affects young people too. So a power of attorney is something the whole family should consider putting in place.

James started the business after his mother Fay was diagnosed with early onset dementia while in her 50s. He was just 25 when he gave up his job as a strategy consultant and  along with his brother  moved from London back to the Midlands to care for her. He looked after Fay for five years until her death at 65, just after his 30th birthday.

James says: She was the best mum you could imagine so it was time to give a bit back and look after her. But it was a sad time and difficult. He is now on a mission to encourage more people to set up power of attorney.

Care: It costs 110 to complete and register a lasting power of attorney

HOW TO SET UP POWER OF ATTORNEY

The Governments free online service for setting up a lasting power of attorney guides you through each step. It should be completed by the donor  the person who may need help in the future. They also choose their attorneys  there can be more than one.

To get started visit lastingpowerofattorney.service.gov.uk/home.

A 110 fee applies when you register the document with the Office of the Public Guardian, which can be done straight away even if it is not yet needed. People on low incomes pay less or nothing at all.

You can draw up a separate power of attorney giving a trusted person responsibility for decisions about your health and welfare if you cannot make them yourself. This also costs 110. For help, use a fixed-fee legal service such as that offered by Co-op Legal Services for 180, which also provides a phone-based service on 0330 0379481.

Details of local solicitors can be found at lawsociety.org.uk. But be careful about instructing a solicitor without first knowing their charges, as many people have reported paying thousands of pounds for a service they could have done themselves for free. Unforgettable also offers hand-holding packages.

CHOOSE ATTORNEYS CAREFULLY

The number of suspected cases of fraud or negligence by attorneys has risen by 40 per cent in the past two years.

Nockolds, a law firm based in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, analysed figures from the Office of the Public Guardian showing it launched 876 investigations into abuse of a lasting power of attorney in the year to the end of March 2016  up from 628 in 2014.

It is a stark reminder of why choosing a financial advocate should not be rushed. But even when there is no concern about abuse of power, some attorneys may conclude they are not up to the job when the time comes.

Peter King, partner and head of wills and probate at Nockolds, says: People often feel obliged to act as attorney for a relative and later find they do not have the time or energy to discharge their duties. It is better to be honest from the start while the relative can consider alternatives.

An attorneys legal responsibilities are defined by the Mental Capacity Act. King adds: One of the mistakes attorneys often make is assuming they can make decisions on behalf of a relative rather than helping the relative make their own decisions.

A donor must give attorneys permission for each decision made while they are capable of doing so. Attorneys can act independently only when a donor lacks capacity, but must always act in their best interests.
Cyber-criminals broke into Tesco Banks computer system last weekend and stole 2.5million from the current accounts of 9,000 customers  the largest ever cyber-attack on a UK bank to have resulted in a mass loss of money. One in 15 of the banks 136,000 current accounts were affected.

Tesco Bank responded quickly by suspending all online debit transactions  including contactless card payments  to prevent further criminal activity.

According to the band, existing direct debits, cashpoint withdrawals and the use of chip and PIN card payments were still permitted. By Tuesday evening normal services had resumed and refunds had been given.

Net loss: 2.5million was taken in the online raid

How did it happen?

Tesco Bank says it will work with authorities and regulators to investigate the systemic and sophisticated attack. But it has yet to shed light on how it happened or who was behind it. An investigation is being led by the National Crime Agency.

Andrew Bailey, chief executive of city regulator the Financial Conduct Authority, said the attack was unprecedented in the UK.

Mark Weston, head of information technology at international law firm Hill Dickinson, says: If this was an inside job then we must acknowledge that no bank is foolproof and Tesco Bank may have been unlucky to be the one that was hit.

If this was an external attack on Tesco Banks systems, then it is not alone. It just happens this one was successful.

How you can protect yourself 1. Verify any emails or calls you get about fraudulent activity on your bank account. Do this by contacting your bank separately using a different web page, rather than clicking on links in emails, or by calling them from a different phone to the one you were contacted on. 2. Do not share PIN or log-in details for your personal accounts. 3. Use hard-to-guess passwords for online accounts, featuring upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. 4. Familiarise yourself with common frauds and how they work. Register with Action Fraud Alert for free  run by the City of London Police  to receive regular information about scams and frauds in your area. Visit actionfraudalert.co.uk. Find further tips on how to stay safe online by visiting official websites such as getsafeonline.org and cyberaware.gov.uk. If you need advice over the phone, call Action Fraud (0300 123 2040).

Was it similar to the attacks on Yahoo! and TalkTalk?

TalkTalk and Yahoo! have suffered cyber-attacks. But these were different in that hackers stole personal information rather than money.

Nearly 157,000 TalkTalk customers had personal data exposed  including names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers and email addresses. Hackers also obtained bank account details and sort codes of around one in ten of those customers affected.

Once stolen this information can be sold on to other criminals and used to target customers in other types of fraud such as identity theft  where accounts can be opened or goods ordered in a victims name.

The data breach at Yahoo! was the biggest to date in terms of numbers affected, with personal details stolen from 500 million user accounts. The hack occurred in 2014 but only came to the publics attention this year. Tesco Bank confirmed no personal data was compromised in this latest attack.

I am a Tesco customer  should I move to a new bank?

All banks are vulnerable to fraud so there is nothing to say you would be safer elsewhere. All banks must issue full refunds for fraud so long as a customer was not negligent  for example, by giving out a PIN or password.

But if you no longer feel your money is safe it is easy to move it. You can switch automatically using the official Current Account Switch Service. Just let the new bank know you want to use the service. Everything will be transferred within seven working days and the old account closed.

Consumer group Which? rates online bank First Direct, its parent bank HSBC and Barclays best for online security, followed by M&S Bank and Nationwide Building Society.

Which bank is likely to be hit next?

Attempted attacks on banks are common  even if they have not been successful.

Weston says: All banks are constantly under cyber-attack. Such attacks will increase as hacking skills and tools spread.

The question is how a bank manages its customers in terms of the speed of giving back money and plugging holes in its security. That is the measure of a successful bank in terms of customer trust.

What about other fraud risks?

Although cyber-attacks are worrying and can prevent access to your money, banks are legally-bound to reimburse you.

This is not the case if you fall victim to fraudulent emails and phone calls.

An email might warn of suspicious activity on your account and encourage you to click on a link to update your bank details. This practice is known as phishing  with emails often containing links which, if you click on them, download spyware on to your computer so fraudsters can see you log in to online accounts.
An organic baby food start-up that launched in Waitrose in April is now supplying more than 400 Asda stores after its founder said sales exceeded expectations by 400 per cent.

Piccolo was founded two years ago by Italian Catherine Gazzoli, the former chief executive of Slow Food UK, a movement connecting food with a commitment to the community and environment, who has previously worked for the United Nations.

The company is backed by investors including food writer and campaigner Prue Leith, ex-Pizza Express chief executive Mark Angela and Andrew Baker, former chief executive of Prince Charless organic food brand Duchy Originals.

Support: Piccolo is backed by writer Prue Leith

Gazzoli said: I spent six years meeting food producers, retailers, people like the managing director of [supermarket] Planet Organic who have a shared ethos around where food comes from, and I felt that there was no baby brand with a strong social DNA.

The baby food market is dominated by large brands. She said: Youve got Hain Celestial, which owns Ellas Kitchen, Cow & Gate, which is owned by Danone, HiPP Organic, which is a German company, and Heinz.

She added: We just launched into Asda and we just launched 100 per cent vegetable products with Waitrose.

Other stockists include Planet Organic, Abel & Cole and Whole Foods Market.

Were the first food brand to have the National Childbirth Trust logo on our packaging, because we have a partnership with them doing food education classes for disadvantaged parents, she said.

Gazzoli said she wrote her business plan on the kitchen table of Craig Sams, the co-founder of chocolate brand Green & Blacks. She said: Obviously to have someone whos built Green & Blacks help you with your financials is very helpful.
More than a quarter (27 per cent) of small and medium enterprises do not plan to invest at all over the next 12 months and are in survival mode, according to new research.

Of business owners surveyed, 57 per cent had not sought any external finance in the past year, with 41 per cent using existing overdraft facilities and more than 34 per cent investing personal funds into their firm.

The study, from Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance, found that of those who invested their own money, 19 per cent had re-mortgaged property, potentially endangering their own financial health.

Concerns: More than a quarter of SME owners do not plan to invest at all over the next year

More than half of SME owners were also concerned that Brexit could impede their access to finance, with 59 per cent predicting that it would be more difficult to obtain it in future.

Another area of concern was an over-reliance on individual clients, with 17 per cent of firms saying that a single, large client was responsible for more than half of the companys turnover. On average, SME owners said their biggest client was responsible for 26 per cent of revenue.

The study comes as Brexit has been blamed for a fall in crowdfunding deals.

Researcher Beauhurst has revealed a record drop of 20 per cent in the third quarter of this year. It said Brexit had caused many high-growth firms to pause and question access to markets, but also that investors appeared to be becoming more wary of early-stage firms.

And a report from The Company Warehouse has found that while 43 per cent of start-ups registered in the past 18 months were aware of crowdfunding, only 1.3 per cent had used it. The business consultancy studied firms that had formed and sole-trader businesses that had registered in the past 18 months.

Eighty-two per cent had used self-funding to start up. Only 6.8 per cent had used bank funding, and despite 85 per cent being aware of the Governments Start Up Loans scheme, only 4.5 per cent had used it.

Meanwhile, Professor Christian Sadler of Warwick Business School warned that Donald Trump winning the US presidential election was likely to make it more difficult for small firms in particular to export to the US.

He said that as well currency risks, the other thing that they might face is additional trade barriers. He said: Trump has been quite explicit that he wants to protect the American market, that he wants to be tough on imports. A possible way around that is to start operating in the US, but that is harder for small businesses.

Ben Hutt, chief executive of Search Party, a recruitment company targeting SMEs, said: The uncertainty around Brexit will probably be somewhat painful in the UK, particularly for small businesses.

The constitutional uncertainty about what will happen is just lingering, which is bad for business. The US election adds another layer of uncertainty globally, so I wouldnt be surprised if economically things slow down a bit.

It will make businesses choosier about who they hire and candidates choosier about which companies they work in.

Separately, new data shows the UK leading Europe in the use of asset-based finance  money secured against a businesss assets  last year. The total value of UK business supported hit an all-time high of 335billion in 2015, an increase of 7.4 per cent from 312billion in 2014.
Coulda shoulda woulda!

If only Sen. Bernie Sanders had run for the presidency on behalf of the Democrats, he would have easily beaten Donald Trump in this week's general election.

According to a poll seen by The Huffington Post Sanders would have received 56 percent of the vote while Trump would have won 44 percent.

The poll spoke with 1,600 registered voters just days before the election after being commissioned and financed by outgoing Florida Congressman Alan Grayson.

Grayson is a Democrat who endorsed Sanders in the presidential primary.

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Numerous polls conducted during the primaries had suggested Sanders would convincingly beat Trump in the elections while predicting a smaller margin for Hillary Clinton

Still, after seeing how wildly inaccurate the majority of polls were leading up to election day, it may well be that voters were simply telling the pollsters what they thought they wanted to hear.

The vast majority of polls mistakenly predicted a Clinton victory in Tuesday's election.

The Gravis poll suggested that voters favored Sanders over Trump, 55 percent to 45 percent. On election day Hillary Clinton, by contrast, lost independents 48 percent to 42 percent, according to exit polls.

'As we contemplate the dark days ahead, and then as we suffer through them, we Democrats should remember that it could have been entirely different. All we had to do was to elect a Progressive as President  just as a large majority of Americans really wanted,' Grayson said to HuffPo.

Sanders' popularity among white working-class voters might have been the difference in this election; voters that Trump ultimately won

Sanders is leaving open the possibility of another presidential bid in 2020 as shell-shocked liberals focus on helping the Democratic Party rebuild after Trump's victory.

'Four years is a long time from now,' said the 75-year-old Vermont independent, noting that he faces re-election to the Senate in 2018. But he added: 'We'll take one thing at a time, but I'm not ruling out anything.'

Democrats have begun post-election soul searching, with Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, urging the party to embrace a more populist economic message.

As some Democrats protested across the country, the party's liberal wing began jockeying for power, arguing that Clinton's loss could be attributed to her reluctance to fully focus on economic inequality and tougher Wall Street regulations.

'The final results may have divided us  but the entire electorate embraced deep, fundamental reform of our economic system and our political system,' Warren told the AFL-CIO on Thursday. 'Working families across this country are deeply frustrated about an economy and a government that doesn't work for them.'

Warren laid out the principles she believes should govern Democrats during the Trump era: Standing up to bigotry, pushing for economic equality and combatting the influence of Wall Street.

The defeat of Clinton could mean Democrats may turn to its liberal wing as it grapples with its future. That is best represented by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, pictured

'We will fight back against attacks on Latinos, African Americans, women, Muslims, immigrants, disabled Americans  on anyone. Whether Donald Trump sits in a glass tower or sits in the White House, we will not give an inch on this, not now, not ever,' she said.

The sweeping Republican gains have thrown the future of the party into uncertainty, as Democrats process the scale of their losses and try to figure out the best way to come back in the 2018 elections.

The Democratic National Committee may end up being ground zero for the fight, with no clear successor in line to replace interim chairwoman Donna Brazile.

Sanders is backing Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison.

Warren and Sanders were articulating the frustrations among many liberals in the aftermath of Trump's stunning triumph over Hillary Clinton. But their influence underscores another problem facing Democrats: Many of the party's leading voices are senior citizens, older than their core constituencies of young and minority voters. Warren is 67.

Sanders said that millions of working-class voters' decision to back Trump was 'an embarrassment' to the party and Democrats must take a strong stand against the role of corporate interests in politics.

He said the party as a whole was unable to make a strong enough case to struggling workers, particularly in the industrial Midwest, who sided with Trump.

'You cannot be a party which, on one hand, says we're in favor of working people, we're in favor of the needs of young people, but we don't quite have the courage to take on Wall Street and the billionaire class. People do not believe that. You've got to decide which side you're on.'

While Clinton pushed for greater financial regulation and higher taxes on the wealthy, she shied away from his more populist rhetoric. And she also largely ignored white working-class male voters in favor of trying to boost turnout among minority and female supporters.

The decision infuriated former President Bill Clinton who argued to campaign officials that they should pay greater attention to the voters who twice boosted her husband to office. During the long primary slog against Sanders, he insisted the campaign make stops in Wisconsin, which ended up being the last time either Clinton appeared in the state.
A group of penguins have had their own special underpass built to protect them from tourists and traffic.

The small blue penguins are often a draw for people wanting to take pictures of the smallest of its kind.

But now the private passage created in Oamaru Harbour, Otago, on New Zealand's southeast coast, will help the bird's commute between their nests and the sea.

Little Blue Penguins runs towards the sea after being released by wild life workers and school children at Mount Maunganui beach in Tauranga, New Zealand

The colony can now use their underpass in Oamaru, New Zealand and will no longer need to rely on these road signs

The one foot tall (30cm) penguins, only weigh around one kilogram (2Ib) and their colony reside in Oamaru Harbour, which is also well known for its elephant rocks.

General manger of Tourism Waitaki Limited, Jason Gaskill, told Reuters on Thursday: 'The project was supported by the local Waitaki District Council, as well as a number of private businesses who offered labour, materials, and advice.'

Power and water supply lines were moved so the 80 feet tunnel could be positioned along the penguins' usual route, New Zealand media said.

Blue penguins, which are also found along the coastlines of southern Australia, usually live up to 10 years and walk on land with a distinct forward stoop.

The penguins will use their new safe route to get both to the sea and their nests
He has been criticised for his use of obscene language and inciting extrajudicial killings - but a bizarre video has revealed Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's softer side.

Footage of him has emerged singing Bette Midler's Wind Beneath My Wings at a state dinner.

And he wasn't the only leader who joined in the fun - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak performed an upbeat version of The Young Ones by Cliff Richard.

It was filmed on Thursday in Malaysia.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte (second left) and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak sing 70s chart topper Sha-La-La-La-La-La

The politicians then joined together to sing 70s chart topper Sha-La-La-La-La-La by Danish rock band The Walkers. Najib danced as he sang.

Duterte, well known for his use of foul language, visited Malaysia to discuss ways to combat kidnappings at sea.

Najib told reporters that at their talks earlier in the day, the Philippines had agreed with Indonesia and Malaysia to allow security forces to make 'hot pursuits' in its territorial waters.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, left, and Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak pose for photographs during a welcoming ceremony in Putrajaya, Malaysia on Thursday

Nicknamed 'The Punisher', Duterte launched a drug war after being elected in May, with figures released last month revealing that more than 3,600 people had been killed in four months.

Activists believe a large number of these deaths were vigilante killings, with 1,377 shot by police in operations.

Faced with criticism from US officials, Duterte told a press conference he had responded: 'So I said to them, "son of a whore, do not make us your dogs, as if I am a dog with a leash, and you throw some bread, where I can't reach."'
The Obama administration has said it has not yet made a decision on whether the Dakota Access Pipeline will be allowed to be completed near sacred tribal lands in North Dakota, despite rumors the project would be approved as soon as Monday.

An administration official said 'the process is ongoing and no decisions have been made,' according to Politico.

However, sources familiar with the process had told the news site earlier Friday that the controversial project was set to get the green light as early as next week.

The Obama administration has said it has not yet made a decision on whether the Dakota Access Pipeline will be allowed to be completed near sacred tribal lands in North Dakota, despite rumors the project would be approved as soon as Monday

A protest sign is planted along the pipeline route during a protest against the Dakota Access pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in St. Anthony, North Dakota on Friday

Protesters lock arms during a standoff with a police car along the pipeline route on Friday

Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Amy Gaskill said on Friday it would issue a decision on its next steps within a few days, though it would perhaps not be a final decision.

It remains unclear if the agency's next action would resolve the question of whether the line can be built as planned under Lake Oahe, where construction ceased in September.

Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault II has called on Obama to 'set a lasting and true legacy' by halting the pipeline's construction before president-elect Donald Trump takes office next year, ABC News reported.

In a statement a day after Trump's shocking victory, Archambault said the results show 'that we as a country have so much work to do.'

'We must strengthen our resolve to protect the water, pray together for understanding, and pour our hearts and minds into the future of all our children,' he said.

'In this time of uncertainty, President Obama still has the power to give our children hope.

Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault II (pictured) has called on Obama to 'set a lasting and true legacy' by halting the pipeline's construction before president-elect Donald Trump takes office next year

Trump (pictured Thursday) has not commented specifically on the $3.7 billion Dakota Access line but has said he would seek to revive another controversial pipeline, the Keystone XL line

On Friday, police confronted about 100 protesters barricading a highway adjacent to a construction easement for the pipeline

'We believe halting the Dakota Access pipeline presents a unique opportunity for President Obama to set a lasting and true legacy and respect the sovereignty and treaty rights of Standing Rock and tribal nations across America.'

Last week, President Barack Obama said that the U.S. government was looking for ways to move the line.

Analysts have said Trump's victory makes the completion of the pipeline more likely and last month it was reported that he holds stock in the company building the pipeline, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners.

Trump's 2016 federal disclosure forms, filed in May, show he owned between $15,000 and $50,000 in stock in Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners.

That's down from between $500,000 and $1million a year earlier.

Trump's form also shows he holds between $100,000 and $250,000 in Phillips 66 stock, a 25 per cent owner of the Dakota Access.

Trump also backs measures to speed energy industry development and upgrade the country's oil and gas infrastructure.

The piepline has drawn steady opposition from Native American and environmental activists since the summer

A protester is seen on top of excavating equipment along the pipeline route during a protest on Friday

A pipeline worker is seen leaving the location along the pipeline route during Friday's protest. Within the pipeline easement itself, officers found construction equipment vandalized, with wires cut, machinery spray-painted and windows smashed, police said

Protesters hold signs along the pipeline route during the protest near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in St. Anthony, North Dakota

He has not commented specifically on the $3.7 billion Dakota Access line but has said he would seek to revive another controversial pipeline, the Keystone XL line.

That project, which would pump oil from Canada through Nebraska, was rejected in 2014 by the Obama administration.

Kelcy Warren, chief executive officer of Energy Transfer Partners, said a Trump presidency was a good thing.

'I view the results of last night's election as favorable not only for our project, but for future infrastructure projects that have been vetted and reviewed as thoroughly as ours has been,' Warren said on Wednesday in a statement emailed to Reuters.

Representative Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, a Trump energy adviser, said he expects the Obama administration to approve the permit because the federal government is 'out of legal reasons' not to allow the line to proceed, saying he did not think Trump 'would have to weigh in with an opinion on this.'

A protester holds a sign along the pipeline route during a protest against the Dakota Access pipeline on Friday

A total of 37 arrests were made during Friday's protest, most of them at a second illegal roadblock nearby, sheriff's spokesman Rob Keller said

Protesters stand near excavation equipment along the pipeline route during the most recent protest

Private security personnel reported activists hurled rocks at them, and one protester who attacked an officer was pepper-sprayed, according to police

'We're especially hopeful that the pipeline approval process will be allowed to work without political interferences. We saw both Keystone XL and DAPL, which passed their NEPA review, get blocked for unrelated political reasons,' John Stoody, vice president of government and public relations for the Association of Oil Pipe Lines, said referring to the National Environmental Policy Act review.

On Friday, police confronted about 100 protesters barricading a highway adjacent to a construction easement for the pipeline - which has drawn steady opposition from Native American and environmental activists since the summer.

Within the pipeline easement itself, officers found construction equipment vandalized, with wires cut, machinery spray-painted and windows smashed, the Morton County Sheriff's Department reported.

A total of 37 arrests were made, most of them at a second illegal roadblock nearby, sheriff's spokesman Rob Keller said.

Private security personnel reported activists hurled rocks at them, and one protester who attacked an officer was pepper-sprayed, according to police.

A spokesperson for Energy Transfer Partners confirmed two to three pieces of equipment were damaged, but the extent was not known.

A protester is arrested next to the pipeline route during Friday's protest

Protesters lock arms during a stand off with a police car (not pictured) along the pipeline route

Law enforcement try to move Dakota Access Pipeline protesters further down during the protest

Smoke was seen billowing from a large excavation machine near a site off Route 6 in rural North Dakota, and protesters had also climbed into other equipment, according to a Reuters witness.

Two workers were seen leaving the scene.

Completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline, set to run 1,172 miles from North Dakota to Illinois, was delayed in September so federal authorities could re-examine permits required by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Plans called for the pipeline to pass under Lake Oahe, a federally owned water source, and to skirt the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation by about a half-mile.

Phillips 66 said 85 per cent of the line is complete.

Company spokesman Dennis Nuss said on Wednesday that Phillips expects operations to begin in the first quarter of 2017.

The Standing Rock tribe and environmental activists said the project would threaten water supplies and sacred Native American sites and ultimately contribute to climate change.

Protests have at times turned violent, as security dogs attacked activists during the summer and more recently as protesters set fire to vehicles and equipment.

'The tribe continues to ask water protectors to remain peaceful and prayerful,' said Standing Rock Sioux spokeswoman Chelsea Hawkins on Friday.

The Obama administration requested a voluntary halt to construction within 20 miles of the lake on each side.

However, Energy Transfer Partners continued to build to the edge of the federal land where the lake is located.

The company earlier this week said it was 'mobilizing' drilling equipment to prepare to tunnel under the lake.

That has angered protesters, who planned more protests in coming days.

An ETP spokeswoman said, 'Construction is actually complete in North Dakota, except for the bore under the lake, so there is nothing for them to stop.'

On Friday, Dakota Access said in a statement that it would halt construction near Lake Oahe 'for a reasonable time period as part of an effort to diffuse tensions to facilitate peaceful removal of protesters from the protest site.

However, the Army Corps of Engineers reportedly rejected that offer, according to ABC News.

'We now wish to reiterate that Dakota Access shares the safety concerns of the Corps and is prepared to suspend activities at the site if Dakota Access and the Corps can agree upon a date certain upon which we can complete construction beneath the Missouri River at Lake Oahe,' the statement added.
A former patient armed with knives and a gun stabbed five people at a mental health facility Friday after what was described as a hostage situation, authorities have said.

Dustin Johnson, 38, walked into the building in Homestead, Pennsylvania and started chatting with employees before pulling out a gun and turning violent, employee CJ Fulton told WTAE.

He complained that employees at the facility had 'ruined' his life when he was a patient there, Fulton said.

Johnson, according to Fulton, stabbed several people inside the Turtle Creek Valley Mental Health offices.

A man stabbed five people at a mental health facility Friday in Homestead, Pennsylvania, authorities have said. Responders are pictured carrying a person to an ambulance

Police officers shot him after he stabbed several people and put down his knife but refused to drop his gun while his victims were bleeding badly, authorities said.

Six people, including Johnson, were taken to the hospital. Johnson had surgery on Friday evening and authorities were preparing to file charges against him.

Two people were residents at the mental health facility. One was listed in critical condition and had surgery to treat stab wounds to the neck. Another had stab wounds to the upper chest and neck and was in stable condition.

The three others were employees. All three were listed in stable condition on Friday. One had stab wounds to the neck and face, one had stab wounds on the back, and one had surgery due to stab wounds on the head and neck.

Resident adviser Cherrell Fulton (center), 28, of Wilkinsburg, is pictured receiving a hug from her aunt, Elena Lawson, left, 51, of Swissvale, after Fulton's safe exit from her workplace

Police implored Johnson to drop his gun or be shot based on texts from inside that the victims were bleeding profusely and needed help, Allegheny County spokeswoman Amie Downs said.

Johnson dropped his knife but not the gun before he was shot, she said.

His pistol turned out to be a BB gun but police said they had no way of knowing at the time.

'The pistol was a BB gun. However, it had no markings and it had a flashlight mounted on it. From the distance the SWAT operators were from him at the time, it certainly looked like a handgun,' County police Superintendent Coleman McDonough told WTAE.

Johnson apparently gained entry to the secure facility before attacking people on the fifth floor, authorities said.

'He started talking to us regularly,' Fulton told the TV station. 'Next thing you know he pulled a gun.'

Fulton said Johnson was angry from something that happened when he was staying at the facility.

'He just started saying, "You ruined my life," then he proceeded to stab individuals and assault individuals,' Fulton said.

The center says it provides care and support for people and communities dealing with behavioral, mental health, substance abuse and developmental issues.

Its executive director, Fran Sheedy Bost, described Friday's incident as a 'hostage situation'.
Keith Vaz leaving the Pullman Hotel at the Labour Party Conference in September

Keith Vaz is being investigated by police over drug allegations, it has been revealed.

The disgraced Labour MP is at the centre of a police probe which opened on Thursday, after Metropolitan Police were asked to look into drug use at a party with male escorts exposed by the Sunday Mirror.

The Mirror today revealed that Met Police opened an investigation this week into Mr Vaz.

A spokesman for the London force said: 'Following allegations in the Sunday Mirror on Sunday, September 4 concerning a Member of Parliament, the Metropolitan Police Service received a letter on Wednesday, September 7 requesting police consider the matter.

'The letter was forwarded to the Special Enquiry Team, part of Specialist Crime and Operations, who started an assessment process to identify what criminal offences - if any - may have been committed.

'Following that assessment, which included obtaining early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, the MPS is now investigating offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

'The investigation started on Thursday, 10 November.'

Keith Vaz, above at the Labour Party conference, is at the centre of a police investigation after a party where he discussed drugs with two rent boys

The Labour MP was forced to resign from his high profile job as chair of the Home Affairs Committee in September after the Sunday newspaper published footage of Mr Vaz allegedly paying boys for sex and offering to buy drugs.

Mr Vaz was filmed at his flat with two Eastern European rent boys last month. He told the young men he was a washing machine salesman called 'Jim'.

The married father of two casually discussed drugs, unprotected sex and money with the male escorts, unaware that their conversation was being secretly recorded.

It put him in an impossible position to carry on as chair of the powerful home affairs committee, which is due to publish a long-awaited report into prostitution.

Mr Bridgen's letter, to Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, said: 'I write to you following the recent allegations in the Sunday Mirror dated 4th September 2016 that Keith Vaz paid escorts for sex in his flat in Edgware.

'The report and associated video suggests a conspiracy to supply a controlled substance.

'I would also question whether Mr Vaz has breached Misconduct in Public Office laws with what has been reported.

'I would urge you to consider examining the report and requesting a transcript from the Sunday Mirror of the incident to establish if there has been any breach of the law.

'I also believe that Mr Vaz is or has been under investigation recently by Leicestershire Police and would urge you to contact the Chief Constable Simon Cole to assess whether there is any link between any of the potential offences.'

A letter was written to the Met Police to ask them to investigate Mr Vaz, above, and officers began assessing whether an investigation should be launched

Almost the only political figure to speak in support of Mr Vaz was Ken Livingstone - who took to the airwaves to insist there would be no problem with him chairing an inquiry into prostitution.

Mr Vaz has faced a series of controversies during his career, but managed to cling on to his seat.

He was one of a handful of MPs to publicly defend Greville Janner against allegations of sex abuse, and in 2009 he was criticised over expenses spent on his Westminster flat when his family home was just 12 miles away.

He has also been investigated by the parliamentary commissioner for standards, though the inquiry ran into a wall when Mr Vaz  who denied wrongdoing  refused to co-operate, and most complaints were not upheld.
School in Adelaide in trouble over hook up wall

An elite all-girls school is under fire for allowing senior students to objectify young men they had been involved with sexually or romantically.

Staff at the Wilderness School in Adelaide, South Australia, allowed Year 12 girls to create a collage of young men in their lives they had 'hooked up with' and deemed the exercise as 'innocent and acceptable'.

It wasn't until the young women decided to publish the photos online in a slideshow  complete with degrading comments - that staff acted, The Advertiser reported.

A sample of the collage which was made by the year 12 girls at the elite school

The young women were forced to take the collage down as well as the social media campaign  but some are labelling the delayed action against the blatant sexual objectification as proof of double standards.

One private-school boy said the school knew about the wall of shame for three months but didn't care because it was 'girls doing it to boys'.

'If we did it, there'd be a massive outcry,' he said.

'People think girls can't sexually harass guys so (boys) don't think they can talk about it.'

The wall, which contained photos collected from social media as well as pictures from school formals, was 'considered entirely respectful' prior to the online attack, principal Jane Danvers said.

School principal Jane Danvers said the wall was considered as innocent by staff

Another private school boy told the paper that the girls at the school had been objectifying their romantic conquests throughout the year.

In some cases the girls posted to social media to make fun of boys' appearances and other times they detailed their sexual encounters, according to the boy.

While the mostly private-school boys ignored the intermittent posts through the year they believed the slideshow which clearly identified individual boys was 'a step too far'.

'It's frustrating how the girls treat it as a joke but, if a guy did, it would be objectifying women and promoting rape culture,' he said.
Amazon delivery drivers are under such pressure to meet deadlines on their 11-hour shifts that they have no time for toilet breaks - and use bottles or plastic bags in their vans as emergency lavatories, according to a BBC investigation.

A reporter from the Corporation got a job with a firm called AHC Services, one of a number of agencies which provides drivers for Amazon Logistics in southern England.

In a two-week stint based around the Amazon depot in Avonmouth, Bristol, the investigator said fellow drivers told him they were expected to deliver as many as 200 parcels per day, for which they were paid 110.

His new co-workers admitted they had to 'defecate in bags' and 'urinate in bottles' because they didnt have enough time for toilet breaks.

Amazon delivery drivers are under such pressure to meet deadlines on their 11-hour shifts that they have no time for toilet breaks - and use bottles or plastic bags in their vans as emergency lavatories, according to a BBC investigation

The investigation also claimed that Amazon delivery drivers are having to speed in order to fit in all the firm's deliveries on time.

Those working for the internet shopping giant are regularly working for more than 11 hours a day  the legal limit for delivery drivers  according to the report.

And one driver even admitted speeding at 120mph so they could keep to deadlines, the BBC investigation said.

It also suggested pay could plummet to 2.50 an hour when taking into account the long hours worked, and taking off the cost of van hire and insurance. The minimum wage is 7.20 an hour.

The firm's drivers are officially self-employed so minimum wage legislation does not apply. Amazon has denied it drivers are underpaid or work excessive hours.

But there is growing concern that modern 'gig economy' jobs  typically those created by new internet firms  are exploiting workers who are told they are self-employed simply to keep costs down and profits for shareholders up.

Two 'self-employed' Uber taxi drivers last month won the right to be deemed employees after successfully arguing at a tribunal that in reality they were too busy working for Uber to work anywhere else.

Two 'self-employed' Uber taxi drivers last month won the right to be deemed employees after successfully arguing at a tribunal that in reality they were too busy working for Uber to work anywhere else

And takeaway food couriers delivering meals for Deliveroo are now mounting a similar fight with the aid of the IWGB trade union.

Self-employed drivers are not entitled to the minimum wage or sick or holiday pay.

Amazon denied any wrongdoing and said in a statement that its drivers typically received at least 12 an hour with possible bonuses on top, and that they were expected to comply with traffic laws.
Republican president-elect Donald Trump has said he will not accept a salary for being president.

Questions have swirled concerning what'll happen to Trump's income in the wake of his winning the 2016 US presidential election, CBS News reported on Friday.

Trump said at a September 17, 2015, event in Rochester, New Hampshire: 'The first thing I'm going to do is tell you that if I'm elected president, I'm accepting no salary, okay? That's not a big deal for me.'

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Donald Trump said at a September 17, 2015, event in Rochester, New Hampshire: 'The first thing I'm going to do is tell you that if I'm elected president, I'm accepting no salary, okay? That's not a big deal for me'

Someone on Twitter asked Trump in a Q & A session, a video of which was posted on Trump's Twitter account on September 21, 2015: '@realDonaldTrump, will you forgo the presidential salary if elected?'

Trump answered: 'As far as the salary is concerned  I won't take even one dollar. I am totally giving up my salary if I become president.

In the same video, Trump said he was 'totally self-funding' his campaign and said that he 'won't take money other than the small stuff'.

Trump said in a Twitter Q & A session last September: 'As far as the salary is concerned  I won't take even one dollar. I am totally giving up my salary if I become president'

However, he later started fundraising for both himself and the Republican National Committee, Business Insider pointed out.

As of Friday, Forbes estimates that Trump's net worth is $3.7billion.

Herbert Hoover, who made millions of dollars in mining before becoming president in 1929, and John F. Kennedy, who came from a wealthy family and became president in 1961, both donated their presidential salaries to charity.
She said abusers had targeted her appearance following a TV interview

The 51-year-old said detectives warned her it was unsafe to go outside

Gina Miller, the millionaire businesswoman who brought the legal challenge over Brexit, has said police have told her to avoid public places.

The 51-year-old, who lives in a 7million Chelsea townhouse, said detectives warned her it was unsafe to go outside.

She said abusers had targeted her children following an appearance with Nigel Farage on The Andrew Marr Show last Sunday. Mrs Miller then complained to police who told her to take 'extraordinary' security measures.

Gina Miller said abusers had targeted her children following an appearance with Nigel Farage on The Andrew Marr Show last Sunday (pictured)

Mrs Miller spoke about the police advice during an interview with the Guardian at a lavish private members' club in Mayfair. When the journalist asked if they could move to another location as photography was banned at the club, Mrs Miller refused, saying: 'It isn't safe for me to go outside.'

Mrs Miller, a former model, had received death threats since dragging the Government to court over its attempt to enact Brexit on the strength of the poll result alone without consulting Parliament.

Gina Miller outside the High Court

She said she did not take the threats seriously at first because 'they're kind of normal nowadays'.

But discussing the abuse aimed at her family following her TV appearance, she added: 'It felt surreal. I thought: I did a court case about preserving the rule of law and the British constitution, and now on a Sunday afternoon I'm walking into a police station.'

The police told her to send her husband and children home 'because I'd be there for hours. They're taking it very seriously'.

Mrs Miller is now running her business from a VIP club, telling the Guardian: 'We knew it would be bad. But nothing like this, obviously. It's bullying of the worst degree, and I'm not going to let them win. This is not the society we have to live in. If anything, all this has proved, more than anything, is that I have to do this.'
Tesco refused to allow Laura Leeks, 34, free parking as she bought formula milk. She cannot breastfeed her son for medical reasons

Supermarkets are refusing to give free parking and reward points to parents who buy formula milk.

The little-known rule emerged when a Tesco store refused to validate a mother's parking ticket.

Laura Leeks, who cannot breastfeed her son for medical reasons, was denied the discount because she had shopped solely for formula milk.

Tesco cited a public health law banning promotions on the product, saying discounts were also banned on cigarettes.

Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose have similar policies and purchases of baby milk do not count toward reward schemes such as Clubcard or Nectar.

The rules were brought in by the Department of Health which last night blamed Brussels. 'The rules are in place because of EU regulations,' said a spokesman. 'We have voted to leave the EU, and it may well be that the law can be changed.'

A spokesman for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service said Mrs Leeks's treatment was shocking. 'What this story illustrates is that the mantra "breast is always best" takes us to a place where a woman with a poorly baby can't get a free parking space in her local supermarket,' he added.

'Formula milk is not the same as fags. We really need to challenge some of the stigma around formula milk, which is enforced by these kind of regulations.

'Women are not stupid, and are unlikely to ditch breastfeeding and switch to formula on the basis of loyalty points or free parking.'

Mrs Leeks, whose son is four months old, had bought only formula at a branch in Braintree, Essex, and was therefore denied a parking voucher. Tesco staff told her the chain supported breastfeeding and could not 'endorse formula-feeding by rewarding customers'

Many stores offer free parking, or a parking refund, to customers who spend a minimum amount.

This counts as a promotion  something not allowed on formula milk under the 2007 Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations.

Mrs Leeks, 34, whose son is four months old, had bought only formula at a branch in Braintree, Essex, and was therefore denied a parking voucher. Tesco staff told her the chain supported breastfeeding and could not 'endorse formula-feeding by rewarding customers'.

Many stores offer free parking, or a parking refund, to customers who spend a minimum amount. This counts as a promotion  something not allowed on formula milk under the 2007 Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations

Breast milk is regarded as hugely beneficial, with proven advantages for children including a stronger immune system, stronger digestive system and lower risk of obesity.

The NHS suggests that women should feed their babies exclusively with breast milk until they are at least six months old, and then continue breastfeeding for as long as possible while gradually introducing other food.

But not all mothers can breastfeed and those who rely on formula milk include women who take certain medications, or are being treated for cancer, or those whose children simply struggle to breastfeed.

Conservative MP James Cleverly said: 'It does worry me that, in our desire to promote better infant health, we make a new mother feel very guilty. I hope that in future we can all be a little bit more flexible and accommodating with something like that.'

HOW DARE THEY TELL ME FORMULA MILK IS AS BAD AS SMOKING Laura Leeks was stunned when Tesco implied buying baby milk was as bad as smoking. The 34-year-old expected her parking voucher to be validated as usual when she popped into the store in Braintree, Essex, to buy powdered formula for her son. But, as she did not buy anything else, she was told she could not have her free parking. Mrs Leeks wrote on Tescos Facebook page: I was advised by your customer services team that they could not issue me with a parking voucher as I had only bought baby formula. On further questioning I was advised that Tesco supports breastfeeding and cannot endorse formula-feeding by rewarding customers. They reported they also do not endorse smoking therefore do not issue parking vouchers if you buy tobacco. I am delighted that you as a company support breastfeeding. However, I cannot accept that your policies lead to your staff shaming women who, for whatever reason, are using baby formula. I also cannot accept the comparison of formula feeding with the harmful effects of smoking. Mrs Leeks said her four-month-old son could not breastfeed  and was lucky to be alive after he stopped breathing at home when he was 15 days old. Mrs Leeks and her husband James managed to resuscitate him but he had to spend two weeks on a life-support machine in a critical condition before having surgery on his heart. He could not tolerate the high-fat content of breast milk, she said, and when they later tried to re-establish breastfeeding it was too stressful for him. Mrs Leeks added that she did not need to be guilt-tripped by a Tesco employee who has absolutely no knowledge of my circumstances. Advertisement

Other mothers gave their support on social media, with Tara Hammer writing: 'That's appalling. It's great they support breastfeeding but they don't need to demonise formula-feeding to do it. They say they support healthy eating yet I bet they would still validate a parking ticket if you bought 5 worth of chocolate or cakes.'

Nicola Fleury said: 'A fed baby is a happy baby. No one has the right whatsoever to pass judgment on how you decide to feed your child.'

Emma Pickett, of the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, added: 'The law was a bit of a blunt tool here. It's unfortunate this mother feels she was victimised in that moment of crisis with someone who was unsympathetic.

'The law is about protecting large groups of people from being manipulated by large companies. In this particular case if the mother had a baby with a health condition then it would nice if there was a way for her to have some individual understanding in law.'

A spokesman for Tesco said: 'We always strive to provide the best possible service for our customers and we understand Mrs Leeks's request. However, due to UK law we cannot promote baby formula in any way, including the offering of a parking voucher.'

Yesterday the Daily Mail sent reporters to test the policy at supermarkets around Britain. At the giant Tesco branch in Walsall, a sign outside tells shoppers they 'will receive a free parking voucher with a 5 minimum spend'. But a sign in the baby aisle warns: 'Baby milk products are excluded from the car park minimum spend.'

At the checkout, sales assistant Keeley rang up a 3.20 pack of formula product Aptamil and said: 'The baby milk doesn't count towards your total spend. I don't know why. It's the same with the lottery.'

But at a nearby Morrisons, a 10.87 tub of Aptamil baby milk was included in the minimum spend total at the till and a refund of 1, marked as a car park voucher, was clearly shown on the receipt.

Sainsbury's said yesterday: 'Due to Government legislation, we're unable to include infant formula in any of our in-store or online promotions.' Morrisons said that it did not offer rewards on infant milk or formula.

The law prohibits 'special sales' or 'any other special activity' by a retailer to promote the buying of an infant formula.

Examples include multi packs, reward schemes, buy-one-get-one-free deals or price cuts. The Department of Health spokesman said the rules might be a contender for being axed under the Great Repeal Bill.

This aims to end the European Union's legal supremacy in the UK by converting all its requirements into British law.
HMAS was deployed as part of an operation to counter terrorism

Pip Garvey was shocked but accepted the proposal after he landed

He asked her to 'seas the moment' on a banner from the upper deck

A sailor, 24, made the moment memorable by proposing to his girlfriend

HMAS Perth returned following a six-month deployment in the Middle East

A sailor has managed to leave an impressionable moment on his girlfriend upon his return home with a spectacular proposal.

HMAS Perth docked into Fleet Base West following a six-month deployment in the Middle East as part of an operation to counter terrorism and the drug trade.

Cameron Duggan, 24, was ecstatic to return home as he stood next to an unfurled banner from the upper deck to ask Pip Garvey to marry him.

Cameron Duggan, 24, proposed to his girlfriend as the HMAS Perth docked into Fleet Base West following a six-month deployment

'Pip,' the banner said.

'I've been away for so long. I think it's time to seas the moment.

'Avast you to marry me?

'(I did yacht sea that coming did you?)'

The array of puns written across his bed sheet convinced Ms Garvey to say yes.

It took around 20 minutes for Mr Duggan to reach dry land before being able to personally ask her the question.

But as soon as he made it down on one knee, Ms Garvey was more than happy to say yes.

The banner hung of the upper deck asked 'Pip' to 'seas the moment' and become his wife

The 191 men and women on board HMAS Perth were serving in Operation Manitou.

Lt James Knight was part of the crew eager to find his wife among the crowd waiting to see their loved ones.

'It's honestly surreal to be back,' Lt Knight said.

'You build up to it so much in your mind about what it's going to be like.

'You've just got this sense of excitement about coming home and spending time with your partner who you've missed so much.'

This was the first time HMAS Perth was deployed to the Middle East.

Since leaving Rockingham on June 7 it patrolled more than 25,000 nautical miles.
Rallies have been planned all the way to Inauguration Day on January 20 and could continue afterwards

Trump supporters showed up at several rallies Friday with signs reading messages such as 'Stop crying!'

Protesters gathered in New York including at Trump Tower and held a rally in Washington Square

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Anti-Donald Trump protesters were confronted by riot police who used tear gas and flash bangs in Portland, Oregon, on Friday night as demonstrations continued, three nights after the billionaire was sensationally elected president.

Protesters gathered for a rally intended to be a peaceful demonstration after the previous night's unrest. Police in riot gear began by watching the event closely and eventually had a standoff with protesters who converged at an intersection and didn't move even though police told them the activity amounted to unlawful assembly.

The protest stayed peaceful for the first part of the evening but grew tense later in the evening. Police ordered a dispersion on Fourth Avenue after burning projectiles were thrown at officers.

Police arrested 11 people in New York after they marched from Washington Square Park to Trump Tower in Midtown after a day of peaceful rallies.

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People try to move away from a gas cloud during a protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump in Portland, Oregon

Police used stun grenades, rubber bullets, and CS gas to disperse the protesters who refused to leave the area in Portland, Oregon

Protesters angry over Trump's election were involved in a standoff with police in Portland, Oregon

Protesters in Portland, Oregon faced police in riot gear Friday night during a rally intended to be a peaceful demonstration after the previous night's unrest

A demonstrator holds up cartridges during a protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States in Portland, Oregon on Friday

A protester stood on the street behind a line of police officers in riot gear as part of Friday's protest in Portland, Oregon

Demonstrators hold up placards during a protest against Donald Trump's US presidential election victory, at City Hall in Portland on Friday

Protesters, some of whom were wearing masks, were involved in a stand-off with police as they showed their anger following Donald Trump's election as US President

Demonstrators lined up in Portland Friday night (pictured) as they went through with their rally to protest Trump's election

The angry protest followed the election of Republican candidate Donald Trump in this week's Presidential election

Protesters had a standoff with police in Portland Friday night as they protested the election of Trump as president (pictured)

Hundreds of protesters traveled through downtown Portland streets Friday night while others converged at an intersection, not budging as police told them the activity amounted to unlawful assembly. One protester is pictured Friday

A protester angry about President-elect Donald Trump stands in front of a line of police, who used stun grenades, rubber bullets and CS gas to disperse the crowds gathered in Portland, Oregon

Police used rubber bullets, stun grenades and CS gas as a large group of protesters gathered outside City Hall in Portland, Oregon, to protests against Donald Trump's election as US president

Large numbers of police were deployed to deal with the protest in Portland, Oregon, on Friday night

One protester in Portland vowed on a sign not to 'bow down to ignorance and hatred' during Friday night's protest

Police arrested 11 people in New York after they marched from Washington Square Park to Trump Tower in Midtown after a day of peaceful rallies. One of them is pictured being arrested

Anti-Trump protesters continued marching in Manhattan on Friday evening. Some are pictured on Fifth Avenue

Thousands of people marched through Manhattan to protest against Donald Trump being President-Elect

Anti-Trump demonstrators also gathered in Chicago, Illinois Friday (pictured) to protest against Trump's election

Chicago protesters held signs supporting trans rights as they gathered Friday night and marched downtown

One demonstrator held a sign in Chicago with Trump's portrait and the word 'bigot' while marching downtown

A protester is arrested in Manhattan on Friday, where thousands of people made their feelings clear about Trump's election as President of the USA

Anti-Trump rallies entered their fourth day Friday as demonstrators across the country kept disavowing the president-elect. Pictured, a protester marches in Manhattan

In New York, protesters gathered at Trump Tower in Midtown and 1,200 rallied in Washington Square Friday afternoon. Some of them are pictured marching through Manhattan

Anti-Trump protesters kept expressing their disagreement against the new president-elect on Friday all across the country. Demonstrators are pictured Friday marching through Manhattan

Protesters in New York marched through Manhattan Friday (pictured) to keep disavowing new president-elect Trump

Several protesters in New York had signs reading 'Not my president' as they marched through Manhattan Friday (a group is pictured crossing West 42 Street)

Clinton won the state of New York during the presidential election. Many seemed to disagree with the outcome of the election as hundreds of protesters marched in Manhattan Friday (pictured)

'Love trumps hate' was one of the slogans that appeared on protesters' signs Friday as they kept making their voices heard in New York City (pictured) and all around the country

Some in New York City's Union Square subway station took a softer approach Friday by filling a wall with messages on sticky notes (pictured). Some messages were conciliatory and expressed hope that both sides would come together

A little girl drew a heart on a sticky note during a peaceful movement Friday in New York City's Union Square station

Protesters in New York for the fourth day gathered at Trump Tower in Midtown and 1,200 rallied in Washington Square Friday afternoon.

They marched in Manhattan while carrying signs that read: 'We go high they go low', 'Love is love' and 'Not my president'.

Later that day, officers arrested 11 people as about 1,000 walked in direction of Trump Tower, the New York Daily News reported. They have been charged with disorderly conduct.

In Miami, Florida, university students staged a peaceful march in the afternoon and hundreds began walking across the city at 6 pm. A bottle was thrown from a building while protesters were marching across the city and an 11-year-old girl was hit.

Demonstrations have been planned all the way until Inauguration Day on January 20, but protest leaders have warned their fight could continue for a long time after that.

Organizers in Portland announced on Facebook there would be a peaceful rally from 5 pm at Portland City Hall.

The rally, according to the organizers, would be a chance to discuss how to repair the damage done to the city Thursday night, when a peaceful protest of 4,000 people was disrupted and escalated into a riot.

The protest near City Hall in Portland remained peaceful early Friday evening. Riot police were at the scene and officers urged protesters to follow a designated route, KATV reported.

Portland police told motorists on Twitter not to engage with protesters if they encountered them. They were advised to stay in their vehicles, remain calm and let the protest pass.

A woman punched a man in front of police officers, disrupting the peaceful rally, OregonLive reporter Alan Brettman said on Twitter. She appeared to have been removed from the protest.

The atmosphere grew tenser later Friday evening when officers used flash bang grenades, according to Brettman. A witness said bottles were thrown.

Police then urged protesters to leave the road and get on the sidewalks. Officers pushed the crowd and asked demonstrators to move. More flash bang grenades exploded.

Portland police tweeted that protesters on Fourth Avenue had to disperse immediately or be subjected to arrest. They warned they would use tear gas if demonstrators failed to comply and reminded those on Twitter that first-aid for those sprayed with tear gas was fresh air and water.

The dispersion was ordered after burning projectiles were thrown at officers, police added. Brettman confirmed on Twitter that tear gas had been used.

Protesters also marched in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday against the election of Trump. Some are pictured in the evening

Police told protesters to get out of the street (pictured) as they marched against the election of Trump as president Friday

Hundreds of protesters began walking at 6:20 pm in Miami, Florida (pictured). Another protest was scheduled at Miami Beach's Trump Plaza on Friday

Anti-Trump rallies took place across the nation on Friday as some protested Trump's election for the fourth night in a row. Pictured, protesters march in Miami

Hundreds of demonstrators began walking across Miami, Florida at 6 pm (some of them are pictured). Some reported that bottles had been thrown from a condo during the protest

A man wore a white 'Make American great again' hat and wrapped himself in a US flag as he attended the anti-Trump protest that saw hundreds of protesters gather in downtown Miami Friday

'She got more votes': One protester in downtown Miami reminded the crowd that Clinton won the popular vote

Protesters march in the street to demonstrate against the election of President-elect Donald Trump in Atlanta

Other protesters in Miami called Trump a 'bigot' and one held a sign reading: 'Unidos contra el odio' ('united against hate')

A Trump supporter came to the anti-Trump rally in West Palm Beach, Florida Friday holding a Trump sign with the words: 'Stop crying!) (pictured)

Hundreds of students from at least five different Minneapolis high schools walked out of class and marched Friday afternoon to protest against Trump's election and the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Star Tribune reported.

High school students also walked out of class and rallied in Iowa City Friday, KCRG wrote.

Other demonstrators and college students joined the rally and all marched to Interstate 80, blocking traffic until police dispersed the protest.

Demonstrators marched in downtown Atlanta, Georgia for the third night straight on Friday evening. A witness said on Twitter that protesters had hopped over fences trying to get on the interstate and shared a video of a US flag being burnt.

Hundreds of high school students also protested Friday in Omaha, Nebraska.

Students at the University Of Miami organized a peaceful march Friday afternoon on their Coral Gables campus.

'We are devastated by the results of the election and we, as people of color, women, LGBTQ, immigrants, minorities at this university, we're standing up and making our voices heard,' one student told WSVN.

Hundreds of protesters began walking at 6:20 pm from Bayfront Park. Another protest was scheduled to start around the same time in West Palm Beach and 300 were planning to demonstrate at Miami Beach's Trump Plaza.

A glass bottle appeared to have been thrown from a condo building during the otherwise peaceful anti-Trump protest in Miami.

An 11-year-old girl named Aaliyana Smith was hit on the leg. 'The bottom went straight onto my leg bone and then it hit the ground. And it really hurt,' Aaliyana told CBS Miami.

A protest also took place in Fort Worth, Texas, where a Trump supporter came with a confederate flag. Police separated him from the protesters and led him away.

'Not my f****** president': One protester in Philadelphia Friday clearly disavowed the new Republican president-elect

A woman marched in Philadelphia Friday holding a sign that read: 'P***y grabs back' - a response to Trump's lewd comments about grabbing women by the p***y

Another protester in Philadelphia held a sign reading: 'F*** Trump' as demonstrators rallied in the city Friday evening

Students from at least five Minneapolis high schools walked out of class Friday afternoon and marched against Trump and the Dakota Access Pipeline. Some of them are pictured

High school students in Minneapolis were among many of their peers who staged walkouts and rallies on Friday. Some of them are pictured in Minneapolis with a sign reading #Notmyprez

The rally organized Friday by high school students in Minneapolis was meant to express their disagreement against both the election of Trump and the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline

In Dallas, Texas, 100 people gathered for an anti-Trump protest Friday evening. Three Trump supporters were pictured by Fox4'sAlex Boyer counter-protesting with signs reading: 'You are cry babies [sic]', 'Get over it' and 'Trump won'.

A protestor smashed a Hooters window later in the evening, Boyer reported in a tweet.

Hundreds marched in Orlando, Florida chanting phrases such as: 'Donald Trump go away. Racist, sexist, anti-gay!'

One Trump supporter showed up to the rally with a bullhorn and shouted: 'Trump's the president! Get over it!' the Orlando Sentinel wrote.

About 1,400 people gathered in Boston, Massachusetts for a 'love rally' organized in response to Trump's election, according to Patch Boston.

A Facebook page for the event describes it as a peace rally aimed at showing Muslims, women, Latinos, the LGBTQ community, disabled people, those who cannot afford healthcare and any minorities that some support and love them.

In Dallas, Texas, three Trump supporters came to an anti-Trump rally and taunted protesters with signs reading 'You are cry babies', 'Trump won' and 'Get over it' (pictured)

In Fort Worth, Texas, a small group protested outside the courthouse (pictured. One of them held a sign revamping Trump's campaign slogan, 'Make America great again', into 'Make America racist again'

Some protesters in Fort Worth urged the electoral college to honor the popular vote on Friday (pictured). Clinton won the popular vote and these protesters would like to see her elected instead of Trump

One sign in Fort Worth urged the electoral college to vote by conscience as protesters gathered at the courthouse Friday

A protest also took place in Fort Worth, Texas, where a Trump supporter came with a confederate flag (pictured). The man later said he was assaulted and police took him across the street

The Trump supporter holding a confederate flag (pictured) also held a sign reading: 'Si Trump puede!' ('Yes Trump can' in Spanish.) Police separated him from the small group outside the courthouse in Fort Worth

The crowd looked on as a Trump supporter came to the anti-Trump rally in Fort Worth Friday holding a confederate flag

Burlington, Vermont saw a peaceful protest of 200 people on Friday afternoon. Another rally was scheduled for the evening, the Burlington Free Press reported.

Protests also carried on in Eugene, Oregon and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Oregon went to Clinton during the election whereas Trump won Pennsylvania.

A Los Angeles police officer meanwhile had his pistol stolen during a fight Thursday night with a woman who attacked him with his handcuffs, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. Officers were after a group of about 20 people who had just broken off from a large anti-Trump protest.

Activists around the country are starting to prepare for what they hope will be the nation's strongest protests since the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Rallies scheduled for Saturday in New York and Los Angeles, and a protest planned for Washington on January 20, when Trump succeeds President Barack Obama, will be just the beginning, activists said in a series of interviews.

The Reverend Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader from New York, said anti-Trump protesters should borrow a page from the playbook that Republicans used to oppose Obama's policies.

That movement started organically, later developed as the Tea Party movement and eventually resulted in the election of Trump, said Sharpton, whose National Action Network plans to launch a new organizing effort at its New York headquarters on Saturday.

'We are not going to be as ugly as them, but we are going to be just as persistent,' Sharpton said. 'This is not going away.'

Protests sprung up this week in about a dozen major US cities, including Boston, Baltimore and San Francisco. Demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, and Berkeley, California, turned violent, with protesters setting fires and clashing with police.

Trump initially dismissed the crowds on Twitter, calling them 'professional protesters, incited by the media,' but later reversed course, saying he admired their 'passion.'

Protesters also gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - a state that gave Trump 20 electoral votes during the election. One of them is pictured Friday with a 'love trumps hate' sign

One demonstrator in Philadelphia Friday brought a sign reading 'Silence is acceptance' to the anti-Trump rally

Natashia Greene with the University of Oregon Black Student Union spoke about worries for her safety since the election of Trump to the presidency during a Black Lives Matter rally at the university in Eugene, Oregon on Friday (pictured)

TJ Wells, who had volunteered to work for Democrat Hillary Clinton's failed presidential campaign, said his decision to organize a Thursday night protest at Washington's Trump International Hotel near the White House was spontaneous.

'I literally shared it with a few friends, and within a few hours I had a couple hundred people show up,' said Wells, who is 27 and lives in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, Maryland, where he works in human resources.

He said he hoped it would be the first of many such demonstrations.

'From Inauguration Day to the time he's out of office, we have to make sure that if there's something he's going to pass that the majority of Americans who voted for Hillary Clinton are not OK with, that we are forceful about that,' Wells said.

The election saw 59.5 million people vote for Trump - fewer than the 59.7 million who cast ballots for Clinton. But Trump's strong showing in swing states, including Michigan, earned him a decisive victory in the Electoral College that ultimately picks the president.
A father and son lived a life of luxury while conning more than 50 victims into bogus investment schemes - stealing a total of 5million.

Keith Wharton and his son Lee, both of Leeds, West Yorkshire, spent much of the stolen money on yachts and luxury cars - while their investors lost life savings, pensions and ended up living in poverty.

The 60-year-old father was the ringleader in a series of frauds - including one which involved potential investors flying out to Panama for a seminar entitled 'Secrets of the Super Rich'.

Jailing the gang to a total of 34 years, a judge told the Whartons: 'You cheated people out of their money which was hard earned.

Keith Wharton (left) and his son Lee (right), both of Leeds, West Yorkshire, spent much of the stolen money on yachts and luxury cars - while their investors lost life savings, pensions and ended up living in poverty

'You have left behind a trail of personal and financial ruin while you sunned yourselves on your yachts in Spain or drove Aston Martins, Lamborghinis or Maseratis.'

Keith Wharton masterminded the scams, which took place over an eight-year period.

In one scam, he managed to convince people to put money in a land scheme based in Panama after claiming to be a commercial property 'guru' and a billionaire.

He told those who invested their money in land through a syndicate that they could double their money within 12 months.

Prosecutor Andrew Haslam told Leeds Crown Court, West Yorks., that there were over 30 investors in the Panama land fraud and they invested a total of 2.8million.

He added: 'None of them received any return on their investment. Indeed, nobody even received their investment back. None of it went to buy land in Panama. Instead, Keith and Lee Wharton used it to fund their lavish lifestyles.'

Leeds-based solicitor Stephen Pickard (above) aided in the deception. He 'put up a barrier' to stop investors getting their money back

The court heard one victim, a piano teacher from London, invested 230,000 in the scheme and lost everything.

Wharton was helped in the deception by Leeds-based solicitor Stephen Pickard, who 'put up a barrier' to stop investors getting their money back.

Pickard - described by the sentencing judge as Wharton's 'right hand man' - threatened victims with legal action if they continued to try to contact Wharton to get their money back.

Wharton also led other frauds with the help of financial adviser Simon Kippax.

Kippax introduced Michael Massingberd, a retired bussinessman from Yorkshire, to Wharton in 2009 with the promise that he would be offered 100 per cent protection on an investment that would guarantee him a 300 per cent return in just 12 weeks.

The court heard Mr Massingberd also knew Pickard well as he worked for a well-regarded local firm of solicitors.

Mr Massingberd lost 1.1million on his investment in the scheme.

In another offence Wharton duped victim Gary Gordon to invest in a scheme after convincing him he had worked for Merrill Lynch, the major wealth management firm based in New York.

Mr Gordon's money was paid into an account controlled by Wharton's son.

Wharton also headed other illegal investment schemes in which investors lost sums totalling 1.7million and 563,000.

Judge Guy Kearl, QC, said many of the victims had been left in poverty as a result of the offending.

Others had been left suffering from anxiety and depression and it had caused relationships to break down.

Keith Wharton was jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to five offences of fraud by false representation.

The other men were found guilty of offences after a trial which lasted five months.

Lee Wharton, 34, who lives in the same apartment block as his father, was jailed for seven years for concealing criminal property.

Pickard, 66, of Harrogate, North Yorks., was jailed for eight years for two offences of fraud by false representation and concealing criminal property.
Liz Truss has defended the right of newspapers to question rulings by judges, saying it is a vital component of democracy.

The Lord Chancellor said that while it was right to say that an independent judiciary is a cornerstone of the rule of law, this did not mean they should be free from criticism.

She said it was not her role to police headlines, and said it would be a dark day for democracy if that changed.

Miss Truss faced criticism last week for allegedly not doing enough to defend the judiciary following the High Court ruling that Theresa May would have to seek Parliamentary sanction before she starts divorce proceedings with the EU.

Lord Chancellor Liz Truss has defended the right of newspapers to question rulings by judges

Senior politicians and a number of newspapers reacted with anger to the ruling.

The Lord Chancellor spoke out after one of her predecessors, Labours Lord Falconer, called on her to be sacked.

In her reply to this in the Times, Miss Truss said the independent judiciary was robust enough to withstand attack by the newspapers.

An independent judiciary is the cornerstone of the rule of law, vital to our constitution and freedoms, she wrote.

It is my duty as Lord Chancellor to defend that independence. I swore to do so under my oath of office. I take that very seriously and I will always do so.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton, QC, says that judges should rightly fear for their independence due to my not condemning the reaction of some newspapers to the Brexit ruling.

I think it unlikely the High Court is imperilled by the opinions of any newspaper.

The Lord Chancellor said the freedom of the press was also an important principle that was at stake in the debate.

I believe in a free press, where newspapers are free to publish, within the law, their views, she said. It is not the job of the government or lord chancellor to police headlines, and it would be a dark day for democracy if that changed.

She called the three judges who ruled on the case people of integrity and impartiality, as are the 11 supreme court justices who will hear the appeal.

Last week Nigel Farage said the Lord Chief Justice should have absented him from the Brexit decision because he had founded a Europhile organisation.

One of Miss Truss' predecessors, Labours Lord Falconer, had called for her to be sacked

The Ukip leader said Lord Justice Thomas should not have ruled on the case because he had set up the European Law Institute, a club of lawyers and academics aiming to improve EU law.

He said activist judges like him should not have been involved. Lord Justice Thomas was also president of the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary for two years.

Speaking on the BBCs Andrew Marr show, Mr Farage said: When you look at Lord Justice Thomas you see that actually he was the founding member of a body seeking to integrate law at an EU level.

Surely, with that background, he should have absented himself from this particular case.

The Ukip leader added: Im afraid that the reach of the European Union into the upper echelons of society in this country that makes it quite difficult for us to trust the judgements.
Fled prison: Michael 'Skull Cracker' Wheatley

Killers, sex offenders and violent criminals are to be let out of jail to celebrate Christmas with their families.

Nearly 1,000 convicts were allowed to walk free mid-sentence for a festive break last year  with a similar number set to be let loose next month.

Campaigners say it is a kick in the teeth for victims and their relatives if those who have committed some of the most serious crimes  including murder and rape  are released.

Under the controversial 'release on temporary licence' (ROTL) scheme, convicts are let out of open prison unsupervised as part of their rehabilitation. It is supposed to prepare them for an eventual return to normal life.

But Rose Dixon, of SAMM (Support After Murder And Manslaughter), a charity which supports the families of those killed, was furious at the revelations.

She said: 'It beggars belief because you are letting killers out, I just find it incredible.

'It is very offensive for bereaved families. They are sitting there at Christmas time with an empty chair around the table where their loved one should be.

'Their loved ones can't come home for Christmas, and so why should these people be allowed home to spend it with their families?'

Statistics uncovered by Conservative MP Philip Davies showed 973 inmates were on day release on Christmas Day last year.

Some 61 murderers were allowed to walk free for up to a week, while another 139 violent offenders were released on temporary licence.

Statistics uncovered by Conservative MP Philip Davies (pictured) showed 973 inmates were on day release on Christmas Day last year. They included 10 behind bars for sexual offences

They included at least 14 inmates behind bars for causing death or injury by dangerous or careless driving, 84 convicted of serious assault, five jailed for attempted murder and 12 serving sentences for manslaughter.

Ten of them were behind bars for sexual offences, 66 for robbery, 32 for possessing weapons and 441 for dealing drugs.

In 2014, more than 1,300 prisoners were freed for Christmas Day. The figures were released by the Ministry of Justice only after Mr Davies tabled a series of parliamentary questions on the issue.

Last night he called on the Ministry of Justice to stop allowing prisoners out over the Christmas period, regardless of how little of their sentence remains.

Mr Davies, who sits on the Commons justice select committee, said: 'How on Earth must the victim's family feel when their family member will never be able to be home for Christmas again.

How on Earth must the victim's family feel when their family member will never be able to be home for Christmas again. When murderers are given special dispensation to go home for Christmas, who knows what they must think? MP Philip Davies

'When murderers are given special dispensation to go home for Christmas, who knows what they must think?

'They must be absolutely appalled. Being sent to jail is meant to be a punishment, yet nearly 1,000 criminals are being released to enjoy their roast turkey and Christmas pudding. That's not what prison is there for.'

The scheme came under the spotlight in May 2014 when violent convict Michael 'Skull Cracker' Wheatley fled from an open prison and raided a building society  taking 18,350  before being caught five days later.

Wheatley had been granted day release from Standford Hill prison on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent but failed to return.

He was jailed for life after pleading guilty to the robbery in Sunbury, Surrey, as well as possessing a firearm and being unlawfully at large.

Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah said that particular care was taken in deciding which inmates were allowed out at Christmas.

He said 'Public protection is our priority. All offenders must meet strict criteria and pass a full-risk assessment before being considered for ROTL.

'ROTL is used to prepare prisoners for their eventual release from custody and helps them build and maintain family ties, which is proven to help reduce re-offending.

'Consideration will therefore be given to allowing eligible prisoners to take ROTL that coincides with family celebrations and religious holidays of particular significance, including Christmas.'
of a president like him and he said: 'You'd be in jail.'

His rallies saw crowds chant 'lock her up'; in one debate she questioned the

Donald Trump raised doubts over his pledge to appoint a special prosecutor to go after Hillary Clinton on Friday by ducking a question about the issue.

The president-elect was asked about the high-profile campaign promise in his first interview since he was elected.

But he told the Wall Street Journal: 'It's not something I've given a lot of thought, because I want to solve health care, jobs, border control, tax reform.'

Any move away from the pledge would be a significant shift from his election platform - and from the part of it which appeared to most energize supporters at his rallies.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Interviews: Trump was interviewed for the first time since he was elected by the Wall Street Journal and by Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes which will air on Sunday

Off scot free? If a special prosecutor is not appointed, Clinton is not currently under investigation for her emails. The status of the FBI's other Clinton investigation, into the family's Clinton Foundation, is unclear

Energized: Chants of lock her up echoed around arenas where Trump held rallies

The pledge for a special prosecutor was first made in August when Trump told a rally in Akron, Ohio, neither the FBI nor the Justice Department could be trusted because they 'whitewashed Hillary Clinton's email crimes.

He doubled down on the pledge in the debates and used it for one of the most telling blows he laid on her during them.

The First Family elect also sat down for a 60 Minutes interview which will air on Sunday.

Donald Jr, Eric, Tiffany, Melania and Ivanka - wearing a $1,595 Michael Kors dress - sat down for a chat with Lesley Stahl for what will be there first interview, as a family, since Trump's victory.

During the interview, Trump praised the Clinton family and revealed both Hillary and Bill phoned him in the hours after the results came in.

'So, Hillary called, and it was a lovely call, and it was a tough call for her, I mean, I can imagine. Tougher for her than it would have been for me. I mean, for me, it would have been very, very difficult.

'She couldn't have been nicer. She just said, 'Congratulations, Donald, well done.'And I said, 'I want to thank you very much; you were a great competitor.' She is very strong and very smart.'

Bill Clinton, Trump said, 'couldn't have been more gracious. He said it was an amazing run. One of the most amazing he's ever seen. He was very, very, really, very nice.'

At the second debate, in St Louis, Missouri, he said: 'If I win Im going to instruct the attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation because theres never been so many lies, so much deception.

'People have been, their lives have been destroyed for doing one fifth of what youve done.'

Clinton's response only made it worse for her. When she said 'It's just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law of our country' he jumped in: 'Because youd be in jail.'

On Wednesday and Thursday Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York mayor who is now one of the president-elect's closest advisers suggested that moves to parson Clinton in advance would be wrong.

'President Obama should leave it to the system we all believe in to determine if she's innocent or if she's guilty,' Giuliani argued as he spoke to Fox News' Bill O'Reilly.

The next morning on 'Fox & Friends' he suggested an Obama pardon for Clinton would 'seal Obama's legacy of being one of the worst presidents.'

Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, said the 'two traditions' the country has that are 'sort of in conflict with each other.'

'One is we try to get over the anger and everything else about an election after it's over and put it behind us,' Giuliani said.

'And I don't like to see America become a country in which we prosecute people about politics,' he added.

'On the other hand there are deep and disturbing issues there,' he said of the Clinton Foundation.

Giuliani said if Clinton gets off the hook, thanks to being part of Obama's inner circle, it would make it hard to prosecute other people for similar crimes.

'What do you say to a foundation where you have a fraud of $50,000 when you haven't looked at a foundation where there's an alleged fraud of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars,' Giuliani continued.

'Now it may be true it's not true,' the former mayor said. 'But it hasn't been investigated.'

Trump was joined by his grandson, Donald Trump III (left) as they filmed the segment

This morning, Rudy Giuliani explained why he thought it would be a bad idea for President Obama to pardon Hillary Clinton

On Wednesday, during press secretary Josh Earnest's (above) briefing, he was asked whether the president had considered using his executive power in favor of the former secretary of state

Questions over whether Obama could issue a pardon have been raised repeatedly this week.

On Thursday Press Secretary Josh Earnest deflected a question about a special prosecutor to review Clintons emails by saying that the White House doesnt announce pardons before theyre doled out.

The president has offered clemency to a substantial number of Americans who were previously serving time in federal prisons. And we didnt talk in advance about the presidents plans to offer clemency to any of those individuals, he said.

Earnest added, Thats because we dont talk about the presidents thinking, particularly with respect to any specific cases that may apply to pardons or commutations.

For over a year, Clinton had been embroiled in a FBI investigation into her private email server, but the investigation was closed for a second time just earlier this week.

Obama could pardon her whether she asks for it or not.

Coming up with a pardon that would cover all of the various charges Trumps administration could throw at her could prove difficult, legal experts told Politico.

The clemency declaration would have to be worded such that it protects her from prosecution for potential violations tied to the Clinton Foundation.

A dismissal of potential crimes that wide-reaching would leave a mark on Obamas reputation.

Back in 1974, President Gerald Ford pardoned his predecessor to the White House, Richard Nixon.

Ford did it for any crimes that Nixon may have committed against the country while he served as president.

At the time, he justified his decision by claiming that an extensive trial would have further polarized the country.

Clintons husbands departure from the White House was overshadowed when he granted Marc Rich, a fugitive at the time, clemency on his last day in office.

Richs ex-wife made a large donation to the Clinton Library and was a high-dollar Democratic donor.

His campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, said on a series of morning shows Wednesday that the subject hadnt come up.

Email trail: Huma Abedin, who wept on Friday as she went back to the Clinton campaign HQ in Brooklyn, New York, was part of the FBI bombshell which the campaign claims ruined Clinton's chance of victory

Weiner pops up at bad time: The sexting-addicted pervert Anthony Weiner's laptop led to the new FBI investigation into Clinton emails

'We have not discussed that at all, and he certainly did not discuss that on his brief phone call with Mrs. Clinton,' she said on MSNBC.

Conway suggested that Trump wouldnt pursue a case against Clinton, however.

I think you heard his own words last night -- to the extent that one man can as president, certainly Vice President Pence who's phenomenal, they're looking to unify the country, she said. But we haven't discussed that in recent days. And I think that it's all in good time.

Taking a cue from Conway, the presidents spokesman indicated today that he too believed Trump move on from Clinton in the wake of his victory.

We have a long tradition in this country of people in power not using the criminal justice system to enact political revenge, he also said. In fact we go a long way to insulate the criminal justice system from partisan politics.

The Clinton Foundation has been probed by the FBI but to a far lesser extent than the emails.

Clinton has been accused by her critics, including some within the FBI, of engaging in a pay-to-pay scheme, in which she allegedly traded favors for donations to her family charity while she was at State.

Damning emails published by Wikileaks showing her closest aide Huma Abedin receiving messages at the State Department from a Clinton family bagman calling donors 'friends of ours' and demanding access to the Secretary of State only added to that impression.

Abedin's estranged-husband. the pervert Anthony Weiner. is under a separate FBI investigation after DailyMail.com revealed his sexting 'relationship' with a 15-year-old girl.

That led to James Comey's bombshell announcement of the discovery of more emails potentially relevant to the Clinton email probe.
Schools and universities should stop using images of white men in science lessons as it may discourage ethnic minorities, according to a top academic.

Dr Damian Spiteri, a social work professor at York University, said illustrations of Caucasian men 'in lab coats' may mean some students are unable to 'see themselves as scientists'.

He recommended lessons instead adopt more 'multicultural' images so that students from all backgrounds are encouraged to continue in their studies.

Schools and universities should stop using images of white men in science lessons as it may discourage ethnic minorities, according to a top academic (stock image)

And he said that teachers should use examples in lessons which are 'not country-specific' in order to 'discourage cultural stereotypes'.

Dr Spiteri is a lecturer at the Department of Social Policy and Social Work at York, which is one of the UK's top universities and part of the elite Russell Group.

He has written a book in which he argues for the 'benefits of a multicultural education', based on his experiences of teaching African asylum seekers in Malta.

He said: 'Throughout my career I have researched different aspects of the life-course transitions of young people, including minor asylum seekers and young people in care.

'An overarching theme in ensuring students have a positive, beneficial educational experience is predominantly about encouraging a collective, collegiate atmosphere for all students, from all backgrounds.

'It is vital that students have a solid grounding in an accepting, multicultural educational environment as we live in a multicultural world.'

Dr Spiteri said he was inspired to write his book after listening to the difficulties experienced by students from other countries.

He said teachers and lecturers should adopt 'inclusive teaching pedagogies' and 'promote integration' in all aspects of school and university life.

Dr Damian Spiteri said illustrations of Caucasian men 'in lab coats' may mean some students are unable to 'see themselves as scientists' (stock image)

His book, 'Multiculturalism, Higher Education and Intercultural Communication', provides tips for teachers on how to promote diversity in classrooms.

Among his recommendations is 'ensuring students are aware of global issues such as migration, human rights, the elimination of poverty, and solidarity'.

He also said teachers should enlist translators for migrant pupils, to 'ensure there are adequate language provisions for students who are not taught in their native language'.

He also advocates 'discouraging images and words that can prevent students from reaching their life goals.'

He adds: 'For example, the image of a white male scientist in a lab coat may preclude certain students from seeing themselves as scientists in the future.'

Dr Spiteri said he has worked as a social worker, teacher, and college and university lecturer in 'multicultural settings' for over twenty years.

He added: 'This book adopts a strengths-based student-centred perspective and offers practical illustrations of how multicultural education can instigate students to understand each other and relate to each other meaningfully.'

The advice comes as schools across the country cater for an increasing number of pupils from the European Union and the rest of the world.
Secret 'pop-up' parties in abandoned warehouses are allegedly becoming a haven for predators to rape under-age schoolgirls.

The parties, held in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, are advertised on Facebook and attended by dozens of drug and alcohol-fuelled youths, often as young as 14.

Victoria police have reportedly launched a major operation into the parties after reports of a number of sexual assaults, the Herald Sun reports.

Secret 'pop-up' parties in abandoned warehouses in Melbourne's suburbs are allegedly becoming a haven for predators to rape under-age schoolgirls (Stock image)

At one recent party a victim aged between 14 and 16 was allegedly assaulted in front of a group.

Currently at least one alleged assault at a 'pop-up' event is being investigated by police.

That investigation will be led by the sex crimes squad, with a coordinated effort from police stations in the eastern and south-eastern suburbs.

Victoria Police confirmed they'd 'received reports of crimes and harms occurring to young people at these events'.

Schools within the area have been briefed on the parties and have warned parents about letting their children attend.

In using social media, the party organisers are able to send out invites at the last minute.

Parents of teenagers have been warned formally by the school to be mindful of where their children are going and of what they're doing on social media.

The 'pop-up parties' come just months after similar incidents of alleged sexual assault were reported in the same area.

The drug and alcohol-fuelled parties are organised through social media at the last minute and are attended by dozens of under age youths (Stock image)

In February, youths at Dandenong railway station in south-east Melbourne were approached by strangers.

They were then reportedly lured in with gifts before being sexually assaulted.
Prince Philip revealed this week that he has not had flu in 40 years

Just how does Prince Philip do it? At the grand age of 95, he is still on active duty, meeting the public on official visits and making his trademark colourful comments. This weeks pronouncement was that he has not had flu in 40 years (perhaps he thinks the rest of us are malingering!)

But what is the Duke of Edinburghs secret  and can we all benefit? He is, after all, a man who shakes hands all over the world with all manner of people who could harbour flu viruses.

Could it be that Philips blue blood has somehow given him a super-effective immune system? Or is it that in his long life, his body has learnt to recognise flu bugs and kill them off before they have a chance to cause symptoms?

According to the latest research, both are possible explanations. Even more intriguingly, health investigators also suggest that Philips robust sense of humour could have something to do with it. His privileged position is also a factor  and not just because hes less likely than the rest of us to pick up a bug in the waiting room at the local doctors surgery.

The Queens consort revealed his health secret while touring the 650 million Francis Crick Institute, a major biomedical research centre that aims to develop new ways of preventing and treating serious infections such as HIV and malaria.

He asked whether people could develop an immunity or resistance to flu, then added: Why havent I had flu for the last 40 years?

One crucial factor may lie in Philips bug-killing immune-system T-cells, according to British researchers.

Their study of more than 1,400 unvaccinated people last year suggests that four in ten of us may naturally show few or no flu symptoms when flu viruses invade our bodies. In other words, we have flu, but wouldnt know it.

The investigation, led by Andrew Hayward, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at University College London, says these fortunate people have certain T-cells that can specifically fight flu by targeting a protein at the heart of the viruses that is common to all bugs in each flu strain.

There are two main strains of flu virus  A and B. Between them, they cause 20 per cent of the population to suffer miserable, debilitating symptoms each year.

The Queen's consort revealed his health secret while touring the 650million Francis Crick Institute this week

If Philip does have these types of T-cells, then this may be good news for the rest of the Royal Family. The T-cells also appear to make people two-thirds less likely to pass the virus on to others around them, according to the report in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, last year.

Whats more, the investigators say scientists may learn to copy this trick by creating vaccines that boost production of T-cells. Such jabs could confer this kind of resistance on those who dont have it.

Professor Hayward explains: Although a vaccine to boost flu-killing T cell responses would not prevent individuals from becoming infected in the first place, it would help to stop those who were infected getting ill and spreading the virus through coughs and sneezes.

Philips body may also have evolved some of its flu-fighting powers when he was born in Corfu in 1921  just in the wake of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 that swept Europe, including the Greek islands, killing up to 40 million people. American scientists this week reported new findings which indicate that the year in which you are born dictates what types of flu virus you may have immunity to.

The investigators looked at two of the most dangerous recent epidemic strains  the bird flu viruses H5N1 (which broke out in 2004) and H7N9 (in 2013).

Both these viruses are Type A strains. But Type A splits into two sections: Group 1, which includes H5N1; and Group 2, which includes H7N9.

Researchers at Arizona University found that people born before 1968 are much more likely to contract H7N9 and be resistant to H5N1. People born after 1968 tend to have the reverse profile.

The Francis Crick Institute in London, which was officially opened on Wednesday, will be a world leading centre of biomedical research

The difference is that Group 1 strains were far more prevalent before 1968, while Group 2 strains became more prevalent after that.

The researchers told the American Association for the Advancement of Science that being exposed to one of the strains early in life  even if you dont become ill at the time  can make you 75 per cent less likely to develop severe symptoms, and 80 per cent less likely to die from it.

This type of immunity seems to last a lifetime. In earlier research, in the journal Nature in 2008, tests of 90-year-olds who survived the Spanish flu epidemic as children just after World War I show they still have powerful antibodies against the specific virus.

They may either have had full-blown flu and survived, or never even knew theyd been infected.

Prince Philips regal genetic bloodline may also protect him against symptoms, as our ability to combat flu is thought to be inherited. Wellcome Trust scientists recently revealed that a single human gene  called IFITM3  can make the difference between shrugging off flu infections without noticing them, and ending up bedbound, or even dead.

There are different versions of the gene. The most powerfully defensive of which appears to prevent viruses from getting into our cells in the first place.

But Professor Paul Kellam, the head of virus genomics at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge, says there are also at risk variants which make people up to five times more likely than average to develop severe flu.

Experiments with mice show that animals with an inactive form of IFITM3 always develop severe flu when exposed to the virus.

Professor Kellam hopes that a simple genetic test can be developed to see who has the most at-risk versions of the genes. Such a test would mean that in times of new epidemics, casualty departments could tell which patients need immediate admission, and which can be safely sent home.

Prince Philips body may also have evolved some of its flu-fighting powers when he was born in Corfu in 1921  just in the wake of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 that swept Europe

Far more visible than genes, though, is your personality. Some studies indicate that being forthright and humorous is actually associated with having greater resistance to flu bugs.

Philip is famous (or indeed infamous) for having both qualities in abundance.

In the past, he has made headlines for telling children from the British Deaf Association, who were standing by a Caribbean steel band: If youre near that music its no wonder youre deaf.

He once asked a Scottish driving instructor in Oban: How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?

Such traits certainly seem to play a powerful role in deterring flu bugs. Psychologists at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who exposed nearly 200 volunteers to influenza viruses have found that those who had a positive and resilient attitude were significantly less likely to develop nasty symptoms.

Having a positive emotional style may play a more important role in health than previously thought, they reported in the journal, Psychosomatic Medicine, in 2006.

His privileged position in society is also a factor in his good health, experts say

And recent Swedish neurological research shows that enjoying a laugh (even at others expense) acts as both a buffer against the stresses and strains of a busy life, and boosts peoples immune systems.

Philip has another advantage that many of us, unfortunately, wont be able to develop  feeling very well off.

In September, an American team of psychiatrists tested more than 700 peoples defences against viruses. The volunteers were exposed to strains of flu and colds. And to challenge their immune systems further, the investigators  led by the University of California, San Francisco  infected the volunteers after they had been deprived of sleep (which can make the immune system less effective).

Those volunteers who reported having a high socio-economic status, i.e. feeling at the top of the social tree, were significantly less likely than others to develop symptoms of illness. In other words, you can be too posh to sniffle.

For the rest of us, it seems wisest to stick with the current NHS-approved strategies for avoiding infection from flu bugs: take the influenza vaccination if your GP recommends it, and practise good hygiene, such as regular handwashing and cleaning of household surfaces and other frequently touched items.
A woman's dance moves at a Golden State Warriors game this week have become an Internet sensation.

Robin Schreiber, of Redwood City, California, wore a Warriors sweater emblazoned with the words 'NBA Champs' as she got down on Wednesday at Oracle Arena.

Her moves were caught on the Dance Cam and featured on the Jumbotron, NBC Bay Area reported.

A woman's dance moves at a Golden State Warriors game this week have become an Internet sensation

Robin Schreiber, of Redwood City, California, wore a Warriors sweater emblazoned with the words 'NBA Champs' as she got down on Wednesday at Oracle Arena

Bleacher Report tweeted a video of her grooving on Wednesday, asking ''Whose mom is this???' That tweet has been retweeted more than 50,000 times and favorited over 86,000 times.

The Golden State Warriors replied on Twitter, saying: 'chill, she a legend #DubNation.'

Scheriber is a freelance artist and retired school teacher, according to KGO.

Her moves were caught on the Dance Cam and featured on the Jumbotron

Schreiber has said: 'It was a tough election and people were feeling like they needed to somebody to make them cheer up a little bit'

She's had season tickets for 28 years and has been seen dancing on the Jumbotron an incredible 22 times, the report said.

Schreiber explained to the TV station: 'It was a tough election and people were feeling like they needed to somebody to make them cheer up a little bit.

'That's why I did it. I'm a native of Oakland and I just want them to be happy.'
Dozens of militant hard-Left activists who were purged from the Labour Party 25 years ago are trying to get back in as members.

Some 75 senior figures, including leaders of Militant Tendency who were driven out by former leader Neil Kinnock, have put in applications to be readmitted.

Yesterday, a list of names emerged of those from the hard-Left who have applied to rejoin Labour.

Peter Taaffe, editor of newspaper Militant, with Labour party councillor Derek Hatton at Labour party confernece in Bournemouth, 1985

They include Peter Taaffe, the general secretary of the Socialist Party, David Nellist, the former Labour MP and Tony Mulhearn, who led the Militant takeover of Liverpool City Council in the 1980s.

Mr Taaffe said under Mr Corbyn, Labour could be rebuilt as a clearly anti-austerity socialist party.

He said he and his other comrades want to play their part in the struggle to transform it. However, they must get past Labours ruling National Executive Committee to be readmitted.

Militant Tendency was a Marxist/Trotskyist group that grew out of the Revolutionary Socialist League and reached peak influence in the early 1980s.

Their applications come as a Unite the Resistance rally, which Labour insiders describe as a front for the Socialist Workers Party, takes place in London today.

Jeremy Corbyn with David Nellist (left)

Its theme is Building fighting unions in the era of Jeremy Corbyn. It will be attended by the joint secretaries of Unite the Resistance, Jane Aitchison, a former Socialist Party member and Sean Vernell, both of whom are supporters or members of the Socialist Workers Party.

Tom Watson, Labours deputy leader, said in August that the party was being infiltrated by Trotsky entryists. At the time, Mr Corbyn dismissed his claims as baseless conspiracy theories.

It is against Labours rules to be a member of another political party or organisation which has its own programme, principles and policy, or distinctive and separate propaganda, and which is therefore ineligible for affiliation to the party.
A Gold Coast father who smothered his baby daughter to death could be released from prison as early as next year.

Shayne Robert Quinn, 29, violently shook four-month-old Courtney Quinn and placed his hand over her face while she was sucking on a dummy in September 2013.

Quinn told triple zero he had woken to find his daughter had stopped breathing, but she was already cold and blue by the time he took her to hospital.

Shayne Robert Quinn, 29, was sentenced to eight years' jail for smothering his baby daughter to death but could be out next year (stock photo)

Pathologists found the child also had dozens of old injuries, including 34 rib fractures consistent with being 'squeezed', a broken arm and a fractured leg.

Quinn was originally charged with murder but pleaded guilty earlier this year to a reduced charge of manslaughter.

He was sentenced in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday to eight years in jail but with time already spent in custody, he will be eligible for parole in March 2017.

Quinn was originally charged with murder but pleaded guilty earlier this year at Southport Magistrates Court to a reduced charge of manslaughter

The court heard Quinn's then-partner and the child's mother Jasmin Harris was sentenced in June to two years and six months jail for child cruelty.

In the week prior to her death, Harris failed to take the baby to the hospital after a GP noticed the child had a broken arm, which Quinn admitted causing.

The court heard Quinn was struggling to cope with caring for the baby while he was unemployed and Harris was working as an escort.

'This was not some momentary lack of judgment, it was a deliberate act,' Chief Justice Catherine Holmes said on Friday.

Justice Holmes told Quinn he had done a terrible thing but there was nothing in his life to indicate he would do something similar again.
Dedicated firefighters put on their lights and sirens to get a bride-to-be to the church on time after her wedding car was involved in a serious accident.

The volunteer firefighters from Wallacia and Regentville west of Sydney were called to an accident on Saturday only to find the beautiful bride, Anita Cole, and her bridesmaid stranded on the side of the road.

Photos of the accident show the would-be wedding car smashed up from behind after a car ploughed into it.

A beautiful bride was stranded on the side of the road an hour west of Sydney after her wedding car was involved in an accident - but firefighters saved the day

The bridesmaid and bride were delivered unharmed to the church in time for the wedding

The firefighters realised the bride had somewhere to be so after making sure everything was alright they dropped her off at the church.

Mrs Cole posted on the photos soon after they were placed on social media, thanking the fire crew for their help.

'Was a rocky start to our wedding day but we had a great night and are very thankful we had no serious injuries and so appreciate all who stopped and helped us out,' she wrote.

The post has had more than 3000 reactions since it went live with many on social media wishing the couple all the best.
Police are hunting for an Idaho man after his girlfriend's body was found in the basement of their home.

Christin Caldwell, 48, was found dead inside her home after she and her boyfriend, Jeremy White, 39, were reported missing earlier this week.

The body of Caldwell, who is a mother-of-three, was discovered buried in the dirt of the home's basement by Bonneville County Sheriff deputies, family members told East Idaho News.

Christin Caldwell (pictured), 48, was found dead inside her home after she and her boyfriend, Jeremy White, 39, were reported missing earlier this week

A second degree warrant has been issued for the arrest of Jeremy White, who was in a relationship with Caldwell for 10 years

A second degree warrant has been issued for the arrest of White, who is believed to be traveling with another woman, Deena Aday.

Their relationship is unknown but police said Aday, who is married to Keith Aday, may be in danger.

Her husband wrote on Facebook that his wife means everything to his family.

'We love her and our hearts now have been torn in half at her departure'.

The Aday's have four children together.

During a press conference on Friday, Bonneville County Sheriff Paul Wilde told reporters that White left the area Wednesday.

Although his whereabouts are unknown, he has family in Nevada and may be heading there, police said.

White is believed to be traveling in a 2004 Jeep Cherokee with an Idaho license plate.

Authorities have not released Caldwell's cause of death and an autopsy is pending, the site reported.

White (left) is believed to be traveling with another woman, Deena Aday (right), but their relationship is unknown

Deena Aday's (pictured) husband wrote on Facebook that his wife means everything to his family. 'We love her and our hearts now have been torn in half at her departure'. The Aday's have four children together

Caldwell was found buried in the basement of her home (pictured). Police are asking that any one with information regarding White's whereabouts contact the department, but do not go near him as he is considered armed and dangerous

White and Caldwell had been in a relationship for 10 years.

Caldwell leaves behind several family members, including her three children, Josh, Shalee, Kyndra and grandchildren.

Her family lost contact with her on Monday and they were notified of her death Friday morning, East Idaho News reported.

Caldwell grew up in the Tri-Cities area with her three sisters: Nancy, Holly and Melissa.

Her sister, Nancy Waters told East Idaho News that Caldwell's 'heart was for people'.

'She was a person who loved to help people. She loved children and grand babies and she just loved people!'
John Lewis has triumphed over rivals with its heart-warming Christmas adverts.

But it appears it has been knocked off the top spot this year by another retail giant.

Within moments of the premiere of the Marks & Spencer campaign tonight, dozens of excited viewers had taken to Twitter to declare it the best festive TV spot.

The advert shows Mrs Claus waving off her husband on Christmas Eve before she sets out on her own James Bond style mission to deliver a present to six-year-old Jake, a young boy who wants to make his sister's Christmas extra special.

The daring Mrs Claus finds the gift, rides a snowmobile and flies a helicopter to London and back - all before Father Christmas returns home on Christmas morning.

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Secret mission: Mrs Claus flies from Lapland to London by helicopter to deliver the present

Nation's favourite: Viewers declared Marks & Spencer the winner of best Christmas advert

The heart-warming story appears to have won the nation's hearts.

User Izzy David wrote: 'Sorry John Lewis, Marks & Spencer's has got you for this year's Christmas ad! #lovemrsclaus'.

Sarah Cox posted: 'Marks & Spencer Christmas advert #mrsclaus'.

Another tweeted: 'Love new Christmas advert from Marks & Spencer #LoveMrsClaus'.

Marks & Spencer will hope the advert captures the imagination of shoppers enough to boost their seasonal sale figures. The high street giant announced this week it will close 60 stores around the world in response to falling profits.

It appears the retailer spared no expense, bringing together Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper - whose films include The King's Speech, Les Miserables and The Damned United - and Olivier Award-winning actress Janet McTeer as Mrs Claus.

The advert starts with Mrs Claus seeing Father Christmas off on his sleigh, making sure he has a flask of hot tea and a cheese and pickle sandwich for the journey.

She opens a letter from Jake, a little boy who says he has spent the last year bickering with his big sister, Anna.

He explains that his dog Tiger 'loves eating things' and ruined Anna's favourite pair of trainers. He hopes Mrs Claus will be able to help with a replacement.

Action packed: Mrs Claus races through a tunnel on a snowmobile to the helicopter pad

Back in time for breakfast: She returns home before her husband arrives on Christmas Day

Reading the letter, Mrs Claus activates a high-tech map of the world where a flashing red dot marks Jake's family home in London.

She goes to her wardrobe and with the tilt of a jewellery holder reveals a secret walk-in wardrobe packed with neatly wrapped red-and-white presents.

Moments later Mrs Claus is speeding through an underground ice tunnel on a snowmobile towards a helicopter pad.

She hops into the drivers seat and sets off for London.

At Jake's family home she places Anna's present underneath the tree before indulging in two mince pies left out for her husband.

The following morning the family wakes and Anna discovers a new pair of sparkly red trainers from her brother.
A haunting new documentary delving deep into the 'Slender Man' phenomenon has been announced, just as the two young girls at the center of it appeared again in court.

HBO premiered its first trailer for 'Beware the Slenderman' on Thursday, with the new film to examine the case of Wisconsin teenagers Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier.

The two young girls are accused of trying to brutally murder their best friend and classmate in the woods in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on May 31, 2014.

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A haunting new documentary delving deep into the 'Slender Man' phenomenon has been announced

The documentary explores the case of Wisconsin teenagers Morgan Geyser (left) and Anissa Weier (right), who are accused of trying to kill their best friend to win favor with the fictional internet character. The two are pictured in court on Friday

Geyser and Weier allegedly stabbed the 12-year-old victim 19 times and left her for dead. However, the would-be murder victim survived by crawling to a nearby road, where she was spotted by a passerby who called an ambulance.

Police captured the two girls on the same day. They told investigators they had hoped killing Payton Leutner would gain them favor with Slender Man, a demon-like character featured in online horror stories.

They said they were planning to walk 300 miles to the Nicolet National Forest, where they hoped to live as Slender Man's servants in his mansion.

HBO's documentary is designed to explore the internet phenomenon, and what draws young people to the Slender Man myth.

An image from the trailer shows the cartoon character with tentacles sticking out of its back, as many believe it has

'Imagine a modern-day Grimm's Fairy Tale; a Pied Piper for millennials whose myth permeates discussion forums and video games,' the document's Irene Taylor Brodsky said in a statement, according to the Los Angeles Times.

'Two little girls in Wisconsin are so enthralled and enchanted by this online character, they will kill their best friend for him.'

The trailer debuted just as the latest hearing for the two girls' case was held on Friday.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren said a trial has been pushed back until at least June or July next year, after scheduling a number of pretrial motions for the coming months, the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reports.

WHO IS SLENDER MAN? THE ONLINE MYTH 'THE GIRLS BELIEVED' The Slender Man character began appearing on the internet in 2009. It is believed to have been created as part of a Photoshop contest The Slender Man is a fictional character prevalent on the internet after originating as a meme in 2009. The mythical creature is often depicted as an unnaturally tall, thin figure with a blank, featureless face, wearing a black suit. The character is said to have long, tentacle-like arms, which can be extended to capture prey. It is said to stalk, abduct and traumatize children and, depending on interpretations of the myth, can cause memory loss, insomnia and paranoia. It is also said to be able to create distortions in photographs and teleport. It is understood to have originated in a Photoshop contest on the Something Awful Forums in 2009. It then went viral with numerous works of fan art and short scary stories published online known as 'creepypasta'. The character has developed its own life online, with two feature-length films funded in part by Kickstarter appearing in 2012. The meme that appears most is that of a tall malevolent figure, who silently stalks down his prey. Over the past six or so years, the Slender Man meme has mutated liked all good scary stories into one that haunts the minds of those who become obsessed with it. Advertisement

Morgan E. Geyser is escorted into a Waukesha County Court on Friday, November 11, 2016

Anissa Weier (left) appears via video-link from the Washington County Secure Detention Center where she is being held, during a hearing in Waukesha County Court on Friday

Geyser appeared in court on Friday. She was wearing a striped jumpsuit. Earlier in the case, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Weier, who turned 15 on Thursday, appeared on a video-link. She is being held in a juvenile center on a $500,000 bond.

Geyser and Weier entered insanity pleas earlier this year.

The Slender Man myth began appearing online in 2009.

The documentary shows images that appear to be from police interviews that show the girls admitting to believing in the Slender Man

Anissa Weier (left) is seen in this clip from the documentary talking about how tall the Slender Man is

The creature is depicted as an unnaturally tall, thin man wearing a black suit. It does not have a face.

The character is said to have long, tentacle-like arms, which can be extended to capture prey.
Said earlier this week he wanted to 'shed the Donald Trump cloak'

His publicist said it was unsure whether he would ever play Trump again

Alec Baldwin will not play president-elect Donald Trump on this week's episode of Saturday Night Live - and could never reprise his role.

The actor's publicist told Inside Edition Friday that Baldwin would not appear on SNL this weekend. She said she wasn't sure whether he would ever do it again.

Baldwin first unrolled his Trump impression in October, when he and Kate McKinnon's Hillary Clinton recreated the first of three presidential debates.

His version of Trump, who spoke with a raspy voice and pursed lips, lent itself to many humorous moments on SNL's campaign coverage.

Alec Baldwin (pictured as Donald Trump) will not play the president-elect on this week's episode of Saturday Night Live - and could never reprise his role

In one dialogue with McKinnon after the first presidential debate, she accused him of not having released his tax returns because he's 'either not that rich, not that charitable, or he's never paid taxes in his life'.

Baldwin's Trump replied to the first two charges saying 'wrong' - but responded to the third accusation with 'warmer'.

The actor did make his Trump impression Friday while speaking at a marketing conference in Boston, Massachusetts.

'I think that Trump is going to be someone who is not going to be that involved, he's going to be going into rooms with trusted advisers and they're going to say, "We did this, this, this, and this," ' Baldwin began in a video published by the Boston Globe.

Baldwin (pictured left as Trump) first unrolled his Trump impression in October, when he and Kate McKinnon's Hillary Clinton recreated the first of three presidential debates

McKinnon's Clinton (left) and Baldwin's Trump (right) created many humorous moments as they gave their own take on the campaign until Election Day

'And he's going to say, "Sounds good, that sounds good. I like it. I like it a lot. That's a great, great, fantastic, really top-shelf super gold-plated, platinum, frequent-flyer situation you've got going on." '

Baldwin told WNYC's The Brian Lehrer Show on Election day he was 'trying to shed the Donald Trump cloak'.

He said he had almost sprained his jaw trying to mimic Trump's enunciation.

'Im not an impressionist, per se, but if you do any kind of comedy and they ask you to do that, most of the time, theres some degree of appreciation, I think, involving somebody you like,' Baldwin added.

'Trump is somebody who, I dont hate Trump, but hes not somebody I admire, so it was more difficult.'
Tan Shukla probably wished he stayed at home on Saturday after his $180,000 Ferrari exploded into flames.

The supercar's owner had stopped to visit an ATM in the Sydney suburb of Lalor Park when his car spontaneously caught fire.

And if things weren't bad enough, Mr Shukla says his ATM card and money were taken, before a man who was helping to extinguish the fire stole his laptop.

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Hot Wheels! An $180k Ferrari exploded into flames on Saturday morning, after it's owner Tan Shukla went to use an ATM

Mr Shukla was understandably shaken following the series of unfortunate events.

'I just parked the car up there in the parking lot and I went to take money out of the ATM when someone said there is a fire,' he said.

'There was a guy helping me and he took my laptop and then someone took my ATM card as I had left the ATM card and the money which I was withdrawing.'

Footage shows bright orange flames coming from of the rear of the car as smoke billows from the fire and open doors.

Mr Shukla can be briefly scene with a fire extinguisher, before another mancan be seen attempting to quench the flames.

It is not confirmed if the man seen in the footage took Mr Shukla's laptop.

The supercar's owner had stopped in the Sydney suburb of Lalor Park when his car spontaneously caught fire

Tan Shukla 's ATM card and money were taken, while a man helping extinguish the fire then preceded to steal the Ferrari owners laptop

Hasan Ali was working at a nearby kebab shot at the time when he says he heard 'a big bang'.

He says he witnessed the theft of the laptop, which resulted in a fight breaking out between the thief and the fire brigade, who tried to prevent the man from leaving.

'He actually struck one of the firefighters because they wanted to stop him pinching the laptop,' Mr Ali claims.

'Poor bloke, he's got a black eye and everything now.'

At least one car was damaged as the thief made his getaway,.

'He scratched a few cars, hit a fire truck as well,' Mr Shukla claims.

The rear of the car, where the flames were initially noticed, is almost completely destroyed, in particular on the right side

The licence plate 'SEXYF 1' is nearly unreadable, the once yellow letters now scorched black

The interior of the Ferrari appears to have been completely burned away, leaving the charred remains of the steering wheel behin

Hasan Ali (pictured) says he witnessed the theft of the laptop, which resulted in a fight breaking out between the thief and the fire brigade

The luxury car, which was insured, has since been towed from the scene, but not before the before the burned out husk of the car was caught on camera.

The rear of the car, where the flames were initially noticed, is almost completely destroyed, in particular on the right side.

The licence plate 'SEXYF 1' is nearly unreadable, the once yellow letters now scorched black.

NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia that they are not treating the fire as suspicious, as Mr Shukla continues to speak with the authorities.

The luxury car is almost unrecognisable compared to its former glory

Members of the fire brigade look upon the shell of the once luxurious vehicle
The 17-year-old Apex gang member who died following an horrific crash in Melbourne last week has been laid to rest by his devastated friends and family.

Dru Peterson was one of six teenagers squashed into the back of a car which crashed last Saturday night.

The teen, from Dandenong, where the notorious Apex gang first started out, was farewelled at a local Christian church by up to 150 family and friends.

Dru Peterson, who had links to the notorious Apex gang, was farewelled by family and friends at a Christian ceremony in Dandenong

Dru Peterson, known as Scullas by his mates, died following the horrific accident last week

The rain held off until Dru's coffin was placed in the back of the hearse - then it poured

His coffin was veiled in fine lace and adorned with flowers. Devastated pallbearers carried the mahogany box from the church to the hearse waiting outside.

As the back of the hearse slammed shut thunder rolled across the sky and rain started to pour on the crowd gathered outside.

They jumped in their cars and out of the rain before Dru's body was taken to a private burial.

His aunt, Heidi Samason, told Daily Mail Australia the young mans death left the 'familys universe shattered.

150 people braved the bad weather to say their goodbyes to the young man

Dru's closest friends and family took time to comfort each other following the funeral service

The bright bundles of flowers which decorated the church stood out against the funeral wear

Dru was known as Scullas by his mates  and posted a variety of photos appearing to show life in the gang on his personal Facebook page.

One photo of the teenager appears to show him in a hospital corridor on the Monday prior to the deadly accident is captioned with Walk in walk out.

In the wake of the crash, friends and family of the boys have pleaded on social media for teenagers involved in the gang to realise the cost of joy-riding in stolen cars could be death.

Yall need to take more care in your lives, how many accidents must there be for people to wake up and start realising it isn't worth it, one young woman wrote.

The above photo is of Dru in happier times prior to the deadly crash

Dru's family posted photographs of him and said their universe was 'shattered' when he died

Dru posted a number of photographs of his friends before his death last Sunday

A 15-year-old boy who was allegedly driving the car as it spiralled out of control has been charged with his friend's death. Another young man, 17, is still in hospital following the crash.

Police believe the car the boys, aged between 15 and 19, and girl, 15, were in was stolen and that the group may have been involved in a robbery before the deadly accident.

The Apex gang rose in popularity among Melbournes disenchanted youths during the Moomba riots where hundreds of young people swarmed into the citys CBD unleashing a wave of chaos.

Since then the gang has been blamed over a series of aggravated burglaries and car jackings which have left the people of Melbourne angry and afraid.



Mourners pictured gathering in the street as the coffin was put into the back of the hearse
A man staggered 200 metres down a suburban Sydney street bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound in his neck before dying in hospital.

Police are interrogating a 25-year-old man who was arrested nearby soon after the shooting in Sydney's hills district at 9.45pm on Friday night.

The 21-year-old victim was rushed to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition and died early on Saturday morning.

A 21-year-old man died after he was shot in the neck in northwest Sydney on Friday night

Police are interrogating a 25-year-old man who was arrested nearby soon after the shooting in Sydney's hills district at 9.45pm

Detectives set up a 250 metre-long crime scene along Windsor Road in Baulkham Hills following the blood trail he left as he tried to find help.

The man was shot just metres from Stockland Baulkham Hills shopping centre and police were seen scouring the area for evidence, some using police dogs.

Seven officers raided a nearby home soon after the shooting, but did not appear to arrest anyone else.

The man was arrested at the scene and sat in handcuffs before being taken away

A neighbour said he had seen police making arrests outside alleged shooter's home the past three weekends in a row

Police search the house in Baulkham Hills

A neighbour told the Daily Telegraph he had seen police making arrests outside alleged shooter's home the past three weekends in a row.

The newspaper said according to unconfirmed reports it could have been a dispute between neighbours.

Macquarie Radio said the two men were known to police.
The chance encounter a mother hiking with her daughter had with Hillary Clinton the day after losing the election may not be what it has been made out to seem.

Margot Gerster was out hiking with her daughter when she ran into Hillary and Bill Clinton in the upstate New York town of Chappaqua, where the Clintons have a home.

She took a photo with the former first lady who beamed from ear to ear, appearing to have had the weight of the world lifted from her shoulders as she stood next to Gerster.

Clinton was said to have been out walking her dogs with former president Bill Clinton, when Gerster spotted them.

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Chance encounter?: The chance encounter Margot Gerster, a mother hiking with her daughter, had with Hillary Clinton (above) the day after losing the election may not be what it has been made out to seem

Some critics allege that their meeting while hiking was staged and not random at all. When Gerster was in high school, her mother held a fundraiser for Clinton in Chappaqua where they took a photo together (above) at the event

The chance encounter Gerster had with Clinton gained national media attention as it was the first time Clinton had been photographed after losing the election.

However, some critics allege that their meeting while hiking was staged and not random at all.

Adding more fuel to those claims is the fact that it's actually not the first time they've met.

When Gerster was in high school, her mother held a fundraiser for Clinton at Crabtrees Kittle House in Chappaqua.

Gerster and her sister posed for a photo with Clinton inside the restaurant which happens to be one of the politician's favorites, as the siblings smiled next to a beaming Clinton.

The fundraiser their family hosted may have been during the period of time Clinton was running for senator or when she served as senator for New York.

The caption Gerster wrote for the most recent photo of her with Clinton this week said that she was 'so heartbroken' after the Democrat's stunning loss.

'I've been feeling so heartbroken since yesterday's election and decided what better way to relax than take my girls hiking,' Gerster wrote.

'So I decided to take them to one of favorite places in Chappaqua. We were the only ones there and it was so beautiful and relaxing.

'As we were leaving, I heard a bit of rustling coming towards me and as I stepped into the clearing there she was, Hillary Clinton and Bill with their dogs doing exactly the same thing as I was.

'I got to hug her and talk to her and tell her that one of my most proudest moments as a mother was taking Phoebe with me to vote for her.

'She hugged me and thanked me and we exchanged some sweet pleasantries and then I let them continue their walk.'
A serving police officer has been interviewed in relation to a baby being dangled numerous times from a third-storey balcony during a Melbourne Cup party.

The infant, who appears to be a boy, was seen by witnesses suspended over the edge of an unidentified building in Cremorne, in Melbourne's East.

The officer, a senior constable, has been interviewed over the incident but has not been suspended, reported 7 news.

A serving police officer has been questioned over a toddler who was seen by a neighbour being dangled over a balcony

'Detectives from the Yarra CIU have interviewed a senior constable from the eastern region in relation to the baby being held over the balcony in Cremorne,' a statement said.

'Professional Standards Command are providing oversight to the investigation. As this investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further.'

Dean Harris, a father-of-two, said during the 'revolting' incident he saw the child dangled over the balcony's railing three or four times, reported Herald Sun.

'We saw some imbecile in a flannelette shirt just dancing the kid over [the balcony],' Mr Harris said.

'[The child] didn't look happy. I have got no idea why they would do that.'

'It makes you feel sick.'

The officer, a senior constable has been interviewed over the incident but has not been suspended
Even pilots are exempt from the effects of the 2016 election.

While preparing for a flight from San Francisco to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a United captain had to intervene after a racially charged argument broke out between two passengers, CBS reported.

A video captured the pilot scolding the passengers over the plane's intercom and was posted to YouTube by Jon Bauer on Friday.

'On my friend's flight from SFO to Mexico, some kinda scuffle broke out where an individual with a "plaid shirt and a capo cap" said something racist (about being "glad to have kept his guns") to an African-American lady, and she began to cry and freak out,' according to the video's caption.

While preparing for a flight from San Francisco, a United captain had to intervene after a racially charged scuffle broke out between two passengers. One passenger reportedly said something 'racist to an African-American lady', according to video from the incident

The two passengers were then separated and the pilot made the announcement.

'I understand everybody has their opinions; that's fine,' said the captain.

'If you support him (referring to Donald Trump), great. If you don't, I understand. However, we're out here to go to Puerto Vallarta, supposed to be having a good time, and what I do ask is that as people we have the common decency to respect each others' decisions and to get along on this three hour and thirteen minute flight so that we can have a good time when we get down there.'

During the announcement, the captain adds: 'Nobody wants to argue, nobody is going to change their minds by arguing.

'And let's keep our opinions to ourselves on this particular matter at this particular time.'

The unidentified captain then warns the passengers that if any more disruptions break out they won't be flying on his plane.

Maggie King, the United Airlines spokesperson, released a statement saying the captain was informed of the incident and 'used the intercom to diffuse the situation and insure the safety of everyone onboard' (file photo)

'If there's anyone that has a problem with this, that needs to vent or rant or rave, there's another flight tomorrow,' he said.

'You're not going to be on this one. I hope that's clear.'

Several passengers then clapped and cheered, showing their support for the pilot's statements.

Maggie King, the United Airlines spokesperson, released a statement saying the captain was informed of the incident and 'used the intercom to diffuse the situation and insure the safety of everyone onboard'.

'The flight continued without any further reports of disturbance.'




Family members of the Portland hiker who disappeared last month said on Friday they believe her remains have been found near the bottom of a cliff.

Anna 'Annie' Schmidt, 21, was reported missing on October 19 after she did not return from a hike near the Columbia River George.

Scmidt, is the daughter of The Piano Guys member Jon Schmidt and had recently moved from Utah to Oregon.

On Friday, her father posted a message in the Facebook group Find Annie Schmidt stating that he believes his daughter's remains were found.

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Tragic: Family members of the Annie Schmidt (above), the Portland hiker who disappeared last month, said on Friday they believe her remains have been found near the bottom of a cliff.

Anna 'Annie' Schmidt (above), 21, was reported missing on October 19 after she did not return from a hike near the Columbia River George. Her family said her belongings were found next to human remains on Friday

Police dog teams located human remains below Munra Point and a medical examiner plans to positively identify the remains sometime next week.

'The area is so far off trail and dense with vegetation that it required (search and rescue) to pretty much crawl uphill to get there,' he wrote.

'We can positively identify the clothing and personal items found at the site as belonging to Annie.'

The father expressed gratitude for all of the support the family has received since she went missing and said they 'are very hopeful for closure'.

Late last month, authorities called off the search for, as they said they believed she had become lost or injured herself while hiking.

On Friday, her father posted a message (above) in the Facebook group Find Annie Schmidt stating that he believes his daughter's remains were found

Police dog teams located human remains below Munra Point and a medical examiner plans to positively identify the remains sometime next week

In ending the search, officials said they believed there was little hope to find the young woman alive, since it had been more than week after she disappeared.

Her car was found parked near Tooth Rock Trailhead by Bonneville Dam some 40 miles away.

Volunteers and law enforcement rescue crews had covered more than 150 miles of the Columbia Gorge trail system in looking for her last month.

They even retraced their steps one more time looking for other possible clues that would lead them to her whereabouts.

'For us, we take this as personal as those who are out searching from the family. The conditions aren't average, they are extreme out here,' Marion County Sheriff Lieutenant Chad Gaidos said at the time to KATU.

One of the last posts on her Twitter account showed a scenic view with the caption, 'FILL your life with GOOD VIBES'

'Unfortunately we've looked everywhere that we feel like we can look safely, that are the trails, things like that,' said Mark Hornibrook, a local LDS church leader.

Annie's mother, Michelle Schmidt from Salt Lake City, Utah, told KOIN-TV that she had originally arrived in Portland to go on a camping trip with her daughter the weekend she had disappeared.

Annie, who enjoyed hiking, had recently bought a new tent and backpack.

At the time of her disappearance, her father said she might have attempted to set up the tent she had just received.

'I have to face the reality she may not still be alive,' Michelle previously told Fox 13.

In the meantime, the mother said the hardest part for her and the family is waiting.

'I called my daughter last night, who's my youngest, and sat on the phone and cried and cried and cried and cried,' she told KGW, 'but we have to be logical and do all we can.'

Annie's parents Michelle and Jon Schmidt are pictured above as they joined in the search for their daughter in October

Jon Schmidt (pictured left and right) is a member of the Utah-based music group The Piano Guys

Jon serves as a pianist and songwriter in the four-member music group, The Piano Guys.

After gaining a big following through YouTube, the group signed with Sony.

On the day she was last seen by her roommate, October 16, she had tweeted several times.

One of those tweets included a scenic view of rough terrain filled with what appears to be a small body of water.

She captioned the photo 'FILL your life with GOOD VIBES' and posted it around 2.25pm.

In her final tweet that day, she shared a link to a song on Soundcloud.

The nature-loving woman had also tweeted that she was planning a backpacking trip across Asia and India.
Charity Save the Children says injuries suffered by children are 'shocking'

Medics say they are now treating more civilians than soldiers

An eight-year-old boy who died after triggering an improvised bomb, which left his friend partially disembowelled, is among the droves of children caught in the crossfire in Mosul, medics warned.

Doctors working in an emergency centre outside the war-torn city say that around a dozen youngsters are being treated each day, having been mutilated by gunshots and often suffering life-changing burns.

Children suffering life-threatening injuries often arrive at hospital without their parents, charity Save the Children has revealed.

A dozen children with severe injuries are treated in hospital each day because of the war in Aleppo

Bachir, eight, who lost his hand and an eye after a shell landed inside his house, stands with his brother Machaal, 11, who was also injured on the same day

It comes as elite Iraqi forces engaged in 'intense' fighting with jihadists in eastern Mosul today.

Nine cars deployed by ISIS as suicide bombs were destroyed by the Iraqi Army, backed by US air power, as two districts were seized back by government forces.

A statement said 30 Islamic State militants had been killed in today's fighting.

A medic working at a hospital in Erbil, to the southeast of the city, told the charity: 'Because of our proximity we are now seeing far more civilians than soldiers, and that includes a lot of children.'

He said that his patients included a young girl, aged around nine, with severe burns all over her body.

Elite Iraqi forces engaged in 'intense' fighting with jihadists in Mosul today as the battle to regain the city continued

A man who is fleeing the fighting between Islamic State and Iraqi army in Mosul carries his son in the Samah district in the east of the city today

He said: 'I was trying to keep her calm, she was in severe pain. She said that her family had been hit by the bomb and shed watched her brother die.'

Another medic said: 'Civilians are coming to us with major trauma injuries, some with exhaustion, some caught in crossfire.

'Im seeing maybe six to a dozen children a day - more like a dozen now - coming with gunshots, burns, scrapes, shrapnel wounds.'

Medics in Erbil say they are treating more civilians than soldiers, with around 15 children each day arriving with serious injuries

The World Health Organisation says the Emergency Hospital in Erbil has treated between 15 to 30 patients with gunshot wounds, shell and mine injuries, every day since the offensive began on October 17.

Doctors say they are overwhelmed with emergency cases arriving from Mosul - and security restrictions mean parents are not allowed to go with them.

Recent patients include a two-year-old boy with gunshot wounds to his chest and a three year old girl and her two sisters injured by a shell.

Surgeons also operated on a girl aged around 11 who had a serious head injury after shrapnel penetrated her skull. As she was transferred to another hospital, it is unclear whether she survived, said medics.

Iraqi forces have reclaimed sections of the city, but military chiefs warn it could take months to drive ISIS out of Mosul

Aram Shakaram, Save the Children deputy country director, said: 'Its shocking to hear that children are suffering this range of serious injuries in such high numbers and are waiting days to receive medical treatment.

'All sides to this conflict must ensure children are protected from the dangers of warfare and are never caught in the crossfire.

'One child injured by a bullet or shrapnel is one too many.'

Security restrictions mean parents are often unable to travel with children when they are severely injured

An Iraqi federal policeman aims his heavy machine gun on a vehicle in Samah district, eastern Mosul, during today's operations

Iraqi forces launched a massive operation to retake the country's second city from ISIS on October 17, and the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) special forces have pushed jihadists back from some Mosul neighbourhoods.

But military chiefs fear it could take months to recapture the city.

Staff Lieutenant Colonel Muntadhar Salem of CTS, referring to two Mosul areas, said today: 'The fighting is intense this morning. We're trying to fortify our positions in Arbajiyah before continuing our attack into Al-Bakr.'

CTS forces launched an assault on Arbajiyah the day before, and Salem said that they were in control of the area on Saturday.

ISIS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained significant ground from the jihadists.

Thousands of people living in Mosul have fled the fighting between the Iraqi army and ISIS

Iraqi troops have been fighting for 10 days inside eastern Mosul, trying to expand their small foothold in the city which ISIS has controlled since mid-2014, when its leader declared a caliphate in parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

Iraqi fighters have faced fierce resistance from a few thousand militants who have deployed hundreds of suicide car bombers and waves of attacks by snipers, assault fighters and rocket teams.

Jihadists have also used a network of tunnels around the city and merged into the civilian population of 1.5 million people still living there, helping it launch surprise raids and ambushes on the troops.

The Counter Terrorism Service has taken control of the districts of al-Qadisiya al-Thania, which it moved into on Friday, and adjacent al-Arbajiya

The military statement said the Counter Terrorism Service took control of the districts of al-Qadisiya al-Thania, which it moved into on Friday, and adjacent al-Arbajiya.

Further south, but still on the eastern fringes, troops from the First Infantry and Ninth Armoured divisions attacked the jihadists in the Salam neighbourhood.

Security forces and army troops are also advancing on southern and northern fronts close to the city, aiming to open new fronts inside Mosul to put further pressure on the ultra-hardline Islamists.

Peshmerga forces inspect a tunnel used by Islamic State militants in the town of Bashiqa, after it was recaptured from ISIS

An Iraqi federal policeman aims his heavy machine gun on a vehicle in Samah district, eastern Mosul

The attacking forces include Iraqi army troops and special forces and federal police units. Outside the city, Kurdish peshmerga forces are holding territory to the northeast and mainly Shi'ite paramilitary forces are deployed to the west.

They are supported by US-led air power, including jets and Apache helicopters, and Western military advisers who have accompanied Iraqi forces on the edge of Mosul.
But the mother felt the CPS dropped her case

The Crown Prosecution Service dropped a case involving an Asian woman whose family 'pressured' her to have an abortion because they did not want to be labelled racist.

Mandy Sanghera, a human rights activist, has revealed that the mother was forced to terminate the pregnancy after her family learned she was having a girl.

The woman, who has not been named, already had a daughter and her family told her that they could not afford to have another girl.

She then reported the incident to the police but they did not judge it to be honour-based abuse.

Mandy Sanghera (pictured) revealed that the woman felt she was forced to get an abortion

But the CPS eventually pursued the case and the woman decided she want to prosecute, reports The Daily Telegraph.

After investigating, the CPS did not press charges for the offence, adding that it was simply a 'family matter' and not in the public interest.

By dropping the case, they failed to secure the first conviction for sex-selective abortion in the UK.

The husband of the pregnant woman later admitted controlling behaviour and was sent on a course following his guilty plea.

Ms Sanghera, who advises the government about honour-based violence, told the newspaper: 'When her family found out it was a girl, she was put under a lot of emotional pressure and duress.

'She did not want to have that termination.'

She also claims the CPS failed to prosecute after deciding that the woman would not make a competent witness as she didn't have 'physical injuries'.

Ms Sanghera, who has been supporting victims of honour-based violence since 1990, said the woman felt the case was dropped because of 'cultural reasons'.

The dropped case comes after new guidance was introduced by the government and the General Medical Council in May 2014.

It outlined that sex-selective abortion is 'unacceptable and illegal' and Ms Sanghera added that there is a 'fear of not wanting to be accused of being racist'.

A CPS spokesman said: 'We take honour-based crime extremely seriously. "Political correctness" plays no part whatsoever in our decision making  nor does any outside influence.

After investigating, the CPS did not press charges for the offence, adding that it was simply a 'family matter' and not in the public interest

'All charging decisions are made completely independently and objectively and based solely on the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

'We will not hesitate to bring a charge where the evidence supports the allegation and it is in the public interest to prosecute.

'The CPS recognises that honour based violence and forced marriage are fields in which we need to improve our understanding, response, and support to victims and witnesses.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will not attend a 'crisis' meeting in Brussels tomorrow

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will not attend a 'crisis' meeting in Brussels tomorrow which was arranged to discuss how Europe will deal with the aftermath of the US election result.

Mr Johnson, 52, won't be at the dinner after he told his EU counterparts to end the 'whinge-o-rama' over Donald Trump's victory.

The Foreign Office said that 'an act of democracy has taken place' and they 'do not see the need' for an additional meeting.

The UK will be represented by a senior official who will attend the event in Belgium.

Mr Johnson will instead attend a 'regular' Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday where a range of issues will be discussed.

Foreign ministers from the 28 EU countries will sit down tomorrow to discuss Trump's victory - just four months after Britain voted for Brexit.

A Foreign Office spokesman told MailOnline: 'The Foreign Secretary will not attend the meeting convened for Sunday.

'There is a regular Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday where a range of issues can be discussed in the normal way.

'We do not see the need for an additional meeting on Sunday because the US election timetable is long established.

The meeting on Sunday was called after Donald Trump (pictured on CBS News of Friday night) won the presidential election

CBS News correspondent Lesley Stahl interviewed Mr Trump, his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka

Theresa May (pictured) has been warned she is 'delusional' if she believes she can get a good trade deal from Donald Trump

'An act of democracy has taken place, there is a transition period and we will work with the current and future administrations to ensure the best outcomes for Britain.'

The European Union's founders believed its unity would be forged in crisis, but after Brexit and the election of Trump to the White House, the bloc looks shakier than ever.

EU President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday that the events of 2016 were a 'warning sign for all who believe in liberal democracy', and urged Europe to 'finally get our act together'.

But Trump's election has made it harder to regroup, given that Europe - while trying to stay pragmatic in dealing with Washington - has no idea what to really expect from the billionaire.

Tusk warned at the time that the 'Western political civilisation' that has kept Europe at peace since World War II was now at risk.

Rattled European leaders have issued calls, after both Brexit and the Trump win, for Europe to seize its own destiny and tackle what they have dubbed a 'polycrisis'.

It comes as Prime Minister Theresa May was warned by a leading German politician that she is 'delusional' if she believes she can get a good trade deal from Trump, 70.

Axel Schafer, a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Social Democrat coalition party, said Mrs May's hope that President-elect Trump will look favourably on the UK will come to nothing.

Referring to the shock election of Mr Trump, Mr Schafer told The Times: 'What changed is the likelihood of a speedy and preferential trade deal between UK and US.

'Even before Tuesday the chances were rather low, now the hope for this kind of deal seems delusional.'

The pointed remarks came after ministers talked up the chances of a close working relationship with the surprise winner of the race to the White House.

Mr Johnson said the Republican's victory over Hillary Clinton is a 'great opportunity for the UK' to build closer economic ties with America.

He suggested that the President-elect would be good for Britain as the country attempts to agree new free trade deals following Brexit.

Speaking on a whistle-stop tour of capitals in eastern Europe and the Balkans, Mr Johnson lashed out at European leaders for taking a more negative approach to Mr Trump's election.

He said: 'I would respectfully say to my beloved European friends and colleagues that it's time that we snapped out of the general doom and gloom about the result of this election and collective 'whinge-o-rama' that seems to be going on in some places.'

Following the election result, he revealed that he spoke to Vice-President-elect Mike Pence and added that the pair discussed the 'importance of the special relationship' between the two countries.

Mr Johnson, who previously described Mr Trump as being 'out of his mind', also praised him as a 'deal maker'.

A Foreign Office source told The Sun: 'The rest of Europe has been churlish and sniffy about Trump's victory. We haven't - that puts us in a much better place.'

Axel Schafer (pictured) a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Social Democrat coalition party, has said Mrs May is 'delusional' if she thinks she will get a good trade deal

Mr Schafer said Mrs May's hope that Donald Trump (pictured) will look favourably on the UK will come to nothing

The tone was in marked contrast to that of European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, who seemed concerned about Trump's appointment - along with other leaders who have reacted with alarm.

He said: 'Mr Trump, during his campaign, said that Belgium was a village somewhere in Europe.

'We must teach the President-elect what Europe is and how it works. I believe we'll have two years of wasted time while Mr. Trump tours a world he doesn't know.

'The Americans, as a general rule, have no interest in Europe', Juncker said in his remarks to the students.

He added: 'The trans-Atlantic alliance, and the Nato alliance, is called into question, so it could be quite pernicious.

'With regards to refugees and other non-Americans, Trump has an approach which in no way coincides with the approach in Europe.'

And Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon is set to tell Britain's Nato allies to spend more money on defence.

The Telegraph reports that Sir Fallon will use a Brussels summit of defence ministers to urge countries to scrap plans for an EU army because Trump might withdraw his support.

Trump - during his campaign - said that America could refuse to help Nato allies unless they fulfil obligations and 'pay their bills'.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said his party would vote against triggering Article 50, which formally launches withdrawal negotiations with the EU, unless there was a guarantee that the final Brexit deal with Brussels is put to a fresh referendum.

He insisted he respected the decision made by voters in favour of leaving the EU but said nobody should have a deal 'imposed' upon them.

Although the Lib Dems only have eight MPs they have more than 100 peers in the Lords, which could spell trouble for the Government if judges rule that a full Act of Parliament is required before Article 50 can be triggered, as the legislation would have to clear both Houses.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured) said: 'I think that we'll waste time for two years while Mr Trump tours a world that he is completely unaware of'

The comments came as Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron (pictured) said his party would vote against triggering Article 50

MPs from other parties - including a Labour frontbencher - have indicated they would be prepared to oppose Article 50.

The Government is challenging a High Court ruling that Parliament must have the final say on triggering Article 50 with a hearing in the Supreme Court next month, arguing that prerogative powers could be used to trigger Article 50.

An outline of the grounds for appeal published by the Brexit Department said the High Court was mistaken and should have accepted 'the Crown retains the power to give effect to the result of the EU referendum' by taking the 'first step in the process' by notifying that it is triggering Article 50.

The Government's lawyers will argue that 'in any event, the continued existence of the power to take that first step is clearly established and authorised by Parliament'.

However, the Guardian reports that Government lawyers are looking at deploying new tactics when they try to persuade the Supreme Court to overturn the High Court ruling.

The legal team could argue that Parliament can reverse the Article 50 decision at any point, meaning its sovereignty has not been infringed, and Mrs May can trigger the process herself, the newspaper has suggested.

A Government spokeswoman said: 'Our position is clear: the country voted to leave the EU and we will respect the will of the British people.

'The Government told the High Court that as a matter of firm policy, once given, the Article 50 notice would not be withdrawn. Because legal proceedings are under way it would not be appropriate to comment further.'

Meanwhile, Britain could seek associate membership of the North American Free Trade Area, according to the Daily Telegraph.




They argued the plebiscite would fuel hate speech against LGBTI people

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras board passed the motion on Saturday

Mr Turnbull was uninvited as an official guest in protest against plebiscite

Australia's prime minister is formally stricken off the list as an official guest at Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, in protest against his push for a national plebiscite on same-sex marriage.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was scratched from the list when a motion passed to uninvite him at an official meeting for the event on Saturday.

The motion stated that the 'Annual General Meeting of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras does not believe that a prime minister who denies us equality should be welcome as an official guest at our parade'.

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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (right) with TV personality Richard Reid (left) at Sydney's Mardi Gras in 2015

Board director James Brechney said the motion was successfully passed thanks to 'people power'.

'To see an idea that I brought to a Marriage Equality Rally come to fruition by the people - it's an incredible feeling,' he said.

The motion was put to the floor on Saturday in response to the PM's push to hold a controversial plebiscite instead of free voting to decide whether LGBTI people deserve the right to marry in Australia.

The board, together with gay activists across the country, spoke out against the plebiscite fearing it would fuel hate speech against LGBTI people.

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras board director James Brechney (pictured) said the vote passed thanks to 'people power'

'I was censured for the suggestion - now passed by the members. What a day. This is people power,' board director James Brechney said

Malcolm Turnbull, now banned as an official guest, with his wife Lucy at Sydney's Mardi Gras in 2015

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is seen attending the 38th annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade in Sydney on March 5, 2016

Legislation to enable the national plebiscite was defeated 33 votes to 29, with Labor, Greens, the Nick Xenophon Team and independent Derryn Hinch opposing it in the senate this week.

After the failure of the proposed plebiscite, Mr Turnbull also said there were 'no plans' to take immediate action on marriage equality.

Mr Turnbull was the first sitting prime minister to turn up to the official Sydney Mardi Gras event when he attended in 2015.

But his attendance has since been questioned by the Sydney-based activist group Community Action Against Homophobia.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras board voting on Saturday to ban Mr Turnbull from the upcoming event

James Brechney (centre) voting to ban Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull from the upcoming Sydney event

Co-convenor Cat Rose told SBS 'Turnbull hijacked the Mardi Gras parade'.

'He was happy to come and get his media opportunity and spruik his supposedly pro-gay values but what has he given us since?' Ms Rose said.

'We wanted to express our disgust at his Prime Ministership as a community and to say that we don't need his phony friendship.'

And while Mr Turnbull is banned from attending the event as an official guest, he will still be welcome to attend the event as a regular guest.
Man, 29 was arrested nearby and is being

The man who died after being shot in the neck in a targeted shooting at a Sydney house party has been identified as Riccardo Coleman.

The 20-year-old, known as 'Cardo', staggered bleeding profusely down Windsor Road in Baulkham Hills before he was rushed to hospital, where he died.

His Facebook account has been met with an outpouring of grief from friends and family, as homicide police piece together what led to the dispute that caused his death, reports Daily Telegraph.

Riccardo Coleman died after being shot in the neck in a targeted shooting in a Sydney house party

His Facebook account has been met with an outpouring of grief from friends and family

Police are interrogating a 29-year-old man who was arrested nearby soon after the shooting, which they say has a 'degree of targeting'.

Mr Coleman lives on the same street as the man believed to have shot him, and is recovering in hospital from pre-existing injuries.

'Speaking in a press conference, Superintendent Rob Critchlow said the investigation suggests it was not a random attack.

'We do understand there was some degree of targeting and some degree involved in the crime which is subject to further investigation,' he said.

Both men are believed to be known by police.

'All the information provided to detectives so far tells us the men have known each other for some time; while they are not next-door neighbours, they do live in close proximity,' Supt Critchlow said

Mr Coleman died after he was rushed to hospital with a bulletwound to the neck

Police are interrogating a 29-year-old neighbour of the man who was arrested nearby

Friends and family have vented their grief and paid their tributes on social media.

'Rest easy fly high into the beautiful heavens away from here into your new kingdom with God and all his Angels watching over us always xxxx,' wrote one friend.

'Rest easy my brother, we love and miss you. Fly high solider. This world will never be the same without you'.

Detectives set up a 250 metre-long crime scene along Windsor Road in Baulkham Hills following the blood trail he left as he tried to find help.

Police were seen scouring the area for evidence with police dogs.

Seven officers raided a nearby home soon after the shooting, but did not appear to arrest anyone else.

The man was arrested at the scene and sat in handcuffs before being taken away
His ex-girlfriend Shelsea Schilling, 20, was also

A former bikie enforcer known as 'Solitary Son' and his ex-girlfriend have been found dead in a Gold Coast apartment.

Bronson Ellery, who is covered head-to-toe in tattoos, and his former partner Shelsea Schilling, 20, were found dead in the common area of a Southport unit in Johnson Street by police at 4.40pm on Friday.

Ellery, 24, is a former Bandido bikie associate who had in recent years been in and out of jail, The Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

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Ellery (pictured) , 24, is a former Bandido bikie associate who had in recent years been in and out of jail

Bronson Ellery and his former partner Shelsea Schilling (pictured), 20, were found dead on Friday

A former bikie enforcer known as 'Solitary Son' (right) and his ex-girlfriend (left) have been found dead in a Gold Coast apartment

Former bikie enforcer Bronson Ellery (pictured) known as 'Solitary Son' and his ex-girlfriend have been found dead in a Gold Coast apartment

He was known to police as 'Lizard Man' because of his heavily tattooed face.

The sudden deaths have sparked a homicide investigation by police who have set up a crime scene at the ground floor unit, which is located between a cafe and an industrial area.

In a press conference held on Saturday Detective Senior Sergeant Matthew Ward said police believe the pair died in 'unknown circumstances.'

'We don't have any information (regarding their deaths) at this stage apart from the fact that we have a female and a male within the address,' he said.

'Anything is possible. We're appealing to anyone with knowledge of the persons who occupied this address or who were associated to this address.'

No weapon has been found at the crime scene.

It has been reported Ellery (left) had many enemies through his association with Gold Coast underworld figures

In March 2015 Ellery (pictured left with ex girlfriend Shelsea Schilling) spent four months in custody for trying to bully a man into withdrawing a complaint to police

Ms Schilling's mother Bonnie Markwell Mobbs took to social media in a chilling Facebook post following her daughter's death.

'B****** had no life took his and my baby girl. Rott (sic) in hell Bronson. Let my angel be safe,' she wrote.

In the days leading up to Ms Schilling's death, Ms Markwell Mobbs was desperately trying to find her daughter.

'PLEASE HELP! Has anyone seen my daughter Shelsea Schilling since 9th Wednesday afternoon? Feared missing. In Labrador. A missing persons has been filed,' she wrote on Facebook.

Ellery (pictured right with ex-girlfriend Shelsea Schilling) was known to police as 'Lizard Man' because of his heavily tattooed face

In the days leading up to Ms Schilling's death, Ms Markwell Mobbs was desperately trying to find her daughter

Bronson Ellery, who is covered head-to-toe in tattoos and his ex-girlfriend, 20, were found dead in Gold Coast apartment on Friday

It has been reported Ellery had many enemies through his association with Gold Coast underworld figures.

'I used to have links to the Bandidos. I hate them now,' Ellery told Noisey in an interview last year.

Following his death one Facebook user wrote: 'Anyone sympathising for Bronson Ellery kindly remove yourself from my Facebook as I hope he rots in his grave.'

Another said: 'R.I.P Bronson Ellery you colossal s***bag. The world is now a better place.'

In March 2015 Ellery spent four months in custody for trying to bully a man into withdrawing a complaint to police, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

He pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice in Southport District Court.

Police said Ellery hoped his arrest would be covered in the media to get more exposure for his album Searching Souls, which he released in 2015.

Police said Ellery hoped his arrest would be covered in the media to get more exposure for his album Searching Souls, which he released in 2015
The BBC caused further outrage by placing a poppy on the cookie monster

said they would look out of place as the show will be aired next year

The day-time antique's show is presented by Paul Martin and has been broadcast on the BBC since 2002

BBC producers have been accused of 'disrespecting war heroes' after audience members of a popular show were told to remove their poppies during filming.

The developments come the same week the television network was accused of 'trivialising' the sacrifice of millions of soldiers by placing a poppy on the torso of a Cookie Monster puppet on the One Show.

Audience members of BBC2's antiques programme Flog It! were told by BBC staff that their Remembrance Day tributes would look 'out of place' when the show was broadcast next year.

The ban sparked outrage among some in the audience at Thursday's filming at the Royal Marines Museum, in Eastney, Hampshire.

Retired engineer John Wells, 61, told the Sun that he was so angry that he refused to remove his poppy after being asked by a BBC employee.

'When I asked why he said poppies were not relevant as the programme was not being aired until next year.

'I was gobsmacked. Poppies are relevant all year round, especially when you are filming at a museum dedicated to hundreds of people who lost their lives in the war.

'What makes it even more ridiculous is there is a giant statue of a marine at the front of the museum wearing a giant poppy, which they will probably show in the programme.

'I was so offended I refused to remove my poppy and did not go in.

'I wasn't the only person asked to take off their poppy. I think it is disgusting and very disrespectful to all this country's war heroes.'

The father-of-three added: 'Saying wearing poppies will date the programmes is nonsense. You can tell it is shot in November because everyone there is wearing big coats and jumpers.'

The Cookie Monster, a character from American television show Sesame Street, had the scarlet flower pinned to his bright blue fur as he was interviewed on the BBC programme

Daytime television show Flog It! is presented by Paul Martin and sees members of the public bring along their antiques to be valued by experts.

A BBC spokesman told the MailOnline: 'Pre-recorded TV is produced to reflect the time it will broadcast and we received no complaints on the day.

'However the BBC is supporting remembrance this year across local, national and global services as we believe it is really important to remember all those whove served our country.'

The Cookie Monster, a character from American television show Sesame Street, had the scarlet flower pinned to his bright blue fur as he was interviewed on the BBC programme on November 7.

Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, told the MailOnline that the move was 'disgraceful.'
A missing driver has survived eight hours and swam eight kilometres in rough waters after his dive boat broke down and drifted away.

The 46-year-old man diving with another man at African Reef, 22 kilometres off the coast of Geraldton, Western Australia on Thursday evening.

The second male was able get on the boat which drifted away because of a broken anchor rope, however the missing diver failed to return, Perth Now reported.

A diver, 46, missing for eight hours off the coast of Geraldton, Western Australia, swam eight kilometres back to shore

Geraldton volunteer marine rescue boats, the Freemantle water police, fishing vessels and a helicopter started the search for the missing diver just after 7pm, but the team had to call it off in the early hours of the morning.

Family members of the diver were also out search for the missing diver along a small beach.

The missing man spotted their torch lights and swam to shore where he reunited with them.

Ian Beard from the Geraldton Volunteer Marine Rescue Group told Daily Mail Australia the missing diver had swum eight kilometres in choppy conditions.

Ian Beard from the Geraldton Volunteer Marine Rescue Group said the man was in a good conditions, and after a check up in hospital was released soon after (Freemantle water police stock)

'He was in reasonably good condition, and was well protected because he was wearing two light diving wet suits,' Mr Beard said.

He was taken to hospital for a check and was released soon after, he added.
Veterans have been left outraged after learning that family members are to be excluded from the Remembrance Sunday march past the Cenotaph amid fears of a terror attack.

The terror threat level in the UK is currently 'severe', meaning an attack is 'highly likely.'

And earlier in 2016 Nadir Syed was jailed for life for plotting to murder someone around Armistice Day in 2014.

For future services, including this Sunday's, only widows of war veterans will be able to take apart in the annual parade, which could have a shortfall of as many as 1,600 people, after Scotland Yard insisted on new 'enhanced security arrangements'.

For years the event has been oversubscribed with around 10,000 people usually joining the annual Whitehall parade.

Family members were permitted to walk to the Cenotaph in London but new rules mean only widows who have met strict criteria can make the walk

Around 10,000 march down Whitehall on Remembrance Sunday but this year's service will see less people amid terror attack fears

However this year the Royal British Legion has failed to fill its family member allocation after being forced to draw up a strict criteria to boost safety.

Now only veterans and widows are permitted to make the walk in central London this year.

While those wishing to partake in the march have to register in advance to supply names, addresses and dates of birth and then obtain photo ID.

The new rules even stipulate that veterans who struggle to walk will be assigned help from someone already taking part and now be allowed support from their family.

Colonel Richard Kemp, a former commander of Armed Forces in Afghanistan, told the Telegraph that it was a 'great shame' that children and parents were missing out on the chance to pay tribute to fallen servicemen.

'It cannot be underestimated how much these memorials mean to the loved ones of those who have been lost,' he added.

'I think the Royal British Legion should have been more proactive in the circumstances to make sure every place available was filled.'

The terror threat level in the UK is currently 'severe', meaning an attack is 'highly likely.' A Remembrance Sunday service was targeted by a terrorist in 2014

In a statement the British Legion said: 'We stand by the decision to apply more rigorous eligibility criteria for participation in the March Past, which was taken with the agreement of a wide range of stakeholder groups from across the veteran community and government.

'As a result of this decision every veteran who wants to march past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday is now able to do so, and we must prioritise those who have served as part of the British Armed Forces.

'The number of participants this year is marginally lower than our limit of 10,000, however we expect to see this figure rise again next year once the new system is more widely understood.'

Sally Aitchison, who has been marching with her veteran father for the past five years at the London service, told reporters that it will be a shame to watch the event from the sidelines.

The 47-year-old, from Croydon, said: 'I got a call saying I didn't have a ticket because of this and I'm still in a state of shock. Every year I get my father's medals down from where I have them in storage.
A dramatic video of a would-be suicide bomber losing his nerve and fleeing has emerged from Syria.

The footage shows the would-be killer driving a car bomb in northern Aleppo, when he came under heavy fire from Turkish-backed militants.

The man is then seen running away from the explosive-laden car as bullets fly around him.

Drama: The explosive-laden car came under heavy fire from Turkish-backed militants in northern Aleppo

It is not clear from the clip whether the attempted bomber escaped, but he is not felled by a shot in the footage.

Today a monitor announced that Syrian government forces have reclaimed all the areas taken by rebel fighters in a recent assault on eastern Aleppo.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the army had recaptured key areas including the western district of Dahiyet al-Assad and the village of Minyan outside the city.

The man was seen running away from the car as bullets flew around him

The reversals undo all of the progress made during a recent push by opposition fighters, including former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham front, as they tried to end a government siege on the city.

British International Development Secretary Priti Patel has voiced concern over reports that food is running out in Aleppo.

She said: 'Warnings that food is running out in Aleppo are desperately worrying, but inevitable while Assad's regime and its backers continue to besiege the city using access to food as a means to wage war.

It is not clear whether the would-be suicide bomber survived after he fled the car, which came under heavy fire

'The onset of winter will only add to the pressures on those trapped inside the city. Families who have survived years of conflict and bombing face the threat of malnutrition and starvation.

'It is imperative that sustained access is put in place for aid workers and for the delivery of food and medical supplies and that urgent medical evacuations go ahead.'

And the Conservative minister continued: 'The UK is at the forefront of the Syria humanitarian response and we are backing the UN's emergency response plan for Aleppo.
A teenager died just hours after his sister was given the go-ahead to travel to America for life-saving treatment.

The family of Abigail Cox, 21, were distraught to learn that her brother Edward, 19, had died suddenly in Aberdeenshire.

Police say the teenager's death is being treated as unexplained, but it is not suspicious.

Teenager Edward Cox died just hours after his family learned that sister Abigail had been accepted for lifesaving treatment after a huge 22,000 fundraising drive

Hours before the tragic news, Abigail, who is being treated for Ewing's Sarcoma, a bone cancer, was told she had been accepted for treatment in the US after a huge 22,000 fundraising drive.

Doctors had advised her family that the best treatment for her condition was available at the Houston Cancer Centre in Texas.

The news had lifted the spirits of Dawn and Gary Cox, who are also parents to their youngest daughter Olivia, until they discovered that their beloved teenage son, Edward, 19, had died.

Emotional tributes have been paid to Edward, 19, who died suddenly on Thursday. His death is being treated as unexplained by police

Police were called out to a property in Inverurie after his body was discovered on Thursday morning.

Yesterday a relative said the family were devastated.

He said: 'This is a devastating time. The family are pulling together to help Gary, Dawn and Abigail and Olivia get through this period.

'They got a call the other night from America to say that Abigail could come across to the centre. It is going to cost a lot of money and this JustGiving appeal started and it has just completely taken everybody by surprise how generous and how supportive people have been.

'The focus is to go through this period and to make sure Abigail is fit to travel to America.'

He died shortly after his sister Abigail, who is being treated for bone cancer, has been accepted for treatment in Houston, Texas

Tragic Edward worked at his father Gary's nightclub Edwards in Inverurie, in Aberdeenshire.

His father also runs the Northern Hotel in Aberdeen and has been raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT).

Dozens of friends and family flocked to social media yesterday to express their shock at the loss of such a popular teenager.

One friend on social media recalled playing rugby with Edward when he was young.

He played with Garioch rugby club, which incorporates players from around the Inverurie area.

The man from above has taken you away far too soon and it's not fair, but he will have one massive bright shining star up there who will shine bright on us all every day and night. Friend's tribute to Edward Cox

Another family friend added: 'I remember the day you were born Edward and a very proud Mum and Dad and big sister you had too, and a young male Cox to take on the family name too, proud as punch they were.

'You grew up into a very young talented young man following in your dads footsteps with yeah your bling, rugby, work and if course your looks too.

'Edward you made so many people smile and now so many people will hold onto all those memories of you.

'Edward you were a credit to all your family, you were the most polite young man and had a beautiful smile that everyone will always remember.

'The man from above has taken you away far too soon and it's not fair, but he will have one massive bright shining star up there who will shine bright on us all every day and night.'

Karina Cable has been fundraising for her cousin Abigail to get treatment abroad.

She also paid tribute to her youngest cousin on the fundraising page yesterday.

She said: 'The day after the news about her acceptance her and her family tragically lost Edward who was not only a son, brother, cousin, and nephew, but also a friend to many people within our community.

'A fun, loving, caring, energetic, cheeky, bright, and happy young lad that had a heart as big as anyone that we all know.'

Police confirmed that they were called out to a house in Inverurie on Thursday.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: 'Police were called yesterday at about 9.30am in relation to the sudden death of a 19-year-old man in the Inverurie area.
An Australian pharmacy chain has made huge sales in the first 13 minutes of the world's biggest shopping extravaganza.

Chemist Warehouse sold almost $2 million worth their stock during 'Singles Day' sales on online retailer Alibaba, founded by Chinese business magnate Jack Ma, News.com.au reported.

This year's sale saw shoppers spent $1.3 billion in the first five minutes of the 24-hour sale on a wide range of toys, fashion, makeup, clothes and electronics.

Chemist Warehouse sold almost $2 million worth their stock during Alibaba's 'Singles Day'

Shoppers spent $1.3 billion in the first five minutes of the 24-hour sale online retailer Alibaba, founded by Chinese business magnate Jack Ma

In 2015, the pharmacy chain sold one million Chinese Yuan worth of products from brands such as Swisse, Blackmores, Healthy Care, Ostelin, Carusos and QV in just three minutes.

Other Australian products that sold well with Chinese consumers include UGG, selling for more than $100 off, and one kilogram bags of Devondale powdered milk priced at $17 per bag.

International brands such as Apple, Victoria's Secret, Beats by Dr Dre, Adidas and Estee Lauder were also sold on the website and sent to customers all over the world.

In 2015, Chinese consumers bought one million Chinese Yuan worth of products from brands such as Swisse, Blackmores, Healthy Care, Ostelin, Carusos and QV from Chemist Warehouse

A wide range of brands such as Apple, Victoria's Secret and Beats by Dr Dre, were sold on the website and sent to customers all over the world

The Singles Day launch, on Thursday, saw big name celebrities such as David and Victoria Beckham, Scarlett Johansson, Daniel Craig, attend the event countdown to the start of the sale.

The Singles Day started in 1993 after single men in Nanjing, China and started as an 'anti-Valentines day' movement.
A wife furious with her husband after he was out all night drinking has confronted him with a machete on a busy street in broad daylight.

The woman drove around looking for her husband in peak hour, the morning after his bender in Bangkok, Thailand.

A shocked onlooker said: 'From what she said to him, it looked like he had been out all night partying without telling her.

Scroll down for video

A wife furious with her husband after he was out all night drinking has confronted him with a machete on a busy street in broad daylight

'She wasn't messing around. She told him to get in the car and get home.

'It's actually a bit scary that she was driving around with a knife then waving it in the street.'

A video of the shocking incident went viral after it was recorded by a commuter who posted it online this week.

The woman spotted him nursing his hangover eating breakfast at a street food stall and parked her car on the side of the road.

As she confronted her disheveled husband she whipped out a huge hunting knife, waving it in his face, ordering him to go home.

As the man dawdled to the side of the road his wife whacked him with the flat part of the blade.

She ordered him into the front seat of her car, where onlookers heard him receive a severe ear bashing.

The woman drove around looking for her husband in peak hour, the morning after his bender in Bangkok, Thailand
The man remains in the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in critical condition

He was treated by paramedics at the scene and was rushed to hospital

Man in his 20s fell from the 10th floor of a Sydney CBD building

A man is fighting for his life in hospital after he plummeted from the 10th storey of a building smashing through glass in the CBD.

The man, 20s, is in critical condition and was treated by paramedics on Pitt Street, Sydney CBD, after he fell 10 storeys at 3.40pm and crashed through a glass roof before hitting the pathway.

A man, 20s, is in critical condition and was treated by paramedics on Pitt Street, Sydney CBD, after he fell 10 storeys at 3.40pm and crashed through a glass roof before hitting the pathway

Two people near the incident were injured by the falling glass of the fall

He was rushed to the RPA Hospital where he remains in critical condition, according to The Daily Telegraph.

A crime scene was set up, but there are no suspicious circumstances.

Two people near the incident were injured by the falling glass.
Mairah Teli was told to hang herself with her headscarf on Friday

A Muslim teacher was told to hang herself with her headscarf in a frightening note which said it was no longer 'allowed' after Donald Trump's election win.

Mairah Teli received the frightening order in an anonymous note left in her classroom at Dacula High School in Dacula, Georgia, on Friday.

'Mrs Teli, y our head scarf isn't allowed anymore. Why don't you tie it around your neck and hang yourself with it,' said the message.

The 24-year-old teacher said the note was a result of Trump's election victory and an indicator of the escalating racism it has triggered.

'I'm a high school teacher and sadly this anonymous note was put in my classroom today.

'As a Muslim, I wear a headscarf as a practice of my faith. I want to share this to raise awareness about the reality and climate of our community.

'Spreading hate isn't going to "make America great again,"' she said in a Facebook post about the incident.

She accompanied the post with the hashtags 'Donald's America' and 'Here to stay'.

Mrs Teli is a California native and works at the school as a language arts teacher.

The hateful note was left anonymously at her classroom and signed 'America'

Mrs Teli (left with her husband) said she was open about her faith but that the note was an indicator of the 'climate'

The note was illustrated by hand-drawn American flags and written in block capitals.

The local school district told The Atlanta Journal Constitution it was determined to establish who had written it.

Scores of other racist incidents have been reported across the country since Trump triumphed over Hillary Clinton in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

In Redding, California, high school students distributed 'deportation' fliers to Latino students and others built a human wall preventing their Hispanic classmates from walking the halls of a different school in Dewitt, Michigan.

Neo-Nazi websites are relishing his win, telling frightened blacks and females they ought to be 'afraid'.

Dacula High School in Georgia (above) said it was determined to find out who had written it

President-elect Donald Trump vowed top ban Muslim immigration to the US during his campaign

One encouraged his followers to troll them into suicide.

Swastikas appeared in graffiti in Philadelphia and reports of individual muggings, attacks and threats against Muslims and other minority groups are rife.

Trump, who vowed to block Muslim immigration to the US as part of his campaign, has not addressed the uproar since his win.

He bemoaned protesters who have taken to the streets in their thousands, describing their demonstrations as 'very unfair' on Thursday.

On Friday he had changed his tune after a third night of unrest and commended them for their 'passion' for the country.
Dozens of MPs are plotting to force a vote in Parliament calling for a second Brexit referendum, it has been claimed.

A coalition of more than 80 Parliamentarians, led by Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, is planning to force a vote on sending voters back to the polls as a condition of supporting Article 50 being triggered.

They say that if Theresa May loses an appeal against the High Court, meaning she needs Parliamentary approval before beginning the Brexit process, a string of amendments will be put forward which could scupper Britain leaving the EU.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron is leading the rearguard effort against Brexit in the Commons

Sources have told The Telegraph that 84 Lib Dem, SNP, SDLP and Labour MPs will support Mr Farron.

A Lib Dem source told the newspaper that the opposition hopes to put the terms for leaving the EU in front of the electorate before Britain leaves the EU.

The source stated: 'We will vote for Article 50 as long as the public get a vote on the deal.

'There will be two options  you accept the deal as it is or you vote to remain.'

Labour front bencher Catherine West is among those expected to support Mr Farron's move.

Theresa May, pictured outside No 10 on Wednesday, can be confident of getting any Article 50 legislation through the Commons as Mr Farron's rebellion is isolated to a handful of MPs

The SNP are likely to back the idea, as would Labour MP David Lammy and Tory Ken Clarke.

But the effort is likely doomed to fail as an overwhelming majority of MPs are expected to vote in favour of Theresa May triggering Article 50 of the EU treaties to formally start the Brexit process.

Battle will commence in the Commons if the Supreme Court next month upholds a High Court ruling that Mrs May can only act on the referendum result with the support of Parliament.

The government looks set to argue in court that Brexit can be reversed, in order to defeat the High Court argument that the process is irreversible.

If this is proved, lawyers acting for ministers believe, it will defeat the Lord Chief Justice's ruling that starting the Brexit process without Parliamentary approval is 'contrary to fundamental constitutional principles of the sovereignty of Parliament'.

Prof Takis Tridimas, an expert in EU law at Kings College London, told The Guardian: 'I know that the issue of revocation is a live issue in terms of the supreme court hearing.'

The Prime Minister had planned to use her executive powers to trigger Article 50 and start the talks at a point of her choosing. The court ruling could mean she is unable to do so by the end of March as promised at the Tory conference.

The attempt is likely to be supported by Labour's David Lammy (file picture left) and Tory grandee Ken Clarke (file picture right)

Announcing his 'red lines' yesterday, Mr Farron said: 'Millions of people are deeply worried by the government's handling of Brexit.

'So my position is very clear: the Liberal Democrats believe that the people are sovereign. They must decide whether or not they agree with the deal that the government reaches with Brussels, which means a referendum at the end of the negotiations where people can either vote for the deal or to remain in Europe.

'We will vote against Article 50 unless it allows the people a vote on the deal, because the will of the people must prevail - both on departure and destination.'

Mr Farron denied he was being 'anti democratic', telling the BBC a second referendum was the 'only democratic option on the table'.

But Brexit minister David Jones dismissed Mr Farron's efforts.

He said: 'Parliament voted by a margin of six to one to put the decision on whether to remain in or leave the EU in the hands of the British people.

'Now, because they didn't like the first answer, Liberal Democrat and Labour MPs seek to put the question all over again in hope of a different answer.

'They are attempting to thwart and reverse the decision that was taken on June 23.

'Only the Conservatives can be trusted to respect the outcome of the referendum and make a success of Brexit.'

There is a small but significant coalition of support bitterly opposed to Brexit in the House of Commons.

The 54 SNP MPs, led from Scotland by Nicola Sturgeon, pictured centre the week after the 2015 election when they entered the Commons for the first time, may also vote against Article 50 in the Commons

Some on the Labour benches are also likely to vote against orders from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Earlier this month, Ms West wrote on Facebook: 'As I have said before, I stand with the people of Hornsey & Wood Green, and I will vote against Brexit in Parliament.'

Labour whip Thangnam Debbonaire has also indicated she would vote against in an early vote on Article 50 while Owen Smith, the former leadership contender to Mr Corbyn, has stood by his campaign promise for a second poll.

Tory grandee Mr Clarke has also said he could not be 'hypocritical' and vote for Brexit in Parliament after decades of support for the EU.

The opposition is unlikely to total more than 100 of Parliament's 650 MPs.
Jack Cramb, 24, was convicted in 2011 for slitting throat of Barry Bradley

A prisoner serving a life sentence for murder has been using an illegal mobile phone to post topless selfies on Facebook from his prison cell.

Killer Jack Cramb, created the account under the name Maximus Payet and it is believed he has been posting the flirty pictures since 2013.

Cramb is serving a minimum of 16 years for the brutal street attack of Barry Bradley in Alva, Clackmannanshire in July 2010.

Jack Cramb is serving a life sentence with a minimum of 16 years at HMP Shotts

The 24-year-old attacked Barry Bradley, slitting his throat with a piece of glass, in 2010

The 19-year-old was the grandson of the notorious Mags Haney who was jailed for 12 years in 2003 for ruling a large scale heroin dealing with four other family members.

According to the Daily Record Barrys twin sister discovered the page and straight away recognised his killer.

At the trial in April 2011 Cramb was found guilty of murder after he slashed Barrys neck with a piece of broken glass, cutting his carotid artery and jugular vein  then left him to bleed to death.

Cramb is using an illegal mobile phone from his cell to communicate with the outside world and post pictures on Facebook

But despite spending his time in HM Prison Shotts, north Lanarkshire, Scotland, he is still communicating with the outside world showing off his gym toned body, prison plastic cutlery and flirting with women.

On his page he even goes as far as to boast he is dangerous with weapon icons.

In a conversation that appears to be with other inmates and former cons in April, he posted icons of scissors and wrote: Im go kick f*** outta you.

And in March, he boasted of his violence to a woman friend who asked him why he had uploaded a photograph of himself holding plastic cutlery. He told her: Coz Im dangerous.

On Thursday Cramb posted a selfie on his Facebook page and told one woman, a nurse: Thats my come to bed eyes.

Speaking to the Daily Record murdered Barrys twin sister Michaela Bradley said she was shocked by the page and Crambs disgusting behaviour.

Showing of some prison plastic cutlery he jokes in his social media posts that he is dangerous

The 24-year-old, who lives in Stirling, said: All this time we thought we had justice but for years he has had access to the outside world.

Hes been allowed to talk to friends and post pictures of himself smiling and laughing with his pals.

Meanwhile we have been sitting at home without Barry.

How is this justice?

Working out inside he can even be seen flirting with women via his account under the name of Maximus Payet

In more posts Crambs moans about his cell being freezing and his semi-naked pictures continue to spark comments from female admirers including one woman who said in January this year: Perfect body babe! (cant wait to get my hands on it)... Lucky girl me.

A spokesman from the Scottish Prison Service said that internet access is not allowed from prisons but they do not have the power to close profiles. He reiterated that it is a criminal offence to have a mobile phone in prison and said: 'Upon identification of a profile for a prisoner, we request removal from the site. The SPS only has the ability to request removal of Facebook accounts that are proven to be accessed while a prisoner is in our care.
Marcus Elliot, from North Scarle, in Lincolnshire, was jailed for three years and 10 months at Derby Crown Court

A fraudster who fleeced victims out of 250,000 before fleeing to South America with an escort and splurging it on a 'champagne lifestyle' has been jailed.

Marcus Elliot, 26, leased shipping containers and said he would pay a fixed monthly fee and rent them on to the public.

However he sold the containers on eBay and pocketed the money instead.

In another ruse, he also sold people containers that simply did not exist.

He spent the money on his lavish lifestyle, enjoying luxury meals, buying expensive speedboats, cigars and a Playboy membership.

When he stopped paying his monthly bill to one firm, they investigated and found he had fled to South America.

He was finally arrested on his return to the UK last year and admitted four counts of fraud between January 2012 and March 2014.

Elliot, from North Scarle, in Lincolnshire, was jailed for three years and 10 months at Derby Crown Court.

Elliot set up Hilton Self-Storage Ltd with Dave Billings, who is still running a 'perfectly legitimate' business from there now.

He contacted three different companies - Spacewise UK Ltd, Mr Box and Grand View UK Ltd - who agreed to lease the containers to him.

He said he would pay the companies a monthly fee and lease them on to members of the public - but he in fact sold them on eBay.

He defrauded Spacewise UK Ltd of 77,525.31; Mr Box of 17,435.97 and Grand View of 36,989.69.

Elliot conned businesses and the public out of 250,000 before fleeing to South America and buying a speedboat

Elliot splashed the money he swindled on luxury items (including the speedboat, pictured)

He also sold members of the public containers that didn't even exist.

Prosecutor Nadia Silva said: 'He was selling the units online for something in the region of 2,000 each through a company he set up called mycontainer.co.uk using eBay and online auction sites.

'Customers would buy the containers from him and he simply would not deliver them.

'He even used the same invoice number on eight different transactions and when people contacted him asking where their units were he would give excuses such as there being an unprecedented demand or transportation difficulties.'

Mrs Silva said one victim was defrauded out of 22,800 by Elliot and another of 8,800.

The 26-year-old leased shipping containers and said he would pay a fixed monthly fee and rent them on to the public. However he sold them on eBay and pocketed the money instead

One of the shipping containers which Elliot leased and then sold on eBay

She said: 'Late in 2014, the mother of a former school friend of Mr Elliot's approached him about buying a storage unit for 1,200 and he made her pay the money into his personal savings account.'

The total value of the fraud was 252,653.97.

Mrs Silva said: 'In just a short time period, between September 2012 and January 2013, he spent 73,000 in foreign travel, purchased a speedboat which he later crashed and abandoned and spent 28,000 on an escort who accompanied him on an extended trip to South America.

'Downloads from his computer showed photographic images of him living a cash rich lifestyle, pictures of him on the speedboat, expensive boxes of cigars, a membership card for Playboy, stacks of bank notes.'

A box of cigars photographed by fraudster Elliot, who has now been jailed for three years and 10 months

A wad of notes, pictured by Elliot, who was the 'director and organiser' of the fraud

The total value of the fraud was 252,653.97 and Elliot spent it on luxury items

Kevin Toomey, defending, said: 'He extended himself far beyond what he was capable of doing (due to) his mother's illusions and his friend's illusions he could replace his father in the household.

'Mr Elliot is still only 26, he was 20 when he started his businesses.

'He has caused great shame on his family. He has two older brothers who have good standing and a mother who has great standing in the community.

'She is very, very upset at what her son has done.

'He made mistake after mistake and told lie after lie and he accepts that.

'He knows he is going to prison and he knows the effect that will have on his mother and the very small community in which he lives.'

A receipt for Simpsons Restaurant in Birmingham, where the fraudster spent more than 1k

Judge Jonathan Bennett told the 26-year-old: 'You were the director, you were the organiser and this was fraudulent from the outset.

'It went on for a long period of time and there were a large number of victims.

'One of your victims leased 100 units to you and when you stopped paying him the monthly rent of them, he visited Hilton where there were only 29 as you had sold the others.

'He was expecting to see 100 units and you could not be found.

'In fact no-one could find you after that because you galavanted off to South America with someone and having the time of your life on their money.'

Speaking after sentencing, DC Paul Robinson, who led the investigation, said: 'On a day of Remembrance we are seeing the exact opposite of young men and women who proudly serve our country compared to the arrogance and greed of Elliot.

'He deliberately set out to defraud both businesses and individuals with no thought whatsoever of his actions.

'The champagne lifestyle he led was funded on other people's misery, using stolen cash and flaunting photographs of cash and luxury goods.'

Sharon Rimell, sales manager at Spacewise UK Ltd, almost lost her job over the fraud she suffered at the hands of Elliott.

She said: 'I got to know him and like him, he put time into creating a business friendship between us, but then abused the trust that I placed in him to commit this fraud.

'I have been there every step of the way over the past three years. I almost lost my job,

'I lost money and spent time at weekends with my husband's help searching for lost units.
Mr Flanagan was born, raised and spend his entire life in the same house

Home owner, Keiran John Flanagan, lived in the house for over 80-years

Home that has been in the one family for 125 years sells for $1.32 million

A home that has been in the one family for 125 years will now open its doors to a new owner for the first time since it was built.

The Victorian style home based in Camperdown, Sydney's inner west, was home to Kieran John Flanagan for more than 80 years when it was sold at auction on Saturday.

The home only passed hands at the weekend because Mr Flanagan, fondly known as 'Flano', was forced to leave his home and move into a retirement village.

Mr Flanagan was born and raised in the house and called it home until the day he moved into the retirement home, according to Domain.

The Victorian style home based in Camperdown, Sydney's inner west, was home to Kieran John Flanagan for more than 80 years

'John was the youngest, he never married or had children and it was the only house he ever lived in,' Mr Flanagan's nephew Darren said.

And while Mr Flanagan, 81, could not be there to watch his home of 80-years sell due to doctors' appointments, his family members Darren, Jon and Pat McGurgan all attended for the momentous occasion.

They said selling the house was a bitter-sweet moment for the family.

Boasting high ceilings and modern interior, the character rich home sold for $1.32 million

Built by their ancestor Ben Jones in 1891, Darren Flanagan said the Camperdown house was the 'family home'

Built by their ancestor Ben Jones in 1891, Darren Flanagan said the Camperdown house was the 'family home'.

'(Ben's) daughter Lillian was given the house and gave birth to all six children here, raising her three boys and three girls there with her husband William,' he said.

'It's a sad emotional day for us because we grew up as children here and it's a piece of the family heritage.'

The character rich home, which features original detailing, high ceilings and modern decor, sold for $1.32 million, $70,000 over reserve at Saturday's auction

The 124-square-metre property went to a Stanmore investor, who wished to remain anonymous, said the property said the house was in one of the best streets in Sydney's cultural heart.

The home, which sits in a prime corner position in Camperdown, has a neatly presented and attractive facade, a long 125 years after it was built.

The character rich home, which features original detailing, high ceilings and modern decor, sold for $1.32 million, $70,000 over reserve at Saturday's auction.

Family members of Mr Flanagan said selling the house was a bitter-sweet moment
Asylum seekers face 20-years on Nauru if they reject a resettlement offer or refuse to go back to their home country.

Australia is in talks with Nauru about handing 20-year visa deals to refugees and asylum seekers who reject resettlement deals with countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, or refuse to return to their country.

Under the visa, the government would not provide asylum seekers with any assistance, The Courier Mail reported.

Asylum seekers face 20-years on Nauru if they reject resettlement offers or refuse to go home without any assistance from the Australian government

PM Turnbull also is set to announce a deal with the US to resettle refugees in the States

A high ranking government official said that offshore processing on Nauru would be permanent.

Housing a detainee on Nauru costs Australian taxpayers $300,000 to $400,000 per person.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also is set to announce a deal with the US to resettle refugees in the States.

The deal is not dependent on the Australian government's new law that bans asylum seekers arriving by boat from coming back to Australia

'We are in regular contact with Australia and other countries that support humanitarian organisations and accept refugees for resettlement on a number of refugee-related issues,' a US State Department spokesman said.

The deal is not dependent on the Australian government's new law that bans asylum seekers arriving by boat from coming back to Australia, even as tourists.
A private social worker who oversaw the return of tragic Ellie Butler to her violent father before he murdered her is being investigated over allegations he filmed children at a swimming pool.

Steve Atherton, 57, worked with the six-year-old and helped in the process which saw her get reunited with her father Ben Butler - 11 months before he killed her.

After moving back to the family home in Sutton, south London, Ellie was found dead in October 2013.

Police who attended the scene discovered the youngster had suffered a fractured skull.

Ellie Butler (pictured aged five) was found dead by officers at her home in Sutton, south London

Ellie (pictured) was reunited with her violent father and was found dead in October 2013

But the Metropolitan Police is now investigating Atherton, from Reading, Berkshire, over the alleged offences, reports The Guardian's Diane Taylor.

Their probe relates to alleged filming of youngsters at a swimming pool in Northwood, Greater London, in July earlier this year.

He was not arrested but was interviewed under caution by officers - who are continuing their investigation, which is unrelated to the Butler case.

A Met Police spokesman said: ' Police in Hillingdon have received an allegation of alleged inappropriate filming of children at a swimming pool in Pines Close, Northwood, by an individual in July 2016.

'One man aged in his fifties was interviewed under caution in relation to this matter on 7 November. No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue.'

Atherton works for private social work consultancy Services For Children (S4C) who reportedly said the allegation is 'completely untrue'.

They were told by the family court to oversee the girl's return to Mr Butler and her mother Jennie Gray.

Ben Butler and Jennie Gray (left) were jailed in June this year after Ellie (pictured with her father, right) was murdered by Butler

The Guardian reports that Atherton qualified as a social worker in 1988 and after contacting him, he declined to comment.

The Health and Care Professions Council confirmed Atherton was still registered with the organisation as a social worker.

In June this year, her father Butler, 36, was jailed for 23 years for his daughter's murder.
Black University of Pennsylvania students were added to a chat groups describing 'n***** lynching' by racist Trump supporters on Friday.

The freshmen were all brought in to the GroupMe conversation unwittingly, added by anonymous Trump fans on their smartphones.

In the threads, racists used the N-word, made lynching threats and posted photographs of black inmates.

One was titled 'Trump love', another 'Mud Men' and ringleaders hid behind usernames including 'Daddy Trump'.

Black freshmen at the University of Pennsylvania were added to racist GroupMe chats by anonymous users who threatened them with lynchings

The terrified freshmen took to social media after alerting university officials to the hateful groups which were started in Oklahoma.

In one group, titled Mud Men, one member by the name of Ashlyn Ball created a 'daily lynching' event.

The chat group icon was a photograph of a black man in a prison jumpsuit.

In another titled 'Trump Love', one person called another a 'stupid n*****' while others referred to them as 'c**ns'.

University of Pennsylvania staff said they were 'appalled' by the messages and were working to find out who was behind them.

It is not clear how the group administrators gained access to the students' details to add them to the group.

'We are absolutely appalled that earlier today Black freshman students at Penn were added to a racist GroupMe account that appears to be based in Oklahoma.

'The account itself is totally repugnant: it contains violent, racist and thoroughly disgusting images and messages. This is simply deplorable.

In another group called Trump Love, the administrators called black freshmen 'stupid n******' and 'slaves'

Officials at the university (above) said the chats had been started in Oklahoma

Black students took to Twitter and Facebook to say they were 'petrified' after being added to the groups

'Our police and information security staff are trying to locate the exact source and to determine if any steps can be taken to block the account,' a statement released by President Amy Gutmann read.

The freshmen took to Facebook and Twitter to share their fears after being added to the groups.

' Quite honestly I just can't stop crying. I feel sick to my stomach. I don't feel safe.

'This is personal. To all my fellow black students, the Vice Provost office is open for you as a safe space,' said one.

'I am petrified and all I want to do is cry,' another said.

Trump graduated from The University of Pennsylvania in 1968. It is not clear whether the group administrators are students there.

His daughter Tiffany is also an alumnus.

President-elect Trump graduated from the university's Wharton School of Finance in 1968 (above with his father, Fred)
Instead, the Prince, 32, was sat next to Princess Charlene of Monaco, 38

But he wasn't with his new actress girlfriend and Suits star Meghan Markle

Prince Harry arrived at Twickenham this afternoon to lay a poppy wreath ahead of Remembrance Sunday - but there was no sign of his new girlfriend, Meghan Markle.

The actress, 35, has been staying with the prince in London, prompting fierce speculation that she would be accompanying him to this afternoon's game between England and South Africa.

However, when he arrived at the stadium in southwest London and placed a wreath of poppies outside the ground, she was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, the 32-year-old was sat next to Princess Charlene of Monaco, 38, during the Autumn International - which England won 37-21.

Prince Harry was not sitting next to his new girlfriend Meghan Markle and instead put his thumb up while standing next to Princess Charlene of Monaco

Harry was sat next to Princess Charlene of Monaco during the Autumn International match at Twickenham

Bookies slashed their odds that the Prince and the US actress will be seen together at the 82,000-seater stadium

Bookies slashed their odds that the Prince and the US actress will be seen together at the 82,000-seater stadium to see the squad take on the Springboks after Ms Markle was spotted in Kensington on Thursday.

The pair are said to have been dating for several months but have not been seen in public together.

Harry recently confirmed they were an item and Ms Markle was spotted returning to Kensington Palace after a shopping trip to Whole Foods.

It had also been suggested that this weekend, Ms Markle could be welcomed into the heart of the Royal family this weekend, because most of its members are in the capital for a weekend of national commemorations to mark Remembrance Sunday.

Prince Harry arrived at Twickenham Stadium in southwest London this afternoon to watch the match between England and South Africa

Prince Harry was photographed laying a poppy wreath outside the stadium in London

Prince Harry waved after he arrived at Twickenham to watch England take on South Africa

Courtiers are suggesting Meghan could meet Prince Charles at Clarence House, while The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are Harry's near neighbours at the palace.

The Prince took his last girlfriend Cressida Bonas, 27, to an England-Wales match in March 2014, sitting with her in the stands among other spectators.

He was photographed a number of times with long-term love Chelsy Davy, 31, at Twickenham watching the national side.

Harry waved to people inside the stadium on Saturday, before taking his seat next to Princess Charlene - a former Olympic swimmer for South Africa and the wife of Prince Albert II.

Prince Harry (centre) was sat next to Princess Charlene of Monaco (middle right) as they watched the game at Twickenham

Prince Harry (pictured) met contributors to the RFU projects commemorating the First World War

The Prince spoke to contributors to the RFU projects which commemmorate World War I

Prince Harry laughed as he gave England's Owen Farrell a medal following their 37-21 victory

FORMER SOLDIER HARRY GETS SPECIAL POPPY PRESENT Prince Harry has been given an 'amazing' poppy made out of a First World War German artillery shell emblazoned with his name and military number. The 32-year-old former soldier was on an official Twickenham visit for England's clash against South Africa when he was handed the poignant creation ahead of the game. Harry had just visited and laid a wreath at the grounds commemorative rose and poppies gates, installed by the Rugby Football Union to remember those killed in the First World War, when the designer presented him with the gift. Taken aback, Harry could be heard telling the artist, Harry Gray, who made him the extra poppy: 'That is amazing, thank you very, very much.' Mr Gray said: 'He really liked it. He said he spent 10 years trying to forget his service number and I had just reminded him of it.' Prince Harry was given an 'amazing' poppy made by artist Harry Gray (right). The poppy had his name and military number on it (left) Alongside his number and name, the piece also features the original firing pin and details of where it was manufactured, and mirrors the same design of the poppies on the gates. 'My idea was to take the English rose and through a series of changes transform that into a poppy in the way the First World War team changed into soldiers,' Mr Gray said of his design. At the foot of the gates there are 15 roses which are copies of those which appeared on the 1914 England shirt - these give rise into poppies made from the brass shells fired by German artillery into the Allied trenches. Mr Gray said the poppies sit at top of the gate which would have been the same height of the trenches and that he used German shells because they were fired at and killed English troops. Of the poppies he added: 'That means they are objects of war - that means the gates aren't a design they are historic.' The royal was joined by Former England flanker Lewis Moody and RFU president Peter Bains alongside Mr Gray as he learned more about the gate project and the success of the Rose and Poppy film series, commissioned to tell the story of rugby and the Great War. Each film is introduced by Harry and focuses on how the conflict impacted rugby communities and highlights the links between the sport, its values and the military - it is also narrated by former England captain, Moody. Within the films former England players Martin Johnson, Neil Back and Rory Underwood also tell the stories of three wartime rugby internationals - Ronnie Poulton Palmer, John King and Cyril Lowe. Before taking his seat in the royal box, Harry met with Richard Slocock whose grandfather played for England and was killed at the Somme, as well as school children, and representatives from the RFU's 2016 charity partner the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association. Advertisement

Steamy footage of Meghan Markle has emerged of her lying naked in bed with co-star Patrick J Adams in series three of the hit American show Suits

Meghan Markle was photographed shopping in Kensington, west London, on Thursday

Meghan Markle has been spotted out-and-about in Kensington. She is staying with Harry at his bijou Kensington Palace home, Nottingham Cottage

At the foot of the gates there are 15 roses which are copies of those which appeared on the 1914 England shirt - these give rise into poppies made from the brass shells fired by German artillery into the Allied trenches.

The royal was joined by Former England flanker Lewis Moody and RFU president Peter Bains.

Before taking his seat in the royal box, Harry met with Richard Slocock whose grandfather played for England and was killed at the Somme.

Harry's trip to Twickenham comes as steamy footage of Meghan Markle has re-emerged of her lying naked in bed.

The risque scene shows the actress in bed with co-star Patrick J Adams in series three of the hit American show Suits.
A Florida man and women have been arrested after their house caught fire home they left their two children home alone, according to Osceola County Sheriff's Office.

Jonathan Lopez-Banos, 30, and Rosmarie Medina-Arroyo, 36, are accused of leaving their eight-year-old and six-year-old children home alone and are facing child neglect charges after their oldest son accidentally set the house alight.

A neighbor spotted black billowing clouds of smoke rising from the home and pulled over to help get the children out.

'She motioned for the children to come to her, but they went back inside. She ran into the residence and brought them outside,' Twis Lizasuain, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office told the Orlando Sentinel.

Jonathan Lopez-Banos (left), 30, and Rosmarie Medina-Arroyo (right), 36, of Florida, are are facing child neglect charges after their children were left home along and accidentally set the house alight

A neighbor spotted black billowing clouds of smoke rising from the home and pulled over to help get the children out

Deputies said the boys told them they were playing with a lighter and set a cup on fire. When the cup began to burn the children put it in a drawer and the fire spread.

The boys had minor burns and did not need to be transported to a hospital. They were treated at the scene.

Police say the children's father was on his way home from his job as a landscaper when the home caught fire, the Sentinel reported.

Medina-Arroyo, the children's mother, had to go to her job at a food-service company before the boys' father returned home.

Deputies said the boys told them they were playing with a lighter and set a cup on fire. When the cup began to burn the children put it in a drawer and the fire spread

She left them by themselves while she went to work but it is unclear how long the boys were alone for.

The children were placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families after the boys said they had been left home alone in the past.

Lizasuain was sympathetic to the parents but said they left the children in a dangerous situation.
Investors are hopeful his low-tax, high-spend regime will fare them well

The Dow has posted its best week since 2011 in a surprise show of faith from investors after Donald Trump's election win.

The index closed on record highs on Wednesday and Thursday as share prices in American manufacturing, technology and private defense companies soared.

On Friday it closed at 18,847.66, an increase of more than 30 points from the previous day and some 800 since Monday.

It marked a weekly gain of more than 5 percent, its highest since December 2011.

The S&P 500, another major Wall Street index, hit a one month high on Wednesday as Hillary Clinton conceded the presidency.

The Dow index closed on 18,847.66 on Friday, bringing an end to its best week since 2011

It dipped on Thursday and Friday and was down 3 points by the week's end.

The steadiness came as a surprise to analysts who had initially predicted a crash as Trump's win crippled the futures market overnight on Wednesday.

Dow and S&P futures were both down by 5 percent after midnight on Tuesday when Trump won the state of Ohio, a crucial battleground which put him on track for victory.

By morning, the markets had recovered slightly but were expected to open at a loss of around 200 points.

But they started strong and increased throughout the day, closing on a record high.

Investors had been put at ease by the new President-elect's graciousness in victory, said experts, and were encouraged by his well documented business interests.

Stocks in private prisons, American manufacturing brands and pharmaceuticals soared under his election victory.

The Russian market responded well to it too, jumping 2 percent while European markets nervously crept from negative to positive averages.

Japan's Nikkei 225 plummeted 800 points after a day of wild, unhinged betting.

Wall Street (above on Wednesday) has been soaring since Trump's shock win

The S&P 500 hit a one month high on Wednesday afternoon as Clinton conceded the presidency (above)

It received a boost late on Tuesday night when nervous investors sought safe havens in the yen and in gold and silver.

The US dollar recovered an initial two percent loss and was on course for parity with the Euro, the strongest market currency, by the end of the week.

Investors are hopeful Trump will put in motion a low-tax high spending regime for them to thrive under

The surge in growth is evidence of investors' faith in Trump, said experts'

'I think you're seeing a transition from a government that had its thumb on growth to a free economy,' Bruce Bittles, chief investment strategist at Baird, told NBC.

'We're now looking at an economy that can reach its full potential.'

In stark contrast to Wall Street's optimism, rioters ravaged cities across the country for a third night on Friday.

Outraged by the election result, crowds stormed highways in Portland, Oregon, where police had officially declared a riot.

More than 300 people have been arrested since Wednesday while protesting Trump's win.
The New South Wales Nationals are in danger of losing the regional seat of Orange as angry voters blame them for Mike Baird's controversial greyhound racing ban.

Early by-election results suggest a massive swing of more than 30 per cent against the party.

The results appear to have cemented the coalition's fears of a backlash over the greyhound racing ban despite Premier Mike Baird's spectacular backflip on the controversial policy last month.

The New South Wales Nationals are in danger of losing the regional seat of Orange as angry voters blame them for Mike Baird's controversial greyhound racing ban (protest against greyhound racing ban in Sydney pictured)

The results appear to have cemented the coalition's fears of a backlash over the greyhound racing ban despite Premier Mike Baird's spectacular backflip on the controversial policy last month

A loss could spell the end of Deputy Premier Troy Grant's (pictured) tenure as the Nationals state leader

With almost half the votes counted on Saturday night, Nationals candidate Scott Barrett was on 29.5 per cent, while the primary swing against the party stood at a devastating 36.1 per cent.

The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers' (SFF) candidate Philip Donato is close second on 25 per cent and the minor party looks likely to secure the central-western seat on Labor preferences.

Some of the worst results for the Nationals also appeared to be in areas impacted by the state government's proposed council amalgamations, with a polling booth in Molong recording an unprecedented 60 per cent swing against the party.

The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers declined to claim victory on Saturday but Mr Donato said he'd be very surprised if the party didn't win.

'Irrespective of tonight's result, it's clear Orange deserves better and they want better,' he said.

The SFF have two members in the upper house but have never held a lower house seat in NSW.

The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers' (SFF) candidate Philip Donato (pictured) is close second on 25 per cent and the minor party looks likely to secure the central-western seat on Labor preferences

With almost half the votes counted on Saturday night, Nationals candidate Scott Barrett (pictured) was on 29.5 per cent

Orange has not changed hands since the end of World War II and was held by the Nationals by a massive 21.7 per cent margin.

The seat became vacant earlier this year when former MP Andrew Gee resigned to run for federal parliament.

A loss could spell the end of Deputy Premier Troy Grant's tenure as the Nationals state leader.

While campaigning in Orange earlier on Saturday, Mr Grant vowed to stay on in the top job irrespective of the results.

Labor meanwhile claimed victory in the two other by-elections on Saturday.

The national party are in trouble in their own backyard as angry voters blame them for Baird's controversial greyhound racing ban

In Sydney, upper house Labor MP Sophie Cotsis looked certain to retain the seat of Canterbury with an impressive 15 per cent primary swing.

The seat was left empty following Linda Burney's switch to federal politics in May.

Further south in the Illawarra, Labor candidate Paul Scully also appears to have won the seat of Wollongong - left vacant after long-time MP Noreen Hay controversially quit earlier this year - on a 9.3 per cent primary swing in the ALP's favour.

Labor opposition leader Luke Foley said the three results were a clear protest vote against the Baird government.
The social workers were not monitoring John Torney for two months

Murdered toddler Nikki Francis-Coslovich was living in an unsafe home with claims child protection workers knew about the vulnerable situation.

Child protection workers were not monitoring John Torney's access to the two-year-old toddler even though social workers were concerned after learning about his past.

Social workers had concerns murdered toddler Nikki was living in an unsafe environment, which Mr Torney was acquitted of this week.

A Department of Health and Services report showed workers were aware John Torney had a criminal history, but the mother advised workers he was not living at the home, according to The Herald Sun.

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John Clifford Torney walks free from Mildura Magistrates Court after a jury found him not guilty of the murder of his two-year-old de-facto stepdaughter Nikki Francis-Coslovich

The battered body of Nikki Francis-Coslovich (pictured) was found by police inside the roof cavity of her mother's home in Mildura, north-west Victoria

Social workers reportedly believed Ms Francis and closed the case on July 13, but nearly one month later on August 17, Nikki's father Nick Coslovich texted a Mallee Family Care social worker claiming Mr Torney was using ice.

Just eight days later after the text, Nikki was found bashed to death with fatal blunt force trauma injuries.

The publication claims case workers found 'serious concerns' over Mr Torney's past and that the young two-year-old was living in an unsafe environment.

A report also claimed workers had issues with Ms Francis.

A review of Nikki's tragic case is reportedly with the Minister for Children and the coroner will be looking at Nikki's file surrounding her death and the system's shortcomings.

Mr Torney, 32, admitted to hiding her body in the roof the cavity of the home but maintained his innocence throughout the three-week murder trial

The Daily Mail is not suggesting John Torney is responsible for Nikki Francis-Coslovich's death.

A jury found John Clifford Torney, 32, not guilty of killing his de-facto stepdaughter Nikki Francis-Coslovich on August 25 last year in her mother's Mildura home, in north-west Victoria.

Torney maintained his innocence throughout the three-week murder trial in the Victorian Supreme Court.

He was escorted from Mildura Magistrates court by two uniformed police officers on Wednesday afternoon, showing off tattooed arms as he wore a tightly-fitting black singlet and held a plastic bag filled with his belongings.

Supporters were seen looking solemn outside of the Supreme Court after hearing the verdict

The pathologist who conducted the autopsy on Nikki said the fatal blunt force trauma injuries inflicted on her were akin to those seen in high-speed vehicle accidents or a fall from a great height.

Nikki died as a result of repeated blows to her abdomen and chest.

Her liver was split in several places and she lost between one quarter and one third of her total blood volume.

The crown said the damage was caused by the repeated infliction of a clenched fist to the abdomen and chest of the child.

During the trial, Mr Torney accused his ex-girlfriend, Peta Ann Francis, of murdering her daughter before asking him to hide her body in the roof cavity.

Ms Francis has not been charged and police do not believe she killed her daughter.

The court also heard Mr Torney claimed Ms Francis demanded sex from him shortly after the toddler was murdered.

In a video played to the jury, Mr Torney had claimed he 'freaked out' and hid Nikki's body in the roof because he wanted her to be found quickly.

Torney had been dating Ms Francis for about five months at the time of Nikki's death.

Torney was followed by media carrying a plastic bag filled with his belongings after the supreme court sitting at Mildura Magistrates Court

Mr Torney accused his ex-girlfriend Peta Ann Francis (pictured) of murdering her daughter before asking him to hide her body in the roof cavity. Ms Francis has not been charged and police do not believe she killed her daughter

Three supporters linked arms after the not guilty verdict was handed down

The court previously heard secret recordings from an undercover police officer named 'Steph' who befriended Ms Francis, The Age reported.

In the audio, Ms Francis was heard speaking to 'Steph' about having to 'get her story right' when asked about irregularities in her explanation of events.

After parts of the recording played in court, Mr Torney's lawyer asked the mother if she was a 'clever, cunning person'. Ms Francis disagreed.

She was also suggested to have sounded 'emotionless' while talking about her dead daughter.

Ms Francis agreed, but said it was because she'd shut out her emotions.

Then, referencing emotion exhibited before the court, Mr Torney's lawyer suggested Ms Francis was manipulative in order to get sympathy from the jury, but the woman rejected the suggestion.

Throught the three-week murder trail in the Victorian Supreme Court he maintained his innocence

Nikki's body was found in the roof cavity of the family's Mildura home in August last year (pictured is a scene outside of the court on Wednesday afternoon)

Torney had been dating Ms Francis for about five months at the time of Nikki's death

The court also heard Sergeant Kaare Anderson, who responded to the missing person report, thought it was 'very odd' that Ms Francis was smiling and appeared happy when telling police her daughter was missing.

A recording of her triple zero call to report Nikki missing also revealed her giggling while she spoke to the operator.

Ms Francis told the trial 'having the cops at my house makes me nervous'.

'It's a nervous smirk that I have,' Ms Francis said.

She denied Ms Condon's assertion that she referred to her daughter as 'the little cow'.

Ms Francis had told the court earlier she sometimes psychically disciplined her children but never laid a hand on her two-year-old daughter.

'Not hard, it was just a tap. I've never hurt my children,' Ms Francis said.

JOHN TORNEY'S CONFESSION TO POLICE Police: Gerard said you wanted to speak to us about something? John Torney: Yep. Police: What's the go? Mr Torney: Peta killed Nikki. The mother killed her. Police: Her mother killed her? Mr Torney: Yeah. Later in the conversation Police: What are the circumstances John? Mr Torney: She killed her, then asked me to help her get rid of the body. Police: How did this all take place? Mr Torney: It was whilst we were laying down on the bed that she goes: 'I've gone a bit too far with Nikki' and then 'she's dead'. Later Police: Did she say how, or? Mr Torney: She just said that she threw her on the bed, that, that could I help her get rid of the body... Police: OK, and what did you do? Mr Torney: I put Nikki in the manhole. It's eating me up inside. I can't hold back anymore. I've got to get it out. Later Police: When did you decide to that you'd come clean and tell us what actually happened? Mr Torney: I've been wanting to tell youse for the last two days. Police: Mmm. Mr Torney: I've been having nightmares, waking up in hot and cold sweats. I've got to get it off my chest. Police: Mmm. Mr Torney: It's killing me inside. I loved that little girl like she was my own. Advertisement




Kohlhepp was arrested after Kala Brown, who had been missing for two months, was found by authorities chained up in a metal cage like a dog

That was seven years after being released from a 15-year prison sentence for raping a teenage girl at gunpoint when he himself was also a teenager

He was named Weichert Realtors' top-selling rookie agent for a region spanning parts of both Carolinas in 2008

businessman and had a great reputation with employees and customers

Despite his creepy behavior, Kohlhepp was regarded as an e

Associates said the real estate firm owner would watch porn during work, making macabre jokes and discuss openly that he was a sex offender

before his capture after kidnapping a woman and murdering seven people

Todd Kohlhepp is said to have exhibited a wealth of strange behavior that sent shivers down the spines of those who knew the now-confessed serial killed.

Despite creating a successful real estate firm, Kohlhepp's behavior left many who encountered him disturbed and puzzled.

His strange acts included watching pornographic videos during work, making macabre jokes in marketing literature and openly discussing that he was a sex offender.

But, despite the creepy behavior, he was an award-winning agent described as a hard worker and good boss.

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Todd Kohlhepp is said to have exhibited a wealth of strange behavior that sent shivers down the spines of those who knew the now-confessed serial killed

Despite being a successful businessman, authorities say Kohlhepp, he was hiding a grisly secret that included seven killings over 13 years

He gunned down four people at a motorcycle shop in 2003 and within the last year killed three more, authorities said. Several victims have been found burried on Kohlhepp's 95-acre South Carolina property

All the while, authorities say, he was hiding a grisly secret that included seven killings over 13 years.

He gunned down four people at a motorcycle shop in 2003 and within the last year killed three more, authorities said.

The crimes were uncovered earlier this month when investigators rescued a woman chained up in a 30-foot long storage container on his property.

'He was the kind of Type Double A, hair-on-fire kind of guy. ... You felt that if he wanted to take you out, he could take you out easily,' said Lawrence Shorts, a mortgage banker who worked on transactions with Kohlhepp.

Kohlhepp made ominous comments about having trouble sleeping and how he would 'know where people live,' Shorts said.

Before his arrest, associates said Kohlhepp's strange acts included watching pornographic videos during work, making macabre jokes in marketing literature and openly discussing that he was a sex offender

A neighbor, Scott Waldrop, said Kohlhepp bragged about chasing people off his rural property with an arsenal including guns with silencers and night-vision equipment.

Kohlhepp moved to South Carolina sometime after the 2001 completion of his 15-year prison sentence for raping another teenager at gunpoint in Arizona.

He was in his early 30s and began studying at Greenville Technical College in 2003.

While attending classes that November, he killed four employees at the Superbike Motorsports store in Chesnee, authorities said.

Those slayings went unsolved for 13 years.

When Kohlhepp was arrested last week, the sheriff said he confessed to the bike-shop shootings and pointed investigators to three shallow graves on his land.

Detectives notifying victims' families of Kohlhepp's confession said he was an angry customer at the shop.

Kohlhepp moved to South Carolina sometime after the 2001 completion of his 15-year prison sentence for raping another teenager at gunpoint in Arizona (Kohlhepp's property, pictured)

Motives aren't clear for the more recent killings and the woman's kidnapping.

In 2004, Kohlhepp transferred to the University of South Carolina-Upstate and ranked near the top of his class the next year, said college spokeswoman Tammy Whaley.

He finished his business degree in 2007, then distinguished himself in real estate.

A 2008 news article said he was Weichert Realtors' top-selling rookie agent for a region spanning parts of both Carolinas.

Next, he went into business for himself, registering Todd Kohlhepp & Associates in 2009.

The firm's website listed over a dozen agents, but also an unusual sales pitch.

Describing the team that developed the firm's marketing, it said 'we threatened not to feed them if it didn't work. It's amazing the motivation you can get after day three!'

Still, Kohlhepp developed a hard-working reputation.

'Todd did his job well and we never had any issues or saw any flags in the years we worked with him,' Velocity Design Group owner Danielle Cuddie said in an email.

An agent at Kohlhepp's firm, Cherry Laurens, said they met a decade ago and were study partners at USC-Upstate. She said the accusations surprised her.

Scott Ponder (right) and his mother Beverly (left) were two of four victims found dead at a bike shop in 2003, who Kohlhepp reportedly murdered

Service manager Brian Lucas (left) and mechanic Chris Sherbert (right) also died in the 2003 massacre

'Everybody loses their temper, but as far as out of character for what would be normal? No,' she said.

Shorts, the banker, said Kohlhepp appeared successful, driving expensive cars. Records show he owned two BMWs and a motorcycle.

Kohlhepp worked from home, and Shorts came over occasionally to exchange documents.

'You used to walk in his office, and he had porno going on,' he said. 'I can remember walking in there two or three times, and there was pornography on his dad-gummed laptop. Realtors would walk in, and he had it on there too.'

Shorts distanced himself in recent years, saying Kohlhepp would make statements such as: ''You know I don't sleep much at night and get up at 3 o'clock in the morning, and I kind of know where people live.''

Kohlhepp appeared to be a loner. His neighborhood was close-knit, but neighbors said he never attended its occasional get-togethers.

Latest victims: Meagan and Johnny Joe Coxie vanished last December and their bodies were found and identified this week

Charlie Carver was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds on Kohlhepp's property after his girlfriend Kala Brown (left) was rescued from captivity in a shipping container

Kohlhepp's sex-offender status was common knowledge, though Kohlhepp claimed the charges were trumped up after a joyride with another teenager upset her father, acquaintances said.

But authorities described something far worse: Kohlhepp was 15 when he tied up a 14-year-old at gunpoint and raped her in Arizona in 1986. Court documents say he pleaded guilty to kidnapping and was sentenced in adult court.

Kohlhepp had psychological problems from a young age, according to records obtained by WHNS-TV in South Carolina.

An Arizona judge wrote in 1987 that he was bright but 'emotionally dangerous' and preoccupied with sex.

A 1987 presentencing report says a neighbor described Kohlhepp as a 'devil on a chain.'

He had moved in with his father in Arizona around age 12 after growing up in South Carolina and Georgia. His parents divorced when he was an infant.

Now his mother is defending him, telling CBS: 'Todd is not a monster.'

'He wasn't doing it for enjoyment,' Regina Tague said of the South Carolina cases. 'He was doing it because he was mad and he was hurt.'

On Facebook, he frequently described trimming trees and moving boulders on the 95-acre property near Woodruff, about 10 miles from his primary home in Moore.

POLICE SPEAK OF KALA BROWN'S EMOTIONAL DISCOVERY Todd Kohlhepp, a registered sex offender who has confessed to killing seven people, has been charged with kidnapping Brown, who was 'chained inside the container like a dog' by neck for two months. Both Ezell and Whitfield described their difficulty trying to find the missing couple, and expressed how emotional it was to finally rescue Brown last week. Brown, who had been hired to clean the homes Kohlhepp was selling, went to Koelhepp's property with her boyfriend Charlie Carver when the alleged serial killer pulled out a gun and took them hostage, CBS reported. The shipping container used by by the serial killer was removed by police for further forensic examination on Wednesday Brown later said she witnessed Koelhepp kill Carver, whose body was found on his property. Both Detectives Charlynn Ezell and Bradley Whitfield described their difficulty trying to find the missing couple, and expressed how emotional it was to finally rescue Brown. Ezell told ABC: 'She just looked at me and said thank you so much for finding me.' 'When you finally get answers, it's very emotional. I didn't know if I would ever see this girl alive,' she told the Independent Mail. 'When I saw Kala, that was an amazing sight. I told her mother later that it was almost as beautiful as if I were seeing my own child. To me, she was beautiful. I had cold chills.' Detective Whitfield broke down and added: 'I think we all saw a lot of things that day that are going to stay with us. 'It could be anybody's child, anybody's wife or husband. I wish we could have done more.' Advertisement

In September, he wrote that buying land was a way to stay out of trouble: 'you won't have any time to misbehave no mo ... too sore and tired.'

But that sprawling property was where authorities said they rescued the chained woman and began unraveling the killings. Investigators say they unearthed three bodies there.

Authorities also confiscated assault rifles and handguns. It's not clear how Kohlhepp obtained them; South Carolina law prohibits violent felons from owning firearms.

Waldrop, the neighbor, met Kohlhepp soon after he bought the property in 2014. To keep people out, Kohlhepp installed deer cameras, bear traps and a chain-link fence.

'To me, he didn't seem like no threat,' Waldrop said. 'We'd just shoot the bull. ... I didn't know all this stuff. Nobody knew.'

Recently, Kohlhepp cooperated with police, showing investigators two grave sites.

Authorities identified the people buried there as 25-year-old Meagan Leigh McCraw-Coxie and her husband, 29-year-old Johnny Joe Coxie, of Spartanburg.

They had been missing since December.

Kohlhepp was arrested after Kala Brown - who had been missing for two months - was found 'chained like a dog' inside a shipping container on his rural land.

Police are said to have rescued her after hearing a banging sound when they arrived at Kohlhepp's property with a search warrant.
A man who was caught on video while being attacked by three men as onlookers taunted him for voting for Donald Trump said the incident unfolded after a minor traffic accident.

David Wilcox, 49, said on Wednesday he was making a left turn on a road on Chicago's west side when a black sedan scraped the right side of his car.

Wilcox said he stopped and parked his Pontiac Bonneville and asked if the driver had insurance.

'Next thing that I knew they were beating the s**t out of me,' he told the Chicago Tribune.

A video emerged this week showing a man being as onlookers shouted anti-Trump taunts

While Wilcox told the Tribune he did vote for President-elect Trump, he said no one in the crowd would have known that.

He believes the men attacking him were egged on by the onlookers yelling various anti-Trump taunts, including one person at the bus stop who he claimed said, 'Yeah, it's one of those white guy Trump supporters.'

The less than a minute clip, which circulated online on Wednesday, shows Wilcox in a blue hooded top and jeans, being repeatedly kicked and punched by two black men while onlookers are heard cheering.

'You voted Trump, you voted Trump!' spectators scream at Wilcox who at one point is forced to the ground before getting back up.

The video shows victim David Wilcox, 49, in a blue top and jeans being attacked by several people

The video shows the beating by several people and the audio includes the taunt 'You voted Trump'

The victim is seen trying in vain to get back inside his car throughout the video, while the woman filming the attack is heard encouraging the perpetrators, yelling: 'Beat his a***! Don't vote Trump!'

Another person is heard shouting: 'You gonna pay for that s****! Don't vote Trump!'

In a subsequent video obtained by the Tribune, one of the attackers gets into the driver's seat of his car as Wilcox tries to get him out.

As people try to shove Wilcox out of the way, he grabs onto the door frame of his car and is dragged along the side of the moving vehicle as the attacker takes off.

Wilcox tried to keep the attacker from driving off and grabbed onto the frame of the car. Moments later the assailant in the driver seat took off and as he held onto the moving car

Wilcox said the attacker in the driver's seat was going between 70 and 80mph and was swerving

Wilcox, who was still holding on as the car sped off, said the attacker in the driver's seat was going between 70 and 80mph and was swerving.

'If I let go, I was dead. He slowed to 45 He tried to push the door open... So he stepped on it again,' Wilcox told the Chicago Tribune.

The assailant in the driver seat of his car got away and Wilcox filed a police report but no arrests had been made as of Thursday.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said officers are investigating the beating and who made the 'politically divisive' statements in the video.

Trump's shock ascent to the White House has sparked protests across the country  with tensions running high on both sides.

This video of Wilcox's attack came as a Muslim student reported to police that she had been viciously attacked on her way to class by two white men, one wearing a 'Trump' cap near the University of Louisiana campus in Lafayette, police said.

The victim reported that the men had hit her with something metal, which knocked her to the ground, and hurled obscene comments at her while continuing to beat her while she was down.

They ripped her hijab, a headscarf worn by some Muslim women, before stealing her wallet, she told police.

Trump's shock ascent to the White House has sparked protests across the country  with tensions running high on both sides. Protesters are shown here in Atlanta on Friday

Police stand in front of people marching through downtown Portland, Oregon to protest the election of president-elect Donald Trump on Friday

On Thursday, police said they were no longer investigating the incident as the student acknowledged she fabricated the report.

A spokesman for the university said a federal privacy law prohibits him from saying whether the student could be disciplined.

In another incident, a gay Canadian man said he was left covered in blood after being attacked in an alley by a mob of Trump supporters on election night.

Chris Ball claims he was watching the results in a bar in Santa Monica, California, when things started to get heated and people starting making homophobic slurs, including: 'We got a new president, you f***** faggots.'
Akeem Ajimotokan, a 38-year-old Nigerian immigrant, died October 30, five years after being attacked in New York City

A Columbia University employee has died five years after he was left beaten and stabbed in Upper Manhattan after trying to sell his car through an online ad.

Akeem Ajimotokan, a 38-year-old Nigerian immigrant, died last month in Richmond, Texas.

After the attack in January 2011, he was found tied in in the trunk of his car - with his neck broken and an ear severed. He was only discovered after the driver of his vehicle was involved in a collision.

Ajimotokan had attended law school and worked as a contract officer for Columbias purchasing department.

According to the New York Daily News, his death is being treated as a homicide however the suspect, Barion Blake, 30, ended up dead after a confrontation with U.S. Marshals in Florida, two weeks after the initial attack.

Ajimotokan had attended law school and worked as a contract officer for Columbias purchasing department. He was brutally attacked as he attempted to sell his BMW car

Abandoned: The blue BMW that was left at the intersection of 10th Avenue, Dyckman Street and Harlem River Drive - with its human cargo in the trunk

Shot dead: Barion A Blake pulled out a gun as officers approached him in Florida

Mr Ajimotokan was only discovered after the driver of his vehicle was involved in a collision with a yellow cab.

When the taxi driver dialled 911, the driver fled the scene on foot.

Police responding to the call noticed the rear seat in an unusual position and, on further inspection, found Mr Ajimotokan inside the car.

Mr Ajimotokan's hands were bound with 'zip ties' and he appeared to have several wounds to his head and body - including a punctured left lung - which were consistent with a stabbing.

Ajimotokan was rushed in a coma to Harlem Hospital. Less than a month later, he recovered enough to no longer need a respirator.

But police said he never fully regained consciousness and was eventually taken to Richmond, Texas, to live with a relative.

CSI New York: Police cordoned off the scene. Barion A. Blake tried to drive off but, when his car would not move in icy conditions, he ran away on foot

Police found a bill of sale inside the car dated January 25, listing Mr Ajimotokan as the seller and Darion Blake as the buyer.

Blake had responded to the victims ad on Cars.com, though it wasnt clear if he went to Ajimotokans West New York, New Jersey, home or if they met somewhere else.

Police revealed that Blake spoke to his wife by telephone before the accident, telling her 'he had done something awful that was going to cause his life to be over'.

He went home and appeared distraught, taking out a handgun and threatening to shoot himself.
A 36-year-old man has been held in jail after a dismembered body was found buried on a property in Michigan.

Police in Lapeer County obtained a search warrant and dug up the body of a 37-year-old woman after they received a tip on Wednesday.

While police do not believe the home owner was involved, a 36-year-old acquaintance has been pinpointed as a person of interest.

The dismembered body of a 37-year-old woman was found buried in a fresh grave at a residence in Lapeer, Michigan, after police received a tip on Wednesday

After the Lapeer County Sheriff's Office received a tip about a buried body, deputies found a freshly dug grave site at the residence on Davison Road.

The dismembered body was removed and taken to the medical examiner's office, where an autopsy will be conducted Saturday, police said.

Her name has not been released, but deputies said the 37-year-old woman was from Flint.

Police said her death was 'recent' and the body was believed to have been buried for 'several days', ABC reported.

Video courtesy of ABC 12

Detective Sergeant Jason Parks (pictured) called the case 'unusual' and said 'additional items of interest were recovered'

Police concluded after a preliminary investigation that the property owner was not involved, although the 36-year-old person of interest is his acquaintance.

A search warrant was obtained for the man's home near the intersection of Center and Lapeer Road in Flint on Thursday and detective sergeant Jason Parks told ABC 'additional items of interest were recovered'.

The person of interest was found and taken into custody, although no charges have been filed.

Parks added: 'I've worked numerous homicides in Lapeer County. It's very unusual the way this case is unfolding.'
A video has been released of the moment a group of heavily-armed police smash down the door of a Costa del Sol flat to arrest two Brits suspected of blowing up more than a dozen cash machines in the area.

Spanish police released the footage of the detentions today as they said the pair had reinvested part of the cash from the daring raids in a black market drugs operation.

The two Brits, aged 25 and 29, were held during a 4am raid on Wednesday in the resort of Calahonda between Marbella and Fuengirola.

Armed raid: Police in Spain have arrested two Brits suspected of blowing up more than a dozen cash machines in the Costa del Sol area

The two Brits, aged 25 and 29, were held during a 4am raid on Wednesday in the resort of Calahonda between Marbella and Fuengirola

They are accused of running a large drug operation with money they stole from cashpoints

They are now languishing behind bars after being remanded in prison by an investigating judge probing them on a string of crimes including 15 ATM raids across Malaga province since July.

Four took place in the two weekends prior to the arrests. Most of the attacks took place at weekends or just before Bank Holidays when traditionally ATMs are loaded with more cash.

In most cases the robbers used explosives to blow up the cash machines and in others acetylene gas to produce the blasts.

Cocaine and cannabis resin was found in the property as well as wads of cash

The Brits have not been named by police but are behind bars whilst investigation takes place

Hand grenades were also found, after the cash points were blown up to take cash

The Brits, who have not been named, have been described by police as the ones who carried out the blasts, using what they claimed was a stolen car.

Cocaine and cannabis resin was found in the property where they were held along with two hand grenades.

Video shows police pinning down suspects in the 4am operation

Officers in Malaga province had made catching the gang one of their priorities after 13 ATM attacks in just over three months along the Costa del Sol as well as in towns inland

They are being probed on a string of crimes including 15 ATM raids across Malaga province since July

Two other Spaniards were also held on suspicion of supplying the Brits with the acetylene gas and acting as intermediaries, although one was released on bail after appearing before a judge at a court in Malaga.

A fifth person - a Spanish woman - is also being investigated but has has not been arrested.

Spanish National Police said in a press release: 'National Police and Guardia Civil officers have culminated a joint operation by breaking up a criminal organisation blamed for more than a dozen thefts at bank ATMs.

'They would use explosives or acetylene gas.

The bank attacks began in July when two Santander Bank ATMs were blown up over a three-week period, two in Malaga and another in nearby Cala del Moral where the bank itself was destroyed because of the amount of explosive used

'Four people have been arrested and a fifth is under investigation.

'The gang was prolific and benefitted from the anonymity of its two alleged perpetrators, two British nationals aged 25 and 29, who used a stolen high-end vehicle to commit their crimes.'

A police spokesman added: 'The two Brits used part of the money they stole from the cashpoints to buy marijuana and cocaine that they sold in the Costa del Sol resort of Estepona.

'Six properties were raided and two vehicles directly linked to the suspects' criminal activity were seized along with two hand grenades and around POUNDS 30,000 we believe came from the thefts.'

The bank attacks began in July when two Santander Bank ATMs were blown up over a three-week period, two in Malaga and another in nearby Cala del Moral where the bank itself was destroyed because of the amount of explosive used.

Most of the attacks took place at weekends or just before Bank Holidays when traditionally ATMs are loaded with more cash.

Most of the attacks took place at weekends or just before Bank Holidays when traditionally ATMs are loaded with more cash

Court sources said the Brits were being probed on suspicion of a string of crimes including theft, possession of weapons of war, drugs offences and membership of a criminal gang.

They are being linked to 15 raids across Malaga province.

The probe is being coordinated by a criminal court of investigation in Malaga.
A Chinese man who was too nervous about visiting a doctor because of blood in his urine tried to investigate the problem by inserting a chopstick in his penis.

The gentleman, named only as 'Chen', then had to undergo surgery to remove the painful object from his manhood.

Doctors said he could have died if he pushed the chopstick any further into his genitals.

Scans revealed how the chopstick had reached the man's rectal wall, Asia Wire reported

Scans revealed how the chopstick had reached the man's rectal wall, Asia Wire reported.

Chen, who lives in East China's Zhejiang Province, was unable to remove it following the accident.

Thankfully, the operation to remove the stainless-steel object was a success.

Last month a Thai man was taken to hospital to have a sex toy removed with boltcutters after it got lodged on his penis.

He was using the device at home but was left in agony when he could not detach it from his manhood.

The operation to remove the stainless-steel object was a success (stock image)

He called the emergency services who sent an ambulance to take him to the nearest hospital in Bangkok, Thailand.

Days earlier, doctors amputated a man's penis in Honduras after it became stuck in a bottle he was using as a sex toy for four days.

He did not seek medical attention initially but eventually attended hospital when his penis had 'turned black'.
Rallies have been planned all the way to Inauguration Day on January 20 and could continue afterwards

Trump supporters showed up at several rallies Friday with signs reading messages such as 'Stop crying!'

Protesters gathered in New York including at Trump Tower and held a rally in Washington Square

' looking man stepped out of car and shot five to six warning shots into the air

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An anti-Donald Trump protester has been shot during a demonstration early Saturday morning in Portland, Oregon, police have said.

The man was taken to the hospital after the shooting, which took place took place on the Morrison Bridge in Portland around 1am on Saturday, and the gunman is still on the loose.

Protester Cameron Whitten, who witnessed the incident, told KATU he saw four men get out of a car who looked 'menacing' and one of them had a gun.

The group then got back in the car and after a short period of time, the man with the gun came back out of the car and fired 'five or six' warning shots into the air, Whitten said.

'I saw somebody fall on the ground and then they sped to the east side.... I don't know who (the victim) is but he is conscious and breathing, he was shot near his thigh,' Whitten told the station.

Whitten live streamed the moment he realized someone was on the bridge with a gun via Facebook Live.

Scroll down for video

A demonstrator is treated for a gunshot wound during a protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States in Portland, Oregon

Protester Cameron Whitten, who witnessed the incident, live streamed the moment the gunshots rang out on the Morrison Bridge in Portland around 1am on Saturday. He also filmed the car with the alleged suspect inside (pictured)

'I saw somebody fall on the ground and then they sped to the east side.... I don't know who (the victim) is but he is conscious and breathing, he was shot near his thigh,' Whitten said

'There's a man on Morrison Bridge with a gun,' he says into the live stream.

He says he believes a 'a man jumped out with an automatic rifle' and then drove off, but Whitten is able to video the car's license plate before it speeds away.

Moments later, he frantically says: 'The car has stopped. He's back out with a gun. A big, scary gun. Four men are out with their guns.'

Within seconds gunshots ring out. 'Did someone get shot? I think someone got shot,' he says on the stream.

Chaos breaks out on the bridge as hundreds of protesters yell. Whitten walks up to the man who was shot as several people tend to the victim and ask for space.

It takes only seconds before police are at the scene tending to the victim.

Whitten says in the video the man looks like he's in pain but is calm and 'is very brave'.

Police later confirmed the shooting in a statement.

As Whitten live streamed the shooting, in which several gunshots can be heard firing, he walked over to the victim on the ground (pictured)

It takes only seconds before police are at the scene tending to the victim. Whitten says in the video the man looks like he's in pain but is calm and 'is very brave'

'In the early morning hours of Saturday November 12, 2016, a man was injured in a shooting on the Morrison Bridge during a protest march.

'Preliminary information indicates that a suspect was in a vehicle on the bridge and there was a confrontation with someone in the protest. The suspect got out of the vehicle and fired multiple shots injuring the victim,' Portland Police said in a statement.

The man who was shot was treated by police until an ambulance arrived to transport him, ABC News reported.

He was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to ABC News: 'The suspect is described as an African-American male, late teens, 5'8" tall, thin build, wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

By 2.30am on Saturday, the protest had dispersed.

A demonstrator in Portland is treated for dispersant exposure to his eyes with milk during the Saturday morning protest. His injuries were unrelated to the man who was shot

Several protesters have been arrested during the demonstrations across the country, including in Portland, Oregon, (pictured)

Earlier, protesters were confronted by riot police who used tear gas and flash bangs in Portland as demonstrations continued, three nights after the billionaire was sensationally elected president.

Protesters gathered for a rally intended to be a peaceful demonstration after the previous night's unrest. Police in riot gear began by watching the event closely and eventually had a standoff with protesters who converged at an intersection and didn't move even though police told them the activity amounted to unlawful assembly.

The protest stayed peaceful for the first part of the evening but grew tense later in the evening. Police ordered a dispersion on Fourth Avenue after burning projectiles were thrown at officers.

Police arrested 11 people in New York after they marched from Washington Square Park to Trump Tower in Midtown after a day of peaceful rallies.

People try to move away from a gas cloud during a protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump in Portland, Oregon

Police used stun grenades, rubber bullets, and CS gas to disperse the protesters who refused to leave the area in Portland, Oregon

Protesters angry over Trump's election were involved in a standoff with police in Portland, Oregon

Protesters in Portland, Oregon faced police in riot gear Friday night during a rally intended to be a peaceful demonstration after the previous night's unrest

A demonstrator holds up cartridges during a protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States in Portland, Oregon on Friday

A protester stood on the street behind a line of police officers in riot gear as part of Friday's protest in Portland, Oregon

Demonstrators hold up placards during a protest against Donald Trump's US presidential election victory, at City Hall in Portland on Friday

Protesters, some of whom were wearing masks, were involved in a stand-off with police as they showed their anger following Donald Trump's election as US President

Demonstrators lined up in Portland Friday night (pictured) as they went through with their rally to protest Trump's election

The angry protest followed the election of Republican candidate Donald Trump in this week's Presidential election

Protesters had a standoff with police in Portland Friday night as they protested the election of Trump as president (pictured)

Hundreds of protesters traveled through downtown Portland streets Friday night while others converged at an intersection, not budging as police told them the activity amounted to unlawful assembly. One protester is pictured Friday

A protester angry about President-elect Donald Trump stands in front of a line of police, who used stun grenades, rubber bullets and CS gas to disperse the crowds gathered in Portland, Oregon

Police used rubber bullets, stun grenades and CS gas as a large group of protesters gathered outside City Hall in Portland, Oregon, to protests against Donald Trump's election as US president

Large numbers of police were deployed to deal with the protest in Portland, Oregon, on Friday night

One protester in Portland vowed on a sign not to 'bow down to ignorance and hatred' during Friday night's protest

Police arrested 11 people in New York after they marched from Washington Square Park to Trump Tower in Midtown after a day of peaceful rallies. One of them is pictured being arrested

Anti-Trump protesters continued marching in Manhattan on Friday evening. Some are pictured on Fifth Avenue

Thousands of people marched through Manhattan to protest against Donald Trump being President-Elect

Anti-Trump demonstrators also gathered in Chicago, Illinois Friday (pictured) to protest against Trump's election

Chicago protesters held signs supporting trans rights as they gathered Friday night and marched downtown

One demonstrator held a sign in Chicago with Trump's portrait and the word 'bigot' while marching downtown

A protester is arrested in Manhattan on Friday, where thousands of people made their feelings clear about Trump's election as President of the USA

Anti-Trump rallies entered their fourth day Friday as demonstrators across the country kept disavowing the president-elect. Pictured, a protester marches in Manhattan

In New York, protesters gathered at Trump Tower in Midtown and 1,200 rallied in Washington Square Friday afternoon. Some of them are pictured marching through Manhattan

Anti-Trump protesters kept expressing their disagreement against the new president-elect on Friday all across the country. Demonstrators are pictured Friday marching through Manhattan

Protesters in New York marched through Manhattan Friday (pictured) to keep disavowing new president-elect Trump

Several protesters in New York had signs reading 'Not my president' as they marched through Manhattan Friday (a group is pictured crossing West 42 Street)

Clinton won the state of New York during the presidential election. Many seemed to disagree with the outcome of the election as hundreds of protesters marched in Manhattan Friday (pictured)

'Love trumps hate' was one of the slogans that appeared on protesters' signs Friday as they kept making their voices heard in New York City (pictured) and all around the country

Some in New York City's Union Square subway station took a softer approach Friday by filling a wall with messages on sticky notes (pictured). Some messages were conciliatory and expressed hope that both sides would come together

A little girl drew a heart on a sticky note during a peaceful movement Friday in New York City's Union Square station

Protesters in New York for the fourth day gathered at Trump Tower in Midtown and 1,200 rallied in Washington Square Friday afternoon.

They marched in Manhattan while carrying signs that read: 'We go high they go low', 'Love is love' and 'Not my president'.

Later that day, officers arrested 11 people as about 1,000 walked in direction of Trump Tower, the New York Daily News reported. They have been charged with disorderly conduct.

In Miami, Florida, university students staged a peaceful march in the afternoon and hundreds began walking across the city at 6 pm. A bottle was thrown from a building while protesters were marching across the city and an 11-year-old girl was hit.

Demonstrations have been planned all the way until Inauguration Day on January 20, but protest leaders have warned their fight could continue for a long time after that.

Organizers in Portland announced on Facebook there would be a peaceful rally from 5 pm at Portland City Hall.

The rally, according to the organizers, would be a chance to discuss how to repair the damage done to the city Thursday night, when a peaceful protest of 4,000 people was disrupted and escalated into a riot.

The protest near City Hall in Portland remained peaceful early Friday evening. Riot police were at the scene and officers urged protesters to follow a designated route, KATV reported.

Portland police told motorists on Twitter not to engage with protesters if they encountered them. They were advised to stay in their vehicles, remain calm and let the protest pass.

A woman punched a man in front of police officers, disrupting the peaceful rally, OregonLive reporter Alan Brettman said on Twitter. She appeared to have been removed from the protest.

The atmosphere grew tenser later Friday evening when officers used flash bang grenades, according to Brettman. A witness said bottles were thrown.

Police then urged protesters to leave the road and get on the sidewalks. Officers pushed the crowd and asked demonstrators to move. More flash bang grenades exploded.

Portland police tweeted that protesters on Fourth Avenue had to disperse immediately or be subjected to arrest. They warned they would use tear gas if demonstrators failed to comply and reminded those on Twitter that first-aid for those sprayed with tear gas was fresh air and water.

The dispersion was ordered after burning projectiles were thrown at officers, police added. Brettman confirmed on Twitter that tear gas had been used.

Protesters also marched in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday against the election of Trump. Some are pictured in the evening

Police told protesters to get out of the street (pictured) as they marched against the election of Trump as president Friday

Hundreds of protesters began walking at 6:20 pm in Miami, Florida (pictured). Another protest was scheduled at Miami Beach's Trump Plaza on Friday

Anti-Trump rallies took place across the nation on Friday as some protested Trump's election for the fourth night in a row. Pictured, protesters march in Miami

Hundreds of demonstrators began walking across Miami, Florida at 6 pm (some of them are pictured). Some reported that bottles had been thrown from a condo during the protest

A man wore a white 'Make American great again' hat and wrapped himself in a US flag as he attended the anti-Trump protest that saw hundreds of protesters gather in downtown Miami Friday

'She got more votes': One protester in downtown Miami reminded the crowd that Clinton won the popular vote

Protesters march in the street to demonstrate against the election of President-elect Donald Trump in Atlanta

Other protesters in Miami called Trump a 'bigot' and one held a sign reading: 'Unidos contra el odio' ('united against hate')

A Trump supporter came to the anti-Trump rally in West Palm Beach, Florida Friday holding a Trump sign with the words: 'Stop crying!) (pictured)

Hundreds of students from at least five different Minneapolis high schools walked out of class and marched Friday afternoon to protest against Trump's election and the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Star Tribune reported.

High school students also walked out of class and rallied in Iowa City Friday, KCRG wrote.

Other demonstrators and college students joined the rally and all marched to Interstate 80, blocking traffic until police dispersed the protest.

Demonstrators marched in downtown Atlanta, Georgia for the third night straight on Friday evening. A witness said on Twitter that protesters had hopped over fences trying to get on the interstate and shared a video of a US flag being burnt.

Hundreds of high school students also protested Friday in Omaha, Nebraska.

Students at the University Of Miami organized a peaceful march Friday afternoon on their Coral Gables campus.

'We are devastated by the results of the election and we, as people of color, women, LGBTQ, immigrants, minorities at this university, we're standing up and making our voices heard,' one student told WSVN.

Hundreds of protesters began walking at 6:20 pm from Bayfront Park. Another protest was scheduled to start around the same time in West Palm Beach and 300 were planning to demonstrate at Miami Beach's Trump Plaza.

A glass bottle appeared to have been thrown from a condo building during the otherwise peaceful anti-Trump protest in Miami.

An 11-year-old girl named Aaliyana Smith was hit on the leg. 'The bottom went straight onto my leg bone and then it hit the ground. And it really hurt,' Aaliyana told CBS Miami.

A protest also took place in Fort Worth, Texas, where a Trump supporter came with a confederate flag. Police separated him from the protesters and led him away.

'Not my f****** president': One protester in Philadelphia Friday clearly disavowed the new Republican president-elect

A woman marched in Philadelphia Friday holding a sign that read: 'P***y grabs back' - a response to Trump's lewd comments about grabbing women by the p***y

Another protester in Philadelphia held a sign reading: 'F*** Trump' as demonstrators rallied in the city Friday evening

Students from at least five Minneapolis high schools walked out of class Friday afternoon and marched against Trump and the Dakota Access Pipeline. Some of them are pictured

High school students in Minneapolis were among many of their peers who staged walkouts and rallies on Friday. Some of them are pictured in Minneapolis with a sign reading #Notmyprez

The rally organized Friday by high school students in Minneapolis was meant to express their disagreement against both the election of Trump and the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline

In Dallas, Texas, 100 people gathered for an anti-Trump protest Friday evening. Three Trump supporters were pictured by Fox4'sAlex Boyer counter-protesting with signs reading: 'You are cry babies [sic]', 'Get over it' and 'Trump won'.

A protestor smashed a Hooters window later in the evening, Boyer reported in a tweet.

Hundreds marched in Orlando, Florida chanting phrases such as: 'Donald Trump go away. Racist, sexist, anti-gay!'

One Trump supporter showed up to the rally with a bullhorn and shouted: 'Trump's the president! Get over it!' the Orlando Sentinel wrote.

About 1,400 people gathered in Boston, Massachusetts for a 'love rally' organized in response to Trump's election, according to Patch Boston.

A Facebook page for the event describes it as a peace rally aimed at showing Muslims, women, Latinos, the LGBTQ community, disabled people, those who cannot afford healthcare and any minorities that some support and love them.

In Dallas, Texas, three Trump supporters came to an anti-Trump rally and taunted protesters with signs reading 'You are cry babies', 'Trump won' and 'Get over it' (pictured)

In Fort Worth, Texas, a small group protested outside the courthouse (pictured. One of them held a sign revamping Trump's campaign slogan, 'Make America great again', into 'Make America racist again'

Some protesters in Fort Worth urged the electoral college to honor the popular vote on Friday (pictured). Clinton won the popular vote and these protesters would like to see her elected instead of Trump

One sign in Fort Worth urged the electoral college to vote by conscience as protesters gathered at the courthouse Friday

A protest also took place in Fort Worth, Texas, where a Trump supporter came with a confederate flag (pictured). The man later said he was assaulted and police took him across the street

The Trump supporter holding a confederate flag (pictured) also held a sign reading: 'Si Trump puede!' ('Yes Trump can' in Spanish.) Police separated him from the small group outside the courthouse in Fort Worth

The crowd looked on as a Trump supporter came to the anti-Trump rally in Fort Worth Friday holding a confederate flag

Burlington, Vermont saw a peaceful protest of 200 people on Friday afternoon. Another rally was scheduled for the evening, the Burlington Free Press reported.

Protests also carried on in Eugene, Oregon and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Oregon went to Clinton during the election whereas Trump won Pennsylvania.

A Los Angeles police officer meanwhile had his pistol stolen during a fight Thursday night with a woman who attacked him with his handcuffs, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. Officers were after a group of about 20 people who had just broken off from a large anti-Trump protest.

Activists around the country are starting to prepare for what they hope will be the nation's strongest protests since the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Rallies scheduled for Saturday in New York and Los Angeles, and a protest planned for Washington on January 20, when Trump succeeds President Barack Obama, will be just the beginning, activists said in a series of interviews.

The Reverend Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader from New York, said anti-Trump protesters should borrow a page from the playbook that Republicans used to oppose Obama's policies.

That movement started organically, later developed as the Tea Party movement and eventually resulted in the election of Trump, said Sharpton, whose National Action Network plans to launch a new organizing effort at its New York headquarters on Saturday.

'We are not going to be as ugly as them, but we are going to be just as persistent,' Sharpton said. 'This is not going away.'

Protests sprung up this week in about a dozen major US cities, including Boston, Baltimore and San Francisco. Demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, and Berkeley, California, turned violent, with protesters setting fires and clashing with police.

Trump initially dismissed the crowds on Twitter, calling them 'professional protesters, incited by the media,' but later reversed course, saying he admired their 'passion.'

Protesters also gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - a state that gave Trump 20 electoral votes during the election. One of them is pictured Friday with a 'love trumps hate' sign

One demonstrator in Philadelphia Friday brought a sign reading 'Silence is acceptance' to the anti-Trump rally

Natashia Greene with the University of Oregon Black Student Union spoke about worries for her safety since the election of Trump to the presidency during a Black Lives Matter rally at the university in Eugene, Oregon on Friday (pictured)

TJ Wells, who had volunteered to work for Democrat Hillary Clinton's failed presidential campaign, said his decision to organize a Thursday night protest at Washington's Trump International Hotel near the White House was spontaneous.

'I literally shared it with a few friends, and within a few hours I had a couple hundred people show up,' said Wells, who is 27 and lives in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, Maryland, where he works in human resources.

He said he hoped it would be the first of many such demonstrations.

'From Inauguration Day to the time he's out of office, we have to make sure that if there's something he's going to pass that the majority of Americans who voted for Hillary Clinton are not OK with, that we are forceful about that,' Wells said.

The election saw 59.5 million people vote for Trump - fewer than the 59.7 million who cast ballots for Clinton. But Trump's strong showing in swing states, including Michigan, earned him a decisive victory in the Electoral College that ultimately picks the president.
This is the spine-tingling moment a 12ft-long king cobra was discovered hiding under the bonnet of a school bus.

Onlookers spotted the snake slithering along the road and into the engine when the bus pulled over in a park in Bangkok, Thailand.

Footage shows the driver carefully prizing open the bonnet before running off, leaving animal rescue workers to pull the cobra out.

A 12ft-long king cobra was discovered hiding under the bonnet of a school bus in Bangkok

The experience snake-handlers used a rope to clamp shut the cobra's jaws.

Bus driver Khun Witthaya, 37, had been driving the silver mini van with twelve international students inside.

He said: 'I have to admit I was a very afraid when someone told me there was a snake under the bonnet.

'I was shocked. It's the first time I've come face to face with a snake like that.

Footage shows the animal rescue workers carefully pulling the cobra out of the mini van

'I was the first one out of the van and the rest of the students followed me. They found it quite funny though.'

The footage shows the snake handlers stretching out the cobra and laying it onto the ground.

Thailand's Department of Conservation said they later released the snake back into the wild.

A spokesman said: 'It's important to respect and understood that snakes are part of the wildlife and to make sure they get back to their correct home.'
Tree's 50,000 lights will be switched on during November 30 ceremony

A couple of hundred adults and children watched on chilly fall morning

Workers hoisted the tree using a crane in Rockefeller Center Saturday

The tree is a 94-foot Norway spruce from upstate Oneonta, New York

It's beginning to look  and feel  a lot like Christmas in Manhattan.

This year's Christmas tree made a spectacular arrival in Rockefeller Center Saturday morning.

A couple of hundred adults and children  many bundled in coats, hats, gloves and scarves  braved the chilly, 40-degree fall weather and watched workers hoist down the 94-foot tree using a crane.

The Norway spruce, the 84th tree to decorate the Rockefeller Center, was cut down Thursday in upstate Oneonta and arrived to New York City after a 140-mile truck trip.

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Workers at New York City's Rockefeller Center on Saturday used a crane to position the 94-foot Norway spruce that will become the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree

The tree (pictured after it was positioned Saturday morning) was cut down Thursday in upstate Oneonta and arrived to New York City after a 140-mile truck trip

A truck arrived in New York City Saturday morning carrying the Norway spruce (pictured), the 84th Christmas tree used in Rockefeller Center

It originally was in the backyard of Angie and Graig Eichler, who watched as the tree was raised upright again Saturday.

Angie's family has come almost every year to see the Rockefeller Center tree  but she never dreamed it would be theirs.

Most of the Rockefeller Christmas trees have been Norway spruces, like this year's tree.

The public can submit requests to donate their own Norway spruces in the hope that it will become the next Rockefeller Christmas tree.

The tree's 50,000 lights will be switched on during a November 30 television broadcast. The ceremony will be open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Christmas tree will remain lit until January 7.

Workers raised the 94-foot tree Saturday morning (pictured) and positioned it in its spot. The tree will be equipped with 50,000 lights

It will take a little more than two weeks for the tree's light to be switched on. Workers are pictured on Saturday morning raising the Christmas tree

Angie and Graig Eichler (left and right) donated the tree, which came from their backyard. They posed with their children Brock (second from left) and Ava (second from right) Saturday

Graig (pictured with, from left to right, his wife Angie, daughter Ava and son Brock) drove a spike into the trunk of the 94-foot Norway spruce

The tree (pictured as it is being positioned with a crane) has 50,000 lights, which will be switched on during a November 30. The ceremony will be open to the public
The story of Brazil's massive corruption scandal boasts power, money, greed, betrayal and fearless investigators - so it's not surprising that rival directors are planning to bring it to screens.

A new Netflix series and a totally separate movie project will bring the infamous Operation Car Wash to life.

The scandal, which rocked the country and dragged in an ex-president and super-rich executives, uncovered mass embezzlement at state oil company Petrobras.

Rival projects: Narcos director Jose Padilha (left) will direct a Netflix series based on the scandal, while Marcelo Antunez (right) will take on Operation Car Wash in an upcoming film

Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva faces bribery and other corruption charges - but claims these are politically motivated.

The fascinating saga has been taken on by director Marcelo Antunez, who said he wants to turn it into a blockbuster - and expects plenty of sequels.

He said: 'It's a very complex story, not just because it changes every day, but because it began as a rather small investigation.

'We're taking a snapshot of time to allow us to understand.'

Brazil's former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva faces bribery and corruption charges because of the scandal

Images of actors set to appear in the upcoming movie about Operation Car Wash, which is set for release in May

It has the working title Federal Police - The Law Applies To All, and is set to open in May.

Meanwhile Jose Padilha, one of Brazil's most successful movie makers, whose credits include Elite Squad and Robocop, as well as Netflix show Narcos, will turn it into a series.

It has been reported that actor Wagner Moura - who plays Pablo Escobar in Netflix - turned down the role of crusading judge Judge Sergio Moro, who led the investigation.

Antunez said of the figures caught up in the scandal: 'They're people. They don't fantasize that what they're doing is bigger than it really is - they don't talk about saving the country or anything.'

Federal Judge Sergio Moro is in charge of the investigation on oil giant Petrobras corruption scandal

Wagner Moura (seated, pictured in Netflix series Narcos) reportedly turned down a role in the new series

Questions have been raised about the unprecedented amount of access filmmakers are being to the investigation, with left-wing blog O Cafezinho asking: 'Would someone wanting to make a film critical of Car Wash also be allowed to make a deal with the police?'

Antunez says the filmmakers were able to see inside the Curitiba offices, though they'll only film outside.

They'll also get police cooperation for scenes involving armed officers, helicopters and the like.

The film will halt at the point when Lula was detained for questioning, but Antunez said: 'The intention of the producers is to have sequels.'

And at a time when Congressional deputies - many facing Car Wash probes themselves - are thought to want to close down the investigation, Antunez says he hopes his film will help maintain public pressure.
holder - 294ft high - was also found in Malaysia in June

The world's tallest topical tree has been discovered on the island of Borneo - and at nearly 309ft it's as tall as three blue whales stacked end to end

The world's tallest topical tree has been discovered on the island of Borneo.

At nearly 309ft, it's as tall as three blue whales stacked end to end.

The discovery was announced five months after what was previously considered the world's tallest tropical tree - a 294ft yellow meranti - was found in Malaysia.

Gregory Asner of the Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University revealed the new record breaking tree at a Heart of Borneo conference on November 10.

The tree - which belongs to the Shorea genus - stands in the state of Sabah. And, not only is it impressive vertically but its canopy also reaches a diameter of 132ft.

The record-breaker was spotted when Asner was mapping the Sabah forest using lidar technology on board a plane.

The Carnegie Airborne Observatory can image forests and map animal habitat, carbon stocks, and canopy biodiversity by using sensors to precisely measure height, architecture, chemical properties and species of tree.

Asner then went via helicopter - funded by film director James Cameron and the UN Development Programme - to examine the tree with his own eyes.

To his amazement, not only was this particular tree of striking height but it was flanked by other just slightly smaller trees. All these 50 trees exceed the 294ft mark obtained by the yellow meranti in June.

'This tallest tropical tree, and the 49 runners-up, are truly phenomenal expressions of the power of nature,' Asner told environmental news website, Mongabay.

'Conservation needs inspiration, and these sentinels of the Bornean jungle provide that to us. This discovery is a gift to science, to the people of Sabah and Borneo, and to the world.'

Gregory Asner of the Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University revealed the new record breaking tree at a Heart of Borneo conference on November 10

'Conservation needs inspiration, and these sentinels of the Bornean jungle provide that to us. This discovery is a gift to science, to the people of Sabah and Borneo, and to the world,' Asner said

Dr. Glen Reynolds, the director of the Southeast Asia Rainforest Research Partnership told the site: 'Trees of this size and age simply don't exist outside of primary forest - so it's crucial that the forests which support these now-rare giants is protected,' he said.

The height of 309ft was compared by Asner to being six times the size of a sperm whale - which, at an average of 52ft, is the largest toothed whale.

Asner now intends to visit all of the trees to carry out his own studies and learn more about the species.
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Nearly one million South Koreans marched through the streets of Seoul on Saturday in protest against their president.

Park Geun-hye is refusing to step down after allegations she let a friend meddle in state affairs.

The candlelit rally was the largest yet with 850,000 people marching through the city centre and packing a 12-lane thoroughfare.

Nearly one million South Koreans marched through the streets of Seoul on Saturday in protest against their president

Park Geun-hye is refusing to step down after allegations she let a friend meddle in state affairs

The candlelit rally was the largest yet with 850,000 people marching through the city centre and packing a 12-lane thoroughfare

Families with young children and protesters in wheelchairs were among the crowd during the peaceful march, which contrasted with the violence of previous rallies dominated by militant unions.

Police estimated the crowd at 250,000 but organisers put the figure at nearer one million.

On the back of official appeals for calm, they deployed around 25,000 officers, many of them in full riot gear, while police buses and trucks blocked every access road around the presidential Blue House.

As night fell, Seoul's main ceremonial boulevard Gwanghwamun became a moving river of flickering candles held by the banner-waving, slogan-chanting demonstrators calling on Park to quit.

Families with young children and protesters in wheelchairs were among the crowd during the peaceful march, which contrasted with the violence of some previous rallies dominated by militant unions

Police estimated the crowd at 250,000 but organisers put the figure at nearer one million

On the back of official appeals for calm, they deployed around 25,000 officers, many of them in full riot gear, while police buses and trucks blocked every access road around the presidential Blue House

One man travelled seven hours from the southern town of Gimhae to join the rally demanding Park, 64, step down a year before her mandate is due to end.

'Park Geun-hye! Today! Step down! Immediately! Step down! Now!' protesters chanted a few hundred yards from the presidential Blue House.

'I'm here so that this country will be a better place for my daughters,' said Park Min-hee, 34, a housewife who was at the rally with her two young daughters and her husband's parents. 'Park Geun-hye did wrong. She must step down right now.'

As night fell, Seoul's main ceremonial boulevard Gwanghwamun became a moving river of flickering candles held by the banner-waving, slogan-chanting demonstrators calling on Park to quit

One man travelled seven hours from the southern town of Gimhae to join the rally demanding Park, 64, step down a year before her mandate is due to end

'Park Geun-hye! Today! Step down! Immediately! Step down! Now!' protesters chanted a few hundred yards from the presidential Blue House

'I'm here so that this country will be a better place for my daughters,' said Park Min-hee, 34, a housewife who was at the rally with her two young daughters and her husband's parents. 'Park Geun-hye did wrong. She must step down right now.'

Protesters used signs saying 'you are not my president', echoing protests against Donald Trump in the US

It was the third weekend protest rally since Park's first public apology on October 25 when she admitted she had sought the advice of her friend, Choi Soon-sil.

Park's acknowledgement only served to fuel public anger and suspicion over the secret confidant, who apparently held no official government position.

Another apology by Park and an offer to work with the parliamentary opposition to form a new cabinet and relinquish some power also failed to quell the crisis, prompting opponents to say she did not grasp its severity.

It was the third weekend protest rally since Park's first public apology on October 25 when she admitted she had sought the advice of her friend, Choi Soon-sil

Park's acknowledgement only served to fuel public anger and suspicion over the secret confidant, who apparently held no official government position

Park has dismissed some of her most senior and closest advisers, and former aides have been arrested on charges of abuse of power. Choi, the friend who is believed to have been acquainted with the president since the 1970s, has been charged with abuse of power and fraud.

Prosecutors are investigating allegations that Choi, 60, leveraged their friendship to coerce donations from large companies like Samsung to non-profit foundations which she set up and used for personal gain.

Choi's father, Choi Tae-min, was considered a mentor by President Park. He founded an obscure religious sect called the Church of Eternal Life, which Korean media describes as a 'Shamanistic cult'.

Another apology by Park and an offer to work with the parliamentary opposition to form a new cabinet and relinquish some power also failed to quell the crisis, prompting opponents to say she did not grasp its severity

Park has dismissed some of her most senior and closest advisers, and former aides have been arrested on charges of abuse of power

Choi, the friend who is believed to have been acquainted with the president since the 1970s, has been charged with abuse of power and fraud

Members of main opposition parties joined Saturday's rally, suggesting there is growing support in parliament for action to remove Park from power, although there was no formal move yet to launch impeachment proceedings.

No South Korean president has ever failed to finish their five-year term.

Park's approval rating has dropped to 5 percent for a second week, according to a poll conducted by Gallup Korea and released on Friday, the lowest number for a South Korean president since such polling began under democratically elected leaders in 1988.

Prosecutors are investigating allegations that Choi, 60, leveraged their friendship to coerce donations from large companies like Samsung to non-profit foundations which she set up and used for personal gain

Choi's father, Choi Tae-min, was considered a mentor by President Park. He founded an obscure religious sect called the Church of Eternal Life, which Korean media describes this a 'Shamanistic cult'

Members of main opposition parties joined Saturday's rally, suggesting there is growing support in parliament for action to remove Park from power, although there was no formal move yet to launch impeachment proceedings

No South Korean president has ever failed to finish their five-year term. Pictured: A father and son protesting

Park's approval rating has dropped to 5 percent for a second week, the lowest number for a South Korean president since such polling began under democratically elected leaders in 1988

'Judging from what I saw today, people's resentment against her is simply too strong for Park to stare this down,' said Lee Yeon-Ho, a political science professor at Yonsei University. 'People are literally seething with anger.'

'Judging from what I saw today, people's resentment against her is simply too strong for Park to stare this down,' said Lee Yeon-Ho, a political science professor at Yonsei University. 'People are literally seething with anger.'

Choo Mi-ae, chairwoman of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea said: 'This isn't even a dictatorship, it's a terrifying theocracy.'

She added: 'Park never communicated with the people. She never communicated with the public servants, vice ministers or ministers. She only had her spiritual communication with Choi.'

Park is the daughter of Park Chung-hee who took power in a 1961 military coup and ruled until he was assassinated by his disgruntled spy chief in 1979, five years after his wife was shot dead in the head by a killer who meant to shoot him.

Choo Mi-ae, chairwoman of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea said: 'This isn't even a dictatorship, it's a terrifying theocracy.'

She added: 'Park never communicated with the people. She never communicated with the public servants, vice ministers or ministers. She only had her spiritual communication with Choi.'

Park is the daughter of Park Chung-hee who took power in a 1961 military coup and ruled until he was assassinated by his disgruntled spy chief in 1979
desperately tries to grab him back but it is too late

This is the horrifying moment a baby is accidentally dropped 30ft down the side of an escalator to its death.

Devastating CCTV footage from China shows a grandmother stepping onto a department store's moving staircase with her four month old grandson in her arms.

But as she moves forward, one hand out to steady herself - she loses her footing and stumbles forward.

Devastating CCTV footage from China shows a grandmother stepping onto a department store's moving staircase with her four month old grandson in her arms

But as she moves forward, one hand out to steady herself - she loses her footing and stumbles forward

She lurches to the side against the handrail accidentally losing her one-armed grip on her infant grandson who is flung to the side away from his relative.

The woman desperately throws out her hands to grab him and appears to have him at her fingertips before he falls 30ft down the side and out of sight.

Another lady and little girl - believed to be the baby's mother and sister - visibly panick and leap to the side, the small girl in pink falling over in the rush.

As the video comes to an end the mother can be seen dashing down the escalator to reach her son.

She lurches to the side against the handrail accidentally losing her one-armed grip on her infant grandson who is flung to the side away from his relative.

The woman desperately throws out her hands to grab him and appears to have him at her fingertips before he falls 30ft down the side and out of sight

As the video comes to an end the mother can be seen dashing down the escalator to reach her son

The baby boy was reportedly rushed to hospital but died in the early hours of this morning.
Salah Abdeslam, 27, is the main suspect in the Paris terror attacks that claimed 130 lives last November

The main suspect in the Paris terror attacks has become more radicalised than he was before his arrest.

Salah Abdeslam, 27, is believed to be the only surviving jihadist of the attacks that claimed the lives of 130 people in the French capital on November 13 last year.

After four months on the run, the French national of Moroccan origin was arrested in Brussels and subsequently transferred to France in April.

His former lawyer, Sven Mary, told Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant's that his views have become even more extreme.

Mr Mary said: 'He's got a beard, he's become a true fundamentalist whereas before he was a kid wearing Nike trainers.'

The Belgian lawyer said Abdeslam's detention conditions at a prison in the Parisian suburb of Fleury-Merogis amounted to 'psychological torture' and had contributed to his apparent radicalisation.

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He is kept in solitary confinement and subjected to round-the-clock video surveillance.

Abdeslam is accused of having provided logistical support to the seven jihadists who died at the various scenes of the terror attacks: the Bataclan concert hall, the Stade de France national stadium and several bars and restaurants in central Paris.

Belgian authorities say that attacks were orchestrated by the Islamic State high command.

Abdeslam is accused of having provided logistical support to the jihadists who died at the various scenes of the terror attacks in Paris (Pictured, a police cordon outside the Bataclan)

A victim's body is covered outside the Bataclan concert hall after the terror attacks last year

In July, Abdeslam's lawyers had attempted unsuccessfully to end his constant surveillance in prison, but authorities had deemed the 'exceptional character of terrorist acts' as justifying that 'all precautions are taken'.

Last month both Mr Mary and another lawyer, Frank Berton, gave up defending Abdeslam over his refusal to answer investigators' questions since being transferred to France.

Mr Mary said then that the lawyers felt they were doing nothing more than paying 'social visits to the prison' and had decided to quit the defence.
A fisherman has landed a multi-million pound fortune after finding an astonishing haul of rare ambergris - which is essentially whale vomit - while he was hauling in his nets.

The wax-like grey substance is a rare byproduct of the sperm whale's digestive system which has been dubbed 'floating gold.

It is highly prized by elite perfumiers because it causes a chemical reaction that makes fragrances last longer.

Khalid Al Sinani has landed a multi-million pound fortune after finding an astonishing haul of rare ambergris while he was hauling in his nets

Astonished Khalid Al Sinani discovered a lump of the substance weighing more than 60 kilos after checking his nets off Oman's Qurayat coast.

Experts reckon it will sell for more than 2 million.

Khalid explained to local media: "I was on his way back home when I smelt a horrible smell from a distance."

When Khalid traced the source, he found a huge lump of the substance flaoting on the waves.

He said: "I used ropes to gather it in and it weighed more than 60 kilograms, and my boat is only 20ft long."

Now Khalid - said local media to be in his 30s - plans to give up fishing and live a new life of luxury.

WHAT IS AMBERGRIS? Ambergris is hardened intestinal slurry from a sperm whale which takes years to form and which is thought to protect the animal from hard and sharp objects it eats. It is dubbed 'floating gold' due to its high value to perfume makers and it is very rare. Ambergris is hardened intestinal slurry from a sperm whale The largest-recorded ambergris boulder to date was retrieved off Australia in 1913 and weighed 455 kgs . It is highly-prized due to its ability to fix a scent on human skin, and despite the existence of synthetic alternatives, it remains sought after by perfumiers. It can float in the ocean for years before washing ashore and years of exposure to the sun and salt water transform it into a smooth, grey, lump of compact waxy rock. However, anyone who thinks they may have found a precious piece of ambergris is advised to get it checked. A father and son who found a rock they believed to be ambergris on a beach near Weston-super-Mare were originally told they would net a 65,000 pay cheque. Alan Derrick, 67, and Tom, 39, found the misshapen grey lump while strolling along Sand Point on the Somerset coast and after some home tests the pair believed the unusual find could be ambergris However, they were later told that the object is a worthless piece of fat. Advertisement

He has already turned down offers from local perfumiers of 21,000 per kilo, saying he wants more.

He told Shabiba newspaper: "My dream came true. I have been waiting for such a moment for the past 20 years when I started fishing with my father."

Ambergris is formed in the intestines of the sperm whale to protect its digestive system from sharp objects like the squid beaks it swallows while feeding.
The migrant, who claims to be Iranian, is alleged to have raped a British aid worker at the Jungle camp in Calais earlier this year. His identity cannot be revealed

A migrant who paddled across the Channel in an inflatable kayak is to be questioned by immigration officials over the alleged rape of a British charity worker in the Calais Jungle camp.

The attack  apparently common knowledge among volunteers  is said to have happened around eight months ago. But the woman never reported it to French police because of fears that her allegation might stigmatise refugees.

However one aid worker alerted UK detectives after learning that the man, who claims to be Iranian, had reached Dover.

She told The Mail on Sunday the alleged assault was effectively covered up by colleagues because they felt it would undermine their efforts to help refugees.

It became clear from discussions the woman hadnt reported it because of concern it would undermine all the great work that had been done to help refugees.

But rape is rape and I was deeply uncomfortable with that.

Home Office sources confirmed the man will be questioned about the rape, but stressed it was one of many factors being considered while examining his asylum claim.

He is currently living in a segregated asylum seekers shelter, from which he is free to come and go.

Detectives in the UK were alerted when the migrant, who is in his thirties and claims to be a software engineer, crossed the Channel on October 29.

Last night police said the information has been shared with the relevant authorities but there was insufficient information to proceed with an investigation.

It is thought to be the first time someone seeking asylum has attempted the 20-mile crossing in a kayak.

The man, who spent many months at the camp in northern France, was spotted eight miles off the Kent coast by a Channel ferry.

The UK Border Force took him to Dover where he was handed over to immigration officials. Claiming asylum, he has reportedly said he was persecuted in his homeland after converting to Christianity.

It was at this point the aid worker became aware of his identity and contacted a detective.

The rape is alleged to have happened eight months ago at the Jungle camp in Calais, France

Meanwhile the alleged victim herself is understood to have told friends she still has no wish to come forward.

The assault is said to have taken place against a backdrop of increasing tension at the sprawling camp, which was home to 10,000 migrants before its demolition last month.

At the time it was the scene of nightly clashes between groups of refugees and French riot police.

Last month, a 38-year-old Afghan interpreter working for a TV crew, was raped at knifepoint in the camp by three armed migrants.

The aid worker said she heard about the alleged attack on the British woman from a friend in July.

But I was never told anything about the alleged attacker, she added. I knew the woman, but I never raised it with her and she never confided in me.

The camp was getting more dangerous. The majority of the men came from Afghanistan and werent used to having Western women around them.

The Home Office said last night that the man was currently staying in a segregated asylum centre while his case is being dealt with in line with the immigration rules.
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The Queen and other members of the Royal Family turned out in force at the Royal Albert Hall for the annual Festival of Remembrance.

This year marks the centenaries of the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Jutland, the 25th anniversary of the Gulf War and the and the 80th anniversary of the first flight of the Supermarine Spitfire.

Other royals attending the service on Saturday included the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Other royals attending the service on Saturday include the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at the annual Royal Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in London

Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip (at rear) arrive at Royal Albert Hall for the annual ceremony

The Queen and Prince Philip are greeted as they walk into the ceremony, which this year marks significant anniversaries of key military dates

The Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince Of Wales are among the other high-profile royals attending the ceremony this evening

The Princess Royal and her husband, Timothy Laurence, were earlier seen mingling with other guests

The Queen's cosuin, Princess Alexandra, and the Duke of Gloucester showed up to pay their respects

The Countess of Wessex was another of the Royal family in attendance

Along with Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, they were received by Jon Moynihan, president of the Royal Albert Hall, and Vice-Admiral Peter Wilkinson, president of the Royal British Legion.

Performers at the event include singers Alfie Boe, Michael Ball and Alexander Armstrong, who will be supported by the Royal Air Force Squadronaires, and the Band of HM Royal Marines.

After a musical introduction young Bethany - daughter of submariner Ian Molyneux who was shot and killed in 2011 by Able Seaman Ryan Donovan while HMS Astute was docked in Southampton - and her reasons for wearing a poppy.

A special presentation regarding to Somme was also shown, focussing on real memoirs from some of the one million soldiers on both sides to die during one of the bloodiest battles in human history.

The story of Horace Iles, who went over the top of the first day of the battle on July 1, 1916 and a letter sent to him by his sister Florie ahead of the fighting was read out.

Another soldier, Lt Edgar Lord, of the Lancashire, was also brought into focus for his diary, which told of how he went back after the battle had finished four-and-a-half months later to try to find a friend who had gone missing on that same first day.

There were other moving features from families and comrades of soldiers who have fallen in all wars in recent years.

Wg Cdr Charlotte Thompson-Edgar was also praised, a year after she received a prestigious flying cross for the 600 lives she saved in Afghanistan and set up a training programme by herself, furthering the medical treatment soldiers receive.

The tradition of poppies falling from the ceiling during a period of silence was conducted before a group of school children shared their expeirences from a project they had undertaken, and a final couple of songs and poems concluded proceedings.

The ceremony brought together most members of the Royal, although inter-family relations have not exactly been perfect recently

Labour leader and known pacifist Jeremy Corbyn was also at the ceremony to remember fallen British soldiers

The Queen gives a round of applause as she watches the ceremony unfold from the royal gallery

Prince William has a quick peek through the programme as the Duchess of Cambridge watches on

Tomorrow, the Queen and the rest of the Royals will head to the Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday.

Tonight's ceremony brought together most members of the Royal, although inter-family relations have not exactly been perfect recently.

The Queen, disheartened by the marriage breakdowns of three of her children, has stayed especially close to her grandchildren. Indeed, so fond is the Queen of Beatrice and Eugenie that she has now sided with them and their father Prince Andrew in their growing family rift with Prince Charles.

While she must publicly be seen to support Charles as he plans for the future, she believes that his hopes of sidelining Beatrice and Eugenie could prove impractical. For the sake of the Monarchy, they should be allowed to carry out more royal duties.

Prince Charles is determined that there should be a slimmed-down Monarchy, with full royal status and financial support limited to leading members of the family.

And as the Queen hands over responsibility to her eldest son, his reforming spirit is increasingly influential  to the dismay of his younger brother, the Duke Of York, who is understandably concerned that his daughters will be phased out of royal life when Charles becomes King.

The Band of HM Royal Marines take centre stage as they perform, while a video can be seen playing on the big screen behind them

Flag bearers stand to attention as they form a semi-circle around the perimeter of the performance arena

TV presenter Alexander Armstrong is one of the people performing at the ceremony (pictured here during a dress rehearsal for the event)

To mark Armistice Day on Friday, Prince Harry laid a wreath at the National Memorial Arboretum.

He attended a remembrance service at the Armed Forces Memorial alongside veterans and representatives of the Army, Royal Navy and RAF.

The prince was joined by hundreds of old soldiers and the loved ones left behind to mourn the dead, observing the silence in the chill autumn sunshine, in a mirror of services held across the country.

Earlier today, Prince Harry laid annother poppy wreath at Twickenham ahead of Remembrance Sunday - but there was no sign of his new girlfriend, Meghan Markle.

T he 32-year-old was sat next to Princess Charlene of Monaco, 38, during the Autumn International - which saw England beat South Africa 37-21.
The story of a notorious gang's internal war and its plan to control a city's underworld in a way 'never seen before' has been revealed in court.

Members of the Brothers 4 Life gang (B4L) have been in court for the past seven months and during the trial a violent war between chapters of the Sydney gang was detailed.

One of those on trial was Farhad Quami, who after leaving Goulburn Supermax prison in 2013, decided to 'give Sydney something theyve never seen before', The Daily Telegraph reported.

Farhad Quami, who established a new chapter of the Brothers 4 Life (B4L) gang in west Sydney and began an internal gang war

Brothers 4 Life member Bassam Hamzy, who is incarcerated in the Goulburn Supermax prison

Quami had spent time in Goulburn Supermax prison, where Bassam Hamzy gave him his consent to begin a new chapter of B4L

The court heard Quami had received consent from B4L spiritual leader Bassam Hamzy to set up a new chapter operating between Granville and Penrith - but he wanted more.

A high-ranking member of the Bankstown chapter, Mohammed 'Little Crazy' Hamzy, was opposed to Quami - they had a mutual dislike - and Quami didn't like being told what to do by him.

When Quami heard unsubstantiated rumours there were plans to kill him, he went to war, the court heard.

A number of bystanders including family of Hamzy and associates of Quami were injured and killed as attempts were made on Hamzy and others .

High-ranking member of the Brothers 4 Life chapter Mohammed 'Little Crazy' Hamzy

Mohammed 'Little Crazy' Hamzy (left) and Farhad Quami

The war escalated to a final shooting where Hamzy's mother was targeted, before Quami was arrested.

Qaumi, 34, and his brothers, Mumtaz, 31, and Jamil, 24, all pleaded not guilty to numerous charges.

They included murder, shooting with intent to murder, conspiracy to murder, soliciting to murder, commercial drug supply and directing a criminal group, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The trio were found guilty last Tuesday, but not their co-accused also on trial.
Fashion guru Trinny Woodall is locked in a nightmare 300,000 legal battle over the debts of her ex-husband, Johnny Elichaoff  who died two years ago

Fashion guru Trinny Woodall is locked in a nightmare 300,000 legal battle over the debts of her ex-husband  who died two years ago.

The makeover star, who is dating millionaire art collector Charles Saatchi, is fighting a bizarre High Court bid to make her responsible for the debts of former rock drummer Johnny Elichaoff, who killed himself by jumping from a car park roof.

The couple had agreed a divorce settlement after their ten-year marriage ended in 2009, in which Mr Elichaoff would make annual maintenance payments of 24,000 and repay 1.4 million she had lent him.

Ms Woodall never received a penny and, in 2014 the drummer turned businessman took his own life, aged 55, from the car park at the Whiteleys shopping centre in Bayswater, West London, after a series of failed oil investments.

It later emerged that Mr Elichaoff, who battled painkiller addiction for 20 years, had been declared bankrupt shortly before the divorce settlement was agreed.

Neither Ms Woodall nor the judge who rubber-stamped the settlement were made aware of the bankruptcy at the time  and earlier this year the settlement was invalidated by another judge.

Now, in what is thought to be an unprecedented case, creditors owed nearly 300,000 by Mr Elichaoffs estate claim Ms Woodall should have been paying him maintenance when their marriage ended.

As a result, they are chasing the TV presenter and entrepreneur in an innovative High Court action for the money to settle Mr Elichaoffs debts.

The famously blunt fashion adviser, who now appears on ITVs This Morning as its style expert, married the ex-rock musician in 1999. As a drummer, Mr Elichaoff had toured the world in bands supporting Siouxsie Sioux and U2. Later he became a manager for the bands Fairground Attraction and Tears For Fears.

He and Ms Woodall had a daughter, Lyla, now 12, before they divorced on good terms. Ms Woodall, 52, was earning about 350,000 a year when she and her fellow fashionista Susannah Constantine were at the height of their What Not To Wear fame in the mid-2000s, though she had taken a break from television at the time of her divorce and her income had fallen.

A High Court judge ruled in March that the divorce settlement had not been valid because of the bankruptcy order. Despite this, the judge refused to allow the official trustee in Mr Elichaoffs bankruptcy to step into his shoes and pursue Miss Woodall to get her to pay his outstanding 285,000 debts, plus legal fees. The judges ruling is now being contested by the officially appointed trustee, Ian Robert. A decision on whether an appeal can go ahead is expected within days.

The makeover star is currently dating millionaire art collector Charles Saatchi

Ms Woodalls spokesman said: This is a nightmare for an innocent spouse who received nothing on divorce, yet years later is sued by a trustee in bankruptcy, asserting an unheard- of claim to spousal rights of her deceased ex-husband.

In arguments at the High Court last week, Ms Woodalls barrister, Caroline Hely Hutchinson, said Mr Robert had no standing in law to bring a personal claim on behalf of her late ex-husband. She said any such right would have died with the businessman when he committed suicide, and added: These debts have been accrued post-separation.

But barrister James Pickering, acting for Mr Robert, said Mr Elichaoff ought to have been granted at least a six-figure sum from Miss Woodall in their divorce settlement.

He said: At the time, the bankrupt [Mr Elichaoff] was relatively poor and had little or no assets or income. Miss Woodall, on the other hand, was relatively wealthy and had capital resources approaching 1.5 million and a six-figure annual income. He added: In short, despite the clear financial imbalance between them, no financial provision was agreed in the bankrupts favour.

He argued that Mr Elichaoffs entitlement to support from his ex-wife was property that passed on to his trustee and could still be chased.
Stretching far into the distance, thousands of young donkeys contentedly graze on a farm in northern China.

They are days away from slaughter  having been bred solely for ejiao, a supposedly youth-preserving gelatin found in their skin.

Every week, thousands more donkey hides arrive here in Donge, northern China  epicentre of an appalling multi-billion-pound industry built on vanity and superstition  from all over the world.

The boss of one factory boasted that he sold 140 million of ejiao products last year.

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Some of the 10,000 donkeys kept for slaughter and breeding at the donkey farm in China

Young donkeys being transported to the slaughterhouse near Dong'e in northern China

Our only concern is that one day soon there wont be any more donkeys left to kill, he said. Tragically, he wasnt exaggerating. For centuries seen as symbols of peace and humility, donkeys are being massacred across the world with industrial callousness.

A Mail on Sunday investigation can reveal:

Four million donkeys are killed each year to meet demand for ejiao;

Chinas newly monied middle classes believe claims that it makes men virile and women beautiful;

The trade is having a devastating impact in Africa where donkeys are vital to livelihoods;

The head of a British charity warned of imminent factory farming of donkeys on a massive scale;

Chinese scientists are developing super-breeds of donkeys that grow bigger faster.

Ten thousand men and women are employed at the factories in Donge, where skins are boiled and liquefied to make health snacks, powders and face creams that Chinese people believe are the key to long life and lasting beauty. There is no medical evidence to support this belief.

A Mail on Sunday investigation found the industry, enthusiastically promoted by its government, has halved Chinas donkey population. But as the numbers dwindle, so the trade now threatens donkeys across every continent.

There is no medical evidence for ejiao despite it being a popular ingredient in beauty products

Donkeys no older than three are being culled in their millions in Africa, Asia, South America and the Middle East and their hides exported to feed Chinas insatiable appetite for ejiao.

Mike Baker chief executive of the Devon-based Donkey Sanctuary, which is closely monitoring the situation, said: Suddenly were seeing an incredible demand. In Africa alone, the numbers could run into millions.

As an example, Burkina Faso, which has banned the trade, 65,000 a year are still being killed illegally.

The value of a donkey has rocketed from 50 a decade ago to 250 today as Chinese customers pay up to 200 a month for ejiao.

The entrance to the donkey farm run by the Shandong Dong'e Ejiao company in China

As well as preserving youth, it is said to improve circulation and sex drive and makes workers indefatigable.

In sickening scenes in Donge, where more than 100 factories produce ejiao, we saw hundreds of donkey skins from South Africa being unloaded from a lorry by forklift truck and a donkey casually butchered on a street corner as locals ambled by.

Chinas biggest ejiao factory  Shandong Donge Ejiao (DEEJ), which processes a million donkey hides a year, is negotiating to breed and kill donkeys in Australia and has set up a farm on the outskirts of Donge with 10,000 animals to breed, kill and skin.

Donkey hides from Africa and China are put out to dry in the sun at the factory in Dong'e

The craze is driven by a potent mix of snobbery, superstition and state propaganda. A traditional medicine for nearly 2,000 years, ejiao was once made exclusively for Imperial Chinas royal families and, later, Chairman Mao and the Communist elite.

Today, Chinas burgeoning middle classes are clamouring for ejiao, which is officially promoted under President Xi Jinpings nationalistic policy to develop the countrys traditional medicine market. Ejiao sales went into overdrive in China following a national TV advertising campaign promoting it in 2010.

The mythology surrounding the elixir dictates that the donkey skins can only be boiled during the winter months, with ejiao made during the three-day Chinese Winter Solstice the most valued with a 250g (8.8oz) slab made then fetching 2,560.

A saleswoman told us: When a man takes ejiao, he will be strong and virile and have a long life. When a woman takes ejiao, she will keep her youth and become as beautiful as a princess.

A MoS reporter joined a group of ejiao sellers on a visit to the factory from cities around China. They were told by a company official showing them the workshops: If you sell ejiao to farmers in the countryside, they can work all day without getting tired.

We give two boxes a month to each of our workers and it makes them work faster all day long.

Production line for donkey hide serum at the Chinese factory which employs 10,000 workers

Ejiao on sale in a hotel shop in Dong'e. The belief in its youth-boosting properties fuels demand

At the companys donkey farm on the outskirts of Donge, different species of young donkeys are kept in rows of pens. They rush to the sides of the pens to be stroked and nuzzled when anyone walks by. Here, workers told us, animal scientists are experimenting to create a new breed of donkey that grows bigger and faster to provide skins at a young age.

This is first of his kind, one worker said, showing us a sturdy, thickset black donkey he said was only a year old. Across the road from the DEEJ factory, the company president, Zhang Tengzhi, 42, invited us into his office, where he proudly handed out individually packaged square-shaped cereal bars containing ejiao mixed with dates and nuts.

If you take one of these every day, you will never get a cold, he said. We give it to our workers every day and they are always full of energy and never get ill.

Mr Zhangs factory  which currently processes 3,000 tons of hides a year  is doubling its size and capacity to try to keep up with demand but he admitted it was struggling to source enough donkeys. There are very few donkeys left in China now so we are now getting our hides from all over the world, he said. People in China today are getting richer and living longer and they need more traditional tonics to prolong life and health.

Zhang Ten Zhi, 42, the boss of the Beneton Ejiao company in Dong'e China

Tanzania is one country recently targeted by China. Only last week, 24 carcasses were found in a remote bush forest. They had been injected with poison before they were skinned. All the animals were owned by Maasai subsistence farmers who depend on them to survive.

We believe criminals killed these animals by injecting them with a drug, said Johnson Lyimo, director of the Meru Animal Welfare Organisation in Arusha, Tanzania.

It is very difficult to catch those responsible because they operate in such rural areas. To find these donkeys, my team and I had to drive 30 miles out into the bush and then walk another five miles to the forest where the slaughter was done.

We know they are injecting them, because there is no sign of fatal wounds. They have cut only near the hooves for skinning.

But we dont know the chemical they are injecting. All we can say is it must be very dangerous because no hyena, no kind of bird  not even an insect  is feeding on the meat they left behind. The skins will have been exported to China.

He said that despite their price increasing drastically, Maasai people did not sell them to the slaughter gangs. The communities know the importance of donkeys to their families, he said. They are everything  especially for their women. They provide the womens transport.

Families will now have to walk many miles to market and their children will not manage to get to school because they will need to walk to fetch water to help their parents.

He said MAWO had received funds from the Donkey Sanctuary in Devon to build ten community shelters where the Maasai could keep animals safe at night. This is a very big challenge for the local people. They cannot afford to buy replacement donkeys because the Chinese trade has pushed the price so high.

A Devon-based donkey sanctuary is closely monitoring the horrific plight of the donkeys

Countries across Africa have seen an exponential increase in the export of donkey hides. In Egypt, the price of donkeys has risen from 17 to 170, according to research by the Donkey Sanctuary. And in South Africa, the scale of the problem has emerged only in recent months. Nadia Saunderson, outreach officer for the Highveld Horse Care Unit near Johannesburg, said demand for ejiao in China had triggered a huge explosion in illegal slaughter.

In one recent incident in the Free State, we were tipped off by a registered abattoir, she said. Our inspectors went to a location out in the bush and rescued 56 emaciated donkeys. They were in the process being cruelly slaughtered. Those responsible are unquestionably serving the Chinese medicine business. They are interested only in the skins.
She's set to become America's First Lady, with a life cossetted in the extravagant luxury afforded only to the super-rich.

And although Melania Trump's existence today as the wife of a billionaire is far removed from her childhood in a communist state, it is the fulfilment of the dreams that she nurtured living in her own white house as a 16-year-old.

Now The Mail on Sunday has gone back to the young Melania's home town, spoken to some of her school friends  and tracked down that white house built by her father.

The childhood of young Melania Knavs in the sleepy industrial town of Sevnica  now part of Slovenia  in the 1970s and 80s was unlike that of any previous First Lady

The childhood of young Melania Knavs in the sleepy industrial town of Sevnica  now part of Slovenia  in the 1970s and 80s was unlike that of any previous First Lady.

Her father Viktor was a Communist Party member under Yugoslav dictator Marshal Tito, and as Melania grew up the family lived in a string of modest apartments.

But Viktor also displayed the capitalist ambitions which rubbed off on the daughter who would one day complete her extraordinary journey by taking up residence in Washington as the President's wife.

A car parts salesman, Viktor drove a Mercedes, and by the time young Melania was 16 he had built the house in the small town of Sevnica  population 4,500  as a weekend retreat for the family. The property is on the banks of the River Sava.

Meanwhile, Melania's mother Amalija worked as an executive in a textile factory. She would come back from business trips to Milan and Paris with tales that would inspire her daughter to make her name in international fashion  first as a designer before embarking on the modelling career that would lead to her meeting Donald Trump.

School friends remember Melania as a studious girl who preferred her books to playing

School friends remember Melania as a studious girl who preferred her books to playing  a long way from the woman who would pose for photos in a magazine wearing the skimpiest outfits aboard 'Trump Force One'  her husband's customised Boeing 727 (which he has since upgraded to a 757).

Her childhood neighbour and friend Mirjana Jelancic, 45, who is now the headteacher at the primary school in Slovenia which they both attended, said: 'She loved everything to do with art and design. She would renovate old things to make them like new, such as old baskets. Her family put them in the living room with flowers in.'

Ms Jelancic said that Melania, now 46, often showed off her diplomatic skills by acting as a mediator during playground disputes. She said: 'She had a strong personality. She would not be the first with an opinion, but she was intelligent and wise. She grew up in a society when there was not so much freedom. She knew that there was a bigger world out there because her mother had gone to fashion shows as part of her work.

'She wanted something more from life, but she never told me that she wanted to be a model. She liked knitting and making clothes.

Melania lived in this house in Sevnica as a girl

The house was built by Melania's father, Viktor (left). He is seen arriving in Aberdeen, Scotland, with his wife Amalija in 2011

Moving up: From January she will be occupying the White House

'In those times, people were more or less equal, but her family had a sense of aesthetics. Her father always had a Mercedes and it was a ritual that Melania and her sister Ines would clean it every Saturday. 'She was always reading books, fashion magazines and catalogues. Kids would often call her to play, but she was busy reading.'

Melania, her parents and sister moved to an apartment in Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana, when she was about 14, and she started at the city's Secondary School of Design and Photography.

But her family retained their links with Sevnica, building their own white-painted house with a balcony and staying there at weekends.

Her parents, who have lived in New York in recent years, still own the house and return once or twice a year. It even has a US-style mailbox. The couple were last there for a week in June when neighbours noticed they had bodyguards.

Melania was 16 when she was spotted by fashion photographer Stane Jerko in Ljubljana and he invited her to pose for him. He said: 'I saw this tall girl with long hair and long legs so immediately introduced myself. She was a little self-conscious when I first photographed her, but she learned very quickly and relaxed.'

Melania will become the First Lady after her husband Donald was elected President on Tuesday

Last week, her half-brother Denis Cigelnjak, 51, who lives in the former mining town of Hrastnik, 15 miles from Sevnica, said he hoped one day to meet Melania.

Denis was born after Melania's father had a brief relationship before his marriage. Court papers show that Viktor Knavs denied being the father of Marija Cigelnjak's baby, but his paternity was proved by blood tests.
New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo took a stand against Donald Trump, offering people who feel 'under attack' to seek refuge in the Democratic stronghold.

Cuomo wrote: 'Whether you are gay or straight, Muslim or Christian, rich or poor, black or white or brown, we respect all people in the state of New York.'

Cuomo, who highlighted legislation in the state, included an appeal for donations to the state party ranging from $25 to $1,000 in an email sent to New York Democrats.

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New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo (left) took a stand against Donald Trump (right), offering people who feel 'under attack' to seek refuge in the Democratic stronghold

Cuomo, who highlighted legislation in the state, included an appeal for donations to the state party. His message was also widely shared on Facebook (pictured)

Cuomo's message was also reiterated on Facebook in a post that has been shared more than 75,000 times.

He wrote: 'The state of New York has a proud legacy as the progressive capital of the nation, and that is more important today than ever before.

'As New Yorkers, we have fundamentally different philosophies than what Donald Trump laid out in his campaign.

'So let me be absolutely clear: If anyone feels that they are under attack, I want them to know that the state of New York  the state that has the Statue of Liberty in its harbor  is their refuge.

'Whether you are gay or straight, Muslim or Christian, rich or poor, black or white or brown, we respect all people in the state of New York.

'It's the very core of what we believe and who we are. But it's not just what we say, we passed laws that reflect it, and we will continue to do so, no matter what happens nationally.

'We wont allow a federal government that attacks immigrants to do so in our state.'

Cuomo gave a rundown of legislation that passed in New York, highlighting laws raising the minimum wage to $15 and mandating paid family leave.

He concluded: 'We are New York, and we will stand up for you. And on that, I will never compromise. Count on it.'

For Democrats already looking to the future, Cuomo has already emerged as a contender for 2020.
She was outraged by the 'sexism' of University Challenge presenter Jeremy Paxman when he made a passing remark about the knitted mascot her team had brought to the TV quiz.

But while Samantha Buzzard was upset by the supposed lewd innuendo in a comment that Mr Paxman insists was innocuous, she is perfectly happy to engage in extremely racy banter on social media.

The Reading University meteorology PhD student complained after Mr Paxman remarked that the knitted doll looked like him and, she claims, said 'please tell me' that she took it to bed with her.

Samantha Buzzard was upset by a supposed lewd innuendo in a comment that Mr Paxman insists was innocuous

Mr Paxman insists it was innocent banter directed to all four members of the Reading team.

Yet Ms Buzzard apparently relishes far racier exchanges on Twitter and has even posted an image of Ed Miliband altered to make him look like a male stripper  a picture which might have attracted outraged comments were it of a woman politician.

Many of the bawdy jokes concern double-entendres about Ms Buzzard's specialist subject.

Earlier this year, the science student wrote on Twitter in a discussion about icebergs: 'I've written 'penetration' far too many times for a Monday morning.' She joked to fellow PhD student James Mollard: 'Thanks for ruining my ability to talk about ice crevassing.'

Mr Mollard replied: 'To quote yourself, it's a slippery situation you're in.'

A second friend, Martin O'Leary, added to the sniggering innuendo, tweeting: 'Have you talked about how wet cracks penetrate much deeper than dry cracks?' Instead of expressing shock, Ms Buzzard joked: 'I hope you two are never in the same place at the same time.'

The Reading University meteorology PhD student complained after Mr Paxman (pictured) remarked that the knitted doll looked like him

During the 2015 Election, Ms Buzzard shared a photograph of then Labour leader Mr Miliband morphed on to a male model wearing only pants. She tweeted: 'How many of these can I hide around my house before my Tory/Ukip-loving housemates kick me out?'

The Reading University Student Union last week voted to boycott the BBC show after accusing Mr Paxman of misogyny and sexism.

Last night, sociologist Professor Frank Furedi criticised the 'language policing' in British universities and the constant assumptions of prejudice. He said: 'A lot of students are just looking to be outraged by virtually anything. It's what I call a 'performance of outrage', where you try to make a statement  and almost set yourself up to take the moral high ground.

Earlier this year, the science student wrote on Twitter in a discussion about icebergs: 'I've written 'penetration' far too many times for a Monday morning.'

Mr Mollard replied: 'To quote yourself, it's a slippery situation you're in.'

'I'm more concerned about the influence of this language policing which is being taken outside of the university. Joking is part of human interaction. If you have to censor yourself every time you joke, you prevent people from being spontaneous and normal. That's unhealthy.'

On Ms Buzzard's comments and tweets, Prof Furedi said students frequently had 'double standards'.

He added: 'You can make jokes about straight, white men  and that's very funny. But if you make fun of anyone else it is automatically morally offensive.'
The battered brown bus pulled up shortly before 9am, just by the American Legion building where former soldiers were being served a special Veterans Day breakfast.

A guard unlocked the metal cage inside the vehicle, then opened the main door. The first man shuffled down the steps, where another guard ordered him to wait.

He was followed by 31 more men and two women. They included the elderly and teenage boys, most looking dishevelled and distressed as they were disgorged from the bus.

None seemed to have any possessions. Then the miserable-looking group was lined up, made to put their hands behind backs, and marched over the road bridge across the Rio Grande back to Mexico.

These were a few of the millions of illegal migrants that Donald Trump has pledged to stop flowing into his nation by building a wall along the entire 1,954-mile border between the United States and Mexico.

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If Trump gets his way there will be a 1,954 mile long wall along the entire US-Mexico border

This controversial concept became the most potent symbol of the populist insurgency that carried the billionaire property magnate to the White House.

Trump called the wall beautiful, while lashing out with some of his most caustic words on the campaign about Mexican rapists and criminals flooding into the country. Some of them are good people, I suppose, he added grudgingly.

Critics said the flawed idea and foolish language showed Trumps unsuitability for highest office, while the media mocked his insistence Mexico would be made to pick up the estimated 20 billion bill.

Certainly it did not take long in the bustling Texan border town of Laredo to see the problems, nor to stumble over the scale of fear and loathing inflamed by last weeks election of Americas most unlikely President.

After watching the first of the days bus-loads of illegal entrants  who had been rounded up across the United States  being expelled, I strolled 200 yards to historic San Agustin Plaza.

Beside the yellow-painted cathedral and tree-filled square, clusters of men stood around waiting to be hired for work in homes, fields and construction sites at half the daily rate of native workers.

These Mexican illegal immigrants were rounded up in Laredo, Texas, and sent back home

I asked one group their views on Trump. How did he win? asked a middle-aged man named Victor. He is so racist towards Mexicans. He thinks we are all bad people.

A Cuban waiting with them said Trump could build a wall but they would still get in. Well build a tunnel, he smiled, before adding: These Mexicans are really hard workers. Who do you think is doing all this countrys dirty work?

The US is a nation founded by migrants and forged into the worlds biggest economy by their endeavours.

Yet Trump used these people to tap into deep rage against Washington felt by many white Americans, especially in struggling rural and post-industrial rust-belt areas.

This has caused hurt for many of the countrys 56 million Hispanics. I have discovered what white America really thinks about us, said Lazaro Garza-Gongora, 80, a retired lawyer and judge who has voted Republican in the past.

Trump is a moron who knows nothing about Mexican culture, he added. He used the wall as a rallying cry but he was talking about my mother who came from Mexico, and my friends.

'These are good and honest people who came here to work and make a living.

His friend Armando Garcia, 76, a long-serving customs official, said they had not realised how white America was fighting back so successfully with Trump.

When they say they want their country back they are a bunch of deplorable bigots.

Garcia pointed out his family had been in the country since the 1840s, a time when the President-Elects ancestors were still in Germany and Scotland.

His supporters are white people with limited education who think the country belongs only to them.

A bus load of Mexican illegal immigrants that had been rounded up in Laredo, Texas

Polling data shows Trumps margin of victory among white voters without a college degree was the biggest for almost four decades.

Yet such is the sense of despair over political failure and economic frustration that three in ten Hispanic voters are believed to have backed the brash, bombastic Republican.

I asked Garza-Gongora if he knew any Trump voters. Yes, he replied softly. My son.

These proud elderly patriots  who insisted on buying me lunch  seemed distraught by an election that exposed such profound divisions in their nation.

I felt they were desperate to highlight how most Hispanics are so far removed from Trumps cruel caricature.

But I found even fiercer fury against Trump in Nuevo Laredo, the scruffy Mexican town that sits across the muddy river dividing the nations. If he comes here we will shoot him, said one man. He is a racist man and the American people must be racist to have elected him.

Some swore, sneered or smiled ruefully when I asked them about Trump.

Mexicans were angry at being called bad people, said truck driver Virgil Gonzales, nursing a beer in a bar. Anyone can be a bad person, so why say just Mexicans?

Others insisted that since Mexico could not afford decent schools and hospitals, it was not going to pay billions to build a wall it did not want. We are not that crazy, said one student.

A steady stream of Mexicans pour over the Rio Grande bridges. Many work in the thriving Texan town opposite, whose 250,000-strong population is almost entirely Hispanic, with Spanish heard frequently on streets filled with family-run taquerias.

Typical was 16-year-old Alex: born in the US, living in Mexico, attending school in Texas. She told me that her teacher had reassured pupils that Trump would not carry out many of his most contentious campaign promises.

These include expelling 11 million illegal immigrants, among them children like her, born in the US. It would be a reversal of current citizenship policy that provoked bitter debate. Will they become victims of what one analyst called a whitelash against a changing country?

On the Texan side, border guards sit in cars scanning the river, helicopters fly overhead and powerful boats sit at the waters edge.

Some stretches of border are patrolled by guards speeding up and down on quad bikes.

Various sections are staked out with corrugated iron fences, and others with razor wire, in an attempt to stop the desperate risking everything for the chance of a new life in what will soon be Trumps America.

I cant talk to you, said one guard. But theres good reason Im sitting here with three helicopters parked just up there.

They have more on their mind than migrants. Nuevo Laredo is infamous for vicious turf wars fought by drug cartels for control of the lucrative border crossing  and these gangs are behind a heroin boom lacerating the US, and fuelling despair felt in many communities.

But no one I spoke to thought a wall would make a real difference. One municipal official told me that even undocumented migrants can get papers that allow them to travel between the two nations, underlining the web of links spanning the border.

There is good reason why so many Latin American migrants risk life and limb to reach the supposed Land of the Free.

Mexicos minimum wage is 3.37 a day  barely half the hourly rate across the border, where they fill low-paid jobs unwanted by local people.

Back in Laredo, Robert Cano, a 35-year-old sales director and member of the Bandidos outlaws biker club, admitted that his wife was angry after he voted on impulse for the former reality television star.

We cant have more of the same, he said. The economy is stuck and we dont see our borders being controlled.

Yet he confessed to using migrant labour like many others in the town when needing work carried out on his house  since it was cheaper.

Trump visited Laredo last summer, six weeks after he launched his campaign by claiming Mexico was sending people that have lots of problems to the US and that he was going to build a great, great wall to stop them. The trip was hosted at short notice by mayor Pete Saenz, who told me he was invited to join Trump on his 80 million Boeing 757 plane, filled with fine art and golden accessories.

Within a minute he asked me if it was safe, the mayor told me, although the border cities are among the states safest. Then he asked if Mexico had a policy of sending its bad guys over here. I told him that was wrong.

The two men got on well, however. Trump smiled when a man made a rude gesture at him, then told Saenz people loved him when they passed a cheering crowd. I told him not to get carried away  it was just that theyd never seen a rich white Republican around here.

Trump insisted the US needed the wall. So was the mayor convinced? No, its a horrible idea. The majority of people around here dont want it, except for some landowners who support it to stop trespassing by migrants.

Others point out the impracticality of building a wall along a winding rivers creeks and gullies, plus the harmful impact on wildlife.

Some stretches of border are patrolled by guards speeding up and down on quad bikes

About 650 miles of border is covered already by fences but Trump has insisted a wall is better than fencing and much more powerful. There is scepticism over whether it will really get built. Mexico insists it will not pay, while Republican lawmakers want to meet Trumps advisers to discuss cheaper options.

Few people I came across on either side of the river expect to see it materialise.

But there is no doubt the idea struck home with ruthless force for disgruntled voters: angry at the changing face of their country, fearful over the future, dismayed by rising drug addiction, depressed by political stasis, and distressed by economic stagnation.

Trump reached these people by talking also about jobs exported abroad, threatening a trade war with China and ripping up free trade agreements  especially the 1994 treaty with Mexico and Canada that he called the worst trade deal ever made in the history of the world.

Yet in Laredo they see it differently, as 14,000 trucks a day trundle over the border loaded with car parts, electronics and fruit  more than three times as many when the deal was signed. This makes it the third biggest US customs port after New York and Los Angeles.

Last year a Congressional report summarised studies into the landmark treatys impact, concluding that it did not cause the huge job losses feared by the critics.

Now Trump seeks rebirth of US protectionism, which is alarming for Britain as it seeks post-Brexit deals.

But it is the wall of hate that may define Trumps takeover of his country.

If built, it will be standing testimony to his shock triumph, a new national symbol for the Disunited States of America.

If he fails, or fudges, it will prove he fools voters like all those mainstream politicians he swept aside with such contempt during the campaign.
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Liberal film-maker Michael Moore made it to the fourth floor of Manhattan's Trump Tower in his bid to confront President-elect Trump and call on him to step down, before he was stopped by Secret Service guards.

Moore, who had been a vocal critic of Trump during the election, joined thousands of people in protesters in New York on Saturday morning, before he managed to get inside Trump Tower.

After making his way into the Donald's Central Park skyscraper, Moore attempted to get to Trump's office.

Film-maker Michael Moore has called on Donald Trump to step down as President-elect before he even takes office, after joining in protests in New York City

The award-winning film-maker managed to scale Trump's famous escalator, however he was stopped from going any further by security guards on the fourth floor.

Moore was then escorted back down to the lobby, however before he left he wrote a note to Trump.

'Mr. Trump. Im here. I want to talk to you,' the note read.

Moore then left the building and tweeted: 'I'm in the middle of thousands -tens of thousands?- of American voters outside Trump Tower demanding he step aside. He got the least votes.

Michael Moore holds up his phone to broadcast his appearance at an anti-Donald Trump rally in New York on Saturday

Moore scaled the famous escalator inside Trump Tower in an attempt to reach the President-elect's office, but he was stopped by security

Moore's face is seen on the screen of his phone, while standing among a crowd of thousands of protesters in New York

'I was able to get into Trump Tower & deliver him a message: "You lost. Step aside." SS took the note I wrote up & went 2 give it to him.'

Moore broadcast his journey into Trump Tower on Facebook Live.

After leaving the building, he spoke with protesters outside for more than an hour.

British right-wing politician Nigel Farage arrived at Trump Tower shortly after Moore left. He was allowed up to Trump's office.

Filmmaker Michael Moore walks inside Trump Tower in New York on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016

Moore is seen leaving a note for Trump before he left the Tower. The note reads: 'Mr Trump. Im here. I want to talk to you'

After being escorted out of the building, Moore tweeted about the note he wrote Trump

Michael Moore talks to a film crew as he is blocked exits to an elevator inside Trump Tower by Secret Service officers

Demonstrators hold signs during a rally outside Trump Tower in New York on Saturday, Nov. 12

Thousands of protesters march up Fifth Avenue to Trump Tower to protest against President-elect Donald Trump, in Manhattan

About 2,000 protesters have been marching along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan shouting "not my president" and other slogans.

The protesters rallied at New York's Union Square on Saturday before picking up steam and taking their cause into the street and toward Trump Tower.

Fifth Avenue was crowded with protesters for blocks. Police lined both sides, following along on foot and on motorcycle, but the group remained peaceful.

There were protests in other parts of the country as well, with the largest taking place in Los Angeles, where several thousands marched.

New York police officers block demonstrators during rallies outside Trump Tower in Manhattan on Saturday night

Protesters are seen in the streets of New York during an anti-Trump demonstration on Saturday night

Ellen Marius, right, and Majo Orozco chant slogans as they demonstrate during a rally outside Trump Tower in New York on Saturday, Nov. 12

There were also protests against Trump in Los Angeles on Saturday, with thousands seen marching through the streets downtown

Anti-Trump demonstrators hold a U.S. flag upside-down as they march in a rally in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, to protest against President-elect Donald Trump

Protesters were denouncing his campaign pledge to deport people who entered the US illegally and his crude comments about women.

Cheers, chants and flag-waving mark Saturday's procession, which stretched for blocks through the Civic Center.

No arrests were made even though the train of demonstrators occasionally snarled traffic.

The mood seemed enthusiastic rather than angry. There are no reports of vandalism or fire-setting, which have marred previous demonstrations around the nation.

Earlier in the day, Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway was seen at Trump Tower in New York.

She spoke briefly with reporters before taking an elevator to the President-elect's office.

A protester is seen walking along the street in New York carrying a sign during an anti-Donald Trump rally on Saturday

Protesters carry American flags, one of which was modified to include the 'Peace' Symbol, during demonstrations against Donald Trump in New York

Chong Cha demonstrates with her dog, Zuzu, during a rally outside Trump Tower in New York on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016

Kellyanne Conway was seen earlier in the day arriving at Trump Tower for meetings with the President-elect

British far-right politician Nigel Farage visited Trump Tower on Sunday shortly after Moore left. Farage was allowed up to meet with Trump

Moore came under fire last month for calling Trump supporters 'legal terrorists' in an interview with Rolling Stone.

In the interview, he said Trump would 'blow up the system' and his voters would 'participate in the detonation'.

Moore also compared Trump to a pedophile, saying voters had to protect America from the GOP nominee the way children should be protected from molesters.
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They can be fearsome warriors and majestic wonders of the natural world - but animals have a funny side, too.

The winners of the 2016 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have finally been announced, and the top-ranking image of a fox face-planting in the snow is sure to make you laugh.

There were more than 2,200 entries from around the world, but now, the judges have weeded out the best to reveal the funniest moments in nature caught on camera.

Angela Bohlke, of the United States, was awarded the top prize in both the Overall and On the Land categories for the hilarious picture of a fox captured at Yellowstone National Park

COMEDY WILDLIFE AWARDS There were more than 2,200 entries from around the world for the 2016 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. It works with The Born Free Foundation in efforts to promote conservation, raising awareness on the diversity of animals around the world. The competition is set to return in 2017. Advertisement

The awards were given out at the Underdog Gallery in London on Wednesday, with trophies granted across five separate categories, Barcroft Animals reports.

Along with this, 10 photographers received a certificate for highly commended shots.

Angela Bohlke, of the United States, was awarded the top prize in both the Overall and On the Land categories for the hilarious picture of a fox captured at Yellowstone National Park.

The picture shows a red fox hunting for his morning breakfast, a small rodent, known as a vole, Bohlke said.

To me, winning is just a chance to share the beauty of our protected lands with more people.

I plan to donate any personal profit from sales of the image back to Yellowstone National Park where this image was taken.

This image of a bear failing to catch a salmon was captured by Rob Kroenert, to win one of the Highly Commended certificates. Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, Alaska, July, 2014

Adam Parsons was awarded one of the Highly Commended certificates with his image of a bear appearing to have wings growing from its head in a photo taken in September, 2015

A pelican looks distraught as it drops its catch. The image, taken by Nicholas De Vaulx in Kerkini Lake, Greece, won the Kenya Airways In the Air award

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards works with The Born Free Foundation in efforts to promote conservation, raising awareness on the diversity of animals around the world.

Other winners included an image of distraught-looking pelican dropping a fish, a group of pigeon burrowing owls, and the moment a yellow painted frogfish appears to push another out of the way with its fin.

And among the Highly Commended shots, a bear gets slapped in the face with a salmon, a comical-looking owl bounds on the ground with one wing open, a bird leaves droppings on the head of an unlucky buffalo, and a polar bear cub waves to the camera while its mother naps.

Jim Chen won the Underwater category with his image of a yellow painted frogfish, which appears to hit another in the face as it pushes forward, Taiwan, June, 2014

A bird leaves droppings on the head of an unlucky buffalo, in this image by Tom Stables, winning one of the Highly Commended certificates. Meru National Park Kenya, July 2016

Mario Gustavo Fiorucci won the portfolio category with his image of four pigeon burrowing owls. As they all stare at the camera, one comically tilts its head. Santa Rosa, Argentina

The colourful reptile looks like a warrior in this image by Anup Deodhar. This image, captued in May, 2013, recieved one of the Highly Commended certificates

One image even shows a cheetah appearing to ponder the speed limit, and a komodo dragon exiting a bathroom.

Animals can make you laugh without even knowing why, said Judge Tom Sullam.

It is the anthropomorphic behaviour. There is also such a broad range of animals, from so many countries, that it really raises the awareness of conservation on a global scale.

Entries came from Argentina to Sweden, from the USA to Hungary, Australia to Russia, China to South Africa, and everywhere in between.

Austin Thomas wins one of the Highly Commended certificates with a wild little owl landing with one wing open and one wing closed. Lancashire, England, July 2011

One image even shows a cheetah appearing to ponder the speed limit, and a komodo dragon exiting a bathroom

A polar bear appears to wave to the camera as it mother naps beside it in this image taken by Philip Marazzi in Manitoba, Canada, winning one of the Highly Commended certificates
Barbados is known for its scenes of silky white sand shores, tumbling turquoise waves and palm-lined beaches - but there's far more to the Caribbean island than initially meets the eye.

Barbados is rightly known for its scenes of silky white sand shores, but this little gem of an island offers so much more than you might think

Aside from being a tropical oasis (as if that wasnt enough), Barbados is also a cultural hotspot, a foodie haven and an explorers delight. From secluded beaches loved by the locals to fine cuisine at the islands most exclusive restaurants, to hand-crafted works of art, we reveal the 14 things about Barbados that you might not know about

IT'S A FOODIE HAVEN

Bajan cuisine is as varied as the island's culture - and not surprisingly fish features prominently on many menus

From Michelin Star quality fare to beach bar snacks, Bajan cuisine is bound to please even the most discerning foodie.

For a fancy feast, look no further than critically acclaimed spots like The Cliff, Cin Cin and Lonestar  all providing a luxury twist on classic cuisine with idyllic views overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

The Cliff restaurant is known around the world not only for its spectacular food but also for the setting

Whether a special celebration or a romantic candlelit dinner for two, enjoy your meal with the gentle sound of waves serenading you. Other more chilled out spots include Just Grilling, serving up fresh grilled fish, jerk chicken and rainbow salads, and JuJus beach bar for a refreshing Banks beer and a quick bite.

THERES A FOREST OF FLOWERS

It's hardly surprising that a country with such a beautiful climate would provide the perfect conditions for some of the worlds most beautiful and exotic flowers.

Truly admire Barabdos' splendour at the Flower Forest; over 50 acres of botanical beauty

Barbados' beautiful climate provides the perfect conditions for some of the worlds most beautiful and exotic flowers

See them in all their splendour at the Flower Forest; over 50 acres of botanical beauty and wild foliage where green thumbs will be able to identify tropical flowers like Honeycomb Ginger Lillies and Heliconia  just look out for the cheeky monkeys that swing from the trees above!

Taking advantage of the countries long standing love of flowers, in 2017, Barbados will host (22- 25 June) the World Association of Floral Artists' World Flower Show Flowers In Paridise", showing the stunning creative abilities of floral artists from around the globe.

ITS EASY TO EXPLORE

The whole island is in fact only 166 square miles, which will come as great news for any avid explorers who like to get to grips with the lay of the land.

The best way to get around is by car - why not rent a convertible and get the most of the sunny skies above and be sure to opt for a 4x4 to tackle the inner-island hilly terrain. If driving doesn't appeal, hop on one of the local buses - they only cost a couple of Barbados dollars and they will take you all the way around the island  just jump off wherever you fancy.

ITS RICH IN HISTORY

Mount Gay Rum is the oldest existing brand of rum in the world

Barbados has a rich history in the sugar trade so why not pop into the Sunbury Plantation House where the rooms are open for viewing and enjoy the mahogany antiques, old paintings and their unique collection of horse drawn carriages.

You can also indulge in a romantic dinner in the opulent surroundings or a buffet style lunch full of traditional Bajan treats.

RUM LOVE

Barbados is world famous for its delicious  and strong! - rum and no visit to the island would be complete without sipping on a few Bajan rum punches.

For real rum lovers there's a plethora of working rum distilleries open to the public including Mount Gay Rum, the oldest existing brand of rum in the world, and St Nicholas Abbey, one of the last remaining sugar plantations and fully operating distilleries.

THE STUNNING EAST COAST

East coast beaches like Foul Bay (pictured) offer beautiful expanses of white sandy shores

While the West Coast of the island is loved by locals and tourists in equal measure for its calm waters and serene beaches, the East Coast is comparatively untouched. Looking out over the Atlantic Ocean, the waves on this side of the island are much choppier and while it's not as good for swimming, it is a prime surfing spot, while the dramatic cliffs and secluded beaches make for a breathtaking backdrop. Head to Cranes Beach for world class surfing or Foul Bay for beautiful expanses of white sandy shores.

THE BEACHES ARE FOR ALL TO ENJOY

All the beaches in Barbados are public, and anyone can walk on them and enjoy their beauty

Forget cordoned off VIP areas, the beaches of Barbados are for all to enjoy, giving you plenty of choice when picking your perfect sunbathing spot. In fact, when the tide is right, its possible to walk all the way down the glamorous West Coast  perfect for a romantic stroll at sunset or a morning jog along the beach. One love.

ITS A SHOPAHOLICS DREAM

If you're after something glamourous and glitzy to wear, look no further than Limegrove shopping centre in Holetown. Neighbouring town to the swanky Sandy Lane Hotel, Holetown is the go-to for designer shopping offering high end favourites like Cartier and Ralph Lauren.

Oh and if you run out of your beauty staples while on holiday, there's also a MAC Cosmetics store and a luxurious health and beauty spa. Nearby and not-to-miss is the Chattel village; a picture perfect row of delightful independent shops, bursting with hand crafted delights and exquisite souvenirs.

YOU CAN SWIM WITH TURTLES

There are an array of catamaran cruises that will take you out to swim with the turtles

One of Barbados' oldest residents are the friendly sea turtles who swim in the calm waters and coral reefs close to the west coast shore. Luckily it's never been easier to experience their underwater world with an array of catamaran cruises that will take you right into the hub of the turtle activity.

If you're very lucky, you might even catch a rare sighting of baby turtles hatching on the beach and shuffling down the sand into the deep blue of the Caribbean Sea.

THEY HAVE THE BEST SUMMER FESTIVAL

A stunning celebration of culture and national pride, the festival of Crop-Over takes place over the summer and is the longest summer festival in the Caribbean, running for almost 9 weeks.

Crop-Over takes place over the summer and nationwide celebrations span weeks

Singer and Barbados national Rihanna often heads home to celebrate Crop-Over

It all kicks off with a night-time street party known as Foreday Morning and a parade of revelers dance to Soca and Calypso jams until the wee hours of morning. Next up is a big cultural street fair in the capital city of Bridgetown and then Grand Kadooment, a spectacular daytime parade full of elaborate costumes, masquerade bands, delicious traditional cuisine and plenty of merriment.

YOU CAN ENJOY A GAME OF POLO

Polo matches still draw large crowds from all over the island and further afield

Local residents are big horse polo fans and experiencing a lively Caribbean polo match is an absolute must. The sport was inherited from the British Cavalry over one hundred years ago but the matches still draw large crowds from all over the island and further afield.

THERE'S ART IN ABUNDANCE

Earthworks Pottery (left) allows you to tour and see potters at work producing the distinctive, bright bowls, cups , jugs and

Barbados is an island brimming with artistic talent from skilled potters to fashion designers to abstract artists and classical painters.

Head to island favourite Earthworks Pottery for an insight into a working art studio and see potters skillfully moulding mounds of clay or hand painting the finished pieces with colourful patterns. Jill Walker, resident artist, paints beautiful scenes of her surrounding, from the vibrant market stalls, to the beaches at sunset, to the colourful houses and inner island greenery  the perfect way to take a little piece of island life home.

Discover more about Barbados at visitbarbados.org
We are standing on the battlements of Pena Palace, a magnificent 19th-century folly on a peak in Portugals hilltop town Sintra, which commands dizzying views of the Atlantic and the westernmost point of Europe.

Once upon a time this really was the edge of the world, before the discovery of India and the Americas. Now the area is renowned for its extravagant architecture, where tastes have been pushed to their very limit.

Pena Palace, with its golden Islamic domes, crenellated pink towers, Moorish gateways and Gothic arches, is a vulgar mash-up of styles designed by Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, nephew of mad Ludwig.

Family playground: The Martinhal Hotel in Cascais, Portugal, has 72 rooms and 12 villas

The effect is part Dali, part Donald Trump. My son, Rafael, three, and daughter, Saskia, five, adore it and imagine Rapunzel might materialise at any moment.

When it comes to Shakespeare family holidays, my wife and I consciously uncouple. Shes a culture vulture who loves city breaks. I prefer slumming it by the sea. Never the twain shall meet.

Or so I thought until I visited the Martinhal Hotel in Cascais. Here you really can have the best of both worlds. From my experience in Portugal  and I come here a lot  there are family hotels, and then there are Martinhal family hotels. This latest one is a joy.

It is intimate in scale (72 rooms and 12 villas) and stylish in its Scandi execution. The philosophy is refreshingly simple: child-friendly eating hours, soft furnishings, no sharp corners.

They know how to pamper parents, too. At the Terraco restaurant, there is a discreet creche hidden behind shrubbery. This means we linger over three-course a la carte dinners while the children peel off whenever they get bored. Genius.

Martinhals success is down to children being heard without being seen. They can also be seen without being heard if you leave them in the glass-panelled kids club (great staff, 20 for three hours).

Fun zone: The hotel offers numerous facilities and play options for young children

On the top-floor bar overlooking the playground, we guiltlessly drink a cocktail or three as our children race on the double zip wire.

With three outdoor swimming pools, one indoor pool and a spa, it is hard to tear yourself away from this modern-day Eden.

The nearby fishing village of Cascais was once the summer residence of the Portuguese royal family, and its quaint streets retain a languid charm.

Martinhals success is down to children being heard without being seen

There are ubiquitous reminders of its former royal status. The Sea Museum is on the site of Prince Carloss sporting club, and even in the Martinhals grounds there is one of Carloss old hunting lodges.

The town of Estoril is less picturesque, but is home to the casino that inspired Ian Fleming to pen his first Bond novel.

Mercifully, there is no need to hire a car as taxis are relatively cheap. Ten minutes away is the wild and windswept Guincho beach. The children are mesmerised by the giant Atlantic rollers and parasurfers gliding on the waves.

My wife and I, too, actually.
He was shot down over Iraq and tortured in 1991 during the Gulf War

The National Memorial Arboretum is a stunningly beautiful and poignant tribute to those who have served their country.

It is home to more than 300 memorials set amid 50,000 mature trees, and today, Remembrance Sunday, it will host an outdoor service.

I visited on a sunny day and, although there were plenty of visitors, the site is so large there was no sense of crowds.

The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, pictured, is a poignant tribute to those who have served their country, and today, Remembrance Sunday, it will host an outdoor service

Adults wandered along the paths, most in quiet contemplation, while children ran around. But there was no sense of disrespect and I suspect all those commemorated here would have been more than happy to see such scenes.

The site in Staffordshire, which opened in 2001, exudes calm. It features 150 acres of multi-coloured flowers, grassy and paved pathways, and endless areas to sit and rest.

Situated at the western edge of the National Forest, south of Burton upon Trent, it would take days to visit each memorial, so I targeted a few where I would find names of friends or former colleagues who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

One of my first tours in the RAF was to the Falklands, so I stopped at the South Atlantic Medal Association Memorial, completed in 2012 to mark the 30th anniversary of the conflict. The yellow stone structure is similar to the memorial at Blue Beach Cemetery in San Carlos, where a number of the dead are buried.

The site, which opened in 2001, is home to more than 300 memorials

The Basra War Memorial, relocated from the British base in Iraq, commemorates the 178 military and one Ministry of Defence civilian who lost their lives during the recent conflict. There is also a memorial to my friends and colleagues who were killed in the first Gulf War in 1991, during the liberation of Kuwait.

The centrepiece of the Arboretum, and the place I spent the most time, is the stunning and imposing Armed Forces Memorial, designed by architect Liam OConnor. Made of glowing Portland stone, it bears the names of more than 16,000 Servicemen and women killed on duty or by terrorism since the end of the Second World War.

Raised above all the others, the structure offers views across the site to other memorials dedicated to police, fire service and civilian organisations.

Every spring, the names of those members of the military who have died during the previous year are hand-carved on the Armed Forces Memorial. The names are carved in date order so it is simple to locate a friend or relative and those they made the ultimate sacrifice alongside.

I have lost many friends in war and peace so it was comforting to trace the various names and see their sacrifice commemorated

Having served for 16 years in the RAF, I have lost many friends in war and peace so it was moving but also comforting to trace the various names and see their sacrifice commemorated.

I could see by the faces of the visitors around me  young and old, some smiling, some grief-stricken  that they appreciated the quiet dignity offered by the Arboretum.

Its a place they could remember, and chat quietly, to a lost loved one.
A wardrobe with a 'Press for Champagne' button does deserve its own web series.

Heather Dubrow, fully aware, has decided to invite viewers into her walk-in wardrobe, which is massive enough to contain a chandelier and a sliding ladder.

The first episode of Heather's Closet arrived on YouTube Wednesday, and therein, the Real Housewife Of Orange County introduced her 'girl cave.'

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New project: Heather Dubrow has debuted a new YouTube series called Heather's Closet in which she tours viewers through the walk-in wardrobe she's designed for her new mansion

She'd settled down in a black leather armchair with a glass of bubbly, right near a purse collection strewn with Chanel.

Facing the camera, she dished: 'No one's been in my closet before, not even my besties. You are the first person to come into my closet!'

As the camera glided over an impressive tally of shoes and drawers full of dazzling jewellery, the 47-year-old told viewers a bit about what the series would cover.

The simple bare necessities: One of its accoutrements is a 'champagne doorbell' that 'rings in the kitchen' to summon up a bit of bubbly

Expansive: The wardrobe is massive enough to warrant a sliding ladder

'I am going to show you some special pieces of mine. I am gonna open my vintage box and talk about different pieces, and where I've worn them, and why, and how they made me feel.'

Getting more and more excited, she effused: 'I am gonna show you my wedding dress' - which hangs between a couple of other gowns - 'I'm gonna show you mistakes I've made, and you know, we're gonna just talk and hang out.'

Moreover, 'I like to purge my closet, and that's where you come in.' Apparently, subscribers to the YouTube channel will 'be eligible to enter contests to win something fabulous from my closet. Do you love that?'

'The closet's always been a special place for me': She revealed that 'I have padlocked deadbolts on the door' to which 'No one knows the combination'

'I'm going to show you some special pieces of mine': The 47-year-old teased fans that she'd 'open up my vintage box' to viewers

Next week's giveaway dress was shown blurred out, but as Dubrow hinted: 'I've worn it recently and it's bright pink. Hmm, what could that be?'

It most likely appeared to be the dress she wore to the Real Housewives Of Orange County's most recent reunion.

She went on to tease some of the secrets this web show would ultimately unveil. 'There's actually hidden rooms in this closet. There's hidden doors, hidden drawers.'

Giveaway: Subscribers to her YouTube channel have the opportunity to win items she wants to 'purge' from her closet

She's also 'gonna show you week by week' the manner in which she'd designed the wardrobe. Blueprints of various bits of the room appeared onscreen.

Mrs Terry Dubrow then began to reminisce about her childhood in Chappaqua, New York, the hamlet that's recently become known as the Clintons' upstate home.

During a section entitled 'My Special Place,' she recalled rather unsurprisingly that 'When I was a little girl, I - my closet did not look like this.'

Anon: Next week's offering, which was only hinted at on Heather's Closet, appears to be the pink dress she wore to the Real Housewives Of Orange County's most recent reunion

She slept every night in 'a small room, a twin bed, a desk and I had a little closet with that sliding door, you know?'

As she remembered it, 'if I was upset, I would go into the closet. Is that weird? Do any of you go in the closet? I don't know. That's what I did when I was a kid.'

To her, it was 'a cosy, safe place, and I could go in my closet and shut my little slidey-door and cry or just be alone or whatever I wanted to do, and it made me feel safe.'

Secrets: Mrs Terry Dubrow dished that 'There's actually hidden rooms in this closet. There's hidden doors, hidden drawers'

Gesturing about, she went on: 'Now, I've upgraded significantly, obviously, but I still feel the same way. This is the one room in the house that's mine.'

The Bronx native revealed: 'I have padlocked deadbolts on the door. No one's in - no one has the combination. No one's allowed to come in but the people that I bring in.'

During the next segment, which she'd called 'My Girl Cave,' she revealed that in their last house, she and her husband had shared a wardrobe she'd designed.

'My Girl Cave': The Bronx native insisted that since her husband had a 'man cave' comprised of several rooms of the house catered to his desires, she wanted her own wardrobe

Per her explanation, 'Terry and I like to hang out in the bathroom and we like to hang out in the closet.'

And yet, 'when we went to build this house, I realised: "Oh, gosh. Terry's got his man cave. He's got his media room, and his private bathroom, and his movie theatre, and his thi- I was all like: "Where's my space? What do I have? Where am I going?"'

She put her foot down and 'said: "You know what? We are not sharing a closet! I'm having my own closet, my own space. This is my version of a man cave. It's my girl cave. It's Heather's Closet,' she added in a promotional flourish.

Dubrow slid into a deft tie-in to her reality series, showing off a present she'd gotten from a Real Housewifes Of Orange County confrere.

Check the cushion: Chanel branding made frequent appearances through the wardrobe

Let there be light: So immense is this walk-in wardrobe that it's got a chandelier

Holding it up, she described it: 'This beautiful red Baccarat butterfly was given to me for my birthday by Shannon Beador.'

Noting that 'Shannon and I have been friends for three years now,' she dished: 'We'll have her here. She'll come into the closet. We'll hang out with her, because she's got a really interesting story about her family and fashion.'

She closed out the episode by giving a preview of what future installments would look like. 'We're gonna talk fashion. We're gonna have fun. I'm gonna teach you how I pack! I'm gonna give you tips on how to take something that's not expensive and make it look really expensive, and how to protect your good things.'

A brief tag saw her effervescing about her 'champagne doorbell,' which 'rings in the kitchen' and is a 'really, really handy thing to have in your closet.'

'This beautiful red Baccarat butterfly': For the first episode, the centrepiece item she'd decided to show off was a birthday present from her fellow Real Housewife Of Orange County Shannon Beador
He plays member of the Ministry of Magic, Newt Scamander, in his upcoming flick.

And Eddie Redmayne was working his magic on Friday as he chatted with AOL about his new role in Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them.

The 34-year-old Oscar winner looked dashing as ever in a low-key combo of cargo pants and a sweater, as he joined his co-stars in NYC.

Handsome: Eddie Redmayne was working his magic on Friday as he chatted with AOL in NYC about his new role in Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

The good-natured Brit looked relaxed as he discussed working on J.K Rowling's latest movie - which is a prequel to Harry Potter.

The Theory Of Everything star revealed one of the rehearsal tactics he employed to make sure he was delivering a convincing performance for the Harry Potter enthusiasts, earlier this week.

Speaking to TimeOut on Wednesday, the star revealed that he spent a lot of time talking to himself whilst travelling on the London underground, pretending to speak to the magical characters that appear in the film.

Charming: The 34-year-old Oscar winner looked dashing as ever in a low-key combo of cargo pants and a sweater, as he joined his co-stars in NYC

The actor elaborated on the fact that the creatures in the story were added during post-production.

'Sometimes wed have almost War Horse-style puppets for the rehearsal. But it varied, and sometimes it just involved having little Pickett the Bowtruckle, who is a stick insect, and he would be on my hand.

'Id be on the tube in London, imagining talking to this thing, and suddenly realise Im being stared at.

Good-natured: The Brit looked relaxed as he discussed working on J.K Rowling's latest movie - which is a prequel to Harry Potter with co-star Katherine Waterston

On-screen pair: The new dad was reunited with Katherine , 36, who plays Porpentina Goldstein in the film

Stunning: The daughter of Oscar nominee Sam Waterston and former model Lynn Louisa Woodruff looked chic in a couture white number

On taking on the role in the mega-franchise, the star of The Theory Of Everything earlier revealed that being offered the role without having to audition excelled the pressure he felt playing the part.

'With the thrill comes the paranoia that youre going to get fired after day one,' he explained. 'I was convinced I would lose the job. This is how neurotic actors work! But certainly fear is always there. Its what makes you work harder.'

The new dad was reunited with co-star Katherine Waterston, 36, who plays Porpentina Goldstein in the film.

Chat: They were joined by other members of the cast including Ezra Miller, Alison Sudol and Dan Fogler

Making magic! Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterson and Ezra Miller attend The Build Series Presents Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them at AOL HQ in NYC on Friday

The daughter of Oscar nominee Sam Waterston and former model Lynn Louisa Woodruff looked chic in a couture white number.

Eddie welcomed daughter Iris Mary four months with PR executive wife Hannah Bagshawe, 33.

He recently revealed the little one had inexplicably learned how to shout rather than cry.

New parents: Eddie welcomed daughter Iris Mary four months with PR executive wife Hannah Bagshawe, 33 (pictured yesterday)

A wiz! He plays member of the Ministry of Magic, Newt Scamander, in his upcoming flick

Spooky! Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them hits screens on November 17

The Fantastic Beasts actor told People: 'It's hilarious, she'll just be sitting there going, "Behhhhh!" Like, what is that noise from this tiny little thing?'

Discussing his favourite part about being a dad, he added: 'It's in the morning if Iris has managed to sleep through the night and then you hear a gentle squeak and you go in [her room] and turn on the light.

'She has a massive grin that's like, "It's a whole new day". That's probably the greatest thing.'
Imogen Anthony is not ashamed of showing some skin by posing for raunchy photos.

So it's no surprise that the busty American threw her support behind Melania Trump after nude photos of her country's new First Lady resurfaced online.

The 25-year-old posted the cover of GQ magazine from January 2000, carrying a naked pic of the new President's wife, on her Instagram on Saturday alongside some words of support for Melania.

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Howdy partner: Imogen Anthony supported Hillary Clinton throughout the election but wasn't able to vote after she became an Australian citizen

Cover star: Melania Trump has received Imogen's backing after photos from her shoot with GQ magazine in 2000 resurfaced online

Imogen started her caption by saying: 'I mean you can't be mad at her...'

She continued: 'Do you honestly think that when she was posing naked for GQ that she was thinking 'hmm better not, might be the First Lady one day' - I don't think so!'

And while she admitted that she was in favour of Hillary Clinton entering the White House, Imogen revealed she's a fan of Melania - if not her husband.

The blonde added: 'I was all for HC but I can be totally down for MT'.

Other half: Imogen is engaged to KIIS FM radio host Kyle Sandilands

Exhibitionist: The 25-year-old isn't afraid to show off her slender physique, regularly posting racy snaps to Instagram

The photos in question were taken five years before Melania married the businessman when she was regularly on the covers of Vogue, Vanity Fair and Harper's Bazaar.

Posing for the magazine as Melania Knauss, the 46-year-old was featured in the issue alongside British supermodel Kate Moss and Amber Valletta.

The glamorous brunette has been ever-present beside her 70-year-old husband throughout the campaign trail, and she was there to give him a proud peck on the cheek when he accepted the presidency.

Imogen, who is the fiancee of KIIS FM's Kyle Sandilands, wasn't allowed to vote in the election after she became an Australian citizen.

Glamorous: Melania had a successful modelling career before she married the American buisnessman in 2005, posing on the cover of Vogue, Vanity Fair and Harper's Bazaar

Biggest supporter: Melania has been by her husband's side throughout the Republican candidate's campaign trail

However, it didn't stop her from expressing her opinions on social media as to who Americans should vote for.

Before Wednesday's election, she posted a naked image of a female who wore only a Hilary mask covering her face and a Donald mask covering her modesty.

Two images of the American flag covered her nipples - with the woman in the photo yet to be identified.

'Please Vote Wisely America,' Imogen pleaded in the post while adding hashtags for; #electionday #cantvote #but #imwithher #hillaryclintonapprovesofthismessage #donaldtrump.
She's set to be the funny, opinionated mother on Real Housewives Of Sydney.

And, Lisa Oldfield appears to have already formed a strong bond with fellow housewives for support and guidance when she's in need of help.

Last week when the 41-year-old lost her $70,000 diamond bracelet, she reached out to co-star Athena X Levendi for her spiritual talents in locating it.

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'I found it!' Real Housewives of Sydney's Lisa Oldfield celebrates finding her missing $70,000 diamond bracelet she bought as a reward for being announced on the show, as she tells Daily Telegraph she found it after her co-star used her astral travel and spiritual talents to locate it

Lisa had apparently bought the white and black diamond bracelet to celebrate being announced in the Foxtel reality series in 2017.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph the reality star said when she struggled to find the pricey cuff, she turned to Athena's talents for astral travel and spirituality.

'I called Athena and she said she'd go meditate on it and she came back to me and told me to go look where I'd already looked before... in a white plastic box,' The Sydney socialite said.

'Id looked everywhere!' The reality star says she looked everywhere for the $70,000 white and black diamond cuff, and only found it after she returned to look in her laundry basket for a fourth time after Athena X Levendi said she'd visualised it in a white plastic box

Lisa claimed to the publication she had upturned the house and looked all around before seeking outside advice.

'I'd looked everywhere. I'd called restaurants, the production unit, I'd even looked in the chook pen,' she said.

The mother-of-two realised she was referring to her laundry basket she'd checked three times already, and to her surprise there it was.

To the rescue: Athena(pictured) told Lisa 'I saw it in my meditation!' after her co-star asked her to use her spiritual talents to help locate the lost bracelet

'I looked again and down the bottom, wrapped up in stockings, I found it!' she said.

She then posted a snap to celebrate its safe return: ' Thank you @athenaxlevendi and David Oldfield. Thank you #universe ! #black #white #diamonds #rhosydney.'

Athena soon commented on the thread, to say: 'I saw it in my meditation!'

Real Housewives Of Sydney will premiere in 2017 on Foxtel's Arena.
She's the swimsuit model, renowned for her killer curves.

And Elyse Knowles reminded fans of her appeal, taking to Instagram on Saturday, flaunting her taut torso and toned legs.

The 24-year-old, currently Los Angeles bound after a short trip to Dallas, left very little to the imagination in a skimpy white bikini.

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Sizzling hot! Swimsuit model Elyse Knowles, 24, took to Instagram on Saturday, flaunting her taut torso and trim pins in a skimpy white bikini, as she bid farewell to Dallas

'Catch ya Y'ALL, toodles Little Rock/Dallas - back to LA I come,' Elyse captioned the snap.

The image saw the Australian modelling export, perched on a deck chair, offering a glimpse of her cleavage in a white triangle top, teamed with a pair of high-cut briefs that highlighted her endlessly bronzed legs.

Allowing her blonde locks to fall predominately over one side of her face, Elyse flashed the peace sign with one hand, while pouting to capture a playful expression.

Enhancing her striking facial features, the starlet opted for a minimal makeup palette of a bronzed complexion and defined brows.

Heating things up! Just four days prior, the blonde beauty showed off her killer curves in a sexy black ensemble for a shoot in desert California by photographer David Higgs

The post comes shortly after Elyse shared the results of a stunning photoshoot by David Higgs to Instagram.

Channelling her inner '90s bombshell in a very high-cut bodysuit, the brand ambassador turned up the heat for the shoot, which took place in Joshua Tree, California.

Elyse's sculpted pins were on display while the top's zipper was pulled down to reveal her ample cleavage.

Putting in the leg work! Elyse showed off her sculpted pins and ample cleavage in the black bodysuit

Sporting a deep bronzed complexion, the Melbourne-based stunner oozed sex appeal as she posed in the arid landscape.

Elyse's look was completed with a pair of knee-high boots, which featured thin laces all the way up to reveal her slender legs.

The personality's golden locks were worn out in loose waves, while her smooth complexion was highlighted by simple bronze makeup.

She also shared the snaps on her social media, alerting fans to her early morning wake-up call.

'4.30am wake-up call was so worth it,' Elyse told her 578,000 fans.

Road trip: The Melbourne-based beauty has been road tripping through California with her photographer David Higgs since arriving in the US last Sunday

Flawless: The home-grown beauty is known for her enviable bikini body, which she often flaunts on social media

The Instagram sensation has been travelling through California with her photographer as they work on projects for various brands.

The pair have road tripped throughout the state, stopping at hot spots including Palm Springs and Joshua Tree along the way.

It comes after the home-grown beauty stunned at various parties during the Melbourne Cup racing carnival.

Social butterfly: Just recently Elyse was seen turning heads at various parties during the Melbourne Cup racing carnival
Scott Eastwood is a BIG fan of Sydney.

Son of famous Hollywood star Clint, the 30-year-old says he has found 'some of the nicest humans on the planet' in the city as he films Pacific Rim 2.

Taking to his Instagram account on Thursday, he spoke in glowing terms about his Australian experience as he sat down to dinner with some of the movie's cast and crew.

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Enjoying his stay: Scott Eastwood says he has met 'some of the nicest humans on the planet' since arriving in Australia to film Pacific Rim 2

The caption read: 'Great dinner tonight with some great people in Sydney. The hospitality here is off the charts!!!'

He added: 'Some of the nicest humans on the planet here.'

The Suicide Squad star has embraced his time Down Under, tweeting 'this place is the best' as he grabbed a meat pie from a food outlet outside Capitol Theatre in October.

Dinner time: Scott, pictured in the blue checkered shirt, posted a snap of him out to dinner with members of the cast and crew in Sydney

Another member of the cast who has also been documenting his exploits since arriving in the country is Star Wars actor John Boyega.

The Brit used his own Instagram profile to upload a pic of him taking in his surroundings as he travelled back from filming on Friday.

He said: 'En route home from what was an amazing day! Filming was great! Cancelling the apocalypse in Sydney. #PacificRim'

John will play the son of Idris Elba's character, who sacrificed himself at the end of the first Pacific Rim movie.

Top tourist: John Boyega has been taking in the sights of Sydney since he arrived in the country to start filming

'Cancelling the apocalypse': The Star Wars actor joked that the apocalypse in his new film had been cancelled as he enjoys Sydney so much

Meanwhile Spartacus star Nick Tarabay has also been in town after it was announced on Saturday that he had joined the cast.

Two days earlier, the 41-year-old had hinted at the news by tweeting a photo of him alongside the caption 'Good Morning Australia' as he stood on his hotel balcony.

Nick's new co-star Scott arrived in Australia late last month for filming.

New man: Nick Tarabay arrived in Asutralia this week after it was announced that he'd been added to the cast

The film itself, which is scheduled for release in 2018, charts humanity's battle against Japanese monster Kaiju, who has invaded earth.

Filming has begun at the Fox Studios in Sydney, with some location shooting in Queensland also scheduled.

Upon his arrival in Sydney, the hunky Hollywood star took to Instagram to gush about reconnecting with long lost pals Down Under.

Posing for a selfie with a pretty brunette, Scott wrote: 'Down here in Austrailia working on #pacificrim and look who I ran into. Dalia and I used to Bartend together back in my early 20's [sic].'

Down Under: Scott arrived in Australia late last month to film his newest project, Pacific Rim: Maelstrom

He continued: 'I travel with this shirt everywhere I go to always remind myself where I came from. Every time I put it on I'm reminded of the grind, working till 3 am in the morning, exhausted and still running lines in my head for the next day.'

'Then driving 100 miles up to LA that morning to audition. Never forget where you came from. Never lose sight of where you are going. I'm so lucky to get to do what I love. Make movies, for you all.'

He went on: 'Thanks to all of my fans, without you it wouldn't be possible. Follow your dreams people!!! Also thanks to my old boss Matt Spencer for hiring me when I was a 21 year old punk. Sending out love to all my old #firehouse crew. #thegrind #hustle #stayhumble.'
As Donald Trump edged closer to the US Presidency, former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins has found herself under pressure to speak out about the man.

Though he has faced accusations of cruel, sexist and racist behaviour from other beauty pageant contestants, Jen has refused to speak ill of the now President-elect - and continued to keep her mouth shut on Thursday night.

The model and entrepreneur attended a party for luxury watchmaker Hublot and continued to shut down any questions about the incoming President, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Not shocked: Former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins has avoided speaking about President-elect Donald Trump following his election except to tell Daily Mail Australia she 'wasn't surprised'

She has not commented since his election, other than to tell Daily Mail Australia she 'wasn't surprised at all' that he had won.

It is rumoured Jennifer went as far as to cancel interviews for Australia's Next Top Model in the lead up to the November 9 election in an attempt to avoid the topic.

Despite complaints from others, the 32-year-told Daily Mail Australia the former reality TV star had 'always treated her with respect'.

Respect: While the model and entrepreneur has not gone out of her way to defend the 70-year-old, she has said he was respectful of her

Her claims are not reflected in the complaints of other contestants however.

Since the 70-year-old received the candidacy for the Republican party, a number of women who were associated with beauty pageants run by Donald Trump have spoken out against him.

Miss Universe 1996, Alicia Machado, spoke out through Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who spoke about her in the first Presidential Debate.

Not so happy: Miss Universe 1996, Alicia Machado, says Mr Trump called her 'Miss Piggy' after she gained weight following her crowning

Fighting back: According to a speech delivered by Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton in the first Presidential Debate, Trump also referred to Alicia as 'Miss Housekeeping' in reference to her Venezuelan nationality

It was revealed the pageant owner referred to Alicia as 'Miss Piggy' after she gained weight, and called her 'Miss Housekeeping' because of her Venezuelan nationality.

After the allegations emerged, the future Commander in Chief took to Twitter and began a late night rant where he referred to the woman's alleged sex tape.

Cassandra Searles, who was Miss Washington in 2013, took to Facebook to allege Mr Trump treated her and the other contestants 'like cattle' and lined the women up 'so he could get a closer look at his property'.

Humiliated: After her weight gain, Alicia claims the future Commander in Chief forced her to workout in front of media

In the comments section, it is reported she implied the now President-elect grabbed her on the bottom before inviting her to come back to his hotel room, reported Yahoo!.

According to New York Magazine, a large number of women have made similar complaints of being groped by the man and spoken to in a crude manner.

In 2005, he was recorded speaking to Access Hollywood host, Billy Bush, about how he would 'just start kissing' beautiful women, because he was a star.

'You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything,' he said.

Mr Trump later played down his comments and referred to them as 'locker room talk'.
She's no doubt exhausted after welcoming her baby girl via Cesarean section.

But Rob Kardashian STILL gave fiancee Blac Chyna some abuse for sleeping on Friday.

The new dad shared a sweet video of his babymomma and their brand new daughter snoozing in their posh suite at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

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'Watching my girls sleep': Rob Kardashian shared a sweet snap of Blac Chyna and new daughter Dream on Friday... but could't help jibing at his snoring fiancee

And the 29-year-old didn't miss the opportunity to poke a bit of lighthearted fun at his wife-to-be.

'Just watching my girls sleep but man Chyna needs to chill with that snoring,' he captioned the Instagram vid.

Zooming in and out to the rhythm of Chyna's sleep snorts, the reality star is unlikely to appreciate playing the lead in this particular mini-film when she woke.

Dream is Rob's first child and Chyna's second; she is already mother to four-year-old King Cairo, whom she shares with Tyga, who is currently dating Rob's younger half sister Kylie Jenner.

Never poke a sleeping bear: The the 29-year-old didn't miss the opportunity to poke a bit of lighthearted fun at his fiancee

The baby was born at Cedars-Sinai hospital on Thursday where Chyna was scheduled for a C-section.

Dream Renee Kardashian and weighed 7 pounds and 5 ounces when she arrived at 9.18am PT, according to E! News.

'I got to watch [the] delivery,' new grandmother Kris Jenner told the site.

Already a star: 'Just watching my girls sleep but man Chyna needs to chill with that snoring,' he captioned the Instagram vid

Joker: Rob also had a laugh doing a delivery themed mannequin challenge

Uncanny: One of Rob's first reactions on social media was to point out how feakishly similar the baby was to her late grandfather, Robert Kardashian  posting a side-by-side to prove it

'It was so beautiful and I'm so excited and happy to have another grandchild! No. 6!'

One of Rob's first reactions on social media was to point out how feakishly similar the baby was to her late grandfather, Robert Kardashian  posting a side-by-side to prove it.

'She's an exact copy. Pops sent us an angel,' he wrote.

Later on Friday, Rob shared a pic on Instagram of the pressie haul sent by sister Kim and brother-in-law Kanye.

'Thank you KimYe - baby yeezys mooooovvvvvieeeee' he captioned the nap of the tiny footwear.
She's not shy when it comes to flashing some skin on social media.

So it's no surprise that Ariel Winter set Snapchat sizzling again on Friday with several revealing snaps as she jetted to Mexico with pals.

The 18-year-old Modern Family posed next to a pool in a skimpy bikini.

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Relaxing? Ariel Winter shared a sexy bikini snap from a trip to Mexico on Friday

While the picture was a bit low fidelity thanks to it actually being a reflection off a sliding glass door, that did little to hide the actress's famous curves.

The blue triangle top showed off the starlet's decolletage, while the bottoms boasted side ties and helped emphasize her sculpted legs.

Later, she took another, clearer selfie with a friend while utilizing a mirror.

Ariel once again exposed quite a bit of flesh for the photo op, opting for a white lace crop top that again framed her generous cleavage.

Ample assets: Ariel once again exposed quite a bit of flesh for the photo op, opting for a white lace crop top that again framed her generous cleavage

It's legal! The Modern Family star revealed she was indulging in some beer

Margarita time! Lucky for Ariel the drinking age is 18 in Mexico

Not bad! The actress gave fans a glimpse of her scenic surrounds

A pair of tiny shorts rounded out the summer-style ensemble.

She accessorized with a medium sized purse with handles and a large red pom pom.

Her brunette locks were parted on the right and allowed to fall to her shoulders.

Competition? While she was obviously showing off her own style choices with her posts on Friday, Ariel recently made headlines when she sported several looks popularized by contemporary Kylie Jenner

A slick of crimson lipstick and some dark eye shadow also made an appearance.

While she was obviously showing off her own style choices with her posts on Friday, Ariel recently made headlines when she sported several looks popularized by contemporary Kylie Jenner.

On November 4th, the actress sported a cleavage bearing white top laced up with strings, which looked identical to the one that Kylie recently wore.
She regularly flaunts her designer wardrobe in elevator mirror selfies.

And, Roxy Jacenko appeared to draw attention to a recent purchase from a luxury shopping spree at Louis Vuitton on Saturday.

The 35-year-old took to Instagram to post her signature lift snap, making sure her printed skirt from the luxury retailer was on full display.

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So THAT'S what she bought! PR queen Roxy Jacenko flaunts one of many Louis Vuitton purchases from her recent luxury shopping spree in signature elevator selfie on Saturday

Tilting her camera down to capture the skirt's Eastern-style patterning, all but her plump nude lips from her face were cropped from the photo.

She simply captioned the post with a tag to the Louis Vuitton account and a heart-eyes emoji.

Adding to the casually luxe look, she wore a plain white T-shirt and toted a black Balenciaga handbag.

Worked hard for it: The PR queen's business is reportedly worth $13million after starting it 11 years ago so no doubt she's earned the opportunity to splash out

While her husband's assets might have been seized, Roxy has proven successful enough to fund her lavish lifestyle.

It was only on Wednesday the PR queen - whose business is reportedly worth $13 million - publicised her retail therapy outing.

Joining her for the visit to Sydney's Louis Vuitton store was her mother Doreen, who appeared to help Roxy carry her purchases in her Instagram picture.

Besties: Roxy Jacenko takes her mother on a shopping spree at Louis Vuitton

'With my bestie @doreenjacenko,' Roxy, 35, captioned the selfie with her mum who was carrying a few bags from the designer retailer.

The mother of two - daughter Pixie and son Hunter - wore a crisp white T-shirt tucked into a red and white midi skirt by Gucci as she browsed the luxury items.

She loved a box clutch so much that she had to post a photo of it, no doubt purchasing it after.

Chic: Roxy posted one of her purchases to Instagram, something her followers are used to her doing

Roxy is known for flaunting her wealth on social media, having posted pictures of the keys to her Bentley, a Fendi purse and Azzedine Alaia shoes.

But she's earned every penny to buy them thanks to her business savvy over the last 11 years since she set up her company Sweaty Betty PR.

'I always had a burning desire to have a job I think because I was a really shit student when I was at school,' she's said of her work ethic.

Family time: Roxy with her son Hunter at the luxurious One and Only resort on the Hayman island

'It was always instilled in me from my parents that you work hard. I had a private school education and I had a family who could have bought me the things I wanted to and they chose not to.

She added: 'In hindsight now, at [age] 35, I think ''too bloody right, I'm glad you instilled that in me''.'

Roxy is currently parenting her two children alone while her husband Oliver Curtis is in jail for two years for insider trading
He's making his mark on the wizarding world as Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them.

But even though he's won an Oscar and appeared in a number of critically-acclaimed movies, sometimes he needs reassurance from his castmates.

And Eddie recently revealed that it was Colin Farrell who helped him get through a rather 'intense' experience at San Diego Comic-Con.

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Support: Eddie Redmayne reveals Colin Farrell once gave him a back massage at San Diego Comic-Con

'That was intense,' the British actor told The Daily Telegraph, 'The whole situation is created like you are meant to go on like a rock star.

'I remember feeling really nervous beforehand, waiting in the wings, and Colin Farrell was giving me a little back massage and going, "It's going to be fine, Eddie, it's going to be fine".'

While two seem more than friendly off-screen, the same can't be said for their on-screen characters.

Tough guy: Colin plays Percival Graves, the enigmatic Director of Magical Security at MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America)

Magic: Fantastic Beasts centres on Eddie's character Newt, a magizoologist

Fantastic Beasts centres on Eddie's character Newt, a magizoologist, who arrives in the American city at a time when growing tension between No-Maj (muggles) and wizards is at its highest.

Newt's No-Maj pal Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogle) accidentally lets loose some of the magical beasts residing in the wizard's deceptive leather suitcase, which leads to him teaming up with ex Auror Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) to round them up.

However, things take an ominous turn when Colin's character Percival Graves, the enigmatic Director of Magical Security at MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), casts his suspicions on both Newt, and Tina, as a dark force threatens to push the wizarding and No-Maj worlds to the brink of war.

New parents: Eddie and wife Hannah welcomed their first child Iris this year

Eddie says he spent six months filming the first instalment of the brand new film franchise from JK Rowling, but now he's in full dad mode after he and wife Hannah Bagshawe welcomed daughter Iris earlier this year.

Talking of the ups and downs of parenting a newborn, Eddie said: 'When Iris was sleeping through the night for the first time you're like, 'This is extraordinary!', And the next it's absolutely not and you fell like you've been pummelled.'

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is out in Australian cinemas on November 17th.




Her champion lost the election.

So Katy Perry has decided to take the fight into her own hands.

The 32-year-old donated $10,000 to Planned Parenthood on Friday night, calling on her fans to follow suit.

'Time to turn words into action!' Katy Perry donated $10k to Planned Parenthood on Friday in face of Donald Trump's looming defund

While she didn't mention either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump - or indeed the election - by name, she revealed that of the many steps she now had to take, her first vow was to 'support organizations that may have their funding support taken from them in the future by the government'.

In a lengthy Instagram post, she revealed she was making the donation on behalf of her teenage self, who had visited the clinics several times to educate herself on sexual health, 'a subject I had little to no information on because of my sheltered upbringing.

'I had no idea how things worked down there, and had no idea how to make a plan for them,' she said.

'Planned Parenthood educated me on my body and my reproductive health, so that I could focus on my dreams and using my voice until I knew the timing was right for me to make a plan to have a family.

Pre-empt: While she didn't mention either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump or indeed the election by name, she revealed that of the many steps she now had to take, her first vow was to 'support organizations that may have their funding support taken from them in the future by the government'

'Since then, I have been able to focus wholeheartedly on bringing messages of strength and becoming a voice for others. Without this education, I may have had a different life path.'

Planned Parenthood provides a range of reproductive health services; however it is under constant fire from pro-life campaigners because it is the biggest provider of abortions in the US.

However without the contraceptives and education the NPO provides, the need for abortion in the country would be far greater.

Beaten: Katy emerged downcast this week following Hillary's defeat

The charity receives around $530million from the government every year, which Republicans have tried to prevent for decades.

But with the party now set to control the House, the Senate and the Oval Office following Tuesday's election, the organisation is likely to face more pressure than ever.

On Friday, Perry pointed out that Planned Parenthood's broader range of services can sometimes be the only medical support low-income families ever see.

I'm with her: Katy had probably been Hillary's most ardent celebrity supporter throughout the campaign

'I know what it's like to need help. I came from a lower- to middle-class family and never grew up with the option of health insurance, she said, recalling when her teenage self had to travel to Mexico to deal with her 13 cavities because her family couldn't afford treatment in California.

'I am grateful for and stand in support of Planned Parenthood for giving Katheryn Hudson the knowledge to plan, and for continuing to be a haven for women to learn all options for their future,' she wrote.

'Now, more than ever, we all need to protect and create safe places for each other. I hope I can help inspire you to make a gift as well, and become a member and an ally.'

Taking on the fight: On Friday, Perry pointed out that Planned Parenthood's broader range of services can sometimes be the only medical support low-income families ever see

She concluded with the hashtag '#wewontgoback'.

Katy had probably been Hillary's most ardent celebrity supporter throughout the campaign.

She had been due to play a concert in China this week, but cancelled it due to 'a family emergency' following Hillary's defeat.
Bindi Irwin could have been partying with a host of reality TV stars at Maxim's Hot 100 Party on Friday night.

But after landing at number eight on the countdown, the animal-lover opted for the company of a rhinoceros as she spent Saturday at Australia Zoo.

Posting on her Instagram, the 18-year-old knelt beside the imposing mammal as she gently tended to it.

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Petting zoo: Bindi Irwin opted to spend the day tending to a rhino at Australia Zoo rather than attend Maxim's Hot 100 Party in Sydney

She captioned the snap: 'Any day you get to spend time with this beautiful boy, is a good day.'

The award-winning wildlife conservationist was previously pictured with the same animal when she posted another picture in aid of World Rhino Day in September.

Bindi's decision to continue her work at the Queensland zoo meant she didn't attend the magazine's party, which took place in Sydney.

Animal lover: The 18-year-old is an award-winning wildlife conservationist, posting this snap on World Rhino Day in September

By the age of 9, Bindi had appeared on numerous American chat-shows, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Oprah and Larry King Live

Party animals: The nature lover opted not to join a host of reality TV stars, like Megan Marx (L) and Tiffany Scanlon (R), at the Sydney bash

Upon finding out that she'd made Maxim's list, the young star celebrated her top ten spot on the countdown by sharing an empowering message with her young fans on social media.

Sharing a shot of herself in a stunning black beaded dress, she wrote in part of her post: 'Words can't describe how honoured I am.'

'My goal in life is to empower each and every person around the world to embrace themselves inside and out,' Bindi said.

'So honoured': Bindi celebrated her debut in the Maxim Hot 100 countdown of Australia's most beautiful women by sharing an empowering message with her young fans on Wednesday

Wildlife warrior: Bindi made her debut in the magazine's countdown just three months after turning 18

'Beauty is not just found on the outside, it's the kindness you share with others and the positivity you embrace every day.'

'If your core values revolve around love and light, you are a beautiful person.'

The daughter of the late 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin has been in the spotlight for years but made headlines in 2015 for winning Dancing With The Stars.

The Hot 100 celebrates the 'most gifted and gorgeous' females in the country, and includes models, TV stars and politicians.

Household name: Bindi, a conservationist from a young age, is also well-known internationally after winning the US version of Dancing With The Stars last year

Fame: The daughter of the late 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin has been in the spotlight for a while and appears to have made Maxim's annual list on her first year of eligibility

And the Queensland wildlife warrior made an impressive debut, placing ahead of Ruby Rose and her good friends, The Veronicas.

Meanwhile, Hollywood actress Margot Robbie topped the list, having placed second in last year's Maxim Hot 100.

Miranda Kerr, Jennifer Hawkins and Neighbours star Olympia Valance also featured in the magazine's top 10.

Maxim editor-in-chief Santi Pintado said: 'Our definitive list of Australias most beautiful, successful and talented women of the year celebrates the outstanding ladies who have wowed us with their aptitude, intellect, humour, mega-talents, coolness, sexiness and more, in 2016.'
She paid a visit to BFF Blac Chyna and her new daughter on Thursday.

But it seems like the meeting with Dream was so nice Amber Rose had to do it twice.

The 33-year-old model was spotted heading for another visit with her 28-year-old gal pal and new bundle of joy on Friday.

Casual cool: Amber Rose was spotted paying another visit to BFF Blac Chyna and her new daughter in Los Angeles on Friday

This time around, however, Amber brought her adorable son Sebastian along as he got to meet the daughter of Rob Kardashian for the first time.

She kept her look simple in a black T-shirt tucked into a pair of blue jeans which showed off her famous curves.

The former wife of rapper Wiz Khalifa finished off the look with black leather boots along with matching specs and choker.

Happy family: The 33-year-old model was joined by two-year-old son Sebastian and her mother Dorothy

Her signature blonde buzz cut was on full display as she let her natural looks show with complimentary make-up on her face.

Amber's two-year-old son was dressed comfortably in a grey shirt with denim shorts and blue Converse All-Star high-tops.

The mother and son were also joined by the model's mother Dorothy Rose for the occasion.

Keeping it cool: Amber sported a black T-shirt tucked into skinny blue jeans and a pair of black leather boots

Bonding time: No doubt the family was happy to be spending the day together

Just a day prior Amber took to Instagram to share a photo of her cuddling up with baby dream as she captioned the photo: 'A Dream come true #DreamKardashian.'

The curvaceous model is seen gazing down at the tiny tot who still has hospital tags around her ankles.

Dream was born at 9.18am on Thursday by c-section and weighed 7 pounds and 5 ounces.

Cuddles! Amber cradled baby Dream Kardashian while visiting new parents Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian in hospital just the day prior

Meanwhile, Amber hasn't had the easiest of relationships with the Kardashian clan, so it's anyone's guess how awkward her visit was on Thursday.

As well as Kris, Khloe, Kourtney Kardashian and Kylie Jenner were all at the hospital to meet baby Dream Renee Kardashian.

Amber - who used to date Kim's husband Kanye West - got into a massive Twitter feud last year with Khloe.

The tiff started when the KUWTK jumped to her younger sister Kylie's defence after Amber badmouthed her during a radio interview.

'Bundle of joy': Amber was one of the first to congratulate the couple on Thursday

'She's a baby. She needs to go to bed at 7 o'clock and relax. [Tyga] should be ashamed of himself. He has a beautiful woman and a baby and left that for a 16-year-old who just turned 17.' she told Power 105.1.

Blac shares four-year-old son King Cairo with ex Tyga - who is now dating Rob's younger sister Kylie, 19.

Khloe hit back on Twitter: 'Please stop talking about us in interviews mama. None of us talk about you'

When Khloe hinted at Amber's stripper past, Amber retaliated by bringing up Kim's sex tape.
Unlike many celebs, Jennifer Garner's fame doesn't keep her at an arm's length from the people.

The Golden Globe-winning Alias actress on Friday was snapped in the Venice area, headed toward the Rose Cafe toting a vase full of roses as she headed toward the restaurant, which is just blocks from the beach.

Ben Affleck's estranged wife, 44, blended like a local in the beachfront community, clad in a patterned skirt with a long-sleeved black top, dark sunglasses and black heels.

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Stop and smell the roses: Jennifer Garner, 44, was snapped in Venice, California on Friday with a vase full of flowers

Gorgeous: The Alias star, drawing attention from diners, is no homebody, as she's regularly seen all over Los Angeles

Affleck was seen Friday behind the wheel of a black Cadillac about seven miles to the north in Brentwood.

Garner, like many of her Hollywood colleagues, does not seem to be enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton's loss to Donald Trump in the presidential election.

The Miracles from Heaven star wore her heart on her sleeve - technically her chest - on Wednesday morning when she stepped out of her Pacific Palisades home for a walk in a black sweater that had a pattern of a broken heart on it.

The beautiful mother-of-three kids with Affleck - Violet, 10, Seraphina, seven, and Samuel, four - was one of many show business personalities to hit the campaign trail for the Democratic nominee Clinton, as she participated in a voter registration drive in Reno, Nevada October 11 on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno.

Ben-mobile: Jen's estranged husband Ben Affleck was snapped driving a black Cadillac in nearby Brentwood, California

Owner of a broken heart: Jen was clearly expressing her heartbreak over election results as she stepped out for a walk with a sweatshirt of a broken heart Wednesday morning

The agony of defeat: Jen's candidate Hillary Clinton announced her concession Wednesday morning

The Juno beauty's appearance was the crown jewel of an event titled, 'Hillary for Nevada Student Voter Registration and Canvass Kick-Off.'

At the function, the stunning star posed for photos with students, holding pro-Clinton signs, while stressing the importance of voting for Clinton, who would have been America's first female president had she defeated the controversial celebrity businessman.

She told the group of college students, 'Everyone who's registering to vote, wave their hands! Everyone who's gonna vote for Hillary, "Yay, Hillary!"'

All for one: Jen (center) hit the campaign trail for Clinton last month in Reno, Nevada

Garner said, noting that she was 'excited and proud to be standing up for' the Democratic candidate, added, 'We do have a say, it does matter; use your say - its your responsibility,' according to The Nevada Sagebrush.

Garner's work in 'The Biggest Little City in the World' continued with a trip to a nearby Democratic office in support of the Women for Hillary Voter Registration Launch and Phone Bank.

The Draft Day actress has past been outspoken on political causes she believes in, as she spoke in support of 2006 Democratic congressional candidate Jerry McNerney; and donated $25,000 two years ago to Texas Democrat Wendy Davis in her 2014 gubernatorial campaign.
The intensity of taking on the best swimmers in the world at the Olympic Games has nothing on the pressures of parenthood, according to Libby Trickett.

Giving birth to her first child Poppy last year opened the four-time gold medallist's eyes to just how hard being a parent can be.

And she told the Daily Telegraph that while there are obvious differences between being a professional swimmer and a mum, the latter is tougher.

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Working mum: Libby Trickett has been adjusting to the demands of parenthood as she juggles work with caring for her your daughter Poppy

She told the publication: 'It's so different, but in terms of the intensity of swimming compared to parenthood, parenthood is the winner hands down.'

During her professional swimming career, the 31-year-old was able to enjoy sleep-ins every Wednesday and on weekends.

That routine has given way to a new one ever since her and husband Luke welcomed Poppy into the world in August last year.

In at the deep end: The former Olympian says that being a parent is more intense than being a professional swimmer

False start: Libby has been adjusting to life without Wednesday and weekend morning sleep-ins that she enjoyed during her career

She said: 'It's non-stop. You don't have a chance to step away from it, you're always a parent now.

'I've forgotten what a sleep-in is like. But I don't know if I've ever felt as full of love as I have being a mother. Seeing her develop and grow is the most incredible thing.'

The mum-of-one also revealed last month that she'd struggled to bond with her baby daughter, leading her to the brink of postnatal depression.

Gorgeous: Olympic legend Libby, a four-time gold medallist, poses for a snap with baby daughter Poppy

Hesitant: Baby Poppy looks less than enthused at the prospect of taking a dip with her swimmer mum

'I found the baby stage really difficult and went through a phase where I thought Poppy didnt really like me,' she told the Daily Telegraph.

Libby said the 'sheer exhaustion' of parenthood had influenced her mental health.

'Id already had two bouts of depression. One while swimming and another when I first retired, so it was tough,' she told the newspaper.

'It was tough': The constant exhaustion of being a new mother was a difficult obstacle to overcome, Libby said

Proud parents: Libby and her swimmer husband Luke (right) pose with baby daughter Poppy at kindergarten

As Poppy has grown older - she is now 14 months old - parenting had become a lot easier, Libby said.

Since her daughter was born, her Instagram feed has been filled with adorable photos of her together with her tiny tot.

However, in a previous piece penned for New Idea in May, she said it had taken her time to adjust.

'Six months and 24 days into parenthood I eventually understand why people love babies,' she wrote.
There's nothing a Sunrise presenter loves more than the sunshine, but even it can get a bit much once summer come around.

So it's no wonder Samantha Arymtage chose to wear a fedora hat as she attended the annual Land Rover Polo event on Saturday.

The TV host covered her blonde locks with the straw version of the classic hat as she enjoyed the bright day of sport at Centennial Park, Sydney.

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Hat's off to her: Samantha Armytage rocks a fedora to the Land Rover Polo on Saturday

Sam's outfit was perfectly elegant for the occasion, choosing to wear a statement midi skirt, featuring a floral pattern, with a white vest top tucked in.

The presenter cinched in her waist with her brown belt and opted for strappy sandals that matched her cream hat.

She accessorised with a simple pearl pendant necklace and a brown shoulder bag.

Suits you: The Sunrise presenter kept it classy in a floral midi skirt and vest with strappy heels

Sam made the most of the occasion to get a photo with one of the polo players and their trusty steed.

It just so happened to be the captain too.

'Cappo! The Illabo kid... @cappopolo #polointhecity #landroverpolo,' she captioned the image on Instagram.

Cappo! Sam grabbed a picture with one of the polo captains at Centennial Park

Sam may well have placed a bet on the match having enjoyed recent gambling success thanks to the presidential election.

The TV host boasted about her recent win after placing a bet that Donald Trump would win the US election.

On Wednesday, Samantha claimed on Twitter that she put money on Trump's victory six months ago when the odds were 100-1.
She gave birth to healthy twin sons Tom and Darcy on September 29, and has been proudly posting 'baby spam' on Instagram ever since.

And mother-of-four Rebecca Judd, 33, delighted her fans once again by sharing another heartwarming snap of the growing boys on Saturday.

The AFL WAG posted an image on social media of the babies lying side-by-side in their crib, both wearing matching fluffy jumpsuits.

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They grow up so fast! Rebecca Judd shared another heartwarming snap of her newborn twin boys Tom and Darcy on Saturday

In the caption, the Channel Nine presenter wrote: 'Handsome devils!'

This comes days after Rebecca paid a visit to her doctor with husband Chris Judd and their children - Oscar, Billie and the twins.

Rebecca shared an Instagram photo of the meeting, joking in the caption: 'We weren't expecting that when we started out.'

Growing family! This comes days after Rebecca paid a visit to her doctor with husband Chris Judd and their children - Oscar, Billie and the twins

Rebecca wrote: 'Big shout out to the best Obstetrician in the world (and loveliest man) Dr Len Kliman and the awesome (Cathryn Curtin) for delivering me four healthy babies in five years'.

'These guys make an incredible dream team and I can't recommend them enough,' she concluded.

And in another post to Instagram, the TV star held her boys in her arms and joked that she is unable to tell the apart.

The lifestyle blogger wrote: 'What's his name on my shoulder and what's his name in my arms.'

'Suns out, tums out': The AFL WAG gave birth to twin sons Tom and Darcy on September 29, and has been proudly posting 'baby spam' on Instagram ever since

'What's his name on my shoulder and what's his name in my arms': In another Instagram post, the TV star held her boys in her arms and joked that she is unable to tell the apart

Before giving birth, Rebecca told Mamamia she was hoping she wouldn't have to see her obstetrician early.

'With identical twins there is one placenta and two cords. You know, it's one fuel tank growing two humans,' she said.

'I'm going to put my feet up and stay horizontal and try and get these babies through to 34 weeks. All I can do is close my legs and hope for the best.'

And it seem that everything went to plan, with the boys arriving at 35 weeks.

Chris and Rebecca also have two older children - four-year-old Oscar and two-year-old daughter Billie Kate.
She's posted innumerable pictures to Instagram showing off her yoga prowess.

But on Friday, Hilaria Baldwin added a political twist to her habit, inviting followers to comment on the incredibly divisive election that saw Donald Trump elected to the US presidency.

The flexible 32-year-old and her husband Alec, 58, can be seen kissing as she does a hand stand on their bed.

Brave: On Friday Hilaria Baldwin, 32, showed off another yoga move as she kissed husband Alec

Alec steadies her torso just above her impressive abs, while she also braces herself against the wall.

While the picture implied a fun caption was in order, Hilaria instead struck a far more somber tone.

She began by discussing the new combative state of the divided American psyche.

'Never silence an opinion that is respectfully stated,' she reminded her followers, 'having differing opinions is normal, important, and part of our incredible democracy.'

'We should value everyone's wellbeing': Along with the picture Hilaria wrote a lengthy note about the election

Team effort: Hilaria often involves husband Alec in her Instagram antics (couple pictured together in October)

'Whether in the happy camp or unhappy camp, I have learned over the past week that this great divide should make us all unhappy. If we are truly united, we should value everyone's wellbeing and joy,' she added.

The yoga instructor then bravely invited her followers to 'PEACEFULLY express who they are' in the comments section of the post.

Of course, this was only the latest politically-themed post Hilaria has shared in the days following the fiery election.

New perspective: She invoked a headstand in another post which begged Americans to work together

She even invoked a headstand in another post which begged Americans to work together.

In yet another previous post that showed her eldest daughter Carmen, aged three, wearing an adorable gold tiara, the social media maven urged her daughter to 'never let anyone belittle you for your gender.'

The 32-year-old star - who also has Rafael, 16 months, and Leonardo, one month - continued with an emotional message.

She wrote: 'My little woman, my little lady... my princess, my smart, brilliant, bright future. Never listen to anyone belittle you for your gender. We are strong women and worth every bit as much as any man. We are not things to be owned or objectified.'
She left Richie Strahan heartbroken on The Bachelor when she walked out during a rose ceremony.

And Megan Marx revealed to Daily Mail Australia on Friday exactly why she decided to leave the reality TV show.

'I went on The Bachelor thinking maybe I would fall in love,' she said. 'But how can I fall in love with someone I've never slept with, never been alone with, only had three dates with?'

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'How can I fall in love with someone I've never slept with?' Megan Marx has revealed to Daily Mail Australia on Friday exactly why she decided to walk out on The Bachelor's Richie Strahan

The 27-year-old blonde added, bluntly: 'No. I'm not gonna tell this guy at the end that I'm on love with him.'

Since leaving The Bachelor earlier this year, Megan has been dating her former co-star Tiffany Scanlon.

Tiffany also told Daily Mail Australia she was happy to be eliminated relatively early in the show.

'Honestly I have no regrets about how it happened because I don't want to be with Richie anyway,' she said candidly.

Ouch! The 27-year-old beauty left Richie Strahan (pictured) heartbroken when she walked out during an emotional rose ceremony earlier this year

Too little, too late! Megan told Daily Mail Australia at the Maxim Hot 100 party on Friday she had no chance of falling in love with Richie after only sharing a few dates

'It would have been awesome to stay a bit longer and had a bit of experience, but at the end of the day it was never going to be me and Richie,' Tiffany added.

She continued: 'He is so not my kind of guy, I'm very authentic. I just think when you watch the show, you see him saying the same things to multiple girls.

'I think Alex (Nation) and Richie are very good together. And Alex and I are very different girls.'

'He is so not my kind of guy': Tiffany, who recently confirmed her relationship with Megan, also said she was happy to be eliminated early in the show as she was not attracted to Richie

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at the Maxim Hot 100 party in Sydney this weekend, Tiffany and Megan finally confirmed their romance.

Tiffany revealed how they confessed their love for each other in Bali several months after forming a 'strong connection' on The Bachelor.

They had been documenting their relationship on Instagram for months, sharing racy photos of themselves in Megan's home city of Geraldton.

On Tiffany's 30th birthday recently, Megan declared 'I love you' during their romantic holiday to the Abrolhos Islands.

Romance: Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at the Maxim Hot 100 party in Sydney this weekend, Tiffany and Megan finally confirmed their same-sex relationship
They're one of the hottest couples in showbiz.

And Sofia Vergaria, 44, and her husband Joe Manganiello, 39, certainly lived up to that reputation when they stepped out for a dinner date at Catch LA, West Hollywood, on Friday night.

The screen stars walked through the night hand in hand as they navigated fans and paparazzi trying to get a glimpse of them.

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Hot couple: Sofia Vergaria, 44, and her husband Joe Manganiello, 39, stepped out for a dinner date at Catch LA, West Hollywood, on Friday night

Sofia looked typically sensational in a figure-hugging taupe dress with metallic detailing.

She teased a glimpse of cleavage and walked tall in a pair of nude peep toe heels.

Her luscious brunette tresses cascaded over her delicate shoulders from a classic middle parting, and she wore a glamorous slick of rouge on her lips.

The actress decorated her chestnut peepers with thick eyeliner, and she rounded her look off with a pair of dangly earrings and a beige clutch.

Stunning! Sofia looked typically sensational in a figure-hugging taupe dress with metallic detailing

Busty! She teased a glimpse of her ample cleavage in the glamorous number

Handsome Joe cut a cool figure in a brown leather jacket over a dark green tee which he wore with navy jeans and distressed brown shoes.

He sported a well-groomed salt and pepper beard and neatly cropped short back and sides.

Sofia, meanwhile, recently confessed that she initially thought she was 'too old' for Joe to date her at first.

Loved-up: The couple walked hand in hand as they strolled through the night

Hunk: Handsome Joe cut a cool figure in a brown leather jacket over a dark green tee, navy jeans and distressed brown shoes

Appearing on the Harry talk show hosted by Harry Connick Jr last month, she revealed: 'When he started trying to convince me to go out with him. I didnt want to go out with him because of that.

'I dont want to deal with that, I am too old now to be with a guy that all the girls are like after him.

'Youre too hot, this is going to be so much work. I'm not kidding. I didnt want to go out with him because of how hot he was.'

Looking good: Sofia's luscious brunette tresses cascaded over her delicate shoulders from a classic middle parting, and she wore a glamorous slick of rouge on her lips
They reportedly split last month over his wild partying ways, but were spotted enjoying a cosy lunch together over the weekend.

And it seems Kate Moss and her toyboy former flame Count Nikolai Von Bismarck are getting even closer as they attended the launch of David Bowie's musical Lazarus on Tuesday.

The iconic supermodel, 42, and her toyboy ex, 29, were reportedly 'very touchy feely' and seemed 'very much an item' during the show.

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Getting cosy? Kate Moss and her toyboy former flame Count Nikolai Von Bismarck are said to be 'very much an item' after being spotted looking close as they attended the launch of David Bowie's musical Lazarus on Tuesday

A source told The Mirror: 'They seemed very much a couple  they definitely haven't called it quits for good.

'It seems like they might still have some problems, as they arrived separately and left separately, but during the show they seemed very much an item.

'They were very touchy feely and looked like they didn't have a care in the world. Kate seemed really happy.'

The insider added that they had experienced turbulent times in their romance in the past, but were trying to get through their problems.

MailOnline has reached out to Kate's representatives for further comment.

Back on? The supermodel and Nikolai were 'very touchy feely and looked like they didn't have a care in the world' (pictured, Kate at a Stella McCartney bash on Thursday)

Hanging out: Over the weekend the couple were enjoyed a spot of lunch at a Japanese restaurant in North London before heading out for a walk together (pictured in June)

Over the weekend the couple were enjoyed a spot of lunch at a Japanese restaurant in North London before heading out for a walk together.

Kate and her man appeared in high spirits with the catwalk queen wearing a statement black and white coat.

She teamed the knockout number with a pair of black skinny jeans and ankle boots which had a rock chick edge.

Meanwhile Nikolai looked rather debonair in a blue long coat worn over a suit and with brown suede Chelsea boots.

Last month, Kate was thought to have split up with her toyboy lover and booted him out of her home for his riotous behaviour.

But at the start of the month, the couple were seen smooching in the street in London.

Turbulent: Last month, Kate was thought to have split up with her toyboy lover and booted him out of her home for his riotous behaviour

At the end of October the model, who has been dating the Count since last year, is said to have argued with her beau over his refusal to calm his wild partying down, according to The Sun.

According to The Sun, the supermodel had a string of rows with Nikolai, but a recent huge bust-up proved the final straw, after he refused to clean up his act.

'It sounds like it was a really heated argument and Kate has said she is done with him after that,' an insider said.

'She was really in love with him but has said she can't take any more and that she now has to move on.'

In happier times: At the end of October the model, who has been dating the Count since last year, is said to have argued with her beau over his refusal to calm his wild partying down

And another factor was reportedly his rocky relationship with her 14-year-old daughter Lila from her relationship with editor Jefferson Hack.

A source told the paper: 'She has told her friends that she was aware that Nikolai was having an adverse effect on her relationship with her daughter and that was a massive factor in her decision to end it.'

Meanwhile Kate has 'quietly' reached a formal separation agreement with former husband Jamie Hince.

The Croydon-born beauty - who married The Kills guitarist in 2011 but split last year after four years of marriage - is allegedly describing herself as 'divorced' and apparently came to a pleasant agreement with the musician 'some time ago' without any 'high profile legal battle'.
She is one of the hottest new models of the moment.

And Kendall Jenner proved why she has caught attention in the fashion world on Friday, as she displayed her impeccable body in a backstage video from a La Perla shoot.

The 21-year-old showed off her sensationally slender figure and derriere in the clip, posted to the brand's Instagram page, as she strutted around in a racy black lingerie set.

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Life is just peachy! Scantily-clad Kendall Jenner, 21, showed off her sensationally slender figure and derriere in a backstage clip from her La Perla shoot on Friday

The brunette beauty headed to the lingerie brand's studios to model their new raunchy SS17 collection - and she certainly did not disappoint.

First dancing excitedly to her dressing table in the clip, the reality star flaunted her pert behind and enviably petite waist in the risque black lace set.

Formed entirely of semi-sheer lace, the briefs raunchily cut high up her legs before a set of suspenders were layered on top to add to the racy feel of the look.

Stunning: First dancing excitedly to her dressing table in the clip, the reality star flaunted her pert behind and enviably petite waist in the risque black lace set

The thin black straps of the suspenders tightly hugged her waist and hips, emphasising and cinching in her toned figure and elongating her already leggy frame.

Later facing the mirror to take a few selfies, the star's delicate lace bra, which hoisted up her assets, and envy-inducing washboard abs came into full view.

Proving she could rock sexy and more sophisticated looks, Kendall then changed into a red lace slip dress - which clung to her every curve and featured a saucy cut out at her bust, to further allude to her chest.

Model material: The thin black straps of the suspenders tightly hugged her waist and hips, emphasising and cinching in her toned figure and elongating her already leggy frame

Ripped: Later facing the mirror to take a few selfies, the star's delicate lace bra, which hoisted up her assets, and envy-inducing washboard abs came into full view

The star then gets her make-up done before she heads to set - dressing her face with gorgeous, glowing cosmetics to bring her clear complexion into focus, before adding a slick of dark nude lipstick for a sultry finishing touch.

Kendall has been named the face of Italian lingerie brand La Perla's new SS17 collection - proving her modelling career to be going from strength to strength.

A spokesperson for the brand said: 'Kendall is the new star of this campaign and was personally selected by La Perlas creative director, Julia Haart to interpret the highly innovative path that the brand has set out on.'

Woman of many looks: Proving she could rock sexy and more sophisticated looks, Kendall then changed into a red lace slip dress in the clip

They continued: 'Kendalls contemporary charisma adds an unmistakable touch to every garment, simultaneously highlighting the modernity and the relaxed, self-assured elegance of each piece she wears.'

Looking comfortable in the video, it becomes obvious that the sister of Kim, Kourtney and Khloe is no stranger to modeling lingerie - having walked in the Victoria's Secret fashion show last year.

And it seems the Jenner youngster impressed bosses in her debut - as it was announced last month she will be returning to the famous catwalk this November.

You glow girl: The star then gets her make-up done with gorgeous, glowing cosmetics to bring her clear complexion into focus

Red hot! The saucy slip clung to her every curve and featured a saucy cut out at her bust, to further allude to her chest

Kendall has already been heavily involved in fittings and will soon depart for Paris, France, where the show will take place.

The budding model is set to appear in the show alongside the likes of Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Martha Hunt and her best pals Gigi and Bella Hadid.

It is a very busy time of the year for the brunette beauty - who takes part in the lingerie events just one week after celebrating her milestone 21st birthday.

The starlet headed to the glamorous Delilah and Catch venues in West Hollywood for the occasion, where she ate and drank all night long with her famous family and friends - including Hailey Baldwin, Harry Styles and rumoured flame Jordan Clarkson.

In the summer, sources told E! news that the pair were 'casually dating' but it was considered 'nothing very serious.'
One the red carpet and off-duty, she has long cultivated an individual sense of style.

And Thandie Newton showcased her sartorial flair once again as she stepped out in Manhattan on Friday.

Exposing her bare limbs to the cold, the 44-year-old gave a masterclass in how to nail clashing prints as she rocked a leopard print coat over a geometric print skirt.

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Looking good: Thandie Newton, 44, showcased her sartorial flair once again as she stepped out in Manhattan on Friday

The London-born beauty flaunted her enviably toned legs in the midi-length skirt which featured blue and pink hued prints.

Sticking to a pastel theme, she added a pastel pink sweater under her statement fur coat, which she matched with her leopard print courts.

Wearing her hair in a sophisticated half-up 'do, the Pursuit Of Happyness star wore minimal make-up to let her natural beauty shine.

Sticking to an irreverent more is more look, Thandie slung a navy canvas backpack over her shoulder which featured embellished floral appliques.

Wrapping up: She gave a masterclass in how to nail clashing prints as she rocked a leopard print coat over a geometric print skirt

Sticking to a pastel theme: She added a pastel pink sweater under her statement fur coat, which she matched with her leopard print courts

Meanwhile Thandie currently stars in the HBO series Westworld as Maeve Milly, a prostitute in a wild west theme park.

Speaking about her naked scenes in the show, she told The Guardian: 'Its so ironic that here I was, utterly, utterly naked  and I felt completely liberated.

'Not because I was naked but because it was my choice. Totally my choice.'

Natural beauty: Wearing her hair in a sophisticated half-up 'do, the Pursuit Of Happyness star wore minimal make-up to let her striking looks shine

And the actress has been keeping busy as she attended the premiere of the documentary City of Joy in New York on Friday.

Showing her support for the movie - which is about women living in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo - Thandie looked gorgeous in a long silk dress with red bold pattern.

The documentary follows a group of women living at City of Joy, a center that helps abused women move forward with their life amidst a war driven by greed, economics and colonialism.
He locked horns with fellow male model Rhys Chilton on The Bachelorette.

But it seems a feud may may also be brewing between Samuel Johnston and 2015 contestant Davey Lloyd, who took a swipe at Sam on Saturday for only posting photos of himself on Instagram.

Davey's comment - which was posted under a photo of Sam relaxing by himself at the Somersby Polo on Saturday - read: 'Do you ever not put up a photo of just you?'

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Bachelorette beef! It seems a feud may may be brewing between The Bachelorette's Samuel Johnston and 2015 contestant Davey Lloyd (pictured)

Sam failed to respond to the comment, but did take to Instagram hours later with another photo - this time of himself and another gentleman at the polo.

Meanwhile, Sydney carpenter Davey has earned a reputation as a keyboard warrior since rising to fame on The Bachelorette.

After The Bachelor finale, Davey criticised fans who were attacking his friend Richie Strahan for picking Alex Nation over Nikki Gogan.

'Do you ever not put up a photo of just you?' Davey's comment was posted under a photo of Sam relaxing by himself at the Somersby Polo on Saturday

Taken offence? Sam failed to respond to the comment, but did take to Instagram hours later with another photo - this time of himself and another gentleman at the polo

Keyboard warrior! After The Bachelor finale, Davey criticised fans who were attacking his friend Richie Strahan for picking Alex Nation over Nikki Gogan

Posting in response to a comment on Richie's Instagram page, Davey wrote: 'I have been around. I'm sorry you guys think nikki should have wine, but it's f****** reality tv they can edit and produce it how they want.

'From a personal knowledge Richie made the right decision. So suck it up idiots and leave the man to be happy (sic),' he added.

Meanwhile, Davey made a splash on the red carpet on Friday night when he KISSED another man at the Maxim Hot 100 party in Sydney.

Well that's unexpected! Meanwhile, Davey made a splash on the red carpet on Friday night when he KISSED another gentleman at the Maxim Hot 100 party in Sydney

His female entourage appeared to be taken aback by the brazen display as they giggled and crossed their arms.

The fiasco continued when a rather worse-for-wear Davey took a sip from the man's glass using his straw.

Meanwhile, Sam was also in attendance at the party - and made sure to pose alone on a chair rather than on the red carpet.

Just a sip! The fiasco continued when a rather worse-for-wear Davey took a sip from the man's glass using his straw
They almost broke the internet Kardashian-style by sharing an Instagram photo of their post-Bachelor 'topless spaghetti party'.

But Megan Marx told Daily Mail Australia on Friday that not everybody was happy with her and Tiffany Scanlon's explicit social media snaps.

Speaking at Maxim's Hot 100 party at The Star in Sydney, Megan revealed Bachelor producers were 'not happy' about the risque photo.

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'They weren't happy about it': Megan Marx (L) admits Bachelor producers complained about the Instagram photo of her 'topless spaghetti party' with girlfriend Tiffany Scanlon (R)

'The producers weren't happy about it. I think they thought it was taking attention away from The Bachelor,' said Megan, 27.

Tiffany, 30, also explained to Daily Mail Australia how the bizarre photo was taken.

'One of my best friends came over,' she said. 'It just kind of escalated. I didn't think it would cause any drama!

'We just didn't think people would care as much as they did. We're both very liberal people and nudity just isn't a big deal.'

Controversial: Tiffany (R) told Daily Mail Australia at the Maxim Hot 100 party in Sydney on Friday she didn't realise her and Megan's racy photos would cause so much 'drama'

Tiffany continued: 'It was just for fun. We were doing stuff like that before we went on the show!'

She was also upset TV producers complained about her behaviour on social media, saying 'I don't like being told what to do'.

'I hate it. So when someone tells me what to do I'm going to do the opposite,' she added defiantly.

'I just thought, we're not on the show anymore, I don't know what the harm is?

'I don't know what they're trying to achieve': Tiffany admitted she was frustrated that The Bachelorette's Rhys Chilton and Tommy Saggus had parodied her Instagram photos

'For me to be told not to do that besides the fact that you don't want us to, what's the repercussion? We never really got an answer.'

Tiffany also admitted she was frustrated The Bachelorette's Rhys Chilton and Tommy Saggus had parodied her Instagram photos.

Megan took a lighter view saying: 'They're just having a bit of fun, there's no offence taken. But don't ask Tiffany what she thinks!'

It's confirmed! Megan and Tiffany first met on The Bachelor earlier this year but later made headlines after fans questioned if they were dating

Tiffany said she was confused as to why Rhys and Tommy 're-staged' several of her and Megan's intimate photos.

'I just don't know what the intention behind it is,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'I can see the humour in it. I'm not irritated by it, I just don't know what they're trying to achieve by doing it.'

'Oh, this is more': This week, the TV stars told Daily Mail they became close friends during filming before getting romantically involved months later

Megan and Tiffany first met on The Bachelor earlier this year but later made headlines after fans questioned if they were dating.

This week, the TV stars told Daily Mail they became close friends during filming before getting romantically involved months later.

'While we were in the show, it was just a friendship. It probably wasn't until we were in Bali together that it was like ''Oh, this is more'',' Tiffany confessed.
She is a five-time Oscar and BAFTA nominee, as one of the top Hollywood actresses.

But Amy Adams proved she is worthy of an award for her style too, as she made a show-stopping red carpet appearance on Friday night.

The screen star, 42, looked incredibly elegant in a sleek and chic black maxi dress as she arrived at a screening for her new film Nocturnal Animals in Los Angeles.

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Show-stopping: Amy Adams, 42, looked incredibly elegant in a sleek and chic black maxi dress as she arrived at a screening for her new film Nocturnal Animals in Los Angeles on Friday

The American Hustle star turned heads of all at the event, held at the Hammer Museum in Westwood, in her simple but stunning floor-length gown.

The jet black dress was incredibly sophisticated, securing into a high roll neck before skimming her figure softly to the floor.

However the sleeveless number then cut daringly to her waist at the sides, giving a sexy but subtle hint of side boob and her gorgeous, porcelain skin.

Sexy and sophisticated: The jet black dress skimmed her figure to the floor before cutting down at the sides, to give a sexy but subtle hint of side boob

Keeping the look impeccably styled, Amy accessorised with classy chunky gold earrings and a shimmering black box clutch bag, to tie the outfit together.

Straightening her famous fiery tresses and opting for a soft smoky eye, the Doubt star embodied classic Hollywood glamour as she dazzled for cameras at the event.

Nocturnal Animals, which hit UK cinemas last week, is a psychological thriller directed by designer Tom Ford and based on the 1993 novel Tony and Susan By Austin Wright.

Stars of the show: Amy stars in Nocturnal Animals - which is a psychological thriller directed by fashion designer Tom Ford (R)

The flick follows Amy as an art-gallery owner called Susan, who is haunted by her ex-husband's novel - a violent thriller which she then interprets as a veiled threat and tale of revenge.

The film, which co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Isla Fisher, is set to be a success after it bagged the Grand Jury prize at the Venice Film Festival - which is considered the second place award, after the Golden Lion.

Amy recently paid tribute to the vision of director Tom Ford - more famous as a fashion designer- for the film.

'Tom explained in such a beautiful way how he would use music, sound and light to pull us in and out of story and time and space,' she told Deadline.

Rave reviews: The film is set to be a success after it bagged the Grand Jury prize at the Venice Film Festival - which is considered the second place award, after the Golden Lion

The film is just one of many filling Amy's busy schedule recently.

She travelled the world to promote alien flick Arrival with Jeremy Renner last month, and is now anticipating the release of the new Justice League installment next year.

Perhaps more excitingly however, the redhead announced that she will be returning to screens as her famous Disney princess character Gisele - with Enchanted 2, entitled Disenchanted, being confirmed for production.

In its early stages, Amy admitted on the Graham Norton Show last month that she had not been approached for the role yet.

However in her usual witty style, she declared defiantly: 'I'm not gonna let anybody else play Giselle.'
Channel Nine drama Doctor Doctor has kept fans on the edge of their seats with many unexpected plot twists.

And star Nicole da Silva, 35, has revealed the plot following her character Charlie's ectopic pregnancy hit close to home for some of her co-stars.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph this week, the actress confessed: 'I really cherished that storyline.'

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That was a pretty personal storyline for some': Nicole da Silva revealed the Doctor Doctor plot about her character Charlie's ectopic pregnancy hit close to home for some of her co-stars

'That was a pretty personal storyline for some of my fellow co-stars so I really felt the responsibility to do justice to that and make sure that loss was really felt and embodied,' she said.

Nicole also revealed that many fans were 'grateful for having that kind of heartbreak represented on screen,' and claimed she felt she had to deliver an honest portrayal of the pregnancy complication.

Filmed in Sydney's inner west suburb of Rozelle, as well as Mudgee and Camden, the TV drama also stars local talent Rodger Corser, Ryan Johnson, Tina Bursill and Steve Bisley.

Honest portrayal: Nicole also revealed that many fans were 'grateful for having that kind of heartbreak represented on screen'

All-star cast: Filmed in Sydney's inner west suburb of Rozelle, as well as Mudgee and Camden, the TV drama also stars local talent Rodger Corser, Ryan Johnson, Tina Bursill and Steve Bisley

Breakout star: Nicole rose to fame as lesbian inmate Franky Doyle in prison drama Wentworth

Nicole rose to fame as lesbian inmate Franky Doyle in TV prison drama Wentworth.

Her character often clashed with fellow prisoner Bea Smith, played by Danielle Cormack, for the position of top dog at Wentworth Correction Facility.

Feisty: Her Wentworth character often clashed with fellow prisoner Bea Smith, played by Danielle Cormack, for the position of top dog at Wentworth Correction Facility

The role saw her win an Astra Award in 2014 for the Most Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor.

She was also nominated in 2015 for the same award, as well as a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actress.

Doctor Doctor has been a hit for Channel Nine, with the network ordering a second series just two episodes into the debut season.
They previously revealed that they had vowed to get married if they were both still single at the age of 30.

And Vicky Pattison set romance rumours into overdrive again with best friend Alex Cannon as she gushed that she didn't know it was possible to 'love someone anymore [sic]' than she already did.

Taking to Instagram on Friday, the 28-year-old I'm A Celebrity spin off show host, shared a sweet snap of the pair together with a touching tribute.

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Cute: Vicky Pattison set romance rumours into overdrive again with best friend Alex Cannon as she gushed that she didn't know it was possible to 'love someone any more' on Friday

The snap showed Alex snuggled into Vicky's neck as she beamed for the camera.

The shot was captioned: 'That moment when you don't think you couldn't love someone anymore and then they do something so loyal, genuine and kind and they do it instinctively and unprompted...

'That is a special moment! @alexcannon.'

Meant to be? Vicky previously revealed she had feelings for the model when he entered the Big Brother house, announcing she believed he was her soulmate

Vicky previously revealed she had feelings for the model when he entered the Big Brother house, announcing on Loose Women: 'I think I have found my soulmate.

'I've never been in love in my life so I'm not sure how it should feel. Is that a soulmate? Maybe I'm not in love.'

However, she later backtracked on her words when pictures emerged of Alex passionately kissing housemate Evelyn Ellis.

Not so sure: Vicky later backtracked on her declaration of love when pictures emerged of Alex passionately kissing a BB housemate, with the reality starlet claiming they were just friends

Vicky then announced on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show: 'Turns out I dont really love him.'

'Hes so amazing, hes so brilliant I think weve friend-zoned each other, its mutual.'

She then claimed she was 'having too much fun' to worry about her love life, telling Now magazine:'I'm more focused on my friends and family right now than on a man.'

Doting daddy: During his time in the Big Brother house, Alex also secretly became a father, after a former flame welcomed their daughter prematurely

During his time in the Big Brother house, Alex also secretly became a father, after a former flame welcomed their daughter prematurely.

He announced after his eviction: 'She was born literally just as I went into Big Brother. She was due at the very end of June but was born prematurely.'

The Scouse hunk also told new! magazine that he was given regular updates privately in the diary room but wasn't allowed leave the CCTV house to go and see her.

Single lady: Vicky recently claimed she was 'having too much fun' to worry about her love life

He said: 'It was literally daily torture for me, playing it through my mind wondering what she looked like.'

'I was still coming to terms with it all so I hadn't told anyone. It was tough while I was in there.'

Despite welcoming his precious bundle of joy, Alex said he's 'no longer together' with the mother of his child, who he dated 'casually', but they remain close friends.

Split: It had been rumoured that Vicky was 'secretly dating', ex-firefighter Jordan Wright, but the pair's short-lived romance reportedly ended weeks ago and was far from serious

Meanwhile, it had been rumoured that Vicky was 'secretly dating', ex-firefighter Jordan Wright, but a source told MailOnline this week that the pair's short-lived romance actually ended weeks ago and was far from serious.

'They had a couple of dates a few weeks back and are not together. He is free to date who he likes', the insider said.

The statement came as Jordan was seen cosying up to a mystery blonde as Vicky jetted to Australia to co-host I'm A Celebrity: Extra Camp.
She was recently rushed to hospital for emergency surgery on her appendix.

But Chloe Goodman looked back to her best on Monday, as she took part in a swimwear photo shoot on the beach in Mykonos, Greece.

The Ex On The Beach star, 23, strutted her stuff along the sand as she modelled her striking one-piece, which flashed both her behind and bust with its racy lace detailing.

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All eyes on me: Chloe Goodman, 23, strutted her stuff along the sand as she modelled a striking swimsuit for a photoshoot while in Mykonos on Monday

The model looked completely relaxed as she paddled and posed in the water for the cameras in her daring swimsuit.

The one-piece featured chunky corset lacing across her chest, which gave a glimpse of her ample cleavage.

The metal ties were then repeated at the sides, sexily flashing even more of her sun-kissed skin before they tied into small bows at the bottom.

Skin on show: The swimsuit cut incredibly high at her behind to leave most of her rounded derriere on show, and dropped into a saucy low back

Making the look even raunchier, the swimsuit then cut incredibly high at her behind to leave most of her rounded derriere on show, and dropped into a saucy low back.

Clearly not afraid to show off her enviable figure, the former Celebrity Big Brother housemate took to the beach like a catwalk for the photos.

She then got on her hands and knees for a more risque snap - turning her head to the camera but leaving her posterior provocatively in the air.

Despite working a little on the idyllic island, the reality star originally jetted for a sun-soaked break with best pal Bianca Gascoigne, 30.

Model pro: Chloe then got on her hands and knees for a more risque snap - turning her head to the camera but leaving her posterior provocatively in the air

The trip sees Chloe relaxing and getting back to good health - following recent emergency surgery to have her appendix removed.

In an interview with The Sun, the brunette said she woke up in agony and knew something was badly wrong.

'The pain was excruciating and I was vomiting, so I phoned my mum crying my eyes out,' she explained.

'While on the phone to her I passed out and she immediately called an ambulance.

'By the time I got to A&E the pain was still so bad I wanted to die. The doctors were 100 percent certain that my appendix was about to burst and that I needed to go to theatre because it was life threatening.'

The holiday also comes after her trip to Thailand earlier this year, for the latest series of Ex On The Beach, was cut short.

Chloe was forced to leave the All Stars edition of EOTB after CBB winner Stephen Bear denounced her as 'boring' and used his power to send one person home to evict her from the villa.
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Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes has been branded 'sick' by the manager of the Bataclan concert hall who turned him away when he arrived at the venue on Saturday night.

Hughes's band were playing during the ISIS attack at the Paris venue on November 13, 2015, but he caused fury earlier this year when he suggested that Muslim staff at the Bataclan were involved in the gun and suicide bomb massacre. He later apologised.

Hughes and another band member were reportedly turned away when they tried to enter the venue for Sting's gig as the hall reopened to mark the anniversary of the massacre which killed 90 innocent music fans.

Director Jules Frutos said: 'They came, I threw them out - there are things you can't forgive.'

Mr Frutos said Hughes and his manager were turned away at the door. He told the Press Association: 'They tried to enter the venue and they are persona non grata. They are not welcome after what he said about the security.'

Referring to Hughes, Mr Frutos said: 'I mean, this man is just sick. That's all.'

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American singer Jesse Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal puts his hand over his heart as he leaves the ceremony at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris on Sunday

Hughes waves to the media as he leaves the ceremony at the Bataclan concert hall in where a commemorative plaque (right) was unveiled by French President Francois Hollande and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo

Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse 'The Devil' Hughes earlier this year suggested that Muslim staff at the Bataclan were involved in the gun and suicide bomb attack on November 13, 2015

Members of Eagles of Death Metal Jesse Hughes and Dave Catching are pictured arriving in Paris on Saturday before being turned away from the Sting concert at the Bataclan

Mr Frutos said he thinks the band used what happened at the Bataclan to get 'promotion', asking: 'Who did know about this band before?'

He said the band's attitude shows 'no respect for the victims'. Mr Frutos said the frontman and his manager did not have tickets for Sting's concert.

However, the band's management said Hughes was in Paris with family, friends and fans to commemorate the 'tragic loss of life that happened right in front of his eyes during his show'.

Marc Pollack, of The MGMT Company, accused Mr Frutos of 'tainting a wonderful opportunity that could've been used to spread peace and love'.

'Jesse never even tried entering the club for Sting's show tonight,' he told US magazine Billboard.

French President Francois Hollande (left) and Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo unveiled a commemorative plaque in front of the Bataclan concert venue on Sunday

President Hollande (L) shakes hand with police forces, firemen and nurses next to the Bataclan concert venue during a ceremony marking the one year anniversary of the Paris attacks

People console each at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris on Sunday after a commemorative plaque was unveiled

French President Francois Hollande and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo released balloons during the somber ceremony on Sunday

Sting took the stage of the Bataclan concert hall on the anniversary of the tragic ISIS attack that killed 90 at venue

Concert goers awaited Sting's arrival as mourners outside the venue lit candles and placed flowers in tribute to those slaughtered by three ISIS gunmen last year

The former Police frontman, 65, soothed a sell-out crowd with his classic hits as well as a few of his new numbers

Paris' Bataclan concert hall turned away two members of Eagles of Death Metal (pictured at L'Olympia in February) who were playing during the ISIS attack at the venue last year

Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes (R) and drummer Julian Dorio are pictured visiting a memorial that pays homage to the victims of the terrorist attacks at Le Bataclan on December 8, 2015

Former Police frontman Sting, 65, soothed a sell-out crowd with his classic hits as mourners outside lit candles and placed flowers in tribute to those slaughtered by three ISIS gunmen last year.

In the coordinated attacks across Paris, 130 people were left dead and hundreds more injured in the worst terrorist atrocity to hit France.

Sting, who today landed in Paris from New York where he celebrated the release of his latest album 57th & 9th, said he agreed to the gig 'to remember and honour those who lost their lives'.

Sting today landed in Paris from New York where he celebrated the release of his latest album 57th & 9th

The rocker, 65, performed for the crowd on both his classical guitar and bass guitar at the Bataclan concert hall

Sting put on quite a show on Saturday - his song Message in a Bottle had the crown with their arms in their air

Horrific: The Bataclan was one of several targets in a wave of bloody attacks across the French capital by Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers on the night of November 13, 2015

When he stepped on stage to loud cheers, he delivered his poignant message, speaking French to the packed crowd: 'We've got two important things to do tonight ... First, to remember and honour those who lost their lives in the attacks a year ago, and to celebrate the life and the music of this historic venue.

'So before we begin, I would like to ask that we observe one minute of silence ... We shall not forget them.'

His appearance is a major boost for the venue which had been struggling to attract big names back to perform there since the atrocities during an Eagles of Death Metal gig.

Islamic extremist suicide bombers - Frenchmen Omar Ismail Mostefai, 29, Samy Amimour, 28, and Foued Mohamed-Aggad, 23 - stormed into the concert hall as US rock band Eagles Of Death Metal performed, while jihadists also targeted cafes and the Stade de France.

In a show of defiance Jerome Langlet, of the venue's owners Lagardere Live Entertainment, said: 'The whole world is going to see the Bataclan live again.'

Since the attacks, the hall's devastated interior has been completely replaced, from the seats to the floorboards, with identical fittings.

Sting said he agreed to the gig 'to remember and honour those who lost their lives in the attack a year ago'

Fans were clapping their hands and singing along to Sting's classic hits

The Bataclan was rocking as the audience jumped up and down

Time out: Sting said a few words to the audience during a break between songs

'We wanted to change everything so nothing would remain of that terrible night,' said Langlet, adding that 'several million euros' has been spent on refurbishing the building in identical style without losing the venue's intimate atmosphere. 'We decide to change everything so nothing would change'.

While reopening the doors will mean reliving painful memories for many, Jules Frutos, who has co-run the venue for the last 12 years, said: 'We had to go on after such horror and not leave a mausoleum, a tomb.'

Frutos said he rang Sting himself to ask him to play after the British singer said he was keen to help, having played at the Bataclan with The Police in 1979.

Sting said: 'We hope to respect the memory as well as the life-affirming spirit of those who fell. We shall not forget them'

Left: 'Bataclan. You have stolen the carefreeness, the joy of living, you Christophe, never like before, tomorrow re-live rock, tomorrow live peace. Mummy.' Right: 'Bataclan. An affectionate thought for you my son, your father who loves you'

Policemen searched music fans outside the Bataclan concert hall as they entered Sting's gig

Rocking out: Sting stunned fans with an energetic performance on stage at the Bataclan

Taking it slow: Sting closed his eyes to enjoy a more poignant moment during his gig

'His coming here is what we needed,' said Frutos, admitting the weight of the occasion had been too much for many of France's top performers.

The Bataclan said all 1,000 Sting concert tickets sold out in 'less than 30 minutes' and survivors and their families had also been invited to the Saturday night concert.

Sting said: 'In re-opening the Bataclan, we have two important tasks to reconcile. First, to remember and honour those who lost their lives in the attack a year ago, and second, to celebrate the life and the music that this historic theatre represents.

'In doing so we hope to respect the memory as well as the life-affirming spirit of those who fell. We shall not forget them.'

The police presence was heavy outside the concert hall as concert goers waited to enter

Police trucks closed of the road to the concert hall as security was on high alert for the gig

Music fans arrive at the Bataclan concert hall ahead of Sting's performance at the venue on the anniversary of the tragic terror attack at the venue

The police presence was high outside the Bataclan as they searched people on their way into the concert

Laura Sanchez, 41, who travelled to Sting's show from Cadiz in Spain, was one of the first people to take up a position in front of the stage.

She said: 'I come from Madrid and we also have a problem with terrorism. I think life must go on and continue. They want to stop us and no one has the right to stop us.'

Sarah Marrer, 18, from Lille, said it is important to 'show that we're not afraid', adding: 'I think it's important that every French person and everyone can come here and enjoy and show that it's not over.'

All revenue from the show will be donated to Life For Paris and 13 Novembre: Fraternite Verite.

The Bataclan will play host to two gigs by Libertines frontman Pete Doherty, on November 16 and 17, while Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour will peform on November 18 and 19.

A riot police officer stands guard near the Bataclan concert hall in Paris

The queues built up before the show as Sting fans lined up outside the venue awaiting a special night

Concert goers showed their tickets and were then inspected by police as they entered the venue

American rock group Eagles of Death Metal performing on stage on November 13, 2015 at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris

Earlier in the day, Sting looked suave as he walked through arrivals at the Charles de Gaulle Airport close beside Trudie Styler ahead of the concert.

Appearing younger than his years, the iconic musician covered up in a navy overcoat with black and yellow buttons.

He rocked eye-catching slip-ons with a swirling bronze pattern and carried a blue and yellow bag over his shoulder.

Trudie, 62, kept warm with two thick scarves, each a different shade of green, and a black jacket.

She slipped into a pair of quirky green leather trousers and completed the ensemble with some black boots.

Paying tribute: Sting touched down in Paris with wife Trudie Styler ahead of his concert at the Bataclan concert hall on the anniversary of last year's tragic terror attack

Age-defying: Appearing younger than his years, the iconic musician covered up in a navy overcoat with black and yellow buttons

Guarded: A group of police were standing outside the venue before the gig

Arrival: the couple seen in Paris several hours before the start of the show

Mourners lay flowers and candles outside the Bataclan on the anniversary of the ISIS attack that killed 90

Mourners laid flowers and candles opposite the Bataclan concert hall on the anniversary of the ISIS terror attack that killed 90.

The Bataclan was one of several targets in a wave of bloody attacks across the French capital by Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers on the night of November 13, 2015.

Natalie Hugon, 45, who works in Cannes, was among mourners laying flowers at a growing shrine ahead of a Sting concert at the venue.

Tribute: Flowers and candles were placed opposite the concert hall in Paris

Paying respects: Crowds gathered to read messages on the anniversary of the tragedy

A woman kneels around flowers and candles laid next to the Bataclan

She said her 22-year-old son ran for his life when crowds celebrating Bastille Day were attacked in Nice in July, hiding for two hours in a bar to protect himself.

'It was the most awful night of my life. I want peace in the world.'

Leslie Podevin, 31, from Nantes, is in Paris for the weekend with her friend and friend's mother who walked away in tears.

The trio laid flowers and Ms Podevin said: 'We came here because we think it's important.

'We want to remember this day. When we saw the date we thought we have to come here and do something.'

A woman called Martine, who said she knew someone who escaped from Le Petit Cambodge, laid a single rose opposite the Bataclan.

French Civil Protection stand at the entrance of the Bataclan

People gather around flowers and candles laid next to the Bataclan

The concert hall will remain closed on Sunday's actual anniversary of the attacks, when authorities plan to unveil a plaque outside to commemorate the victims.

'For the victims, it's their day of mourning, their day to come together,' said Caroline Langlade, president of the Life for Paris association.

In addition to those who died, nine people remain hospitalized from the attacks and others are paralyzed or otherwise irreparably injured.

The government says more than 600 people are still receiving psychological treatment relating to the horrifying attacks.

France remains under tight security after the string of attacks that rocked the country last year

In the coordinated attacks, 130 people were left dead and hundreds more injured in the worst terrorist atrocity to hit France

Six cafes were targeted by a three-man commando unit- Le Carillon, Le Petit Cambodge, Cafe Bonne Biere, Casa Nostra, La Belle Equipe and the Comptoir Voltaire (pictured)

Scores of survivors of the Bataclan assault - the worst of the gun and suicide attacks across the city which left 130 dead - will attend the concert

Several million euros has been spent refurbishing the building in identical style without losing the venue's atmosphere
She works hard in the gym to maintain her svelte physique.

And Millie Mackintosh showed off the fruits of her labour during an exotic Mauritius break with her boyfriend Hugo Taylor, 30, on Saturday.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 27, flaunted her washboard abs in a sizzling white bikini as she lounged on a sandy beach in the steamy Instagram snap.

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'How I would like to spend every Saturday': Millie Mackintosh, 27, showed off her abs in a tiny white bikini during an exotic Mauritius break

The designer's tiny two-piece featured ruching along the bra and revealed a tantalizing amount of cleavage.

With one hand placed behind her head, the brunette beauty appeared entirely serene against the tropical backdrop.

Letting her statement swimwear speak for itself, Millie simply rocked a pair of mirrored round-eye shades.

She captioned the idyllic shot: 'How I would like to spend every Saturday @beachcomber_hotels #taylormorristravels #Mauritius'.

Turn around, bright eyes: The designer looked ethereal in a white maxi dress

Cheeky! The brunette beauty toasted to her imminent arrival in paradise with some champagne on the plane

The reality star has further cemented her relationship with Hugo, who she met on Made In Chelsea in 2011, by going on holiday together.

Clearly excited for the trip, the sunglasses designer shared snaps of their flight in first class.

Smiling for the lens, the couple posed alongside supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's model brother Toby.

Flight squad: Smiling for the lens, the couple posed alongside supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's model brother Toby

Catching some sleep: Clearly excited for the trip, sunglasses designer Hugo shared snaps of their flight in first class

Millie's beaming appearance comes after Janet Street-Porter branded her 'childish' for ruining her wedding dress in a bid to get back at ex-husband Professor Green.

The former reality star is thought to have ripped up her 1,500 evening dress from the day she wed Pro Green and smeared blood all over it for a Halloween costume.

But 69-year-old Janet called the stunt 'horrible' when it came up in discussion on Loose Women on Thursday.

'It's horrible to make a statement like that, it's childish,' said Janet, acknowledging the her jibe at her ex-husband.

Inseparable couple: The former Made In Chelsea star, 27, took to social media to share a blissfully happy snap of herself with her 'love' Hugo Taylor, 30, on Tuesday

Millie got a second wear out of the ivory Grace Loves Lace gown for the spooky festivities at Albert's in West London last month, but she defaced it to play dress as the jilted bride.

The beauty first wore the stunning dress on her wedding day to the chart-topper, whose real name is Stephen Manderson, in Somerset back in 2013.

The Sun reported on Sunday that the former Made in Chelsea star 'ripped' and 'bloodied' the Grace Loves Lace gown she had worn to the evening reception of her wedding to the musician for the spooky festivities at Albert's in West London.
She is constantly busy as a business owner and mother-of-two.

But Imogen Thomas never fails to look stylish despite her hectic schedule - arriving at the Secret Life of Pets premiere in her usual glamorous fashion.

The Big Brother star, 33, arrived at the film's DVD and Blu-Ray launch on Saturday in a classic roll neck jumper and chic leather leggings, proving her effortless style never falters.

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Casual chic: Imogen Thomas, 33, arrived at the Secret Life of Pets premiere in London on Saturday in a classic roll neck jumper and chic leather leggings

The model fashionably embraced the colder London weather in her grey woolen roll neck, which fell softly against her figure.

Upping the glamour of the comfy and cosy look, Imogen teamed the jumper with a pair of skin-tight PVC leggings to emphasise her enviably shapely legs.

Making the outfit even trendier, the former Miss Wales then added a pair of suedette thigh-high boots, which elongated her already leggy frame with their chunky heel.

Red carpet pro: The star looked incredible as she posed fiercely in her chic ensemble - making it more of a shock that she was targeted by cruel internet trolls about her weight

The mother of two left her hair in its everyday wavy state and added a simple slick of mascara and pink lipstick to her face, to highlight her naturally pretty features.

Posing fiercely with her hand on her hip, Imogen looked gorgeous as she hit the carpet - therefore making it more of a shock that she was targeted by such cruel body shamers in the past.

The yummy mummy was left furious after rude comments were made on her social media pages in reference to her naturally curvier post-pregnancy frame.

Shocking: The yummy mummy was left furious after rude comments were made on her social media pages in reference to her naturally curvier post-pregnancy frame

She explained to Star Magazine earlier this year: 'It's a really sad world we live in. Nobody should be body-shaming because everyone is different. And I've just had a baby! I don't understand these people - they clearly haven't had babies.

'[The things people say] can get me down if I'm in a bad mood, but it doesn't affect how I see myself.

'I wouldn't lose weight because of what anyone says. I'd only lose weight for myself. Unless you're perfect, don't bother criticising me.'

Imogen made a rare solo appearance at the premiere - when she is more often seen with her daughters Ariana, three, and 11-month-old Siera in tow.

Imogen shares her children with Australian businessman boyfriend Adam Horsley.

Doting mother: Imogen made a rare solo appearance at the premiere - when she is more often seen with her daughters Ariana, three, and 11-month-old Siera in tow

Loved-up: Imogen shares her children with Australian businessman boyfriend Adam Horsley

As if her life was not busy enough as a mother-of-two, the former Big Brother star turned her hand to designing earlier this year and released her own line of swimwear, Chasing Summer.

However the brunette beauty admitted to OK! recently that juggling parenting and business is no easy feat - especially after the birth of her second.

She told the magazine: 'Trying to juggle them both has been the most difficult thing. When one cried, I just didn't know who to go to first, and it was stressing me out so much.'

'I've got to say, I think being a mother is probably the hardest job in the world. I think people underestimate it.'
Fitness fanatic Khloe Kardashian has created her own denim line.

And on Saturday morning, the reality star flaunted her toned figure in a pair of her innovative 'skinny boyfriend' Good American jeans.

After posting a shot and showing off her tiny waist jeans, the 32-year-old Kardashian addressed the criticism she received with a second post.

Showing off the goods: 'Not your average boyfriend jean,' Khloe Kardashian captioned her Instagram post on Saturday morning

Kardashian wore a light pink button-down body suit with a plunging v-neck tucked into a pair of her 'Good Cuts' jeans.

She posed in front of a black Rolls Royce inside of the The Oaks, the prestigious Calabasas gated community where most of the Kardashians reside.

Her dip-dyed blonde tresses were styled up in a glamorous half-pony, and she wore clear oversized glasses.

Khloe, who is dating Tristian Thompson, finished the simple look with a pair of dusty pink pumps.

Sassy: 'Y'all are funny,' the blonde beauty captioned the second booty-flaunting photo, 'Always remember, Happy ho*s ain't hatin and hatin ho*s ain't happy!'

Though most of her 58.3 million followers offered compliments, the reality star felt she had to defend herself against the handful of haters.

'Y'all are funny,' the blonde beauty captioned the second booty-flaunting photo, 'Always remember, Happy ho*s ain't hatin and hatin ho*s ain't happy!'

The jean designer was most likely reacting to the comment section of the first photo she posted on Saturday morning, which was filled with less-than-supportive messages calling her 'pigeon toed,' and complaining about the denim brand's price point.

Can't win: Though Khloe has lost weight and toned up since her 2013 split with Lamar Odam, she is still shamed for her body on social media

Either way, Khloe looked phenomenal in the clap-back picture, where her tiny waist was nearly invisible, and her jeans complemented her sizable derriere.

Khloe's Good American jeans range from $149-$189.

Her younger sister Kylie Jenner is a huge fan of her older sis's line and rocks the flattering jeans often.

Rocking Good Cuts: Kylie loves her older sister's denim line and rocks them often
It was a show full of surprises, as Ed Balls left the judges speechless with his Gangnam Style salsa, whilst Danny Mac scored his first tens of the series.

But Strictly Come Dancing viewers seemed more concerned by who was in the audience on Saturday night, as they took to Twitter to discuss the surprise appearance by Mary Berry.

But the joy didn't last for long as viewers soon confessed they had been moved to tears by the sight of Judge Rinder's grandparents on the show.

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Nice to see you! Strictly Come Dancing viewers were more concerned by who was in the audience than on the dancefloor on Saturday night, after spotting Mary Berry in the crowd

Following her cameo appearance in the Strictly final last year, Great British Bake Off host Mary was back, and whilst she may not have said a word, it seems she stole the show.

'Are they trying to convince Mary Berry to do next series? #Strictly' one viewer wrote, as another quipped: 'Mary Berry deserves to be top of the leaderboard #Strictly'.

One fan wrote: 'just saw Mary Berry in the #Strictly audience so my night is made,' as another pondered: 'I wonder who Mary Berry's favourite was tonight #Strictly'.

Meanwhile, one excitable fan merely wrote: 'BEZZA!! I love Mary Berry #Strictly #scd2016'.

Proud grandson: Viewers soon confessed they had been moved to tears by the sight of Judge Rinder's (pictured with Oksana Platero) grandparents on the show

The judges were also clearly pleased to have the iconic baker in the audience, littering her name in a number of comments about the dances.

Following Daisy Lowe's energetic performance with Aljaz Skorjanec, Bruno remarked: 'That salsa... I'm sure Mary Berry would approve wouldn't you darling!'

And when discussing Judge (Robert) Rinder's foxtrot, Len Goodman quipped: 'It was like a Mary Berry souffle, light and fluffy with no soggy bottom!'

Dream contestant: One suggested Mary take to the floor

The real winner: One cheeky fan suggested Mary should win

Thinking it through: One seemed to take great care considering Mary's choices

Love it: One seemed on very familiar terms

But viewers were more concerned with the TV judge's grandparents, who spoke to Tess Daly ahead of the star's dance.

Introducing Harry and Francis, Tess was interrupted as a misty-eyed Francis interjected: 'We're willing him on every step of the way!'

And following the dance Robert, blew kisses at his grandparents as he explained: 'It means the world to me that they're here. We're here having this fun because of them.'

Terrific trio: Viewers were more concerned with the TV judge's grandparents, Francis and Harry, who spoke to Tess Daly ahead of the star's dance

Emotional: One viewer hinted they were crying

Feeling positive: The scenes cheered one fan right up

In love: Another viewer was pleased to see the star so happy

Sensitive soul: One viewer admitted to crying after watching the touching scenes

Strictly viewers were overwhelmed with the touching scenes, taking to Twitter to post: 'Judge Rinder dancing for his grandparents. This is just too much I love him! @JudgeRinderTV #Strictly

'Judge Rinder just personifies joy on the dance floor, love that man #strictly.

Others added: 'Oh, you know, I'm just having a little cry because of Robert Rinder and his grandparents. Casual Saturday. #Strictly

'Judge Rinder's sheer joy at dancing the foxtrot for his grandparents is just the boost we all needed this week #strictly @JudgeRinderTV'
They welcomed daughter Dream Renee Kardashian on Thursday morning.

And just two days later Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna were seen taking their newborn home.

On Saturday Chyna and Rob were seen loading their daughter into the family car at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles.

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Taking her home for the first time: Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna were seen taking their newborn daughter Dream home as they left at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles on Saturday

Rob, 29, got behind the wheel as he prepared to take his child home for the very first time.

His fiancee could be seen sitting in the backseat with their newborn just hours after she posted a snap of herself breastfeeding Dream on the child's brand new Twitter account.

On Friday the pair posted the little girl's first tweet, a shot of Chyna, 28, breastfeeding her, with the caption: 'Morning it's bonding time with mommy!'

Off we go! Rob got behind the wheel as he drove his newborn home

Just two days ago: The reality star became a father for the first time

His fiancee could be seen sitting in the backseat with their newborn just hours after she posted a snap of herself breastfeeding Dream on the child's brand new Twitter account

The newborn was bundled up in a white hat and a polka dotted pink and white blanket as she breastfed in the photo.

Rob, 29, and Chyna also created an Instagram account for their baby girl, sharing the breastfeeding picture there on Saturday as well.

It marks the second picture shared to Dream's Instagram account, with the first being a repost of a heartwarming snap from Rob.

Dream looked to be holding onto Rob's finger in the sweet photo, which he lovingly captioned: 'Today was amazing :) I am so lucky!! Thank you @blacchyna for having our baby and being so strong !'

Morning! Baby Dream could be seen breastfeeding with mother Blac Chyna in the first snap shared to the little girl's new Twitter account on Saturday

Over the moon! Chyna looked thrilled to show off her daughter after welcoming her with fiance Rob Kardashian on Thursday

Proud: Dream also has an Instagram account, which first shared a snap of the newborn baby in the hospital, reposted from Rob's page

'I love you so much and can't wait to see her get older day by day with you Chy! I love you and Dream so much and Appreciate both of you #DreamKardashian,' he gushed.

Rob has been gushing about his daughter all over Instagram, most recently posting about a gift from sister Kim Kardashian and brother-in-law Kanye West.

The image showed a collection of large, pink balloons, one of which read: 'Welcome baby girl,' sitting behind a table which held two pairs of Yeezy Boost sneakers.

'Thank you KimYe!' Rob also took to Instagram to show off a congratulatory gift from sister Kim Kardashian and brother-in-law Kanye West

For her baby: Chyna showed off her breast pump as she talked about 'getting this good old breast milk for my baby girl' on Snapchat

Rob captioned the celebratory snap: 'Thank you KimYe baby yeezys mooooovvvvvieeeee @kimkardashian.'

Chyna, meanwhile, hopped on Snapchat to document herself using a breast pump for Dream.

'Good morning, everybody, getting this good old breast milk for my baby girl,' Chyna shared, as she focused in on the breast pump.

Showing her off! Chyna and Rob both posted about Dream's new Instagram account on Snapchat

The mother-of-two - who also shares four-year-old King Cairo Stevenson with ex Tyga - ended the short video by encouraging her fans to follow her daughter's new Instagram account, which is run by herself and Rob.

The couple announced back in May that they were expecting, later revealing on their E! series Rob & Chyna that they were having a girl.
More anti-Trump protests in New York, Miami, Portland

Demonstrators took to the streets of Miami, New York, Portland and other US cities for a third straight night of nationwide protests to oppose Donald Trump's election as president.

People gathered in New York's Washington Square neighborhood in lower Manhattan on Friday, some carrying enormous red balloons and placards with hearts and the words "peace and love".

In Portland, Oregon, a man was injured in a shooting which city police believe resulted from a confrontation with someone at that protest.

A demonstrator holds up a placard during a protest against Donald Trump's US presidential election victory at City Hall in Portland, Oregon on November 11, 2016 Ankur Dholakia (AFP)

According to witnesses cited by the New York Times, the altercation began when a car full of people grew angry about being stalled in traffic and one protester was shot in the leg.

Prior to the shooting Portland police reported on Twitter that projectiles were "being thrown at officers" for a second night, while local media said that police in riot gear used pepper spray and flash-bang devices to scatter the crowd.

In New York, the local ABC affiliate said an estimated 4,000 people gathered at Washington Square, while others descended on Union Square and marched through Midtown. Still more converged outside Trump Tower.

Some at Washington Square held signs reading "Your Wall Can't Stand in Our Way" -- a reference to the anti-immigration barrier the billionaire real estate baron has promised to build on the US border with Mexico.

The New York Police Department reported that 11 people had been arrested as of late Friday, the New York Times said.

Demonstrators said they wanted to show solidarity with those they felt may be targeted by Trump's policies once he takes office in January, including Mexicans and Muslims.

"We're here to support the people that Trump has insulted, to show our children that we all have a voice, and to stand up for people's rights," Kim Bayer, 41, told AFP.

Organizers plan another large demonstration in the same Washington Square location on Saturday, and more protests are expected across a number of cities over the weekend.

Meanwhile, about a thousand protesters took part in a demonstration in Miami, hoisting signs against racism as they walked down Biscayne Boulevard opposing the deportation of undocumented immigrants.

At a small protest in California, about two dozen women wearing shorts and sports bras locked arms and staged a brief flash mob-style protest in the middle of a freeway south of Los Angeles on Friday, causing traffic to come to a standstill.

Several of the women carried placards that read "Unity" as they marched down the four-lane freeway in Costa Mesa.

Atlanta police estimated that the city's largest anti-Trump protest yet drew more than 1,000 people on Friday, according to local broadcaster WSB. Outside the Georgia Capitol, protesters reportedly burned a US flag.

And in Philadelphia, some 250 people gathered for a rally against the president-elect, ABC affiliate WPVI reported.

Further north in Boston more than a thousand people converged in the afternoon for a "Love Rally" against Trump's divisive rhetoric, local media said.

Demonstrations also occurred in Detroit, Dallas, Memphis, Orlando, Raleigh and a number of other cities.

Since Trump's shock victory on Tuesday over Democrat Hillary Clinton, who had been widely tipped to win, thousands have protested in cities across the United States.

While most of the demonstrations have been peaceful, officials said some erupted in violence that caused property damage.

There has also been an increase in violence by both Clinton and Trump supporters against partisans on the other side, law enforcement officials said.

Anti-Trump demonstrations across the US Laurence SAUBADU (AFP)

Demonstrators carry signs during a "Love Rally" march in Union Square Park in New York on November 11, 2016, to protest the election of US President-elect Donald Trump Bryan R. Smith (AFP)

Steven Shryock of the East Village holds a sign during a "Love Rally" march in New York on November 11, 2016, to protest the election of US President-elect Donald Trump Bryan R. Smith (AFP)

Police block Fifth Avenue near Trump Tower in New York as demonstrators took to the city's streets to oppose Donald Trump's election for a fourth straight day Bryan R. Smith (AFP)
A flotilla of Russian warships is now in the eastern Mediterranean off the Syrian coast after being sent to back up a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

The commander of Russia's flagship Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, Sergei Artamonov, said via videolink that the ships are now in the 'designated zone... in the eastern Mediterranean' and 'are now jointly carrying out tasks, manoeuvering to the west of the Syrian coast'.

The battle group has travelled to Syria from the North Sea through the English Channel in the biggest such naval deployment in recent years as part of Russia's military intervention in Syria.

Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov pictured in international waters off the coast of northern Norway last month

Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, pictured in the Englist Channel, is part of the Russian Task Group, which includes the sole the nuclear powered Kirov Class Battlecruiser, Pyotr Velikiy and two Udaloy Class Destroyers, Vice Admiral Kulakov and Severomorsk

Russia has been flying a bombing campaign in Syria for the past year in support of President Bashar al-Assad and has deployed a naval contingent to back up its operation.

The naval task force has been monitored closely by NATO, whose chief Jens Stoltenberg voiced concern the ships would be used to support the Russian military operation in Syria and 'increase human and civilian suffering.'

The ship's commander was speaking to a presenter on Russia-1 television from inside the defence ministry for a news show that will air this evening in Moscow.

The Russian warship 'Mirage' passes the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul on its way to Syria

He confirmed that aircraft are already taking off from the ship's deck to view the conflict zone.

'Flights are being carried out from the deck... they are working on coordination with the shore port,' he said.

'The flights have been going on practically every day for the last four days,' he added.

HMS Richmond observing aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, which is part of a Russian task group, during transit through the North Sea

Russia's Interfax news agency on Friday had cited a Russian military and diplomatic source as saying that Russian MiG and Sukhoi jets have been regularly flying into Syrian airspace from the Kuznetsov to 'determine combat missions.'

The Russian television channel also spoke to the commander of the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered battle cruiser, which is part of the same flotilla.

Asked whether foreign aircraft were flying over the ships, the commander, Vladislav Malakhovsky, said 'they are afraid to come closer than 50 kilometres away, realising very well how powerful the nuclear cruiser is.'

- Seeks UN assurances on truces -

Russia says it has ceased strikes on rebel-held east Aleppo since October 18 and has also held brief unilateral ceasefires on the ground it calls 'humanitarian pauses.'

It has accused the United States-led coalition of failing to persuade rebels to cooperate to allow civilians to leave, as only a few have done so.

The Russian defence ministry on Saturday said that it will introduce further 'humanitarian pauses' only on condition that the United Nations humanitarian mission guarantees it is ready and able to organise aid supplies and evacuations.

The UN has warned that east Aleppo is now down to its final food supplies and has urged Russia to extend future truces to allow supplies through.

Russia said Saturday it is ready to act 'at any time' as long as the UN 'officially confirms its readiness and ability to supply humanitarian aid to Aleppo and evacuate wounded and sick peaceful residents.'

It complained that previous assurances from the UN had turned out to be 'just words.'
Trump firm on agenda but says Americans have nothing to fear

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to move aggressively on a conservative agenda in filling Supreme Court vacancies, cracking down on immigration and cutting taxes, but also sought to reassure worried Americans they have nothing to fear from his presidency.

Setting aside the strident tone of his campaign, the 70-year-old assumed a gentler manner in his first television interview since his shock election, saying he was "saddened" by reports of harassment of Muslims and Hispanics, and telling the perpetrators: "Stop It."

The interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," which was taped Friday and aired in full Sunday, offered Trump an opportunity to reintroduce himself after an ugly, name-calling campaign and surprise victory that sparked protests in cities across the United States.

Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) Reince Priebus (R) embraces US President-elect Donald Trump during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown, on November 9, 2016 Jim Watson (AFP/File)

"I just don't think they know me," the billionaire real estate mogul said at one point, of the thousands of protesters who have massed in streets below his Trump Tower headquarters.

Told that many Americans are scared of his presidency, Trump said: "Don't be afraid. We are going to bring our country back."

- Conservative agenda -

Millions were expected to tune in to Trump's interview for clues on how the billionaire will govern, and to what degree he intends to convert his slogans into policy.

Trump earlier Sunday named anti-establishment firebrand Steve Bannon his top strategist and senior Republican Reince Priebus his White House chief of staff, blending pragmatism with a rabble-rousing edge in the first appointments of his new administration.

On the issues, however, Trump made it clear he intends to aggressively push a right-wing agenda, pledging to name justices to the Supreme Court who are against abortion and for gun rights.

"The judges will be pro-life," Trump told CBS. "In terms of the whole gun situation," he added, "they're going to be very pro-Second Amendment."

He will have an immediate opportunity to fill a vacancy on the court left by the death of arch conservative justice Antonin Scalia. President Barack Obama's attempt to fill the seat was blocked by the Republican-controlled Senate.

On immigration, Trump reaffirmed his signature campaign pledge to build a wall on the border with Mexico, although he conceded parts of it may be just a fence.

And he said as many as three million undocumented immigrants with criminal records would be deported or incarcerated.

"What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers," he said.

"We have a lot of these people, probably two million, it could be even three million, we are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarcerate," he said.

- Conciliatory notes -

He left the door open, however, on the fate of the millions of other immigrants in the country illegally.

"After the border is secured and after everything gets normalized, we're going to make a determination on the people that you're talking about who are terrific people," he said.

Immigration, he said, was one of three top legislative priorities he has discussed with House Speaker Paul Ryan, the others being action to undo Obama's signature health care reform and a bill to cut taxes and simplify the tax code.

Trump had previously indicated he would keep some aspects of Obamacare, including a ban on insurance companies denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

He also signaled that he would not seek to overturn the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States.

"It's law. It was settled in the Supreme Court. I mean it's done," Trump said when asked if he supports marriage equality. "And I'm -- I'm fine with that," he added.

He also confirmed he would forgo the $400,000 salary that comes with the office of US president.

"I'm not going to take the salary. I'm not taking it," he said. "I think I have to by law take $1, so I'll take $1 a year," he added.

In a call to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump told the leader he believes they will have "one of the strongest relationships for both countries moving forward," according to a statement released by the president-elect's team early Monday.

Trump -- who frequently savaged China on the campaign trail and threatened to impose a 45-percent tariff on Chinese-made goods -- agreed to meet "at an early date" to discuss the relationship, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said.

- Conspiracy-mongering -

While Trump has veered on some pledges, his choice of Bannon as top strategist suggests he intends to preserve his populist edge.

Bannon, who was campaign chairman in the final months of the Trump campaign, is CEO of the right-wing, conspiracy-mongering Breitbart News website known for withering attacks on the Republican elite.

It has railed against everything from Muslim immigrants to women, once telling females facing online harassment to go away and stop "screwing up the internet for men."

Priebus, meanwhile, is a seasoned political operative and head of the Republican National Committee, with close ties to Ryan, the House speaker.

US Supreme Court -, -, - (AFP Graphic)

Demonstrators protest against US President-elect Donald Trump on Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower in New York, on November, 13, 2016 Bryan R. Smith (AFP)

Anti-establishment firebrand Steve Bannon (R) will be Donald Trump's top strategist while Republican Reince Priebus (L) was named to his White House chief of staff
Dutch to extradite two genocide suspects to Rwanda: prosecutor

The Dutch national prosecutor said Saturday that two Rwandans living in the Netherlands accused of participating in the country's 1994 genocide would be extradited to their homeland.

"Two Rwandan residents of the Netherlands, a 40-year-old from Voorburg and a 57-year-old from Leusden, will be extradited to Rwanda today," the prosecutor said in a statement.

Rwanda had demanded the extraditions of Jean-Claude Iyamuremye and Jean-Baptiste Mugimba in 2012 and 2013 respectively to face trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Photos of victims of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide hang in the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda on April 7, 2012 Steve Terrill (AFP/File)

The two are suspected of having been militiamen during a four-month massacre of some 800,000 people, mostly from Rwanda's Tutsi minority, in 1994.

The extraditions come after a lengthy legal battle. Dutch authorities had at first approved the extraditions but they were blocked on appeal as judges doubted the two would receive a fair trial. That ruling was later overturned in another appeal.

Iyamuremye is accused of having participated in a notorious massacre near the Official Technical School (ETO) outside the capital Kigali on April 11, 1994.

According to the website of Kigali's memorial centre, some 2,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed that day near the school after Belgian UN peacekeepers left the area.

Mugimba is believed to have attacked Tutsis in a neighbourhood of Kigali.
Israel PM denies incitement before Rabin killing

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday rejected accusations that he had been involved in a campaign of incitement that preceded the 1995 assassination of premier Yitzhak Rabin.

In a message on his Facebook page, Netanyahu called Rabin's killing on November 4 that year by Jewish extremist Yigal Amir a "shocking political murder that all of us condemn".

"Since the murder there have been continuous attempts to distort the historical truth and blame me for the incitement that preceded the killing," he wrote.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party have often been accused of taking part in the hate campaign that preceded Rabin's assassination Jack Guez (AFP/File)

He posted video clips taken before the assassination, showing him condemning virulent statements against Rabin.

Rabin won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for his role in negotiating the Oslo peace accords, which envisioned an independent Palestinian state.

Amir, who was opposed to the Oslo accords, is now serving a life sentence for shooting Rabin dead at a peace rally in a central Tel Aviv square.

Netanyahu and his Likud party have often been accused of taking part in the hate campaign that preceded Rabin's assassination.
Brave faces at climate talks despite Trump win

The host of global climate talks insisted Saturday that Donald Trump's election has not cast a cloud over the negotiations tasked with translating the landmark Paris climate pact into reality.

Moroccan foreign minister Salaheddine Mezouar put on a brave face as the talks hit the half-way point, saying they remained on track for the arrival next week of some 60 heads of state.

"No, the election of Donald Trump does not hover over this COP anymore," said Mezouar, using the acronym for the Conference of the Parties meeting in Marrakesh.

COP22 president Salaheddine Mezouar delivers a speech during the opening session of the COP22 climate talks in Marrakesh on November 7, 2016 Fadel Senna (AFP/File)

He noted that countries including China have reaffirmed their commitments to the 196-nation Paris Agreement, which was inked in December and entered into force last week, record time for an international treaty.

The tally of ratifications has hit 105, with new ones added almost daily, said Mezouar, the president of the forum.

Also on Saturday, Germany presented a plan to purge up to 95 percent of the CO2 from its economy by mid-century, a voluntary step other major carbon emitters have also pledged to take.

"The work is going very well," UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa told journalists, adding that technical committees would finish up in time for the arrival of presidents and ministers next Tuesday.

But the elephant in the room remained, despite efforts to ignore or banish it.

"The president-elect removed from his website the section concerning the Paris Agreement, which is a good sign," said the Moroccan minister.

A page posted on donaldjtrump.com did briefly disappear, but apparently only for technical reasons.

The promise oft repeated during the campaign -- that has deeply shaken the UN talks -- is in fact still there, black-on-white.

"We're going to cancel the Paris Climate Agreement," it reads, presented as part of Trump's 100-day action plan.

His administration will also "stop all payments of US tax dollars to UN global warming programs," it says.

- 'We are waiting' -

The Obama administration promised $3 billion (2.8 million euros) to a special fund for poor nations already feeling the lash of climate-enhanced extreme weather, from superstorms to droughts to heatwaves.

So far, however, the US has only ponied up $500,000 (460,000).

A senior US official -- the first to comment publicly here since the election -- counselled a "wait-and-see" attitude.

"We should not just assume what is going to happen," said Catherine Novelli, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment.

"We have one president at a time. We are going to have to see how things develop," she added, echoing statements from many other delegates over the last three days.

Morocco's environment minister, meanwhile, expressed confidence that Trump would come around, pointing out that he has already reversed himself on other issues such as health care.

"I think that competition worldwide will push them to change their position," she told AFP, referring to the breakneck development of renewable energy around the world.

"Americans are the ones who went to the moon. They should also be the ones who create this revolution -- and it is a revolution.

"We heard the candidate. We have not yet heard the President. We are waiting," she added.

Under the Paris pact, rich countries have pledged at least $100 billion a year starting in 2020.

In an annex to the treaty, nations have also submitted voluntary pledges to cut the greenhouse gas emissions that cause dangerous global warming.

The agreement commits nations to collectively capping Earth's average temperature increase at under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

With 1.0C (1.8F) of warming to date, the world has already seen an uptick in deadly storms, droughts, heatwaves and flooding.

The 12-day talks run until November 18.
Authorities: Deputies fatally shoot man who shot mother

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP)  Sheriff's deputies fatally shot a 53-year-old man after he shot his mother in both legs and pointed a gun at them during a domestic disturbance investigation in Florida, authorities said.

Marjorie Pacuicrk, 75, had called 911 after son John Pacuicrk argued with her before locking himself in his room at home in Lakeland around 6 p.m. Thursday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release.

The dispatcher told the woman to walk outside the house and wait for deputies. When they arrived, she told them her son had gotten angry when she asked him to help her push her car into the backyard. He tried and the car wouldn't move. According to Judd, John Pacuicrk went into his room and his mother told him through the door that she wanted him to leave.

Deputies Lee Smith, 23, and Bernardo Del Valle, 28, went inside the home to talk to John Pacuicrk. While inside, Judd said the deputies heard gunshots and ran out front where they saw the man and his brother, Theodore Pacuicrk, 51, rolling around on the ground. They ordered John Pacuicrk to drop the gun, but he jumped up and pointed it at the deputies, Judd said.

Both deputies returned fire and John Pacuicrk was struck several times, Judd said. Deputies performed CPR, but he died at the scene.

The mother made it to a car in the front yard. Judd said she was taken to a hospital in stable condition.

Theodore Pacuicrk told investigators his brother had gone out the back door, jumped a fence and was walking toward the front yard with a gun in each hand, Judd said. He said his brother was saying, "I'm going to kill her," so he put him in a bear hug, but the brother was still able to fire multiple shots, striking their mother. At that point, he said he wrestled his brother to the ground.

Judd said the deputies have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

According to the sheriff, John Pacuicrk had a DUI arrest in South Carolina in 1986 and his Florida driver's license was revoked.
Turkish prime minister hopeful over presidential system

ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  Turkey's prime minister says he hopes his government can achieve constitutional reforms to usher in a presidential system with the support of the nationalist party.

Binali Yildirim's comments on Friday came a day after he discussed with Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, plans for a presidential system that would give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's largely ceremonial presidency executive powers.

Until now opposition parties had opposed a presidential system, saying that would allow Erdogan to rule unchecked. But Bahceli said on Twitter late Thursday that Yildirim's proposals were "positive and reasonable."

Yildirim said: "God willing with the MHP we will change the constitution and accomplish a presidential system."
Retired NYPD detective shoots 2 in New Jersey during robbery

NEWARK, N.J. (AP)  Officials say a retired New York City Police detective wounded two suspects who tried to rob her in Newark.

Police say the 43-year-old, who retired nine months ago, was getting into her vehicle in Newark on Thursday night when she was approached by two men who brandished a gun and demanded money.

The detective opened fire, wounding 22-year-old Tahje Hunt and 27-year-old Brian Moore, who fled on foot. The Newark residents were apprehended and taken to a hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

The men are charged with robbery and other charges. It is not known if they have lawyers who could comment.

Police recovered a replica gun.
EU sees pause in talks on free trade deal with US

BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union's top trade official says talks on the planned Trans-Atlantic trade deal are set to be put on hold following the election of Donald Trump in the United States.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said Friday that "with the new president-elect we don't really know what will happen" with the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Pact.

She said "there is strong reason to believe that there would be a pause in TTIP, that this might not be the biggest priority for the new administration."

The Europeans had wanted to seal a deal before President Barack Obama leaves office in January. Looming elections in France and Germany have also hampered progress.
2 Boise officers, 1 suspect hospitalized after shooting

BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Authorities say two Idaho police officers were injured and a suspect was dead after a shooting during a search for a fugitive.

Police were doing a yard-to-yard search for the fugitive about 3:25 p.m. Friday when the gunfire broke out in a Boise neighborhood.

Boise police say the man who was killed in the shootout is 33-year-old Marco Romero, a recent parolee who was sought in connection with a Tuesday shooting in Meridian that injured two people. Authorities did not release the names of the injured officers, but one of them was being treated in the emergency room and the other was in surgery at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center Friday evening.

Emergency medical technicians place an injured person into an ambulance after poice respond to shots fired in an alley along Irving Street in Boise, Idaho, Friday Nov. 11, 2016, during a manhunt for a fugitive believed to be involved in a double shooting in Meridan. Authorities say two police officers and one suspect were shot during a search for a fugitive in Boise. (Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP)

A police dog named Jardo was also injured in the shooting, and was taken to a veterinary emergency hospital for treatment.

Resident Jake Chappele told the Idaho Statesman (http://bit.ly/2g3PhFh ) that he was just getting home from school with his three kids when the gunfire broke out. He ushered the kids inside when he heard what sounded like 10 to 20 shots.

Another resident, Jeff Sele, said he was talking with someone on the street when he heard the gunfire.

"I heard guns and shotguns, it sounded like to me. You can definitely tell the difference between a gun and shotgun blast. It happened real fast....It was 10 to 12 shots, and then it was done," Sele said.

Officer-involved shootings in the Boise region aren't common, but Friday's shooting marked the third such incident in the region in the last 24 hours. Ada County Sheriff's deputies shot a 72-year-old man from Melba Thursday night after a vehicle chase, and Caldwell police shot a man on Friday who was suspected of attempted to break into a home. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Idaho law enforcement officers have fatally shot five people so far this year. Last year seven people were shot and killed by Idaho law enforcement officers.

A policeman injured in a shootout is helped into a tactical armored vehicle where officers respond to shots fired in an alley along Irving Street in Boise, Idaho, Friday Nov. 11, 2016, during a manhunt for a fugitive believed to be involved in a double shooting in Meridan. Authorities say two police officers and one suspect were shot during a search for a fugitive in Boise. (Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP)
Trump may revisit Trump Country during a victory tour

NEW YORK (AP)  Donald Trump may take a victory tour to states that elected him president, an aide said Saturday, as boisterous protests unfolded outside the tower where he holed up with members of his transition team and fielded calls congratulating him.

While he's announced one decision  putting Vice President-elect Mike Pence in charge of the transition instead of Chris Christie  Trump must identify other people for top White House jobs and Cabinet posts. The president-elect remained out of sight at Trump Tower, with streets outside swarming with thousands objecting to the results of Election Day.

At one point, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, a liberal critic of Trump who nevertheless had predicted his victory, entered the tower lobby with a camera crew in tow and asked to see Trump. "I just thought I'd see if I could get into Trump Tower and ride the famous escalator," said Moore, who did just that until he reached the fourth floor and the Secret Service told him he could go no higher.

Filmmaker Michael Moore walks in the lobby of Trump Tower, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Kellyanne Conway, who was Trump's campaign manager and is almost surely in line for a prominent job in his presidency, told reporters in the tower lobby that Trump's choice of a chief of staff was "imminent," though not coming Saturday. Whoever fills that post will set the tone for Trump's White House and be a main conduit to Capitol Hill and Cabinet agencies.

Trump is said to be considering Steve Bannon, his campaign chairman and a conservative media executive, and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus for the job. Neither has significant policy experience, though Priebus is well-liked in Washington and has ties with lawmakers.

Conway said Trump's next public appearance was expected "in the next couple of days." When asked if he'd take a victory tour soon, she said: "It's possible. It's possible. We're working on the schedule."

She described his day as "meetings, phone calls, conversations, interviews. What you would expect from a normal presidential transition."

In one gesture of normalcy, Trump pledged to be "very restrained" in the White House with his use of Twitter, "if I use it at all." But he did not sound convinced that he could leave it behind, when asked in a "60 Minutes" interview to be broadcast Sunday. Some of Trump's most inflammatory comments, in a campaign loaded with provocation, came in his late-night tweets.

"I have a method of fighting back," Trump said of social media. He said Twitter is "tremendous" and helped him win races in states where he was vastly outspent. He said he thinks he's proved that social media can be more powerful than money.

Moments after Moore's uninvited visit to Trump Tower, Nigel Farage, head of the "Leave" movement that won Britain's vote to exit the European Union, also arrived. Trump frequently linked his campaign to the Brexit movement.

"It was a great honor to spend time with Donald Trump," Farage said of his hourlong meeting with Trump, according to a statement from his UK Independence Party. "He was relaxed and full of good ideas. I'm confident he will be a good president. His support for the U.S.-UK relationship is very strong. This is a man with whom we can do business."

For Trump, who ran on a pledge to "drain the swamp" of Washington insiders, the transition team is strikingly heavy on those with long political resumes.

Another apparent contradiction emerged Friday as Trump, who repeatedly vowed to achieve the repeal of President Barack Obama's health care law, said he would be open to maintaining portions of it.

Christie was a loyal adviser to Trump for much of the campaign, offered a key early endorsement and came close to being the businessman's pick for running mate. But Trump ultimately went with Pence, Indiana's governor and a former congressman with Washington experience and deep ties to conservatives, to take the transition forward.

Christie will still be involved in the transition, joining a cluster of other steadfast Trump supporters serving as vice chairmen: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions.

In addition, three of Trump's adult children  Don Jr., Eric and Ivanka  are on the transition executive committee, along with Jared Kushner, Ivanka's husband. Kushner was an influential adviser in Trump's campaign.

The children's inclusion raised questions about Trump's ability to sever ties between the administration and the sprawling family business  after the billionaire repeatedly said during the campaign that his grown children would not follow him to Washington but instead run the Trump Organization.

Trump told The Wall Street Journal that after speaking with Obama at the White House, he was considering keeping the provision of the health law that allows children to stay on their parents' insurance policies until they turn 26. He said previously he may also keep the prohibition against insurers denying coverage because of patients' existing conditions.

Presidents-elect don't often appoint their running mates to lead their transition team. Trump and Christie grew apart through the last stretch of the campaign.

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Pace reported from Washington.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Jonathan Lemire at http://twitter.com/JonLemire

U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage smiles as he arrives at Trump Tower, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Filmmaker Michael Moore joins the demonstrators during a protest against the election of President-elect Donald Trump on 5ht Ave near Trump Tower, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Demonstrators chant slogans as they march up 5th Ave. during a protest against the election of President-elect Donald Trump, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

In this image released by CBS News, 60 MINUTES Correspondent Lesley Stahl interviews President-elect Donald J. Trump and his wife Melania at their home, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in New York. The first post-election interview for television will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES on Sunday. (Chris Albert for CBSNews/60MINUTES via AP)

Dwain Clement shows the handgun he carries while loading vegetables into his truck Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, in Corinth, Maine. Donald Trump's message resonated with the town's voters. "American people should have a job, foreigners shouldn't have a job," said Clement.. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Protestors carrying anti-Trump signs cheer at a rally in Washington Park after a mistrial was declared due to a hung jury in the murder trial against Ray Tensing, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Cincinnati. Tensing, a white former University of Cincinnati police officer, was charged with murder in the shooting of Sam DuBose, an unarmed black motorist, while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Chaos as millions in India crowd banks to exchange currency

NEW DELHI (AP)  Chaotic scenes played out across India on Saturday, with long lines growing even longer and scuffles breaking out, as millions of anxious people tried to change old currency notes that became worthless days earlier when the government demonetized high-value bills.

In New Delhi, the capital, angry scuffles broke out after ATMs ran out of bills. Minor stampedes occurred at two banks in the city's old quarter when thousands of people waiting in line surged forward.

Paramilitary troops posted at banks in some of the most congested areas of the city walked among the crowds urging people to stay calm. Frustrations grew as reports came in that some banks had run out of new currency notes.

Indians crowd outside banks to deposit and exchange discontinued currency notes in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Long lines have grown longer, scuffles have broken out and chaotic scenes are being seen across India as millions of people wait to change old currency notes that have become worthless after the government demonetized high-value bills.(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

On Tuesday, India's government made a surprise announcement that all 500- and 1,000-rupee notes had no cash value, in an effort to tackle corruption and tax evasion.

"I am so angry at the lack of planning on the part of the government before taking such an enormous step," said Raju Sundaram, an office executive, waiting outside a bank in the south Delhi neighborhood of Saket.

Sundaram, who had been in a slow-moving line for four hours, said it was the third consecutive day he was lining up outside his bank. "On Thursday and Friday, they ran out of cash before my turn," he said, as he clutched a bunch of identity papers and a bottle of water.

Winding lines were seen at major banks in central Delhi, as people waited to withdraw new currency bills.

But there were problems because more than half of India's more than 200,000 ATMs had not been reconfigured to dispense the new 2,000-rupee notes introduced by the government, according to Finance Minister Arun Jaitely. He said it would take two to three weeks for all the ATMs in the country to be recalibrated to handle the new notes.

"We knew at the outset that the replacement of this much currency cannot happen overnight. It is a massive operation, and it has only begun," Jaitely told reporters Saturday.

He said the changes in the cash dispensers could not have been done earlier because the government wanted to maintain secrecy about the demonetization.

Meanwhile, anger was mounting as people, frustrated with the delays and long hours spent in serpentine lines, lost their cool, lashing out at the government and bank employees.

"If it's bad outside the bank, it's complete chaos inside," said Suniti Kumar, a housewife, as she elbowed her way out of a bank through a restive crowd.

Many banks ran out of currency notes, and overworked bank staff who have been working long hours, or in shifts, appeared helpless.

"This is a hugely disruptive step," said a bank teller in Delhi's shopping hub of Connaught Place, as he stepped outside for a cigarette. "It required a lot more planning, but that didn't happen." He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Delhi police said they received more than 3,000 emergency calls reporting fights and scuffles in the city Friday as people crowded outside banks, waiting to exchange notes or withdraw money.

On Saturday, nearly 200 calls had been received in the first four hours since the banks opened at 9 a.m. local time, according to police.

In the southern city of Kollam, furious crowds smashed glass panes and vandalized a bank after the manager announced to waiting clients that the bank had run out of new bills.

An Indian police officer pleads to an elderly man to stay in the queue as people crowd outside banks to deposit and exchange discontinued currency notes in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Long lines have grown longer, scuffles have broken out and chaotic scenes are being seen across India as millions of people wait to change old currency notes that have become worthless after the government demonetized high-value bills. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

An Indian paramilitary soldier asks people to stay in the queue to deposit and exchange discontinued currency notes at a bank in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Long lines have grown longer, scuffles have broken out and chaotic scenes are being seen across India as millions of people wait to change old currency notes that have become worthless after the government demonetized high-value bills. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Indians crowd outside banks to deposit and exchange discontinued currency notes in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Long lines have grown longer, scuffles have broken out and chaotic scenes are being seen across India as millions of people wait to change old currency notes that have become worthless after the government demonetized high-value bills.(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
The Latest: 7 arrested in Las Vegas protest of Donald Trump

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  The Latest on nationwide and international protests against President-elect Donald Trump (all times local):

11 p.m.

Authorities say nearly a thousand protesters marched on the Las Vegas strip sidewalks in a demonstration against President-elect Donald Trump.

Police stand in front of people who march through downtown Portland, Ore., to protest of the election of president-elect, Donald Trump, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016. Hundreds of protesters traveled through downtown Portland streets Friday night while others converged at an intersection, not budging as police told them the activity amounted to unlawful assembly. (Stephanie Yao Long/The Oregonian via AP)

Las Vegas Police Captain Christopher Tomaino said late Saturday that seven people were arrested on charges that they blocked traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard after a vocal but otherwise peaceful demonstration at the Trump hotel.

Dozens of Trump supporters faced off with the protesters with police separating the two factions.

Police said crowds dispersed after about three hours. No damage or injuries had been reported.

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9p.m.

Police in Portland, Oregon, made multiple arrests as rowdy anti-Donald Trump protesters marched through downtown for the fourth day.

The demonstrations Saturday night happened despite calls for calm from the city's mayor and police chief.

Several hundred people took to the streets Saturday night and police arrested multiple people after protesters threw bottles and blocked streets and light rail lines. The exact number of arrests wasn't immediately available.

The gathering came after a news conference Saturday in which Mayor Charlie Hayes and Police Chief Mike Marshman urged people to restrain themselves after several days of violent marches that damaged property and left one person shot.

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7:45 p.m.

Rowdy anti-Donald Trump protesters marched through downtown Portland again despite calls for calm from the mayor and police chief.

Several hundred people took to the streets Saturday night and police reported at least one arrest after people in the crowd threw items at officers in riot gear. Mayor Charlie Hayes and Police Chief Mike Marshman spoke at a news conference earlier in the day and urged people to restrain themselves after several days of violent marches that damaged property and left one person shot.

Friday night police used flash-bang grenades to disperse a crowd filled with hundreds of people in the area downtown area. Seventeen people were arrested and one man was shot and suffered non life-threatening injuries in what police described as a confrontation with gang members. Two people were arrested on attempted murder charges.

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10:30 p.m.

Indianapolis police say two officers have been slightly injured and seven protesters arrested after demonstrators threw rocks during a march in opposition to the election of Donald Trump.

Police Chief Troy Riggs told a news briefing that most of the hundreds of protesters marched peacefully in downtown Indianapolis for several hours on Saturday but a small group became more aggressive later in the evening. Police spokesman Major Richard Riddle says some of the group began threatening officers, including chants of "Kill the Police." They began throwing rocks at officers and police moved in and arrested them.

Riggs says that of seven arrests, four were from Indianapolis and three from out of town.

Police suspect that some instigators arrived from other cities and tried to cause a riot. He praised police for their patience during the demonstration, saying that were trying to allow a peaceful protest. Police say they did use pepper balls at one point during the confrontation.

The police officers who were injured may not even need to go to the hospital to be checked out, Riggs said.

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2:10 p.m.

Some Mexicans have taken to protesting at a statue representing independence in their country's capital city holding placards and banners against President-elect Donald Trump's policy statements.

A group gathered Saturday at Mexico City's Independence monument, expressing concern about a possible wave of deportations.

School teacher Armando Osorio said Mexico simply is not prepared to receive a large number of deported migrants. He said the structural and labor conditions do not exist.

He said it would add to the "unrest" that's already in Mexico.

Thousands of anti-Trump protesters are marching in towns Saturday like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.

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1:25 p.m.

Several thousand anti-Trump protesters are marching in downtown Los Angeles, denouncing his campaign pledge to deport people who entered the U.S. illegally and his crude comments about women.

Cheers, chants and flag-waving mark Saturday's procession, which stretches for blocks through the Civic Center.

No arrests have been made even though the train of demonstrators occasionally snarled traffic.

The mood seemed enthusiastic rather than angry. There are no reports of vandalism or fire-setting, which have marred previous demonstrations around the nation.

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11:55 a.m.

Police have set up barricades in front of some of the most expensive stores in New York City as an anti-Donald Trump protest makes its way along Fifth Avenue.

During the demonstration, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, who is a Trump critic, entered the lobby of Trump Tower with a camera crew in tow and asked to see Trump. He was denied.

Moments later, Nigel Farage, the head of the "Leave" movement that propelled the United Kingdom to exit the European Union, also arrived and was allowed up.

Trump frequently links his campaign to the "Brexit" movement. Farage would not say if he was playing a role in Trump's transition.

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11:45 a.m.

Police in Portland, Oregon, say they have detained four people in connection with a shooting that left one wounded during a protest of President-elect Donald Trump.

A news release says police believe the four are gang members.

The man who was shot early Saturday while participating in a march is recovering and is expected to survive. Police say a shooter was in a vehicle on a bridge that spans the Willamette River and that there was a confrontation with someone in the protest march. A man got out of his vehicle and fired multiple shots before fleeing.

Police say 17 people have been arrested in Portland since protests began. Police said Saturday that nine people have been booked into the Multnomah County Jail. Six others were given criminal citations, and two juveniles were released to their parents.

Since Trump's election Tuesday, thousands around the country, spurred by fear and outrage, have taken to the streets in largely non-violent protests.

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10:50 a.m.

About 2,000 protesters have been marching along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan shouting "not my president" and other slogans.

The protesters rallied at New York's Union Square on Saturday before picking up steam and taking their cause into the street and toward Trump Tower.

Fifth Avenue was crowded with protesters for blocks. Police lined both sides, following along on foot and on motorcycle, but the group remained peaceful.

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9:55 a.m.

In Chicago, hundreds of people including families with small children chanted "No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcome here" as they marched through Millennium Park, a popular downtown tourist attraction.

Twenty-nine-year-old yoga teacher Sonja (SON'-yuh) Spray says she heard about the Saturday morning demonstration on Facebook and decided to join the protest over the election of Donald Trump. She carried a sign reading, "WOMEN are NO JOKE."

Spray, who voted for Hillary Clinton in both the primary and general elections, says she has signed an online petition urging the Electoral College to elect Clinton.

She says she's concerned Trump's election condones a view that women are "playthings" and his presidency will threaten civil rights and gay marriage. She says she's "part of the reminder that we still have a say in our own country."

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8:40 a.m.

About 200 people have been arrested in Los Angeles after a mainly peaceful protest over the election of Donald Trump as president.

Police say about 3,000 people took to the streets Friday night, winding up near City Hall after several hours of marching. Some waved American flags or carried signs reading "Not My President."

Police began breaking up the protest at around 2 a.m. Saturday and arrested people for failure to disperse.

Police tell City News Service that three juveniles were arrested during the march for throwing a bottle at a police officer, vandalizing a police cruiser and curfew violation.

Thousands are expected to join protests throughout the weekend in L.A., San Francisco, Las Vegas and overseas.

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7:50 a.m.

About 300 people protested Donald Trump's election as the next American president outside the U.S. Embassy by the German capital's landmark Brandenburg Gate.

The peaceful protesters Saturday waved signs with slogans like "Love Trumps Hate" and "Make Love, Not Trump."

Ahead of national elections in Germany next year, the anti-immigrant nationalist Alternative For Germany party, known as AfD, has been gaining support. One protester's sign read "Germany: Don't make the same mistake in 2017, AfD=Trump."

AfD co-leader Frauke Petry applauded Trump's election, saying Friday it offered "a historic opportunity to address erroneous global economic and social developments of the past decades."

President Barack Obama meets in Berlin next week with Chancellor Angela Merkel and several other European leaders, and is expected to confront global concerns about Trump's election.

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3:35 a.m.

Police in Portland, Oregon, say a person has been injured in a shooting on a Willamette (wil-AM'-it) River bridge during a protest of President-elect Donald Trump.

Authorities say the person has been taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and police are looking for the suspect.

They say the suspect was in a vehicle early Saturday morning on the Morrison Bridge and there was a confrontation with someone in the protest march.

A police news release says the man got out of his vehicle and fired multiple shots injuring the person before fleeing, likely in his vehicle.

Since Trump's election Tuesday, thousands around the country, spurred by fear and outrage, have taken to the streets in largely non-violent protests.

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1:30 a.m.

Police in Portland, Oregon, say they are investigating a shooting on a bridge where people protesting President-elect Donald Trump were marching.

Police on Saturday morning said on Twitter that they were "investigating shooting on Morrison Bridge. One person down. Everyone needs to leave the area immediately!"

Police earlier had tweeted that protesters were headed to the bridge, which spans the Willamette River in Portland. Authorities were asking potential witnesses to "line up on the south side of the bridge and wait to talk to police."

No further information was released.

On Friday night, police said they used flash-bang grenades to disperse a crowd filled with hundreds of people in the area downtown area.

Spurred by fear and outrage, demonstrators around the country were marching to protest Trump's victory.

The spirited demonstrations Friday on college campuses and along downtown streets were mostly peaceful following previous outbreaks of window-smashing and fire-setting.

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10:30 p.m.

Portland, Oregon police are using flash-bang grenades Friday night to disperse a crowd filled with hundreds of people protesting President-elect Donald Trump.

Portland Police said on Twitter those were the only devices being used at the time to move protesters out of the area downtown.

Police said three separate marches were taking place throughout the city.

Spurred by fear and outrage, demonstrators around the country were marching to protest Trump's victory.

The spirited demonstrations Friday on college campuses and along downtown streets were mostly peaceful following previous outbreaks of window-smashing and fire-setting.

Protesters rally during a "Protests Trump" event in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Tens of thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, staging the fourth day of protests of Donald Trump's surprise victory as president. (Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)

Anti-Trump protesters march to the Utah State Capitol during a "Protests Trump" event in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Tens of thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, staging the fourth day of protests of Donald Trump's surprise victory as president. (Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)

Anti-Trump protesters rally at the Utah State Capitol during a "Protests Trump" event in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Tens of thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, staging the fourth day of protests of Donald Trump's surprise victory as president. (Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)

Anti-Trump protesters march to the Utah State Capitol during a "Protests Trump" event in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. (Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)

Anti-Trump protesters march to the Utah State Capitol during a "Protests Trump" event in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Tens of thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, staging the fourth day of protests of Donald Trump's surprise victory as president. (Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)

Protesters rally during a "Protests Trump" event in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Tens of thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, staging the fourth day of protests of Donald Trump's surprise victory as president. (Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)

Anti-Trump protester Natasha Siwale, of Salt Lake City, center, joins a rally at the Utah State Capitol during a "Protests Trump" event in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. (Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)

Police detain a pair of protesters during a rally against the election of President-elect Donald Trump Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Kansas City, Mo. Thousands took to the streets Saturday across the United States as demonstrations against President-elect Donald Trump continued in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and beyond. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A young protester listens to one of the speakers during an anti-Donald Trump rally in Hemming Park, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Jacksonville, Fla. Over one hundred protesters gathered for a rally against President-elect, Donald Trump, winning the presidential election in downtown Jacksonville. Tens of thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, staging the fourth day of protests of Trump's surprise victory as president. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP)

Demonstrators march following a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Tens of thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, staging the fourth day of protests of Trump's surprise victory as president. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Demonstrators march following a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Tens of thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, staging the fourth day of protests of Trump's surprise victory as president. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Demonstrators leave the area after being ordered to disperse by police following a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Anti-Trump protesters start their hike from Hemming Park to their announced destination at the offices of The Florida Times-Union newspaper, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Jacksonville, Fla. More than a hundred protesters gathered for a rally against President elect, Donald Trump, winning the presidential election in downtown Jacksonville. Tens of thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, staging the fourth day of protests of Trump's surprise victory as president. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP)

Protesters at an anti-Donald Trump rally listen to one of the speakers in Hemming Park, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in downtown Jacksonville, Fla. Over a hundred protesters gathered for a rally against President-elect, Donald Trump, winning the presidential election. Tens of thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, staging the fourth day of protests of Donald Trump's surprise victory as president. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP)

An anti-Hillary Clinton protester wearing a Hillary Clinton mask made his feelings known from across the street during an anti-Donald Trump rally in Hemming Park, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Jacksonville, Fla. Over one hundred protesters gathered for a rally against President-elect, Donald Trump, winning the presidential election in downtown Jacksonville, before hiking to their intended destination at The Florida Times-Union building after the paper endorsed Trump for president. The group ended up stopping behind The Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, about a third of a mile from the newspaper's building where speakers continued to rally the group before dispersing. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP)

Protesters hold signs during an election protest in Lafayette Square Park in front of the White House, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Protesters hold signs during an election protest in Lafayette Square Park in front of the White House, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Protesters hold signs as they march during an election protest in Lafayette Square Park, in front of the White House, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Elizabeth O'Brien, left, from Washington, and Hannah Allan, from New York, hold candles during an election protest in Lafayette Square Park in front of the White House, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Several thousand people participated in an anti-Trump protest against President-elect, Donald Trump, that started at MacArthur Park and ended at the Edward Royal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. (Walt Mancini/The Pasadena Star-News/SCNG via AP)

People participate in an anti-Trump protest in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, continuing protests of Donald Trump's election as president that started the day after his surprising victory. Several thousand people marched through downtown streets Saturday to condemn what they saw as Trump's hate speech about Muslims, pledge to deport people in the country illegally and crude comments about women. (Walt Mancini/The Pasadena Star-News via AP)

A protester demonstrates in an anti-Trump protest against President-elect, Donald Trump, that started at MacArthur Park and ended at the Edward Royal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Several thousand people marched through downtown streets Saturday to condemn what they saw as Trumps hate speech about Muslims, pledge to deport people in the country illegally and crude comments about women. (Walt Mancini/The Pasadena Star-News/SCNG via AP)

People participate in an anti-Trump protest in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, continuing protests of Donald Trumps election as president that started the day after his surprising victory. Several thousand people marched through downtown streets Saturday to condemn what they saw as Trump's hate speech about Muslims, pledge to deport people in the country illegally and crude comments about women. (Walt Mancini/The Pasadena Star-News via AP)

People participate in an anti-Trump protest in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. Thousands of people marched in streets across the United States on Saturday, continuing protests of Donald Trumps election as president that started the day after his surprising victory. Several thousand people marched through downtown streets Saturday to condemn what they saw as Trump's hate speech about Muslims, pledge to deport people in the country illegally and crude comments about women. (Walt Mancini/The Pasadena Star-News via AP)
French journalist detained in Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  A French news website says one of its journalists has been detained in Turkey, and it is demanding his immediate release.

Les Jours website says Olivier Bertrand was detained Friday, along with a Turkish photographer, while conducting an interview in the city of Gaziantep, near the border with Syria. The photographer was subsequently released.

No reason was given for Bertrand's detention, Les Jours said, and Turkish officials could not immediately be reached for confirmation.

The website says Bertrand was working on a series about the aftermath of Turkey's failed coup in July, which resulted in a massive crackdown on the followers of an Islamic movement blamed for the attempt.
Amnesty: Nigeria's slum demolitions leave 30,000 homeless

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP)  Amnesty International says as many as 30,000 people in Nigeria's commercial capital of Lagos are homeless after their community was set ablaze and demolished this week.

It was not immediately clear how the fire began in the Otodo Gbame community, but residents told the London-based rights group that police officers blocked them from trying to put it out. They said police then returned with a demolition team.

Lagos officials have warned that makeshift waterfront settlements pose a "security threat" and must be razed, a process that could affect hundreds of thousands of people.

Residents salvage roofing sheets from demolished houses that were set ablaze by government officials in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, Amnesty International says as many as 30,000 people in Nigeria's commercial capital are homeless after their community was set ablaze and demolished this week. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

However, Amnesty International said a Lagos court on Monday granted an interim injunction against demolitions in communities, including Otodo Gbame.

Lagos officials were not reachable for comment. Amnesty International said those made homeless should be given alternative accommodation.

A woman walks past demolished houses that were set ablaze by government officials in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, Amnesty International says as many as 30,000 people in Nigeria's commercial capital are homeless after their community was set ablaze and demolished this week. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Residents salvage objects from the demolished houses that were set ablaze by government officials in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, Amnesty International says as many as 30,000 people in Nigeria's commercial capital are homeless after their community was set ablaze and demolished this week. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Residents salvage objects from the demolished houses that were set ablaze by government officials in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, Amnesty International says as many as 30,000 people in Nigeria's commercial capital are homeless after their community was set ablaze and demolished this week. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Heavy fighting as IS attacks Iraqi forces in Mosul

BAGHDAD (AP)  A suicide car bomber from the Islamic State group attacked Iraqi special forces in Mosul on Saturday, setting off heavy fighting in the northern city.

The early morning attack in the Qadisiya neighborhood, which the troops entered a day earlier, was followed by a barrage of gunfire, mortar rounds and rocket-propelled grenades, Iraqi officers said.

Fighting was also underway in the adjoining Arbajiya neighborhood, the officers added, speaking on condition of anonymity because they aren't authorized to brief reporters.

Ali Hussein, right, and his son walk to check on the family's used car business, which was looted by Islamic State fighters and destroyed in fighting to oust them in Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016. Iraqi troops inched ahead in their battle to retake the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State group on Friday, as the U.N. revealed fresh evidence that the extremists have used chemical weapons. (AP Photo/Adam Schreck)

The Iraqi armed forces do not release casualty figures, but field medics have noted dozens of killed and wounded since the operation to liberate Iraq's second largest city began on Oct. 17.

Iraqi special forces entered Mosul earlier this month, gaining a foothold on the city's eastern edges. But the advance has slowed as they push into more densely populated neighborhoods.

The urban landscape inside Mosul proper makes defense easier for the militants, eager to hold on to the last major Iraqi stronghold of their self-styled caliphate. Defeat in Mosul would be a major blow to their project, and they have said they are ready to fight to the death.

To the south of the city, militarized Iraqi police have come within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of Mosul's airport, which satellite images show has been heavily fortified.

The images, taken earlier this month by U.S.-based private intelligence firm Stratfor, show IS fighters have cleared terrain and leveled buildings around the airport and a nearby former military base on the west bank of the Tigris River. Rows of concrete barricades, earthen mounds and rubble are blocking other key routes into the city center.

In Baghdad, meanwhile, bombings killed at least nine people and wounded 32 others, according to police and medical officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

The deadliest of the attacks hit the Kifah neighborhood in the city center, ripping through an area full of auto repair shops, killing three and wounding 10.

The capital has seen near-daily bombings since the Mosul operation began, but no large-scale attacks. Militants frequently target security forces and the Shiite majority as part of its campaign to destabilize the country.

An Iraqi Federal Police officer stands inside a former prison used by Islamic State militants in Hamam al-Alil, some 10 kilometers south of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016. Iraqi troops inched ahead in their battle to retake the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State group on Friday, as the U.N. revealed fresh evidence that the extremists have used chemical weapons. (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)
20,000 anti-Turkish govt protesters demonstrate in Cologne

BERLIN (AP)  About 20,000 protesters demonstrated Saturday in the western German city of Cologne against the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The rally in an industrial area along the Rhine River brought together pro-Kurdish demonstrators and members of the Alevi religious minority protesting Erdogan's crackdown after a failed coup attempt in Turkey this summer.

A group of about 200 to 300 Kurdish youth broke away from the main protest and several were taken into custody after throwing stones and bottles at police, authorities said. One police officer was slightly injured.

A banner shows an Islamic State group militant unmasked as Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reading 'You will be judged' during a protest in Cologne, Germany, against the Turkish president Erdogan and the political repression that followed July's failed military coup, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Police say many of the youth were wearing masks, and some were displaying banned symbols of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

Erdogan's government recently ordered the arrest of nine lawmakers of the pro-Kurdish HDP party, which it accuses of acting as the political wing of the outlawed PKK  an allegation the HDP rejects.

The PKK has waged a three-decades-long insurgency against the state, and Erdogan has blamed countries in Europe for supporting and arming the group.

Pro-Kurdish demonstrators protest against Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the political repression that followed July's failed military coup, in Cologne, Germany Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. People showing flags with detained Kurdistan Workers Party, PKK , leader Abdullah Ocalan. In background the Cologne cathedral. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Pro-Kurdish demonstrators protest against Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the political repression that followed July's failed military coup, in Cologne, Germany Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Pro-Kurdish demonstrators protest against Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the political repression that followed July's failed military coup, in Cologne, Germany Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. People showing flags of detained Kurdistan Workers Party, PKK , leader Abdullah Ocalan , in background the Cologne cathedral. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Pro-Kurdish demonstrators protest against Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the political repression that followed July's failed military coup, in Cologne, Germany Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. People showing flags with detained Kurdistan Workers Party, PKK , leader Abdullah Ocalan. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
The Latest: Protests diffuse after police shooting mistrial

CINCINNATI (AP)  The Latest on the murder trial of a white officer in the shooting of an unarmed black man (all times local):

4:25 p.m.

A protest involving nearly 1,000 people has broken up after a march through downtown Cincinnati following a mistrial in the case against a white former police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black motorist.

Terina Allen, Sam DuBose's sister, center left, waits outside of court on the third day of jury deliberations in the murder trial against Ray Tensing, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. Tensing, the former University of Cincinnati police officer, is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Protesters briefly blocked a streetcar line but remained peaceful Saturday in the hours after a county judge declared a mistrial in the trial of former University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing.

The protest had grown after members of a rally opposing Donald Trump's election joined it.

Tensing was charged with murder after he shot Sam DuBose in the head after pulling him over in 2015. Tensing was later fired.

The county prosecutor tells Cincinnati media outlets that the jury was deadlocked with eight of the 12 jurors in favor of a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter.

___

2:25 p.m.

Nearly 1,000 protesters are marching through downtown Cincinnati following a mistrial in the case against a white former police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black motorist.

Police were keeping watch over the peaceful demonstration Saturday. They moved some people out of the street after they briefly blocked a streetcar line.

The protest has grown after several hundred people left a rally opposing the election of Donald Trump as president and joined with the others chanting "Hands up, don't shoot."

A county judge declared a mistrial Saturday after jurors said they were deadlocked in the trial of University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing.

He was charged with murder after he shot Sam DuBose in the head after pulling him over in 2015. Tensing was later fired.

___

1:15 p.m.

Protesters briefly blocked Cincinnati's downtown streetcar line hours after a mistrial was declared in the trial of a white former police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black motorist.

The gathering in the streets outside the Hamilton County courthouse is starting out peaceful and traffic was rerouted before police moved the protesters onto sidewalks.

A judge declared a mistrial Saturday after jurors said they were deadlocked after deliberating some 25 hours in the trial of University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing.

He was charged with murder after he shot Sam DuBose in the head after pulling him over in 2015. Tensing was later fired.

Cincinnati's mayor says people have a right to be angry. But he also expects the protesters to remain peaceful.

___

12:20 p.m.

Cincinnati's mayor and police chief say they understand why there's disappointment over a mistrial in the case of a white former police officer charged in the fatal traffic stop shooting of an unarmed black motorist.

Mayor John Cranley says this doesn't mean the case is over and he expects any protests over the decision to be peaceful.

A judge declared a mistrial Saturday after the jury said it was deadlocked after deliberating some 25 hours.

University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing was charged with murder after he shot Sam DuBose in the head after pulling him over in 2015. Tensing was later fired.

An attorney for the DuBose family says they can't understand why the jury couldn't reach a conviction.

Prosecutors will decide whether to re-try the case.

___

11 a.m.

An Ohio prosecutor says jurors were leaning toward convicting a white former police officer on a lesser charge but couldn't agree in the case involving the fatal traffic stop shooting of an unarmed black motorist.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters says the jury in Cincinnati was tilting toward a voluntary manslaughter conviction and an acquittal on the murder charge.

A judge declared a mistrial Saturday after the jury said it was deadlocked deliberating some 25 hours after getting the case Wednesday.

Twenty-six-year-old University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing shot 43-year-old Sam DuBose in the head after pulling him over for a missing front license plate on July 19, 2015. Tensing was later fired.

Deters says he'll decide within the next two weeks whether to try the case again.

___

10:15 a.m.

An Ohio judge has declared a mistrial after the jury said it was deadlocked in the case of a white former police officer charged with murder in the fatal traffic stop shooting of an unarmed black motorist.

The Hamilton County jury had deliberated some 25 hours after getting the case at noontime Wednesday following Judge Megan Shanahan's instructions. Twenty-six-year-old University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing shot 43-year-old Sam DuBose in the head after pulling him over for a missing front license plate on July 19, 2015.

Tensing testified he feared he was going to be killed. Prosecutors said repeatedly the evidence contradicted Tensing's story.

The jury of 10 whites and two blacks was seated Oct. 31.

The shooting is among those across the nation that have raised attention to how police deal with blacks.

___

8:30 a.m.

Jury deliberations are going into a fourth day in the murder trial of a white former police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man during a traffic stop near the University of Cincinnati.

Hamilton County Judge Megan Shanahan sequestered the jury of 10 whites and two blacks for a third night Friday. They arrived Saturday morning to resume deliberations.

Twenty-six-year-old Ray Tensing has said he feared for his life when he shot 43-year-old Sam DuBose who was trying to drive away in July 2015.

The judge on Friday deflected a jury question related to what conditions they could consider that DuBose was evading arrest. The judge has twice told jurors they had all the information they needed to reach a verdict.

___

12:30 a.m.

A jury is set to resume deliberations in the murder trial of a white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man near the University of Cincinnati.

Hamilton County Judge Megan Shanahan plans to reconvene the panel Saturday for its fourth day of consideration.

Jurors appeared to struggle Friday, telling Shanahan around noon that they couldn't reach a decision on murder or voluntary manslaughter charges against Ray Tensing, who was fired from his job after the shooting.

Later Friday Shanahan deflected a jury question related to conditions under which victim Sam DuBose could have been considered to be evading arrest.

The judge told the jury both times to keep working, saying they had all the information they needed to reach a verdict.

Stewart Mathews, left, and Gwen Callender, center, attorneys for Ray Tensing, arrive at court for the second time on the third day of jury deliberations in Tensing's murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ray Tensing leaves court for the second time on the third day of jury deliberations in his murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ray Tensing arrives to court for the second time on the third day of jury deliberations in his murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ray Tensing leaves court for the second time on the third day of jury deliberations in his murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Terina Allen, Sam DuBose's sister, leaves court on the third day of jury deliberations in the murder trial against Ray Tensing, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. Tensing, the former University of Cincinnati police officer, is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ray Tensing, center, moves to leave court for the second time on the third day of jury deliberations in his murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Judge Megan Shanahan reads the statement from the jurors in the Ray Tensing murder trial stating they have yet to reach a verdict on either charge, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (Cara Owsley/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP)

Ray Tensing leaves Judge Megan Shanahan's courtroom after attorneys were called back during the third day of deliberations, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (Cara Owsley/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP)

Ray Tensing, center right, stands with his attorneys Gwen Callender, left, and Stewart Mathews, right, as they await Judge Megan Shanahan to enter court, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (Cara Owsley/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP)

A protestor waits outside Hamilton County Courthouse on the third day of jury deliberations into Ray Tensing's murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. Tensing, the former University of Cincinnati police officer, is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Mark Poetter, center, holds a sign as he protests outside Hamilton County Courthouse on the third day of jury deliberations into Ray Tensing's murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. Tensing, the former University of Cincinnati police officer, is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Bishop Bobby Hilton speaks to the media outside court during tje Ray Tensing's murder trial was declared hung, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. Judge Megan Shanahan ordered the jurors back to deliberation. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ray Tensing leaves court on the third day of jury deliberations in his murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ray Tensing, center, leaves court alongside his attorney Stewart Mathews, right, on the third day of jury deliberations in his murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The jury was hung and ordered by Judge Megan Shanahan to resume deliberations. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ray Tensing leaves court on a elevator on the third day of jury deliberations in his murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The jury was hung and ordered by Judge Megan Shanahan to resume deliberations. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ray Tensing arrives at court for his murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ray Tensing arrives at court for his murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ray Tensing arrives at court for his murder trial, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Cincinnati. The former University of Cincinnati police officer is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Protestors raise their fists in defiance as they gather in Washington Park after a mistrial was declared due to a hung jury in the murder trial against Ray Tensing, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Cincinnati. Tensing, a white former University of Cincinnati police officer, was charged with murder in the shooting of Sam DuBose, an unarmed black motorist, while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Protestors carrying anti-Trump signs cheer at a rally in Washington Park after a mistrial was declared due to a hung jury in the murder trial against Ray Tensing, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Cincinnati. Tensing, a white former University of Cincinnati police officer, was charged with murder in the shooting of Sam DuBose, an unarmed black motorist, while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Protestors raise their hands in defiance at a rally in Washington Park after a mistrial was declared due to a hung jury in the murder trial against Ray Tensing, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Cincinnati. Tensing, a white former University of Cincinnati police officer, was charged with murder in the shooting of Sam DuBose, an unarmed black motorist, while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Protestors, some carrying anti-Trump signs, march through downtown after a mistrial was declared due to a hung jury in the murder trial against Ray Tensing, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Cincinnati. Tensing, a white former University of Cincinnati police officer, was charged with murder in the shooting of Sam DuBose, an unarmed black motorist, while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Protestors gather at a police line outside the Hamilton County Courthouse after a mistrial is declared due to a hung jury in the murder trial against Ray Tensing, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Cincinnati. Tensing, the former University of Cincinnati police officer, is charged with murdering Sam DuBose while on duty during a routine traffic stop on July 19, 2015. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Campaign's disdain for civility could leave lasting damage

When a South Carolina congressman shouted "You lie!" during a speech by President Barack Obama in 2009, House members rebuked him for violating norms of civility. After this year's presidential campaign, the idea that people were once troubled by the outburst seems almost quaint.

Civility in politics has been declining for years, both a cause and symptom of a changing culture where anonymous verbal assaults are fired freely across the internet, and cable TV routinely broadcasts words once banned from the airwaves. But Donald Trump's presidential run took name-calling and mockery  things that voters long said they detested in their candidates  and normalized them into a winning political strategy.

Now Trump, the president-elect, is calling for unity in words that draw attention precisely because they sound so unlike Trump, the candidate. But many question whether it is possible to reverse the campaign's damage to political discourse and its ripples out to the way Americans speak to and about each other.

FILE - In this Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 file photo, supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, one holding a sign that reads, "LOCK HER UP," cheer during a campaign rally in Leesburg, Va. Trump, the president-elect, is calling for unity in words that draw attention precisely because they sound so unlike Trump, the candidate. But many question whether it is possible to reverse the campaigns damage to political discourse and its ripples out to the way Americans speak to and about each other. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

"There's plenty of blame to go around on this subject, but I think in this particular election that an embrace of Donald Trump was an embrace of incivility and vulgarity and insults and bullying, and unfortunately we saw very little public repudiation of that from any Trump supporters," said Mark DeMoss, an Atlanta public relations executive and conservative Republican whose clients are mostly Christian religious organizations.

DeMoss, who abandoned a campaign called the Civility Project in early 2011 after only three members of Congress would sign a pledge to act respectfully, watched the degradation of political speech for years. Then Trump's campaign, he and other longtime observers say, stomped well past what was thought to be acceptable.

"We can all point to incidents in campaigns across history, but I think this one probably does represent a new place in terms of incivility," said James Mullen, president of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, which awards a prize each year for civility in public life.

"What worries me the most is we're becoming almost numb," Mullen said.

When Allegheny  which first polled Americans about political civility in 2010  did so again in October, researchers noted a "disturbing" decline in those rejecting insults in politics. The number who disapprove of political comments about someone's race or ethnicity declined from 89 percent to 69 percent. The number who said it was unacceptable to shout over a debate opponent fell from 86 percent to 65 percent.

Many observers blame Trump, who called Mexican immigrants "rapists," tarred his adversaries as "Lyin' Ted" and "Crooked Hillary" and complained that a TV journalist's dogged questioning was just a sign she had "blood coming out of her wherever." He said all of those things, not on long-forgotten tapes, but in front of millions of voters.

At Trump's rallies, supporters followed suit, chanting "Lock Her Up!" about Clinton and wearing T-shirts with the slogan, "Trump That Bitch!"

In some ways, Trump's rhetoric is an outgrowth of cultural and political shifts.

A generation before the internet, political backers were leaving fliers attacking rivals on voters' windshields in the dark and blanketing neighborhoods with anonymous direct mailings. Social media made it possible for ordinary people to disparage political enemies widely with no risk, saying things they might previously have told only their close friends.

"Into that world comes a candidate who uses Twitter as a primary mode of communication," said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies political communication. "He lives in a world in which this stuff is being trafficked back and forth, and that normalizes this kind of discourse for you as a candidate."

But with their words, Trump, Clinton and other politicians set the tone for a much larger conversation.

Nearly 2,000 teachers surveyed by the Southern Poverty Law Center this spring reported that the campaign's scorching words were having a "profoundly negative impact" on their students. More than half said they had seen an increase in bullying, harassment and intimidation of students whose race, religion or nationality had been targeted by political rhetoric.

The survey did not identify any candidates. But teachers singled out Trump in more than 1,000 comments, while fewer than 200 combined named Clinton, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, or Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

In recent years, teachers mindful of bullying and taunts on social media have worked to make schools places of mutual respect, said Maureen Costello, director of the SPLC's Teaching Tolerance project.

"What made this year really different is that it broke through that protective moat," Costello said. The political rhetoric was "so ubiquitous and so saturated the culture that you couldn't keep it out of schools. Kids are sponges."

When Beth Ferris, a middle school teacher in Yucca Valley, California, told students on Election Day that history would be made one way or the other, one of her students said, "Yeah, she (Clinton) should be in jail!" At a nearby high school, vandals painted "Trump 2016," on a wall and covered the word "Girls" on a bathroom door with a vulgarity.

"I think it's going to get worse before it gets better," Ferris said.

On the day after the election, teacher Dee Burek said fifth and sixth graders in her Allentown, New Jersey, middle school asked how Trump had become the Republican nominee. She recalled his insults of opponents in debates and how they stuck.

"The kids just kind of looked at me and said, 'But that doesn't make any sense. That's bullying,'" she said. "If these middle schoolers can see that, I think there's hope."

Adults, who heard the candidates out and voted, have conflicted feelings.

"There were some things that were said about Hillary, that she should just go to jail and she should be hung, they make it sound so  it can't be that bad," said Byron Dopkins, an accountant in River Falls, Wisconsin, who voted for Trump. "What makes it worse (for) the public is that we can't have conversations with friends who are on the other side of the aisle without it getting nasty."

Still, Dopkins said one of the reasons he voted for Trump is that he is a "straight talker."

But that talk feeds a public conversation that leaves Melinda St. Clair, an Episcopal priest in Billings, Montana, who voted for Clinton, deeply troubled.

"I don't use the term 'civil discourse.' I don't think there is any," St. Clair said.

"I don't think we're listening to God. I don't think we're listening to each other. I think we're just hearing what makes us feel good at the moment and shouting it at the top of our lungs."

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016 file photo, a woman who identified herself as J. Stroh sets fire to an effigy of Donald Trump, as a man who identified himself as Blue Velvet blows on the flames, during an anti-Trump protest at Lee Circle in New Orleans. Jim Mullen, president of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., which awards a prize each year for civility in public life says, "We can all point to incidents in campaigns across history, but I think this one probably does represent a new place in terms of incivility." (Matthew Hinton/The Advocate via AP)

FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 file photo, supporters cheer for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Mark DeMoss, a public relations executive and conservative Republican whose clients are mostly Christian religious organizations, says, "Theres plenty of blame to go around on this subject, but I think in this particular election that an embrace of Donald Trump was an embrace of incivility and vulgarity and insults and bullying, and unfortunately we saw very little public repudiation of that from any Trump supporters." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FILE - In this Thursday Nov. 10, 2016 file photo, Arielle Moore, 19, argues with a Trump supporter, not pictured, during a protest at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, after Donald Trump's presidential election victory. Nearly 2,000 teachers surveyed by the Southern Poverty Law Center in the spring of 2016 reported that the campaign's scorching words were having a "profoundly negative impact" on their students. More than half said they had seen an increase in bullying, harassment and intimidation of students whose race, religion or nationality had been targeted by political rhetoric. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
On last foreign tour, Obama must find a way to explain Trump

WASHINGTON (AP)  It was supposed to be his grand valedictory tour. Now President Barack Obama must use his last major trip abroad to try to calm shocked world leaders about the outcome of the U.S. election, and what comes next when Donald Trump is president.

Trump's unforeseen victory has triggered pangs of uncertainty at home and grave concerns around the world. Though Obama has urged unity and said the U.S. must root for Trump's success, his trip to Greece, Germany and Peru forces him to confront global concerns about the future of America's leadership.

"In some ways, there's nothing to say," said Heather Conley, a Europe scholar at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

In this Nov. 9, 2016, photo, President Barack Obama pause while speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. It was supposed to be his grand valedictory tour. Now Obama must use his last major trip abroad to try to calm shocked world leaders about the outcome of the U.S. election, and what comes next when Donald Trump is president. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Conley said Obama's trip, planned when it seemed certain Hillary Clinton would win, had been designed to reassure the world that the U.S. had regained its footing after a toxic campaign that unnerved foreign capitals. "Now the president has the unenviable task of telling his counterparts and explaining what Europeans are now coining 'the Trump effect,'" Conley said.

For months, Obama lent credence to those concerns as he urged Americans to reject Trump. Standing alongside Singapore's prime minister in August, Obama said Trump was "woefully unprepared" because he lacked "basic knowledge" about critical issues in Europe, Asia and the Mideast. And during a visit to Japan, Obama said he wasn't the only world leader worried about Trump.

"They're rattled by him, and for good reason," Obama said in May. "Because a lot of the proposals that he's made display either ignorance of world affairs, or a cavalier attitude, or an interest in getting tweets and headlines instead of actually thinking through what it is that is required to keep America safe and secure and prosperous, and what's required to keep the world on an even keel."

Now, Obama must pivot and reassure the U.S. and other countries that somehow, it will all be OK.

Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser, said the president fully expects Trump's election to be a dominant theme of the trip, but would emphasize his plans to keep carrying out his approach until Trump takes over. He said Obama would argue that basic U.S. principles like honoring treaty commitments have historically survived even the most dramatic changes of administrations.

"He'll want to use these conversations with leaders to express that view that given all the important issues that we face, no matter what our preferred choice may have been in the election, right now we as Americans have a stake in seeing this next administration succeed," Rhodes said.

Obama departs Monday on the six-day trip, stopping first in Athens, where he'll tour the Parthenon, meet with the prime minister, and give a speech about democracy and globalization that will take on new relevance in light of Trump's election. He'll use his visit to Berlin to show gratitude to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, his closest foreign partner, and to meet with key European leaders.

In Peru, he'll attend a major Asian economic summit in Lima, and also meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Australian Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull.

For the most part, foreign leaders have politely if cautiously congratulated Trump on his victory, in public statements and phone calls.

A few have been more effusive, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose perceived sympathies for Trump became an election issue and who now says he wants to fully restore U.S. relations under President Trump.

In Europe, where Obama has sought unity with allies to counter Russia's growing influence, NATO members are alarmed by Trump's suggestions that the U.S. might pull out of the alliance if other countries don't pay more. Many of the same nations are wrestling with whether last year's historic climate change deal can be salvaged after Trump's threats to pull the U.S. out.

Conversely, Trump's "America first" motto has resonated deeply with nationalists and skeptics of globalization who see Trump as a kindred spirit. After all, it was Trump who dubbed himself "Mr. Brexit" after the U.K.'s vote to leave the European Union.

America's Mideast allies are unsure what Trump's victory means for the nuclear deal with Iran, a foe of U.S. partners Saudi Arabia and Israel, considering Trump's repeated but vague pledges to renegotiate that deal. And misgivings about Trump will certainly follow Obama to Latin America, where Trump has turned off many with his hard-line immigration stance and description of Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists.

Asian leaders who painstakingly negotiated a landmark free trade deal with the U.S. are swallowing the reality that Congress will not approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership any time soon. Obama planned to meet with TPP country leaders Peru, but the White House acknowledged the deal is all but dead because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has ruled out a vote on it before Trump takes office.

Trump is vehemently opposed to TPP and similar deals. That could benefit China, which is eager to fill any void in regional leadership left by a U.S. withdrawal and has its own competing free trade scheme. Yet Beijing has reason to be wary, too: Trump has threatened a trade war with China and vowed to go after the Asian powerhouse for what he deems currency manipulation.

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Trump advisers back deregulation, privatized Social Security

WASHINGTON (AP)  During his triumphant presidential campaign, Donald Trump renounced Republican orthodoxy on a Social Security overhaul.

"We're not going to hurt the people who have been paying into Social Security their whole life," Trump declared, calling the payment of promised benefits "honoring a deal."

But the man heading the Trump transition team's Social Security effort? Michael Korbey, a former lobbyist who has spent much of his career advocating for cutting and privatizing the program.

In this Nov. 9, 2016, photo, President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a rally in New York. Trump elicited wild cheers on the campaign trail by pledging to drain the swamp in Washington but the president-elects transition team is populated largely with creatures of the capital, including former federal bureaucrats, think-tank academics, corporate lawyers and special interests lobbyists. An internal organizational chart for the Trump transition team lists more than 30 names, some well-known within the GOP establishment. They are tasked with helping to select and vet Trumps cabinet, as well as map out the key policy initiatives the new administration will pursue.(AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

"It's a failed system, broken and bankrupt," Korbey said as a lobbyist in the mid-1990s. Korbey acknowledged that some of the changes his group backed would hurt retirees, but "our constituents aren't just senior citizens," he told a newspaper in 1996. A decade later, as a senior adviser to the Social Security Administration, Korbey was an advocate for the George W. Bush administration's failed attempt to privatize Social Security.

Korbey is just one example of apparent discord between Trump's populist economic platform and the people who have been put in charge of planning to carry it out. While there are some true Washington outsiders on the team  such as Dan DiMicco, a former steel industry executive who is Trump's transition head for the office of U.S. Trade Representative  many of the players are familiar from the Republican economic establishment. The mix indicates a strong leaning toward rolling back much of the Obama administration's post-financial collapse changes, and a general posture toward deregulation.

The team will not necessarily carry over into the Trump administration  though members of past transition teams often have. Instead, they are in charge of putting together hiring recommendations, working with outgoing appointees and laying the groundwork for administration's opening months.

Bill Walton, one of the two people overseeing the economic transition effort, is the former chief executive for Allied Capital, a financial firm that was sold after nearly failing during the financial crisis. He is both a trustee for the Heritage Foundation and a senior fellow at another conservative organization, the Discovery Institute.

David Malpass, who is overseeing both the Treasury Department staffing and part of the broader economic issues portfolio, was Bear Stearns' chief economist in the years leading up to its collapse. In August 2007, as U.S. economic growth ground to a halt and the debt markets shuddered, he wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed titled "Don't Panic About the Credit Market."

"Housing and debt markets are not that big a part of the U.S. economy, or of job creation," the piece declared, predicting continued economic growth and dismissing concerns that recent growth had been dependent on the housing bubble.

Eight months later, Bear Stearns collapsed, unable to withstand the toxic combination of overheated home prices and shoddily assembled debt that Malpass dismissed. But Malpass landed on his feet, founding a consulting firm called Encima Partners.

Since then, he's faulted both the Federal Reserve's monetary response to the financial crisis and regulations intended to prevent future such calamities.

In a 2010 National Review article titled "Chris Dodd's Big, Misguided Bill," Malpass argued against the value of creating the consumer financial protection bureau, writing that the Obama administration should "streamline and concentrate" existing consumer protection regulators, a step that he said "would result in a reduction of government jobs."

In Paul Atkins, Trump has found a leading proponent of the theory that government should get out of the financial industry's way.

Appointed to the Securities and Exchange commission in July 2002 at the height of the era's corporate accounting scandals, he was considered the most conservative member of the SEC during his tenure. Atkins objected to stiff penalties imposed on companies for allegedly fraudulent conduct, contending that they don't effectively deter crime. And in 2005, he defended the practice of backdating stock options  a practice in which executives paid themselves for fictitious outperformance in their companies' stocks. Numerous executives went to jail for those activities  but Atkins caused a stir by saying he found nothing objectionable about it.

In the years that led up to the financial crisis, Atkins warned of dangers posed by "enacting regulations that supplant the market's judgment." Among the initiatives he successfully backed at the SEC was a loosening of leverage restrictions on investment banks, a step that allowed firms like Bear Stearns and Lehman brothers to borrow more money and invest it in mortgage-backed securities.

Atkins resigned in August of 2008, and now runs a financial services industry consulting firm. But he has maintained his vigorously pro-market stance.

"We all know that overregulation can "kill the goose that laid the golden egg," he said in a 2012 speech opposing the regulation of money market funds.

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S. Carolina man faces charges in pedestrian death in Durham

DURHAM, N.C. (AP)  A South Carolina man who was driving a rental truck faces charges in the death of an 18-year-old pedestrian in Durham.

Authorities say 58-year-old John Gieser of Spartanburg is charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle in the death of 18-year-old Nickey Cureton of Durham. He's also charged with failure to maintain lane control.
14-man Wallabies score late to beat Scotland 23-22

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP)  Australia was halfway to a grand slam after beating Scotland 23-22 from behind with five minutes left in regulation and a man down at Murrayfield on Saturday.

The Wallabies never led on the scoreboard until the 76th minute, when Bernard Foley converted tackle-busting center Tevita Kuridrani's try beside the right post of a thrilling match.

This was their first matchup since their unforgettable Rugby World Cup quarterfinal a year ago, when Australia benefited from a wrongly given penalty, and Foley made the last-minute kick for victory. There was no disputing the result this time.

Scotland's Sean Maitland takes on Australia's Nick Phipps, front, during their rugby union international match at the Murrayfield Stadium, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday Nov. 12, 2016. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

Australia dominated the second half, but undermined its desperate effort with poor decisions against a Scotland side which brought an energy, inspiration, and gameplan Wales failed to show last weekend.

Australia was out-scored three tries to two, but Scotland wilted under considerable pressure - especially in the scrums - and Foley was perfect from the tee, making all five of his goalkicks.

Australia's comeback almost foundered 11 minutes from time when replacement lock Will Skelton, given his first cap since August, was sin-binned for a shoulder charge on counterpart Jonny Gray in a ruck. Referee John Lacey had awarded Australia a penalty five meters from Scotland's tryline, but reversed it after a video review of Skelton's silliness.

The Wallabies still managed to force penalties to pin Scotland in its own half, and won an attacking lineout. The ball was freed and Kuridrani, at second receiver, stepped outside Peter Horne, slipped opposite Huw Jones, and appeared to be stopped by Scotland fullback Stuart Hogg, but spun and fully stretched out to plant the ball on the line.

A raucous Murrayfield, not quite sold out but featuring a record crowd of 65,295 for an Australia match, finally went silent, and Foley made the match-winning conversion.

"Bit too close for comfort," Australia captain Stephen Moore said. "Just fortunate we came out on the good side."

The Wallabies play France next weekend, then pick up their bid for a second ever grand slam against Ireland on Nov. 26, finishing with England on Dec. 3.

Scotland raced to 10-0, its first try starting 55 meters out. Off lineout ball, flyhalf Finn Russell chipped, and the bounce beat Australia fullback Israel Folau, but not Jones, who scampered away untouched.

Australia was quick to reply with a wonderful set-piece move. Foley looped around Folau, the Scottish backs hesitated, and winger Dane Haylett-Petty offloaded to bursting inside center Reece Hodge, who was too close to the line to be denied.

Jones intercepted Wallabies scrumhalf Will Genia to save a certain try, and while Foley's second goalkick evened the scoreline, Jones stepped Kuridrani and scored to help Scotland go into the break 17-10 up.

The Wallabies committed 10 turnovers against Scotland's superb defence in the half, but they kept at it, even after Gray bulled his way over in the 48th. Laidlaw's conversion hit the post, and Scotland led 22-13.

"If it had (gone through) we were probably home and hosed," Laidlaw said.

Australia, giving away only two penalties in the second half, proceeded to blow chance after chance. Folau offloaded twice when he should have held, and Foley and Hodge twice failed to connect at full speed, conceding knock-ons.

But just when they appeared to have blown it, Kuridrani broke the tired Scots.

"Absolutely heartbroken," Jones said. "We thought we were going to hold on there."
Protest at pipeline construction yard ends without arrests

MANDAN, N.D. (AP)  Hundreds of protesters have left after blocking a construction yard for the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota.

Morton County sheriff's spokesman Rob Keller says the crowd of about 500 protesters dispersed early Saturday afternoon after linking arms to block the entrance. No one was arrested, and workers had been evacuated.

Earlier Saturday, Keller says a caravan of about 150 cars left the protest camps and arrived in Mandan, where protesters stood and blocked the intersection of Highway 6 and Main Street. The caravan then headed west to the work yard where construction equipment is kept.
Mexico searches for missing priest in state where 2 killed

MEXICO CITY (AP)  Authorities in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Veracruz said Saturday they are searching for a priest who went missing earlier this week in the town of Catemaco.

The Veracruz state government did not name the priest, but the Mexican Bishops Council identified him as Father Jose Luis Sanchez Ruiz. The Council said he had been kidnapped.

"We know we are living through difficult times where violence seems to be gaining ground, but we have not lost hope, and we do not become discouraged in the face of evil," the council said in a statement.

Sanchez Ruiz had participated in a recent demonstration to protest high electricity bills. The issue is important in the town because of its extreme heat.

Local media reported that Catemaco residents had staged demonstrations in the streets demanding the safe return of the priest.

Two other priests who disappeared in another part of Veracruz in September were later found murdered. Another priest was killed in Michoacan about a week later.

Prosecutors have said robbery may have been a motive in those cases.
Keith Vaz pledges to co-operate with police drugs investigation

Disgraced Labour MP Keith Vaz has promised to co-operate with a drugs investigation launched by police following allegations about his private life.

Mr Vaz, 59, issued a public apology to his wife and children, and quit as chairman of the influential Commons Home Affairs Committee, following newspaper reports he paid two male escorts for their services.

Scotland Yard said police had received a letter on September 7 asking them to look into the matter.

Keith Vaz is being investigated by the police over alleged offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

The Metropolitan Police Service's (MPS) Special Enquiry Team, part of Specialist Crime and Operations, began an assessment process to see "what criminal offences - if any - may have been committed," according to Scotland Yard.

A spokesman said: "Following that assessment, which included obtaining early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, the MPS is now investigating offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

"The investigation started on Thursday November 10."

A statement issued to the Press Association by Keith Vaz's solicitor, Mark Stephens, said: "Our client welcomes a full investigation as a means of establishing the true facts and is confident the police will pursue all lines of inquiry.

"He will cooperate with the investigation in any way he can. He does not intend to comment on this matter any further."

Mr Vaz, the Labour MP for Leicester East, had a conversation regarding cocaine with one of the male escorts in which the MP said he did not want to use the drug, but indicated that he would pay for it for the other man at a later date, according to the Sunday Mirror.

In the wake of the revelations, Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who has been highly critical of Mr Vaz, said he would write to Scotland Yard calling for Mr Vaz to be investigated for misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to supply controlled substances.

Commons sleaze watchdogs have also launched an inquiry into Mr Vaz.

The probe by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards will determine whether Mr Vaz was guilty of a conflict of interest as he headed the body's review of vice laws at the time of the allegations regarding male escorts.

The sleaze watchdog will also look into whether the former Europe Minister has caused "significant damage" to the reputation of parliament.

However, the standards commissioner's probe has been suspended until the outcome of the police assessment of the Vaz affair is known.

Following the latest developments in the saga, Mr Bridgen said: "I am calling for Keith Vaz to stand down from the Justice Select Committee until all police investigations into his affairs are completed.
Baltic capitals 'offer best value Christmas market breaks'

Christmas shoppers hoping for a bargain market break should head to the Baltic, research has revealed.

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, was the cheapest of 11 Christmas markets in Europe surveyed by Post Office Money.

A two-night break for two in the city costs 538 - making it a third cheaper than a getaway in Stockholm, the most expensive on the list.

UK tourists going on a Christmas market break will find Tallinn offers the best value, research shows

Researchers calculated the cost of return flights, B&B accommodation, airport to city centre transfers, two evening meals for two with wine, coffee, festive drinks and snacks in the Christmas market to rank the cities.

They found that Tallinn was 4% cheaper than a year ago because local prices have dropped, counteracting the effect of the weaker pound.

Riga in Latvia came in second at 547 while Prague, Czech Republic, was ranked third at 582 thanks to the low cost of eating out.

In western Europe, Munich was found to be the best value festive break. A trip to the German city - which boasts one of the oldest and most famous Christmas markets - costs 609, researchers found.

Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said: "The great value available in these two Baltic capitals helps to dispel the idea that UK tourists will be seriously out of pocket wherever they travel abroad after sterling's slump in value.
'Thousands isolated' due to rural bus service cuts

Thousands of families in rural communities are being left isolated due to cuts in bus services, councils have warned.

A number of routes have been withdrawn in recent years because budgets have been slashed, the Local Government Association (LGA) said.

Mileage on council-supported services in England (excluding London) fell by 12% in 2015/16 compared with the previous year, recent Department for Transport (DfT) figures show.

Rural bus services have come under pressure due to funding cuts

LGA transport spokesman Martin Tett said: "These figures show just how much pressure many local bus services are under, with councils forced by a lack of central government funding to cut discretionary services.

"In many cases, this is hitting rural communities hardest, leaving families isolated. This is why it is paramount the Government fully funds the Concessionary Fares Scheme in the Autumn Statement.

"Years of underfunding of the scheme has forced councils to spend millions of pounds of taxpayers' money to subsidise the scheme.

"This is now impossible with councils having to make savings while struggling to protect vital services like adult social care, protecting children, filling potholes and collecting bins."
Oh yeah - Ash pick up Northern Ireland music award

Northern Ireland rockers Ash have said they were honoured to receive this year's Oh Yeah Legend Award.

The Co Down band picked up the accolade, which recognises the "exceptional contribution" of a musician or a music industry figure from Northern Ireland, at a special event in Belfast.

After being presented with the prize, Ash performed their debut album 1977, which was released 20 years ago, at the Mandela Hall in Belfast.

Ash performed their debut album 1977 after winning this year's Oh yeah Legend Award

Frontman Tim Wheeler said: "Northern Ireland always has punched above its weight."

He recalled memories of progressing from gigging in Downpatrick, to Belfast bars, to supporting U2 and lauding the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement on stage with Nobel Laureates John Hume and David Trimble.

He joked: "Despite being legends we won't be resting on our laurels ... we will be back in 20 years time as demagogues."

Ash formed at Downpatrick High School in 1992 and secured two Number One albums in the UK during their career, as well as 18 Top 40 singles, including Oh Yeah in 1996.

Wheeler won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Pop Song in 2001 for Shining Light. They have sold over eight million records worldwide.

Previous winners of the Oh Yeah Legend Award include The Divine Comedy, Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones and Terri Hooley.
Tax credit error victims 'must get full compensation' after contract ended

Full compensation has been demanded for thousands of families who wrongly had their tax credits stopped after the Government announced it was terminating its contract with the firm hired to check claims.

Ministers have ended the deal with Concentrix with immediate effect after previously announcing they would not extend the current contract beyond its planned expiry next May.

Opposition MPs seized on the news and insisted the Government has a lot of explaining to do.

The Government has ended its contract with Concentrix to check claims for tax credits

SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh said: "There are so many questions for the UK Government still to answer about this disastrous contract, and the terrible impact their mismanagement has had on so many families who have done nothing wrong.

"We need proper answers now about what exactly happened within Concentrix so that we can ensure that this never happens again.

"Now all those families who lost out on their tax credits payments must receive full and proper compensation for their hardship."

Jon Thompson, chief executive of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, said: "We have reached agreement with Concentrix to exit this contract early.

"HMRC's dedicated staff have cleared all of the cases transferred from Concentrix while striking the right balance in both providing the standards of service that customers rightly expect and bearing down on error and fraud in the tax credits system.
Second-string Ireland side see off Canada in Dublin

Ireland's second-string saw off Canada 52-21 but most likely failed to sway boss Joe Schmidt's selection for the New Zealand rematch next weekend.

Ireland racked up eight tries at Dublin's Aviva Stadium - but laboured for nine first-half minutes with the scores locked at 14-14.

Tiernan O'Halloran claimed a brace, with Keith Earls, Luke Marshall, Ultan Dillane, Kieran Marmion and James Tracy all crossing, and a penalty try completing a comfortable but sloppy victory.

Tiernan OHalloran, right, scored Ireland's seventh try against Canada

Ireland changed their entire line-up from the XV that gained the historic maiden victory over the All Blacks last weekend, the 40-29 win in Chicago.

But a piecemeal performance denied fit-again senior men Peter O'Mahony and Sean O'Brien the chance to state a serious case for selection when New Zealand pitch up in Dublin next weekend.

Munster's O'Mahony and Leinster's O'Brien will now in all likelihood face off for a seat on the bench for Saturday's All Blacks showdown.

Ireland at least handed out the maximum available eight debuts, though highly-rated Leinster centre Garry Ringrose was unable to impose his wide talents on a scrappy encounter.

Scarlets wing DTH Van der Merwe, Taylor Paris and Cornish Pirates' Matt Evans claimed Canada's tries in a solid showing from former Ulster boss Mark Anscombe's side.

Canada dragged the scores level at 14-14 for nine minutes of an underwhelming first-half from Ireland.

The hosts ripped into the world's 18th-ranked team from the off, setting an unsustainable pace.

Earls cantered in under zero resistance for the opening try thanks to Marmion's blindside snipe after a driven maul.

O'Brien then knocked on with the line at his mercy after a fine wide number eight break from Jack O'Donoghue.

Ringrose then had a try harshly chalked off for a forward pass, but Marshall spun home shortly afterwards to double Ireland's early advantage.

Earls' in-out double step proved the moment of the half, the Munster flyer off his wing to fine effect to bamboozle the defence and send Jackson into space. His flat, wide pass then allowed Marshall to claim his second Test score.

Ireland's comfortable 14-0 lead then evaporated amid sloppy and at times hair-brained play.

Scarlets wing Van der Merwe raced gleefully onto Marshall's ill-judged wide pass in Ireland's 22, with Ringrose unable to stop him scoring a seriously soft try.

Left wing Paris then capped a driven maul with Canada's second score, the visitors vindicated for punting a kickable penalty to the corner.

Gordon McRorie's fine touchline conversion put Canada level at 14-14, and suddenly Ireland were in a dogfight.

The excellent Finlay Bealham's cute offload then opened the door for Connacht team-mate O'Halloran to scythe Canada's line and race home from fully halfway.

Jackson's third conversion from three attempts left Ireland 21-14 up at the break.

Boss Schmidt surely dished out a half-time rollicking, and Ireland duly upped the ante on the restart.

Ireland's scrum twice ripped into Canada five metres out, with the second aggressive drive yielding a penalty try.

A needless neck roll penalty from debutant Billy Holland prevented any home head of steam, with Canada quickly capitalising.

Cornish Pirates full-back Evans blasted through on the left, somehow rolling O'Halloran in the tackle to claim Canada's third try.

McRorie's pinpoint conversion left Ireland leading just 28-21.

Dillane powered home Ireland's fifth score in an immediate riposte however, to restore the two-try cushion on the hour.
Trump's climate plan "catastrophic" - France's Royal

By Alister Doyle

MARRAKESH, Morocco, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's plan to drop out of world cooperation on slowing climate change would be "absolutely catastrophic" and weaken the United States, France's environment minister said on Friday.

But Segolene Royal, defending a 2015 Paris climate agreement she helped construct, told Reuters she believed the U.S. president-elect might switch track once he takes office.

Trump has called global warming a hoax, wants to cancel the Paris Agreement and halt all U.S. funding of U.N. global warming programmes.

"If such decisions are taken it would be absolutely catastrophic," said Royal, a Socialist.

"I dare to believe that such things are campaign promises to please a certain electorate which has not understood that global warming is a reality," she said at a Nov. 7-18 meeting of 200 nations in Marrakesh, Morocco, on actions to limit warming.

Trump says he wants to bolster U.S. jobs and avoid dependence on OPEC oil by exploiting the "$50 trillion in untapped shale, oil, and natural gas reserves, plus hundreds of years in clean coal reserves" in the United States.

By contrast, the Paris Agreement seeks to limit greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels.

In Marrakesh, many nations have reaffirmed backing for the Paris Agreement's goals of shifting to wind, solar and other cleaner energies.

"I think that when he (Trump) actually takes office he will see that withdrawing from multilateral negotiations and climate issues would weaken the United States," Royal said.

She said the United States itself was suffering from side-effects of climate change, pointing to storm surges in Miami and wildfires in California.

"China can take the place of the United States if the United States withdraws," from a leading role on climate change, she said.

China and top OPEC exporter Saudi Arabia expressed support in Marrakesh on Friday for the Paris Agreement.

"Our policies and action will not by impacted by any action by the U.S. government," Chen Zhihua, of China's National Development and Reform Commission, told a news conference.
Commentary: Trade. North Korea. Iran. The dangers awaiting Trump.

By Andrew Hammond

Nov 11 (Reuters) - Barack Obama met with Donald Trump at the Oval Office on Thursday following his spectacular election upset on November 8. While the president-elect promptly promised to "put America's interests first, but deal fairly with everyone", many U.S. allies are nervous about what his win will mean for U.S. policy. That means he now has to begin a major campaign of re-assurance, and prepare for a host of challenges in a world full of potential danger.

Trump is starting to receive enhanced intelligence briefings and his in-tray is vast. In the Middle East, key offensives are underway against Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria. In Asia, political tensions are growing in South Korea, where President Park Geun-hye faces pressure to resign at the same time the nuclear stand-off with North Korea has intensified. In Europe, the migration crisis is adding to concern in the continent over the future of the European Union post-Brexit.

One key area of uncertainty for allies is over Trump's trade policy. He spoke out against agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) during his campaign; it remains to be seen what specific posture he will take toward these deals. In particular, the president-elect must decide how hard to push back if Obama decides, before his presidency ends in January, to have a final push at getting congressional passage of the controversial TPP. TPP, which may now be dead-on-arrival in Congress, is a massive trade deal with 11 other countries in the Americas and Asia-Pacific (including Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Mexico) that account for about 40 percent of world GDP.

This will be a big early call for Trump given that many Republicans want the deal to entrench U.S. influence in Asia-Pacific in the face of a rising China. If TPP collapses, it will intensify doubts about U.S. leadership in the region, potentially undermining Trump's leverage with some local allies on other key issues.

The conundrums now confronting Trump aren't limited to these issues. Indeed, there are some indicators that geopolitical risks are now at their highest level since the end of the Cold War.

Other foreign policy fault lines include tensions with China over the latter's territorial claims in the South China Sea; continuing instability in Afghanistan and Libya, and the bleak prospects facing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Meanwhile, continuing hostilities in Ukraine means that Washington's relations with Moscow are perhaps most strained than at any point since Soviet Communism's collapse.

The bilateral relationship with Moscow under Trump will be a special source of scrutiny for many internationally. His relationship with Putin has been warm, rhetorically, and Trump has been criticized for calling NATO "obsolete".

This world of dangers now facing Trump underlines how much the optimistic hopes of how the post-Cold War world might look have been dashed. The vision of a universal order of liberal, capitalist, democratic states living in peace and contentment has been replaced by a reality in which authoritarian states such as Russia appear to many to be a growing force on the world stage; international terrorism remains a concern a decade and a half after 9/11, and unstable places like North Korea have acquired nuclear weapons.

Trump is among those critics of Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton who see these concerns as a result of weak leadership in Washington over almost eight years. This is an oversimplification.

To be sure, the United States remains the most powerful country in the world - certainly in a military sense. It can still project and deploy overwhelming force. However, despite some of his rhetoric during the campaign, Trump hopefully recognizes Washington is not, to use a piece of jargon from international relations, an all-powerful hegemonic power.

Trump and other unalloyed critics of Hillary Clinton and Obama also often fail to acknowledge that, while 2016 may be a year of high political risk, the current international landscape also contains opportunities for greater stability through careful international leadership.

One example is last year's nuclear deal with Iran and six world powers - the United States, China, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The agreement, which Trump criticized during the campaign, theoretically opens up the possibility of warmer ties between Tehran and the West, and could also enhance global nuclear security.

However, neither Trump nor many Republicans controlling Congress are committed to the deal. While Trump has said he would re-negotiate it, he has also said that he opposes all aspects of it - and has called Iran the "biggest sponsor of international terrorism" to boot.

Meanwhile, the rise of China, which has now surpassed the United States as the world's largest economy on purchasing parity terms, represents one of the biggest transformations in global affairs in recent years. This development has potential to be either a growing source of tension with Washington under the new Trump presidency, or develop into a fruitful partnership.

Growing bilateral cooperation is possible if, under Trump, the two countries can increasingly find ways to resolve harder power disagreements, including South China Sea territorial claims, while cooperating on soft issues like climate change. By contrast, bilateral rivalry is possible if Beijing's military strength continues to grow rapidly and the country embraces a more assertive foreign policy toward its neighbors in Asia.
Iraqi army says advances in Mosul, despite suicide bombers

BAGHDAD, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Iraqi special forces backed by U.S. and Iraqi air power took control of two districts of eastern Mosul on Saturday after heavy fighting in which they destroyed at least 10 cars deployed by Islamic State as suicide bombs, the military said.

Infantry and armoured division troops also advanced in a nearby neighbourhood, destroying three rocket launchers and killing 30 militants, it said in a statement.

Iraqi troops have been fighting for 10 days inside eastern Mosul, trying to expand their small foothold in the city which Islamic State has controlled since mid-2014, when its leader declared a caliphate in parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

The nearly four-week campaign to drive Islamic State out of the biggest city under its control in either country has brought together an alliance of 100,000 Iraqi fighters, also backed by thousands of Western personnel on the ground.

They have faced fierce resistance from a few thousand militants who have deployed hundreds of suicide car bombers and waves of attacks by snipers, assault fighters and rocket teams.

Lieutenant-General Abdul Wahab al-Saidi of the Counter Terrorism Service said his forces had completely taken over al-Arbajiya district and were halfway through clearing the adjacent al-Qadisiya al-Thaniya.

"We destroyed more than 10 suicide car bombs and killed snipers and weapons teams," Saidi told Iraqi television. "The clearing is continuing and in the coming hours, God willing, this quarter will be completely cleared."

Saidi said there were 50 districts in the eastern half of Mosul, which is divided by the Tigris river. Military reports suggest troops have controlled or entered less than a quarter of those. Several times they have lost territory overnight and had to fight to retake it.

Islamic State has used a network of tunnels around the city and merged into the civilian population of 1.5 million people still living there, helping it launch surprise raids and ambushes on the troops in areas they believed had been cleared.

"The biggest challenge, which is holding up the advance, is the presence of civilians ... and their use as human shields by the terrorists," Saidi said.

"There are Daesh (Islamic State) elements on the roofs while families are present on the ground floor - that means we have to find a way to deal with the Daesh forces on the roofs without damaging the house or the families."

Sometimes, while troops are helping residents evacuate "we notice a group of armed men among the civilians who open fire on the troops", he added.

Further south, but still on the eastern fringes, troops from the First Infantry and Ninth Armoured divisions attacked the jihadists in the Salam neighbourhood, the military said.

Security forces and army troops are also advancing on southern and northern fronts close to the city, aiming to open new fronts inside Mosul to put further pressure on the ultra-hardline Islamists.

The attacking forces include Iraqi army troops and special forces and federal police units. Outside the city, Kurdish peshmerga forces are holding territory to the northeast and mainly Shi'ite paramilitary forces are deployed to the west.

They are supported by U.S.-led air power, including jets and Apache helicopters, and Western military advisers who have accompanied Iraqi forces on the edge of Mosul.
Ex-Congo rebel leader missing, gunfire erupts in border town

By Joe Bavier

ABIDJAN, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Congo has stepped up army patrols in its volatile east after the former military chief of a once-powerful rebel group vanished from a camp for demobilised fighters in neighbouring Uganda and gunfire erupted outside an important border town.

Julien Paluku, governor of Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, said Ugandan authorities no longer knew the whereabouts of Sultani Makenga, who was the military chief of the M23 rebellion.

"We were in contact with the Ugandan intelligence services who confirmed that, since Friday, ex-Colonel Makenga may have fled and the Ugandan services have not been able to locate him," Paluku told Reuters on Saturday.

An official with M23's political wing declined to comment and referred questions about Makenga to the Ugandan authorities. A Ugandan army spokesman said he did not know whether Makenga had disappeared but would seek to confirm his whereabouts.

A Congolese customs official in Bunagana said gunfire had erupted overnight in the hills around the town, an important border crossing to Uganda that was once an M23 stronghold. Shooting continued sporadically into Saturday morning.

"We didn't know where it was coming from. We woke up in panic," said the official. "We don't know what's happening, the military is telling us nothing."

The official, who declined to be identified as he was not authorised to speak to the media, said there was increased military activity in Bunagana as well as a growing presence of Ugandan soldiers across the border in the town of Kisoro.

Paluku said there was no confirmation Makenga had returned to Congo but added that there had been reports of unidentified troops in North Kivu's Sarambwe Nature Reserve, adjacent to the border.

"There's a maximum alert. Our troops are carrying out combat patrols so that, if it turns out it's true, they will proceed to neutralise (Makenga) along with any allies who might be accompanying him on this adventure," the governor said.

Until its defeat in 2013, M23 was the strongest of dozens of armed groups that have continued to control large swaths of mineral-rich eastern Congo despite the end of the 1998-2003 war.

The area remains a tinder box of ethnic and political divisions.

At its peak, M23 seized North Kivu's capital Goma but following its defeat by U.N. and Congolese troops, many of its fighters fled into Uganda and Rwanda. They have since lived in military-run camps awaiting amnesties promised under a peace deal.

Uganda said in 2014 that it was hosting 1,430 former M23 fighters. However, many have since left the camps and there have been persistent rumours that the rebels were seeking to regroup.

U.N. investigators said the group, accused of war crimes by rights campaigners, was supported by Rwanda - a charge Kigali has repeatedly denied.
A District Judge has gone to the Welikada Prisons hospital on Thursday (10) night to visit former Parliamentarian Duminda Silva who was convicted in the Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra murder case and spent some time before leaving, a prison spokesman said.

Two days after the conviction Duminda Silva was admitted to the prison hospital after he caught fever and there was also an arrangement to send him to the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital on the recommendation of doctors, he said.

It is also said this judge had come to the prison on the day Duminda Silva was convicted and her entry to the prison had also been registered in the documents at the gate of the Welikada Prison.

When inquired about the matter Prisons Commissioner General Nishan Danasinghe affirmed the arrival of a judge on Thursday to see convicted Duminda Silva at the prisons hospital.

The Commissioner General also said he had directed the chief medical officer of the prisons hospital to submit a report explaining the transfer of Duminda Silva to the National Hospital recommended on the ground of a sudden illness instead of recommending the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital. (Jayantha Samarakone)
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera on Friday said India realised the dangers of bottom-trawling, but the two countries should work out a win-win situation for poor fishermen on both sides of the Palk Bay.

I am sure that we should be able to come to a suitable agreement in the shortest possible time, said the Minister, who in September called for a ban on bottom-trawling, citing its adverse impact on marine ecosystems.

Terming the New Delhi meeting a great success, he told The Hindu in an interview that both sides demonstrated political will to find a solution and that a very important first step has been taken.

On the outcome of the U.S. elections, he said there were certain concerns about some of the policies Donald Trump expounded during the campaign. But what you say at election time is not always what you do when you are elected. The American system, he said, would steer the new administration along the same path as far as international relations are concerned.

Asked about the recent controversial remarks of the Chinese envoy in Colombo  criticising at a press conference Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayakes view on expensive Chinese loans  Mr. Samaraweera said he advised the envoy that any such issue should be sorted through the Foreign Ministry rather than through the media. China is a good friend and an important partner in Sri Lankas economic development, he said.

Mr. Samaraweera, a top leader in Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes United National Party, which leads Sri Lankas unity government along with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, has been at the helm of initiatives aimed at reconciliation.

Asked about concerns voiced by the civil society on the draft of Sri Lankas new counter-terrorism law, he said his own Ministry had conveyed to an oversight committee its reservation over some of the recommendations in the draft. The final version, he said, would be in line with global norms. But still the commitment of the government to repeal the earlier Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and introduce a new Prevention of Terrorism Act in keeping with international best practice is as strong as ever. (The Hindu)
Police are investigating suspected drug offences after allegations were made against the former chair of the influential home affairs select committee, Keith Vaz, who is known for his campaign for the Sri Lankan Tamil force, the Guardian reported.

A Sunday Mirror article on 4 September this year said he had paid male escorts and had been secretly recorded offering to pay for cocaine if it was brought to a future meeting, though he stressed that he did not want any himself.

He was also accused of encouraging others to use poppers. The select committee he formerly chaired has criticised moves to ban the legal high and has investigated prostitution, leading to accusations of a conflict of interest.

After the article was published, Vaz apologised to his family for his actions but attacked the paper for the way it had gone about getting the story. He stepped down from his home affairs select committee position two days after the news emerged.

Police said they received a letter the next day  7 September  asking them to investigate. The correspondence was passed on to a specialist team, which started an assessment process to identify what criminal offences  if any  may have been committed.

On Friday night Scotland Yard said: Following that assessment, which included obtaining early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, the Metropolitan police service is now investigating offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The investigation started on Thursday 10 November.

Police confirmed the investigation was launched following allegations against an MP in the 4 September edition of the Sunday Mirror but refused to identify any of the objectives of the investigation and declined to comment further.

On Friday Vaz said: I welcome a full investigation as a means of establishing the true facts and I am confident the police will pursue all lines of enquiry. I will cooperate with the investigation in any way I can.

It was announced at the end of last month that Vaz had been appointed to the justice committee, despite opposition in parliament.

Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen told the Commons: I would leave the house with this question: If the right honourable member for Leicester East [Vaz] found himself last month to be not fit to be chair of the home affairs select committee and the matters are unresolved, what makes him think that he is a fit and proper person this month?
There is a legal concept called homo sacer. A part of ancient Roman law, this means sacred or accursed man, who can be killed by anyone without legal consequences, a person who has no rights.

There is no community that exemplifies this so much in India and Pakistan as the self-described liberals.

These are people who are determined to take on the vast illiterate hordes in their own country, who know better, and are willing to talk with the enemy.

They talk of the people they know  their little bubble of those educated at elite institutions, quite often in the US and the UK  who might be Indian or Pakistan by passport, but whose citizenship is really to the land of the privileged. The wine with which they toast each other is named disconnectedness.

It is not that these people are bad, or have bad ideas, but they are not perceived by the vast majority of their co-citizens as people who have had similar opportunities, or face similar threats. Because a large number of them have studied at elite institutions, and have achieved positions of status, they are admired at times of peace, but that admiration turns very quickly to a sense of envy and resentment at times of crisis.

The first accusation against liberals of this kind when things get rough is, What do you know? When have you suffered like a common man or woman?

As Karan Johar was humiliated and blackmailed as his film, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was about to be released, there was a profound lack of sympathy for him.

Few displayed any sympathy for Karan Johar.

As he released his video of apology for casting a Pakistani actor in his film, we were witness to the destruction of his rights (a destruction that was facilitated, to his eternal shame, by Devendra Fadnavis) as a homo sacer.

People were appalled by his behaviour, some blamed him, others blamed the MNS, while still others blamed Devendra Fadnavis and Narendra Modi, who personally chose Fadnavis as chief minister of Maharashtra.

Very few displayed any sympathy for Karan Johar  he was too rich, too well-attired, too privileged, therefore his rights did not matter.

In Johars humiliation we saw also the powerlessness of the peace-building community, who thought that with a few good movies featuring a good-looking star or two, we could all go whistling to the horizons of peace.

Peace is not a joke, nor can it be won by ignoring the serious problems that exist between the two countries.

I remember speaking to a young man from Indias new start-up tech communities who said, Given all that we have suffered from Pakistan, why should we have peace?

This is the question that has to be answered, and it cannot be answered by saying, Hey, I know, and sympathise with other elite people in the other country, and they are just like us, suffering from fools and bigots in government that they dislike, just as we dislike our own.

Even if this is true  and it is verifiably not true for at least a strong section of the community that are fools and bigots who hate each other  of what interest is that to a common Indian? Why do we need peace, what does it get us, just some pretty actor in a film?

Peace has to mean more than that. It has to be shown that it is in the interest of the common Indian, of the vast majority of Indians, and that argument is one that many liberals fail to make.

It is the argument of the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline which would lead to a huge profits for Pakistan and Iran, and cheap fuel for Indians.

It is the argument of trans-boundary trade to Afghanistan, which would benefit not just Afghanistan and Pakistan, but would allow India to access minerals and dry fruits from Afghanistan and Central Asia.

It is the argument of the thousands of soldiers and civilians who have died on the notional line after the 1947-48 war in Jammu and Kashmir, who continue to die and be injured every single day while that line moves not an inch.

It is the argument that  as India tries to do the difficult dance between a rising China and a retreating US  that hostility with Pakistan fatally undercuts our freedom of movement.

It is the argument that while both India and Pakistan call themselves the bridge between east and west, while they are in conflict the bridge is broken. The road leads to a dead end.

We make peace when it is in our self-interest, not because it is the nice thing to do with people we like. Unfortunately too much of the argument by peace building remains that it is about India being nice, being a great civilisation, living up to being a country that won Independence by non-violent means.

This is irrelevant. India is a country of the poor, desperately struggling to provide hundreds of millions of its citizens a life of minimal dignity, located in a complex neighbourhood and handling a very challenging international environment while climate change degrades our economy, our society and our security.

We cannot afford nice in such circumstances, we need self-interest.

Unless peace building helps us in this, it will never succeed, our elite liberals will remain admired and reviled in equal measure, but with no rights, and everything they touch will be easily sacrificed the moment we have a moment of crisis.
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Spencer And Company Ltd, Ranelagh Nominees Ltd, Retail Revival (Burgess Hill) Investments Ltd, SARL Coliseum, SARL Hiram, SAS Compagnie Fonciere De France, SCI Astoria Invest, SCI De LHorloge, SCI Equinoxe, SCI Rambuteau CFF, SW Funding plc, SW No.1 Ltd, SWAMF (GP) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (1) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (2) Ltd, Saint Michel Holding Company No1, Saint Michel Investment Property, Saint Witz 2 Holding Company No1, Saint Witz 2 Investment Property, Salisbury II Securities 2016 Ltd, Salisbury II-A Securities 2017 Ltd, Salisbury III Securities 2019 DAC, Salisbury Securities 2015 Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 Holdings Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 plc, Sandown Gold 2012-1 Holdings Ltd, Sandown Gold 2012-1 plc, Savban Leasing Ltd, Scotland International Finance B.V., Scottish Widows Administration Services (Nominees) Ltd, Scottish Widows Administration Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Annuities Ltd, Scottish Widows Auto Enrolment Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Europe, Scottish Widows Financial Services Holdings, Scottish Widows Group Ltd, Scottish Widows Industrial Properties Europe B.V., Scottish Widows Ltd, Scottish Widows Pension Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Property Management Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth (ACD) Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Wealth Holdings Ltd, Scottish Widows Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Funds Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Trust Managers Ltd, Scottish Widows Fund and Life Assurance Society, Seabreeze Leasing Ltd, Seaspirit Leasing Ltd, Share Dealing Nominees Ltd, Shogun Finance Ltd, Silentdale Ltd, St Andrews Group Ltd, St Andrews Insurance plc, St Andrews Life Assurance plc, St. Marys Court Investments, Standard Property Investment (1987) Ltd, Standard Property Investment Ltd, Sussex County Homes Ltd, Suzuki Financial Services Ltd, Swan Funding 2 Ltd, Syon Securities 2019 DAC, The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation Plc, The British Linen Company Ltd, The Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, The Mortgage Business plc, Thistle Financing Holdings Ltd, Thistle Investments (AMC) Ltd, Thistle Investments (ERM) Ltd, Thistle Leasing, Three Copthall Avenue Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (10) Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (7) Ltd, Tranquility Leasing Ltd, Trinity Financing plc, UDT Budget Leasing Ltd, UDT Sales Finance Ltd, Uberior (Moorfield) Ltd, Uberior Co-Investments Ltd, Uberior ENA Ltd, Uberior Equity Ltd, Uberior Europe Ltd, Uberior Fund Investments Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments (No.2) Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments Ltd, Uberior Investments Ltd, Uberior Nominees Ltd, Uberior Trading Ltd, Uberior Trustees Ltd, Uberior Ventures Australia Pty Ltd, Uberior Ventures Ltd, United Dominions Leasing Ltd, United Dominions Trust Ltd, Universe The CMI Global Network Fund, Upsaala Ltd, Vine Street IX LP, WCS Ltd, Ward Nominees (Abingdon) Ltd, Ward Nominees (Birmingham) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees (Bristol) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees Ltd 1, Waverley  Fund II Investor LLC, Waverley  Fund III Investor LLC, Waymark Asset Investments Ltd, West Craigs Ltd, Wetherby II Securities 2018 DAC, Wetherby III Securities 2019 DAC, Wetherby Securities 2017 Ltd, Wood Street Leasing Ltd, and Zurich Insurance Group - UK Workplace Pensions and Savings Business.

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Parker-Hannifin Corporation manufactures and sells motion and control technologies and systems for various mobile, industrial, and aerospace markets worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Diversified Industrial and Aerospace Systems. The Diversified Industrial segment offers sealing, shielding, thermal products and systems, adhesives, coatings, and noise vibration and harshness solutions; filters, systems, and diagnostics solutions to monitor and remove contaminants from fuel, air, oil, water, and other liquids and gases; connectors, which control, transmit, and contain fluid; control solutions for extreme corrosion resistance, temperatures, pressures, and precise flow; and hydraulic, pneumatic, and electromechanical components and systems for builders and users of mobile and industrial machinery and equipment. This segment sells its products to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and distributors who serve the replacement markets in manufacturing, packaging, processing, transportation, construction, refrigeration and air conditioning, agricultural, and military machinery and equipment industries. The Aerospace Systems segment offers products for use in commercial and military airframe and engine programs, such as control actuation systems and components, engine build-up ducting, engine exhaust nozzles and assemblies, engine systems and components, fluid conveyance systems and components, fuel systems and components, fuel tank inerting systems, hydraulic systems and components, lubrication components, pilot controls, pneumatic control components, thermal management products, and wheels and brakes, as well as fluid metering, delivery, and atomization devices. This segment markets its products directly to OEMs and end users. The company markets its products through direct-sales employees, independent distributors, and sales representatives. The company was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
United Parcel Service, Inc. provides letter and package delivery, transportation, logistics, and related services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States. The International Package segment provides guaranteed day and time-definite international shipping services in Europe, the Asia Pacific, Canada and Latin America, the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, and Africa. This segment offers guaranteed time-definite express options. The company also provides international air and ocean freight forwarding, customs brokerage, distribution and post-sales, and mail and consulting services in approximately 200 countries and territories. In addition, it offers truckload brokerage services; supply chain solutions to the healthcare and life sciences industry; shipping, visibility, and billing technologies; and financial and insurance services. The company operates a fleet of approximately 121,000 package cars, vans, tractors, and motorcycles; and owns 59,000 containers that are used to transport cargo in its aircraft. United Parcel Service, Inc. was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.

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Red Hat, Inc. provides open source software solutions to develop and offer operating system, virtualization, management, middleware, cloud, mobile, and storage technologies to various enterprises worldwide. It offers infrastructure-related solutions, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux, an operating system platform that runs on hardware for use in hybrid cloud environments; Red Hat Satellite, a system management offering that helps to deploy, scale, and manage in hybrid cloud environments; and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, a software solution that allows customers to utilize and manage a common hardware infrastructure to run multiple operating systems and applications. The company offers application development-related and other technology solutions, such as Red Hat JBoss Middleware, a solution for developing, deploying, and managing applications; integrating applications, data, and devices; and automating business processes in hybrid cloud environments; The company's application development-related and other technology solutions also includes Red Hat cloud offerings, a software solution that enables customers to build and manage various cloud computing environments; Red Hat Mobile, a software development platform that enables customers to develop, integrate, deploy, and manage mobile applications for enterprises; and Red Hat Storage, a software solution that enables customers to manage large, unstructured, or semi-structured data in hybrid cloud environments. It also provides consulting, support, and training services; and realtime operating system, distributed computing, directory services, and user authentication. Red Hat, Inc. has collaboration with Juniper Networks Expand to provide a unified solution for enterprises designed to manage and run applications and services. The company was formerly known as Red Hat Software, Inc. and changed its name to Red Hat, Inc. in June 1999. Red Hat, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.
New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
A man there reported he was sexually assaulted by another while he was asleep at his Rugby Road residence. After awaking the victim, the suspect was pushed off and he fled the residence, police said. The victim chased after him, detaining him at the 500 block of 17th Street Northwest until police arrived at about 4 a.m.
After two years of operation, the areas first long-term shelter for survivors of human trafficking is closing. According to those involved with The Arbor Charlottesville, a variety of factors led to the decision, while the scourge of human trafficking remains present in Central Virginia.

The Arbor opened in late 2014 with the mission of taking in adult female survivors of human trafficking and providing them with safe, long-term housing, specialized case management and counseling. According to Seth Wispelwey, The Arbors executive director, the program was intended to equip women not only to recover from their trauma, but to empower them to live on their own safely, autonomously and positioned for long-term flourishing.

While two women have successfully moved through the shelters programming and into stable situations, The Arbors board unanimously voted last month to dissolve the organizations nonprofit status and suspend its operations at the end of this year.

Speaking on behalf of the board, chairwoman Lisa Lorish said in an email: This decision was a very difficult one to reach for The Arbors board because all of the evidence continues to show that trafficking is a growing problem and that there is a significant need for services to assist survivors.

Wispelwey said the decision to shut down the safe house came from a mix of things  the level and specificity of required staffing became unsustainable, he said, while the availability of affordable housing in the city proved to be limited.

On top of that, shelters for human-trafficking victims are still new concepts; The Arbors mission had the organization steering into relatively unchartered waters.

This is resource-intensive work and there are no national standards for it, Wispelwey said. The Arbor as a mission and organization is at the prow of this ship that a lot of people around the country are figuring out in real time, and its urgently necessary work.

But sometimes when youre at the prow of a ship, you get splashed with some iced water, he said.

When The Arbor was first being developed, a needs-based assessment of the region led the organization to focus on aiding foreign-born Latinas who had survived human trafficking. Not long after opening, however, The Arbor began taking in a variety of clients based on a hefty influx of referrals. Wispelwey said that as recently as this fall, hes received more than a handful of calls about referrals from people within the Charlottesville area.

Theres such a great need, and The Arbor opened up with a specific purpose in mind  but as soon as they opened up, because there are so few beds specifically dedicated to this, the calls came in flying, Wispelwey said. So [of course], the original staff and founders said yes.

Getting away from that core mission, while well intentioned, had an inverse effect on the organizations long-term development strategy. The Arbor ran into further issues when it came to housing  as part of the road map to recovery, the shelter aimed to find affordable housing for its clients once they were able to leave the safe house. But affordable housing can be difficult to come by in the Charlottesville area.

Nonetheless, The Arbors two years of operation proved fruitful. Of the five women who came through The Arbors doors, two have successfully graduated from the program.

Wispelwey said he can now pay forward lessons learned from The Arbors pioneering mission to a broader stage. Hes been on conference calls with similar entities around the country to develop national standards for aftercare services programs and intends to publish a resource document of what weve learned, what our experience was and strong recommendations for anyone who wants to pick up the baton and carry this work forward in an effective, dynamic and sustainable way.

Still, the dissolution of The Arbor limits the resources available to human-trafficking survivors in the region. In the past 20 years, the Albemarle County Police Department has made 54 arrests in which human-trafficking charges were placed.

Jerry Schenk, a detective in the departments special victims unit, has worked with victims of human trafficking firsthand, and said he was saddened to hear of The Arbors closure.

Over the past couple of years, I have met and gotten to know some of the staff there and have been encouraged by their passion for people and dedication to the victims healing process, Schenk said. The Arbor and its staff will truly be a missed resource in the area.

Albemarles commonwealths attorney, Robert Tracci, said his office will continue to aggressively prosecute human traffickers. Theres already at least one case of human trafficking on his plate  in June, a grand jury indicted 33-year-old Quincy M. Edwards on 10 charges of commercial sex trafficking, alleging that Edwards was involved with a high-level prostitution operation in the county. That case is set to go to trial in March.

Providing shelter and counseling to these survivors is essential to their physical and emotional recovery, Tracci said in an email. I share The Arbors hope that its work over the last two years will promote additional efforts to support survivors of human trafficking in the Albemarle-Charlottesville community.

After The Arbor officially shutters at the end of the year, it will donate any remaining funds to Thistle Farms in Nashville, Tennessee, a pioneering organization in this field that operates a residential program and provides advocacy services for women healing from prostitution, trafficking and addiction, according to Lorish.
Rolling Stone magazine put University of Virginia administrator Nicole Eramo through a horrible ordeal when it published Sabrina Rubin Erdelys story about a rape on campus  a story that quickly fell apart under scrutiny. Rolling Stone eventually retracted it, and Erdely apologized.

Eramo sued for defamation  a tough case to make, especially after the judge in the case ruled she qualified as a public figure. That meant Eramo had to prove the magazine acted with actual malice. In libel law, malice does not mean an intent to do harm; it means the publication knew it was making accusations that were false, or had doubts about their veracity. A jury found that it had.

To make matters worse, the Rolling Stone debacle is not the first of its type. Less than a decade ago the nation was convulsed by allegations about Duke lacrosse players raping a stripper. The lurid story, with its contrast between privileged rich white males and the underprivileged black woman who accused them, pushed every social-justice hot button  and that was enough for many to assume the accused were guilty. But the accusation proved false.

Why Erdely and Rolling Stone ignored that cautionary tale and plowed forward without questioning Jackies story harder is a mystery. Sexual assault on college campuses is sadly widespread, and sufficient shoe-leather reporting could have turned up numerous  albeit perhaps less sensational  cases.

That is one of the many lamentable aspects of this episode: The high-profile debunking of Jackies story could make it harder for victims to come forward or make it easier for skeptics to dismiss their allegations. If Erdely and Rolling Stone were trying to advance a cause, they wound up setting it back.

Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Newport News Commonwealths Attorney is looking at 33 potentially fraudulent voter registration forms, reported the Daily Press recently.

That was shortly after reports that Vafalay Massaquoi had been arrested for filing fake voter registration forms in Alexandria. He had been working for a progressive advocacy group.

Meanwhile, there were claims of election fraud and voting rights abuse in the western half of the state.

Officials are investigating an incident in Harrisonburg, where the names of 20 dead people showed up on voter applications.

And those are just the Virginia cases. A voter-fraud investigation in Indiana, to cite just one example, has spread to 56 counties.

In recent years Republicans have taken a beating for pressing the issue of voter fraud. Critics have lambasted the party for using an imaginary and nonexistent problem as a pretext to enact ID measures that could suppress minority turnout.

Some Republicans could very well be doing just that. But given the stories cited above, opponents of ID measures should stop claiming the problem of voter fraud isnt real.

Adapted from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
On Oct. 5, we residents of coastal South Carolina were ordered by Gov. Nikki Haley to evacuate as Hurricane Matthew moved up the Atlantic coast.

For six days we waited in a Red Roof Inn without any news of how our property fared. With the storm's winds striking at 90-plus miles per hour and rains pounding down 17 inches of water, we could only pray that we'd a home to which to return.

When we were allowed to return to our place on Callawassie Island, we had multiple huge trees uprooted, including three in the roof of the rear facade of our house.

As you can imagine, our local tree service folks were overwhelmed with calls, so when Bartlett Tree sent down skilled staff from other locales we were more than thankful!

A great big shout-out, then, to Jeff Inman from Bartlett Tree in Charlottesville who selflessly left his family and home comfort to come on down to work on South Carolina's disaster recovery. Mr. Inman worked tirelessly and without a break for more than eight hours until our trees were cleared from the house.

Please know how deeply appreciative we all are for the excellent care the Bartlett staff provided. Thank you very much!

Barry Wright

Barre Wright

Callawassie Island, South Carolina
CHAMPERICO - Guatemala - A group of American refugee physicians numbering over three hundred had to be rescued from a makeshift boat yesterday after fleeing America.

Local news crews interviewed the doctors after their arduous journey.

We set sail from San Diego two weeks ago. We had some basic rations with us, but we had to get away from the Obamacare. If I have to treat that many people in one day for peanut pay I would go insane in two days. It aint right, I didnt go to Med. school all those years to be a low pay dogs body. A group of us got this little rust bucket and jumped in it to escape America, Dr. Barry Soto, recalled.

According to the surviving refugee doctors some of their colleagues did not make it during the harrowing journey and had to be thrown overboard for the sharks.

It was either the sharks back home or in the sea. They chose the sea, bless their souls, a brain surgeon from Los Angeles told rescuers.



Captain Fernando Guatirez, for the Guatemalan Lifeboat Service told reporters about the rescue: We rescued the gringos they were floating in the sea in a boat that even our refugees would not venture on. Those crazy gringos were fleeing America. I had to pinch myself to believe it.


This page may be updated if the event is repeated

Past Event - Sunday, December 12, 2021 This page may be updated if the event is repeated

Free Event

The MVSO and Dayton Masonic Center invites the entire family to come and celebrate the season at this annual free Christmas show, featuring the MVSO Community & Childrens Chorus, Gem City Ballet, and soprano Tia Seay. Dont miss the pre-show performance by MVSO Youth Strings, starting at 2:15 and 6:15pm.

Enjoy holiday favorites including themes from Home Alone; Winter Wonderland; Still, Still, Still; Go Tell It On the Mountain; and Hallelujah Chorus.

Santa joins us onstage and welcomes all the children to visit for a free photo and gift
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitleytoday dismissed canard about shortage of salt in the country as "concocted rumours" and stressed adequate quantity is available in every state.

"Some people are spreading irresponsible rumours, like it happened yesterday regarding salt. It is there in adequate quantity in every state," he told reporters here. He said that some of these rumours started on day one of the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

"These are all concocted rumours," he said, adding statements like some people were aware of the demonetisation earlier tantamount to "taking liberty with truth".

The Commerce and Industry Ministry too has dismissed the rumours of shortage of salt in the market. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), which comes under the Ministry, in a series of tweets said there is sufficient stock of salt in the country.

"Do not panic, plenty of edible salt stocks are available in North Eastern Sates, Bihar an West Bengal. Say No To Rumours!," it said.

Salt produced at Nawa and Phalodi from Rajasthan is supplied to Delhi.

"Refined salt is available in market at the rate of Rs 8-18 as per brand. Adequate edible salt has been supplied to Delhi & NCR areas by salt producers from Santalpur and Kharaghoda from Gujarat. There is no scarcity in Delhi," it added.

Salt producers and suppliers from Tamil Nadu confirmed that there is no scarcity of salt in the entire state, DIPP said, adding "no scarcity of salt and it is sold at normal rates in West Bengal".

Adequate salt has been produced, stocked and being supplied in Gujarat, which produces 75 per cent total salt in India.

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that "authorities are in the field and reporting back. No shortage".

Rumours about shortage of salt triggered panic among people in areas like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi and Maharashtra.
The Income Tax Department has asked banks to report all cash deposits exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh during the 50-day window.

Moving quickly to plug loopholes,the Income Tax Department has asked banks to report all cash deposits exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh during the 50-day window provided to tender the now-defunct 500 and 1000 rupee notes.

Previously, banks were required to report to the I-T Department only when cash deposits in an account exceeded Rs 10 lakh in one full year.

But in view of apprehensions that large number of illegal or black money may sought to be converted into white during the window provided till December 30, the Revenue Department has issued fresh set of instructions, a top official said.

"The attempt will be not to harass honest citizens who are free to tender all of their legal, old high-denomination currency savings in their bank accounts and get new ones," he said.

But the window provided to them will also be not allowed to be misused, he said, adding that the Income Tax Department is keeping a close eye on all high-value deposits.

Those depositing large amounts of unaccounted money will have to face the consequences under tax laws, which provide for a 30 per cent tax, 12 per cent interest and a 200 per cent penalty.

Earlier in the day, the Finance Ministry came out with newspaper advertisements assuring people that their hard earned money is safe and that depositing junked Rs 500/1,000 notes of up to Rs 2.50 lakh in bank accounts will not be reported to the tax department.

It also cautioned people against depositing the money of unknown people in their own accounts or falling prey to cheats, thugs and rumour mongers.

Besides, the ministry said, farm income continues to remain tax free and can be easily deposited in bank.

Small businessmen, housewives, artisans, workers can also deposit cash in their accounts without any apprehensions, it added.

"Deposits up to Rs 2.50 lakh will not be reported to the Income Tax department. There will be no harassment or investigation. All honest citizen need not worry. Farmers' income is tax free and can be easily deposited in bank," the ministry said in newspaper ads.

In its biggest crackdown ever on black money, the government on Tuesday night announced demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and asked people holding such notes to deposit them in their bank accounts.
The use of demonetised currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination was extended up to November 14 tonight.

Indian Railways has extended the use of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, which have been demonetised by the NDA government, for ticketing, onboard catering and refund of tickets by another 72 hours to November 14.

While withdrawing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes from the night of November 8-9, the government had allowed use of the old currency at government hospitals, railway ticketing, public transport, airline ticketing at airports, milk booths, crematoria/burial grounds and petrol pumps for 72 hours.

The use of demonetised currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination was extended up to November 14 tonight, and all concerned in the Indian Railways have been instructed to complay with the latest instruction, a Railway spokesperson said.

However, the precautionary measures, like refund of cancelled tickets would be done through ticket deposit receipts (TDR) and not in cash among others, would continue, he added.

The railways had announced stop giving refund for cancellation of tickets in cash and instead issuing ticket deposit receipts (TDR).

In case of refund amount touching Rs 10,000 or above, the railways will only transfer the amount to the customer's bank account and the person concerned is required to furnish account details for receiving the amount while cancelling the ticket.

The government had demonitised Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes from the midnight of October 8 with the aim to fight black money and corruption, while exempting a few emergency services like hospitals, petrol pumps, railways and airports for 72 hours days up to November 11.

This list was later expanded to include payments for metro rail tickets, highway and road toll, purchase of medicines on doctor prescription from the government and private pharmacies, LPG gas cylinders, railway catering, electricity and water bills and ASI monument entry tickets.

The time limit set was to expire mid-night tonight, but it has now been extended by another 72 hours.

However, the demonitisation move has attracted heavy rush at ticket counters at railway stations resulting in cash shortage. "So we are giving TDR to those who are cancelling tickets and if the refund amount is Rs 10,000 or more then it would be returned to the bank account of the person," a railways official said.

Today, the government extended use of old defunct 500 and 1,000 notes for paying household utility bills, fuel, taxes and fees and purchases from co-operative stores by another 72 hours to November 14 after banks struggled to cope with rush of people to get alternative currency.
Aamir was speaking at the launch of the song 'Haanikaarak Bapu,' from his upcoming movie, 'Dangal.'

Mumbai: Aamir Khan is no novice when it comes to tackling questions from the media. The actor has previously dabbled in the 'art of dodging' with much aplomb.

Aamir, who attended the launch of the song, 'Haanikaarak Bapu,' from his upcoming movie, 'Dangal,' along with child actors Suhani Bhatnagar and Zaira Wasim, was his usual composed self while answering questions posed at them, post the launch.

When one reporter asked him if he was affected by the overnight scrapping of the 500 and 1000 rupee notes by prime minister Narendra Modi, Aamir let out a hearty chuckle, and said he didn't have any money in the first place, to be affected.

"I never have money with me. I was not affected at all. Fortunately, I pay all my taxes. So I was not affected," he said.

Bollywood stars have generally been extremely supportive of the PM's revolutionary move to curb black money, whilst lauding his initiation.
Farhan and Ritesh have produced the sequel to Abhishek Kapoor's 2008 cult hit 'Rock On!!'.

Mumbai: The demonetisation of 500 and 1000 currency notes, announced by the government, has affected the latest Bollywood release 'Rock On 2', says the producer of the film Ritesh Sidhwani.

While makers of films 'Saasein' and '30 Minutes' decided to postpone their release, the makers of 'Rock On!! 2' stuck to their release date.

Talking about the issue with ANI, Ritesh said, "We too thought about postponing the release date but it was too late. Considering ours was a wide release, we would have suffered because of piracy, had we shifted the Indian release date since the piracy laws in India are not too stringent."

"The small number that has seen the film, loves it and it is sad that the collection is getting affected because of these hurdles (domentisation)," said Ritesh.

"We have introduced innovative ideas to encourage people to watch the film. For instance, PVR cinemas are not charging the convenience fees while booking tickets online, and another portal is offering 'buy one, get one free' ticket," he added.

"We are hopeful that the footfall will increase in the weekdays when people start figuring out their personal issues of managing expenses," said the producer.

Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday announced that the government had decided to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes to tackle the menace of black money.
Sridevi celebrated her husband Boney Kapoor's birthday along with daughters, Khushi and Jhanvi in Mumbai. (Photo: Viral Bhayani)

Mumbai: On Thursday (November, 11) Sridevi along with her gorgeous daughters Khushi and Jhanvi Kapoor stepped out to celebrate her husband Boney Kapoor's birthday.

The entire family stepped out in style to have a cozy family dinner at a lavish intercontinental restaurant in Bandra, Mumbai. As Sridevi and Boney, along with their daughters made their way towards the car after having a peaceful family time, they were snapped by the shutterbugs.

Dressed in a white bodycon dress, Jhanvi looked elegantly beautiful as she walked out of the venue with her father. Soon enough, the two were followed by the youngest member of the family, Khushi, who looked like a chic diva dressed in high waist denim jeans and white spaghetti top that she paired with a brown jacket, walking hand in hand with her mother.

Recently, a report about Sridevi imposing 'no BF' clause on her elder daughter Jhanvi Kapoor surfaced online.

Few weeks ago, several intimate pictures of Jhanvi kissing her boyfriend Shikhar Pahariya, grandson of Sushil Kumar Shinde, were making rounds on the internet, which irked Sridevi.

The strict mother has asked her daughter to call her relationship with Shikhar off and also stir clear of dating. Not only that, reports further reveal that Jhanvi is also not allowed to have any male friends.
Kolkata: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was today all praise for West Bengal for educating girl children, but questioned the use of Hindi word 'Mardaani' (masculinity) to depict female valour in our society.

"Even the word 'Mardaani' is derived from the word 'mard' (men). The word which is a description of male valour and strength. Why can't we have an independent word for female valour? This is something which I feel needs debate and consideration," Bachchan questioned during a speech on the role of women in Indian cinema.

He said this while talking about actor Rani Mukherjee's 2014 film "Mardaani" in which she palys a brave and honest woman cop who unearths a human trafficking racket.

The actor gave numerous examples of films like 'Cheeni Kam', 'Neerja', 'Mary Kom', 'Ki & Ka', 'Queen', 'Piku', 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', 'Pink' to discuss how the changing role of women in the society have been reflected in recent Hindi films.

The 'Sarkar' actor praised West Bengal and Kerala for leading the way in educating the girl child.

"The most revered in Bengal is Goddess Durga who is a woman," he said, adding how his wife Jaya Bachchan exclaims 'O Ma' or 'E Ma' whenever anything big happens.

"It is wonderful how you associate the mother with this," Bachchan said while mentioning that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has named a flyover as 'Ma' in Kolkata.

"Well done," he told the CM and also openly praised her government for the 'Kanyashree' scheme which provides financial support to girl children for their education.

He also raised the issue of female sexual harassment which was raised in his film 'Pink', saying it brought the issues of sexual violence and sexual consent into urban middle class homes.
THRISSUR: Well known cinema-serial actress Rekha Mohan was found dead under mysterious circumstances in her flat at Sobha City on Saturday. Viyyur police said that they reached her flat after her driver alerted the cops that the actor was not opening the door of the flat and not responding to his calls. After the police broke open the front door of her flat she was found dead in the room at 2 pm. Police said she was living in the flat for almost one year now and was alone as her husband was in Malaysia.

The couple does not have any children, cops said. The actress is a native of Kodakara in Thrissur and rose to fame through a song in the Malayalam film Nee varuvolam. Her role in the Mammooty starer Udyanapalakan was also noted. Police said that the exact cause for her death would be known after the post-mortem of the body which will be held at Thrissur Medical College Hospital on Sunday. They added that she died two days ago. Of late she has been active in TV serials. The character named Mayamma in a television serial with the same title, has been quite popular.
Very soon doctors will be able to diagnose diabetes without painful pinpricks. (Photo: AFP)

London: Oxford researchers have developed a new, portable breath analyser that could someday help doctors diagnose diabetes without painful pinpricks, needles or other unpleasant methods.

Many studies examining the hallmarks of diabetes in exhaled breath have shown that elevated levels of acetone are strongly linked to diabetes. Detecting the concentrations of any given substance in breath in a simple way, however, is a major challenge.

Breath contains a complex mix of compounds, including water, carbon dioxide and methane, that can throw results off. Mass spectrometry can do the job, but it is not very practical for point-of-care testing. Robert Peverall and colleagues wanted to fill that void.

Researchers from University of Oxford in the UK created a hand-held device with an adsorbent polymer that can trap acetone from exhaled breath, then release it into a cavity where a laser probes its concentration.

They tested the accuracy of the device on the breath of healthy subjects under different conditions, such as after overnight fasting or exercising, and compared results with mass spectrometry readings.

The measurements were a close match and covered a wide range of concentrations, including those that would suggest a patient has undiagnosed type-1 diabetes, or has problems controlling their blood glucose.

Adding to the practicality of the device, the researchers said it could be re-used many times. The study appears in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry.
Washington: A recent study has found that surgery is more effective in reducing pain for patients with degenerative spinal disease, compared to nonsurgical treatment. The spinal surgery also helps in reducing pain that interferes with sexual activity.

"Sex life is a relevant consideration for the majority of patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis," notes Dr. Shane Burch. "Operative treatment leads to improved sex life-related pain," in addition to reducing pain and disability from degenerative spinal conditions.

The researchers analyzed data from the Spine Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT)--one of the largest clinical trials of surgery for spinal disorders. Patients meeting strict criteria for spinal stenosis or degenerative spondylolisthesis were randomly assigned to surgery or nonsurgical treatment.

Patients with spinal stenosis or degenerative spondylolisthesis have narrowing of or pressure on the spinal canal, causing back pain, leg pain, and other symptoms. In the SPORT study, patients who did not improve with initial nonsurgical treatment were offered the opportunity to "cross over" to surgical treatment.

In response to questionnaires, about 30 percent of patients indicated that sexual function was not relevant to them. These patients were older (average 70 versus 63 years), more likely to be female and unmarried, and more likely to have coexisting joint problems.

Of 825 patients who said that sexual function was relevant, 531 underwent some kind of surgery (spinal decompression or spinal fusion) 294 received nonsurgical treatment. Before treatment, 55 percent of patients said they had at least some pain affecting their sex life.

Three months after back surgery, less than 20 percent of patients still had sex life-related pain. In contrast, about 40 percent of patients treated without surgery still had pain with sexual activity. The improvement persisted through four years' follow-up, and was significant for patients undergoing spinal decompression versus fusion.

The SPORT study was designed to clarify the benefits of surgical compared to nonsurgical treatment in patients with carefully defined spinal disorders. Previous results in patients with spinal stenosis/degenerative spondylolisthesis suggested that surgery provides greater improvement in pain and functioning.

Chronic back pain has known negative consequences for sexual function, contributing to decreased quality of life. Previous research has suggested that sexual function is improved after surgery for back pain. The new study is the first to include a large number of patients undergoing back surgery, and the first to include a comparison group of patients treated without surgery.

"The impetus behind our study was to initiate the process of understanding how back surgery affects patients' lives," says Dr. Burch. "An important aspect for many patients includes sex life. We have very limited data to discuss this topic, and we need to do a better job for our patients to inform them of what to expect after surgery."

Future studies will provide more complete information on how back surgery can improve sexual function and activity. Meanwhile, Dr. Burch and colleagues suggest that surgeons and other professionals caring for patients with back pain should be aware of and discuss the impact on sexual functioning. They conclude: "Sex-life function is relevant to patients with spinal pathology and should be addressed."

The study has been published in Spine journal.
The first few bullets went whizzing by their heads as Lance Cpl. Gary Ream chatted with two other Marines standing watch on the perimeter the night of Oct. 17, 1966.

We jumped in our hole just in time for a lot of automatics and mortars opened up to the right of our position, the Carlisle man recalled in a letter written five days later addressed to his older brother, Alan.

A mortar round landed about two feet from our hole, but the hole was sandbagged and we didnt get hit, said Ream, adding how the barrage ended after about 20 minutes. Though no one was hit, shrapnel had shredded the fabric in several tents.

The smallest of six children born to Lois Knoche Ream, Gary was called Peanut by his family. The 1964 Carlisle High School graduate was a rifleman in Vietnam assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion of the 1st Marine Regiment.

The Oct. 22 letter to Butch may have been the last one Gary Ream wrote a family member before he was killed in action Nov. 3, 1966 while on patrol near Da Nang. Ream is one of the 34 men with ties to Cumberland County who died in Vietnam from May 1964 to May 1970.

Project salutes slain

Years ago the Cumberland County Historical Society in Carlisle launched a project to research the background and service record of each of the honored dead. The project was managed by Wayne Motts, a former historical society curator, now the chief executive officer of the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg. He compiled all the documents into folders stored in the historical society archives.

A photocopy of a page from The Oracle yearbook lists Gary Lee Ream as a senior enrolled in vocational building trades. Back then, the yearbook editors predicted Ream would pursue a career in carpentry. The youth was among those who helped to build the lockers under the stadium grandstand.

Instead Ream had enlisted in the Marines with his classmate, Edward J. Rykoskey, who died in Vietnam on Aug. 18, 1966. Rykoskey is the only serviceman from Cumberland County whose remains are still unaccounted for. Ream was laid to rest in Ashland Cemetery in Carlisle.

In his Oct. 22 letter to his brother, Gary Ream mentioned how his unit was called on to rescue a Marine patrol that had encountered heavy resistance from Viet Cong guerrillas after their ambush backfired. The next day we swept through the vills (slang for villages) and burned hooches (native huts) and brought in all males. Tanks fired at some running but we didnt find any bodies, Ream had recalled.

We are about 15 miles south of Da Nang almost on the beach right outside of what they call the Horseshoe, he added. There is VC all through that place and plenty of booby traps. We go on patrols through the Horseshoe from 6:30 to about 11:30 in the morning then at night go out about 7 and come in at 12 ...

Tomorrow we go down to the beach and stay for about a month. One platoon out and two platoons in Co C.P. (the company command post). Thats the way its going to be for the monsoons. Yet this routine was short-lived for Gary Ream who died 12 days after he wrote the letter.

Gunny describes death

In the course of his research, Motts exchanged emails with a former Marine gunnery sergeant named Dave Brooks who recalled the cold and rainy November day Ream was killed in action:

Bill Carpenter and Ream were the point element in the patrol. I was in the middle, Brooks wrote in a March 2003 email. We were out maybe half an hour ... not long into the patrol and we came onto a rice paddy ... off to our right. We had spotted a male and he spotted us and started running through the paddy.

Though told several times in Vietnamese to stop, the man kept right on running down a trail that led to a village about 200 meters away. We were spread out about 5 or 6 yards apart ... We started firing at the male. He was hit but not bad and kept running, but remember he was in a paddy.

At that point, Ream and Carpenter ran down a hard packed trail to a stand of pine trees before the village to cut off the mans escape. Instead they ran right into an ambush and were shot in the chest. It was believed that Ream had died instantly.

There were other stories of young lives cut short contained within the three cardboard archive boxes marked The Vietnam Project. The file for Stephen Winfield Davis was relatively thin. The folder inside had a page from the Oracle yearbook for the Class of 1966 saying how the Teen Club was one place to find Steve who also enjoyed eating subs at Georges downtown.

The Evening Sentinel of Aug. 24, 1967, reported how Stephen was the son of Brig. Gen. Franklin M. Davis who once served on the U.S. Army War College faculty. After Carlisle High School, Stephen graduated from the Citadel before training as a paratrooper at Fort Benning. He volunteered to serve in Vietnam as a leader of the 3rd platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion of the 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

Promoted to first lieutenant four days before he was killed on Aug. 18, 1967, Davis was on a hilltop operating a radio when he was blinded by grenade fragments. Rather than quit, he continued to talk into the receiver until enemy gunfire hit him. The young Davis knew he was the only link his platoon had with friendly forces in the vicinity.

Silver Star sergeant

Sgt. Derwood Steigleman Jr. had a more modest upbringing. Raised by his paternal grandparents on North East Street in Carlisle, Derwood left high school at an early age to join the Army where he later earned his diploma. Stationed for a time in Japan, he met and married his wife, Toshika, who once lived in the first block of East Louther Street.

Like Davis, Steigleman served with the 327th Regiment, but he arrived in Vietnam in May 1966 and died on June 10 of that year in a battle against the 24th North Vietnamese Infantry Division. Fourteen months later, in August 1967, a newspaper reported that Steigleman had earned a posthumous Silver Star for gallantry in action.

The citation read: Sergeant Steiglemans unit, while moving to assist a friendly rifle company, suddenly came under murderous machine gun and automatic weapons fire from a well-entrenched North Vietnamese Army force. When his fire team became pinned down in the initial burst of enemy fire, Sergeant Steigleman rallied his men and led an assault on the enemy positions.

Although wounded, Sergeant Steigleman continued on, throwing hand grenades and encouraging his comrades until he was wounded again and collapsed on the first enemy bunker. His fearless leadership greatly inspired his team, which overran the entire hostile emplacement and routed the defenders.
As demonetisation of high-value notes hit small businessmen across the city, sex workers of Sonagachi in Kolkata, South Asia's largest red light area are seeing brisk business as they are accepting high denomination notes.

"Our girls have been asked to accept Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. But they are telling customers that they will not accept those after this week. Therefore there is a huge rush of customers. "Although sex workers in top categories are facing no problem but those who take only Rs 300 to Rs 400 are facing great difficulty," said Bharati, the mentor of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, a sex workers' organization which has 1.3 lakh registered sex workers under it across Bengal.

Sex workers who charge below 500 are facing a tough time as they have hardly got any customers in last two days. Prospective customers first inquire whether the sex workers will accept Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.

"If we say no we will lose the customer. We have to accept the notes and Durbar and Usha bank had assured us that our money will not go in waste," said Rekha a sex worker. In the last two days, sex workers in and around Sonagachi have deposited more than Rs 55 lakh in Usha Multipurpose Cooperative Bank, which was formed and is run by former sex workers in 2001 for women in the same trade.

"Due to the huge rush of customers in Sonagachi, the sex workers in last two days have deposited more than Rs 50 lakh in their bank accounts in Usha Bank. Generally, sex workers prefer to keep money in their homes but after demonetization, there is a rush among sex workers to deposit money in the bank," Shantanu, a senior official of Usha Bank said. In normal circumstances, Usha Bank does a business of around Rs 5 lakh per day.
Ritika Dahiya recorded and uploaded a video of the saree-clad womens fun performance on her social media account. (Credit: Facebook)

Commuters travelling via the metro in Delhi were in for a pleasant surprise recently when a group of women suddenly started singing and dancing with abandon. Ritika Dahiya recorded and uploaded a video of the saree-clad womens fun performance on her social media account.

In the accompanying post, Dahiya wrote that the women were returning from a village in Haryana after attending a funeral of one of the daughters mother-in-law. They were dancing to honour the long life of the lady who passed away.

Whats even more amazing is that the dance continued for over 30 minutes without any interruptions or complaints. Even after they got of the train, the merry group went on to dance their way down the stairs as well.

Click on the link below to view the video:
Bengaluru: Five men were arrested after Kumabalagod police cracked the Muthoot Mini Finance dacoity case. They have been identified as Suresh Chandra (33), alias City Bank Nagaraj alias Bhaskar, Mohammed Juniad alias Mahesh Poojari (42), K.R. Manjunath alias Gold Manju (38), Umesh alias Mahadev, (23), and Prasanna Shetty alias Girish, 35.

The gang members had entered the gold finance firms Mariyappanapalya branch on Outer Ring Road on October 20 posing as policemen. They kidnapped branch manager Nagendrappa under the pretext of interrogating him. Later, they returned and took away 4.3 kg of gold ornaments and cash.

The gang members didnt leave a single clue at the crime scene. They also destroyed the CCTV cameras and the DVR Box. Even efforts to track them by tracing the mobile phone signals fell flat as they all used SIM cards obtained with fake addresses. . It was a blind case, but a tip off from an informant helped us in cracking the case, an official said.

The gang members had planned the dacoity three months in advance and watched all crime related programmes on news channels. They had done a recce of over 20 banks and gold finance offices and targeted Muthoots Mariayappanapalya branch as it had less staff. They first purchased a pistol to commit the offence. Three days before the dacoity, they booked an Innova car from Mysuru to Dharmasthala. They threatened the driver at gun point and escaped with the vehicle. The stolen vehicles number was replaced with that of a vehicle of same make and same colour that was advertised on OLX. They avoided main roads where security cameras were installed, the police said.

Based on credible information, one of the accused was held first and based on his information, the other accused were picked up. Investigations revealed that the gang member were earlier involved in several cheating cases, where they contacted people offering personal loans. After getting documents and blank cheques, they cheated them by withdrawing money. They also set up offices for the same purpose, but vacated it within a month, the police added.

The police have recovered gold, cash, a pistol, two cars, two two-wheelers and ten mobile phones worth over Rs 1 crore. The police have also seized the police uniform used by the culprits.
Kolkata: With Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee indicating that she is ready to play a bigger role in national politics, several parties have welcomed the suggestion, saying there is a need to fight against BJP and its "communal politics".

That she is willing to play a bigger role in national politics by forming an alliance against BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was reflected in her recent statement. "I am appealing to all political parties. I have to tell all my friends to come together and sit together. Let us fight together," she has said.

Congress, JD (U), Samajwadi Party and AAP welcomed her comments which came in the backdrop of a series of incidents that rocked national politics last week.

"We have been fighting alone. If anybody comes, it is up to them. Whatever is happening is not in the spirit of federalism and our country. Questioning the government doesn't make you anti-national. Nobody should question our patriotism. We all love our country. No one is anti-Indian," she has said.

Banerjee came down heavily on the Centre and compared the situation with Emergency in the wake of incidents like the killing of eight SIMI activists in Bhopal in an alleged encounter, detention of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and the ban on NDTV India.

Political observers say that by slamming the Modi government over the detention of Gandhi, Banerjee apparently made a subtle move to warm up to Congress again.

When contacted, a senior AICC leader told PTI, "I personally feel we all should unite against BJP and I don't have a problem with TMC's proposal. But the final call regarding our party's policy and stand will be taken by our party high command."

JD(U) Chief General Secretary and National Spokesperson K C Tyagi said, "We had supported Mamata Banerjee earlier and she too had supported us. If there is a secular front by Mamata di, JD(U) would be happy to participate in it. All the secular and like-minded forces, including Congress, need to unite to fight against BJP and its communal politics."

He said, "The communalism of BJP and RSS is a threat to the idea of secular India."
Army soldiers patrol near the highly militarized Line of Control in Jammu (Photo: PTI)

Srinagar: An army jawan was killed on Saturday in ceasefire violation on the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district, police said.

Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by indulging in firing and shelling in Keran sector this morning, a police official said.

He said that in the incident, army jawan Harshid Badarya lost his life.

The firing has stopped, the official said, adding further details were awaited.
Vijayawada: Participating in an interactive session in Vijayawada on UK smart city capability and expertise to support Amaravati, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu emphasised the importance of India-UK collaboration in the development of the new capital city.

The session was organised by the British High Commission, Hyderabad on Friday. Mr Naidu urged the UK government to make use of the opportunities presented by Amaravati and other smart cities of AP.

Andrew McAllister, British Deputy High Commissioner, Hyderabad, gave an overview of the UK governments ongoing projects in Amaravati. He repeated Prime Minister Narendra Modis message that India and UK were an unbeatable combination.

The CM said that he visited the UK in March 2016 and focused international attention on Amaravati, which was declared one of the three cities that the UK will support in smart technologies.

The UK will set up eight Indo-UK hospitals with headquarters in Amaravati for which the Indian Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone soon.

Stating that developing Amaravati is a rare opportunity, the CM appealed to the British delegation to make use of the opportunity to develop the new capital.

The interactive session consisted of a series of presentations and videos to showcase cutting edge smart city technologies from the UK. UK expertise was demonstrated by British Standard Institute, Arup, PWC and GAIST.

APCRDA Additional Commissioner V. Rama Manohar Rao spoke about the vision of Amaravati and the opportunities that unfold as the city is on the smart city development path.
Srinagar: Authorities on Saturday lifted curfew from parts of the summer capital where the curbs were imposed to foil the separatists' plans of holding a congregation at Jamia Masjid here even as normal life remained affected in Kashmir Valley for the 127th consecutive day.

"Curfew has been lifted in the five police station areas of the city where it was imposed yesterday as a precautionary measure," a police official said.

He said there were no curbs on the movement of people anywhere in the Valley.

The lifting of the restrictions led to an increased movement of people and transport in the city.

Inter-district cabs were also plying on some routes connecting the other districts of the Valley with the summer capital.

Some shops were also open in the areas in the civil lines and the outskirts of the city as well as in some of the rural areas in other districts of Kashmir.

However, most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments in the rest of the Valley were shut due to the strike.

They are expected to open later in the evening today as the separatists have announced a 15-hour relaxation in the strike.

As many as 85 people, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the ongoing unrest in the Valley.
New Delhi: Government is looking into sudden 'propping up' of money into zero-balance Jan Dhan accounts, after an unprecedented Rs 2 lakh crore of cash flooded the banking system within just two days of demonetisation of high value currency.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said law enforcement agencies are keeping a hawk eye on illegal currency changers, offering to change the junked 500 and 1000 rupee notes, as well as those investing their money in gold and bullion to hide unaccounted wealth.

"We are getting some complaints that suddenly monies have propped up in the Jan Dhan accounts, so there is a misuse and that is why the rationing in initial days takes place," he said, adding that the departments concerned will act if anything improper is found in the deposits.

The government is focusing on ensuring that replacement of currency notes withdrawn, with new legal tender, takes place smoothly and quickly so that inconvenience to people is minimised, Jaitley said, adding "the Enforcement Directorate and revenue department are keeping a close watch".

Cautioning those indulging in illegal usage of the demonetised currency, he said authorities will not hesitate to take action against any unlawful activity.

His statement comes amid reports that the old high denomination notes had been used to buy gold or were being exchanged for a premium.

ED is scrutinising as many as 67 foreign exchange dealers and Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence is also monitoring prominent jeweller and bullion traders.

The Finance Minister said India as a country should move towards plastics currency and more and more use electronic modes for transactions.

Country's largest lender State Bank of India has got Rs 47,868 crore cash deposits during the last two-and-a-half days and since SBI accounts for about 25 per cent of the banking system, the total cash mobilised by all banks put together could be around Rs 2 lakh crore, said.

In a surprise move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on the night of November 8 announced withdrawal of 500 and 1000 rupee notes but allowed people to deposit them in their bank accounts or exchange them with new Rs 2000 and Rs 500 notes till December 30.

To give comfort to honest taxpayers, it has said deposits of up to Rs 2.5 lakh in accounts of housewives and farmers will not be reported to Income Tax authorities.

"The objective of the scheme was to get the idle cash into the banking system and if you multiply it (SBI's deposits) by 4-5 times, about Rs 2 lakh crore has become part of the banking system," Jaitley said.

He said the government had factored in that inconvenience may be caused in first few days but the long term advantages for the overall economy were far more, he said.

Businesses, he said, should brace for transacting through digital mode, cheques and payment gateways so that their lives remain simple going forward.
The CM said that he visited the UK in March 2016 and focused international attention on Amaravati, which was declared one of the three cities that the UK will support in smart technologies.

Vijayawada: Participating in an interactive session in Vijayawada on UK smart city capability and expertise to support Amaravati, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu emphasised the importance of India-UK collaboration in the development of the new capital city. The session was organised by the British High Commission, Hyderabad on Friday.

Mr Naidu urged the UK government to make use of the opportunities presented by Amaravati and other smart cities of AP.

Andrew McAllister, British Deputy High Commissioner, Hyderabad, gave an overview of the UK governments ongoing projects in Amaravati. He repeated Prime Minister Narendra Modis message that India and UK were an unbeatable combination.

A delegation of three Parliamentarians from UKs Commonwealth Parliamentary Associ-ation - Virendra Sharma, Nusrat Ghani and Lord Rana, MBE - attended the event.

The CM said that he visited the UK in March 2016 and focused international attention on Amaravati, which was declared one of the three cities that the UK will support in smart technologies.

The UK will set up eight Indo-UK hospitals with headquarters in Amaravati for which the Indian Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone soon.
Kolkata: Dubbing the Centre's demonetisation move as the "black policy of the black government", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday visited banks and ATMs in the city to witness the "hardship" faced by the common people and demanded withdrawal of the decision.

She visited three banks and several ATMs at Sarat Bose Road, Bhawanipore and Chowringhee and spoke to the people there.

"These are all common people. Let the government nab the real culprits," Banerjee said.

"I visited several bank branches and ATMs since the morning. I spoke to the people...How they were facing this inconvenience due to an ill-planned and anti-people policy. Those who have black money are not standing in long queues," she said.

"It (the Modi government) should immediately withdraw the decision. It is causing an immense harassment to the masses. Most of the ATMs are still closed. From where will the common man get the money to run the family," Banerjee asked.

Pointing out that after standing for hours in a queue, people received only one Rs 2,000 note each, she said, "How will they use this one Rs 2,000 note for all of their daily needs? They are not getting currency notes of lower denominations. There is total chaos and anger."

Earlier in the day, renewing her attack on the Modi government for the move to demonetise the Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes, Banerjee had demanded withdrawal of this "black" political decision, saying it was against the common people.

"Withdraw this 'black' political decision which is anti-commoner. Markets across India ruined, purchasing power crashing, people pained," she had tweeted.

Claiming that she had said this before, Banerjee said,

"But, given the way the young, old and everyone is suffering, let me again appeal to the Central government (to withdraw the decision)".

"This has turned out to be a big black scandal. Hardship for the common citizens and full advantage to the money-launderers," she added.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, on Thursday, had called upon all the opposition parties to work together against the "anti-poor government at the Centre".

Mocking the prime minister, she had said that Narendra Modi had gone to Japan after making the people "poor" in India.

Banerjee had also penned a poem on the demonetisation issue.
If youre a veteran, the GI Bill can be your ticket to a debt-free college education. Thats huge, given that nearly 70 percent of 2015 graduates who left school with a bachelors degree also carried student loan debt, with an average of $30,100 per borrower, according to the Institute for College Access & Success.

Under the Post-9/11 version of the GI Bill, you may be eligible for up to 36 months  not necessarily consecutive  of college or career training if you served on active duty after Sept. 10, 2001, and were discharged honorably or with a disability, or are still on active duty. Plus, you can get a monthly housing allowance and yearly book stipend for the period covered under your GI Bill. You need to serve at least 36 months on active duty to be eligible for the full suite of GI benefits, but you can get a portion if you served less active time.

Your benefits can go far if you use them strategically. Heres how:

1. SAVE YOUR BENEFITS FOR YOUR MOST EXPENSIVE TUITION BILL

Theres no need to use your benefits immediately; theyre generally redeemable for up to 15 years after youre released from active duty. If youre pursuing a bachelors or postgraduate degree, it may be advantageous to start at a community college and apply your GI benefits later to pricier tuition, says Timothy Greer, associate professor at the College for Financial Planning.

Keep in mind, though, that while the government will cover your tuition as an in-state student completely for up to 36 months if you attend a public school, it will cover only $21,970.46 per year if you attend a private one. Dont rule out private colleges, though: You can get extra money toward many private schools through the Department of Veterans Affairs Yellow Ribbon Program.

2. TAKE AT LEAST ONE CLASS PER SEMESTER IN PERSON

If you take solely online classes, youll typically get a smaller housing allowance than you would otherwise. Take at least one course per semester at a physical location to qualify for the biggest possible monthly housing check based on your ZIP code. The VAs GI Bill Comparison tool can tell you the amount of housing allowance youd get based on your schools location, as well as what youd get if you took solely online classes.

3. EARN AS MANY CREDITS AS YOU CAN PER SEMESTER

Youre entitled to use your GI benefits to pursue your education full-time for a specific time frame. After your benefits run out, you have to cover tuition out-of-pocket or through other types of financial aid. So it pays to take as many credits as youre allowed and can handle per semester while your GI Bill is covering your tuition, Greer says.

Another strategy for completing your degree faster: Earn credits for courses such as business communications and public administration based on your military training and experience. You can request a military transcript though a link on the American Council on Education website. More than 2,300 colleges recognize these transcripts, according to the council, but its up to each institution to decide whether you receive credit.

4. BEWARE OF MISLEADING SCHOOLS

Aiming to harness GI Bill dollars for revenue, some for-profit colleges aggressively recruit student veterans, says Derek Fronabarger, director of policy at Student Veterans of America. For-profit schools tend to have higher tuitions and lower graduation rates compared with in-state public schools, according to Department of Education data.

Use the VAs GI Bill comparison tool to research schools before you enroll, including their graduation rates. You cant recoup your GI Bill benefits once you use them, even if the school closes. That was the case for many student veterans who attended a for-profit school owned by Corinthian Colleges, which closed in 2015 after the Department of Education discovered Corinthian had misrepresented its job placement rates.

5. SUBMIT THE FAFSA

On top of your GI benefits, youll likely be eligible for additional federal, state and privately funded financial aid. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, to apply. GI benefits dont count as income on the FAFSA. If your GI Bill completely covers your education costs, you can use any additional aid dollars for other expenses.
Mumbai: A doctor attached to a nursing home in suburban Govandi allegedly refused to treat a premature baby as the parents could not pay the necessary deposit in the wake of demonetisation, following which a case was registered against her.

Jagadish Sharma, father of the newborn, had filed a case in this regard with Shivajinagar police station in the city. The doctor has been booked for negligence, disobeying order, DCP Shahaji Umap said.

On November 8, Sharma's wife Kiran, who was pregnant, was admitted to the nursing home for tests, including sonography.

She was expected to deliver a baby around December 7. On November 9, Kiran went into labour prematurely and gave birth to a boy at home before she could be taken to hospital. Afterwards the mother and the boy were rushed to the nursing home.

The woman doctor administered preliminary treatment but allegedly refused to treat the baby further unless Sharma, a carpenter by profession, paid a deposit of Rs 6,000 in notes of less than Rs 500 denomination, police said.

Sharma alleged that he requested for some time for getting the Rs 500 notes changed into lower-value currency but the doctor refused and turned them away.

The mother and the baby were taken to another hospital where the infant's condition worsened and he died before getting treatment, as per the complaint.

"Today we registered a case against the doctor for causing death by negligence (IPC section 304A) and disobedience of order duly promulgated by public servant (IPC section 188)," said Shahaji Umap, Deputy Commissioner of Police, zone VI.

There were clear instructions from the state government to hospitals that they must continue to accept Rs 1,000 and 500 notes and a circular to this effect had been issued, the DCP said.

"In our investigation we found that the baby died due to refusal by the doctor to treat him," the officer said.
There were rumours that price of salt has gone up to Rs 200 per kg in Delhi/NCR and Uttar Pradesh. (Photo: ANI Twitter)

New Delhi: Rubbishing rumours of shortage of salt in the country, the Union government on Friday said there has been no increase in prices of the commodity which is being sold at Rs 14-15 per kg in retail markets.

"This is rubbish. There is no truth in this rumour. There is no shortage of salt in the country. On an average, salt prices are ruling at Rs 14-15 per kg same at last year's level. There has not been increase in prices," Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said.

Unnecessary panic is being spread that salt is being sold at Rs 200 per kg. "Those who have sold at Rs 200, the UP government should take action and arrest them," he said.

If anyone is selling at such high rates in any parts of the country, the state governments should take immediate action, he added.

In a series of tweets, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman too said there was no shortage of edible salt.

"Baseless rumours being spread. Salt Commissioner & Jt. Secretary Shri Raghavendra monitoring the situation. Asst.Salt Commissioners reporting from the field. No shortage. Monitoring will be on-going," she tweeted.

Lack of small denomination currency today triggered rumours of black marketing of essential commodities like salt as shopkeepers refused to provide change when offered with higher denomination notes.

In Uttar Pradesh, there were reports of panicked customers flocking to market as rumours flew thick and fast that salt has gone out of shelves and shopkeepers are selling at a premium -- a high as Rs 200 per kg.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Hem Pande said, "There is no truth in this rumour. It is all rumour mongering. There is no problem in supply, distribution and prices of salt in the country."

He said that the prices have been ruling stable at Rs 12 per kg in the wholesale markets and Rs 14-15 per kg in retail.

Asked if the Centre has spoken on this issue with the UP government, Pande said, "We have spoken to state officials and they too informed us that there is no truth in this rumour. Prices in UP are ruling on an average at Rs 16-17 per kg".

The centre has also checked the price situation of salt in other states as well and there has not been any increase in the rate of the essential commodity.

Meanwhile, Delhi government also appealed to Delhiites not to pay attention to rumours of shortage of salt in the city and assured that there is no scarcity of such essential commodity.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said teams of food supply officers and sub-divisional magistrates are rounding city's markets where salt is available in sufficient stock.
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Saturday urged Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to extend the deadline for using the demonetised notes for utility payments and exchange till December 30.

"The party has req the @FinMinIndia to extend the deadline of use of demonitised notes for utility payments and exchange till 30th December (sic)," Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray tweeted.

On Friday, tapping the popular mood amid reports of inconvenience to the people after the Centre demonetised high-value currency notes, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had described the move as "torture for people" even as he dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to conduct a "surgical strike" on the Swiss banks to bring back black money.

The prime minister had, on November 8, announced his government's decision to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes.

Long queues were seen outside banks even today as the people jostled to exchange the demonetised currency notes across the country.

They had also queued up before ATMs to procure Rs 100 and new currency notes even as some of the machines went dry soon after they were stocked up due to the huge rush.
Coimbatore: A 28-year old woman allegedly set afire her husband when he was asleep in the wee hours here on Saturday and later surrendered before police.

The woman, stated to be unhappy with their marriage, doused her husband with petrol mixed kerosene around 3 am and set him afire, police said.

However, the man managed to escape with burns and with the help of neighbours got admitted to a government hospital, they said.

The woman surrendered before an All-Woman Police Station and was produced in a court which remanded her to judicial custody.
Kobe: Hinting at more action to unearth black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said those holding unaccounted money will not be spared and there is no "guarantee" that no further steps would be taken after December 30 till when people can deposit the demonetised notes.

He assured honest people that they will not face any trouble. "I would like to announce once again that after the end of this scheme, there is no guarantee that something new will not be introduced to punish you (thikane lagane ke liye)," Modi said.

He was addressing the Indian community at a reception here. "I make it very clear that if anything unaccounted comes up, then I will check its records since Independence. Will deploy as many people as required for this. Honest people will not face any problem. No one will be spared. Those who know me, they are intelligent as well. They think it is better to offer it in Ganga than in banks," Modi said.

He was referring to reports of the demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes flowing in Ganga river.

Modi termed the demonetisation as "Swachhata Abhiyan" and hailed the undaunting spirit of people despite their hardship following its announcement on November 8.

"I salute my countrymen. People stood in line for four hours, six hours but accepted the decision in national interest the way people of Japan tackled the aftermath of the 2011 disaster," he said.

"I thought long and hard about the possible difficulties and it was also important to keep it a secret. It had to be done suddenly but I never thought I will receive blessings for this," he said.

"I salute each and every Indian. Many families had weddings, health problems... yes they faced inconvenience but they accepted the decision," the Prime Minister said.

Apparently referring to the opposition which has attacked the government action, Modi said a section is trying to incite people for speaking out against him but people have accepted the decision in the national interest.

"Law should be equal for everyone. People are happy about the fact that even Modi's Rs 1000 notes are not usable anymore," Modi said.

Underlining that the world is acknowledging that India is the fastest growing economy among the large global economies, he said the country is also receiving historically high FDI.

"IMF, World Bank all are saying in one voice. IMF also said that India is the shining star. World economists believe India is growing at a very fast rate...I have my own definitions (of FDI). The first definition is First Develop India and the second is the Foreign Direct Investment. India is receiving historically high rate of FDI," he said.

In the last two years, black money to the tune of Rs 1.25 lakh crore have been unearthed due to various initiatives of the government, Modi added.
BENGALURU: Three accused people in the Maasthi Gudi tragedy  director Nagashekhar, assistant director Siddu and stunt choreographer Ravi Varma, who were absconding since Monday  surrendered before the Tavarekere police on Saturday morning. After recording their statements, the police produced them before the court and remanded them in judicial custody.

While the police teams were searching for the absconding accused, the three went to the station along with the films lead actor Duniya Vijay and surrendered before the police.

Mr Vijay told reporters that the trio came to hi0s house in the morning and he convinced them to surrender before the police. They are shocked by the incident and were worried about the consequences. I convinced them that going absconding would not serve any purpose and they should come out of the case soon. They agreed to surrender and I brought them to the station, he said.

Soon after they surrendered, the police questioned them separately and recorded their statements. They claimed that they had taken all safety measures, but unfortunately the incident occurred. But their statements are not matching. We are gathering evidence against the accused, an official said.

Later in the evening, they were produced before the Second JMFC Court in Ramanagar and the court remanded them to judicial custody for 14 days. They were shifted to the Ramanagar District Jail following the court direction. The police had earlier arrested producer Sundar P. Gowda in connection with the incident. The fifth accused in the case, unit manager S. Bharath, is still at large and efforts are on to nab him.

Vijay demands fair probe

Actor Duniya Vijay demanded an impartial probe into the case. He said that the arrest of producer in this case was not at all necessary. There are no instances of booking a producer in such incidents. The police should carry out an impartial probe and then book the people concerned, he said.
People queue up at outside a bank in New Delhi on Saturday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Hawala transactions have dropped by as much as 80 per cent across major centres such as Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Mumbai as operators have gone underground since the Centres decision four days ago to demonetise larger bills, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a shocking announcement on Tue-sday, withdrawing Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes from circulation to beef up Indias fight against black money.

In the last three days, there has been virtually no hawala transactions between Gulf countries and the Kashmir Valley, said the IB in its classified report submitted to the Union home ministry on Friday evening.

Hawala transactions work on trust and word-of-mouth, and for a fee. Cash delivered in one place can be made available elsewhere within minutes bypassing banking channels and leaving no paper trail.

The drop is significant because money laundered through hawala channels is used to finance terror, drugs cartels, besides bribery and circulation of fake currency.

The home ministry had asked central agencies such as the IB and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to monitor the impact of the government move which aims to target terror funding and circulation of fake currency notes.

Both the IB and the NIA are conducting a detailed investigation hawala funding of Kashmirs ongoing unrest sparked by the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in July.

More than 90 people have been killed and thousands wounded in clashes between protesters and security forces in the Valley. The agencies have identified certain suspicious accounts in which hawala money was deposited through a Gulf route.

Hawala operators are fearing a major crackdown on their operations by security forces. Operators do not want to risk accepting the spiked notes. Surveys and searches by the Income-Tax department have also had an impact, said the report.

Sources said Intelligence agencies will continue to monitor the impact of demonetisation even after the current cash crunch eases.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday pressed the panic button regarding the adverse financial condition of the state government on account of demonetisation.

Mr Rao held an emergency meeting with chief secretary Rajiv Sharma and senior officials of the finance department to review the impact of demonetisation on the states finances. All revenue-earning departments have seen a drastic fall in income as most transactions have come to a halt.

The Chief Minister, it is learnt, has asked the chief secretary and finance department officials to prepare government employees to receive only half their salaries for this month, if the situation so demands. The government requires Rs 2,500 crore per month to pay salaries and pensions and Rs 1,100 crore to pay interest on loans.

The government may default on payment of interest to banks this month. The chief minister is likely to make a special request to banks to reschedule interest payments. Mr Rao has told officials to stop funds for all welfare schemes and development programmes and give priority to payment of staff salaries and pensions.

Difficult to meet expenses, KCR told

The CM has also directed Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma and the finance department to find out how governments of other states are tackling this situation.

Officials informed the Mr Rao that the income from all revenue-earning departments has fallen drastically due to demonetisation, as all transactions have come to a halt, and even the Centre has imposed cuts amounting to nearly Rs 450 crore this month in tax devolution to states, making things worse for the state government. They told him that adjusting funds even to meet day-to-day expenses of the government has become difficult.

The government is pinning its hopes entirely on the commercial taxes department, which contributes Rs 1,200 crore every month. The taxes collected in October will be remitted to the treasury this month and the government wants to adjust these funds to pay salaries.

The state earns Rs 3,600 crore per month through its own revenues and gets Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre towards tax devolution. But this time, officials fear that the states earnings will fall by over 60 per cent, and the Centre has already imposed an over 40 per cent cut in tax devolution.

The other major revenue earner, the excise department, contributes Rs 110 crore per day. This has fallen to less than Rs 45 crore.
New Delhi: Dismissing the criticism over the government's move to scrap Rs. 500 and 1,000 currency notes, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday dubbed the political statements being made about demonetisation as 'irresponsible'.

Defending the Centre's move, Jaitley said people will face difficulty for the first few days but it is a massive operation to curb black money.

"There have been many political statements and some have been very irresponsible. Some people have a special problem to this effort of cleansing," he said addressing a press conference.

Dubbing the demonetisation move as another "jumla" (gimmick) for political reasons, Congress earlier in the day demanded that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) make public all its expenses in upcoming polls in UP, Punjab and other states if it was serious about eliminating black money and corruption.

Questioning the Centre on demonetisation issue, Congress party leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal asked why common persons like him had to stand in line when the bank account and the money was his.

Stating that the decision was not well thought out one and made in haste, Sibal said,"My question is...account is mine, money is mine then why should I stand in a line."

Reacting to this, the Finance Minister said, "The Congress Party today asked why they should stand in line for their own money. The country has the right to know if tax was paid on them or not. We have the right to ensure that the money has come from legal means or not."

"Another irresponsible statement was that since deposits went up between July - September, some people were alerted of this earlier. I have seen all the data, it is apparent that it was because of the arrears of the pay commission. And based on that, they spun a conspiracy theory," he added.
Patna: Condemning killing of a journalist in Rohtas district, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday blamed the "rise in crime" in Bihar for a fourth journalist being murdered in the state in past one year.

Terming as "laughable" Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's claim of "slide in crime rates" since liquor ban, he asked how come the cases of kidnapping witnessed a rise of 200 per cent in August as compared to April this year when prohibition came into force.

"Likewise there is increase of 79 per cent in incidents of rape, 92 per cent in road dacoities, riot and theft by 26 per cent each and 19 per cent in murder during the period," Modi pointed out.

"Do murders of journalists Ajay Vidrohi in Sitamarhi, Mahendra Pandey in Gaya, Rajdeo Ranjan in Siwan and now Dharmendra Singh in Rohtas not put a question mark on claim of 'rule of law' in the state?" he said in a statement.

Reacting to the killing 35-year-old scribe Dharmendra Singh, he said, "It's a result of rise in crime that there was a murder of fourth journalist in Bihar in past one year."

Singh, who worked with a prominent vernacular daily, was having tea at a road side stall at Amratola village under mufassil police station of Rohtas when assailants pumped bullet in his stomach from point blank range resulting in his death around 6am today.

Modi has demanded immediate arrest of killers of Rohtas scribe, their speedy trial and a sum of Rs 25 lakh be extended to victim's dependents.
Raichur: A day after he was caught on camera, flipping through sleazy videos on his cellphone, primary and secondary education minister Tanveer Sait said he will not quit but wage a legal battle against the media for falsely implicating him and tarnishing his reputation.

During his interaction with the media at the end of a review meeting on preparations for the proposed Kannada Sahitya Sammelan scheduled to be held here, Mr Sait, who looked visibly perturbed, tried to put on a brave front. I have got self respect. I am accused of committing a crime which I did not. I did not watch porn, but was updating myself on Tipu Jayanti celebrations. I will file a defamation case against the media, he added.

Stating that officers of cyber crime branch have registered a case, the Minister hoped that truth will be out soon. Replying to a query, Mr Sait stated he had appraised CM Siddaramaiah and KPCC president Dr G Parameshwar about the episode over phone. Tomorrow, after going to Bengaluru, I will meet them, he added.

He replied in the negative when whether there was a dictate from the CM or KPCC president to resign and thus save the government and the party from embarrassment. There is a difference between this incident and the one involving BJP ministers, he added. Not withstanding the controversy, Mr Sait attended programmes according to schedule. Around 11 am Mr Sait chaired the Karnataka Development Programme meeting which lasted for an hour and half.

Barring Raichur MP B V Naik and the Maski MLA Pratapgowda Patil and Zilla Panchayat president A Veeralakshmi, all other elected representatives skipped the meeting. In the afternoon, the minister participated in Jana-Mana Programme, an interaction with beneficiaries of government schemes organized by department of information and the district administration.

Meanwhile, the district unit of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Shivarame Gowda) has lodged a complaint against Mr Sait in Raichur (West) police station.
Kolkata: Such is the anger of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the Centres decision to demonetise big notes, that the TMC supremo on Saturday declared she was even ready to work with arch rival CPM to save the country from NDAs rule.

"We may have ideological differences with CPI-M but we are ready to work with it, Congress, SP, BSP to save the country, Mamata said, speaking at a press conference in Kolkata.

This anti-people, anti-poor Govt has no moral right to continue in power. This is a dictatorship. This draconian decision needs to be withdrawn, she added.

"Only one percent people hold black money. Why the other 99 percent are being harassed for this? A few money launderers are profiting due to this black decision. This is a dangerous, disastrous and draconian decision. This is surgical anarchy. Even eminent economists are saying this demonetisation will not affect black money," she asked.

Pointing out that the sudden decision by the government put the common man in dilemma, she said, I personally visited several banks today to listen to tales of hardship of common people. Rs 100 notes are not available in banks. More than two lakh ATMs are closed, money is not available.

"This is a betrayal with people. A sudden midnight decision was taken. But few ruling party people knew about it. Few 'dalals' are taking advantage of the economic disaster. I appeal to the government to withdraw this decision," she added.

The TMC supremo also asked the BJP-led Centre as to how much money is being wasted for printing 2000 rupee notes and recalibrating ATMs.

"This is common man's money: The Centre cannot scare us. We are not afraid of them," she said.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee, demanded the withdrawal of governments move, calling it anti-people.

"Withdraw this 'black' political decision which is anti-commoner. Markets across India ruined, purchasing power crashing, people pained," she tweeted.

Claiming that she had said this before, Banerjee said, "But given the way the young, old and everyone is suffering, let me again appeal to the Central government" (to withdraw the decision).

"This has turned out to be a big black scandal. Hardship for the common citizens and full advantage to the money launderers," she said.

The TMC chief on Thursday called upon all opposition parties to work together against the "anti-poor government at the Centre".

"Let us fight this political and financial anarchy together. We will be with you all," Banerjee had said.

Mocking the Prime Minister, she had said Narendra Modi "has gone to Japan after making the people poor in India."

Trinamool Congress has already given a notice in the Rajya Sabha for a discussion on the demonetisation issue on November 16, the opening day of winter session of Parliament.

TMC leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay has said the party would bring an adjournment motion in the house on the same day. Mamata also penned a poem on the demonetisation issue.
Hyderabad: The meeting of Chief Secretaries of both TS and AP on sharing of assets of undivided Andhra Pradesh, scheduled for November 15, has been postponed to November 21.

The ministry of home affairs sent a communication to this effect to both the Chief Secretaries on Friday.

AP Chief Secretary S.P. Tucker informed the MHA that he wouldnt be able to attend the meeting as the AP Cabinet is scheduled to meet on November 15 in Vijayawada and and proposed a representative .

However, the Centre decided to reschedule the meeting to facilitate Mr Tuckers presence by a week.
How will a Donald Trump presidency be for India? Unfortunately there have been only feeble attempts to answer the question in our media, which has focused so much in the past few days on what individual writers and editors think of the new White House resident. Important as such sentiments are, they are also irrelevant. Neither are the street protests against Mr Trump  an understandable, lingering finale to a long, bitter and closely-fought election campaign  going to change the reality that India and the rest of the world will have to deal with a new leader in Washington DC. Before that, some context. There is talk of the Trump victory being unprecedented. True, the manner in which an outsider candidate not only took the Republican nomination but actually won is very unusual. Yet, there is nothing unprecedented about Mr Trumps political positioning. He has little patience for multilateralism, but then for much of its history the United States has not. It bought into the multilateral system only in the postwar era, after 1945.

Earlier attempts at getting the US to engage and underpin global institutions, such as by President Woodrow Wilson after World War I, were thwarted by influential members of the Senate, representing constituencies not dissimilar to Mr Trumps. Historically, more than through multilateralism, America has sought to demonstrate its exceptionalism through either isolationism or unilateralism, or at best ad hoc coalitions of a few. With the collapse of the postwar multilateral system, those instincts are back. It is important to understand that Mr Trump has not killed globalisation or international trade. Those currents were already under threat, because they were no more suiting key international stakeholder powers. Rather than the cause, Mr Trump is the symptom of this phenomenon  and the beneficiary. World trade was falling anyway. For the US, 2015-16 has marked the first period of economic growth since World War II when the countrys international trade has declined. This is the scenario that Mr Trump has inherited and been elected in.

What does it mean for India? While not as much as China, India was a massive gainer of the international trading order set up with the inauguration of the World Trade Organisation in 1995. Its gains were in services, rather than manufacturing, but were nevertheless impressive. That phase is over. The WTO now resembles a League of Nations type institution in premature decline. When the liberal trading order comes back  in 15 years, maybe 25; nobody knows  the world may well need a successor to WTO. Having said that, India was a late claimant to the high table of the postwar order. If that order is crumbling, and if the Trump ascendancy catalyses that process, India can only gain. Any future matrix will need to factor in 21st century power realities, and Indias relative prominence.

Yet, that is for the long term. What of the immediate? Mr Trumps voters have little patience with international trade agreements, which they see as depriving American workers of jobs. They identify China as the principal winner in the erstwhile liberal trading order as well as the rising challenger power. Consequently, they demand a muscular strategic response to China. Admittedly President Barack Obama too was alive to the China problem. He sought to address it through the Pivot to Asia, which had two components. The first was a military and maritime component, involving a redeployment of US naval assets in the Indian Ocean region and associations with friendly countries such as India. The second was a trade compact  the Trans-Pacific Partnership  that would set standards to initially target China and then serve to mainstream it into international trade best practices, away from a predatory pricing approach. Mr Trump is likely to pick and choose from Pivot to Asia. He has promised to bury TPP, recognising there is little popular stomach for a new trade regime.

This will give India, which stayed out of the TPP talks and would have been hurt by its introduction, breathing room. India is negotiating its own economic integration with Asia by way of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership: a mega-trade deal it is discussing with Asean and its partners. RCEP and TPP are separate arrangements. However, they have common members. The higher TPP benchmarks are being pushed onto RCEP by some of these countries. With TPP no longer an inevitability, RCEP can go back to a more normal negotiation. India will still need to compromise, but without the TPP gun being held to its head. As in the manner of the early Cold War warriors of the 1950s, Mr Trumps answer to Chinese expansionism will be based more on a militaristic doctrine rather than a socialisation of China. He could well urge greater military capacities for South Korea and accelerate Shinzo Abes quest for Japanese remilitarisation  by in fact allowing the Japanese PM to present this proposal to his people as an American request.

None of this would be detrimental to India. Another foreign policy goal before Mr Trump is to take on Islamist radicalism and terrorism, which he identifies as the chief ideological threat to the US. In this he is expected to narrow down on the Islamic State and if necessary make common cause with the Assad family in Syria, Vladimir Putin in Russia and the Iranians, all of whom oppose the IS. If so, this should temper his election-time rhetoric against President Obamas nuclear deal with Iran. It also means he will reach out to Mr Putin, possibly overlook the Russian leaders excesses in the Crimean region  of course Mr Trumps European allies will not be happy with that  and attempt to prise Russia away from the Chinese grasp, to the degree it is possible. On Afghanistan and Pakistan Mr Trump will make all the right noises, but one doesnt see him reversing the withdrawal of American troops. Indians may be disappointed by this but they have to use the cards they are dealt. Indias Pakistan policy is virtually a subset of its China policy. If China faces competition for Russian affection and if it is determinedly challenged by capacity enhancement of regional rivals in East Asia, this will give India opportunities nearer home.
The geostrategic map of Asia changed on Friday with Japan and India signing a civil nuclear agreement on the lines of the India-US agreement concluded in 2008, which had permitted India to break out of the nuclear straightjacket and engage in trade in nuclear materials  such as reactors and nuclear fuel  without being a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), which India has long held to be discriminatory. The warming of Indias ties with Japan since the days of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, which gained particular intensity under PM Manmohan Singh, helped lay out the strategic dimensions of the India-Japan discourse in the post-Soviet period, but Tokyo had remained firm on not selling nuclear materials to India on account of its strong pacifist record since Japan is the worlds only country to have suffered a nuclear attack in 1945 (at the hands of the US).

Years of engagement bore fruit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tokyo inking the deal with his counterpart Shinzo Abe on Friday. India now becomes the only non-NPT signatory with which Japan has reached an agreement to transfer nuclear supplies. Of course, this is strictly for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and for clean power generation in the context of the wider discussion on climate change. Indias agreement with the US had remained non-functional because, among other reasons, the Westinghouse reactors that the US would supply were built in collaboration with Hitachi. That roadblock has now been removed. Under this pact, as in the case with the civil nuclear compact with America, Japan can terminate the agreement if India tests nuclear weapons. But this assurance had long been supplied by New Delhi right through its nuclear discussion with Japan.

Tokyo has also long been aware of Indias impeccable NPT record. Whats turned the discussion now is the closer strategic bonding between the two countries. It appears evident that the India-Japan agreement has come with the understanding that the rise of China in a forceful, thrusting manner, which has raised concerns all round in Chinas neighbourhood  Japan and India included  is the elephant in the room for both countries, and New Delhi and Tokyo are seeking to cooperate and taking defensive action. Before Mr Modi landed in Tokyo, Beijing let it be known that a common understanding between India and Japan on Chinas hectoring attitude in the South China Sea would hurt India  a veiled warning to New Delhi not to forge strategic links with Tokyo. This has not worked. Indeed, as the joint statement shows, the two partners indirectly ticked off China for not doing enough to contain cross-border terrorism in South Asia.
Hell may have no fury like a woman scorned, but a top court judge insulted can be far more furious. This was reflected in the unprecedented action taken against the retired Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju who was served notice of contempt for criticising the judges and not the judgement in the Soumya murder case. While judges may be expected not to be too intolerant of criticism, it was the crass behaviour of the former judge after being invited to the court to assist the bench which invited such stern action. To be escorted out of the top court by security was Mr Katjus unseemly fate. Acerbic a critic may be, but an antagonistic attitude in open court with which he insulted his former colleagues was certainly unbecoming of a judge.

The drama hasnt ended and it is hoped Mr Katju is ticked off in an admonishment rather than anything more drastic. Legal opinions vary about whether any contempt was involved in the intemperate comments of Mr Katju with the attorney general changing his view from scandalous to intemperate not inviting contempt, but the judges saw red. The larger argument of this being a free country in which freedom of expression should be guaranteed becomes awkward as the top court is being questioned by a person who also seems to have an opinion on every subject under the sun. While such a predilection may be seen as a distinguishing trait in career politicians and, perhaps, in journalists, the fact remains that there is a civilised way to behave. However erudite a person may be, dignity alone can enhance a mans standing. That is a lesson Mr Katju doesnt seem to have learnt.
There are over 200 trains going from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. The first one leaves just after midnight and the last one leaves just before. So there are trains going through the day to cover the 524 km distance. There is an airport in Ahmedabad from where there are about 10 daily flights to Mumbai. Ahmedabad and Mumbai are part of the Golden Quadrilateral highway network with six lane expressways on which travel by road is as fast as travel by train. It is possibly the best-connected route in India. I am writing this because Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Japan, where he finalised a deal for a bullet train with Japanese leader Shinzo Abe. The train will run from Ahmedabad to Mumbai and design work will begin in a few days.

The project will cost around Rs 1 lakh crore. The cost is officially said to Rs 97,636 crore but reports said a Rs 10,000 crore additional cost may be incurred. To put the figure in perspective, we should know that it is three times the size of Indias health budget. India is a country where 38 per cent of all children are malnourished and stunted at the age of two. This means they will have less physical and intellectual capacity than healthy children and they will never be able to lead a fulfilling life. The bullet train will cost more than we spend annually on the education budget of India. Again, we have some of the lowest literacy rates in the world. And we have a very poor quality of literacy, about which I have written before.

The other aspect is that even within the transport industry, our investment does not seem to be made with any sort of attention to the poor and those most in need. In 2005, the BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh shut down the state transport bus system. The reason was that the buses did not make a profit, but how are the poor expected to travel? Of course this profitability is not expected of the bullet train and other projects because, like the giant statues of Vallabhbhai Patel and Chhatrapati Shivaji coming up in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, these are projects that will add to national pride.

One justification for the bullet train is that it will also service two other Gujarati cities on the route, Vadodara, which is 110 km from Ahmedabad, and Surat, which is another 120 km down the road. Vadodara also has many flights to Mumbai. I used to regularly visit my parents in Surat because there was a single flight from Bengaluru, but now I cannot because there is no flight. On November 6, 2014, a SpiceJet Boeing had an accident at Surat airport. A report said the jet hit a buffalo that had strayed on to the runway because of a hole in the airports boundary wall. The engine of the Boeing 737 aircraft was severely damaged by the hit and the plane stopped. The buffalo was killed.

The report added that the civil aviation ministry has ordered two inquiries, by the director-general of civil aviation and the Airports Authority of India. A perimeter security review of airports across the country has been ordered and minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju held a two-hour meeting this morning and ordered, sources say, that all airports should be secured by a concrete boundary, not fencing or brick walls. The government seems to be keen on spending money for the transport of the rich, on the assumption that this will make the economy grow and ultimately benefit the nation.

If so it will help to have a functional and safe airport in Surat that connects it to the rest of the world, rather than a bullet train taking one only to and from Mumbai. This buffalo episode highlights the inability of India to secure and sanitise spaces. That additional cost of Rs 10,000 crore referred to earlier is for an elevated corridor, meaning the bullet train will run high above the chaos of India. It will be a vanity project, sucking money that could be used for health and education. And of absolutely no use to the vast majority of Indians. It will be of no particular use even to those living in and between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, already the best-connected part of India.
There was a smooth transition at the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) when Sushil Chandra, 1980 batch IRS-IT officer, took charge as chairman, replacing Rani Singh Nair who had retired from service on Monday. Since December 2015, Mr Chandra was serving as member (investigation) in CBDT, considered to be the most significant post in the board. However, while the CBDT has got a new chairman, sources point out that some ministries and departments such as the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities and the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) have no full-fledged secretaries as yet.

The government has given additional charge to secretaries of other ministries. For example, G. Latha Krishna Rao, 1982 batch Karnataka cadre IAS and secretary in department of social justice, has been assigned additional charge of post of secretary in the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities. Similarly, Pradeep K. Pujari, 1981 batch Gujarat cadre IAS and power ministrys secretary, has been given additional charge of the post of secretary in the MNRE.

Surely it cannot be due to lack of suitable officers. Or is it?

Culture and diplomacy

Senior IFS officer Amarendra Khatua, who is currently director-general of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), has just been assigned an additional designation as secretary, special assignments in the ministry of external affairs. He will hold this post until his retirement on May 31, 2017. Many infer this as a sign of the governments confidence in the diplomats many abilities and his impeccable track record. A quiet but immensely focused career diplomat who had earlier served as ambassador of India to Argentina, the 1981-batch IFS officer also held trade and economic positions at Indian missions in Madrid, Mexico City, Karachi, Moscow and New York.

For those who know him, one of the high points of his career was his appointment as special envoy to South Sudan and Sudan to broker peace between the two warring nations. Prior to his appointment in ICCR, he was dean in the Foreign Service Institute, the Delhi-based academic institute that imparts the young officer-trainees the first lessons on diplomacy. After all, culture and diplomacy go hand in hand!
Ethiopia has been in political crisis for around a year with frequent outbreaks of violence as authorities have brutally cracked down on anti-government demonstrators. (Photo: AP)

Addis Ababa: Authorities have arrested more than 11,000 people since Ethiopia declared a state of emergency in early October amid violent protests, state TV said on Saturday.

Ethiopia has been in political crisis for around a year with frequent outbreaks of violence as authorities have brutally cracked down on anti-government demonstrators.

"Some 11,607 individuals have so far been detained in six prisons, of which 347 are female, in connection with the state of emergency declared in the country," State of Emergency Inquiry Board chairperson Taddesse Hordofa said in a statement broadcast by EBC.

Hordofa reeled off a long list of offences ranging from serious crimes such as "attacking security forces using firearms" or "killing civilians and members of security forces" to the much more mundane "denying provision of public services" and "disrupting movement of vehicles".

This figure is a huge increase on the 2,500 arrests that Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn's government had announced at the end of October.

The six-month state of emergency was declared on October 9, an unprecedented move by the current government, which has been in power for 25 years.

Unrest in the country had begun in the central Oromo region and then spread to Amhara in the north, causing hundreds of deaths, according to human rights organisations.

Those regions are where the majority of arrests have been made and make up 60 per cent of the country's population.

On October 31, Ethiopian defence minister Siraj Fegessa announced that 2,000 people who had participated in protests had been released, although today's announcement included no details on how many of the 11,000 remain in prison.
In Portland, police used tear gas and flash-bang grenades Friday to try to disperse the crowd after hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti. (Photo: AP)

Portland: As protests of President-elect Donald Trump entered another day, police in Portland, Oregon, say one person was shot and injured by a man who had gotten into a confrontation with a protester then opened fire.

Portland police said the victim was taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and they were looking for a male suspect, who apparently fled in his vehicle after the shooting early Saturday morning on a Willamette River bridge.

The shooting followed rowdy Friday night protests, when police used tear gas in response to "burning projectiles" thrown at officers, police said on Twitter. Hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti.

Authorities reported instances of vandalism and assault during a rally that organizers had billed as peaceful earlier in the day.

In other parts of the country, spirited demonstrations on college campuses and peaceful marches along downtown streets have taken place since Wednesday.

Hundreds joined a Friday afternoon "love rally" in Washington Square Park in Manhattan.

Leslie Holmes, 65, a website developer from Wilton, Connecticut, took an hour-long train ride to the demonstration - her first protest since the 1970s, when she hit the streets of San Francisco to oppose the Vietnam War.

She described herself as an armchair liberal but declared, "I'm not going to be armchair anymore."

"I don't want to live in a country where my friends aren't included, and my friends are fearful, and my children are going to grow up in a world that's frightening, and my granddaughters can look forward to being excluded from jobs and politics and fulfilling their potential, so I'm here for them," she said.

Evening marches disrupted traffic in Miami and Atlanta.

Trump supporter Nicolas Quirico was traveling from South Beach to Miami. His car was among hundreds stopped when protesters blocked Interstate 395.

"Trump will be our president. There is no way around that, and the sooner people grasp that, the better off we will be," he said. "There is a difference between a peaceful protest and standing in a major highway backing up traffic for 5 miles. This is wrong."

More than a thousand protesters took to the streets across California after night fell including downtown Los Angeles, where over 200 were arrested a night earlier. In Bakersfield, where Trump is far more popular than in most of the state, some held signs reading "Anti-Trump, Pro-USA."

Small protests also were held in Detroit; Minneapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Olympia, Washington and Iowa City.

More than 200 people, carrying signs gathered on the steps of the Washington state Capitol. The group chanted "not my president" and "no Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA."

In Tennessee, Vanderbilt University students sang civil rights songs and marched through campus across a Nashville street, temporarily blocking traffic. A protest also occurred in Minneapolis.

In Chicago, multiple groups planned protests through Saturday.

Nadia Gavino, 25, learned about the rallies on Twitter and protested Thursday evening. Gavino, whose father is from Peru and whose mother is of Mexican and Lithuanian heritage, said she took Trump's harshest statements about immigrants and Latinos personally.

"I obviously agree that he's racist, he's sexist, he's phobic, he's misogynistic. He's all these things you don't want in a leader," she said.

Ashley Lynne Nagel, 27, said she joined a Thursday night demonstration in Denver.

"I have a leader I fear for the first time in my life," said Nagel, a Bernie Sanders supporter who voted for Hillary Clinton.

"It's not that we're sore losers," she said. "It's that we are genuinely upset, angry, terrified that a platform based off of racism, xenophobia and homophobia has become so powerful and now has complete control of our representation."

Demonstrations also were planned Saturday in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and other areas.

Previous demonstrations drew thousands of people in New York and other large urban centers. The largely peaceful demonstrations were overshadowed by sporadic episodes of vandalism, violence and street-blocking.
51-year-old Harris, whose mother was from Chennai and father from Jamaica, won the US Senate Seat from California in a landslide election this Tuesday, becoming the first black and Asian Senator from the state.

Washington: Indian-origin California Attorney General Kamala Harris has potential to become the first woman president of the United States, a media report has said, days after Hillary Clinton was unable to break the highest glass ceiling.

51-year-old Harris, whose mother was from Chennai and father from Jamaica, won the US Senate Seat from California in a landslide election this Tuesday, becoming the first black and Asian Senator from the state.

Soon thereafter she has launched her nationwide campaign against Trump's anti-immigrant policies and mass deportation.

"Meet Kamala Harris, Who could become the first woman President. California's popular attorney general is headed to Capitol Hill. The White House might be next," The Huffington Post wrote yesterday.

The Huffington Post article came a day after she denounced Trumpism.

Noting that she has already made history with her Senate win, the daily said she has impressive track record as California Attorney General and has top Democratic leadership including the outgoing President Barack Obama and the Vice President Joe Biden on her side.

"These alliances could help boost Harris' profile across the country should she choose to run for president in 2020," The Huffington Post wrote.

In her concession speech, Clinton had said that the glass ceiling could be broken much earlier than thought. "I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but some day someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now," Clinton told her supporters in New York on Wednesday.

"To all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams," Clinton said.
Washington: Speaking for the first time since her concession speech to President-elect Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton has said that the days following her shocking defeat in presidential polls have been "very, very tough" for her.

"I am not going to sugarcoat it. These have been very, very tough days," Clinton told her campaign members and volunteers in a conference call yesterday.

Clinton spoke for the first time since her concession speech to president-elect Donald Trump. Trump, 70, would be sworn in as the US President on January 20, 2017.

"This is a tough time for our country. I think we have seen how people have been reacting to the events of this election and I know we have got to be reaching out to each other to keep it clear in our own minds that what we did is so important," she said.

"It looks like we are on the path to winning the popular vote, and that says volumes about the importance of your work and the lasting impact it will have," Clinton said.

As per latest information, the former Secretary of State received 47.72 per cent of the popular votes as against 47.41 per cent by Trump.

However, Trump was declared elected as he has got 306 Electoral College votes as against Clinton's 232. A candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes to win the presidential elections.

There has been multiple times in the US history of presidential elections that the winning candidate has received less popular vote than the one who lost.

During her remarks that lasted for about 15 minutes, Clinton described her campaign as "one of the greatest honours" of her life.

"This is a hard loss for all of us because we know what was at stake in this election and we have to do everything we can to continue to support the causes we believe in. When you are ready, I hope you will get up and back in there and keep fighting," she told her supporters.

Meanwhile, in a thank you note to Hillary's supporters, Clinton Campaign Manager Robby Mook said there is no doubt that there are many difficult days ahead for the US and the world.

"Hillary has shown us every single day. The measure of a person is not whether you get knocked down but whether you get back up. As she said on Wednesday, 'Let us have faith in each other. Let us not grow weary and lose heart, for there are more seasons to come and there is more work to do'," he said.
Washington: Donald Trump's administration would build on progress made in Indo-US ties and be less tolerant of Pakistan's "dual policies" on terror, but the issue of H-1B visas could be a potential area of friction with New Delhi, a noted US expert on South Asian issues has said.

"It seems likely that a Trump administration will build on the marked progress made in US-India relations over the last couple of years," Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation, a top American think-tank said.

She said there is bipartisan recognition in the US that India plays an important role when it comes to achieving American objectives in the Asia Pacific, namely ensuring a rules-based international order and free and open seaways.

"President-elect Trump made several positive comments about India on the campaign trail, which seems to reflect his support for bolstering the partnership," said Curtis, who at The Heritage, focuses on US national security issues and regional geopolitics.

Curtis said Trump's tougher stance on terrorism, in general, will find favour among Indians, who are wary of attacks by Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

"It is expected that a Trump administration will work more closely with India on combating terrorism in the region and will be less tolerant of Pakistan's dual policies toward terrorism," Curtis said.

However, H-1B is a potential area of conflict between the two countries, she noted.

"One area of potential friction could be over the H1-B visa issue. It is still unclear how Trump's global business background will impact on his commitment to protect American workers," she said.

"He has both acknowledged the importance of allowing high tech companies to access global talent, while also pointing out potential flaws and misuse of the H1-B visa program. His administration may seek some changes to the H1-B visa requirements but is unlikely to do away with the program completely," Curtis said.
New York: A US-based professor, who was among the few prognosticators who had predicted Donald Trumps victory, has made another stunning prediction that he will be eventually impeached by a Republican Congress and replaced by a leader who can be trusted and controlled.

Professor Allan Lichtman has predicted that if elected, Mr Trump (70) would eventually be impeached by a Republican Congress that would prefer a President like Mike Pence someone whom establishment Republicans know and trust, the Washington Post reported.

Im going to make another prediction. This one is not based on a system; its just my gut. They dont want Trump as president, because they cant control him. Hes unpredictable. Theyd love to have Pence an absolutely down-the-line, conservative, controllable Republican, he said.

Meanwhile, an online petition that has been set up to demand that the Electoral College vote in favour of Hillary Clinton has gathered three million signatures, the Express .co.uk reported.

The Electoral college will have to cast their votes to cement Mr Trumps presidency. It is set to meet on December 19. Should an elector vote against the will of the people  i.e. go faithless  then it could have a huge sway on who becomes the next US leader.

The petition created by Elijah Berg states: Mr Trump is unfit to serve. His scapegoating of so many Americans, and his impulsivity, bullying, lying, admitted history of sexual assault, and utter lack of experience make him a danger to the Republic.
Modi left from the Japanese city of Osaka for New Delhi. (Photo: Twitter)

Osaka: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday left for home after concluding his three-day visit to Japan, during which the two countries signed a landmark civil nuclear deal and nine other agreements in various areas.

Modi left from the Japanese city of Osaka for New Delhi. "Sayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM @narendramodi enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Before his departure, Modi addressed a luncheon gathering of business leaders in Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay.

He also travelled in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which is being introduced in India on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch, with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

During the visit, India and Japan signed 10 pacts covering a range of areas such as boosting Japanese investment in infrastructure, railways, and for cooperation in space and agriculture, as part of agreements to bolster bilateral ties.
The hydropower project came to symbolise China's economic dominance in formerly junta-run Myanmar and now poses a delicate challenge to the country's new civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (Photo: AFP)

Yangon, Myanmar: Myanmar is probing whether to resume construction on a controversial Chinese-backed dam, state media reported Saturday, with promises to listen to fierce public opposition to the project.

The fate of the $3.6 billion Myitsone dam in northern Kachin state has hung in the balance since it was abruptly halted by Myanmar in 2011 following protests over environmental and safety concerns.

The hydropower project came to symbolise China's economic dominance in formerly junta-run Myanmar and now poses a delicate challenge to the country's new civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The veteran activist is eager to prevent renewed protests at home but also wants to maintain healthy ties with top investor Beijing, which has been lobbying her government to unfreeze the project.

China also holds strong sway over ethnic rebel militias along the two countries' restive border and has a key role to play in peace talks that Suu Kyi is determined to make progress on.

A commission advising Suu Kyi's administration on whether to scrap the dam submitted its first report to her government on Friday, according to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar.

It said an environmental and social impact assessment was underway and that the commission had already met local officials and other stakeholders.

A final decision on the project's fate would take into consideration environmental costs, the "desires and opinions of local people and societies and potential effects on foreign investment", the report added.

Local opposition to the dam has been fuelled by a mix of concerns, including its location near an active seismic fault line, the impact of flooding on local residents and a general lack of transparency in a project viewed as a resource grab by Beijing.

The dam was originally designed to funnel the vast majority of its electricity back to the mainland.

China was instrumental in shielding Myanmar's former junta from international sanctions and was rewarded with lucrative concessions that often had little trickle down benefit.

Beijing is still by far Myanmar's largest foreign investor, despite democratic reforms in recent years that have seen Western firms pour in.
On the way to Kobe with PM @AbeShinzo. We are on board the Shinkansen bullet train, the Prime Minister tweeted. (Photo: Twitter)

Tokyo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on Saturday travelled in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which is being introduced in India on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch.

Modi and Abe travelled in the train, whose speed ranges from 240 kms per hour to 320 kms per hour, from Tokyo to Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in Japan.

"On the way to Kobe with PM @AbeShinzo. We are on board the Shinkansen bullet train," Prime Minister Modi tweeted along with pictures of him in deep conversation with Abe.

"A unique friendship on a unique train journey. PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo inside the Shinkansen bullet train to Kobe," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

The construction of the high-speed train corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will start in 2018 and the train service will be operational from 2023.

Abe, at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi here yesterday, had said that the designing of the project will begin by the end of this year.

He said the ambitious project "symbolises a new dimension in the special relations" between the two countries and hoped that introduction of the rapid train network will spur further economic growth in India.

The high speed rail system 'Shinkansen' was introduced in Japan in 1964.

Earlier when Modi arrived at the Tokyo Station to board the train Swarup said, "Putting #IndiaJapan relations on the fast track! PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo arrive at Tokyo Station to board the Shinkansen."
Trump's election has made it harder to regroup, given that Europe while trying to stay pragmatic in dealing with Washington has no idea what to really expect from the billionaire. (Photo: AP/AFP)

Brussels: The European Union's founders believed its unity would be forged in crisis, but after Brexit and the election of Donald Trump to the White House the bloc looks shakier than ever.

On Sunday, foreign ministers from the 28 EU countries will hold talks in Brussels on the impact of a president who has previously questioned the decades-old transatlantic pact to defend the continent.

With populists on the rise, Russia posing an increasingly menacing presence to the east, the migration crisis and the endless fallout from the eurozone debt crash, many fear perpetual turmoil.

EU President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday that the events of 2016 were a "warning sign for all who believe in liberal democracy", and urged Europe to "finally get our act together".

But Trump's election has made it harder to regroup, given that Europe while trying to stay pragmatic in dealing with Washington has no idea what to really expect from the billionaire.

And European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker is worried that a lot of time could be wasted teaching Trump about Europe.

"Mr. Trump, during his campaign, said that Belgium was a village somewhere in Europe," Juncker told students in Luxembourg on Friday.

"We must teach the president-elect what Europe is and how it works," he said. "I believe we'll have two years of wasted time while Mr Trump tours a world he doesn't know."

Leadership blow

Soul-searching has been the order of the day in Brussels ever since the body-blow of Britain's vote in June to become the first country to leave the EU in its 60-year history.

Tusk warned at the time that the "Western political civilisation" that has kept Europe at peace since World War II was now at risk.

That "civilisation" has seen both sides of the Atlantic broadly sharing the same commitment to the free market and liberal democracy, with America propping up Europe's defences.

Until now. Trump's campaign threats to abandon the collective defence pledge that is the bedrock of the NATO military alliance was a major shock for Europe.

Juncker also warned that Trump's campaign rhetoric displayed huge ideological differences with Europe. He noted the businessman-turned-reality TV star had "taken a view of refugees and non-white Americans that does not reflect European convictions and feelings".

Both Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Francois Hollande have called on Trump to uphold democratic values in a sign of Europe's concerns.

Trump's apparent closeness to Russia will also be ringing alarm bells in Europe as it debates whether to keep up sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and looks for solutions to the conflict in Syria.

"The post-Second World War global leadership role of Western liberal democracy was already challenged," said Fabian Zuleeg of the European Policy Centre think-tank.

"But a Trump administration will increase US isolationist tendencies, which is a further blow to this leadership role."

Plenty more shocks

Rattled European leaders have issued calls, after both Brexit and the Trump win, for Europe to seize its own destiny and tackle what they have dubbed a "polycrisis".

Trump and Brexit are at least being seen in some quarters as an opportunity to boost EU unity, with the bloc's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini saying it can be a "superpower" for peace.

Officials insist the bloc is more resilient than it is given credit for -- just as the EU's founding father Jean Monnet wrote in his memoirs that "Europe will be forged in crises".

But so far the EU's main response has been its time-honoured one: Call more meetings. Analysts say that is not enough.

"Europeans are muddling through," Judy Dempsey of the Carnegie Europe think-tank told a seminar this week. "One wonders how many wake-up calls the Europeans actually need to do something."

The timing is increasingly urgent. France holds presidential elections next year and far-right leader Marine Le Pen's chances of pulling off a Trump-like coup are suddenly being taken more seriously.

Far-right parties are also hoping for a boost in polls in the Netherlands and Austria, while Merkel, increasingly taking a role as the EU's moral anchor, is up for re-election. Brexiteer-in-chief Nigel Farage exults over what many others fear.

"Don't think that the democratic revolution is over," he tweeted. "There are plenty more shocks to come. 2017 may surprise us as much as 2016."
Investigators believe that Atar, using the pseudonym Abou Ahmad, was one of the commanders of the attacks both in Brussels and in Paris. (Photo: AFP)

Brussels: Jihadist Oussama Atar denied investigators' claims that he was the "mastermind" of the Brussels attacks in March that left 32 dead in a letter to his mother, a Belgian newspaper reported on Saturday.

La Derniere Heure (DH) published the entire letter without explaining how it obtained a copy that the daily said came from the 32-year-old Moroccan-Belgian, who is believed to be based in Syria.

"No, I am not the mentor or mastermind who directed the Brussels attacks and I wasn't aware of what Brahim and Khalid were planning (may Allah have mercy on them)," Atar wrote, referring to the El Bakraoui brothers, distant cousins who were two of the three suicide bombers responsible for the Brussels attacks.

Atar is believed to be a member of the Islamic State group and is also suspected of being a key plotter of the Paris attacks in November last year.

The letter, sent to Atar's mother Malika Benhattal after connecting with one of his sisters through Facebook, made no mention of the Paris attacks.

Investigators believe that Atar, using the pseudonym Abou Ahmad, was one of the commanders of the attacks both in Brussels and in Paris, which will mark the first anniversary of the massacre that killed 130 people on Sunday.

Regarding his current whereabouts, he told his mother he was not in Europe and had no plans to return as he blasted the "lies" said about him and the "war" against his family.

"No, I am not Osama bin Laden, nor the right hand of (IS chief) Abu Bakr Baghdadi," Atar wrote, adding that "at no time" did he meet the latter "in prison or elsewhere".

He has been on the radar of European security forces for more than a decade.

After being arrested in Iraq in 2004 following the US-led invasion of the country, he spent time in various jails including the notorious Abu Ghraib prison used by American forces.

After being released, in 2012 he returned to Belgium, whose intelligence and police forces have faced fierce criticism about the development of jihadist networks in Brussels.

Atar was one of the "most wanted in Belgium and even in Europe", a Belgian police source told AFP in August, when his sister Asma and their mother were briefly detained by police.

French investigators were able to link him to the Paris attacks following the arrests of two suspected extremists, an Algerian and a Pakistani, detained in Austria last December.
London: An investigation has been opened into Britain's longest-serving Indian-origin lawmaker Keith Vaz over alleged drug offences, the Scotland Yard on Saturday said. Vaz, 59, resigned as chair of parliament's influential home affairs select committee in September amid a sex scandal over allegations involving male prostitutes. The Metropolitan Police had said it was assessing if there was evidence to open a criminal investigation.

"Following that assessment, which included obtaining early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, the Metropolitan police service is now investigating offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The investigation started on Thursday November 10," the Met Police said in a statement.

A 'Sunday Mirror' article on September 4 said the Labour MP had paid male escorts and was secretly recorded offering to pay for cocaine if it was brought to a future meeting. He, however, had stressed that he did not want any himself.

He was also accused of encouraging others to use poppers, an illegal party drug.

The Met had received a letter soon after asking them to investigate.

The correspondence was passed on to a specialist team, which "started an assessment process to identify what criminal offences if any may have been committed".

Vaz, who had apologised to his family after the newspaper allegations, said on Friday: "I welcome a full investigation as a means of establishing the true facts and I am confident the police will pursue all lines of enquiry. I will cooperate with the investigation in any way I can."

It was announced at the end of last month that the 59-year-old had been appointed to the justice committee, despite opposition in Parliament.

MPs voted for him to be appointed to the committee by 203 votes to seven, a majority of 196.

Electing MPs to vacancies on Commons committees is mostly uncontentious, with each party given a set allocation of places.

The rare vote on the Labour Party backed appointment of Vaz came after Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen objected to the appointment over allegations hanging over Vaz.

Bridgen had said then, "An allegation in the 'Sunday Mirror', with supporting video footage, implied (Mr Vaz) had offered to purchase class A drugs while using the services of escorts.

"And yet here we are only a relatively few weeks later and the same member is seeking a position on the prestigious and influential justice committee while matters relating to his recent resignation remain. A potential police investigation still hangs over him," Bridgen said.
Salah Abdeslam is accused of having provided logistical support to the seven jihadists who died at the various scenes of the terror attacks. (Photo: Videograb)

The Hague: The main Paris attacks suspect, Salah Abdeslam, has become even more radicalised since being imprisoned for his presumed role in the slaughter of 130 people a year ago, his former lawyer has said.

"He's got a beard, he's become a true fundamentalist whereas before he was a kid wearing Nike trainers," Belgian lawyer Sven Mary told Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant's Saturday edition.

Belgian-born French national Abdeslam is believed to be the only jihadist survivor of the November 13 attacks in the French capital that Belgian authorities claim were orchestrated by the Islamic State high command.

After four months on the run, the 27-year-old of Moroccan origin was arrested in Brussels in March and subsequently transferred to France in April.

Lawyer Mary said Abdeslam's detention conditions at a prison in the Parisian suburb of Fleury-Merogis amounted to "psychological torture" and had contributed to his apparent radicalisation.

He is kept in solitary confinement and subjected to round-the-clock video surveillance.

Abdeslam is accused of having provided logistical support to the seven jihadists who died at the various scenes of the terror attacks: the Bataclan concert hall, the Stade de France national stadium and several bars and restaurants in central Paris.

In July, his lawyers had attempted unsuccessfully to end the constant surveillance, but authorities had deemed the "exceptional character of terrorist acts" as justifying that "all precautions are taken".

Last month both Mary and another lawyer, Frank Berton, gave up defending Abdeslam over his refusal to answer investigators' questions since being transferred to France.

Mary said then that the lawyers felt they were doing nothing more than paying "social visits to the prison" and had decided to quit the defence.

Abdeslam's brother Mohamed last month urged him to speak to French authorities but also said he felt Salah "is more radicalised now, rather than de-radicalised".
Vatican City: Pope Francis is advocating policies of inclusion, saying God's plan doesn't exclude people based on their social class, race or religion.

Francis told a group of faithful on Saturday that Christians should welcome others "without classifying them on the basis of social condition, language, race, culture, religion."

He added "mercy is that way of acting, that style, with which we try to include others in our life, avoiding closing up into ourselves and into our selfish securities."

Francis' message comes as anti-immigrant politicians are enjoying a surge in popularity in many developed countries.
Russia has been flying a bombing campaign in Syria for the past year in support of President Bashar al-Assad and has deployed a naval contingent to back up its operation. (Photo: AFP)

Moscow: A flotilla of Russian warships is now in the eastern Mediterranean off the Syrian coast after being sent to reinforce Russia's military in the area, a naval commander said on state television.

The commander of Russia's flagship Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier Sergei Artamonov said via videolink that the ships are now in the "designated zone in the eastern Mediterranean" and "are now jointly carrying out tasks, manoeuvering to the west of the Syrian coast".

The battle group has travelled to Syria from the North Sea through the English Channel in the biggest such naval deployment in recent years as part of Russia's military intervention in Syria.

Russia has been flying a bombing campaign in Syria for the past year in support of President Bashar al-Assad and has deployed a naval contingent to back up its operation.

The naval task force has been monitored closely by NATO, whose chief Jens Stoltenberg voiced concern the ships would be used to support the Russian military operation in Syria and "increase human and civilian suffering."

The ship's commander was speaking to a presenter on Russia-1 television from inside the defence ministry for a news show that will air this evening in Moscow.

He confirmed that aircraft are already taking off from the ship's deck to view the conflict zone.

"Flights are being carried out from the deck... they are working on coordination with the shore port," he said.

"The flights have been going on practically every day for the last four days," he added.

Russia's Interfax news agency on Friday had cited a Russian military and diplomatic source as saying that Russian MiG and Sukhoi jets have been regularly flying into Syrian airspace from the Kuznetsov to "determine combat missions."

The Russian television channel also spoke to the commander of the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered battle cruiser, which is part of the same flotilla.

Asked whether foreign aircraft were flying over the ships, the commander, Vladislav Malakhovsky, said "they are afraid to come closer than 50 kilometres away, realising very well how powerful the nuclear cruiser is."
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters gather near a frontline during fighting with Islamic State militants in Bashiqa, east of Mosul. (Photo: AP)

Mosul: Elite Iraqi forces were engaged in "intense" fighting with jihadists in eastern Mosul on Saturday as they tried to fortify positions before advancing further into the city, an officer said.

Iraqi forces launched a massive operation to retake the country's second city from the Islamic State group on October 17, and the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) special forces have pushed the jihadists back from some Mosul neighbourhoods.

But there are still weeks if not months of fighting ahead in the battle to recapture the last IS-held Iraqi city.

"The fighting is intense this morning. We're trying to fortify our positions in Arbajiyah before continuing our attack into Al-Bakr," said Staff Lieutenant Colonel Muntadhar Salem of CTS, referring to two Mosul areas.

CTS forces launched an assault on Arbajiyah the day before, and Salem said that they were in control of the area on Saturday.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained significant ground from the jihadists.
Geneva: Islamic State group fighters reportedly shot dead more than 60 people this week and hung some of their bodies from poles after alleging they had collaborated with Iraqi troops, the United Nations said on Friday. The UN human rights office has raised alarm over hundreds of grotesque atrocities allegedly committed by ISIS as Iraqi forces have pushed their nearly month-long offensive to retake Mosul, the last jihadist bastion in Iraq.

On Tuesday, ISIL reportedly shot and killed 40 civilians in Mosul city after accusing them of treason and collaboration with the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement, using another acronym for the Islamic State.

The victims were dressed in orange clothes marked in red with the words: traitors and agents of the ISF. Their bodies were then hung on electrical poles in several areas in Mosul city, she added. Abu Saif, a resident of eastern Mosul, told by telephone that he had seen bodies strung up in the city along with signs that read agent and traitor. He did not have an exact count of the total number of bodies, but said he saw between 30 and 40.
Baluchistan Interior Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed the blast in which several people were killed. (Photo: Representational Image/AP)

Karachi: Nearly 30 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 injured on Saturday in a blast at a popular shrine in Pakistan's volatile Baluchistan province, officials said.

The blast occurred in the remote Hub region in Lasbela district where devotees were attending a Sufi dance called "dhamaal" at Dargah Shah Noorani shrine.

Baluchistan Interior Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed the blast in which "several" people were killed.

However, an official of the Edhi Trust Foundation told local media that nearly 30 people, including women and children, were dead and around 100 injured in the blast.

"Our local focal person has told that about 30 people were killed," said the Trust's Hakeem Lassi.

Bugti said it was a remote area and it would be quite a task to retrieve the dead and injured when already darkness engulfed the region. So far nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack.

"The shrine is located some 250 kilometres from Karachi in the remote mountains of Uthal and our vehicles have been dispatched there to carry out rescue operations and shift injured to the hospitals," Lassi said.

He said the casualties have been confirmed to them by the organisers of the shrine in Lasbela.

The local tehsildar in Lasbela, Javed Iqbal said security arrangements at the Shah Noorani shrine were not properly arranged.

"It is sad that although thousands of devotees from Karachi and other parts of the country visit the shrine everyday but there are no medical emergencies or ambulances at the site," he said.

He said the devotees take part in the 'dhamaal' everyday after sunset and the blast took place close to where they were dancing in a trance inside the compound of the shrine.

This is not the first time that extremists have targeted a shrine in Baluchistan. This is the third major incident of a bomb going off in the province since August.

In August about 70 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack outside the civil hospital in the provincial capital Quetta. Last month, 64 police cadets and two army men were killed when three terrorists raided a police training centre in Quetta.
Bangladesh has been roiled by gruesome killings, with a particularly bloody massacre in July that left 22 dead after an assault on an upscale cafe in the capital. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

Dhaka: Bangladesh police said Saturday they had arrested an Islamist militant leader wanted in connection with the murder of a blogger and publisher.

Khairul Islam "directly took part" in the killings of Niloy Chottopadhay and Faisal Arefin Deepan last year, police said, two of the dozens of deadly attacks on secular activists and foreigners.

Detectives nabbed the 24-year-old, an intelligence wing leader of the banned outfit Ansar al-Islam, also known as Ansarullah Bangla Team, from Dhaka's main railway station late Friday.

"He directly took part in the (two) killings besides running reconnaissance for months on the victims," Masudur Rahman, Dhaka police spokesman, told AFP.

"The killings took place by the order of Major Zia," the official said, referring to Syed Ziaul Haque, a former army officer who allegedly heads ABT, one of two major banned domestic terrorist outfits blamed by the government for the wave of violence.

Chottopadhay, a blogger, was hacked to death in August last year at his home by machete-wielding assassins. Deepan, a publisher, was killed in his office in October 2015.

Bangladesh has been roiled by gruesome killings, with a particularly bloody massacre in July that left 22 dead after an assault on an upscale cafe in the capital.

The Islamic State group and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent have said they were behind most attacks, but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government has blamed ABT and another banned outfit Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh.

The July carnage triggered a security force crackdown on Islamist extremists, with police shooting dead nearly 40 suspected militants since.
The goods will be exported to countries in the Middle East and Africa. (Photo: Twitter)

Islamabad: The first trade convoy carrying Chinese goods for export through the western route of the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has arrived at the Gwadar port, a media report said on Saturday.

A Chinese ship docked at the port on Friday and another vessel was expected to arrive within 24 hours, Dawn reported, citing official sources.

The paper said that the second trade convoy was scheduled to reach on Saturday. The goods will be exported to countries in the Middle East and Africa.

A ceremony marking the opening of trade activities through the corridor will be held on Saturday, which will be attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri and envoys of 15 countries.

China not only built the Gwadar port but also has its operational control. It is also building a network of roads and railways to link up its western region to Gwadar for easiest access to Arabian Sea.
The Indian Sikhs have left for Nankana Sahib, some 80 km from Lahore, where they will attend the main function on November 13. (Photo: AP)

Lahore: Over 2,100 Sikh pilgrims from India arrived in Lahore on Saturday to participate in the 548 birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, at his birthplace in Nankana Sahib in Pakistan's Punjab province.

"More than 2,100 Sikhs arrived here today from India on three special trains," Evacuee Trust Property Board spokesman Amer Hashmi told PTI.

He said the Pakistan's embassy in New Delhi had issued more than 3,300 visas to Indian Sikhs however only 2,100 pilgrims have arrived in Lahore so far.

Hashmi said ETPB chief Siddiqul Farooq and Pakistan Gurdwara Parbhandik Committee office-bearers greeted them at Wagah Border.

Several Sikhs have complained about currency exchange rate at the Wagah immigration. However, authorities have promised to intervene and assured better currency exchange rate to the Sikh pilgrims.

The officials also deported a Sikh pilgrim after he was found to be on the list of 'black-listed' passengers, Hashmi said, adding for the first time the visiting Sikhs were served food at the Wagah railway station.

Talking to reporters, Sikh leader Sardar Sohan Singh said, "We always receive love from the people of Pakistan. We want cordial relations between the two countries and people to people contact."

Saddiqul Farooq said the board has taken good care of the Sikh holy places in Pakistan.

"You will find a difference when you get to Gurdwara Janamasthan in Nankana Sahib," he said.

He told the Sikh groups leaders about extensive renovation work in gurdwaras in the country especially in the Punjab province.

The Indian Sikhs have left for Nankana Sahib, some 80 km from Lahore, where they will attend the main function on November 13. The Indian pilgrims will also visit other gurdwaras in Punjab province before they leave for India on November 21.

Guru Nanak Dev was born at Rai Bhoi Ki Talvandi (present day Nankana Sahib) near Lahore. He spent the last years of his life at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, about three kilometers from the International Border that separates India and Pakistan.
Islamabad: A Pakistani religious body will debate men's rights and their protection from domestic abuse next week, in a move seen as an effort to dilute a landmark legislation in the country to protect women from violence.

The conservative Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) will debate the issue in its meeting called on Monday. The decision was taken after CII member Sahibzada Zahid M Qasmi wrote to the body's chairman Maulana Mohammad Sheerani demanding laws to "protect" men from domestic abuse.

Qasmi, in his letter, said "some women in Pakistan torture men, and force them out of their houses. Islam grants rights to men as well and in this society those rights are being violated," Dawn online reported.

Qasmi has requested the council to discuss the matter and make recommendations for a "protection bill" for men similar to one for women passed by Punjab province in February.

When the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Bill was passed, Qasmi said he was contacted by men who said while women should be given rights as is permitted in Islam and Pakistan's Constitution, men should also be given their due rights, the report said.

Defending men's rights, Qasmi said some women call their relatives to take violent measures against their husbands.

"In various districts of Punjab, several cases have come forth where men's nails have been pulled out or their hands and feet have been cut off. These cases have been lodged in various police stations," he said.

"If a man forces his wife out of the house, there are shelter homes available for her to go to. But the state has made no such provision for men."

The move by the religious body is seen as an effort by religious leaders to dilute the bill passed by Punjab, which protects women from domestic violence and abuse.

Mainstream religious parties belonging to different schools of thought had rejected the women protection bill.

They feel the bill was promulgated by Punjab "only to destroy and distort the family system in the country".

Already the CII is trying to formulate its own version of the women protection bill. The religious body has been criticised for saying that men are permitted to beat their wives in 'a light manner'.
City Union Bank launches Indias first banking robot Lakshmi in Chennai

Published: November 12, 2016

Indias first banking robot named Lakshmi was launched by the Kumbakonam-based City Union Bank (CUB) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Lakshmi will be first on-site huamanoid (robot) in India.

Currently, CUB has readied only one version of huamanoid banker and but is planning to deploy 25-30 robots at key branches by end of year if Lakshmi proves a hit with customers.

Key Facts

Lakshmi is artificial intelligence powered robot. It can speak English, gesture and engage in a life-like manner in conversations.

powered robot. It can speak English, gesture and engage in a life-like manner in conversations. The robot can interact with customers on more than 125 subjects including account balance and interest rates on loans.

It will not voice the sensitive financial information like account details rather display it discreetly on its screen.

What is artificial intelligence?

Artificial intelligence is the branch of computer science concerned with making computers behave like humans. In contrast to normal hardware and software, artificial intelligence enables a machine to perceive and respond to its changing environment. The artificial intelligence machines learn automatically like humans during their processing by assimilating large volumes of information.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2016

Topics: Artificial intelligence  Banking  Banking Robot  Lakshm  Science and Technology  Tamil Nadu

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People gather outside an emergency ward of a local hospital after the blast at a Sufi shrine, in Karachi, Pakistan. (Photo: AP)

Karachi: At least 43 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 others injured today in a suicide attack carried out by a 14-year-old boy at a popular sufi shrine in Pakistans restive Balochistan province.

The blast occurred in the remote Hub region in Khuzdar district of the province while devotees were participating in a Sufi dance called dhamaal at Dargah Shah Noorani.

Forty-three people have died and dozens injured in the incident, Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti said. People who are critically injured in the blast will be transported to Karachi, Bugti was quoted as saying by DawnNews.

The target of the attack was the area where believers would perform dhamaal. The blast site is situated some 250km away from Karachi.

The blast happened when about 500 to 600 devotees were present at shrine.

The Express Tribune quoted police sources as saying that the blast was a suicide attack carried out by a 14-year-old boy. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Rescue teams reached the blast site and started shifting the deceased and injured to the hospital. Rescuers were facing difficulty in accessing the site as the shrine is located in a remote area.

President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the bomb blast. They directed the concerned authorities to speed up the rescue activities.
Rubbishing rumours of shortage of salt in the country, the Union government today said there has been no increase in prices of the commodity which is being sold at Rs 14-15 per kg in retail markets.





"This is rubbish. There is no truth in this rumour. There is no shortage of salt in the country. On an average, salt prices are ruling at Rs 14-15 per kg same at last year's level. There has not been increase in prices," Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan told PTI.



Uncessary panic is being spread that salt is being sold at Rs 200 per kg. "Those who have sold at Rs 200, the UP government should take action and arrest them," he said.



If anyone is selling at such high rates in any parts of the country, the state governments should take immediate action, he added.



In a series of tweets, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman too said there was no shortage of edible salt.



"Baseless rumours being spread. Salt Commissioner & Jt. Secretary Shri Raghavendra monitoring the situation. Asst.Salt Commissioners reporting from the field. No shortage. Monitoring will be on-going," she tweeted.



Lack of small denomination currency today triggered rumours of black marketing of essential commodities like salt as shopkeepers refused to provide change when offered with higher denomination notes.



In Uttar Pradesh, there were reports of panicked customers flocking to market as rumours flew thick and fast that salt has gone out of shelves and shopkeepers are selling at a premium -- a high as Rs 200 per kg.



Consumer Affairs Secretary Hem Pande said, "There is no truth in this rumour. It is all rumour mongering. There is no problem in supply, distribution and prices of salt in the country."



He said that the prices have been ruling stable at Rs 12 per kg in the wholesale markets and Rs 14-15 per kg in retail.



Asked if the Centre has spoken on this issue with the UP government, Pande said, "We have spoken to state officials and they too informed us that there is no truth in this rumour. Prices in UP are ruling on an average at Rs 16-17 per kg".



The centre has also checked the price situation of salt in other states as well and there has not been any increase in the rate of the essential commodity.



Meanwhile, Delhi government also appealed to Delhiites not to pay attention to rumours of shortage of salt in the city and assured that there is no scarcity of such essential commodity.



Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said teams of food supply officers and sub-divisional magistrates are rounding city's markets where salt is available in sufficient stock.
Donald Trump has indicated that he will consider retaining an "amended" version of the Affordable Care Act, a marked shift in stance on his major campaign promise of repealing President Barack Obama's flagship healthcare law.





The President-elect made the apparent U-turn after his meeting with Obama at the White House this week, according to the Wall Street Journal. In an interview with the newspaper, Trump said his priority is to move "quickly" on Obamacare, which has become "expensive and unworkable".



At the same time, he "showed a willingness to preserve at least two provisions" of the law after the outgoing president Barack Obama asked him to reconsider repealing it during their meeting at the White House on Thursday, the daily said.



"Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced," Trump said. "I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that."



According to the Journal, Trump said he favours retaining a key part of Obamacare that stops insurers from refusing to cover people because they have existing conditions, as well as a provision that allows parents to provide years of additional coverage for children on their insurance policies. "I like those very much."



Trump also appeared to be committed on his promises of bringing jobs back through improved international trade deals and massive infrastructure investment, besides focusing on defeating ISIS.



"I want a country that loves each other. I want to stress that," Trump said in his first interview after winning the November 8 presidential elections, in which he defeated Hillary Clinton after mounting one of the most divisive campaigns in recent memory.



Trump said he would create jobs through nationwide infrastructure projects and improved international trade deals.



He also said he would preserve American jobs by potentially imposing tariffs on products of US companies that relocate overseas, thereby reducing the incentive to move plants abroad, the Journal reported.



Trump so far has spoken to several world leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is yet to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said he got a "beautiful" letter from Putin.



On Syria, he said his main focus would be defeating ISIS rather than removing its current president Bashar al-Assad.



"My attitude was you're fighting Syria, Syria is fighting ISIS, and you have to get rid of ISIS. Russia is now totally aligned with Syria, and now you have Iran, which is becoming powerful, because of us, is aligned with Syria...Now we're backing rebels against Syria, and we have no idea who these people are," Trump said.



If the US attacks Assad, Trump said, "we end up fighting Russia, fighting Syria."



On the Israel-Palestine conflict, Trump said hopes to craft a deal. "That's the ultimate deal. As a deal maker, I'd like to do the deal that can't be made. And do it for humanity's sake," Trump told the daily.
The 3-day Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet 2016 (GRAM 2016) concluded in euphoria as the farmers, academicians, researchers, policy makers and industry stakeholders lauded the event in terms of having achieved its prime objective of sharing knowledge with farmers.





At the valedictory session, the Chief Guest, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Radha Mohan Singh said that GRAM will prove to be a milestone by way of connecting farmers with technology.



He said that while other states were organising investors meets  Rajasthan has taken the unique and the first-of-its-kind initiative in organising this international level Agritech Meet.



The Union Government, said Singh, stood committed for the farmers and was doing its utmost to double their income, as per the Prime Ministers mission, and connecting the farmers with global technology. Talking about the initiative of Soil Health Management, he said as many as 23 lakh soil health cards have been issued in the state in the past two years.



On the occasion, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje said that GRAM was indeed a historic festival and has in it the origins of an Agriculture Revolution. The event became a success by the active participation of agri-scientists, specialists, entrepreneurs and ambassadors of different countries.



She expressed happiness that the mega fair had seen participation of Israel, Iran, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Australia, UK, Japan, Nigeria, Serbia and World Bank.



The Chief Minister said that looking at the success of GRAM 2016  such agritech meets will be organised at the divisional level in the state.



She said, looking at the geographical challenges of the topography of the state, it was imperative for the farmer to adopt innovative methods of farming. GRAM has taught the farmer how to produce crops which will involve less of land, less of water and will also take less time.
Barely had the dust settled on its family feud, when sharp divisions once again appeared within the Samajwadi Party (SP) over the post of partys leader in the Rajya Sabha.





According to sources in the part, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav wanted senior leader Naresh Agarwal to be appointed for the post of partys leader in the upper house, which became vacant after the expulsion of Ram Gopal Yadav, a few days back.



The party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and state SP president Shivpal Singh Yadav, however, favoured Beni Prasad Verma, who had recently returned to his old part from Congress.



Agarwal was considered to be close to Akhilesh. He had also openly asked the party leadership to project Akhilesh as the chief ministerial nominee in the forthcoming assembly elections when the feud within the SP family was at its peak.



Agarwal was also understood to be close to Ram Gopal Yadav, who was expelled by Mulayam after he wrote a letter to the latter virtually blaming him for the problems within the party.



Mulayam and Shivpal wanted Beni to take over as the SP leader in the Rajya Sabha. Beni Verma was considered to be close to Mulayam. It was Mulayam, who had prevailed upon those who opposed Benis nomination to the Rajya Sabha.



Besides SP Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh was also said to be opposed to Agarwals appointment as partys leader in the upper house and was in favour of Beni Verma.



Beni Verma had left the party, when it needed him and joined the Congress.....he can not be trusted, said a senior SP leader, who was an Akhilesh supporter, here on Friday.



The party sources here said that the issue might snowball into another controversy ahead of the forthcoming assembly polls and see the rival factions locking horn.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday sought to dispel doubts of traders that Delhi governments VAT department was conducting raids in markets.





While a number of markets in central, south and west Delhi remained shut, AAP leaders denied that the Delhi government was conducted raids on traders.



The Opposition BJP alleged the raids were indeed being conducted by Delhi government department to create an atmosphere of terror and put the blame on the central government.



An angry Kejriwal tweeted: Rumour that Del VAT dept doing raids.Completely false. No raids by VAT. If anyone claims to be from VAT, ask for his ID n report to police.



Many jewellery shops in Karol Bagh and Dariban Kalan in Chandni Chowk, other wholesale shops in the Walled City, west Delhi and retail chain stores in south Delhi market did not open amid rumours of large scale raids by VAT.



Tilak Nagar AAP legislator Jarnail Singh even held meetings with traders to reassure them against any harassment. No Delhi government is harassing traders. I am on a round in my area to counter rumours and reassure traders, tweet Jarnail Singh in Hindi.



Chandni Chowk MLA Alka Lamba, in whose constituency an Income Tax team raided a jeweller on Thursday over allegations of selling gold against demonetised notes, welcomed the clarification issued by Kejriwal on rumours about VAT raids.



Its good that you have clarified, otherwise the ongoing I-T raids in Chandni Chowk markets would have been declared as VAT raids to spread panic among traders, tweeted Lamba, soon after Kejriwal countered rumours on alleged VAT raids.



Delhi BJP President Satish Upadhyay condemned the Kejriwal government for creating an atmosphere of terror amongst traders of Delhi by sending VAT Department officials in various wholesale markets of Old Delhi and to major retail chains in colonies.



It is regrettable that on one hand Kejriwal is shedding crocodile tears sympathising with the common man and the traders and, on the other, since Thursday he is sending VAT officials under whose terror traders have closed most wholesale markets. Most wholesale markets of Old Delhi are shut since Thursday afternoon, he said in a statement.



Upadhyay said the Kejriwal government is creating an atmosphere of fear and associating this to Centre's decision to scrap high denomination notes with an intent of defaming the BJP amongst traders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe today travelled in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which is being introduced in India on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch.





Modi and Abe travelled in the train, whose speed ranges from 240 kms per hour to 320 kms per hour, from Tokyo to Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in Japan.



"On the way to Kobe with PM @AbeShinzo. We are on board the Shinkansen bullet train," Prime Minister Modi tweeted along with pictures of him in deep conversation with Abe.



"A unique friendship on a unique train journey. PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo inside the Shinkansen bullet train to Kobe," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.



The construction of the high-speed train corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will start in 2018 and the train service will be operational from 2023.



Abe, at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi here yesterday, had said that the designing of the project will begin by the end of this year.



He said the ambitious project "symbolises a new dimension in the special relations" between the two countries and hoped that introduction of the rapid train network will spur further economic growth in India. The high speed rail system 'Shinkansen' was introduced in Japan in 1964. Earlier when Modi arrived at the Tokyo Station to board the train Swarup said, "Putting #IndiaJapan relations on the fast track! PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo arrive at Tokyo Station to board the Shinkansen."
High Level Meeting of Interior Ministers of IOR adopts Colombo declaration to Counter Drug Trafficking

Published: November 12, 2016

The High Level Meeting of Interior Ministers of Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to Counter Drug Trafficking was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It had adopted Colombo declaration.

The delegates from 18 littoral states of the IOR have resolved to work towards making the region a Drug Free Zone. Indian delegation was led by the Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir.

Key Facts

The high-level meeting was attended by 18 littoral states of the IOR which included seven Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Home Affairs/Interior.

It was also attended by seven international organizations and UN agencies engaged in counter-narcotics initiatives in the region.

Features of Colombo declaration

Narcotic drug trafficking in the IOR poses a threat to peace and security in the region and its possible link to organized crime and funding of terrorism.

It stresses upon need for coastal states to cooperate more closely on enforcing maritime law, providing mutual legal assistance and sharing information in narcotic drug trafficking.

It also calls for the expansion and development of communication through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODCs) Indian Ocean Prosecutors Network.

It called on the littoral states of the IOR to meet on an annual basis within the framework of the Southern Route Partnership (SRP) of Indian Ocean Forum on Maritime Crime (IOFMC).

These states must assess and report on the drug trafficking threat in the IOR and develop a coordinated approach to counter such threats.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2016

Topics: Colombo Declaration  drug trafficking  India Ocean Region  internal security  International  National  Sri lanka

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At least four people were killed early today in an explosion inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, NATO said, with the Taliban claiming responsibility for the major security breach.





The explosion struck at dawn inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield north of Kabul, as the Taliban step up attacks on Western targets before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs.



The nationalities of those killed were not immediately known after the blast, which highlights a worsening security situation nearly two years after NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan.



"An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded," NATO said in a statement.



"Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident."



Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province where Bagram is located, said the blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base.



"We don't know the identity of victims yet, but the attacker was either one of the Afghan labourers working there," Sediqi told AFP.



Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi said the explosion that struck around 0100 GMT was powerful and reverberated across the area.



"To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences," said John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan.



"For the family and friends of those wounded in today's attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today."



Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was behind the suicide attack inside Bagram, claiming it inflicted "heavy casualties on US invaders".



The brazen attack represents an alarming security breach inside what is regarded as one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan. Bagram Airfield, close to Kabul, has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.



Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistan's largest US military base. It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.



The latest attack comes after a powerful Taliban truck bomb struck the German consulate in Afghanistan's northern Mazar-i-Sharif city late Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding more than 100 others. The uptick in attacks comes just days after a bitter US presidential election.
A journalist of a prominent vernacular daily was shot dead in Rohtas district of Bihar this morning apparently over his articles on illegal stone chips units, the police said.





The scribe, 35-year-old Dharmendra Singh, was having tea at a road side stall at his Amra tola village where he was shot by some unidentified assailants, sub divisional police officer Alok Ranjan said.



The assailant pumped bullet in his stomach from point blank range resulting in his death. He died on way to Varanasi, he said.



Singh is survived by wife and a son. The victim was working for a prominent Hindi daily at Sasaram.



The SDPO said probe is on in the murder case. The murder is suspectedly linked to illegal quarrying business in Rohtas district.



The killing of another scribe, Rajdeo Ranjan, at Siwan in the same district in May last had sent shockwaves throughout the country.
The surface of Mars is incredibly dry, and has been that way for millions of years, say scientists who suggest that it would be difficult for life to exist on the red planet today.





The lack of liquid water on the surface of Mars has been demonstrated by scientists.



In a study led by the University of Stirling in the UK, an international team of researchers found the lack of rust on the meteorites which indicates that Mars has been dry for millions of years.



The discovery provides vital insight into the planet's current environment.Mars is a primary target in the search for life outside Earth, and liquid water is the most important pre-requisite for life.



"Evidence shows that more than 3 billion years ago Mars was wet and habitable. However, this latest research reaffirms just how dry the environment is today," said Christian Schroder, from the University of Stirling.



"For life to exist in the areas we investigated, it would need to find pockets far beneath the surface, located away from the dryness and radiation present on the ground," Schroder said.



Previous research had suggested that very salty liquid water might be able to condense in the top layers of Martian soil overnight. "But, as our data show, this moisture is much less than the moisture present even in the driest places on Earth," said Schroder.



Using data from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, scientists examined a cluster of meteorites at Meridiani Planum - a plain just south of the planet's equator and at a similar latitude to Gale crater.



Researchers have for the first time calculated a chemical weathering rate for Mars, in this case how long it takes for rust to form from the metallic iron present in meteorites. This chemical weathering process depends on the presence of water.



It takes at least 10 and possibly up to 10,000 times longer on Mars to reach the same levels of rust formation than in the driest deserts on Earth and points to the present-day extreme aridity that has persisted on Mars for millions of years. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Dubbing the Centre's demonetisation move as the "black policy of the black government", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today visited banks and ATMs in the city to witness the "hardship" faced by the common people and demanded withdrawal of the decision.



She visited three banks and several ATMs at Sarat Bose Road, Bhawanipore and Chowringhee and spoke to the people there.



"These are all common people. Let the government nab the real culprits," Banerjee said.



"I visited several bank branches and ATMs since the morning. I spoke to the people...How they were facing this inconvenience due to an ill-planned and anti-people policy. Those who have black money are not standing in long queues," she said.



"It (the Modi government) should immediately withdraw the decision. It is causing an immense harassment to the masses. Most of the ATMs are still closed. From where will the common man get the money to run the family," Banerjee asked.



Pointing out that after standing for hours in a queue, people received only one Rs 2,000 note each, she said, "How will they use this one Rs 2,000 note for all of their daily needs? They are not getting currency notes of lower denominations. There is total chaos and anger."



Earlier in the day, renewing her attack on the Modi government for the move to demonetise the Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes, Banerjee had demanded withdrawal of this "black" political decision, saying it was against the common people.



"Withdraw this 'black' political decision which is anti-commoner. Markets across India ruined, purchasing power crashing, people pained," she had tweeted.



Claiming that she had said this before, Banerjee said, "But, given the way the young, old and everyone is suffering, let me again appeal to the Central government (to withdraw the decision)".



"This has turned out to be a big black scandal. Hardship for the common citizens and full advantage to the money-launderers," she added.



The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, on Thursday, had called upon all the opposition parties to work together against the "anti-poor government at the Centre".



Mocking the prime minister, she had said that Narendra Modi had gone to Japan after making the people "poor" in India. Banerjee had also penned a poem on the demonetisation issue.


Seeking to reach out to retired soldiers, Union government today assured the ex-servicemen that it was taking all steps for "resolving the anomalies" in One Rank One Pension (OROP) and seventh pay commission.





Minister of State for Defence, Subhash Bhamre, also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who are "very sensitive" to the issues of ex-servicemen, are "personally looking into the effective implementation" of OROP scheme.



"The issue of OROP is the area of concern for the ex-servicemen. Number of representations were being received from ex-servicemen about OROP," he said, inaugurating the Kerala State conference of the 'Akhil Bharathiya Poorva Sainik Seva Parishad' here.



He said approximately one lakh defence pensioners/family pensioners were yet to get the benefits of OROP because of missing information such as non-update of records or unavailability of date of birth of family pensioners.



"Government is taking expeditious steps to get the payment released to left out pensioners on priority basis," he said. The Minister also dismissed media reports about down-gradation of military ranks vis-a-vis civilian cadre.



"Was there any down gradation? The answer is No," he said.



Bhamre said a letter was issued by the Defence Ministry on October 18 regarding the equivalence of officers of a civilian cadre which is known as the Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service (AFHQ CS).



"The letter reiterated the existing equivalence of joint director, director and principal director of AFHQ with Colonel, Brigadier and Major General equivalents respectively based on duties and functional responsibilities.



"This equivalences is not new and it has been clarified on several occasions in 1991, 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2005.Therefore, this alleged down gradation was a complete misinterpretation of facts," the Minister said.



The service ranks and designations and the channel of reporting continued as earlier, he said alleging that an attempt was being made by some quarters to project a negative image of the government.



"The government is most sensitive and receptive to the needs of the armed forces," the Minister said.
As protests of President-elect Donald Trump entered another day, police in Portland, Oregon, say one person was shot by a man who had gotten into a confrontation with a protester.





Portland police said the person who was shot was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.



Police said they were looking for the shooter, who apparently fled in his vehicle after the attack early today morning on a Willamette River bridge.



The shooting followed rowdy yesterday night protests, when police used tear gas in response to "burning projectiles" thrown at officers, police said on Twitter. Hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti.



Authorities reported instances of vandalism and assault during a rally that organisers had billed as peaceful earlier in the day.



In other parts of the country, spirited demonstrations on college campuses and peaceful marches along downtown streets have taken place since Wednesday.



Hundreds joined a today afternoon "love rally" in Washington Square Park in Manhattan.



Leslie Holmes, 65, a website developer from Wilton, Connecticut, took an hour-long train ride to the demonstration - her first protest since the 1970s, when she hit the streets of San Francisco to oppose the Vietnam War.



She described herself as an armchair liberal but declared, "I'm not going to be armchair anymore."



"I don't want to live in a country where my friends aren't included, and my friends are fearful, and my children are going to grow up in a world that's frightening, and my granddaughters can look forward to being excluded from jobs and politics and fulfilling their potential, so I'm here for them," she said.



Evening marches disrupted traffic in Miami and Atlanta. Trump supporter Nicolas Quirico was traveling from South Beach to Miami. His car was among hundreds stopped when protesters blocked Interstate 395.



"Trump will be our president. There is no way around that, and the sooner people grasp that, the better off we will be," he said. "There is a difference between a peaceful protest and standing in a major highway backing up traffic for 5 miles. This is wrong."



More than a thousand protesters took to the streets across California after night fell including downtown Los Angeles, where over 200 were arrested a night earlier. In Bakersfield, where Trump is far more popular than in most of the state, some held signs reading "Anti-Trump, Pro-USA."
Its complicated... his life... his relationships... his thoughts. The protagonist of Tanuj Solankis debut novel Neon Noon, who is introduced to the reader as just T, is a wandering soul. Is he the authors alter ego? Or maybe this piece of fiction is inspired by the life of Solanki! Is it possible that T is echoing his creator when he says: Im a compulsive archivist of myself? It does feel like it when the author seemingly talks to the reader, much as one would exchange confidences with a friend.



T is an aspiring author, struggling to write as well as get over a broken relationship with Anne Marie, his French-speaking Swiss girlfriend whom he met at business school. They have been in a comfortable compatible live-in arrangement in the tiny suburb of Bandra in Mumbai, both busy with their respective careers, leading a life of companionable bliss. So in love is he with his woman that he even attempts to teach himself French by reading Madame Bovary in the original, and the translation! That does get him brownie points from the lady, but does not prevent the break-up. There does not seem to be any one particular tangible reason for the break. Is it the mishmash of his creative energy (insurance job plus wannabe writer) that puts her off, or the longing for a son he wants them to create in the future? Whatever the reason, Anne Marie returns to Switzerland, leaving him emotionally bereft. So distraught is he that one bedroom in his apartment becomes practically a shrine for his ex where no one is allowed to enter; it is a room set by a woman and upset by a man, a room full of memories for him despite her empty cupboard.



A while later, she invites him for a holiday to Interlaken, but strictly on a friendship basis. Our man debates with himself and chooses to go on a solo holiday to Pattaya instead, that hot-bed of sin, hoping to purge his grief and pain and angst in paid sex and debauchery. Amid the frenzied frantic neon lights of the rushed town, he comes across Noon, a woman who ekes out a living doing what women in Pattaya are known for. The homely plain lady of the night becomes his succour and saviour and helps him get over Anne Marie and mend his achy-breaky heart.



Solankis voice is one that is unique and promising among the many new talents in Indian English writing. Neon Noon is a tale that does not need footnotes to explain the exotic Orient. The emotions expressed are universal. The bordering-on-maudlin self-pity, the moodiness, the nostalgic memory trips, the self-indulgent melancholia, all make the narrative of this strange love story very human.



The story teeters towards fantasy when T runs into Orhan in Pattaya. Orhan could be the unborn longed-for son he wanted to have with Anne Marie. Their interactions turn the tale, for a while at least, into the equivalent of arthouse experimental esoteric cinema in prose. His thought processes, guilt, love, heartache: all come to the fore in an attempt to start afresh. And he succeeds! In her own simplistic way, Noon plays a vital role in helping him come to terms with his angst.



The structure and disjointed style of the narrative is unusual and lends freshness to the story. It had its origins as a short story, according to the author, that can be a sprawling mess, but here, the rambling and disjointedness come together efficiently. Whats more, it holds the readers interest too in a skilful manner.



Usage of words seems to be Solankis forte, and makes this work quite extraordinary despite it seeming to be somewhat fragmented at the start, what with the jumping from Janata bars to expensive breads and jams from upmarket Mumbai bakeries to treks in Nepal to the sleaze of Pattaya. However, all the pieces of the puzzle fit in together gradually. Tanuj Solanki has a way with words that express emotions not many writers may find easy to do. For instance: We kissed not like two people in love, but like two people in love with the possibility of love. Ah! The poetry! And the thought! The story is strewn with many such nuggets that are a pleasure to read. Some have a delicious underlying tongue-in-cheek wit. Example: a place where mid-sized capital and mid-sized enterprise waltz together to present the worlds oldest value proposition in glitzy red, inescapable allure. Thats Solankis description of a whorehouse in Pattaya! Its his usage of words and construction of skilful beautiful sentences that lifts this tale of a failed love story to raised heights.



Solanki, who has been a runner-up in fiction contests and has had his work appear in mainstream magazines, is a promising talent to look out for.



Neon Noon

Tanuj Solanki

Harper Collins

2016, pp 215

Rs 499
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav may be appointed as the national working president of the Samajwadi Party (SP) at the latters Central Parliamentary Board meeting here on Sunday.





According to SP sources here, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who will be chairing the meeting, may make the announcement after consulting other members.



Akhilesh may be made the SP national working president at the meeting in which senior party leaders are expected to take part, said a senior party leader while speaking to DH here. Some other decisions with regard to the partys organisation might also be taken at the meeting, the leader added.

DH News Service



BJP unlikely to project CM candidate

The BJP may not project a chief ministerial face in the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, scheduled for early next year, DHNS reports from Lucknow.



Speaking at a function here on Saturday, BJP national president Amit Shah said the saffron party had contested Assembly polls in several states without declaring a chief ministerial candidate. He said the newly elected legislators would choose their leader in the event of the party getting a majority in the elections.



In the recently launched parivartan yatra of the party, a few BJP workers were seen waving banners, demanding that firebrand saffron leader and party MP Yogi Adityanath be projected as the partys chief ministerial face in the state.


A beautiful November afternoon lent for the perfect day to honor those who served.

The Farmington VFW Post 5896 held their Veterans Day ceremony on the steps of the St. Francois County courthouse near the war memorial Friday.

Commander Tom Rector expressed his thanks to those who were attending the ceremony, which featured music from the Farmington High School Black Knight Marching Band, posting of colors by the Farmington High School AFROTC, National Anthem performed by Chelly Odle, laying of the wreaths and special message from State Rep. Paul Fitzwater, R-Potosi.

In his speech, Fitzwater said the day is important to honor our service members and remember their sacrifices they made and the courage it took to defend our honor, our duty and our country.

I once read  that valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul, he said. I assure you all veterans here today possess that very trait.

He said the day allows one to stand in the midst of patriots, family and friends of those who have nobly served.

We say thank you. Thank you for what youve done for us, Fitzwater added. They were ordinary people who responded in extraordinary ways in extreme times.

Since the first shots at Lexington and Concord were fired and our Revolutionary War began, American men and women have been answering the nations call to duty. Millions of Americans have fought and died on battlefields here and abroad for our freedoms and our way of life.

Today, people throughout the country will gather and remember the honor and pay gratitude to those who served our country and serve it so well. Our gathering here today is just one small spark in the flame of pride that burns across our nation today and each and every day of the year.

From the soldiers who shivered and starved in the winter at Valley Forge, to the doughboys crouched in the muddy trenches in France, to the platoon on patrol in the hazy jungles of Vietnam  to the young man or woman who still patrol the mountains of Afghanistan  we remember and we are here to honor you.

We must never forget the fundamental freedoms that we possess and desire each and every day.

His speech was followed by a 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps by Shayla Reagan from the Black Knight Marching Band.

A closing prayer was delivered by Post Chaplain Joel Meador.
The government might witness a rare unity among the Opposition parties in Parliament against its move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 during the month-long Winter Session, beginning Wednesday.





The Congress called it a jumla, while the Trinamool is willing to set aside its rivalry with the CPM to fight the issue together. Both the parties have made it clear that they would give notice to suspend business in both Houses to take up the demonetisation issue.



On Saturday, the Congress called the move a jumla (gimmick) and asked the BJP to furnish its expense account for the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and other states.



Party spokesperson Kapil Sibal also wanted the BJP to set up a commission of inquiry into all expenses made by it before 2014 Lok Sabha elections.



Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's absence from the country when the public is facing harassment and inconvenience, Sibal said the decision was taken "in haste without proper planning" due to which people are suffering.



West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, one of the first politicians to go public against the decision soon after the announcement was made on November 8 night, said she was willing to work with the CPM to fight the undeclared emergency imposed by the anti-people Modi government.



"We may have ideological differences with CPM but we are ready to work with them and other opposition parties like the Congress, SP, BSP to save the country. The Congress, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh, (Arvind) Kejriwal have protested against the issue," she said.



CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said Modi made the announcement without any plan or preparation, claiming that the move will put brakes on the economy and hurt the poor.

DH News Service



Opposition playing politics of rumours

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday took exception to politics of rumours which he lamented opposition was indulging in to raise doubts on the governments knock at black money, DHNS reports from New Delhi.



Jaitley singled out what he said imaginary stories circulated in the social media  such as, leak of information on demonetisation prior to November 8 announcement, chip in new currency notes, about digital lockers and salt crisis  to say that these are concocted rumours and attempts to take liberties with truth.
Delhis unprecedented spike in pollution levels has sent a capital warning to Bengaluru. Struggling to cope with emissions from an astounding 64 lakh vehicles, the city is struggling for solutions to curb this explosive growth.



The thick smog that enveloped Delhi for weeks and triggered an unprecedented spike in pollution levels should be a clear, capital warning to Bengaluru. The citys vehicular population has exceeded 64 lakh with emission levels way beyond permissible limits. Rising road dust, industrial emissions and fast depleting tree cover have the alarm bells ringing loud.



Is there an escape route from this slippery path to absolute chaos? Tracking the citys pollution for decades, a Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) scientist was clear: There is no way out without curbing the explosive growth in vehicles. The numbers have doubled in the last five years, driving up the respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) levels.



Road dust issues

Data from KSPCB air monitoring stations spread across Bengaluru indicate a definite trend: Vehicular emission is the main culprit, accounting for 43% of the pollutants. Road dust kicked up and suspended in air by incessant vehicle movements makes up another 20%. Pollutants from industries and construction sites have a 28% share, while diesel generator sets contribute seven per cent.



Dry waste burning, a rising but unchecked hazard, has only made the air more polluted. Trees that act as natural filters are being axed to make way for infrastructure projects in huge numbers. Pedestrians, footpath vendors, motorcyclists and autorickshaw drivers and passengers are the first victims. But eventually, the hazard rises, affecting the entire population, notes the Board scientist.



Pedestrians worst affected

A Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) study had confirmed the higher pollution risk posed to pedestrians compared to vehicle-users in the city. Walkers, the study had found, are exposed to levels as high as 269 microgram per cubic metre while those travelling by autorickshaws have to endure 137 microns. Even AC car passengers were not immune to pollution. The study revealed that they were exposed to up to 125 microns.



So far, pollutants have been measured as Particulate Matter (particles of any substance) of less than 10 microns (PM10). While this has steadily increased in the citys air over the years, the dynamics of pollution analytics has dramatically changed with PM2.5 (particles with less than 2.5 micron diameter).



Heres the problem: PM10 might get trapped in the nose, mouth or throat. But particles of the PM2.5 size range are drawn deep into the lungs directly. Within minutes of inhaling, these substances enter the bloodstream, triggering health issues such as laryngitis, bronchitis, shortness of breath, asthma and more.



To get an exact measure of the pollution, the Board has begun collection of PM2.5 data from this year. This, along with data on sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, photochemical oxidants and other toxic metals, are critical to understand why Bengalureans are increasingly getting vulnerable to lung-related ailments.



Air quality monitoring

Air quality data is monitored from 13 stations in Bengaluru city. These include AMCO, Mysore Road; Yeshwantpur police station; Central Silk Board, Hosur Road; DTDC - Victoria Road; Kazisummanahalli, Whitefield; Banaswadi police station; TERI office, Domlur; Victoria Hospital and Indira Gandhi Child Care Centre, Nimhans.



Analysis of data from the station at AMCO is telling enough. Tracking pollution levels twice a week over a 10-year period, it was found that concentration of nitric oxide at this site increased by over 100%. This has been attributed to the whopping 258% increase in vehicular population.



If this trend continues unabated, how polluted will Bengaluru air be five years from now? Environmentalists, seasoned campaigners for sustainable transport and even KSPCB officials admit that there can be no lasting solution without finding some way to arrest the explosive growth in vehicle numbers.



But can this be done at all? Pollution Board officials say the Transport department should take a call. However, concepts such as congestion tax for entry into Central Business District (CBD) areas and odd-even scheme have not moved beyond the drawing board.



Mobile emission-testing

However, efforts are now on to finetune the pollution-tracking system. Twelve emission-testing mobile vans are all set to be launched on November 16 by the Chief Minister. These will be located in eight BBMP zones of the city. The transport and traffic police department personnel will jointly get polluting vehicles checked for emissions beyond the permissible limits. Violators will be penalised on the spot.



But strict enforcement should go beyond vehicles to curb polluting small-scale industries, say environmentalists. Many setups in the industrial areas are known to incinerate e-waste and let out chemicals directly into the air. Unregulated mixing of commercial, industrial and residential areas in the city has meant that no one is immune from such pollutants.



Air pollution is a slow and unwarranted problem. Many do not realise how bad it can be until it is too late. We should bring pressure on the government to implement clean energy solutions.

JALAJAKSHI G, Lecturer, ASC College



If the state hesitates to curb pollution, all our lives will be at stake in the near future. People are directly exposed to toxic fumes that lead to skin diseases and allergies.

UMA SOMASHEKHAR, Resident, Chamarajpet



Since there is a large working class in the city, carpooling and public transport should beencouraged. Everyone has a basic responsibility

towards reducing pollution.

SURESH HEBLIKAR, Environmentalist



Bengaluru is blessed with a lot of greenery. However, if we start

losing the existing trees, then the scenario might be similar to Delhi in the coming days.

SYED AMJED AHMED

Visiting faculty, St Josephs College



Comparing Bluru, Delhi

Originally from Bengaluru, Shalini B, a research scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University, has spent years in both the cities. Heres her take on the air quality in the two urban centres.



As a person who grew up in Bengaluru, I have witnessed drastic change. In the last few years, Bengalurus air quality has been deteriorating. If this trend continues, it will be a Delhi in the making. It is a wake-up call to Bengaluru.



Delhi, over the last few years, has become India's most polluted city and with the recent smog and the alarming decline in air quality, the fall has been dramatic. lt has literally turned into a gas chamber. Once known for its air-conditioned weather, it is sad to see the decline in Bengalurus weather patterns.



l don't remember using AC ever in Bengaluru. But now, the citys climate is turning hotter and we hear of respiratory diseases due to air pollution.
Raisin producers in the district are in the throes of a grave crisis. The rates, which were at an all-time high, have been on a constant decline for two years.





The raisins sold for Rs 500 a kg at the Sangli market in Maharashtra and Rs 350 in the local market then.



However, presently, the buyers are purchasing them for Rs 110 to Rs 120, pushing the growers to penury. The growers are demanding that the price should be fixed at Rs 150 per kg. The growers had stocked the produce, fervently hoping that the prices would pick up. But their expectations have now been belied. While its not sound business sense to sell the dry grapes at throwaway prices, the crisis has already started costing them financially.



We are left with little money to manage the grapes on the creepers and arent getting bank loans either, Siddappa Dundappa Balagonda, a progressive farmer from Kolhar in Basavana Bagewadi taluk, told DH. He wants steps to be taken by the deputy commissioner (DC) to resume e-trading, so that the industry is freed from the stranglehold of the powerful traders.



No online trading

The onus, as usual, has shifted to the government. The farmers want the government to come to their rescue by purchasing the produce. Resuming the online trade of raisins can also ease the situation, they feel.



The online trading centre for raisins, which was opened with much fanfare at a building constructed at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore, is not functioning.



Online trading was conducted only on the day of its inauguration on February 7 in 2015, V Ramesh, secretary of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), told DH.



Somanath Shivanagouda Biradar, a young farmer from Uppaladinni in Vijayapura taluk, says that much of the grape-growing areas fall under Tikota, which is part of the Babaleshwar constituency represented by Minister M B Patil in the Assembly. He has demanded that the minister should step in to help the farmers in distress.



Patil told DH that he would discuss the matter regarding resumption of online trading of horticultural crops with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and take the necessary steps.



It is said that the traders instigated the growers to protest against online trading, by deliberately bringing down the prices. None of the traders applied when the 12 outlets at the commercial complex were auctioned through tenders. Neither have traders from outside registered themselves at the APMC.



All these factors have pushed the rates down, says N E Rajashekar, deputy director of the Horticulture department. The growers have now brought the matter to the notice of the DC.


Anekal MLA B Shivanna on Saturday alleged that his rivals are instigating Attibele Sub Inspector Srinivas to tarnish his image.





He said, I have taken up developmental projects which my rivals are not able to digest and unlike what was reported by some news channels, I never threatened Attibele Sub Inspector Srinivas.



Addressing a press conference after a news channel aired a conversation between the MLA and Srinivas on Saturday, he stated that he had only tried to amicably solve a sensitive issue and claimed that the facts had been distorted. Shivanna said the recorded conversation took place about two months ago. He elaborated the incident stating that a youth had committed suicide at Manchanahalli as he was unable to marry his girlfriend.



Shivanna said, Srinivas had registered a case but claimed that the elders from both the families sought his intervention as they belonged to different castes. Considering the sensitivity of the matter I requested Srinivas to settle the matter amicably but he chose to record the conversation, distort facts and share it with the news channels, Shivanna alleged.



Srinivas has been seeking a transfer from Attibele but has not succeeded in his efforts and is unnecessarily blaming me over the issue, stated Shivanna. He maintained that, Srinivas had failed in his duties to curb violence after protests erupted over the Cauvery water issue recently. He instead entered Tamil Nadu border and stoned a Tamil Nadu state transport bus. Senior officers had to intervene and solve the matter.



Shivanna claimed that his rivals were instigating the officer to tarnish his image.
Convenor of the Anti-Land Grabbing Action Committee A T Ramaswamy on Saturday said the Centres decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, was a revolutionary move.





Addressing the media in Bengaluru on Saturday, Ramaswamy said that his committee had submitted a proposal comprising eight aspects to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to crack down on black money, including demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, on January 12.



He however said that this alone was not enough. The Centre should ensure that the production of counterfeit currency is stopped. Citing that B R Ambedkar had stressed that currencies should be demonetised once every 20 years in his book The Problem of the Rupee: its origin and its solution, Ramaswamy sought periodical demonetisation of the Indian currency. Freedom fighter H S Doreswamy, who was also present, said that protests will be held during the legislature session in Belagavi, seeking amendments to the Land Reforms Act.
DEAR BRUCE: My husband and I are on a fixed annual income of $75,000. Our CD is coming to maturity soon. We do not want to roll it over since the interest has dropped so low. Can you suggest a better investment? We can't afford to lose this money. -- S.W.

DEAR S.W.: Let's start with the given. You're not going to get the same income as you've enjoyed since CDs are going very close to negative territory, which is a crime, but nonetheless, that's the way it is.

As to a better way to invest, at the risk of repeating myself, it seems to me that conservative purchases in the stock market is the only way to fly -- with well-established U.S. companies that are also paying reasonable dividends. There is no reason to believe you can't expect a return of 5 percent or better. It may take a little time to investigate which companies to choose, but it's certainly worth the effort.

DEAR BRUCE: When my wife and I divorced, we continued to pay the mortgage as a couple from our joint accounts. Both of our names were on the mortgage. At some point, she took my name off the mortgage without my knowledge.

She plans to sell the house. I say I get half of the sale price of our home. What would you do? -- Reader

DEAR READER: It's clear that your wife had absolutely no right to remove your name from the mortgage. Unless, of course, you paid it off, and that still would require your signature.

There's no reason at this point why you wouldn't receive half of the sale price. Unless there was some prior agreement made during the divorce, but I don't see how she could have proceeded with your name removal without your permission.

DEAR BRUCE: My husband and I are ready to downsize and retire. We would like to sell our home for a townhouse or condo. We currently owe $317,760, and the house has been appraised for over $475,000.

Our problem is, due to our co-signing for college loans and some medical expenses, our credit score will never allow us to get a loan to purchase a house, even though we have been current on our house payments and most of our other bills.

I am currently making $82,000 a year and my husband earns over $2,000 a month in retirement and Social Security. In speaking with our accountant and reviewing our expenses and projected income after I retire, he feels that we could have a reasonably comfortable retirement. The key would be selling the house for a much smaller monthly mortgage payment than the $1,980 a month that we currently pay.

What advice can you give to prepare us for the application and approval process to purchase our retirement home? -- N.C.

DEAR N.C.: I don't think you have such a big problem. You mentioned that you should be able to walk out of your house with $150,000 or more, which is not exactly chopped liver!

As to the fact that you have medical expenses on your credit report, that doesn't necessarily mean you can't get a mortgage. True, you may have to pay a little bit more for it, but reducing that $2,000-a-month mortgage payment would be well worth it. Further, you may want to consider one of the companies that seek out people with weak credit scores. Again, I don't see a problem in securing the new mortgage. Make the effort.

DEAR BRUCE: My brother bought my daughter a savings bond 48 years ago when she was born. He doesn't remember where he bought it, and I have tried many ways to find it for her. Is this a lost cause, or can I retrieve this for her? -- Reader

DEAR READER: You're going to have to make a few phone calls, but there is a way to trace a lost bond. Make the effort to research it online and gather as much information as you can. This will make the search for the lost savings bond easier.

DEAR BRUCE: A U.S. Post Office clerk recently told me postal employees can no longer take addressed letters without a return address. People can deposit addressed letters without a return address into standing unattended mailboxes, but postal employees are now forbidden from accepting them at postal counters.

It seems like the days of sending anonymous letters are about over. Do you think this infringes on freedom of the press and freedom of speech? -- R.G.

DEAR R.G.: It seems to me that maybe there's some narrow protection in not allowing you to send a letter without a return address. But since you've pointed out that you can walk outside and drop it in a letterbox and it will get mailed, it seems like an exercise in futility. If, for whatever reason, you don't want to put a return address on your mail, just send it off in a letterbox and go.

DEAR BRUCE: My wife and I are 57 years old and want to retire by 62. I will likely continue working as a consultant or teaching long past that, but not full time.

Our combined income is $170,000. Total debt is $175,000 (mortgage) and a $30,000 car loan. We have $700,000 in my 401(k) and $200,000 in the market with an adviser. We are saving 12 percent toward the 401(k) and adding $2,000 per month to the market. I will have $1,400 a month in retirement income as well.

When we retire, we will be moving south and will build a home. We already own the lot. Given the low mortgage rates, should we stop our market investing and build what would be a second home there now? Homes there are $350,000 to $450,000, so $2,000 a month is a likely mortgage.

The community is rapidly expanding, and four- to six-month rentals for people building their own homes have some demand, so we might explore that, though I wouldn't count on even 50 percent occupancy. I have owned rentals, so am well aware of and have no concern with the challenges. Tax and insurance will add another $500 a month. -- S.U.

DEAR S.U.: It would certainly appear that you've done well with your savings and have an ample amount of money to retire on when the time comes. The main question is, should you move ahead even though you don't need the property just yet?

I suggest that you make a strong effort to get the mortgage in place and then rent the property out. It's highly unlikely that you're going to see mortgage rates remain as low as they are. If I were you, I would be out looking in the mortgage market and get one nailed down, because when they start going up, I doubt seriously you'll see them return to these lows.

DEAR BRUCE: Due to a U.S. government data breach, a Los Angeles company sent me a $6,000 bill for "services." I refused to pay and informed the company. They sent the $6,000 to collection and it appeared on my Experian credit report. I reported it to the police, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and other state and federal agencies.

Experian sent me a letter stating the collection action was deleted from my credit report. I am not sure what "deleted" means. Is my credit still damaged? Please explain it to me. -- P.F.

DEAR P.F.: Congratulations! A win to the good guys. Unfortunately, there is no way I can tell you which one of your inquiries got Experian to take care of the collection letter. In turn, there is no damage to your credit history.

I really would like to say congratulations again. It isn't often you can say the good guys won one!

DEAR BRUCE: I recently had back surgery, and I was going through TSA in a wheelchair at Reno/Tahoe Airport and I was flagged for personal inspection. The TSA agent made me stand for 15 minutes as he swabbed the entire contents of my carry-on bag. He had to pat down my pants and he required me to stand with my legs widely parted, though I told him this was painful to me. He ordered me to stand anyway, and I sat in the wheelchair and called him names.

This brought a team of TSA agents asking me what my problem was. I told them about my back surgery and then I told them about the guy who made me stand. They read me the riot act about their jobs. When they were done, I called them all sorts of names and they cleared me for my plane.

These TSA agents are unprofessional in my opinion. What do you think? -- Reader

DEAR READER: I am glad to hear that you won that fight. They could have fooled around with you long enough that you missed your connection. That would have been kind of a hollow victory.

I have a difficult time standing for long periods of time, too. Whenever I've been in this situation and I have asked for someplace to sit, they have wasted time on occasion. Nonetheless, they always provided a chair with no argument. You just happened to run into a few guys who were real stinkers, and I congratulate you on getting through it. Although, I wouldn't suggest that you make your methods a regular habit.

DEAR BRUCE: My wife is set to retire at the end of the year. She has several retirement investments in different accounts. She is also over the age of 69 1/2.

Is it beneficial for her to work one week into 2017 rather than retire at the end of 2016? Would this allow us more time to set up required distributions? Immediate money is not an issue. -- D.C.

DEAR D.C.: I don't think it's going to make a big difference except you may have a few weeks more to make a decision. Frankly, I don't see what that's going to do for you. Make the decision if she wants to retire now and let her go about it, or if she wants to hang out another couple of months, that's fine, too.

DEAR BRUCE: I recently left my job and received a large severance payment of $140,000. I was without another job for only one month and started a new job with an annual salary of $250,000. I am trying to avoid the IRS hit on all the income this year. Do you have any suggestions for what I can do to lower the amount of income tax I will have to pay? -- D.M.

DEAR D.M.: All I can tell you is that many people would love to have your problem -- $140,000 in the bag and a $250,000 salary. I don't know any way to avoid income tax on this money. If another reader has an idea, I would love to know, but I am afraid it's a problem that will not make many people feel sorry for you. I do wish you well.

DEAR BRUCE: I haven't paid my federal taxes in quite some time. I kind of got mad at the way our government has wasted time and money. After checking the 16th Amendment, which Pennsylvania opted out of ratifying, it doesn't say anywhere that we are bound to pay taxes on income.

My question is, can any of this hold up in court, or do I threaten them with letting all taxpayers know about the loophole and let our government go broke, so they won't be able to prosecute anybody? -- L.W.

DEAR L.W.: You may have all kinds of arguments with our government and try to rebel, but all that does is get you into a bigger hole, and sooner or later it's going to catch up. If I were you, I would hire a representative who routinely works with the government on circumstances such as yours. He or she can help you get paid up, or at least get your returns in so that the amount you owe is established. You may or may not be able to negotiate a portion of this, depending on your income. Don't let it go on any longer.

Send questions to bruce@brucewilliams.com. Questions of general interest will be answered in future columns. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

The Bruce Williams Radio Show can now be heard 24/7 via iTunes and at www.taeradio.com. It is also available at www.brucewilliams.com.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait was just scrolling the pictures sent to his mobile phone through WhatsApp, during the Tipu Jayanti celebrations in Raichur on Thursday (November 10).





Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, the chief minister said that he would obtain a report from Sait himself on the incident and would initiate appropriate action if found guilty. He said that the incident cannot be compared with BJP ministers watching porn during the Assembly session.



Siddaramaiah said that Karnataka was prepared for holding a meeting with Goa and Maharashtra governments over the Mahadayi water dispute. Goa government did not allow the meeting called by Maharashtra chief minister. The issue can be resolved if the prime minister calls the meeting of chief ministers of three states, he said.



Sait rules out resignation

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Benglauru, Sait reiterated that he was innocent and wont put in his papers.



I have not done any mistake. Hence, the question of my resigning does not arise. How do I admit to something that I have not done?.I was only watching pictures sent through WhatsApp and had not opened any website, he told reporters who sought his reaction on the Opposition parties demand for his resignation.



You might have seen the way I was watching the WhatsApp pictures. People have to know the truth. So, I have asked the TV news channel to provide unedited video recordings of the incident and have filed a case against the cameraman of the news channel, he stated.



Sait also said he will consult senior party leaders on his next course of action.



Case registered against reporter, camerman

The Raichur west police have registered a case against the reporter and cameraman of a vernacular news channel on the basis of a complaint lodged by minister Tanveer Sait, reports DHNS from Raichur. The minister, in his complaint, has said that the two had tarnished his image by reporting that he was watching porn while taking part in a Tipu Jayanti function in the town on Thursday (November 10). The police have registered a case under Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of IPC.

Meanwhile, the police have sought a legal opinion on the complaint lodged against Sait by the district unit of Kannada Rakshana Vedike. Ashok Jain, the district president of the Vedike, in his complaint, had sought the police to register a case against Section 354(c) of IPC.
The demonetisation has brought hardship to Bengalurus wedding planners this marriage season as they struggle to pay labourers, decorators and caterers, what with cash-strapped clients unable to make payments.





All our clients are inconvenienced as they have little hard cash. They have money in bank but there is a limit on withdrawal from ATMs and exchange of old notes, said a representative of Sagar Caterers and Decorators, which manages Gayathri Vihar function hall at Palace Grounds.



We have given them time to pay. No wedding was cancelled.



A huge rush

Keshav, manager of Raju Enterprises, another wedding planner, said he faced a different problem. We take full payment from clients at the time of booking. But we have no money to pay the labourers, decorators or caterers. This is mainly because of the huge rush in banks and ATMs. We hope the issue will be solved in a month or two, he said.



A representative of Nalapad Pavilion, another function hall at Palace Grounds, however, said they didnt face any problem as clients were paying by cheque. People associated with White Petals, another function venue at Palace Grounds, echoed the opinion.



On the other hand, Radhakrishna Holla, president, Bangalore Tourist Taxi Operators Association, expressed frustration at the limit on withdrawal from ATMs and banks.



Since one cannot withdraw more than Rs 10,000 a day, people like me have been badly affected. I have to pay car drivers who usually do not have debit cards, Radhakrishna Holla noted.

DH News Service
Malls and shopping centres in Bengaluru have remained largely unaffected by the demonetisation as most of their customers pay by debit or credit card.





But eateries in malls reported lower footfall. At a mens apparel store at Garuda Mall, business went about as usual on Saturday. Most of our customers pay by card. It (demonetisation) has not made a great difference to us, said a sales executive.



The situation was similar at stores in Mantri Square and Orion Mall. At a fashion brand store in Orion Mall, the footfall was unaffected. We are accepting cards. Few customers have new notes, said Manoj, a salesman.



Smaller shops and eateries in the mall have reported reduced business in the last three days. At a cosmetics store on the ground floor of Garuda Mall, the footfall was unusually low. Usually, customers buy individual cosmetics such as nail posh which doesnt cost much. We have few customers today as people do not have cash, said Louella, a make-up artist. The sale of accessories has suffered, too.



Sathya, the manager of a coffee shop, said that most of the customers were paying by card. Few customers have the new notes. With the weekend footfall reduced, our marketing team is exploring other ways to improve business, he said.



Siddaraju, who works at a juice shop in Garuda Mall food court, said the sale had been abysmal in the last few days but Saturday was slightly better.

DH News Service



Raitha Sangha lauds move

Karnataka Pradesha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) has welcomed the Centres move of scrapping Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. A lot of black money is invested in real estate and the government should take steps to curb this, MSK Shastry, KPRS president said in a press release.




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Smith-Njigba's dad says return for Michigan game is best-case scenario

The best-case scenario is to play against Michigan on Nov. 26. Otherwise, his return would likely be for a College Football Playoff semifinal.
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China is all set to open its link to the international trade port at Gwadar in western Pakistan on Sunday despite all objections from India and the people of Baluchistan, which is at the receiving end of environmental destruction by the Chinese constructing roads and bridges across the mountainous region. The first Chinese trade convoy of 75 containers carrying export goods arrived at Gwadar Port on Friday through the western route of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is touted as a game-changer for the entire region. Officials of the Frontier Works Organisation, a military engineering organisation, at Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, welcomed truck drivers of the first Chinese convoy moving from Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China's far west, to Gwadar, on the southwestern coast of Balochistan. The first Chinese shipments of 44 containers to the Middle East and Africa is likely to be seen off by top Chinese and Pakistani officials. China and Pakistan hope to turn Gwadar as the hub of regional trade and commerce, with the CPEC linking China to the new port by land route. A pilot ship is already docked at Gwadar Port to carry Chinese and Pakistani goods to Africa and Middle East. Gwadar port officials said loading of 300 containers will be completed on Saturday and they will depart from the port the next day for destinations in the Middle East and Africa. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $46-billon project, was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping to enhance regional connectivity, communication and cooperation. Experts believe commencement of trade at Gwadar port under CPEC will become a visible ''game changer'' for Pakistan and the entire region. While India opposes the CPEC route through the disputed regions of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and there is widespread unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan and Baluchistan over the environmentally-destructive construction work associated with the CPEC, neither China nor Pakistan seems worried over any possible impact of these threats to the CPEC. Recurring unrest in Balochistan has been a concern for Pakistan as the region is stated to become the lynchpin of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through the Gwadar port. Since 27 March 1948, when the state of Kalat was coerced into acceding to Pakistan, Balochistan has faced five waves of insurgency, with a fifth wave ongoing. China claims the $46 billion project will not only benefit China and Pakistan but will have positive impact on Iran, Afghanistan, India, Central Asian Republic, and the entire region. About $4.5 billion of the planned investment in the corridor will go towards road infrastructure, with two-thirds of the total $46 billion invested in energy projects in Pakistan, which faces perennial energy shortage.










The Breast Cancer Ball are very excited to have Dr. Risal Djohan attending this years event.

This years Breast Cancer Ball will be held in the Silver Tassie Hotel in Letterkenny on November 25th.

All monies raised at the ball are used to fund research at Breast Centre North West and to support important aspects of community care, including an outreach programme for those recovering from breast cancer.

Dr. Djohan, MD, is a plastic surgeon at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. He received his medical training at Chicago Medical School and went on to complete a residency in general surgery through Catholic Health Partners, Columbus Hospital.

Dr. Djohan also completed fellowships in burn surgery, plastic surgery and microsurgery at the University of Chicago Hospitals and an aesthetic surgery fellowship at Cleveland Clinic.

He has served as section head of Breast Surgery for the Department of Plastic Surgery with special emphasis on breast reconstruction for patients with breast cancer.

A member of Cleveland Clinic Face Transplant programme, Dr. Djohan performed the first face transplant in the United States eight years ago.

In education, Dr. Djohan serves as the current programme director for microsurgery fellowship training and past programme director for the plastic surgery residency training programme.

Dr. Djohan earned his MBA degree at Case Western University, Weatherhead School of Management, a couple of years ago. This gives him the opportunity to be involved with the hospital administration service as co-director for quality improvement officer, and his recent appointment as vice chairman for the Department of Plastic Surgery.

From a local perspective, Dr. Djohan works collaboratively with Mr. Michael Sugrue and his team at the breast unit at Letterkenny University Hospital.

While he is in Donegal, Dr Djohan will address a seminar being held at Letterkenny University Hospital on November 25th, prior to his attendance at the ball.

The Breast Cancer Ball committee look forward to extending a real Donegal welcome to Dr. Djohan and his family on the night.

Tickets for the event are selling fast.

Anyone who would like to be part of this wonderful community event is urged to act swiftly and purchase tickets to the ball at any of these Letterkenny venues: Liberty Travel, Stateside American Restaurant, Tinneys Oil or the Silver Tassie.
Ellen Hanna, nee O' Sullivan, Barr Road, Kinlough, died peacefully, after a short illness, on the 30th July in Sligo University Hospital.

Her husband Eddie and her sister Lucy were at her bedside, along with the caring hospital staff. She was a few weeks over her 76th birthday.

Ellen belongs to a farming family of six from Barracurragh, North Wexford. She is predeceased by her brother Murt, sister Margaret Weekes and James and Margaret O' Sullivan,

A highly intelligent and talented child, Ellen was a keen knitter and writer. She also developed a talent for writing and won a prize or two in the junior section of Ireland's Own. She continued to perfect these abilities and other crafts throughout her life.

At 17, Ellen took up a job as a charge hand in Inniskeen, Co Monaghan. Five years later, Ellen moved to the Dublin Postal Services. On one occasion, Ellen was confronted by robbers but she pressed the alarm bell and the raiders fled. A talented dressmaker, Ellen also turned out many an outfit for family and friends over the years.

In 1972 Ellen met Eddie, a native of Fermanagh, in Dublin. Four years later they married and went to live in London where Ellen worked in a record shop..

After five years, they returned to Ireland, where they bought a shop in Taghmon, Co. Wexford. and then, ten years later, they moved to Bray, Co. Wicklow, where Ellen worked in the office of a dental supply company. In Bray, Ellen was known for her beautiful tapestries and her devotion to parish work .

Ellen and Eddie moved to Kinglough on their retirement in 2006. Ellen made many friends in the local ICA, writers groups, dancing and Irish language classes. She was also the family genealogist. Ellen also compiled a list of all those buried in the old graveyard in Kinlough. This record can be seen online at cemetery inscriptions kinlough.net.

Ellen's strong faith, kindness, generosity and helpfulness were just some of her outstanding qualities.

After she fell ill in June, staff at Sligo and Beaumont hosptals did everything they could but it was not to be.

Ellen is sadly missed by her loving husband Eddie, sisters Anne Doyle, Betty McCarthy, Sr Lucy O' Sullivan, Dilly O' Sullivan and extended circle of family and friends. May she rest in peace.
Margaret Scott, Raphoe



The death has occurred at Letterkenny University Hospital of Margaret Scott (nee Beattie) McBride Street, Raphoe.



Reposing at her family home.



Funeral on Sunday, November 13, at 2pm for service in St Eunan's Cathedral, Raphoe and burial afterwards in the family plot.



Family flowers only. Donations, if desired, to Friends of Letterkenny Hospital care of Gibson Funeral Directors, Convoy.



Jimmy Sweeney, Falcarragh



The death has occurred of Jimmy Sweeney late of Carrowcannon, Falcarragh.



Removal on Saturday evening, November 12, to St. Finians Church, Falcarragh for Mass at 7pm.



Funeral Mass on Sunday, November 13, at 11am with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. House private from 11pm till 10am.



Family flowers only, donations, if desired, to the Donegal Hospice.

Robert McConnell, Mountcharles



The death has occurred of Robert McConnell, late of Buncronnan, Mountcharles.



Removal took place from Aras Mhic Shuibhne Nursing Home, Mullinasole, Laghey last evening at to St. Johns Church, Inver.



Funeral Service on Sunday at 2.30pm with burial afterwards in the adjoining churchyard.



Elisabeth Mary Gillespie, Ramelton



The death has occurred at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast of Elisabeth Mary Gillespie, (nee Doogan) late of 2 Merchants Way, Ramelton.



Remains will repose at her home from 12 noon today Saturday, November 12th. Removal from there at 9am on Monday 14th Nov., going to St. Mary's Church, Annaduff, Co. Leitrim for 12.30pm Funeral Mass with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.



Dinny Bonner, Burtonport



The death has occurred at Dungloe District Hospital of Dinny Bonner, late of Belcruit, Burtonport.



Reposing this evening, Saturday, November 12, at late residence from 5pm.



Funeral Mass on Monday, November 14, at 11am in St Marys Church, Kincasslagh, followed by burial in Belcruit Cemetery. House private please from 10pm to 10am.



Family flowers only. Donations in lieu, if desired, to The Dungloe Patients Comfort Fund c/o Shaun McGlynn Funeral Director.

* If you wish to have a death notice included, please e-mail: editorial@donegaldemocrat.com and include a contact telephone number for verification.
He has been cited by Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed on radio, TV and in social media.





Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.





Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications.



A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.



He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.









Cirucci's passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel. In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, Matt Rooney's sidekick on Save Jersey's videocasts and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.
The inventor of the modern submarine, John Philip Holland - a teacher who taught in the CBS here in Dundalk - was born in Liscannor in Co. Clare in 1841 into very poor/modest circumstances.

He is the subject of a new documentary set to be aired by TG4 later this month.

The documentary looks back at the life of a unique and influential Irishman, who's invention ultimately changed the war modern war is waged and thus, history itself.

Holland's father was a coastguard, originally from Cork, and Holland's ambition was to follow his father, and live a life at sea, but because of his poor eye-sight, he was unable to pursue this as a career.

Holland spoke in later life of his early interest in the sea, and his fascination with sea creatures like the porpoise and sea birds, and the manner in which they could move under and over water with ease.

Holland received a Christian Brothers education, the only one available to poor children like himself at that time. He later became a teaching Brother with the CBS himself, and spent time teaching in Cork, Armagh, Drogheda and Dundalk. Teaching allowed Holland to build on his interest in science and technology, particularly when working alongside Br. Dominick Burke in the CBS in Cork City  a scientist with an international reputation, and the founder of vocational teaching in Ireland.

Holland first thought of submarines, and underwater travel, when he read a newspaper account of an American sea battle featuring two ironclad ships in 1862. Holland realised that the more powerful navies of the world could be countered in the future by a vessel that could attack from underwater. He felt that a vessel of this sort also had the potential to make naval warfare redundant, and give smaller nations an opportunity to defend themselves.

Holland's first submarine designs were jotted down in the late 1860s, pre-dating Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (written in 1870)  in other words, when underwater travel was a fantasy, or considered as science fiction.

Holland resigned as a teaching brother, as his superiors were unsure if his character was suited to teaching  he was well loved by his students, and was a very talented maths and music teacher, but didn't like the discipline associated with teaching at that time, and often suffered from a stress related illness.

Holland emigrated to the US in 1873. Shortly after arriving, he slipped and fell, and was laid up with a broken leg and concussion. He returned to his submarine plans, and felt that a serious effort should be made to properly test them.

In 1875, Holland presented his plans to the US Navy, and while they found them interesting, they dismissed them as unrealistic.

Holland's brother Michael was involved with the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a revolutionary organisation with a large membership in the US. Michael introduced Holland to Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa, and to John Devoy, and was invited to present his plans to the IRB.

The IRB agreed to fund the development of Holland's first submarine. Holland was now based in Paterson, New Jersey, which was the heart of industrial America, and had plenty of engineering and metalworking companies that could develop Holland's prototype. Known as the Holland I, it was personally tested on the Passiac River by Holland in 1878-79, and the results were sufficiently positive to persuade the IRB to invest in a bigger submarine.

The Holland II became better known as 'The Fenian Ram' due to significant press interest in its very public tests in New York in the early 1880s. The press wrongly assumed that the underwater vessel would ram ships below the water line, whereas Holland, who was happy to allow this misconception to continue, was building a vessel that could fire torpedoes. The Holland II was a huge advance in terms of submarine design  it formed the basis of much of future submarine principles in terms of safety and stability, and in terms of the distinctive shape of his hull, designed to mimic the movement of porpoises he had watched as a child in Co. Clare.

The IRB, encouraged by agents and informers in some cases, fell out over the cost associated with the Fenian Ram. Around $40-60,000 was invested in the project, and while Holland delivered a fully functioning submarine, the IRB wanted a fully functioning weapon of war, and a quicker return on their investment.

John Devoy was worried that the Fenian Ram would be seized by his political opponents, so he arranged for it to towed to another state  but did this without informing Holland. Holland's latest design, the Holland III, was lost on this journey, and the Fenian Ram was placed in storage in Connecticut. It lay there until 1916, when it was put on display at an Irish Bazaar in New York designed to help raise money for the victims of the Easter Rising of that year.

Holland washed his hands of the IRB, and took a lowly position designing dredging equipment.

In the mid to late 1880s, the US Navy announced that they were creating a competition for a submarine design. Holland entered and won, but the winning design wasn't commissioned immediately. After a further two competitions, Holland eventually won a contract to build a submarine for the US Navy in the mid 1890s. He entered an arrangement with financial backers, and formed the John Philip Holland Torpedo Company.

Holland found it difficult to work with the US Navy. They looked down on him, they dismissed his design as the work of an enthusiastic amateur, and they kept insisting on what Holland regarded as dangerous modifications to the winning design. Holland took a huge risk, and with the support of his financial backers, he decided to build a submarine of his own, without interference from the Navy, confident that this would be a success.

Holland tested his Holland VI in front of the US Navy in 1898-99, and was able to convince them of its merits. The Holland VI was bought by the US Navy, and became the USS Holland, their first commissioned submarine, in 1901. The Holland VI is recognised today as the first fully functioning modern submarine, and Holland is affectionately regarded as the Father of the Modern Submarine as a result.

The US Navy contracted Holland to build additional submarines, under the supervision of a new entity called the Electric Boat Company (ECB). This was set up in 1899, and in exchange for a substantial salary, and a position on the board, Holland signed over the rights to his submarine patents to the company.

The Holland submarines sold internationally, and the ECB obtained contracts to build the first submarine fleets for the US, British, Russian, Japanese and Dutch Navies. The irony of Holland designing British submarines is sometimes remarked upon, but it seems clear that Holland had no active role in selling submarines, and the ECB was happy to sell them to anyone.

Holland continued to improve his designs, and cautioned the ECB about a number of flaws in the Holland submarine. Holland's advice was ignored, and he became increasingly sidelined by the company. Following a number of accidents, involving several fatalities, Holland felt compelled to resign from the ECB.

Holland thought he could begin to design his own submarines independently of the ECB, but they took a court case against him, preventing him from working on submarine designs elsewhere. This period, around 1905-06 marked the end of Holland's role as a designer and inventor of submarines. He was also in his mid 60s at this point, and was often quite ill.

Holland died in August 1914, in Paterson New Jersey.

He died just as WWI was beginning, and just as submarines were used as a significant weapon of war for the first time. In September 1914 a German U-Boat attacked and sank three British ships in the space of an hour, killing 1500 sailors. The following May, a second German U-Boat sank the Lusitania, and precipitated US involvement in WWI.

Holland was clear that he felt that submarines would act as a deterrent, and would help prevent naval warfare by providing weaker nations with a way of countering the navies of the more powerful nations. Holland also felt that submarines would play a valuable role in underwater research, and in actions such as recovering lost ships. In one way his vision was realised much later on. When nuclear submarines were developed in the 1950s, they returned to Holland's distinctive hull design, and were explicitly required to act as a deterrent - a vessel that could stay hidden for months on end if required, and that represented a genuine threat to a belligerent power.

John Philip Holland: the inventor of the modern submarine, is to be aired on TG4 on Tuesday 22nd November 2016, 9.30pm
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The last few days have been incredibly hard for many of us. Ive been walking around in a fog; nothing about the world makes sense. One of the only things thats made me feel any better since Tuesday night was spending time with my students, who are uncommonly caring, sensitive, bright, and passionate future music educators. Our conversations have been positive, encouraging, and reaffirming. I feel much more secure in the knowledge that when these folks are in charge in a few years things are going to be much better.

But then I flip on the TV or radio and I hear his name, and the words President-elect, and all of those dark feelings come flooding backand I shake my head, and feel that now-familiar knot in my stomach tighten and twist, and I wonder just how we are going to get through the next 4 years.

But you know who might be more worried about Trump taking up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. than you or me?

Donald J. Trump, thats who.

Think about it. This is a guy who has never truly held a real joba job working for a company that he or his father didnt own. You know, a job with a boss, or supervisors, or colleagues to whom you feel responsible, or customers, or students, that you are supposed to serve. Or suppliers who are expecting a certain level of professionalism or quality, or children who are expecting to be taught math or reading or science, or end users who will hold you accountable if said products or services are substandard, or delivered late, or not at all.

No, Mr. Trumps professional journey started out at the top, as CEO of the Trump Organization. Staked to a small loan of $1 million from his father, Donald never had to worry about developing collegial relationships with his co-workers, climbing his way up the corporate ladder, demonstrating his ability to be a productive team member, angling for that big promotion, or negotiating for a raise.

Donald Trump has never had to worry about an annual performance review from a supervisor determining his yearly salary or raise, or had his sales numbers critiqued by someone from a corporate office located 3 states away. Hes never had an assistant principal conduct a walk-through observation of his worst class with no advance notice, or had his teaching evaluated by a group of 7th graders who dont like homework, or writing, or math, or school.

Mr. Trump began his career as the boss, fired those with whom he disagreed, or who challenged him, and surrounded himself only with family members and sycophants who stroked his enormous ego and stoked his need for constant praise and adulation. We witnessed the result of this peculiar path in his performance on The Apprentice, where he mocked, taunted, teased, and humiliated a rotating cast of D list celebrities who, in their eagerness to resuscitate their floundering careers, were willing to grovel and prostitute themselves for Trumps amusement and approval. Its where we first saw Mr. Trumps signature management technique come to light: YOURE FIRED!

We can now see the results of Trumps stunted personality and leadership style in the way that he responds to criticism, with barely concealed rage, or scorn, or condescension. His childish antics and tantrums were on full display in this election seasons series of debates, first with the clown car of Republican candidateswhere he was able to huff and puff his way to victoryand then in the general election against a well-prepared, intelligent, and experienced opponentwhere his infantile antics exposed him for the petulant bully that he is: WRONG!, YOURE THE PUPPET!

Now, for the first time in his 70 years, Donalds got a real job. A job where hell be expected to show up every day, on time and ready to go on Day 1. A job where hell be expected to prepare and devote himself to deep and comprehensive study of arcane and detailed policies. A job where his every move and decision will be subject to withering public scrutiny and examination from both his allies and his opponents. A job where his actions will affect millions of persons around the globe, and not just his own bottom line. A job where instead of being The Boss, hes got 320 million bosses.

At his meeting with President Obama at the White House yesterday, you could see this realization starting to dawn in Trumps eyes. Hes just now beginning to understand what hes got himself in to. Trump is now making the pivot from campaigning to seeing himself in the job, and the daunting reality of that job is becoming clear.

Its not about being cheered at rallies, or basking in the adoration of throngs of fervent supporters. Its about enduring boring meetings discussing the minutiae of policy issues, and negotiating trade pacts with foreign countries. Its about being ready when the red phone on his desk rings at 3am, and not responding with a Tweet.

Trump is starting to realize that more than half of this nation isnt going to agree with him on a pretty regular basis, and those disagreements are going to be loud and public. This is going to be tough for a guy who demands unquestioning fealty and obediencea person whose closest confidantes and employees somewhat creepily refer to him as Mr. Trump. Hes not accustomed to anyone questioning him, or having the temerity to challenge him or his decisionshe expects blind allegiance and unconditional loyalty.

The President, for better or worse, is our countrys designated punching bag, and the populaces prime target for anger, frustration, and fear. Good Presidents understand this dynamic, and grow a thick enough skin to weather the inevitable storms of public fury. Excellent Presidents (see: Obama, B.) absorb the nations fears, and respond with calm determination.

Its anyones guess as to how Donald Trump will respond to the inevitable pressures that are coming his way. Perhaps he will grow into the job, and discover untapped reserves of composure and steadiness deep within his being. Perhaps not.

Often, a persons future behaviors can be predicted based upon their past motivations. So, what do we know about the motivations of the two most recent candidates for President?

He ran to win.

She ran to serve.

Hang on kidsits likely to be a bumpy ride.

[CC image credit: Michael Vadon | Flickr]
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Bayer will no longer sell glyphosate-containing products to U.S. home gardeners, the company announced on Thursday.

The move comes as the company currently faces around 30,000 legal claims from customers who believe use of these products  including the flagship Roundup  caused them to develop cancer, as AgWeb reported.

Bayers decision to end U.S. residential sale of Roundup is a historic victory for public health and the environment, Center for Food Safety executive director Andrew Kimbrell said in a statement. As agricultural, large-scale use of this toxic pesticide continues, our farmworkers remain at risk. Its time for EPA to act and ban glyphosate for all uses.

The antithesis of eco-friendly lawn care, Glyphosate is a controversial ingredient because it has been linked to the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as Cure noted. The World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer declared that it was probably carcinogenic to humans, in 2015. While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under former President Donald Trump ruled that the chemical did not pose any risk to human health, the Biden Administration later admitted that the review was flawed and needed to be redone, as Common Dreams reported. Still, it refused to take it off the market in the meantime.

Bayers decision comes in response to the many lawsuits related to glyphosate that it inherited when it acquired Monsanto in 2018. Juries sided with the plaintiffs in three highly-watched trials before Bayer settled around 95,000 cases in 2020 to the tune of $10 billion. That settlement, which was one of the largest in U.S. history, allowed Bayer to continue to sell Roundup without any warnings. However, the company still faces further litigation, and said it decided to pull the product from residential use in order to prevent more. More than 90 percent of recent claims come from the residential home and garden market, AgWeb reported.

This move is being made exclusively to manage litigation risk and not because of any safety concerns, the company said when it announced its decision.

The products will be replaced with different active ingredients beginning in 2023, following reviews by the EPA and state regulatory bodies. January 2023 was the earliest the change could reasonably be implemented, Bayer Crop Science Division president Liam Condon told AgWeb.

This is from a regulatory and logistical point of view (of whats) possible, Condon said during a conference call with investors, as AgWeb reported.

For an expert review of companies that use environmentally friendly lawn care practices, be sure to check out our lawn care companies guide.
On election night, as the electoral map turned increasingly red, a swarm of Americans frantically searched the Internet for ways to flee Donald Trumps future presidential reign. So many of us visited Canadas immigration site that it actually crashed. At the same time, the Guardian reported that the number of hits on New Zealands immigration website also dramatically jumped from its daily average of 2,300 visits to 56,300 in a 24 hour period. While we love our neighbors to the North, here are some reasons why you might want to get much further away.

[instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BMQd7CqD72s/?taken-by=purenewzealand&hl=en expand=1]

1. Smart, respected people are also considering citizenship.

Before Trump was elected, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told the New York Times that she and her husband were looking to join New Zealands tiny population of 4.4 million people should the former Apprentice host win the highest office in the land.

Now its time for us to move to New Zealand, she said.

Richard Dawkins, also submitted a (joke?) letter to New Zealand. The English biologist, who went through a similar populist shake-up with Brexit earlier this year, wrote that New Zealand could be the Athens of the modern world if it decided to offer citizenship to the top minds in the U.S. and the UK.

He wrote via Scientific American:

There are top scientists in America and Britaintalented, creative people, desperate to escape the redneck bigotry of their home countries. Dear New Zealand, you are a deeply civilized small nation, with a low population in a pair of beautiful, spacious islands. You care about climate change, the future of the planet and other scientifically important issues. Why not write to all the Nobel Prize winners in Britain and America, write to the Fields medalists, Kyoto and Crafoord Prize and International Cosmos Prize winners, the Fellows of the Royal Society, the elite scientists in the National Academy of Sciences, the Fellows of the British Academy and similar bodies in America. Offer them citizenship. The contribution that creative intellectuals can make to the prosperity and cultural life of a nation is out of all proportion to their numbers. You could make New Zealand the Athens of the modern world.

2. Kiwi politicians care about climate change, unlike Trump who thinks global warming is a hoax created by the Chinese.

Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer said in an interview with Newstalk ZB that climate change is his biggest worry about a Trump presidency.

The Paris Agreement, if that doesnt work  well have a revival of the petrochemical and fossil fuels industry, and that spells disaster for stopping climate change, he said.

Metiria Turei, a New Zealand member of parliament and the co-leader of the Green party of Aotearoa, explained why she refused to congratulate Trump on his election win, a customary practice for the lawmakers.

Donald Trump will almost certainly never hear about what I said in parliament yesterday or, for that matter, give a flying toss. In that sense, our position may seem futile, she wrote for the Guardian. However, it is unconscionable that the Green party of Aotearoa New Zealandwhich has a proud record of promoting tolerance, inclusiveness and peacewould send our best wishes to a man who has spouted misogynistic, racist, xenophobic and climate change-denying views.

Fun fact about New Zealand. In 2006, the countrys highest positions were all held by women: the Queen, the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Justice.

Watch Tureis speech here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eglLOfD0G0M&feature=youtu.be

Even New Zealands Dominion Post newspaper thinks Trumps win is bananas.

Our front page today. pic.twitter.com/YGEMxfy5Tw  The Dominion Post (@DomPost) November 9, 2016

3. Just look at it.

This is the land of The Shire, after all. New Zealands official tourism Instagram is so unbelievably beautiful that I couldnt decide which photo to post so I chose several.

[instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BLp_XmSh7Vk/?taken-by=purenewzealand&hl=en expand=1][instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BKH9ydKDiV8/?taken-by=purenewzealand&hl=en[instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BImXSi0jcJA/?taken-by=purenewzealand&hl=en

4. People really respect their land.

New Zealand weather and climate is of paramount importance to the people of New Zealand, as many New Zealanders make their living from the land, says the tourism website. New Zealand experiences relatively little air pollution compared to many other countries, which makes the UV rays in our sunlight very strong during the summer months. In order to avoid sunburn, visitors should wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats when they are in direct summer sunlight, especially in the heat of the day (11 am  4 pm).

New Zealands total primary energy supply comes mostly from renewables. In 2013, a total of 75 percent of electricity generation came from renewable sources, mostly geothermal. The country also doesnt have any nuclear power stations. Meanwhile, Trumps drill, baby, drill platform caused a surge in fossil fuel stocks.

Trump Wins, Renewable Energy Investments Lose and Dirty Energy Stocks Surge https://t.co/Znp7VxlB7X @BusinessGreen @Ethical_Corp  EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) November 10, 2016

5. Theres plenty of space for us.

According to a Buzzfeed post, only 5 percent of New Zealands population is human, with the rest being animals. That sounds pretty wild but even the government calculated theres a sheep-to-person ratio of six to one.

Following the election, New Zealand film director Taika Waitit sarcastically tweeted:

Dont even think about moving to New Zealand. You shat the bed, now you have to deal with the mess, since America is worth fighting for.

I, of course, agree. However, his later tweet that the country has nothing but nature and beer is only rubbing it in.
Things seem to be progressing pretty quickly between Prince Harry and girlfriend Meghan Markle.

Meghan was spotted around London yesterday, and after shopping in Whole Foods, headed to Harry's home in Kensington Palace, Nottingham Cottage.

She was carrying two bulging bags of groceries, potentially for a romantic night in with the prince.

Meghan is taking time off from filming Suits, and has been spotted in London since the break in filming. Naturally, speculators assume that it's because she wants to spend more time with Prince Harry.

Despite Harry voicing his concern over Meghan's safety, Meghan was spotted alone in Whole Foods yesterday. She was dressed down, wearing a jacket, leggings and wellies -- in short, prepared for the London winter. She also had a red poppy pinned to her lapel.

With the Queen and Prince Philip in town over the next few days, maybe Harry will be taking the opportunity to introduce his girlfriend to the fam.
Gwyneth Paltrow reportedly dumped her current boyfriend, Brad Falchuk to re-couple with ex-husband Chris Martin.

Since their breakup in 2014, Paltrow and Chris have remained friends and have been in several occasions and vacation getaways as part of their co-parenting agreement. But would it be possible for the ex-couple who stayed together for ten years to realize they can still fix their relationship?

The reports came up this week as a source from Radar Online claimed that things "fizzled out" between the GOOP entrepreneur and the Glee producer. The outlet mentioned that the real reason behind their failed relationship is Falchuk's decision not to divorce with his ex-wife.

Tension heightened when the producer did not attend the actress' Mexican birthday vacation in September. Media sources have not seen them together for quite a while now which may signal that their relationship is facing deep trouble.

This made the 44-year old actress changed her mind and made her want Martin again recalling that they used to have "a sizzling chemistry when they first got together."

These rumors, however, should be taken with a grain of salt as involved parties had not confirmed its validity. Also, Gossip Cop debunks the reports saying they are "complete nonsense" and has no truth in it.

The news site particularly pointed out the falsity of rumors saying that the award-winning actress "regrets pulling the plug" in her relationship with Chris.

Meanwhile, the Iron Man actress has been invited as one of the guests of the premiere night for the extra exaggerated comedy, Nightcap.

She will be joining other celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker and Michael J. Fox together with the show's regular cast members in the show.

Explaining in an interview with People, Ali Wenthworth said that the comedy show will feature a fictitious talk show named Nightcap with Jimmy wherein fans can see the guest celebs perform the exaggerated, hilarious versions of themselves.

She went on saying that working with their guest celebs has been "fun" considering the "crazy stuff" that the guests will do in the show.
Indian environmentalism, faced by aggressive developmentalism, is in retreat even as people, baked by the heat wave of the summer of 2016, confronted with serious water scarcities, are becoming ever more acutely aware of the environmental crisis. We still have fresh memories of the Alakananda floods of June 2013, and the Chennai floods of December 2015, both caused by development gone haywire. At the same time, we see growing social violence all around us, violence linked to struggles over natural resources. For instance, a staunch anti-quarry activist, Anoop Vellolippil, died in stone pelting by goondas in Kozhikode district of Kerala, while in a peaceful demonstration,1 and the endemic Naxalism that is fuelled by injustices against tribal peoples in the forests of mineral-rich central India (Saxena et al 2010).

Pro- and Anti-people
"Oklahoma now hopes to be able to use nitrogen asphyxiation."

Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump's upset presidential election win has dominated global headlines, but for those against capital punishment, Election Day offered other surprise: three states voted to reinstate or otherwise support the death penalty.





The measures voted through in Oklahoma, Nebraska and California via referendum are not expected to spark a sharp rise in the number of executions, but activists say they are a step in the wrong direction.





"Those states have chosen a failed, broken policy when they had the chance to move towards a new dawn," said Shari Silberstein, director of the advocacy group Equal Justice USA.





"The death penalty's demise is inevitable. We have a long list of evidence why that's true," she added.





In 2016, the United States is on course for its lowest number of executions since 1991.





This comes as post-conviction appeals in capital cases tend to become more and more frequent than in other cases, increasing the time and cost before an execution can actually be carried out.





There is also a shortage of the chemicals needed for lethal injections because pharmaceutical firms, mainly those located in Europe where the death penalty has been abolished, refuse to supply them.





The death penalty was not a major issue in the presidential campaign, as neither Trump nor Hillary Clinton oppose it. But in three states of varying political stripes, voters chose to back it.





Nitrogen gas





In Oklahoma, the death penalty was legal, but it faced mounting challenges in court over the lethal injection materials used, with lawyers for inmates charging that they cause undue suffering -- a violation of the Eighth Amendment, which bans "cruel and unusual punishment."





Besides voting 65 percent in favor of Trump, voters in this conservative Midwestern state made clear they are tired of executions being delayed.





They voted two to one for a measure enshrining the death penalty in the state constitution -- a clause designed to counter possible judicial appeals from defense lawyers of death row inmates.





The new law in Oklahoma also allows the authorities to choose "any method of execution not prohibited by the United States Constitution."





Authorities in Oklahoma now hope to be able to use nitrogen asphyxiation.





Ban lifted





Nebraska, a bit further to the north and also strongly Republican, reinstated the death penalty by a vote of 61 percent in favor. The referendum rescinds a law banning the death penalty that the state legislature passed last year.





But this Great Plains state, where the last execution was carried out in 1997, will likely run into a shortage of lethal chemicals. This problem affects nearly all of the 31 US states that allow the death penalty.





"Nebraska has no avenue to purchase killing drugs and has no execution process in place. There will be no executions there any time soon," said Helen Prejean, a nun whose work fighting the death penalty was immortalized in the Oscar-winning film "Dead Man Walking."





Prejean urged those against capital punishment not to be discouraged by the Election Day setbacks, the third of which came in California, where voters faced a radical choice.





Californians had to vote on two contradictory measures. One aimed to ban capital punishment; that was rejected by 54 percent of voters. The other aimed to speed up the procedure and limit prospects for appeal; it passed.





California has not executed anyone for a decade, but it has the most crowded death row of any US state, at 741 inmates.





Executions are now on hold in the Golden State because of lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the lethal injection method.





Experts expect longer delays in carrying out executions.





Elsewhere, in Georgia, authorities announced Thursday that Steven Frederick Spears, convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 2007, would be put to death next week.





If the execution goes ahead, the southern state will have carried out six executions this year -- a record since the Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment four decades ago.

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Source: Agence France-Presse, Sebastien Blanc, November 11, 2016
Do the disciplinary reservoirs of knowledge, as we know of these in India today, facilitate an assessment of global trends and the way these affect not just us, but the entire world? This is the question this article deals with. Globalisation implies that we need not be constrained in our empirical investigations by the borders and manmade boundaries of a nation states territory. Rather we need and should examine empirical trends (both casual and consequential) that concern itself with a comparative analysis across, within, and criss-crossing these borders. As a consequence, we should ideally be able to assess all existing and potential group formations, intersecting local, regional, and global spaces. Does our legacy of doing sociology in India have the intellectual resources to frame such theories and practices? Or has this legacy restricted such ways of doing comparative global social science?

The article links three sets of arguments, which are presented in four different sections. First, I outline the current discussions on Eurocentric Orientalism, which argue that the binaries of universal and particular have framed social science knowledge about the West against the East. Using this template, I trace how this episteme organised the discipline of anthropology, the first subject that found institutionalised articulation in India in the late 19th century. Anthropology studied traditions, the institutions of religion, caste, and family and kinship, and these became the organising structure of the discipline of sociology when it made its presence felt in the early 20th century. In the next section, I indicate how nationalism confronted this colonial episteme, arguing that the new perspective called methodological nationalism reproduced many of the tenets of colonialism in various forms and practices within sociological traditions in India. I wrap up by mentioning some of the efforts being undertaken since the 1970s to displace the social sciences from its colonial episteme, such as the journey undertaken by feminist perspectives.
My biggest piece of advice is to constantly evolve and reinvent yourself. In a world of scale, measurability and impact, we have to be innovative and constantly upskill ourselves to remain relevant and marketable in the changing global and digital economy. Valeisha Butterfield Jones

Valeisha Butterfield Jones is the Global Head of Women & Black Community Engagement at Google, where she is responsible for driving systematic and measurable change to create an inclusive work culture. She also focuses on enhancing equal opportunities at the company for women and African Americans. In addition to her work at Google, Butterfield Jones is the co-founder and CEO of the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN), a non-profit that provides leadership development and career placement programs while striving to promote positive images of women in society.

An award-winning activist and executive, Butterfield Jones formerly served as the National Youth Vote Director for President Obamas 2012 reelection campaign, in the Obama administration as the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the International Trade Administration, as the Executive Director of Russell Simmons RUSH Communications, and as the National Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Alzheimers Association. She started her career as the Executive Assistant to the President of HBO Sports after graduating from Clark Atlanta University in 2000.

Butterfield Jones has been recognized by Forbes Magazine, Elle Magazines Top 10 Women to Watch, Essence Magazines Top 40 under 40, Ebony Magazines Power 100, TheRoot100, and Glamour Magazine, among others. She is the author of The Girlprint, a career mentorship guide for young women.
A big Hollywood release this week is Arrival with Amy Banks as a linguist seeking to establish peaceful contact with visiting aliens. It looks terrific, and made me think too of Tom Wolfes amusing sendup of Noam Chomsky and his visiting Martian. Whats the visiting Martian? From Wolfes The Kingdom of Speech:

There were six thousand or seven thousand languages in the world, which made people believe that language was a babbling Babel of biblical proportions. That was where Chomskys soon-to-be-ubiquitous Martian linguist came in. To a visiting Martian linguists ear, Chomsky said often, often, often, all earthlings spoke the same languagewith merely minor local variationssince every language had the same biological template. And the Martian paid us a visit almost every time Chomsky gave a talk on language. Chomsky made it clear he was elevating linguistics to the altitude of Platos  and the Martians  transcendent eternal universals. They, not sacks full of facts and lots of little languages, were the ultimate reality, the only true objects of knowledge. Besides, he didnt enjoy the outdoors, where the field was, and he know only one language, English.

Wolfe disputes Chomsky, of course, on the question of whether language is biological and therefore the product of Darwinian forces. Wolfe thinks not and argues persuasively.

I draw no conclusion from this, but only offer the observation that Arrival seems interestingly to want to test out the question, in fictional form. Science Magazine has an article with reactions from linguists, who are feeling pleased to see their field receiving heroic treatment:

The film follows linguistics professor Louise Banks, played by Amy Adams, after a series of mysterious alien spacecraft suddenly appear in Earths skies. While the world reacts with confusion and fear to the extraterrestrial visitors, Banks is recruited by the U.S. military to make contact with the aliens  large, seven-limbed heptapods  and make sense of their bizarre language, the written version of which constructs entire sentences as impossibly complex circles without a set word order. As it becomes increasingly clear just how different the heptapods are from humans, its up to Banks to understand what theyre trying to tell us  and to possibly save humanity in the process. The films attention to linguistic detail, thanks in part to scientific advisers including linguist Jessica Coon of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, has had many in the field watching Arrivals arrival with a close eye. A popular linguistics blog has already taken an in-depth look at the contents of Bankss on-set office, and linguists have started to share their thoughts after attending advanced screenings of the film. So far, the verdict has been mostly positive. The linguistics was very good, says David Adger, a linguist at Queen Mary University of London who specializes in syntax, the rules that govern sentence structure. The portrayal of trying different hypotheses about the language, coming up with generalizations, and testing them out was spot on. It gave a good sense of the excitement of fieldwork on a new language, as well as of some of the frustrations.

The linguistics blog they mention has still photos from the film showing Louises office, with Chomsky books and a framed photo of Chomsky. A reader asks, Will the movie reveal the answer we really all want to know? What *will* a Martian scientist think of human languages? Also this:

Eric Heisserer, the screenwriter and co-producer of Arrival, chimes in to tell us that despite all the Chomskyana in Dr. Bankss office, Dan Everett is her favorite!

Everett is the linguist who in Wolfes telling has blown up Chomskys theory of language and opened up the field to other, non-evolutionary understandings. Im not going to take any position on the bitter feud between Everett and Chomskys followers. But if you havent read Wolfes delightful and brief book, you must. Its a pleasure and drives Darwinists mad.

Im on Twitter. Follow me @d_klinghoffer.
Where next for the OIL/USD in latest short, medium and long-term commodity predictions and forecasts?

The price of oil in US dollars today: 43.295.

The price of oil in British pounds today: 31.65930.

The price of oil in euros today: 40.263.

"Post the election the market re-focussed attention on OPECs task in reaching an agreement to cut production" note Westpac in a brief today. "OPEC has still failed to agree on baseline production volumes from which to apply a cut."

"With news OPEC is producing over 34 mbpd their job has become even harder. The original proposal to cut between 250-750kbpd from August production levels to 32.5-33mbpd must now be a cut of 1.0-1.5 mbpd. OPEC is aware it must come to an agreement."

"Saudi Arabia looks like it will bear the brunt of the cuts but has most to gain."

"The stakes are high: a deal of this nature could possibly see the oil price head back towards $60/bbl but a failure could just as easily see prices head towards the low $30s/bbl."

The International Energy Agency has said in its report that the oil market is at a risk of supply growth in 2017, as the non-OPEC producers Brazil, Canada, Kazakhstan and Russia are on course to increase output by 500,000 barrels a day next year.

In order to support prices and balance the supply glut, OPEC will not only have to strike a deal, they will have to agree on significant supply cuts.

If no agreement is reached and some individual members continue to expand their production then the market will remain in surplus throughout the year, said the IEA, which advises consuming nations on energy policy. If the supply surplus persists in 2017, there must be some risk of prices falling back, reports Bloomberg.

But OPEC is facing a crisis of its own.

The sharp drop in oil prices from above $100 a barrel in 2014 to the current $45 a barrel has put severe constraints on the nations heavily dependent on oil for their revenue.

The oil producers are, therefore, pumping at record levels to narrow the revenue shortfall. In such an environment, it is difficult to reach an agreement where OPEC members will agree to freeze or cut production.

While the meeting is less than 20-days away, OPEC nations continue to pump at record levels. Major producers like Iran and Iraq want to be exempted from the deal.

The whole onus of a production cut will fall on Saudi Arabia, which is unlikely to oblige, as it is fighting its own battle at home with reduced revenues.

Its foreign exchange reserves are depleting and it has resorted to various measures to try and increase non-oil revenue.

Prices could fall to $40 or perhaps a little bit lower, especially in the absence of a deal by OPEC, Abhishek Deshpande, an analyst at Natixis SA, said in a Bloomberg Television interview.

OPEC Report on Crude Oil Price Movements

"The OPEC Reference Basket (ORB) improved substantially in October, rising by almost 12% to $47.87/b, its highest monthly average in 15 months" note OPEC in their November 2016 OIl Market Report.

"Alongside the oil complex, the ORB rose compared to the previous month after an OPEC agreement was reached in Algiers that seeks to bring forward market balance.

"However, year-to-date (y-t-d), the ORB value was about 24% lower at $39.45/b."

"Crude oil futures prices also increased, trading at a 12-month-high, as the market reacted to the Algiers Accord. Declining inventory levels also supported the market. Nevertheless, prices came under pressure from a double-digit rise in the US oil rig count and a strengthening of the US dollar."

"Prices have also stalled as investors have taken profits and await more news on fundamental supply and demand."

"ICE Brent ended up $4.15 to average $51.39/b in October, but was around 21% lower y-t-d. NYMEX WTI surged $4.71 to average $49.94/b last month, but was down about 16% y-t-d."

Source: OPEC
Trump could have a serious impact on the death penalty if he wanted to. Here's how.





Over the past several decades, President-elect Donald Trump has proved malleable on a wide array of policy - from Iraq and abortion, to marriage equality and immigration.





But he has been steadfast in his support for the death penalty.





Back in 1989, Trump paid for a full-page ad calling for the reinstatement of New York's death penalty to be used on 5 young black men after a grisly and violent rape in Central Park. Even after the 5 men were exonerated and another man confessed to the crime, Trump expressed skepticism that the men were actually innocent, as recently as this fall. More broadly, Trump continued to advocate for the death penalty in the time since 1989.





Now that Trump will become president, he will have a chance to revitalize the death penalty. Here's how he could do it.





The Supreme Court





Trump's most obvious effect on the death penalty will be through the US Supreme Court. The prospect of the court ruling the death penalty unconstitutional in the near future was already a longshot. Now, abolition would dependent on support from all 4 more liberal justices and Justice Anthony Kennedy - with no likelihood of getting a supportive 6th possible vote over the next 4 years.





In practice, the high court's actual interaction with the death penalty is much more mundane than a hypothetical sweeping ruling on its constitutionality. The court deals with questions about how the death penalty is carried out: from decisions about who is even eligible for the death penalty to issues with trial procedure and sentencing rules to challenges to the methods of execution.





These are the questions that, absent outright abolition, have a massive effect on how the death penalty works in practice. Another conservative vote (or more) could have a lasting effect. This is particularly true when it comes to challenges relating to sentencing law. Justice Antonin Scalia had been a leader on the court in advancing a resurgent jury trial right, which - in one of his last votes - was solidly, and broadly, applied to provide the protection of a jury vote not just for guilt but also as to the sentencing part of a death penalty trial. Whether that area of law continues to advance - as criminal defense lawyers hope - could change dramatically depending on Trump's nominee or nominees to the court.





Reinvigorating The Federal Death Penalty





A Trump administration - from Trump and his attorney general on down - likely will be more supportive of the death penalty across the board.





The federal death penalty exists, but is extremely rare currently. There are only 64 people on federal death row, and there's hasn't been a serious prospect of them being executed in years. There have only been 3 federal executions in the modern era.





Obama has called the death penalty "deeply troubling" and his former Attorney General, Eric Holder, was an outspoken critic of it. His current attorney general, Loretta Lynch, still has not announced findings of a review of the death penalty that was begun during Holder's tenure. Needless to say, the outcome of the review - even if it comes before the end of the Obama administration and is critical of the death penalty - likely will not form the basis of a Trump administration's implementation of it.





These effects wouldn't only be seen in the higher echelons of the administration, either. Trump almost certainly will appoint U.S. attorneys more eager for the death penalty than those under Obama.





Across the country, this could have a broader effect as well. Currently, new death sentences are way down. The sentences that are given out now are sought by just a handful of prosecutors, and the cases are incredibly expensive. A Trump administration could be more eager to help provide assistance to state death penalty prosecutions - or to seek the death penalty more frequently when it is possible to do so under federal law.





Allow States To Get (Illegal) Execution Drugs





An important reason executions have been on decline is because there's been a difficulty in obtaining lethal injection drugs. For years, states have struggled to find a consistent supply of them after manufacturers began enacting stringent guidelines to keep their products away from lethal injections.





Trump's largest impact on executions in the United States could be getting involved in an ongoing, but little noticed, feud between death penalty states and the federal government over importing illegal execution drugs.





The states' reliable lethal injection drug for decades, sodium thiopental, has been impossible for states to get. The sole Food and Drug Administration-approved manufacturer stopped making the drug to keep it out of the hands of executioners.





States have turned to illegal suppliers of the drug. Last year, BuzzFeed News reported that Texas, Arizona, and Nebraska all purchased illegal sodium thiopental from a supplier in India. Nebraska's shipment never left India. The Texas and Arizona shipments were detained by the FDA once they entered the US.





2,000 vials of execution drugs have sat in a government warehouse for well over a year while the states and the FDA argue behind the scenes over whether the drugs can be released. The FDA argues that there is a court order preventing them from releasing the drugs.





The decision over what to do with these execution drugs involves the highest-ranking people at the FDA. Documents obtained by BuzzFeed News show the commissioner of the FDA asked to be briefed on the issue last year.





With a Trump-appointed FDA head, the decision could be different.





The FDA, under Obama, initially wanted no part of the issue. Years ago, the FDA allowed drugs to be imported by states wishing to carry out the death penalty, with the federal agency saying it wasn't its role to regulate execution drugs. But a federal appeals court panel ruled the FDA didn't have discretion to ignore a law that says unapproved drugs aren't allowed into the country - leaving in place a court order that mandates such continued enforcement.





If Texas and Arizona were to sue over such drug importation while Obama was president, they would not only have to argue that the drugs should be allowed to come in - they'd have to go much further. They'd also have to argue that the court order doesn't apply and that the FDA doesn't have discretion to bar the drug.





Under an FDA commissioner that's more sympathetic to the states' argument, however, their case could become significantly easier to make. If the FDA wants to allow the drugs in, states would just need to convince the court that the earlier injunction doesn't apply now and that the court should defer to the FDA's interpretation and expertise on what drugs should be allowed into the country.





Large drug manufacturers in the US and Europe take great lengths to keep their products away from executioners. That would not be true of small manufacturers and distributors in countries like India. The change could be huge - and could allow for a steady supply of execution drugs.





Source: BuzzFeedNews, Chris McDaniel, November 11, 2016. Chris McDaniel is a death penalty reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York.





 | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; send a submission; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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You have to give a notice to your employer as provided in your contract. If your contract is collective (CCNL. contratto collettivo del lavoro: collective contract of jobs), for example "metalmeccanici" or "commercio" you can find easily copies of them of internet. By the way you should have the notice period indicated in the paper you signed when you started your job. Notice period is normally negotiable and can be reduced also to zero days, but for any day less you have to pay a penalty: if you have enough in your end of job found (TFR), your employer will deduct the penalty from that. Exceptions can exists: check the paper you signed. You cannot reduce your notice period using remaining paid holidays and permits: notice period temporally pause in case you use them or you are off to work as you are sick. Sometime, however, if employer is reasonable, the notice period is well negotiable and he can accept you don't follow all the rules. In any case you have to give your employer a formal written letter in which you inform about your intention to quit, specifing the ammount of notice period you will respect and your final day of work.

Recent rules in job's act force you to resign also online, else resignation is not valid. It is complex and simple at the same time: you could do it by yourself but you need a PIN code from INPS, this could be a long and intricated procedure so I advice you to any CAF office: they do it for you very fastly in less than an hour; you need your payslip and company PEC email. Note that notice period and electronic resign procedure are separate facts: the moment on which you resign online is not the moment on which notice period starts as it is indicated only on the letter you give to your employer; you can resign online when you want but is better to do not wait the last moment. You don't need other documents or procedure.

Hope it helps !



Bye

Redbaron
<Snip>

Hullo 60 year old Ozzie Female,I am an even older Ozzie male (in Adelaide) about to do the same thing. Unlike you however (from the sound of it) I have had quite a bit of experience traveling in Asia & don't have the same financial restrictions so am not so nervous about it. I don''t know about community accommodation but there is a big expat club in Chiang Mai where you can get advice. Just Google it.I visited CM in August yhis year to do a reccy & accommodation seems to be fairly readily available & reasonably priced. Also have a contact who is looking for some digs for me & I am sure she would be happy to do the same for you. Best a bit out of the centre.I am in Adel at the moment but departing for Chiang Mai in about a month & will be there for a month or two looking for accommodation before returning to Oz for a few months & then returning to CM.If you would like to have a chat about it my mb is. I'm also on Viber.Feel free to contact me anytime; maybe we can help each otherCheers,Ian
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A Seguin dermatologist on Friday said his office computer system was attacked with ransomware that accessed confidential patient data, including names, social security numbers and billing codes for medical services.

There was a high likelihood that protected health information (PHI) was accessed, Dr. Robert Magnon, owner of Seguin Dermatology, said in a press release issued by attorneys Brin & Brin of San Antonio. Also, it could not be ruled out that confidential information may have been removed from the server.

Calls to Brin & Brin werent immediately returned. The company didnt disclose how many patient records were affected or whether local law enforcement or the FBI was notified.

Magnon said the server did not contain medical records, lab reports, credit card or bank account information. An information technology company was brought in to remove the ransomware, decrypt the server and investigate what happened.

Seguin Dermatology takes the security of PHI very seriously, Magnon said. Upon learning the results of the forensic investigation, we immediately took steps to notify all affected patients. To prevent this from happening again, we are conducting a review of our physical and computer security, reassessing our offices policies and procedures, and performing staff training.

The practice also arranged for identity protection services for patients whose social security numbers were compromised and urged patients to place fraud alerts on their credit files.

Ransomware is used to lock computers until victims pay up. Between April 2014 and June 2015, the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center received 992 complaints about CryptoWall, one type of ransomware, with victims' losses totaling over $18 million. According to the Center, demands are typically for between $200 and $10,000, though victims inevitably pay out even more in network repairs and countermeasures, lost productivity, legal fees and costs to monitor credit for employees or customers.

Criminals bait victims through infected advertisements, websites and emails. Once the victim clicks on the bait, their devices get infected with ransomware that encrypts their files and sends a demand for payment if the victim wants to recover their data. The criminals usually ask for payment in Bitcoin, an internet currency that is difficult to trace.

Online thieves have been known to blackmail large corporations as well as small and medium-sized police departments, municipal governments, and universities. But theyve increasingly been targeting smaller entities, and medical practices can be a treasure trove.

There has been an uptick in attacks against health care institutions, and a lot of that is because what (the thieves) are realizing is the identity data thats provided  its super useful and its becoming sort of more valuable than credit cards, said Matt Snider, head of the information security practice at the Denim Group, a San Antonio-based computer security company.

Credit card fraud has been around a long time and its certainly still a problem, but I think what folks are starting to figure out is that for a longer term scam they can potentially make a lot more money with that personal information, he said.

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Snider said the most likely scenario was that hackers put out a broad sweep that detected some vulnerabilities in the practices server, then dispatched the malware.

The takeaway, he said, is that smaller companies needed to be as vigilant as larger ones about training staff on internet security, keeping software updated, and keeping a backup of data thats away from the server.

Because the way that ransomware works, it crawls through your whole network, he said. So anything thats on the current network is going to potentially be susceptible."

lbrezosky@express-news.net
Deal-makers took notice last month when Donald Trump declared that he would seek to block AT&Ts $85.4 billion bid for Time Warner on the grounds that it would radically concentrate power in too few companies.

But after an initial period of turmoil, deal advisers say that it is unclear whether a Trump administration  led by an avowedly pro-business real estate mogul  would really make life difficult for mega-mergers.

At the moment, AT&Ts planned takeover of Time Warner  the biggest merger of the year and one that is poised to reshape the world of media and telecommunications  appears to be the most likely candidate for hazing. The president-elect was among the first politicians to criticize the deal, vowing to block it if he became president.

Trump said it was an example of the power structure Im fighting. He also opposed a similar union between Comcast and NBCUniversal in 2013, which he called poison.

Tougher antitrust enforcement on the telecommunications and cable industry would be popular among consumers, who consistently rate it among the worst for customer satisfaction. Trumps particular focus on giant media corporations, which he railed against during his campaign, could be a personal priority and one his base of voters would support.

But antitrust specialists and Republican strategists say a Trump administration may not fulfill his campaign promises. The key to the chances of AT&Ts bid for Time Warner will be the appointments Trump makes to the Justice Department, which is expected to review the merger, and the Federal Communications Commission, which may also examine it. Those are rarefied worlds that require specific legal and economic expertise.

Hes going to fill them, but I dont think Republicans are going to fill these spots with people who are instinctively negative on M&A transactions, David N. Shine, a partner at the law firm Paul Hastings, said of the vacancies.

The deal-makers who helped develop the AT&T offer for Time Warner are likely to bet that even if Trump impels the Justice Department to file a lawsuit to block the deal, any court that hears the case will apply traditional antitrust standards to clear the transaction. The two companies have argued that theirs is a vertical merger with little overlap, unlike a traditional horizontal merger that removes a competitor from the industry.

All the same, AT&T sought to find common ground with Trump after his victory. John J. Stephens, chief financial officer of AT&T, said at an industry conference that the company agreed with Trump on matters of building infrastructure and creating jobs.

Weve been the leading investor in this country for more than five years running, and our Time Warner transaction is all about innovation and economic development, consumer choice and investment in infrastructure with regard to providing a great 5G mobile broadband experience, Stephens said. So we look forward with optimism to working with the leadership and providing benefits to consumers and to our shareholders.

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Time Warner declined to comment.

Aside from AT&T, the outlook for mergers is less clear. In the short term, potential market gyrations could delay merger talks. But longer term, conditions could fall into place for more sustained deal activity.

While Trump took aim at two big media mergers, he is generally considered to be more favorable toward business. And he will be pressured by Republican leaders and his transition team to appoint officials who believe in free markets and might be more receptive to mergers than a Democratic administration.

Some deal-makers even speculated that if Trump fulfills a campaign promise to clamp down on global trade, it will force U.S. American companies to find growth at home  and that could include buying competitors.
Pakistans Supreme Court will rehear the death penalty case of a severely mentally ill man on Monday (14th).





Imdad Ali was due to be hanged on 2 November until the Supreme Court issued a stay just days before he would have gone to the gallows.





Mr Ali has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Recent prison medical assessments described Mr Ali as insane, and concluded that his is a treatment-resistant case. The execution of mentally ill people is illegal under Pakistani and international law.





The Supreme Court had previously cleared the way for Mr Alis execution, saying controversially that schizophrenia was not a mental illness. However, on 31 October the Supreme Court postponed Mr Alis hanging after a fresh petition from his lawyers, and following an intervention in support of Mr Ali from the government of Punjab province, where he is held.





The Punjab government's review petition said that the Supreme Courts definition of schizophrenia has resulted in a grave miscarriage of justice, because it was contrary to the universally accepted medical definition of mental disorder. It stated that prison medical records showed Mr Ali had consistently displayed symptoms of schizophrenia and is not showing signs of improvement and has active psychotic symptoms.





Commenting, Maya Foa, a director at human rights organization Reprieve, which is assisting Mr Ali, said:





Pakistans Supreme Court has a golden opportunity to revise its decision and clarify that not only is schizophrenia a serious mental illness, but also that prisoners with illnesses this severe cannot be executed. It is universally accepted that the execution of a prisoner as mentally ill as Imdad serves no moral purpose and is contrary to international law. This exceptional case has drawn attention from around the world. It is now hoped the Court will confirm that international and Pakistani law do not permit the execution of this severely mentally ill man.





- More information about Mr Ali's case can be seen at the Reprieve website





Source: Reprieve, November 12, 2016. Reprieve is an international human rights organization.

 | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; send a submission; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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Police arrested four teens and a 26-year-old man accused of carrying out more than 50 car burglaries this week in the Stone Oak area and an attempted jewelry heist on Friday.

Paul Villarreal, 26, Jessie McLeod, 18, Jorge Luna, 18, Hector Gomez-Cisneros, 17, and an unidentified juvenile face a slew of charges, including burglary of a building, criminal trespass and theft of a vehicle.

Police said the group broke into at least 50 cars parked in driveways, using a pry bar to bend door frames and bust windows, in the area of Wilderness Oaks and Prospect Hill between Blanco Road and Hardy Oak.

They were absolutely terrorizing the neighborhoods, said San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus. Our detectives did a great job.

Two suspects were arrested after a car alarm went off in 1300 block of Burning Arrow early Friday morning. One of the suspects had a gun, police said.

Later Friday morning, three suspects were arrested at the Nacogdoches Gold and Silver Exchange, a jewelry store in the 13000 block of Nacogdoches Road. Police said they found a woman waiting in a car that police said had been stolen in Stone Oak, and two men breaking into the store through the ceiling of an adjacent business.

The men allegedly stole several rings and other valuables from the store, police said.

McManus said all five suspects are believed to be behind the rash of car burglaries in Stone Oak. He could not say whether they included students at area high schools.

Police recovered a large amount of stolen property from the suspects, McManus said, adding that property crimes usually are very difficult to solve.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 210-224-7867.

twhite@mysa.com

Twitter: @tylerlwhite
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As Tuesday night stretched into Wednesday morning, Sarah Aburumuh kept refreshing a news website that tracked each presidential candidates electoral vote tally.

When Donald Trump received 270, the number needed in the Electoral College to assure victory, Aburumuh, 22, was forced to accept a reality she had not fathomed.

Trump would be the next president of the United States.

Ahmed Kaki, 23, watched election results at home with his wife. After Florida and Michigan went red, they went to sleep.

When we woke up, it was confirmed, said Kaki, a senior studying political science at the University of Texas-San Antonio.

For Aburumuh and Kaki, both Muslim, a sense of uncertainty persists in the prelude to a Trump presidency.

While his rhetoric on the campaign included talks of a registered Muslim database, a ban on Muslim immigrants and calls for mosque surveillance, theres still more than two months to go until the president-elect takes office.

The concern at the moment may not stem entirely from what Trump will carry out as president, but rather what some of his more extreme supporters may feel entitled to do.

My family was just trying to calm me down, get me to brush it off, said Aburumuh, a substitute teacher in San Antonio. They kept saying how he wont do half the stuff he says. And its true, hes not going to. Its those people who are validated, who dont care if what they do hurts anybody. If youre any sort of minority, its the most crushing feeling.

Since election night, reports of graffiti, taunting in schools and verbal attacks on people of all backgrounds have cropped up across the country.

Protests against Trump, along with the hashtag Not My President, echo the frustration felt by many in the wake of an extremely contentious election.

The uncertainty of how to move forward could be seen by Trumps own campaign, which included a Muslim ban reference on its website throughout the campaign, removed it earlier this week, only to republish it shortly after. Trump also posted a tweet critical of the media and protesters Wednesday night, followed by another message with a more positive tone early Thursday.

No ones really sure if crazy policies will be implemented, Kaki said. The things we thought were unreasonable, people either ignored those suggestions and still voted, or they embraced these policies and voted. Either way, it makes it uncomfortable.

After reading up on how pollsters got it wrong this election, Aburumuh got off Twitter and got ready for work Wednesday. If she heard any heated conversations from students, or even fellow faculty, she was ready to nip it in the bud.

While some boys chanted Trump, Trump, Trump, other students vented about their concerns for their families. Aburumuh jumped in.

I had to go in, and address them, and say, Everythings going to be fine, she said.

She reassured concerned students that there is a whole system to keep Trump in his place but reminded them of the reality that Trump will be the next president.

Kaki found it necessary to take a break for a little while. Hes avoided social media for the time being, adding that its probably healthy for people, and just kind of where were at.

Were just pondering on possibilities right now, nothing is concrete, Kaki said, speaking about the uncertainty surrounding Trumps policies related to health care, immigration and other issues. Obviously if he puts into action the things he says he would, we start becoming afraid. Now we have no choice but to see what happens.

Aburumuh said, For right now, in the short term, Im pretty discouraged, really discouraged.

She is organizing a talk for her mosques youth committee and other minority groups at UTSA to discuss the election and what will come next. Shes already thinking about going back to graduate school and is debating what degree she should pursue to help her stay involved.

I remind myself there are worse struggles, but I want to do my part, stay in solidarity and work to make some type of change.

frahman@express-news.net
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An intelligence officer four years out of West Point, Capt. Allen Clark Jr. was hours away from flying out of a Special Forces camp in Vietnams Central Highlands when enemy mortar shells rained down on it.

The attack, three days before his 25th birthday, claimed both his legs below the knees  and, for many years, his soul. Clark has never forgotten the building at Fort Sam Houston where he was treated.

They tell me its haunted. The reason it may be haunted is because it was the closed psychiatric ward during the Vietnam War, he told hundreds of people at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery during a Veterans Day ceremony Friday morning. I was there 14 weeks, and it was a horrendous 14 weeks for me.

We cannot talk about the veterans experience without talking about the horrors of war, Clark said.

His tales of heroism were grim but at times funny. Other such slices of life at war doubtless played like old, scratchy audio tapes at gatherings in San Antonio and across the region, triggering old memories and new concerns.

The Army was the greatest thing I ever did, said retired Air Force Lt. Col. Daryl Cunningham, 69, of Fair Oaks Ranch, who helped rehabilitate amputees. I could devote my medical competency to trying to repair the lives of individuals who were going to give their life for me.

Korea and Vietnam veteran Edward Cotter, 84, of San Antonio, sitting with an umbrella in hand, thought of the veterans buried at Fort Sam but also those fighting now. ISIS is the worst enemy you could have because theyre brutal, they dont care about the life, said the retired Air Force chief master sergeant. The citizens are not safe.

Len Martin, 82, of San Antonio reviewed helicopter crash reports in Vietnam. He cant forget the one describing an unarmed pilots escape from a downed chopper who ended up crawling along in a rice paddy along a dike, and there was a 10- or 12-year-old kid up there pointing where he was to the VC that were shooting at him.

A ceremony at Kerr Countys War Memorial treated scores of Hill Country veterans to patriotic music and speeches. Some wore period costumes. Stanley and Dereesa Bujack, who used to sit in folding chairs in a parking lot to watch, tried out one of nine new concrete pews beside the memorial outside the courthouse. Dereesa Bujack pronounced them comfortable and cool.

At San Antonio National Cemetery, Rear Adm. Rebecca McCormick-Boyle praised the Buffalo Soldiers, African-American troops who protected settlers in the Old West.

They were American citizens, many prior slaves, sent to the frontiers  essential to the proud and prosperous Texas we have today, but they faced adversity and racism, said McCormick-Boyle, head of the Navy Medicine Education and Training Command.

While they would build frontier forts, said Larry Carter, president of the Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers Association, the soldiers were forbidden from sleeping in them.

Even the act of joining the armed forces wasnt enough to overcome the inequality, the racism and the violence that was so pervasive in this country, said Jennifer Taylor of the Equal Justice Initiative, which studies the Buffalo Soldiers and other African-American veterans.

At Fort Sam, scowling skies and light drizzle gave way to bright sunshine and a cool breeze 40 minutes into the ceremony. Speaker Clark, 74, of Dallas, focused on those who went to war, sometimes growing emotional. He offered stories told to him by other veterans, such as one who described a Japanese prisoner of war who became the guest of a U.S. submarine crew.

The man was belligerent and causing them trouble until a senior NCO on that submarine shoved him into a torpedo tube, shut the door and started banging on it, Clark said, prompting laughter from the crowd. I can assure you, he said, that (he) didnt make a peep the rest of the way to Hawaii.

Clark described the last-stand preparations of Dick Agnew, a soldier in Korea who feigned death as others fell around him. He took the safety off a grenade first  if the enemy rolled him over, he would take someone with him.

Agnew survived. He retired as a major.

Clark said James Stone, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Korea, told him of a junior British officer ordered to escape his North Korean POW camp. Commanders thought it would boost morale among the prisoners.

So he went out for a few days, and he came wandering back into camp, Clark said. He says, Sir, Im sorry I failed in my mission, but I could not make it in North Korea. I just couldnt blend in.

This week, Clark said, an old friend recalled a sergeant from Philadelphia, a conscientious objector who became a medic in San Antonio and sent to Vietnam in 1969. At a 1st Cavalry Division fire support base on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the medic endured repeated mortar attacks, he said.

But one night, an entire North Vietnamese communist regiment attacked, and it was everyone on the guns  firing everything we had, Clark quoted his friend. Our medic, the conscientious objector, did not like the NVA messing with his family, so he grabbed that M60 machine gun and charged over the berm, firing at the hip at the bad guys.

The medic was wounded and earned a Silver Star.

Clark, also a Silver Star recipient, was on anti-depressants for eight years after leaving Fort Sam, but he kicked them after attending a church service in 1973.

And I realized the big picture of good vs. evil, God vs. the devil, and I got a spiritual rejuvenation, he said in an interview. I got the big picture, and I havent had to have any pills or psychiatrists for 40 years now. Im healed.

sigc@express-news.net

Staff Writer Zeke MacCormack contributed to this report.
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WASHINGTON  Vice President-elect Mike Pence will take over the job of leading Donald Trumps transition effort, taking the helm from Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, as Trump moves to assemble a government after his stunning upset victory, the transition team said Friday.

Christie had been in charge of the transition for the last several months, but the surprise nature of Trumps victory made it critical to move more quickly to assemble a team. Christies standing has been in question in recent weeks as two of his former aides were convicted in the scandal involving the political motivation behind closure of the George Washington Bridge at Fort Lee, New Jersey, in 2013.

The president-elect told advisers he wanted to tap Pences Washington experience and contacts to help move the process along, according to people familiar with the discussions. An executive committee, which will include members of Congress, will advise Pence as the process moves forward.

Christie, along with Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, and Michael T. Flynn, a retired lieutenant general who has been a top campaign supporter, will serve as vice chairs of the transition, the sources said.

Rick Dearborn, the chief of staff to Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., will move from the campaigns Washington office to help run the transition office. The move will push aside Rich Bagger, who is close to Christie and had been working on the transition.

The transition team is adding 12 members, including a Republican donor, Rebekah Mercer; Stephen K. Bannon, Trumps campaign chairman; Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee; Peter Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal; Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; and three of Trumps adult children and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Trumps administration is being assembled behind the scenes. But like much else in the nations capital, little stays secret for long.

The list of names being mentioned as possibilities for crucial posts in Trumps Cabinet is growing by the hour, giving official Washington what it craves most: a never-ending parlor game as speculation grows about who might actually get the nod.

A big revelation may come soon, according to Trump himself, who took to Twitter on Friday morning with some news. Busy day planned in New York, the president-elect said. Will soon be making some very important decisions on the people who will be running our government.

One thing is clear already: Those helping Trump make the decisions are the members of his campaigns inner circle. At Trump Tower on Friday morning, the president-elects closest aides arrived, one by one, waving to journalists as they entered elevators to Trumps offices.

Those included David Bossie, the deputy campaign manager; Steve Bannon, the campaign chief; and Hope Hicks, the campaign spokeswoman. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and a staunch Trump supporter, arrived just before 10 a.m., a few minutes after Corey Lewandowski, Trumps former campaign manager. Brad Parscale, the campaigns digital director, also headed up to the top floors.

The latest name to be swept into the speculation maelstrom is Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase. He is said to be a candidate for secretary of the Treasury, according to a report by CNBC, although the banker  who was close to President Barack Obama  has repeatedly denied being interested in the job.

And the speculation could be short-lived. In 2014, Trump mocked Dimon during an interview with his biographer, Michael DAntonio. Trump dismissed Dimon, a fellow New Yorker, as being too willing to settle lawsuits  something the president-elect proudly declares he never does.

I watch this guy, Jamie Dimon, settle every case, Trump told DAntonio, according to transcripts of the interview obtained by The New York Times. When DAntonio notes that Trump seems bugged by that, Trump responds that he is.

I cant believe he does it, Trump says. I cant believe he gives away billions of dollars. He gets sued. Im dying to sue him so he gives me a billion dollars.

Whether that exchange suggests that Trump would not offer the Treasury job to Dimon is unclear. Aides to Trump have declined to confirm who is on the shortlist for Cabinet posts. And despite the president-elects return to Twitter on Thursday night, he has so far said nothing specific about his possible picks.

For now, Trump is firmly ensconced in Trump Tower, where he returned after his whirlwind day at the White House and Capitol Hill on Thursday.

Trump Tower has been transformed into a kind of fortress by the Secret Service and the local police. The building has now been ringed by Jersey barriers and concrete blocks marked with NYPD. The Secret Service has set up checkpoints on each end of 56th Street near the tower, and pedestrian access has been restricted around the building.

Inside, Trump and his top aides are accelerating efforts to evaluate possible candidates for various positions.

There are some indications that the transition effort was slow to start up, perhaps the result of Trumps upset victory, which caught much of the political world by surprise. At least a few of the people helping organize the search for Trump were tapped at the last minute, while others have been preparing quietly for weeks.

At the Pentagon and the State Department, officials of the Obama administration said Thursday that they had not yet heard from Trumps transition team about beginning the complex work of transferring responsibilities and authority. A spokesman for the State Department said he did not have any firm word on when briefings might begin for designated officials from the new government.

Even as Trump moves to create a new administration, his transition team is being reshaped. It has been led by Christie since May, when Trump became the presumptive Republican nominee. That was over the objections of Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The transition team was treated as something of a backwater. Trump appeared to care little about it, and the adviser who was most involved with it, Paul Manafort, left the campaign in August. With Trump preparing to take office in less than 90 days, the transition work has abruptly come to life again, but with a lag in who might get slots.

Still, the pending reorganization hasnt stopped a steady flow of potential appointees from being mentioned.

The critical position of chief of staff  the gatekeeper for the president inside the West Wing  is expected to come down to a choice between Bannon, the editor of Breitbart News who was chairman of Trumps campaign, and Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Giuliani told CNN on Thursday that he might accept an appointment as attorney general, saying that theres probably nobody that knows the Justice Department better than me.

Steven Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive and Trumps campaign finance chairman, is said to be a serious contender for Treasury secretary. Carl Icahn, the investor, and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, have also been mentioned in the news media.

___________

Michael Barbaro, Maggie Haberman and David Streitfeld contributed reporting.
Sail on, sail on

Oh mighty ship of State

To the shores of need

Past the reefs of greed

Through the squalls of hate

 Leonard Cohen, Democracy

More than two decades ago, Leonard Cohen, the Canadian poet and musician who died Thursday at 82, released Democracy, an acerbic paean to America.

Only Cohen, his icy voice filled somehow with warmth, could have made the chorus  Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.  sound so hopeful and hopeless at the same time.

Democracy is coming, America. Its just not here yet.

Those who voted for President-elect Donald Trump, I imagine, are feeling hope right now  hope that their candidate, so contemptuous of the established order, will deliver a debilitating shock to the system, a system that has failed them so utterly by ignoring their needs.

On some level, I can understand this.

Everyone takes, everyone.

Thats a line written by Doug Band, a former aide to Bill Clinton, in one of more than 35,000 emails stolen from the account of John Podesta and dumped into the political aether by Wikileaks before the election.

Band was defending himself from accusations that he was hustling for his own business at Clinton Global Initiative events. He argued that any hustling benefited the Clintons far more than him, amassing Bill Clinton alone more than $50 million.

The Clintons, he wrote, had their own conflicts of interest: Everyone takes, everyone.

If theres a more concise way to articulate greed, I havent seen it.

Yet Trump personified greed. As the Washington Post reported, the billionaire used more than a quarter-million dollars from his own charitable foundation to settle lawsuits that involved his for-profit business, even spending the foundations money on portraits of himself.

Trumps supporters might have found their heros audacity appealing. After all, he was an outsider. They were certainly more willing to excuse his greed than Clintons, which was incubated in the halls of government  where, surely, Trumps now will take root.

Past the reefs of greed, Cohen sang, are the squalls of hate. And this is where we find ourselves with the election of Trump, who ran a campaign fueled by hate.

dude, @bchasnoff you write like a fag.

On Thursday, I received this Twitter message from someone purporting to be Ricky Vaughn, the pseudonymous alt-right racist and anti-Semite from whom Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller copied a tweet calling Clinton a ct. (The Twitter icon was Pepe the Frog in a Make America Great Again cap.)

Just words from the alt-right fringe?

Unfortunately, no.

In a survey by the RAND Corporation before the election, Trump performed best among Americans who express more resentment toward African-Americans and immigrants and who tend to evaluate whites more favorably than minority groups.

Now, with the election of an apparent bigot, these people are emboldened to move these attitudes from the Internet into daylight. This is an attack on human rights, one that could coalesce into discriminatory policies, such as a ban on Muslim immigration, a national stop and frisk policy and the formation of a deportation force culling through Latinos.

This is why so many Clinton supporters are now feeling hopeless. As a friend of mine put it Friday in a text: This election has cast a malaise: a validation of covert bigotry and misogyny I feared was simmering in this country.

I hope that Trumps supporters, those in the Rust Belt and beyond who felt their country and their lives were in decline, now see their needs met by our new president.

The rest of us can take some solace in the words of Cohen from the grave: Sail on, sail on  Democracy is coming.

Or we could keep listening for echoes of our own dread in The Future, an apocalyptic number on the same 1992 album.

Ive seen the nations rise and fall, Cohen sang. Get ready for the future: It is murder.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
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Pearl developer Silver Ventures plans to build a roughly 10-story office tower with retail shops on the ground floor at the complexs entrance, contributing to the urban renaissance that city planners are trying to foster in the lower Broadway corridor.

The 3.1-acre development, which would take up nearly the entire block at the northwest corner of Broadway and Pearl Parkway in Tobin Hill, is still in early planning stages, Silver Ventures spokeswoman Elizabeth Fauerso said. The developers have decided not to add multifamily housing because several new apartment buildings have recently been built nearby and theres high demand for office space.

To invest in the Broadway corridor as a commercial corridor, in addition to being a residential corridor, is important to the long-term viability of this neighborhood, Fauerso said. Building office space will create a great neighborhood that survives and thrives through different market trends.

At 10 stories, the development will tower over the midrise apartment buildings on lower Broadway. Plans submitted to the city indicate that its highest occupied floor will be 150 feet up and that its highest architectural feature will be at 195 feet.

It will be among the tallest buildings at the Pearl, where the Cellars at Pearl apartment tower under construction along the River Walk will have about 10 stories when complete. Developers hope it will encourage the construction of more tall buildings on lower Broadway, Fauerso said, restoring the corridor to the vibrant central artery that it was in its heyday when the Pearl Brewery was running.

We hope that the density pushes out, extends north and south, she said. It should feel like a really easy thing to stroll from the Pearl to the (DoSeum) childrens museum. In 10 years, I hope that were in that situation.

The city Zoning Commission will vote Tuesday on Silver Ventures request to rezone the 3.1 acres to allow for the project. It will go before the Historic and Design Review Commission on Dec. 2.

Silver Ventures hasnt yet decided whether it will develop the project on its own or take on a partner, Fauerso said. The office space will be class A, and a parking garage will be incorporated into the development.

The retail aspect of the project is up in the air, Fauerso said. Nothings off the table.

The project has the support of Cody Doege, president of the Tobin Hill Community Association, who said hes glad the neighborhood will get more office space. He wants lower Broadway to become more urban, and he doesnt think the tower would affect the neighborhoods less dense residential areas.

Silver Ventures has been a great neighbor, he said. We have always embraced what they brought to the table.

Rose Hill, president of the neighborhood association for nearby Government Hill, is also supportive. She noted that the development would bring jobs to the area.

Government Hill is booming thanks to the Pearl, said Hill, a longtime resident of the area. Theres new development, new restaurants going up. ... Its brought a lot of different cultures to the area and a lot of diversity.

The lower Broadway corridor has become one of San Antonios premier growth areas since Silver Ventures rehabilitated the vacant Pearl Brewery into a mixed-use complex about a decade ago. It has spawned midrise apartment complexes such as 1800 Broadway and the Rivera Luxury Apartments, which opened in September on the other side of Interstate 35 from the Pearl. The opening of the DoSeum last year and the ongoing expansion of the Witte Museum have also raised Broadways profile.

Broadway is being primed for more growth. GrayStreet Partners, a local developer that is doing big things downtown, has amassed nearly 4 acres of property on both sides of the corridor between Casa Blanca Street and the 1800 Broadway apartment building. It recently demolished a building at Broadway and Newell for an as-yet-unplanned retail project.

The Pearl itself is growing fast. The complex recently celebrated the opening of its first music venue, Jazz TX, as well as a new wine bar. Conde Nast Traveler just named the luxurious Hotel Emma the No. 1 hotel in Texas and No. 3 in the United States in its 2016 Readers Choice Awards. A food hall is expected to open next spring, and the Cellars at Pearl apartment tower is taking shape.

The city is working on infrastructure improvements around the Pearl to prepare for more residential growth. Last summer, the City Council approved a request by Silver Ventures to close Schiller Street and part of Easy Quincy Street near the River Walk to make room for more growth. Silver Ventures owns almost 3 acres of land on the undeveloped western bank of the San Antonio River.

Fauerso said Friday that Silver Ventures will concentrate on the office tower before turning to other projects, but she noted that the riverside properties would be well-suited for multifamily.

The site of the proposed office tower is now occupied by the Stay Golden Social House bar, a parking lot and two vacant buildings. Its too early in the planning process to say whether Stay Golden will be forced to move, Fauerso said. Sams Burger Joint at Grayson Street and Avenue B wont be affected, she said.

rwebner@express-news.net

@rwebner
Oh boo-*******-hoo.

You even think like a kid. If you insult me often enough you think I'll just go away? What next? Going to ask your little friends to call me names as well?



I will post as I please, to whom I please, for as long as it pleases me to do so, within the posted rules of this forum. Get that through your head. B)
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The farming sector has become worried at recent concerns over declining cream production, with the National Farmers Union warning 'unsustainable farmgate prices' as the key reason why.

The cream production industry has endured difficult conditions during the past five years. Highly volatile dairy prices and heavy discounting of milk prices by supermarkets have squeezed industry revenue and profitability.

The industry has also been affected by changing consumer preferences, as consumers have shifted away from full-fat products in favour of low-fat and skimmed alternatives. These conditions have resulted in consolidation activity among industry participants.

Unsustainable farmgate prices have lead to reduced production

NFU dairy board chairman Michael Oakes has responded to recent concerns over UK cream production: We have long warned that unsustainable farmgate prices would lead to reduced production and in turn less choice for consumers of high-quality British dairy products. Manufacturers will do their upmost to ensure British milk and other fresh dairy products, such as cream and butter, will be on retail shelves this Christmas but this may mean moving milk away from cheese production which will impact on future cheese availability.

The UK dairy sector has been under significant pressure over the past two years due to low prices that has affected the vast majority of dairy farmers. Farmgate milk prices have recently started to rise but dairy farming is a long-term business and it will take more than a few milk price increases to instil confidence back into the sector.

This situation is not beneficial to farmers or the public so we need to find better ways of managing volatility for the benefit of all to ensure we see great British, Red Tractor-assured dairy products on shelves for the long-term future.

Milk processors are 'sitting on stocks'

The Rural Payments Agency has indicated that 1800 UK farmers are looking to reduce production by 112 million litres this autumn. NFU Scotlands Milk Committee Chairman Graeme Kilpatrick said there is "every justification"  based on commodity prices, production levels and futures prices  "for every dairy farmer in Scotland to be getting 25p per litre now  and not in three or four months time."

"The price increases announced in recent weeks are welcome but they neither go far enough or fast enough in our opinion and leave almost all producers woefully short of a profitable milk price," Mr Kilpatrick said.

All dairy farmers in Scotland are acutely aware of where commodity prices for cheese, butter, cream and powder have shifted to in a matter of a few weeks.

"The unacceptable delays seen in milk buyers passing the benefits of the price lifts back to their suppliers is creating huge concern and frustration at farmer level.

"Some of those milk processors will be sitting on stocks of cheese, butter or powder, made with incredibly cheap milk, and are now set to make a windfall on them based on rapidly increasing market prices.

"Farmers cannot be left behind to continue producing at a loss," Mr Kilpatrick concluded.
Dairy farmers in Northern Ireland are looking to quit the industry as over 700 dairy cows, some owned by one of the richest families in the area, are being sold at auctions.

Farming income has fallen drastically in the country from 312m to 183m between 2014 and 2015, according to figures. Dairy farmers are reporting huge losses around the UK.

One of the herds being put up for sale was owned by the late Lord Ballyedmond who died in a helicopter accident in Norfolk in March 2014.

The current manager of the farm, John Meade, told Belfast Telegraph: "The family have been very passionate about farming and milking cows but have taken the decision to restructure the farm and cease dairying.

The situation mirrors many dairy farms around the UK who are putting their herds up for sale

"It's been a very tough decision for the family and one they have not taken lightly, but they wanted to reduce overall losses. We have a modern dairy milking facility here but, with the current climate regarding milk prices, we felt it is better to concentrate on our other farming activities here, including beef and sheep farming."

The situation mirrors many dairy farms around the UK who are putting their herds up for sale. In May this year, a family owned farming business which went back over 100 years sold 700 dairy cattle and announced their intention to withdraw from the dairy industry.

"Over the years the dairy herds have performed very well producing high milk yields at competitive cost but the downturn in farmgate prices over the past two years coupled with a depressing medium to long term outlook for dairy farming forced the business to look very carefully at the prospects for the sector," a spokesman for the company said.

Company chairman Christopher Wilson said: "My family has been farming in eastern England for four generations, well over 100 years, and for two generations in Wales and it is sad for us that we are leaving Wales but we cannot ignore the market place. Despite our best efforts we have reluctantly concluded that we cannot continue under these circumstances."

Painful decision

John Meade said that their decision to sell was a 'painful' one and he said he cannot imagine the pain any farmer has to go through if facing a foreclosure due to lack of cash flow.

"It must be terrible. There are not too many dairy farmers making money, with prices hovering around the 20 pence per litre mark, and some are really struggling to pay bills."

The FUWs Milk and Dairy Produce Committee Chairman, Rhydian Owen, said the Welsh dairy industry 'continues to reel' under months of continuing low prices and poor profitability and almost half of dairy farmers in Britain have stated an intention to quit the sector.

"The FUW is extremely concerned that any sign of a price recovery may still be some way into the future due to a continuing global supply and demand imbalance. We have now sent a synopsis of the main issues contributing to the current dairy sector crisis to local MPs, MEPs and will be distributing this information further to the newly elected Welsh Assembly members."

Figures released by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said one in ten dairy farms in England and Wales have closed in the last three years.

The board said 1,002 dairy farms had closed since June 2013, which means the number of producers in England and Wales stands at 9,538. Wales saw a decrease of seven producers on the month and the North and Midlands decreased by five producers each.

NFU dairy board member David Shaw described the current state of UK dairy as 'unsustainable' when many farmers were seeing the prices paid for their milk being cut.
Continuing uncertainty around the future of the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme is 'hindering businesses decisions' in hill areas, warns a farming union.

Ulster Farmers Union Hill Farming chairman, Ian Buchanan, has urged politicians to show their commitment to the scheme. He warned that there would be long term environmental and economic consequences, should the ANC be scrapped.

This uncertainty is causing real problems for farmers in severely disadvantaged areas when it comes to planning and making decisions for the future. Farming in these areas comes with distinct challenges, linked to landscape and climate, and these have a big impact on production costs. The ANC scheme recognises this and provides a support payment that helps to offset these natural constraints, said Mr Buchanan.

The hill farming chairman said that if the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) decides to end the ANC scheme it would mean the immediate loss of 20 million a year to farmers in severely disadvantaged areas, which would eventually leave a huge void in primary cattle and sheep production currently being produced for the lowlands.

'Northern Ireland in danger of being left behind'

Scotland and the Republic of Ireland have already committed to continuing their ANC schemes. Both have also developed other ideas targeted at encouraging livestock production. Northern Ireland is in danger of being left behind if our government fails to deliver similar support, said Mr Buchanan.

He added that direct support and agri-environment payments remain the biggest source of income for most farms in severely disadvantaged areas. These payments support farmers in managing difficult landscapes. Removing them would not only be to the detriment of the agri-food industry, but would also have major environmental implications, he said.

Mr Buchanan is encouraging politicians to look at the ANC scheme in a broader sense and consider the environmental and tourism benefits. Much of the land in SDA areas acts as a carbon sink. And in terms of tourism, our picturesque countryside is being marketed worldwide to attract visitors. The ANC scheme supports farmers to maintain the countryside to a standard that is expected by tourists. When you consider the broader picture, the ANC delivers value for money for Northern Ireland, concluded Mr Buchanan.
The value of pork exported from the UK during September was up 16% on the year, reaching the value of 21.7 million, according to AHDB figures.

This increase occurred despite volume being down 9%, at 16.4 thousand tonnes. A 26% rise in average unit prices supported total export value, aided by the weak the pound which shielded most importing nations from the price rise; in euro terms the price was only up 7%, for example.

Significantly, shipments to China during September showed no growth on the same period in 2015 - the first month for a year with no expansion in Chinese shipments. The closely related Hong Kong market also showed a significant 37% decline in volume, while exports to Denmark and the Netherlands, likely for re-export, were back 20% and 22% respectively.

Increasing competition from Brazil and the US, coupled with the beginnings of recovery in Chinese pork production, are likely hindering further growth in this market. There was a 12% rise in UK pork exported to Germany during September. This likely reflects the increase in sow slaughterings seen during the month, alongside declining German production.
Two 14-year-old boys have been charged in connection with having a gun at Unity Reed High School in Manassas this week. The gun was not brandished toward other students and was not part of an
I don't know. Perhaps so.



That has nada to do with whether you can or can't know if all of Trump's sexual bragging is just talk. You claimed, "So he is personally is JUST LIKE BILL CLINTON, with one exception. BILL CLINTON DID, what Trump only Talked about doing in a private dressing room in a vulgar conversation between 2 men."



You can't know that. But whether you, I, or anybody can know isn't the point. We both damn well know Trump's lived the life of a sexual playboy and an unfaithful husband. Filling in the particulars presents a challenge, but Trump's grabbed his share of pussies perhaps consensually, perhaps not, made his share of passes, and definitely has refused to take no for an answer on more than one occasion.



We can know that.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visits troops at Fort Bragg

The commander of Fort Bragg and the 18th Airborne Corps said, "Welcome Home," to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin when he arrived on post Tuesday.
FOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIA
Michelle Dockery "got over" 'Downton Abbey' by throwing herself into her work.

Michelle Dockery

The 34-year-old actress played Lady Mary Crawley in the British television drama for six years until it ended in 2015 and admits the only way she could get over the heartache of it ending was to sign up to two other shows.

She said: "I couldn't refuse 'Good Behaviour'. It came soon after we wrapped on Downton Abbey. I got over missing Downton by going on to something else as quickly as possible.

"You're only as good as your last job. It was about finding something that you're really connected to, I was very lucky with this."

And Michelle is currently busy working in the United States but will return to the United Kingdom before the year is out.

Asked what the differences are between the acting industry in the UK and the US, she told Newsweek: "I think the most obvious thing is it's a bigger place. There's a lot of work happening in Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles and now the Carolinas.

"There's just more work because it's a bigger place and more people. I'd like to see it the other way around; There's plenty of American actors I've been working with that could play Brits."

Meanwhile, Michelle previously insisted she hasn't ruled out starring in a 'Downton Abbey' movie if it ever goes ahead.

She shared: "'Downton Abbey' was an incredible journey for six years and we were very sad to say goodbye, but it was the right time and it was very exciting actually leaving and going on to something like this and a whole new path in my career.

"The thing that I miss the most are my cast members. But we are all still very close. I think there is potential for a film. That is something I would wholeheartedly consider, so we will see. It may not be over yet."
Recently coming to an end in the US, 60 Days in Jail has now found its UK broadcasting home with Channel 4. Bringing seven innocent members of American society to Clark County Jail and embedding them within the prison system for 60 days, the participants will do their best to find out which parts of the system are working well, but which have more room for work and need improvements.

60 Days in Jail, Thursdays on Channel 4

Though some may find it irresponsible to put seven law-abiding citizens behind bars with a variety of different criminals who have all been arrested for unique crimes, this is certainly a fascinating project and study into exactly what goes on when inmates believe they're in the safety of their equals.

Not only will the participants be looking to find out how the inmates collect their drugs, get into so many fights and fight back against the system, but they'll be looking into how the prison officers engage with those they're looking after and exposing any corruption that goes on within the officials.

A production crew are on location at all times using the cover of creating a documentary of first-timers going to jail, and all-new cameras are installed around the jail so footage can be captured from every angle, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

County Sheriff Jamey Noel is the man behind the new program. When he first came to Clark County Jail, he reveals that the prison was ran entirely by the inmates, and so he was tasked with bringing things back around and returning the status quo. Fortunately, he's managed to do a good job, but he feels like he still has a lot of work to do, and so come in the seven innocents.

At times the show feels exploitative and you'll be wondering where everybody's morals really are, but at the same time this is utterly compelling television that I'll be sticking with for the weeks to come.

60 Days in Jail continues Thursdays on Channel 4 at 10pm.

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Bangladesh apparel industry needs to work on its market strategies for the future as after getting the status of a developing nation in 2021, the country will lose the export benefits it currently enjoys being a least-developed nation. As of now, it has zero-duty benefit to the European Union (EU) and Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) to some nations.

Apparel exports to EU will face a duty of 12.5 per cent after 2021. International buyers who currently import apparel from Bangladesh are also likely to work out strategies with Bangladesh's long term plans, said Johan Frishell, Swedish ambassador to Bangladesh at a discussion during the fifth Bangladesh Denim Expo in Dhaka, according to Bangladeshi media reports.

Bangladesh can continue to enjoy zero-duty benefits to EU even after 2021, if it attains the GSP Plus status. It can be attained by maintaining international standards in human rights, environmental balance and curbing corruption.

Bangladesh apparel industry needs to work on its market strategies for the future as after getting the status of a developing nation in 2021, the country will lose the export benefits it currently enjoys being a least-developed nation. As of now, it has zero-duty benefit to the European Union (EU) and Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) to some nations.#

Long-term plans are also likely to ensure a sustainable business for Bangladesh and offer long-term predictability to international buyers. The country should also carry out bilateral negotiations with buyers from EU, Canada and the US to continue receiving duty-free benefits after it becomes a developing nation, said Frishell.

Thomas Prinz, German ambassador to Bangladesh suggested that the country should focus on products that are socially and environmentally compliant.

Roger Hubert, regional head of Bangladesh and Pakistan of H&M is of the opinion chemical, water and waste management should be a priority for the Bangladeshi government and entrepreneurs. He added that mandatory industrial accidental and life insurance should also be in place for the skilled labour force.

At least 2,000 new garment factories will have to be established in Bangladesh to achieve the target of exporting garments worth $50 billion by the end 2021 and the country is likely to achieve it, said Arshad Jamal Dipu, chairman, Tusuka Group.

Najeeb Sayed, country manager and dress director of PVH Bangladesh believes that marketing is important for achieving this target and he also suggested increasing the efficiency level of the workers to maximise production and reduce costs. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Central governments decision to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes has severely affected the textile and apparel trade in India. A large number of textile traders and manufacturers are worried over the sudden drop in sales of textile apparel. The traders are however hopeful of catching up with the business in coming weeks.

We are into seasonal business of selling winter wears. The first fifteen days of November are crucial. The scrapping of old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 has affected us tremendously. Last year, the sales of winter clothes were not good, we were hopeful of good sales this year. With the prevailing situation, chances are high that we will miss the sales this year as well, Sudershan Jain, president of Knitwear and Apparel Manufacturers Association of Ludhiana, told Fibre2Fashion.

Expressing concern over the sudden dip in sales of garments, Chainroop Banthia, president of Mumbai based The Fabric Suppliers Association, said, The situation is critical and I do not know how to do business in such a situation. We hope that the condition improves in the coming weeks.

The Central government's decision to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes has severely affected the textile and apparel trade in India. A large number of textile traders and manufacturers are worried over the sudden drop in sales of textile apparel. The traders are however hopeful of catching up with the business in coming weeks.#

The textile trade representatives are hopeful that the sales will pace up once the money circulation begins in the market.

The demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 has affected the retail industry like all other industries. The governments initiative is great for the long run, but our sales both traditional and online have taken a hit due to this. Our COD system stands affected by the sudden change in policy. However, we are hopeful that the situation will normalise in due course of time, said Vivek Mehta, CEO, MAS Brands India and amante.

This a temporary phase. Most of the people in the urban areas do shopping through online or via credit/debit cards. A number of shops in the market are doing business on credit. Hence, it is unlikely that the sales would have affected adversely. Though, door-to-door sales may face a problem, said Atul Mishra, economist with Confederation of Indian Textile Industry.

The market will do brisk business once the inflow of money begins. For time being, there is stagnancy in the market. The recovery will take months, said Jitendra P Vakaharia, president of South Gujarat Textile Processors Association. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion.com  India
A new feasibility study sponsored by apparel brand Timberland found that there is a compelling need to reintroduce cotton in Haiti, which was once the country 's fourth largest agricultural export. The study which is also co sponsored by Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA) informed that cotton could connect small-scale Haitian farmers to the global economy.The study titled 'Cotton: Export Market Potential for Smallholder Farmers in Haiti' noted that cotton farming collapsed nearly 30 years ago, due to a combination of politics and policies.

A new feasibility study sponsored by apparel brand Timberland found that there is a compelling need to reintroduce cotton in Haiti, which was once the country's fourth largest agricultural export. The study which is also co sponsored by Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA) informed that cotton could connect small-scale Haitian farmers to the global economy.#

Key factors outlined in the study in support of cotton's return to Haiti include, ideal growing conditions, considerable farmer interest and making available, agricultural best practices to farmers.The study recommended that cotton be reintroduced, along with a comprehensive support system and range of services that were not in place when cotton failed in earlier years. (AR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Telangana government has appealed Union textiles minister Smriti Irani to permit for setting up a mega textile park in the state. This is in addition to the existing demand for sanction of 12 handloom clusters. The state has also urged the textiles ministry to formulate a comprehensive welfare policy for the benefit of weavers in the country.

KT Rama Rao, Telangana's minister for industries, IT and municipal administration, recently met Irani at a textile conference in New Delhi and put forth these requests.

At the conference, which saw participation of state textiles ministers and was chaired by Irani, Rao highlighted the steps taken by the state government to ensure the welfare of the weavers, the second largest community in Telangana. He also said that a right garment policy will make the weavers efficient enough to compete with foreign countries. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion.com  India
Uzbekistan has planned to start exporting ecological dyes for the textile industry. The scheme is set to be implemented by Indikim Group Company based in the Tashkent province of the country . The project for exporting dyes was launched back in 2014 after state joint stock company O'zbekyengilsanoat signed a memorandum with South Korean company Rainbow.

The memorandum states that Rainbow will extract natural ecological dyes from agricultural plants for their use in the light industry in Uzbekistan and other countries. The total cost of the project is estimated at $1 million. Close to 80 per cent of the dyes produced in the country will be exported, according to Uzbekistani media reports.

A wide range of powder and natural food dyestuffs are slated to be manufactured. Rainbow is providing equipment and laboratory to facilitate production. The method for obtaining ecological dyes will be the same as the technology used in South Korea. Trial plantings for paints were done in 2014 in various provinces in the country and the dyes of various colours including red, green, yellow and blue (indigo) colours were extracted in October. In the spring of 2016, Test seedlings were planted on 45 hectares of land in the country.

Uzbekistan has planned to start exporting ecological dyes for the textile industry. The scheme is set to be implemented by Indikim Group Company based in the Tashkent province of the country. The project for exporting dyes was launched back in 2014 after state joint stock company O'zbekyengilsanoat signed a memorandum with South Korean company Rainbow.#

Rainbow will also set up a research centre to issue certificates of products' safety for the textile industry. Indikim Group had participated in the International Russian Federal Textile Exhibition Textillegprom 2016 in Moscow and signed various agreements with Russian textile companies for supplying ecological dyes. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/11/16 -- Edgefront Real Estate Investment Trust (the "REIT") (TSX VENTURE: ED.UN) announced today its results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and the declaration of November and December distributions.

Highlights

-- AFFO per unit of $0.054 for the quarter, increase of 3.3% over Q3 2015; year to date Normalized AFFO of $0.161 per unit, increase of 4.2% over nine months ended September 30, 2015. -- AFFO payout ratio of 74.8% for the quarter, down from the AFFO payout ratio of 79.1% in the same quarter of the prior year. -- Conservative debt to total assets ratio of 50.4%. -- Attractive yield of 9.2% based on September 30th closing price of $1.74 per unit and $0.16 annual distributions. -- Industry leading 100% occupancy. -- Completed previously announced $8.4 million acquisition. -- Earnings call scheduled for November 14, 2016 at 1PM Eastern Standard Time.

"Our portfolio continues to deliver solid results without any significant tenant credit risk, driving year over year AFFO per unit growth and a year over year reduction in our AFFO payout ratio, stated Kelly Hanczyk, the REIT's Chief Executive Officer. "Many of our leases contain annual rental rate increases which will take effect January 1, 2017, and will continue to contribute to AFFO per unit growth".

Summary of Results

Included in the table that follows and elsewhere in this news release are non-IFRS measures that should not be construed as an alternative to net income / loss, cash from operating activities or other measures of financial performance calculated in accordance with IFRS, and may not be comparable to similar measures as reported by other issuers. Readers are encouraged to refer to the REIT's MD&A for further discussion of the non-IFRS measures presented.

Three months ended Nine months ended September 30, September 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 Financial Highlights $ $ $ $ FFO (1) (4) 1,965,936 1,574,607 6,057,121 4,091,582 AFFO (1) (4) 2,200,108 1,808,064 6,762,393 4,785,503 Distributions declared (2) declared (2) 1,645,203 1,429,433 4,854,085 3,750,684 Weighted average units outstanding - basic and diluted (3) 40,846,738 34,690,473 40,333,633 30,904,435 Distributions per unit (2) 0.040 0.041 0.120 0.121 FFO per unit, basic and diluted (1) (4) 0.048 0.045 0.150 0.132 AFFO per unit, basic and diluted (1) (4) 0.054 0.052 0.168 0.155 AFFO payout ratio, basic (1) (2) (4) 74.8% 79.1% 71.8% 78.4% Debt to total assets ratio 50.4% 50.1% 50.4% 50.1% 1. See Non-IFRS Measures 2. Includes distributions payable to holders of Class B LP Units which are accounted for as interest expense in the consolidated financial statements. 3. Weighted average number of units includes the Class B LP Units. 4. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, FFO and AFFO include $256,528 of other income relating to the release in the first quarter of 2016 of funds previously held in an environmental escrow in connection with the acquisition ten industrial properties on January 14, 2014. This is a one-time item which is excluded from normalized FFO and normalized AFFO of $5,800,593 and $6,505,865, respectively for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. Normalized FFO per unit, normalized AFFO per unit and the normalized AFFO payout ratio for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 are $0.144, $0.161, and 74.6%, respectively. Three months ended Nine months ended September 30, September 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 Financial Results $ $ $ $ Property revenue 3,882,500 2,987,548 11,417,969 8,399,754 Net operating income 3,191,969 2,570,519 9,480,771 6,974,863 Net income 1,864,454 1,930,614 4,784,012 4,006,638

Revenues and Results from Operations in Line with Expectations

Property revenue increased to $3,882,500 in the quarter as compared to $2,987,548 in the same quarter of 2015. Net operating income grew to $3,191,969 in the quarter as compared to $2,570,519 in same quarter of 2015. The growth in property revenue and net operating income is primarily attributable to the impact of acquisitions completed in the second half of 2015. The acquisition completed on August 22, 2016 contributed approximately $70,000 to property revenue and net operating income in the quarter. Contractual rent increases added $34,000 of operating income in the quarter as compared to the same quarter of 2015.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity

The REIT's debt to total assets ratio was 50.4% at September 30, 2016, up from 49.2% at June 30, 2016. The increase in debt to total assets was related to borrowings made to complete the acquisition of the Cambridge Ontario property in the quarter. The REIT intends to maintain a debt to total assets ratio of less than 55%.

Earnings Call

Kelly Hanczyk, President and Chief Executive Officer of the REIT, and Robert Chiasson, Chief Financial Officer, will host a conference call at 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on Monday November 14, 2016 to review the financial results and operations.

To participate in the conference call, please dial 416-340-2218 or 1-866-225-0198 (toll free in Canada and the US) and ask to join the Edgefront REIT conference call.

A recording of the conference call will be available until November 28, 2016. To access the recording, please dial 905-694-9451 or 1-800-408-3053 (toll free in Canada and the US) and enter passcode 6924927.

November and December 2016 Distributions

The REIT will make a cash distribution in the amount of $0.01333 per unit, representing $0.16 on an annualized basis, payable December 15, 2016 to unitholders of record as of November 30, 2016.

The REIT will also make a cash distribution in the amount of $0.01333 per unit, representing $0.16 per unit on an annualized basis, payable January 16, 2017 to unitholders of record as of December 30, 2016.

The REIT's current distribution per unit continues to be $0.01333 per month. The REIT's distribution reinvestment program ("DRIP") entitles eligible unitholders to elect to receive all, or a portion of the cash distributions of the REIT reinvested in units of the REIT. Eligible unitholders who so elect will receive a bonus distribution of units equal to 4% of each distribution that was reinvested by them under the DRIP.

About the REIT

Edgefront REIT is a growth oriented real estate investment trust focused on increasing unitholder value through the acquisition, ownership and management of industrial properties located in primary and secondary markets in North America. The REIT currently owns a portfolio of 20 properties comprising approximately 1,180,000 square feet of rentable area. The REIT has approximately 35,733,686 units issued and outstanding. Additionally, there are 5,962,565 Class B LP units of subsidiary limited partnerships of the REIT issued and outstanding.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this new release constitute forward-looking statements which reflect the REIT's current expectations and projections about future results. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the REIT to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions that may prove to be incorrect.

While the REIT anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its views to change, the REIT specifically disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the REIT's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this news release. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The factors identified above are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the REIT.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Edgefront Real Estate Investment Trust

Contacts:

Edgefront Real Estate Investment Trust

Kelly C. Hanczyk

President and CEO

(403) 817-9497



Rob Chiasson

CFO

(403) 817-9496




NEW ORLEANS, LA--(Marketwired - November 25, 2016) - Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until January 9, 2017 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuit against Agria Corporation (NYSE: GRO), if they purchased the Company's American Depositary Shares ("ADRs") between December 16, 2011 through November 4, 2016, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

What You May Do

If you purchased shares of Agria and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com). If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by January 9, 2017.

About the Lawsuit

Agria and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On November 4, 2016, Agria revealed that it received a letter from the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") stating that the NYSE decided to commence proceedings to delist Agria ADRs from the NYSE. The NYSE's letter further claimed that Agria: (i) through a top executive and other intermediaries engaged in trading intended to artificially inflate Agria's stock price, including to improperly avoid having the company delisted for failing to comply with NYSE's continued listing standards; and (ii) provided incomplete, misleading, or false information in connection with investigations related to these issues.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn

Managing Partner

lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com

1-877-515-1850

206 Covington St.

Madisonville, LA 70447
Motorcycle riders kicked it off, with more than 150 of them providing the vanguard for the 65th annual Albany Veterans Day Parade as it passed several thousand people lining the route through the downtown area.

Many of them veterans themselves, the riders flew the colors and represented their respective services, sending a collective roar into the sky to announce the procession as it snaked down from the Pacific Boulevard overpass and onto Lyon Street. (The parade thrilled spectators for nearly three hours.)

Next up came a formation of Navy ROTC cadets from Oregon State University. The college kids in dress blues with spit-shined low quarter shoes carried shiny M16A1s  an antiquated rifle now, having been introduced at the beginning of the Vietnam War.

The cadets carried the colors, and parade-watchers stood and removed their hats as they passed.

A yellow 1966 Plymouth Barracuda rolled just behind the cadets, announcing the Oregon Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Behind them, soldiers from the 41st Brigade Combat Team of the Oregon National Guard, marching in combat gear, took knees on the edges of the road during a stop.

When asked who in his unit has deployed overseas, SAW gunner Richard Ballentine, a specialist, gestured up the road to Specialist Nathan Bootes, who wore a 101st Airborne (Air Assault) patch on his right shoulder, signifying that he's served in combat with the division.

"It's nice to see the people actually support the military," he said of the parade. "Most of the media shows people who don't like us."

Bootes, a Harrisburg resident, spends his time out of uniform working for Knife River Concrete. He said he's spent his entire adult life in the military, and that all his friends are military. And just as quickly as he answered the questions, his squad stood to move again, and he was off and walking in formation on a road lined this day with friendly people.

Phil Reeves is one. The Eugene resident said he's come up for eight of the Albany parades. Sporting a U.S. Navy ballcap, he spoke fondly of serving on a submarine tender out of Rota, Spain. He's also a member of the Patriot Guard, which provides honors for veterans' funerals.

"I love it," he said. "This town is awesome.

Further down the route, Patti Gibson, up from Dallas for her first Albany parade, said she thought it was wonderful to be able to stand and express gratitude for the veterans. She herself has a nephew serving in the Army in Korea. "And he just made colonel," she said with a smile.

And what would the parade be without a flyover? Just as Senator Ron Wyden began to pass and wave, an F-15 broke the low clouds maybe 300 feet above the route, sending a rattling blast of jet propulsion across the crowd, climbing and banking hard right to cheers. Young kids screamed, startled at the apparition and the sound.

"That's what freedom sounds like!" shouts an older gentlemen from nearby.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Pentagon has disclosed the death of two more terrorists in a US airsrike in Afghanistan in October. A precision airstrike carried out by the U.S. military on October 23 near Kunar killed three senior al-Qaida leaders, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement Monday. Previously DoD disclosed that the strike eliminated Faruq al-Qatani the group's emir for Eastern Afghanistan. The department has now determined the same strike also killed Bilal al-Utabyi, al-Qatani's deputy as well as Abd al-Wahid al-Junabi, a senior al-Qaida explosives expert. All three were actively involved in carrying out and plotting terror attacks inside and outside Afghanistan. The deaths of these three al-Qaida leaders will significantly reduce the group's ability to threaten the United States, its interests and allies, Cook said. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Among the other things that changed in the 80s for mainstream Hindi cinema  the heroine becoming a prop, the comedians being sidelined to an idiotic parallel track, the music becoming secondary and the hero transforming into a one-man army  it was the manner in which the villain was viewed that impacted films the most. Suddenly the villains become comical, and no matter how formidable they were assumed to be it was the hero who had to win in the end even if the whole thing appeared unconvincing.

Even in this period one of the villains who managed to maintain his previously celebrated status was Amjad Khan. The gravitas that he had ushered in for the baddie with his Gabbar Singh in Sholay (1975) held the actor in good stead across the roles that he did later and more so when he had started to concentrate on what are called parallel or character roles. His untimely death in 1992 at the age of 52 robbed Hindi cinema of an actor, who had he been alive, could have seen helped not let the bad guy become irrelevant.

Villains in Hindi cinema have always been a much-celebrated lot. They have assumed larger than life personas right from Shakaal in Shaan (1980) to Rama Shetty in Ardh Staya (1983), Dr. Dang in Karma (1986) or Mogambo in Mr. India (1987), they have scared the daylights out of unassuming viewers with simple one-liners like Prem naam hai mera, Prem Chopra... in Bobby (1973) and yet when things come to a pass it is unfailingly always the hero who automatically becomes bigger. Either the villain has been seen as the personification of pure evil or simply someone who could be outwitted when the time comes. The manner in which the stature of the villain transformed post-Sholay where he wasnt the eyebrow twitching Pran from Madhumati (1958) or Ram Aur Shyam (1967), the evil moneylender Sukhi Lala from Mother India (1957), the rustic bandit Raka in Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960) or Jabbar Singh from Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971) but someone who was beyond reason or reproach. In fact, Gabbar Singh and Sholay would be the first, and perhaps the only instance worth recalling where the villain continued to work on the subconscious of the viewer long after he was defeated. The only other time when the villain came close to be far more formidable than one who triumphed over him would be Mr. India but the comic book aspect of Mogambo made Gabbar look far nastier.

Amjad Khans entire career only lasted about 15 odd years - since 1975 (Sholay) to his death in 1992. By the time he had died he had become much more than a successful villain. He could ease into comedy with Des Pardes (1978) Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986), Malamaal (1988) or be a class supporting act in Utsav (1984), Qurbani (1980), Yaarana (1981) or even a brilliant presence in films like Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977), where his emasculated Wajid Ali Shah was the perfect antithesis to Gabbar Singh, or films like The Perfect Murder (1988), Rudaali to name a few. At the same time, Khan also managed to pack in the standard villain with Inkaar (1977), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), Kaalia (1981), Mr. Natwarlal (1979) and Bombay 405 Miles (1980). Khan would also be the only villian after Pran who managed to rise above being the standard bad guy or the comedian and he did without much effort.

It is unfortunate that in spite of being one of the biggest actor-star of the 1970s and the 1980s, Amjad Khan continues to remain underrated. The actor is yet to enjoy a resurrection via nostalgia that has witnessed previously hidden brilliance of some other actors, filmmakers and music composers to be discovered by newer fans. Amjad Khans wide range of roles and especially the manner in which he interpreted Wajid Ali Shah in Rays Shatranj Ke Khilari or Vatsyayan in Girish Karnads Utsav need to be revisited more by the younger generation of viewers. Khan could probably be the missing link who could offer the ideal platform to understand how seamless some actors truly were in the past. Juxtapose that with Khan in Mukul S Anands Maha-Sangram (1990) where he plays the aging don Bada Godha and youd see why Khans early death took away one of the few actors who could manage to shine in the most typical roles. In Maha Sangram Khans Bada Godha walks the fine line of being the most feared gangster in then Bombay underworld and at the same time be as soft as a dewdrop when it came to listening to his daughter.

While it is mostly enough to see an actors best roles in order to understand the thought process that probably guided them, even though a good actor might fool you into believing something that he/ she do not stand for, at times some off-screen incidents, too, shed great insight into an artist. In Amjad Khans case, there is an interview that he gave to a Canadian television channel in 1987 that offers a rare glimpse into the astute mind that the actor possessed. For viewers of Hindi cinema who were too young to see or hear Khan when he was not acting, this interview has him speaking at length about the state of then Hindi cinema, the state of film journalism, which he labeled the parasite of the world of journalism, politics and even the state of the country. Unlike present day film stars, Amjad Khan does not mince his words when his cinema was accused of being pedestrian - he expressed that films reflect society and also added that if films were to really inspire people beyond a limited degree then people would be taking on the evils of the society by bashing up 10-12 guys because a hero called Amitabh Bachchan did that on screen and not just copy his hairstyle.
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Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denominations are equal to piece of paper from tonight midnight (8 November 2016).

"You have 50 days to return the old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 to your respective bank from 10 November 2016 to 30 December 2016. The banks, however, will have a cap on how much cash can be withdrawn  Rs 10,000 daily and Rs 20,000 weekly."

New Rs 2,000 note that will be soon issued

New Rs 2,000 note that will be soon issued

"And no one should blame me if I take tough decisions after the 30th. This money belongs to the countrys poor. No one has the right to loot this. This is my commitment. I am working with full force and will continue the effort," he had said.

Apparently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given a fair warning to all the black money hoarders in this interview with CNN-News18 in September this year. Replying to a question on if he intended to carry forward his tough line on curbing black money, Modi had urged those with undeclared wealth to take advantage of the disclosure scheme before the deadline of September 30 and return to into the mainstream.

A lawyer by profession, Kamboj said that he understands the legal consequences of doing any such thing. "I know I can land up in big trouble if I do something so foolish. What Kejriwal is doing is nothing more than dirty politics. He will see what will happen to him in Punjab."

There were various news reports about the probable introduction of new notes. What was new in that? Kamboj added.

Rubbishing Kejriwal's claims, Kejriwal said: I had only written that new notes would soon be introduced. But nowhere I had talked about or even mentioned banning of the old notes.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday alleged that BJP had informed its 'friends' beforehand about its decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, to help them fix their black money.

Firstpost reporter Amitesh Singh spoke to Sanjeev Kamboj, co-convener of BJP's law and legal affairs department in Punjab, who had tweeted the picture of Rs 2,000 notes on 6 November.

Only tweeted about new notes, not ban on Rs 500, Rs 1,000: BJP leader Sanjeev Kamboj tells Firstpost

The step is being taken after it was observed that same people have been withdrawing money, again and again, misusing the facility and not giving a chance to others to exchange their money. 

The government has decided to use indelible ink to mark people who exchange cash over the counter in the banks.

Indelible ink to be used to mark people who exchange cash in the banks: Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das

Are you willing to give PM Modi 50 days to make good on his promise?

"Government should allow old Rs 500 notes to remain in circulation along with the new notes. Also, Rs 100/50/10 notes must be made easily available. Rs 1,000 notes may be withdrawn when circulation improves by 30 December, or at your discretion. No need for anymore faltu, action-less announcements. Sometimes blunders lead to more more blunders," says the West Bengal Chief Minister.

In a series of tweets on Friday, Mamata Banerjee said that there are ways that the government can restore normalcy and help people.

"Such tax evasion activities can be made subject to income tax and penalty," ANI reported. The ministry added that thos who allow their accounts to be misused will be prosecuted."However, genuine people having their own household savings in cash and depositing the same will not be questioned," the ministry was quoted as saying by ANI.

Announcing that small deposits made in banks of artisans, workers, housewives will not be questioned by Income Tax Department, the finance ministry said that there are reports that a few people were "using other's accounts to convert their black money into new denomination notes."

The Opposition parties are not wrong  this could have been planned better and the government is not giving us all the facts. The truth is the government did have a plan. Not for recalibration  for which it has come under severe attack  but for the preemptive calibration of ATMs. If this plan had run its course, it could have considerably smoothened the currency exchange at ATMs. But the plan ground to a halt even before it took off. But more on that later.

And the answer is yes and no.

An entire population of 1.25 billion is living in misery, craving something they already have: A strange contradiction of shortage in abundance. The only question that everyone is asking is: Did Prime Minister Narendra Modi send a country into war against black money without planning?

"What is the difficulty? " the bench asked Rohatgi. The AG explained the situation by stating that after printing, the currency has to be moved to thousands of centres across the country and ATMs have to be re-calibrated. "There is no shortage of funds," he said.

At the outset, the bench questioned the relief measures undertaken by the Centre by saying, "Last time you said there will be relief for people in the coming days but you have squeezed the exchange limit to Rs 2,000 only."

"It's a political attempt in the court. I have seen your (Sibal's) press conference also. You are not appearing for a political party, but for an advocate. You are turning the apex court into a political platform," Rohatgi said.

The Attorney General (AG) Mukul Rohatgi in his response, said there is no dispute, but the queues are getting shorter and even suggested that the Chief Justice of India can go out during lunch and himself look at the queue. "Kindly go in the lunch time," the AG told the bench and took objection to senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for a private party, for allegedly exaggerating the situation.

"We have also come to know that corruption through new notes has already started. Such reports are surfacing in newspapers and especially on the social media," he said, claiming the goal of unearthing black money and weeding out fake currency notes will not be achieved.

On the Centre's stand that demonetisation will check corruption, Akhilesh said cases of graft involving new currency notes are already making news in some parts of the country.

Talking to reporters in Lucknow on Friday after presiding over a Cabinet meeting, Akhilesh Yadav said, "The meeting was of the opinion that farmers should get relaxation in use of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes...cooperative banks to which farmers are directly linked should get relaxation as money is not promptly reaching bank branches."

SC made the remarks as Attorney General (AG) Mukul Rohatgi submitted that any matter relating to challenge to the demonetisation issue be heard by the apex court only.

"Some measures are required. See the kind of problems people are facing. People have to go to the high court. If we shut them from going to the high court, how can we know the magnitude of the problem. People going to different courts indicates the magnitude of the problem," the bench said.

"It is a serious issue which requires consideration," a bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice A R Dave said, while asking the parties to be ready with data and other issues in writing. The apex court also refused Centre's request to put on hold petitions pending in various high courts challenging the decision to demonetise.

Coming down heavily on the Narendra Modi government for not taking the issue seriously, the Supreme Court on Friday questioned the move to reduce the exchange limit of old notes from Rs 4,500 to Rs 2,000. The apex court added that the situation was serious and there are possibilities of riots breaking out.

"We are not against demonetisation. We are against the hardships being faced by poor people due to mismanagement in implementing this scheme," Ravat said, when he was detained and taken away by police.

Those who have been detained include Vadodara Congress president Prashant Patel and General Secretary of Gujarat Congress Narendra Ravat.

In Vadodara, at least 100 Congress workers were detained from different parts for trying to block the roads. While two Congress workers were detained for setting fire to tyres on Ahmedabad-Vadodara highway on the city outskirts, around 100 have been detained for blocking an internal city road at Dandiya Bazar area.

Slamming the Centre over faulty implementation of the demonetisation drive, Mayawati said that the government has unleashed an Economic Emergency on the nation and the party does not care how people of the nation are suffering.

Just like Samajwadi Party, BJP is digging its own grave before Uttar Pradesh elections: Mayawati

He then said that India trusts its citizens who will make the country emerge successful after "this test of fire".

"But I see your support. Despite so many attempts to dissuade you, you have understood this move for the welfare of this nation," said the Prime Minister. "The entire world is watching this move. Every economist is analysing this move. The world is watching whether 1.25 crore Indians, despite difficulties, will achieve success."

"But for 70 years, we have been tolerating the disease of corruption and black money. The cure to that disease cannot be simple," he said.

"When I had taken this decision, I had said that this is full of difficulties. And the implementation of this decision was also bound to be difficult. I knew about the kind of difficulties people would have to face," Modi said. "I knew that it will definitely take 50 days to come out of the effect [of demonetisation]," he added.

"A lot of people have asked me to talk more about the currency ban," said the Prime Minister, as he began talking about demonetisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday talked about the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on the radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' and appealed to the people of India to help him create a "less-cash society".

Sources have told CNN-News18 that the central government has stepped up the printing of the new Rs 500 notes. The news channel also reported that the shortage in Rs 500 notes will be over by the end of December.

Old Rs 500 notes at petrol pumps and for airline tickets will be accepted till 2 December as against 15 December announced earlier, reports PTI.

Exactly a month ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced scrapping of high denomination notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. On Thursday, Opposition parties and Members of Parliament protested outside the Parliament House.

Modi said, "The government's decision has several gains for farmers, traders, labourers, who are the economic backbone of our nation. I always said that the government's measure will bring a degree of inconvenience but this short term pain will pave way for long term gains. No longer will the progress and prosperity of rural India be curtailed by corruption and black money. Our villages must get their due. We also have a historic opportunity to embrace increased cashless payments and integrate latest technology in economic transactions."

In a series of tweets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government never denied that the demonetisation drive will not be inconvenient, but "this short term pain will pave way for long term gains."

I always said that the Government's measure will bring a degree of inconvenience: Modi

Slamming the government, West Bengal Chief Minister on her Facebook page slammed the move and said, "One month of harassment, pain, hopelessness, financial insecurity and utter chaos."

Leading members of Opposition took to social media to speak on demonetisation. 8 December marks one month since the Modi government scrapped high-denomination notes and introduced the new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes.

The Opposition parties will meet with BJP leaders as well at around 12 pm on Thursday to discuss demonetisation.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced that it will hold a party meet at 9.30 am on Thursday. According to CNN-News18, the party meet will discuss demonetisation and will be broadcast live. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing the nation as well, the news channel said.

PM said Congress had chance to clean the system in 1971, but it didnt | ANI

'It's a pity that this opposition party, who fought against the Congres both inside the Congress and outside the Congress are ready to work with Congress. Trinamool Congress, CPI (M) are with Congress. Even DMK who had taken talaq from Congress are rallying behind it. They don't even know what their leader is going to talk about. The congress regime was filled with scams. They will have to explain it to the people," he added.

'It's ironic to see that government is fighting corruption, and the opposition is opposing it. Many people are shaken because vested interests are shaken. They are trying to create panic in the public. And therefore, they are trying to tarnish Prime Minster's image,' Venkaiah Naidu said.

It's ironic that parties which opposed Congress are now supporting it: Venkaiah Naidu

Unlike Gandhi, who in a letter dated 24 August, 1974, to all chief ministers, sought selective action against bigger people that could be publicised to counter the perception in the public mind and in Parliament, Modi and his officers were well prepared in advance to scrutinise the shades of unaccounted stash in the country, even if that meant severe criticism of his government.

Modi is not Indira Gandhi and 2016 is not 1974 when TA Pai, the then Union Minister for heavy industry told Gandhi: "Currency has no complexion and it is neither white nor black." (Declassified black money files of prime ministers office, no 37 (465)/74 PMS).

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a televised address on 8 November, told the nation that the existing Rs 500 and 1,000 notes can no longer be used for transactions and they are now mere pieces of papers, he very well knew that a huge number of zero-balance accounts were going to witness sudden activity from the very next morning.

Narendra Modi did what Indira suggested was not for her to do

This means that these notes will not be acceptable for transactions from midnight onwards. The 500 and 1,000 rupee notes hoarded by anti-national and anti-social elements will become just worthless pieces of paper.

To break the grip of corruption and black money, we have decided that the 500 rupee and 1,000 rupee currency notes presently in use will no longer be legal tender from midnight tonight, that is 8th November 2016.

As (Narendra) Modi gets ready to address the nation on 31 December in a stock-taking speech, sober watchers of the game may find no nail-biting finish or clear winner. We might need to use something resembling the Duckworth-Lewis method that cricket scorers use when rains or disruptions mar a match.

As time to submit demonetised notes comes to a close today, people queue up outside RBI offices across India

The government is also planning to come out with an Ordinance making possession of old Rs 500/1,000 notes beyond a specified limit for numismatic purposes illegal and punishable.

People, however, will still have time to exchange the currency notes at designated RBI counters till 31 March after giving valid reasons for not depositing defunct notes in their accounts by 30 December.

The 50-day deadline to deposit the old Rs 500/1,000 notes in banks comes to an end today, but the cash crunch and queues before ATMs are likely to continue for some more time as currency printing presses have failed to meet the huge demand for new bills.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the nation on Saturday after his self-imposed deadline of 50-days for the situation to return to normal ends. While some people are hoping for an extension in the deadline, the government maintained it had no plans to do so.

The deadline to deposit old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in banks ends today. From next week onward, those still holding the scrapped currency can deposit it only with the Reserve Bank of India till 31 March, 2017. After 31 March, holding demonetised notes would be illegal and could invite hefty fines and even jail, according to an ordinance passed by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.

Post #DeMonetisation Govt. to roll out massive campaign. PM's address to the nation on Dec 31st will be beginning of this campaign: Sources

PM Modi could launch massive campaign in his address on New Year

Meanwhile, the RBI's image seems to have been dented significantly during the period. Post the announcement, the action mostly happened in Delhi and the central bank was relegated to the background. Moreover, the frequent rule changes, mostly dictated by the political bosses in Delhi, unfairly affected the central bank's image.

The man who is complaining the most is the one who is affected and that is not the common man, believes Bijoor. He places Modis popularity on a ratio of 80:20 with 80 percent having welcomed the bold move of the PM.

The common man is in the mood to forgive the prime minister as he realises that demonetisation is a big task that irritants like more than 60 policy flip-flops after the announcement of the scheme can be tolerated, says Harish Bijoor, chief executive officer of brand and business strategy firm Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.

The brand Modi might have received a good boost after the demonetisation drive, however, the brand RBI, the monetary authority in charge of the Indian currency, may have taken a huge drubbing, brand experts told Firstpost's Sulekha Nair .

The cash crunch in cities seems to be easing. Just for a lark i went to 5-10 different ATMs on diff days and all yielded cash Queues shorter

(Cont) to deposit the same in any Issue Office of Reserve Bank or a currency chest on December 31, 2016 itself: RBI

SBNs (Specified bank notes) cannot form part of banks cash balances from the close of business as on December 31, 2016: RBI

Specified bank notes (SBNs) cannot form part of banks' cash balances from the close of business as on 31 December, 2016 to deposit the same in any Issue Office of Reserve Bank or a currency chest on 31 December, 2016 itself, RBI said.

Bihar: Tattered demonetised notes of Rs 500 found by locals in Gopalganj. Police on the spot for further investigation #DeMonetisation pic.twitter.com/QmYMDbFRsF

As time to submit demonetised notes comes to a close today, people queue up outside Reserve Bank of India's Kolkata branch #DeMonetisation pic.twitter.com/Ct3HHxhoMP

Delhi: Today being the last day to submit demonetised notes, people seen queuing up outside RBI #DeMonetisation pic.twitter.com/LjhkeRdacC

As time to submit demonetised notes comes to a close today, people queue up outside RBI offices across India

Fearing a jump in footfalls to deposit or withdraw cash following the demonetisation of Rs 500 and 1,000 banknotes, banks will remain open this Saturday and Sunday and its staff will do overtime till 9 pm for the next three days to clear the rush.

Banks also announced a slew of measures, including extension of banking hours, doing away with ATM charges and expanding credit limits to handle the expected huge rush to tender now defunct Rs 500 and 1000 notes.

Bankers have also been advised not to take additional leaves for the next one month, during which the government has asked holders of over 22 billion currency notes that are no longer legal tender, to deposit them in bank accounts.

For public convenience, banks will remain open on coming Saturday and Sunday, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das tweeted.

The Reserve Bank also came out with an order instructing all the banks to be open for business on the coming weekend, including Sunday. RBI also said ATMs will remain shut tomorrow as well.

The nation's largest lender State Bank of India was among the first to announce an extension in banking hours, till 6 pm tomorrow and also said each of its branches will be having a dedicated 'exchange counter' to change the currency notes.

ICICI Bank Managing Director and CEO Chanda Kochhar said the bank's branches will be open till 8 pm on Thursday and Friday. The bank also introduced a slew of relaxations on the electronic payments or withdrawals front.

All charges pertaining to cash deposit into one's accounts will be waived till 30 November and the fees for

transacting at ATMs will also be scrapped till 31 December, ICICI Bank said in a statement.

It has also doubled the daily usage limit of debit cards for use at merchant ends as well as online transactions.

Axis Bank has also waived cash handling charges, and done away with the five free transactions a month limit on its own ATMs and extended banking hours, its president Rajiv Anand told PTI.

While making the announcement to discontinue Rs 500 and 1,000 banknotes yesterday, the government had also announced closure of bank branches and ATMs today. It also announced the launch of newer notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 from 10 November.

People holding to the older notes will be very keen to do away with them and also get the newer series banknotes of higher denomination when the bank branches reopen tomorrow. ICICI Bank said it is ensuring that Rs 2000 and the existing notes of Rs 100 notes are available at its 'main branches' from tomorrow.

It also announced an expansion of up to 20 per cent in the credit limits for 'worthy' customers using its credit cards.

Anand said there is no need for the customers to panic and appealed them to defer their visits to branches, pointing out that there is a 50-day limit to change the older notes.

Anand said the bank also expects a significant jump in alternate channels like the newly introduced UPI, points of sale terminals and mobile and online banking because of the RBI moves.

Kotak Mahindra Bank joint managing director Dipak Gupta said apart from the cultural change in adopting digital faster, we should also see a surge in activation of new bank accounts.

In the biggest-ever move to curb black money, and crime funding Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last night announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bank notes would become illegal tenders from last midnight and massively curbed cash withdrawals through ATMs and from bank counters.

"In order to meet the anticipated heavy demand from members of the public to conduct their banking transactions, it has been decided that banks shall remain open for public transactions on Saturday, 12 November, and Sunday, 13 November, 2016," RBI said in a statement.

Banks are advised to keep all their branches open on 12 and 13 November, 2016, as regular working days for

transacting all business, it said.

RBI also asked banks to give due publicity to the availability of banking services on these days.

As per the normal schedule, the coming Saturday being the second would have been an holiday, but keeping in view the expected rush at the branches, it was decided otherwise. It is, however, not clear whether post offices would be open or not on the weekend. There are about 1.25 lakh post offices across the country.

At the same time, the government and RBI are yet to take a call on keeping banks open on Monday, 14 November, which is a holiday.

There are about 149 scheduled commercial banks, including 56 regional rural banks, with branch network of about 1.30 lakh across the country. Besides, the cooperative banks have also been asked to take deposit and exchange the old with the new one.

The first demonetisation happened under the British rule in 1946 and the first one after the Independence on 16-17 January, 1978 when the Morarji Desai government demonetised bank notes of Rs 1000, 5000 and 10,000 notes.

The news triggered panic and people started queueing up at all ATMs or CDMs to either withdraw money or deposit Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

The banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes account for over 86 per cent of the total Rs 16.42 lakh crore value of bank notes in circulation as of 31 March, 2016, according to Reserve Bank's latest annual report.

For convenience of customers, Financial Services Secretary Anjuly Chib Duggal said banks will be working extra hours.

Meanwhile, SBI said all branches will remain open tomorrow with extended business hours up to 6 pm.

Kochhar said branch timings will be extended by two hours on 10-11 November and branches at prominent locations will remain open from 8 am to 8 pm.

Many other banks like HSBC and PNB has also announced extension of working hours.
Shrugging off ghosts of her taped conversations that once triggered a furore, Niira Radia is back doing what she always loved: strategic advice.

The corporate lobbyist is now backed by two of Ratan Tatas most trusted lieutenants, Tata Trusts trustees NA Soonawala and Rayaroth Kuttambally Krishna Kumar. A confidante of Tata, Kumar had retired from Tata Sons in 2013 and is currently associated with his consultancy firm, RNT Associates, and the group's charitable trusts, which control 66 percent of Tata Sons.

Both have advised Ratan Tata to seek her help to handle the insurmountable crisis of Cyrus Mistry, sacked as chairman of Tata Sons (by the Tatas) over a host of management issues.

There are talks within Tata Sons to let Radia handle some of the communication strategy of Tata Tea, Indias largest packaged tea brand with a dominating market share.

There are also talks of her helping the group in its global operations, including those in London.

Radia, who last surfaced in the media in February this year when newspapers carried her photograph with Tata at the inauguration of her hospital in the outskirts of Mathura, is advising the group to deal with the murky fallout.

Her proximity with some of the top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders is well known in the Delhi political circles. It has to be remembered that Radia was instrumental in shifting the Nano's plant from West Bengal to Gujarat after Mamata Bannerjee-led protests in Singur in 2008. Narendra Modi was then chief minister in Gujarat.

She had brought the two (Tata and Modi) closer and she was never out of the power circuit, said a top source in Delhi, explaining how Radia grew more active ever since the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) dropped all charges relating to her conversations with ministers, lobbyists bureaucrats and top shot editors in the height of the 2G telecom scam in 2019-10.

The transcripts of her telephone conversations, printed on the cover of two news magazines, had her conversations during 2008-09 when the 2G scam was unfolding. The conversations stretched right up to the time when the UPA-2 cabinet was formed after the 2009 polls.

She was interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI and eventually released and all 14 cases of criminality dropped for lack of evidence. It was then rumoured that there was a tacit understanding that she would wrap up her lucrative advocacy business - Vaishnavi Communications - and stay away from lobbying. Radia, realising the odds were not in her favour, walked the extra mile to get out of what many described as a messy case.

In 2010, she had even funded a Krishna temple in South Delhi on her birthday, which, incidentally, coincides with Indira Gandhis.

Radia entered the healthcare business through Nayati Healthcare. The company set up its first multi-super speciality hospital in Mathura. The 351-bed facility was inaugurated by Ratan Tata in February.

It is heartening to see a full fledged specialty hospital being established in Mathura with considerable personal sacrifice, driven by passion and a genuine desire to serve the community, Tata had told reporters at the inauguration.

Radia had then told journalists that she had no regrets about her past and her foray in the corporate world was a great learning.

She told reporters in Mathura about her plans to set up more hospitals in some northern states like Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.

Tatas presence at the Mathura event was an indication that her bridge with one of the most powerful business tycoons remained unaffected. Her weightage with Tata Sons never dipped, except the Mistry camp kept her at an arms length.

But this time around, realising her connections in the power corridors of the Indian capital, both NA Soonawala and R K Krishna Kumar is learnt to have advised Tata to use her to control the damage from some of the negative reporting against the group in the media, especially after Mistrys camp leaked the former chairmans explosive letter relating to his ouster.

Her colleagues called up middle rung journalists in Delhi and Mumbai while Radia met up with some top notch editors personally, explaining Ratan Tatas side of the story, among them being the much-talked sale of the Searock Hotel in Mumbai that many in corporate circles claim is one of the main clogs in the Tata-DoCoMo deals.

She explained how it was important for Ratan Tata to checkmate Mistry before he sold off the family silver. A newspaper in the Indian Capital even reported that many of those she contacted this time were the same media persons who figured in the controversial Radia tapes.

Unlike earlier times where she would directly call journalists, bureaucrats, ministers and lobbyists, Radia - this time - let her office do much of the groundwork and set up appointments between her and the media heads.

The only female lobbyist among Delhi's top notch power brokers, known for her workaholism, grasp of human psychology and technical jargon, is playing it super safe in her second ride with the rich and powerful.

The Tata group has responded to this article. The response is pasted below in its entirety:

Dear Sir,

We wish to draw your urgent attention to the article Ratan Tata-Cyrus Mistry spat: How Niira Radia returned to Tata fold in full swing authored by Mr Shantanu Guha Ray and published on Nov 12, 2016 09:15 IST on the Firstpost website. It is extremely disappointing to note a credible platform, such as Firstpost, lending credence to unsubstantiated and malicious rumours on the Tata groups communication strategies.

The Tata group on numerous occasions has confirmed its association with Rediffusion/ Edelman as its contracted communication agency for the business. It is thus factually incorrect to suggest the return or the engagement of any other individual or agency to manage strategic advice for the group or its senior executives. In this regard, the article sans any verification or validation by the Tata group or Tata executives can only be termed as a mischievous attempt to besmirch the reputation of the organization and its executives.

We urge you to promptly take down the article at the earliest. We further urge you to reach out to me, Ms. Sarika Kapoor Chokshi (skchokshi@tata.com) or our colleagues at Rediffusion/ Edelman, should you need any further assistance or validation of facts and articles you may decide to pursue on the Tata group.

Kind regards,

Debasis Ray

Group Spokesperson

Tata Sons

The author's response to the objections from Tata Sons

It's common knowledge in Delhi as to how Radia is calling up editors, asking them to lend their ears to the Ratan Tata side of the story. There's nothing wrong in that,neither I have said there's anything wrong with her calling up editors in my copy. Nor I have any doubts about Tatas communication strategies, except it's surprising to me - I am sure it is surprising to many journalists as well - that multiple people are calling to clear the air and dirt on behalf of Tata Sons.
Gali Janardhana Reddy is playing mind-games with himself. Born as the son of a mid-level policeman, he believes he is a reincarnation of the 16th century king Krishnadevaraya. This is why the wedding of his daughter Brahmani on 16 November has been turned into an occasion where Reddy can live his dream king size.

This week, Reddy has taken over the 50-acre Palace Grounds in Bengaluru. That is where the Vijayanagara empire will be recreated, complete with the Vijaya Vithala temple architecture of Hampi. It promises to be an out-of-this-world experience, to which only the 50,000 VIP invitees will get access.

It is a bit of a surprise how Reddy, whose assets were confiscated by the investigating authorities during the investigation into the illegal mining case, can afford to splurge on this scale. Unofficial estimates put the expenditure on the wedding at around Rs 500 crore. Reddy himself is not revealing the figure saying he will furnish the details to the concerned departments. But in these times of demonetisation and currency crunch, the bigger mystery is how Reddy is managing to pay all the marriage contractors and workers.

But those who have known Reddy say he has always been larger-than-life. Before his arrest in 2011, he lived in a palatial house, complete with a chopper. He had donated a Rs 40 crore crown to the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala. He even had a 15 kg golden throne for himself and was always surrounded by over a dozen armed security personnel.

The stint behind bars in Hyderabad and Bengaluru central prisons for four years have not diminished his love to live a life of grandeur. Sample his gold-plated wedding invite which got even the Income Tax department interested. It was a LED display video invite produced on a lavish scale with Reddy and family, lip syncing to a choreographed welcome song and dance.

Bellary is where Reddy made his fortune. When he was granted bail last year, he was forbidden from entering Bellary. So he took special permission from the court to travel to Bellary from 1 to 21 November to make arrangements and invite local friends. In the last 12 days, Bellary has been reminded once again of the days when Reddy and his men ruled the district, that had then prompted former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde to label the place as the 'Republic of Bellary'. His reference was to the influence Reddy wielded.

While Reddy and his brother Gali Somasekhara Reddy are inviting the high-profile VIPs personally, buses are also being arranged to ferry others from Bellary to Bengaluru for D-day. Already, Reddy's home in Bellary and even the mountain behind it have been decorated with lights for the last one week.

Reddy, superstitious by nature, believes that it was after his daughter was born, that his fortunes looked up. That explains the splurge for which he wanted to get the who's who of Bollywood and Tollywood to perform at the four-day long star night from 12 to 15 November.

But not everyone has been willing to play ball. A popular Telugu star who was offered Rs 50 lakh to make an appearance, refused to do so, because of the unsavoury tag associated with Reddy.

But those are minor hiccups. The entire set design is being done by Bollywood art directors and grapevine has it that elephants, camels, horses and chariots will add to the royal splendour that Reddy wants recreated.

The Palace grounds will have a dozen helipads for guests from outside Bengaluru to touch down directly at the marriage venue. Pretty much in the demeanour of a king, Reddy has also taken over Bengaluru. News reports indicate that over 1500 rooms in the top star hotels have been booked, along with 2000 cabs.

Though it is very tough now for Reddy to make a return to active politics, it will be of interest to see how the political who's who of Karnataka responds to his invite. Reddy practically funded the BJP for several years, especially around the time it came to power in Karnataka in 2008. Will BS Yeddyurappa whose government he secured by getting in extra MLAs, make an appearance? Risky given that BSY has just won a legal reprieve and would want to ensure a squeaky clean image ahead of the 2018 polls.

The only person who seems set to be part of the entire ceremony is Bellary MP of the BJP, B Sriramulu. He has always been a close associate of Janardhana Reddy.

On the Congress's side, chief minister Siddaramaiah has been extended the multimedia invite. But Karnataka Health minister KR Ramesh Kumar upped the ante by saying "no self-respecting person would attend the wedding''. Interestingly Kumar, a former Speaker, had moved a private member bill in November last year in the Assembly to prevent vulgar splurging by rich families during weddings. The Bill envisaged fixing a maximum rent of Rs 50,000 a day for hiring marriage halls. But the Bill never got support from lawmakers in the House.

The mother of all weddings will also highlight the two two sides of India in Bengaluru this week. On one hand there is this grandeur where there will be free flow of cash and on the other hand, long queues form in front of ATMs and banks, with people waiting for hours to get their hands on Rs 2000 to 4000. The only topped-up ATM in Bengaluru on that day will be Gali Janardhana Reddy.
India and Japan, at last, signed an agreement for cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Both countries took several rounds of negotiations, which helped resolve several sticky issues. Though only limited information has been released by the two governments, a media briefing of the Indian foreign secretary made several issues clear.

The joint document signed by the two countries lays down a roadmap for bilateral cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. "This would provide for the development of nuclear power projects in India and thus strengthening of energy security of the country. The present agreement would open up the door for collaboration between Indian and Japanese industries in our Civil Nuclear programme, it says.

But cutting the deal wasn't easy. There were several questions and concerns raised in the past that delayed the agreement. Some of those concerns remain afloat in both the countries, though they aren't necessarily of the same nature.

Some in Japan argued that a nuclear agreement with India, a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), will undermine the nuclear regime. The reality is that India received a clean exemption in the guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in 2008 and the CTBT is in a coma. Instead, India has been extending a moratorium on its nuclear test, and this is far more relevant than merely signing a non-existent treaty. Besides, India has an impeccable record, and all of its nuclear cooperation agreements are accompanied by the relevant safeguard practices. So, there is no question of diversion of any item supplied for peaceful purposes to a military programme.

The point that a victim of the nuclear attack would find it difficult to sign a peaceful nuclear programme was intriguing. More so, the fact that idea came from a country, which is enjoying nuclear protective umbrella (and till the Fukushima Accident had used nuclear energy to generate about 30% of the country's total electricity production), was definitely bizarre. Even the serious section of the Japanese policy making community found it non-serious and basically a deal-delaying ploy.

The argument that for a country that has stopped using nuclear energy and operating nuclear reactors, it is unethical to export them did have some merit. But the moment Japan started operating some of its reactors and decided to eventually operate its non-operational reactors and add a few more, even this ethical resistance evaporated. However, a section that opposes nuclear energy all over the world kept clinging to this argument.

Other than the ethical and non-proliferation concerns, there were some practical commercial concerns of the Japanese nuclear industry, a major driver for the India-Japan nuclear deal. As the Indian nuclear establishment was basically interested in Japanese technology, not in its reactors, Japanese industry did not find it commercially lucrative to enter into the Indian nuclear market.

It was only when India agreed to buy reactors that the Japanese nuclear industry started seriously working on the deal. Now, it will have to partner with one of the Indian operators like the Nuclear Power Corporation India Limited. A Japanese company, however, will still have less than 50 percent ownership in a nuclear venture. For a short period, Japanese industry also wanted a solution to the nuclear liability issue.

Moreover, Japanese officials wanted proper assurance regarding export control enforcement and outreach for the Indian companies receiving the Japanese goods. India has completely harmonised its export control system along the NSG guidelines and annexes. Besides, India increased its outreach activities for its companies. Some Japanese companies have also started giving export control training to employees of the Indian companies, which are receiving its goods.

In India, too, there were some concerns, and to a certain extent, they exist even now as the two governments have not provided details of the agreement. The India-US 123 agreement is a somewhat detailed document available in the public domain. However, the press briefing of the foreign secretary, Jai Shankar sought to clear the air after the signature ceremony. He informed that all the stages of India-US agreements for civil nuclear energy were compressed in one document for the India-Japan deal.

Implicitly, the foreign secretary conveyed that the template of the 123 agreement had been taken for drafting the India-Japan agreement. Administrative arrangements for India-Japan specific would be worked out later, although the technical annexure attached to the agreement may already have some of the arrangements. But the basic parameters of the agreement would not be different.

The termination clause, one of the concerns in India, exists in the agreement. As the Indian foreign secretary rightly pointed out, it exists in most of the agreements. So, is the concern in India, that in the event of a nuclear test, the deal will be nullified, true?

Theoretically, it is possible. A termination clause exists in the India-US 123 agreement as well, though a nuclear test is not explicitly mentioned. The agreement with the US has provisions for consultation between the two countries and remedial action for India in the case of a termination. The agreement with Japan is not radically different from that.

India will continue to have its right to conduct nuclear tests if the strategic environment changes dramatically and adversely affect Indias security. In such a situation, in reality, both the US and Japan may appreciate the Indian situation. Indias security interests are fast converging with both the countries. Quite importantly, by all the assessments, the next round of nuclear tests in the world will start either with the US or China. So, India may not have much difficulty in managing the situation after its own nuclear tests, which may follow after the tests of these countries.

Regarding reprocessing, too, seemingly, the India-Japan agreement has adopted the 123 model. Reprocessing will be done at a dedicated safeguarded site. In fact, India may help Japan in reprocessing its fuel which it sends outside. Moreover, India and Japan may in the future undertake joint research and development projects.

But still, one question emerges. Why did India focus so much on entering into an agreement with Japan when so many countries were willing to do business with it and have already signed agreements for the purpose? Actually, Japan is preferred because of its reliability and trustworthiness. It is not known for imposing additionalities. Second, its technology is considered more advanced than many of the countries active in global nuclear reactor commerce.

Third, important Japanese nuclear companies have bought stakes in the companies of some of the supplier countries. An agreement with Japan will solve the issue of taking a consent from Japan for doing business with the companies of those countries. Fourth, Japan is emerging as an important strategic partner of India in managing Asian affairs. Together the two countries may push the idea of Asiatom.

Fifth, Japan, a country with advanced technology but declining population, may provide both a base and an opportunity for the Indian scientific force. It could be a win-win situation for both the countries. It is indicated that both the countries may do some innovative work on safety and security, though other countries have the similar provision in their agreements with India.

In the future, the two countries have to consolidate what they have agreed, covered and gained so far. The deal will turn out mutually beneficially for both. India will get its much-needed electricity and technological partnership and Japan will get a market for its companies which are facing a tough situation for several years even before the Fukushima incidents. Really, the sky is the limit for India and Japan in the nuclear and other strategic sectors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has had a special relationship with Japan ever since his days as the chief minister of Gujarat. Today, in his latest visit, he brought to a successful conclusion an agreement for civilian nuclear cooperation between India and Japan. Negotiated over for six years, this agreement has been eagerly anticipated in many circles for what it represents rather than what it actually promises. Despite the pessimism in some corners, the treaty is an impressive achievement of which both Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe can be proud.

According to media reports, the Indo-Japanese nuclear agreement will allow Tokyo to transfer nuclear fuel, equipment, and technology to Delhi for use in its energy programme. India retains a default right to reprocess spent fuel  under safeguards, of course  and may also enrich uranium fuel up to a concentration of 20 percent uranium-235. However, written permission from Tokyo will be required to exceed this limit beyond which the fuel becomes suitable for use in nuclear warheads. This is not an entirely unimaginable situation. Highly-enriched uranium allows for greater miniaturisation of nuclear reactors, a useful trait for nuclear propulsion, and with India preparing to embark on building a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers, less theoretical than it sounds at first. Furthermore, even the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty  to which Japan is a signatory but India is not  recognises the right of states to pursue nuclear propulsion.

These permissions were a major sticking point for India during the negotiations, for they represented to Delhi an international recognition of its nuclear maturity. While India may be seen to have won this point with Japan, Modi had to concede to Abe the inclusion of a nullification clause into the treaty that India had objected to until now. The addition stipulates that Japan may suspend the nuclear agreement in the event of India conducting nuclear tests, even with its own resources. This was an important concession for Abe to have, whose domestic constituency has largely been against such deals with non-NPT members and nuclear energy in general.

It is hoped that the nuclear cooperation agreement will breathe new life into Japans flailing nuclear industry. With a hostile public environment domestically post the Fukushima incident and a tepid reaction to nuclear energy in the developed world, India remains one of the few countries that maintains aggressive plans for the expansion of nuclear power in its energy mix. These hopes may, however, be misplaced. Although India announced an ambitious target of 63 GW of nuclear energy capacity by 2032, up from about 4.8 GW then, not a single nuclear reactor has come online since the conclusion of the Indo-US nuclear deal in 2008  Kudankulam was part of an earlier agreement with the Soviet Union in 1988  that ended Indias four-decade status as a nuclear pariah since the 1974 test of a peaceful nuclear explosive at Pokhran. In fact, not even a single new nuclear project has been commissioned in the past eight years despite the countrys critical energy needs.

One reason for this is the suicidal civil nuclear liability law co-authored by Modis own party, the Bharatiya Janata Party. Designed to prevent the Congress from claiming a win with the Indo-US nuclear deal, it has now, some would say karmically, obstructed even the BJP's efforts to create a nuclear renaissance in the country. A second and often neglected reason is that nuclear energy has not been the priority of this government  neither the minister of state for atomic energy nor the prime minister's office has hauled up the sluggish bureaucrats at the Department of Atomic Energy for the slow pace of domestic development.

There is, to be sure, some room for optimism  the agreement with Japan will make the it easier for Western companies like Westinghouse and Areva who source several important components of their reactors from Japan. However, Tokyo still remains bound by the Nuclear Suppliers Group's trigger list of prohibited and dual-use items that will deny Delhi some of the most sought after technologies such as isostatic presses, lasers, and certain alloys. India's dependence on a global nuclear cartel will not be affected much and any latent Make-in-India ambitions will have to remain so.

Although Indias nuclear agreement with Japan does not bring it to the threshold of a clean energy renaissance, it is still important for several reasons. First, it must be noticed that Japan has made an exception for India in that it did not let the countrys non-NPT member status get in the way of the treaty

Nuclear cooperation is reserved for only between states with a high degree of trust between them and a compact that accepts such a fundamental aspect of the non-proliferation regime must be even more so. Second, Japan has dropped its demands that India takes meaningful steps towards the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty. While this may seem a small concession sitting in Delhi, treaties such as these have become almost a creed with the Japanese government as well as people. Abe's weltanschauung and presence at the helm are fortuitous for Modi.

An ambitious agenda for both leaders, at the appropriate time, would be to extend nuclear relations to their fast breeder reactor programmes and to initiate plutonium trade under safeguards. This holds immeasurable benefits to both countries but would require substantial politico-diplomatic effort, both domestically and internationally.

The dragon in the room, everyone pointedly ignoring, is China. Both Modi and Abe realise the threat their giant neighbour presents, especially with its newfound assertiveness, and have worked to develop the bonhomie between their two states into a strategic partnership. Modi has referred to Japan several times as a natural partner and indeed it is so. Tokyo's financial and technological strength complements India's need for both as well as the size and strategic geography. Japan has invested heavily in Indias growth, making exceptions for it in nuclear cooperation, amending its constitution to allow defence relations and assistance in high-end infrastructural development.

These common perceptions of the Asia-Pacific region will continue to fuel an Indo-Japanese entente, especially as both countries outgrow their passivity in response to their common neighbour. Japan's lack of interest in Pakistan and Indias indifference towards N Korea probably keeps both countries out of each others core circle but the confluence of visions is unmistakable. The Indo-Japanese agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation may not radically alter Indias energy scene or even amount to much for various reasons but it is nonetheless a vital part of a larger and more important relationship that could define the 21st century.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he was aware of the hardship people were facing in India because of the demonetisation move, but emphasised that it was necessary in the larger interests of the nation.

Addressing the Indian diaspora in Japan, Modi said people back home were hailing his decision of rendering Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes invalid but some of them were being prodded to speak against the government because of politics.

"I know it is difficult. People are made to speak against Modi but I salute the people... some stood in the queues for five hours, six hours but endured the hardship. The same way as people in Japan endured in 2011," he said, referring the earthquake-triggered tsunami five years ago that hit Japan.

He said the government had not taken the decision on demonetisation in haste. "We had given 50 days to people to show their unaccounted wealth till September," before the government decided to render the large currency bills illegal tender.

Humne gareebon se kaha ki agar aapke paas ek naya paisa bhi nahi hoga toh bhi aapka bank khulega: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/BLPhyh7dre  ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

#WATCH: PM Narendra Modi on scrapping of Rs 500/1000 notes, says "was important to keep it a secret, couldn't share it with anyone" pic.twitter.com/qbYyegw8CV  ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

Will check records since Independence. If I come across unaccounted cash, no body will be spared: PM Narendra Modi in Japan pic.twitter.com/nsUXhY0wFL  ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

Ye scheme poori hone ke baad doosra kuch aapko thikaane lagane ko nahin aayga, iski guarantee nahin hai: PM Modi in Japan pic.twitter.com/CSGtlm4z4r  ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

He warned the black-money hoarders that there is no guarantee that they would not have to take more steps after the end of this scheme, to hide their money.

"We will check all the records since Independence. If I come across any unaccounted cash, no one will be spared," Modi said, addressing the Indian diaspora here.

He said if the money that surfaces in the banking system comes without its legitimacy and source then there will be proper scrutiny since the beginning.

"I believe very clearly, that unaccounted money if it comes to light, then the accounts will be scanned from Independence."

He said the government would bring in as many people as possible to do this work.

His remarks come in the wake of the government demonetizing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes from midnight of 8 November.

Modi's speech was in response to the allegations made by opposing parties who have questioned Modi's scheme and his strike against the 'poor of the nation'.

With inputs from IANS
Interview 1

Question: Do you support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's move, nay, surgical strike to demonetise 500 and 1000 rupee currency notes?

Answer: Yes.

Response: Great. You are a true patriot committed to nation building and rooting out black money from India.

Interview 2

Question: Do you support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surgical strike to demonetise 500 and 1000 rupee currency notes?

Answer: Yes. But banks should have been better prepared. All it has meant is worry and a lot of trouble.

Response: You black money hoarder. Anti-national. You must be unhappy because all your black money has gone waste. You should be in jail.

Welcome to life in black and white in India. Not that surgical strikes, Rohith Vemula, beef ban, Kashmir, Pakistan, etc, had not polarised India. But the demonetisation has taken the divide to a new level. You are simply not patriotic enough if you complain about having to stand in an ATM queue for two hours and more. Or sweat it out at a bank branch to withdraw Rs 4,000, waiting for up to four to six hours in some cases. Especially when bank employees  the new soldiers  are overstretching themselves.

This is not to say that the move to ban big ticket currency notes is devoid of any logic. A lot of real estate developers, politicians, businessmen, medical college capitation fee barons are known to sit on tonnes of black money. The common man was led to believe that the real target is them. But after the initial scare that they will come under the scanner, the more smart ones seem to have found a way around it.

A Maharashtra politician told a friend how he had Rs 70 lakh in cash at his home when Modi announced it was illegal tender. He claimed that he distributed the money among many of his supporters the next day, keeping it under Rs 2.5 lakh each. All that money will be returned to him, minus a commission, as white in December.

I also heard the amusing tale of a politician in another state who had kept cash ready to 'buy' a position within his party. Now, he has requested the high command for more time to arrange the money in denominations of Rs 2,000.

But do we see any such people sweating it out at a bank? No. It is the common man who is affected and his anger is showing. He is dismayed that Modi undertook this exercise with the banks simply not prepared to execute it on the ground. SBI is on record to say it will take 10 days for ATMs to work like earlier.

With India in the grip of withdrawal symptoms, ab ki baar, Modi sarkaar has been replaced by ab ki baar, lambi qatar.

Less than 32 percent of Indians have access to banks and post offices, according to the finance ministry's banking division. RBI data reveals that there is one bank for 9,500 Indians. That is reflecting in the panic in India's cities, towns and villages since 10 November. A Hindustan Times report reveals that one-third of the 1.38 lakh bank branches are concentrated in 60 cities. 253 of the 677 districts in India have less than 100 bank branches.

Unfortunately, the media focus is only on the cities and does not adequately reflect the picture in non-metro India. Reports from Jammu & Kashmir, the north-east or remote towns and villages, indicate that the new currency of Rs 2,000 or even Rs 500 notes have not reached many banks in sufficient numbers. Much of rural and semi-rural India works with liquid cash and is therefore at its wits end on how to legalise cash whose expiry date was announced suddenly.

The worst hit are those who are not on plastic money and have to take care of urgent medical expenditure. Private hospitals and chemists are not accepting old notes nor extending credit. The Rs 4,000 limit that has been imposed on withdrawals from banks mean it is a hand-to-mouth existence for many who are already in trouble.

Senior citizens are put to grief, having to stand long hours in serpentine queues. A 73-year-old man, Vishwanath Vartak, collapsed while waiting in Mulund in Mumbai and died. The PM told us there will be inconvenience. He did not warn people could also die.

Foreign tourists who have withdrawn money after landing in India are among the worst hit. Instead of enjoying the sights and sounds of India, they are scampering around in an alien land, trying to secure legal currency. Incredible India indeed.

The trader class, the support base of the BJP, is annoyed given that most wholesale shopkeepers choose to keep liquid cash to buy material every day. Very few of them deposit money in a bank. Many of them have incurred losses because of the liquidity drying up in the market. Their simmering anger should worry Modi.

With India in the grip of withdrawal symptoms, ab ki baar, Modi sarkaar has been replaced by ab ki baar, lambi qatar.

No one is arguing against the move to fight black money. But surely the system could have been better prepared for the strike.

While the black money converted into white may come into the banking system, how much of the fake currency will get weeded out? If the fake currency is already in circulation, it only means that one or two of the notes that you or I deposit in the bank, will turn out fake. Who takes the hit in that case? The common man.

But even if we ignore all these problems that are likely to last for a few more days, it is the aggressive posturing by the BJP bhakts that is nauseating. To project every complaint or grouse as an act of treason is the new extreme right-wing.

On Friday, I had tweeted about 55-year-old Vinoda who committed suicide in Mahabubabad district of Telangana. She had sold 12 acres of land and almost Rs 50 lakh was reportedly kept in cash in the almirah at their home because there was a dispute between the son and daughters on how much each would get. Hearsay on demonetisation reportedly triggered panic in the mother that all the money may go waste. She killed herself.

"Why don't you also kill yourself?" was a tweet in reply to mine. Many others, as if working in tandem, bombarded me with tweets accusing me of being a Kejriwal and Congress agent, out to give the PM's scheme a bad name. It is this attempt to bulldoze any contrarian view, the urge to black out any news they don't see palatable to them, that is worrying.

Many of us, me included, voted for Modi in 2014 and may still do so in 2019. But the PM should be wary of the damage that the troll sena masquerading as independent opinion, that his party has unleashed will do to his prospects.

Life is never black and white. It is more often than not, several shades of grey.
Corporal Jarrod Bramsen served in the United States Marine Corps from June 1990 to June 1994 as an anti-tank assault man and 60 mm mortar man in the First Marines Division.

On Feb. 23, 1991, Bramsen was sent into Kuwait with Task Force Papa Bear during Desert Storm. The task force attacked into Kuwait and continued to the vicinity of Kuwait International Airport, where things settled down on Feb. 27.

I was 18 years old going to Desert Storm with Task Force Papa Bear, Bramsen said. And I was one of the lead elements going into Kuwait.

During training, the ramp of the amtrak came down slowly and the Marines would run through the exercises knowing they were safe.

When the ramp of the amtrak fell off, everything got real in a hurry. I just did my job and tried to stay alive, he said.

Bramsen remembers digging fighting holes and then burying them and moving on to the next location.

Everything from your training comes back to you and you just do it when you are in war, he said. Everything is heightened. I still smell oil to this day and it takes me back to the war. All our stuff was covered in oil from the burning oil. I will never forget it. It was a short, little war, but it was intense.

He said the feeling of being in combat is almost liked a high.

Its not so much what you saw or what you did while you were in battle, Bramsen said. Its more what you dont have to replace that. I dont think anything can replace the closeness you have with other people. We put our lives in other peoples hands. That kind of closeness cant be fulfilled anywhere else.

In 1993 Bramsen was sent to Mogadishu, Somalia, where he was part of Operation Restore Hope.

We went over there to try to help them, but then it turned into a hostile situation, Bramsen said. We ended up setting up gates and taking away weapons. They didnt seem to like us a lot.

Bramsen said he had a lot of good times in the Marine Corps and wouldnt trade it for the world.

I was 18, 19, 20 years old, he said. I got to see the world and I have done things other people have never done and will never have the chance to experience.

He encourages anyone who is interested to become a Marine.

Because of my service I am more able to adapt to things and understand things that I wouldnt have been able to before, Bramsen said.
Sticking points in implementation of the Jan Dhan Yojna showed us how weak our banking sector is in dealing with such changes. And these points should have been factored in.

Usha Rani, 55, resident of Chilla Village in East Delhi is clueless as to how she would buy groceries for her evening meal. She, like lot of other women of her locality, who work as house help, prefers to keep a larger part of their savings with themselves and buy groceries and vegetables on daily basis.

Sadly, all her employers gave her Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes this month, which she is clueless about where to use.

Using debit card is still an 'unimaginable' thing for the likes of Usha, who do not know to read and write.

With the help of one of her employers, Usha deposits a regular sum in her bank account, but visiting a bank branch or an ATM to deposit or withdraw money is still a very rare thing for her.

For Usha, her old and rusted iron trunk is still her most accessible bank, and for millions like her.

In August 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his very ambitious financial inclusion scheme Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY). The idea was to instill the banking habit among people by giving each households at least one bank account.

As stated by the vision document of the PMJDY, the plan envisaged "universal access to banking facilities with at least one basic banking account for every household, financial literacy, access to credit, insurance and pension facility. In addition, the beneficiaries would get RuPay Debit card having inbuilt accident insurance cover of  1 lakh".

In January 2015, in less that five months, 11.5 crore accounts were opened under Jan Dhan Yojana. The figure fetches the government a Guinness Book of World Records entry for opening the maximum number of bank accounts in the shortest possible time.

But along with this motivating figure was another that raised serious concern that was of non-operational or zero balance account. Out of total 11.5 crore accounts that were opened only 28 percent were operational.

At that time Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, while speaking on this issue of zero-balance accounts, had said that the direct benefit transfer will make sure that non-operational accounts are made operative in coming times.

That happened to a great extent. But that only made the accounts operational. That did not mean that banking habits were instilled among people at large.

As of now, under the scheme, 23.37 crore accounts were opened till 2 November. According to official statistics, 100 percent household coverage in majority of the states have been achieved.

Now consider this: According to official data 23.37 percent of the accounts are still having zero balance. When converted into numbers it runs into crores.

A report published in The Indian Express in September revealed how banks concerned about the huge number of non-operational accounts, were "quietly making one-rupee deposits, many from their own allowances, some from money kept aside for office maintenance. Their ostensible goal: to reduce the branchs tally of zero-balance accounts.

The report stated, As many as 20 branch managers and officials told The Indian Express, on the condition that they not be identified, that there is 'pressure' on them to show that zero-balance accounts are falling in number."

In August 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his very ambitious financial inclusion scheme Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY). The idea was to instill the banking habit among people by giving each households at least one bank account.

During the field visit to different states to report about the implementation of the PMJDY in 2014 and 2015, it became evident that lack of financial literacy and appropriate banking infrastructure were some of the biggest sticking points.

The sudden launch of the PMJDY with a massive target of opening 7.5 crore accounts, which was later revised to 10 crore, left the banking infrastructure in lurch. Duplication of accounts, wrong seeding with Aadhaar for DBT, that followed the launch of the scheme highlighted the problems in banking infrastructure and lack of financial literacy.

Apart from the media glare of the national capital, in smaller towns and villages, people had to struggle to get their subsidy money. In many cases in Bihar, people were not regularly getting their DBT and LPG subsidy and intense apathy of the bank officials were evident.

In the entire PMJDY, it was complementary components of the plan (in-built accident insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh, and an overdraft facility of Rs 5,000) that motivated people to open accounts and not the fact that they were to become part of the formal banking structure.

And this is the reason a resentment is being slowly building among the people as they are clueless as to how to deal with the situation.

Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Bimal Jalan while commenting upon governments decision said, This is a very good move. Nobody can say that we should not do anything to tackle black money. It will have a clear impact on unaccounted transactions. The question now is of implementing it in a way that it does not cause any disruption in trade and daily transactions made by people. We have to see if we have the enough banking infrastructure in our country that can help the smooth implementation of this decision. Like in the rural areas people might face problem as there is still lots of cash transactions."

As highlighted by Jalan, formal banking and use of debit cards is still not a regular feat for millions of people living in rural and semi-urban areas. During the implementation of the PMJDY, it became evident that Indias banking infrastructure was under immense constrain due to huge numbers of accounts that were to be opened under the scheme.

In this context, the government was supposed to have dealt this issue with some sincerity before launching the scheme.

The consequences of ignoring it are apparent. With a host of ATMs not working, banking staff grappling with insane amount of crowd and all sort of rumours doing rounds, the situation is becoming difficult.

In many cases, people when trying to exchange their Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes are forcefully given Rs 2,000 notes. For a person belonging to lower income group, buying vegetables for Rs 40 is becoming an impossible task. For someone like Ravi, who works as janitor at a private firm, it is like being "robbed of your ability to live in one stroke".

DK Singh, who works as caretaker of a hosing society in Delhi, says, "The problem is not that government has banned these notes. But the issue is that whether they made enough provisions to help customers replace it. Yesterday, after standing for three hours in the queue, I got one Rs 2,000 note. Do you think it is very easy to exchange it if you buy something even for Rs 500, when Rs 100 notes have suddenly become so scare?"

While there can be little doubt about the fair intention of the government behind the decision, the problem lies somewhere else. The problem lies in the inability of the government to aptly ascertain the capability of its banking structure, the extent of population which is still not part of formal banking structure and huge magnitude of cash transactions. If only government could have weighed in these factors and then acted, it would have been win-win situation for all honest stakeholders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "shock-and-awe" move against black economy has hit it where it hurts the most. The demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes has broken the spine of "hawala" transactions that involve some of the biggest and most voluminous paperless money transactions in India.

According to market sources, the sudden demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes has virtually crippled informal and illegal money transactions.

"Prime Minister's move to curb fake currency circulation will also hit illegal trades like hawala trade and dabba trade because these are potential sources of black money," a senior government official told Firstpost on condition of anonymity.

Modis action, a death knell to hawala

According to market sources, who are in the know of hawala activities say that governments move has proved a "death knell" for the trade.

PM Modis masterstroke of demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes has rendered the unaccounted cash lying with the hawala brokers useless. These are now mere papers. Its an excellent step and by one stroke the PM has dealt with the corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and Hawala traders, said chartered accountant Abhishek Aneja.

The hawala trade has collapsed overnight due to the demonetisation of the currency, a Delhi-based businessman told Firstpost on the condition of anonymity. "Large volumes of cash lying with these brokers have now turned redundant, as it wont be a part of the economy. It's a big blow to those involved in hawala racket and it won't revive in the next three months. Many traders are likely to go bankrupt. It needs to be seen how many traders will survive to carry on the trade in days to come. It's also a big jolt to India's film industry," he added.

Agreed a Surat-based businessman. "Hawala trade and dabba trade are big in Gujarat and the PM's announcement has completely routed it. Its a big move. Next time one would think twice before venturing into it."

However, Aneja says that the demonetisation move alone won't be sufficient. The government should also ensure the protection of honest taxpayers. While on one hand government wants to act tough against black money hoarders, on the other the proposed amendments in the Prevention of Corruption Act speak differently, he added.

Few facts on hawala trade

Though hawala trading has been in practice in India and other parts of the world for decades, it became popular amongst the masses in India due to the infamous Jain Hawala scandal and Bollywood.

The Jain Hawala scandal

The Jain Hawala scandal also known as Jain Hawala scam was a political scandal between 1988-91 involving payments allegedly sent by politicians (black money) through four hawala agents  the Jain brothers. It was a US $18 million bribery scandal that named some of the country's prominent politicians. It was also alleged that payments were made to Hizbul Mujahideen militants in Kashmir. The CBI during its investigation came to know about a "red diary" that allegedly had the names of politicians, bureaucrats and a few prominent others, who sought the service of Jain brothers.

Indian cinema industry and hawala trade

An Income Tax departments report on Mumbais film industry (Bollywood) finds a significant use of hawala channels for funding films and transfer of money to Pakistan and other countries. It leads to a big quantum of tax evasion and black money generation. According to a recent newspaper report, hawala transactions of around Rs 2000 crore take place in Mumbai alone per day.

What is hawala trade?

Hawala literally means "trust based reference". Hawala trade works outside the legal banking and financial systems. The remittance takes place on the basis of communication through a reference code between two hawala agents or brokers on behalf of their clients. "Hawala is an illegal channel and transaction through it is a crime. The channel is used to convert black money into white. Major hawala transactions are related to undisclosed money," says

How does it operate?

A client (X) in India goes to a hawala agent (A1) and hands over to him an amount of cash, which he wants to be transferred to his friend (Y) in London. A1 gives a "code" to X and tells him to communicate the "code" to Y and also gives an address from where the latter can collect the amount. Meanwhile, A1 communicates his counterpart agent A2 in London. When Y reaches the destination communicated to him by X, he receives the amount in the currency of that country, say pound. In the process, A1 charges his commission from A1.

Characteristics of hawala trading

Hawala trading is based on trust, has no records or paper trail and legal enforcement, is fast, flexible, non-bureaucratic, and charges low commission rate, but its illegal. There is never a physical transfer of money in the process and the channel is always anonymous. In a hawala transaction, the money enters the hawala system in local currency (say Indian Rupee) and leaves as a foreign currency (US dollar if remitted in the US).

The dark side of hawala

Besides, transfer of money by businessmen and traders, theres also a dark side of hawala trade. According to intelligence and security agencies, hawala route is used in funding by criminal and terrorist outfits. It has a potential role in money laundering as well.

Major centres

Almost every city in India has hawala traders, but major transactions take place in Mumbai, Gujarat and New Delhi.

What does Financial Action Task Force (FATF) report say on hawala trade?

An independent inter-governmental body, FATF in a 2013 report on the role of hawala has mentioned that the channel had been used for funding terror outfits. The report pointed out that "quite a few cases" in India shows how hawala funds from abroad entered the country to fund terrorist organisations.
Lucknow: BJP national president Amit Shah said on Saturday that his party has not decided whether to project anyone as its chief ministerial candidate in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

In several states like Rajasthan, Chhatishgarh, Gujarat, Goa and Madhya Pradesh no one was projected as the CM face, he said.

"The party has not yet decided whether it will go to the polls projecting a CM face or not", he said at a programme.

Shah's reply came to a specific question whether BJP will project Home Minister Rajnath Singh or party MP Yogi Adityanath for the key post.

The BJP president said that BJP is cadre-based party where internal democracy is still alive.

"It is not as if being born into a particular family will make an individual a leader...all have to work hard in my party...have to sweat it out", he said.

On UP, he said there are immense possibilities and the development of the country is not possible without the development of the state.

"BJP believes in politics of performance and not appeasement," he said spelling out three priorities for UP  infrastructure development, youth-oriented employment facilities and better law and order.

"Government in UP should be for people, not for a family, BJP stands for politics of performance, not appeasement," Shah said claiming that law and order situation in BJP ruled states was much better as per the National Crime Records Bureau.

To a question, Shah said, "I have to expand my party...it is not my responsibility to take care of other parties...some political parties will be weakened in times to come...my aim is to strengthen my party".
Those who thought that they would not incur the liability and need not have fear of any kind in depositing old or demonetised currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 beware. Even worse, the long unending queues before banks and ATMs may become a bit thinner in days to come but it is not going to end anytime soon.

The war against black money, fake currency, hawala, terror financing, drugs and so on will take its own kind of toll on common men and women. They will have to face their share of short-term hardships. The situation as it prevails now gives a sense that the government overestimated the strength and efficiency of its banking infrastructure. The intentions behind this decisive move were right and praiseworthy. But somewhere while taking this bold and brave decision it misjudged the logistical issues and capacities.

Those who looked up to Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys press conference on Saturday to get a clear assurance and a possible date for banking infrastructure to function as in the good old pre-8 November days when cash was available within minutes, would be disappointed. The finance minister said the banks could not be told before the 8 November evening address to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to recalibrate their ATMs because of understandable secrecy reasons. Each of the over two lakh ATMs in the country will have to be physically calibrated, two of cash boxes inside the machine changed and the software there synced with the central system for them to function normally. This process according to the finance minister will take two to three weeks time if not more.

His assurance was that there was enough cash in the 4,000 RBI currency chests spread across the country, thus there was no reason to rush. Jaitley said the problem was logistical in some places as notes of higher denominations were available than the currency notes which customers wanted.

But more than what Jaitley said would concern people was the fact that whatever amount was being deposited in the banks was being monitored by the concerned revenue departments  Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate. Cropping up of sudden money from nowhere and the rise in deposits in Jan Dhan accounts are also being factored in. In fact, Jaitley spoke about money deposits in Jan Dhan accounts twice  once on his own and second in response to a query  during the course of the press conference.

Jaitley's contention was that the revenue departments are keeping a close eye on the deposits in Jan Dhan or any other savings accounts. This is in contravention to the initial assurance given by the government, as also to the assurance given by the BJP president Amit Shah at a specially called media briefing on Friday at the party headquarters. Shah had said, "Those who have currency notes in the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 below Rs 2.5 lakh, would have no issue by putting it in their bank accounts and no one in the process will have to face any inquiry." Later the party even issued the same statement as a press release.

The BJP has a social constituency. Unnecessary harassment by the income tax and other revenue departments to those who made genuine household savings could turn them against the party. Jaitley, however, maintained that this was being done with the aim of attaining clean transaction, clean money.

The finance minister was also unrelenting on hardships faced by small traders and hawkers, like those fruit and vegetable vendors who wouldnt get supply from the wholesalers due to the paucity of cash. "Why should wholesale business be transacted in cash? Every exemption is a gateway to corruption."

It was also time for Jaitley to take to rival political parties  the Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Aam Aadmi Party.

"The political reactions that are coming in, some are most irresponsible. A demand for one week reprieve (by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has been made. This gives the whole game away," the Union minister said.

Training his guns at the Congress, he said the party said this morning that "it's our money, so why should we stand in line." It "could be your money" but the government and the people have a right to know whether "you have paid taxes". The government will insist on that.

Aam Admi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal who saw a scam behind the demonetisation move was strongly rebutted by Jaitley. The Delhi chief minister even charged that the deposits in the banks have increased in the last quarter. The finance minister said he had all the deposit figures from RBI and in the last one year there has been a spike in deposit figures only once in September. Jaitley said that Kejriwal should have applied his mind and seen the rationale before pressing the charge. The minister said that due to the pay arrears of Seventh Pay Commission which was released on 31 Agust there was a spurt in bank deposits.

The arrears were deposited in bank accounts between 21 August to 15 September and "on that basis a concocted story was made" by Kejriwal, Jaitley said.

The finance minister and the top brass in the government should, however, note that whatever politically motivated concoction is being made by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal, Mulayam and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawti, would not have any taker if the public at large is not inconvenienced beyond the tolerable limit. But if the hardship persists for weeks to come then there could be some bad publicity which the Modi government will have to guard against.
Communist, poet, activist and writer Vara Vara Rao is not known to mince his words. He is angry at the coming together of imperialism and Hindutva  a dangerous cocktail which, he says, is bent upon killing the Maoist armed rebels. Following the 24 October encounter in Malkangiri, Odisha, when 31 Maoists were gunned down in the wee hours of the morning while they were camping in the forest, Vara Vara Rao and other civil liberties activists have called for justice for those killed. They have also alleged that the encounter was "fake" and that Maoists were tortured brutally before being killed.

Raos engagement with the Maoist cause goes back many decades. He was one of the negotiators between Maoists and the YS Rajashekhar Reddy (also known as YSR)-led Congress government in united Andhra Pradesh in 2004. The talks failed and the state, once again, unleashed attacks not only on the Maoists but also foisted cases on Rao and other negotiators, throwing them in jail for months.

A renowned writer, poet and founder member of Virasam  a Revolutionary Writers Association, Rao lives in Hyderabad and spoke exclusively to Manasa Chennapragada on the recent Malkangiri encounter.

Manasa Chennapragada (MC): In your opinion, is the NDA government more aggressive towards Maoist rebels than the UPA government was? Please explain.

Vara Vara Rao (VVR): Green Hunt Operation started during 2009 at the time of Manmohan Singh. Now it has reached its third phase and Modi has given it another name  Mission 2016. If you talk from the philosophical point of view, the imperialist has joined the Hindutva brigade. The Modi government, during induction itself had said that it is going to implement Gujarat model all over India. What is the NDA government doing in Chhattisgarh, Dandakaranya and elsewhere? Rajnath Singh twice congratulated the Chief Minister and DGP (of Andhra Pradesh), in fact, earlier to this action (Malkangiri encounter) he had been to Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Its a green signal from the central government, and the result is the Bejangi encounter. And, Chandrababy Naidu being a part of NDA, is also responsible. Naidu and Modi alliance is more aggressive because they believe the Maoist moment is a law-and-order problem, not a socio-economic problem. Naidu and Modi government is more ruthless as they are serving a World Bank programme in implementing the imperialist globalisation policy along with Hindutva philosophy.

MC: What do you think happened in the Malkangiri encounter?

VVR: The government target was the leadership of the party RK (Ramakrishna, a prominent Maoist leader), Uday, Chalapathi and Aruna and that leadership was not caught. They targeted them 16 times but couldnt find the place they were. During the 17th time they were able to locate and kill other people.

MC: Sudhakar Reddy, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India, alleges that the Malkangiri killing was not an encounter. He says it appears Maoists had been arrested and later gunned down. Your comments?

VVR: Some of them were caught in the second round and tortured  Prabhakar, Barathi and Daya. That way it is not an encounter.

MC: Do you feel the TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samiti) government in Telangana is friendlier towards the Maoists than earlier regimes?

VVR: It (TRS regime) is Naidu plus YSR, former Congress CM of united AP. See the silence of the TRS government. We see it was Naidus action that happened in the Andhra-Odisha border. Among the 31 people who died, three people are from Telangana. Prabhakar worked for Telangana (from 1997 to 2014) longer than Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana CM) who worked from 2001 to 2014. Daya from Nalgonda district has 25 years of experience and Bharathi comes from Medak district. Even for them Telangana government didnt raise its voice. When we protested against encounter killings they implicated cases against us. They are not friendly, and we dont any government to be friendly with us. We just want you to obey your principals and the Fundamental Rights of the Constitution. We want the government to be friendly with the people.

MC: Please tell us about the press release from Maoists threatening to kill the AP CM and his family.

VVR: It was a police statement. They (Maoists) did not make that threat. Also we dont believe in suicide squads.

MC: Let us delve into some history now. You were part of the negotiators team that organised peace talks between Maoists and the YSR government. What has been the aftermath of the failure of the 2004 peace talks?

VVR: Talks have to be taken in two phases  first phase was restoration of democratic rights and second was land reforms. There was also a third phase called self-reliance in which ban on liquor and a separate Telangana was called for. Talks went on well for four days. The problem started when the government proposed 1 crore 20 lakhs acres of land, which is under occupation under 35 categories to industries, media etc. Under the (Maoist) leadership our people have occupied a portion of the land like in plain areas, (we have) three lakh acres of land and in forest area (another) three lakh acres of land. We urged the government to give pattas to the people who occupied this land and to distribute the rest. We also asked to keep land commission to work on this without just going by our word. Everyone was impressed and asked us to suggest how much land commission should be given to whom under the scrutiny of KR Venugopal, SR Sankaran, Tarakaram, Balagopal who are well versed in Dalit, Adivasi and landless poor issues. We gave 30 names and were waiting for the next meet. Instead of having a 30-member committee, only a 6-member committee was formed under the guidance of Koneti Ranga Rao who was the deputy chief minister. Rao also recommended that if Dalits had occupied land and if they were landless before the occupation then he proposed to give them the land. This was not taken into consideration. For any ruling party it will be difficult to implement things and during Rajashekar Reddys time we were called for a second term talk in which they put a condition to come by giving up arms, which was not proposed earlier. We thought we will make it an issue during the talks and be firm that we will not do so (lay down arms). But during talks they did not raise the issue. In the second phase they added that condition and started encounter killings in the month of January and killed many people on January 17, 2004. As the government violated the ceasefire we also thought we should reiterate by violating.

MC: You and several other human rights activists were jailed when the peace talks failed. How did that affect you?

VVR: It's natural (smiles). Its not human right activists who were framed but those who represented the Maoists in the talks like myself and Kalyan Rao. We were arrested under the Public Security Act and within a week we got bail. But during imprisonment they implicated us in all retaliatory acts by foisting eight cases from January to April 2005 and kept us in jail for seven months. Its a kind of frustration, since we represented them (Maoists), so they put us in jail.

MC: There is a lot of trouble within the Maoist groups. The issue of Telugu domination in CPI (Maoist) is plaguing the group now  more so than during the merger with the MCC group of Maoists. What is going on within?

VVR: No. No. During the merger, Telugu people were more. After the setback of Naxalbari in the Srikakulam struggle, it was only from Telangana in 1978 that the Jagtial Jaitra Yatra was started. This is as a result of the "Go To Village" campaign call given by RSIV conference in Warangal held in February 1978 and the ROI conference in Guntur in May 1978. One hundred and fifty villages, landless poor and agricultural labourers mostly from Scheduled Castes and oppressed castes had come to Jagtial with applications for pattas. This resulted in a great struggle called Jagtial-Sirisilla struggle that is the mass line taken by the party. A resolution was made in Nagpur during 1976 on the emergency road to revolution which was implemented from 1977 onwards, and that was continued in this Jagtial struggle. Naxalbari path was not there elsewhere in the other states and because of this continuation and experience (by Telangana armed rebels), they came into the leadership.

MC: What is the future of the civil liberties movement in Telangana?

VVR: You should not ask me about the civil liberties movement. I am a revolutionary writer. Of course, I was one of the founder members of APCLC (AP Civil Liberties Committee) but I was there only until 1983. As long as violation of fundamental rights is present, civil liberties and democratic movements will be there.

For example, in the Bejangi encounter you (the police) asked them to surrender when they fired for self protection. Even police fired, but when the police fires in self protection, Moists die but when they (Maoists) fire on you, you will be injured, you wont die. You are not following the police orders and fundamental rights. Those people (Maoists) dont have belief in your law, and are following their democratic rights and civil liberties. Though they fire, they ensure that you won't die, rather just get injured.

MC: Is there any plan to revive the CCC (Committee of Concerned Citizens)? How do you plan to go about petitioning the states and the Centre to stop the violence?

VVR: People who are still there in CCC and also the democratic and civil rights bodies have to intervene in this and ask the government to respect their own laws provided by the Indian Constitution. Because they have taken an oath and must abide by that, we expect people particularly in CCC, intellectuals and activists in CCC who worked for eight years to take up this issue and also other democratic rights institutions to intervene in this situation.
The security officials are worried about growing public support for militancy in Kashmir as not only has a strong Over Ground Workers (OGWs) network ensured increase in successful "infiltration" attempts from across the border, during repeated cross-border skirmishes, but also people have openly come out to help the militants by protesting to foil counter-insurgency operations.

The government statistics of the successful infiltration attempts from across the border and participation of the people in the protests after the killing of militants has corroborated the police findings on the growing public support for the militancy.

As per government figures, in last 10 months, the number of infiltration attempts from across the border was 105 from which 30 were foiled and 75 militants managed to sneak into this side. Against this in the year 2014, while 222 infiltration attempts were being made only 65 militants had managed to sneak in. In 2015, out of the 121 infiltration attempts that were made, 41 were foiled and 33 militants managed to cross over to this side.

Senior Superintendent of police, Kupwara, Shamsheer Hussain, said that once militants manage to infiltrate to this side, "they reach the different places in Kashmir through local support.

Another senior police official said, "The technology and the support of locals have given a big boost to the militancy. The local support has only grown and militants are also making use of maps and GPS devices to reach different places after they infiltrate from across the border. The OGWs receive the militants at the LoC and even help them identify the targets."

Police sources said that in a number of encounters, people have tried to foil the anti-militancy operations by taking out protests and have also expressed their ire by damaging the public property after the militant killings. A senior police official said that they were worried about the overt support that the militants are receiving, particularly in the south Kashmir areas of Pulwama, Anantnag, and Kulgam, which has seen the highest number of casualties in the over four-month-long 'pro-freedom' unrest.

"When militancy had started in Kashmir, boys remained mostly underground but militants have shown up in public too and defiant people are breaking the security cordon to help the militants escape from an encounter site," said a senior police officer. Officials said that a worrying trend was that the police advisory that the people shouldnt assemble around the encounter sites was not being followed.

Sources said that in January this year, a civilian was killed at Nain in Batpora area of Pulwama during clashes between the police and villagers, who were protesting over the death of a militant in an encounter. A police vehicle was also set ablaze by the protesting people who had assembled around the encounter site to foil the operation by the forces against the militants.

Also, following the death of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Naseer Ahmad Pandit, in an encounter with the forces in Shopian area of south Kashmir in April this year, officials said, the local people had taken to the streets and they had burnt a police vehicle in Pulwama. Pandit had joined the militancy in 2015 after fleeing with the weapons while he was on the guard duty of the Roads and Buildings Minister, Syed Altaf Ahmad Bukhari. He was killed along with another militant Waseem Malla in the encounter at Shopian, following which massive protests were witnessed in south Kashmir.

Similarly, the killing of another HM militant commander, Burhan Muzafar Wani, on 8 July, which triggered the unrest, after angry people of the Tral  hometown of the slain militant commander  hit the streets and even set on fire a court building in the township. Thousands of people attended the in-absentia funeral prayers of the militant commander in a number of areas of south Kashmir, including at Damhal Hanjipora, where angry protestors even set ablaze a police station after a girl was killed in the firing of the forces.

Special DG CRPF, SN Srivastava, said that the year was a big challenge in view of the participation of people in public protests and in tackling of the anti-militancy operations. Before the current unrest began in the Valley, CRPF faced a biggest militant attack in which a number of its personnel lost lives and many others were injured.

As per a Ministry of Home Affairs report, on 25 June, after completion of the "annual range classification firing at Lethpora, which is around 23 km from Srinagar, a convoy of 161 Bn of CRPF consisting of 4 vehicles carrying 74 personnel while returning towards their unit in Sriagar was attacked by militants in Pampore town. Two militants armed with AK-47 Rifles appeared all of a sudden and opened indiscriminate fire in which 8 CRPF personnel died 27 were injured."
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party had informed its friends about the impending ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes before hand and claimed that he has evidence to prove his charge.

He also demanded a complete rollback of the move as it is creating panic among common people and giving rise to rumours of shortage in essential commodities.

The allegation is likely to put the ruling BJP on the backfoot as the common man's anger against the move is being displayed in complaints in the media and social media, despite experts saying that this is in the interest of the public good in the long term though there is likely to be short-term pain.

The allegations also come at a time when the people are thronging banks and ATMs to withdraw and deposit cash. The government had kept the banks shut for one day and ATMs for two days after the announcement in order to prepare for the rush for cash.

Here are the key points Kejriwal made in the press conference today:

1) BJP informed their friends about demonetisation. The party is lying and many in the party knew about demonetisation that was to take place. I have evidence that will put the government on the backfoot.

2) There has been a huge increase in bank deposits in the July-September quarter this year compared with earlier quarters. During the quarter the bank deposits rose by a record Rs 6.65 lakh crore to Rs 102.08 lakh crore. SBIs deposits have shown a huge jump in the quarter. How did deposits jump to such large numbers? Who did it? It is because the BJP alerted their friends about demonetisation. The government needs to tell us who they had warned among friends about this announcement about black money.

3) Some people say that the reason for the increase is the income declaration scheme (IDS) that was open from June to September. But these deposits dont come to banks. It goes to the government exchequer. So this jump in deposits is not because of IDS. It clearly indicates that the government had told its friends in the BJP about the demonetization scheme earlier.

4) Sanjeev Kamboj, co-convenor, BJP law and legal affairs, Punjab, had revealed on Twitter pictures of Rs 2,000 notes on 6 November. However, the government made the announcement on 8 November evening about demonetisation of Rs 500, Rs 1,000 and that they would be introducing Rs 2,000 notes which would be available from 10 November. Then how did Kamboj get the currency two days before the announcement? It reveals that the BJPs friends had got the help from the government while the rest of the country was put into distress with the announcement.

5) This announcement was made to weed out black money, but it will not come into the system at all. Instead, it will change hands and will be redistributed. For instance, if you have Rs 10,000 crore in black money and the government says to you that when you put that money into your account, the government will deduct 30 percent tax and impose 200 percent penalty, that means 90 percent of your money has gone. You stand to get only 10 percent- only Rs 1 crore, while the rest will be taken by the government. I dont think anyone in this country who has black money will opt for it.

6) If you have black money, you can buy dollars and there are many brokers willing to change it for you. Dollars are be exchanged at higher prices of Rs 120. The other way of doing it is by buying gold or real estate. If you have no one to help you to change your black money , you can opt for these three measures -- buy dollars, gold or invest in real estate. So if you opt for these ways, you can wipe off 50 percent of your black money. The announcement was made to weed out black money but black money is thriving in greater ways in the market by exchanging it for dollars, gold or real estate.

7) If you want to exchange these notes for the new Rs 2,000 note, the commission for it started at 20 percent and has now gone to 50 percent. Who is getting this commission? Who are these brokers?

8) The government is threatening that if you deposit amounts of Rs 2.5 lakh or more in your account, they will not let you go. In other words, what they are saying is: Dont deposit your money in your account. Our brokers will come to you and will take them from you. Who is standing in long queues to exchange these banned notes? Housewives who have saved these notes over a long period of time, rickshaw drivers, small traders, farmers, labourers, etc. When the government says that if you deposit Rs 2.5 lakh, you will not be let scot-free. But these people who are depositing this cash are not thieves.

9) This move is being termed as PM Modis surgical strike on black money, but it is a surgical strike on the aam janata who have saved money over the years. This is a big scam in the name of black money.

10) There is no money in ATMs. The common man also knows that ATMs are designed for the banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and not for the new Rs 500 or Rs 2000 notes. Didnt the government know this crisis will take place? They have created this crisis deliberately.

11) Roll back demonetisation, else the economy will be hit and people will lose their jobs. The supplies of food and essential commodities are getting hit. There are reports that salt is in shortage. In fact, there is no shortage. People have now lost their faith in the system and believe in all kinds of rumours. People are reacting in panic.

(The article has been corrected to add the details of the increase in bank deposits)
When Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, announced his press conference at 10 am on Saturday morning to offer evidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modis 8 November currency crackdown was leaked much in advance to his friends, it appeared like the Aam Aadmi party chief indeed has evidence to nail the government. But his presser showed that he didnt do his homework before raising this important question. There wasnt any hard evidence Kejriwal could produce, except certain issues already known and debated in public.

But, some of the issues raised by Kejriwal at the presser are highly significant and needs to be probed.

One, how did Sanjeev Kamboj, who describes himself on his Twitter handle as advocate (State) Co-Convener BJP Law & Legal Affairs Department Punjab, tweet the images of new Rs 2,000 currency notes on 6 November, two days before Modi announced the currency ban and four days before the notes were first issued by bank branches on November 10?

Second, did the Modi-government indeed leak the information to its party leaders well in advance to warn them about what is coming? Did the government pass Rs 2,000 notes to them before? Or is it just that some dumb employee at the government Mint posed for a selfie with the Rs 2,000 note just after printing it to impress his family and friends?

These aspects need to be probed.

If this charge is found to be true, then further investigations needs to be done on the transactions done by BJPs money managers and their benamis/fronts in the last six months. Going by the RBI data, there has been a substantial surge in bank deposits in the July-September quarter. Total deposits garnered by the Indian banks rose by an abnormal Rs 6,64800 crore in the July-September quarter to a record Rs 102.08 lakh crore. This is the highest quarterly jump ever recorded.

Did party president Amit Shah help his party workers change enough Rs 1,000s and Rs 500s to Rs 100s and Rs 50s to avoid the hassle of standing in long queues in the months prior to the currency crackdown? According to a report in the The Hindu, the government had already ordered a probe into the possible leakage of Rs 2,000 currency notes and the circulation of its image in social media. The Hindu report had quoted an unnamed finance ministry official as saying, During the printing and distribution of notes from the mint to the Reserve Banks vaults, it is possible someone took a photograph [and posted it]. But nobody knew about this decision of demonetization.

But, even if that is the case, there needs to be a thorough independent probe to bring out the truth, especially in the context of the ensuing major state elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. If the government indeed leaked the information in advance to BJP, then the Modi government is facing serious trouble that could undo a major part of the goodwill it earned even among its political enemies with the bold currency crackdown to break the back of fake currency network and address at least a part of the domestic black money problem.

In an article yesterday, Firstpost had raised this point by saying, If someone has strong evidence that the government leaked the operation plan to interested-parties in advance enabling them to take precautions well in advance, they should point fingers at the Modi government. But, questioning the very efficiency of the currency crackdown either shows their ignorance or bias. That is not productive criticism.

Kejriwal showed promise when he dared to raise a big question with hard evidence on the very honesty of the government in executing a key economic reform, but the Delhi CM came to the presser with social media clips and some vague information/allegations. Had Kejriwal put his party machinery to use to trace bank transactions involving BJP leaders in the months prior to the currency crackdown, or BJPs alleged link to the network of dalals on the prowl in the currency market to accept the Rs 500/Rs 1,000 notes for a commission, and announced the findings in the presser, the story would have been different.

Kerjriwals other charges, such as the difficulties faced by the common man in getting cash for daily needs after the currency ban isnt anything different from other politicians, including Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee have raised. Politicians have jumped on to the currency politics since it is something that directly connects with the common man. Gandhis appearance at the ATM queue and Mamatas remarks on normal life coming to halt post currency ban shows the politics of currency crackdown.

Kejirwals question is indeed relevant but the fact is that when a major currency crackdown is on to cleanse the system from fake currency and the black money rackets, some immediate pain is inevitable. That is the price society has to pay for the country to emerge as a stronger economy. Fake currencies and black money negates the gains in the formal economy and benefits only the crooks. Bank ATMs have started functioning but are running out of money in a few hours because none of the ATMs have the capacity to meet the panic-driven cash demand of the common man. When every individual withdraws Rs 2,000 whether they need it or not, ATMs will run dry within hours, hence the commotion. It will take a few days before normalcy returns to the banking world.

Kejriwals demand to roll back the demonetisation exercise is bunkum since there is an urgent need to address the issue of fake currencies and black money in the domestic system. It is a much-needed step in the right direction. But, his allegations need to be probed. The key takeaway from the Kejriwal presser is the important question he raised on whether the Narendra Modi-government leaked the information on currency ban to its friends and well-wishers. This charge, however, needs a thorough, independent probe.

(Data by Kishor Kadam)
Karachi: Nearly 30 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 injured today in a blast at a popular shrine in Pakistan's volatile Balochistan province, officials said.

The blast occurred in the remote Hub region in Lasbela district where devotees were attending a Sufi dance called "dhamaal" at Dargah Shah Noorani shrine.

Balochistan Interior Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed the blast in which "several" people were killed.

However, an official of the Edhi Trust Foundation told local media that nearly 30 people, including women and children, were dead and around 100 injured in the blast.

"Our local focal person has told that about 30 people were killed," said the Trust's Hakeem Lassi.

Bugti said it was a remote area and it would be quite a task to retrieve the dead and injured when already darkness engulfed the region.

So far nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack.

"The shrine is located some 250 kilometres from Karachi in the remote mountains of Uthal and our vehicles have been dispatched there to carry out rescue operations and shift injured to the hospitals," Lassi said.

He said the casualties have been confirmed to them by the organisers of the shrine in Lasbela. The local tehsildar in Lasbela, Javed Iqbal said security arrangements at the Shah Noorani shrine were not properly arranged.

"It is sad that although thousands of devotees from Karachi and other parts of the country visit the shrine everyday but there are no medical emergencies or ambulances at the site," he said adding that the devotees take part in the "dhamaal" everyday after sunset and the blast took place close to where they were dancing in a trance inside the compound of the shrine.

This is not the first time that extremists have targeted a shrine in Balochistan. This is the third major incident of a bomb going off in the province since August.

In August about 70 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack outside the civil hospital in the provincial capital Quetta. Last month, 64 police cadets and two army men were killed when three terrorists raided a police training centre in Quetta.
By Ruma Paul

| DHAKA

DHAKA Bangladesh's central bank has retrieved just under a fifth of the $81 million that was stolen from its account at the New York Federal Reserve in February, a Bangladesh Bank official said on Saturday.Philippines authorities handed over $15.25 million to Bangladesh's ambassador to the Philippines, said the Bank's deputy governor Abu Hena Mohammad Razee Hassan, who heads its financial intelligence unit.The money should be credited to the Bank's Fed account on Monday, he told Reuters, adding: "We will now go for the rest of fund."

In February, unknown hackers used stolen Bangladesh Bank credentials to try to send three dozen SWIFT messages to transfer nearly $1 billion from its Fed account. They succeeded in transferring $81 million to four accounts at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp in Manila.Most of the money was laundered through casinos in Manila and remains missing.

A Bangladesh Bank delegation went to Manila this week to work on moving back part of the funds.A Philippine court in September adjudged that Bangladesh Bank was the rightful owner of around $15.25 million surrendered by casino boss Kim Wong and his Eastern Hawaii Leisure Company, according to a court order.

Wong, who returned $4.63 million and 488.28 million pesos ($10.05 million) to Philippine authorities from millions of dollars he took from two Chinese high-rollers, has denied any role in one of the world's biggest cyber heists. (Reporting by Ruma Paul; editing by John Stonestreet)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Obersinner would end up serving in active duty Army once and Oregon Army National Guard twice. He was deployed on this third hitch.

Army life was just a part of me, said Sgt. First Class Jason Obersinner. My dad was in the Army National Guard for as long as I could remember and my mom joined the Guard when I was a young teenager. It was just a way of life.

Hurricane Katrina hit and Obersinner was deployed to help out in the French Quarter.

When we arrived, the Orleans Parish was still under water, Obersinner said. We went on patrols looking for people, stopping looters and rescuing animals.

In the summer of 2005, Obersinner met a man in California who asked if he wanted to deploy with a California Unit. Obersinner took the opportunity. He deployed with 1/184 out of Modesto.

Basically we just spent our time driving around Baghdad looking for fire fights, he said. We were about halfway through the deployment and we didnt want to see anyone else die.

On one mission, the battalion commander, a lieutenant colonel, was killed by an IED.

He was the highest ranking soldier to be killed since Vietnam, Obersinner said.

Obersinner remembers that day well. Captain Bobby Hill and his team had been annihilated by an IED.

We heard the explosion from miles away, Obersinner said. Bobby Hills company was in a gun fight when we arrived. We got there and started shooting.

During that time the lieutenant colonel was standing on an IED while shooting. The IED went off and killed him.

When everyone was done shooting, we figured out what happened, Obersinner said.

The entire Third Infantry Division heard what happened and met at the location of the IED to help look for the lieutenant colonels remains.

It was a really sad moment, but it was an awesome show of force, Obersinner said.

Obersinner made it home safe. He worked with 224 Engineers based out of Albany and Newport. He was again deployed in 2007 after not having been home for a full year. His second deployment was with 224 Engineers, this time focusing on assured mobility and rapid crater repair.

We were clearing the road of IEDs and filling blast holes with concrete or asphalt so the enemy would be deterred from putting an IED in the hole, Obersinner said.

Another mission was to cover up culverts. Insurgents were placing IEDs in the culverts. The IEDs wouldnt do much damage to the cars driving over the culverts, but would mess up the roads. One set of culverts measured roughly 14-by-12 feet.

We welded a huge piece of metal together with rebar and hauled it out the culverts. It was so big, it almost didnt fit through the gate, Obersinner said.

Once they got to the site, Obersinner and his soldiers had to figure out how to bolt it in.

I had a hydraulic excavator lower its bucket over the edge of the culvert with me in it, he said. Then I sat in the bucket and bolted it in.

This was one of the several times Obersinner had to think outside of the box on that deployment.

Everyone made it home safely from that deployment.

Currently Sgt. First Class Obersinner is the Operations NCO for 224 Engineering Company in Albany.
The reactions exploding across America ever since Donald Trump burst out victoriously as its next President have two key eerie parallels with Narendra Modis emphatic win in May 2014. Both are remarkably similar, almost like photocopies set in a close space of two years, but separated by a yawning chasm of geography. Because both emanate from the same source. These two key eerie parallels can be couched in two words: pre and post. Or in an even pedestrian language of the mindless weight-loss advertisements: before and after.

In each case, both Modi and Trump have achieved a singular feat: theyve thoroughly bombed the insular walls of a castle, carefully built by the bricks of power, patronage and lucre by a powerful global nexus of that ever-expanding umbrella of Left-Liberalism that includes state power, incredibly well-heeled corporations, NGOs, and every ragtag victim group you can imagine: progressives, Islamists, feminists, African-Americans, indoctrinated college students, academics, intellectuals, LGBT luminaries, and that heavily contaminated institution of all, the media.

In both cases, the entire might of this coalition is united in a no-holds-barred offensive to stop just one person. No tactic was considered beneath contempt. And equally, in both cases, the "surprise", overwhelming trouncing it received has left it floundering in a reactionary spectrum tinged with horror, shock, rage and tears.

While theres no exact equivalence between the 2014 Indian elections and the 2016 US elections, at a very broad and fundamental level, the aforementioned analysis stands to reason for a simple reason: the global Left-Liberal ideology, methodology and operations are the same in every country. To borrow from Arun Shourie, it can simply be defined as weak to the strong, Strong to the weak.

And so, as long as the high-voltage Hillary Clinton campaign machinery was secure in the illusion that her march to the White House was unstoppable, the election was all about democracy, values, rights, and such other assorted rhetoric. But the moment Trumps victory shattered this illusion, the true extent of their commitment to these values came to the fore, or to borrow an Americanism, they went "batshit crazy".

Sample some of these reactions.

- Some worthies in California and Oregon have issued calls to secede from the United State. How different is this from Jyoti Basu who had thundered more than 20 years ago that West Bengal would secede from India if the BJP came to power?

- Some have even ranted that the Electoral College is the absolute worst because it didnt help Hillarys victory.

- According to the latest report from Breitbart, George Soros, who has a history of organising anti-Trump riots (during his campaign rallies), is now planning to incite more riots in the wake of Trumps victory. This, in an already highly-volatile atmosphere where a mob of Hillary supporters beat up a Trump supporter, and elsewhere across America, low-intensity riots and protests have resulted in arson, smashing police cruisers, torching the City Hall and burning a federal building. It appears that America has descended into an unprecedented and nationwide orgy of frenzied insanity.

- Innumerable doomsday predictions of the final destruction of America with some folks projecting it as a grave personal tragedy that they need to heal and recover from.

- Indeed, this eruption of wanton, violent mobbery should be counted as the greatest success of the radical Left discourse in that bastion it had long failed to conquer in the 1960s in its earlier avatar of Communism. It stumps ones commonsense that these protesters  to put it mildly  forget the fact that Trump was elected as a result of due democratic process, and in blind, brainwashed hatred, have rung true Emersons warning that

A mob is a society of bodies voluntarily bereaving themselves of reason, and traversing its work. The mob is man voluntarily descending to the nature of the beast Its actions are insane like its whole constitution. It persecutes a principle; it would whip a right; it would tar and feather justice, by inflicting fire and outrage upon the houses and persons of those who have these.

Although unfortunate, the pervasive violence were now witnessing provides a good barometer (if not case study) to assess exactly to what stunning depths the American society has fallen to as we shall see.

It goes without saying that a Hillary victory wouldve elicited triumphant and self-righteous cries of a victory for democracy, misogyny defeated, and so on, and the exact extent of an American society divided against itself would continue to simmer under the surface.

The American civilisation, for what it is worth, began hurtling on the expressway towards self-inflicted destruction decades ago

To wit, an oft-heard lament about the all-round decline of America goes like this: while at one time, hard work, and traditional family and community values ensured success and happiness, today, these values have been supplanted by extreme individualism, which provided a fertile ground for breeding various hues of victimhood and a culture of entitlement. Numerous groundbreaking researches and books like Save the Males, Profscam, Who Stole the American Dream, and Nation of Victims explain this phenomenon in frightening detail. And it is precisely the epidemic spread of these tendencies that enabled a Hillary Clinton. In another era, she would either be in prison or facing trial.

Indeed, the sheer incredulity of the grounds for supporting Hillary Clinton for presidency is mind-boggling. Her extensively-documented history as a career criminal, according to this documentary is shocking to say the least, not to mention the tons of her firsthand wrongdoing exposed by Wikileaks. Her two successive stints as First Lady is a study in endless scandal, and her destructive role as Secretary of State in Libya, Syria, accepting terror money  and more dangerously for India, indirectly funding the Kudankulam protesters  should worry anybody.

The revelations in two explosive books, The Clintons War on Women and Crisis of Character should ordinarily stun and disgust us: how Bill Clinton was a frequent guest of convicted pedophile Jeffery Epsteins orgy island, his history of granting the maximum Presidential pardons in exchange of money, his infamous sexual assaults on numerous women, his name linked with several murders, his extortionate speaking fees.the list seems endless.

All of this information is a matter of public record.

Yet, incredibly, a very vocal victim-group of blind Hillary supporters continues to voluntarily overlook these shocking crimes on a simple ground: she is being discriminated against for her only crime of being a woman! Its also doubly amusing to observe this victim-group, the feminists justifying her crimes with a basic device: by ignoring them. This is a woman who, throughout her political career, has whitewashed  not apologized or chastised  her husbands numerous sexual and other misadventures, instead of walking out on him at the first instance. On the contrary, The Clintons War on Women shows how she has threatened and smeared her victims of her husbands endless sexual peccadilloes.

Given this, what would be the feminist position on these unfortunate female victims of Bill Clinton? Or the fact that another sexual predator, Anthony Weiner was in her inner circle dropped only after his antics became public? And would her feminist supporters apply the same standard had a man been in Hillarys place? Most importantly, what would be their reaction had a man in their own lives behaved as Bill did with Hillary?

It is the stubborn refusal to even entertain such fundamental questions and it is this willing suspension not just of disbelief but truth and reason that is also at the heart of the all-round societal decline in the US.

An honest analysis of Hillarys defeat reveals that it has little to do with her being a woman. The reason is twofold: her extensive career of hypocrisy with regard to womens rights and her firm membership in the club of the worst of the American establishment elite.

Or as this Reason.com analysis says, Trump won because he convinced a great number of Americans that he would destroy political correctness. The same political correctness whose forces Hillary cynically nurtured and manipulated in her ruthless ambition to be President labelling, intimidating and socially shaming as bigot, racist, and misogynist anybody who dared to entertain the thought of voting for any other candidate, not just Trump. And in her defeat, we continue to witness exactly what these forces unleashed by Hillary have unleashed across the US.

In this enterprise of shame-and-intimidation the brazen role of the majority of US media deserves a dishonourable mention for being in bed with the establishment elite. This analysis helps us glean some hints of its frightening terrorism-by-public-opinion:

two political experts on the [TV] show with me both predicted that Trump had no path to victoryand would almost certainly lose in a landslide, causing the GOP to lose the Congress too. They rolled their eyes when I told them Trump would win in a Brexit-like upsetone week ago in Las Vegas...there were 10,000 fans in the audience. Over 60 percent were women. No, these were not Harvard or Vassar women. They were working class women- waitresses, secretaries and casino employees This was our Brexit...In every poll before the shocking Brexit result, Brexit was trailing by an average of 4.4 points. But a few million white working class voters either werent on the pollsters' radar, or werent talking publicly about their vote. Brexit passed- shocking the so-called "experts." Most of the big money was bet against Brexit The big money was on HillaryTrump was the whisper candidate. Everywhere I went, strangers whispered in my ear that they loved Trump. They didnt want anyone to know. They certainly weren't telling pollsters. [Emphasis added]

But despite the severe electoral licking, the establishment-assimilated media backlash remains unremitting.

And the aforementioned similarities are eerie. Years ago, the Marxist psychologist Ashis Nandy had dubbed Narendra Modi as a case of a clinical fascist. Fast forward to the June 2016 issue of The Atlantic, which carries an almost book-length psychological profiling of Donald Trump. Equally, consider this 2014 piece by William Dalrymple predicting apocalypse for an India under Modi, and compare it with David Remnicks violent essay in The New Yorker, calling Trumps victory 'An American Tragedy'.

While Im no supporter of either Hillary or Trump, these elections have been a fundamental civilisational unravelling: The American civilisation, for what it is worth, began hurtling on the expressway towards self-inflicted destruction decades ago as happens when a civilisation begins to worship only power, youth, wealth and pleasure at the exclusion of everything else. When and how, for instance, does America intend  or even hope  to repay the trillions of debt it has accumulated? How long will it be before its hold on the UN is irreversibly weakened? Or embark on a thorough reform of its education establishment now in the thrall of toxic Left-Liberalism? Or reverse the feminist laws that are destroying its families? Or the mindless litigation industry thats draining its economy? One could go on and on describing the ailments afflicting almost all sectors of the US nation and society.

In this light, ambivalence might be the considered response to Trumps victory or even in the alternative scenario of his defeat. Its too premature to write him off  maybe hell pull off that elusive miracle that will make America great again. Or maybe hell be absorbed by the forces of Deep State, a timeless human phenomenon which Ralph Waldo Emerson describes in these immortal words:

The farmer imagines power and palace are fine things. But the President has paid dear for his White House. It has commonly cost him all his peace, and the best of his manly attributes. To preserve for a short time so conspicuous an appearance before the world, he is content to eat dust before the real masters who stand erect behind the throne.
It happened.

It really did.

There is an equal measure of delight and disgust flowing through the US as both sides of the divide attempt to come to terms with the events of 8 and 9 November. Needless to say, 'if Donald Trump wins' is one of those phrases that will be consigned to the dustbin of history for evermore.

But, how? Werent we told, nay, reassured at various twists and turns in the US presidential campaign, that Hillary Clinton would be storming into the White House? That Bill Clinton would be the first US president and first gentleman? That there was no way in hell America would vote a man who has done little to alter perceptions that he is racist, xenophobic, misogynistic (although, I personally feel chauvinistic, as in male chauvinism, is a better fit here) and unfit to be president, to the White House?

Let me return to my first question: Just how did Donald Trump with the election?

And before I can attempt to stitch together an answer, there are a number of considerations that must be borne in mind.

The 'tear-it-all-down' nihilism of the disenfranchised

Numerous protesters in the three days since Trumps election have been seen either chanting the words or carrying signs bearing the words 'not my president'. Thats likely the exact sentiment of those who voted for Trump towards Clinton  or more pertinently, the establishment.

It would probably not be an overreach to suggest that a significant chunk of the population of the American heartland has little to do with Washington, DC, New York City or Los Angeles. In fact, this chunk can barely identify or relate to these cities that form the establishment.

Washington: The political establishment.

NYC: The economic establishment.

LA: The cultural establishment.

And percolating within the American heartland is the impression that none among this triumvirate has really looked out for the common working-class men and women or their interests. Not the government, which passes laws and takes decisions for them without considering their best interests. Not the fat cats on Wall Street, who care more about the value of their stock than a bunch of blue collar workers losing their jobs. And certainly not Hollywood that spares no effort in taking potshot after potshot at them.

Thats where Trump came in. Sure, he was a New York billionaire, but he was their billionaire. This was a man who was as much an outsider as any of them: Equally chastised by Tinseltowns finest  Clint Eastwood proving to be a major exception  as he was mocked by most movers and shakers on the Hill and held in low regard by fellow billionaires in the Big Apple.

He would be their bulldozer when it came to tearing down a most vital arm of this establishment and as a result, perhaps even bringing about a change in the other two arms. To say it was simply anger that brought this segment of society to Trumps corner was far more reductive. Theres a bit more to it.

The US versus America

We all had a good laugh during the film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan when the eponymous protagonist (played by Sacha Baron Cohen) repeatedly referred to the country he was visiting as "US and A".

Now a decade since the mockumentarys theatrical release, were only just grasping the reality buried deep within his phrase and indeed the film. Readers may recall that the 90-odd-minute-long flick spends a majority of its time following Borat meeting people across the US, documenting its unwitting subjects make themselves fodder for our amusement.

Did you notice the difference between how the people he met in New York City, Washington and Hollywood were made to look foolish compared to how those he met in the American heartland were made to look foolish?

If you did, youll see where Im going with this. As Borat said, there is a US and an A.

The US is where the elite live. In fact, theyll go to great lengths to point out to you that its the United States of America and not simply America. America, as theyll also let you know, refers to the vast expanses of land between Cape Columbia in Canada and Ushuaia in Argentina.

Then theres the A  America. Home to the non-elite, who featured in the film as xenophobic, racist, homophobic, bigoted and misogynistic caricatures (sound familiar?). Its this America that Trump prioritised over the course of his numerous speaking engagements and stated a desire to make great again.

America has no hang-ups about calling itself that, because it is inhabited by a large percentage of no-nonsense blue collar workers. They cant make sense of how someone who spends all day sitting behind a desk in an air-conditioned office earns more than them  who are working in factories or on farms, is more respected than them and enjoys a more comfortable life.

Facebook and Twitter battles arent as much a priority in America as in the US. Neither for that matter is ideology (a preserve of the college-educated intelligentsia). To them, what matters is a president who has repeatedly sought to assure them that hes listening and will make things better for them.

It doesnt matter that Trump failed to articulate any concrete policy proposals and that he stumbled unintelligibly through his debates. Debates are also the preserve of the intelligentsia. What Trump did successfully was to assure working-class America that he had a plan for them. And sometimes, thats all it takes.

Wheres my American dream, homes?

While Trump was reaching out to working-class America, it could be argued that the focus of the Clinton campaign tended largely to be the non-White male segments. And apart from women, that meant Muslims, Hispanics and African-Americans.

Trump may have been exuding immense anti-immigration vibes, but they were hardly of his own creation. He was merely tapping into what have turned into very real concerns and fears in many American states.

The first of these is the fear of Islamic terrorists masquerading as Syrian refugees and launching all sorts of attacks on the homeland. The second is that of illegal Hispanic immigrants taking jobs away from Americans. And the third is the fact that crime rates in the cities have been  one way or another, rightly or wrongly  linked to African-Americans and Hispanics.

Undoubtedly, each of these three points has perfectly credible and correct counter-narratives replete with countless examples, but try and remember how often youve heard the phrase, The suspect is a White male?

However, all three of the above points exacerbate an underlying condition that has been contributing to a growing disenchantment with Washingtons inability to provide working-class White America the American Dream. Economic inequality between them and the elites is already vast. But theres also the gap between what they receive compared to the sorts of handouts perceived to be received by some African-Americans and Hispanics from the city.

Coming to terms with this fact in the context of the last two fears is a difficult task and it begins to make a bit more sense why working-class White voters were left feeling hard done by and may have decided to go with Trump. After all, here was a man who was promising them the American dream.

Political correctness gone mad?

Trump had very early on the campaign trail come out and indicated that he rejected political correctness. This was one of the factors that led to his core constituency rejecting the narrative of his opponents, whether in the Republican primaries or in the main event.

To be clear, political correctness doesnt only refer to eschewing phrases like disabled in favour of differently abled. Thats just one dimension of it. What being PC has come to mean in 2016 is that its not enough to live and let and let live. Political correctness, as defined rather succinctly by Reason, is the social force that holds people who dont necessarily understand something (like the third gender, for instance)in contempt for that, or punishes them outright.

As the cited piece adds: (P)olitical correctness (to the people who voted for Trump) means this: Smug, entitled, elitist, privileged leftists jumping down the throats of ordinary folks who aren't up-to-date on the latest requirements of progressive society.

This phenomenon is loosely comparable to the activities on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus over the course of this year, wherein students appeared to be agitating against any concept or idea that didnt subscribe to their system of beliefs.

There was nothing Trump seemed capable of saying over the course of the campaign that was remotely sensitive and his adoring core constituency lapped it up. This was evident in the way they shut down protestors at Trump rallies who were badmouthing or heckling the Republican from the crowd. Going low, going high or getting high didnt seem to matter as much as becoming great again.

Commentators, opponents, activists, students, celebrities and The New York Times missed out on few chances to call Trump racist, sexist, xenophobic, Islamophobic and so on. What none of them noticed was that instead of breaking down his campaign, these barbs slowly began to bounce off Trump and later began to turn into badges of honour in the eyes of his core constituency.

After all, wasnt this the sort of stuff people called them?

It was likely this that saw Trump endorsed by the Crusader, the Ku Klux Klans official newspaper. This seemed rather appropriate, coming as it did from the mouthpiece of a group that frames itself with the following description:

Let me start by addressing the repeated falsehood that we are a "hate group". Let me assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. We do not hate any group of people! However, we do hate some things that certain groups are doing to our race and our nation. We hate drugs, homosexuality, abortion and race-mixing... But rather than focus on hate, we try to focus on the love of our race.

Of course, this isnt to say that Trump is any way affiliated with the KKK, but it does indicate the sort of emotion he tapped into: The idea that White America is under threat.

The mutations on both sides

The alt-right and alt-left have been steadily emerging as movements over the years. And while both lack any obvious ideology, their philosophy appears to lie in the rejection of what the centre-right mainstream Republicans and centre-left mainstream Democrats respectively have to offer.

Both groups are marked by two distinct similarities: A greatly heightened sense of paranoia, almost as if their lives and way of life was under threat and a knack for cyber-bullying their political adversaries.

As noted in this piece on PJ Media, (the) Democratic Party alt-left agitators protesting against Trumps rallies in this campaign have illuminated nothing so much as the fact that the alt-right has no quarter on violence, bigotry, and thuggery.

So while the alt-left  that has been firmly in Vermont senator Bernie Sanders corner since the start  was reluctant in its support of Clinton once Sanders had bowed out of the race, the alt-right section offered its unwavering support to Trump.

And now, it is the alt-left whose anger is pouring out into streets in protests across the US and American campuses. And theyre not just angry that Trump will be the 45th President of the United States. Theyre equally furious at Clinton  who some believe wasnt completely scrupulous in her defeat of Sanders over the course of the primaries  blowing the opportunity to win what should have been an easy win. It is still believed in many alt-left quarters that Sanders would have trounced Trump.

But, whether a case of sour grapes or a genuine gripe, the reality is we have a Trump presidency ahead of us.

To return to the starting premise of this article, how?

It could be due to one or more of the factors above. It could be due to none of them.

The fact of the matter is that its almost impossible to say with any sense of conviction just how Donald Trump was elected to be the 45th President of the United States.
By Ian Simpson and David Ingram

| WASHINGTON/NEW YORK

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK U.S. President-elect Donald Trump denounced Americans who protested against his election and hours later praised them on Friday, underscoring contradictions that have raised questions about his leadership style."Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!" Trump tweeted early on Friday.It was a sharp shift in tone from his tweet hours earlier dismissing the demonstrators in eight cities as "professional protesters, incited by the media."The contradictory tweets were further evidence of Trump's mixed messages since he announced his candidacy 17 months ago. After Clinton conceded defeat early on Wednesday, he took a far more conciliatory tone than he had often displayed during his campaign and promised to be a president for all Americans. Anti-Trump demonstrators voiced concerns his presidency, due to start on Jan. 20, would infringe on Americans' civil and human rights. They cited his campaign promises to restrict immigration and register Muslims, as well as allegations the Republican Trump, a former reality-TV star, sexually abused women.In various cities, marchers chanted slogans including, "No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here!" and carried signs reading, "Impeach Trump."White supremacist groups including the Ku Klux Klan have praised Trump's election and some civil rights advocacy groups have reported a spike of attacks on minorities following Trump's Tuesday victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.Trump has rejected the KKK's support.PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE

Tensions were high on Thursday night in Baltimore where Mark Patro, 60, and his partner, Yanni Stavropoulos, 39, marched in an anti-Trump demonstration carrying the rainbow flag of the gay rights movement."We're here to bring to Donald Trump's attention that we don't support his rhetoric," said Patro, a draftsman. "We intend to resist, and I believe that resistance will continue for many Americans throughout his presidency."The crowds on the streets of eight cities including New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, on Thursday were diverse in their ethnic makeup and largely made up of young adults and college students.One measure of young Americans' feeling for Trump: A poll by the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion prior to the election showed that some 66 percent of young U.S. adults aged 18 to 35 thought Trump should have dropped out of the race following the October release of a 2005 video in which he was seen talking about groping women."This antipathy towards Trump is very real and very deep-seated," said Joshua Dyck, an associate professor of political science at the school. "I suspect that protests, especially on college campuses, will be a more or less permanent feature of his presidency."

With the country evenly divided, many voters were shocked by the result given that opinion polls failed to predict Trump's triumph. The Republican Party also managed to maintain its majorities in both houses of Congress in Tuesday's vote.MORE PROTESTS PLANNED

More anti-Trump demonstrations were planned for the weekend in cities including New York and Los Angeles, and a group calling itself "#NotMyPresident" scheduled an anti-Trump rally for Washington on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, when the New York real-estate developer formally succeeds President Barack Obama.Thursday's gatherings were generally smaller in scale and less intense than Wednesday's, and teenagers and young adults again dominated the racially mixed crowds.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Friday acknowledged the tight race with Clinton, but said anti-Trump protesters had to accept the election results. He pointed to Trump's call for unity and meetings on Thursday with Obama and Republican leaders as reasons for reassurance."Everyone needs to just take a deep breath, take the weekend ... count our blessings, and let's come back on Monday," Priebus said.Security barricades were in place around some of Trump's highly visible properties, including the newly opened Trump International Hotel near the White House and in Trump Tower on New York's Fifth Avenue, where he lives.Trump's base of support in the election was the broad middle of the country, from the Heartland through the Rust Belt, with voters in states that had long supported Democrats shifting their support to Trump after he promised to renegotiate trade deals with other countries.In Washington two Trump supporters carried signs reading: "All We are Saying is Give Trump a Chance".A protest in Portland, Oregon, late on Thursday grew violent with demonstrators throwing objects at police and damaging cars at a dealership. Police arrested at least 26 people.In Los Angeles, police arrested about 185 people, mostly for blocking roadways or being juveniles out past curfew, during a Thursday night march, police spokeswoman Norma Eisenman said in a telephone interview.One officer was hospitalized for injuries suffered during the protest, she said. (Additional reporting by Donna Owens in Baltimore, Steve Dipaola in Portland, Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, and Susan Heavey in Washington; Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Howard Goller)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Given the weight of expectations over the civil nuclear agreement between India and Japan, it is but natural that signing of it would dominate the headlines. Yet, lopsided focus on the much-anticipated deal may undermine the depth and gamut of Indo-Japan strategic embrace that we got to witness as Narendra Modi schmoozed with Shinzo Abe in Tokyo during the annual bilateral summit.

The kumbaya on display wasn't superficial. Ever since Modi stepped onto Japanese soil in 2014 and caught Abe in a warm embrace, Indo-Japan relationship has become stronger in scope and wider in mutual interest. The atmospherics around Modi's visit this year, coupled with the revised global order following Donald Trump's rise in the US have clearly put the partnership on steroids. There has never been a shortage of mutual admiration between the two leaders, but both now evidently realise that the time is ripe to take the alliance beyond the borders of shared interest and strike a greater geostrategic understanding.

It is largely due to this compulsion that the civil nuclear agreement finally saw the light of day after breaking a six-year-old shackle of hesitancy, which Japan as the sole victim of nuclear weapons had to get over after working through a minefield of domestic ethical boundaries in inking such a deal with a non-NPT signatory country in India.

But it still happened, and came about at an opportune moment for India, which now has the ability to exploit the success of this deal and enjoy a greater moral authority in calling for a berth in the exclusive NSG club, members of which are shortly going to ponder over India's inclusion during a meeting in Vienna. Japan backed India's candidacy and ensured that four stages of the entire deal was squeezed into a single agreement unlike with the US where signing of the 123 agreement in 2007 was followed by NSG clearance in 2008, reprocessing in 2010, and inking of the administrative arrangements in 2015.

This deal will also make it more difficult for China to keep India out of the NSG club because terms of the civil nuclear deal with Japan, de facto brings India within the NPT framework. The "termination and cessation clause" built within the agreement permits signatories to stop nuclear cooperation in case India conducts nuclear tests and hence the need for NPT is much reduced.

Foreign policy isn't built on the bedrock of friendship but shared mutual interests. If Abe walked an extra mile to ensure signing of the agreement, it may have something to do with the decreased domestic demand, since the 2011 Fukushima disaster that is forcing Japan's nuclear industry to increasingly look for markets abroad. Close on the heels of Vietnam scuppering a deal, the agreement with India gives Prime Minister Abe the necessary breathing space.

It is this dovetailing of interest that came through as India and Japan jotted nine other agreements and then in the joint declaration, proceeded to address the $10 trillion gorilla in the room  China.

Right from the moment that Modi set about in his journey, the dragon's shadow loomed large. China's nervousness about a greater Indo-Japanese synergy has remained latent, but this time the gloves were off as its state-controlled media came out with a scathing series of editorials, nakedly warning India against toeing Japan's line on South China Sea and issuing an open threat that were such a thing to happen, New Delhi will stand to greatly lose by way of trade and commercial relations.

In the intriguing world of foreign policy, such naked threats are more a signal of nervousness than strength. India and Japan both understand this, and therefore Modi and Abe's joint statement pressed down hard on Beijing's South China Sea wound, making no bones about the fact any maritime or territorial disputes must be solved without the "use of force" and in accord with UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) for free and fair navigation and commerce.

Ever since Modi stepped onto Japanese soil in 2014 and caught Abe in a warm embrace, Indo-Japan relationship has become stronger in scope and wider in mutual interest

India and Japan, read the statement, "urged all parties to resolve disputes through peaceful means without resorting to threat or use of force and exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities, and avoid unilateral actions that raise tensions Regarding the South China Sea, the two prime ministers stressed the importance of resolving the disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law including the UNCLOS."

For a country that regularly provokes Japan over the Senkaku islets and claims almost whole of South China Sea through a self-styled "nine-dash line" in flagrant violation of the Hague tribunal ruling, China would quite possibly be furious with India's stand. So far, Modi has shown himself to be insular to threats and his 'look East policy' is a barely concealed effort to balance China's many machinations.

Similarly, the confrontational stance taken by both India and Japan vis-a-vis Beijing is the greatest indication that both countries now want to extend their partnership between the booming trade and share economic interests into a greater geostrategic alliance. China is aware of such a curve in India and Japan's trajectory. A recent editorial in China's state-controlled Global Times elaborates on a "strategic diamond" that Japan is trying to engineer along with India, Australia and the US.

"For Japan and India, technological cooperation will enhance their cooperation in security, a critical way for Japan to contain China's growing strength. At the beginning of his term, Abe envisaged a strategic diamond involving the US, Japan, Australia and India, and attempted to draw India over to his side so as to encircle China. In the second half of the year, he invited the top leaders of a number of countries to visit Japan, many of them China's neighbors. India is relatively powerful, and is of vital importance to Abe's strategic diamond. Therefore, Japan has made particular efforts to enhance its diplomatic ties with India.

One crucial arm of this "strategic diamond", US, may fall off the radar with conjecture gaining ground that Trump might make America look a lot more inwards and reduce its strategic footprint in Asia. If that happens, Asia's fate will depend on how quickly and effectively India and Japan balance out China's assertive territorial and geopolitical ambitions. Modi and Abe have shown a good understanding of this changed reality.
Now that the world has figured out they are not going to wake up from the nightmare and that Donald Trump is actually President-elect of the US lets get a few of the more important ducks in a row.

Many of us(myself included) have been dishing out scenarios these past three days where the crass, coarse clown suddenly enters the office and is imbued with a choirboy halo, soaked in good sense and turning into an overnight statesman.

Which is all very fine but what stops him from doing exactly what he said he would do?

There is no doubt he will dismantle Obamacare and bring it to a screeching halt. That it might make him unpopular loses out to toppling the Obama legacy, something he will do with determination and a certain rage which perhaps began when he was made the butt of biting satire at the White House Press Corps dinner not once but on three different occasions.

He may well order the building of a wall between the US and Mexico and send the bill to President Enrique Pena Nieto and also begin proceedings against 11 million Mexican illegals whom he believes are the fundamental cause of drugs and crime in the country, this being integral to a $166 billion 'America for Americans' package.

By the same token, he can up the ante against the Daesh and generate a miasma of fear and distrust against the Muslim community. What makes us think he will grasp sanity and differentiate between terrorists and a whole global entity.

The fact that his official website uploaded the call for a ban on the community from entering the US after it had been taken off for the better part of a day is an ominous sign.

We can hope he will not do it but hope is a weak and fragile defence and one should be ready to face the fact that he won on a platform of polarisation and divisiveness and he is not likely to see any further into the future than keeping his so called election promises.

Yes, Indians and other Asians will be paying the price of their call centres being padlocked and if he takes the sledgehammer of immigration and locks the doors despite the long-term price he might have to pay in terms of intellectual loss and isolation there is no guarantee he will not bring maximum jobs back to America any which way.

Failure to deliver on the job front is something he cannot afford and he will make that the most important arrow in his quiver.

Getting into a university for Asians will be more difficult. Indians can keep kidding themselves that they are exempt from new rules but dont put your money on it.

The one major advantage Indians have is they are not dependent on the USnot in deals where they have offered military bases, not in the purchase of arms that make them hostage to repairs and spare parts, not even in allowing US corporations over-leverage on Indian soil. As the two largest democracies in the world the possibility of Stand Up India and Start Up India have huge merit but will Trump see thatcannot be sure.

Indeed, locking horns with China in business and trade terms is very much on the cards. Beijing will be his first target. With him and Vladimir Putin best buds, there is a huge vacuum in the cold war sector and China is best suited for being the proxy.

You watch as he links up with Putin to create that safety zone in Syria to stop the flow of refugees. There might even be boots on the ground and a pro-Assad agreement to which he will give a nod.

With Moscow, the first test of a newly reworked US policy will be reflected in Trump lifting sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis. If he does that you can safely conclude the Big two are one.

He will definitely put the screws on the US companies that stash away $2.1 trillion to avoid taxes and tax those who manufacture through cheap labour abroad and sell their goods in America. Over 3,000 major companies are listed to be farming jobs abroad or getting work done in third world countries and saving on overheads.

Nafta is also on the crushing list and cheap American grain moving to Mexico might just be the first commodity halted. We could also safely say that Nato may not retain its present shape for long and the Washington-Russian nexus would be sufficient military safeguard. If the other members dont step up and cough up then the US wont either.

The Trump administration will be inward looking and for a while, domestic policies will eclipse the role of global policeman. While that might be a relief since the expedient foundation of American foreign policy has ensured it has never been much of a success for nations who have unreservedly expected Washington to ride to their rescue when in peril may find themselves stranded and isolated.

Revenge is a dish that tastes best when served cold and Trump is likely dole out lashings of it.

There is also concern about his personal stands on social issues like the LGBT community, on abortion and racism including his now legendary status as a President whose respect for women is suspect.

On all these issues he has dithered and swung more widely than a pendulum. He has been pro-choice (1999) anti-abortion (2016) anti-gay marriages (2011) then more conciliatory but still prejudiced (2016), pro-gun control (2000) and against further check codicils (2015) so it is not easy to know what exactly he believes in at a specific moment.

Which is the scariest part of all? How do you make the meal if you dont know which persona is coming to dinner?
Pakistan has evinced interest in acquiring the export variant of China's first fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA). China recently showcased two of its advanced J-20 stealth fighters in a fly-over at an air show in Zhuhai, Guangdong province of China on 1 November 2016. This was the first, public show of the J-20 warplane which is regarded as a major breakthrough for China. The country otherwise mostly relies on Russian aircraft including advanced versions of Sukhois. The Pakistani Air Force also took part in the air show in Zhuhai flying its J-17 Thunder jets which are jointly manufactured by China. Pakistan reportedly is already in talks with China to buy the FC-31 - an export variant of the same aircraft. The FC-31 too was briefly flown in the 2014 Zhuhai air show.

The Zhuhai air show was a weeklong affair and the J-20 flew for the weeklong show every day, taking off from an airfield in nearby Foshan. The J-20 is a long-range radar-evading fighter jet equipped with air-to-air missiles, resembling Lockheed Martins F-22 Raptor. China has reportedly built six prototypes of this FGFA. China is also developing the J-31 which is supposed to sequel American F-35 Lightning II. A People's Liberation Air Force (PLAF) official told the media that the J-20 was not being showcased on ground as public display as visitors could not be permitted to come close because of secrecy, stating, "J-20 contains many of China's top technologies in stealth aircraft plus other military secrets that include the J-20's body shape, the proportion of its wing and body and other secrets as aircraft experts can easily calculate its stealth parameters from its exterior."

India is going in for the development of its own FGFA jointly with Russia. In February this year, India and Russia revived talks on the delayed FGFA project after Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar approved the deal. The fifth-generation fighter jet will be on par with the capabilities of Russia's PAK-FA T-50 aircraft, a fifth-generation fighter, but since the jet will be designed over the next few years, it is likely to exceed in some specifics, in that it may be more advanced than the present version of Russia's PAK-FA T-50.

"The agreement has been completed on our end; we are ready to sign it. It is now down to the Indian side. There are some formalities to figure out, but I think it will be signed by the end of this year," Sergi Chemezov, CEO of Russias Rostech State Corporation told The Economic Times. "The FGFA project will produce a state of the art fighter jet, and it will be the result of the work on Russia's most modern technology done by both Russian and Indian engineers. As Fifth Generation, it means fifth generation speed, ballistics and military equipment, avionics and stealth capabilities among other qualities," he said.

India and Russia have already inked military deals worth Rs 60,000 crore during the Brics summit held in Goa. Now, Russia is hoping to get another order on FGFA by end of the current year. Under the new offer, India will need to contribute $3.7 billion instead of $6 billion towards technological know-how and some three prototypes of the fighters. During the recent India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Military and Technical Cooperation co-chaired by Parrikar and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu the FGFA project and upgrades of SU-31 aircraft in service with the IAF were discussed.

Chinas J-20 had earlier made news when its picture covered under a tarpaulin at Daocheng Yading airport in Tibet appeared during September 2016. This raised speculations that this FGFA may be deployed on the India-China border. However, the China Military Online then stated, "it is said that J-20 will be put into service soon but the China-India border is apparently not the ideal place for its deployment", adding, "In addition, the world's highest airport there does not have a complete set of supporting facilities and such shortage will impede the function of J-20." But then the aircraft parked there obviously had come for trials and necessary support and maintenance facilities at high altitude airbases in Tibet can be created concurrent to fielding of the J-20 albeit the China Military Online also commented, "If India is to deploy the BrahMos missile on the China-India border, then the Daocheng Yading airport will likely become its target."

It is apparent that the FGFA race will be speeding up in the sub-continent over the next few years. The China-Pakistan nexus has shown exponential growth since the PLA has made its strategic lodgment in Gilgit-Baltistan under the pretext of developing hydel projects. This has been further reinforced through the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in which China is investing $46 billion; $11 billion by the Chinese government and balance $35 billion by private companies of China. The CPEC is actually the strategic highway of China for land access to the Indian Ocean that is emerging as the centre of gravity of future conflict. Gwadar is coming as a Chinese naval base under the pretext of a trade base or 'Strategic Support Base' as China would like to portray.

The IMF and economists have warned that the CPEC may be a debt trap for Pakistan as repayment obligations that come with this investment will be serious. But there should be no doubt that China will see it through because of her own strategic interests, especially given that the Pakistani military hierarchy has more or less acquiesced to let Pakistan become a satellite state of China. That is why China is developing Gwadar port and its infrastructure including airfield through Chinese companies on a gratis basis. Gwadar, together with Pakistani naval bases at Omari and Karachi would give China extended reach and dominance over the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Purchase of export version of the Chinese J-20 may draw Pakistan more into the debt trap but then China can always extend soft long-term repayment plan, even lease some of these aircraft for long periods. At the same time, basing of these aircraft flown by PLAF is also very much possible under the pretext of training, exercises etc. India needs to accelerate its proposed FGFA development jointly with Russia.

The author is a veteran Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.
Demonstrators are expected to gather again on Saturday in cities across the United States to protest at President-elect Donald Trump and his policies, which they say will hurt their civil and human rights, a day after a protester was shot in Portland, Oregon.Events were planned throughout the day in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, where organizers said they hoped to continue the momentum they have gained over several nights across the nation after the real-estate mogul's shock victory in the presidential election on Tuesday."We must unite despite our differences to stop HATE from ruling the land," New York organizers said on a Facebook event post announcing a rally and march that were to begin at noon local time at Union Square.Hours before the demonstrations were set to begin, a protester in Portland was shot as he took part in a march across the Morrison Bridge. He is expected to live, but the suspect remains at large, police said.Since Trump's victory, demonstrators in several cities have decried the Republican's campaign promises to restrict immigration and register Muslims, as well as allegations that the former reality-TV star sexually abused women."It is our time as a movement to unite and fight back against Donald Trump and what he wants to do to this country," organizers said on Facebook in announcing a rally in MacArthur Park in Los Angeles on Saturday.

As of early on Saturday morning, some 100,000 people had indicated on Facebook that they were planning to attend or were interested in the anti-Trump rallies in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, where organizers told protesters that violence and vandalism will not be tolerated.The demonstrations so far have been largely peaceful, although in Portland protesters have smashed store front windows, sprayed graffiti and damaged cars as they clashed with police who used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds.Dozens of protesters were arrested and a handful of police were injured during the protests in Portland and other cities.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said on Friday that anti-Trump protesters have to accept the election results. Trump, who initially denounced the protesters saying they had been "incited" by the media, reversed course and praised them on Friday."Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!" Trump said on Twitter.

Many voters were shocked by the result, after opinion polls failed to predict a win for Trump.Security barricades now shield some of Trump's most visible properties, including the newly opened Trump International Hotel near the White House and Trump Tower in New York.Trump's base of support in the election was the broad middle of the country, from the Heartland through the Rust Belt, with voters in states that had long supported Democrats shifting to Trump after he promised to renegotiate trade deals with other countries. (Reporting By Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Mirwais Harooni

| KABUL

KABUL A Taliban suicide bomber dressed as a labourer blew himself up at the NATO air base at Bagram north of the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday, killing four Americans and wounding at least 17 people, officials said.Two U.S. military service members and two U.S. contractors were killed, and 16 other U.S. service members were wounded, along with a Polish soldier who was part of the NATO mission, U.S. Secretary of State Ash Carter said in a statement."For those who carried out this attack, my message is simple. We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future," Carter said.He said the military will investigate what happened to determine what steps could be taken to improve protection for the base.

The attack, which was claimed by the Taliban, underlines the foreign policy challenge that will face U.S. President-elect Donald Trump when he takes office in January.President Barack Obama had originally hoped to have all U.S. forces out of the country by the end of his term, but was forced to abandon that goal as Afghan forces struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency.Under current plans, 8,400 U.S. troops will remain as part of the Resolute Support operation and a separate U.S. counterterrorism mission after Obama decided to slow down a planned reduction of the force, leaving it to his successor to decide future strategy.

Waheed Sediqqi, spokesman for the Parwan provincial governor, said the bomber managed to enter the heavily protected site, the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan, and was standing in a queue with Afghan labourers when he detonated a suicide vest.The NATO-led Resolute Support mission response teams at the airfield were treating the wounded and investigating the incident.

It follows a suicide attack on the German consulate in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif late on Thursday night that killed four people and wounded more than 100 others. That attack was retaliation for air strikes near the northern city of Kunduz last week which killed more than 30 civilians.The Taliban's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Saturday's attack, which he said had been planned for four months, had caused heavy casualties, killing 23 Americans and wounding 44. The movement often exaggerates the number of casualties caused by its operations. (Additional reporting by James Mackenzie and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Hugh Lawson and Leslie Adler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Valerie Volcovici and Alister Doyle

| WASHINGTON/MARRAKESH, Morocco

WASHINGTON/MARRAKESH, Morocco Donald Trump is seeking quick ways of withdrawing from a global agreement to limit climate change, a source on his transition team said, defying widening international backing for the plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions.Since the U.S. President-elect was chosen, governments ranging from China to small island states have reaffirmed support for the 2015 Paris Agreement at 200-nation climate talks running until Nov. 18 in Marrakesh, Morocco.Trump, who has called global warming a hoax and has promised to quit the Paris Agreement, was considering ways to bypass a theoretical four-year procedure for leaving the accord, according to the source, who works on Trump's transition team for international energy and climate policy."It was reckless for the Paris agreement to enter into force before the election" on Tuesday, the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Paris Agreement won enough backing for entry into force on Nov. 4.Alternatives were to send a letter withdrawing from a 1992 Convention that is the parent treaty of the Paris Agreement, voiding U.S. involvement in both in a year's time, or to issue a presidential order simply deleting the U.S. signature from the Paris accord, he said.

Many nations have expressed hopes the United States will stay. Host Morocco said the agreement that seeks to phase out greenhouse gases in the second half of the century was strong enough to survive a pullout."If one party decides to withdraw that it doesn't call the agreement into question," Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told a news conference.

The agreement was reached by almost 200 nations in December and, as of Saturday, has been formally ratified by 109 representing 76 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, including the United States with 18 percent.The accord seeks to limit rising temperatures that have been linked to increasing economic damage from decertification, extinctions of animals and plants, heat waves, floods and rising sea levels.U.N. climate chief Patricia Espinosa declined to comment on the Trump source's remarks to Reuters.

"The Paris Agreement carries an enormous amount of weight and credibility," she told a news conference. She said the United Nations hoped for a strong and constructive relationship with Trump.The Trump source blamed U.S. President Barack Obama for joining up by an executive order, without getting approval from the Senate. "There wouldn't be this diplomatic fallout on the broader international agenda if Obama hadn't rushed the adoption," he said. (Reporting by Valerie Volcovici in Washington and Alister Doyle in Morocco; editing by John Stonestreet)

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One of President-elect Donald Trumps most divisive promises  to ban Muslims from entering America  disappeared from his campaign website before reappearing on Thursday.

Trumps campaign staff told US media that text of the pledge, posted in December following terror attacks in San Bernardino, California, vanished because of a technical glitch.



It reappeared after journalists questioned the disappearance.

The website was temporarily redirecting all specific press release pages to the homepage. It is currently being addressed and will be fixed shortly, the campaign said in a statement.

Trump said in December that Muslim immigrants pose the United States a security threat and called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countrys representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.

It was one of a number of his statements  including a pledge to build a wall on the Mexican border and criticism of women who accused him of sexual harassment  that prompted the greatest backlash against his campaign, with accusations of xenophobia.

Later, he shifted to say immigration should be suspended from any country that has been compromised by terrorism.

His stance apparently helped win him the presidency with the support of a majority of white, working-class voters.

AFP
After all of the sound and fury over Trump's treatment of women, it turned out the issue bothered half of all voters a lot  and women were more concerned about it than men.

About 6 in 10 women were bothered a lot, compared to about 4 in 10 men, the exit poll found.

It turned out voters were somewhat less concerned about Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state.

That issue mattered a lot to about four in 10 voters, including about 9 in 10 Trump voters.
This week Leonvo launched its Xiaomi Mi Max competitor, a big screen smartphone PHAB 2 Plus in India. The device was first unveiled at the Lenovo Tech World 2016 in San Francisco back in June.

The Lenovo PHAB 2 Plus packs a 6.4-inch 1080p 2.5D Curved Glass display, comes with dual 13-megapixel rear cameras with Futjitsu Milbeaut ISPs, Laser AF, PDAF, dual-tone LED flash and an 8-megapixel camera on the front with LED flash.

The Lenovo PHAB 2 Plus comes in Gunmetal Grey and Champagne Gold colors and is priced at Rs. 14,999. It will be available exclusively from Amazon.in starting from today. This directly competes with the Xiaomi Mi Max phablet that also costs the same.

Lenovo announced Moto M, the latest smartphone in the new M series in China. It has a 5.5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED 2.5D curved glass display, is powered by an Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P15 SoC and runs on Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow). It has a 16-megapixel rear camera with phase-detection auto-focus (PDAF), resulting in a quick focus and an 8-megapixel camera on the front.

The Moto M comes in Gold and Silver colors and is priced at 1999 yuan (US$ 294 / Rs. 19,630 approx.) in China.

BlackBerry launched DTEK50 and DTEK60, its latest Android smartphones in India. The DTEK50 that was announced back in July and the DTEK60 was introduced last month. Both these have a 8-megapixel front-facing camera with LED flash and run Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). The DTEK60 also has a fingerprint sensor. Read BlackBerry DTEK50 Hands On and BlackBerry DTEK60 Hands On.

The BlackBerry DTEK50 and DTEK60 come in Black color and are priced at Rs. 21,990 and Rs. 46,990, respectively. The BlackBerry DTEK50 will be available from Sunday, November 13th, while the DTEK60 will be available from December.

Astrum Holdings launched mini quad copter drones DR130 and DR080 this week. These drones has the ability to fly up to 80m with a RTF and 3D tumbling flying support.

With a flying time of up to 8 minutes, both these drone takes around 30 minutes to recharge unlike other drones in the market. Moreover, both these drones comes with 6 axis gyroscope with throw flying mode.

The DR130 features an HD camera that has the ability to take videos at 720p quality. It also includes TF card slot supports up to 32 GB of storage and spare blades for beginners in the package. It has a flying range of 100 meters, that is controlled by a 2.4 GHz controller with a crash-resistant design.

The DR130 and DR080 comes in Black color with a price tag of Rs. 8,490 and Rs. 4,590 respectively. Both these drone is now available with Astrum India and its Regional Distributors with a warranty of 1 year.

Asus launched Zenfone 3 Max (ZC520TL and ZC553KL) in India. The Zenfone 3 Max (ZC520TL) comes with a 5.2-inch HD display with 75% screen-to-body ratio and has 3GB of RAM, while the Zenfone 3 Max (ZC553KL) comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p display with 73% screen-to-body ratio, is powered by a Snapdragon 430 SoC and has 4GB of RAM.

The Asus Zenfone 3 Max comes in Titanium Gray, Glacier Silver and Sand Gold colors and is priced at Rs. 12,999 for the base (ZC520TL) variant and goes on sale from major online and offline retailers across India such as Flipkart starting today. The high-end Zenfone 3 Max version (ZC553KL) costs Rs. 17,999 and will be available by the end of November. Check out our Zenfone Max (ZC553KL) review, if you are planning to buy the phone.

LG introduced its Bluetooth headset dubbed as LG Force with Qualcomm aptX audio codec support and is IPx5 rated water and sweat resistant.

This Bluetooth headset comes with a silicone earpiece wraparound that can be adjusted to six levels to suit your ear size. It comes with Bluetooth 4.1 and also supports Advanced Audio Distribution (A2DP), Audio/Video Remote Control (AVRCP), Hands-Free (HFP), Headset (HSP) profiles.

The LG Force headset is priced at 139,000 won (Rs. 8,025 approx.) in Korea and costs $99.99 (Rs. 6,650 approx.) in the US.

Hyve Mobility launched Pryme, the companys latest flagship smartphone. It packs a 5.7-inch 1080p 2.5D arc class curved display, is powered by a Deca-Core MediaTek Helio X20 processor and runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). It has a 13-megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash and an 8-megapixel camera that also has LED flash. Read our first impressions here.

The Hyve Pryme comes in gold color and is priced at Rs. 17,999. It will be available exclusively from Amazon. Registration for the sale begins November 20.

Panasonic launched P71, the companys latest 4G smartphone with Voice over LTE (VoLTE) support in the P series. It has a 5-inch HD IPS display, is powered by 1.25 GHz quad-core processor, runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), has a 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Panasonic P71 comes in Ivory Gold and Dim Gray Black colors and is priced at Rs. 7,490 for the 1GB RAM version and the version with 2GB of RAM costs Rs. 8190.

Xiaomi introduced Mi Portable Mouse (XMSB01MW), its latest compact Bluetooth mouse in China. It has aluminium shell, ABS plastic top that comfortable experience and weighs just 77.5 grams, including battery. It also includes a dongle and comes with dual-mode connection so that you can connect it to two laptops or PCs, one over Bluetooth and other over dongle and simply press a button on the mouse to switch between two.



The Xiaomi Mi Portable Mouse comes in grey and gold colors, is priced at 89 yuan (US$ 13 / Rs. 870 approx.) and will go on sale in China starting from November 11th.

Zopo Mobiles has launched Color F2, the companys latest 4G smartphone in the Color series. It has a 5.5-inch HD 2.5D curved glass display, is powered by a MediaTek MT6737 SoC and runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), has a 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera that also has an LED flash.

The Zopo Color F2 comes in Gold, White, Black and Pink colors and is priced at Rs. 10,790.

Sony launched Cyber-Shot RX100 V (model DSC-RX100M5), its new flagship compact camera in the Cyber-shot RX100 series with 1.0-type CMOS sensor and fast Hybrid AF with speed of 0.05-second, employing 315 phase-detection AF points.

It has high speed Anti-Distortion Shutter (maximum speed of 1/32000 second) that minimises the rolling shutter effect commonly experienced with fast moving subjects. The Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 V compact camera is priced at Rs. 79,990.

Reliance Retail launched F8, the companys latest smartphone with Voice over LTE (VoLTE) support in the F series. It has similar design and specifications as the Flame 8 that was launched back in August, exclusively on Flipkart, but this runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) compared to Android 5.1 (Lollipop).

The Lyf F8 comes in Blue and Black colors and is priced at Rs. 4,199, same as the LYF Flame 8.

HTC announced Bolt, the companys latest smartphone in the U.S. for Sprint. It packs a 5.5-inch Quad HD screen, is powered by an Octa-Core Snapdragon 810 processor and runs on Android 7.0 (Nougat). It has a water-resistant unibody aluminum design, 16MP rear camera camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), 0.3s Phase Detection Auto Focus and 4k video recording.

The HTC Bolt comes in Gunmetal and Glacier Silver colors and is available from Sprint at $25 per month with 24-month contract in the U.S.
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As if the FDA's new "deeming regulations" weren't going to cause enough damage to the electronic-cigarette industry, there's apparently a new risk associated with the smoking alternative that could burn their manufacturers. According to reports, e-cigs seem to have a penchant for exploding, causing burns and injuries to their users.

E-cigs have been on fire

Electronic cigarettes have enjoyed explosive growth. Since 2012, the Tobacco Merchants Association says sales quadrupled to $2 billion in 2015, and Wells Fargo expects them to hit $4 billion this year. Yet the industry could be in for a substantial decline.

The new regulations treat e-cigs and vapor products just the same as combustible cigarettes, even though they contain no tobacco. Most devices are powered by a battery that heats a liquid nicotine solution to create a vapor, not smoke, that is then inhaled. Tobacco itself isn't burned, and that's where the vast majority of toxic chemicals associated with smoking are created.

Even with the next generation of e-cigs being developed that do use tobacco, it's only being used for flavor. Both the Marlboro-Brand HeatSticks from Philip Morris International (PM -0.14%) and British American Tobacco's (BTI 0.18%) new iFuse heat up a liquid to create a vapor, which is then drawn through real tobacco to give it the taste smokers have been looking for.

A heavy burden on the industry

All of the above is of no consequence to the FDA, which treats e-cigs just like regular cigarettes anyway. The regulations will be so onerous and costly, that it's expected only the largest tobacco companies will be able to comply. Even by the agency's own estimates, it will cost e-cig manufacturers several hundred thousands of dollars per product and take 5,000 hours to comply. Third-party estimates, however, put the cost closer to $3 million to $20 million per product.

Additionally e-cig makers have to register with the FDA, after which the regulatory agency will begin a two-year review of their products and determine those that will be allowed to survive and which ones will be banned. Vape store owners expect that within two years, the industry will be destroyed.

While there was a rush by manufacturers to get new products onto the market before the changes went into effect, it's still expected that whatever growth the industry might have enjoyed will eventually be wiped out by strict regulations.

A burning question on safety

But the industry has a more immediate problem to contend with. It appears the lithium-ion batteries used to power these devices have the potential to explode.

Earlier this year there was a spate of news stories reporting incidents of e-cig users who were injured by exploding batteries. Although the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association admits such incidents can happen, it maintains their occurrence is rare and preventable: Only use the chargers that come with the device, and don't put them in your pocket, since coins can cause short-circuiting.

It's a well-documented phenomenon that other devices such as laptops and cellphones that use lithium-ion batteries to power them are also susceptible to fire and explosions. Most U.S. airlines ended up banning the batteries as cargo on passenger flights because of the risks associated with them, and the U.S. Postal Service banned hoverboards from being shipped by airplane because their batteries reportedly overheated and caused fires.

Most recently, Samsung just stopped production on and recalled every single Galaxy Note 7 smartphone manufactured -- some 1 million total -- because of numerous reports they caught fire while charging.

"Flaming rocket" behavior

Electronic cigarettes, however, may have a greater propensity for combustibility. The U.S. Fire Administration says the shape and design of electronic cigarettes "make them more likely than other products with lithium-ion batteries to behave like 'flaming rockets' when a battery fails."

And because of their prevalence, such incidents are happening more frequently. Between October 2015 and June 2016, the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle treated 15 patients for injuries from exploding e-cigarettes. In comparison, during the five-year period between 2009 and 2014, it treated just 25 such injuries.

According to a comprehensive list of incidents compiled by industry site eCig One, there have been at least 193 explosions reported since 2009, of which 121, or 62%, have resulted in injury or death.

While that still means e-cig explosions remain few and far between -- considering the millions of people using them on a daily basis, the relative handful of incidents is small -- it's a problem the industry doesn't need.

A social pariah

Electronic cigarettes and personal vaping devices are increasingly being treated like cigarettes in social settings, with users being banned from vaping in public places just like tobacco users, or relegated to segregated areas. And not just in the U.S., but in Europe and Asia, too, the regulations are becoming more strict. The Philippines just enacted a complete ban on smoking in public, one that includes e-cigs.

Because of concerns about quality and taste (hence the reason Philip Morris and British American use real tobacco for flavor), the growth trajectory of the devices has already declined significantly. After years of triple-digit growth, e-cig sales fell 6% in the first quarter of 2016.

If exploding e-cigs become any more of a phenomenon, that could stub out any chance of survival for the industry, even before the FDA regulations have an opportunity to wreak havoc.
New York State isn't exactly a low-tax state, with tax brackets ranging from 4% to 8.82%. In addition, residents of New York City pay an additional rate of 2.907% to 3.876%, depending on their income. Fortunately, there are some lucrative tax breaks available to New York residents, especially when it comes to child care and education. Here are three that you don't want to miss.

Additional child care benefits

New York offers a Child and Dependent Care Credit that is in addition to the federal credit of the same name. It can be claimed whether or not you also claimed the federal credit, and is worth from 20% to 110% of the value of the federal credit, depending on your New York State adjusted gross income (AGI). This means that depending on your income, the credit can potentially be worth up to $2,310, and it is refundable, meaning that you can get it even if the credit is more than your tax liability.

Qualifications for the state credit are the same as for the federal version. The child who received the care must be under 13, and must have lived with the person claiming the credit for more than six months. And the care must have been provided so that you (and your spouse, if applicable) could work or look for work. If you didn't have a job, and therefore have no earned income for the year, you can't take the credit.

Furthermore, New York City offers yet another child and dependent care credit worth up to $1,733 for lower-income families with children under four years old, so that's also worth checking out if you might meet the criteria.

A double tax benefit for college savings

An excellent way for Americans to save for college expenses is a 529 savings plan. And as I've written before, these plans work like a Roth IRA in the sense that contributions are not deductible on the federal level, but any qualified withdrawals are tax-free.

Some states offer additional tax incentives for 529 savers, and New York happens to be one of them. If you set aside money for a child's education, New York's 529 College Savings Program allows contributors to deduct up to $5,000 in qualified contributions per year ($10,000 for married couples) from their New York state income. So, contributors effectively get a double tax benefit -- a deduction for contributing, and then another tax break when they withdraw the money to pay for education.

With a maximum account balance of $375,000 per beneficiary, this plan could result in some pretty big tax savings over the years.

New York's 529 plan has some rather attractive features in addition to the tax benefits. For starters, its investment options, which consist of Vanguard mutual funds, charge a total expense ratio of just 0.16%, among the lowest overall expense ratio available with any 529. Also, the value of the 529 account is excluded when calculating eligibility for state financial aid.

Did you pay tuition this year?

In addition to the 529 tax breaks, New York also offers a tax credit of up to $400 or itemized deduction of up to $10,000 when you pay tuition, even if the funds came from a 529 plan or another tax-advantaged savings program.

The credit is available to all full-year New York State residents who paid college tuition expenses during the tax year, and it is refundable. In other words, even if your New York State income tax is less than $400, and you're entitled to the maximum credit amount, you can still claim it. For taxpayers with tuition expenses of $5,000 or more, the credit is equal to 4% of the qualified expenses, up to a maximum of $10,000. If your college tuition expenses were less than $5,000, the credit is $200 or your actual expenses, whichever is less.

On the other hand, the itemized deduction is income-restricted. If your New York adjusted gross income is greater than $525,000 but less than $1,000,000, you can claim 50% of the deduction, and if your AGI exceeds $1 million, you are not entitled to the itemized deduction.

It's important to point out that this tax break is just for qualified higher education tuition, not expenses such as room, board, books, and required equipment. And the tuition must be for undergraduate courses. Any coursework intended to lead to a graduate degree is not eligible.

Here is a worksheet that can help you figure out if the credit or deduction would be more advantageous to you, and how much of a benefit you could get.

The bottom line

New York state is rather tax-friendly when it comes to child care and education, so take advantage. For example, if you have been saving for your child's education in another type of account, it may be worth considering New York's 529. Be sure to save all your child care and tuition documentation to be sure that you get every penny you're entitled to.
Donald Trump's America-first manufacturing stance could help Alcoa -- or harm it. Image source: Alex Hanson.

The election of Donald Trump to the United States presidency continues to send shock waves around the world, moving markets in sometimes unexpected ways as investors look to profit from Trump's "America First" platform and a likelihood of reduced regulation.

And while on the surface, American metals and mining companies seem high on the list of companies to profit from aggressive actions to reduce imports and support more manufacturing at home, it's not always so simple. This is particularly true for a company such asAlcoa Corporation(NYSE: AA), the recently spun-out pure-play bauxite, alumina, and aluminum producer, which has mining and production sites on five continents.

Here's a closer look at Alcoa's business, and the things that investors really need to understand going forward.

Where Alcoa's business comes from

Alcoa is inextricably tied to the mining of bauxite and refining it into alumina, which is almost entirely done outside the United States today. Through the first half of 2016, the bauxite and alumina segments generated 48% of Alcoa's before-corporate expense adjusted EBITDA and produced 73% of its after-tax operating income last year.

Here's a look at where Alcoa's bauxite mining and alumina refining assets are located:

Image source: Alcoa presentation.

All of Alcoa's bauxite mining happens outside the U.S., and only one of its alumina refineries -- worth about 13% of Alcoa's total refining capacity -- is a domestic asset. But with the vast majority of the world's bauxite located outside North America, it only makes sense that Alcoa's raw-materials operations would happen in proximity to where the raw materials are found.

Let's move on to aluminum smelting and casting:

Image source: Alcoa presentation.

Alcoa has a significant aluminum production presence in the U.S., with about 31% of its aluminum smelting in the U.S., and another 25% in Canada. But it's worth noting that Alcoa has been cutting its domestic aluminum smelting, having closed its smelting operation near Evanston, Ind., earlier this year, with management bluntly saying that "Despite the hard work of employees, these assets are not competitive." The company also closed its Port Comfort, Texas, alumina refining operation in 2016.

Aluminum casting, however, is heavily dependent on North America and Europe and typically best suited to be located close to customers. Alcoa says 96% of its casting segment's revenue comes from North America and the EU. Further, Alcoa is the No. 1 aluminum billet producer and the second-largest aluminum slab producer in North America. These two products are important for transportation, industrial, and packaging manufacturers. The company is North America's largest food-can producer and second largest drink can sheet producer, and it's aiming to have more than 13% of the North American automotive sector by 2020.

In terms of revenue and profits, aluminum smelting and casting generated $111 million in after-tax operating income for Alcoa in 2015, roughly 11% of the total, and 37% of adjusted EBITDA, excluding corporate expenses, in the first six months of 2016.

What Donald Trump aims to do

In many ways, the president-elect's trade platform leaves a lot open for interpretation, though he has been adamant that he will take aggressive actions to protect American jobs and work hard to bring manufacturing back to the United States. His actions are likely to include duties and tariffs on imports, particularly from countries known to manipulate their currency to benefit domestic manufacturing, or even provide direct subsidies, such as China. However, Trump has also threatened tariffs against other countries, simply because they have more competitive labor costs, such as Mexico.

Here are potential best-case and worst-case scenarios:

Alcoa's overseas manufacturing is there because that's where the raw materials are found. Image source: Alcoa.

Aggressive actions to protect American manufacturing lead to a stronger domestic manufacturing base. The Trump administration levels the playing field against foreign producers that benefit from their own government's intervention in pricing, such as through subsidies or currency manipulation. And low-wage manufacturing such as textiles don't come back, while high-skilled manufacturing grows at home and is competitive globally.

Alternatively:

A Trump administration's isolationist "America-first" actions lead to a trade war that harms the prospects of American manufacturers to sell their products into growing overseas markets. Weak global sales drag on the economy, leading to a recession. This recession hurts domestic manufacturing the worst, leading to layoffs and plant closures.

The reality is that it's likely to take years for the effects of Trump's trade policy actions to have an impact, and a number of other variables, including the overall state of the domestic and global economy, will have a bigger impact in the near term.

What it means for Alcoa

While aggressive trade policy could have some meaningful benefit for steelmakers (as was discussed here), it's not as clear-cut for Alcoa and other upstream aluminum producers, simply because the raw material is found far from the United States, and it's just more cost-effective to process and refine it near the mines.

That means Alcoa is more affected by global commodity prices than domestic trade policy. And over the past half-decade, Alcoa management has taken steps to reduce its production costs -- including closing American raw-material processing facilities, while it's focusing its domestic capital investments on growing its finished product manufacturing.

The upshot is this: Alcoa wins if Trump's trade policy boosts American manufacturing, because American manufacturers are Alcoa customers. If the American economy suffers as a result of overly aggressive actions by the Trump administration, that's bad for Alcoa. Either way, bauxite and aluminum prices, and Alcoa's ability to manage its costs, are far more important to the company's prospects than who's in the White House.

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OPEC's proposed production cut is looking less like it'll come to fruition with each week, and the markets are quickly losing faith that it'll actually happen.

In this clip fromIndustry Focus: Energy, Motley Fool analysts Sean O'Reilly and Taylor Muckermanexplain why so many individual players in the cartel aren't playing nice with each other, why relatively small cuts keep being hotly contested, and some takeaways for investors who are thinking about buying into the sector in this climate.

A full transcript follows the video.

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Sean O'Reilly: Before weget into the big news of the week that involves a $30 billion check,we ought to talk about OPEC shenanigansreally quick, because that's what we've been known for the past month. Why are the OPEC kiddies being mean now?Taylor Muckerman:Well, they met last week to try and drum up an idea ofwhat they wanted to agree upon on Nov. 30. All over the weekend,people were talking, "Oh, yeah, they reached an agreement." But then,it comes out that Iran, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, they'restill on the fence about it because they want tocontinue to raise production since they've either beenunder sanctions or had civil strife going on, so they haven't really beenproducing what they think they can. So, all four of those countriesseem to be in agreement thatthey might not want to be on the hook for a production cut, leaving the other nations to take the full brunt of the supposed cut. The markets don't really think it's going to happen.

O'Reilly:They weresuspicious from the beginning,even a month ago.

Muckerman:Yeah. I mean,this has happened before, quite recently, where OPEC said, "We'regoing to negotiate a cut," and nothing happens. We're in the same boat again, waffling, continued waffling. Youlook at a bunch of investment banks out there,and they're saying that they would not at all be surprisedif this doesn't go through and thenoil could crash back down to about $40 a barrel.

O'Reilly:On the other hand, I have noticed -- youremember two weeks ago, Russia was like, "We'retotally in on a cut,"and the market loved it, and oil went up. Then, this past week, Russia is like, "Eh, we don't know... " Is itpossible that a lot of thisis just a negotiation tactic? It's a poker game, and they're all at the table.

Muckerman:Yeah,no one wants to show their hand. These are countries, that were talking about, that rely very, very, very,veryheavily on oil and natural gas sales to support their government, to support their people. It'snot exactly just a few companies going bankrupt. You're talking about countriescould go bankrupt if they don't support oilprices, or support their own internal production and exportation. So, yeah, thiscartel has many more perspectives than just the sole cartel.

O'Reilly:Cartels encourage cheating. That's thebeauty of a good old-fashioned cartel. However, on the other hand,I just never understood why these guysdon't seem to care aboutwhat you learn in Econ 101, about cost benefit. Like, you decreaseproduction by 4%, and do you make doublethe money on the other 96%. What is the problem here?

Muckerman:Well,that all depends on who else is producing. They thought they were going to shut U.S. shale down bycollapsing oil prices. Shocker --

O'Reilly:We have technology.

Muckerman:There were somebankruptcies, but nothing uber-meaningful. In fact,the companies that declared bankruptcyare just about producing the same amount, if not more, than they were while --

O'Reilly:Theykeep on operating, chapter 11,or they sell their assets, run something stronger, yeah.

Muckerman:Yeah,exactly. Just because they declare bankruptcydoesn't mean they're not producing oil. So,as the prices continue to creep back up,it's much more likely that they will emerge frombankruptcy still producing oil. So, yeah, you look, in avacuum, sure,they should cut productionbecause they're producing at record levels. But if they do cut production, somebody's going to fill that spot,just like they did in 2014 whenSaudi Arabia was like, "Yeah,we're just going to start pumpingjust to pumpbecause we can." You look at all these wells that are drilled anduncompleted in the United States, nearly 4,000, those arestarting to come back online. Inventory is out there.

O'Reilly:Lots of fun. And we'll know more in a week, I'm sure.

Muckerman:Yeah. You'llcontinue to hear more about it for the next month. Personally, I think thatif you invest in oil right now,you have a little bit more downside than you do upside at the momentbecause if they announce it and they say, "Yeah,we're going to announce this cut," they'reproducing at record levels, they're not really cuttinga whole heck of a lot, and that gap can be filled. If they don't say they're going to cut, then you still have this outstanding supply,and you have the downside risk.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton reportedly is being mooted as a future congressional candidate.

The New York Post reported that Clinton, 36, is being eyed to take Rep. Nita Lowey's place when the 79-year-old incumbent decides to leave the House of Representatives.

Lowey represents New York's 17th District, which covers part of Westchester County, including Bill and Hillary Clinton's hometown of Chappaqua. The Post reported that the Clintons have purchased the home next door to theirs, in which they plan to install Chelsea, her husband and their two children.

Chelsea Clinton currently lives, and is registered to vote, in Manhattan. She introduced Hillary Clinton when her mother accepted the Democratic nomination for president at this summer's national convention in Philadelphia.

"Chelsea would be the next extension of the Clinton brand," the Post quoted a source as saying. "While politics isnt the life Hillary wanted for Chelsea, she chose to go on the campaign trail for her mother and has turned out to be very poised, articulate and comfortable with the visibility."

Chelsea herself has not ruled out seeking public office, telling Buzzfeed in 2014 that "I find it pretty discouraging that almost none of my friends think about running for public office as an option."

Click for more from the New York Post.
Kent State University is turning Hillary Clinton's life into a lesson with a new class focused on the Democrat who lost her presidential bid this past week.

The course, titled "Hillary Clinton Case Study: Perspectives on Gender and Power," is being taught by the director of the school's women's studies program, Suzanne Holt.

She calls the course a "perfect mirror" of society in respect to women's issues.

The class will explore the cultural perception of Clinton and will likely span her entire career as former first lady, U.S. senator, secretary of state and Democratic presidential nominee.

Clinton lost her bid for the White House to Republican Donald Trump in Tuesday's election.

Molly Merryman, the director of Kent States Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality, issued a statement that read, "During a presidential race that has included national conversations on trustworthiness, misogyny and sexual assault, a class like this will help to untangle these issues in public consciousness.

The course will reportedly use the Clinton campaign to highlight institutionalized sexism.

The election will be our starting point because it is a crux: its when Hillary Clinton the real woman was gradually replaced by media representations that ranged from verisimilitude to age-old stereotypes to insinuating memes to vulgarity, Holt, said to Kent Wired. Its also when the woman factor became evident at the same time our inability to talk about it did. Its also when the wide range of media and social media turned into a tablet, recording a log of feelings/thoughts the splits in our American psyche.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
Opponents to Donald Trumps presidency are planning large-scale demonstrations in the nations capital in January when the Republican president-elect is sworn in on Inauguration Day, with police apparently expecting tens-of-thousands of protesters.

Trumps surprise win Tuesday over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton has already sparked smaller protests across the county. However, demonstrations being planned for Inauguration Day weekend, which includes the Jan. 20 swearing-in on Capitol Hill, have the potential to be much larger.

One protest is being organized by the group ANSWER, for Act Now to Stop War & End Racism.

The groups Facebook page announcing its Protest at the Inauguration: Stand Against Trump, War, Racism and Inequality" event on Saturday showed that nearly 7,000 people have already committed to attending and 24,000 more have expressing interest in the event.

A Metropolitan Police Department officer said Friday that officers have already been briefed about the proposed demonstration and to prepare for at least 30,000 protesters.

An MPD spokesman on Saturday declined to discuss the matter, saying the agency doesnt talk about deploying resources.

He also suggested that the event was too far off to provide specifics but added the agency will plan accordingly.

And a pro-Clinton group named RoaRR 4 Hillary is planning a Million Women March on Jan. 21.

ANSWER, started roughly 15 years ago, after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and has the potential to attract hundreds of thousands of protesters.

In January 2013, the group led an antiwar protest that it says brought 200,000 people to Washington, D.C. And two months later, ANSWER helped organize a similar worldwide event that is considered the biggest anti-war protest in history.

Trump was criticized during his historic outsider campaign for comments about women and illegal Mexican immigrants and for his proposal after recent terror attacks connected to radical Islamists to temporarily ban Muslims trying to enter the United States.

Already this week, a man was shot in Portland, Oregon, when he got into a confrontation with a protester.

Portland police said the person who was shot was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening. Police said they were looking for the shooter, who apparently fled in his vehicle after the attack early Saturday morning.

The shooting followed rowdy Friday night protests, when police used tear gas in response to "burning projectiles" thrown at officers, police said on Twitter. Hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti.

Authorities reported instances of vandalism and assault during a rally that organizers had billed as peaceful earlier in the day.

In other parts of the country, spirited demonstrations on college campuses and peaceful marches along downtown streets have taken place since Wednesday. In Washington, protesters burn at least one U.S. flag, which resulted in confrontation with a military veteran.

And people continue to protest at Trumps new luxury hotel in Washington, Trump International, just blocks from the White House.

A mainly peaceful protest by about 3,000 people ended in Los Angeles early Saturday with about 200 arrests for failure to disperse after police broke up the lingering demonstration.

Hundreds joined a Friday afternoon "love rally" in Washington Square Park in Manhattan.

Evening marches disrupted traffic in Miami and Atlanta.

Trump supporter Nicolas Quirico was traveling from South Beach to Miami. His car was among hundreds stopped when protesters blocked Interstate 395.

"Trump will be our president. There is no way around that, and the sooner people grasp that, the better off we will be," he said. "There is a difference between a peaceful protest and standing in a major highway backing up traffic for 5 miles. This is wrong."

More than a thousand protesters took to the streets across California after night fell including downtown Los Angeles, where over 200 were arrested a night earlier. In Bakersfield, where Trump is far more popular than in most of the state, some held signs reading "Anti-Trump, Pro-USA."

Small protests also were held in Detroit; Minneapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Olympia, Washington and Iowa City.

More than 200 people, carrying signs gathered on the steps of the Washington state Capitol. The group chanted "not my president" and "no Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA."

In Tennessee, Vanderbilt University students sang civil rights songs and marched through campus across a Nashville street, temporarily blocking traffic. A protest also occurred in Minneapolis.

In Chicago, multiple groups planned protests through Saturday.

Ashley Lynne Nagel, 27, said she joined a Thursday night demonstration in Denver.

"I have a leader I fear for the first time in my life," said Nagel, a Bernie Sanders supporter who voted for Hillary Clinton.

"It's not that we're sore losers," she said. "It's that we are genuinely upset, angry, terrified that a platform based off of racism, xenophobia and homophobia has become so powerful and now has complete control of our representation."

Demonstrations also were planned Saturday in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and other areas.

Previous demonstrations drew thousands of people in New York and other large urban centers. The largely peaceful demonstrations were overshadowed by sporadic episodes of vandalism, violence and street-blocking.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The publisher of The New York Times penned a letter to readers Friday promising that the paper would reflect on its coverage of this years election while rededicating itself to reporting on America and the world honestly.

Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr., the papers embattled publisher, appealed to Times readers for their continued support.

We cannot deliver the independent, original journalism for which we are known without the loyalty of our subscribers, the letter states.

Letter to NYT readers from Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and Dean Baquet pic.twitter.com/jORqzx3BA9  Sydney Ember (@melbournecoal) November 11, 2016

New York Post columnist and former Times reporter Michael Goodwin wrote, "because it [The Times] demonized Trump from start to finish, it failed to realize he was onto something. And because the paper decided that Trumps supporters were a rabble of racist rednecks and homophobes, it didnt have a clue about what was happening in the lives of the Americans who elected the new president."

Sulzberger's letter was released after the papers public editor, Liz Spayd, took the paper to task for its election coverage. She pointed out how its polling feature Upshot gave Hillary Clinton an 84 percent chance as voters went to the polls.

She compared stories that the paper ran about President-elect Donald Trump and Clinton, where the paper made Clinton look functional and organized and the Trump campaign discombobulated.

The NYT would do well to plant some roots in Red America https://t.co/HDd4SFJqtq  Liz Spayd (@spaydl) November 9, 2016

Spayd wrote, Readers are sending letters of complaint at a rapid rate. Heres one that summed up the feelings succinctly, from Kathleen Casey of Houston: Now, that the world has been upended and you are all, to a person, in a state of surprise and shock, you may want to consider whether you should change your focus from telling the reader what and how to think, and instead devote yourselves to finding out what the reader (and nonreaders) actually think.

She wrote about another reader who asked that the paper should focus on the electorate instead of pushing the limited agenda of your editors.

Please come down from your New York City skyscraper and join the rest of us.

Sulzberger -- who insisted that the paper covered both candidates fairly -- also sent a note to staffers on Friday reminding the newsroom to give the news impartially, without fear or favor.

But we also approach the incoming Trump administration without bias, he said.
President-elect Donald Trump's appointment of his chief of staff is "imminent," his campaign manager and transition team senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters late Saturday.

TRUMP ADVISERS BACK DEREGULATION, PRIVATIZED SOCIAL SECURITY

A significant White House job, the chief of staff likely will set the tone for Trump's White House and serve as a main communications channel to Capitol Hill and Cabinet agencies.

Conway said the announcement would not come Saturday, but added, "Its imminent. Soon."

Trump is said to be considering Steve Bannon, his campaign chairman and a conservative media executive, and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus for the job. Neither has significant policy experience, though Priebus is well-liked in Washington and has ties with lawmakers.

TRUMP NOW HAS ACCESS TO NATION'S MOST VALUABLE INTELLIGENCE

"I think Chairman Priebus has expressed an interest in the position. There are several people being considered. And its Mr. Trumps decision ultimately," Conway said.

Conway is also said to be in the mix for a senior job. She is a veteran Republican pollster who formed a strong rapport with the candidate after taking the helm of his campaign in the general election. Conway said a possible future job in the White House was "not a big priority" for her.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who emerged as Trump's frequent travel partner and close aide, is on the short list for several positions, including attorney general.

Fox News has learned that Trump has had phone conversations with 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and current Ohio Gov. John Kasich, although it's not clear what roles they could be asked to serve.

Kasich's call was described as cordial and brief. He and Bush called the president-elect. Trump called Romney on Tuesday night.

Trump on Friday announced he'd assigned Vice President-elect Mike Pence to lead the transition team, replacing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a loyal adviser for much of the presidential campaign.

Christie will still be involved in the transition, joining a cluster of other steadfast Trump supporters serving as vice chairmen: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and Giuliani.

Fox News' Serafin Gomez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump will now have access to the most authoritative and highly classified intelligence produced by the U.S. government, Fox News has learned.

Two intelligence sources confirmed that the Presidents Daily Brief, or PDB, is now available to Trump  after the White House, before Tuesdays election, had directed that the winner have full access to the material, to ensure a smooth transition.

The sources told Fox News they do not anticipate the briefings will begin until next week at the earliest.

The PDB is like a highly classified newspaper for the president, and now the president-elect. It is significantly different than the information provided in briefings for candidates; those briefings act as primers to help bring candidates up to speed on topics like China, Iran and the Islamic State.

Candidates have been free to request additional briefs on topics of personal interest, and those supplemental briefings were made available to the other candidate.

The PDB is a focused intelligence product, and has a very high threshold for intelligence to be included.

Fox News has also learned that, because the briefing itself must be done in a secure facility, the White House has a dedicated transition space nearby that can be used by the president-elect to receive the PDB.

If Trump were to receive the brief in New York City, the president-elect would need to travel to a secure federal facility, such as the FBI office.

While Trump prepares to be read in on top U.S. intelligence, he and his transition team are busy assembling potential candidates for key roles in the Trump administration. He tweeted Friday that he had a busy day planned in New York and would soon be making some very important decisions on the people who will be running our government.
Two former aides to Republican Gov. Chris Christie convicted in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case filed for a new trial Friday, a week after a federal jury found them guilty on all counts in a scheme to use gridlock to punish a political opponent.

Bridget Kelly, Christie's former deputy chief of staff, and Bill Baroni, a top appointee to the authority that operates the bridge, were each convicted on seven counts of wire fraud, conspiracy and misusing the bridge for improper purposes.

Prosecutors said they engineered traffic jams in the town adjacent to the bridge to retaliate against its Democratic mayor who didn't endorse Christie in 2013.

Christie, a member of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team, wasn't charged, but testimony during the trial contradicted what he's said he knew about it. He continued this week to deny any prior knowledge.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence was selected Friday to lead Trump's transition team, replacing Christie. Christie will now serve as vice chairman.

Meanwhile, a New Jersey lawmaker who co-chaired a legislative committee that probed the lane closings in 2014 called this week for impeachment hearings and for the release of notes on Christie's interviews with federal investigators.

On Thursday, Christie's office called state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg's calls for hearings "ridiculous."

David Wildstein, a former political blogger who attended high school with Christie in the 1970s and was Baroni's right-hand man at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, pleaded guilty in 2015 and testified for the government at the trial.

Attorneys for Baroni and Kelly argued in court that jurors should have been instructed to return not-guilty verdicts if they believed the government didn't prove the two had conspired with Wildstein for the purpose of punishing Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich. Wildstein testified he concocted the scheme.

U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton disagreed, ruling the government didn't have to prove the motive behind the conspiracy, only that Baroni and Kelly conspired to break the law  in this case, to misapply Port Authority property, i.e., the bridge.

Defense attorneys filed a motion for a mistrial during jury deliberations last week that was denied by Wigenton. The motion was redacted, and neither attorney has revealed what it contained.
Authorities say two Idaho police officers were injured and a suspect was dead after a shooting during a search for a fugitive.

Police were doing a yard-to-yard search for the fugitive about 3:25 p.m. Friday when the gunfire broke out in a Boise neighborhood.

Boise police say the man who was killed in the shootout is 33-year-old Marco Romero, a recent parolee who was sought in connection with a Tuesday shooting in Meridian that injured two people. Authorities did not release the names of the injured officers, but one of them was being treated in the emergency room and the other was in surgery at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center Friday evening.

A police dog named Jardo was also injured in the shooting, and was taken to a veterinary emergency hospital for treatment.

Resident Jake Chappele told the Idaho Statesman that he was just getting home from school with his three kids when the gunfire broke out. He ushered the kids inside when he heard what sounded like 10 to 20 shots.

Another resident, Jeff Sele, said he was talking with someone on the street when he heard the gunfire.

"I heard guns and shotguns, it sounded like to me. You can definitely tell the difference between a gun and shotgun blast. It happened real fast....It was 10 to 12 shots, and then it was done," Sele said.

Officer-involved shootings in the Boise region aren't common, but Friday's shooting marked the third such incident in the region in the last 24 hours. Ada County Sheriff's deputies shot a 72-year-old man from Melba Thursday night after a vehicle chase, and Caldwell police shot a man on Friday who was suspected of attempted to break into a home. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Idaho law enforcement officers have fatally shot five people so far this year. Last year seven people were shot and killed by Idaho law enforcement officers.
Police in Alaska say an officer has been shot multiple times in what they described as an ambush.

The attack happened early Saturday morning. The man suspected of shooting the officer was killed, and the officer is expected to survive.

Anchorage police officer shot multiple times and survives; suspect killed https://t.co/VpxKOQP40m  Alaska Dispatch News (@adndotcom) November 12, 2016

Police spokeswoman Jennifer Castro says the officer was in surgery following the shooting in downtown Anchorage just before 5 a.m. The Anchorage Daily News reported that the officer is expected to survive.

"A preliminary investigation found that an officer was responding in their patrol car to a report of a theft suspect who was on foot in the area of 5th Avenue and Cordova," police said in a statement.

NEW THREAT FOR POLICE: THE AMBUSH

The officer was responding to reports that a theft suspect was on foot, and the officer was pulling over his cruiser over when a man with a gun started firing. Castro says that the officer got out of his vehicle, and the shooter continued to fire as the officer was on the ground.

Another officer responded and returned fire at the shooter.

APD Officer ambushed in 5th Ave/Cordova shooting, was shot multiple times, expected to survive. More info here: https://t.co/N5eTAhYksE  APD Public Info. (@APDInfo) November 12, 2016

Per department policy, the names of both officers won't be released for three days.

Earlier this week, a gunman opened fire on two police officers southwest of Pittsburgh, killing one and wounding the other, apparently killed himself in the home where he was hiding out.

Last week, a New York City police sergeant was shot and killed and a second one was wounded in a gunfight on a street with an armed man who had broken into his estranged wife's home.

The Associated Press contributed to this article
Wildfires near the Georgia-North Carolina line are spewing smoke so thick that residents are being urged to wear special masks if they must do outdoor activities.

The fires have prompted evacuations in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee in recent days.

The largest of dozens of ongoing wildfires in the South has now burned 13,300 acres  or more than a third of the vast Cohutta Wilderness area  in the north Georgia mountains just south of the Tennessee line, fire managers said in an update Saturday. It was only 20 percent contained.

In Macon County, North Carolina, special health masks were being made available Saturday. Emergency Management Director Warren Cabe said they're distributing N95-rated masks as regular surgical masks don't provide adequate protection from smoke particles.
Chicago police were searching for a group of people who assaulted a motorist this week while bystanders laughed and taunted him about voting for President-elect Donald Trump.

The incident, which was caught on video, occurred Wednesday afternoon on the city's West Side. The victim, 49-year-old David Wilcox, told reporters that he was trying to make a left turn when another car pulled up and scraped the side of his vehicle.

"I stopped and parked. And I asked if they had insurance, and the next thing that I knew they were beating the s--- out of me," Wilcox told the Chicago Tribune.

The video shows three men repeatedly punching and kicking Wilcox. Bystanders can be heard yelling, "You voted Trump!" and "Don't vote Trump!" along with the more quotidian "Beat his a--!"

Wilcox told reporters that he had voted for Trump in Tuesday's presidential election, but said his assailants had no way of knowing that. He did tell the Tribune that he believed the men were egged on by the bystanders.

"They intensified it, aggravated it and made it more than it was," Wilcox said.

Wilcox also denied claims that he had a Trump bumper sticker or sign on his car, as well as that he had used a racial slur against one of the men.

One of the men eventually got into Wilcox's car and drove it away, despite the victim's attempt to stop him by hanging on to the door frame.

No arrests have been made in the case, but police and local residents decried the incident as unacceptable.

"You cannot conquer hate with hatred ... anything more than self-defense, that's not who we are," Jedidiah Brown, an activist who participated in anti-Trump protests around the city, told WLS-TV. "Chicago is better than that."

"I don't think they should be fighting or starting violence because somebody voted Trump," Laquanna Moore told the station. "But I, myself, think Trump shouldn't be president because he's racist."
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof fought with and restrained an intruder he found in his Philadelphia hotel room.

Kristof said in a message on Twitter that there had been "big excitement" when he "interrupted an intruder" in his room early Saturday at the Franklin Hotel near Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

He said there was a chase and then a fight but restrained the man, who he said was apparently a thief. Kristof said in another message that he had a wrenched thumb from the fight but was "otherwise OK." He said "fortunately, he was a wimpish thief."

A police spokesman confirmed the account, saying the columnist "chased him, struggled with him and held him until officers arrived." The suspect is in custody awaiting charges.
A man suffered non-life-threatening injuries in Portland, Ore. early Saturday when he was shot while taking part in a protest against President-elect Donald Trump.

The shooting took place at around 1 a.m. local time as protesters were walking across the Morrison Bridge toward downtown Portland.

Cameron Whitten told the Oregonian newspaper that a car with multiple occupants was crossing the bridge in the opposite direction of the protesters. He said several people got out of the car, drove a short distance, stopped, then got out again. At that point, Whitten said, one of the people fired a shot into the air, then shot one of the protesters in the leg.

Another witness told KPTV the car's driver said "If you don't get off the bridge, I'm going to kill you," then fired five shots.

A third witness described the shooting's aftermath to a KPTV reporter.

Another witness: it was a man who was shot in the thigh. "It seems the peace ends around 10:00." pic.twitter.com/Y8wwSWijfF  Kelsey Watts (@KelseyWattsKPTV) November 12, 2016

Police cleared the bridge of protesters and sought out witnesses for interviews. Organizers told those who were still marching to go home.

In a statement, authorities described the suspect as a black man in his late teens, standing 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a thin build and wearing a hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

Earlier in the night, police used tear gas and flash-bang grenades to try to disperse the crowd after hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti. Authorities said "burning projectiles" were thrown at police and vandalism and assault had taken place during the rally, which organizers had billed as peaceful earlier in the day.

Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson told KOIN that Friday night's demonstrators were "much more aggressive and confrontational with police" than the previous evening.

The protests appear to have attracted a sizable contingent of anarchists with the goal of vandalizing and destroying property.

More anti-Trump demonstrations are planned through the weekend in the city, and Simpson told KOIN that "perhaps another day would be better."

The city is fatigued and whatever message youre trying to convey will be lost," he said, adding that there were "groups out to hijack a (peaceful) protest into mayhem."

Protests against the election result are planned in a number of cities Saturday, including New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Law enforcement officials have described the demonstrations as largely peaceful, but the gatherings have been overshadowed by sporadic episodes of vandalism, violence and street-blocking.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from KPTV.com.
New reports emerged Friday of public killings and other atrocities committed against Mosul residents by Islamic State (ISIS) militants, including dozens of civilians whose bullet-riddled bodies were hung from telephone poles after they were accused of using cellphones to leak information to Iraqi security forces.

The United Nations human rights office said ISIS fighters killed some 70 civilians in Mosul this week, part of a litany of abuses to come to light in recent days, including torture, sexual exploitation of women and girls, and use of child soldiers who were filmed executing civilians.

The revelations are the latest reports of ISIS brutality as the group retreats into dense urban quarters of Iraqi's second-largest city, forcing the population to go with them as human shields.

In its report, the U.N. human rights office in Geneva said ISIS shot and killed 40 people on Tuesday after accusing them of "treason and collaboration," saying they communicated with Iraqi security forces by cellphone. The bodies, dressed in orange jumpsuits, were hung from electrical poles in Mosul.

A day later, the extremists reportedly shot to death 20 civilians at a military base. Their bodies were hung at traffic intersections in Mosul, with signs saying they "used cellphones to leak information."

A Mosul resident, reached by telephone, said crowds have been watching the killings in horror. One victim was a former police colonel, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.

The violence is part of a disturbing pattern. As the army advances, ISIS militants have been rounding up thousands of people and killing those with suspected links to the security forces. Soldiers last week discovered a mass grave in the town of Hamam al-Alil, 12 miles south of Mosul, containing some 100 bodies.

At the same time, the militants have gone door to door in villages south of Mosul, ordering hundreds to march at gunpoint into the city. Combat in Mosul's dense urban areas is expected to be heavy, and the presence of civilians will slow the army's advance as it seeks to avoid casualties.

ISIS militants have boasted of the atrocities in grisly online photos and video. The United Nations has urged authorities to collect evidence of ISIS abuses of civilians to use in eventually prosecuting the militants in tribunals.

Iraqi troops are advancing from four fronts on Mosul, the last major ISIS holdout in Iraq. As Iraqi special forces battle in eastern neighborhoods of the city, Kurdish Peshmerga forces are holding a line north of the city, while Iraqi army and militarized police units approach from the south. Government-sanctioned Shiite militias are guarding western approaches.

In the formerly ISIS-held town of Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul, Kurdish commander Gen. Hamid Effendi said his forces were working to secure the area but faced booby traps that were holding up the advance.

More than a thousand unexploded bombs are believed buried in Bashiqa, Effendi said. Over 100 ISIS fighters have been killed in combat, he added, but wounded fighters likely remain in defensive tunnels built by the militants.

On Friday, teams went building by building into the night detonating explosives left behind in Bashiqa, which was deserted except for a few residents trickling in to check on their homes and businesses.

Among them was 60-year-old Khan Amir Mohammed, who discovered that his home had been turned into a mortar post by the militants, who dug seven tunnels on his family's 3 1/2-acre property before retreating.

Ammunition tubes and English-language instruction pamphlets for launching mortars littered the floor in one room. Another had been turned into a makeshift mosque, with lines taped to the floor for worshippers to line up to pray.

A nearby shop where Mohammed sold animal feed had collapsed from an apparent airstrike.

"What can I say? I feel powerless," he said, surveying the destruction.

Down the road, Kurdish forces were detonating bombs left behind by the militants. First Sgt. Ayub Mustafa said his unit alone had disabled some 250 bombs, the vast majority homemade explosives.

"Apparently they have a smart electrician with them. They're well-made," he said.

Special forces troops entered the Qadisiya neighborhood on Friday, the 26th day of the campaign to retake Mosul, exchanging small arms and mortar fire with ISIS positions and advancing slowly to avoid killing civilians and being surprised by suicide car bombers, said Brig. Gen. Haider Fadhil.

Regular army troops control 90 percent of the Intisar neighborhood, said one officer, but progress has slowed because "the streets are too narrow for our tanks." He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters.

Meanwhile, the U.N. cited new evidence the militants have used chemical weapons, escalating fears ISIS will resort to chemical warfare to try to hold onto the city, still home to more than a million people.

Rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva that four people died from inhaling fumes after ISIS shelled and set fires to the al-Mishrag Sulfur Gas Factory in Mosul on Oct. 23.

Shamdasani said reports indicated that ISIS has stockpiled large amounts of ammonia and sulfur and placed them near civilians. "We can only speculate how they intend to use this," she said. "We are simply raising the alarm that this is happening, that this is being stockpiled."

She also noted a video posted online by ISIS on Wednesday showing four children, believed to be aged 10 to 14, gunning down four people accused of spying for Kurdish and Iraqi security forces.

U.N. officials say about 48,000 people have now fled Mosul since the government campaign began on Oct. 17.
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About 6,000 pro-Kurdish demonstrators are holding a rally in the western German city of Cologne in protest against the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Police said Saturday that the rally in an industrial area along the Rhine River has been peaceful so far.

Erdogan's government recently ordered the arrest of nine lawmakers of the pro-Kurdish HDP party, which it accuses of acting as the political wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK  an allegation the HDP rejects.

The PKK has waged a three-decades-long insurgency against the state, and Erdogan has blamed Europe for supporting and arming the group.
A French news website says one of its journalists has been detained in Turkey, and it is demanding his immediate release.

Les Jours website says Olivier Bertrand was detained Friday, along with a Turkish photographer, while conducting an interview in the city of Gaziantep, near the border with Syria. The photographer was subsequently released.

No reason was given for Bertrand's detention, Les Jours said, and Turkish officials could not immediately be reached for confirmation.

The website says Bertrand was working on a series about the aftermath of Turkey's failed coup in July, which resulted in a massive crackdown on the followers of an Islamic movement blamed for the attempt.

Dozens of journalists have also been detained and hundreds of media outlets shut down as part of the post-coup clamp down.
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Turkey's Interior Ministry has halted the operations of 370 civic associations on terrorism-related charges, with police raiding several offices and detaining members.

Some of the raids Friday met resistance, leading to detentions.

Nergis Aslan, the general secretary of the Progressive Lawyers' Association, told The Associated Press that the Turkish government gave no explanation for the decision to shut down his group. She says "there is serious suppression against any form of organization, association or any sort of opposition group."

Turkey has come under intense criticism from allies and opposition groups over its crackdown on dissenting voices during the state of emergency declared after July's failed coup.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus defended the closures, saying Turkey has to take measures against multiple terror threats.
Tyler Perez Publishes Review of Online Sales Pro Package

Serial entrepreneur and SEO expert offers comprehensive review of the Online Sales PRO (OSP) digital marketing toolset

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Tyler Perez, the serial entrepreneur and SEO expert, today announced that he has published a comprehensive review of the Online Sales PRO (OSP) digital marketing toolset. OSP is growing in popularity. It enables entrepreneurs to perform virtually all the tasks essential for success in starting and managing an online business, including lead generation and automated follow up. Perez uses OSP in his own business.

"Getting an online business up and off the ground takes a huge amount of work. Now, you can have a sophisticated piece of technology do a lot of the heavy lifting for you so you can concentrate on what matters most," said Perez. "Vincent Ortega Jr.'s software takes you from A to Z in terms of building a sales funnel and following up for maximum revenue growth over time."

Online Sales Pro enables users to create lead gen websites and helps them learn how to drive traffic to these sites. It has features to help users organize and connect with sales leads as well as integrate with email marketing campaigns. It integrates with AWeber email software, for example. Push notifications alert the user on a mobile device when new leads register through the site. This makes it possible for the user to reach out by phone to the new lead immediately regardless of whether he or she is in the office.

Perez has enjoyed a successful track record as a self-starting, goal-driven and accomplishment-hungry serial entrepreneur and SEO Expert. He is renowned for creating effective e-business websites and backing them up with strong search engine optimization. His clients are primarily digital businesses that are already up and running when they first engage with Perez. He helps them grow.

For more information, visit http://tylerperez.com/online-sales-pro-review-vincent-ortega-jr/.

For more information, please visit http://tylerperez.com/about/

Contact Info:

Name: Tyler D. Perez

Organization: Los Angeles SEO Expert

Phone: (951) 963-6319

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/tyler-perez-publishes-review-of-online-sales-pro-package/145481

Release ID: 145481

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Turapur Pitcher Review Unveils The Purest Water Filtration System

Turapur Water Pitcher is a water filtration device that creates hydrogen rich water which as the research suggest is better for human health.

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Water is one of the most important substance on earth and benefits the human body in many ways when drank in adequate amounts. However, recent research has shown that regular drinking water may not be as fruitful as hydrogen rich water. Water that contains free hydrogen is likely to give its users more energy, better skin, and healthier joints. Moreover, hydrogen rich water will also taste and smell better.

Turapur Water Pitcher is created using selected mineral layers and works in two stages to make the water a healthy choice for the drinkers. During the first stage, the water is passed through the layers to strip away the bad taste and odors. It also works to soften the water to make it taste better.

Controversial Video: These Kinds of Water Make You Older (MUST WATCH)

The second and the most important stage is to enrich the water. Using special mineral layers, the water is enriched and the hydrogen content is freed up. This is done with the combination of magnesium, infrared ceramics, and tourmaline. This makes the water full of hydrogen that proves to work as an antioxidant for the body.

The hydrogen-ions play an important role in the wellbeing of the human body. It helps balances free radicals in the body that keeps diseases and illnesses at bay. The hydrogen-rich water is also known to reduce the risk of diabetes and other blood-sugar related conditions. It helps detoxifies the body, improves digestion, enhances energy, and increases concentration.

Click Here To Order Turapur Pitcher At The Most Discounted Price Online

Hydrogen rich water is also touted as the "fountain of youth" for its anti aging properties. It has been known to reverse the symptoms of aging to provide the users with a youthful appearance and relief from many aging disease.

The Turapur Water Pitcher is currently available $19.95 + $4.95 (shipping and handling) to US based consumers only. Oddly, the pitcher is not sold to California residents due to the state regulations. No detailed explanation from the makers is available to what these regulations might be.

The first pitcher comes with a filter that lasts for 60 days and after the time period; consumers are automatically sent a six month supply of three water filters for $45.00. The Turapur Water Pitcher does not accept filters from any other companies so interested consumers have to purchase the filters from the makers themselves.

Those wishing to purchase Turapur Pitcher, or for more information, click here: www.turapur.com

Overall, it is no breaking news that drinking water is good for the health. However, users can make the most out of their health and wellbeing by drinking hydrogen rich water from the Turapur Water Pitcher. The BPA free model is easy to use and requires no extra installation. It can conveniently be kept in the refrigerator and even taken along on picnics and trips. The makers also recommend using the water for cooking to enhance the flavor and nutrients in the dishes. Give it a try and be amazed with the results it offers!

For more information, please visit http://reviewsfactor.info/turapur/

Contact Info:

Name: Linda Allen

Organization: Turapur



Source: http://marketersmedia.com/turapur-pitcher-review-unveils-the-purest-water-filtration-system/145600

Release ID: 145600

For more information visit r



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I am very much looking forwards to the Institute of Agricultural Management conference in a couple of weeks time. The theme this year is UK world-class farming/world-class food.

That topic seems to sum up our present situation. We do operate at a world-class level, there is no doubt about that. Our productivity per unit of land area is second to none, but are we as effective and efficient as others?

That, of course, depends on how you measure effectiveness and efficiency. Is it all down to money or do we factor in the environmental and aesthetic value of what we do?

See also: Read more from our Arable Farmer Focus writers

I would suggest that it is a balance of all of these factors  a real mix of these interrelated issues.

We do need to be able to supply food that is affordable, but not at rock-bottom-worthless prices, where it is not appreciated. World-class food does, after all, come at a price befitting its status.

We do provide world-class environmental goods and there is nothing more appealing in the world than the British countryside. However, all of that needs to be paid for by someone, it doesnt just happen.

The question is how to find the balance in the food production, environment and nice-to-see triangle.

To ensure we have our fair say in that discussion, we all need to get ourselves motivated, contact our MPs and perhaps talk to local NGOs.

It is time to rally together to make sure we get our message across. We have just one small voice, so lets make sure its heard.

The competition will be intense. We are outweighed by volume of numbers, and many of these environmental NGOs have many more members than there are farmers in the country.

Back at Euston, we were very fortunate to be awarded third place in the Suffolk Agricultural Associations annual farm business competition. It is a real honour and a reward for all of the farm team  well done to them.

The end of October saw us well on top of autumn cereal spraying, with a good start made to the sugar beet campaign. Not that it looks like much of a campaign this year  as a result of poor yields and low sugars, it looks more like a minor skirmish.

Still, all of that will soon be forgotten and we will be on with planting again.

Andrew Blenkiron manages the 4,400ha Euston Estate, south of Thetford. Principal farm enterprises are combinable and root crops, including sugar beet. In addition the estate supports let land, sheep, outdoor pigs, poultry, suckler cows, horses and stewardship.
LG V20 News & Update: Why It's A Great Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Alternative? Ad Brings Timely Message

The LG V20 is reportedly considered as an alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 analogous to each other in terms of specs. The V20 is said to have a long battery life with a removable battery as well as excellent dual cameras and a clear display.

Both the LG V20 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 feature the same 5.7 inch display, dual cameras, Android 7.0 Nougat and an additional always-on display. The LG phone kept the removable battery and microSD for expandable memory. The LG is also said to be durable, having passed the military drop tests. Furthermore, the metal case it uses is similar to that in planes.

The LG V20 includes a USB-C, headphone jack and fingerprint reader. The LG V20 is also said to be larger than the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and the first non-Google device to ship with the latest Android OS out of the box for multi-window support, improved battery life, quick app switching, among others. The V20 runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage expandable for up to 2TB and 3,200mAh battery, Mashable reported.

The always-on display on the LG V20 is said to be as vibrant and colorful as the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 with 513 ppi. The V20 also comes with 32 bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC. In terms of the camera, the V20 features an 8MP 135-degree ultra-wide angle lens as well as a 16MP wide-angle shooter and a 5MP front camera.

In other news, the director and the "Snowden" actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt was recently shown on an LG V20 commercial showing off his drum skills on the subway. The actor was also joined by a couple of musicians. The commercial was reportedly an online collaboration with Levitt's company hitRECord. The company, founded in 2004, has been producing short film, DVDs and books.

LG V20 commercial entitled "Everyday, Spectacular" reportedly aims to inspire people to focus on exciting, random moments everyday. The company also created the commercial for the LG V10 last year.

LG V20 is already available to pre-order and will commence shipping this month, according to report. Watch LG V20 Commercial 2016 Joseph Gordon-Levitt Everyday Spectacular
Apple AirPods Release Date, Features and Updates: Will Earphones Come Next Week? Specs and Price Details

Apple's newest wireless earphones, the AirPods, were supposed to come out last month but the tech company delayed its release. Now, there seems to be good news for fans as reports indicate that it could launch next week.

German Apple reseller Conrad reportedly confirmed with a customer that the Apple AirPods will already come by November 17, Friday. "I have just talked with an employee of the Conrad Online Store, since I am there on 14.10 the AirPods ordered and I wanted to cancel today [sic]," the source noted.

AirPods availability

It was also noted that the Conrad store already have stocks for the AirPods beginning November 17 and that customers will start receiving their orders from November 18 to 19. Though there are already reports and rumors coming out about the AirPods' release date, Apple has yet to issue an official statement to confirm the information.

The new Apple AirPods are said to be worth every penny a user spends on it because of its improved battery life and better connection. It also comes with a sensor that detects when the AirPods are removed from one's ears thus prompting it to pause the music.

Price details and features

Apple's AirPods is reportedly selling for $159. Many tech aficionados believe that this device is cheaper than other options in the market which cost around $200. For this price, users can already enjoy high-quality music without any effect to sound quality using its Bluetooth connectivity. It also contains a W1 wireless chip which helps in transferring and recognizing music that goes through the AirPods.

The AirPods also contains a W1 wireless chip that gives owners the capability to transfer music from their iPhones to their AirPods. This chip can also process the device's codecs, handle user controls and add stereo synchronization.
Samsung Galaxy X Foldable Phone Release Date, News & Update: Company Insiders Reveal Another Set Back

Company insiders have revealed another setback to Samsung's Project Valley Program, which oversees the production for the tech giant's next generation Foldable Phones. Galaxy X has been rumored to reach new heights and analysts project that the mass production of the flexible 6th-gen OLED panels needed for the handset would start at the third quarter of this year.

A recently filed patent by Samsung reveals how the bendable phone would look like -- an elongated slab that has an intriguing automatic hinge that looks similar to Microsoft's Surface Book. The patent, as noted by Phone Arena, "was more detailed than anything they've seen from Samsung, concluding that Galaxy X might be nearing the end of its development stages."

However, rumors, regarding its release in spring this year along with its flagship device, the Galaxy S8 smartphone has been downplayed by a Korean publication that has reconfirmed that the launch for the Galaxy X is still in question after the company is having second thoughts on releasing the phone. An anonymous tip from a supply chain speculated that "following the Galaxy Note 7 mishaps, Samsung Electronics has taken a cautious approach on unveiling its new products - in terms of hardware."

Considering the cost of making the Project Valley Program and also the cost of the whole commercialization to be feasible, company insiders have revealed that "Samsung is not yet sure whether consumers would spend their money on expensive foldable devices." Putting the cost in perspective, one can imagine how much these devices would be worth and Samsung is toying around with the idea of a releasing a a foldable tablet instead.

Rumors indicate that the new OLED conveyor belts will be primed to make flexible 7-inch panels, taking note of the fact that foldable tablets are more cost efficient and easier to make. All in all, it seems that Samsung has taken back steps regarding the release of the Galaxy X Foldable Phone.

According to Digital Trends, Samsung's confidence has totally been regressed regarding its release of the Galaxy X and has shifted it focus on the release of the Galaxy S8. It seems that the Project Valley Program is still in a state of flux and has been delayed to give way to a more improved S8 smartphone.
'Luke Cage Season 2' Air Date, Latest News & Updates: Luke Cage Meets Iron Fist & Other Marvel Heroes In Upcoming Season

Clearly, Luke Cage was able to set himself apart from the other Marvel shows on Netflix in his own way. Thanks to Jessica Jones, the audience was able to meet Mike Colter as Luke Cage even before starting his first episode. On top of that, the show's latest villain, Diamondback, shares something in common with Luke Cage that goes beyond the hero/villain. But what's even more exciting is the possibility that Luke Cage will be teaming up with Iron Fist and other characters in the Marvel Universe.

According to Jobs & Hire, Marvel is trying to be loyal to the comic book that there is a chance that Luke Cage will be back on the screen again. But this time, other fictional characters of Marvel will be joining in, and that includes Iron Fist.

Marvel together with Netflix US recently released "Marvel's Iron Fist" to debut on March 17, 2017. This will be the next series after "Luke Cage" was released this year. "Iron Fist" will focus on Danny Rand's adventures as he joins the increasing number of street- level superheroes which will be introduced just before the Defenders.

Aside from Luke Cage appearing in "Iron Fist", Jessica Jones will soon come in together with Colleen Wing, which will be played by Jessica Wing, according to IGN.

More surprises about "Marvel's Iron Fist" will be released in the upcoming New York Comic Con this weekend. Fans will be sure seating on the edge of their seats as other characters might be unfolded in the upcoming Comic-Con this weekend.

Although the Netflix series is big on celebrities and superheroes like Luke Cage and Iron Fist, fans of the show might also want to see and follow an interesting love affair between Claire Temple and Luke Cage.
HTC 11 Release Date, Specs, Features, News & Update: Flagship to Beat iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy S8; Early January 2017 Launch Confirmed?

HTC 11 is one of the most anticipated tech releases in 2017, alongside Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 and Samsung's flagship the Galaxy S8. Its predecessor, the HTC 10, was widely received by the tech community because of its top-of-the-line specs under the hood. Now new reports have emerged suggesting that HTC 11 will be better than the previous iteration with advanced specs and features.

According to reports, HTC 11 will have an all-metal chassis and a fairly interesting design with its chamfered edges. The iteration is said to have a classier overall design compared to its predecessor; however, industry observers are saying that the device looks pretty similar to the flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S7. Nonetheless, it has its unique qualities that will make the device a worthy competitor against the mighty iPhone 8 and Samsung Galaxy S8.

HTC 11 will carry a 5.5-inch screen with 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution AMOLED technology, which is quite popular with Samsung high-end devices. The new smartphone is definitely an upgrade from the 5.2-inch screen with a 2,560 x 1,440 display resolution of HTC 10. The handset will also run on a Snapdragon 830 processor from Qualcomm paired with a whopping 8 GB of RAM. The current iteration runs on a Snapdragon 820 chipset from Qualcomm and 4 GB of RAM.

The new HTC 11 is expected to arrive in multiple variations - 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB storage capacities. The high end model will certainly have the 128 GB onboard storage, which is an impressive addition from its predecessor.

Meanwhile, HTC claims that HTC 10 had the best camera features when it came out in the market and was awarded an 88 DxOMark score for camera quality. Now fans expect the new iteration to sport an even advanced camera technology. HTC 11 is expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2017. Stay tuned for more news and updates about the development and release of HTC 11.
Jessica Jones Season 2 Air Date, Spoilers, News & Update: Jessica-Luke-Misty Love Triangle Possible? More Plot Details, Characters, Predictions Revealed

Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) will emerge as an even stronger superheroine now that her tormentor Kilgrave (David Tennant) is dead. However, it is expected that she will deal with several new villains in "Jessica Jones" Season 2 as teased by showrunner Melissa Rosenberg. For that, the private eye will need the support she can get.

Jessica has always received some back up from her adopted sister, Trish (Rachael Taylor). Trish was even there to accompany her in Jessica's quest to put an end to Kilgrave. Besides Trish, it's likely that Luke Cage (Mike Colter) will be back in "Jessica Jones" Season 2 to help out. It should be noted that Luke and Jessica have a romantic connection.

With Luke likely to return for "Jessica Jones" Season 2, there could be a love triangle brewing when set photos revealed that Simone Missick's Misty Knight will return. Misty appeared in the first season of "Luke Cage." She is also romantically linked to the superhero with indestructible skin. In freshly-released set photos, Misty was seen pointing a gun at a bloody-faced Jessica. Although it may appear that one is trying to take down the other, the confrontation is less likely to have something to do with love or romance.

According to Metro, Jessica's meeting with Misty could be the first time for both of them. It also appears that they may have just found each other at the wrong place and at the wrong time with law-breaking activities involved. It remains to be seen what story Misty and Jessica will bring in "Jessica Jones" Season 2. There are speculations, however, that both will end up really good friends, with Misty becoming Jessica's confidante.

Meanwhile, a release date for "Jessica Jones" Season 2 has not been confirmed yet. However, it is believed that the Marvel/Netflix series will release sometime after "Iron Fist" and "The Defenders" airs, which puts Jessica's return in 2018. Stay tuned to GamenGuide for more updates!
Microsoft Surface Phone 2016 Release Date, News & Update: Why Microsoft Needs to Release the New Smartphone; Expected Specs & Features Revealed

The Microsoft Surface Phone 2016 has been one of the most anticipated smartphone releases of the year due to its promise of refreshing (and replacing) the Lumia lineup. However, fans were disappointed when the tech giant seems to be ignoring it. Is the Surface Phone still coming out?

Why Microsoft Needs the Surface Phone

The rumored Microsoft Surface Phone 2016 had always been just that, rumored. While Microsoft is still yet to acknowledge the mere existence of the device, fans still remain hopeful and optimistic. With only bits and pieces being dropped on very rare occasions, it's still undeniable that the Surface Phone is making waves in the tech world.

With Windows Phones currently struggling with market shares against the competition such as Android and Apple devices, what Microsoft needs now is to refresh their existing lineup. The Microsoft Surface Phone 2016 promises this, with the addition of having the chance of offering something new to the table while carrying the Surface branding.

The tech giant might have to settle for last place in the mobile platform war if it does not release the Microsoft Surface Phone 2016 just yet. However, maybe the tech giant still has some tricks up its sleeves that will make the upcoming Surface Phone more than what we expect it to be.

Rumored Specs and Features

Plenty of rumors suggest that the Microsoft Surface Phone 2016 will be packing a lot of high-end internals. For starters, the lineup will be coming in three variants. There would then be 4GB, 6GB, and 8GB RAM variants in different tiers. There are also rumors suggesting that the Intel Kaby Lake processors would be powering the devices. If this proves to be true, then the Surface Phone would definitely be performance beasts.

With three tiers come three price points, with the lowest end being the budget option and the highest end being the most premium one. Rumors have it that the display would then be ranging from Quad HD to 4K resolution. The body would then be all glass for a more premium look. Many predict that the phone might be released in 2017, and all we can do now is hope for this to be true. Stay tuned to GamenGuide for more Microsoft Surface Phone 2016 news and updates!
One Piece manga News & Update: Sanji Leaving StrawHat Pirates Debunks Manga Cancellation; Pushes New Storyline

The popular Japanese manga "One Piece" is apparently continuing its journey as a possible new storyline emerges online. Recent spoilers reveal that, while Luffy may seem to have found a way to free Sanji from the Cake Island and saving him from marrying Lady Pudding; Sanji suddenly had a change of heart.

The increasing interest in the journey of Luffy and the strawhats pirate clearly debunks rumors that the "One Piece" manga is ending soon. Several news revealed that, "One Piece" creator Eiichido Oda is currently busy on another project that he's contemplating on ending the manga series.

Also, rumors suggested that, his busy schedule has led to the waning storyline of the "One Piece" manga series. Something that the latest chapters in the manga failed to lead to. Apparently, there are upcoming new and interesting storyline and Sanji and Luffy's journey at Cake Island is just a start.

According to the FXNewsCall, the latest "One Piece" manga spoilers reveal, Sanji and Luffy fighting over the former's lack of willingness to return as a Straw Hat pirate. All of Luffy's effort to save him apparently ended with nothing. Apparently, Sanji has decided to stay in Cake Island and marry Lady Pudding. If he does, he will not return as a Star Hat pirate in the "One Piece" manga and will have the entire Cake Island as kingdom.

His idea will not sit well with Luffy, who fought heaven and earth to save him. He tells Sanji that he owes the Straw Hat pirates his life. But it looks like Sanji has made a decision. These and more "One Piece" manga spoilers have been making their way online; suggesting a rather impossible ending to series soon.

For more news and update on the "One Piece" manga series, make sure to check us here on GameNGuide.
A second route, which will service downtown to Alamitos Beach, will launch on Nov. 10.
Donald Trumps victory in Tuesdays presidential election was a surprise to large swaths of American voters. But it shouldnt have been. National polls were extremely close and deciding that only one outcome is possible in a close race is arrogance.

See the United Kingdom Brexit vote for a similar example.

Yes, many of those polls turned out to be wrong (more on that later). But lets start with some fascinating research from Pew on what DID happen Tuesday.

 White non-Hispanic voters preferred Trump over Hillary Clinton by 21 percentage points  58-37. That margin was almost identical to that by Mitt Romney in his failed challenge to Barack Obama in 2012.

 Clinton did not fare as well with minority voters as Obama. Clinton had an 80-point margin with African-American voters and a 36-point margin with Latinos. But Obama had an 88-point edge with African-Americans and a 44-point edge with Hispanics in 2012.

 Trump had a 67-28 edge among whites without a college degree, the largest such edge such Reagan-Carter in 1980. But Trump also led among whites WITH a college degree, 49-45.

 Gender-wise it was a push. Trump led by 12 points among men and Hillary led by 12 points among women. And it is worth noting that for all of the criticism Trump received regarding his treatment of women, he still received the backing of 42 percent of them. If Clinton had been able to widen the gap she might have won. Other pollsters found that Trump led Clinton 53-43 among white women.

 Among young voters (18-29) Clinton had a strong edge, 55-37. But the gap wasnt as wide as it was for Obama against John McCain in 2008 (66-32) or against Romney in 2012 (60-36).

Simply put Clinton needed to put up Obama-like numbers with African-Americans, Latinos and young people to put her over the top. A bigger gender edge would have helped, too. But it didnt happen.

Now, why were the polls wrong? Why did pre-election surveys show Clinton the likely winner  with some forecasts showing her having a 70 percent chance of winning  or more? If you looked at the Electoral College maps published by established groups such as CNN and Nate Silver it looked like Trump needed to win virtually all of the battleground states  and also pick off a few of the light blue states that were leaning to Clinton.

And he did just that, scoring wins in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as taking swing states such as Ohio, North Carolina and Ohio.

How did this happen?

Pew and others note that polling has become more volatile since more Americans ditched their land lines. Those with cellphones only are harder to reach and it's more expensive to interview them.

Also, polling experts said, Trumps support was underestimated and less-educated voters who were a key bloc of his backers are also hard to reach.

In addition, some pollsters noted that many voters just arent honest with survey workers either because they want to throw a wrench in the works or becomes it seems socially desirable to claim they do not support Trump.

Ill be watching for more explanations of this as time goes on.

Oh, one other thing. Obama also did better in Benton County in 2012, with 65 percent of the vote. Clinton had just 60. I plan to publish precinct by precinct results of the presidential race and Measure 97 in an upcoming edition.
A 400-year-old spiritual tradition helped Chris Anderson pull his new book into focus.

That book, "Light When It Comes," draws from years of Anderson's writing  poetry, blog entries and homilies delivered during his years as a deacon at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Corvallis. He plans to read from the book during an event Sunday afternoon at the church (see the related story for the details).

Anderson describes the book as a bit of a collage, but the overall aim is to make the case that "God is present in everyday moments, but hidden and implicit," and it encourages readers to remember and share those moments.

The spiritual discipline that forms the backbone of "Light When It Comes" (the title is inspired by a William Stafford poem) is the examen, adapted from a technique described by Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. In essence, it's a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day, both small and large, in order to detect God's presence.

And so "Light When It Comes" often turns to those moments as they come to light in the life of Anderson, a poet and professor of English at Oregon State University.

Included are moments of joy, pulled from Anderson's life and rendered with vivid, economical writing.

"Everything that happens to us is full of the presence of the God," Anderson said in a recent interview. But we tend to distrust those joyous moments, he added.

"We have this tendency to assume that joy is false," he said. "When we do receive it, we tend to doubt it. ... We value the head, not the heart."

Part of the issue, Anderson said, is that "very often these moments of joy are just hard to understand."

So sometimes it's easier to dwell on moments of darkness, and "Light When It Comes" doesn't shy away from those moments.

In one moment recounted in the book, Anderson recalls giving a lecture on faith at OSU. When he finished, a professor from another department raised his hand and asked this question: "How do you know you're not deluded?"

The attitude doesn't entirely surprise Anderson: "We live in the great age of doubt and skepticism."

As he writes in the book: "We have this voice inside of us, this other spirit, this darkness, telling us we're not good enough the way we are, that we should be ashamed of our nakedness."

The trick, he writes later, is to choose to "respect our moments of 'consolation,' those moments in the examen when we feel heartened and strengthened and calmed."

Anderson said he's been working on "Light When It Comes" for 15 years now. Nearly a decade ago, he said, he approached the noted religious publishing company William B. Eerdman about printing a collection of his homilies.

That pitch was rejected, but an editor at the company, Lil Copan, kept suggesting to Anderson that there might be a book somewhere amidst all his different writings. She was persistent, but Anderson wasn't certain how to pull it all together.

Inspiration came from a variety of sources: The poet Christian Wiman's book "My Bright Abyss" suggested the collage structure that Anderson eventually adopted for "Light When It Comes." Pope Francis' "The Joy of the Gospel" "had the attitude I wanted," Anderson said. "Not apologetic for the church. Joyously Catholic. Joyously Christian."

And the examen tradition, which Anderson experienced during a 30-day silent retreat on the coast, eventually helped form the backbone of the book.

Even with those pieces in place, Anderson is grateful for the guidance he received from the editors at Eerdman.

"They helped me to be the best writer I could be," he said. "They encouraged me to be less preachy. I could take the best pieces of the homilies and make them less homilitic, and I could take the best of the poems and make them less poetic."
I submitted this piece for publication Tuesday morning, before the election results began to be tallied. I did this intentionally because my thoughts are the same no matter who is elected as our next president. I am sure, as you read the paper this morning, that we are already showing new and different signs of the serious disagreements, frustrations and anger that have underpinned this entire election process.

I have asked myself if there is anything in my life as a follower of Jesus that could be of help in work we must do together to address and begin to heal the great divide we are experiencing. Two things come to mind.

One comes from the work of Parker Palmer, Quaker author and activist, who speaks of standing in the tragic gap, which he describes as that place between how things are and what is wonderfully possible; between despairing cynicism and uncompromising idealism. This in-between space is the only space in which transformation of difficult situations can occur. Palmer speaks of preparing to listen carefully to one anothers point of view AND he stresses the need to prepare for this listening in some trustworthy community, where you can examine life and motives without self-deception. (You can learn more about the concept of the tragic gap in Palmers book A Hidden Wholeness.)

This is difficult work because  lets face it  most of us simply think we are right. And in recent months, we have dug ourselves into trenches to defend our points of view. To stand in the gap is to rise from those trenches without defenses in order to listen and consider possible ways forward; being vulnerable in language, thought and action. Our rhetoric and actions need to be reflections of an openness to the possibility that we have something to learn.

This does not mean we abandon our point of views. It does mean we dont defend them  so that there is room for nuanced shifts that can become bridges across these daunting gaps between us. In my congregation, we believe approaching such gaps defenselessly is perhaps the only path to significantly changing the world for the better.

It is my sincere hope and prayer that we can all learn to listen, speak and act from such openness in coming days.

A second thought I have about a way forward very much connects to this idea of the tragic gap. It is a perspective borrowed from ancient Celtic Christianity. The Celtic tradition speaks of thin places where earth and heaven touch; where the holy and the ordinary intertwine; where joy and grief connect. Another way to say this might be to say that a thin place is where one actually meets God  or the source of love. Jesus lived in this thin place all the time. We, whose day-to-day lives are filled with distractions, need to seek out such times and spaces in order to glimpse and grasp this amazing, loving union. In my mind, to step out into a tragic gap is to step into a thin place where one finds love and can begin to trust that love honestly has something (if not everything) to do with what goodness is possible.

Tragic gaps and thin places are phrases that speaks to me. If the spiritual words do not speak to you, I would simply say things this way: In order to move forward as a nation, we must behave much differently than we have behaved collectively for months.

And that takes courage and wisdom and kindness. May we find some.
The Corvallis Parks, Natural Areas and Recreation Advisory Board is scheduled Thursday to make a recommendation on an expansion plan by Samaritan Health Services that would involve land swaps with the city.

The board, which meets at 6:30 p.m. at the downtown fire station, 400 N.W. Harrison Blvd., discussed the proposal at its Oct. 20 meeting. Thursday night the board is scheduled to make a recommendation to the City Council on the proposal.

The plan involves a complicated land deal in which Samaritan would swap pieces of property it owns north of Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center with city-owned land and also provide stormwater facilities and street infrastructure that would link the hospital expansion area with Highway 99W.

The expansion, if approved by city officials and the voters in an annexation election, would add housing in addition to specialty, outpatient and mental health services and parking.

The plan calls for stormwater facilities that Samaritan would pay for on 4.55 acres of land owned by the city as part of its Owens Farm property. In addition, Samaritan proposes to swap land it owns in the northern, wooded section of its parcel for land the city owns nearer to the hospital that would be more suitable for development.

In other public meetings:

Monday

 The Transportation System Plan Steering Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. at the downtown fire station.

 The Corvallis Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a meeting to discuss plans for a thinning operation at the Kendall Farms Natural Area from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Tunison Community Room, 365 S.W. Tunison Ave. The project is being paid for by money from a pollution settlement with Hollingsworth & Vose.

 The Community Relations Advisory Group meets at 7 p.m. at the Madison Avenue Meeting Room, 500 S.W. Madison Ave. On the agenda is a discussion of the Nov. 3 town hall on underage drinking and a presentation from city housing official Tracy Oulman on the new property maintenance livability code.

 The Philomath City Council meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 980 Applegate St. The council will consider zoning changes on the Taylor and Nichols properties.

Tuesday

 The Corvallis King Legacy Advisory Board meets at 5:15 p.m. at Osborn Aquatic Center, 1940 N.W. Highland Drive.

 A public discussion of the bugs of Marys Peak is at 6 p.m. at the Old World Deli, 341 S.W. Second St. On hand will be Oregon State University professor and researcher Andy Moldenke and retired U.S. Forest Service employee Ken McCall.

Wednesday

 The Corvallis Arts and Culture Advisory Board meets at 5:30 p.m. at the Parks and Recreation Department, 1310 S.W. Avery Park Drive.

 The Adair Village Planning Commission meets at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 6030 William R. Carr Ave. On the agenda is a proposed development on 12 acres of land at the end of Hibiscus Drive and a request for a conditional use permit for Santiam Christian School to raise 4H hogs at the school.

 The Corvallis Land Development Hearings Board meets at 5:30 p.m. at the downtown fire station. The board, a three-member subset of the Planning Commission, will hold a public hearing on a zone change on 0.56 acres of property on Southwest Washington Avenue. The Pacific Fruit Properties application seeks to change the zoning on the parcel from general industrial to mixed use employment, which could include residential uses.

 The Corvallis Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. at the downtown fire station. No public hearings are scheduled. Commissioners will discuss the annual report that was presented last Tuesday at a City Council work session and continue its review of the land development code.

 A talk and panel discussion on peace literacy will be held at 7 p.m. at the Whiteside Theatre, 361 S.W. Madison Ave. The keynote speaker will be Paul Chappell, an Iraqi war veteran and author affiliated with the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. On the panel are Donald Nisbett, commander of OSUs Navy ROTC program; OSU professor of women, gender and sexuality studies Nana Osei-Kofi; peace advocate and educator Ann Mbacke; and OSU professor Joseph Orosco.

 The League of Women Voters of Corvallis is hosting a forum on housing issues at 7 p.m. at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. On hand will be Peter Barnworth of the Benton County Health Department, who will present data on the current housing situation; and Eli Spevak, a Portland-based housing expert.

Thursday

 Oregon State University is hosting a forum on free expression at 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union lounge. On the panel will be Susie Brubaker-Cole, OSUs vice-provost for student affairs; Faye Chadwell, university librarian and director of the OSU Press; and OSU professors Andrew Valls and Joseph Orosco. The event will be moderated by Christopher McKnight Nichols, OSU associate professor of history and director of the Citizenship and Crisis Initiative.

 The Imagine Corvallis 2040 Steering Committee meets at 4 p.m. at the Madison Avenue room.
Glenn Gordon Shephard of Corvallis died on Nov. 8, at age 76, bringing to a close a life of distinguished achievement.

Glenn was the first child of Elizabeth and Carl Shephard of Irvington, New Jersey, and was joined by his sister Geraldine two years later. After his parents divorce when Glenn was five, he was put into his fathers custody. His fathers work with the U.S. Navy entailed extensive travel, so Glenn went to live with his British grandparents Gertrude and Tom Shephard, who gave him a loving, secure home for the rest of his childhood and youth. His grandfather Pops instilled in Glenn a strong work ethic, starting with a bicycle paper route when Glenn was 9. That same year, his grandmother took him to the bank to open his first savings account. His grandmother also helped him develop his spiritual side and with her encouragement, he joined the boys choir of the First Congregational Church. Because of his clear voice and British accent, he was often chosen as a soloist, and fondly remembered singing The Old Rugged Cross. He also contributed his paper route earnings to the churchs building campaign.

In his youth, he excelled academically, especially in math and science. He won a science fair first prize for an exhibit on Hurricane Weather Forecast Modeling, as well as a Lions Club award. He was also active in community service as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout.

As a young man, he embarked on a distinguished career that alternated academic and business achievement. He began at the Newark College of Engineering, where he earned a B.S. in electrical engineering and was admitted into the Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi honor societies. He next earned an M.S. in electrical engineering at the Ohio State University, where he performed bolometer research for the Antenna Lab at NASA and was admitted to the Sigma Xi honor society. He followed this with an M.B.A. from Columbia University.

After his first degrees, he enjoyed a distinguished business career. He loved a business challenge, and worked well with all types of people. A deep thinker, he was able to pierce through layers of a problem to achieve a lasting solution. He was well-known for his ability to analyze a companys structure, especially those struggling in Chapter 11. He turned such companies around, and set systems in place for their successful rejuvenation. His best known project was his assumption of the presidency of American Container Services (AmCon). He took great satisfaction in restoring the company and leaving it in the hands of his chosen successor.

After 20 years in business, Glenn felt the call of academia again. He completed a Ph.D. in management information systems at Arizona State University, Tempe in 1990. His dissertation, Guided Self-Elicitation of Decision Analyst Expertise, received an excellence award from the Decision Sciences Institute. He joined the faculty at San Jose State University; in his 12 years there, he rose through the ranks and retired as a full emeritus professor of management information sciences in 2001. While at SJSU, he was the education director of the Mineta Transportation Institute, and the developer and fundraiser of the schools Picture  Tel Teleconferencing Classroom. Glenn loved teaching, and he enjoyed immensely counseling students and helping to produce the next generation of business leaders.

Glenn and his wife June retired to a 10-acre ranch in Northern California, where they restored a craftsman-styled farmhouse, barn and studio. In 2004, they moved to Corvallis to be closer to family. Glenn was a member of the Corvallis Elks No. 1413, and the Corvallis Benton Bowman.

Glenn is remembered by those who knew him as a man who combined brilliance of intellect and exceptional writing ability with a kind, warmhearted personality. He was a sensitive, loving, generous man with a great sense of humor.

He is survived by his wife of 41 years, June; his son Tom of Reno, Nevada; sister-in-law Debbie Maynard and brother-in-law Bruce Beicke of Monroe; brother-in-law Richard Maynard and sister-in-law Eileen Hassel Maynard of Babylon, New York; sister-in-law Dale Casa Bianca of Davis, California, and numerous half-cousins, nieces and nephews in New York, New Jersey and California.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Grace Center for Adult Day Services, 980 N.W. Spruce Ave., Corvallis, OR 97330

DeMoss Durdan Funeral Home is handling arrangements. (www.demossdurdan.com)

Visitation is Monday, Nov. 14, 5 to 7 p.m. Funeral service is Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m.; graveside ceremony at Oak Lawn Cemetery follows immediately after.
Dec. 22, 1934  Nov. 7, 2016

Sharon Louise Beach was born in Bend on Dec. 22, 1934. She was the third child of Louis and Erma Beach. They moved to the Lebanon area when she was young. She attended school there and graduated from Lebanon High School in 1953.

She then bought her first business, which was a candy shop, and helped run a Greyhound bus stop. She then bought and opened her first restaurant Sharons Fine Foods in Lebanon. She married Oregon State Police Trooper William Bill Newell and had four children with him. She later opened a drive-in in Albany named the T & M named after her two older children. That drive-in was currently where Rogers is in Albany. She later sold that drive-in and after 30-plus years running Sharons Fine Foods at the corner of Main and Ash in Lebanon, she sold it to pursue other business interests. She had a ceramic business for many years of her life out in the Knox Butte area where she raised her family.

Sharon was involved in March of Dimes, many community activities such as assisting with local voter elections. She operated Newells Waterfalls and Ceramics and then changed the name to Newells Stain Glass in the last 15 years after selling off her waterfall business. After the passing of her husband, Bill, she later married Terry Sayler. They moved closer to the Jefferson area a number of years back while Sharon continued to pursue her passion of doing shows with her merchandise. She was a long term vendor at many regional, state and local shows, fairs and malls. She marketed her merchandise for 40-plus years at the Oregon State Fair. She attended numerous churches throughout her life in her passion for living for the Lord. She volunteered to raise, for over a year, a neighbors infant son after his wife passed unexpectedly and so he could get his life on track again.

She passed away after a short illness doing what she wanted. She was described as a go getter and lived her life on her terms. She will be greatly missed by her family, friends, and customers.

She leaves surviving husband Terry Sayler; four children, Mark and Lisa Newell in Toldeo, Timothy Newell in Albany, Angela and Rick Blanshan in Jefferson, and Steven Newell in Corvallis; close family friend Justin Kreutscamp in Albany; 10 grandkids and 14 great-grandkids.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Erma Beach; husband William Bill Newell; and brother Jack Beach.

A celebration of life will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, at Jefferson Baptist Church, 15002 Jefferson Highway 99E S.E., Jefferson.
Idea Revised it's 3G and 2G Data Plans to Take on Reliance Jio News oi -Sneha Recharge with the same amount and get more data on your Idea number as Idea Cellular has revised its data 2G and 3G data plans to take on Reliance Jio.

Almost every telecom operators are rolling out exciting plans, and unlimited offers in the wake to give a tough competition to Reliance Jio, and Idea is not quite far behind in the race.

Being the third largest telecom company in India, right after Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India, Idea Cellular has recently revised it's 3G and 2G data packs rates in order to compete with Reliance Jio.

SEE ALSO: Here's Why People Are Ready to Pay up to Rs. 500 for Reliance Jio SIM

The telecom operator has supposedly initiated this move as a step towards retaining their existing customers and not allowing them to switch to Jio. Here're all that Idea is up to take on Reliance Jio.

Rs. 46 and Rs. 36 Will Offer 150MB and 180MB Data Earlier, Idea users were able to avail 120 MB at Rs. 46 for 28 days. However, after the revision of the tariff plans, the telecom operator will now offer 150 MB data for 28 days at the same cost. On the other hand, the telco has also made a change in its Rs 36 2G data pack, which will now offer 180 MB 2G data as compared to 120 MB data for 28 days. Rs. 69 3G Pack Can Offer Up to Maximum 1GB Data After the revision, with Rs 69 3G data pack, all the Idea users will be able to avail minimum 280 MB and maximum 1 GB of data valid up to 15 days, unlike earlier, which offers a maximum of 280 MB for 7 days. Rs. 249 and Rs. 649 Pack Offers 1.5 GB and 5.5 GB Data With Rs 249 3G pack, Idea users could enjoy up to 1GB data, however, now they will get 1.5 GB data usage facility for 28 days. Likewise, with Rs 649 pack users can get 5.5 GB data instead of 5GB data for 28 days. Rs 449 and Rs 849 Pack Offers 3.5GB and 7.5 GB Data Respectively Yes, on recharging with Rs. 449, the Idea users can avail 3.5 GB data usage, as compared to 3 GB data usage, for 28 days. Likewise, Rs 849 data pack will now offer 7.5 GB data instead of 7GB for 28 days. Click Here for New Smartphones Best Online Deals

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Senior UN police officers brief Security Council on their work and challenges they face

10 November 2016  Briefing the Security Council today, police chiefs from United Nations missions highlighted the work of their respective units and informed the Council members of the challenges their officers face the ground.

Among the different mandates and tasks assigned to these police units, protection of civilians, gender sensitive policing, building capacity of national police forces, conduct and discipline, and safety and security assignments remain common elements.

Introducing Police Commissioners from UN missions in South Sudan, Haiti, Mali and Darfur, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Herve Ladsous said: "UN Police (UNPOL) provide physical protection and help establish a protective environment, bringing to bear skills that complement those of military or civilian components [however] the challenges they face on the ground are often daunting."

Speaking first, Bruce Munyambo, Police Commissioner of the UN Mission in of South Sudan (UNMISS), informed the 15-member Council that despite the efforts of the Mission's police component to proactively engage with communities, the security situation in the country has been placing "significant" demands on UNPOL.

Recalling the crises in Malakal and Juba, where protection of civilian (PoC) sites and UNMISS premises were either directly attacked or were caught in the crossfire, Commissioner Munyambo underlined the "importance of ensuring that all police officers not only have the relevant skillsets, but also the right mindset to respond quickly and appropriately to a crisis situation."

Underscoring the importance of gender-sensitive policing to ensure successful implementation of mandated tasks, Police Commissioner Priscilla Makotose of the African Union-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), the only female Police Commissioner at UN peacekeeping missions said:

"Female officers participate in all activities including patrols, family and child protection, gender-awareness and community-oriented policing. They also act as role models, inspiring Darfuri women and girls to advocate for and defend their rights."

She further highlighted the importance of gender balance in police forces not only to build confidence in communities but also to encourage victims to report cases and thereby help ensure more access to justice.

Further briefing the Council, Brigadier-General Georges-Pierre Monchotte, police chief at the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) called on police contributing countries for their sustained support and provide qualified male and female police officers as well as Formed Police Units to help strengthen UNPOL operations.

He also informed the Council of the recognition of the positive impact of MINUSTAH police on strengthening the capacity of Haitian police forces (PNH).

"It is critical for Haiti's long-term stability that capacity-building of the PNH remain a priority for the international community until the PNH can provide security for all Haitians," he said.

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Coalition Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Nov. 11, 2016  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 14 strikes in Syria:

-- Near Raqqah, a strike destroyed three ISIL oil production machines and an oil storage tank.

-- Near Ayn Isa, 11 strikes engaged five ISIL tactical units; destroyed three fighting positions, two vehicles, a command and control node, a storage facility, a heavy weapons system and a bulldozer; and damaged three supply routes and a tunnel system.

-- Near Manbij, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle, a heavy machine gun and a fighting position.

-- Near Palmyra, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 10 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Huwayjah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two vehicles.

-- Near Baghdad, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Mosul, seven strikes engaged six ISIL tactical units and a staging area; destroyed six mortar systems, three vehicles, two weapons caches and an artillery system; and damaged a mortar system.

-- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed an ISIL storage container.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Yemeni troops, allies capture Saudi military base in Asir

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 7:31PM

Yemeni army soldiers, backed by fighters from Popular Committees, have taken full control of a military base in Saudi Arabia's southwestern region of Asir in retaliation for the Saudi regime's atrocious aerial bombardment campaign against Yemen.

The media bureau of the operations command in Yemen released footage on Friday afternoon showing Yemeni troopers and allied forces inspecting the hulks of damaged military vehicles at al-Nimsa base after several Saudi soldiers were killed during heavy fighting and the rest ran away.

A Yemeni fighter then shows untouched tactical vests, ammunition belts for a portable machine gun, hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades that Saudi military forces had left behind in the wake of the Yemeni forces' advance.

The bodies of a number of Saudi troopers could be seen scattered around as the video concludes with Yemeni soldiers and allied fighters chanting "Death to America and Israel."

Yemeni artillery units also lobbed a barrage of rockets at al-Dhab'ah and al-Ash bases in Saudi Arabia's southwestern border region of Najran, leaving scores of soldiers injured.

Additionally, an unnamed Yemeni military source told Arabic-language al-Masirah television network that tens of Saudi-backed militiamen loyal to resigned president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi had been killed and wounded after Yemeni soldiers and Popular Committees thwarted their offensive against the Khabb wa ash Sha'af district of the country's northern province of al-Jawf.

Yemeni forces also fired a BM-27 Uragan rocket at a gathering of Saudi mercenaries in the mountainous Jebel Salab region of the west-central province of Ma'rib; however, no immediate reports of casualties were available.

Also on Friday evening, Yemeni forces and their allies hit pro-Saudi gunmen in the Dhubab district of the southern Ta'izz Province, leaving scores of militants injured.

Separately, three civilians lost their lives and two others sustained injuries when Saudi fighter jets bombarded an area in the Bayt al-Faqih district of the coastal western province of Hudaydah.

Saudi Arabia has been engaged in a deadly campaign against Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to bring back the former Yemeni government to power and undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement.

The impoverished Arab country is grappling with the scarcity of food supplies and outbreak of diseases amid Saudi Arabia's atrocious airstrikes.

The United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) says 7.4 million Yemeni children are in dire need of medical help, and 370,000 run the risk of severe acute malnutrition.

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UN warns about looming threat of 'genocide' in South Sudan

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 6:38PM

A United Nations expert has warned that South Sudan's festering civil war could spiral into "genocide."

There is a "strong risk of violence escalating along ethnic lines with the potential for genocide," Adama Dieng, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, said on Friday.

Dieng, who was speaking at a press conference in the capital Juba, cited recent examples of ethnically targeted rape, civilians being killed with machetes, and villages being burned to the ground.

Dieng said South Sudan was awash with weapons, had an undisciplined military, and was in a humanitarian and economic crisis in which civilians were desperate for employment, adding that all the elements were present for a disaster.

"Genocide is a process," said Dieng. To stop the process, Dieng proposed a strategy of reconciliation and dialog among the two ethnically divided groups fighting in South Sudan.

Even as Dieng spoke, a radio station was shut down by South Sudan's National Security Service.

Eye Radio is one of South Sudan's largest national radio stations and known for what is said to be its message of peace and harmony. It is funded in part by the US Agency for International Development.

On Friday, three officials from the country's security service seized the keys to Eye Radio's studios, told journalists to leave, and ordered the head of the station to report to security officials, said Nichola Mandil, a senior journalist with the station.

A spokesman for the security service declined to give an explanation for the shutdown.

When informed that Eye Radio had been shut by the government, Dieng's voice rose with ire and he said the South Sudan government "should have encouraged, congratulated and used (Eye Radio) as a model and said from now onwards that is the message we want."

Instead, some of South Sudan's media and social media have spread hate speech, Dieng said.

Alfred Taban, the chairman of the Association for Media Development in South Sudan, said, "Press freedom has not been OK for a long time. This closure now indicates the situation has not changed and the government is still hostile to the national media."

In September, Minister of Cabinet Affairs Martin Lomuro gave a warning to journalists at a press conference. "If you are going to say something which is not correct, something which is going to affect a whole nation and cause harm to the nation, we will go after you, whichever hole you are in. Believe me we will go after you."

South Sudan descended into chaos when President Salva Kiir from the Dinka tribe in December 2013 accused the former vice president, Riek Machar, from the Nuer tribe, of plotting a coup.

Numerous internationally-mediated attempts to the resolve the dispute have failed.

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EU agrees to extension of internal border controls

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 5:50PM

The European Union has agreed to extend border controls inside its visa-free travel area of Schengen by another three months.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, recommended continued checks at the borders of Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and non-EU Norway for three months beyond November 15, when the checks were due to end.

On Friday, the European Council, made up of the leaders of the 28 EU member states and the head of the European Commission, approved the proposal.

"The council has today adopted the commission's proposal to prolong proportionate controls at certain internal Schengen borders in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark and Norway," the commission said in a statement.

European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said on October 25 that the border controls were needed to prevent secondary movements of "a significant number" of irregular refugees that still remained in Greece and in other member states.

Europe has been facing an unprecedented influx of refugees, most of whom are fleeing conflict zones in North Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria. Last year alone, over a million refugees made their way into the continent. Many blame Western policies for the exodus of refugees from their home countries.

'Theater of conflict in Brussels'

Also on Friday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who opposes accepting a mandatory quota under the EU's refugee-sharing quota plan, vowed to take his fight against the admission of refugees into the country to Brussels after the parliament rejected a constitutional amendment that bans the settlement of refugees.

"The theater of conflict is in Brussels. At home we did everything that we could. Our conscience is clear," Orban told state radio.

The premier said the bill was needed to honor an October referendum, where an overwhelming majority of the participants voted against the admission of refugees into Hungary. The referendum, however, was declared invalid due to the low turnout.

"We tried to put this (referendum decision) into the constitution but could not achieve this as the opposition sided with Brussels," Orban said.

On November 8, the bill failed to reach a required two-thirds majority in parliament after the far-right opposition Jobbik party boycotted the vote.

Jobbik said it would only support the amendment if the government quit a cash-for-residency scheme for wealthy foreigners.

"In the coming weeks and months, the government will continue the struggle to stop immigration... In this struggle, the opposition cannot be counted on," Orban said.

Hungary became a major transit country for refugees who attempted to enter Germany and other EU states last year. More than 386,000 refugees managed to cross before the closure of borders in October 2015.

Orban had adopted strict measures against the refugees, using razor wire fences and "border hunters" to prevent their entry.

Refugees who often cross the Mediterranean try to go through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary, Croatia and Austria in an attempt to reach Germany or other wealthy European countries.

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Consulate attack won't alter Berlin's attitude toward assisting Afghanistan: Official

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 2:37PM

Germany has said a recent attack on its consulate in Afghanistan will not alter the necessity of Berlin's commitment to extending "assistance" to the war-tattered country.

"I cannot imagine that the events of last night will lead to a fundamental change in Germany's thinking or that of the global community on the need for continued assistance for Afghanistan," Martin Schaefer, a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry, said on Friday.

Schaefer said efforts by Germany and other countries had helped make the lives of Afghans better over the past years.

The German official said a crisis task force had met late Thursday and again Friday to assess the situation after the assault.

At least six people were killed and more than a hundred injured in a car bomb attack on the German consulate building in the provincial capital city of Mazar-i-Sharif in the northern province of Balkh late on Thursday.

The German crisis task force discussed the future of Germany's work in Afghanistan as well as ways to avert similar attacks in the future.

Consulate staff had been moved to the headquarters of the German military on the edge of the city and were already able to continue its work there, the German official said.

The Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the "revenge attack," which it said was in response to US airstrikes that left 32 civilians dead in Kunduz province earlier this month.

The Taliban militants were ousted from power following the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, but they have stepped up activities in recent months.

Afghanistan still witnesses insecurity despite the presence of thousands of foreign troops led by the United States.

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Six Afghans Killed, Scores Injured After Taliban Attack On German Consulate

RFE/RL's Afghan Service November 11, 2016

A Taliban suicide bomber drove a truck loaded with explosives into the German Consulate in northern Afghanistan, killing at least six people and wounding more than 100.

The truck exploded at the entrance of the consulate in the city of Mazar-e Sharif, destroying the gate and wall just before midnight on November 10.

A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said on November 11 that all of its two dozen staff escaped the attack "safe and uninjured" and were evacuated, while Afghan security forces and NATO special forces had "repulsed the heavily armed attackers."

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was revenge for U.S. air strikes last week that killed 32 civilians near the northern city of Kunduz.

President Ashraf Ghani called the attack a "crime against humanity and all international laws."

A spokesman for the governor of Balkh Province told RFE/RL's Afghan Service that the suicide bomb blast made a large hole in the compound wall and other Taliban fighters tried to enter the compound through the gap.

But he said security forces at the consulate prevented militants from storming inside the compound.

Local doctor Noor Mohammad Fayez said the city hospitals received six dead bodies, including two killed by bullets.

He added that at least 128 others were wounded, some of them critically and many with shrapnel injuries.

Witnesses said many of the injured were Afghans who were sleeping in their homes nearby and were struck by flying glass when their windows were shattered by the massive explosion.

Many nearby houses and shops were destroyed or damaged in the huge blast.

The heavily protected German Consulate is located in a large building close to the famous Blue Mosque in the center of Mazar-e Sharif, where the Indian Consulate was also attacked by militants earlier this year.

The Taliban statement from spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack was in retaliation for November 3 air strikes in the Buz-e-Kandahari area of Kunduz that killed dozens of people, the vast majority of them women and children.

NATO, the United Nations, and the Afghan government are investigating the attack, which prompted angry protests in Kunduz.

In Berlin, officials said a crisis task-force meeting was called at Germany's Foreign Ministry to review events surrounding the attack.

Germany has almost 1,000 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan, most of them in Balkh, of which Mazar-e Sharif is the capital, as part of NATO's Resolute Support mission.

In the past several years, attacks have increased in northern Afghanistan, which for years was relatively peaceful.

Taliban militants have overrun dozens of districts in the region and last year seized Kunduz city, the first major city the group captured since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

With additional reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan- taliban-german-consulate-attacked- mazar-i-sharif/28108925.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Pakistan Briefs Ambassadors of P5 States on India's Ceasefire Violations

Sputnik News

23:04 11.11.2016(updated 23:05 11.11.2016)

Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry briefed on Friday ambassadors of P5 countries on the alleged continued unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian forces on the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Chaudhry met on Friday with ambassadors of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, the statement reads.

"He stated that the use of such heavy weaponry was resorted to by the Indian side after a gap of 13 years. Pakistan has been compelled to respond but with maximum restraint," the statement reads.

The foreign secretary also alleged that India's actions, "which constituted a threat for the maintenance of peace and security," could lead to a strategic miscalculation.

The head of the Pakistani Foreign Ministry emphasized the important role of the UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) which has the mandate for maintaining peace and tranquility at the LoC and the Working Boundary.

In response, the Heads of Missions assured that they would convey Pakistan's concern to their respective capitals. They underscored the need for restraint, observance of ceasefire and dialogue to resolve issues, the statement reads.

On Thursday, Chaudhry summoned the Indian high commissioner in Pakistan and condemned the alleged Indian aggression on the Line of Control and Working Boundary. He urged India to investigate the continued incidents of ceasefire violations.

 Sputnik

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Bulgaria Turns Its Back on Poland to Buy Russian Fighter Aircraft Engines

Sputnik News

21:28 11.11.2016

Bulgaria recently signed a 29 million euro deal with Russia to purchase 10 new engines for its MiG-29 fighter aircraft.

According to Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, the agreement was signed on Wednesday, November 9, though he was reluctant to disclose any additional details about the contract.

Borisov also announced that Sofia also seeks to purchase maintenance rights for MiG and Sukhoi aircraft engines from Russia.

It should be noted though that in 2015 Bulgaria, after NATO demands that its members abstain from military cooperation with Russia due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, signed an intergovernmental agreement with Poland, according to which the Polish side would handle the repairs of MiG aircraft engines and eventually even upgrade MiG aircraft at Bydgoszcz factories.

However, this agreement was made without the consent of the engines' manufacturer, Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG.

And as Nikolay Podchasov told Sputnik Poland, the deal in fact caused quite a scandal last year after its details became known to the public.

"As far as I know, Poland has no license for repairing Russian MiG aircraft engines, and the Bulgarian minister's decision to repair Russian engines in Poland appeared pretty controversial as it didn't adhere to the international regulations. Due to the considerable public resonance that followed, the Bulgarian minister was forced to look for excuses; he even lied that his decision to cooperate with Poland was caused by Russia trying to offer him a bribe. However, he later retracted these claims and all accusations against Russia were lifted," Podchasov said.

He pointed out that while Bulgaria did sign the aforementioned contract with Poland, it is unlikely to last in light of the agreement made between Sofia and MiG Concern. Also, since the talks about purchasing maintenance rights are still underway, it's hard to predict their outcome.

All in all, Podchasov remarked, while this development may indeed spell the loss of profit for Polish factories that would've otherwise handled the aircraft engine maintenance, the losses from possible lawsuits filed by Russia against Polish companies for unsanctioned repairs of Russian aircraft engines could've been much greater.

 Sputnik

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UN Warns of Potential Genocide in South Sudan Amid Renewed Violence

Sputnik News

21:28 11.11.2016(updated 21:30 11.11.2016)

The country is witnessing mass killings and rape of members of particular ethnic groups, but it is still possible to take measures to prevent the genocide, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide warned on Friday of possible genocide outbreak in South Sudan, pointing out the extreme polarization between tribal groups.

"There is a strong risk of violence escalating along ethnic lines, with the potential for genocide," Adama Dieng said.

After visiting South Sudan for five days, he said the country was witnessing mass killings and rape of members of particular ethnic groups.

"I am extremely saddened and disturbed to see South Sudan in its current state and I fear for its people. Even as the conflict becomes ever-more complex, the effects of the December 2013 outbreak of violence linger, and human rights violations committed at that time have not been accounted for. On the contrary, there is renewed violence on a daily basis, and any hope of reconciliation is elusive," Dieng said.

The UN special adviser added that it was still possible to take measures to prevent the genocide.

The civil war broke out in South Sudan in 2013 when President Salva Kiir fired Vice President Riek Machar. Despite a fragile truce signed in 2015, fighting resumed in July 2016.

The conflict is ethnic in nature, with Kiir representing Dinka tribe and Machar the rival Nuer tribe.

 Sputnik

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Russia Ready to Deliver Six MiG-29 Fighter Jets to Serbia

Sputnik News

19:42 11.11.2016(updated 19:51 11.11.2016)

Serbia may receive six MiG-29 fighter jets from Russia.

BELGRADE (Sputnik)  The Russian authorities have expressed readiness to deliver six MiG-29 fighter jets to Serbia if Belgrade covers the jet fighters' repair costs, Serbian media reported on Friday.

"Moscow allegedly indicated that the repair of jet fighters and related equipment requires about $50 million," a governmental source was quoted as saying by the Naslovna Strana newspaper.

According to the newspaper, the question of the delivery of military equipment was discussed behind closed doors during the 15th intergovernmental committee meeting on the trade-economic and technical-scientific cooperation in the Russian city of Suzdal.

Serbian Leader Welcomes the Possible Move

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic told Sputnik on Friday that the reports on Russia's decision to deliver the MiG-29 fighter jets to Serbia were a sign of sincere cooperation, mutual trust and friendship.

"It is a sign of sincere cooperation, trust and friendship. Serbia now has friends who will not hesitate to help it, who do not hesitate to cooperate. Serbia wants to spread friendship to all nations in the world and will not support anyone in hating We will not attack anyone, but we will provide the defense for our country and people," Nikolic said.

 Sputnik

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Algeria Receives No Russian Request to Set Up Military Base in Country

Sputnik News

18:47 11.11.2016(updated 18:57 11.11.2016)

Russia and Algeria enjoy a long-standing military cooperation but media reports about Moscow's request to establish a military base in the African state are not true, Algeria's ambassador to Russia told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Algerian Ambassador to Russia Smail Allaoua dismissed information about Russia's alleged request to set up a military base in Algeria, in an interview to Sputnik.

"The establishment of Russian military bases in Algeria is non-negotiable. There were media reports, however Russia has never requested the establishment of a military base in Algeria and Algeria completely refuses the idea whether it came from Russia or any other country, this is an Algerian principle," Allaoua said.

Allaoua added that, besides refusing the existence of any foreign forces on its lands, Algeria also refuses to send its troops to another country. He added that many could not understand Algeria's refusal to send its troops to fight terrorists in Mali, Niger or Libya and other countries, but the mission of the Algerian army was to defend Algerian soil inside the country.

The ambassador added that Russia and Algeria enjoyed a long-standing military cooperation, however currently there were no plans for any joint drills.

Russia is a primary arms exporter to Algeria. A significant set of agreements, worth a total of $7.5 billion, was signed in 2005-2006, under which Russia sold Algeria military hardware. In September 2015, Moscow and Algiers signed a contact for the delivery of 14 Su-30MKA fighters to Algeria in 2016-2017.

In late February, the two countries laid out a roadmap for deepening bilateral economic and military cooperation during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to Algeria.

 Sputnik

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Attack on German Consulate in Afghanistan Kills Six, Staff Not Injured

Sputnik News

14:23 11.11.2016(updated 15:22 11.11.2016)

A late night attack on the German consulate in northern Afghanistan left six people dead and many wounded, Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Friday, adding that none of the staff were injured.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden truck into the walled compound in Mazar-i-Sharif late Thursday, dealing huge damage to the building and triggering a firefight between gunmen and security forces.

"My deepest condolences go to the relatives of the victims  six have been confirmed so far. Our thoughts are with the many casualties and wounded," the minister told reporters in Berlin.

Steinmeier added that neither German nor Afghan staffers of the general consulate had been injured. The attack was repelled by the consulate's security personnel, Afghan security forces, as well as German, Georgian, Belgian and Latvian special operations forces of the international Resolute Support mission.

On a related note, Director of Balkh province hospital confirmed to Sputnik on the same day that six people were killed in the car bomb attack on the German consulate, adding that 129 more were injured.

"Six people were killed while 129 others were injured, among them are women and children, and they are now in a stable condition," the director said.

He added that the majority of injuries were caused by broken glass particles.

The Taliban said it carried out the Thursday attack, reportedly in retaliation for NATO airstrikes that were carried out in Kunduz last week.

The city of Mazar-i-Sharif is the third largest in Afghanistan and hosts a NATO base. Tajikistan has four representations in Afghanistan, including a consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Afghanistan is currently in a state of political and social turmoil, with government forces fighting the continuing Taliban insurgency. The instability has persisted in the country since the 2001 US-led invasion aimed at defeating the Taliban and al-Qaeda in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

 Sputnik

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Germany: Staff Unhurt Following Taliban Attack on Consulate in Afghanistan

By Ayaz Gul November 11, 2016

Germany said Friday that all of the employees at its consulate in northern Afghanistan were unhurt and accounted for, following an overnight Taliban suicide assault on the diplomatic facility.

The bomb-and-gun attack in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif left at least six civilians dead and wounded around 130 others, mostly civilians, according to hospital officials.

Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his condolences to the victims. An official statement quoted him as saying that "all German and Afghan employees of the consulate remained unharmed."

A group of heavily armed Taliban suicide bombers staged the coordinated attack shortly before midnight on Thursday, detonating an explosives-packed vehicle in the vicinity of German Consulate.

The massive blast blew apart a protective barrier around the consulate, shaking buildings and damaging more than 100 homes and shops around the diplomatic mission, said the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) while condemning the violence.

It added that most of the injured suffered minor wounds from broken glass while those with serious injuries remain hospitalized.

"Attacks deliberately targeting the civilian population and violence aimed at spreading terror among civilians may amount to war crimes under customary international humanitarian law," said UNAMA.

Taliban assailants fought their way into the building during an intense gun battle that lasted for hours before Afghan and NATO troops ended the siege and secured the building and evacuated consulate staff.

A spokesman for the Islamist insurgency in Afghanistan instantly claimed responsibility.

The Taliban said their assault was a "revenge attack" to retaliate for an airstrike earlier this month in neighboring Kunduz province. The insurgents said a bombing run by U.S. warplanes killed 32 civilians, including a number of children.

The airstrikes have triggered impassioned demonstrations in nearby Kunduz city, with victims' relatives displaying mutilated bodies of dead children in a parade of trucks through the streets.

U.S. authorities are investigating the circumstances of the airstrike, but they have said it "very likely" was carried out by American warplanes. The air raid came after a Taliban assault that killed two American soldiers and three members of Afghan special forces.

Germany has 983 soldiers serving with NATO's Resolute Support military mission in Afghanistan, most of them stationed in Balkh province, of which Mazar-i-Sharif is the capital.

The foreign coalition in a statement said it rapidly deployed its quick reaction force and assisted in efforts to safely evacuate all 21 staff members of the German consulate.

"This attack by the Taliban once again shows that they use violence indiscriminately and without regard for the safety of civilians," said Lieutenant General Sandy Storrie, Deputy Commander of the NATO mission.

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Former Afghan Intel Chief Accuses Pakistan of Militarily Supporting Taliban

By Ayesha Tanzeem November 11, 2016

Afghanistan's former spy chief has accused Pakistan of helping the Afghan Taliban militarily, as well as providing them with safe havens..

In an exclusive interview with VOA in Kabul, Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Directorate of Security, said Pakistan helped create a strike force called the Red Force or Red Brigade in late 2014, and that it started operating in early 2015 when international forces had mostly left and surveillance had been reduced.

Initially, Nabil added, almost 3,000 people were recruited to fight in southern Afghanistan. They were divided into cells of 25 fighters assigned to one handler from Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI.

Each fighter was armed with an AK-47 and each cell received portable rocket launchers or machine guns like an RPG-7, a PKM, an 85-millimeter gun, and a Dushka machine gun.

He said there were signs that these cells were involved in conflict in Farah, Helmand, Ghazni, and Uruzgan, some of the provinces that have seen heavy fighting between members of the Afghan security forces and Taliban.

Explosive charges

Nabil also accused Pakistan of reopening and distributing weapons from at least four depots that he said were last used to dispense firearms to Mujahedeen fighters during the conflict with the former Soviet Union.

He said the depots were close to the Pakistani cities of Quetta, Miramshah, Peshawar, and Spin Tal.

Pakistan strongly denies allegations it supports the Afghan Taliban.

Lt. Gen. Ehsanul Haq, the former head of Pakistan's intelligence agency, called the allegations "absolutely ridiculous."

If Afghanistan was worried about militants coming from this side, he said, the best solution was to "harden, regulate, and stabilize" the border between the two countries, but that the Afghan government balked at any such suggestion.

Nabil, a longtime critic of Pakistan, was forced to resign after he publicly criticized his boss, President Ashraf Ghani, for engaging with Pakistan and trying to secure Pakistan's help in restarting peace talks with the Afghan Taliban after an initial round failed.

Flow of militants

He now runs the charity Help for Afghan Heroes, which works for families of Afghan national security personnel killed or wounded in battle.

The former spy chief also criticized Pakistan's military operation, called Zarb-e-Azb, saying it deliberately helped push some militants across the border into Afghanistan.

The operation, he said, was intentionally launched at a time when Afghan forces were busy with the second round of presidential elections and could not control militants crossing to their side of the border.

Nabil accused Pakistan of relocating several Afghan Taliban, particularly members of the Haqqani network, to other areas of Pakistan before launching its military operation, along with opening several mountain passes to allow some of them  along with members of other international militant groups like Jundullah, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM)  to cross over to Afghanistan.

Pakistani officials have said they shared their plans with both the government in Kabul and NATO forces in Afghanistan well ahead of time, but that both failed to take the necessary actions against possible infiltration of militants during the operation.

Competing interests

Commenting on reports of Iran's support for the Taliban, the former spy chief said the country is using the Taliban as a tactical tool because it is afraid of Islamic State gaining ground. Most of the Iranian support, he explained, was in western Afghanistan bordering Iran, in the form of money or small arms.

He also said Russia's interest in Afghanistan had increased since 2014 when violence reached northern Afghanistan near areas Russia considered its backyard.

Intelligence cooperation between China and Afghanistan, according to Nabil, had increased significantly during the last few years.

Afghanistan, he added, handed several members of ETIM to China that had been trained in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city.

That was when, according to Nabil, China's interest in Afghanistan's peace process increased and it became part of the efforts to help facilitate peace talks between the Afghan Taliban and Afghan government.

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As Montenegro Looks to NATO, Anxiety Grows Over Future US Commitment

By Henry Ridgwell November 11, 2016

As America's European allies try to figure out their future relationships with Washington under President-elect Donald Trump, analysts say NATO and Russia are involved in an increasingly tense battle for influence in the Balkan states. Montenegro  formerly part of Serbia until declaring independence in 2006  is about to join the NATO alliance.

There is increasing anxiety, however, over the U.S. commitment to the core principle of collective defense.

Montenegro hosted NATO exercises earlier this month as part of preparations to join the alliance in 2017. Becoming part of NATO would mark a decisive change in course for the small Balkan country, according to James Ker-Lindsay of the London School of Economics.

"At one point Montenegro was a Russian bastion, if you like, in the western Balkans; but, that's completely changed now," said Ker-Lindsay. "Under the government of [Prime Minister Milo] Djukanovic, we saw that, in fact, Russian influence has lessened considerably. So for example, Montenegro signed up to the sanctions that were imposed against Russia following the events in Crimea."

War games

Just a few hundred kilometers away, Serbia has been hosting war games with Russia and Belarus. Moscow has made little secret of its anger at Montenegro's decision to join NATO.

Trump has demanded that NATO allies spend more on defense  threatening that otherwise the U.S. may not come to their aid. That's triggered deep anxiety, says Ker-Lindsay.

"Really, everything is up in the air. And unless Europe can come up with some sort of stronger response to anchor the region in, then of course I think the feeling will be that Moscow will capitalize on this," said Ker-Lindsay.

Tensions have increased following claims of an assassination plot by pro-Russian militants against Montenegro's prime minister, Milo Djukanovic. There's no suggestion that the Russian state was involved.

Security focus

The security jitters are compounded as the EU deals with internal tensions  first among them, losing one of its major military powers, as Britain leaves the bloc. Europe should soften the blow, says Leslie Vinjamuri of London policy group Chatham House.

"A wise policy would be for Europeans to work very hard collectively, to really strengthen and hold onto that relationship between Europe and the UK," said Vinjamuri.

Vinjamuri says she believes Trump's approach to NATO could change rapidly if faced with a security crisis.

"I think we could see a very different strategy pursued by Donald Trump," Vinjamuri said. "And this isn't uncharacteristic of past presidents. Remember that George [W.] Bush entered office with a very different set of policies, or at least policies that he suggested he would pursue than those that he did pursue. And that was entirely a response to the 9/11 attacks."

Analysts say Trump's picks for top government posts  especially secretary of state  will reveal more about his foreign policy intentions.

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UN Adviser Warns of Genocide Risk in South Sudan

By VOA News November 11, 2016

The U.N. adviser on genocide said Friday that South Sudan, embroiled in civil war since 2013, was at a "strong risk of violence escalating along ethnic lines, with the potential for genocide."

Adama Dieng spoke to reporters in South Sudan's capital, Juba, at the end of his five-day visit to the nation.

Information Minister Michael Makuei disagreed with Dieng and said the U.N. adviser's assessment was "very unfortunate."

"Here in South Sudan, what is happening has nothing to do with genocide," Makuei said.

South Sudan was formed in 2011 and has been beset by internal violence for most of the time since. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced more than a million people to flee to neighboring countries.

Coalition collapsed

An attempt at uniting the two main warring factions in a transitional government collapsed earlier this year, after First Vice President Riek Machar, a former rebel leader who had accepted the second-ranking job in the government, abandoned Juba. Soldiers loyal to him soon resumed fighting against the forces of President Salva Kiir's government.

A peace deal signed in August did little to reduce the fighting, and tribal and political tensions flared anew after a controversial speech by Kiir last month, seen as a broad threat of reprisals against any opposition to his government.

"As a lesson from the genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda," Dieng told an interviewer, "we can only express concern with what has been developing recently in South Sudan, which led to many people ... seek[ing] refuge," either in neighboring Uganda or in calmer provinces of South Sudan.

Dieng said he "delivered the message to [the Kiir government] that the situation is not hopeless."

'No one in control'

In an interview with the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Dieng said, "There is still room to fend off further escalation of this ethnically fueled tension. But there is conflict almost all over the country. And the lid is off the kettle, and the security apparatus is so fragmented that no one has permanent control anymore."

"What is important now," the U.N. official said, "is that President Salva Kiir, who is in charge of law and order, takes the measures which are required to bring to a halt the escalation of the ongoing ethnically fueled violence."

Separately, the European Union said it would give South Sudan $84.8 million in emergency aid to help those affected by the civil war. About half of that money will go to humanitarian groups, while the rest will assist refugees in South Sudan and in Uganda.

Asked to explain his warning about escalation of the ethnic violence between Kiir's Dinka people and Machar's Nuers, Dieng noted that "genocide is a process [that] doesn't happen overnight. It requires resources, time and planning."

Defining genocide

The U.N. adviser said there are a number of factors that differentiate war crimes and crimes against humanity from genocide, which is marked by "an intention to destroy in whole or in part a protected group." Comparing the situation in South Sudan today to the bloodshed in Rwanda a generation ago, Dieng said "inflammatory speech is one of the indicators, and it is increasing today in South Sudan."

In another development Friday, South Sudan's National Security Service shut down one of the country's largest national broadcasters, Eye Radio. The station is known for its reggae music and messages of unity and peace, and it is funded in part by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Government officials in Juba did not give any reason for the action.

Told of the closure of Eye Radio by a reporter, Dieng reacted with dismay. He said South Sudan's government "should have encouraged, congratulated and used [Eye Radio] as a model, and said, 'From now onwards, that is the message we want.' "

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Obama to Reassure EU Allies, China on Final Trip

By Cindy Saine November 11, 2016

Barack Obama's final scheduled foreign trip as president of the United States is likely to take on a more sobering tone after the surprise election of Republican Donald Trump, whose vows to abandon some of Obama's priorities has caused concern in many parts of the world.

Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes briefed reporters on Obama's trip on a conference call Friday.

Rhodes conceded that Trump's unexpected election and its impact on bilateral relations and international agreements will likely be the primary topic on world leaders' minds.

President Obama first travels to Greece, where he will visit the Parthenon and deliver a major speech in Athens on the challenges raised by globalization.

From there, Obama heads to Germany, where he will hold a bilateral meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel and a joint press conference on Thursday. He will also meet with the leaders of Britain and France in Berlin.

From there, Obama travels to Lima, Peru for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. On the sidelines of that summit, Obama will have a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday.

Rhodes was asked repeatedly if the trip would be overshadowed by the election of Trump, who has vowed to undo many of what Obama considers his major foreign policy accomplishments, such as the Paris agreement on climate change and the deal to curb Tehran's nuclear program.

NATO alliance

Rhodes said the Obama administration strongly believes in the importance of these agreements, but the president-elect will speak for himself and make his own decisions once he takes office in January.

However, Rhodes pointed out that some of the agreements are international, not bilateral, and some, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), involve crucial alliances that have been a cornerstone of global stability.

"There are certain things that have endured for decades under administrations of different parties. The trans-Atlantic alliance is certainly one of those. The NATO alliance is certainly one of those," he said.

"We've taken steps during our time in office to enforce the NATO alliance to reassure eastern European allies to move significant military personnel and equipment to our eastern flank to make sure that those nations are reassured and also to work with NATO as we counter terrorism and deal with refugee flows," Rhodes added.

President-elect Trump has shaken some NATO allies by questioning whether Washington should defend them because some have not "fulfilled their obligations" to the United States.

European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told students in Luxembourg Friday that Trump's election risks upsetting U.S. ties with Europe.

"The election of Trump poses the risk of upsetting intercontinental relations in their foundation and in their structure," Juncker said.

As the head of the EU Commission's executive, Juncker is one of Europe's most powerful political figures. His blunt take is in contrast to more diplomatic reactions to the U.S. election results from European leaders, such as German Chancellor Merkel.

Strategic landscape

Rhodes said the national security team will work closely with Trump's team to brief them on the strategic landscape of the world so they will be able to get off to a quick start.

On the APEC summit, Wally Adeyemo, the deputy national security adviser for international economics, conceded that the fate of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement will likely be up to Trump and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Adeyemo said Obama continues to believe these trade agreements make sense because China will not stop working on regional agreements.

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Military Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Nov. 12, 2016  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 14 strikes in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed six oil wellheads.

-- Near Ayn Isa, 10 strikes engaged five ISIL tactical units; destroyed two fighting positions, two vehicles and a rocket system; and damaged a supply route.

-- Near Manbij, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions, a heavy weapons system and a vehicle.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter, remotely piloted and rotary wing aircraft conducted nine strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Haditha, a strike engaged an ISIL weapons cache.

-- Near Mosul, five strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed five mortar systems, four vehicles, two tunnel entrances, two heavy machine guns, a vehicle bomb, a weapons cache and a fighting position.

-- Near Tal Afar, three strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL headquarters building and destroyed a vehicle bomb.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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4 Killed in Bagram Airfield Explosion

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2016  Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement that he was "deeply saddened" to learn that an explosion at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan just after 5:30 a.m. local time resulted in U.S. casualties.

An apparent suicide bomber took the lives of two U.S. service members and two U.S. contractors working on the base, Carter said. The explosion wounded 16 other U.S. service members and one Polish soldier participating in the NATO mission, he added.

"I want to express my sincere condolences to the families of the fallen, and I want to reassure the loved ones of those injured that they are getting the best possible care,"the defense secretary said. "Force protection is always a top priority for us in Afghanistan, and we will investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it."

"For those who carried out this attack, my message is simple," Carter said. "We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future."

Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident, Resolute Support mission officials said in a statement.

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New Colombian Peace Deal to Be Signed in Cuba

teleSUR

Published 12 November 2016

The new deal is not expected to be put to a plebiscite but instead will be put to a vote in the congress.

A new peace deal between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the government of Juan Manuel Santos will be signed Saturday in Havana, Cuba, marking the latest step in an effort to finally end over five decades of armed conflict in the country.

The text of the new deal is expected to largely reflect the previous agreement, which was rejected by a narrow margin by Colombians in a vote Oct. 2, but also include a number of modifications to reflect the views of those who advocated against the deal.

Opponents of the first deal submitted 410 proposals, although many of their suggestions are expected to be included to ensure the new deal is approved, Santos signaled that some of the demands from the staunchest corners of the No campaign were not viable.

Ultimately the content of the new deal  like the previous deal  was decided by the negotiating teams, as the peace process protocol dictates that decisions can only be made between the parties at the table.

President Santos had ordered his negotiating team a number of weeks ago to work without interruption to finalize a deal as soon as possible. Critics of the president suggested he was rushing the process in order to have a deal in hand by Dec. 10, when he will travel to Stockholm to collect his Nobel Peace Prize.

Unlike the last deal, the new deal is not expected to be put to a plebiscite. Santos has repeatedly suggested that the deal will be sent straight to congress in order to avoid sowing further division.

We are drafting a new agreement and when it is ready, I have several options. The Constitutional Court determined that I could call for a fresh referendum without the approval of the Congress. Those who backed the 'No' do not want that because, after everything that has happened, there is going to be an immense majority in favor. But I believe I should opt for the path that is least divisive, Santos said in an interview with EFE last month.

The new deal is expected to clear all legislative hurdles before the end of 2016. The bilateral cease-fire, which Santos described as fragile, is set to expire at the end of the calendar year.

Source: teleSUR

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Suicide Blast at US-Run Bagram Airbase Kills 4 Americans, Wounds 17

By Ayaz Gul November 12, 2016

A suspected Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up inside the U.S.-military run Bagram airbase in Afghanistan Saturday morning, killing four Americans, and wounding 16 American servicemen and one Polish soldier.

A statement from Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the apparent suicide bomber killed two American soldiers and two American contractors working on the base.

Afghan media sources say the attack occurred just outside the dinning hall at the facility. The bomber was disguised as a laborer at the airbase located north of Kabul.

"I condemn the suicide attack at Bagram and stand in solidarity with families and friends of those killed and wounded today," said Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah through his official Twitter account.

"On November 12, an explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded," Army General John W. Nicholson, commander of Resolute Support said in a written statement.

"To those who target Coalition forces, ANDSF, and Afghan civilians, Resolute Support and USFOR-A will continue to pursue our Train, Advise, and Assist mission to help our partners create a better Afghanistan," the statement added.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its bomber had infiltrated the local staff at the airbase months before he carried out attack. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said authorities are investigating the atteck to determine any steps to improve security, and he vowed that U.S. forces will not be deterred in their mission to protect the United States and to help Afghanistan secure its own future.

The violence came after Thursday night's bomb-and-gun raid on the German consulate in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif. That attack left at least six people dead and wounded about 130 others, mostly civilians.

Germany said Friday all its German and Afghan employees at the diplomatic mission escaped unhurt.

The Taliban also claimed responsibility for that attack, saying it was carried out to take "revenge" for the killings of Afghan civilians in neighboring Kunduz province in a U.S. airstrike earlier this month.

The insurgent group vowed to carry out more such attacks against countries participating in the NATO-led military mission in Afghanistan, known as Resolute Support, which mainly comprises U.S. troops.

VOA's National Security correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report

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EU Commission President: Trump's Election Poses Risks for EU-US Relationship

By Isabela Cocoli November 12, 2016

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says U.S. President-elect Donald Trump poses risks for the relationship between the European Union and the United States.

Speaking to students at a conference in Luxemburg late Friday, Juncker said Trump must get up to speed on how Europe works in order to avoid "two years of wasted time" when he assumes the presidency in January.

"Generally speaking," Juncker said, "the political class and the U.S. in general take no interest at all in Europe. Mr. Trump has said during his campaign  I was just telling this to our president here  that Belgium is a little village in Europe. It's spot on if you look from very far, but it does not reflect the reality. So we have to teach the president-elect what Europe really is and how Europe works."

Juncker reminded his audience that Trump had called NATO into question, which could have "harmful consequences" because it is the model of Europe's defense.

"He called into question the Trans-Atlantic Alliance, which is actually quite pernicious, and so he questions the model of the defense of Europe," Juncker said. "With regards to refugees and non-American whites, Trump has an approach which in no way coincides with the convictions and feelings in Europe. I think that we will waste two years before Mr. Trump gets to know the parts of the world he is unaware of."

Juncker's blunt remarks reflected the shock and concern among some European leaders at the election of Trump, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, among other statements, and questioned the principle of collective defense in NATO.

During the U.S. election campaign, candidate Trump was also a vocal critic of the open border migration policies of some EU nations.

Juncker's comments contrasted with the more diplomatic reactions of other European leaders, who have said they look forward to working with the next Republican president.

On Wednesday, after Trump's victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk invited him to an EU-U.S. summit to discuss issues including terrorism and Ukraine.

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Expectations Low as Venezuela's Government, Opposition Resume Talks

By VOA News November 12, 2016

Venezuela's government and opposition resumed talks Friday evening aimed at easing a political standoff in the country stricken by a spiraling economic crisis.

The expectations for a breakthrough are low because the opposition insists on a recall referendum against Socialist President Nicolas Maduro, while the administration is showing little indication of agreeing to that.

The dialogue is part of a Vatican-led effort to defuse the country's political crisis after Pope Francis met privately with Maduro.

The Vatican envoy, Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, hailed the meeting as a good first step.

"I think it's very positive that the government delegation and the opposition have met, have spoken, facing delicate and important topics for the life of the country," Celli said. "I see this moment as very positive, one of the ex-presidents used the word 'miracle' that the two delegations talk and do so in a respectful, attentive manner, because that is unquestionable."

Talks open; Maduro not seen

Television footage showed four top Socialist Party officials and four counterparts from the opposition participating in the meeting, which is to continue Saturday. Also in attendance are representatives from the church and regional and international delegates. Maduro did not appear in the images.

A short time before the meeting got underway, Maduro declared he had done everything in his power to achieve a resolution with opposition leaders who for months had been seeking to remove him.

"I have done everything, both possible and impossible, for there to be peace talks with the right  without ultimatums and without bullying," the socialist leader said.

In an attempt to defuse the country's political crisis, Maduro and his political team met for the first time in two years October 30 with several opposition leaders, including Democratic Unity coalition Secretary-General Jesus Torrealba and opposition Governor Henri Falcon.

Unhappy electorate

Mass street protests erupted after authorities last month blocked the opposition's bid to hold a referendum on removing Maduro from office.

Maduro said blocking the referendum was an independent decision by the judicial and electoral authorities based on fraud allegations. He has distanced himself from the issue.

Maduro's political opponents have accused him of staging a "coup d'etat" by stopping the effort to hold a vote to remove him.

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China's President Xi vows no tolerance on separatism, urges unity

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 10:15AM

President Xi Jinping of China has made a strong call for unity among all Chinese people and vowed zero tolerance for any separatist movement.

"We will never allow any person, any group, any political party, at any time, in any way, to split from any part of China's territory," Xi said at an event in Beijing's Great Hall of the People to mark 150 years since the birth of China's first president, Sun Yat-Sen, who is viewed as the founder of a united nation.

The Chinese president also vowed to defend the country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"To uphold our national sovereignty and territorial integrity, to never let our country split again and to never let history repeat itself  these are our solemn promises to our people and to our history," he said.

He also called for unity among all Chinese people. He urged people in China and Taiwan, as well as the ethnic Chinese around the world, to oppose independence for Taiwan.

The president also called on Taiwan's leaders to endorse the principle that the island and mainland China are parts of a single Chinese nation.

"Any Taiwanese political party, organization or individual  regardless of what they have advocated for in the past  as long as they recognize the '1992 consensus,' as long as they recognize the mainland and Taiwan are one China, we are willing to associate with them," he said.

Under an agreement reached in 1992 between Beijing and Taipei, both sides acknowledged the existence of a single Chinese nation, which is comprised of both Taiwan and the mainland.

Taiwan's new President Tsai Ing-wen, who was elected in January and known as a Beijing-skeptic politician, has neither endorsed nor repudiated the one-nation concept.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office reaffirmed in early October that Beijing would oppose any steps toward Taiwanese independence.

The two have had no formal diplomatic relations since they divided politically following the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1950.

Ties improved, however, under the government of former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou, who embraced the One-China concept.

China and Taiwan are physically separated by the Taiwan Strait in the Western Pacific Ocean.

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New Interpol Head Spells Doom for Corrupt Chinese Officials

Sputnik News

21:18 11.11.2016

Meng Hongwei, China's Deputy Minister of Public Security, has become the first Chinese official in the history of Interpol to be appointed as the head of the organization.

Meng Hongwei's appointment was announced on Thursday, November 10, at the 85th session of the Interpol General Assembly held in Indonesia. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has already praised this development, stating that Beijing is eager to improve cooperation with other members of the organization.

Meanwhile, Andrei Karneyev, head of the Moscow State University's Institute of Asian and African Studies, told Sputnik that Meng Hongwei's election as the head of Interpol is indeed a momentous occasion for China. He explained that when Beijing joined Interpol in 1984, when China entered the period of reforms and transparency, Interpol membership became "a sign of improvement in relations with the rest of the world, evidence of the Chinese government's willingness to contribute to the fight against trans-border crime."

"Today, when anti-corruption campaigning is an integral element of Xi Jinping's domestic policy, Beijing's cooperation with other countries' law enforcement agencies is especially important. In accordance with the UN Convention against Corruption, UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and other international agreements, today China maintains judicial cooperation with over 100 nations," Karneyev said.

Meng Hongwei was born in 1953. He was appointed the Deputy Minister of Public Security in April 2004, and in August the same year he also became the head of the National Central Bureau of Interpol in the country. Therefore, Karneyev remarks, he already has considerable experience in working with the Interpol HQ in Lyon.

"The new president's term lasts four years. China will definitely use this time period to step up the efforts to bring to justice corrupt high-ranking government officials hiding overseas. Also, the new president will have to handle the delicate issue of Taiwan trying to obtain observer status in Interpol," he said.

It should be noted that some Western human rights groups have already criticized Meng Hongwei's appointment, claiming that Beijing may attempt to misuse his new powers in order to persecute political opponents in the country. However, Karneyev pointed out that these concerns appear unfounded as Interpol's charter strictly prohibits the organization from "any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character".

 Sputnik

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China marks 150th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's birth, stressing national integrity

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 15:51, November 12, 2016

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping said that the best tribute to Sun Yat-sen is to continue the pursuit for a rejuvenated China that he had dreamed of.

Xi made the remarks here at a gathering to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's birth on Friday.

"The best way we commemorate Sun Yat-sen is to learn and carry forward his invaluable spirit, to unite all that can be united and mobilize all that can be mobilized to carry on the pursuit for a rejuvenated China that he had dreamed of," Xi, who is also Chinese President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, said in a speech.

Born in 1866, Sun was the founder of the Kuomintang Party, and is a revered revolutionary leader who played a pivotal role in overthrowing imperial rule in China.

CPC members are the firmest supporters, most loyal collaborators and most faithful successors of Sun's revolutionary undertakings, Xi said.

"Today, we are closer, more confident and more able to achieve national rejuvenation than ever before," Xi said.

"I call on all Chinese who revere Mr. Sun Yat-sen, including compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan as well as overseas Chinese, to unite, no matter their political affiliations," Xi said.

Li Keqiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishanand Zhang Gaoli, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the event.

The gathering was chaired by Yu, also top political advisor.

NATIONAL INTEGRITY, REUNIFICATION

Xi said that Sun had staunchly championed the integrity of the country and unity of the nation.

"Sun Yat-sen unequivocally opposed any remarks or actions that attempted to split the country or the nation," Xi said in his speech.

Quoting Sun, Xi said that united, the people of the entire country benefit; disunited, people suffer.

It is the shared conviction of Chinese that China is a unified country, and it is this belief that ensures the continuation of the nation as a whole, Xi said, quoting Sun.

To achieve the complete reunification of the motherland is in the fundamental interest of the Chinese nation and it is common aspiration as well as sacred duty of all Chinese, Xi said.

The peaceful development of cross-Strait relations is the correct path toward peace across the Strait, shared development and the improved well-being of compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Xi noted.

"We are ready to engage with any political Party, organization or individual from Taiwan, as long as they acknowledge the 1992 Consensus and recognize that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China, no matter what they may have supported in the past," Xi said.

Xi called on compatriots from both sides across the Taiwan Strait and Chinese all across the globe to unite and oppose "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces, saying the future of compatriots of both the mainland and Taiwan is closely intertwined with the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

China experienced more than 100 years of upheaval and struggle and this was still very fresh in the memories of Chinese, Xi said.

"It is our solemn commitment to the history and the people" to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to make sure that the country is never torn apart again, Xi said.

"Any attempt to split the country will be resolutely opposed by all Chinese people," Xi said, vowing "we'll never allow anyone, any organization or political Party to rip out any part of our territory at any time or in any form."

While presiding over the gathering, Yu called for uniting more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, holding high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and contributing more to the country's peaceful reunification and the Chinese nation's rejuvenation.

PATRIOTISM

Xi called on the Chinese people to learn from Sun's noble patriotism and devotion to the motherland.

Sun's tough life and prolonged struggle for the country, said Xi, taught him that reforming China must be based on the nation's reality and it must follow a development path suitable for China's national conditions.

As it has been proven by the history of both China and other countries,the prosperous nations are the ones that have found development paths suitable for their reality, Xi continued.

Today, to revitalize the Chinese nation, we need to carry forward patriotism, Xi said.

To love the country, the Chinese people should uphold the leadership of the CPC, the socialist system in China, and socialism with Chinese characteristics developed by the Chinese people under the CPC's leadership, he noted.

Xi added that the fundamental principles of the CPC and the Chinese people -- respecting the Chinese reality, learning from the outstanding achievements of all cultures and the independent development of the country -- should also be firmly adhered to.

Xi urged the Chinese people to strengthen confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

PUT PEOPLE FIRST

Sun cared deeply for the people, Xi said, and he was dedicated to helping them find happiness.

Time and time again, Xi said, Sun reiterated that the people were the greatest strength in the fight to achieve the goals of the revolution. Sun said that everyone should "work for the great cause, not just to secure an official post."

Any cause that goes against the will of the people would only result in alienating them and, thus, it would be doomed to fail, Xi said.

Xi called on all cadres to remain committed to putting the needs of the people first.

"We should ensure that the achievements of reform benefit every element of society, and strive for common prosperity by pooling the strength of our more than 1.3 billion people," Xi said.

Xi also spoke highly of how Sun continued to keep up with the times, learning from past experiences -- the successes and the failures -- and never stopped exploring.

"Today, we must be bold to adhere to the truth and correct mistakes, so as to promote innovation in all respects including theory, practice, system and culture," Xi said.

"If China prospers, we need to not only restore the status of our nation, but also shoulder great responsibilities for the world," Sun said 92 years ago.

Chinese people want growth, happiness and safety for themselves and for the people of the world, Xi said, reaffirming China's commitment to establishing a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation and a community of shared destiny.

China will always be an advocate of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a caretaker of international order, said Xi.

China should calmly judge the profound and complex changes in international situation, understand the tough tasks of promoting reforms, development and stability in an all-round way, as well as make unremitting efforts, in order to break new ground in revitalizing the Chinese nation, Xi said.

Never assume that achieving our goals will be easy and smooth, Xi said, adding that China must keep its responsibilities at the forefront of its mind, and be prepared for major challenges, risks, difficulties and contradictions.

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UN development agency working with Cuban government to assist areas hard-hit by Hurricane Matthew

11 November 2016  The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is cooperating with Cuban authorities to support early recovery in Baracoa, Maisi, Imias and San Antonio del Sur, the areas of the island nation most-affected by Hurricane Matthew.

UNDP has already delivered 9,000 plastic tarpaulins for roofs and 5,740 mattresses to the Port of Santiago, to assist the needs of the population as a part of its Action Plan in Cuba. This was UNDP's second delivery, after sending 9,700 tarpaulins and 20 mills to transform debris into building materials.

In addition, UNDP has also supported a Government-led early recovery process that aims to provide roofs immediately, create housing solutions, create jobs and facilitate the recovery of the local economy, recover affected ecosystems and improve the hydraulic and meteorological early warning system. Specialized tools, zinc sheets, and roofing modules will be purchased to provide a durable housing solution for 14,300 families.

"Cuba has a strong understanding of risks and has been investing in the prevention of natural disasters, and UNDP has always supported their efforts. An example of that was the response to Hurricane Sandy where we worked together to rebuild houses with the participation of communities," Myrta Kaulard, UNDP Resident Representative in Cuba stated. She also complimented the effort of the local authorities to save lives and recover the infrastructure.

Hurricane Matthew hit the Eastern provinces of Cuba on 4 October with winds of 200-250 km/hr and waves up to eight meters high. More than 600,000 people were affected, and 38,000 homes damaged, officials estimated.

With more than 40 years of experience in Cuba, UNDP has initiated, hand in hand with local authorities, an early and resilient recovery process, with emphasis on rebuilding houses, to address the immediate needs and lay the foundations for a long-term recovery and strengthening the capacities of affected communities.

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Kim Jong Un Inspects Islet Defence Detachment in Western Sector of Front

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

Pyongyang, November 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, inspected the defence detachment on Mahap Islet in the western sector of the front.

Going round the headquarters of the detachment, barracks, education rooms and mess halls of various companies, he had warm talks with their service personnel and paid deep attention to their living.

Noting that the soldiers on forefront like those of the detachment should be stronger than anyone in their revolutionary faith, he underlined the need to train the soldiers of the detachment as indomitable fighters steadfast in the spirit of defending the socialist country by conducting the political and ideological education among them in a unique manner.

He called for providing better cultural living conditions to the soldiers, establishing a strong habit of reading books and learning among them and conducting brisk activities of company art groups so that they may always spend their days of worthwhile military service full of optimism and joy with versatile knowledge and cultural attainments.

Learning in detail about the supply service to the soldiers and the education of the children of officers' families, he underlined the need to pay special attention to the living of the service personnel and officers' families and direct efforts to bean farming, greenhouse farming, stockbreeding and sideline fishing so that the service personnel of the islet detachment may not long for the life on the land.

He mounted an observation post where he learned in detail about the deployment of artillery pieces and combat readiness after being briefed on the firepower strike plan of the detachment.

Urging the service personnel of the detachment to do their bit once a fight breaks out, he gave precious instructions to round off its combat preparations.

He issued a surprise order to artillery piece No. 3 of the second platoon of the first company of the detachment to go into action from its position and strike the designated target and guided a live shell firing drill.

Having promptly finished their preparations to open fire, the artillerymen accurately hit the naval target as ordered by him.

He highly appreciated the results of their firing, saying with great joy that they are really good at firing as they won the master gunner prize at the artillery firing contest of islet artillery sub-units held in last July and he might rest assured of the defence detachment on Mahap Islet. He had a photo taken with them.

He gave the soldiers a pair of binoculars, an automatic rifle and a machine gun as gifts and had a photo session with all service personnel and officers' families of the defence detachment.

Accompanying him were Vice-Marshal of the KPA Hwang Pyong So, director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA, Vice-Marshal of the KPA Ri Myong Su, chief of the General Staff of the KPA, Army Col. General Ri Yong Gil, first vice-chief of the KPA General Staff and director of the General Operation Bureau, Army Major General Pak Jong Chon, director of the Artillery Bureau of the KPA, Army Lieut. General Ri Song Guk, commander of the 4th Corps of the KPA, and Army Major General Ri Yong Chol, political commissar of the corps. -0- (2016.11.11)

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U.S., S. Korean Puppet Warmongers Stage North-targeted War Drills

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

Pyongyang, November 11 (KCNA) -- The U.S. and the south Korean puppet warmongers are hell-bent on war drills targeting the DPRK across south Korea.

The Hoguk drill started on Oct. 31 and has reached a grave stage.

On Nov. 8 helicopters of the U.S. imperialists, helicopters of the Aerial Operation Command of the puppet ground force and the 30th assault battalion committed a drill for infiltrating special warfare forces deep into the inland areas of the DPRK.

A drill for landing in the coastal areas of the DPRK side was perpetrated at the stage of "decisive action" in Phohang, North Kyongsang Province on Nov. 2.

The puppet 20th motorized infantry division staged a drill for getting familiar with the procedures to create attack condition, firing live shells in coordinated operation with the air force.

On the sidelines of the Hoguk drill, the U.S. imperialist aggressor forces and the south Korean puppet air force were keen on the joint aerial drill under the signboard of "matchless shield" at the U.S. Air Force base in Osan from Nov. 4 with the air force of UK involved for the first time in history.

The warmongers entered a full-dress drill from Nov. 8.

Fighters, air refueling tankers and strategic transport planes were mobilized in a precision strike at military facilities of the opposite side, the command in particular.

Meanwhile, the puppet Sixth Corps announced that it would stage an anti-infiltration drill with civilian and administration officials and the police in the northern areas of Kyonggi Province from Nov. 7 to 11. -0-

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North Korea's Kim to Troops: 'Do The Work of Many Men' in Case of Conflict

Sputnik News

03:35 11.11.2016(updated 10:57 11.11.2016)

This week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected his military, telling troops that they would be required to "do the work of many men" should they find themselves in battle with the US, which has recently elected a new president.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the DPRK's state news agency, reported that Kim visited a special assassination squad last week, specifically trained to target politicians in South Korea. He told the battalion that they may be required to "eliminate the human filth occupying the [South Korean] presidential Blue House, military and the puppet government, all who have committed crimes that cannot be forgiven for all of eternity," according to UPI.

Kim has been threatening war with both Washington and Seoul, particularly after the two latter nations teamed up to fly over the Korean peninsula in a show of military force. Kim was also none too pleased to discover that South Korea had trained a military unit for the express purpose of removing him from power, should the North and the South come to battle.

He went so far as to threaten to drop a hydrogen bomb on Seoul for the insult.

On Wednesday the International Business Times reported that Kim told troops, after Donald Trump was elected president of the US, that, "In highly turbulent conditions, a readiness to fight must prevail during waking and sleeping hours, and all must wholeheartedly take part in training."

The reclusive leader also told soldiers that they would have an "important mission," to "put a sharp dagger in the enemy's heart and to break its back."

Yonhap News reports that Kim has not spoken explicitly about the Trump presidency but has been vocal about retaining his nuclear weapons. "Washington's hope for North Korea's denuclearization is an outdated illusion," he said.

Pyongyang, by a per capita metric, has the largest military in the world, with a reported 1,170,000 active-duty troops in a country of less than 25 million.

 Sputnik

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India Has Long Wait Ahead for Home-Made Combat Fighters

Sputnik News

18:44 11.11.2016

The Indian Air Force plans to replace the venerable MiG-21 series of combat jets with the home-produced fighter named Tejas. But, capacity constraints at the factory means the replacements will take place at a very slow pace.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  India has to wait more than a decade to achieve the required strength of 42 squadrons to fight a simultaneous two-front war.

India's Defense Research and Development Organisation, the designers of Tejas, expects the current order of 83 combat jets to completed only after a decade or more. The first aircraft itself may take another two years if everything goes according to schedule. Currently about 250 MiG-21 series fighters are waiting to be replaced.

The high level Defense Acquisition Committee had last week cleared the procurement of 83 light combat aircraft (LCA) put together by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Currently, Indian Air Force has 34 squadrons but requires 42 active squadrons.

 Sputnik

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Zarif: All parties should abide by their JCPOA commitments

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Prague, Nov 11, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said all parties should abide by their commitments to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

In a joint press conference with his Czech counterpart Lubomir Zaoralek here on Friday, he said the Islamic Republic of Iran was determined to stay faithful the JCPOA.

However, he said, this did not mean Iran has no other options but rather it showed that the deal is beneficial to all.

Noting that Iran-Czech relations have been increasing in the post-JCPOA era, he said Iran is happy with efforts underway to promote the level of political ties from the present charge d'affaires to ambassador.

He also said that Iran welcomed exchange of views with the Czech officials to develop new solutions to the Syrian crisis and fighting the terrorist Daesh group.

Zarif said such cooperation could extend to the situation in Iraq and Yemen as well.

The Iranian foreign minister further said that Iran's cooperation with the Czech Republic and the European Union could cover such areas politics, economy, culture, medicine and anti-terror campaign.

He went on to stress that the JCPOA was an international agreement not a bilateral one so every party of the deal has to remain committed to it.

Zarif said the JCPOA is a multi-lateral deal which is endorsed by the United Nations Security Council as well.

Though the US has failed to fulfill its commitments to the deal, the foreign minister said, Iran has been abiding with it in full.

He also said that his visit to the Czech Republic at the head of an economic delegation aimed at enhancing economic cooperation in banking and financial areas.

Zarif's trip to Prague comes at the last leg of his visit to three Eastern European countries which has already taken him to Slovakia and Romania.

Iranian economic delegation consists of people from private sector in banking, energy, transportation, medical services, pharmaceuticals, mining, automobile spare parts, and agricultural machinery.

1424

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Iran will take other options if JCPOA not honored: FM

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 2:31PM

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has reaffirmed the Islamic Republic's full commitment to last year's nuclear agreement with the six world powers but warned of "other options" at Tehran's disposal in case of failure to comply with the deal by other sides.

Speaking in a joint press conference with his Czech counterpart Lubomir Zaoralek in Prague on Friday, Zarif criticized the United States for "not fully implementing" its obligations under the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries.

"Iran has been implementing its part of the bargain. Unfortunately, the United States, even during the current administration, has not fully implemented its part of the bargain but we believe that JCPOA is a reasonable agreement good for everybody," he said.

"That's our preference. It doesn't mean that we do not have other options. Iran wants to remain committed to JCPOA provided that everybody else is prepared to do the same," the Iranian foreign minister pointed out.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council  the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia  plus Germany started to implement the JCPOA on January 16.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related bans imposed against Tehran.

Ever since the deal was struck, its opponents in US Congress have been threatening that a future US administration opposed to the agreement would scrap it.

During the election campaign in the US, now president-elect Donald Trump threatened that he would "tear up" the JCPOA or try to renegotiate its terms if elected president.

However, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that the nuclear agreement negotiated with Iran under the outgoing US administration is not a deal with a single country or a single government.

He added that the JCPOA has been reflected in a UN Security Council Resolution, and therefore, cannot be overturned on the back of one government's decision.

US Republican presidential candidate Trump won more than the required 270 electoral votes in the 2016 presidential election on Wednesday, becoming the 45th president of the United States.

Elsewhere in the presser, Zarif stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation with the Czech Republic in different fields, the development of peaceful nuclear technology in particular.

"And we are now happy to provide the necessary political infrastructure as well as financial infrastructure in terms of banking relations for the private sector to engage in a whole range of possibilities, from railroad, where the Czech Republic is interested in completing the north-south corridor, which connects the Persian Gulf to both the Black Sea and well as Europe, through Russia, so these are possibilities for us to engage," the Iranian foreign minister said.

He added that the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, had paid a visit to Prague "a few weeks ago and he had good conversations with the Czech companies about engaging with the Czech Republic in the production of peaceful nuclear technology."

Iran, Czech FMs sign MoU on political consultation

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Iran and the Czech Republic signed a memorandum of understanding on stepping up political consultations between the two countries.

The agreement was signed by Zarif and Zaoralek in the Czech capital on Friday following an earlier meeting between the two sides.

Zarif's meetings with senior Czech officials

The Iranian foreign minister also on Friday held talks with President of the Czech Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament Jan Hamacek and Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka.

In the Iranian foreign minister's meeting with Hamacek, the two sides discussed ways to improve political and economic cooperation.

Zarif and Sobotka exchanged views about the development of cooperation between Tehran and Prague, particularly in trade and economics, energy, banking, tourism and interactions in the European Union.

The top Iranian diplomat and the Czech prime minister also held discussions about the latest developments in the Middle East, particularly the crisis in Syria, and the fight against terrorism and extremism.

Zarif is in the Czech Republic on the final leg of an Eastern European tour that also took him to Romania and Slovakia.

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Iran says Trump win not to jeopardize deals

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 11:16AM

Iran says the election of Donald Trump as the new president of the United States will have no impacts on its industrial deals that it has sealed with global corporations.

Mohammad-Reza Nematzadeh, Iran's minister of industry, mine and trade, told reporters that the deals the country has signed over major industrial projects were independent from the nuclear deal that has come under repeated attacks by Trump in his campaign speeches.

Nematzadeh said the foreign parties to Iran's industrial contracts had in several occasions demanded to devise a mechanism to link their implementation on the fate of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"However, we never accepted any preconditions [for signing the deals]," he said. "None of the contracts that we have signed contain any reference to the JCPOA and we will go ahead with them under any condition".

Iran's industries minister further emphasized that the US under Trump cannot unilaterally cancel the nuclear deal with Iran that the administration of the outgoing president Barack Obama sealed with Tehran together with four other Security Council member states plus Germany - the so-called P5+1 - last year.

"The JCPOA does not involve only the US," Nematzadeh said. "Other countries are also involved in it. Therefore, it cannot be cancelled unilaterally. This was [the result of] an international decision that was adopted at the level of the United Nations".

On the same front, Pedram Soltani, the deputy president of Iran's Chamber of Commerce and one of the country's top merchants, told the domestic media that the election to power of a "hostile president" in the US cannot stop Iran's efforts to revive its trade ties with the world after the removal of multiple years of sanctions.

"Iran's economy  is in a path to recover the trade ties that were significantly reduced over the past 10 years," Soltani told ISNA news agency.

"The election of a new president in the US who has a hostile approach toward the JCPOA cannot have any serious impact on our efforts toward recovery."

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US president-elect not to accept Iran deal as it is: Advisor

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 9:22AM

US President-elect Donald Trump will demand changes to the 2015 nuclear deal between the P5+1 group and Iran, one of his aides says.

The agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was struck in July 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 group comprising the US, France, China, Britain, Russia and Germany.

Ever since the deal was struck, its opponents in US Congress have been threatening that a future US administration opposed to the agreement would scrap it.

During the election campaign, Trump threatened that he would "tear up" the JCPOA or try to renegotiate its terms if elected president.

"Ripping up is maybe a too strong of word, he's gonna take that agreement, it's been done before in international context, and then review it," Trump's adviser Walid Phares told BBC radio Thursday.

"He will take the agreement, review it, send it to Congress, demand from the Iranians to restore few issues or change few issues, and there will be a discussion," Phares added.

Phares said, "It could be a tense discussion but the agreement as is right nowis not going to be accepted by a Trump administration."

The JCPOA, harshly opposed by Republicans in Congress, was reached as a political commitment rather than a treaty ratified by lawmakers, making it vulnerable to a new US president.

On Thursday, the USA Today said the US House was preparing to debate legislation that aims to prevent US banks from financing Boeing's planned sale of $25 billion worth of planes to Iran.

Boeing has signed an initial agreement to sell or lease more than 100 jets to Iran but the agreement has come under strong criticism from many American politicians.

According to the US paper, the bill from Rep. Bill Huizenga would prohibit US banks from financing the plane sale and would revoke any Treasury Department approval of the sale granted before the legislation is approved.

In a speech to the pro-Israeli lobby group AIPAC in March, Trump declared that his "number-one priority" would be to "dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran."

By contrast, he has conceded it would be hard to destroy a deal enshrined in a United Nations resolution. In August 2015, he said he would not "rip up" the nuclear deal, but that he would "police that contract so tough they don't have a chance."

On Thursday, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who represented the P5+1 during the nuclear negotiations, told CNN that the US cannot cancel the deal.

"The Iranian nuclear agreement is not a mutual deal between Iran and US, but a multilateral agreement, which I am still responsible as the chairman of joint commission to supervise the full implementation of nuclear agreement by all sides," she said.

Russia and France have also made assertions to the same effect.

Iranian reaction

President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that the nuclear deal has been reflected in a United Nation Security Council resolution and cannot be dismissed by one government.

Iran's Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif also urged Trump to stick to international agreements.

"Every US president has to understand the realities of today's world. The most important thing is that the future US president stick to agreements, to engagements undertaken," Zarif said in Romania.

Other Iranians, however, said the country was prepared for any eventuality.

"We have defined our nuclear program in such a way that we can continue in any situation," the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran's spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said.

"When Trump assumes office, his advisers will tell him that he does not have too many options versus Iran and cannot turn a blind eye to Iran's interests," he added.

Back in July, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said, "We will not violate the JCPOA, but if the opposite side violates it - as US presidential candidates are currently threatening to tear up the JCPOA - if they tear up the JCPOA, we will burn it."

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Iran Expects Trump To Accept Nuclear Deal 'Once Dust Settles'

RFE/RL November 11, 2016

PRAGUE -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he believes the next U.S. administration will accept the landmark nuclear deal signed by Tehran and world powers, despite U.S. President-elect Donald Trump pledging to "tear up" the agreement.

An array of international sanctions targeting Iran were lifted earlier this year following the deal, which curbs the country's controversial nuclear program.

Zarif, speaking in the Czech capital on November 11, said that he expects Trump to support the deal "once the dust has settled and people are briefed about the realities of the region and the world."

"It will be in the interest of everybody to remain committed in practice to the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)," said Zarif, referring to the official name of the nuclear deal. "But if there are doubts about the implementation, then Iran will have its own options as well."

During the election campaign, Trump called the deal "disastrous" and said it would be his "No. 1 priority" to dismantle it.

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner and other U.S. experts said on November 10 that the deal is not legally binding and that Trump could not only refuse to abide by the deal but could reverse President Barack Obama's executive orders carrying out the U.S. side of the deal by easing economic sanctions on Iran.

Their assessment contradicted Iranian President Hassan Rohani's assertion on November 9 that there is "no possibility" Trump could dismantle the deal because it was approved by multiple nations on the UN Security Council.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/iran-zarif-trump-nuclear-deal- prague-czech-republic/28110404.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Trump to Review Deal on Iran Nuclear Program - Foreign Policy Adviser

Sputnik News

17:38 11.11.2016

Trump's adviser on foreign policy Walid Phares said that US President-elect Donald Trump will take the agreement on nuclear deal with Iran, send it to Congress, demand from the Iranians to restore few issues or change few issues, and there will be a discussion.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  US President-elect Donald Trump will conduct a review of an agreement reached by Iran and international powers on Tehran's nuclear program, Trump's adviser on foreign policy Walid Phares said.

"He will take the agreement, review it, send it to Congress, demand from the Iranians to restore few issues or change few issues, and there will be a discussion. It could be a tense discussion but the agreement as is right now  $750 billion to the Iranian regime without receiving much in return and increasing intervention in four countries  that is not going to be accepted by a Trump administration," Phares said in an interview with the BBC radio on Thursday.

Trump has repeatedly criticized the Iranian nuclear deal which limits Tehran's nuclear program to the peaceful purposes in exchange for the easing of international sanctions on Iran, calling it the "stupidest" deal of all time.

On Wednesday, Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Alaeddin Boroujerdi said he was expecting Trump to respect the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program.

In July 2015, the P5+1 group of countries, comprising China, France, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom plus Germany, reached an agreement with Iran to ensure Tehran's nuclear program remained peaceful in exchange for the relief of nuclear-related sanctions. In mid-January, the sanctions were removed after the International Atomic Energy Agency verified Tehran's compliance with the deal.

Trump won the 2016 US presidential election with 290 electoral votes, while his rival Hillary Clinton received 232 votes despite winning the popular vote by a margin of over 200,000, according to CNN. The inauguration is due on January 20.

 Sputnik

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Ayatollah Khatami Demands Trump Apologize For Calling Iranians 'Terrorists'

November 12, 2016

Iranian Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami warned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump not to play games with Iran, and said Trump should apologize to the Iranian people for calling them "terrorists" during his campaign.

Trump should known that Iranians "will offer resistance against the United States of America until their very last breath," the influential cleric said during Friday prayers in Tehran on November 11.

Trump should know better than to play with "the tail of the lion," Khatami added, as Tehran has successfully foiled and frustrated several of Trump's White House predecessors, he said.

Trump should "respectfully apologize to the nation" for his harsh charges against Iran during the campaign, Khatami said, noting that "We respect the people of other countries and we respect their elections."

Meanwhile, the powerful Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called Trump's election a sign of American decline.

He urged Americans to resist Trump's intolerant views of Muslims and minorities.

"Peace be upon the American people, those who like moderation and who want peace and peaceful coexistence between religions and ethnicities," Sadr said.

Based on reporting by AP and dpa

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/ayatollah-khatami- demands-trump-apologize-calling-iranians-terrorists- during-campaign/28111563.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Iraqi govt. forces advance into Mosul's Qadisiya neighborhood

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 6:34PM

Iraqi government forces are advancing deeper into the eastern neighborhoods of Mosul in their battle to retake the strategic northern city from the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

Brigadier General Haider Fadhil of Iraq's special forces said the troopers entered Qadisiya neighborhood of the Daesh-held city, located some 400 kilometers north of the capital Baghdad, on Friday but were moving slowly in a bid to prevent civilian casualties and avoid being targeted by booby traps and surprise car bombs.

The advance came hours after military sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said elite counter-terrorism forces had launched an assault into the Arbajiyah neighborhood of eastern Mosul. Heavy fighting is continuing, with gunfire echoing in the streets.

There are reports that Iraqi army forces are heading toward the nearby Karkukli district.

An unnamed army officer also said army soldiers are now in control of 90 percent of east Mosul's Intisar neighborhood, but the narrowness of streets has made the movement of battle tanks difficult and slowed the progress.

Meanwhile, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) announced on Friday that Daesh terrorists have executed dozens of civilians in Mosul over the past few days.

The UN agency said in a statement that Daesh extremists fatally shot 40 civilians in Mosul on November 8 after accusing them of "treason and collaboration" with the Iraqi security personnel.

A 27-year-old man was also publicly shot to death in the Bab al-Jadid neighborhood of central Mosul the same day on charges of using a mobile phone.

The Takfiris then shot to death 20 more civilians at Ghabat military base in northern Mosul the following day on charges of passing information to Iraqi government forces. The victims' bodies were then hung at various intersections of the Daesh stronghold.

On Thursday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the number of internally displaced people in the wake of Mosul military operations has gone beyond 45,000.

Dujarric stressed that additional emergency shelter options, foodstuff, potable water and health care will be needed within the next week to accommodate more refugees.

After months of preparation, Iraqi army soldiers, backed by pro-government fighters from Popular Mobilization Units and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, launched an operation on October 17 to retake the strategic city of Mosul from the Daesh terrorists.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has vowed that Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, will be fully recaptured by year-end.

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Daesh stockpiling chemicals in Mosul: UN

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 11:23AM

A UN official says Daesh terrorists are stockpiling ammonia and sulphur in civilian areas, possibly for use as chemical weapons, in Mosul amid an Iraqi army operation to retake the city.

UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday that Daesh had executed scores more people around Mosul this week. They included 20 civilians shot dead for leaking information and one man for using a mobile phone.

Iraqi troops found a mass grave with over 100 bodies in the nearby town of Hammam al-Alil earlier this week.

Shamdasani said the mass grave is one of several Daesh killing grounds, citing information gleaned from sources on the ground including a man who played dead during a mass execution.

According to Shamdasani, teenagers or young boys with explosive belts are being deployed in the alleys of Old Mosul, while abducted women are being "distributed" to accompany Daesh convoys.

The battle to retake Mosul, the Takfiri group's last major bastion in Iraq, is now in its fourth week.

Shamdasani said Daesh had announced that it had beheaded six of its own militants for deserting the battlefield near Mosul.

On Friday, troops of Iraq's elite Counter-Terrorism Service resumed their offensive on the streets of Mosul after several days of relative quiet.

One commander said his forces have begun the attack on Arbajiyah and clashes were ongoing after the first row of buildings in the area was seized. Troops were also to begin another attack to retake the Karkukli neighborhood.

Iraqi forces launched the huge offensive to retake Mosul on October 17, with federal and regional forces closing in on the city from three sides.

Pro-government paramilitaries later began an advance on the town of Tal Afar, which commands the city's western approaches, with the goal of cutting the Takfiri terrorists off from territory they control in neighboring Syria.

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Iraqi Army Finds Underground Prison With Over 950 Captives of Daesh in Mosul

Sputnik News

17:31 11.11.2016(updated 17:32 11.11.2016)

The prison reportedly had cages measuring 3.3 by 1.6 feet, while captives suffered malnutrition and torture, according to the United Nations.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) discovered an underground prison where some 950 people had been held captive by Daesh terrorists in one of the districts of Mosul, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement Friday.

"Last Monday, 7 November, the ISF reportedly found in Shura sub-district of Mosul an underground prison containing 961 people, all of them Sunni, and many of them former ISF officers or members of the Iraqi Islamic Party," the statement read.

The prison reportedly had cages measuring 3.3 by 1.6 feet, while the captives suffered malnutrition and torture, according to the United Nations.

The Daesh terrorist group, outlawed in Russia and multiple other states, overran the northern Syrian city of Mosul in 2014 and declared a caliphate in the captured territories. The Iraqi prime minister announced a campaign on October 17 to reclaim the key Daesh stronghold, with mixed forces of Iraqi army, Kurdish militias and Sunni Arab tribesmen advancing from south, east and north.

 Sputnik

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Daesh Kills Over 60 Civilians in Mosul - UN Human Rights Chief Zeid

Sputnik News

13:08 11.11.2016(updated 14:13 11.11.2016)

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Daech terrorist organization has executed over 60 civilians in Iraq's Mosul.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Daech terrorist organization has executed over 60 civilians in Iraq's Mosul, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement Friday.

"Just over the past few days, reports have emerged that Daesh appears to be continuing to carry out killings based on decisions of its self-appointed 'courts'. On Tuesday, Daesh reportedly shot and killed 40 civilians in Mosul city after accusing them of 'treason and collaboration' with the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF)," the statement said.

"The victims were dressed in orange clothes marked in red with the words: 'traitors and agents of the ISF'. Their bodies were then hung on electrical poles in several areas in Mosul city. The same evening, a 27-year-old man was allegedly publicly shot to death in the Bab al-Jideed neighborhood of central Mosul following a so-called 'court' decision. His crime: he used a mobile phone in Mosul," it said.

"Six other civilians were hanged on October 20 in Mosul for keeping hidden SIM cards, in violation of Daesh's order to surrender all SIM cards. On Wednesday evening, Daesh reportedly shot to death 20 civilians in the Ghabat Military Base in northern Mosul, on charges of leaking information. Their bodies were also hung at various intersections in Mosul, with notes stating: 'decision of execution' and 'used cell phones to leak information to the ISF'," it said.

"The extent of civilian suffering in Mosul and other Daesh-occupied areas in Iraq is numbing and intolerable," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said.

Besides, Al Hussein urged Iraqi government to take immediate actions in order to demonstrate that it is able to protect Iraqi people and to punish those guilty of the crimes against civilians according to the law to limit further retaliatory attacks.

The Daesh terrorist group, outlawed in Russia and multiple other states, overran the northern Syrian city of Mosul in 2014 and declared a caliphate in the captured territories. The Iraqi prime minister announced a campaign on October 17 to reclaim the key Daesh stronghold, with mixed forces of Iraqi army, Kurdish militias and Sunni Arab tribesmen advancing from south, east and north.

 Sputnik

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Iraq: Citing 'numbing' extent of suffering caused by ISIL, UN rights chief urges focus on victims' rights

11 November 2016  As mass graves and further evidence of sexual exploitation, torture and killings, child recruitment and other grave human rights abuses committed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) extremists in Iraq come to light, the top United Nations human rights official has called for immediate action to ensure that the rights and the needs of victims and survivors are met  including the need for justice, truth and reconciliation.

"The extent of civilian suffering in Mosul and other ISIL-occupied areas in Iraq is numbing and intolerable," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein in a news release issued today, citing heartbreaking images of children being forced to carry out executions, stories of women being 'redistributed' among ISIL fighters, of killings for possession of SIM cards, and killings of those perceived to be opposed to ISIL's takfiri doctrines.

He also cited the forced displacement of tens of thousands of civilians and their exploitation as human shields, and then the risk of reprisals against these long-suffering women, men and children for their perceived support of ISIL.

"Justice for the victims and survivors of human rights abuses and violations  irrespective of when, where or by whom such abuses and violations were committed  needs to be impartial, transparent and effective," he said, urging the Government of Iraq to act quickly to restore effective law enforcement in areas retaken from ISIL to ensure that captured fighters and their perceived supporters are dealt with according to the law.

"This is crucial to limit the opportunity for revenge attacks and collective punishments," he added.

Mr. Zeid said that it is equally important that formal justice is supported by actions that promote community reconciliation, such as truth-telling and restorative justice, including the provision of medical and psycho-social services, housing, education and other financial support which may assist people in rebuilding their lives and their communities.

"The people of Iraq  all the people of Iraq  must see that their State, by its actions, is capable of protecting them by bringing to justice those guilty of the horrible crimes that have been committed against them," he said.

Just over the past few days, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has received reports that:

- ISIL appears to be continuing to carry out killings based on decisions of its self-appointed 'courts'. On Tuesday, ISIL reportedly shot and killed 40 civilians in Mosul city after accusing them of 'treason and collaboration' with the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). The victims were dressed in orange clothes marked in red with the words: 'traitors and agents of the ISF.' Their bodies were then hung on electrical poles in several areas in Mosul city.

- Also on Wednesday, ISIL deployed what it calls the "sons of the caliphate" in the alleys of the old town of Mosul, wearing explosive belts. We are concerned that these may be teenagers and young boys. ISIL also posted a video on Wednesday showing four children, believed to be between 10 and 14 years old, shooting to death four people for spying for the ISF and the Peshmerga. The video shows the victims falling into the river nearby.

- Since 27 October, ISIL has been relocating abducted women, including Yezidi women, into Mosul city and into Tel Afar town. Some of these women were reportedly "distributed" to ISIL fighters while others have been told they will be used to accompany ISIL convoys.

- Last Monday, 7 November, the ISF reportedly found in Shura sub-district of Mosul an underground prison containing 961 people, all of them Sunni, and many of them former ISF officers or members of the Iraqi Islamic Party. People in the prison  which reportedly had cages measuring 1 metre by 0.5 metres  bore signs of torture and malnutrition.

- Also last Monday, ISIL announced through loudspeakers mounted on vehicles in Mosul that it would execute any members fleeing from the battlefield. ISIL also reportedly announced that, on 6 November it had beheaded seven of its militants for deserting the battlefield in the Kokjali area of eastern Mosul.

OHCHR has more reports of ISIL forcing villagers to leave their homes, and more details are also emerging about the reports of a mass grave containing at least 100 people in an Agricultural College building in Hamam al-Alil that was discovered on Monday.

"What is clear is that many more mass killings took place in Hamam al-Alil and other locations, with victims' bodies dumped at various locations, including a cement factory yard, the Tigris River and also reportedly at Mosul airport and in the Tal-al-Zahab area of Mosul District," Mr. Zeid said.

Use of chemical weapons by ISIL

Details are also emerging of the use of chemical weapons by ISIL. On 23 October, four people died after inhaling fumes from burning sulphur from al-Mishrag Sulphur Gas Factory and Field in the Shura sub-district of Mosul, he said.

"By referring the situation in Iraq to the International Criminal Court; by giving Iraqi courts jurisdiction over international crimes; by reforming the criminal justice system and reinforcing the capacity of judicial officers to document, investigate and prosecute violations, the Government of Iraq can ensure justice and secure the foundations for a lasting peace for the country. Failure to do so may seriously jeopardize the long-term peace and security that the people of Iraq deserve," the High Commissioner said.

UN human rights officers are continuing to monitor the impact of the armed conflict on civilians, directly and through information provided by implementing partners and networks of sources.

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Japan, India sign nuclear deal limited to peaceful commercial use

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 5:27PM

Japan and India have signed a controversial nuclear deal that allows Tokyo to sell civil nuclear power equipment and technology to New Delhi.

The deal, signed between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his visiting Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Tokyo on Friday, will allow Japan, a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to supply nuclear reactors, fuel and technology to India.

Although it is limited to peaceful commercial use, the deal is controversial because India has not signed the NPT.

There are concerns about the risk of the technology being diverted to India's nuclear weapons program.

The deal allows India to reprocess fuel and enrich uranium. Highly enriched uranium that can be used to make nuclear weapons is not permitted without Japan's written agreement.

The deal will contribute to the peaceful use of clean energy, the two prime ministers agreed. Japanese officials said Tokyo would scrap the deal if India conducted a nuclear test.

"This agreement sets a legal framework to assure that India acts responsibly for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy," Abe stated, adding that the deal urged India to effectively participate in the NPT framework. "It is also in line with Japan's position to promote non-proliferation to create a world without nuclear weapons."

Modi praised the signing as "a historic step" in the engagement of the two countries to "build a clean energy partnership" that will help India "combat the challenge of climate change."

Opponents of the deal say it could threaten regional peace and security and increase the risk of proliferation.

Energy-hungry India wants to increase nuclear power generation to support its strong economic growth. The country has signed similar nuclear agreements with France, Russia, Britain and the United States.

Abe's pro-business administration seeks to export nuclear power plants to counter shrinking sales at home since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. Tokyo has also discussed similar deals with Vietnam and Turkey.

The prime ministers of Japan and India also agreed during bilateral talks to advance business and security cooperation. The two sides agreed to step up defense cooperation as well.

Tokyo is interested in exporting military equipment and technology to India.

The deal was signed against a backdrop of mounting regional tensions involving China.

Japan and India see the increased military presence of China in the region as a threat.

Both Tokyo and New Delhi are involved in territorial disputes with Beijing. Japan lays claims to territory also claimed by China in the East China Sea as well as in the Indian Ocean, and India has a long-standing dispute of its own along its border with China.

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Okinawa Governor Hopes Trump Will Reduce US Military Presence on the Island

Sputnik News

13:17 11.11.2016(updated 13:22 11.11.2016)

Today the Governor of Japan's Okinawa Prefecture, Takeshi Onaga, sent Donald Trump a telegram congratulating him for winning the presidential election, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported on November 11.

"I hope your leadership will be strong and gives us opportunities for fruitful discussion of the relationships between Okinawa and the USA,"  the report cites the telegram as saying.

Earlier on Wednesday, Onaga expressed hope that Donald Trump's victory may lead to a reduction of the US military presence in Okinawa.

"While I am hopeful about the measures Trump is going to take regarding the Okinawa base issue, I would like to keep a close eye on it," Onaga told reporters at the prefecture government office, the report says.

The governor, who opposes the relocation of a key US base within Okinawa, said he plans to visit the USA again, possibly in the beginning February.

"I want Trump to hear the voice of Okinawa," Onaga added.

Although Japan has its own military, tens of thousands of US troops have been stationed in Okinawa since 1945. The island was invaded by the US between April and June, 1945 during one of the bloodiest extended battles fought between the US and Japan; over a third of Okinawa's pre-war population of 300,000 is estimated to have perished. Washington only granted the island sovereignty in 1972. Japan pays about $1.8 billion annually for hosting American troops.

Okinawa and its surrounding archipelago lie south of Japan's four main islands constitute only 0.60% of Japan's territory. Nevertheless, it hosts 74% of U.S. marines based in the country.

According to the Okinawa government, up to 25,800 US military personnel, and 19,000 members of their families and civil personnel are based in Okinawa now.

The US military presence still generates widespread protests because of rapes and other crimes committed by American servicemen. Since 1972, an average of 23 incidents (including 13 criminally liable acts) involving US servicemen have happened there annually. According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the total number of crimes committed by US servicemen in Okinawa is above 4,700. Most of them escaped punishment.

To make matters less comfortable for locals, there have been US aircraft crashes over residential areas. For example, V-22 Ospreys crashed there three times, resulting in six deaths and several minor incidents, since the helicopters were introduced in 2007.

 Sputnik

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Blast Kills 43 At Crowded Sufi Shrine in Pakistan

By Ayaz Gul November 12, 2016

The so-called Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility for Saturday evening's bomb attack on a crowded Sufi shrine in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province that killed at least 43 people and wounded around 100 others.

Witnesses and doctors feared the death toll was expected to rise.

Hundreds of people were present when the explosion occurred at the shrine about 100 kilometers from Hub, a city on the border of neighboring Sindh province.

The victims include women and children. A local official at the Shah Noorani Shrine said many of the wounded are in critical condition.

Witnesses say that some of the wounded succumbed to their injuries because of absence of a local hospital or medical facility in the remote area.

It took rescue teams hours to reach the scene. Some shrine visitors relied on their personal vehicles to transport the wounded and dead.

Pakistan Army spokesman Lt-General Asim Bajwa says that troops and army medical teams have been dispatched to the scene to help. He said evacuating by air is difficult because there are no landing strips in the area. But he said authorities are looking into sending helicopters Saturday night to transport the victims.

Hundreds of Sufi devotees gather in large numbers at the shrine every Saturday and Sunday to perform special rituals. Those include dancing by women and children who pay tribute to the Sufi saint buried there.

This is the second attack within the past three weeks Islamic State has claimed to have carried out in Baluchistan.

On October 24, three IS suicide bombers raided a police training center in the provincial capital, Quetta, killing more than 62 young recruits and wounding 120 more.

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South Korea government calls for calm ahead of anti-Park mass rally

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 8:49AM

The South Korean government has urged calm and respect for law during a mass rally planned to take place against President Park Geun-hye on Saturday.

"The government is concerned that the protest could lead to illegal collective action or violence," Deputy Prime Minister Lee Joon-sik told reporters on Friday.

"We hope the public will cooperate so that the demonstration will be legal and peaceful," Lee added.

Police have said they are bracing for around 170,000 protesters to take part in the Saturday rally, which is planned in the capital, Seoul. Organizers, however, have said they expect up to 500,000 people to participate.

The rally will come as part of demonstrations calling on Park to step down over a scandal involving one of her close friends.

The Saturday protest is being organized by an umbrella trade union, which has appealed to workers, farmers, the urban poor, students, and company employees to join the action.

Two previous anti-Park rallies were mostly peaceful, with a large number of families turning up at them.

The scandal engulfing the South Korean government is focused on her long-time confidante, Choi Soon-sil, who is currently under arrest on charges of fraud and abuse of power.

Prosecutors are investigating allegations that Choi, 60, leveraged her personal relationship with Park to coerce donations from large companies like Samsung to non-profit foundations that she set up and used for personal gain.

She is also accused of interfering in government affairs, including in the nomination of senior officials, despite holding no official position.

Meanwhile, Chu Mi-ae, the head of the main opposition Democratic Party, has said that Park should not hold any state posts.

"A president who is a source for embarrassment for the people must stay away from state affairs," Chu said Friday at a meeting of the party's top officials.

Park said last Friday that the scandal was all her fault and apologized to the nation for causing the disappointment and distress. But there have been no indications that the South Korean president may proceed to step down.

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Russian Truckers Resume Protests Against Controversial Toll System

Robert Coalson November 11, 2016

Long-distance truck drivers across Russia have begun a new series of protests against a national highway toll system that was implemented last year.

The drivers, who snarled traffic across the country last winter in a rare display of open mass discontent in the Russia of President Vladimir Putin, began protesting in numerous cities on November 11 to mark the first anniversary of the implementation of the tolls.

The fees are set to be doubled in February 2017 after a compromise reached by protesters and the government in January expires. Under the system, the revenues raised -- estimated at $700 million per year -- are supposed to be used for infrastructure maintenance and development.

According to protest organizers, demonstrations were held in at least a dozen cities across Russia, with drivers crowding major thoroughfares by driving at slow speeds in all lanes and then assembling for rallies.

In the Moscow suburb of Khimki, police broke up the rally before it got under way and detained about 15 activists, as well as several journalists.

In the winter of 2015-16, protesters spent five months camped out in a Khimki parking lot in an unsuccessful effort to force the government to rescind the toll system.

Authorities in St. Petersburg denied a request to hold the protest, so drivers decided to act individually in trucks festooned with banners of the United Truck Drivers of Russia trade organization. Andrei Bazhutin, head of the union, told journalists in St. Petersburg that the truckers are insisting on the resignation of the government and, particularly, of Transportation Minister Maksim Sokolov.

Protesters were also reportedly detained in Ryazan and Tula.

According to the government, about 650,000 of the country's 1.5 million long-distance trucks have been registered with the toll system, which is called Platon. The system is administered by a company owned by a son of Arkady Rotenberg, an oligarch who was once Putin's judo sparring partner.

Protest activists claim the money paid into the system is either stolen by Platon's managers or used for other state budget needs.

Across the country on November 11, however, newspapers published articles with similar headlines such as "The Platon System Repaired 86 Kilometers Of Roads In The Southern Urals" and "In Volgograd Oblast, 72 Kilometers Of Roads Were Repaired At Platon's Expense."

Surkhai Alimirzayev, who owns a trucking company in the North Caucasus republic of Daghestan, told RFE/RL that the tolls have crippled his business and that of many other drivers.

"Many people are trying to sell their trucks," he said. "I have also sold half of my vehicles and plan to sell another five in the near future. Fuel is expensive. Spare parts are expensive. And the roads haven't gotten any better.

With reporting by Rosbalt, Obshchaya Gazeta, and Dozhd TV

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russian-truckers- resume-protests-toll-system/28110513.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Former U.S. Envoy To Russia McFaul Says He's On 'Kremlin's Sanction List'

RFE/RL November 11, 2016

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has announced via social media his inclusion on "the Kremlin's sanctions list" that prevent him from traveling to Russia.

Mc Faul, who was Washington's envoy in Moscow as bilateral friction mounted in 2012-14 and now teaches at Stanford University, wrote on Twitter on November 11 that he was told that he was blacklisted "because of my close affiliation with [U.S. President Barack] Obama."

"Confirmed that I am on the Kremlin's sanction lists and cannot travel to Russia," Mc Faul tweeted.

He said he learned of the ban when he applied for a visa to travel to Moscow in December "to do Clinton transition work," adding in an allusion to Democrat Hillary Clinton's defeat this week by Republican Donald Trump for the U.S. presidency, "No longer needed!"

Russia has imposed travel bans on a number of Americans since the U.S. administration passed the so-called Magnitsky Act in 2012, aimed at punishing officials implicated in the death of a whistleblowing Moscow lawyer in Russian pretrial detention.

McFaul has been an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose return to the Kremlin in 2012 for a third term sparked street protests in Russia by opposition and pro-democracy activists already angered by what they said were seriously flawed parliamentary elections in late 2011.

He noted on November 11 in a reference to Russia that "Since 1983, I've been living in and traveling to that country."

But he added in a tweet, "I probably have been on travel ban list since 2014, in response to US sanctions. Just found out now because I sought to apply for a visa."

U.S.-Russian relations are arguably at a post-Cold War nadir, hung up on differences over Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and its continuing support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, a number of former Soviet republics' and satellites' embrace of the NATO security umbrella, divergent tacks regarding the ongoing war in Syria, and American accusations that Moscow used hackers and other cybercriminals to try and disrupt this month's U.S. elections.

McFaul, the U.S. ambassador from January 2012 until February 2014, complained of being accosted on several occasions by crews from Russian state-controlled television channels who showed up outside his private meetings, prompting Washington to complain to Moscow about security concerns. McFaul suggested his communications were being tapped and leaked to the journalists.

U.S. officials have recently cited an escalating pattern of harassment of U.S. diplomats by Russia, including suspected druggings at a UN anticorruption conference in Moscow in 2015 and the tackling of what the Washington said was an accredited American diplomat by a Russian guard outside the U.S. Embassy in June. After the tackling incident made its way onto Russian television, Moscow said the man was a CIA officer working under diplomatic cover.

The U.S. State Department in 2013 underscored "intensified pressure [on its employees] by the Russian security services at a level not seen since the days of the Cold War."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned in June that "the more the U.S. damages relations, the harder it will be for U.S. diplomats to work in Russia."

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ex-ambassador -mc-faul-sanctions-list/28110840.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Kremlin: US Presidential Election Result Surprising for Moscow

Sputnik News

23:13 11.11.2016(updated 23:36 11.11.2016)

The outcomes of 2016 presidential election in the United States came as a surprise for Moscow, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Russian leadership, and President Vladimir Putin in particular, stayed neutral regarding the US presidential election process, and Donald Trump's victory came as a surprise for the Kremlin, Peskov said.

"President Putin did his best in order to stay neutral in this story. Despite the fact that personally he was playing an overwhelming role, quite unexpectedly for us in American election campaign, but, nonetheless, he never pointed out his favorite candidate and he was very careful saying that Russia would welcome any choice of American people and we cannot afford interfering into America's domestic affairs," Peskov told CNN in an interview.

The Kremlin spokesman said also that Moscow has not had any official contacts with Donald Trump's team during the presidential campaign.

"I just want to repeat that we could not speak about any official contacts or contacts orchestrated or initiated from Kremlin, we haven't had any official contacts with them," he added.

Peskov said that the Russian leadership isn't expecting a thaw in relations with the United States following the election.

"No one expects that the relationship will improve in a fortnight between Moscow and Washington," he pointed out. "We have a very heavy burden of disagreements on our shoulders, but, nonetheless, if our two leaders [Putin and Trump] are wise enough to have a political will to talk to each other and to try to solve problems not by confronting each other, not by using, let's say, a language of sanctions or other illogical things hurting both sides, then we will really have a chance to try to solve the problems."

 Sputnik

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Moscow Expects Sanctions to Remain in Force in 2017-2019 - Russian PM

Sputnik News

19:40 11.11.2016

The Russian prime minister said the cabinet expected sanctions to remain in force for the period of 2017-2019.

JERICHO (Sputnik)  Russia's priorities are defined by the current state of its economy rather than by other countries' actions, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Friday.

"We will not create 'the Trump forecast' for our budget. We are guided by our own priorities that are in no way linked to foreign authorities' actions but are based on our estimates of the current state of the Russian economy," Medvedev told journalists.

He said that when making a forecast for 2017, 2018 and 2019, Russia's cabinet expects the anti-Russian sanctions to remain in force for that period.

"So regardless of the outcome of elections in any country, even such an important country as the United States, our estimates remain unchanged, including the estimates that sanctions will remain in force. Should the situation change, we will probably also change our projections in new conditions, [but] we will not adjust anything now," Medvedev stressed.

Republican candidate Donald Trump won Tuesday's presidential elections in the United States, despite most of the analysts and opinion polls predicting his defeat to Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton.

 Sputnik

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Putin Says Russia's Military Not A Threat To Others

November 12, 2016

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his country's armed forces "are not threatening anyone" but are necessary "to effectively provide for the security of our own country and people."

Putin made the comments on November 12 during a visit to a defense contractor in Yaroslavl.

The president noted that Russia's military has "increased many times over" the number of drills it conducts, including snap drills, "which for some reason from time to time worries our counterparts."

"When they have drills, we do not worry," Putin said. "But for some reason they begin worrying at once. They are so nervous."

There has been a sharp increase in the number of interactions between Russian and NATO military forces in recent months. On November 10, the Russian Navy said it forced a Dutch submarine that was allegedly near its naval task force in the eastern Mediterranean Sea to withdraw.

"Such clumsy attempts to dangerously maneuver within the immediate proximity of a group of Russian vessels could lead to grave navigation accidents," a Russian Defense Ministry official said.

NATO countered that it is monitoring the flotilla in a "measured and responsible way."

Bases on reporting by TASS, Interfax, and Reuters

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/putin-russian-military- not-a-threat-to-others/28112001.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Syrian army regains control of key villages west of Aleppo

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 7:9PM

Syrian army troops have managed to retake two strategic villages in the northern province of Aleppo from the foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists.

A military source told Syria's official news agency SANA on Friday that the Syrian troops and allies regained full control of the village of Manyan, west of the city of Aleppo, which has been a flash point over the past few months.

Reports said the Syrian forces also recaptured the neighboring Dahiyat al-Assad village after heavy clashes.

Aleppo has been divided since 2012 between government forces in the west and militants in the east. Backed by Russian air cover, the Syrian army launched operations to purge the militants from the city in September.

The Syrian army also destroyed a number of oil tankers used by the Daesh Takfiri terrorists in the vicinity of Sha'af village, southeast of the city of Suwayda.

Oil trade is the main source of income for the terrorists with reports saying Turkey is buying oil from them.

Russia has repeatedly said it has evidence showing Turkey has been involved in the smuggling of oil from areas held by Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

The Israeli regime, itself supporting Daesh in the region, has also said that Ankara has been providing money to the terror group through oil purchases.

On Friday, Syrian troops also thwarted attacks by members of the Takfiri Jabhat Fateh al-Sham militant group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, on military positions in the northern countryside of Quneitra. In addition, Syrian warplanes bombed positions of Daesh terrorists to the northeast of Palmyra in the countryside of Homs.

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Russia finds signs of militant gas attacks in Syria

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 11:2AM

The Russian military chemical warfare defense unit has found signs of the use of chemical agents by militants against the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo.

Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday that forces with the Russian Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense unit found the evidence in the 1070 district of the Syrian city of Aleppo.

The experts "found evidence of chemical weapon use by terrorists against the civilian population and Syrian servicemen" in the form of un-exploded shells bearing chlorine and white phosphorus, it said.

A recent chemical attack on the area killed two people and injured dozens of others.

Aleppo has been divided over the past four years between government forces in the west and foreign-backed militants in the east, making it a front-line battleground.

Back in September, the Russian military had warned that terror groups might start deploying chemical agents against the city's government-controlled areas.

On September 16, at least eight people, including five civilians, suffered breathing difficulties after Daesh terrorists fired mortar shells containing toxic gases in the towns of Harbal and Um Hosh, north of Aleppo.

Also on Friday, UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said that the Takfiri terrorist group of Daesh was reportedly stockpiling ammonia and sulfur agents in civilian areas in the northern Iraq city of Mosul possibly for use as chemical weapons.

Late last month, at least three dozen people were reportedly affected after foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants launched a barrage of shells loaded with poisonous gas against two government-held residential neighborhoods in Aleppo.

The Syrian government turned over its entire chemical stockpile under a deal negotiated by Russia and the United States back in 2013. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has overseen operations to remove the government chemical arsenal from Syria.

The deal came after hundreds of people were killed in an August 2013 chemical attack in the Ghouta suburb of Damascus. The Syrian government agreed to turn over its arsenal of chemicals despite denying any role in the Ghouta attack.

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Syria recounts crimes of foreign-backed terrorists in letters to UN

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 6:44AM

Syria has written to the UN on the crimes perpetrated against the country by the terror groups backed by Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, saying terrorism would only be eradicated if those countries dropped their support for the militants.

Syria's Foreign and Expatriates Ministry recounted the atrocities of the foreign-sponsored militants on Thursday in two letters sent to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the world body's Security Council, the official Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

On the back of foreign support, Takfiri terrorists recently killed 17 people and injured 27 women and children in a single day in Syria, the letters read.

The letters further said the bloodshed did not move the terror supporters, who "boast of their civilization and respect for human rights," to offer as much as an apology.

In another act of violence, Saudi-backed Jaish al-Islam terror outfit shelled the countryside of the capital Damascus, killing one and injuring three others, according to the letters.

The letters further said the regime in Israel is an ally of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, the second most brutal Takfiri terror group ravaging Syria after Daesh.

The alliance, the letters said, came to light after Israeli forces struck the Haddar town on the Syrian side of the Tel Aviv-occupied Golan Heights, killing nine civilians.

The Turkish-backed Nour-Eddin al-Zniki Takfiri group along with other terror outfits, which are all allied with Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, hit Aleppo University's campus housing displaced people and students, killing six people and injuring 20 others.

The Syrian ministry also said Jaish al-Fateh terrorists have been besieging the towns of al-Fou'a and Kafarya in the western Syria Idlib Province for more than two years.

The letters concluded by asserting that the terrorist killing machine would only grind to a halt if Riyadh, Tel Aviv, Ankara and Doha dropped their support for it.

Since 2011, Syria has found itself in the clutches of implacable foreign-backed militancy, which has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions throughout the country.

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Kremlin to Work With Obama Administration on Syria Before Trump's Inauguration

Sputnik News

23:06 11.11.2016(updated 23:20 11.11.2016)

Russian President Vladimir Putin will continue working with the administration of US President Barack Obama on Syria as there is no time to wait for the inauguration of Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday in an interview with the CNN broadcaster.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Peskov stressed that Syria is the issue that cannot be put on a "pause."

"Syria is the burning issue and we cannot afford a pause of couple of months. So we have couple of months ahead [before the inauguration of Trump in January] and will continue to work with an acting administration in Washington and Putin will continue to work with Mr. Obama. We cannot afford waiting for couple of months. And what we have to do now, we have to ensure that promises to differ terrorists from other opposition will be realized into live," Peskov said.

He added that Moscow was expecting real cooperation with the new Washington administration on Syria, as simple data exchange was not enough.

Russian military to continue providing support to Syrian army in the fight against terrorism, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.

"Russian air forces are continuing to perform its duties in order to support activities of Syrian army against terrorists and this operation is being continued," Peskov told CNN in an interview answering the question what Russian aircraft carrier's presence on Syrian shore meant.

 Sputnik

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Syrian Army Liberates From Terrorists District in Western Aleppo

Sputnik News

01:48 12.11.2016(updated 02:41 12.11.2016)

The Syrian government troops jointly with people's militias have retaken the Al-Assad district of western Aleppo which was taken over by terrorists in late October, a source in the Lebanese Hezbollah movement told RIA Novosti.

Hezbollah and local militias took part in the offensive to recapture the village of Minyan which is located next to Al-Assad in late October.

"The army and militias have kicked the terrorists out of the Al-Assad district," the source said, adding that the militants could mine some houses and streets when retreating.

Hezbollah has been fighting with terrorist groups from the very beginning of the Syrian crisis. The movement leaders have repeatedly expressed their support to the legitimate Syrian government in battle against radicals. In particular Hezbollah members actively took part in protecting the Lebanese-Syrian throughout the armed conflict.

On October 28, armed radical factions led by al-Nusra militant group attempted to break the siege of the eastern Aleppo that had been encircled by government forces.

In the course of the offensive, terrorists managed to capture most of the Al-Assad district and advance toward a military academy of the same name located nearby. The Syrian army and militia repelled the attack on the academy.

This week Syrian troops supported by national militias have regained control of the "1070"district and other strategic positions in the city. During the first days of intense fights, over 500 terrorists were liquidated, the source said.

 Sputnik

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Turkey arrests chairman of opposition Cumhuriyet daily

Iran Press TV

Fri Nov 11, 2016 2:4PM

Turkish officials have arrested the chairman of the center-left and opposition daily newspaper Cumhuriyet in an ongoing wave of government crackdown and pressure on journalists and political rivals of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following the failed July 15 coup.

Turkish police detained Akin Atalay at Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport on Friday upon return from Germany, where he had attended a ceremony in honor of late Turkish film actor and producer Tarik Akan.

Cumhuriyet reported that Istanbul Prosecutor's Office had called for Atalay's arrest last week, but police could not find him at home as he was abroad at the time.

The development came as nine journalists and executives from the same newspaper were remanded in custody last weekend.

Editor-in-Chief Murat Sabuncu was among those sent to prison pending trial. Cartoonist Haci Musa Kart and board members Ahmet Kadri Gursel, Guray Tekin Oz, Mustafa Kemal Gungor, Turhan Gunay, Hakan Karasinir, Onder Celik and Bulent Utku were remanded as well.

Columnists Hikmet Cetinkaya and Aydin Engin were later released on bail because of ill health and old age. No charges were brought against two other suspects from the newspaper's accounting department.

Cumhuriyet's journalists are suspected of affiliation to the network of US-based opposition figure Fethullah Gulen, whom the Ankara government accuses to have orchestrated the July 15 botched putsch, and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Earlier this year, the daily's former editor-in-chief, Can Dundar, fled to Germany after a Turkish court sentenced him to five years and 10 months in prison over a May 29, 2015 story, which exposed trucks of Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) carrying around 1,000 mortar shells, hundreds of grenade launchers and more than 80,000 rounds of ammunition for light and heavy weapons to Takfiri terrorist groups in neighboring Syria.

European officials and various rights groups have been increasingly critical of Turkey's crackdown on journalists following the failed coup bid, which Gulen has strongly condemned and roundly rejected any involvement in.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, stated on Tuesday that the bloc is "gravely concerned" about the situation of press freedom in Turkey.

Turkish nationwide television news channel NTV, citing Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, reported on October 23 that security forces had arrested more than 35,000 people over alleged links to Gulen. He added that another 3,907 individuals were going to be arrested.

The minister said some 82,000 people had been investigated in connection with the failed coup, and that tens of thousands of them had been suspended, dismissed or jailed.

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Turkey Removes Ban on Headscarves, Beards Among Civil Servants at Armed Forces

Sputnik News

19:02 11.11.2016(updated 19:03 11.11.2016)

The Turkish government has removed a decades-long ban preventing female civil servants from wearing headscarves and male civil servants from wearing beards in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The government amended Article 6 of a regulation in the civil servant dress code which went into effect back in 1982.

"It was impossible to enjoy some freedoms at the TSK. We have made some calls to bring the freedom of dress code to this institution, as well We are pleased with the amendment to the dress code regulation for civil servants," Civil Servants' Labor Union President Serdar Dursun was quoted by the Hurriyet newspaper as saying on Friday.

According to the newspaper, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik specified that the amendment concerned only non-military TSK staff.

In August, Turkey lifted the ban on police officers wearing headscarves while on duty.

 Sputnik

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Turkey Closes 370 Associations Over Terror Links

Sputnik News

18:35 11.11.2016

The Turkish Interior Ministry has shut down 370 associations for alleged links to a number of terrorist organizations.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Around 190 of these associations are allegedly linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara considers to be a terrorist organization. Another 153 were said to be linked to the Fethullah Terrorist Organization, eight are linked to Daesh and 19 reportedly have ties with the far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) group, the Daily Sabah newspaper reported on Friday.

According to a ministry statement, the associations, located in 39 provinces, were closed due to threats against national security.

The PKK is outlawed in Turkey as a terrorist organization. A ceasefire between Turkey and Kurdish militants collapsed in July 2015, prompting the Turkish authorities to launch a military operation in the Kurdish-dominated southeastern regions.

Followers of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen have been accused by Ankara of being behind the July 15 military coup attempt.

 Sputnik

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Turkish Forces Kill 14 PKK Fighters in Tunceli Province

Sputnik News

13:22 11.11.2016

14 Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) fighters, including five women, were killed in the air-backed operation by Turkish forces in the in eastern Tunceli province, according to local media reports.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  A total of 14 Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) fighters were killed in an air-backed operation by Turkish forces in the in eastern Tunceli province on Friday, local media reported Friday.

A source told the Daily Sabah Newspaper that the bodies were found during a search counducted by Turkish troops following the air-backed operation, and among the dead fighters, five were women.

The Turkish forces also found a large number of weapons, ammunition and other supplies on the scene.

PKK is outlawed in Turkey as a terrorist organization. A ceasefire between Turkey and Kurdish militants collapsed in July 2015, prompting the Turkish authorities to launch a military operation in the Kurdish-dominated southeastern regions.

 Sputnik

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Turkish Armed Forces Destroy 52 Daesh Targets in Syria - General Staff

Sputnik News

10:19 11.11.2016(updated 10:30 11.11.2016)

Turkey's General Staff said that Ankara's forces have hit 52 Daesh terrorist group targets as well as 13 Kurdish Democratic Union Party militants' positions in Syria.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Ankara's forces have hit 52 Daesh terrorist group targets as well as 13 Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) militants' positions in Syria, Turkey's General Staff said in a statement on Friday

"Our Air Forces struck 52 Daesh targets and 13 positions of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party  the Kurdistan Workers' Party. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) group was unable to move forward to the settlement of Rai due to Daesh resistance," the statement read.

According to the statement, Turkish military did not suffer casualties, whereas eight FSA opposition fighters were killed and seven wounded.

On August 24, the Turkish forces, backed by US-led coalition aircraft, began a military operation dubbed Euphrates Shield aimed at freeing the Syrian northern territories from terrorists and creating security zones for accommodation of refugees. After liberating the Syrian border town of Jarabulus and the surrounding area of Daesh, outlawed in Russia and many other countries, the Turkish forces continued offensive in the southwest direction.

Turkish forces regularly come into confrontation with the PYD, and its military wing People's Protection Units (YPG) operating in Syria, which Ankara considers to be an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), outlawed in Turkey.

 Sputnik

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Turkey Detains Head of Opposition Newspaper

By VOA News November 11, 2016

Turkey on Friday detained the board chairman of the opposition daily Cumhuriyet, following the arrests of nine staff members last week, the newspaper reported.

Police stopped Akin Atalay at Istanbul's airport on his arrival from Germany, said Cumhuriyet, which has been a strong critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Atalay was held for a while at the airport and later was ushered into a police vehicle, which took him to the Istanbul Security Directorate. Cumhuriyet said he is being held in connection with an investigation into "terrorist activities."

Nine of the paper's senior staff members, including editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu, remained in custody Friday pending trial after raids that added to growing international alarm about media freedom in Turkey.

The exiled former editor-in-chief, Can Dundar, who stands accused of revealing state secrets, fled to Germany earlier this year while appealing against a nearly six-year jail term.

Turkey has closed more than 130 media outlets since a failed coup attempt against Erdogan in July, raising concerns among its Western allies about deteriorating press freedoms in the country.

Warnings against crackdown

Earlier this week, the European Union's Executive Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned Turkey that its crackdown on political opponents and the media contradict EU values and give the impression that it no longer wants to join the bloc.

Juncker called on Erdogan to immediately say "whether Turkey really wants to be  yes or no  a member of the European Union."

Juncker's comments followed a week that brought the arrests of 10 lawmakers from Turkey's pro-Kurdish party, in addition to the Cumhuriyet journalists, on suspicion of links to terror groups.

Access to social media websites and apps also have been restricted, a move seen as a bid by the government to prevent protests from being organized.

Turkey has suspended more than 110,000 people, ranging from soldiers and judges to teachers and journalists, and has made some 35,000 arrests since the failed military coup in July, which Ankara blames on the U.S.-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Erdogan's critics have accused the government of using the coup as an excuse to stifle all forms of dissent.

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Saakashvili Announces New Political Force, Calls For Early Ukraine Elections

Christopher Miller November 11, 2016

KYIV -- Mikheil Saakashvili, a onetime Georgian president who resurrected his political career in nearby Ukraine, has announced the launch of a new Ukrainian political party and called for early elections just days after resigning his governor's post in Odesa.

Speaking to reporters in the Ukrainian capital on November 11, Saakashvili repeated accusations that rampant profiteering and obstacles to reform are hurting Ukraine, which remains divided two years after Russia seized Crimea and Moscow-backed separatists began fighting against Kyiv's authority.

"We will create a new broad political power, a platform of new forces, and our goal is to change the present, existing, so-called political elite, who are actually profiteers and social misfits," Saakashvili told a press conference.

"Our goal is for early parliamentary elections to be carried out as quickly as possible," Saakashvili said.

He again lashed out at Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, a former schoolmate whom Saakashvili accused of sabotaging reform efforts in the Black Sea port region when Saakashvili unexpectedly quit the Odesa governorship on November 7.

Poroshenko Challenged

Saying he once refused Poroshenko's offer of the post of prime minister, Saakashvili vowed not to meet with the president again until the latter agreed to early elections.

He said working with the president's ruling Petro Poroshenko Bloc Solidarity party was out of the question.

"There will be no alliance with him or anyone else," Saakashvili said.

Poroshenko accepted Saakashvili's resignation earlier this week and suggested that the latter's political ambitions in Ukraine were stoked by a thumping that Saakashvili's former party received in Georgian elections last month.

Saakashvili, who now has Ukrainian citizenship, dared Poroshenko at his press conference to kick him out of the country.

Saakashvili -- whose reforms in postcommunist Georgia following its so-called Rose Revolution in 2003 won widespread international praise -- said his new party would fight for Ukrainian business but oppose the presence of business representatives in politics.

He also said his party would refuse membership to anyone who has served in parliament for more than one term, which could exclude many in the political elite at the time of Ukraine's Euromaidan unrest in 2013-14.

Road Trip Through The Regions

Western leaders and international financial institutions have repeatedly warned Kyiv that billions of dollars in continued lending and aid is contingent on Ukrainian reforms, including curbing runaway corruption.

At the November 11 press conference, Saakashvili, who seized on the U.S. presidential victory this week of Donald Trump by posting a photo of himself and the New York real-estate mogul together at an event in Batumi in 2012, contrasted the U.S. president-elect with Poroshenko.

"Unlike Trump," Saakashvili said, "Poroshenko, who has known me even longer, did not want to use my experience because he didn't want to change Ukraine." He then played archive footage dubbed into Ukrainian of Trump -- who once called Saakashvili "one of the great leaders of the world" -- lauding Saakashvili's reform efforts in Georgia.

Known for fiery confrontations and populist stunts that have included a shouting match at a cabinet meeting and training alongside police during his Odesa tenure, Saakashvili vowed that his new Ukrainian party "will refer to the people" for direction and said he planned a road trip through Ukraine's regions to rally support.

Saakashvili spent much of his time at the November 11 press conference lashing out at critics, calling their attacks against him "bulls**t."

"Give me one region in Ukraine that has delivered even one percent of what we achieved in Odesa," he challenged to the cameras. "Let them shut up now, because they know the truth."

Saakashvili is sought in his native Georgia on criminal charges related to his term as president that he says are politically motivated.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-saakashvili-new- political-party/28110449.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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US to Spend $17Bln on Cruise Missiles in Hope to Outwit Russia's S-300, S-400

Sputnik News

16:13 11.11.2016

The US Air Force has released a request for proposals for its new Long Range Standoff (LRSO) nuclear cruise missile program. It wants the new weapon to be able to outwit Russia's state-of-the-art S-300 and S-400 air defense systems with the announced purpose to "keep the peace" in the world.

"The emerging Long-Range Stand-Off weapon (LRSO) is intended to function as a critical element of the US military nuclear arsenal," Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration explained in his interview with Scout Warrior military website.

In fact, what the US Air Force seems to be concerned about is that its existing aging AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) are unable to outwit Russia's advanced air defense systems S-300 and S-400.

"In effect, the rapid evolution of better networked, longer-range, digital air-defenses using much faster computer processing power will continue to make even stealth attack platforms more vulnerable; current and emerging air defenses, such as Russian-built S-300s and S-400s are able to be cued by lower-frequency "surveillance radar"  which can simply detect that an enemy aircraft is in the vicinity  and higher-frequency "engagement radar" capability. This technology enables air defenses to detect targets at much farther ranges on a much larger number of frequencies including UHF, L-band and X-band," the website says.

"Russian officials and press reports have repeatedly claimed its air-defenses can detect and target many stealth aircraft, however some US observers believe Russia often exaggerates its military capabilities. Nonetheless, many US developers of weapons and stealth platforms take Russian-built air defenses very seriously. Many maintain the existence of these systems has greatly impacted US weapons development strategy," it goes on to say.

Hence the US Armed Forces hope that its new Long-Range Standoff Missile with nuclear capability "may be one of a very few assets, weapons or platforms able to penetrate emerging high-tech air defenses."

"Such an ability is, as a result, deemed crucial to nuclear deterrence and the commensurate need to prevent major-power warfare."

Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein provided his own explanation.

"If, for example, the Russian military believed having an advanced nuclear cruise missile would give them a distinct advantage  they would be likely to pursue it. As a result, US deterrence strategy needs to ensure its offensive nuclear fire power can match or exceed that of any potential rival. This conceptual framework provides the foundation for why many US military leaders believe it is vital for the Air Force to have an operational LRSO," providing the explanation for how the new weapon is designed to "keep the peace."

According to the USAir Force, LRSO is set to replace the aging AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), which is currently able to fire from a B-52 and which has far exceeded its intended life span, having emerged in the early 1980s with a 10-year design life.

Unlike the ALCM, LRSO will be configured to fire from B-2 and B-21 bombers as well, service officials said; both the ALCM and LRSO are designed to fire both conventional and nuclear weapons.

Up to two contract awards are expected in the 4th quarter of 2017. The Air Force plans to start fielding LRSO by 2030.

According to a report in Inside Defense website, the Air Force intends to buy 1,000 new cruise missiles and expects the LRSO program to cost about $17 billion for the missile and its nuclear-capable warhead.

However according to the report of The Union of Concerned Scientists, US-based nonprofit science advocacy organization, the total cost for the new weapon system will be roughly $22-25 billion, "although  given the history of frequent cost overruns in defense programs  the final price tag will likely be considerably higher."

The report goes on to say that the new cruise missile will carry a refurbished version of the W80 warhead used on the current ALCM. The warhead, to be called the W80-4, is entering a life extension program now and will begin production in 2025.

However not everyone welcomes these plans.

A group of US Senators are reportedly "making the case against development of LRSO, claiming it would both be redundant, too costly and too destabilizing," Scout Warrior says.

The concern, it says, grounded in nuclear non-proliferation sensibilities, maintains it could further inspire a nuclear arms-race and introduce new, more threatening elements into the air-triad of the nuclear arsenal.

This view is echoed by The Union of Concerned Scientists who warn that the enhanced capabilities of the newly-developed weapon "undermine US security overall. Moreover, given the suite of other nuclear weapon systems the United States already deploys or is planning to build, a nuclear-armed cruise missile is redundant. The United States should cancel the LRSO and retire the existing ALCM in the near term."

It further suggests that the new cruise missile "is not consistent with President Obama's 2010 declaration that the United States "will not pursue new military missions or new capabilities for nuclear weapons." Pursuing this weapon also appears contrary to Obama's goal of reducing "the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy," as he declared in his 2009 Prague speech."

 Sputnik

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Sydney, Australia, Nov. 11, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heron Resources Limited (ASX:HRR TSX:HER, Heron or the Company) is pleased to announce that further to its press release of 11 October 2016, a letter and an election form regarding the spin-off (Spin Off) of its wholly owned subsidiary, Ardea Resources Limited (Ardea), have been mailed to shareholders with an address outside Australia (Ineligible Shareholders) as at the record date of 6 October 2016. These documents are available under Herons profile on www.sedar.com.

The following is a summary of the Toronto Stock Exchange due bill trading, election and optional trading and settlement rules:



Issuer: Heron Resources Limited (Heron) Security: Ordinary shares (Shares) Issuers symbol: HER Issuers CUSIP: Q4604L 10 7 Transaction: Spinoff effected as a return of capital by way of share distribution Payable date: Heron has not yet determined the payment date for the distribution as the distribution continues to be subject to certain conditions as set out in the Disclosure documents. Due Bill trading period: Due bills representing the entitlement to cash or Ardea shares will trade together with the Shares until November 18, 2016 (at the close). Ex-distribution date: November 19, 2016 (at the opening) Disclosure documents: Herons Management Information Circular dated August 25, 2016 and letter to shareholders dated October 17, 2016 which are available at www.SEDAR.com. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein are as defined in the Disclosure documents. Election: Qualified Heron shareholders may elect to receive Ardea shares or cash. Unqualified Heron shareholders are entitled to receive cash only. Election Deadline: November 18, 2016 (5:00 p.m. (Toronto time)) Additional information: Shareholders of record on the Election Deadline will be entitled to the distribution of cash or Ardea shares. Mandatory trading and settlement rules: Trade Dates Settlement Dates November 16, 2016 November 17, 2016 November 17, 2016 November 18, 2016 November 18, 2016 November 18, 2016 TSX contact: Julie K. Shin, Director, Listed Issuer Services, Toronto Stock Exchange.

Only Ineligible Shareholders who held Heron shares as at the the Election Deadline will be entitled to the distribution of cash or Ardea shares.



Ineligible Shareholders are reminded that those who wish to receive a cash payment for Ardea Shares do not need to submit any documentation or take any steps. Ineligible Shareholders who wish to receive their pro-rata entitlement of Ardea Shares must complete the election form and otherwise satisfy the conditions noted therein. These Ineligible Shareholders are further reminded that in the event they seek to receive their pro-rata entitlement of Ardea Shares, and if their shares of Heron are held by an intermediary such as investment dealer, bank or other financial institution, the Heron shares held by them must be removed from the depositary system and issued in certificate form as a direct registered holding on or before 18 November 2016. In addition, the shares of Heron must continue to be held in certificate form as a direct registered holding until after the payment date of the Spin Off. If this step of converting to a directed registered holding is not satisfied on or before 18 November 2016, and if the direct registered holding is not maintained until after the payment date, the Ineligible Shareholder will not be entitled to receive the pro-rata entitlement of Ardea Shares.



Further announcements will be made on the status of the Spin Off, including the details of cash proceeds and the payment thereof, as well as the payment date of the Spin Off of Ardea Shares to those Ineligible Shareholders who have met the conditions noted in this press release.



On 7 November 2016, Heron issued a press release regarding certain conditions relating to the Spin Off which included a calendar of events for the Ardea financing. This calendar of events relates to the Ardea financing only and does not impact settlement and entitlement of Heron shareholders outside of Australia, as well as the election which is available to Ineligible Shareholders.



Please contact Ms Carolyn Muir on telephone +1 647-862-1157 (Toronto) or the Company Secretary, Mr Simon Smith on telephone +61 2 9119 8111 or email to heron@heronresources.com.au if you have any queries regarding the Spin Off.



About Heron Resources Limited:



Herons primary focus is the development of its 100% owned, high grade Woodlawn Zinc-Copper Project located 250km southwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In addition, the Company holds a significant high quality, gold and base metal tenement holding in New South Wales and Western Australia.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Australian and Canadian securities laws, which are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this news release. This forward-looking information includes, or may be based upon, without limitation, estimates, forecasts and statements as to managements expectations with respect to, among other things, the timing and ability to complete the Ardea spin-out, the timing and amount of funding required to execute the Companys exploration, development and business plans, capital and exploration expenditures, the effect on the Company of any changes to existing legislation or policy, government regulation of mining operations, the length of time required to obtain permits, certifications and approvals, the success of exploration, development and mining activities, the geology of the Companys properties, environmental risks, the availability of labour, the focus of the Company in the future, demand and market outlook for precious metals and the prices thereof, progress in development of mineral properties, the Companys ability to raise funding privately or on a public market in the future, the Companys future growth, results of operations, performance, and business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as anticipate, believe, expect, intend, may and similar expressions have been used to identify such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is given, and on information available to management at such time. Forward-looking information involves significant risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking information. These factors, including, but not limited to, the ability to complete the Ardea spin-out on the basis of the proposed terms and timing or at all, the ability to complete the Woodlawn Zinc-Copper Project Feasibility Study on time or at all, and whether the feasibility study is positive and otherwise consistent with the business plans of the Company, fluctuations in currency markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, the ability of the Company to access sufficient capital on favourable terms or at all, changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations, political or economic developments in Canada, Australia or other countries in which the Company does business or may carry on business in the future, operational or technical difficulties in connection with exploration or development activities, employee relations, the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, obtaining necessary licenses and permits, diminishing quantities and grades of mineral reserves, contests over title to properties, especially title to undeveloped properties, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drill results and other geological data, environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding, limitations of insurance coverage and the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, and should be considered carefully. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect the Companys actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, the Company. Prospective investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking information.

Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure prospective purchasers that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither the Company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law.

No stock exchange, regulation services provider, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release.
I am a retired newspaperman. I am 69 and live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 45 years, Lou Ann. We grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather.

More on who I am is here.

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MARTINSVILLE  Law enforcement has determined the fatal shooting of an Eden man was self-defense.

Michael Deangelo Graves, 28, of 1621 E. Meadow Road in Eden, North Carolina, was shot and killed Thursday. Markus Ugene Lampkins, 29, of 709 Highland St. in Martinsville, is charged with possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony by the Henry County Sheriff's Office.

Graves is accused of going to a house on Highland Street with his brother Thursday to confront the people inside about a domestic-related issue, the sheriff's office said.

When Graves and his brother got to the house Graves forced the door open, the sheriff's office said, and went inside carrying a handgun. While inside the house, Graves got into a confrontation with Lampkins, who also had a handgun.

Lampkins tried to go to the back of the house, and Graves followed, the sheriff's office said.

Lampkins fired one shot at Graves, hitting him in the chest, the sheriff's office said. Graves went outside, and was taken to Morehead Memorial Hospital in Eden by his brother, where he was pronounced dead.

The sheriff's office determined Graves was shot in self-defense by Lampkins, but Lampkins was still arrested on the one charge. No other charges will be filed, the sheriff's office said. He was jailed without bail.
Tuesday, Darin LaHood, not only won reelection-- impressively: 72.2-27.8%-- he won every single one of the 19 counties in the downstate Illinois district-- with massive margins in the population centers like McLean, Peoria, Sangamon, Tazwell and Adams. But no one would even notice the inconsequential backbencher except for one factor: he replaced former "Future Superstar" Aaron Schock when Schock was forced to resign in March of 2015 over a series of criminal activities connected to his penchant for the... flamboyant.





People, of all sources, Recently young Aaron paid a fine and I was pissed off that he was getting away with all his crap for some cash provided by wealth Republican donors. But early yesterday, of all sources, reported that Schock's now incredibly wealthy attorney, thanks to this never-ending case, announced that Schock was about to be indicted. I guess they figured it would be useful to get ahead of the story and try to spin it as something about Downton Abbey and Katy Perry instead of theft of government funds, fraud, making false statements and filing false tax returns





Chicago Tribune was already reporting that the axe had fallen and that Schock has been By yesterday afternoon thewas already reporting that the axe had fallen and that Schock has been indicted on 24 criminal counts by a federal grand jury, that he;ll be appearing court in a few days and that "several of the counts against him have maximum penalties of 20 years in prison."

Schock quit Congress on March 31, 2015. The same day, he was served with a subpoena outside his Peoria home by three federal agents. The subpoena told him to appear before the grand jury and turn over large number of records from the previous five years. He never testified before the panel.



The scandal that led to Schocks downfall began with what might have been a tempest in a teapot: He had his congressional office redecorated with a Downton Abbey motif.



An Illinois designer was paid for the work, but one of Schocks aides tried to cover up the payment. Soon the press began detailing the lawmakers far-flung trips, heavy reliance on private aircraft and habit of overbilling the government for auto mileage.





Schock's p.r. agent at McGuire Woods Consulting said he will read this script they've prepared for him to the media: "Neither I nor anyone else intentionally did anything wrong. As I have said before, we might have made errors among a few of the thousands and thousands of financial transactions we conducted, but they were honest mistakes-- no one intended to break any law. We worked tirelessly in my office to serve the constituents of this district and I will always be proud of that fact... I am eager to finally defend my name and reputation in a court of law and move on with my life."





When young Aaron was a high-stylin' Republican congressman he was having an affair with British Olympic driver Tom Daley, who has now reportedly dumped him. He still insists he just hasn't found the right gal yet and denies he's gay, a question usually asked when he's leaving gay bars or lurking around gat neighborhoods. Here's Daley from when he and Schock were an item.












Virginias film industry will face the first test run of a new process for evaluating the benefits and effectiveness of financial incentives the state gives for economic development.

A newly formed subcommittee of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission gave its staff the green light on Thursday for a plan to eventually evaluate 76 incentives that the state provides through direct grants, income tax preferences, and sales tax exemptions. Grants and tax preferences alone cost the state at least $147 million in the last fiscal year.

The initial review  aided by a contractor the commission will look to hire by early next year for a report due next fall  is expected to focus on a group of one to three incentives given to the film industry. Those incentives include: motion picture production tax credit, the governors motion picture opportunity fund, and the film, television and audio production inputs exemption.

The five-legislator subcommittee is led by House Appropriations Chairman S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, and Senate Finance co-Chairman Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City, whose committees proposed the new oversight initiative through the two-year state budget adopted this year.

Norment, elected as the subcommittees vice chairman, said a central challenge will be to determine how best to use the enormous amount of data that JLARC staff are expected to collect about state economic development incentives, their benefits and effectiveness.

What is our end game once we get all of it? he asked.

Jones, as the subcommittees chairman, said he expects the information to help the General Assemblys money committees  including House Finance  to evaluate the competing demands for scarce state resources and the effectiveness of money the state already is spending on economic development incentives.

We didnt have any handle on what is going on, he said.

Jones hopes the analysis by the legislative watchdog agency will give the money committees a report card on the benefits and effectiveness of various incentives so they can determine, does it make sense for us to be putting this kind of money into incentives?

The subcommittee already is anticipating a hard look by JLARC staff at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, currently roiled by a reorganization and search for new leadership, in a report due to the full commission on Monday.

JLARC staff presented a series of proposals to the subcommittee to define which incentives to review and which to exclude, based on using state financial incentives for the primary purpose of promoting economic development of new or expanded businesses in Virginia localities.

The staff identified 76 specific incentives for study, including 34 grants, 20 income tax preferences, 18 sales tax exemptions, and four other types of incentives, including two loan programs, gap financing for new technology companies, and financing for tourism development.

The evaluations will focus on: how much each program spends and the business activity it generates; economic benefits generated, such as private jobs, personal income, net state revenue and economic productivity; and effectiveness. The scope of data and analysis will vary according to the size of the incentive and complexity of the data available for study.

JLARC proposes to group incentives by industry or purpose  for example, film production, tourism, trade, or science and technology. It also proposes to evaluate the group incentives periodically on a six- to eight-year cycle.

Ultimately, the staff expects to provide the legislative commission two reports a year  a comprehensive analysis each June and an overview in October  much as it does in its ongoing oversight role of the Virginia Retirement System.

The initial report, however, isnt likely until next fall to give JLARC time to hire a contractor with the necessary computer software to conduct the analyses and develop a test run of the new process.

Jones said the legislature already has budgeted for JLARC to hire outside help if and when necessary. If you need their expertise to do the work, I would certainly say proceed, he said.
David Becker, founder and director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, regarding various groups attempts to create uncertainty in the elections systems to further their own political agendas through doubt and mistrust. The majority of candidates running for top election offices in their state oppose hand counting ballots, which is more expensive, more time-consuming and more error prone than using machines to tabulate the vote, according to the Associated Press. (Governing  Nov. 2, 2022)
True to its reputation as industry leaders Sushant School of Design (SSD), Ansal University Gurgaon, held its annual Revolution by Design Conference this week during November 10-11, 2016. Endorsing the vision of Prime Minister Modi's Khadi campaign, the key focus was on Slow Fashion, a trend that has taken the Fashion World Internationally by storm.The PM's chosen ambassador for the campaign, renowned designer Ms. Ritu Beri, spearheaded the event, which was well-attended by industry practitioners, design faculty and students. In the words of Ms. Beri, "I approach everything I do with a passion but for me the Khadi project brings out even more than my expected 100 % in production, finesse, detail and glorious beauty it speaks volumes about our beloved India and her wonderful people. There is so much to Khadi people don't know about. Just look at the glorious colours used by the students in their super production." Ms. Beri' s personal guru for this project, Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi, BJP Member of Parliament and avid supporter of human rights, graced the Conference with her presence. Referring to the Magic Indianness of this national treasure, she passionately pointed out just how vital it is to build the Khadi industry back to its former glory and beyond.The Chairman of the Khadi Village Industries Commission, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena ,was the Chief Guest of the event. His passion for Khadi and enthusiasm for both this project and the Conference was inspiring. The Special Guest of Honour for the day was a passionate supporter of crafts folk, Lady Asquith, wife of the British High Commissioner to India, Sir Dominic Asquith. Luxury Product extraordinaire, Laurent Blin, had flown in specially from France for the Conference. His vision of the place of Khadi in the world of luxury is very clear and he has offered to stay in India for a short while to mentor students on this subject. A fashion show, The driving force behind the event, Ms. Sheetal Ansal, Trustee, Ansal University, lavished her praise for the work done by the students. Playful Khadi featuring the work of the students, was the highlight of the two-days event. Director SSD Professor Mike Knowles commented, 'We have deliberately grown our Fashion and Textiles School slowly but surely. We mentor tomorrow'sleading designers, not just churning out technicians. This was so wonderfully apparent in both the product designed and produced by the students, and their love and respect for artisans. Project leader, Professor Manika Walia, led a ground to Kutch, followed by a week long workshop at the School, to create many of the wonderful fabrics featured. These students become industry ready very early on in their life at SSD.' Dean-SSD, Professor SM Kulkani played a pivotal role to bring in important industry experts to give insight about the khadi industry and how it works.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe used the backdrop of Veterans Day to unveil an initiative geared toward training and employing military service members in cybersecurity and technology: Cyber Vets Virginia is a training-based initiative focused on filling the approximately 17,000 vacant cyber-related jobs in the state.I am also pleased to launch Cyber Vets Virginia to help our veterans build the skill sets they need to be successful in the new Virginia economy. Our veteran community is extremely well-suited to help close the workforce gap in this growing industry, he said in a press release . We will continue to work with our partners and the private sector to build innovative pathways for job training and career development for veterans in Virginia.The Cyber Vets program leverages partnerships with industry leaders like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco and international nonprofit membership association ISC2, as well as the veteran-focused group Onward to Opportunity to provide no-cost technology training to residents of the commonwealth.Our veterans have the talent, knowledge, skills and abilities that translate well to nearly every industry in the commonwealth," Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs John Harvey said in the release. "With the launch of Cyber Vets Virginia, the governor continues to demonstrate his commitment to ensuring that our veterans have high-quality employment and educational opportunities. They deserve nothing less."The program also offers resources and information for jobseekers though CyberJobs.virginia.gov Cybersecurity is a key pillar in the new Virginia economy, and filling the cyberworkforce pipeline is critical to sustaining long-term industry growth in the future, Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson said. The launch of both the pilot program Cyber Vets Virginia and the Cyber Jobs Portal underscores our commitment to cybersecurity and our desire for our veterans to be part of the New Virginia cyberworkforce.
The pressure is still piling high on Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene's shoulders.

A legendary former driver for the Scuderia, triple world champion Niki Lauda, told Italy's Autosprint: "Vettel is very nervous now because there's too much pressure from (Sergio) Marchionne and throughout Italy."

It was a timely comment from Lauda, after Ferrari president Marchionne late this week ruled out pumping more money into the great team's budget.

"I think I've thrown all the money I like to throw at that thing," he said during an investor's teleconference.

The pressure is also coming from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who has said that Arrivabene needs some help running the Maranello marque.

"The day after he said the opposite," Arrivabene insisted in Brazil, "and he also came to me to explain himself without being requested to do so.

"I don't need help," he added. "I'm part of the Ferrari racing department and I have hundreds of people who are nearby me."

And not just that, Marchionne also said on Friday that Ferrari has thought about launching a campaign in Formula E, even though the carmaker is not ready to commit.

"I can talk about the word pressure," Arrivabene said, "but there's nothing strange in that.

"Working in a team like this, the day you sign a contract you know that the sport is pointing at you because we are Ferrari.

"I hear 'are you guys under a lot of pressure?' and it makes me laugh. So what?"

(GMM)
F1 teams are expressing interest in buying into the sport, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei has revealed.

As Liberty moved to take over from majority owner CVC, it emerged that the teams had been invited to consider becoming co-owners.

"We obviously ... went to meet with the teams and I think as has been mentioned we have expectations that they will become owners in formula one primarily through the placement of some of the shares to the CVC Group to them," Maffei said during an investor meeting this week.

Writing in Forbes, F1 business journalist Christian Sylt explained that Liberty is offering the shares to CVC as payment for the sport's commercial rights "instead of cash".

"Cash just 25 per cent of the $4.4 billion purchase price for F1", Sylt added.

(GMM)
One of the four bears rescued by Animals Asia on November 11. Photo provided by the organization

'We cant restore their lost years but we can set them free,' Animals Asia says.

Animal welfare charity Animals Asia on Friday successfully rescued four moon bears from three bear bile farms in the Central Highlands province of Pleiku, ending years of mistreatment for the weakened animals.

The organization said that five years ago, they got information about the animals but at that time, their owners didnt want to hand over the bears to the rescue center.

Under constant pressure from the local Forestry Department, the four bears, two males and two females, have finally been released.

Animals Asia said that after more than a decade being held in captivity, the bears have showed signs of depression and suffered physical pains. Their teeth are shattered and infected from desperate attempts to chew through the iron bars. One of the bears has lost a paw and has an abnormal tumor.

On Saturday, the bears will be going on a 1,200-kilometer journey to reach a bear rescue center in Tam Dao National Park, where 155 other peers are waiting for them.

Tuan Bendixsen, head of Animals Asias Vietnam branch, said: "We cant restore their lost years but we can set them free. We can offer the bears with sunshine, open air and bear friends."

The organization estimated around 1,200 moon and sun bears are being held on bear bile farms across the country even though the government has banned bile farming since 2005.

To date it has rescued nearly 170 bears in Vietnam, mostly from the bear bile industry.

Related news:

> Activists to expose Vietnam wildlife trafficking hub to int'l scrutiny

> Vietnam to destroy seized rhino horn, ivory

> Police rescue 149 pangolins from trafficker in northern Vietnam
A massive recall of sleep apnea machines is expected to drag into next year. That's caused frustration for U.S. patients and led federal officials to consider rare legal steps to speed the replacement effort. Dutch manufacturer Philips has recalled more than 5 million machines worldwide due to foam that can deteriorate, releasing potentially harmful byproducts. While customers were supposed to receive new machines within a year, the company says shipments will continue into 2023. That's left many U.S. patients to choose between using a recalled device or trying other risky remedies. U.S. regulators have warned they may take the unprecedented step of ordering Philips to step up its effort.
The bulk carrier Royal 16 was attacked near the Philippines and six crew members have been abducted.

Vietnam on Saturday issued a safety warning to vessels traveling through regional waters after a Vietnamese ship was hijacked off the coast of the Philippines on Friday, with six crew members abducted.

Nguyen Xuan Sang, who heads the Vietnam Marine Administration, said this is the second warning since May, when ships near Eastern Sabah and Southern Philippines were first advised to stay watchful.

The Royal 16, which was carrying cement from the northern province of Quang Ninh, reportedly sent a distress call at 3:30 a.m. on Friday. A group of 10 gunmen on a speedboat hijacked it around 10 nautical miles to the southwest of Basilan, one of the five provinces in the Philippines' troubled southern Muslim autonomous region.

Last known position of Royal 16

The pirates kidnapped the boats captain and five other crew members, but they released the ship and 13 others, after shooting one of them in the arm. The remaining crew were reportedly proceeding to the port of Zamboanga.

It remains unclear who the attackers are, but Filipino newspapers said the ship was likely hijacked by Abu Sayyaf, a group linked to Al Qaeda and known for beheadings and kidnappings.

After the incident, vessels in the region have been urged to exercise extra vigilance or reroute from the area if possible.

The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) on Friday issued an alert notifying other ships of the Royal 16 incident. The agency said it is "concerned about the situation."

A ReCAAP report showed that in the first 10 months, there were 11 cases of abductions and three hijackings in the region.

Locations of some incidents recorded by ReCAAP in October 2016.

Related news:

> Vietnamese ship hijacked off Philippines, 6 abducted
Election night was a resounding success for those supporting medical and recreational cannabis legalization. Recreational use was legalized in California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Maine. Voters in Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas all approved medical marijuana initiatives. A second go-around for Florida where, two years earlier, a medical marijuana measure earned an impressive 58 percent of the vote, but was short of the 60 percent threshold needed for passage.

Voters in Montana realigned the current laws to reflect the patient interests outlined in the original 2004 medical marijuana law. Described as a restoration by NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano -- This decision restores the rights of patients and providers.

The celebrations.

Accompanying each of these victories were a new American phenomena: Cannabis legalization parties. In states like California and cities like San Francisco, cannabis industry activists, entrepreneurs and consumers anticipated a favorable outcome, with little opposition, and planned parties accordingly.

But lots of these end of prohibition parties sobered up pretty quickly as the night went on and the election of Donald Trump became apparent. This wasnt supposed to be the plan. President Obama was hands-off to states lawmaking decisions around cannabis, and Hillary had hinted shed be the same way. But now cannapreneurs have Trump, and that means relative uncertainty for the entrepreneurial future of cannabis.

Related: Legal Advice for Cannabis Startups: First, Invest. Then, Stay out of Jail.

The speculation.

Earlier this year, Merry Jane writer Zeus Tipado wrote "If you want the candidate with the highest probability of ensuring marijuana will be legal across the country, Donald Trump is your best option. Tipado cited, among other things, Trumps long critical stance on the failed drug war.

Could he be right?

Some think hed better be. There is always concern when authoritarian regimes grab hold because they tend to resort to harsh criminal justice strategies to control human behavior, including substance use, Amanda Reiman, the Drug Policy Alliances manager of marijuana law and policy, told "Entrepreneur." However, during the campaign, Trump vowed to respect the states that decided to change their cannabis laws. With the issue more popular in this election than either candidate, Trump would be wise to honor that promise and recognize that this is an issue supported by a majority of Americans, Reiman advised.

Related: How to Grow a Cannabis Farming Business in the Blazing Marijuana Economy

While others suspect entrepreneur Trump might seize cannabis as an opportunity to help deliver new federal revenues hell need to run the country. Trump will realize that the business opportunity in cannabis will bring jobs and much needed tax revenue to the country for each state, predicts Anton Ansalmar, founder and CEO of mobile and web seed-to-sale tracking and compliance system, Medik8mobile. As a businessman, he will want to make sure that Mexican cartels won't dictate the future of the illegal trade.

The truth is, just as we couldnt predict how hed behave in a national debate, we cant predict what will happen to cannabis under President Trump. He has stated he believes it should be up to states to decide. "In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state," Trump told The Washington Post. " Marijuana is such a big thing. I think medical should happen  right? Dont we agree? I think so. And then I really believe we should leave it up to the states."

On the other hand, he has spoken negatively about the cannabis industry in Colorado. I really dont know, Bob Eschino, co-owner of the edibles brand Incredibles, Colorados largest edibles company, told the Denver Post. Its really going to come from the Senate and the Congress and the people that are making the rules.

Susan Soares, Executive Director of the 501(C) (3) cannabis organization C.A.R.E., agree its not Trump himself thats concerning for the cannabis industry, its those he may appoint. If Rudy Giuliani becomes the attorney general, he is strongly against cannabis legalization and has been a strong proponent of the war on drugs, Soares relates.

Related: How to Plant the Seeds of Success in the New Cannabis Economy

Sam Chapman, founding member of New Economy Consulting LLC, a firm based in Portland Oregon focused on advising entrepreneurs and investors in the cannabis industry, feels the nation is too far down the path to be forced backwards now. Assuming Trump doesnt completely delete the progress cannabis reform has made over the past decade (still too early to know), even in the event of a complete market crash, the market for legal cannabis is not going anywhere...The current trajectory and momentum the industry is seeing will not be easily knocked off course.

Still, presidential interference in states progress might not be the biggest problem for entrepreneurs and investors in the cannabis industry, according to The Motley Fool. Drug rescheduling could be. Whereas, rescheduling of marijuana from schedule I to schedule II could allow for tight product regulation from the Food and Drug Administration. From cannabis industry manufacturing, packaging and marketing, to testing and certification, the FDA could add very cumbersome and costly regulations, hindering what otherwise looks like an inviting industry for entrepreneurs.

The First Test

So how confident do cannapreneurs feel on the whole?

We'll know soon enough with the industry's largest tradeshow set to take place next week in Las Vegas. The Marijuana Business Conference and Expo runs November 16-18, 2016 at the Rio Hotel. MJBizCon has for years served the industry as a gathering point immediately after national elections, a place and time for industry professionals to get a pulse on what the future will hold. This year, the opportunities are bigger than ever before  yet so are the uncertainties, which makes this gathering all the more prescient and critical., remarks Cassandra Farrington Co-Founder & CEO, Marijuana Business Daily and President at Anne Holland Ventures Inc. As a cannabis industry entrepreneur myself, Im looking forward to convening with the best and brightest of the industry, to understand what the collective wisdom says about the best paths forward.

Related:

Broad Voter Approval for Cannabis Has Likely Ignited Explosive Growth

Will the 'Entrepreneur' President Embrace the Cannabis Economy?

Legal Marijuana a Big Winner in Elections Across the Country



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
The basic wage for the public sector will be raised to VND1.3 million ($58) a month from July 2017. Photo by VnExpress

This is the second annual increase in a row for the sector, which has around 2.8 million payroll jobs.

Vietnams top legislative body, the National Assembly, on Friday approved a governments proposal to raise wages for Vietnamese civil servants and public employees, including teachers and doctors, by 7.4 percent from July next year.

The government made the proposal last month, seeking to raise the wage level from the current VND1.21 million ($54) a month to VND1.3 million ($58).

In Vietnam, the minimum monthly pay for civil servants and public employees is calculated by multiplying that basic level with a coefficient determined by qualifications and experience. The coefficient for a new subdistrict-level civil servant with a bachelors degree, for example, is 2.34.

Many in the public sector have for years complained that their earnings are too low. In May this year, the public sector's minimum wage was increased by 5 percent, the first time in three years.

At a conference in October, economists have blamed low wages in the sector for increasing the level of corruption.

They said the current wages for many officials only cover 60 percent of basic living costs at best, but most have stopped depending on the official salaries and still manage to afford nice houses and cars.

Vietnam ranked 112th out of 168 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index in 2015.

Nguyen Duc Hai, chairman of the National Assembly's Finance and Budget Committee, has said the new pay raise is reasonable considering higher costs of living.

But the government also needs to scale down the workforce to reduce the pressure on the state budget, he said.

The government is having 2.8 million people on its payroll, according to local media.

Vietnam's state budget revenue is expected to reach more than VND1,200 trillion ($54.3 billion) in 2017, compared to a spending projection of more than VND1,390 trillion ($62.3 billion). That will leave a budget deficit of 3.5 percent of the country's gross domestic product.

Related news:

> Vietnam's civil servants manage nice homes, cars on meager pay
HTC shook things up quite a bit yesterday, with the announcement of the Bolt. The handset has already been compared by many to the Pixel XL, minus the Google branding and it is hard to deny there are quite a few similarities.



HTC Bolt in Glacial Silver

It is still early to judge properly on the merits of the 5.5-inch QHD smartphone, especially considering it does utilize the slightly outdated Snapdragon 810 SoC, plus 3GB of RAM. But even despite that, the all-metal handset has already managed to grab more than a few gazes with attention to details like the added IP57 dust and waterproofing, 3x20MHz carrier aggregation of the X10 modem, promising 16MP main snapper and 24-bit Hi-Res audio, USB Type-C headphones included in the box.



HTC Bolt in Gunmetal

That being said, US fans are already lucky enough and can pick up the HTC Bolt today. It is currently a Sprint exclusive for a $25/month fee, but can also be purchased off-contract for $600 at Best Buy, The Radio Shack and Costco. As for international availability, it is still early to say, but an HTC representative already made it clear that the HTC Bold won't be coming to Canada. At least in the same form, that is:

..the HTC Bolt is a Sprint exclusive device and will only be available in U.S. It won't be available in Canada.

But if you really have your heart set on the new HTC device and currently reside outside the US, you might want to hold off going through the trouble to import it, at least a little bit longer. There is still the distinct possibility that the HTC Bolt will see an international release pretty soon as well, just not under the same name.

HTC Bolt may be marketed globally as the HTC 10 evo.  Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 21, 2016

Reputable leakster Evan Blass, already hinted at the HTC 10 evo moniker a few weeks back. Come to think of it, the resemblance is definitely there. Plus, such a move would theoretically allow HTC to skip on Usain Bolt's involvement in further marketing. We can't imagine its particularly cheap to have the fastest man alive front and center in an ad campaign, which is precisely what HTC and Sprint are currently doing in the US.

Source | Via
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Saigon's banh mi hailed among the kings and queens of street foods

The best place to eat one is on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnamese popular banh mi has been listed in the top of 20 street foods that one must try around the world, as recommended by the worlds largest travel site Fodors Travel.

The New York-based publisher described banh mi as a mouthwatering sandwich that might best be described as a Vietnamese hoagie.

As a product of French colonialism in Southeast Asia, banh mi has become one of the favorite foods in Vietnam, to locals and tourists alike.

It is a piece of baguette with various fillings. Standard stuffings include meat, which can be grilled pork, meatballs, or cold cuts, cucumber slices, cilantro, pickled carrots, liver pate, and a swipe of mayonnaise.

According to Fodors, banh mi has become increasingly popular and easy to find in many countries, but the best place to eat one is still on the streets of Saigon.

The list of 20 must-try street foods goes round the world from crepe in Paris to egg waffle in Hong Kong.

In many countries around the world, if youre skipping whats being served on the street, then youre missing out on more than just a quick, cheap lunch, it said.

What about you? Where did you have your best banh mi?

The definition of banh mi by Oxford Living Dictionaries

Related news:

> Chilli salt grilled 'banh mi': summer doesn't seem hot enough

> Forget about banh mi, here are ten hottest and cheapest street foods in HCMC

> Hanoi's 'banh mi': an unexpected evolution




Haiti - Dominican Republic : List of escapees from the Arcahaie prison





The Ministry of Defense, the National Police and the Director General of Immigration, and the Dominican Director General of Immigration, among other institutions, confirm that they have recently received from the Haitian authorities the data, photographs, names and other information on the 162 prisoners who escaped from the prison of Arcahaie on 22 October https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19015-haiti-flash-mutiny-in-arcahaie-172-escaped-many-victims.html



Nelson Rosario, spokesman for the Dominican National Police (PND) said the intelligence services have informed that none of the escaped Haitians have been reported on Dominican territory https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19023-haiti-prison-break-rd-strengthens-the-military-border-controls.html



He added that the police, distributed the information and the list, to all its regional directorates, which carry out joint actions with other institutions, mainly in the various border posts of the country.



Recall that only 3 prisoners have been captured in Haiti since the escape and that 159 are still on the run... https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19125-haiti-news-zapping-politics.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19049-haiti-flash-the-pnh-capture-two-escapees.html



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19125-haiti-news-zapping-politics.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19049-haiti-flash-the-pnh-capture-two-escapees.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-19045-haiti-justice-dr-alongside-haiti-in-tracking-down-escapees.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19037-haiti-flash-escape-of-172-detainees-official-version-of-the-pnh.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19015-haiti-flash-mutiny-in-arcahaie-172-escaped-many-victims.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19023-haiti-prison-break-rd-strengthens-the-military-border-controls.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Japan : Signing of 2 donations contracts for over 150,000 dollars





Thursday, Thursday, as part of the Program "Assistance in the form of Donations to Local Micro-Projects Contributing to Human Security" (APL) two donation contracts were signed between Mr. Yoshiaki Hatta, the Ambassador of Japan to Haiti and representatives of two beneficiary local organizations : "Union of Peasants for the Development of Source Sable Santo and its Surroundings" (UPDSSE) and "Organization Youth and Peasants for the Advancement of the Center" (OJPSAC).



UPDSSE received an amount of US $ 80,836 for its improvement project of the BERACA Community Health Center in Thomazeau, whose objective is to strengthen the capacity of this Center which provides health care to more than 10,000 inhabitants from neighboring areas.



OJPSAC benefited from US $ 76,789 for its project to develop the VIAH Community School in Sarrazin, which will enable the construction of 6 classrooms, a sanitary block and the installation of School facilities (tables, chairs and blackboards) to enable more than 230 pupils to benefit from quality education in an appropriate environment.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping politics...





Illegal distribution of weapons ?

Senator Francisco De La Cruz (Center) informed of a distribution of firearms by some candidates in his constituency, aimed at disrupting the conduct of the elections.



Sauveur Pierre Etienne calls for the departure of Privert...

Sauveur Pierre Etienne, the leader of the OPL is calling for the departure of President Privert and his Government in the case of a failure of elections scheduled for 20 November. Sauveur Pierre Etienne who supports the candidate Jude Celestin claims that the country risks to face an anarchy situation in case of postponement of the elections while chastising former President Aristide.



Moise Jean-Charles against the remarks of Artistide

On Friday at Place Boyer in Petion-ville as part of his campaign, Moise Jean-Charles, the candidate for the presidency under the banner of the platform "Pitit Dessalin", said he was against the former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide who called his supporters to "dechoukaj elektoral" if the candidate of his party does not win the elections; However, Moise is ready to defend the vote of his platform. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19187-haiti-flash-maryse-narcisse-convened-at-the-cep-for-the-statements-of-aristide.html



Symposium on the security of elections

Friday, Michel-Ange Gedeon, General Director of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) participated in the symposium on the security of elections on 20 November, where all the departmental directors presented to the General Staff in turn their security plan for their respective jurisdictions.



Privert, electoral follow-up meeting

Friday, de facto President Jocelerme Privert, accompanied by Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles, held another meeting with the main national and international partners directly involved in the organization of the elections scheduled for 20 November. During this meeting, the bodies responsible for the rehabilitation of the voting centres, indicated that the process was moving forward and that they were confident that they could meet the deadline of 13 november set by the CEP.



CEP alongside ONI

The CEP confirmed once again that it mobilized the Communal Electoral Offices (BEC) to facilitate the distribution to the National Identification Office (ONI) of the National Identification Cards (CIN), for those who lost it during the passage of Matthew.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2016/11/11 | Source

Added episode 14 captures for the Korean drama "Shopping King Louis" (2016)

Advertisement

Directed by Lee Sang-yeob-I

Written by Oh Ji-yeong-I

Network : MBC

With Seo In-guk, Nam Ji-hyun, Yoon Sang-hyun, Lim Se-mi, Kim Young-ok, Kim Sun-young,...

16 episodes - Wed, Thu 22:00

Also known as "Shopping King Louie" and "Shopaholic Louis"

Synopsis

"Shopping King Louis" is a romantic comedy drama about shopping King Louis and Ko Bok-sil. Louis was a man who would buy anything and everything with money until he met Ko Bok-il, an angel with no wings and experiences love he can't buy with money.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2016/09/21

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The day will consist of a series of 6 high-level conferences addressing issues relating to renewable energy and just transition.
After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings  though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger.

Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose.



Jen Johnson, CTU, Local 1 in Substance


HAWAII GOP STATE CHAIR'S STATEMENT REGARDING THE 2016 GENERAL ELECTION

News Release from Hawaii Republican Party

HONOLULU (November 11, 2016) - GOP State Chair Fritz Rohlfing released the following statement regarding Tuesday's elections across our county and in Hawaii nei:

Congratulations to Republican President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, and our continuing Republican majorities in the House and Senate in the United States of America!

Our nation's voters have wisely chosen a unified Republican federal government to move our beloved country in a bold new direction that will bring prosperity again to the American people.

As Hawaii's members of the Republican National Committee (RNC), Republican National Committeewoman Miriam Hellreich, National Committeeman Gene Ward, and I are extremely proud of the RNC being the only organization with a permanent field operation organizing in every battleground state. We are very grateful for the many Hawaii Republicans who enthusiastically and personally participated in President-elect Trump's historic victory through organized phone-calling to voters in battleground states as well is in countless other ways.

In Hawaii's elections, this was the first time we utilized a new party rule allowing us to endorse candidates in non-partisan races. Our party endorsed two noteworthy non-partisan candidates: Charles Djou for Honolulu Mayor and Dr. Kelii Akina for At-Large Trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

To provide additional support to our candidates locally, the Hawaiian Republican Party organized and executed a statewide get-out-the vote campaign to identify new voters and encourage our members to support our Republican candidates as well the non-partisan candidates we endorsed.

We are especially appreciative of former Hawaii Republican Congressman Djou for his inspiring candidacy for Honolulu Mayor, and we congratulate him for running such a competitive race challenging the incumbent mayor.

Dr. Keli'i Akina convincingly won his state-wide race by over 7,000 votes! Our sincere congratulations go out to Dr. Akina, his wife Patty, and all of his supporters. Best wishes for a successful term as our new OHA Trustee.

We are grateful that Honolulu voters heeded our call to vote down Charter amendments that would have changed the term limits for City offices and allowed the appointment of members from only one political party to the City Reapportionment Commission.

We congratulate our returning Hawaii Republican State Legislators Beth Fukumoto, Andria Tupola, Bob McDermott, and Gene Ward, who were all re-elected comfortably with majorities averaging over 60% of those casting ballots in their races. They will re-join veteran GOP legislators Cynthia Thielen and Lauren Matsumoto, who did not have general election opponents.

We mourn the narrow defeats of 5-term State Senator Sam Slom and North Shore freshman Representative Feki Pouha. They have both been outstanding State Legislators who represented the best of our party at the State Legislature. We hope they will continue their substantial involvement in the public life of our island community.

We are profoundly grateful for all of our outstanding Republican candidates and their families and supporters who sacrificed so much of their time and their personal resources in order to give voters a choice, win or lose. Mahalo nui loa to you all."
Canongate, HHS perform award-winning plays tonight

Canongate High School actors will perform 'The Crane Wife' at a state competition Nov. 18-19.

Canongate Catholic High School in Fletcher and Hendersonville High School are headed to the North Carolina Theatre Conference competition at Greensboro College next weekend after winning top honors at the western regional NCTC Play Festival at Gardner Webb University Nov. 4-5.

Local people can see both plays on Monday night in a preview performance on Monday night at HHS. In preparation for the upcoming festival, the young actors will perform the plays at the HHS auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and will be available at the door.

Canongates theatre program, led by director Jennifer Murrey, won a Superior rating and the Judges Choice award for Distinguished Play for The Crane Wife, a traditional Japanese folk tale. Murrey won an Excellence in Directing award and senior Quinn Kelsch was honored for Excellence in Acting. Additionally, Canongate, which opened in 2013, won a Festival Spirit Award and Excellence in Set & Properties honors.

Led by Todd Weakley, Hendersonville High School's theatre program won a Superior Rating, Distinguished Play, Outstanding Achievement in Ensemble Acting, Excellence in Directing, and Excellence in Design and Production for the performance of of "Nine Forty Six Post Meridiem."



Canongate and HHS and 13 other high schools will complete in the NCTC High School Play Festival for top state honors.

The NCTC High School Play Festival, named one of the Top High School Theatre Festivals by Stage Directions magazine, is the largest high school theatre event in the Southeast and has been replicated in nine other states. This year, 3,000 students from 90 schools performed 126 plays.
ELKO  Bookstore owner Tammy Santistevan will kick off a series of book signings starting today.

We carry over 50 local authors, she said about Elkos only bookstore.

Patrick Harris will be at The Bookstore from 1 to 3 p.m. Former Spring Creek resident Harris published his first book when he was 14. He completed a trilogy called The Waterman Chronicles. The story involves young people who are instilled with superhero powers.

On Nov. 26, Small Business Saturday, the shop will host three authors. Jeff Moore will be available to sign books and talk about his subject matter from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Moore has long had a fascination with the railroad. He has written a number of volumes about the subject, including books on California and Oregon railways.

From noon to 2 p.m. retired Sheriff Neil Harris will be on hand to sign his new book, Dust on the Badge. The book is about his experiences as an officer of the law.

Its about my 34 years in law enforcement, little anecdotes of stories happening that weve had through law enforcement, said Neil Harris.

From 1 to 3 p.m. Aubrey Moore will be on hand to sign copies of her books. Moore, who has always had a pen and paper in her hands, completed a series titled the Red Butterfly. She also owns her own publishing company called RipplEffect Books, which she hopes will help other young writers.

Vince Jurasti is next on the schedule from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 3. Jurasti has authored two books. Back to Bizkaia chronicles a trip he made with his father to the Spanish Basque Country, Joe Jurastis homeland.

The second book has recently been published and is called Basque Firsts: People Who Changed the World. The book covers contributions in science, education, navigation and other topics by noted Basque people.

Ashley Lavering and M.R. Polish will be on site from noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 17.

In addition to being a local author, Lavering photographs local people for the covers of her books.

Polish is a paranormal romance novelist. She is well known for The Wolf Trilogy and other writings in her genre.

Polish has been selected to be the keynote speaker for the Great Lakes Book Bash in October of next year. The event is held in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Garda Karen Caswell objected to bail and told the court it would be alleged that a weapon was used during the robbery. Stock picture

A Dublin man charged with robbing a security van, during which a guard was allegedly attacked with a crowbar, has been refused bail.

Nearly 1,500 in 1 and 2 coins was taken from the G4S vehicle at Donaghmede Shopping Centre in Dublin on Wednesday.

John Gavin (28), of Moyne Park Halting Site, in north Dublin, is charged with robbery and assault causing harm to a security guard. He is also charged with assault causing harm to a garda sergeant at Moyne Park on the same date.

Garda Karen Caswell objected to bail and told the court it would be alleged that a weapon was used during the robbery. She said the same amount of money and G4S bags were recovered during a search of the defendant's caravan.

She agreed with defence solicitor Alan Doyle that there was no facial recognition evidence but said gardai had CCTV footage and descriptions of clothing.

Mr Doyle said his client's family had offered to stand 5,000 bail. However, this was refused by Judge David Waters, who remanded Mr Gavin to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Tuesday.

Crowbar

Co-defendant Robert Lawlor (33), of Grangemore Crescent, Donaghmede, was charged with unlawfully possessing 1,454 in stolen cash in connection with the robbery. He also faced objections to bail.

Garda Shane McGrath told the court it would be alleged a security officer was assaulted with a crowbar during the raid.

He said the gardai went to a halting site about a mile-and-a-half from the shopping centre and found Mr Lawlor and another male in a caravan.

He also agreed that the money was hidden in the caravan.

The defendant, a father-of-three, told the court: "I'm sitting here because I was in a caravan."

Judge Waters granted him bail with strict conditions and ordered him to have a phone on which he can be contacted by gardai, to reside at his current address and to obey a curfew from 11pm to 7am.

Gardai recovered his passport in a car at the halting site, the court heard, and the judge agreed to allow them to retain it as a condition of bail.

Mr Lawlor was released and ordered to appear in the court on December 9 for directions from the DPP to be obtained.
Justice Robert Eagar, presiding with Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain and Judge James Faughnan, said his refusal to answer questions on the investigation was "supportive and corroborative" of the claims. Stock photo: Getty

A Dublin man has been convicted of IRA membership in the first trial at the new Special Criminal Court sitting in Dublin.

Ryan Glennon (25), of Macken Villas, Macken St, had pleaded not guilty to membership of an illegal organisation.

The three-judge court yesterday found him guilty, having heard evidence from Chief Superintendent Peter Kirwan that he believed, based on confidential information, that Glennon was an IRA member.

Justice Robert Eagar, presiding with Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain and Judge James Faughnan, said his refusal to answer questions on the investigation was "supportive and corroborative" of the claims.

Mr Justice Eagar said that judges are allowed to make inferences based on refusals to answer material questions. He added that there is "no other inference" from his refusal but that he is a member of the IRA.

Explosives

He said the evidence was supported by testimony from members of the National Surveillance Unit, who said they saw Glennon in a house in Courtown, Dublin, where Semtex explosives, rockets and materials that would be used in making improvised explosive devices were discovered, four days before garda raided the property on May 13, 2015.

Glennon's fingerprints were also found on a handcart and a pair of gloves at the house.

The judge said the court was satisfied Glennon was guilty of IRA membership. Glennon was remanded in custody until November 21 for sentencing.
As the battle of the toy shows heats up, a firm RTE favourite, Dustin the Turkey, has signed up to co-host TV3's Toy Show Teaser.

With thousands of children around the country adding the finishing touches to their Santa lists, the Friday night shows are a staple in the festive calendar every year.

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Both the Late Late Toy Show and the TV3 offering will air on December 2, but TV3 will air earlier at 8pm and will run for only 30 minutes.

Lucy Kennedy will co-host the TV3 show with Dustin, and the broadcaster has promised a host of special guests will also appear.

Before the TV3 showing, a special episode of The Seven O'Clock Show will count down to the Toy Show. Seven's Countdown to Christmas will be hosted by Martin King and Muireann O'Connell and will include a preview of the toy show.

Tone

Bosses at the station have said this year's offering will be different in tone to previous years.

RTE's Late Late Toy Show is consistently among the most watched television programmes in Ireland every year, with over 1.5 million viewers tuning in last year.

Meanwhile, TV3's Toy Show ratings peaked in 2014 when Brian McFadden and Karen Koster hosted the event, with the programme reaching 1.1 million viewers.

Applications for tickets to RTE's Late Late Toy Show will close on Monday, with more than 100,000 applying for the coveted audience seats so far.
aoibhinn McGinnity and Mark Huberman will guest-star as two visiting Americans in RTE's new series of Bridget & Eamon.

The duo play Mikey and Barbara, a visiting American couple who make instant best friends with well-loved TV couple Bridget and Eamon.

Expand Close Aoibhinn McGinnity and Jennifer Zamperelli at Rte Studios in Donnybrook Dublin for the launch of the new series of Bridget and Eamon / Facebook

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Whatsapp Aoibhinn McGinnity and Jennifer Zamperelli at Rte Studios in Donnybrook Dublin for the launch of the new series of Bridget and Eamon

Aoibhinn, who played popular character Trish, wife of King Nidge, in Love/Hate, said screen comedy took some getting used to.

"I've done a bit of theatre comedy but not on screen. You have to get used to that and not get caught up in the fact that it is gas, and even if you find your character funny or far fetched you just have to root yourself in that and get on with it," she said.

She said Love/Hate hasn't tied her down to any particular type of character, but that she enjoyed practising her comedy chops on Bridget & Eamon. "It's a good thing to be associated with but I don't go for things that are all the same either, so I don't feel like it's had a negative impact. Hopefully, it hasn't tied me into any role."

Brash

Mark, who starred in Frank with Michael Fassbender and who is the brother of Amy Huberman, said filming alongside Jennifer Zamperelli and Bernard O'Shea was nerve-wracking.

"We were a bit worried about it. Even when you come in you're like, how big are we allowed to be but they're just such brash characters that you're allowed to go a little bit further than normal," he said.

Co-writer and star Bernard O'Shea, who plays Eamon, said that the roles of Mikey and Barbara were written specifically with Mark and Aoibhinn in mind.

"We didn't cast, we didn't do anything, we wrote it from scratch thankfully they said yes," he said. "They were terrifying to work with because they knew their lines."

The new series will see Bridget and Eamon run for election, open a hair salon, and visit Dublin, all while chain-smoking from their home with six to eight kids in the midlands.

The six-episode series will also see comedian Katherine Lynch starring as Eamon's mammy, while other guest stars will include Father Ted's Joe Rooney.

Speaking on the appeal of the series, Bridget actress Jennifer Zamperelli said: "Bridget is a bit of every Irish mammy. She's a bit of my mam, a bit of my sister, a bit of my neighbour three doors down."

Nostalgia

The Ifta-winning show has recently been acquired by UKTV, airing on comedy channel Gold - which was a "huge suprise", Jennifer said.

She pointed out that Ireland has completely changed since Bridget and Eamon's day.

"It brings us back and then the Trump thing happens and we wonder, have we come that far?" says Jennifer.

"The whole nostalgia of the '80s is a big character in the show, the whole smoking thing, driving without seatbelts, drink driving, they have millions of kids, it's kind of unbelievable."

Bridget & Eamon will start back on RTE2 on Monday at 9.30pm.
ELKO  Business After Hours this month will be held on Nov. 17 at RAM Enterprise, Inc. located at 1225 W Main Street in Elko. T

he event takes place from 5:30-7 p.m. The Chamber encourages our Business After Hours and Business Before Hours events as a means of networking for businesses and for the community as a whole. Its also a great opportunity to learn a little more about the hosting business.

RAM Enterprise, Inc. began its operation in 1991 by buying six loads of used conveyor belt, which were to be resold in the bulk material handling market. The company was founded by Richard A. Milroy, Jr., and he was soon joined by his brother David Milroy, RAMs first employee.

Since that simple beginning, RAM Enterprise has grown to more than 200 employees and is now a diversified company with service centers located throughout the Western United States that serve the mining, aggregate, construction and power generation industries.

In August 2012, it opened its new corporate headquarters, manufacturing and service facility in Elko.

Please join us! There will be snacks, drinks, and drawings.

This event is open to the public.

Please contact the Chamber with questions at 775-738-7135.
Biblical archaeologists equate to Indiana Jones sans whip and fedora.

Swashbucklers on the cusp and in the midst of discovery, world renowned explorers of ancient biblical lands including Oded Lipschits perform revelatory work in the interest of knowledge acquired.

Experience Lipschits amid a trio of specialists of biblical import during King Universitys Biblical Archaeology Conference. Slated to commence Nov. 13-14 at King and First Presbyterian Church in Bristol, Tennessee, academics to Christians and the public at large are invited to attend.

"Typically, when people do a conference on biblical archaeology, its for specialists," said Don Michael Hudson, conference moderator and chairman of King Universitys Department of Philosophy and Religion.

That which rates as typical checks at the door during Kings Biblical Archaeology Conference.

"Part of my goal with this conference was to have the scholars, to have their students, but we also want to have a good number of people who are not specialists," Hudson said.

They will answer the question, "Whats Going on with Biblical Archaeology in Israel?"

So calling all biblical experts and novices. Christians, Jews, Muslims; next door neighbors, friends family; youre all invited to attend Kings conference. Churches? Youre welcome. Pastors? By all means, drop by for a listen.

"Ive got churches bringing vans of people," Hudson said. "Thats my goal. On Sunday, we want to have a nice blend of specialists and the public."

Anticipate presentations from three biblical experts from varying disciplines. They include archaeologist Yuval Gadot, a senior lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University in Israel. Gadot, among other things, will deliver "Taking Out the Trash," life In early Roman Jerusalem as seen through its garbage disposal layers.

Manfred Oeming, a professor at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, will speak on "The Stones and the Word," the importance of archaeology for the interpretation of the Bible.

Archaeologist Oded Lipschits will offer "The Age of Empires."

"For me, archaeology is one of the most important tasks to gain knowledge about our history," said Lipschits by phone on Wednesday afternoon from his home in Galilee, Israel. "The Bible is a well known text. For hundreds of years people have read it."

But the Bible isnt changing. Whats there is there, and though people study the Bible in minute fashion, newly unearthed passages or books are not going to materialize simply from having studied its text.

"However, archaeology is very wild," Lipschits said. "You never know what you will find. If you want more details and new information, archaeology is one of the most important tools we have to find information in Israel."

Early archaeologists sought biblical artifacts for myriad reasons, including that which would justify their individual religious quests and particular beliefs. Many of todays biblical archaeologists turn to historically biblically relevant sites  such as in Azekah, where King University students have participated, to help prove particular accounts in the Bible and to fill in blanks not mentioned in the Bible.

"We can reconstruct the history," Lipschits said. "Then we can go to the Bible to see what we can learn without thinking about archaeology. We have the archaeological research. We have the biblical research. Then we have the historical research."

For instance, if the Bible represents the surface then archaeology of the Bible seeks to dig below that surface.

"From the Bible, we can learn the big picture," Lipschits said. "From archaeology, we can learn about the people living in houses, living in villages, what they ate, find out about their immediate surroundings. We learn details that the Bible does not tell us."

Imagine Kings three guest speakers as rock stars. Instead of the names Gadot, Oeming and Lipschits, theyre Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and Bono. Theyd be the talk of Bristol and well beyond as lines would stretch from King to Kingdom Come to see and hear them.

Well, the aforementioned trio are rock stars within their worlds of research.

"Most people would not know who these people are," Hudson said.

However, ask virtually anyone whose passion and discipline centers upon archaeology of the Bible, and they are rock stars of renown. Check them out on the Internet. Within their world, the spotlight shines brightly upon them.

"Well, these world-renowned archaeologists are coming to little ole Bristol," Hudson said, "and youre invited to come."

Each will talk about research that may delve into finite details of the Bible that few have heard about otherwise. Each of the experts will come with an academic foundation from which they have ventured into layers of historical and holy ground such that they can speak upon things that most of us will never see firsthand.

Consider this: they have walked in the footsteps of the Bibles most important figures. Take the Azekah site in Israel.

"I take students and community people there every year," Hudson said. "King takes students over there and we dig. Every summer we take a small number of students to dig."

Its arduous and repetitive work, digging with careful purpose within particular squares in the ancient ground. But when the students raise their head for a look around, they can cast their eyes upon the site where David fought Goliath. They can look into the distance and see Jerusalem.

Imagine that.

Archaeologists and students alike, theyre performing work of conviction. Theyre performing academically. Theyre working according to their mind but also their heart.

"Im doing something thats very touching to my heart," Lipschits said.
BRISTOL, Va.  Redeemer Lutheran Church, Bristol, Virginia, celebrated a special anniversary on a mid-October Sunday. Director of Music Marcia Cooper, who has been with the parish for 10 years, but was honored for her service to the wider church which goes way back.

Cooper has served several Lutheran churches in Virginia and Tennessee in various music ministry roles. From 1976-1982, she served with her husband, the late Rev. John J. Cooper, as a Lutheran missionary in Thailand.

To commemorate her lifetime of service to the Lutheran Church, the music department at Redeemer commissioned a special anthem by renowned Lutheran composer and hymnwriter Dr. Carl Schalk, emeritus professor of Church Music at Concordia Unversity, Chicago. Schalk is well known for his many choral compositions as well as his more than 100 hymn tunes and carols. His hymn tunes are found in modern Christian hymnals of various denominations. He is also the author of several books on Lutheran music and hymnody.

The text of the anthem, Lord, Thou Hast Been Our Refuge, is excerpted from Psalm 90, Coopers favorite:

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 2-Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 3-Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, you children of men 12-So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

The Redeemer choir was joined by the Symphonic Choir from King University under the direction of Dr. Pat Flannagan for the premier of the piece. Schalk, now age 87, was able to attend the service, along with his daughter and son. A covered-dish luncheon followed the service.

Coopers primary duties at Redeemer include oversight of all aspects of the music program, including the adult choir, handbell choir, soloists and instrumentalists. Additionally, she is the principal organist for all services and the director of the adult choir. She has served at Redeemer since June 2006.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts  Organ from Roanoke College in Roanoke, Virginia, and a Master of Music in Ethnomusicology from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. She is a member of the American Guild of Organists and the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians.
Who were the top Washington County football performers in Week 9?

Big plays and turnovers were plenty as the winners overwhelmed the losers in the final week of Washington County's regular season.
The railroading history of Nevada includes much more history than the well known Virginia and Truckee railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad. There have been several short line narrow gauge railroads that hauled freight, logs and passengers throughout the region. Some of these had a long and colorful record of service during the boom days of the Comstock and the days before there was widespread motorized highway transportation.

In the 1980s I spent eight years working for the homeowners association at the community of Glenbrook on the east shore of Lake Tahoe. During this time, I became familiar with the history of the Glenbrook Railroad, otherwise known as the Carson & Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Company (C&TL&F). Several times I hiked the old roadbed from Glenbrook through Slaughterhouse Canyon and up the switchback where the train once hauled lumber and cordwood from the Glenbrook pier to the top of Spooner Summit. At the summit, the material was transferred from the rail cars to the V-flume where it was carried down the hill to Carson City to a huge lumber yard near where the Nevada State Railroad Museum is now located. Most of this material was then used for building construction in Virginia and Carson, with tons of timbers being sent to the Virginia City mines on the V&T Railroad.

The Locomotive Glenbrook was a 2-6-0 narrow-gauge locomotive built for industrial use in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1875. The iron workhorse continued to operate the route from Glenbrook to Spooners until until 1898. By then much of the timber in the Tahoe Basin had been depleted and the demand for timber on the Comstock had diminished. The Bliss family, owners of the C&TL&F, then dismantled the Glenbrook railroad and constructed the Lake Tahoe Railway. They used the locomotive Glenbrook on the run from Truckee to Tahoe City hauling lumber and taking tourists to the Tahoe City pier where they could board cruise ships for tours around Lake Tahoe and various resort destinations.

In 1926, the Lake Tahoe Railway was sold to the Southern Pacific Railroad, but the Bliss family kept the Glenbrook Locomotive. It became a source for spare parts when the family sold it to the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad. The Bliss family was concerned the steamship Tahoe and the Glenbrook would be scrapped and fall into the hands of the Japanese during WWII. As a result, they sunk the steamer in Glenbrook Bay and repurchased the Glenbrook Locomotive. At the urging of Miss Hope Bliss, they then donated the aging locomotive to the Nevada State Museum in 1943.

I can remember when the Locomotive Glenbrook was on display alongside the Nevada State Museum where it was placed from 1943 to 1981. In 1981, the Glenbrook was sent to the restoration shop at the Nevada State Railroad Museum where it is now undergoing restoration and awaiting construction of a new boiler to make it safe to operate.

While I was working for the Glenbrook Homeowners Association, I came to know Bill Bliss and his Family. Bliss and the association had the Locomotive Glenbrook hauled up from the Nevada State Railroad Museum on a transport truck for a fundraiser bash and rodeo to help with the restoration effort. This was the first time since 1898 that the locomotive came home to the town of its namesake. Many of the affluent residents of the community contributed to help with the effort to make the beautiful old artifact run once again.
ELKO  While Elko may often seem a bucolic place to live, our region has suffered its share of disasters.

According to historian Jan Petersen, many events from the past can be classified among the worst tragedies of our history as a community. However, the five that hold title as the most severe in terms of loss of life and property damage include the Great Pandemic, the Winter of White Death, the City of San Francisco train wreck, the TransLuxe Airline crash that killed all but one passenger, and the Stockmens Hotel fire.

The train wreck caused chaos, said Petersen. Twenty some people were killed and over 100 were injured.

Here is the list of northeastern Nevada disasters, in chronological order:

Winter of White Death

The Winter of White Death went down as one of the worst in the regions history. The winter of 188990 was devastating to ranchers here in Northern Nevada. Estimates claim that nearly 95 percent of the areas cattle died that year due to deep snows and frightfully cold temperatures. A legend from the time says that a person could walk a hundred miles along the Marys River and step from cow to cow without touching the ground.

Two important changes emerged from this tragedy. After that time ranchers decided it was best to have a ton of hay on hand over the winter for each brood cow. Prices for land where hay could be raised essentially rose. Devastation to the cattle industry opened way for the development of sheep ranching, which caused friction between these two forms of commerce due to grazing rights.

Spanish Flu

The Great Pandemic was the first of two pandemics involving the H1N1 influenza virus. It is recorded as one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history, infecting some 500 million people worldwide. People in the Arctic and as far flung as the Pacific Islands were stricken with the disease. Deaths are estimated to be between 50 and 100 million, nearly five percent of the worlds population at the time.

The Spanish Flu, as it was nicknamed, was atypical in that it predominantly killed healthy, young adults rather than youth and the elderly.

In Nevada reports of the illness were slow to be validated. Getting information to the Public Health Service was much more difficult in the rural areas.

On Oct. 15, 1918, health officials confirmed 38 cases of influenza in the state. Counts of infection and deaths increased.

In Elko County, teacher Eleanor Holland scoffed at wearing a then required face mask.

It didnt seem so funny when I came down with the flu and nearly died. Fortunately, none of the other teachers got it though they all helped take care of me.

The flu coincided with WWI and soldiers often made their way to and from service via train. A doctor was stationed in Montello to check the health of people on board. The town hotel was made into a makeshift hospital. There is a simple, granite monument in the graveyard stating that 10 unknown soldiers died there of the flu epidemic. They have never been identified.

The railroad contributed to the spread of the disease. Wendover, Halleck, Starr Valley, Deeth, Montello, Elko, Carlin, Battle Mountain, Winnemucca and Lovelock were highly impacted due to their location along the train route.

In all of Nevada, which had a very small population at the time, the State Board of Health reported 3,914 cases of flu. They recorded a total of 734 deaths, but the number is believed to be as high as 800.

City of San Francisco

Southern Pacifics steamliner, the City of San Francisco, was billed as the fastest and most powerful ever built. It was nearly a quarter of a mile in length and could travel from Chicago to the West Coast in about 40 hours. The locomotive was claimed as the safest engineering in rail travel.

The City of San Francisco wrecked after leaving Carlin in the evening of August 12, 1939. The westbound train derailed 40 miles west of Elko.

Engineer Ed Hecox said he saw a tumbleweed on the rails right before the accident. It was later believed that the train was sabotaged, but a guilt party was never discovered.

As the engine stopped I ran back, said Hecox. All I could hear was the screams and moans of the injured and dying. Everywhere there was dust. I could not see a single living person.

Passenger F.S. Foote Jr. said the train was hitting the curves uncomfortably after they left Carlin. He said two beers were propelled from a table and that a woman was hurled from her seat to the aisle, making everyone laugh. This was just a few minutes before the derailment.

The train lurched at around 9.33 p.m. and then jumped the tracks. It shot out from the rails about 900 feet with five cars ending up in the river.

Frantic rescue attempts ensued for the next couple of hours and with the addition of onlookers any evidence of wrongdoing was destroyed. Later, investigators discovered a couple of jackets and tools were found in the water near the crash. Some speculated that the railroad was at fault. Suspects were questioned and the railroad conducted a hearing but, in the end, no one was ever charged and the accident remains a mystery.

Trans-Luxury Crash

Tragedy struck once again on Sept. 5, 1946. During the early hours of the morning a San Francisco bound Trans-Luxury Airliner tried to land at the Elko airport. Heavy fog hung low along the ground and upon descent, the airliner crashed and burned.

Twenty-one people were killed, including one infant. Miraculously, there was one young survivor.

When help arrived after the crash rescue workers found 18 bodies thrown from the plane and three others inside the smoldering wreckage.

The plane was still burning, wrote Elko Daily Free Press editor Chris Sheerin. Bodies were strewn for more than 100 feet around. They thought all were dead. Then they heard a child crying.

The young child was found in the brush near a woman who was unconscious but later died.

I heard the baby crying, said mortician Robely Burns. He was bawling something awful. His crying was loud enough to be heard over the crackle of the flames.

The boy was taken to the hospital.

He was cold as ice when he came in, said nursing superintendent Marie Herbster.

The child was later determined to be Peter Link from Brooklyn. He complained of pain in his chest and arm but was later was determined to be physically fine. However, for the short time that Peter was in the hospital he continually cried for his mother. As it turned out, Peter lost his entire immediate family in the crash, including his 6- month-old sibling.

News of the devastating crash spread across the country amidst the gloom of a nation trying to recover from the horror of World War II.

While the nation received the news of the fatal crash near Elko this morning with its usual calm, being used to great disasters, it was electrified by the fact that a blue-eyed boy of 2 years had escaped miraculously from the wreck, Sheerin wrote.

Later, the boy was determined to be 3 years old.

Peter was soon deemed the miracle boy. Gifts poured in along with letters from the public offering to care for the orphan.

Blood relatives came forth and about a week after the crash Peters uncle arrived from Brooklyn and took the boy back to his grandmother.

The crash was later investigated and it was determined that headwinds between Sinclair and Rock Springs, Wyo. had caused too much fuel usage. The speed of the plane had dropped severely and the pilot made the decision to land at the nearest airport. The pilot was warned of the ground fog but he made an emergency judgement that turned out to be fatal for many.

Records show that as of 2002 Peter Link was 59 years old and living in New York City.

Stockmens Fire

In 1957 a blaze took a city landmark. The Stockmens hotel, location of many big band performances, caught fire causing extensive destruction and a number of people escaped death with the help of hotel employees and firemen.

According to an article in the Elko Daily Free Press, it was the most destructive blaze in Elkos history.

Manager Dick Toothman later told the newspaper that the fire started from an oil leak in one of the kitchen ranges at around 8:30 p.m. By 10:30 p.m. the entire building had been reduced to ruins. Onlookers feared the blaze would spread to nearby buildings.

The doomed hotel was an economic axe to the city. The hotel losses were estimated to be more than $1.7 million. The blaze also put 108 employees out of work.

The Future Farmers of America was holding a banquet at the hotel that evening with 212 people in attendance. When the blaze was learned of the attendees rushed throughout the hotel warning people to escape.

We were extremely fortunate that the fire broke out at the hour it did, said Toothman. There were some 50 or 60 people in the rooms. If it had been later there would have been more and it is almost a certainty that some lives would have been lost.

During the razing a huge sign at the top of the building crashed to the ground as the wall beneath it crumbled. National guardsmen were called out to maintain the hundreds of curious spectators and keep them from harm.

During the blaze there was concern that an explosion might occur if liquid gas storage containers caught fire. The gas was released without explosion but huge flames did shoot out.

As the building burned, owner Dan Bilbao announced that he would make immediate plans to erect a new building.

We will build again as soon as possible, he said about the disaster.
The county held a celebration at the Catawba County Government Center.

The completion of the trail provides approximately eight miles of continuous CTT pathway, a press release said.

The Carolina Thread Trail consists of 15 counties in both North Carolina and South Carolina and it will provide 1,500 miles of trails for public use, information on the CTT website says.

The trail was built by the help of local volunteers as well as volunteers from the Charlotte area, Chris Timberlake, senior planner for Catawba County Planning and Parks, said. I think we had 40-50 volunteers to build and construct the trail, he said. The trail brings people together, I have seen a lot of different folks out, walking their pets and meeting each other.

Local Eagle Scout Alex Malyszko completed his Eagle Scout requirements by contributing to the completion of the trail. He helped build the trail map kiosk, trail guideposts, and a picnic area for people to rest on top of the trail.

With becoming an Eagle Scout there are multiple requirements, the major thing in there (requirement guide) is completing a project, Malyszko said.

The project was entirely up to Malyszko and he decided on the needs of the trail, and with the help of fellow Scouts, he completed the project.

Since I was little I always loved the outdoors, for me getting to do hikes and go camping was my favorite thing in Scouting, he said. I wanted to incorporate my love for Scouting and Catawba County.

Timberlake gave Malyszko the opportunity to make the project his own.

I walked the trail, I went out with my dad and we talked about what the trail needed, Malyszko said. I remember walking up to the top of the ridge and thought, this would be a perfect place to have a picnic.
A former employee of Madeleine Pickens ranch south of Wells and a country club she owns in California is charging racial discrimination and harassment in lawsuits against Saving Americas Mustangs and Del Mar Country Club.

One lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Reno earlier this year, and Armand Applings lawyer, Willie Williams of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., said on Thursday that suit is now in the discovery phase. No trial date has been set. Appling is seeking monetary relief.

Appling, who is African-American, alleges that Pickens made racially charged statements to him while he was working as a sous chef at the country club in Del Mar , Calif., when she began working directly with him in preparation for his coming to her Nevada ranch for short-term work.

The lawsuit also contends that Appling experienced racial harassment when he worked on the Nevada ranch in 2014. Pickens opened the Mustang Monument Eco-Resort on her ranch in 2014. The resort is operated by Saving Americas Mustangs.

We dont comment on litigation, Pickens said Thursday, referring questions to her lawyer, Dora Lane of Holland & Park LLP in Reno.

Its not my practice to try my cases in the media. I just think it is unfortunate that Williams went to the media, Lane said. Well see them in court.

Williams said we initially were talking together, hoping to get it resolved, but he now felt it was time to issue a news release. I dont take on cases unless I believe they have merit and are winnable.

Although he said the lawsuit now is against Saving Americas Mustangs and Del Mar Country Club as corporations rather than against Pickens, the lawsuit is specific to allegations against Pickens.

She didnt treat him humanely, Williams said of his client, who was supposed to be in Elko County for five months as a chef and expected to return to his job at the country club after helping establish the kitchen at the ranch.

Williams said Appling started work at the country club in roughly January 2012, but didnt interact with Pickens until later when she began working with him regarding food for the ranch.

The suit, among other allegations, accuses Pickens of saying: I dont want you to cook white people food. I want you to cook black people food. She then talked about fried chicken, barbecued ribs, mashed potatoes and corn bread, according to Williams.

Lane states in a filing to support her motion to dismiss the lawsuit that no reasonable person would find the mere categorization of food to be offensive, pointing out that restaurants serve Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai food, for example.

Applings suit also states that Pickens would refer to another African-American employee at the ranch as her ox or bull because of the manual labor assigned to him, and Appling was offended by the references to an African-American as an animal.

Lane argues it is unreasonable to conclude that Pickens comment implied ownership of property.

Additionally, Applings lawsuit filed in Reno states that he was offended when Pickens told him two African-American employees at the ranch dont look like the people we have at the country club and didnt fit the image of staff she wanted at the resort. They were fired.

According to Williams, the last straw came when Pickens threw trash at Appling and told him to take it out so Appling took it out and kept walking. He didnt feel he had a choice but to leave.

Lanes filing states that the law doesnt immunize an employee from those petty slights or minor annoyances that often take place at work and that all employees experience, quoting from a 2006 court ruling, and no reasonable person would believe that telling someone to take out the trash was racial.

Applings other lawsuit is filed in San Diego County Superior Court and deals with the same claims.

I will also be handling the California one, but we havent entered an appearance yet, Lane said.

The Reno lawsuit was filed in February by Arthur Williams of Las Vegas for Willie Williams, who is not licensed in Nevada.

Pickens, who was married to T. Boone Pickens before they divorced in 2012, acquired private land and grazing rights 25 miles south of Wells originally in hopes of creating a refuge for wild horses in conjunction with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on private and public land. That fell through.

She bought hundreds of horses from a Paiute reservation in 2011 and brought them to the ranch. Her land package is nearly 600,000 acres.

Pickens said Thursday she is still offering a $100,000 reward for vandals who destroyed fences earlier this year on her Spruce Ranch and let horses out, resulting in some horses dying from lack of water.

Its stunning anyone would want to do that. You dont do that to people, Pickens said.

The BLM found and rounded up about 50 horses that got out, she said.
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Bhopal: The counsel for five alleged SIMI men can meet his clients in the Bhopal Central Jail where they are lodged, a local court said on Friday, dismissing a revision petition filed by the Madhya Pradesh government.

The district and sessions court, while permitting Parvez Alam to meet for 20 minutes the suspected members of the banned Islamic students organisation, clarified that the lawyer should stick to the rules of the state jail manual.

Welcoming the courts decision, Alam said he will visit the five clients in the jail on Saturday. The order came after the state filed a revision petition before additional district and sessions judge Ram Kumar Chaube on Thursday.

A day before it, the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) court gave Alam permission to meet Adil, Irfan, Javed, Zuber and Mohammed Sadiq at Bhopal Central Jail from where eight other SIMI men escaped on October 31 and were shot dead hours later on the city outskirts.

CJM Bhubhaskar Yadav also pulled up the government for its nine-day delay in informing the court about the alleged jailbreak. Alam was the counsel for the seven slain SIMI operatives.

The CJM asked the government why the court should believe the governments account of the jailbreak based solely on a prison employees statement.

The government submitted before the court that permitting the SIMI mens lawyer to meet them in the prison was not in line with the norms of the jail manual.

The petitioners counsel pleaded that such a meeting was not warranted, as the jailed SIMI men were involved in serious offences and members of a proscribed outfit.

Alam had filed an application before the CJM court for permission to meet his five clients lodged at Bhopal jail. The killing of the eight alleged SIMI men had instilled fear among his fellow clients lodged at the same prison where guards beat them up after the October 31 jailbreak, the counsel said. The five were on a hunger strike since, he added, seeking the courts permission to meet them.

The governments lawyer, Anand Tiwari, said though the petition was rejected, the sessions court had made important changes in the earlier order.

He said the courts clause that the lawyer had to go by rules 694 and 695 of the state jail manual meant Alam had to submit an application to the jail superintendent for his permission, stating his name and profession and why he wanted to meet the prisoners.

The lawyer will have to furnish proof that he is a counsel for the prisoners, Tiwari added.
A cop considered physically unfit to perform major field operations for the Bhopal police crime branch had led a 20-plus police team in gunning down eight SIMI jail beakers in an alleged encounter on Manikhedi hillock on MP capitals outskirts on October 31.

Deputy SP of Bhopal police crime branch Dhyan Singh Chouhan, who in August, 2016 was considered physically unfit by senior cops, led one of the three police teams constituted to search and nab the eight suspected operatives.

According to key sources in the state police, just two months before the alleged encounter, the deputy inspector general of police (DIG) of Bhopal, Raman Singh Sikarwar had written to the state police headquarters requesting that Chouhan be transferred out of Bhopal.

However, Sikarwar said he did not remember requesting the PHQ to transfer anyone, particularly on health or fitness grounds. I had written to the PHQ for transfer of many cops who were posted in Bhopal for a long time, which is a routine process. But, I do not remember the details of each and every case, Sikarwar told HT on Friday.

The FIR at the Gunga police station on October 31 was also lodged on the complaints and details narrated by Chouhan.

Chouhan had spearheaded a team of 23 other crack staff hailing from crime branch, district police and the 25th Battalion of the Special Armed Force (SAF).

According to the contents of the FIR, it was his team which asked the SIMI operatives  allegedly armed with four country-made firearms and sharp-edged weapons  to surrender near the Manikhedi hillock in Khijradev village.

The FIR further mentions that all three cops, including 25th SAF Battalion head constable Narayan Singh and two constables of Bhopal crime branch Mayand Singh and Dinesh Khatri  who were allegedly injured in the attack  were part of Chouhans team.

However, despite repeated attempts by HT, Chouhan could not be contacted.

(Inputs from Kalyan Das)
Yes you heard it right! Vidyut Jammwal starrer Commando 2 has a Narendra Modi connect.

Commando 2 is an espionage thriller, which revolves around a commando, portrayed by Vidyut.

In the flick, he is skilled in many aspects of survival, weaponry, hand-to-hand combat and is on a mission to eradicate black money, which has been siphoned to banks abroad.

But the most surprising element of the story, which will flabbergast everyone, is that the movie also has a Prime Minister who wants to eradicate the illegal black money from the country.

Recently, PM Modi has taken the nation by storm by demonetizing Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes to stop the flow of black money in the countrys economy.

It seems that PMs speech has found its way for the silver screen through the story of Commando 2.

Vipul Shah, the producer of the film, while listening to Prime Ministers address to the nation on Tuesday night, had a sense of deja vu.

Deven Bhojani, the director of the movie shared , Vidyut Jammwal who returns as the commando is on a mission to trace black money which has been siphoned to banks abroad. The idea was to combine action and intelligence in an espionage thriller. Ritesh (Writer) touched on the subject of black money during a brainstorming session and both Vipul and I agreed that the subject was relatively unexplored and timely.

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Actor Richa Chadha has time and again expressed her desire to help people in need. Taking a step in this direction, the actor has recently joined hands with her aunt, who runs a charitable school in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, to set up a solar power project. The problem of power cuts persist in the city due to which education of children is suffering.

Solar energy is an under-utilised clean source of energy in our country. I am glad Im able to do something, even at this small level in order to ensure that the kids at this school can have electricity and also understand the power of green energy, says Chadha.

The school has been run by her aunt for over 20 years. She left her life in Delhi to start this school which aims to provide affordable education till High School for all children of the town who belong to low income groups. Since the town has incessant power cuts, Richa has now stepped in to help set up a solar project so that the school never stops operation due to lack of power. She is very excited about this project because she knows this will help school kids who are very serious about their studies, says a source.

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Between Indias homophobia and the quest for individuality in a conformist world, same sex lovers have few chances at long-term relationships.

At different stages of my life, I have been in love with an aspiring journalist, a spa therapist, a waiter from a gay bar in Bangkok, a call centre trainer, a manager at a mall, and an aspiring doctor. I expected long-lasting relationships, but came out of these beautiful periods absolutely alone and, of course, back to being single.

My first ever kiss was with a boy, my household domestic help. That was when I was 18 years old. He was 17. He left for his village in Bihar and never replied to any of my letters that told him how much I missed him, and asked when he would return. I cried and filled my life with the normalcy of studies, routine and then, work.

More than a decade later (1999), I came out to myself and then to my mother. I had had no sex life since the boy from Bihar  not even a kiss or a hug with anyone. I satiated myself watching music videos. I recall being aroused by a Jermaine Jackson (brother of the late Michael Jackson) music video. I treated that VHS with utmost care, playing it for that measly yet unreal pleasure.

As I explored my sexuality, I realised the gay world survived in the underbelly of Delhi  dark, mysterious, bitchy, yet comforting. Tight clothes, fashion and cruising was all part of it. We talked about other men, leched at them, discussed sex and the size of an organ with tangible excitement. I guess this was no different from how heterosexual college boys discussed women, cars, engines and horsepower.

Our private spaces were away from society in the form of parties at farmhouses and later at bars that needed at least one profitable week-night. The pent-up need for privacy assured that money would flow on that single night that a bar opened its doors to us. The dimly-lit space, strangers, some familiar faces, the body-to-body dancing, the leg between legs  it would all happen that one night, turning a public space to something very private.

These were our few hours of freedom. We had no other space, whether it was at work, at home or elsewhere, to merely be ourselves, probably exaggerating our sexuality for that brief time.

The one-night outings left me dazzled on occasions, falling in love with lust and intimacy and not necessarily the person I was spending time with. Still, these outings and moments were so precious that neither my lovers nor I realised that we had little in common other than our sexuality. No wonder these relationships never lasted.

After several attempts, the last being almost six years ago, I immersed myself in long hours of work leading to sleeplessness, with just my phone and I in bed. I compensated for my emotional and mental state with sarcasm, shoes and watches, none of which gave me joy even when acknowledged.

I dreamt of relationships, cried at the drop of a hat, not knowing why, and yet hoped I could have a home of my own  with my lover an active participant in this dream. I knew if this were ever to be a reality, a homophobic society was hardly a place for it to flower. I often felt dejected when I saw my peers married, creating homes and spaces that were their own. I knew they had the privilege of finding partners at a place of work, college and so many other hetero-dominated avenues. They didnt have to wait for a chat site or a private party or a gay night at a city bar to meet someone.

I am 48 years old now, more experienced and confident. Yet, I get jittery at times over the next steps after a first meeting with a new guy. Is he the one or was it the cute one I was out with the other night, or the fellow I chatted with at an LGBT function or on Grindr (a gay chat site)?

I am often confused, toying insecurely with options, scared of expanding my energies on one person, wondering, at the same time, if these efforts are pointless. Or is it just that I still wished to explore the world and people that made it?

Maybe I had become a product of gay culture and its liberalism, the deep need to challenge the law, the normative, while recognising individuality. At times, I felt I had grown to differentiate between sex and love, but was not sure if that was something consistent in me. I thought that maybe a relationship or a commitment could be far different from the typical.

I dont know if you are a person who needs more than one person in your life. Maybe you need an open house of many people, my mother said a few days ago, worrying that I might be left alone and lonely after she goes, hoping that probably one of the many in the open house would stick.

I dread the thought of her going; she has always been part of my life. I dread dying alone, with no one by my side. Maybe the solution lies in what my mother said  a new kind of family structure: that of friends, many of them. Some who stay over, some who leave to return the next day or night, but not a moment without the sense that someone is around for me, no matter what.

Sharif D Rangnekar is a communications consultant, a writer and the founder of Friends of Linger, a Delhi-based music band. His recently released single Miss You has taken the Internet by storm.

From HT Brunch, November 13, 2016

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The Reserve Bank of India said that exchanges worth Rs 10 crore were made for the demonetised denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 on Thursday.

On November 10, 2016, about 10 crore exchange transactions were reported. Further, banks and RBI will be open on Saturday and Sunday to meet the urgent requirement of public and to ease the situation, the RBI said in a statement on Saturday.

People can exchange the 500/1000 denominations worth Rs 4,000 with the new Rs 2000 notes or the other lower denomination notes at all bank branches and post offices till November 24.

In a bid to calm consumers, RBI said adequate stocks of other denomination notes -- which are legal tender, including Rs 2000 -- notes have been kept ready in the Currency Chests (of banks) located at more than 4,000 places across the country.

RBI said people dont have to rush to the banks and as there is ample time to exchange the demonetised currency. The exchange transaction are available across the country till December 30, 2016 and even beyond, at specified RBI offices.

RBI also encouraged public to switch over to alternative modes of payment such as prepaid cards, credit/debit cards, mobile banking and internet banking.

All those who have banking accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana have been urged to use them. Such usade will alleviate the pressure on the physical currency and enhance the experience of living in the digital world, RBI said.

Withdrawal from ATMs: Rs 2,000 per day per card till November 18. From November 19, one can withdraw up to Rs 4,000 per day.

Withdrawal from banks (cheque/withdrawal slips): Rs 10,000 per day per branch, up to a maximum of Rs 20,000 in a week (including ATM withdrawals till November 24).

The Reserve Bank further said that with a view to prevent misuse of the facility, the authorities are closely monitoring information received through these reports about exchange and deposit notes by the consumers in all banks, including cooperatives.

People can withdraw upto Rs 2,000/day till November 18 and Rs 4,000 daily after that.

Withdrawal from banks (cheque/withdrawal slips) can be Rs 10,000 per day per branch, up to a maximum of Rs 20,000 in a week -- including ATM withdrawals till November 24.

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The government announced a Rs 4,000-cap on exchanging demonetised 500 and 1000 rupee notes for valid money till November 24 , but citizens are managing to make multiple such transactions.

With no specific directions on whether the cap was meant as a daily limit, people have been visiting multiple bank branches to exchange their devalued money.

Read | ATM services, Currency ban, Rs 500 note, Rs 1000 note, Banking services, SBI, ICICI

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directive stated that exchange of money at banks and post offices could be done by providing a valid identity proof document. The limit of Rs 4000 is in place till November 24, but there isnt a system to track how many such transactions a person is making. For now, banks are treating the exchange limit as a one-time window.

At present, the exchange facility is a one-time window and the limit will be reviewed by RBI after 15 days (since implementation). Hence, customers can exchange a total of Rs 4,000 till November 24, said an ICICI Bank branch manager.

A senior State Bank of India official added, We cannot track if a person gets it exchanged at another bank. But I guess, the unaccounted wealth that will be exchanged should not be a very large amount during this time period.

All it takes to make the exchange is a filled-out form and a valid ID card. In case the exchange amount exceeds the Rs 4000 limit, the remaining balance is credited to ones bank account.

Read | Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes scrapped: 25 things RBI wants you to know

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the scrapping of Rs 1000 and 500 notes on November 8, people have been making panic runs to banks and ATMs. In some cases, people have used multiple ID proofs at the same branch or post office to exchange their money.

Today we saw the same person visit us again with a separate ID proof and since we recognized him, we refused to give him further exchange. But it is very difficult to find out otherwise. The idea is that the most urgent needs are met first. Also, for more cash needs, a person can withdraw up to Rs 10,000 per day or use ATMs, a Canara Bank branch official said.

The Rs 4000-limit is expected to be reviewed on November 23.

Also read | Its a massive operation; ATM recalibration will take 2-3 weeks, says Jaitley

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If the serpentine queues at ATMs and the long wait to withdraw cash in the past two days were not enough, here is more bad news.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said ATMs are yet to be recalibrated for dispensing the newly minted notes, and the exercise would take two to three weeks. Secrecy couldnt have been maintained if we had recalibrated the ATMs earlier...It is a massive exercise that has already been launched, Jaitley said, adding that the government was monitoring the situation round the clock.

These notes are of a new size and design that require the software --- which helps an ATM count currency notes and dispense them --- to be reconfigured.

There have also been unconfirmed reports that the new size of the Rs 2,000 note is not compatible with ATMs currently in use. Even the new Rs 500 notes come in a different size.

And a machine reconfiguration, if that is what it takes, will take much longer than a software change.

Read: Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes scrapped: 25 things RBI wants you to know

Each ATM machine has four cassettes. In most places, especially in cities, two of these cassettes were used to hold notes in denomination of Rs 500, and the remaining two were split between Rs 1,000 and Rs 100 notes.

In a surprise move, the Narendra Modi government said earlier this week that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in circulation will not be considered legal from the midnight of November 8. While making the announcement, the Prime Minister said the move was aimed at rooting out corruption and wiping out counterfeit currency notes.

With the introduction of new-look currency bills, all the ATM machines need to be reconfigured, said an official who manages logistics services of several banks in the Delhi-NCR region.

For this, an engineer has to physically visit an ATM and the reconfiguration could take three to four hours, he added.

An engineer can fix between two and three ATMs a day, depending on how much time he or she spends moving from one ATM to another.

There are 2.2 lakh ATMs across the country, which means if 10,000 engineers are pressed into service, they will take at least 10 days to complete the job. Simply put, the long queues and chaos at ATMs are not going to go away soon.

Read | ATMs run dry as people make a dash for cash after demonetisation move

Read | ATMs functioning at 10% capacity, quick relief unlikely for customers

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Last week, I was in Uttar Pradesh, trying to gauge the mood of the poll-bound state. As I stood on the banks of the Ghagra that meanders through what was once the regal Awadh, listening to stories about the rivers bouts of madness (it changes course often, destroying lives) and demands for better rehabilitation packages for its victims, my colleague said: Take in as much fresh air as you can youll be back in polluted Delhi soon.

By the time we reached the Capital, the world had changed: Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes were junk and the US had a new president. Together, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President-elect Donald Trump had displaced Delhis high air pollution levels from the top news pedestal.

But the air, as I found out soon, hadnt changed. As the plane circled above Delhi due to non-availability of a free runway for landing, I opened the window shades. A toxic smog blanket was floating above the city and through it I could see a few dim lights. At the airport, social media confirmed that pollution levels were still quite high across Delhi.

Check: Air Quality Index

While the city government announced a couple of measures to contain the damage due to air pollution, it is the courts that have been wielding the big stick and hauling up both the central and state governments, which are at loggerheads on several issues, for their inability to contain air pollution.

First, the National Green Tribunal has asked the government to set up centralised and state-level monitoring committees to prepare action plans to combat pollution and directed four northern states to consider banning 10-year-old diesel vehicles.

Read: What have you done to curb pollution? NGT raps Delhi, states over toxic air

Second, it has asked Delhi and its four neighbouring states to sprinkle water from choppers, stop construction activities and shut down polluting power plants and gensets whenever air pollution reaches severe levels.

Third, the Supreme Court pulled up the Central Pollution Control Board for not devising an action plan in time to deal with the alarming smog situation and asked the Centre to come out with time-bound measures to tackle the graded level of worsening air quality.

Read: Are you waiting for people to die: SC to pollution board over Delhis condition

Fourth, the Delhi High Court slammed the government and other agencies over alarming pollution in the city and held government inaction and stubble burning in Punjab as the real culprits, saying somewhat dramatically that the lax attitude of the government amounts to genocide and murder.[i]

At office, things had moved faster while I was away. Several colleagues are now battle ready: They have bought air purifiers and masks. A neighbour who had stood in a queue at Khan Market for a mask wondered agitatedly: I drink purified water, have generators for back up. I drive my car and now I will have to purify my air do I need a government anymore? I am sure this must have crossed your mind too in recent days.

Read: Pollution: High court tells Delhis neighbours to stop stubble burning

Though the air pollution story has managed to get traction and initiated a dialogue on air quality, it is disheartening to note that the all that talk has not moved beyond the borders of Delhi.

In north India, several Tier 2 cities --- New Delhi, Varanasi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Gwalior, Patna, Ranchi and Kanpur --- are equally if not more polluted than Delhi. In fact, when I was in Lucknow, the citys air was far more polluted than that of Delhi but then no one seem to be losing any sleep over it. But can we clean up Delhis air if we dont clean up Ghaziabad or Gurgaon?

Moreover, the discussion in Delhi on the reasons of pollution is much too focused on vehicular pollution and, at best, the burning of crop residue in Punjab.

Whats missing in this narrative are the more complex causes like the highly concentrated industrial belt, high density of population, concentrated locations of thermal power plants, combined with a very poor focus on air quality management; which are central to poor air quality across the entire Indo-gangetic belt in North India, impacting cities like New Delhi, Varanasi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Gwalior, Patna, Ranchi and Kanpur, says a report by Global Strategic Communications Council, a global network of communications professionals in the field of climate and energy.

This lack of consensus on what must be done and conflicting opinions continue to choke Delhi and other north Indian cities every winter and this delay in action could have huge health impacts.

But no one seems to be ready to grasp the nettle. Recently Union road transport and highway minister Nitin Gadkari told Hindustan Times that the city government needs to conduct a comprehensive study to ascertain the principal polluters before deciding on the course of action to clean up the citys air.

One more study? Really, Mr Gadkari? Is there any dearth of studies on what is causing pollution in Delhi and what policy measures are needed to tackle it? A 2012 study by IIT, Delhi, on aerosols formation has stated that the Indo-Gangetic belt is prone to high levels of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur, which in turn are responsible for increased levels of particulate matter in the air.

Read: Go into causes of Delhis air pollution, but take steps to let people breathe

Then there is the coal menace: Delhi is located at a distance from the industrial hubs dominated by coal in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and continues to be feel the effects of long-range transportation of pollutants from coal. New regulations ordered involve retrofitting existing coal fired power plants with technology to cut carbon emission. The deadline for this has been set at December 2017.

Add to these: Crop burning, vehicles and open waste burning.

The last critical step to tackle air pollution was probably the decision to convert all public vehicles to CNG ones. But, we havent been even able to remove old cars from the roads. The scheme was drafted by Gadkaris ministry in May but it failed to get approval from the Centre. If implemented, the policy would have taken 28 million old polluting vehicles off the countrys roads.

What is now needed is multi-ministry action to tackle this monster. Mr Gadkari must look at how his ministry can improve the quality of the citys roads so that the dust factor can be controlled. In addition to this, he must impress upon his colleagues heading other ministries such as agriculture (to contain crop burning in neighbouring states), urban development ministry (the construction industry is responsible for around 4% of particulate emissions), the power ministry, and the all important environment ministry to get their act together. Pollution is not a one ministrys problem; there has to be concerted effort to curb it.

Air pollution is not the only challenge we have. Our water sources are polluted and the food chain is chemical-laden.

Such issues are not just environment issues: They will impact our health, bring down productivity levels and is a huge blot on our reputation as an attractive investment and travel destination.

There is too much at stake; as citizens, we must not allow the State this time to get away with piecemeal actions. It cannot be business as usual, anymore.

chanakya@hindustantimes.com

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Around two lakh polluting diesel vehicles older than 15 years are set to go off the capitals roads as the Delhi government has started the process to de-register them and asked the traffic police to launch a crackdown as per the National Green Tribunals directions.

In a bid to combat air pollution, the state transport department on Friday sent a list of 1.91 lakh diesel vehicles along with details of owners to the traffic police, which identified 21 sites where these could be kept.

Sources told HT that most are goods vehicles.

A CD containing the particulars of more than 15 years old diesel vehicles is enclosed herewith for necessary action at your end in accordance with the orders of Honble NGT, read the letter of Special Commissioner (Transport) K K Dahiya to the Special Commissioner (Traffic), a copy of which is with HT.

These vehicles cannot ply on roads and cannot be parked in public places. If that is done, then the traffic police will immediately impound it. In the next phase, vehicles between 10 and 15 years will be taken up for deregistration, explained a government official.

The move comes five days after Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung directed the transport department to start the process of deregistering polluting diesel vehicles after Delhi witnessed one of its worst week of toxic air in years.

Impounding of vehicles begins

Implementation has already begun with the traffic police impounding one such vehicle on Saturday. Our teams that check vehicles for pollution under control (PUC) certificates have been given directions to impound diesel vehicles that are more than 15 years old, said Garima Bhatnagar, joint commissioner of police (Traffic).

She said that the list of vehicles provided by the transport department is being fed into their e-challan software. So, the moment our team stops a polluting vehicle and feeds its number in the e-challan software, it would know if its one of those cars that needs to be ceased, she said.

Traffic police worried

But with no directions or guidelines available, the traffic police are worried about what needs to be done with these vehicles. We do not know whether the vehicles need to be sold or turned into scrap. The transport authority needs to come up with a policy, Bhatnagar explained.

Leaving vehicles to decay for years eats up land space and adds to pollution in the absence of de-polluting technology.

Besides, the traffic police has only about 8 pits with a capacity for 8,000 vehicles. But, we already have 6,000 cars in our pits right now, she maintained.

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An air of decay permeates the premises of Hardayal Municipal Public Library (HMPL) -- the oldest public library in Delhi -- in the Walled City. The tube lights hanging low from the high ceiling illuminates the dark, cool space where thousands of books arranged on open iron shelves are gathering dust. Established in 1862, it has not added a single book to its collection and closed many of its branches in the last couple of years under a crippling financial and staff crunch.

The Hardayal library stands testimony to the ailing public library services in the Capital.

The Delhi Public Library (DPL), set up in 1951, has also suffered governments neglect for many years. More than half of the 35 branches of the library are managed by staff whose duties extend from loaning out and managing books to cleaning the premises. Several of them have studied up to Class 8 only.

These people are polite but know nothing about books. At times I inquire about a particular book and get a blank stare in response, says a library member, who does not want to be named, explaining what lack of trained, educated staff meant.

Several branches of DPL, which proudly describes itself as South Asias busiest library, lack basic amenities such toilets and drinking water. One of the oldest and biggest branches of the library in Karol Bagh with over 5,500 members is closed for visitors for over a month because of a legal dispute regarding the safety of the building with the landowner.

The DPL has already closed several branches in the past couple of years, including those in Wazirpur, Netaji Nagar and New Rajinder Nagar.

Until a few months ago, the DPL had not been able to pay pension to its retired employees. There has been no appointment at the library since 1996, and the current staff strength is 189 against the sanctioned 449. The library has not had a director and director general for past several years.

To meet staff shortage, we are hiring library trainees on contract. The library has faced financial problems, but thing are improving, says Ramsharan Gaur, chairman of the Delhi Library Board -- the governing body of the library.

We have recently paid four months pending pension to our retired employees. Soon, we will hire a director and director general also, Gaur says. The DPL is an autonomous body under the union ministry of culture.

Things are far worse at Hardayal library.

Earlier this year, the electricity connection to the library was cut for non-payment of dues and it went without power for a couple of days.

Ironically, the library which has hundreds of rare books -- some over 300 years old -- has an annual membership of only 800 at its main branch in the Walled City.

Like the DPL, the Hardayal library has also shut several branches in the past year. The library had 31 branches till six months ago. Now, it has only 17 with a total membership of 2,071.

Forget about buying new books, we have not had enough money for paying salaries. Recently, we got a grant of Rs 3 crore from Delhis Lieutenant Governor for conservation and rehabilitation of the main library building. Of the total grant, Rs 1.8 crore has been released to the MCD and the work will begin soon, says Shobha Vijender, member secretary of the managing committee of the library.

The library gets about Rs 3.17 crores annually in grants from the three municipal corporations, which, Vijender says, is barely enough to pay salaries and meeting other expenses such as electricity bills. There are no funds for overall development of the library, she says.

The Hardayal library has an acting librarian who worked for over thirty years in the accounts department before taking over the post a few months back. Like DPL most branches of the library are being managed by attendants who have studied up to Class 8 only.

Throughout the day, drug addicts stay around the library building and the area in front of the main gate has been taken over by the parking mafia. We have lodged complaints with the police but nothing has happened, said Vijender.

It is a sad commentary on us as a society that a library with such a great collection of rare books has been neglected for so many years, said Aditya Sharma, a childrens writer, who is a regular at the library.

A project report, Public Library Service in Delhi: Present Status and Development 2010 -2020, published this year by Raja Ram Mohan Roy Foundation, Union culture ministry, says that it is necessary to enact a Public Library Act to establish and develop a public library system in Delhi. The report also provides a road map for development of public library services in the city.

Prof PB Mangla, former head, department of library science, who wrote the report as a Tagore National Fellow, said the libraries in the city should be taken over by the Central government. It is a matter of right than pleasure to have access to well-stocked library. A new law is necessary to create a robust public library system in the Capital, he said.

Both Gaur and Vijender, however, are positive that their libraries will beat the odds.

We are building new branches in Bawana and Ashok Vihar. We also plan to build a library in Patparganj. Besides, we are upgrading the existing branches, says Gaur of the Delhi Public Library.

We are celebrating 100 years of the Hardayal library building in December. We plan to organise an international conference on protecting, conserving and preserving collections of our literary heritage. The idea is to revive our library through awareness and community engagement, says Vijender.

Hardayal Municipal Library

Established in 1862 as part of a reading club for Englishmen.

In 1902, it was renamed as the Delhi Public Library and shifted to a small building in Kachcha Bagh with a staff of one librarian, one clerk and one peon

On December 23, 1912, a bomb was hurled at Lord Hardinge while he was on an elephant in a procession through Company Bagh (now the adjacent Gandhi Maidan). He escaped unhurt.

The procession was organised by freedom fighter Lala Hardayal. To commemorate Hardinges escape, the Delhi Public Library was renamed Hardinge Municipal Library.

In 1916, it shifted with its old book collection and furniture.

In 1970, the Hardinge Library was renamed Hardayal Library.

The library has hundreds of rare books. The oldest book in its collection, A Relation of Some Years by Travaile Begvenne, was written in 1634.

Delhi Public Library

Delhi Public Library was started as a UNESCO project in 1951

It has 35 zonal libraries, branches and sub- branches with a combined membership of over 1.30 lakh

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Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday met traders to understand the problems they are being facing due to demonetisation.

Kejriwal went to the Azadpur fruit and vegetable market while Sisodia visited Chandni Chowk.

After meeting the traders, Kejriwal tweeted that prime minister Narendra Modi should take action against the big and powerful corrupt rather than harass the aam aadmi (common man).

Expressing his concern over shortage of notes, the CM tweeted, Met traders and labourers at Azadpur Mandi. (Demonetisation) could adversely affect daily supply of fruits and vegetables to Delhi if liquidity problem is not solved. (I) am worried. Kejriwal went to the readymade garments wholesale market in Gandhi Nagar.

Traders in Chandni Chowk told Sisodia lack of cash has hit their businesses and they were facing problems in meeting even their daily expenses. He met about a dozen traders around Gouri Shankar Mandir.

Neither do we have cash nor do the customers. We are facing a livelihood crisis, Kishan Kumar, a street vendor, told the deputy chief minister as he stopped by his stall.

The traders said the number of customers had dwindled over the last few days. Some customers were still coming with the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

Read: Demonetisation a big scam, surgical strike on poor: Kejriwal demands rollback

There is no work. Most customers do not have the new bank notes. They are still coming with the old notes. Rumours too are affecting business, Ajay Babu Saxena, a shop owner, told Sisodia.

Modiji had said the move (to demonetise high-value currency notes) will put an end to black money. Do these traders have black money? They do not even have money to pay the school fees of their children or salaries to their staff, the deputy chief minister told reporters.

The traders expressed concern over rumours of VAT raids by the trade department of the Delhi government. Sisodia assured them that no such raid will be conducted. Chandni Chowk MLA Alka Lamba and members of the AAPs traders wing accompanied Sisodia during his visit.

Meanwhile, the transporters association said the industry is facing worst crisis . The supply of essential commodities such milk, vegetable, fruits, and medicines will get affected. There is acute financial crunch as the goods as well as passenger vehicles pay taxes in cash, said the association.
Social media was abuzz with rumours following the demonetisation of high-value currency notes, even as Delhi police officials urged people not to spread or be influenced by them, and said action would be taken against rumour mongers.

In Chandni Chowk, owing to large crowds outside ATMs, a rumour spread that there was a stampede in which four people were injured. However, senior police officers from the district calmed the situation.

There is no stampede outside any #Bank or #ATM in #ChandniChowk. Please dont spread or come under the influence of any #Rumour ! We will also be taking cognisance of all social media accounts which are spreading #Rumours !! Its an offence under section 505 of IPC. (sic), said DCP (north) Madhur Verma in a series of tweets.

Read | Chandni Chowk remains closed over fear of raids, few customers

Dont believe in #rumours! Situation is peaceful and people are cooperating. #CashRush #Bealert. Appeal to all to maintain peace and law and order when waiting in line at Bank! #Bealert #Besafe #CashRush #Alliswell, tweeted Esha Pandey, additional DCP-I (north).

Meanwhile, for the second consecutive day, people queued outside banks to exchange their high denomination currency. Security was beefed up outside banks and ATMs, with paramilitary personnel being deployed along with local police. At some places, RAF jawans were also deployed to keep the situation under control.

The crowd is more since its a weekend and many people have an off today. The crowd is swelling by the hour, said a senior police officer.

Also Read | Clashes in Delhi over salt shortage rumours, panic buying in NCR towns


Although Sikhs usher in Guru Nanak Jayanti every year with fireworks, the age-old practice has been condemned by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC)  and a gurdwara in Gurgaon has gone a step ahead and made its celebrations eco-friendly this year.

The practice of bursting crackers has been continuing for years, but instead of that, we held a laser show on Sikh Gurus and gurdwaras this year, after the culmination of the Nagar Kirtan, says Jasbir Singh Gujral, secretary,gurdwara Sadh Sangat South City 1, Gurgaon.

Whats heartening is that it was the sangat (devotees), especially youngsters, who came up with the suggestion. We thought of cutting down the air pollution and reducing waste, adds Gujral.

For the past three months, the committee that takes care of the gurdwara has been running a green initiative and taking considerable steps to make the gurdwara a green institution. We have replaced the plastic plates with steal and leaf plates. Also, we have started our own waste segregation. The vegetable peels and minimal leftovers are sent to nearby gaushalas (cow sheds) for cows and buffalos, and the other organic waste is being sent to be used for pit compost, explains Kanwal Pal Singh, a volunteer at the gurdwara .

Segregation of waste at South City 1 Gurdwara, Gurgaon

As far as decorations for the occasion go, the committee will light candles and earthen lamps instead of bursting crackers. Pavn Guru, Mata Dharat, Pani Pita,Mata Dharat Mahat (Air is the Guru, water is the father and earth is the greatest mother of all), says Manjit Singh GK, president, DSGMC, referring to a verse from Gurbani. He adds, The kind of pollution we saw in Delhi after Diwali was unnerving and the bursting of crackers continued till the wee hours. And people are bursting crackers even for other festivals! So, we decided ki is baar aaitishbaazi nahi hogi (this time we will not have fireworks). We have appealed to all Singh Sabhas (small colony gurdwaras) in Delhi to celebrate the Gurpurab in an environment-friendly manner. Lets celebrate Guru Sahibs Purab by glowing lights, helping the poor, showing compassion towards the needy, and by following the teachings of the ten Gurus and Shri Guru Granth Sahib.

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While the ban on notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 has left several college students in troubled waters, it has left the ATM and bank watchmen of the North Campus area in even bigger trouble. The hapless men are having a hard time handling the unending queues of students who line up for hours to exchange their old notes or withdraw cash from the ATM machines.

 Itna mushkil ho gaya hai sambhalna sabko. Line todd ke sab aage chale aate hain aur ek doosre se laddne lag jaate hain ( It has become so hard to handle everyone. These students break queues and start fighting with each other), says watchmen Parveen Kumar, adding, After a while, they even start eating their meals here. It creates such mayhem.

Students react to the situation

Juveria Mahir, student of Ramjas College, queued outside an ATM for two and a half hours.

Juveria Mahir, third year student of Ramjas College, says: My friends and I queued outside the Hudson Line branch ATM for two and a half hours. We got so hungry during the wait that we got food for ourselves and ate it while queuing. By the end of it, we had spent more on food than we had withdrawn from the ATM.

Shahnaz Parveen, a BA Geography (Hons) Miranda House student

Shahnaz Parveen, a BA Geography (Hons) Miranda House student, says, We had to wait in the bank for so long that we started eating there itself. The watchman even told us not to, but we had become so hungry waiting that we didnt know what else to do.

Sonali Pahuja, B Com Program, Ramjas College student

Sonali Pahuja, B Com Program, Ramjas College student, says, I went to a bank in Kamla Nagar early morning but it was so crowded that I spent all day there only! People had turned into economists and debates were going all around us. The bank staff was so harrowed.

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Children belonging to the Sahariya tribe, the indigenous Munda-speaking adivasis in Baraipura village in the Shivpuri district in the Madhya Pradesh, rarely go to school. They also dont get vaccinated.

The handful born in government hospitals and clinics received BCG vaccination against tuberculosis and oral polio vaccine. A few others got a single dose against the recommended five doses of the DTP vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough).

Almost no one has received more than two vaccines.

Giving each child three dose of DTP is the World Health Organisations accepted global indicator for routine immunisation performance. In India, DPT3 coverage is 72% against a global target of 90%. The block medical officer (BMO) in Shivpuris Pohri block confidently says routine immunisation in his predominantly tribal block is an astounding 90%, which is higher than Indias national average of 72%! He later admits he doesnt know as he took charge the BMO a month ago.

Most women in Baraipura village have three to five children, and most have lost as many children in the first five years of their birth to malnutrition and infections. None of them know what killed their child.

Child killers



Children in Jakhnod village in Shivapuri district in Madhya Pradesh dont go to school. They are not vaccinated either. (Photo by Virendra Singh Gosain/ Hindustan Times)

Pneumonia kills one child every three minutes in India, with more than 180,000 children dying of the infection each year. Its the leading cause of death of children under-5 years, taking more lives than HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, Zika and Ebola, combined.

Pneumonia is not the only child killer, diarrhoea kills another 120,000 children. Between them, the two infections are responsible for one in four under-5 deaths in India, killing close to 300,000 children before their fifth birthday.

With an under-5 population of more than 121 million, India accounts for the highest number of the global 1.5 million childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea deaths, followed by Nigeria and Pakistan. Seventy-two percent of pneumonia and diarrhoea child deaths occur in just 15 countries that are home to 55% of the worlds under-5 population, said 2016 Pneumonia & Diarrhea Progress Report released last week.

Both disease can be prevented and treated. Vaccines exist against both diseases, and happily, India is introducing both in a phased manner. If it reaches all the children it is meant to reach, the can swiftly halve under-5 deaths.

New vaccines

Indias on track. Union Health Minister JD Nadda announced last week that the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-13) will be introduced in phases from 2017 in Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to protect against pneumococcal diseases such as pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections and meningitis in a phased manner by 2017-18. Pneumococcal pneumonia is the most common form of bacterial pneumonia, with symptoms including high fever, chills and a productive cough with breathing difficulty and pain in the lungs, which can lead to septicaemia (blood poisoning) and death.

Most Sahariya children in Baraipura village, which is home to 70 families, in the Pohri block of Shivpuri in Madya Pradesh, have not been vaccinated against any disease. (Photo by Virendra Singh Gosain/ Hindustan Times)

PCV-13 protects against 13 of the 90 types of pneumococcal bacteria, which is caused by infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria that spreads from person to person through close contact. These 13 strains cause most severe infections in children and about half of infections in high-risk adults over 65 who have diabetes, chronic lung conditions, liver disease, kidney disease or heart disease, among others.

The deactivated vaccine contains no live pneumococcal bacteria and cannot cause disease. Vaccine shots can safely be given at the same time as other vaccines in the schedule, which will help demonstrate how the combined effect will bring down hospitalisations and death in children who are also being given rotavirus vaccine, which was introduced earlier this year to combat diarrhoea in the four states -- Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha.

Protective shield

No one intervention is enough. Apart from preventive vaccination, exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life, safe water and adequate nutrition are a must o build child immunity. Worldwide, six months exclusive breastfeeding rates vary widely, from 65% in India to 0% in Chad and 5% in Somalia.

Treatment for pneumococcal disease includes appropriate use of antibiotics and oxygen, while diarrhoea is treated using oral rehydration salts (ORS) and zinc supplement to restore water and electrolytes lost with watery stools. Just giving children ORS can save more than 90% of the 120,000 lives lost to diarrhoea each year.

In India, close to 30% children miss out on life-saving vaccines each year. Many thousands would be alive if they had been vaccinated. Just telling people to get their child vaccinated is not enough. Health-workers also need to explain why they must do it.

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Robert De Niro gave anti-Donald Trump protesters across the United States his backing Friday as he spoke about how depressed the tycoons win in the presidential election had made him.

The 73-year-old star was on the red carpet at the world premiere of his new film The Comedian in Los Angeles when he was asked how he was coping with Trumps victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

How am I doing? Im very depressed, the famously laconic Raging Bull actor told reporters.

We have to just wait and see how things go and keep our eyes ever vigilant on the new government.

Asked if he thought the protests were an appropriate response to the outcome of Tuesdays election, he replied: Yes, absolutely. Things arent being done right.

Demonstrators took to the streets in Miami, Los Angeles, New York and other US cities for a third straight night on Friday.

In Manhattan, they held signs reading Your Wall Cant Stand in Our Way -- a reference to the anti-immigration barrier the billionaire has promised to build on the US border with Mexico.

De Niro hasnt minced his words in his criticism of Trump, describing him as a punk, a pig and an idiot.

Id like to punch him in the face, he said before the election.

Earlier in the day a town in southern Italy where De Niros grandparents came from offered the actor a means of escape.

If, after the disappointment of Trump, he wants to take refuge here, we are ready to welcome him, said Antonio Cerio, the mayor of Ferrazzano.

The Comedian, De Niros passion project which took him eight years to bring to the big screen, was part of this years program for the American Film Institutes annual AFI Fest in Los Angeles.

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Harry Potter wizarding spinoff movie, had its world premiere on Thursday night, and the cast said they hoped the film would provide both escapist comfort and a message of acceptance in the real world.

The film, the first of five, takes place 70 years before events in the first Harry Potter books and features a cast of new characters with magical powers. Set in 1926, it centres on Newt Scamander, a magizoologist who arrives in New York with a case full of strange creatures that quickly escape.

Just like the Harry Potter books and movies that were rich in themes of good and evil, death and family, author JK Rowling infuses the Fantastic Beasts story with darker topics of xenophobia and intolerance.

Author J.K. Rowling attends the premiere of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. (REUTERS)

There are a few really beautiful and pertinent messages in the film ... There is this fear of the other, this fear of what we dont understand, a need to blame and segregate. And how hate can grow into something that is just overpowering because of that, actor Alison Sudol, who plays the mind-reading Queenie Goldstein, told reporters on the red carpet in New York.

Ezra Miller, whose character Credence Barebone is shy and unloved, said the movie has the comfort and the escapist wonder that she (Rowling) brings as well as issues to take back to our world to get to work on.

Actors Eddie Redmayne and Ezra Miller attend the Apple Store Soho presentation of Meet the Cast: Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. (AFP)

Rowling, who wrote the screenplay for the film, said the story was partly informed by what I saw as a rise of populism around the world.

If you have read the (Harry) Potter books you know this period threatened to become very dystopian. You were looking at the rise of a very dark force, the British author told a news conference ahead of Thursdays premiere.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opens worldwide on November 18.

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The advocates general of Punjab and Haryana on Friday expressed divergent views on applicability of Supreme Court answering presidential reference on Satluj- Yamuna canal.

Talking to reporters, Punjab advocate general, Ashok Aggarwal said that reference had been answered by Supreme Court in its advisory capacity. It is not binding on the President to accept it. He can accept, reject or seek a fresh opinion from the Supreme Court on presidential reference answered in a matter, he said. Aggarwal, however, could not cite any precedent but said, There have been very few presidential references made since Independence. I can give details after checking it. But do not remember off hand, he said.

Also read| SYL row: Punjab blames Union govt, may stop all water to others states

Aggarwal further said that a team had been formed by Punjab government, which included him as well, to examine the opinion. We shall start examining it today and may be able to tell our view by tomorrow (Saturday) evening. But all I can say now is that we have more than one options before us, he said. One apparent reference was of review petition, but he did not elaborate on other options.

A few retired judges of Supreme Court and Punjab and Haryana high court and former advocate general of Punjab, Harbhagwan Singh had told the Hindustan Times on Thursday that presidential reference was binding on President of India and could not be rejected.

Also read| SYL fallout: Haryana stops plying buses to Punjab

The Haryana adovate general, BR Mahajan told reporters that presidential reference answered by the constitutional bench of Supreme Court was binding on President or governments. This argument was even raised during the hearings. It is binding(on all parties). There is no escape route, he said adding that a petition was pending before the two judges bench of Supreme Court on the issue, which would now automatically get revived with this development.
The Congress on Friday alleged that a few people were informed about the governments move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes beforehand.

Some people knew that this is going to happen Some people were informed about it. The information was out in newspapers and social media from October 20 onwards that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes will be demonetised and new Rs 2,000 notes are going to be circulated soon. How did this happen? asked senior Congress leader Anand Sharma.

The party asked the Centre to reveal the list of people who had purchased gold, foreign currency and security bonds of Rs 5 lakh and above between October 20 and November 8.

The government must come out with the list of those who bought in bulk gold, dollars, Euros, and invested in security bonds between October 20 and November 8. Then you will come to know who is a black money launderer and who is suffering because of this move, he said.

The main opposition party also accused the government of creating economic instability, financial chaos and an anarchy-like situation in the country.

Referring to BJP chief Amit Shahs suggestion that cheques should be used to make payments for wedding functions, Sharma said: This is an insensitive and arrogant government which has created a myth and got carried away with its own propaganda.

The AAP also attacked Shah, saying he was oblivious to the problems faced by the common man.Both Congress and AAP released BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhis statement in January 2014, in which she had called the step to withdraw notes before 2005 anti-poor.
With assembly polls in five states fast approaching, Congress ticket aspirants have decided to form pressure groups to prevent other parties rebel leaders from contesting on the 130-year-old partys nomination.

Armed with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhis 2013 Jaipur speech, a number of young ticket aspirants have started lobbying for party ticket.

In his first speech as party vice-president, Gandhi promised that he would address the issue of anomalies in ticket distribution. He had vowed to bring an end to the practise of leaders from other parties parachuting just before the elections and flying away after getting defeated. He also maintained that no person with a criminal background will be given party ticket.

Subsequently, the Congress also issued guidelines stating that those who had lost two consecutive polls, those defeated in the last election by a margin of 15,000 votes or more and those who forfeited their deposits will not be considered for the party ticket.

However, these norms have often been violated in the garb of a winnability factor.

Former Punjab Congress chief, Partap Singh Bajwa, last week reminded the party of the Jaipur resolution that called for a three-year cooling period for new entrants. Bajwa had insisted that turncoats from the Akali Dal, Aam Aadmi Party or the BJP should not be given the party ticket at the cost of Congress loyalists who have worked hard for the past decade or two.

For the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, the Congress is likely to drop several sitting legislators and field fresh faces. The party is unlikely to field more than one candidate from a political family or allow sitting legislators to shift their constituencies apprehending defeat.

For Goa, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh has suggested that fresh faces should be preferred given that some sitting legislators have drifted away from the party agenda.

Also read | The Congress at crossroads: For Indias grand old party, its now or never

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Prime minister Narendra Modi warned of more action against people holding illicit cash even as anger rose across the country on Saturday with ATMs running dry and banks struggling to dispense cash three days after the government demonetised high-value banknotes.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said it would take two-three weeks to upgrade the automated tellers machines (ATMs) to enable them to dispense the new Rs 1000 and Rs 500 banknotes.

I would like to announce once again that after the end of this scheme, there is no guarantee that something new will not be introduced to punish you (the corrupt), Modi told members of the Indian community in Kobe, Japan.

I salute my countrymen. People stood in line for four hours, six hours but accepted the decision in national interest... But I never thought I will receive blessings for this.

But back home, the initial public support for the clampdown on black money appeared to be waning as millions of people stood in serpentine queues in banks and ATMs for hours and yet failed to either exchange their old notes or withdraw any cash.

There were reports of angry people breaking the glass facade of a bank in Delhi while television footage showed police caning and shoving people at another branch. Reports of people falling unconscious and even dying due to exhaustion fuelled public anger despite the governments announcements about having enough cash to meet the demand.

The death of at least five people, including a child, across the country are said to be linked to governments shock decision. Police booked a doctor in Mumbai after he allegedly refused treatment to a baby as the father could not pay immediately. The baby later died.

I am so angry at the lack of planningbefore taking such an enormous step, AFP quoted an office executive Raju Sundaram as saying outside a bank in the south Delhis Saket.

A bank teller in Delhis shopping hub of Connaught Place described the demonetisation as a hugely disruptive step.

It required a lot more planning, but that didnt happen, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Fisticuffs also broke out among customers in several parts of the country with ire directed at bank officials, made to work this weekend  a holiday -- to meet the huge demand for lower denomination currency.

But Modi, criticised by the opposition for being abroad during a crisis, said his government was determined to stamp out illegal cash from the system.

I make it very clear that if anything unaccounted comes up, I will check its records since Independence. Those who know me, they are intelligent as well. They think it is better to offer it in Ganga than in banks, Modi said, apparently referring to reports of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes being spotted flowing down the river.

(With inputs from agencies)
The government should roll back a decision to withdraw high-value banknotes as it will not stamp out illegal cash, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday, joining a growing list of opposition politicians criticising the abrupt move.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Kejriwal alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had warned all friends who stashed away their black money well before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes will be put out of circulation.

In the name of fighting black money, a big scam is being implemented, the Aam Aadmi Party chief said. The decision should be rolled back. People will lose jobs and this will hurt the economy.

Read | Congress alleges BJP had informed some about its note-cull decision

Kejriwals strong words come a day after BJP president Amit Shah hit out at detractors and mentioned the AAP chief by name  among other leaders  asking them whether they were in favour of black money.

Amit Shah is lecturing on honesty. There cannot be a bigger irony, Kejriwal said.

The AAP, Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Trinamool Congress have all opposed the move.

Kejriwal referred to purported photos on social media  which show BJP members with Rs 2,000 notes days before Modis announcement  to say that the saffron party had alerted black money hoarders while harassing ordinary people. He said hoarders wont deposit black money, given the steep tax and penalties that can shave 90% off someones wealth.

Read | ATMs run dry as people make a dash for cash after demonetisation move

Who are standing in the long lines? Rickshaw pullers, traders, shopkeepers, housewives  who paid their taxes.

The Delhi CM alleged that black money was being re-distributed because hoarders were buying dollars, gold and property with the help of middlemen who facilitated illegal exchange of old banknotes.

A crisis was intentionally created to help touts.

Over the past two days, millions of panicked consumers have rushed to banks and ATMs but have mostly returned empty-handed. Snaking queues have given way to frustration as ATMs have frequently run out cash, especially in smaller towns and villages.

This isnt a surgical strike on black money, it is a surgical strike on the common mans savings. We question their intent and implementation, Kejriwal said.

The AAP chief pointed to higher bank deposits in the past quarter to prove that the BJP alerted its friends and said the government knew that ATMs couldnt be configured overnight to dispense notes of new size and design  but went ahead with the move to harass common people.

Also Read | Rail tickets, jewellery: People find ways to hide black money from govt

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As many as 1,736 more non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country have lost the licence to get foreign funds, authorities announced on Friday.

Prominent names in a fresh list the Union home ministry put out were the Dr Hedgewar Smarak Seva Nidhi, Don Bosco High School Society, Ramkrishna Math, Mata Amritanadmayi Math, Leprosy Mission Hospital, Church of South India Diocese of Madras, Sacred Heart Church, Ramkrishna Mission Ashram, St Teresas Orphanage, Indian Institute of Forest Management and IIT - Roorkee.

A senior home ministry official told HT that time was over for these NGOs to submit documents. Therefore, their foreign funding registration has lapsed. If they give us a representation, we will consider them on merit, he added. Last week, more than 11,000 NGOs lost their foreign funding registration because they did not apply for renewal of licence by the end-June deadline. There were 25 other NGOs the ministry did not deem fit for foreign funding registration due to their alleged adverse activities.

The 1,736 NGOs disqualified on Friday had applied before June 30 for renewal of their registration, granted under the Foreign Contribution Registration Act (FCRA), but the ministry found their applications deficient on documents or statutory requirements.

The ministry had given the NGOs time till November 8 to submit documents in support of their application. On Friday, it said their applications have been closed.

With this, the number of NGOs permitted to receive foreign funding has come down to less than 19,000. Till two years ago, the country had around 42,500 FCRA-registered NGOs.
The turf war between the executive and the judiciary over the appointments of judges has had a positive impact this year.

With the government paving the way for 25 more judges by early next week, 2016 will see the highest number of appointments being made in the higher judiciary in one year.

Highly placed sources in the ministry of law and justice told HT that the government has cleared the names of over two dozen judges, to be notified by mid-November. With these, the government would have appointed 121 judges until now this year.

With over a month and a half to go for the next year, the ministry expects to cross the 121 mark. There are more in the pipeline. This year, we will appoint the highest number of judges, a senior official said.

November alone has seen 31 judges being appointed till Saturday. The number is expected to go up further.

A minister who did not want to be named was quick to point out that the appointments depict our intent to keep filling vacancies. Sources, however, said the government began filling up the vacancies hastily only after a public debate on vacancies was generated.

Nearly 40% positions in the Supreme Court and high courts were vacant till mid-2016.

Data on appointments analysed by HT show that judicial appointments picked up after the stand-off between the judiciary and the executive became more pronounced in mid-August.

Since then, chief justice of India TS Thakur has criticised the government for not doing enough to ease the burden on the judiciary, and dragging its feet on appointments recommended by the Supreme Court collegium. That generated a public debate, bringing the vacancies into sharp focus.

The government appointed 26 judges in September, 19 in October and 31 this month. It appointed 11 additional judges to the Allahabad high court on Saturday. Four more appointments are expected in Rajasthan in the coming days.

The problem of vacancies in the higher judiciary has seen a sharp upward curve in the last four years. On January 1, 2013, the vacancies in the Supreme Court and 24 high courts stood at 282  rising to 464 on October 1. Department of Justice officials, however, say the increase is also due to 173 more positions of judges being added between July 2014 and May 2016.

On Saturday, this number dropped to 430.

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Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

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Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

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There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

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This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

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Two journalists were shot dead by unidentified people in separate incidents across Bihar over the last 12 hours, police said on Saturday.

In the first incident, Dharmendra Singh  a 35-year-old reporter with vernacular newspaper Dainik Bhaskar  was killed by three motorcycle-borne people at Amratola, Sasaram, on Saturday morning.

Muffasil police said the attackers shot Singh in the stomach at point blank range while he was having tea at a roadside stall. They believe the incident may be linked to the reporters articles on illegal quarrying units in Rohtas district.

Singh was initially taken to the local Sadar Hospital, from where he was referred to a medical institute at Varanasi for further treatment. However, he succumbed to his injuries on the way. He is survived by his wife and son.

Rohtas SSP Manavjit Singh Dhillon said the journalist was wanted in an illegal mining case lodged at the Shivsagar police station in 2015, but didnt explain why he was not arrested.

Inspector general (Patna zone) NH Khan said a special investigation team led by the Shahabad range deputy inspector general has been set up to crack the case.

In the second incident, Ramchandra Yadav, a journalist-turned-village head of Kewatgama panchayat in Darbhanga, was gunned down by unidentified people while he was returning home after meeting a local block development officer.

Kusheshwar Asthan police said the culprits fired Yadav in the back, killing him instantly. The deceased was working for a Hindi daily before he became the mukhia last year.

The two incidents come within six months of the murder of Rajdeo Ranjan, a reporter with a noted vernacular newspaper. He was shot dead near Siwan railway junction on May 13, while he was returning from work.

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India has pledged about $10.95 million for development activities across several UN bodies for 2017.

India has been a regular contributor to the UN since its founding. India believes that the UN should have the necessary resources to finance, in an appropriate and balanced manner, the activities and programmes of its three main pillars; Peace and security, Development and Human Rights, first secretary in Indias Permanent Mission to the UN Mahesh Kumar said at a Pledging Conference for Development Activities on November 7.

Kumar said as a developing country, India has its own plate full of developmental challenges that need to be addressed, but it still has always contributed to increase the availability of core resources for the development activities of the United Nations system.

India announced pledges of contribution totalling about $10.95 million for development activities for 2017, including $4.5 million for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), $1.92 million for the World Food Programme, $1.25 million for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Near East (UNRWA) and a million dollars towards UN Women.

India also pledged resources to UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the world bodys Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Commission on Human Settlements Programme (HABITAT), Environment Programme (UNEP), Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and towards the Voluntary Fund for Technical Co-operation.

Kumar said India is also processing contribution for the Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and for the Victims of Torture and UN Volunteers.

At the pledging conference, 24 countries committed to provide approximately $1.09 billion towards development activities. The amount represented an increase of more than of 14-fold over those commitments made in 2015.
Gadgets do the job these days. But the armed forces often rely on a 78-year-olds eyes and ears for information on the China frontier.

As a long-time gaonbura (GB, village head) of Mangang village, Dorjee Purba Chuklas primary job is to ensure law and order locally. He has to also update the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, intelligence agencies and the local administration on any suspicious Chinese activity on the border.

Reason: Mangang, in Arunachal Pradeshs West Siang district, is the village closest to Indias border with China-occupied Tibet, just 29 km from the nearest point of the McMahon Line that separates India and China.

It is northeast of Mechukha, a sub-divisional headquarter 492 km from the state capital Itanagar.

Arunachal Pradeshs border with Tibet is 1,080 km long.

Our men are vital for the armed forces as guides and informants. They also keep a watch on the border while collecting yarje gomu (a high-altitude insect believed to have medicinal properties), which people from across the border also treasure, Chukla said.

Chukla is one of the 75 GBs in Mechukha sub-division who are the faces of the government in 112 villages. They act as judges too, settling family and social disputes with punishments such as fines or community service, for the guilty.

We try to use our wisdom and settle minor cases. The police and magistrates take care of major law and order issues such as murder, rape and communal clashes, but only after we refer these incidents to them, Kesang Goiba, the GBs president, told HT.

The GBs are a vital cog in the administrative wheel in the difficult eastern Himalayan subdivision where many villages have to be covered by foot over four-five days, said additional deputy commissioner Tungge Loya.

We need their help in ensuring peaceful co-existence among five major tribes of the area, Loya said. These tribes are the Buddhist Menpa or Memba, Bokar, Ramo, Pailibo and Tagin.

Gaonbura president Kesang Goiba with his team of village heads at Mechukha. (Rahul Karmakar / HT photo)

The GBs assistance is also crucial because there are barely 15 policemen for the entire subdivision straddling 83,743 sqm of mountains at an average altitude of 6,500ft.

An Army officer of a frontier unit, declining to be named, said the GBs are important for civic action programmes besides strategic help on treacherous terrain.

We need the support of the local people as much as they need ours for emergency medical aid and supplies, he said.

Goiba, 60, insists the GBs are impartial in their discharge of duties despite the fact that they are selected by a few, not elected. The all-male GBs try to be fair with cases involving women too.

Many of the cases of crimes against girls and women we have handled have gone against men, Goiba, who was selected GB president eight years ago, said.

A GB gets an honorarium of Rs 200-250 from the government. It is a pittance for the trouble they take, but the social status that comes with the job is more than worth it, the GBs say.

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Japan will not succeed in making India a pawn in its anti-China diplomacy, Chinese state media has said, adding that New Delhis foreign policy is multi-pronged and wants to benefit from both sides.

Lacking long-term strategies, Japan will head down another dead-end route, the editorial said, describing Japans efforts to co-opt India.

The editorial said Japan will not be able to exploit the differences between India and China, as bilateral ties between the two countries are improving because of frequent high-level exchanges between New Delhi and Beijing.

The editorial was published in the nationalistic Global Times tabloid on Saturday during Prime Minister Narendra Modis ongoing Japan visit.

Read | Modi bats for better ties with Japanese industries, rides bullet train with Abe

On Friday, India and Japan signed a civil nuclear-cooperation deal, the first that Tokyo has inked with a country that is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The Chinese state media editorial said the nuclear deal was Japans ploy to convince India to meddle in the South China Sea (SCS) disputes.

Japan wants to use the disputes between China and India to court India to help contain China. Japan seeks to urge India to meddle in the South China Sea issue, even at the cost of changing its long-held position of reducing nuclear usage to offer special benefits of civil nuclear cooperation to India, it said.

India is in need of acquiring nuclear and military technology from Japan and attracting more investment for its manufacturing industries and infrastructure, like high-speed railways.

It laid out three reasons why Modis trip was being touted as historical by Chinese media.

Modis trip has drawn attention for three reasons: Japan will officially roll out an Indian Ocean-Pacific strategy that it has planned for years; the two countries have signed a civilian nuclear agreement; and both sides have hinted they would include the South China Sea Arbitration in their joint statement.

Read | India, Japan sign landmark civil nuclear deal

But Tokyo will not succeed in its efforts, it said.

India will not become a pawn for Japan to contain China, as it wants to become a power on par with China and Japan and benefit from both sides. India will get closer to Japan but will not enter into a brotherhood relationship.

The editorial explained why.

However, India is not likely to change its position according to the wishes of Japan. India takes a multilateral approach to diplomacy and pursues a status as a leading power. Japans plans are full of antagonism, which contradict Indias policies. Therefore India will practically assess specific cooperation with Japan case by case.

Another reason being that Sino-India relations are on the mend, contended the editorial.

China and India have many problems between them, however, Sino-Indian relations are improving. National leaders frequently meet and are securing the right direction in bilateral ties. Even if India signs the Indian Ocean-Pacific Pact it wont have as much strength to contain China as (Shinzo) Abe expects.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has penned a 32-line Bengali poem slamming the Centres decision to put Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes out of circulation.

In the poem posted on her Twitter handle Saturday morning, Banerjee hit out at an unnamed ruler  an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who announced the dramatic move Tuesday evening.

The Trinamool chief calls the ruler an autocrat and asked whether he is deaf to the agony of the workers who are suffering as a direct outcome of his decision.

Be ready for a triple talaq from those who lost all following your decision, she writes in the last two lines that appear to be a warning for the BJP ahead of crucial assembly polls next year.

Read: Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes scrapped: 25 things RBI wants you to know

Banerjee has been at the forefront of the criticism of the governments move and was the first important leader to attack the Centre. While speaking to a crowd in Chandernagore in Hooghly district on Thursday, she alleged that the ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes was actually designed to deflect attention from BJPs failure to recover black money stashed abroad by Indians.

I have penned a poem on the #DeMonetisation issue pic.twitter.com/V7Rnhpyii6  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 12, 2016

She went to the extent of saying that she was himself a victim as she did not have the cash to buy sweets to offer to the goddess -- Bengal was going through the four-day Jagadhatri pujas when the announcement was made -- and was compelled to borrow some to purchase it.

After the Trinamool Congress chief publicly criticised Modis decision on Thursday, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh, too, spoke out against it. But none took it to the poetic extent that the Trinamool chief has done.

Over the past few months Mamata Banerjee has criticised the ruling establishment at the Centre on a number of issues such as cow politics, infringement on the federal structure of the country, religious and political intolerance.

Banerjee is a published author and has composed earlier to express her views on the rulers atrocities (read Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government) in Singur and Nandigram.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for greater participation and engagement of Japanese industries on Saturday, saying it will benefit Japan and Indias micro, small and medium enterprises sector.

Addressing a luncheon gathering of business leaders in Kobe, Modi recalled his association with Hyogo Prefecture and his visits to Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in Japan, in 2007 and 2012.

Modi, who travelled to Kobe from Tokyo in Japans famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, was received at Hyogo prefecture guest house. The Governor of Hyogo Toshizo Ido and Mayor of Kobe Kyuzo Hisamaoto were present at Hyogo house.

Read: India, Japan sign landmark civil nuclear deal

Firmly in the driver's seat! PM @narendramodi takes a look inside the driver's cabin of the bullet train pic.twitter.com/VFN77cOrIa  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) November 12, 2016

An agreement has been signed between the state of Gujarat and Hyogo Prefectural Government to promote cooperation between them in the fields of academics, business, culture, disaster management and environmental protection.

A stronger web of state and provincial connections. The leaders witness exchange of MoU of Coopn between Gujarat Govt and Hyogo Prefecture, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Thanking governor Ido for valuable efforts two develop relations with Gujarat, Modi said ties between the two sides are characterised by complete trust and mutual confidence.

Greater participation and engagement of industries in Hyogo will benefit Japan and Indias MSME sector for which it could prove transformational, Modi said.

Modi said Indian community in Kobe has a long history of trade and commerce. I congratulate all residents of Kobe on forthcoming 150 years of its port, he said.

Train ride

Earlier in the day, Modi and Abe travelled in the Shinkansen bullet train, whose speed ranges from 240kms per hour to 320 kms per hour.

On the way to Kobe with PM @AbeShinzo. We are on board the Shinkansen bullet train, Prime Minister Modi tweeted along with pictures of him in deep conversation with Abe.

Simply Shinkansen! Scenes from inside the famed Japanese bullet train, with the two leaders deep in conversation pic.twitter.com/D9gQz73XJ4  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) November 12, 2016

The construction of the high-speed train corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will start in 2018 and the train service will be operational from 2023.

Abe, at a joint press conference with Modi in Tokyo on Friday, had said that the designing of the project will begin by the end of this year.

He said the ambitious project symbolises a new dimension in the special relations between the two countries and hoped that introduction of the rapid train network will spur further economic growth in India.

The high speed rail system Shinkansen was introduced in Japan in 1964.

Earlier, when Modi arrived at the Tokyo Station to board the train Swarup said, Putting #IndiaJapan relations on the fast track! PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo arrive at Tokyo Station to board the Shinkansen. PTI PMS
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is all set to seek prosecution sanction from the Modi government to file a charge sheet in the January 2 Pathankot airbase attack.

It is expected to name Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant leader Masood Azhar, his brother Rauf Asghar, and key terrorist handlers Qashif Jan and Shaid Latif in the document.

The NIAs investigation is complete, and it has reportedly uncovered the identities as well as phone numbers of those who have owned up to the attack on JeM-affiliated websites.

While investigators have managed to link three terrorists killed by security forces in Handwara on October 7 to militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), there has been little progress in the September 18 Uri terror attack probe due to cross-border firing in the area. It is understood that while NIA investigators have been saddled with a charred GPS device used by terrorists in the Uri attack, a similar Samsung-branded instrument is still with the Army.

The LeT had claimed responsibility for the Uri attack, where four heavily armed militants killed 19 Indian soldiers.

Home ministry officials told Hindustan Times that investigators of the Pathankot attack have established the role of four Pakistani terroristsNasir Hussain, Hafiz Bakar, Abdul Qayum and Umar Farooq as well as that of Azhar and Asghar in great detail.

A footprint found near Bamiyal village in Pathankot, from where the attackers had infiltrated, matches the shoes of one of the dead terrorists. The DNA samples recovered from a soft drink can found in the hijacked car of Punjab SP Salwinder Singh as well as those on the knife used to slit the throats of a jeweller, Rajesh Kumar, and a driver match that of the militants. It has been established beyond doubt that the Pakistani group (JeM) was involved in targeting the air assets at the Pathankot base, said a senior official.

The NIA charge sheet will help strengthen the legal evidence against Azhar, who India hopes to brand as a global terrorist at the UN 1267 committee in January next year.

The government did not find any local involvement in the Pathankot incident.

The attack was the first of its kind, where the Modi government had informed its Pakistani counterparts of the impending carnage well in advance at the National Security Advisor level. It had also passed on the names of a few Sialkot-based JeM handlers, and asked the Pakistan government to take pre-emptive measures.

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Indian citizens are not the only ones hit by the demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes. Pakistani refugees in Rajasthan have also taken a hard knock as they have no bank account or identity card and cannot exchange the old currency with the new ones.

The Pakistani refugees, working in the private sector were paid monthly salaries in the first week of the month but following the demonetization announcement, they are finding it hard to make ends meet.

Hindu Singh Sodha, the president of Seemant Lok Sangthan, an organization struggling for the rights of the Pakistani refugees in Rajasthan said not only the 17,000 refugees living in the state but also another 2 lakh other refugees across other parts of the country have adversely been hit by the governments decision.

In August, the union home ministry had issued a notification asking the state government to develop a policy mechanism for issuing bank account and driving license to the Pakistani refugees. But the Reserve Bank of India is yet to give the go-ahead for opening bank accounts for these refugees.

Sodha has demanded that some arrangements be put in place for the refugees to facilitate the exchange of currency.

Dr. Rajkumar, who came to India in 2008 from Sangod area of Pakistan, is a dentist. He left Pakistan amid security threats.

It has become difficult for all the migrants who dont have bank accounts. How can they change cash of few thousands which they keep with them for day to day expenses? he said.

Chetan Achu, a native of Tharparkar in Pakistan, is an engineer who moved to India four years ago. He works on contract basis. I used to get cash in instalments from my employers but now after this decision of demonetization, my employers say they cannot pay cash.

Dileep Singh, another refugee, said they approached banks but because they do not have any bank account or identity proof, banks have refused to exchange cash for them. We are shocked how we will be able to change our cash?

According to the Rajasthans home department, at least 17,896 Pak refugees are currently staying in Rajasthan. More than 15,000 of them live in Jodhpur alone.
Upping the ante against BJP, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said she is not averse to working with CPI(M) and other opposition parties like Congress, SP, BSP to fight against the anti-people Modi government which has imposed an undeclared emergency.

We may have ideological differences with CPI-M but we are ready to work with it and other opposition parties like Congress, SP, BSP to save the country. The anti-people Modi government has imposed an undeclared emergency in the country, said the West Bengal chief minister in a press conference at the state secretariat.

Congress, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh ji, (Arvind) Kejriwal have protested against the demonetisation issue. Let all the opposition parties work together to save the country, she said, adding that BJP will lose deposits in upcoming elections.

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of conducting a surgical strike on the common people in the name of unearthing black money, she said that the demonetisation move was taken without any proper planning causing immense hardship.

The Modi goverment had misled the people on the surgical strikes (in POK). The people do not know what had happened, she said.

TMC Parliamentary party will raise the issue on the floor of Parliament and will seek answers on the issue of surgical strikes, she said.

Turning to Modis statement from Japan on the future steps to curb black money, she said, Now the Prime Minister is threatening the people of the country from foreign land.

What will he do? He can put us in jail or shoot us for raising voice. I dont care. He can also declare emergency, she said.

Terming the demonetisation move as dangerous, disastrous and draconian, Banerjee demanded that a probe should be carried out by the chief justice of India to find out the financial loss in the country during the period after the announcement of demonetisation of high value currency.
The likelihood of like-minded, socialist and secular parties joining hands before Uttar Pradesh polls has taken a beating with many regional parties rejecting Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadavs merger offer.

On Friday, Mulayam had ruled out the prospects of a grand alliance in the state, adding that the merger of regional parties with SP was the only plausible option.

Mulayams offer has, however, hardly found any takers.

When other regional parties were keen on a merger ahead of last years Bihar elections, the SP chief walked out on us. Since then, much water has flown down the Ganga. The JD (U) is not willing to consider the merger proposal at this juncture, the partys newly appointed secretary general KC Tyagi said.

Read | Rift in Yadav family could impact ties ahead of UP polls

Ajit Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), rejected the merger option. Mulayams brother Shivpal approached us with the proposal. The SP chief now talks of a merger. The RLD cannot accept the proposal, party spokesman Trilok Tyagi said.

Janata Dal (Secular) secretary general Danish Ali said a decision on the merger could not take on the eve of an important election. The JD (S) organisational elections are concluding and the partys national convention is being scheduled ... At this stage, it is impossible for us to consider the merger idea, he said.

Only the RJD  whose chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has a matrimonial alliance with the SP  adopted a cautious approach. Politics is evolving in a manner that  if smaller parties are to survive  they need come together. But modalities need to be meticulously worked out..., party spokesman Manoj Jha said.

Also read | Yadav family feud: Damage irreversible, now SP govt at stake
We also should do something so that the adversary be vigilant

Why does the Azerbaijani side periodically shell and bomb the RA and the NKR borders? The freedom fighter Shahe Achemyan today at the press conference answered, The solution to all the diplomatic issues has entered a deadlock. They tried in April, but the international community was able to stop large-scale war. One thing is clear that this issue will be solved through war; simply we dont know when the large-scale war will break out, as its not us, who plans. We should always be ready to resist that sudden attack during the first hours. Another speaker, Commander Vova Vartanov, head of Art of staying alive NGO, founder of the first sabotage-intelligence squad, says why we should always guess the adversarys attacks, and not to be the attacking side, Now the ball is in the adversarys field. If we always let the enemy decide in which direction to attack, one day they will shell Vanadzor and Yerevan. Not being the attacking side is a big mistake of our political and military mind. It is a subject of great prudence for me that the new Minister of Defense isnt a military figure; he should always look up and not at the adversary. Mr Vartanov gave very strict assessments to the fact that we adopted the strategy of not being the attacking side, If you are not the attacking side, it means that you dont practice and arent ready. We also should do something so that the adversary be vigilant. Occasional attacks by our side are not only a matter of honor, it is a matter of strategy, it is a matter of preparing soldiers. Diplomacy can simply extend this war. He thinks that the world only reckons with the attacking sides, Lets recall Hitlers story; the world negotiates more with the aggressor, and in our case escalations on the border mainly happen either before Turkish days of mourning or before negotiations. We should treat Azerbaijan like a dog; it bites, and you can restrain it by saying foo, make it do something; we should thought our adversary, our dog, to bring us beer, share the oil. Our current reflector policy is implemented even by frogs; we carried out such experiments at school, when we put a frog without a head into acid, it was able to raise its leg. Commander Vova Vartanov thinks that our combat readiness is good in some places, in other places it is excellent, especially in the frontier zones, But if we teach the soldier only to defend, it may have bad consequences. Lets be a dragon, yet we are a white knight and we only defend, yet, for defending the homeland one must even take sneaky steps. He supports the idea that 1000 drams are charged for the army, but he has different approach, I agree to certain percentage, for example if some traffic rule is violated, some percent is charged at the end of the month. There must simply be control.
A lawyer for five suspected SIMI men lodged in Bhopal Central Jail failed in his court-approved mission to meet the clients on Saturday, prompting him to approach the police.

While counsel Parvez Alam claimed prison authorities demanded an untrue submission from him, jail superintendent Dinesh Nargave said his office was only going by routine formalities.

Alam registered a complaint at Gandhinagar police station, alleging that Bhopal Central Jail authorities denied him a meeting with the five clients despite permission from the judiciary.

The district and sessions court had, on Friday, allowed Alam a 20-minute meet with the five operatives of the banned Islamic students organisation inside the jail. Judge Ram Kumar Chaube, while dismissing a revision petition filed by the Madhya Pradesh government, specified that the lawyer should stick to the rules of the state jail manual.

On Saturday, when Alam reached the Bhopal Central Central Jail at 10.35 am, he was asked to fill up a form. The lawyer said he was asked to write that Adil, Irfan, Javed, Zuber and Mohammed Sadiq, who he wanted to meet, were his relatives.

They are my clients; not relatives. I dont understand why they are behaving like this, Alam told HT. They are now trying to frame me, too, as a SIMI activist.

The jail authorities showed disrespect to Fridays court order, he added.

Superintendent Nargave denied Alams allegations. We took his identity proof, and also wanted him to fill up a form. It is a routine procedure, he told HT. We never stopped him from meeting his clients.

On Thursday, chief judicial magistrate Bhubhaskar Yadav had pulled up the government for its delay in informing the court about the alleged October 31 jailbreak by eight alleged SIMI activists, who police shot down within hours on the city outskirts.

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Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who has been undergoing treatment since September, has recovered and she can leave the hospital whenever she feels like it, Apollo Hospitals said on Saturday.

The AIADMK chief was admitted to the Chennai facility with high fever and dehydration on September 22, but news of her treatment has been tightly controlled with cryptic health bulletins adding to the many rumours flying around.

We have already said that her infection is fully under control, Dr Pratap Reddy, chairman of the Apollo group of hospitals, said. There is no major change in treatment, its a question of what is comfortable to her.

Though there were reports that Jayalalithaa had high fever and dehydration, initial press releases from the hospital failed to throw any light on the exact nature of her ailment. In its bulletins, all that the hospital said was Jayalalithaa was responding well to treatment.

A statement in the first week of November said Jayalalithaa had fully recovered and was now conscious and aware of things around her.

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Two people were arrested from the RS Pura sector on the international border in Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly spying for Pakistan and sharing secret information on social networking app Whatsapp, police said on Saturday.

Police received the information that Satvinder Singh and Dadu were in the area along the international border in Suchetgarh sector and were taking pictures of security establishments, a police officer said.

Both of them were nabbed and during their questioning, they revealed that they were collecting the secret information regarding the locations of the army and other security forces to share with Pakistan through Whatsapp, he said.

Both of them have been arrested and booked under various sections of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), the officer said, adding further investigations were on.
The Madhya Pradesh government has announced cash rewards for several villagers for helping security forces track down and kill eight SIMI fugitives last month, but records suggest most of the villagers had called an emergency police number while the encounter was already on.

The police claim the SIMI activists who had broken out of the Bhopal jail were killed on October 31 in an encounter that took place between 10.45am and 11.45 am in the capitals outskirts. They said the villagers had called the police control room and alerted them about the fugitives in the vicinity.

But out of the four calls received alerting the police about the SIMI men, three were made while the encounter was underway. One was at 11.02am, followed by two back-to-back calls at 11.09am.

The caller who dialled 100 at 11.02am actually told the police that he was following the fugitives headed towards a hillock near Khijradev village.

The call records that seem to dispute the police version of the events further deepen the mystery over the encounter that activists have slammed as staged.

The state government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the jail break and the encounter following a public outcry.

State officials refused to comment on why locals who had called while the encounter was on were being rewarded. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan felicitated the villagers and announced a collective award of Rs 40 lakhs at a public function in Bhopal a day after the encounter. The cash reward, however, has been kept in abeyance since the judicial probe is completed.

Amit Saxena, the superintendent of police of police control room, said three response vehicles (FRV) were rushed to the spot after getting the calls, but refused to comment on the inconsistencies in the timings. He said it would be improper to comment since a judicial probe is on.

Mohan Singh Meena, the village sarpanch who was among the villagers honoured by the CM, dismissed the inconsistency as mere coincidence. He said it was improper to question the encounter deaths.

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The government will check records since Independence and not spare anyone with unaccounted-for cash, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, thanking the poor for supporting the scrapping of high-value banknotes to rein in illegal money.

Speaking at an event in Japans Kobe, Modi said he saluted the common people braving hardships and backing the governments surprise decision to withdraw Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes  a move that has triggered panic and confusion across the country.

Read | Cash crunch, ATM under-utilisation, logistical issues make demonetisation a pain

This is a very big cleanliness campaign (Swachhata abhiyaan), not to inconvenience anyone, Modi said, to applause.

Desh ki gareebo ne ameeri dikhai (The poor have shown richness of heart).

He hinted at more anti-black-money measures after December 30, the last date for people to exchange old notes.

I would like to announce once again that after the end of this scheme, there is no guarantee that something new will not be introduced, Modi said.

But honest people will not face any problems.

Grateful to the Indian community for the warmth. Delighted to interact with them at the community programme. https://t.co/zdiDTBE0cg pic.twitter.com/RBmI0EY8NG  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 12, 2016

Modis announcement on Tuesday was aimed at draining illegal cash from the economy but has been criticized by the opposition parties, who allege the move will not help curb black money but hurt the poor and the common people.

I was pondering over the difficulties, our team was thinking of ways. But obviously I couldnt share it with anyone, Modi said, as quoted by ANI.

Read | Notes ready, banks ready, but ATMs? Why the cash dash wont go away soon

The government has warned that people who deposit money in excess of Rs 2.5 lakh come under the scanner. If peoples deposits dont match their declared sources of income, they may have to give up 90% of the wealth in taxes and penalties.

This is not an overnight decision, first we had brought in a scheme. Its not that no opportunity was given, it was given, Modi said, ANI reported.

The government has said citizens can exchange their old notes by December 30. Till 30 December, there will be no trouble caused to anyone. Everything that is yours, you will get it.

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Donald Trumps victory reflects a rightwing thriving in a vacuum according to an article in The Guardian on Thursday.

Its what Ive said since April 2000 about Hinduism  occupy it, own it and operate it, otherwise it falls into other hands. Its necessary because the gods are not going anywhere. This is their home and most people wont let them go. Why should they?

So why talk at Hindus, lets talk to them. Are they strangers? Why did we trash our own majority as if we were white Americans and they were immigrants? And why was liberal perfection expected only of them and of no other community?

Read: Why we celebrate Chhat Puja

Especially given the unique Hindu history of reform, was it not unrealistic on our part to kick the ladder we climbed instead of working together to colour the whole map of our country with the reforms that so many early-liberal families embraced?

In my view, 1989, when Hindus were thrown out of Kashmir, is a big reason for why there is silent ghettoisation across India. No other minority in India spoke up for the Hindu minority of Kashmir then. Not one is recalled to have. The liberal discourse was only about the Army. Alas, this reinforced the worst historical stereotypes in general perception: This what they do to Hindus when in a majority. At least I can keep them out of MY home.

The Rath Yatra was quick to tap into that in 1990, because the BJP actually talked to Hindus. It knew what people were saying among themselves. But the liberal narrative still goes straight from 1984 to 1992. None of us listened or talked to Hindus. We still dont make these connections.

Read: As Brangelina separate, a look at the nature of love

But its never too late to come out of the mid-20th century mindset. I dont believe that the regressives dont introspect; I dont believe that is true of regressives from any community. All communities have been playing their games. Now how about taking responsibility together, for the sake of our national health?

Meanwhile, the old global war between crusaders and crescentaders has reached another peak with Donald Trumps victory. As a Hindu whose country was ruled first by Hindus and in parts by Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, Jews and Sikhs, I tend to take the long view. Since my religion has never wanted to rule the world, I am able to dispassionately see that everybody had their turn. As for my religion, its bad points are rightly denounced but its good points are mine to keep.

While rulers have come and gone, our human covenant as people living together in one country has remained. We have a Constitution that is our equivalent of a modern holy book. Our interests are best served by aiming at human dignity for all. And that means, for one, that men of all castes and communities should have respect for all women. It means that one slice of the population should not try to control the lives or freedoms of any other slice citing tradition or culture.

Read: More from Renuka  Trampled, trodden under in the name of God

Where are you on this grid? And isnt it quaint (and convenient) to expect Donald Trump to personify liberal perfection, when you dont?

(The views expressed are personal.)

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What: The Yard American Smokehouse & Barbecue

Rating: **

Where: 1 & 1A, Old Bake House, Kala Ghoda

When: 12:30 pm to 12:30 am

Cost : About Rs 1,800 for two

Call: 2281-1023/ 1024

Before opening, most restaurants invite friends, family and potential guests for private dinners. This lets the service and kitchen staff familiarise themselves with the menu, figure out the challenges of a new space and work as a team.

Its would appear that The Yard has not run any of these exercises. The genial servers couldnt answer the simplest questions about the menu.

When I enquired about the sauce served with the lamb shanks, I was told its a brown sauce. A waiter with more initiative inquired with the kitchen, and returned to inform me that it was a conkachie sauce. This the manager tried to pass off as an alternative pronunciation of concasse.

Read: Hitchki restaurant review: A case of the hiccups

The servers werent particularly attentive either. Despite being the only diners there, we had to call out loudly to get cutlery.

The interiors, meant to resemble an industrial yard, look more like a workshop that has seen better days. Distressed walls, analogue switches, Edison bulbs and semi-private dining areas separated by corrugated aluminium sheets have been used to create an atmosphere of shabby warehouse chic. Its tacky, but not really annoying  except for the kitchen service door, fashioned from a corrugated sheet and a changing-room-locker door. It bangs loudly every time it shuts.

The French onion soup was overpowered by rosemary. (Bhushan Koyande / HT Photo )

Though the menu claims to be inspired by the industrial revolution & great tastes of those times its pretty straightforward casual dining, with a strong accent on meats. We started with a French onion soup that was so overpoweringly flavoured with rosemary, we abandoned it halfway.

Studded with garlic cloves and topped with oregano, the oven-baked camembert cheese fared much better. It was nice and runny and spread easily on the accompanying toasted garlic bread.

The one thing The Yard has got right is their meats  which are of great quality and perfectly cooked. The paper-thin slices of tenderloin of the carpaccio, served on a rectangular black tile, were fresh and unencumbered by unnecessary flavourings.

Studded with garlic cloves and topped with oregano, the oven-baked camembert was quite a treat. It is nice and runny and spreads easily on the accompanying toasted garlic bread. (Bhushan Koyande / HT Photo)

The topping of arugula, parmesan shavings and a balsamic drizzle, which appeared as a side salad with every course, was reminiscent of the presentation at the old 212 Bar and Grill in Worli. It came as no surprise then that Mikhail Shahani, previously the executive chef at 212, had devised the menu.

The braised lamb shanks were delightfully tender and meaty, though the sauce was dull. Since only the black pepper and mustard crusted tenderloin was available from the barbecue menu, we went with that. What a surprise it turned out to be! The meat was perfectly seasoned, you could taste the green peppers in the jus and, best of all, the meat was actually medium-rare and not overcooked.

All in all, it seems like The Yard is a passion project that needs industrial-sized dose of professionalism if it wants to survive in a competitive neighbourhood in the midst of a renaissance.

The paper-thin slices of tenderloin carpaccio, served on a rectangular black tile, are fresh and unencumbered by unnecessary flavourings. (Bhushan Koyande / HT Photo)

(HT reviews anonymously and pays for meals)
The special court set up to hear the 2008 Malegaon blast case rejected Major Ramesh Upadhyays bail plea on Saturday.

Upadhyay was booked for his role in hatching the conspiracy along with Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit. The two were members of Abhinav Bharat, an extremist Hindu organisation. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which probed the blast, alleged that Upadhyay attended meetings  during which the conspiracy was hatched  at Bhopal, Faridabad and other places.

On January 25 and 26 in 2008, a secret meeting was held at Faridabad, during which Upadhyay accepted Purohits theory that a separate constitution and flag (bhagwa flag) were needed for a Hindu Rashtra. He participated in a discussion on the formation of a central Hindu government (Aryawart) against the Indian government and proposed to form this government in Israel or Thailand, reads the charge sheet filed by the agency.

Upadhyay, in his bail plea, said recordings of the meetings showed that the organisation held only general discussions regarding the establishment of Abhinav Bharat. These are aimless talks, sheer frustration expressed by the accused on societys state of affairs, and utopian ideas, which could not have and have not been implemented in any manner, reads the bail plea.

Upadhyay said the meetings did not involve discussions on bombing Malegaon. He also questioned the agency for not implicating Abhinav Bharats president and other members who attended these meetings.

Special public prosecutor Avinash Rasal objected to the bail plea. The prosecution contended that though the meetings did not involve explicit discussions on bombing Malegaon, the atrocities committed by Muslims were discussed.

Rasal contended that call data record (CDR) analysis of Upadhyay and Purohits mobile phones showed that the two were in contact. He said Abhinav Bharats earlier president and other executive members withdrew their membership from the organisation owing to Purohits activities.

Considering the prosecutions case and evidence presented by the anti terrorism squad (ATS) and NIA, the special court refused to grant bail to Upadhyay.

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If youre wondering what Nassim Soleimanpours White Rabbit Red Rabbit is about, dont ask the performer. He or she wont know either. The award-winning play, performed from New York to Auckland and translated into some 20 languages since it premiered in the UK in 2011, is a bit of an oddity.

The performer is handed the sealed script only when hes faced his audience; no one can perform more than once; and Soleimanpour asks only that the producers pick a performer who knows nothing of the play but prepare an ostrich impersonation beforehand.

It sets the stage for an unusual experiment. The play needs no director, the audience cant help but participate, and the playwright, in absentia, emerges as a thought-provoking character.

Soleimanpour, an Iranian writer, devised White Rabbit Red Rabbit after he was denied a passport for refusing to do military service. The play was his way of travelling the world without leaving. For years, he requested that a front-row seat be reserved for him at every staging.

Then, at a health check-up in 2012, he was found to have an eye disorder, exempted from national service and finally allowed abroad.

Soleimanpour first saw his play in Australia in 2013. Over the years, it has been performed more than 1,000 times, by performers as varied as actors Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane and George Takei and filmmaker Ken Loach.

In India, it has been performed close to 20 times in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune, by people ranging from Ashwin Mushran to Richa Chadha.

Soleimanpour is now set to visit India for the first time, to watch a Hindi translation of his play performed by Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, as part of the Literature Live! festival, on November 20.

Excerpts from an interview:

White Rabbit Red Rabbit sprung from your sense of isolation. And yet it is not about Iran. Was that deliberate?

Absolutely. I dont want to discuss my identity as an Iranian. Everybody has an Iran story. You go to Iran, take a cab from the airport and the driver will be forced to talk about his country, the economy, the situation. People coming out of Iran are stuck telling that story too. I wanted to delve deeper into the structure of theatre.

Was it difficult to see your play for the first time after it had already done so well around the world?

I sneaked into a show in Brisbane, and seeing a stranger mouth my words and identify as me was most confusing. The lady next to me recognised me from my picture in the booklet, and I quickly shushed her  I wanted to stay hidden and didnt know why. A critic recognised me as I rushed out towards the end and offered me a cigarette, my first in three years. I didnt eat or sleep that night.

But at the next show  a beautiful pregnant woman was performing  I jumped out of my seat and interrupted the play. I said I am the real Nassim Soleimanpour. The woman had to check her script to see if this was part of the act! Ive watched so many versions now, and its different every time. Islam describes hell as the embodiment of all your sins before you. And I have to say, after all these years, some bits make me cringe.

What do you hope for from each performer, apart from that ostrich act?

The play breaks from training, theatre tradition and rehearsal, so there is no good and bad way to perform what you have never seen. But Im always looking for a balance between the writer and the performer. Improv people do it differently. Some do such unexpected things with the script. I wish more writers were doing plays like this.

You give out your contact details in the play. What kinds of responses pour in?

People whove intervened or interrupted the ending always write in, thinking theyre the only ones who responded in that particular way. But people around the world have the same primitive reaction to a primitive impulse. As for the responses, I thought I was a writer, but I became a full-time reader after I started to get 50 to 60 emails a day. Its whats fuelled a new play, Blank, last year. Its script has several blank sections, leaving audiences to fill in the gaps using their own imaginations.

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The usage of fake certificates by people seeking to obtain jobs or pursue higher education has plagued the University of Mumbai for years. An RTI revealed that in the past four years, MU has filed close to 1,200 FIRs against students or ex-students who produced fake certificates.

Most of these cases were brought to the universitys attention by higher education institutes or companies, which suspected the documents produced by the candidates.

I filed the RTI after the fake degrees of our state education minister and former union HRD minister made news. My aim was to find out what the university does with such complaints. Are the culprits punished or simply let off with warnings? It was good to see that at least FIRs were registered, said Vihar Durve, a city-based RTI activist. While the university finally shared the names and details of culprits who were caught with fake certificates, Durve said he had to appeal to a higher authority twice to finally get a reply.

MU officials said cases of bogus certificates were forwarded to the police by the respective departments. Using fake certificates to seek jobs or higher education is wrong. By using the name of a reputed university on these certificates, the candidates are defaming the university. We make sure that the culprits are brought to justice, said M A Khan, registrar, MU.

According to the information revealed through the RTI, MU made 1,186 complaints in the academic year 2012-2013. However, Durve stated that little has been done to curb the malpractice.

The number of complaints received by MU hasnt decreased over the years, which means that the university needs stricter rules to put an end to this practice. Better software will help the university avoid such cases in the future, he said.

Total cases

2016-----278

2015-----282

2014-----273

2013-----353

V-C made 5 foreign trips in 10 months

Another RTI filed by activist Anil Galgali revealed that MU vice-chancellor (V-C) Sanjay Deshmukh has been on five official international trips in the past 10 months, making him one of the top foreign-touring VCs in Maharashtra. The RTI shows that W N Gade, VC of Punes Mahatma Phule University, has gone on five trips in the last ten months too. While Deshmukh travelled to Israel, Moscow, China, Germany and South Korea, Gade went to USA, China, Germany-Sweden, Canada-USA and London. Further inquiries have revealed that the Governor of Maharashtra has a total of 27 official foreign tours of VCs in the last four years.

These official trips have not been funded by the university. We have revealed the purpose of all these visits to the public through fortnightly press conferences, Deshmukh told HT, speaking about him nickname as the globe trotter VC of the state.

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Passengers returning to Mumbai after Diwali vacation may face problems, as intercity bus operations have been affected by the shortage of lower-denomination currencies. The movement of goods  including essential commodities  are likely to be hit next week, said transporters.

The government has extended the deadline for accepting the Rs500 and Rs1, 000 notes to midnight, November 14. This is likely to improve the situation and give relief to transporters.

The Modi governments earlier deadline to exchange these notes at petrol pumps and other establishments was midnight on Friday. Transporters had asked for the deadline to be extended as there was a shortage of the new currencies.

The Mumbai Bus Malak Sanghatana  one of the largest bodies of bus operators in the city  said they have been forced to keep their buses parked in the absence of cash.

It is impossible for bus owners to operate. Intercity bus operations will collapse and come to standstill, creating huge losses for passengers and bus owners, said Malik Patel, leader of the Sanghatana.

Patel said they had asked the government to extend the deadline, till the new currency notes were made freely available to the public.

The government has restricted cash withdrawals from ATMs to Rs 2,000. People cannot withdraw more than Rs10,000 from banks at a time and more than Rs20,000 in a week. Bus operators said they have no money to advance to drivers and cleaners.

Truckers said almost 30% of goods-carrying vehicles have been stopped as drivers and conductors do not have cash.

Logistics and import-exports are hit. The movement of essential commodities has been affected, said Baba Shinde, leader of transporters.

Shinde said transporters generally give Rs30,000-Rs40,000  in higher-denomination currencies  to their drivers and cleaners for their daily expenditure. However, several trucks were stuck en-route as nobody, including government departments at boarder check posts, are accepting discontinued notes.

Every driver does not carry their PAN card or Aadhar card with them, so they cannot even exchange notes at local banks, said Shinde. He said it is impossible for the vehicles to continue the journey unless their owners manage to send them money via other trucks passing on the same route.

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Anger, disappointment and desperation amid chaos and confusion. That sums up the mood outside banks across Punjab as people stood in queue for hours on Saturday to exchange the demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and withdraw cash in lower denomination.

For the third day, most ATMs ran out of cash due to the rush. Many ATMs were shut.

Daily-wagers were worst hit. We are tired of hearing about black money. Sanu te matlab vi nahee pata, lekin sabto zyada dikkat sanu hi aa rahi hai (We dont know the meaning of black money but are suffering the most). We are born to stand in queues, said Jalandhar resident Kamla Devi.

Customers argued and scuffled outside Punjab National Banks Shivpuri branch in Ludhiana when few tried to force their way into the bank. Hosiery firm worker Rehmat Ali, 42, said he was in queue since 8am but could neither deposit cash nor exchange his notes till noon. It was his second day off from work. I have no bank account. Neither do I have cash to buy ration, he said.

Retailers and wholesale traders felt the pinch, too. We have cut purchase to less than half. Retail vegetable and fruit-sellers are not lifting goods on cash. Prices have fallen, so have our profits, said Kulwinder Singh, a commission agent.

Industry representatives complained their transactions were hit owing to less liquidity.

Queues outside a bank in Bathinda. (HT Photo)

BANKS BRACE UP

Struggling to meet the demand, banks expect more rush on Sunday.

We are loading lakhs in the ATMs but the cash just vanishes. More than 1,500 customers come for cash withdrawal and exchange to our branch and only 800 return satisfied. We need new notes of Rs 500 to make the inflow better, said an Amritsar-based banker, not willing to be named.

Yesterday, we packed up at 2.30am. The staff worked without a break, said a Hoshiarpur HDFC branch head Jatinder Narang.

Banks have seen more customers operating lockers of late. Earlier, six people would operate lockers in a day but for the past two days, over 60 have come, the Amritsar-based banker said.

Jewellery showrooms in Ludhiana were closed for the second day after the income tax raids that led to the seizure of unaccounted cash running into crores. Suspecting illegal transactions after demonetisation, more raids are expected.

TAKING A TOLL

Despite the Centre extending the suspension of toll tax on highways till Monday, the toll plaza near Neelon was found charging commuters Rs 39 per car. The staff refused to accept demonetised notes. Toll was collected at barriers on state highways with no waiver order from the Punjab government.
Residents continued to make beeline for banks across the city to deposit discontinued currency notes and withdraw notes of smaller denomination on Friday as well, three days after the central government pulled Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes out of circulation.

Rush at the banks was double the one witnessed on Thursday.

People could be seen queuing outside the ATMs in various markets as early as 8am, though many ATMs were operational by afternoon.

Not all banks could stock their ATMs with cash, resulting in harassment to people.

ATMs of Bank of India were not functional. Bank officials said t they did not receive enough cash from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Our ATMs will be functional from tomorrow onwards, said a BoI official.

I rushed to ATM in the morning as I had to deposit fee at my college for some project, but there was no money. I again visited the ATM at 3pm and stood in a long queue, but the machine went out of money by the time my turn came, said Reena Gupta, a college student.

People were seen losing calm as well. Elderly people were seen standing in long queues to collect money.

It is very suffocating inside the bank. I am standing in the queue for an hour and have now started feeling sick, said an elderly woman at a bank in Sector 17.

We attended to more than 900 people. Majority of the people were from eastern states, said another BoI official.

Many government banks functioned till 7pm.
Deep Malhotra,61, Shiromani Akali Dal

Deep malhotra (HT Photo)

Constituency: Faridkot

Education: Class 12

Assets declared in last polls: Rs 17.3.cr

Electoral record

2012: Defeated Avtar Singh Brar of Congress by 2,727 votes

2007: Didnt contest; Avtar Singh Brar won this seat for the Congress

Assembly record

Questions asked: 34

Call attention moved: 0

Power punch One of the biggest liquor barons of the state

What next Ticket not sure as party might change candidate

How he performed

The liquor baron-cum-politician says that this time too, when elections take place, he will go to the people and ask for the mandate on the basis of work done for the constituency. Indeed, work on a sewerage line and on streetlighting has begun lately. The Golewala minor canal was also constructed in his tenure, providing irrigation to more than 80,000 acres of land. However, the residents state that no major project was initiated in the area for overall development and uplift of the unemployed. A sugar mill remains defunct in the area. Waterlogging, lack of a proper sewerage, and broken roads continue to be civic hazards. Factionalism in the local SAD unit is a problem area for Malhotra, who may or may not get the chance to seek votes again.

Voter speak

His liquor business flourished but he rarely bothered to serve the people. Now, as elections are approaching, development works have begun, to woo the voters.

Jagtar Singh, 65, lawyer

Most political leaders work for themselves rather than people. Malhotra is known for being soft-spoken soft nature and non-controversial but he failed to ensure development.

Surjit Singh, 35, retired banker

By the way

In liquor trade, but claims to be teetotaller

Surjit Kumar Jyani,62, Bharatiya Janata Party

Surjit Kumar Jyani. (HT Photo)

Constituency: Fazilka

Education: Class 10

Assets declared in last polls: Rs 2 cr

Electoral record

2012: Defeated independent candidate Jaswinder Singh Rocky by 1,692 votes

2007: Defeated Mohinder Kumar Rinwa of Congress by 16,059 votes

Assembly record Health minister

Power punch From old, staunch RSS cadre; rare rural face for the BJP

What next Likely to fight again, he remains strongest BJP leader here

How he performed

Considered aggressive, he is the health minister and dealt quite strictly with his department officials. Back in his constituency, Jyani remains a grassroots politician, often on a spree of inaugarating development works, especially in healthcare. A standout achievement is the launch of a 100-bed cancer hospital project in the town. He claims to have won over every community in his constituency, banking on separate community centres for different caste-based groups in villages. He faces strong opposition in the municipal council from the Congress. He had said he would get opened the Sadiq border with Pakistan to boost the regions economy. This, he claims, is his only promise that remains to be fulfilled.

Voter speak

Jyani carried out his intentions for development well, but was not able to make people happy. His being non-expressive and his slips of tongue are obstacles.

Varun Gagneja, 36, forensic expert

Our MLA is a hard-working man, who has been able to deliver as health minister with the upcoming 100-bed cancer hospital. But he will have to face anti-incumbency in general.

Kanwal Sethi, 53, restaurant owner

By the way

Known for remarks such as, Liquor is not nasha!

Tomorrow: Jalalabad, Kotkapura, Jaito, Rampura Phul
This otherwise non-descript tiny village on the Punjab-Haryana border wouldnt have caught attention but for the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal that took place here on April 8, 1982. The canal meant to transfer water from rivers passing through Punjab to Haryana is now a bone of contention between the two states.

A day after Supreme Courts adverse (in context of Punjabs stand) decision, Kapuri village has again become hub of political activities. The village and all routes leading up to the canal are full of people belonging to different political and farmer outfits, raising anti-SYL Canal slogans.

The Punjab government has also deployed police personnel on the canal banks.

The Aam Aadmi Party has opened an indefinite morcha (front) to not let water flow from outside Punjab through this canal. A similar frontDharam Yudh Morchawas opened here by the Akali Dal in 1982.

Ram Gopal Sharma, 66, who was a witness to the ground-breaking ceremony by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, said, Our groundwater level has gone down and farmers need canal water. Punjabs stand against sharing water is legitimate.

Farmer Leela Singh, who had come from Deelwal village of Sangrur, said, I have come here to join the morcha. I was part of the 1982 morcha. Our Malwa region direly needs water and wont allow construction of this canal at any cost. How the Courts can decide cases without hearing farmers who are the real stakeholders. He, along with a dozen farmers, has come here to show solidarity with the movement against the canal.

After the state denotified the land acquired for the project, the villagers were happy that some of them will get back the land.

Instead of playing politics, all principal parties of Punjab should fight it together. Forming a tribunal to decide the water share is the only solution. The political rhetoric is due to ensuing elections, said Gurpreet Singh, 22.

AAP starts protest, vows to save water at all costs

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday started a morcha for indefinite period at Kapuri village and vowed to go to any extent to save the interests of Punjab on the water-sharing issue.

AAP Party leader Sanjay Singh with APP party workers holding a protest at SYL Canal near Ghanour Town in Patiala on Friday. (Bharat Bhushan/HT Photo)

The AAP leaders held both Akali Dal and Congress responsible for the controversy surrounding the SYL Canal, and claimed that the party will resolve the issue if it forms the next government in Punjab. However, there was no word how the party will achieve that. The party leaders also didnt answer queries regarding AAP convener Arvind Kerjiwals silence on the issue.

Prominent leaders of the AAP who addressed the gathering, included state convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich, Punjab affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh, Jarnail Singh, HS Phoolka, Sukhpal Singh Khairaa, Kanwar Sandhu and others.

Waraich said Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder was responsible for the SYL Canal accord, and he was now shedding crocodile tears to get political mileage. If Captain Amarinder is serious on protecting the water of Punjab, he should resign from the Congress, Waraich said, adding that Captain should ask his boss Rahul Gandhi to clear his stand on the issue.

It is unfortunate that Rahul Gandhi has hailed the opinion of Supreme Court on the SYL issue, and on the other hand, his party MLAs have resigned from Punjab assembly. Doesnt that show the double standards of the Congress? he said.

The AAP leaders said chief minister Parkash Singh Badal must clarify the stand of the BJP on the issue as Modi-led central government took anti-Punjab stand in the Supreme Court. If Badal is serious, he should sever political ties with the BJP and instruct his daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal to resign from the Modis cabinet, said Sanjay Singh.

The leaders said they launched the morcha to assure the farmers that the party was with them and wont allow the canal.

Supreme Court lawyer and AAP leader HS Phoolka said, Punjab is not bound to adhere to the opinion of the Apex Court. If Punjab is forced to give water to any other state, it will happen on the bodies of farmers and AAP leaders.

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Actor John Abraham says he might start his first Marathi film production by March next year.

Present at the trailer launch of Marathi film Fugay (Baloons) in Mumbai on Wednesday, John congratulated director Swapna Waghmare Joshi, and said: Its a fantastic trailer. According to me, this film will do a great business. I am very lucky to be working with Swapna in future as a producer and may be as an actor too.

I am doing my first production with Swapna and we are hopefully starting in March. Its a fantastic script. I am really excited and looking forward to working with her.

The actor, born to a Malayali father and a Zoroastrian mother, was brought up in Mumbai.

I know how to speak in Marathi, though my grammar is not good, but I am proud of being a Marathi mulga (boy) as I am born and brought up in Mumbai. I am a hardcore Mumbaikar. My best friend lives here. I studied in Bombay Scottish School and I love this place, said John.

The actor was happy to be part of the trailer launch event with all the Marathi talent and said Bollywood needs to learn from Marathi and Malayalam cinema.

Hindi films should learn from Marathi and Malayalam films as their content is far more superior than our content. We should especially borrow their talent in order to make good cinema.

Fugay is a story of two friends, played by Swapnil Joshi and Subodh Bhave. Actor-director Nishikanth Kamath will also be seen in a role of a villain in the film.

The trailer is absolutely outstanding, very commercial and all our young audience will go and watch this film. Though I am not producing it, I promise that I will go and watch first day first show of this film, said John, who is awaiting the release of his film Force 2.

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop
Robert Vaughn, the debonair, Oscar-nominated actor whose many film roles were eclipsed by his hugely popular turn in televisions The Man From U.N.C.L.E., has died. He was 83.

Vaughn died Friday morning after a brief battle with acute leukemia, said his manager, Matthew Sullivan.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was an immediate hit, particularly with young people, when it debuted on NBC in 1964. It was part of an avalanche of secret agent shows (I Spy, Mission: Impossible, Secret Agent), spoofs (Get Smart), books (The Spy Who Came in From the Cold) and even songs (Secret Agent Man) inspired by the James Bond films.

In this Sept. 18, 1979 file photo, actor Robert Vaughn poses with his Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actor for a drama series in "Washington: Behind Closed Doors." during the 31st Annual Primetime Emmy Award presentation in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP)

Vaughns urbane superspy Napoleon Solo teamed with Scottish actor David McCallums Illya Kuryakin, a soft-spoken, Russian-born agent.

The pair, who had put aside Cold War differences for a greater good, worked together each week for the mysterious U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) in combatting the international crime syndicate THRUSH.

Girls age 9 to 12 liked David McCallum because he was so sweet, Vaughn said in a 2005 interview in England. But the old ladies and the 13- to 16-year-olds liked me because I was so detached.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. also was a big hit abroad, particularly in McCallums native Great Britain.

The show aired until early 1968, when sagging ratings brought it to an end. In his The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Book, Jon Heitland blamed its demise on a shift from straight adventure to more comic plots in the shows third season that turned off many viewers, as well as time slot changes.

Vaughn and McCallum reunited in 1983 for a TV movie, The Return of the Man From U.N.C.L.E. in which the super spies were lured out of retirement to save the world once more. McCallum has found stardom anew in his 14th season playing Dr. Donald Ducky Mallard on the hit CBS drama NCIS.

He said he was utterly devastated after learning of Vaughns death.

Robert and I worked together for many years and losing him is like losing a part of me, McCallum said in a written statement.

Actor Robert Vaughn answers questions during the panel for the AMC television show "Hustle" at the Television Critics Association 2007 winter press tour in Pasadena, California, U.S. January 12, 2007. (REUTERS)

In recent years, Vaughn had starred for eight seasons on the British crime-caper series Hustle, playing Albert Stroller, the lone Yank in a band of London-based con artists. Hustle also aired in the U.S.

I imagined that Napoleon Solo had retired from U.N.C.L.E., whatever U.N.C.L.E. was, Vaughn recalled in 2006. What could he do now to use his talents and to supplement his government pension? I imagined Stroller as Napoleon Solo, The Later Years.

Before U.N.C.L.E. Vaughn made his mark in movies, earning an Oscar nomination in 1959 for his supporting role in The Young Philadelphians, in which he played a wounded war veteran accused of murder.

The following year, he turned in a memorable performance as a gunfighter who had lost his nerve in The Magnificent Seven.

Making that movie, Vaughn recalled in 2005, had presented the cast with a vexing problem: no script.

We had to improvise everything, he said. I had to go to the costume department myself and choose the black vest and the black hat.

A liberal Democrat, Vaughn became passionately opposed to the Vietnam War while he was making U.N.C.L.E. and delivered anti-war speeches at colleges and other venues around the country. He also debated the war with conservative William F. Buckley on the latters TV talk show, Firing Line.

Vaughn became a friend of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and campaigned for him during his 1968 run for the presidency. When Kennedy was assassinated that year, Vaughn was so upset that he moved to England for five years.

Returning to the U.S., the actor decided to resume his education. He had already earned a bachelors degree in theater arts from California State University, Los Angeles, in 1956, and a masters degree from the University of Southern California in 1960.

He returned to USC, where he earned a Ph.D. His doctoral dissertation was an overview of the House Un-American Activities Commissions effect on American theater. It resulted in a well-received book Only Victims: A Study of Show Business Blacklisting.

Vaughn was drawn to politics in several of the TV roles he chose. He portrayed Harry S. Truman in The Man from Independence, Woodrow Wilson in Backstairs at the White House and a presidential aide in the 12-hour Washington: Behind Closed Doors, for which he won an Emmy.

He also toured in a one-man play F.D.R. about Franklin D. Roosevelts battles with polio.

Vaughn remained active in movies in later years, usually in character roles. Among his films: The Venetian Affair, The Bridge at Remagen, Julius Caesar (the 1970 British version starring Charlton Heston), The Towering Inferno, S.O.B., Superman III and Delta Force.

Robert Francis Vaughn was born into a theatrical family Nov. 22, 1932, in New York City. His father was a radio actor, his mother performed on Broadway and his grandparents acted in theater.

His parents divorced when he was only 6 months old, however, and he was sent to live with his grandparents in Minneapolis, where he said his childhood was miserable. I cried all the time and I was always getting beat up.

After his grandparents died, Vaughn moved to Los Angeles. Spotted in a college play, he was signed to a contract with Burt Lancasters company but was soon drafted into the Army. After his discharge in 1957, he made his first movie, No Time to Be Young.

Long among Hollywoods most eligible bachelors, Vaughn married actress Linda Staab in 1974.

The breaks all fell my way, said Vaughn in 2006.

But was he really as cool as he appeared to his adoring audience?

Not according to my wife, Vaughn chuckled. Shes married to the guy who doesnt take the garbage out on Tuesday evenings, the guy she battles with to get me out of my jumpsuit and running shoes. She doesnt allow me in public unless I wear a tie and a coat.

Vaughn is survived by his wife, Linda Staab Vaughn, their son Cassidy and daughter Caitlin.

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Protesters gathered in several US cities for a third night on Friday to demonstrating against the election of Donald Trump, hours after the president-elect praised their passion.

As darkness fell on Friday, thousands took to the streets of Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, voicing anger at Trumps inflammatory and often deeply controversial campaign rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims and women.

In Miami, several thousand activists marched through the downtown, with a few hundred making their way onto a highway, halting traffic in both directions.

In New York, demonstrators again gathered in Washington Square Park and by Trump Tower, where the Republican president-elect lives, on Fifth Avenue.

Trump, who initially denounced Americans who protested against his election, saying they had been incited by the media, reversed course and praised them on Friday.

Trump took to Twitter saying:

Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2016

The tweets were further evidence of Trumps mixed messages since he announced his candidacy 17 months ago. After Democrat Hillary Clinton conceded defeat early on Wednesday, he took a far more conciliatory tone than he had often displayed during his campaign and promised to be a president for all Americans.

There were no reports of violence or arrests at Fridays rallies, unlike on Thursday night when demonstrators in Portland threw objects, damaging new cars at a dealership. Police there arrested at least 26 people.

In Los Angeles on Thursday night, police arrested about 185 people, mostly for blocking roadways or being juveniles out past curfew, according to police. One officer was hospitalised for injuries suffered during the protest.

Anti-Trump demonstrators have voiced concerns that his presidency, due to start on Jan. 20, would infringe on Americans civil and human rights.

They cited his campaign promises to restrict immigration and register Muslims, as well as allegations the former reality-TV star sexually abused women.

A demonstrator sprays graffiti during a protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday. (Reuters)

Protesters in various cities have chanted slogans, including No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here! and carried signs reading Impeach Trump.

White supremacist groups including the Ku Klux Klan have praised Trumps election, and some civil rights advocacy groups have reported a spike of attacks on minorities following Trumps victory on Tuesday.

Trump has rejected the KKKs support.

Most of the protests across the country, which have also taken place in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, have been largely comprised of young adults and college students.

With the country evenly divided, many voters were shocked by the result given that opinion polls failed to predict Trumps triumph. The Republican Party also managed to maintain its majorities in both houses of Congress in Tuesdays vote.

More anti-Trump demonstrations were planned for the weekend, including in New York and Los Angeles. A group calling itself #NotMyPresident has scheduled an anti-Trump rally for Washington on January 20, Inauguration Day, when the New York real-estate developer formally succeeds President Barack Obama.

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus on Friday acknowledged the tight race with Clinton, but said anti-Trump protesters have to accept the election results. He pointed to Trumps call for unity and meetings on Thursday with Obama and Republican leaders as reasons for reassurance.

Security barricades now shield some of Trumps most visible properties, including the newly opened Trump International Hotel near the White House and Trump Tower in New York.

Trumps base of support in the election was the broad middle of the country, from the Heartland through the Rust Belt, with voters in states that had long supported Democrats shifting to Trump after he promised to renegotiate trade deals with other countries.
It was supposed to be his grand valedictory tour. Now President Barack Obama must use his last major trip abroad to try to calm shocked world leaders about the outcome of the US election, and what comes next when Donald Trump is president.

Trumps unforeseen victory has triggered pangs of uncertainty at home and grave concerns around the world. Though Obama has urged unity and said the US must root for Trumps success, his trip to Greece, Germany and Peru forces him to confront global concerns about the future of Americas leadership.

In some ways, theres nothing to say, said Heather Conley, a Europe scholar at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Conley said Obamas trip, planned when it seemed certain Hillary Clinton would win, had been designed to reassure the world that the US had regained its footing after a toxic campaign that unnerved foreign capitals. Now the President has the unenviable task of telling his counterparts and explaining what Europeans are now coining the Trump effect, Conley said.

For months, Obama lent credence to those concerns as he urged Americans to reject Trump. Standing alongside Singapores prime minister in August, Obama said Trump was woefully unprepared because he lacked basic knowledge about critical issues in Europe, Asia and the Mideast. And during a visit to Japan, Obama said he wasnt the only world leader worried about Trump.

Read | White House meet impact? Trump doesnt rule out amended Obamacare

Theyre rattled by him, and for good reason, Obama said in May. Because a lot of the proposals that hes made display either ignorance of world affairs, or a cavalier attitude, or an interest in getting tweets and headlines instead of actually thinking through what it is that is required to keep America safe and secure and prosperous, and whats required to keep the world on an even keel.

Now, Obama must pivot and reassure the US and other countries that somehow, it will all be OK.

Ben Rhodes, Obamas deputy national security adviser, said the president fully expects Trumps election to be a dominant theme of the trip, but would emphasise his plans to keep carrying out his approach until Trump takes over. He said Obama would argue that basic US principles like honouring treaty commitments have historically survived even the most dramatic changes of administrations.

Hell want to use these conversations with leaders to express that view that given all the important issues that we face, no matter what our preferred choice may have been in the election, right now we as Americans have a stake in seeing this next administration succeed, Rhodes said.

Obama departs Monday on the six-day trip, stopping first in Athens, where hell tour the Parthenon, meet with the Prime Minister, and give a speech about democracy and globalisation that will take on new relevance in light of Trumps election. Hell use his visit to Berlin to show gratitude to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, his closest foreign partner, and to meet with key European leaders.

In Peru, hell attend a major Asian economic summit in Lima, and also meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Australian Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull.

For the most part, foreign leaders have politely if cautiously congratulated Trump on his victory, in public statements and phone calls.

Read | We dont know what this means: Shocked world reacts to Trump presidency

A few have been more effusive, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose perceived sympathies for Trump became an election issue and who now says he wants to fully restore US relations under President Trump.

In Europe, where Obama has sought unity with allies to counter Russias growing influence, Nato members are alarmed by Trumps suggestions that the US might pull out of the alliance if other countries dont pay more. Many of the same nations are wrestling with whether last years historic climate change deal can be salvaged after Trumps threats to pull the US out.

Conversely, Trumps America first motto has resonated deeply with nationalists and sceptics of globalisation who see Trump as a kindred spirit. After all, it was Trump who dubbed himself Mr. Brexit after the UKs vote to leave the European Union.

Americas Mideast allies are unsure what Trumps victory means for the nuclear deal with Iran, a foe of US partners Saudi Arabia and Israel, considering Trumps repeated but vague pledges to renegotiate that deal. And misgivings about Trump will certainly follow Obama to Latin America, where Trump has turned off many with his hard-line immigration stance and description of Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists.

Asian leaders who painstakingly negotiated a landmark free trade deal with the US are swallowing the reality that Congress will not approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership any time soon. Obama planned to meet with TPP country leaders Peru, but the White House acknowledged the deal is all but dead because Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell has ruled out a vote on it before Trump takes office.

Trump is vehemently opposed to TPP and similar deals. That could benefit China, which is eager to fill any void in regional leadership left by a US and has its own competing free trade scheme. Yet Beijing has reason to be wary, too: Trump has threatened a trade war with China and vowed to go after the Asian powerhouse for what he deems currency manipulation.

Read | Shock and awe: From Taliban to Putin, how they reacted to Trumps victory
With the world watching closely for signs of how rigidly Donald Trump will pursue his campaign promises, the US president-elect said on Friday he will retain some portions of President Barack Obamas healthcare reform he had vowed to repeal as a priority.

In his first interviews after being elected, Trump also seemed reluctant to prosecute his former Democratic rival Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server. He had threatened to appoint a special prosecutor to pursue the case during one of the presidential debates.

He told The Wall Street Journal he changed his mind on Obamacare after his meeting with the president, who had urged him to take a look at two provisions of the law. Out of respect, I will do that, he said.

When asked about prosecuting Clinton, Trump told the Journal, Its not something Ive given a lot of thought, because I want to solve health care, jobs, border control, tax reform. To CBS, he said Clinton was very nice when she called to congratulate him.

Its different now, he said, indicating a change in his approach.

As protests against his election continued for the third night running, Trump focussed on putting together his administration, most of which should be in place when his presidency is inaugurated on January 20.

He announced a revamped transition team, with vice president-elect Mike Pence taking charge of it from New Jersey governor Chris Christie, and which has three of this adult children  Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump.

This team faces the herculean task of finding people to fill 4,000 federal government positions that come and go with presidents over the next weeks  this process continues till long after the inauguration, and some positions will remain vacant for a while.

About 1,000 of them require Senate confirmation  all secretaries of the cabinet, deputy secretaries, undersecretaries and assistant secretaries  and some of them will be ready for confirmation soon after the inauguration.

Speculation is on about Trumps possible picks for the top cabinet positions of secretary of state, defense secretary, attorney general and treasury secretary, with new names being added to a lengthening list every day.

Senator Bob Corker, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, former US ambassador to UN John Bolton and former US ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad lead the race for the position of the nations top diplomat, the secretary of state.

Retired general Michael Flynn, senator Jeff Sessions and former National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley are running for the defence portfolio, and Trumps friends Tom Barrack and Steven Mnuchin lead the race for treasury.

Former mayor Rudy Giuliani and New Jersey governor Chris Christie are being spoken of as Trumps attorney general and former Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal was in the race for health, which could, however, go to Ben Carson.
Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

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Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

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There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

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The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

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This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

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OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border

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US President-elect Donald Trump said he will consider an amended version of President Barack Obamas signature health care law -- a shift in position after repeatedly vowing on the campaign trail that he would repeal the measure.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published on Friday, Trump explained that his shift came after White House talks on Thursday with Obama, who asked him to consider preserving parts of the Affordable Care Act.

Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced, Trump told the newspaper.

I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that.

Read | Fight with China, repeal Obamacare: What a President Trump would do

Trumps repeated attacks on the law were a central focus of his campaign, during which he used it to needle rival Hillary Clinton as insurance premiums rose for some enrollees, especially in battleground states.

But, while the ACA has faced unanimous Republican opposition since its enactment in 2010, the question of they could replace it has remained unanswered. About 20 million Americans have gained health insurance under the law, reducing the share of the public without coverage to below 10 percent, the lowest level recorded.

According to The Journal, Trump said he favored maintaining a prohibition on insurance companies denying consumers coverage based due to so-called pre-existing conditions. Before the law took effect, insurers had been able to refuse to cover people who had previously suffered almost any illness.

Trump also said he was not opposed to requiring insurers to allow children to remain on their parents insurance policies until the age of 26, a key Obamacare tenet.

Republican lawmakers have previously said they favour such policies.

Read | The first 100 days of a Trump White House: Sea change

The law is a flagship achievement of Obamas presidency and he vetoed Republican legislation last year which would have gutted central provisions of it, such as eliminating programs and subsidies that ensure coverage for poor and lower income Americans.

The Congressional Budget Office found in 2015 that the Republican measure would have increased the number of people without insurance by 22 million, a large share of whom would be children. The measure would have reduced government spending in the short term but resulted in a budgetary drain beginning in 2026.
What is a movie festival without a dash of colour and controversy! Sometimes, it is controversy that brightens up colour, and this writer has seen a canvas of controversy pepping up proceedings outside darkened auditoriums. In the early years of Cannes, starlets did the most outrageous things on the beach -- like dropping their bra and rushing into the arms of a hunk of a hero! What a tittle-tattle that caused in a world that was still not out of its conservatism. Later, nobody batted an eyelid when aspiring female actors posed topless on the Cannes beach for lensmen or when bare-chested women played volleyball on the sand.

Again, from the time when Iranian and other directors smuggled their works to festivals in the most ingenious ways with some films travelling in pen-drives buried inside delicious-looking cakes to more recent occasions when helmers banned from making cinema (like Irans Jafar Panahi) boldly exhibiting their fare (Taxi in Berlin) -- there has always been such kind of excitement in festivals that caused scandals of a different sort.

At other times, things can really hot up as they did at Busan in 2014, when a huge clash took place between the festival director and the city administration, which wanted a telling documentary -- about a ferry disaster in which 300 people perished -- to sink with the truth. The festival fought back and screened the picture.

Now, it seems to be the turn of the Cairo International Film Festival. Some weeks ago, the team of Tamer El Saids In the Last Days of the City (which premiered at Berlin last February) launched a campaign after the movie was taken off the festivals (November 15-24) competition list.

A note from the festival says: The administration has followed with deep regret the latest developments in the campaign launched by the team of the film, In the Last Days of the City, after its removal from the International Competition.

We feel that this campaign has gone too far by attacking the festival administrations artistic choices and by trying to tarnish the reputation of the festival by spreading lies and false insinuations. We removed the movie, because its team did not respect its commitment.

In the Last Days of the City will not be screened at Cairo. (Cairo Film Festival)

And what was that? Cairo had specifically asked Said to stop sending his work to other festivals, and he reportedly agreed. But, he is said to have gone back on his word.

Obviously, festivals are keen on exclusivity -- with Cannes, Venice and Berlin being extremely strict about this rule. Others -- like Cairo may insist -- that at least their competing entries are not shown elsewhere, except perhaps in the country where they have been produced.

This writer has not seen the film, but here is what a Variety review from Berlin had to tell us about In the Last Days of the City. As the title suggests, In the Last Days of the City is an elegy, a melancholic love-hate poem to Cairo and the role of filmmakers in any city in pain. A long-gestating project that was initially shot in 2009, the movie represents a self-reflexive expression, by debuting features helmer Tamer El Said, of profound weight and intricate sadness, grappling with loss in myriad forms through separation, death, politics and ineluctable decay. Largely fiction with nonfiction elements, Last Days benefits from time: Most instant responses to the Revolution now seem hopelessly dated, but Saids work, lensed before the uprising, takes full, intelligent advantage of hindsight. Its a natural fest item, with chances for targeted arthouse play.

Filmmaker Khalid (Khalid Abdalla) may be the lead role, but the real protag is Cairo itself, specifically Downtown, a district lived on the streets. Its an area of faded splendour caked with a century of dust and sand, characterized by overwhelming bustle: Its noise and hubbub merge with an unmatchable cafe culture, and its residents hear a siren song in the cacophony. Khalid needs to move apartments, but the number of unsuitable places his real-estate agent (Mohamed Gaber) shows leaves him frustrated, and the timing is lousy since his mother (Zeinab Mostafa) is in the hospital and his love Laila (Laila Samy) is leaving Egypt.

We will not see this Cairo on the festival screen.

(Gautaman Bhaskaran will cover the Cairo Film Festival.)

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop
A bogus faith healer who called himself Kamalji and conned many in Britain, United States and Canada of hundreds of thousands of pounds by claiming to be in spiritual contact with Sai Baba, has had his nine-year prison sentence extended by five more years.

Mohammad Ashrafi, 51, was found guilty in 2015 of 14 counts of fraud involving 18 victims. At a confiscation hearing in Leicester Magistrates Court last week, five more years were added to his sentence after he failed to pay back 613,500 conned from his victims.

Ashrafi, based in Leicester, promised to cure illness, bring luck, love and lucre to people, some of whom took loans to pay him. He advertised his services in Leicestershire by radio and newspaper adverts and on flyers which were delivered door to door.

Sachdev Virdee of the Asian Rationalist Society Britain told Hindustan Times on Saturday: I appeal to the Asian community that now is the time to wake up, think logically and understand that tantrics and babas have no more extraordinary powers than what you have.

He said the societys challenge to such individuals to scientifically prove their extraordinary powers and win 100,000 had still not been taken up.

At the confiscation hearing, Ashrafi was reportedly asked why he had not paid off the cash or given proof of his efforts to raise the money by selling land in India, or by other means. He said: "I am in jail not in India and I have done a lot of effort," and also blamed the economic situation in India for his failure to pay off the outstanding amount.

He was told that the longer the debt remains, the larger it will grow, due to interest, and the more time he will have to serve in custody. The interest on the outstanding amount stands at 123.53 a day, he was told.

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Four people were killed Saturday in an explosion inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, NATO said, with local officials blaming a suicide attacker posing as a labourer for the major security breach.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield, north of Kabul, which wounded 14 others as the insurgents ramp up their nationwide offensive before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs.

The nationalities of those killed and wounded were not immediately known after the explosion, which highlights rising insecurity in Afghanistan nearly two years after US-led NATO forces formally ended their combat operations.

An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded, NATO said in a statement.

Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident.

The blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base, said Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province where Bagram is located.

We dont know the identity of victims yet but the attacker was one of the Afghan labourers working there, Sediqi told AFP.

Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi described the explosion around 0100 GMT as powerful, saying it reverberated across the area.

The United States has around 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, with the largest contingent stationed at the Bagram base.

The brazen attack represents a major security breach inside what is regarded as one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan.

Afghan security personnel stop people as they block the road near the largest US military base in Bagram. (AFP)

Rising insecurity

To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences, said John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

For the family and friends of those wounded in todays attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was behind the suicide attack inside Bagram, claiming it inflicted heavy casualties on US invaders.

Bagram Airfield has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near the base in one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.

The latest assault came after a powerful Taliban truck bomb struck the German consulate in Afghanistans northern Mazar-i-Sharif city late Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding more than 100 others.

The uptick in attacks against Western targets comes just days after a bitter US presidential election.

Afghanistan got scarcely a passing mention in the election campaign -- even though the situation there will be an urgent matter for the new president.

President-elect Donald Trump is set to inherit Americas longest war with no end in sight.
Facebook accidentally declared its founder Mark Zuckerberg and many other users dead on Friday, acknowledging after fixing the problem that it had committed a terrible error.

For a brief period today, a message meant for memorialised profiles was mistakenly posted to other accounts, a Facebook spokesperson told AFP.

This was a terrible error that we have now fixed.

Media reports indicated that some two million errant memorials were posted on profile pages.

Even Facebook co-founder and chief executive Zuckerberg was memorialised in a message at his profile page expressing hope that people who loved him would take comfort in posts people shared in tribute to his life.

Poor Mark, read an @JudiD23 tweet that included weeping face emojis.

Couldnt happen to a nicer guy.

The social network apologised and said it worked as quickly as possible to correct the problem.

Damn. I should have used Facebook Live to show how I was Facebook Dead, Search Engine Land editor Danny Sullivan said in a message fired off at Twitter.

Facebook Live feature lets people broadcast video in real-time at the leading social network.

The mistaken memorial notices contained links to forms that can be submitted to have peoples accounts at the leading social network modified into online memorials after they die.

Part of the process is showing proof of death.

Some wondered whether the mishap was a botched test promotion of the feature, rather than a software glitch.

#FacebookDead

Comments tagged #FacebookDead or #FacebookRapture went viral at Twitter, with people joking that the scenario marked a fitting end to tumultuous week.

I think this is Facebook's way of flagging the people who died inside on Tuesday. #facebookdead  Bill Kalpakoglou (@billkalpak) November 11, 2016

A darkly humorous post on Twitter by @JnPhillip was in the form of a note reading

#FacebookDead



Dear Facebook,

Donald Trump does not get inaugurated until January 20th. Nuclear annihilation occurs Jan. 21st.



-Thanks  JnPhillip (@jnphillip) November 12, 2016

Naturally, Facebook waited until 2016 to kill us all, tweeted @kriheli.

Some quipped that the mistake shook confidence in Facebooks feature for checking on people after disasters, or its claim that hoax stories are not a worry at the social network.

A not-dead-yet Zuckerberg defended the integrity of News Feed stories during an on-stage chat at a Techonomy conference in California the night before being memorialised on his profile page.

Zuckerberg rejected the idea that bogus stories shared at the social network paved a path of victory for President-elect Trump.

The idea that fake news on Facebook, which is a very small amount of the content, influenced the election in any way I think is a pretty crazy idea, Zuckerberg said during an on-stage chat at the conference.

The News Feed at Facebook has evolved from early days of being about sharing personal tidbits with friends or family to becoming a platform for important news.
A suicide car bomber from the Islamic State group (IS) attacked Iraqi special forces in Mosul on Saturday, setting off heavy fighting in the northern city.

The early morning attack in the Qadisiya neighbourhood, which troops entered a day earlier, was followed by a barrage of gunfire, mortar rounds and rocket-propelled grenades, Iraqi officers said.

Fighting was also underway in the adjoining Arbajiya neighbourhood, the officers added, speaking on condition of anonymity because they arent authorized to brief reporters.

The Iraqi armed forces do not release casualty figures, but field medics have noted dozens of killed and wounded since the operation to liberate Iraqs second largest city began on October 17.

Iraqi special forces entered Mosul earlier this month, gaining a foothold on the citys eastern edges. But the advance has slowed as they push into more densely populated neighbourhoods.

Read | IS kills over 60 in Mosul, victims dressed in orange and marked traitors

The urban landscape inside Mosul proper makes defence easier for the militants, eager to hold on to the last major Iraqi stronghold of their self-styled caliphate. Defeat in Mosul would be a major blow to their project, and they have said they are ready to fight to the death.

To the south of the city, militarised Iraqi police have come within five kilometers of Mosuls airport, which satellite images show has been heavily fortified.

The images, taken earlier this month by US-based private intelligence firm Stratfor, show IS fighters have cleared terrain and levelled buildings around the airport and a nearby former military base on the west bank of the Tigris River. Rows of concrete barricades, earthen mounds and rubble are blocking other key routes into the city center.

Read | Mosul battle rages as IS bombings elsewhere in Iraq kill 20

In Baghdad, meanwhile, bombings killed at least nine people and wounded 32 others, according to police and medical officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The deadliest of the attacks hit the Kifah neighbourhood in the city center, ripping through an area full of auto repair shops, killing three and wounding 10.

The capital has seen near-daily bombings since the Mosul operation began, but no large-scale attacks. Militants frequently target security forces and the Shiite majority as part of its campaign to destabilize the country.

Also read | Islamic State hits back in Mosul, but faces new Raqqa front
A man set a woman on fire following an argument in a restaurant in Japan, local media reported on Saturday, in a rare act of violence in the country.

The 52-year-old Iranian man was seen pouring liquid over his 36-year-old Filipina girlfriend before setting her alight at the eatery in Ibaraki prefecture, north of Tokyo, on Friday, reports cited police as saying.

Workers at the restaurant called an ambulance, saying: People are burning.

The couple was taken to hospital with severe burns and both remain unconscious, public broadcaster NHK said.

There were several customers inside the restaurant at the time of the incident, but no one else was injured, the reports said.

Police are treating the case as attempted murder.

The man and woman had been advised by police to stay away from each following a dispute involving their child, Kyodo News reported.
Pope Francis has a weakness for elderly ladies, especially crafty ones, he said in an interview published in a new book of his sermons and speeches while he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Sometimes I feel the urge to get out of the popemobile. And this often happens when I spot old ladies, especially the crafty ones, Francis said in the interview.

Old people speak to you with their stare, said the pontiff, who turns 80 on December 17.

The book In your eyes are my words hit Italian bookstores this week and is edited by the director of Italian fortnightly magazine Civilta Cattolica, Antonio Spadaro.

Presenting the book on Thursday at the Vatican, Spadaro said its title refers to Pope Francis need to look people in the eyes when he is talking to them.
They arrive in their hundreds every month, their heads full of dreams of new lives in Europe. In reality, many of them are destined for years of sexual slavery.

And in Italys migrant-saturated southern ports, prising these young Nigerian girls away from their traffickers is a formidable challenge.

With each new landing of migrants rescued at sea, the well-worn processing procedures have an almost ritualistic aspect to them: a first identification interview, cuddly toys for the children and a specialist from the International Organization for Migration paying particular attention to any young women.

Nigerian females have been landing in Italy in significant numbers since the 1980s, lured by the promise of jobs only to find themselves with colossal debts to the traffickers who got them here.

The trade has exploded in recent years. According to IOM figures, 433 Nigerian women arrived in 2013, 1,454 in 2014, 5,653 last year and 7,768 in the first nine months of 2016.

We estimate that between 70 and 80 percent of them are in danger of being forced into prostitution, said the IOMs Luca Pianese, adding that the numbers do not include hundreds of minors.

Some of the women will end up working on the streets of Italy, others in France, Spain, Austria or other European countries where demand seems to grow incessantly.

Pianese, who works as part of a 13-strong team that includes two women of Nigerian origin, has learned how to spot the signs that newly arrived women have been trafficked.

Most of the victims come from Edo state in southern Nigeria, they invariably have had only the most basic education and say they can remember little about how they got from Nigeria to the Mediterranean.

Smashing dreams

Usually the women have a phone number they have been told to call when they arrive.

Sometimes they will be accompanied by a minder. You have to separate them from false sisters and pretend husbands, said Pianese.

Then comes the painful bit. They arrive here full of hope, confident they are headed for a better future, the aid worker says.

Unfortunately our duty is to smash their dream.

That involves explaining that the future envisaged for these young women involves long hours perched on the edge of out-the-way roads, servicing 10 to 20 clients a day for less than 20 euros (dollars) a time with no guarantee that some of the punters will not be violent.

There is also some positive news to be shared: Italian law guarantees residency rights and social support to women trafficked for prostitution, even if they have not got to the stage of being forced to sell their bodies in Italy.

Despite that, the IOM says barely 300 women accepted such help between the start of 2015 and the end of August.

According to Nigerian nun Monica Chikwe, who coordinates a network of safe houses for trafficked African women, that is not surprising.

In Nigeria, no one tells the truth and when they hear about Europe all the girls can see are sequins, she says.

For many, abuse and violence starts en route, in particular in Libya. Yet a degree of gratitude persists alongside fear of the people smugglers who, after all, have delivered on their promise to get them to Europe.

50,000 euro debt

Even those women savvy enough to suspect that all might not be as it has been presented to them have little idea of the violence that awaits them -- or how hard it will be for them to repay the debts they have incurred.

Typically this will be between 20,000 and 50,000 euros (dollars).

These are sums way above what other migrants have paid, says Maurizio Scalia, a public prosecutor in Palermo in Sicily who has been helping to track down individual traffickers and now wants to expand the scope of his investigation to get a picture of the whole system.

Adding to the problems involved in smashing the smugglers business model is the fact that many of the victims have taken part in voodoo ceremonies before they leave Nigeria and fear reprisals against their families if they do not pay back their debts.

As a result, most of them will maintain a stony silence until they reach reception centres, where traffickers will come to find them. In such cases, all the IOM can do is give them an emergency number they can call at any time.

Sometimes it works. Earlier this month Sicilian police were able to liberate a young Nigerian who had landed on October 24 and dialled for help after being kidnapped by three of her compatriots and told she would have to prostitute herself to reimburse 30,000 euros.

The toll-free number received some 150 calls in 2015 and the first half of this year.

Faced with the sharp increase of young women confronting the same plight, the Italian government recently allocated 15 million euros to establish specialist reception centres.

They are already nearly all full.
While US president-elect Donald Trump may appear to have moved on from the election race, his campaign rhetoric  especially that involving trash-talking rivals, women and ethnic minorities  may have found a disturbing new home: schools across the country.

In the past few days, white students at a Wisconsin school formed a human wall to keep out Hispanic students, students in a Pennsylvania school chanted Cotton picker, Youre a n***** and Heil Hitler, and swastikas showed up in a Maryland school bathroom.

Accounts such as these, that have been reported from all across the country, according to posts on social media by parents, or friends of parents, teachers and anti-discrimination activists, could not be individually verified, but are causing concern.

This election season has been particularly difficult, Jack R Smith, superintendent of schools of Montgomery county in Maryland, wrote in a note to parents on Friday.

Welcome to the Trump era. Students wrote hate speech in bathrooms of Maple Grove high school in Minnesota. Not even children are safe. pic.twitter.com/weXILatKOS  CallMeWin (@WintanaMN) November 10, 2016

Graffiti Hate Speech Appears in Bucks County High School https://t.co/8D6v1np270 #philly pic.twitter.com/lyRJpaJ7D6  Philly News Now (@phillynewsnow) November 10, 2016

It caused a great deal of emotion among many members of our community  Now that the election is over, it is our job to restate our core values as a school system  demonstrating that we respect and care for every person in our community. First and foremost, we must reassure our staff and students that our school buildings are safe places where we truly value and respect every single individual and do not tolerate bullying or hate speech.

Similar notes have gone out to parents in other states as well. One from a county in Pennsylvania on Thursday acknowledged it had experienced acts of vandalism and harassment at Council Rock North in the aftermath of Tuesday's presidential election.

Read more | Reports of hate crimes, racist graffiti spike in US after Trumps victory

Swastikas were found painted on the wall of a bathroom, with a warning, if Trump wins, watch out, and Trump. F*** gays. The note also mentioned inappropriate comments made to Latino students  one of them was told to go back to Mexico.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a body that monitors discrimination, warned of the Trump Effect on schools in April during the primary season, which, it said, posed a challenge starkly different from any in recent memory.

In a report titled, The Trump Effect: The impact of the presidential election on our nations schools, which was based on a survey of school teachers, the centre said it had found a disturbing increase in uncivil political discourse.

The report also found an increase in anti-Muslim or anti-immigrant sentiment among students.

Though the survey did not pinpoint any one candidate, Trump was mentioned in more than 1,000 of the 5,000 comments collected. Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton, in contrast, were mentioned in fewer than 200, all told.

Though too young to vote, the children knew what was happening. Every student, from preschoolers up through high school, is aware of the tone, rhetoric and catchphrases of this particular campaign season, the report noted.

The negativity is being reflected in hateful offensive graffiti, racist and ethnic slurs and abuse, sometimes physical, being reported in schools from all over the country.

Jas Russo, an African American mother posted on Facebook about her daughters experience at school just hours after Trump was declared elected: Well  just called me in tears. She said today in the hallway, children were yelling out to HER and other non white kids That they need to go back to Africa. Also since trump won people like me won't be in this country anymore.

During lunch at a Michigan middle school white students chanted, Build the wall, Build the wall, which was captured on video by a student.

Also read | Hate attacks sweep US after Trump elected
It has been 2 years since crash of Mi-24 helicopter

On November 12, 2014 the NKR DA military Mi-24 helicopter was shot down by the Azerbaijani armed forces. After the crash of the helicopter, the NKR DA and the RA MoD issued a statement, according to which the helicopter in Artsakh had been participating in the RA and the NKR armed forces Unity-2014 joint operative-strategic military trainings. The Azerbaijani side, though, claimed that the Armenian helicopter had attacked their posts, after which they opened fire and shot down it. After the adversarys statement the video of the helicopters crash was disseminated on the internet. The video clearly showed that the statement of the Azerbaijani side didnt correspond to reality. The video clearly displayed that two Armenian helicopters didnt pose a threat to the Azerbaijani posts, though the Azerbaijani serviceman Ilkin Muradov shot down one of the helicopters with Igla missile. Examining the maximum speed and distance of Igla missile, the specialists proved that the helicopter hadnt crossed the Azerbaijani border and had been in a neutral zone. As a result of the crash of Mi-24 helicopter, all the members of the staff were killed- Major Sergey Sahakyan, Senior Lieutenant Sargis Nazaryan and Lieutenant Azat Sahakyan. After the incident the Azerbaijani side for about ten days was shelling the area, where the helicopter fell down, so that the Armenian side couldnt take the bodies of the killed pilots out of the area. Though, on November 22, as a result of the actions carried out by the NKR DA special squads, bodies of the deceased pilots and the helicopters black boxes were taken out of the area. After the crash of Mi-24 helicopter, a number of international structures called for peace between two sides, and a number of Azerbaijani officials noted in their official statements that in case of further provocations by the Armenian side, they would continue taking steps and shooting down helicopters. As of now the situation on the border escalates from time to time; the Azerbaijani side doesnt stop provocations. The recent messages prove that in the northeastern (Yarymja) and the northern (Talish) directions of the Line of Contact, the Azerbaijani armed forces use mortars, rifle weapons, including Black arrow and Istiglal large-caliber sniper rifles.
During the US presidential campaign, Donald Trump was savaged for his lack of international experience and often eccentric comments on US foreign policy.

While his foreign policy team has fewer well-known names, the evidence is that most of the senior positions are not without qualifications.

The names around whom there is the greatest buzz:

Michael Flynn

A retired three-star general who headed the Defence Intelligence Agency who is so close to Trump that he was

Retired Gen. Michael Flynn, left, introduces Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally on September. (AP)

considered a possible vice-presidential candidate. Resigned from the Obama administration because of its claims that Al Qaeda was no longer a threat. One of his countrys leading hawks on Islamist terrorism. Has called for US to work with Russia and revive ties with friendly Arab states to fight the Islamic State. Seen as a possible national security advisor. One of the many registered Democrats in the Trump team.

INDIA will be facing a man who knows about the Haqqani network and Lashkar e Tayyeba but must reinforce Pakistans perfidy in promoting terrorism.

Newt Gingrich

A former Republican legislator with long mainstream credentials. He argues Trump is neither hawk nor dove, but owl on the foreign policy spectrum. Believes in a more aggressive US diplomatic and military posture,but one used more cautiously and more selectively. Has publicly said he believes the Pakistani system gave safe haven to Osama Bin Laden but unenthusiastic about US role in Afghanistan. Fascinated with big picture impacts of technology and geopolitics. Equipped with a doctorate but often criticised for ideological flip-flops, Gingrich is the closest thing to a statesman Trump will have.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista arrive to watch Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during the grand opening of the Trump International Hotel- Old Post Office, on October 26 in Washington. (AP)

INDIA needs to stimulate his mind, explain on broad canvas how the India-US relationship should be the cornerstone of the 21st century. And take him to the Infosys campus in Bangalore.

Jeff Sessions

US senator who chaired Trumps national security advisory team during the campaign. Sessions, as a member of the Senate armed services committee, led the campaign against allowing Syrian refugees into the US and is seen as a likely secretary for homeland security.

Senator Jeff Sessions speaks at a rally for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at Ambridge Area Senior High School on October 10. (AFP)

INDIA should hand over as many dossiers on Pakistans links to terror as he can hold.

Stephen Hadley

President George W. Bushs national security advisor from 2005 to 2009 and one of the few mainstream Republicans who declined to denounce Trump.

Stephen Hadley (United States Institute of Peace)

One of the key architects of the Indo-US nuclear deal, New Delhi would be reassured if he gets a senior position in a Trump administration. Pentagon chief is among the positions that he is reportedly being considered for.

INDIA has to work with him on how best to further the Bush legacy towards India that he helped construct.

Peter Navarro

A University of California, Irvine economist who has emerged as a key Asia-Pacific strategist for Trump. Argues for the US and its Asian allies to massively increase their military presence in the Western Pacific.

(University of California, Irvine)

Once a member of the Democratic Party and served the Peace Corps in Southeast Asia.

INDIA needs to stress how its policy of strategic autonomy is the perfect match for a Trump policy that wants other countries to share the burden of global security.

Walid Phares

A former member of the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies, a pro-Israeli organisation that has spearheaded campaigns against the Iran nuclear deal and Hamas.

Walid Phares (walidphares.net)

One of a number of fringe analysts on Trumps team who obsesses about Muslim attempts to impose the Sharia law within the US.

INDIA being ruled by a Hindu nationalist party and being so close to Israel should keep us in his good books.

Joseph Kellogg

A retired lieutenant general who was operating officer for the USs occupational authority in Iraq from 2003 to 2004.

The US occupation during the time proved a failure. Kellogg later worked for private defence consultancies. May not actually take an administration position.

Joseph Kellogg (ballotpedia.org)

INDIA will have to outline its new West Asia engagement and stress its burgeoning defence relationship with the US.

Carter Page

An ex-Merrill Lynch oil and gas man who worked in the Caspian Sea region. One of the many businessmen who are part of Trumps circle. Strong advocate of closer ties with Russia, but dont expect him to be supportive of green energy given his background.



Carter Page (AP File)

INDIA will say how much it agrees with a rapprochement with Russia but also that clean energy is also good geopolitics.
Donald Trumps worldview is distinct, consistent and, as critics have noted, similar to a 19th century form of isolationism. The foreign policy team he is assembling also has a worldview that includes a strong military, a preference for allies who share the security burden, and an enemy list topped by the Islamic State and China. US foreign policy under Trump will be a mishmash of these two similar but separate schools of thinking.

An article in Politico carefully perused everything Trump had said about the world in the past three decades and found he has a remarkably coherent and consistent worldview.

Trumpism has three core tenets. One, the USs allies benefit from the security it provides but leave the bills to Uncle Sam. We are laughed at around the worldfor defending wealthy nations for nothing. Our allies are making billions screwing us, he once said.

Two, Trump believes the US is getting a raw deal from the global economy. He had opposed every trade agreement in living history.

All this would have resonated with a 19th century Republican voter: this was mainstream thinking until the world wars.

His foreign policy team has similar views, but rather than isolationists, they can be called minimalists. They want other countries to stop freeloading, feel America shouldnt slay demons in far-off lands, and are much more transactional in areas like trade. Their positions align with Trumps on America First, the overriding theme of his administration .

Daniel Twining of the German Marshall Fund says Trump will take a tougher line than Barack Obama on both China and Pakistan, be more pro-Israel and will fight the IS. These would accord with Indian interests, he argues.

Past statements and writings of team Trump make it clear that the US will not turn its back on an aggressive China or psychopathic IS. But it will mean the US will seek to counter both threats only if others contribute their blood and treasure. Thus the possibility of deals, like the US lifting sanctions against Russia in return for help in tackling the greater threat of Islamic State.

Trumps vision of the pivot to Asia is big on warships but hostile to the use of trade to constrain China. His advisors write of adding 100 warships to the US navy, urging Japan and even Taiwan to increase military spending, but abandoning the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But it wants its Asian allies to foot a lot more of the bills. As one wrote, its only fair and long past timefor each country to step up to the full cost-sharing plate.

The Islamic State is rated enemy number one. Many Trump advisors believe they need to resuscitate ties with key West Asian countries and Russia to wipe out IS. Again, the US will pursue a hardline approach but wants others to share the cost. However, the nuclear deal with Iran does not find much favour with the new dispensation.

A Trump administration foreign policy seems set to reverse many of the policies carried out by Obama. Russia, Mexico, China and Iran have been issues during the elections, says Richard Fontaine, president of the Centre for a New American Security. They are areas of great dispute rather than consensus. India, he notes, hasnt been much of an election issue because there is a basic bipartisan consensus on closer ties with India and this will carry over into a Trump administration.

But Trump echoes, in a rough and ready way, many of the broad brushstrokes of his predecessor. Obama also complained about freeloading allies and felt the US should avoid military quagmires.

One area where the two differ strongly, however, is on the type of world leaders they admire. Academics of few words, like Manmohan Singh, were Obamas favourites. The Politico article shows Trump to have a long-standing admiration for big sticks and strongmen.

Speaking of the Tiananmen Square massacre, he once said of the Chinese government, they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength.

Noticeably, Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi were among the few world leaders who got a thumbs up from Trump during his campaign.
The rivalry is already showing signs of having begun!

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's girlfriend, is beginning to show a humanitarian streak that puts Kate Middleton in the shade. With the Duchess of Cambridge already having the label of being "work lethargic", it is doubtful whether she will be able to match the Markle Sparkle.

In her blog, thetig.com, Meghan talks about her humanitarian contributions at a refugee camp in Rwanda. She writes: "I've never wanted to be a lady who lunches - I've always wanted to be a woman who works. And this type of work is what feeds my soul, and fuels my purpose. Guiding my heart through the swinging pendulum from excess to lack of access is sometimes challenging." She also added several photos from her trip.

Observers find that Markle's humanitarian work and social conscience matches that of Prince Harry. The couple seems to have a social awareness that is not present in Prince William and Kate Middleton. It seems as if the second brother and his wife would continue to take Princess Diana's legacy forward.

The list of labels that are being pinned on Markle is long. She is called more "caring, compassionate, intelligent, and articulate." The Duchess is charged with being envious, especially as Prince Harry will probably be taking the relationship forward.

Apart from her normal schedule, Kate Middleton is said to have not really done anything. If left to herself, she would just back out of being the center of attention. But if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle start to attend refugee camps together in Africa, the Duchess of Cambridge would remain jealous of the attention they will receive.

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Esteemed Houston rap veteran Mr. 3-2, an original member of the legendary Screwed Up Click, was shot and killed at a gas station in southwest Houston. The 44-year-old rapper, whose real name is Christopher Barriere, was one of two victims in the shooting, which occurred some time late Thursday night or early Friday morning (Nov. 11).

Before the shooting began, Barriere, the other victim, the shooter, and one other man were gathered outside of the gas station. Homicide police say all four men knew each other, reports Houstons KTRK-TV. Two of the men went inside, and then the shooter, still outside, pulled out a pistol and killed the first victim with a shot to the back of the head. The suspect then drove away from the scene, but he soon returned, this time with a shotgun, and killed the second victim by shooting him in the face. It has not yet been reported whether Barriere was the first or second man to be killed.

When the killer came back to the gas station, he reportedly also fired at bystanders with whom he had no affiliation. Police have confirmed that one witness was shot in the leg, and no other injuries have yet been reported. In addition to the several witnesses, there is apparently extensive surveillance footage of the incident. After returning to open fire for a second time, the shooter was able to flee the scene, reportedly driving either a white or grey four-door car.

Mr. 3-2 was signed to Rap-A-Lot Records, and he was part of groups such as The Convicts, Southside Playaz, and Blac Monks. He has collaborated with the likes of Snoop Dogg, UGK, Scarface, and 8Ball & MJG. Many artists have shared their condolences and paid tribute to Mr. 3-2, aka The Governor, on social media.

Mr. 3-2
Possibility to resume flights between Yerevan and New Delhi discussed (video)

On November 12, Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia, met with Shri P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, the Civil Aviation Minister and Special Envoy of the Government of India. Welcoming the guest, Minister Nalbandian noted that Armenia attaches great importance to the continuous development of relations with India, based on centuries-old friendship between the two peoples and the mutual understanding between the two countries. Thanking for the reception, the Special Envoy of India emphasized that his country highly values the further strengthening of friendly relations with Armenia. During the meeting the discussions focused on the issues on the agenda of the Armenian-Indian bilateral cooperation, as well as international and regional matters. The sides also touched upon the necessity to intensify bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade and economy, science and education, healthcare, tourism and culture, agriculture. The interlocutors commended the cooperation within international organizations. The importance to intensify inter-parliamentary contacts, expand legal framework, organize high-level mutual visits was outlined. The Ministers discussed issues regarding cooperation in the sphere of Civil Aviation, as well as the possibility to resume flights between Yerevan and New Delhi. Edward Nalbandian briefed the guest on the consequences of military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh in April and the situation in negotiation process they have resulted. Foreign Minister of Armenia outlined that Armenia highly appreciates the continuous support of India to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through negotiations. The Special Envoy of the Government of India, in his turn, highly appreciated Armenias support to the issues sensitive to India.
Two days after Donald Trump won the White House, Exxon Mobil official Suzanne McCarron made clear the oil giant's position on climate change.

In a tweet Thursday, she wrote, "The Paris agreement is an important step forward by governments in addressing the serious risks of #ClimateChange."

Trump made waves on the campaign trail vowing to "cancel" U.S. involvement in the pact, which was agreed to by close to 200 world leaders in Paris almost 12 months ago. And since Trump's victory in Tuesday's election, Republicans have cheered a quick end for President Barack Obama's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But it doesn't look like Exxon Mobil, a steady GOP donor, is on board.

McCarron, the oil giant's vice president of public and government affairs, linked to a statement that appeared to be written last week when the company commended officials for the "entering into force" of the climate deal.

"The Paris agreement and the initial Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) pledged by its signatories reflect the dual challenge of minimizing greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring the world has adequate access to affordable and reliable supplies of energy," the statement read.

Investors have increasingly speculated that oil companies could face a dire financial future as world governments work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Major oil companies like Exxon Mobil and BP are advocating for countries to clear up the uncertainty and put carbon regulations in place.

Under the Paris agreement, countries would dramatically ween themselves off fossil fuels over the remainder of the century toward limiting a rise in global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius.
Kelcy Warren, chief executive of Energy Transfer Partners, said Friday that despite pressure from environmentalists, his company will move forward with the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota and projects in West Texas, and he will remain on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

Warren was the target of protests this week when environmental activists and American Indian groups demonstrated at a parks commission meeting in Austin, where they called on Warren to stop building pipelines or resign from the panel. Warren was named to the commission about a year ago by Gov. Greg Abbott.

In an interview, Warren said he's honored to serve on the parks board and won't resign.

"Conflicts of interest? Absolutely not," he said.

Warren said he supports practical environmentalism, including building thick pipelines with carbon steel instead of cheap plastic to prevent leaks.

"Our pipelines are extremely safe," he said, and much safer than shipping oil by truck or rail.

The Dakota Access Pipeline project in North Dakota has drawn the national spotlight because of the opposition from the nearby Standing Rock Sioux reservation, which has become a rallying cry for environmentalists. Police have arrested hundreds of people during protests, and some activists have sustained injuries.

Warren blamed false information and photos on social media for stirring much of the controversy for a project that's 99 percent on private land. No little girl was mauled by a dog, he said, citing a 2012 photo that was falsely used as a stand-in for Dakota Access protests.

Warren said he's "supremely confident" Energy Transfer will soon get the final easement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the project. Energy Transfer is mobilizing to move forward with construction. There is little work left to do in North Dakota, except near the Missouri River, although the company is still working on sections in Iowa.

Warren also said he still plans to meet with one of Tuesday's protesters, Mescalero Apache and Society of Native Nations board member Pete Hefflin of Houston, as he promised. Some Texans have protested Energy Transfer's Trans-Pecos and Comanche Trail pipelines from West Texas to Mexico. The former runs near Big Bend Ranch State Park.

Both are slated to be completed early next year.
SAN ANTONIO - San Antonio's Cancer Therapy & Research Center will affiliate with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in a move that UT officials said will expand cancer treatment services throughout the southern part of the state.

The San Antonio institution will be known by a new name - UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center. The partnership will give patients in 38 South Texas counties greater access to the Houston-based health care giant's treatment protocols, standards of care, clinical trials and research, UT officials said Tuesday at a news conference in San Antonio.

The endeavor will eventually allow the San Antonio cancer center to treat a larger volume of patients, said Dr. William Henrich, president of the UT Health Science Center, where the cancer center is based.

"We're doing this because there's a major increase coming in the number of cancer cases in our region because of the age of our population," Henrich said.

MD Anderson will help identify an executive director to lead the clinically integrated program. The highly regarded Houston institution will also help boost recruitment of faculty, teach its best practices to physicians and enhance clinical trials.

Both cancer centers are part of the UT System.

"What we are very focused on in this collaboration is to provide higher quality care - the best care possible in the world today to the people in San Antonio and throughout South Texas, where they live," MD Anderson President Dr. Ronald DePinho said.

More than 1,000 patients travel outside San Antonio for cancer care each year, said Gary Woods, chairman of the San Antonio Cancer Foundation. Many go to Houston to seek treatment at MD Anderson, regarded as one of the best cancer centers in the country.

While the name of San Antonio's cancer center is changing, it won't be a satellite or branch of MD Anderson, Henrich said.

"This is not a legal merger that involves a blending of bottom lines," Henrich said. "This is the responsibility of our health science center to make successful."

Health science center officials who oversee the San Antonio cancer center had been exploring a possible relationship with MD Anderson for months.

San Antonio's Cancer Therapy & Research Center, founded in 1974, has been losing market share in recent years.

Its patient volumes remained flat even as the number of cancer patients in the area increased.

The affiliation will allow the UT Health Science Center to make a number of improvements to its cancer treatment facility at the South Texas Medical Center. Those will include a newly renovated patient and family welcome center, a larger and more efficient pharmacy, an infusion center and a diagnostic suite. Those renovations and upgrades will be finished by the middle of next year.

The health science center will reimburse MD Anderson for some costs the Houston institution incurs to launch the clinically integrated program. That exact dollar amount is not yet known, Henrich said.

Both sides are still negotiating how much of the San Antonio cancer center's revenue will go to MD Anderson as a result of the partnership, Henrich said. No specific dollar figures or percentages were publicly disclosed.

This is the fifth co-branding partnership that MD Anderson has formed in the United States. The Houston powerhouse has similar partnerships with four cancer centers in other states: Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center in San Diego, Calif.; Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert, Ariz.; MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper in Camden, N.J.; and Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center in Jacksonville, Fla.

One drawback of similar hospital affiliation agreements is that fewer entities control the market, opening the door to higher prices, said professor Ed Schumacher, who chairs Trinity University's health care administration department. But he doesn't believe that's a danger facing San Antonio.

"I don't think in this case there's a real risk of any of that, in part because it's a national market," Schumacher said. "In general, people will travel longer to get cancer care than to get their knee replacement done."

The new collaboration will be beneficial to both MD Anderson and San Antonio's cancer center, said UT System Chancellor William McRaven.

"This is not a case of MD Anderson being the big brother and San Antonio being the little brother," McRaven said. "This is the case of two strong research institutions coming together to be even better as a result of the partnership."

DePinho said MD Anderson will work closely with physicians here in San Antonio.
Paul Petronella's beloved Montrose staple is exactly the sort of restaurant that would be greeted by glad cries in any neighborhood. The Italian fare is simple and reliably well-executed  and, because the pastas are made in house, much better than it has to be. The prices are affordable. Smartly chosen wines are available by the glass. The counter staff actually makes semi-service palatable. Best of all, the kitchen can deliver a plate of brisk, lemony chicken piccata and make you remember why that old chestnut became a classic in the first place. Which is not as easy as it sounds.

WHAT TO ORDER: Rigatoni Bolognese; bucatini Amatriciana with smoked bacon and red chile flakes; bucatini puttanesca; canestri (shell pasta) with mushrooms, sage and marsala cream; summer salad; shrimp BLT.
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Teryn O'Brien has stopped calling herself evangelical. As a 28-year-old living in Colorado Springs, Colo., O'Brien has held concerns with the conservative brand of evangelical Christianity for several years now, but she described this election as "the final straw."

O'Brien said American evangelicals have historically held the upper hand in America and are seeing that power slip away. Searching to recapture it, many of them turned to Donald Trump, someone she sees as racist, misogynist and antithetical to Christian behavior.

Now O'Brien, who attends an Anglican church, has dropped the "evangelical" label, simply calling herself a Christian. But she said it has become hard to distinguish "evangelical" from "Christian," given that evangelicals make up about a quarter of the U.S. population.

Among evangelicals, which as a group are about three-quarters white, are definitely the loudest group by far, she said. And so they often get the most attention. Exit polls show 81 percent of white evangelicals across the country backed Trump, the vast majority of whom are Republican and lean conservative, constituting the highest percentage that has voted for the Republican nominee since they voted overwhelmingly for President George W. Bush in 2004.

"This election has truly shown the underbelly of the toxic relationship that can develop between politics and religion," O'Brien said.

Political divisions have run deep within churches and families, and observers say this election cycle has exposed underlying political and racial divisions within Christianity as a whole, but especially among evangelicals. As a result, some religious leaders are afraid of damage done to the perception of the Christian faith in the United States during this election cycle and fear its long-term effects.

Tensions high

Evangelical pastors say tensions have soared during the election season, and some are questioning whether they can even continue to use the label evangelical for fear of being associated with Trump.

"I keep trying to disavow that I am 'that' brand of evangelical, but after tonight, I don't know if I even want to have any association with that label anymore," Helen Lee, an evangelical author, said.

Eugene Cho, a pastor of an evangelical church in Seattle, said that his church building was recently painted with "F- organized religion," though he is unsure whether it's connected to Trump or the election.

"The election has made things more hostile or given permission to people to be more aggressive on both sides," Cho said.

Cho, who has pledged that he will never endorse a candidate from the pulpit, joined a group of evangelicals in the fall condemning Trump, arguing his campaign "affirms racist elements in white culture."

Who speaks for us?

The letter, which also was backed by about 80 evangelical pastors and other leaders, decried Trump's comments on women, Muslims, immigrants, refugees and the disabled.

"People just think that all evangelicals support Donald Trump or support particular platforms or a certain way of thinking," Cho said. "This was just to communicate there isn't a monolithic thought within the so-called evangelical wing of Christianity."

After a video of Trump was released showing he joked about sexually assaulting women, some religious leaders said that while his comments were inappropriate, he was still the best leader for the country. Others rejected the idea that those leaders were speaking on everyone's behalf.

"The evangelical support of Trump will be an indictment against its validity as a Christian movement for generations to come," Richard Rohr, a Franciscan author and teacher, tweeted after those comments.

Some leaders are worried about the lasting impact this election will have inside churches. Russell Moore, who leads the Southern Baptist Convention's political advocacy arm, is deeply concerned about the impact of Christian leaders who defended Trump and the potential damage it has had within churches, especially among women and younger evangelicals.

"One evangelical woman said to me, 'I've spent all my life saying the church is going to be a place where you can go when you face this sort of thing.' Now I'm looking around, and a pastor is saying 'This isn't a big deal.' That's going to take a lot of work to undo," he said.

The contrast between different groups of religious voters this election season is striking, said Mark Silk, professor of religion in public life at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.

Polls ahead of the election showed Catholics divided, and that many Mormons abandoned the Republican Party compared with years past. But evangelicals voted for Trump in even greater numbers than they voted for Republican candidates Mitt Romney and John McCain.

"Trump has been a candidate where one could say, 'Is there no point at which you won't vote for the Republicans?' " Silk said. "I think that's what's given away the extent to which personal identity for religious conservatives and churchgoers has become wrapped up in Republicanism."

In their book, "American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us," Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam and Notre Dame political scientist David Campbell argue that the extraordinary rise of people who affiliate with no religion is due in part to their rejection of its entanglement with politics. Today 22 percent of the population says they have no faith.

"For many, their aversion to religion is rooted in unease with the association between religion and conservative politics," Putnam and Campbell wrote. "If religion equals Republican, then they have decided that religion is not for them."

Michael Wear, who did evangelical outreach for President Obama's campaign in 2008 and now consults with evangelical groups, said that people have been talking about rebranding evangelicals or even Christianity in America now for several years.

"The people I work with view Trump as a moment for Christians to actually separate themselves from towing a particular party line," Wear said. "We're going to have four years to test that theory."

Shifting demographics

White Christian Protestants have dominated America's political and social landscape for most of its history. But in recent decades, the number of Americans who stopped affiliating with religion has surged, along with a rise in Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and other Americans.

The year 2008 marked the last in which Protestants represented a majority of Americans, according to demographer Robert P. Jones.

For most of American history, mainline and evangelical Protestants have dominated the landscape, spiritually and politically. But as Protestants' majority has waned, Jones writes in his book, "The End of White Christian America," Americans who are between 18 and 29 are less than half as likely to be white Christians as those who are 65 and older.

This election season, there was a divided voice among Christian leaders as a whole, Jones said. The Catholic bishops in the United States were much quieter than in elections past, while the so-called "values voters" - Christian conservatives who historically coalesced on issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage - largely backed Trump.

"It's going to be poignant that the group that has sold themselves as 'values voters' has abandoned those arguments and justifications," Jones said.

Faith often becomes an issue front and center during election years, said Barna Research President David Kinnaman, because it reveals the fault lines along gender, generations and ethnicities and between theological traditions.

Powerful movement

"It's a powerful moment where people are organizing themselves and making those differences more clear," he said. "There are larger questions about why and how Christians should engage on cultural matters, and this election is redefining how Christians interact."

When reports emerge about whom evangelicals voted for, they usually mean "white evangelicals," glossing over a growing racial division within Christianity. Latino evangelicals are one of the fastest growing segments of churchgoers in America and have largely been fueling the growth among evangelicals, and many did not favor the Republican candidate.

"There is some real angst when there is a blanket statement that 'evangelical supports ...' " Salguero said.

Latino Christians are different from their white Christian peers, Salguero said, because they don't have a history of being a majority in America.

"We don't have messianic expectations for our politicians," Salguero said. "We don't have this moment of 'we're not at the center of power anymore.' Latino evangelicals were never at the center of power, so we can be a prophetic voice independent of who gets into office."
The day after Donald Trump was elected the next president of the United States, the Houston Museum of Natural Science hosted a luncheon featuring celebrated astronaut Scott Kelly as the guest speaker.

The event sold out. Hundreds of people came to hear Kelly talk about a year in space, and maybe, just possibly, offer insight into the future of the American space program under a new administration.

"To those of you in the audience that do not appear to be space aliens, I want to say good afternoon," Kelly said. "And to the rest of you, congratulations on winning the election."

It was a joke  something Kelly quickly pointed out  but maybe it's a good analogy for Trump's scientific ambitions. Like space, those plans are unchartered territory though very important for our future.

While Trump has spoken clearly about his plans for immigration, manufacturing and health care, he said decidedly less about things such as space exploration, science and technology and medical research on the campaign trail.

It would certainly seem science is going to take a back seat to Trump's aforementioned priorities.

If that's the case, funding for research could diminish. Or maybe not.

No one, not even Neal Lane, former science adviser to President Clinton, knows for sure how science will ultimately fit into the Trump agenda.

"Trump certainly said a lot of things during the campaign, some of which were contradictory, some things he can't get done," said Lane, who is the senior fellow of science and technology policy at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. "Everything that people are saying is entirely speculative. He is a most unconventional president-elect."

While Trump has expressed a desire to undo many of President Obama's executive actions that pertain to the environment, he has not really addressed his scientific priorities such as sending humans to Mars, the cancer "moon shot" program or the BRAIN initiative, which aims to advance our understanding of devastating brain disorders while also developing new technology and treatment through innovative research.

That program, which was launched in 2013, has provided millions of dollars in grant funding to several Houston area scientists. You could read about some of them on Planet Texas and in the Houston Chronicle.

Also in question is the future of the National Institutes of Health, a federal agency Trump has called "terrible."

It invests about $30 billion a year in medical research and supports the work of about 300,000 researchers. Last fiscal year, the University of Texas system received about $636 million in NIH funding.

"I just don't know what to think about that," Lane said of Trump's comments about NIH. "I hope he forgets he said that. NIH is not terrible by any means, but it is one of the larger sources of government spending."

In September, the Baker Institute released a report that urged the next president to quickly appoint a science adviser and pull together a team for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The report's authors recommended the new science adviser be a leader in science and engineering with strong connections to the global science and technology community.

"The primary benefit of getting an adviser in there quickly is to help the president make decisions about the people who will ultimately run some of the government agencies," Lane said.

No word yet on who might be Trump's science adviser. It has been widely reported that Myron Ebell, a climate change skeptic from the Competitive Enterprise Institute will head Trump's EPA transition team.

If you care about science and want to know more about how president-elect Trump stands on the issues, one of the best sources of information is Scientific American which, along with ScienceDebate.org, got three of the four presidential candidates to answer questions on everything from neuroscience to biodiversity.

You can check it out here.
Fort Bend County, once a Republican stronghold that's become one of America's most diverse counties, performed with purple complexity on election day. It handed Hillary Clinton a seven-point margin at the top of the ticket amid rampant down-ballot ticket splitting.

Maybe the change was to be expected. The area has transformed from rural ranches to suburban developments. But Clinton's success did not sweep in local Democrats. Republicans won nearly all county-level seats. And voters threw out an incumbent Democratic commissioner -- one who had served two terms. So what gives?

With its increasing population and, in turn, growing number of Hispanic, African American and Asian residents, it could have been expected to lean more Democratic. But how that demographic change actually played out politically was more complicated. Diversity, it seems, isn't enough to turn a red county blue.

"It will never solidly be one or the other," said Jay Aiyer, a political science professor at Texas Southern University. "It's almost designed to be the classic and perfect kind of swing neighborhood."

Interactive Written By John D. Harden

Copyright  Houston Chronicle 2016

Caption: Explore Fort Bend's diversity using the map above. The interactive map reveals how blended Fort Bend neighborhoods are, based on the countys block groups  smaller divisions of census boundaries. The map was created using U.S. Census Bureau data and by turning each resident into a dot, then randomly scattering those dots into their respective block groups. Click the checkbox to between maps.

Local experts and other academics beg to differ. Democratic party leaders say Fort Bend will eventually favor their side. The local Republican Party chair calls that "hogwash," saying it will remain conservative territory.

Since 2000, the number of residents in relatively well off Fort Bend County has more than doubled. With that came a balancing of various racial groups. Between 2000 and 2015, census data shows its Hispanic and Asian populations took a greater share of the overall population, growing to 24 and 20 percent, respectively. The portion of the county that was African American remained steady around 20 percent, while the white percentage decreased from 46 to 35.

Even though Fort Bend chose Clinton over Trump, U.S. Census figures and historic election data indicate winning a local election may be a little tougher.According to a Houston Chronicle analysis of the county's neighborhoods, the eastern side is generally more diverse and is trending Democratic, while the western side is less diverse and is trending Republican. Simply put, Fort Bend is in a tug-of-war between each half.

The county's Precinct 1 embodies both sides. The area is beginning to become more diverse, but still remains the most homogeneous in the county. There, incumbent Democratic county commissioner Richard Morrison was fighting to hold onto the seat he had served for eight years, one the Democratic party had taken pride in occupying.

As Election Day neared, Morrison and his Republican opponent, Vincent Morales, fought for votes in the master planned communities that have come to define Fort Bend. They headed to Greatwood and Sienna Plantation. They knocked on the doors of uniform, spacious, suburban homes. Black, Hispanic, Asian and white residents answered. Some said they would vote straight-ticket Republican. Others Democrat.

Fort Bend 2012 vs. 2016 Results: Interactive Written By John D. Harden

Copyright  Houston Chronicle 2016

Caption: Use the map above to see where the GOP and Democrate have strengthened or weakened their grips on Fort Bend since 2012, based on presidential voting figures.Click the checkbox to the right to toggle between maps.

A volunteer for Morrison's campaign, Ali Zaidi, 17, pointed to one home in Sienna Plantation.

"The libertarians - Ron Paul supporters - you got their vote," Zaidi said to Morrison. "They liked that you cut their taxes."

In Greatwood, a supporter stopped Morales on the street.

"I voted for you!" he called. "And Trump. We need a Supreme Court that's decent."Along with Obama's previous large support in the county, former Fort Bend Democratic Party Chair Don Bankston considered Morrison's past victories an indicator that the county was going blue. Fort Bend's five-person Commissioners Court traditionally has had one seat held by a Democrat: Precinct 2. Until Morrison, the rest were typically Republican-held.

Gaining county commissioners seats is important to the strength of a local political party. Commissioners have significant control over residents' day-to-day lives, said University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus. They approve road projects. They control the county's budget. They campaign to get their party even more representation on a local level.

On election night, local Republicans gathered for a watch party at Constellation Field, local GOP chair Mike Gibson said. People kept up with returns on tablets. Fox News played on the scoreboard. Pork sliders were served.

Early voting results showed Morales, the Republican challenger for commissioner, ahead, sending a joyous ripple through the crowd.

"We knew that that was going to be tough," Gibson said. "We knew he wasn't going to go down easy."

Before the party ended at 11 p.m., Morrison called Morales to concede. His campaign had knocked on 14,000 doors and made 8,000 phone calls. But Morrison said that had not been enough.

Gibson said Republicans succeeded in winning over a diverse electorate.

"If we did not have that minority support we would not have prevailed," Gibson said. "Then Fort Bend would have turned blue."

When Rottinghaus looks toward ways Fort Bend County could become blue, he said it probably won't start with another county commissioner's seat. The party needs to build a stronger field of local candidates.

Still, the Republican party isn't backing down. Gibson said he will focus on growing conservative support in traditionally Democratic territory. And he points to their local sweep as evidence of the party's strength: the incumbent county sheriff and two incumbent Republican district judges won their seats against challengers. Republicans also claimed an open county-court-at-law seat and constable position.

One place the Democrats would need to win is Morrison's neighborhood, Greatwood, where the two candidates had both battled for votes. Ahead of this election Morrison knew it would be a fight.

"I at least feel like in my precinct that my constituents have a choice," he said. "And that makes me kind of proud."

Precinct 1 has flipped blue before. It went red again on Tuesday. In four years, Democrats hope, it might flip again.

John Harden contributed to this report
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The high-pitched choir of youngsters filled the expansive Grace Presbyterian Church sanctuary Friday with the anthems of the five military branches. With each tune, including the Navy's "Anchors Aweigh" and the Air Force's "Wild Blue Yonder," veterans from respective branches stood with honor.

With the start of "The Marine's Hymn," James Moriarty rose. A uniformed student from the Grace School shook his hand and passed along an envelope filled with letters of gratitude.

For Moriarty, a prominent Houston lawyer who served in Vietnam, Veteran's Day will never be the same.

Just days ago, his son, Staff Sgt. Jimmy Moriarty, 27, was shot and killed during a training mission in a Jordanian safe zone. Two other soldiers were killed in the Nov. 4 incident.

Moriarty was memorialized alongside a number of veterans with videos, poetry and song from students at the Christian private school.

Ushers distributed plastic red "buddy" poppies, the official memorial flower of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, to arriving attendees as a piano player solemnly played "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

Following a presentation of colors by the school's Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, a crowd of prekindergarten students led the congregation in a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, barely squeaking out the word "indivisible."

In a tribute video, students from the lower school paired veteran traits like honor, perseverance and compassion with Bible verses. For courage, students read Romans 12:10, "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."

Erick Kirby, who served in the Army Reserves from 2004 to 2014, gave a testimonial about finding God while deployed in Iraq.

"I picked up my guitar and my machine gun and found my way to the chapel," said Kirby, who works with Grace Presbyterian Church's high school group.

Two middle school students read poems inspired by Veteran's Day, respectively titled "Freedom" and "Three Sides," and a trumpeter played the traditional Taps in remembrance of veterans.

"Students, we hope you have a better understanding of the sacrifices our veterans have made, so next time you see them, you thank them," said Josh Caldwell, an eighth-grade student at the school, in dismissing the ceremony.

A memorial service for Moriarty will be held 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Annunciation Orthodox School.
WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump on Friday tapped Vice President-elect Mike Pence to helm his transition to the White House, and he installed his three eldest children as leading figures on the team - consolidating power over the most consequential policy and personnel decisions leading to his inauguration in the eclectic inner circle that helped steer his campaign to victory.

In announcing his full transition team, Trump provided the clearest look yet at the Republicans who will guide his passage from a candidate with no government experience to the 45th president: a mix of GOP insiders, campaign loyalists and family members, many of whom are expected to serve in leading roles in his administration.

The elevation of Pence marks the end of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's time in that position. Christie has been under unflattering scrutiny recently, as two of his former allies were convicted this month of conspiring to cause a traffic jam to get back at a political foe. Christie has also long had a tense relationship with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a deeply influential adviser.

Pence and Christie met privately Thursday for about 90 minutes, according to one Republican briefed on the meeting.

Trump drew some criticism for naming three of his children - Ivanka, Donald Jr. and Eric - to the transition team's executive committee. Their presence raised questions about conflicts of interests, since Trump has also announced plans to turn over his business interests to his children.

"Now your children, whose main fiduciary responsibility is enhancing those businesses, that they are going to be involved in picking people for positions in the administration that will affect those interests - that worries me," said Norm Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a longtime observer of government.

"John Kennedy brought in his brother Robert as attorney general, but that hasn't been the norm," said John Banzhaf III, a professor of public-interest law at George Washington University Law School. "We haven't seen for some time a president-elect who is as family-centered as Trump, who has such a tight-knit circle. There isn't anything illegal about it, but it's different."

'Leaving details to others'

The appointment of Pence at the top of the transition effort suggested that he could emerge as a powerful vice president, perhaps similar to Richard Cheney, who held great sway over the staffing and operations of the West Wing of George W. Bush's White House.

"The signal is they've lost confidence in Christie and that Mike Pence will have a very outsized role," Republican consultant Rick Tyler said of the changes. "Everything that is happening reflects the new dynamics and how Trump is going to be as president: focusing on the big picture and leaving details to others."

It is also a victory for Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, as they prepare to embark with Trump on an ambitious effort to undo President Obama's signature health-care law and other measures. Pence, now Indiana's governor, served in the House for a decade and has a warm relationship with GOP leaders.

Other prominent Trump allies will serve on the transition team's 16-person executive committee, including Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, said to be the leading candidate for White House chief of staff, according to people familiar with the deliberations. Breitbart News chief Stephen Bannon and Kushner will also be on the committee, as will banker Steven Mnuchin, the campaign's national finance co-chairman and a possible Cabinet appointee.

Transition staffers will include familiar figures from Trump's campaign: Kellyanne Conway as senior adviser, Don McGahn as general counsel, David Bossie as deputy executive director, Stephen Miller as national policy director, Jason Miller as communications director and Hope Hicks as national press secretary. Dan Scavino will continue to run the social-media operation. RNC chief of staff Katie Walsh will serve as another senior adviser.

The new arrangement will substantially dilute the influence of Christie and his closest aides and add a conservative edge to the upper level of Trump's team. Rick Dearborn, the chief of staff to Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, a Trump loyalist, will now serve as the transition's executive director, replacing former Christie chief of staff Richard Bagger.

Dearborn's appointment is intended to install someone well-known to Congress to serve as a bridge between Trump Tower and Capitol Hill, helping recruit talent and processing incoming requests and resumes from lawmakers. Pence is also bringing on three of his senior advisers - Nick Ayers, Josh Pitcock and Marc Short - to assist him on transition work.

'Christie loyalist' anxieties

Christie was named a vice chairman of the transition Friday along with Sessions, former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and presidential primary contender Ben Carson - all considered likely members of a Trump administration.

"Together this outstanding group of advisors, led by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, will build on the initial work done under the leadership of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to help prepare a transformative government ready to lead from day one," Trump said in a statement.

Only a few women, and even fewer minorities, look to be under consideration by Trump's team. Carson and former Ohio secretary of state Ken Blackwell are among the only African-Americans whose names are in the mix. Onetime Alaska governor Sarah Palin is a possible, but unlikely, secretary of the interior. Former Arizona governor Jan Brewer, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, have been mentioned for the same role.

Trump allies spent Friday at Trump Tower in New York discussing the next steps. The group included Christie, who met privately Thursday with Bannon for several hours, according to two people familiar with the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss Friday's changes.

A senior Republican briefed on the transition team's deliberations said Trump confidants, including Kushner and Mnuchin, thought the team was too loyal to Christie and wanted to assert Trump's influence. The Republican spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks have been confidential.

"The Trump high command felt like the president-elect needed to get control of his transition," this person said. "It was populated with Christie loyalists - not that they weren't for Trump - and it didn't appear to be as ramped-up as it should have been. So taking a page from George W. Bush's book, he decided to put his vice president in charge."

Trump associates have noted that Kushner has long been uneasy with Christie. When he was a U.S. attorney, the governor prosecuted a case against Kushner's father, Charles, who pleaded guilty to illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion and witness tampering.

Presences at Trump Tower

Other people familiar with Friday's developments played down the reduction in Christie's power. They described Sessions and Dearborn as low-key presences at Trump Tower in recent days and the "natural" successors to Christie because of their loyalty to the candidate and populist instincts. Neither clashed with Christie, the people said.

Bagger and Bill Palatucci, another Christie ally, who formerly served as the transition's general counsel, will return to the private sector. Trump said they would remain "advisers" to the transition.

Giuliani, who was among the insiders who spent part of the day at Trump Tower, told reporters, "I can see already how he is going to be a great president."

Billionaire investor Peter Thiel will be on the transition's executive committee. The panel will also include a slew of campaign loyalists: GOP Reps. Lou Barletta (Pennsylvania), Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee), Tom Marino (Pennsylvania) and Devin Nunes (California); Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi; conservative donor Rebekah Mercer; and New York investor Anthony Scaramucci.
WASHINGTON - When all the ballots are counted - some 4.3 million remained in California as of Thursday night, according to the state's secretary of state - Hillary Clinton will have won the popular vote by well over a million votes, en route to losing the electoral college and the White House.

The result put a spotlight on the country's deep, almost 50/50 division. Democrats, many still in shock over a result that most people in either party did not expect, have been agonizing over how this happened.

They don't need to look far from home for an answer.

In the immediate aftermath of Donald Trump's victory Tuesday night, a lot of attention, justifiably, centered on his ability to boost turnout in conservative, rural counties, especially in the upper Midwest.

The Wall Street Journal presciently had focused on that region about a week before the election. Census data showed that during the past 15 years, counties in the region surrounding where Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois meet had shown "among the fastest influxes of nonwhite residents of anywhere in the U.S." - largely Latino immigrants starting to move into formerly all-white areas, they found.

There was no surge

Those same counties had shown great support for Trump in the GOP primaries. On election night, that area was where Trump made many of his biggest gains, accounting for his victories in Wisconsin and Iowa and the unexpectedly close result in Minnesota.

The data analysis that Trump's campaign did, an effort that was more extensive and sophisticated than many Democrats believed, showed the same thing. In the closing days of the campaign, the Republicans targeted the areas they needed most.

But there was no Trump surge overall. While he made big gains in those Midwestern counties and in other heavily white areas such as eastern Ohio, northeastern Pennsylvania and parts of central Florida, he lost ground elsewhere.

Clinton actually succeeded in one of her campaign's key goals - eating into traditional Republican territory in big suburban counties.

In Montgomery County, Pa., for example, the largest of the suburban counties that ring Philadelphia, Clinton ran about 30,000 votes ahead of the pace that President Barack Obama set four years ago. Among other big suburban locales she won was Fort Bend County outside of Houston, a once-deeply Republican area.

Same total as Romney

Clinton also won Orange County, Calif., which since 1936 had never voted for a Democrat - the longest streak of one-party victories in California.

Those suburban losses largely offset Trump's gains in more blue-collar white counties. As a result, once the final votes are in, he will end up with pretty much the same total that Mitt Romney received four years ago - likely slightly fewer.

Clinton lost not because of a Trump surge, but because she will end up with several million fewer votes than Obama got in 2012.

Some of the Democratic dropoff came in those heavily white blue-collar counties that Trump carried. In Lackawanna County, Pa., for example, the county that includes Scranton, where Vice President Joe Biden grew up, Clinton fell some 23,000 votes short of Obama's mark.

Because she lost Pennsylvania by just over 68,000 votes out of almost 5.8 million cast, that deficit mattered greatly.

But Clinton also got about 37,000 fewer votes in Philadelphia than Obama achieved. Similarly, Clinton lags more than 78,000 votes behind Obama's 2012 pace in Michigan's Wayne County, home to Detroit, with some ballots still to be counted. As of Friday morning, Michigan remained too close to call, with Trump narrowly in the lead.

Democratic strategists had always expected that turnout among African-American voters would fall once Obama was no longer on the ballot. They hoped to make up the difference by attracting suburban voters turned off by Trump's bombastic style.

Overall drop in turnout

They almost made it - a switch of only 40,000 among Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, out of more than 13 million cast in those three states, would have delivered the election to Clinton. But the combination of white, working-class defections in places like Scranton, lower African-American voting and an overall drop in turnout of several million people sank their plans.

In the final accounting, Clinton simply failed to inspire enough of her supporters to turn out. Like John Kerry and Al Gore, she fell short.
"Turn out the lights, the party's over," Willie warbles, although in far West Texas the party's NOT over. It revs up again every Friday night at the McDonald Observatory's spectacular Texas Star Party, where visitors have an opportunity to see the mind-boggling magnificence of night skies that astronomers study every night of their working lives. It's an experience every Texan ought to take advantage of.

We have an outer-space problem, though, and this time it has nothing to do with Houston. If Texans don't take Willie Nelson's advice, the glare from flares and drilling rigs and light towers in the ever-expanding Permian Basin oil boom northeast of the observatory is going to become a debilitating intrusion into the dark skies. The problem is bound to get worse when Houston-based Apache Energy begins to exploit its newly discovered Alpine High oil field in Reeves County, just 30 miles northeast of the observatory.

As reporter John MacCormack of the San Antonio Express-News noted recently, the McDonald Observatory, an internationally recognized research facility, possesses one of the largest optical instruments ever built, the 10-meter Hobby-Eberly telescope. The facility atop Mt. Locke also attracts nearly 90,000 amateur astronomers to its tours and star parties. Who knows how many youngsters have been inspired to become astronomers while staring through a telescope at the mesmerizing rings of Saturn or the orange-red light of the star Betelgeuse, 640 million light years away.

We have this remarkable Texas facility, one of the most important research facilities in the world, and yet Texans seem willing to tolerate impediments to its work - all to fill the coffers of energy companies eager to slake the world's boundless thirst for oil and gas.

"It's a very clear concern. Our skies are not as dark as they used to be. Over the last six or seven years, since the boom took off, we've seen the sky brighten to the northeast," Bill Wren, a special assistant to the observatory, told MacCormack. "The activity in southern Reeves County is extremely troublesome, because it is so close. It's brightening our skies even now."

An Apache spokeswoman told MacCormack the company is working with observatory officials to minimize light from its operations and is retrofitting rigs and adjusting stationary lighting at pads. She said that reducing light produced by gas flares may take more time.

We would encourage Apache, a company with a good reputation for acknowledging environmental concerns, to set the industry standard for every energy company working in the area.

The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas producers, sent out a notice earlier this year encouraging Permian Basin operators to minimize light pollution. The notice mentioned several available resource studies.

"You are encouraged (our emphasis) to consult these resources and consider (our emphasis) ways to reduce stray light," the notice concluded.

We are "encouraged" that the Railroad Commission, its watchdog inclinations traditionally toothless, at least acknowledges the problem, but that's not enough. The notice should have read "YOU WILL. ." Protecting the night skies of far West Texas has to be part of the cost of doing business for oil and gas operators anywhere near McDonald Observatory.

"They say that all good things must end," a venerable Texas treasure laments. We say they don't. When it comes to another Texas treasure, the McDonald Observatory and its vital mission, we have to turn out the lights and prove Willie wrong.
I will soon be a mother. He is my first child, and though I still have several weeks till I meet him, he means the world to me. I want to do everything in my power to protect him. I am careful about what I eat and how I sleep. And yet, I know I will not be able to give him the basic thing that every parent desires - the reassurance that his father and I will always be here for him. That's because my husband is undocumented. My son will be born the month Donald Trump takes office. And for me it is no hyperbole to say I fear for our safety and our physical well-being.

From the moment he is born, he will enter a world and country where he is demonized, told that he is less than, that he is unequal. He and I will live in constant fear that his father, the love of my life, my best friend and our protector will be ripped from us at any moment. My son, a beautiful innocent child, will be called a "terror" and "anchor baby" by our highest elected leader.

I had hoped this election would be Latinos' day of reckoning, when we would finally demonstrate to the country (and both political parties) our power, value and self-worth. Finally, our families and human dignity would be fully seen and respected, that from here on out, no politician could expect to be elected by scapegoating our community or by painting us as "diseased," "criminals," and "rapists." While Latinos did turn out in record numbers this election, motivated not by the Democratic candidate but by fear of a Trump presidency, many others failed to follow us to the polls.

I try to take solace in the fact that Trump's hateful rhetoric finally awoke the Latino sleeping giant, even bringing Texas where I live, one of the reddest states in the nation, within single digits of Democrats' grasp. But I must be honest that he also awoke our country's ugly, deep-seated history. We are, after all, a nation whose history and birth is based on racism, slavery and plunder, a history we have not fully reckoned with, and thus, it's reared its ugly head into our present.

As a new mother, it is this reality and world into which I will bring my son, and I know Texas will be ground zero for every hateful and xenophobic program that will target Latino and immigrant communities. Trump has unleashed what many Republican politicians, including our own homegrown elected leaders such as Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have long stood for - a hateful anti-immigrant and anti-Latino agenda. Patrick, after all, served as the Trump campaign's Texas state chairman and has said, "Mexicans carry diseases" and "They stink." While Gov. Abbott's rhetoric has been more restrained, he is in lockstep with Trump and Patrick on policy. In one of his last acts as Texas attorney general, he sued the federal government to block the implementation of DAPA, the deferred-deportation program that would have given 700,000 hard-working Texas immigrant families with U.S.-citizen children the ability to live and work without fear. Abbott has supported local and statewide policies that criminalize and break up immigrant families like mine by trying to force local police departments to do the bidding of federal immigration officials. I fear that the full weight of the federal, state and local government will come down on my family and community, propelled by an angry electorate that wants an easy scapegoat.

As a result of this reality, I fear I will not be able to tell my son that all will be OK and that I will be able to protect him and our family. I only know that I will tell him the arc of history is long, but that it bends toward justice, as the abolitionist Theodore Parker and later Martin Luther King Jr. famously sounded. I will tell him that there are good and courageous people who will be with us on the right side of history, who will bear witness to our suffering and will do everything in their power to stand with us in our greatest moment of need. I want to raise my son in this community of conviction, idealism and solidarity, where he will learn his value through struggle, love and courage in a community that is brown, white, black, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, nonbeliever, documented and undocumented; a community that will refuse to sit on the sidelines when they come for us, because I fear they will.

Tzintzun, co-author of "Presente! Latino Immigrant Voices in the Struggle for Racial Justice" by AK Press, has worked for the past decade on behalf of the Latino community in Ohio, Texas and Washington, D.C., and was named "New Hero of Civil Rights" in 2013 by Southern Living Magazine.
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One of the worlds most ambitious proposed free trade deals appears to have collapsed in the wake of Donald Trumps electoral victory.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat who will soon be the Senate minority leader, told labour leaders in Washington that the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will not be ratified by Congress, the Washington Post reports.

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Schumer reportedly reached that conclusion after talking to Republican congressional leaders.

The Obama administration had initially planned a last-minute push to have the trade deal passed in this falls lame-duck session of Congress, but according to a separate report in the Washington Post, the administration ended the effort with Trumps election on Tuesday night.

Trump ran on an anti-free trade agenda that included a vow to block the TPP, which would create a 12-nation free trade area of Pacific Rim countries, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the global economy. Besides the U.S., the deal would also include Canada, Japan, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

The deals benefits to the U.S. and other countries were always hotly debated. A recent study from Tufts University estimated the deal would actually reduce employment in the U.S. by 448,000 jobs. The same study estimated it would cost Canada about 58,000 jobs.

Even more optimistic estimates only foresaw a small boost to jobs and GDP growth. A study from Canadas Global Affairs department found the TPP would add a mere 0.2 per cent to Canada's GDP over 25 years  but staying out of it would shrink Canadas economy by a slightly larger margin.

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Pulling back from the TPP at this point will likely prove to be a diplomatic headache for the Trump administration. In a move that could be seen as sending a message, Japans parliament passed the TPP on Friday, three days after Trumps election.

Singapores prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, told a Washington crowd this summer that the U.S.s credibility is on the line with the TPP.

For Americas friends and partners, ratifying the TPP is a litmus test of your credibility and seriousness of purpose, Lee Hsien Loong said, as quoted at Bloomberg. Every one of the TPP signatories has had to make sacrifices in order to accept the TPP agreement, and jointly bring about this win-win outcome.

The deal had been heavily criticized by social activists and labour leaders for what they argued was a significant expansion of corporate power.

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They particularly criticized the agreement for its investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism. It would create a tribunal, outside national courts, where corporations would be able to challenge government decisions. Activists say it would allow foreign businesses to overturn national laws, though many trade experts say that is an exaggeration of the tribunals' power.

Concerns over a similar ISDS mechanism were among the reasons why Canadas free trade deal with the EU, known as CETA, nearly died last month, when the Belgian region of Wallonia refused to sign the deal.

Wallonia eventually relented, but only on the condition that the ISDS tribunals would be suspended until all EU legislative bodies  about 40 national and sub-national parliaments  ratified the deal.

CETA was largely seen as a test-run for a much larger free trade deal between the EU and the U.S., known as the TTIP.

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EU officials said this week that the TTIP will likely be frozen for years to come, given Trumps election.

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New York, NY USA - July 16, 2016: Donald Trump speaks during introduction Governor Mike Pence as running for vice president at Hilton hotel Midtown Manhattan

"Professional protesters"..This is how president elect #Trump called hundreds of thousands of Anti-Trump protesters nationwide.

Coming from the Middle East, I have heard the same exact rhetoric before but in a different language.

"Professional protesters" was the exact term that dictators like Mubarak, Qadafi and others used to describe the Arab spring protestors.

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Day after day, I start to believe that Donald J. Trump is a real threat to the American democracy, the constitution and basic human rights.

Following the destructive path of the Middle Eastern dictators, Trump is accusing every single protestor against him of being a "paid protestor" that is hired by some "enemy" to challenge the "legitimacy" of his "regime".

This false accusation is a very dangerous one. It is not just an attack on a basic constitutional right but also it might work as a subliminal message to his hard core supporters to take to the streets to confront those "paid protesters" and put an end to this "conspiracy". I have seen that first-hand in the Middle East.

Back in Egypt, I have been called a "professional protestor" by the Mubarak regime during the great Egyptian revolution in Tahrir square. But I never thought I ll be called a "professional protestor" here in the land of the free just for expressing my rights.

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Trump's latest tweet is a very dangerous message and it should not be taking lightly.
What is the best we can hope for a Trump presidency?

If Trump's election proves anything, it is that the ideas which used buttress the old ruling elite no longer hold sway. The voters wanted change, and now the world is about to find out what change Trump can really bring around.

Maybe he really will drain the swamp of D.C. corruption, and take money and special interests out of politics, as he promised.

Maybe he really will keep the United States out of international squabbles we do not belong in, which were brought to us by Neo-Conservative Republicans and Democrats alike.

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Maybe he will even drag Republicans into investing in a trillion dollar infrastructure project, rebuilding our bridges and roads. Incidentally, such an investment would put a lot of blue collar workers to work.

Certainly, Trump has identified the problems of our era. He won because he vowed to dismantle the political and economic establishment, whose policies have been betraying the middle class for the last 20 years, and people believed him.

Remember that, not so long ago, Trump was a fairly liberal New Yorker.

He was pro-choice. He was for a national single-payer health plan (a much better option than Obamacare).

Trump once proposed a substantial "net worth" tax on the assets of the wealthy, which he admitted would cost him personally hundreds of millions of dollars.

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He supported normalization of relations with Cuba.

He was opposed to the war in Iraq.

"Look at the war in Iraq and the mess that we're in," he presciently told Esquire Magazine in 2004. "I would never have handled it that way. Does anybody really believe that Iraq is going to be a wonderful democracy where people are going to run down to the voting box and the winner is happily going to step up to lead the country? C'mon. Two minutes after we leave, there is going to be a revolution, and the meanest, toughest, smartest, most vicious guy will take over."

Trump is a throwback to "yesterday's liberalism" of the '50s and '60s, according to George Mason Law Professor Francis H. Buckley, a Trump supporter. Those Democrats were "strong nationalists" who were opposed to open borders and liberal immigration policies.

But Trump knew he could not win the presidential nomination as a Democrat. So he began to tailor his positions to seek the Republican nomination.

Good politicians have always "misled" their audiences with promises they could not possibly keep. A politician should not have the same opinions and concerns during the primaries as he has during the general election -- and while governing. That would be stupid. Campaigning politicians are expected to charm and cajole relevant constituencies, to pander, to bob and weave, and to continually cobble together disparate interest groups. In other words, they need to be convincing actors like Ronald Reagan or FDR.

Trump has always been exceptionally gifted in this regard. He is a salesman par excellence, the ultimate flim-flam man. But it is all a performance.

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The important thing to focus on now is that behind layers and layers of attention grabbing, hyperbolic and racist rhetoric, Trump framed the key issues -- of lost jobs and a lost American Dream -- in a dramatic and polarizing form.

Trump is a blank slate, a political cipher. He is certainly no ideologue. His only constant promise has been to do "what works."

It is impossible to predict what Trump will do. Regardless of what he has said he will do, and he has said a lot of outrageous things -- build a wall, create a mandatory registry for Muslims, abandon NATO -- we must now consider what Trump will actually do.

Trump is a Wild Man. He will not be tied down. He certainly does not share the interests of his political allies -- nor will he be likely hemmed in by Republican conservatives.

Maybe, hopefully, Trump will shuck off the confining policies of the Republican establishment and operate as the independent renegade, the listen-to-no-one Hell-raiser he has been for forty years.

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Maybe Trump will forge a new coalition with many Democrats and break the stalemate in Washington. The first indicators of Trump's path forward will be who he appoints to his cabinet. If it's more of the same, then woe to all of us -- we're back with the status quo.

Don't forget that much of his support came from blue collar workers, stolen from under Hillary's nose. The most significant Trump upsets came in states where Bernie Sanders had defeated Clinton by large margins in the Democratic Party primaries.

Trump cannot abandon this fundamental working class base. And yet, this will not sit well with conventional Republicans.

Trump needs to be the agent of revolution. His victory is a mandate for change, similar to the social impulse that inspired the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

What Trump has done now is occupy Washington. We will see if he can rise to presidential greatness.

For this, Trump will have to channel his inner Bernie Sanders.

When Harry Truman was elected in 1948, he was considered by many to be an uncouth, vulgar, buffoon with a violent temper and an inclination to violence. He once threatened to punch an opera critic in the nose because the critic panned his daughter's singing.

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But Truman turned out to be one of our best presidents because he was right on the big things. It is possible that Trump is too. But then, maybe not. Trump has always been his own man no matter what his appointed advisors tell him to do.

Maybe this is all a pipe dream. What if Trump really has become the repulsive clown that he has pretended to be in recent years? Possibly.

What if I am only projecting and seeing what I want in our next leader? Possibly.

But hope springs eternal. As the Chinese say, "Crisis begets opportunity."


Castillo San Felipe cost the equivalent of 2 trillion U.S. dollars.

There's something a bit odd about everything connected to the The War of Jenkins Ear. For instance, take how it came about in the 1730s - when the commander of a Spanish patrol boat captured a British frigate off the coast of Florida, and for some reason cut off one of English captain's ears. And how the war showcased what's since become one of Latin America's top tourism attractions.

The story goes back to an oft-broken treaty between Spain and England, mainly dealing with the sale of slaves in Latin America. While searching the British ship for contraband, Julio Leon Fandino, the Spanish commander, committed what amounted to an act of war when he decided to lop an ear off the Brit captain, Robert Jenkins.



Tourists mosey along the fort's walkways.

Jenkins took the ear back to England and showed it to an outraged (but notoriously slow moving) Parliament. Eight years later, citing the severed ear, the Brits declared war on Spain. (Some say the English hawks were looking for an excuse to go to war, and someone remembered they hadn't yet avenged the loss of Jenkins ear.)

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Named to lead the naval campaign was English Admiral Edward "Old Grog" Vernon, who first took on the Spaniards at their base in Portobelo, Panama. Flushed with victory there, Old Grog next sailed his Jamaica-based fleet down to Colombia to do battle with the Spanish again in Cartagena - and literally ran into a stone wall.

Old Grog tried to invade the city in mid-1741 with a force of 27,000 men and 186 ships bristling with 2,000 cannons. Castillo San Felipe, the Spanish fortress - defended by just 3,000 Spanish troops and six ships - proved to be impregnable in a month-long siege of the city. After several more unsuccessful invasion attempts, Old Grog called it quits and high-tailed it back to Jamaica.



Bell atop the fort alerted soldiers to raiders.

A Mountain of Concrete

The Spanish victory at Cartagena is considered one of the greatest defeats of the Royal Navy. Also red-faced after the battle were 4,000 American colonists from Virginia who fought for Admiral Vernon under the command of Lawrence Washington, half-brother of George Washington.

Looking much like a mountain of concrete, the fortress - which over the years cost the equivalent of 2 trillion U.S. dollars - is in remarkably good shape. Visitors will rub elbows with thousands of other tourists climbing its walkways (it takes about 15 minutes to get to the top), scampering around its bunkers and batteries and posing for pictures on its cannons. From the highest level it's easy to see how sharp-eyed Spanish gunners could blast enemy ships down in the bay, and in another direction pick off soldiers trying to attack the fortress on foot.

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Another eye-popping view from the top of the fortress is a panorama of this city of a million or so people. In one section you'll spot modern high-rise condos, in another the domes and soaring crosses of historic churches, and in another rows of glassy office buildings.

Andalusia in Colombia

A must-do in Cartagena is to take a trip back to its colonial days by wandering around Old Town behind the city walls. You'll stroll through narrow cobbled lanes lined with buildings painted in pastel blues, greens, yellows, reds, pinks and browns, many of them the mansions of shipping barons and bankers.

Adding to the Andalusian fantasy of Old Town's seemingly endless blocks are elaborately decorated arched doorways and balconies with flowers poking through iron railings and lattices. Keep walking and you'll saunter by charming al fresco restaurants, all kinds of bars, museums, churches, convents and statues of Colombian heroes. A tip: Don't miss a look at the dark side of old world Spain in the Palace of the Inquisition.



Colonial-era homes line the lanes of Old Town. Photo by Robert W. Bone.

Need a rest? You're welcome to join the local folks snoozing or chatting on benches around the area's magnificent squares and parks while musicians, jugglers, clowns, mimes and the like pass by, hoping to earn a few pesos from the visitors.

Staying there: Cartagena offers better than 90 tourist-class hotels in and around the city.

Historical notes: Shut your eyes and try to imagine dozens of 500-ton treasure galleons slicing their way across the Atlantic to Spain, their immense sails emblazoned with the fiery red cross of the Holy Roman Empire. Mostly loaded at Cartagena, the ships carried silver, gold, cacao (chocolate) beans, chili peppers, tobacco and other bounties of the New World ripped from mines and plantations across Central and South America. The treasure shipments, started in the 1560s, went on for over 200 years.

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The trips ended on the docks of Seville, Spain, where a government office controlled all ventures into the New World and collected taxes on imported goods.



Pirate ships like this routinely plundered Cartagena before defenses were built around the city.

Brimming over with profits from the treasure shipments - and from a marketplace for incoming loads of slaves from Africa - early Cartagena was a sitting duck for pirates roaming the Caribbean. It was likely the most looted port in the New World until Spain got its act together to defend the city, circling it with a 7-mile-long wall studded with gun turrets backed up by forts in key locations.

The crown jewel of the defense network was the monster fortress of Castillo San Felipe, built atop a 130-foot-high hill towering over the city. It was the greatest fortress Spain ever built in the New World.
Parasites of the Republic abound.

Their modus operandi is to hijack government for self-enrichment.

They should be rebuffed and ostracized as if clones of Benedict Arnold.

Fix your eyes on the coalition of the American Optometric Association and contact lenses manufacturers currently exhorting Congress to enact the Contact Lens Consumer Health Protection Act (CLCHPA) to mulct their patrons, i.e., eye patients and buyers. Its title would be condemned as false and deceptive advertising by the Federal Trade Commission if it were not constitutionally protected by the Speech or Debate Clause.

The ulterior congressional motive is to grant an optometrist monopoly over the eye industry through veto power over contact lens transactions. Consumer health is a feint.

Contact lens users are not clamoring for a federal law to protect them from allegedly ill-advised purchases. But as fabled campaign manager of President William McKinley, Mark Hanna, quipped, there are two very important things in politics. The first is money, and the second is forgotten.

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There is no need to regulate the distribution or sale of contact lenses. In Japan and most of Europe, no doctors' prescriptions are needed. Dr. Paul B. Donzis, a professor of ophthalmology at UCLA, found significantly lower contact incidence reports in most of the countries sans the United States prescription requirement.

But we are living in a Golden Age of fact-free debate. CLCHPA's proponents allege that keratitis, an inflammation of the cornea, occurs more frequently with online contact lens orders than from purchases supervised by the prescribing doctor. Dr. Donzis retorted: "Based on...authoritative scientific articles, it appears that online sales of contact lenses have not contributed to any increase in the incidence of contact lens related [injury]." A prominent 20-year epidemiologic study of contact lens related-keratitis published in 2007 by the medical journal Eye & Contact Lens found no increase in the incidence of microbial keratitis since the advent of online sales.

CLCHPA's true genesis can be discovered with the time-tested adage, "Follow the money." Before 2004, eye doctors monopolized the sale of contact lenses by refusing to give patients a copy of their prescriptions. Patients became captive customers compelled to purchase contact lenses at doctors' offices at monopolistic prices. To break the monopoly, Congress enacted the Fairness in Contact Lens Consumer Act to require doctors to provide prescriptions on demand to enable consumers to shop anywhere for contact lenses.

Prices tumbled, purchase options proliferated, and optometrists howled. Retail stores like Walmart and an array of online sellers entered the market. At present, 41 million Americans purchase more than $7 billion worth of contact lenses annually from optometrists, retail stores, and online providers.

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If we want to make America great again, CLCPHA should not only be repudiated, but the prescription requirement for contact lens purchases should be eliminated to facilitate the process of creative destruction--the greatest engine ever discovered for the creation of wealth.

Joseph Schumpeter, the Einstein of economics, taught in Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy:

"The opening up of new markets, foreign or domestic, and the organizational development from the craft shop to such concerns as U.S. Steel illustrate the same process of industrial mutation--if I may use that biological term--that incessantly revolutionizes the economic structure from within, incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly creating a new one. This process of Creative Destruction is the essential fact about capitalism."

Technology is waiting in the wings to make contact lens prescriptions or even optometrist office visits museum pieces. MIT reports: "Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a new app for smart phones that, when combined with a thin, cheap lens, could give inexpensive and accurate eyeglass prescriptions to smart phone owners." Geekwire noted in October 2015: "This week's App of the Week eliminates the need to visit an eye doctor just to get your prescription updated. With Opternative, just grab your computer and smartphone, and about 25 minutes of free time, to update your prescription." From the Grapevine reported last February: "The days of sitting in an optometrist's office with a weird machine over your eyes may be a thing of the past. A new company has developed a technology that lets users figure out their eye prescription using a simple, but possibly, life-changing [GlassesOn app]."

Congress should throw crony capitalism like CLCPHA into the trash bin of American history, and let creative destruction flourish.
Since last week's election, through Facebook, op-eds, emails, and tweets, those who fear the new administration have been producing billions of words. They've analyzed their feelings and tried, in nuanced essays, to understand what happened and how to respond to it. They've sent out millions of messages of dread, depression, love and support.

But for generations, the pain and anger of millions of other Americans had no real outlet. And even if they vented in calls to C-SPAN, or listened to angry commentary on talk radio or Fox, in the main, it was easy to dismiss them. They were not stupid, but they had been poorly educated. They lacked the words to tell those of us who were more prosperous and better educated what they were feeling or what they had undergone as the tectonic shifts in the economy rocked their world.

Documentarian Michael Moore gave us glimpses into their experience, but we weren't really paying attention. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren tried to turn the Democratic Party around, calling attention to an unjust and unforgiving economy.

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Not only did Donald Trump take notice, he was able to give voice to their fears, to make the rest of America listen. And he did not try to filter or positively channel those raw emotions. He was their drinking buddy, buying round after round.

We also can't forget that white workers at least had temporary claim on the American dream of a good job and a nice house in the suburbs. For many years, discrimination by companies, unions, and even the federal Housing Administration denied that dream to millions of black families.

And there is no doubt Trump appealed to our darker natures - racial prejudice, and misogyny - and erased the shame of giving hatred full-throated permission to thrive. Yes, some of Trump's supporters are racists and misogynists, period. And some of them are prosperous white-collar professionals who, like Trump himself, have sacrificed nothing, and voted the untrammeled greed ticket.

But I refuse to believe that greed, racism and misogyny would have carried the day this election, were it not for our larger lack of understanding.

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When Trump made preposterous claims, the media and policy elites called them out as lies. But to his blue-collar supporters those assertions were parables, images of the world they had lived through and the massive changes that had torn apart their lives. He gave them easy explanations and scapegoats. He promised to restore their world, to "make America great again."

Trump painted vivid word pictures of "the Other" who jeopardized their precarious livelihoods - Mexican rapists, immigrant terrorists. He spoke of "law and order" as a code word for restoring all the changes they found threatening, including advances in gender and racial equality.

This anger and despair has been building for decades. We in the prosperous information economy just weren't paying attention.

In 1986, funded by a grant from the Institute for Alternative Journalism, I wrote a special supplement for City Newspaper, the alternative weekly in Rochester, New York. I profiled eight Western New York workers who had lost their jobs. They were among the more than five million U.S. workers whose jobs disappeared between 1979 and 1983.

I began this way. "Karen MacDonald continues to grieve. Joe Manning lives with regret. Robert Horsley has his anger. Their plight isn't obvious in the unemployment statistics or the annual reports of corporations. Richard Carges' sense of loss and Betty Rosso's worry do not register even as a blip on an economist's computer screen."

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The supplement was titled, "Forgotten Americans." Over the decades that followed, as millions more workers lost their jobs through globalization and technology advances, they remained forgotten.

I had covered the loss of these jobs when I worked for the Buffalo Courier-Express in the early 1980s, becoming, for all intents and purposes, the layoff reporter. I had seen firsthand that when someone loses a job, it roils their world. Families lose their stability. People are forced to move away from communities where they have deep ties. Parents who liked the domestic tranquility of one breadwinner a now both scramble for work.

That feeling of loss and grieving doesn't go away, even when they find new jobs. Joe Manning, an eighteen-year veteran of Bethlehem Steel, lost his job when the corporation closed its Lackawanna plant. Manning was one of the lucky ones. After five months out of work, he was hired as a Buffalo bus driver. It paid $150 a week less than his old job, and his wife began to work full time as a first-grade teacher at a parochial school.

But the worst part was the job itself. He hated it. "You never have a good day," he told me. "Everybody cuts in front of the bus." He spent his days with his foot on the brake, worried about the icy roads in winter, trying to navigate a "40-foot bus with 100 people on it."

The words the media and policymakers use to refer to what happened to these workers are clinical. We say they are displaced, the collateral damage from a disruptive economy, the people who inevitably fall through the cracks in the name of greater productivity and greater profits.

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Conditions have grown far worse since the 1980s. Workers often lose a series of jobs, and sometimes drop out of the labor force altogether.Their pensions have disappeared.Their homes may have been lost to foreclosure, or are under water.

The government essentially tells them that they need to soldier on, retrain, move, do anything they can to remain productive. Not measured is the impact on generations of this massive, unending, series of changes. Silicon Valley entrepreneurs practically gloat about the trauma, talking about their desire to "disrupt" and "break things." But we didn't break "things," we broke lives.

Many business reporters lionized the executives who actually did the breaking, buying into the notion that corporations are above the law or the norms of human decency, obliged only to earn higher and higher profits for their shareholders. Accustomed to that rhetoric, is it any wonder that Trump's supporters accepted his flagrant tax avoidance, his outsourcing to foreign manufacturers, and his stiffing of contractors?

Millions of us who call ourselves progressives have been largely spared these upheavals. Even when we lose jobs, and we do, much more frequently now, our skills are fungible. We can rebound. But miners in West Virginia, factory workers in the Rust Belt, experience things far differently.

So now, some of those miners and factory workers have turned to someone who built his own empire by exploiting people like them; someone who almost certainly will make their plight worse. All because Donald Trump's great gift was to his ability to see the world through their eyes

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In August, I was diagnosed with tuberculosis, an infection that is responsible for more deaths around the world than any other. There was a catch though--it is a latent infection, meaning that it is not spreading nor is it contagious. But if it becomes active, it could be transmitted to my children, my husband and even someone sitting next to me on a plane.

Tuberculosis, or TB, is a disease that should be long gone; the bacteria has been found in Egyptian mummies. And yet, TB kills more people today than any other infectious disease in the world: 1.8 million people in 2015, according to an announcement last week by the World Health Organization.

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Even though there's only a 1 in 10 chance that my latent infection will become active TB, I am now following a three-month drug regimen that is so harsh, it could destroy my liver--because I can't take the chance that I could become infectious and spread this deadly disease.

I have a lot of company. Public health experts estimate that 1 out every 3 people in the world--about 2.5 billion--has a latent TB infection.

And here is the irony of the situation: I was dedicated to ending TB before I even knew about my infection, working for a non-profit organization seeking to develop new TB vaccines.

I will never know when or where I was infected; TB is airborne and can travel as fast and as far as an airplane. It may have been during one of my business trips to parts of the world where TB is common or I may have picked it up in the New York City subway.

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And without a new vaccine, we are all at risk. That's because the only current vaccine, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), hasn't ended the TB epidemic even though it's been in use since 1921 and is the most widely used vaccine in the world. Although BCG protects many infants and young children from severe forms of TB, it doesn't do much to protect teens and adults, who are most likely to develop and spread TB.

While treatment for TB is usually effective, at least for strains that still respond to most antibiotics it is not a walk in the park. Remember the risk to my liver? That's just part of it. The medications can cause nausea, joint pain, hearing loss and more. And there's always the risk that the bacteria could become resistant to the medications used to fight them - which is why R&D for new TB vaccines is so important - vaccines should work just as well on all strains of TB, even those that are drug resistant.

The tragedy is that while someone dies from TB every 18 seconds, we simply should not be at this point. TB has not inspired massive research initiatives like there has been for Ebola and Zika. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates an annual $1.3 billion funding gap in TB research.

In the U.S., federal funding for research and development for neglected diseases like TB has stagnated since the great recession of 2009. If you set aside the surge of money allocated to Ebola research, funding for these diseases has dropped nearly 13 percent since 2009.

My experience with TB will hopefully be brief, and my family will probably remain safe thanks to the access I have to quality healthcare. It might be different if I lived in a country with fewer healthcare resources and where exposure to TB is so much more frequent.

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She's a drug addict and compulsive thief just coming off a prison term. He's a professional hitman. They meet under sordid and lethal circumstances and quickly go criminal.

And the result?

Well, if you believe Juan Diego Botto, who plays the hitman Javier (above) in TNT's Good Behavior (Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET), it's sort of a rom-com.

Okay, maybe a non-traditional rom-com. But pay attention, Botto says, and that's what you'll see.

"It's got a lot of comedy," he says. "It focuses on the personal aspects. It's a love story."

A love story wouldn't be a stretch for Michelle Dockery, who plays Javier's new friend Letty Raines here. Dockery is best known, of course, as Lady Mary in the ultra-romantic Downton Abbey.

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There are, however, some differences. Stylistically, Letty has about as much in common with Lady Mary as Miley Cyrus has with Mother Teresa.

Botto acknowledges that Letty, like Javier, can play rough. Part of their attraction is realizing both are adept at what they do.

Don't make the mistake, though, he says, of thinking Javier is just a human killing machine, like the guy in No Country for Old Men.

"He's actually a very complex character," says Botto. "This isn't a person with just one shade.

"He's trying to be good. He wants to be a nice guy. He wants to be a decent man with a strong moral code.

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"He just has one huge contradiction, which is that he kills people for a living."

That's the kind of thing that can't be scrubbed off your record by going to confession a couple of times a year. But Botto says the storylines in Good Behavior, which is based on the Letty Dobesh books by Blake Crouch, allow him to flesh out Javier, just as Dockery makes Letty more than a dead-end lost soul.

"The show is about the relationship between two characters," he says, "who for the first time find something that seems to mean more."

What it doesn't seem to mean is a reprise of Bonnie and Clyde. Good Behavior has a very different tone, starting with a first date on which they both pretend to be someone they aren't.

"They lie to each other a lot," says Botto. "If they didn't, it would be a different story."

As they get to know each other, the lies fall away. They learn more, and so does the viewer.

"As it goes along," says Botto, "we will get to see why he does what he does."

Nor, he says, is that discovery road as somber as it might seem.

"There's a lot of comedy along the way," he says. "It's like life. There have to be happy moments.

"We explain the good behavior as well as the bad behavior. They each see the plight the other one has."

Botto adds that this requires a team effort among the cast, particularly himself and Dockery, whose work he had previously admired on Downton Abbey.

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"She is very collaborative," he says. "She's the kind of actor you want to work with."

Botto also says this story unfolded for the actors much the way it will for viewers.

"I loved the first episode when I read it," he says. "I immediately started to wonder about his background. Does he like killing people? Questions like that. In the second episode, I think we see much more of who he really is.

"After that, I was waiting for the script for each episode to find out more.

"This is the kind of character I could spend five years playing. With a guy like this, you'd never get bored."

The 41-year-old Botto, who was born in Argentina and lives in Spain, has never been in much danger of boredom. He's played in dozens of movies, mostly in Spain. He has also done several acclaimed plays in Spain, and says he'd like to keep doing theater as well.

Off-camera he's been an activist, which isn't a big surprise. When he was 2, his father was among the desparecidos, Argentines who vanished during the Dirty War and were never seen again. His mother moved Juan and his sister to Madrid.

One of his Spanish plays, which he directed, was about the mistreatment of immigrants.

Today, he says, his activism is also integrated into his professional work, even when a show like Good Behavior seems more like an escape from broader matters.

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Sometimes life tests you in ways you never expected.

The election that shocked the nation dealt a stunning blow to our efforts to make this country more fair, family friendly and healthy.

The loss was especially bitter because it came at a time when we were hoping to see our nation elect its first woman president - and not just any woman, but Hillary Clinton, a spectacularly well-qualified candidate and one of very few public officials to devote an entire career to advancing policies that promote fairness, equality, health and prosperity. We must not forget her grace and resilience, her eloquence in demanding respect and dignity for all women, and the fact that a majority of America's voters cast their ballots for her.

We anticipated being able to spend the next few years making the progress America needs - securing our right to choose abortion and access to contraception, making pay fair, giving all workers the right to earn paid sick days, enacting a national paid family and medical leave program, building on the Affordable Care Act so we can all get quality health care and live in communities that help us thrive.

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But the bottom dropped out.

We ache today for every child of immigrants whose nightmares are returning - for all the children with disabilities who feel the anguish of being mocked every time they see Donald Trump and for all the parents who are trying to help those children through confusion, shock and pain - for all children who now feel even more unsafe and unwelcome due to their race, religion or ethnicity.

We ache for all the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer teens who know, already, that the bullies who menace and harm them are emboldened by this election.

We ache for every hardworking family struggling to make ends meet who saw long-overdue relief slip away Tuesday night - and for the growing number of families with frail, sick elders who fear that a functional, affordable health care system is now further from reach.

We ache for every person who has been profiled, felt the sting of discrimination or been victimized by baseless suspicion and knows it is going to get worse, not better. We ache for the generation growing up in our country which, for now, is not all that it could be.

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We ache for every woman and girl who has been overlooked, disempowered, harassed, assaulted or violated because of her gender.

We recognize that progress rarely comes in straight lines - and we are absolutely determined to turn this pain into action. We have been facing down misogyny, racism, xenophobia, hatred and injustice for as long as we can remember and we will continue doing so, for as long as it takes.

We have a lot to learn about why people voted the way they did in this election but there is one thing we know: This was not a mandate for Donald Trump to overturn Roe v. Wade - to fuel gender, race, religious and other forms of discrimination - to deny low-wage workers fair pay, overtime wages and paid sick days - to repeal Obamacare and take health insurance away from 20 million people - to slow the progress on paid family and medical leave.

One path closed to us on Tuesday night ... so we will forge another.

The bottom dropped out ... but we will again find solid ground.

We are poised and ready to fight every single attempt to roll back the clock on our rights and our progress, every hour of every day, until the threats to every one of us are gone. We will be on the frontlines, building unity and solidarity where there is division. We feel a greater responsibility than ever to advance our vision of a country in which nobody has to face bias or discrimination, policies are compassionate and humane, workplaces are family friendly, and no family is without quality, affordable health care and real economic security.
I am a baby boomer, so Anais Nin has been a huge influence on my development both as a writer and as a woman. She has liberated my inner voice and has given me the courage to be honest about my feelings. For years I've been entranced and transformed by her style and how she gets to the core of human emotion, as she wrote with transparency and the wisdom of a sage. Her intimate language flows like a river, with soft murmurs and occasional raging rapids. She was able to say all the things I felt inside but was unable to easily express.

The more familiar I became with Nin's work, sensibilities, and passions, the more I realized how much we had in common. We both believed that journaling captures living moments. Also, we both began journaling at the age of 11 as a result of a loss in our lives. Nin began writing as a letter to her father after he left the family. I did so in a Kahlil Gibran journal my mother gave me after my grandmother committed suicide. In a sense, we both turned to journaling as a way of coping and healing from the pain of our losses.

In many ways, I feel a resurgence of Nin's work. A couple of months ago I sponsored "Anais: A Dance Opera" (Janet Roston, director/choreographer; Cindy Shapiro, composer, librettist) in Los Angeles. It was a sensuous, compelling, and thought-provoking performance -- a wonderful portrayal of the amazing woman Nin was. More recently, I was excited to learn that executive producer Brandon Milbradt had optioned 50 short stories from Nin, including the collections Delta of Venus, Waste of Timelessness, Under a Glass Bell, Cities of the Interior -- Ladders to Fire, Children of the Albatross, The Four-Chambered Heart, A Spy in the House of Love, and Seduction of the Minotaur.

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When I asked Milbradt what inspired her to option Nin's short stories, she said that that about a year ago she wandered into her favorite bookstore in the East Village in New York City, and was drawn to a stack of Nin's books. She sat down on the bookstore floor and began reading and devouring her words. She found herself completely captivated by her writing. This passage particularly resonated with her:

"I am a winged creature who is too rarely allowed to use its wings. Ecstasies do not occur often enough. Reality doesn't impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me. I escape, one way or another. No more walls."

As Milbradt continued reading Nin's works, she found that phrase after phrase and passage after passage washed over her in a moving way. Milbradt said that while she's nearly 40, she was first introduced to Nin's erotica when she was in her 20s. She recalls thinking of her as being smart and titillating. She loved the rhythm with which she wrote and how her words were "hot," deeply intelligent, and profound. "I'd never read anything so visceral and so thought-provoking...a commentary on our deepest fears, desires, and shames [as women]," she said. Now, in revisiting Nin nearly 20 years later, Milradt sees a different layer, as she relates to her curiosity and hunger for life and the passionate pursuit of the ordinary.

The task of optioning short stories, like any other creative endeavor, is a journey requiring tenacity and deep passion. Milbradt's project is in the early stages of development. She began the process by writing letters to Nin's estate representative, Tree Wright, describing her passion and her vision. It was important to her that Wright knew she wanted to tell Nin's stories elegantly and with integrity. After a few months of back-and-forth correspondence, Milbradt was touched when Wright invited her to Nin's old home.

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"I became quite emotional when I walked into her office. It was overwhelming. It felt magical. I want to do right by Anais and the Trust," she added. Milbradt shared that already many actresses have expressed a great deal of interest in the material, and she's excited and enthusiastic about the possibilities. She said, "As a feminist precursor to women like Gloria Steinem and Lena Dunham, Anais was controversial in her time, but she has tremendous relevance today."

The fact is, Nin took risks in her exploration of the feminine character and sexuality. She acknowledged her struggles with sexual identity while living primarily in a man's world. Milbradt concluded that exploration is a brave endeavor in 2016, but in the 1940s, "it was unheard of."

Milbradt and I have similar sentiments about Nin, how she resonates with women, and how she pulls us into her essence. Many people have described Nin as a universal mother and priestess--a mother to all, and the best psychologist for women. Her way of thinking and expressing herself has helped so many individuals give a voice to their own feelings and experiences. Many Nin supporters and fans are seekers who love reflecting and examining their lives and those of others. Perhaps as children they might have also felt misunderstood by their elders, and maybe even felt like old souls beyond their years. Nin simply had a way of empowering women, enabling them to be their own entities and inspire them to follow their bliss and live up to their full human potential, as expressed in the tenets of humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow

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Nin's writing is a dose of magic. Magic cannot be explained; it appears, we bathe in it, and we relish every second of its presence in our lives. All we can do is bow our heads and, in return, express gratitude. As author Valerie Harms said about Nin, "Her presence is felt everywhere instantly. She is like the sun, giving light and warmth and nourishment to people, enticing their creative selves to unfold, like flowers in bloom."

Milbradt is fascinated by the juxtaposition between Nin's seemingly demure persona and her provocative writings and the duality in her life. She's very interested and excited to explore this in her own creative work. Further, she says, "I'm dying to introduce her to a new generation of women."

Earlier on Huff/Post50:
Aside from Lena Dunham leaving the country(i) , it's hard to see any upside in this. Watching what seemed like an inevitable path to Trump's victory, I ran the gamut of every conceivable emotion, as you can see on my personal facebook page, where I interacted with more people online than I had all year. I predicted this six months ago and in a fury warned every person in my mailing list a week ago (in a desperate email full of broken links and typos), feeling like it was my responsibility to show people precisely how Donald Trump was lying to them and begging them to do all they could to get Hillary Clinton elected. In these articles, I outlined why Trump would win the election, as I predicted in July and why it was important to stop him. In spite of my detest for the liberal politically correct agenda taking precedence over civil liberties, I saw voting for Hillary was the right thing to do. The responsible thing to do. I greatly respect her intelligence and believe, like Obama she makes calculated decisions with the best interest of the American people in mind.

If they wanted to vote Trump in spite of this conning, I was OK with that, but I was really physically burdened by my disgust for misinformation tipping the scales of the election in a conman's favor. This scary result became a fait accompli for me once Nate Silver's algorithms gave him a one in three chance (I also counted the states where Trump was leading two days before the election and it added up to well over 270, before it dropped a little the day of the election). I was not some kind of soothsayer, the writings were on the wall and Brexit made it clear in my mind not to trust any lead short of 10%. The media still hasn't caught up to the sentiment of the people and clearly they don't know anything.

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In some misguided vow of solidarity for Hillary, the media even ignored Julian Assange's Russian State sponsored(ii) explanation of Hillary's complicity in the Saudi Arabian government's funding of Isis. Though Assange was clearly on a personal vendetta and the email leak was old news, it wasn't hard to see the irony in the state funding Isis, funding the Clinton Foundation to a tune of 25 million, a few years after purchasing 60.5 billion dollars in arms from the US State Department.

While the mainstream media chose to ignore the power of his words, "Killary's" enemies on facebook ran wild with it, still curiously much less than Benghazi. I kept telling Trump supporters there are real things to criticize Hillary for you don't have to find fake reasons. Never mind the Arab Spring that took place under Hillary and Obama's watch that turned contained relatively stable dictatorships (some were even secular) into fertile ground for Sunni-Shia proxy wars between Iran and Saudi Arabia that became proxy wars between the US and Russia.

As I was on a crusade for truth in a world lacking in it, I began fact-checking this in American papers and The Guardian. Since Assange's assertions were in my mind indisputable, I was forced to attack his character to defend Hillary. Though I've lost a lot of respect for Wikileaks, I see Snowden and Chelsea Manning as heroes, advocates for free speech that didn't deserve to be treated as enemies of the state for revealing the clear corruption of the US government. They were right to whistleblow on the drone bombings, incompetence and corruption in the US Military. I feel the taxpayers deserved to know the NSA and CIA were needlessly spying on millions of citizens with the cooperation of multi-billion dollar corporations. Obama and Hillary took a hard stance that this was basically treason.

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In spite of this, I found before the campaign Trump called for Snowden's execution, which I believe turned a wash into a point in Hillary's favor. Who knows, maybe to galvanize the support of the Bernie voters, she might even pardon these advocates of free speech, though this was probably wishful thinking. It also wasn't hard to discern the clear motivation of Russia to get Trump elected, I can only assume to divide and weaken America.

My conspiracy lightbulbs went off, thinking of Trump's wild declaration that "NATO is obsolete," which he didn't entirely let go of in the debate when he credited himself by saying, "I'm getting a lot of credit for this," about NATO renegotiations that must have happened in his imagination. It wasn't hard to argue that Trump was wittingly or unwittingly in Putin's pocket and it's still not inconceivable. I found out that the mainstream media was already covering this, which pretty much confirmed to me Trump didn't have the judgment to lead this country. Who knows if Trump agreed to pardon Assange? Would you put it past him?

While this is all interesting conjecture, and really frightening considering Ukraine was the furthest west Putin could go in his mission to bring back the USSR--only because of the strength of NATO who you remember Trump finds pointless--it is still only conjecture. It seems that Putin wants Trump in power, and perhaps it would be unwise to ignore this considering we were on the precipice of a Cold War two years ago and the boiling tension led to America essentially being at war with Russia, while the voters remain largely ignorant.

If you keep following this line of thinking, it's also not hard to criticize Hillary's involvement in the Arab Spring, while I also shudder to consider what havoc a partnership of Trump and Putin will cause. This could very well bring on World War III and the end of Western civilization, with the US fighting against or far be it from me to say alongside Russia, as more states in the Middle East destabilize as a result of US and Russian intervention. More destabilized states will start more proxy wars between Jihadist organizations, opening a bigger floodgate of refugees into Europe from countries that get more radical by the day. Excuse the hyperbole, but this could realistically drive Europe back to the dark ages. I don't think it will, but these are trying times.

Another harrowing thought is that Saudi Arabia all of a sudden has the 3rd largest military budget, substantially bigger than Russia. Complicating the matter further, America is completely dependent on OPEC's largely Saudi Arabian oil (ever wonder why your gas price is so low?). Further, after the Iran deal, America is essentially allied with Iran against Isis, Saudi Arabia's mortal enemy.

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While the US government refuses to acknowledge stuxnet, I am not the only one who believes the Israel's Mossad and America's NSA's secret cyberwar with Iran, has a large part to do with the Iran deal that essentially made Iran our ally. When the computer virus stuxnet rigged Iran's highly developed nuclear centrifuges to fail in ways that deceived people smart enough to become nuclear physicists for months on end, Israel losing patience with the progress, released a more aggressive strain of the virus. This shamed Iran, and Iran's unpredictability made America cower.

I believe Israel was operating under the assumption that if they were discovered, this would force the US to ally with Israel and destroy the falling oil giant Iran. Instead, we've armed Iran by injecting 150 billion dollars into their economy, all but ensuring Iran will have a nuclear weapon in 9 years as Podesta's email confirms. When Republican Senator, Mark Kirk of Illinois wrote Hillary's campaign manager, "This agreement condemns the next generation to cleaning up a nuclear war in the Persian Gulf...This is the greatest appeasement since Chamberlain gave Czechoslovakia to Hitler," all Podesta could respond was "Yup." I would also argue Israel, the only ideological ally to the US in the Middle East, will be vulnerable. Though Iran was once a moderate country, that still houses many prominent Jews, the backlash to the Shah of Iran's modernization is still alive 38 years since his overthrow. Though I'm certainly more afraid of Saudi Arabia, like the rest of the Middle East, Iran is becoming much more radical.

While I don't blame the terms of the Iran deal on Clinton--Kerry and Obama are clearly the culprits here--, I blame political correctness for the utter denial of the madness of religious monarchs fighting holy wars in the Middle East. This is the same thinking that prevented Obama from even saying, "Radical Islamic terror," and with a straight-face chose not to mention a shooting in a kosher supermarket was targeting Jews.

I don't see any clear advantage to what Obama did in the Middle East in terms of self-interest or the betterment of the world, other than Opec lowering the oil prices for the consumer and making more profit for the military industrial complex. Rather than stand up to Putin, a throwback to nationalist dictators of the past, who has his sights set on conquering the Soviet era buffer states, they chose to arm Saudi Arabia and let them dictate policies, while strengthening Iran. It seems like the only country Obama stood up to was Israel.

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In the Middle East and in Russia for that matter, strength is the only things these countries respect. This grave lack of understanding of Middle East warfare is part of why people condemn Israel, though these proxy wars make the wars with Gaza and The West Bank look like tea parties. Somehow with a military budget that more than doubles every other country, America finds itself stuck in unwinnable wars and forced to cower to threats, because we are so overextended, with so few troops. It really begs the question, why don't we just leave? Every attempt to police the Middle East has only caused harm.

While it is not covered heavily in our for-profit media and most people have little connection to these places, many voters have family who fought in and continue to fight in these senseless wars with no end in sight. Despite having run as an anti-war candidate in 2008, the media darling Obama has kept us in the longest running war in the history of our nation. I had some faith Clinton was more rational on Israel, it's hard to imagine she had any answers in the region. Watching the debate, I almost forgot we were at war. Though I haven't heard a coherent plan from Trump other than his plan to let the generals do their jobs and not tell the people we're attacking that we're attacking them, I'm not sure he could do much worse.

Domestically, there is this insistence from the Democrats that everything is great, because crime is down, the Dow is at record highs and unemployment is at 5%. It's like they forgot the summer of terrorism, racial tension and police murder we just experienced. The Democrats are tone-deaf, running what would have been an excellent campaign in 1992. Their convention was great and Clinton won all three debates, but that doesn't cut it anymore when the election is won and lost on facebook and twitter.

She couldn't brush off the stink Trump was throwing at her. Like David Geffen did in 2008, Trump sold the narrative she was a liar, in spite of the fact he was lying through his teeth and contradicting himself every other sentence with self-assuredness and authenticity. Rather than shake up the country with big promises after instilling fear with the tone of the nation that felt like, "The American Dream is dead," Hillary laughed off the conspiracies built on half-truths Trump was spewing. Hillary Clinton was a bad candidate.

After literally crying like a baby, as I woke up at 5:30 Israeli time (10:30est), when I saw that Trump was probably winning Michigan, a part of me felt everything would be OK. I started to remember what I said six months ago, when I first predicted a Trump victory and I began my crazy day of commenting on everything on facebook, "I think I'm crying right now, but also thinking this might not be as bad as it seems. Maybe Trump will be ok. No one has any idea what he's gonna do. He's a fucking wild card. I wouldn't be surprised if he picks Hillary as his secretary of state." He has been both a Republican and a Democrat, who would say literally anything to get elected. Someone with his pride does not want to be remembered as the guy who stirred up racial tension and violence, and destroyed the economy. He's a brilliant competitor who is clearly a lot smarter than he looks. Does he really want to screw this up.

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I don't think he's racist. There won't be a ban on Muslims, or a wall to Mexico. He has much too large an ego to let the party that elected him and nearly abandoned him, dictate his policies. Explaining my positive feelings to a friend on facebook who has rightfully pissed off, I explained my theory. Another person chimed in, "So you're saying he's lying about everything and not just most things," and I really believe that is what happened and I felt a lot better.

I was tired of defending Obama and Clinton for accomplishing things like piss-poor healthcare reform and the inevitable step of marriage equality, when the world is shambles. I had a Howard Beale moment and got tired of the bullshit, writing in a flash on my phone, "These newscasters are so stupid. It was so clear it was going to be Trump or at least be very close. When they watch a Trump rally all they can hear is their own voice, not what he's saying and how it connects to people. The media lives in a fantasy land where they believe 5% unemployment means something when people are making the same money they did 30 years ago. The democrats don't listen to voters who hate wall street and Obamacare, feel the racial division, the threat of radical Muslim terror and are tired of pseudo-fascist politically correct ideology that is so backwards it ignores science. No one has any answers but this politics as usual bullshit isn't gonna work anymore. I think Trump is a fucking buffoon whose policies will create huge instability (though i'm hoping he was lying as much as i thought he was to get elected), but we need to start looking at how to fix this broken system where no one trusts institutions and facts no longer matter to an electorate that feels abused by the elite."

It just became so clear to me how backwards and broken our society is. How disconnected we are from each other. How we are lied to both in the obvious conspiracy theory, "Mexicans are rapists," "Killary Clinton" way and in the way that Obama and Hillary lie to us through omission and cozy relationships with reporters. I'm tired of clear acceptance that legal bribes are part of the political process. Say what you will about Donald Trump, when Prince Alaweed, a Saudi billionaire and big Clinton Foundation contributor rightfully chastised Trump for calling on "a ban on all Muslims entering the country until we figure this thing out," Trump fought back beautifully in a tweet. Dopey Prince @Alwaleed_Talal wants to control our U.S. politicians with daddy's money. Can't do it when I get elected.#Trump2016." Never mind that Trump started his business with "daddy's money." He stood up the evil powers that be, without an ounce of shame or apology, and yesterday Alaweed congratulated Trump with his tail between his legs. Maybe this is a little bit of what America needs. We need to protect our way of life by asserting our power.

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Why do the Democrats have to pick a candidate who makes your stomach turn a bit when you defend her accomplishments honestly? Processing the insanity, my righteous anger turned to acceptance. All politicians are corrupt simply by the virtue of being part of the political system. Donald has a lot of flaws, and it still seems impossible that a reality TV star/irresponsible mogul who I knew as the host of The Apprentice and the guy who rated women and like a teenager bragged about his conquests on Howard Stern is now president, without once putting on the charade of claiming to be moral.

The world felt like it was turned upside and yet many ardent Democrats seemed like by seeing the truth of the hatred revealed by the people in front of them, there was this desire to connect with each other, learn to love each other above and in spite of our differences. We were tired of being divided as a country.

When Trump accepted the nation's highest office, I was very impressed. Though I'm preparing myself for the worst, I feel hopeful. He seemed genuinely gracious and humble, remorseful for carrying such a dirty campaign out on Clinton. By calling out for the help of his opponents, I felt he genuinely wanted to unite the country he helped divide. For the first time since I can remember, I think there's a chance that Democrats and Republicans will work together to find solutions.

We have strong differences in character and opinion. Despite both being spoiled children from New York, I don't think we could be more different. I'm fair skinned and he's orange. I believe in restrictions on business, while he thinks "yuge" tax cuts stimulate growth. I'm 100% certain on climate change, while he's a bit iffy on it. In spite of all this, I stand behind him. After being right about the election results, I don't think I could have been more wrong. The markets didn't crash and it doesn't look like the world is ending.

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You may not be a therapist, but I bet you had the same experience I did the day after the election: everyone, at home, in my lobby, in the street, in the cafe, on my way to work, and of course, in my office, needed to talk. To a person, everyone seemed shocked, some in the key of dread, some in hope. Like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, I found myself having the opportunity to answer the same questions over and over again. What happened? How could it be? What does it mean? What now? In the face of skeptical media coverage, Republican infighting, and all the polls, Trump's upset victory seems surreal. How could we have elected a reality TV star who conducts himself more like a stand-up comic or WTF wrestler than a public servant? Some of my clients asked me to diagnose Trump, others Hillary. Then came the questions about what this says about America, especially from people born elsewhere.

Since I happen to be both a therapist and a Buddhist, I found myself taking refuge in the timeless wisdom of Buddha's psychology and social theory, more than in modern science. Since the processing must go on, I hope sharing some of what helped me and my clients might help you too.

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First of all, no hard-nosed Buddhist pins much hope on a top-down political solution to our human predicament. Societies are only as happy, healthy, creative, or wise as the people who make them up. So while it's always better to have as many good people in key roles as possible, focusing mainly on changing one person or a hundred people at the top is no way to better our lives or our world. How motivated, educated, and trained is each one of us to improve our minds and lives? How willing are we to reach out to others, to raise consciousness or offer help? Every real revolution begins here, from the mind up and the heart out. The only remotely plausible way forward is to set out to do the seemingly impossible: to empower and train every last person on earth to start the revolution from the inside out.

When it comes to that foundational level of social change--our own hearts and minds--the Buddha had two seemingly contradictory things to say. Our hearts, our minds, our natures, are naturally good, naturally clear, naturally free. Then there's the rub: we have acquired a habit of confusion and suffering over eons of evolution and countless lives that is self-perpetuating, locked in place by the death-grip of self-protective instincts, exceedingly hard to break. So, "yes we can" change anything and everything, but at the same time, a very ingrained and blind part of us fights change instinctively as if it will be the death of us. This same self-protective overkill makes it hard for us to see beyond our own myopic drop of life, into the life-drops of loved ones, neighbors, strangers, and especially those we see--through fear-tinged mirror neurons--as other, threatening, even evil. So which fire--or, to use the well-known Cherokee metaphor--which wolf do we feed, compassion or fear?

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Whether we take this election as a blessing or an adversity, like every event, every day, it holds out an opportunity for us, provided we know how to take hold of it. Will we further aggravate our myopia by objectifying "him," "her," "us" or "them?" Or will we exercise the Buddhist art of reconciliation--one of the basic foundations for any community or civil society? Can we try to have radical empathy or unconditional compassion for everyone on all sides of this drama? This is a key principle of Buddhist social theory--Buddha's warning against divisive thinking, speaking, and acting. Bias and partisanship, as he saw it, not only strains the fabric of relationship, communication, and community, but also feeds the taproot of all our own personal suffering: our self-reifying habit. No matter what the content, any personal bias or partisan point of view is ultimately wrong--it reinforces our own self-limiting sense of identity, and so, our instinctive self-protective self-enclosure, hijacking our higher, larger selves.

How can we have radical empathy for both sides in this transition? Consider what is at stake for all of us in the cultural tension this election highlights. On the one hand, there is the progressive social agenda that Bernie Sanders, Hillary, Obama and so many others have worked so hard to advance: to mitigate and reverse centuries of systemic racism; millennia of patriarchy, sexism, misogyny, and homophobia; millennia of ethnic, cultural and religious bias against those with different features, different customs, different beliefs, different rituals. On the other hand, there is all the understandable grieving, adjustment, and protest that Trump tapped into: against decades of rising inequality; the collapse of manufacturing and the working middle class due to global outsourcing; the shock of being catapulted into a digital economy; the meteoric rise of China; the threat of global terrorism; and all the social dislocation caused by cultural and legal challenges to deeply held family values and traditional beliefs.

So where do we turn for healing in this polarizing time? If you think of what Buddhists call the collective karma driving our spilt-personality as a people, it seems to me that Trump represents the shadow side of our psyche--the last gasp of a self-enclosing, self-protective instinct that we all share in some way--the drive to stop the wheels of time, loss, vulnerability, and change. In some sense, our minds are frozen in a collective childhood dream of turning the clock back to the post-war era of American exceptionalism, when everything about our country was strong, and a recent conquest over an external evil seemed to have united us and the world around us.

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Of course, we know now that it was that pivotal moment in history, not our country, that was exceptional. And we also know that, beneath the triumphant facade of unity, our society even then was riddled with repressed traumas, ideological conflicts, and escalating addictions that would soon come out in the 1960's. These included the legacy of racism and gender bias, the challenges of multiculturalism, the destructive forces of an unbridled carbon economy, an insidious pandemic of sexual and domestic abuse, the unconscious narcissism of our sense of manifest destiny and exceptionalism, and our profound lack of knowledge of the global stage onto which we had just stepped.

In a very real sense, we have taken two steps forward and one back, again and again in the decades since. We have celebrated the basic goodness of our founding commitment to equality; and we have suffered the backlash of our ingrained habits of fear and entitlement. From a Buddhist point of view, we have made progress on the path towards enlightenment, but also experienced the stubborn persistence of deeply rooted knots and blocks. Another metaphor comes to mind--not from Buddhist psychology but from the modern path of self-help: we have made real strides towards recovery, but have also had slips and relapses. If this election cycle is our latest slip--how do we get back on the path?

Can we ever reach psychic wholeness as a people? Can we recover from the all-too-human addiction to self-protectiveness and self-enclosure, that--whether as progressives or conservatives--threatens our future as humanity's best experiment in peaceful inclusiveness and universal equality?

The Tibetan Buddhist teaching of the Wheel of Time (Kalachakra) says: yes, we can. It predicts that a timeless science of self-knowledge and self-mastery, offering universal training in mindfulness and compassion, altruistic vision and flow, will emerge onto the world stage right about now--when East and West collide, and the future of our Earth seems most at risk.

Of course, Buddhism is not the answer, but neither is any other single scientific or religious tradition. The answer lies in each of us, in our innate basic goodness, and in the scientific awareness and contemplative practice that can awaken and cultivate that goodness fully and effectively, regardless of our origins, gender, race, class, or views. That is where I believe we can go for help turning this next phase of transition into an opportunity for the healing and transformation we all so urgently need, individually, socially, nationally, and globally. Here is the vision that keeps me on the path, a breath at a time: may we all be well; may all minds be free; may our hearts share joy; may all earth live in peace!

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"The election of Trump is not only a tragedy for the United States," film director Jim Jarmusch announced to a small group of film aficionados at the Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival. "It is a tragedy for the world."

Jarmusch was here at the festival to speak about his two recently released films, Gimmee Shelter and Paterson, both of which celebrate the power of the individual to choose the way he lives his life. His arrival in Lisbon coincided with the US presidential election.

Sitting calmly, with the Atlantic ocean shimmering behind him, he continued: "I think people should be vigilant about things that have fascistic tendencies, vigilant about people like Le Pen in France, Trump in the US. It is a tragic moment that this clown has been elected. The essence of fascism is coming across and that is not a good thing."

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Nothing could be farther from the insular spirit of Trump's political platform than Jarmusch's humanist poetics. Paterson tells the story of a bus driver who leads a humble routine life, enjoying his daily interactions with his beloved wife his friends, the local barman and his dog. The film is structured in seven parts according to the days of the week, and each day is pretty much the same. Throughout, our contented peaceful protagonist writes poetry.

The early Jarmusch films also give witness to deeply interior characters who face existence with deadpan wonder and persistence. I personally enter a meditative trance when watching them.

I asked Jarmusch how his meditative poetics have evolved since his earlier films, such as Deadman (1995).

"Both Deadman and Paterson are circular and cyclical in form," the director said decisively. "[They take up] the metaphor of life as a cycle. It's all about acceptance, beginnings and ends, the journey."

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Jarmusch, who began his artistic career as a poet, elaborated:

" Mine are minimalist forms, not dramatic, In Paterson, incidents and details are simplified in the form. There is an accumulative effect. One is to be looking at the details, not at the story-line. I avoid drama and conflict. Paterson is a simple depiction of seven days and a strict routine. It is this routine that allows the character to be free. He drives a bus, he gets up a the same time in the same place."



The director noted with a laugh that he knows he is going against the screenwriting cardinal rule to have "conflict" at the center of a film.

"My films are closer to those of Ozu and Bresson. The essence of their films is not darkness or drama, but balance. There are lots of films being made about problems, about people not getting along, about women being abused, and these films are valuable. Mine aren't like that."

The balanced approach extends to the making of the film. "On my film set, there was not one negative moment," Jarmusch noted with appreciation. "It was pleasurable to collaborate."

The Lisbon & Estoril film festival is renowned for inviting celebrated filmmakers, intellectuals, artists and cinephiles from all parts of the globe to enjoy low-key intimate exchanges about art in a relaxed environment, where one is just as likely to attend a dinner with Monica Bellucci as chat with Jonathan Demme over breakfast. I was not surprised to see Jim Jarmusch here. I had had a lively conversation last year with Jarmusch's wife, director/producer Sara Driver, who had come to present her work-in-progress, and she had told me how she and Jim had loved the similarly warm intimate atmosphere of a film festival they had attended in Portugal, many years ago, in Figueira da Foz.

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It too had been a genuine exchange between passionate artists.

She had added with a smile: "That's the way film festivals were back then. That's the way the Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival still is."

Jarmusch commented on the Lisbon & Estoril festival, his second time back to Portugal:

"My films are an antidote to drama. This festival is an antidote to festivals as a business: to film as a business. Already in a couple days, I have talked and sat down twice with Jean Pierre Leaud. Wow! Then there are the retrospectives of the films of Godard, Kusturica.... The whole atmosphere is celebrating the joy and beauty of film. What a relief, what an amazing place to be."
Nicoletta Braschi and Andrea Renzi received a standing ovation for their rendering of Samuel Beckett's "Happy Days" this weekend, to a packed audience in Lisbon, in a side-event of the Lisbon @ Estoril Film Festival. To my great regret, I did not manage to see it. In Beckett-like repetition, I tried twice to get to the play, and each time was blocked by traffic.

Nevertheless the famed Italian actress Nicoletta Braschi welcomed me to sit with her at breakfast to discuss it.



With great exuberance, the engaging actress told me how she and Andrea (who is both the director and her husband "Willie" in the play) had worked years on the text, on each word.

"The text is so complex, so extraordinary," she exclaimed. "We worked on every word, every space between the words."

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In Beckett's Happy Days, Winnie is buried up to her waist in a mound of sand, carrying on a monologue about her daily existence, while her husband calls out--occasionally--from his newspaper.

"How do you interpret the philosophy of the play?" I asked. "What is your take on Beckett, and your character Winnie?"

I could intuit that hers would not be a gloomy take. It is impossible to see Nicoletta as an alienated, frozen Winnie, stumped by existence,as she is sometimes played. The actress exudes energy--and dare I say, happiness.

"Oh Beckett is not sad or despairing," Nicoletta smiled radiantly. "He is showing life as it is. Happy Days is life. Life is like that. We are born here in conditions that just are and we face these conditions. For example, Winnie speaks in contradictions. 'The sun is blazing today,' is one of her lines. And a moment later, she says today there is no sun. This contradiction touches the reality of life: there is both one thing and the other. Winnie has great passion for life. She changes her ideas, she is very vital!"

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One of Beckett's famous lines in this play is: "Yes, something seems to have occurred, something has seemed to occur, and nothing has occurred, nothing at all."

Even this line Nicoletta interpreted with its positive force. "A contradiction once more. Something has happened, or has it not," she smiled. "It's brilliant!"

Director Andrea Renzi came to our table, from the breakfast buffet, and affably joined the conversation.

"How do you see the meaning of this play?" I asked.

"It's about dignity and resistance," he said at once, with equal passion. "Yes there is a space--a breath--an abyss--between the words. But the characters look into this abyss. Remember the play begins with waking up! Each morning, the character wakes to give meaning to her life. Beckett's characters are always going deeper into the conditions of their lives, and becoming more profound."

The spirit of this interpretation was so exhilarating I regretted once more missing the play.

"Don't worry!" Nicoletta touched my arm. "We will be playing in New York and in Canada and in Italy. You will have another chance! I'll let you know our schedule!

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Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's can be extremely difficult. If you reach the end of your rope and need advice on the spot, two organizations have helplines you can easily access: the Alzheimer's Association and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. (Please note, however, that you should call 911 for emergencies.)

The Alzheimer's Association Helpline: 1-800-272-3900

The Alzheimer's Association is the world's leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Its mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

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The Alzheimer's Association's 24/7 helpline is staffed by 70 highly-trained information specialists. They are backed up by Care Consultants -- Master's level social work counselors. These staff can answer questions, help you process your feelings, assist in problem solving and, when needed, link you to resources at your local Alzheimer's Association. The Association stresses that you can call as often as needed.

Staff for this helpline -- along with those of its 80 chapters -- field more than 8,000 calls per week in English and Spanish. In addition they use a translation service, enabling them to offer immediate support in 170 other languages and dialects.

The helpline serves people with memory loss, their family caregivers, health care professionals and the general public.

The staff can help you with:

 Knowing the top 10 signs of Alzheimer's

 Understanding memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer's

 Learning about medications and other treatment options

 Obtaining general information about aging and brain health

 Learning skills to provide quality care and to find the best care from professionals

 Understanding legal, financial and living-arrangement decisions

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The helpline also features:

 Confidential care consultation to help with decision-making support, crisis assistance and education on issues families face every day

 Referrals to local community programs, services and ongoing support

Visit the Alzheimer's Association website (www.Alz.org) for further details.

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America Helpline: 1-866-232-8484



The Alzheimer's Foundation of America is a national nonprofit organization that unites more than 1,700 member organizations nationwide. Its mission is to provide optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their family caregivers through member organizations dedicated to improving quality of life.

You can connect with the organization's Master's-level licensed social workers by calling the helpline. You can also connect by Skype, live chat or email. Some people may feel uncomfortable talking by phone and thus prefer these other approaches. See the organization's website (www.AlzFdn.org) for instructions on how to access each feature.

The team is available 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. At other times you can leave a voice message or send an email and a social worker will respond as soon as possible. They will answer your questions and/or direct you to appropriate local and national resources to meet your needs. No question is too small; no concern is too insignificant.

Like the Alzheimer's Association, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America assists people with memory loss themselves, their family caregivers, professional caregivers and the general public. It handles all types of calls, beginning with advice on getting a diagnosis and including a full spectrum of issues of concern to callers, such as identifying warning signs of the disease and how to navigate unexpected changes in behavior.

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The team uses a family- and whole-person approach, advising people on biological, psychological, social and financial problems. It also deals with preventive issues such as avoiding falls or defusing difficult family situations.

In addition, the staff helps people navigate role changes, such as when children or spouses become the "parent" to their loved ones, and offers practical solutions to common problems, including communication, wandering or dealing with agitation. Finally, they help callers learn to advocate for the person with Alzheimer's through care planning meeting, referrals to long-term care ombudsmen and more.
Visitors enter the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, U.S. October 5, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron

It takes no formal study to demonstrate that the electoral college is unpopular with Americans. Criticisms began at least as early as 1824, when Andrew Jackson won the popular vote but only a plurality in the electoral college. The House of Representatives then selected John Quincy Adams to be president, causing Jackson to rage that the people should choose, not the electoral college. Jackson won revenge victories in 1828 and 1832, but the electoral college never claimed the people's favor.

It is cumbersome, confusing, misleading to people everywhere, and irrational in the sense that it can award victory to the loser of the popular vote. It did so in 1876 and again in 1888. It performed well for more than a century after that, not denying victory again to the popular vote winner until 2000.

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Now, however, a mere sixteen years after that fiasco, the electoral college again misbehaves. Although observers pontificate about the "voice of the people," and argue that "the people have spoken," by electing Donald Trump, just how loud was that "people's voice"? It was not even a whisper. Roughly 400,000 more people voted for Clinton than for Trump.

So the Democrats really were not guilty of disregarding "the interests of everyday white people" to the country's detriment. A mere glance at the Democratic platform demonstrates that it did not neglect jobs, high education costs, and other concerns of most Americans. It even called for the expansion of Social Security. Already the victorious Republicans plan to dismantle Medicare, to reject taxes on the wealthy as "class warfare," and to repeal health care. So much for the Republicans' "populist appeals"

There are signs of "clear and present danger." Donald Trump has engaged in behavior and rhetoric that appalls all but the most fervid supporter, and has connections with foreign powers that meddled in the election, complemented by the FBI.

Electors meet in their respective state capitals, and cast their votes on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December; in 2016 that falls on the 19th. The chances of Trump alienating his followers between now and then are tiny (as he said, he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and not lose a vote), but given his past, such a thing is possible. Also possible are additional legal issues emerging before then, to add to his already tarred record that, among other things, will require him to appear in court to defend himself against charges of fraud. John Cassidy, in the New Yorker said months ago, that "If the revelations about Trump University don't do any damage to Trump, it's time to worry--or worry even more--about American democracy."

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If some major issue were to emerge prior to 19 December, it might not be too late to change the outcome. This may be so even if some state legislatures were simply to begin to suffer from buyers' remorse (as many British voters are said to be experiencing as a result of their Brexit votes), after reviewing Mr. Trump's record and finding that it suggests that having him as president of the United States would present an existential danger. If the legislatures of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan for example were to shift their electoral votes away from Trump to Clinton, she would win. If enough red states were simply to withhold their electoral votes, and not cast them, the total vote could be reduced enough that Clinton's total would represent more than half the votes cast, and she would be the winner.

Technically, this might be possible. The Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore said: "The individual citizen has no federal constitutional right to vote for electors for the president of the United States unless and until the state legislature chooses a statewide election as the means to implement its power to appoint members of the Electoral College." Moreover, continued the Court, "the state legislature's power to select the manner for appointing electors is plenary; it may, if it so chooses, select the electors itself." Once having chosen a method for selecting electors, "the state, of course, after granting the franchise in the special context of Article II, can take back the power to appoint electors."

An objection could be that Congress sets the date for election, or for choosing electors. This year, the date was 8 November. That might not deprive the state's legislature of the power to change its collective mind, though, consistent with the statement above. In fact, in 2000 the State of Florida almost did just that. After the election, and before the US Supreme Court handed down Bush v. Gore, Republicans in the legislature planned to choose Bush/Cheney electors, regardless of the result of any recount. USA Today reported as much on 12 December 2002. It did not come to pass because of the Court's decision the next day made it unnecessary.

Of course, the legislatures of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin--along with those of Kentucky and Florida--are all dominated by Republicans. Surely, no reasonable Republican would vote to deny the selection of his party's nominee to the presidency. On the other hand, most Americans, regardless of party, and most American officeholders, regardless of party, at bottom are patriotic, and wish to do what is best for the country. If they truly scrutinize the record and conclude that the potential damage from a Trump presidency actually does represent a threat to America's people, their own party included, one could imagine that they could cast political considerations aside, and vote their conscience. When President Andrew Johnson was being tried following his impeachment, a number of his enemies, Republican senators, concluded that removing a president from office would endanger the institution, however much Johnson deserved it. The Senate failed to produce the required two-thirds vote for conviction. If enough legislators were to decide that a Trump presidency is too dangerous to be permitted, they may still have the power to exercise their collective consciences, and head it off.
Misplacing or losing your iPhone is the worst, but there are ways to find it even when the power's off.
The current direction toward privatization in education is equivalent to outsourcing in the criminal justice system. The Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) is the criminal justice equivalent of the education privatization movement that is currently underway. CCA is a $1.8 billion company that builds and operates prisons and detention facilities on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Marshals Service, and state and local agencies. All of their incentives are perverse. Maximizing revenue depends on "customers" and "repeat" customers. In the decade ending in 2012 CCA spent nearly $18 million lobbying various government agencies to keep the market robust. In their own SEC filing they wrote:

"The demand for our facilities and services could be adversely affected by the relaxation of enforcement efforts, leniency in conviction or parole standards and sentencing practices or through the decriminalization of certain activities that are currently proscribed by our criminal laws. For instance, any changes with respect to drugs and controlled substances or illegal immigration could affect the number of persons arrested, convicted, and sentenced, thereby potentially reducing demand for correctional facilities to house them."

Read that excerpt carefully. CCA sees draconian drug laws and punitive immigration practices as good for business. Their interests are diametrically opposed to social justice. It takes only modest revision of the language of the SEC filing from CCA to imagine it coming from a charter organization:

"The demand for our facilities and services could be adversely affected by proper funding of district public schools and decriminalization of certain activities that currently land young black fathers in jail, particularly with respect to drugs and controlled substances. Any changes that resulted in substantial job creation, fair wages and rebuilding of neglected urban communities might potentially reduce demand for alternative, impersonal "no excuses" facilities to house poor children."

Here too, the interests are diametrically opposed to social justice. To be fair, children in urban charter schools are not prisoners, despite "no-excuses" disciplinary practices that might seem prison-like. Even increasingly profitable charter management organizations are not going to benefit from recidivism. Education reformers do want children to succeed, at least on their own limited terms. But there is common ground with prison privatization along several dimensions. As education becomes privatized, the same perverse incentives arise. Ratcheting up class size and increased use of technology reduce labor costs. Reduced labor costs increase profit. The highly mechanized systems being developed by corporate reform are cost effective, replicable and scalable.

In short, many schools driven by education reform are really an aggressive manifestation of the industrial style of traditional education that has dominated education policy for more than a century. The difference - and it is a critical difference - is that this time it's also profitable.
As Donald Trump prepares to be sworn in as 45th President of the United States, New York is facing a complicated new matrix of risks and danger.

Standing 58 floors tall -- midblock at 5th avenue and 57th Street stands Trump Tower. It is today the residence of President-elect of the United States and his family.

Within hours of his election, the FAA made the airspace within two nautical miles of Trump's building a protected area and has ordered pilots to stay outside the protected airspace. The ban re-routes helicopter tours of the city, limit the work of news helicopters. Drones are also banned.

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The temporary flight restriction (TFR) are listed on FAA's website as due to "VIP movement." The TFR's are posted until January 21st, 2017, when the Trumps move into the White House. NYPD and Secret Service have coordinated street closings to protect the building's ground level access, with the perimeter being protected by a line of dump trucks filled with sand to prevent terrorist attacks with car bombs and suicide bombers.

Deputy Police Commissioner Stephen Davis told Bloomberg News "We will need to work with the Secret Service to provide security. There's no getting around it. It could be a major inconvenience."

But for New Yorkers who lived through 9/11 -- the questions about safety and security are hardly theoretical.

And as Donald Trump now considers returning to Trump Tower on weekends, essentially using his New York home as the second White House, much as George Bush used his Texas ranch, it raises serious questions for New Yorkers as to the risks it brings.

In Washington DC, the White House is protected by the US Army's "Avenger" system, an air defense system that uses FIM-92 Stinger missiles and a 50 caliber machine gun. At least one Avenger turret overlooks the White House at a nearby building. The Flight Restricted Zone extends 15 miles out from the center of Washington. There are Quick Reaction Alert F-16s at the ready at Andrews AFB, as well as Homeland Security helicopters. There is also the little-known National Advanced Surface To Air Missile System, or NASAMS for short, a product of Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace of Norway.

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So the question now facing the Secret Service, NYPD, and military officials is complex. In a post-9/11 world, New York never stopped being a terrorist target. But with Donald Trump as Commander-in -Chief, the power of Trump Tower as both a symbol and target creates real dangers for New Yorkers.

Will New York airspace remain restricted? Will 5th avenue be closed to vehicular traffic? How will tenants, residents, and visitors be impacted at Trump Tower. In order to get zoning variances to build the 58 story building, Trump agreed to allow the atrium to be open to the public. Will those zoning restrictions be lifted?
Since last Tuesday, U.S. allies and adversaries along with the American people have been wondering what the election means for their future. Vladimir Putin was gleeful over Trump's victory, perhaps expecting the president-elect to lift sanctions on Russia. Several authoritarian leaders rushed to congratulate Trump, probably anticipating that he will be less likely than his predecessor to criticize their human rights records. Heads of NATO member states worry that Washington might not support them in a crisis, especially a confrontation with Russia. Americans fear that the new president could get the country into yet another futile Middle East ground war

Everyone expecting a dramatic shift in U.S. defense policy may be sorely disappointed (or pleasantly surprised). While it is too early to tell precisely what course Trump will steer, preliminary indications suggest that he may adjust but will probably not significantly alter the approach taken by his predecessors. The national security interests of a country do not change simply because someone new occupies the Oval Office. President Obama did not radically alter the approach taken by President Bush. Trump is also learning the lesson of those who have gone before him: it is far easier to campaign than to govern. Political slogans do not equate to policy decisions, even if the candidate believed them in the first place.

The strategy to defeat ISIS is working. The Islamic State has steadily lost territory over the past two years. Supported by U.S. air power and Special Forces the Iraqi Army and Kurdish Peshmerga are slowly recapturing Mosul. The Kurds have repelled an ISIS diversionary attack on Kirkuk. Raqqa will probably fall within the next year. A ground invasion might hasten the destruction of the Islamic State but would saddle the United States with yet another nation-building mission, which Trump has vowed to avoid. The American people are sick of long innervating wars and unlikely to support another one any time soon.

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Rail though he did against our NATO allies during the campaign, Trump will have little choice but to support them. For more than 60 years NATO has been the anchor of national security policy in the Euro-Atlantic region. Member states have supported the U.S. in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Libya, and in the struggle against ISIS. The alliance as whole went to war in Afghanistan after 9/11. Whether or not he can get our European allies to pony up more money for collective defense, Trump will have to stand by NATO.

In Asia, it is even more likely to be business as usual. Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines remain the anchors of U.S. defense strategy in the region. The new administration will have to contend with rogue state North Korea and may decide engaging China is the best way to do so. Other than re-balancing military assets to Asia, as Obama has begun to do, it does not seem likely that Trump will be confrontational in the South China Sea.

Domestic politics will also militate against dramatic shifts in foreign policy. Donald Trump's supporters elected him to implement change at home, not abroad. He probably will not wish to comprise his domestic agenda by diverting energy and resources to bold foreign policy initiatives. Even if he does, his own party will probably restrain him.

None of this is to say that everything will remain the same. We can expect a return to the realpolitik of the Reagan years. Trump seems unlikely to advocate for democracy and human rights as did Obama. He may well move to lift sanctions on Russia, deeming better relations with the Kremlin more important than Ukrainian freedom. He probably will not care who governs Syria as long as the ISIS threat is reduced. Nor does he seem likely to worry about how foreign leaders treat their own people as long as they support American interests. Such an approach would be unfortunate as American values can be a force for good in the world.

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The one cause for real concern is the Iranian nuclear deal. Since it has not been approved by the Senate, the agreement lacks the force of a treaty. Trump could simply withdraw from it. Because it is a multi-lateral agreement supported by U.S. allies and Russia, however, he may not wish to deal with the fallout that would come from completely abrogating it. He may settle for trying to modify the deal if he changes it at all.
I'd never watched a U.S. presidential candidate who scared me - truly scared me - until the Republican debate on March 3, 2016. This candidate literally gave me the creeps. As a historian and as a retired U.S. military officer, his answer to a question on torture and the potential illegality of his orders if he became the military's civilian commander-in-chief horrified me. The next day, I wrote a short blog post in which I argued that this candidate had disqualified himself as a candidate for the presidency. That candidate's name was Donald Trump.

What did candidate Trump say that so horrified me? He said this: They [U.S. military leaders] won't refuse [my illegal orders]. They're not going to refuse me. Believe me. After again calling for waterboarding and more extreme forms of (illegal) torture, as well as not denying he'd target terrorists' families in murderous reprisal raids, candidate Trump then said this: I'm a leader. I'm a leader. I've always been a leader. I've never had any problem leading people. If I say do it, they're going to do it. That's what leadership is all about.

As I wrote at the time, "Our military does not follow blindly orders issued by 'The Leader.' Our military swears an oath to the Constitution. We swear to uphold the law of the land. We don't swear allegiance to a single man (or woman) as president."

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"Trump's performance ... reminded me of Richard Nixon's infamous answer to David Frost about Watergate: 'When the president does it, that means it's not illegal.' No, no, a thousand times no. The president has to obey the law of the land, just as everyone else has to. No person is above the law, an American ideal that Trump seems neither to understand nor to embrace."

"And that disqualifies him to be president and commander-in-chief."

Yes, I wrote those words just before the Ides of March. And yet here we are, with Trump as our president-elect and, come January 2017 the U.S. military's next commander-in-chief. What the hell?

Confronted with criticism of his remarks that the U.S. military would follow his orders irrespective of their legality, Donald Trump soon walked them back. But for me his dictatorial instincts, his imperiousness, and, worst of all, his ignorance of or indifference to the U.S. Constitution, stood revealed in horrifyingly stark relief. Little that Trump said or did after this major, to my mind disqualifying, gaffe convinced me that he was fit to serve as commander-in-chief.

Here's what I wrote back in March about the prospect of Trump serving as commander-in-chief:

Donald Trump: Lacks an understanding of the U.S. Constitution and his role and responsibilities as commander-in-chief. Though he has shown a willingness to depart from orthodoxies, e.g. by criticizing the Iraq War and the idea of nation-building, Trump's temperament is highly suspect. His bombast amplified by his ignorance could make for a deadly combination. Hysterical calls for medieval-like torture practices are especially disturbing.

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Another disturbing tack he took was to suggest that he'd clean house among the military's senior ranks -- apparently, America today doesn't have enough men like George Patton and Douglas MacArthur, Trump's all-time favorite generals. Patton was a notorious hothead, and MacArthur was vainglorious, egotistical, and insubordinate. Leaving that aside, Trump doesn't seem to understand that the president is not a dictator who can purge the military officer corps. Officers are appointed by Congress, not by the president, and they serve at the will of the American people, not at the whim of the president.

Combine Trump's ignorance of the U.S. Constitution with his cavalier attitude toward nuclear weapons and you truly have a combustible formula. Clearly, Trump had no idea what America's nuclear triad was during the Republican primary debates, but few people in the media seemed to care. (Gary Johnson, meanwhile, was pilloried by the press for not knowing about Aleppo.) Trump gave statements that seemed to favor nuclear proliferation, and seemed to suggest he saw nuclear weapons as little different from conventional ones. He also repeated that hoary chestnut, vintage 1960, that some sort of "missile gap" existed between the U.S. and Russia: the lie that Russia was modernizing its nuclear forces and the USA was falling hopelessly behind. Again, there was little push back from the press on Trump's ignorance and lies: they were enjoying the spectacle and profits too much.

When it comes to nuclear war, ignorance and lies are not bliss. Can Trump grow up? Can he become an adequate commander-in-chief? America's future, indeed the world's, may hinge on this question.
United States Constitution

I. CONTEXT and CIRCUMSTANCE

With eleven days to go before election day, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey--apparently responsible to no one else in the government--made an unprecedented decision to insert the bureau into the 2016 presidential campaign while early voting was underway. For nine days--October 28-November 6--the citizens of this country had virtually nothing to go on but reports attributed to anonymous law enforcement officials.

In an ambiguous letter, sent to some Congressional committee chairmen and ranking members on October 28, Comey stated that the bureau had not yet determined whether or not this material may be significant, implying that a new development upsetting the presidential campaign might ultimately have no impact on the concluded (as of July 5) investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's classified email. And, indeed, it did not.

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Comey had not even read the referenced, separate Anthony Weiner file, in order to determine what might be pertinent or significant to the Clinton case! But he told FBI employees on that same Friday, October 28, that he had felt obligated to send notice to Congress out of an "abundance of caution." One might add an abundance of hubris.

His vague pronouncements were to dominate the news cycle for the next nine days, sparking renewal of the earlier narrative that Clinton was under federal investigation. It is indisputable that millions of voters went to the polls under a false impression that there was new evidence against Clinton, showing possible criminality.

In the course of those nine days, Clinton's widely-reported substantial lead in the polls over Donald Trump was checked. Comey had put his thumb on the scales!

While he disappointed conservatives when announcing on July 5 that the FBI would not recommend charges be brought against Clinton, Comey had taken the unusual step of publicly condemning her behavior as

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extremely careless.



Much of the criticism of Comey's October 28 intervention broke along partisan lines, with almost 100 former federal prosecutors and Justice Department officials of both parties signing an open letter about Comey's decision to release information about a new inquiry just days before the election:

Many of us have worked with Director Comey; all of us respect him. ***But his unprecedented decision to publicly comment on evidence in what may be an ongoing inquiry just eleven days before a presidential election leaves us both astonished and perplexed.



II. FIRST CONSEQUENCE

The political damage had been done, as surely Comey could have anticipated. There was no way to clear up the matter, expeditiously. The bell could not be unrung.

Had any high official in the Justice Department seriously contemplated that Clinton would then be indicted--by a Justice Department prosecutor--since Comey had had no national security grounds to hang it on back in the summer? But a cloud had been floated.

And the stage was set for the specter of a severely divided government after the election--under which there would be no confirmation of a new, ninth member of the Supreme Court.

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By not performing due diligence, without at least having taken a peek at the contents of the Weiner file--discovering a blockbuster national security issue directly tied to the former Secretary of State?--Comey went rogue without the approval of Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

III. ULTIMATE CONSEQUENCE

It is not my purpose to challenge the electoral vote count that has made Donald Trump the President-elect, although the definitive count is relevant to my main argument.

The extra-constitutional intrusion of FBI director Comey into the presidential election--eleven days before Election Day (only to reverse himself on November 6)--spread the false impression that the investigation into her emails had been re-opened.

The negative news undoubtedly shaved 1-2 points off her eventual totals in several "swinging swing" states where the presidential race proved to be very close--especially in three of those states in the red corridor (or wall) running from Pennsylvania to Ohio to Michigan to Wisconsin--and in which vote spreads were to be measured in decimal points.

According to The Washington Post, almost two-thirds of Americans (63 percent) said that Clinton's

use of private email

had bothered them. Among that group, Trump won 70 percent to 24 percent. Comparable polling figures for individual states are not yet available.

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IV. Decimal Points and Votes: WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

In turn, the tighter presidential race adversely impacted close Senate races in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin; and also New Hampshire--with a combined total of 34 electoral votes. In the latter, Clinton finished with a lead of +.3 and the Democratic Senate candidate (Gov. Hassan) with a lead of +.1 over Republican Sen. Ayotte.

The loss of 2 Senate seats by Democrats running against Republican incumbents (Sen.Toomey over Katie McGinty in Pennsylvania, and Sen. Johnson over former Sen. Russ Feingold in Wisconsin) probably cost Democrats 50-50 divided control of the Senate. That outcome would have enhanced their leverage in choosing a new Supreme Court Justice.

A re-count of the presidential and Senate returns in Wisconsin (+1.0 Trump and + 3.4 Johnson) and in Pennsylvania (+1.2 Trump and +1.7 Toomey), that conceivably might have resulted in a 50-50 Senate, is contingent upon restrictive numerical

triggers

in state law: the secretary of state shall order a recount if the unofficial results reflect that the losing candidate lost by 0.25 % (Wisconsin) or 0.5 % (Pennsylvania) of all votes cast for the office.

[By comparison, Clinton lost in Pennsylvania by 68,236 or 1.2%; in Wisconsin by 27,257 or 1.0%--and, in Michigan, by 11,837 or 0.3%.]

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Of incidental note: As reported by David Leonhardt of the New York Times in a November 11 online newsletter:

Hillary Clinton didn't just win the popular vote. She won it by a substantial margin. By the time all the ballots are counted, she seems likely to be ahead by more than 2 million votes and more than 1.5 percentage points, according to Nate Cohn. She will have won by a wider percentage margin than not only Al Gore in 2000 but also Richard Nixon in 1968 and John F. Kennedy in 1960.

V. CONCLUSION

The current electoral vote projection is Trump=305; Clinton=233. If Clinton had won Pennsylvania and Michigan--totaling 36 electoral votes--she could have tied Trump in electoral votes: 269-269. If she had won Wisconsin, as well, she would have been elected President by nine electoral votes: 279-259.

The current projection of party division in the Senate is: 52 (R)-48 (D).

In thinking about the latest FBI review that cleared Clinton in the email inquiry two days before the election, consider how many million ballots were cast with the October 28 proclamation of the director prominent in their minds. How many voted early, or mailed in their vote, assuming that a smoking gun was hidden in the thousands of emails on Anthony Weiner's computer?

Moreover, how many races, down ballot, were seriously impacted by the reckless statement and the imagined implications of the words uttered by the director of the F.B.I. on October 28?

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These questions still hang over this election. While their answers are ultimately, definitively, unknowable, the consequences of one wrong speculation, now shown to be wholly unfounded, are undeniable.

Under the separation of powers, three institutions have been impacted by the FBI sting operation: the Senate, an evenly divided Supreme Court, and the Presidency. High stakes !!! The Comey Coup was a coup against the Constitution.
Earth globe with flames, symbol for global warming, climate change

Even if the ever-mounting evidence that climate change is and will disastrously affect our lives is proven otherwise, it behooves us to prepare for it and to mitigate its risks and threats. This is what any reasonable government, military, company or organization would do for unexpected scenarios. In the humanitarian world it's called the 'less-likely' or 'worst-case' scenario.

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Our global responsibility entails unpacking existing evidence of trends and current impacts, while also taking appropriate action. We have to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and look holistically and globally at economies, poverty, education, trade and human rights. And again, even if we are wrong about climate change, we will end up building a better world to equally serve humanity in all its corners.

Meanwhile, let's take a few figures from the NASA website to illustrate what global warming means. Nine of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2000. Sea levels are rising by 3.4 mm a year. 281 gigatonnes of land ice is today lost annually. Arctic Sea ice is disappearing at a rate of over 13% per decade. At the same time, around the world, our activities increased emissions of greenhouse gases by 35 percent from 1990 to 2010.

The increase in meteorological events, storms, floods, heat-waves, droughts over the last 50 years supports the impact of global warming on disasters. These events, however, most severely impact the poorest, most destitute, least protected populations in the world, where weak infrastructure, poor basic services and capacities hugely affects people's ability to cope with and recover from disaster. As the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) stated 'These impacts constitute a serious interference with the exercise of fundamental human rights, such as the rights to life, health, water, food, housing, and an adequate standard of living.'

The most visible human impact of global warming on disasters comes in the form of displacement. Increasingly, we have seen millions fleeing hurricanes, floods, and other weather-related events. In 2010, this figure was 32 million (or several million more than the population of Texas). That same year, 27.5 million fled from conflicts - many of which are related to increasingly uneven distribution of resources, development and services. In these situations, an already poor history of compliance with human rights instruments is only further exacerbated in the unchecked race to control resources.

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The millions ready to risk their lives in ramshackle boats to cross from Africa to Europe will tell us why.

Their governments are unable or unwilling to provide basic human rights, services, opportunities and equality for their populations. It is a vicious cycle of limited resources and opportunities leading to conflict and denial of basic rights.

Climate change and human rights go hand-in-hand, as do (or should) legal agreements and political action. Our topmost obligation is thus to translate our commitments into action, while empowering these populations to change their lives and environment in a sustainable way. The alternative is humanity at peril.
K-State students get to 'Hang with Tang' on Tuesday

Cat Zone
A US federal judge in Springfield, Massachusetts, asserted that Bill Cosbys insurer must help defend him against three civil defamation lawsuits. The suits were brought by several women who accused Cosby of sexual abuse.



The women alleged that Cosby harmed their reputations by calling them liars after they had publicized their allegations of his abuse.



US District Judge Mark Mastroianni did not specify whether American International Group (AIG) must indemnify the former entertainer for damages he may be required to settle with the plaintiffs.



Mastroianni, however, said that Cosbys purported sexual misconduct was too far removed from his alleged defamation to free the insurer from indemnifying him under a policy it had issued in California. It was also noted that the sexual misconduct exclusions in a Massachusetts policy were ambiguous at a minimum.



The court cannot say ... that it was the intent of the parties to exclude the kinds of claims brought in the defamation cases, Mastroianni said in his decision. If Cosbys interpretation is reasonable, and thus the language is at least ambiguous under these circumstances, he prevails.



The federal judge explained that the indemnification question must await the completion of trial or settlement.



Reuters reported that AIG had no immediate comment on the decision so far. Cosbys lawyers similarly did not offer any responses.



While homeowner policies typically cover for personal injuries, excess policies like Cosbys carry enhanced protections.



AIG pushed for declarations that Cosbys policies excused the company from defending and indemnifying him against personal injury claims arising out of sexual misconduct, distinct from personal injury claims such as defamation.




It's critical to help clients make the most of the plans they have
Area towns and cities held Veterans Day observances on Friday. PreviousNext

Pittsfield, Williamstown, North Adams Mark Veterans Day



Richard Kurek is presented the Veterans Coalition Veteran of the Year award in Pittsfield.

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Veteran Service Officer James Clark has always felt that Veterans Day got the "short end of the stick" when it comes to holidays.



Most people do not get the day off from work like they do on the Fourth of July. And, Memorial Day is seen as the holiday to honor those who died in the armed forces. But, Clark says Veterans Day is just as important.



"It is a day we recognize not just those who have given it all in war but to all those who have worn the uniform of service. This day above all is a day to celebrate the choice one makes to serve their country," Clark said, as the keynote speaker at the annual Veterans Day ceremony.



Clark called on residents to help those who are currently in the service and their families. That includes supporting veterans organizations, non-profits who help veterans, or outreach programs and the VA.



"There are dozens of ways to show your support to our nation's heroes and their family members left behind  mowing a lawn, raking some leaves, shoveling a sidewalk, and other great acts of kindness to reduce the burden of the separation," Clark said, adding that for those who are currently away in the military it would give them peace of mind knowing their families have support at home.



He also says military service should be promoted amount the young, who can see it as a "viable and valuable" career opportunity. He said around 1 percent of Americans go into service and are owed so much by so many people.



"We need to do a better job of letting our younger generation know that the military is a viable and valuable career option with unlimited opportunities. I am certainly living proof of that," Clark said.



As for the veterans, Clark says those who have served or are serving should share their stories.



"The more we talk about what we did and the impact military service has on our lives, the better we are able to hold up as an example of excellence," Clark said.



Veterans Day was first started in 1919 to honor the end of World War 1. In the 1950s, it was expanded to honor all of those who wore an armed forces uniform. The day is honored with parades and ceremonies across the country.



"We carry them in our hearts while they are protecting our national security, whether they are here at home, far away in a foreign land, or buried in their graves," said Mayor Linda Tyer.



Tyer took the occasion to remind the 100 or so in attendance of the many wars this country has fought throughout its history. Those who served did their parts in every generation to pass on a free America to the next, she said.



"War is endless. The nation owes more than simple gratitude to its veterans, whose service to this nation spans every decade, every year, and every day our out country's existence," Tyer said.



Friday's ceremony began with a parade from City Hall to the War Memorial on South Street. Service grounds, high school bands, Soldier On, the Here at Home Committee, and elected officials  including the outgoing state Sen. Benjamin Downing who was recognized by both Clark and Tyer for his support for veterans  all joined in the procession.



At the memorial, Rabbi David Weiner led the invocation, the Pittsfield High School band played a medley of patriotic songs, and Richard Kurek was presented the Veterans Coalition Veteran of the Year award.



Kurek joined the U.S. Army in 1963 and was an aircraft repairman. He was sent to Vietnam to maintain and fix aircrafts there. He returned to the United States and taught aircraft maintenance and was an inspector. In 1966, he left the Army.



A decade later he joined the Air Force Reserve and became an air cargo specialist. He spent 18 years doing several tours of duty. He retired in 1994 with 21 years of service.



Since then, he has remained active. He currently sits on the Veterans of Foreign Wars Board of Directors, he is in charge of making funeral arrangements for veterans, he marches in all of the parades, he was the treasurer of the committee formed to restore the Civil War Memorial in Park Square, he is the videographer of the Veterans Coalition events, he is the grave registration officer, he works on the committee placing flags on the graves of all veterans, and he serves many roles in organizing Honor Flights, which take veterans to Washington D.C. to see the memorials.



Wreaths were laid on the memorial recognizing the veterans of each war.





See more photos from Williamstown's ceremony here.

Williamstown American Legion Post 152 Commander Ron James led the Williamstown ceremony at Field Park at 11:11 a.m., recognizing the time and date of the signing of the armistice 98 years ago that ended World War I.





See more photos from North Adams' ceremony here.

Yet veteran unemployment is nearly twice the national average, and young veterans who joined the services out of high school find themselves at a disadvantage competing for civilian jobs once their tours are done.



"Vets often don't have easily translatable civilian skills nor do they have the network of business and social contacts that other young people have," said Hynes, who still works at the Pentagon. "Unless they work for a company that places a priority on hiring veterans, they have a tough job competing against other job seekers."



Returning service members can also face challenges caused by post-traumatic stress disorder, brain trauma, drug dependence and other issues. Hynes said one in every three Iraq and Afghanistan veteran is dealing with these combat traumas.



"Our troops are not receiving proper medical and psychological evaluations. It is up to them to seek the help they need," he said. "This help is often not easy to find or access. Why is there a backlog of millions of claims at the veterans administration?"



The application process is complicated and difficult to maneuver, even for Hynes who has access to the VA's premier health institutions in the Washington area. And a third of all homeless are veterans, "veterans with distinguished, even heroic military records are ending up living on the streets."



A handful of special veterans courts is focusing on rehabilitation and treatment rather than jail time for veterans who run afoul of the law because of PTSD and drug dependence.



"I say we owe our veterans more than our silence, our memories and our thanks," he said. "So today is both a day of celebration and a day of reflection ... we need to help solve the issues of our brothers and sisters are facing every day. We are free because of their bravery."



Friday's ceremony, held at the Veterans Memorial, followed a short parade down Main Street. The wind whipped the service flags above the memorial wall as Louis Floriani of AmVets, Wiliam Schrade of the American Legion Post 125 and Mayor Richard Alcombright placed the wreath. This year's master of ceremonies was Joseph Zustra of VFW Post 996, who with his three children led the Pledge of Allegiance.



Alcombright told how he'd been asked to give a citation to a man he'd known for at least 30 years as a 90th birthday tribute.



What he learned was that George Galli had been a Marine in World War II with a tour that put him at some of the toughest fights in the Pacific  Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa. He's also served in Occupied Japan and later with the Army in Korea, earning a Bronze Star for valor, and spent another 10 years in the National Guard.



"He is yet another powerful story of the patriot, the warrior, the braveheart, the soldier, and like so many of our veterans before him and after him, and those among us today, who have quietly, quietly served with such humility and such dignity."

Staff writer Jack Guerino contributed to this report.
Peter A. Cook, for whom the VFW Post is named, is on a star on the honor roll. The honor roll was rededicated on Friday. PreviousNext

Clarksburg Rededicates Town Honor Roll on Veterans Day



Veterans Day observances were held on the newly refurbished porch entrance at town Hall.

CLARKSBURG, Mass.  The crowd was bigger 30 years ago the last time the Clarksburg honor roll was dedicated.



U.S. Rep. Silvio O. Conte was there, the Berkshires then state Sen. Peter Webber and state Rep. Frank J. Matrango. And the parents of Peter A. Cook, for whom the post is named.



The North Adams Transcript published a supplement for the dedication on that Memorial Day in 1986 filled with congratulatory ads from businesses  many now long gone  and the names and pictures of those on the honor roll.



On Friday morning, a small group of townspeople and veterans gathered again for a short dedication to observing Veterans Day and the newly refurbished Town Hall facade, largely done by McCann Technical School, that prominently features the American flag-stye honor roll.



"There was a wooden honor roll out here for many years, maybe 60 or 70 years old," said Edward Denault of Peter A. Cook Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9144. "It had decayed beyond repair. In 1986, we redesigned the honor roll so already 30 years have gone by. ...



"It's nice to be able to walk up here on this porch and look on this board and see your brothers, your fathers, your uncles. It's an honor. Thank you, McCann School very much."



That old wooden monument was replaced with the framed flag made of plastic stripes and stars featuring every Clarksburg resident who has so far served in foreign wars dating to World War I. The latest are from the Vietnam War, including Cook.



"It was historic, but it was sad. It was late as '75 when he died," Deneault said later at the following reception. "He actually shielded four or five members of his squad from an explosive device. ... It was just before the fall of Hanoi and everybody was pulling back ... it was late for somebody to die."




iciHaiti - Health : Private donation of state-of-the-art medical equipment





Following the passage of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, the call to the community of Peter Helder Bernard, Consul General of the Republic of Haiti in New York, attracted the attention of a significant number of good Samaritans.



Thus, Dr. Myung Sonoda, a Japanese doctor who has just retired after a brilliant career, has kindly donated to Haiti medical equipment including a state-of-the-art Hysteroscope, which allows the examination of the uterine cavity.



The Consul General visited Dr. Sonoda in her Cabinet in order to evaluate the measures to be taken for the shipment of this equipment.



He warmly thanked Dr. Sonoda, on behalf of the Government of Haiti, for the extraordinary service that such equipment will provide for the health of women in Haiti.



IH/ iciHaiti






















Haiti - Politics : Important meeting around the financing of the energy sector





Friday morning an important meeting was held between the Office of the National Authorizing Officer, the Regional Director of the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Delegation of the European Union in Haiti and the private energy sector in Haiti.



The meeting was part of a prospecting visit of Perez Rene, the EIB's Regional Director, to consider funding opportunities for some sectors, particularly energy in Haiti.



A follow-up meeting will be held to continue working to realize this important investment project for the development of Haiti.



IH/ iciHaiti


















Ensuring Veterans Have the Tools to Succeed

Washington, DC - President Obama Announces New Actions to Ensure Service Members and Veterans Are Getting the Most Value out of Their Federal Education Benefits:

Over the past eight years, the President has worked to ensure that we are fulfilling our promises to all those who have served and protected our country. This means providing veterans the benefits they have earned, the health care that they need, and the resources and assistance to succeed when transitioning back to civilian life.

A central tenet of this promise is to make sure that we do all we can to ensure that our service members, veterans, and their families have the protections, resources, information, and support they need to pursue the American dream. Since the beginning of the Administration, the President has made a commitment to improve education outcomes for service members, veterans, and their family members. And that begins with enabling them to maximize their federal education benefits, including benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Department of Defenses (DOD) Tuition Assistance Program, and the Department of Educations (ED) Federal student aid programs.

The Obama Administration has delivered on that promise through actions that expand access to high-quality postsecondary opportunities for our Nations heroes. In 2012, President Obama announced the Principles of Excellence Executive Order, to ensure that veterans, service members, and their families have adequate information, support, and protections while using their federal education benefits. Since then, the Administration has made significant progress, with over 6,000 educational institutions signing on to provide access to information and increased oversight of programs. We have launched the GI Bill Comparison Tool, which has made it easier for over 1.3 million individuals to research educational institutions and training programs approved for the GI Bill and also compare educational institutions. The Post-9/11 GI Bill has provided nearly 1.7 million individuals with $68.9 billion in education benefits since its inception in 2009. The President signed legislation that expanded Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits eligibility criteria under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship to the surviving spouses and children of service members who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001, and legislation requiring all 50 states, Washington D.C., and U.S. Territories to provide recently transitioning veterans and dependents in-state tuition rates at public institutions of higher learning  and now all 50 states are doing just that.

But there is more work to be done. That is why, on this Veterans Day, the President is announcing new measures to ensure that service members, veterans, and their families are treated fairly when they use their Federal education benefits. Building on the Principles of Excellence issued by the President and other executive actions, the Administration is expanding on these efforts by issuing a Presidential Memorandum that outlines additional steps, including:

Establishing a pilot program to inform school choice: Developing and launching a pilot program and evaluation to find the best methods for counseling service members and helping them to make informed educational choices when enrolling in educational and training programs. ED, DOD, VA, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will collaborate on the design and evaluation of this pilot.

Improving data-sharing: Improving data sharing among Federal agencies, including the Department of Labor (DOL), DOD, ED, and VA, to increase transparency and improve access to comprehensive information on service member and veteran student outcome measures, including education attainment, career outcomes, student debt levels, and student default rates.

Expanding the use of online tools: Strengthening online resources, such as the GI Bill Comparison Tool and College Scorecard, through the work of VA and ED, to make it easier for prospective students to evaluate the quality of the programs they are considering.

Promoting military apprenticeship programs: Taking steps to promote the enhancement and implementation of military apprenticeship programs for service members and spouses through coordination by DOL, DOD, ED, and DHS. This includes developing a plan to enhance and implement military apprenticeship opportunities for service members to improve job skills and obtain industry-recognized credentials and certificates while on active duty; exploring the expansion of the current United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP) to include all services; and working to further reduce barriers to employment caused by restrictive state occupational licensing requirements for military spouses and service members transitioning to civilian jobs.

Amending the Post-9/11 GI Bill: Developing a legislative proposal to amend the Post-9/11 GI Bill to ensure that veterans who use their benefits for credentialing and licensing tests are fairly charged.

Cracking down on deceptive marketing: Strengthening coordination across Federal agencies and developing standard protocols to protect veterans from deceptive and fraudulent marketing of educational services and benefits.

Formalizing collaboration across the government: Formalizing an interagency Working Group with representatives from DOD, DOL, ED, VA, DHS, the Department of Justice (DOJ), Small Business Administration (SBA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and other Federal agencies, offices, and initiatives, as appropriate, to coordinate policy development and implementation going forward. The working group will also initiate an enforcement subcommittee to ensure ongoing and continued coordination on strengthening oversight, enforcement, and accountability within these benefits programs and better streamlining protocols and information-sharing.

Through these steps, the President is ensuring that the good work done by this Administration will carry forward for years to come, and that veterans, service members, and their families will have the tools they need to succeed in the economy of the 21st century.

Building on a Record of Progress

In addition to the actions announced Friday to strengthen education and training programs for those that have served our country, the Administration continues to take action to address the five core priorities that the President has set out for serving our veterans:

1. Health Care  Making sure veterans have timely and high-quality access to care

2. Benefits  Tackling the backlog of claims and modernizing the appeals process

3. Homelessness  Working to prevent and end veteran homelessness

4. Economic Opportunity  Fighting to give veterans every chance to enjoy the American Dream

5. Resources and Transformation at the VA  Making sure VA is serving every veteran

Over the past eight years, the Administration has made significant strides across each of these five pillars, and we are not letting up. In conjunction with Veterans Day, the Administration is announcing three additional milestones that build on this record of success:

Ending Veteran Homelessness in the State of Delaware  In 2010, the Administration released Opening Doors, the nations first-ever strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness. Since that time, we have made remarkable progress in meeting that goal. We have reduced veteran homelessness by 47% - nearly half  since 2010. And the progress is even more pronounced for those veterans that had been living on the street and without a place to stay, as unsheltered veteran homelessness has declined by 56% since 2010. More than 30 communities and 2 states have previously announced they have ended veteran homelessness. And this week, the state of Delaware is joining that list, announcing that they have put an end to veteran homelessness statewide. Next week, the First Lady and Dr. Biden will convene local officials, homelessness stakeholders, advocates, and others to identify strategies to ensure this critical progress continues.

Increasing Federal Hiring of Veterans  In 2009, the Administration embarked on a concerted effort to ensure that the Federal government was doing its part to provide veterans with the employment opportunities they deserve. As part of this, the President signed Executive Order 13518, Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government. And the Administration has made good on that promise. Today, OPM released the Employment of Veterans in the Federal Executive Branch Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015. The report notes that 6,000 more veterans were hired in FY15 compared to FY14, bringing the percentage of new veterans hired across the Federal government to 32.5 percent. All told, the Federal government has hired approximately 516,000 veterans since FY09, and veterans now represent 30.9 percent of the Federal workforce, as compared to 25.8 percent in FY 2009.

Increasing Data Sharing to Promote Transparency for Veterans and Students  The Department of Education (ED) will use disability data from the Department of Veterans Affairs to proactively contact disabled veterans who have student loan debt and inform them of EDs total and permanent disability (TPD) discharge process. Unlike other borrowers, those identified through the data match will not be required to submit documentation of their eligibility. Instead, they are eligible for a streamlined process by which they simply sign and return the completed application. This effort will ensure that eligible borrowers with disabilities can more efficiently and effectively apply for TPD discharge of their students loans.

These efforts build on progress made across-the-board  cutting the backlog of initial disability claims by nearly 90 percent, increasing veterans access to health care, increasing the overall level of funding requested for VA benefits and programs by over 85 percent, and reducing the veteran unemployment rate by more than half.

Moving forward, the Administration is committed to making sure this work carries on far into the future, ensuring that our nation upholds the sacred covenant made with those that have served this country.
FTC says NetSpend decked consumers with deceptive claims for prepaid debit cards

Washington, DC - From the perspective of consumers, the whole purpose of prepaid debit cards  their reason for living, if you will  is to give consumers immediate access to their money. Those cards are an especially important financial lifeline for people who dont have traditional bank accounts. In pitching its reloadable prepaid cards, NetSpend Corporation promised consumers immediate access to their funds with no holds, no waiting. But according to an FTC complaint, the defendants business practices rendered that claim and other representations deceptive.

Immediate access? Not so fast, alleges the FTC. NetSpends ads were replete with claims like No Waiting! and Use your card immediately. But the FTC says many consumers experienced delays in accessing their funds both in the initial activation process and later. For example, despite the companys use it today claim, consumers have to go through an identity verification process required by law before the prepaid debit card can be activated  a process with requirements many people have difficulty satisfying.

The upshot? People who loaded funds onto NetSpend cards often had to wait  and wait and wait  to access their own hard-earned money. The FTC says those delays resulted in severe financial hardship to consumers, including evictions, repossessed cars, and late fees on bills.

The complaint also alleges that many customers who closed their accounts and asked for refunds had to wait several weeks to get their money back. In other cases, NetSpend imposed fees that depleted the funds from cards after consumers were unable to activate them.

The complaint takes on other instances in which NetSpends business practices were at odds with its marketing claims. For example, the lawsuit challenges as misleading NetSpends representation that consumers are guaranteed approval for a card. The FTC also alleges that NetSpend said it would grant provisional credit when consumers dispute charges on their cards, but often failed to live up to that promise.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Atlanta. If you work in the financial services sector or have clients interested in alternative payment methods, this is a case to watch.
White House Press Secretary on the Holodomor

Washington, DC - This month, the United States joins in solidarity with Ukrainian people around the world in remembrance of the victims of the Holodomor, one of the most horrific man-made tragedies in modern history. Eighty-three years ago, more than three million people in Ukraine died as the result of the merciless policies of Joseph Stalin. Through the deliberate seizure of Ukrainian land and crops, the Soviet Union caused widespread starvation. Under siege and without access to food, Ukraine  once Europes breadbasket  turned into a land of immeasurable human suffering.

As Ukrainians have proven to the world time and again, the human spirit is indomitable. Even during the darkest times, the Ukrainian people have continued with dignity the struggle for peace, freedom, and democracy. Today, faced with new threats to these values, Americans stand together with Ukrainians as they bravely defend their territory and democracy. The Ukrainian-American community and friends of the Ukrainian people have worked hard to ensure that the memory of those who suffered during the Holodomor live on as we collectively seek to build a better, freer, and more just world.
Angola National Day

Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I am pleased to congratulate the people of Angola on the 41st anniversary of your nations independence on November 11. The United States deeply appreciates its strong and productive partnership with Angola.

"Your country has been a valued voice for peace in the region, and we applaud the leadership you have shown in helping to resolve conflicts, particularly in the Great Lakes area. In the year ahead, we look forward to continued collaboration to promote sustainable prosperity, good governance, and democratic institutions. On this special day, I send my best wishes to all Angolans for a healthy, happy, and safe future."
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Megyn Kelly writes in her forthcoming memoir that someone told Donald Trump in advance of the first Republican primary debate last year that she would begin with a very pointed question directed at him.

The Fox News anchor does not say Trump knew the wording of the question  a point she reinforced on Twitter on Thursday night  but her book alleges that the president-elect at least knew the nature of her memorable opening inquiry about his temperament and the many nasty things he has said about women.

Kelly's charge makes Trump look like a hypocrite. Late in the campaign, he slammed Hillary Clinton for accepting debate intel from Donna Brazile, the interim chair of the Democratic National Committee who leaked questions during the primary, when she was a commentator on CNN.

World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Show all 29 1 /29 World reaction to President Trump: In pictures World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty Images World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mosul , Iraq Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures New Delhi, India Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Karachi, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kabul, Afghanistan AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem. Israel Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Moscow, Russia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Seoul, South Korea AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Peshawar, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Hyderabad, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kolkata, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Aleppo, Syria Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem, Israel EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Baghdad, Iraq Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Tokyo, Japan Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico Getty

What would happen to me if I did that? Trump said at an October rally in Michigan. Electric chair, I think. The electric chair. If I did that, can you imagine?

According to Kelly, Trump actually did do that  or something close to it.

But Kelly's revelation does not reflect well on her, either. On the day that Trump made his electric chair comment, Kelly made the same point on her prime-time show.

Can you imagine if this were a Republican who had been fed a question by Fox News? she said. You know, the different reaction we'd be seeing in the media?

In a vacuum, Kelly's question was a reasonable one. While the media swiftly and strongly condemned Brazile's improper sharing of debate questions, Clinton mostly got a pass. I happen to think that is because journalists know that just about any candidate would take every advantage she could get. But it is fine to wonder whether a Republican candidate would have received more criticism from the press.

The trouble is that Kelly floated the scenario of a Republican in Clinton's shoes as a hypothetical to suggest the media is guilty of liberal bias when she knew that Trump actually had been in Clinton's shoes before the first GOP debate. And Trump, like Clinton, seemed perfectly happy to use knowledge about a question to which he should not have been privy.

If Kelly had wanted to see whether the press would treat Clinton and Trump equally, she could have reported the leak involving her own question earlier. Instead, she saved it for a book published after Election Day.

Copyright: Washington Post
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Hillary Clinton has opened the battle wounds incurred by her and her supporters by blaming her defeat by Donald Trump on FBI Director James Comey's decision to reopen the probe into her use of a private email server.

In comments to donors on Saturday, an interaction that was essentially a farewell conference call, she blamed the renewed FBI inquiry into her State Department email system for blunting her momentum in the presidential election.

She also said the closure of that inquiry just two days before election day energised voters for in favour of the New York tycoon.

 Hillary Clinton's campaign respond after FBI gives her the all clear

There are lots of reasons why an election like this is not successful, she said, according to the Washington Post.

But our analysis is that [FBI Director James ] Comeys letter raising doubts that were groundless, baseless, proven to be, stopped our momentum."

She added: We dropped, and we had to keep really pushing ahead to regain our advantage  which going into the last weekend, we had.

We were once again up in all but two of the battleground states, and we were up considerably in some that we ended up losing. And we were feeling like we had put it back together.

Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Hillary Rodham Clinton as a Wellesley College senior Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham in at Wellesley College Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Hillary Rodham Working with the House Committee on Nixon's Impeachment Case Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures US Presidential candidate Bill Clinton with wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea at the Democratic National Convention Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Bill and Hillary Clinton at the Inaugural Ball Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Bill and Hillary Clinton with Barbara Bush Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, President William Jefferson Clinton their daughter Chelsea, at the first state dinner of the Clintons administration Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Hillary Clinton meets with 12 chidren in response to their letter to the President concerning their health problems Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Nelson Mandela jokes with First Lady Hillary Clinton Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Senator Hillary Rodham comforts Maren Sarkarat the conclusion of the Family Memorial Service held at Ground Zero of the WTC Getty

The Post said that Ms Clinton said the surprise announcement that the case was being reopened came at a time when the campaign was riding high.

After the third debate, we felt so good about where we were, she said. She said Mr Trumps performance in the final debate was widely condemned.

We were up considerably in all but two of the battleground states where we were tied or one behind, according to our data, she said.

We were tied in Arizona. We just had a real wind at our back, before the first, stunning letter from Mr Comey.
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Robert De Niro has been offered refuge in Italy, after he jokingly said he would move there should Donald Trump win the US election.

Responding to the US actors viral tirade against the Republican President-elect, the mayor of Ferrazzano, in the Italian region of Molise, said the town was ready to welcome him with open arms.

De Niro made the remark during an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel talk show.

When asked whether he still wanted to punch Mr Trump in the face, as he had threatened to do during the election campaign, he said: I cant do that now. I have to respect the position.

We just have to see what he is going to do and how he is going to follow through on certain things and as we even see now in a lot of cities, theres a lot of people getting very upset and protesting.

The US actors great-grandparents emigrated from the small Italian town of Ferrazzano in 1890.

Im going to probably have to move there, he told the talk show host.

Mayor of Ferrazzano Antonio Cerio responded: If, after the disappointment of Trumps election, he wants to take refuge here, we would be honoured to welcome him.

Mr Cerio said he also hoped De Niro might visit his ancesteral home, if not move there permenantly.

After having surprised the world, Donald Trump could bring about another result  a visit, finally, by Robert De Niro to Ferrazzano, said Paolo Frattura.

To welcome someone like De Niro would be an amazing promotion for us on the international stage. This is the right place in which to forget the electoral defeat (of Hillary Clinton) and avoid having to beat up Trump.

Earlier this week, De Niro compared his feelings about Donald Trump being elected to the way he felt during the 9/11 terrorist attack.

Before the end of the election campaign, he lashed out at the Republican candidate, calling him a punk, a dog, a pig, a bull**** artist and a mutt, before calling on the public to vote against him.
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Evoluntionary biologist Richard Dawkins has reacted to Donald Trumps shock election victory by urging his fellow scientists to move to New Zealand.

He called on the country to offer British and American academics citizenship following the catastrophes both countries had suffered at the hands of uneducated, anti-intellectual voters.

Scientific American published Mr Dawkins' plea as part of a wider reaction piece about Tuesday's US election result which sent shockwaves around the world with Republican outsider Mr Trump beating the poll-favourite Hillary Clinton in the race to the White House.

Science in both countries will be hit extremely hard: in the one case, by the xenophobically inspired severing of painstakingly built-up relationships with European partners; in the other case by the election of an unqualified, narcissistic, misogynistic sick joke as president. In neither case is the disaster going to be short-lived: in America because of the non-retirement rule of the Supreme Court; in Britain because Brexit is irreversible, he wrote.

There are top scientists in America and Britain  talented, creative people, desperate to escape the redneck bigotry of their home countries. Dear New Zealand, you are a deeply civilized small nation, with a low population in a pair of beautiful, spacious islands. You care about climate change, the future of the planet and other scientifically important issues.

He continued to urge New Zealand to offer refuge to the scientific community, saying you could make New Zealand the Athens of the modern world".

Why not write to all the Nobel Prize winners in Britain and America, write to the Fields medalists, Kyoto and Crafoord Prize and International Cosmos Prize winners, the Fellows of the Royal Society, the elite scientists in the National Academy of Sciences, the Fellows of the British Academy and similar bodies in America. Offer them citizenship, he wrote.

The contribution that creative intellectuals can make to the prosperity and cultural life of a nation is out of all proportion to their numbers. You could make New Zealand the Athens of the modern world.

However he accepted that his plea would likely go unheard calling it an unrealistic, surreal pipe dream.

Mr Dawkins, a prominent atheist, is known for fuelling controversy online, often from his own Twitter profile.

In January, he had his invitation to speak at a science conference withdrawn after he shared a "highly offensive" video linking radical feminism to radical Islamism.

Read Richard Dawkins letter pubished in full here.
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Women are obsessed with youth and beauty and stunting feminisms progress as a result, A United Kingdom star Rosamund Pike has said.

In an interview with The Telegraph, the British actor spoke of being constantly reminded of her age in tabloid media coverage  unlike her male co-stars.

But according to Pike, who is 37, it is women rather than men who have a tendency to judge other women in this way, particularly when significant age gaps occur between characters.

Recommended Read more Ivanka Trump appears to miss the point of New York Times headline

While shooting for her new film on Londons South Bank, she said paparazzi arrived to take pictures: It appears on the Mail Online, and its like, 36-year-old Rosamund Pike gets proposed to by David Oyelowo.

Unfortunately, I think its coming from other women. I dont think men read that and even pay attention.

Feminism will never reach the next stage until women stop competing with each other on the level of looks.

Best known for her roles as Bond girl Miranda Frost in Die Another Day and the deceptive Amy in Gone Girl, Pike has spoken out previously about the double standards of the film industry for creating an abundance of younger roles for female actors.

Beyonce performs at the Country Music Awards Show all 5 1 /5 Beyonce performs at the Country Music Awards Beyonce performs at the Country Music Awards Beyonce performs onstage with Martie Maguire of Dixie Chicks at the 50th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on November 2, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. Rick Diamond/Getty Beyonce performs at the Country Music Awards Beyonce (R) performs onstage with Emily Robison and Natalie Maines of Dixie Chicks at the 50th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on November 2, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. Rick Diamond/Getty Beyonce performs at the Country Music Awards Beyonce performs onstage with Martie Maguire of Dixie Chicks at the 50th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on November 2, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. Rick Diamond/Getty Beyonce performs at the Country Music Awards Beyonce (2nd R) performs onstage with Emily Robison, Natalie Maines, and Martie Maguire of Dixie Chicks at the 50th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on November 2, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images) Rick Diamond/Getty Beyonce performs at the Country Music Awards Beyonce (2nd R) performs onstage with Emily Robison, Natalie Maines, and Martie Maguire of Dixie Chicks at the 50th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on November 2, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. Rick Diamond/Getty

Citing 54-year-old Tom Cruise, with whom she co-starred in 2012 thriller Jack Reacher, she said: With the guy, the trick is, you keep getting older, but the women all stay the same age. Would you mind just staying around the same age at all times?!

Recently, I tried really hard to get a male co-star who was 10 years younger than me, because I felt he was right for the part But they Were. Not. Having it. If it was the other way round, no one would think twice.

Men have always openly competed on levels of success and money, though. Women have had to make do with youth and beauty.

In A United Kingdom, released later this month, Pike plays the role of Ruth, a white woman from London who marries Prince Seretse Khama of Bechuanaland (now Botswana).

Now that Im over 30, she said, people are giving me all these roles for people in their 20s.

You become sillier and more youthful as you get older, maybe, because youre over all your anxieties.

Thats why, The 37-year-old actress is not brilliant when youre trying to pass yourself off as 28.
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The late Labour MP Jo Cox and the Syrian volunteer rescue workers known as the White Helmets are to be honoured with a joint peace prize.

The ceremony will be held next week in Coventry at the Rising Global Peace Forum, which was launched last year by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, on the anniversary of the Coventry blitz, a night of devastating Luftwaffe bombing during the Second World War.

An outcry of national mourning followed the MPs killing last June. She was known as a vocal advocate for various humanitarian causes, including the White Helmets work in Syria.

Ms Coxs husband Brendan said she would have been delighted to see the group honoured.

Jo was inspired by the White Helmets because they personified some of the best about humankind in some of the worst circumstances. These are the people who run towards danger when others run away, he said.

Theyve saved over 70,000 lives and helped many more and, for Jo, they were a symbol of how, even in the depth of inhumanity, humanity can still respond and individuals can still find that compassion, that commitment and that service in their hearts.

Jo worked on Syria for many years and she focused on it not because it was high profile but because it was the clearest case in the world of where civilians were at risk and the international community was ignoring their plight, saving up all sorts of problems for itself in the future.

"But its not just about Syria  this is about standing up for what is right and for our values in the face of threats, and those threats come in different forms.

Shortly before her death, Ms Cox had written to the Nobel Peace Prize committee to nominate the civilian group. However it was awarded to Colombias president Juan Manuel Santos for his work ending the countrys civil war.

Mr Cox said: In one of the last speeches that Jo gave she said that all that was required for evil to triumph was for good men and women to do nothing. That is even more true today.

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Former aid worker Ms Cox was co-chair of the Friends of Syria All-Party Parliamentary Group with MP Andrew Mitchell, and fought for greater protections for Syrias civilian population.

Mr Mitchell, who will be speaking at the conference, paid tribute to his late colleague.

Im delighted by the decision to award her and the White Helmets with the global peace prize, he said.

I hope this will help in keeping her memory alive for future generations to learn from this talented woman.

The recognition comes as the trial of Thomas Mair, the man accused of fatally shooting and stabbing her, begins.

The MP for Batley and Spen was killed in front of her constituency surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on 16 June.
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Lego will stop advertising its products in the Daily Mail, following a public campaign calling on big companies to drop adverts from newspapers accused of promoting hatred, discrimination and demonisation, the company has announced.

The Danish firm, which has previously run free giveaways in the newspaper, responded to social media campaigners Stop Funding Hate by tweeting: We have finished the agreement with the Daily Mail and are not planning any future promotional activity with the newspaper."

Stop Funding Hate urges advertisers to rethink their support for rightwing newspapers over what it sees as misleading headlines about child refugees, and the recent ruling by High Court judges that Parliament must be consulted before Article 50 is triggered.

A spokesperson for the campaign said: "Stop Funding Hate welcomes the decision from Lego. We are asking brands to listen to their customers when they tell them they want to stop funding hate, and that is what they've done. "

"People are becoming more aware that the money they spend could end up supporting publications whose stories, language or portrayal of certain people, fuels division. This urgently needs to addressed. These headlines harm people."

Lego is the first big company to agree to the campaigners demands.

The Co-Op Group has said it is reviewing its advertising but other companies have, until now, refused to withdraw their adverts.

John Lewis, another key target of the campaign said: We fully appreciate the strength of feeling on this issue but we never make an editorial judgement on a particular newspaper.

Waitrose and Marks & Spencer are also being urged to drop their Christmas advertising in certain tabloids.

Lego spokesperson Roar Rude Trangbaek told The Independent: "We spend a lot of time listening to what children have to say. And when parents and grandparents take the time to let us know how they feel, we always listen just as carefully.

"We are both humbled and honoured to see how much consumers all over the world express their care for our company and our brand. And we will continuously do our very best to live up to the trust and faith that people all around the world show us every day.

"The agreement with The Daily Mail has finished and we have no plans to run any promotional activity with the newspaper in the foreseeable future."

The announcement was welcomed by BBC presenter Gary Lineker, who has backed the Stop the Hate campaign and today announced he had spoken to Walkers, whose crisps he promotes, about withdrawing their adverts from the Sun.

A Daily Mail spokesman said: "Our agreement with Lego has finished and we have no plans to run any promotional activity with Lego in the foreseeable future."

The original agreement had been for a promotional campaign of free giveaways rather than an advert, he added.

It comes a week after a British fathers letter to Lego regarding their links with the Daily Mail went viral.

Bob Jones, who said his six-year-old son loves Lego, wrote an open letter to the company after the Daily Mail ran a controversial front page calling the High Court judges who ruled Parliament must be given a say on Brexit enemies of the country.

He wrote: "I love Lego. My 6 year old son loves Lego. He inherited all of mine three years ago and his collection has multiplied many times since...It seems you can do no wrong.

"But I'm concerned. For a few years now you have done free giveaways in the Daily Mail newspaper... But I'm afraid to say I can no longer do it."

I love Lego: Celebrating 50 years of the tiny building blocks Show all 9 1 /9 I love Lego: Celebrating 50 years of the tiny building blocks I love Lego: Celebrating 50 years of the tiny building blocks Rankin's model is a copy of his of his photos, called Hundreds and Thousands  David Sandison I love Lego: Celebrating 50 years of the tiny building blocks Vince Cable and his team came up with the idea of building the Bank of England  Carlos Jasso I love Lego: Celebrating 50 years of the tiny building blocks David Sandison I love Lego: Celebrating 50 years of the tiny building blocks Trevor Beattie recreated New York's fallen twin towers  Carlos Jasso I love Lego: Celebrating 50 years of the tiny building blocks Ashley Coombes/Epicscotland I love Lego: Celebrating 50 years of the tiny building blocks Ben Graville I love Lego: Celebrating 50 years of the tiny building blocks Brothers Richard and Fred Fairbrass show off their lego guitar  David Sandison I love Lego: Celebrating 50 years of the tiny building blocks Inventor Trevor Baylis has made a reproduction of this workshop  David Sandison David Sandison I love Lego: Celebrating 50 years of the tiny building blocks Architect Ken Shuttleworth had no trouble constructing his ecological lego city  Carlos Jasso

Mr Jones said the paper's recent headlines had gone too far and did nothing but create distrust of foreigners, blame immigrants for everything, and as of yesterday are now having a go at top judges in the UK for being gay while making a legal judgment.

He added: Lego, to me has always been an inclusive product. Breaking barriers between gender, building children's imagination and confidence to do their own thing. Something adults and children can and do, bond over.

Your links to the Daily Mail are wrong. And a company like yours shouldn't be supporting them. And as crap as I feel telling my son he can't have the free Lego kit that he sees on the front of the paper in the store, I have explained to him that the paper it is attached to is the sort of paper that tells lies about people, like some of his friends from school. Even my six-year-old understands that what they print is wrong.

The Daily Mail front page prompted widespread outrage (Daily Mail)

The Stop Funding Hate campaign was founded in August following what it said was hatred, discrimination and demonisation being promoted by some newspapers.
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Boris Johnson has snubbed an emergency EU foreign ministers meeting called to discuss Donald Trumps shock US election victory.

A Foreign Office spokesman said that an act of democracy had taken place in the US and that there was no need for EU ministers to organise an extra meeting on top of the one already scheduled next week.

It comes after Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson branded vocal European concern about the US election result as a whinge-o-rama, while Ms May was criticised by Labour for failing to temper her congratulations to the President-elect.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: The Foreign Secretary will not attend the meeting convened for Sunday. There is a regular Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday where a range of issues can be discussed in the normal way.

We do not see the need for an additional meeting on Sunday because the US election timetable is long established. An act of democracy has taken place, there is a transition period and we will work with the current and future administrations to ensure the best outcomes for Britain.

The move highlights the widening gulf between London and the continent over how to respond to the US election, after a senior German politician warned Theresa May was delusional if she believed the incoming Republican administration would give the UK a good trade deal.

 Boris Johnson: End the 'whinge-o-rama' on Trump

German Social Democrat Axel Schafer told The Times: What changed is the likelihood of a speedy and preferential trade deal between the UK and the US.

Even before Tuesday the chances were rather low, now the hope for this kind of deal seems delusional.

Speaking in Belgrade this week Mr Johnson called for a sense of proportion from EU leaders in their reaction to Trumps success.

He said: I would respectfully say to my beloved European friends and colleagues that its time that we snapped out of the general doom and gloom about the result of this election and collective whinge-o-rama that seems to be going on in some places.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

He is, after all, a deal maker. He wants to do a free trade deal with the UK.

I believe that this is a great opportunity for us in the UK to build on that relationship with America that is of fundamental economic importance for us, but also of great importance for stability and prosperity in the world.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn today claimed that Ms May and Mr Trump were pursuing the same divisive agenda towards immigrants, and took a swipe at the Prime Minister for failing to be more critical of the President-elect.
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SNP MP Mhairi Black has said she held her nose while voting for Remain, it has been reported.

The Scottish politician reportedly expressed serious misgivings about the referendum campaign, causing her to reluctantly cast her vote. Ms Black made the admission while addressing a public meeting in Aberdeenshire this week, The Daily Telegraph reports.

An SNP spokesperson later said the MPs exact wording was: If Im honest, there was an element of holding my nose a bit when I voted Remain.

Her comments come amid revelations a number of prominent SNP figures voted Leave, including former Scottish Government Health Minister Alex Neil. Former SNP deputy leader Jim Sillars claimed he has been made aware of five or six MSPs who had done the same.

The SNPs official party position was to back Remain. The partys policy in the lead up to the referendum was that: The SNP believes that membership of Europe Union is in Scotlands best interests. There are a huge number of benefits for Scotland from EU membership including that the EU is the main destination for Scotlands international exports and as citizens of the EU we are able to travel freely throughout Europe  for work, study or travel  without the need for visas.

What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit One of Britains great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the worlds leading international financial centre. Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael OLeary Ryanair boss says UK will be screwed by EU in Brexit trade deals: I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how the world will want to trade with us. The world will want to screw you  that's what happens in trade talks, he said. They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: I am absolutely serene about the  judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyds chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London will suffer as result of the EU referendum: I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and thats happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been less stormy than many expected following the shock referendum result: For nowthe economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up  and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction Getty

The SNP doesnt believe the EU is perfect and agree that it needs reform, however we want Scotland to have a louder voice in Europe, an increased contribution to EU policy making and an opportunity to be part of discussions about reform, rather than becoming even more distant by removing ourselves altogether.

In Scotland, 62 per cent of voters backed Remain.
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Donald Trump made some of the most divisive and outlandish pledges ever heard during a US election campaign.

Supporters hailed him as an outspoken radical, but are they about to discover what happens when a politician says anything to win an election?

Scrapping Obamacare

 Donald Trump shifts his position on Obamacare during CBS 60 minutes interview

Trump railed against Barack Obamas flagship policy to allow millions of poor Americans to access healthcare.

Pledging to ditch the policy during the campaign, he said: We will do it very quickly. It is a catastrophe.

Now he says he might simply reform it, keeping the ban on insurers denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and allowing young adults to be insured on parents policies.

Trump said he was persuaded to keep the elements by Mr Obama, who he previously accused of founding the Islamic State.

Jailing Hillary Clinton

Trump told supporters he would appoint a prosecutor to pursue criminal charges against his Democratic rival over her use of a private email server as Secretary of State, a scandal he said was bigger than Watergate.

 Donald Trump claims Hillary Clinton is 'protected by a rigged system'

At his rallies they chanted: Lock her up, lock her up. He said to her face that if he were in power: Youd be in jail.

But asked about the plan after his win, he said: Its not something Ive given a lot of thought.

After a single phone call with Clinton, Trump was apparently convinced she is actually not a politician whose corruption is on a scale weve never seen before, but instead that she couldnt have been nicer.

The Mexico wall

Possibly the greatest symbol of Trumps uncompromising approach. After claiming that Mexicans coming across the border are bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists, he later declared: Were going to do a wall.

Furthermore, he said Mexico would pay to build it, leading to supporters chanting: Build the wall!

 Donald Trump labels Mexican criminals bad hombres to much derision

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump adviser, has now cast doubt on whether the new president would pursue its neighbour after all.

He said: Hell spend a lot of time controlling the border. He may not spend very much time trying to get Mexico to pay for it, but it was a great campaign device.

Banning Muslims

There were cheers from Trump supporters, and global outrage, when Trump called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States in 2015.

This year the idea was recast as a ban on people from nations that were compromised by terrorism. After meeting Republican leaders this week a reporter asked Trump, will you ask Congress to ban all Muslims from entering the country?

He appeared to hear the question before thanking everybody and leaving.

 Donald Trump is reminded mid-interview that India is a nation of Muslims Christians and Hiindus

Taxing China

While blaming foreign powers for the demise of US industry, Trump pointed a finger at Beijing. He suggested a tax on Chinese goods which should be 45 per cent. Senior policy adviser Wilbur Ross has now retreated.

Hes been misquoted about the 45 per cent on China. Everybody says, Oh, hes going to slap 45 per cent tariff on everything out of China. Thats not what he said, and its not what he intends, Ross told Yahoo Finance.

What he actually said was if it turns out that the Chinese yuan is 45 per cent overvalued, or as much as 45, and if they wont negotiate with us, then it may become necessary as a negotiating measure to threaten them with as much as a 45 per cent tariff.

Not such a catchy chant for a campaign rally.

 MPs in Australia pass motion saying Donald Trump 'is a revolting slug'

Iran nuclear deal

Iran is another foreign country that provided Mr Trump with a handy target during his election campaign.

In October Vice President-elect Mike Pence said a Trump administration would rip up the Iran deal.

But Trump adviser Walid Phares told the BBC after the election win: Ripping up is maybe a too strong word. Hes going to take that agreement, its been done before in international context, and then review it.

President Donald Trump life in pictures Show all 16 1 /16 President Donald Trump life in pictures President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump poses in a rocking chair once used by President John F. Kennedy at his New York City residence Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Developer Donald Trump with his new bride Marla Maples after their wedding at the Plaza hotel in New York Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and Celina Midelfart watch the match between Conchita Martinez and Amanda Coetzer during U.S. Open. She was the date whom Donald Trump was with when he met his current wife Melania at a party in 1996 Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas serving as the grand marshal for the Daytona 500, speaks to Donald Trump and Melania Knauss on the starting grid at the Daytona International Speedwa Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Developer Donald Trump talks with his former wife Ivana Trump during the men's final at the U.S. Open Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and his friend Melania Knauss pose for photographers as they arrive at the New York premiere of Star Wars Episode : 'The Phantom Menace,' Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump talks with host Larry King. Trump told King that he was moving toward a possible bid for the United States presidency with the formation of a presidential exploratory committee Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump answers questions as Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura looks on in Brooklyn Park. Trump said on Friday he 'very well might' make a run for president under the Reform Party banner but had not made a final decision Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Billionaire Donald Trump makes a face at a friend as he sits next to Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso before the start of the 2003 Miss Universe pageant in Panama City Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Entrepreneur Donald Trump is greeted by a Marilyn Monroe character look-a-alike, as he arrives at Universal Studios Hollywood to attend the an open casting call for his NBC television network reality series 'The Apprentice.' Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and Simon Cowell present an Emmy during the 56th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and Megan Mullally perform at the 57th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump, poses with his children, son Donald Trump, Jr., and daughters Tiffany and Ivanka Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Billionaire Donald Trump told Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner on Tuesday she would be given a second chance after reported misbehavior Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump holds a replica of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as his wife Melania holds their son Barron in Los Angeles Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures U.S. property mogul Donald Trump stands next to a bagpiper during a media event on the sand dunes of the Menie estate, the site for Trump's proposed golf resort, near Aberdeen, north east Scotland Reuters

Other countries will pay for their own defence

Nato allies were left shaken after Trump appeared to say he could withdraw US backing for the alliance, if the he did not feel they were paying enough for defence.

He also said he would be willing to withdraw US military stationed in South Korea unless Seoul paid more.

After a phone call with Park Geun-hye, the South Korean Presidents office reported that Trump pledged his commitment to defending South Korea under an existing security alliance.

Bringing back waterboarding

Trump left critics gobsmacked after saying during the campaign he would reinstate the use of waterboarding. The practice was made illegal after its use during the Bush era.

CNN reported that former Republican House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Rogers said this week that Trumps remarks were just campaign talk.

 Anti-Donald Trump protests erupt across US as cities declare billionaire 'Not My President'

Law and Order

He told supporters that any politician who failed to grasp the need for law and order is not fit to lead our country.

But despite repeating the phrase law and order four whole times at one rally, the rest of his divisive rhetoric has still had adverse consequences.

Rowdy protests have already led to dozens of arrests. Demonstrators across the US are preparing for a weekend of action. More than 10,000 people signed up to attend a noon march today in New York. Other activists have begun work to disrupt his inauguration, according to reports.
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Jeremy Corbyn has accused Theresa May of pursuing the same divisive politics as Donald Trump by fanning the "flames of fear" over immigration.

In a speech, Mr Corbyn said both Mr Trump in the US and Ms May in the UK had blamed foreign scapegoats for their own countrys problems without offering real solutions.

The Labour leader also took a swipe at the Prime Minister for offering the President elect warm words on the morning of his shock election victory.

Recommended Theresa May refuses to back down on Brexit immigration controls

It follows outrage at the tactics employed by Mr Trump, who promised to build a wall to stop Mexican immigrants entering the US and an outright ban on Muslims entering the country.

Speaking at Labours South East Regional Conference, Mr Corbyn said Mr Trump had found an unending list of people to blame.

He said: "Instead of offering real solutions, or the resources to make them work, he offered only someone to blame. Everyone, that is, apart from those actually responsible for a broken economy and a failed political system.

"The Tories do the same. They have opened the door to UKIP and fanned the flames of fear. Theresa May, as Home Secretary, fed the idea that immigration was the real problem, made promises she knew they couldnt deliver about slashing numbers and whipped up hate with Go Home vans."

 Theresa May on immigration in conference speech

While Home Secretary, Ms May oversaw the commissioning of a van to drive around six London boroughs, covered in a sign telling illegal inhabitants to "go home or face arrest". The idea was eventually scrapped. May herself called the idea "too blunt an instrument".

Mr Corbyn went on: "No wonder she didnt even temper her welcome to Donald Trump. She has used the same strategy herself, if delivered with more refinement."

The Labour leader pointed out that Mr Trump had tapped into real problems including, stagnating or falling wages, underfunded public services, insecure work and housing, and "anger at a political elite that doesnt listen".

 Theresa May 'looks forward' to working with Donald Trump

He added: "We have no idea how Donald Trump proposes, as he has said, to make America great again, and Theresa Mays Tories offer slogans, but not solutions, for most people in Britain.

"We wont tackle the damage done by elite globalisation just by leaving the EU. We wont take back control unless we take on the corporate vested interests that control our energy, our transport and have infiltrated our public services.

"One thing is for sure, neither billionaire Donald Trump nor the billionaire-backed Tories have any interest in giving people back control or reining in the predatory excess of a globalized free-for-all."

President Trump protests Show all 20 1 /20 President Trump protests President Trump protests Patrons hold a sign as people march by while protesting the election of Republican Donald Trump as the president of the United States in downtown Los Angeles, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators rally following the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators march following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests Thousands of protesters rallied across the United States expressing shock and anger over Donald Trump's election, vowing to oppose divisive views they say helped the Republican billionaire win the presidency AFP/Getty Images President Trump protests Demonstrators protest outside the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois Getty President Trump protests A police officer aims a launcher after demonstrators threw projectiles toward a line of officers during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests An officer examines a vandalized police vehicle as demonstrators riot in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators take over the Hollywood 101 Freeway just north of Los Angeles City Hall in protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests A woman holds up a sign reading 'Trump you are an Idiot' as demonstrators gather during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump outside the City Hall building in Los Angeles, California EPA President Trump protests A masked demonstrator gestures toward a police line during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, near the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada Reuters President Trump protests Musician Lagy Gaga stages a protest against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on a sanitation truck outside Trump Tower in New York City Getty President Trump protests A woman yells as she takes part in a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A man dressed in red-white-and-blue sits on the curb during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A protester sets off fireworks during a protest against President-elect Donald Trumpin Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests University of California, Davis students protest on campus in Davis, California, U.S. following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests An Oakland police officer checks out damage after a window was broken by protesters at a car dealership in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests A protester faces a police line in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests President-elect Donald Trumpis victory set off multiple protests AP President Trump protests A fire burns during protests in Oakland, Calif AP

A Conservative spokesman said: "Jeremy Corbyn presides over a Labour Party that is divided, divisive and utterly out of step with the concerns of ordinary working people. Labour would bankrupt our country like they did last time, erode our armed forces making us less safe and they also don't think there should be any limits on immigration at all.

"Only the Conservative Party will keep our economy strong, our country safe and make a success of leaving the EU as we forge a new global role for ourselves in the world."
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Scotland Yard has begun an investigation of Keith Vaz MP over drug allegations following revelations about his private life.

The 59-year-old Labour MP for Leicester East recently quit as chairman of the Commons Home Affairs committee after the Sunday Mirror revealed he had paid for the services of two male escorts and allegedly offered to buy cocaine for their usage, not his own.

Police said they received a letter on 7 September asking them to look further into the matter.

The Metropolitan Police Service's (MPS) Special Enquiry Team began an assessment process to see what criminal offences  if any  may have been committed.

An MPS spokesman said: Following that assessment, which included obtaining early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, the MPS is now investigating offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

The investigation started on Thursday, 10 November.

The married father-of-two has welcomed the investigation, telling The Guardian: I welcome a full investigation as a means of establishing the true facts and I am confident the police will pursue all lines of enquiry.

I will cooperate with the investigation in any way I can.

 Keith Vaz stands down as Home Affairs Select Committee chairman

Before he stepped down from his role as chairman, the Home Affairs committee was involved in investigating prostitution and legal highs.

Mr Vaz joined the Commons justice committee in October despite the opposition of Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen.

Mr Bridgen told the Commons at the time: I would leave the House with this question: If the right honourable member for Leicester East found himself last month to be not fit to be chair of the home affairs select committee and the matters are unresolved, what makes him think that he is a fit and proper person this month?
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At least four people have been killed and 14 more wounded in a bomb attack at a US airfield in Afghanistan, the head of international military operations in the country has said.

The explosion in the early hours of Saturday was caused by an explosive device, US Army General John Nicholson confirmed, although he did not give further details.

Force protection and medical teams are responding to the situation, Nato said in a statement, and an investigation has been opened.

Bagram, which doubles as a large detention centre, is frequently targeted by Taliban militants with missiles. A spokesperson for the group claimed the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber who managed to get inside the base after planning the incident for the last four months.

Abdul Wahid Sediqqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province, where the air field is based, told the Associated Press that local employees usually line up at the bases gates around dawn, adding that an attacker could have been among the men who entered on Saturday morning.

There was no immediate word on the nationalities of those killed and wounded. It is Nato policy not to release such details until families have been informed.

The Taliban have waged an insurgency war against successive US-backed governments since they were removed from power in 2001.

The group currently controls more territory in Afghanistan than at any point in the last 15 years, the UN says.

Alleged abuse of prisoners at Bagram was documented in the film Taxi to the Dark Side, which told the true story of the torture and death of a taxi driver at the hands of US troops.

Agencies contributed to this report
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At least 130 people have been arrested in Egypt after taking part in protests against poor economic conditions and rising prices.

Demonstrations were held in towns and cities across the country including Cairo, Suez and Behiera province, after calls were made by protest groups on social media to rally against President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

But the protests are said to have been largely stifled by police, who were on high alert.

Security personnel and anti-riot vehicles were mobilised on the streets in anticipation of the protests, according to Middle East Monitor.

Around 39 protesters were reportedly arrested by riot police in Cairo, while some 70 kilometres north of the capital in Behiera province security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters, sources told Al Jazeera.

Police are also said to have quickly scattered several dozen protesters who assembled in the port city of Suez. No injuries or deaths were reported.

A group calling itself Movement of the Poor had used social media to call on Egyptians to protest against the deepening austerity measures imposed by President el-Sisi, despite the fact that protests are essentially banned in Egypt.

It comes as the IMF approved a $12 billion (10 billion) loan to Egypt with hopes of salvaging the struggling economy. The deal required the government to take painful austerity measures, which frustrated many Egyptians.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The policies of el-Sisis government have become the source of increasing discontent this year, with many Egyptians especially critical of the decision to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.

Egypt has recently suffered from a sharp decline in tourism revenue following flight bans to Sharm el-Sheikh sparked by the downing of a Russian passenger jet by Isis' affiliate in the Sinai Peninsula.

United Nations observers and human rights groups have raised concern over the use of counter-terrorism laws to target supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and reports of torture, enforced disappearances and deaths in custody.

Human Rights Watch's 2016 world report warned of worsening restrictions of freedom of expression and association, as well as the targeting of NGOs since General el-Sisi took power in 2014 after the country's first democratically elected President was ousted in a military coup.
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US President-elect Donald Trump has been made an honorary Russian Cossack.

In addition to his electoral victory being applauded on the floor of the Russian Duma, he has been welcomed into the Irbis Cossack group.

Mr Trump and his entire family have been invited to attend a welcoming ceremony involving an "unforgettable programme" of traditional activities, Moscow Times reported.

 Russia: Cossacks Horse Ride to Berlin departs from Moscow

Irbis leader Ataman Andrey Polyakov said the ceremomy would allow the 45th US President to gain an insight into "the mysterious Russian soul".

The Irbis group, which is based around St Petersburg, grabbed international headlines by unveiling a bust of the Russian President in the garb of a Roman emperor, according to the Telegraph.

The group has also claimed to have sent 18 lorries of humanitarian supllies to Russian Cossack separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Cossack communites are scattered across the Russia and Ukraine and have strong miltiary tradition  having fought in many of the major conflicts in the region over the past 500 years.

Such groups allied with the Kremlin have been used sporadically by President Vladimir Putin as paramilitary and police forces.

Most notably, Cossack militia were employed during the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.

Mr Putin's use of the militia was heavily criticised after they were seen using horse whips and tear gas to brutally disperse the band Pussy Riot as they protested at the sporting event.
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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has spoken of his confidence that Donald Trump will distance himself from his campaign rhetoric and address global issues such as climate change during his presidency.

Mr Ban said he hoped to meet America's President-elect in the coming weeks, and that he expected the United States to retain its leading role on key issues under Mr Trumps Government.

During his campaign, the Republican candidate expressed controversial positions on Russia, the Paris climate deal and Nato, while critics accusing him of fuelling xenophobia in the country with his stance on immigration.

"This is what he said during the campaign period, on the campaign trail," Mr Ban said.

"Now, post-election, when he creates his transition team with experts and people with vision and expertise, I am sure that the United States will continue to play a leading role.

The UN released a statement following Mr Trumps victory to say the two men had spoken and had agreed to stay in contact.

However, the Paris climate deal risks being undermined by the Trump administration.

Mr Trump has described global warming as a hoax invented by the Chinese, vowing to pull out of the Paris Agreement, signed so ar by 193 countries.

However, Mr Ban, who is due to step down on 31 December after 10 years as the world's diplomat-in-chief, believes Mr Trump will understand the importance of maintaining the historic agreement.

"He has made a lot of worrying statements, but I am sure that he will understand the whole importance and seriousness and urgency. The presidency may be important, but humanity and all our lives and our planet Earth are eternal, he said.

"Now business communities are fully on board. Civil society members are fully on board. How can one change all this course? It's a huge trend.
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Donald Trump has said he will not accept a salary for being president when he is in the White House.

Prior to his election victory, Mr Trump has insisted he will not take even one dollar of the $400,000 presidential salary.

Speaking at an event in September last year, he told a crowd in New Hampshire: The first thing I'm going to do is tell you that if I'm elected president, I'm accepting no salary, okay? That's not a big deal for me.

He reiterated the claims in a Twitter Q&A later that month. When a follower asked: Will you forgo the presidential salary if elected? To which he replied: As far as the salary is concerned- I won't take even one dollar. I am totally giving up my salary if I become president.

During his campaign, the Republican politician made much of his claims that as a millionaire business mogul he is not bound to the bidding of financial backers. Mr Trump is worth an estimated net $3.7 billion, according to Forbes.

Previous wealthy presidents have donated their salaries to charity after deeming it is not financially neccessary for them to take it as personal income. Herbert Hoover and John F Kennedy both reportedly donated the money to charity.

World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Show all 29 1 /29 World reaction to President Trump: In pictures World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty Images World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mosul , Iraq Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures New Delhi, India Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Karachi, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kabul, Afghanistan AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem. Israel Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Moscow, Russia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Seoul, South Korea AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Peshawar, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Hyderabad, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kolkata, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Aleppo, Syria Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem, Israel EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Baghdad, Iraq Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Tokyo, Japan Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico Getty

The US Code, which outlines duties and entitlements for the President, states: The President shall receive in full his services during the term for which he shall have been elected compensation in the aggregate amount of $400,000 a year, to be paid monthly, and in addition an expense allowance of $50,000 to assist in defraying expenses relating to or resulting from the discharge of his official duties.
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After a brutal election cycle, with no shortage of condemnation surrounding Hillary Clintons damn emails and calls for repealing Obamacare, Donald Trump appears to be taking a few steps back from the tone of his inflammatory campaignfor now.

While speaking with The Wall Street Journal, he admitted that after speaking with President Barack Obama on Thursday, he would reconsider his campaign promise to immediately repeal and replace Obamacare.

"Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced," he said in the interview which aired Sunday morning. He said that Mr Obama encouraged him to reconsider while they met for 90-minutes in the Oval Office. "I told him I will look at his suggestions, he continued, and out of respect, I will do that."

Mr Trump explained that he would try to retain the measure that allows citizens to stay on their parent or guardians health insurance plan before they reach the age of 26. "We're going to very much try to keep that, he later told 60 Minutes on CBS, which airs on Sunday night. It adds cost but it's very much something we're going to try to keep.

Just one day before the election, Mr Trump told his audience to look at the mess and the corruption in Washington and that America would experience real change when immediately repeals and replaces the disaster known as Obamacare."

In both interviews, the presidential-elect, who's often criticized for his treatment of women, both in his business practices and in his personal life, seemed to drop his clear resentment of Ms Clinton and admitted that prosecuting and jailing her over her use of a private email server is not a top priority for his administration.

Its not something Ive given a lot of thought, because I want to solve health care, jobs, border control, tax reform, he told the Journal. In the 60 minutes broadcast, he said that the call in which Ms Clinton conceded was lovely.

Shes very strong and very smart, he said, adding that he was also congratulated by Bill Clinton. He couldnt have been more gracious. He said it was an amazing run. One of the most amazing he had ever seen.

The president-elects new tone will unlikely have an effect on the growing anti-Trump demonstrations across the country, which seek to address the Republican's inflammatory comments toward women, Muslims, Hispanics, and African-Americans on the campaign trail. Mr Trump has not yet made any attempts to backtrack on the remarks he made on the campaign trail and when the Journal asked if his tactics were inappropriate, he simply replied by saying, No. I won.
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The stories have been pouring in from across America.

In Louisiana, a black woman reported by being abused by three white men as she waited to cross the street. F**k your black life, one of them yelled.

In Boston, a black student heard a white fellow student remark: This is their punishment for eight years of black people.

Reports of abuse have poured in from across the country (CNN)

Meanwhile, in Washington state, a teacher reported how Build a wall was chanted in the school cafeteria on Wednesday lunchtime. The teacher said the students also chanted: If you arent born here, pack your bags.

As communities of colour, and others frightened by Tuesdays result, reel from the election of Mr Trump, reports suggest there have been a flood of incidents of harassment and abuse since Tuesday.

The Southern Poverty Law Centre, a watchdog group that tracks and monitors extremism in the US, said it had collated more than 200 such incidents in the three days since Mr Trump was elected. It said there also reports of misogynist incidents and abuse.

Pulling from news reports, social media, and direct submissions at the Southern Poverty Law Centres website, [we] counted 201 incidents of election-related harassment and intimidation across the country as of Friday 11 November at 5pm, the group said.

These range from anti-Black to anti-woman to anti-LGBT incidents. There were many examples of vandalism and epithets directed at individuals.

 Donald Trump shifts his position on Obamacare during CBS 60 minutes interview

Often, types of harassment overlapped and many incidents, though not all, involved direct references to the Trump campaign. Every incident could not be immediately independently verified.

The group said that one of the locations where such incidents were most commonly reported were in schools for pupils up to the age of 12. At one school, in Maple Grove, Minnesota, racist and pro-Trump graffiti was found in the school lavatories.

A report from Colorado detailed how the words Death to Diversity was written on a banner displayed on a school library. The report said that white male students were going up to women saying it was now legal to grab them by the pussy.

This was apparently a reference to the 2005 Access Hollywood video released shortly before the election in which Mr Trump was see bragging about sexually assaulting women and getting away with it because he was a celebrity. He later dismissed the comments as locker rook banter.

The Independent has also been compiling lists of assaults and harassment that have taken place since election night and asked people to forward details.

One man, a photographer based in Austin, Texas, who moved to the US from El Salvador, said within 24 hours of the election result, he was refuelling his car when a white man in his 40s said to him: I hope you are putting in enough gas to take you back to your country.

Activists have urged Mr Trump to denounce such incidents (Huffington Post ) (Huffington Post)

The photographer said: It took so much self control to not jump on him and punch him.

Another person, a school student, said they witnessed several white teenagers driving recklessly through our school parking lot. They were in a large truck that had so many Trump stickers on the bumper that you could barely see the bumper itself.

They also had confederate flags mounted to their truck bed. They were driving in circles around the school parking lot saying things like Deport the Muzzies,Shoot the fags!, Hang the n**gers, the pupil said.

A Muslim woman said that two friends of Filipino descent of a family member were screamed at on the bus in Los Angeles.

The white man said that they had lost now that Trumps in office and now they would have to leave, she said. We all fear that this is only the beginning. Were afraid, we're sad and highly disappointed. My family is Muslim and I fear for my mother who regularly wears head coverings.

Separately, the University of Pennsylvania has launched an investigation after black students were added to conversations on a mobile messaging app and bombarded with racial slurs and threats. Images of the chats, entitled Nigger Lynching, Mud Men and Trump is Love, began circulating on social media on Friday. Some showed a user creating a daily lynching calendar event alongside offensive photographs. An official at the university, which Donald Trump graduated from in 1968, said a number of black freshmen were targeted and that at least one account appeared to be based in Oklahoma.
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Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said comparisons that have been made between himself and Donald Trump are obvious.

Mr Berlusconi, a media tycoon who served as Italian Prime Minister in four governments before he was convicted of tax fraud, has been widely likened to Mr Trump for both men's billionaire businessman statuses and rejection of mainstream politics.

Asked what they had in common, 80-year-old Mr Berlusconi told Italian daily Corriere della Sera: There are some obvious similarities even though my story as an entrepreneur is very different to Trump's, whom I've never met.

Like the American President-elect, Mr Berlusconi achieved power by portraying himself as an alternative to mainstream politics. The men have also been likened for their huge egos and fondness for locker-room bragging, as well as their strikingly similar looks.

The tax affairs of both men - who have been dubbed "Trumposconi" by Italian comedians - have also come under scrutiny, with Mr Berusconi was declared a tax fraud in 2013 and Mr Trump admitted to have taken advantage of tax loopholes to avoid paying federal income tax earlier this year.

In the same interview, the centre-right politician did not directly welcome Mr Trump's victory, but explained why he thought Mrs Clinton had been defeated, arguing that Mr Trump was elected by all Americans weary of an old political order.

Americans had, Mr Berlusconi suggested, made a mistake typical of all the left around the world in thinking that 'political correctness' was the way to keep close to people's needs.
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has heralded Donald Trumps shock election victory as the end of liberal non-democracy.

Mr Orban, who was a vocal supporter of the Trump campaign, said the Republican win would allow Western civilisation to break free from the confines of an ideology.

He also claimed Mr Trumps election was akin to the Brexit vote, representing a global change in popular thinking.

It was an "historic event, in which Western civilisation appears to successfully break free from the confines of an ideology, Mr Orban told the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development conference.

We are living in the days where what we call liberal non-democracy, in which we lived for the past 20 years, ends, and we can return to real democracy.

Mr Orban's political climb has not been dissimilar to President-elect Trumps and the former billionaire investor turned politician has been widely criticised for his rejection of globalisation and inciting xenophobia in the country.

In July, he labelled migrants a poison for Europe and claimed the bloc did not need a single one.

He also called Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons foreign policy deadly for Hungary, while supporting heavily Mr Trumps anti-immigration stance as vital for Budapest.

We can call problems by their name and find solutions not derived from an ideology but based on pragmatic, creative-thinking rooted in common sense, Mr Orban said following the US election result.

He said despite the big bang, everyone was still alive.

What a wonderful world. This also shows that democracy is creative and innovative, Mr Orban said.

In October, he called a referendum which asked citizens whether they wished to disregard European Union quotas for resettling migrants.

Voters supported the governments opposition to the mandatory acceptance of a certain number of asylum seekers; however, the ballot was invalidated due to low voter turnout.
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Germany has agreed an ambitious plan to cut its carbon emissions by up to 95 per cent by 2050.

Angela Merkel's government finally reached an agreement on the deal after it had previously been vetoed by members of the governing coalition.

It comes ahead of a global climate summit in Marrakesh, Morocco, next week where Germany was expected to come under pressure to do more to reduce emissions.

Ministers will finalise and vote on the details of the agreement on Monday so the plan can be presented by Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks at the Marrakesh summit.

The final deal was agreed at the last minute after tense negotiations between government ministers in the coalition. The Social Democrat leader and deputy chancellor Sigmar Gabriel had previously vetoed the agreement because he feared the increased burden on businesses would lead to job losses.

However, he said the eventual deal represented a very good and well-balanced solution.

He added: Other countries will only follow in the footsteps of our very ambitious climate policy if we manage to combine the fight against climate change with the protection of industrial jobs even in energy-intensive sectors.

German industry will have to cut its CO2 emissions by 20 per cent by 2030 and the countrys energy sector by almost a half. The target will be achieved by moving away from fossil fuels.

Climate change protests around the world Show all 25 1 /25 Climate change protests around the world Climate change protests around the world People rally to promote climate protection in Rome, Italy Climate change protests around the world Hundreds of demonstrators gather in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA Climate change protests around the world People hold hands to form a human chain during a gathering called by ecologist organisations in Marseille, southern France, to protest against global warming a day ahead of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) held in Paris Climate change protests around the world Demonstrators clash with French riot police during protests on Place de la Republique, ahead of the COP21 World Climate Change Conference 2015 in Paris, France Climate change protests around the world Demonstrators clash with French riot police during a protest on Place de la Republique ahead of the COP21 World Climate Change Conference 2015 in Paris, France Climate change protests around the world A group of people perform during a rally to promote climate protection in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Climate change protests around the world A protester sits next to his sign that reads 'Monsanto the Devil Incorporated ' as he joined hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA Climate change protests around the world Environmentalists dance during a protest near the Place de la Republique after the cancellation of a planned climate march following shootings in the French capital, ahead of the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21), in Paris, France Reuters Climate change protests around the world People protest next to characters dressed as wild animals during a march against climate change near the Monument to the Revolution, in Mexico City AP Climate change protests around the world Protesters carries a banner while they take part in a protest about climate change at New York City Hall steps in lower Manhattan, New York Reuters Climate change protests around the world People take part in a protest about climate change around New York City Hall at lower Manhattan, New York Reuters Climate change protests around the world People rally to promote climate protection in Piazza Castello, Turin, Italy Climate change protests around the world A woman holds a globe during a protest for the global climate day in Lugano, Switzerland Climate change protests around the world Yemenis hold banners as they participate in the Global March for Climate in the old city of Sanaia, Yemen Climate change protests around the world Protesters dressed as Santa Claus take part in a protest about climate change at New York City Hall steps in lower Manhattan, New York Reuters Climate change protests around the world People gather at the Legislative Palace in Montevideo, during the Global Climate March to demand action on climate change telling world leaders on the eve of a crunch UN summit that there is "no planet B". From Sydney to London, humid Rio to chilly New York, at least 683,000 hit the streets in 2,300 events across 175 countries at the weekend, co-organiser and campaign group Avaaz said, calling it the largest number of people to protest over climate change all at once Getty Images Climate change protests around the world Climate change protests around the world Demonstrators participate in the Global March for Climate in Athens, Greece Climate change protests around the world A man wearing a Bernie Sanders mask leads hundreds of demonstrators who marched near City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA Climate change protests around the world Patricia Hauser joined hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California Climate change protests around the world A woman holds a poster of a sick Earth as she joined hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA Climate change protests around the world Hundreds of demonstrators march around City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA Climate change protests around the world A demonstrator holds cut-out of US Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders as she joined hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA Climate change protests around the world George Patten holds a sign that reads 'No Fracking Ever!' as he joined hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA Climate change protests around the world Gabrielle Sosa wears 'Rising Sea Levels' sign as she joined hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA

The plan will be reviewed in 2018 to assess its impact on the economy, society and jobs. The targets could be adjusted as part of the review if they are deemed to be having a detrimental effect in other areas.

Georg Streiter, a government spokesperson, said: The sector targets, included in the climate protection plan, will especially be subject to a comprehensive impact assessment."

The agreement will help Germany to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement that was signed by 195 countries last year.

However, critics said the deal was a watered-down verison of previous proposals and did not go far enough,.

Karsten Smid, a climate expert with the charity Greenpeace, said: "Today the Federal Government has in fact begun the exit from climate-damaging coal and an end to the combustion engine. But the plan is not enough for the 1.5 degree goal promised in Paris.

If Germany is to comply with its climate change legislation, the quantity of greenhouse gases must be drastically reduced rapidly. The government must now switch from its snail-speed to turbo-drive. 

Germany and other European countries are likely to under increasing pressure to take a lead on tackling climate change following the election of Donald Trump as US president.

Mr Trump has said he believes climate change is a hoax invented by China to damage the US economy, and pledged to withdraw US support for the Paris Agreement.

Additional reporting by agencies
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President-elect Donald Trump has reaffirmed his campaign trail position that assisting the Syrian government in fighting Isis should be the US main objective in Syria, despite appeals from rebels for continued help in their fight against President Bashar al-Assad.

Ive had an opposite view of many people regarding Syria. My attitude was youre fighting Syria, Syria is fighting Isis, and you have to get rid of Isis, he said in a wide-ranging interview with the Wall Street Journal on Friday.

Mr Trump has stated that while he did not like [Mr Assad] at all, shoring up his regime is the best way to stem the extremism that has flourished in the chaos of the civil war and threatens the US.

He has also been emphatic about mending ties with Russia, Syrias long-standing ally and military backer in the conflict.

Russia is now totally aligned with Syria, and now you have Iran, which is becoming powerful, because of us, is aligned with Syria Now were backing rebels against Syria, and we have no idea who those people are, he told the Journal, referring to the hardline Sunni Islamist elements present in rebel ranks. If the US attacks Mr Assad, We end up fighting Russia, he added.

Mr Trumps shock victory in the US election this week was welcomed by Moscow and Tehran, as well as Damascus, where aides to Mr Assad were cautiously optimistic in interviews on Thursday. The president is ready to cooperate with Mr Trump going forward, they said.

 Drone footage of Aleppo

To date the US has tacitly supported rebels in Syria both logistically and financially, along with Turkey and Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The long-standing US position has been that Mr Assad must be removed from power and democratic elections take place to end the complex and multisided conflict, now in its sixth year.

Mr Assad's military strategy - including air strikes targeting civilian infrastructure, siege tactics and alleged use of chemical weapons - has been responsible for far more civilian deaths since 2011 than rebel groups or Isis militants, analysts and monitors say.

Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton had proposed a no-fly-zone over Syria, a position rebels had been hopeful could stem the aerial attacks that have turned the tide of the war in Mr Assads favour since Russia began lending the Syrian government military support in September 2015.

World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Show all 29 1 /29 World reaction to President Trump: In pictures World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty Images World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mosul , Iraq Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures New Delhi, India Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Karachi, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kabul, Afghanistan AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem. Israel Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Moscow, Russia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Seoul, South Korea AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Peshawar, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Hyderabad, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kolkata, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Aleppo, Syria Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem, Israel EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Baghdad, Iraq Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Tokyo, Japan Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico Getty

After Mr Trumps victory this week, the main Syrian opposition group the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) reached out to his staff asking him to protect civilians.

President Anas Al-Abdah said the SNC had sent Mr Trump its congratulations and was in touch about a comprehensive new approach to Syria.

The US must establish peace in our region and to find fair and swift solutions for the threat of terrorism... especially the state terrorism practiced by the Syrian regime against the Syrian people, Riad Hijab, head of the opposition High Negotiations Committee, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Other rebels on the ground were less enthusiastic, predicting more bloodshed no matter what Mr Trumps policy ultimately ends up being on a war which has killed more than 400,000 people to date and driven half the Syrian population from their homes.

I guess most Syrians are reacting in a similar way today, trying to hide their disappointment by making [jokes], said Wissam Zarqa, a rebel media activist in besieged east Aleppo.

We live in hope... but the only bright side to this is that we will not live on false promises now, he added, referring to the international communitys inability to stop Russian air strikes on the areas 250,000 trapped civilians.

With [US President] Obama, we had enough of his false promises and fake red lines.

Abu Hamed, head of the military council of rebel group Liwa al-Haq Brigade, was similarly dismissive. The Americans were never honest with us, he said, speaking from Hama. They left us in a quagmire that drowned the Syrians... everyone is trading with our blood and suffering.
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One of the survivors of last years deadly attacks at the Bataclan theatre has described the moment a terrorist posed as a member of the French security forces to get in the dressing room she was hiding in.

Three heavily armed Isis fighters launched an attack on the 1,500-seat Bataclan theatre on 13 November. In less than three hours, the men were dead, having killed 89 people at the concert hall and critically injuring dozens.

Kelly Le Guen, a music reporter for RockUrLife and Webzine, was among a group of 30 people trapped in what she described as a suffocating room for more than two hours before security forces stormed the hall.

Kelly Le Guen (Zlata Rodionova)

At first, the terrorists made several attempts to break down the heavy door.

We shielded the door with the furniture around us. I was standing behind a small fridge and with every loud knock the gunman gave on the door, I was pushing harder and harder against it, Ms Le Guen told The Independent.

After a long period of silence, a man said: Open the door, its the police, were here to rescue you.

It was a difficult decision, we were in doubt. After a vote by show of hands we decided against it, she added. The decision ultimately saved their lives.

Ms Le Guen,described the evening as a moment out-of-time: It seemed like time did not exist in that room. When the police finally arrived, I did not known if one or three hours had passed since we locked ourselves in.

I was not exactly afraid to die but those long periods of silence do make you think about life and people you might leave behind. Do I have any regrets? Why was it so short? What comes after? How great it has been.

 Concert-goer captures start of Bataclan attack

After a while I realised these thoughts were not helping and tried imagining myself getting out of this room instead.

When the police rescued the group, Ms Le Guen saw the full horror of the atrocity.

The first thing I saw was a body lying just in front of the door. Then we had to go through the Bataclans main room to get out," she recalled. "There were dozens and dozens of bodies everywhere and the room had absorbed the smell of dry blood.

A concert by British pop star Sting marked the reopening of the Bataclan on Saturday evening, with commemorations planned over the weekend. A year on, a single bullet hole in the wall of the front of the theatre serves as a reminder of the events of 13 November, as do the flowers still tied to barriers surrounding the venue

The event inspired Kelly Le Guens tattoo (Zlata Rodionova)

Ms Le Guen, who went back to work straight away after the attack, has tickets for the opening night. She is glad the venue is reopening.

I cant wait to go and I am so glad the show is sold out on Saturday," she said. "I know some people find it disrespectful towards the victims. But I disagree.

Imagine if every cafe and restaurant where someone was killed in Paris had to close. There would be no more cafes left to go to.

The Bataclan attack was the deadliest atrocity in an evening of horror during which 40 other people were shot dead and 413 wounded across Paris, many as they sat at cafes and on restaurant terraces.

More attacks followed in July when a truck driver killed 85 people as they celebrated Bastille Day on Nices Promenade des Anglais seafront. The same month, two French-born radicalised teenagers slit the throat of an elderly priest in Normandy.

In pictures: Paris attacks Show all 25 1 /25 In pictures: Paris attacks In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French police with protective shields walk in line near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers evacuate an injured person on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French Vigipirate troops mobilize next to Place de la Bastille AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French soldiers mobilize near to the Place de la Bastille AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated outside the scene of a hostage situation at the Bataclan theatre EPA In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks People react as they gather to watch the scene near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French police secure the area outside a cafe near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers workers evacuate victims near the Bataclan concert hall AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and French President Francois Hollande attending an emergency meeting at the Interior Ministry AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Spectators invade the pitch of the Stade de France after explosions were heard outside AP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks A man lies on the ground as French police check his identity near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Police officers man a position close to the Bataclan theatre AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated from the Stade de France in Paris EPA In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Two men evacuate the Place de la Republique square in Paris as a police officer looks on AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Football fans are evacuated from the Stade de France stadium In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks An armed police officer Dan Gabriel In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Stade de France is evacuated after reports of an explosion In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks A member of the French fire brigade aids an injured individual near the Bataclan concert hall In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated from the Stade de France in Paris In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Police are seen outside a cafe in 10th arrondissement of the French capital Paris, In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers assist an injured man on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, close to the Bataclan concert hall AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The scene at a restaurant in 10th arrondissement In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Bataclan theatre - where around 100 people are thought be held hostage In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Stade de France as it was evacuated In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Forensic experts inspect the site of an attack outside the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis AFP

On Sunday morning, President Francois Hollande and Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, will visit each of the sites of the attacks to unveil commemorative plaques, starting at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, where the first suicide bombs were detonated.
The Irish strategy of boosting jobs by acting as a low tax bridge between US corporations and the EU is facing an unprecedented combination of threats, just as the fallout from Brexit rattles the domestic economy.

Brussels' top economic official has told the Irish Independent that "tax sovereignty" will ultimately be vested at EU level, while Donald Trump has vowed to ship jobs and tax income back to America during his presidency.

In Brussels, Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said that his push for a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (cccbt) is a response to public demand for action.

"We are in a new world where people want transparency and want the multinationals to pay their fair share of tax where they take profits," he said. "We are really, I think, not trying to act against national tax sovereignty but to create a European sovereignty in this matter."

The Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs is one of the EU's most powerful officials. If he's successful and tax authority shifts from Dublin to Brussels, it will end Ireland's often controversial but legally protected ability to use independent tax powers to attract US multinationals to set up here when they enter the European market.

The EU push includes having big companies pay tax in territories where they make sales instead of at a global or regional level. That would leave Ireland, as headquarters for a significant number of large multinationals, worse off.

Any major changes at EU level need support from all member states, but Ireland has historically relied on support from the UK in the horse-trading on tax issues at the European Council, but it is set to exit the Union.

The rapidly unravelling global political environment means the Government in Dublin now faces a potentially bruising war on at least three fronts, including the fallout from June's Brexit vote in the UK.

The Governor of the Central Bank, Philip Lane, told members of employers' group Isme yesterday that Brexit is now the biggest threat to small business.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump's senior economic adviser Stephen Moore this week said they will slash corporate tax rates to bring jobs and money "home" to the US.

He predicted "a flood of companies leaving Ireland and Canada and Germany and France."

The Trump plan is to slash US corporation tax to 15pc from 35pc, the highest in the developed world.

However, the US Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin O'Malley, said he doesn't believe Mr Trump's election as president will lead to a mass exodus of American business from Ireland.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, he said: "If you think that Ireland is a tax haven, then you might be concerned about a lower tax rate. But I don't believe that.

"If, like me, you believe that these companies are here because of the Irish workforce and they're doing well here - there is no reason for them to leave."

Some of Ireland's biggest employers include Apple, Microsoft and Google. There's an estimated $1.3trn of cash held outside the US by American corporations, according to a report this week by Moody's.

A tax cut or tax amnesty by the new Trump administration could see much, or even all of that money flood into the US. Even at a reduced rate, the one-off gain would be huge.
A strong price of 13,000/ac was paid for 21ac Laois tillage ground at an auction of a farm located at Ballinlough, Stradbally. Local auctioneer Matt Dunne described the land as "Just honest to God good arable land with no gimmicks."

Located in a rich vein of ground close to the Rock of Dunamaise, the land has extensive road frontage and could have residential potential if the proposal can fulfil the local needs requirement.

A fine crowd showed up for the auction which opened with a decent bid of 180,000 or 8,500/ac.

The price on offer quickly rose to 210,000 at which point the property was out on the market.

Bidding continued apace and within minutes the holding was sold to an adjoining farmer for 267,500 or 13,000/ac.

According to Mr Dunne the vendor was delighted with the result and the purchaser equally delighted to have the opportunity to increase his current holding. Three disappointed under bidders are still in the search for land in the area in parcels from 10ac to 100ac.

Meath Sales

Further north in Co Meath Thomas Potterton had a good day out when he sold two properties under the hammer. The first to be sold was a 16.5ac parcel of ground at Dangan, Summerhill in Co Meath that sold for 85,000 or 6,800/ac.

All in one field the property is located down a partially tarred cul-de-sac. With some lovely stands of trees the land is generally in good heart asides from a lower section that is in need of reclamation.

At auction the bidding opened at 40,000 and with two bidders in action the amount on offer rose in tranches of 5,000 to 85,000 at which point Mr Potterton consulted with the vendor.

It was decided to put the property on the market and it sold at that price to an adjoining landowner.

Mr Potterton was content with the sale and thought the price fairly reflected some of the disadvantages of the property such as the access and the piece of poorer ground.

On the same day Mr Potterton sold a house on 2ac that had been part of a 43ac holding sold last year to a local farmer.

Located at Scurlogstown outside Trim the house was in need of considerable refurbishment when bought. The purchaser decided to invest and turned it into a tasty modern dwelling with some lovely features and a modern extension.

The refurbished residence is on two ares and includes a haggard with a two-column haybarn and a traditional farmyard in courtyard style. There is also a lofted barn, two loose boxes and an original cow byre carefully restored to create space for an outside studio or recreational room. The original property, the house on 43ac, was sold by Thomas Potterton last year for 700,000.

At the recent auction the bidding opened at 300,000 and attracted two active bidders. It rose quickly to 330,000 where it went on the market and was bought by a delighted professional couple working in Dublin and commuting.
We are happy to be seeing the first tangible returns from our participation in GLAS, the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme.

There are three measures in our plan - planting a new native species hedge, low-input permanent pasture and wild bird cover. It's the last of these that interests me most and we are starting to see some results. For the past few years, Des Finnamore - a friend of ours who lives locally and is a recorder for BirdWatch Ireland -regularly surveys the farm and specifically a wet area, adjacent to which my husband Robin planted a few acres of trees over 20 years ago.

It was in a field near this that we sowed the wild bird cover with a linnet mix. And, on a recent trip, Des observed more greenfinches and linnets than he has seen before.

I know it's not a very scientific experiment and these birds are not exactly rare but we see it as a positive and are hoping that, as the winter goes on, there will be many more avian visitors. Other than that, the survey results were pretty similar to other years, with 29 bird species in total. As well as the usual residents, there are water birds like teal, mallard and shoveller plus a few hundred, mostly migrant, golden plover and lapwing.

Usually, I would have been out picking up conkers these past weeks. But, this year, I just didn't have the heart for it. Scarcely a week goes by now without mention of some tree pathogen and there was a warning recently about how the horse chestnut faces wipe-out in Britain within 15 years, due to a combination of the horse chestnut leaf miner moth and Bleeding Canker.

The prognosis for horse chestnuts here is little brighter. Especially since they are not a native species and have limited genetic diversity. Another tree which is under serious threat is the ash, due to chalara, which has been continuing to spread - albeit at a slightly slower rate than initially feared - and has now made its way all over the country, in just four years.

A month ago, I was walking in a stubble field when I noticed lots of ash saplings. I went back with a trowel and dug up about 50 of them. Ireland is still in the eradication mode for chalara but the experience elsewhere has been that some trees are resistant to the disease and the emphasis has switched to identifying them and collecting their seeds. I think this may also happen here at some stage and, who knows, maybe these ones will be the silver bullets?

The way our trees are going, we are going to need all the native hedge we can get and, in the next few months, we will be planting our GLAS stretch.

Department figures indicate that 1,300km of new native hedging will be planted under the first tranche of GLAS. This is great to hear. However, my joy is not unmitigated.

Driving around the country, I can't help being struck at the amount of hedging being stripped back to its bones. Some people may feel it's easy for me to say this. A lot of work was done on this farm down through the years. If we were at a different stage in our farming lives, would I feel differently? Perhaps. But that shouldn't take from the veracity of my point.

But it just seems ironic that some farmers are effectively taking hedges out while others are being paid to put them in. Though it shouldn't come as a surprise either. For some, the message ringing loudest is the environmental one while, for others, driven by expansionary views, it is an economic one. Confusing!
The excellent weather and sowing conditions of the last number of weeks has encouraged farmers to plant significant acreages of winter cereals again this autumn.

Reports from the trade indicate that barley and oats sowings are on a par with 2015, while wheat sowing appears to be up slightly.

With conditions remaining good, wheat acerage could still increase further. Oilseed rape planting appears to be in line with 2015. This high level of planting is somewhat surprising considering the long drawn out harvest and particularly, the low product prices achieved.

The general expectation was for a significant reduction in sowings given the prospects for the 2017 harvest prices. Undoubtedly this again shows the resilience of farmers and despite difficulties, continue to expect better times ahead.

It makes it all the more amazing when you consider that most growers had not even discussed the settlement of their 2016 harvest with their merchants or co-ops, yet had already invested in seed for the new season.

It never ceases to surprise me that despite the numerous hits and the low prices farmers still continue to carry on. The projected low harvest prices again for 2017 will not make next season any easier. No doubt hopes are high that the good yields of the last two years will continue and if prices rally an opportunity might arise to see some small return on investment.

Thankfully the Basic Payment Scheme payments are significantly ahead and better than at the same time last year. Sincere compliments must be given to the Department of Agriculture for this.

I have noted, even in our own consultancy, that over 80pc of our farmer clients were paid on the first day this year.

This compares favourably with the 40 pc which were paid at the same time last year. While there are a number of queries again this year, these mainly relate to satellite or on-the-ground inspections.

The Department of Agriculture can also be complemented for putting an information system in place for consultants whereby they respond quickly with reasons why payments might be held up.

This has greatly minimised our workload, reduced the frustration for both ourselves and our clients and allowed us to get on with more productive and rewarding work.

In the field, there is still some sowing going on. Conditions remain good but as the temperature falls, it is likely that planting and crop establishing conditions will deteriorate. A good firm seedbed is essential for establishment and to reduce slug and bird activity. It is too late to sow winter barley at this stage, while seed rates for wheat and oats should be increased. You should target a minimum of 450 seeds/m2 for wheat and 550 seeds/m2 for oats this week.

Depending on TGW and expected establishment rates of 60-65pc, this could entail a seed rate of 250-270kg/ha for both crops or the equivalent of 16/ 17 stone per acre.

Therefore, considering the likelihood of greater establishment problems and the additional costs of extra seed it might be best to put away the seed drill until the spring.

Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV)

Aphid numbers are extremely high at the moment. The very early sown crops, even treated with Deter, may now need an aphicide. Crops sown in early to mid October with Deter should be treated by the middle of November.

All crops sown without Deter should be treated at the 2 leaf stage. Further treatment may be required on all crops if weather conditions remain mild and conducive to aphid activity. Weed control should now be a priority if not already completed.

This will minimise weed competition and herbicide costs for all crops, which is always more difficult and expensive in the spring.

The typical herbicides are DFF + IPU or various combinations of these products. The use of products containing pendimethalin will give better control of fumitory, cleavers and poppy and are more persistent on grasses. It should be noted that IPU is now in its last year. It is always a good idea to change the type of product used each year as all herbicides have different weed spectrums of control and this can minimise the survival of certain weeds over the winter.

Some spring treatment may be required in cases but generally a low rate of a sulphonylurea will suffice.

Winter rape appears better and more advanced than normal. Most crops have received their herbicide and some have received a fungicidal treatment for light leaf spot.

There are reports of up to 70,000ha of rape having been wiped out in the UK as a result of the dry weather and flea beetle damage. Thankfully the same problems do not appear to have happened here. Most crops seem to be well established and should be able to withstand pigeon attacks this winter.

Straw

It appears that straw is relatively scarce this autumn. Poor interest early on and a very difficult harvest has left supplies tight with the likelihood of straw importation a major possibility.

This will lead to more weed problems for growers. Growers should avoid taking organic manure next spring if the straw source is suspect.

Imported straw is a major source of sterile broom and blackgrass, which are becoming a significant problem in the industry. Ryegrass can be a major problem from straw imported from France.

Pat Minnock is a Carlow based agricultural consultant and a member of the ACA and the ITCA. www.minnockagri.ie
Philip Lane, Governor of the Central Bank, addresses the ISME annual conference yesterday, where he spoke of Brexit's implications for small businesses. Photo: Jason Clarke

Irish retailers and exporters have received an unexpected boost as sterling heads for its best week in more than seven years against the euro.

The swing makes it easier for Irish businesses to sell into the UK market at lower prices, and means shoppers from the Republic can expect fewer bargains by crossing the Border.

Sterling fell 1.2pc yesterday to 85.77 pence per euro, and looked set last night to be 3.8pc up against the single currency in the week.

After the Brexit vote, the pound weakened to less than 90p to the euro by the start of October, causing consternation for Irish exporters and retailers close to the Border.

Brexit is now the biggest concern for Irish small and medium enterprises, Central Bank Governor Philip Lane told an audience at employers' group ISME's annual conference in Dublin. "The SME sector is especially exposed to shifts in the sterling-euro exchange rate, the level of economic activity in the UK and the prospect of new barriers to trade between Ireland and the UK," he said.

He said some Irish firms may opt to invest in the UK to counter the risk of "higher trade barriers" between two countries.

This week's market swing is a sign investors are cooling on the euro ahead of votes in Italy, France and Germany in the coming months, where anti-establishment movements are hoping to repeat the Trump and Brexit effect. The euro is weakening in particular ahead of a referendum in Italy next month.

It has been called by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to rally support for parliamentary reforms he says are needed to make the country's political and economic system workable.

But he's said he'll resign if the vote goes against him, creating real uncertainty in a country where the anti-euro currency Five Star movement is on the rise.

After Donald Trump's outsider victory in the US, investors are also now weighing the possible outcomes of elections in France and Germany next year.

The pound is still down about 15pc since the June 23 referendum, but the risks of further slides appear to be waning.

"There is just a bigger theme now and we just don't have a trigger for more pound downside here," said Manuel Oliveri, a currency strategist at Credit Agricole in London.

If so, it will provide real relief to Irish businesses heading into the crucial Christmas trading season.

The brutally sharp plunge in sterling since June has already wiped out low margin exports in sectors including mushroom growing, and is weighing heavily on retailers facing into their most important month.

The volume of traffic heading north over the Border has soared by up to 30pc on Saturday mornings since the Brexit vote, according to research by Goodbody Stockbrokers.
Our Technology Editor reviews the Panasonic Lumix GX80

Price: 599 (plus lens) Compare prices

Rating: 5 Stars

There's so much competition for premium mirrorless cameras these days that it's difficult to know which one to choose. The short answer (and I'm not just saying this) is that they're all good. Their main advantage is that they give the same type of quality as big non-professional DSLR cameras in a much smaller body, meaning you can bring them about and use them without looking and feeling awkward.

If you want the latest model on the market, Panasonic's Lumix 16-megapixel GX80 ticks all the boxes. It's fast, compact, smart and takes very good photos. I used it for two weeks with two lenses, a 45-175mm (90-350mm equivalent) telephoto and a 12-32mm (24-64mm equivalent). This period included work assignments abroad at the Web Summit in Lisbon (for which, see my Twitter or Instagram feeds).

It barely let me down at all on any score. It can handle very low-light situations (its ISO now goes up to 25,600, a huge jump from the GX7) and its built-in stabilisation is about the best I've ever tested. Indeed, Panasonic now has stabilisation both in the camera body and in its newer lenses, meaning you really do have far less chance of blurry, hazy photos.

Like its predecessor, the GX80 has a flip-out screen, which is great when snapping something from down low or, in portrait orientation, at arm's length to your side (such as in a church aisle to get the bride's walk, unobstructed). It's nice and silent, too, meaning you don't make a racket when taking photos in hushed situations.

The GX80 has Panasonic's 4K Photo mode, which essentially lets you take stills from the camera's 4K video-shooting capabilities.

It goes without saying that the camera has Wi-Fi, too, which lets you send images to your phone or tablet automatically while shooting or transfer them afterwards.

There's even a new 'post focus' feature that lets you decide after taking the photo where you want the sharp bit to be. It's very smart, but takes a bit of setting up and is too slow (for me) to be very useful.

All of this comes at a price, of course: the GX80 isn't cheap. But it's a pleasure to use.
Newly crowned EY Industry Entrepreneur of the Year Stephen Vernon was a guest speaker at the Society of Chartered Surveyors Conference in Croke Park this week.

Newstalk's Shane Coleman interviewed Vernon for about 30 minutes, on the state of the market, and on how the English-born son of a Dundalk man left his solid job in London for the giddy life of Irish property investing.

He notably steered Green Property through the crash with rare skill and, at the time even rarer, good humour.

Asked about the worrying prospects now of Donald Trump's victory and Brexit, he moved to calm the audience's collective nerves. The economic storm clouds may be gathering, but there is always a silver lining - in this case it might speed up the return of the Troika to Ireland, he joked. We think.

Trumping the markets

Speaking of silver linings, the Irish Stock Exchange clocked up the best performance in the developed world this week, surging well over 5pc.

Solid Ryanair results helped, but Irish entrepreneurship and ingenuity only count for so much.

The rally was all down to one person - tangerine dream turned US president-elect Donald Trump.

His plan to build a wall between the US and Mexico (and generally ramp up spending on roads and bridges) drove the world-beating Iseq rally. That is as unlikely a sentence as the Punt has ever written, but Plan Trump lifted Irish cement-maker CRH shares so much they carried the whole index with them.
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Laura Whitmore has hit out at RTE for giving Katie Hopkins "a platform"

Presenter Laura Whitmore has criticised the producers of RTEs Late Late Show for giving "negative" people a platform after they cancelled her appearance on the programme last year.

Whitmore was due to appear on the talk show in 2015 to speak about her work with charity organisation Plan Ireland, but claimed she was cancelled at the last minute in favour of another guest.

I was booked to go on the Late Late Show a year ago to talk about my child sponsorship with Plan Ireland. Ive sponsored a little girl for six years in the Philippines, Laura said on Twitter.

It was cancelled last minute and I was informed the charity had been told by the producer they dont like doing those charity pieces.

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Whatsapp Katie appeared on RTE's Late Late Show after more than 1,100 complaints were registered by the National Broadcaster ahead of her interview on the show

Whitmore went on to criticise producers for giving a platform to people "who spread negativity and absolute nonsense".

Controversial Katie Hopkins appeared on the programme on Friday despite more than 1,100 complaints being filed to the national broadcaster ahead of her appearance.

It angers me that certain people who dont need such a platform are given it to spread negativity and lets face it, absolute nonsense. It leaves me with little faith in this world, she said.

Commenting on Whitmores claims, an RTE spokesperson said: "The Late Late Show does not comment on editorial decisions."

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Hopkins' appearance has caused much upset ahead of the programme, with many calling for a boycott of last nights interview.

Speaking earlier this week, Ryan Tubridy defended the shows decision to book Hopkins on his RTE Radio One programme.

It has been a controversial week around the globe with a controversial election result so we are going to reflect that with a controversial guest.

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Katie Hopkins does a job, she comes on, she expresses an opinion that is contrary and difficult but it starts a conversation.

Appearing on the Late Late Show couch after Hopkins, Comedian Dara OBriain commented on the calibre of her gig and said it was a strange way to forge a career in show-business.

Speaking in mock-shock OBriain asked Ryan Tubridy: Was she controversial, did she do controversial things? Was she naughty, was she?

Im not patting her on the back for that because I think its a weird job. Its a strange thing because its a gig. It is a gig like mine.

People who do that gig and whose job it is to be that person and say those things, its no more than a gig, he said.
A US judge has awarded $4m (3.6m) in damages to the parents of tragic Rehma Sabir - who died while in the care of Irish nanny Aisling McCarthy Brady.

Rehma's parents, Sameer and Nada Sabir, filed a wrongful death suit against Ms McCarthy Brady after a criminal case against the nanny collapsed.

Attorney Martha Coakley said it was not the intention of the Sabirs to enforce the judgment for damages unless Ms McCarthy tried to profit from the sale of her story in "social media, print media, (or) broadcast (media)."

Ms Coakley told the court that the couple had tried but failed to privately secure an assurance that Ms McCarthy Brady would not try to profit from the case, The Sun reports.

One-year-old Rehma died on January 14, 2013, after suffering injuries in the Sabir family home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ms McCarthy Brady was released from a US jail in August 2015 when the district attorney decided not to prosecute her after a reassessment of the case by the state medical examiner.

She was immediately deported from the US for overstaying her visa and has been living in Ireland since; she did not respond to the copy of the lawsuit delivered to her.

"I'm happy. We fulfilled our objective," said Sameer Sabir after getting the judgment.

Its the first time I feel our voice was heard, his wife Nada added.

Ms McCarthy Brady has not attempted to sell her story thus far, avoiding the spotlight since returning to Ireland.

She spoke briefly in the airport upon her return, saying that she loved Rehma and adding: They were wrong. But it seemed that except for my family and my lawyers no-one would listen.
A heartbroken mother whose new-born son died as a result of medical misadventure has called for equal rights for all pregnant women in Irish hospitals.

Siobhan Whelan, whose son Conor was born by emergency C-section on May 13 2014 and who died just 17-and-a-half hours later, was suffering from an undiagnosed obstetric condition known as vasa praevia. Ms Whelan believes if the condition had been picked up during her numerous scans during her pregnancy and she had been able to give birth to Conor through a planned C-section, he would be alive today.

"We've had different families sending messages of support and thanking us for being so brave and improving things for other women and we don't want anyone to be under the illusion that things have changed yet," she told the Irish Independent.

An inquest into baby Conor's death recommended that all pregnant women in Cavan be given a 20-week anomaly scan and for an obstetric radiologist to be appointed immediately which is more likely to detect any abnormalities with the placenta or the baby. The jury also recommended that a full appraisal of the maternity unit be carried out.

Mrs Whelan recalled the day her son was born: "I had the joyous feeling of going into labour nine days overdue, eagerly awaiting the arrival of our son Conor, a surprise for my husband Andrew and our two daughters, but I had known from an earlier antenatal clinic that we were expecting a little man about the place, a little trucking companion for daddy, maybe even a future star hurler.

"What I didn't know was that I was a ticking time bomb, that we had just under 24 hours left with our precious son whom we already loved so much.

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"If only we had known of vasa praevia our story could have been so different," she added.

The condition is rare but well recognised and it means blood vessels supplying the baby are exposed.

There are two types of vasa praevia; Type 1, involves an unusual umbilical cord insertion through the membranes close to the cervix. Type 2 involves the blood vessels running across the cervix inserting through the membranes to the bilobed (divided) placenta.

Siobhan was scanned a number of times during her pregnancy, none of these scans picked up that her placenta was in two pieces and despite a query about her placenta being raised she went unchecked for this condition.

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When she arrived at the hospital in labour, she suffered a haemorrhage outside the labour room, and later despite their protest and pleas for a C-section, an Artificial Membrane Rupture (ARM), to break her waters was carried out.

If Siobhan's split placenta and abnormal cord insertion had been picked up on a scan it would have raised a red flag for the condition. Other risk factors include a low lying placenta, IVF, Twins/Multiple births, any unexplained bleeding at any stage in the pregnancy or recent uterine surgery.

A more detailed scan using Colour Doppler would have picked up the exposed foetal vessels and indicated the condition.

She said: "Early diagnosis and correct management is what is required. Correct management includes steroids to mature baby's lungs, complete pelvic rest and preterm hospitalisation at approximately 30 weeks and scheduled delivery by C-section."

The condition is rare (about 1 in every 2,500 pregnancies) but the chances of it are increased in twin pregnancies or multiple births and in IVF pregnancies (1 in 300).

Her condition was not detected and it was not thought of on the day of Conor's delivery.

Conor was born without a heartbeat, but his heartbeat was revived after 20 minutes and he was rushed to the Rotunda. He died from multi-organ hypoxic ischaemic injury, which means his organs failed due to blood and oxygen deprivation.

'Every expectant woman is entitled to equal rights, and an equal standard of basic care which should not be by a postcode lottery and not by whether you are a private or a public patient. Our concern is that without and anomaly scan or obstetric radiologist being available in Cavan that any concern or anomalies wil go unrecognised and the patient won't get referred to a foetal specialist unit," says Siobhan.

"We must make sure that all 19 maternity units have a suitably qualified obstetric radiologist to perform these scans which can be the difference of life and death.

"The Whelan family hope VP screening will become part of routine antenatal care but for now anyone who falls into the risk group needs to insist on being screened for vasa praevia." Information about vasa praevia can be found at: www.vasapraevia.co.uk www.ivpf.org
The Supreme Court has dismissed a man's appeal against his conviction for raping his mother on Mother's Day.

In a significant ruling, the court provided guidance for judges in explaining to juries the law on rape, particularly in cases where the accused mounts a defence based on a mistaken belief there was consent to sex.

Mr Justice Peter Charleton, on behalf of the seven-judge court, said under the law an accused man must honestly believe that the woman was actually consenting, not merely that she "might" be.

The ruling was welcomed by Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) chief executive Noeline Blackwell as a clear statement that lack of consent is equal to rape.

However, she said it also showed that laws on consent needed to be strengthened.

The case involved a man who claimed he genuinely believed his mother, aged in her 60s and with mobility problems, consented to sex. She was adamant she had not and her son was convicted by a jury in 2012 and jailed for 12-and-a-half years.

The rape happened in 2008 after he called to her home. She was in bed having earlier been out for a Mother's Day meal.

She got up, both consumed some "strong drink", and started listening to a Joe Dolan CD and dancing. The victim said it was ballroom dancing, while her son said it was "erotic" dancing.

She was on some medication and told the jury she ended up on the floor with her son on top of her, raping her.

The woman said it was not consensual and she had repeatedly told him to leave her alone.

Mr Justice Charleton said the crime of rape is "a terrible violation of a woman's physical and mental integrity".

He said the original trial judge, Mr Justice Barry White, now retired, misstated the law by a mistaken reference that a belief by the accused that a woman "might be consenting" rendered non-consensual sex somehow not a crime.

"This was perhaps a slip of the tongue, but an unfortunate one against victims of crime," Mr Justice Charleton said.

"A woman has a constitutional right to her bodily integrity. As a matter of law, there must be a lack of consent by the woman and for sexual intercourse to nonetheless be excused in those circumstances, the accused must honestly believe the woman was actually consenting, not merely that she might be."

He found the trial judge's error had been in favour of the defence and no error against the accused had been identified.
A JUDGE has said she will jail a former soldier who repeatedly punched and kicked his ex-partner, fracturing her eyes, face and skull.

Jessica Bowes begged for her life during the "merciless" attack by Jonathan McSherry.

Judge Melanie Greally said that, after his "brutal acts of violence", McSherry left his victim unconscious and in "a very perilous position".

McSherry (34), of Cedarbrook Walk, Cherry Orchard, Dublin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Grange View Way, Clondalkin, on December 20, 2015.

Footage of the attack, played in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, showed him punching Ms Bowes to the ground, kicking her at least four times and then dragging her along the ground and continuing to punch her.

Ms Bowes lost consciousness after the first punch and then a second time during what she described as a merciless attack. She said she thought she was going to die.

The assault left her with permanent scarring and nerve damage.

In a victim impact report, the mother-of-three said her lips wouldn't close together fully and, in a cold environment, her top lip didn't move, making her face look "deformed".

The court heard there were fractures to her skull, eye sockets and cheek bone. The imprint of a shoe was left on her face and there were boot marks under her chin.

anxiety

She had a metal plate put into her face. Her memory was impaired and she relied on her 10-year-old daughter to remind her of the younger children's birthdays.

Ms Bowes said she was now overprotective of her children and in a constant state of anxiety. She had nightmares about McSherry and became paralysed with fear and "trapped in a nightmare".

When she wakes up from these nightmares, she cries her eyes out.

Judge Greally remanded McSherry on bail until December 21 so he can continue his treatment at the Coolmine residential drug treatment programme.

She said that a prison sentence was inevitable given the severity of the assault and of the injuries.

Garda Stephen Kelly told the court that there was a barring order placed against McSherry the previous January.

On the night of the attack, the victim and two friends were getting a lift to her home from a nightclub.

McSherry was waiting at the house and jumped on the car, smashing its front window with his fists. He then began his attack, punching the victim up to eight times.

At one point, when she regained consciousness, she told him, "you're going to kill me", but he kept punching her in the head.

McSherry was arrested on the night and remanded in custody until the following April, when he was granted bail on condition he take part in the drug treatment programme.

shock

Counsel for the defence Rebecca Smith said her client had a history of depression and drug addiction. She said that his time in prison was a short, sharp shock and the best thing to happen to him.

She said since then he had genuinely turned his life around and had successfully engaged with alternatives to violence programmes at Coolmine.

Counsel said McSherry, who has two young children with the victim, had no words to express the remorse he has for his actions.

"He has done everything he can to make amends, to try to change himself, for the sake of his family and for the sake of his children," she said.
Food manufacturer Largo - whose products include Tayto - has admitted it sold crisps containing a high amount of gluten in a packet that was supposed to be gluten-free.

The company has pleaded guilty to breaching food safety regulations - a criminal offence.

In May last year, a mother from Arklow, Co Wicklow, bought a 50g packet of O'Donnell's Mature Irish Cheese and Onion gluten-free crisps for her 10-year-old son. However, she noticed he was beginning to suffer a reaction to the crisps when his ears turned red.

The mother complained to the company and the HSE subsequently brought the case.

Judge Grainne Malone at Navan District Court said that the case was "a very serious matter" and the court was told the maximum penalty on indictment in the Circuit Court was a 500,000 fine and/or three years in prison. However, the judge accepted jurisdiction of the District Court in the case.

Giving evidence, HSE environmental health officer Caitriona Sheridan said that in order for a product to be labelled gluten-free it was required to have less than 20 parts-per-milligram (ppmg) gluten.

When the crisps that were the subject of the complaint were tested, they were found to have more than 700ppmg gluten.

A second sample had more than 100ppmg gluten.

Two other complaints were made about the presence of gluten in the gluten-free products. Counsel for the company, Andrew Whelan, told the court the issue was identified as malfunction in the line.

"My client's response to this had been 'hands up'," he said.

Mr Whelan told the court that Largo, which the court was told has an annual turnover of 90m, had spent 100,000 to remedy the problem and gluten-fee products were now packaged in a "totally segregated" production area. "We are confident that this problem will not happen again," he said.

Largo indicated it would be prepared to make a donation to charity for people with coeliac.

However, the judge adjourned the case until December 16 to allow the mother of the victim to be present in court, if she wished, to witness the outcome of her complaint and outline the impact of the crime.
A judge has said she will jail a former soldier who repeatedly punched and kicked his ex- partner, fracturing her eye sockets, face and skull.

Jessica Bowes begged for her life during the "merciless" attack by Jonathan McSherry (34).

Judge Melanie Greally said that after his "brutal acts of violence" McSherry left his victim in "a very perilous position".

McSherry (34), of Cedarbrook Walk, Cherry Orchard, Dublin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Grange View Way, Clondalkin, on December 20, 2015.

Footage of the attack, played in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, showed him punching Jessica Bowes to the ground, kicking her at least four times and then dragging her along the ground and continuing to punch her.

Ms Bowes lost consciousness after the first punch and then a second time during what she described as a "merciless" attack. She said she thought she was going to die.

The assault left her with permanent scarring and nerve damage.

In a victim impact report, the mother-of-three said her lips wouldn't close together fully and in a cold environment her top lip didn't move, making her face look "deformed".

The court heard there were fractures to her skull, eye sockets and cheek bone. The imprint of a shoe was left on her face and there were boot marks under her chin.

She had a metal plate put into her face. Her memory was impaired and she relied on her 10-year-old daughter to remind her of the younger children's birthdays.

Ms Bowes said she was now overprotective of her children and in a constant state of anxiety.

She had nightmares about McSherry and became paralysed with fear and "trapped in a nightmare".

When she wakes up from these nightmares, she "cries her eyes out".

Judge Greally remanded McSherry on continuing bail until December 21 so he can continue his treatment at the Coolmine residential drug treatment programme. She said that a prison sentence was inevitable given the severity of the assault and of the injuries.
Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan OSullivan has been forced to redraft the forces new whistleblowing policy  just four months after it was delivered.. Photo: Damien Eagers

Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan has been forced to redraft the force's new whistleblowing policy - just four months after it was delivered.

The policy was a key demand of the Policing Authority in the wake of controversies over the treatment of whistleblowers such as Sgt Maurice McCabe.

However, a review by the authority has asked for significant changes. It found that, as currently drafted, the policy does not actively encourage gardai to voice concerns about wrongdoing or explain the value of protected disclosures to the organisation.

In a report, the authority also raises concerns about the fact Commissioner O'Sullivan was the only person who can decide whether a protected disclosure is investigated. She also appoints the investigator.

"The requirement that the Garda Commissioner be initial decision-maker in relation to the appointment of an investigator creates a difficulty, not least because there is no one more senior to consider any request for a decision not to investigate," the report said.

"In addition, consideration should be given to situations where a conflict of interest may arise, such as in the event that allegations are made in respect of the Garda Commissioner."

The report was also critical of the fact the policy only allows for whistleblowers to approach a protected disclosure manager and that they must use a specific form in all cases.

The authority recommended that the policy make clear that disclosures can also be made internally to someone other than the protected disclosure manager and this does not need to be done using the suggested form.

It also asked for a reference in the policy to bringing disciplinary action against a worker who raises a disclosure with malicious intent to be deleted as protected disclosure legislation says motivation is irrelevant.

However, the authority said disciplinary action was possible where a disclosure has been made in the absence of reasonable belief of wrongdoing.

Garda management has accepted the recommendations.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald welcomed the report, saying changing culture and attitudes would be crucial to maintaining trust in the force.
The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has produced a paper that leans heavily towards accepting the 40m garda pay deal in a move that will come as a major boost to the Government. (Stock photo)

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has produced a paper that leans heavily towards accepting the 40m garda pay deal in a move that will come as a major boost to the Government.

Despite adopting no formal position on the Labour Court recommendation, the GRA will next week circulate a 10-page document to rank-and-file members that details 54 reasons why the deal should be accepted.

These include the warning that negotiations could end up going back to "square one" unless the deal is accepted.

The paper outlines the major financial benefits as a result of the proposals, including the restoration of rent allowance for new recruits, an increase in retirement gratuity and the introduction of a 15 payment for days of leave.

In contrast, the document - obtained by the Irish Independent - sets out just 23 points as to why members should consider rejecting the deal.

These include the fact that it will bring gardai inside the Lansdowne Road Agreement, an agreement rejected in 2015, as well as the prospect of officers effectively being asked to work a 41-hour shift as a result of the changes.

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Other reasons given to vote against the deal include the claim: "We are unique and should be treated as such."

GRA sources last night accepted the paper demonstrates a more compelling case for the acceptance of the deal despite the association's public position.

However, the same sources insisted that members of the GRA's Central Executive Committee (CEC) were adamant no formal position should be adopted at a meeting at its headquarters in Phibsboro on Thursday.

It was felt that after a deeply bruising few days - which almost led to the GRA's chief executive Pat Ennis being toppled - the decision in relation to the Labour Court recommendation should be left to rank-and-file members.

Nonetheless, the Government will be relieved that the 10-page document clearly weighs in behind the proposals by Labour Court chairman Kevin Foley and his team.

The ballot itself will be sent out to members next Friday and is due to be returned by Monday, December 5.

If the recommendation is accepted, the GRA will be brought within the Lansdowne Road Agreement and the Government will be forced to find the 40m required to increase garda pay.

This money will have to be found from within the Department of Justice's current budget - meaning other areas of spending are likely to suffer.

If gardai decide to reject the recommendation, the consequences for the Government - and wider society - are potentially grave.

The GRA would have to decide whether to revive its plans for industrial action, up to and including strike.

There would also be serious questions hanging over the GRA leadership team, especially Mr Ennis and the association's chairman Ciaran O'Neill, who negotiated this deal.

GRA sources say the view within garda ranks about accepting the deal remains mixed.
European Commissioner Phil Hogan has said "there's no need to panic yet" over the feared threat to jobs by the election of Donald Trump as US President.

He said the bosses of US companies are "hard-nosed business people" who see the benefits of investing in Ireland.

Mr Hogan's remarks come after Mr Trump's economic adviser Stephen Moore warned that a "flood of companies" will leave Ireland under the new administration's plans to reduce US corporation tax.

The agriculture commissioner was speaking at a seminar on Brexit where he indicated that European member states will take a hard line with he UK in talks. He also advised the Irish government to forge alliances with other countries to "get the right result for Ireland".

Mr Hogan said he believes there has been "a little bit of an over-reaction" about the implications of Mr Trump's victory.

"I would say that there's no need to panic yet," he added.

"There is going to be change but I think the change comes slowly and firms that are based here in Ireland are here for various reasons."

He cited the access to a market of 500 million people, the benefit of the EU single market and added: "They're here to make money". He predicted that the US companies will maintain their presence here.

The seminar in Dublin considering the impact of Brexit on the agri-sector was organised by law firm McCann Fitzgerald.

Mr Hogan said there Commission is getting ready for Brexit negotiations but that he was limited in what he could say until British Prime Minister Theresa May triggers Article 50, the law that allows countries to leave the EU. He pointed out that "She can withdraw it [Article 50] at any time if she's not happy about it or the way things are going". And Mr Hogan signalled that the rest of the EU will take a tough stance on Brexit and this will cause difficulties for Ireland. He said that UK farmers will lose their preferential access to the European market and warned there will be tariffs. Britain "will not end up better off being outside, than inside the European Union" he added, saying that such an outcome might encourage other countries to leave.

"That makes it a little bit more difficult for Ireland," Mr Hogan warned and he said it must be taken into account as the Irish government seeks special arrangements. He advised the government to build alliances with the likes of France and Denmark on agriculture issues and Spain, which like Ireland has a land border with the UK - in their case Gibraltar.

Mr Hogan said the agri-industry here needs to diversify its export markets to prepare for Brexit, suggesting the ten countries of the ASEAN group including Indonesia have potential.

Mr Hogan said his central message is that the 27 remaining member states will make the decisions during Brexit talks, not the United Kingdom.
The leader of the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (Ibec) has accused unions of putting a "gun to the Government's head" after the country's largest trade union threatened industrial action if it fails to hold New Year pay talks.

Ibec Director General Danny McCoy was commenting after Siptu leader Jack O'Connor demanded that fresh pay talks on accelerating refunds of pay cuts for public servants are announced by next Thursday. The union leader wants the negotiations to start by February 1.

Mr McCoy said it was understandable there would be a desire for pay cuts to be restored, but there had to be evidence they were warranted.

"Putting a gun to the Government's head for a quick response is a bit unreasonable," he said. "A reasonableness is required here given the resources available to the Government, and many competing claims including requirements for taxation cuts and investment in infrastructure."

In a letter to members, Impact General Secretary Shay Cody said he told Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe that most public servants wanted pay restoration to be managed through a negotiated agreement. But Mr Cody warned this "would not be possible if certain groups - whether inside or outside Lansdowne Road - were treated more favourably than others".

Mr Donohoe is expected to seek Cabinet approval for the announcement of a "timeline" for fresh pay talks after a meeting on Tuesday. However, he remains committed to the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

Meanwhile Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe said that taxpayers and the people who depend on public services must remain at the heart of public pay issues as much as those who work in the public service.

"The Cabinet and myself are absolutely focused on making the right decisions in relation to public pay for all of our country," he said. "We recognise the needs of those who work within our public services.

"We also recognise the needs of all those who depend on our public services."

The minister refused to speak directly about SIPTU demands for fresh pay talks, stating: "What is on the agenda at the moment is the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

"I have made very clear the support that I and the Cabinet have for collective pay agreements for the role that they can play in allowing our country to deal with both risks and opportunities that we face.

"I've already outlined a framework and a time-frame within which I will have discussions in relation to a successor to the Lansdowne Road Agreement," he added.

"But the view of Government is very clear in relation to where we stand now.

"I have acknowledged the consequences of the recent Labour Court recommendation for all who work in our public services.

"But I'm very clear that the Lansdowne Road Agreement was negotiated. It is in place. And the Government will be supporting that agreement."
Although the official Government line is that drugs decriminalisation 'is not being discussed' the mounting evidence from its own research is that Ireland has lost the 'war on drugs'.

In 2000 the then Government directed that research begin in the drugs markets here and set up the Nation Advisory Council on Drugs and Alcohol (NACDA) whose reports included one last week on the day after California, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts voted to join Colorado, Washington State, Oregon and Alaska in legalising cannabis for recreational use. Some 21 states have also now decriminalised cannabis use for medical purposes.

The decision by voters in California, which has the fifth largest economy in the world, is probably the most significant in relation to Ireland, given that many of the hi-tech American companies here have their base in the State.

Historically, one of the main reasons for maintaining the ban on cannabis use here was that governments did not wish to see the Republic as a haven for drug users which could be a deterrent to investors, but that situation seems has reversed if investors are coming here from a place where it is now fully legal to possess and consume cannabis.

The Republic has generally followed the United States lead on criminalising drugs.

Cannabis use was outlawed here in 1977 under the Misuse of Drugs Act largely inspired by US governments 'war on drugs', introduced in 1970 by President Richard Nixon who brought Elvis Presley to the White House for the launch.

Presley, it emerged later, was heavily addicted to prescription opiates and heavily under the influence during his visit.

While relatively little attention was paid to last week's report by the NACDA in Dublin, the Advisory Council's role is, under government remit, supposed to help inform and direct policy on drugs. No mention of legalisation is made in the report or in its other major report last year, The Illicit Drugs Market in Ireland.

The Illicit Drugs report is the most comprehensive study of drug use and effects in Ireland. It was carried out over three years by researchers Ann Marie Donovan and Johnny Connolly of the Health Research Board and gives the clearest insight yet into the impact of drugs here.

One of the most striking findings of the Illicit Drugs report is that Garda action in seizing drugs is actually one of the main causes of violence in the drugs trade as dealers assault and murder each other over loss of earnings.

The feud between the Kinahan and Hutch gangs which erupted in February and led to 12 murders was caused by a seizure of 2m worth of drugs which led to the murder of Gary Hutch in Spain in September last year. There have been well over 200 drug gang related murders here in the past decade and only around 10pc have resulted in convictions.

The NACDA report also found that despite up to 15,000 arrests each year by Garda and Customs, the vast majority of these are of young people for simple possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use.

More than 120,000 people have criminal convictions for drugs possession or supply over the past decade and the Garda continue to prosecute people at a rate or around 1,000 a month to meet its 'key performance indicators' (KPIs) in its efforts to 'reduce supply'.

The researchers broke down their investigation into four separate and defined areas: in inner city Dublin; a larger, economically deprived suburban area; a provincial town the size of Drogheda, Dundalk or Swords; and a small town of around 2,000 people and its rural hinterland.

The research showed the proliferation of drugs in Irish society has increased very significantly over the past decade. Interviews with residents of the medium-sized town like Drogheda revealed the existence of drugs dealing zones more normally associated with inner cities, people afraid to go to certain areas at certain times of days and the high numbers of people who had seen drugs being used and needles discarded.

Between 70pc and 90pc of arrests in all four areas where of people aged under 24 prosecuted for possessing cannabis with a value of 10 or less. Most arrests and seizures were as a result of the Garda's broad 'stop and search' powers. The median value of drugs seizure by gardai was around 35.

The Revenue's Customs Service, which was also tasked by Government with reducing supply, has two sea-going interdiction vessels, two giant X-ray machines for examining containers and various other types of sophisticated located at airports and mail distribution centres. Yet, the NACDA report found that, like the Garda, the vast majority of Customs seizures and prosecutions - around 90pc - involved tiny amounts of drugs for personal use. Most were seized at Dublin Airport, the Airmail Centre also at the Airport and the mail centre in Athlone.

The report and its findings remain largely ignored but contain very clear evidence of the absolute failure to stop drugs coming into the country. Heroin is cheaper and more available than ever before and the market for crack cocaine and crystal meth, though still expensive in international terms, is expanding due to the high profitability of sales. Cannabis is still the most widely used drug and last week's NACDA found that 27pc fo the population aged between 15 and 64 have tried it or use it regularly.

Professor Catherine Comiskey of TCD and Chair of the NACDA, said in her introduction to last week's report that: "Approaches that seek to divert problematic drug users into treatment, that prioritise local community perspectives, and those that occur in collaboration with community-based structures and all relevant agencies, are more likely to be sustainable over time and to win public support."

This messages seems to be firmly rejected by Government whose latest pronouncement from Health Minister Simon Harris, just before publication of the NACDA report, was that any consideration of using cannabis for medical use is "not a discussion about decriminalising cannabis in any way shape or form".

The Government has yet, however, to address the findings in the NACDA Illicit Drugs report

which found: "Garda drug seizures could also contribute to increased violence in drug markets. In all four sites, most of the violence which occurred related to unpaid drug debts. Drug debts were acquired through people consuming their own supply or as a result of Garda seizures. "Where gardai seized drugs, debts remained outstanding and still had to be paid. This may be described as an unintended or adverse consequence of drug law enforcement, whereby effective supply reduction activities can indirectly contribute to greater levels of drug-related violence."

The NACDA researchers spoke to many dealers as well as recreational users as well as gardai and customs officials and found that despite all the State's efforts to 'combat' drugs the market remained 'resilient' and continues to grow.

The 2015 NACDA research included an interview with one seller who was purchasing five ounces of heroin per week for 5,000, breaking it up into smaller 'score' bags of 20 and taking in 11,000 weekly turnover.

One dealer interviewed in north inner city described the type of violence which is commonplace where dealers lost product usually through garda seizures. He said: "So they put a crow bar through his leg and gave him an awful hiding, broke all his ribs, tried to pull his nails out with pliers, put a gun to his head, threatened him. This was over 1000 debt, cocaine debt, and, you know, he wouldnt make a complaint to the guards, he just left the city and moved out to the suburbs."

On crack cocaine, one of the most addictive substances, the report says: "The price of crack was uniformly high  50 per rock using just 0.2g of cocaine  meaning that a seller who was able to make crack cocaine from powder cocaine was in a very profitable position. One crack cocaine seller bought a bullet (1718g/three-quarters of an ounce) of high-quality cocaine for 600 and earned up to 4,000, returning a profit of 3,400."

The somewhat confused response from gardai interviewed for the report is illustrated by one members of a Drugs Unit in a central Dublin station who is quoted as saying:

"We target people from the street level, street-dealing level, all the way up to the importers

like, you know. I would say 90% supply, you know, although we do deal with the users as well but we're kind of more ...as I said we're specifically more after we'll say the suppliers, the bigger fish. Now, the bigger fish might have 100 worth of stuff on him."

From Garda records NACDA found that: "Cannabis resin and cannabis herb seizures were generally of small quantities, most likely for personal use. Ninety per cent of cannabis seizures weighed between 1g and 25g (less than an ounce)."

The report pointed to the Government's National Drugs Strategy as: "To disrupt the activities of organised criminal networks involved in the illicit drugs trade in Ireland and internationally and to undermine the structures supporting such networks. Another aim of the strategy is to prevent the emergence of new markets and the expansion of existing markets for illicit drugs.

NACDA concluded: "If basic market logic is applied, it could be assumed that a significant reduction in drug availability would mean an increase in prices and/or a reduction in drug purity. However, our interviews with drug sellers, drug users and Gardai suggest that heroin and cocaine had in fact become cheaper to buy in all four sites and at all market levels."
Darragh OReilly gave a passionate speech in favour of lowering the voting age in the UKs Youth Parliament debate yesterday.

Votes at 16 is no one-trick pony. It is nothing short of handing young people the freedom to achieve freedom. The freedom to actually fund the NHS, the freedom to actually have a decent transport system, the freedom to fight racism.

And by Christ, if were a youth parliament and say We dont want that power; we cant get that power, what are we but a talking shop?

The MYP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, said that the youth vote could have helped keep the UK in the EU.

I live five-and-a-half miles from the Irish Republic. Do you think my constituents would be happy to know that they were denied a vote and the went a certain way due to an old guy in Kent? I love him and all but the thing is that my community is on the line, he said.

The Youth Parliament brings 11-18-year-olds together once a year for a debate on five issues.

Along with the issue of the voting age, this years MYPs yesterday debated public transport, cuts to the NHS, tackling racism and a curriculum for life.
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John Downing Opinion New British prime minister Rishi Sunaks succession proves an important milestone in British political inclusivity

There is an old saying in British politics that goes: The right looks for converts while the left seeks out traitors. It comes to mind when one reflects upon the election of Rishi Sunak as the UKs first non-white prime minister in a party traditionally seen as most opposed to mass immigration and the dilution of national identity via multiculturalism.
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What will it take to unite Ireland? Opinions are divided

There are those for whom Northern Ireland is a geographical fragment of the UK holding true to empire on its western flanks, and those for whom partition is a century-old wrong that must be overturned. Somewhere in the middle are the persuadables  people willing to accept either unity or union, so long as the justification is logical. One way or another, the unity conversation is in the air.
It was deja vu all over again for members of the Association of Secondary Teachers (ASTI) this week. Not for the first time were they marched up the hill to prepare for a long war, only to be led down quicker than expected.

The suspension of hostilities was inevitable as members realised the folly of fighting on too many fronts without realistic objectives. They faced the prospect of continuing to lose pay while other teachers in schools that stayed open faced no penalty.

Union leaders were struggling to explain to the public why they were refusing to do supervision and substitution, what was wrong with the extra 4,500 a year for newly-qualified teachers negotiated by the INTO and TUI, the complexities of the 33 Croke Park hours and why they rejected the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA)?

Never mind trying to outline the reasons for their opposition to the modified Junior Cycle reforms which the other second level union, the TUI, had accepted.

Monday's action was about supervision and substitution but which strategist decided to mix messages and call a strike over equal pay for the very next day when the US election was taking place? Few could have foreseen the Donald Trump victory but it was obvious that the aftermath of the election - whoever won - would eclipse every other news story.

Strikers need plenty of media space if they are to explain their complex case to the public. They didn't do a great job and the Government was able to characterise their industrial action as a refusal to work an extra hour a week, while every other public servant was doing just that.

Education Minister Richard Bruton pointed out that the additional time provided across the public sector represented the equivalent of 12,000-13,000 jobs.

He said that "replacing those hours would cost hundreds of millions of euro. Most public servants work significantly more than the one hour extra per week for 33 weeks that are worked in the education sector". The reference to 33 working weeks a year was a not so subtle reminder of the length of the school year and the old joke the three best things about secondary teaching are - June, July and August.

To succeed in battle, generals need to avoid fighting on too many fronts but also timing and luck. The ASTI leaders had neither.

They couldn't have anticipated the Labour Court's 40m pay deal for gardai which rattled the Government. Ministers saw the LRA fraying around the edges and were determined to pull it back into shape. As one newspaper letter writer suggested, if they couldn't kick ass they were determined to kick the ASTI.

All the indications were that ministers were prepared to let the ASTI sweat a bit longer. But some union members, who were off the payroll because of the supervision row, were getting restless over lost pay while their colleagues in schools that did manage to open were not suffering.

The ASTI's relatively new general secretary Kieran Christie - a teacher rather than an experienced trade unionist - was the first to send the signal they would be open to outside intervention. This was followed by similar indications the next day from president Ed Byrne.

The Workplace Relations Commission was mooted but bilateral talks with the ASTI alone would be seen to reward industrial action and could exclude the other teacher unions who had been playing the Lansdowne Road game with some success, especially on new entrants' pay.

Instead, the invitation went out to talks under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council which the three unions are party to, along with managerial bodies and representatives of the Departments of Education and Public Expenditure.

The ASTI Standing Committee met in emergency session on Tuesday evening and agreed to take part, just in time for the news that schools were reopening to get out to relieved parents.

The agreement to enter talks was opposed by four members of the ASTI Standing Committee as moderates seized the day. There is some concern over the influence of a couple of articulate People before Profit supporters on the committee and over the fact that one of the party's TDs, Gino Kenny, joined the picket line in a few Dublin schools. But it must be recognised they are tapping into a mood of discontent among teachers fed up with years of cuts in pay and conditions.

The talks on a long list of issues will continue at least until the end of the month and the Departments are hoping it will lead to a package that will ensure prolonged peace. Ironically, they are being held in an office building on Lansdowne Road, the very road which gave its name to the agreement the ASTI rejected.

They are taking place against the background of threats of widespread industrial action by Siptu boss Jack O'Connor unless talks on a successor to the LRA start soon. Quite where such negotiations would leave Kevin Duffy's Public Service Pay Commission is not clear.

Clarity will be in short supply for the foreseeable future as the Government tries to work out what Brexit and the US presidential election mean for the economy.

Given the new uncertainties, ASTI members will be tempted to vote in favour of whatever package comes from the current talks if it is anyway reasonable.

Next time around the generals could find it much more difficult to get them back up the hill again.
You could see the big industrial relations disputes of this year as a 'smash and grab', or a victory for the working woman or man. This probably depends on how far right or left you swing on the political spectrum.

There is no doubt that the tide is definitely turning in favour of the worker after eight years of job losses in the private sector and pay cuts for those who work for the State. But we are now in the middle of a free-for-all in terms of pay demands and inevitably, those who shout loudest are the ones that are being heard. Or more accurately, those with the power to halt vital public services - often described as holding the public to ransom - are the ones having most success.

There is no social partnership to set moderate pay rises in return for industrial peace and there is essentially no Lansdowne Road Agreement to do the same thing in the public sector. The weakness of the minority Government has given the perfect opportunity to strike.

The Luas dispute has been the trendsetter. Whether it was a well-thought out strategy by Siptu or not, it has set the agenda on pay for the union movement very nicely. Ironically, it was driven by shop stewards who were anti-mainstream union. Their cry on the picket lines that they were fighting a battle for workers around the country now rings true.

The Luas drivers did not win their initial extravagant claim for a pay rise of up to 54pc, but the 18pc they did end up with up to 2020, or 3.75pc a year, was almost double the norm in other sectors. After months of commuters walking tramlines to get into Dublin city centre, the pay package was agreed despite Transdev suffering losses the previous year. It cost an estimated 4m, but the cost of that dispute to the taxpayer has since grown enormously.

The Luas dispute has had a direct impact on what has followed since. Before it was over, the leader of the National Bus and Rail Workers' Union, Dermot O'Leary, warned that Dublin Bus drivers would be next on the case. They were, and after six days of strikes ended up with the same increase. That deal cost 37m.

The more recent and dramatic dispute between the Government and the gardai may seem unrelated. But it's not. Although the Garda associations made a lot of demands, the dispute is chiefly about wages. A recent internal document from a Garda Representative Association member is very telling. It compared their deal with the Luas and Dublin Bus settlements and showed they have indeed weighed heavily on the minds of some of the rank and file.

The Government has not revealed the cost of the package, should the Garda associations vote in favour of it. However, 40m may be a conservative figure. The deal is worth roughly 3,600 per garda, when multiplied by the 12,580 members comes to 45m. And some gardai will get up to 4,150.

The Government still has to work out where it will find the cash and there is talk that it may not be able to deliver on plans to phase out USC or tackle gangland crime.

The burden of the packages on taxpayers is already over 80m, without counting the loss of revenue due to strikes. It has been argued that the Luas deal will not hit taxpayers directly as fares are set separately. But when the Luas contract comes up for renewal, the successful bidder is almost certain to seek more money to run the service. In fact, one of the pay rises is due after the current contract expires.

Dublin Bus said it will fund its 40m deal by 'efficiencies', but there appears to be little scope for savings. Under 'lean management', it says there can be no staff cuts. It claimed the deal will have no impact on fares. But when the National Transport Authority considers fare increases any sharp rises in fuel or salaries must be taken into account.

A total of 290m has been put aside to fund public sector pay rises next year and now unions are gearing up to see what they can get beyond that, as Jack O'Connor put it. If we are to break the cycle of unions and employers in standoffs before miraculously coming up with expensive pay packages at the last minute, the Government needs to get a strategy in place that everyone agrees to.
Predictable claptrap is being uttered about Donald Trump and the Middle East. How can the Muslim world deal with a man who is an Islamophobe? For that is indeed what Mr Trump is. He is a disgrace to his country and to his people - who, heavens above, elected the chap.

But here's a mollifying thought. US prestige in the region has fallen so low, the Arab world's belief (and quite possibly the Israeli belief) in American power so shattered by Washington's stupidity and ineptness, that I rather suspect little attention will be paid to Mr Trump.

I'm not quite sure when respect for American governance began to collapse. It was certainly at its height when Eisenhower told the British, French and Israelis to get out of the Suez Canal in 1956.

Maybe Ronald Reagan mixing up his cue cards and taking his presidency into the early stages of Alzheimer's had a larger effect than we thought. I did once meet a Norwegian diplomat who sat down to talk to Reagan about Israel and Palestine and found the old boy quoting from a paper on the US economy.

Bill Clinton's Middle East "peace" couldn't have helped. I guess it was George W Bush, who decided to attack Afghanistan even though no Afghan had ever attacked the United States, and who created a Shia Muslim state in Iraq out of a Sunni Muslim state - much to Saudi Arabia's disgust - who did more harm than most US presidents to date. The Saudis (from whom came 15 of the 19 killers involved in 9/11) launched their war on Yemen with scarcely a whiff of concern from Washington.

Barack Obama seems to have goofed every time in the Middle East. His "handshake" to Islam in Cairo, his Nobel Prize (for public speaking), his "red line" in Syria - which disappeared in the sand the moment he was rescued by the Russians - is best forgotten. It's Vladimir Putin's Sukhois and Migs that are setting the pace in the terrible Syrian war. And amid lands where human rights count not a jot for most of the regional dictators, there's been hardly a whimper about the Kremlin. Mr Putin was even taken to the opera in Cairo by Field Marshal President al-Sisi.

And that's the point. Mr Putin talks and acts. Actually, in translation at least, he's not terribly eloquent, more businessman than politician. Mr Trump talks. But can he act? Cast aside the odd relationship which he thinks he has with Mr Putin. It's Mr Trump who is going to need a translation of Mr Putin's words, not the other way round. In fact, the Arabs and Israelis, I think, will be spending far more time during the Trump presidency listening to Mr Putin. For the fact is that the Americans have proved themselves as unreliable and fickle in the Middle East as Britain was in the 1930s.

Even America's blitz on Isil didn't really get under way until Mr Putin sent his own fighter-bombers to Syria - at which point, many Arabs were asking why Washington hadn't managed to destroy the cult. Go back to the Arab revolutions - or "spring", as the Americans called it - and you see Mr Obama and his hapless Secretary of State (yes, Hillary Clinton) goofing again, failing to realise that this massive public awakening in the Arab world was real and that the dictators were going to go (most of them, at least). In Cairo in 2011, about the only decision taken by Mr Obama was to evacuate US citizens from the Egyptian capital.

It is easy to say the Arabs are appalled an Islamophobe has won the White House. But did they think Mr Obama or any of his predecessors - Democrat or Republican - had any special concern for Islam? US foreign policy in the Middle East has been a spectacular series of wars and air raids and retreats. Russian policy - in the Yemen war during Nasser's age and in Afghanistan - has been destructive enough, but the post-Soviet state seemed to have curled its claws until Mr Putin moved his men into Syria.

No doubt we'll see Mr Trump turn up in the Middle East before long, to fawn before the Israelis and repeat America's uncritical support for the Israeli state, and to assure the wealthy Gulf autocrats that their stability is assured.

What he says about Syria will be fascinating, given his views on Mr Putin. But maybe, he will just leave the region to his minions, to secretaries of state and vice-presidents who will have to second guess what he really thinks.

And that, of course, is where we all stand now. What does Mr Trump think? Or, more to the point, does he think?
What we have is a failure to understand Americans. They are generous and proud of themselves and their country, but fearful sometimes to the point of paranoia and resentful about the rest of the world.

Their generosity is of the charitable kind - they like it to be voluntary. But they don't like being told to be generous to the less fortunate. They call that socialism, which they equate with communism.

Of late they have been suspicious and resentful not just of the rest of the world, but of Washington, where they see professional politicians for whom winning is all; getting to Washington and forgetting about their constituents. Barack Obama imposed on working people another cost they felt they could not afford. They saw the big corporations taking their jobs outside the country with the connivance of Washington; terrorists' threats to their homeland, and being expected to be the world's policeman and pay for the privilege.

Hillary Clinton was viewed as epitomising that Washington insider-class, with a sense of entitlement. She had an entitlement to the Democratic nomination - she had worked long enough and hard enough and was talented enough to earn it. No other Democrat deserved it more or could have done better against Mr Trump, including Bernie Sanders who just looked too old.

And if it had been anybody else other that Mr Trump she was up against - Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, George Bush, or Chris Christie - she'd probably have won. But against Mr Trump she was facing an angry silent minority - she won the popular vote - essentially worried about their jobs, and about the security of their country. This same simmering angry minority exists in Europe too. It was responsible for Brexit. It led to the Greek revolution while it lasted and the rise of extremist political groupings across the continent. And it led to the end of the politics as usual at our last general election.

The establishment politicians and the mass media in America remained reluctant to alter their insider status. It was too comfortable, too familiar and they still took succour from the belief that the majority would never desert them for those they see as the nutters. Well, Mr Trump is a nutter. In Europe, Nigel Farage is a nutter. Marine Le Pen is a nutter, and they are not alone.

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At home the nutters are the likes of Mick Wallace and Jack O'Connor and Brendan Ogle and Paul Murphy and Richard Boyd Barrett - caricatures of the loony left - so our own elite feel safe. But they are only one charismatic nutter away from a rude awakening.

In America, everything has now changed. But Mr Trump has led the angry and the fearful to the top of the hill. He must now find a way to lead them back down some of the way. Whatever about building a physical wall with Mexico, however, he will have to fulfil some of his promises. So Obamacare will go and millions of Americans will lose health insurance and some will die as a consequence. The rich will get tax cuts in the belief that crumbs will fall from their table. US companies that have moved their production abroad - what we call foreign investment - will be penalised or incentivised in the tax code to persuade them to come back. International trade deals will be reviewed. That could affect us all. But even Mr Trump can't be totally protectionist in trade no matter the size of the internal US market. And the new Supreme Court will see gun control off the agenda and a woman's right to choose will be adjudicated by conservative old men from the Dark Ages. So depressing, so nasty, as Mr Trump might say.

There are those who take comfort from Mr Trump's acceptance speech, which was the most reasonable one he made in 18 months. They believe the real Mr Trump will not be the one they saw on the campaign. They might be right.

On foreign policy there is probably less to fear. Mr Trump appears to be an isolationist who will be reluctant to get involved in conflicts abroad. And his demand that Nato allies pay their fair share is not unreasonable. It has been obvious since the withdrawal from Vietnam that America's military resources are permanently stretched, especially without conscription. Walking softly and a carrying a big stick has been reversed. But America under Mr Trump won't walk away from the worldwide fight against terrorism, not least because the US will remain the prime terrorist target. Mr Trump can't change that. One specific foreign policy it seems likely he will quickly review is the Iran deal and this is an area where a blundering Mr Trump could do real harm.

The new caring, sharing Mr Trump will be walking a very thin tightrope when he tries to tackle the issue of illegal immigration. But this is one promise he cannot ignore and it could have consequences for the undocumented Irish in America.

Now that he's won he has forgotten all about the election being rigged - Teddy Roosevelt used to say the same thing when he thought he was losing. Mr Trump would do well to also forget the commitment to appoint a special prosecutor to go after Mrs Clinton. The FBI - its clumsy, last-minute intervention was crucial in sinking her - has already said there are no grounds for prosecution. If the president-elect were to persist in hounding her anyway, it would be an indication that a big part of Mr Trump is still inhabited by Mr Trump the nutter.

Most people who listened to what the competing US presidential candidates had to say over the past 18 months did not take in everything that was said. They got an impression. In Mrs Clinton they saw experience and ability, but also a poor communicator and an insider they didn't trust. In Mr Trump they saw an outsider who was for change and making America great again.

The result is Mr Trump now has the backing of congress - something Mr Obama never enjoyed - but that's no guarantee of being able to rule as he wishes. So he will probably strive just to fulfil the broad-brushstroke hopes of those who voted for him, not all the detail of what he promised, as he concentrates on his strong desire to have a second term.

For like Ulysses S Grant, who came to the White House with a very successful military career behind him, he will find that life as the US president can be much more difficult when not all those you have to work with in congress are inclined to follow your orders without question.

That may be our best hope for the next four years.
An appearance on Brent Pope's television show 'Inside Out' last year has led to Blackrock artist Lisa Butterly being invited to stage a solo exhibition in Dublin's Copper House Gallery.

Lisa, who describes herself as 'a researcher by day and artist by night' was featured in the Rugby commentator's documentary which was televised on RTE last year, highlighting the work of self-taught artists who have received no formal training.

Her work was also shown in the 'Beyond: Irish Outsider Art' exhibition in the Copper House, curated by Pope himself and former IMMA curator art historian Catherine Marshall, which accompanied the programme, and the Synge Street gallery owners were so impressed that they invited her to return with a solo show.

A self-taught artist, Lisa was interviewed on the Late, Late Show following her participation in Pope's documentary and earlier this year she was asked to take on the role of artist in residence for Mental Health Ireland.

Lisa was awarded a grant from the Dublin City Arts Office and Louth County Council in support of her artistic endeavours and has focused on producing new artwork for her first solo exhibition, a milestone in her artistic development.

'The exhibition is the culmination of a whole year's work,' says Lisa who was putting the finishing touches on a piece as she spoke.

She explains that the exhibition falls into two distinct collections: 'Theodor W. Adorno' and 'Danse Macabre Revisited'.

These collections are linked by the concept of 'Leveling', a theory proposed by Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard in the nineteenth century. Leveling, according to Kierkegaard, is the process of rendering individuality void and non-existent.

Academically, Lisa holds a BA (Maynooth University), MA (University College Dublin) and PhD (Maynooth University). Her field of expertise is the history of psychiatry and institutional reform in mental healthcare since the 1700s, influenced by her own experience as a user of mental health services in Ireland.

'My academic pursuits inform my art work, especially my interest in history, painting and philosophy,' she explains.

As an 'out sider' artist, Lisa has received no formal tuition and has developed her own techniques to create striking pieces which she creates at her home in Blackrock.

'I experiment with all types of media and the exhibition features drawings, prints and sculpture in black and white,' she says.

Her work is full of meticulous details and includes a reworking of historical pieces to include contemporary figures including Angela Merkell and Putin in 'Danse Macabre Revisited.'

In addition to her work as an artist, Lisa is a part-time lecturer in University College Cork and an occasional lecturer at University College Dublin.

Her exhibition opens in The Copper House Gallery, St Kevin's Colltages, Synge Street, Dublin 8 on Thursday November 17 and runs until December 16. It is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm.

Louth County Council Arts Officer Brian Harten and Brent Pope will speak at the opening.

Having attended the VTOS Centre in Chapel Street to return to education before going to education, Lisa is particularly pleased that the centre's art teacher Liz Cole is bringing a group of Leaving Certificate students to visit the exhibition.
I recently headed for the County Museum where the St. Olivers Art Group were hosting their annual 'Reflections of Colour' and a huge crowd was packed into intimate surroundings for what turned out to be a sensational launch night.

The exhibition runs until Saturday, November 12 and highlights the excellent work done by the students of Carol Wallace who is the resident artist in St. Olivers Nursing Home and contains 54 pieces.

I wasn't too long in the door when I met up with Bernadette McMahon and Francis O'Hanlon from Ashbrook who were there to see Bernadette's mum Brigid Treanor from Blackrock who had two pieces on show and Bernadette told me she was very impressed with her mum's work and the entire exhibition.

Seated close by I then met up with Tom Lamont from Blackrock who also had two pieces on show and he was surrounded by his family who included daughter Mary MacKell from Dublin, Vivienne and Tom Lamont from Blackrock and Patricia Ellis also from The Rock who were overawed with his work and that of the other artists on show.

Next I met up with Mary Rogan from Dromiskin who told me she was just there to see the exhibition and wasn't there to support anyone and said the pieces were very colourful, hugely inspiring and a real credit to the artists and their teacher.

I then caught up with my old friends Peter and Phil McArdle from Greenacres who told me they thought the work was really great and were there to help out to make sure the night ran smoothly, eating all the nibbles, yes I guess that meant less plates to wash Peter!

After this I had the pleasure of meeting up with Kathleen Maguire from Fr. Murray Park who told me she really loved the art classes with Carol and had two pieces on show. She was there with her son Alan Maguire from Fr. Murray Park who was well impressed with his mum's work!

Not too long I headed over for a word with Bessie Treanor from Bridge Street who was there to support her friends and she was accompanied by kids Peter Treanor from Bridge Street and Annette Quigley from Plaster who were really enjoying the whole occasion.

Next I managed a few words with Pauline Hanks from Blackwater Court who was Kitty Hanks from Meadow Grove who had one piece on show and told me that she was loving the classes and Carol is a great teacher.

One lady who could be described as prolific was Bessie Connors from Sliabh Foy Park who had just three on show and she was with Sheila Hamill from Carol Meade who had just the one but both ladies were certainly making the best of the night and no mistake.

Next I caught up with Anne Wallace from Kilkerley who was there to support her daughter-in-law Carol and it was an absolutely fantastic exhibition and the pictures were really lovely.

I then met up with Rebecca McDonald from Knockbridge who was with her mum Patricia and her grandad Paddy McCourt from Fatima who had a number on show, his daughters Fiona Shields from Brid-a-crin and Sheila Traynor from Bay Estate and a special arrival, granddaughter Amy Sirbu who was down from Dublin specially for the exhibition.

I then headed over for a word with Eva Carolan from Lordship and Linda Halpenny from Carlingford who were there to support their mum Angela Sheelan from Lordship who was also prolific when it came to the paintings because she too had three lovely pieces on show.

After this I headed over for a quick word with Micheal Treanor from Blackrock who told me his mum Brigid from St. Furseys Terrace was there and she had two on show and he was well impressed with her work.

Not too long later I got a word with former staff member Margaret Marley from Castlebellingham who told me she thought the venue was ideal for showing off the exhibition, compact and bijou Margaret!

Finally, before I departed I got a word with Ian Morgan from Mooreland Road who was there with his mum Mary Morgan from Mooreland Road who had two on show and Ian said he was very impressed with the exhibition, the art work and the organisation.

For a change, this exhibition is open to the public and runs until Saturday November 12 and is definitely, definitely, definitely work a viewing.
Christmas is coming and it's time to start thinking about feasting and gifts. And there's no better place to start than visiting the popular A Taste of Louth food and craft fair which returns to The Marshes Shopping Centre this weekend.

The fair, which is organised by the Parents and Friends of the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland, aims at celebrating the high quality and diversity of the superb local artisan food producers and the versatility, talent and skill of local craft producers.

A whole host of top class artisan producers from the North East will feature at the festival to ensure that visitors can get everything they need for the Christmas season- from local culinary delights to bespoke crafts and unique gifts ideal for family and friends.

This corner of the North East is becoming recognised as a area for food production as well as a foodie destination through the Boyne Valley Food Group.

As consumers and diners become more conscious of the importance of traceability and sustainability in the food we eat, there is a growing demand for locally produced and artisan foodstuffs.

This is reflected in the number of local producers whose products can be found on the shelves of speciality shops, supermarkets and restaurants and at fairs such as A Taste of Louth.

Indeed, a visit to A Taste of Louth highlights the wealth of our small producers who are making everything from farmhouse cheeses to Indian chutneys, from cider to cordials and speciality teas, from beers to sauces and from cookies to cupcakes.

For those wishing to brush up on their own culinary skills, there will be lots of free cookery demonstrations from local chefs in the Chef's Kitchen.

And the young Cavan Chef Adrian Martin, whose recent show can be found on the RTE Player, will be returning to show audiences how to cook exciting recipes using local ingredients.

Favourite events including the schools' cupcake challenge and children's colouring competition are also taking place.

There will also be the opportunity to get in some early Christmas shopping with stalls featuring the work of some of the region's finest craft makers and artists, with prints, candles, wooden chopping and cheese boards, books and illustrations, and lots more for all the family,

The young strings musicians from the amazing Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland will be performing throughout the two days.

The orchestra, which was founded in 1995, is already preparing for the for Peace Proms 2017 tour of Ireland and the UK. Earlier this year, the orchestra had the honour of performing at the first event marking the start of the 1916 centenary celebrations in the National Convention Centre on January 1.
Pictured at the Learning for Life graduation ceremony from left, Anne Keeley, Department of Social Protection, Lorraine OMalley, DSP, Sinead Fearon, LMETB, Mark Brennan, Positive 2 Work Skillnet, Minister Leo Varadkar T.D, Rory McManus , Learning for Life graduate, Angela Smith, Head of CSR Diageo PLC, Bernie Judge, DSP, Gabriel Reilly, DSP, Stephen Hanna, DSP

Minister Leo Varadkar has praised the 'Louth Learning For Life' class at a special graduation ceremony at St. James's Gate in Dublin.

The Learning for Life programme is a Diageo Ireland initiative, run in partnership with the Department of Social Protection, that equips the long term unemployed with the skills and experience needed to find work in the hospitality industry.

The Louth participants were joined by the Department of Social Protection, Louth Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) and Positive 2 Skillnets who work in conjunction with Diageo to develop and deliver the award winning programme in Louth.

Speaking at the event Minister Leo Varadkar said: 'I want to extend my congratulations to the trainees here today and celebrate their achievements and recognise the value in the practical skills and training they have received.'

The programme see the department identify young people on the Live Register suitable for the programme, and supports them throughout the process with continued access to social welfare supports during the training and placement period.

Following the completion of the education and training element the participants are then given an opportunity to take up a further work placement with a Diageo hospitality industry partner in a landmark pub, hotel or restaurant in Louth.

Oliver Loomes, Country Director of Diageo Ireland, said, 'The Learning for Life programme is all about supporting local communities and local industry with a view to the long term. We recognise the highly skilled workforce in this industry play a key role in providing tourists.'

He added 'We are grateful also to our industry partners, the bars, restaurants and hotels who provide work placements and experience for our participants, it's a huge commitment and we could not do it without them.'
A crisis in homelessness in Louth was highlighted at the monthly meeting of the Dundalk Municipal Committee, with concerns raised about families with young children being forced into emergency accommodation.

The November meeting heard that Louth was now facing a 'spike in homelessness' which was similar to what major cities such as Dublin and Galway had experienced two years ago.

The issue was raised by Cllr. Edel Corrigan who asked if there were any plans in place to tackle the growing problem, which in some cases can see people on waiting lists for many years to get a permanent home.

The latest figures before the committee showed that in September alone there were 61 people who presented as homeless in the Dundalk area alone.

Senior Executive Officer, Joe McGuinness explained how the situation was now ' a worrying trend', and at one stage last month the local authority had over 100 people in emergency accommodation.

He said there were a growing number of families among these numbers, who had been affected by house repossessions.

Mr. McGuinness added that as a result of the crisis Louth County Council have been utilising a range of emergency accommodation options including hotels and B&B's.

He said that the local authority also needed the private rented sector to respond to the need for housing.

Cllr. Corrigan asked if there was any investment from the department in the efforts being made to tackle the crisis.

Mr. McGuinness said the council were making applications for grants for those who are in emergency accommodation settings.

He highlighted the range of programmes which were featured in the monthly housing reports for members.

Chairman, Mark Dearey said it was 'extremely difficult' for families to cope with the loss of their home, and then be faced with going into emergency accommodation.

He asked if there were situations where children had to go from a hotel in the morning to school.

Mr. McGuinness said there were some cases of this nature.

The chairman added that it was clear the Municipal Committee had to come up with ideas to alleviate the growing crisis.
As one of Dundalk's most successful indigenous companies, Horseware Ireland was the ideal place for An Taoiseach Enda Kenny to visit and hear about the hopes and fears which Brexit engenders for manufacturing industries which export to the UK.

The company, which has 750 employees worldwide, including 150 in Ireland, is the perfect example of a small Irish business which has grown to become an international force.

On the day of his visit, European buyers were in the factory viewing the company's autumn/winter range for 2017 which, as director Mr Ciaran Herr explained, now makes 'sport clothes for humans as well as horses' with its CX+Sport range.

Mr Herr and Mr Fergus McArdle told An Taoiseach of the steps being taken by Horseware Ireland to address the challenges posed by Brexit for the company which is a big exporter to the UK.

'The point we made is that we're selling forward sterling and at the moment it's a grey area in regards to the rate of exchange we can get for the sterling we sell,' explained Mr Herr. 'We as a company are taking a lot of risk as to how major currency hedges.'

However, he stressed that company is determined to turn the situation into a positive and had actually purchased two companies, both equestrian sales and marketing companies, in the UK since Brexit.

'We have to have a businesslike position and get on with looking after ourselves,' he continued. 'While there are a lot of negatives there are also a lot of positives and we have to look at the negatives and turn into a positive.'

The purchase of two companies meant that they now had a more integrated presence in the UK, said Mr McArdle.

Horseware Ireland has also expanded into the highly competitive sportswear market with its CX+Sport range and currently supplies the kits for Dundalk FC and Dundalk Rugby Club as well a growing number of local and national sporting clubs.
Declan Woods at Sprinkles, on the junction of Bray's Main Street and Quinsboro Rd Photo Credit: Bray People.

Ireland's very first chocolate kebab shop is located in Bray, on the corner of the Main Street and Quinsboro Road.

'Sprinkles' was opened by husband and wife team Declan and Christina Woods, who established the premises at the end of August.

Declan explained that they had a different business idea for the premises initially however they ran into a planning roadblock and had to re-think their business ideas.

The had obtained the location and felt it was too valuable to do nothing and abandon their plans altogether.

They previously did some work on opening an ice-cream parlour in Dun Laoghaire.

They steered away from that project for a number of reasons however it meant they had some of the groundwork done for Sprinkles, and the Bray location.

When the premises came available, Declan happened to be passing by and noticed it was vacant. He sought out the owner and they got the ball rolling.

'We were able to move fairly fast,' said Declan, who said that Christina found the chocolate kebab machine online and the rest followed.

'It's the first one in Ireland and it's great that we have it,' said Declan.

They knew they would have to do more, as people were unlikely to buy the chocolate treat at 8.30 in the morning.

As well as the kebabs, waffles and other sweet treats, they serve smoothies and coffees.

'We went to an exhibition in the RDS looking at different coffee producers and roasters from all around the world. We wanted to buy a coffee machine and source our coffee beans, but we didn't. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.'

From talking to friends they heard about Bell Lane Coffee.

'They had a good reputation and were supplying to Avoca Handweavers which was a pull for us.'

The rep came in and gave them training and they started selling coffee. A coffee promotion for two weeks got people in the door and the nice coffee got them to stick.

The only regret Declan has so far, is that they didn't get in on time to trade during the summer of 2016, opening just three days before the start of school.

'If we'd opened on June 1 we would have had a great summer,' he said.

Declan has been a business owner before, he had a company providing home care to the elderly. Prior to that his family had a nursing home in Bray.

Christina has a background in printing and graphic design.

'I always did want to get into the food business,' said Declan, who went to catering college in Galway and has worked in restaurants and hotels.

He has also always liked being his own boss and knows that success is possible through hard work.

'I like people and talking to people,' he added. 'The people of Bray have been very good to me and are genuinely nice people.'

To find out more, find Sprinkles Cafe Bar on Facebook.
Former students of St David's in Greystones gathered last weekend, 40 years after graduating from the schools.

'It was lovely,' said Bernadette Stokes, who organised the event alongside Teresa Mooney and Maureen O'Kelly.

She said that there was a wonderful turnout, with 26 out of a class of around 35 people. Edel Murphy came all the way from Canada especially to attend the event. Another person came from England, another from Spain, and others from around IReland.

Tricia Glynn's daughter Kim also recently celebrated a special St David's reunion, 20 years since leaving school. Bernadette said that everyone is very well, and it was so exciting for them to see each other and catch up.

They arrived at 7 in the evening, and didn't finish up until closing time.

One of their friends in Canada wasn't able to make it, but sent a long letter letting them know how she was doing.

'It's such a privilege being part of such a lovely group of people,' said Bernadette, who said that people hadn't changed at all.

She said that the Horse and Hound in Delgany was the perfect location, with their lovely function room. The group enjoyed a beautiful buffet and plenty of chat.
Officials from the Department of the Environment responsible for housing, planning and community development paid a visit to Carraig Eden in Greystones last week as owners prepare to sell the facility.

The building functions as safe haven for these reintegrating into society following addiction, as well as those who find themselves unable to find somewhere to live and hoping to transition to permanent housing.

Cllr John Snell is chairman of the SPC for local authority and addiction centre Tiglin and arranged a visit to Leinster House prior to the Greystones meeting. The department officials are looking at exploring all options, according to Cllr Snell.

Carraig Eden is owned by the Irish Assemblies of God and houses over 32 individuals and families. Cllr Snell said that the potential sale of the facility jeopardises the security of those tenants.

The 'Carraig Eden Foundation', an organisation trying to save the house, believes that if the building is sold it is likely that it would be developed as apartments and its historic use as a community building supporting individuals would come to an end.

Noel Kenny of the foundation said that at this point, they have not raised sufficient funds to purchase the building.

The Assemblies of God in Ireland were going to put the building on the market last April, however, they delayed this for six months to allow the opportunity to raise funds to purchase the building and for the Carraig Eden Foundation to oversee the use and development of the building.

Carraig Eden was built almost 100 years ago by an organisation called Christian Endeavour and has been in Christian ministry ownership ever since.

In a video by the Carraig Eden Foundation, electrical engineer Glenn Cronan told his story.

'When I arrived into this building I was unemployed, I'd been on drugs, I'd begged,' he said.

'I got a whole new aspect on life out here where people don't go out committing crime, getting into fights or drinking. Four years on, I'm an engineer. I finished my final exam purely down to this building.'

The amount required to buy the building is 1.7 million.
The late Frederick (Fred) Norman Lee was laid to rest in Redford Cemetery last week, in a cardboard tube rather than the traditional coffin.

This was Fred's wish, and his family members were happy to oblige.

The founder of Industrial Packaging Ltd in Bray, Fred may be the first person ever to be buried in a cylindrical coffin made of cardboard.

Cardboard tubing was one of the company's specialties, and this manner of burial was something Fred mentioned often over many years.

Fred lived in The Park, Cabinteely, and saw out his final moments at Earlsbrook Nursing Home in Bray, where he died peacefully in the presence of his daughter at the age of 97.

His packaging company on Killarney Road was established in the 1950s and is now being run by some of Fred's sons.

His remains were taken past the factory last Friday prior to his funeral Mass at St Patrick's Church in Greystones.

Mr Lee is buried alongside his late wife Patricia. His tube is 650mm in diameter and would usually be used to cast concrete columns. An engraving on the tube says that he was the loving husband of Patricia and proud father to his children.

Fred was born in Dublin in May 1920 to Norman and Frances Lee, less than two years after Norman returned from four years of trench warfare in France.

Europe and Ireland were in deep financial depression with high unemployment and Norman had tried emigrating with some cousins to Canada before the war. That didn't work out, so in 1921 he grabbed an opportunity to manage a coffee plantation in central India and took his wife and son Fred with him.

A second child, Moyra, was born in India in 1922. The children were brought up as frontier or jungle babies until they reached junior school age, after which they boarded during school term in Bedford (Fred) and Dalkey (Moyra) with shorter holidays in Dublin and longer ones in India with steam ship travel each way via the Med, Suez and the Indian Ocean followed by train and Ox cart through jungle to the 'bungalow' in the jungle.

In the jungle, comforts such as air conditioning, electricity and running water didn't exist but mosquitos, snakes, tigers, crocodiles and lots more exciting things did. In the intense heat and humidity doors and windows were always open and dogs slept under the beds to keep snakes at bay and as sacrificial decoys for silent night visitors such as Cheetahs or leopards.

Unfortunately the bottom fell out of the coffee market and Norman died of illness related to his time in the trenches when Fred was 11 or 12 and the family ended up back in Dublin in dire financial straits.

Frances took various jobs ranging from pianist for 'silent movies' to manager of a hotel in Castletownbere in west Cork.

Money was so short that Fred finished out his schooling in very primitive conditions in a charity school for the sons of war victims near London.

He found the food inedible and lost so much weight that he was often sick come holiday time. If it wasn't for food parcels sent by his aunt Iris in London he might not have survived.

After school he studied engineering in London, lodging with aunt Iris and when war was declared in 1939 he was in Dublin on holidays. He had difficulty getting back to finish his course due to Ireland's neutrality.

His first job after college was in England as a rep for an engineering tools supplier and he was given a Rolls-Royce to get him past armed sentries at the gates of customers who were involved in the war effort. Sentries stood to attention and waved him through while stopping everyone else. The Rolls had no heating so he had to improvise by adding an electric heater.

He volunteered for the Royal Navy, due to his his father's advice to avoid the army and his love of sailing, and got called up and trained in 1941, going to sea in 1942 as an Engineer Sub Lieutenant on a Corvette called the 'Loch Fada' based in Liverpool and Derry escorting convoys and chasing U-boats in the North Atlantic.

He assisted at D-day off France and when Germany was defeated he accidentally volunteered for the Royal Indian Navy and was based in Bombay and Ceylon in a Minesweeper flotilla, clearing Japanese mines from the coasts of India and Burma until 1945 when Japan capitulated.

After putting down a mutiny of unpaid Indian sailors and being reprimanded by his Commander in Chief, and fellow Irishman, Lord Louis Mountbatten for ruining a carefully planned strategy of fomenting rebellion to be put down harshly as an example to others, he was personally de-mobbed shortly after that by Mountbatten to get back in haste to Dublin and Patricia the love of his life, who was being courted by another.

Fred was smuggled back to Ireland by his friend Archbishop Roberts of Bombay, who stayed on long enough to officiate at his wedding after vouching for his character to his prospective father-in-law.

Fred worked in Guinness's brewery in Dublin for a short time but wasn't happy with the work pace there, so with the help of his father-in-law Henry Maloney and his younger cousin Raymond McGowan he started a laundry catering for nursing homes, hospitals and hotels and offering an American-style nappy service to mothers at home.

He then took on a bankrupt business that had a small packaging section making cardboard tubes and composite cans. By the early fifties he managed to buy this out with loans and he renamed it Industrial Packaging (IP).

Through a huge amount of hard work, ingenuity and luck he made a success of IP, which provided the means to keep his ever-growing family from starving and get them all educated in expensive fee-paying schools (sending those who were interested to university as well), while expanding the company and providing employment for growing staff numbers.

Along the way he taught his children to sail in a motley fleet of home built and scavenged boats from an ideal base in an old Lifeboat House in Balbriggan which they rescued from the dereliction it fell back into after they all grew up and moved on.

They have fond memories of happy sunny days swimming, sailing and working on local fruit farms and trawlers and not so fond memories of scraping and painting roofs, windows and boats that had to be done every year.

'Dad's own difficult upbringing affected his character and the oldest of us in the family suffered from this initially but gradually he mellowed and his real caring and helpful self, won through to benefit us all,' said his son Norman.

'No matter how tired or busy he was, he always found time to befriend or help anyone - family or not - he felt needed it. He was far from religious, but his motto taken from the Bible was "do unto others as you would wish them do to you" and he practiced that all his life.

'He loved all of us and he loved mum so much that when she got sick and bedridden he wouldn't leave her side, convincing himself against the evidence that she would get better again, but the spark went out of him then and by the time she died he had lost interest in life and the ability to look after himself.

'His life is a great example to all of us to work hard and stay true to the ideal of helping others whenever we can.'
A Co Wicklow man is looking to take the hassle out of buying household white goods with his up-and-coming website AppliancesDelivered.ie.

The website, which was set up nine months ago, is currently running a successful radio and TV advertising campaign fronted by comedian Dermot Whelan.

Newtownmountkennedy man Phillip Martin is the company's CEO and is well-versed in all things appliance-related.

The idea behind the website is to take the hassle out of buying the appliances at all stages, through an easy to use website, competitive prices, and a wide range of products and delivery options.

'We do the shopping around for you, scouring competitors' websites and online shopping destinations to provide the best prices,' said Mr Martin. 'We also offer a price match promise ensuring our prices can not be beaten, but in the off chance that you do find your product cheaper elsewhere, we will match that price for you, no questions asked, no hassle involved.'

The site offers a selection of big name brands as well as exclusive brands, while the website offers a range of search options so that, for example, someone shopping for a washing machine can filter their search by drum size, brand, spin speed or washer capacity.

AppliancesDelivered.ie was originally BuyAndSell.ie, an Irish-owned company, based in Dublin. Established in 1991, it was originally a print-based classified publication butlaunched its first website in 1998 and, in 2014, transformed to an online only business. In January 2016, the company decided to change its name to reflect the direction the business has taken and AppliancesDelivered.ie was launched.
Apple will not be coming to County Wicklow - because of power plants located in Wales.

Apple is bringing a data centre to Ireland, with a site in Newtownmountkennedy having been one of the possible locations capable of accommodating a project of its scale.

However, according to the Sunday Times, the technology giant has ruled out the eastern side of the country altogether.

One of the reasons for this is that any proposed site in the east of the country is within 200 miles of nuclear facilities.

There are also large fuel storage facilities in Dublin prohibitive to Apple's needs. The company has ruled out any site within 20 miles of fuel storage facilities.

The 850 million data centre is now planned for Athenry in County Galway, where objections have been made by a number of parties.

Galway County Council approved the site in September 2015 and Apple had hoped to start building this year.

An Bord Pleanala approved the development after appeal, but a number of objectors are continuing to fight the proposals, and are considering judicial review. An initial court hearing to consider the matter is due to begin today,

One of those objecting to the Galway move for Apple is Brian McDonagh, director of Ecologic Data Centres, which has planning permission for a data centre in Newtownmountkennedy.

Julie Bates of Greystones also objected, saying that the Newtown site could easily accommodated the project.

Apple said that the Newtown site was not a viable alternative due to the proximity of the Wylfa nuclear power station in Wales. They also said that the site was too small.
There are exciting times ahead for the pupils of St Peter's Primary School in Bray.

It will be the first school in Ireland to receive funding under Salesforce.org's Circle the School programme. Under the scheme - originally developed in the US - St Peter's will receive a $100,000 (92,000) grant to upgrade its digital literacy, special educational needs and STEM teaching capabilities.

'We are privileged to have been given the opportunity to form a collaboration with Salesforce and we are confident that this will have an extremely positive impact on both student academic attainment and their overall educational experience,' said principal Emer Whyte.

'We look forward to developing a shared vision which will result in whole-school improvements in STEM, IT, Special Educational Needs, Literacy and Numeracy. We are very grateful to Salesforce and are fully committed to making this shared vision become a reality for our school.'

A portion of the grant will go towards the creation of a new computer room with state of the art technology and also towards the creation of a multi-sensory room. This room will allow students a place to aid creativity and support those with complex needs.

Charlotte Finn, Vice-President EMEA programmes at Salesforce.Org, said: 'School is a place where children's futures are shaped and we believe that all children should have the same opportunities for their future development. Circle the Schools is an important initiative that gives schools the necessary resources to make significant difference to children's lives'.

Salesforce employees will also have an important role to play in this partnership. In addition to assisting children with STEM projects and setting up a CODER Dojo, Salesforce employees will be rolling out an ICT programme to help parents get up to speed with technology, enabling them to support their children's development in this area.
Fair City: Emmet finds out Tommy might know something about Katy's disappearance, and despite Debbie's best efforts to stop him, he resorts to violence to find out more. Caoimhe and Damien struggle to reignite the passion in their relationship, and Jake finds a way home - but is unnerved when Ama insists on coming too.

A remorseful Emmet realises he could have killed Tommy had Debbie not been there to stop him, and does his best to offer an apology. Damien's romantic date with Caoimhe is ruined when they encounter a depressed Alannah, and Caoimhe agrees to accompany her on a girly night out. Meanwhile, Ama discovers the truth about Jake's secret past.

Eastenders

Jay remains under pressure to find the money that he owes to a drug dealer.

When Billy refuses to give him an advance on his wages, Jay resorts to desperate lengths to get the cash.

Meanwhile, Libby can't resist interfering in Denise's pregnancy by criticising her mum's unhealthy habits. When Kathy urges her to go easy on Denise, Libby decides to help out by preparing a healthy meal. However, she soon goes a step further by revealing that she intends to stay on the Square and help with the baby.

Elsewhere, Abi and Kathy go to audition for the Walford Players Christmas Show, but Kathy clashes with organiser Geraldine and ends up being kicked out.

Coronation Street

Maria is horrified to realise that Caz bought a laptop from a shop only yards from Pablo's flat, proving that she followed her to London. At the same time, Kate rows with Aidan and Eva - she's angry with them for taking Maria's side.

Determined to prove her innocence, Maria and Aidan search homeless centres in the hope of finding Caz, convinced that she's still alive. However things go from bad to worse when the police point out that the fact Caz knew about her illegal marriage gave Maria a motive to kill her.

After a futile search for Caz, Aidan and Maria return to the salon flat, with their feelings for one another evident. But as Maria opens her hairdressing bag, she's horrified to find her scissors covered in blood. Terrified and helpless to the fact she is being set up, what will Maria do?

Emmerdale

When the police turn up to question the Whites, Lachlan pretends that he was merely fishing his phone out of the stream.

Now aware of everything, a furious Diane is determined to make the Whites pay for their actions and bursts into the kitchen at Home Farm. Lawrence tries to make Diane see that there's nothing in the allegations his family are facing.

Meanwhile, Joanie and Zak try to tell Amelia and Kyle about Belle's illness, but Amelia freaks Kyle out and Joanie worries he is scared of Belle now.

Elsewhere, Ross earns himself a slap from Victoria when he kisses her, but he urges her to tell Adam about it.

Also today, Rishi advises Nicola to pursue compensation over the fire.
A 21-year-old North Cork woman has been remanded on bail for sentencing after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of a mother and daughter who drowned when their car ended up in a flooded dyke after a crash near their home in Kilworth just days before last Christmas.

Susan Gleeson (21), of Leitrim, Kilworth, pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Wednesday to dangerous driving causing the deaths of her neighbours, Geraldine (58) and Louise Clancy (22) at Ballyderown, Kilworth on December 22, 2015.

Defence counsel Jim O'Mahony SC applied for an adjournment saying that he had already obtained a report from a counsellor but he was seeking a report from a psychiatrist while it would also allow for the preparation of a Victim Impact Statement from the family of the deceased.

Judge Sean O Donnabhain said he was reluctant to order a psychiatric report unless there was some history of psychiatric difficulties prior to the incident at the centre of the charge, as that could delay the case by several months.

Mr O'Mahony said that there was no prior history of psychiatric difficulties and his client was anxious to have the matter finalised as quickly as possible as "the facts of this case are so sad for everybody involved, the circumstances so unfortunate."

Judge O Donnabhain suggested that Mr O'Mahony might consider obtaining a report from a GP and Mr O'Mahony agreed before the judge adjourned the case until November 21, remanding Gleeson on continuing bail to appear again on that date.

Ms Clancy and her daughter, Louise, who had just returned home for Christmas from the University of Sussex at Falmer near Brighton, where she was on an Erasmus Exchange Programme from UCC, were on their way into Fermoy when the fatal crash occurred.

An inquest earlier this year that Dr Jason Van der Velde pronounced Ms Clancy and her daughter dead at 12.20pm at the scene of the collision at Ballyderown, Kilworth after their upturned car was removed from the flooded dyke just off the Fermoy-Ballyduff Road.

The inquest also heard evidence from Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster that she carried out post-mortems on both deceased at Cork University Hospital on December 23 and both Ms Clancy and her daughter died from acute cardio-respiratory failure due to drowning.
Malta Services Drogheda celebrate the opening of their Shared Art Exhibition, on Thursday 10th November at 7.30 p.m. in the Droichead Arts Centre, Stockwell Street, Drogheda. The exhibit will be available to view from the 10th until Saturday 19th November.

This exhibition of work, takes its inspiration from the collaboration, support and collective creativity of the artists who attend the service.

The theme "Create Your Own Dreams", continues to manifest in the various artist's interpretation of what it means to live self-directed, independent and fulfilled lives. This exhibition serves to highlight the individual talents of the group, while also bringing together the various strands that illustrate the collective unity of the piece, using the mediums of paint, weaving, pottery and photography. All welcome.
A cultural day, presented by the School of Philosophy and Economic Science, takes place at Townley Hall on the Slane Road on November 12 and 13 from 9-5.30pm.

Enjoy a day of art, beauty and culture in the magnificent Townley Hall, a Georgian mansion surrounded by 60 acres of rolling parkland. This enjoyable event provides an opportunity to enjoy four interesting talks from a choice of eight on offer. No previous knowledge of the subjects is required.

Each talk is presented in an easily accessible manner designed to entertain and inform with time for questions and lively discussion. Admission is 50 and includes attendance at four talks, 3-course lunch, refreshment breaks, musical performance, closing reception and free car parking.

The subjects for discussion are  THE STORY OF THE CELTS  VERMEER - LIGHT AND BEAUTY IN ONE  DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND UNITY  NATURES ART - THE UNIVERSE  OVID & THE METAMORPHOSIS FOR 21ST CENTURY  LEONARDO DA VINCI - THE GRAPHIC GENIUS  SHAKESPEARE AND SCIENCE  HEALTH, HEALING & ANCIENT WISDOM.

Musical performance is by Aisling and Julie-Anne Manning. Full details and booking online at: www.practicalphilosophy.ie/events Tel. 01 660 3788. 49 Northumberland Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

For further information please contact School of Philosophy and Economic Science: Shea Kelly Tel: 087 259 0055 or shea@kellyco.ie.
The European Commission has called on Ireland to take steps to ensure that urban waste water is adequately treated in 38 cities, towns and large suburban areas around the country.

Apart from the obvious need for all of us to manage our waste sustainably, EU law requires that authorities in towns and cities collect and treat urban waste water. Untreated waste water can put human health at risk and pollute lakes, rivers, soil, the sea and groundwater.

We all know of instances in the past where human settlements turned their backs to rivers and used both them and the sea as dumping grounds for waste water, untreated sewage and industrial effluent.

It is primitive and unacceptable in this day and age that waste water, sewage and industrial effluents are discharged untreated into waters that food is harvested from, that people swim in and/or that support rare and endangered plants and animals.

The problem is not a recent one; there has been lack of both action and investment over a long number of years by successive governments.

Ireland joined the European Union in 1973. Member States had until the end of 1998 to ensure stringent treatment for urban waste water discharging into sensitive areas. They had until the end of 2000 to ensure appropriate collecting systems and treatment were in place for discharges from treatment plants serving large urban areas discharging into undesignated waters.

The last deadline elapsed at the end of 2005 and required the setting up of collecting systems and treatment for discharges from medium-sized and small urban areas discharging into freshwater and estuaries.

Thirty-eight settlements are presently in breach of these requirements, in alphabetical order: Arklow, Athlone, Ballybofey/Stranorlar, Ballincollig New, Carringtwohill, Castlecomer, Cavan, Clifden, Clonakilty, Cobh, Cork City, Dundalk, Enfield, Enniscorthy, Fermoy, Gaoth Dobhair, Killarney, Killybegs, Longford, Mallow, Middleton, Monksland, Navan, Nenagh, Oberstown, Passage/Monktown, Portarlington, Rathcormac, Ringaskiddy, Ringsend, Roscommon Town, Roscrea, Shannon Town, Thurles, Tralee, Tubbercurry, Youghal and Waterford City.

A letter of formal notice was sent to the Irish authorities in September 2015. A reasoned opinion, the second formal step in EC infringement proceedings against Member States, followed in September 2016. Ireland now has until the end of this month to respond to the warnings from the European Commission. If the Irish authorities fail to act before the end of November, the next step is for the Commission to consider whether to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the EU.
St Peter's Church of Ireland hall at the top of Peter Street will host the monthly Cottage Market on Saturday next from 11-3pm.

This week, the Cottage Market & GIY Drogheda are delighted to have founder of GIY Michael Kelly and founder of the Cottage Market Karen O'Donohoe, join them for the occasion.

Michael Kelly is a writer, social entrepreneur and impassioned speaker on food issues and self-sufficiency and founded the organisation "GIY (Grow it Yourself)" in 2008, a not-for-profit organisation which aims to inspire people to grow their own food and give them the skills they need to do so successfully. This year GIY will support over 150,000 growers and 5,000 community food groups and projects across Ireland, the UK and beyond.

Karen started the first Cottage Market in her home village of Ladysbridge, Co. Cork in June 2014. Motivated by the positive impact it had on her local community she set about telling anyone that would listen the importance of putting 'homemade, home-grown and handcrafted' back in the heart of communities.

Luckily Mick, listened and even more importantly agreed, so they joined forces to create The GIY Cottage Market. It's like companion planting for good ideas and great intentions!

Drogheda was chosen to be part of the pilot project and earlier this year on March 10th the first Cottage Market opened its doors and has ran every month since. There is an eclectic mix of stalls, 29 in all selling everything from Homemade breads ,cakes, chutneys, juices confectionary & sauces, Home-grown veg , fruit , seedlings , & plants Hand crafted cushions, willow baskets ,skincare, upcycled furniture, candles, textile creations, glass art, art made from pebbles , driftwood and by hand and much more . A showcase of local produce and products has been created, a place for local people to display their talents and shine.

To date the market has worked with over 50 local producers. Feedback from the community has been extremely positive, demand to trade each month is great and footfall is on the increase. Although this market is in its infancy already there are many benefits .A strong community spirit has begun to develop among traders and all who attend the market remark on the markets friendly and relaxed atmosphere The market is more than just a quick stop for product .It is slowly becoming a meeting spot for family and friends to hang out catch up and familiar faces come in search of fresh local veg, great craft and home baked goods or just a coffee and a chat.

Eimear Cullen took on the task of setting up this market and says "I have truly enjoyed this venture and look forward to its future. The community that has evolved is amazing and it is great to work on a local level with like-minded people in creating something new. I am delighted to be part of this Cottage community and witness friendships develop, aid collaboration, and give local people a platform to show off their talents. To many this is the start of something very new and the opportunities the market give to them go far beyond the trade on the day.'

Saturday's market includes a cookery demonstration using all local Boyne Valley food series products by Killian O'Donohoe, head chef from the Conyngham Arms, Slane and talks by Michael and Karen from 3-4pm.
The Drogheda Council of the Knights of St Columbanus had the privilege of handing back the testified relics of a Franciscan saint, patron of the homeless, to the Franciscans in Merchants Quay in Dublin.

P J Collins, the local Grand Knight explained that Ms Helen Williams from Drogheda had in her possession for many years a relic of St. Benedict Joseph Labre who was canonised in 1883. He was a Franciscan Tertiary who was born in Boulogne and who died in Rome.

Fr. Joe Mc Mahon OFM from the Merchants Quay Friary was delighted to have it returned to them as it has been out of circulation for over 50 years.

Amongst those at this happy event, which took place in St Peter's Church in Drogheda, were Fr Paul Murphy CC, Mrs May Cotter a member of the Drogheda Franciscan Tertiaries and a number of the local Knights. The relic will now be on display and available for veneration in Merchants Quay Dublin 2.
The HSE has approved all the current vacancies at the Cottage Hospital in Drogheda and these posts have been offered to nurses on a national panel, it has been revealed.

In recent weeks, SIPTU members at the hospital staged a protest after it was revealed nine beds at the facility were forced to close because of staff shortages. At the time, the HSE revealed the hospital might have to close temporarily because of the lack of nursing staff. SIPTU representative John McCamley urged the HSE to take action so that the vacant nursing posts could be filled immediately.

In a written update to a parliamentary question from TD Fergus O'Dowd, who asked what action was being taken to address the staff vacancies ath the hospital, HSE Area Manager Dermot Monaghan confirmed that all posts submitted had been approved and have been offered to nurses on a national panel which has been formed by a rolling recruitment campaign by the National Recruitment Service.

'There is also a local recruitment process underway in order to recruit nurses to open nine beds in the Cottage Hospital, Drogheda and in St Oliver's Community Unit, Dundalk as soon as is possible,' he said. 'There is a national shortage of nurses which is impacting greatly on recruitment and retention of nurses in the Service for Older People, but local management continue to make every effort to recruit to staff and admit patients to all vacant beds as soon as possible.
Ardee's war memorial at the Fair Green was graced by some very special people last Saturday as those that died in action in all conflicts were remembered.

The annual event, organised by former councillor Fintan Malone, saw Rev Iain Jamieson and Fr John O'Leary concelebrate the memorial event, in the company of Louth CC chair Paul Bell and municipal district chair Dolores Minogue.

Addressing those in attendance, Cllr Bell said he was touched to be at such an event to recall those that made the ultimate sacrifice and their families.

'It is important that these people are never forgotten', he stated.

Members of ONE provided the colour party while the Last Post was played by Niall Doherty and Nicky Callan. Ollie Meade from Louth CC also assisted.

However, amongst those who attended, some had a very real link to the Great War.

Robert McMullen's father fought and returned, as did Sean King's father, Matthew, a member of the Irish Guards. Matthew Molloy from Dunleer became a prisoner of war and was represented by his son, James.
A "prolific burglar" and his cousin, who were chased by armed gardai following a burglary in Co Louth, have avoided increased prison sentences despite an "undue leniency" appeal by prosecutors.

Edward Wall (44), with an address at Fortunestown Crescent, Tallagh, Dublin 24 and Patrick Wall (36), of Bawnleigh Avenue, in Tallaght, had pleaded guilty to burglary at a house in Drogheda, Co Louth and the attempted burglary of a house in Gainstown, Co Meath on October 31, 2014.

They were both sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four years imprisonment with the final year suspended by Judge Leonie Reynolds on February 5, 2016.

Patrick Wall had four previous convictions for burglary including one for aggravated burglary. Two were dealt with by suspended sentences, one with a six month sentence and the aggravated burglary a community service order.

Edward Wall, described as a "prolific burglar" by the prosecuting garda, had a "large number" of previous convictions including eight for burglary. He had received various sentences ranging from suspended sentences to a three year term.

The Director of Public Prosecutions applied for a review of the Walls' sentences today/yesterday(FRIDAY) on grounds that they were "unduly lenient". However, the Court of Appeal did not find a "clear divergence" from the norm.

Giving judgment, Mr Justice John Edwards, said a joint operation by the Emergency Response Unit and the National Surveillance Unit decided to monitor the movements of a particular car on the basis of intelligence.

The car had been observed parked at the Red Cow Inn, in Dublin, but later that day its number plates were noticed to have changed.

The car was intercepted in Balbriggan. It failed to stop, a chase ensued and it collided with a garda vehicle. The driver, Edward Wall, abandoned the still moving vehicle before colliding with the gates of a house.

With firearms drawn, the gardai immediately apprehended Patrick Wall in the backseat who was found to be wearing a balaclava and carrying a pry bar.

In the car was found a number of house breaking items including pliers, screw drivers and an axe like log splitter, the judge said.

In the house which had been burgled, a number of items of jewellery was taken. A wall had been dug out in an attempt to access a safe. The safe itself was also severely damaged.

Later that day, Mr Justice Edwards said the Walls had decided to attempt to break into a house at an area known as Wood Grange. The occupants were at home.

The female occupant observed three figures in the driveway and she heard a loud bang similar to a shotgun. She thought her husband had been shot and she screamed. The men then left the scene.

Mr Justice Edwards said the Walls were of traveler ethnicity.

The sentencing court was told that both were on bail in respect of other matters at the time.

In seeking a review, counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, James Dwyer BL, submitted that the sentencing judge gave insufficient weight to the aggravating factors, had inadequate regard to the careful planning and sophistication of the burglary and had inadequate regard to their previos convictions for similar offences.

Mr Justice Edwards, who sat with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, said the sentences had not been demonstrated to be unduly lenient. There must be a "clear divergence" from the norm caused by an error in principle, the judge said.
To mark the 40th anniversary of the Guide Dogs for the Blind, Drogheda Lions Club are currently helping the organisation to raise funds for the breeding and training of much needed guide dogs.

Guide Dogs for the Blind will be in the Laurence Centre for the next couple of weeks selling tickets for the Car Raffle which takes place on the 17th December. Tickets cost 5 each.

Drogheda Lions are delighted to be helping out as part of their Centenary project and are having great fun meeting everyone and the dogs.

As part of the project, Lions Clubs International is raising funds during its centenary year for the breeding and training of Guide Dogs and Assistance Dogs in Ireland. This will involve 110 Lions Clubs in the country, help to raise in excess of 150,000 for the Association, with the Drogheda club delighted to take part.

The funds will help the dog breeding program undertaken by Guide Dogs for the Blind in the Republic of Ireland and the dog training program in Northern Ireland. A golden lab, named Lion, has been chosen and the Drogheda club are looking forward to photos and updates on his progress. It is important to remember that guide dogs do not just benefit visually impaired people but are also assistance dogs for children with autism for example.

Lions Clubs International has a great involvement with people with impaired vision throughout the world. Their Sight First program has funded high quality, sustainable projects delivering eye care services in many countries. A spokesperson for the Drogheda Lions Club said: ' It is very appropriate therefore that Drogheda Lions celebrate the Centenary of Lions international helping with this important project.'
A unique oil painting commemorating the local paddle steamer 'Town of Drogheda' has been created by local artist Raymond Balfe tom commemorate the vessels 190th anniversary.

The artist has created the painting from rare plans and drawings of sister vessels from Greenock shipyard.

The vessel has been brought back to life to mark the milestone anniversary of what was the beginning of Drogheda's golden age of steam ship travel.

On Monday 13th November 1826, the new paddle steamer 'Town of Drogheda' arrived at her home port having come from the Clyde in Scotland.

The vessel was the very first vessel belonging to the newly formed Drogheda Steampacket Company and for the next 22 years she would sail weekly between Drogheda and Liverpool.

The steamer marked the beginning of a golden age for Drogheda and steamship travel which would last 80 years. The steampacket company operated 16 vessels over the period to both Liverpool and Glasgow.

On its arrival into Drogheda, the Journal of 1826 contrasted the crimson and gold silk lace in the ladies' cabin with the blue cloth upholstery covering the berths reserved for the gentlemen. The holds could accommodate up to 100 horned cattle or 300 sheep.

The 'Town of Drogheda' made her maiden voyage to Liverpool on the 26th November, 1826 and the journey took 14 hours. The master of the vessel on its maiden voyage was Captain Thomas Bishop.

Built by John Scott & Co in Greenock the vessel was 140 feet in length and wooden built. In addition to carrying cargo the vessel also accommodated passengers. The passenger accommodation was extremely luxurious and the vessel state room was mahogany with rosewood pillars and a fireplace. The dining table could accommodate up to 30 persons at a sitting.

There are no known drawings or paintings of the vessel but in order to commemorate the 190 year anniversary, research was undertaken by the port company through contemporary maritime resources, the William Simmons\Scott archives which are held at Glasgow University and the assistance of Brendan Matthews of the old Drogheda Society.
The National Gallery of Ireland in conjunction with Hennessy have announced their short-list for the annual Hennessy Portrait Award 2016 and have included an artist from Gormanston.

Entries were invited from artists nationwide and Irish artists working abroad. Among the 14 artists selected in the final short-list is Gormanston artist, Gavan McCullough.

The show opens at the National Gallery on November 26 and runs through until March 26, next year. The overall winner stands to win 15,000 plus a commission for a portrait which will hang in the National Gallery.

McCullough's short-listed portrait, entitled 'Imran' is of a Pakistani man who together with his family, has been seeking asylum in Ireland for the last five years.

Imran immigrated from Pakistan in 2011 and sat for McCullough at various times throughout 2015 and 2016.

During their time together Imran recounted anecdotes both bitter and sweet of his former life.

He fled together with his family when his life was threatened for standing up for a Christian woman who was due to be hanged. He and his wife miss their families, the food, and the Pakistani summer with its attendant mango season.

The portrait is from a series by McCullough entitled 'Unstated', focussing on asylum seekers from Syria and Iraq as well as Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Skerries Coast Guard team were recently honoured with a Ministerial Award for their part in a rescue mission completed last year at Donabate in extremely difficult and challenging conditions.

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Shane Ross, presented the Skerries Coast Guard team with their award at the recent Marine Gallantry & Meritorious Service Awards ceremony at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park.

The Marine Ministerial Letter of Appreciation for Meritorious Service was awarded to the crew of the Skerries Coast Guard Unit for their ability to locate and transfer an individual from a rocky cove in challenging conditions.

Commenting on the award, Vanessa Gaffney, Officer in Charge Skerries Coast Guard: 'It was an honour to accept this award from Minister Ross on behalf of the Skerries Coast Guard crew.

'This was a particularly challenging rescue mission at Donabate last year that my team carried out with incredible skill, initiative and physical courage.

'All of the team at Skerries Coast Guard are local volunteers who readily give their time to rescue those in difficulty on our coast.'

Opening the ceremony, Minister Ross praised the 'courageous achievements and service of this group of brave Irish men and women who have faced crises and dug deep, offering their skills and in many cases placing themselves in danger in order that others might be safe on our waterways'.

Pausing to remember those who lost their lives at sea since the last set of Awards in 2014, Minister Ross spoke of the tragic death of volunteer Coast Guard Caitriona Lucas last month, describing her as 'a courageous and heroic woman who made the ultimate sacrifice while in the service of others'

These Awards are to recognise outstanding acts of courage, heroism, skill and initiative in the context of marine emergency incidents.
A local Fine Gael TD has taken his own Government to task on its treatment of Fingal's rural communities, saying that 'North County can no longer be forgotten in terms of the Government's focus on rural Ireland'.

Deputy Alan Farrell TD said: 'Fingal is home to the largest rural area in County Dublin - an area which, for too long, has been forgotten in the context of support for rural Ireland. This is wholly unacceptable.'

He added: 'It seems clear to me that when investment is made in Dublin, the needs of rural North County Dublin are forgotten, and I see no difference when the focus is placed upon rural Ireland.

'This, in my opinion, is a complete disgrace. I have submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister asking for an outline of the funding provided for the rural North County and an explanation as to why it is often forgotten in the context of Government supports.

'For too long I have received information on investment in rural Ireland which has not included the North County. This cannot be allowed to continue any longer.'
The Central Bank of Ireland has made an application to the High Court to appoint joint provisional liquidators for Rush Credit Union that is likely to see the wind up of this local institution begin in a matter of weeks, following an investigation into alleged financial irregularities at the credit union.

The appointment of the joint provisional liquidators to Rush Credit Union does not have any impact on members' savings as the Deposit Guarantee Scheme (the "DGS") has been activated.

Payments will automatically issue to the address held on file by the credit union. Members do not have to contact the credit union or the Central Bank, as compensation payments will automatically issue by cheque to all verified depositors.

Explaining the decision, The Central Bank said it 'has been monitoring Rush Credit Union over a number of years and during that period has investigated aspects of its business'.

The Central Bank said it was 'of the view that there are a number of reasons for the failure of Rush Credit Union which have manifested over an extended period of time, including issues relating to governance, internal controls, lending practices and valuation of its premises'.

The Central Bank statement adds: 'Despite assurances given by Rush Credit Union to the Central Bank, and the credit union having been provided with an opportunity to address the issues concerned, in the opinion of the Central Bank, they have not been adequately addressed.'

The Central Bank said the credit union was 'currently balance sheet insolvent' and if liquidators were not appointed, it could lead to a 'disorderly collapse of Rush Credit Union'.

Concerned customers of the credit union were lining up outside the institution in the days that followed the shock announcement of its impending wind-up last week. The news also came as a shock for staff at the credit union too who now face losing their jobs, many after long service to the institution.

The staff issued a joint statement which was posted on the window of the Credit Union in the days that followed the announcement the institution was to be liquidated. Staff said they were 'devastated and shocked at the events of the last few days and months that has resulted in the liquidation of Rush Credit Union'.

The staff statement added: 'This has not been an easy time for us here ad we worked to the best of our ability in the difficult circumstances we were faced with. We co-operated fully with the investigations and reviews carried out by third parties on the members' behalf. This was done on the basis that we were working in the members' best interests.'

The staff statement concluded: 'We have worked hard to ensure that members' shares are protected and are satisfied that all members' monies are now protected under the Deposit Guarantee Scheme.'
Wexford General Hospital is holding its annual Service of Remembrance at Clonard Church, on Friday, November 11 at 7.30pm.

This is the sixth year of this well attended event. The purpose of the service is to provide an opportunity for bereaved families and hospital staff to come together to remember loved ones who died at Wexford General Hospital or loved ones who died elsewhere but who had a significant connection with the hospital.

The Service of Remembrance is particularly intended for families and friends of those who have died in Wexford General Hospital between October 1, 2015 and September 30, 2016. However, all who have experienced human loss are welcome. It is intended to be both an ecumenical and secular service - a time to share memories, to comfort and be comforted. Tea and coffee will be served afterwards.

Feedback from families, staff and the public has been very positive with the event striking a chord with all involved.

Wexford General Hospital is one of over 40 hospitals taking part in the Hospice Friendly Hospitals (HFH) Programme, an initiative of the Irish Hospice Foundation since 2007, whose main aim is to improve the culture of care delivered at end of life in Ireland, so that patients, families and staff all benefit.

A Standing Committee for End of Life Care was set up in Wexford General Hospital in 2007 to look at ways to improve the way care is delivered at end of life on a hospital-wide basis. In addition to organising the Service of Remembrance annually, the work has included initiatives such as the sending of sympathy cards.
The failure of Wexford's five TDs and most councillors to attend a recent meeting on mental health chaired by Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald is 'not good enough' according to mental health activist Colette Nolan.

The meeting in the Riverside Park Hotel saw local councillors, representatives from mental health groups and members of the public come together for a discussion on mental health. Though Colette said that there was a very good turnout, she said she was disappointed that none of Wexford's Oireachtas members showed up on the night.

'I don't think it's good enough that the TDs in our county who have been elected to serve the people didn't turn up to a public meeting,' she said. 'With recent cuts to mental health funding and the introduction of taxes to benefit the wealthy, perhaps they thought they would be bombarded with questions from members of the public.'

Several local Sinn Fein councillors attended the meeting including Cllr Johnny Mythen, Cllr Fionntan O Suilleabhain, Cllr Anthony Kelly, Cllr Mick Roche and Cllr Oisin O'Connell as well as Independents Cllr John O'Rourke and Cllr Davy Hynes, who was also there in his role as an addiction counsellor. Colette said that she is unsure why more local representatives didn't attend, suggesting that it may have been to do with the fact that Sinn Fein's McDonald was chairing it.

Along with Mary Lou McDonald, speaking on the night was Ray Cullen from Talk2Tom, Kate Mitchell from Mental Health Reform, Cllr Davy Hynes and Cllr Johnny Mythen. Colette extended an invitation to the HSE to send a representative to the meeting but received a response to say that the HSE was 'not in the position to attend'.

'In the meeting, we talked about how this is a real problem. Real people sat in that meeting and told us their problems. Mary Lou said that the issue just can't be ignored anymore. There has to be a real solution put in place for the people. It just can't be put on the backburner,' said Colette.

Despite the increase in awareness and discussion surrounding mental health and possible strategies, Colette is not hopeful that the current government is going to make any significant changes in the next 12 months.

'I was talking to Kate Mitchell from Mental Health Reform at that meeting and she said Ireland isn't even up to international standards in terms of mental health services at the moment,' she added.

Though she doesn't envision change in the next 12 months at government level, Colette does believe that these public meetings make a difference.

'There is a benefit in holding these meetings. It encourages members of the public to think about their own mental health and say "look, we are being wronged here",' she said.

Colette said that many people brought up the fact that if someone is in crisis and needs to gain access to mental health services in Enniscorthy, they are often told that they need a referral letter from their doctor.

'A referral letter can take up to two weeks to get. This is not acceptable if you are in crisis,' she said.

The difficulty in accessing a detox programme was another issue raised according to Colette, who said that often people do not receive the appropriate treatment until they have committed a crime and gone to prison.
Sisters Roisin (10) and Eimhin Dalby (8) from Baile an Fheirtearaigh, won the first and second prize respectively in the under 12 Storytelling competition. Photo by Domnick Walsh

West Kerry brother and sister, Ruairi O hOgain (10) and Sibeal Ni hOgain (11) from Scoil Dhun Chaoin won second and first prize respectivly in the 9-12 Recitation

Bernie Phaid Ni Mhuircheartaigh from Dingle and Leo Shannon from Seattle at the Oireachtas Festival in Killarney. Photo by Domnick Walsh

From left, Antaine O Seaghdha (11) and Roisin Dalby (10), from Scoil Bhaile an Fheirtearaigh took the top prize in the U12 Agallamh beirte event

Ailbhe Ni Ghearbhuigh (right) and Siun Ni Dhuinn launch their new publication 'Solas ar na Dumhcannai', a collection of essays in memory of Muiris O Meara

Killarney's getting used to hosting the Oireachtas Festival, and the town ain't complaining. For the fifth time in seven years, Oireachtas na Samhna - described by organisers as 'the most Irish festival of them all' - rolled into town, bringing roughly 10,000 attendees and a spend estimated in the hundreds of thousands of euros.

Hundreds of participants from ages six to 68 lined up for competitions, serving up a blend of storytelling, drama, dancing and singing.

The festival got underway last Wednesday (November 2) with a literary award ceremony, and what followed was five days of competition and camaraderie.

It was a successful week for Kerry participants. Taking several underage competitions, The Kingdom also plundered two prizes in senior competition; Noeli O Maoileoin and Aodh O Domhnaill came second in the Agallamh Beirte competition, while Ballyferriter's Tomas O Luing won the storytelling contest.

Among the highlights of this year's festival was Peadar O Riada's enchanting performance of his newly composed I gCuimhne Laochra, which was broadcast live on TG4 for those not lucky enough to attend the performance by the Muscrai man and his legendary Cor Cuil Aodha. The piece was commission by An tOireachtas in commemoration of 1916, and was greeted by an appreciative audience.

The future of Irish drama was a central theme of the 2016 festival. The week featured several exciting radio plays and interesting forums, welcomed by Oireachtas Director Liam O Maoladha, who descibed Irish Language Drama as an indispensable aspect of Irish culture..

"It is vital that we keep this dramatic torch burning brightly, as a way of exploring, expressing and entertaining ourselves," Liam said.

Oireachtas 2016 certainly gave the impression that all of its disciplines, and not just drama, will continue to burn brightly for some time.
Snake charming may not be a tradition that Kerry is known for but some of our school children at least can now count themselves as qualified worm charmers.

By jumping up and down and playing tin whistle, pupils at Killahan NS in Abbeydorney managed to charm six earthworms to the surface.

And it was all part of a new science initiative that sees them play a leading role in a new educational series to be published in the Irish Independent.

Killahan pupils will be featured in the third book of the new weekly Science Apprentice series in the paper.

As part of it, the children had a busy two days filled with various workshops creating, observing, experimenting and recording for the Food and Health issue.

The series of books has been created by UCD and are supported by Science Foundation Ireland to encourage children and adults to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the world around us.

The students spent the first day learning about the building blocks of food and examined 3D-printed roots to learn how they spread through the ground. The class then visited Paddy Costello's farm in Lixnaw to learn about dairy cattle and the grass they eat before visiting the Kerry Group plant in Listowel where they used cream to make their own butter.

"The Science Apprentice book series is a great resource for teachers interested in inquiry-based approached to STEM teaching and learning," senior DCU lecturer in Science Education at the Centre for the Advancement of STEM Teaching and Learning, Dr Cliona Murphy, said. The third issue is out this Saturday, November 12 and is available in schools and as a supplement with the Irish Independent in Tesco Stores nationwide.
Parents of 17 secondary school children in Annascaul have accepted Bus Eireann's offer of a 15 weekly ticket for the rest of the academic year.

Kerry TD Brendan Griffin, a member of the cross-party School Transport Review Group, said parents are pleased with the offer, but attention has now turned to 2017/18.

The development follows months of wrangling. On August 16, days before pupils returned to school, 18 students were chosen by lottery and assigned seats in a Bus Eireann-managed minibus to Tralee at a cost of 350 for the school year.

Another 17 students travelling to Tralee were left without concessionary bus tickets. They could travel to school by public bus, but at a far higher cost.

Bus Eireann defended its decision at the time, saying "Annascaul students reside closer to Castlegregory's post-primary school. The availability of concessionary transport may vary from year to year. It's not available on public scheduled services and can't be guaranteed for the duration of a child's post primary school education cycle."

Parents later rejected an improved offer of 20 weekly tickets for the public bus on the grounds that it was still far more expensive than a concessionary ticket. That price was later installed regardless.

Speaking to The Kerryman, Deputy Griffin said "Annascaul's situation is unique. It's in Dingle's catchment area, but it's not in the Gaeltacht, making Tralee schools more attractive to Annascaul students than the all-Irish Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne. There is also little tradition of Annascaul students attending Castlegregory's Mean Scoil and Leith Triugh."

Deputy Griffin added that Annascaul school transport has long caused headaches for parents, and said a permanent resolution needs to be reached.

"These problems aren't new. A 15 weekly ticket is acceptable for this year, but it's another temporary measure. We need to know what's happening for 2017/18 and beyond."
With the Government widely seen to have capitulated in a desperate last minute attempt to stop last Friday's Garda strike, Enda Kenny's administration now seems to be adopting a hard line stance with teachers in the ASTI.

The tough line with teachers appears to be as much about saving face as it is about saving the rapidly unravelling Lansdowne Road Agreement amid a torrent of new claims from the public sector unions.

Whether the Government will be successful in its attempt to fend of the unions remains to be seen but, in the ASTI's case at least, it looks set to be a long, hard and bitter battle.

So far the early points look to have gone to the Government with Richard Bruton managing to successfully spin the narrative that the strike was over ASTI teachers' simple refusal to work the 33 additional hours other public sectors staff agreed to under the Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements.

The truth of the matter - which is yet to really filter into the public debate - is more complex. The crux of the issue, as far as ASTI members are concerned, is that the Government reneged on a promise to restore payments for supervision and substitution duties in order to try and force them to accept the terms of the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

Where the big problem lies for the ASTI is in terms of public support. While a majority of the public appeared supportive of the union's strike over equal pay for new teachers - an easy concept for a union to sell - the dispute over the supervision payments is more complex and much harder to explain to a sceptical public

So far the Government is doing a better job selling its line to the media. An extra hurdle for the ASTI in winning the battle for public sympathy is that - unlike say gardai, doctors or nurses - most people, having attended school, think they know exactly what a teacher's job entails.

At time of print there was no sign of the stand-off being resolved. The longer the strike rumbles on and schools remain closed, the more support for the ASTI will wane.

What this will do for the ASTI members' resolve remains to be seen. The Government will be praying that it breaks the back of the teachers' morale but it could have the opposite effect.

The ASTI has seen what the garda unions achieved by forcing the Government into a corner and so it may escalate action. If, for example, the Leaving Cert itself was threatened with cancellation, could the Government be forced to roll over?

Though the public may not back the teachers, they will have powerful support from the other public sector unions who are now fighting for new deals like those won by the Gardai.

Enda Kenny may not want to admit it but the Lansdowne Road Agreement is dead in the water and a new deal must be negotiated.

If the Government sees off the ASTI challenge, it will mean all public sectors unions could be seriously weakened when talks on the successor to Lansdowne begin. None of the unions will want that to happen and, as such, they will surely back the ASTI.

The twin crises of the Garda and teachers strikes could have been resolved months ago but the Government failed to recognise just how serious the situation was. Now that they have belatedly realised the seriousness of the situation let us hope that calmer heads prevail. None of us - especially students - can afford for this strike to be a long, drawn out process.
Photographed at the presentation to Fr Shay Cullen of the Hugh O Flaherty Humanitarian Award in The Killarney Avenue on Saturday night, were front row from left, Deirdre O Reagan, Senator Paul Coughlan, recipient Fr Shay Cullen, Mayor Brendan Cronin and Pearl Dineen. Back row, Jerry O Grady, Deirdre Walton, Grainne Kenny, Matt Moran, Claire Carey, Greg Canty, Christine Harrington, John O Reagan, Maureen O'Sullivan and Fr. Pat Rahilly. Photograph by Sally MacMonagle

In a moving speech in Killarney last Saturday, Fr Shay Cullen accepted the Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty Humanitarian Award "on behalf of all who work and risk their lives to defend the oppressed, and victims of human rights violations".

The award creates awareness of Kerry Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty's deeds during the Second World War, when he and his colleagues in the Rome Escape Line saved thousands of people in Nazi-occupied Rome. Dublin-born Fr Cullen, a Columban missionary based in the Philippines, was named as the 2016 recipient of the award over the summer.

In 1974, he co-founded the Philippines-based PREDA Foundation, which now has more than 60 professional staff. The group rescues sexually abused children from prisons, brothels, and traffickers, and provides them with care.

"This award is a statement that all life is precious, that every person is of great value and has invaluable dignity. Everyone is worth saving," Fr Cullen said.

"Silence is consent in the face of human rights abuse. We have to take a stand and speak out for life and against death. If you look at what's happening in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, the commitment and saving action of Monsignor Hugh is needed today more than ever."

He went on to praise Ireland for its commitment to relocate and resettle 4,000 refugees but said more can be done 'to help those fleeing oppression, war and dire poverty.'

"Our depth of compassion, empathy and self-sacrifice calls us to rise and meet challenges like Hugh O'Flaherty did," Fr Cullen said. "He reached out in Rome and saved 6,500 people. We can do no less wherever we are, whoever we are."

Chairperson of the Hugh O'Flaherty Memorial Committee, Jerry O'Grady, described Fr Cullen as someone who 'has given his life to protecting the rights of oppressed and exploited children.

"He has fearlessly challenged those who were not prepared to shoulder their responsibilities, including local and national governments" he added.

The memory of Monsignor O'Flaherty was also honoured by students, as the Hugh O'Flaherty School Literary Competitions attracted entries from around Kerry and neighbouring counties.

The winning Primary School essay was penned by Sean Thibeaud, who opined 'Monsignor Hugh's heroism shines through this young boy's eyes and thoughts. God Has no Country - there are no borders in life, so why should there be walls?'

Sean's school, Ardfert National School, also took the prize for Best Collective Entries.

Students in Second Level Schools were invited to submit a poem on the theme of humanitarianism, and Donagh McMahon of Mercy Mounthawk's beautiful effort, 'Man's Achilles Heels,' was judged the winner.

Organisers praised Donagh for his composition, saying 'the effort and work he put in to finding the right words, and the remarkable range and use of vocabulary throughout, makes this poem stand out."

Donagh will be presented the Fr Pat Horgan Perpetual Trophy for Poetry at the prize-giving ceremony in Killarney Library at 11.00am today (Wednesday).

On a weekend that remembered Hugh O'Flaherty, Fr Cullen brought events to a close with a beautiful ending to his speech:

"On this planet, my friends, we are all one. We can make this a better world today, and for the next generation."
Institute of Technology Tralee's capital reserves are at risk of running out in the coming years according to a new report by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

The HEA financial review of Ireland's 13 institutes of technology also states that the Tralee college has seen a 10 per cent reduction in state funding since 2011.

In the report - which was published late last week - the HEA says that ITT and four other ITs have experienced a rapid depletion of their capital reserves and that there is a growing risk of that source of funding running out in the coming years.

ITT says it has enough cash reserves for three years.

However, the HEA report pointed out that projected annual income at ITT is expected to increase from 29.2 million this year to approximately 33.2 million by the end of 2020.

The college was also praised for its "innovative" approaches to generating income, in particular its partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons in running a foundation programme for medical students. ITT's generation of six percent of its income from overseas students was also noted favourably.

The HEA panel said the college has "ambitious" plans to increase its income further though extensive engagement with schools; the growth of the successful medical foundation programme and the expansion of its part time and apprenticeship offerings.

A note of caution was struck over ITT's forecast growth in student numbers. The HEA said, for demographic reasons, ITT's predictions about future enrolments were "questionable".
ASTI members outside Mounthawk Sec School in Tralee in front of the locked gates. Photo by Domnick Walsh

Up to 8,000 students across almost 20 secondary schools in Kerry are still unsure of when they'll be able to return to school, after ASTI president Ed Byrne said yesterday (November 8) that a resolution between sides in the ongoing pay dispute is 'as far away as ever'.

The Association of Secondary School Teachers in Ireland engaged in a second one-day strike over the issue of equal pay for recently qualified teachers on Tuesday, with further strike days scheduled for November 16, 24, 29 and 7.

Closures are to continue indefinitely for most Kerry secondary schools over a related dispute, after ASTI teachers withdrew from supervision and substitution duties.

ASTI representative for Kerry, west Limerick and northwest Cork, Matt O'Connor told The Kerryman that secondary teachers involved in the dispute are willing to teach, and continue to be present for work.

"Teachers are willing to teach, they want to teach, but the Department won't allow them to do so on health and safety grounds; schools cannot open if teachers do not agree to supervise.

"Some schools, like the Intermediate School Killorglin, have been able to continue with extra-curricular activities and will bring Leaving Cert students in for classes as normal on Wednesday [November 9]. But, regrettably, many schools can't, depending on their individual situation," he added.

The ISK school manager is able to operate the contingency measures as he is not a member of the ASTI, The Kerryman understands.

Under the Haddington Road agreement, the Government pledged to pay two sums of almost 800 to secondary teachers for supervision and substitution in September of this year. These sums have not been paid.

The Government's stance arises from an ASTI decision to stop working extra hours under the Croke Park pay deal - hours that the Government says were a permanent commitment. The ASTI argues that the requirement to work the additional Croke Park hours ended after it rejected the subsequent Lansdowne Road agreement.

Like all ASTI-member principals, St Joseph's Secondary in Ballybunion principal John O'Donovan said he was left with no option but to close the school as he was given no 'derogation' - or exemption - by the union to cover substitution and supervision; unlike in 2002 when such a derogation was granted.

"Even if the ASTI granted a derogation in the morning there is still the issue of pay as a Department circular was issued to all teachers notifying them they would be withdrawn from the payroll if they didn't sign a contract saying they were available to teach and to supervise."

It's an issue boards of management at affected schools are deeply concerned over as they could be liable for payment as a result.

"Our hands are completely tied. Teachers want to come in and teach the children but we can't open now for health and safety reasons," Mr O'Donovan said.

Meanwhile, Tarbert Comprehensive TUI-member principal Richard Prendiville is able to operate the school as normal from Wednesday in one of the few schools of its kind to be able to do so.

"We're in the fortunate and probably unique position of being able to operate largely as normal from Wednesday having recruited external supervisors in accordance with the contingency measures laid down," Mr Prendiville told The Kerryman. He is able to do so as a TUI member not subject to the ASTI action in a school that's split 50/50 in dual union membership.

However, Mr Prendiville said that sick days heading into flu weather might yet force Tarbert to change its position if the dispute continues.
Donald Trump is among the most controversial figures in international politics, and his campaign for the US Presidency has never been less than manic.

Amidst all the craziness, even a few Trump detractors have praised his sons and daughters on their manner throughout the campaign - in comparison to Dad, they've been exceptionally well-behaved.

But perhaps a couple of Irish nannies, including a Kerry woman called Bridget Carroll should get some of the credit for that, and not 'The Donald'.

Bridget lived and worked for many years at 721 Fifth Avenue, New York - better known as Trump Tower - and she's been described by observers as a grounding influence in the lives of Trump's children.

Political author Joshua Kendall said that a good deal of their solidness comes from the fact 'he wasn't around when they were very young, and their early bonding was with nannies, who, by all accounts, were very nice.'

He's not alone in that opinion. Speaking to The Kerryman from New York this week, columnist Michael Daly - a scathing critic of Trump - said 'two remarkable Irish nannies' played a pivotal role in the Trump family's formative years.

"One of the nannies is from Cavan and still lives in New York, but Kerry's Bridget Carroll passed away some years ago," Daly said.

"The older Trump kids were brought up by their nannies, their mother Ivana, and their maternal grandparents; if the kids turned out alright, thank the people who raised them!"

The kids themselves have acknowledged the role Bridget played in their lives.

On a visit to Ireland in 2014, Trump's sons Donald Jr and Eric stated that the two Irish nannies raised them, and said 'we heard more about Ireland than any other country.'

Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka, dedicated her 2009 autobiography to the Kerry woman's memory, and lavished praise on Bridget throughout the book.

At one point she labelled her the person 'who influenced me most outside of my parents,' and described Bridget's death as one of the toughest moments of her life.

"I think if Trump Senior had been brought up by an Irish nanny, I don't think he'd be the Donald Trump we all know today," Daly joked.

"I have ties to County Cork, but even I'm happy to admit Bridget Carroll did well!"
More than 5,000 was raised at a festival which is in danger of being discontinued.

The committee of the Adamstown Harvest Festival, all of whom are relatively elderly, have decided that this year's festival is the last one that they will organise.

However they are hopeful that a younger committee will get on board to keep the festival up and running.

Committee member Ellie Walsh said that the festival itself and the cheque presentation had been a great success. Last week the committee handed over the proceeds of the day, a total of 5,364, to Sr Helen Delaney.

Sr Helen, a native of Adamstown, is a missionary nun in Uganda. She has worked in Africa for the majority of the last 40 years with the Medical Missionaries of Mary and for the last number of years she has been based in rural Uganda.

She has undertaken a huge number of projects ranging from agriculture to education to medical assistance.

Ellie said that since the Adamstown Harvest Festival was established 15 years ago a total of 121,330 has been raised by the committee. Of this 84,430 has been donated to St Helen and her charity work while the remaining 36,900 was donated to 16 local charities.
It's 20 years since the Sligo MABS was first set up, providing free advice and help to people struggling with debt. Short for money and advice budgeting service, there are 60 MABS located around Ireland, providing vital help to people with financial problems.

Joe Nevin is a Money Advice Co-ordinator in the Sligo office, which is located at Carbury House, Fish Quay. He says they see all walks of life come through their doors seeking advice.

"There's been plenty of changes since we were first established twenty years ago. I'm here with MABS for nine years and even in that space of time, there's been many changes.

"A lot of our work now is in the courts, dealing with repossessions. Our core work is personal debt, small business debt, where self employed businesses go belly up, and mortgages.

"We cover all types of debt and the biggest one for us at the moment is mortgages, people's homes. A lot of people have been in difficulty since the recession and our job is to reach out to people and help them in whatever way we can."

Joe explained that all debts be it credit card, money lenders, revenue are dealt with by MABS.

"We give people background advice and also act on their behalf with creditors too."

There is also a community advice role that MABS plays a big part of in Sligo, meeting various target groups, giving discussions and being vocal in the community.

"This is an area we hope to get back into more as we are doing a lot of work firefighting rather than dealing with the outreach community."

In terms of last year, Sligo MABS took on 332 new clients. "It's a lot of people when you look at it," Joe admitted. "The recession had a huge effect on numbers, people were in dire difficulty and we saw a change, our work became more to do with mortgages and our role in courts."

An expansion this year sees MABS being recognised nationally as the Gateway to Debt Advice.

In terms of whether or not people are struggling less financially in recent times, Joe says that he hasn't seen a drop off as such.

"There may have been a slight drop off the last couple of years but it appears to be rising again.

"I wouldn't say there has been a drop off, lots of our clients are in difficulty financially still," he adds.

"When people come to our door, we deal with them immediately, we are there for everyone and all walks of life seek our assistance. We do an assessment with the person and then take it from there."

It costs 300,000 to run MABS on a yearly basis and it is funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board.

As well as Joe, there are two full-time money advisors and a dedicated mortgage arrears advisor working in MABS.

"We primarily cover Sligo and the border towns around the area," Joe says.

They are planning on marking their 20th anniversary this Friday afternoon between 12pm and 2pm in their office in Carbury House.

"We will have local groups that we work alongside here in the community. It's about celebrating twenty years helping the people of Sligo in whatever way we can," Joe adds.

He said it's also hoped people are more aware of the services MABS provide and they can be contacted regarding any queries people have.

"One to one consultation is provided in our offices which are open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.

"For further information drop into the Sligo Office in Carbury House, Fish Quay, Sligo, telephone 0761 07 2730 or email us at sligo@mabs.ie.

"You may also contact our MABS National Helpline at Lo call 0761 07 2000 Monday to Friday 9am-8pm or log on to www.mabs.ie."

The service is staffed by professional Money Advisors, Accredited Approved Intermediaries, a Dedicated Mortgage Arrears Adviser and Court Mentors who are there to help or support you to deal with your mortgage arrears and your debt problems.
The Chinese Ambassador Dr Yue Xiaoyong visited County Hall last Tuesday with a number of officials.

The Ambassador was accompanied by Head of Political and Press affairs, Mr. Walter Pan, and the PA to the Ambassador Mr WeiYang.

Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council, Cllr Hubert Keaney, welcomed the guests to County Hall and said it was a privilege to have him there.

Cllr Keaney added: "Engagements such as this can be the catalyst for a range of projects and initiatives, and it will also encourage us to explore Chinese history, tradition and culture.

"In recent years we have developed a very close association with friends from Gansu Province, who have visited Sligo on three occasions, most recently in June of this year.

"In 2006 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed committing both parties to facilitate friendly exchanges between Sligo and Gansu," Cllr Keaney said. Ambassador Hue thanked the Cathaoirleach and said the purpose of his visit was to enhance the friendship and between Sligo and China.
Plans for upgrade works along the busy N17 are now suspended according to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

The news was revealed at yesterday's meeting of Sligo County Council and was met by anger from Cllrs Margaret Gormley and Seamus Kilgannon.

Cllr Gormley had queried what the situation was regarding the N17 and was informed by Director of Services Tom Kilfeather that the scheme was suspended.

Cllr Gormley said: "In relation to national roads and major schemes, it seems every road in the country seems to be mentioned except the N17. It seems to have gone off the radar completely and I'm concerned. This route was selected 15 years ago, back in 2001 and now there is no mention about it at the top table.

"It is a major route that is very beneficial to Sligo town and the whole area of south Sligo," Cllr Gormley pointed out.

"I'm asking for a report to put it back on the agenda again."

Cllr Kilgannon added: "I couldn't agree more with Cllr Gormley about this. It's an absolute disgrace that nothing is being done. We are going to have to continue to highlight this. At the beginning we were told the N4 and the N17 were going to be done under the one contract and now there is no mention about the N17. We hope that our national representatives will take note," Cllr Kilgannon added.

Tom Kilfeather, Director of Services, said that the scheme was no longer on the agenda of the TII.

He said: "I don't know what to say, the scheme is suspended. That is the official line of the TII.

"If we are to send a report it will be a very short report. There is no appetite from the TII in relation to the N17 scheme. They say they have enough in the pipeline at the moment in relation to Sligo. We can make up a report and submit it to the TII." the Director of Services added.

Cllr Gormley responded: "We need to push it from here and we need our national representatives to push it too. We can't see the N17 neglected. This council has done more that any other authority regarding reports and anytime we sent a report to the NRA it came back looking for something else, it's not good enough," Cllr Gormley maintained.

She said the county of Sligo needed fair play and the roads authority didn't seem to show any interest in the N17 scheme.

"If they don't have the appetite, but we do," she added.

Cllr Kilgannon said that he is well aware of the issues surrounding the route. "I have an interest in this road as it's the area where I'm from and I travel it regularly.

"As a National Primary route it is the most dangerous in the country and I've highlighted this. Now the N17 seems to have been completely shot down.

"If the impetus was to start now it would be a long time before any works are carried out.

"People representing the area at national level should hang their heads in shame, they have neglected this project.

"I hope this will be highlighted in the local press as this route is highly, highly dangerous," Cllr Kilgannon said.
Almost 400,000 will be spent on four Sligo towns and villages under a Government plan to help spread the economic recovery.

Enniscrone, Ballisodare, Grange and Tubbercurry will each receive 95,000 under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, according to Deputy Tony McLoughlin.

"The funding awarded to Sligo is being used for a wide variety of projects, identified by Sligo County Council, in conjunction with local community groups and businesses in Co. Sligo.

"These include improving playgrounds and footpaths, tourism amenities, public art pieces and a wide range of works to improve the streetscape and public realm of towns and villages nationwide, to help make towns and villages in Co. Sligo more attractive and more sustainable places in which to live and work," he said.

Enniscrone will use the money to enhance the pier, Castle Field and Hollow areas. Ballisodare will enhance the village and community park. Grange will improve pedestrian safety and car parking while Tubbercurry will improve their playground and streetscape.
A Government TD is set to visit Sligo as fears over the impact of Brexit on border counties grows.

The impact on the fall of Sterling on trade in border counties has also been highlighted by Sligo businessman Finbarr Filan at a conference to discuss Brexit in the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham.

The day long All Island Civil Dialogue Conference on Brexit focused on the potential impact by the triggering of Brexit on Irish businesses and featured speakers from a broad range of disciplines including politics, commerce and economics

A large number of business people from the border counties were in attendance and in this capacity, Mr Filan participated in discussion with An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Ministers Simon Coveney, Frances Fitzgerald, Charlie Flanagan and the Louth TD, Fergus O'Dowd.

Commenting on the event, Mr Filan, who represented Sligo Chamber of Commerce said: "I was interested in the tone of the presentations and discussions.

"There was a lot of emphasis on the possible positive benefits to Ireland in two or three years time - however here in a border county, we need a focus on the immediate and present situation," he said.

Topics raised by Mr Filan to those in the various groups included the imbalance in regional development and lack of foreign direct investment and the effect of the fall in sterling on trade in the border region.

An Taoiseach stated to Mr Filan that he has instructed Deputy Fergus O'Dowd to work directly with the border counties to begin actively working on a plan to address Brexit.

Mr Filan invited Mr O'Dowd to Sligo in November.

As arrangements for the meeting are underway, it is the intention to have Mr O'Dowd, who has responsibility for working with the counties most affected by Brexit, to meet local Sligo business people and begin preparing for possible impact from the triggering of Article 50.
Students in their jerseys at Sing for Syria in East Glendalough school, Wicklow

Transition year students from East Glendalough School ran a 'Jersey Day' with a difference last Friday to raise funds for Syria in conjunction with the Wicklow Syria Appeal.

A 'Sing for Syria' busking session was held at lunch time in the school assembly hall and captured the attention of the entire school, both students and teachers alike.

The transition year students wrote their own song to remind people of Wicklow's 2003 Special Olympics connection with Syria.

The song also touched upon the troubles currently plaguing the country and was performed live in front of an appreciative audience.

Students and teachers performed their own individual songs also.

The group Wicklow Syria Appeal was established as a result of the 2003 twinning of Wicklow town with Syria in the Special Olympics held in Ireland that year.

The jersey day was organised in light of the devastating events taking place in Syria.

Similar jersey days were also held at other schools.

The combined efforts of the students and teachers of East Glendalough School raised over 500 for the Syria appeal.

The Wicklow Syria Appeal will be organising other fundraisers in the coming months.
Dogs are social creatures. Part of the general daily care of pet dogs involves ensuring that their social needs are met. Sometimes this is done by simply giving a single dog plenty of one-to-one attention with humans in the home, as well as meeting other dogs on walks. In other cases, two or more dogs are kept in the same home, socialising with one another all the time.

I've often debated which is best: to keep one dog or more than one, in the same house?

When a dog is kept as a singleton, it means that the human family in the household become the most important part of the dog's social life. Such animals tend to be more human focussed, and sometimes this can result in a more intense bond between the dog and his owners. This can be positive, but there can be negative aspects: such animals are more prone to separation anxiety, getting upset if they're ever left on their own.

When dogs are kept in pairs or small groups, they often have busy, intricate social lives with one another, meaning that there's sometimes less of a human-animal focus in the household. This is generally not a major issue: the dogs still see humans as part of their wider social group. Perhaps a analogy might be to think about a single child family household compared with a family with several children: the psychology of such situations has distinct differences. A similar effect is seen in single dog versus multiple dog households. It's different, but that doesn't mean that it's better or worse.

In general, multiple dog households mean that the dogs have busier social lives with their own species, and if the humans all go out, they aren't left on their own, so separation anxiety isn't such a big issue. I suspect that , on average, dogs enjoy life more to have other dogs around for most of their lives, but this rule doesn't apply to every case.

One challenge of multiple dog households is the risk of social interactions turning negative. While dogs generally enjoy spending time together, playing and resting with one another, there are occasions where conflict can occur. And in the dog world, conflict can mean serious fighting, which can result in life threatening injuries.

The dog in the photo, Alfie, is a recent victim of conflict between dogs, and there are lessons to be learned from his story. He's just two months old: he's an adorable cross between a Sharpei and a lurcher. He's moved into a house with two older dogs, and one of them, a twelve year old German Shepherd called Molly, was finding it difficult to tolerate the constant pestering of a puppy.

Alfie, like any pup, is full of energy, and he kept jumping up at Molly, nipping at her feet, jostling her and generally being irritating. Molly had growled at him a few times to warn him to leave her alone, but as a young pup, he still didn't understand the full repertoire of dog communications. As a result, he ignored Molly's growls, and he kept niggling her. Molly's owner was watching the situation, keeping an eye on them, but she had to leave the room for a few moments. Alfie must have chosen this time to launch another playful leap on Molly, and this time, she'd had enough. She snapped at Alfie, clamping her large jaws around his head.

Alfie howled in pain, and his owner came rushing back in to find out what was going on. Alfie was lying on the ground, with bite marks on his head, still howling in pain. Molly, a good-natured dog, had retreated to the far side of the room, and she looked sheepish, as if she knew she had done something wrong. She hadn't meant to badly hurt the pup: if she had chosen to, she could have killed him. She just wanted to let him know, in no uncertain terms, that she wanted him to leave her alone.

Alfie had to be rushed to the vet to have his injuries assessed: luckily, he hadn't suffered a fractured skull or other serious internal injuries. He responded well to pain relief and anti-inflammatory medication, returning to his usual boisterous self over a couple of days.

Molly's attack did teach Alfie a lesson: he's now much more respectful of her, leaving her in peace. His owner is keeping a close eye on the situation too, and by chance, she's moving to a new home soon, so Molly and Alfie won't need to share a home for much longer.

In most cases, dogs prefer to live in peace with one another, and after a few scuffles, they settle into a routine where they don't bother each other. Rarely, repeat fights keep happening, and I have known a few instances where one dog has had to be rehomed to prevent recurrent serious injuries.

There are some simple rules that can help avoid conflict in a multiple dog household. Situations that predispose to fighting can be avoided if dogs are known to fight each other. They should be fed in different rooms, as food. is often a flash point When there is general excitement in the house (such as visitors arriving at the door), again, the dogs should be put into different rooms. And all dogs should be given plenty of exercise, so that they don't have pent up energy that will make them more likely to get into trouble.

With care and planning, multiple dog households can be peaceful dog havens.
Sarah Good and Doug Leonard of Virtus Fitness with El Fegan (centre) at the summit of Lugnaquilla

County Down lady El Fegan passed through Glenmalure on her County High Point Charity Challenge quest for Alzheimers.

Her mission is to reach the summit of 26 high points in Ireland, including two additional climbs, spanning all 32 counties.

Last year she set herself the challenge of climbing Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland's highest peak, for 30 days straight, raising 3,358.14 for Aware.ie.

This year El will be raising money for Alzheimers, starting and finishing with Slieve Donard. She has 28 days to climb all 28 peaks.

To make life that bit more difficult for herself, El will also wear a weighted vest on any peak less than 500m in order to greater challenge herself.

For her Lugnaquilla climb, El was joined by Doug Leonard and Sarah Good, the co-owners of Virtus Fitness at South Quay in Wicklow town.

The pair accompanied and guided El safely to the summit point of her Wicklow leg.

El said: 'It was lovely to have the company of Doug and Sarah on Lugnaquilla. The majority of the quest has been solo and unaided with no compass or maps, so there were no better two people to guide me on my way.'

'I am really looking forward to taking on this charity challenge, it is an exciting adventure for me, a chance to explore our beautiful Island, meet new people, as well as an amazing opportunity to raise funds and awareness along the way,' she said.
Black Widow Catherine Nevin is believed to have been diagnosed with a brain tumour and told she only has months to live.

The 65-year-old is currently been treated at the Mater Hospital.

It's understood that Nevin told fellow inmates that she was feeling 'stressed' and was suffering from severe headaches.

She was taken to the Mater Hospital before receiving her diagnosis, when she was informed that the growth is inoperable.

It is believed that the brain tumour is considered very serious and there is nothing doctors can do for her.

She will travel back and forth between the Mater Hospital and the Dochas Women's Prison over the coming months.

While in hospital, a prison officer will be stationed outside her room as she will still be classed as a prisoner.

Nevin had been spotted out on temporary release over recent months.

She had also been taking part in a new college course in Maynooth University.

The Irish Prison Service said it 'does not comment on individual prisoners.'

Her husband, Tom Nevin, was shot dead in Jack White's pub, near Brittas Bay, in March of 1996 while counting the day's takings.

In August of 2000, she was convicted on three charges of soliciting others to murder Tom, following one of the most high-profile trials in the history of the State.

After 42 days of trial, a jury convicted her and she was jailed for life.

She lost an appeal against her conviction in 2003.

In 2010, she also lost an application to have her conviction declared a miscarriage of justice.

In 2014 a Supreme Court appeal by Nevin against her conviction was dismissed.
The jury in the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick for allegedly misleading auditors about multi-million euro loans has been sent away for a week so that a legal issue can be 'thrashed out'.

Mr FitzPatrick (68) of Whitshed Road, Greystones, has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges of making a misleading, false or deceptive statement to auditors and six charges of furnishing false information in the years 2002 to 2007.

On Friday morning, Judge John Aylmer told the jury that it was not possible to make progress in the case due to an unforeseen issue arising.

He told the jurors that it was always anticipated that there would be three significant periods where legal issues would have to be 'thrashed out' by lawyers in their absence.

He said the court had now decided to embark on the second of these issues now and that this would take a week.

He asked the jurors to return next Monday, November 14, and thanked them for their patience.

The trial had begun the previous day (Thursday) with Dominic McGinn SC opening the case for the prosecution.

The jury of five men and eight women heard that loans taken out by Mr FitzPatrick, his wife and family members increased from in the region of 10 million in 2002 to around 100 million in 2007. The loans were used to finance development of shopping centres, hotels and offices at a time when a lot of money could be made in property development, Mr McGinn said.

He said that the amount of these loans was 'artificially reduced' for a period of two weeks around the bank's financial end of year statement by short term loans from other sources, including Irish Nationwide Building Society. He said this trial was about the alleged failure by the former director to disclose the extent of his loans to the bank's auditors Ernst & Young, now EY, contrary to the 1990 Companies Act.

Mr McGinn told the jury that Mr FitzPatrick is a qualified chartered accountant and was a director of the bank. He said there was a requirement in law under company law to make declarations about the level of loans made to directors.

These declarations had to be made generally in end of financial year statements and also to the bank's auditors. He said the financial statements were relied on by depositors, investors and borrowers to give a true and accurate picture of the performance of the bank.

Mr McGinn told the jury that as well as getting short term bank loans, the accused would also transfer funds from deposits and saving accounts to temporarily reduce the size of his loans on the Anglo books around their year end date every September.

'The amount of loans were artificially reduced,' he said. Counsel said that the trial was not about loans or about what they were for, but about the statements made about the loans to the auditors.

Mr McGinn said EY required, as part of the auditing process, certain formal representations from the bank's management called letters of representation.These were representations made by and on behalf of the board of Anglo, essentially saying what they had told the auditors was correct and there was nothing else significant the auditors needed to know.

Mr McGinn said the prosecution contention was that it was not enough for those letters of representation to be a 'snapshot' of the position at year end. He said it was the bank's duty to furnish full information about the real picture of the bank's state.

If there was an artificial procedure where amounts of money were removed from the loan portfolio and replaced after year end, then the declarations were false and did not give a real, true and honest picture of the actual loan situation, he said.

Mr McGinn said that the first 21 charges were contrary to section 197 of the Companies Act which made it an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a statement that was misleading, false or deceptive to auditors.

He said the first five counts alleged that Mr FitzPatrick made statements to auditors from 2002 to 2007 that excluded the full extent of the loans he or persons connected to him had taken from Anglo.

The next six counts alleged that he made a statement to auditors that failed to tell them that the temporary arrangements to reduce the loans had been reversed.

Counts 12 to 15 alleged a failure to inform auditors that other banks loans, apart from those temporarily refinanced each September, had also not been disclosed.

Counts 16 to 21 alleged that Mr FitzPatrick made a statement to auditors that failed to refer to the temporary arrangement of loans from Irish Nationwide Building Society to him every September between 2002 to 2007.

The final six charges were contrary to Section 242 of the Companies Act 1990 and alleged that Mr FitzPatrick furnished false information as to the aggregate loans of directors at the bank's year end for the same period.

Mr McGinn told the jury that it was the State's case that because the aggregate loan figure was arrived at as a result of the temporary refinancing arrangement, the figure was inaccurate as to the actual true position at year end and was false or misleading.

He told the jury that Mr FitzPatrick was entitled to a presumption of innocence, which was a fundamental cornerstone. He said that it was not enough for the jurors to think that 'he is probably guilty'.

The prosecution intends to call 75 witnesses including Matt Moran and Tiarnan O'Mahoney who worked at the now-defunct bank. Alan Dukes, the former chairman of Anglo's successor bank, IBRC, will also be called.

The case was listed to run for 12 weeks and was scheduled to finished before Christmas. A specially enlarged jury panel with 15 members was sworn in to hear the lengthy case in late September.

Since then, the trial has spent weeks in legal argument and two jurors have already been excused from the case for work and personal reasons.
Wicklow Rapid Response has expanded its service to off-duty paramedics following the generous sponsorship of a new Physio-Control Lifepak AED by Canada Life Reinsurance.

The vital life-saving equipment, which was supplied by Oxygen Care in Kilmacanogue, was recently handed over to Wicklow Rapid Response (WWRR) by the company.

The voluntary pre-hospital emergency critical care group will now be able to expand the number of emergency calls it responds to. WWRR will use this AED to support off-duty National Ambulance Service practitioners who voluntarily respond to cardiac arrests in Co Wicklow.

The news has been warmly welcomed by the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, who said that he was 'delighted' that WWRR was in a position to expand its services.

'Wicklow Rapid Response does brilliant work in our community and is a vital support for the National Ambulance Service. I wish to commend everyone involved and thank them for their great work in the Wicklow community,' said the Minister.

Over the past 12 months, WWRR has voluntarily responded to over 170 calls in Co Wicklow and beyond on behalf of the National Ambulance Service, including 28 cardiac arrests resulting in seven survivors.

WWRR is proud to support all tiers of emergency first response in Co Wicklow and hopes to be able to provide additional AEDs in the future, in addition to maintaining the voluntary critical care doctor service provided thanks to the Skoda Rapid Response Vehicle, which has been sponsored by Sinnott Autos.

To support the group, text RAPID to 50300 to donate 4.
Wicklow's Mountain Rescue teams had to respond to two separate call-outs within days of one another involving teenagers who injured themselves while out walking with youth groups.

On Sunday, October 30,at 1.50 p.m., the Glen of Imaal Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team and the Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team were requested to come to the aid of a teenage boy who suffered a lower leg injury while descending Camaderry with a youth group.

He was treated at the scene before being placed in a Mountain Rescue 4x4 stretcher capable vehicle.

He was then transported to a waiting ambulance which brought him to hospital for definitive care.

On Thursday, October 27, at around 12.27 p.m., the two teams were alerted to a teenage girl who also sustained a lower leg injury while out with a youth group, this time while on the Spinc in Glendalough.

Mountain Rescue set up Rescue Base near the Upper Lake and sent in a Hill Party to the girl's location. She was treated by an Mountain Rescue Medic before being stretchered to a waiting 4x4 vehicle which brought her down to a HSE Ambulance. She was then transported to hospital for further care.

Mountain Rescue would like to thank all agencies involved in the rescues.

These two most recent operations were the 63rd and 64th call-outs of the year for both mountain rescue teams.
Robert De Niro has backtracked on his threat to punch Donald Trump in the face (AP)

Robert De Niro said he was "depressed" by Donald Trump's election win and urged people to protest against his presidency "if things aren't being done right".

The Oscar-winning actor has been a vocal opponent of Mr Trump, saying he wanted to "punch him in the face" during the election campaign.

At the Los Angeles premiere of his new film, The Comedian, on Friday, De Niro said: "I'm very depressed.

"We have to just wait and see how things go. We have to keep our eyes and (be) ever vigilant on the government."

Asked whether people should protest against Mr Trump, De Niro replied: "Yes absolutely. If things aren't being done right, absolutely."

Anti-Trump protesters staged their third day of demonstrations across America on Friday following the Republican candidate's shock win over Hillary Clinton.

After the election result on Wednesday, De Niro backtracked on his threat to punch the president-elect, telling US chat show host Jimmy Kimmel: "I can't do that now. I have to respect the position."

The Raging Bull star, 73, also compared his feelings about the election result to how he felt after the September 11 terror attacks.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, he said: "I feel like I did after 9/11."

De Niro, who plays an ageing comic in The Comedian, was joined at the premiere by his co-stars Leslie Mann, Danny De Vito and De Vito's daughter Lucy.

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Dame Helen Mirren also attended with her husband Taylor Hackford, who directed the film.

The Comedian, which had its premiere at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre as part of AFI Fest, is released in US cinemas on January 13. A UK release date has not been confirmed.
Prince Harry's girlfriend Meghan Markle is poised to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for the first time this weekend after it emerged she has been staying at Kensington Palace this week.

The American actress was photographed shopping on Kensington High Street in London on Thursday before walking back to the Palace, where she is understood to have spent several days.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who also live at Kensington Palace when they are in London, are spending this weekend in the capital to take part in Remembrance events, giving Prince Harry the perfect opportunity to introduce Miss Markle to his brother and sister-in-law, as well as Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Harry was clearly in a good mood as he stopped to chat to schoolchildren yesterday. Their teaching assistant Emma Shelley, said: "It's great he's got a new girlfriend. He seems very happy and upbeat, which is fantastic. We wholly support it."

Expand Close Prince Harry, left, and Meghan Markle, right / Facebook

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Despite the huge interest shown in the couple, Miss Markle is understood to have been in London for several days before she was spotted.

Sources said she and the Prince had left the Palace several times but managed to slip out unnoticed.

It has been reported that Miss Markle arrived in London on Tuesday, the day Prince Harry released a statement confirming their relationship and appealing for privacy. Miss Markle put out a similar appeal for privacy through her lawyers on the same day.

Kensington Palace refused to say when Miss Markle arrived in the country, or whether she would still be there this weekend.

However, the fact that she has been staying at Kensington Palace less than a fortnight after Prince Harry returned from visiting her home in Canada provides further evidence of how serious their relationship is.

Prince Harry (32) will embark on a two-week tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen on November 20, and clearly could not wait until his return on December 4 to be reunited with Miss Markle.

Expand Close Girlfriend Meghan Markle has spent the week with him at Kensington Palace. Photo: Reuters / Facebook

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Whatsapp Girlfriend Meghan Markle has spent the week with him at Kensington Palace. Photo: Reuters

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The 35-year-old Californian took a break from filming the US legal drama Suits to visit Harry, after reportedly telling her bosses she had "something important to do".

She is expected to return to Toronto to finish filming next week.
India's cash crisis stretched into its third day as ATMs ran dry and people stood for hours in long lines to exchange their now-defunct notes, while a government official said the shortages would continue into December.

India's banks have been caught out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unexpected and widely-praised announcement on Tuesday of the withdrawal of 500-rupee (7) and 1,000-rupee notes, part of a crackdown on tax evasion and the underground economy.

The now-worthless notes account for 86pc of money in circulation, leaving many Indians with little or no cash.

Printing of a new 2,000- rupee note is ongoing, but work has only just begun on the replacement 500 notes, said an official in the Finance Ministry. Banknote shortages are likely to continue into next month, the official added.

Armed soldiers and security officers were deployed outside banks to manage the growing crowds, who have waited patiently to exchange their currency. Banks are restricting withdrawals to 4,000 rupees per person, adding to the cash shortages.

Pushpendra Pankaj, a worker at New Delhi's Municipal Council, said he had been waiting 90 minutes at the Canara Bank branch near Parliament House to exchange his old 500-rupee notes.

He said he had been told that the bank server had crashed, but was prepared to stay in line as he needed money for household expenses.

"It's a good move by the government to curb black money, but it is full of hassles for common people like us," said Mr Pankaj.

Compounding the problem is the need to reconfigure the country's 220,000 cash machines so that they can dispense the new 500 and 2,000-rupee notes, which do not fit into the existing cash trays in the ATMs, according to Navroze Dastur, the managing director for India and South Asia at NCR, which supplies about two-thirds of the country's ATMs. Dastur said it would take "some time" to adjust all the ATMs.

Until then, the machines can dispense only low-denomination 100-rupee notes, which are increasingly in short supply.

The long queues outside India's banks are a sign that the government was ill-equipped to deal with such a huge transition, said Manoj Joshi, a fellow with the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation. "The whole exercise is premised on the fact that you'll be able to implement it quickly and effectively. Governments in India simply don't have that ability."

The central bank in a statement said yesterday that banks had enough cash, though it may take lenders time to revamp the ATMs.

Political rivals of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were relaying images of the chaos on social media. The opposition Congress party tweeted photos of its party workers bringing tea to people standing in queues, while the Bahujan Samaj Party - which is hoping to beat the BJP in upcoming state elections - was tweeting news reports on the long lines outside ATMs.

Axis Bank Ltd, India's third-largest private lender, said it was working on refilling its 13,000 ATMs after they started to run out of cash soon after being loaded up on Wednesday.

"Yesterday, banks ran short of cash around noon," Mr Joshi said. "And we're only talking about Delhi. God alone knows what's happening in other parts of the country."
A dog owner was joined by hundreds of people and their dogs this morning on a last walk for his dog, who will be put down today.

Mark Woods has had his greyhound Walnut for 18 years, and recently made the decision to have Walnut euthanised due to ill health.

He decided to take one last memorable walk on Walnuts favourite beach beforehand, and made the walk special by asking for company  but he had no idea the response he would get.

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Mr Woods, from Cornwall, put a post on Facebook on Tuesday asking local dog owners to join him and Walnut for a last walk: Sadly I am having to have Walnut euthanised on Saturday November 12 and so we will be having a last walk together on his beloved Porth Beach at 9.30am.

Mark Woods says a huge thank you to hundreds of people who turned out to walk with him & Walnut today on their last stroll #walkwithwalnut pic.twitter.com/tbDKfogG70  Heidi Davey (@HeidiDavey) November 12, 2016

We can't be at Porth Beach this morning but are doing a virtual #walkwithwalnut here - with you in spirit pic.twitter.com/B3ToGktJNh  FindingFureverHomes (@NWDogRescue) November 12, 2016

I would love it if dog lovers/owners and friends would join us for a celebration of Walnut on his favourite Porth Beach. He has had an incredible life and having reached the grand age of 18 is ready for his final sleep. Hope to see you on Saturday.

The post was shared over 2,000 times, with dog lovers in the UK and elsewhere expressing sympathy for Mr Woods and Walnut. Hundreds of well-wishers joined the two on Porth Beach today.

Mr Woods thanked those who joined him and Walnut on their walk, saying the response from other dog owners and the media was incredible.

A post on his Facebook page said the messages of support were beautiful and moving and supportive.

Those on the walk posted photos of Walnut and emotional tributes to the greyhounds last day.

Others who couldnt make the walk posted tributes from their homes, or on walks of their own.
The journalist had been working on a series over the failed military coup in Turkey this year

A French news website said one of its journalists has been detained in Turkey.

Les Jours has demanded the release of Olivier Bertrand, who was detained on Friday, along with a Turkish photographer, while conducting an interview in the city of Gaziantep, near the border with Syria.

The photographer was subsequently released.

No reason was given for Mr Bertrand's detention, Les Jours said, and Turkish officials could not immediately be reached for confirmation.

The website said Mr Bertrand was working on a series about the aftermath of Turkey's failed coup in July, which resulted in a massive crackdown on the followers of an Islamic movement blamed for the attempt.

Dozens of journalists have also been detained and hundreds of media outlets shut down as part of the post-coup clampdown.

AP
An emergency EU foreign ministers' meeting called to discuss Donald Trump's shock US election victory has been snubbed by Boris Johnson.

The move highlights the widening gulf between Britain and the continent over how to respond to the new US president-elect after a senior German politician warned Theresa May was "delusional" if she believed the incoming Republican administration would give the UK a good trade deal.

UK Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson, who branded vocal European concern about the US election result as a "whinge-o-rama", was dismissive of the need for a special EU meeting.

A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: "The Foreign Secretary will not attend the meeting convened for Sunday. There is a regular Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday where a range of issues can be discussed in the normal way.

"We do not see the need for an additional meeting on Sunday because the US election timetable is long established. An act of democracy has taken place, there is a transition period and we will work with the current and future administrations to ensure the best outcomes."

The move came as a senior member of German chancellor Angela Merkel's Social Democrat coalition partner, Axel Schafer, said the PM's hope that President-elect Trump will look favourably on the UK will come to nothing.

Referring to the surprise election of Mr Trump, Mr Schafer told The Times: "What changed is the likelihood of a speedy and preferential trade deal between UK and US.

"Even before Tuesday the chances were rather low, now the hope for this kind of deal seems delusional."

In further signs of tensions between the UK and EU, Czech state secretary for European affairs Tomas Prouza warned plans floated at the Tory conference to make companies list foreign workers were "stoking the fires" of anti-immigrant feeling in the UK.

Mr Prouza said the idea was similar to ones seen during the rise of fascism in the 1930s.

He called on Mrs May to "condemn these ideas" as he noted there had been an "enormous" rise in attacks on Czechs in Britain since the June vote to quit the EU.

"I think the performance at the Conservative Party conference was again stoking the fires.

"When you had all these ideas of British companies that would have to report the number of foreigners they employ, maybe even the names of the foreigners they employ, that is very similar to what we have seen on the continent in the 1930s.

"I think we all remember what it led to. So I think we see it as very dangerous, and I was really hoping that Prime Minister May would condemn these ideas very quickly and it's not happened. So that is a worry.

"At the moment we need to support the security of Czechs. We've seen an enormous increase in attacks on Czechs and other foreigners on British soil," he told BBC Radio Four's Analysis programme.

The suggestion by British Home Secretary Amber Rudd that companies should count foreign workers was roundly condemned, forcing the Government to state it would not mean that individual non-British staff would be listed.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker also struck a much tougher stance on Mr Trump than London, stating: "I think that we'll waste time for two years while Mr Trump tours a world that he is completely unaware of.

"We have to teach the new president of the USA what Europe is, and how it works. The trans-Atlantic alliance, and the Nato alliance, is called into question, so it could be quite pernicious.

"With regards to refugees and other non-Americans, Trump has an approach which in no way coincides with the approach in Europe."

The comments came as UK Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said his party would vote against triggering Article 50, which formally launches withdrawal negotiations with the EU, unless there was a guarantee that the final Brexit deal with Brussels is put to a fresh referendum.

The British government is challenging a High Court ruling that Parliament must have the final say on triggering Article 50 with a hearing in the Supreme Court next month, arguing that prerogative powers could be used to trigger the mechanism.
As the dust begins to settle on the fact Donald Trump will replace Barack Obama in the White House early next year, thoughts have turned to the question of what the world might look like with Mr Trump as US president.

So outrageous were Mr Trump's various campaign pronouncements - from his cosying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, to his condoning of torture and his ill-informed bombast about Isil, not to mention his anti-Muslim sentiment - few could decipher much that resembled a coherent foreign policy.

Dubliner Thomas Wright, a specialist of US foreign policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, has parsed Mr Trump's statements on international affairs during his presidential campaign and compared them with his past views to try to build a clearer picture of how the incoming US president sees the world. His conclusions are alarming. As Wright tweeted the week before Americans went to the polls, "Pretty clear this is the most important election anywhere in the world since the two German elections of 1932 . . . No other election has had the capacity to completely overturn the international order - the global economy, geopolitics, etc."

According to Wright, Mr Trump's approach is so heavily isolationist that it is unprecedented for an American president since World War II, and in fact threatens to upend the global order that followed and of which the US was a key architect. He breaks Mr Trump's isolationism down into three elements: scepticism of or opposition to US alliances; opposition to free trade; and a penchant for authoritarianism (as seen in his admiration for Mr Putin among others).

"What's unique about this election is that Mr Trump has a very, very different notion of American foreign policy and [the US's] global role, and would dramatically change US foreign policy if he was elected," Mr Wright told 'The Atlantic' magazine just before the election. "Since the world is essentially organised around American power and American intentions, that would have an enormously disruptive effect."

Wright notes that Mr Trump has argued that Nato's original mission is obsolete and that he believes the US should no longer be involved. If Mr Trump decided to leave Nato, this would essentially mean the end of the alliance, leaving the European states on Russia's hinterland feeling even more vulnerable than they do already, particularly given Moscow's recent posturing. Mr Wright also notes that Mr Trump has a record of opposing deals on free trade.

On the president-elect's fondness for authoritarianism, Mr Wright recalls how he considered former leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev weak, praised the Chinese authorities' brutal snuffing out of the Tiananmen Square protests, and spoke positively about figures like Kim Jong Un and Saddam Hussein. Mr Wright argues that Mr Trump's position on Mr Putin's Russia - which has caused deep unease in foreign policy circles - speaks volumes. Russian officials this week confirmed they had contacts with mr Trump's team during his campaign for the White House.

"That willingness to keep talking about [Russia uncritically] even though he's paying something of a political cost for doing so shows that this is a real belief," Mr Wright told 'The Atlantic'. "He seems to think he's a strong man [and] he wants to deal with other strong men- to essentially cut deals and run the world...He prefers that to the messiness of an international order, or democracies."

It is little surprise then that the first world leader to contact Mr Trump to offer congratulations was Egyptian president and former army officer Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who came to power after a military coup ousted the democratically elected Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Next door in Libya, the allies of Khalifa Hiftar, a former Gaddafi-era general with Sisi pretensions who receives military support from Cairo despite a UN arms embargo, have also welcomed Mr Trump's victory. Mr Hiftar has been courting Moscow in recent months, hoping for military assistance from Mr Putin.

Wright also makes the point that the much-vaunted "checks and balances" in the US system of governance - which some have clung to in the belief they will help curb Mr Trump's excesses - mostly apply to domestic policy. "In general the president has much freer scope of action on foreign policy," he said. "[Mr Trump] may become frustrated with domestic policy and may focus on foreign policy, because it's something he actually does care about and also he has more freedom of manoeuvre."

The question of how much of Mr Trump's campaign remarks on foreign policy issues were bluster and how much they indicate how he might engage with the world as president remains unanswered for now. But already there is much to suggest his way of doing things will be very different to what has gone before. And not in a good way.
People gather at Portland City Hall to protest of the election of president-elect, Donald Trump, Friday. (Mark Graves/The Oregonian via AP)

People try to move away from a gas cloud during a protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States in Portland, Oregon, U.S. REUTERS/William Gagan

Thousands of protesters took their frustrations over Donald Trump's election as the next U.S. president onto the streets on Friday and into Saturday in several cities, including Portland, Oregon, where one person was shot.

The unidentified person was wounded on Portland's Morrison Bridge at 12:45 a.m. local time as dozens of protesters crossed it during their demonstration, one of several across the country denouncing Trump's campaign rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims and women.

"Everyone needs to leave the area immediately," police said on Twitter, and they asked witnesses to come forward.

Earlier in the night, protesters blocked traffic and threw objects at police dressed in riot gear who responded with pepper spray and flash-bang devices. At one point, police pushed protesters back and appeared to take at least one person into custody, according to footage on a local NBC affiliate.

Hundreds of protesters marched through the streets of Los Angeles, blocking traffic as they waved signs in opposition of Trump and chanted "We reject the president elect" and "Whose streets? Our Streets".

Several thousand activists marched through downtown Miami, with a few hundred making their way onto a highway, halting traffic in both directions.

Expand Close Protesters march in the street to demonstrate against the election of President-elect Donald Trump in Atlanta, Friday. (AP Photo/David Goldman) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Protesters march in the street to demonstrate against the election of President-elect Donald Trump in Atlanta, Friday. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

In New York, demonstrators again gathered in Washington Square Park and by Trump Tower, where the Republican president-elect lives, on Fifth Avenue.

Trump, who initially denounced Americans who protested against his election, saying they had been "incited" by the media, reversed course and praised them on Friday.

"Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!" Trump said on Twitter.

The tweets were further evidence of Trump's mixed messages since he announced his candidacy 17 months ago. After Democrat Hillary Clinton conceded defeat early on Wednesday, he took a far more conciliatory tone than he had often displayed during his campaign and promised to be a president for all Americans.

CIVIL RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS

Anti-Trump demonstrators have voiced concerns that his presidency, due to start on Jan. 20, would infringe on Americans' civil and human rights.

They cited his campaign promises to restrict immigration and register Muslims, as well as allegations the former reality-TV star sexually abused women.

Protesters in various cities have chanted slogans, including "No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here!" and carried signs reading "Impeach Trump".

White supremacist groups including the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) have praised Trump's election, and some civil rights advocacy groups have reported a spike of attacks on minorities following Trump's victory on Tuesday.

Trump has rejected the KKK's support.

Most of the protests across the country, which have also taken place in Washington, D.C., have been largely comprised of young adults and college students.

With the country evenly divided, many voters were shocked by the result given that opinion polls failed to predict Trump's triumph. The Republican Party also managed to maintain its majorities in both houses of Congress in Tuesday's vote.

More anti-Trump demonstrations were planned for the weekend, including in New York and Los Angeles. A group calling itself "#NotMyPresident" has scheduled an anti-Trump rally for Washington on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, when the New York real-estate developer formally succeeds President Barack Obama.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus acknowledged on Friday the tight race with Clinton, but said anti-Trump protesters have to accept the election results. He pointed to Trump's call for unity and meetings on Thursday with Obama and Republican leaders as reasons for reassurance.

Security barricades now shield some of Trump's most visible properties, including the newly opened Trump International Hotel near the White House and Trump Tower in New York.

Trump's base of support in the election was the broad middle of the country, with voters in states that had long supported Democrats shifting to him after he promised to renegotiate trade deals with other countries.
US president-elect Donald Trump intends to slash corporation tax within his first 100 to 150 days in office, according to his senior economic adviser.

Stephen Moore, who this week claimed a "flood of companies" will leave countries like Ireland as a result of Mr Trump's tax plan, has indicated the reduction in the US corporation tax rate is a top priority.

Mr Moore told 'Newstalk Breakfast' the intention is to reduce the rate companies pay on their profits to 15pc, just above Ireland's 12.5pc rate.

"Ireland will still be lower than the United States, so you will still have a competitive advantage over the United States, but the advantage will be much lower than it is currently," Mr Moore said.

"If we make this change, instead of being significantly higher, you would be slightly higher.

"I think mostly the effect of our business tax reduction will be to keep companies home.

Expand Close Mission High School students Hope Robertson, left, and Cat Larson protest with other high school students in opposition of Donald Trump's presidential election victory in front of City Hall in San Francisco. Photo: AP / Facebook

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Whatsapp Mission High School students Hope Robertson, left, and Cat Larson protest with other high school students in opposition of Donald Trump's presidential election victory in front of City Hall in San Francisco. Photo: AP

"This is going to be one of (Mr Trump's) highest priorities. It's very difficult to get laws passed in America but this is a new administration, he has a mandate to do this from the voters."

But in a toning down of his previous remarks, Mr Moore said Ireland is "very desirable place" to do business.

He also remarked on Ireland's educated labour force - and indicated Mr Trump has his sights more predominantly set on other countries in terms of luring back US firms.

He added: "Our concern isn't so much companies leaving for Ireland as leaving for China and Japan and Mexico and countries like that."

After initial panic in Government circles following the election result, senior ministers yesterday insisted Ireland will not panic.

In a statement, a spokesman for Finance Minister Michael Noonan said it is "not correct" to say US tax reform will damage the Irish economy.

The spokesman said: "It is important to remember that US companies come to Europe and to Ireland for many reasons of which taxation is just one.

"A lower US corporate tax rate will not reduce the need for US companies to have operations in Europe.

"Ireland remains, and will remain, a very attractive location for US businesses to invest in and operate from."

Speaking in Cork, Housing Minister Simon Coveney also insisted Ireland has no reason to panic over president-elect Trump's possible US tax policy changes.

He said: "Companies want to have a foothold in the EU. Ireland will soon be the only English-speaking country in the EU so I wouldn't be panicking about this."

Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said American firms providing jobs in Ireland will continue to use this country as a bridge into the EU single market.

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People gather outside a hospital after hearing news of a bomb blast at a shrine in Pakistan (AP)

The death toll from a bomb blast at a Sufi shrine in south west Pakistan Saturday has risen to 50 people with more than 100 wounded, officials said.

The Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for the suicide attack at the shrine of Sufi saint Shah Bilal Noorani in the south western province of Baluchistan.

Abdur Rasool, an official at the province's home ministry, said rescuers were transporting the wounded to hospitals and the dead to local morgues, but were struggling in the difficult mountainous terrain, some 217 miles south of the provincial capital, Quetta.

The blast targeted worshippers as they were in the throes of their devotional "dhamal" dance, and the courtyard at the time was packed with families, women and children.

The Islamic State group's statement on the IS-affiliated Aamaq news agency said the suicide attack had targeted "Shiites".

The shrine is frequented by both Pakistan's Sunni Muslim majority and Shiite minority. IS considers all Shiite Muslims heretics.

The blast comes ahead of the prime minister Nawaz Sharif's pre-planned trip to the province on Sunday, where he will see off the first Chinese shipping consignment to Africa from Gwadar port.

Baluchistan home minister Sarfaraz Bugti, citing a lack of mobile phone services in the affected area, said the situation will be much clearer in the morning. He said over 500 people were present in the courtyard of the shrine when the blast happened.

Abdul Hakim Lasi, an official with the Edhi Foundations rescue service, said many of the injured were wounded in a panicked stampede after the blast.

One female witness, who was not identified by name, told the GEO television channel that a "big bang" took place in the midst of the dhamal dance in the shrine's courtyard.

"I don't know how I escaped unhurt," she said. "It was like a hell all around."

A doctor at an area hospital told a local television station that the number of wounded being brought in had overwhelmed the hospital's capacity.

"We don't have sufficient space so several people were treated outside on the ground," the doctor said adding that: "Several wounded people have lost limbs."

A military statement said that four army medical teams and 45 army ambulances had been dispatched to the scene to assist.

Last month IS claimed responsibility for an attack in which three Islamic militants stormed a police academy in Quetta, killing 61 people, mostly cadets and trainees. Later, the banned sectarian militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed joint responsibility.

For over a decade, Baluchistan province has been the scene of a low-intensity insurgency by nationalist and separatist groups demanding a bigger share of regional resources.

AP
Protesters stage a rally calling for South Korean president Park Geun-hye to step down in Seoul (AP)

A rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in Seou (AP)

College students wearing masks hold up candles as they march after a rally calling for South Korean president Park Geun-hye to step down (AP)

Hundreds of thousands of people have marched in the South Korean capital Seoul to demand the resignation of president Park Geun-hye.

Police said about 220,000 people turned out for the latest mass rally against Ms Park, whose presidency has been shaken by suspicions she allowed long-standing confidante Choi Soon-sil manipulate power from behind the scenes.

Protest organisers estimated the crowd in the capital to be 850,000 in what may be South Korea's largest protest since it emerged from a dictatorship three decades ago.

A sea of demonstrators jammed streets for more than a mile, stretching from City Hall to a large square in front of an old palace gate, and applauded speeches calling for Ms Park's removal.

Protesters also marched in front of the palace gate and near the Blue House, the mountainside presidential office and official residence, and demanded Ms Park's resignation.

Despite rising public anger, opposition parties have yet to seriously push for Ms Park's resignation or impeachment over fears of triggering a backlash from conservative voters and negatively affecting next year's presidential race.

However, they have threatened to campaign for Ms Park's resignation if she does not distance herself from state affairs.

The protest on Saturday was the largest in the capital since June 10 2008, when police said 80,000 people took part in a candlelight vigil denouncing the government's decision to resume US beef imports amid mad cow disease fears.

Organisers estimated that crowd at 700,000. In the summer of 1987, millions rallied in Seoul and other cities for weeks before the then-military government caved in to demands for free presidential elections.

Train and express bus tickets to Seoul were difficult to obtain from some areas on Friday evening and Saturday morning, with the protest reportedly drawing tens of thousands of people from other cities.

In addition to allegedly manipulating power, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a late cult leader who emerged as Ms Park's mentor in the 1970s, is also suspected of exploiting her presidential ties to bully companies into donating tens of millions of dollars to foundations she controlled.

In an attempt to stabilise the situation, Ms Park said she would let the opposition-controlled parliament choose her prime minister. However, opposition parties say her words are meaningless without specific promises about transferring much of her presidential powers to a new number two.

Moon Jae-in, an MP from the main opposition Minjoo Party who lost to Ms Park in the 2012 presidential election, has called for the president to surrender her authority to command South Korea's military.

The opposition is also demanding a separate investigation into the scandal by a special prosecutor.

Prosecutors have arrested Ms Choi and two former presidential aides who allegedly helped Ms Choi interfere with government decisions and amass an illicit fortune at the expense of businesses.

On Saturday, prosecutors summoned a senior executive of Samsung Electronics, South Korea's largest company, which is under suspicion of spending millions of dollars illicitly financing the equestrian training of Ms Choi's daughter. They had raided the company's headquarters in southern Seoul on Tuesday.

On Friday, prosecutors summoned the chairman of steelmaker Posco over allegations that Ms Choi and her associates tried to forcibly take over the shares of an advertising company previously owned by the firm.

Under South Korea's criminal litigation law, which requires suspects to be either indicted or released within 20 days of their arrest, prosecutors have until November 20 to formally charge Ms Choi.

Ahn Jong-beom, Ms Park's former senior secretary for policy coordination, who allegedly pressured companies into donating large funds to two non-profits Ms Choi controlled, could also be indicted by the end of next week, officials claimed.

There is also a possibility that prosecutors will eventually investigate Ms Park, who said during a televised apology last week that she would accept a direct investigation into her actions.

Under South Korean law, the president has immunity from prosecution except in cases of treason, but she can be investigated.

Ms Park has 15 months left in her term. If she steps down before the end of it, an election must be held within 60 days.

AP
Demonstrators chant slogans in New York during a protest against the election of Donald Trump (AP)

Michael Moore joins demonstrators in New York during a protest against the election of Donald Trump (AP)

President-elect Donald Trump is embarking on the massive undertaking of creating a new administration as a circus-like atmosphere unfolds around his building in Manhattan.

While he has announced one decision - putting Vice President-elect Mike Pence in charge of the transition instead of Chris Christie - Mr Trump must identify other people for top White House jobs and Cabinet posts.

He was apparently trying to sort through names as he holed himself up in Trump Tower and protesters swarmed outside behind barricades protecting the building and ritzy stores along Fifth Avenue.

At one point, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, a liberal critic of Trump who nevertheless had predicted his victory, entered the tower lobby with a camera crew in tow and asked to see Mr Trump.

"I just thought I'd see if I could get into Trump Tower and ride the famous escalator," said Moore, who did just that until he reached the fourth floor and the Secret Service told him he could go no higher.

Moments later, Nigel Farage, the head of the Leave movement that won Britain's vote to exit European Union, also arrived and was allowed up.

Mr Trump frequently links his campaign to the Brexit movement. Mr Farage would not say if he was playing a role in Mr Trump's transition.

For Mr Trump, who ran on a pledge to "drain the swamp" of Washington insiders, the transition team is strikingly heavy on those with long political resumes.

Another apparent contradiction emerged Friday as Mr Trump, who repeatedly vowed to achieve the repeal of President Barack Obama's health care law, said he would be open to maintaining portions of it.

Mr Christie was a loyal adviser to Mr Trump for much of the campaign, offered a key early endorsement and came close to being the businessman's pick for running mate. But Mr Trump ultimately went with Mr Pence, Indiana's governor and a former congressman with Washington experience and deep ties to conservatives, to take the transition forward.

Mr Christie will still be involved in the transition, joining a cluster of other steadfast Trump supporters serving as vice chairmen: former house speaker Newt Gingrich, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and Alabama senator Jeff Sessions.

In addition, three of Mr Trump's adult children - Don Jr, Eric and Ivanka - are on the transition executive committee, along with Jared Kushner, Ivanka's husband. Mr Kushner was an influential adviser in Mr Trump's campaign.

The children's inclusion raised questions Mr Trump's ability to sever ties between the administration and the sprawling family business - after the billionaire repeatedly said during the campaign that his grown children would not follow him to Washington and instead run the Trump Organisation.

Mr Trump told The Wall Street Journal that after speaking with Mr Obama at the White House, he was considering keeping the provision of the health law that allows children to stay on their parents' insurance policies until they turn 26. He said previously he may also keep the prohibition against insurers denying coverage because of patients' existing conditions.

Presidents-elect don't often appoint their running mates to lead their transition team. Mr Trump and Mr Christie grew apart through the last stretch of the campaign.

Among the first decisions facing the president-elect is whom to choose as chief of staff, a key post that will set the tone for Mr Trump's White House and be a main conduit to Capitol Hill and Cabinet agencies.

Mr Trump is said to be considering Steve Bannon, his campaign chairman and a conservative media executive, and Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus for the job. Neither has significant policy experience, though Mr Priebus is well-liked in Washington and has ties with politicians.

Kellyanne Conway, Mr Trump's campaign manager, is also said to be in the mix for a senior job. Ms Conway is a veteran Republican pollster who formed a strong rapport with the candidate after taking the helm of his campaign in the general election.

Mr Giuliani, who emerged as Trump's frequent travel partner and close aide, is on the short list for several positions, including attorney general.

AP
At least 40 civilians have been shot dead and their bodies hung from electricity poles in the Isis-controlled city of Mosul, according to the UN.

The latest crackdown on residents suspected of treason against Isis' so-called caliphate was reported by the UN's Human Rights Commissioner, citing reliable sources within the city.

Another man was reportedly executed in a public square for ignoring Isis' new ban on mobile phones.

The reports are the latest examples of how Isis is growing ever more ruthless in its attempts to suppress signs of rebellion as Iraqi coalition forces advance on Mosul to end the group's two-year occupation of the city.

The UN said that the recent killings were preceded by hastily-organised kangaroo courts in which the defendants were forced to don orange jumpsuits with signs reading "traitors and agents of the ISF" (Iraqi Security Forces) before being sentenced to death for "treason and collaboration". One source cited escaped death by playing dead during one of the mass shootings.

Around 20 more people were also shot dead on Wednesday at Ghabat in the north of the city for supposedly leaking intelligence information to outside sources.

The executions are the latest in a string of atrocities reported by freed civilians.

"The devil himself would be astounded by [Isis'] methods of torture. It is beyond the imagination," said Ahmed, a former English teacher from the town of Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, which was liberated last week. He recalled listening to the cries of agony coming from a detention centre across the street from his home as Isis fighters dragged civilians outside to be executed in the middle of the night.

Since the offensive began four weeks ago there have been multiple reports from the UN and human rights groups of civilians being executed for trying to flee fighting or for suspected links to the Iraqi police. Their bodies have either been buried in shallow graves or thrown into the Tigris River.

Meanwhile, Iraqi troops are inching ahead in their battle to retake Mosul from Isis, as the UN revealed fresh evidence the extremists have used chemical weapons.

Exchanging small arms and mortar fire with Isis positions, the special forces have entered the Qadisiya neighbourhood, advancing slowly to avoid killing civilians and trying to avoid being surprised by suicide car bombers, said Brigadier General Haider Fadhil.
Presenting you a quick roundup where you can see the HOT stories of Tamil cinema that shouldn't be missed. Take a look!



In the question paper of the TNPSC Group 4 Exams, one of the questions was related to writer-director Aishwarya R Dhanush. The question was Who is the United Nations Ambassador for the women's equality and upliftment? Big deal right?

In an exclusive interview to IndiaGlitz the film's director Raghavan of 'Manjappai' fame revealed that the team is planning to bring the film to theatres as a Pongal treat and working on that deadline.So Arya lock horns with Vijay?

While shooting a stunt sequence for a Kannada film 'Masti Gudi' starring Dhuniya Vijay, two young Kannada actors Anil and Uday have drowned into a lake and died.

Samantha has been in the news lately with speculations about her love life with Naga Chaitanya. The couple is supposed to get hitched next year. Now Samantha has posted a pic of her with?

Bollywood actor Sudhanshu Pandey is acting in the mega budget science fiction entertainer '2.0' directed by master director Shankar. Pandey confirmed the recent news reports suggesting that he plays an evil scientist who is the son of Scientist Bohra.

who drowned during a fight sequence for the film Masti Gudi` has shocked the entire South Indian film fraternity and many celebrities have been pouring tributes to the departed souls. The news of the actor/stuntman Uday and Anilwho drowned during a fight sequence for the film Masti Gudi` has shocked the entire South Indian film fraternity and many celebrities have been pouring tributes to the departed souls. Amala Paul paid her tributes via social media

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It was 1957 when Delores and Phillip Thomas moved into the Flanner House neighborhood located just northwest of downtown Indianapolis.

Phillip Thomas worked a full time job as a construction worker and after his shift, he put in additional hours in order to give his family the American dream.

It was quite an experience, he said. When youre young, you dont mind putting in extra work and you learn a lot from it.

Due to recent events, the quiet little neighborhood the Thomases have lived in for over 55 years and revere may be altered. Some say to the detriment of the history and sense of community of the neighborhood.

The City of Indianapolis owns property near 16th and Martin Luther King Jr. streets. Earlier this month, a Minnesota-based property developer, Opus Development Corp., proposed to purchase the property for $600,000 with intentions of using it to build a Meijer store. In order to properly build the store, about 35 nearby Flanner House homes would have had to be purchased and demolished. There are about 100 homes in the area.

Flanner House Homes are recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, but that status provides minimal protection from acquisition and demolition.

Refusing to be forced out of their homes, residents fought the Opus proposal with legal support from attorneys at Young and Young and backing from Indiana Landmarks, a historic preservation organization, and others. Opus eventually abandoned its plans.

Residents only had days to breathe a sigh of relief.

According to documents provided by John Bartholomew, public information officer for the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, Douglas Realty Advisors Inc. has expressed interest in the property. It plans to use the land for mixed-use retail, commercial and/or residences. The bidding price is under $500,000.

At Recorder press time, Douglas Realty is not encroaching on Flanner House homes property.

Bartholomew said the property on 16th and MLK is no different from any other vacant, city-owned property. They want properties to be redeveloped to enhance the city and get real estate back on the tax rolls.

The city decided to consider the Douglas project because it fits with what the city wants, said Bartholomew.

Sources say that although Opus pulled out of the deal, Meijer corporate may still pursue developing the property.

Everyone has a price. I assume if (anyone) wants this property, they will be prepared and willing to pay for it, but I dont think they want it that bad, said resident Phillip Thomas.

This was a mansion compared to where we used to live. Weve raised six kids here. And weve put too much work into our home, said a first generation resident, Nora Hall. Im not going anyplace. Theyll have to carry me out of here feet first.

In the development of the 16th and MLK property, the city has also chosen not to use eminent domain, meaning, they will not use their governmental power to take private property owned by residents. They will also not assist any developer on their projects.

They said they will, however, choose the best developer for the site. Once purchased, if the new owner chooses to expand, the city wont provide aid to either Flanner House residents or the property owner. This includes tax breaks.

Disa Watson, president of Midtown Economic Development Corp., said Flanner House residents are not opposed to redevelopment, but not at the expense of the neighborhood. Residents truly enjoy their homes and have worked hard to pay for them, update and maintain their property. Most importantly, they value the history and sweat equity that went into building the homes.

People think because its Black, its no good. This is a really nice neighborhood with nice homes, said Watson.

In cities around the country, Blacks were secluded to certain areas of the city and access to financing for housing was scarce.

To provide an opportunity for Black families, now deceased architect Cleo Blackburn wanted to create a neighborhood that showcased Black upward mobility and provide a chance at the American Dream.

He put the Flanner House project in place by securing the property and finding banks that were willing to lend to Blacks. He also established guidelines for the heads of prospective households. Candidates had to be veterans, have a full time job, have credit, adequate savings and commit to 20 hours a week helping build the homes.

They were firemen, school teachers, people who worked at Allisons. These were middle class Americans, said Watson.

As men worked on homes and as families began to move in, residents created a sense of community.

Everybody knew everyone and looked out for one another, said Dolores Thomas.

Samuel Haddon recalls all of the hard work that went into buying a home for his wife and children. His family lived on the citys Southside prior to moving further north. He and his wife, Annalynn, shared a car. Shed drop him off at Bryant Heating, dropped their children off at a sitter and headed to her job at Indiana Bell.

He said both he and his wife had to work in order to meet the strict financial requirements. His income was used to secure the home and his wifes was used to build their savings.

Sometimes I got confused on where I was supposed to be, joked Haddon. But I did what I had to do to care for my family.

While there are many original families still living in the neighborhood, many of their children, including Watson, have come back to the neighborhood.

Carl Willingham Jr. said after his parents passed away, he decided to move into his childhood home. Hes decorated it to his tastes, but the layout of the home is exactly the same. Hes even maintained original landscape planted by his mother, Irene.

This is history. (My parents) worked too hard to get and keep this house, said Willingham. I think mother and father would be very proud of me for keeping the house.

Every resident is prepared to fight to save their neighborhood. They love their community, their location and above all, the unique history of Flanner House.

If we never knew what we can do as a race of people, this showed what we could do, said Watson. This neighborhood is a jewel.
As demonetisation of high value notes hit small businessmen across Kolkata, sex workers of Sonagachi here, South Asias largest red light area, are seeing brisk business as they are accepting these notes.

BCCL/representational image

Our girls have been asked to accept Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. But they are telling customers that they will not accept those after this week. Therefore there is a huge rush of customers. Although sex workers in top categories are facing no problem, those who take only Rs 300 to Rs 400 are facing great difficulty, said Bharati, mentor of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, a sex workers organisation that has 1.3 lakh registered sex workers under it across Bengal.

Sex workers who charge below Rs. 500 are facing tough time as they have hardly got any customers in the last two days.

AFP/representational image

Prospective customers first inquire whether the sex workers will accept Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. If we say no, we will lose the customer. We have to accept the notes and the Durbar and Usha bank had assured us that our money will not go waste, said Rekha, a sex worker.

BCCL/representational image

In the last two days, sex workers in and around Sonagachi have deposited more than Rs. 55 lakh in Usha Multipurpose Cooperative Bank, which was formed and is run by former sex workers in 2001 for women in the same trade.

AFP

Due to the huge rush of customers in Sonagachi, the sex workers in the last two days have deposited more than Rs 50 lakh in their bank accounts in Usha Bank. Generally, sex workers prefer to keep money in their homes but after demonetisation, there is a rush among sex workers to deposit money in the bank, Shantanu, a senior official of Usha Bank, said.
Rumours of cooking salt going out of shelves and its prices going as high as Rs 400 per kg created havoc in Delhi, with people making a mad rush to markets on Friday afternoon. As the false information flew thick and fast, panicked customers flocked to ration shops in huge numbers. Taking advantage of the situation, many shopkeepers allegedly started black marketing and selling the essential commodity at a premium.

Tarique Anwar/representational image

How the rumour emanated and spread like wild fire

The rumour allegedly originated from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh and it was triggered because of the lack of small denomination currency notes. Sources said shopkeepers were unable to offer change for higher denomination notes so when people came to purchase commodities like salt they offered to sell it without returning the change.

Tarique Anwar/representational image

Some shopkeepers asked for Rs 500 for three kilogrammes of salt as they did not have change. It panicked the customers who spread a misinformation that salt is going out of stock and being sold at exuberant prices.

The rumours started doing the round on WhatsApp in the afternoon and by evening, shops in some areas allegedly began selling salt at higher prices.

Many grocery shops, Indiatimes correspondent visited in Delhi, denied having salt packets.

We do not have the supply of goods as the suppliers are not accepting Rs 500 and Rs 1000. People are thinking that we are hiding the stuff. Things will hopefully get better in the coming days, said a local shopkeeper in southeast Delhi.

Govt buses vandalised, traffic disrupted

The rumour led to a law-and-order situation in some areas where agitated people blocked roads and ransacked public properties.

Huge protest was witnessed at Badarpur-Noida highway near Shaheen Bagh locality of southeast Delhi on Friday evening. People blocked the busy road and damaged at least five buses of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). When the police reached the spot to control the unruly mob, they had to face stone pelting. Four policemen, including a sub-inspector, sustained minor injuries.

Tareque Anwar, Indiatimes

Cops resorted to lathicharge to bring the situation under control. Reports of such protests also came in from different parts of the city.

Dont panic, there is no shortage of salt

The government assured people that there was no shortage of salt. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan denied any shortage of salt requested people not to panic.

ibnlive/representational image

Some people are spreading rumours that there is a shortage of salt and sugar. It is completely false. Those who are found indulging in hoarding will not be spared, Kejriwal tweeted.

                             Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 11, 2016

Union Minister Paswan too denied any shortage and appealed people not to pay heed to the misinformation.

There is no scarcity of salt in the country & also no increase in its price. I appeal to the people not to pay attention to the rumours, he wrote on the micro-blogging website.

There is no scarcity of salt in the country & also no increase in its price. I appeal to the people not to pay attention to the rumours.  Ram Vilas Paswan (@irvpaswan) November 11, 2016

He asked state governments to take action against the rumour mongers and wrong doers.

If somebody spreads the rumours of price rise of salt or sells it at high price, state govt should immediately take stringent action, he tweeted.

If somebody spreads the rumors of price rise of Salt or sells it at high price, State Govt should immediately take stringent action .  Ram Vilas Paswan (@irvpaswan) November 11, 2016

The Department of Consumer Affairs also denied any disruption in production of salt and its supply and distribution.

The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, have been informed about the rumoured increase in the prices of salt in some parts of the country. The Department monitors the prices of 22 Essential Commodities on daily basis. As per the prices reported by centres from across the country, there has been no increase in price of salt whatsoever. There has been no report about any disruption in production of salt, its supply and distribution, said the department in a statement.

The total production of salt in India, on an average, is about 220 lakh tonnes. Of this, only around 60 lakh tonnes is used for domestic consumption. The remaining quantity is for industrial use and exports. Thus, there is sufficient manoeuvrability to meet any unexpected localised shortage, if any. Therefore, there is no cause for panic thus, reads the statement.

Rumour mongers and black marketers, be ready to face consequences

The Delhi Police also had to step in to dispel rumours. Reports have been received regarding spread of rumours about shortage of salt and other essential food items in Delhi and adjoining states. These rumours are false and baseless. Citizens are advised to not fall for such rumours and discourage their spread. Action as per law will be taken against rumour mongers found indulging in such mischievous acts, the city police said in an advisory.

Apart from Delhi, the panic also set in Mumbai, several districts Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Meanwhile, Mumbai police control room was inundated with frantic calls from people wanting to know if the prices had really skyrocketed. There were rumours about some shop owners selling salt at Rs 700 per kilogram in eastern suburbs. Shop owners from Govandi, Shivajinagar, Bainganwadi, Mankhurd, Antop hill were allegedly selling salt at higher rates.

Police teams visited these shops to stop such sales. The cops then appealed Mumbaikars via Twitter not to believe rumours, saying there is no shortage of salt or any other necessary commodity nor is there any price hike. Rumours about price hike are doing rounds. These are baseless, said police spokesperson DCP Ashok Dudhe.

Several districts of Uttar Pradesh witnessed a chaos and black marketing of salt. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav instructed the principal secretary of food and civil supplies to ensure adequate and smooth supply of salt across districts. He also ordered strict action against black marketers and rumour-mongers.
At its Challakere's facility in Karnataka, Isro has begun tests on its moon lander of the Chnadrayaan-2 mission.

isro/representational image

Tests are being carried out on an artificially created moon surface, complete with craters and uneven terrain. Isro chairman A S Kiran Kumar, who was at an award function at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in the city on Friday morning, said that tests were crucial for the study of the impact on instruments that are going to piggyback on the lander.

Kumar said that a set of engines or thrusters on the lander would work against lunar gravity. "The functionality of crucial scientific instruments on board will be conducted after the landing, he said.

isro/representational image

"An aircraft carrying some of the instruments is being flown over this simulated area."

He also said that after Pakistan's exit from the SAARC satellite project, it has been renamed South Asia Satellite, which will be launched in March next year.

Kumar was at the PRL to attend 'Shri Hari Om Ashram Prerit Dr Vikram Sarabhai Research Awards-2015' and 'PRL Award-2015'.

Indiatimes/representational image

As for civil applications of space technologies, Kumar said that monitoring of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) project works is being made possible with space applications. "Onsite pictures of the project are taken and are coupled with satellite information like the amount of construction and resources inputs," he said.

"This provides real-time monitoring of MGNREGA projects."

Kumar also pointed out that satellite data is being used to provide information on the potential of inland fisheries for tribal populations.

isro/representational image

"The inland fisheries project is being undertaken as part of alternative livelihoods," he said. Kumar said that over the past few years Isro had entered into 39 active collaborations with space agencies in the country. "The latest Isro ScatSat and NISAR are the results of such collaborations," he said.

"We also have collaborative research data sharing agreements with the European space agency."
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has appealed to the people not to be in a hurry to visit banks to exchange their cash, and called for patience for the normalization of all manner of banking operations. He also rubbished allegations that deposits had spiked before the demonetisation announcement as some parties had been informed beforehand.

He said the crowd at banks over the past few days has been hundreds of times larger than the number of people who visit the banks for regular business. Read more

1. Nuclear Deal With Japan Gives India's Fight For NSG Seat A Boost

Six years after they began negotiating, India and Japan finally signed a landmark nuclear agreement, opening the doors for India to commission nuclear reactors by global entities and possibly boosting India's claim for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

The deal is significant in view of the reservations of Japan, the only country to have been attacked by nuclear weapons, and for India's efforts to diversify the sources of equipment and technology it will need to boost nuclear power generation. Read more

2. From UP To Delhi, Heres How Rumour Of Salt Shortage Spread Like Wild Fire

Rumours of cooking salt going out of shelves and its prices going as high as Rs 400 per kg created havoc in Delhi, with people making a mad rush to markets on Friday afternoon. As the false information flew thick and fast, panicked customers flocked to ration shops in huge numbers.

Taking advantage of the situation, many shopkeepers allegedly started black marketing and selling the essential commodity at a premium. Read more

3. 'PM's Friends' Were Given Advance Information On Demonetization, It Is A Surgical Strike On Common People Says Kejriwal

Questioning the intent behind the decision, Kejriwal alleged that those who were in possession of huge amounts of black money were given the information in advance and was given time for them to transfer them to bank accounts.

"A huge scam has been perpetrated a few days ago in the name of tackling corruption," Kejriwal alleged. "When the PM announced the move, he had informed all of his friends who had black money and they secured their money," the Delhi CM added. Read more

4. Indian Soldier Killed In Pakistan Ceasefire Violation In Keran Sector

An Indian army personnel was killed in ceasefire violation on the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of north Kashmirs Kupwara district.

The incident happened on Saturday morning after the Pakistani troops violated ceasefire and indulged in firing and shelling in Keran sector. The killed army personnel has been identified as Harshid Badarya. Read more

5. Delhi A Wake-Up Call For World On Air Pollution, Says Unicef

Pollution in Delhi has sent shock waves across the world. International agencies are quite worried about the deterioration in the air quality of Delhi, which is one of the most populous cities in the world.

The "record-high" air pollution in New Delhi is a "wake-up call" for the world that unless decisive actions are taken to reduce air pollution, the smog in India's capital and its adverse impact on the daily lives of its citizens will become a commonplace phenomenon, the United Nations children's agency has said. Read more
A new-born passed away after a Mumbai hospital refused to accept Rs 500 notes, becoming the latest and perhaps the youngest victim of the governments demonetisation of 500 and 1000 rupee notes.

fastcompany/representational image

The boy died one day after Jeevan Jyoti Hospital and Nursing Home in Govandi denied treatment because his parents wanted to pay a part of the deposit in Rs 500 notes. On Tuesday night, PM Modi announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 would cease to be legal. However, the government clearly stated that hospitals must continue to accept them.

However, in the morning on November 9, Kiran went into labour and the baby was delivered in the care of relatives and neighbours.

Since the baby, weighing all of 1.6 kg, was born premature and Kiran lost a lot of blood during the delivery, the family decided to rush her to Dr Kamath.

The baby was born prematurely and so needed treatment, which was refused on grounds of the familys inability to pay the full deposit.

Cover image is for representational purposes only
While images of people standing in queues at the banks are coming from across the country, the ruling BJP has been accused of knowing the demonetisation plan before it was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 8 November.

Reports have emerged, suggesting that BJP leaders in Punjab and Bengal were well aware of the plan and had enough time to save their money.

BCCL

People are also perplexed by the fact that how were these leaders able to find a way to put their money in banks, while common people across the country were left with no option, but to wait for the next morning and stand in long queues to change their currency notes.

Meanwhile, Bengal unit of the BJP has found itself in a spot of bother after it came to light that the party had made cash deposits of as much as Rs 3 crore in a matter of days before the announcement to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were made on Tuesday.

In fact, the last deposit of Rs 40 lakh, was made minutes before the PM's speech. Doesn't it suggest something fishy? People have been asking why - if PM's announcement is touted as a surprise for everyone - was the BJP leader able to do so.

Twitter

The deposits were made to a savings account (No. 554510034) named Bharatiya Janata Party, West Bengal with Indian Bank's Central Avenue branch in Kolkata.

Reacting to the development other parties said the state BJP leadership might have been aware of the decision, while the government maintains that it was decided and executed in at most secrecy.

PTI/ Representative Image

"It's possible that BJP members were well aware of this ban and that is why they deposited huge amounts in banks across the nation to make their black money white," CPM state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said.

The BJP however said the opposition is trying to create controversy by linking two unrelated incidents.

"Normally, party funding happens through donations and cash forms a part of it. We issue receipts against the cash received. Copies of such receipts are available with the party for verification," State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.

In a similar incident Punjab BJP Sanjeev Kamboj had on November 6th tweeted this images saying "Reserve Bank #RBI to issue Rs 2000 currency note in India soon".

This was two days before the government even made the announcement to introduce Rs 2,000 notes. Also it raises question about the government's claims that the decision was a closely guarded secret.

Now, people's queries seem to be legitimate as to why only one party leaders are involved in this. Does it make one smell a rat?
It is said that Indian-origin California Attorney General Kamala Harris has the potential to be the next US president. She made history by becoming the states first new US senator in 24 years. She has openly denounced Trumpism and has promised to fight for equal and civil rights.

Here are 9 things you must know about her.

1. Her father is an African, whereas her mother is an Indian

Image Credit: Instagram

Her mother Shyamala Gopalan came to the US from Chennai to study science, specifically endocrinology and complex mechanisms of cancer.

2. She got her undergraduate degree from Howard University, a historically black college in Washington, D.C.

Image Credit: Instagram

Harris did her major in Political Science and Economics.



3. Harris, 51, who defeated fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez, is also the sixth black individual to be elected to the US Senate.

Image Credit: PE

Also, the US President Barack Obama was the fifth black elected Senator.



4. President Obama once called her the best-looking attorney-general in the country  and was then forced to apologize for being sexist.

Image Credit: Instagram

It was a tongue-in-cheek moment for Obama when he called her the best-looking attorney general in the country.

5. When she worked in the Alameda County District Attorneys office for eight years after law school, Harris specialized in prosecuting child sexual assault cases

Image Credit: Instagram

She feels strongly for children welfare and rights.

6. She played a big role in the fight for marriage-equality

Image Credit: Instagram

She is a champion of gay-rights.

7. She is endorsed by President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden

Image Credit: Instagram

Harris has a great support from the democrats and is endorsed both the president and the vice-president.

8. Her younger sister Maya is an attorney and was a senior policy adviser to Hillary Clintons presidential campaign

Image Credit: Instagram

She is very close to her sister and her family.

9. Harris began her career as deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California

Image Credit: Twitter



In 2003, She was elected as the district attorney of San Francisco, where she served two terms.
A civil war has been ensuing in Syria for nearly five years now. It is one of the bloodiest and brutal wars in recent history. Thousands of children have died in the war so far, and millions of people have been displaced.

Indiatimes

Indiatimes is now on-ground trying to bring you the latest developments on ground from the various parts of the war-torn country. Here's the second part of our series Inside Syria, which shows the condition of people in the city of Allepo.

Indiatimes

Aleppo, Syrias capital, has been desperately trying to piece its life together again but too many forces from different sides are blocking the city and its people.

It is largely held by anti-Assad Syrian rebels due to which its blocked from all sides. People dont have regular access to food and water. Children are affected the most  theyre starved of lifes basic necessities including food, water and education. Theres no place for them to enjoy their childhood safely, no playgrounds to play  only fear of bombs to think about.

Indiatimes

This historical city, once thriving with culture and the sounds of kids playing, is today deserted of normal life.

Winter is near but brutality from the regime and rebel forces weighs heavy on civilians.

Watch our exclusive report by Mohammed Adeeb for Indiatimes from Allepo:




Islamic State group fighters reportedly shot dead more than 60 people this week and hung some of their bodies from poles after alleging they had collaborated with Iraqi troops, the United Nations said on Friday.

AFP/representational image

The UN human rights office has raised alarm over hundreds of grotesque atrocities allegedly committed by IS as Iraqi forces have pushed their nearly month-long offensive to retake Mosul, the last jihadist bastion in Iraq.

Also Read: Iraqi Forces Enter Mosul, The First Time Since The City Was Over Run By ISIS In 2014

On Tuesday, ISIL reportedly shot and killed 40 civilians in Mosul city after accusing them of treason and collaboration with the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement, using another acronym for the Islamic State.

AFP/representational image

The victims were dressed in orange clothes marked in red with the words: Traitors and agents of the ISF. Their bodies were then hung on electrical poles in several areas in Mosul city, she added.

Also Read: Watch The World's Toughest Battle Tank Gets Destroyed by A Small ISIS Missile In Iraq

Abu Saif, a resident of eastern Mosul, told AFP by telephone that he had seen bodies strung up in the city along with signs that read agent and traitor.

He did not have an exact count of the total number of bodies, but said he saw between 30 and 40.

The Daesh organisation gathered people in some of the streets of Mosul and publicly executed a number of people of various ages, some of them by gunfire and others by beheading, he said, using an Arabic name for IS.

Also Read: Soldier Zips Through Streets Of Iraq In A Bulletproof BMW, Transports Dozens To Hospital Amid ISIS Firing

According to the UN, a 27-year-old man was reportedly killed in public in central Mosul Tuesday for using a mobile phone, which IS has banned in areas it controls.

And on Wednesday, IS slaughtered another 20 people at the Ghabat Military Base in northern Mosul after accusing them of leaking information, the UN statement said.

Reuters/representational image

Their bodies were also hung at various intersections in Mosul, with notes stating: decision of execution and used cellphones to leak information to the ISF, the statement added.

All of the killings apparently followed rulings by the so-called courts established by IS.

Conclusively verifying the details of massacres allegedly perpetrated by the jihadists since the US-backed Mosul offensive began, has been a challenge for UN investigators amid the chaos of the fighting and the threat of reprisals against sources.

AFP/representational image

Shamdasani said Friday that one recent source was a man who pretended to be dead during a massacre and contacted UN staffers after escaping. She did not specify which incident the man had survived.
Indian workers in the UAE are stranded with scrapped notes after Prime Minister Narender Modi, earlier this week, announced the demonetisation of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes, a move, which according to the government, is aimed at tackle corruption, tax evasion, and curbing terror funding in India.

cointelegraph/representational image

This news, however, has caused worry among people both at home and abroad. Many NRIs in the UAE are worried because they are unable to exchange currency at local money exchange houses.

UAE is the largest base for overseas Indian workers and there are an estimated amount of 2.2 million Indian workers in the Emirates.

K Tripathi, a resident of Dubai told Emirates 24/7, I went to several UAE exchange houses yesterday and no one is accepting Indian currency. Period.

Gulf Insider/representational image

Aslam Sheikh, a resident of Sharjah said, I was informed by exchange houses that all trading in Indian currency has ceased across UAE.

Modi said that while people could exchange their old notes for new bills at banks or post offices until the end of the year, or deposit them in their accounts, they would no longer be legal tender from November 8 midnight.

To break the grip of corruption and black money, we have decided that the 500 and 1,000 rupee currency notes presently in use will no longer be legal tender from midnight that is 8 November, 2016, he said in a televised address to the nation.

BCCL/representational image

"This means that these notes will not be acceptable for transaction from midnight onwards."

Money changes in Oman, which also has a large number of Indian expats, have also stopped accepting old 500 and 1000 rupees notes.

With inputs from Emirates 24/7
Description:

The sixth edition of the Venice Symposium will take place from 14 to 17 November 2016 in Venice and will focus as per tradition on the advances made in the application of technologies for energy recovery from biomass and waste and to encourage discussion in these fields.

The previous edition of the Symposium was attended by nearly 580 scientists and operators from approximately 62 different countries.

The sixth edition will last four days and will include oral sessions, a poster session, an exhibition by companies working in the field and technical tours.

The Symposium is organized by the International Waste Working Group (IWWG) with the scientific support of the Universities of Queensland, Padova, Hokkaido, Rostock , Trento and Hamburg University of Technology.



Venice 2016 will include the following topics:

Biomass and waste characterization as a potential energy source

 Renewable fuel

 Anaerobic digestion

 Refuse-derived fuel / Solid recovered fuel

 Thermal treatment

 Economic aspects

 Decision tools

 Policies and Legal aspects

 Climate change and Sink

 Ecotoxicological aspects and Health issues

 Public acceptance

 Experiences and new developments

 Developing countries. The Symposium will include oral/poster presentation, workshops and commercial.
Home Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter The announcement last week by the United States of the largest military aid package in its history  to Israel  was a win for both sides. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu could boast that his lobbying had boosted aid from $3.1 billion a year to $3.8bn  a 22 per cent increase  for a decade starting in 2019. Mr Netanyahu has presented this as a rebuff to those who accuse him of jeopardising Israeli security interests with his governments repeated affronts to the White House. In the past weeks alone, defence minister Avigdor Lieberman has compared last years nuclear deal between Washington and Iran with the 1938 Munich pact, which bolstered Hitler; and Mr Netanyahu has implied that US opposition to settlement expansion is the same as support for the ethnic cleansing of Jews. American president Barack Obama, meanwhile, hopes to stifle his own critics who insinuate that he is anti-Israel. The deal should serve as a fillip too for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic partys candidate to succeed Mr Obama in Novembers election. In reality, however, the Obama administration has quietly punished Mr Netanyahu for his misbehaviour. Israeli expectations of a $4.5bn-a-year deal were whittled down after Mr Netanyahu stalled negotiations last year as he sought to recruit Congress to his battle against the Iran deal. In fact, Israel already receives roughly $3.8bn  if Congresss assistance on developing missile defence programmes is factored in. Notably, Israel has been forced to promise not to approach Congress for extra funds. The deal takes into account neither inflation nor the dollars depreciation against the shekel. A bigger blow still is the White Houses demand to phase out a special exemption that allowed Israel to spend nearly 40 per cent of aid locally on weapon and fuel purchases. Israel will soon have to buy all its armaments from the US, ending what amounted to a subsidy to its own arms industry. Nonetheless, Washingtons renewed military largesse  in the face of almost continual insults  inevitably fuels claims that the Israeli tail is wagging the US dog. Even The New York Times has described the aid package as too big. Since the 1973 war, Israel has received at least $100bn in military aid, with more assistance hidden from view. Back in the 1970s, Washington paid half of Israels military budget. Today it still foots a fifth of the bill, despite Israels economic success. But the US expects a return on its massive investment. As the late Israeli politician-general Ariel Sharon once observed, Israel has been a US aircraft carrier in the Middle East, acting as the regional bully and carrying out operations that benefit Washington. Almost no one blames the US for Israeli attacks that wiped out Iraqs and Syrias nuclear programmes. A nuclear-armed Iraq or Syria would have deterred later US-backed moves at regime overthrow, as well as countering the strategic advantage Israel derives from its own nuclear arsenal. In addition, Israels US-sponsored military prowess is a triple boon to the US weapons industry, the countrys most powerful lobby. Public funds are siphoned off to let Israel buy goodies from American arms makers. That, in turn, serves as a shop window for other customers and spurs an endless and lucrative game of catch-up in the rest of the Middle East. The first F-35 fighter jets to arrive in Israel in December  their various components produced in 46 US states  will increase the clamour for the cutting-edge warplane. Israel is also a front-line laboratory, as former Israeli army negotiator Eival Gilady admitted at the weekend, that develops and field-tests new technology Washington can later use itself. The US is planning to buy back the missile interception system Iron Dome  which neutralises battlefield threats of retaliation  it largely paid for. Israel works closely too with the US in developing cyberwarfare, such as the Stuxnet worm that damaged Irans civilian nuclear programme. But the clearest message from Israels new aid package is one delivered to the Palestinians: Washington sees no pressing strategic interest in ending the occupation. It stood up to Mr Netanyahu over the Iran deal but will not risk a damaging clash over Palestinian statehood. Some believe that Mr Obama signed the aid package to win the credibility necessary to overcome his domestic Israel lobby and pull a rabbit from the hat: an initiative, unveiled shortly before he leaves office, that corners Mr Netanyahu into making peace. Hopes have been raised by an expected meeting at the United Nations in New York on Wednesday. But their first talks in 10 months are planned only to demonstrate unity to confound critics of the aid deal. If Mr Obama really wanted to pressure Mr Netanyahu, he would have used the aid agreement as leverage. Now Mr Netanyahu need not fear US financial retaliation, even as he intensifies effective annexation of the West Bank. Mr Netanyahu has drawn the right lesson from the aid deal  he can act against the Palestinians with continuing US impunity. - See more at: http://www.jonathan-cook.net/2016-09-19/palestinians-lose-in-us-military-aid-deal-with-israel/#sthash.fL4Eq28N.dpuf Deplorables 1, Empire 0 By Paul Edwards November 11, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - Its done. The foolish, arrogant propaganda excreted by the captive press of the Imperial Establishment is flushed, and they and their owners are eating their hubris, choking down the bitter, toxic medicine they inflicted on themselves. The nightmare they swore could never win is the Chosen One. What this may mean to them, to all of us, and to The Empire, no one can guess. The origin, though, of what Michael Moore called the greatest Fuck You in our political history, is clear behind the shock and awe of the elite. Between them, Trump and Clinton diligently stripped away the last shreds of the rent and ragged camouflage that disguised our zombie body politic. Behind the mantra of Exceptionalism, the American Empire has behaved with exactly the same solipsistic arrogance all empires have embraced. Internationally it has raged, as imperial China did, as if with a Mandate of Heaven, flaunting self-interest with no regard for other nations or the laws of war. It has inflicted misery, chaos, and death on many millions of the poor and helpless for a Full Spectrum Dominance it could never impose. Americas Capitalist War Machine has raped and destroyed many countries for its profit, and destablized the entire world in its megalomania. Schumpeter said it best, of Imperial Germanys military industry: Created by the wars that required it, the Machine now creates the wars it requires. America has been transformed over time from a civil democracy with imperial economics to a militarist empire with vaudeville democracy. This was accomplished by binding both wings of the duopoly to the exclusive interest of Predatory Capitalism with corrupting money. A corporate state imposed via political and military power is the essence of Fascism. For generations, Americans have been dosed with the ultra-nationalist poison of Exceptionalism, with its implicit racist subtext, and its sexism buried in a hoo-rah masculinity cult, but it has always been flavored with the sweetening agent that We, The People, were both masters and beneficiaries of our benign, patristic system. The last several decades have painfully taught any conscious observer that this is a cynical fiction. In this election, the threadbare mythology of the duopoly was ripped away in a manner that left no doubt, in even the least informed, most credulous minds, that the American political system was a dead, stinking fraud. Each party, with its purblind lack of understanding of, and connection with, the mass of American people, suffered uniquely humiliating public pantsings. Having stealthily, assiduously cultivated and nurtured the most regressive, dim, and hateful elements in its Redneck Wing for decades, the CEO Wing gaped impotently as Dogpatch was appropriated by a vulgarian who spoke to peckerwoods directly, not in code. He jettisoned the few Silverspooners and Coupon Clipper Bosses, stole their ground troops and mobilized their outrage. He only succeeded then due to the universal rage of the working class that has been dealt out and bankrupted, its jobs and prospects stolen and its lives sunk, for the benefit of a tiny clique of professional criminals. The Republican Party is done, killed because Trump grabbed its posse. Democrats, confident of being lesser evils, opted for selbstmord. After Occupys warning, exposes of record financial inequality and the rapid unravelling of democracy, one might have thought a show of fight against those evils would be mandatory, but no: they pre-selected the candidate who embodied them instead. As the long, impassioned cry went up across the country, from the young, working people, the ill and poor, disabled and elderly, for an old man who would be their champion, Party commissars chose to freeze out Bernies burn and go geriatrically into that good night. Then, when caught out in their shoddy chicanery, they Hitlered Putin. The Democratic Party is done, dead of peritonitis from undigested hubris. The failure of faction, the implosion of coherent parties, means more, not less division and acrimony. America faces now the same degree of crisis that has blown the senile Parties in pieces. The time ahead is fraught with tremendous and unknown perils and challenges with no precedent. Our Republic stands a good chance of becoming ungovernable. Franklin said, with the tough days in Philadelphia over and the Constitution signed, that we had a Republic, if we could keep it. Were about to find out. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter For Email Marketing you can trust Donate



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Facebook accidentally declared its founder Mark Zuckerberg and many other users dead on Friday, acknowledging after fixing the problem that it had committed a terrible error.

For a brief period today, a message meant for memorialized profiles was mistakenly posted to other accounts, a Facebookspokesperson told AFP. This was a terrible error that we have now fixed.

Media reports indicated that some two million errant memorials were posted on profile pages. Even Facebook co-founder and chief executive Zuckerberg was memorialized in a message at his profile page expressing hope that people who loved him would take comfort in posts people shared in tribute to his life. Poor Mark, read an @JudiD23 tweet that included weeping face emojis. Couldnt happen to a nicer guy.

The social network apologized and said it worked as quickly as possible to correct the problem. Damn. I should have used Facebook Live to show how I was Facebook Dead, Search Engine Land editor Danny Sullivan said in a message fired off at Twitter.

Facebook Live feature lets people broadcast video in real-time at the leading social network. The mistaken memorial notices contained links to forms that can be submitted to have peoples accounts at the leading social network modified into online memorials after they die.

Part of the process is showing proof of death. Some wondered whether the mishap was a botched test promotion of the feature, rather than a software glitch. Comments tagged #FacebookDead or #FacebookRapture went viral at Twitter, with people joking that the scenario marked a fitting end to tumultuous week. I think this is Facebooks way of flagging the people who died inside on Tuesday, read a tweet from @billkalpak.

Source: gadgetsnow
Three staff of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta has been dismissed by the schools management for spearheading the petition against the Vice Chancellor, Olusola Oyewole, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The petitioners accused Mr. Oyewole of misappropriation of funds and abuse of office.

The council also dismissed another 18 staff of the institution.

The decisions were reached at the end of a meeting presided over by the chairman of the council, Adeseye Ogunlewe, late Thursday in Abeokuta.

The affected whistle blowers are Lasun Somoye, Abdulsalaam Sobbor and Bimbo Bankole., all members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU.

While the allegations were still being investigated, the vice-chancellor suspended the three petitioners indefinitely. On Thursday, the staff were dismissed.

Thursdays governing council meeting was said to have been attended by all members of the council, except the representative of the Federal Ministry of Education.

Reacting to the development, on Friday, SSANU wrote a letter titled, Repression of Staff For Reporting Corruption Cases to EFCC to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The union accused the university management of victimizing whistle-blowers rather than address the allegations raised.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was defeated Tuesday in her historic bid to become the first woman President of the United States.

The 69-year-old politician, who also served as a US Senator and as FirstLady when Bill Clinton was President, seemed to accept defeat gracefully.

But reports are surfacing suggesting that Clinton might not have been as accepting in private. Insiders are reportedly claiming that Clinton took the loss very hard. Its being reported that Clinton cried very hard over the failure. Sources have also reportedly said that Clinton is allegedly blaming President Barack Obama for her loss.

This alleged claim is raising many eyebrows. It has been widely reported that President Obama strongly supported Clinton as his successor. The President, and First Lady Michelle Obama, made many campaign appearances on Clintons behalf. The Obamas and Clintons all appeared together at an election-eve rally in Philadelphia that drew thousands.

Source: farraygray
The President-elect announced his Presidential Transition Team Executive Committee on Friday, November 11, 2016.

Top on the list are the billionaires children Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.

Others are Rebekah Mercer, a Republican donor; Stephen K. Bannon, Trumps campaign chairman and conservative news organization Breitbart News executive chairman; Tennessee Representative Marsha Blackburn; Pennsylvania Congressman Lou Barletta; New York Congressman Chris Collins; Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi; Pennsylvania Congressman Tom Marino; banker and producer Steven Mnuchin; California Congressman Devin Nunes and entrepreneur Anthony Scaramucci round out the team.

The New York Times also announced Friday that vice presidentelect Mike Pence will chair the committee, taking over for Governor Chris Christie, who previously led the transition effort. Christie will instead serve as vice chair to the transition, alongside avid Trump supporter and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson, Newt Gingrich, retired lieutenant general Michael T. Flynn and Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions.

According to The New York Times, Trump, 70, told his advisers that he wanted to capitalize on Pences Washington experience and contacts, hence the change in leadership.
Nigeria and Russia have agreed on areas of military cooperation, an official has said.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Abba-Ibrahim, also said Nigeria will soon stop the importation of wheat from Russia. .

We have two agreements on military cooperation which we have negotiated and are likely to be signed very soon.

They are on technical cooperation, training and purchase of modern military equipment at moderate prices than going into the international market, she said.

Mrs. Abba-Ibrahim, represented by Baba Garba, Director, European Affairs in the ministry, made the disclosure at the end of the fourth Joint Commission meeting between Russia and Nigeria in Abuja on Friday.

We import a lot of wheat from Russia and we are telling Russia that this has to stop.

We want the Russian companies and farmers to come to Nigeria to show us how we can grow our agriculture sector with modern technology, the minister said.

The Russian delegation was led by Dianov Yurievich, Deputy, Head Russian Delegation in Nigeria.

Mrs. Abba-Ibrahim said the meeting was to foster the existing relationship between the two countries. She noted that Nigeria and Russia had enjoyed cordial relations over time.

Russia has always been in support of Nigeria at different international fora, it has been in support of Nigeria in the area of fighting terrorism, she said.

Mrs. Abba-Ibrahim said the meeting considered various areas of cooperation, including solid minerals, atomic energy, trade, power, works and housing, transport, petroleum, communication, water resources, defence, agriculture and health.

She said Russian companies expressed interest in investing in some areas of the Nigerian economy, especially in pursuing the diversification of the economy through mining, agriculture, among others.

Mr. Yurievich lauded the cordial relations between the two countries.

He said that the expert meetings showed that many Russian companies were interested in investing in Nigeria, while Nigerian companies also showed interest in Russia.
Nigerian newspaper headlines November 12, 2016.

Thisday

The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) led by Chief Edwin Clark, friday described the continued attacks on oil and gas facilities in the region as an act by criminals and enemies of the region and vowed to meet soon to take a decision on how to tackle the menace.

Premium Times

The Federal Government has released the sectoral performance details of capital allocations in the 2016 Appropriation Act for the different ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as at the end of October.

Guardian

Dare-devil armed robbers on Thursday evening attacked two new generation banks in Otun Ekiti, Moba Council of Ekiti State, killing four people, while many sustained various degree of gunshot wounds.

Punch

Three young women with bombs strapped to their waists were gunned down on Friday morning by a military patrol team in Maiduguri in Umarari village along the Maiduguri-Damboa Road near Mulai in Borno State.

Leadership

Justice Jude Dagat of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted Skye Bank Plc leave to take over Obat Oil and Petroleum Limiteds depot over an alleged N2.1billion debt.

Vanguard

The trial of the four suspects in the alleged kidnap of the traditional ruler of Iba Town, Oba Goriola Oseni, commenced yesterday before a Lagos State High Court, sitting in Igbosere, with the revelation from two witnesses that the abductors obtained two ransoms worth N15.1million.

The Sun

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has threatened that the Senate will take up the case against any ministry, department or agency of government which is violating the Public Procurement law which compels them to give preference to locally produced goods in Nigeria.

National Mirror

The state chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) ) Abia state chapter, Rev. Austin Ehiemere, has been suspended by the State Working Committee [SWC] over alleged misconduct and violation of party rules.

The Nation

Former President Goodluck Jonathan is pitted in cold war with some of his ex-ministers who are on trial over the $2.1 billion arms scandal, N23.29 poll cash and other financial frauds.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Japanese Ambassador Kunio Umeda (Source: VNA)

During his reception for newly-appointed Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Kunio Umeda in Hanoi on November 11, the PM said Vietnam highly values the Japanese Governments active and effective cooperation with Vietnam across fields, especially in construction and economic development.Vietnam considers Japan one of its leading and long-term partners, he stressed, adding that relevant Vietnamese agencies will coordinate closely with Japan to well prepare for the upcoming visit to the Southeast Asian nation by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.

The PM shared the hope that the ambassador will work to encourage Japanese enterprises to expand investment in Vietnam, affirming that the Vietnamese Government will create the most favourable conditions for Japanese investors to effectively operate in the country.

He hoped that the Japanese side will give priority to investing in energy and environmentally friendly projects in Vietnam, maintain official development assistance (ODA) for the country, and promote links between Japanese and Vietnamese localities and enterprises in agriculture and high technology.

The host expressed his wish that Ambassador Kunio Umeda will do his best to foster the intensive strategic partnership between the two nations.

For his part, Kunio Umeda promised to do his utmost to boost the bilateral relations in all fields, especially economy, security-defence, and people-to-people exchange.

He affirmed Vietnam is an important priority in his countrys comprehensive cooperation promotion policy, saying that Japanese firms are very interested in Vietnam.

Relevant agencies of both nations are joining hands to prepare for the Vietnam visit by Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, and accelerate the implementation of key cooperation projects, he noted.

He said he wishes to receive support from the Vietnamese PM and agencies to fulfil his tasks during the term in Vietnam, contributing to fostering the special friendship and cooperation between the two countries./.
The Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, Abubakar Sadiq-Bello, said gunmen killed a police officer during an ambush in Obi Local Government Area of the state.

Mr. Sadiq-Bello disclosed this on Friday in Lafia, while fielding questions from journalists.

But he did not disclose the name or rank of the officer who was serving at the Obi Division of the command.

He said the police patrol team was ambushed along Obi-Agwatashi road about two weeks ago.

He said the police would arrest the killers and prosecute them.

The commissioner described the incident as unfortunate and part of the hazards police officers encounter in the line of duty.

He condoled the family of the deceased officer and prayed God to grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.

He appealed to members of the public to continually support the efforts of the police in order to curb crime and criminality in the state.
Students and staff members of the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, have been thrown into grief following the sudden death of a fresh graduate of the institution, Felix Agandi, who died barely four days after he defended his undergraduate project.

One of Agandis coursemates told our correspondent on the telephone on Friday that he was dropped at his residence by one of his friends at around 10pm on Monday night.

The coursemate stated that the 27-year-old graduate of Mass Communication was an orphan, who struggled to finance his education from his national diploma days to the time he finished his higher national diploma programme.

The deceaseds neighbours were said to have rushed him to a hospital after he was heard suddenly screaming from his sleep but he was reportedly certified dead right inside the car before he arrived hospital on Tuesday morning.

He said, We are all in a pensive mood in Iree now because of Felixs death, who screamed from his sleep and died shortly after that.

 Felix was a gentle person but jovial. He was humble and hardworking. Despite being an orphan he saw himself through school. His death is an unfortunate one and this week has been one of the saddest ones in recent times in Iree.

The remains of the Delta State-born student were said to have been buried at Ilesa, Osun State, where he lived with his siblings on the same day.

A lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, Mr. Tope Abiola, who is also the Public Relations Officer of the institution, confirmed the death of Agandi.

He told our correspondent that the management of the school had visited the deceaseds siblings to commiserate with them.

Abiola said, The death of the student is still a big shock to everyone of us. We were told that he died in his sleep. He died just some days after he defended his project. There were few corrections made on his project and he was supposed to submit the corrected version when he died.

He was a cool and hardworking young man. I learnt that he was an orphan but he was focused and determined but unfortunately death snatched him away. May his soul rest in peace.

Source: Punch
Robbers invaded Otun-Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Thursday, killing four residents during attacks on two banks.

It was learnt that policemen at the scene fled from the firepower of the robbers, who operated in the town for over an hour.

During the attack, the manager and a cashier of Heritage Bank, a security man at Unity Bank and a guard of the towns monarch, Oba Adedapo Popoola, were killed.

Our correspondent gathered that the security man was to get married in two weeks before he met his untimely death.

The Oore of Otun, Oba Popoola, said the attack came like a war on the community with gunshots and explosives going off all over the town.

I was relaxing with my chiefs in front of the palace around 6pm on Thursday when we heard what first sounded like some fireworks and we dismissed it as some of the childrens antics as a result of the festive period. But later, we heard louder sounds that resembled gunshots and explosives. That was when we realised it was no childs play.

I couldnt situate the incident as we ruminated whether it was a robbery, Boko Haram attack or some kind of war happening. We later learnt that the robbers mounted their men at the four entrances into the town, the roundabout at Orimope Road, front of the Moba Local Government secretariat, front of my palace and front of the Technical College along the road to Kwara.

By the time the sporadic shooting stopped, the four victims had been gunned down.

The king said he quickly contacted Governor Ayodele Fayose, who immediately mobilised security agencies to the town, but the robbers had left before their arrival.

The monarch narrated that the incident was the first ever in the town, adding that Otun was prone to such attacks because it is a border town with Kogi, Osun, and Kwara states.

 The border towns and local government areas should be given adequate security so that this incident does not happen again. Government should put more efforts in the protection of lives and property, he said.

A resident of the town told reporters that the kings guard was shot in the groin area while trying to lock the gate.

Even policemen fled. We saw a police sergeant running faster than others during the attack. The one wife of the guard killed at Unity Bank is pregnant. We also learnt that the bank manager resumed just 20 minutes before the robbers attacked.

When contacted, the Ekiti State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, confirmed the report.

He said that the police had deposited the remains of the victims at the Usi-Ekiti General Hospital, adding that investigation was ongoing.

Source: Punch
Residents of Otodogbame in Ikate area of Lekki, Lagos State, say three members of the community have drowned while seven others are still missing following a clash during which they alleged that the police invaded the area.

A resident, who pleaded anonymity alleged that the policemen, who came to the area were shooting sporadically on Tuesday, forcing residents of the riverside community to flee while some drowned.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that one of the bodies so far recovered from surrounding waters was a pregnant woman.

We are still looking for at least seven members of our community. One of them is a woman with her child. She ran away like everyone else when the shooting started and we have not found them, he said.

It was learnt that the event which culminated in what the residents described as the police invasion started on Sunday, November 6, when a fight broke out between two youths of the community.

One of the youths injured in the process was said to have reported to the police, who later came to the community, arrest other youths and later charged them to court on Tuesday.

The residents also alleged that some individuals accompanied by the police set some houses ablaze during the arrest of the youths.

A resident told Saturday PUNCH, While we were at the court for the case, a larger team of policemen went to our community and started to demolish houses in the community.

While the confusion was ongoing, the policemen started shooting and that was why people ran away. Some people fled into the water in fear. We recovered the body of the pregnant woman on Thursday and we are still searching for bodies right now.

As of the time of filing this report, many residents said they had no roof over their heads as they had been rendered homeless.

But the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Dolapo Badmos, said the allegations were false.

She explained that the police team was there simply to restore normalcy.

Badmos said, The command received a distress call that the Egun- and Yoruba-speaking communities of the area were having a clash and that they set each others houses ablaze.

Police moved in to restore normalcy. In the process, a policeman even moved into one of the shanties on fire and rescued a baby and reunited the baby with the mother.

We have pictorial evidence of that. How is it possible for the policeman to rescue a two-day old baby if the team had gone there to attack the residents? Would they have time to rescue a baby if they had gone there to attack?

Source: Punch
Ghanaian star, Yvonne Nelson shared this new photos of herself to celebrate her 31st birthday today, November 12.
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Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh speaks at the press conference (Source: VNA)

He made the statement in reply to a reporters query on Vietnams reactions to the case involving Indonesias naval ship 632 that on October 21chased and shot at two Vietnamese fishing boats, injuring three of 13 fishermen on board, with one later died due to serious sustained wounds.

The fishing boats, coded BV 92658TS and BV 92659TS, were operating in the overlapping waters in the exclusive economic zone that is being delineated by Vietnam and Indonesia.

The Indonesian functional forces actions are incommensurate with the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia as well as the principles of humanitarian treatment towards fishermen, Binh said.

Vietnam requests competent Indonesian agencies to promptly clarify the incident, seriously punish violators, and satisfactorily compensate for the Vietnamese fishermen, the diplomat stated.

On November 1st, a Foreign Ministry representative handed over a diplomatic note to the Indonesian Embassys representative to oppose the above-mentioned actions.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia is also working closely with competent Indonesian agencies to seek for more related information and take timely assistance to the injured fishermen who are under treatment, Binh said.

He extended the deep sympathies to the family of the bereaved, assuring that the Vietnamese Embassy is coordinating with competent Vietnamese and Indonesian agencies to soon bring the body of the deceased home./.
On Sunday's all-new The Real Housewives of Atlanta  Porsha Williams causes quite a stir when she arrives at Kenya Moore's housewarming party. Meanwhile, Cynthia Bailey is forced to deal with the impact her marriage has had on her daughter and comes face-to-face with Peter Thomas.Kandi Burruss and her husband Todd Tucker juggle launching an Ace-inspired product line and construction of their new restaurant. Momma Joyce gets the rumor mill going about why Phaedra Parks' divorce is dragging on. Porsha Williams plans a girls outing. Watch a sneak peek preview below!In an exclusive clip via, Cynthia Bailey and Peter Thomas come face to face for an emotional meeting. Thomas tells Bailey that a hospital visit recently made him realize that she could no longer be his emergency contact. Its a revelation that brings Bailey to tears.Just because were going through a divorce [doesnt] mean I dont care what happens to you, she tells Peter. Youve been my friend for eight years. Youve been that person that I call.Bailey tells Thomas she wants their marriage to end peacefully. People say when you get divorced you cant be friends and its going to be all this nasty stuff, like were gonna hate each other. And I dont hate you. I dont want to hate you, she says. I still want to be friends with you.Bailey even mentions her 17-year-old daughter Noelle Robinson, telling Thomas, [I] still want you to have a relationship with Noelle  shes know you since you were 8 years old. Youve been like a second dad to her.I love you, I respect you. I just cant be married to you  thats it, she confesses.She brings up a conversation the two had in their early days of dating. When I first met you, we had that conversation about if were ever not happy, are you the kind of person to just settle to just be in something? she said. And you told me no.Its a conversation that appears to give Thomas the motivation to move forward. I do want to see you happy, he tells her  before calling her lawyer, Daniel Meachum, and agreeing to sign off off on whatever he sends.In this other clip, when Phaedra Parks arrives to Kenya Moore's housewarming party with her plus one, which happens to be Porsha Williams, Kenya is not to pleasure with having Porsha there.airs Sunday nights at 8/7c only on Bravo. For International TV ListingsSource/Photo Credit: Bravo
Following the news that Donald Trump was elected as the 45th President of the United States, Katie Hopkins made a guest appearance on tonights Late Late Show.

The beginning of the chat focused on Trump, Hopkins stated: "I think people are cross that Trump won - a lot of them are femi-nazis".

She clearly didn't come on the show to make friends.

"He's not racist at all."

Hopkins even brought her own cards to the show with "labels" on them such as "racist", but we never did get to see them as Tubridy repeatedly told her to "put the cards down".

She responded saying: "I'm not a child."

They then had a back-and-fourth that was similar to children fighting over crayons, but she did eventually leave the cards alone.

She explained how American people do not want to be like European people.

"They point at Europe - Americans - and say we don't want to be like that."

Her reason being: "Too many Muslims."

The main word that dominated the conversation was of course, pussy.

The first audience member to comment expressed his delight at Donald Trump standing up for the middle-class white American, yawn.

She corrected an audience member, telling her that she is "loosely" a woman. What?

Ryan why do you bother with this attention grabbing woman(loosely) #latelate #latelateshow  Itamay (@Itamay2) November 11, 2016

@KTHopkins says she's "loosely" a woman on #latelate She's only loosely a human being as well  Eoin Kelleher (@eoinyk) November 11, 2016

So she's a loose woman..... Jaysus Trump has a horn on him like a donkey when he heard that #latelate  Cathal Keogh (@cathalkeogh) November 11, 2016

Pussy returned.

"Oh look he wants to grab me by the pussy, oh look I've been assaulted - you know most of them are very strong women very capable women - I'm tired of the femi-nazi, I'm tired of the multicultural mafia."

@KTHopkins looks like she's trying to be a 17 year old transvestite.Trump wouldn't grab your fanny anyway #latelate  SteMc (@_SteMcGarry) November 11, 2016

The most awkward moment was when more than half the audience members put their hands up to indicate that they would not welcome Trump to Ireland.

So painful to watch.

She then continued to insult Tubridy.

"Even though I think you're small-minded and wrong I'm going to listen to you." Poor Tubridy.

However, most people were unimpressed with his hosting skills.

#latelate poor Ryan .Out of his depth here!!  Pat Gilmartin (@pjgilmart) November 11, 2016

#latelate Never saw Ryan as wound up; can't handle someone pointing out the blatant media bias and prejudice  Marc Cosgrove (@MarcJCosgrove) November 11, 2016

#latelate Tubs needs to be more subjective! Jeepers you invite #katiehopkins on the show & can't handle her.  Claire McGeever (@claire_mcgeever) November 11, 2016

Tubrity showed tonight again what a lightweight interviewer he is. #latelate #LateLateShow  Robert Daly. (@mrbobdaly) November 11, 2016

Everyone started to wonder has Hopkins met Danny Healy-Rae due to her comments on climate change.

Katie Hopkins and Danny Healy Rae a match made in #climatechange deniers heaven #latelate  Maz G (@mazcon) November 11, 2016

#latelate Danny Healy Rae in this mix would have been classic!!  JNC Premier Pitches (@SportsFenceJNC) November 11, 2016

"Climate change absolute tosh" genius!!! #latelate  Mr John glynn (@irishjohnny_g) November 11, 2016

And, of course, back to pussy again.

"I would rather be grabbed by the pussy than have a pussy for president."

Can we stop saying pussy, please?

To sum it up, she insulted the Irish, Europeans, feminists, Hillary Clinton supporters, sexual assault survivors and the peace process all in one tiny segment.

Katie Hopkins giving out about @colettebrowne using labels when 'feminazi' was one of the first words out of her own mouth. #latelate  Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) November 11, 2016

"Real men do not sexually assault women" - @ColetteBrowne on @KTHopkins defence of Donald Trump's comments #latelate https://t.co/ieVqOUtg40  The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) November 11, 2016
An emergency EU foreign ministers' meeting called to discuss Donald Trump's shock US election victory has been snubbed by Britain's Boris Johnson.

The move highlights the widening gulf between London and the continent over how to respond to the new US president-elect after a senior German politician warned Theresa May was "delusional" if she believed the incoming Republican administration would give the UK a good trade deal.

The UK's Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson, who branded vocal European concern about the US election result as a "whinge-o-rama", was dismissive of the need for a special EU meeting.

A British Foreign Office spokesman said: "The Foreign Secretary will not attend the meeting convened for Sunday. There is a regular Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday where a range of issues can be discussed in the normal way.

"We do not see the need for an additional meeting on Sunday because the US election timetable is long established. An act of democracy has taken place, there is a transition period and we will work with the current and future administrations to ensure the best outcomes for Britain."

The move came as a senior member of German chancellor Angela Merkel's Social Democrat coalition partner, Axel Schafer, said the British PM's hope that President-elect Trump will look favourably on the UK will come to nothing.

Referring to the surprise election of Mr Trump, Mr Schafer told The Times: "What changed is the likelihood of a speedy and preferential trade deal between UK and US.

"Even before Tuesday the chances were rather low, now the hope for this kind of deal seems delusional."

In further signs of tensions between the UK and EU, Czech state secretary for European affairs Tomas Prouza warned plans floated at the Tory conference to make companies list foreign workers were "stoking the fires" of anti-immigrant feeling in the UK.

Mr Prouza said the idea was similar to ones seen during the rise of fascism in the 1930s.

He called on Mrs May to "condemn these ideas" as he noted there had been an "enormous" rise in attacks on Czechs in Britain since the June vote to quit the EU.

"I think the performance at the Conservative Party conference was again stoking the fires.

"When you had all these ideas of British companies that would have to report the number of foreigners they employ, maybe even the names of the foreigners they employ, that is very similar to what we have seen on the continent in the 1930s.

"I think we all remember what it led to. So I think we see it as very dangerous, and I was really hoping that Prime Minister May would condemn these ideas very quickly and it's not happened. So that is a worry.

"At the moment we need to support the security of Czechs. We've seen an enormous increase in attacks on Czechs and other foreigners on British soil," he told BBC Radio Four's Analysis programme.

The suggestion by British Home Secretary Amber Rudd that companies should count foreign workers was roundly condemned, forcing the Government to state it would not mean that individual non-British staff would be listed.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker also struck a much tougher stance on Mr Trump than London, stating: "I think that we'll waste time for two years while Mr Trump tours a world that he is completely unaware of.

"We have to teach the new president of the USA what Europe is, and how it works. The trans-Atlantic alliance, and the Nato alliance, is called into question, so it could be quite pernicious.

"With regards to refugees and other non-Americans, Trump has an approach which in no way coincides with the approach in Europe."

The comments came as the UK's Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said his party would vote against triggering Article 50, which formally launches withdrawal negotiations with the EU, unless there was a guarantee that the final Brexit deal with Brussels is put to a fresh referendum.

The British Government is challenging a High Court ruling that Parliament must have the final say on triggering Article 50 with a hearing in the Supreme Court next month, arguing that prerogative powers could be used to trigger the mechanism.
In the wake of Donald Trump's election, reports of racially charged incidents are emerging from US schools and universities, including students who chanted "white power" and called black classmates "cotton pickers".

Reporting has identified more than 20 such encounters beginning on Election Day, many involving people too young to cast a ballot.
A native of Blarney Street on Corks northside and holder of a masters degree in human performance, physiology and biomechanics from Brunel University, 33-year-old Damien Kennedy was living in London in 2012 when he and best friend Greg Duggan spotted a gap in the market for a healthy treat.

They bought an ice cream-making machine online and after much trial-and-error, came up with WheyHey, which contains 20g of protein  the same as a chicken breast  and only 7g carbohydrate and fat. Following a successful tasting with family, they found a mass producer in Cork.

Mr Kennedy told assembled Cork Chamber members at the Irish Examiner-sponsored breakfast: We had no business background, were totally naive, and thought we were going to take over the world. We sold everything we owned to produce it.

After a number of setbacks, he and Mr Duggan received the go-ahead from Holland & Barrett to make a 65,000 production run, where it became the best-selling product.

Premier League football clubs then came on board, as did the likes of British supermodel David Gandy, former heavyweight champion of the world David Haye, and Harry Styles and Niall Horan of One Direction.

Richard Branson had ordered WheyHey to be shipped to his Necker Island home in the Caribbean  but they had no idea how they were going to get it there.

Using a transport ship that carried human body parts, the shipment of WheyHey arrived on Necker Island, and Mr Branson was so impressed that he took the two budding entrepreneurs on as proteges.

WheyHey has since been introduced to NHS hospitals across Britain, is about to go to New York Presbyterian Hospital, has been introduced to Odeon cinemas across the UK, and has sold, in all, more than 1 million pots in Europe.

It is set to sell 4 million overall in 2016 and will double again in 2017. It is also being introduced in the Middle East.

However, he said that the huge corporations in the food industry realised that entrepreneurial spirit was taking them on without fear, and encouraged those with a good idea to reach for the stars.

He said: It is the hardest thing we have ever done but I would say to those thinking of it to just go for it. Use a small market  test on a street. Go slowly but dont be afraid to fail.

He may eventually resettle in Cork, and the company could have a much larger presence in his home city in the future.
Alan McQuaid, chief economist at Merrion Capital, said more effort should be devoted to keeping and developing Irish companies that compete internationally because they are not subject to the threats of the US and the UK slashing corporate tax rates.

He said a lot of the artificial accounting involving the tax arrangements of multinationals had thrown Ireland into a bad light, presenting a distorted picture of Ireland in the US as unfairly holding hundreds of billions in investments.

Such perceptions will become important, if Mr Trump follows through with his pledges for tax amnesties and to cut US corporate taxes to 15% from the current US headline rate of 35%.

The issue is that Ireland sticks out. There is an artificiality to the whole thing, Mr McQuaid said.

The huge effect on Ireland from multinationals re-arranging their tax affairs was made clear in CSO figures published yesterday on foreign direct investment flows in Ireland.

The figures showed that the stock of foreign direct investment surged 60% to 815bn in 2015 from the previous year  mostly driven by redomiciled companies in Ireland, which add no jobs or operations based here.

Ireland could be thrust back into the headlines in the US and in the UK, which following Brexit, has increased reason to cut its corporate tax rates, the chief economist said.

Irish exporters struggling to cope with the weak sterling, however, got some relief in recent days following the victory of Mr Trump as sterling hit a five-week high against the dollar and recorded its best fortnight on a trade-weighted basis in almost eight years, with investors focus having turned away from Brexit and towards political risks elsewhere.

Since Mr Tumps shock victory in the US presidential election on Tuesday, sterling has been the best performer of any major currency, outshining even the dollar, which itself is on track to record its best week in a year against a basket of currencies.

Sterling rose almost 1% to trade at 86.13p against the euro. Sterling was building on gains as investors turned their minds to a slew of upcoming political risks in Europe  such as an Italian constitutional referendum next month and French and German elections next year  as Mr Trumps win spread fears about a global wave of populism.

Sterlings been the greatest outperformer since the Trump win. Youd have thought he won the UK presidency, said Societe Generale currency strategist Alvin Tan.

Concerns that Italy could become the next nation to be hit by a global populist revolt, which could sink Matteo Renzis premiership in a referendum next month, drove its borrowing costs to their highest for over a year yesterday.

Mr Renzi has staked all on his attempts to win backing for constitutional reforms in the December 4 referendum.

Central Bank governor Philip Lane yesterday shrugged off a selloff in eurozone government bonds since Mr Trumps win, playing down the significance of day-by-day market moves for ECB policy.
The pharma firm employs over 500 people in Waterford and new accounts from Genzyme Ireland Ltd show that it enjoyed the profit jump despite revenues having declined by 36% to 983m.

The chief factor behind the sharp increase in profits was the firm not incurring any royalty charges after paying out 573.34m in royalty charges in 2014. Its corporation tax payment of 4.79m meant it posted net profits of 63.7m. The relatively low tax bill was a result of a cost of sales of 879.3m.
New figures show that McDonalds in Ireland last year outperformed its global business to record a 2.5% increase in pre-tax profits, to 14 million.

This followed revenues at the business increasing by 5% to 84.98m, boosted by the opening of two new stores, in Cork and Naas.

The fast food chain is due to open its 91st outlet at City West in Dublin this month.

Last year, the firm paid a dividend of 11m.

At the end of last year, McDonalds had 89 stores in the Republic, including 77 franchised stores and 12 operated directly by the company.

Commenting on the 2015 results, managing director of McDonalds Ireland, Adrian Crean said: 2015 was another year of expansion with the opening of two new restaurants in Naas and Cork, creating an additional 150 jobs.

Next week it launches a new way for customers to place their orders by using self-service kiosks, pay by card and then take a seat for the food to be delivered to the table by staff.

The fast food chain is also launching a so-called Signature Collection of premium thicker-cut beef burgers.

McDonalds director of operations, Jimmy Edwards said: We have invested heavily in recent years to give our customers a great experience in terms of both delicious food and a relaxed atmosphere.

"The introduction of both table service and the Signature Collection is a very exciting development and we are very much looking forward to extending these innovations across our network of 90 restaurants around Ireland in the coming years.

The new service will be available at The Square, Belgard Road, Dublin Airport T1, Donaghmede, Carrickmines, and Lucan Drive-Thru.

It is also being launched at the Kilkenny Drive- Thru, the Naas Drive Thru and in Dundalk.

Each year, McDonalds buys 40,000 tonnes of Irish beef.

The company claims that if it were an export destination for Irish beef exports, it would rank as the fourth largest.

Numbers employed by the firm last year increased from 907 to 941.

Staff costs increased by 8% to 19.9m.

The profits also take account of non-cash depreciation costs of 4.5m. Accumulated profits last year stood at 120m.

The firms cash during the year fell from 39.6m to 34.9m, and also incurred operating lease costs of 12.85m. McDonalds first came to Ireland in 1977.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh (Photo: VNA)

Earlier the same day, the Vietnam Maritime Administration reported that pirates attacked a Vietnamese cargo ship, kidnapped six out of its 19 crewmembers and injured one off the Philippines' Basilan island.

The ship, named Royal 16, was on its way from Vietnam 's northeastern province of Quang Ninh to the Philippines with 19 crewmembers and a cargo of cement when it was attacked.

It is owned by the Quy Sang Maritime Transport Joint Stock Company and operated by the Hoang Gia Maritime Joint Stock Company.

The ship sent an alert at 3:31am from a location about 10 nautical miles (18 kilometres) southwest of Basilan island.

After the attack, the ship anchored safely at Zamboanga port in the southern Philippines with the remaining 13 crewmembers, including one who suffered gunshot wounds in the arm.

According to the Vietnamese Embassy, the injured sailor is receiving treatment at Brent Hospital in the Philippines, said Binh, adding that the Foreign Ministrys Consular Department has also informed authorised agencies at home of the case, urging them to coordinate with their Philippine counterparts in investigation./.
Citing increased traffic flow in the city, the UCC economist and member of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, warned however about a widening gap in infrastructure investment.

What we have not done well in this country is to keep pace by investing in infrastructure, and not just in roads, but in water and education, in Cork, because of the growing population, he told a PwC business conference.

The value of home transactions in Cork has increased to 800 million in the first nine months this year from 350m in the same period in 2013, he said.

What we have not done well in this country is to keep pace by investing in infrastructure, and not just in roads, but in water and education, in Cork, because of the growing population, he told a PwC business conference.

The value of home transactions in Cork has increased to 800 million in the first nine months this year from 350m in the same period in 2013, he said.

On the potential threats to Irish economic prosperity presented by Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, who has pledged to slash US corporate tax rates, Mr Coffey said keeping control over the public finances would help insulate the country from such risks.

Anthony Reidy, partner and assurance leader at PwC in Cork, said Brexit and the US election had brought uncertainty, given the high concentration of multinationals in the Cork area.

US companies may opt to have more of their operations in the US. But there are other fundamentals which are important to them as well, such as the availability of talent and the proximity to customers, he said.

Mr Trumps election may hasten UK cut in corporate tax rates, but Ireland has competed in the past, he said.
The proud Maori All Blacks humbled by a marauding Munster side cheered by a packed and racous Thomond Park.

Somewhere up in the rain-sodden ether over Thomond Park last night, Anthony Foley settled into his new vantage point.

A voice from the past wafted in from the blind side. Hi, Axel. Great turnout you had.

It was Jonah. Just arrived to watch his Maori All Black blood brothers join battle with Munster.

As they embrace, Axel recalls: Talk about turnouts, theyre still talking about you causinig traffic jams in the city centre when you turned on the Christmas lights the last at time you were here in 2008.

Both agreed, it was some November weekend in Limerick - the All Blacks just shaving enough on the scoreboard, against Munster in a game to mark the official opening of the new Thomond Park.

Maori All Blacks captain Ash Dixon placing a jersey in honour of the late Munster head coach Anthony Foley on the pitch ahead of the match. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

As they settled down, Jonah places his hands around Axels shoulder.

Just to let you know, Axel, lots of us back home were upset that our All Blacks did not show respect to your last weekend in Chicago. The players did the Kapa O Pango haka, which is a war cry and not the Ka Mate version which is done to honour fallen heroes like your good self. But I assure you my fellow Maoris wont make the same mistake tonight. You see we have one great dignified Maori All Black haka, Te Timatanga. Its last lines go Climb up, thrive to the pathway of knowledge to achieve excellence, spiritually, mentally, physically.

Generous as ever, Axel responds: Jonah, not a bother. Lets see how it goes tonight. Its unbelievable here in Limerick on a night like tonight.

Jonah delves into Maori rugby which dates back to 1888. We were the first to wear the black jersey. We have great pillars to our rugby heritager. Excellence, humility, respect and most of all, Whakapapa.

Sean Quilter, aged 9, from Castletroy, Limerick, celebrates his sides first try during the match. Picture: Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile

Axel looks puzzled.

Whakapapa?

Jonah explains: Yeah.That means genealogy. You must have Maori blood to put on the Maori All Black jersey. Family. Generations upon generations. Thats the real foundation.

As he gazes down on the terraces, Jonah smiles: Look, my niece, Ali Palu is there. I hear she loves Limerick and has started college in the city.

A heavenly silence takes hold as two great men savour the moment.

Down in the stadium, 25,600 stir the night as only a Munster crowd can.
The figure, which relates to inpatient and day cases, is the highest across all specialties and includes 3,553 patients waiting over a year according to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). It also includes more than 400 children, of whom 54 are waiting more than a year.

Consultant opthalmologist David Keegan said eye care has been constantly under-resourced in the decade since he returned to work in Ireland in 2006.

However, he was hopeful the success of the National Diabetic Retinal Screening Programme (NDRSP), which has screened 216,000 peoplein the community since 2013, would convince the HSE that more eye care services can be delivered effectively in community settings.

This would relieve the stress on acute hospitals and should free up more clinical and surgical space to tackle waiting lists, if properly resourced, Mr Keegan said.

He said he was uncomfortable with the NTPF because it moves funding out of the public system and limits growth.

But, maybe in the past, the public system was not as efficient as it could have been, he said. For instance children were often referred on after being seen in the school screening programme where maybe they didnt need to be, so although cases were not being missed, we were flooding the system.

There was a need for greater efficiency, such as having the kind of electronic database that underpins the success of the NDRSP so that we get visibility on problems straight away and we know where to direct resources, Mr Keegan said.

Kevin Whelan, CEO of Fighting Blindness, said the Review of Primary Care Eye Services offered a potential roadmap to providing a more effective service for patients and addressing waiting lists.

Current ophthalmology waiting list numbers are extremely concerning. They mean that a sight issue will continue to interfere with a persons quality of life for so much longer than is necessary, Mr Whelan said.

The review was due to be published in the summer of 2015. The call for immediate publication was made yesterday at the Fighting Blindness RETINA 2016 conference which continues in Dublin today. The HSE has said the report and implementation plan will be finalised towards the end of the year.
The judgment provides guidance for judges in explaining to juries the law on rape, including in relation to defences based on an alleged belief by an accused that a woman consented to sex. An alleged belief a woman might be consenting to sex is not a defence, the court stressed.

The man had claimed he genuinely believed his mother, aged in her 60s and with mobility problems, had consented to sex. She was adamant she had not. He was convicted by a jury in 2012 and jailed for 12.5 years.

In opposing his appeal, lawyers for the DPP said it would be helpful for the Supreme Court to clarify that there must be a genuine basis for consent in circumstances including where some hold views that a woman may be so out of it that consent is irrelevant.

Giving the unanimous judgment, Mr Justice Peter Charleton said the incident happened in 2008 after the man called to his mothers home. She was in bed, having been out earlier with relatives for a Mothers Day meal. She got up, both consumed some strong drink, and started dancing. She was also on medication and told the jury she ended up on the floor with her son on top of her having sex with her.

She said that was not consensual. He claimed it was consensual.

Mr Justice Charleton said rape is a terrible violation of a womans physical and mental integrity.

The trial judge, in his charge to the jury, misstated the law by a mistaken reference that a belief by the accused that a woman might be consenting rendered non-consensual sex somehow not a crime, he said. A woman has a constitutional right to her bodily integrity and, as a matter of law, there must be a lack of consent by a woman.

Sexual intercourse in such circumstances can only be excused if an accused honestly believed the woman was actually consenting, not merely that she might be, the judge said.

A proper consideration of the mental element in rape demonstrated the trial judge mistakenly stated the defence case in terms of law too widely but in favour of the accused, he said. As no error against the accused was identified, his appeal would be dismissed.

The judge said the model chosen in the Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1981, amended, adopted not what a reasonable man believed concerning whether there was consent, but rather what an individual accused believed.

He said trial judges need to state no jury is under any obligation to believe an obviously false story and is entitled to accept or reject prosecution or defence evidence. Where defences of mistaken belief in consent are advanced, every jury is entrusted to judge what the accused claims to be a mistaken belief, against the view of what an ordinary or reasonable man would have realised in the circumstances. This defence requires genuine belief.

Lack of consent constitutes rape, he added.

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre CEO Noeline Blackwell said: We welcome the clear statement of Irish law by the Supreme Court that lack of consent is equal to rape. What the judgment also shows is that our law on consent needs to be strengthened. The court found that an honest belief by an accused that the woman consented would be a good defence for the accused, even if the belief is unreasonable.
Dr Sylvia Waldron from the Forensic Science Laboratory told a hearing at Galway District Court that a DNA sample taken from blood found at the scene of one of the burglaries matched a DNA profile stored on the database which belonged to Dominick Starczewski, aged 27, of no fixed abode, and with a former address at Firhouse, Dublin 24.

Theres less than one in a thousandth millionth chance of finding a similar DNA profile from another person and even that is quite a conservative figure.

And its one in five to six million chances that the DNA could come from a sibling, Dr Waldron added.

Starczewski claimed he had never been to Galway and denied any involvement in burglaries at St Patricks National School, and at the former Adult Education Centre in Galway city, in the early hours of January 22.

While 200 was taken from the petty cash box at the Adult Education Centre, two laptops that contained educational data along with one teachers research notes for her Masters, were stolen from two classrooms at St Patricks.

Garda Denis Sweeney said he took a swab of specks of blood found on a broken window at St Patricks, and sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory.

Starczewski did not become a suspect until Dr Waldron confirmed that the DNA profile taken from the swab matched that of the accused, whose DNA profile was already stored on the database as he was a repeat offender.

Garda Pat Fahy said he obtained a court order in August, permitting him to take a swab from the suspects mouth while he was serving a sentence at the Midlands Prison for other burglaries.

That swab matched the DNA found on the swab sent initially by Garda Sweeney.

Judge Mary Fahy was shown CCTV footage from the former Adult Education Centre at Merchants Road, which showed the accused putting on two pairs of gloves before he smashed through the door to gain entry to that premises.

Convicting the accused of both offences, Judge Fahy said she could see him quite plainly on the CCTV while the DNA sample clearly placed him at the scene of the crime at St Patricks.

Judge Fahy imposed the maximum sentence of 12 months in prison for the burglary charge in relation to the break-in at St Patricks School. She then imposed a consecutive, five-month sentence for the second break-in which she backdated to October 19.

Leave to appeal the sentences was granted.
The exact nature of the fraud against Laois-Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB), or the amount involved, are not known. But the board has not been left out of pocket, due to co-operation between banks and a goodwill gesture by its insurers.

LOETB chief executive Joe Cunningham told the Irish Examiner it related to the administration of banking procedures with suppliers.

The board was a victim of fraudulent activity in autumn of 2014 by an external source.

We immediately introduced new control measure to address that situation where the breach was, and we informed the gardai, he said.

While the boards financial accounts for the period described the matter as being caused by a control weakness, the office of Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) Seamus McCarthy said it was due to a control failure.

The fraud occurred around the same time that a number of organisations and individuals were hit by a phishing scam  in which emails purporting to be from eircom (now eir) said there was a problem processing a recent bill, and directed recipients to what looked liked an authentic website where credit card details were to be entered.

A spokesperson for Mr McCarthy said the irregular payment by LOETB is not the subject of any further C&AG investigation, and will not be the subject of a report to the Oireachtas.

In its 2015 accounts published this week, LOETB confirmed that all the money had been recovered.

In view of its long-standing relationship as a good client, the ETBs insurer, Irish Public Bodies, made good just over 24,000 which was taken fraudulently.

This was the amount outstanding after most of the money transferred to the fraudsters had been recovered through the bank of the recipient account, believed to be an overseas financial institution. However, it is not known how much was originally scammed, with a possibility that it was even a six-figure sum.

A Garda spokesman told the Irish Examiner it would be inappropriate to comment on the case as the investigation is still ongoing.
His first victim was a cousin he raped after telling her he had something to show her in the woods. He later went on to sexually abuse two of his nieces in their grandparents house.

The 43-year old man, who cannot be identified to protect his victims identities, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to representative counts of rape, sexual assault and anal rape on dates between 1989 and 2001.

The accused was 16 when he raped his 13-year-old cousin in 1989, and was in his 20s when he abused his two nieces when they were aged about 8 and 13.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said the children were preyed upon. He said the effects on the victims had been devastating but they appeared to be of great resilience and determination.

He said a risk assessment of the accused placed him at moderate risk of re-offending. He noted the man had indicated his willingness to undertake courses in prison including the building better lives project directed at sex offenders. The judge imposed consecutive sentences totalling 14 years.

In her victim impact statement, the elder niece said she told her mother that the accused had been interfering with her but her mother took his word that nothing had happened.

She said her sense of family was gone and she had issues trusting people. She found it hard to connect with people and did not feel safe.

The younger niece said the abuse had a devastating impact. She said she felt a lot of anger as a teenager and looked for reasons to take it out on others. She said she felt she did not have a childhood like other children and her family was no support.

She said if it were not for her own child she felt she would be in prison now due to her anger issues.

The accuseds cousin told the court the abuse changed her life and she went off the rails before telling her mother, who believed her and got her counselling. She said the abuse had destroyed the family and turned her world upside down.

She said she had come through the other side with the support of her mother.

Roderick OHanlon, defending, said the accused had a good work history. He said the complaints had been made within the family at an early stage but a decision was taken not to proceed at the time so there was a considerable gap between then and coming to court.

He said the accused had accepted responsibility for the offences. He said the man was remorseful and willing to comply with any supervision orders the court makes.
Gerard Walsh, aged 58, of The Paddocks, Westbury, Corbally, had pleaded not guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to the reckless discharge of a shotgun and causing criminal damage to a car, which was hit by pellets.

The trial heard that Brendan Wallace, his wife and son chased another man, Thomas McNamara who took refuge in Mr Walshs house following an earlier incident in which Mr Wallace was slashed across the face with a screwdriver.

Mr Walsh said he thought his home and family were under threat when the Wallaces stormed in.

In the porch of the house, the Wallaces carried out a sustained attack on the man they chased.

Mr Walsh thought this man was a son of his.

Pellets from the accuseds gun hit the Wallaces car as it drove away from the Walsh house.

Yvonne Quinn, defending, said the accused and his family were traumatised by the Wallaces charging into their house at night when they were watching TV.

The accused was put in an appalling position in trying to prevent the violation of his home. She said: He did what he did to protect his family.

John OSullivan, prosecuting, said the law allows a person to defend themselves, their property and family and this was a well recognised right.

But in this case, Mr OSullivan said the State claimed the Wallaces were retreating from the house, when the accused discharged the gun. It was the prosecution case, he said, this was not reasonable force and Walsh was over the top in firing the gun.

After 30 minutes, the jury returned not guilty verdicts.
The prospect of a flood of companies fleeing Ireland was raised by an adviser to Mr Trump this week, after a pledge in the US election race that corporate taxes would be cut there.

Further doubts about the future were also raised in surprise remarks by EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker last night as he warned that Mr Trump risked upsetting US ties with Europe.

We will need to teach the president-elect what Europe is and how it works, Mr Juncker told a student audience in Luxembourg.

Intercontinental relations may be affected in their foundation and in their structure, he said.

His remarks will add to anxiety over Mr Trump.

Irish MEPs yesterday called for fresh economic plans for the country in the wake of Mr Trumps election win and warned of new US firms deciding against settling here.

Sarita Johnson, manager of female entrepreneurship in Enterprise Ireland, said it was important not to scaremonger but also said that EI and others would be looking at how indigenous Irish companies could grow and diversify their international export markets.

On the risk of repatriation of giant American companies, she said: We have to look at that quite seriously and how that is going to impact on indigenous companies.

As with plans to respond to the possible impact of Brexit, Ms Johnson said trade relations with the US, as with Britain, would be maintained, but a plan would need to be prepared.

Of course there is a concern and I think we are going to have to look at the potential impact and come up with a contingency plan around the direct effect on indirect jobs, which are in indigenous companies.

The likes of Google, the likes of Facebook, the likes of Apple, dont just come to Ireland for corporation tax. It is but one of the factors.

She said areas such as the Far East and South America offered chances for Irish firms and diversification of markets would reduce dependency on the US and UK.

Ms Johnson was speaking at the second day of National Digital Week in Skibbereen.

MEP Sean Kelly said many foreign companies who had already invested here would be loath to leave, but the one area we might suffer is with those [companies] in the US who might be thinking of locating here.

MEP Mairead McGuinness, at an event in Athlone, said Ireland should revisit its economic policies after the US election result.

While no one yet knows the shape Brexit will take or indeed the changes that will emerge in the US, nonetheless, we should look upon these developments as an opportunity to review and look afresh at our economic policies to see how they can be altered or tweaked to better serve a future that is not just less certain but may be changing more rapidly than heretofore.

Fears of US firms leaving were raised by Mr Trumps senior aide Stephen Moore, who said that when business taxes there are cut from 35% to 15% a flood of companies would leave Ireland and other countries. The cut was one of Mr Trumps key election pledges.

Government agencies and the Department of Finance yesterday played down these fears. ESRI director Alan Barrett said many foreign firms were locked in here.

A lot of companies move their activities, but not only based on corporation tax.

Former IDA CEO Padraic White said foreign firms are here as a platform to the Middle East, Europe, and Africa and receive skilled staff, and support.

Finance Minister Michael Noonans department noted there had been calls for tax reform in the US for some time. It also noted the US political system was complex and reforms needed the consent of both houses of congress there.

The department said it would analyse any proposals for US tax reform, but it was too early to make predictions, since Mr Trumps administration will not be in place until January.

Central Bank governor Philip Lane yesterday said it was way too early to assess the impact of Mr Trumps presidency on the economy.
The cruise ship docked at Tien Sa port. (Photo: infornet)

The Genting Dream is a modern new-generation vessel built in Germany. It has a length overall of 335 meters and is 39.7 meters in width.

The 19-deck cruiser has the capacity to accommodate 3,400 cruise passengers and 2,000 crew members, featuring a crew-to-guest ratio of 1:1.7, which is the highest of any Asia Pacific ship.

On its route from November 8th to 10th, the cruise ship arrived at Vietnams large ports in Ho Chi Minh city, Nha Trang and Da Nang. After that, it continues its tour to Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

According to the Da Nang Department of Tourism, maritime tourists made a big proportion of and are very important for the citys tourism development. So far this year, Da Nang has received 58 cruise ships with 81,217 foreign arrivals, a 3.6 fold increase over a year earlier./.
The alien invasion movie is a time-honoured Hollywood staple, but Arrival (12A) offers an intriguing variation.

When an alien craft touches down in remote Montana  one of several spaceships to appear on Earth overnight  the American military turns to Dr Louise Banks (Amy Adams, in what is arguably her finest role to date), a specialist in linguistics, in a bid to communicate with the alien species and discover whether they come as friend or foe.

Aided by physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), Banks sets out to talk to the squid-like creatures, despite having no idea of how to establish a common language.

The theme of Arrival resonates strongly in these fractious times, although the message is also a timeless one: jaw-jaw is always better than war-war, no matter how clear and present the possible danger.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve from a script by Eric Heisserer, the story evolves as a painstakingly charted dialogue between species with no common ground, in the process offering a fascinating glimpse into the science of linguistics, not least when Banks tells us that the language you speak defines how you think.

Meanwhile, the experience of interacting with the aliens appears to confuse Bankss perception of time and memory, so that Banks experiences impossibly vivid re-enactments of her memories of her dead daughter.

Its a haunting tale with a powerful emotional undercurrent as Villeneuve offers a compelling post-Close Encounters tale about the tantalising possibility of inter-species communication.

Written and directed by Irishman Johnny OReilly, Moscow Never Sleeps (15A) is an ambitious multi-character tale that takes place over a 24-hour period against the backdrop of Moscows City Day celebrations.

Businessman Anton (Aleksy Serebryakov) battles entrenched corruption as he tries to break away from the bribes and backhanders that greased the old way of doing business; his mistress Katya (Eugenia Khirivskaya) aims for pop stardom and a better life than her old lover Ilya (Oleg Dolin) can give her; Ilyas father Valeriy (Yuriy Stoyanov), a beloved TV comedian now dying of alcoholism, breaks out of hospital craving one last day of indulgent freedom.

The characters stories are slickly intertwined as OReilly directs at a cracking pace, their mini-tragedies underpinned by black Russian humour and fuelled by heroic quantities of vodka.

Cinematographer Fedor Lyass does a superb job of capturing the newly brash and confident Moscow with his wide-angle shots of a gleaming cityscape, the fabulous backdrop contrasting sharply with the claustrophobic and rundown confines of the characters flats, old folks homes and hospitals.

Its a fine collective performance from the cast, although Yuriy Stoyanov provides the standout turn as the sad clown Valeriy, a man who is cheerfully determined to drink himself to death.

Indeed, Valeriy personifies the films underlying theme, which concerns itself with the way in which the old Russian values are being swept away in the headlong rush to ape a Western culture previously considered decadent.

Its an absorbing tale, offering a rare glimpse into the lives of contemporary Russians as they learn to live with the uncertainties of the new world order.

The Land of the Enlightened (15A) is a complex and occasionally opaque documentary set in Afghanistan.

There are hints that the film is an abstract investigation of Afghanistans history, suggesting the contemporary war is just another uneasy episode in the countrys troubled history.

A platoon of child soldiers listens to news that Obama plans to extract American troops, busy calling in air strikes on snipers from their bunker in the Kumar Valley, while a narration culled from a mythical tale tells of a king worried about the imminent invasion of Mongol hordes.

The country will get through this, director Pieter-Jan De Pue seems to say, just as they did Genghis Khan and the Russian invaders.

But this message tends to get lost in the tangential nature of the docu-drama, with De Pue (who shot the film over seven years) losing the narrative thrust in the everyday trappings of being a soldier in a war thats little understood (the child soldiers relieving passing caravans of their opium cargo, while their grownup counterparts do what they can to stave off boredom)  if there is an overarching story its the child soldiers de facto commander attempting to sell on the stolen opium so that he has a dowry for a girl back home.

That said, the gorgeous mountaintop backdrops make it all look ravishing (Afghanistan is described as Gods Garden), and De Pue certainly deserves credit for crafting a narrative that takes us some way off the beaten track.
Two mums, each with a toddler with Down syndrome, have for six months been sending gift hampers to mums of newborns diagnosed with the condition.

For Sinead Fidgeon and Rachel Adams, Baskets of Love is a bid to banish negative attitudes to a Down syndrome diagnosis and to say to new mums: Congratulations, Mama. You did an amazing job! Your child is perfect.

So often, news of a child having Down syndrome is greeted with fear, sorrow and even condolences. Its sad but true that parents often never hear congratulations after their babys birth, says Cavan-based mum of five Sinead. Its an attitude that prevails from the top down.

After Grace, 22 months, was born, a doctor said Im very sorry  she definitely does have Down syndrome.

When people say sorry, you automatically feel a bad thing has happened. She was just a few hours old and we were being told what shed never achieve in life, that shed only be 50% as good as any other child.

Sinead, 45, will never forget a midwifes words, whispered into her ear: shes beautiful  shes as cute as a button. Those, she says, are the words she wanted to hear. Theyre what every mum should hear. Theyre what I carry with me to this day. When everybody else came in with Im sorry, I just listened to her words.

Dublin-based teacher Rachel started Facebook support group Downright Perfect soon after her son, Matthew, 2, was born. It started with six members  now there are 300.

I felt there was a gap. Youre given your diagnosis and left to your own devices. You want to talk to people who also have a child with Down syndrome. Both mums feel strongly that attitudes expressed in the first minutes, hours and days of a babys life will impact how a parent copes with a Down syndrome diagnosis.

Much of the trauma mums endure is to do with what other people say, says Rachel, who cites upsetting comments reported by mums in the Facebook group: Were heartbroken for you, Were so sorry, My condolences, Youll love her eventually, Sorry you didnt get the baby you wished for, Why do bad things happen to good people? Its a pity you didnt know beforehand  you could have done something.

She says mums report being avoided by others. They feel youre in the depths of sorrow about your child.

Rachel says Matthew is the love of her life.

If anything offensive is said, its so hurtful because hes everything to me. That extra chromosome doesnt define your baby  its only a tiny part of who he is.

Sinead believes most negative forecasting for babies with Down syndrome is based on old stereotypes.

They said Grace wouldnt walk until she was three or four. She walked at 18 months. With early intervention, our children will achieve everything, at a slower pace and on their terms.

But outdated stereotypes filter through. When she told her other children  ranging in age from 17 to eight  that Grace had Down syndrome, they were scared. They thought it was a bad thing. Now they see shes amazing, she can do anything.

Sinead joined Rachels Facebook group a year ago. It was just a beautiful group of moms who wanted to celebrate their babies.

When both mums realised they had each individually contacted Vancouver-based Danielle Gibbons, who set up Baskets of Love there, they felt this was meant to be for babies with Down syndrome born in Ireland too. The Baskets of Love message is of welcome and celebration.

Its to say a baby has been born, a beautiful baby  lets celebrate. Its to let moms know as early as possible about the online support group, that theyre not alone and to feel OK, actually I can do this.

Six companies are on board to sponsor the 400-500 worth of gift items contained in each basket  Dunnes Stores, Leigh Tucker, McCabes Pharmacy, Bog Standard, Allegro and Baby Elegance.

New moms receive a set of newborn clothing, luxury toilet items, a candle, baby products such as soothers, baby blanket and bib, as well as two books: Unexpected, a collection of stories from families worldwide, who have received a Down syndrome diagnosis, and Kelle Hamptons memoir, Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected.

So often after the birth, youre handed a leaflet about Down syndrome which isnt what any mammy wants to get. It feels very cold and goes into the future, which [at that point] isnt helpful, says Sinead.

Whereas the books in Baskets of Love have uplifting but realistic stories, showing what mums felt when they got a diagnosis. Youll find your own story there.

Sinead knows every mum deals with the diagnosis differently. Some are devastated, some grief-stricken. Some cry for three days and afterwards are angry with themselves for their reaction. These books show its ok to be upset, to cry and to feel what youre feeling  youre not alone.

Its estimated 120 to 130 babies are born annually in Ireland with Down syndrome. Since May, 60 Baskets of Love have gone countrywide to mums and newborns.

Sineads 14-year-old twins, Clodagh and Annagh, love the idea and have helped from the start. When mums in the Facebook group hear of a new baby with Down syndrome, they ask: can we get a basket down. Hospitals are becoming aware of the project.

Sinead recalls when her twins were born, a 21-year-old having just given birth to a baby with Down syndrome.

All the nurses were around the baby, saying oh, I think she has Down syndrome. One was crying. The paediatrician came in and checked her heartbeat. He said: so what? Shes perfect. Thats the kind of attitude we need.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/downrightperfect/.

To donate to the Baskets of Love cause, visit https://www.gofundme.com/theperfectgiftT21.

Bouncing Baby

Whats the right thing to say?

Sinead:

A mum has just given birth to her baby, the same baby she was carrying yesterday. All that needs to be said is: Youve just had a beautiful baby. Everything is going to be OK.

Mums tell us: I wish somebody had said its OK. I wish somebody had said: Congratulations, this is a good thing, this is going to be an amazing journey. Your baby is perfect, beautiful.

After Grace was born, my uncle asked: Did you get bad news?. I said Grace has Down syndrome. He said Is that all?

On parents tendency to worry about their babys future: I have more worries for my 17-year-old son and my teen girls than I do for Grace. It doesnt matter whether your child has Down syndrome or not. You worry. Its just normal.

Rachel:
Following on from the sub-compact Mokka X SUV that has achieved more than 600,000 sales throughout Europe, Opel says it will launch the new crossover model (CUV) next year.

The new CUV continues the trend towards sporty and spacious crossovers.

Customers want more emotional cars in the B-segment, says Dave Sheeran, managing director Opel Ireland. We are meeting these expectations with the Crossland X, and will offer a car with exciting design and the benefits of an SUV for the urban lifestyle  agile around town, yet confident over long distances.

Since 2010, the sales figures of SUVs and CUVs have increased by five-fold. The Opel Crossland X will bring additional impetus to this market segment and further growth potential for the Opel brand. With the new CUV, Opel will start a crossover-offensive in 2017, adding another category to the existing product portfolio that stretches from ADAM to Zafira.

In the meantime, Opel will launch the next-generation of IntelliLux LED lighting with the all-new Insignia in 2017.

The company claims that in addition to the numerous benefits of the award-winning matrix technology introduced for the first time last year on the Astra, the even more refined and sophisticated IntelliLux LED headlights of the new Insignia feature additional functions that further improve night-time visibility.

During the Astras development, LEDs had become even more compact and powerful, and Opels engineers used the significantly higher performance to accommodate twice as many LED segments (32) in the new Insignias Monza Concept-inspired headlights as in the Astra.

Insignias Monza Concept-inspired headlights as in the Astra.
This does actually have some small grain of truth about it, as I do actually know a smidgen or two about cars and things car-related. Not much, you understand, but just enough to spoof my way through any inquiries from car buffs/friends/generally interested parties.

Thankfully many queries that come my way are not of a technical nature, which  as long suffering readers will tell you, is not my forte  but more along the lines of: Ive got this much money to spend, so what should I buy?

This is generally a much easier question to answer than: Do you think the torque curve on the Audi R8 is comparable with the McLaren 650S? It is so much easier to answer because, frankly, I couldnt give a toss about the technicalities of either of those cars, I just want to drive them.

In any event, people do actually seek my advice about car things and, generally, I am able to provide some sort of coherent answer. Indeed there was the instance recently when a very good friend came to me to say his company was offering him a choice of wheels as his corporate clunker.

If I remember correctly, this mans two previous company cars were an Opel Insignia and a Volvo V40, neither of which, it would be fair to say, is a nailed-on thing of wonder. This time around he was being offered a choice of an Audi A3 saloon, another Volvo, and a bunch of other crap which was hardly worth considering.

I immediately told him to get the A3 and that he would not be disappointed. He did and he wasnt. Indeed just a few weeks after getting this little gem from Audi, he rang me to say he could not believe how much better it was than anything else he had ever driven. Having sympathised with him for his prior motoring sins, I sent him on his way a very happy punter.

Now as many of you will know, I have a particular soft spot for the Audi brand and have owned many down the years. Indeed when Audi first introduced the concept of a premium compact car with the A3 hatchback, I owned one of them for a while too. Actually, it was the better half that owned it, but only because I told her it was a good idea.

This fondness for Audi comes mainly from the fact that the Ingolstadt brand does not make either BMWs (too macho) or Mercedes (too mustachio), but rather finely crafted and built machines which have a fair degree of technical flair and mechanical innovation. I have, for example, always loved the whole 4WD quattro thing, not only for the added grip levels, but for the safety net it also provides.

Now, when Audi proffered up the A3 saloon some years ago, I thought it a dandy idea and the course of time has not diminished my feelings on the subject. And now with a face-lifted and upgraded version on hand to test, I was keen to get on with the job. And what a nice job it was.

Although I had to do without any quattro finesse on the tester, which was the two litre version with a 150 bhp output, a seven speed S-Tronic auto gearbox and in S-Line trim. Much as I liked the original, this new one wowed me completely. Well, nearly completely.

And, much to my surprise, it also wowed the better half who, even from the distance of the passenger seat was able to determine that the driving dynamics were not dissimilar from her own A4, although she correctly suspected the reality of the drive was completely different without the 4x4 system.

But she was impressed by the design (think slightly shrunk A4 and youve got the picture), the build quality (a given with Audi), the amount of room in it (particularly the boot) and the delightful way it went about its business. I was impressed that she was as impressed as she was.

Certainly the S-Line spec adds a lot of stuff like the very sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel and the cloth/leather upholstery, as well as a 5.8 inch colour display screen which houses all the infotainment, connectivity and sat nav stuff, as well as an S-Line suspension system.

Now the latter might not to be to everyones tastes and particularly so in rural Ireland, but it certainly sharpened up the handling, even if it made the ride occasionally grating, but for the driver who likes to get the most from their chosen transport, it is probably a must.

The engine, performance and economy-wise, is something we are very familiar with at this stage, coming as it does from the greater VW Group parts bin. It is impressively fleet and yet still decently miserly on juice.

Personally I would probably favour a manual box as I found the S-Tronic auto a little too keen to jump to the highest possible gear when you put the welly down, but thats just a matter of personal preference.

And, speaking of which, I have no doubt that keener drivers may well prefer the 1.4 TFSI petrol option which has smarter acceleration and is not that far off on the economy front. Certainly if I was coming to this car as an Audi virgin, I would recommend that potential customers try both and not just focus on the diesel option.

One thing you will immediately have to come to terms with when living with the A3 saloon is that, without fail, everyone mistakes it for an A4. The design is so clever that the mistake is easily made and it is only really when you get the two cars together that differentiation is possible.

That is a good thing in many ways for people that buy one, because their often jealous neighbours and friends will not realise this is a cheaper option than the A4, while looking pretty much like it is the same thing.

The A3 then is a really nice car to drive, reasonably spacious, very economic and beautifully finished and it offers a premium driving experience for considerably less than you pay to get into either an A4, a BMW 3 Series or even a Jaguar XE.

The combination of those things, therefore, make for a compelling argument for buying one.

COLLEY'S VERDICT:

The Cost: From 29,810 to 39,970 for the test model and 43,521 with options as tested.

The Engine: A familiarly fleet and frugal unit.

The Specification: Decent standard kit in S-Line mode, but options are not cheap.

The Overall Verdict: it looks like something else and is nearly as good.
Business The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (November 12)

Locals and tourists watch a traditional competition where contestants row a long boat with their legs during the annual Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda festival at Inle Lake on October 3, 2011. / Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters

Thilawa Attracts New Investments

A variety of new investments at the Thilawa Special Economic Zone have been reported by Dealstreet Asia this week.

Two Thai companies received a green light from the government to invest in the manufacture of fertilizers in the economic zone south of Rangoon.

The Thai Central Chemical Public Co. will invest US$12.5 million in manufacturing, importing and trading in fertilizers, while the CPP Fertiliser Co. Ltd will invest $10.5 million in the same sector.

Japans Taiyo Nippon Sanso has secured approval to invest $11.29 million in the manufacturing and wholesale supply of oxygen, nitrogen and argon in the economic zone, and Buhler Myanmar will invest $5.2 m to import and assemble milling machinery for the rice, flour, bean and pulses and feed sectors, Dealstreet reported.

Taiwanese E-Sun Bank Opens Rangoon Office

Taiwans E-Sun bank opened a branch at the Myanmar Plaza in Rangoons Bahan Township this week after receiving a foreign banking license earlier this year.

President of the E-Sun commercial bank Joseph Huang told The Irrawaddy that a diversity of Taiwanese businesses, especially manufacturers are interested in investing in Burma. Thats why we have opened here, he said.

The E-Sun bank will invest a total of $75 million in Burma. Of that, $40 million will be deposited in the Central Bank and the remaining $35 million will be working for Taiwanese business, Huang said.

The Rangoon branch will provide services such as deposits, remittances, letters of credit, lending and foreign exchange transactions for foreign businesspersons.

Burma and Bangladesh Discuss Cooperation

Bangladesh is due to send a proposal to Burma to establish a Preferential Trade Agreement, the Financial Express reported.

The proposal comes on the heel of the eighth meeting of the Bangladesh-Myanmar Joint Trade Commission, which ended on Thursday this week after a gap of two years.

The two countries agreed to hold regular meetings of a Joint Working Group of trade officials, while acknowledging that current bilateral trade between the neighboring countries is not at a satisfactory level.

Among other items on the agenda, the sides agreed to undertake measures to promote trade, through trade fairs and visits by business people between the two countries.

Cooperation over banking, coastal shipping, and in oil, gas and mineral resources were also on the agenda, the Dhaka-based paper reported.

Imports to Bangladesh from Burma of hydroelectric power as well as pulses, food grains, timber and other items were also discussed, it added.

Karenni State Promoted at World Travel Mart

Little-visited Karenni State was promoted as a new tourism destination at the World Travel Market held in London this week.

The launch of Karenni State as a tourist destination is the result of a collaboration between the International Trade Centre (ITC) and Myanmar Tourism Marketing, according to a report published on a Thai travel website.

Since 2014, the ITC, in partnership with the Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism and the Ministry of Commerce, has helped to develop new cultural and nature tourism products the state.

The inclusive tourism project aims to contribute to reducing poverty by creating jobs in the tourism sector.

The project, supported by the Government of the Netherlands, plans to develop new community tours as well as cultural performances, handicraft production and cooking.

Burma is still emerging as a world tourism destination. The main entry point to the country, Yangon International Airport, opened a new $660 million terminal in March.

BGF Threatens to Close Thai Border Outposts

The Karen Border Guard Force has threatened to close parts of its side of the border with Thailand after a dispute with Thai authorities, the Bangkok Post reported.

Thai authorities are planning to strictly enforce the border crossing opening hours of 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. from Wednesday, November 16, but the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) wants less rigid opening times.

The BGF has said it could close its side of the border in areas from Mae Sot in Thailands Tak Province to Three Pagodas Pass in Kanchanaburi.

The Bangkok Post quoted the BGF head as saying; I dont want that to happen, but as talks did not lead to an understanding, [the border] will be closed.

Other crossing points not controlled by the BGF, such as Mae Sai in Thailands north and Ranong in the south, will not be affected.
Samsung Electronics on Friday announced the launch of the Gear S3 Frontier and Classic variations for the South Korean market. The gadget will have a world rollout on Nov. 18. While each the versions are designed to seem like regular watches, the Frontier mannequin espouses a more current design, while the Classic has the regular watch design.

Timeless Design And The Classic Look

When it comes to watches, humans usually desire an elegant, classic appear or a sporty, rugged look. Samsung consulted with Swiss watchmakers and a watch designer named Yvan Arpa to craft two tremendous smartwatches that goal to look just like analog Swiss watches. The new Gear S3 watches is arguably looking more classic than the futuristic-looking Gear S2.

Battery Life, Processors, And Specs

In terms of specs, each watches are exceptionally a great deal, besides that the Gear S3 Frontier comes with Bluetooth LTE and 3G support. 1.3-inch round AMOLED show with 360x360p resolution and 278ppi show density, it will preserve displaying a usual watch face Corning Gorilla Glass SR4GB Internal memory, 768MB RAM Accelerometer, Gyro, Barometer, HRM, Ambient light, Wireless charging, IP68 water & dirt resistance - Samsung claims that the watch has "military-grade durability" 380 mAh Battery with up to four days of standby time on a single charge Built-in GPS, S Health, barometer and speedometer apps to tune daily recreation and outside conditions, such as altitude, atmospheric pressure, weatherSamsung Pay compatibility - the Gear S3 is the first wearable with MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission)

The Samsung Pay And Added features

One of the amazing features, the Samsung pay which let clients swipe their debit or savings cards on their smartwatches to make digital payments, however, Gear S3 is limited to some countries like Australia and Singapore, additional features also includes: ability to receive texts, emails, and alerts even if the smartphone is around if each the devices are linked to the same network.

The Gear S3 Frontier will get LTE aid in the U.S. South Korea and pick out countries. Samsung' reliable announcement states that the organization will roll out the changeable watch band promotions globally.

Both the Gear S3 Frontier and Classic will set you to $350 and you will be in a position to pre-order them from Samsung, Macy's, Best Buy, Amazon, and pick carriers. An LTE model will be bought by using AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
This week's episode of Grey's Anatomy, "The Room Where It Happens" -- thanks, Hamilton! -- is unlike any other show has ever done before. The chapter is a "bottle-nekc episode," taking place entirely in an O.R. and only star characters Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), Owen (Kevin McKidd), Stephanie (Jerrika Hinton) and Webber (James Pickens Jr.).

Grey's Anatomy Season 13 Episode 8 Highlights A Challenging Surgery That Triggered Powerful Memories For Meredith, Richard, Owen, And Stephanie

"The episode is basically a one-act play, and that's awesome," Hinton tells TVGuide.com. "It's the structure of the episode itself that requires more from you. Because you're shooting it in order and because it is theater essentially, you must be alive in every moment, and you must constantly be listening and constantly be focused. It's a fantastic challenge that I would love to have more often. Normally the way that we shoot things, you're shooting a two-page thing and you're done. This was not that. It was all of us in there for 12 or 14 hours a day for eight or nine days. ... It was a really phenomenal, wonderful challenge that I wish we could do more of."

As the team operates on a badly bashed patient, Webber applies some of his new teaching abilities courtesy of Eliza Minnick and directs the doctors to construct a personal connection with their patient. In Webber's mind, the doctors should give their patients priorities, rather than treat them as John or Jane Does.

Personal Connections With Patients On The Surgical Table

"Typically in our show, the audience experiences us having these connections to our patients, and it's something that we normally fight against," Hinton says. "In this episode, we're kind of encouraged to lean into that, and it's interesting to see how that helps this particular case. ... The benefit of encouraging that personal connection is that it does a great deal to help undercut that god complex that surgeons can have, and that is exhibited often in our show.

The more human you see the person on the table, the more you fight for them, and the more the fight is about them, and not about your own prowess and power. ... In terms of how it could be a detriment to the process, it's kind of the flip side of that same coin. The more human you make your patient, the more entwined with the outcome you are. You don't have that professional sense of... not necessarily remove, but distance. And so, it can be hard to navigate what is prudent in the moment."

She continues: "There was nobody that could advocate for her in the way that she wanted when she was a kid growing up. And so, she now gets to do that and is compelled to do so, because if this patient dies on the table and no one advocates for him in a proper way and all of it gets mired down in all the bickering and who's right, who's wrong, then that's on her shoulder. This is perhaps the first time that she's had the opportunity to seriously advocate for somebody and seriously take responsibility and kind of a deep ownership in a patient's outcome. ... That's a responsibility she doesn't take lightly."
Vietnam vets are apparently suffering from a rare kind of cancer, caused by parasites from raw fish. The parasites are known to exist in poorly cooked fish as well. Now, the vets are demanding support. Here are some of the things that we know about the disease so far.

The Asian parasites, ingested in river fish, get attached to the bile duct lining. Later on, those cause scarring and inflammation. Someone, who has been suffering from such infection for decades, develops a rare kind of cancer named cholangiocarcinoma. Symptoms appear only in the latter part of life.

Such a disease is an unusual one, as this is one of those cancers that can be prevented. If the infection is detected early, it can be easily cured with pills. But, the same medicine is not effective if the parasites die and leave scarring.

Affected countries include Laos and Vietnam. But, not enough research is available to know more about the disease. The worst victim of this kind of cancer is Thailand. The northeastern part of the Asian country has 84 people out of every 100,000 is reportedly suffering from cholangiocarcinoma.

It is, however, extremely rare to find people who are suffering from this disease in the United States. The Department of Veterans Affairs' medical system has identified at least 700 cases where people are suffering from this type of cancer. The federal government is not ready yet to find a direct link between cholangiocarcinoma and the Vietnam War, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Nevertheless, the number is enough for Vietnam vets to be eligible for benefits. About 1.7 people in every 100,000 get diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in the US. In some cases, surgeries may be an effective way to treat. But, the survival rate is around 30% for five years, gastroenterologist Dr. Gregory Gores told the Jakarta Post.
Facebook is no killer but the tech company just alarmed some users. Death notice shocked the social network. However, the disconcerting glitch was immediately fixed much to the relief of affected users.

Facebook's Death Notice

According to the US News & World Report, some Facebook users were disturbed to see the top of their profile page with a message that indicates they were already dead. The seemingly memorial stated, "We hope people who love [name of the Facebook user] will find comfort in the things others share to remember and celebrate [his or her] life".

It was also linked to a feature that "memorializes" the page of someone who has died. The loved ones of the "dead" Facebook user were encouraged to find comfort in seeing posts of other people shared about him/her.

Ironically, CEO Mark Zuckerberg was not exempted from the obvious bug. Apparently, his page also received a death notice. The problem did not go unnoticed for a long time. The management seemed to have fixed it immediately.

It was evident though that not many people actually see any problem while browsing the social networking site.

Facebook's Apology And Immediate Action

Facebook released a statement and admitted the terrible error. They have apologized of what happened. The tech company immediately resolve the issue, according to Engadget. The statement did not explain what exactly happened.

Facebook did not reveal the cause nor how may were affected by the mistake. Though the glitch was not so widespread since Facebook easily got rid of it.

Facebook's Partly To Blame

The glitch could have caused by someone who may be mourning the result of the US presidential election. A larger number of distraught Americans blamed the tech giant of helping President-elect Donald J. Trump to win.

Zuckerberg insisted that the said idea is actually crazy, according to the Business Insider. He pointed out that the fake news on Facebook about Trump is only a very small amount of the content. It could not have influenced the voters in any way.
Sci-fi thriller series, Westworld is reportedly being planned for the second season as producers of the show reveal reasons behind the news. Meanwhile, Thandie Newton has admitted that it has been liberating portraying the role of Maeve Millay in the said series.

The popular science fiction series, Westworld is facing a bright future as reports say the series will most likely be renewed for a second season. The series have debuted on HBO last Oct. 2 and attained the highest viewership ratings for a premiere. The series has been greatly received that fans have been wondering news of Westworld Season 2 and maybe even more installments.

HBOs president of programming, Casey Bloys went on an interview with Variety and said, I want to get a very complete picture of the ratings, which seem to be doing very well, so were happy with that. [The executive producers are] going to talk to us about what they envision a second season being. But right now I would say its looking really good. Were very pleased with how its doing.

Meanwhile, Thandie Newton has been portraying her onscreen persona, Maeve, so well that she has been gaining recognition for it. The latest episode of Westworld Season 1 features Maeve in a revolutionary moment as she begins to question her identity. Newton has expressed just how much she adored her character that she began to understand her characters point of view.

What I loved about Maeve is that I felt that I was playing her awakening and it was paralleling in my own that I had as I became an adult and started to ask questions about my programming. I think were all programmed and were all living in a degree of virtual reality, Newton said in an interview with CBS This Morning.

She also voiced out that Westworld has been successful so far because it attracts viewers to a world of fantasy yet is not unimaginable. She says Westworld is a place where people really get to understand the appetite of peoples vices. Newton has also tackled the topic on the number of nude scenes in the series and she admitted that it actually felt liberating and more empowering to shoot undressed.

Westworld continues to maintain millions of viewers per episode that Westworld Season 2 is not far from happening. With just five episodes released, the series has already won an award and has been nominated for more. Westworld Season 1 Episode 7 titled, Trompe LOeil is set to air this Nov. 13 on HBO.
When it was officially announced that Donald Trump would be the next President of the United States, commentators were quick to blame Facebook. They pointed out that fake news on the social media site was a driving factor for the outcome of the election. And while CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg has admitted that such stories do exist - though small in quantity - he also called the idea "pretty crazy."

There is no doubt that social media plays a great role in politics as the world has come to know it today. It is a strong and amazing platform to get on, as it often times creates a personal feel between individuals. But it is a double-edged sword and the outcome is not always a good one - though "good" is a subjective concept.

Sticking to the facts, false stories have been published on Facebook and the general public tends to take all news articles as truthful, often times without a grain of salt. As C|Net lists down, there was one particular false story about a murdered FBI Agent, who was associated with Hillary Clinton's email leaks. There was another about the Pope endorsing President-Elect Trump.

As Business Insider notes, Obama also touched on the amount of repetition, which undoubtedly also helps in thickening the cloud of disillusion. "People if they just repeat attacks enough and outright lies over and over again, as long as it's on Facebook and people can see it, as long as it's on social media, people start believing it," he said.

With all the flak that his hard work has been receiving, Zuckerberg has finally set the record straight on what he believes happened in the months of the Presidential Race. "Personally, I think the idea that fake news on Facebook - it's a very small amount of the content - to think it influenced the election in any way is a pretty crazy idea," he said at the Techonomy conference in Half Moon Bay, California.

The 32-year-old billionaire also shared that he believed the general public was in such a state of shock, that putting some of the blame on Facebook was an attempt to try and make sense of things. And while fake stories could be the root of some votes, Zuckerberg did not believe the idea in its entirety. "It takes a profound lack of empathy to think that someone voted some way because of a fake news story," he said.

Despite this, Facebook is aware that it needs to work on removing illegitimate sites from its News Feed. With almost 2 billion users - 40 percent of which gets news from the social media site - Zuckerberg's team has a lot riding on its shoulders. Adam Mosseri, vice president of product management at Facebook, admitted that "there's so much more work [they] need to do."

Zuckerberg's statement is a quite nonsensical, though it would make sense why he wants to wipe the hands of Facebook clean. In truth, Facebook is not responsible for the third-party content that is displayed on its site. Nevertheless, the existence of such stories will, of course, reach the numerous people that are glued to their screens.

But the blame is, of course, not exactly on Facebook, but rather its users. If these fake stories were indeed what swayed an individual to vote one way or another - especially if it is for something as vital as the President of the United States - there is the inherent responsibility to check the facts. What should be second nature has quickly become ignorable and therein lies the danger.
On October 27, when Apple officially unveiled the 2016 MacBook Pro, there was no news about the next generation of the MacBook Air. And while the new device is lighter and thinner than its predecessors, there was still a gap left for an entry-level notebook from the Cupertino-based company. If the rumors are anything to go by, however, this whole will soon be filled.

The 2016 MacBook Pro, which has started shipping out, is a spectacular piece of technology. As Apple Insider notes, the 15-inch model, which automatically comes with the innovative Touch Bar, is able to smoothly edit 5K ProRes footage on Final Cut Pro X. The publication even goes as far as to state that the new unit runs faster than its Windows counterparts, which boast superior specifications.

The previously mentioned Touch Bar provides users with quick access to various features and shortcuts that are specific to the opened application. The entire feature supposedly makes the experience of using the 2016 MacBook Pro more efficient and enjoyable. Users, essentially, have quick access to various commands because of this addition.

The publication then went on to note that while having to get used to the USB Type C or Thunderbolt 3 ports might take some getting used to, it will undoubtedly be a non-issue after some months of use. This is true for most of Apple's products, which have often times pushed the limits of how technology is viewed and used by the general public. It is understandable how the 2016 MacBook Pro is no exception.

Even before the 2016 MacBook Pro was officially made public, there was speculation that Apple would discontinue its line of MacBook Air units. The reasoning was that the new Pro would be lighter and thinner than any other product that the Cupertino-based company had released. And while the idea was an exciting one, there were still a group of Apple enthusiasts that were crushed at the thought.

As International Business Times AU notes, Apple will likely release another MacBook Air unit before discontinuing the line altogether. Therefore, some sources have picked up on the hint of a 2017 MacBook Air device. And while the 2016 MacBook Pro is thinner and lighter than anything before it, the new Air will stick to its definition and will be even more lightweight.

In addition to the slight design changes, the publication goes to say that the 2017 MacBook Air will also come with its own features, which will surely set it apart from its competition, as well as the rest of the Mac product line. Reportedly, the unit will sport an E-ink keyboard made by Sonder Design. The company has made a name for itself in creating this type of keyboard.

The E-Ink Keyboard will work like the current Touch Bar on the 2016 MacBook Pro. For each application that the user opens, the entire keyboard should alter its dynamic. Whether this is in terms of language or features itself, however, is unclear.

Furthermore, the 2017 MacBook Air will also reportedly no longer carry the standard USB Type A ports. Instead, the notebook is expected to arrive sporting the more modern USB Type-C ports. Unfortunately, not much else is known about the upcoming unit. It would, however, be a welcome announcement if Apple were to confirm that the 2017 MacBook Air will arrive with at least the Kaby Lake processor, as well as Touch ID support and a trackpad that can be used with the Apple Pencil.
A class action was recently filed against Facebook in violation of the Fair Housing Act and Article VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Facebook had previously defended its ad-targeting option tool. They insisted that it is no discriminatory. However, the tech company announced that they will now stop advertisers from excluding targeted users by race.

Disabling The Ethnic Affinity Tool

Facebook explained that they are going to build tools to detect and automatically disable the use of Ethnic Affinity tool for certain type of ads. The lawsuit filed by Karen Savage of New York, Victor Onuoha and Suzanne-Juliette Mobley of Louisiana may have driven this action. Facebook specifically mentioned about marketing ads for housing, employment or credit.

The tech giant insisted that the tool has non-discriminatory uses. However, to prevent discrimination altogether, they decide to suspend ads in the above-mentioned areas. Furthermore, Facebook will also update their Advertising Policies. This is to make advertisers more aware of intolerance when it comes to discrimination.

They will also require advertisers to affirm non-engagement of discriminatory advertising on Facebook. Advertisers should be knowledgeable of their obligations with respect to housing, employment, and credit.

Facebook's New System

According to Pro Publica, Facebook's Privacy and Policy Manager Steve Satterfield said that the new system will be launched within the next few months. He added that the updated advertising policies will have stronger, more specific prohibitions against discriminatory ads.

This move will likely affect the company's ad-targeting capabilities. Facebook is up against the like of Google, Twitter, and Snapchat.

Facebook's Class Action Lawsuit

It seems that Facebook is complying with what the plaintiffs wanted to happen in the said ad-targeting option tool. The lawsuit seeks to only end the illegal proscribed uses of the tool. It was specified that Facebook is not asked to end its whole advertising platform or the "Ethnic Affinity" option.

The tech company's executives that include CEO Mark Zuckerberg are also under investigation in Germany for not doing enough against online hate speech.
Hyundai seems to be absolutely serious in taking the throne of the most fuel-efficient car in America from the current king, Toyota Prius. This is something the automaker is looking to accomplish with its 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Blue. Apparently, the new model is coming as the new most fuel-efficient car in American auto market.

2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Blue - Under The Hood

The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Blue is equipped with a 1.6-liter direct-injected gas engine capable of 104 horsepower and torque of 109 pound-feet. It also has a 43-hp electric motor powered by 1.56-kWh lithium ion battery as reported by CNET. This combination produces a total of 139 horsepower for the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Blue. Unlike common trends found in hybrid vehicles, the 2017 Hyundai does not come with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) as it is equipped with a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Coming As The Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicle In America

In a report from Gas2, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has already officially certified the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid as the most fuel-economic car after garnering 57 mpg in the city and 59 mpg on the highway. The combined fuel economy rating is 58 mpg which is superior to the Toyota Prius that has 58/53/56 mpg in city, highway and combined respectively. With that being said, a new king has been crowned in the fuel-economic car segment of the U.S auto market.

Other Things To Look Forward To

As reported, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq will also come with a plug-in hybrid version slated to be on the market in mid-2017. An all-electric version of the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid is also set to join the trim. There are no further details regarding the release of the Hyudai Ioniq Hybrid Blue and its all-electric version. With the promise of a great fuel efficiency rate along with other versions, fans and enthusiasts certainly have a lot to look forward to.
America is considered as one of the biggest auto markets in the world. And as demands for SUV in its auto market increases, automakers shift their focus to meet the demands. Honda, one of Japan's leading automakers is doing just that as it ramps up its production of SUVs in its U.S. based plants.

The SUV Production Begins

Reuters reported that Honda Motor Co will start its production of SUVS early next year. Among those productions that will be ramped up in its East Liberty, Ohio and Alabama Plants include the Acura MDX SUV, Pilot, Ridgeline pick-up truck and Odyssey minivan. Honda is not alone in this endeavor as Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. are also doing the same. It was stated in the same report that the latter two automakers have also been importing SUV models in large numbers to fill the gap in production.

Factors In The SUV Demand Increase

Apparently, the need of cost-conscious consumers for multi-tasking vehicles and historically low U.S gasoline prices are among the factors that caused the increase in the demands for the SUVs in the U.S auto market. SUVs are not exactly known to be a fuel-efficient segment in the auto industry but given the fact that the U.S. has very low gasoline prices, it's safe to say that American consumers can afford the luxury.

Honda's Other Course Of Action

The report from Reuters mentioned that Honda may also do what Toyota and Nissan have done and import SUVs from its base in Japan. In an interview, American Honda Motor Co, CEO, Toshiaki Mikoshiba, stated that they would also like to consider their production options in Japan while maintaining their current overall capacity in North America and respond to the strong demand by producing more light trucks.

What This Means

With productions being ramped up not just by Honda but also by other automakers, U.S consumers may not need to worry about the high demands being met. Of course, the production will take some time but it will certainly not be a very long wait for U.S consumers.
The forthcoming "Sons of Anarchy" spinoff and prequel were already confirmed by FX Networks, yet latest reports speculate that "The First 9" is not likely to happen anymore. Following Donald Trump's electoral victory, creator Kurt Sutter has reportedly vowed to delve into a more positive storyline. If this will push through, the upcoming installments of the "Sons of Anarchy" series are speculated to stray far from its original theme that might not appeal to its fandom.

The "Sons of Anarchy" spinoff titled "Mayans MC" has been described by FX Networks as a "dark, visceral family drama that takes a new look at the most American of icons, the 1% outlaw, this time reflected through a Latino lens." The original series brutally presented crimes in its past seasons which has led to its vast appeal among viewers. It also had iniquitous revelations about subcultures where racism was one of the social issues tackled. Fans might remember that the series started out with the war between the "white motorcycle club" and the "brown motorcycle club."

The brutality that comes with the show has made Sutter a well-known TV series creator. However, while he has already become famous for taking things too far, Sutter recently suggested that he will give his "Sons of Anarchy" project a more positive light. This follows his statement following Trump's success in the U.S. election:

"My point is this. I love being a misanthrope. My default is always anger and aggression. I feel empowered when I eviscerate the things that I don't like. Or more accurately, the things that scare me. But I know to dump hate and fear on top of this precarious political climate makes me part of the problem. So for my own sanity and in the spirit of hope for my kids and all citizens of the world, I promise to look for the similarities rather than the differences. And instead of complaining about beliefs and policies I don't think are right, I will try to put that energy into something productive that incites change rather than derisiveness,"

Following Sutter's vow of delving into a more positive plot, fans are now speculating that FX might no longer push through with "The First 9." As reported, the spinoff is already well underway, but the prequel's production is still far from starting. This follows FX's decision to air the "Mayans MC" before the "The First 9." It is now being predicted that the spinoff might underperform with its new theme, thus leading to a possible cancelation of "The First 9."

Since fans have loved the original series for its violent stunts, it is speculated that the upcoming "Sons of Anarchy" spinoff and prequel might be too boring to watch if it will eliminate the battering and good-willed characters will takeover the series. Fans might then want to slow down with their expectations since the scenarios suggest that Trump has pushed Sutter to kill its brutal and violent "Sons of Anarchy" series.


The 2018 Toyota Camry has not been among the most popular models that came out of the assembly line in terms of looks. However, it is among the most reliable ones. In fact, it is one of the bestselling vehicles in the American auto market. In order for it to remain that way, a make-over is due and a lot of spy shots from its road tests are suggesting that a new look is coming.

The Toyota 2018 Camry In Two Powertrains?

In a report from Cars Lane, it was stated that there will be more than one powertrain for the Toyota 2018 Camry. One is the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine capable of 178 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque that is being used in the current model. The other is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 235 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque that is not just more powerful but produces less emission as stated in the same report.

The Toyota 2018 Camry Expected Transformations

The powertrain is not the only aspect that will receive changes as its looks will also get more character and a silhouette that will make people think of the Lexus IS Sedan when they see it. The 2018 Toyota Camry will feature an organic-looking glasshouse, rounded rear quarter windows, sleeker taillight clusters and a trunk lip spoiler. It is also possible for the 2018 Toyota Camry to come with quad exhaust tips if the prototype seen is a Toyota Racing Development (TRD) spec according to report from Car Scoops .

The Toyota 2018 Camry Price, Release Date

It was reported by Cars Lane that the 2018 Toyota Camry will not be on the market until late 2017. The price is expected to be around $26,000 to $30,000. With everything that will come with it, the price is definitely worth paying for. Buyers will not only get a reliable sedan but an elegant one as well.
"Days of Our Lives" spoilers for next week, Nov. 14-18 reveal that Theresa will finally be leaving Salem. On the other hand, Abby begins showing up herself and Justin sets a desperate move for Hope. Meanwhile, JJ asks for some advice from Chad.

Theresa Dies

"Days of Our Lives" will open on Monday, Nov. 14 with Theresa (Jen Lilley) hurried to the hospital. She will be able to escape death this time. However, spoilers reveal that Theresa will finally bid goodbye by the end of the week.

Abby Shows Herself

A week after Marci Miller made her debut, her character Abby is finally showing herself up. Jennifer (Melissa Reeves) is stoked to see her daughter. On the other hand, Abby had witnessed Chad's (Billy Flynn) whereabouts last week and she had not been disappointed. This week, however, things change as Abby will begin to cast doubts on his husband. Does this have something to do with what Andre (Thaao Penghlis) will tell her?

JJ Asks Chad For Advice

In the meantime, Gabi (Camila Banus) gets disappointed upon learning that JJ (Casey Moss) is cheating on her. She calls things off. Ironically, JJ asks for some counsel regarding his situation from Chad. Should Chad be honest to JJ, or will he begin to set his hopes up for Gabi?

Justin Ploys Hope's Escape

As Hope (Kristian Alfonso) was finally sentenced for years of imprisonment, Justin (Wally Kurth) did his best to get her out of prison. As his efforts fell short, what can he do now? Latest spoilers reveal that Justin is setting up a desperate move to take Hope out of prison. What could he possibly do? Meanwhile, Rafe (Galen Gering) is devastated over the court's decision, more so it was he and Justin were supposed to be in Hope's situation.

"Days of Our Lives" airs Mondays thru Fridays at 1:00 p.m. ET on NBC.
Rumors are swirling that Netflix's "House of Cards" season 5 will greatly be affected by the recent U.S. presidential election turnout. With a new president taking over the country, the political drama "House of Cards" might just be the most interesting series to binge-watch at the moment. This is most especially because the character Frank Underwood is speculated to be Donald Trump-inspired.

Trump's electoral victory has evidently started a frenzy among U.S. citizens including a large number of Hollywood personalities. Creator Beau Willimon is one of those who fearlessly commented on Trump's victory. Willimon's Twitter posts revealed his stand against the new president which had fans worrying about how his thoughts might affect "House of Cards" season 5.

While cancelation is not a subject for worrying among fans, it is Frank Underwood's fate in the series that they are thinking will be affected. Rumors are rife that the "House of Cards" season 5 plotline might be influenced by Willimon's disgust with Trump. New talks are also swirling that Frank is actually a representation of Trump.

It can be recalled that Frank established a strong personality and go-getter attitude in "House of Cards" which were seen in the previous seasons. Since Frank is believed to have similar characteristics as Trump, a first theory claims that "House of Cards" season 5 might feature the darker side of the former.

A second theory has it that the fifth season will follow previous predictions that Frank will meet his demise. Countless rumors surfaced that Frank's wife, Claire, will kill him so she can nab the presidential seat. While Frank is said to be rooted out of Trump's characteristics, Claire is surmised to be a representation of Hillary Clinton. With that said, fans are more than convinced that the show will take that path to further demonstrate Willimon's disapproval of Trump.

Meanwhile, it was previously confirmed that Campbell Scott and Patricia Clarkson will join the original cast of "House of Cards" for its fifth installment. The roles that the stars will be playing are still kept under wraps, but speculations suggest the addition of the two will compensate for Frank's departure from the story.

A specific air date for "House Of Cards" season 5 has not been revealed yet, but it is expected to come towards the end of 2017 or early in 2018.


The Russo brothers (directors Anthony and Joe) announced a week ago that Chris Evans will no longer be reprising the role of "Captain America" in its fourth solo installment. If that was bad enough for fans of Steve Rogers, another rumor surfaced that could spell a whole lot worse - Captain America will not be in "Avengers: Infinity War."

There are no official statements from the Marvel creators as of yet, but avid fans are already taking a few steps forward by 'wading through foggy horizons.' It is one thing to remove Chris Evans as the patriotic super soldier, but removing the character itself in future Marvel storylines could be too much for fans to accept.

An article published by Tech Times discusses how a Reddit online forum revealed clues of Captain America's total withdrawal from the "Avengers" series. The absence of the iconic Avengers patch in Steve Rogers' shoulder during the latter half of the full-length sequence in "Captain America: Civil War" signifies the apocryphal message that Steve Rogers will no longer be a part of the group.

The dropping of the shield during the last showdown with Iron Man pretty much punctuates these sad sentences. In a report published by Comic Book, further evidence includes the illegal prison break of the Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Ant-Man and Hawkeye, staged by none other than Steve Rogers himself (then dressed in incognito civilian clothes).

In relation to an editorial featured by Jobs & Hire, the next Captain America may either be one of the several allies that sided with Steve Rogers in "Captain America: Civil War." The likely candidates are either the Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) or the Falcon (Sam Wilson).

It may be too early to conclude this rumor without comments from the Marvel development team. But are the fans truly prepared to see both actor Chris Evans and Steve Rogers' iconic character leave altogether for good?
A Thomasville teenager died Thursday after he was injured on Nov. 5 when his pickup hit a culvert and a tree, authorities said Friday.

Mitchell James Bruggner, 17, a senior at Ledford High School, died at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Thomasville police said.

The crash happened at 6:57 a.m. when Bruggner was driving southwest on Hasty Hill Road near Will Johnson Road when his vehicle ran off the right side of the road, according to the police accident report. Bruggner then overcorrected, and his vehicle traveled across the road, struck a culvert and began to overturn.

The pickup struck a tree, pinning Bruggner inside the vehicle, the report said. Bruggner wasnt wearing a seatbelt, police said.

Bruggner, who was seriously hurt, was taken to Wake Forest Baptist, the report said.

Speed was a factor in the crash, police said. Bruggners vehicle was traveling at 45 mph when it struck the culvert, the report said. The speed limit on Hasty Hill Road is 35 mph.

Davidson County Schools and the Ledford High School community are deeply saddened by Bruggners death, Donna Stafford, a spokeswoman for the school system, said in a statement.

Superintendent Lory Morrow and the school district extend their deepest sympathy to Mitchells family and friends in this time of loss, Stafford said. The teachers and students were very much saddened by the news. Our focus is on supporting the family, students and staff members of Ledford High School.

Guidance counselors, social workers and support staff will be at Ledford High on Monday to provide counseling and support for the staff and students, Stafford said.

We are asking our school community for their thoughts and devotions for the family involved in this tragic accident and for all of the students and staff at Ledford High School, she said.
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Cabinet approves agreement with Indonesia on abolition of visas for citizens with diplomatic passports

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved an agreement with the government of Indonesia for exempting citizens having diplomatic and service passports from registration of visas.

Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman read the resolution among those the government made without discussion.
THINKING OUT LOUD WITH SHELDON MacLEOD: Collecting blankets for seniors

It was a small gesture of kindness for the people in the wing of the nursing home where she was volunteering. And from that first year, Nicole Martelle has been able to grow it from a handful of donated blankets, to more than 600. The Bedford woman ...
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a draft protocol on cooperation in the field of geographic information with the government of Turkey.

According to resolution No. 813 of November 9, the government authorized Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak to sign the implementation protocol.

This decision will create legal basis for expansion of Ukrainian-Turkish cooperation in the defense sector, including mutually beneficial exchange of analog and digital cartographic materials, implementation of joint projects for the creation of geographic information products, technical support and exchange of experience in the field of military geography, training experts in the field of military geography.
JURIST Guest Columnists Anna Talbot and Greg Barns discuss the asylum seekers on Manus Island, establishing that there is no doubt under international law that the people being detained there are being tortured, and what legal tactics the government has used to hide its actions

Amnesty International published a report last week arguing that the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island amounts to torture under international law [PDF]. The Turnbull government, despite the overwhelming evidence to support that proposition, adamantly denies the reality. There is no escaping, however, the fact that Australia is torturing vulnerable people.

Despite the governments dismissal of the Amnesty report, the fact is that the legal concept of torture is the appropriate term to use when it comes to the mistreatment of asylum seekers and refugees on Manus Island and Nauru.

Under the UN Convention against Torture, to which Australia is a party, torture is defined as the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering of a physical or mental nature, for reasons including intimidating or coercing the person or a third party, with the consent or acquiescence of a public official.

This definition is clearly being met in the context of Australias offshore processing centres. The Nauru Files, published by the Guardian in August, are the latest in an ever-growing mountain of evidence of the despair asylum seekers and refugees endure in these benighted places. Suicide attempts, self-harm, statements made by children and adults that they do not want to live, they would like to kill themselves, they do not see the point in eating, drinking or living: this is the evidence of the depths of mental and physical suffering that the Australias policies inflict on individuals.

Inflicting this despair is clearly deliberate. We are told that it is essential that claims for asylum are processed in these conditions to stop the boats  to stop people drowning at sea. This is the stated policy of the government. The purpose element of the definition of torture is also clearly met: this severe pain or suffering is inflicted to show people who are being persecuted in other countries, who might be thinking about asking Australia for help, that we will not help them. Australia will harm them. To make that point, Australia will warehouse them on remote Pacific Islands.

There are no exceptions to the fundamental prohibition against torture under international law. Not in international armed conflicts, domestic insurgencies or to prevent atrocities. It is definitely not permitted to torture people to discourage others from asking for help.

It might be argued that Australian ministers and officials are not personally inflicting the torture. That does not excuse them. As the list of successful prosecutions of defendants at the International Criminal Court has demonstrated, it is enough that policies and instructions are devised and issued by politicians and their advisers.

Worse still is the fact that, having been caught out breaching international law, the Australian government does not mend its ways. Instead it takes steps to hide its wrongdoing from the world. The Australian Border Force Act passed last year by both the Coalition and the Australian Labor Party (ALP) provides for prison sentences for workers who reveal what they see at work in immigration detention facilities. In the face of a High Court challenge mounted by Doctors for Refugees, the government has exempted some health care professionals from the more draconian elements of this Act. The fact remains though that secrecy appears to be the priority, over respect for fundamental rights.

The Department of Immigration has also stopped reporting self-harm and other evidence of despair to the regulator, Comcare. Comcare, the Commonwealth workplace regulator, has jurisdiction over the detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island.

Documents released to the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) under freedom of information laws show that reports of incidents made to Comcare have reduced dramatically in the last year.

In June this year the ALA released a report outlining the health and safety concerns that exist in immigration detention, both offshore and onshore. This report relied on over 1000 incident reports filed by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection with Comcare between July 2013 and June 2015, which clearly identify the Department as the body with responsibility under the Act on Nauru and Manus Island. There were 209 incidents of self-harm reported by the Department, 49 assaults and three sexual assaults, over the two years under investigation. While the report provided evidence that these types of incidents had been under-reported, it was important that at least some of the incidents were scrutinised by an external agency.

In the year to June 2016, however, the Departments reporting of incidents dramatically reduced. Only 144 incidents were been reported across the immigration detention network. Of the 33 incidents involving Nauru and Manus Island, none related to self-harm or sexual assault. There were just five assaults reported.

This drop in reporting does not indicate that safety in immigration detention has improved. There is too much evidence to the contrary. The government may be seeking to evade scrutiny by reducing record-keeping. If so, this is simply more evidence that torture is occurring; that the government is consenting and acquiescing to severe pain or suffering by not even recognising it as a health or safety issue and reporting it to the regulator as required by law.



Anna Talbot is Legal and Policy Adviser with the Australian Lawyers Alliance. She has previously worked as a solicitor assisting survivors of abuse and torture and as an advocate at the United Nations for Amnesty International.

Greg Barns is an Australian Barrister and is the Australian Lawyers Alliance spokesperson for asylum seekers, criminal justice and human rights.



Suggested citation: Anna Talbot and Greg Barns, Hiding torture beyond borders: Australia and offshore asylum processing , JURIST  Hotline, Nov. 07, 2016, http://jurist.org/hotline/2016/11/Talbot-Barns-Australia-Asylum.php

This article was prepared for publication by Yuxin Jiang, a Senior Editor for JURIST Commentary service. Please direct any questions or comments to her at commentary@jurist.org
Cincinnati trial judge Megan Shanahan declared a mistrial on Saturday after the jury declared that it was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on murder and manslaughter charges in a case involving the shooting of the unarmed Samuel DuBose, a black man, by white Police Officer Raymond Tensing in July 2015. Shanahan previously encouraged the jury to reach a verdict stating that there was sufficient evidence to decide the case, but accepted the jurys deadlock status [NPR report] after nearly three days of deliberations. The jury had made several requests for transcripts and advice including on questions regarding the definitions of under arrest and resisting arrest. On Friday, the third day of deliberations, after more requests for advice, Shanahan sent the jury back to deliberate telling them that they had all the instructions they needed to reach a verdict in the case and that It would be improper for the court to elaborate further. Tensing was facing a potential life in prison sentence on the murder charge and a maximum 11-year sentence on the manslaughter charge.

Tensing stopped DuBose for a missing front license plate, moments later after which, he shot him at point-blank range. [NPR report]. Evidence from body-cam footage of the shooting showed a brief struggle between the two before Tensing shot DuBose. After watching the footage, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters stated at the time of Tensings indictment [WVXU report]: Ive been doing this for over 30 years  It was the purposeful killing of a person. Thats what makes it murder. The development has surfaced amid a national conversation about police use of force, particularly against black citizens, and subsequent retaliation. In a press conference held in July in Washington, DC, Attorney General Loretta Lynch [official profile] gave her response to a police shooting in Dallas during a peaceful protest. Lynch stated [JURIST report] that the DOJ, including the FBI, ATF, and US Marshals Service and US Attorneys Office were conducting an investigation into the Dallas shooting. In May Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards [official website] signed into law an amended hate crimes bill [JURIST report], referred to as the Blue Lives Matter law, including police, EMS personnel and firefighters in the category of those protected. The bill has drawn the contempt of some civil rights groups, including the Black Lives Matter movement. Earlier this year the DOJ launched an investigation [JURIST report] of the San Francisco Police Department following the shooting of an unarmed African American.
A judge for the US District Court for the District of Oregon [official website] ruled [opinion] Thursday that a lawsuit against the US federal government over failure to limit the emission of greenhouse gasses can proceed. The lawsuit was filed by Earth Guardians [advocacy website], an organization of young environmental activists who are alleging that the US government has violated their Due Process [text] rights to life, liberty and property by failing to protect them from the dangers of climate change. The plaintiffs seek a declaration from the judge stating that their constitutional rights have been violated and an order forcing the government to develop a plan to reduce greenhouse gasses. The government was joined by several industry organizations from the oil and gas industry in the motion to dismiss the suit, claiming, among other things, that it was a political issue. The denial of the motion will mean that the lawsuit can proceed in the district court, and that the plaintiff will now have a chance to present evidence.

Climate change [JURIST backgrounder] has been a controversial issue for many years. Many experts agree that it is one of the most important and pressing issues that governments face today. It has historically been difficult for governments around the world to agree on a solution to the problem. But a week ago a large step was taken when the Paris Agreement [JURIST report] went into effect, setting a cap on global warming temperatures. One of the biggest hurdles to reaching an agreement was getting China and the US [JURIST report] to sign on, the two countries being the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses, collectively responsible for about 40 percent of all gasses emitted.
[JURIST] A federal judge in Michigan on Thursday ordered [opinion, PDF] the city of Flint to deliver bottled water to its residents after the town switched to a more affordable water source that resulted in lead contamination. The plaintiffs initially filed a preliminary injunction accusing the city of violating the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) [text, PDF] and requesting both immediate and long term relief. Judge David Lawson granted the injunction, ruling that public interest and necessity overruled the defendants argument that relief would create a heavy financial burden.

How the water crisis is resolved ultimately will be left to the City of Flint and the State of Michigan. Nonetheless, there is an immediate danger to Flint residents, and the nature of the defendants violations reasonably justify the relief ordered herein. There is already a water distribution mechanism in place, so the relief the plaintiffs seek in light of what is already being provided may be a far less drastic than the defendants believe. The public interest factor favors the plaintiffs.

As per the judges order, the city must provide each household with four cases of bottled water per week per resident.

Numerous lawsuits have been filed in response to the Flint water contamination crisis. Last month a federal judge ruled [JURIST report] that Flint residents can sue state officials over the recent water crisis. In May the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People brought a lawsuit [JURIST report] against against Michigan officials for their action and inaction in Flint. A month prior a group of Flint residents filed an administrative complaint [JURIST report] against the Environmental Protection Agency for negligence in handling the Flint water crisis. David Leyton, a prosecutor in Genesee County, Michigan, announced in April that a Michigan judge would allow criminal charges [JURIST report] against three people involved in the water crisis in Flint, including the man who supervised the treatment plant as well as two state environmental officials. Earlier in April the city of Flint filed [JURIST report] an intent to sue letter with the state, claiming that the city lacks funds to defend itself against lawsuit filed during the water crisis. Hertz Schram PC, a southeastern Michigan firm, filed [JURIST report] a class action lawsuit in March on behalf of the children in Flint who were injured by exposure to the high levels of lead in the citys drinking water.
Turkey significantly halted the activities of 370 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) [Reuters report] including human rights and childrens groups to investigate the groups alleged terror connections. The groups affected include bar associations and bodies representing lawyers who have stated their intention to challenge any unlawful restrictions on law firms. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus defended the restrictions operating across the country, which is primarily the governments response to the failed coup in July. Kurtulmus stated: There is strong evidence that they are linked to terrorist organization  Turkey has to fight terrorism on so many different fronts. We are trying to clear the state institutions from Gulenists. At the same time we are fighting against Kurdish militants and Islamic State. According to the Interior Ministry, of the 370 associations, 153 were allegedly linked to the Gulen movement, 190 to the Kurdish militant group PKK, 19 to the far-leftist militant group DHKP-C, and eight to Islamic State (IS).

The aftermath of the failed coup attempt continues as Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan [BBC profile] vowed [JURIST report] that those involved in the coup would pay a heavy price. On Thursday the president of the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, Theodor Meron [official websites], demanded [JURIST report] the release of Turkish judge Aydin Sefa Akay in an address to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Last week the Turkish Government arrested [JURIST report] eight pro-Kurdish political party members, including the partys two leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag and an additional nine party members. In September Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said that approximately 32,000 people have been arrested [JURIST report] in relation to the recent coup attempt and 70,000 have been questioned. In late October Turkeys government dismissed 10,000 additional civil servants [JURIST report] and closed 15 more media outlets for their supposed connection with US-based religious leader Fethullah Gulen [official website], whom Turkey has accused of orchestrating the attempted coup in July. Then earlier this week, officials in Turkey detained [JURIST report] and searched the homes of 13 reporters alleging that, during the failed coup attempt in Turkey, they published stories seeking to legitimize those participating in the coup.
[JURIST] The United Nations on Friday announced new private initiatives on climate control at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Marrakech [official websites], and called for greater business leadership in renewable energy. Private-sector initiatives such as the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance and the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative [official websites] are part of the UNs ongoing efforts to implement the Paris Agreement [text, PDF]. Rachel Kyte [official profile], Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and CEO of the Sustainable Energy for All, emphasized that [t]his is the kind of business leadership we need. Companies are beginning to understand that by doubling their energy productivity and committing to use only 100 percent renewables they are creating the least cost pathway for themselves to decarbonization.

According to many experts, climate change [JURIST backgrounder] as a result of global greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most pressing and controversial environmental issues facing the international community today. The Paris Agreement, the widest-reaching clean energy initiative, went into effect [JURIST report] on November 4, 2016. The Paris Agreement is the worlds first comprehensive pact seeking to reduce carbon emissions and halt climate change. The threshold of 55 parties, making up more than 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, triggering the entry into force of the agreement was reached exactly one month prior [JURIST report]. In September US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping formally committed [JURIST report] their nations to the Paris Agreement. However, President-elect Donald Trump has promised to pull the U.S. from involvement in the Paris Agreement [BBC report]. These two nations alone are responsible for roughly 40 percent of the worlds total carbon emissions. In May government signatories to the Paris Agreement discussed safeguards [JURIST report] against potential human rights violations which could arise in relation to the Agreement.
A group of UN human rights experts on Thursday condemned [press release] reported violence [The Star report] against anti-corruption protesters and journalists in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi last week. The experts criticized what they called a violent clampdown on a peaceful protest, which stemmed from allegations [BBC report] that funds meant for HIV and maternal healthcare programs had been misappropriated. Experts from the UN suggested that the violent response to the protest, including the use of teargas, batons and water cannons, may have violated international law. The experts were also alarmed at the timing of the violent clampdown, expressing concern that the government might be trying to influence presidential elections that are scheduled for August 2017. A local newspaper reported [The Standard report] that 13 people were arrested following the protest, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

The International Criminal Court [website] has investigated Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta [website] for violence against protesters in the past. The ICCs investigation and prosecution of the Kenya Situation [ICC backgrounder] has been ongoing since 2010. Last year the ICC withdrew charges [JURIST report] against Kenyatta, who was accused of crimes against humanity for post-election violence, but indicated it would renew the charges if presented with enough evidence. In response to the charges against Kenyatta, the African Union unanimously resolved [JURIST report] in 2013 that African heads of state should be immune from prosecution by the ICC. Also in 2013 Kenyas National Assembly approved a motion [JURIST report] to leave the ICC.
Observers from the Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE SMM) recorded a significant increase in ceasefire violations along the contact line of the conflicting sides in eastern Ukraine.

The situation on the contact line remains tense, OSCE SMM Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug told a briefing in Kyiv on Friday. He said that the observers witnessed violent hostilities: 7,000 ceasefire violations were recorded last week and 4,000 in the period from Monday to Wednesday alone. The number of shelling incidents increased by 50% compared to last week, Hug said.

He expressed utmost concern over the facts of use of BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher systems becoming more frequent in the hostilities zone. An OSCE SMM camera in Shyrokino recorded fire from multiple rocket launcher systems three evenings in a row last week, from Friday to Sunday, Hug said. Observers recorded a total of 140 rockets fired from multiple rocket launcher systems north east of Mariupol over the week. Observers also heard the sound of fire from multiple rocket launcher systems in the Luhansk region on November 4 and 6, Hug said.

He said that the SMM recorded 150 explosions of artillery shells in the Luhansk region.

Speaking of the past week in general, one has to state that the level of violence in the region is increasing, Hug said. He added that the situation also worsened along the Debaltseve-Svitlodarsk road. The SMM recorded 250 explosions in half an hour near Debaltseve on November 3 and 350 explosions on November 8. Another 193 explosions of mortars were recorded near Svitlodarsk, as well as 30 seconds of continuous fire from a Grad system near Horlivka and 83 explosions near Yasynuvata, he said.

Hug said that the OSCE SMM in Ukraine currently consists of 682 observers; 584 of them are working in the hostilities zone in Donbas.
Physicists film first 'tango' of an electron pair in an atom

Friday, Nov. 11, 2016



This image shows the buildup of Fano resonance created by a short laser pulse. The asymmetric curve was described by Fano in 1961. Kansas State University researcher Chii-Dong Lin's 2010 theory for measuring light absorption spectra of atoms was validated by a recent experiment. Results are published in the Nov. 11 issue of Science.Image courtesy of Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics. | Download this photo.





MANHATTAN  Think of electrons as dancers that move too quickly to photograph. If you succeed in recording their tango, you change their paths or destroy them. So how do you capture the entangled dance of two electrons before one breaks away when your best camera's shutter speed is 10,000 times too slow?



An experiment proposed by a Kansas State University physicist and executed by an international team has succeeded in demonstrating how very short laser pulses can facilitate the filming of such an event. The results were published in the Nov. 11 issue of Science.



Chii-Dong Lin, university distinguished professor of physics, said the technology could have far-reaching implications for shaping and managing molecules.

"The days for scientists to dissect and manipulate a molecule at the level of one atom or one bond length at a time will come sooner rather than later," Lin said. "Enabling control of electrons or atoms at their own natural timescale means synthesis of molecules will take on a new meaning."



New methods of molecular synthesis could revolutionize medicine, for example.



"It's farfetched in this moment, but when the day arrives that one can manipulate individual molecules at the atomic level, the drugs that we use for treating ailments today will become so medieval. Progress in science and technology is only limited by the lack of imagination," Lin said.



The filming was based on a paper Lin published in 2010 to offer a theory for measuring the transient light absorption patterns, or spectra, of an atom. Lin drew on the work of his doctoral advisor at the University of Chicago, Ugo Fano, who explained the pattern of spectral absorption that took on his name. According to this pattern, light is usually weakly absorbed by atoms, but at certain wavelengths sharp peaks appear in the spectra. Those peaks are called Fano resonances, and they occur because light is trapped in matter for a very short time before it is reemitted. For nearly a century, time information of the resonance could be inferred only from the time-energy uncertainty in quantum mechanics. The resonance usually lasts for only a few femtoseconds  one femtosecond is one-millionth of a billionth of a second  which is about 10,000 times shorter than the best detector can measure.



"Nanotechnology isn't just about small size  the time has to be shorter as well," Lin said. "Lasers as short as a few femtoseconds have become available in the last 10 or 15 years. As a scientist, one has to ask what new things can be done. The simple question we asked in 2010 was whether we could use such lasers to help film the evolution of a Fano resonance."



The team from the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics and Vienna University of Technology, along with Lin and Hui Wei, doctoral student in physics from Kansas State University, measured and identified the buildup of a Fano resonance in the helium atom. They used two ultrashort laser-controlled flashes of light to excite two electrons, then a second near-infrared flash to trigger ionization, which ends the electrons' dance. Varying the time delay between the two laser pulses created what the researchers termed a "temporal gate" that helped them chart the evolution of the Fano resonance line shape in real time.



Lin and Wei interpreted the group's experimental data and were pleased to see that the experiment matched Lin's theory.



"As a theorist, you predict something, but you need to do the experiment to show it. When the two agree, then people believe it. It's very satisfying," Lin said.

"As a graduate student, it was a delightful experience to spend a few weeks to work out the details of the theory to confirm the experimental results. I was able to take advantage of this rare opportunity because I got a broad education at K-State," Wei said.



The "temporal gate" technology developed in the experiment will help scientists gather further insights from looking inside molecules on their own few-femtosecond timescale. By fine-tuning the tools that deliver very short laser pulses, scientists may also be able to control how atoms move.



Lin's research at the J.R. Macdonald Laboratory is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science. The department of physics is in the College of Arts & Sciences.






The countries involved in the Normandy format of negotiations on Donbas may draw up a blueprint of a roadmap for the implementation of the Minsk Agreements by the end of November, but it is unlikely that the parties can agree on a common draft within a short period of time, a Ukrainian diplomatic source told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.

The parties are actively working on the document which the Ukrainian, German, French and Russian leaders agreed to draw up at the Berlin meeting in the Normandy format, the source said.

"The Normandy format's foreign ministers will meet at the end of November to discuss a working draft and voice their proposals," the source said.

The parties still have a lot of disagreements and differences which are likely to prevent them from reaching agreement on a common document, the source said. "Ukraine has clearly drawn five red lines, which were outlined earlier and on which Kyiv will be insisting at these negotiations," the source said.

Olha Aivazovska, Ukraine's representative in the political subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group for settling the conflict in Donbas, said on Friday that a roadmap for the implementation of the Minsk Agreements is unlikely to be agreed upon by the end of November, as Ukraine and Russia have considerable disagreements on a number of key issues, including the format and duties of an armed OSCE police mission.

"Each party has very different opinions on how a roadmap should look. It's hard to imagine how a document agreed upon between all parties can be drawn up. Even the security establishment phase is viewed by Ukraine as a lengthy and substantial one, with guarantees given to all parties and with the involvement of an OSCE mission, on which virtually no discussion has yet been started. There are radical differences here as well: Russia wants this limited mission to consist of several hundred people with small arms. And Ukraine is determined to establish law and order in a transition period, which would make it possible to safely transfer all power in the CDDLR [certain districts in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions] under Ukraine's de facto jurisdiction," Aivazovska said in an interview with Focus magazine.

According to Kyiv's estimates, an armed OSCE police mission to be deployed in Donbas should number at least 10,000 people, and the optimal number is 26,000, Aivazovska said. "They would have to visually control the 440-kilometer-long border section and maintain order before, during, and after local elections in the CDDLR," Aivazovska said.

Even if this mission numbers 10,000-15,000 people, its budget would reach hundreds of millions of euros, and therefore it makes no sense to talk about the chance of its formation this year, she said.

"The coordination of a roadmap is very much open to question. The work is being done, the parties are displaying unprecedented initiative, but there are no guarantees" that they can agree upon a common final version of the document, Aivazovska said.
The Armenian citizen, Armen Martirosyan, who figures in the Belavia aircraft incident, had been in direct contact with public organizations involved in a plan to destabilize the situation in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Security Service said.

"The immediate supervision and implementation of the plan is carried out by [Inal] Ardzinba, who is known both to the Security Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service, whereas liaising with our country's political movements and certain public organizations participating in protests, normally blindly, or for material remuneration, [was carried out by] the Armenian citizen Martirosyan," Anatoliy Dublyk, head of the national statehood protection department at the Ukrainian Security Service, said at a briefing on Friday.

According to him, this information was exposed when the materials from the hacked email account of Russian presidential adviser Vladislav Surkov was analyzed.

In the second half of November - early December "several regional councils are planning to conduct [...] sessions under slogans of decentralization to demand the practice of agreement-based relations between the Cabinet of Ministers and local councils," Dublyk said.

A number of regional councils have already made such decisions, which led to a criminal investigation, he said. "Inquiries continue, efforts are underway to gather evidence and give a legal assessment of the organizers who are behind preparations for the so-called sessions or forums," the security official said.

"The regions are also planning to conduct community gatherings and forums and subsequently a final all-Ukrainian forum of local councils. Direct demands for federalization are not envisaged. At the same time, the strategy selected is that of slow erosion of the central government. In other words, basically this is a plan to create conditions in order to paralyze central-government bodies," Dublyk said.

The Ukrainian Security Service has a plan to counter the intentions to destabilize the situation in Ukraine for the purposes of conducting early parliamentary elections, he said. "There is a plan, the Ukrainian Security Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service are employing whatever forces and resources are available. We are in close cooperation with police, other law enforcement agencies, courts, prosecutors," Dublyk said.

"If we did not have this plan, you know yourselves what would be in the streets of Kyiv [...]. The plan is effective, we are working round the clock," the head of the department said.

The actions of law enforcement agencies do not violate citizens' rights, he said. "People are entitled to take to the streets with demands, but when they are being used during protests [that is unacceptable]," the Ukrainian security official said.
Former head of Odesa Regional State Administration Mikheil Saakashvili says he is not going to discuss any issues with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko but early elections to the Verkhovna Rada.

"He [Poroshenko] had the chance to use me for genuine reforms in this country, but it turned out that reforms and his wellbeing somehow contradict each other. And I am here because, regardless of his will, I want to use my experience for real reforms and changes in Ukraine, to the benefit of Ukrainian citizens. And he is no boss to me now," Saakashvili said at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

Saakashvili said he will meet the president next time only when "there is a legal issue of changing power in Ukraine."

"I will come to him for procedures of changing power and calling new elections. I will come to Poroshenko when he is ready to call new elections to the Verkhovna Rada. Before this, there is not going to be a single meeting between him and me," Saakashvili said.

"With all my respect for the institution of presidency, and considering that I personally don't harbor any bad feelings toward him - moreover, I have warm feelings - but, unlike a lot of opposition leaders who regularly sneaked to the presidential office through the backdoor, which I know because I had an office there, there is no way for me there at this stage," he said.

"I will have a conversation with the people of Ukraine, with ordinary people who are suffering, among other things, from his policy," Saakashvili said.

He said Poroshenko had repeatedly offered him the office of prime minister and invited him to lead his political party.

"The Ukrainian president has repeatedly offered me the office of prime minister of Ukraine and has repeatedly proposed that I head his Solidarnist party over the past year that I've worked [as head of Odesa regional administration], starting from last summer. I refused not only to head his party, but I also didn't run on his party's ticket in Odesa region. This was my well-thought-out decision, and I did this because all these parties, especially those associated with the leadership and the president, are absolutely foul," he said.

Saakashvili said the current situation in Ukraine reminds him of the events in Georgia 15 years ago.

"I am feeling now in Ukraine like I did in Georgia in 2001. When I left the Shevardnadze government, I called for early elections. We ensured early presidential elections and changed the government at the time," he said.

At the same time, Saakashvili said he is not going to return to political activities in Georgia.

"A person cannot be in two fronts simultaneously. Certainly, I will be supporting my associates in Georgia, but I said clearly that, no matter how the elections end, I would not return to work there," he said.

The former Georgian president believes that, if he had been directly involved in the recent parliamentary elections in his country, the result would have been different.

"The elections were grossly rigged. When the Shevardnadze government had rigged the elections last time, I was there, and we defended our result. Now I wasn't there, and, unfortunately, they were unable to defend their result," Saakashvili said.
Election week is finally over (Thank you Lord). There seemed to be a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety over this particular election. Many have wrung their hands in worry and fear if this person or that person gets elected.

A second thing that took place this week in America is that many of us celebrated and honored veterans past and present. I hope we as a country never forget the price of freedom that these brave men and women down through the ages paid on our behalf so that we might have the freedoms we do in our land. I celebrate and I honor those who have served and are presently serving in our armed forces here and around the world!

Friends, for the Christ follower, we have one truth that is for certain. God is still on the throne of all creation as King of Kings and Lord of all lords. I take great encouragement from these truths regardless of who might be in political office. The kings heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever He wishes (Proverbs 21:1). Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God (Romans 13:1).

Our Purpose does not change as a Christian even when elections roll around. I am proudly a citizen of these United States, so I will pray for and submit to the governing authorities over me. I will honor those who have served in our military at home and abroad and strive to help care for them when they come back to our shores.

But most significantly, as a Christ follower, my ultimate citizenship is in Heaven. I am just passing through this life, headed to glory for all eternity. My purpose, here on earth, as a citizen of Heaven is always the same, To glorify Christ in all things by falling deeper in love with Him and helping others to do the same, here and around the world.

No politician or government ever provided forgiveness, acceptance, security and significance to the individual person. Christ only does that by grace through faith in Him alone. True peace in the midst of lifes storms comes only through a deepening relationship with the Living, Loving, Life-Giving, Life-Changing Savior.

Respect, kindness, compassion for my fellow man all flow from a deepening relationship with the author and model of these character qualities, Jesus Christ, the Lord of all.

Friends, make a difference with your life by daily setting your life aside, regardless of whats going on around you, to serve Christ and build up our fellow man for Gods glory.

Weve only been given one life to live, make a difference for His glory. There are no practice rounds.

The Rev. Doug Shada is pastor of Living Faith Fellowship in Kearney.
H. Kay Howard connects courtroom design to the cause of social justice.

11/11/2016 - The stakes are high in Cook Countys Central Bond CourtCentral Bond Court judges determine if people whove been arrested but not convicted of a crime should be held in jail or be allowed to return to their communities before trial. These judges weigh arrestees potential risk of flight and risk to public safety to decide if the arrestee should be released, detained, or pay a cash bond deposit before trial. If the arrestee cannot afford the bond or is sentenced to pre-trial detainment, he or she may face job loss or expulsion from school while in jail. Meanwhile, Cook County taxpayers face a bill of $300 million for the crowded jail.Over the summer of 2016, Kellogg School MBA candidate H. Kay Howard 17 worked on a project to transform the bond court into a fairer and more effective place to conduct bond hearings by physically redesigning it.The project was spearheaded by Civic Consulting Alliance , a social impact consulting firm in Chicago that works to improve the city across multiple sectors, including the economy, education, healthcare, and public safety. Since the fall of 2014, Civic Consulting has collaborated with a variety of private sector partners and with Cook Countys criminal justice stakeholders  the Cook County Board President, Sheriff, Chief Judge, State's Attorney, Public Defender, Clerk, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, and the Illinois Sumpreme Court  to improve the bond hearing process at Cook County Central Bond Court and ultimately lower the Cook County Jail population.The project that Howard participated in came about because the criminal justice stakeholders identified the design of the courtroom itself as a problem. As a physical space, the courtroom did not foster dignity and decorum, and its very design might impact outcomes for detainees.The early phase of the project involved interviewing the criminal justice stakeholders about how to improve the space. That was a major task, since there were insights from several relevant parties to consider: elected and appointment officials, law enforcement, public defenders, judges and clerks, families of detainees, and more.It was a process of talking with each stakeholder to understand where they thought the physical issues were in the court, and to track where they agreed and disagreed, Howard said. It took a team effort to understand the problem and find solutions that work well for the people that come together in bond court.The team identified several design weaknesses with the space, including unequitable allocation on space, obstructed sightlines, harsh lighting, and poor acoustics, all of which made it difficult for judges, agency staff, detainees, and detainees families to hear and see each other.These factors prevent judges from receiving the information needed to make well-informed decisions and foster an us versus them mentality in the courtroom, ultimately discouraging fair hearings and the humane treatment of detainees.Howard collaborated with CannonDesign, which contributed its expertise pro bono to help reimagine the space. CannonDesign came up with three options, ranging from minor improvements to a total renovation. This fall, stakeholders agreed to move forward with the most aggressive of the redesign options as their first choice, and the Cook County Board President has included the project in her budget for the coming year.The Cook County criminal justice stakeholders were supportive in terms of changing the physical design to improve the trust and respect of everyone in the courtroom, Asheley Van Ness, an Associate Principal with Civic Consulting who leads the public safety practice area said.By changing the physical courtroom design, the team hopes to improve trust and mutual respect among everyone in the courtroom, ensure judges receive the information they need to make fair bond decisions, and ultimately improve outcomes for detainees and reduce the county jail population.Howards background is in educationshe worked for several years, in various roles, at the Partnership for Inner-City Education in New York City before coming to the Kellogg School. She said the bond court project was a way to gain a new perspective on issues she encountered in the educational sector.I really care about education, Howard said. But this summer showed me how interconnected these issues are, and how important it is that places like Civic Consulting Alliance are tackling the multiple factors that impact impoverished communities. I think about schools that Ive worked inhow much a kid suffers if their parent is being held in jail while awaiting trial, and how that can affect their performance. Its so interwoven.Howard is also expanding her horizons by taking part in the Kellogg Board Fellows (KBF) program, an initiative begun in 2003 to help Kellogg students learn how to become better, more engaged board members. About 50 students are chosen to participate each year, based on a competitive application process. Theyre matched with with a nonprofit board of directors and serve about 16 months as nonvoting, ex officio board members.Sophia Shaw, an adjunct professor of social impact at the Kellogg School and the KBF Director who teaches two courses that are required of all KBF participants, said that program stresses the importance of being informed, prepared, and cognizant of the responsibilities that we take on when we become a board member. Having an engaged board, she noted, helps to ensure that the mission of the organization is fulfilled and stewarded through the vision of its executive director.Howard was paired with the Howard Area Community Center , a health and human services organization located in a low-income community on the north-side of Chicago. Its now celebrating its 50th anniversary and offers support to children and adults through various programmingearly childhood education, after-school activities, employment support, and more.As with the recent bond court project, the KBF experience is, for Howard, yet another step in a journey that has a definite goal, if not a certain destination.It speaks to social justice and social impact, she said, and to my interest in using the business skills and frameworks Im developing at Kellogg to help solve social-sector problems.
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Human rights are massively violated in the occupied territories.

"The occupied territories are closed for monitoring by international missions. And human rights are really, daily violated there. The world should know about this," Ukraine's representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group on Donbas, First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Gerashchenko said.

She also noted the Russian Federation is trying to divert attention of the world and show Ukraine as a country that organizes sabotage and terrorist attacks.

"Russian authorities are trying to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the world. Therefore today we have so many of our hostages. Ukrainians who are grabbed in the occupied territories in Crimea and Ukrainian hostages who are detained in Russia, such as Roman Suschenko. This is an attempt to show that Ukraine is allegedly involved in sabotage, terrorist acts. This is an attempt to divert attention from its own aggressive policy. This is an attempt to knock into the head of the world that Crimea is Russia," she said.

The second reason for increasing the number of hostages, in her opinion, is the strengthening of blackmail and increasing pressure on Ukraine.

"This way Russia is trying to get certain political decisions from Ukraine," the official said.
Former President Jonathan took to his Facebook page to appeal to Americans to stop the Anti-Trump protests. Aggrieved Americans have been protesting the emergence of Donald Trump as the next US President.

Omenyis counsel, Wahab Olatunji, urged the court to dismiss the immediate commencement of trial claiming that, they had not been furnished with the statements of both the accused and the witnesses as recommended by the Practice Direction Act, 2013. Olatunjis motion was however overruled by the judge, who held that all the documents required by the Practice Direction had already been furnished in three volumes in the charge filed and dated October 11, 2016 by the prosecution. Olatunji further urged the court to admit his client to bail adding that the law presumed the accused innocent until otherwise proven guilty. In response, Abubakar kicked, urging the court to refuse the application by the defence. My Lord, the punishment should not only be considered, the impact of the crime on the society should be considered too bearing in mind the fact that this case borders on the alleged diversion of funds for the purchase of arms by some members of the military. I urge the court to grant bail judiciously, he submitted. Justice Dimgba, after listening to the submissions of both counsels adjourned to November 14, 2016 for the hearing of the bail application and ordered the accused to be remanded in Kuje prison.

My Lord, in view of the plea of the defendant and in the light of the provisions of Section 273, 300 (2) of the ACJA, I humbly apply to proceed immediately for trial, Abubakar said.

Omenyi is being charged for his alleged role in the diversion of funds meant for the purchase of arms by the military. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him. Upon his plea, counsel to EFCC, M. S. Abubakar, expressed his readiness, subject to the convenience of the court, to commenced trial immediately.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today arraigned Air Vice Marshall Tony Omenyi (rtd) pictured above, alongside his company, Huzee Nigerian Company, before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a 3-count charge bordering on abuse of office and money laundering to the tune of N136.325.000.00 (one hundred and thirty six million, three hundred and twenty five thousand naira).

The meeting according to state house correspondents is most likely connected to the recently rejected $29.9 billion loan request President Buhari sent to the senate.

Their first closed door meeting held last week Friday while the second meeting was on Wednesday this week after the President met with members of the South East Caucus in the Senate.

President Buhari today had a closed door meeting with Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. This would be the third time they are meeting within the last one week.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has sacked his Senior Special Assistant on Protocol, Joe Akpa.According to a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, Wike wished Akpa well in his future endeavors. No reason was given for the termination of appointment.

I almost died in prison  Edo Deputy Governor-elect



A member representing Etsako Federal Constituency and new deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Philip Shuaibu has recounted how members of the press saved his life in the days of Gani Fawehinmi.

If not for you, I would not be living today. If not that you reported that one guy was also arrested and detained in Yaba, I would have been forgotten, he said.

Philip who was addressing House of Reps Press Corp in Abuja, said Nigerian Journalists impressed it upon the government of the day, to release him from prison, when he was arrested alongside Late Gani Fawehinmi.

Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the Abacha led Military government, the new Edo deputy Governor said the military arrested some of them in connection to Abacha Must Go protest in Lagos State and he was thrown to prison, alongside other prominent activists.

After some days, few of the protesters were released, living Philip and 7 others practically forgotten in prison, until the media fought for their release.

While some young men were using their energy for Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha, we were saying Youths Earnestly Say Abacha Must Go; in one of those incidences, I was arrested, detained and forgotten.

All the big men that were arrested were released but they didnt know we were in another cell within the same prison. They released the big names that they know and it was you, who made them realised that some people are out but I was not among them.

A week later, we were all released. That is why I can never forget you. I will always remain with you because you saved my life. Truly, there are many of my type that are still there. Without you, nobody would remember them, he explained.



US Election: Nnamdi Kanu writes open letter to Trump



Radio Biafra Director and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has written an open letter to the United States President-elect Donald Trump.

Kanu, who is currently in prison on the account of treason charges slammed against him by the Federal Government, urged Trup to fight for oppressed people of the world.

The letter, made available by IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, read in full:

Dear Mr. President-Elect

It is with great joy that I Nnamdi Kanu received the news of your election victory as the 45th President of the United States of America at the just concluded US Presidential election. On behalf of the Indigenous People of Biafra, please accept my warmest congratulations on your well deserved victory.

Mr. President, the American people have given you their mandate and trust, not only to make America Great Again, but also to bring positive changes in the affairs of humanity. Your victory has placed a historic and moral burden upon you to liberate enslaved nations in Africa, trapped in artificially created boundaries designed to reinforce colonial domination and subjugation.

Self-Determination is a sacred right of all people as demonstrated by the good people of United Kingdom when they opted out of the European Union. It is imperative to draw historical parallels between your victory and that of the great Dwight Eisenhower a fellow Republican, who was instrumental in the dismantling of European colonialism in Africa. I pray that you follow in his footsteps, by bringing to a deserved end neo-colonial enslavement, currently championed by puppet dictatorial and tyrannical regimes.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have every confidence that as the leader of the free world, you have both the capacity and the will to confront the challenges ahead and meet the expectations of the American people in particular and the oppressed people of the world in general.

Your victory has therefore come with the responsibility to unite and heal the wounds of the past, including the re-writing of some aspects of the dark history of American foreign policy in Africa, championed by established interests, who worked through successive US administrations to actively sponsor undemocratic rogue regimes, corrupt dictatorships and more recently unrepentant arch genocidists.

Such rulers, especially in Africa, remain a direct danger to world peace and security but more importantly a potent and subsisting threat to United States interests in Africa.

A Trump administration should resist every temptation, be it financial inducement to US politicians, political blackmail or otherwise, to partner with these tyrannical regimes in black Africa that specialise in crushing the inalienable rights of its citizens, while using this as a cover to loot the treasury dry.

Tyranny is bad for mankind because history have always taught us that all great wars were started by tyrants. It is your responsibility Sir, as the leader of the free world, to hastily undo the mess that US Africa foreign policy has become under the Barack Obama administration.

The rights of distinct ethnic nationalities to seek self determination should be upheld. A free Biafra would be an ally of the United States of America on many fronts, as both nations share the same Judeo-Christian Greco-Roman value system with jealous disposition to safeguarding the rights of the individual.

May the Almighty God give you wisdom and protect you as you embark upon this historic service to humanity.



Skye Bank takes over Obat Oil over N1.5bn debt



Skye Bank Plc has taken possession of the tank farms and business premises of Obat Oil in Apapa Business District of Lagos State.

Obat Oil is owned by flamboyant business magnate and Olugbo of Ugboland in Ondo State, Oba Fredrick Obateru-Akinruntan.

The bank took possession of the oil company Friday afternoon.

The development followed an October 28, 2016 ruling of a Federal High Court in Lagos over an outstanding debt to the Bank in excess of N1.5 billion by Obat Oil.

The ruling was given by Justice Jude Dagat.

There is no reaction from the company as at press time.


leaving office today, Saturday November 12, 2016, is definitely sad that he

lost his wife, Clara while in office. Outgoing Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, who isleaving office today, Saturday November 12, 2016, is definitely sad that helost his wife, Clara while in office.



commissioners and other staff, Oshiomhole, who battled tears, recalled how he

lost his beloved wife, Clara, who was right by his side when he took the oath

of office as governor of Edo State in 2007. Below: Oshiomhole and late wife At the last Executive Meeting he had last Wednesday in Benin with hiscommissioners and other staff, Oshiomhole, who battled tears, recalled how helost his beloved wife, Clara, who was right by his side when he took the oathof office as governor of Edo State in 2007.

He couldnt help his emotions when he recalled that My late

wife wore khakhi with me, standing right beside me when I took the oath of

office. Her death was very devastating to me because we were in the struggle

together before I became governor and I felt now that God made me governor, she

was going to enjoy the fruit of her labour. So, it was shocking for me to lose

her at that stage. I started with her and it would have been wonderful to

finish with her.

Meanwhile, the governor said in an interview that he married

the late Clara when he was 22 years old.

He recalled, My father wanted me to marry

early because he did not start early and wanted grandchildren. We were eight

kids and I was the first. Whatever he said was law and I had to obey him. So, I

got married and had two children before going back to school.

Dont ask how old his wife was at that time but he recalled

that: I met her in the course of my union struggle. Then, she was a secretary

and I approached her to help me type some union petitions. She was afraid that

I was taking too many risks; something led to

attraction and we got married.

The 64-year-old father of five, who remarried in 2015

to Iara, the outgoing First Lady, after the death of his first wife in December

2010, reminisced on his life as an activist:

He said, Before I became NLC

president, I had already stopped making babies. Even when I was travelling

around, I was lucky to have a wife who was

caring and able to fill the gap. My wife bore the

burdens of peace because Im a little impatient and I travel often. When you

are exposed to tension, there is tendency for transferred aggression but you

need a woman to understand you when in that kind of mood. When people say I was

never around, I reply that I have five children and they were not produced in

absentia. You would always find time to be with the family.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) will evaluate candidates for posts of judges at the Supreme Court for corruption.

"The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine will join the process of selecting judges to the new Supreme Court of Ukraine. In particular, the NABU will assess applicants for corruption risks. On November 9 bureau director Artem Sytnyk and chairman of the Higher Qualification Commission of Judges Serhiy Kozyakov agreed on this," the NABU press service said.

Sytnyk noted the bureau had signed a corresponding memorandum with the Higher Qualification Commission of Judges.

"Therefore we will use all our capabilities to maximally study candidates and prevent the penetration of people with corruption risks to the new judicial power," he said.

As reported, on November 7 the Higher Qualification Commission of Judges announced a tender for 120 judges to the new Supreme Court of Ukraine.
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On the election day that made Donald Trump the next president of the United States, I traveled to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to give a lecture. Long a conservative political stronghold, Lancaster County was dotted with Make America Great Again campaign signs, forecasting Trumps comfortable 47,000 vote margin there, which ended up being more than two-thirds of his 68,000 victory margin in Pennsylvania, one of the states that effectively decided the election.

Ironically, Lancaster is where I trained to become a family physician from 2001 through 2004, and it is the place where I first recognized that the health care system our country had then was not up to the task of caring for all the people. Lancaster, which started me on my path toward advocating for reforms that ended up in the Affordable Care Act, voted overwhelmingly for a candidate who has promised to repeal it.

Let me admit that Ive never had particularly warm feelings toward President Obama. I think his foreign policy has been a mess. The trillions of dollars in debt that the U.S. has run up over his term will hurt my generation and future generations, and if Republicans should be faulted for their fantasy that the federal budget can be balanced exclusively through spending cuts, Obama has sustained the Democratic fairy tale that raising taxes on millionaires and billionaires is all that is necessary to pay the skyrocketing bills. On multiple occasions during my time in government, the president had no qualms about squashing science and scientists for political convenience. And for all of his rhetorical gifts when preaching to the choir, hes been one of the least effective persuaders-in-chief to have held the office.

And so, naturally, I oppose Obamacare. I oppose a government takeover of health care that included morally repugnant death panels staffed by faceless bureaucrats who decide whose grandparents live or die and make it impossible for clinicians to provide compassionate end-of-life care. I oppose the provision in Obamacare that said that in order for some of the 50 million uninsured Americans to obtain health insurance, an equal or greater number must forfeit their existing plans or be laid off from their jobs. I oppose the discarding of personal responsibility for ones health in Obamacare. I oppose Obamacares expansion of the nanny-state that regulates the most private aspects of peoples lives.

Its a good thing that Obamacare, constructed on a foundation of health reform scare stories, doesnt exist and never will.

Instead, the Affordable Care Act (which I support) is based on a similar politically conservative law in Massachusetts that was signed by a Republican governor and openly supported by the administration of George W. Bush. It achieved the bulk of health insurance expansion by leveling the playing field for self-employed persons and employees of small businesses who, until now, didnt have a fraction of the premium negotiating power of large corporations that pool risk and provide benefits regardless of health status. The ACA discouraged irresponsible health care free riders and provided support for people of modest means to purchase private health insurance in regulated open marketplaces. It told insurers that in exchange for millions of new customers, they could no longer discriminate against the old and sick. Finally, the ACA rewarded physicians and hospitals for care quality and good outcomes, rather than paying for pricey tests and procedures that may not improve health.

The ACA has flaws. It didnt narrow the income disparity between different types of physicians or encourage more medical students to choose careers in primary care. It didnt prevent pharmaceutical companies from arbitrarily jacking up prices on old but essential drugs. Its provisions to discourage overuse of unnecessary medical services were limited and inadequate to the scope of the problem. But its worth noting that all of these problems all predated the law. We dont have enough family physicians and other primary care clinicians, drugs in the U.S. cost more than anywhere else in the world, and overdiagnosis and overtreatment have been rampant for years. That the ACA took on these issues at all was a small victory.

Its interesting to consider the counterfactual exercise of what might have happened if Mitt Romney had captured the 2008 Republican presidential nomination and then narrowly defeated Hillary Clinton, the odds-on favorite for the Democratic nomination in that year. No doubt affordable health care would have been an important focus of that hypothetical contest, with Romney successfully linking Clinton to her husbands failed 1994 reform plan that makes right-wing objections to the ACA look insignificant by comparison. Once elected, a President Romney would have felt compelled to advance national health reform, and would have naturally modeled his proposals on his Massachusetts plan. We might have ended up with a conservative law that looked much like the Affordable Care Act, only this time criticized by the left for being too administratively complex and not generous enough in providing coverage for all.

A farfetched scenario, you say? Perhaps. But it underlines the need for thoughtful Republicans to look past their leaders overheated rhetoric about repealing Obamacare and focus on strengthening and sustaining the ACA, starting now.

Kenneth Lin is a family physician who blogs at Common Sense Family Doctor.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Fight against corruption remains one of the key indicators according to which the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will assess the level of cooperation with Ukraine, Deputy Director of IMF European Department Thanos Arvanitis and IMF mission chief for Ukraine Ron van Rooden have said at a meeting with Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Artem Sytnyk.

The NABU press service said Sytnyk told the IMF representatives about the current state of affairs and stressed the need for the adoption of a number of legislative initiatives that will contribute to the effective fight against corruption, including providing the agency with the right to wiretapping, setting up the Anti-Corruption Court, as well as preserving the NABU's jurisdiction defined by Article 216 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine in the existing format.

The IMF representatives at the meeting noted the possibility of wiretapping is an important element of strengthening the NABU functionality, therefore it is important this initiative is supported by the parliament.

"This is a structural "lighthouse" of the IMF program, and the Ukrainian side undertook to adopt a relevant law by the end of November," the report reads.
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Performance in the practice of medicine has always drawn scrutiny and evaluation. Lives are at stake and years of education, practice and certification are required, simply to have the chance to be a physician or nurse. But today were witnessing an unprecedented rise of ranking, rating, and scorekeeping of performance in our hospitals. And theres growing evidence that more patients are making their hospital choices based on these ratings and the reputation they bring.

Welcome to Yelp for hospitals.

Macro forces like triple aim and the ACA provide the tailwind for this new reality by making quality and outcomes larger factors for reimbursement. Along with them, individual performance of providers is increasingly a core pillar of how hospital financial success is defined. At the same time, patient satisfaction monitoring puts the patient in control of the scorecard.

Our people are our best asset is a cliche because its true. Today, your people dont simply deliver clinical care, their performance in everything  medicine, customer service, patient safety, and hassle-free visits  defines the reputation of the hospital.

Any hospital that doesnt have a strategy for improving the performance of their people and enhancing the hospital reputation will soon be left behind in the marketplace.

Why reputation is so important

We now have direct evidence that reputation drives choice and market share.

Its not simply a soft consideration that gives way to other forcing factors. Austin Frakt wrote recently in the New York Times: Theres an exceedingly simple way to get better health care: Choose a better hospital. A recent study shows that many patients have already done so, driving up the market shares of higher-quality hospitals. He cites analysis published by the National Economic Bureau of Research that revealed patients traveled further to receive care at hospitals that had higher positive patient outcome track records.

How precisely are patients finding the higher performing hospitals? We dont have much hard evidence, but we know there is way more information out there for patients to access. Google makes it easy to get a snapshot look at what people have said or written about a hospital. In fact, a 2012 Google study of hospital related searches found that reputation ranked highest in priority for consumers. It ranked ahead of plan acceptance, the recommendation of a physician, latest technology and even the recommendation of a friend or family member. Theres a fundamental shift in how patients choose where to get their care when reputation is their leading concern.

This shift will continue, meaning the stakes are getting higher and the spotlight growing brighter. This summer the CMS Hospital Compare program further fueled the shift in how patients choose hospitals with the release of a star rating for over 4,500 hospitals. Despite major concerns about the methodology, including difficult to adjust for local social determinants of health such as low incomes, higher co-morbidities and lifestyle habits, the rating system appears here to stay. Hospital Compare, and its ranking systems, are core to the CMS commitment to transparency.

When you add Hospital Compare ratings to other measures from US News & World Report, Health Grades, Consumer Reports and Leapfrog among others, the degree of subjectivity to what constitutes high quality has gone way up. Were now effectively grading quality on a human scale. The ratings and reviews simply add more weight to the value of reputation in the marketplace.

Drivers of reputation

A hospitals community reputation is built one patient at a time. Its a function of what caregivers say, what they do, and how patients feel about it. Its subjective and personal. In our transformation work with over 180 health care organizations worldwide, weve learned there are three key components to how quality and reputation are defined: experience, communication, and safety (which are primarily driven by patient-centered, waste-free processes). Patients ask and answer three fundamental questions about their care: Did they treat me like I mattered? Did they take the time to communicate effectively? Did they avoid hurting me in the process of making me well?

When the answers to all three questions are Yes! the story of their care at your hospital gets told in both the local and online communities. To be sure, great technology and world-class facilities are wonderful assets. But its how the institution functions and what being a patient there feels like that sparks the verbal and digital word-of-mouth that drives reputation.

Want to create that viral word-of-mouth? Fundamentally transform your culture of safety and process-driven patient experience. For example, in 2010, Ohio States Wexner Medical Center sought to make patient safety and waste-free, patient-centered processes two cornerstones of the institution. Wexner achieved a remarkable 26% reduction in adverse events and 40% reduction in patient safety indicators. They estimate a savings of nearly $30 million dollars in related costs. This improvement has earned Wexner numerous awards, ratings and recognitions and a status as a role model for patient safety. Its a big part of their current reputation.

Strategy for driving reputation

Chasing 5-stars and best of designations is not a winning strategy. Its likely to lead to short-term thinking and give staff goals they cannot directly impact. Instead, great ratings and rankings need to be an outcome of a hospital culture obsessed with reliably and repeatedly doing the important things exceptionally well. Hospitals win at the reputation game when they create among their physicians and staff an army of every-day problem solvers in each service line that understand how things happen (Did you keep me safe? Did you treat me like I mattered?) is as important as what happens (Did you make me well?.)

The winning strategy in the reputation war is a laser focus on the triple aim patient experience pillars of safety, efficiency, and satisfaction. For each, identifying lead indicators on your dashboard is critical. Factors like rework, wait times, equipment readiness and availability, and caregiver communication are often early signs whether or not a patient will be a net promoter of the hospital. These are metrics that a trained and empowered staff can impact with everyday problem solving, TeamSTEPPS training, and visual management boards for progress tracking.

Most importantly, leadership must be clear that market reputation driven by high performance is the foundation for growth and sustainability in the new normal of health care. In short, what got us here, wont get us to there where we need to be to survive and thrive. We are what we do every day, and what we do every day without fail in safety, efficiency, and satisfaction will drive our reputation. The winning strategy is to become so good in those domains that it becomes impossible for rankings, ratings and search results not to say so.

Mark Migliori is a plastic surgeon.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
SHIJIAZHUANG, Nov. 11 -- The death of a boy who fell into an abandoned well in northern China has sparked public concerns across the country.

The boy, surnamed Zhao, was found dead on Thursday night in Lixian County, Hebei's Baoding City, after search and rescue teams had been looking for him for over 100 hours, according to Wu Sujie, Lixian's vice county head.

The boy, 6, fell down the 80-meter-deep dry well on Sunday morning when helping harvest vegetables with his father, rescuers said.

The accident generated attention home and abroad, after the boy's father put out a call for help on social media platform Wechat.

"May the boy be found and safe," said a Facebook comment by Stanley Lim from Malaysia as rescue efforts were ongoing.

It took so long to find the boy, the public raised questions about the rescue efforts, while others were concerned about the dangers of disused wells in China.

RESCUE EFFORTS IN QUESTION

It took over 500 rescuers and 100 excavators more than 100 hours to find the boy's body, according to the local government, leaving many to wonder why it took so long.

After the boy disappeared, rescuers used life-detecting devices, infrared cameras and mechanic rescue arms to try to find him, but all efforts were in vain, Wu said.

As the 30 centimeter-diameter well was too narrow for an adult to enter, rescuers had to dig a 120-meter diameter, funnel-shaped area to try to find the boy, said Pang Zhi, head of a rescue team at the site.

"On four occasions the ground nearly caved-in," he said.

The rescue was hampered by the soft sandy soil, which is prone to collapse, Pang said. Measures were taken to support the shaft during the excavation.

Ma Xiaochun, an associate professor with the faculty of engineering at China University of Geoscience, said that when such accidents happen, rescuers usually contact the victim first, while providing oxygen, lights and food.

"In this case, it was difficult to do so because they were unable to detect the boy, not to mention his physical condition," Ma told Beijing News.

"HUMAN-EATING WELLS"

The case left many worried about China's dry wells, with many netizens coining the phrase "human-eating wells" on Weibo, a Twitter-like service.

According to the boy's grandfather, the well was once used for irrigation but has been out of service for five years, and the well had not been refilled or covered. "There was no warning sign around," he said.

Wu said that the well was dug in the late 1990s, and that there had initially been a cover, but it was somehow removed.

The county government has launched an investigation into all dry wells in Lixian, Wu said.

Thirty-one people have fallen into dry wells in China since 2015, with 80 percent children, according to Beijing News. Forty percent of the victims lost their lives, the newspaper reported.

Northern and eastern regions of China have long experienced water supply issues amid rapid urbanization and growing demand, with underground water dropping to alarming levels in many areas.

As a result, many wells have been abandoned as residents have dug deeper wells searching for more underground water.

In Hebei, about 100,000 wells dried up or had insufficient water as of 2012, according to government figures.

"In China, a lot of rural land has been appropriated for commercial uses, and many farmers have left their wells abandoned," said Zhang Yong, head of China's Blue Sky Rescue, a non-governmental rescue organization.

Zhang said it was urgent to take measures to guard such wells, suggesting a comprehensive inspection of dry wells across the country was needed.

"Abandoned wells should be refilled," he said. "Fences should be established to prevent accidents."
After just one month in office, Nuevo Laredo Mayor Enrique Rivas assures the public there will be no change to the military forces now that Donald Trump has been elected president.

Rivas says he has been working very closely with Laredo and other U.S. officials with current projects.

He assures the public as far as safety is concerned, the change in the U.S. capital administration will not affect them directly.

"It's the same city, it's the same region," Rivas said. "Nothing will change with us, we will stay the same and keep on working the same passion and determination."

Although Rivas assures military presence will not change, he is unsure about what the future will say about the economic impact of the new U.S. presidential administration.
Rescuers work at the rescue site in Zhongmengchang Village of Lixian County in Baoding, north China's Hebei Province, Nov. 10, 2016. The boy, who fell down the 40-meter-deep dry well on Sunday, was found dead on Thursday night in Lixian County, Hebei's Baoding City, after search and rescue teams had been looking for him for over 100 hours. (Xinhua/Wang Xiao)
The City of Ruston celebrated Veterans Day for the first time this year, celebrating unity and freedom with the support of local schools and businesses ready to honor their veterans.

"As I talked to the veterans and they told me they appreciate the city doing this, it caused me to tear up," says Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker.

Lt. Colonel Gordon Ford, who retired from the United States Air Force this July, was the guest speaker at the celebration.

"For this to be the first one and from all of the people in the area and all the folks you see here today, for them to choose me to do this, it's an unspeakable honor," says Ford.

Ford spoke in front of some veterans who had fought all the way back in World War II, like Lundy Cavender, grand marshal of this year's Veterans Day parade and celebration.

"I'm real glad that young people know that we did win a war one time," says Cavender.

At 96 years old, Cavender remembers fighting on The Louisville, a heavy cruiser once declared shot down by the Japanese.

"We were in radio silence, and radio silence meant we couldn't open up our transmitters, so nobody knew where we were," says Cavender.

But, the cruiser eventually made its way to Pearl Harbor, greeted with a crowd filled with cheers.

"We got the greatest welcome a ship had ever gotten, because The Louisville hadn't been sunk, it was alive," says Cavender.

The warm welcome Cavender received back then is one the City of Ruston hoped to mirror.

Mayor Walker says, "I just want to say thanks to all the veterans across the country. Thanks for what they do so that we can have this freedom to do exactly what we're doing today."
An undated photo shows the Chinese national flag and the flag of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region flutter in the wind. [Photo: people.com.cn]

Chinese experts have stated that criticisms of the recent interpretation of the Basic Law of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) are totally unfounded.

The interpretation by the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which is expected to ensure the proper implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle and the rule of law in Hong Kong, will only do good, not harm, to the SAR, according to the experts.

China's top legislature on Monday adopted an interpretation of Article 104 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong SAR, clarifying the implications and requirements of the oaths taken by legislators-elect.

The interpretation was issued following the behavior of a handful of legislators-elect during the election of Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) and the subsequent swearing-in ceremony. These individuals had publicly voiced support for "Hong Kong independence," intentionally violated the oath and insulted the Chinese nation.

In response to some comments doubting that the interpretation would harm the high degree of autonomy and judicial independence in Hong Kong, Qiang Shigong, a professor with Peking University, noted that such opinions treat the "one country" and "two systems" of the principle in a separate manner.

While "one country" should be the basis for "two systems," such criticisms try to make the "two systems" part override, or even deny, the "one country" basis, Qiang said, adding that such "selective understanding" of the principle is "obviously wrong."

"The 'one country, two systems' principle is an integrated concept, and the authorization from the central authorities is the only source of the high degree of autonomy in Hong Kong," Qiang said.

The high degree of autonomy and judicial independence should be subject to the authority of the central authorities, which is represented in the top legislature's interpretation, Qiang said.

Zou Pingxue, a Hong Kong Basic Law expert with Shenzhen University, explained that legislative bodies' amendments and interpretations to law are common in legal practice.

The experts also refuted some reproaches that view the interpretation as a "political intervention," noting that the "one country" basis must not be compromised, and the undermining of this basis has caused the current problems in Hong Kong.

The separatist claims preached by "Hong Kong independence" forces are matters that concern China's national sovereignty and security, as well as stability of the Hong Kong SAR.

Such claims have encroached on the fundamental interests of the country, according to Qiang.

The top legislature's interpretation is to ensure the faithful implementation of the Basic Law and protect the country's fundamental interests and long-term stability in Hong Kong, Qiang said.

Guo Tianwu, a law professor with Sun Yat-sen University, refuted claims that the interpretation violated free speech, saying that the freedom should be subject to the limits and boundaries of law, national security, social order and other people's legal rights and interests.

Separatist remarks by "Hong Kong independence" forces, which have seriously violated the country's Constitution and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR, and damaged Hong Kong's public interest, should not be protected under the freedom of speech, Guo said.

Rao Geping, a law professor at Peking University, agreed, stressing that free speech should be based on certain conditions.

Rao also noted that the national self-determination rule in international law should not be applied to "Hong Kong independence" claims, which go against China's history, common sense, law and public opinion.

The professor called on Hong Kong society, especially the LegCo, to fully understand the significance of the interpretation, reach consensus and judge and regulate its members' words and acts by the law to safeguard the rule of law.

"If 'Hong Kong independence' remarks are left unchecked, the authority and credibility of the LegCo will be damaged and Hong Kong society and the immediate interests of Hong Kong citizens will be jeopardized," Rao said.
The Louisiana Tech Police Department and university are investigating a social media post allegedly made by a student with racially insensitive and threatening remarks. Louisiana Techs Director of Communications says university officials immediately began looking into the source and intent of the message when they were alerted Wednesday night.

In the Snapchat post, shared widely on social media, the student made a racial slur against students in a history class and allegedly threatened the life of a black female student.

Tech officials say they take these remarks very seriously and they do not tolerate deliberate attempts to intimidate students, faculty or staff. They say they are actively investigating the matter and they will take all necessary steps and corrective measures to ensure they continue to provide an open and secure learning environment for the entire campus community.

The following is Louisiana Techs official statement re: the social media incident that occurred this week.

Upon learning of this social media post Wednesday evening, the Louisiana Tech Police Department along with university officials immediately began looking into the source and intent of the message. It should be clear that Louisiana Tech University takes racially-insensitive or threatening remarks very seriously and does not tolerate deliberate attempts to intimidate students, faculty or staff, or to incite violent behavior. We are actively investigating this matter and will take the necessary steps to ensure that we continue to provide an open and secure learning environment for our entire campus community.

Heres the Friday morning email from Louisiana Tech President Les Guice to all students, faculty and staff.

At the heart of a university is the opportunity for people from different cultures and backgrounds to come together in an open and safe environment to share ideas, perspectives and viewpoints without fear of ridicule or reprisal. However, recent comments made on social media have compromised this security and freedom of expression.

Given these recent social media comments, I want to be clear that I take any and all reports of intimidation, racially insensitive remarks, or attempts to incite violent behavior very seriously. We are actively investigating this matter and will take the necessary steps and corrective measures to ensure that we continue to provide an open and secure learning environment for our entire campus community. Make no mistake, Louisiana Tech does not tolerate students, faculty or staff who deliberately or implicitly threatens others, and will investigate thoroughly any reports of these behaviors. That being said, we have a responsibility as an institution to do our due diligence in any investigation, and to take the necessary time and steps to collect information in order to take the most appropriate actions.

I believe that every student at Louisiana Tech has something special to offer his and her classmates. Through each persons background and experiences, there are learning opportunities that we are afforded, both in times of agreement and in times of conflict. Thank you for your feedback and for sharing your concerns with me. I am proud to serve you and to work together to create and preserve a peaceful and productive campus environment.

Leslie K. Guice

President

Louisiana Tech University
Call for Entries: Eleventh Annual National Juried Exhibition



"The Viewing of The Jewish Bride (India ink wash and airbrush) by Eric Buechel and Iris #4b . Image courtesy of The Arts & Culture Alliance.



The Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville has announced a call for entries for its eleventh annual National Juried Exhibition. The National Juried Exhibition was developed to provide a forum for artists to compete on a national scale and display their work. Approximately 40-50 fine art works encompassing all styles and genres from both emerging and established artists will comprise the exhibition in the Balcony gallery of the beautifully restored Emporium Center at 100 S. Gay Street from February 3-24, 2017. The Emporium is free and open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM  5:00 PM and other hours for special events.



The deadline for entries to be received is Sunday, December 18, 2016.



Prizes include at least $1,000 in cash awards, and exhibiting artists will receive a catalog of the exhibition.



Artists may view the information, complete the entry form, and/or download an application at www.knoxalliance.com/nje-entry/.



The call for entries is open to all artists. Entries must be original works completed within the last two years in the following categories: 2-D (painting, drawing, mixed media, printmaking, photography) and 3-D (sculpture of all media). Work may not have previously exhibited in any Alliance exhibition. The nonrefundable entry fee is $40 for up to three works ($25 for Arts & Culture Alliance members and students). Up to three additional entries may be submitted for $7/each ($5 for members/students).



About the juror: Trained as an art historian, Dorothy Habel joined the faculty in Art History of the School of Art at the University of Tennessee in 1980, and she retired as Director of the School in 2016 after eight years of service in that position. She was also a Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at UT. Over the years, she has been involved in regional adjudication, most recently for the Arts in the Airport exhibition in spring 2015.



More information about the program, as well as images from previous exhibitions, can be found at www.knoxalliance.com/national-juried-exhibition/.



The National Juried Exhibition of 2016 featured the work of 48 regional artists as selected by juror Samantha Andrews. Published November 12, 2016






Ma Biao (R), vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), meets with a cadre delegation of Uruguay's National Party in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 11, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)
Massive crowds in central Seoul demand President Park Geun-hye's resignation over the growing influence-peddling scandal involving her close confidante Choi Soon-sil on Saturday night. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Choi Ha-young, Kim Bo-eun

A never-ending stream of one million people marched into Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, Saturday, to join the nation's biggest candlelit protest in decades, calling for President Park Geun-hye to step down.

People from all walks of life chanted: "Park should step down." The President is under mounting pressure because of the influence-peddling scandal involving her confidant Choi Soon-sil.

The organizers estimated about one million people took to the streets  the largest protest movement in the nation in 30 years and bigger than the June Democracy Movement demonstrations in 1987, which forced the then military-controlled government to yield to a free presidential election. Police estimated 260,000 citizens turned out.

The mega-scale demonstration continued throughout the day's evening, with candle-lit protesters packing the Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. / Yonhap



By 2 p.m. Seoul Plaza was already packed with people. Later, they marched through central Seoul, holding candles and chanting anti-Park slogans and kept the protest going on late into the night. Some marched toward Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office, and clashed with police, but the protest ended peacefully, with only minor injuries reported.

Like the two previous peaceful protests, people came with their families, in couples and with groups of their friends. They said they wanted to show their anger toward President Park for ruining democracy by allowing her friend to meddle in state affairs.

"It's really shameful that a President's friend has interfered in key state affairs so broadly and for so long. Not only Park, but her secretaries and pro-Park lawmakers should all take responsibility for the scandal and they must be honest about their wrongdoing," said Lee Gap-hyo, 53, an office worker, who came out with his wife. "Park is no longer our president. We the people have the right to force her out. That's why I'm here."

Many young couples turned up with their children to show and teach them what democracy is.

"I brought my children out here to show them what is right," said Lee Dong-woo, 42, an office worker in Seoul, who took part in the march with his wife and two children, aged seven and five. "I explained the situation to my children and they said they would make a poster demanding that the President apologize for her wrongdoing."

Yoo Yong-sik, 46, an office worker, came with his daughter. "I skipped a private tutoring class to be here, as I think the fate of our nation is way more important than my studies right now," said his daughter Yoo Hyo-jin, 16, carrying a poster that she had made.







High school students who will take the college scholastic ability test (CSAT) next week were no exception.

"Although the CSAT is just a week away, we came here to demand that the President step down," said Yun Hui-yeong, 18, from Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province.

It was not simply the influence-peddling scandal that attracted many of the people. Union members from the provinces came to Seoul by bus to protest against the government's labor policies.












POSCO chief Kwon Oh-joon leaves the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office at about 7:10 a.m. Saturday after 12 hours of questioning over an allegation that he was involved in an influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye's close friend, Choi Soon-sil. / Yonhap



The chief of Korea's top steelmaker POSCO was grilled overnight by prosecutors until Saturday morning over an allegation that the sale of its former unit was related to an influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye's close friend, prosecutors said.

Kwon Oh-joon, 66, returned home at about 7:10 a.m. after about 12 hours of intensive questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, they said.

He is the first head of a major Korean business group to be grilled by prosecutors looking into the snowballing political scandal.

He was grilled over allegations that an associate of Choi Soon-sil, Park's longtime friend, attempted to forcibly take over shares of the steelmaker's former advertisement subsidiary last year.

Choi's close associate Cha Eun-taek is suspected to have used his ties with Choi and other senior government officials to put pressure on a small ad agency, which acquired Poreka from POSCO, to hand over 80 percent of its shares. The attempt, however, ended in failure, as the ad agency declined to cooperate.

Prosecutors tried to determine whether Kwon's decision to sell its money-making advertisement company was intended to help line Cha's own pockets from the beginning.

Whether Cha, Choi or any presidential officials intervened in the selloff process was the focus of the questioning, according to prosecutors.

A number of officials, including former senior presidential secretary An Chong-bum, have been put under custody for their alleged involvement in the process.

Prosecutors put Cha under detention late Friday on a charge of embezzling funds and attempting to extort shares from POSCO's former affiliate.

Meanwhile, Park Sang-jin, chief of external affairs at Samsung Electronics and president of the Korea Equestrian Federation, showed up at the prosecution office on Saturday afternoon for questioning over allegations that the company provided illicit favors to the daughter of Choi.

Prosecutors have also been looking into allegations that Samsung directly sent 3.5 billion won (US$2.9 million) to a company owned by Choi and her daughter Chung Yoo-ra in Germany, under the name of a consulting arrangement, to fund Chung's equestrian training.

Park would be grilled over whether the money was given in return for business favors, according to prosecutors.

On Tuesday, prosecutors raided Park's offices in Seoul and the homes of four officials related to the federation as part of the probe. (Yonhap)
(Xinhua) 10:13, November 12, 2016

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will depart New York late Sunday evening for attending United UN's Climate Change Conference to be held in Marrakech, Morocco, Deputy UN spokesman, Farhan Haq, told reporters here Friday.

"On the morning of Tuesday, 15 November, the secretary-general will take part in the opening of the high-level segment of the Climate Change Conference, known as COP22," Haq said at a daily news briefing here. "This will also serve as the first meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement."

The COP 22, known as the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22), opened on Nov.7 and will end on Nov.18 in Marrakech.

The meeting brought together health and environment ministers to promote healthier environments for healthier people.

The participants are expected to identify ways and means for a potential future coalition and adopt Marrakesh declaration on health, environment and climate change.

The historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change entered into force on Nov. 4 after at least 55 countries, accounting for 55 percent of global emissions, have ratified the agreement.

Under the agreement adopted in the French capital in December 2015, nations have agreed to combat climate change and to unleash actions and investment toward a low carbon, resilient and sustainable future.

The following day, Wednesday, the secretary-general will take part in the Summit of African Heads of State and Government hosted by Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, Haq said.

While in Marrakech, the secretary-general will also participate in events on topics including economic diversification and climate finance, Haq said. "He will also meet with world leaders and civil society representatives on the margins of COP22."

On Thursday, the secretary-general will travel from Marrakech to Paris, where he will meet with French President Francois Hollande and Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, Haq said.

"He will also visit the headquarters of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ), where he will meet with Director-General Irina Bokova and staff members."

The secretary-general will return to New York on Nov. 18, the deputy spokesman added.
One of Chinese fishing boats dash at a South Korean patrol boat in South Korean waters off the western coast on Saturday. South Korean coast guards used machine guns to deter the boats illegally fishing in South Korean waters.

/ Yonhap



South Korea used machine guns in cracking down on Chinese boats illegally fishing in its waters off the western coast on Saturday but no casualties or damage was reported, government officials said.

South Korea's patrol boats fired 95 bullets at 11:16 a.m. in chasing off around 30 Chinese boats operating in waters off the western port city of Incheon, according to the Ministry of Public Safety and Security and the Coast Guard.

The Chinese vessels ignored warnings and continued the operation, with some strongly resisting the crackdown, they said. The Coast Guard used the M60 machine guns in accordance with its operation manual, they added.

No damage or casualties for the South Korean boats have been reported, but the Coast Guard has yet to confirm the damage of the Chinese boats as they fled.

The Coast Guard informed the incident to its counterpart in Beijing and asked for cooperation, according to the officials.

Earlier this month, the Coast Guard fired 600-700 bullets from a ship-mounted M60 in the process of capturing two fishing boats operating illegally off the western port city. No injuries or damage were reported. China expressed strong displeasure with what it sees as a "violent" crackdown.

Illegal fishing has been a sensitive diplomatic issue between the two countries in recent months. South Korea has toughened measures against illegal fishing in its waters since one of its patrol boats sank in October while pursuing Chinese vessels. (Yonhap)
A South Korean man was sentenced to 18 months in prison Friday for posting letters on the White House website, threatening to kill the top U.S. envoy to Seoul and rape the second daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama.

The Seoul Central District Court found the 34-year-old defendant, identified only by his surname Lee, guilty of attempted intimidation for posting a letter titled "Declaration Terror to Mr. President Obama" on the White House webpage for civil petitions in July last year.

In the letter, Lee said, "My assassinator's mind is too weak to cut the ambassador's artery perfectly," referring to an attack on the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert, which took place earlier in March 2015.

He was attacked with a knife at a breakfast function in Seoul by another South Korean man, leaving him with deep gashes on his face and arm that needed more than 80 stitches.

Lee was also found to have posted another letter, threatening to rape Sasha Obama, the second daughter of President Obama.

"The U.S. Embassy took his letters as a serious threat against the United States government and demanded a thorough investigation and punishment to the local law enforcement authorities," the court said.

Still, the court found the defendant guilty of attempted intimidation, instead of intimidation charges, saying there is not enough proof to acknowledge that the letters were actually delivered to the victims.

Prosecutors had originally charged Lee with intimidation. (Yonhap)
Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai (L) holds a joint press conference with British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond after the eighth China-Britain Economic and Financial Dialogue in London, Nov. 10, 2016. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

LONDON, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to deepen cooperation with the new British government and continue to enhance partnership, said Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai Thursday.

Ma made the remarks when co-chairing the eighth China-Britain Economic and Financial Dialogue with British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond.

Sixty-three outcomes were reached after the two sides held fruitful discussions on the macroeconomy and relevant policies, trade investment and market access, financial service and market, as well as infrastructure and industrial strategies.

Ma said that in September, leaders of the two countries, both important members in the world, met in Hangzhou, where they reaffirmed the commitment to working together for the "Golden Era" of bilateral relations, and blueprint the practical cooperation in economic and trade relations.

The Chinese vice premier pointed out that the China-Britain Economic and Financial Dialogue, a high-level mechanism to implement the two sides' economic and financial cooperation, has become irreplaceable in deepening strategic communication, promoting comprehensive cooperation and enhancing bilateral and multilateral coordination.

The dialogue, the first high-level one between the Chinese and British governments after the Hangzhou meeting, is also the first of its kind held after the British new cabinet took office, Ma said.

He added that the meeting is expected to offer a platform for the two sides to implement the consensus of leaders of the two countries and make plans for the bilateral pragmatic economic and trade cooperation in the future.

This year is the start of the "Golden Era," and next year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral ties, Ma said, adding China is willing to deepen cooperation with the British government, continue dialogues, and further the China-Britain comprehensive global strategic partnership for the 21st century.

For his part, Hammond said that the successful visit to Britain by Chinese President Xi Jinpingin October last year marked the coming of the "Golden Era" for the bilateral ties. The British side congratulated China on its successful hosting of the Group 20 (G20) Summit in Hangzhou this September.

He said the two sides work closely together under the G20 framework, and respond effectively to various risks and challenges.

In recent years, the bilateral trade has maintained steady growth, and Britain has attracted more Chinese investment than other European countries, a fact that has demonstrated the vitality of bilateral cooperation, he said.

The British official said as China's partner, his country is committed to benefiting more from the partnership, and is willing to promote the lasting development of the "Golden Era."

China and Britain agreed to further promote the strategic docking of British regional development plan and China's "Belt and Road Initiative" as well as "Strategy of UK Industry 2050" and "Made in China 2025," to enhance the level of investment and trade cooperation.

The two nations agreed to take Hinckley Point project as an opportunity to deepen cooperation in such fields as civil nuclear power, high-speed railway and aerospace projects.

They also vowed to promote the normalization of financial service cooperation, strengthen exchanges on financial supervision, and conduct the cooperation in green and inclusive finance and financial science and technology.

The two sides eyed the cooperation on third-party market, facilitate their coordination in international affairs and macroeconomic policies, and implement the fruits of the G20 Hangzhou Summit, so as to promote the world economy for a strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.

Ma traveled to Britain Tuesday to co-chair the Eighth China-Britain Economic and Financial Dialogue with Hammond. He is also going to attend the Fourth China-FranceHigh-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue in France.
(Xinhua) 13:18, November 12, 2016

A shared vision of creativity and innovation by China and Argentina will unleash opportunities for the two countries to strengthen ties, say Argentine officials.

A delegation from China's Ministry of Culture, headed by Deputy Director of the Bureau for Foreign Affairs, Li Jiangang, toured the Metropolitan Design Center in the southern Barracas district of the capital Buenos Aires on Friday.

The Chinese delegation met with officials from the Buenos Aires Ministry of Modernization, Innovation and Technology, to discuss opportunities for cooperation and collaboration for mutual benefit.

Chinese business leaders from the technology and cultural sectors also took part in the event, which provided representatives from both countries with a chance to network.

"We are working above all to raise Buenos Aires' profile abroad, in terms of audiovisual services, technological services, design services and professional services in general," the city's director of foreign trade, Agustin Kelly, told Xinhua.

"This activity is very important, since we aren't just showcasing Buenos Aires talent to the world, but also bringing global talent to be able to exchange ideas, experiences and concepts, not just in terms of business, but also in terms of capacities," said Kelly.

Creative industries represent 9 percent of the capital's gross domestic product, and 200,000 jobs.

"Expanding this source of employment in the international market makes the creative or cultural industries stronger and broadens their outlook," said Kelly.

The city's Undersecretary for Foreign Trade and the Creative Economy Silvia Torres Carbonell said these types of meetings serve as a springboard for promoting opportunities for cooperation and collaboration between Chinese companies and their counterparts in Buenos Aires.

"There is much space for cooperation. The access to the Chinese market is enormous, everything the Chinese companies can bring in experience can be highly complemented with creative talent from Argentina," said Torres.

"For the Chinese companies, this cooperation can serve as a gateway to the entire Latin American market, where -- hand in hand with Argentine business people -- very interesting projects can be generated," Torres said.

One factor working in favor of such cooperation is the fact that officials in both countries share the same perspective, she noted.

"The outlook of the Chinese government is very similar, because it is promoting creativity and innovation," Torres said.

"Sometimes, Argentines see China as being in another world, (but) these types of meetings and government measures to promote ties can lead (the two sides) to speak the same language, that of creativity, of business, of creating value," said Torres.

Shanghai is home to the National Base for International Culture Trade, which aims to spur industrial partnerships, joint ventures and new opportunities by organizing expositions and exchanges.

"By working together -- the Buenos Aires city government, China's government and the city of Shanghai -- we can create the space, the ecosystem so the business people themselves can generate the businesses that develop opportunities and projects," said Torres.

"This is the start of a long road of shared ties, profitable for both sides," she added.

The event this year was organized as part of the Year of China-Latin America Cultural Exchange.
Dozens of casualties have been reported in southern Pakistan after a bomb exploded at a busy shrine packed with worshippers.

The attack happened today in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan. At least 25 people were killed and dozens of others wounded, local officials said.

Hashim Ghalzai, a local district commissioner, told Reuters news agency the toll was based on initial reports and could rise further. The blast occurred outside Karachi, Pakistans largest city, in Hub district.

The bombing at the remote Shah Noorani shrine took place while hundreds of people were inside. The Sufi shrine attracts a lot of people at this time of the year from other parts of Pakistan.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
Joe Ndikuriyo Solomon Odekunle

Joe Bryan Ndikuriyo, 27, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a 21-year-old international economics student from the University of Ottawa.

Ottawa police say Solomon Odekunle, originally from Nigeria, was stabbed to death at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning near the intersection of St. Laurent Boulevard and Ogilvie Road.

Staff Sgt. Bruce Pirt of the major crimes unit said police were working to determine a timeline of events, and called on any witnesses to come forward.

Investigators combed a crime scene in front of Pipers Bar and Grill, but said they didnt know whether the incident started there or resulted from a fight that started inside the bar.



In addition to the murder charge, Ndikuriyo was charged Monday with the attempted murder of another person. Police said that person, a friend of Odekunles, required stitches.

Ndikuriyo appeared in court with a bandaged right hand Monday morning. Police said he was taken to hospital for medical treatment after he cut his hand during a fight.

solomon odekunle

The victim, 21-year-old Solomon Odekunle, arrived in Ottawa in 2012 and was studying economics at the University of Ottawa. (Submitted)

Police said Ndikuriyo is an Ottawa resident and known to them.

He had served two weeks in jail for possession of a weapon.

Odekunles killing is Ottawas 17th homicide of 2016.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 12

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived in Fuzuli district for a visit Nov. 12.

The head of state first laid flowers at a statue of the national leader Heydar Aliyev in the center of the city of Horadiz.

Head of Fuzuli District Executive Authority Ali Aliyev informed President Ilham Aliyev about the landscaping work carried out around the statue.

The head of state was also informed about the work and projects carried out in the district in recent years, as well as the facilities to be built in the coming years.
The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

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All eyes turned to Washington this week as America elected Donald Trump to be our next president.

THE BIG STORY

Critic at Large David Kipen is a former Beltway denizen  he was the director of literature at the NEA  and he shares his thoughts about the president-elect and an American institution: the public library.

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Libraries, like this one in downtown L.A., are part of the nations intellectual infrastructure. (Jay Clendenin / Los Angeles Times )

ZADIE SMITHS TOUR DE FORCE

If ever a novel conjured a sound and dance track, it is Swing Time, a multilayered tour-de-force from Zadie Smith. She begins with an epigram from northern Nigeria: When the music changes, so does the dance.  Thats how Karen Long begins our review of Swing Time, the new novel from literary star Smith.

A POETIC DISCOVERY

Paisley Rekdals fifth collection of poems, Imaginary Vessels, is out from Copper Canyon Press, and Craig Morgan Teicher tells us in his review that it should be the breakthrough book for a gifted poet on the verge.

SHINING SHORT FICTIONS

Anne Raeff just won the Flannery OConnor Award for short fiction; Dana Johnson, who teaches at USC, won it more than a decade ago. Raeffs collection The Jungle Around Us is about displacement, its characters fleeing, in one way or another. Johnsons new book In the Not Quite Dark is more grounded; its stories are set in and around the Pacific Electric Building in downtown Los Angeles, dealing head-on with issues of gentrification and race. Read about them here.

Brian Wilson (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times )

BESTSELLERS

Feel like putting on Pet Sounds? Maybe its time to break out the old vinyl (or CD, or digital music file) while reading Brian Wilsons memoir, I Am Brian Wilson, which returns to our nonfiction bestseller list this week.

If the cheerful sounds of the Beach Boys arent your thing, perhaps you should get tickets to see Johnny Marr on Nov. 16 at the Vista Theater. The Smiths guitarist, who created some of the most addictively plaintive riffs of the 80s, isnt scheduled to play music  hell be talking about his memoir, Set the Boy Free, with KCRWs Jason Bentley. Tickets, available through Skylight Books, are $35.

WORD FROM A YOUNG FEMINIST

We talked with Sarah Pappalardo and Beth Newell  the founders of Reductress, which has been called a feminist Onion  about their new book, How to Win at Feminism. Newell told us, Satire is a more cathartic, palatable way of getting the news you already get  it doesnt necessarily change any minds. The only place where I could see satire really affecting change is when it comes to young people who are just entering the political conversation and trying to educate themselves about the forces at play.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Im the book editor of the L.A. Times, and Id like to hear your thoughts about the newsletter; email me at Carolyn.Kellogg@latimes.com.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 12

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev has got acquainted with the operational conditions in a command control center on the frontline in Fuzuli District.

Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov reported to the president. The supreme commander viewed the enemys positions from the command control center.

The head of state was informed of the general situation on the frontline.

President, Supreme Commander Ilham Aliyev presented gifts to a group of servicemen who distinguished themselves while fulfilling combat tasks.

The head of state made a speech in front of servicemen and gave his instructions.
A consumer group has asked a judge to immediately stop Anthem Blue Cross from switching 500,000 Californians to health plans offering no coverage for out-of-network care.

The dispute is over a change Anthem made to its 2017 plans known as preferred provider organizations, or PPOs, throughout much of the state.

In court papers filed this week, Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog said that Anthem broke the law by not properly informing consumers that it had changed the plan to one that no longer pays for any portion of care provided by out-of-network doctors and hospitals.

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Anthem told The Times on Friday the case is without merit.

The consumer group said the renewal notices the insurer sent over the summer were misleading and could result in people automatically renewing policies that they believed would be the same next year.

Many consumers may end up with surprise medical bills of thousands of dollars for care next year that they thought would be covered, the group said.

While reducing coverage, Anthem also raised the price of the plans. Los Angeles resident Paul Simon, one of the patients involved in the class-action lawsuit, would pay 33% more in premiums next year  $655.72 a month, up from $491.54, according to his renewal notice.

The group filed the lawsuit Nov. 1. This week it asked the judge for a temporary restraining order.

Judge John Shepard Wiley Jr. is scheduled to hear the groups request at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in California Superior Court at 600 Commonwealth Ave. in Los Angeles.

Anthem changed the PPOs into exclusive provider organizations, or EPOs. The plans pay for out-of-network care only in an emergency.

The lawsuit relates to policies purchased by individuals through Anthem or on the states online health insurance exchange, called Covered California. It does not involve employer or Medicare plans.

In a brief arguing against the restraining order, Anthem said it had explained the change to consumers in renewal letters.

The insurer said people still have time to switch to another insurer if they want to continue with coverage that pays part of their out-of-network bills. For coverage that begins Jan. 1, people must sign up by Dec. 15.

Anthem said state officials had approved changing the PPOs to EPOs.

The insurer said it was impossible to continue the PPOs into 2017 because it would require a detailed process to determine how much more the premium would cost.

Anthems lawyers said continuing the PPOs would also affect the price of the other types of plans it offered. This could potentially affect thousands more members, the lawyers wrote.

If the judge issued a restraining order, they said, it will only create chaos and result in confusion for Anthems members and, frankly, the marketplace in general.

Anthem, like any health insurance provider, is entitled to adjust its rates as needed on a yearly basis, the companys lawyers wrote. They attributed the change in coverage to the general rise of healthcare costs.

Last year, Anthem Inc. reported a profit of $2.6 billion.

melody.petersen@latimes.com

Follow @melodypetersen on Twitter

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UPDATES:

4:25 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Anthem.

This article was originally published at 4:15 p.m.
GrubHub Inc. Chief Executive Matt Maloney is facing a firestorm after speaking out against President-elect Donald Trump in an email to employees Wednesday, saying if employees dont agree with creating a culture of support and inclusiveness, they should resign.

In the original email sent to the online food-ordering companys 1,400 employees Wednesday afternoon, Maloney said he rejects the nationalist, anti-immigrant and hateful politics of Donald Trump.

By the next afternoon, a Twitter campaign to boycott the company was in full force, as headlines claimed he told all pro-Trump employees to resign.

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Maloney said in a blog post Thursday that his comments had been misconstrued and that he was trying to say he doesnt tolerate discriminatory activity or hateful commentary  not encourage Trump voters to quit.

In the original email, Maloney wrote: While demeaning, insulting and ridiculing minorities, immigrants and the physically/mentally disabled worked for Mr. Trump, I want to be clear that his behavior  and these views, have no place at GrubHub. Had he worked here, many of his comments would have resulted in his immediate termination.

He also wrote that the company promised to fight for any employee who was scared or felt personally exposed.

If you do not agree with this statement then please reply to this email with your resignation because you have no place here, he wrote. We do not tolerate hateful attitudes on our team.

On the Apple App Store on Friday morning, GrubHubs current app version had a one-star rating. One-star reviews claimed Republicans were not wanted as customers and accused the Chicago company of political discrimination.

GrubHub shares closed Friday at $35.31, down 4.8%.

But the dustup is likely to have a limited effect, said Aaron Turner, an equity research analyst with Wedbush Securities.

Investors are more focused on the possible ramifications of Mr. Trumps policies on the tech sector rather than the knee-jerk reaction to an email intended to calm employees that may feel vulnerable after the conclusion of the election, he said.

mgraham@tribpub.com

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Its November, and youve been so overwhelmed at work you still have five vacation days you havent used this year. You can: (a) try to squeeze it in amid all your crazy year-end deadlines; (b) carry it over to next year and use it then if youre allowed to do so; or (c) if you work at a place with a use-it-or-lose-it policy, pass it up.

For those who find none of those choices appealing, a new start-up wants to offer an option (d). PTO Exchange, which launched Oct. 4, plans to work with employers to let their workers trade in the value of their unused paid time off for other perks. These could include additional contributions to a 401(k) account, money to put toward college tuition expenses, reimbursement for travel expenses or a donation to a favorite charity.

Co-founder Rob Whalen says that since the start-up launched at a recent human resources technology conference, it has heard from 150 interested companies, including large retailers and pharmaceutical firms, and is in advanced discussions with several major human resources consulting firms. Theyre trying to offer flexibility to their employees, Whalen says.

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But employers are also motivated to remove what has become a growing accounting burden. When employees dont use all the time off theyre given each year, corporations have to carry that on their books, an accounting liability that isnt offset by assets and some firms pay out to employees when they decide to leave the company. Its something CFOs worry about, says PTO Exchange co-founder Todd Lucas.

That problem has been getting more attention from corporate finance executives for a few reasons. For one, some states have adopted laws that prohibit companies from having use-it-or-lose-it policies for employee vacation time, meaning more workers are able to carry it over, increasing the liability. At the same time, paid leave laws are being adopted in a growing number of states, giving paid time off to more workers who previously never received it.

A recent analysis of financial statements, conducted by Oxford Economics and commissioned by the U.S. Travel Assn.s Project: Time Off initiative, estimated that some $272 billion in accrued vacation time is sitting on corporate balance sheets.

The same report from the travel association found that in 2015, workers who did not use all their paid time off had an average of 10.4 days of unused vacation. Its survey of 5,600 workers found that 59% of managers and 53% of all employees said they did not use all their allotted vacation time.

Indeed, this helps explain why some companies have adopted unlimited leave policies when it comes to vacation. Although the idea sounds like a generous move  and it potentially can be in the right environment  it also helps businesses eliminate that accounting liability. After all, if theres no set vacation allotment, theres no accrued time off to weigh down the books.

This is where PTO Exchange comes in: If employees cant take the unused vacation time, they can trade in the value of the accrued time off for another benefit, such as more money in their health savings account or a reimbursement toward travel bought on Priceline.

The start-up charges a 3% transaction fee, which can be set up for either the employer or worker to pay, as well as a per-employee fee charged to the company.

One particular area of interest from employers, Whalen and Lucas say, is using the platform to make it easier for employees to donate a few hours or days to co-workers in need of more time off because of lengthy illnesses, deaths or other personal hardships. Were getting a lot of interest just on that feature alone, Lucas says. For some companies, the other trade-in perks are just icing on the cake.

Jena McGregor writes a daily column analyzing leadership in the news for the Washington Posts On Leadership section.
Paula Prentiss thinks theres a certain kismet that her first screen role in almost a decade is in a movie directed by Osgood Perkins.

She and her husband, Richard Benjamin, had appeared with Anthony Perkins, Osgoods father, in the 1970 film Catch-22. Prentiss was pregnant with her son, Ross, at the same time Osgoods mother, Berry Berenson, was pregnant with him.

I was one of the first people to see him when he was born, Prentiss recalled. We shared family holidays through their early years. Wed go to their house and or they would come to ours. We always had a wonderful time because we had children the same age.

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The story has a tragic element as well; Berenson was a passenger on the American Airlines flight that was crashed into the World Trade Center on 9/11; Perkins died in 1992.

Prentiss has a small but pivotal role in Osgood Perkins tightly coiled ghost story, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, which premiered last month on Netflix. It stars Ruth Wilson (The Affair) as Lily, a hospice nurse who arrives in the isolated and hermetic home of horror novelist Iris Blum, played by Prentiss.

Perkins reached out to Prentiss last year about taking the role of Iris. It was on my 78th birthday, she said. I knew this [gift] was from Tony and Berry out of the blue, and it was so fun because there were pictures of them on the set [the film is dedicated to Anthony]; all kinds of references to the life before this. Thats why I wanted to do it. It was like a little homecoming.

A review of the film in the British newspaper the Guardian barely mentioned Prentiss, to which one reader commented online: You mean THE Paula Prentiss? The legendary Paula Prentiss who was in Whats New Pussycat, Catch-22, The Parallax View and The Stepford Wives? THAT Paula Prentiss? Surely her presence is worth more than just a (mention).

Prentiss is pleased when told about the online comments and the fondness film fans have for her work. Well, bless your heart, she says with her native Texas twang, as distinctive and ebullient as when she made her 1960 screen debut in Where the Boys Are.

To me, Dick and Paula were [like] my crazy aunt and uncle, Osgood Perkins said. To know somebody for as long as Ive known her and have her be so close to my parents, who are now gone, and then were making a movie together, is at once surreal, but at the same time completely organic and meant to be.

Shooting had already begun when Perkins offered Prentiss the part. I had never worked with Paula. But I knew she possesses an intensity and a dedication. The dream of any director is to be in the editing room with choices. I would shoot five takes and get five completely committed and very different choices.

Iris is a Shirley Jackson-esque author, who unnerves Lily by referring to her only as Polly, a murdered character from one of her books. Though Pretty Thing is not Prentiss first brush with horror, Iris is unlike anything she has done on-screen; a role that deprives her of her typical, charismatic life force.

Its fun to get the opportunity to play a different kind of character, she said. I looked on this as a real adventure. I just jumped in, which is what I was like when I was a little girl. I remember I went to a swimming pool with my mother. I didnt know how to swim. I said, Mother, I want to jump in, and she said, Go ahead, honey. So I jumped in. Ive always had this sense of, I want to try that. 

Prentiss does not identify herself as retired or semi-retired. Youre never retired if youre an actress, she said. You keep doing things. One of the reasons I went into acting was because I thought those characters by Chekhov, Shaw and Shakespeare I studied when I went to Northwestern were so fascinating. I thought if I played those characters, I would find something out about myself. Thats the fun of it. It never really ends, and you can always find something to do.

What Prentiss has primarily done in recent years are plays, sometimes, and most rewardingly, with family. In February, Prentiss and Benjamin co-starred in Dearest Friend, consisting of love letters exchanged between President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, at Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills.

Plays were the thing when Prentiss attended graduate school at Northwestern to study acting. All of us had our noses in the air, she said. We were going to go directly to theater and have nothing to do with movies.

So much so, she recalled with a laugh, that no one initially signed up for a screen test when it was announced that the MGM talent scout who had discovered Northwestern alum Patricia Neal had scheduled a return visit. Until the next morning, she said. Then, everyones name was on the board and ended up auditioning. Our real feelings about wanting to go to Hollywood and be a star came out. (Her classmates included Tony Roberts and Karen Black).

Her eclectic resume includes indelible ensemble work in such films as The World of Henry Orient, co-starring roles in Howard Hawks Mans Favorite Sport? and He & She, an ahead-of-its-time one-season CBS sitcom credited with paving the way on the network for more sophisticated urban comedies like The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Prentiss is of the no small roles school. I do [a role] for the experience of doing it, she said. If it goes well or it doesnt go well, it still has accomplished what I needed for that time. I havent ever had the thing where I thought, Ive got to get something out there or nobody will want me. Somebodys going to want you. You have an obligation to just live life.

calendar@latimes.com
California is quickly becoming a battleground for immigration policy as a cross-section of leaders across the state vowed to fight any plans by President-elect Donald Trump to deport thousands of people in the U.S. illegally.



For the record: A previous version of this article misspelled Dolores Mission as Delores.

Trump said during the presidential campaign that hell build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and deport people in the country illegally. He is expected to unwind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an initiative by President Obama that protects immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

California has some of the nations most liberal policies when it comes to handling immigrants here illegally. The state has allowed them to get drivers licenses, health coverage for children and in-state tuition. Institutions like churches also support immigrants.

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But the Golden State could be on a collision course with Trump if he pushes hard-line immigration policies enthusiastically backed by many of his supporters.

Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez led an interfaith prayer service Thursday night in which he reassured immigrants in the country illegally that the church would continue supporting them.

In the past couple days since the election  we have children in our schools who are scared, Gomez told the congregation. They think the government is going to come and deport their parents.

At a hastily convened meeting Friday at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned that the city will question Trumps decisions on immigration.

If the first day, as president, we see something that is hostile to our people, hostile to our city, bad for our economy, bad for our security, we will speak up, speak out, act up and act out, Garcetti said.

The mayor also said police would continue to enforce Special Order 40, which bars officers from asking people about their immigration status.

Kamala Harris, in her first appearance since winning her U.S. Senate race, also held an event Thursday at CHIRLA to announce her support for immigrants and criticize Trumps plan for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Several days of street demonstrations in Los Angeles and other cities have followed Trumps election, with protesters denouncing the Republicans views on issues such as immigration. About 200 people were arrested Thursday night in downtown Los Angeles, according to LAPD Officer Tony Im.

Another anti-Trump protest is planned Saturday for MacArthur Park.

Of the 742,000 people across the country protected under DACA, about 200,000 are in Los Angeles County, according to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

Angelica Salas, CHIRLAs executive director, said her office is being inundated with requests from immigrants about their status.

Marissa Montes, co-director of the Loyola Immigrant Justice Center, helps run a weekly meeting at the Dolores Mission in Boyle Heights. She said twice as many people  about 40  showed up at this weeks forum Wednesday.

People came out because of fear, Montes said. It was incredibly heartbreaking to tell people that I couldnt tell them what was ahead.

Loyola Immigrant Justice Center has stopped filing DACA applications, she said, over concern how those applications will be used by the Trump administration.

Trump made illegal immigration a central issue of his campaign, arguing that people here without proper documentation are a drain on the economy and take jobs away from U.S. citizens.

Trump has not outlined any specific immigration policies since winning the election Tuesday.

But Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state and a member of Trumps immigration policy transition team, told The Times the U.S. easily could boost deportations by more than 75% in his first year in office.

Experts have said Trump could also reduce or slow down the process by which Mexicans get travel cards and visitor visas. But other Trump immigration ideas  such as building a massive wall along the border  are probably going to be more difficult to implement.

At the event Thursday with Gomez, Ernesto Vega, a Mexican immigrant who is the archdioceses coordinator of Hispanic Ministry for Adults, expressed fear about the fallout from the election.

Im close to becoming a U.S. citizen, Vega said. But I think of my brothers and sisters who have recently immigrated, who are barely learning the language and who are being punished because of the color of their skin.

When I came here to this country, I did feel discrimination  in the Catholic Church, in society and in school. But I thought that we had gone way ahead, Vega said. Now it seems like all this effort that society has done is in danger of being destroyed.

makeda.easter@latimes.com

dakota.smith@latimes.com

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Not my president: Protesters rally at MacArthur Park

Nearly 100 protesters gathered at the corner of Alvarado Street and Wilshire Boulevard Saturday morning, chanting phrases like Donald Trump go away -- sexist, racist, anti-gay, and Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go.

Joel Cordiero, 65, held a sign that said: Not my president.

The words he said, we cant forget, said Cordiero, who lives in Beverly Hills. We need to let him know hes not going to get away with anything.

Protesters waved rainbow flags and held signs that read: Hate aint great and global warming is real, among others.

More protesters are arriving to the protest in MacArthur Park in LA.@latimes @latimesphotos pic.twitter.com/XrB5DTUM8a  Francine Orr/LATimes (@francineorr) November 12, 2016

A group of women chanted: My body, my choice, to which a group of men responded: Your body, your choice.

Kim White, 52, said she was angry about the way Trump talks about and treats women.

I cant believe hes representing our country, said White, who lives in Highland Park.

People are like: Give him a break, he didnt mean it, she said. Im sorry. Words matter.

Jason Ramirez-Cabral, 24, was one of the first protesters to arrive at 8:15 a.m., straight from his job as a night worker on the docks in San Pedro.

He brought face paint in his tote bag and said he was planning to paint a peace sign that would cover his whole face.

I was sad the night it happened, said Ramirez-Cabral, who lives in Fontana. Now, Im angry.

Some of his family members are in the country illegally, he said. I dont know what the future holds, " he said.
About 150 anti-Donald Trump protesters were arrested in downtown Los Angeles early Saturday morning after refusing the LAPDs order to disperse on what marked the fourth night of unrest following the presidential election.

One by one, police led the protesters out of Grand Park, securing their hands with zip-ties before loading them onto school buses. Protesters who threw rocks at police were shot at with beanbag guns outside Grand Park.

A demonstrator named Tarik, who refused to give his last name, said he couldnt understand why police chose to arrest so many people after a protest that was largely calm.

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By my views of what is just and what is right, this is wrong, he said.

The demonstration drew an estimated 3,000 protesters. Pumping their fists in the air, demonstrators cheered and whistled as they marched among honking cars in the streets around City Hall Friday evening, sometimes chanting, Not my president.

By midnight, the crowd had marched from City Hall to LA Live and toward the Westlake neighborhood before circling back downtown. As they passed apartment buildings, people stepped out of their homes to cheer.

When the crowd returned to City Hall just before midnight, the LAPD issued a dispersal order, calling the gathering a violent congregation and threatening to use less-than-lethal force if necessary.

A group of protesters gathered at Grand Park and refused to leave, including one dressed as a brick-wall that read, Wall off Trump. As police surrounded the park, several demonstrators panicked and ran, while others were blocked in.

Youre not going home, you had your chance, an LAPD officer told someone who asked to leave.

Shortly thereafter, police began making the arrests.

Earlier in the evening, the LAPD had detained two people, while the California Highway Patrol arrested several for vandalism and one protester who allegedly threw a thermos at officers. Demonstrators who saw the arrests yelled at officers, who then led the suspects away.

Someone tried tagging the ABC van again but couldn't quite stick the landing. pic.twitter.com/Ne3Gku5Q8c  James Queally (@JamesQueallyLAT) November 12, 2016

The CHP, whose officers blocked on ramps and off ramps throughout downtown, thwarted a group of demonstrators from entering the 110 Freeway.

Were trying to take a proactive approach to prevent them from getting on there, CHP Officer Stephan Brandt said.

The LAPD had made its presence felt earlier on Friday than in past nights, posting at least two dozen officers wearing riot helmets in the middle of Spring Street near City Hall around 8:30 p.m. But the officers stepped out of the way as the group began to march, remaining still even as several protesters berated them and accused them of supporting Trump.

Once they start being disruptive is when were going to take enforcement action, LAPD Officer Tony Im said. Were just allowing them to voice their opinion and just make sure theyre not hurting anyone.

 Trump protesters march in downtown Los Angeles for a fourth night in a row. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Mike Thornton, a 55-year-old veteran who served in the U.S. Army in 1991, limped alongside the protesters wielding a cane and said he was out to protest Trumps proposed healthcare cuts. He dismissed suggestions that the protesters had offended military members by demonstrating on Veterans Day.

Theyve been coming up and shaking peoples hands. Some of their family members are veterans, he said. Its about more than veterans. We need to stand up for everybody. Thats the way it should be.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @AleneTchek

james.queally@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @JamesQueallyLAT

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UPDATES:

1:27 a.m.: This article has been updated with updated arrest numbers.

1:15 a.m.: This article has been updated with protester quotes.

12:45 a.m.: This article has been updated with arrest of protesters.

12:35 a.m.: This article was updated with protesters being surrounded by police.

12 a.m.: This article was updated with the LAPD order to disperse.

11:31 p.m.: This article was updated with an updated crowd estimate and information about arrests.

9:56 p.m.: This article was updated with an updated crowd estimate and additional information from the LAPD.

9:23 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the protests.

This article was originally published at 8:40 p.m.
A boisterous but peaceful crowd that police estimated at about 8,000 people took to the streets of Los Angeles on Saturday to protest the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States.

It was the largest of several Los Angeles demonstrations in the days since voters elected Trump, a Republican who shocked conventional political wisdom by defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton on Tuesday. Trumps attacks on people who are in this country illegally and his comments about women, among other things, brought many of the protesters to the streets, they said.

Saturdays protests were marked by a relaxed but emotional atmosphere, with marchers being watched by large numbers of police officers. Some people brought their children, and many carried signs slamming Trump and demanding justice for immigrants, women and others.

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City leaders have said they support the right of residents to demonstrate as long as they are respectful and dont try to block freeways.

The protest started in MacArthur Park and then moved east into downtown Los Angeles.

Beatriz Devara said her 11-year-old granddaughter lives in Oregon, where classmates have been asking her when shes going back.

Shes third-generation, said Devara, a teacher in Palmdale who was marching toward downtown on Saturday.

As protesters headed toward the 110 Freeway overpass, they carried flags of Brazil, Mexico and the United States. Some banged on drums, hit tambourines or blew whistles as others cheered and clapped.

Some called on bystanders to join in the march.

Guarav Shenoy stood outside his car near the intersection of Figueroa and 5th streets, watching the protesters chant, Not my president.

Shenoy said he had been waiting for more than 30 minutes. I dont mind being stuck in traffic as long as its for democracy, said the 27-year-old USC alum who was headed toward the campus.

[Trump] ran a campaign on divisiveness and hatred, he said. But now that he has been elected, I hope he can be more of a president and do something to unite the country.

Nearby, Jose Marcea stood by his car watching the march. He too had been waiting in traffic for 30 minutes, he said. Behind him, rows of cars and buses were idling.

This is OK; Im OK with all this, said Marcea, 44. I think its important that people express how they feel. Its a free country, after all.

Marcea, who lives in Van Nuys, said he was bothered by Trumps victory.

This is hard to take in. I mean, it bothered me what he said about deporting 11 million illegal immigrants and all the offensive things he has said about everyone, including women.

Demonstrations also took place in other cities Saturday including New York, where thousands of marchers headed to Trump Tower, closing off streets and causing gridlock in parts of Manhattan.

This is the first large daytime protest in L.A. since Trump was elected. The other protests occurred at night and resulted in some clashes. Los Angeles police have arrested hundreds of people over the last few days, including on Wednesday night when some demonstrators blocked lanes on the 101 Freeway.

Nearly 200 anti-Trump protesters were arrested in downtown Los Angeles early Saturday morning after refusing the LAPDs order to disperse. One undercover LAPD officer was assaulted on Thursday night.

Saturdays march was reminiscent in some ways of the series of huge immigration protests that hit Los Angeles a decade ago. Fueled by hard-line proposals in Congress regarding immigrants here illegally, nearly 500,000 people marched through downtown L.A. in 2006.

California is a likely battleground as Trump crafts his immigration policy.

Trump said during the presidential campaign that he would build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and deport people in the country illegally. He is expected to unwind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an initiative by President Obama that protects immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

But California has some of the nations most liberal policies when it comes to handling immigrants here illegally. The state has allowed them to get drivers licenses, health coverage for children and in-state tuition. Institutions like churches also support immigrants.

Trump made illegal immigration a central issue of his campaign, arguing that people here without proper documentation are a drain on the economy and take jobs away from U.S. citizens.

Trump has not outlined any specific immigration policies since winning the election. But Kris Kobach, Kansas secretary of state and a member of Trumps immigration policy transition team, told The Times that the U.S. could easily boost deportations by more than 75% in his first year in office.

Experts have said Trump could also reduce or slow down the process by which Mexicans get travel cards and visitor visas. But other Trump immigration ideas  such as building a massive wall along the border  are probably going to be more difficult to implement, they said.

The Saturday protest began to wind down in the afternoon, though another round of night marches was possible.

As many left, a few hundred lingering protesters gathered on the steps of City Hall to share their thoughts on the election.

Passing a megaphone among them, some demonstrators talked about the importance of finding a direction forward, others said they wanted a female president, and still others admitted to feeling as if they had let Hillary Clinton down.

One woman, who said she was transgender, warned listeners against getting violent.

If we get violent, we get stopped, she said.

A man urged the group to sign a petition on MoveOn.org to abolish the electoral college.

Trump didnt win the popular vote, he said. I dont understand why we arent pushing that harder.

ruben.vives@latimes.com | @LATvives

deborah.netburn@latimes.com | @DeborahNetburn

soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com | @skarlamangla

esmeralda.bermudez@latimes.com | @LATbermudez

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UPDATES:

4:40 p.m.: This story was updated with crowds thinning and scene at City Hall.

Originally posted at 2:30 p.m.
A Los Angeles police officers pistol was stolen Thursday night during a fight with a woman, who attacked him with his handcuffs as protesters flooded downtown to decry the election of Donald Trump.

Around 10:30 p.m., undercover officers noticed a crowd of roughly 20 people break off from the hundreds protesting against Trump and move back toward LAPD headquarters, according to an official with knowledge of the incident. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was not authorized to discuss the case.

The confrontation began when undercover officers attempted to arrest a man who was spray-painting near the building, the official said. A woman came up and complained before snatching one officers handcuffs and striking him in the head several times, the official said. Natalie Araujo was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after she was treated at a hospital for unknown injuries, according to LAPD Officer Tony Im.

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A third suspect also punched the officer  one of three assigned to protect LAPD headquarters from potential damage and vandalism, according to the official.

After the struggle, Im said, the officer noticed his gun was missing. Neither the weapon nor the handcuffs used in the attack have been recovered.

When everything was completed, he realized the gun was no longer in the holster, Im said. So if anyone sees it, I would like them to return it.

The man seen vandalizing the building, identified as Jorge Suarez, initially resisted but was later found and arrested, Im said.

Nearly 200 people were arrested during the protests early Friday morning, police said.

Graffiti has been a large problem. Taggers have spray-painted expletives aimed at Trump on the sides of news vans, local businesses and the Los Angeles Times building. Many protesters have objected to the taggers actions, and a near-brawl broke out Wednesday night when a tagger began vandalizing the windshield of an L.A. Metro bus moments before demonstrators raced onto the 101 Freeway.

Police and protesters nearly clashed on Thursday night near 7th and Hill streets after someone attempted to spray-paint the side of an LAPD cruiser, sending officers reaching for beanbag shotguns and riot helmets as a crowd of 300 marched toward Staples Center.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents LAPD officers, blasted the agencys top brass Thursday for failing to prepare for the protests.

Why are they willing to allow those protesters to break the law, disrupt the lives of innocent people and put officers safety in jeopardy? the unions board of directors wrote in a statement posted on its website. Police officers and highway patrolmen were in imminent danger, surrounded by hundreds of protesters, and were pleading for backup.

james.queally@latimes.com

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

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Good morning. It is Saturday, Nov. 12. Heres what you dont want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

Red island in a sea of blue: Los Angeles Westside long has been known as a liberal bastion, and that remained true Tuesday night. But there were a few exceptions, the biggest being one neighborhood in the Beverly Hills area. Its residents voted for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, 54% to 42%, according to a Times analysis. Why? For one thing, its in the neighborhood where Trump once lived. But it might be more complicated than that. Los Angeles Times

Battle lines: As California comes to terms with a Trump presidency, it appears one of the political lines in the sand is going to be treatment of immigrants who are in this country illegally. Leaders including L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and Archbishop Jose Gomez have expressed concerns about how immigrants might fare. Los Angeles Times

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Related: Gov. Jerry Brown, meanwhile, is vowing a fight with Trump over rollbacks on climate change. Los Angeles Times

Legal woes: Donald Trump will arrive in the White House still facing a string of civil litigation, most notably the Trump University suit in San Diego. Frankly, its kind of surreal, said Jessica Levinson, a professor and election law expert at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. There is no presidential immunity for alleged crimes or civil wrongs that occur prior to becoming president. Theres no case law that says because youre president, we wave a magic wand to cancel lawsuits. San Francisco Chronicle

Border worries: One city that expects changes in Trumps America: Tijuana, where residents are wondering if mass deportations from the U.S. are coming. San Diego Union-Tribune

Honoring vets: Meet the Southern California teen on a mission to find and interview World War II veterans. ABC News

Show of support: Is wearing safety pins the latest form of political expression? Gothamist

On alert: Four sexual assaults have been reported in the dorms at Cal State Northridge in the last few months. Daily News

THIS WEEKS MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA

1. Did you hear? There was an election this week. Los Angeles Times

2. Check out the election results for your neighborhood. Los Angeles Times

3. This was the only house Marilyn Monroe ever owned. House Beautiful

4. The Simpsons predicted the Donald Trump presidency. Time

5. The woman looks like she had a great time at the Warriors game. SFGate

ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEKS GREAT READS

Trump, but with reservations: A dispatch from Newport Beach, one of the most conservative cities in deep-blue California. Many Republicans here backed Donald Trump while also expressing private reservations, in some cases even dread. I think he is impulsive; I think he is shallow; I think he is petty, one supporter said. But I think Clinton represents some of the darkest forces of our nation. Los Angeles Times

Web woes: Why is it so hard to make a government website work properly? Just take a look at one California website with a decidedly bad user experience. New York Times

There goes the neighborhood: The story about how short-term rentals like Airbnb are changing life in many upscale urban neighborhoods. Its a great deal for lodgers and owners. But how about for the rest of the community? Curbed

Citizen Cohen: Heres a recent profile of Leonard Cohen, who died this week. It looks at the music greats final year and his anonymous life in a modest home in Los Angeles Mid-Wilshire district. New Yorker

LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday: Anti-Trump march scheduled for MacArthur Park.

Sunday: West Hollywood marks the 90th Anniversary of Route 66 with a festival.

Wednesday: Public forum planned on adding homeless shelter space and services at the VA campus in West Los Angeles.

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 12

Trend:

The first branch of Azerkhalcha carpet company has opened in Fuzuli district.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of the carpet factory.

Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev informed President Ilham Aliyev that at the initial stage the branches of Azerkhalcha are also expected to open in Agdam, Tovuz, Aghstafa, Qazakh, Shamkir, Quba, Ismayilli and Khachmaz districts.

The construction of the branches in these districts has been already begun.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Azerkhalcha Vidadi Muradov informed the head of state about the work done here. He noted that the branch in Horadiz would represent the Karabakh carpet-making school, which is one of the historical centers of Azerbaijans carpet-making industry.

The branch occupies a total area of 585 square meters. It will employ 150 carpet weavers and 10 administrative workers.

There are a carpet weaving workshop, a warehouse, a cafeteria and a medical room here.

The head of state had a conversation with employees of the factory and watched the working process.
Nine months after the Los Angeles City Council unanimously adopted a comprehensive plan to end homelessness, the first progress report on the plan, released this week, offered a sobering picture of the long and difficult path ahead.

Proposals for storage lockers and toilets for street dwellers are stalled, new shelter capacity is being added at a trickle, and the city bureaucracy moving more slowly than some council members had expected.

I dont get that. Theres so much red tape and process in that,  Councilman Michael Bonin said of an item in the report citing a study of shared housing. If there are beds available today, I would like us to be moving on it.

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The news wasnt all bad.

Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved Proposition HHH, a bond proposal the City Council placed on the ballot to authorize $1.2 billion in borrowing for homeless housing. The bond program, however, is the long-range element of the plan.

Among its 64 strategies, many involved procedural changes whose effects will be hard to measure. Among them are a contact card for police to get homeless people into the services system, training of outreach workers to serve jail inmates and a request for proposals to improve the homeless database system.

More urgent remedies  getting assistance to the thousands of people living on the citys sidewalks  have met disappointments.

Community opposition has stalled efforts to build storage facilities for homeless peoples property in Venice and San Pedro, the report said. The San Pedro site has been abandoned. A mobile storage alternative is now being considered for the Venice site.

Plans to provide mobile showers have also hit roadblocks. One mobile shower company is working to launch operations this month but declined to become a city contractor. Other contractors are being sought, the report said.

Several items requiring City Council approval are moving slowly. Measures to create parking zones for people living in vehicles and changes to the planning codes to speed the approval of housing are still months in the future.

As the first attempt to bring order and accountability to the wide-ranging strategies proposed by City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana, the report generally won praise from members of the Councils Homelessness and Poverty Committee who reviewed it Wednesday.

But Bonin expressed frustration with the pace of progress. When told that 254 new crisis beds had been provided, Bonin said he could not measure that figure against a goal and timeline.

Im hopeful, since much of the housing approved [under Proposition HHH] isnt going to come on line in a few weeks or months, that these numbers dramatically escalate over time, he said. If were looking at 28,000 people, 254 is really inadequate. Id like to see how these plans are going to ramp up so we can get that unsheltered number down.

During a back-and-forth at the committee hearing, Bonin also chided city staff over delays in providing services to people living in vehicles.

Analyst Jason Killeen of the City Administrative Office said a survey of the estimated 3,900 people living in vehicles would be required to develop a program of services for them.

How much data do you need? Bonin asked. How many do you need to survey to craft a program?

Killeen said that the California Environmental Quality Act would require the city to provide the data.

I dont think that requires us to interview every person in a vehicle, Bonin said.

While much of the progress described in the plan was procedural, involving the streamlining of diverse homeless activities, there were several concrete achievements:

The city received proposals from 49 developers to build permanent supportive housing on 12 city-owned parcels. Santana said a list of those selected will be announced next week.

A study has been completed on a proposed tax on new residential and commercial developments based on the estimated demand for low-income housing they will create. The so-called linkage fee, estimated to raise up to about $1 billion over 10 years, would have to be approved by the City Council.

The Los Angeles Police Department established four teams to work with homeless people. Nearly 800 officers have received mental health intervention training.

Medical services personnel in city jails are now collecting information on homelessness, mental health and veteran status.

The city allocated $10.8 million to fund 550 crisis and bridge housing beds and case management for about 2,300 people.

The Los Angeles Housing Authority has established an incentive program to provide landlords up to $1,100 to hold apartments for housing voucher holders while mandatory inspections are being done.

A pet services center opened on skid row in September, and the Animal Services Department has applied for funding to provide alternative housing, including tents, for homeless people with pets.

The Hilton Foundation and other philanthropic groups contributed $20 million to build the citys supportive housing loan fund to $65 million.

The position of homeless coordinator was filled. In October the Homeless and Poverty Committee announced the selection of Meg Barclay, a veteran of nonprofit, federal and City Hall housing programs.

She will work with Los Angeles County and nonprofit agencies to tie the citys work into a regional structure. Her first assignment was completion of the progress report.

doug.smith@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATDoug

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A neighborhood activist whose lawsuit halted construction of a Target shopping center in Hollywood has launched a campaign for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council in the March 7 election.

Hollywood resident Doug Haines filed paperwork to challenge Councilman Mitch OFarrell, who is seeking a second four-year term in a district that includes Echo Park, Silver Lake, Atwater Village and Historic Filipinotown.

Haines belongs to the La Mirada Avenue Neighborhood Assn., which has repeatedly sued over real estate development in Hollywood. Working with a Pasadena-based attorney, Haines group persuaded a judge to overturn the citys approval of Target, which has been a partly built husk on Sunset Boulevard for more than two years.

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With La Mirada, Haines also succeeded in invalidating the permits for Sunset and Gordon, a 299-unit apartment building, forcing the owner to move out all tenants. In addition, Haines worked with other organizations to overturn the citys update of the Hollywood Community Plan, a document that called for taller buildings near transit hubs.

That plan is now going through a new environmental review process.

Haines described OFarrell, who favored completion of the Target project, as a puppet of the development community. He also said the housing construction boom in Hollywood is making the areas homeless problem worse.

All this development doesnt make us a better community, Haines said.

OFarrell defended his record, saying he has been pushing for construction of new affordable housing in Hollywood and other parts of the district. He also pointed to cases where he rejected, or reduced the size of, development projects that he said were too big for their surroundings.

In Echo Park, OFarrell worked to reduce the height limit for new buildings along a stretch of Sunset Boulevard. He also won approval of measures that scaled back the height and size of new buildings allowed next to the Los Angeles River in Elysian Valley  a move intended to address gentrification in that neighborhood.

I wanted to do something about the displacement crisis before it devastated that community, OFarrell said.

Haines is one of 12 people who filed the initial paperwork to run against OFarrell by Saturdays deadline. The others are astronomer-inventor Derek Fuchs, property manager Juan Markos, activist Jessica Salans, sales representative Nelson Alfaro, neighborhood council chairman Bill Zide, nonprofit group director Gordon Markham, neighborhood council board member Coyote Shivers, Spanish interpreter Lehi White, entrepreneur Shakana Beatty, housing rights advocate Sylvie Shain and international business manager David de la Torre.

To qualify for the ballot, each will need to turn in petitions with at least 500 voter signatures by Dec. 7, according to city rules.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

Twitter: @DavidZahniser
Kathy Bentson keeps the brass ID tags in a small table inside her front door. They belonged to research subjects at the University of Washington, two monkeys that died and one that survived.

The tags are a reminder that her work is not done, that she has not published data showing the monkeys endured more pain and distress than they should have as subjects in medical studies.

As the University of Washington builds a controversial, $124-million animal research and care facility, this former UW researcher says school officials have suppressed her data showing that some categories of monkeys used in its studies exhibited dramatically high levels of disturbing behavior not seen in the wild.

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The mild-mannered 62-year-old with a doctorate in neurobiology and behavior is no fiery animal rights activist. But Bentson has found the last decade to be a struggle between emotion and intellect. Animal welfare and animal research. Conscience and career.

Such debates, both internal and public, are taking place throughout the scientific community. In 2011, the National Institutes of Health concluded that most research conducted with chimpanzees was unnecessary  that chimps, as humans closest relatives, merited special consideration and respect. Last year, the NIH said its remaining 50 research chimps would live out their days at a sanctuary.

Bentson says using animals as research subjects is sometimes necessary.

I would likely be dead, and you might too without it, she said. It prolongs and improves the quality of life for humans and animals.

There were two main conclusions in Bentsons original manuscript: If a monkey exhibited floating limb suite, which causes its legs to contort, it was more likely to bite itself. And such behavior occurred in levels that vary by species, sex and whether the monkey was raised in a nursery or by its mother.

Taken together, the data showed that it was possible to know which monkeys would be more resilient during medical research, and therefore, it was largely possible to avoid using monkeys that would suffer more.

Bentson and her colleagues at the Washington National Primate Research Center published half of the results in the American Journal of Primatology, in a 2010 article that showed a relationship between floating limb behavior and self-biting. The UW has quashed the second part of the studys conclusions, Bentson said.

Kathy Bentson is seen at the Washington National Primate Research Center in Seattle. (Karen Ducey / For The Times )

University officials describe the data in question as sloppily gathered and out of date. They say Bentsons colleagues found her manner unprofessional.

Tina Mankowski, UW Medicines associate vice president for medical affairs, said Bentson was insistent on her point of view that others did not share.

Bentson is a scientist who believes in the limits of data. She is loath to use the word suffering when describing the animals she has studied so closely. It is subjective, a laymans term, an unsupportable leap into monkeys minds. Distress, she said, over and over, is the better word.

Only after years of fighting with the university and hours of interviews did the word spring unbidden  in an email to a reporter in which she described the impact of non-human primates on her very human heart.

Imagine being tasked with spending 5 years looking for ways to predict and reduce the incidence of severe abnormal behaviors in laboratory monkeys, she wrote. She thought it would be tough work, and it was. I compartmentalized, as most people who deal with suffering do.

But she was quick to continue: Any ways they affected me did not in any way influence my careful recording of behaviors based on definitions.

Bentsons journey to the primate research center began while growing up in rural Gunnison, Colo., where she would ride her bike to a hidden place she called paradise, a pond choked with low-lying foliage. She would get down on her knees and watch a changing world up close. Frogs. Bugs. Dragonflies.

It was the first time, Bentson said, that I learned how much joy you can derive and how much you can learn just by being an observer.

Twenty-five years later, Bentson was accepted into the University of Washingtons doctoral program in neurobiology and behavior and met her first monkey.

Working with the UW bioengineering department, she helped develop a means of collecting blood samples by remote control from a group of freely moving baboons at the primate center.

The samples let Bentson measure stress hormones, and the result was a dissertation on how physiological changes varied by a baboons rank in its group. Two years of post-doctoral work at UC Davis followed, and then Bentson returned to Seattle.

Thats where Carolyn Crockett, head of the psychological well-being program at UWs primate research center, invited her to create a research project.

Together they received an NIH grant, $750,000 over five years for a study called Predicting and reducing severe behavior disorders in laboratory monkeys.

The primary goal, Bentson said, was to improve the well-being of monkeys that are used in medical research.

The investigators defined behaviors that were abnormal and collected data showing which monkeys exhibited them. Their ensuing manuscript was based on three years of data collected from 1,117 macaques involved in medical research.

For another part of the study, Bentson observed a group of monkeys for eight minutes at a time. Many of the monkeys were used in infectious disease research. Bentson was required to wear protective gear from head to toe.

I couldnt talk to them or touch them or give them food, she said. The ones I knew about and cared about very much had a lot of problems. That was my job  to deal with the ones that had problems.

As she watched the monkeys bite themselves or pace or contort their legs, Bentson would remind herself that she could not help the animals in front of her. But the way I could help more monkeys, is to write up our results in peer-reviewed journals.

She remained objective, she said, but she was especially touched by a female macaque she figured out later had been taken from its mother and partially reared in a nursery.

When Bentson began observing that monkey, the macaque was full of life and would acknowledge her with a greeting unique to pigtail macaques  lips forward, ears back, neck extended.

I could never return that greeting, Bentson said. The only part of my face she could see was my eyes, and I was the neutral observer.

Over time, Bentson began to worry about the monkey. The macaques coat looked greasy, and she appeared quite weak. All in addition to biting herself and contorting her limbs.

After I observed her one day, I went down to my desk, Bentson recalled, the macaques ID tag in her hand, her eyes welling with tears. I put my head down, and I cried.

The monkey eventually had to be euthanized. Her pulmonary artery was blocked. She had pneumonia. It was almost impossible for her to breathe.

Three ID tags worn by monkeys used in animal research labs serve as mementos for Kathy Bentson, a former research scientist in the Primate Center at the University of Washington in Seattle (Karen Ducey / For The Times )

Bentson said her work suggests the university was using monkeys that were more likely to show signs of distress in captivity for research at the time of the study.

In the past 18 months, Bentson has reached out to University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce for help getting the remaining research published, but to no avail. She has hired an attorney, but says she has no plans to sue. Bentson decided to go public, she said, hoping that Cauce would reconsider.

A draft manuscript Ms. Bentson claims is being suppressed is based on data the Primate Center has determined unreliable, Jane Yung, a Washington state assistant attorney general, wrote in a letter to Bentsons attorney.

These data do not meet accepted standards for data collection both in the experimental design, Yung continued, as well as concerns due to her pressuring observers to alter their findings.

Bentson countered that the data in question came from the same study, using the same methodologies as the 2010 published article.

I am a scientist who was driven to conduct research with tremendous personal integrity, she continued. I had no vested interest in pressuring observers to alter their findings. 

Her goal, Bentson said, is not to embarrass the university, which has been the focus of ongoing protests by animal rights activists who want to block construction of the underground laboratory.

The scientist, who lives in a small, book-lined Seattle apartment with her cats, Meghan and Lucy, will not join forces with the campaign against the center. All she wants, she said, is to help improve the lives of animals involved in important medical research  by publishing her results in a peer-reviewed journal.

Crockett, her former supervisor who has since retired from the university, declined via email to comment but wrote: Owing to some actions of Kathy Bentson with which I strongly disagree, I terminated contact with her some time ago.

These days, Bentson teaches physiology and anatomy at Everett Community College. She expects she will never be able to work as a research scientist again.

You understand, Im burning all my bridges with my research community, she said. But I refuse to be this silent person anymore.

She made a promise to the monkeys. And she wants to keep it.

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Former soldiers say California Guard never paid bonuses it promised to interpreters in war zones
When the California National Guard desperately needed interpreters to accompany troops headed to Iraq and Afghanistan, it promised enlistment bonuses of up to $20,000 each to dozens of Arabic, Dari and Pashto speakers.

The Pentagons need for critical language skills on the battlefield was so great that some interpreters were put in uniform even though they were too old or had health problems that might have disqualified them from military service.

That relaxing of the rules has come back to haunt them. Many of the interpreters who went to war were only partially paid their bonuses because the California Guard later decided they were unfit for the military service that they already had given.

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Some say they are now unemployed, suffering from post-traumatic stress and combat injuries sustained. Many are embittered at the California Guard, which they say broke its commitments.

As far as I know, its only the interpreters who didnt get paid, complained Khatchig Khatchadourian, an Arabic interpreter from North Hills who says the California Guard still owes him half the $20,000 bonus it agreed to pay when he enlisted in 2008. They think were stupid because we are immigrants.

The plight of the interpreters, known in military jargon as 09 Limas, offers a new wrinkle in the enlistment bonus scandal that has roiled the California Guard and the top levels of the Pentagon.

Khatchig Khatchadourian, 26, a former California National Guard Arabic language interpreter, displays a photograph of himself, taken in Nasiriyah, Iraq, back in 2010. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times )

The Times reported last month that the Pentagon was demanding repayment of enlistment bonuses paid to nearly 10,000 California Guard soldiers at the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan a decade ago.

In response to a public outcry, and at the urging of the White House, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter ordered a suspension of the repayment program, and set up an appeals process to review the debts.

But the 09 Limas are different. Unlike soldiers who received large bonuses and were ordered to repay the money years later, the interpreters say they were never paid.

The California Guard has identified 44 interpreters who were affected by the shifts in recruitment standards or other problems, according to Col. Peter Cross, a spokesman.

The complexity arose in cases where neither the soldier nor the Guard could locate a copy of any agreement, although work was done by the soldier that likely would have given rise to a bonus payment, he wrote in an email.

Nearly half the 09 Limas deployed within the first year and then requested to go to the Inactive National Guard to work as private contractors, who normally were paid much more, Cross said.

That violated the bonus terms of their enlistment contracts, he said. To add to the confusion, soldiers serving in the same unit often enlisted under different terms and different bonus entitlements.

Enlistment bonuses for the 09 Limas also were blocked after California Guard auditors noticed that some interpreters had served in the Army even though they had failed to meet normal enlistment standards.

The translators say recruiters assured them that the 09 Lima program had eased recruitment rules so they could enlist even if they were too old, in poor physical condition or had scored too low on aptitude tests.

Before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon didnt recruit many soldiers who were fluent in Middle Eastern and South Asian languages, relying on contract interpreters instead.

But as the conflicts intensified, deploying combat units needed thousands of native speakers to communicate with Iraqis and Afghans on patrols or in meetings with local officials.

Although contractors were still widely used, the Pentagon wanted at least some interpreters in uniform who were trained as soldiers and who couldnt quit on short notice or refuse dangerous assignments.

To meet that goal, the Pentagon in 2006 ramped up the 09 Lima program. It offered special bonuses, eased enlistment standards and even accelerated U.S. citizenship applications for immigrants who agreed to join the Army.

National Guard recruiters, including Californias, scoured the country for Arabic, Dari and Pashto speakers.

One of those who signed up, now a 47-year-old resident of Brentwood, near San Francisco, said the California Guard informed him in 2011 that he would not get his $10,000 bonus because he had failed an aptitude test required of all Army recruits.

Yet his low score had not stopped the Army from accepting him in 2008 and sending him to Iraq.

Like several interpreters interviewed, he asked that his name not be made public, fearing public attention would further complicate his attempts to get paid.

He was in many respects an ideal 09 Lima recruit. The son of a Libyan military officer, he was a U.S. citizen because he was born at Ft. Benning, Ga., in the 1960s when his father was on a military exchange program.

The married father of three enlisted as an Arabic interpreter after losing his job in the 2008 recession. Promised a $10,000 enlistment bonus, he received half after completing boot camp but never got the rest despite his appeals, he said.

In Iraq from 2009 to 2011, he was close to bomb blasts and other combat while accompanying U.S. troops on missions, he said.

After he returned home, a Veterans Affairs doctor diagnosed him with mild traumatic brain injuries. He also needed shoulder surgery for non-combat injuries in Iraq.

When he left the Army in 2014, he gave up trying to get the bonus money. He is now in college using GI Bill benefits he is entitled to as a former soldier.

Im proud to have been in the service, but I dont understand why they would say you get this amount, then all of a sudden say you dont get it, he said. Im disappointed.

Another former interpreter, a 45-year-old resident of Glendale, was born in Iran and immigrated in 1998. He joined the Army reserves in California in 2008 after his truck business failed.

He deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 and spent six months translating for a Marine special operations unit in Shindand, an Afghan province that borders Iran. In 2010, he returned for a second tour.

When I came back [home in 2011] I was mentally not stable, he said. I would get drunk at 10 or 11 in the morning until I passed out.

When the Army Reserve rebuffed his claims for the unpaid half of his $20,000 enlistment bonus, and for back pay he says he was owed, he contacted Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), his congressman.

Schiffs office wrote the Pentagon, which partly backed down and sent the interpreter $6,000 in back pay. He insists he is still owed the rest but he has lost documents to support his claim.

Its an honor to have served, he said. But thats not enough. I have lost my hope in the whole government system.

Khatchadourian was born in Syria and grew up in Lebanon before he moved to Los Angeles with his family in 2006. He joined the California Guard two years later, after finishing high school.

In return for a $20,000 bonus, he agreed to sign up for three years as an Arabic interpreter. He planned to use the money for college.

It was mixture of serving my country, something to do [and] money, he said, recalling his motivation.

His bonus agreement, signed by Khatchadourian and his California Guard recruiter, reads, I will receive a total bonus of $20,000  less taxes.

He got the first $10,000 after he finished boot camp in 2009. He expected the remainder in December 2010, his second anniversary in the Army.

He was then in Iraq with the 224th Sustainment Brigade, a California Guard support unit based in Long Beach. He says he never got the check  or an explanation.

When he returned home in 2011, California Guard officials said they had found a problem with his enlistment contract. He would not get the second $10,000  and he might have to give back the first $10,000.

Khatchadourian said he later learned that auditors flagged his bonus because he had failed to initial one page of an addendum to his contract.

In October 2015, after years of appeals, he received a letter from the National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon agency that oversees state Guard organizations, ruling that he was eligible for his entire $20,000 bonus.

Khatchadourian accepted an incentive offer in good faith and has otherwise fulfilled the obligations under the contract, it read. Therefore, withholding payments of this incentive would be against equity, good conscience and contrary to the best interest of the military.

A year later, he is still waiting for the money.

david.cloud@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidcloudLAT

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Donald Trump says hell keep tweeting from the White House

What kind of tweets can we expect from President Trump? "I'm going to be very restrained," he says https://t.co/98NSZeWp51 pic.twitter.com/D3fafA8Zrt  CBS News (@CBSNews) November 12, 2016

Few presidential campaign tools have ever been as effective as Donald Trumps Twitter account, where he could fire off 140 characters that would immediately disrupt the race.

Given his history of tweets labeled offensive, newsworthy or simply shocking, one question that arose after he won the election Tuesday was whether he would keep tweeting from the White House. Defending the value of Twitter as a venue to get his message out directly, Trump said the answer is yes.

Its a great form of communication, he told CBS 60 Minutes in an interview to air Sunday. "... Im not saying I love it, but it does get the word out.

Trumps sometimes-erratic tweeting  messages were sent in the middle of the night or to wage an ill-advised fight  contributed to Hillary Clintons accusations that he was too unstable to serve as president.

Anytime you see a story about me or my campaign saying "sources said," DO NOT believe it. There are no sources, they are just made up lies!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016

How long did it take your staff of 823 people to think that up--and where are your 33,000 emails that you deleted? https://t.co/gECLNtQizQ  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2016

Trump, whose relationship with the media can be described as rocky at best, said he also views Twitter as a way to counter tough news reports about him.

I have a method of fighting back, he said.

It was an ominous warning from a president-elect who vowed to sue several news organizations that ran unflattering stories about him during his campaign and to reexamine libel laws should he win the presidency, though no federal libel law exists.

How hell carry out his tweeting remains a question. The Secret Service will likely ask him to restrict his electronics use for security reasons; President Obama fought to keep hold of his Blackberry when he came into office and ultimately agreed to use a modified device.

Another unknown is whether Trump will tweet from his existing account of @realdonaldtrump or move to the @POTUS handle, which Obama has said hell hand off to his successor.

Perhaps hell choose a mix. Trumps personal account has about 15 million followers, while the presidential handle has just under 12 million. Trump could use his account for more informal or even politically incendiary tweets and save the other for more more formal messaging.

He uses a similar pattern on his own account now: Tweets sent from Android devices tend be feistier and are thought to come mostly from Trump himself, while those written on iPhones are more traditional campaign fodder and believed to be written, or at least edited, by staff.
Last week, when voters overwhelmingly approved Measure M, they embraced a new vision for the region that greatly expands public transit, with new rail lines and busways crisscrossing the county.

Measure M imposes a permanent sales tax increase that will raise $120 billion over four decades to help fund more than a dozen major transit projects in Los Angeles county. Those include new rapid transit lines through the middle of the San Fernando Valley, through South Los Angeles, through East Los Angeles and between Artesia and downtown L.A., and over the Sepulveda Pass, among many others.

Over the next 40 years, those projects will transform how Angelenos travel, giving them fast, convenient public transit options if they dont want to sit in traffic. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority hopes the Measure M projects will eventually triple the number of regular transit riders in the county.

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Low-income workers who live near stations are three times more likely to ride transit than wealthier workers, who are more likely to own cars and drive.

But the projects could also radically change the communities where new light-rail lines and subway stations are located  for better and for worse. While some neighborhoods may welcome the public investment and real estate boom that often follow the arrival of new metro lines, others have a legitimate fear that longtime residents will be pushed out as transit projects spur a sharp increase in housing prices and an influx of higher-income residents.

While many of the projects funded by Measure M are still years away from construction, much less completion, it would be wise to start planning now to ensure that these vital transportation projects dont inadvertently displace the very residents and businesses theyre designed to serve. That happens far too often.

Researchers at UCLA have been studying the impact of public transit investments in Los Angeles County. They found that from 2000 to 2013, neighborhoods near light-rail stops or subway stations  particularly in Hollywood, Highland Park and downtown  were more likely to experience greater increases in white, college-educated, higher-income households and greater increases in the cost of rents, than neighborhoods not near stations. The transit-adjacent neighborhoods also were more likely to see greater decreases in low-income households and residents with less than a high school diploma.

This is a big concern for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Low-income workers who live near stations are three times more likely to ride transit than wealthier workers, who are more likely to own cars and drive. Thats why Metros board of directors last year decided that when it sold or leased land for development near its stations, it would require in most cases that developers make 35% of all the new apartments and condos affordable for low-income residents. The idea is to make sure that low- and moderate-income Angelenos  who make up 80% of Metros ridership  are not completely priced out of neighborhoods where new rail stations open.

But Metro only controls a small amount of the land around its stations. Planning, land-use and economic development policies are the responsibilities of the cities where the transit stops are located, or, in the case of unincorporated areas, of the county. There is a growing list of tools municipalities can use to limit the broad displacement of poorer residents when a neighborhood gentrifies. They include rent-control laws; just cause eviction laws that make it harder for landlords to oust tenants simply in order to raise rents; no-net-loss policies that require the replacement of lost affordable units in new developments; right of return policies that guarantee tenants an affordable unit if a building is redeveloped; inclusionary zoning rules that require affordable units to be included in new development; and community land trusts that preserve affordable housing in perpetuity.

Some of these policies are becoming commonplace and some are deeply controversial or may not work in certain communities. Voters in the city of Los Angeles, for instance, just passed Measure JJJ, which, among other things, directs the government to offer incentives for affordable housing within a half-mile of major transit stops.

There are lots of possible approaches. The key point is that Measure M will transform the region, and the sooner local governments start to plan, the easier it will be to avoid hurting the communities that public transit can most help.

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It isnt just many Americans who are astonished and fearful about the election of Donald J. Trump as their next president. A sense of foreboding has also gripped Americas longtime allies.

Their concern is understandable. In his statements about foreign policy during the campaign, Trump often displayed an ignorance of the facts, an unjustified self-confidence  he famously said that I know more about ISIS than the generals do  and a failure to appreciate the value of the alliances the United States has forged over more than half a century. He has threatened a trade war with China, insulted Mexicans and their government, called global warming a hoax.

At one point he dismissed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as obsolete. He also suggested that the U.S. might not come to the rescue of NATO allies threatened by a newly assertive Russia if they were behind in their financial obligations to the alliance.

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Will the candidate who accused the government of Mexico of sending rapists into the U.S. be able to refrain from insulting foreign leaders?

In what was billed as a major foreign-policy address in April, Trump  who has no experience in international affairs or, for that matter, in government at all  said that his guiding principle would be America First  appropriating a slogan used by isolationists who opposed the entry of the United States into World War II.

Trump also demonstrated that his personal failings  a thin skin and a susceptibility to flattery  affected the way he addressed foreign-policy issues. Would he have been as likely to assert that Vladimir Putin is not going into Ukraine, as he did until a television interview corrected him, if he hadnt been praised by the Russian president? Will the candidate who accused the government of Mexico of sending rapists into the U.S. be able to refrain from insulting foreign leaders after he takes office?

Some hopeful observers have suggested that Trump can be educated out of some of his more absurd assertions about foreign policy, particularly if he appoints seasoned experts to advise him. We hope so, but some of the positions Trump staked out in the campaign will be easier to reverse or finesse than others.

Trump, for instance, may find it hard to redeem his promise to renegotiate the international agreement that placed limits on Irans nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions, a deal he denounced as a disaster. For one thing, the major provisions of the agreement have already been put into effect. Second, the deal was the result of negotiations involving Iran and six nations including the U.S., not simply an arrangement between the U.S. and Iran.

As for the war against Islamic State, Trump was scathing when he repeatedly blamed its emergence on President Obama and Clinton, but characteristically vague about how he would defeat it. At one point he claimed to have a plan of his own to defeat the group, but on another occasion he suggested that he would give my top generals 30 days to come up with one.

Ironically, this lack of clarity gives the Trump administration flexibility to pursue a variety of options in the continued effort against Islamic State and similar groups. The most likely course  because it makes sense  is to continue Obamas policy of using air strikes and the deployment of limited numbers of advisors and special forces in the campaign against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. The alternatives are to abandon the fight or move down the path toward a large-scale commitment of U.S. ground troops.

Two arenas may pose the greatest challenges for Trump in reconciling his campaign rhetoric and the responsibilities of the presidency: Russia and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Clinton may have exaggerated when she said a President Trump would be a puppet of Putin. But its a fact that the president-elect has described the Russian in terms that would do a press agent proud. He also has said that Russia is killing ISIS in Syria  an observation that contradicts the official U.S. position that Russian airstrikes have largely targeted moderate opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Beginning with its intervention in Ukraine in 2014 and its annexation of Crimea and continuing with its involvement in the Syrian civil war, Russia under Putin has been increasingly assertive. Will the Trump administration maintain economic sanctions against Russia to punish it for its aggression in Ukraine? Will it bolster NATOs presence in Baltic member nations fearful of Russian subversion? Or will solidarity with NATO allies be subjugated to Trumps oft-stated desire for better relations with Russia?

As for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, its customary for presidential candidates of both parties to cast themselves as friends of Israel, but Trump has taken that tradition to extremes. Although early in the campaign he said he wanted to be neutral between Israelis and Palestinians, he has tilted since then toward Israel, claiming outrageously that President Obama has not been a friend to Israel because the administration has differed with the hard-line government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Its possible that even on these issues Trump the president will be more realistic and responsible than Trump the candidate; he couldnt be less so.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: Instead of spending time bemoaning the election results, instead of criticizing Hillary Clinton for misreading the electorate, instead of praising (with strong reservations) President-elect Donald Trumps reading of the electorate, consider that voters were simply expressing their opinion on the state of the nation. (Surprise, surprise, the disconnected plutocrat lost, Opinion, Nov. 10)

Yes, the uneducated, unwashed, narrow-minded, single-issue, racist, misogynistic voters supported a revolutionary. But nearly half the electorate voted for Trump, and not all of us are stupid. Similarly, not everyone who supported Clinton could have been intelligent one-worlders with keen and analytical social consciences.

The beauty of this country is that we have descendants of slaves, Native Americans and refugees from potato famines, plagues and political prosecution as well as fortune seekers, explorers and adventurers. We pride ourselves on being both united and disparate at the same time. In this election, the people spoke  not with a united voice, but with an electoral majority that proclaimed our continued uniqueness.

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The despair of the unelected is balanced by the jubilation of the elected, and the country will continue be a major player globally. Let us rejoice in that diversity that has made us indispensable to the world.

Bill Schoettler, Studio City

..

To the editor: Trump probably won for the same reason the polls were so wrong.

We have become so politically correct that lots of people dont or wont say what they feel. If I thought I would be derided, scorned or dismissed for saying something, of course I wouldnt tell a pollster.

As one example, some people will never vote for a woman  any woman  for president. For them, thats a gut truth. But can that be said publicly these days? Of course not, so the pollsters never heard those voices.

Then a candidate said all sorts of politically incorrect things and got away with it. Suddenly folks whose voices have been squelched for years found someone who heard them.

No wonder the polls were wrong. We may have politically corrected ourselves out of common sense.

Katherine Crockett, Manhattan Beach

..

To the editor: Speaking as someone who boarded the Trump Train the day he announced his presidential candidacy, I have been reading The Times for the past 18 months with great amusement. The post-election letters to the editor are even more amusing.

Some of your readers are stunned by Trumps victory because they believed what was printed in The Times and other newspapers that constantly bashed Trump. They believed the mainstream media and the pollsters who skewed everything in favor of Clinton. They ignored Clintons own scandals and her lack of a positive agenda.

The undisputed fact is that liberals have a hard time accepting that the newspapers got it wrong, the mainstream media got it wrong, the majority of the pollsters got it wrong, the #NeverTrumpers got it wrong, the TV pundits got it wrong (including many on Fox News), and even the entrenched Republicans got it wrong.

For the past 18 months, through the primaries and the general election, the people were speaking, but the media and the establishment were simply not listening.

John R. Fuchs, Pacific Palisades

..

To the editor: The election results trigger the five stages of grief. I see it like this:

Denial: As I watched the returns, I kept thinking it must be a mistake. The country could never elect a vulgar, racist, misogynistic demagogue.

Anger: The Republican attack machine made Clinton into a criminal with no evidence to support its charges. I am angry that blue-collar white men and their sidekick women are hanging onto the illusion that white America will prevail in the long run when all the demographics say otherwise. I am angry that some portion of the Bernie or bust contingent didnt support Clinton.

Bargaining: I try to believe that to some extent the office makes the man and maybe Trump will revert to some of the more liberal views he held in the past. Maybe he really wants to bring the country together.

Depression: I try to find things to feel good about but its not easy. I love my children and grandchildren and even my dog, but its not enough to dispel the black cloud that hangs over me.

Acceptance: I dont think I will ever get there.

Barbara H. Bergen, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Hollywood Walk of Fame officials have said they will fully restore the Trump star that was vandalized last month.

Why? Is this a privilege bestowed on every honoree when their star is damaged either intentionally or as a matter of natural circumstance?

The plaques impairment was an act of protest. Vandalism is a legally punishable act and in this case its perpetrator has been duly charged, but in the all too surreal unusualness of this election, perhaps the desecration could have stood to be a monument to our democracy and a historic symbol of the year 2016 and the divided times we live in.

Jaimie Kourt , West Hollywood

..

To the editor: Little is being said about Trumps businesses, ties to foreign countries that could influence his actions and how he can divorce himself totally from them.

Why arent we going full bore on this subject to make sure those entanglements get taken care of satisfactorily? Its a matter of national security.

Lawrence M. Light, Mission Viejo

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Good morning. Im Paul Thornton, The Times letters editor, and it is Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. If you seek only consoling words after Donald Trumps election to the presidency, stop reading now. Those with the stomachs for more digestion of President-elect Trumps gut-wrenching victory, read on.

Heres a look back at the week in Opinion.

Reacting the night Trump appeared to be on his way to upsetting Hillary Clinton and stunning the world by winning the White House, our political op-ed columnist Doyle McManus offered this warning: Get ready for a rough ride, America.

The president-elect made promises he cannot possibly keep and threatened to upend the world order, having pledged on the campaign trail to rip up longstanding trade agreements and reevaluate American alliances with European nations. McManus summed up Trumps daunting to-do list now that he will soon be the most powerful person in the world:

Begin with the economy. Trumps first challenge is likely to be a slump in the financial markets; on Election Night, Dow futures plunged as his victory became clear. Can the New York mogul find the words and actions to persuade investors that hes not the bad news they think he is? Move on  quickly; hell have no choice  to foreign policy. Vladimir Putin may be celebrating, but thats little comfort. U.S. allies in Europe are worried; will Trump reaffirm our ties with them, which are vital to combating international terrorism, or allow them to deteriorate? China has warned that Trumps promise to impose sanctions on its economy (for currency manipulation that experts say Trump is wrong about) will prompt swift reprisals; will the president-elect tell Beijing he was only kidding? Last but not least, consoling the American people. Fewer than half of all voters actually chose Trump; will he reach out to those who fear or loathe him? Minorities, including Latinos and African Americans, decisively rebuffed his purported outreach in their direction; does he care? Trump does have some assets as he approaches a job he has done little to prepare for. He will likely have majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives, giving Republicans control of a one-party government for the first time since 2006. In the hands of a more conventional politician  a Mitt Romney, a Marco Rubio  this would be a golden opportunity to pass legislation to advance conservative goals, including lower taxes and tighter federal budgets. But Trump is no mainstream Republican. To take just one glaring example: Sen. Mitch McConnell, Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Ted Cruz have all argued that the only way to rein in the federal budget is by trimming future growth in Social Security and Medicare spending. Trump disagrees, emphatically. Trumps fiscal campaign promises simply dont add up. Hes said he will balance the budget and cut taxes, but expand Social Security and increase military spending. That cant be done. Hes promised steel workers in the Rust Belt and coal miners in Appalachia that hell bring their old jobs back; thats not likely to happen, either. Still, some of his agenda can be achieved through legislation. He can repeal Obamacare, President Obamas health insurance program  and leave the details of what should replace it to Congress. He can almost certainly win funding to deport more undocumented immigrants and build a wall on the southern border the cost of which, he says, will be reimbursed by the Mexican government. (Mexico says it will do no such thing.) And many of Trumps biggest promises on trade, immigration, national security and foreign policy can be achieved through executive action... He could follow through on his campaign promise to renegotiate the NAFTA trade treaty with Mexico and Canada  and, if the talks went poorly, he could carry out his threat to leave the trade pact. Hes also floated the idea of withdrawing from the World Trade Organization, an action which could set off an international trade war and financial panic. He could attempt to renegotiate U.S. participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance, reducing our military commitments in Europe if the allies dont spend more on defense. And, since he says the threat of climate change is a hoax, Trump could keep his pledge to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and undo regulations that reduce U.S. carbon emissions. The problem with all of those unilateral moves is that they could well cause retaliation by other countries  a factor President Trump wont be able to control. His early months will be a test of his ability as a crisis manager.  Click here to read more.

The Times editorial board stridently opposed Trumps candidacy. Now it is coming to grips with his presidency. In the early morning hours Wednesday after the election outcome became clear, an editorial pondered the question, How did this happen? Later, the editorial board, still asserting its disapproval of Trumps agenda, congratulated the president-elect but warned he should not misinterpret his narrow victory as a mandate to implement his sweeping policy proposals. In another editorial, the board wrestled with how Democrats can work with a president whose campaign politics were as toxic as Trumps.

RIP, Earths climate. Forests are withering. Wildfires are raging. The seas are rising. Up until Tuesday, the global community appeared ready to unite and take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sparing us from the worst effects of climate change. But then Americans elected as their president a man who has called climate science a hoax and promised to cancel the Paris agreement. He cannot actually do that, notes the editorial board, but he can take the worlds second-largest emitter of global-warming gases and walk away. Lets hope Trump wakes up to reality on this one. L.A. Times

Surprise, surprise, the out-of-touch plutocrat lost. Political and media elites were gobsmacked by Trumps victory  but they shouldnt have been. Victor Davis Hanson, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, writes that Hillary Clinton represented much of what liberals once abhorred and what working-class voters were ready to reject: a wealthy, Wall Street-backed, media-enabled plutocrat who believed her presidency to be inevitable. No wonder the nation elected Trump instead. L.A. Times

Heres a phrase Clinton knows well: Its the economy, stupid. Pundits and politicos may have been shocked by Trumps victory, but economists werent. Based on their models, a Trump presidency was virtually assured long before the first ballot was cast, writes economics professor Brad Schiller. He lays out the basic formula: If the economy has been good, people don't seek out change; they are content with the party in power. On the other hand, if the economy isn't delivering the growth and jobs that people expect, they want a change in leadership  a different party in the White House. L.A. Times

Journalists should have called Trumpism what it was: white supremacy. Erin Aubry Kaplan, who calls herself an angry black voter, notes it wasnt just whites in the South and rural parts of the Midwest who supported Trump; those in Massachusetts, Vermont and other supposedly liberal bastions were on his side too, and their anxiety over the economy got loads of media attention. Kaplan asks: Where was the coverage of black anxiety? L.A. Times

No, Californians, you dont get to secede or move to Canada. The Times editorial board has a message for angry California voters: Friends and neighbors, hand back the #Calexit petitions. Your state will not be seceding, and you dont want it to. The nation belongs to you at least as much as it belongs to any of those red states. You will not surrender it. L.A. Times

And why would Angelenos leave when they voted for so much great stuff on Tuesday? Here in L.A., the editorial board notes, voters approved the construction of new housing for the homeless, funds to build and maintain parks and, perhaps most dramatically, a plan to massively build out the local transportation infrastructure  rail lines, freeways, bike lanes and all. The lesson: When voters are given well-thought-out and credible opportunities to make a meaningful difference in their communities  such as road and transit improvements, more and better parks, housing for the homeless and mentally ill  they will support higher taxes. That message should be taken to heart in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. L.A. Times

Reach me: paul.thornton@latimes.com
How Donald Trump governs will be shaped by who he surrounds himself with in Washington. At the moment, that remains an open question. Trumps orbit now includes some of the most incendiary members of the so-called alt-right and neoconservative movements, as well as Republican Party stalwarts with a very different outlook. Trump is mulling which of them will get the big White House jobs. Heres a look at the conflicting personalities in his circle:

The incendiaries

Stephen Bannon. The chair of Breitbart News who took a leave of absence to run Trumps campaign is an enthusiastic evangelist for the alt-right movement that has fanned some of Trumps most divisive rhetoric about Muslims and immigrants.

Newt Gingrich. The former House speaker crusaded for the impeachment of President Clinton, brought the government to a shutdown that backfired on Republicans and more recently has called for every Muslim in America to be tested, and then deported if they are found to believe in sharia law.

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Rudolph W. Giuliani. The former New York mayor was a moderate in office but in more recent years has become a rabid partisan, questioning whether President Obama loves America, promoting conspiracy theories about Hillary Clintons health and calling her the biggest criminal to run for the White House.

Jeff Sessions. The Alabama senator and early Trump supporter staunchly opposes any path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally and helped blow up a bipartisan immigration deal in Congress, and then assisted Trump in building his campaign around a theme of nativism.

Chris Christie. The New Jersey governor is not a hardcore ideologue, but a hardcore partisan and shouter with a taste for political vengeance. His operatives were recently found guilty of organizing a plot to snarl traffic into Manhattan to punish a Christie political opponent, and say they did so at Christies direction. He has denied it.

The diplomats

Reince Priebus. The Republican Party chairman bucked some leading Republicans when he put the full resources of the party behind Trump, but now he is the GOP establishments bridge to the president-elect, and it sees him as the best hope for keeping Trump on task and aligned with congressional leaders.

Ivanka Trump. Trumps eldest daughter was known to be a cooler head on the campaign trail, a counterbalance to her fathers erratic tendencies who was said to push him toward the center. She even used her speech at the Republican convention to call for federally guaranteed family leave.

Mike Rogers. A respected foreign policy voice on Capitol Hill, the former House Intelligence Committee chairman takes a more mainstream GOP approach to engaging in other parts of the world than Trump, does not share Trumps fondness for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and has a temperament that could help ease concerns about what a Trump administration will do with the nuclear codes.

Kellyanne Conway. The unflappable demeanor of Trumps campaign manager and her skill at dousing the fires of controversy Trump ignited along the campaign trail have almost certainly earned her a top spot in the administration, and she is someone her many friends in the GOP establishment are glad to do business with.

Mike Pence. Liberals detest the vice president-elect, a hard-line religious conservative, but the GOP establishment sees him as its best hope for keeping Trump working in concert with the Republican Congress and maybe keeping him from savage Twitter outbursts during delicate negotiations.

evan.halper@latimes.com

Follow me: @evanhalper

ALSO:

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Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 12

Trend:

In April, Armenia committed yet another armed provocation against Azerbaijan and its people, and Azerbaijans army of heroes  soldiers and officers  gave an adequate response to that provocation, said Azerbaijani President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev.

By conducting a successful counterattack operation, the Azerbaijani army inflicted a crushing blow to the enemy and liberated a part of the Azerbaijani lands from the occupation, President Aliyev said Nov. 12 as he was addressing the soldiers who have distinguished themselves in battles.

Today we are in the territory of Leletepe. A few months ago this area was under occupation. We ended the occupation, said the president. A successful counterattack operation resulted in liberation of more than 2,000 hectares of land that were under occupation in the Fuzuli, Jabrayil and Aghdere districts. Today, the Azerbaijani army fully controls thousands of hectares of land.

The president also noted that the counteroffensive operation started from disadvantageous positions.

We liberated the heights, the hills from the occupiers and showed great heroism. The April battles should go into military textbooks, he said. The Azerbaijani army demonstrated its professionalism, heroism and skills in those battles.

We had martyrs, may Allah rest the souls of all our martyrs. We had wounded soldiers, officers. During a meeting with wounded soldiers and officers at the military hospital, I saw their enthusiasm. They had one wish  to quickly recover and return to the battle zones, added the president. This once again shows that the people of Azerbaijan is a great people, Azerbaijani citizens are patriots. Our soldiers and officers are ready to die for the motherland. The April battles are our valiant victory.

Ilham Aliyev also said the Azerbaijani army showed its strength, adding that Armenia has been for many years inventing lies, myths about its army, alleging that it has an invincible army.

The April battles showed which army is invincible. The Azerbaijani army is the invincible army. The Azerbaijani army can execute any task. There is no such a military target in the occupied territories and Nagorno-Karabakh that cant be destroyed by Azerbaijans army, said Ilham Aliyev.

He went on to add that today the Azerbaijani army is among the strongest armies.

We know this, the people of Azerbaijan and the whole world know this. The Azerbaijani army ranks very high in ratings of strongest armies, he said.

President Aliyev noted that the combat readiness of Azerbaijans army stands at a high level and is rising day by day.

Discipline and order prevail in our army. Material and technical support of our army is at the highest level, he said.

Ilham Aliyev reminded that in recent years Azerbaijan has purchased the most modern weaponry and military equipment worth billions of dollars.

This equipment is based on the latest technologies," he said. The April battles once again showed that.

After the April battles, additional measures have been taken with regard to the material and technical support of our army, funds have been allocated, the most modern weaponry and equipment with high destructive power and precision are being purchased and already stand at our disposal, said Ilham Aliyev, adding that Azerbaijans army, along with fighting abilities, has a high patriotism spirit.

We are on our lands, it is Azerbaijan. Leletepe, Shusha, Khankendi are also Azerbaijan. We are on our land, said President Aliyev, adding that Azerbaijan has no claims for others lands.

We will never allow the creation of a second Armenian state on our lands. The April battles once again showed it, he said.

The president went on to add that a successful operation was conducted in the Fuzuli District in January 1994, and 22 villages were liberated from the occupiers.

It was a great, historic victory, noted the president, saying that the April battles are another historic victory.

The world has once again seen that Azerbaijan will never reconcile with the aggressive policy of Armenia. We must restore and will restore our territorial integrity. This is our ancestral land, our historical land, and we will return to our land, which today is still under occupation, said the head of state.

He noted that the operation in Leletepe is a symbol of Azerbaijani armys heroism.

Leletepe went down in history. If the Armenian armed forces did not draw a right conclusion from the April battles, in the future there will be many successful operations as the Leletepe operation, said President Aliyev.

The leadership of Armenia must finally realize that their aggressive actions are leading them to the abyss, noted the president.

Azerbaijan is strengthening day by day. We have strong potential and a strong army. We are proud of our army, soldiers and officers, you  our sons standing here face to face with the enemy. Glory to you! Azerbaijan will develop, and we will restore our territorial integrity. Thank you!, added the head of state.

Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev also gave the relevant instructions.
Hundreds stood at attention Friday morning as retired Chief Warrant Officer Gary Linfoot made his way to the podium at McCambridge Park  aided by his wife, Mari, and the use of a robotic exoskeleton, which is a suit that returns movement to the hips and knees.

The retired Army officer was the guest speaker at the city of Burbanks annual Veterans Day ceremony this year. Coming from a military family, Linfoot said he was inspired to serve after seeing the sacrifices his relatives have made.

Veterans have always been my personal heroes and people that Ive always looked up to, he said. They played a great part in forming me as a young man.

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The Tennessee resident, who grew up in Huntington Park, enlisted in the Army in 1987 and flew helicopter missions for years. He was paralyzed in 2008 after a helicopter he was flying experienced a malfunction and crashed in Iraq. It was his 19th combat tour in the country.

Now, the ex-soldier gets around using an exoskeleton that was acquired for him by a nonprofit called Infinite Hero Foundation.

Regardless of the circumstances, Linfoot said hes proud to be a veteran and thankful for the support he and others have received.

Coming home for different generations of veterans is different, for Vietnam it was very difficult. It was shameful what happened, he said. It was that group of veterans that made sure when this generations [veterans] came home, we came home to celebration and open arms  for that, Im truly grateful.

The ceremony has been held at the park for the last 28 years. Organized by the Burbank Veterans Committee, the first event was held in 1988 at the dedication of the Korean and Vietnam War Memorial.

Mickey DePalo, the committees chair, said the memorial was a way for the city to honor its residents who lost their lives in service to their country.

Burbank has always given a lot of respect to its veterans and their families, he said.

City native Kattee Kokrak, a sergeant in the Marines, was also honored during the ceremony as part of the citys Military Service Recognition Program, which honors local residents who joined the armed forces with individualized banners that hang along Third Street.

Kokraks mother, Tenly Bates, was on hand to receive the banner because Kokrak was unable to attend.

Its just been such a pleasure driving by and seeing her name there and all of the other names of people that she knew and others after her, she said.

Mayor Jess Talamantes and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) also expressed their appreciation for veterans during the ceremony.

The mayor said veterans deserve respect every day, not just on holidays.

Its important for us to reflect on the sacrifices and commitments of all those who have greatly served this nation. Let us honor our veterans, he said.

The congressman said that the most inspiring part of his job is the opportunity to meet service members and praised Linfoot for his bravery and sacrifice.

Schiff also took the time to reflect on the presidential election. The country is divided and its people owe it to veterans to bridge that divide, he said.

We owe it to those who have served this country in uniform, those who have fought and sacrificed for this country, he said. We owe it to them to come together again as a country and work on perfecting our union

--

Andy Nguyen, andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
A new effort to help formerly incarcerated individuals gain access to higher education is coming to Cal State Fullerton, becoming the only initiative of its kind in Orange County.

Project Rebound, a program based out of San Francisco State University that provides mentoring and financial assistance to students who pursue advanced degrees after spending time behind bars, is expanding its operations to seven additional CSU campuses, including Fullerton, Bakersfield, Fresno, Los Angeles, Pomona, San Bernardino and San Diego.

Ninety-nine percent of folks who are incarcerated come back to the community, said Brady Heiner, director of Project Rebound at Fullerton. Its incumbent on us to welcome them back and provide them with the tools they need to succeed.

An estimated 40,000 to 50,000 people are released from the countys jails each year, according to Meghan Medlin, board chairwoman for the Orange County Re-Entry Partnership, and even more return to the county from state prisons.

We have a high number of people who have criminal backgrounds, and we need to get them resources to help them get back on their feet, she said. We have programs in our community colleges, but to have one at a university, at that level, is exciting.

Project Rebound, established in 1967 by the late John Irwin, a tenured sociology professor at San Francisco State who had previously spent five years in prison for armed robbery, for decades sought to ease the path to higher education for formerly incarcerated individuals, who typically face significant barriers when seeking advanced degrees.

Even though legally there are few obstacles for formerly incarcerated folks to pursuing higher education, there are still a slew of barriers, said Heiner, also an assistant professor of philosophy at CSUF. Some of them are procedural, some are social and cultural, and some are economic.

What Project Rebound seeks to do is to build a pathway from prison to college to facilitate and assist folks in making that transition.

Romarilyn Ralson, program coordinator for Project Rebound at CSUF who was previously incarcerated for 23 years at the California Institution for Women, understands first-hand how difficult the transition from prison to college can be  and why the support of programs like Project Rebound are critical to students success.

Theres a lot of stress and anxiety that comes with adjusting to a college campus and sitting in a classroom with students who have a lot of social capital, private school education and supportive parents, and who dont have the trauma that comes with an incarceration history, said Ralston, who earned a bachelors degree from Pitzer College in Claremont and a masters from Washington University in St. Louis.

I was very insecure in the classroom, but it was because of [Pitzer Colleges] support that I was able to transition well.

For Ralston, higher education was not only critical to helping her secure meaningful employment after incarceration, but also in shaping a new view on life.

I was able to see myself differently in the world, she said. I was no longer a felon, a formerly incarcerated person. I was becoming a citizen with rights and responsibilities.

People who have served time in prison are capable and able to do anything we put our minds to if the barriers are removed that prevent us from doing that. Its not our lack of intelligence or civility. Its the institutional barriers that are against this population, and when those barriers are removed, the sky is the limit. Im a living example of that.

Higher education for the formerly incarcerated also has societal benefits.

According to a 2014 report by the RAND Corp., inmates who participate in education programs are 43% less likely to return to prison. Lowering the recidivism rate through education is also cost effective; the study found that every $1 investment in prison education saves about $5 on re-incarceration costs.

Project Rebounds own data reveal that only 3% of its students return to prison, compared to the statewide recidivism rate of 65%, one of the highest in the nation.

The success of education programs in curbing recidivism is one reason the Obama Administration approved the Second Chance Pell Grant program in June, which will provide funding for 12,000 inmates two- or four-year degrees. The move came more than two decades after the 1994 omnibus crime bill banned inmates from receiving Pell Grants to finance their college educations.

People who are more likely to recidivate are people who dont have ties to their community, who typically dont have higher education, family or jobs or anything to hold them on the right track, said OCREPs Medlin. So when you have someone who has access to education, thats going to help keep them from re-offending.

Fullertons Project Rebound will offer assistance to formerly incarcerated students in a variety of ways.

Prospective students will receive help completing their applications (they go through the same application process as all other CSU hopefuls), and, if admitted, will receive customized mentoring and tutoring in their course of study, as well as support from Ralston and the Project Rebound staff.

I can identify with them and support them in ways that only I can because I have that experience, and I understand what it takes to accomplish that degree after youve been to prison, said Ralston.

In addition, Project Rebound will supplement federal and state grants, so that full-time students at the university will only pay $2,000 per year, excluding housing, said Heiner.

Heiner hopes Project Rebound will enroll 10 students at CSUF by the spring semester, and then ramp up to 15 in future academic terms.

Ralston also hopes that the expansion of Project Rebound throughout California will spark change in the public opinion on the formerly incarcerated and higher education.

Everyone should have access to quality education in America, and that includes the formerly incarcerated, she said. Its the right thing to do. If we want to combat mass incarceration and recidivism, and if we want to help families break the cycle of poverty and incarceration, then we need to invest in higher education for all.
For Lanny Cordola, moving to a war-torn Afghanistan city was not a cause, it was an emergency.

The rock musician, who graduated from Cypress High 37 years ago and toured with Ozzy Osbourne, Cheap Trick and Slash and Gilby Clarke of Gun N Roses, read a story about two young sisters killed four years ago in a suicide attack near what was then the NATO headquarters in Kabul.

The children needed his help, he said, so he packed his possessions into storage and moved to Afghanistans capital, taking residence in a room above a grocery store.

Cordola unpacked his few belongings  a laptop, guitar and Bjork CD  and set off on a mission: open a guitar school for street children in the countrys largest city.

That was in February.

For the past nine months, Cordola has strummed an acoustic guitar with over 100 children, teaching them not only how to play music, but also learn song lyrics that resonate in daily occurrences.

They are called The Miraculous Love Kids and together they study and play a number of songs on a dozen donated guitars, practicing melodies like Coldplays Dont Panic and Led Zeppelins Stairway to Heaven, in class and on the streets of Kabul.

Each note played is an act of mercy and compassion for humanity, for Afghanistan, for their families and for themselves, Cordola said.

Its the reason why Cordola is hosting Peace Jam III, his third annual benefit concert for children living in poverty and conflict zones.

The third installment, planned for Nov. 27 at the Gaslamp Restaurant & Bar in Long Beach, will present an evening of music, featuring appearances by musicians Cordola calls friends, including John Stamos, Andy Vargas of Santana, Gary Griffin of The Beach Boys and rapper Sen Dog of Cypress Hill.

The funds generated through previous Peace Jams provided a family, who lost three members to a suicide bombing, a new home with running water and electricity. With the third show, Cordola said he plans to continue helping this family and others in need.

Its been a big awakening for my spirit, Cordola said, calling from Los Angeles where he was making final arrangements for the concert. What can we do as artists to show our care? Music is one of those things that can do that kind of thing. This is a mystical thing for me, and I feel so blessed.

But there was a time when Cordola faced a challenge in whether to continue his mission or leave the ravaged city and head for home.

In the early morning of April 19, Taliban militants attacked a security team responsible for protecting government officials in Kabul, killing over 60 people and wounding over 300. It was the biggest attack on an urban area since 2001.

He thought of a song from the 1980s that seemed to come to him as a prayer.

That afternoon, when the children arrived to school upset about the attack, Cordola shared with them the importance about responding to acts of hate with a song of love.

He taught them Stings Fragile and together they sang lyrics, Lest we forget how fragile we are, on and on the rain will fall, like tears from a star, on and on the rain will say, how fragile we are.

After the lesson, one of the girls approached Cordola and asked if she and the classmates could play the song at the site of the attack as an offering of love and hope to her late mother.

There was a healing that started to emerge, Cordola said. You could see the transformation on their faces.

Since he and the children have performed songs by Twenty One Pilots, Pink Floyd and Bob Marley, Cordola has received complimentary messages from fellow musicians like Chris Martin of Coldplay and Peter Gabriel.

Cordola, who has collaborated on musical projects with Nancy Sinatra, Donovan and has also appeared as a musician opposite Stamos in episodes of Full House, said playing in safe arenas no longer appeals.

He enjoys helping the children of Afghanistan but would like to go wherever he is needed. Algeria is next on his list.

I want to teach children what I love and open their imaginations, Cordola said. I think of their smiles because when I first meet them, theyre downcast, but now, they know there are people from America who care for them.

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IF YOU GO

What: Peace Jam III

When: 5:30 p.m. Nov. 27

Where: Gaslamp Restaurant & Bar, 6251 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach

Cost: Suggested donation is $30

Information: gofundme.com/fmbl8o

kathleen.luppi@latimes.com

Twitter: @KathleenLuppi
Laguna Beach Beer Co. has reached an agreement to acquire Cismontane Brewing Co.'s production and tasting room in Rancho Santa Margarita, according to a news release.

The company will rebrand the location, 29851 Aventura, Suite D, Laguna Beach Beer Company @RSM and expand it to include a kitchen. It will serve both Laguna Beach and Cismontane beers. It will also bring additional production capacity for a planned pub in Laguna Beach, scheduled to open in spring 2017, company officials said.

Cismontane, founded in 2009, will retain its name and trademark and continue its plans for a new brewing facility and tasting room in Santa Ana, according to a news release.

Terms of the transaction were not made public.

Balboa Capital moves to Costa Mesa

Balboa Capital, a financing company, recently moved its corporate headquarters from Irvine to Costa Mesa.

The company is now within 28,000 square feet of space at 575 Anton Blvd., a high-rise within the Met office campus, formerly known as the MetroCenter at South Coast.

Our new office reflects our forward-thinking goals that focus on company growth and our customer-centric operational strategy, said Robert Rasmussen, chief operating officer. We added more than 100 employees in 2016, and we now have a spacious and modern facility that will allow us to expand our sales and operations divisions so we can continue to meet or exceed the expectations of our customers.

New Penn Financial names regional manager

Michael Sunnaa has been named regional manager of New Penn Financials Costa Mesa office at 575 Anton Blvd., according to a news release.

Sunnaa has more than 20 years of mortgage experience, including time at Wells Fargo.

I make sure to look at my customers complete financial well-being and see how we can help improve that, he said in a statement. I always ask myself how I would like myself or my family to be treated and I treat my clients, partners, and employees with that same respect.

KOCE to leave Golden West College

PBS SoCal KOCE is moving operations later this month from Golden West College in Huntington Beach to Los Angeles, according to a news release.

KOCEs master control systems and signal transmission line will move to a shared site in the Sawtelle district, according to a news release.

The broadcast hub will be at Centralcast LLC, a master control facility for public television stations in Syracuse, N.Y.

The move expands PBS SoCals broadcast capabilities, improves reliability with new critical recovery resources and system redundancies, and reduces operating costs while adding station capacity, the station said in a statement.

This move expands our footprint across the region and strengthens our operations, added PBS SoCal President and CEO Andrew Russell in a statement. It also reflects our commitment to being good stewards of public funds, because it makes our operations more effective and efficient.

PBS SoCal also maintains a regional office in Costa Mesa.

Dan Donahue Center begins expansion

A Santa Ana nonprofit recently began its expansion of a facility named after the late Dan Donahue, founder of Donahue Schriber, a Costa Mesa-based private real estate investment trust.

KidWorks, which serves at-risk children and families, will double its space by combining the 10,000-square-foot Dan Donahue Center with an adjacent 10,366-square-foot industrial building, which it had been leasing.

The combined facility will bring new learning labs, a multipurpose space, a recreation court, fitness room and more, according to a news release. More than $3.5 million has been raised for the expansion.

Donahue, known for his role in transforming Newport Beachs Fashion Island, died in 2002.

Woodmont opens Newport Beach office

The Woodmont Co., a Texas-based real estate service company, recently opened a new office in Newport Beach.

The office at 620 Newport Center Drive will focus on representing retail tenants, according to a news release.

Joseph Williams, the firms senior vice president, will be leading the new branch.

Ecliptek names new manager

Costa Mesa-based Ecliptek Corp., a manufacturer of crystal and oscillator products, has named Sheila Hoagland as its new business development manager, according to a news release.

Hoagland was credited with having more than 20 years of electronics industry experience.

1Heart moves to Newport Beach

1Heart Caregiver Services of Orange County, a senior care services company, recently moved to a new location in Newport Beach.

The Los Angeles-based company now has operations at 3700 Campus Drive, Suite 201.

In addition to Newport, the office will serve Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest and Mission Viejo.
After six years of monthly meetings, discussions and debates on issues facing the community, state and nation, the Newport-Mesa Tea Party Patriots gathered for the last time on Thursday night in Costa Mesa.

The final meeting came just two days after arguably the greatest triumph for a national movement that has long battled the political establishment: the election of Donald Trump as the countrys next president.

We pretty much accomplished our goal  we have an outsider as the president, local tea party leader and founder Tom Pollitt said Thursday. So we feel pretty good about that.

The national tea party movement touts conservative principles such as smaller government, lower taxes and policies opposed to illegal immigration.

Pollitt told the crowd of about 60 people in the Halecrest Park clubhouse that the local tea party chapter is disbanding partly because he has decided to focus his attention elsewhere  perhaps on starting a local Christian school.

Its possible, he said, that the group could be re-formed at some point.

It was the tea party and the tea party movement throughout the country that made people aware that there was a problem, and it got them stirred up, Pollitt said. The establishment was the problem, and now weve got somebody who is outside the establishment and were going to have some real changes.

Several local, state and federal politicians spoke at the final meeting, including Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa), state Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa), Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer, Newport Beach City Councilman Scott Peotter and Costa Mesa Councilman-elect Allan Mansoor.

The meeting was festive, with speakers and other attendees celebrating Republican Trumps triumph over Democrat Hillary Clinton in Tuesdays presidential election.

What weve got now is a great opportunity to reach out to our fellow Americans and say, Give us a new chance in the Republican Party; give us a chance to show we are for working people in our country and we are first and foremost for the well-being of the United States, Rohrabacher said.

Peotter said the local tea party chapter has been one of the few reliably conservative organizations in this area. He praised its members for supporting like-minded candidates.

Noting that Clinton beat Trump in Orange County, usually a Republican stronghold, he said: How were going to change and win back our county is to get out there and work. So keep up the good work, even though the tea party is no longer here.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter: @LukeMMoney
After serving two terms as president, George Washington stepped down from political office and returned to his private life and work. By this action he set the precedent of serving for only two terms in public service.

Until recent years, this tradition of resuming ones private life and previous career had been the norm. Today, however, career politicians often serve for life, and this has resulted in many of the inefficiencies and inadequacies of government today.

Political parties became more entrenched during the Washington Administration and reflected the primary differences between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists, that is, the difference between those who advocated a strong centralized government as found by those living predominantly in New England with shipping and manufacturing and the Anti-Federalist coalition, known as the Democratic-Republican, who preferred a more decentralized states-rights position and favored the agrarian economy as found predominantly in the South.

Washingtons vice president, John Adams of Massachusetts, became the candidate for the Federalist Party ticket. Thomas Pinckney of South Carolina was the next most popular Federalist. The secretary of state, Thomas Jefferson, ran on the Democratic-Republican ticket with Aaron Burr of New York as the second most popular candidate from that party. Each man ran alone, as there were no running mates.

While there was no heavy campaigning from the candidates themselves, as this would be unseemly, the campaign on both sides was especially vitriolic. The Federalists, for example, tried to identify the Republicans with the violence of the French Revolution. Jefferson was particularly fond of the French and had favored them, at first, in their conflicts with the British, but had changed his opinion of them after the alarming violence of the French Revolution.

On the other hand, the Republicans accused the Federalists and Adams of favoring the British with their monarchy and strong aristocratic class. They were also opposed to the treaty with Britain, Jays Treaty, even though it had kept the young nation out of war with the British, at least for the time being. The Republicans also resented the strong centralized banking system which Alexander Hamilton had established to put the country on a sound fiscal footing, earning the respect of foreign nations. So there were serious differences and animosities between the two groups.

Life is full of ironies and surprises, however. When the Electoral College votes came in, Adams received the most votes and Jefferson received the second-highest number of electoral votes. This meant that Adams, the Federalist, became the new president while Thomas Jefferson, the Democratic Republican, became the new vice president!

Needless to say, there were ill-feelings throughout this administration, and these ill feelings remained until close to the end of their lives when they finally resumed their friendship. It is interesting to note that both men died on the same day, July 4, 1825, on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, an event in which they had both participated.

To solve this dilemma of the president and vice president being elected from different parties, the 12th Amendment was adopted and ratified in 1804. Candidates for president and vice president would now run on the same ticket so this was not an issue again.

Sherry Nord Marron

Newport Beach

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Quote was offensive to Laguna readers

I understand, for efficiency, you needed to combine the Coastline Pilot, H.B. Independent and Daily Pilot. Ive lived in Laguna for 17 years, after five in Costa Mesa and 26 in Newport. As hopefully you realize, the communities have profoundly different cultures.

What I absolutely do not understand is how you could cover the presidential election with an article on Nov. 11, Newport Republicans hold their noses and vote for Trump, quoting people saying Clinton represents some of the darkest forces of our nation and evil. Laguna voted 52.8% for Clinton, 31.9% for Trump. For many, the hurt of the loss is deep. Rubbing salt in the wounds with your choice of quotes is not helpful.

Sherry Loofbourrow

Laguna Beach

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Kids participation in cartoon contest

It was rather bizarre to be publicly scolded from the dais at a recent City Council meeting for inviting high school students to exercise their 1st Amendment rights by expressing their views on issues in the local election.

These kids will be voting soon. We want them paying attention to the workings of government at all levels, especially City Council, where they have a chance to make a difference. How better to involve them than asking them to draw a political cartoon on a local issue that affects them?

The young people who participated in the Costa MesSED UP cartoon contest live on the citys Westside. They have strong feelings about the gentrification in their neighborhoods that is displacing families and causing much fear among their friends and neighbors. Its ironic the mayor pro tem wants to protect the kids from political cartooning but not from the ills of the policies he and his allies on council have been pursuing for the last four years.

Kathy Esfahani

Costa Mesa

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A poem about the election

Election 2016

Election! Have we ever seen,

Such wretched, sad, decorum?

The false reports! The lies! The spin!

Not fit for public forum!

We hear the news in disbelief,

Could this get worse? We wonder!

Their shameful speech brings constant grief!

Such lightning; and such thunder!

Most media have just caved in,

No longer true reporters!

Theyre anxious now, to add their spin!

Spurred on by others orders!

Why not return, and use their tools,

Without their added spinning?

Were sick of being played for fools!

Its clear; theyre bent on winning!

So, tell me: Would they want their friends,

To forge a lie, to catch them?

To hide the truth, for their own ends?

Manipulate, or steer them?

Well, what can We the people do,

To heal our nations future?

A brand-new heart? New conscience too?

A stitch in time; or suture?

It cant be just the other guy,

We blame as were declining!

But also, me! Myself! And I!

Can use some real refining!

In truth is where real freedoms rise!

Its worth the cost to find it!

Its there that we gain opened eyes!

If otherwise  were blinded!

David Edson Zwicker

Costa Mesa
For an hour on Friday, Two Strike Park in La Crescenta was again a place to honor the communitys veterans, with a spotlight on the women who presently or in the past wore an armed services uniform.

American Legion Post 288 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1614 organized the annual Veterans Day celebration. They honored seven women from the La Crescenta and Glendale community, with four in attendance, to receive a certificate of appreciation for their service before a crowd of about 100 people.

The program opened with a flag salute, the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of The Star-Spangled Banner as performed by a local elementary school student.

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Following the chaplains invocation, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) addressed the crowd and reaffirmed his commitment to get the Pentagon to halt collection of repayments from California National Guard service members who were given unauthorized reenlistment bonuses, calling it appalling.

Schiff said he also did his best to console anyone discouraged by the recent election results, repeating what his father, a veteran, once told him.

You know what we used to say in the Army? Youre not saluting the man, youre saluting the uniform, Schiff said, quoting his father. In the context of civilian life, it means we respect the presidency whether we voted for the person or not.

Then each female veteran received, along with certificates, an American Legion Challenge Coin, which allows participation in a military tradition. A Coin Check can be initiated as a type of drinking game, where all people in a group of veterans who heard the challenge must show their Challenge Coin or buy a round of drinks.

The women honored, who were in attendance, were Megan Rodriguez, U.S. Air Force; Ellen Romaine, U.S. Army; Claudia De Leon, Marine Corps; and Col. Nancy Summer, U.S. Air Force.

The honorees not in attendance were Gisele Ashook, U.S. Army; Lt. Col. Terre Fallon, U.S. Army; and Susan Kanim, Air National Guard.

Rodriguez is from Glendale and was stationed in North Dakota with the Air Force before her unit was downsized. She currently works as the veterans representative for state Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Canada Flintridge).

Women being recognized as veterans is a huge deal, Rodriguez said. Its very encouraging and empowering to be recognized as a women veteran especially by our female counterparts.

Boy Scout Troop 288 performed a flag retirement ceremony, where strips of retired, worn American flags are burned with members of the audience asked to participate.

The ceremony closed with the Armed Forces Medley, recognizing those in attendance who have served from each branch of the military.

--

Jeff Landa, jeff.landa@latimes.com

Twitter: @JeffLanda
Composer Adam Schoenberg is so often asked if he is related to the renowned 20th-century composer Arnold Schoenberg that despite knowing of no familial connection, he had a DNA test done recently to be sure.

Im supposed to find out in mid-November, he said. In the process, however, Schoenberg has just learned that his bloodline includes a very different composer.

My fourth great-grandfather was George Gershwins great-grandfather, he said. Im 99% sure were not related to [Arnold] Schoenberg, but if we are, that would be quite strange.

Perhaps not so strange: at age 36, Adam Schoenberg has made it on the list compiled by U.S. orchestras of top 10 most performed living classical composers. He has received critical acclaim for his work that has been premiered and performed by major orchestras across the country and in Mexico.

This weekend, audiences will hear the West Coast premiere of Schoenbergs new work, Scatter, the first concerto of his career, presented by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the eclectic PROJECT Trio, Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale and Sunday, Nov. 13 at UCLAs Royce Hall.

The concerto is part of the orchestras Mozart & Mendelssohn program, which will also feature Mozarts Prague Symphony No. 38" and Mendelssohns Scottish Symphony No. 3. The program will be led by guest conductor Alexandre Bloch, the principal guest conductor of Dusseldorf Symphoniker and music director of Orchestre National de Lille, in his Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra debut.

Schoenberg wrote Scatter for Brooklyn-based PROJECT Trio, a virtuosic, genre-crossing ensemble with nu-metal in its repertoire, whose recordings have been at the top of Billboards classical and jazz charts in Canada and the Unites States, and who the Wall Street Journal lauded for its first-rate musicianship and subversive humor.

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra audiences may have seen PROJECT Trio during the groups five-year stint in the companys family artist-in-residence program; Saturdays performance marks the first time the trio will have performed on the orchestras main stage.

Scatter is rooted in a first meeting between Schoenberg and trio members Peter Seymour (double bass), Greg Patillo (flute), and Eric Stephenson (cello), facilitated by conductor Jacomo Bairos, a mutual friend.

We quickly realized that A, we got along as people, Schoenberg said, and B, my aesthetic and their aesthetic would probably line up well.

It was Seymour who asked Schoenberg to write a concerto for the group. The work was subsequently co-commissioned by the Iris Orchestra in Tennessee, where Scatter premiered, as well as South Carolinas Charleston Symphony, Amarillo Symphony in Texas and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

Schoenberg said that PROJECT Trios signature instrumentation presented his first challenge. It became, how can I write a concerto that is inspired by this group and by these three instruments [bass, flute and cello] that one wouldnt normally put together?

Schoenbergs nontraditional answer: a triple concerto consisting of a single movement in three sections in which the trio would not only solo, but would play with the orchestra.

The bass player is playing the bass part, the cellist is leading the cello section, the flute player is leading the winds, Schoenberg said. I also have them play just as a trio a good amount of time... Yeah, its a little unusual.

Weaving electronics into Scatter as part of its overall form and structure was another first for the composer.

One of the percussion players has a laptop and a keyboard, and they trigger all of these samples that I created, he said. Its a very atmospheric type of electronic sound.

The electronics, he said, serve essentially as architectural pillars to help the audience, the orchestra and the ensemble know that, OK, weve just finished the main section, now weve moved on to the second, and now weve moved on to the third.

PROJECT Trio will play the piece from memory.

They had about three months to memorize the piece before the actual premiere, Schoenberg said. They needed to dive into that world that I set up and have it become part of their DNA.

I think when performers are up there with no music in front of them, it adds to the excitement, even the pageantry, of the piece, Seymour said. The PROJECT Trios signature, huge-energy style of performance is something not usually seen at a classical concert, and this is an incredible piece of new American classical music.

Now, having performed the concerto multiple times, weve truly ingested it, Seymour said, and it can really just flow out of us. Its all about fun and sharing music, really enjoying the collaboration with the fabulous Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and letting all of the music just happen.

Schoenberg, meanwhile, has a full plate, with commissions through the 2019-20 season.

So I sort of know what Im doing for the next four years, he said.

These include a two-piano concerto commissioned by the prestigious Dranoff International 2 Piano Foundation for its 2017 final-round competition in Miami, and a violin concerto for noted violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who will premiere the piece in 2018.

Upcoming albums include Schoenbergs chamber works featuring the Blakemore Trio and the Kansas City Philharmonics performance of his orchestral works. The latter will feature Schoenbergs most performed piece, Finding Rothko, and his biggest, Picture Studies, inspired by Mussorgskys Pictures at an Exhibition.

In addition, Schoenberg is a professor at Occidental College, where he runs the composition and film scoring programs. Among his film scores is the 2012 indie film Graceland, in collaboration with his father, pianist and film composer Steven Schoenberg. He has also collaborated with his wife, screenwriter and librettist Janine Salinas Schoenberg.

I almost travel one week out of the month, Schoenberg said, but Im scaling back a little because I love being a dad (to a 3-year-old and a toddler), and I love my wife and my family and I love teaching. I dont know how people do it, he said. Im still trying to figure that out.

--

What: Mozart & Mendelssohn, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

When: 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11 (Alex Theatre), 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 12 (UCLA).

Where: Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale (Saturday); UCLAs Royce Hall, 340 Royce Drive, Westwood (Sunday); Pre-concert talks will be held one hour before curtain.

Cost: Tickets start at $27.

More information: Call (213) 622-7001 or visit laco.org.

--

LYNNE HEFFLEY writes about theater and the arts.
They traveled for hours on the railroad squeezed tightly into cattle cars, thinking they would travel for six or seven hours and arrive in Germany.

When the train finally stopped 3 1/2 days later, Renee Firestone was among the thousands of people who poured out of the cattle cars where Nazi soldiers and their growling dogs were standing outside.

While exiting the train, Firestone lost sight of her parents in the crowd, but clung to her younger sister.

She was 20 years old then, born and raised in Czechoslovakia, where she lived a peaceful life until that point  when she arrived at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

Now 92, Firestone shared her story of survival with students at Glendale Community College on Wednesday.

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Before they went to the train station, Firestone had been told she and her family would travel to Germany to help the German Army by harvesting food or working in factories.

I remember, I went to my father and I asked him whether he trusts the Germans and [if] thats what were going to be doing, and my father says, Honey, dont worry. America and England [are] already occupying more than half of Germany. The war is coming to an end. I guarantee you, in four months, were going back home.

They were told they could pack a small suitcase. When they arrived at the station, they didnt find any passenger trains.

They tell us we should pack in these cattle cars, and now the Jewish people are questioning: You know, were going to Germany to help them out. At least they could take us in a regular train. The cattle car I was in, maybe there was 120 of us. There was absolutely no room to sit down.

Six or seven hours later, around the time they expected to arrive in Germany, the train kept going, and it didnt stop until the Nazis had rounded up thousands of Jewish people from across Europe.

We hear, outside, yelling in German. Jews! Jews! Out! Out! This is the first time the train stopped at daytime, Firestone said. I grabbed my little sister and I said to her, We dont know where we are. I want you to hold onto me.

I grabbed my little sister and I said to her, We dont know where we are. I want you to hold onto me.  Renee Firestone

The men and women were told they would take a refreshing shower before receiving their work assignments.

Scanning the landscape, she saw a village surrounded by barbed wire with countless rows of wooden barracks each divided by barbed wire.

What I hear sounds OK, but what I see doesnt make any sense, she said. Im trying to figure out, what kind of village is this? I see some human skeletons walking around in gray striped pajamas. Those pajamas, they remind me of prisoners uniforms. Maybe this is not a village. Maybe this is a prison. But what kind of work am I going to do in prison?

As she entered the camp, Josef Mengelea, a German Schutzstaffel officer and physician at Auschwitz, directed people one way or another, to work or to be gassed.

Firestone would learn later her mother was among those who were gassed. Meanwhile, she and her sister, along with other women, were directed to take a cold, one-minute shower.

They were puzzled and distraught.

We came out naked, wet from the shower with these dogs barking and biting and growling at us. We were standing there til about midnight, she said.

This marked Firestones first hours of the 13 months shed spend in the concentration camp that would ultimately be liberated by the Russians.

Her sister survived the next six months, but it was decades later when Firestone learned her sister was shot to death after being forced to undergo medical experiments performed on Jewish women and children. She was 16.

In 1948, Firestone moved to Los Angeles with her husband and became a successful fashion designer.

She lives in Beverly Hills today and said shes determined to speak about the Holocaust for as long as shes able.

When I was liberated from the camp, I really thought the world learned a lesson. This was such a horrendous event. Well, how wrong could I be. The world today is in worse shape than it was before the Holocaust. People are still killing each other for no reason, she said.

Firestone asked those in attendance to teach children to put their telephones into their pockets and start talking to each other.

She asked, How can they respect one another when they dont know each other? Its not only the children, but most adults are the same. We dont communicate. We dont respect one another. Thats why Im going to be speaking about the Holocaust for as long as Im here because it showed us what can happen if we dont learn to respect one another and help each other.

--

Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
A World War II veteran, a Vietnam veteran and a Green Beret who was killed in Afghanistan two years ago were honored Wednesday at Wilson Middle School.

Vietnam Marine veteran Brad Fagerstrom said its important that veterans share their stories with young people, especially stories about men and women who were killed serving their country.

Fagerstrom served in Vietnam in 1965, 1966 and 1968 and lost many friends in the war, he said.

It is important for these children to understand that freedom is not free but its for everyone, and everyone to share equally, Fagerstrom said. They need to understand that American blood is fertilizing freedom throughout the world. Its a harsh way to look at it, but it is the truth.

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World War II veteran Marty Fuhrman was also recognized. He was one of the first Americans to go into Hiroshima, which was hit by a nuclear bomb toward the end of the war. He was also responsible for capturing prisoners.

Wilson Middle School students presented each veteran with a plaque as part of the schools annual assembly organized by math teacher Pete Regli.

The students also honored the late Scott Studenmund, a Green Beret who lost his life in Afghanistan in 2014.

The former Flintridge Prep student was 24 when he died.

Before his death, he was working to clear villages in southern Afghanistan of the Taliban ahead of the countrys first free election in years, recalled his mother, Jaynie Studenmund, who attended the event.

He and his brothers were fighting to clear those villages of the Taliban. He and his buddies were talking about where they were going to eat when they got home. And then a number of shots rang out, Jaynie Studenmund said.

He died as a result of friendly fire from an aircraft.

The last thing her son did before his death was save a medics life, she said.

We have gotten to know that young man today and his family. As soon as he got home, he sent us a picture with his two children and said, I wouldnt be here if it werent for your son.

If her son were alive, Jaynie Studenmund said he would share his love for the United States with the Wilson students.

He would do what he did  as Im sure other veterans who are here  all over again. I think what he would ask of you is to do everything you can to make the world a better place. It doesnt mean you have to go over to Afghanistan or go to Iraq, or be in the military, but what it does mean is you have to do your very, very best in life, she said. I think he would want to say that, and I think hes here with us, and I think he would be incredibly honored and grateful.

--

Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 11

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Promising areas for the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Egypt will be considered in late November in Cairo at the upcoming meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental commission on trade and economic, as well as scientific and technical cooperation, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Egypt Tural Rzayev told Trend Nov. 11.

The upcoming meeting will be the fourth one since the creation of the commission. The last time the commission held its meeting in 2009 in Baku.

Currently, the main areas of the bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Egypt are the sphere of energy, tourism, agriculture, medicine and pharmaceuticals, where African country has extensive experience, Rzayev said.

He added that the consideration of the course of implementation of agreements previously reached between Azerbaijan and Egypt, the study of the new prospects for cooperation between the two countries businessmen have been put on the agenda of the fourth meeting.

It is also planned to consider renewal and expansion of the legal framework between Azerbaijan and Egypt, the ambassador noted.

The two governments are also considering the possibilities for renewal and expansion of the legal framework, in particular in the field of education, tourism and others, he added.

"Egypt is also interested in studying the experience of ASAN Service," the diplomat said. "Egypt also shows considerable interest in the activity of Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA)."

Azerbaijan also intends to intensify its efforts to promote the Made in Azerbaijan brand in Egypt, as well as to expand the possibilities for Egyptian business to enter its market, Rzayev said.

Pharmacy is also the most important sector of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Egypt, he noted. Nowadays, Azerbaijan imports more than 30 pharmaceutical products from Egypt, the ambassador said.

Azerbaijan supplies oil and oil products, as well as chemical plants products to Egypt, and in turn imports pharmaceutical goods and citrus fruits from that country.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Egypt amounted to $4.53 million in January-September 2016, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Asebaa
Like many millions of Americans, I went to sleep on Tuesday night and woke up the next morning in a country that has never felt so foreign.

Before I finally coaxed my eyes to close, I had made a cup of coffee. It was an act of desperation, a plea to the universe to find some kind of ground to stand on, through a folk tradition involving coffee grains.

The thick mud-like coffee drunk across the Middle East that goes by various names  Armenian, Turkish, Greek, Arabic  depending on where you come from and where your loyalties lie, and produces grains that tell stories, and if youre lucky, your fortune.

I am a novice coffee reader, meaning I really dont know what Im doing. So I asked my mom, who has been doing this for decades, to read the grains.

Do you see Donald in there? I asked.

I dont see Donald, she said. But I do see a gorilla.

The grains never lie  it feels like we have a gorilla on our hands, and Im sorry to say that it is not Harambe.

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This is not a one-person problem, this is what feels like an entire country in a state of crisis, a country where millions now have a profound sense of fear that they are not wanted here, or do not belong here, a country where the sexual harassment of women might now get worse, a country where the young people  you know the ones that will eventually be left to deal with whatever mess comes our way  are in a state of paranoia and anxiety about our futures.

I am not here to use up this space to minimize or analyze peoples reasons for exercising their right to vote  theres plenty of that to go around. Im also not here to dispute the results.

The problems and grievances that led to these results are real. I live in the Rust Belt now, and have seen them with my own eyes, have spoken to people who feel like their lives have been destroyed by politicians and their policies.

I am living it every day, far away from the California bubble where things are so different, it feels like we are living in an entirely separate country.

But I believe we have elected to solve them through the wrong channel, I believe we have been tricked, that the fears and anxieties of those who came out victorious in this election have been exploited in a great con by an allegedly great businessman who promised to make America great again.

Life is complex, so are humans and the problems they have. Be suspicious of anyone trying to sell you a simple story, especially if that person is running for the president of the United States.

I also believe that now more than ever, we need to support local newspapers and the journalists who make them what they are, those same journalists who saw their careers disappear before their eyes, the ones that once served as a system of checks and balances and have now been replaced by teenagers from the Balkans dumping fake news on Facebook for Americans to gobble up.

In a world that feels completely post-truth, journalism needs room to exist and grow. It also needs to break free from its elitist circles and realize that so-called flyover country is real and deserves to be covered.

There are many, like myself, who have pitched stories from Detroit, all over Michigan and the Midwest to no avail, stories of people who feel disenfranchised in this country, stories of people who deserve to be heard, stories of people I might personally disagree with, but that absolutely need to be illuminated.

We have tried to get editors to listen, only to be told that whatever story were trying to tell doesnt really matter. If youre an editor reading this, please consider us. Dont send who you have, use the people who are actually here. And most importantly: pay us.

If youre a reader, please support the work we do, because believe me when I tell you that none of us are in this to make money or accumulate admirers, and we are feeling as helpless as you.

--

LIANA AGHAJANIAN is a Los Angeles-based journalist whose work has appeared in L.A. Weekly, Paste magazine, New America Media, Eurasianet and The Atlantic. She may be reached at liana.agh@gmail.com.
At least 52 people were killed and more than 100 injured when a powerful explosion ripped through a Sufi shrine in Pakistans southwestern Baluchistan province on Saturday evening, officials said.

The attack happened as worshipers were in the throes of a ritual dance inside the packed shrine of Shah Bilal Norani in the provinces Khuzdar district, Hashim Ghalzai, a local government official, told reporters.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing. A statement carried by the groups mouthpiece, the Amaq news agency, said it was a suicide operation targeting Shiite Muslims, who are viewed as heretics by Islamic State.

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Pakistani officials did not immediately confirm the nature of the blast nor say who they thought was responsible.

Sarfraz Bugti, Baluchistans home minister, put the toll late Saturday at 52 killed and 105 injured. But many of the wounded were reported to be in critical condition, and the number of deaths was expected to rise.

Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa, spokesman for Pakistans army, said the absence of a landing strip in the mountainous terrain was complicating the rescue efforts.

The most seriously injured were being driven to hospitals in the city of Karachi, more than 85 miles away. But Bajwa said a helicopter evacuation would be attempted.

Baluchistan, which has been dealing with a long, low-intensity insurgency by an array of nationalist groups, has suffered a series of deadly attacks in recent months.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for an assault in October in which militants wearing suicide vests stormed a police academy in the provincial capital, Quetta, killing 61 people.

Pakistani military officials blamed that attack on Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami, a Sunni Muslim extremist group that has links to Islamic States South Asia wing, Islamic State in Khorasan.

In August, the Taliban breakaway faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar said its fighters shot and killed the president of the Baluchistan Bar Assn., then sent a suicide bomber to target mourners who had gathered at a hospital in Quetta. At least 70 people were killed.

Ali is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Alexandra Zavis in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
In a country where the Orthodox Church is part of Greek identity, Muslims have long found that new mosques could be built only in certain areas that did not include Athens, the capital.

But an influx of mostly Muslim migrants coupled with an unabashedly leftist Greek government is bringing change. Authorities in October signed a nearly $1-million (887,000 euro) deal to build the first state-funded mosque in Athens since the end of Ottoman rule more than 180 years ago.

The mosque planned for the Votanikos neighborhood, while significant, is expected to have a capacity of fewer than 500 people, not enough to meet all the needs of the estimated 200,000 Muslims in Athens, analysts and residents say.

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It would be a symbolic gesture, said Konstantinos Tsitselikis, an expert on religious minorities at the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki. Its very small and for sure cannot cover the number of Muslims in Athens.

For decades, plans for a mosque have been stymied by vitriolic rhetoric against Muslims and Turks, the construction of a mosque likened to a return to Ottoman occupation. Police this month arrested 15 nationalist protesters who had occupied the site of the new mosque since July.

A proposal for a mosque near Athens International Airport failed in 2003 after the local Greek Orthodox bishop said it was not representative of Greek culture and foreign visitors would feel they have arrived in a Muslim country.

In 2014, a candidate for mayor from the New Democracy opposition party said a Votanikos mosque would attract unwanted foreigners.

But the government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, which has proposed a constitutional referendum that would enshrine separation of church and state, has pushed ahead with the mosque plan.

The existence of makeshift mosques is a shame for the country as well as for the Muslim community and a danger to national security, Nikos Filis, the minister of education, research and religious affairs, said in August.

In recent weeks, Filis has also been criticized by church leaders for plans to update theology classes in public schools to include material on Islam and other religions in an effort to prepare students for the influx of Muslim migrants.

Politicians opposing the new mosque have said it would encourage the flow of illegal migrants, who they say make up most of the citys Muslim population. Some church leaders, meanwhile, have couched opposition in religious terms.

The governments outreach to Muslim migrants posed a danger of Islamization and was part of a plan to de-Hellenize and de-Christianize the nation, the head of the Orthodox Church of Greece, Ieronymos II, said this month in a televised interview.

Ieronymos, who is archbishop of Athens and all Greece, said that plans for the mosque in Votanikos should be postponed until it is clear how many migrants would remain in the city.

If [Muslims] are passersby, what need is there for a mosque? he said. Will it be a place of prayer or a place of instruction? ... It is a problem.

Other projects include the 17th century Fethiye Mosque, which is undergoing a $1.4-million (1.3 million euro) restoration by the government to house collections from four centuries of Ottoman rule in Athens. Turkish leaders have called for the mosque to be reopened for worshipers.

In the nearby 2,100-year-old Tower of the Winds monument, haphazardly painted Arabic calligraphy one could mistake for graffiti is found beside a prayer niche, drawn by whirling dervishes who used the structure as a lodge until the Greeks overthrew the Ottoman rulers in 1829.

Since then, the rights of the Muslim minority in Greece have been beholden to the prevailing winds of Turkish-Greek relations, Tsitselikis said.

Religion and being Greek have long been linked together, Tsitselikis said. To be Greek, you have to be Greek Orthodox, and in some cases this is reflected in the law also.  Being Muslim is often linked to being Turkish.

The Greek constitution stipulates Greek Orthodox Christianity is the prevailing religion, and 10,000 priests are on the public payroll.

Around 100,000 Muslims of Turkish descent in a handful of districts including Thessaloniki are granted rights to build and operate mosques under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, but those living outside the region, including Athens, have until recently had little legal recognition of their faith.

Under a 2006 law, minority faith groups no longer need permission from the local Orthodox bishop to build a place of worship, but problems remain.

Lack of funding and the fact that many of the Muslims in Athens are undocumented migrants make it difficult, if not impossible, for them to properly register a mosque, said Muhammad Abdulhamid, the chairman of a makeshift mosque in central Athens, who arrived in Athens 15 years ago from Pakistan.

The government streamlined the process for registering mosques in 2014, over heated debates in Parliament, denunciations by Orthodox clergy and protests by right wing groups like Golden Dawn.

So far only three congregations in the city have been able to register as places of worship. With little funds to hire the inspectors and lawyers to meet regulations, the 120 or so other congregations meet in sites registered as libraries, cultural centers, shops or apartments.

We have lots of problems still, Abdulhamid said. We dont have money because there are not people staying here permanently  with the economic crisis many people see Greece as a stopping point to Europe  and its difficult to find a space that meets the requirements for a mosque.

Farooq is a special correspondent.
Maine citizens have voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use in their state. The UN already tackled the world drug problem and eradicate illegal cocaine, opium and cannabis production back in 2008. The resolution of marijuana to be legalized is a stepping stone for the Maine residents.

In Thursday afternoon, the Associated Press announced the referendum about the tabulations of final results and took almost two days for it has a close race within a fraction of a percentage point. According to Fox News, voters of marijuana legalization had declared themselves as winners and predicted that marijuana would be legal around Christmas.

Sen. Eric Brakey of Auburn who just supported the ballot issue said: "Maine people have passed," he added that the government should work on implementing the marijuana legalization. Marijuana is now legal in Maine for medical assistance. It was advice that people who are 21 or older will be allowed to use up to 2 ounces of marijuana.

Marijuana shops and social clubs are now open to the states. Some municipalities have resisted the idea at allowing such businesses to operate in their communities. Those who is not in favor have requested for a recount and Scott Gagnon, an organizer of anti-marijuana insisted the results and presume for another. Some of the parents and law enforcement organizations disagreed to the proposal, as Business Insider has reported.

Members of the medical marijuana community received perusal for their proposal, who say they fear for the possible reason that might replace the state's medical program. Distributing and selling marijuana is set to be taxed at 10% and must be considered for local restriction.

The US have been legalized marijuana in another form. On November 8, the four states have voted in approval of outright marijuana legalization: the state of California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Maine. Four states approve and allowed recreational use and sales.
A tough negotiation on trade is expected between United States and other neighboring countries such as Canada and Mexico now that the American election is through and Donald Trump won.

Fortune noted that President Trump said before election as part of his campaign pledge that he will impose a 35% tax on any American car companies who would build car manufacturing in Mexico. This statement alerted Ildefonso Guajardo, former North American Free Trade Agreement negotiator and Mexico's seasoned economy minister to keep an eye to the incoming trade war if Donald Trump would stick to his promise.

The Guardian reported that Mexico now is looking ahead for another negotiation about Trump's pledge to require Mexican government to pay 5 to 10 billion dollar to build a wall along the US-Mexico border that if Mexico would fail to give he said he will stop the 24 billion dollar remittances every year undocumented Mexican workers in America is making.

Now that Trump opens the way for renegotiation Mexico is looking for something to get even. One they think would is the fructose, corn and pork American exporters. They would suffer great loss if Mexico will stop buying since it is the second biggest export market worth 200 billion dollar.

In connection to Trump's statement that if American car companies will build car plants in Mexico, carmakers such as Ford will take away employment in America Mexico reasoned out that labor fees in Mexico for manpower is considerably low if compared to America, thus companies would really prefer Mexico.

Another point Mexico is possibly gaining is that it is the security buffer for the US and partner in fighting illegal immigrations. It was reported that Mexico stopped 150,000 out of 300,000 illegal immigrants coming from Central America going to the US through Mexico. That is a big help to consider. Shannon O'Neil at the Council on foreign relation said that if US-Mexico ally become tumultuous, Mexico might be reluctant in stopping those illegal immigrants.

But whatever those things are still Mexico relied on mercy Trump would give. Thus, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto would be forced to accommodate Trump's demands without meaningful negotiations, as said by Eurasia group.
Science students from the United Kingdom discovered innovative ways to recycle chicken feather wastes, including its possible utilization as home thermal insulators, sound proofing materials, or blanket insulators for lofts.

Ph.D. student Elena Dieckmann and his business partner Ryan Robinson, founders of the 2016 start-up "Aeropowder", said the billions of chicken feather wastes in Britain can be used for other purpose considering the quality of materials that the feathers are built.

Feather has a high content of keratin, the reason why it is strong yet lightweight. Keratin has also been proven to be excellent thermal insulators, being a water-repellent and a sound absorbing.

Dieckmann and Robinson said that people around the world consume about 134 million chicken every day and feather waste could be a global problem in the future. Each week, there are 2,000 tons of feathers produced in the UK alone.

Ellena saw an opportunity.

During one of her master studies, she focused more on biomaterials especially in looking for sources of keratin.

According to Forbes, she first started with human hair but she observed that feathers produced more coherent material. Elena eventually developed a low-carbon, low-cost conversion process that could take a clean feather and turn them into feather-based products with the help of Ryan.

Imperial College London has reported their first successful prototype: a water-repellent powder coating. They also produced lightweight composite materials where they suspect that "Aeropowder" will make their mark.

On March 2016, Ryan and Elena were awarded the "Mayor of London Low Carbon Entrepreneur Award" for their feather-derived thermal insulation blocks that combined processed feathers into standard insulation materials.

Elena said that their original mix is doing very well but it wasn't biodegradable. She then showed their latest prototype, a lightweight block that actually made from 60 percent feathers.

She added that the product will be a biodegradable when put to landfill and not just thermally insulate a building. The next thing for them is to set up a pilot for them to see how they can integrate the product into a wider supply chain.

"Aeropowder" has been attracting a whole lot of interest now. Elena and Ryan have also won a "Shell LiveWire Smarter Future Award" earlier this year and also shortlisted for the Travis Perkins Innovation Award.

They have a lot of plans including a feather-based blanket insulations for lofts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 12

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The World Bank (WB) is ready to provide technical assistance to support the strengthening of macroeconomic stability in Azerbaijan, said the WB leading expert Naoko Kojo.

Kojo made the remarks during his meeting with Rufat Aslanli, chairman of Board of Directors at Azerbaijans Financial Market Supervisory Authority.

The sides discussed the current macroeconomic situation in Azerbaijan, prospects of its development, improvement of legislation, the progress in economic reforms, including the reforms conducted to strengthen the macroeconomic stability in the country, said the Supervisory Authority Nov. 12.

Azerbaijan joined the WB in 1992. The bank has allocated more than $1.85 billion for implementation of various projects since the beginning of its cooperation with Azerbaijan.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 12

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The work on adoption of the draft state budget for 2017 is underway in committees of Turkmenistans parliament, the Turkmen government said in a message Nov. 12.

The issue was discussed during a meeting of the countrys Cabinet of Ministers.

The main financial document should focus on investments in the development of the national economy, ensuring fundamental reforms in all spheres of the states activity, said Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, according to the message.

Turkmenistan takes one of the key positions in the region on supplies of natural gas: the fuel is exported to China and Iran. Russia stopped purchasing Turkmen fuel in 2016.

The revenue part of the countrys state budget is mainly formed thanks to the most important sectors of the production sphere, such as oil and gas, chemical sphere, power industry, construction.

According to the state budget approved by the Turkmen parliament, overall revenues will amount to 102,478.5 million manats in 2016, expenses  104,878.5 million manats.

The official exchange rate of the national currency, the Turkmen manat, to one dollar is 3.50 Turkmen manats since January 2015.
Physically, they were divided by a street.

Ideologically, they were divided by so much more.

Two simultaneous rallies held Saturday in Easton's Centre Square alternatively defended and derided the positions and policies of President-elect Donald Trump, each in turn receiving cheers of support or scorn from passers-by.

In many ways, each side was the result of an exhausting election season that culminated last week with the Republican billionaire's victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton -- "Respect democracy" read the sign of a Trump supporter; "WTF did you do?" said a sign on the opposite corner.

There were people like a 17-year-old Army enlistee who wore a bandana over his face as he waved an American flag, who said he admired Trump's drive and refusal to give up. And there were others like Reggie Regrut, an Army reserve veteran, whose sign called Trump a "worm" for disparaging prisoners of war early in the campaign and demanded he apologize for divisive speech.

Chants were traded, along with some insults and gestures. The Trump opponents outnumbered the supporters, some of whom openly carried firearms. But Easton police kept order, and the gatherings dispersed peacefully after two hours.

We asked five questions of people in each camp. Here are their responses.

1. Why are you here today?

Pro-Trump

Eric Antich, 51, of Allentown:

Anti-Trump

Reggie Regrut, 65, of Phillipsburg:

Michaela Boyer, 19, from Laurys Station:

2. Why did Trump win?

Pro-Trump

Antich:

Anti-Trump

Regrut:

Boyer:

3. Why are people afraid of a Trump presidency?

Pro-Trump

Michael Buskirk, 57, of Easton:

Antich:

Anti-Trump

Regrut:

Boyer:

4. Why do others support Trump?

Pro-Trump

Buskirk:

Antich:

Anti-Trump

Regrut:

Boyer:

5. Some said Barack Obama was not their president. What do you think of the reversal?

Pro-Trump

Antich:

Anti-Trump

Bryan Duggan, 42, originally from Dublin, Ireland:

Regrut:

Boyer:

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 12

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR plans to get hold of up to 10 percent of the Romanian energy market in a short period of time, SOCAR said in a message quoting Hamza Karimov, director general of SOCAR Petroleum SA, a SOCAR subsidiary in Romania.

Karimov was addressing the Romania Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition 2016 held in Bucharest.

During his speech, Karimov stressed SOCARs role as a reliable partner in the world energy market.

Thirty-four filling stations operate in 17 Romanian regions, including Bucharest, under the SOCAR brand name, Karimov said. The company plans to take up to 10 percent of the Romanian energy market in the near future.

SOCAR has invested $71.3 million in Romania as of Jan. 1, 2016.

In 2015, SOCAR Petroleum SAs revenue from its activities in Romania amounted to $502,420.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
UPDATE: Reported shooting outside Macungie bank was suicide, coroner says

Macungie police were called Friday afternoon for a reported shooting at a borough bank.

Macungie officers and Pennsylvania State Police were outside the Wells Fargo bank, 301 E. Main St., and there was blood on the ground in the parking lot of the bank.

A person with a gunshot wound was found lying on the ground by officers, and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, according to initial reports.

A message left for borough police seeking details was not immediately returned.

Freelance photographer Mike Nester contributed to this report.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Supervisors from Williams and Hanover townships aren't rolling out the red carpet for marijuana dispensaries or greenhouses.

But if someone wants to open one, they want to be prepared.

Williams Township supervisors on Nov. 9 authorized solicitor Jonathan Reiss to draft an ordinance regulating medical marijuana in the township.

If they don't have any law on the books, the medical marijuana provider might try to dictate terms to the township instead of the other way around, according to township Supervisor George Washburn.

"Our solicitor said it would be the smart thing to do," Washburn said. The law would restrict medical marijuana to industrial areas of the township.

Work started in April to implement Pennsylvania's medical marijuana program. The program should be in place by late 2017 or early 2018. Doctors will be able to prescribe it to those with serious medical conditions such as cancer or epilepsy.

The state will authorize up to 150 dispensaries for the drug.

Hanover Township will host a public hearing Dec. 20 on its medical marijuana zoning proposal. If the supervisors don't vote on it that night, they'll vote Jan. 10. Washburn said the Williams supervisors will probably vote on their law in December.

The Hanover proposal would restrict marijuana growing to greenhouses with electronic locking systems. They couldn't be larger than 20,000 square feet and couldn't allow fumes to spread outside.

The greenhouses or dispensaries can't be within 1,000 feet of a school or day care center, according to the proposal.

The proposed law prohibits drive-through windows, outdoor seating or home delivery from any marijuana dispensary.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Profits are expected to be up at Kildare Village by 28 per cent in 2016 thanks to the 50 million extension last year.

Visitor numbers are to four million a year, an increase of 30 per cent according to the shopping outlet's business director Andrew Marshall.

Marshall who spoke to the Sunday Independent last week said that sales were up by eight per cent and are expected to continue at this rate into 2017. The outlet centre is targeting on Chinese visitors who are likely to spend more.

Meanwhile accounts for the three companies that own and manage Kildare Village have recently been filed for 2015.

The property management and services arm of the business, Value Retail Management, showed that revenue was 10.1m in 2015, up from 8.1m in the previous year. Pre-tax profits were almost 200,000.

The marketing expertise side Kildare Retail Services had revenues of 10.5m and pre-tax losses of 1.2m.

While the real estate arm of the firkm Value Retail Dublin (VRD) charges licence fees and services charges to tenants. It had revenues of 8m and gross profit of 4.6m.

After finance costs of 7.3m, VRD recorded a pre-tax loss of 6.9m, bringing retained losses to 52m.

The accounts for VRD also showed that last year the company entered into an agreement to buy an option to purchase land adjacent to Kildare Village, for phase 3 of the centre, subject to obtaining planning permission.

The option expires in December 2018
It is Liberal Democrat policy to hold a referendum on the terms of Brexit, but I think it is clear from reading Article 50 and the High Court judgment that once we have notified the European Council that we are leaving there is no method to stop us leaving.

Article 50 of the Treaty reads:

Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements. A Member State which decides to withdraw shall notify the European Council of its intention. In the light of the guidelines provided by the European Council, the Union shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that State, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal, taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union. That agreement shall be negotiated in accordance with Article 218(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. It shall be concluded on behalf of the Union by the Council, acting by a qualified majority, after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament. The Treaties shall cease to apply to the State in question from the date of entry into force of the withdrawal agreement or, failing that, two years after the notification referred to in paragraph 2, unless the European Council, in agreement with the Member State concerned, unanimously decides to extend this period.

There are a couple places where a procedure to halt the process could have been included. I think paragraph 3 would have been the easiest place to do it by adding words along the lines of or end the process so that the Member State remains a member of the Union. This means it would have been a joint decision.

Alternatively a new paragraph could have been added that stated that the Member State could end the process by notifying the European Council and so stay a member of the Union.

As the drafters of this article did not take these opportunities to include a method to stop the process we should assume that they have rejected the idea that the process once started can be stopped.

Paragraph 10 of the High Court judgment states:

Important matters in respect of Article 50 were common ground between the parties: (1) a notice under Article 50 (2) cannot be withdrawn, once it is given; and (2) Article 50 does not allow for a conditional notice to be given: a notice cannot be qualified by, for example, saying that it will only take effect if Parliament approves any agreement made in the course of the negotiations .

The judges agree with this and state that because no action including by Parliament can stop us leaving, then giving notice to the European Council in effect changes UK law  hence the need for an act of Parliament.

It has been suggested that Article 68 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties gives nations the right to cancel their notification to terminate a treaty. However Article 50 clearly replaces the procedures in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties for terminating a treaty (article 65), for settlement, arbitration and conciliation of disputes arising from termination (article 66) and the form of notification (article 67). It seems that the wording of article 68 makes it clear that it only applied to articles 65 and 67: A notification or instrument provided for in article 65 or 67 may be revoked at any time before it takes effect. As these articles (65 and 67) do not apply under the Treaty of the European Union because they have been replaced with article 50, article 68 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties does not apply.

The House of Lords Select Committee concluded:

There is nothing in Article 50 formally to prevent a Member State from reversing its decision to withdraw in the course of the withdrawal negotiations 

Professor Derrick Wyatt in his written evidence to the committee concludes with:

 a conclusion that a Member State could not rescind its notification of intention to withdraw could have absurd consequences.  If a Member State which activates Article 50 is irrevocably committed to withdrawal, even if its government changes its mind afterwards, this would lead to an absurd result. It would mean that that Member State, and the other Member States, would still have to conclude a pro forma withdrawal agreement, or await the lapse of two years, then start the process of the Member State re-applying to the EU. That would all be pointless. It cannot be right.

He also states that the requirement to apply as a new applicant in Article 50 (5) could have been worded to make it clear it would apply to a Member State who had changed their mind after giving notice. However it seems that there is no need because he is able to read the wording and conclude that this is the case. Therefore, while he thinks a clear interpretation of the words cant be right and must include a pointless exercise, I think he is mistaken to assume that the drafters of this section did not want to punish any Member State who applied to leave the European Union by making them re-apply under the existing joining conditions, which might mean that as in the UKs case that the Member State would not keep their existing conditions.

Personally I support the idea of having a referendum on the terms of Brexit, but there is no point on calling for one if the legal position is that it cant stop Brexit. I think there are only two ways of a referendum being meaningful. Firstly by trying to get a ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union (either directly or by joining the case before the Supreme Court [but that might result in the overturning of the High Court judgment]) or secondly by getting the European Union to agree a treaty change to insert into Article 50 a method to stop the withdrawal process (which I think is extremely unlikely).

* Michael Berwick-Gooding is a Liberal Democrat member in Basingstoke and has held various party positions at local, regional and English Party level. He posts comments as Michael BG.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 12

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Mahambet Dosmukhambetov has been appointed the first deputy minister of energy of Kazakhstan, the Energy Ministry said.

Dosmukhambetov earlier served as director general of Embamunaigas and as chief geologist, deputy chairman of the board on major projects and senior vice-president on major non-operating assets and offshore projects at KazMunaiGas.

Previously, Dosmukhambetov also served as deputy head of Mangistaumunaigas and headed the geology departments of KazMunaiGas and Kazakhoil.
EU foreign ministers are meeting on Sunday to discuss the outcome of the US election. Our Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson brings shame on himself, his office and our country by announcing he will not turn up.

The UK remains a member of the EU for the time being and should make its voice heard fully in Europe for as long as it can.

The US election result has important implications for Europe. Just as European politics affects the US. The shape of trade between the EU and USA may be affected by Trumps win (will TTIP happen, how might it change?). European defence may need reconsideration (and more investment from the member states) if Trumps rhetoric against NATO is serious.

EU states have shared interests and different perspectives from their respective diplomatic services. There will be a lot to talk about. There will be a lot of work today, not least to direct the EUs diplomats (the External Action Service) what strategy the member states want pursued.

Boris Johnson failure to attend is poor. It looks like the stereoptypical behaviour of a spoilt boy who cannot be bothered to do extra work at the weekend. It also treats his opposite numbers in our 27 closest neighbours with high-handed contempt. It lets us down.

If tomorrows meeting comes to a decision Johnson does not like, he can have no complaint. If he thinks other are reacting wrongly to Trumps victory (as he said yesterday) he should meet his colleagues and share his wisdom and insight.

His conduct is far less than any of us should expect or tolerate from our Foreign Secretary. But it is exactly what we have come to expect from the blustering, amoral showman known as Boris Johnson.

* Antony Hook was #2 on the South East European list in 2014, is the English Party's representative on the Federal Executive and produces this sites EU Referendum Roundup.
THE president of the GP's association in Ireland says that elderly patients with life threatening illnesses are refusing to go to the University Hospital Limerick because of the chaotic conditions at the "worst A&E" in the country.

And Dr Emmet Kerin, president of the National Association of General Practioners said he was surprised that people were not taking to the streets to protest, like they did against Irish Water.

What surprises me is that Limerick is consistently in the media and in the news, and has been acknowledged as the worst A&E in the country for overcrowding and pressure of services. Yet, there is total inaction. Also from a public point of view is that the public were mobilised by the water issues and, yet, there isnt a public backlash after the standard of our A&E services," said the Monaleen based doctor.

He said the consistently high rates of overcrowding at the hospital make local GPs jobs difficult due to the constant consideration of sending patients to the emergency department.

Patients are actually themselves, particularly the elderly population, refusing point blank to go into the A&E. We counsel them and tell them the risks of not going with pneumonia, not going with the abdominal or chest pain, and they are accepting that. Because they are saying to me: Whats the point in me waiting on a trolley for three or four days. You cannot say that isnt impacting on mortality. It is 100% impacting on morbidity and mortality for patients. It is beyond being acceptable.

Earlier this week, University Hospital Limerick broke the record for the highest level of overcrowding in any single hospital in Ireland, with 66 patients treated on trolleys in the A&E and on additional trolleys, beds or chairs in the wards on Tuesday.

UHL equalled the record for the highest overcrowding rate on Monday with 58 patients on trolleys, a rate that had not been seen since October 2011 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation condemned the gross overcrowding at UHL, describing the situation as a scandal.

This reporter visited the emergency department on Wednesday morning, and witnessed more than 20 patients on trolleys.

While the situation appeared to be calmer than the previous 24 hours, the department had little space for movement due to a high concentration of seriously injured, and elderly patients; visitors; and busy staff members.

Though UHL did not have the highest rate of overcrowding in the country on Wednesday, there were 47 patients treated on A&E trolleys and additional trolleys and beds in the wards. A spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group said on Tuesday that it regrets that any patient had to face long waits in our emergency department during busy periods.

The number of ED patients waiting for admission had been to reduced to 40 on Tuesday evening.

The spokesperson said: Whilst the numbers waiting is still much too high, all staff across our hospitals are working hard to free up beds where its possible and safe to do so, to enable those patients waiting in ED to be admitted to a hospital bed.

The spokesperson said that the 400 inpatient beds are not sufficient for the needs of the Mid-West region, and that a bid to build a 96-bed block at UHL has been submitted to the Department of Health and is awaiting approval for funding.

Some 15 beds are currently closed at St Johns Hospital, while recruitment to fill vacant nursing posts is underway. Additional nursing and medical staff have been recruited to A&E to support this increased activity.

The local injury unit in St Johns Hospital, Ennis and Nenagh are a safe alternative to the emergency department for minor injuries and conditions, including spra-ins, suspected broken bones and lacerations.
THE PARENTS of a brave little boy from Newport said they have been overwhelmed by the support of their community.

Evan Jones was only 20 months when it was discovered in July he had a large tumour growing in his neck. A nine hour operation successfully removed it but a biopsy showed he had a malignant Rhabdoid tumour  a very aggressive and rare form of cancer.

Treatment is a course of intensive chemotherapy and radiation. A stem cell transplant may also be required. Evan will be treated in Dublin but he may have to travel to Germany for further treatment.

To help support Evan and his parents, Paddy and Marisa, a fundraising committee was set up. Over 1,200 took part in a fun run recently and that night the community centre was packed with 450 people for a benefit night and auction.

The committees target of 40,000 is expected to be exceeded such was the communitys generosity.

Evans dad Paddy addressed the crowd and thanked everyone for their fantastic support.

He outlined that the family had a long road ahead to get Evan back to full health and that whatever is needed to achieve this will be done.

Paddy said how overwhelmed both he and Marisa were by all the support that the community had shown towards them - not just financially but in terms of well-wishes and the positivity they got from seeing the crowds over the last week.

Paddy said all support would be used to get Evan back to health and that then there would be donations to Crumlin Childrens Hospital. A presentation was made to the committee to mark all their hard work and they promised Paddy, Marisa, Evan and his brother Ben they would be with them every step of the way.
A COUNTY Limerick farmer who faces the prospect of having more than 120 acres of land seized and sold by AIB, says he plans to initiate Judicial Review proceedings following a circuit court ruling this week.

Michael O'Brien who lives in Bulgaden, Kilmallock has been fighting a court battle for several years in an attempt to keep the lands which are believed to be worth over 1m.

AIB first initiated court proceedings against the 53-year-old bachelor almost a decade ago after he failed to make repayments on a commercial loan which was taken out to fund the establishment of a horse-transport businesses in Spain which ultimately failed.

The matter has been before several different judges over the past twelve months and last month Mr OBrien failed to attend in court for a review of the case.

This week, Judge James ODonoghue was told the defendant hasnt paid a penny of the monies he owes to the bank.

Addressing Limerick Circuit Court on Tuesday, Mr OBrien - who recently discharged his legal team - sought an adjournment of the proceedings until early next month.

He said this was facilitate the hearing of a motion which he has filed seeking to have the proceedings against him struck out.

The application (for an adjournment) was opposed by lawyers representing AIB, who submitted the case has had a very troubled history.

Having viewed a number of court orders relating to the proceedings, Judge ODonoghue said he was not willing to allow any more dilly dallying.

Granting AIBs application for possession, he commented: You cant have it all sir.

Speaking following Tuesdays decision, Mr OBrien told the Limerick Leader he intends initiating Judicial Review proceedings against the decision.

While I accept the decision (of Judge ODonoghue), I dont agree with it and I believe he was wrong, he said.

Following an earlier hearing, the 53-year-old said he was prepared to go on hunger strike or drive nails through his hands outside the Dail in a crucifixion style protest if his land was sold out from under him.

I fully stand by those comments, he confirmed this week.

The defendant previously told Limerick Circuit Court he has no liquid cash to repay the debts, but was willing to sell a portion of the lands if a binding, rock solid legal document was produced by the bank.

Never will a square inch of it be sold [without my consent]. I wont walk out of here [his house] without an awful battle. Im prepared to go all the way. I will go on hunger strike or be crucified before my land is taken, he told the Limerick Leader.

Affidavits previously lodged with the court show Mr O'Brien deposited the title documents relating to 58 acres of his land in April 1999, by way of equitable mortgage to be held as continuing and collateral security.

Then in April 2002, he deposited the title documents relating to a further 64 acres of land.

A judgement for 128,335.19 with interest accruing was secured by AIB against Mr OBrien in October 2007.The defendant has been ordered to pay the legal costs of AIB associated with proceedings against him.
DOUG Allan, a multi-award winning cameraman who has worked on a host of major wildlife series over a 30 year career, is to host an evening at the Lime Tree Theatre.

In the Company of Giants sees Doug offer his unique personal insights into the challenges of filming the biggest animals in the wildest places on Earth.

He has gleaned this expertise from working on series like Blue Planet, Planet Earth, Frozen Planet and Wild Cameramen at Work.

Allan, one of the worlds most respected and experienced wildlife and natural history documentary filmmakers, has a deep understanding of the biology of these animals and the challenges they face in todays changing environments will engage and inspire audiences of all ages, according to the advance press material for the show.

He is also a popular and charismatic speaker. His show provides an unforgettable evening of extraordinary animal adventures and unique wildlife film footage, while he also welcomes questions on his encounters and travels, demonstrating what it is like to be up close and personal with natures biggest creatures.

The Scottish wildlife camerman is also deeply concerned about climate change and conservation and, over the last two years has been on several expeditions with the US based Living Oceans Foundation.

Diving in some of the most remote and least visited places in the world he has been filming scientists charting the threats to our precious coral reefs. In those expeditions Doug has seen for himself the sad terrible beauty of a colourful reef bleached pure white by excessively warm water.

The Paris talks last December were a huge step in the right direction. I want to help those steps become strides by reconnecting people to their planet. Big animals are my passion that I want to share, he has said.

- Doug Allan brings In the Company of Giants to the Lime Tree Theatre this Monday, November 14 at 8pm. See www.limetreetheatre.ie.
Nov 11, 2016, 10 PM

By Michael Baadke

Grace Kelly, the American movie star who became Princess Grace of Monaco, was born Grace Patricia Kelly in Philadelphia, Pa., on Nov. 12, 1929.

She graduated from high school in 1947, and with hopes of becoming an actress, moved to New York, where she worked as a model while studying acting and landing smaller parts on television and in the theater.

Her earliest films included High Noon (1952) with Gary Cooper, and Mogambo (1953) with Clark Gable and Ava Gardner. For her role in Mogambo, Kelly won a Golden Globe award and was nominated for an Oscar as best supporting actress.

Kelly starred in several other films, earning an Oscar win for best actress in The Country Girl (1954).

She fell in love with His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III of Monaco, and they married on April 18, 1956, bring an end to her acting career. Together, the royal couple had three children: Princess Caroline, born in 1957; Prince Albert, born in 1958; and Princess Stephanie, born in 1965. Prince Albert is now His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, the reigning monarch of Monaco.

Princess Grace died on Sept. 14, 1982, following a tragic single-car accident in which she was the driver, and her daughter Stephanie, who survived, was a passenger.

On March 24, 1993, the United States Postal Service and the Principality of Monaco jointly issued commemorative stamps honoring Princess Grace. The matching stamps were designed and individually engraved by Czeslaw Slania. The 29 U.S. commemorative (Scott 2749) was issued in a pane of 50.
And your Curious George stamp cartoon caption contest winners are ...

Nov 12, 2016, 4 AM

The winning line in the philatelic part of the cartoon caption contest for October using the 2006 39 Curious George commemorative stamp is the work of David Schwartz of Commack, N.Y. The next cartoon caption contest will be announced in Linns Dec. 12 is

By John M. Hotchner

Entries with the theme of magic dominated the October cartoon caption contest featuring the 39 Curious George stamp (Scott 3992) issued in 2006, part of a set of eight picturing favorite animals from childrens books.

An example from A.S. Clausi of Riverside, Conn., has George looking at the rabbit and saying, Did he take you out of his yellow hat?

Steve Kotler of San Francisco, Calif., views the scene from a different perspective: For my next trick, watch me pull a yellow hat stamp out of a rabbit!

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The well-known propensity of rabbits to reproduce was noted by many entries. Father Sebastian Glentz of Sheboygan, Wis., has George saying, Hello Bunny. Want to see my stamp collection? It multiplies as fast as you do.

Politics got the full treatment as well, using everything from a sledgehammer to a light touch.

This example from Charlotte Shandley of Bronx, N.Y., has a subtle tone: You dig under. Ill climb over, and well meet in Tijuana!

The nonphilatelic line winner also comes from this genre, Why dont people seem to like the elephants and donkeys anymore? It is from Doug Phillips of Sierra Vista, Ariz.

On the philatelic side, the winner comes from David Schwartz of Commack, N.Y., referring to the 32 Bugs Bunny issue of 1997.

Both winners will receive Linns Stamp Identifier published by Amos Media Co., or a 13-week subscription to Linns (a new subscription or an extension). The book has a retail value of $12.99.

Here are the best of the runners-up.

I think some bunny likes me, by Stanley Golabek of Brooklyn, N.Y.

How would you like to be my vice presidential running mate? from Ben Malamed of Basking Ridge, N.J.

Thanks for the offer, hare, but I suggest you ask the tortoise, sent by Kees Adema, of Fairfield, Conn.

Harvey! Do you know Jimmy Stewart? from Charles Smith of Phoenix, Ariz.

Bunny, you dont know how much I wish you were a banana! by Jack Leonard Jr. of Hatboro, Pa.

The Man in the Yellow Hat said Washington is full of silly bunnies. Are you from Washington? from Bradley Miller of Huntsville, Ala.

Thanks and a tip of the hat to all who entered.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 12

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Palestines President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to be on a visit in Turkmenistan November 13-15, the Turkmen government said in a message Nov. 12.

Palestine and Turkmenistan are slated to sign documents on strengthening and expansion of cooperation following a meeting between Abbas and the Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Priority areas of bilateral relations will be discussed in the upcoming high-level negotiations between Turkmenistan and Palestine in Ashgabat, said the Turkmen state news agency Dovlet Habarlary in its commentary.

Diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and Palestine were established in 1992.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Nov. 12

By Demir Azizov  Trend:

The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is to pay an official visit to Uzbekistan Nov. 12, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said in a message.

During the scheduled bilateral meetings in Tashkent, the parties will discuss the state and prospects of the Uzbekistan-China cooperation as well as the regional and international issues.

The parties are also expected to visit Samarkand.

Development of the security partnership and expansion of the economic, investment, scientific and humanitarian cooperation are the priority areas in the relations between the two countries.

In 2015, trade turnover between China and Uzbekistan amounted to $4.1 billion. The Chinese investments to Uzbekistans economy exceed $6.5 billion.
Tehran, Iran, November 12

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iranian Ports and Shipping Organization officials during a visit to Baku discussed prospects of bilateral cooperation with their Azerbaijani counterparts.

The Iranian delegation was led by Managing Director of Ports and Maritime Organization, Jabar Jalilian, while the Azerbaijani side was represented by Rauf Valiyev, the chairman of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company, IRNA news agency reported.

The sides discussed cooperation in maritime transport, repair of ships, dredging, agency services, education, etc.

Iran and Azerbaijan are Caspian Sea littoral countries.

This year presidents Hassan Rouhani and Ilham Aliyev exchanged visits, where they signed several MoUs on boosting bilateral ties.
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Marie Dalton from Ballymahon has become this year's Longford Carer of the Year.

The 81-year-old was bestowed with the accolade during a ceremony at Skelly's in Ballymahon last Friday morning.

Ms Dalton has cared for her husband Pat (85) for the last 20 years.

He became diabetic and lost his sight.

Speaking to the Leader, the Longford Carer of the Year said she was honoured to receive the award.

"I married Pat for better and for worse," she added.

"I just take care of him every day and am very grateful that nothing has happened to him."

You just get on with it and hope every day that he will be okay.

Meanwhile, Denise Nolan is the area manager with Family Carers Ireland in Longford/Westmeath.

There are over 4,900 carers across the two counties saving the Government tens of thousands of euro each year.

Ms Nolan presented Marie Dalton from Ballymahon with her award after she was announced as the Longford Carer of Year last Friday in the south Longford town.

Ms Nolan says that full time carers like Marie get little recognition for the outstanding work that they do.

She also pointed out that the Carer of the Year awards provided an opportunity for Family Carers Ireland to say thank you to the thousands of carers across the country who provide a vital service to loved ones and to the communities in which they live.

The organisation also provides services and supports to family carers across the nation.

Marie has cared for her husband Pat for 20 years now, said Ms Nolan before pointing out that the full time carer had received very little recognition for all the care that she provided to her husband throughout that time.

A lot of the time family carers provide this 24/7 care and it just becomes part of their life, she added.

These awards are an opportunity to say thank you to them and to show our appreciation for the care they do provide on a daily basis.

Caroline Poole, Regional Manager, Family Carers Ireland also spoke on the day.

She said that family carers provided huge support and saved the State billions every year.

Its vital for us to be there so that we can provide all the support and services that family carers need, she added.

Family carers suffer more with back injuries and ill health because of the type of work they do every day - so we try and respond to their needs.

For as long as you have marvellous people taking care of their loved ones, people will be able to stay in their own homes for as long as is possible.

Next week, the Longford Leader speaks to Marie Dalton at length.
With entries closing on Saturday, November 26, Longford students have only a short time remaining to enter their doodles for this years If I could create anything it would be theme.



Eight students from Longford made the regional finals in previous years, with one winning their overall group. It is hoped more will make the regional final this year.



The prizes for this years doodles include a 5,000 scholarship towards the students third-level education, with their winning doodle also appearing on the Google.ie homepage for 24 hours.



In addition, the overall winner and their teacher will receive a Chromebook laptop each, with their school also receiving a 10,000 technology grant. Five other category winners and their teachers will also receive Chromebooks.



Fionnuala Meehan, VP and Site Lead of Google Ireland said, Doodles are meant to surprise and delight people when they visit the Google homepage and past doodles have celebrated some of the most brilliant, talented, and passionate people throughout history. Creativity and technology go hand in hand and I'm constantly amazed at the talent and imagination of students in Ireland."



She added, The amount of entries we have received so far is in the hundreds which will make the decision tough for our judges. We want to encourage as many children across the country to enter, and for those that have yet to do so, there is still plenty of time.



The 75 finalists will have their doodles displayed on the Doodle 4 Google website and the general public will be able to vote for their favourite doodle. The winners of each category will go attend the grand finale event in the Google headquarters in Dublin where they overall winner will be chosen.



The class groups include:

 Class Group 1  Junior Infants, Senior Infants

 Class Group 2 - 1st Class, 2nd Class, 3rd Class,

 Class Group 3  4th Class, 5th Class, 6th Class

 Class Group 4  1st Year, 2nd Year, 3rd Year

 Class Group 5  Transition Year, 5th Year, 6th Year, Youthreach





Schools can enter the competition by logging onto the competition website

https://doodles.google.ie/d4g/
Celebrate the 2016 Holiday Season with a Tree Lighting Ceremony on Long Island

Food, Wine, & Dining, Family & Parenting, Music, Movies & Entertainment, Nature & Weather, Top Ten on Long Island, Community, Charity & Cause, Seasonal & Current Events

By Kelly Tenny Published: November 12 2016

Take the whole family out for some festive holiday fun at a Long Island tree lighting ceremony!

Keep your day merry and bright during a Long Island tree lighting ceremony!

With the holiday season almost upon us, many different local Long Island towns, villages and establishments are getting ready to put up, and light up, their holiday trees ! Decked out with bright lights, traditional tinsel, and eye-catching ornaments, these decorative displays are a great way to kick off the holiday season with the whole family. With many of these tree lighting ceremonies offering other festive fun, like hot chocolate, holiday music, visits with Santa and more, you wont want to miss out on these upcoming tree lightings.

Take a look below to see which tree lighting event you and your family want to attend!

Main Street, Northport, NY 11768

Friday, November 25th from 7 PM - 10 PM

631-754-3905

Free Event

Come on out for a night of festive carolling and enjoy the bright, light spectacle of the Northport Christmas Tree being lit for this holiday season!

4640 Captree Island, Captree Island, NY 11702

Saturday, November 26th from 10 AM - 3 PM

631-661-4876

Call for Price Details

Take a bite out of some cookies, sip on hot chocolate and bring a homemade ornament with a sea, nature or lighthouse theme to hang on Fire Island Lighthouse holiday tree.

Main Street, Huntington, NY 11743

Saturday, November 26th at 6 PM

Free Event

Take part in a gingerbread competition, scavenger hunt, holiday crafts, annual tree lighting ceremony and more during Huntington's 7th Annual Holiday Parade & Tree Lighting!

Southampton Village, Southampton, NY 11968

Saturday, November 26th from 4:30 PM - 6 PM

631-283-0402

Free Event

head over to the Southampton Village for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony and enjoy caroling, refreshments and a visit with Santa afterwards!

1 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568

Saturday, December 3rd from 3 PM - 6 PM

516-333-3355

Free Event

Listen to live Christmas music, eat homemade soups, pretzels, hot chocolate and more, during THE LIFE Lutheran Church's Tree Lighting Festival!

170 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY 11735

Saturday, December 3rd from 4:30 PM - 6 PM

516-249-1220

Free Event

All ages will love viewing this Tree Lighting Ceremony, with free admission, at St Luke's Lutheran Church!

Route 25A and Moriches Road, St. James, NY 11780

Saturday, December 3rd at 4:30 PM

631-584-8510

Free Event

Take pictures with Santa Claus, listen to cheerful holiday music and view the big tree lighting on the great lawn of Deepwells Farm County Park!

Bellport Village Green, Bellport Lane, Bellport, NY 11715

Saturday, December 3rd from 6 PM - 7 PM

Free Event

Bring the whole family out to the Bellport Village's Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Bellport Village Green!

Hempstead Turnpike and Shelter Lane, Levittown, NY 11756

Monday, December 5th from 6 PM - 8 PM

516-520-8000

Free Event

Come out to see Santa as he takes a ride on the Levittown Fire Department sleigh-engine and a holiday tree lighting!

888 Old Country Road, Plainview, NY 11803

Sunday, December 11th from 3 PM - 6 PM

516-719-2418

Free Event
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Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 12

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

The outcome of the US presidential election is very unlikely to have a negative impact on Irans plans to develop its oil fields, an official with the Islamic Republics Oil Ministry said.

Gholamreza Manouchehri, a deputy head at National Iranian Oil Co, has said the efforts made by his company on drafting and finalizing oil contracts with international companies will not be impacted by the outcome of the US presidential election, IRNA news agency reported Nov. 12.

He added that Totals resumption of activity in Iran has exerted a positive psychological impact on other international companies.

Earlier on Nov. 8, Iran inked its first oil agreement with a consortium led by Total in the post-sanctions era. The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) as well as Irans Petropars, a subsidiary of National Iranian Oil Company, are involved in the consortium.

Under the heads of agreement signed by the sides, Total is expected to operate the Phase 11 of South Pars gas field in Iran with a 50.1-percent interest alongside Petropars (19.9 percent) and CNPC (30 percent).

Irans Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh has said the cost of the project is expected to reach $4.8 billion.
Local News, Business & Finance, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: November 12 2016

Suffolk County resident and returning vet facing obstacles finding work in the civilian world is now a first-year apprentice at Steamfitters Local 638.

Bohemia, NY - November 11, 2016 - In 2010, Dustin Whitton left his home in Bohemia to serve as a rifleman in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 and after four years of service to his nation, was honorably discharged as Lance Corporal. When he returned stateside in 2014, he drifted between jobs for nearly two years, first working at fast food restaurants and other thankless jobs before moving to the construction industry, where the early morning hours and manual labor were familiar.

However less familiar were the unsafe working conditions often faced at non-union construction sites and even having his work wages stolen by unscrupulous employer-contractors. He also learned from construction site co-workers that it was common for companies to hire new work crews every 11 months, simply for the company to avoid promised annual raises.

The lack of on-the-job safety and financial security convinced Ex-Corporal Whitton that he needed a better career path, leading to his decision to apply to Helmets to Hardhats, a national nonprofit that helps veterans make the transition from military to civilian life.

In July 2016, it led Dustin to the New York City-based Steamfitters Local 638. Here, workers undergo a five-year apprenticeship program, paid for by the union and Mechanical Contractors Association of New York, to learn how to design, install, and maintain what are effectively the hearts, lungs and arteries of the buildings that make New York so great. This includes fire sprinklers, steam and water piping, and heating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in commercial, residential and industrial buildings throughout New York City, Suffolk and Nassau Counties.

Currently a first-year apprentice, Dustin is installing fire sprinklers at a public storage facility project in Hicksville, LI., earning quality wages, healthcare and pension protections to support his fiance and their soon-to-be born daughter, who is expected in November.

For the first time since I left the Marine Corps, I wake up in the morning and enjoy going to work. It has been an easy adjustment into a civilian job, and I know that at the end of the day, I am able to proudly support my growing family with this career.

The veterans who entered Steamfitters Local 638 via Helmets to Hardhats truly make a positive difference in our workforce. They bring in the skills and values they developed in the military and are rewarded with a quality career in the construction industry that pays good wages and benefits, said Patrick Dolan, Steamfitters Local 638 President. Steamfitters Local 638 proudly supports our veterans by investing in their education and teaching them how to safely build and maintain the iconic New York skyline.
Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com

Columnists Press Releases
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 12

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Laszlo Kover and his Iranian counterpart Ali Larijani have met in Tehran to discuss expansion of trade ties.

Larijani has said the sides discussed broadening of trade ties as well as terrorism crises during the meeting on Nov. 12, IRNA news agency reports.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Hungarian counterpart, Larijani said that investment in the sectors of energy, bus making and environment was discussed during the meeting.

Iranian speaker added that both countries share common viewpoints regarding the issue of terrorism.

Ali Larijani noted that the ongoing visit would have a positive impact on both expansion of trade ties and combating terrorism.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 12

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

The Minister of National Defense of China Chang Wanquan is expected to arrive in Iranian capital of Tehran on Nov. 13.

The three-day visit will take place at the official invitation of Iranian defense minister, Brigadier-General Hossein Dehqan, IRNA news agency reported.

The Chinese minister is slated to meet several high-ranking Iranian officials to discuss bilateral issues as well as regional and international developments.
A Taliban suicide bomber penetrated Bagram Air Base, one of the most secure facilities in Afghanistan, and killed four people and wounded 17 more. The base has been the focus of high-profile Taliban and jihadist attacks in the past.

Resolute Support, NATOs mission in Afghanistan, confirmed the attack in a statement released earlier today. The NATO command did not say how the Taliban suicide bomber was able to breach security at Bagram. However, US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said two American soldiers and two contractors were killed in the attack.

An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield today resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 were wounded, according to the press release. On Twitter, Resolute Support later updated the number of wounded to 17.

The nationalities of those killed was not disclosed. The US and other NATO countries have forces deployed at Bagram Air Base, which is located in the central province of Parwan.

Accounts differ on who exactly was targeted inside Bagram. In a statement released on Voice of Jihad, the Talibans official propaganda website, the group said the suicide bomber targeted American personnel while they were busy in taking exercise.

According to Bagrams district governor, a suicide bomber entered the airbase and then detonated his suicide vest among the workers, who were getting ready to start work, TOLONews reported.

The Taliban claimed that the attack took four months to plan and execute. According to the Taliban, martyrdom seeker Mujahid  Hafiz Muhammad Parwani  had already managed to enter the airfield very tactically along with necessary toll and explosives.

Additionally, the Taliban also claimed that 23 American soldiers including key officers have been killed and 44 others wounded as well as several internal puppets [Afghan security personnel] have been killed and wounded. The group routinely exaggerates the number of people killed or wounded in its operations.

The Taliban has provided some clues about the organization of its so-called martyrdom units that has conducted operations such as todays. It has identified two key leaders of its Suicide Groups. Mullah Taj Mir Jawad has been described as the head of a martyrdom-seekers battalion, while Qari Abdul Raouf Zakir, is the commander of the Talibans suicide groups. Qari Zakir, who was designated as a terrorist by the State Department in Nov. 2012, has long commanded the Haqqani Networks suicide operations.

The Taliban and their powerful sub-group, the Haqqani Network, as well as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and al Qaeda, are all known to operate in Parwan province. These groups and others coordinate operations as part of what the US military used to call the Kabul Attack Network.

These jihadist groups have conducted multiple high profile attacks at Bagram over the past decade. Bagram is a high priority target for the Taliban. The base is the largest in Afghanistan, and the Obama administration has planned on keeping an estimated 5,500 troops split up between bases at Bagram, Jalalabad, Kabul, and Kandahar thru 2017.

In one of the more significant attacks, the Taliban  in conjunction with al Qaeda, the Haqqani Network, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan  launched a complex suicide assault on the airbase in May 2010. Bekkay Harrach, a senior al Qaeda leader from Germany, was among those killed during the assault.

Other recent high-profile attacks in Parwan province include the Dec. 2015 suicide bombing that killed six NATO troops as their convoy patrolled just outside of Bagram Air Base, and the July 2014 suicide bombing that killed four Czech soldiers.

Large NATO facilities in Afghanistan have been targeted by the Taliban in the past. Bases in Nangarhar, Kabul, and Helmand have been hit by high-profile Taliban attacks. In one of the most successful Taliban attacks, a suicide assault team penetrated security at Camp Bastion in Helmand province in 2012. During the attack, the Taliban killed two US Marines and destroyed 6 Harrier strike aircraft and damages two more.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Luton is a large town, borough and unitary authority area of Bedfordshire. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 258,000. Luton is home to Championship team Luton Town Football Club, London Luton Airport and The University of Bedfordshire. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. For all the latest news from Luton sign up to our newsletter here.
Tehran, Iran, November 12

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Irans President Hassan Rouhani has said Tehran and Hungary can enjoy peaceful nuclear cooperation.

Speaking in a meeting with the visiting Speaker of Hungarys National Assembly Laszlo Kover, Rouhani said his government had based its foreign policy on expanding relations with friendly countries, IRIB reported November 12.

Hungarys competencies in the field of industry and agriculture has created proper bases for the expansion of Tehran-Budapest ties, Rouhani noted.

He also emphasized the implementation of the eight documents that were signed when Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban visited Iran last year.

According to the documents, Tehran and Budapest will boost their political consultations and promote their cooperation in the fields of economy, investment, tourism as well as cultural, scientific and educational exchanges. The two sides will also cooperate on health, medicine and communications technology.

Iran and the Hungarian multinational oil and gas company MOL in late October launched a new round of negotiations to sign a long-term oil deal.

According to traders and shipping data, MOL had commissioned a cargo of 140,000 tons of Iranian heavy crude oil for Oct. 23.
Malaria Consortium and UNICEF to introduce new tools to improve diagnosis of pneumonia in Ethiopia

12 November 2016



On this World Pneumonia Day, Malaria Consortium is proud to announce a new project in the fight against one of the leading causes of child mortality: pneumonia

London, 12 November 2016 - Malaria Consortium is working with UNICEFs Acute Respiratory Infection Diagnostic Aid (ARIDA) project, in partnership with la Caixa Foundation, to introduce new diagnostic aids to improve diagnosis of pneumonia in Ethiopia. Pneumonia is still the largest infectious killer of children under five years, taking more lives than malaria, TB, and HIV combined. Pneumonia related deaths are particularly prevalent in Asia, South America and sub-Saharan Africa, with many pneumonia deaths resulting from late care or inappropriate treatment due to misdiagnosis of symptoms.

The ARIDA project will evaluate these new diagnostic aids for pneumonia, and ensure they are acceptable to both health workers and caregivers of sick children. At present, pneumonia diagnosis is largely presumptive or is made by counting the respiratory rates in children with a cough or difficulty breathing. However, counting respiratory rate is a difficult exercise even for trained health workers and misclassification of an observed rate is common, leading to incorrect diagnosis and consequently inappropriate treatment.

Malaria Consortium and UNICEF will evaluate the first of the ARIDA products in Ethiopia, in the hands of frontline health workers, and assess its potential for scale-up. If what we have learned from previous studies showed us anything, it is the difficulty of counting respiratory rates and the urgent need for user-friendly devices. We need to urge technological innovators to continue developing diagnostic tools for the millions of health workers who count respiratory rates every day, said Dr Karin Kallander, Senior Research Adviser at Malaria Consortium. ARIDA will make the job of health workers diagnosing pneumonia easier, reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics and help to save many childrens lives.

The ARIDA project supports UNICEF and Malaria Consortiums commitment to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, as well their commitment to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being at all ages. Today, World Pneumonia Day, is an opportunity to promote awareness about effective pneumonia treatment and build further support for the ARIDA project and evidence based sustainable solutions.

Related projects
New Delhi: The Supreme Court dismissed the review petition in the Soumya murder case and also issued contempt notice to former judge Markandey Katju.

On Sep 15, the court had commuted the death penalty of the sole convict Govindachamy to seven years imprisonment for causing grievous hurt to Soumya.

Katju had criticized this judgment on his blog saying it contained fundamental flaws and was thus called to the court to explain his views.

But high drama ensued in the court and the Justice Ranjan Gogoi even asked the security to remove Katju from the courtroom.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 12

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

The United Nations Human Rights report has once again touched upon the issue arising from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict  the conflict the UN cannot help solve for over 20 years now.

Recently, the UN Human Rights Committee in its regular report expressed concern over harassment and discrimination against members of the Armenian minority in Azerbaijan. Moreover, the report also indicated concern over Azerbaijans not permitting foreigners with Armenian surnames, regardless of their nationality, into the country.

But the report on Armenia has not yet been published. That report could contain information on real discrimination occurring in Armenia. Armenia is so "hospitable" that, a long time ago, it became a mono-ethnic country where no other ethnicities can survive.

Armenias authorities and citizens discriminate against the Armenians who had previously come from Azerbaijan due to the conflict started by Yerevan. The UN should primarily examine this discrimination, since the said Armenians became a powerless part of the Armenian society and the local authorities are making profit on them.

Armenian journalists as well as Trend have repeatedly reported about this.

As for the Armenian minority living in Azerbaijan (at least 40,000 people), I would like to ask the UN whether they have the facts proving any persecution of Armenians by the authorities in Baku?

No one has ever heard about this in the last 20 years. Then what kind of harassment is this? Armenians peacefully live in Azerbaijan, and their changing their Armenian surnames may be explained by their shame for the behavior of their historic homeland, which has been occupying the lands of their actual homeland  Azerbaijan  for over 20 years?

The UNs non-existent report on Armenia should also include information on how the Armenians treat Azerbaijani graves and monuments as well as mosques and other religious sites left in the occupied territories  they have been destructed and desecrated by Armenians.

This is while there is an Armenian church in the center of Baku, restored by Azerbaijan. At least this fact proves that accusations of "discrimination" against Armenians in Azerbaijan are false.

Recently, a lot of Armenians have freely crossed the Azerbaijani border. But, Azerbaijans vigilance towards the persons with Armenian surnames can be justified on grounds of national security, as we must not forget that Armenia is an occupant that does not shun any means and threats against Azerbaijan.

---

Elmira Tariverdiyeva is the head of Trend Agencys Russian news service
Hillary, Obama and Media -- the Victims of Their Own Illusion and Propaganda and Making Trump the President

The credit for the stunning or unbelievable victory of Donald Trump goes to Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama and their bribed or obedient Medias and above all their Quixotic Propaganda. Hillary propaganda can be considered as the most strategically idiotic and blunder-some political exercise leading to her own self-defeat and the uneasy victory of Donald Trump. They made Donald Trump the real hero and savior of the American Dream and Interest.

Hillary Team miserably failed to read the writings on the wall and the real pulse of the general public of America and their deep rooted fear of Islam -- Islamophobia, their anger or revenge against Obama and above all the fear of globalization and migration. Every American citizen has been miserably affected with Islamic Terrorism, Globalization and the subsequent economic invasion of China and above all exploding number of migrants and refugees and consequent rise of crime and terror besides grabbing the stagnant or limited job markets. This big strategic failure has been reflected in every aspect of the electioneering of Hillary Clinton and her more than obedient and loyal experts, media persons and celebrities.She was practically a prisoner of courtiers of well-organized Left and the college students and above all well-knitted Muslim Organizations both in America and the Middle East besides the bribed and corrupt Medias. A lion share of her election fund and also of the Clinton Foundation came from the Muslim organizations and Muslim business men from America, Middle East and even from Pakistan. Muslims in America worked hard with a united spirit for the failure of Trump and the undisputedly for the victory of Hillary Clinton.Hillary Clinton also projected either Obama or Michelle or Celebrities more than her in her election campaign on the false hope that they were her real strength. But the actual message that she conveyed was that she was nothing before those persons and she had no policy or strategy of her own other than that of those people. Even the women she paraded as the victims of Donald Trump with their vulgar revelation adversely affected the credibility and the moral or ethical stature of Hillary Clinton rather than Donald Trump. The Feminism card used against Donald Trump both by Hillary, Michelle and Obama did not mobilize the American women in favor of Hillary but make them vote in favor of Trump either out of sympathy or empathy or simple admiration.Hillary and Obama had been focusing mainly on the character assassination of Trump instead of giving any positive message on the policies and action plan of Hillary Clinton as the President of America. On the other, Trump had not resorted to such a vulgar strategy; instead he had been telling his policies and action plan as the President of America though without giving any details or specifications, as the voters did not want any specification or detail unlike the experts or highly educated people.Hillary Clinton and her loyal media persons had been always giving wrong and confused messages to the general public about her and at the same time projecting Obama or Michelle or celebrities or the so called victims. General Public had been wondering what Hillary wanted to convey them; they lost forest in the woods; they feared that Hillary was no more than better than a street woman without any answer or solution for the pressing problems of America. Americans had developed a deep rooted mistrust on the speeches and oratory of Obama and clever and cunning deeds of Hillary Clinton.On the other, the people trusted the plain and outspoken Trump; they trusted him unlike the shrewd and crooked politicians like Obama and Hillary. Trump never projected any person other than himself. Hence nobody had any doubt or confusion about Trump and his message though crude and unpolished. Besides, everybody had lost their faith in the media, media persons and experts besides the snap polls projecting the uneasy victory of Hillary Clinton.Both Obama and Hillary projected Trump as the greatest threat of Muslims and Migrants in America and around the world using his utterance against Islamic Terrorism and Radical Islam besides the crimes committed by the illegal migrants. As a result, Muslims all over America and elsewhere in the world found their greatest enemy or threat in Donald Trump and they mobilized billions and billions for the victory of Hillary Clinton, besides openly worked for her and against him using all their organizational machinery besides thousands of Muslim youth. To add her misery, the sound and fury making left also supported Hillary.While America was terrified with Islamic Terrorism, the massive and organized election campaign of the American Muslims, Muslim organizations and Muslims around the world, especially from Pakistan and the Middle East paved the way for spreading and reinforcing Islamophobia all over America. Consequently a large number religious as well as liberal or non-religious Americans and those who had been keeping away from voting united in favor of Donald Trump in defeating Hillary Clinton. Further, Catholics in America who originally offered their support to Hillary Clinton realized that they were cheated by her after the WikiLeaks revelations of her e-mails that made them to cast their vote against Hillary Clinton.The election result making Donald Trump the President of America was an unexpected blow not only to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, American Muslims, the Left in America, the entire American media- print and electronic, media professions and their experts, but the entire world, especially the Muslim world, the left and the intellectuals also. It may take at least two weeks for them to accept the reality. The present violent riot or protest against Donald Trump is not mere an emotional outburst but a planned and systematic effort of the criminals, the rowdies, the left and the fundamentalists. Unless President Obama and the emotionally shattered media come forward to suppress or defuse the violent protests, Islamist Terrorists and suicide bombers strike America killing hundreds of street protesters and as a result spreading Islamophobia all over the world with wider consequences .(As early as Nov. 6, 2016, in my article published in the Market Oracle (UK), I wrote about the fall of the Fourth Estate in the American Election: The actual causalities of the American Presidential Election are not the Democracy or the Judiciary, but the so called Experts, the Academics, the Lead Media Persons and above all the Fourth Estate. American Election and the Fall of the Fourth Estate  The Price of Bribery and Corruptions http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article57089.htm

My recent writings on these topics appeared in the Market Oracle (UK) can be found with the help of the following link: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/UserInfo-Dr_R_M_Mathew.html

Prof. (Dr.) Raju M. Mathew

 2016 Copyright Dr. Raju M. Mathew - All Rights Reserved



Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




MILTON A 16-year-old boy was wounded as he and a friend walked along the Department of Conservation and Recreation bike path at the Milton and Mattapan line Friday afternoon, Massachusetts State Police said.

The Boston Herald reported that the boy was rushed to the Boston Medical Center with at least one gunshot wound from the 5:45 p.m. shooting. Police did not identify the boy, nor did they specify the location of the boy's injuries.

Authorities said the boy's injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

According to police the boy and a friend were on the bike path behind the Ryan Playground near River Street in Mattapan, not far from the central Avenue trolley stop in Milton.

The friend went to a nearby convenience store to get help.

The bike path is under the jurisdiction of the DCR, a state agency. The State Police detectives attached to theTroop H and also those attached to the District Attorney's Office are investigating the incident.
WORCESTER  A man from Alabama was arrested in Worcester by Massachusetts State Police on Friday morning, after he was found to be in possession of a stolen firearm, according to police.

Ernest Johnson, 48, of Jasper, Alabama, was taken into custody by State Troopers after they pulled over his Ford F-150 as he was travelling down Route 290. Police say they stopped Johnson as the result of motor vehicle violations.

During the motor vehicle stop, Troopers found that Johnson was driving without a valid license. They also found that he was in possession of a stolen gun--a 9mm Stallard Arms--as well as a .45 Smith & Wesson Glock, and ammunition. Johnson did not have a license to carry the weapons.

Johnson now faces a multitude of charges, including unlawful possession of ammunition and a firearm without a license or a Firearm Identification Card, reception of a stolen firearm, and a number of motor vehicle violations.

Johnson is being held at the Holden Barracks pending an arraignment in Worcester District Court on Monday morning.
Chicopee Boys and Girls Club Annual Community Dinner

The flag pole in front of the Chicopee Boys & Girls Club, as seen in this 2012 photograph, has been repaired and will be rededicated on Monday.

(MICHAEL BESWICK / REPUBLICAN FILE)

CHICOPEE - The Boys & Girls Club will hold a rededication ceremony to celebrate the newly repaired flag pole that stands in front of the club.

The event is scheduled for 4 p.m., Monday in front of the club on Meadow Street. Boys & Girls Club members and staff will be joined by veterans and state and local officials for the ceremony. The public is also invited.

The pole has been in disrepair for a year and resident Al Kendall, an Air Force Veteran, a member of the American Legion Post 242 and a member of the Commission on Disabilities, volunteered to have it repaired. He directed the effort to solicit donations and assistance to fix the pole and spruce up the nearby planter, said Jason Reed, director of marketing and development for the club.

Jeffrey Polep, President of J. Polep Distribution Services, donated $1,000 to refurbish the pole. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, donated the United States Flag and State Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, D-Chicopee, donated a state flag of Massachusetts which will both fly from the pole, Reed said.
SPRINGFIELD -- Almost two dozen law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty in the last month alone, putting 2016 on track to tie last year's 130 on-the-job fatalities.

More than 120 on-duty officers have been killed this year, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The wave of fatalities has been almost relentless, with at least 23 officers killed since Oct. 5. That's 23 deaths in 37 days, with seven weeks remaining in 2016.

The list of fatalities includes Thursday's shooting of Scott L. Bashioum, 52, an officer with the Canonsburg Borough Police Department in southwest Pennsylvania. Bashioum was "ambushed" while responding to a domestic disturbance, according to authorities.

The number of U.S. and Puerto Rican police officers killed by gunfire this year now stands at 57, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a nonprofit organization that tracks fatalities. That's 16 more shooting deaths than all 41 officers killed by gunfire in 2015.

Other officer fatalities this year have involved police pursuits, hit-and-runs, and deaths caused by drunken drivers, among other traffic-related incidents.

The deaths have led to an outpouring of grief across the nation including here in Massachusetts, where many law enforcement agencies have taken to social media to offer their condolences to grieving families and police departments.

In some instances, however, law enforcement officials have barely finished honoring one fallen officer when another is killed in the line of duty. In the past week alone, eight officers died on the job, including seven shooting fatalities, CNN reports.

The deaths are coming so fast and furious, it's hard to keep up with them.

Wilbraham police officials on Thursday honored the passing of Bashioum, and on Friday offered "thoughts and prayers" to the family of Darrin Reed, 50, a Show Low, Arizona, police officer shot to death Nov. 8.

Sgt. John Delaney, a spokesman for the Springfield Police Department, highlighted the heroism of New York City Police Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo, a 41-year-old "hero in blue" who was fatally shot after responding to a robbery in the Bronx Nov. 4.

The loss, Delaney said, "reminds us all of the dangers we face every single day while protecting and serving the public."

After last week's fatal shooting of two Iowa police officers -- Sgt. Anthony Beminio, 39, and Justin Martin, 24 -- USA Today reported on a particularly troubling trend: Ambush-style killings of police officers have increased 167 percent this year.

The article was published before the death of Bashioum, the latest cop to come under fire without warning. He was hit as soon as he stepped out of his cruiser, while another officer was wounded before he even exited his car, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Below is a list officers killed in the line of duty since Oct. 5, including the date of the fatality, the officer's name and age, police department, and means of death:
SPRINGFIELD -- In the end, it was still a good deed.

Each year on Veterans Day, some contractors throughout the region donate their time, labor and materials to help rehabilitate the houses of selected area veterans who have fallen on hard times. The Joined Forces program, under the direction of the Springfield-based Revitalize Community Development Corp., or Revitalize CDC, and each year is it considered for all concerned a feel-good story.

It hit a snag this year when, midway into rehabbing a home on King Street -- a project that would normally cost a homeowner up to $20,000 -- the contractor learned the owner of the property is not a veteran. Suddenly the feel-good story no longer felt as good.

"I felt terrible about it," said Fran Beaulieu, owner of Phil Beaulieu & Sons Home Improvement of Chicopee.

By the time he learned homeowner Curtis Vaughn was not a veteran, it was simply too late, he said. They couldn't exactly just pack up and leave.

"We had already ripped down his porch," Beaulieu said.

Vaughn, 83, is a lot of things. He is a retired city employee who was a heavy equipment operator for 36 years until he retired 10 years ago. A Palmer native, he has lived since the mid-1950s in the home that used to belong to his grandparents. He is also a heart transplant survivor.

He is all these things and more, but one thing he is not -- nor has he ever claimed to be -- is a veteran.

In an interview Friday with The Republican, amid the sound of pounding hammers and buzzing circular saws in his backyard, Vaughn said in no uncertain terms that he never told anyone that he served in any branch of the U.S. military.

"No, I'm not a veteran. I explained that to them before," he said. "I want to make it clear that I am not."

Beaulieu said he got Vaughn's name from officials at Revitalize CDC who told him that Vaughn was a veteran and a worthy choice to be selected for a home repair.

He said when he called them back Friday morning after finding the truth, they seemed as surprised as anyone. "They said they could have sworn that Mr. Vaughn was a veteran but they never checked it out."

Colleen Loveless, executive director for Revitalize CDC, apologized for the confusion that led to Vaughn's house begin selected for a program for veterans.

"There was a lot of paperwork, and some misunderstanding in the back-and-forth" between her organization and the contractors, she said.

Revitalize CDC has helped revitalize more than 600 homes with the help of 10,000 volunteers since 1992. In the past year, it has completed 68 home repair projects in Western Massachusetts. Much of its work involves the homes of low-income families with children, people with special needs, veterans and military families, and the elderly.

Loveless said that Vaughn, at 83, clearly qualifies for work on his house because of his age, his income and because he lives with a disabled son. But selecting him for a program intended to help out veterans was clearly a mistake.

Beaulieu said that, for the past six years, his company has been involved in the Veterans Day Volunteer Project. In addition to the job on King Street, his company was also doing work on Thursday on the home of a Holyoke veteran, and had finished up another job on the home of a Granby veteran.

Preparing for the Veterans Day work begins typically months in advance, as early as the beginning of July.

Vaughn's project was a little larger than the others. Beaulieu estimated it will take another full day of work next week to complete.

A deteriorated two-story porch that was in danger of collapsing was torn down. Asbestos-based tiles on the rear of the home were removed. A simple one-story deck with pressure-treated lumber and a hand railing will be installed. A second-floor doorway was replaced with a window, and vinyl siding will be installed. A crew with Baystate Restoration Group spent most of Friday working on the project and would likely need another full day next week to finish up, he said.

"Something like this will probably be in the $15,000 to $20,000 range," Beaulieu said. "It's totally free. Free labor, free materials."

The materials are donated by suppliers. The workers donate their time. Beaulieu said everyone who has been involved in similar projects come away feeling good.

As recently as two years ago, Vaughn's house was selected for repairs to the front porch and roof and for repainting as part of another Revitalize CDC project geared toward fixing homes in the neighborhood that had been damaged in the 2011 tornado.

Loveless said Revitalize CDC this past winter worked with Eversource and Springfield Partners for Community Action to get Vaughn a new furnace after learning he was living without heat.

"He has been one of our recipients before," she said.

Vaughn said he appreciated the assistance. "I don't have words enough to tell them how happy I am," he said.

Beaulieu said the mixup has taken away some of the good feelings from the project. But in the end, he said, "It's still a good deed."
The Syrian government troops jointly with peoples militias have retaken the Al-Assad district of western Aleppo which was taken over by terrorists in late October, Sputnik reported.

Hezbollah and local militias took part in the offensive to recapture the village of Minyan which is located next to Al-Assad in late October.

"The army and militias have kicked the terrorists out of the Al-Assad district," the source said, adding that the militants could mine some houses and streets when retreating.

On October 28, armed radical factions led by al-Nusra militant group attempted to break the siege of the eastern Aleppo that had been encircled by government forces.

In the course of the offensive, terrorists managed to capture most of the Al-Assad district and advance toward a military academy of the same name located nearby. The Syrian army and militia repelled the attack on the academy.

This week Syrian troops supported by national militias have regained control of the 1070district and other strategic positions in the city. During the first days of intense fights, over 500 terrorists were liquidated, the source said.
SPRINGFIELD - Family members, elected officials and veterans advocates gathered Saturday for a special ceremony to remember the sacrifices of five African-American soldiers killed in the Vietnam War.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Monument in Mason Square was first erected in 1968, making it the oldest Vietnam memorial in the country and the only one specifically honoring African-Americans who lost their lives.

The monument pays tribute to U.S. Army Pvt. Gus Stovall, Jr.; Marine Lance Cpl. David Lee Owens; Army Spc. Norman Carl Farris; Army Spc. Ronald Charles Hurst; and Air Force Sgt. James Cecil Starnes. They all lived in the neighborhood formerly known as Winchester Square.

Springfield City Councilor Justin Hurst is a nephew of Ronald Hurst.

"My father didn't talk much about his brother, but he always said that I reminded him of Ronny," said Hurst. "I never got the chance to meet Ronny, but one thing I do know is that those were some big shoes to fill."

Growing emotional, Hurst paused for a moment to compose himself before reflecting on Ronald Hurst's mother, who died in August at the age of 92. He said Jeanette Hurst attended every event at which her son was remembered.

"If she could have breathed, she would have been here," said Hurst.

Lester "Skip" Williams, now 81, raised the money for the memorial, which was erected while some soldiers from Springfield were still at war. He flew in from California for the annual ceremony.

Williams said he was planning to buy headstones for each of the fallen, but the fundraising effort ballooned with support from the community. It cost $1,000 to construct - not a small sum in 1968.

State Rep.-elect Bud L. Williams said he was close with Hurst and Stovall. He likewise held back tears as he remembered hearing the news that his friends had been killed in action.

"The day that word came through the community, it really vibrated through this community. It really, really did. Hurt a lot of people," said Williams. "I don't think a lot of people ever recovered from it. Those gentleman gave the ultimate sacrifice. ... They were my protectors."

Mayor Domenic Sarno said many veterans of the controversial Vietnam War were disrespected and spat upon when they returned home, but those same veterans have made it their mission to support veterans of every subsequent war.

"It was the Vietnam veteran that stepped forward, and continues to step forward, to make sure that our new veterans, coming home from Afghanistan and Iraq, are properly thanked and respected," said Sarno. "You didn't have to do it. It wasn't done for you. But you never let it sour you. You wanted to do the right thing."

Springfield Veterans Services director Thomas Belton served in the Marines during the Vietnam War. He was wounded in battle and awarded the Purple Heart in 1968.

Belton said Americans "utter a lot of words" on Veterans Day and Memorial Day, but actions speak louder.

"We've got to live up to those words and to the commitments we made to our veterans," said Belton, "to care for them while they're in uniform, but most importantly, after they take that uniform off."

The ceremony also recognized all 50 servicemembers from Western Massachusetts who gave their lives in Vietnam.
SPRINGFIELD  Two men are being held at Springfield Police headquarters after they were arrested early Saturday following a shooting, car fire and car chase through the streets of downtown Springfield.

Two officers were also injured when the suspect's car crashed into a cruiser at the end of the chase, police said.



Springfield Police Lt. Richard LaBelle said Jose Garcia, 35, of Chicopee and 28-year-old Henry Quinones of Springfield, were arrested after a foot chase on East Columbus Avenue.

Both face charges of illegal possession of firearms and malicious damage to property after police said they shot up a Chapin Terrace home, then set fire to a Jeep parked in the driveway. The two then led police on a chase, he said.

Police were called to 129 Chapin Terrace just after 3 a.m. with a report that two men were shooting at the house. Witnesses said the two then set a 2014 Jeep Cherokee on fire. Springfield Fire officials said the car was fully involved by the time they arrived at the scene.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to other cars or to the nearby house. An investigator with the Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad responded to the scene and determined the fire was intentionally set, according to Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

Officers searching the exterior of the home found ballistic evidence that the home was indeed shot at.

Meanwhile, police responding to the scene pursued a car which was allegedly seen fleeing the area. Garcia and Quinones led a string of police cars on a chase from Chapin Terrace through neighborhood streets to Chestnut Street, then to Main Street northbound and over the North End Bridge to West Springfield, according to police.

Officers said they could see the passenger throwing objects, believed to be firearms, from the car as it passed over the bridge.

Once over the bridge, however, the suspects did not stay on the west side of the Connecticut River but instead used the rotary to return back over the bridge, again throwing objects from the car as it passed over the river.

The suspects led police south on Main Street, up Maple Street into the Union Street neighborhood, then back to Main Street and onto East Columbus Avenue. Labelle said the suspects' car crashed into a police cruiser and Garcia and Quinones fled the wreck on foot. Two officers were injured, Labelle said. One was treated and released from the Baystate Medical Center and a second remains under treatment as of Saturday morning.

The suspects, however, were chased and apprehended, then taken to police headquarters for booking.

LaBelle said each faces charges of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a FID and malicious damage to property over $250, among other charges.
SHAFTSBURY,Vermont The bodies of two men were found at a Shaftsbury home Friday afternoon,

Vermont State Police

said.

The Bennington Banner reported that Orlanda Fitz, 28, and Trevor Gardner, 38, were found shot to death at a Shaftsbury Hollow Road home just after noon. A State Police spokesman said investigators believe the deaths are the result of a murder-suicide.

Police said they were called to the 600 block of Shaftsbury Hollow Road at 12:30 p.m. on Friday and found the body of Fitz in the front yard of the home, and Gardner's body in a pickup truck parked elsewhere on the property.

The bodies were removed to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for a formal determination of cause of death.

Fitz was facing trial on charges of cocaine and heroin trafficking. Police said they had received information that Fitz was selling crack cocaine and heroin in Bennington and in Hoosick Falls, N.Y. just over the state line. He was also accused of assaulting a woman with a firearm.

He was scheduled for trial in Vermont Superior Court following his arraignment in July on charges of first-degree aggravated domestic assault and battery with a weapon, cocaine trafficking and reckless endangerment.
Entering election night, the celebrated political forecasting blog FiveThirtyEight gave Democrat Hillary Clinton a 70 percent chance of winning the presidency. The polling aggregator RealClearPolitics put Clinton up by 3.2 percent nationally. Even without including races considered "tossups," the well-regarded website Cook Political Report predicted Clinton would win 278 electoral votes, exceeding the 270 needed to win.

How did the polls get it so wrong?

The Republican/MassLive.com asked several Massachusetts pollsters what went wrong with the polling, and why no one foresaw the victory of Republican Donald Trump.

Pollsters say that there are numerous possibilities, ranging from problematic polling models to unusual voter behavior. Most of the problems appear to be with state-based, rather than national, polls. The polling industry, they say, is already starting to discuss and analyze the race to figure out what went wrong and how to do better next time.

"The polling industry is always staring at a mirror, even when we're doing well," said Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC Polling Group. "There's no interest in ignoring problems or letting them fester."

Tim Vercellotti, director of the Western New England University Polling Institute, added, "You can rest assured the polling field wants to get it right and wants to get to the bottom of this, because the 2018 midterms are just around the corner."

Pollsters say the national polls, while wrong, were not inordinately far off. They generally predicted a Clinton victory in the low single digits, and Clinton did win the popular vote, although only by 0.2 percent.

David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, cautioned that only polls taken in the campaign's final week should matter when looking at the results, since people's minds change as events change.

The bigger problem was in individual states, particularly some of the Midwestern and Rust Belt states. In Michigan, for example, the RealClearPolitics average of the last five polls had Clinton leading by 3.4 percent. Trump won the state by 0.3 percent.

In Pennsylvania, the average of the last six polls had Clinton up by 1.9 percent. Trump won by 1.2 percent.

Polls in Wisconsin, where Trump won by 1 percent, showed Clinton leading by 6.5 percent.

"It was a systematic skew of state polls in states that mattered," Koczela said.

Paleologos said the growth of websites that aggregate polls has had a "multiplier effect," because it means that a few bad polls can skew an outcome -- and make the aggregator and the other state pollsters look bad.

"If there were more good pollsters who were polling the national race or doing more polling in battleground states, maybe the aggregators would have better numbers and therefore their models would be better," Paleologos said.

But Koczela said the problem was not entirely due to a few bad pollsters. "These were gold-standard good pollsters with long and distinguished track records," Koczela said. "It suggests something systematic that happened."

One frequent suggestion is that Trump voters were either embarrassed to admit their support for Trump or were part of the population that did not respond to surveys -- as Trump referred to them, the "silent majority."

But pollsters say while that is possible, there are other potential scenarios as well. Koczela said one possibility is that Clinton's supporters were not energized and while they responded to polls, they never turned out to vote.

Paleologos said because both Clinton and Trump were strongly disliked, there were more undecided voters than usual going into the final week. If a normal year would have 5 or 6 percent of likely presidential voters undecided in the last week, this year there was another bloc of around 5 percent of voters considering third party candidates. That leaves 10 percent of likely voters who could be persuaded to change their minds at the last minute.

Vercellotti said pollsters also create models of the pool of "likely voters," which include assumptions about the demographics of the electorate, taking into account things like race and class.

"Pollsters may have underestimated the turnout and preferences of white, working-class voters, who had long been a reliable constituency for Democrats in places like Michigan," Vercellotti said. This year, those voters overwhelmingly supported Trump.

"When we look at the failings of polls, it's often not one smoking gun, it's often a combination of factors," Vercellotti said. "It will only be after some careful scrutiny and transparency on the part of pollsters that we can draw some legitimate conclusions about the misses."

Koczela said the biggest misses appear to be in states that had the biggest shifts from Democratic-leaning to Republican-leaning between 2012 and 2016. But he said it will take time to do things like request voter files to figure out whether people whom the polls identified as likely voters actually showed up to vote.

For now, Koczela said, "There's lots of speculation, but nobody really knows."
Will Middlebrooks

Milwaukee Brewers' Will Middlebrooks bats during the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, July 22, 2016, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Benny Sieu)

Former Boston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks has signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers.

Middlebrooks' major league career got off to a terrific start in 2012 when he batted .288 with a .325 on-base percentage, .509 slugging percentage, .835 OPS, 15 home runs, 14 doubles and 54 RBIs in 75 games for the Red Sox.

But in 250 major league games (909 plate appearances) since then, the 28-year-old has slashed only .209/.257/.355/.612 with 28 homers, 35 doubles, two triples and 98 RBIs.

Midlebrooks appeared in only 10 major leagues during 2016. He went 3-for-27 (.111) with no extra-base hits and one RBI for the Milwaukee Brewers.

He played 68 games for Milwaukee's Triple-A affiliate, Colorado Springs, posting a .282/.308/.508/.816 line with 10 homers, 22 doubles, two triples and 47 RBIs.

Boston traded him Dec. 19, 2014 to the San Diego Padres for catcher Ryan Hanigan.

The Padres granted him free agency after the 2015 season and he then signed with the Brewers.
Before soldiers are sent into combat, theyre trained on how to function in an immensely dangerous environment. But they also need training on how to return from the battlefield to civilian life, says psychologist Hector Garcia. Applying the same principles used to prepare soldiers for war, Garcia is helping veterans suffering from PTSD get their lives back.

TED Video: http://ted.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=07487d1456302a286cf9c4ccc&id=1556b7c71d&e=d3135666a2

***

Veteran turns to crowdfunding, Kickstarter to finish Missoula therapy spa  The Enlighten Lab Float Center http://www.matr.net/article-74137.html
Bear Paw Development Corporation is a private non-profit organization created for the purpose of administering programs to help improve regional economic conditions in Hill, Blaine, Liberty, Chouteau and Phillips Counties and the Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy's Indian Reservations.
Two US police officers were shot in the US state of Idaho in a standoff, local police said, Sputnik reported.

According to the media outlet, one of the officers is in surgery and the other one is in the emergency room.

The wanted man was shot and killed in the standoff, the channel reported. He was also wanted for a double shooting earlier in the week.

"We had a serious tragedy in the city of Boise tonight, both for our police department and our community," Boise Police Chief Bill Bones told reporters Friday, as quoted by the KTVB television channel.
A Lenoir man accused of attempting to resell retail items in Marion has been sentenced to at least 14 months in prison.

Robert Allan Barr, 47, of Sunset Street, Lenoir, was found guilty in McDowell County Superior Court of felony obtaining property under false pretense. He was sentenced to 14 months minimum, 26 months maximum in prison. He was given credit for 36 days time served.

On Friday, Sept. 30, Barr entered Tractor Supply Co. of North Main Street, Marion and attempted to return a bench-top chain saw sharpener and a pack of 54-inch mower blades, with a total of $128.08. However, according to arrest warrants, the items were not previously sold and were used to falsely obtain money from the business. He was subsequently arrested by the Marion Police Department that day and given a $15,000 bond.

Barr has been convicted of numerous larceny and financial crimes between Burke, Caldwell and McDowell counties since 2004, spanning from shoplifting and worthless check charges to common law robbery. However, in a plea arrangement made in District Court, the State agreed not to pursue habitual felon status on this current charge.
Im not a Bigfoot expert, but at $1,000 per speaking engagement, I am willing to learn.

According to a Nov. 2 Associated Press story, the executive director of the University of New Mexicos Gallup campus raised a few eyebrows when he spent more than $7,000 in taxpayer money on a two-day, on-campus Bigfoot conference.

The wire service called UNMs Dr. Christopher Dyer an avid Bigfoot hunter in his spare time who says he only pursues the mythical creature when he isn't on the job which means if hes hanging around the school book store one day and spots Sasquatch, its only a coincidence.

Dyer called the conference the largest and most well-attended event in the history of this campus and defended its cost.

"People use monies from the taxpayers to do research. For Bigfoot or whatever," he said, according to AP.

A post-conference, off-campus hunt for Bigfoot by the executive director and some of his companions  also paid for with UNM funds  yielded no sightings of the hairy mythical beast and Dyer admitted that taxpayers probably didnt get a lot of bang for their buck with the failed expedition, if only because of lousy weather.

"I'd have to say it was pretty much a blown waste of money because we did not find evidence because of the snow. It was just impossible to get around out there. So in that case, yeah would we spend money on that again? Absolutely not," he said.

UNM President Robert Frank wasnt happy about the expense.

Dr. Dyer needs to be much more thoughtful about how he undertakes these activities, he said in what I imagine to be his best Dean Wormer from Animal House impersonation. "The type of expedition that just took place was not appropriate and will not occur in that manner again."

AP said the school was on the hook for advertising for the conference, meals for guest speakers, airfare and per diem.

Self-professed Bigfoot expert Dr. Jeff Meldrum was paid a $1,000 honorarium plus expenses, according to the story.

Self-professed? Wait a minutemaybe I am a Bigfoot expert if self-professing is what it takes. The following is an unpaid advertisement for the newly formed Acme International Bipedal Humanoid Speakers Bureau, of which I am executive director:

Do you need a self-professed Bigfoot expert to speak at your next university conference, Rotary meeting or family reunion? If you have $1,000, Im just the man for the job. Hello, I am Scott Hollifield, executive director of the International Bipedal Humanoid Speakers Bureau and I have been a Bigfoot expert for the last two-and-half minutes.

During that time, I have extensively studied this amazing creature, his habitat, his elusive nature and what I might be able to buy with one thousand extra dollars. And now, I am available to share that knowledge with you for only $1,000, the cost of meals, airfare and all the cashews I can eat. I really like cashews.

During my informative and entertaining presentation, I will answer such Bigfoot-related questions as:

- Does Bigfoot have a difficult time finding shoes?

- What is the relationship between Bigfoot sightings and blood-alcohol content?

- If Bigfoot fought the Loch Ness Monster, who would win?

Following my presentation, I will lead a select group of individuals on an expedition to locate Bigfoot. We shall leave no stone unturned, searching every pub, brewery and gentlemans club in an effort to locate this magnificent beast and buy him a round.

To book an engagement, just contact me at the International Bipedal Humanoid Speakers Bureau, where our motto is, Were self-professed but were still the best (that you can get for $1,000).

Scott Hollifield is editor/GM of The McDowell News in Marion, N.C. and a humor columnist. Contact him at rhollifield@mcdowellnews.com.
Nearly 30 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 injured on Saturday in a blast at a popular shrine in Pakistan's volatile Baluchistan province, officials said, Deccan Chronicle reported.

The blast occurred in the remote Hub region in Lasbela district where devotees were attending a Sufi dance called "dhamaal" at Dargah Shah Noorani shrine.

Baluchistan Interior Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed the blast in which "several" people were killed.

However, an official of the Edhi Trust Foundation told local media that nearly 30 people, including women and children, were dead and around 100 injured in the blast.

"Our local focal person has told that about 30 people were killed," said the Trust's Hakeem Lassi.

Bugti said it was a remote area and it would be quite a task to retrieve the dead and injured when already darkness engulfed the region. So far nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Turkeys Interior Ministry shut down 370 non-governmental organizations on Friday, Anadolu reported.

According to a statement from the ministry, the organizations in 39 provinces were linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the PKK/KCK, the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) and Daesh.

They were closed to protect security and public order, the authorities said.

Fridays step was taken under state-of-emergency legislation, the ministry added.

The Interior Ministry said 153 organizations were associated with FETO while 190 were related to the PKK/KCK. Nineteen associations were connected to the DHKP-C and eight to Daesh.

After the deadly July 15 coup attempt, which martyred more than 246 people and injured nearly 2,200 others, Turkey declared a state of emergency.
Turkey will decide whether or not to reinstate the death penalty, not the West, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday, Anadolu reported.

The issue of the death penalty is already on the government's agenda. I have said that I will approve it if the parliament takes this decision, Erdogan told a crowd in Turkey's northwestern province of Sakarya during the funeral of Muhammet Fatih Safiturk, the governor of Mardin's Derik district, who succumbed Friday to wounds sustained in a PKK terrorist attack.

We will take the decision on this, not the West, Erdogan said.

The European Union -- to which Turkey is a candidate -- warned Ankara over the reinstatement of capital punishment saying it would end the membership process.

Since the foiled putsch, which martyred 246 people and wounded nearly 2,000 others in Turkey, officials have voiced calls for the death penalty to be reinstated for the putschists.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which have orchestrated the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey and be behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July last year. Since then, more than 300 civilians and nearly 800 security personnel have been martyred. Around 8,000 PKK terrorists have been killed or apprehended.
by Sara Guaglione , November 11, 2016

People magazine editor-in-chief Jess Cagle is defending its recent magazine cover story featuring president-elect Donald Trump. The publication received criticism and threats of a reader boycott for the allegedly sympathetic portrayal.

Many readers voiced their surprise that the cover story, titled His life, his family and his astonishing journey to the White House, was published by People, considering the magazine recently ran a story by a former People reporter, Natasha Stoynoff, who recounted an alleged sexual assault by Trump in 2005.

advertisement advertisement

In a memo to staff, Cagle wrote: "I assure you that the cover on the president-elect is in no way a celebration or endorsement of this deeply polarizing figure. And we continue to stand steadfastly by Natasha.

Cagle noted some readers said they were sickened to see Trump on the cover, while others were thrilled.

It seemed wrong to put anyone other than the president-elect on the cover this week. He was elected president. We can't pretend it didn't happen, he said.

The article describes Trump's victory as a "stunning upset, capping off the most polarizing presidential campaign in modern U.S. history." Though the five-page feature does briefly mention Stoynoff, it focuses on Trumps life, such as his childhood in Queens, New York, and his time at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

Since Trump won the presidential election, People magazine has taken a lighter approach to the president-elect and his family. For example, the magazine published a slideshow of daughter Ivanka titled 27 Photos of Ivanka Trump and Her Family That Are Way Too Cute," and another of his wife Melania and her outfits on the campaign trail.
by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, November 11, 2016

Envision a home where glass in kitchen cabinets, on walls and in picture frames doubles as video phones. Where blackboards keep a running tally on the future plans of those living in the household, and smart shelves with sensors tell you why your basil in the potted plant is dying or thriving.

Take a walk into the future through the eyes of Microsoft. It felt a little like being at Disneyland with all the real-life animation and walls turning into full-sensory video telephone systems that provide insight into far-off lands, but in reality it's pieces of technology either readily available, on the drawing board, or in the minds of researchers that Microsoft engineers created and experiment with for use in a variety of applications. Microsoft calls the space the Envisioning Center. I had an opportunity to take a tour Thursday.

The center -- although no photos are allowed -- offers a clear picture of how Microsoft will integrate the work from across its business divisions, such as advertising, chatbots and cloud services with ERP and CRM business tools, and Xbox and HoloLens. It's also clear how data can play a role for advertisers and how the company will evolve to lead the next evolution of devices and services.

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The Envisioning Center is a place for Microsoft to showcase its technology and its view of the future for home and office spaces. The space in various forms has been around for between 15 and 20 years. I visited the space in the early 2000s, when the focus was on radio frequency identification technology and near-field communication sensors that tallied up your purchases as you walked in the front door with packages after shopping for the day.

The sensors would identify the products and enter each as a line item in a database, so the home owner would have a running inventory of the items  clothing to kitchen items and furniture to electronics -- in the home. At that time retailers were tagging everything with RFID chips and focusing on automating inventory systems. Each home would have a server rather than connecting to the cloud.

Fast-forward 15 years and the focus turns to cloud services, sensors and video, along with a whole bunch of data that advertisers will have an option to use to target. That's the next phase in advertising.
Capping off what has already been a surreal week, Facebook on Friday indicated that users -- all of them -- were dead.

For at least several hours, the social giant added a remembrance banner to users profiles with a Facebook-blue flower. The message read: We hope people who love [name] will find comfort in the things others share to remember and celebrate [his/her] life.

As it turns out, the issue was caused by a bug, according to Facebook.

For a brief period today, a message meant for memorialized profiles was mistakenly posted to other accounts, according to a company spokesperson. This was a terrible error that we have now fixed  We are very sorry that this happened ,and we worked as quickly as possible to fix it.

While unlikely to cost the loyalty of many users, the error is another blow to Facebook, following a week of pummeling for its perceived role in electing Donald Trump as the next president of the country.

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg dismissed the charges as absurd on Thursday.

The idea that fake news on Facebook influenced the election in any way is a pretty crazy idea, Zuckerberg told attendees of the Techonomy conference, in California. Voters make decisions based on their lived experience.

Earlier in the week, Facebook executives were less defensive about the role the companys platform may have played in swaying voters views by facilitating the spread of fake and misleading news stories.

For one, Adam Mosseri, VP of product management at Facebook, said its handling of news (both real and not) remains a work in progress. We understand there is so much more we need to do, he said in a statement given to TechCrunch.

This past summer, Facebook decided to automate the creation of its Trending topics section. The change followed accusations of conservative media bias, which was followed by an internal investigation into Facebook's content editing policies.
by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, November 12, 2016

The first time I met Brian Monahan was at the tail-end of a sojourn. It was 4 p.m. on May 18, 2009, to be precise.

I know the exact moment, because I chronicled it as part of a day-long sojourn I covered live for MediaPost.

Thats what Monahans colleague Brian Wieser called it, a social media sojourn, when he invited me to follow him around for a day as he met with industry experts to help define what social media was and how much to factor it into what he considered advertising.

Wieser, who has since returned to being a Wall Street stock market analyst, was then head of forecasting at Interpublics Magna Global unit and was using the sojourn as a real-time method for processing the meaning of social media, and my live blogging was part of it.

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In truth, my first encounter with Monahan was not that meaningful because, like I said, it came at the tail-end and by then both Wieser and I were pretty sojourned out. I could see it in Wiesers face -- gears turning -- as he rambled philosophically while interviewing Monahan over a speaker phone when we got back to his Midtown office.

Monahan was then a senior vice president of Universal McCann in San Francisco and Interpublics lead social media expert, but I could see Wieser was busy processing what we had already absorbed that day, much of it spent in the back of taxis riffing on everything from McLuhan to the meaning of social media life, and he was facing his own imminent end-of-sojourn deadline for defining the value of social media to the advertising industry.

I honestly cannot recall anything Monahan said during the interview, but I remember vividly what I heard in his voice. It was sincerity. I could hear that he really cared about what we were talking about. He was passionate about it.

The next time we met was in person. We were having lunch at Del Posto to plan an upcoming issue of MEDIA magazine Monahan agreed to guest edit. The waiter brought us some complimentary fritter-like appetizer, when Monahan told me his wife ran a restaurant that served something similar. He said he recycled the cooking oil her restaurant used to power his car, which had a specially modified engine.

We spent most of the rest of that lunch discussing the theme of the issue -- how media was accelerating the evolution of people -- and how we were going to execute it. Just as Wieser had done by using MediaPost as a medium to organize and publish the points of view of other experts, we agreed Monahan would use a print edition of now extinct MEDIA magazine to showcase conversations with experts to make the case that homo sapiens have evolved into what he termed homo mediated, a class of people who were defined as much by the media they use as anything else.

I consider that issue of MEDIA to be one of the most important things Ive ever worked on, partly because of what we published, but also because it gave me the opportunity to work closely with Monahan, who may have been the smartest guy in a crowded roomful of brilliant young intellectuals that made up then CEO Matt Seilers Mediabrands, the Interpublic unit overseeing all of the holding company's media brands, including shops like UM, intelligence units like Magna, new specialty practices like programmatic trading desk, Cadreon, and what arguably has been the best new media laboratory ever on Madison Avenue, the IPG Media Lab.

During his time at Interpublic, Monahan was central to all of that, including stints running the lab and Magna before leaving to become head of marketing for Walmart.com. Along the way he helped incubate NewCo, with long-time editor (Wired) and publisher (Federated Media) John Battelle.

In April, after a three-year stint overseeing marketing, digital media and commerce inside the worlds most powerful retailer, Monahan returned to an active role at NewCo. Although he had never really left, his new job as Chief Evangelist, brings him back to what he says he enjoyed most during more than decade in digital media: working with startups that all want to use media and technology to change the world.

Monahan, who also serves on the board of a few special startups that he is passionate about, is now focused on transforming NewCo from its roots as an event organizer that started by hosting a series of open houses in the digital media innovation Meccas of San Francisco, New York, Boston, Austin, Cincinnati, etc., to a global event and publishing platform organized around a mission he is even more passionate about: using for-profit business models to make the world a better place.

The following interview is edited from notes based on several conversations with Monahan in recent months during which he expressed both optimism and concern -- maybe even some remorse -- for the first round of digital media innovation, particularly programmatic audience buying.



MediaPost Weekend: Youve been on all sides of the business. Agency, client and now youre on the supply-side at NewCo, so you are a publisher. What are you thinking now, and why are you feeling buyers remorse about things like audience buying?

Brian Monahan: I was in an agency my whole career in Silicon Valley and in many ways my job at IPG was to be a bridge between IPG, its clients and the innovation in Silicon Valley. That manifested into things like our programmatic capability, the IPG Media Lab, all the stuff we were doing in Magna. And then I went to the client side at Walmart.com to be head of marketing there and got to put a lot of that into practice.

It was a great experience for three years. We took our non-holiday monthly comScore uniques from 65 million to 85 million during my tenure and largely that was on the back of harnessing data for more relevant marketing and e-commerce experience. And with any big, all-consuming role like that it was all-consuming and I missed being connected to the early-stage innovation. I always kept one foot in it as a co-founder of NewCo over the years, but as NewCo began to grow, I felt that after three years at Walmart it was time to jump back in.

Ive also been doing a bunch of advising work. Im advising a company called Blueshift Labs, started by this guy from Walmart Labs, which does real-time, multichannel personalization. Im working with a company called NinthDecimal, which is a mobile audience intelligence network. Im working with a company called Local ID, which enables retailers to do hyper-targeting at the store level. Im working with a company called Price.com, which is essentially next-generation price comparison. Im working with a VC called Commerce Ventures, which just focuses on retail payments. Its been cool to reconnect and get hands on with some really interesting startups.

My role at NewCo has really been to focus on growth and monetization as weve grown from just doing events to becoming a media company.

We started with our festivals. This February will be our fifth year of doing a NewCo festival in San Francisco, and this one will be the whole Bay Area and will be a week-long. This fall, we also have events coming up in Shanghai, Toronto, Mexico City, Istanbul, Barcelona and Boulder. By the end, we will have done festivals in 18 cities. Just coming off of year two in Austin and Cincinnati, which saw 20% growth, year-on-year.

Its been exciting to see that part of our business grow. And earlier this year, we decided to start publishing so we could share our point of view and learnings from having spent time with all these companies and cities around the world in service of our mission, which is celebrating and connecting the engines of positive change on the planet.

We very much believe that the for-profit organization is a very powerful way of mobilizing human capability. And weve been learning that there are business practices that can make those for-profit companies more successful in this modern age.

We also want to discuss what is the role of the for-profit entity in our community and that there really is a model of capitalism where you can align purpose with profit. With so many of these companies in Silicon Valley its almost like a punch line that they exist to make the world a better place. And the truth is when you spend time with these companies they actually believe they have a purpose beyond their personal enrichment or maximizing shareholder profit. Not all of them. Maybe not even the majority of them. But there are a number of successful companies that really internalize this notion of purpose.

Its more than corporate social responsibility. It is a true alignment of profit with purpose and when you get it, it seems to have a lot of real benefits such as attracting and retaining talent, in terms of making partnerships, and resource allocation, fostering creative innovation. Weve found there is a business benefit to being purpose-driven and thats one of the big themes weve been writing about at shift.newco.com

Weve got about 150,000 people or so coming to our site each week. Weve got 50,000 people on our email list and 400,000 social followers. We feel like the story is interesting to people and the audience is growing nicely.

Were going to launch a new executive forum this February alongside the Bay Area festival. This will be an invitation-only forum. Weve got a great lineup of speakers -- everyone from Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, to Ev Williams, the CEO of Medium.

Basically, we want to talk about this next generation of capitalism. Is there a way to run a business that delivers profits that actually solve meaningful problems in the world. And how do you run a business like that?

MW: So explain why youve grown concerned about programmatic audience buying?

Monahan: The notion of buyers remorse, if you will -- for an audience-based approach to monetization -- is definitely interesting for me, because NewCo fundamentally is a niche media property. We write for the next generation of business decision makers. Its not a mass audience. And our value proposition is. Were trying to figure out what the model is for monetizing our media products and we figure that, hey, in a programmatic era, its much harder than it seemingly was in years past to find brands that are looking to engage with publishers like us. Theyre looking to engage with mass audiences.

I feel like the pendulum has swung so far toward prioritizing the delivery of audience that weve lost the ability to prioritize context. I feel like it is a lost opportunity, particularly at a time when were talking about the attention economy, finding ways of breaking through and actually getting noticed with content, marketing and "native advertising," I guess you can sort of trick people into reading your advertorial, but it seems like the consumers are always one step ahead of brands, so finding ways of actually aligning your message with meaningful context and serving it up in a way that is actually going to get noticed seems to be the Holy Grail. And it seems that for the past five years, programmatic has really revealed the power it has in terms of minimizing waste, but all the focus has gone on audience and there seems to less regard for the power of context.

Were very excited about the editorial direction we are heading in. We are getting good feedback from the,NewCo movement, if you will, in terms of the numbers and participation were seeing. We definitely feel we are onto an important story that people are ready to consider. Is there a post-capitalism, where the mantra is not maximizing shareholder value at all cost? Is there a model that aligns profit with purpose? And not to just pay lip service to it, but to actually make an operating business out of it. Those are the kinds of stories were trying to tell -- because, frankly, weve got major problems in the world.

Hurricane Hermione just went through and they were comparing to hurricanes in the past, and while the winds werent that strong, the seal levels were a foot higher than the last time a hurricane like this came through. Weve got major problems like climate change in the world right now and seemingly few institutions with the momentum and power and track record of fixing anything. We certainly have a track record of for-profit businesses mobilizing creativity in a powerful way, and if we get it right we can get these engines humming and pointed in a way that rewards people, but also solves problems. Thats an optimistic vision, and weve found that people want to learn more about those kinds of companies.

MW: Are there any other business practices that youre starting to rethink in a similar way?

Monahan: I often feel like theres something changing about the role of a brand -- about a more empathetic understanding of the role a brand plays in a persons life in favor of this really sophisticated segmentation of a population.

It seems like that in the old days we focused on building a single, main idea and a core value proposition for a brand. And a lot of that has opened up to how do I intersect with a persons life in a meaningful way? As opposed to what we seem to be doing now, which is just slicing up the population and having messages targeted to each segment of it. It seems like weve lost some of that context, but not context where the message appears, but context with which the brand is viewed in somebodys life.

MW: What have you been focusing on since you came back to NewCo full-time?

Monahan: Were basically creating a new media brand that is if Wired and the Economist had a baby, and we want to tell the story of this new generation of business innovators who are making a difference in the world. And not just tell that story, but let people actually participate in it.

NewCos mission is to celebrate and connect business change agents who believe for-profits businesses are the engines of positive change on the planet. We do that through our events. We do that through our social networking. And now we do that through the content we publish.

Its a really interesting time to be in publishing. Nobody knows this better than you -- because, frankly, MediaPost was one of the first companies to appreciate the power of coupling physical events with publishing content. NewCo began in the events business first, but everyone publishing these days is trying to figure out the right mix of content that is trusted, experiential. The focus for us is on the story of for-profit businesses using technology to solve big problems in the world.

Were creating a community of business change agents. [In April], we did NewCo Detroit. It was our third NewCo festival in Detroit and we probably had about 70 companies, and you can look at companies that are involved in solving problems for specific industries -- health care, education, fashion, or what have you. And then you make your schedule based on different neighborhoods. You plan your experience of the city and you meet the companies themselves in their offices. You meet with their founders and management teams, and hopefully you connect and it fosters growth.
Depression is a serious mental illness that can interfere with a persons life. It can cause long-lasting and severe feelings of sadness and hopelessness, as well as a loss of interest in activities. Some people with depression may experience appetite changes and sleep problems. Other aspects of depression may bring on painful physical symptoms, such as headaches. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that, in 2020, 8.4% of all adults in the United States experienced a major depressive episode at least once in the past year. However, despite its prevalence, depression is not always easy to identify. Symptoms and causes of depression can vary widely from person to person. Gender may also play an important role in why depression affects a person and what it feels like to them. Learn more about the physical symptoms of depression.

How depression feels

One of the common misunderstandings about depression is that it is similar to feeling sad or down. Although many people with depression feel sadness, it feels much more severe than emotions that come and go in response to life events. The symptoms of depression can last for months or years and can make it difficult or impossible to carry on with daily life. It can disrupt careers, relationships, and daily tasks, such as self-care and housework. Doctors will usually look for symptoms that last for at least 2 weeks as a possible sign of depression . Depression may feel like: There is no pleasure or joy in life: A person with depression may not enjoy things they once loved and feel like nothing can make them happy.

A person with depression may not enjoy things they once loved and feel like nothing can make them happy. Concentration or focus becomes harder: Making decisions, reading, or watching television can seem taxing with depression because people cannot think clearly or follow what is happening.

Making decisions, reading, or watching television can seem taxing with depression because people cannot think clearly or follow what is happening. Everything feels hopeless: Depression may make people feel that there is no way to feel good or happy again.

Depression may make people feel that there is no way to feel good or happy again. Self-esteem is often absent: People with depression may feel like they are worthless or a failure at everything. They may dwell on negative events and experiences and cannot see positive qualities in themselves.

People with depression may feel like they are worthless or a failure at everything. They may dwell on negative events and experiences and cannot see positive qualities in themselves. Sleeping may be difficult: Falling asleep at night or staying asleep all night can feel nearly impossible for some with depression. A person may wake up early and not be able to go back to sleep. Others may sleep excessively but still wake up feeling tired or unrefreshed, despite the extra hours of sleep.

Falling asleep at night or staying asleep all night can feel nearly impossible for some with depression. A person may wake up early and not be able to go back to sleep. Others may sleep excessively but still wake up feeling tired or unrefreshed, despite the extra hours of sleep. Energy levels are low to nonexistent: Some people have difficulty getting out of bed or feel exhausted all of the time, even when they are getting enough sleep. They may feel that they are too tired to do simple, daily tasks.

Some people have difficulty getting out of bed or feel exhausted all of the time, even when they are getting enough sleep. They may feel that they are too tired to do simple, daily tasks. Food may not seem appetizing: Some people with depression feel like they do not want to eat anything and have to force themselves to eat. This can result in weight loss.

Some people with depression feel like they do not want to eat anything and have to force themselves to eat. This can result in weight loss. Cravings for comfort foods: Although some with depression do not want to eat, others find solace in food. They can overeat and crave comfort foods, leading to weight gain.

Although some with depression do not want to eat, others find solace in food. They can overeat and crave comfort foods, leading to weight gain. Aches and pains may be present: Some people experience headaches, nausea, body aches, and other pains with depression. Many people mistakenly believe that being depressed is a choice or that they need to have a positive attitude. Friends and loved ones often get frustrated or do not understand why a person cannot snap out of it. They may even say that the person has nothing to be depressed about. Depression is a real mental illness. Those who live with depression cannot simply decide to stop feeling depressed. Unlike typical sadness or worry, depression can feel all-consuming and hopeless.

Common causes and risk factors Several factors can cause depression. Though depression may not have one single cause, experts recognize the following as possible risk factors: Genetics: Depression and other mood disorders can run in families, though family history alone does not mean a person will get depression.

Depression and other mood disorders can run in families, though family history alone does not mean a person will get depression. Life events: Major life changes and stressful events may trigger depression. These events include divorce, the death of a loved one, job loss, or financial problems.

Major life changes and stressful events may trigger depression. These events include divorce, the death of a loved one, job loss, or financial problems. Hormonal changes: Research suggests that there is an association between depression with menopause, pregnancy, and premenstrual disorders. However, hormone changes likely act with other factors.

Research that there is an association between depression with menopause, pregnancy, and premenstrual disorders. However, hormone changes likely act with other factors. Certain illnesses: Physical illnesses may increase the risk of developing severe depressive illnesses.

Physical illnesses may increase the risk of developing severe depressive illnesses. Drug and alcohol abuse: Heavy substance use may result from and correlate with depression.

Heavy substance use from and correlate with depression. Some medications: Certain prescription medicines may increase the risk of depression. These include some high blood pressure medications, steroids, and some cancer drugs.

Types of depression This section looks at the different types of depression. Major depression Although it may sound daunting, major or clinical depression is the standard type that doctors diagnose. NIMH reports that major depression is among the most common mental health conditions in the US. People with this condition have experienced five or more symptoms of depression for at least 2 weeks . Some people experience recurrent bouts of major depression, which can happen monthly, yearly, or a few times in their lives. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a condition in which there is a link between mood changes and the seasons. It is a subcategory of major depressive disorder (MDD). It is a type of recurring major depression with a seasonal pattern. It is most common during the colder, darker winter months and affects up to 9% of the US population. The prevalence of people with SAD tends to increase the further people live from the equator. The symptoms of this condition are depression, sleep disturbance, weight gain or loss, and increased alcohol consumption. SAD occurs four times more often in women than in men. One potential cause of the seasonal affective disorder is believed to be a lack of exposure to natural light in the winter months, although scientists are not completely sure of the cause. This lack of exposure may cause disrupted levels of serotonin and melatonin in the body. Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) Formerly known as dysthymia. PDD can last at least 2 years, and some symptoms may be less severe than those of major depressive disorder, but other symptoms can be just as debilitating. Persistent depressive disorder is less common than major depression, with between 36% of the population experiencing it. Postpartum depression Postpartum, or perinatal, depression, is a type of depression that happens during or after a pregnancy. The baby blues describes the typical stress and worry of caring for a newborn in the first 2 weeks after giving birth while postpartum depression interferes with daily life and can persist for weeks or months. As well as experiencing the common symptoms of depression, a person may: feel numb or disconnected from the baby

worry about harming the baby

feel guilt about not being a good parent

withdraw from loved ones

cry more often than usual Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that around 1 in 8 women with a recent live birth experience symptoms of postpartum depression. Psychotic depression This type of depression includes episodes of psychosis or delusions in addition to major depression. Examples include paranoia, difficulty understanding what is real or not, and hallucinations, including seeing, hearing, or smelling things that others cannot perceive because the affected persons mind is fooling their own senses. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) PMDD is not a type of depression but a condition that can cause severe depression. It is a depression distinct from MDD as it links to the menstrual cycle, resulting in significant emotional lability. It also has unique physical symptoms, like breast tenderness and bloating. It is similar to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) but with more serious effects. PMDD can cause severe irritability, depression, and anxiety in the week or two leading up to a persons period. Symptoms usually go away 23 days after a persons period begins.

Depression and women Research suggests that the pathways to depression may be different for women than for men. Scientists suggest this may be due to: biological factors

cultural expectations

differences in experience A review of studies also found that womens symptoms of depression were different. The women studied were more likely to have symptoms of fatigue, irritability, and sleep disturbances in addition to their depression. Other studies indicate that women may be more likely to gain weight than men. This is due to a higher incidence of emotional eating. Womens hormonal changes may also influence how and when depression affects them. Research on this hormonal link has found the following: Girls with a family history of depression may be more likely to experience the onset of depression at puberty.

Women with depression have more severe symptoms during the premenstrual phase of their cycle, even if they are already taking antidepressants.

Postpartum depression occurs after giving birth and affects 1 in 8 women.

During the menopause transition, a womans risk of depression increases .

Depression and men A study suggests that a high mental strain at work is much more likely to cause psychological distress in men than women. Loneliness and dissatisfaction with work are very strongly associated with psychological distress in both men and women. Symptoms of depression in men may also be different. A review in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that men were more likely than women to experience anger attacks, aggression, and risk-taking behavior as depression symptoms. Though it is commonly thought that women suffer from depression more frequently than men, the study suggests that men and women may both equally suffer from depression. The differences in symptoms and what men report to their doctors may make depression harder to diagnose in men. Men may more frequently hide or not report traditional symptoms of depression, such as sadness and crying. Some may feel that these symptoms go against societys idea of what it means to be a man. Learn more about signs of depression in men.

When to see a doctor Those experiencing symptoms of depression should seek assistance from a healthcare provider. Depression can worsen without treatment and affect a persons quality of life. A doctor or mental health professional will discuss treatment options to help the person manage their depression and carry on with their daily life. In severe cases, depression can lead to thoughts of suicide or physically harming oneself. Any suicidal thoughts or statements about not wanting to live should be taken seriously. In times of crisis, a person should seek help from a hospital emergency department. Help is also available 24/7 from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255), or by visiting the Lifelines website.

Treatments for depression It is possible to treat depression. Treatments for depression include antidepressants and psychotherapy, of which there are many different types. However, different people may respond better to different treatment methods. As such, people may wish to speak with a doctor about trying different methods until they find the one most suitable for them. It may be helpful to remember that many treatments may take some time to reach their full effects, so people may not experience results immediately. Someone on the road to recovery after receiving a proper diagnosis may find it helps to speak out to loved ones and make healthy changes to their diet and lifestyle. Learn more Learn more about treatments for depression. What is depression and what can I do about it?

All about antidepressants

14 types of therapy
Dr. McCance is one of a select group of spinal surgeons in New York who has been certified in the practice of robotic-assisted spinal surgery and one of a few board-certified orthopedic spine surgeons to be fully certified in ExcelsiusGPS ...
A woman walks toward a booth owned by Baidu at the China (Shanghai) International Technology Fair in Shanghai in April. (Photo : Getty Images)

China's Baidu Inc. is looking to raise $500 million to fuel its Waimai food delivery business amid a tug-of-war for customers in one of the world's largest economies.



Baidu is eyeing at least $300 million in fresh funding, but the final round is yet to be determined.



Baidu appears to be challenged by the stiff competition against local rivals, particularly Alibaba's Ele.me and Tencent's Meituan-Dianping business. Ele scored recently a $1.25 billion investment from Alibaba, putting its market share to 40 percent. Baidu owns a measly 9 percent of the market, according to Forbes.



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Baidu's food delivery business is also being challenged by the recently launched Amazon Prime, which could pave the way for the expansion of Amazon Restaurants in key Chinese cities, according to the Business Insider.



The search engine company also lags behind competitors in the race for funding.



"As investors become more selective in the crowded meal delivery space, Waimai's margin for error is small considering how far it lags behind competitors," the Business Insider wrote.



Baidu, however, is keeping its lips sealed on future plans. It has previously denied rumors of selling Waimai and dodged reports of a possible merger with its group-buying service business Nuomi.



The company can use at least two major advantages as it sells itself to investors, said the Business Insider.



Baidu can use its position as the premier search engine company in China, giving it an edge in raising visibility for local stores.



Demand for O2O services is also growing especially in China, which makes for a perfect backdrop for Baidu.



The O2O market in China saw a massive 38 percent year-over-year growth in 2015, reaching almost $50 billion, per iResearch Consulting Group.



By 2018, it is predicted to reach $92 billion, on which Baidu can capitalize to pump up sales.


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Professor West's team, who are based in the University's School of Life Sciences, found that Epstein-Barr virus turns on the MYC gene by increasing contacts between a specific set of enhancers and the gene. The scientists believe this may explain how the virus causes the changes to the MYC gene that are found in Burkitt's lymphoma.The team also discovered new enhancers which control the BCL2L11 gene. In this case, they found that Epstein-Barr virus stops these control centres from contacting the gene. Encouragingly the team have discovered that this blocking effect can be reversed by using a specific drug -- paving the way for new treatments.Professor Michelle West, from the University of Sussex, said: "This is a key step towards uncovering how this common virus which, affects thousands of people every year, causes blood cancer.""It is now important to carry out further studies to determine how the Epstein-Barr virus controls other genes that are associated with lymphoma. This will tell us more about how the virus drives lymphoma development and will help to identify new ways of targeting Epstein-Barr virus-infected cancer cells with specific drugs."Dr Alasdair Rankin, Research Director at Bloodwise, said: "We have known for many years that the Epstein-Barr virus causes various types of lymphoma, but we were never sure of the exact mechanisms. These new findings have shed light on how the virus is able to drive blood cancer development by altering the behaviour of genes that control cancer growth.""By mapping out the complex genetic interactions that help lymphoma cells grow and survive, this research can guide the design of new treatments to target the disease. It may also help to identify those drugs currently used to treat other diseases that could be effective in treating these types of lymphoma."Professor West has been granted 460,000 by the blood cancer charity Bloodwise for two research projects that are helping to uncover how a number of common types of leukaemia and lymphoma arise in children and adults and to find new ways to treat them. The research team are studying how the common Epstein-Barr virus can sometimes trigger the development of blood cancers including Burkitt and Hodgkin lymphomas.Source: Eurekalert
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This collaboration empowers the students to approach science just as a professional scientist would. The program provides scientific equipment and teaches concepts that are relevant to students' lives. In this case, inner-city students learn about the inheritance of skin color from a biological perspective.Over the course of a week, students collect zebrafish embryos and watch them develop from a single cell to a swimming larva complete with a beating heart and a distinct pigmentation pattern. Elementary students learn about human and fish anatomy, habitats, cells, and DNA.Older students identify the observable traits of their zebrafish offspring (middle school) or delve into the ways modern scientists determine the genetic makeup of parents by studying their offspring (high school). At week's end, students analyze these data and discuss their results with their fellow students, much the way real scientists do.For the five-year study (2010-2015) reported in, the BioEYES team assessed students and teachers before and after a week long experiment. They asked students to answer knowledge-based questions as well as questions about their attitudes toward science and scientific careers. Following a BioEYES experience, all grade levels showed significant positive gains in learning. Seven of the eight knowledge questions had significant positive gains for elementary students.At the middle school level, eight of the nine knowledge questions had significant positive gains. Some middle school questions that showed the greatest gains involved concepts in genetics with changes from 72 - 87% depending on the question. The high school questions with the greatest gains were about characteristics of model organisms with a 64% change and stem cells with a 56% change.Interestingly, for all grade levels BioEYES increased students' ability to imagine themselves as scientists. The largest effect on attitudes occurred at the elementary school level - six out of 11 statements showed significant positive changes. Among all grade levels, the strongest attitude shift was in the statement, "I know what it's like to be a scientist."The second largest attitude change observed in elementary and high school grades, and the third largest in middle school, was an increase in agreement with the statement, "Science is becoming more popular than it used to be."Co-founder Farber remarked, "We think educators can leverage this finding in a big way. We think this result shows that BioEYES was fun and engaging for everyone in the class. We know how important popularity is to the social lives of kids. So if the science experience is fun, engaging, and popular, more underserved students could be attracted to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields."Farber started BioEYES with educator Jamie Shuda at the University of Pennsylvania and brought BioEYES to Carnegie in 2007. Some 100,000 students have participated in the outreach effort. Additionally, some 1,300 teachers in six states and two countries (the U.S. and Australia) have been trained to teach the course."It turns out that our efforts in training teachers have made a huge impact," Farber said. "We see that the program increases their confidence to create innovative and engaging science lessons, which affects many more students beyond BioEYES. Using BioEYES to reach a large population of underserved students can help spark their interest in research and hopefully encourage them to explore college and other STEM career options. While much of time I am exploring questions relating to how cells process fats and related molecules, I feel immensely lucky to have created a program that has reached so many and to be part of an institution like Carnegie that takes seriously its role in inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders."Source: Eurekalert
The Scottish Medicines Consortium has now approved the use of olaparib by women who have relapsed with ovarian cancer for the second time and are positive for BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene mutation.





What is BRCA Gene Mutation?

The BRCA genes are a part of the genetic materials of all cells. They suppress the development of cancer. If the gene undergoes mutation, the patient is at a higher risk for breast cancer. It also increases the chances of developing cancer of the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal wall and abdominal organs. It is important to note however, that not all women with the mutation will develop cancer.
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About 19% more likely to survive to reach a hospital

About 47% more likely to survive long enough to be discharged from hospital

50% more likely to survive for at least a year afterwards

most likely to see a benefit from prior use of statins if they had Type 2 diabetes.

They work by blocking a substance that the body needs to make cholesterol.Statins may also help your body reabsorb cholesterol that has built up in plaques on your artery walls, preventing further blockage in your blood vessels and heart attacks.For patients who have already experienced a heart attack or ischemic stroke, cholesterol-lowering statins are often prescribed to prevent a second cardiovascular event.The study analyzed the records of nearly 138,000 patients who suffered out-of-hospital-cardiac arrest in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.The researchers found that the prior use of statins was associated with higher rates of survival after cardiac arrest than was non-use.Statin users were significantly more likely than non-users to be still alive a year after the cardiac arrest episode.Within the statin group, a subgroup of patients with Type 2 diabetes showed the most improvement in survival rate.The study also found that use of statins prior cardiac arrest had the following benefits:"There is some risk associated with statins, but this study confirms the benefit," said Ping-Hsun Yu, M.D., study senior author and a researcher at the Taipei Hospital Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan.Statins can cause significant side effects (most commonly reported are muscle pain and weakness and increased blood sugar levels), and so the recommendation to use statins for the prevention of a first cardiac arrest or stroke is not clear.Yu and his colleagues sorted the records according to whether or not the patients had used statins within 90 days of a cardiac event and researchers accounted for gender, age, underlying conditions, years of hospitalization, post-resuscitation factors, and several other variables.More than 95% of the research population in the analysis were Asian, so researchers say these results might not apply to other ethnic groups or to multi-ethnic populations like that of the United States.The pre-existing database also did not distinguish among different dosages or types of statin.Researchers hope that in future, they may be to divide the statins into different subgroups to see if different potencies or types result in different outcomes.Source: Medindia
Martin Shkreli has recently released the only copy of Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon A Time in Shaolin he bought for two million dollars after Donald Trump's win in the American presidential election. (Photo : Getty Images/Mark Wilson)

Martin Shkreli, a former pharmaceutical CEO and owner of unreleased albums of several American music icons, leaked Wu-Tang Clan's only available copy of "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" in celebration for the upset win of Donald Trump as president-elect of the United States of America.



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Last October, Shkreli said on his Twitter account that he will give out his unreleased collection of albums by Nirvana, Beatles, 2Pac, Radiohead, Jimmy Hendrix and the Ramones should Trump win.



He started it out by streaming the $2 million album of the rap collective Wu-Tang Clan on Wednesday morning right after Trump's victory became apparent. Shkreli told radio show "The Breakfast Club," that he bought the album to show off like what other rich men do but pulled himself back by saying that he wanted "to show respect for art."



Shkreli has been tagged as the "most hated man in America" when his Turing Pharmaceuticals, which obtained the license for antiparasitic and AIDS drug Daraprim for $55 million, raised the drug's price from $13.5 to $750 per tablet. He once told that he would lower the price of Daraprim but Turing Pharmaceuticals still has not lowered the price of the drug.



Ironically, Trump blasted Shkreli September last year for the drastic price hike of the AIDS drug. Trump, according to the Hollywood Reporter, said that the former pharmaceutical boss was a "nothing," "spoiled brat" and a "disgrace." Despite Trump's comments, the so-called "Pharma Bro" said on his Twitter account last May that he endorses the Republican against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.



The 33-year-old hedge fund manager who then became a pharmaceutical boss was arrested in December last year for fraud charges but bailed himself with a $5 million bond. Investors claimed that Shkreli distributed stocks of his former founded company Retrophin without the knowledge and consent of shareholders, Bloomberg reported.



Shkreli denied the allegation and said on his Twitter account that the story reported by Bloomberg News was "misleading and confused on an old situation that is no longer relevant." Aside from buying the overpriced Wu-Tang Clan album, Shkreli has been regularly notorious for his antics as he once offered a chance for somebody to punch him in the face for charity.






Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump test the teleprompters and microphones on stage before the start of the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo : Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla)

During an episode of "Full Frontal" just after the results of the U.S. election had come out, Samantha Bee expressed her disappointment and called out "white" voters for letting Donald Trump win. Mourning the defeat of presidential candidate Hilary Clinton, the late night host blamed the white voters for Trump's win.



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"Once you dust for fingerprints, it's pretty clear who ruined America: white people," Bee said in her TBS show. "I guess ruining Brooklyn was just a dry run. The caucasian nation showed up in droves to vote for Trump, so I don't want to hear a goddamn word about black voter turnout. How many times do we expect black people to build our country for us? White people, this is the worst," she continued.



Indeed, 53 percent of white women and 63 percent of white men voted for Trump. Since 1980, most women have favored the Democratic Party. White women, however, favored Republicans.



Bee also emphasized how Trump being president-elect can be damaging for America. "Our democracy just hoicked up a marmalade hairball with the whole world watching," she said.



"What we did was the democratic equivalent of installing an above-ground pool. Even if we're lucky and it doesn't seep into our foundations, the neighbors will never look at us the same way again." Despite her negative rhetoric, Bee advised viewers not to lose hope in the country, saying that America is still great and worth fighting for.



Trump will be the 45th president of the United States. His victory is shared by the Republican Party, who maintains control of the senate and retains the House. The 70-year old real estate tycoon is the oldest president to be elected in America.



In a speech, Trump congratulated Clinton who fought hard for the campaign. He also congratulated his rival for working hard over the course of her political career.



Trump urged all Americans to "bind the wounds of division" and come together united as one. He has never held a public office and will be working together with Vice-President-elect Mike Pence.



Here is a full version of Samantha Bee's speech on her late night show, "Full Frontal":






Students at a Chinese private school. (Photo : Twitter)

China's education authorities have announced that private schools will not be allowed to provide primary and junior high school courses unless they are non-profit entities.



In a new law passed by the National People's Congress Standing Committee in Beijing on Monday, private for-profit schools will not be allowed to establish education programs for grades 1 to 9 unless they change their status and re-register as non-profit schools, Reuters reported.



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The Education Ministry said that the new regulations are vital in keeping the country's primary and secondary education system accessible to the public. The first nine grades of schooling, six years of elementary and three years of junior high is free and compulsory in China. With the government being the main provider.



Zhu Zhiwen, Vice-Minister for Education, also said that for-profit schools run contrary to the goals of free basic education.



The Chinese government has, in recent years, eased the restrictions to meet growing demands and provide students with as many options possible.



However, due to loose regulations, the tuition fees in these private schools have increased significantly, making them less accessible to students. The quality of education provided by the schools has also come into question due to varying standards.



For private schools to be allowed to provide education services for both the elementary and junior high levels, they will be required to their status from for-profit entities to non-profit ones. Once a school has changed its registration status, it will be restricted in how much profit it can earn, with most of it being returned to operating expenditures, the Asia Times reported.



However, the ministry clarified that private schools are still allowed to get profits from other grade levels. Schools are expected to complete their registration before the opening of the next academic year in Sept. 2017.



The new law is expected to affect more than 162,700 private schools and 45.7 million students around the country.


Jennifer Lawrence Visits 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' (Photo : Getty Images)

Speaking out on Donald Trump's presidential victory just like other Hollywood celebrities, award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence penned an open letter to air her opinion. She joins other celebrities who have spoken out, including Aaron Sorkin and George R.R. Martin, author of book and TV series "Game of Thrones".



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"I want to be positive; I want to support our democracy, but what can we take away from this?" said Lawrence' open letter in Broadly, an American digital video channel for women. The 26-year old actress hopes to turn fear and anger into hope.



"It's a genuine question that we all need to ask ourselves. We shouldn't blame anyone, we shouldn't riot in the streets. We should think strongly and clearly about what to do next because we cannot change the past," it continued. .



Channeling the Katniss Everdeen of "The Hunger Games" in her, Lawrence encouraged Americans to not be disappointed and instead take action. She told Hilary Clinton's supporters to "think strongly and clearly".



"Like Hillary, you can still be an inspiration and get important things done. Do not let this defeat you-let this enrage you! Let it motivate you! Let this be the fire you didn't have before. If you are an immigrant, if you are a person of color, if you are LGBTQ+, if you are a woman-don't be afraid, be loud!" she wrote.



Trump won the elections Wednesday and was elected the 45th president of America. The 70-year old business tycoon defeated rival Hilary Clinton, who has already conceded while votes are still being counted. Clinton is ahead and may win the popular vote, but Trump has clearly won the majority of the Electoral College votes, Bloomberg reported.



In a speech, Trump had called out to America to be united as one, and promised to be "president for all Americans. He will be sworn in on January 20 of next year, and will lead the Republican-controlled congress and senate.



Check out this video of Jennifer Lawrence airing her opinion on Donald Trump:






Large Debris from Long March-11 Smashes into Myanmar Homes; No One Hurt

Part of an upper stage of a Chinese Long March-11 rocket that crashed in Myanmar. (Photo : Yannaing Pyi Sone Aung)

Large parts of one of the upper stages of China's Long March-11 rocket launched Nov. 9, one of them with Chinese characters, crushed two houses in Myanmar but caused no casualties.



The largest piece of debris from the Chinese rocket, an empty cylindrical tube looking very much like one of the expendable upper stages of Long March-11, smashed into the tent of a jade miner living at a jade mining area in northern Myanmar's Kachin State, said state-run media.



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The huge piece of rocket debris, which failed to burn-up or plunge into the Pacific Ocean, was 4.5 meters long and 1.2 meters wide.



Another chunk of the rocket, this with Chinese writing, destroyed the roof of a nearby house at about the same time.



The debris landed past 6:00 a.m. near the village of Lone Khin in mountainous Kachin State. The actual impact area was near an abandoned jade mine in Hpakant township.



The only rocket launched in Asia in November was the Long March-11 rocket carrying five satellites that blasted-off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Chinese-occupied Mongolia on Nov. 9 at 23:42 UTC (about 6:00 a.m., Myanmar time).



Local residents said they heard a loud bang (probably a sonic boom) before pieces of the Chinese rocket smashed into the ground near them.



Officials from the local defense service said the larger piece bounced 50 meters into the air before landing in a muddy area of the mine.



"Experts are there checking it," said Kachin State government deputy director U Zaw Myo Nyunt to local media. "They also assumed that it was part of some aircraft or rocket."



"We were all afraid of that explosion," said villager Ko Maung Myo to Myanmar media.



"Initially, we thought it was a battle. The explosion made our houses shake. We saw the smoke from our village."



He said every local thought it was the explosion of heavy artillery.



Western experts said photos of the cylindrical shape of the object indicates it to be a part of a rocket stage.


A Samsung employee demonstrates underwater use of a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone during a launch event for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 at the Hammerstein Ballroom, August 2, 2016 in New York City. T (Photo : Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Although the Samsung company was badly hurt by the massive Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall due to its widespread exploding battery dilemma, the Korean tech giant is not backing up with another galaxy variant lined-up for release by next year. In 2017, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will launch alongside the Galaxy S8. The S8 models are now being rumored to replace its flat screens with edge displays.



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Despite rumors circulating that the Galaxy Note brand will be wiped out for Samsung to start a clean slate, the company has already planned to release the Note 8. According to reliable leaker Evan Blass, Samsung is currently making two Galaxy models slated for release next year, BGR reported.



Blass shared the tech company is skipping the SM-G94* model numbers for the Galaxy S8 models and will ship them as SM-G950 andSM-G955 instead. He added that aside from these models, SM-N950 is also in the works.



Samsung Galaxy S8 models are indeed skipping SM-G94* model numbers, will ship as SM-G950 & SM-G955. Know what else is in the works? SM-N950.

 Evan Blass (@evleaks) November 9, 2016





It is believed by Koreans that the number 4 brings bad luck, the reason why these numbers were skipped in the Galaxy model numbering. Meanwhile, it is believed that Samsung will still target the same potential consumers of Galaxy Note 7 by offering them a larger Galaxy Note 8.



In a separate tweet, Blass also shared Samsung may not be offering smartphones with flat screens in the near future as the upcoming Galaxy S8 models will have edge displays.



Both Samsung Galaxy S8 models will reportedly have an edge display https://t.co/o2LZJw6Mzx pic.twitter.com/qsd6YFuYEd

 Evan Blass (@evleaks) November 9, 2016





On the other hand, Samsung recently confirmed it will launch the Galaxy Note 8 with a more improved Artificial Intelligence, or virtual assistant similar to Apple's Siri, CNET reported. The company recently acquired Viv, the team behind developing Apple's Siri become smarter.



For other rumors surrounding the Galaxy Note 8, check out the video below.






UPPER THUMB  Legislation that some say could increase the number of wind turbines in rural areas and end energy choice has passed the Michigan Senate, and will soon go before the House of Representatives.

Under current law, electric providers have to produce 10 percent of their power from renewable sources.

The bills would raise the minimum to 15 percent by the end of 2021 and set a non-binding goal of meeting 35 percent of Michigans electricity needs by 2025 through a combination of renewable energy and energy conservation.

State Rep. Edward J. Canfield (R-Sebewaing) said he has not read the legislation, and hasnt made a final decision on whether to support it.

I would be leaning toward non support because its asking for a mandate, Canfield said. That is not a good thing for out district. We need to have more renewable energy but dont think the state should mandate it. That would increase wind turbines in our district.

He also questions whether its a good idea to limit energy choice.

We have to be good to our big energy providers because they provide energy, and we have to find some middle ground, he said.

The bills are revisions to 2008 energy laws, and passed Thursday 26-10 and 26-11, with some Republicans in opposition.

Sen. Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair), who represents Huron County, voted against Senate Bills 437 and 438, and could not be reached for comment Friday.

Canfield said a suggested goal would be better than a mandate.

Utilities would be required to submit a long-term plan to state regulators for review of how they will meet demand.

DTE Energy, Consumers Energy and smaller utilities would continue to be guaranteed 90 percent of power sales in their regions while competitors could keep up to 10 percent of the market  though critics, including some conservative advocacy groups and big companies such as U.S. Steel, said choice would effectively be killed.

Ratepayers have kind of been left beside, alone, said GOP Sen. Mike Shirkey of Clarklake, who voted against the utility-backed bills.

But one of the Republican sponsors, Senate Energy and Technology Committee Chairman Mike Nofs of Battle Creek, denied the charge and said utility competitors should show three years in advance that they have enough capacity.

This legislation is not about whats best for a few companies, organizations, or individuals  its about whats best for the entire state of Michigan, he said.

The debate will move to the House after legislators return from a two-week break for hunting and Thanksgiving.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
AmerisourceBergen Corporation sources and distributes pharmaceutical products in the United States and internationally. Its Pharmaceutical Distribution segment distributes brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to various healthcare providers, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, and other customers. It also provides pharmacy management, staffing, and other consulting services; supply management software to retail and institutional healthcare providers; and packaging solutions to various institutional and retail healthcare providers. In addition, this segment distributes plasma and other blood products, injectable pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and other specialty products; provides other services primarily to physicians who specialize in various disease states, primarily oncology, as well as to other healthcare providers, including hospitals and dialysis clinics; and offers data analytics, outcomes research, and additional services for biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The company's Other segment provides integrated manufacturer services, such as clinical trial support, product post-approval, and commercialization support; specialty transportation and logistics services for the biopharmaceutical industry; and sells pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, micro feed ingredients, and various other products to customers in the companion animal and production animal markets, as well as demand-creating sales force services to manufacturers. AmerisourceBergen Corporation was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
The Justice League live-action movie will be directed by Zack Snyder and it stars Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller. (Photo : Facebook/DC Extended Universe)

"Game of Thrones" star Jason Momoa is already suiting up as Aquaman for his upcoming standalone movie. In the midst of production for the "Justice League" movie, the "Aquaman" movie is also entering its pre-production in Australia in November.



It is said that pre-production for the "Aquaman" movie will begin later in November in Australia once crew members finish taking down the set used for Marvel's "Thor: Ragnarok" movie, which was also filmed in the country. Momoa just recently wrapped up filming for "Justice League," in which he stars alongside Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot. This means that the production schedule for the DC Comics superhero film has been moved up as principal photography is expected to take place early this year, Movie Web reported.



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The "Aquaman" movie is already being pegged as the most challenging movie to make so far in the DC Extended Universe, since a lot of the action scenes will take place underwater, making filming all the more difficult. However, Momoa is more than ready to take on the role of King of the Atlantis and give justice to his performance.



Aquaman's nemesis in his standalone movie is none other than Black Manta - the superhero's deadliest, most notorious opponent in the comic books, according to The Wrap. There have been many origin stories for Black Manta, but the most latest is the one where Aquaman killed his father as retaliation for a murder committed by Black Manta when he was young. Black Manta then guns to avenge his father's death by plotting to terminate Aquaman and his reign. Michael K. Williams previously expressed his desire to play the role, but no confirmation as to casting has been announced.



Aside from the explosive underwater action, the "Aquaman" movie will also focus on Aquaman's romance with Mera, to be portrayed by Amber Heard. Their love story starts out with the duo "not quite clicking with each other," as Heard's Mera is not someone you want to "mess with."



Meanwhile, "Aquaman" also stars Willem Dafoe as Vulko and will be directed by James Wan.



The "Aquaman" movie release date has been scheduled for July 27, 2018.


Fabrinet provides optical packaging and precision optical, electro-mechanical, and electronic manufacturing services in North America, the Asia-Pacific, and Europe. The company offers a range of advanced optical and electro-mechanical capabilities in the manufacturing process, including process design and engineering, supply chain management, manufacturing, printed circuit board assembly, advanced packaging, integration, final assembly, and testing. Its products include switching products, including reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers, optical amplifiers, modulators, and other optical components and modules that enable network managers to route voice, video, and data communications traffic through fiber optic cables at various wavelengths, speeds, and over various distances. The company's products also comprise tunable lasers, transceivers, and transponders; and active optical cables, which provide high-speed interconnect capabilities for data centers and computing clusters, as well as Infiniband, Ethernet, fiber channel, and optical backplane connectivity. In addition, it provides solid state, diode-pumped, gas, and fiber lasers used in semiconductor processing, biotechnology and medical device, metrology, and material processing industries; and differential pressure, micro-gyro, fuel, and other sensors used in automobiles, as well as non-contact temperature measurement sensors for the medical industry. Further, the company designs and fabricates application-specific crystals, lenses, prisms, mirrors, laser components, and substrates; and other custom and standard borosilicate, clear fused quartz, and synthetic fused silica glass products. It serves original equipment manufacturers of optical communication components, modules and sub-systems, industrial lasers, automotive components, medical devices, and sensors. The company was incorporated in 1999 and is based in George Town, the Cayman Islands.
The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. 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De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V..

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Sleepy Hollow Season 4 spoilers & update: Ichabod Crane becomes a changed man with his guard up; Season 4 to be the last?

Actors Nicole Beharie and Tom Mison speak onstage at the 'Sleepy Hollow' panel during the FOX Network portion of the 2014 Summer Television Critics Association at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 20, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo : Getty Images/ Frederick M. Brown)

"Sleepy Hollow" Season 4 won't come out until next year, but we've already got the lowdown on what to expect from Ichabod Crane and his new partner Diana. As previously reported, Ichabod is moving to Washington, D.C. and might go through some emotional bumps in the wake of Abbie Mills' death.



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As Tom Mison's Ichabod relocates to Washington, D.C., he teams up with Diana and a small group of researches to make sense of the supernatural mysteries that have been happening around the town. Aside from a change in his appearance (he's sporting shorter hair this season), being in a new place with new people puts Ichabod more on guard.



"There's a little less buffoonery, which I'm very, very pleased with. Because it doesn't do any favors for Ichabod - or Tom," Mison told TVLine about the developments to his character.



As for his new partner, Diana, Mison described her as someone who "has just lost her partner, and doesn't believe in the supernatural world, and is thrust into it with a man from 250 years ago." Janina Gavankar's character is said to "reintroduce the idea of how weird the universe is." Aside from Diana, many new characters will be introduced on "Sleepy Hollow" Season 4.



It will be different for Ichabod now that Abbie's gone in "Sleepy Hollow" Season 4. The character, portrayed by Nicole Beharie from Seasons 1 to 3, was killed off in "Sleepy Hollow" Season 3 finale, sending shockwaves to fans and Mison himself.



Abbie was a major character on the show, thus, her death led to speculations about the show possibly ending with Season 4. Mison even said that he didn't know there would be another season after Abbie died. The show was primarily rooted on Ichabod and Abbie's partnership, so it was natural for many to think that with "Ichabbie" no more, the show would be so, too.



"Abbie is the one the audience can relate to so when you're entering this insane world of Sleepy Hollow, you go with Abbie," Mison told The Realistic Optimist. "She's been the guide and Ichabod is this insane man in the periphery."



"Sleepy Hollow" Season 4 is scheduled to premiere in 2017 on FOX.


Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, including auto financing, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its advice centers, RBC insurance stores, and mobile advisors; digital, mobile, and social platforms; independent brokers; and travel partners. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset servicing, custody, payments, and treasury services to financial and other investors; and fund and investment administration, shareholder, private capital, performance measurement and compliance monitoring, distribution, transaction banking, cash and liquidity management, foreign exchange, and global securities finance services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, advisory services, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
Methode Electronics, Inc. designs, engineers, and produces mechatronic products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Automotive, Industrial, Interface, and Medical. The Automotive segment supplies electronic and electro-mechanical devices, and related products to automobile original equipment manufacturers directly or through their tiered suppliers. Its products include integrated center consoles, hidden switches, ergonomic switches, transmission lead-frames, and LED-based lighting and sensors, which incorporate magneto-elastic sensing and other technologies that monitor the operation or status of a component or system. The Industrial segment manufactures lighting solutions; industrial safety radio remote controls; braided flexible cables; current-carrying laminated busbars and devices; custom power-product assemblies, such as PowerRail solution; high-current low-voltage flexible power cabling systems; and powder-coated busbars that are used in various markets and applications comprising aerospace, cloud computing, commercial vehicles, industrial, military, power conversion, and transportation. The Interface segment provides various copper-based transceivers and related accessories for the cloud computing hardware equipment and telecommunications broadband equipment markets; user interface solutions for the appliance, commercial food service, and point-of-sale equipment markets; and fluid-level sensors for the marine/recreational vehicle and sump pump markets. The Medical segment offers Dabir Surfaces, a surface support technology aimed at pressure injury prevention for use by patients who are immobilized or otherwise at risk for pressure injuries, including patients undergoing long-duration surgical procedures. Methode Electronics, Inc. was incorporated in 1946 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
The Defense Department failed to provide Congress with a complete picture of what it would take to eliminate taxpayer funding of the commissary system while still keeping stores open and patron savings at current levels, according to a report released this week.

The Pentagon was required by Congress in the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act to produce a plan to achieve "budget neutrality." In the plan, released in June, officials said that there is no way to do so without closing stores or raising prices, but offered some ways the department could instead save $2 billion over five years.

But Government Accountability Office auditors found that the Pentagon didn't give a basis for the proclamation that what Congress was asking for is impossible. And the $2 billion savings over five years conclusion, government researchers found, also lacked a clear reasoning.

"A way to think about it is: [DoD] partially did what Congress mandated them to do," said Brian Lepore, who directs GAO's defense capabilities and management office and wrote the report. "Part of the way we wanted to look at this is 'did they fully answer the question?' or 'did they partially answer the question?' Even if you just say 'no I can't achieve budget neutrality,' that's an answer. The question: is it a full answer?"

The Pentagon's $2 billion in savings figure was guesswork, the GAO report says. To meet the Congress's requirements, officials need to explain how they arrived to that number.

"According to DoD officials, the cost savings amount was an arbitrary estimate, and they did not develop details on the steps they would take to achieve $2 billion in savings," the report says. "Without information to support DOD's conclusion ... and a plan for achieving an alternative reduction in cost savings, the department lacks the assurance that its cost savings target is an accurate and achievable cost savings estimate, and decision makers cannot evaluate the effectiveness of DoD's efforts to achieve cost savings without reducing patron benefits."

The commissary annually receives about $1.3 billion in taxpayer funding, which pays for costs like store operations, employee salaries and shipping groceries to overseas locations. Goods are sold at cost plus a 5 percent surcharge, which pays for store maintenance and construction. A pilot program set to begin next year will test raising the prices of some goods to offset those costs.

The DoD agreed with the GAO's criticisms, and took the unusual step of including additional data and research in their response to the findings included in the released report.

"The Department's assessment that budget neutrality is not possible is based on comparative analysis," the response says. "Profit and loss entities (such as the defense exchange system and commercial grocers) fund their operating costs out of gross profits ... the defense commissary system does not generate any gross profits, due to the mandated pricing model."

In their response, department officials further clarified the options for finding that budget neutrality: increase prices or eliminate all operating costs by closing the system entirely.

Although the Pentagon also concurred with the report's finding that they did not have a clear basis for their $2 billion in savings over five years estimate, they did not offer in their response a clarified breakdown. Instead, they noted that they came to the number by examining recommendations made in a separate commissary report released late last year by the Boston Consulting Group.

Commissary advocates said the report shows that Congress does not have enough information from the department to carry out any plans for commissary cuts while still maintaining savings.

The report "has confirmed our fears that the Defense Department's plans have little basis in data, merit, and are deficient of methodical analysis," stated Candace Wheeler, a spokesperson for The Coalition to Save Our Military Shopping Benefits, which lobbies on behalf of the commissary.

"The GAO report should remind Congress and Executive Branch policy-makers to move carefully in order to protect troop-generated exchange funding from being diverted to pay what have traditionally been legitimate taxpayer obligations," she stated.

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @amybushatz.
Pentagon investigators are weighing another review of the Air Force's chief of chaplains after a watchdog group criticized the service for failing to discipline the officer for giving a blessing during a religious-sponsored event, an official said.

But the Defense Department's Inspector General's Office has not opened a formal investigation, according to spokeswoman Kathie Scarrah.

"The DoD OIG is currently evaluating additional information received on behalf of the MRFF," she said in an email to Military.com on Friday. "A determination on re-opening an investigation has not been made at this time."

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an advocacy group that promotes civil rights, on July 25 penned a letter to the Pentagon's acting Inspector General Glenn A. Fine after the group discovered the service's chief of chaplains, Maj. Gen. Dondi Costin, offered a benediction at a July 12 "Torchbearer Award" ceremony in Washington D.C., while in uniform. The event was arranged by a private organization.

The letter, signed by the group's president Mikey Weinstein, stated Costin "blatantly violated both Air Force and DoD regulations prohibiting the endorsement of a non-federal entity by appearing in uniform and delivering the official benediction at a Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty (CARL) event."

Weinstein continued, "CARL is well known as a ragingly anti-LGBT organization which has a long, quite unapologetic and formidable history of homophobic behavior of the most repulsive nature and magnitude."

The event honored the award's recipient, Virginia Republican Rep. Randy Forbes, the outgoing congressman, of whom Weinstein pinpointed to be "the founder of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, a caucus that has repeatedly introduced vile legislation attempting to undermine the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell'," among other "horrid goal[s]," he said.

The group noted that just because Costin is a chaplain, it does not excuse the standards all U.S. military officers are expected to abide by.

Army Maj. John Scott, also a chaplain, and the Air Force deputy chief of chaplains, Brig. Gen. Steven Schaick, were also singled out by Weinstein for attending the event, gesturing a potential endorsement of CARL.

But according to a letter response to Weinstein from Marguerite C. Garrison, deputy inspector general for administrative investigations, the initial investigation into the matter found Costin's actions to be fair.

"After conducting interviews and gathering additional facts, the Air Force IG found that Maj. Gen. Costin's benediction was a generic, non-sectarian prayer seeking God's blessing on the event's honoree, Congressman Randy Forbes," Garrison wrote in her statement, dated Nov. 1.

"The Air Force IG found no prima facie evidence that Maj. Gen. Costin endorsed CARL by appearing in uniform and performing the benediction, thereby implying Air Force sponsorship of CARL or sanction of a particular cause, or discrediting the Armed Forces," she said.

Garrison also relayed Costin did not violate Department of Defense or Air Force standards.

For the group, that was not enough.

Writing Fine once more, MRFF's lawyer, Donald G. Rehkopf Jr., with the Brenna Boyce law firm on Nov. 9 asked why the DoD IG's office has not directed an investigation into Costin's "overt, in uniform participation" in which he "gave CARL preferential treatment."

This "is nothing more than flaunting his decision to ignore the law," Rehkopf said of Costin.

"He may certainly maintain his personal religions beliefs, but when his actions and conduct violate the law, good order and discipline are diminished and harmed -- especially when it comes from someone with two Stars on their shoulders," he said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana 0214.
Despite Flipping in Surf 4 Times in a Year, Marines Say New ACV Is the Future of Amphibious Warfare

Some Marine veterans familiar with the vehicle and its operations have worried about the reliability of the ACV.
Robert Vaughn dead: The Man From U.N.C.L.E and 'The Magnificent Seven' star dies at 83

Robert Vaughn arrives for the premiere screening of AMC's 'Broken Trail' at the Lowe's Lincoln Center on June 13, 2006 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/Scott Wintrow)

American actor Robert Vaughn, best known for the 1960s television series "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," passed away on Nov. 11, Friday, after losing a battle with cancer. He was 83 years old.



Vaughn also starred in the classic film "The Magnificent Seven" and featured in recent television shows like "Hustle" and the British soap opera "Coronation Street," but the actor will best be remembered for playing the suave CIA agent, Napoleon Solo, in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." The hit spy series was regarded by many as the TV's version of James Bond, according to The Guardian.



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The news of the actor's death was announced by his manager, Matthew Sullivan, on Friday. He added that Vaughn was suffering from acute leukemia and left for his heavenly abode surrounded by his family in New York. Vaughn leaves behind his wife, Linda, son Cassidy and daughter Caitlin.



"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." aired on NBC TV between 1964 and 1968 and featured Scottish actor David McCallum alongside Vaughn. McCallum played the role of Russian KGB operative Illya Kuryakin on the show, which earned Vaughn back-to-back Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in 1965 and 1966, Deadline reported.



Before the show, Vaughn starred in the 1959 film "The Young Philadelphians," for which he received an Oscar nod in the 'Best Supporting Actor' category. The actor also won a Golden Globe for his performance in the film. In the following year, Vaughn's role in "The Magnificent Seven" led to a Golden Globe nomination for 'Most Promising Newcomer.'



Vaughn's other film credits include "Bullitt" and "The Towering Inferno" with Steve McQueen and "Superman III." The list of other classic television shows that the actor appeared on includes "The A Team," "Gunsmoke," "Father Knows Best," "Wagon Train," "The Rifleman" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show."



Many Hollywood celebrities, including Sir Roger Moore, took to Twitter to offer their condolences to the actor. Here are some of the tweets:



Sorry to hear the news about Robert Vaughn.

 Sir Roger Moore (@sirrogermoore) November 11, 2016







RIP Napoleon Solo! The great Robert Vaughn was the coolest guy on TV when I was a kid. Superb in Bullitt, The Magnificent Seven & many more. pic.twitter.com/h7AzfN2pt0  edgarwright (@edgarwright) November 11, 2016









For more on the late actor, watch the video below:






Actress Thandie Newton arrives at the Premiere of HBO's 'Westworld' - Arrivals at TCL Chinese Theatre on September 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Frazer Harrison)

HBO's "Westworld" has left fans speechless after Maeve Millay (Thandie Newton) appeared completely nude in the Oct. 9 episode. For the English actress, going topless did not actually bother her, stating she is comfortable when she has to bare it all on-screen.



"Westworld" episode 2, which aired on Oct. 9, showed Maeve awakening amid surgery, while backstage at the luxury theme park. Fully nude, she then meandered the modern and clinical facility and saw her fellow hosts are disinfected like waste products after being killed.



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Speaking about the role in "CBS This Morning," Newton said her role sometimes calls for nudity. She added that she felt more empowered while naked than wearing her character's signature sexualized outfit.



"All of these clothes were there to invite a lustful feeling from the viewer, from the person coming into the park," Newton added. "And I really, really found that invitation incredibly disempowering."



While the possibility of robots coming to consciousness may sound peculiar, the mother of three stressed it actually reflects human conduct and that the HBO show asks real questions about humanity. While the series is a fantasy, the actress does not think Westworld is an incomprehensible place.



"It's a place where you go and it's populated by machines that are there for your bidding and you can do whatever you want and whatever happens in Westworld stays in Westworld," she said. "So it's a place where we really get to understand the appetite of people's vices."



It comes after "Westworld" came under fire for airing a four-minute orgy, which viewers described as disturbing and awkward. The scene in question showed Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) and Willian (Jimmy Simpson) traveling to the town of Pariah, where they stumbled upon a decadent orgy.



Not long after the said episode aired, many viewers took to Twitter to express their disappointment over the steamy scenes. Even Dan Gainor, Vice President of Business and Culture at the Media Research Centre in the United States, denoted the showrunners' decision to highlight such nudity as disturbing.



"HBO is a network that broadcasts Sesame Street re-runs," Gainor said in a statement obtained by The Express. "And yes, parents should turn it off, stop paying for it and block it. 'Westworld' is a disturbing reminder of the sick and demented way Hollywood views the world."



Check out the promo for HBO's "Westworld" episode 7 below:






The Rangers have signed corner infielder Will Middlebrooks to a minor league deal, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News notes. Middlebrooks has spent most of his professional career playing third base, and the Rangers already have a top third baseman in Adrian Beltre. Grant notes, though, that Middlebrooks could provide the Rangers with an insurance policy at first base for 2017  Mitch Moreland is set to depart via free agency, and the team currently lacks a clear starter at first, with Jurickson Profar, Ryan Rua and Joey Gallo among the available options.

The 28-year-old Middlebrooks played sparingly in the big leagues in 2016, collecting just 31 plate appearances with the Brewers and hitting .282/.308/.508 in 264 plate appearances for Triple-A Colorado Springs. Before that, hed collected at least 200 plate appearances in four straight years in the big leagues with the Red Sox and then the Padres, hitting a combined .231/.274/.399 and struggling to get on base after a productive rookie season. Signing with the Rangers represents something of a homecoming for Middlebrooks, who hails from Greenville, 45 minutes east of Dallas.
FILM REVIEW

'Arrival'

3.5 stars (out of 4)

MPAA rating: PG-13 for brief strong language

Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Run time: 116 minutes

"Arrival," remarkably, tugs at the emotions and intellect with equal insistence. In a quiet, internalized performance, Amy Adams plays a linguist given a pioneer's task of communicating with extraterrestrials, and determining their purpose for visiting Earth. Her story is also deeply personal, intercut with reflections of her daughter, who we see in her first days, swaddled in a blanket, and final days, sallow and prostrate in a hospital bed.

To allow director Denis Villeneuve's film to retain its poignancy to potential viewers, any discussion of plot should remain vague. Initially, some elements of it are more functional than others, but I'm compelled to watch a second time to piece together its provocative puzzle - my first viewing, as is often the case with any film, was instinctually intuitive. Anyway, the more compelling conversation focuses on its exploration of bigger ideas about time, memory and experience, and how these concepts color our lives, perspectives, character and shared humanity.

Key emotions engaged are empathy and sadness, as Adams' character, Professor Louise Banks, wrestles with the loss of a child, a great personal tragedy. Another is fear, the rawness of facing the unknown, as Louise ascends into a towering, monolithic ovoid craft hovering above a Montana plain, and experiences physical discomfort, perhaps from the oxygen mask and hazmat suit she's forced to wear, perhaps from the overwhelming shock of initial incomprehension. It's this wide-eyed suspense that engages our empathy in another form - the tension in our shoulders, the way we lean forward in our seats, absorbed in the moment, the strangeness of her experience.

"What do they look like?" Louise asks the military personnel preparing her for the encounter, and it's the same question we're thinking. "You'll see soon enough," is the reply, as if Villeneuve - who gave "Prisoners" and "Sicario" a similar dramatic smolder - and screenwriter Eric Heisserer are speaking to the audience.

Such curiosity is the catalyst for intellectual engagement. Imagine the final scenes of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," stretched for intricate scrutiny of its pragmatic and philosophical concepts. Louise's challenge is to make meaningful, deliberate and cautious contact with the visitors, applying scientific ideas to the interactions, in hope that they're universal. The aliens' voices are like digeridoos uttering eerie, ambient moans; their visual communiques are almost abstractions, resembling rings left on the table by a coffee mug. To the layperson, it all appears impenetrable.

Based on Ted Chiang's short story "Story of Your Life," the film wraps its heady ideas in more easily accessible political tension. The craft is one of a dozen landing worldwide, prompting international cooperation, which is predictably difficult to maintain. Louise is assisted by Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), a theoretical physicist; they're recruited by Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker), who faces the pressure of answering to government authorities, never seen on screen. Louise is driven by the objective study of her job, although her character is underscored by the subjective melancholy of scenes featuring her daughter - none more poignant than an image of the young girl in rubber boots at the edge of a river, turning over a rock. It's never spoken, but Adams nonverbally conveys hope for a benevolent communication with the aliens, at conflict with external forces concerned with the potential for aggression.

Key to the film's intellectual and gut-level impact is how Villenueve successfully, and meaningfully, balances plausibility with otherworldly strangeness. Special effects are seamless and convincing; Bradford Young's cinematography is beautiful and mannered. Subtle and understated, "Arrival" is a reminder that science and art make extraordinary dance partners, and the film employs both in pursuit of significant emotional engagement. Both evoke wonder, which can leave us speechless or babbling enthusiastically. Wonder, a common element of both head and heart.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Schools in Washtenaw County are looking for teachable moments following the 2016 presidential election.

Burns Park Elementary School Principal Chuck Hatt visited a second-grade class on Wednesday, Nov. 9, to address several concerning remarks he'd heard at the school recently related to Jews, Muslims, blacks, Mexicans and "children who have two moms or two dads" having to leave the country when Donald Trump becomes president, Hatt wrote in an email to Burns Park families whose children are in the class he visited.

The class discussed the importance of diversity, Hatt said in the email, and he promised students that the adults at Burns Park would keep them safe and never let someone be forced to leave their school, town or country.

"I told students that sometimes people say things in a political campaign that are not true and that are hurtful to people, and they say those things to make some people feel better about themselves and to get votes," Hatt wrote in the email. "We agreed that this was mean and a form of bullying."

Hatt said students did not make those comments in a mean-spirited way, but rather as trying to make sense of statements they've heard recently.

"When children hear these things, they take them at face value, and they've heard many things that are frightening," Hatt told The Ann Arbor News. "Our understanding is that children learn best and learn well when they are in a supportive and kind environment. A big part of our work is ensuring that kind of caring, nurturing place for kids to be during the day, not only to support their learning but to form them as responsible citizens.

"Sometimes that can be a challenging thing," he continued. "Right now it's a particularly challenging time for educators based on what children are hearing and experiencing from the campaign."

Reports from across Michigan and elsewhere in the U.S. continue to surface of students forming "walls" in their schools to block minority students and people feeling emboldened by Trump's pending presidency to harass others. Some Hillary Clinton supporters have refused to quietly accept the outcome of the election on Tuesday, Nov. 8. About 500 people turned out for a #notmypresident rally in Grand Rapids on Thursday.

Some Whitmore Lake High School students have accepted the outcome of the election and hope others do too, although some are wary about how Trump will impact the country. They took a break from raking leaves at 58 houses in Whitmore Lake on Friday - an annual Rake N Run service project organized by the National Honor Society - to share their perspective on the presidential election.

"Whether or not you support the president, I think it's wrong to reject (the results of the election)," said Trey Cucuro, 18, a senior. "We have a process to elect people and that has been the same forever, so we have to embrace the president because that is the person that's going to lead our country for four years. We have to get behind this person and support them. Regardless of your beliefs, kind of set that aside."

Cucuro doesn't think Trump is personally responsible for instances where students have voiced racist sentiments in schools this week.

"I think Trump, if anything, just sort of feeds off that," he said. "I don't think he's the cause though at all. I think it comes down to the parents and how you were raised."

Junior Ryan Bauer, 16, noted the president's responsibility to be a good role model. He said he didn't really support either candidate, but he's willing to give Trump a chance now. Bauer has several friends who joined the Marine Corps, and he worries they will be sent to fight a war on ISIS in the coming years.

Krissy Lovely, 16, a junior, has been more distraught over Trump's pending presidency, but she also wants to see the country unite.

"I kind of was like, 'Well, here's the end of America,'" said Lovely, who stayed up Tuesday night into Wednesday morning to see the election results announced. "At the end of the day, we're all one nation and we all have to deal with it. It's not going away for the next four years."

As someone who identifies with the LGBT community, Lovely hopes Trump does not find a way to overturn the Supreme Court's decision to require states to recognize gay marriage. She's also worried about women losing the right to legal abortions.

"If my partner and I can't get married, I would hate that," she said.

Senior Carly Arnett, who describes herself as a political moderate, said she was surprised to see Trump named the President-elect, but she thinks it's good to alternate between Democrats and Republicans having control of the White House.

"I was surprised he was able to flip six states, but I wasn't as upset as a lot of people were," Arnett said. "I find it that even if Hillary (Clinton) was elected, people would still be complaining as much as they are now. I was fine with it honestly."

Arnett thought the rhetoric around this election focused too much on the negative aspects of each candidate, rather than highlighting their policies. Some students said there came a point where it was difficult to talk about the election in school because people were so polarized over the candidates, and it was impossible to avoid the political posts on social media.

Senior Alivia Foster said it's been tough for high school students to know how to put this presidential election into context. Whitmore Lake High School offers an AP government class for 11th graders, and Foster and other students recalled discussions about the election process in that class.

"I think there's a fine line between maturity and immaturity. I think that as we're going into adulthood, it's hard to try to find which side we are," Foster said, adding that as a woman, she hopes she's not limited by policies Trump puts into place. "I think that's important for young people to know that they can voice their opinion - because that is one of our Amendments. I think there's a right and a wrong way to do that."

Ann Arbor teacher Peter Ways has spent the past few days helping his students process the election results. On Wednesday, his middle and high school students watched at least part of the speeches by Trump, Clinton and President Barack Obama in response to the election results.

Ways then asked students to write on sticky notes their thoughts, feelings and questions about the election. He read the notes out loud to facilitate a class discussion. As a history and humanities teacher, Ways had been following the election with his students closely as they learned about the process.

Some of the seventh and eighth graders at Ann Arbor Open wrote that they were shocked and scared by Trump being elected president. Many voiced concerns for how Muslims, people who identify as LGBTQ and racial minorities will be treated under a Trump presidency. Some asked how the polls could be so wrong, and another student said the country needs to make the best of it now.

"I think we've set up many of our kids across the country for shock and being very disturbed and scared and angry. Because Trump said the things he said and did the things he did, I think that a lot of the adults were very open in our reactions to it," Ways said, referencing how Michelle Obama denounced Trump's statements as unacceptable and bullying. "Then to have him be elected President, for a kid - whether they're in first grade or fifth grade or 10th grade - it's disorienting."

Ways told his students he will help protect them and stand up against bullying and discrimination. He made a point to reach out a Muslim student to make sure he was doing OK this week.

"If I had to compare how the adults in my life responded with how the young people responded, the young people are more resilient," Ways said. "They're very resilient, they're optimistic, but they're also very honest."
Ron Bloomfield releases new book 'Lost Bay City'

Ron Bloomfield, director of operations and chief historian of the Bay County Historical Museum, is leaving his job for a position with Central Michigan University

(Yfat Yossifor | MLive.com)

Ron Bloomfield, Director of Operations and Chief Historian of Bay County Historical Society, explains the history behind a flag given to soldiers after their return from the Spanish-American War Wednesday Feb. 17, 2016, at Bay County Historical Museum in Bay City.

BAY CITY, MI -- After nearly a quarter-century of documenting, curating and highlighting Bay County's greatest historical treasures, Ron Bloomfield is writing a new chapter in his personal history book.

Bloomfield, 46, is leaving his post as the director of operations and chief historian at the Bay County Historical Museum for an opportunity to jump into the world of academia. On Monday, Nov. 14, he begins a new job managing the collection at the Museum of Cultural and Natural History at his alma mater of Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant. While in that position, Bloomfield plans to finish his masters degree in cultural resource management and then become a professor in the graduate program.

"I have 25 years in museums -- 23 of those years here in Bay City," he said. "I feel like I've done everything there is to do and now I'm looking to bring that experience to the next-generation of museum folks who can learn from me."

In this 2002 photo, Ron Bloomfield, then curator of collections and research at the Bay County Historical Society and Museum, holds a gelatin product in its original container from the 1930's era.

Bloomfield, who came to the museum in 1993, has served as the museum's chief historian and director of operations since 2006. Emily Kukulis, who has worked as an assistant curator at the museum, was promoted to collections manager. Bloomfield's wife Corrine Bloomfield, was named chief curator.

On a part-time basis, Mike Bacigalupo, chief operating officer of the State Theatre, is going to handle the management side of the museum, overseeing its $320,000 annual budget and day-to-day business.

Stephen Kent, president of the Bay County Historical Society, said Bloomfield has been "instrumental" in keeping the museum relevant and innovative.

"If you look at the museums from around the state, this is one of the larger ones," he said. "As a result, there is a lot of work that has to go into it. Ron is a person who has always stepped up and done a great job at working on the details of the organization."

Bloomfield points to the level of community involvement that has increased at the museum as one of his proud career moments. Specifically, he pointed to his work in documenting Great Lakes shipwrecks and Bay City's contribution to the maritime history.

He also mentioned the permanent galleries at the museum, like "Bay County... Trails Through Time," and "Bay City... Seaport to the World," as proud works.

"These are not your typical small museum exhibit galleries," he said. "We have been told these are on par with galleries in museums in larger cities. And we did these with not a lot of money."

Bloomfield has also authored three books on Bay County history, including his latest, "Lost Bay City," which was published in 2015.

Eric Jyla, a local historian, said Bloomfield has the "best understanding of Bay County history than anyone else."

"He has this education where he really does know the answers to any questions, or he knows where to find that information," he said. "I think it'll be a loss to our history community, but it's going to be CMU's gain."

Bloomfield, who plans to continue living in Bay County, is hoping his connections at CMU can benefit the museum in Bay City, 321 Washington Ave.

"It could help provide additional help with interns, or just best practices in curating a museum," he said. "This is the right opportunity for me and I know the museum is going to be in good hands."
Pirates of the Caribbean 5 spoilers: Is Johnny Depp no longer returning as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales?

Johnny Depp attends the European premiere of 'Alice Through The Looking Glass' at Odeon Leicester Square on May 10, 2016 in London, England. (Photo : Getty Images/Jeff Spicer)

"Pirates of the Caribbean 5" may be the first film in the franchise without the notorious Captain Jack Sparrow at the center of the spectacle. It has been rumored that Johnny Depp is still reprising his role as Sparrow, although he will not appear as the lead character.



It has previously been reported that the tides will begin to change in "Pirates of the Caribbean 5" as the movie is poised to pave the way to a younger generation of characters and new adventures. Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), son of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), is leading the pack this time around. Moreover, it is said that the conflict between Henry and the show's main villain, Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), is going to be the focus of the film from start to finish.



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The first official trailer of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" shows zero footage of Depp's Jack Sparrow, The Guardian reported. However, there is mention of him and it spells bad news. The big bad, Captain Salazar, is searching for Sparrow and he corners Henry to coerce him to divulge his whereabouts.



The lack of Jack Sparrow sightings in the "Pirates of the Caribbean 5" trailer comes as a huge surprise to fans, especially since the character was the driving force of the previous films and helped the movie gain huge success. However, the synopsis for the film reassures fans that Sparrow is indeed returning.



"Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Captain Jack Sparrow finds the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, the terrifying Captain Salazar (Bardem), escape from the Devil's Triangle, determined to kill every pirate at sea ... including him," the official synopsis reads. Jack's last chance of survival is finding the Trident of Poseidon, a powerful item that gives its possessor the power to control the seas.



Meanwhile, Depp is about to take part in another massive fantasy franchise: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." According to ET Online, Depp is playing Gellert Grindelwald. As a matter of fact, he makes his debut as the character in the first "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" movie, which premieres in theaters on Nov. 18.






BAY CITY, MI -- Days after the American people elected Donald J. Trump the nation's 45th president, a gay Bay City couple say they found themselves the target of the latest in a flurry of hate-fueled intimidation tactics plaguing the country.

Kris Harris and Neil Wolicki on Thursday, Nov. 10, said they found a handwritten note in their mailbox that read: "Faggots Get Out! Trump Country!" The "O" of "Out" contained a backward swastika.

"We're very saddened by this and hope it's not going to become a trend, whether against gays, Muslims, or any other community and/or religious group," Harris told MLive in a text message. He declined to further comment or be photographed for this story.

Harris and Wolicki, who live on Bay City's East Side near Carroll Park, married in Canada in 2008 and had their marriage validated in their home country after the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2015 ruled marriage is a fundamental right guaranteed to gay couples under the 14th Amendment.

Bay City Public Safety Director Michael J. Cecchini said the note was reported to Bay County Central Dispatch Thursday afternoon.

"The initial request from the complainants was they did not want to see an officer, but wanted to make police aware of it," he said. "We contacted the complainants again earlier (Friday) afternoon and asked if they would like a report. They still indicated they do not want a formal report or complaint."

However, officers on Friday did meet with the complainants to impound the note, Cecchini said. Officers took a non-criminal report for suspicious activity, he added.

"If (the complainants) change their minds and want to file a formal complaint, we can certainly have that note analyzed for evidence," Cecchini said.

He added his department has received no other reports of similar activity. If Harris and Wolicki opted to have a criminal investigation conducted and police identified a suspect, their reports would be forwarded to U.S. postal inspectors, due to the note having been placed in a mailbox, Cecchini said.

"They could determine if it violated any laws at the federal level," he said.

The incident in Bay City is among a spate of similar intimidation acts to have occurred across the country since Trump's victory.

At Royal Oak Middle School, students chanted "build the wall" in a video that has since gone viral, with the caption that Latino children were crying as their classmates hollered.

White students at a junior high school in Dewitt, Michigan, made a physical wall to block classmates they felt were of Hispanic descent from entering classrooms or accessing their lockers.

Craig Windt, a 44-year-old history teacher at Bay City Central High School, posted a photo of the handwritten message on his personal Facebook page at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10. Windt is himself gay and is friends with Harris and Wolicki.

Windt's caption read: "This was in the mailbox of a gay couple in Bay City today. Don't tell me that Trump's election hasn't brought out the worst in some people. We need to stand together and not let this crap ruin our nation. Our nation was already great. I don't like the direction it's headed."

The image has been shared 1,300 times as of 3:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11.

"This is absolutely horrible," Sandra Rogers, who leads the group, Bay City United for Change, wrote on Facebook. "Happened in Bay City, Michigan, to somebody most of us know. I have never seen anything like what is happening now."

"To hear about this would be horrible anywhere in the world, but to find out this type of intimidation has happened in our community is disgraceful," Avram Golden, a Bay City business owner, shared on Facebook. "We are better than this."

Windt said he was "completely shocked" when he saw the note.

"I couldn't believe that something like that was actually happening here," he said. "When you see things like that online, you typically think 'They're far away' or 'Someone is making this up; this isn't real.' When it's somebody you actually know, you know it's not made up, that this really happened.

"It's really made me afraid," he continued. "I've never had this experience, which is why it is so shocking to me."

Windt said he voted for Hillary Clinton. He also said he finds it "ridiculous" for Trump supporters to tell Clinton voters to "get over" the results or to treat the outcome like a typical presidential election.

"We live in a very diverse society now," he said. "Many people really like that and espouse the beliefs that we share together. This is my life. If (Trump's) election is causing people to think they have the power or the right to attack or threaten people, I can't get over it."

He shared the photo on Facebook as a means to stand up against its message, he said.

"As people in the streets are protesting against Trump winning the election, they're standing up for the right side of justice in the long run," he said. "Ten or 20 years from now when we look back on it, we'll see the people standing up now are in the right, especially considering the fact Trump didn't even win the popular vote."

Windt said he was encouraged by how many shares the photo of the note received on social media and the solidarity that speaks to.

"I could not imagine that," he said. "It is nice to see people spreading the word about it."
Screen Shot 2016-11-12 at 9.32.31 AM.png

David Adamany in 1999.

(AP File Photo )

David Adamany, former president of Wayne State University and chief executive officer of the Detroit Public Schools, died Thursday, Nov. 10 after a brief battle with illness.

He was 80.

Adamany served as Wayne State's president from 1982 to 1997, and as Detroit schools CEO while under state reorganization in 1999-2000, the Associated Press reports.

After moving on from Detroit, Adamany served as the president of Temple University from 2000 until his retirement in June 2006.

"David demanded the best of everyone, especially himself," Temple University President Richard M. Englert said in a news release. "He had an exacting vision of Temple as a place where everyone worked in unison for the benefit of our students and that's the university he helped create."

Adamany also served as a professor of law and political science at Temple, in which he taught a course on the U.S. Supreme Court, A.P. reports.

The Wisconsin native earned an undergraduate degree and juris doctor from Harvard University, and added a master's and doctorate from the University of Wisconsin, according to Temple's news release.
SOUTHFIELD -- A computer science team from Lawrence Tech University finished in the top 20 percent of 150 teams in the fourth GlobalHack competition.

GlobalHack IV was held in St. Louis, Missouri last month, according to a Friday release from the Southfield school.

The theme of this year's competition, in which more than 1,000 students participated, was developing software to prevent or end homelessness.

The Lawrence Tech team took on the challenge of homeless shelter intake management for its project, according to the release.

"In preparing for the event, the LTU CS team learned that most homeless people have access to the internet via phone or computer," the university announced. "So, the LTU team designed a system using Google Maps to allow shelters to quickly redirect homeless people to nearby shelters.

"It also provides a way for homeless people to communicate with shelters. Finally, it provides a dashboard interface for shelters so that they can manage the number of individuals staying in their beds."

The team's work was good enough to make it to the finals with the other top 20 percent of teams.

The team members were Nicholas Paul, captain, Nick Virag and Jacob Crane.

A faculty advisor said in the release that the three students worked on the system for 17 hours, which averaged out to one line of code from each member per minute.
Apple may introduce a radical new design for iPhone 8 to celebrate the iPhone's tenth anniversary in 2017. (Photo : Getty Images/Justin Sullivan)

Recently, rumors are surfacing online with Apple Inc's plan on replacing its traditional screen with the OLED displays for the next-gen iPhone 8 as part of a major design revamp. Analysts delved on Apple's latest 10-K filing, which hinted purchase orders on OLED displays in large quantities.



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According to ValueWalk, investment firm JPMorgan reportedly investigated the tech giant's recent Securities and Exchange Commission 10-K filing, which the analysts believe to be related to the sourcing of OLED screens for the iPhone 8. Analysts found that Apple had placed purchase orders worth at least $4 billion on the OLED displays. The third-quarter 10-K filing has "off-balance sheet obligation" for the same amount.



Apple Watch and the newest MacBook Pro have already introduced the OLED technology, which is why the upcoming iPhone iteration could also receive the said display. Rumors continue with Sharp President's Tai Jeng-Wu talking to students at the University of Taiwan about future iPhones, suggesting that new devices will include OLED screen technology.



Today suggested that aside from the display change, the next iPhone flagship will introduce a revolutionary design, an all-glass build with the specs and display sandwiched in between. In addition, the iPhone 8 will sport a larger screen-to-body ratio by eliminating the home button, which will greatly expand the iPhone 8's display. The phone may even incorporate its Touch ID scanner into the display glass itself.



Other big specs and features to come are edge-to-edge display, fingerprint sensor, and home functionality. An augmented reality (AR) mapping system patent was also granted to Apple recently, which CEO Tim Cook believes to be bigger than virtual reality (VR).



Among the upcoming updates on the iPhone 8 will also include a long-distance wireless charging technology from Energous, which allows users to charge up to 15 feet distance. Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn has been producing and testing wireless charging modules for the iPhone 8.



If the rumors on iPhone 8's OLED screen will materialize, renowned KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared that the model will not arrive until 2019. However, the analyst dismissed the speculation that Apple is switching its LCD display as suppliers reportedly continue to invest in advanced LCD technology.


business Alibaba's 11/11 global festive shopping begins Ecommerce Giant Alibaba kick started its double 11 (11/11) global shopping festival. The company expects it to be a bigger shopping festival than last year.
business Cash-strapped citizens throng ATMs of Mumbai There has been a stampede in front of two banks in the crowded Chandni Chowk area in the capital while a ration shop in Madhya Pradesh was looted by starving people who had no food and no money to buy food with.
On Friday, Egypt's main squares and streets were almost empty apart from a heavy presence of security forces, in the wake of anonymous calls for protests against "harsh economic conditions"

Sadat Metro Station, located in Downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square, has reopened its doors to commuters Saturday following a one-day closure in anticipation of possible protests in the square, state news agency MENA reported.

On Friday, Egypt's main squares and streets were almost empty apart from a heavy presence of security forces, in the wake of anonymous calls for protests against "harsh economic conditions" that had been endorsed by pro-Muslim Brotherhood Facebook pages.

Earlier this month, Egypt's government announced several measures aimed at reviving the country's ailing economy, including full currency flotation and a cut in energy subsidies. The decisions came amid shortages in some basic commodities and food price hikes.

Security authorities arrested around 300 protesters nationwide Friday, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported, citing a security source.

Sadat Metro Station has frequently been closed "due to security reasons."

It was closed from August 2013 to June 2015  over 650 days  to prevent protests in Tahrir Square.

The reopening of the station in June 2015 was a relief to passengers who were forced to commute longer periods and pay extra fees.



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The world as you know it is about to end

An economic meltdown is imminent. Forget stocks. Its time to cash up and prepare for the worst.

Well, at least thats what many experts are telling us.

You dont have to look far for a dose of negativity. Dire forecasts seem to be everywhere. And Im not just talking about niche business websites. This is a mainstream story.

Ive got a selection of quotes for you. They werent hard to find. All I did was Google global crash.

Have a read below

A DEVASTATING market crash is due to wreak chaos across the world, following a debt binge worse than the lead-up to the 2008 financial crisis, a top investor has warned. Lana Clements, Express UK, 22 September 2016 The world economy is hardly out of one global financial crisis and the odds are surging that another worldwide crash is about to begin. David Brown, South China Morning Post, 27 June 2016 The chance of a share market crash is rising. Patrick Commins, Sydney Morning Herald, 31 August 2016

I did a second search to get some balance. The key words were global stock boom. Do you know what I got? More headlines warning of bubbles, crashes and recessions!

This is scary stuff. There are a lot of experts predicting bad things  and their arguments are often compelling. I can understand why a lot of people are on edge.

What if

The media isnt the only place Im seeing concerns. Fears of a crash are also appearing in member emails. The words what if are becoming more and more frequent.

Let me show you what I mean

The possibility of a major market correction in the next four or five weeks following the U.S. Presidential Election is enough to put a chill down ones spine. Should it happen, and the stock prices go into a spiral gaping down by-passing our stop losses, we would be left reeling holding substantial losses and unable to bail out. What has your system in place to manage such event? Member, Sunny

Sunny is a longstanding member. Hes been with Quant Trader since day one. While his specific concern relates to the US election, the prospect of a meltdown worries him most.

Now, Id like to tell you that the worst wont happen. But I cant. I simply dont know. The clever people making the scary predictions could be right. This might be the beginning of the end.

But the truth is, no one knows. Forecasts of a financial apocalypse are nothing new. Theyve been around since I began my career in 1991. And so far, theyve mostly been wrong.

Sunny has an excellent question. Hes not after yet another opinion. Instead, Sunny asks, What has your system in place to manage such event?

A history lesson

Im going to answer this with three examples. These will show you Quant Traders response to past periods of market turmoil. All the examples are from back-testing.

Heres the first



Source: BigCharts

Click to enlarge

Youre looking at a chart of the All Ordinaries. It covers the period from July 1996 to July 1999.

This was a volatile time. It includes three seismic events: the Asian Financial Crisis, the Russian debt default, and the collapse of a major hedge fund.

The most violent fall was in October 1997. Stocks were at a record high. Then, without warning, the market lost 20% in a month. This includes a one-day drop of 12%.

Many people thought the financial system would implode. Heres what one leading economist and hedge fund manager was saying in August 1998:

The collapse of Russia is having a profound impact upon the entire global financial markets Of all the great financial panics in history, this one looks like, sounds like and moves like none other than 1929 all over again. The similarities of what we are living through have more in common with the fundamentals behind the Great Depression than at any other point in time. Martin A Armstrong

Yes, this was a scary time. My employer, Bankers Trust, went out of business during this period.

Now let me show you how Quant Trader manages the uncertainty

Click to enlarge

Its not plain sailing by any means. This was an incredibly testing environment. The chart shows the hypothetical profits from long trades. It doesnt include costs and dividends.

Youll see the sharp drop near the middle of the chart. The Asian meltdown was in full swing. This is when stocks lost 12% in a single day. Its the sort of situation Sunny fears now.

Let me be straight with you. Heavy falls are a reality of stock trading. The only way to avoid them is to stay out of the market. But I believe thats a big price for an infrequent event.

An alternative is to use strategies to limit risk. Youll still have losses, but youll have an exit route when things turn bad. Youll also have a plan to get back in when conditions improve.

Look at how Quant Trader manages the fallout from the Asian crisis. Theres an initial loss as the market falls and exit stops are hit. The system then steadies before recovering to new highs.

Let me show you another



Source: BigCharts

Click to enlarge

This is the All Ordinaries from January 2001 to May 2002. The big event of the time was September 11. If you were long stocks, you almost certainly lost money.

Heres how Quant Trader performs



Click to enlarge

Quant Trader doesnt escape the selloff. Most of the portfolios stocks fall. 50 companies trigger exit stops during the next two weeks. The system gives back much of the years profit.

As before, the results are only for long trades. Im leaving out short positions. I want you to see how a long-only portfolio performs.

The flipside of a crash is the recovery. If you limit losses during the selloff, youre in a prime position to take advantage of the upswing. This is exactly what Quant Trader does in the following months.

I have one more example. This is from more recent times.



Source: BigCharts

Click to enlarge

Youre looking at the All Ordinaries between July 2010 and December 2012. This was during the European sovereign debt crisis. There was also a downgrade of the US credit rating.

This was another worrying time. Many experts were expecting the worst. Predictions of a second GFC were commonplace. But many of these warnings came after the big stock market falls.

Heres what Quant Traders portfolio does



Click to enlarge

Quant Trader gives back profits during the crisis. But, unlike the All Ordinaries, the system doesnt go into the red. It exits trades as they hit their stops. This protects capital from continuing losses.

You may be wondering about the drop in Quant Traders profits (from $50,000 to under $10,000). Yes, this is a big fall. But its for a large portfolio. At the markets peak, there were 204 open trades, with a hypothetical value of over $250,000. This should put the drawdown into perspective.

Theres no shortage of global concerns at present. Experts constantly remind us of the potential dangers. Many traders would be asking if they should be in the market at all.

But heres the thing: You dont need to know the future. Successful trading is about having a robust process  not a crystal ball. This helps you deal with whatever the future brings.

Yes, the markets could crash. Thats why we have exit stops. Its also why spreading risk is so important. These strategies are aimed to help protect you from the worst scenarios.

I believe the biggest risk is to avoid the market completely. People ask me, what if the market crashes? I say, what if it doesnt? In my experience, a good strategy ultimately comes out on top either way.

Until next week,

Jason

Editors note: Did fear keep you out of the market this week? Dont worry if the answer is yes. Many people have been selling-up, preparing for the worst. But not Quant Trader  it has continued to identify strong stocks over the past few weeks.

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The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana.
The Dutch national prosecutor said Saturday that two Rwandans living in the Netherlands accused of participating in the country's 1994 genocide would be extradited to their homeland.

"Two Rwandan residents of the Netherlands, a 40-year-old from Voorburg and a 57-year-old from Leusden, will be extradited to Rwanda today," the prosecutor said in a statement.

Rwanda had demanded the extraditions of Jean-Claude Iyamuremye and Jean-Baptiste Mugimba in 2012 and 2013 respectively to face trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The two are suspected of having been militiamen during a four-month massacre of some 800,000 people, mostly from Rwanda's Tutsi minority, in 1994.

The extraditions come after a lengthy legal battle. Dutch authorities had at first approved the extraditions but they were blocked on appeal as judges doubted the two would receive a fair trial.

That ruling was later overturned in another appeal.

Iyamuremye is accused of having participated in a notorious massacre near the Official Technical School (ETO) outside the capital Kigali on April 11, 1994.

According to the website of Kigali's memorial centre, some 2,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed that day near the school after Belgian UN peacekeepers left the area.

Mugimba is believed to have attacked Tutsis in a neighbourhood of Kigali.

The Rwandan genocide was triggered by the assassination of the country's president Juvenal Habyarimana, from the Hutu majority, whose plane was shot down.

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With wildfires burning all across the region, a special team has been called into the area to help fight the blazes.

An air support team with the United States Forest Service is operating out of Foothills Regional Airport in Morganton. The team based in southwest Florida arrived this week and will remain in place for an undetermined period of time.

The team is comprised of six single engine air tankers (SEAT) and pilots, with three planes apiece managed by the U.S. Forest Services Bill Sprinkle and Billy Goodwin, along with a ground support team.

James Menuez was part of the ground crew manning support vehicles comprised of two 1,000-gallon water tanks and a 600-gallon fuel tank Friday. The firefighting planes were taking off and landing approximately every five minutes. On Friday, the teams efforts were going to battle the Party Rock fire at Chimney Rock State Park and the Lake Lure area.

Were here with the forestry service, he said. Weve got the aircraft out here fighting wildfires.  (It is) a pretty self-sufficient operation," Menuez said. "We can go pretty much anywhere they have water because thats what theyre dropping on the fires.

As long as we have a fuel source and a water source, we can go anywhere and support the aircraft. Well hopefully get the wildfires put out.

The airport is providing the operation with the fuel and water supply. Foothills Regional is also providing Internet, restroom facilities and some food and beverages for the team, whose pilots can fly up to eight hours per day.

The main thing were providing (at the aiport) is our fuel and water, said Foothills Regional Airport Manager Brent Brinkley. (The airport staff) are here for support. We want to help in any way we can and make sure these guys have what they need.

Menuez said the team has plenty of experience behind it from fighting fires out west. The members of the team are from several different parts of the country. Menuez said the team can refuel and reload a SEAT plane with water in about three minutes.

The pilot cant get out of the aircraft when its running, Menuez said. Its up to us on the ground here to make sure he has what he needs. If he needs a drink of water or if his windshields a little dirty, we clean it off and make sure he has fuel. We hook up our load hose and it takes about three minutes to load them with water, about 800 gallons. Were here to make sure the airplane stays in the air and is efficient fighting fires.

When full of fuel and water, the 7,000-pound Air Tractor AT-802 planes, which are the largest SEATs and are made in Texas, weigh about 16,000 pounds.

Its one of the only aircraft that can hold more than it weighs taking off. There are several aircraft here from Arkansas and Louisiana, he said. Were pretty much spread out all over the country. We all work together.

The Party Rock fire in Lake Lure had grown to an estimated 885 acres as of midday Friday. Steep terrain, gusty winds and extreme drought conditions have made firefighting efforts difficult. The North Carolina Forest Service has assigned more than 100 personnel to the wildfire from all across the state.

The fire is estimated at being 15 percent contained with continued containment efforts ongoing. The residents of 50 homes previously were notified by the Lake Lure Fire Department of a potential need for evacuation in the Quail Ridge and Huntington Road areas of Rumbling Bald Resort. However, only 15 of the 50 homes had to be evacuated. Three homes on Boulder Run Road also were evacuated Thursday.

Temporary housing for evacuees has been arranged through Rumbling Bald Resort; evacuee housing can be found by calling 828-694-3046. Communities north and west of the fire can prepare their homes to be more defensible to an approaching wildfire by removing leaves and needles from rooftops and gutters, removing flammable vegetation near homes and clearing the yard of leaf litter and other flammable debris. Additional home protection actions can be found by visiting firewise.org.

For further information on the Party Rock fire, citizens can contact the Fire Information Center at partyrockfireinfo@gmail.com or by calling 828-513-2500. Citizens can also find up to date fire information on INCIWEB at inciweb.nwcg.gov.

Justin Epley can be reached at jepley@morganton.com or 828-432-8943.
CONNELLY SPRINGS  On its fifth day since a Sunday night ignition, a wildfire at South Mountains State Park, which remains closed, grew again overnight Thursday and into Friday afternoon.

The blaze saw a massive uptick from 400 acres Thursday afternoon to 1,450 acres Friday afternoon, though it had stayed within the 2,000-acre containment area firefighters had established by Thursday.

(The parks service) wants shore up those lines, said Charlie Peek, public information for the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. We also need to take stock of our resources and the situation.

The fire, which began in the Chestnut Knob area of the park, has grown each day this week, expanding to 75 acres Monday afternoon, then 150 acres Tuesday afternoon and to a little more than 150 acres by Wednesday evening. The wildfire is one of several in the western half of North Carolina, including blazes in Dysartsville and at Chimney Rock State Park, and at the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests.

No cause has been pinpointed for the blaze. Contrary to reports, the blaze is not being investigated for arson, said Peek. The parks service has expanded its burning ban on all fire, including charcoal, to all parks west of Interstate 95.

In a corresponding move to the large growth of the fire, there are now 75 personnel onsite at the park. Twenty-five of them are from the parks service and the rest of the workers are from the North Carolina Forest Service and other agencies, Peek said. The parks service anticipates additional manpower of 35 workers from the Florida Forest Service in the coming days.

In order to redirect its resources, the parks service has closed New River, Gorges, Elk Knob, Lake James and Mount Mitchell state parks and Mount Jefferson State Natural Area. People planning to visit other state parks in the western part of the state are advised to check the division's website at ncparks.gov before making the trip.

Teams from these parks have joined in on the effort after the parks service already called in teams of six to eight staff from state parks in eastern North Carolina. The listed parks will reopen when the fires are contained or extinguished and staff members are able to return to their assigned parks. A handful of staff will remain on duty in the closed parks for security purposes.

Peek said the possibility that the South Mountains fire will threaten structures or residential areas, especially north and northwest of the park boundaries, cant be ruled out. Peek said the parks service already has reached out to people in the area and that evacuations are a possibility.

There are a few rural homes out in those areas, Peek said. Weve begun to advise people in the area about the situation.

Though other fires in the region, particularly the Party Rock fire at Chimney Rock, have begun to receive aerial firefighting support, that has not happened at South Mountains yet. Peek said that the line to receive that support is long and he doesnt know when that might happen at South Mountains.

The Burke County Fire Marshals Office has issued an expansion of the burning ban issued by the forest service on Nov. 8. The ban has been expanded to inside the 100-foot boundary surrounding an occupied dwelling, effective Friday morning. The expanded ban does exclude cooking fires in an outdoor grill or smoker. Violators could face civil penalties and liabilities from the forest service.

We feel that this expansion of the ban is needed due to the extreme conditions covering western North Carolina, said Cecil Huffman, Burke County interim fire marshal. Issuing citations is not our primary concern, but to educate our citizens of the current dangers associated with outdoor burning during these drought conditions.

We understand that it is the time of year to clean up around our homes by burning the fallen leaves and debris. We need our citizens to understand that our region of the state is experiencing multiple large area fires and we need to do all we can to lessen the fire danger in Burke County. Until we receive some significant rainfall, any outdoor burning is just too much of a risk.

State, regional and local firefighting resources are currently being deployed to assist with fire control measures within the 25 county ban area. State and local officials are asking the public to heed the burning bans until conditions improve and the bans can be lifted.

A state of emergency was issued Thursday for 25 western North Carolina counties where active wildfires are burning, caused by the drought that began last spring.

Gov. Pat McCrory said in a news release Thursday that he was declaring the state of emergency for one-quarter of North Carolina's 100 counties. He says the declaration will help with evacuations and provide more state assets to fight the wildfires and support those who were evacuated.

Evacuations have been ordered in Clay, Graham, Macon, Rutherford and Swain counties.

For those who want to donate food, water or other supplies to the firefighting effort at South Mountains, Peek asked that those people drive to the parks gate and wait to be let it. Peek acknowledged that the personnel at the park already have received a great amount of support and donations from the community. The park is located at 3001 S. Mountain Park Ave. in Connelly Springs.

Justin Epley can be reached at jepley@morganton.com or 828-432-8943.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
RALEIGH  In a night of impressive Republican victories across the country, and right here in North Carolina, the states Democrats may well have accomplished their top priority of defeating Gov. Pat McCrory  by a whisker.

At this writing, Roy Coopers 5,000-vote margin will likely generate a recount. Nevertheless, its worth pondering how so many things could go right for Republicans and still not necessarily end well for the state partys titular leader, Gov. McCrory.

The problem wasnt the top of the ticket. Donald Trump won North Carolina by nearly 200,000 votes, thanks to strong turnout among Republicans and GOP-leaning independents who were highly motivated to vote against Hillary Clinton. Critically, these voters didnt just vote for Trump and the partys top-polling candidate, Sen. Richard Burr, who defeated Democratic opponent Deborah Ross by six percentage points. Most Burr-Trump voters stayed at the polls long enough to vote all the way down the ballot.

Thats one reason that, contrary to most expectations, Republicans didnt lose any ground in the General Assembly this year. They maintained their supermajorities in both chambers, even padding their lead in the state senate. Moreover, the GOP won historic victories in Council of State races for state treasurer (Dale Folwell), state superintendent of public instruction (Mark Johnson), and insurance commissioner (Mike Causey), while reelecting Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, and Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry by solid margins.

In judicial races, Democrats won the biggest prize. Wake County judge Mike Morgan defeated Supreme Court Justice Bob Edmunds, thus flipping the high court Democratic. But Republicans won all five races for state court of appeals, where most cases get decided.

I guess a key lesson here is that North Carolina politics remains highly competitive and volatile. This isnt just a function of turnout differentials. Although ticket-splitting is far less common than it used to be, some North Carolinians continue to mix and match their votes in seemingly inexplicable ways.

I say seemingly inexplicable because, of course, such voters think their choices are entirely reasonable. Imagine that you were a non-ideological voter who didnt think much of either party and saw both the state and the nation as headed in the wrong direction. Wouldnt you consider voting against the incumbent party in the White House as well as the incumbent party in the governors mansion?

Heres another one: imagine that you were a Republican-leaning voter who believed the party should be more welcoming to gays and lesbians. That might lead you to vote for Trump, based on his prior history and recent statements on LGBT issues, and against McCrory, based on his defense of House Bill 2. You may also have voted for Dan Forest, who was at least as resolute in his defense of the bill  but because you dont follow state politics very closely, you didnt know that.

Given the other election results, in other words, it would be highly problematic to interpret a possible Roy Cooper win by a tiny margin as some kind of sweeping message about Republican rule in Raleigh. If North Carolina voters truly thought the GOPs conservative policies on tax cuts, regulatory relief, entitlement reform, education, and other issues were the wrong direction for the state, why did they just give Republicans more power in the General Assembly and new authority over the states finances and public schools? And why did they just vote for Republicans for president and Congress who promised to pursue a similar agenda in Washington?

As Ive pointed out all year, North Carolina Democrats hoped that the 2016 elections would produce victories from the White House to the school house. They worked hard to defeat Trump, Burr, and Republican lawmakers. But by far their fondest wish was to recapture the governors mansion. They vastly outraised and outspent McCrory and his allies. They gave Roy Cooper every form of aid he required. They went all in.

And if his thin margin stands, theyll have something most Democrats around the country wont have  something to celebrate.

John Hood is chairman of the John Locke Foundation and appears on the talk show NC SPIN. You can follow him @JohnHoodNC.
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has confirmed to Ahram Online that it received on Friday an initial $2.75 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following the boards approval for Egypts $12 billion loan.

CBE governor Tarek Amer told Ahram Online that the IMF dispatched the initial batch to Egypt immediately following the boards approval on Friday.

Further disbursements will depend on the country's economic performance and implementation of reforms, according to the fund.

Amer also told Ahram Online that the loan will help the countrys foreign reserves jump to more than $23 billion from the current $19.04 billion registered at the end of October.

Egypt relies heavily on imports and has been suffering from an acute foreign currency shortage since the 2011 revolution and the following unrest, which has spooked investors and tourists.

In mid-August, Egypt reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF over the loan after the IMF endorsed the Arab nation's fiscal reform programme, which the government embarked on in 2014 in an attempt to curb the growing state budget deficit, estimated at 12.2 percent of GDP in 2015/16.

The programme includes cutting subsidies and the introduction of new taxes, such as the newly ratified value-added tax.

The reform program will help Egypt restore macroeconomic stability and promote inclusive growth, the IMF board said in a statement.

Dollar declines against EGP

Following Fridays announcement, the official exchange rate of the greenback has already fallen to an average of EGP 15.9 per US dollar on Saturday, from a registered EGP 17.8 prior to the weekend, according to three major banks surveyed by Ahram Online.

Among the banks surveyed was the state-owned National Bank of Egypt (NBE) and the Commercial International Bank (CIB), Egypts largest private bank.

The parallel markets activity has fallen since the CBEs decision to float the country's pound last week.

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Calling all cooks! Our Food Adventures Crew loves to entertain. One of those ways is through whipping up meals for friends and family. Want to learn some skills from the basic to advanced? May we suggest some classes? If you want to wow them at your next dinner party, well then, we have the place for you.

Whether you call it the Dorothy Lane Market School of Cooking or the Culinary Center at Dorothy Lane Market, there is a cult following for this organization. And rightfully so, as we are lucky to have such a resource her in Dayton. Many brilliant cooks, chefs and kitchen volunteers make kitchen program come to life. Each year, throughout all 12 months, hundreds of attendees learn from some of the Miami Valleys Best. Today, Food Adventures would like to introduce you to some of the All Stars that shine in this stellar organization.

HERES THE SKINNY on THE CULINARY CENTER at DLM:

 Located at 6177 Far Hills Ave. in Centerville in the Washington Square Shopping Center.

 Hours are Monday  Friday 10am-3pm

 They offer classes year round for all ages

 Prices range, depending on the class, and of course you get taste plates of each course during these events.

 Some classes are hands on, others are just observatory. The smells and the flavors are always fantastic, and the lessons are very informative.

 Numerous volunteers help clean, serve and even prepare some parts of the meals. Without them, the courses would not go as smoothly. In fact they wouldnt take place at all.

 They do private events, like office parties. Team building events, anniversary parties, etc.

The school of cooking is close to our hearts. Hungry Jax has

been steadily active in volunteering over the years. She introduced The Big Ragu to the group, and he has even volunteered about 10 times over the past few years. Chef House has hosted her own cooking classes, and has lead the way for our Food Adventures Crew to reach our dream of hosting a couple of classes ourselves (The next one is Food Adventure Party Foods on May 18th, 2016).

Over the years, we have gotten to know the ins and outs of this fantastic Culinary Center, and the many unsung heroes of local cooking.

We are proud to introduce you to just some of the workhorses, that make the center a great success. They are todays Must Meets.

DOROTHY LANE MARKET CULINARY CENTERS MUST MEETS:

PEGGY NEARY: Peggy has been a joyful part of the DLM experience for 16 years. She is the current manager, and runs most of the planning day in and day out. She readies and schedules all the classes, and prepares the paperwork. even though she has a busy schedule, she always finds time to meet and plan for new events. Peggy always has a smile on her face, and is a big supporter of the Dayton community. She is the glue.. er glucose that holds the place together !

MARY COONEY: Mary has been huge part of the classes and cooking program for over a decade. Her specialties are her lifelong, Italian family recipes. She is a tremendous baker too. Mary Cooney is a first-generation Italian-American who has a passion for teaching. that is hard to equal. She loves to share her knowledge of authentic Italian dishes as well as baking pies and desserts. We recommend her cookbook which just happens to be for sale at the DLM Culinary Center as well. She is definitely one of our favorites.

CARRIE WALTERS: Every time we are around Carrie, she is always making some incredible food. She is the official Dorothy Lane Market Corporate Chef. She is in charge of running some of the most popular events at DLM like the Food & Wine Show. She is also very involved in helping develop the curriculum of the Culinary Center classes. Her happiness in the kitchen is infectious, and her classes are delicious, informative and fun. Her reach goes beyond the School of Cooking. You can find many of Carries recipes in the pre-made foods for sale at Dorothy Lane Market. She develops DLMs Market report and instructional videos. She loves to travel, and uses those opportunities to learn new recipes, cooking methods which enhance the programs of the Culinary Center.

JULIA HOY: She typically works days at the Dorothy Lane Market Culinary Center. Her specialty is German cooking and dishes. Julia is also known for her dedication and cooking instruction in the Basics classes. These are perfect introductory classes that are essesntial for those wanting to build the foundation of food knowledge. This California girl graduated from college with a degree in Food Science. She put her skills to work at Sunkist Growers,shortly before moving to Ohio. Julia began working at Dorothy Lane Market in 2006 developing recipes for the Produce Departments. She continued her education at Sinclair, attaining a Culinary Arts degree and Culinary Certification. She is a workhorse of the organization, and is one of the reasons for the schools solid success.

ZEBBIE BORLAND: For 25 years, Zebbie has been a part of the Dorothy Lane Market family. She is known for her popular cooking classes for kids. From grilling to desserts, these classes are basic, informative and a perfect way to introduce your children formally to the world of cooking. One of the pillars of the center, Zebbie helps round out a full program of classes at the Culinary Center. Parents, take advantage of her great classes !

JOHN CHICO: John is a passionate home cook. His experiences cooking for family (like his 4 Italian Grandparents) and friends have brought his influences to the Culinary Center. Always willing to learn new things, John soaks up a lot of the information and techniques by rubbing elbows the the staff. John hosts the popular Pretzel Classes and a continuing education program with the University of Dayton. Beef stew, polento, and sousvide are some of his specialties. He uses his wife and children to test breakfast for dinner recipes. John has taken calsses at the center, volunteered for classes and finally has come full circle into an instructor.

We would be remiss if Food Adventures didnt mention just some of the MUST MEET chefs that have an influence on the Culinary Center at DLM.

CHEF JENN DISANTO: This amazing Chef is even more of an amazing person. She is one of our favorite people in the world. Chef Jenn DiSanto has a long friendship with Chef House. Hungry Jax has worked many of her cooking classes over the past decade. Big Ragu even worked one a few year back, but his heart was stolen by the menu at her catering business called Fresco (that is another whole Food Adventure article in itself). Jenn is a classically trained chef, known for using the highest-quality seasonal ingredients.

She earned her culinary degree in Connecticut but has traveled extensively, even becoming a private chef domestically and overseas. Chef Disanto loves to pay homage to different cultures by producing some delicious, rustic recipes from different countries. An upstate New York native, she brings a strong work ethic to the kitchen. The result is meals that are extremely flavorful. Jenn also devotes much time and resources to helping various Dayton area charities that are close to her heart.

CHEF ELIZABETH WILEY: Chef Wiley is one of the culinary superstars of the Miami Valley. This Kansas native has been cooking professionally since 1979. After coming to Dayton and having a nearly 2 decade stint at the Winds she went a different direction. In 2004, her big breakout came when she wowed crowds after opening Meadowlark Restaurant. Her mantra is We cook what we like to eat, and whats in season. That philosophy has led to unmatched triumphs. Using her experiences cooking in Chicago, San Francisco and Key West, Chef Wiley has poured this knowledge into her delicious menus. She parlayed her success and partnered in opening Wheat Penny Pizza Oven. This inventive venture takes

pizza and Italian favorites to a new level. She is also well known for her charitable contributions to local causes. Stay tuned for more news and business ventures from Chef Wiley.

CHEF LIZ VALENTI: Chef Valenti is a positive force of energy at the DLM Culinary Center. She is Catering and Private Party Director. She handles all of this along with her businesses partnerships like, Wheat Penny Pizza Oven. Known for pizza and innovative takes on Italian food, Lizs star has been shining in Dayton for some time. Not only is she an amazing kitchen talent, she is also a great person. If she is a part of the event, be prepared for a delicious time. You will often notice her and her business partners helping various non-profit organizations around town. She is always giving back to the community.

The Culinary Center also has some fun internal events from various Pot Luck dinners, to a Julia Child Birthday celebration meal.

Oh and lest we forget the store inside the Culinary Center. Along the walls are books and various kitchen utensils for sale. A lot of these items you wont find anywhere else. They also offer kitchen towels, copper items and many upscale verisons of essesntial kitchen tools.

Now you know a little bit more about the Culinary Center at Dorothy Lane Market. It is a great School of Cooking for any Miami Valley resident. Please take advantage of their classes and events. Sign up for one today! Search www.DorothyLane.com for more info.

There are opportunities to volunteeer for these classes as well. If you are interested contact Peggy at 937-435-5696 on weekdays.

The classes not only showcase the cooks, but they give a thoughtful insight on the very offerings of special, fresh ingredients from Dorothy Lanes produce or specialty grocery sections.

For more content on Daytons Food Scene  like Food Adventures on Facebook by clicking HERE.

Please browse the photos below from our Food Adventures at Dorothy Lane Markets Culinary Center:
The Ministry of Culture announced on Saturday evening the death of Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz, one of Egypt's most renowned television and film actors in the past 40 years, after a long struggle with illness.

Abdel-Aziz was born in Wardeyan, Alexandria on 4 June 1946.

He graduated from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at Alexandria University in the 1960s.

Abdel-Aziz came to the limelight in the 1970s' TV drama Al Dawama (The Whirlpool) where he co-starred with renowned actors Nelly and Mahmoud Yassin.

In the 1980s, he rose to stardom with successful roles in movies such as El Aar (The Shame, 1982), El Keef (Addiction, 1985).

Abdel-Aziz also captured millions of TV viewers' attention and admiration with his role as an Egyptian spy in Israel in the 1950s and the 1960s in the famous trilogy of Rafat El Haggan.

His other remarkable films include Kit Kat (1991) and Al-Saher (The Magician, 2001).

Throughout his decades-long career, Abdel-Aziz starred in over 100 movies and numerous television series.

Abdel-Aziz was married to Egyptian actress Poussy Chalabi.

He has two sons from his first marriage: Mohamed, a film producer and director, and Karim.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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This spring, the staff of a legislative body that periodically reviews state agencies recommended a variety of major reforms to the entity thats supposed to regulate the oil and gas industry in the state.

Among the proposals: Changing the name of the Railroad Commission of Texas to the Texas Energy Resources Commission so the public would have a better idea of what the 125-year-old agency actually does.

On Thursday, the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission  consisting of 10 state lawmakers and two members of the public  snubbed that and several other recommendations opposed by the oil and gas industry that were meant to enhance agency efficiency and environmental oversight.

The Sunset Commission also declined to approve included transferring gas utility regulation to the Public Utility Commission and amending statutory bonding requirements to help curb a huge backlog of abandoned oil wells across the state. It also rejected a recommendation that would have required the Railroad Commission to develop rules for issuing expedited penalties for minor violations  a proposal industry groups said was unnecessary because the current process is already sufficient to ensure safety and compliance.

Almost all of the Railroad Commission reforms that the Sunset panel approved Thursday had the blessing of the oil and gas industry. They included enhanced requirements for reporting oil and gas production and violations, and authorizing the Railroad Commission to enforce damage prevention requirements for interstate pipelines.

The panel also recommended the creation of a pipeline permit fee that would help the agency plug a $1.8 million budget shortfall in its pipeline safety program  the result of a slowdown in drilling activity amid low oil prices (The Railroad Commission is funded largely through oilfield activity fees, which have dwindled.)

Echoing industry concerns, several Republican Sunset members said Thursday that the money generated by any new fee should be spent only on the pipeline safety program. They also inquired about possibly reducing or capping the fee once the budget shortfall is plugged. Other members expressed concern about how much it would cost the Railroad Commission to require producers to file production reports electronically  another staff recommendation approved Thursday.

The Sunset panel actually opted to strengthen the recommendation, approving a modification from Rep. Dan Flynn to post that production information online in a format that is easier for royalty owners to use and understand. The Canton Republican described it Thursday as an opportunity for more transparency. Rep. Larry Gonzales, the Round Rock Republican who chairs the Sunset Commission, said lawmakers would probably have to give the agency more money to complete the job.

Several Sunset members expressed opposition to the staff report and recommendations at a hearing this summer.

Two recommendations that the panel approved Thursday would require the Railroad Commission to develop a definition of repeat violations and report them on its website and also implement a policy to encourage alternative procedures for rule-making and dispute resolution.

Industry groups like the Texas Oil and Gas Association argued that current processes in both areas are sufficient as is.

The Sunset Commission also approved a last-minute recommendation Thursday from one of its public members, retired Army Col. Allen B. West, requiring the commission to incorporate findings of an ongoing seismic monitoring program into its regulation of disposal wells in an effort to prevent earthquakes.

Whether the Legislature will sign off on the recommendations next year remains to be seen. State lawmakers have twice now failed to pass a bill reforming the Railroad Commission amid objections from the agencys three commissioners. That has required Sunset staff to review the agency repeatedly since 2010. The current review is its third.
Midland Police Department / Facebook

Midland police reported it made an arrest Friday evening in connection with last weeks pursuit that ended with Officer Jacob Churchwell sustaining serious injuries from a single-vehicle crash.

Maximiliano Soto III, of Midland, was charged with evading causing serious bodily injury, a third-degree felony. Midland police, according to a press release, located Soto through a traffic stop -- the result of a tip on Friday morning -- and took him into custody. Soto was interviewed and confessed to evading an attempted traffic stop by Churchwell on Nov. 2.
(Beijing)  Chinas former finance minister Lou Jiwei has been appointed as chief of the fund that forms the backbone of Chinas national state retirement plan, sources close to the fund told Caixin.

On Thursday, Lou Jiwei reported to the National Council for Social Security Fund (NCSSF), becoming the fifth person to lead the fund, said the sources.

Lou left his previous post as finance minister last week, when Xiao Jie, a former deputy chief of staff of Chinas cabinet was promoted to the position by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress.

Lou will soon turn 66, the age when China requires every ministerial-level official to step down or retire. Among the four former heads of Chinas national security fund, three also served as finance minister at one point.

Such movement is part of Beijings broader practice of rotating high-level officials between various government ministries and major state-owned enterprises within their field.

Lou was named finance minister in March 2013. Since then the social security fund has grown to about 1.9 trillion yuan ($280 billion) in assets by the end of 2015, an increase of 58.3% compared with the end of 2013.

Contact reporter Dong Tongjian (tongjiandong@caixin.com); editor Doug Young (dougyoung@caixin.com)
New members inducted into Institute of ...
Ahn, a former software tycoon who is popular with younger people, collected signatures in the trendy surroundings of Hongik University in northwestern Seoul with other members of his party and passed out fliers criticizing Park.

People's Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo took to the streets on Thursday to gather signatures for a petition to oust President Park Geun-hye.

"The fastest way of dealing with this impasse is taking Park down and putting up a new leader," Ahn told reporters.

Park has been facing mounting public pressure to step down after revelations that her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, who has no official post, had a finger in many government pies and shamelessly used her connection to extort corporate moneys.

Ahn claimed even U.S. president-elect Donald Trump does not acknowledge Park as Koreas leader and urged her to step down so that a new leader accepted by the public can start talks with Trump.

Asked to comment on the basis of his claim, Ahn remained silent but added he does not believe a summit will be possible between Trump and Park and said their phone conversation Thursday "makes no difference."

The People's Party in a meeting on Thursday afternoon embraced the drive to oust Park and pledged to participate in a protest rally in downtown Seoul on Saturday.

The party as a whole had previously been more cautious on the question whether it makes sense to oust Park at this late stage in her tenure and seek a snap election.


Tuolumne County voters View Photos

Sacramento, CA  California should not expect the final vote tally to stop the court challenges regarding the death penalty fight.

The battle over the states death penalty is not likely to be resolved at the ballot box. Opponents of capital punishment have filed a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court to block Proposition 66, a ballot measure that would speed up executions. Legal experts consider it just the first volley in what could be a long legal battle if the measure becomes law. At last count, the proposition was passing with 51 percent of voters approving it. There remain millions of outstanding votes, making it too close to call on Friday. Voters shot down a death penalty repeal measure that was also on the ballot.

Death penalty supporters reject the court challenge filed Wednesday calling it a frivolous stall tactic by lawyers trying to thwart the will of voters. The court petitioners claim the reforms would disrupt the courts, cost more money and limit the ability to mount proper appeals.
The daughter of Choi Soon-sil, the longtime friend of President Park Geun-hye at the heart of a massive corruption scandal, has applied to give up a university place that she allegedly gained by improper means.

Ewha Womans University on Thursday said Chung, who is in Germany, sent an application online on Oct. 31.

But to complete the process, the application must be printed out and signed by the student, her guardian, professor and the dean of the department, a school spokesman said. It can be submitted by a representative.
It will be a peek into one of the most state-of-the-art medical facilities this side of Texas as Covenant Health Plainview prepares to host a community open house of their newly constructed James and Eva Meyer Surgical Center on Dec. 4.

Its going to be a once-in-a-lifetime event, said Covenant Health Plainview CEO Bob Copeland, who will open the doors of the more than 11,000 square-foot surgical center to the public.

After the new surgical wing undergoes its final sterilization cleanse, the center will be deemed a clean zone accessible to only surgical staff and patients.

But if youre a patient going into surgery, youre going to be asleep by the time you go through those doors, said Copeland with a laugh.

But before the final sterilization process starts, Covenant Health Plainview will host community tours of the two-story surgical center, located in the south side of the Plainview hospital.

A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, tours will run from 2-5:30 p.m.

The surgical center will be one of the first completed phases of the $40 million renovation and expansion of the Plainview hospital.

The surgical center will more than double the size of Covenant Plainviews surgery capabilities.

Now, one of the regions best surgical teams will work out of one of the states best surgical facilities as the Covenant Health Plainview staff is ready to move in and serve the people of West Texas.

This is top of the line, some of the best O.R. rooms Ive ever seen, said Covenant Health Plainview orthopedic surgeon Dr. Benjamin Farr as he described the size and the capabilities of the new surgical center. Weve been cramped in very small operating rooms for quite some time and having these larger, state-of-the-art O.R. rooms is going to be amazing. Its really going to facilitate the work flow of surgery and we are going to be able provide more modern and efficient care.

The new surgical center project will add four additional operating rooms to Covenant Health Plainview and also will renovate two existing operating rooms into endoscopy and cystoscopy areas.

The new surgical rooms are double the size of the hospitals current 15x15-foot rooms.

Its going to be a huge upgrade to what weve had, said construction project manager Ron Smith.

Each surgical room will be equipped with the latest technology and tools, including advanced computers, monitors and all LED lighting.

Walls of the surgical rooms are composed of special medical Corian materials while the floor is made up of a strong, seamless, impenetrable rubber material for safer and easier cleanup.

Even air flow systems are constructed to eliminate all dust risk while an air-pressure system ensures all rooms are sealed air tight.

The center also features a larger modern surgical recovery room with bigger patient bays with advanced medical capabilities, including portable equipment and monitors and critical nursing tools built right on the wall.

Aesthetically natural lighting from windows, soft lighting from LEDs, a special noise reducing floor and a home-like contemporary interior design will help with the transitions as patients wake up from anesthesia in the recovery room.

The sheer size of the surgical center has to be seen to be believed as it features larger nursing stations and massive storage space for medical equipment.

The ability for the nursing staff to be in visible contact with all of the folks is much better than before, Smith said.

Once the renovation of the surgical department is complete, highlights will include renovated post-op rooms and a new surgical waiting room.

After the tours are completed, the surgical center will undergo a week-long final sterilization process. Once that is completed, Covenant Health Plainview staff can begin conducting surgeries in the facility.

Prior to the open house, Covenant will host private tours for school children leading up to a special donor reception Friday, Dec. 2.
As take on autumn hues and mothers bring out sweaters on crisp mornings for kids to leave behind at school, the rush toward Thanksgiving early-bird sales, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the Christmas shopping season intensify.

To welcome Santa Claus and the various trappings that go along with the yuletide, the Plainview Chamber of Commerce will stage its annual Christmas Parade of Lights at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1. The festive nighttime parade begins at Broadway Park and travels north on Broadway to the Santa Fe depot. This years theme is A Texas Christmas and parade entry forms are available at the Chamber, 1906 W. Fifth, or by emailing info@plainviewtexaschamber.com.

Another facet of the holiday season is the Chambers annual Shop Local campaign with the reminder that What Pays Here, Stays Here.

To launch this years campaign, the Chamber partnered with Express Employment on Nov. 3 for a webinar on customer service, titled Rookie to Superstar: Getting your front line people to perform better, work harder and stay longer. The program featured Eric Chester, a popular motivational speaker and author.

As we begin thinking about the busiest shopping season, explains Linda Morris, executive director, the Plainview Chamber of Commerce encourages our residents to shop local. An important component in encouraging local and area residents to consider the shop local option is to improve customer service.

I hear it all the time, Morris said concerning local shoppers, that they dont appreciate my business or the sales people do not acknowledge me or no one wants to help me, or they know nothing about the business. Another common complaint Morris hears is, The owner or manager doesnt care.

Those comments arent unique to Plainview, according to Chester who offered a clear roadmap to reverse the negative feelings. It begins with the business owner/manager hiring and training the right people.

Employers should stop fishing and start hunting by spending some time and money in the hiring process. We must recognize that those front line people stand between the success and failure of our business  before product and price, Chester said during the webinar. You are only going to get out of someone what you put into that person.

Hiring front line people who have the same core values as you want for your business is more important than hiring because of experience or education, he stressed. Even though experience and education are factors required in some jobs, they are not in every position.

One of the core values Chester stressed was hiring someone who can separate personal from professional. When referring to professional, Chester doesnt necessarily mean book knowledge. He refers to cleanliness, wardrobe selection and such soft skills as good telephone manners and knowing how to best represent the employer and their business.

The most common mistake made in front line staffing or customer service staffing, Chester said, is a lack of work ethic. Understanding that work and ethic are two different words is key, he noted.

Work is training, understanding and knowledge of what an employee is to do, and ethic is actually doing it.

Most retailers never get around to defining what they expect from their employees on a daily basis, motivate them and hold them accountable for doing their job. The ethics goes back to hiring staff that has those core values.

Chester said that if consumers demand good service and bring awareness to business owners about both good and bad service, and business owners listen to their customers and staff in those regards, then all concerned should have a successful experience with each business interaction.

Remember, Chester told webinar participants, that good service is rarely discussed, but bad service to always discussed.

Shopping at home generates successful businesses, creates jobs and economic growth, Morris added, and as each dollar turns over, everyone in Plainview benefits. So lets all take the opportunity to make Plainview successful.
Small groups of anti-Trump protesters turned out in San Francisco and Oakland on Friday evening, marking a third - albeit less lively - night of demonstrations against the president-elect.

About 100 people marched in downtown Oakland around Frank H. Ogawa Plaza shortly before 10 p.m., carrying signs with such slogans as Love is the law and Undocumented and unafraid. The rally had begun several hours earlier, with the group walking up and down Broadway and along surrounding streets most of the night.

No violence had been reported, unlike the prior two nights when small bands of demonstrators lit street fires, vandalized businesses and clashed with police. More than 30 arrests were made Wednesday when three police officers were injured in skirmishes and a student journalist was hospitalized after being attacked by masked men.

Fridays events were monitored closely by hundreds of police in riot gear. The Oakland Police Department tweeted on Friday: Expect a heavy police presence near on and off ramps in Oakland again tonight as we monitor ongoing protests.

In San Francisco, similar numbers gathered at the Ferry Building around 7 p.m. and walked, with an escort of police cars, up Market Street into the Castro neighborhood and then to the Mission District. The march appeared to fizzle shortly before 10 p.m.

Many in the Bay Area and across the nation are angry over Tuesdays unexpected election of the billionaire Republican and reality TV star. Trump made several divisive campaign promises that many perceived as racist and xenophobic.

Demonstrations have taken place in more than two dozen U.S. cities.

Trump is really going to start a civil war, said Oakland resident Tyler Holston, 18, pointing to the group of protesters she was marching with on Broadway in her home city. This is just the beginning.

Holston said she had plans to join the Air Force but was reconsidering because she didnt trust Trump as commander in chief.

I dont know if I can serve my country with that man in office, she said.

Staff writer Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.

Michael Bodley and Kurtis Alexander are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com, kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michael_bodley @kurtisalexander
Changing San Franciscos corporate shuttle bus system from one with shared stops scattered across the city to one employing a smaller collection of hubs would drive thousands of tech commuters into their cars and choke streets and freeways, a report concludes.

The Municipal Transportation Agency board will discuss the report at its meeting Tuesday, when a status report on the existing shuttle program will also be discussed.

The current shuttle system has come under fire from residents, who complain the buses clog city streets, and activists, who say the buses enable higher-paid workers to live in the city, resulting in increased housing prices and a rise in evictions.

Under the program, the corporate shuttle buses, which haul about 8,200 workers between San Francisco and jobs at tech and biotech firms on the Peninsula and in Silicon Valley, are allowed to stop at 125 locations and are restricted to larger streets.

The report on alternative systems was released Friday. The agency, and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, looked at four scenarios for a hub system that would limit the large, sleek shuttle buses to a relative handful of stops for passengers.

The study considered plans for a single hub, a system of five hubs situated near BART, nine hubs close to freeways, and one employing 17 stops along a collection of designated routes.

All of those options would cause a steep drop in shuttle ridership  from 20 percent to 45 percent, the study found. About 90 percent of the former shuttle riders would climb into their cars, leading to increased traffic on city streets as well as on freeways, particularly Highway 101.

Officials with the Bay Area Council, which represents the corporate shuttle providers in negotiations with the MTA, said the study predictably showed that making it tougher to catch a ride to work on the buses would lead to a decrease in ridership.

The hub study was crystal clear, said Adrian Covert, vice president of policy. The more you concentrate shuttle service, the worse the consequences. If youre going to be making it more difficult for people to use a transit system, people are going to stay away, and use their cars.

Critics said theyd like to see the big tech corporations invest in public transportation improvements instead of private shuttle buses, and said they still want the city to investigate the impact the shuttles have on housing.

Our studies have shown that evictions and rents have gone up in areas near tech bus stops, said Erin McElroy of the Bay Area Anti-Eviction Mapping Project and a shuttle critic.  It seems as if the city is subsidizing the lives of people who ride the luxury commuter shuttles at the expense of those who dont.

A single hub, located in downtown San Francisco, would lose the most riders, the study found  about 45 percent. All of the others, it estimated, would retain roughly 75 percent of their passengers.

With more traffic on the streets, the number of collisions would likely rise, but the number of conflicts between Muni buses and corporate shuttles would be reduced. Fewer buses would travel on the citys quieter streets, but the hub plan would take away more parking spaces and require more enforcement, the study found.

A separate evaluation of the existing shuttle program concluded that the system is working as planned.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
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In the aftermath of demonstrations against President-elect Donald Trump, Oakland has faced garbage fires, smashed storefronts and vandalized landmarks.

But one city resident is urging people to peacefully hold hands at Lake Merritt on Sunday in another Trump-reaction rally that she hopes will be different from the past ones.

Allison White, a 39-year-old somatic psychotherapist, said she shared the event with friends on Facebook and expected only them to attend.

She was shocked when her post was shared 23,000 times, with more than 6,800 people interested and more than 2,000 planning to attend the 3 p.m. hand-holding gathering.

This has gotten really way bigger than I expected, White said Friday. I actually created this for my friends. I was thinking there might be 20 people. It went kind of viral.

Now, according to the event page, plans are more ambitious. If enough people attend, they will join hands in a circle all the way around the roughly 3.4-mile lake. It would take a few thousand people to pull off the feat.

With a large crowd expected, White has called the mayors office and police to ensure safety, she said.

The aim is to take a nonviolent stand against racism, sexism, homophobia and Islamophobia.

This is a PEACEFUL joining together to honor our community, the values we stand for, and our resilience as a nation, according to the event page, estimating they need 3,600 people to ring the entire lake.

At this point and time, I really hope that people can just peacefully get together, White said. People need to be together. I think people are scared. People are crying.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
At least 26 employees at a San Francisco Recology Center were sickened Friday morning after a hazardous-materials situation inside the companys Pier 96 building, fire officials said.

The incident began about 7:30 a.m. after employees performing routine recyclable sorting began to fall ill, said Eric Potashner, a Recology spokesman.

The workers were sifting through standard materials people throw in the trash, but some items, such as paint and household cleaners, can become hazardous when mixed together, officials said.

The sickened workers suffered various symptoms ranging from itchy eyes to vomiting, Potashner said. Officials estimated about 65 to 70 employees were inside at the time. Two victims were taken to the hospital while others were treated at the scene, said Lt. Jonathan Baxter, a San Francisco Fire Department spokesman.

Center officials did not know what material or materials caused the incident. Hazardous materials workers were assessing the scene.

San Francisco Fire Department sent out a tweet about 8:20 a.m. reporting firefighters were on scene of a unknown hazardous materials incident in the area. The department had temporarily issued a shelter-in-place order. Fire officials later said there was no threat to the general public.

This is not going to be a threat to the bay or general public outside the Pier 96 building, Baxter said.

Workers at the center generally wear hard hats and gloves, and some opt to wear masks, Potashner said.

Jenna Lyons and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno, @SarRavani
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While no major protests were being organized for Friday evening in Oakland or San Francisco following widespread demonstrations since Tuesdays election of Donald Trump, events were likely to occur this weekend.

At the same, time youth protests continued during the day on Friday as about 100 San Francisco high school students peacefully marched from the Mission District to City Hall.

Protesters were planning to meet outside the Civic Center BART station in San Francisco around noon on Saturday before marching through the city. The protest is expected to focus on Trumps election as president and the U.S. Electoral College system, according to event organizers, who say it will be nonviolent.

Another protest was planned for noon on Saturday in Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland.

A rally scheduled to take place on 3 p.m. Sunday at Oaklands Lake Merritt called for peaceful demonstrators to join hands in a circle around the roughly 3.4 mile lake to stand up against racism, sexism, homophobia, and Islamophobia.

A march was also scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday at San Franciscos Golden Gate Park beginning at John F. Kennedy Drive, directly behind the de Young Museum. Protesters told people to wear safety pins as they march to Ocean Beach to show support for victims of hate.

Protests broke out in the Bay Area almost immediately after Trump was declared the winner of the presidential election early Wednesday. About 200 protesters took to the streets of Oakland and surged onto Highway 24, where one demonstrator, a 20-year-old woman, was struck by a car and suffered major injuries.

Since then, protests have occurred night and day. On Wednesday and Thursday, thousands of high school students walked out of classes and marched in the streets of cities throughout the Bay Area, including Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco.

Later both nights, thousands marched through downtown Oakland and San Francisco. Protesters were rowdier in Oakland, where some set fires, smashed windows, and tagged city landmarks with graffiti.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said Friday reaction to the election was understandable and that the city would continue to try to deescalate violence caused by a very small group of cowardly vandals who used the protests to shield their acts.

Peaceful protests are the bedrock of democracy  for Oaklanders, a sacred right, she said. That is a beautiful thing that is something we cherish.

Thirty people were arrested Wednesday night in Oakland for alleged offenses that include vandalism, assault on an officer, failure to disperse, unlawful assembly and possession of a firearm, officials said. Three officers were hurt, though police didnt say how.

At least 11 people were arrested in Oakland late Thursday night and into early Friday morning, according to the Oakland Police Department, as hundreds of protesters took to the citys streets in a march authorities said wasnt planned in advance.

One of the arrested had a cache of Molotov cocktails, said Officer Johnna Watson, a spokeswoman for the department. The 11 arrests, as well as seven citations, were for crimes such as assault on police officers, vandalism, failure to disperse and public intoxication.

Chronicle staff writers Kimberly Veklerov and Michael Bodley contributed to this report.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
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Protests against President-elect Donald Trump hit the Bay Area again Saturday as demonstrators marched in San Francisco and Oakland after a week full of similar actions.

The protests began after Trumps stunning upset on election day and have continued night after night, throughout the region and in cities across the country. On Saturday, about 8,000 protesters gathered in Los Angeles, while hundreds of others marched in New York, Chicago and Portland, Ore.

In San Francisco, about 150 protesters congregated Saturday afternoon outside the Civic Center BART Station, chanting and holding anti-Trump signs as they marched through the city. Children drew chalk hearts on the sidewalk with the word Love.

David Knopf, a 67-year-old San Rafael resident, said he came to San Francisco to express frustration over Democrat Hillary Clintons loss in Tuesdays presidential election even though she almost certainly won the popular vote. Knopf decried Trump for lacking principles and compassion.

It doesnt seem like he has a moral compass, Knopf said.

But the protesters message did not resonate with everyone. As participants assembled to march, a man walked by and jeered.

Trump rocks! the man said. Jealous haters!

Police stood by and blocked traffic as the march headed peacefully along Market Street before moving into the Castro and Mission districts. Motorists honked in approval, and pedestrians applauded on neighborhood sidewalks.

Not my president! the crowd roared.

Later that evening, about 100 protesters convened at 14th Street and Broadway in Oakland holding signs with such slogans as Lock Him Up!, Not My President and Build Bridges, Not Walls. At about 7:45 p.m., the group began marching along Broadway. Police in riot gear blocked them from walking onto Interstate 980.

Another group of roughly 100 protesters met near the UC Berkeley campus and peacefully marched through the citys downtown corridor.

Friday night in Oakland, about 100 people marching through downtown were monitored by police in riot gear. No violence was reported. Demonstrators held signs saying, Love is the law and Undocumented and unafraid.

The two previous nights had seen small bands clash with authorities and vandalize businesses in the city.

On Wednesday, 30 arrests were made and a student journalist was attacked by masked men and hospitalized in Oakland.

More marches are scheduled Sunday in the Bay Area.

Hamed Aleaziz, Jenna Lyons, Michael Bodley and Rachel Swan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com, jlyons@sfchronicle.com, mbodley@sfchronicle.com, rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @haleaziz, @JennaJourno, @Michael_Bodley, @rachelswan
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A hundred years ago, a small carnival sideshow added two new cast members.

George and Willie Muse, brothers from Virginia, were variously billed as Ecuadorian Savages, emigrants from Madagascar, and Darwins Missing Links. Later, they were Eko and Iko, Ambassadors from Mars.

The truth was considerably less colorful. And more cruel, Beth Macy writes in her extraordinary new book, Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mothers Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South.

Heralded as natures greatest mistakes, Macy writes, George and Willie were modern-day slaves, hidden in plain sight, at a time when naive and eager audiences didnt think to ask questions about contracts or working conditions, and civil rights didnt much exist for children, women, or blacks.

The Muses were African Americans born with albinism. They had pale skin, blue eyes and light-colored hair. They didnt look like their siblings, or most of the other black residents of Truevine, Va.

In an era when freak shows were common, they were gawked at, lied to, stolen from and misrepresented.

Their act required them to play dumb, Macy says, but they werent.

More Information Truvine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South By Beth Macy Little, Brown, $28 See More Collapse

Truevine is at once poignant and rigorous, a compassionate dual biography and a forthright examination of codified racism.

Macy is a resourceful reporter and a strong but never showy writer. She worked for a newspaper in Virginia when she first interviewed members of the Muse family 15 years ago.

This book, her second after Factory Man, is the work of a journalist whose persistence, empathy and commitment to accuracy cant be doubted.

How did George and Willie Muse end up in a sideshow?

The kidnapping in Macys subtitle refers to the belief that around the turn of the 20th century, a carnival promoter abducted George and Willie, who were quite young at the time.

But Macys extensive research  she unearthed news reports and legal documents not seen in many years  suggests another possibility: Harriett, the boys mother, might have temporarily let them go, presumably for pay, believing that theyd soon be brought back home. When they werent, she found a lawyer and fought for their return.

Considering the many hardships Harriett Muse was forced to endure a few decades after the Civil War, Macy cautions those whod criticize her decisions: Who is anyone to judge the pressures facing an illiterate washerwoman raising five children alone in rural Virginia during the harshest years of Jim Crow?

However they came to it, carnival work would shape the Muse brothers lives.

They started appearing in press reports in the mid-1910s, when Willie and George, who was about three years older, were in their teens or early 20s (their birth dates vary depending upon the source).

Racist ringmasters would tell crowds that the Muses were Monkey Men or Sheep-Headed Men.

When spoken to, they replied in gibberish, as instructed, Macy writes.

The Muses were far brighter than they were allowed to demonstrate.

Film footage shot in the 1920s, Macy says, shows the brothers chatting cheerfully with co-workers: They do not appear to be mentally encumbered, incapacitated, or slow.

In the years ahead, they traveled the country with small carnivals and big circuses. They learned to play stringed instruments and were seen by millions of people from Hawaii to the Hudson Valley of New York, Macy writes.

In 1927, Harriett Muse learned that her sons would be performing in Virginia.

Years had passed without word of their health or whereabouts, Macy writes, and she was determined to see them. Harriett attended the show and refused to leave the fairgrounds  unless George and Willie accompan(ied) her home.

At a time when African Americans were systematically denied a voice in the justice system, Harriett hired a lawyer and sued the circus.

A settlement seems to have provided the family with at least some of the money that various carnival promoters had pilfered from the brothers.

It was George and Willies decision to  rejoin the circus in the spring of 1928, Macy writes.

The family needed a regular income, and after a spell in small-town Virginia, the brothers probably also missed the relative freedom of the circus backyard. They took some pride in their profession, too.

They may have been laughing at us, Willie said, according to family members, but backstage, we were laughing at them because they were paying to see us. The brothers performed into the 1950s.

Some works of history are willfully oblivious to the modern world. Not this one.

Macy acknowledges the terrible news that echoed in the background as she conducted her research: It was the spring of 2015, the sesquicentennial of the end of the Civil War. And yet racial wounds seemed to be growing by the day: police shootings of unarmed black men occurred in so many cities, it was hard to feel one had been mourned before another happened.

Macy interjects in this way just a handful of times, choosing her spots and mostly letting the Muse brothers story speak for itself.

The overall effect is extremely powerful. Truevine may focus on events that began a century ago, but its guiding spirit couldnt be more urgent.
Audubon New York presents awards

Christopher "Kim" Elliman, president and CEO of the Open Space Institute, was presented with the 2016 Thomas W. Keesee Jr. Conservation Award, Audubon's highest honor, during a luncheon in New York City on Nov. 2.

The event raised $304,000 for the nonprofit organization.

Biologist, author and champion of biodiversity Edward O. Wilson, university research professor emeritus at Harvard University received the 2016 Audubon New York Award for environmental writing.

Elliman's work has had a significant impact on the health of New York, and under his direction, OSI's Alliance for State Parks is leading the campaign for the new Thacher Park Center in Voorheesville. A signature project of the NY Parks 2020 Plan, the center is meant to help transform Thacher State Park, which attracts 380,000 visitors annually.

Audubon New York is headquartered in Troy.

 Staff report

SUNY Oneonta students protest

ONEONTA  Hundreds of SUNY Oneonta students, angered and frustrated with President-elect Donald Trump's platform, marched, hoisted signs, and chanted in protest of the election results Friday.

The demonstration featured moments of silence for those whose lives were lost because of racial, gender, sexual and religious prejudice. The group first observed a moment of silence for veterans who student organizer Kevin Torres said "fought for this right, for our freedom of speech."

Not everyone agreed with the demonstration. Josh, who requested his last name be withheld, is a Trump supporter. He watched from outside the maelstrom of millennial dissent and felt differently.

"He's their president whether they like it or not," he said. "They're doing a fine job; they're being peaceful, but I don't like the fact they're doing it today. It's Veterans Day. Millions of veterans have died ... have fought for our rights and our Constitution. And by the constitution, he's our president. It's just disrespectful to every veteran."

That the event was held on Veterans Day drew criticism on the event's Facebook page as well.

For Torres, "What's most important is to spread awareness of the fact that ideologies that are towards oppression are going to be fought against." He said, "Whether it be by signs or voices or Facebook posts or tweets, people have something to say."

 Jason Birkelbach for www.AllOTSEGO.com
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Many Woodview Elementary School students were on edge after the election on Wednesday. The school, located in Spring Branch ISD, is about 80 percent Hispanic, and parents say a sizable chunk of those students are undocumented.

Their parents were stunned when their children told them the schools principal took to the loudspeaker Wednesday morning to praise the results. Principal Pamela Pennington reportedly broadcast her excitement about President-elect Donald Trumps victory and the changes he can bring to the country.

Steven Brunsman, a spokesman for the district, said staff investigated and could not find evidence that the pro-Trump statements were made during morning announcements Wednesday.

In a statement released by the district, Pennington said she only spoke about the need for students to be kind to each other after the election and to respect differences of opinion.

"I did not endorse Trump or Clinton. I did not and I would not," Pennington said. "I did not tell people who I voted for or that I was happy. It was not a celebration.

SCHOOL VIOLENCE? Student reportedly attacked for supporting Trump

Trumps campaign promises of deporting undocumented immigrants, building a wall along the Mexican border and statements calling many Mexicans rapists have struck fear into the hearts of many Hispanic students, leaving educators struggling with how to discuss the 2016 election with minority students.

One parent of an undocumented Woodview Elementary student, who asked the Chronicle not to be named because she is also undocumented, said her 8-year-old is now afraid of the principal.

When she said that, my son just started crying, the mother said. He started crying that we dont have papers. He said we need to go to Mexico because the principal supported Trump, she doesnt like Hispanic people and she wants us to get papers.

She said since the election and the principals alleged comments, her 8-year-old has not been eating. He comes home and cries, she said, worried about what will happen to him, his family and his friends.

TRUMP SPEAKS OUT: President-elect responds to protesters

Thats fine if she voted for Trump, thats fine, the mother said. But dont say that in front of kids or to scare the kids. Kids are supposed to come to school with no worries - to learn and to be happy. So for her to say that first thing during the morning announcements is not right. I hope she apologizes.

Alma Gordillo, who has a third-grader and fourth-grader at the school, said even though she and her family are here legally, her children are worried because of their Mexican heritage.

The way they see it is their principal is celebrating and wanting them to leave the country, Gordillo said.

When her children first told her about the alleged incident, Gordillo wondered if they hadnt misheard the principal trying to use the election as a teachable moment. She wondered if the principal was talking about her excitement over the democratic process instead of the outcome.

But after she called other parents, she said it seemed clear the students had all heard the same thing.

I wasnt there, I dont know what was said, Gordillo said. But if multiple children are understanding the same message, obviously something was said that completely inappropriate or it was understood in a way that was completely inappropriate.

Gordillo said she was willing to speak up because she has the means to move her children to another school. But others, including the undocumented parent who spoke to the Chronicle, said they could not and feared reprisal for complaining about the alleged statement.

When youre in a world where that principal is a person of power, and you know they can make or break your experience there, thats a scary feeling, especially when youre 8, Gordillo said.
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NORWALK  Edvardine Joseph would say she is old-fashioned for a 13-year-old.

The eighth-grader at All Saints Catholic School prefers taking notes with a paper and pen compared to her classmates who use tablets, laptops and Chromebooks.

I like the old-school way, Jospeh says with a smile.

But regardless of her preferences, Josephs methods of study have started to change.

Thats because All Saints school administrators implemented a new policy at the beginning of the school year requiring all roughly 150 middle school students to bring in their own personal electronic device for use in the classroom.

Jospeh brought in her iPad Mini.

My thing is slow because its old, she said. So when Im typing fast, I have to remember what Im saying. And then Im typing and Im typing and the words are still on the last sentence.

In addition to her frustration with the technology, Jospeh said, she simply does better with the more tactile experience of writing things out.

For tests, to study and stuff, I like to write it, she said. I remember more when I write it.

However, she does see the utility in making the transformation into a more tech-centric classroom.

I think it is good practice for jobs. Technology is developing everyday, Jospeh said. Its a good opportunity for us to be able to use it in school and get to know all the tricks and stuff.

But, she added, I do still like the paper and pen.

All Saints principal Linda Dunn made the announcement about the new middle school program early this past spring to give parents plenty of advanced notice of the policy change and the need for the students to have an electronic device.

We gave ample time to make the purchase, Dunn said. We gave them the options so they didnt have to spend $1,400 to get a laptop. We didnt have anyone come in and say they couldn't afford it.

Dunn said every middle school student came in with an electronic device on the first day of school. And, even if they hadnt, the school has technology in house that a student could use.

If there was someone who couldn't get one, we would have taken care of that, Dunn said.

The idea is to enhance the student learning experience through the use of Google Classroom and integrating technology into most parts of the educational experience.

Each student brings in their electronic device. They are able to connect to the schools WiFi network. They are given their own account on Google Classroom. From there, the teacher has their class set up for each account so that students can complete and submit assignments completely online  much like some college programs.

They can even write drafts of papers using Google Docs and get feedback from teachers in real-time as they type.

Middle school math and science textbooks are also available online, meaning less lugging around heavy backpacks.

There is so much out there, Dunn said about her decision to make the switch. There is so much online. We have had iPads and Chromebooks on carts, but we really wanted the kids to have it right there. We didnt want them to have to share. We wanted the kids to have it right at their fingertips.

The school held professional development days to ensure middle school teachers were equipped with the skills necessary to use and teach with such technology.

Brittany Rich is a middle school English Language Arts teacher at the school.

She has used the iPad and Chromebook technology with her students for the past three years, through carts which are available to check out at the school.

But, This year I am using it everyday, which is a huge change, Rich said. Part of the cool thing about it is there is so much more I can do with them now that I couldn't before.

Rich said she can now give students more options for projects. For example, now they can produce soundtracks and design covers in reponse to books they have just read.

Now its very, very different, she said.

Another benefit? Rich said she is using a lot less paper.

Its also cutting down the amount of papers students have to print out or keep organized.

The age-old excuse of the dog ate my homework has died out in the classroom where everything is done digitally.

Im not getting that any more, Rich said.

Overall, Rich sees the change as positive for both the short and the long term.

I feel like the longer they have been working with technology in this context the better because they are used to it by (the time they get to college), Rich said. I really do feel like it is preparing them for that.

Norah Dorelus, Joseph's friend and classmate, loves the new policy.

Dorelus is a self-proclaimed tech person  representing perhaps the polar opposite view of Joseph.

Also a 13-year-old eighth-grader, Dorelus uses her Macbook for nearly everything  from ebooks to scholarly searches.

I take notes on my computer, she said. So I can use it to easily go back to my notes and review them more often.

She also enjoys having instant access to references, literature and resources that can help her be more artistic.

Also, she said, Having our own technology with us everywhere we go in the school is a better idea (in that) we could just do something on the spot. We wouldn't have to wait to go home to use our home computer to do it.

Overall, shes glad to have access to technology and said she even plans on going into the technology field after graduation.

I take computer technology seriously, she said. I want to head in that direction. I want to be a computer engineer to design software and everything. I kind of look into the technology and try to go deeper than what is given to me so that I can find out more things that haven't already been discovered.

KSchultz@thehour.com; 203-354-1049; @kevinedschultz
The League of Women Voters of the Midland Area is sponsoring discussions on eight world issues in the 2017 Great Decisions series.

The Leagues Great Decisions series uses information developed by the Foreign Policy Association, a national nonprofit, nonpartisan group. Formed in 1918, the association promotes public opinion and understanding on U.S. foreign and global affairs.
HARBOR BEACH  Hundreds of thousands of brave men and women put their lives on the lines over several decades to defend the greatest country in the world.

They left their wives, husbands, children, friends and many others to serve and protect. And now, Nov. 11 will forever be the day they are remembered.

To start the morning of remembrance, more than 100 veterans packed into Harbor Beach Community Schools on Friday where they were honored for remarkable sacrifices made in battle.

Superintendent Lawrence Kroswek welcomed all and introduced veteran Arnie Koehn who showed his appreciation for those in attendance.

Sitting amongst each other  some dawned in full uniform  the veterans enjoyed a warm breakfast.

After a hearty meal, the crowd reconvened.

We want to thank all of you for your service, Kroswek said. You all served our country admirably and its a great honor to have you here.

Huron County Prosecutor Timothy J. Rutkowski then delivered a powerful speech.

What does a hero look like? Rutkowski asked. Greek mythology describes figures like Zeus or Hercules  larger than life individuals.

Rutkowski described what some see as heroes from different perspectives. Whether it be a superhero, a movie star, an athlete, everyone sees heroes differently.

I ask you again, what does a hero look like? Rutkowski questioned. My answer is these brave men and women who are sitting before you today. These veterans and many others from across the Harbor Beach community, our county, state and nation who served our country during war and peace time are true American heroes.

Throughout his speech Rutkowski recalled the sacrifices each veteran put on the line to defend their country.

We are a great nation because of our veterans, he said. On Veterans Day, we honor all those who served in the military for their commitment to our nation.

God bless you all for being here. God bless our veterans and God bless America, Rutkowski concluded while the crowd stood in ovation.
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The Bay Bridge turns 80 Saturday and we completely forgot to buy a card. Hopefully we can still coast on the goodwill from that eastern span we splurged on a few years back.

Before its completion on Nov. 12, 1936, Bay Area residents had to take ferries to travel between Oakland to San Francisco. In 1928 its estimated that ferries carried 46 million passengers between shorelines, CA.gov reports.

It was eventually determined that building a bridge was necessary and construction for the $77 million project began on July 9, 1933. Once the bridge was completed residents diched the ferries and the Bay Bridge instantly became the preferred path for commuters.

Read More: A bird's eye view of Bay Bridge construction.

Fast forward to 2013, rebuilding of the eastern span of the Bay Bridge was completed after years of delay on the project. Caltrans plans to remove the last of the original eastern span by 2018.

Here are some facts about the Bay Bridge:

 The bridge opened November 12, 1936

 Until 1962 cars drove in both directions on the upper deck, while trucks and trains travelled in both directions on the lower deck

 The cost of the original bridge was $77 million in 1936 (included Transbay Transit Terminal)

 In 1962 the bridge was reconfigured to carry cars and trucks only

 The East Span suffered a partial collapse in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake

 The Bay Bridge was the longest bridge in the world when it was built

 The bridge carried 9 million vehicles in its first year. About 102,200,000 drivers per year today
San Antonio police are seeking a suspect in a shooting Saturday morning that left one man wounded on the East Side.

Police at the scene said the victim was shot early Saturday morning about 1:45 a.m. in the 800 block of N. New Braunfels Ave. while standing in parking lot of the Hayes Food Mart.
An Air Force veteran whose opinions evolved as he grew older, Oscar Parley Anderson began writing to the local newspapers, including the Express-News, after his wife died in 1991.

I always knew him as being opinionated and speaking his mind, and it kind of became a hobby for him, his daughter Diana Lynn Hottle said. Sometimes he would focus on local activities, other times it was national.

A longtime resident of Schertz, Anderson wrote letters to the editor about issues such as city tax expenditures, property taxes and the longtime ban on news photographers taking and publishing pictures of the flag-draped caskets of American casualties returning to the U.S. from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His sometimes scathing observations were known to draw threatening phone calls, and even a few death threats.

Though his children became alarmed, Anderson just laughed it off.

He took a lot of enjoyment in it, his son-in-law Keith Hottle said. It wasnt just misguided banter about issues; he was very articulate.

Anderson died Oct. 24 at 84.

Raised in a coal-mining town in Wyoming, Andersons family was dirt poor, his son Glenn Alan Anderson said. Living in a coal camp with the company store and company housing, which was in terrible shape  with holes in the walls and no indoor plumbing.

More Information Oscar Parley Anderson Born: Aug. 20, 1932, Rock Springs, Wyoming Died: Oct. 24, 2016, Schertz Preceded by: Wife Emilee Vyvial Anderson; parents Carl Algot and Signe Bertina Anderson; eight siblings. Survived by: Daughters Ellen Kathleen Kennedy, Susan Patrice Hartzog and son-in-law Earl, Diana Lynn Hottle and son-in-law Keith, and Jacqueline Marie Lerche and son-in-law Don; sons Carl Aaron Anderson and daughter-in-law Cynthia, and Glenn Alan Anderson and daughter-in-law Michelle; 13 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. Services: Funeral was Thursday. See More Collapse

Following his father into the coal mine, Anderson survived two cave-ins before deciding mining wasnt for him.

Joining the Air Force in 1952, Anderson fought in Korea before returning to the states and marrying in 1957.

Stationed in New Mexico, Hawaii, Germany, and San Antonio, Anderson really liked being a father, his daughter Jacqueline Marie Lerche said. He always felt it was important  to take care of his children.

Though he sometimes worked an additional job or two to support the family, Anderson always seemed available to us, Hottle said.

Retiring from the military in 1973, Anderson became a bank officer at First National Bank of San Antonio, a job that changed his outlook about money.

He was extremely tight  watched every dime, Lerche said. One time the shower nozzle broke, and he rigged it with a car handle instead of springing to buy the right part.

Later working for the postal service, Anderson retired in 1991, the same year his wife died.

It was hard on him when his wife died, Keith Hottle said. So he took up the time writing letters.

mheidbrink@express-news.net
With the growing influence of women in this country, we have an opportunity to make significant progress in addressing the mental health problems of our female veterans.

Friday, on Veterans Day, we thanked, recognized and honored our veterans. Now we must address the hard realities with which many female veterans struggle.

Of particular concern is the alarming rate of female veteran suicides.

According to a recent study by the Department of Veterans Affairs, since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among male veterans has increased 30.5 percent. In comparison, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among female veterans has increased 85.2 percent. And among veteran women ages 18 to 29, the risk of suicide is 12 times the rate of nonveteran women.

It is clear that gender-specific interventions are needed to support our female veterans. The country must respond to the challenges facing female service members and veterans.

One approach is to enact new laws. A bill introduced this year by U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., called the Female Veterans Suicide Prevention bill, would require the VA to identify mental health and suicide prevention programs that are most effective for female veterans and disseminate the guidance to providers within the VA. This is a positive step. In addition, better access to trauma-focused care is needed because womens trauma groups at the VA are woefully understaffed and underfunded.

We also need to better understand how women experience military service.

Often, the mental health and substance abuse problems female veterans suffer stem from the trauma of military sexual assault, in addition to the trauma of warfare.

In 2014, about 20,300 military service members (approximately 10,600 men and 9,600 women) were sexually assaulted, a rate unchanged from 2010. And womens experiences are different. Sixty-two percent of women who reported a sexual assault faced retaliation from superiors and commanders. A third of victims are discharged after reporting, on average within seven months of making a report. In 2015, of cases (for men and women) where the military could take action, only 20 percent were prosecuted and just 9 percent of offenders were convicted of a sex offense.

Women who serve in the military are strong, courageous and trailblazing. Yet many dont identify as veterans because they did not serve in combat roles, and/or were socialized to defer to their husbands or commanders service as more important than their own. As a result, many dont enroll for well-deserved benefits from the Veterans Health Administration.

Our military can lead the way in how society supports its families. The military is a mirror of our larger society but also a model for us to follow in pursuit of our best self. One place to start is to ensure gender-specific and gender/ethnic-specific screening for mental health and substance use problems, as well as gender-focused employment training and education support during veterans transition to civilian life. We also must support our service members by recognizing their unique roles as parents and by giving them necessary time for bonding and nurturing with newborns and young children.

As the military and the VA continue to broaden their gender-specific policies in how they support women, they offer all of us a vision for a future in which all people are treated equally. With the growing diversity represented in our elected and military leaders, we are prepared to reach our potential more than ever in our history.

Elisa Borah is an associate research professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. She conducts research to improve programs and services for the military, veterans and their families.
The benefit for property owners will be small and the ability of Texas cities and counties to keep up with the needs of present and future residents and businesses will be knee-capped.

That sums up a proposal we fear will come out of a Select Committee on Property Tax Reform and Relief in the Texas Legislature.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has described property tax increases as burdensome. These taxes are high, but this proposal isnt the answer.

At the moment, if a city or county raises property tax collections by more than 8 percent over the previous year, voters can petition for a rollback election. This does not happen often, but nonetheless there has been talk of crafting a threshold of 4 to 6 percent for mandatory rollback elections.

The Texas Municipal League calculated for us both the expected savings to property owners and the amount of revenue lost to select cities with a 4 percent cap on 2015 taxes.

San Antonio property owners would save $32.11 a year and the city lose $11.6 million in revenue; Dallas, $35.08 yearly for a loss of $14 million; Austin, $27.84 and a loss of $12.4 million.

Translated: relatively little actual savings (about $2.67 per month in San Antonio) for property owners but huge cumulative losses for cities. Such losses over decades will deal a body blow to cities ability to do what they need to build the infrastructure necessary for a significant increase in the state population by 2050  more than 25 million more Texans. And most of this growth will be occurring in cities. San Antonio alone will grow by more than 1 million residents by 2040.

Supporters of such revenue caps say this shortfall can be made up by addressing fraud, abuse and waste. But city elected officials operate transparent budget processes for all to see. So, what services do property tax foes want to trim. Police? Fire? Roads? Sidewalks? Parks and recreation?

Supporters say this measure caps nothing. Municipalities can exceed 4 percent (or whatever figure the committee comes up with)  but they will be held accountable by voters.

But voters already hold their local elected officials accountable  at the ballot box at election time. And elected officials will self-impose a 4 percent cap regardless of needs, which will simply go unmet.

The irony is rich. State government  the one that sues the federal government at the drop of a hat for alleged overreach  would, with this micromanaging, do real damage to local control were it to enact this proposal.

Yes, local governments are technically creatures of state government. But ask local residents if they elect local officials to be creatures of the state Legislature. This is an entity that in virtually every session mulls or imposes unfunded mandates and a growing list of dos and donts on municipalities.

In any case, cities and counties were formed for the express purpose of local governance, much as it took congressional action to form territories that, again with congressional approval, became states to provide for governance at that level.

Even if state roles are mentioned in the Constitution, cities as purely creatures of state government is a specious argument.

But, right, what could be more local control than votes by local voters? We agree, but again, voters exert that control at every election.

Perhaps state legislators are signaling that they, too, would like to be micromanaged at the ballot box for budget decisions  including tax cuts. With the level of unmet needs in Texas, we would have liked to have voted on some of those.

More irony. Texas property taxes are indeed high. But they are not high because of city property taxes. These account for only about 16 percent of your property tax bill. More than 50 percent of that tax bill goes to school districts.

And that is so high because the state fails to adequately fund schools. This is the deep dark secret  that everyone knows  stalking this proposal. The Texas Supreme Court ruling in May that the states funding is constitutional likely means the Legislature will still inadequately address this inequity when it convenes next year.

If the state wants real property tax relief, the Legislature would relieve local taxpayers of carrying so much of the burden for schools.

A state comptroller survey of property taxes in 1,002 cities showed that 56 percent either reduced taxes or raised them by less than 4 percent from 2013 to 2014, according to the Texas Municipal League.

The Legislature didnt approve an introduced revenue-cap bill in 2015. If what emerges from the select committee is a 4-percent cap on revenues for the states cities and counties, it should repeat that prudent action.
The much publicized rise of the Latino vote did not seem to matter much in this election. Party activists said that the Latino vote would be the difference in Florida, Texas and Arizona, but that did not happen. Even Congressman Will Hurd won again in a district that was 70 percent Latino!

Well, the Latino rise in voting can now go to sleep for another four years.

John Sanchez

Faith restored

Praise the Lord. My faith in the American voter has been restored.

A good lesson to the Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton media proxies: Dont turn your privileges as journalists into the propaganda tools of the establishment elitists. You are one of the major reasons Donald Trump won.

CNN should be investigated for collusion with town forum questions to crooked Hillary.

R.B. Richter, Seagoville

Horrifying result

I am horrified, terrified and sickened. Horrified that so many Americans believed the hate-filled drivel of the eventual winner of the presidential election. Terrified of where he will take us. Sickened by the obscene billions of dollars spent on this campaign  money that could have been used to provide medical care to underserved areas, housing for homeless veterans and others, cancer and Alzheimers research  so many, many areas where it would have done so much good!

Doris Alderman

Civility will win

Re: Once unthinkable, my vote for Clinton the right thing, Lionel Sosa, Opinion, Sunday, and Common ground can provide divine hope and love, the Rev. Katheryn Barlow-Williams, Faith, Sunday:

I want to thank you for two especially good columns in the Nov. 6 edition. One was by Lionel Sosa and the other by Katheryn Barlow-Williams, a Presbyterian minister.

One dealt with making tough political decisions, and the other with accepting others who are different from us in practically every way but with whom we are able to find common ground if we let ourselves.

After reading both commentaries I am once again hopeful that we, as a people, can choose to do the right thing, make tough decisions and overcome differences that would divide us. Regardless of who would be elected  whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump  I had been worried about what would happen to this country after the election. Could we be big enough to come together, even if our candidate lost? Could we work together across all barriers and find common ground? Are we a nation of reason, not just emotion?

I hope so  for the good of this country that I love and whose history I taught for 30 years as a public school teacher.

After reading these two columns, I am encouraged that reason and civility will prevail.

Judy Howell

Crow for breakfast

Its 8 a.m. on Wednesday, and your paper hasnt hit the stands or my email yet.

Golly, gee, Sgt. Carter, I bet if your crooked Hillary had won the presidential election, the paper would have been out at 3 a.m.! Oh, yeah, thats right, you had to rethink, and reprint your front page. Time for the Express-News to eat crow!

Thanks for advising us who NOT to vote for. Let us know who will win the Super Bowl, so I can place my bet!

Pete Larrieu, Schertz

Cmon, man!

Re: A decent man, Your Turn, Nov. 6:

I read the letter oozing kudos for President Barack Obama for pulling troops out of Iraq (so ISIS could take over), preventing Iran from a nuclear bomb for 15 years (and paying billions to the folks who hate us), for developing Obamacare (wont even go there) and killing Osama bin Laden.

I really laughed these things off, thinking the writer was just a disciple of CNN.

But then the writer presented this sentence: He has earned the respect of our allies, who look to him for leadership.

Youve got to be kidding me!

Fred Martin, Fair Oaks Ranch

Not constables fault

Re: Constables pursuit policy reason for death, Brian Chasnoff, Nov. 1:

I read this column with amazement. Mr. Chasnoff fixed total blame for the death of a man who stole a motorcycle, resisted arrest and fled, leading a deputy constable on a 100-mph chase through neighborhoods, on the policies of the constable office. Nowhere was the perpetrator assigned any responsibility. The deputy was criticized for thinking the motorcycle might be stolen, which it was.

I immediately imagined the following scenario: Mr. Chasnoff is gassing up his car at a convenience store while a deputy constable uses the bathroom inside. Out of the night appears a man with a gun, who takes Chasnoffs watch, cellphone, wallet and keys, and drives off in his car as the deputy comes out of the store. The subsequent conversation might go something like this:

Chasnoff: Deputy, that is my car being stolen by a man with a gun who also took my watch, cellphone and wallet! Stop him!

Deputy: Sorry, sir. Our policy prevents pursuit, so well just have to let him go. Wish I had been here when this happened and could have prevented it. You are welcome to come down to the station and file a report. Do you need me to call Uber for you?

Imagine me laughing.

Hugh Lothery

Symphony of joy

Re: The most fired-up kids; YOSA gift puts instruments in young students hands, Metro, Nov. 4:

It was heartening to read about the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio donating stringed instruments to kids at The Winston School San Antonio. This is another example of how YOSA is helping our kids. Learning music contributes to their development and will serve them in their life experiences.

My daughter played oboe for three years in YOSA and traveled with them for a series of concerts in China, both great learning experiences. My congratulations to Troy Peters and his staff.

Federico G. Villarreal
By Don Quijones, publisher of Raging Bull-shit and editor at Wolf Street. Cross posted fom Wolf Street

On October 30, the French government announced, as quietly as possible, the creation of a massive new database that will collect and store personal information and biometric data on nearly everyone living in the country. As tends to happen whenever a government seeks to enact this type of reforms, the law wasnt passed by parliament but by decree on the eve of a national holiday.

As France 24 reports, the new decree will affect 60 million people and marks the first time the country has collected population data on such a scale since the start of the Nazi Occupation in 1940.

Unacceptable Excesses

The move has sparked outrage from civil rights groups as well as French media, with weekly magazine LObservateur describing it as terrifying, and daily newspaper Liberation dubbing it a mega database that will do no good. The National Digital Council (CNNum) laments the governments lack of prior consultation and highlights the many concerns the new decree raises. In a digital world where code is law, the existence of such a database leaves the door wide open to likely and unacceptable excesses, it said.

The new database, known rather optimistically as Secure Electronic Documents (Titres electroniques securises or TES) will store an individuals name, date and place of birth, gender, eye color, height, address, photograph, digitized fingerprints, facial features, e-mail address, and the names, nationalities, dates and places of birth of parents. The aim  according to the government  is to make it easier to obtain and renew identity documents, and to aid in the fight against identity fraud.

Unlike a similar law proposed by Nicholas Sarkozys conservative government in 2012, which was shot down, the new database will only be used to authenticate individuals, not to identify them. In other words, it will be used to confirm that someone is who he or she claims to be, not to discover, say, the identity of someone whose biometrics have been found at the scene of a crime.

However, the potential for mission creep cannot be discounted. As an article in NextInpact points out, once the database exists, it is highly likely that there will be calls for it to be used for identification purposes, simply because it is there. Theres also good reason to suspect that a future government will modify the aims, as warns Gaetan Gorce, a French senator and member of the National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties (Cnil) who likened the TES to a sort of monster.

According to todays government, the biometric data stored on the database could be used to identify criminal suspects only if violations of the fundamental interests of the Nation and acts of terrorism are involved. But who gets to decide what constitutes a fundamental interest of the Nation or, for that matter, an act of terrorism? [That was a rhetorical question, of course].

A Hackers Paradise

Another major problem with centralizing biometric data to this extent is that you make it a lot easier for it to be compromised. Whats to stop an insider from copying this data onto a drive and walking out with it, as Snowden and others have, including those who took Swiss banking data to the French and German authorities for money laundering investigations? This data would then most likely be sold online, on the so-called darknet.

No computer system is impenetrable. All databases can be hacked. Its always just a matter of time, thundered French left-wing politician Jean-Jacques Urvoas in a 2012 blog post against Sarkozys proposed biometrics super database. Urvoas is now justice minister in Hollandes government and hence is directly involved in drawing up the new decree, which bears a striking resemblance to Sarkozys earlier initiative.

If biometric data is compromised, it is a far more serious issue than a compromised password or an account. You can create a new password many times. But you can create your biometrics only once. If theyre compromised, they remain compromised forever.

Theres still a possibility that Frances constitutional council will throw the new law out, as it did with Sarkozys. If it doesnt, TES risks establishing a very dangerous precedent.

Until now the most extensive biometric data retention schemes have been rolled out (perfected?) in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. Israel is also on the verge of creating its own centralized biometric database. But if TES were allowed to stand, France would become the first G7 nation to attempt to build a completely centralized, all-inclusive biometric database. And that would send a very clear signal  i.e. green for go  to other ostensibly democratic nations.

Theres also the fact that after Germany, France is the country with the most influence over the future direction of EU policy. The EU already has a biometrics super database called the Visa Information System (VIS), which is the largest shared database on maintaining public security, supporting police and judicial cooperation, and managing external border control in Europe.

If the elected representatives of the 66 million people of France can pass into law a completely centralized system of biometric data storage with absolutely no public consultation whatsoever, whats to stop the European Commissions ranks of faceless, unelected, power-hungry appointees from doing the same? Nothing.

Besides aspiring to becoming a pioneer in the collection and use of personal data of all its citizens, Frances government is also one of the most ruthless combatants in the global war on cash, which is progressing on schedule. The Alliance is in place. Read Whos Powering the War on Cash?
NASCAR championship contenders have plenty of ARCA Menards Series experience The Championship 4 have been set for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and the contenders in each series all have plenty of experience  and in most cases success  within the ARCA Menards Series platform.
An intriguing glimpse at a structure built in Clonmel more than 600 years ago is now on display at The Friary church in Clonmel.

When the plaster on the inside east face of the church in Abbey Street fell away from the wall last June, subsequent tests revealed that the structure underneath was the original wall of the tower, which was constructed between 1350 and 1400.

It has since been decided, with the help of professional advice, that this section won't be re-plastered and the original wall will be left visible in The Friary, which is believed to be one of, if not the oldest building still in use in the town.

"We were fortunate that nobody was near that area in the church when the plaster fell", says Fr. Larry Mulligan, Guardian of The Friary, who is pictured in front of the wall.

The area near the Butler tomb was immediately screened off by a local builder.

Dublin-based consultant architect Margaret Quinlan, who's originally from St. Patrick's Terrace in Clonmel and is well-known for her work on the restoration of the Main Guard and the town walls, was recruited to examine the area.

"Residual moisture in the brickwork loosened the bonding between the brick and the plaster", says Fr. Mulligan.

Following tests it was decided that all of the plaster would have to be removed. Some pointing of the wall may need to be carried out, although this won't interfere with the structure, which will be left in its original form.

The wall is now visible through a mesh curtain, which it's hoped will be removed by next Easter (Easter Sunday is April 16th) once the work is completed.

A fundraising drive has now been launched to raise 15,000. Donation envelopes are available at the rear of the church.

"This once-off fundraising drive will cover all the costs including the identification of the problem, consultancy fees and the preservation works necessary to maintain the tower in its original form", says Fr. Mulligan.

"The Franciscans have had a presence in Clonmel for the last eight centuries and this unique feature of the town's history will be preserved for the benefit of present and future generations of Clonmelians.

It will be an addition to the architectural heritage of the town".

The original Friary church in Abbey Street was built in 1269.

This building had a turbulent history. The Franciscan community was dispersed, moving to other locations in the town after the monastery was seized during the Suppression on March 8 1540.

This followed King Henry VIII's plan, announced in 1536, for the dissolution of the Irish monasteries to raise money for the state.

The Franciscans returned to Abbey Street in the 1800s.
The Tipperary Indian Community recently celebrated Onam, the traditional harvest festival celebrated in the state of Kerala,India.

The event was held in St. Mary's Parish Hall in Irishtown, Clonmel and presided over by the District Mayor Andy Moloney, Councillor Richie Molloy, Deputy Mattie McGrath and Consultant Gynaecologist Dr. Vijaishree Hiremath.

The festival marks the return of King Mahabali and it is believed that King Mahabali comes annually to see his people live happily.

The local Indian Community celebrated the festival by making the traditional Onnapookalam, or the floral carpet.

There were games for children of all ages.

The highlight of the programme is the Onam Sadhya (feast), which is served on the plantain leaves and consists of 26 dishes, entirely vegetarian.

This was followed by Thiruvathira, a women's dance performed in a circle around a lamp.

Individual and group dances performed by children were also a feature of the day.

There was also an auction and the annual tug of war between 8 men and 14 women.

The programme concluded with the Indian National Anthem.
(NaturalNews) Ray Starmann, editor of USADefenseWatch.com, just posted this must-read Veterans Day commentary on college "crybully" snowflakes. It is an outstanding read, and it explains much of what has gone wrong with today's "pussified" youth who seem incapable of doing anything at all without claiming to be "triggered" victims of something-ism.Enjoy the piece and share widely:By Ray StarmannDear College Cupcakes:America has watched for the last year or so, as our nation's universities have been consumed by a new strain of left wing totalitarianism that has all the traits of the haunting Marxist dictatorships of the past.Free thought and expression and discussion are disappearing from college campuses and being replaced by behavior and lexicons out of 1984.In the greatest arenas of free speech across this land, you shriek and howl and cry and stamp your feet like two year olds when someone disagrees with you.You have mental meltdowns when reading passages from the world's greatest literature that somehow offend you in every conceivable way, shape or form.You feel oppressed and terrorized when viewing someone in a Halloween costume that you dislike.You are triggered by opposing views from Presidential candidates, who do nothing more than say things that you may disagree with.When triggered by every imaginable word, phrase and action on this planet, you find it necessary to retreat to so-called safe spaces, where you will be further coddled by counselors, Play Doh and Bubble Guppy videos.Like raving martinets, you accuse anyone you disagree with of being a racist, a rapist, a sexist or any other derogatory term you can create to soothe your tender and warped psyches.You have been told for your whole lives how special you are and these fantastical words have been reinforced by the ridiculous behavior of helicopter parents and idiotic teachers who found it necessary to control every facet of your lives and ensure that each of you precious little snowflakes received a trophy, even though many of you only deserved a kick in the behind.Your latest irrational tirades concern the election of PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP. Inspired by the lunatic behavior of your socialist professors, you are the laughing stock of the rest of the country as you hold cry-ins, need therapy dogs and hide under the covers in your dorm rooms because a man was elected President.Today is Veterans Day , when we honor those who served, which I have no doubt none of you ever have. The nation particularly honors our combat veterans who drained deep the chalice of courage and who fought against real racists, like the Nazis; real boogeymen like the Imperial Japanese Army, the Chinese, Victor Charlie, the Republican Guard and the Taliban.Today, at this very moment, as you tearfully meltdown because Donald Trump is our next President, our current military is in harm's way in Mosul, fighting real sexists who call themselves ISIS.King George, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Ho Chi Minh, Saddam, these were real threats, some of the greatest madmen the world had ever seen and our veterans fought and defeated them in hot and cold wars.Our veterans, men and women, many of whom were your age at the time they served, never had the luxury to wallow in self-pity over imagined nonsense and monsters.Their threats weren't created in the hallowed ivory towers of Harvard Yard. Their threats were created in the British Parliament, in Bavarian beer halls, in jungle outposts and jettisoned across the globe to cause havoc and death. The only thing that stopped them, the only thing that prevented the world from descending into darkness was the US military and our veterans.There were no safe spaces on Iwo Jima or Omaha Beach. There were no cry ins on Bunker Hill or at the Frozen Chosin. There were no counselors in the Ia Drang Valley or at Khe Sanh. There was no time to protest imaginary enemies at Fallujah. The enemies were real and were doing their damnedest to kill Americans and destroy our way of life.As I stated, our enemies were fighting against Americans who were mainly your age. I and many Americans have serious doubts that you aggrieved marshmallows could rise to the occasion and fight anyone, much less the Redcoats or the Waffen SS.How and why America has gotten to a point where being a wimp is looked upon as normal behavior for young people is the subject of another article and a disgrace in itself.Instead of claiming half the nation is racist for voting for Donald Trump, you precious little snowflakes might want to get off your asses and read about men who overcame real prejudice and racism and fought for their country; like the Tuskegee Airmen.Instead of being offended by words in books, you precious little cupcakes might want to step out of your safe spaces and read about American matadors at places like Trenton, the Wheatfield, Seminary Ridge, the Meuse-Argonne, the Bulge, New Guinea, 73 Easting and Tal Afar.As for the election, get used to saying President Trump.Suck it up buttercups.
Beyond coincidence

Why are there so many vaccine deaths in Africa?

(NaturalNews) Over the past decade, at least 21 Namibian children have died after receiving vaccines  five of the deaths occurred this year  but Namibian authorities are not fully investigating these cases or releasing any information related to them.Inquests submitted to the police for at least 13 cases ofsince 2007 have not been investigated, and health ministry officials are refusing to talk to the press.When the deaths began increasing, officials first tried to explain them away as cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but the mothers who lost their children told a different story  the symptoms had no resemblance to those of SIDS.Now the World Health Organization (WHO) has come up with its own explanation (based on only three cases it actually investigated): that the deaths were either coincidences or caused by pre-existing conditions.The available evidence suggests otherwise. The mothers of the children who died reported remarkably similar symptoms and circumstances surrounding the deaths, all of which occurred within hours of the vaccination shots.Dr. Yury Vasin, who performed post-mortems on several of the children in Windhoek, Namibia, has been outspoken about the vaccine deaths. He said publicly that the rates of deaths from vaccines administered at 6 and 12 weeks were unacceptably high.From"Dr Vasin claimed that the babies had identical symptoms before they died soon after being vaccinated."Although Dr Vasin could not give figures, he said it was a cause for concern for him, and he wrote a letter to the health ministry in 2008 when the trend started picking up."He requested The Namibian to ask for test results of an investigation conducted by the health ministry, together with the World Health Organisation, into the concerned children's vaccines."When the parents of the children confronted the health ministry with Dr. Vasin's post-mortem results, they were told that the doctor was unqualified to diagnose such cases "I have long experience in this field," Dr. Vasin said. "The babies had identical symptoms before they all died soon after being vaccinated. We got concerned that this was more than a coincidence, and the numbers were increasing."Dr. Vasin also reported that the Namibian health ministry never bothered to contact him for any input on consultations with the involved parents.In some cases, the parents are not receiving post-mortem results, and in cases where the results indicate vaccines as the cause of death, the authorities are routinely dismissing them as coming from unqualified doctors.Of course, Namibia is not the only African country where babies are dying at a high rate from vaccines. Why is this happening?Some of the deaths may certainly be attributed toor batches that have been stored improperly  in fact, many have accused vaccine makers of dumping expired or defective batches on African countries.In doing so, the vaccine makers can still make a profit off products they couldn't sell anywhere else. Who cares if a few babies die when there's money to be made, right?But the African continent is not only a dumping ground for defective vaccines  it's also a proving ground for untested and unsafe vaccines , some of which may have been designed for sinister purposes.In Kenya, for example, "mass-sterilizing, infertility-causing" chemicals were found in a vaccine used in a tetanus vaccination program aimed at, leading at least one noted Kenyan doctor to wonder if the program was an example of a Nazi-styleagenda.Whatever the causes, African babies are being killed or sickened by vaccines in unacceptable numbers, and in each country across the continent where this is happening the story seems the same  the WHO and the health authorities are concealing and obfuscating the truth.
The media ignores virtually everything the violent Left does, especially in matters of race

Americans have lost all faith and trust in the lamestream media

(NaturalNews) The Left-wing establishment media continues to wring its hands in the wake of Donald J. Trump's presidential victory, wondering what more it could have done to skew the victory to their preferred candidate, Hillary Clinton.But in attempting to spin Trump's resounding victory into something less historic and magnificent as it was, the establishment media continues to commit journalistic malpractice while demonstrating once more how out-of-touch it is with Americans and why readership and ad dollars continue to tank.As reported by , that includes going out of its way to ignore very real threats and overt racism when it is directed at white Trump supporters.Some monuments in New Orleans, LA. were spray-painted with incendiary rhetoric just days after Trump's major win over Clinton. Slogans of "Die Whites Die" and "Black people are ungovernable" were found by police, along with others including, "F**k Trump," and "No Trump, No KKK."The graffiti damage occurred at Lee Circle, one of New Orleans' most famous monuments. In addition to the graffiti, glass windows at a nearby bank were also shattered during a post-election protest turned violent.And as it did in the lead-up to the election  when the establishment press so confidently predicted a Clinton win  it got reporting on the protests wrong as well.As Breitbart Texas noted, hundreds showed up to denounce Trump's win, with the media dutifully reporting that the gathering was peaceful. But correspondents for the news site who were on the ground during the protests said they quickly grew hostile and violent.Students held signs reading "End white supremacy" (what would have happened if Clinton, a white lady, had won?) originally gathered on the steps of the Lee Circle monuments, but then the demonstrations became destructive. In addition to the graffiti, an effigy of Trump was burned.As is always the case following such incidents of stupidity and thuggish behavior, the city's taxpayers are picking up the tab for cleaning up the destruction. Breitbart said city workers spent the next day attempting to remove the vandalism which had spread across the city.It wasn't the only act of violence and racism directed at Trump supporters that the lamestream media is choosing to ignore.As documented by, 3-4 thugs attacked an older white man who was a Trump supporter in Chicago.As one person videos the violent beating, the black thugs can be seen punching and kicking the white male before dragging him through the street.Thugs repeatedly screamed, "You voted Donald Trump " while assaulting him from every angle. For good measure, others stole some of his belongings from his car."You voted Trump," screams the mob. "You gonna pay for that s*it," while another woman, off-camera, shouts, "beat his ass!" Still another man is heard laughing and saying, "Don't vote Trump."A second video of the incident is dubbed with the song "F**k Donald Trump," a phrase that is now being echoed by so-called 'protestors' around the country. It shows one of the attackers driving away in the man's vehicle as his hand is still stuck in the window, dragging him down the street.reported that the video, which had been posted to YouTube, was quickly deleted.The fact is, if these roles were reversed and there were white protestors beating up a black Hillary Clinton supporter,, much like when the Rodney King beatings took place in the early 1990s. The establishment media would act horrified and pretend like only Trump supporters behave that way, though there have been numerous examples of mostly-black and Hispanic Clinton supporters attacking white Trump backers.Chris Menahan, with the blog - which also posted about the video  said it "is frankly reminiscent of a lynching."The few mainstream outlets thatreport on the violent attack were careful to leave out the ethnicity of the attackers or the victim:Chicago Police, who said they are investigating, reported that the man, 50-year-old David Wilcox, was attacked and beaten by at least three males and two females at the intersection of Roosevelt Rd. and Kedzie Ave. Wilcox told police that indeed he did vote for Trump but he said no one would have known that, which makes this look like a race-related hate crime.Amazingly, however, Chicago Police tolda motive for the attack was unclear.The establishment media has proven once more that it will do anything  including ignoring obvious hate crimes against white conservatives  in order to advance and justify the Left's social causes. It's no wonder fewer and fewer people trust, read or buy their publications or believes what they say anymore.
Early diagnosis of gut disorders?

'Citizen science'

(NaturalNews) A company called uBiome is launching a new service that will allow people to conduct genetic screenings of the bacteria found in their fecal matter, to help identify whether their gut flora are out of balance and making them ill.The service, known as SmartGut, consists of a two-minute test performed at home and then mailed off to a uBiome lab. The company performs the analysis, then sends the result to the patient's doctor, and also makes it available to the patient online."The SmartGut test is a transformation of the way we think about clinical microbiology," said Zachary Apte, co-founder and CTO of uBiome."It leverages the power of DNA sequencing to test for various microorganisms simultaneously and puts the power of microbial genomics into the hands of clinicians."The "microbiome" refers to the roughly 100 trillion microorganisms that naturally occur in and on the human body, particularly on the skin and in the gut. Research has shown that the gut microbiome plays a key role in digestion, metabolism and immune function. Disruption of the gut biome has been linked to health problems as diverse as obesity, diabetes , liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and cancer.Treatments targeting the microbiome also show some promise in addressing hard-to-treat diseases. For example, inoculating the gut microbiome with a technique known as fecal transplantation (exactly what it sounds like!) is 90 percent effective at curing infection with the superbug (C. dif).According to uBiome, the company's test can detect microorganisms from 28 different species and genera that have been linked with disorders of the gut. This is more genera and species than any other screening currently available."SmartGut will allow patients to work with their doctors to assess the health of their microbiome ," said Dr. Jessica Richman, company co-founder and CEO. "Tens of thousands of citizen scientists helped to make this possible, and we're very grateful for their help and support."uBiome has submitted its testing methods to a peer-reviewed journal. The paper can be reviewed by the public at the online archiveWhile the company has not announced how much the test will cost, it says that most insurance plans should cover it if requested by a doctor.Since its founding in 2012, uBiome has made news through its use of crowd-sourced data gathering by what it calls "citizen scientists." The company has distributed fecal collection kits to thousands of healthy volunteers.Because the natural composition of the microbiome can vary widely even among healthy individuals, it can be hard to diagnose exactly what constitutes a pathological microbiome. By collecting and analyzing nearly 100,000 gut samples, uBiome says it was able to create a profile of the natural range of variation in the 28 species and genera that constitute a healthy gut ecosystem.This, in turn, they say, allowed them to identify abnormalities associated with specific health conditions."This is one of the first full demonstrations of uBiome's model -- empowering citizen scientists to explore their own microbiome and utilize their contributions en masse to develop the next generation of microbiome science and products," Apte said.The company hopes that its techniques can help close the gap between ongoing research into the microbiome and concrete health benefits for human beings."We learn more about health every year, but unnecessarily negative health outcomes are common because the system doesn't encourage people to take preventative action," said Joe Lonsdale, founding partner of uBiome funder, 8VC. "By making gut health testing faster and easier, uBiome will unquestionably have a massive impact."
80 percent of major national polls were wrong, and by a lot

It was Trump, not Clinton, who ran the table in the battleground states

(NaturalNews) Yes, we get the irony.is part of the "media," but as we've always said and demonstrated, we're not a part of the so-called mainstream media (MSM), which has long been considered little more than the propaganda division of the Democratic Party The MSM proved it once more during this past presidential election cycle, when nearly every single major media outlet picked Hillary Clinton to defeat Donald Trump for the presidency.It was the modern equivalent of a "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN" headline  comical and monumentally false at the same time, but with dire implications for the future of the country.That said, perhaps the biggest chump of the entire election cycle was none other than the, whose clueless and politically compromised editors devised an "election model" that predicted a 98.2 percent chance that Clinton would win.That same model, as we reported, had Clinton winning 323 electoral votes, though in reality all she picked up (as of this writing  some counting is still going on) was 228, meaning the HuffPo presidential prediction model was. That's incredible, when you also figure that the prediction percentage of 98.2 percent was off by just as much.The only people who are really shocked by that, however  besides the editors and founder of HuffPo, Ariana Huffington  are the rest of the mainstream media pollsters who were just as wrong, though maybe not by as much. It seems their polling methods and statistical models were also inaccurate.As reported by, what took place on election night in the polling industry was nothing less than an "industry-shattering embarrassment," though Trump had long said he knew the polls were biased against him.Turns out he was exactly right, even though he was dismissed and mocked for saying so."It's going to put the polling industry out of business," said CNN anchor Jake Tapper. "It's going to put the voter projection industry out of business."As the nation headed into Nov. 8, the vast majority of polling firms  in partnership with most MSM outlets  and election modelers were predicting an easy Clinton victory. For weeks, in fact, and despite reports that many of these MSM outlets were oversampling Democratic voters , most predicted, like HuffPo, that she would win something north of 300 electoral votes.Here are some examples:-- The final University of Virginia Center for Politics model predicted Clinton would win 322 electoral votes to Trump's 216, with Clinton taking Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina, all states that Trump won.-- A number of Left-wing critics attacked supposed data guru Nate Silver at the FiveThirtyEight.com blog for saying Trump had a better than one-in-three shot  35 percent  of pulling off a victory. Ironically (and hypocritically), they claimed that Silver was intentionally trying to influence the public into making the race appear to be closer than it was.-- Of the 11 major national polls that were released during the final week of the campaign, just two  an LA Times/USC survey (which had consistently shown Trump ahead) and one from Investor's Business Daily/TIPP  showed Trump in the lead.But the poll was lambasted as "experimental" for polling the same pool of people, and for the way that it weighted black voters. It was dismissed as an outlier and, therefore, not to be taken seriously.The remainder of the surveys for the final week showed Clinton up between 2 and 6 points, which boosted her to a 3.3-point lead nationally in the Real Clear Politics average.Battleground polling data was just as inaccurate, as evidenced by the fact that there were no surveys at all from Wisconsin this year that showed him ahead (though he won the state's 10 electoral votes). In fact, heading into election day, Clinton was up there by 6.5 points, and in fact, no political analysts were even discussing the possibility that Trump could win there (his victory marks the first time the state has gone to a Republican since President Reagan won it in 1984).In other deep blue states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, where Republicans have not won in decades, polls did show the race tightening up in the final days, but all had Clinton pulling off the win. Only a single poll, from the Trafalgar Group, showed Trump leading.But overall, election modelers did not have Trump flipping either state  which he would need to secure enough electoral votes to seal the deal  even though the Clinton camp rushed in over the past few days to defend them.Also, in North Carolina Trump won by nearly 4 points, even though polls showed that state to be a toss-up.Nationally, most pollsters believed the race would be within 23 points, but with Clinton winning all of the key battleground states just as President Obama did, which would determine the outcome.It didn't happen.The bottom line is this: The pollsters all favored Clinton ideologically and it showed in their modeling. Plus, none of the major pollsters bothered to try to learn about who formed Trump's base of support. They were too satisfied with remaining in their bubble of pre- and misconceptions.
(NaturalNews) Monsanto has a bad reputation for a wide variety of reasons, but a new federal study of their worst crime scene has provided substantial evidence of the harm this corporation is capable of producing.Anniston, Alabama, is small town with a population of just under 23,000 people. It is also home to one of the worst examples of PCB contamination that the world has ever seen, thanks to Monsanto . The pollution from the infamous corporation's plant was so bad that it produced the largest effect on a population via a single contaminant, and Monsanto ended up having to purchase and demolish 100 PCB-contaminated homes within the area.PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls are a group of 209 chemicals which share a common structure but differ in the number of attached chlorine atoms. PCBs are a probable human carcinogen, and have been linked to a myriad of adverse health effects, including cancers of the liver, gallbladder, brain and gastrointestinal tract. People exposed to high amounts of PCBs in the air, through consumption or through skin contact, often experience respiratory irritations, skin irritations (severe acne and rashes are common) and eye problems.Women exposed to PCBs during pregnancy can give birth to children with severe neurological and motor-control problems, including low IQ and poor short term memory. Exposure to PCBs may also lead to disruption of key bodily systems, such as the endocrine system and the immune system.To put it simply, PCBs are incredibly toxic. And in Anniston, this fact became desperately evident after a 16-year-old died from a brain tumor and lung cancer. Thirteen years ago, Terry Baker's death prompted a lawsuit to be filed on behalf of 20,000 town residents. Monsanto was eventually forced to pay a $700 million legal settlement.Unfortunately for the people of Anniston, the effects of the PCB exposure did not end when the settlement was paid out. Once PCBs enter a person's body, they tend to be absorbed by adipose tissue  where they can stay for quite some time. Unlike water-soluble chemicals, PCBs are not excreted, which means that they can accumulate in your body over time  making your own body toxic to live in, essentially.Knowing this, it is not surprising that Anniston residents are still feeling the adverse health effects caused by PCB exposure  but it is nonetheless heartbreaking.A recently-completed two-year study that was conducted by the federal government has revealed that the citizens of this small Alabama town are continuing to suffer from severe, life-threatening effects from Monsanto's pollution.To conduct the study, researchers analyzed blood samples and other health information from 738 people in 2013. Then, in 2014, they took corresponding data from 352 of the same residents. Their research revealed several alarming results.The citizens of Anniston had higher rates of fatty liver disease than the general U.S. population, and their rates of liver injury were nearly three times higher than the national average. In Anniston, residents had liver injury rates in excess of 60 percent, compared to just 24.3 percent for the general population. And while the amount of toxins present in their bodies had decreased from 2007, it was still substantially higher than the amount of toxins present in the general population. The researchers also found a connection between higher PCB blood levels and diabetes, as well as high blood pressure and liver disease.The researchers also noted that the levels of inflammation in the residents' livers put them at an increased risk of suffering liver failure or developing cancer.Monsanto produced and dumped millions of pounds of toxic PCBs into the town creek and open-pit landfills. The corporation concealed their wrongdoings and what they knew for over 40 years. There are truly no words for such behavior.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List has been the standard for determining the effects of a changing world on biodiversity since it was founded in 1964. But a recent study has revealed that more than 200 bird species in six rapidly developing regions are at risk of extinction even though they are not included in the IUCN Red List.

The Duke University-led study published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, used remote sensing data to map recent land-use changes that are reducing suitable habitat for more than 600 bird species in the Atlantic forest of Brazil, Central America, the western Andes of Colombia, Sumatra, Madagascar and Southeast Asia. Out of these 600 species, only 108 are to be found on the IUCN Red List and identified to be in danger of extinction.

"Good as it is, the Red List assessment process dates back 25 years and does not make use of advances in geospatial technologies," stated Stuart L. Pimm, Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment. "We have powerful new tools at our fingertips, including vastly improved digital maps, regular global assessments of land use changes from satellite images, and maps showing which areas of the planet are protected by national parks."

In his support of the study, Pimm revealed that 210 of the species face accelerated risks of extinction and 189 of them should now be classified as threatened, based on the extent and pace of habitat loss documented by recent remote sensing. Pimm emphasized that an incomplete IUCN Red List is causing scientists and policymakers to overlook priority areas for conservation.

Natalia Ocampo-Penuela, the new study's lead author, who received her Ph.D. from Duke earlier this year, stated that though the Red List currently includes estimates of the size of a species' geographical range in its assessment process, it fails to account for how much preferred habitat remains within that range.

"Some bird species prefer forests at mid-elevations, while others inhabit moist lowland forests," she said. "Knowing how much of this preferred habitat remains, and how much of it has been destroyed or degraded, is vital for accurately assessing extinction risks, especially for species that have small geographical ranges to begin with. But it's ignored in the current Red List assessment process."

Ocampo-Penuela concluded by asserting, "Natural habitats in the most biodiverse places on Earth are disappearing, pushing species toward extinction a thousand times faster than their natural rates. Preventing these extinctions requires knowing what species are at risk and where they live," she said. "With better data we can make better decisions, and have a greater chance of saving species and protecting the places that matter."
Global warming is one of the most daunting issues the entirety of the world has to face at present. According to studies, each year in the 21st century gained the title of being the hottest year on record. In fact, the overall temperature from 2011 - 2015 is considered the hottest five year period in history. Moreover, carbon dioxide levels has increased by a whopping 34% since the industrial revolution. The statistic is particularly worrisome considering its direct effect on the inhabitants of the planet. Based on research, in the next few years global warming would be responsible for the deaths of around 150,000 people every year.

Fortunately, steps have been made in order to alleviate the problem of climate change and global warming. One of the most notable plans of action is the Paris Agreement - initially signed by 193 countries.

Last November 11, 2016, Pakistan authorities released a statement detailing their ratification of the Paris Agreement as reported by the Economic Times. The ceremony was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. To date, Pakistan is the 14th country to ratify the groundbreaking agreement.

In lieu of the president, Pakistan's representative to the United Nations, Maleeha Lodhi, put forward the instrument of ratification signed off by the president of the country. "With the ratification, Pakistan has become 104th country to ratify the agreement, which entered into force earlier this month" quipped Pakistan's foreign office earlier this month.

The Paris Agreement is an initiative operating within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It aims to achieve three goals. First is to halt the increase of global temperature to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels. Second is to cultivate global climate resilience and improve every nation's ability to cope with the effects of climate change, and third, to encourage financial decisions that lead to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Leprosy is widely known as a highly contagious disease. Caused by the acid-fast bacilli Mycobacterium leprae, it has been found recently in endangered red squirrels across the British Isles. But experts claim that what the red squirrels have are not infectious to humans.

A group of researchers from the University of Edinburgh found two types of bacteria infecting the red squirrels in the UK, and they are the same bacteria that cause leprosy in humans and plagued the region during the Middle Ages. According to the study, these strains probably developed from a common ancestor about 27,000 years ago. Squirrels could transmit the disease to humans, but the chances are very low.

"We should be even more concerned about the squirrels now and not frightened of them," Prof. Anna Meredith, one of the leaders of the study, emphasized. "We have found it is widespread all over the United Kingdom and Ireland, but we don't want people to be alarmed. It has been around a long time and there have been no human cases for hundreds of years."

Red squirrels are endangered in Britain, and leprosy is eyed as one of the reasons behind the population decline. Aside from lepsory, the invasion of gray squirrels, which were found to be immune from the disease, has also aggravated their situation, tightening the food and space competition within their habitat. Researchers are currently finding ways to help save their population.

The discovery of the leprosy strain on red squirrels was verified through an experiment using 100 dead specimens collected from Scotland, England, and Ireland. DNA analysis was used to trace the leprosy bacteria.

Read here: Paper on Leprosy Virus Discovery with British Red Squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris)
A mother and her 2-year-old son were viciously attacked by two dogs in their front yard in Anaheim this week.

The home's surveillance cameras captured the attack, and footage shows the large dogs approach the toddler, named Grayson, as he walks out of his house ahead of his mother into their front yard.

At first the dogs appear to be friendly, but then suddenly they start biting Grayson.

"It was like a bad movie," said Spenser Bishop, the mother's husband and the boy's father. "It was surreal."

Bishop said the dogs got out through his neighbor's open gate on Tuesday.

Surveillance video shows the mother as she picks Grayson up and tries to hold him up away from the dogs while the dogs continue to attack her and try to bite the boy.

"They bit her hair and pulled it, and threw her around like a rag doll," Bishop said.

Later, the video shows another neighbor, 17-year-old Leslie Arias, come up to help them holding a stick.

Arias said she was in her room across the street when she heard a woman yelling for help. When the panicked yelling continued, she looked out her window and saw the dogs attacking the mother.

Arias said it was "heartbreaking" to see the dogs biting the boy, and said her only instinct was to "just help the boy and the mother."

"I grabbed anything that I saw to hit the dogs or something, and that was a metal stick," Arias said.

She stopped a garbage man to help, and another neighbor came out and grabbed one of the dogs. Arias called 911 and police and an ambulance were sent to the home, she said.

Although one of the dogs bit Arias, she said had the bite checked and was OK.

Grayson will need surgery for the large gash on his cheek and bites on his leg.

Although Bishop filed a police report with the Anaheim Police Department, Orange County Animal Care was investigating the attack Thursday.

After additional information is gathered about the attack during the investigation, a decision will be made whether or not to file a lawsuit, the family's attorney Richard Patterson said.

One of the dogs has been euthanized, Bishop and Patterson said. It was not immediately clear if the owners of the home owned both dogs.

"People that have dogs like that really need to know that they're powerful animals," Bishop said.

NBC4 tried to speak with the neighbor who reportedly owns the dogs, but a woman who answered the door did not comment.
A Los Angeles substitute teacher is accused of telling sixth-graders their parents would be deported in the wake of Tuesday's presidential election.

An audio recording of the exchange captured at Bret Harte Middle School in South Los Angeles by a student's cell phone is under review by the Los Angeles Unified School District. The conversation occurred a day after billionaire businessman Donald Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the race for president.

A mother of one of the students told NBC4 Southern California that she expected some backlash after Trump made a hard-line stance on deportation part of his campaign from the time he announced his candidacy last year.

"I would think the kids would do it, but I never thought a teacher would do it," said Jennifer Reynaga.

The Reynaga family shared the audio with NBC4 and sister station Telemundo 52. On the recording, an individual can be heard telling Reynaga's 11-year-old daughter, "If you were born here, then your parents got to go. Then they will leave you behind, and you will be in foster care."

Reynaga said her daughter asked the physical education substitute teacher how the president-elect knows where her family lives.

"I have your phone numbers, your address, your mama's address, your daddy's address. It's all in the system, sweetie," the person says in the recording.

LAUSD officials said they declined to comment on pending personnel matters. Reynaga and her husband said they met with school officials and were told the substitute teacher has been fired.

Immigration was a key component of Trump's campaign, and his win Tuesday led Los Angeles immigration rights advocates to offer reassurances Thursday to the city's undocumented immigrant community.

"You have scared children," said Steve Zimmer, board president of the Los Angeles Unified School District. "One of most important things you can do is make sure that children who have qualified for DACA know that they are safe and their status is secure."

DACA, which stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, went into effect in 2012. It allows certain people who came to the United States as children to request permits to stay in the United States that are renewable every two years, provided they meet guidelines.

Trump has vowed to deport people convicted of serious crimes who are in the United States illegally. In a September speech, then candidate Trump promised a more hard-line approach to a crowd of Arizona supporters.

"There will be no amnesty," Trump said. "Our message to the world will be this: You cannot obtain legal status or become a citizen of the United States by illegally entering our country."

Los Angeles County has an undocumented immigrant population estimated as high as 800,000, about 12 percent of the county's 10 million residents, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

The agency estimates that nearly 40 percent of adult undocumented immigrants live with children who were born in the United States. An estimated 13 percent of K-12 students in California have a parent who is an undocumented immigrant, according to PPIC.
A couple living in the sinking and tilting Millennium tower has now written a new letter calling on San Franciscos tax assessor to stop issuing tax bills on the property until the building is repaired.

In her letter this week to city assessor Carmen Chu, Pat Dodson, who lives with her husband Jerry on the 42nd floor, identifies what she says were numerous opportunities the city had to stop its then tallest and heaviest residential structure.

The city had to stop the tallest and heaviest residential structure. Dodson echoes NBC Bay Area's findings that the city did not heed the warnings of outside experts about the kind of foundation used on the Millennium project and failed to alert residents after learning it was leaning and sinking dramatically in 2009.

I do not think it is reasonable for a clearly complicit city to expect property taxes on a building that should not have been approved, the letter by Pat and Jerry Dodson concludes.

NBC Bay Area previously reported that Dodson, along with more than 160 tower residents, had appealed of their tax bills in September, citing their units in the 58-story luxury high rise were worth next to nothing. The appeal process could take up to two years.

A new twist in the ongoing battle over San Franciscos sinking Millennium Tower. More than 160 condo owners say their multi-million dollar homes are not worth a penny, and they want the city to cancel their property tax bills. Jaxon Van Derbeken reports.

City building inspection department head Tom Hui has defended his agencys handling of the Millennium project, insisting his professionals did exactly what they were supposed to do related to reviewing the Millenniums project plans, performing inspections and responding to complaints.

Hui also pronounced the building safe for occupancy.
A bright orange Notice of Violation was tacked to the front of Sondra Halperins Alamo Square condo building this past May.

The tenant who rented her condo was illegally offering short-term rentals on Airbnb  and the city busted him.

It was very surprising to me, Halperin said. And it was scary.

Scary because the city was fining Halperin $484 a day until her tenant took down all rental listings from short-term rental sites and canceled all future bookings.

Halperin said getting the tenant to cooperate was not easy. And in the end, her total fine was about $22,000. The homeowner was upset that she had to pay for her tenant breaking the law.

I was unemployed at the time, Halperin said. I couldnt even focus on a job search, I was too consumed with this.

Kevin Guy runs the San Francisco office of short-term rentals. He says city code mandates that he fine the property owner, not the tenant.

When we conduct enforcement, we conduct enforcement and issue violations against a specfic property, not an individual person, said Guy.

Since last June, Guys office has issued $874,000 in fines to homeowners for illegally renting to people through sites like Airbnb and HomeAway.

Guy says only about 10 percent of violators are tenants. But when they are, it can be tough getting them to stop breaking the law.

Vo Duong knows all about that. His tenant illegally hosted paying HomeAway guests staying in his Forest Knolls home. When the city caught on, Vo says he told his tenant to move out, but he wouldnt. The tenant had thousands of reasons to stay.

He was making more money staying here, knowing that the fine wasnt going to affect him, Duong said.

Here's the math: Vo says his tenant was paying him $7,000 a month, but was making $18,000 to $20,000 a month on short-term rentals. Duong later learned this was business as usual for his tenant.

This persons notorious for doing this, Duong said. He has multiple rental locations.

City officials confirmed that Duong is not the only victim of this tenant. The city calls him a serial tenant -- someone who rents one or more properties just to cash in on the short-term rental craze. All over the city, NBC Bay Area found properties that Duong's tenant had leased, then illegally rented out short-term.

We tried to track down this serial tenant, using his name and apparent alias, but we didnt find him.

And even though the city knows what this serial tenant is up to, it still fined Duong $12,000 for the illegal activity at his house. Moving forward, officials plan to turn over serial tenants to the city attorneys office.

We want to pursue enforcement against that individual person, Guy said.

We talked to some San Francisco supervisors to see if they think the city code needs to be revised, to protect homeowners in situations like these. No one has yet taken up that issue.

Until that happens, if it does, Duong has a grim warning.

I want to make sure that all landlords know, that whenever they rent to people, as soon as they receive this letter, what they have to do is immediately evict the tenant, he said.

Guy said his office will give landlords a break on fines, if landlords can prove theyre actively trying to get the tenant to stop the illegal renting.

Guy couldnt comment on specific cases, but Duong's fines were not reduced - he owes the city $12,000. Halperin, however, got lucky. She asked a supervisor to help her out, and he did. The city reduced her fine from $22,000 to $1,000.
Anti-trump protesters gathered in Oakland, San Jose and San Francisco on Friday evening for a third consecutive night of demonstrations against President-elect Donald Trump.

The California Highway Patrol used social media to warn the public to expect a heavy police presence near highway on- and off-ramps in Oakland as officers monitored the protest. No protest-related violence or arrests were reported.

But, in some ways, the damage has already been done  and downtown Oakland businesses are reeling from the economic impact of non-stop, often destructive, protests.

People were out and about in the uptown part of downtown Oakland on Friday night, but a sense of apprehension permeated the area. A lot were wondering if the peaceful protest would turn violent.

Tonight, Friday night, is usually a big night for us," said Michael Le Blanc, who owns Pican Restaurant. "So far [we have ]lost about between 80 to 100 reservations."

And for a small business that thrives on downtown Oaklands recent renaissance, the violence that has taken over the area following the election has been painful for Le Blanc.

"On [Tuesday] night, I marched with the protesters, and on Wednesday night, I had to stand in front of the business to make sure we didnt sustain any damage," he said.

Viewer Photos: Anti-Trump Protesters March Across the Bay Area

For Le Blanc, a financial comeback can take a couple of months because a protest like the ongoing one can set his business back by a few hundred thousand dollars a year. He sympathizes with the protest, but admits to being frustrated.

"On one hand, Im with the protesters," he said. "On the other hand, dont destroy whats in the benefit of you and your city."

Pican isn't the only Oakland restaurant that is struggling. Izzys Steak & Chop House, which opened just four months ago, had a lot of empty tables for a Friday night. And it was more of the same at Viscera, a boutique store.

"Oakland has so many opportunities, growing and developing," said Ari Takata-Vasquez. "This makes it a little bit scary for people who dont know how vibrant Oakland can be."

Anti-Trump Protesters Flood the Streets of Oakland

Further south, several hundred anti-Trump protesters marched  peacefully  through downtown San Jose for about two hours.

"He wants to deport Mexicans and Muslims. Why does he want to split the USA up like that?" one protester wondered.

San Jose police, some in riot gear, were on standby. But the crowd followed rules Friday, only temporarily blocking a road.

There was a chance that Friday's march could devolve into violence when several men walked up to the group and suggested a riot. Their words were drowned out by more peaceful chants, but protesters promised not to abandon their fight any time soon.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, it was more of the same.

About 200 demonstrators gathered in front of the Ferry Building. They were peaceful, but, like in San Jose, a large police escort monitored the crowd. The protesters briefly blocked traffic on the Embarcadero before marching up Market Street.
As the United States, and the rest of the world, tries to grapple with the reality of a Donald Trump election victory, a spike of racist incidents against minorities have been reported across the country.

One such incident was captured on video on the Bay Areas largest transit system Thursday night. An Assyrian-American woman was called a terrorist by another passenger on the train.

Ivet, who immigrated from Iran and asked that only her first name be used for this story, posted a cell-phone video on her Facebook page detailing her experience.

I was on the BART going home after a long day and this lady right here heard me talk Assyrian on the phone. You can see what happened next ... #TrumpSupporters #peopleneedtocalmdown #Idontfeelsafeanymore #really #GodhelpAmerica."

In the video, Ivet is seen talking to a woman sitting down on a BART car seat.

Go ahead, say it again, Ivet can be heard saying.

Trump might deport you, you are breaking the law right now, the woman says.

Oh wow, really, Ivet responds, Do you know Im recording you  its going to go on Facebook?

Go on Facebook, this woman is a stalker from the Middle East, shes a Middle-Eastern terrorist and shes terrorizing citizens like me and she will probably get deported, and these people in the back as well , the woman says, Oh you shut the f---- up, she says pointing to some people behind her. Youre all stalkers. Dont lie.

This is going on Facebook, just letting you know, Ivet reminds her.

I dont give a f----, the woman responds. Nobodys going to watch it on Facebook.

What I would like to say right now is this crazy person is stalking people with all these other stalkers, and anybody thats watching on a Facebook knows the ugly, dirty thing you do every year ... Youre playing the dead pool game  And youre standing here harassing me .. and I think youre an ugly, mean, evil little pig who might get deported, and I pray for you

Im a citizen, Ivet responds.

Oh well, youre okay, then, lucky you, youve made it, just under the wire.

The video had been viewed more than two million times and shared more than 20,000 times by Friday, prompting responses from people all over the country.

In an interview with NBC Bay Area, 24-year-old Ivet said she was so surprised by the rant, she was shaking.

"I did nothing to provoke the woman, but she just wouldn't stop," she said.

"This is crazy just crazy. I don't feel safe anymore that's all I can say I don't feel safe ... I don't want to take BART anymore," Ivet said. Tonight, she is calling on Trump to speak out agianst acts of hate taking place across the country.

Ivet said Trump needs to step up as president-elect. "He needs to say something about this. He has to stop people, this is just not right. People need to be kind. They need to spread love, not hate," she said.

The Assyrian American Association released a statement late Friday that said, in part: "This video does not represent the majority of American people."

The Assyrian American community, as a whole, has been part of the country's fabric for over a century and were "evenly balanced" while voting, the statement said.

"Looking forward, US Assyrians plan to align their votes to the candidates that best serve the Assyrian and American interests," the association said.

In emails to NBC Bay Area, BART regulars said a woman who strongly resembles the one in the viral video has been frequently chastised on a BART commuter community Facebook page, for similar rants.

BART spokesperson Alicia Trost said the agency is checking with BART police to see if any calls came in about Thursdays incident.

We ask our riders to be decent to each other and practice common courtesy. Folks should be able to get to their destination without being harassed or mistreated, Trost said. While free speech needs to be protected, threats to do harm and violence against our riders and employees will not be tolerated. We ask our riders to be our eyes and ears and report illegal activity to BART Police. We will send an officer right away to respond.

Trost said riders can also use the BART Watch App to report suspicious activity discreetly.

Just like the Trump election has sparked #NotMyPresident protests across America, the number of hate crimes and incidents has also gone up, according to media reports.

Esra Nur Altun, a 19-year-old psychology student at San Jose State University, was walking to her car on Wednesday, when she said an unknown attacker came up to her and tried to yank off her hijab.

He caused me to choke, the Uzbekistan-born student told NBC Bay Area.

In San Francisco, someone flew a swastika flag from his house, not as a form of support to the Nazis, but to warn the country against a Trump administration.

The Neo-Nazi website, The Daily Stormer, put out a call Thursday to harass Hispanic and Muslim immigrants and make them fearful. While Trump has not openly courted white supremacists, he has not asked them to stop their hateful rhetoric either.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has called on Donald Trump to reject hate and bigotry, as has Human Rights Watch.

Departing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid lashed out at Trump, saying he has "heard more stories in the past 48 hours of Americans living in fear of their own government and their fellow Americans than I can remember hearing in five decades in politics."

NBC Bay Area's Jodi Hernandez contributed to this story.
President-elect Donald Trump is sounding very different than he did as the Republican presidential candidate.

He is already backing off of his campaign promise to repeal President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act.

James Taylor, a professor of politics at the University of San Francisco, believes Trump is easing up on the tough talk so he can assuage fears.

It's the one thing he can promise now  to back everyone off, to say he's not nearly as outrageous as we think he is, Taylor said.

The question now is whether Trump will continue to back pedal on divisive campaign rhetoric. Taylor believes it can go one of two ways.

He reneges on the Affordable Health Care Act, but in order to shore up support, he goes after immigrants and goes after Muslims, he predicted.

Or he continues to break more promises.

Read my lips: No new taxes, Taylor said.

Like former President George Bush, Trump then runs the risk of facing a backlash from the GOP.

The more and more he does this, the more support he loses from his base that trusts him, Taylor explained. And in unintentional ways, he might appeal to moderates and liberals.

Some Bay Area voters aren't surprised trump is changing his tune.

I think we all knew that he would be telling them what he needed to get the votes, said Steven Rahman of San Francisco.

But people fear the Trump wont be able to reverse the effects of his campaign vitriol.

Unfortunately, even though the net result may be policies I agree with, his campaign has poisoned the way we talk to each other, Rahman said.
What to Know The 94-foot Norway spruce was cut down upstate on Thursday morning

It was loaded onto a flatbed truck and hauled 140 miles to NYC, where it arrived on Friday night

It will be hoisted in place and covered in 50,000 lights ahead of a tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 30

This year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrived in New York City on Friday night.

The truck carrying this year's tree drove over the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan around 10 p.m.

The 94-foot Norway spruce, owned by Angie and Graig Eichler, was cut down Thursday morning in Oneonta. Two massive cranes moved the tree  the second largest to ever grace Rockefeller Center  onto a flatbed truck. It made the 140-mile trek from upstate to Manhattan in about a day and a half.

Eichler said Thursday his family was excited to donate the tree, adding it was a big deal for the Oneonta community. About 100 people turned out to watch the tree come down.



"We'll miss the shade but for the most part we're happy to gain the space back, because it did monopolize the entire yard," Eichler said.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree crossed the George Washington Bridge on Friday night as it finishes the final leg of its journey ahead of a lighting ceremony on Nov. 30.

On Friday night, people took photos and videos of the tree as it rolled down Manhattan streets and posted them on social media. Many said they were surprised to see the tightly wrapped spruce coming down the avenues with police escorts. At one point the tree passed anti-Trump protesters on Fifth Avenue, and they stopped to watch the tree go by, a Twitter user @jacktame tweeted.

"It's the Christmas tree, oh my God! It's the Rockefeller Christmas tree," Instagram user @billnakia said in a video as he watched the tree go down Amsterdam Avenue at West 126th Street. "There she goes. Now that's a good omen."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMspG2Ljbjy/

I JUST WATCHED THE ROCKEFELLER CHRISTMAS TREE DRIVE BY MY WINDOW pic.twitter.com/sLPcGwKVFR  Andrew Briedis (@AndrewBriedis) November 12, 2016

Crowds gathered at the Rockefeller Center Plaza on Saturday morning despite the 40-degree chill. Tourists excitedly snapped photos and posed in front of the second-biggest Rockefeller Center tree ever. Pockets of neon yellow could be seen through the leaves and branches as workers clipped stray leaves and began to string lights around the spruce's robust trunk.

At Rockefeller Center on Saturday, the Eichlers drove a spike into the trunk of the tree with a sledgehammer and it was lifted off the flatbed trailer by crane and hoisted into place. Then comes the painstaking job of installing its 50,000 lights.

The tree's lights will be switched on during a live television broadcast on Nov. 30. The spruce will stay on display until Jan. 7.

Rockefeller Center's trees are usually milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity after they're taken down.

This years tree is between 90 and 95 years old and weighs 14 tons. The 50,000 lights that will adorn it are on 5 miles of wire. The Swarovski Star that sits atop the tree has energy-efficient LED bulbs and 25,000 crystals with one million facets.

The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was put up in 1931 by workers building the complex during the Great Depression. The first official tree lighting there was in 1933.

Mammoth 2016 Rockefeller Center Tree Readies for Spotlight
As racial tensions continue to heat up in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood on Chicago's Far South Side, Black Lives Matter Youth activists met with city and Chicago Public Schools officials Friday after canceling a planned protest due to safety concerns.

Activists met with Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, 19th Ward Alderman Matt OShea and Marist High School Principal Larry Tucker, the group said in a statement.

Upset over racially-charged text messages from a group of Marist students, and the fatal police-involved shooting of 25-year-old Joshua Beal, organizers had planned to protest at Marist Friday. But both classes and the demonstration were canceled after the protesters received online messages threatening violence.

"The safety of the kids right now is the main concern and I'm glad they're doing something about it, but the fact that this is happening all entirely, it shouldnt be," said John Dilagaf, whose cousin attends Marist.

Black Lives Matter Youth and Walter Payton College Preps Black Student Union had planned to meet at Wrigley Square Millennium Park and travel to Marist High School to denounce the racist response of locals in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood and students at Marist High School to the murder of Joshua Beal.

Beal, of Indianapolis, was killed in a police-involved shooting during a traffic dispute in Mount Greenwood Saturday afternoon, Beal's family and authorities said.

Since Beals shooting, supporters of both Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter have clashed in protests near where Beal was fatally shot.

Officials at nearby Marist High School, a private Catholic school, canceled classes on Friday due to safety concerns for students and to limit disruptions on school grounds, the school announced on its website Thursday.

Instead, activists met with officials for approximately two hours to talk about race relations, and said their demands were met.

Superintendent Johnson agreed to hold mandatory workshops that educate officers on the efforts of Black Lives Matter as an organization, activist Eva Lewis said following the meeting. He also agreed to hold monthly meetings to discuss police brutality.

"We have established a dialogue with them and I am committed to meeting with them on a monthly basis," Johnson added.

"Today we began to turn the corner and can begin the healing process to find peace," Ald. O'Shea said.
A weekend-long crackdown on gun violence across the city is underway, Chicago police announced Friday night.

Police are teaming up with federal officials and other local authorities for a targeted enforcement mission on Chicagos South and West Sides throughout the weekend, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said at a news conference Friday.

We have a coordinated effort across the city, were doing targeted enforcement in all areas of the city that have had historic violence, Johnson said.

Chicago police said they have been planning this operation for several weeks, and have partnered with federal agencies including the ATF, FBI, DEA, and Homeland Security, as well as the Illinois State Police and the Cook County Sheriffs Department.

Weve done some positive loitering in these areas during the targeted enforcement, Johnson said. Weve done traffic stop missions, but all of this is in an effort to let people know that we just simply wont tolerate the violence thats going on in our city right now.

In addition to increased traffic stops, police will saturate so-called hot zones, or areas that have seen a pattern of crime, with larger patrols and visits to parolees.

Johnson also described custom notifications, in which officers go to the homes of those on the "Strategic Subject List," which is the department's algorithm to determine an individual's likelihood to be a victim of or to cause gun violence in Chicago, based on factors including previous police contact, affiliations with gang members, and more.

Thats not actual enforcement, thats just going over there and knocking on their doors, letting them know that we know what theyre doing and were offering them services to get out of that particular lifestyle if they choose to, Johnson said.

As you can see, theres police officers everywhere so we just want to send a clear message to the people perpetrating this gun violence in our cities that we just simply wont tolerate it, he added.

The operation is being conducted in the 6th District on the citys South Side, as well as the 15th and 10th Districts on the West Side.

One thing that we do every day is analyze the crime data in terms of where violent crime is occurring across the city, Johnson said. So these areas that weve designated tonight is because of that fact that theyve had a lot of violent crime going on in those areas in the past few weeks.

By Saturday morning, officers said that they had arrested a carjacking suspect near South Laramie Ave and West Quincy St, with Supt. Johnson assisting in the pursuit, and had recovered at least one weapon during a traffic stop in the 4800 block of West Monroe Street.

The amount of violence in Chicago this year is totally and completely unacceptable, Johnson said. So the hope for this particular mission is to have no violence in these areas this weekend.

The operation began at 7 p.m. Friday and will continue through Sunday night, according to police, who expect to release results and data from their efforts on Monday.
Around 1,000 people gathered in downtown Chicago on Saturday to protest Donald Trumps election victory for the fourth consecutive day.

The protest began at 10 a.m. at Millennium Park, at 201 E. Randolph Street, according to a Facebook event. Hundreds of people then proceeded to march down Michigan Avenue, chanting things like "the people united will never be divided," and "we reject the president-elect." [[400937455, C]]

Shortly before 12:30 p.m., protesters began to march on the street on Michigan Avenue near Randolph St, bringing traffic to a brief standstill. Demonstrators paused near Trump Tower to chant before continuing to march north, causing rolling street closures.

Several activists carried signs that read, America Was NEVER Great! We Need To OVERTHROW This System, We choose love, Still we rise, and Black Lives Matter, among others.

According to one of the event organizers, protesters planned to make their way to a #NoDAPL protest by the Dirksen Federal Building at 2 p.m. 3,100 people RSVPd that they would attend, with another 8,100 interested, the Facebook event said.

Our protest on Wednesday night was the most powerful night of my life, the event description reads. We need to keep the ball rolling. This can NOT be a one night thing. I hope you all will come out this Saturday to help continue this fight for change.

About 1,800 protesters marched downtown on Wednesday following Trumps election, Chicago police estimated, shutting down Lake Shore Drive and chanting outside Trump Tower.

At least five people were arrested, two for obstruction of traffic in a roadway, two for reckless conduct and criminal trespass to land, as well as a juvenile for criminal trespass to land and resisting arrest.

Please keep everything peaceful, organizers of Saturdays demonstration asked on Facebook. They will not hear the message if we react violently. #StrongerTogether

Another group also gathered in downtown Chicago Saturday morning to host a Love unites us all rally for equality and inclusiveness and in defiance of ignorance and bigotry, according to a separate Facebook event.

Understand that this is NOT A PROTEST, NOT A HATE GATHERING, a post to the event reads. In order to stand out from the rest of the crowd, we will wear PURPLE as a statement of unity. Purple is a mixture of Blue and Red - a symbol of Left and Right coming together UNITED to RESTORE the PEACE in OUR communities.

3,000 people planned to attend that rally, according to Facebook.
Protesters flooded Manhattan's Union Square Saturday in a fourth straight day of rallies against the election of Donald Trump.

Thousands of protesters marched at Union Square Saturday afternoon to vocalize their objection to the president-elect and his policies. Police estimate the number of protesters to be over 5,000 people.

This is the largest protest I've seen in NYC in years. Donald Trump is already bringing people out into the streets pic.twitter.com/vF0a5yPkYq  Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) November 12, 2016

https://twitter.com/Chrissy_Torres_/status/797587126372208641

Two people were arrested during the peaceful Manhattan protests. Officers allowed participants to continue the demonstration, but warned them not to stand on or climb the barricades parked in front of Trump Towers otherwise they'd be arrested.

Homemade picket signs bobbed throughout the sea of protesters, several of which read "love trumps hate" in black block letters.

"We reject the president-elect!" the crowd chanted as protesters started marching up Fifth Avenue. Some climbed the poles of scaffolding and stood on them, holding protest signs while pumping their firsts in the air.

Filmmaker Michael Moore unsuccessfully tried to meet with Donald Trump at Trump Tower in midtown while protests were still underway on Saturday.

Traffic delays and intermittent street closures were present throughout Manhattan on Saturday afternoon, including the Union Square area and East 57th Street and Fifth Avenue.

Meanwhile, protests continued Saturday in Chicago, where demonstrations have also formed in the days since the election.

The Chicago protest began at 10 a.m. at Millennium Park. The crowd of about one thousand people then marched down Michigan Avenue, chanting things like "the people united will never be divided," and "we reject the president-elect."

In Los Angeles, 200 people were arrested after police began to break up a protest that began Friday night and lingered into the early hours of Saturday morning. Three juveniles were also arrested for vandalizing a police cruiser and throwing a bottle at police officers.

Violence struck a demonstration in Portland, Oregon when one person was shot by a man who had gotten into a confrontation with a protester. The shooting follows a rowdy Friday night protest, when Portland police used tear gas in response to "burning projectiles" thrown at officers, police said on Twitter.

The demonstrations have rippled globally, as protesters in Berlin gathered around Brandenburg Gate to rally against Donald Trump.
Its a troubling statistic  one in eight Connecticut residents does not have enough food on a daily basis.

Its why NBC Connecticut and Comcast teamed up today for our annual food drive. Its all part of our Connecting You to Joy campaign.

The NBC Connecticut team split up to hit two locations in the state  the Big Y in Manchester, and the XFINITY store in Groton.

Manchester efforts supported Foodshare, the regional food bank for Tolland and Hartford County.

So the turkeys that come in today are going to go straight to back to Foodshare. Weve had requests from 15,871 local friends and neighbors across Greater Hartford so starting next week we have appointments set up with all our partners in the community and were going to start distributing them to families, explained Foodshares Communications Manager Amanda Renna, Communications Manager.

Many people donated to the cause, including Aiello Home Services, which donated 100 turkeys and dozens of boxes of non-perishable food items.

Over in Groton NBC Connecticut teamed up with the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut and efforts supported the Connecticut Food Bank, which serves New Haven, Litchfield, Middlesex, New London, Windham and Fairfield counties.

Food and monetary donations were collected for both Connecticut Foodshare and Connecticut Food Bank. Frozen turkeys, non-perishable food items, and monetary donations were all accepted.

Every $10 can provide 25 meals to a neighbor in need.

Thanks to all of your donations today, many families across the region will be able to have a full holiday meal this year.

For more information on Foodshare, click here. For more information on the Connecticut Food Bank, click here.
A fight over the president-elect Donald Trump at an Old Saybrook restaurant resulted in two arrests.

At 8:40 p.m., Old Saybrook police responded to complaints of a fight between an employee and patrons at the Cockoo's Nest on Boston Post Road.

An altercation broke out on the second floor of the restaurant and dishes were being thrown, police said.

One man was placed under arrest, while another was transported to the Middlesex Medical Center Shoreline Emergency Department for injuries.

Evan Brown, 34, whose birthday was this Friday, was arrested and charged with breach of peace and third-degree assault. His bond was set at $2,500.

Douglas Dahlberg, 58, of Clinton, will eventually be processed and charged with breach of peace. His bond will be set at $1,000.
Some Hartford residents got an unpleasant wake up call when a minivan crashed into their home Saturday morning.

The incident happened around 4:15 a.m. at 141 Edgewood Street.

The minivan struck the homes exterior wall, damaging some bricks and the front stoop.

Sherrie Allen, who lives in the home with her daughter and parents, was asleep on the third floor when she was jolted awake. At first, she through it was an earthquake.

I heard the crash and then I felt the house jerked. I jumped out of my sleep, looked out the window. I didnt see anything except my gate missing, ran downstairs and looked out my porch window see a minivan in my house, she said.

Allen told NBC Connecticut the driver said a tire blew out, causing him to lose control. No one was injured.
From the shoreline to the Capital City, and towns and cities in between, the service and bravery of Connecticuts military men and women were remembered Friday. For a brief moment everyone seemed to be united, singing, praying, and giving thanks to the veterans who kept us free.

Dozens of veterans gathered in Glastonburys Green Park surrounded by family, friends, and school children who all came to honor them on Veterans Day.

Some of them did amazing things and we really wouldnt be safe if it werent for them, said fourth grader, Maggie Twardowski, of Sudbury, Massachusetts.

Her mother, an Enfield native, served in the Air Force in the late 80s.

While we take time each Memorial Day to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and honor all veterans on Veterans Day, retired Army Police Officer Arnie Higgins says attends the Glastonbury Veterans Day ceremony to remember those weve lost.

To remember all of our fellas who gave their lives, he said.

Unveiled during the ceremony, Avery Motyckas Eagle Scout project to honor the heroes of the first war on American soil, the American Revolution.

The Revolutionary War was pretty important to our country because without it we wouldnt be where we are today, explained Motycka.

The monument is high tech. On the back will sit a plaque. You can use your smart phone to actually scan the QR code and pull up the names of the 400 people from Glastonbury who participated in the Revolutionary War.

In New Haven, the Unity Boys Choir sang, My Country Tis of the Thee, as a twice deployed Marine who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom spoke about his military experiences.

"I can honestly say that this generation has not only answered our call to arms but also they've never forgotten their oath of service and love of service to others, said SGT James Namnoun of the U.S. Marines.

In Hartford, 50-years after he finished fighting in the Korean War, 99-year-old veteran Restituto Oyola-Alvarez, who first served in World War II, received the long-overdue medals he earned for that service.

He was always a very proud soldier, said daughter Sara Olyola-Bowman.

Oyola-Alvarez served as a member of the Puerto Rican regiment the Borinqueneers, recently honored with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Im very emotional and very touched. My fathered served well in the army for 20-years, added Olyola-Bowman.
President George W. Bush spent this Veterans Day honoring injured soldiers.

On Friday afternoon, the Dallas resident posted a photo of himself on Instagram painting one of the 98 portraits of wounded warriors he's gotten to know over the years.

"I think about them on #VeteransDay and every day," Bush said in the social media post.

He said their portraits and stories will be featured in his next book, "Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors", next Spring.

Paintings by Bush have been on display before at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas.

Here is the full Instagram caption:

Over the past several months, I've painted the portraits of 98 wounded warriors I've gotten to know - remarkable men and women who were injured carrying out my orders. I think about them on #VeteransDay and every day. Their paintings and stories will be featured in PORTRAITS OF COURAGE - a book and special exhibit - next spring, and I am donating all my proceeds to @thebushcenter and our Military Service Initiative's work to honor and support them. Click link in bio for more info.
oters in a southeast Texas county elected a black, Democratic woman as sheriff while choosing Republican Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, an unusual result in a year of partisan acrimony.

Some voters in Jefferson County near Houston ended up crossing party lines to cast their ballots Tuesday for who they thought was the best candidate in each of the races.

Zena Stephens, the sheriff-elect, says it's likely she got votes from both Republicans and Democrats who voted for Trump. When she takes office next year, she will be one of only two African-American women in sheriff positions in the United States.

D'Ann Riggs, a GOP voter who supported both Stephens and Trump, says Stephens got her support because she was the best person for the job.

AP-WF-11-12-16 1512GMT

Voters in a southeast Texas county elected a black, Democratic woman as sheriff while choosing Republican Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, an unusual result in a year of partisan acrimony.

Some voters in Jefferson County near Houston ended up crossing party lines to cast their ballots Tuesday for who they thought was the best candidate in each of the races.

Zena Stephens, the sheriff-elect, says it's likely she got votes from both Republicans and Democrats who voted for Trump. When she takes office next year, she will be one of only two African-American women in sheriff positions in the United States.

D'Ann Riggs, a GOP voter who supported both Stephens and Trump, says Stephens got her support because she was the best person for the job.

Dallas county re-elected Sheriff Lupe Valdez to her fourth term. She is one of a few Hispanic women sheriffs in the country.
A California man says he paid a North Texas company to ship his car to the West Coast. After it arrived damaged, the company agreed to pay for thousands of dollars in repairs.

But months later, the company still has not reimbursed him.

"I thought they were a relatively reliable company," said Jonathan Zygelman.

With a name like Dependable Auto Shippers, Zygelman says he thought he was in good hands. The company is one of the largest vehicle shipping service providers in the world and it's based right here in North Texas.

"I called them, they were very responsive. We set something up for the exact time I wanted it to be picked up," Zygelman said.

Zygelman inherited his father's 2009 Toyota hybrid and he felt confident the company would deliver his precious cargo to his California address with no problems. So in March he paid $1,206 to get it shipped.

"It was absolutely filthy  just dirt, mud. But once I had gotten a little closer I saw the damage and my heart just sunk," Zygelman said.

He noticed several dents, scratches and even screw marks. He says the driver who delivered the car couldn't even believe his eyes.

"He had actually mentioned that not only was it the dirtiest but also the most damaged he had seen in several months of doing this delivery work," Zygelman said.

Zygelman filled out a damage report and kept a copy for his records. But once he got it washed, he said there was even more damage.

"I saw these weren't two or three scratches," he said. "There were hundreds  if not thousands  of little tiny scratches on both sides of the door."

An auto body shop said it would cost him $6,800 to fix the car, so he sent the quote over to Dependable Auto Shippers and waited.

"After six weeks or so pass, I couldn't wait any longer," Zygelman said.

He called the company a few more times and the agent came back to settle the claim $2,000 less than what he expected.

"It was disheartening," he said.

Zygelman said was told it would take about 30 days before the check would be released, but two months later, there was still no check.

"I realized this wasn't a reputable company," he said.

Customers sharing their frustration with the North Texas company online had very similar stories, but it doesn't end there. Two employees reached out to NBC 5 Responds, saying the company misleads customers about their checks for as long as possible. One worker even sent us a list of dozens of customers whose cars were damaged, and have been waiting for their checks for months. Those employees have since been laid off, but we reached out to some of those customers who sent us photos confirming what we've been told.

"So it's not an isolated incident, unique to me or my case," Zygelman said.

NBC 5 Responds reached out to Tim Higgins, the vice president of Dependable Auto Shippers. He never replied, but he did email Zygelman that same day, saying:

"I am sorry for the inconvenience regarding your claim. I will get your payment processed and sent out today."

But 30 days later, still no check.

"The car was shipped in March. Fast forward the clock to today, I don't live in Texas, so I can't go to their door to see if there's anyone I can talk to face to face," Zygelman said.

So NBC 5 Responds' Samantha Chatman went to Dependable Auto Shippers to try to get some answers in person.

"Is the owner here?" Chatman asked.

"I don't know," said an employee.

"Is the vice president here?" Chatman asked.

"I don't know," said the employee.

"You don't know if management is here or not?" Chatman asked again.

"I don't know, I've got to go" the employee said while shutting the door.

We called again after this visit. We were told again the company's vice president would get back to us, but days later we are still waiting.

"Once they have your money, it becomes a ghost town there. So as sad as it is, I am not expecting it at this point," Zygelman said.

One thing the man regrets is that he didn't have any pictures of the car before it was shipped. Also, his dad canceled the insurance right before the car was shipped so it wasn't covered.

If you're going to use an auto shipping company, make sure your insurance company will back you up if something happens while it's in transit. And always check the company's reviews online. Accidents happen, but if the company isn't willing to make things right, you don't want to do business with them.
The State Representative who leads the House Pension Committee told Dallas Friday to max out its credit to fix the ailing Police and Firefighters Pension Fund.

City leaders said it shows how dire the problem has become.

This is a tipping point for our city, how were going to fix this pension, said City Council Member Jennifer Gates, who is also a member of the Police and Fire Pension Board.

The $1 billion infusion prescribed by Representative Dan Flynn of Van would leave the city unable to borrow for other purposes like roads, parks and libraries.

In a letter to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Flynn said the city has not shown an approach of shared sacrifice, and that the legislature will be forced to deal with this issue if the city does not act.

Flynn has said in the past that a state solution would not involve state money.

The idea that the city hasnt done anything is just not correct, Gates said.

The city has been contributing approximately $110 million a year for police and firefighter pension benefits. But the fund faces a future shortfall of up to $4 billion without major changes.

Fund managers have also suggested a $1 billion infusion from the city.

Flynns letter said it should be in the form of Pension Obligation Bonds.

Hes really, really playing hardball with the city, said Police and Fire Pension Board Chairman Sam Friar.

The City of Dallas has been considering a possible $800 million public improvement bond referendum in 2017, nearly as a large as the citys current borrowing capacity of around $1 billion. Flynn wants it all used for the pension problem.

We would not be able to deliver on all the city improvements and the deferred maintenance, Gates said.

Beginning Monday and through the next two weeks, the Police and Fire Pension Board is asking members to approve a program of benefit cuts and increased contributions as their share of the solutions.

It will not solve the problem, absolutely not. We cannot do it alone. We need the support of the city, Friar said.

Until the city agrees to participate, Dallas Fraternal Order of Police President Mike Walton said members are not convinced pension plan changes they are being asked to accept are fair.

Since we dont have a plan, theres no way officers in good conscious can vote for this. And were steadily hemorrhaging officers, Walton said.

A surge in retirement and withdrawals from pension accounts is blamed, in part, on the pension uncertainty. The city has agreed to increase police and firefighter salaries over the next three years.

That is much better than what it was, but were still hemorrhaging officers because of the unknown, said Walton.

At a state meeting on pension issues in Austin November 3, Mayor Mike Rawlings said the $1 billion city contribution would require a 130 percent increase in the city property tax rate.

Its a ridiculous suggestion, Rawlings said that day. The mayor was out of town Friday and unavailable for comment.

Eight of the twelve members of the Police and Fire Pension Board are employees and the mayor has accused them of being unwilling to make more severe changes to the plan.

Taxpayers did not cause this problem and we do not believe we are legally responsible for this problem, Rawlings said November 3.

The dire situation is blamed on benefit promises that were too generous; risky real estate investments that did not produce as hoped and questionable management in the past.

Current city council members serving on the Police and Fire Pension Board have said an FBI investigation of past leadership is underway.

Flynns letter Friday included a chart showing how often past city council members appointed to the board were absent from pension meetings. In 2007, the chart showed city council members were absent 100 percent of the time.

They had representation on the board. Its not like they werent a part of it. They were a part of it. They have four members on the board. So, if there were red flags to be raised, they should have done it, Friar said.

Dallas city bond ratings have already been reduced over the pension uncertainty, potentially increasing the cost of borrowing.

But Gates said keeping and attracting public safety workers is a major concern.

Its about the money, but its also making sure this does not become a public safety threat, Gates said.

The member election on pension changes continues through November 28 with unofficial results to be posted that day.
A suicide bombing claimed by ISIS rocked a Muslim shrine in a remote part of southwestern Pakistan just before sunset Saturday, killing more than 45 people, officials told NBC News.

The attack, which also injured dozens, happened while hundreds of people were gathered for worship at Dargah Shah Noorani, a shrine in Balochistan province.

Many of the killed and injured were women and children, ambulance dispatch operator Ghulam Ali told NBC News, adding that medics were struggling to reach victims.

"The area is isolated and dark, and it is not even reachable by car but only by foot, so we are expecting higher casualties," he said.
People in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are protesting President-elect Donald Trump for a third night in a row.

In Dallas, about 400 people gathered at a downtown public park Friday night. Protesters chanted "we reject the president-elect" and carried signs that said "Not My President" as they marched through streets in the downtown area.

In downtown Fort Worth, more than 70 people gathered at the Tarrant County courthouse.

No arrests were reported Friday evening.

More people plan to protest President-elect Donald Trump in Dallas and Fort Worth Friday evening.

On Thursday, three people were arrested by Dallas police. Houston police arrested five anti-Trump demonstrators during a downtown protest Thursday.

Texas troopers in Austin on Thursday detained two demonstrators on the grounds of the Capitol.
About 8,000 people marched peacefully through downtown Los Angeles Saturday morning to protest the election of Donald J. Trump as president.

The protesters made their way through the streets holding signs and chanting phrases including "not my president," and "we reject the president-elect."

People gathered in MacArthur Park in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles around 10 a.m., and planned to march through downtown Los Angeles to the U.S. Federal Building.

Around 8,000 marched through downtown Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. No arrests had been made around 12:30 p.m.

Later around 3 p.m., about 1,100 people had stayed in the downtown area where they continued to "express their freedom of speech and assembly peacefully," read a tweet from the Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters.

Police said Saturday morning they anticipated 10,000 people would march through the city.

Some 15,000 people said they were attending the march on a Facebook event created for the protest.

This rally came on the fourth day of protests since the presidential election Tuesday, as people expressed their discontent for President-elect Trump in major cities across the U.S.

Crowds of 3,000 marched through downtown Los Angeles Friday night, and 187 people were arrested.

#LAPD: Approx. 8,000 protesters in #DTLA today exercising their 1st Amendment Right. No arrests have been made. #UnitedWeStandDividedWeFall  LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) November 12, 2016

"The LAPD will continue to provide the necessary resources to ensure the safe and peaceful expression of opinions," the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement Saturday morning. "When demonstrators begin to violate the law and create unsafe conditions for the demonstrators, officers, and the public, Department personnel will continue to take appropriate enforcement action."
The Los Angeles LGBT Center has been inundated with phone calls after members of the community have voiced recent concerns that their rights may be taken away under a Trump presidency.

"It has crossed my mind they're going to go into the records and find out who transitioned and they're gonna get rid of us somehow; make my life awful," one concerned member of the LGBT community said.

During the Republican National Committee finale in July, Donald Trump assured the LGBT community he would keep them safe.

"As your president, I'll do everything in my power to protect the LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of the hateful, foreign ideology, believe me," he said.

However, not many people believe his promise. Rumors and fears are circulating at the LA LGBT Center, especially among the transgender youth.

Lorri Jean, chief executive officer of the LA LGBT Center, has expressed her worry of elected Vice President Mike Pence, who has been an open critic of the LGBT community.

Jean is also concerned about Trump's newly named top domestic policy adviser Ken Blackwell, who has claimed being gay is a lifestyle choice that can be changed.

"Here in this building we get a lot of federal money to provide services," Jean said. "What if they decided they're gonna target funding to LGBT people or organizations  that could impact our ability to care for our community."

During his campaign, Trump vowed to throw out Obamacare, which provides health care to millions in the LGBT community.

Legal experts recognize another possible thing at risk is Obama's direction to the Department of Education to respect gender identity when it comes to using locker rooms and restrooms.

"Because that was done in an executive or administrative capacity, it could be fairly easily undone," said David Cruz, a USC law professor.

The LA LGBT Center is preparing for the worst-potential obstacles in the future that may make it difficult for the transgender community to have legal paperwork that state their appropriate gender.

The center is planning to do what they are calling a "document blitz," encouraging transgender individuals to change legal documents before Trump takes office.
A plainclothes LAPD officer was injured and lost possession of his handgun and handcuffs in an encounter with vandalism suspects during a political march Thursday night, police said.

The officer was taken to an emergency room for examination, and released Friday. Two suspects were arrested, but the gun and handcuffs remain missing, according to LAPD Sgt. Frank Preciado.

The incident occurred in the green space used as a dog park on the backside of LAPD's downtown Los Angeles Administration Building. Marching demonstrators protesting President-elect Donald Trump passed by the location.

When the officer approached a man who appeared to be tagging, the man became verbally, then physically combative, and the encounter took both to the ground, with the officer losing control of his gun and handcuffs, Preciado said. A woman was nearby.

"We do know the female picked up the handcuffs and struck the officer," said Preciado.

It was not clear whether the suspects knew that the man in plainclothes was an officer. It's LAPD policy for officers to identify themselves when making an arrest.

Preciado said, during the course of the struggle, the officer used his police radio to call for help.

A female suspect was located immediately, but some time elapsed before police arrested a male suspect. Whether he may have hidden the gun and handcuffs, or transferred them to someone else, police could not say.

Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAPD officials have issued statements pledging support for public exercise of free speech and assembly, but warning demonstrators they face arrest if they violate laws.

Thousands are expected to gather Saturday morning in MacArthur park for a "March in LA Against Trump" that would be the largest protest in Southern California since the outcome of Tuesday's election sparked waves of protest.
Police arrested 187 people Friday during the third night of protests over the election of Donald J. Trump as president as the crowd of marchers swelled to over 3,000 in downtown Los Angeles.

The two men were arrested for allegedly tagging a police car. The marchers started at Pershing Square, marched to City Hall and were still moving as of 11 p.m.

Of the 187 people arrested, 8 were juveniles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police flooded the streets, anticipating the crowds and blocking freeway entrances to prevent them from walking onto highways.

At one point Friday night, a group tried to run onto an off-ramp, but officers quickly ordered them off.

The LAPD tweeted earlier Friday that they would "aim to secure public safety in our City of Angels" while also respecting First Amendment rights.

A large anti-Trump rally and march is scheduled to begin at MacArthur Park at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Protesters plan to gather in the park and march to the downtown federal building.

The protest Friday came after days of previous marches downtown and across the country and as Los Angeles police monitored the downtown area, watching for new protests.

The LAPD updated figures from the protests that took place Thursday night and carried over into this morning, noting that 226 people were arrested for blocking a roadway and failure to disperse and that 23 of the arrested were juveniles for curfew violations, said Los Angeles Police Officer Tony Im.

The officer injured in an assault during the demonstration was released from a hospital, Im said. The suspect was also injured and police said he was arrested.

While most protesters on Thursday were regarded as peaceful by police, officers gave dispersal orders to an aggressive group that refused to budge from the area around Olympic Boulevard and Olive Street around midnight, he said.

The protests prompted Metro to detour some buses off Spring Street.

LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman said there were reports of vandalism and graffiti in downtown but did not specify where.

"We're here to protect everybody's right to free speech but not when it impedes everyone else and not when it puts people in harm's way," said LAPD Public Information Director Josh Rubenstein.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said the right to free expression is "one of our greatest privileges as Americans," but added that unlawful, dangerous behavior won't be tolerated.
Ten years ago, Susan Nayamora sat in Broward County Jail facing prison time after she violated probation for the fourth time.

"I was slowly killing myself," said Nayamora about her drug abuse. "I sat there for four weeks and I was told that I was pretty much looking at a minimum of five years in prison because my behavior had not changed."

She also received some unexpected news  Nayamora was four-and-half weeks pregnant with her fifth child.

This time, Nayamora got clean and began to work through the system until she found a new career as a certified peer support specialist.

Nayamora is the CEO and president of South Florida Wellness Network, a non-profit organization in Broward County that employs and trains certified peer support specialists.

"Peer support is part of the human connection," Nyamora said. "Its your own personal experience living through the disease of addiction or mental health challenges."

Recovering from substance abuse could be a difficult journey with the risk of relapsing at any moment, if no support system is there.

Peer support providers own addiction is a pre-requisite for the job. They have a vital role in helping people in recovery stay sober because they know the struggles of addiction too well. They understand the daily battle of addiction and know how to navigate the system.

This has not gone unnoticed. In recent years, 38 states have created programs to train and certify people with "lived experience who have initiated their recovery journey and are willing to assist others who are in earlier stages of the recovery process," according to a 2014 national overview conducted by The Center for Social Work Research.

The growing heroin crisis in South Florida is devastating families and communities. In Miami-Dade County, three deaths relating to heroin use are reported every day, according to the medical examiners office. In Broward County, Carfentanil, an elephant tranquilizer often added to heroin, has been tied to 53 deaths this year.

As law enforcement and health organizations try to find some solutions to this growing problem, peer support specialists offer that needed support to those struggling with substance abuse to stay sober.

But the certification process to work on this job is filled with hurdles for anybody who had any run-ins with the law. Those applying for certification have to be three years removed from certain crimes. That means no felonies and first-degree misdemeanors and release from any court-ordered sanctions or supervision in the three years prior to application.

Nyamora thinks thats too long.

"I think the timeline should be less," she said. "I also think the process should go smoother and quicker because the process is not easy."

People can appeal and be approved but Nyamora says the time it takes is another problem.

"We lost tons of amazing people who could have really benefited this community," she said. "Because you know people have lives and bills to pay and many of these people are single parents or people at different socio-economic status."

A strong support system present in their lives is what has helped Heather and Brian to stay sober. The couple was on a destructive path over a year ago  back on drugs.

"Its sad to say but I loved the drugs more than I loved my kids at that point," said Heather, 26.

The couple, both from Philadelphia, met in South Florida while trying to get clean at a drug rehab. Since then, theyve had relapsed once again as they found out that they were expecting their second child.

It took a scholarship from Reawakenings in Miramar to help them overcome their drug addiction and get the support they needed.

"We decided to stay down here because this is where our support system is," Heather said.

Mark Fontaine understands that people in recovery from substance abuse could have a crucial role at a time that is needed in Florida. Thats why Fontaine, executive director of the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, is part of an effort to ask state legislators to change the current rules.

"We are talking about putting a bill together for this," Fontaine said. "The question is how long and difficult you want to make it for people."

Fontaine agrees the current system, including the appeals process, is time-consuming and cumbersome.

"We need to use every tool on the box to address addiction issues," Fontaine said.

Don Maines knows this battle too well.

"Addiction is a disease of the brain," Maines said.

Maines, a recovering alcoholic, has been working in the substance abuse field for almost 30 years.

And that means fighting the stigma that comes with substance abuse and mental illnesses.

Maines, a special advisor for substance abuse research for the Broward Sheriffs Office, says the rule is unfair and it disqualifies good candidates.

"They are trying to help people, why dont you give them a chance?" Maines questioned.
North Miami Police arrested a man at an IHOP Friday afternoon after he allegedly stabbed his waiter.

The suspect had eaten at an IHOP located at 12875 Biscayne Boulevard earlier on Friday, when he later returned complaining that his food had been poisoned, according to North Miami Police.

Authorities say he began arguing with the waiter that had served him. He then chased the waiter inside the restaurant and stabbed him.

The suspect was detained and the waiter was transported to Aventura Hospital Trauma Center with serious injuries, police say.

Police identified the suspect as 35-year-old Gene Henry Hicks III. Charges are pending.
More women are asking Planned Parenthood workers about access to birth control and other health care since Donald Trump was elected president, according to the organization's chief medical officer.

Some women have taken to social media to discuss their concerns about the prospect of affordable access to womens health care diminishing, with one long-lasting form of birth control called an IUD apparently attracting extra attention.

Trump has promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act as one of his first acts in office, which could mean the end of free, FDA-approved contraception, including birth control pills, diaphragms, IUDs and emergency contraception like Plan B. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Friday, Trump said he would consider keeping at least two parts of President Barack Obama's signature health care law: a ban on insurers denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and a provision that allows young adults to stay on their parents' plans.

Since the election, we have seen an uptick in questions about access to health care, birth control, and the Affordable Care Act, said Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, the chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood. While we truly hope that birth control methods will be available, accessible and affordable to all women under the Trump administration, we understand peoples real concerns about losing access to birth control, which is basic health care for women.

There is a real possibility that health care cuts could come in the months after Trump is inaugurated in January, according to Cindy Pearson, the 19-year executive director of National Women's Health Network.

"It's not an irrational fear," Pearson said. "It's a fear that stems from people who will soon be in charge of Congress and the White House. We're very concerned since Mr. Trump and Mr. Pence have supported policies that would leave women in difficult situations."

NBC has reached out Trump's campaign for comment.

In an appearance on CNN's "State of the Nation" Sunday, House Speaker Paul Ryan would not answer a question about whether or not new health care legislation would include contraceptive coverage.

"Im not going to get into all the nitty-gritty details of these things," Ryan told host Jake Tapper.

When Tapper pressed Ryan on the issue, the speaker responded: "Im not going to get into  Im not going to get into hypotheticals about legislation that hasnt even been drafted yet."

Trump has expressed different positions on women's health issues. He voiced disapproval for abortions during the campaign, even telling MSNBCs Chris Matthews in March that women who get abortions should be punished, though he later backtracked on that statement. As for birth control, Trump said on "The Dr. Oz Show" in September that women shouldn't need a prescription to have access to it.

There is one safe and effective form of birth control that can last for four years, when another president may be elected, and some women appear to be discussing it.

The IUD, short for intrauterine device, is a T-shaped object inserted in a woman's uterus, where it can stay for years. It is 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancies  more than condoms, though IUDs do not prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Hormonal IUDs can last for about 3 to 6 years on average, while non-hormonal IUDs can last for up to 12 years, according to Planned Parenthood.

IUDs have offered a unique appeal for their longevity. Google searches for the term were four times their average on Wednesday night, after Trump was projected to win the presidency.

//

And women on Twitter have suggested that others get IUDs to last through a Trump presidency.

Ladies! Please get your IUDS, breast cancer screenings, and all reproductive health done before January 20th.  Shayal  (@Shhaallll) November 9, 2016

Kristyn Brandi, MD, OB/GYN and family planning specialist at Boston Medical Center and fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health called the Affordable Care Act a "game-changer" for helping women afford contraception.

We don't really know what will happen with the new administration," she said. "I have heard of several women that are concerned about either access to IUDs or replacing existing ones. We have already seen patients who are seeking contraception based on concerns about what will happen to reproductive health and the Affordable Care Act."

The talk of IUDs may have been prompted by an article in The Daily Beast last week.

"What Donald Trump has promised to doand what Mike Pence has actually done during his tenure as governor of Indianais to make birth control a lot more difficult for women to access, Erin Gloria Ryan wrote, advocating that women consider getting an IUD in case Trump were elected.

IUDs are the third most popular form of contraception, according to Planned Parenthood, behind condoms and birth control pills, and they were already becoming more popular. The organization has seen a 91 percent increase in IUD users in the last five years alone.

McDonald-Mosley said Planned Parenthood expects that trend to continue in coming years.

Democrats have long supported Planned Parenthood, but Republicans have fought in recent years to restrict funding to the organization. Since Trump was elected president, the organization has made it clear that they are there to stay.

"We now face a very different future, and there is uncertainty ahead," their website read after the race was called. "But one thing is for sure: We will never back down, and Planned Parenthood will never stop providing the care patients need."

Pearson and the NWHN are preparing to "fight like crazy" to stop potential health care cuts, she said.

--Suzanne Ciechalski contributed to this story
A Queens gang member was arrested after a traffic stop when cops discovered he was in possession of a bullet shell and a homemade pipe gun in St. Albans, police said.

David Cummings was arrested on Saturday, authorities said. He was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, three counts of possession of forged identification cards, unauthorized use of vehicle, false impersonation, improper license, and failure to obehy traffic device.

Officers observed the 28-year-old in a 2015 Nissan Altima with Massachusetts licence plates making an illegal turn near the corner of Belknap Street and Merrick Boulevard at around 9:45 p.m. Friday, authorities said. When the officers approached him and asked for identification, he provided a forged ID card.

Once Cummings was in custody, officers discovered two additional forged Ids, police said. Officers also found the shell of a Remington .410 revolver shell inside of a homemade pipe gun.

Cummings is a member of the Crips gang, according to authorities.
Hillary Clinton made her first public appearance in New York City Friday night since conceding the presidential election.

Clinton headed to a staff party at her campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, where she was expected to speak, sources tell NBC News. NBC 4 New York cameras captured a brief glimpse of Clinton striding from a car toward the building in an orange blazer.

Jenna Lowenstein, the digital director for Clinton's campaign, tweeted that the former candidate brought 1,000 red roses that someone had sent her to distribute at the staff party.

Clinton has not been seen publicly since announcing her concession Wednesday, although a Westchester woman Thursday said she ran into the Clintons while on a hike in Chappaqua.

The woman, Margot Gerster, posted a photo of her and Hillary Clinton, both appearing relaxed and smiling, on Facebook.

"I got to hug her and talk to her and tell her that one of my most proudest moments as a mother was taking Phoebe with me to vote for her," Gerster wrote on Facebook.

She said Clinton hugged her back and "exchanged some sweet pleasantries and then I let them continue their walk. Now, I'm not one for signs but I think ill [sic] definitely take this one. So proud."

The Clinton campaign headquarters is located on Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights, inside a building that also houses offices for Morgan Stanley and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Elsewhere in New York City, security remained tight around Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan, where president-elect Donald Trump lives and his own campaign was headquartered. Protesters continued to demonstrate outside there for a third straight day, peaceful for the most part.
Police are looking for the gunman they say pulled the trigger only to have his gun jam when a clerk at a Bronx bodega refused to give him something for free.

Authorities said Timothy Bohler tried to shoot a an employee at the Bronx Habib Deli on East Gun Hill Road on Thursday night.

The delis owner, Ali Alhadiss, said that his brother was working that night when the suspect asked for something for free during checkout. When his brother said, no the man threw a can of iced tea at the 43-year-old and left.

Surveillance footage shows him returning a few minutes later with a gun. Alhadisss brother, Mohammed Seguon, said he heard the trigger click but that the gun didnt go off.

"He start trying to shoot, Alhadiss said. He start trying to shoot you know my brother and trying to shoot the guy behind the cash register."

Alhadiss said that afterward, the man pistol-whipped Seguon and another clerk and took off in a Dodge Charger.

Police said they tracked down the car at Allerton and Tiemann avenues, and they heard a gunshot before the firearm was tossed from the vehicle.

The suspect then took off on foot. Police havent yet captured the man. A woman with him was taken into custody for questioning but was later released.

Alhadiss said he hopes police track down the man.

He is still dangerous for other people not only for us, he said.

Anyone with information on Bohler is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Four Americans are dead after a man detonated a "suicide vest" early Saturday morning at Bagram Airfield, the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan, a senior U.S. military official confirmed to NBC News.

Two U.S. service members and two American contractors were killed in the attack, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement.

Aside from the victims who were killed, an estimated 14 others were injured in the attack, which occurred around 5:30 a.m. local time, as people were gathering for a post-Veterans Day event.

"I want to express my sincere condolences to the families of the fallen, and I want to reassure the loved ones of those injured that they are getting the best possible care," Carter said.

There was no immediate word on the identities of the victims.
Police officers shot an armed man inside a mental health facility after he stabbed several people and refused to drop his gun while his victims were bleeding badly, authorities said.

Seven people were taken to hospitals, including the man, Allegheny County spokeswoman Amie Downs said. It was unclear if any injuries were life-threatening after the Friday afternoon attack at Turtle Creek Valley Mental Health/Mental Retardation in Homestead, just southeast of Pittsburgh.

Police implored 38-year-old Dustin Johnson to drop his gun or be shot based on texts from inside that the victims were bleeding profusely and needed help, Downs said. Johnson dropped his knife but not the gun before he was shot, she said.

Johnson apparently gained entry to the secure facility before attacking people on the fifth floor, authorities said.

Cherrill Fulton, who works at the facility as a resident advisor, told NBC affiliate WPXI that Johnson acted "strangely" before pulling out what she thought was a gun. Johnson told her that he wasn't going to hurt her.

Fulton told the station that she hid under a desk and couldn't see what was happening, but she heard people screaming and Johnson say, "You ruined my life."

"It was terrifying, Fulton said. I didn't know what was going to happen."

Officials said Johnson was armed with two large kitchen knives and a BB gun, WPXI reported.

The center says it provides care and support for people and communities dealing with behavioral, mental health, substance abuse and developmental issues. Its executive director, Fran Sheedy Bost, described Friday's incident as a "hostage situation."
A pregnant woman and man are hospitalized after they were shot Friday night while attending a cookout in honor of a man who died.

The shooting happened just after 7 p.m. outside the Banana Barber Studio along the 700 block of W. Luzerne Street in Philadelphia's Hunting Park section, police said.

The victims were standing near a small memorial made up of candle votives and a spraypainted rest in peace message for a man named Buck when someone opened fire on them, police said.

The 32-year-old woman was struck once in the abdomen by the gunfire. The 26-year-old man was hit once each in the left hand and left shoulder. Both were taken to Temple University Hospital where they're listed in stable condition, police said. There's no word on the unborn child's condition.

As police searched the area for evidence, coals from a knocked over charcoal grill still burned after being spilled on the sidewalk. Two shell casings were found on the pavement nearby.

Police are now searching for a male suspect in his late 20s to early 30s, approximately 56 with a thick build and driving a white SUV.
Three Oklahoma residents have been linked to racist messages that were sent to African-American students at the University of Pennsylvania Friday, authorities said.

Students at The University of Pennsylvania are speaking out after African-American students received racist texts on Friday. Now, a tie to a university in Oklahoma is causing questions.

Black students at Penn received racist texts Friday from an account on an app called GroupMe, with the messages and images causing fear among the student body.

The university said its police and cybersecurity departments were investigating and had determined the origin of the GroupMe account to be based in Oklahoma.

"The account contains violent, racist and thoroughly repugnant images and messages," university spokesman Ron Ozio said in an email. "The University is taking every step possible to address both the source of the racist material and the impact it has had on Black students on campus."

More than 100 students were placed into a group "N----- Lynching" and sent a series of racial epithets and photos of African-Americans hanging from trees by nooses from users like "Daddy Trump." An event invitation called "Daily Lynching" also went out to the students added to the group message.

Black students throughout @Penn's campus, like myself, have been added to this hateful GroupMe. I am petrified and all I want to do is cry. pic.twitter.com/DrqLvpXAW5  Chidera (@_chidera__) November 11, 2016

"I just felt uncomfortable," said freshman Nate Morris, one of the students who received the messages. "What was said was 'We're going to find and hunt down all African-Americans at this college."

Black students @ #UPenn meet for a town hall after racist posts on @groupme app targeted school black freshmen. @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/Iwdr3QqD0E  Brandon Hudson (@BHudTV) November 11, 2016

Early Saturday morning, University of Oklahoma president David Boren posted a message on Twitter stating a student at his school was involved in the texts and was suspended as a result. He also said, however, the messages originated somewhere other than the University of Oklahoma.

Attached is my statement regarding the UPenn incident which was reported earlier today. - DBo pic.twitter.com/2Ez1TQPfB4  David Boren (@DavidBorenOK) November 12, 2016

Sunday afternoon, the University of Pennsylvania announced the criminal investigation had concluded and that three Oklahoma residents, including the University of Oklahoma student, were linked to the messages. They also said no students at Penn were involved in the messages.

Update on Racist Messages Directed to Penn Students https://t.co/a2ATwe566p pic.twitter.com/mMPUvsfHYM  Penn (@Penn) November 13, 2016

Students posted on social media about the fear and sadness that they felt upon reading the texts.

The Penn College Republicans called the incident "absolutely despicable" while university President Amy Gutmann called the messages "simply deplorable."

There has been a rash of hate speech and rhetoric across the country in the wake of the presidential election, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate crimes. President-elect Donald Trump spoke out against such incidents in a "60 Minutes" interview that aired Sunday.

A group gathered on the University of Pennsylvania campus Friday afternoon to support each other. Students then filed into Huntsman Hall for a town hall discussion. Media were not allowed to attend the event.

#UPenn freshman talks about receiving racist posts in @groupme app this morning. All black freshmen were targeted. @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/MHJBKN1htb  Brandon Hudson (@BHudTV) November 11, 2016

Following the town hall, dozens of students marched through campus in protest of the hate speech and white extremism. They were one of several groups that protested across Philadelphia Friday night connected with the presidential election.

The students marched over to Franklin Field where the Quakers hosted Harvard in a football matchup. They were allowed to enter the field and protest around halftime along the sidelines.

In their statement to students Sunday, Penn officials said that staff members are working with the students who received the messages and providing them the support they need.

Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement that he "condemns in the strongest possible terms the racist activity taking place at the University of Pennsylvania."

https://twitter.com/JenLouiseWilson/status/797238558159409152

"It is heartbreaking to see this type of activity here in the birthplace of our democracy and the city of brotherly love," Kenney said. "I urge the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations to investigate and hold all responsible parties accountable for this disgusting behavior."

A petition from UPenn alumni was created on change.org calling for Trump, who graduated from the Wharton School at Penn in 1968, to speak on the incident. It had nearly 5,000 supporters; Trump's interview was not aired until Sunday night.

The racist messages came one day after students in Bucks County's Council Rock High School North reported swastikas and threats linked to Trump to school officials.

And on Wednesday, pro-Trump graffiti was spraypainted in Queen Village while Nazi graffiti was found in another South Philadelphia neighborhood.

An African-American student at Villanova University reported she was attacked by a group of men who yelled, "Trump," as they ran towards her Thursday.

Chad Dion Lassiter, a leading race relations expert with the group Black Men at Penn, said the disturbing incident at the West Philadelphia Ivy League school appears to be "a microcosm of what we've been seeing in the larger democracy."

"It is no surprise this is occurring on the heels of the victory by President-elect Trump, who didnt create this environment, but certainly stoked the flames," Lassiter said.

He said black students and white students should come together to support each other in the aftermath of this "very disappointing" episode.

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This years San Diego Music Thing headliner, Car Seat Headrest, is a classic example of DIY. Will Toledo, the mastermind behind the band, has self-released 12 albums via Bandcamp since 2010.

It all began with him driving to quiet areas of town to record vocals in the back seat of his parents car -- hence the band name. However, he didn't play live shows, because he didn't have a band with which to do so. It was a bedroom/car seat solo project that only existed online.

That all changed in 2015. Toledo signed with Matador Records and was finally able to collaborate with a full band in a traditional studio, giving birth to his 13th album, Teens of Denial. Voila! The 24-year-olds internet sensation transformed into a legitimate band with a headlining U.S. tour.

It was always a solo project. I was writing and recording everything on my own until Teens of Style, Toledo nonchalantly speaks as if he's in a rocking chair with a cigar in hand about moving from his hometown, Leesburg, Virginia. I moved to Seattle in 2014, and met the band in late-2015/early-2016 and that's when we started writing and recording together.

The bands latest album, Teens of Denial, is still pretty lo-fi indie rock. It owns the quirky songwriting and unpolished production of Becks "Mellow Gold" or "Odelay." Drugs With Friends is the perfect example: flimsy guitar maneuvering and playfully hopeless lyrics: Hangovers feel good when I know it's the last one, then I feel so good that I have another one." Will Toledos lackadaisical vocals only add to the '90s nostalgia -- imagine a Julian Casablancas and Beck mash-up.

Lyrically, the album takes you through his days at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. The overall theme of the 70-minute musical novel deals with the transitional period from college to the working world -- the limbo of senior year. The party scene has run its course, and all of the drugs and alcohol cant distract from the fact that adulthood is inevitable for the youthful Toledo.

The place that I am in in my career has affected the way Ive written, he says, Working towards a larger audience, I think about things a little differently and I think its a good place to be.

Digging deep into Car Seat Headrests heavy discography, you can hear the maturity and growth in both production and songwriting. Toledo explains his music as if he's writing in a journal:

Writing styles should change as a persons life changes, and I would say my life has changed in a good way in the past two years and I think it reflects that.

Musician, people-pleaser, lover, fighter and writer Matthew Craig Burke has been spewing musical words of wisdom since never. He lives off of peanut butter sandwiches, beer and Beck Hansen. Follow his updates on Facebook or contact him directly.
Officers blocked freeways so protesters could not get in lanes and disrupt traffic on Thursday night as marchers gathered downtown during another night of protests in the wake of this week's presidential election.

Hundreds of protesters -- a significantly smaller number compared to Wednesday night's freeway-blocking crowd -- marched south on Figueroa Street as a large presence of California Highway Patrol officers patrolled the area, preventing demonstrators from getting on the 110 Freeway.

About 185 arrests were reported early Friday morning. An officer who tried to stop a protester from vandalizing LAPD property with graffiti was injured during the confrontation, according to police.

The officers was hospitalized, but details regarding injuries were not immediately available.

At one point, tensions rose as demonstrators knocked down a temporary fence protecting a construction site on Olive Street. A line of officers surged into the crowd, forming a line, keeping crowds from entering the area. Later in the night, LAPD started releasing the crowd in small groups. Protesters walked out, hands up in the air.

Dozens of protesters were arrested in downtown Los Angeles as of early Friday morning, LAPD citing unlawful assembly. There were no major damages made.

Earlier, protesters disrupted traffic just before the evening commute on along a stretch of the 10 Freeway near Boyle Heights.

The late afternoon protests capped a day of walkouts by students who blocked sidewalks and streets during Thursday in Los Angeles.

The walkouts followed similar school protests Wednesday, a day after billionaire Manhattan businessman Donald Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. On Wednesday night, protesters clogged a freeway near downtown Los Angeles in a demonstration that ended with nearly 30 arrests.

Walkouts were reported Thursday at Helen Bernstein High School in Hollywood, Legacy High School in South Gate and John Marshall High School in the Los Feliz area northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Aerial video showed at least two Los Angeles Police Department vehicles alongside another group of students as they peacefully marched near West Adams High School in the Pico-Union neighborhood. Officers could be seen walking with students for their safety.

"The 2016 Presidential Election provides many teachable moments in L.A. Unified's classrooms," Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Michelle King said in a statement. "We teach our students that they have a right to freedom of speech. They are also allowed to participate in peaceful demonstrations on campus during non-instructional times, within parameters set by administrators. They are not permitted to leave school."

On Wednesday night, 29 people were arrested after they entered the 101 Freeway as part of a demonstration in downtown Los Angeles. Protesters also shut down both sides of the 110 Freeway in the downtown area at 3rd Street after walking on lanes through traffic.

With the exception of some protesters throwing rocks at officers and vandalizing portions of the freeway, LAPD officials said the protest had been non-violent. Social media posts showed a bus, the Los Angeles Times building and a news live truck spray painted with anti-Trump graffiti reading "F--- Trump."

In San Francisco, high school students chanted "not my president" and waved rainbow and Mexican flags Thursday as they marched through the city's downtown in protest of Republican Donald Trump's presidential win. The students were part of a group of thousands who staged a citywide walkout.

Bystanders in the heavily Democratic city high-fived them from the sidelines.

Thousands have taken to the streets around the country since Tuesday's election. Demonstrators have disrupted traffic, burned a giant papier-mache Trump head and declared that they refused to accept Trump's victory.

Demonstrations have been held in New England, the Midwest and the West Coast.

Trump supporters have used social media to express their scorn of the protests, saying demonstrators are hypocrites for not accepting the democratic process because they don't like the results.
As cities across the nation  including downtown Los Angeles and New York City  continue to see protests against President-elect Donald Trump, a local demonstration took over Balboa Park in San Diego Saturday.

Signs in hand, organizers met on Park Boulevard at 1 p.m. for a peaceful protest against Trump, many saying they were fighting against hate, racism, Islamaphobia and sexism.

"The people united, will never be divided," some demonstrators chanted.

"Brothers, sisters, have no fear, immigrants are welcome here," others said.

"We reject, the President-elect," said other protesters.

Most of the protesters said they know their demonstrations wont change the results of the election, but they want to make sure their voices are heard.

Many in the diverse group at Balboa Park said it was important to them to exercise their right to peacefully protest. Some passed out fliers and circulated petitions.

But not everyone agreed.

One man shook his head at the protesters as they passed through Balboa Park. He said the demonstrators should realize the election is over.

This is good that people are building community, said protester Ali Salaam.

We have to be the change, added protester Margarita Elizabeth.

There were a number of police officers and deputies at Saturdays demonstration, there to protect the protesters, motorists and bystanders.

Many of the protesters at the anti-Trump rally thanked those law enforcement officers for their service and for helping to keep the demonstration peaceful.

On Friday night, locals took to the streets of Barrio Logan with a similar message, voicing their concerns and opposition against Trump.

Earlier this week, students at the University of California San Diego, as well as other universities in California, marched through their campuses, also protesting Trump's election victory.

Across the United States, many of the protests have been sparked by fear and outrage.
Hundreds of people gathered in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of San Diego on Friday, protesting against President-elect Donald Trump.

The demonstration began at 5:30 p.m. in Chicano Park, with about 100 people present. The crowd later grew to approximately 200 people who took to the streets for a march.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers were stationed at the on-ramp on the Interstate 5 to monitor the march and make sure the protesters did not walk toward the freeway. Other law enforcement officers were also at the scene for crowd and traffic control.

Some people NBC 7 spoke at the demonstration said they are Trump opponents but are also against the protests because they believe it will not make a difference.

"People are getting riled up, they're getting rowdy," said one individual, who did not give NBC 7 his name. "They are doing weird things. They shouldn't be making us look stupid and dumb."

The man added that there were other things the protesters should be worried about, such as the Dakota Access Pipeline.

But others disagreed, saying that they were in the streets to bring change.

"For people to stand up for their rights, fight and resist against any type of policies that seek to disenfranchise their political rights, economic and cultural rights," said Ivan Penetrante, in response to why he was protesting.

Donald Trump's win over opponent Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's General Election has sparked protests in cities around the country, including New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Oakland, Boston, and Philadelphia.

[NATL]Anti-Trump Protesters Gather in US Cities

In San Diego, hundreds of protesters gathered in Downtown on Wednesday night, marching in the streets and blocking traffic.

On Thursday evening, Trump tweeted: "Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very Unfair!"

But on Friday, he called for the country to unite, saying in another tweet: "Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!"
Opponents of Proposition 64 have raised the concern of whether the legalization of marijuana will effect the number of people driving under the influence in the state.

Voters approved legalizing recreational marijuana with 56 percent of the vote in Tuesday's election. In addition to legalizing the use of pot and allowing anyone over the age of 21 to grow up to six plants at home, Prop 64 is expected to generate revenue for California with new taxes on its cultivation and sales.

It also reduces many of the criminal penalties for pot-related crimes.

But some worry that Prop. 64 might lead to more fatal crashes related to DUIs.

According to a study done by the AAA Foundation, the number of fatal crashes increased in the state of Washington after recreational marijuana was legalized. The study also outlined that legal limits for driving under the influence of pot are "unsupported by science."

Melissa Bobrow, a Criminal Defense Attorney in San Diego told NBC 7 that now, the question is how do law enforcement officers detect drivers who are under the influence of pot and what it means to be over the limit.

"I think it's going to be really difficult for a really long time to figure out what it means to be too high to drive, what it means for people with different heights or weights or tolerances to actually be too stoned to be behind the vehicle at all. And where we're going to start setting the amount," Bobrow said. "In other words, they test the nano grams of THC in your system, what amount is going to be the .08 equivalent of alcohol."

Bobrow added that until science catches up, law enforcement will have to rely on a variety of sobriety tests, including walking in a straight line to standing on one leg.

But Prop. 64 could change an officer's ability to perform a vehicle search.

"It used to be that the smell of marijuana could give a police officer probable cause to search, maybe get a warrant if you didn't consent," Bobrow said. "If there's no crime because marijuana is no longer illegal, they can't get probable cause."

NBC 7 also reached out to local law enforcement agencies on Friday.

The San Diego Police Department said that regardless of marijuana now being legal, it is still against the law to drive while impaired.

Bobrow also stated that if a driver is caught driving under the influence of pot, the charges will remain the same.

The California Highway Patrol also released the following statement:

"We will continue our mission to protect public safety on California's highways, streets and roads and allocate any additional funding from Prop. 64 toward more enforcement training, consistent with the new law."
President-elect Donald Trump found little support in Maryland, where even the Republican governor disavowed him. Now Maryland officials hope long-running benefits from the state's proximity to the nation's capital won't suffer under a Trump administration.

Maryland has long benefited from federal grants, agency headquarters and other federal largesse. Its suburbs are populated with federal workers uncertain about their jobs if the new president cuts back amid promises to ``drain the swamp'' of Washington. Between Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and Maryland Democrats, if there's any place where a state's power structure didn't support Trump, it's Maryland.

Hillary Clinton won Maryland's 10 electoral votes with 60 percent of the vote, while 35 percent of the vote went for Trump. Both of the state's senators are Democrats, as well as seven of Maryland's eight U.S. House members. The state's House incumbents seeking re-election cruised to easy victories on Tuesday.

Rep. Andy Harris, the state's lone Republican congressman who was the president elect's only supporter in Maryland's congressional delegation, said he's confident the state's defense industry and bases will benefit, because of Trump's pledge to strengthen the military, even if it comes at the expense of some other government agencies. Maryland is home to Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin, Linthicum-based Northrop Grumman and large military bases such as Fort Meade and Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

The state's economy is closely linked to the federal government. The state was home to about 314,300 federal workers and service members in 2010, according to a 2012 state report, and 218,416 were employed in the state. Federal workers employed in Maryland in 2010 contributed $27.3 billion to the state's gross domestic product, or about 10 percent of the total.

``So, it's possible some agencies will be cut back, but I think in general since Maryland has a lot of defense and defense-related industry I think on balance it could work out pretty well,'' Harris said Friday.

Harris also said he didn't believe federal workers should be rattled by Trump's ``drain the swamp'' comments.

``I think what Mr. Trump refers to as the swamp is not the federal workforce,'' Harris said, adding that he thinks the president-elect is referring to special interest lobbying and ``the very crony conditions that exist'' in Washington.

Hogan, who highlighted his decision months ago not to support Trump by noting in October that ``a lot of other people are now joining that bandwagon,'' ended up writing in his father Lawrence Hogan _ a former congressman _ for president. On Wednesday, he congratulated Trump in a statement.

``I don't want to speculate on what could happen,'' Hogan said Friday, when asked how a Trump presidency could affect Maryland. ``It could be great for the state.''

Another topic on the minds of Maryland officials is how the election could affect the prospects of drawing the new FBI headquarters to the state. Three potential sites have been chosen after a search _ two in Maryland and one in Virginia. The new facility is expected to be 2.1 million square feet, and it will accommodate an estimated 11,055 employees.

Sen. Ben Cardin, a Democrat who will be Maryland's senior senator when Sen. Barbara Mikulski retires next year, said he remains optimistic the FBI will move to Maryland.

``Reason: we have the best location,'' Cardin said, a day after the election. ``From the point of view of the taxpayers of this country, it's no competition with Virginia.''

Hogan said he believed Trump's victory actually makes Maryland chances of landing the FBI headquarters ``kind of a slam dunk at this point.'' Clinton's running mate was Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has been a close Clinton ally and fundraiser over the years.

``There was a little bit of a push at the end there by Virginia to kind of, I think, play some tricks and push it off so that the Virginia vice president and the Virginia guy who was heading up Hillary's fundraising were going to try to pull it out from underneath of us,'' Hogan said Friday. ``That's no longer going to happen, and you know I think that we were already about to win it. We had been for a couple of years, and I think things are going to turn out the way they were supposed to turn out.''

Cardin also said he's hopeful the size of the federal workforce won't take a hit while Trump is in the White House.

``If you look at the facts, we have the smallest federal workforce per capita in modern history,'' Cardin said. ``We've seen a significant reduction in a number of federal workers with the growth of the population in this country, so we've asked our federal workers to do more with less, so I don't think it's the size of the federal workforce which is the problem.''
As Muslims worry about how the election of Donald Trump will affect them, Republican leaders visited a mosque on Friday in Sterling, Virginia.

The All Dulles Area Muslim Society, aka The Adams Center, invited Virginia state Republicans to join their afternoon prayer services.

"We wanted to really address the anxiety that we know the Muslim community in our area has," newly reelected Rep. Barbara Comstock said.

John Whitbeck, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said he wanted to share a message of freedom.

"One of the things they need to hear from me is that the Virginia Republican party values religious liberty and we stand with them, and they're part of this community too," he said.

Many attendees of the mosque, which is one of the largest in the D.C. region, said they worry that Trump will ban Muslims from entering the country.

During the campaign, Trump said that if elected he would enact a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on."

After facing backlash, he repackaged the proposal to describe a suspension of immigration "from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur."

Comstock and Whitbeck said they believed that Trump had changed his position on a Muslim ban.

"I think he himself has changed that," Comstock said. "What I am saying and what I have said is that that is not constitutional and it's really un-American."

Whitbeck also rejected any ban on Muslims entering the country.

"The Virginia Republican Party is the party of religious liberty. We don't support banning Muslims in the United States of America," he said.

Some attendees of the mosque said they still were nervous that Trump would exclude Muslims.

"I'm still anxious. I'm eager to see what Mr. Trump is going to do next," Northern Virginia resident Abhi Kunjumol said.

Northern Virginia resident Jafar Imam said he was particularly concerned about whether Trump would keep out Syrians, "those who are suffering enormously."

"He will not allow a single Syrian refugee coming to United States," Imam said.

Rizwan Jaka, the board chairman of The Adams Center, called for unity.

"We call for peace among all peoples, that we come together in healing as a nation. We send our greetings of peace to President-elect Donald Trump," he said.
An Ohio judge has declared a mistrial after the jury said it was deadlocked in the case of a white former police officer charged with murder in the fatal traffic stop shooting of an unarmed black motorist.

The Hamilton County jury had deliberated some 25 hours after getting the case at noontime Wednesday following Judge Megan Shanahan's instructions. Twenty-six-year-old University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing shot 43-year-old Sam DuBose in the head after pulling him over for a missing front license plate on July 19, 2015.

Tensing testified he feared he was going to be killed. Prosecutors said repeatedly the evidence contradicted Tensing's story.

The jury of 10 whites and two blacks was seated Oct. 31.

The shooting is among those across the nation that have raised attention to how police deal with blacks.
A Vermont mother who lost her veteran son to suicide received a boost Friday toward her effort to help vets with PTSD heal.

Val Pallotta of Colchester received $5,000 from American Legion Post 14 in Vergennes to help fund Joshs House, a recreational wellness center that it still in the planning stages.

Josh Pallotta was 25 when he ended his own life in 2014. He had served with the Vermont National Guard in Afghanistan, where two close buddies were killed in action.

Josh was suffering from a traumatic brain injury and PTSD when he returned home to the Burlington area, his family said.

The biggest part of my heart is gone, Val Pallotta told necn Friday. He was my only child.

Joshs mother is now turning grief into action. She testified before lawmakers in both Montpelier and in Washington, D.C. about veteran suicides, and launched a registered non-profit whose goal is goal to build a retreat for recreation, fitness, and therapy for vets with PTSD.

I think it's the least we could do, as a community, to support the veterans in any way we can when they come back, said Ralph Wenzel, the commander of American Legion Post 14. They sacrificed a lot.

Pallotta said the American Legions donation brings her fund to near $100,000. She said she has been looking at properties around Chittenden County as she continues her work developing Joshs House.

When you hear from a veteran who's struggling, and who has attempted suicide five times because they're struggling, that they would go to Josh's House tomorrow if it was here, that gives you a little more motivation for it to come faster, Pallotta said.

Numbers from the Department of Veterans Affairs show roughly 20 vets each day die as Josh did, by suicide.

The numbers are epidemic proportions, said Dr. Laura Gibson, a clinical psychologist with the VA in Vermont.

Gibson said the department has significantly expanded support services for vets at risk, aiming for early intervention.

Also, Gibson said the VA is growing peer-to-peer counseling programs and expanding access to 24/7 hotlines for talk or text.

Any suicide is a suicide too many, Gibson said. We take it seriously. But I do feel like the VA is thinking innovatively and doing innovative things.

Gibson pointed veterans in crisis to the number 1-800-273-TALK, and told them to press 1 for caring and confidential help. More information on crisis services is available at this website.

To seek care through the VA in Vermont, Gibson said to call Burlington Lakeside Behavioral Health at 802-657-7083, or the White River Junction VA Medical Center at 802-295-9363.

At the turkey supper in Vergennes where Pallotta received the donation from the American Legion, Pallotta told the crowd she will keep pushing for a new place where Vermont vets can heal.

And I won't stop until there's an end to veterans' suicide, Pallotta said.
A man was stabbed multiple times in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood overnight, and police say no arrests have been made.

Officers say they responded to the scene of a fight on Washington Street just after 2 a.m. Saturday.

The victim, said to be in his 30s, was transported to Brigham and Womens Hospital and is being treated for non-life threatening injuries. His name has not been released, and police say he is uncooperative.

No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.
The New Hampshire Supreme Court for a third time has ruled in favor of protecting the privacy of a 19-year-old murder victim.

Seth Mazzaglia was convicted of killing Elizabeth "Lizzi" Marriott, of Westborough, Massachusetts. He argues the trial court should've allowed him to introduce evidence about Marriott's sexual past, but the court has rejected that argument numerous times, most recently on Thursday.

The court will allow oral arguments in Mazzaglia's appeal to be open to the public, but attorneys will be restricted from delving into the sealed case record. The case will be heard Wednesday.

Marriott, a University of New Hampshire student, was killed in 2012. Her body has not been found.
Plans to build a commercial helipad in Boston are being revived with the relocation of General Electric.

The Boston City Council is holding a Nov. 16 hearing to discuss the issue.

Representatives from the city Department of Economic Development, Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Boston Redevelopment Authority have been invited.

City and state leaders offered to help build a helipad as part of the incentives to lure General Electric from its longtime headquarters in Fairfield, Connecticut earlier this year.

The industrial giant has hundreds of employees working in temporary office space in South Boston as it builds a permanent headquarters nearby.

The Massachusetts Legislature is also considering the helipad issue.

Boston's last two public helipads closed in 1999. Plans to a new construct one fizzled in 2008 amid strong local opposition.
A man and a woman have been arrested on arson charges in separate, unrelated fires in Maine, according to state police.

Willie York, 38, of Standish was arrested on an arson charge Thursday for allegedly breaking into his estranged wife's Richville Road home in Standish on Oct. 25 and setting fire to her bedroom.

York was also charged with burglary, assault and criminal mischief in connection with an assault of a man in Westbrook. It's unclear if he has been arraigned or if he has an attorney.

State police say 48-year-old Michelle DesCoteaux was arrested for arson for allegedly setting a Main Street apartment house's mailboxes on fire in Lewiston on Nov. 2. No one was injured in the fire.

She's being held at Androscoggin County Jail in lieu of a $10,000 bail after her Thursday arrest. It's unclear if she has an attorney.
Massachusetts made sweeping changes to the Department of Children and Families last year after a number of children died under state watch.

necn investigates has been tracking child abuse and neglect deaths, and we've just received the latest numbers.

Last year, 10 children died from abuse or neglect  down more than 50 percent from the year before.

According to state records, 70 percent (7 out of 10) of the children were at some point under the watch of DCF social workers. That's the highest it's been in nearly a decade.

Of the 10 children who died, the state ruled that three died in unsafe sleep situations, two drowned, one died of heatstroke, another was physically assaulted, and three infants were medically neglected, including a 6-day-old newborn who was born extremely premature with drugs in her system.

The state cautions these numbers could rise, as there could still be open cases.

While advocates tell us they're encouraged by the numbers, it's too soon to say if the drop in deaths can be attributed to the recent overhaul of DCF.
Police are investigating two home burglaries and a car theft that happened in West Hartford overnight.

On Friday, police responded to two different homes, one of Barton Street and the other on Brian Road, about reports of burglaries. In both cases the residents were asleep in the home.

Both homeowners said flat screen TVs, cash and other electronic items were taken from the home while the residents were asleep, West Hartford Police said.

Police believe the doors were left unlocked, as there was no evidence of force entry.

The same night, a car was stolen from Grennan Road. A few days prior, a car was also taken from West Hartford. Both drivers had left the car's unlocked with the keys inside, police said.

West Hartford Police said they are adding extra patrols to the area and encourages residents to secure their homes and cars.

Anyone with information on these crimes or has seen suspicious activity in the area they are encouraged to call the WHPD at (860) 523-5203.


YMCA celebrates serving Norfolk for 160 years YMCA celebrates serving Norfolk for 160 years

YMCA Norfolk has been serving the young people of Norfolk for 160 years, but the challenges it faces today are, shockingly, much the same as it faced back in 1856, CEO Tim Sweeting told the Christian charitys AGM and annual celebration event. Keith Morris reports.
There's no better time to get a new iPhone than in November. Not only have all the kinks associated with iOS presumably been ironed out by then, but Black Friday promotions across a number of big-name retail outlets makes finding incredible deals on Apple smartphones surprisingly easy.

In what's become something of a tradition, many retailers have started publishing their Black Friday deals weeks in advance, presumably so that shoppers can take stock of what's available and plan accordingly. While Black Friday may be more closely associated with finding tremendous deals on HDTVs, it's also a great time to pick up all types of consumer electronics.

MORE: 40-plus Eye-Popping Black Friday 2016 tech deals

This year, we've already seen some awesome iPhone 7 deals advertised, and you might want to keep these places in mind if you're in the market for a new iPhone or if you simply want to buy one as a gift this holiday season.

First off, Best Buy's Black Friday deal for the iPhone 7 is pretty solid. If buyers agree to sign up for installment billing with either AT&T, Verizon or Sprint, they can receive a Best Buy gift card in the range of $250. As for when the sale begins, Best Buy's Black Friday bonanza will kick off on Thanksgiving day at 5 p.m. whereupon stores will stay open until 1 a.m. On actual Black Friday, Best Buy doors will open up 8 a.m.

Not to be outdone, Target has some interesting iPhone 7 deals of its own. Similar to Best Buy, Target is offering users who are eligible for a qualified plan on either AT&T, Verizon or Sprint to receive a gift card with as much as $250 on it. Target stores will be open for Black Friday business beginning at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving day.
Magistrates defer sentence to give thief another chance

A PROLIFIC thief defied a suspended prison sentence to go on yet another shoplifting jaunt.

After years of sleeping rough, Martyn David Rose finally has a roof over his head and a regular, legal supply of the heroin substitute drug, methadone, Reading magistrates heard on Thursday, October 27.

But, in the words of his defence solicitor, Stephen Collins, he threw it all up in the air by raiding Marks and Spencer in Newbury.

The 42-year-old, of Station Road, Newbury, admitted stealing an unknown quantity of meat from the store on August 6.

Clare Barclay, prosecuting, said: His list of previous convictions can best be described as prolific.

There is a huge amount of them.

Mr Collins said that his client had, not one, but two, suspended jail sentences hanging over him.

He conceded: To give him a third would be ridiculous.

But he nevertheless pleaded with the court not to send Mr Rose to prison.

Mr Collins said: He is fearful that, if he goes back to prison, he will lose his accommodation and will end up spending Christmas living in a tent again.

A probation officer said Mr Rose had not been engaging well enough with the substance misuse organisation, Swanswell, for a drug rehabilitation requirement order to be practical.

She added: He already has two suspended prison sentences so Im loath to recommend a third.

But it would be a shame for him to lose his accommodation, if hes sent to prison, and to have to re-start the prescription process when he gets out.

After retiring to confer, magistrates agreed not to send Mr Rose to prison.

Instead they adjourned the case and released Mr Rose on bail.

He was told that the matter would be reviewed in three months and that he could expect a non-custodial sentence provided he committed no new offences in the meantime.
Rashmi Belur By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Demonetisation of `1,000 and `500 currency notes will have a big impact on education institutions, especially on medical colleges, say experts.



Experts say demonetization will have an impact on donations and capitation fee at medical colleges.

Speaking to Express, Dr Vasanth Kumar, former registrar of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Bengaluru, who also worked as principal of many private medical colleges, said, Donation will come down 100 per cent in medical education. Now, institutions will have to provide a receipt for all the money they collect from parents and even parents will have to ask for a receipt. I wish the government makes it mandatory for education institutions to transact only through cheques and no cash transactions should be allowed.



Dr M K Panduranga Setty, chairman of Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association said, Not only medical colleges, any institution where black money is accepted will be hit. I welcome the decision of the government.

An old woman was the first to arrive at a bank to

exchange notes on Friday | PUSHKAR V



It may be recalled that large sums of cash was seized in recent Income Tax raids on various medical colleges soon after admissions for the current academic year were completed.The Income Tax department seized over `43 crore cash from Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences recently. All that was black money which was collected in the form of donation. Colleges will now have to reduce the amount of donation for seats now, said a former vice-chancellor of RGUHS.



I still wonder what these high-profile medical institutions will do with the black money which they have now. The governments move must have taught them a lesson. They should stop treating education as a business, the former vice -chancellor added.



Dr N Prabhu Dev, former vice-chancellor of Bangalore University and a former director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardio-Vascular Sciences, said, This is definitely going to have a big impact on donations and also on management quota seats in medical colleges. As one cannot pay anything in black, even colleges cannot collect large sums. The entire system of medical education and fee structure is going to rationalise. And this is the time for the Union government to amend rules and regulations for medical admission.



Cost of a medical seat

Professional education is one area where parents pay any amount of money to get a seat for their children. As per information available from various medical colleges in the state, post-graduate (MD/MS) seats of medical courses costs up to `3 crore. Specializations like Radiology, Dermatology, Orthopaedics, Gynaecology and Neurosurgery cost anywhere between `1 crore and `3 crore.

Even under-graduate medical seats under management quota are sold for several lakhs.

BENGALURU: Demonetisation of `1,000 and `500 currency notes will have a big impact on education institutions, especially on medical colleges, say experts. Experts say demonetization will have an impact on donations and capitation fee at medical colleges. Speaking to Express, Dr Vasanth Kumar, former registrar of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Bengaluru, who also worked as principal of many private medical colleges, said, Donation will come down 100 per cent in medical education. Now, institutions will have to provide a receipt for all the money they collect from parents and even parents will have to ask for a receipt. I wish the government makes it mandatory for education institutions to transact only through cheques and no cash transactions should be allowed. Dr M K Panduranga Setty, chairman of Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association said, Not only medical colleges, any institution where black money is accepted will be hit. I welcome the decision of the government. An old woman was the first to arrive at a bank to exchange notes on Friday | PUSHKAR V It may be recalled that large sums of cash was seized in recent Income Tax raids on various medical colleges soon after admissions for the current academic year were completed.The Income Tax department seized over `43 crore cash from Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences recently. All that was black money which was collected in the form of donation. Colleges will now have to reduce the amount of donation for seats now, said a former vice-chancellor of RGUHS. I still wonder what these high-profile medical institutions will do with the black money which they have now. The governments move must have taught them a lesson. They should stop treating education as a business, the former vice -chancellor added. Dr N Prabhu Dev, former vice-chancellor of Bangalore University and a former director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardio-Vascular Sciences, said, This is definitely going to have a big impact on donations and also on management quota seats in medical colleges. As one cannot pay anything in black, even colleges cannot collect large sums. The entire system of medical education and fee structure is going to rationalise. And this is the time for the Union government to amend rules and regulations for medical admission. Cost of a medical seat Professional education is one area where parents pay any amount of money to get a seat for their children. As per information available from various medical colleges in the state, post-graduate (MD/MS) seats of medical courses costs up to `3 crore. Specializations like Radiology, Dermatology, Orthopaedics, Gynaecology and Neurosurgery cost anywhere between `1 crore and `3 crore. Even under-graduate medical seats under management quota are sold for several lakhs.
Jayanthi Pawar By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The social media may be full of memes on politicians sulking with their bundles of corrupt money now rendered useless. Meanwhile, another section of society at the other end of the spectrum is really feeling the pinch  they are the domestic maids.

With no proper identity cards, bank accounts and lack of guidance on how to exchange the notes, many of them are still running from pillar to post not knowing what to do with the old currencies and how to meet their every day needs.

V Krishnaveni, working as a maid in a hostel, was full of smiles on Tuesday evening when she received her salary of Rs 6,000 (all in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000) and safely kept the cash in her locker. But the next day, when she reached the bank at around 10 am to deposit money for her grandchildren, she learned from the watchman about the recent announcement to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

First I was confused and upset. I immediately rushed to the ladies hostel where I work as a housekeeper. I almost went to every room to check if there was any girl who could help me to reach the money to my grandchildren. Unfortunately, all had gone to work, said Krishnaveni.

On Thursday, I rushed to the bank at 8 am and waited in the queue for almost an hour. It was only after that did I realise that it was mandatory to have an identity proof. But I had lost my proof years ago. It was destroyed, when my daughter committed suicide by immolating herself in the house. After that I did not apply for any identity proof. I rushed back to the hostel and made my son-in-law come all the way from Kumbakkonam to collect Rs 5,000 from me, said Krishnaveni.

There are many domestic workers like Krishnaveni who have been severely affected by the demonetisation of the notes. Most of them are running from pillar to post to find a person who can help them exchange the notes or deposit the money. But with long queues in the banks, they are still finding it difficult to find such volunteers.

In another case, Savitha (55), who works in a house at Guindy, said that she had to ask more than five persons to help her exchange the Rs 1,000 note as she did not have an identity proof. All the banks are so crowded and people are busy exchanging notes for themselves. Again to stand in the long queue and exchange notes for me is difficult and I was denied by five persons, she points out.

Speaking to Express, Clarammal Panipitchai, convenor of the Tamil Nadu Domestic Workers Union, said, In the past two days around 25 people approached us seeking help to exchange the notes. Only about 10 per cent of the domestic workers have Aadhaar cards and other identity proof.

The announcement has left domestic-help workers in a lurch. Most of them are not aware of who to approach and how to get the money exchanged, she adds.

TNEB extends deadline for paying electricity bills using demonetised notes till November 14 midnight

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board on Friday extended the deadline to pay power bills using demonetised D500 and D1,000 notes by three days, till midnight of November 14. The extension follows the Centre extending the date of paying the utility bills by three days. The earlier deadline was to end on November 11 midnight.

CHENNAI: The social media may be full of memes on politicians sulking with their bundles of corrupt money now rendered useless. Meanwhile, another section of society at the other end of the spectrum is really feeling the pinch  they are the domestic maids. With no proper identity cards, bank accounts and lack of guidance on how to exchange the notes, many of them are still running from pillar to post not knowing what to do with the old currencies and how to meet their every day needs. V Krishnaveni, working as a maid in a hostel, was full of smiles on Tuesday evening when she received her salary of Rs 6,000 (all in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000) and safely kept the cash in her locker. But the next day, when she reached the bank at around 10 am to deposit money for her grandchildren, she learned from the watchman about the recent announcement to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. First I was confused and upset. I immediately rushed to the ladies hostel where I work as a housekeeper. I almost went to every room to check if there was any girl who could help me to reach the money to my grandchildren. Unfortunately, all had gone to work, said Krishnaveni. On Thursday, I rushed to the bank at 8 am and waited in the queue for almost an hour. It was only after that did I realise that it was mandatory to have an identity proof. But I had lost my proof years ago. It was destroyed, when my daughter committed suicide by immolating herself in the house. After that I did not apply for any identity proof. I rushed back to the hostel and made my son-in-law come all the way from Kumbakkonam to collect Rs 5,000 from me, said Krishnaveni. There are many domestic workers like Krishnaveni who have been severely affected by the demonetisation of the notes. Most of them are running from pillar to post to find a person who can help them exchange the notes or deposit the money. But with long queues in the banks, they are still finding it difficult to find such volunteers. In another case, Savitha (55), who works in a house at Guindy, said that she had to ask more than five persons to help her exchange the Rs 1,000 note as she did not have an identity proof. All the banks are so crowded and people are busy exchanging notes for themselves. Again to stand in the long queue and exchange notes for me is difficult and I was denied by five persons, she points out. Speaking to Express, Clarammal Panipitchai, convenor of the Tamil Nadu Domestic Workers Union, said, In the past two days around 25 people approached us seeking help to exchange the notes. Only about 10 per cent of the domestic workers have Aadhaar cards and other identity proof. The announcement has left domestic-help workers in a lurch. Most of them are not aware of who to approach and how to get the money exchanged, she adds. TNEB extends deadline for paying electricity bills using demonetised notes till November 14 midnight Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board on Friday extended the deadline to pay power bills using demonetised D500 and D1,000 notes by three days, till midnight of November 14. The extension follows the Centre extending the date of paying the utility bills by three days. The earlier deadline was to end on November 11 midnight.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The case of missing Jawaharlal Nehru University student Najeeb Ahmed will now be investigated by the crime branch, police informed on Saturday.

"A few days back, Najeeb's mother had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and requested for a CBI probe in the matter. In order to get a different perspective on the case and have a fresh look at the evidence, the matter was transferred from South District to Crime Branch yesterday," said a senior officer.

Last month, a SIT was formed to trace the 27-year-old first year, M.Sc student of biotechnology, who went missing on October 15 following an on-campus scuffle allegedly with the members of ABVP the night before, following the instruction of the Home Minister to Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma.

The SIT, headed by Additional DCP-II (South) Manishi Chandra, failed to gain any actionable clues in the matter. The SIT was reconstructing Najeeb's personality after a doctor at Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (VIMHANS) told police that Najeeb was suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression.

Following this, the psychiatric angle had gained prominence in the probe. The team was also mulling over seeking help from psychiatrists from AIIMS or RML to chalk out a plan for investigation in the case.

The order in this regard had come yesterday, R P Upadhyay, joint commissioner of police (Southeast) said.

NEW DELHI: The case of missing Jawaharlal Nehru University student Najeeb Ahmed will now be investigated by the crime branch, police informed on Saturday. "A few days back, Najeeb's mother had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and requested for a CBI probe in the matter. In order to get a different perspective on the case and have a fresh look at the evidence, the matter was transferred from South District to Crime Branch yesterday," said a senior officer. Last month, a SIT was formed to trace the 27-year-old first year, M.Sc student of biotechnology, who went missing on October 15 following an on-campus scuffle allegedly with the members of ABVP the night before, following the instruction of the Home Minister to Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma. The SIT, headed by Additional DCP-II (South) Manishi Chandra, failed to gain any actionable clues in the matter. The SIT was reconstructing Najeeb's personality after a doctor at Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (VIMHANS) told police that Najeeb was suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. Following this, the psychiatric angle had gained prominence in the probe. The team was also mulling over seeking help from psychiatrists from AIIMS or RML to chalk out a plan for investigation in the case. The order in this regard had come yesterday, R P Upadhyay, joint commissioner of police (Southeast) said.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Emphasising the importance of sustaining biodiversity, Education Minister C Raveendranath has said that birds are the central point in sustaining diversity of the world. Releasing the English translations of two books on birds by C Rahim at the Press Club here on Friday, he said the bird species are so diverse and they link earth, water and sky. They dont merely link the three elements but they sustain the relation between the three entities, he said.

Stressing the fact that mutual co-existence is essential for sustaining diversity, he said birds always strive to sustain the diversity of the world we live in. Citing the instance of the extinction of the Dodo birds of Mauritius, he said sustaining the habitat of any living organism is essential to sustain such species. He released the books Beautiful Birds and Feathered Friends by giving copies to Director of Public Instruction K V Mohan Kumar and Asianet editor M G Radhakrishnan, respectively.

On the occasion Mohan Kumar said the Government has decided to set up 1,000 biodiversity parks in the 1,000 state-run primary schools in the state this year. Rs 5 crore has been sanctioned for the purpose. Using the amount, fruit trees would be planted on the school premises making them ideal habitat for the birds.

He said the Government has plans to set up 7,000 such biodiversity parks in the schools in the next five years. Press Club president Pradeep Pillai presided. Critic K S Ravikumar and P Venugopal spoke on the occasion. Chintha publisher-editor Jayadevadas welcomed the gathering and Press Club secretary K R Ajayan proposed vote of thanks.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Emphasising the importance of sustaining biodiversity, Education Minister C Raveendranath has said that birds are the central point in sustaining diversity of the world. Releasing the English translations of two books on birds by C Rahim at the Press Club here on Friday, he said the bird species are so diverse and they link earth, water and sky. They dont merely link the three elements but they sustain the relation between the three entities, he said. Stressing the fact that mutual co-existence is essential for sustaining diversity, he said birds always strive to sustain the diversity of the world we live in. Citing the instance of the extinction of the Dodo birds of Mauritius, he said sustaining the habitat of any living organism is essential to sustain such species. He released the books Beautiful Birds and Feathered Friends by giving copies to Director of Public Instruction K V Mohan Kumar and Asianet editor M G Radhakrishnan, respectively. On the occasion Mohan Kumar said the Government has decided to set up 1,000 biodiversity parks in the 1,000 state-run primary schools in the state this year. Rs 5 crore has been sanctioned for the purpose. Using the amount, fruit trees would be planted on the school premises making them ideal habitat for the birds. He said the Government has plans to set up 7,000 such biodiversity parks in the schools in the next five years. Press Club president Pradeep Pillai presided. Critic K S Ravikumar and P Venugopal spoke on the occasion. Chintha publisher-editor Jayadevadas welcomed the gathering and Press Club secretary K R Ajayan proposed vote of thanks.
By AFP

LONDON: A London auction of music legend David Bowie's art collection has ended with sales totalling almost 33 million ($41.5 million), after exhibits of the works drew record crowds, Sotheby's said Saturday.

Every item in the collection, which included over 130 works of modern and contemporary British art, was sold in a series of sales as buyers' enthusiasm for the late musician's collection exceeded expectations.

Exhibitions of the works in London attracted some 51,470 visitors, the highest attendance for any pre-sale exhibition in the British capital, the auction house said.

The auctions themselves were attended by 1,750 bidders, with over 1,000 more bidding on line.

"David Bowies personal art collection captured the imagination of the tens of thousands who visited our exhibitions and the thousands who took part in the sales," said Oliver Barker, chairman of Sothebys Europe.

The collection offered "a fresh insight into the creative mind of one of the greatest cultural figures of our time," he added.

Sales of works by Damien Hirst, Henry Moore and Marcel Duchamp among others totalled 32.9 million ($41.5 million, 38.3 million euros), Sotheby's said.

The highest-selling item in Bowie's collection, the graffiti-inspired "Air Power" canvas by Basquiat, sold for 7.09 million.It had been expected to fetch between 2.5 and 3.5 million.

Bowie bought "Air Power" and another painting by the artist, who died from an overdose in 1988 aged 27, shortly before the 1996 biopic "Basquiat," in which the rocker played his early idol Andy Warhol.

New records were set for more than half of the artists represented in the "White Glove" sale of Bowie's works, according to Sotheby's.

Frank Auerbachs "Head of Gerda Boehm" sold for a record 3.8 million. Bowie once said of the painting: "My God, yeah! I want to sound like that looks."

Bowie was quoted in the New York Times in 1998 as saying that art was "the only thing Id ever wanted to own."

A spokesman for his estate said the musician "enjoyed sharing the works in the collection... supporting the art and artists that were part of his world."

LONDON: A London auction of music legend David Bowie's art collection has ended with sales totalling almost 33 million ($41.5 million), after exhibits of the works drew record crowds, Sotheby's said Saturday. Every item in the collection, which included over 130 works of modern and contemporary British art, was sold in a series of sales as buyers' enthusiasm for the late musician's collection exceeded expectations. Exhibitions of the works in London attracted some 51,470 visitors, the highest attendance for any pre-sale exhibition in the British capital, the auction house said. The auctions themselves were attended by 1,750 bidders, with over 1,000 more bidding on line. "David Bowies personal art collection captured the imagination of the tens of thousands who visited our exhibitions and the thousands who took part in the sales," said Oliver Barker, chairman of Sothebys Europe. The collection offered "a fresh insight into the creative mind of one of the greatest cultural figures of our time," he added. Sales of works by Damien Hirst, Henry Moore and Marcel Duchamp among others totalled 32.9 million ($41.5 million, 38.3 million euros), Sotheby's said. The highest-selling item in Bowie's collection, the graffiti-inspired "Air Power" canvas by Basquiat, sold for 7.09 million.It had been expected to fetch between 2.5 and 3.5 million. Bowie bought "Air Power" and another painting by the artist, who died from an overdose in 1988 aged 27, shortly before the 1996 biopic "Basquiat," in which the rocker played his early idol Andy Warhol. New records were set for more than half of the artists represented in the "White Glove" sale of Bowie's works, according to Sotheby's. Frank Auerbachs "Head of Gerda Boehm" sold for a record 3.8 million. Bowie once said of the painting: "My God, yeah! I want to sound like that looks." Bowie was quoted in the New York Times in 1998 as saying that art was "the only thing Id ever wanted to own." A spokesman for his estate said the musician "enjoyed sharing the works in the collection... supporting the art and artists that were part of his world."
Ayesha Tabassum By

Express News Service

WHILE stars have never shied away from showing their support for social causes, the number seems to be growing of late. We take a look at the latest crop of celebrity philanthropists.

Meghan Markle

Prince Harry and Markle seem to make the perfect match. The young woman, has been on a rollmanaging both, her red carpet appearances and living at refugee camps, much like her current beau. She was recently appointed as the Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada, for which she travelled to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign. In fact, in a post on her website The Tig, she has discussed her time there, where she worked at a refugee camp, My life shifts from refugee camps to red carpets, I choose them both because these worlds can, in fact, coexist, she said.

Britney Spears

Spears, the all-time favourite pop star raised more than half-a-million dollars through a spinning class for the benefit of Nevada residents diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. Spears chose 25 participants who individually had donated $10,000 to the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation and then led the Piece of Me Charity ride at the Xcycle spin studio in Las Vegas. In fact, she even hand-picked every song and also choreographed the workout to go with it.

Courteney Cox

Charity in any form counts. As an affirmation, Cox aka Monica Geller from Friends, took to the streets along with Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner and Renee Zellweger to participate in the 14th annual LA County Walk to Defeat ALS, on a bright Sunday morning in mid-October this year. Dressed in Team Nanci T-shirts in honour of Nanci Ryder, the Hollywood publicist who was diagnosed with the disease, Cox and her actor friends showed their support to ALS research and raising

awareness.

Jennifer Garner

The stunning actor, who has starred in movies such as Dude, Wheres My Car, Catch Me If You Can, 13 Going on 30 and Dallas Buyers Club, has upped her commitment to charity by signing up with Huggies for the Baby2Baby campaign. She is raising awareness about diaper needs in the US, with a focus on under-privileged families who cannot afford them. When West Virginia was hit with floods earlier this year, Garner called Baby2Baby to help affected families with infants, and within no time, 500,000 diapers were delivered. Now, thats called

star power!

Benedict Cumberbatch

Doctor Strange seems to be taking his reel life seriously and helping the needy in real life as well. Cumberbatch, who is known to take on a variety of roles, from Sherlock Homes to his latest role role as a Marvel Comics hero, has taken on yet another, that of a real-life good Samaritan. The Oscar nominee was honoured by The Geanco Foundation, at Hollywoods annual fundraiser at The Pacific Design Centre, for his humanitarian works. For the uninitiated, the British actor is a member of the Princes Trust, supports Cancer Research UK, The Childrens Defense Fund, Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Small Steps Projectwhat an impressive portfolio.

WHILE stars have never shied away from showing their support for social causes, the number seems to be growing of late. We take a look at the latest crop of celebrity philanthropists. Meghan Markle Prince Harry and Markle seem to make the perfect match. The young woman, has been on a rollmanaging both, her red carpet appearances and living at refugee camps, much like her current beau. She was recently appointed as the Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada, for which she travelled to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign. In fact, in a post on her website The Tig, she has discussed her time there, where she worked at a refugee camp, My life shifts from refugee camps to red carpets, I choose them both because these worlds can, in fact, coexist, she said. Britney Spears Spears, the all-time favourite pop star raised more than half-a-million dollars through a spinning class for the benefit of Nevada residents diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. Spears chose 25 participants who individually had donated $10,000 to the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation and then led the Piece of Me Charity ride at the Xcycle spin studio in Las Vegas. In fact, she even hand-picked every song and also choreographed the workout to go with it. Courteney Cox Charity in any form counts. As an affirmation, Cox aka Monica Geller from Friends, took to the streets along with Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner and Renee Zellweger to participate in the 14th annual LA County Walk to Defeat ALS, on a bright Sunday morning in mid-October this year. Dressed in Team Nanci T-shirts in honour of Nanci Ryder, the Hollywood publicist who was diagnosed with the disease, Cox and her actor friends showed their support to ALS research and raising awareness. Jennifer Garner The stunning actor, who has starred in movies such as Dude, Wheres My Car, Catch Me If You Can, 13 Going on 30 and Dallas Buyers Club, has upped her commitment to charity by signing up with Huggies for the Baby2Baby campaign. She is raising awareness about diaper needs in the US, with a focus on under-privileged families who cannot afford them. When West Virginia was hit with floods earlier this year, Garner called Baby2Baby to help affected families with infants, and within no time, 500,000 diapers were delivered. Now, thats called star power! Benedict Cumberbatch Doctor Strange seems to be taking his reel life seriously and helping the needy in real life as well. Cumberbatch, who is known to take on a variety of roles, from Sherlock Homes to his latest role role as a Marvel Comics hero, has taken on yet another, that of a real-life good Samaritan. The Oscar nominee was honoured by The Geanco Foundation, at Hollywoods annual fundraiser at The Pacific Design Centre, for his humanitarian works. For the uninitiated, the British actor is a member of the Princes Trust, supports Cancer Research UK, The Childrens Defense Fund, Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Small Steps Projectwhat an impressive portfolio.
By IANS

MUMBAI: Britain-based boy band 'The Vamps' will return to India later this month to play at the Global Citizen Festival India, where popular artistes like Jay-Z and Coldplay will plug their music chords.



The Vamps, artistes of the Virgin EMI UK, made their debut India visit earlier this year for a collaboration with Vishal-Shekhar for the song 'Beliya'.



They will be coming to India on November 16. Global Citizen Festival India will be held at the MMRDA grounds here on November 19.



"Global Citizen Festival is an amazing event for such a good cause and we are honoured to have been asked to be a part of it," James McVey said in a statement issued on behalf of the band.



"We had an incredible first visit to India in August and are very much looking forward to coming back to see our fans, perform our new single 'All night' and our other hits at this world renowned festival," McVey added.



Apart from McVey -- the lead guitarist and vocalist -- The Vamps comprises of Brad Simpson (lead vocals and guitar), Connor Ball (bass guitar and vocals) and Tristan Evans (drums and vocals).



The Vamps also worked on a song for Ajay Devgn's recently released 'Shivaay'.



The inaugural Global Citizen Festival India will see participation from international as well as Indian celebrities.



MUMBAI: Britain-based boy band 'The Vamps' will return to India later this month to play at the Global Citizen Festival India, where popular artistes like Jay-Z and Coldplay will plug their music chords. The Vamps, artistes of the Virgin EMI UK, made their debut India visit earlier this year for a collaboration with Vishal-Shekhar for the song 'Beliya'. They will be coming to India on November 16. Global Citizen Festival India will be held at the MMRDA grounds here on November 19. "Global Citizen Festival is an amazing event for such a good cause and we are honoured to have been asked to be a part of it," James McVey said in a statement issued on behalf of the band. "We had an incredible first visit to India in August and are very much looking forward to coming back to see our fans, perform our new single 'All night' and our other hits at this world renowned festival," McVey added. Apart from McVey -- the lead guitarist and vocalist -- The Vamps comprises of Brad Simpson (lead vocals and guitar), Connor Ball (bass guitar and vocals) and Tristan Evans (drums and vocals). The Vamps also worked on a song for Ajay Devgn's recently released 'Shivaay'. The inaugural Global Citizen Festival India will see participation from international as well as Indian celebrities.
Purnima Sriram By

Express News Service

Childrens Day is round the corner and we thought it was a good idea to get a young, happening star like Varun Tej Konidela, a scion of the Mega family, shares about how he became the pet of Chiru, his Peddananna, and how Kalyan Babais words stimulated him, drove him crazy and above all, why he would hate if Childrens day fell on a Sunday

If looks could kill, Varun Tej Konidela would have been detained for the massacre. This new-age Greek God of south cinema became an inhabitant of screensavers and wallpapers much before his debut, thanks to his breathtaking eyes. But thats not what Varun Tej is all about. He has eloquence and of course acting potential that has anyway dissolved in his DNA innately. In an Adidas jersey, faintly distressed jeans and a hip hop cap, he looks like an urban dictionary lad but as the interview progresses, we realise that he is poetic, profound and perspicacious.

Varun proudly and loudly says he is a big fan of his Peddananna (Chiranjeevi). I am his pet. Even now, when I fractured my leg, I stayed at his place for a week. He would come back from the shoot with a tired face, but a contented smile, which was missing on his face for a long time, he shares with utmost respect.

We were the first in the entire family to move to Hyderabad from Chennai. Peddananna would frequent Hyderabad and had a guest house, which was a lane adjacent to my house. I would keep visiting him and spend time with him, he adds.

Of course, his Kalyan Babai knew what Varun liked the most and never missed an opportunity to surprise him. Babai went to Switzerland for some shoot and bought a big toy gun, which I still have, he beams with an endearing expression.

When Dharam and I were teenagers, Babai knew what we were going through and what was happening in our lives. He would ask us some awkward questions just to drive us crazy. He would pull our legs every time he met us. He would ask with a smirk on his face and I love seeing him grin while bullying us with such questions. At the same time, he instilled a lot of values in us. When we both were struggling to get into movies, he advised us on how we would not be encouraged because of our background.

He told us to give a reason for the audience to spend their `150 on us. I cried after hearing him and will never forget that lesson from him, he tells in an inspired tone.

Varun says his Babai always had a vision to do something for the society and above all preached Varun and Dharam on how to learn and face the trials and turbulences, life throws at them.

Varun was once a shy boy, especially with girls and was focused more on sports. I would score well though I was not studious. I was a naughty kid but not many know that fact. We are a group of four best friends and even today they are my best friends irrespective of how many new friends I make, they will remain my best friends, he shares with a smirk.

Veering to a nostalgic tour, the Mega Princess with a child-like smile says, Every year, Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan celebrates Founders day and we were bored. That was the first time Harsha, the naughtiest one in the gang initiated the idea of bunking. We managed to jump walls and went to a burger chain near Apollo. Suddenly we saw one of our teachers, who had come for some xerox.

We immediately hide our belts in the pockets, so that he wouldnt recognise us. Our parents were tensed when they got to know but we are had some unscathed confidence within that nothing would happen, he reveals.

Thats not alone; Varun has a few fond memories with his friend that has etched in his mind forever. All the four friends would gather at the bus stop outside Satyam theatre in SR Nagar. We would go to the railway station, change clothes, go to RTC cross roads, watch movies back to back, eat all the possible junk available, get back to station again, change clothes and rush to school. Harsha is a street smart guy. He knew all the bus routes and which movie to watch where, he laughs.

Once Varun had a lone bunk and he thoroughly enjoyed it. After 8 am, we are not allowed to get inside school. My friends waited for me and left. I was late. I didnt have friends outside.

I didnt even have money with me. I borrowed `50 from my driver. I had a little knowledge about which bus to take I had to kill time. I did a meticulous planning on how much to spend on what because I have to go back home too with that money. The bus tickets were `3 to 4. I went to railway station, sat there for a while.

I took a bus again and went to Tolichowki. I bought a newspaper for `2 to check what movie is being screened in which theatre. Co-incidentally it was Shankar Dada MBBS 50th day and they had added a new song in the movie. I walked upto one and a half kilometres and went to Galaxy theatre and bought `10 front-row seat. I had my lunch box. I walked back two kilometres again to the bus stop and reached station. I had a friend from a different school and his timings were different. I went to his house, chilled for a while, borrowed `20 from him and took an auto to home. It was like an adventure day for me, he laughs out loud.

Though Varun is close to Dharam, for they are of the same age and league, he says he shares a adoring rapport with Charan anna too. As kid he always bullied me. Today, we reminisce those moments and laugh about it. He tells me that he was extremely fond of me and thus bullied me. Peddananna was endorsing for Thums Up and Kalyan Babai for Pepsi. Charan anna would support Babai for Pepsi and I would support Peddananna. The tag line of Thumsup was grow up and I would say grow up boys. He would have wars, on which drink was great, he laughs out loud.

Today, they give us brother and sister goals but they were once the war mongers at home. Once I had held Niharikas hand tightly. She was once a petite girl. She fell on the floor and my parents were alarmed that she had fractured her hand. I was actually terrified and worried if I had really broken her hand. She wept and my parents punished me for hurting her. After a while, she tells me that she had put up an act and nothing happened to her hand, he tells us elaborately on how they bonded.

He is doting brother today. He supports his sister in chasing her dreams.

We did have inhibitions because the ugly truth is that industry is male dominant. My dad and I had a chat and he said its unfair to shatter her dreams. He said he wants to be careful but not to say no to her just because she is a girl. I too felt it would be cruel to cut her wings. I do give in my inputs when she is deciding about about her scripts. Now she is busy with movies, web series and much more, says the proud brother.

Varun is going to be live on Facebook soon.

Childrens Day is round the corner and we thought it was a good idea to get a young, happening star like Varun Tej Konidela, a scion of the Mega family, shares about how he became the pet of Chiru, his Peddananna, and how Kalyan Babais words stimulated him, drove him crazy and above all, why he would hate if Childrens day fell on a Sunday If looks could kill, Varun Tej Konidela would have been detained for the massacre. This new-age Greek God of south cinema became an inhabitant of screensavers and wallpapers much before his debut, thanks to his breathtaking eyes. But thats not what Varun Tej is all about. He has eloquence and of course acting potential that has anyway dissolved in his DNA innately. In an Adidas jersey, faintly distressed jeans and a hip hop cap, he looks like an urban dictionary lad but as the interview progresses, we realise that he is poetic, profound and perspicacious. Varun proudly and loudly says he is a big fan of his Peddananna (Chiranjeevi). I am his pet. Even now, when I fractured my leg, I stayed at his place for a week. He would come back from the shoot with a tired face, but a contented smile, which was missing on his face for a long time, he shares with utmost respect. We were the first in the entire family to move to Hyderabad from Chennai. Peddananna would frequent Hyderabad and had a guest house, which was a lane adjacent to my house. I would keep visiting him and spend time with him, he adds. Of course, his Kalyan Babai knew what Varun liked the most and never missed an opportunity to surprise him. Babai went to Switzerland for some shoot and bought a big toy gun, which I still have, he beams with an endearing expression. When Dharam and I were teenagers, Babai knew what we were going through and what was happening in our lives. He would ask us some awkward questions just to drive us crazy. He would pull our legs every time he met us. He would ask with a smirk on his face and I love seeing him grin while bullying us with such questions. At the same time, he instilled a lot of values in us. When we both were struggling to get into movies, he advised us on how we would not be encouraged because of our background. He told us to give a reason for the audience to spend their `150 on us. I cried after hearing him and will never forget that lesson from him, he tells in an inspired tone. Varun says his Babai always had a vision to do something for the society and above all preached Varun and Dharam on how to learn and face the trials and turbulences, life throws at them. Varun was once a shy boy, especially with girls and was focused more on sports. I would score well though I was not studious. I was a naughty kid but not many know that fact. We are a group of four best friends and even today they are my best friends irrespective of how many new friends I make, they will remain my best friends, he shares with a smirk. Veering to a nostalgic tour, the Mega Princess with a child-like smile says, Every year, Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan celebrates Founders day and we were bored. That was the first time Harsha, the naughtiest one in the gang initiated the idea of bunking. We managed to jump walls and went to a burger chain near Apollo. Suddenly we saw one of our teachers, who had come for some xerox. We immediately hide our belts in the pockets, so that he wouldnt recognise us. Our parents were tensed when they got to know but we are had some unscathed confidence within that nothing would happen, he reveals. Thats not alone; Varun has a few fond memories with his friend that has etched in his mind forever. All the four friends would gather at the bus stop outside Satyam theatre in SR Nagar. We would go to the railway station, change clothes, go to RTC cross roads, watch movies back to back, eat all the possible junk available, get back to station again, change clothes and rush to school. Harsha is a street smart guy. He knew all the bus routes and which movie to watch where, he laughs. Once Varun had a lone bunk and he thoroughly enjoyed it. After 8 am, we are not allowed to get inside school. My friends waited for me and left. I was late. I didnt have friends outside. I didnt even have money with me. I borrowed `50 from my driver. I had a little knowledge about which bus to take I had to kill time. I did a meticulous planning on how much to spend on what because I have to go back home too with that money. The bus tickets were `3 to 4. I went to railway station, sat there for a while. I took a bus again and went to Tolichowki. I bought a newspaper for `2 to check what movie is being screened in which theatre. Co-incidentally it was Shankar Dada MBBS 50th day and they had added a new song in the movie. I walked upto one and a half kilometres and went to Galaxy theatre and bought `10 front-row seat. I had my lunch box. I walked back two kilometres again to the bus stop and reached station. I had a friend from a different school and his timings were different. I went to his house, chilled for a while, borrowed `20 from him and took an auto to home. It was like an adventure day for me, he laughs out loud. Though Varun is close to Dharam, for they are of the same age and league, he says he shares a adoring rapport with Charan anna too. As kid he always bullied me. Today, we reminisce those moments and laugh about it. He tells me that he was extremely fond of me and thus bullied me. Peddananna was endorsing for Thums Up and Kalyan Babai for Pepsi. Charan anna would support Babai for Pepsi and I would support Peddananna. The tag line of Thumsup was grow up and I would say grow up boys. He would have wars, on which drink was great, he laughs out loud. Today, they give us brother and sister goals but they were once the war mongers at home. Once I had held Niharikas hand tightly. She was once a petite girl. She fell on the floor and my parents were alarmed that she had fractured her hand. I was actually terrified and worried if I had really broken her hand. She wept and my parents punished me for hurting her. After a while, she tells me that she had put up an act and nothing happened to her hand, he tells us elaborately on how they bonded. He is doting brother today. He supports his sister in chasing her dreams. We did have inhibitions because the ugly truth is that industry is male dominant. My dad and I had a chat and he said its unfair to shatter her dreams. He said he wants to be careful but not to say no to her just because she is a girl. I too felt it would be cruel to cut her wings. I do give in my inputs when she is deciding about about her scripts. Now she is busy with movies, web series and much more, says the proud brother. Varun is going to be live on Facebook soon.
By Associated Press

BORA BORA: Somehow I convinced my husband that the fifth wedding anniversary is the Tahitian anniversary. The traditional gift, actually, is wood.

For years, I had dreamed of going to Bora Bora in French Polynesia. The lagoon's glimmering turquoise, jade and cobalt blue waters, the overwater bungalows, the seclusion for me, it was the ultimate bucket list destination.

Some of the world's most famous celebrities vacation in Bora Bora. Jennifer Aniston honeymooned there. Pictures of Justin Bieber swimming naked in Bora Bora circulated far and wide online last year. Usain Bolt celebrated his Olympic victories there in September.

That doesn't mean normal couples can't go too  if they can afford it, of course. Our trip for a week, including flights and our hotel stay (with breakfast), cost just under $10,000.

My husband and I spent a week lounging on the deck of our bungalow at Le Meridien Bora Bora. We woke early to catch brilliant orange and pink sunrises. We got up close and personal with sea creatures, from moray eels and trumpetfish to sea turtles, sharks and stingrays. We discovered that the saying heard in pearl shops, "You don't choose the pearl, the pearl chooses you" is surprisingly true. Most of all, we tried to relax and take it all in.

Bora Bora, located about 160 miles (260 kilometers) northwest of Tahiti, was formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. Mount Otemanu, a remnant of the volcano, rises nearly 2,400 feet (730 meters) on the island and serves as the backdrop of many photos.

Bora Bora offers celebrity-style seclusion and has been a vacation destination. (File: AP)

About 9,000 people live in Bora Bora. The temperature is a relatively consistent 80 F (27 C).

The island is set in a lagoon and surrounded by a string of motus, or small islets, where luxury resorts are located. The colors are stunning. A friend said my photo looked like a watercolor painting.

We flew to Los Angeles, where many U.S. flights to Tahiti converge. From Los Angeles, it's about an eight-hour overnight flight to Papeete, Tahiti. It's less than an hour by plane from there to Bora Bora. Then it's a short boat ride to the main city, Vaitape, or to one of the luxury resorts. We didn't need vaccinations or a visa.

Our overwater bungalow faced outward to the lagoon, which we requested when booking. Others are turned in, toward the resort. It featured a glass floor for fish watching and a spiral staircase for climbing into the lagoon.

Jennifer McDermott holds an older, docile stingray with help from a tour guide in Bora Bora. (File: AP)

We splurged on massages early in the week, before our pale skin turned a reddish hue, and we fed baby sea turtles at the Turtle Center established at Le Meridien. We took the hotel's boat to The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort to dine at the exclusive Lagoon restaurant by acclaimed French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and to check out the lavish bungalows with private swimming pools over the lagoon.

We tried paddle boarding. Then we tried snorkeling to find the sunglasses we lost while paddle boarding. Adventurous couples buzzed around the island on jet skis.

Feeling adventurous ourselves, we signed up for a snorkeling trip to swim with stingrays and sharks. There are so many stingrays there, you feel their slick, rubbery bodies hitting your legs. One is an older, docile stingray the guides call "grandma." Our guide from Teiva Tours lifted grandma and kissed it on the mouth!

But when the guides started "chumming" the waters with fish parts to draw blacktip sharks, we climbed back into the boat. The sharks were much more interested in the fish than in us, but we weren't taking any chances of a misdirected chomp. In deeper waters, we snorkeled at the surface as 9-foot (3-meter) lemon sharks glided along the bottom.

We also spent a day in Vaitape. There's a center where locals sell their crafts, a small marketplace to stock up on sunscreen, juice and inexpensive French wine, and a cafe. The mountainside is home to cannons left behind by U.S. forces during World War II.

The main thing we did though, was shop for Tahitian pearls. We were leaving one of the stores when I caught a glimpse of a pair of green pearl earrings. I walked away but no other pearl could compare, so we returned at the end of the day to buy the pearl that chose me.

There's a must-visit spot along the coastline, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the city center: Bloody Mary's, a funky restaurant known for its seafood and celebrity visits. I enjoyed the restaurant's signature plate of teriyaki wahoo and the house drink, a Bloody Mary of course, while my husband loved trying meka, a broadbill swordfish found in the South Pacific. By the entrance there's a long list of famous people who have dined there.

At the hotel, we ended the week as we began. We lounged on the deck, telling each other how unbelievable it was that we got to see such beauty in person and check Bora Bora off the bucket list.

BORA BORA: Somehow I convinced my husband that the fifth wedding anniversary is the Tahitian anniversary. The traditional gift, actually, is wood. For years, I had dreamed of going to Bora Bora in French Polynesia. The lagoon's glimmering turquoise, jade and cobalt blue waters, the overwater bungalows, the seclusion for me, it was the ultimate bucket list destination. Some of the world's most famous celebrities vacation in Bora Bora. Jennifer Aniston honeymooned there. Pictures of Justin Bieber swimming naked in Bora Bora circulated far and wide online last year. Usain Bolt celebrated his Olympic victories there in September. That doesn't mean normal couples can't go too  if they can afford it, of course. Our trip for a week, including flights and our hotel stay (with breakfast), cost just under $10,000. My husband and I spent a week lounging on the deck of our bungalow at Le Meridien Bora Bora. We woke early to catch brilliant orange and pink sunrises. We got up close and personal with sea creatures, from moray eels and trumpetfish to sea turtles, sharks and stingrays. We discovered that the saying heard in pearl shops, "You don't choose the pearl, the pearl chooses you" is surprisingly true. Most of all, we tried to relax and take it all in. Bora Bora, located about 160 miles (260 kilometers) northwest of Tahiti, was formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. Mount Otemanu, a remnant of the volcano, rises nearly 2,400 feet (730 meters) on the island and serves as the backdrop of many photos. Bora Bora offers celebrity-style seclusion and has been a vacation destination. (File: AP)About 9,000 people live in Bora Bora. The temperature is a relatively consistent 80 F (27 C). The island is set in a lagoon and surrounded by a string of motus, or small islets, where luxury resorts are located. The colors are stunning. A friend said my photo looked like a watercolor painting. We flew to Los Angeles, where many U.S. flights to Tahiti converge. From Los Angeles, it's about an eight-hour overnight flight to Papeete, Tahiti. It's less than an hour by plane from there to Bora Bora. Then it's a short boat ride to the main city, Vaitape, or to one of the luxury resorts. We didn't need vaccinations or a visa. Our overwater bungalow faced outward to the lagoon, which we requested when booking. Others are turned in, toward the resort. It featured a glass floor for fish watching and a spiral staircase for climbing into the lagoon. Jennifer McDermott holds an older, docile stingray with help from a tour guide in Bora Bora. (File: AP)We splurged on massages early in the week, before our pale skin turned a reddish hue, and we fed baby sea turtles at the Turtle Center established at Le Meridien. We took the hotel's boat to The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort to dine at the exclusive Lagoon restaurant by acclaimed French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and to check out the lavish bungalows with private swimming pools over the lagoon. We tried paddle boarding. Then we tried snorkeling to find the sunglasses we lost while paddle boarding. Adventurous couples buzzed around the island on jet skis. Feeling adventurous ourselves, we signed up for a snorkeling trip to swim with stingrays and sharks. There are so many stingrays there, you feel their slick, rubbery bodies hitting your legs. One is an older, docile stingray the guides call "grandma." Our guide from Teiva Tours lifted grandma and kissed it on the mouth! But when the guides started "chumming" the waters with fish parts to draw blacktip sharks, we climbed back into the boat. The sharks were much more interested in the fish than in us, but we weren't taking any chances of a misdirected chomp. In deeper waters, we snorkeled at the surface as 9-foot (3-meter) lemon sharks glided along the bottom. We also spent a day in Vaitape. There's a center where locals sell their crafts, a small marketplace to stock up on sunscreen, juice and inexpensive French wine, and a cafe. The mountainside is home to cannons left behind by U.S. forces during World War II. The main thing we did though, was shop for Tahitian pearls. We were leaving one of the stores when I caught a glimpse of a pair of green pearl earrings. I walked away but no other pearl could compare, so we returned at the end of the day to buy the pearl that chose me. There's a must-visit spot along the coastline, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the city center: Bloody Mary's, a funky restaurant known for its seafood and celebrity visits. I enjoyed the restaurant's signature plate of teriyaki wahoo and the house drink, a Bloody Mary of course, while my husband loved trying meka, a broadbill swordfish found in the South Pacific. By the entrance there's a long list of famous people who have dined there. At the hotel, we ended the week as we began. We lounged on the deck, telling each other how unbelievable it was that we got to see such beauty in person and check Bora Bora off the bucket list.
S Vaidhyasubramaniam By

When Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced in the 2016 Union Budget an enabling regulatory architecture to create 20 world-class institutions, the message was loud and clear: India wants to join the global league. World leaders like Putin and Abe have also resoundingly articulated policies to increase their share in the worlds Top 100 by 2020.

What India needs to understand is that nobody has understood what a World Class University (WCU) is and in the words of renowned educationist and researcher Philip Altbach, Every country wants a world-class university. No country feels it can do without one. The problem is that no one knows what a world-class university is, and no one has figured out how to get one.

Weill Cornell Medicine campus in Qatar



The Times Higher Education 2014-15 rank list quantified the average characteristics of the Top 200 global universitiestotal annual income per academic was close to $750,000, total research income per academic was $230,000, 43 per cent of papers were published with an international co-author, 20 per cent of student and faculty were international and student-faculty ratio of 11.7 to 1.

Finances topped the list of serious requirements to build a WCU. According to a World Bank report, establishing a WCU in the late 19th century required $50 million and 200 years. The University of Chicago in the beginning of the 20th century invested 20 years and more than $100 million to build a WCU. The Cornell University spent more than $750 million in setting up a world-class medical school in Qatar in 2002.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia was established at $3 billion and operates outside the purview of the Ministry of Higher Education. The estimated cost of creating a WCU today is close to $1,500 million (over `10,000 crore). It is not possible to allocate such huge amounts to create 20 WCUs nor is the proposed annual grant of `100 crore to 10 government institutions for a five-year period is adequate. With the 2017 Budget about to be announced, now is the time to ask for more to bridge this gap.

The pressure on the government to maintain the tax/GDP ratio balance across several socially critical sectors and the fight for capital is understandable. There are other ways for the Finance Ministry to deploy the much need investment in WCUs: * Service Tax exemptions for all taxable services offered by and to WCUs; * Complete waiver of import duties on all research and teaching assets; * Access to cost competitive debt capital either through a consolidated bond issue guaranteed by the government or individual institutional debts from overseas markets by easing strict RBI regulations; * Provide accelerated tax exemption of 200 per cent to corporate/philanthropic grants made to WCUs with a minimum grant amount fixed; * Complete freedom to create reasonable revenue instruments that are allowed by law to ensure substantial working capital liquidity; * Jointly with other ministries, a one-stop harmonious approval window for all approvalsprogrammes, building, environment, home, finance departments, etc. at both Central and state level

The aggregate revenue foregone through direct/indirect tax incentives and exemptions to corporates in the last 10 to 12 years is conservatively estimated to have exceeded `5 lakh crore in return for significant wealth and employment creation. There is an effort to rationalise these exemptions and substantial portion of the resultant savings in foregoable revenue can be diverted to benefit WCUs without considerable burden on the exchequer. Potential WCUs look forward to the 2017 Union Budget with a hope on possible pathways for raising finance. The road to WCUs needs tax exemption and not tar for construction.

The writer is Dean, Planning & Development, SASTRA University

vaidhya@sastra.edu

When Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced in the 2016 Union Budget an enabling regulatory architecture to create 20 world-class institutions, the message was loud and clear: India wants to join the global league. World leaders like Putin and Abe have also resoundingly articulated policies to increase their share in the worlds Top 100 by 2020. What India needs to understand is that nobody has understood what a World Class University (WCU) is and in the words of renowned educationist and researcher Philip Altbach, Every country wants a world-class university. No country feels it can do without one. The problem is that no one knows what a world-class university is, and no one has figured out how to get one. Weill Cornell Medicine campus in Qatar The Times Higher Education 2014-15 rank list quantified the average characteristics of the Top 200 global universitiestotal annual income per academic was close to $750,000, total research income per academic was $230,000, 43 per cent of papers were published with an international co-author, 20 per cent of student and faculty were international and student-faculty ratio of 11.7 to 1. Finances topped the list of serious requirements to build a WCU. According to a World Bank report, establishing a WCU in the late 19th century required $50 million and 200 years. The University of Chicago in the beginning of the 20th century invested 20 years and more than $100 million to build a WCU. The Cornell University spent more than $750 million in setting up a world-class medical school in Qatar in 2002. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia was established at $3 billion and operates outside the purview of the Ministry of Higher Education. The estimated cost of creating a WCU today is close to $1,500 million (over `10,000 crore). It is not possible to allocate such huge amounts to create 20 WCUs nor is the proposed annual grant of `100 crore to 10 government institutions for a five-year period is adequate. With the 2017 Budget about to be announced, now is the time to ask for more to bridge this gap. The pressure on the government to maintain the tax/GDP ratio balance across several socially critical sectors and the fight for capital is understandable. There are other ways for the Finance Ministry to deploy the much need investment in WCUs: * Service Tax exemptions for all taxable services offered by and to WCUs; * Complete waiver of import duties on all research and teaching assets; * Access to cost competitive debt capital either through a consolidated bond issue guaranteed by the government or individual institutional debts from overseas markets by easing strict RBI regulations; * Provide accelerated tax exemption of 200 per cent to corporate/philanthropic grants made to WCUs with a minimum grant amount fixed; * Complete freedom to create reasonable revenue instruments that are allowed by law to ensure substantial working capital liquidity; * Jointly with other ministries, a one-stop harmonious approval window for all approvalsprogrammes, building, environment, home, finance departments, etc. at both Central and state level The aggregate revenue foregone through direct/indirect tax incentives and exemptions to corporates in the last 10 to 12 years is conservatively estimated to have exceeded `5 lakh crore in return for significant wealth and employment creation. There is an effort to rationalise these exemptions and substantial portion of the resultant savings in foregoable revenue can be diverted to benefit WCUs without considerable burden on the exchequer. Potential WCUs look forward to the 2017 Union Budget with a hope on possible pathways for raising finance. The road to WCUs needs tax exemption and not tar for construction. The writer is Dean, Planning & Development, SASTRA University vaidhya@sastra.edu
By PTI

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today said the party's state unit leaders, including MPs, will meet President Pranab Mukherjee in connection with the SYL issue and accused the SAD government of failing to protect the state's interest.

He questioned the right of Haryana over Ravi and Beas river water and demanded that a tribunal must be set up to assess the availability of water with Punjab before taking any decision on this matter.

"We are going to ask for time to meet President and we will apprise him of situation. The President knows everything (about the issue)...we will present him a memorandum," Amarinder said after all Congress MLAs submitted their resignation letters to Punjab Assembly Secretary here today.

In a huge setback to the Akali Dal government in poll-bound Punjab, the Supreme Court yesterday thwarted its attempt to wriggle out of the SYL canal water sharing agreement, saying it cannot "unilaterally" terminate it or legislate to "nullify" the verdict of the highest court.

Asserting that sharing of Ravi-Beas water is going to affect the lives of millions of Punjabis, Amarinder said, "It is essential that before any decision is taken on the quantum of water, a tribunal must be set up to find out what amount of water available."

the right of Haryana over the share in Ravi -Beas river water, he said, "If they claim SYL water then we can claim share in Yamuna water. There is 5.5 MAF of Yamuna water and we never claimed it as Punjab is not riparian to that water after the reorganisation in 1966."

On Khaps in Haryana have reportedly threatened to cut off Punjab from Delhi if the apex court ruling is not implemented, Amarinder said, "What right do they (Haryana) have? They are not riparian. If they think they want to pressurise through Khap we are not gong to be pressurised."

Hitting out at the SAD-BJP rule, Amarinder alleged that the Parkash Singh Badal-led state government has failed to protect the interest of the state and claimed had SAD been serious on water sharing issue, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and others MPs should have tendered their resignations.

"If they are so concerned about the impact of the SYL verdict on Punjab why have the Akali MPs not resigned from their parliamentary seats?" he asked and said, "Till they do so (resign), they really have no face to make allegations against others."

On whether the Congress MLAs will attend the special session on November 16 called by Punjab Cabinet over SYL issue, he said, "Once the resignation is given, the matter is over. It is up to the Speaker to accept it. We have nothing to do with the Assembly session. We will go to the people."

Amarinder also said that if Congress comes to power in Punjab, it will use "constitutional powers to amend and nullify the decision of the apex court".

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today said the party's state unit leaders, including MPs, will meet President Pranab Mukherjee in connection with the SYL issue and accused the SAD government of failing to protect the state's interest. He questioned the right of Haryana over Ravi and Beas river water and demanded that a tribunal must be set up to assess the availability of water with Punjab before taking any decision on this matter. "We are going to ask for time to meet President and we will apprise him of situation. The President knows everything (about the issue)...we will present him a memorandum," Amarinder said after all Congress MLAs submitted their resignation letters to Punjab Assembly Secretary here today. In a huge setback to the Akali Dal government in poll-bound Punjab, the Supreme Court yesterday thwarted its attempt to wriggle out of the SYL canal water sharing agreement, saying it cannot "unilaterally" terminate it or legislate to "nullify" the verdict of the highest court. Asserting that sharing of Ravi-Beas water is going to affect the lives of millions of Punjabis, Amarinder said, "It is essential that before any decision is taken on the quantum of water, a tribunal must be set up to find out what amount of water available." the right of Haryana over the share in Ravi -Beas river water, he said, "If they claim SYL water then we can claim share in Yamuna water. There is 5.5 MAF of Yamuna water and we never claimed it as Punjab is not riparian to that water after the reorganisation in 1966." On Khaps in Haryana have reportedly threatened to cut off Punjab from Delhi if the apex court ruling is not implemented, Amarinder said, "What right do they (Haryana) have? They are not riparian. If they think they want to pressurise through Khap we are not gong to be pressurised." Hitting out at the SAD-BJP rule, Amarinder alleged that the Parkash Singh Badal-led state government has failed to protect the interest of the state and claimed had SAD been serious on water sharing issue, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and others MPs should have tendered their resignations. "If they are so concerned about the impact of the SYL verdict on Punjab why have the Akali MPs not resigned from their parliamentary seats?" he asked and said, "Till they do so (resign), they really have no face to make allegations against others." On whether the Congress MLAs will attend the special session on November 16 called by Punjab Cabinet over SYL issue, he said, "Once the resignation is given, the matter is over. It is up to the Speaker to accept it. We have nothing to do with the Assembly session. We will go to the people." Amarinder also said that if Congress comes to power in Punjab, it will use "constitutional powers to amend and nullify the decision of the apex court".
Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: A journalist working with a prominent Hindi newspaper was gunned down by unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants in Bihar on Saturday morning, making it the second murder of a journalist in the state in the past six months.



Dharmendra Singh, a 35-year-old Dainik Bhaskar reporter, was shot at close range when he stopped at a roadside tea stall during his daily morning walk near his house in the Amra Talab area in the south-western district of Rohtas. While police declined to speak about the motive behind the murder, sources linked it to the anger his reports had caused in the local stone chips mafia. He was writing frequently on the illegal stone chips units operated by a powerful local mafia.

This could be the motive to bump him off, said a police official in Sasaram on condition of anonymity. Police said three men on a motorcycle shot Singh and sped away. Singh, who received three bullets on his chest, was rushed to the Sadar Hospital in Sasaram and was referred to Varanasi. He died on the way to Varanasi, sub-divisional police officer Alok Ranjan said.



In May, senior journalist Rajdeo Ranjan was gunned down in the north-western district of Siwan allegedly at the behest of controversial former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin. The case is being investigated by the CBI. The murder in broad daylight, taking place when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is on his much-hyped Nischay Yatra tour, prompted the Opposition to reiterate that Bihar was under jungle raj.

This murder of yet another journalist shows how Bihar is under jungle raj. Nitish Kumar should tighten law and order in the state instead of engaging in his political tours, said BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain. The ruling alliance denied the allegations, saying the rule of law in Bihar was at its best and such murders were isolated incidents. , The allegations are far from the ground reality and politically motivated, JD(U) leader K C Tyagi said.

PATNA: A journalist working with a prominent Hindi newspaper was gunned down by unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants in Bihar on Saturday morning, making it the second murder of a journalist in the state in the past six months. Dharmendra Singh, a 35-year-old Dainik Bhaskar reporter, was shot at close range when he stopped at a roadside tea stall during his daily morning walk near his house in the Amra Talab area in the south-western district of Rohtas. While police declined to speak about the motive behind the murder, sources linked it to the anger his reports had caused in the local stone chips mafia. He was writing frequently on the illegal stone chips units operated by a powerful local mafia. This could be the motive to bump him off, said a police official in Sasaram on condition of anonymity. Police said three men on a motorcycle shot Singh and sped away. Singh, who received three bullets on his chest, was rushed to the Sadar Hospital in Sasaram and was referred to Varanasi. He died on the way to Varanasi, sub-divisional police officer Alok Ranjan said. In May, senior journalist Rajdeo Ranjan was gunned down in the north-western district of Siwan allegedly at the behest of controversial former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin. The case is being investigated by the CBI. The murder in broad daylight, taking place when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is on his much-hyped Nischay Yatra tour, prompted the Opposition to reiterate that Bihar was under jungle raj. This murder of yet another journalist shows how Bihar is under jungle raj. Nitish Kumar should tighten law and order in the state instead of engaging in his political tours, said BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain. The ruling alliance denied the allegations, saying the rule of law in Bihar was at its best and such murders were isolated incidents. , The allegations are far from the ground reality and politically motivated, JD(U) leader K C Tyagi said.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: The arrest of an engineer in the cash-for-jobs racket in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) has opened a can of worms.

The police on Saturday arrested the APSC deputy controller of examination, Pabitra Kaibarta, for his allege involvement in the racket. He is the fifth person to be arrested in the case so far. Earlier, the police arrested APSC chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul, its member Samedur Rahman, his personal security officer and an engineer Nabakanta Patir.

The police on Friday night raided one of Pauls several houses where his wife Sunanda Paul lives with their daughter and seized Rs.10 lakh besides incriminating documents.

We had raided a house of the APSC chairman last night and seized Rs.10 lakh besides 11 answer scripts and nine tabulation sheets, Dibrugarh additional superintendent of police Surjeet Singh Paneswar told Express.

He said the police were looking for Pauls brother, Rajib Paul, but could not trace him.

Asked if Paul had awarded the plum jobs to the relatives of a number of ministers and MLAs of the previous Congress government and top government officials through the APSC as reported, Paneswar said: I am conducting the probe. We havent got anything like that so far.

The cash-for-jobs racket in the APSC came to light last month following the arrest of Patir, who is an engineer in the department of town and country planning in eastern Assams Dibrugarh. During interrogation, he had purportedly revealed the name of a former Congress minister whose relatives were allegedly awarded jobs by Paul. Over the past few years, nearly two hundred jobs were allegedly sold off through Patir, who acted as a linkman between the candidates and the APSC chairman. He is now in judicial custody.

Patir was arrested after being caught red handed accepting bribes of Rs.10 lakh from a lady dental surgeon. He had approached her promising a job through the APSC and demanded the money. Later, she tipped off the police leading to his arrest.

GUWAHATI: The arrest of an engineer in the cash-for-jobs racket in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) has opened a can of worms. The police on Saturday arrested the APSC deputy controller of examination, Pabitra Kaibarta, for his allege involvement in the racket. He is the fifth person to be arrested in the case so far. Earlier, the police arrested APSC chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul, its member Samedur Rahman, his personal security officer and an engineer Nabakanta Patir. The police on Friday night raided one of Pauls several houses where his wife Sunanda Paul lives with their daughter and seized Rs.10 lakh besides incriminating documents. We had raided a house of the APSC chairman last night and seized Rs.10 lakh besides 11 answer scripts and nine tabulation sheets, Dibrugarh additional superintendent of police Surjeet Singh Paneswar told Express. He said the police were looking for Pauls brother, Rajib Paul, but could not trace him. Asked if Paul had awarded the plum jobs to the relatives of a number of ministers and MLAs of the previous Congress government and top government officials through the APSC as reported, Paneswar said: I am conducting the probe. We havent got anything like that so far. The cash-for-jobs racket in the APSC came to light last month following the arrest of Patir, who is an engineer in the department of town and country planning in eastern Assams Dibrugarh. During interrogation, he had purportedly revealed the name of a former Congress minister whose relatives were allegedly awarded jobs by Paul. Over the past few years, nearly two hundred jobs were allegedly sold off through Patir, who acted as a linkman between the candidates and the APSC chairman. He is now in judicial custody. Patir was arrested after being caught red handed accepting bribes of Rs.10 lakh from a lady dental surgeon. He had approached her promising a job through the APSC and demanded the money. Later, she tipped off the police leading to his arrest.
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By PTI

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today dismissed the rumours of shortage of salt in the state and directed district collectors to take action against those spreading it.



"There have been rumours of salt shortage since yesterday but situation in entire state is normal. There is no shortage of salt in any dist (sic)," the Chief Minister tweeted.



"CM @Dev_Fadnavis directs all the Collectors to take strict measures to ensure there's no panic and act against those spreading rumours," the CMO Maharashtra said in a tweet.



"Dept asked all dist supply officers to ensure there's no hoarding of salt or any essential commodity & no inconvenience be caused to people," the CMO Maharashtra added.



There were rumours about some shop owners selling salt at Rs 700 per kg in eastern suburbs in Mumbai.



Police had yesterday stepped in to dispel rumours about steep hike in prices of essential commodities including salt.

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today dismissed the rumours of shortage of salt in the state and directed district collectors to take action against those spreading it. "There have been rumours of salt shortage since yesterday but situation in entire state is normal. There is no shortage of salt in any dist (sic)," the Chief Minister tweeted. "CM @Dev_Fadnavis directs all the Collectors to take strict measures to ensure there's no panic and act against those spreading rumours," the CMO Maharashtra said in a tweet. "Dept asked all dist supply officers to ensure there's no hoarding of salt or any essential commodity & no inconvenience be caused to people," the CMO Maharashtra added. There were rumours about some shop owners selling salt at Rs 700 per kg in eastern suburbs in Mumbai. Police had yesterday stepped in to dispel rumours about steep hike in prices of essential commodities including salt.
Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: Two of Jharkhands top tribal leaders  former chief ministers Sibu Soren of JMM and Babulal Marandi of JVM(P)  have come together for the first time, putting behind their political rivalries and thereby sending uneasy signals for the BJP-led government in the predominantly tribal state.

The coming together of Soren, Jharkhands tallest tribal leader and a founder of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and Marandi, the 16-year-old states first chief minister when he was with BJP, was facilitated by the urgency to protect two British-era laws that prevent alienation of the tribal people from their land. The unprecedented show of unity seen on Friday indicates no immediate plans for the two rivals to move towards a political alliance, but it could derail a major policy initiative of the Raghubar Das-led BJP government in the state.

The Jharkhand government is intent to amend the two laws  Chotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act  in order to allow the diversion of large tracts of agricultural and residential lands in possession of the tribal people for commercial purposes. All tribal parties and organizations have voiced their dissent to the move, which was recently disapproved of by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.

Even the ruling BJP-led alliances leaders have opposed the decision of the government, which is the first regime in Jharkhand led by a non-tribal. Vikas Munda, an MLA of the ruling ally All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), recently resigned from the states Tribal Advisory Council in protest against the proposed changes in the two land laws. Even tribal leaders in BJP are unhappy about the changes that many say would lead to Jharkhands tribals becoming homeless.

With the government planning to get the bill seeking amendments to the two laws passed in the Assemblys upcoming winter session starting on November 17, the coming together of Soren and Marandi has strengthened unity among the Opposition parties.

CM Raghubar Das paid Soren a visit on Saturday ostensibly to invite him to the governments celebration of Jharkhands foundation day on November 15. Sources said the two leaders had a brief chat on the two laws, the governments plans and those by the Opposition parties to begin a series of agitations.

PATNA: Two of Jharkhands top tribal leaders  former chief ministers Sibu Soren of JMM and Babulal Marandi of JVM(P)  have come together for the first time, putting behind their political rivalries and thereby sending uneasy signals for the BJP-led government in the predominantly tribal state. The coming together of Soren, Jharkhands tallest tribal leader and a founder of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and Marandi, the 16-year-old states first chief minister when he was with BJP, was facilitated by the urgency to protect two British-era laws that prevent alienation of the tribal people from their land. The unprecedented show of unity seen on Friday indicates no immediate plans for the two rivals to move towards a political alliance, but it could derail a major policy initiative of the Raghubar Das-led BJP government in the state. The Jharkhand government is intent to amend the two laws  Chotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act  in order to allow the diversion of large tracts of agricultural and residential lands in possession of the tribal people for commercial purposes. All tribal parties and organizations have voiced their dissent to the move, which was recently disapproved of by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. Even the ruling BJP-led alliances leaders have opposed the decision of the government, which is the first regime in Jharkhand led by a non-tribal. Vikas Munda, an MLA of the ruling ally All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), recently resigned from the states Tribal Advisory Council in protest against the proposed changes in the two land laws. Even tribal leaders in BJP are unhappy about the changes that many say would lead to Jharkhands tribals becoming homeless. With the government planning to get the bill seeking amendments to the two laws passed in the Assemblys upcoming winter session starting on November 17, the coming together of Soren and Marandi has strengthened unity among the Opposition parties. CM Raghubar Das paid Soren a visit on Saturday ostensibly to invite him to the governments celebration of Jharkhands foundation day on November 15. Sources said the two leaders had a brief chat on the two laws, the governments plans and those by the Opposition parties to begin a series of agitations.
By Express News Service

KOLKATA: Terming the situation caused by the sudden demonetisation of `500 and `1,000 rupee notes a financial emergency imposed by a black government, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday called for the unity of all Opposition parties, including her partys archrival CPM, to protest the unplanned and anti-people policy of the Centre.



Speaking at a presser in the state secretariat after visiting several banks and speaking to people in central Kolkata, the chief minister said, Even though the CPM is our ideological opponent, we are ready to stand with them over this arbitrary demonetisation. We call upon the Congress, BSP, SP, AAP and all Opposition parties to walk together to save the country from this emergency situation, she said. The entire economy has been affected. Businesses have stopped. Over two lakh ATMs are cashless.

Is this anything less than an emergency? If the BJP is serious, it should prepare a plan of action and provide currency notes to banks. If not, it should scrap the move immediately, she said. One should remember that 60 per cent of the economy is in the unorganised sector. In Bengal, over 700 gram panchayats dont have banking facilities. How will they exchange the notes? The jute and tea industries are badly hit. The economy has got ruined by the sudden demonetisation.

I demand an enquiry into the losses of our economy, she added.People are dying of heart attacks, marriages are getting cancelled, children are not getting food and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asks people to keep calm? she went on.



Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mamata said, Sitting in Japan, he is threatening of stringent action after December 30. Would he conduct another surgical strike on the common man? This situation is surgical anarchy. You have hit the stomachs of the people. What is he threatening us with? Would he declare emergency or mow us down with machine guns? Threatening countrymen from a foreign country is not in our foreign policy, she said.

What was the necessity to demonetise the notes just before the UP and Punjab elections? Was the rhetoric of surgical strike not enough to rake up the religious fervour? she questioned.

Praising the UPA government, she said, During P Chidambarams time, there was a systematic phasing out of a note by 2012. It was properly planned. The BJP should have learnt from him and ensured cash in ATMs and banks.

KOLKATA: Terming the situation caused by the sudden demonetisation of `500 and `1,000 rupee notes a financial emergency imposed by a black government, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday called for the unity of all Opposition parties, including her partys archrival CPM, to protest the unplanned and anti-people policy of the Centre. Speaking at a presser in the state secretariat after visiting several banks and speaking to people in central Kolkata, the chief minister said, Even though the CPM is our ideological opponent, we are ready to stand with them over this arbitrary demonetisation. We call upon the Congress, BSP, SP, AAP and all Opposition parties to walk together to save the country from this emergency situation, she said. The entire economy has been affected. Businesses have stopped. Over two lakh ATMs are cashless. Is this anything less than an emergency? If the BJP is serious, it should prepare a plan of action and provide currency notes to banks. If not, it should scrap the move immediately, she said. One should remember that 60 per cent of the economy is in the unorganised sector. In Bengal, over 700 gram panchayats dont have banking facilities. How will they exchange the notes? The jute and tea industries are badly hit. The economy has got ruined by the sudden demonetisation. I demand an enquiry into the losses of our economy, she added.People are dying of heart attacks, marriages are getting cancelled, children are not getting food and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asks people to keep calm? she went on. Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mamata said, Sitting in Japan, he is threatening of stringent action after December 30. Would he conduct another surgical strike on the common man? This situation is surgical anarchy. You have hit the stomachs of the people. What is he threatening us with? Would he declare emergency or mow us down with machine guns? Threatening countrymen from a foreign country is not in our foreign policy, she said. What was the necessity to demonetise the notes just before the UP and Punjab elections? Was the rhetoric of surgical strike not enough to rake up the religious fervour? she questioned. Praising the UPA government, she said, During P Chidambarams time, there was a systematic phasing out of a note by 2012. It was properly planned. The BJP should have learnt from him and ensured cash in ATMs and banks.
By PTI

BENGALURU: VHP leader Praveen Togadia has said the recent spate of murders of RSS and BJP workers in the South should not be politicised and no outfit which professes violence has the right to function in a democratic setup.



"The murders of RSS and BJP workers should not be politicised. It is not the question of RSS and VHP, but the question of majority community (Hindus). The majority community has the right to live safely just as other communities," he said.



He was replying to reporters' query on several murders of people belonging to BJP and RSS in Karnataka, on the sidelines of an event organised by VHP here last evening.



Asked whether pro-Islamic outfits should be banned, Togadia said: "No outfit which professes violence has the right to function in a democratic setup."



BJP has been pressing for a ban on Social Democratic Party of India, Popular Front of India and others, as it suspects their involvement in the murder of several Sangh Parivar and BJP activists in Karnataka in recent months.



On Tipu Jayanti, which the state government celebrated for the second consecutive year to commemorate the 18th century ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom, Togadia said instead of celebrating the anniversary of a 'tyrant ruler', the government should celebrate rulers like Chhatrapati Shivaji and Rana Pratap, who fought for the country.



Protests were held in Mangaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu and other districts, against Tipu Jayanti, who protesters said "was a religious bigot who converted people to Islam and massacred many".

BENGALURU: VHP leader Praveen Togadia has said the recent spate of murders of RSS and BJP workers in the South should not be politicised and no outfit which professes violence has the right to function in a democratic setup. "The murders of RSS and BJP workers should not be politicised. It is not the question of RSS and VHP, but the question of majority community (Hindus). The majority community has the right to live safely just as other communities," he said. He was replying to reporters' query on several murders of people belonging to BJP and RSS in Karnataka, on the sidelines of an event organised by VHP here last evening. Asked whether pro-Islamic outfits should be banned, Togadia said: "No outfit which professes violence has the right to function in a democratic setup." BJP has been pressing for a ban on Social Democratic Party of India, Popular Front of India and others, as it suspects their involvement in the murder of several Sangh Parivar and BJP activists in Karnataka in recent months. On Tipu Jayanti, which the state government celebrated for the second consecutive year to commemorate the 18th century ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom, Togadia said instead of celebrating the anniversary of a 'tyrant ruler', the government should celebrate rulers like Chhatrapati Shivaji and Rana Pratap, who fought for the country. Protests were held in Mangaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu and other districts, against Tipu Jayanti, who protesters said "was a religious bigot who converted people to Islam and massacred many".
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: On a day of high drama, the Supreme Court slapped a contempt notice on its former judge Markandey Katju for his blog post on the Saumya murder case. Katju had made an appearance in the court and had heated exchanges with the judges during the two-hour long hearing on a review petition.

The bench pointed out that the statement of Katju constituted a serious assault on judges and not on the judgment. It sought his response within six weeks.

Accused Govindachary, vicitm Saumya and judge Markandey Katju

The three-judge bench headed by Justice R Gogoi dismissed the review petition challenging the life sentence awarded to main accused Govindachary by the apex court. The State of Kerala as well as her mother had challenged the acquittal of the convict of the murder charge.

Katju in his blog has used intemperate language, which constituted a serious assault on judges and not on the judgment, the court said.

Katju protested against the decision saying the judges were threatening him and it was not proper for them to behave in such manner with a former judge of the apex court.

I am not scared of it. Dont give me threat, the former judge remarked as Justice Gogoi pronounced the order.

Justice Gogoi warned him saying dont provoke us any more to which Katju said you are provoking me by this type of threat. You requested me to come here and assist you.

Justice Gogoi asked, is there somebody to escort Justice Katju (out). Katju replied, What is this behaviour? On your request I came here. Is this the way I am to be treated?

Ironically, the courtroom where the proceedings happened was the same court where justice Katju use to preside before his retirement.

The issue of contempt was raised after the bench dismissed the review petitions filed by Kerala government and the mother of Soumya.

Addressing Justice Ranjan Gogoi, justice Katju said a Supreme Court judge should not behave like this and it was like a threat to him.

The bench issued notice after taking the view of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who was shown a copy of the blog, which he described as scandalous.

However, before taking up the contempt issue, Justice Katju along with the Attorney General assisted the Bench and tried to show how the judges have gravely erred in acquitting the convict of the murder charge.

Katju, during the arguments said that the judges have not applied common sense in arriving at a decision that the victim was pushed to death as she jumped out of a slow-running train in a semi-conscious state after the convict had inflicted head injuries on her.

NEW DELHI: On a day of high drama, the Supreme Court slapped a contempt notice on its former judge Markandey Katju for his blog post on the Saumya murder case. Katju had made an appearance in the court and had heated exchanges with the judges during the two-hour long hearing on a review petition. The bench pointed out that the statement of Katju constituted a serious assault on judges and not on the judgment. It sought his response within six weeks. Accused Govindachary, vicitm Saumya and judge Markandey KatjuThe three-judge bench headed by Justice R Gogoi dismissed the review petition challenging the life sentence awarded to main accused Govindachary by the apex court. The State of Kerala as well as her mother had challenged the acquittal of the convict of the murder charge. Katju in his blog has used intemperate language, which constituted a serious assault on judges and not on the judgment, the court said. Katju protested against the decision saying the judges were threatening him and it was not proper for them to behave in such manner with a former judge of the apex court. I am not scared of it. Dont give me threat, the former judge remarked as Justice Gogoi pronounced the order. Justice Gogoi warned him saying dont provoke us any more to which Katju said you are provoking me by this type of threat. You requested me to come here and assist you. Justice Gogoi asked, is there somebody to escort Justice Katju (out). Katju replied, What is this behaviour? On your request I came here. Is this the way I am to be treated? Ironically, the courtroom where the proceedings happened was the same court where justice Katju use to preside before his retirement. The issue of contempt was raised after the bench dismissed the review petitions filed by Kerala government and the mother of Soumya. Addressing Justice Ranjan Gogoi, justice Katju said a Supreme Court judge should not behave like this and it was like a threat to him. The bench issued notice after taking the view of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who was shown a copy of the blog, which he described as scandalous. However, before taking up the contempt issue, Justice Katju along with the Attorney General assisted the Bench and tried to show how the judges have gravely erred in acquitting the convict of the murder charge. Katju, during the arguments said that the judges have not applied common sense in arriving at a decision that the victim was pushed to death as she jumped out of a slow-running train in a semi-conscious state after the convict had inflicted head injuries on her.
By PTI

MUMBAI: In intensification of boardroom feud in the Tata Group, patriarch Ratan Tata-led holding firm today sought removal of ousted Chairman Cyrus Mistry and his new- found supporter Nusli N Wadia from three prime listed entities, including Tata Motors and Tata Steel.



Mistry, who was ousted as Chairman of Tata Sons in a sudden surprise move last month, suffered another setback when a non-executive director of Tata Chemicals Ltd, Bhaskar Bhat, resigned disagreeing with the proceedings and demanded his resignation.



Even after being removed as Chairman of Tata Sons, Mistry continues to head the group's several listed firms, including Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals.



Tata Sons, who had yesterday removed his as chairman of the group's shining star Tata Consultancy Services, sought convening of extraordinary general meeting of shareholders of Tata Motors, Tata Steel and

Tata Chemicals to remove him as well as Wadia from their boards.



Wadia is reported to have rallied independent directors of Tata Chemicals to back Mistry as Chairman of the company.



The latest move is seen as attempts by Ratan Tata, who was brought in as interim head after sudden removal of Mistry, to seize back control of India's largest conglomerate.



Tata Sons is seeking to remove Mistry from other group units to help the promoters tighten grip over the USD 103 billion business empire.



Tata Chemicals non-executive director Bhaskar Bhat resigned over what he said were disagreements with other board members. In his resignation letter, Bhat said, The contents as well as the spirit of the statement (of yesterday that expressed support of independent directors to Mistry) completely dilutes the views I expressed at the Board meeting especially regarding the threat the company faces on account of loss of confidence of the promoter Tata Sons in the Chairman of Tata Chemicals.



Bhat is also managing director of Titan Co, a jewellery manufacturer backed by Tata Group.



Tata Sons had yesterday asked Indian Hotels Co Ltd, where it holds 28.01 per cent, to call shareholders meeting to consider removing Mistry as director of the company. Mistry is Chairman of IHCL.



MUMBAI: In intensification of boardroom feud in the Tata Group, patriarch Ratan Tata-led holding firm today sought removal of ousted Chairman Cyrus Mistry and his new- found supporter Nusli N Wadia from three prime listed entities, including Tata Motors and Tata Steel. Mistry, who was ousted as Chairman of Tata Sons in a sudden surprise move last month, suffered another setback when a non-executive director of Tata Chemicals Ltd, Bhaskar Bhat, resigned disagreeing with the proceedings and demanded his resignation. Even after being removed as Chairman of Tata Sons, Mistry continues to head the group's several listed firms, including Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals. Tata Sons, who had yesterday removed his as chairman of the group's shining star Tata Consultancy Services, sought convening of extraordinary general meeting of shareholders of Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals to remove him as well as Wadia from their boards. Wadia is reported to have rallied independent directors of Tata Chemicals to back Mistry as Chairman of the company. The latest move is seen as attempts by Ratan Tata, who was brought in as interim head after sudden removal of Mistry, to seize back control of India's largest conglomerate. Tata Sons is seeking to remove Mistry from other group units to help the promoters tighten grip over the USD 103 billion business empire. Tata Chemicals non-executive director Bhaskar Bhat resigned over what he said were disagreements with other board members. In his resignation letter, Bhat said, The contents as well as the spirit of the statement (of yesterday that expressed support of independent directors to Mistry) completely dilutes the views I expressed at the Board meeting especially regarding the threat the company faces on account of loss of confidence of the promoter Tata Sons in the Chairman of Tata Chemicals. Bhat is also managing director of Titan Co, a jewellery manufacturer backed by Tata Group. Tata Sons had yesterday asked Indian Hotels Co Ltd, where it holds 28.01 per cent, to call shareholders meeting to consider removing Mistry as director of the company. Mistry is Chairman of IHCL.
By PTI

KOLKATA: Renewing her attack on Modi government for demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today demanded withdrawal of this "black" political decision saying it is against the common people.

"Withdraw this 'black' political decision which is anti-commoner. Markets across India ruined, purchasing power crashing, people pained," she tweeted.

Claiming that she had said this before, Banerjee said, "But given the way the young, old and everyone is suffering, let me again appeal to the Central government" (to withdraw the decision).

"This has turned out to be a big black scandal. Hardship for the common citizens and full advantage to the money launderers," she said.

The TMC chief on Thursday called upon all opposition parties to work together against the "anti-poor government at the Centre".

"Let us fight this political and financial anarchy together. We will be with you all," Banerjee had said.

Mocking the Prime Minister, she had said Narendra Modi "has gone to Japan after making the people poor in India."

Trinamool Congress has already given a notice in the Rajya Sabha for a discussion on the demonetisation issue on November 16, the opening day of winter session of Parliament.

TMC leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay has said the party would bring an adjournment motion in the house on the same day.

Mamata also penned a poem on the demonetisation issue.

KOLKATA: Renewing her attack on Modi government for demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today demanded withdrawal of this "black" political decision saying it is against the common people. "Withdraw this 'black' political decision which is anti-commoner. Markets across India ruined, purchasing power crashing, people pained," she tweeted. Claiming that she had said this before, Banerjee said, "But given the way the young, old and everyone is suffering, let me again appeal to the Central government" (to withdraw the decision). "This has turned out to be a big black scandal. Hardship for the common citizens and full advantage to the money launderers," she said. The TMC chief on Thursday called upon all opposition parties to work together against the "anti-poor government at the Centre". "Let us fight this political and financial anarchy together. We will be with you all," Banerjee had said. Mocking the Prime Minister, she had said Narendra Modi "has gone to Japan after making the people poor in India." Trinamool Congress has already given a notice in the Rajya Sabha for a discussion on the demonetisation issue on November 16, the opening day of winter session of Parliament. TMC leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay has said the party would bring an adjournment motion in the house on the same day. Mamata also penned a poem on the demonetisation issue.
By PTI

JAMMU: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today hit out at a section of media for "portraying" Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Valley, in a negative way, saying it is distancing the state from the country.



"Due to the role of a section of the media, we are getting distanced from the country," She said.



Mehbooba was addressing the delegates of India Travel Mart (ITM) here this evening.



"Media is to be blamed. If four people pick up ISIS flag....News continues to hog for several days. The yatra took place in a best possible way but nothing was projected," she said.



Mehbooba termed the visit of the people of the country to Kashmir as an investment in peace.



She asked the Tourism Department and tour operators to work together for attracting tourists to the state.



"The impression about the state would improve with more tourist arrivals," the Chief Minister said.



She said projects like border tourism, Ranjit Sagar Dam, Tawi lake and others in the Jammu province would be pursued.



She said the Centre has allocated sufficient funds for development of tourism in the state and hoped that in coming times the infrastructure would be upgraded.



On the occasion, the Chief Minister distributed 4th All India Tour and Travel awards among the winners.

JAMMU: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today hit out at a section of media for "portraying" Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Valley, in a negative way, saying it is distancing the state from the country. "Due to the role of a section of the media, we are getting distanced from the country," She said. Mehbooba was addressing the delegates of India Travel Mart (ITM) here this evening. "Media is to be blamed. If four people pick up ISIS flag....News continues to hog for several days. The yatra took place in a best possible way but nothing was projected," she said. Mehbooba termed the visit of the people of the country to Kashmir as an investment in peace. She asked the Tourism Department and tour operators to work together for attracting tourists to the state. "The impression about the state would improve with more tourist arrivals," the Chief Minister said. She said projects like border tourism, Ranjit Sagar Dam, Tawi lake and others in the Jammu province would be pursued. She said the Centre has allocated sufficient funds for development of tourism in the state and hoped that in coming times the infrastructure would be upgraded. On the occasion, the Chief Minister distributed 4th All India Tour and Travel awards among the winners.
If you were a teacher in a school in the US province of Arkansas in the mid-20th century, you could be dismissed for teaching evolution. The law existed for four decades before it was declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court 48 years ago. A look

When democracy fails

The 1928 Arkansas statute was the first anti-evolution law in the US voted in by the people. Many in Arkansas believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible. Despite opposition by professors, it was passed with 63 per cent of the vote

Spurred by the Soviets

In 1957, with Sputniks launch, Americans awoke to find a scientifically advanced Soviet Union had beaten the US into space. This spurred rapid revisions of science textbooks, says Coyne

But teachers using newer books were violating the law. One of them brought a suit against Arkansas. The Supreme Court, in 1968, held teaching and learning need not be tailored to the principles of a religious sect

The opponents of evolution changed their strategy and recast themselves as scientific creationists. In 1981, the Arkansas legislature passed an equal time bill mandating balanced treatment for evolution science and creation science. The bill was again declared unconstitutional... as its primary effect was to advance religion

Evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne (in the New Republic)

If you were a teacher in a school in the US province of Arkansas in the mid-20th century, you could be dismissed for teaching evolution. The law existed for four decades before it was declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court 48 years ago. A look When democracy fails The 1928 Arkansas statute was the first anti-evolution law in the US voted in by the people. Many in Arkansas believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible. Despite opposition by professors, it was passed with 63 per cent of the vote Spurred by the Soviets In 1957, with Sputniks launch, Americans awoke to find a scientifically advanced Soviet Union had beaten the US into space. This spurred rapid revisions of science textbooks, says Coyne But teachers using newer books were violating the law. One of them brought a suit against Arkansas. The Supreme Court, in 1968, held teaching and learning need not be tailored to the principles of a religious sect The opponents of evolution changed their strategy and recast themselves as scientific creationists. In 1981, the Arkansas legislature passed an equal time bill mandating balanced treatment for evolution science and creation science. The bill was again declared unconstitutional... as its primary effect was to advance religion Evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne (in the New Republic)
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday called upon British delegation participating in the UK Smart City Capabilities and expertise to support Amaravati meeting in Vijayawada, to become partners in the making of the world class capital.

Not every day, a capital city is constructed. It has now advanced from conceptual stage to construction stage. It is a rare opportunity and UK should be part of it, he said.

Chandrababu said London has taken centuries to develop, but Amaravati do not have that luxury of time and need to be developed on fast track. We are looking for best practices in the world and UK has come forward with its smart cities programme. In fact, Amaravati is among the smart cities to be developed by the UK. A MoU to that effect was signed during PM Narendra Modis visit to London last year, he said.

Appreciating the measures proposed for the drought proofing of cities in the country, he said there is need for improving disaster mitigation mechanism using technology, for which the state had signed an MoU with the World Bank. He asked the British organisations to form a consortium and to be part of the project.

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday called upon British delegation participating in the UK Smart City Capabilities and expertise to support Amaravati meeting in Vijayawada, to become partners in the making of the world class capital. Not every day, a capital city is constructed. It has now advanced from conceptual stage to construction stage. It is a rare opportunity and UK should be part of it, he said. Chandrababu said London has taken centuries to develop, but Amaravati do not have that luxury of time and need to be developed on fast track. We are looking for best practices in the world and UK has come forward with its smart cities programme. In fact, Amaravati is among the smart cities to be developed by the UK. A MoU to that effect was signed during PM Narendra Modis visit to London last year, he said. Appreciating the measures proposed for the drought proofing of cities in the country, he said there is need for improving disaster mitigation mechanism using technology, for which the state had signed an MoU with the World Bank. He asked the British organisations to form a consortium and to be part of the project.
By Express News Service

MYSURU & BELAVAGI : Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he would decide on the need for a probe against Primary Education Minister Tanveer Saits only after he receives a report. He also clarified that he had not said the media reports or footage of Tanveer Sait allegedly watching objectionable visuals are baseless.



Sait was caught allegedly watching porn videos on his cellphone at a Tipu jayanti event at Raichur on Thursday.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inspecting dried-up crops at a village in Bailhongal taluk on Friday | express



Asked about BJP demanding action against the minister, he refused to comment. Claiming the allegation against Sait watching obscene pictures at a public event was not as serious as BJP legislators indulging in a similar act in Vidhana Soudha, the CM said his ministerial colleague would clarify the matter on Saturday.



Siddaramaiah said he got an explanation about the incident from Sait. He added that Sait had been instructed to clarify on the matter once he returned to Bengaluru on Saturday. He said he was not defending Sait over the matter and he would initiate action after looking into it.



CM visits drought-hit areas

Drought-hit farmers poured out their woes before Siddaramaiah during his visit to Harobelavadi village in Dharwad taluk on Friday. His visit to villages lasted only for a few minutes, embarrassing Congress workers who were waiting for long.



These villages have witnessed farmers suicide in the recent past after failure of rainfall during kharif and rabi season this year. Dried-up onion crops greeted the CM while he was travelling by Vijayapur-Hubballi National Highway.



The police and farmers were on the spot quite early thinking that CM may come on time, but he came two hours behind schedule. Policemen were served food packets for lunch, but the hungry villagers waited to meet the CM and share their grievances under the scorching sun.

MYSURU & BELAVAGI : Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he would decide on the need for a probe against Primary Education Minister Tanveer Saits only after he receives a report. He also clarified that he had not said the media reports or footage of Tanveer Sait allegedly watching objectionable visuals are baseless. Sait was caught allegedly watching porn videos on his cellphone at a Tipu jayanti event at Raichur on Thursday. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inspecting dried-up crops at a village in Bailhongal taluk on Friday | express Asked about BJP demanding action against the minister, he refused to comment. Claiming the allegation against Sait watching obscene pictures at a public event was not as serious as BJP legislators indulging in a similar act in Vidhana Soudha, the CM said his ministerial colleague would clarify the matter on Saturday. Siddaramaiah said he got an explanation about the incident from Sait. He added that Sait had been instructed to clarify on the matter once he returned to Bengaluru on Saturday. He said he was not defending Sait over the matter and he would initiate action after looking into it. CM visits drought-hit areas Drought-hit farmers poured out their woes before Siddaramaiah during his visit to Harobelavadi village in Dharwad taluk on Friday. His visit to villages lasted only for a few minutes, embarrassing Congress workers who were waiting for long. These villages have witnessed farmers suicide in the recent past after failure of rainfall during kharif and rabi season this year. Dried-up onion crops greeted the CM while he was travelling by Vijayapur-Hubballi National Highway. The police and farmers were on the spot quite early thinking that CM may come on time, but he came two hours behind schedule. Policemen were served food packets for lunch, but the hungry villagers waited to meet the CM and share their grievances under the scorching sun.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday formally inaugurated the OutPatient Wing of the proposed Kochi Cancer Centre at a function held on the Medical College Campus, where the OP had started functioning. In fact, the OP began functioning on November 1.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister recalled the efforts made by, the late, Justice V R Krishna Iyer to make the Cancer Centre a reality. He said the government decided to open the OP wing on November 1, in view of the demand from the public and steps would be initiated to turn it into a fully fledged Cancer Centre as early as possible.

Sometimes, in the initial days, people who seek treatment here may be referred to the Regional Cancer Centre(RCC) inThiruvananthapuram. The government requests patients not to get annoyed if anyone is referred to the RCC for further treatment since the OP at the Cancer Centre has just about started functioning, the Chief Minister said,adding, Medical records at the RCC reveal that around 80 per cent of the patients, who had early detection, succeeded in their battle against cancer and were leading a peaceful life.

Health Minister K K Shylaja, who presided, said it was essential to have a Cancer Centre in central Kerala as the RCC alone could not cater to the needs of patients from across the state.

The government has decided to augment facilities at Oncology Departments at district hospitals so that the heavy rush at RCC can be brought down to some extent, the minister said.

District Collector K Mohammed Y Safarulla welcomed the gathering. V K Ibrahim Kunju, MLA, K V Thomas, MP, Assistant Collector Renu Raj, CPM district chief and former Rajya Sabha MP P Rajeev, RCC director Paul Sebastian, litterateur M K Sanu , Oushadhi chairman K R Viswambharan and Medical College principal Dr Sreekala spoke.

The OP Wing will have seven doctors, including one Gynaec-oncolgist. Gynaec-oncolgist Dr Neethu Sreedharan joined the Centre on the opening day itself. A lab technician too has assumed charge.

In the initial days, the OP wing, will be, functioning in cooperation with the Kochi Medical College. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with the Medical College for using the facilities available there. The building where the OP is functioning is connected to the Medical College through trolley ways for shifting patients without delay in case of emergency.

And, 12.12 acre has been earmarked for the Cancer Centre on the Government Medical College campus. The foundation stone for the Cancer Centre was laid on August 18, 2014, by the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. And project report was prepared by Hospital Service Consultancy Corporation (HSCC) Limited.

KOCHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday formally inaugurated the OutPatient Wing of the proposed Kochi Cancer Centre at a function held on the Medical College Campus, where the OP had started functioning. In fact, the OP began functioning on November 1. Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister recalled the efforts made by, the late, Justice V R Krishna Iyer to make the Cancer Centre a reality. He said the government decided to open the OP wing on November 1, in view of the demand from the public and steps would be initiated to turn it into a fully fledged Cancer Centre as early as possible. Sometimes, in the initial days, people who seek treatment here may be referred to the Regional Cancer Centre(RCC) inThiruvananthapuram. The government requests patients not to get annoyed if anyone is referred to the RCC for further treatment since the OP at the Cancer Centre has just about started functioning, the Chief Minister said,adding, Medical records at the RCC reveal that around 80 per cent of the patients, who had early detection, succeeded in their battle against cancer and were leading a peaceful life. Health Minister K K Shylaja, who presided, said it was essential to have a Cancer Centre in central Kerala as the RCC alone could not cater to the needs of patients from across the state. The government has decided to augment facilities at Oncology Departments at district hospitals so that the heavy rush at RCC can be brought down to some extent, the minister said. District Collector K Mohammed Y Safarulla welcomed the gathering. V K Ibrahim Kunju, MLA, K V Thomas, MP, Assistant Collector Renu Raj, CPM district chief and former Rajya Sabha MP P Rajeev, RCC director Paul Sebastian, litterateur M K Sanu , Oushadhi chairman K R Viswambharan and Medical College principal Dr Sreekala spoke. The OP Wing will have seven doctors, including one Gynaec-oncolgist. Gynaec-oncolgist Dr Neethu Sreedharan joined the Centre on the opening day itself. A lab technician too has assumed charge. In the initial days, the OP wing, will be, functioning in cooperation with the Kochi Medical College. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with the Medical College for using the facilities available there. The building where the OP is functioning is connected to the Medical College through trolley ways for shifting patients without delay in case of emergency. And, 12.12 acre has been earmarked for the Cancer Centre on the Government Medical College campus. The foundation stone for the Cancer Centre was laid on August 18, 2014, by the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. And project report was prepared by Hospital Service Consultancy Corporation (HSCC) Limited.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: The Union Minister of State for Rural Development on Saturday rejected the state government's claim of constructing ten lakh houses in the last three years.

The State government has failed to meet targets despite normal fund flow from the Centre. As many as 70,000 houses are yet to be completed under Indira Awas Yojana scheme," Ram Kripal Yadav said.

Yadav said the Odisha government is misleading the people. He said the reply given by the minister concerned in the Assembly was correct. The government has constructed only 1.81 lakh houses under Biju Awas Yojna and the rest houses are built from the funding of the Central government he added. Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is from the Biju Janata Dal, which holds 117 of 147 seats in the state Assembly.

The Union Minister, who reviewed the progress of the Central government's rural housing schemes under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), expressed displeasure at the slow progress of these flagship programmes.

BHUBANESWAR: The Union Minister of State for Rural Development on Saturday rejected the state government's claim of constructing ten lakh houses in the last three years. The State government has failed to meet targets despite normal fund flow from the Centre. As many as 70,000 houses are yet to be completed under Indira Awas Yojana scheme," Ram Kripal Yadav said. Yadav said the Odisha government is misleading the people. He said the reply given by the minister concerned in the Assembly was correct. The government has constructed only 1.81 lakh houses under Biju Awas Yojna and the rest houses are built from the funding of the Central government he added. Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is from the Biju Janata Dal, which holds 117 of 147 seats in the state Assembly. The Union Minister, who reviewed the progress of the Central government's rural housing schemes under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), expressed displeasure at the slow progress of these flagship programmes.
By PTI

KARACHI: At least 52 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 others injured today in a suicide bombing at a popular sufi shrine in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, an attack claimed by the Islamic State terror group.

The blast occurred in the remote Hub region in Khuzdar district of the province while devotees were participating in a Sufi dance called "dhamaal" at Dargah Shah Noorani.

At least 52 people were killed and more than 100 have been injured in the blast, rescue officials said.

Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said ambulances and rescue teams had rushed to site.

"The rescue operations are going on and the casualties could rise as some people are still trapped at the place where the blast took place," Bugti said.

Some local media reports put the death toll as high as 62.

The target of the attack was the area where devotees perform 'dhamaal'. The blast site is situated some 250 km away from Karachi. The blast happened when about 500 to 600 devotees were present at shrine.

Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack via Amaq news agency.

"35 dead and 95 wounded Shiite visitors in...operation attack by the Islamic State fighter that targeted a shrine in a city in Balochistan," the agency said.

The Express Tribune quoted police sources as saying that the blast was a suicide attack carried out by a 14-year-old boy. Colonel Junaid Kakar of the Frontier Corps also told the media that it appeared to be the work of a suicide bomber.

"All evidences point to a suicide bombing," he said.

Rescuers were facing difficulty in accessing the site as the shrine is located in a remote area.

Women and children were among those killed in the blast.

"The shrine is located some 250 kilometres from Karachi in the remote mountains of Uthal and our vehicles have been dispatched there to carry out rescue operations and shift the injured to the hospitals," said Hakeen Lassi, an official of the Edhi Trust Foundation.

Local tehsildar Javed Iqbal said security arrangements at the shrine were not proper.



"It is sad that although thousands of devotees from Karachi and other parts of the country visit the shrine everyday but there are no medical emergency facilities or ambulances at the site," he said.

He said the devotees take part in the 'dhamaal' everyday after sunset and the blast took place close to where they were dancing inside the compound of the shrine.

President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the bomb blast and directed authorities to speed up the rescue activities.

This is the third major incident of a bombing in the province since August. In August, about 70 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack outside the civil hospital in the provincial capital Quetta. Last month, 64 police cadets and two army men were killed when three terrorists raided a police training centre in Quetta.

KARACHI: At least 52 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 others injured today in a suicide bombing at a popular sufi shrine in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, an attack claimed by the Islamic State terror group. The blast occurred in the remote Hub region in Khuzdar district of the province while devotees were participating in a Sufi dance called "dhamaal" at Dargah Shah Noorani. At least 52 people were killed and more than 100 have been injured in the blast, rescue officials said. Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said ambulances and rescue teams had rushed to site. "The rescue operations are going on and the casualties could rise as some people are still trapped at the place where the blast took place," Bugti said. Some local media reports put the death toll as high as 62. The target of the attack was the area where devotees perform 'dhamaal'. The blast site is situated some 250 km away from Karachi. The blast happened when about 500 to 600 devotees were present at shrine. Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack via Amaq news agency. "35 dead and 95 wounded Shiite visitors in...operation attack by the Islamic State fighter that targeted a shrine in a city in Balochistan," the agency said. The Express Tribune quoted police sources as saying that the blast was a suicide attack carried out by a 14-year-old boy. Colonel Junaid Kakar of the Frontier Corps also told the media that it appeared to be the work of a suicide bomber. "All evidences point to a suicide bombing," he said. Rescuers were facing difficulty in accessing the site as the shrine is located in a remote area. Women and children were among those killed in the blast. "The shrine is located some 250 kilometres from Karachi in the remote mountains of Uthal and our vehicles have been dispatched there to carry out rescue operations and shift the injured to the hospitals," said Hakeen Lassi, an official of the Edhi Trust Foundation. Local tehsildar Javed Iqbal said security arrangements at the shrine were not proper. "It is sad that although thousands of devotees from Karachi and other parts of the country visit the shrine everyday but there are no medical emergency facilities or ambulances at the site," he said. He said the devotees take part in the 'dhamaal' everyday after sunset and the blast took place close to where they were dancing inside the compound of the shrine. President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the bomb blast and directed authorities to speed up the rescue activities. This is the third major incident of a bombing in the province since August. In August, about 70 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack outside the civil hospital in the provincial capital Quetta. Last month, 64 police cadets and two army men were killed when three terrorists raided a police training centre in Quetta.
By AFP

KABUL: Four people were killed Saturday in a huge explosion inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, NATO said, with local authorities blaming a suicide attacker in a major breach of security.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield, north of the capital Kabul, which left 14 others wounded as the insurgents ramp up attacks on Western targets.

The nationalities of those killed and wounded were not immediately known after the explosion, which highlights rising insecurity in Afghanistan nearly two years after US-led NATO forces formally ended their combat operations.

"An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded," NATO said in a statement.

"Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident."

The blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base, said Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province where Bagram is located.

"We don't know the identity of victims yet but the attacker was one of the Afghan labourers working there," Sediqi told AFP.

Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi described the explosion around 0100 GMT as "powerful", saying it reverberated across the area. The base was put on lockdown following the attack.

The United States has around 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, with the largest contingent stationed at the Bagram base.

The attack represents a brazen security breach inside one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan.

The base is enveloped by multiple layers of Afghan and American guards, security cameras and watch towers, and a surveillance blimp keeps a close watch on the surrounding areas.

Rising insecurity

"To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences," said John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

"For the family and friends of those wounded in today's attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today."

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said one of the insurgent group's suicide bombers carried out the assault, claiming it inflicted "heavy casualties on US invaders".

The militants are stepping up attacks nationwide before the onset of winter, when the fighting usually ebbs.

Bagram Airfield has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near the base in one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.

The latest assault came after a powerful Taliban truck bomb struck the German consulate in Afghanistan's northern Mazar-i-Sharif city late Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding more than 100 others.

The uptick in attacks comes just days after a bitter US presidential election.

Afghanistan got scarcely a passing mention in the election campaign -- even though the situation there will be an urgent matter for the new president.

President-elect Donald Trump is set to inherit America's longest war with no end in sight.

KABUL: Four people were killed Saturday in a huge explosion inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, NATO said, with local authorities blaming a suicide attacker in a major breach of security. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield, north of the capital Kabul, which left 14 others wounded as the insurgents ramp up attacks on Western targets. The nationalities of those killed and wounded were not immediately known after the explosion, which highlights rising insecurity in Afghanistan nearly two years after US-led NATO forces formally ended their combat operations. "An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded," NATO said in a statement. "Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident." The blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base, said Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province where Bagram is located. "We don't know the identity of victims yet but the attacker was one of the Afghan labourers working there," Sediqi told AFP. Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi described the explosion around 0100 GMT as "powerful", saying it reverberated across the area. The base was put on lockdown following the attack. The United States has around 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, with the largest contingent stationed at the Bagram base. The attack represents a brazen security breach inside one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan. The base is enveloped by multiple layers of Afghan and American guards, security cameras and watch towers, and a surveillance blimp keeps a close watch on the surrounding areas. Rising insecurity "To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences," said John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan. "For the family and friends of those wounded in today's attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today." Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said one of the insurgent group's suicide bombers carried out the assault, claiming it inflicted "heavy casualties on US invaders". The militants are stepping up attacks nationwide before the onset of winter, when the fighting usually ebbs. Bagram Airfield has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents. Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near the base in one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015. The latest assault came after a powerful Taliban truck bomb struck the German consulate in Afghanistan's northern Mazar-i-Sharif city late Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding more than 100 others. The uptick in attacks comes just days after a bitter US presidential election. Afghanistan got scarcely a passing mention in the election campaign -- even though the situation there will be an urgent matter for the new president. President-elect Donald Trump is set to inherit America's longest war with no end in sight.
By AFP

ROME: They arrive in their hundreds every month, their heads full of dreams of new lives in Europe. In reality, many of them are destined for years of sexual slavery.

And in Italy's migrant-saturated southern ports, prising these young Nigerian girls away from their traffickers is a formidable challenge.

With each new landing of migrants rescued at sea, the well-worn processing procedures have an almost ritualistic aspect to them: a first identification interview, cuddly toys for the children and a specialist from the International Organization for Migration paying particular attention to any young women.

Nigerian females have been landing in Italy in significant numbers since the 1980s, lured by the promise of jobs only to find themselves with colossal debts to the traffickers who got them here.

The trade has exploded in recent years. According to IOM figures, 433 Nigerian women arrived in 2013, 1,454 in 2014, 5,653 last year and 7,768 in the first nine months of 2016.

"We estimate that between 70 and 80 percent of them are in danger of being forced into prostitution," said the IOM's Luca Pianese, adding that the numbers do not include hundreds of minors.

Some of the women will end up working on the streets of Italy, others in France, Spain, Austria or other European countries where demand seems to grow incessantly.

Pianese, who works as part of a 13-strong team that includes two women of Nigerian origin, has learned how to spot the signs that newly arrived women have been trafficked.

Most of the victims come from Edo state in southern Nigeria, they invariably have had only the most basic education and say they can remember little about how they got from Nigeria to the Mediterranean.

Smashing dreams

Usually the women have a phone number they have been told to call when they arrive.

Sometimes they will be accompanied by a minder. "You have to separate them from false sisters and pretend husbands," said Pianese.

Then comes the painful bit. "They arrive here full of hope, confident they are headed for a better future," the aid worker says.

"Unfortunately our duty is to smash their dream."

That involves explaining that the future envisaged for these young women involves long hours perched on the edge of out-the-way roads, servicing 10 to 20 clients a day for less than 20 euros (dollars) a time with no guarantee that some of the punters will not be violent.

There is also some positive news to be shared: Italian law guarantees residency rights and social support to women trafficked for prostitution, even if they have not got to the stage of being forced to sell their bodies in Italy.

Despite that, the IOM says barely 300 women accepted such help between the start of 2015 and the end of August.

According to Nigerian nun Monica Chikwe, who coordinates a network of safe houses for trafficked African women, that is not surprising.

In Nigeria, "no one tells the truth" and when they hear about Europe "all the girls can see are sequins", she says.

For many, abuse and violence starts en route, in particular in Libya. Yet a degree of gratitude persists alongside fear of the people smugglers who, after all, have delivered on their promise to get them to Europe.

50,000 euro debt

Even those women savvy enough to suspect that all might not be as it has been presented to them have little idea of the violence that awaits them -- or how hard it will be for them to repay the debts they have incurred.

Typically this will be between 20,000 and 50,000 euros (dollars).

"These are sums way above what other migrants have paid," says Maurizio Scalia, a public prosecutor in Palermo in Sicily who has been helping to track down individual traffickers and now wants to expand the scope of his investigation to "get a picture of the whole system".

Adding to the problems involved in smashing the smugglers' business model is the fact that many of the victims have taken part in voodoo ceremonies before they leave Nigeria and fear reprisals against their families if they do not pay back their debts.

As a result, most of them will maintain a stony silence until they reach reception centres, where traffickers will come to find them. In such cases, all the IOM can do is give them an emergency number they can call at any time.

Sometimes it works. Earlier this month Sicilian police were able to liberate a young Nigerian who had landed on October 24 and dialled for help after being kidnapped by three of her compatriots and told she would have to prostitute herself to reimburse 30,000 euros.

The toll-free number received some 150 calls in 2015 and the first half of this year.

Faced with the sharp increase of young women confronting the same plight, the Italian government recently allocated 15 million euros to establish specialist reception centres.

They are already nearly all full.

ROME: They arrive in their hundreds every month, their heads full of dreams of new lives in Europe. In reality, many of them are destined for years of sexual slavery. And in Italy's migrant-saturated southern ports, prising these young Nigerian girls away from their traffickers is a formidable challenge. With each new landing of migrants rescued at sea, the well-worn processing procedures have an almost ritualistic aspect to them: a first identification interview, cuddly toys for the children and a specialist from the International Organization for Migration paying particular attention to any young women. Nigerian females have been landing in Italy in significant numbers since the 1980s, lured by the promise of jobs only to find themselves with colossal debts to the traffickers who got them here. The trade has exploded in recent years. According to IOM figures, 433 Nigerian women arrived in 2013, 1,454 in 2014, 5,653 last year and 7,768 in the first nine months of 2016. "We estimate that between 70 and 80 percent of them are in danger of being forced into prostitution," said the IOM's Luca Pianese, adding that the numbers do not include hundreds of minors. Some of the women will end up working on the streets of Italy, others in France, Spain, Austria or other European countries where demand seems to grow incessantly. Pianese, who works as part of a 13-strong team that includes two women of Nigerian origin, has learned how to spot the signs that newly arrived women have been trafficked. Most of the victims come from Edo state in southern Nigeria, they invariably have had only the most basic education and say they can remember little about how they got from Nigeria to the Mediterranean. Smashing dreams Usually the women have a phone number they have been told to call when they arrive. Sometimes they will be accompanied by a minder. "You have to separate them from false sisters and pretend husbands," said Pianese. Then comes the painful bit. "They arrive here full of hope, confident they are headed for a better future," the aid worker says. "Unfortunately our duty is to smash their dream." That involves explaining that the future envisaged for these young women involves long hours perched on the edge of out-the-way roads, servicing 10 to 20 clients a day for less than 20 euros (dollars) a time with no guarantee that some of the punters will not be violent. There is also some positive news to be shared: Italian law guarantees residency rights and social support to women trafficked for prostitution, even if they have not got to the stage of being forced to sell their bodies in Italy. Despite that, the IOM says barely 300 women accepted such help between the start of 2015 and the end of August. According to Nigerian nun Monica Chikwe, who coordinates a network of safe houses for trafficked African women, that is not surprising. In Nigeria, "no one tells the truth" and when they hear about Europe "all the girls can see are sequins", she says. For many, abuse and violence starts en route, in particular in Libya. Yet a degree of gratitude persists alongside fear of the people smugglers who, after all, have delivered on their promise to get them to Europe. 50,000 euro debt Even those women savvy enough to suspect that all might not be as it has been presented to them have little idea of the violence that awaits them -- or how hard it will be for them to repay the debts they have incurred. Typically this will be between 20,000 and 50,000 euros (dollars). "These are sums way above what other migrants have paid," says Maurizio Scalia, a public prosecutor in Palermo in Sicily who has been helping to track down individual traffickers and now wants to expand the scope of his investigation to "get a picture of the whole system". Adding to the problems involved in smashing the smugglers' business model is the fact that many of the victims have taken part in voodoo ceremonies before they leave Nigeria and fear reprisals against their families if they do not pay back their debts. As a result, most of them will maintain a stony silence until they reach reception centres, where traffickers will come to find them. In such cases, all the IOM can do is give them an emergency number they can call at any time. Sometimes it works. Earlier this month Sicilian police were able to liberate a young Nigerian who had landed on October 24 and dialled for help after being kidnapped by three of her compatriots and told she would have to prostitute herself to reimburse 30,000 euros. The toll-free number received some 150 calls in 2015 and the first half of this year. Faced with the sharp increase of young women confronting the same plight, the Italian government recently allocated 15 million euros to establish specialist reception centres. They are already nearly all full.
By AFP

KABUL: At least four people were killed early on Saturday in an explosion inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, NATO said, with the Taliban claiming responsibility for the major security breach.

The explosion struck at dawn inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield north of Kabul, as the Taliban step up attacks on Western targets before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs.

The nationalities of those killed were not immediately known after the blast, which highlights a worsening security situation nearly two years after NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan.

"An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded," NATO said in a statement.

"Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident."

Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province where Bagram is located, said the blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base.

"We don't know the identity of victims yet, but the attacker was either one of the Afghan labourers working there," Sediqi told AFP.

Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi said the explosion that struck around 0100 GMT was powerful and reverberated across the area.

"To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences," said John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

"For the family and friends of those wounded in todays attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today."

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was behind the suicide attack inside Bagram, claiming it inflicted "heavy casualties on US invaders".

The brazen attack represents an alarming security breach inside what is regarded as one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan.

Bagram Airfield, close to Kabul, has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistan's largest US military base.

It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.

The latest attack comes after a powerful Taliban truck bomb struck the German consulate in Afghanistan's northern Mazar-i-Sharif city late Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding more than 100 others.

The uptick in attacks comes just days after a bitter US presidential election.

Afghanistan got scarcely a passing mention in the election campaign -- even though the situation there will be an urgent matter for the new president.

President-elect Donald Trump is set to inherit America's longest war with no end in sight.

KABUL: At least four people were killed early on Saturday in an explosion inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, NATO said, with the Taliban claiming responsibility for the major security breach. The explosion struck at dawn inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield north of Kabul, as the Taliban step up attacks on Western targets before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs. The nationalities of those killed were not immediately known after the blast, which highlights a worsening security situation nearly two years after NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan. "An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded," NATO said in a statement. "Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident." Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province where Bagram is located, said the blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base. "We don't know the identity of victims yet, but the attacker was either one of the Afghan labourers working there," Sediqi told AFP. Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi said the explosion that struck around 0100 GMT was powerful and reverberated across the area. "To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences," said John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan. "For the family and friends of those wounded in todays attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today." Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was behind the suicide attack inside Bagram, claiming it inflicted "heavy casualties on US invaders". The brazen attack represents an alarming security breach inside what is regarded as one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan. Bagram Airfield, close to Kabul, has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents. Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistan's largest US military base. It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015. The latest attack comes after a powerful Taliban truck bomb struck the German consulate in Afghanistan's northern Mazar-i-Sharif city late Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding more than 100 others. The uptick in attacks comes just days after a bitter US presidential election. Afghanistan got scarcely a passing mention in the election campaign -- even though the situation there will be an urgent matter for the new president. President-elect Donald Trump is set to inherit America's longest war with no end in sight.
By Associated Press

DALLAS: The father of a Dallas police officer killed by a sniper after a July protest against police brutality is suing Black Lives Matter, the Nation of Islam and a handful of other defendants saying they incited a "war on police."

Enrique Zamarripa, the father of slain officer Patrick Zamarripa, filed the lawsuit Monday in the Northern District of Texas federal court. Zamarripa is represented by Larry Klayman of the group Freedom Watch, who has filed similar lawsuits on behalf of police officers in Dallas and other cities.

Patrick Zamarripa's mother, Valerie Zamarripa, issued a statement Tuesday saying that she was not part of her ex-husband's lawsuit.

Five officers were killed after the July protest organized by Dallas-based Next Generation Action Network, which is not directly affiliated with Black Lives Matter.

DALLAS: The father of a Dallas police officer killed by a sniper after a July protest against police brutality is suing Black Lives Matter, the Nation of Islam and a handful of other defendants saying they incited a "war on police." Enrique Zamarripa, the father of slain officer Patrick Zamarripa, filed the lawsuit Monday in the Northern District of Texas federal court. Zamarripa is represented by Larry Klayman of the group Freedom Watch, who has filed similar lawsuits on behalf of police officers in Dallas and other cities. Patrick Zamarripa's mother, Valerie Zamarripa, issued a statement Tuesday saying that she was not part of her ex-husband's lawsuit. Five officers were killed after the July protest organized by Dallas-based Next Generation Action Network, which is not directly affiliated with Black Lives Matter.
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: The first trade convoy carrying Chinese goods for export through the western route of the USD 46 billion-China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has arrived at the Gwadar port, a media report said today.

A Chinese ship docked at the port yesterday, and another vessel was expected to arrive within 24 hours, Dawn reported, citing official sources.

The Pakistan daily said that the second trade convoy was scheduled to reach today. The goods will be exported to countries in the Middle East and Africa.

A ceremony marking the opening of trade activities through the corridor will be held tomorrow, which will be attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri and envoys of 15 countries.

China not only built the Gwadar port but also has its operational control. It is also building a network of roads and railways to link up its western region to Gwadar for easier access to the Arabian Sea.

ISLAMABAD: The first trade convoy carrying Chinese goods for export through the western route of the USD 46 billion-China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has arrived at the Gwadar port, a media report said today. A Chinese ship docked at the port yesterday, and another vessel was expected to arrive within 24 hours, Dawn reported, citing official sources. The Pakistan daily said that the second trade convoy was scheduled to reach today. The goods will be exported to countries in the Middle East and Africa. A ceremony marking the opening of trade activities through the corridor will be held tomorrow, which will be attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri and envoys of 15 countries. China not only built the Gwadar port but also has its operational control. It is also building a network of roads and railways to link up its western region to Gwadar for easier access to the Arabian Sea.
By PTI

BRUSSELS: The European Union's founders believed its unity would be forged in crisis, but after Brexit and the election of Donald Trump to the White House the bloc looks shakier than ever.

On Sunday, foreign ministers from the 28 EU countries will hold talks in Brussels on the impact of a president who has previously questioned the decades-old transatlantic pact to defend the continent.

With populists on the rise, Russia posing an increasingly menacing presence to the east, the migration crisis and the endless fallout from the eurozone debt crash, many fear perpetual turmoil.

EU President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday that the events of 2016 were a "warning sign for all who believe in liberal democracy", and urged Europe to "finally get our act together".

But Trump's election has made it harder to regroup, given that Europe -- while trying to stay pragmatic in dealing with Washington -- has no idea what to really expect from the billionaire.

And European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker is worried that a lot of time could be wasted teaching Trump about Europe.

"Mr. Trump, during his campaign, said that Belgium was a village somewhere in Europe," Juncker told students in Luxembourg on Friday.

"We must teach the president-elect what Europe is and how it works," he said. "I believe we'll have two years of wasted time while Mr Trump tours a world he doesn't know."

'Leadership blow'

Soul-searching has been the order of the day in Brussels ever since the body-blow of Britain's vote in June to become the first country to leave the EU in its 60-year history.

Tusk warned at the time that the "Western political civilisation" that has kept Europe at peace since World War II was now at risk.

That "civilisation" has seen both sides of the Atlantic broadly sharing the same commitment to the free market and liberal democracy, with America propping up Europe's defences.

Until now. Trump's campaign threats to abandon the collective defence pledge that is the bedrock of the NATO military alliance was a major shock for Europe.

Juncker also warned that Trump's campaign rhetoric displayed huge ideological differences with Europe. He noted the businessman-turned-reality TV star had "taken a view of refugees and non-white Americans that does not reflect European convictions and feelings".

Both Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Francois Hollande have called on Trump to uphold democratic values in a sign of Europe's concerns.

Trump's apparent closeness to Russia will also be ringing alarm bells in Europe as it debates whether to keep up sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and looks for solutions to the conflict in Syria.

"The post-Second World War global leadership role of Western liberal democracy was already challenged," said Fabian Zuleeg of the European Policy Centre think-tank.

"But a Trump administration will increase US isolationist tendencies, which is a further blow to this leadership role."

'Plenty more shocks'

Rattled European leaders have issued calls, after both Brexit and the Trump win, for Europe to seize its own destiny and tackle what they have dubbed a "polycrisis".

Trump and Brexit are at least being seen in some quarters as an opportunity to boost EU unity, with the bloc's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini saying it can be a "superpower" for peace.

Officials insist the bloc is more resilient than it is given credit for -- just as the EU's founding father Jean Monnet wrote in his memoirs that "Europe will be forged in crises".

But so far the EU's main response has been its time-honoured one: Call more meetings. Analysts say that is not enough.

"Europeans are muddling through," Judy Dempsey of the Carnegie Europe think-tank told a seminar this week. "One wonders how many wake-up calls the Europeans actually need to do something."

The timing is increasingly urgent. France holds presidential elections next year and far-right leader Marine Le Pen's chances of pulling off a Trump-like coup are suddenly being taken more seriously.

Far-right parties are also hoping for a boost in polls in the Netherlands and Austria, while Merkel, increasingly taking a role as the EU's moral anchor, is up for re-election.

Brexiteer-in-chief Nigel Farage exults over what many others fear.

"Don't think that the democratic revolution is over," he tweeted. "There are plenty more shocks to come. 2017 may surprise us as much as 2016."

BRUSSELS: The European Union's founders believed its unity would be forged in crisis, but after Brexit and the election of Donald Trump to the White House the bloc looks shakier than ever. On Sunday, foreign ministers from the 28 EU countries will hold talks in Brussels on the impact of a president who has previously questioned the decades-old transatlantic pact to defend the continent. With populists on the rise, Russia posing an increasingly menacing presence to the east, the migration crisis and the endless fallout from the eurozone debt crash, many fear perpetual turmoil. EU President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday that the events of 2016 were a "warning sign for all who believe in liberal democracy", and urged Europe to "finally get our act together". But Trump's election has made it harder to regroup, given that Europe -- while trying to stay pragmatic in dealing with Washington -- has no idea what to really expect from the billionaire. And European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker is worried that a lot of time could be wasted teaching Trump about Europe. "Mr. Trump, during his campaign, said that Belgium was a village somewhere in Europe," Juncker told students in Luxembourg on Friday. "We must teach the president-elect what Europe is and how it works," he said. "I believe we'll have two years of wasted time while Mr Trump tours a world he doesn't know." 'Leadership blow' Soul-searching has been the order of the day in Brussels ever since the body-blow of Britain's vote in June to become the first country to leave the EU in its 60-year history. Tusk warned at the time that the "Western political civilisation" that has kept Europe at peace since World War II was now at risk. That "civilisation" has seen both sides of the Atlantic broadly sharing the same commitment to the free market and liberal democracy, with America propping up Europe's defences. Until now. Trump's campaign threats to abandon the collective defence pledge that is the bedrock of the NATO military alliance was a major shock for Europe. Juncker also warned that Trump's campaign rhetoric displayed huge ideological differences with Europe. He noted the businessman-turned-reality TV star had "taken a view of refugees and non-white Americans that does not reflect European convictions and feelings". Both Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Francois Hollande have called on Trump to uphold democratic values in a sign of Europe's concerns. Trump's apparent closeness to Russia will also be ringing alarm bells in Europe as it debates whether to keep up sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and looks for solutions to the conflict in Syria. "The post-Second World War global leadership role of Western liberal democracy was already challenged," said Fabian Zuleeg of the European Policy Centre think-tank. "But a Trump administration will increase US isolationist tendencies, which is a further blow to this leadership role." 'Plenty more shocks' Rattled European leaders have issued calls, after both Brexit and the Trump win, for Europe to seize its own destiny and tackle what they have dubbed a "polycrisis". Trump and Brexit are at least being seen in some quarters as an opportunity to boost EU unity, with the bloc's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini saying it can be a "superpower" for peace. Officials insist the bloc is more resilient than it is given credit for -- just as the EU's founding father Jean Monnet wrote in his memoirs that "Europe will be forged in crises". But so far the EU's main response has been its time-honoured one: Call more meetings. Analysts say that is not enough. "Europeans are muddling through," Judy Dempsey of the Carnegie Europe think-tank told a seminar this week. "One wonders how many wake-up calls the Europeans actually need to do something." The timing is increasingly urgent. France holds presidential elections next year and far-right leader Marine Le Pen's chances of pulling off a Trump-like coup are suddenly being taken more seriously. Far-right parties are also hoping for a boost in polls in the Netherlands and Austria, while Merkel, increasingly taking a role as the EU's moral anchor, is up for re-election. Brexiteer-in-chief Nigel Farage exults over what many others fear. "Don't think that the democratic revolution is over," he tweeted. "There are plenty more shocks to come. 2017 may surprise us as much as 2016."
By IANS

NEW YORK: As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to move into the White House, one of the largest Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the country has announced a parade in his honour, media reports said.



The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is a movement in the United States that has advocated extremist ideologies such as white supremacy and nationalism, anti-immigration, anti-Catholicism, etc. and expressed it through terrorism aimed at groups or individuals whom they opposed.



The Loyal White Knights of Pelham, North Carolina said on its website it will hold the event on December 3, NBC news reported.



The time and location of the event were not listed.



An official newspaper of the KKK had endorsed Trump days before the presidential election but Trump's campaign was quick to reject the support.



"Mr. Trump and the campaign denounces hate in any form. This publication is repulsive and their views do not represent the tens of millions of Americans who are uniting behind our campaign," the campaign said then in a statement.



Trump was criticised for being slow to condemn former Klan leader David Duke after he gave the candidate his backing.



Duke celebrated Trump's win over Democrat Hillary Clinton, tweeting early Wednesday, "This is one of the most exciting nights of my life. Make no mistake about it, our people have played a HUGE role in electing Trump!"



The announcement comes amid a background of vandalism and hate crimes by Trump supporters on minorities as well as attacks on Trump supporters and a firebombing of a Republican office in North Carolina.



NEW YORK: As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to move into the White House, one of the largest Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the country has announced a parade in his honour, media reports said. The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is a movement in the United States that has advocated extremist ideologies such as white supremacy and nationalism, anti-immigration, anti-Catholicism, etc. and expressed it through terrorism aimed at groups or individuals whom they opposed. The Loyal White Knights of Pelham, North Carolina said on its website it will hold the event on December 3, NBC news reported. The time and location of the event were not listed. An official newspaper of the KKK had endorsed Trump days before the presidential election but Trump's campaign was quick to reject the support. "Mr. Trump and the campaign denounces hate in any form. This publication is repulsive and their views do not represent the tens of millions of Americans who are uniting behind our campaign," the campaign said then in a statement. Trump was criticised for being slow to condemn former Klan leader David Duke after he gave the candidate his backing. Duke celebrated Trump's win over Democrat Hillary Clinton, tweeting early Wednesday, "This is one of the most exciting nights of my life. Make no mistake about it, our people have played a HUGE role in electing Trump!" The announcement comes amid a background of vandalism and hate crimes by Trump supporters on minorities as well as attacks on Trump supporters and a firebombing of a Republican office in North Carolina.
By IANS

Italy: A law professor at the University of Turin is under house arrest for allegedly demanding sex from a female student in exchange for good exam grades, police said on Friday.

A local daily named the academic as 47-year-old Luca Sgarbi, a professor of labour law.

Prosecutors were due to question other university students who may have been targeted by Sgarbi, the daily said.

Sgarbi asked his student for sex and for explicit photos, promising her top marks if she complied and threatening to disclose details of her private life if she didn't, according to prosecutors.

The woman told prosecutors Sgarbi claimed to have recognised her in an erotic chat room earlier this year.

The suspected is under house arrest in the city of Bologna, where he lives.



Italy: A law professor at the University of Turin is under house arrest for allegedly demanding sex from a female student in exchange for good exam grades, police said on Friday. A local daily named the academic as 47-year-old Luca Sgarbi, a professor of labour law. Prosecutors were due to question other university students who may have been targeted by Sgarbi, the daily said. Sgarbi asked his student for sex and for explicit photos, promising her top marks if she complied and threatening to disclose details of her private life if she didn't, according to prosecutors. The woman told prosecutors Sgarbi claimed to have recognised her in an erotic chat room earlier this year. The suspected is under house arrest in the city of Bologna, where he lives.
By IANS

TOKYO: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is meeting his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe for the annual India-Japan bilateral summit, arrived at Tokyo Station to board the Shinkansen bullet train on Saturday.

"Putting #IndiaJapan relations on the fast track! PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo arrive at Tokyo Station to board the Shinkansen," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

"A unique friendship on a unique train journey. PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo inside the Shinkansen bullet train to Kobe," Swarup said in another tweet accompanied by a picture of the two leaders inside the train.

Modi, accompanied by Abe, will travel to Kobe using the bullet train. The same technology will be deployed for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Railway.

Today is the last day of the three-day summit.

Modi, who arrived here on Thursday, started Friday by calling on Japanese Emperor Akihito.

This is his second visit to Japan in two years.

TOKYO: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is meeting his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe for the annual India-Japan bilateral summit, arrived at Tokyo Station to board the Shinkansen bullet train on Saturday. "Putting #IndiaJapan relations on the fast track! PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo arrive at Tokyo Station to board the Shinkansen," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. "A unique friendship on a unique train journey. PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo inside the Shinkansen bullet train to Kobe," Swarup said in another tweet accompanied by a picture of the two leaders inside the train. Modi, accompanied by Abe, will travel to Kobe using the bullet train. The same technology will be deployed for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Railway. Today is the last day of the three-day summit. Modi, who arrived here on Thursday, started Friday by calling on Japanese Emperor Akihito. This is his second visit to Japan in two years.
By IANS

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani woman who was raped on the orders of a panchayat in Gujrat in Pakistan died after she set herself on fire, a media report said on Saturday.

According to reports, a panchayat in Gujrat asked a man whose minor daughter had been raped to rape the daughter of the rapist, Geo news reported.

The man who had raped the minor girl had served a prison sentence that a local court had given him.

The victim who self-immolated was married and pregnant. In a statement she gave to the police on her death bed at Mayo Hospital in Lahore, the woman said she was raped on the orders of a panchayat.

Her husband refused to register a case against the perpetrators. "I don't want to register a case. Only Allah will give me justice," he said.

Eleven members of the panchayat have been detained for interrogation, police said.

Rape survivor Mukhtaran Mai said that such incidents will continue until justice is given to the victims.

Mukhtaran Mai added that the treatment meted out to rape victims and their families are the reason why cases against perpetrators are not registered.

Mukhtaran Mai was raped by four men after being dragged into the house of a Mastoi tribesman in her native village of Meerwala, in Muzaffargarh district of Pakistan.

The parliament in October made amendments to the rape law which make DNA test for victims mandatory, penalise the police for delaying investigation, and allow victims to testify in court through an in-camera session.

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani woman who was raped on the orders of a panchayat in Gujrat in Pakistan died after she set herself on fire, a media report said on Saturday. According to reports, a panchayat in Gujrat asked a man whose minor daughter had been raped to rape the daughter of the rapist, Geo news reported. The man who had raped the minor girl had served a prison sentence that a local court had given him. The victim who self-immolated was married and pregnant. In a statement she gave to the police on her death bed at Mayo Hospital in Lahore, the woman said she was raped on the orders of a panchayat. Her husband refused to register a case against the perpetrators. "I don't want to register a case. Only Allah will give me justice," he said. Eleven members of the panchayat have been detained for interrogation, police said. Rape survivor Mukhtaran Mai said that such incidents will continue until justice is given to the victims. Mukhtaran Mai added that the treatment meted out to rape victims and their families are the reason why cases against perpetrators are not registered. Mukhtaran Mai was raped by four men after being dragged into the house of a Mastoi tribesman in her native village of Meerwala, in Muzaffargarh district of Pakistan. The parliament in October made amendments to the rape law which make DNA test for victims mandatory, penalise the police for delaying investigation, and allow victims to testify in court through an in-camera session.
By Associated Press

BRISBANE (AUSTRALIA): Half-dressed, panting and disheveled, the lawmakers jolted awake by a middle-of-the-night vote were applauded by colleagues as they raced into an Australian state Parliament.

The Queensland lawmakers were quite the sight as they ran onto the floor of Parliament in Brisbane in bare feet, shorts and T-shirts on Thursday. One lawmaker managed to throw on a jacket but lacked a shirt.

The vote was called suddenly about 2:30 a.m. because opposition lawmaker Jeff Seeney was refused permission to give an unscheduled speech.

Several lawmakers caught unaware rushed back to the chamber from a nearby accommodation block in various stages of undress.

Lawmakers who were not caught napping laughed and applauded their panting colleagues while a government minister questioned Speaker Peter Wellington whether the shirtless man in a jacket complied with dress regulations.

Wellington allowed the irregular attire and advised lawmakers to get to the chamber to vote as quickly as possible.

Seeney lost his motion to speak before Parliament was adjourned at 3 a.m.

Seeney said he wanted to speak because a deputy speaker had denied him and other opposition lawmakers opportunities to debate a bill hours earlier.

The government holds a minority of seats in Parliament so the opposition hopes to highlight its tenuous grip on power by winning the occasional vote.

BRISBANE (AUSTRALIA): Half-dressed, panting and disheveled, the lawmakers jolted awake by a middle-of-the-night vote were applauded by colleagues as they raced into an Australian state Parliament. The Queensland lawmakers were quite the sight as they ran onto the floor of Parliament in Brisbane in bare feet, shorts and T-shirts on Thursday. One lawmaker managed to throw on a jacket but lacked a shirt. The vote was called suddenly about 2:30 a.m. because opposition lawmaker Jeff Seeney was refused permission to give an unscheduled speech. Several lawmakers caught unaware rushed back to the chamber from a nearby accommodation block in various stages of undress. Lawmakers who were not caught napping laughed and applauded their panting colleagues while a government minister questioned Speaker Peter Wellington whether the shirtless man in a jacket complied with dress regulations. Wellington allowed the irregular attire and advised lawmakers to get to the chamber to vote as quickly as possible. Seeney lost his motion to speak before Parliament was adjourned at 3 a.m. Seeney said he wanted to speak because a deputy speaker had denied him and other opposition lawmakers opportunities to debate a bill hours earlier. The government holds a minority of seats in Parliament so the opposition hopes to highlight its tenuous grip on power by winning the occasional vote.
By AFP

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump is to huddle Saturday with his White House transition team for a second day over cabinet picks as the president-elect says he is open to keeping parts of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law.

The billionaire real estate mogul said in interviews that he would consider an "amended" version of the 2010 health law, a shift in position after vowing on the campaign trail to repeal the measure.

The announcement was one of several surprises, as Trump shook up his transition team by putting running mate Mike Pence in charge and named a cohort of Washington insiders -- and three of his children -- to help with the process of choosing a new cabinet.

The reshuffle came as anti-Trump protesters spilled onto the streets for a third straight night, with the Republican facing mounting calls to reassure Americans who fear a xenophobic crackdown under his authority.

Throngs of people -- among them families and children -- rallied late Friday in New York's Washington Square carrying banners reading "Peace and Love" and "Your wall can't stand in our way." Local media estimated a turnout of some 4,000 protesters.

In Portland, Oregon, a demonstrator was shot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries after what police believe was a confrontation. The suspect then fled the area.

And more than 1,000 people gathered in Miami, with weekend protests planned in a number of other cities.

A focal point for New York protests is Trump Tower, where the real estate tycoon-turned-world-leader has been ensconced in his luxury apartment, mapping out his next steps.

The 70-year-old incoming president has a mammoth task of fleshing out his cabinet, as well as steering the complex transition of power, and announced on Friday he was elevating Vice President-elect Pence to lead the process.

Trump included three of his children and his son-in-law Jared Kushner on the transition team -- a move likely to raise eyebrows, since the tycoon earlier announced that should he win he would place his vast business interests into a blind trust operated by Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump.

And in a clear shift from his abrasive campaign, he added to his transition team a string of insider figures from the very establishment that he railed against so strongly, including Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus -- now tipped as a possible chief of staff.

- Amending Obamacare? -

Trump took his first steps toward engaging with Washington on Thursday when he met with Barack Obama at the White House to discuss the transition ahead of the January 20 inauguration -- a conversation the outgoing president called "excellent."

The Oval Office meeting appears to have nudged Trump towards a compromise on his oft-repeated threat to repeal Obama's Affordable Care Act.

Trump told The Wall Street Journal the president asked him to consider preserving parts of the healthcare law -- and that he was open to the idea.

"Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced," Trump told the newspaper. "I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that."

According to The Journal, Trump said he favored maintaining a prohibition on insurance companies denying coverage because of so-called pre-existing conditions. Before the law took effect, insurers had been able to refuse to cover people who had previously suffered almost any illness.

Trump also said he was not opposed to requiring insurers to allow children to remain on their parents' insurance policies until the age of 26, a key Obamacare tenet.

On the Syrian conflict, however, Trump indicated a possible sharp shift away from Obama administration policy.

"I've had an opposite view of many people regarding Syria," he told the paper, suggesting a closer focus on fighting the Islamic State group -- and arguing that in seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad, "we end up fighting Russia," the regime's ally.

Trump has already spoken with a string of world leaders including British Prime Minister Theresa May and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he reaffirmed Washington's strong relations.

The apparently harmonious meeting between Trump and Obama was designed to heal divisions and quell fears about the health of the world's leading democracy.

- Hillary's concession -

Meanwhile, in an interview to be aired on Sunday, Trump showed a rare softer side, speaking warmly of the election night call he received from Hillary Clinton conceding that he had won.

"It was a lovely call, and it was a tough call for her -- I mean, I can imagine," he said in the interview, excerpts of which were aired Friday.

"I mean, for me, it would have been very, very difficult. She couldn't have been nicer. She just said, 'Congratulations, Donald, well done.'"

And I said, "I want to thank you very much, you were a great competitor," he said, praising his vanquished political foe as "very strong and very smart."

He also spoke about a call he received from her husband, former president Bill Clinton, who he said "couldn't have been more gracious."

Trump said he wouldn't rule out approaching the former US leader for advice.

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump is to huddle Saturday with his White House transition team for a second day over cabinet picks as the president-elect says he is open to keeping parts of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law. The billionaire real estate mogul said in interviews that he would consider an "amended" version of the 2010 health law, a shift in position after vowing on the campaign trail to repeal the measure. The announcement was one of several surprises, as Trump shook up his transition team by putting running mate Mike Pence in charge and named a cohort of Washington insiders -- and three of his children -- to help with the process of choosing a new cabinet. The reshuffle came as anti-Trump protesters spilled onto the streets for a third straight night, with the Republican facing mounting calls to reassure Americans who fear a xenophobic crackdown under his authority. Throngs of people -- among them families and children -- rallied late Friday in New York's Washington Square carrying banners reading "Peace and Love" and "Your wall can't stand in our way." Local media estimated a turnout of some 4,000 protesters. In Portland, Oregon, a demonstrator was shot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries after what police believe was a confrontation. The suspect then fled the area. And more than 1,000 people gathered in Miami, with weekend protests planned in a number of other cities. A focal point for New York protests is Trump Tower, where the real estate tycoon-turned-world-leader has been ensconced in his luxury apartment, mapping out his next steps. The 70-year-old incoming president has a mammoth task of fleshing out his cabinet, as well as steering the complex transition of power, and announced on Friday he was elevating Vice President-elect Pence to lead the process. Trump included three of his children and his son-in-law Jared Kushner on the transition team -- a move likely to raise eyebrows, since the tycoon earlier announced that should he win he would place his vast business interests into a blind trust operated by Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump. And in a clear shift from his abrasive campaign, he added to his transition team a string of insider figures from the very establishment that he railed against so strongly, including Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus -- now tipped as a possible chief of staff. - Amending Obamacare? - Trump took his first steps toward engaging with Washington on Thursday when he met with Barack Obama at the White House to discuss the transition ahead of the January 20 inauguration -- a conversation the outgoing president called "excellent." The Oval Office meeting appears to have nudged Trump towards a compromise on his oft-repeated threat to repeal Obama's Affordable Care Act. Trump told The Wall Street Journal the president asked him to consider preserving parts of the healthcare law -- and that he was open to the idea. "Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced," Trump told the newspaper. "I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that." According to The Journal, Trump said he favored maintaining a prohibition on insurance companies denying coverage because of so-called pre-existing conditions. Before the law took effect, insurers had been able to refuse to cover people who had previously suffered almost any illness. Trump also said he was not opposed to requiring insurers to allow children to remain on their parents' insurance policies until the age of 26, a key Obamacare tenet. On the Syrian conflict, however, Trump indicated a possible sharp shift away from Obama administration policy. "I've had an opposite view of many people regarding Syria," he told the paper, suggesting a closer focus on fighting the Islamic State group -- and arguing that in seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad, "we end up fighting Russia," the regime's ally. Trump has already spoken with a string of world leaders including British Prime Minister Theresa May and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he reaffirmed Washington's strong relations. The apparently harmonious meeting between Trump and Obama was designed to heal divisions and quell fears about the health of the world's leading democracy. - Hillary's concession - Meanwhile, in an interview to be aired on Sunday, Trump showed a rare softer side, speaking warmly of the election night call he received from Hillary Clinton conceding that he had won. "It was a lovely call, and it was a tough call for her -- I mean, I can imagine," he said in the interview, excerpts of which were aired Friday. "I mean, for me, it would have been very, very difficult. She couldn't have been nicer. She just said, 'Congratulations, Donald, well done.'" And I said, "I want to thank you very much, you were a great competitor," he said, praising his vanquished political foe as "very strong and very smart." He also spoke about a call he received from her husband, former president Bill Clinton, who he said "couldn't have been more gracious." Trump said he wouldn't rule out approaching the former US leader for advice.
Portsmouth boy bullied for long hair has plan to donate it

It makes me feel so proud of him, his generous spirit. He cares about others more than he cares about himself sometimes."
Students at the University of Illinois rallied Friday in protest of Donald Trump, who was elected Tuesday as the 45th president of the United States.
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Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey).
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Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) will honor Roger I. Glass, MD, PhD, with the 2016 Cura Personalis Award at its Ninth Annual GUMC Convocation on Thursday, Nov. 17. Glass also will be the Convocation keynote speaker.

The Cura Personalis Award, GUMC's highest honor, is bestowed upon a health professional who has made outstanding contributions to human health guided by compassion and service. A Catholic, Jesuit concept, cura personalis is Latin for "care of the whole person" and is GUMC's founding principle.

Glass, director of the Fogarty International Center and associate director for international research for the National Institutes of Health, was selected for the award because he embodies Georgetown's emphasis on social justice.

"Our award winner reflects this ideal by leading a federal research effort that doesn't ask how the U.S. can help itself, but rather by examining our contributions and impact in the world as it pertains to improving health on a global scale," announced Edward B. Healton, MD, PhD, GUMC's Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and Executive Dean of its School of Medicine.

Glass, a member of the National Academy of Medicine, was named director of the Fogarty International Center in 2006. His research has been targeted towards epidemiologic studies to anticipate the introduction of rotavirus vaccines leading to the prevention of debilitating gastroenteritis infections. An award-winning researcher, Glass has co-authored more than 600 research papers and chapters. He has maintained field studies in India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Mexico, Israel, Russia, Vietnam, China and elsewhere, and he is fluent and often lectures in five languages.

"I am delighted and humbled to receive this award for efforts to build sustainable research capacity in low- and middle-income countries," said Glass. "By empowering local scientists and governments to determine and address their own research priorities, we are giving them the necessary tools to improve the health of their own people."

In addition to the keynote address, Glass will be the featured panelist during the Convocation's colloquium on global health titled: "Building Global Health Capacity at Georgetown: Responsibilities and Priorities," from 10:00 -11:30 a.m. Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia will present the Cura Personalis medal to Glass during the Convocation ceremony from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. where Glass will also deliver the keynote address. All activities take place on the Georgetown University Medical Center campus at 4000 Reservoir Rd., NW, in Washington.
Numerous offerings are available on the Internet for suicidal people desperately seeking advice. These can be divided into professional offerings run by crisis centres and those operated by non-professionals. Even the latter can help to improve the subjective situation, so long as they are so-called "anti-suicide forums".

The effect of media reports upon suicidal people has been investigated many times. We know about the "Werther effect", that is to say imitative behaviour based on sensational reports of suicides in the media, which serve as a role model. Or even the opposite "Papageno effect", whereby reports about how suicidal thoughts have been dealt with constructively have a preventive effect upon potentially suicidal people. All of this data was collated for traditional print and AV media. Now, for the first time, a team of scientists from the Center for Public Health at the Medical University of Vienna has conducted a study looking at the question of communication behaviour on the Internet.

Says study author Thomas Niederkrotenthaler: "The online offering is very accessible. It falls into two main groups - the professional forums and the non-professional ones, operated by lay people." The study looks at the latter group, which in turn can be sub-divided according to two main parameters: "Anti-suicide forums" are clearly focussed upon suicide prevention and facilitate constructive exchange about crisis situations. "Pro-suicide forums", on the other hand, are aimed at the more specific requirements of a closed group of people and quite often involve a superficial exchange about suicidal tendencies, which can be harmful to vulnerable people.

It is no surprise that long-term help is available on professional forums. The fundamental question of the study was whether non-professional forums had any beneficial effect in terms of deflecting people from their suicidal intent. Niederkrotenthaler's team looked at seven German-speaking forums and analysed 1,200 threads with around 25,000 postings. That is to say, in each case they examined one communication thread of a first poster about his/her issues.

The study concluded that beneficial effects were found particularly for anti-suicide forums, which indicate that the psychological state of the poster improved over the period of his/her posting activities. Niederkrotenthaler: "It is important to stress that, in the successful examples, psychological improvement is associated with a dialogue setting, in which each poster discusses his/her own experiences in intimate terms and is actively listened to. At the same time, however, it is important to remember that professional help should also be sought, if necessary. Conversely, it is a good idea for professional helpers to talk to their patients and clients about posting on non-professional forums. This will prevent any potentially negative effects and also provide a better insight into the sufferer's situation."

Niederkrotenthaler advises that non-professional forums should in no way be demonised, because they represent an important target group for preventive work. What is important, he says, is that these offerings can provide sufferers with extra help and that experiences can also be discussed in professional settings.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a global health problem, especially affecting developing countries due to lack of education and awareness of the possible means of transmission. HIV has remained as a big problem in Nepal's western districts, with poor families disproportionately affected. According to government statistics, an estimated 39,249 people in Nepal are living with HIV.

A research article on Migration, HIV and Technical Education in Nepal published recently in the Journal of Training and Development has linked high prevalence of HIV in the mid-western and far-western region of Nepal to the lack of technical and vocational education in those areas. The article is available online via Nepal Journals Online (NepJOL) platform, which is part of the JOL Project supported by INASP.

The article argues that deprivation of technical education and vocational training compels men to migrate to India in search of jobs. Due to lack of skills, they end up doing low-paid menial jobs. Away from home for a long time, the migrant workers in India often engage in unsafe sex with professional Female Sex Workers (FSWs) and, as a result, many of them contract HIV. More than 11% of the respondents confessed to having sex with FSWs in India, according to a UNAIDS study. When they return home, they, in turn, transfer the virus to their spouse, as they are not aware that they are infected. If the couple are still at a reproductive age, their children may also contract the virus from the mother during pregnancy and will be born HIV positive.

There is no exact data on the number of Nepali migrant workers working in India, as Nepal and India share an open border and the migrant workers are not registered. However, it is a general trend for almost all adult males from the hilly far-western districts of Nepal to travel to India for work at least once in their lifetimes. The 2011 census statistics showed that the number of returned male labour migrants was estimated to be around 505,728 as cited by the National Centre for AIDS and STD Control [NCASC].

Noor Jung Shah, an author of the article and PhD Scholar in Development Studies at Kathmandu University, School of Education argues that such a poignant situation would be reduced if technical education and vocational training was expanded in rural areas.

"Vocational trainings will improve their skills and enable them to find a job at home, liberating them from the need to migrate to India for seasonal work," said Shah.

Shah added: "Initially, the HIV programme in the far-western region was targeted only at Female Sex Workers and their clients. But test results showed that more and more housewives were also HIV infected. The reason was labour migration to India."

Shah carried out the research after he encountered the grave situation of the vicious cycle of HIV infection and poverty when he was working in Doti and Achham districts - two hilly districts of the far-western region of Nepal that have the highest prevalence of HIV-infected population.

"It is necessary to expand technical education and vocational training to rural areas so that it can contribute to the sustainable livelihood of villagers. It would also end the vicious cycle of poverty as it contributes towards the Sustainable Development Goals (2016-2030)," Shah recommended.
An Indiana University physicist and neuroscientist who studies how physical movement can be used to detect autism in children and adults has received support from the National Science Foundation. The $750,000 NSF grant to IU scientist Jorge V. Jose and collaborators will be used to apply analytical methods pioneered at IU and Rutgers University toward diagnosing, and possibly treating, a wider range of learning disabilities.

The study, titled "Learning to Move and Moving to Learn," will measure the fine-grained movement of the body, face and eyes in middle- and high-school-age children to reveal measureable signs of learning disability. These methods could represent a powerful new tool for educators and physicians who often depend upon highly subjective methods -- such as conversations with parents and classroom observation -- to identify children who require assistance in learning.

The grant is part of NSF's Collaborative Networks for Learning program, which supports the establishment of research partnerships that advance knowledge on learning to address national challenges such as improving educational outcomes and strengthening workforce development.

Collaborators on the project are grant leader Leanne Chukoskie and co-leader Joseph Snider of the Institute for Neural Computation at the University of California, San Diego, who are experts in neuroscience and computer science. Other project partners include Elizabeth Torres at Rutgers University, Emo Todorov at the University of Washington and Terrence Sejnowski at the Salk Institute.

"By pooling our expertise to study movement signatures in children who experience learning difficulties in school, this study will develop new quantitative methods to detect learning disorders like ADHD, autism spectrum disorder and dystonia," said Jose, Distinguished Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Physics.

Previous research by Jose, Torres and John Nurnberger at the IU School of Medicine found the first evidence that the analysis of bodily movement could reveal physically measureable signs, or "biomarkers," of autism spectrum disorder. The UC San Diego team members are experts in applying movement tracking to detect many other types of learning disorders, including autism. The study will also benefit from sophisticated movement detection technology at UC San Diego, which is capable of precisely tracking both physical movement and facial expression with extreme precision.

"The research team at UC San Diego is excited to partner with Dr. Jose in understanding how fine-scale differences in movement map onto differences in learning ability in children," Chukoskie said. "His expertise in novel mathematical analyses for characterizing movement will be central to this project. We expect that our collaboration will produce a novel and productive perspective for understanding learning disorders, including how we evaluate and treat them."

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Jose's background as a physicist and neuroscientist will enable his lab to provide this mathematical modeling, based in large part upon his previous work on movement and autism.

"We're providing some highly advanced, extremely powerful quantitative methods to separate the physiologically significant 'signal' from the 'noise' in terms of the body's movement," Jose said.

He added that physical movements, like the ability to point quickly and accurately, can act as an indicator for learning disorders since physical movement is a learned behavior -- the same as learning to speak or read. In typically developing children, infants transition from uncontrolled movement to relatively sophisticated tasks such as tidying up a room or tying shoes by about age 4 or 5.

But children with learning disabilities can struggle to acquire these and other more basic skills -- such as moving their finger through space in a straight line.

"The difference between typically developing children and the children with autism spectrum disorder is that the latter group of children never completely transition to fully controlling their movements," Jose said. "In our previous tests in autistic children, they never learn to control their movement with the same precision."

The data to be analyzed at IU under the new NSF-funded study will be collected at UC San Diego from middle- and high-school-age students with learning disabilities, as determined by a widely accepted educational assessment survey. These students will be asked to undertake a series of tasks while their body, face and eye movements are tracked using extremely sensitive sensor technology. For example, they may be asked to point to specific shapes on a screen filled with rapidly moving geometric forms. As the number and variety of forms increase, the challenge grows increasingly difficult.

The most extreme form of this test is "Where's Waldo," Jose said, noting that even typically developed adults struggle to identify a specific form -- such as Waldo -- when surrounding distractions are exceedingly complicated.

Fortunately, other studies have shown that the motor cortex -- the part of the brain responsible for the movement -- is also one of the most trainable parts of the brain, Jose said. So, in addition to tracking how movement reveals learning disabilities, the new project will also explore how this part of the brain, and general mental plasticity, can be used to improve cognitive functioning in children.

"Our joint work will set the stage to use this mental plasticity as a lever to improve cognitive functioning," Jose said. "Ultimately, our aim is that this work can be used to improve the chances that children who require early intervention due to learning disorders are more likely to get the assistance they need very early in their educational careers."

Source: Indiana University
PAC seeking 'sanctuary city' raises $51,000 more in contributions

A proposed ordinance seeking to criminalize abortion in Abilene is being voted on now in early voting and will be decided in the Nov. 8 election.
A study being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting found most colleges don't have integrated systems in place to support food-allergic students.

"Our study found that while many colleges offer support for students with food allergy in the dining hall, the same support doesn't carry over to organized sports, dormitories or social events" says food allergy researcher Ruchi Gupta, MD, ACAAI member and lead author on the study. "That leaves students feeling vulnerable and scrambling to inform all the various departments of their needs."

The study found that while these students don't want to be defined by their allergies, they value feeling safe. They are willing to work with school officials to create more education around what administrators and other students need to know about food allergies. Peers of food allergic students believe the stress caused by food allergies could be significantly reduced by creating and engaging a community of support through peer training, awareness and increased epinephrine access.

Also at the ACAAI meeting, allergist David Stukus, MD, and ACAAI Fellow, will be presenting on how allergists can help safely transition a student with food allergies to college. "Teenagers with food allergy are the age group at highest risk for life-threatening food allergy reactions. This is mostly due to not having their epinephrine with them at all times, but they also face social pressures that cause them to not speak up when dining with peers."

Dr. Stukus points out that transitioning to independence requires practice, awareness, and understanding of the factors that impact your health. He says it should start early, around 12 or 13 years old, and allergists are in a unique position to help their patients successfully navigate self-management of their food allergies and other allergic conditions.

"Effective self-management of food allergies requires an understanding of the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction," says Dr. Stukus. "College students with food allergies must know how and when to use epinephrine auto-injectors, how to read labels and what to communicate to food handlers. They must also have epinephrine available at all times in case of accidental ingestion leading to a severe allergic reaction."

"Parents tell us they need to educate everyone, literally everyone - professors, other students, the librarian and the person putting food on your kid's plate." said Dr. Gupta, "Giving a student support from peers, staff and the college itself is critical in providing a safe and positive environment."
Kolkata: While a large number of businesses in the nation touched a new low following the central government's decision to demonetise high value Indian currency, the business at Sonagachi -- south Asia's largest red light area -- has been unaffected by the move.



"There has been no impact on the business at Sonagachi," Bharati Dey, the chief Mentor of Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, an organisation that works towards the betterment of sex workers, told IANS on Friday.



One reason for the business not taking a hit is the fact that the sex workers at Sonagachi are still accepting Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes from their clients.



"They would be accepting those notes till the end of this month," said Dey.



Unlike other businesses, the sex trade generally deals with cash payments and, therefore, had a possibility of getting adversely affected after the bigger currency notes were demonetised.



Those involved in Durbar say that a collective initiative by the sex workers organisation and an assurance from the local bank helped them sail through the troubled time.



"The Usha Cooperative Bank has assured us that they will accept the banned notes from us till the end of this month. The sex workers in the area would be able to deposit their cash in denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 till November 30", Dey said.



Though, Dey accepted that some of the sex workers might face a problem as all of them do not have a bank account.



"Almost 30,000 sex workers have bank accounts with Usha bank. Those with no accounts might be a little worried but we would find a way out for them," she said.




Madhya Pradesh (11/11/16): Locals robbed ration shop in Chattarpur after owners refused to give ration pic.twitter.com/7HxvTmTDKs  ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

: Cashless villagers in Madhya Pradesh's Bardua village looted a public distribution system shop (PDS) after its owner refused them to accept the now-defunct Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currencies for groceries on Friday, sources told CNN-News18.A group of villagers turned up at the shop to buy food grains and an altercation ensued between them and shop owner Munnilal Ahirwar after the later refused to accept the currencies, police said. Following the verbal battle with Ahirwar, angry villagers barged into the PDS shop and looted sacks of wheat, rice and sugar, the police added.While Ahirwar blamed village sarchpanch Nonhelal Patel for the incident, Patel alleged that Ahirwar had been misappropriating rations for long time.Banks and ATMs in the country witnessed more chaos and even longer queues on Friday and Saturday as cash-starved people jostled to exchange and withdraw money after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ban on Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes on Tuesday night.ATMs too went dry soon after they were stocked due to heavy rush.Long serpentine queues were witnessed at bank branches for the third straight day (on Saturday) across the country. Similarly, people were seen impatiently waiting outside ATMs to withdraw money.
Osaka: Concluding his three-day visit to Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for India from the Japanese city of Osaka on Saturday.



"Sayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM @narendramodi enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.



Modi arrived in Japan on Thursday to attend the annual India-Japan bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Friday.



Following the summit, 10 agreements were signed between the two sides, including the landmark civil nuclear agreement.



Modi also attended an India-Japan Business Leaders' Forum and addressed a luncheon meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Keidanren or the Japanese Business Federation.



On Saturday, Modi, along with Abe, travelled by the Shinkansen high-speed rail from Tokyo to Kobe and visited the Kawasaki Heavy Industries plant there to get first hand knowledge of the technology.



The Prime Minister interacted with the Indian community both in Tokyo and Kobe.



This was Modi's second visit to Japan in two years.


Mumbai: Britain-based boy band The Vamps will return to India later this month to play at the Global Citizen Festival India, where names like Jay Z and Coldplay will plug their music chords.



The Vamps, artistes of Virgin EMI UK, made their debut India visit earlier this year for a collaboration with Vishal-Shekhar for the song Beliya.



They will be coming to India on November 16. Global Citizen Festival India will be held at the MMRDA grounds here on November 19.



"Global Citizen Festival is an amazing event for such a good cause and we are honoured to have been asked to be a part of it," James McVey said in a statement issued on behalf of the band.



"We had an incredible first visit to India in August and are very much looking forward to coming back to see our fans, perform our new single 'All night' and our other hits at this world renowned festival," McVey added.



Apart from McVey -- the lead guitarist and vocalist -- The Vamps comprises Brad Simpson (lead vocals and guitar), Connor Ball (bass guitar and vocals) and Tristan Evans (drums and vocals).



The Vamps also worked on a song for Ajay Devgn's recently released Shivaay.



The inaugural Global Citizen Festival India will see participation from international as well as Indian celebrities.


Yangon: Myanmar's military said its troops killed six people and lost two soldiers in clashes with attackers in Rakhine state on Saturday, in the latest flare-up of violence in the crisis-hit region.



Northern Rakhine, which is home to the Muslim Rohingya minority and borders Bangladesh, has been under military lockdown ever since surprise raids on border posts left nine police dead last month.



Soldiers have killed several dozen people and arrested scores in their hunt for the attackers, who the government says are radicalised Rohingya militants with links to overseas Islamists.



The crisis and reports of grave rights abuses being carried out in tandem with the security crackdown have piled international pressure on Myanmar's new civilian government and raised questions about its ability to control the army.



Authorities have also heavily restricted access to the area, making it difficult to independently verify government reports or accusations of army abuse.



Today the military said it came under fresh attacks in the border region, first by a mob of some 60 people wielding "small guns and swords".



The clash broke out in the early morning during a "clearance operation" in Ma Yinn Taung village in Maungdaw township, according to an army statement.



"In that fight, six dead bodies of attackers along with a gun which the attackers stole on 9 October were retrieved," it said, adding that one soldier also died while others were wounded.



Troops then followed the attackers to nearby Gwa Zone village where they encountered a 500-strong armed mob, the military said.



"The army fought back but the group of attackers was very large and the army had to use two helicopters," the statement said, adding that one officer was killed in the operation.



The resurgence of violence in western Rakhine has deepened and complicated a crisis that already posed a critical challenge to the new administration led by democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.



The state has sizzled with religious tension ever sincevwaves of violence between the majority Buddhist population and the Muslim Rohingya left more than 200 dead in 2012.



More than 100,000 people, mostly Rohingya, were pushed into displacement camps by the bloodshed and have languished there ever since.
I want every Muslim, Mexican, LGBTQ member, every woman, to know that there are people who will never stop fighting for you. We love you.  Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) November 12, 2016

The wizarding world after Voldemort returned...that's how it feels in the streets.  Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) November 11, 2016

US presidential elections are a gift for comedians  they offer a seemingly endless stream of material, for months on end.America's kings of late night regularly pepper their opening monologues with swipes at the candidates, and Saturday Night Live becomes must-see TV.Tina Fey's impersonation of Sarah Palin was nothing short of career-defining and Alec Baldwin's take on Donald Trump earned praise  and quite a few guffaws.But after Trump's shock win this week over Hillary Clinton, even the late-night hosts are somber and the laughs are few and far between.During Trump's run, the jokes practically wrote themselves  at times, the bombastic Republican almost seemed a caricature of himself, embracing his own inconsistencies and tics.On Tuesday night, the reality came crashing home.Stephen Colbert, who built his career on satirising conservatives during the George W. Bush years and took the place of legend David Letterman at CBS, learned on-air that Trump would likely be the 45th president of the United States."I can't put a happy face on that, and that's my job," Colbert admitted bluntly during his special live Election Night broadcast.The next day, Colbert told viewers: "I'm not sure what to believe about anything anymore.""This is what it feels like when America is made great again," he said. "I was really hoping it would feel better, because this sucks."Chelsea Handler  usually known for her foul-mouthed sex talk  broke down in tears during her Netflix talk show that aired Wednesday night as she discussed Clinton's loss."Like a lot of people in this country, I'm sad, I'm disappointed and I'm confused," the 41-year-old said."But if Hillary can make it through a concession speech, then I can make it through a stupid television show."In his ultimately successful bid for president, Trump hurled near constant criticism at the mainstream media  and grew increasingly thin-skinned about the jokes made at his expense.When Jimmy Fallon asked to muss Trump's legendary shock of blond hair earlier in the campaign, he obliged. But when Baldwin started lampooning him weekly on Saturday Night Live, Trump got fed up."Watched Saturday Night Live hit job on me," he wrote on Twitter. "Time to retire the boring and unfunny show. Alec Baldwin portrayal stinks. Media rigging election!"It was indeed true that most major networks  and the late-night hosts on those networks  expected the veteran Democrat Clinton to win.Wednesday was something of a rude awakening.That night, Trevor Noah, a biracial South African comedian who hosts The Daily Show on Comedy Central, wasted few words on humour."I genuinely cannot believe that this happened," he said. "Even the Trumps can't believe this happened.""Look at his face. Look at that man," Noah said, brandishing a photo the winning Republican had posted on Twitter. "That is the face of a man whose bluff has been called."And now that face will be the face that represents America to the world," said Noah, a relative newcomer to the United States. "That is the face that will address the nation after a tragedy."That is the face that will command the most powerful military in the world."Amid the overall apocalyptic tone, Fallon  who appears on NBC  took a stab at humour: "Republicans hope he'll keep his promise to build a wall, and Democrats hope he'll keep his promise not to accept the election results.""I know today was a crazy day," he continued in a more somber voice. "Some people are sad. Some people are scared and nervous. Some people are happy."This morning I was walking around New York City and this guy came up to me and he said, 'Hey, we're going to need some laughs tonight.'"Fallon vowed to muster his comedic strength and try do just that."My job is to come out here every night and try to make you laugh; take your mind off things for a while."Over at Saturday Night Live, Baldwin expected his cameo appearances on the late night variety sketch show would be a temporary gig, and that his run would end following a Clinton win.Now, Baldwin could end up with a lot more work.
The New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger said on Friday that his newspaper would cover Donald Trump's presidency "fairly" and "without bias" while holding the country's governing institutions accountable."The Times is certainly not afraid  our investigative report has demonstrated our courage many times over," he wrote in a note to staffers posted on the paper's website."But we also approach the incoming Trump administration without bias," he added. "We will cover his policies and his agenda fairly."The paper's main task, he said, is "to serve as a watchdog to the powerful; and to hold mighty institutions accountable, without fear or favour."During the campaign, the New York Times published several major articles investigating the real estate billionaire's apparent manipulation of the tax code to avoid paying tens of millions of dollars in personal income taxes.It also broke stories on women's accusations of Trump's sexual harassment, and the bankruptcies of real estate and gambling businesses he claimed as successes.Conservative critics regularly condemned the newspaper, saying its coverage was biased, and Trump himself posted dozens of raging tweets excoriating his hometown newspaper.Among them: "Really disgusting," "no longer a credible source," "very dishonest," "every article is unfair and biased," "false, malicious & libellous."More generally, critics have accused the Times -- along with the country's other major news media -- for failing to take the measure of the anger among white working-class voters in the country's declining Rust Belt whose support helped propel Trump into the White House as a political outsider.Without referring to the criticism, Sulzberger said his reporters would look "beyond Washington to explore the roots of the anger that has roiled red and blue America," speaking of Republican and Democratic voters."If many Americans no longer seem to understand each other," he added, "let's make it our job to interpret and explain."
Kabul: A Taliban suicide bomber dressed as a labourer blew himself up at the NATO air base at Bagram north of the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday, killing at least four people and wounding 18, officials said.



"An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties," the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said in a statement.



"Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident," the statement said.



Waheed Sediqqi, spokesman for the Parwan provincial governor, said the bomber managed to enter the heavily protected site, the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan, and was standing in a queue with Afghan labourers when he detonated a suicide vest.



Sediqqi said four people were killed and 18 wounded. There was no immediate word on the identity of the victims.



The attack, which was claimed by the Taliban, underlines the foreign policy challenge that will face U.S. President-elect Donald Trump when he takes office in January.



It follows a suicide attack on the German consulate in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif late on Thursday night which killed four people and wounded more than 100 others. That attack was retaliation for air strikes near the northern city of Kunduz last week which killed more than 30 civilians.



The Taliban's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Saturday's attack, which he said had been planned for four months, had caused heavy casualties, killing 23 Americans and wounding 44. The movement often exaggerates the number of casualties caused by its operations.



President Barack Obama had originally hoped to have all U.S. forces out of the country by the end of his term but was forced to abandon that aim as Afghan forces struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency.



Under current plans, 8,400 U.S. troops will remain as part of the Resolute Support operation and a separate U.S. counterterrorism mission after Obama decided to slow down a planned reduction of the force, leaving it to his successor to decide future strategy.




Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump is considering outgoing Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire for the post of defense secretary, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing two sources familiar with the discussions.



Other people on the list include retired Army Lieutenant General Joseph "Keith" Kellogg, former Defense Intelligence Agency Director General Mike Flynn and Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the Post said.



Trump began laying the groundwork on Friday to take office on January 20, 2017, gathering the most loyal advisers from his insurgent campaign and three of his children to plot his transition strategy.



Trump put Vice President-elect Mike Pence in charge of his White House transition team, while demoting his former transition chief, tarnished New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, to one of the six vice-chair posts.



Daughter Ivanka and sons Eric and Donald Jr. and son-in-law Jared Kushner accounted for a fourth of the 16-member executive committee, which was filled with politicians and advisers who stuck with Trump during his rollercoaster first run for public office.










Modi, accompanied by Abe, will travel to Kobe using the bullet train. The same technology will be deployed for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Railway.(Photo: PIB)
TODAY

LYNCHBURG

Indoor Yard Sale, 8 a.m. to noon, First Christian Church, 3109 Rivermont Ave., to raise funds for youth mission trip.

Gospel Hymn Singing, 6 p.m., Calvary Cross Baptist Church, 1700 James St. & Stadium Road, featuring the gospel bluegrass band, Reed Creek.

Community Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Change Me Ministries and Fellowship, vendors, guest, music, and lots of fun. For transportation, call: (434) 401-2636.

Annual Bouey-Gayton Day Celebration, 11a.m., at The Wonder Club Building (Old Meggison School), Spinoza Circle, a fun and informative event, sponsored by the Ministers Wives and Widows Association.

Fall Festival, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fairview United Methodist Church, 3041 Campbell Ave., stew, bake sale, hot dogs, yard sale and quilt raffle.

Fish and Chicken Fry, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Youth for Truth Developmental Center, 1205 Rivermont Ave.

AMHERST

Holiday Bazaar, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Virginia Health and Wellness Center, 3760 S. Amherst Hwy, Madison Heights, arts, crafts, and silent auction.

Brunswick Stew and Bake Sale, 11:30 a.m., Randolph Memorial Baptist Church, 4246 S. Amherst Highway, Madison Heights. To purchase stew ahead of time call: (434) 845-8855. $8 per quart.

Rainbow Rally Program, 5 p.m., First Baptist Church Coolwell, Rainbow Rally followed by The Brothers In Christ in concert, sponsored by the Pastors Aid Ministry.

BEDFORD

Annual Potato Bar, 5:30 p.m., Lebanon United Methodist Church, 4565 New London Road, Forest, the Torres Family will be singing. A love offering will be taken.

CAMPBELL

Spaghetti Supper, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Whites United Methodist Church, 513 English Tavern Road, $8 per person; children 6-12 $4; 6 and under free.

Appreciation Service, 4 p.m., Grace Baptist Church, 4823 Gladys Road, Altavista, for the Rev. David Calloway.

SUNDAY

LYNCHBURG

Guest Speaker, 10 a.m., Unity In The Seven Hills, 3522 Campbell Ave., will be Paula Mills, licensed Unity teacher.

Service Time Change, 9:30 a.m. (Sunday school), Gethsemane Baptist Church, 411 Blue Ridge St., 10:30 a.m. morning worship with Smokey Wilson in concert.

Second Pastoral Anniversary, 11 a.m., Faith & Victory Church of Worship, 1203 Rivermont Ave., of Pastor & Founder Isaiah White, morning worship, followed by lunch. At 3 p.m., Bishop Robert Higgins Sr, choir ushers and congregation of Wayside Christian Transformation Ministry.

AMHERST

Pastoral Anniversary, 11 a.m., ScottZion Baptist Church, Madison Heights, of Pastor Russell Gary Lee and First Lady Lee, the Rev. Ray Thomas pastor of First Baptist Church of Goode will deliver the message, followed by lunch. At 3 p.m., the Rev. Russell E. Lee and church family of Chapel Grove Baptist Church, Evington.

Gospel Concert, 3 p.m., First Baptist Church Coolwell, featuring Pleasant Valley Mens Chorus, sponsored by the Brotherhood Ministry.

APPOMATTOX

Breakfast After Hour of Power, 9 a.m., Jordan Baptist Church, Stonewall Road, Rt. 608, donations accepted.

BEDFORD

130th Church Anniversary, 3 p.m., Shiloh Baptist Church, 1567 Shiloh Church Road, Pastor Mitchell will deliver the message, followed by lunch. At 3 p.m., Minister Edwin Taylor, Antioch Baptist Church, Peaksville.

132nd Church Anniversary, 11 a.m., St. John Baptist Church, Forest, morning worship followed by lunch. At 3 p.m., the Rev. Brandon Hicks, of Ft. Washington, Md.

Harvest Rally, 11 a.m., Mt. Rock Baptist Church, 8381 Charlemont Road, Pastor Charlton will deliver the message, followed by lunch. At 3 p.m., the Rev. Dr. Waddell G. Jones Jr., pastor of New Free Spring Baptist Church, choir and congregation, Rustburg.

CAMPBELL

140th Year Celebration, 10 a.m., Rustburg United Methodist Church, 664 Village Hwy, Rustburg, coffee and muffins; worship with guest speaker, Pastor Mark Wilkerson, special music, and power point presentation, followed by a covered dish luncheon.

Family and Friends Day, 11 a.m., Staunton Baptist Church, Long Island, worship service followed by a fellowship meal.

MONDAY

CAMPBELL

Fall Harvest Revival, 7 p.m., Chapel Grove Baptist Church, Evington, Monday-Rev. Marcus Jones; Tuesday-Minister LaTonya Jackson, Mt. Pleasant; Wednesday-Rev. Joseph Charlton, Mt. Rock.

THURSDAY

AMHERST

Community Thanksgiving Service, 7 p.m., Sweet Briar College Chapel, SBC Chaplain and Amherst Presbyterian Pastor Matt Gaventa will lead the worship.

CAMPBELL

Gods Storehouse, 2 to 5 p.m., Lakewood Baptist Church, 2469 Sunburst Road, Evington. Please bring a current picture ID or drivers license to receive food items and hygiene products.

NOVEMBER 19

LYNCHBURG

Fall Bazaar, 9 a.m. to noon, St. Paul, 605 Clay St., we will have prepared meals, canned goods, cakes, desserts, crafts, Brunswick Stew and more.

Clothes Closet, noon to 2 p.m., Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 800 Cabell St.

AMHERST

26th Pastoral Anniversary, 5 p.m., Galilee Baptist Church, Gladstone, featuring The New Creation, Appomattox in concert.

APPOMATTOX

Community Thanksgiving Dinner, 1 to 4 p.m., House of Prayer Empowerment Temple, 354 Wood Row Road, Pamplin, enjoy a delicious FREE Thanksgiving dinner, fellowship, and fun, sponsored by Feeding the People Ministry. For transportation, call: (434) 248-5300.

CAMPBELL

Hunters Lunch, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Bethel Pentecostal Holiness Church, 2635 Tabor Road, Gladys, hot dogs, chili beans, dessert and drink. Open to everyone.

PITTSYLVANIA

Vendors/Crafters, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hurt P.H. Outreach, Freedom Worship Center, 1212 Grit Road, Hurt, lots of vendors and crafters. Sausage biscuits and coffee from 9 to 11 a.m. Lunch, hot dogs, chips and drinks from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Home News Sports Social Obituaries Events Letters Community's veterans honored November 11, 2016 On Friday, November 11, exactly at 11 a.m., a bell was solemnly struck to open Boundary County's Veteran's Day Memorial service. As that bell repeatedly sounded, it was joined by church bells throughout the community, all tolling at the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month in honor and recognition of veterans who have served our country.



Members of the Bonners Ferry High School choir, led by conductor David Carpenter, performed several songs. One of the largest crowds in recent memory to gather for the program was present at Veterans' Memorial Park next to the Boundary County Library, as special music, addresses, and recognition was dedicated to our community's veterans.



At the program, recognition and thanks were given to the many community members, businesses, and government entities who had contributed time, money, and effort to obtain and install 13 new flagpoles and flags at the Veterans' Park near the library. On this day of remembrance, twelve of those flagpoles flew the flag of the United States, while the thirteenth flew the POW / MIA flag.



A choir from Bonners Ferry High School, conducted by David Carpenter, sang the National Anthem, and later performed other musical numbers including America, God Bless the USA, and others.



Margaret Mellett, who annually puts together handmade quilts to present to veterans at the service, gave quilts this year to two veterans of the Viet Nam war. She was later given a special plaque by veterans, thanking her for her "selfless support and devotion to the veterans of Boundary County," and her annual quilt presentations.



Idaho Senator Shawn Keough Idaho District One Senator Shawn Keough gave the keynote address for the event, noting that Veterans' Day is held "in recognition of those who have served, and serve, and those who have and do sacrifice, in order that we may continue to live in freedom."



"Our veterans served so these freedoms we enjoy, and too often take for granted, are protected and perpetuated," she said.



A special flag and plaque were presented to the son of World War II pilot Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., who flew many missions during that war, including serving as the pilot of the Enola Gay, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber that dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in August 1945.



The event concluded with a bugle rendition of "Taps," followed by Boundary County Fire Chief Patrick Warkentin playing "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes. Questions or comments about this article? Click here to e-mail!
Slammer Cutter lends a hand

Mark has been in the business for over ten years and says the time has come for him to assist others on their musical journey.

But most important for me at this stage of my career, I have been doing this for ten years, I just really want to have fun, do what I love and really bring along some of the talent that I meet.

You never know who you cross paths with, but my job is anyone that I meet and I can influence in a good way, coming to music.

That is my personal journey.

I dont worry about the hype.

I worry about the people and treating people with respect and pushing the music as far we can push it. Mark and Ragoonath have collaborated for the 2017 Carnival season and created a new single called Ah Doh Mine She. It was released last Wednesday.

The song was conceptualised by Ragoonath and written by the duo in two days time when Mark was on vacation in TT from Canada earlier this year. Basically, I came home for a family vacation approximately one month ago and we met up. Shivan explained he had the concept for the song, which speaks about your wife liking rum more than you, Mark explained.

He was quick to add that although the song speaks about women drinking, it in no way denigrates women, but is simply a fun song.

Last year, Mark released Oh Gosh. He says while it has been challenging living abroad and doing music, he has been dedicated to coming back each year to create and promote his songs.

Ah Doh Mine She was produced by Rishi Mahato, and has yielded sponsorship from Angostura.

He says having grown up with Ragoonath in Cumuto, it provided the perfect platform for collaboration between the two of them. Mark says after Ragoonath pitched the concept he decided to work with him (Ragoonath) to get the song done.

This is Ragoonaths first ever collaboration with a soca artiste.

He has been singing traditional chutney since 2010/2011. They described the song as being catchy.

Since its release, Mark says there have not been any negative feedback. A video is scheduled to be shot over the weekend and will be released soon. The duo intends to enter the Chutney Soca Monarch, among other competitions.

Ragoonath says while his day job is outside of music industry, music is his ultimate love. For while others smoked or drank, he made music. The 29-year-old recalls the overall good feeling he had when he first hit the stage at a party he had attended. He says he was encouraged to take the mic and that singular event led him down a musical path. He hopes the song will be well received for Carnival 2017.

Earlier this year Mark released a track called Thank You Father - a conscious song thanking God for blessing him and his family.

He plans to release two more soon -- Highly Intoxicated done with Stefan Jaxx Bindoo, and Born A Drinker.
Serious lack of security at PoS General

He wanted to see if complaints of lax security and sub-pay working conditions really existed at the institution as claimed by staffers one of whom was an intern who lied about being robbed at the hospital last month.

In the end, Deyalsingh said that staff members complaints were legitimate as he observed several security breaches during his time undercover. He said that last week Friday, between 8 and 10 pm, he paid a visit to the PoSGH and St James Infirmary. I was absolutely appalled at what I saw that passes for security at these two institutions, Deyalsingh said yesterday after a demonstration of the Cardiotocography (CTG) at the maternal unit of the hospital.

The minister said the most serious security breach he noticed was at the Accident and Emergency Dept. Last Friday night I saw the guard who is usually behind a burglar-proof gate, in front with the public. The guard is usually inside and would buzz the person in.

The guard was outside of the gate, with the public, the gate which is electronically controlled was ajar.

Anybody can get in and I simply pushed the gate and walked in with the guard outside not even being aware. If I were a bandit I could immobilise that guard, push my way through the gate, which I did, get deep into the A and E and shoot up the place, rape people, rob people and the guard would be outside totally unconcerned. That to me is a travesty. He said the solution is not more security but more responsible and serious security.

Of his investigation at St James Infirmary, where a nurse was raped last year, the minister said, Instead of walking into the A and E there is a building to the right that stocks the gases. I said lets pretend to be burglars and there is a security guard sitting next to an ambulance no more than 20 feet away. We ran toward that building, the security guard shouted an alert to stop. We didnt stop, we just went behind the building. I said, let me see what the guards response would be. We waited for 15 minutes in the dead of night and no one came to stop us. The guard did not raise an alert for any of her colleagues to come see what was taking place.

When we came back out, she (the guard) was sitting in the same spot minding her business. Having shouted a warning, nothing else was done. The issue is not more security, it is a better quality of security.

Are we going to hire more of these kinds of guards? It doesnt make sense, Deyalsingh said. PoSGH Chief Executive Officer Anthony Cyrus said he has since met with the managers of nine security firms contracted to protect the PoSGH and St James Infirmary to come up with a plan to improve security.

There are nine security companies tripping over each other and this is what I inherited. Its a total mess. And I am held accountable.

What about the security companies and their people? I noticed at the end of central block I saw a young security guard on his phone for 15 minutes, not looking up to observe his surroundings and his supervisor came and signed him off. I am exercising my authority firmly via the office of the chairman and CEO. It does not make sense that we bring in more security guards with more phones. It takes policy and accountability, Deyalsingh said.
A toast to Therese Mills

It was very important for my mother that her memoirs were completed. I hope people are enjoying them, Suzanne said adding that she felt her mother would have been satisfied at the end result, even if she was a hard taskmaster with exacting standards. I swear her spirit was in the house driving me as I wrote that book, Mills said.

Historian Prof Bridget Brereton said the book was well-written, very engaging, clear, lively and readable.

She said early chapters gave insight into the life of a young woman, born into a middle-class, mixed race family in Portof- Spain.

Straight out of school in 1945, at age 16, Therese Mills went to work at the venerable Port-of- Spain Gazette, founded in 1825, working there and at its successor, the Chronicle, until 1958.

Therese Mills then lived in London for seven years, married with three children and then returned to TT as a feature writer and columnist at the Trinidad Guardian.

Brereton said that Therese Mills rose through the ranks to become Guardian editor- in-chief thereby shattering a glass ceiling by her own efforts and despite her lack of a university degree.

Brereton hailed Mills for bringing out the paper every day but one during the dark days of the 1990 attempted coup, amid a shortage of food and sleep, and under risk of physical danger.

Therese Mills then set up Newsday in 1993, confounding all the so-called experts and their prediction that it was completely impossible for a third daily to thrive.

She built the paper to such an extent that years later, it reached number one in terms of circulation.

She had a well-deserved reputation for being a very tough lady.

The tradition is that she could be quite difficult at times but was unswerving in defence of her reporters and freedom of the press, Prof Brereton said.

As an example, she recalled Therese Mills steadfastness at the time of the police raid of Newsday by police to try to unearth news sources for a story on infighting in the Integrity Commission.

Therese Mills set high standards in the writing and gathering of news. She noted Newsday editor Horace Monsegues, recollection of receiving a 6 am daily phone call from Therese Mills who would always pick up any shortcomings in a weak article and not leave you unscathed.

Brereton recognised Therese Mills as a genuine trail blazer, who opened up pathways for other women in journalism.

Retired news editor John Babb, recalled meeting Therese Mills, when he was a young shorthand writer at the Gazette in 1946.

She taught me a lot about the newspaper business, he related.

In addition, to Mills guidance, he accepted the advice of both former prime minister, the late Dr Eric Williams, to read books, and of a British news editor at the Gazette that he (Babb) is being to know everything, and to never say, I dont know.

So I fell in deeper love with journalism, Babb related. He recalled the early days of Mills and himself working at Newsday, going up against two established newspapers.

People said the market is too small for three newspapers.

I told Therese Mills, well show them! The doubters gave us the fire to produce that paper, he said.

For the first three months I worked that staff from Sunday to Sunday to Sunday to Sunday.

Nobody complained.

Everybody was happy.
Hi-tech baby monitors for PoSGH

The minister was speaking to members of the media, yesterday, at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, Maternity Ward, as the new monitor was demonstrated with the assistance of mother-to-be, Nikki Moore, who said she felt comforted just hearing her babys heart beat. The monitors would be used to confirm or exclude foetal distress in relation to uterine contractions, continuous monitoring in cases of augmentation or induction of labour, assessment of foetal well-being and ascertaining any changes in wither the mother or the foetuss condition which may require emergency intervention.

The monitor was also capable of monitoring triplets with its three-channel ultrasound tracing capability and coincidence detection between all heart rate channels.

Deyalsingh said for 2016 they have managed to keep the maternal and infant mortality rates down to the absolute minimum. II want to continue that drive until we join the developed countries in their maternal and infant mortality rates. With these machines and the ongoing education and thrust, we will get there by 2020 or before.

For this year we have had no more than three or four maternal deaths and that is where we need to be, he said.

He added that the monitors would be introduced to the other RHAs in due time.

He again urged expectant mothers to take care of themselves. We can do everything and have the best systems, procedures, policies and doctors, but we need the personal responsibility of our mothers to take care of themselves.
Sando neonatal shut down

The neonatal unit at the SFGH was shut down after five babies contracted a bacterial infection, all of which occurred at the same time.

Parkinson said according to microbiological protocols, they had to take emergency measures to shut down the unit and then investigate. After the investigation it was found that the infection was not caused by one bug, but by different strains. However, he said there was not an outbreak.

They will open up the unit again once these babies are cleared of infection. We had a similar problem in PoSGH as well not too long ago, and we had the cooperation of SFGH and Mt Hope (Womens Hospital), now the shoe is on the other foot and we are helping them, Parkinson said. He said the shut down meant that they did not want to take any new babies who may be at risk of getting the infection.

So, all at-risk mothers are sent to Mt Hope Womens Hospital and when they deliver their babies they can come straight to our neonatal unit (at PoSGH), or babies who are born there or who require ICU, they stabilise them first and then they transport them to us. The object is to try and cut down admissions to those units to reduce the spread of infection, Parkinson explained.
$63 million in expired drugs

In reflecting upon recent challenges regarding drug supplies in the country, Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste- Primus asked the Nipdec representatives present about the value of expired drugs over the last five years.

For six years we have approximately $63 million, Austin said. Baptiste- Primus observed this was no small sum of money and asked Austin to explain how such a situation could have arisen.

Austin indicated that several factors were responsible for this. One factor, according to Austin, was that Nipdec did not have access to the inventories of the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs).

She also identified brand loyalty was another factor and added, without a nationwide health information system where we can see the inventory levels at the institution levels, we are actually in the dark. Austin also said there have also been situations where drug shortages are not the result of the drugs in question not being available but where the drug is being stored, it is not being distributed equitably.

JSC chairman, Independent Senator Hugh Russell Ian Roach, expressed concern to Nipdec general manager David Benjamin that the company did not seem to be aware of the prices of drugs on the intenational market before it issued tenders for the purchase of drugs.

After explaining the tender process Nipdec uses, Benjamin said, We are looking at opportunities of getting drugs directly from PAHO (Pan American Health Organisation). He said the rationale for this was that PAHO purchases drugs in bulk and Nipdec could buy them at a lower cost.
Ex-Caroni worker wife gets house from Habitat

Vashti Singh-Debideen was moved to tears yesterday morning when she recalled her many sleepless nights spent worrying whether she would have been able to provide for her family following the death of her husband, Dharmendra Debideen in 2010.

I didnt think this would be possible, Singh-Debideen said, adding, this means a great deal where we can be a family and dont have to move around. When my husband died, to acquire the land was very hard and sometimes I would lie down in bed and start to worry about how I was going to get the finances to purchase the land, she said.

Singh-Debideen was full of praise for Habitat for Humanity and the NGC for making her dream come true and recalled that approximately 30 volunteers had painted the entire house in one days time.

And her two children, Jerome, 11, and Jessica, nine, in the audience, repeated that the family did not have to move anymore as they now had their own bedrooms and small yard to play in.

Meanwhile, Habitat Capital Campaign Cabinet chairman, Ronald Harford, said yesterdays key handing over ceremony had re-energised him to continue to raise funds for the non-governmental organisation.

You cant build a society unless you provide shelter for your people, he said, adding that NGC had pledged to contribute $1 million dollars yearly for the construction of homes over the next three years.

Also addressing the ceremony was NGC president, Mark Loquan, who observed that NGC had partnered with Habitat to construct three new houses for three single- parent families while also supplying construction materials for ten families to complete their homes.

Possession of a home empowers the homeowner and endows her and her family with dignity, pride and hope, he said.

Singh-Debideen was also presented with a mango tree, which was planted by her two children in the front yard and a Bible.
Strong odour at Marabella

Silk Cotton Road adjoins the Guaracara River which runs parallel to the refinery and was also the site of an oil spill in 2014.

In a media statement issued late on Thursday evening, Petrotrin stated that at 5.27pm, residents called the company to complain of a foul smell and immediately members of the companys HSE personnel visited the area to conduct air testing and monitor the situation. Residents who experienced discomfort were taken to Augustus Long Hospital for medical review and discharged at 9.00pm, Petrotrin stated, adding, as a precautionary measure, two families with infant children were temporarily relocated. And interviewed later on Thursday, Lorna Simon Sylvan, who lives at 34 Silk Cotton Rd, Battoo Avenue Marabella, said her family was greeted by a strong odour emanating from the refinery upon arrival at their home.

We live right behind Petrotrin and we came home this evening and the scent is killing us, my two daughters are presently at the Augustus Long Hospital with headaches and tightening of the chest, she said.

Petrotrin need to step up and do something with the people in this area here because this thing is always happening, she said.

Another resident, Steve Gopaul said he almost fainted from the odour adding, I felt I could have fainted and I have to go and get some little thing to drink, it started to burn my throat, and my eyes and I started to feel dizzy and it was really very terrible for a long while. In a further statement yesterday, Petrotrin noted that air quality tests continued to be conducted in the area and those persons who had been temporarily relocated as a precautionary measure had returned to their homes.

Last evening the companys HSE, Fire and Medical departments responded to calls by affected residents and measures were taken to address their concerns. Those requiring medical attention were treated at companys Augustus Long Hospital and discharged.

Members of two families were temporarily relocated for the night and they have since returned to their homes, Petrotrin stated.
UWI engaging tertiary sector to boost system

The decision to formalise a Working Group followed consultations on November 3 and 4 with representatives of more than 50 of UWIs education partners and international donors at The University Inn and Conference Centre, St Augustine Circular Road, St Augustine.

The consultations stem from a Caricom meeting in July 2015, where The UWI Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, highlighted the importance of tertiary education to national and regional development.

Working with Caricom, Vice-Chancellor Beckles initiated the two days of meetings to brainstorm how partners and donors can support UWI and other institutions to better align with industry. These discussions represent a key step in UWIs strategic agenda, with the University declaring that economic growth in the region is its top priority.

The UWI called upon international donors to invest in research in order to drive the kind of innovation necessary to create competitive industries. A University Office of Academic-Industry Partnership has also been established in order to drive this process under the theme UWI for Economic Growth.

Participants also agreed to prepare an action plan for presentation to Caricoms Inter-Sessional Heads of Government Meeting in February 2017. Charting the way forward, proposals would be aligned with the Caricom HRD2030 Strategy and its Strategic Plan to ensure a comprehensive approach to growth and development in Caricom, the UWI stated.

Other major outcomes of the event included: 1) Identification of opportunities for development programmes/ projects where regional approaches are likely to be more effective and efficient; 2) The need for a survey of tertiary level institutions to determine strengths, weaknesses and areas of particular interest, and to identify the institutions that have capacity to lead programmes/ projects; and 3) Identification of capacity building required to improve implementation/aid effectiveness
OPM makes correction

The Office of the Prime Minister issued this clarification to statements made by Rowley at a Peoples National Movement (PNM) political meeting in Point Fortin on Wednesday night.

The PNM election bandwagon will be in Charlie King Junction, Fyzabad on November 12 for another in its series of public meetings for this months Local Government Elections.

This meeting begins at 7.30 pm and Rowley will be the feature speaker.
MATT bouffs media

MATT also in its release, extended empathy to the recently fired media workers, stating it stands in solidarity with these ex-workers and is prepared to help in any way that it can.

While many businesses in Trinidad and Tobago are experiencing sharp declines in revenue, the news and broadcasting business model is doubly affected by flourishing social media alternatives.

The impact of social media on the bottom line was to be expected; negative impact on the traditional advertising model has been observed globally over several years, MATT said in the release.

What has been equally apparent, the release added, is the painfully slow and piecemeal approach taken by management at national media houses to invest in new strategies, training and technology to more effectively prepare for the inevitable.

Workers who now face the breadline might well be justified in feeling that this latest round of retrenchment (by the Express and TV6) might have been mitigated by more progressive and timely interventions. MATT said it is urging the local media to adhere to industrial relations best practice and offer retrenched workers financial assistance and counseling.
NACTA: PNM will sweep PoS and Diego

A large majority of voters express disenchantment with the governance of the PNM at the centre and at the local level in both corporations, but they do not view the opposition United National Congress (UNC) or Congress of the People (COP) or the other minor parties in the fray as a viable alternative to the ruling party. The NACTA poll shows a PNM sweep of the Port-of-Spain City Council and the borough of Diego Martin in the November 28 local government election.

Similar findings are obtained in other local administrative areas as well, said a NACTA statement yesterday.

The poll by NACTA head Dr Vishnu Bisram was done over the last three weeks by face-to-face interviews of 50 voters in Diego Martin and 185 in Port-of-Spain to reflect the demographics of the population. Based on trends from the latest and recent polls, the PNM is projected to retain both the Port-of- Spain city municipality and the borough of Diego Martin, winning all the seats, said Bisram.

None of the opposition parties is polling enough votes to win any of the four aldermen seats in each local unit, giving the PNM complete control over both local governments. He said the poll also tested support for the parties in the other 12 local government jurisdictions, with these findings to be released in a subsequent report.
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(Newser)  Police officers shot an armed man inside a Pennsylvania mental health facility after he stabbed several people and put down his knife but refused to drop his gun while his victims were bleeding badly, authorities said. Seven people were taken to hospitals, including the man and at least four stabbing victims, Allegheny County spokesperson Amie Downs said. It was unclear if any injuries were life-threatening, the AP reports. Police implored 38-year-old Dustin Johnson to drop his gun or be shot based on texts from inside that the victims were bleeding profusely and needed help, Downs said. Johnson dropped his knife but not the gun before he was shot, she said.

Employee CJ Fulton told WTAE-TV that the man complained that a stay at the facility had "ruined" his life. Johnson apparently gained entry to the secure facility before attacking people on the fifth floor, authorities said. "He started talking to us regularly," Fulton told the TV station. "Next thing you know he pulled a gun." Fulton said Johnson was angry from something that happened when he was staying at the facility. "He just started saying, 'You ruined my life,' ... then he proceeded to stab individuals and assault individuals," Fulton said. The center says it provides care and support for people and communities dealing with behavioral, mental health, substance abuse, and developmental issues. (Read more knife attack stories.)
(Newser)  Police hurled tear gas and flash-bang grenades in response to rowdy protests in Portland, Oregon Friday night, as people around the country once again took to the streets denouncing Donald Trump's presidential election victory, the AP reports. Early Saturday, Portland police tweeted that they were investigating a report of a shooting and a possible injury on a Willamette River bridge that protesters were heading toward. They also tweeted that tear gas was used in response to "burning projectiles" thrown at officers as hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti.

In other parts of the country, spirited demonstrations on college campuses and peaceful marches along downtown streets have taken place since Wednesday. Hundreds joined a Friday afternoon "love rally" in Washington Square Park in Manhattan, and evening marches disrupted traffic in Miami and Atlanta. More than a thousand protesters took to the streets across California after night fell including downtown Los Angeles, where over 200 were arrested a night earlier. In Bakersfield, where Trump is far more popular than in most of the state, some held signs reading "Anti-Trump, Pro-USA." Small protests also were held in cities including Detroit; Minneapolis, and Iowa City. (Trump says the protests are "very unfair.")
(Newser)  An explosion at a US airfield in Afghanistan early Saturday killed four Americanstwo service members and two contractors, CNN reports. Another 16 US service members and a Polish soldier were injured in the apparent suicide attack inside Bagram Air Field. According to the AP, a statement from NATO's Resolute Support mission said the blast happened around 5.30am and that "force protection and medical teams are responding to the situation." US Defense Secretary Ash Carter says he's "deeply saddened" by the attack.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which they said was carried out by a suicide bomber inside the base. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the insurgent group, said the attack had been planned for four months. The Taliban says it targeted "a sports ground where...important people and soldiers were busy exercising." It appears people on the base were gathering for a run when the explosion happened. A spokesperson for the governor of Parwan province, where the air field is based, says laborers employed at Bagram line up at the gates around dawn and an attacker could have been among them on Saturday. (Read more Afghanistan stories.)
(Newser)  Michael McFaul, US ambassador to Moscow from 2012 to 2014, recently applied for a Russian visa in hopes of aiding President-elect Hillary Clinton in her transition. This clearly didn't work out so well. But beyond the obvious reason, Reuters reports McFaul discovered he had been banned by Russia from entering the country. It could be the first instance of Russia banning a US ambassador in more than 60 years. The ban against McFaul is likely part of Russia's retaliation for 2014 sanctions leveled against it after it annexed the Crimea peninsula, according to the BBC. But McFaul believes his support for President Obama played a part, and he "will take that as a compliment." McFaul says he is sorry to find himself banned from Russia, a country where he's lived or traveled for more than three decades and where he has "hundreds of friends." (Read more Russia stories.)
(Newser)  With the election of Donald Trump this week, the Trans-Pacific Partnership is effectively dead, Reuters reports. The 12-country trade agreement was signed last year after more than five years of negotiations. Championed by President Obama, it was supposed to be part of his legacy. Then the tide turned. Republicans, who had largely supported the TPP, nominated Trump, who called it a "disaster" and "rape of our country." Even Hillary Clinton, who had supported the TPP while secretary of state, disowned it during the campaign, according to NPR. The Wall Street Journal reports the Obama administration had hoped to get it approved by Congress with the help of a Democratic Senate and incoming President Clinton. Neither of those things happened, dealing Obama a "bitter defeat."

Leaders of both parties in Congress now say they won't bring the TPP forward for a vote before Obama leaves office. It will be up to Trump to decide what to do with it, and the president elect has already stated his preference for renegotiating NAFTA and limiting imports. The TPP was set to be the biggest trade agreement in more than a decade. It got rid of many tariffs, set standards for intellectual property rights, and more. By excluding China, it was supposed to balance that country's growing power in the region. China is likely to now pursue its own trade agreements in the region, possibly to the detriment of US influence. (Read more Trans-Pacific Partnership stories.)
(Newser)  A mistrial has been declared in the case of a white Ohio cop who shot and killed an unarmed black driver during a traffic stop, sparking outrage and protests last year, NBC News reports. According to the AP, jurors deliberated for 25 hours but couldn't come to a decision on the charges faced by 26-year-old former University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing. Tensing pulled 43-year-old Samuel DuBose over in July 2015 because DuBose was missing a front license plate. During the traffic stop, DuBosewho police say had marijuana in the car and had previously been convicted of dealingbegan to drive away, the New York Times reports. Tensing claims he was being dragged by the car and shot DuBose in the head out of fear for his life.

But footage from Tensing's body camera doesn't show Tensing being dragged, and prosecutors say none of the evidence backs up Tensing's story. Prosecutor Joseph Deters calls it a "senseless, asinine shooting." Tensing was charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter. Jurors were leaning toward convicting him on the lesser charge but couldn't agree if Tensing had "acted in a fit of rage or sudden passion." Deters says prosecutors will decide in the next two weeks whether to retry the case or dismiss the charges. Meanwhile, Tensing is free on $1 million bond. (Read more Ray Tensing stories.)
(Newser)  New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof fought with and restrained an intruder he found in his Philadelphia hotel room early Saturday, the AP reports. Kristof said in a message on Twitter that there had been "big excitement" when he "interrupted an intruder" in his room at the Franklin Hotel near Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. He said there was a chase and then a fight, but he restrained the man, who he said was apparently a thief. Kristof said in another message that he had a wrenched thumb from the fight but was "otherwise OK." He said "fortunately, he was a wimpish thief." A police spokesperson confirmed the account, saying the columnist "chased him, struggled with him, and held him until officers arrived." The suspect is in custody awaiting charges. (Read more Nicholas Kristof stories.)
(Newser)  The death toll from a bomb blast at a Sufi shrine in southwest Pakistan Saturday has risen to 50 people with more than 100 wounded, officials said. The Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for the suicide attack at the shrine of Sufi saint Shah Bilal Noorani in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, the AP reports. Abdur Rasool, an official at the province's home ministry, said rescuers were transporting the wounded to hospitals and the dead to local morgues, but were struggling in the difficult mountainous terrain. The blast targeted worshippers as they were in the throes of their devotional "dhamal" dance, and the courtyard at the time was packed with families, women, and children.

The Islamic State group's statement on the IS-affiliated Aamaq news agency said the suicide attack had targeted "Shiites." The shrine is frequented by both Pakistan's Sunni Muslim majority and Shiite minority. IS considers all Shiite Muslims heretics. Baluchistan home minister Sarfaraz Bugti, citing a lack of cellular services in the affected area, said the situation will be much clearer in the morning. He said over 500 people were present in the courtyard of the shrine when the blast happened. One female witness, who was not identified by name, told the GEO television channel that a "big bang" took place in the midst of the dhamal dance in the shrine's courtyard. "I don't know how I escaped unhurt," she said. "It was like a hell all around." (Read more Pakistan stories.)
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 0F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 0F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Srinagar :

After various instances of burning coming at various places in Jammu and Kashmir, government teachers in Srinagar are directed to do night shift at schools for the safety of the institutions.

Teachers in the sensitive valley city have been facing multiple burning incidents. Ever since the killing of Burhan Wani, at least 29 schools have been thrown to flames under mysterious circumstances. After which teachers in the valley are told patrol their respective schools.

Chief Education Officer (CEO) of Srinagar, Arif Iqbal Malik issued a directive which asked teachers to take turns and work in shifts to protect their schools- even at night.A The directive marks the instructions mandatory with regard to protection of schools after a high-level meeting conducted by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Khan.

Srinagar: Government teachers go to schools for night shift for safety of the institutions, in wake of the recent burning incidents. pic.twitter.com/mywIvJh50b a ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

The order issued to 1,015 schools asks teachers to ensure that a watchman is present in the school for all the time and if in any case no watchman is available, the task should be assigned to other staff member to the school organisation to ensure intact safety. A

However, Srinagar CEO Malik has denied having told schools to engage women teachers for the job.

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a three-day visit to Japan travelled to Kobe on the famous superfast bullet train the Shinkansen on Saturday. Shinkansens speed ranges from 240 kms per hour to 320 kms per hour.

On the way to Kobe with PM @AbeShinzo. We are on board the Shinkansen bullet train, Prime Minister Modi tweeted along with pictures of him in deep conversation with Abe.

Accompanied by their respective delegations both the leaders boarded the train. Modi and Abe will also visit Kawasaki Heavy Industries facility, where high-speed trains are manufactured.

ALSO READ: (India, Japan sign 10 pacts including areas like space, agriculture, infrastructure, railways)

Shinkansen train's technology is known to be the safest in the world. For most of its journey magnetic levitation train does make contact with the ground, but hovers 10 centimetres above as it's propelled through the air with electrically-charged magnets on either side of the track.

In India Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor is a proposed high-speed rail line which remains just a project to be done so far. Its construction will begin in 2018 but when will it get to see days light remains to be seen.

#WATCH: PM Narendra Modi and Japan PM Shinzo Abe inside the Shinkansen bullet train to Kobe #Tokyo pic.twitter.com/tt0BMbTaGt  ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

And now behind the scenes.PM Narendra Modi arrives at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries with Shinzo Abe to get first hand info on bullet trains pic.twitter.com/s61uoharmM  ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

We are working on Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail project & doing it with Japan, that is why am here to see to this: PM at Kawasaki Plant pic.twitter.com/cSwBP83BFt  PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 12, 2016

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New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will organise a press conference at 10am in Delhi on demonetization. He claims that he has evidence that raises questions on demonetization and how it is turning out to be a huge scam.A

From evidence pouring in, demonitization is turning out to be a huge scam. Will present evidence at 10 am in a press conf a Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 12, 2016



Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the nation on Tuesday has made some major announcement on the use of currency in the country. To curb the black money and illegal currency markets, PM has declared the invalidity of 500 and 1000 rupee currency notes in the country from November 9.A

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New Delhi:

Long serpentine queues were witnessed outside ATM booths across the nation for the second day in a row on Saturday as the people rushed to withdraw money for basic necessities after demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes.A



Re-opening after two days, ATM started dispensing maximum amount of Rs 2000 for each customer according to a cap set up by government to ensure smooth transfer of currency shuffle across India.A



However, the process of exchanging notes turned chaotic and confusing as facilities like banks and post offices wilted under pressure. Many ATMs ran out of cash within hours of opening due to heavy footfall.

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala)



Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): Bank customers throng banks in large number after #DeMonetisation of currency pic.twitter.com/yLsoj9PA8S a ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

West BengalA

I personally visited several banks today to listen to tales of hardship of common people: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on demonetisation pic.twitter.com/7hoo9bdd2V a ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016





#DeMonetisation: Huge crowd gathered outside banks in Siliguri (WB) to deposit/exchange money pic.twitter.com/BMck6H2Ll8 a ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

GujaratA

One of the longest queues outside an ATM/Bank was witnessed in Surat, Gujarat on Friday, a tweet claimed.A

DelhiA



#DeMonetisation: Huge crowd gathered outside banks in Chandni Chowk (Delhi) to deposit/exchange money pic.twitter.com/7qIAhaQszM a ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

In national capital, Delhi Police attended to around 3,000 calls from anxious people who stood in queues to withdraw money from ATMs with Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes no longer considered legal tender.



aYesterday (Thursday), we received close to 750 calls from anxious people who complained their notes were not exchanged or banks ran out of cash. Today (Friday), we attended to more than three times the number of calls,a Special Commissioner of Police (Operations) Sanjay Beniwal said.



aMany of the complaints were regarding ATMs running out of cash or remaining offline today. There were calls about long queues or violence. When we reached the spot, we found that the caller or the bank staffer had panicked and made the call. A There were no reports of any untoward incident from anywhere,a the official said.

#DeMonetisation: People waiting in long queues outside State Bank of Patiala, Mayur Vihar Phase 3 to deposit/exchange a500/1000 notes pic.twitter.com/HfiqOrFP1s a ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

Delhi: Huge crowd gathered outside banks in Vasant Vihar to deposit/exchange a500/1000 notes after demonetisation pic.twitter.com/uJ6CMd3RLR a ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

Uttar PradeshA

Lucknow

People in Uttar Pradesh's capital city were seen fretting over inadequate arrangements at ATM booths. Hundreds of angry and panicking customers returned from ATMs empty-handed as most of the machines were found in-operational. Customers say that they have until December 30 to deposit or exchange their 500-and 1000-rupee notes for smaller bills or the new 2000-rupee note that is expected to make counterfeiting harder.

NoidaA

Heavy rush at ATMs was witnssed as late as 1:30 am in the night in Noida,while hundred thronged to banks to exchange cash early in the morning.A



BiharA

Demonetisation of Rs 500/1000 notes: People lined up outside a bank in Patna waiting for their turn to come. pic.twitter.com/3nMP03ssVR a ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

In Patna, many stood in long serpentine queues in front of different nationalised and private banks to exchange old currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 besides depositing and withdrawing money.



Long queues were witnessed at ATMs too which opened today after the gap of two days. ATMs were closed for two days-Wednesday and Thursday- for their re-calibration to dispense money.



Many ATMs ran out of cash in couple of hours as there were heavy rush to withdraw money but a large number of ATMs, especially on Boring road or Boring canal road of the capital, were not working till 11 am since morning.



Chennai, Tamil NaduA



In Chennai, most the ATMs of both public and private sector banks ran out of cash and were inactive. Several ATMs in remote areas did not function.



Private sector ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank have announced extended working hours up to 8 pm to dispense cash for the customers.



aI was told there was enough cash in ATMs and there will not be any problem in dispensing the cash. But, when I came here, we were asked to leave as ATMs ran out of casha, Kumar, a customer of State Bank of India, said.



With ATMs remaining non-functional, serpentine queues could be seen before the banks for exchanging the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.

A

MaharshtraA

NagpurA



Demonetisation of Rs 500/1000 notes: People queue up outside a bank in Nagpur waiting for their turn. pic.twitter.com/L0WYyiPev0 a ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

MumbaiA

Demonetisation of Rs 500/1000 notes: People queue up outside Central bank of India in Mumbai waiting for bank to open. pic.twitter.com/qrbJX66Vpu a ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

A 73-year-old man collapsed and died in a queue before a bank as cash-strapped people in the countryas financial capital rushed to the ATM counters to withdraw some money to meet their daily expenses.



Vishwanath Vartak, who was standing in the queue before an SBI branch for exchanging currency, collapsed and died on the spot at Navghar in Mulund in eastern suburbs, police said.



Running out of money for the last two days, men and women had thronged the ATMs since early morning while in many places, to their disappointment, they found the machines not working.



ATMs of various banks in south Mumbai, Lalbaugh, Parel, Dadar, Andheri, Ghatkopar and Mulund were found to be out of service and not dispensing money, forcing people to return empty-handed.

JammuA



A

Kolkata







BengaluruA







A

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Patna:

A journalist working with a Hindi daily was shot dead on Saturday allegedly by three unidentified persons in Bihar's Sasaram city apparently over his articles on illegal stone chips units, the police said.

Dharmdendra Singh, 33, was pumped three bullets from point blank range by bike-borne assailants while he was having tea at a road side stall at his Amra Tola village .

Singh was referred to Varanasi in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries midway.

Singh is survived by wife and a son.

The SDPO said probe is on in the murder case. The murder is suspectedly linked to illegal quarrying business in Rohtas district.

Sources said that police have launched a probe into the murder and launched a manhunt to nab the accused.

The murder is the latest in a string of crimes that underline the deteriorating law and order situation in Bihar.

In may, Siwan bureau chief of Hindi daily Hindustan Rajdeo Ranjan was shot dead by group of five criminals when he was on his way home from office on a bike.

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New York:

H-1B visa 'potential area of friction' between Indo-US ties under Donald Trump's administration would build on progress made in Indo-US ties and be less tolerant of Pakistan's "dual policies" on terror, but the issue of H-1B visas could be a potential area of friction with New Delhi, a noted US expert on South Asian issues has said.

"It seems likely that a Trump administration will build on the marked progress made in US-India relations over the last couple of years," Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation,a top American think-tank said. She said there is bipartisan recognition in the US that India plays an important role when it comes to achieving American objectives in the Asia Pacific, namely ensuring arules-based international order and free and open seaways.

"President-elect Trump made several positive commentsabout India on the campaign trail, which seems to reflect hissupport for bolstering the partnership," said Curtis, who at The Heritage, focuses on US national security issues andregional geopolitics. Curtis said Trump's tougher stance on terrorism, ingeneral, will find favour among Indians, who are wary ofattacks by Pakistan-based terrorist groups. "It is expected that a Trump administration will workmore closely with India on combating terrorism in the regionand will be less tolerant of Pakistan's dual policies towardterrorism," Curtis said.

However, H-1B is a potential area of conflict between the two countries, she noted. "One area of potential friction could be over the H1-B visa issue. It is still unclear how Trump's global business background will impact on his commitment to protect American workers," she said. "He has both acknowledged the importance of allowing high-tech companies to access global talent, while also pointing out potential flaws and misuse of the H1-B visa program.

His administration may seek some changes to the H1-B visa requirements but is unlikely to do away with the program completely," Curtis said.

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New Delhi:

At least four people were killed and 14 others injured in an explosion at the Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan on Saturday morning, reports said.

An explosion struck the largest US military base in Afghanistan early today, causing some casualties, NATO said.

No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast, which occurs as the Taliban step up nationwide attacks before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs.

We can confirm that there was an explosion at Bagram Airfield this morning just after 5:30 am (0100 GMT). There have been casualties, the military coalition said in a brief statement.

Our Force Protection and medical teams are responding to the situation, it added, without offering any other details.

The explosion underscores a worsening security situation nearly two years after NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan.

Bagram Airfield, close to Kabul, has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistans largest US military base.

It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.

Read more: Taliban attack on German consulate in Afghanistan kills 4

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Kobe:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Saturday for greater participation and engagement of Japanese industries, saying it will benefit Japan and India's Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector for which it could prove "transformational".

Addressing a luncheon gathering of business leaders in Kobe, Modi recalled his association with Hyogo Prefecture and his visits to Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in Japan, in 2007 and 2012.

Modi, who travelled to Kobe from Tokyo in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, was received at Hyogo prefecture guest house. The governor of Hyogo Toshizo Ido and mayor of Kobe Kyuzo Hisamaoto were present at Hyogo house.

Watch: PM Modi enjoys Shinkansen bullet ride in Japan with Shinzo Abe

Simply Shinkansen! Scenes from inside the famed Japanese bullet train, with the two leaders deep in conversation pic.twitter.com/D9gQz73XJ4  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) November 12, 2016

An agreement has been signed between the state of Gujarat and Hyogo Prefectural Government to promote cooperation between them in the fields of academics, business, culture, disaster management and environmental protection.

"A stronger web of state and provincial connections. The leaders witness exchange of MoU of Coopn between Gujarat Govt and Hyogo Prefecture," external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Thanking Governor Ido for valuable efforts two develop relations with Gujarat, Modi said ties between the two sides is characterised by complete trust and mutual confidence. "Greater participation and engagement of industries in Hyogo will benefit Japan and India's MSME sector for which it could prove transformational," Modi said.

Read: India, Japan sign 10 pacts including areas like space, agriculture, infrastructure, railways

The Prime Minister said the Indian community in Kobe has a long history of trade and commerce. "I congratulate all residents of Kobe on forthcoming 150 years of its port," he said.

Earlier in the day, Modi also visited Kawasaki Heavy Industries plant with Shinzo Abe to get first hand information on bullet train technology.

#WATCH PM Narendra Modi arrives at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe to get first hand info on bullet trains pic.twitter.com/Jn58n9d0WC  ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

PM @narendramodi :We are waiting for this train in India. pic.twitter.com/EZnJJXp7B7  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) November 12, 2016

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Islamabad:

A Chinese ship docked at the port on Friday and another vessel was expected to arrive within 24 hours, Dawn reported,citing official sources.

The first trade convoy carrying Chinese goods for export through the western route of the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has arrived at the Gwadar port, a media report said on Saturday in Islamabad.

A Chinese ship docked at the port on Friday and another vessel was expected to arrive within 24 hours, Dawn reported,citing official sources.

CPEC has been said to be a 'monument of Pakistan-China friendship'

The paper said that the second trade convoy was scheduledto reach on Saturday. The goods will be exported to countries in the Middle East and Africa.

A ceremony marking the opening of trade activities through the corridor will be held on Sunday, which will be attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri and envoys of 15 countries.

China not only built the Gwadar port but also has its operational control. It is also building a network of roadsand railways to link up its western region to Gwadar for easiest access to Arabian Sea.

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the Indian diaspora in Kobe in japan. During his address he vowed to make India poverty-free and thanked Japan for its help during Gujarat earthquake.

Highlights of speech:

#Will check records since Independence. If I come across unaccounted cash, no body will be spared: PM Narendra Modi in Japan

#Till 30 December, there will be no trouble caused to anyone. Everything that is yours, you will get it: PM Narendra Modi

#WATCH: PM Narendra Modi on scrapping of Rs 500/1000 notes, says "was important to keep it a secret, couldn't share it with anyone" pic.twitter.com/qbYyegw8CV  ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

#This is not an overnight decision, first we had brought in a scheme. Its not that no opportunity was given, it was given: PM Modi

# It is a massive cleaning campaign: PM Modi

#I was pondering over the difficulties, our team was thinking of ways. But obviously I couldn't share it with anyone: PM Narendra Modi

#WATCH: PM Narendra speaks in Japan on scrapping of Rs 500/1000 notes, says "salute countrymen for supporting the decision" pic.twitter.com/vjVc2bkurW  ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016



#On the night of 8th November, Rs 500 and 1000 (gestures that they were scrapped), I thank the people of India: PM Modi in Japan



#I salute the people of India for hailing this initiative, despite all difficulties they have supported us: PM Narendra Modi

#PM Modi mentions Newsnation exclusive story: "Earlier no one used to put a single rupee in river Ganga, now you can see notes flowing in it"

Also read: Exclusive Video | Black money crackdown impact: Torn Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 old notes found floating in Ganga river in UP's Mirzapur

#I salute the people of India for hailing this initiative, despite all difficulties they have supported us: PM Narendra Modi

#In response, poor of the nation showed their big hearts to us: PM Modi

#We have asked poor people that even if they do not have a penny we will open their bank account: PM Modi

#'First develop India', is my definition of FDI. however the other one is Foreign Direct Investment: PM Narendra Modi in Japan

#I am committed to make India poverty-free: PM Modi

#India is the fastest growing economy in the world

#Kobe helped Gujarat during earthquake: PM Modi addresses the Indian community in Japan.

#PM Narendra Modi meets Indian community in Kobe (Japan)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Srinagar :

Authorities on Saturday lifted curfew from parts of the summer capital Jammu, where the curbs were imposed on Friday as a precutionary measure. The separatists plans of holding a congregation at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar even as normal life remained affected in Kashmir Valley for the 127th consecutive day.

Curfew has been lifted in the five police station areas of the city where it was imposed on Friday as a precautionary measure, a police official said.

The lifting of the restrictions led to an increased movement of people and transport in the city. Inter-district cabs were also plying on some routes connecting the other districts of the Valley with the summer capital.Some shops were also open in the areas in the civil lines and the outskirts of the city as well as in some of the rural areas in other districts of Kashmir. However, most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments in the rest of the Valley were shut due to the strike.

They are expected to open later in the evening on Saturday, as the separatists have announced a 15-hour relaxation in the strike.As many as 85 people, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the ongoing unrest in the Valley.
Kobe:

Hinting at more action to unearth black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday those holding unaccounted money will not be spared and there is no "guarantee" that no further steps would be taken after December 30 till when people can deposit the demonetised notes.

Modi while addressing the Indian diaspora in Japan said that he salutes the people of India for hailing the demonetisation of high denomination currency despite all difficulties.

Here are the top five quotes from PM Modi's speech:

1. I would like to announce once again that after the end of this scheme, there is no guarantee that something new will not be introduced to punish you (thikane lagane ke liye).

2. Honest people will not face any problem. No one will be spared. Those who know me, they are intelligent as well. They think it is better to offer it in Ganga than in banks.

Exclusive Video | Currency demonetisation effect: Torn old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes found floating in Ganga river in UP's Mirzapur

3. I salute my countrymen. People stood in line for four hours, six hours but accepted the decision in national interest.

4. I make it very clear that if anything unaccounted comes up, then I will check its records since Independence. Will deploy as many people as required for this.

5. I thought long and hard about the possible difficulties and it was also important to keep it a secret. It had to be done suddenly but I never thought I will receive blessings for this.

Read: No problem for anyone till Dec 30, you will get what is yours, PM Modi speaks on demonetisation

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Bhopal:

Police on Saturday conducted multiple raids in Mumbai in the wake of reports of alleged profiteering and subsequent tax evasion by traders by converting withdrawn currency notes in an illegal manner.

Police have seized unaccounted cash worth Rs 4 crore in demonetized Rs 1,000 denomination notes from a Maharashtra-based trader at a check post in Burhanpur district in Madhya Pradesh.

The seizure was made last night, Burhanpur Superintendent of Police Anil Singh Kushwaha told PTI.

We seized the currency from Shabbir Hussain, a trader based in Malkapur in Buldhana district of Maharashtra, during a screening at the check post. The entire cash stock was in the scrapped Rs 1,000 notes, the SP said.

Police have informed Income Tax officials about the seizure and they are carrying out a further probe into it.

It is possible that in view of the demonetization of the high denomination currency notes, the trader might have been taking the cash for donating it to a community trust in

Burhanpur town, Kushwaha added.

Since the by-poll for Nepanagar assembly seat in

Burhanpur district is scheduled to be held on November 19, intense checking has been going on based on the directives of the Election Commission, especially in the border areas, the officer said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Chennai:

People faced huge difficulties in exchanging scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes for the third day on Friday as they had to form serpentine queues before banks in Tamil Nadu. If that was not enough, even ATMs in the state ran out of cash.

Only select ATMs were functional on Friday also, leading to long queues and frustration among the people while banks continued to witness huge demand for cash.

At many places, public were frustrated and disappointed that they could not even withdraw the Rs 2,000 cash allowed despite standing for long hours in front of ATMs.

Also Read: Demonetisation: Long queues, dry ATMs add to woes of people across country

Following government's announcement that banks would operate today and tomorrow, the number of people thronging the branches of banks was higher than the past two days in view of the week-end.

Meanwhile, petroleum dealers association here said it would accept exchange of old and new Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations till November 14 as government has extended the exemptions of certain transactions.

The government last night extended use of defunct 500 and 1,000 notes for paying household utility bills, fuel, taxes, fees and purchases from co-operative stores till November 14.

Also Read: As it happened: India's great cash rush: Delhi, Kerela, UP, WB stuck in ATM queues

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New Delhi:

Concerned over circulation of fake currency in the country, Finance Ministry on Saturday asked the Reserve Bank to set up a special cell to monitor such notes.

RBI has been advised by Ministry of Finance to set up a Special Cell to monitor the receipt of fake currency notes and inform such instances to the law enforcement and investigative agencies, Finance Ministry said in a statement.

The central bank has been asked to inform such matters to Economic Offences Wing of the State Police, Intelligence/Enforcement Agencies of the Central Government and also to the Ministry of Finance, it said.

"One of the primary objectives of cancellation of legal tender character of old series of Rs 500/- and Rs 1000/- notes was to check the menace of terror financing through counterfeit currency notes," it said.

The receipt of counterfeits/fake currency notes in Banks and Post Offices are, therefore, being monitored very closely, it said, adding a special watch is being kept on receipt of such fake notes in the States bordering our neighbouring countries.

"The Law Enforcement Agencies have also been advised to maintain close vigil over possible movement of fake currencies and take prompt action as and when such cases are detected by them as well as by RBI and Banks," it said.

For all the Latest Business News, Economy News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Delhi Police on Saturday received nearly 4,500 calls till 6 PM as cash-strapped people standing in long queues outside banks and ATMs resorted to violence in some parts of the city.

"We received over 4,000 calls today. There were sporadic incidents of violence reported from the city but there were no reports of any grievous injury," said Sanjay Beniwal, Special Commissioner of Police (Operations).

Police said a case of stone pelting at IDBI bank in Roop Nagar was reported and one person was arrested.

At 12 noon, Imran (44), who had already withdrawn money from the bank once, tried to go inside again and was stopped by a security guard, they said.

He got into a scuffle with the guard and called six-seven other men who resorted to stone pelting, police said.

Imran is a resident of Malkaganj and was arrested from the spot, police said, adding they are scanning the CCTV footage from the bank to identify the other accused.

Also read: Currency exchange: Long queues, dry ATMs add to woes of people across country

"No one was reported to be injured in stone pelting. The bank operations resumed after few hours," said a senior police official.

He said a case under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) IPC has been registered against the accused.

There were dime a dozen rumours floating about incidents of violence even as Twitter added more fuel to fire, police sources said.

A purported video from Metro Mall in Seelampur area of northeast Delhi went viral where people were "plundering goods" and police had to intervene.

Ajit Singla, DCP (Northeast) said, "The reports of miscreants taking away stocks from a mall in Seelampur area are false and baseless. It is a self-catering Mall which allows entry to card holders only and routine disbursal of stocks was being done."

He said some mischievous elements tried to show it as looting but local police intervened immediately and removed the miscreants.

"No complaint of looting received. Regular operations are being carried out in all market places in Delhi. Strict action as per law is being taken any such rumour mongering," he said.
Mumbai:

Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan slammed Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday for criticising the Centre's decision to demonetise high-value currency notes.

He alleged that the Shiv Sena chief too was "responsible for the misery of the common man". "Uddhav Thackeray's criticism has no meaning.

He is part of the government and hence, responsible for the misery of the common man," he told reporters here.

Chavan alleged that the decision to demonetise high-value currency notes was taken "in a hasty manner and without giving it a proper thought".

"Adequate alternative measures were not taken before making this announcement," the former Maharashtra chief minister said.

He claimed that two persons had died due to "stress and tension" caused by the "sudden" move to scrap the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes and blamed the Centre for the deaths.

Earlier in the day, four NCP corporators from Parbhani Municipal Council joined the Congress in Chavan's presence.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Salman Khan is not happy with the contestants. As he turns up on the show, he straight away starts a video showing the contestants doing nothing but just hanging around. Contestants, especially, the celebritiesa negligence towards the tasks assigned, is theA main reason for Salmanas anger. Salman also alleges that some contestants stay expressionless throughout the show.

Salman looks at Nitibha who refused to share her makeup stash with anyone else, driving Pravin out. She defends herself by saying that her makeup is aA confidence booster for her.

#Nitibha explains makeup is a confidence booster for her. #BB10WeekendKaVaar a Bigg Boss (@BiggBoss) November 12, 2016

Manu Punjabi is in jail again after being asked by Bigg Boss.

Well, Salman has announced that the eviction round will take place on Sunday night. And the nominees for the eviction round are Naveen, Lokesh and Rahul. The inmates are pointing Lokesh for being dumb. And even Lokesh admits her foolishness.

Who do you think will be the one to leave Bigg Boss house on Sunday night.
New Delhi:

Rock On 2, the sequel to Rock On weaves a magic on the strength of its beautiful music and amazing story.

Farhan Akhtar (Aditya Shroff) has left music and pursues cooperative farming in Meghalaya.

Joe (Arjun Rampal) works as a reality show judge along with being the owner of a club.

KD (Purab Kohli) makes tunes for corporate houses and aspires for the band to work together once more.

Enter Jiah (Shraddha Kapoor) and Uday (Shashank Arora) who infuse a new dimension to Magiks music.

The band pledges to conduct a massive music concert to help reconstruct a Meghalya village and musicians from all over the country become a part of it.

The films music is scintillating to the core and one can enjoy a crunching number composed and performed by Shillong-based band Somersault and Usha Uthup.Beautiful locales and amazing photography are some other incentives associated with the movie.

Hindustan Times

Eight years after Rock On went on to win hearts and awards, its sequel, Rock On 2, which is a far better film than what its trailers suggest, could follow suit.

Rock On ended with Robs (Luke Kenny) death and the reuniting of the all-boy band Magik. Things have changed since then. Aditya Shroff (Farhan Akhtar) is again delusional. He has left music and does cooperative farming somewhere in the Northeast.

Joe (Arjun Rampal) is a reality show judge and a club owner. He appears to be the most successful of the lot.

KD (Purab Kohli) thinks the band should come together again to infuse some purpose in their lives, but that doesnt seem possible.

And here come Jiah (Shraddha Kapoor) and Uday (Shashank Arora), promising but untapped talents to carry on the legacy of Magik.

The use of the Northeastern milieu pays back towards the end when the emotions explode out of the claustrophobic spaces.

Like Rock On, this one is also about the male bonding, on and off the stage. Shraddha Kapoors presence adds a different dimension to it.

Mumbai Mirror

A sequel to the story of desi rock group Magik, this one begins a few years on from where the last one left us. Once a lead vocalist, now a farm coordinator in a remote village in Meghalaya, Adi (Farhan Akhtar) has blatantly-suggestive unresolved issues that drove him to this isolation.

The rest of the band members have embraced logical career transitions. Joe (Arjun Rampal) is now a reality show judge and owns a club and the grizzly locked KD (Purab Kohli) has resigned to a sober haircut and career option to match  he composes tunes for those with little opinion on music.

When a fire destroys Adis village, he returns to Mumbai and to music, once coaxed by his friends. The idea is to host the mother of all charity concerts. This is when the estranged music group chances upon Jiah and Uday (Shashank Arora), a sarod player who doubles up as a bassist. The rest of the film covers their challenges in putting up a rock show despite opposition from local authorities and how some of them deal with the skeletons of their connected past.

For a film about musicians, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy pack in tracks that lack punch and the murdered version of Aerosmiths Sweet Emotion (Jaago) would make Pritam proud.

The film does well to endorse Meghalayas tourism potential. The rolling hills of the North-Eastern state resemble heaps of finely ground matcha and cinematographer Marc Koninckx captures them in a manner to distract us from the proceedings.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
T20 World Cup: I Am Hopeful That India Will Play Final - Sourav Ganguly Praises Rohit Sharma And Co

WATCH: Virat Kohli Spends Time With KL Rahul in Training Session, Advices Him to Adjust Few Things

IND vs BAN: Dinesh Karthik Pull up Pretty Well in Training Session, Will Take Final Call on Him Tomorrow - Rahul Dravid

T20 World Cup: Jos Butler, Alex Hales Help England Cruise Past New Zealand
I don't know how many young women come to this blog or how many are parents of teenage or young adult women, but here are some safety tips from Kelsey's Army:

T

I

P

S

1. Trust your instincts - If something feels wrong then something probably is wrong.2. Know your surroundings - know who and what is around you.3. Always have a plan for where you would go and what you would do if a situation arises.4. Be willing to make a scene in order to be noticed.5. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.Remember the acronym TIPS:ake Chargenform others of your whereaboutsrepare for any situationurvival Mentality (role play situations so you will respond should they happen)For more information, go to Kelsey's Army
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Regina was just 5 years old when she tried to commit suicide.

Since then she has struggled at times with alcohol and depression, had difficulties maintaining relationships and committing to a career. She was eventually diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, a condition characterized by problems regulating emotions, severe mood swings, impulsive behavior, poor self-image and stormy personal relationships.

Despite the disorder, Regina grew into a funny and intelligent woman able to hold down a job and enjoy a 12-year relationship, but it still sometimes threatens to undermine what she has achieved.

Years after her diagnosis, at 45, she agreed to become the main subject of a documentary film called BORDERLINE. Filmmakers followed her for almost a year, interviewing her and capturing interactions with people in her life, including her therapist, Gina Pulice, a licensed clinical social worker who now lives in Ridgefield.

My dream would be if a handful of people who have the illness, whether they know it or not, relate to Reginas experience and then they realize there is a treatment, that its not a death sentence ... and that there is hope for you and its not your fault, Pulice said.

The 88-minute film will be screened at The Ridgefield Playhouse at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

After the screening, the evening will continue with a panel discussion including Regina; Rebbie Ratner, the films director; Pulice; and Pulices husband, Dr. Aaron Krasner, a psychiatrist who works at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan. Silver Hill is hosting the screening, which allowed it to be free to the public.

An estimated 1.6 percent of American adults have borderline personality disorder, but the figure might be as high as 5.9 percent, according to the National Alliance for Mental Illness.

Ratner herself was diagnosed with the disorder when she was 39, after years of struggling and actively searching for answers about her mental health.

After receiving treatment, Ratner returned to graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin, where she had been pursing a masters in filmmaking. She needed to make a film, so she decided to create one about borderline personality disorder.

Ratner posted on Craigslist asking for someone with borderline personality disorder to be involved in her proposed film. That is how she found Regina.

Ratner said the film offers viewers insight into a misunderstood, highly stigmatized mental health diagnosis whose symptoms express the extremes of everyday human suffering.

The movie was co-produced by Suzanne Mitchell, who worked for a year at the Ridgefield Playhouse. The film has already been screened across the country, including in New York, Texas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Colorado and Oregon.

Hopefully it increases peoples emotional literacy, even a modicum, said Ratner, who is now 44. I want borderline on the map ... I think its the common citizens, not the great clinician, that together will increase awareness and make change.

For more information on BORDERLINE, visit www.borderlinethefilm.com.
Cosby plans to restart career once legal battles end

United States,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

null

Los Angeles, Nov 12 (IANS) Actor-comedian Bill Cosby intends to restart his career after sexual assault woes subside, his lawyer said.

The 79-year-old is being sued for defamation by several alleged victims in federal court in Massachusetts. As part of the litigation, the plaintiffs are seeking Cosby's business records, including deals arranged with Creative Artists Agency.

Cosby's attorney Angela Agrusa filed a motion on Thursday objecting to the disclosure, saying it would jeopardize Cosby's ability to negotiate future contracts, reports reports variety.com.

"When Mr. Cosby is cleared from all liability and charges, and the impact of Plaintiffs' defamatory conduct has subsided, he expects to resume his career, and there is no reason to believe otherwise," Agrusa wrote.

"But disclosure of this type of financial and business information is irreversible. Even after his name is cleared, if released to the public, this information would improperly restrain his employment and tie his hands for renegotiation."

Cosby is also facing criminal charges stemming from a 2004 incident in Pennsylvania. His attorneys in that case have said that he is legally blind. More than 50 women have come forward with sexual assault accusations against the entertainer.

--IANS

sug/ks/vm

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Greece bids farewell to Leonard Cohen

Greece,Politics,Cinema/Showbiz, Sat, 12 Nov 2016 IANS

Athens, Nov 12 (IANS) Greeks joined the fans worldwide to mourn the death of Leonard Cohen who died on Friday, as the Canadian songwriter who put his own mark in the history of music had special ties with the Hydra island for decades.

"There is art that expresses its era and art that transcends it. We will not forget the great Leonard Cohen," Xinhua news agency quoted Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras as saying in a tweet, as dozens of people visited Cohen's house on Hydra on Friday to lay flowers and messages.

"Thank you for everything Leonard," a message posted on the wooden door read.

Cohen, who passed away in the US at the age of 82, had bought an old run down house on the island in the 1960s.

On Hydra he lived for almost a decade, found his muse and wrote some of his masterpieces such as the "So Long, Marianne" and "Bird on a wire". Locals considered him as one of their own.

Marianne Ihlen, the woman who inspired the musician, poet and author Cohen died this summer. Cohen had bid farewell to her with a letter, noting that soon he would follow.

--IANS

py/vm
QUEBEC, Nov. 12, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) is taking place in Marrakech, Morocco, from November 7 to 18, 2016. The Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change, David Heurtel, will be a member of the Quebec delegation led by the premier of Quebec, Philippe Couillard. The minister's mission will extend from November 12 to 17.

During the conference, the minister will continue to assert the commitment of federated states that, like Quebec, are leading players in the fight against climate change. Several forums will afford him an opportunity to promote the various initiatives that have been implemented in Quebec to the international community. These include the Quebec-California carbon market, which Ontario will soon join and which is the world's only cross-border market in operation, as well as Quebec's climate change and transportation electrification action plans. These initiatives help make Quebec a leader in the fight against climate change in Canada, North America and internationally. Minister Heurtel will participate in several events in parallel to COP22 and will meet with Quebec's strategic partners to strengthen its bilateral and multilateral alliances.

The Marrakech Conference is bringing together thousands of participants from around the world, including government officials, scientists and civil society representatives. Some believe that if COP21 was a conference for major decision-making, COP22 must be a conference for action, especially in terms of cooperation and climate funding, particularly regarding island countries and African states, as well as with respect to climate change adaptation and technology transfer.

"The Paris Agreement gave international legitimacy to carbon market mechanisms and acknowledged the importance of engagement by all levels of government and other stakeholders in the fight against climate change. I am therefore going to Morocco filled with the immense pride we take in the outcomes that have been achieved in Quebec in this regard and with the conviction that we can inspire other states in their future commitments to foster greater universal solidarity in the face of this major challenge of the 21st century," said Minister David Heurtel before his departure to Marrakech today.

SOURCE Cabinet du ministre du Developpement durable, de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques

For further information: Media Relations, Ministere du Developpement durable, de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, Tel.: 418 521-3991; Source: Emilie Simard, Press Officer, Office of the Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change, Tel.: 418 521-3911
TORONTO, Nov. 11, 2016 /CNW/ - Sunwah International Limited, TSX: SWH (the "Company"), an Asian based financial services firm, today announced its financial results for the period ended September 30, 2016. All figures quoted are in U.S. dollars.

Q1 FY2017 Financial Highlights:

Net profit attributable to owners of the Company of $22,000 (Q1 FY2016: Loss of $2.3 million ).

(Q1 FY2016: Loss of ). Profit before tax of $0.5 million (Q1 FY2016: Loss before tax of $5.1 million ).

(Q1 FY2016: Loss before tax of ). Total revenues of $4.3 million (Q1 FY2016: Loss of $1.6 million ).

(Q1 FY2016: Loss of ). Net profit of $1.2 million on the disposal and mark-to-market differences of financial assets/liabilities (Q1 FY2016: Loss of $4.3 million ).

on the disposal and mark-to-market differences of financial assets/liabilities (Q1 FY2016: Loss of ). Commission and fee income of $1.9 million (Q1 FY2016: $2.1 million ).

(Q1 FY2016: ). Increase in interest and dividend income to $1.1 million (Q1 FY2016: $0.6 million ).

(Q1 FY2016: ). General and administrative expenses of $3.8 million (Q1 FY2016: $3.8 million ).

Sunwah International and its subsidiaries (collectively "the Group") recorded a small profit attributable to owners of the Company of $22,000 in the first quarter of its 2017 financial year, which compares with a loss of $2.3 million in Q1 FY2016. A profit before tax of $0.5 million was reported for the period against a loss before tax of $5.1 million last year. This substantial year-over-year improvement was mainly attributable to gains within the Group's proprietary investment division as a result of improving stock markets in Hong Kong where a significant portion of Sunwah International's investment assets are concentrated.

Commission and fee income dropped slightly to $1.9 million in Q1 FY2017 from $2.1 million in last year's comparable quarter due mainly to reduced activity within the Group's brokerage division. This was in line with a 33% decrease in daily market turnover on the HKEx during the period relative to last year's first quarter. Interest and dividend income increased to $1.1 million from $0.6 million in Q1 FY2016. Selling and administrative expenses remained unchanged year-over-year at $3.8 million as a result of the lowering of commission expenses and adherence to strict cost controls.

While the Company's stronger financial performance during the quarter is mainly reflective of increases within its investment portfolio amid recovering equity markets, Sunwah International is also pleased with ongoing growth within its corporate finance and equity capital markets (ECM) division. In addition to higher service revenues over last year, the group continues to deliver solid operational results in line with a corporate strategy of amplifying its fee-based businesses and diversifying its revenue base. Also to this end, the Company is moving forward with its international expansion strategy, positioning itself to capitalize on strong growth in important developing economic regions by leveraging established relationships with key business partners. In particular, the Company has founded a representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and is launching operations in the Guangdong Free Trade Zone in China.

"Sunwah International has implemented various strategies in recent reporting periods to enhance our earnings, which together with improving market conditions are proving effective," said Michael Choi, President and CEO. "In line with our commitment to creating a wider revenue base, we are looking to capitalize on robust emerging market growth, which along with many experts we expect to continue over the long term. This, combined with improving Asian markets and regulatory changes designed to facilitate capital flows from China to Hong Kong, makes us cautiously optimistic about our future prospects."

Sunwah International represents the financial services division of Sunwah Group, a highly reputable Asian based, international conglomerate.

For more information on Sunwah International's first quarter operating results, please see the Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) and compete financial statements, which are filed on SEDAR and also available on the Company's website at www.sunwahinternational.com.

About Sunwah International Limited

Sunwah International Limited (TSX: SWH) is a Hong Kong based financial services provider, focused on linking the international investment community with Asia's highest growth economic regions. The organization's primary Hong Kong based subsidiary, Sunwah Kingsway Capital Holdings Limited, is listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong under the stock code 00188. Sunwah Kingsway is licensed to provide a range of financial solutions in Hong Kong and abroad that include award-winning brokerage services and innovative corporate finance offerings.

Founded in 1990, Sunwah International represents the financial services division of Sunwah Group, one of Asia's most prominent multi-national conglomerates.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release announcing the financial results for Sunwah International's quarter ended September 30, 2016 should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis of Sunwah International Limited (the "Company") and its subsidiaries. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements made concerning the Company's 2017 objectives, its strategies to achieve those objectives, as well as statements with respect to management's beliefs, plans, estimates, and intentions, and similar statements concerning anticipated future events, results, circumstances, performance or expectations that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "outlook", "objective", "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "should", "plan" or "continue", or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

Except as required by applicable law, management and the board of directors of the Company (the "Board of Directors") undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Sunwah International Limited

For further information: Kristen Humphrey, Sunwah International Limited, (416) 888-2323, [email protected]
SUMMON TO DEFEAT ISLAM

By Amil Imani

November 12, 2016

NewsWithViews.com

We Iranians, castigated by the barbaric cult of Islam as infidels, heathens, unbelievers, and apostates, have long recognized Islam for what it is: an intolerant primitive chauvinistic belief system incompatible with the tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We hold Islam in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for its wanton behavior toward others from the day of its inception to the present.

Millions of Iranians consider the mullahs, their lackeys and lobbyists as true enemies of Iran, the country of my birth. Lets be clear, Iranians have never asked for charity from anybody, but all they are saying is that people and countries that are at clear risk from the mullahs ought to step to the plate and help the Iranians, in numerous effective ways to get rid of these usurpers, these religious fanatics who are hell-bent on promoting their deadly agenda.

The Iranian people will assuredly dislodge these wolves and try them for their crimes with all due process, the due process that they have completely denied for the people of Iran for the past 37 years. But, tried they will be and they need help from our friends to destroy the common enemy before it escalates its bloodletting program, both in Iran and against Israel and eventually engulfing the entire world.

Currently, the pro-Islamic Republic lobbyist group, known as the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), has been given carte blanche to the Obama administration. Instead of confiscating their assets, sealing their offices, and deporting them immediately, this pro-Islamic Republic group has comfortably found its way into the White House and too close to Obama's ears while giving him ill-considered advice.

As early as December 1954, the Shah noted, ...the potentialities of friendly and close relations between the people of Iran and the United States are immense. There is a deep and fundamental identity of national interests which overshadows everything else. We both believe that the individual is the central figure in society, and that freedom is the supreme blessing...Iran has a great deal in common, in convictions with the Western world regarding freedom and democracy.

I bemoan the plight of my native land and the people who have suffered and continue to suffer under Islam. Without Islam there wouldnt be any Muslims to hoist the banner of hate and violence against non-Muslims. A few claim that Islam has done some good in the past. Well, thats debatable. There are those who are equally convinced that Islam has inflicted a great deal of suffering on others from its inception to the present. What we all must agree on is that Islam and its sharia laws, at the very least, do not fit in todays world.

Islam is a creed of an ignorant people in a primitive and barbaric age. It is fixated in time and place; it harbors the ambition of taking the 21st century world back 14 centuries and ruling it by its dogma of violence, intolerance, injustice and death. Yet, Islam is not only an obsolete vestige of a defunct era, but itself is an infinitely fractured belief that can hardly put its own home in order. The numerous Islamic sects are at each others throats; sub-sects and schools despise one another as much as they hate non-Muslims. Hatred, not love, drives Islam.

We recognize that the dysfunctional Islamic software is deeply engrained in the minds of many Muslims who opt to remain in mental bondage rather than purge their minds of the Islamic software and join the rest of the human family with a new emancipating program for lifeliberty.

Islamic clergy, the parasitic prime beneficiaries of Islam, are master practitioners of the carrot-and stick-strategy. By drawing heavily from the Quran and the Hadith, the conniving mullahs and imams have assembled a potent arsenal of threats and promises to keep the faithful in line.

They had little trouble in so doing, since Islamic scripture is replete with graphic horrific punishment awaiting the wayward and the unbelievers, while the rewards for the obedient docile, if he is male, are described as endless variety of sensual pleasures.

Anyone daring to leave the corral of Islam is apostate and automatically condemned to death. And thats just for starters. The punishment awaiting the ungrateful deserter of the one and only true path, Islam threatens, is a raft of horrific eternal torment in Allahs hell.

And for the true faithfulthe mindless robotthe promised rewards, all physical pleasures, are infinite and eternal.

In spite of these horrid threats and empty promises, more and more people are beginning to recognize Islam for what it is.

It is difficult, but not impossible to leave the fraudulent Islams captivity. Hundreds of thousands have done so successfully and have enjoyed the blessings of liberty.

In its savage crusade against others, Islam sanctioned slavery, condemned women to a cast of inferior, and summarily sentenced to death any and all people who rejected its yoke of bigotry.

Crimes committed by this cult of savagery are too numerous to fully enumerate here. Sallying out of the Arabian dessert with the sword of avarice, Muslims attacked civilized people in search of booty. Their early success enflamed their lust and propelled them in their march of death and destruction.

The disciples of Muhammad, following his examples, swept other people's heritage, antiquities, and way of life at the point of the sword. The agenda left by Muhammad is still the guiding life pattern for his followers. The world is Islam's and anyone any anything non-Islamic must be wiped out by any and all means, Muslim believe.

Islam has never been content to limit itself to the land of its birth. It has always been on conquest, by force, by migration, and by any other means.

We Iranians, victimized by this cult of savagery for some 1400 years, are rejecting Islams in its entirety with its exclusionary and oppressive dogma. We call on the decent and tolerant people of the world who celebrate gender equality, race amity, and liberty for all to join us in once and for all defeating the scourge of Islam.

Please, click on "Mass E-mailing" below and send this article to all your friends .

 2016 Amil Imani - All Rights Reserved

Amil Imani is an Iranian-American writer, satirist, novelist, essayist, public speaker and political analyst who has been writing and speaking out about the danger of radical Islam both in America and internationally. He has become a formidable voice in the United States against the danger of global jihad and Islamization of America. Amil maintains a website at www.amilimani.com. Imani is the author of Obama Meets Ahmadinejad and Operation Persian Gulf and is currently working on his third and fourth book. He is 2010 honoree of EMET: "The Speaker of the Truth Award" at the Capitol Hill.

E-Mail: amil_imani@yahoo.com
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Most, if not all, sitting state senators who were up for re-election Tuesday won their bids, sometimes because they didn't have an opponent.

(File photo)

ALBANY, N.Y. -- All but one of the incumbents in 199 state legislative races decided Election Night were returned to office.

Tuesday's results echo frequent criticisms that New York's election process is rigged in favor of incumbents seeking to keep their seats in the state Senate and Assembly.

The lopsided victories enjoyed by incumbents come at a time when government watchdog groups have been calling for change in a government tainted by corruption. The leaders of the Assembly and Senate were convicted this year of bribery. Federal prosecutors have brought corruption charges against two former administration aides, a lobbyist and Syracuse and Buffalo business executives involved in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's economic development projects.

In 2012, state legislators reached an agreement that allowed them to carve up their district in a redistricting plan that favored incumbents.

The New York Public Interest Research Group said the plan "allows legislators to choose their voters, rather than the other way around."

In 2010, 15 state Assembly members ran unopposed in Upstate under the previous district boundaries. The number of unopposed Upstate Assembly incumbents jumped to 28 in this year's election. In the Senate, the number of unopposed incumbents went from one in 2010 to eight this year.

Unopposed lawmakers from Central New York who returned to office this year include Assemblyman William Magnarelli, Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter, Assemblyman William Barclay, Sen. Dave Valesky, Sen. Pamela Ritchie and Sen. John DeFrancisco.

The unseated incumbent was Democratic Assemblyman John Ceretto in the 146th Assembly District, which covers portions of Erie and Niagara counties. Angelo Morinello defeated him by about 4,000 votes.

In 11 races, incumbents retired, giving new candidates a shot at their seats. And three incumbents lost in their primaries earlier this year.

The race for Buffalo-area Sen. Angelo Michael Venditto's seat remains too close to call.



Reporter Patrick Lohmann covers New York state government and other topics. He can be reached any time: Email | Twitter | (315)766-6670

 Graphic: Shrinking opposition in NY Senate and Assembly
the goal of the futuristic Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System (AACUS) program created by Virginia-based Aurora Flight Sciences is to create robotic Huey helicopters.

The program integrates another Aurora-created system, the tactical autonomous aerial logistics systems, or TALOS, in order to send up helicopters at the request of troops on the ground.

The primary goal of the AACUS program is to enable rapid cargo delivery by unmanned, and potentially optionally-manned, vertical take-off and landing systems, the company said in a release Thursday.

Aurora hopes to integrate TALOS and demonstrate it on a Huey in 2017 and 2018, the company said. The Office of Naval Research is funding and sponsoring the program.

TALOS is not an aircraft, nor is it a robot flying an aircraft  TALOS is transferrable intelligence designed with both manned and unmanned aircraft requirements in mind, said John Wissler, vice president of Auroras research and development center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The arrival of a Huey as our third test platform frames a key point for future customers  the TALOS system is platform agnostic; youre not buying a new fleet of helicopters, youre buying a capability set for your current fleet, he said.

The TALOS system was previously demonstrated on a Boeing H-6U Unmanned Little Bird flown autonomously, the release said, and also three different human-piloted Bell 206 aircraft; the system can be integrated into any manned or unmanned rotorcraft, according to Flightglobal.

Ride of the Valkyries  Apocalypse Now
ATLANTIC SKIES: Stellar asterisms  eye-catching pretenders to the constellation throne and just part of the bigger picture

Most everyone, or at least most amateur astronomers, are familiar with the constellations in the night sky to some degree. Many, however, may not be familiar with the numerous asterisms in the night sky. What is the difference between a constellation ...
Adamawa State government has declared support for the presidential ambition of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Adamawa State government has declared support for the presidential ambition of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. Atiku, the Turakin Adawama, clocks 70 years in two weeks.Abba Jimeta, Chief of staff to Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, said this at the flag-off of the construction of Girei-Wuro Bokki road by Governor Muhammad Jibrilla yesterday.He said all elected and appointed officials in the state would work for Atiku as soon as he declares his intention to contest.The entire Adamawa state government is firmly behind the former Vice President; whereever he (Atiku) goes, the state government is behind him.From the Governor to the Deputy governor, the Secretary to the state government, Commissioners, the special advisers and special assistants and all other political appointees and members of the State House of Assembly are behind Atiku Abubakar.Jimeta observed that Atiku Abubakar had done well for the economy of the state and the nation and that the people of Adamawa will reciprocate his generosity.Such an important figure in Adamawa State, we as a government have nothing to pay him back, than to support all his political ambitions and to give him our support if he declares to run for any political office, he added.
The National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Reverend Dr Samson Ayokunle has said that the recent death of Lt-Colo...

The National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Reverend Dr Samson Ayokunle has said that the recent death of Lt-Colonel Muhammad Abu Ali in Borno by terrorist group is an eye opener to the fact that Boko Haram had not been completely defeated. Equally, he noted that his (Ali)death and other officers who lost their lives defending the country was a testimony as well as commitment of the government in fighting the insurgents.CAN President also said that the emergence of Donald Trump as the President-elect of United States of America was a plan of God to restore the lost morality in America.Ayokunle stated this while speaking to newsmen at the opening ceremony of the 29th General Assembly of the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) tagged: God of life; Lead Nigeria to Justice, Peace and Dignity, in Abuja.The cleric urged Nigerians not to see the temporary regrouping of insurgents in the north east as victory over the Nigerian Military, but to see it as a responsibility of all and join the Army to fight the terrorists.He said it is not yet over until it is over, the fact that a top army officer was killed recently was a signal that we have not defeated them, but the fact that a senior officer army officer was killed by Boko Haram was also an attestation to the commitment of the Federal Government to fight the insurgents.The CAN Boss said that corruption had become an endemic in the society, adding that all the sectors had been infested by it. Corruption appears to be endemic our society. There is highly any sector that can be exempted. It is high time we rose and fight it.It will cripple us and if we are not very careful, we will end up becoming a cripple giant because we have allowed the virus to enter into our system, it will do no one any good, he said. On the just concluded American Presidential election, Dr Ayokunle said Americans have spoken by their votes and I believe that God reigns in the affairs of men.It is not about my personal view, it is about what God has led Americans to do, what we will do is to pray for him (Trump), because God has positioned him to fight the downward slide in the American society, he said. Ayokunle said the Christian community in Nigeria prays for divine guidance for Trump and tasks him to address all the ungodly practices and social ills associated with the United States.We pray for him for Gods guidance in leading the great nation of America. It is our desire that he would use his God-given executive position to address the extreme nominalism, moral breakdown and police racial brutality that are fast manifesting in the United States of America.The gun culture is another evil requiring the urgent attention of this soon to be inaugurated administration together with sodomic tendencies in public life.He lamented how the country that was regarded as Gods own descended into a state of decadence in the name of civilization, urging the President elect to restore the lost glory of the country.The US, known as Gods own country should not descend into becoming the headquarters of satanic activities in the guise of embracing humanism or enforcing the principle of individual liberty. Humans must not be allowed to become god to themselves.We equally urge the president-elect to love all nations and relate cordially with them in order to engender world peace.We as well urge him to forget the bitterness of the campaign period and close ranks with the opposition for the progress of American nation.Also speaking, the President of Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), His Eminence Emmanuel Udofia said for Nigeria to come out of its present regrettable condition, it has needs to return to God. According to him righteousness exalts a nation but sin brings a reproach, for Nigeria to get out of what we are experiencing now, Nigeria must return to God. The greatest challenge we are facing is sin.
The recent ransom paid to Boko Haram in exchange for the release of some Chibok girls have contributed to the recent upsurge in the killin...

The recent ransom paid to Boko Haram in exchange for the release of some Chibok girls have contributed to the recent upsurge in the killings and disappearances of soldiers engaged in the fight against the insurgents, senior military sources have revealed. The military men told newsmen that despite denials by the Federal Government, money was paid to the sect to secure the release of the abducted girls.It was learnt that the insurgents demanded for $50m for the release of the girls but about a quarter of the sum was eventually paid.It was also learnt that the Federal Government paid the cash in two currencies  the naira and the CFA Francs to the leaders of the sect to facilitate the release of the girls.But, the highly-ranked military men who are engaged in the war, and who craved anonymity because they were not authorised to speak for the military authorities, attributed the recent upsurge in the activities of the insurgents to the huge ransom paid for the release of the girls.Prior to the current increase in the attacks by the insurgents, it was learnt that the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, deployed in the North-East, had effectively cut off food and logistics supply to the insurgents.Some of the sources, who are also commanders at the war front, said that the troops had effectively defeated the Boko Haram members, who were on the run while a good number of them had surrendered and taken to a rehabilitation camp established by the Defence Headquarters in Yola.In October, 83 soldiers were reported missing days after they came under a Boko Haram attack. Though there have been increasing reports of soldiers either missing or killed since the Chibok girls were released, the military initially denied the report, it later said that only 39 soldiers were missing.Also, on November 4, seven military men, including Lt.-Col. Muhammad Abu-Ali, were killed on their way to reinforce troops at Mallam Fatori during a Boko Haram attack. Two days later, one soldier was also killed while four others were wounded in the line of duty.In October, 21 of the over 200 girls abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno State, in April 2014 were released by the group.However, the Federal Government denied exchanging insurgents for the abducted girls and paying a ransom to the sect.But the military sources insisted that Boko Haram did not release the girls without getting anything in return and that the Federal Government indeed paid a ransom and released some of the groups strategists that were detainees.One of the sources said it was sad that the same government that was initially seen as tough enough to end insurgency in the country failed to negotiate with Boko Haram from a position of strength.It is unfortunate that in governments desperation to secure the release of the Chibok girls, it has put our (soldiers) lives in danger by yielding to the demands of the group to collect a ransom and secure the release of its commanders.It is now obvious that the group has reinforced and bought more weapons to fight us.According to another source, left to the military, the ransom and the exchange of Boko Haram members for Chibok girls would not have taken place.Funds were given to Boko Haram and now we can all see the result of that action; there have been renewed attacks recently and many of our men have been killed in the process but we will not relent, we will continue to do our best to secure this nation.The military had reservations about the arrangement but it was not in our hands; it was a political decision that we had to abide with and it was the DSS that was directly in charge of the operation, the source added.Another source, who is also active in the war theatre, said, They got the Chibok girls and suddenly the Boko Haram that we had beaten and chased out of Sambisa are attacking and killing men of quality.It is very obvious that they have used the money they got from the deal to buy equipment and recruit men to carry out their heinous acts.The group is still in Mallam Fatori, they have infested the entire area and their strongest point into Chad is Abadam. It is from there that they disperse their men to carry out attacks.Another thing you must note is that the towns around the borders are occupied by mercenaries from foreign countries. Where did they get the money to fund that?Investigation revealed that Boko Haram members, who were routed out of their dreaded Sambisa enclave by the military, had regrouped at Abadam, and were still holding onto the fringes of Mallam Fatori in the northern part of Borno State.It was further gathered that the group was engaging the services of mercenaries with their operational base in Abadam in the far north, close to Chad.The latest incidents contradict President Muhammadu Buharis assertion on December 24, 2015 that Nigeria had technically won the war against Boko Haram and that the militant group could no longer mount conventional attacks against security forces or population centres.Following the Presidents assertion, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, also said on December 27, 2015 that we have been vindicated because Boko Haram have been decapitated compared to the past records.The sect gained international attention when it kidnapped 219 Chibok schoolgirls on April 14, 2014.Two years later, on April 10, 2016, the group said it wanted a $50m (N15.7bn) ransom to free the Chibok girls, according to a report by The Sunday Telegraph of London.The publication said it gathered from sources close to the sect that the demand was made during secret contacts with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, who has said he is willing to negotiate for the girls freedom.The sects six-year insurgency has led to the deaths of over 17,000 people, destruction of more than 1,000 schools and displacement of about two million people.Between May 2015 when President Buhari assumed office and October 2016, the insurgents have carried out over 20 attacks, leading to the deaths of over 2,600 Nigerians.However, newsmen learnt on Friday that combined forces of the ground troops, the fighter pilots of the Nigerian Air Force and local hunters had been deployed to fight the insurgents around some locations in Gwoza.When one of our correspondents contacted the Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, he said that the minor setback in the operations should not be taken to mean that the Boko Haram was a formidable force.He told one of our correspondents on the telephone that the military was determined to defend the territorial integrity of the country and was equipped to do so.He gave the assurance that Boko Haram would not achieve its objective of acquiring any territory in the country.He said, The group is not a force to be reckoned with as far as the military is concerned.In spite of the minor setback, it does not in any way mean that the Boko Haram is a force to be reckoned with. We will defend the integrity of Nigeria to the letter, and that is what we are committed to do.Faulting the payment of cash to the sect as a ransom for the girls, a United Kingdom-trained criminologist and Chairman of Puma Eye Security Services, Mr. Pedro Ayandokun, said it had to be responsible for the renewed terrorist attacks in the country.He said, I was never in support of making any exchange with Boko Haram. That is what is creating the problem. What they have got will not be used to buy rice, but to acquire ammunition.Also, the Chief Executive Officer of Security Watch Africa, Patrick Agbamu, said giving cash to the insurgents would encourage them to kidnap more girls.He said, The government ought not to give money to the terrorists. It will embolden them to kidnap more girls.Despite the insurgents recent attacks, Agbamu, however, asked for patience, saying, Up till today, there are still attacks in Afghanistan and Iran. Insurgency is not easily stopped.The President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, also said if the Federal Government gives money to the insurgents, it could empower them to carry out more attacks.He said at a time when the sect was broke, giving money to them might be all they needed to regain more strength.He said, There were insinuations that for the 21 girls released recently by the insurgents, cash was given to the terrorists. Cash is exactly what the terrorists need to be strengthened.Likewise, a professor of African History, Peace and Conflict Studies and Director, Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, Isaac Albert, said government had not been negotiating with Boko Haram from a position of strength.He said, We have said for some time now that we have defeated the sect but it is obvious that it is not true.No cash involved in Chibok girls releaseBut the Presidency on Friday insisted that the Federal Government did not pay members of the Boko Haram sect to secure freedom for the 21 Chibok girls.The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the position of government remains that cash was not involved in the release.Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told the country that there was no cash involvement in the release of the 21 Chibok girls. If you have evidence that it was not so, simply produce it, he said.However, one of the lawmakers involved in the negotiation which led to the release of the 21 girls, confirmed that a ransom was paid to Boko Haram but said the amount was far less than $50m.The source, who expressed shock when one of our correspondents put the question to him to confirm the payment, agreed to speak on condition of anonymity.He said, I dont think it is up to that amount. Yes, there was a deal. Something like that (payment of a ransom) happened but it was never near the amount you just mentioned; it is even not up to a quarter of that amount. I can tell you that it was done (paid).I can also tell you that the second round of the talk was scuttled because of the disagreement on the next tranche of a ransom. The negotiation for another batch of the girls has hit the brick wall as a result of the failure to agree on an amount (to be paid as a ransom). I am speaking to you on this authoritatively.
Donald Trump has said he will not accept a salary for being president when he is in the White House.

Donald Trump has said he will not accept a salary for being president when he is in the White House.Prior to his election victory, Mr Trump has insisted he will not take even one dollar of the $400,000 presidential salary.Speaking at an event in September last year, he told a crowd in New Hampshire: The first thing I'm going to do is tell you that if I'm elected president, I'm accepting no salary, okay? That's not a big deal for me."He reiterated the claims in a Twitter Q&A later that month. When a follower asked: Will you forgo the presidential salary if elected? To which he replied: As far as the salary is concerned- I won't take even one dollar. I am totally giving up my salary if I become president.During his campaign, the Republican politician made much of his claims that as a millionaire business mogul he is not bound to the bidding of financial backers. Mr Trump is worth an estimated net $3.7 billion, according to Forbes.Previous wealthy presidents have donated their salaries to charity after deeming it is not financially neccessary for them to take it as personal income. Herbert Hoover and John F Kennedy both reportedly donated the money to charity.The US Code, which outlines duties and entitlements for the President, states: The President shall receive in full his services during the term for which he shall have been elected compensation in the aggregate amount of $400,000 a year, to be paid monthly, and in addition an expense allowance of $50,000 to assist in defraying expenses relating to or resulting from the discharge of his official duties.(Independent)
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, has returned to Nigeria, after undergoing eye surgery in Germany.

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, has returned to Nigeria, after undergoing eye surgery in Germany.Bello arrived just over an hour ago, in the company of some of his trusted aides and officials.The Governor, who was declared missing, left the country to correct an eye ailment that had been troubling him for sometime.All state functions were put on hold leaving the Deputy Governor, Simon Achuba, with only the duty of receiving visitors on behalf of his boss.See photos below:
The Independent National Electoral Commission has assembled more than 1,500 card readers for the Dec. bye-election in Ifako-Ijaiye Federa...

The Independent National Electoral Commission has assembled more than 1,500 card readers for the Dec. bye-election in Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency to achieve seamless exercise.Mr Clement Oha, the Administrative Secretary of the commission, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Saturday that the number was twice higher than the number needed for the election.NAN reports that the bye-election is as a result of the death of Mr Elijah Adewale, who represented the constituency in the House of Representatives.Adewale died in Abuja on July 20.Oha said there were only 687 polling units in the constituency.We have prepared a good number of card readers for the election. We have assembled more than 1,500 card readers for accreditation of eligible voters.We are charging these card readers and taking adequate steps to ensure that none of them fails. If any fails, because they are machine, we will fix it, or replace immediately.We have made adequate preparations; card readers have helped us to reduce multiple voting, he said.Oha gave the assurance that INEC would provide a level playing ground for all political parties to enable a free and fair election.The INEC boss urged all political parties and their leaders to advise there supporters against violence.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Akintunde Fadayomi, on Saturday expressed the optimism that the APC would win the ...





A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Akintunde Fadayomi, on Saturday expressed the optimism that the APC would win the Dec. 3 Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency bye-election in Lagos. Fadayomi, the Chairman of APC in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area, told newsmen in Lagos that the APC had been able to sell itself adequately to the members of the constituency.According to him, the party is fully on ground and admired by most of the residents. Even if all opposition parties form an alliance, we are going to defeat them.We will work hard to put our new candidate in the position formerly occupied by our party before the demise of Mr Elijah Adewale, he said.The chairman said that the party would unite all its members including those who might feel unhappy about the outcome of the partys primary election held on Friday. Fadayomi urged the party members to leave their differences behind and work together for the partys victory.Mr Nurudeen Akinwunmi on Friday defeated Mr Adisa Owolabi to emerge the winner of the APC primary election for the bye-election. The Chairman of the APC Primary Election Organising Committee, Mr Ismael Ahmed, said that Akinwunmi polled 219 votes to defeat Owolabi who secured 166 votes. According to him, 392 delegates were screened for the poll from 11 wards that made up the federal constituency.He said that the total number of votes cast was 388, out of which 385 were valid and three invalid.An official of INEC in the state, Mrs Bose Oluwatomisin, had said, It was free and fair and the atmosphere was peaceful. There was internal democracy, the election had no rancour, though there is always room for improvement. Mr Elijah Adewale, who represented the constituency in the House of Representatives, died in Abuja on July 20.The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Dec. 3 for the bye-election into the vacant seat.
The Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin, was filled to capacity as the new Governor of Edo, Mr Godwin Obaseki took oath of office on Saturday...

The Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin, was filled to capacity as the new Governor of Edo, Mr Godwin Obaseki took oath of office on Saturday.The main bowl of the stadium was filled to capacity as well-wishers, associates, friends and family members thronged the stadium to witness the ceremony.Among the dignitaries, who were at the event, which also marks the end of Adams Oshiomholes two terms as governor of the state, was the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki. Some others were Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Gov. Mohammed Abdulahi Abubakar of Bauchi State; Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State; Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun; and the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Ondo, Rotimi Akeredoolu.Also at the event, were former military Head of State, Dr Yakubu Gowon, and a host of ministers such as that of the Ministry of Information and Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.Obaseki, the All Progressives Congress (APC) party candidate in the Sept. 29 gubernatorial election in Edo State, won the two-way contest with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), winning most of the votes.Pastor Ize-Iyamu of PDP came second in the votes collated and announced by INEC. After collating the results across the state, INEC said APC won 13 of the states 18 local government areas.
TRENTON -- Determined to pursue impeachment proceedings against Gov. Chris Christie, a top Democrat announced Friday she had requested the FBI's notes from interviews with the governor about what he knew about the George Washington Bridge scandal.

Two of Christie's former allies were convicted a week ago of orchestrating the lane closures to punish Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for refusing to endorse the governor in his 2013 re-election campaign. Christie was never charged and has denied he had any knowledge of the scheme.

Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), the co-chairwoman of a special legislative committee that investigated the infamous lane closures, said now that the trial is over, she wants the FBI records and notes from its private conversations with the governor.

Weinberg noted Bridget Anne Kelly, Christie's former deputy chief of staff, testified that she had informed the governor about lane closures, which she thought were part of a traffic study.

"If he lied to the federal government, that is a crime," Weinberg said. "If his remarks to the federal government mirror his own public statements, they are at odds with the testimony under oath of the government's own prosecution witnesses."

Weinberg's federal Freedom of Information Act request for the investigative records comes a day after she asked Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) to begin the impeachment process.

"I also ask that Mr. Christie join me in asking the FBI and the U.S. Attorney to release all notes related to his testimony, since, as he has repeatedly suggested, he has nothing to hide with respect to his role in this case, which has resulted in the conviction of three of his top aides," according to Weinberg's statement.

Christie's spokesman did not respond to an email Friday seeking comment.

The impeachment process must begin in the Assembly, followed by a trial in the Senate.

The senator's call for hearings, however, did not get a warm reception from Prieto, who said while the Assembly is "weighing all legislative activity," he was disappointed Weinberg "made her request though a press release."

Until Friday afternoon, Christie was leading President-elect Donald Trump's transition team. Trump's office, however, announced Vice President-elect Mike Pence was placed in charge of the effort. Christie has reportedly been under consideration for a job in the Trump administration, which would have him leave office before his term ends in January 2018.

Kelly and Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni were convicted of fraud and misuse of federal funds on Nov. 4. They are expected to be sentenced in February.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
The Gateway Project that would build new rail tunnels under the Hudson River suddenly faces a murky future in the wake of President-elect Donald J. Trump's unexpected victory.



From experts to commuter advocates, opinions vary about the fortunes of the project under a Trump administration, after funding was thought to be almost guaranteed under Democratic rule.

"I think the Hudson River Tunnel project, if not un-killable, would be difficult to stop, because the need is so obvious," said Donald Winship, Lackawanna Commuter Coalition communications director. "The larger Gateway Project will be a heavier lift, because the cost is so significant."

A first test of President-Elect Donald Trump's support for the Gateway Project is funding replacement of the Portal Bridge in Kearny, shown here.

The project would build two new tunnels, replace the aging Portal Bridge across the Hackensack River in Kearny, and build two new tracks between Secaucus Junction and the new tunnels. The existing, storm-damaged, 106-year-old tunnels would be repaired after the new ones were built.

The Gateway Project would also build an annex to Penn Station, a loop in Secaucus to connect Bergen County rail lines with the Northeast Corridor and a second Portal bridge.

Gateway's cost has been informally estimated in the $23 billion range, although work that would pinpoint a price tag is ongoing. Half of that funding would come from New Jersey and New York.

While there's no official position on Trump transition website about Gateway, it generally talks about a $550 billion infrastructure program, including "tunnels and transit systems." Having Port Authority Commissioner Richard Bagger on Trump's transition team could help Gateway, several experts said.

"(Bagger) is very knowledgeable on Gateway," said Martin Robins, director emeritus of the Voorhees Transportation Institute at Rutgers University. "I wouldn't speculate on what (Trump) favors. What is on his transportation page is vague, but positive. If he means what he says, it could be a policy orientation that helps."

Last November, Bagger was one of two Port Authority commissioners named to oversee the Gateway Development Corporation, created to oversee the bi-state project.

"I don't think it's in danger. I spent three spent three years moving it and Gov. Christie was there every part of the way to get it going," said U.S. Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J. "We are fortunate he is in the inner circle and I'm confident it will move forward."



However, Christie and Bagger's roles were diminished after Trump put running mate and Vice President-elect Mike Pence in charge of the transition team and made them advisors.

Booker cited legislation written "in a bipartisan way" to allow Amtrak and the two states to apply for low interest federal railroad infrastructure loans as helping the project. Gateway is the first project to apply for that $35 billion railroad loan program.

Other steps included putting Gateway on the presidential dashboard to fast track permits, as was done for the Bayonne Bridge deck raising, and getting it on the USDOT's New Starts funding track, said U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, D-N.J.

The nightmare if a rail tunnel is closed

"While we successfully fought to get the project into the New Starts pipeline, it will be up to the new administration and Republican-led Congress whether it gets full funding," Menendez said. "I hope President-elect Trump is sincere when he talks about investing in our nation's crumbling infrastructure."

The first test could be whether Trump includes the $940 million replacement of the aging Portal Bridge in his budget. That first part of Gateway has been designed and is ready for construction.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Portal Bridge funding would be in the fiscal year 2018 federal budget, which assumed a Hillary Clinton victory.

"What is on the brink now is the Portal Bridge," Robins said. "That will be left to Trump whether to put it in (the budget) or not."

Others see Trump's New York roots as a sign that he understands the potential economic devastation if one of the existing tunnels has to be closed before Gateway is built.

"It certainly can help with one aspect, the 200,000 commuters-a-day using the existing tunnels. The entire economy of the New York and New Jersey and the region depends on that, and health of real estate market depends on that," said John Porcari, Gateway Development Corporation interim director. "I expect (Gateway) will continue to be on track and accelerated."



Twenty percent of the nation's gross domestic product is generated here, said Porcari said.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A car crashed into a utility pole Saturday morning in Washington, closing Route 57 and knocking out power to more than 500 people.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation's 511nj.org website said the road had been shut down in both directions as of 6:28 a.m. after the pole and wires were knocked down west of North Prospect Street.

JCP&L on its website estimated that between 500 and 1,500 customers were without power, which was estimated to be restored by noon. By 8 a.m., the number of affected customers was down to between 100 and 500.

Earlier on Facebook, Washington Township police had warned drivers to use an alternate route overnight due to road construction farther east at the intersection of Routes 57 and 31, which was scheduled to end at 6:30 a.m. Saturday.

Heavy road construction at the intersection of Route 31 and 57 from 7:30 PM on November 11 until 6:30 AM on November 12. Please use alternate route if it all possible Posted by Washington Township Police Department on Friday, November 11, 2016

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The old-fashioned gas lamp glowing on Jenny Schwartzberg's shoulder attracts symbols of her family genealogy like moths (Photo courtesy Jenny Schwartzberg)
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A mighty 80-minute effort from minnows Scotland has seen them snatch a dramatic late draw against New Zealand at Zebra Claims Stadium in Workington.

The impressive Bravehearts struggled to make the most of their many first-half opportunities to trail 6-4 at the break but with the howling wind at their backs in the second half, the masterful kicking game of Scotland five-eighth Danny Brough caused New Zealand no shortage of headaches in the second.

They snatched the lead for the first time in the match with a 70th-minute Brough penalty goal before two late  and crucially, unconverted  New Zealand tries looked to have sealed the deal.

For the full report, click here
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of foreign affairs of Nagorno Karabakh issued an announcement in regard to the recent Azerbaijani provocative actions in the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, the ministry told ARMENPRESS.

The announcement reads: Overnight November 10-11, and during the day the Azerbaijani armed forces shelled the frontline positions of the NKR Defense Army near the villages of Talish and Yarimja from 60 and 82 mm mortars. Such massive use of mortars, occurring for the first time after a large-scale aggression against Nagorno Karabakh in April, has become the continuation of recent escalation of tension in the line of contact by Azerbaijan.

It is of serious concern that the aggravation of the situation takes place against the background of Azerbaijan's preparation for the large-scale military exercises near the NKR borders, employing a large number of military equipment and manpower.

Such actions are a flagrant violation of agreements reached at summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg on inadmissibility of escalation of tension on the Line of Contact and indicate to the intention of Azerbaijan to impede the measures aimed at creating conditions for the resumption of the negotiation process.

Moreover, Azerbaijan not only rejects creating mechanisms for investigation of incidents and expansion of the office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE CiO, but also seeks to undermine the only international monitoring mechanism to maintain the ceasefire regime by firing an area where the OSCE mission carried out a planned monitoring the day before.

In this situation, we call on the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the OSCE Chairperson in Office and the international community as a whole to condemn in the strongest terms the destructive policy of the Azerbaijani authorities and to take effective measures to prevent a further escalation of tension.

For its turn, the NKR will suppress any actions of Azerbaijan which threaten the security of the Republic, peace and stability in the region.
Duneland residents will have to find somewhere else to "eat good in the neighborhood."

Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar closed its Chesterton location.

The sit-down chain restaurant 791 Indian Boundary Road put a message on its voice mail saying it's now permanently closed. The message did not list a reason and referred customers to nearby Applebee's restaurants in Portage and Valparaiso.

The restaurant franchisee was not immediately available for contact.

The Chesterton Applebee's by the Jewel/Osco supermarket east of Ind. 49 has been on the Indian Boundary Road commercial corridor for more than a decade.

The Kansas City-based restaurant chain, known for American fare like burgers and steaks, has more than 2,000 restaurants across the world, including in Munster, Merrillville, Schererville, Portage and Valparaiso. All of them are independently operated as franchises.
The U.S. Commerce Department is acting on a request by ArcelorMittal, U.S. Steel and other domestic steelmakers to investigate whether China is sneaking in dumped steel by way of Vietnam.

Domestic steelmakers are accusing China of ducking tariffs by rerouting shipments of steel through the Southeast Asian country.

"These attempts by China to circumvent the antidumping and countervailing duty orders just imposed on carbon steel products must be addressed swiftly or this behavior will undermine the remedial effects of the law that the U.S. steel producers and their workers so desperately need," the steelmakers said in a petition. "This type of behavior is becoming more frequent, so it is important that the U.S. Government send a strong message that circumvention of our trade laws will not be tolerated."

Cheap imports have gutted the steel industry in the United States, resulting in mill idlings and the layoffs of 19,000 steelworkers over the last few years. ArcelorMittal, U.S. Steel and other steel companies have responded with a flurry of trade cases, saying imports are subsidized and dumped below market value in violation of international trade laws.

Earlier this year, the International Trade Commission imposed tariffs of up to 266 percent on corrosion-resistant carbon steel and cold-rolled carbon steel from China. ArcelorMittal, U.S. Steel and other companies say China got out of paying the tariffs by simply sending the steel for processing to Vietnam, which in turn sent it to the United States.

Imports from Vietnam totaled 121,000 net tons in October, a 23 percent year-over-year increase, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

But even if domestic steelmakers are successful in stemming imports from Vietnam, it ultimately might not mean much, said steel industry analyst Charles Bradford with the New York City-based Bradford Research Inc. Vietnamese imports accounted for less than 3 percent of total imports through the end of September, which Bradford said was "not terribly meaningful."

The United States already has succeeded in wiping out most of the cold-rolled imports from China, which Bradford said may be more a scapegoat than the real problem the industry faces.

"China was importing steel just a decade ago," he said. "The steel industry in the United States has been in decline since the 116-day strike in 1959."
A semi-truck driver died after he was hit by another semitruck driver Friday at ArcelorMittal-Burns Harbor, the company said.

"ArcelorMittal is saddened to confirm that the independent truck driver who was involved in an incident with another truck driver at our Burns Harbor facility on Friday has passed away," ArcelorMittal spokeswoman Mary Beth Holdford said. "The ArcelorMittal family extends our sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased."

The man was airlifted to a Chicago hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Holdford said "the incident is under investigation at this time."

"On Friday, November 4, 2016, there was an incident at ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor involving two independent truck drivers," ArcelorMittal spokeswoman Mary Beth Holdford said. "One driver was struck by the trailer of the other driver and was transported offsite for medical attention."

The Burns Harbor Police Department has jurisdiction, but no one from the department was immediately available for comment.

United Steelworkers District 7 Director Mike Millsap said the truck driver was a contractor who was securing his load when another contractor hit him. Semitrucks constantly go in and out of the steel mills to take steel coil to automakers, service shops and other customers.

2016 has been a very dangerous year at the Northwest Indiana steel mills. Charles Kremke, a 67-year-old, died in a hospital after an accidental electrocution at U.S. Steel's Gary Works mill on June 15.

Then steelworker Jonathan Arizzola died in a crane accident on Sept. 30 at Gary Works. His wife said the 30-year-old Valparaiso resident suffered an electrical shock in a separate accident earlier that week and was so overworked he was actively looking for another job.
Annie and Daddy Warbucks return to the Region this holiday season in Annie Warbucks, the sequel to the classic Annie.

The production, which continues right where the original Annie left off, opens with Annie, Sandy and Daddy Warbucks opening presents on Christmas morning. Then the Child Welfare Commissioner Harriet Doyle arrives to tell Daddy Warbucks he must marry in 60 days so Annie can have a proper mother.

The production begins Nov. 17 and runs through Dec. 18 at the Theatre at the Center, and is a perfect tie-in with the A Christmas Story Comes Home exhibition, which will be on display at the Indiana Welcome Center Nov. 12 through Dec. 31, 2016.

"The character of Little Orphan Annie remains a favorite Christmas connection for Northwest Indiana because the cartoon strip's creator is one of our area's claim-to-fame, since he hailed from Kankakee, Illinois, just 45 minutes from here," says Philip Potempa, marketing director for Theatre at the Center. "Not only does Jean Shepherd's Little Ralphie rank as a fan of Annie and Sandy's adventures, but so are so many of us from the Region. Like Little Ralphie, she's also a heroine of the holidays with a linked history."

In the movie A Christmas Story, Ralphie races home to listen to the Little Orphan Annie radio show, and uses a decoder to reveal the Drink more Ovaltine message.

Throughout the years, we have enjoyed partnering with a number of businesses and organizations, from those that decorate the trees at the Indiana Welcome Center to the Theatre at the Center, says Speros A. Batistatos, president/CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. "Annie Warbucks is a wonderful tie-in of 'A Christmas Story' and a true Midwestern Christmas."

Annie, who is being portrayed by Emily Zimmerman, and her dog Sandy, played by SWheats, will be the grand marshals in the Hammond Christmas Parade, which kicks off at 10 a.m. Dec. 3, and then will be signing autographs after the parade at the Indiana Welcome Center.

The story is perfect for families, says Linda Fortunato, the plays director.

The story picks up on Christmas Day, right after Annie stopped, she says. The shows about the search for a wife for Mr. Warbucks and a mom for Annie. Annie is so well-known and beloved, and thats whats fun about Annie Warbucks. Its the characters we know and love, but its a new adventure, a new chapter to that story. We have a phenomenal cast. Its going to be a real treat.
CROWN POINT  The FBI and Indiana State Police raided the Lake County Sheriffs Department and were parked outside the sheriffs home early Thursday.

A number of FBI agents and state police investigators entered the offices of Lake County Sheriff John Buncich about 9:30 a.m. at the Lake County Government Center, 2293 N. Main St.

They left early Thursday afternoon with several boxes of documents they loaded into an FBI panel truck.

State police and federal investigators cars, both marked and unmarked, were parked late Thursday morning outside Buncichs Crown Point home. FBI Special Agent Bob Ramsey, who appeared outside the sheriffs home, declined to comment further.

Ramsey and Ryan Holmes, a spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office, said federal authorities were serving search warrants on the county sheriff. Holmes declined to comment on what documents are being sought or who is being targeted.

Sources within county government said investigators were looking into rumors of bribery involving towing vendors and police, and were looking for towing contracts and campaign finance reports.

Simultaneous raid

At the same time that federal agents were raiding the Lake County sheriffs office, several members of the Indiana State Police and the U.S. Department of Treasury shut down Kustom Auto Body, 5409 U.S. 6, Portage, in an apparent raid Thursday morning.

John Cortina, owner of Kustom Auto Body, said his business was not the target of Thursday mornings raid.

Cortina said the agents were seeking information on Sampson Towing, a Merrillville-based business that leases storage space in his back lot.

Police vehicles blocked the entrance to the business. Police could be seen going in and out of the building. The treasury agent referred all questions to a department spokesperson, who did not return calls.

FBI order all to leave building

In Lake County, Dean Delisle told The Times he was in the Sheriffs Bureau of Identification, where police records are held, to obtain a copy of an accident report when agents and state police walked into that office and ordered everybody, including the sheriffs employees, to leave.

They were taking pictures of everything, Delisle said. He said sheriffs employees appeared upset as they were preparing to leave.

A source within county government said 38 federal and state agents were inside the Lake County Sheriffs Department. Another source said all employees in the sheriffs office building were ordered to leave.

Federal agents then fanned out to the Lake County Voter Registration and Election offices, where campaign finance records are kept, and the Lake County E-911 offices, which keeps records of police radio communications, to serve subpoenas for documents.

Buncichs campaign finance reports indicate he received more than $9,000 in contributions in 2014 and 2015 from several towing and auto firms in Crown Point, Gary, Highland, Hobart, Merrillville, St. John and Whiting.

The elections board office and E-911 offices were allowed to remain open and continue operating.

Mark Back, a spokesman for the sheriff issued a statement 2:43 p.m. Thursday, which said: The Lake County Sheriffs Department is cooperating with our federal law enforcement partners and fully assisting the FBI with their inquiry. Regular Sheriffs Department operations are continuing. We assure the citizens of Lake County that their safety remains our top priority. There was no interruption of police duties.

Back said the sheriffs department continued to function through the day. Employees were asked to at least step away from their desks while the FBI were completing their inquiry and look for whatever they were looking for, Back said.

As to what the FBI was looking for or removed from the sheriffs department, You would have to ask the FBI, Back said. He said Buncich was continuing to perform his duties as sheriff.

Buncich could not be reached for comment and was not seen Thursday outside his home.

The county sheriffs department has had agreements with as many as eight towing firms who police use to remove abandoned cars from accident and arrest scenes.

Times staff writer Joyce Russell contributed to this report.
LAPORTE  Major changes appear in store for the LaPorte County Commissioners now that the scales have swung back in favor of the Republicans.

The biggest change likely will be county attorney, a major focus of the bitter campaign.

You can expect a change there. We got a plan for that, said Rich Mrozinski, who switched parties before to his successful run against Democrat Dave Decker, outgoing president of the board of county commissioners.

Once Mrozinski takes office, Republicans will have a 2 to 1 edge.

Shaw Friedman, once chairman of the LaPorte County Democratic Party, appears on his way out as county attorney, a position hes held for the past four years.

Mrozinski said he will propose a salary for the position and bidding out the job, a move he believes will save the county as much as $100,000 or more each year. Until now, the commissioners have made the appointment and the attorney was paid on an hourly basis.

In 2014 Mrozinski was defeated in his bid for a third term on the LaPorte County Council, a loss he blamed largely on Friedman. Mrozinski denied he ran for commissioner specifically to try and unseat Friedman. But, for two years following his defeat, Mrozinski was among a handful of Republicans alleging Decker and fellow Democratic commissioner Dr. Vidya Kora were merely puppets for Friedman.

He and Friedman attacked each other heavily in political ads on the radio during the campaign.

I dont need somebody to write my script. I dont need somebody to tell me what to do or how to do it. Were going to do whats best for the people, not whats best for the attorney, said Mrozinski.

Friedman said he anticipates not being rehired, but defended his representation of the county.

Weve saved taxpayers a great deal with less settlements and judgments in the four years Ive been there with more risk avoidance and litigation prevention than ever, Friedman said.

We billed the same amount as our predecessors and his plan to bid this out wont save a dime, said Friedman, who noted the commission acted in bi-partisan fashion to get a lot accomplished like standing up to rate increases by NIPSCO, creating the Hoosier Homestead initiative and keeping out strip clubs.

He said Decker received more than 700 absentee votes than Mrozinski but lost only because of his outrageous arrest for a hit and run incident involving a parked car.

Instead, Friedman said a mugshot of Decker wearing a jail uniform wound up in the newspapers just days prior to the election.

Kora, elected to a four-year term, said Deckers defeat and a few other Democratic losses were tough for the party, but he will stay focused on moving the county toward a brighter economic future.

I think that work will continue, said Kora, who added he also looks forward to working with Mrozinski and whoever replaces Mike Bohacek on the commission.

Bohacek, a Republican, will step down after elected state senator from District 8. Mike Gonder, the LaPorte County Republican Parity Chairman said he will call for a caucus of the 92 GOP precinct committeemen in the county sometime during the first half of December to elect Bohaceks replacement.
CROWN POINT Voter participation in Northwest Indiana on Tuesday was the highest seen in eight years.

Lake County reported a total voter turnout of 56.76 percent in this weeks general election.

The Lake County Board of Elections and Voter Registration published unofficial results indicating 206,781 voters cast ballots in Lake County.

That is 841 more than voted in the 2012 presidential election between President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, but 3.8 percent fewer than those who voting in the 2008 contest between Obama and Republican candidate John McCain.

The trend of early voting continued growing this year in Lake.

Some 47,700 voted in person at Lakes 11 early voting sites from Oct. 12 until noon Monday and another 8,804 mailed in early absentee ballots. The combined total of 56,504 is is 54 percent higher than in 2012 and 57 percent higher than the 2008 early voting.

Some 72,282 in Lake County voted a straight Democratic Party ticket, another 22,031 a straight Republican ticket and 242 voted a straight ticket for the Libertarian Party.

LaPorte County achieved at 55.32 percent voter turnout. Some 46,369 cast ballots Tuesday, which is almost 4 percent more than the 2012 presidential vote total, but almost 4 percent less than the 2008 election.

Some 11,693 in LaPorte voted either in person or by mail. That is 2 percent higher than in the 2012 presidential election and 1 percent more than 2008.

Some 8,263 in LaPorte voted a straight Democratic Party ticket and 6,115 a straight Republican ticket Tuesday and 75 a straight Libertarian Party ticket.

Porter County showed voter muscle with a 62.07 percent voter turnout Tuesday. Some 78,790 voted Tuesday, which is almost 7 percent more than in 2012 and 5 percent more than in 2008.

The Porter County election results report didnt provide early voting numbers.

Some 14,410 voted a straight Democratic Party ticket, 14,035 voted straight Republican and 796 voted straight Libertarian party ticket.

Election results werent to be official until Friday to give election officials time to investigate any emergency or provisional paper ballots and write-in votes cast Tuesday.

Michelle Fajman, the Lake County elections director, said Friday about 100 must be examined to see whether they can be counted under state election laws.
HIGHLAND  For U.S. military members stationed overseas and in harms way, a package from home that includes handmade cards from school children theyve never met creates bonds.

Since 2007, Operation S.O.S. (Support Our Service members) has made creating those bonds a mission. The nonprofit organization relies on volunteers and donations from businesses, residents and students in Indiana, Illinois and Ohio schools to show the men and women serving this country overseas that they are always thought of, said Colleen Aguirre, Operation S.O.S. president.

We send candy, food, hygiene products and homemade cards from elementary and middle school kids which means so much to our soldiers while they are away from home, said Aguirre, adding that cards are also made by church groups and Scout troops. From caring words to wishes of safe return, our troops know that we care.

Those care packages contain items soldiers request because they arent obtainable where theyre stationed.

Small things like granola bars, chewing gums, hard candy, lip balm, Q-tips, sun block are things we take for granted because we can get them anywhere, she said.

Other items donated for the packages include coffee, tea, DVD movies, playing cards, puzzle books, peanut butter, instant oatmeal, beef jerky, sugar packets, canned meats, microwave popcorn, sanitary products, toothpaste, toothbrushes, mechanics gloves and Frisbees.

We also send some Christmas trees, ornaments and candy to unit leaders, and this year, we have many homemade Christmas stockings thanks to the generosity of the VFW Post in Griffith, Aguirre said.

An army of volunteers will assemble from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Wicker Park Pavilion, 8554 Indianapolis Blvd., Highland, to pack the boxes. These packages will be shipped to arrive in time for Christmas.

Each priority mail flat rate APO box costs $16.75 to ship, and monetary donations to defray those costs are also welcomed, she said.

Checks made payable to Operation S.O.S. can be mailed to Operation S.O.S., P.O. Box 9308, Highland, IN 46322. All donations are tax deductible, she said.

Aguirre credited Highland officials with providing a warehouse to store items throughout the year and North Township Trustee Frank J. Mrvan for offering facilities at Wicker Park. The packages also are sent to troops in time for Valentines Day and for summer delivery.

Last Christmas, 64 packages arrived at a U.S. Army base in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Thank you so much from all of us over here for your kind and thoughtful gifts, the units chaplain wrote in a thank you note to Operation S.O.S.

I know I speak for everyone that got to read the notes and cards from the kids and your team that they brought smiles to our faces and warmth to our hearts for their kind and genuine words, he wrote.

A U. S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant stationed in Iraq also wrote a thank you note that Aguirre shared.

The packages arrived at a time when the Marine really needed a boost to morale, he wrote. Please know that they really brought a smile to their faces. Thank you very much!
When Hammond police shot and wounded an Iraq War veteran in September after the veteran leveled a shotgun at them, it wasnt the first time police had been dispatched to the veterans home.

Bryan Jones, 33, who served in the U.S. Army, has post-traumatic stress disorder. His father, Richard Jones, said hes been contacted by police during previous situations involving his son and police.

Bryan Jones survived the Sept. 25 ordeal. The criminal charges later filed against him could be expunged if he completes requirements set by the Lake County Veterans Treatment Court, said Richard Jones, who lauded police for the way they handled the situation.

The wider issue, Richard Jones said, is that Bryan is one of many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans across the country who have struggled to transition to civilian life after leaving the military.

The cost of taking care of those people is going to far exceed the cost of the war, and not just in dollar terms, Richard Jones said.

Its so constant. Its so pervasive. We kind of forget about them and put them on the shelf. And, yet, its a huge problem. I dont know if its solvable.

Its easy to point fingers

Craig Bryan, executive director of the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah, said there is a shortage of mental health professionals who use therapies proven most effective in treating PTSD.

A higher percentage of mental health professionals working at the Veterans Administration have been trained in such therapies, Bryan said, but he questioned why the VA is sometimes considered the only option.

I think its easy for us to point fingers, and I think thats one problem of our society right now. Were always trying to figure out whos to blame. Were not willing to take responsibility ourselves, said Bryan, who also served in the Air Force in Iraq in 2009.

Its so easy for us to say, Well, thats the VAs problem. No, they are our service members; they are our veterans. They did this for us. Its our responsibility to make sure they receive adequate health care.

Bryan Jones hasnt shared many details about his service with his father, but its clear he was in the line of fire, Richard Jones said.

Bryan Jones enlisted in the Army in 2003, graduated from basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in July of that year, and was in Iraq by the end of August with the 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. Heavy drinking was part of the military culture, he said. After a couple of minor injuries in Iraq, Bryan Jones lost a captain he greatly respected.

He went through an intersection in a tank, Richard Jones said. About an hour later, the captain went through the same intersection and was killed by an (improvised explosive device). That still creates problems for Bryan.

What really tore me apart

Survivors guilt is common among veterans with PTSD, said Bryan, the clinical psychiatrist. Veterans initially may feel guilt that they escaped death, while the service members they served alongside did not. Later, they may be plagued by guilt that they arent living up to the same standard their fallen service member would have.

Jay Knight served alongside Marine Lt. Shaun Blue, of Munster, who was killed April 16, 2007, when a truck he was riding in hit an improvised explosive device in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Marine Lance Cpl. Jesse D. De La Torre, of Aurora, also was killed in that attack.

Knight said the deaths of Blue, De La Torre and Marine Lance Cpl. Johnny Strong, of Waco, Texas, affected him most. He dealt with initial survivors guilt with help from a mental health professional before leaving the Marines in 2008. But after the death of his mother in 2009, when life slowed down for him, another type of guilt took hold.

Knight, a native of East Moline, Illinois, who now lives in the Denver area, said he started to think he was failing the people he had lost.

Last Veterans Day, Knight launched the podcast Veteranology to highlight veterans who have found fulfillment outside the military. Knight is releasing three new podcasts this weekend.

My biggest takeaway from my successes in dealing with my post-service depression, anxiety and survivors guilt is the willingness to talk to people that dont necessarily understand, he said.

Bryan, of the University of Utah, said Indiana has led the way in military mental health with the Star Behavioral Health Providers initiative, which offers training for clinicians and helps to connect veterans with providers.

He agreed that communication between veterans and civilians is key, but expectations on both side must be realistic, he said.Veterans cant expect society to allow them to do whatever they want, and civilians must understand veterans come from a background with a different set of rules.

When thanking veterans for their service, be mindful not to make a hollow statement, he said.

Be prepared and invite the veteran to actually share their experience, he said.
VALPARAISO  Denver Milliron, of Chesterton, checked out a few dogs at Lakeshore Paws Friday afternoon but finally decided on Ace, a boxer-mixed breed.

I never had a dog of mine own before so I decided to get a dog, said Milliron, an Army veteran who was in the military for six years and deployed in Iraq from 2008 to 2009.

On Veterans Day, for the second year in a row, Lakeshore Paws partners with Fifth Third Bank to host the second annual Pets for Vets animal adoption effort. On this day, active duty and veterans of the Armed Forces can adopt a pet free of charge.

Milliron brought his mother, Christine Adamek, of Wheatfield, with him.

My stepdad, Edward, was in the military so they will be adopting a dog today, too, Milliron said.

Mike Sandilla, of Hobart, was back at Lakeshore Paws because a year ago he adopted a dog on Veterans Day and just wanted to be there this year to encourage others to do the same.

I have been deployed two times and my dogs have helped me, Sandilla said. Dogs are in need of affection and will love anybody and if you are having a bad day, they are there for you.

Michael Bottos, a volunteer with Lakeshore Paws, was very excited to see all the veterans checking out the dogs.

It is just so great to be able to pair up dogs with veterans and get the word out there, Bottos said. You can tell when someone adopts a dog, the smiles are huge.

Bottos, along with other volunteers and Lakeshore Paws director Jeanne Sommer were in Chicago earlier in the day kicking off the adoption event with actress Jane Lynch, of Glee fame.
UNION TOWNSHIP  World War II veteran Joseph Pollaro held close the red, white and blue quilt designed and sewn to honor his service 71 years ago.

Im glad to be an American for all our freedom and all we have. This (the quilt) is very nice and an honor to receive. I think Ill put it on my bed, Pollaro said.

Pollaro, 90, of Valparaiso, was one of three veterans who received Quilts of Valor at a Veterans Day service hosted by Union Township Middle School students.

Other veterans who were recipients of the specially made quilts were Charlie Hall III, 37, of Valparaiso, and Bennie Newcomb Sr., 68, of Wheeler.

The three men werent the only honorees at the event held Friday in the schools auditorium.

The names of all veterans in attendance were read out loud by student council members Grace Klimczyk and Noah Engelhardt, with each veteran receiving a round of applause and a flag.

In addition, the eighth grade choir sang the Star Spangled Banner and essay contest-winners Cori Weiland, sixth grade; Katelyn Hyde, seventh grade; and Elena Giorgi, eighth grade, each read aloud their entries.

School Principal Jerry Lasky commended the students for their part in putting the event together and thanked the veterans for their attendance.

We really appreciate your sacrifice, Lasky said.

Cindy Schlundt, of Valparaiso, and a member of the Chesterton-based Quilts of Valor Foundation, said she nominated all three veterans who received the Quilts of Valor.

Hall is her nephew, Newcomb her uncle and Pollaro, a new family friend.

Schlundt also pieced each of the quilts, which were machine-quilted by Karens Kwilts, of DeMotte, and Diane Wills, of DeMotte.

She wanted to to something special for them, said fellow Quilts of Valor member Flo Schneider.

The Quilts of Valor Foundation was started in 2003 by Blue Star mom Catherine Roberts from her sewing room in Seaford, Delaware.

Nationally there have been 147,000 quilts awarded since September 2016. Locally, 130 quilts have been awarded in the last 2 1/2 years, Schneider said.

Pollaro said he enlisted in the U.S. Army in February 1945 at age 17, after receiving written consent from his mother.

In January 1946, Pollaro was sent to serve on the USS Comfort Hospital Ship, which traveled to numerous islands in the Pacific and rendered emergency aid to those who required medical or psychological care.

His awards included a special commendation from President Harry Truman.

Newcomb was drafted into the army on Nov. 1, 1966, and was sent to Vietnam in April 1967, serving as a light weapons infantryman.

He received two presidential unit citation awards and the Purple Heart.

Newcomb said receiving the quilt meant everything to him.

Its the first time in 48 years Ive been recognized, Newcomb said.

Newcomb said he was only 20 when he was drafted into the Army but he grew up fast.

Its an experience Ill never forget, Newcomb said.

Hall, who still serves as a recruiter in Chicago Heights, joined the army on July 28, 1998, just after graduating from Wheeler High School.

He has served several tours of duty including to Bosnia-Herzegovina; Republic of South Korea; Afghanistan; Hawaii; Iraq; and Afghanistan.

It makes you feel you are part of history, Hall said in regard to his being one of three recipients of the quilt.

For more information on the Quilt of Valor program, www.qovf.org
Mayor Bill de Blasio is trying to calm down religious groups who are worried about the impact of a Trump presidency.

He met with Jewish and Islamic leaders Friday in Midtown.

Some Muslims have felt targeted by the President-elect because of his campaign pledge to ban members of the religion from entering the country.

The Mayor says some who are Jewish are uneasy because of past displays of anti-Semitism among Trump supporters.

De Blasio says the city will defend them.

"I am deeply troubled and I think there are millions of New Yorkers who are deeply troubled by the results of our national election. So we have to be honest, we have to acknowledge the pain and the fear. But at the same time we have to resolve to be at peace with our own values, confident that our values win the day."

The Mayor says he believes controversial parts of Trump's platform will be met with resistance, and will not be implemented.
Protesters packed streets in Manhattan for a third straight night to speak out against the election of Donald Trump. NY1's Lyndsay Christian filed the following report.

Chants of "Not My President," "Black Lives Matter" and "Love Will Always Trump Hate" echoed through Washington Square Park Friday afternoon.

Dozens gathered for a Love Rally to spread love and support to groups organizers say have been targeted by President-elect Donald Trump through hate speech.

"I'm a mother. I'm a woman. I'm a counselor working with young people that have a lot of questions. I'm an immigrant in this country. So my heart is hurting," said one protester.

The crowd of nearly 200 doubled when protesters from Union Square marched over to join them.

"Not everybody is that full of hate, and at least half the country is full of love and wants them to know that no matter who they are, as long as they're human beings and they try to love others, then I love them too," said one protester.

Lively protests continued through the evening along Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower, where the president-elect lives.

Barricades and the NYPD didn't people from speaking their minds.

"I am an Asian immigrant, a first-generation immigrant. I'm also bisexual. I'm also a woman. And I'm basically everything that I believe that Trump hates and that Trump is going to discriminate against, and he's going to take away just my rights as a human being," said one protester.

"I identify as black, I'm queer, I'm transgender. So everything that Trump is saying to me, is saying to the world and is validating, is disgusting, it's deplorable," said another.

Protesters alike say they're not confident President-elect Trump will move the country forward and encourage unity. However, one Trump supporter, who was bold enough to make an appearance amid the protests, said people shouldn't focus on the rhetoric, but the skills.

"The way that I see it is, you vote for a president based off what their policies are, not based off what their personal opinions are about different situations," the Trump supporter said.

Some Trump supporters did attend Friday night's protest in front of Trump Tower but were kept a significant distance away by NYPD for their own safety.
A somber anniversary for the city  15 years since American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in Belle Harbor, Queens. It happened just months after the 9/11 attacks. NY1's Natalie Duddridge has the story.

Emotions still running high 15 years after the crash of American Airlines Flight 587.

Loved ones came together for an annual commemoration in Rockaway Park, not far from the crash site.

"The way I have dealt with it is it is, as if she's on an extended vacation," said Myra Rosario-Brown, who lost her mother in the crash. "She went on a vacation and that's where she is and to be honest, coming back here it's almost a bit of a reality she's not on that vacation but she is up in heaven."

Rosario-Brown's mother Regina, was one of the 265 people who died when the plane went down in Belle Harbor in 2001. Her mother was flying to the Dominican Republic to do volunteer work.

"She was on her way to one of the orphanages over there just to do something really big for them, to raise funds and things like that," said Rosario-Brown.

A minute of silence at 9:16 a.m. marked the exact moment of the crash.

Mayor Bill de Blasio joined hundreds of relatives and friends of the victims  each name read aloud.

"To all the family and friends the members of this community we want you to new simply and clearly that New York City is with you," de Blasio said.

Loved ones say as tough as the anniversary is  they do get some comfort visiting the memorial not just on this day but throughout the year.

"I remember them every single day but coming here close to where they lost their lives it's like I'm reliving the day that they actually left," said Karen Tavares, who lost her mother in the crash.

While loved ones say the tribute has gotten smaller over the years, the support from fellow victims' families remains as strong as ever.
A man is under arrest for allegedly taking an MTA express bus for a joyride that ended against a telephone pole.

It happened around 6:30 p.m. on Staten Island.

NY1 is told the driver of the X10 was getting the bus ready to go out on its route when authorities say it was taken for a wacky and unwanted spin by an intruder.

Video sent in to NY1 shows the X10 bus after it made an unscheduled stop at Castleton and Jewett avenues following its wild ride that lasted a little more than half a mile.

According to the MTA, a man boarded the empty bus around 6:30 p.m., pointed something from under his shirt at the bus driver and then took off with the driver still on board.

Daniel Cassella, the president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 726, tells NY1's Jose Martinez the alleged bus bandit smacked into several cars before hitting that telephone pole at Castleton and Broadway.

A similar bus heist occurred on an M101 in Manhattan last February, when a former MTA bus driver managed to drive a bus for a few blocks before being stopped by police.

As for this case, we are awaiting details from police as to the identity of the man accused of making off with the bus.
Being back was healing. It is a journalists trick to look for familiar figures, as a shortcut to understanding them. I was especially drawn to three seniors in my reporting.

Nathan Triggs, torn between the city and the farm, reminded me of a high school friend who lived on a farm and married his high school sweetheart while they were still teenagers (a Kansas Romeo and Juliet). Zachary Shaner, a smart and talented musician who worries about affording college, reminded me of my high school friend Jeanne, who was a smart and talented debater but lived in a neighborhood so poor it has been razed for urban renewal. And TaTyTerria Gary, who wants to see what life is like outside Topeka, reminded me of myself.

There is a difference, though, between then and now. It seems to me that they are all wiser than I was at their age. For instance, I was having lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Holton, Kan., with Nate and his buddy Tyler, soon after making a Facebook Live video of Nate on the farm. A viewer posted a comment accusing me of being patronizing. (Ive been accused a few times of being condescending since my return to Topeka. It seems to be almost an existential hazard if youre identified as a New Yorker.)
#Itaewon tragedy Yoon pays 3rd visit to mourning altar for Halloween crush victims President Yoon Suk-yeol paid his third visit to a mourning altar for victims of the Halloween crowd crush Wednesday. Yoon has kept his public schedule to a minimum since the tra...

#law Gov't proposes law lowering criminal age limit by 1 year to 13 The justice ministry on Wednesday put up a pre-legislation notice about a law revision on lowering the age of criminal responsibility by one year from the current 14, officials sai...
The first mystery of the year was how Donald Trump won his partys nomination, but more important, why 16 others, including popular governors and senators, lost. The answer is simply that all the others thought the key to the Republican base was ideology. Some, such as Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, styled themselves as the purest and most adamant of conservatives, others as just practical enough to deliver on conservative goals and one (Gov. John Kasich) as sort of a moderate. None of them clicked with the Republican base, simply because ideology wasnt what motivated the base. It was always about identity, about them and us. Only Mr. Trump had that key.

Consider immigration, the concept that drove both the Tea Party and the Trump campaign. For most of the long campaign, the media thought that it was about immigration policy: comprehensive immigration reform versus border security and deportations. The Republican autopsy from 2012 concluded that Republicans should support immigration reform. But it turns out it was always just about immigrants, as in, people who arent like us, not policy.

Thats why Trump supporters were unmoved by reports that Melania Trump had worked in the United States without authorization, and its why Mr. Trump, in a late rally in Minnesota, declared that the state had suffered enough from the presence of Somali immigrants, a well-settled middle-class group in the state for more than two decades. Its why Mr. Trump found his strongest support not in areas most affected by immigration but in aging states with the lowest number of foreign-born residents, such as Ohio, Iowa and Wisconsin, where immigration is mostly a distant symbol of otherness.

Ideology had formed a kind of a comforting curtain around the more intractable divides of race and identity. Ideological conflict, as deep and irresolvable as it often seems, at least in theory, lends itself to persuasion and compromise, such as President Obamas long quest for a grand bargain on spending and taxes. Ideology can help structure peoples engagement with politics, giving them clear preferences organized around a few core values.

But ideology can also be hard work  most people dont have the time or inclination to decide if they are liberal or conservative, and what that means, or to fight about it.
A sausage, voiced by Seth Rogen, learns that the supermarket afterlife isnt what he expected in Sausage Party. 48 Hours reports on the case of Todd Kohlhepp, a suspected serial killer. And Dave Chappelle hosts Saturday Night Live for the first time.

Whats Streaming

SAUSAGE PARTY (2016) on Amazon and iTunes. In this animated meditation on enlightenment by way of a supermarket, Frank, a sausage voiced by Seth Rogen, starts life as a true believer alongside the rest of the groceries, who each day sing a hymn praising the gods who will deliver the chosen foods into the great beyond. And with the Fourth of July approaching, Frank thinks it might be his turn, allowing him and his girlfriend, a bun named Brenda (Kristen Wiig), to consummate their relationship after being released from their packaging. What they dont realize is that a violent end  think searing grill and gnashing teeth  awaits them. The movie, Im happy to report, is fun pretty much all the way through, A. O. Scott wrote in The New York Times. I went in expecting an earnest critique of the industrial food system, or an impassioned plea for ethical vegetarianism. O.K., not really. But I certainly didnt anticipate a movie so full of  thought.
Donald J. Trumps former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, resigned on Friday from his role as a CNN political commentator, ending a television deal that had attracted scrutiny and harsh criticism about the cable channels journalistic ethics.

Mr. Lewandowski, who joined CNN as a paid contributor days after being fired by Mr. Trump in June, has expressed interest in a senior adviser role in the White House, according to a person briefed on discussions within the Trump transition team.

His name has also been mentioned as a potential chairman of the Republican National Committee, this person said. Mr. Lewandowski has been frequently spotted this week at Trump Tower in Manhattan, chatting with senior aides and attending meetings.

Even as he defended Mr. Trump in front of millions of viewers on CNN talk shows, Mr. Lewandowski stayed in regular contact with the candidate and flew on the Trump campaign jet. He also received tens of thousands of dollars in severance from the Trump campaign, payments that were set to continue through the end of the year.
SATURDAY PUZZLE  If you found yourself floundering in the center of todays puzzle, theres a good reason for it. All Ill say, in the interest of not giving it away here, is that punctuation matters.

David Kahn reports in his notes below that he is typically a themed puzzle maker, so todays central entry in an otherwise themeless grid makes for a surprising yet challenging addition.

If you need more help solving than that and would like me to whisper the trick in your ear, lean in closely and click here.

Even without this surprise, there are quite a few fresh and lively entries in Mr. Kahns grid. Weve got SEX SCENE, REPORT GENERATOR, HOME PHONE NUMBER (even though were seeing fewer of those these days), IM GLAD, NO REASON, SUPER BOWL CHAMPS, GETS INTO TROUBLE, KEY CARDS and TOP HAT.
2. We elected Trump for one purpose: To deport all illegal aliens, and their illegal families.

If he does that, he will have two terms and be the most popular POTUS in modern history. If he fails....hes toast. We will vote him out in 2020.

No more anchor babies. No more bilingual education. No more ballots in SPANISH. No more Dream Act. No more sanctuary cities.

 Concerned Citizen.
The forces that brought Donald Trump to victory were largely American. The repercussions of his election, however, have rocked Western democracies accustomed to seeing the United States as a beacon for democracy, progress and stability. If the president-elect wants to take seriously his responsibilities as head of the free world, he should waste no time in making clear how much of his campaign bluster was just that.

In the immediate wake of the election, the chorus of excited reactions from Europes far right, which has made common cause with Mr. Trumps anti-globalization, anti-immigration and anti-establishment messages, reflected a sense that its cause had been given a huge boost.

Marine Le Pen, head of Frances far-right National Front, saw in Mr. Trumps election a great movement across the world to upend the status quo. In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders of the similar Party for Freedom declared the election historic. In Britain, Nigel Farage, whose U.K. Independence Party was a major force behind the vote to leave the European Union, declared he couldnt be happier. Germanys Alternative for Germany and Austrias Freedom Party chimed in with similar cheers.

The Netherlands, France and Germany all face national elections next year, and though the far-right parties have not been given strong chances of winning, neither had Brexit nor Mr. Trump. Even a strong showing by the populists in these countries would be a major threat to the European Union and its existing policies.
Munich  America owes Donald J. Trump an open mind and a chance to lead, Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday. So does Europe.

But understandably, Europeans are deeply worried about some of the views expressed by Mr. Trump during the campaign. This moment of trans-Atlantic uncertainty must end quickly. It is essential for the president-elect to explain his plans without delay. How will he square the circle between strengthening Americas global role while at the same time reducing Americas foreign commitments  both goals he has announced? If he really means what he says about the value of NATO (or lack thereof), what exactly does he intend to do?

Both Europe and Mr. Trump need to switch now from campaign mode to policy mode. Instead of waiting for the Trump inaugural speech, Europe should enumerate its own policy expectations and demonstrate how much the United States can continue to benefit from a close partnership with it.

First, European allies expect a clear commitment to the trans-Atlantic security partnership. Mr. Trump should reaffirm Americas security guarantee in NATO, never questioned by any president since its founding in 1949. As a 2016 survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs has shown, a vast majority of Americans continue to believe in the value of their countrys alliances and partnerships. Even 60 percent of Trump supporters said they wanted to increase or at least maintain the commitment to NATO.
Of all the conservatives who opposed Donald Trump during his campaign for the presidency, his most vehement opponents were the men and women who had served in past Republican administrations, and particularly in the departments of state and of defense. One hundred and twenty-two Republican foreign policy hands signed a letter denouncing Trump as a menace to American values and world peace. George W. Bushs C.I.A. director, Michael Hayden, suggested that Trump was a useful idiot for Russian interests. Both neoconservatives and realists  Robert Kagan and Paul Wolfowitz, Brent Scowcroft and Richard Armitage  indicated that they would vote for Hillary Clinton.

But now Trump will be the commander in chief, the leader of the free world, the man responsible for maintaining the rather frayed and tattered-looking Pax Americana. Its safe to assume that the figures who denounced him most vocally will not be in line for key positions. But for others, especially the many younger public servants who would normally staff a Republican administration, a hard question looms: If they fear how Trump might govern, can they in good conscience work for him?

The answer, for now, is that they can and should  and indeed, precisely because they fear how Trump might govern, there is a moral responsibility to serve.
The medieval ship lay more than a half-mile down at the bottom of the Black Sea, its masts, timbers and planking undisturbed in the darkness for seven or eight centuries. Lack of oxygen in the icy depths had ruled out the usual riot of creatures that feast on sunken wood.

This fall, a team of explorers lowered a robot on a long tether, lit up the wreck with bright lights and took thousands of high-resolution photos. A computer then merged the images into a detailed portrait.

Archaeologists date the discovery to the 13th or 14th century, opening a new window on forerunners of the 15th- and 16th-century sailing vessels that discovered the New World, including those of Columbus. This medieval ship probably served the Venetian empire, which had Black Sea outposts.

Never before had this type of ship been found in such complete form. The breakthrough was the quarterdeck, from which the captain would have directed a crew of perhaps 20 sailors.
WASHINGTON  After his partys brutal Election Day loss, Senator Chuck Schumer, the presumptive incoming Democratic minority leader, threw his support on Friday behind a liberal member of Congress to be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Mr. Schumers choice, Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota, is a favorite of the partys left. Should he win the chairmanship, he would become one of the Democrats most visible spokesmen as the party seeks to regroup after losing the White House and an array of state-level offices to a populist wave fueled by white working-class voters.

The move signals the desire of Mr. Schumer to score early points with Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, leaders from the partys left. Mr. Schumer is likely to have to disappoint them at times in legislative battles after President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office as he seeks to protect endangered Democrats from Republican-leaning states who are up for re-election in 2018.

But Mr. Ellison, should he decide to run, will face some competition from Democrats who believe that the chairmanship should be a full-time job, not one that is split with the duties of being an elected official. Some Democrats also say they feel that the party should be run by someone who hails from an industrial state where the party has lost voters and support.
Mr. Pence also called Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader, this week, but the two former congressional colleagues did little beyond exchange pleasantries and agree to meet in the future.

To Democrats, it is more than a little worrisome that Mr. Pence, a strong Christian conservative on social as well as fiscal issues, will be playing such a central role in the new administration.

Mike Pence is one of the most ideologically rigid individuals Ive served with, said Representative Steve Israel, a senior Democrat from New York, who is retiring. Trump is putting the extreme right wing at the center of gravity in his administration, and that should be worrying to mainstream voters.

Mr. Pence came to Congress as a rebel willing to challenge the priorities of his own partys leadership. He was part of the leading edge of Tea Party-style Republicans eager to shake up Washington, but landed in the party leadership before leaving to run for governor of Indiana, a post that has provided him with government executive experience that could also prove valuable in his new role.

In the House, he was among the leaders of the effort to ban earmarks  spending sought by lawmakers for their home districts, popular at the time  and he was a strong advocate for cutting government spending over all. He opposed the expansion of Medicare to include prescription drug coverage  then a major priority of his party and the Bush White House. He led the Republican Study Committee, then the most conservative House Republicans, and was beaten badly in his first leadership race  a campaign that Mr. Hensarling notes he managed  before being elected to the No. 3 post of Republican Conference chairman in 2008.

As governor, Mr. Pence also instituted aspects of the Affordable Care Act in his state and accepted federal money to do so  a departure from how many other Republican governors responded to the new law. That experience could give him added expertise as the Republican Congress moves to dismantle the health program that is a signature of the Obama era and a top target of Mr. Trumps.

Mr. Pence could also serve as a handy buffer between Mr. Trump and Speaker Paul D. Ryan, who clashed with Mr. Trump during the campaign but in recent weeks has sought to minimize any differences. In remarks after the election, Mr. Ryan has gone out of his way to note his close relationship and frequent contact with Mr. Pence.
In New York, men shouted, Youre next! at a black policewoman, making shooting motions with their hands. In California, a high school student told a classmate, You support Trump? You hate Mexicans! before throwing her to the ground and hitting her. Online, anonymous users wrote on Twitter, Just reported you to ICE. Expect a van at your door tomorrow to illegal immigrants.

Since voters elected Donald J. Trump president on Tuesday, outbursts of vitriol  verbal and physical  have been widely reported in the news and on social media. Civil rights groups say their inboxes and call centers are lighting up with reports of attacks.

But the groups caution that it is too early to be certain how many of the accusations are legitimate, or how long the uptick will continue.

It doesnt compare to the civil rights movement. No one is blowing up churches, said Richard Cohen, the president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups. But I dont think theres any question that theres been an increase.
For the third day in a row since Donald J. Trump was elected president, thousands of people took part in protests that bloomed across the country, venting their frustration at the election results.

In Miami, protesters shook signs and chanted during a demonstration on Friday evening, blocking the causeway that connects the citys downtown and South Beach. In Madison, Wis., they interrupted commuters near the University of Wisconsin. Near Iowa City, they blocked traffic on a section of Interstate 80.

In Portland, Ore., the police reported a shooting around 1 a.m. Saturday at a bridge that had been blocked by demonstrators. Witnesses said a protester had been shot in the leg after an altercation with a car full of people, who they said were angry about traffic being stalled. The police released a description of a suspect, who they said had fled.
WASHINGTON  President-elect Donald J. Trump said Friday that he was likely to abandon the American effort to support moderate opposition groups in Syria who are battling the government of President Bashar al-Assad, saying we have no idea who these people are.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal that dealt largely with economic issues, including his willingness to retain parts of the Affordable Care Act, he repeated a position he took often during his campaign: that the United States should focus on defeating the Islamic State, and find common ground with the Syrians and their Russian backers.

Ive had an opposite view of many people regarding Syria, Mr. Trump told The Journal. My attitude was youre fighting Syria, Syria is fighting ISIS, and you have to get rid of ISIS. Russia is now totally aligned with Syria, and now you have Iran, which is becoming powerful, because of us, is aligned with Syria.

His comments suggest that once Mr. Trump begins overseeing both the public support for the opposition groups, and a far larger covert effort run by the Central Intelligence Agency, he may wind down or abandon the effort. But there are in fact two wars going on simultaneously in Syria.
The next time someone asks you for your cellphone number, you may want to think twice about giving it.

The cellphone number is more than just a bunch of digits. It is increasingly used as a link to private information maintained by all sorts of companies, including money lenders and social networks. It can be used to monitor and predict what you buy, look for online or even watch on television.

It has become kind of a key into the room of your life and information about you, said Edward M. Stroz, a former high-tech crime agent for the F.B.I. who is co-president of Stroz Friedberg, a private investigator.

Yet the cellphone number is not a legally regulated piece of information like a Social Security number, which companies are required to keep private. And we are told to hide and protect our Social Security numbers while most of us dont hesitate when asked to write a cellphone number on a form or share it with someone we barely know.
One-third of the worlds population, 2.5 billion people, have no credit score that might give them access to loans. But about a billion people in the developing world do have basic smartphones.

And for many of those people, that phone is their only computer and communication device. So it can be particularly useful but also personally revealing.

Now some start-ups are emerging to exploit the opportunities and manage the problems that this creates.

Tala, for example, culls data from cellphones to gauge a persons ability and willingness to repay loans. To its founder and chief executive, Shivani Siroya, the cellphone number is an entry point to help bolster the emerging middle class in countries like Kenya, the Philippines and Tanzania by giving them access to credit.
Several economic issues divide many Republicans in Congress from Donald J. Trump, the Republican president-elect. Free trade versus tariffs to limit imports. Immigration reform versus a border wall. Cutting Social Security and other benefit programs versus protecting them.

But one economic matter unites just about every member of the Republican party: support for tax cuts, particularly for those at the top of the income ladder.

Whatever fault lines have emerged during this campaign, the belief that lower taxes targeted at job creators will unleash a roar of economic growth crosses them. Both Donald J. Trump and Paul D. Ryan, the House speaker, have released tax proposals that hark back to the supply-side programs of the Reagan and George W. Bush eras, promising that the multitrillion-dollar cost will be more than offset by the extra revenue flowing into the Treasury from the growth that will follow.

Tax reform is the thing that always unites Republicans, said William Gale, a co-director of the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center and a former economic adviser to President George H.W. Bush. I would guess that thats Item 1 on the congressional agenda.
Cella Irvine, a Silicon Alley pioneer who led About.com and other new media companies in New York starting in the early 1990s, died on Tuesday at her home in Manhattan. She was 59.

The cause was thyroid cancer, her husband, Hart Hooton, said.

Ms. Irvine broke ground in a male-dominated field in her corporate roles and as a founding board member and chairwoman of the nonprofit New York New Media Association. The group, which had 8,000 members at its peak, was acquired by the Software and Information Industry Association in 2003.

Ms. Irvine began her quarter-century career in the digital industry in the mid-1980s at Activision, a video game and educational software company. From 1989 to 1993, she ran customer relations and strategic planning for the Prodigy Services Company before joining the Hearst Corporation in 1994 as vice president and general manager of new media.

At Hearst, she guided its first digital ventures, including an interactive newspaper and the marketing of CD-ROMs.
To the Editor:

Re An $85 Billion Bet That an Empire Can Rise Again (Oct. 30), a Fair Game column by Gretchen Morgenson about the proposed AT&T-Time Warner merger and an article about Randall L. Stephenson, AT&Ts chief executive:

Years ago Ma Bell was broken up to balance out a monopoly. The companys thinking did not evolve, and now it is pursuing monopoly through another doorway. Why, as customers, are we not being protected?

Who will protect us from future rate hikes with no other recourse for services? This is not smart business practice; it is all about greed and power. Where are the gatekeepers? Where is the outrage?

Lisa Smith

San Diego, Oct. 30
Iris Alonzo was reflecting, with mock regret, on the success of the deep V-neck T-shirt she helped create for American Apparel years ago.

I single-handedly destroyed West Hollywood, she said. Youd roll up to La Cienega and Santa Monica Boulevard and thered be a guy with a shaved chest and his shirt pulled down to his belly button. Oh, my God. What have we done?

Ms. Alonzo, at 37 perhaps the most influential former senior creative director you have never heard of, was sitting in a friends apartment just off Central Park West, talking about her decadelong career with the brand that turned the T-shirt ad into an R-rated experience, before filing for bankruptcy last year.

The first jeans we ever came out with were these high-waisted jeans, she said. That was my thing. The tube socks with three stripes. The disco pant. For better or worse, the deep V-neck.
He is the son of Cynthia A. Broner of Cambridge, Mass., and Eli Alperowicz of Boston. His mother works at WGBH, the Boston public television and radio affiliate, where she is the senior director of employee communications. His father is a painter whose work has been shown in galleries including the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown, Mass., and the Fort Point Open Studios in Boston; he is also a chef at the Owl Club at Harvard.

Ms. Cohen and Mr. Alperowicz met in March 2010 through mutual friends at a deafening Aeroplane concert at the Santos Party House in Manhattan.

At the time, they were both assistants to booking agents at competing agencies in the music industry, she at William Morris Endeavor in Manhattan and he at AM Only in Brooklyn.

Mr. Alperowicz, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall, went to the concert with two friends who also knew Ms. Cohen, who is 5-foot-3.

I thought he was really cute, said Ms. Cohen, who lived in the East Village at the time. I started talking to him, but when I looked up, I realized he wasnt responding to anything I was saying. I thought maybe he was just being shy, or maybe he was sort of aloof.
Image Paul Henrys, the chief financial officer of Feeding America. Credit... Whitten Sabbatini for The New York Times

1. Showboat watch

Our headquarters are on the 20th and 21st floors of whats known as the Jewelers Building, on East Wacker Drive on the north end of the Loop. The building overlooks the Chicago River, and the view is spectacular. Once in a while we hear really loud horns. Occasionally employees jump up and say, Showboats comin, like the line in the movie Show Boat.

The original elevators were large enough to allow the diamond merchants to drive their cars in and be lifted up to their offices in safety along with their jewels. Al Capone ran a speakeasy in the buildings cupola.
Most nonfiction books these days are emblazoned with audacious titles that demand an explanatory underline. Never Built New York (Metropolis Books, $55) doesnt need one.

In his foreword, the architect Daniel Libeskind describes this imaginative picture book for adults by Greg Goldin and Sam Lubell as nostalgia, regrets or opportunities missed  a catalog of dashed dreams and dodged nightmares.

Most of the what-ifs were culled by the authors, both of them architectural critics and historians, from 19th- and 20th-century and contemporary blueprints. They will be featured at the Queens Museum next year in an exhibition (with, one hopes, a more welcoming typeface). Among them:

James E. Serrells ambitious 1865 plan to expand Manhattan by rerouting the East River to a new canal farther east.

Gustav Lindenthals gigantic engineering vision of 1887 linking Manhattan to mainland America across the Hudson River, from West 23rd Street.
Such a surprise! So many people to thank!

1. Jill Stein voters: You helped elect a man who pledges that he will, in his first hundred days, cancel contributions to United Nations programs to fight climate change. If your vote for Ms. Stein did not end up advancing your green agenda, it did allow you to feel morally superior to all the compromising schmoes who voted for Hillary Clinton. And your feelings about your vote are more important than the consequences of your vote. So  thank you!

2. Gary Johnson voters: Thank you, for similar reasons. You, too, may now reward yourselves with feelings of warm self-approval, and your libertarian agenda will now be advanced (or not) by someone who admires the governance of Vladimir Putin. And to Mr. Johnson himself: Not only can no one blame you for this outcome  were all free agents, man!  but you can stop looking for Aleppo.

3. James Comey: Your publicity coup may have affected the outcome of the election. Or it may not have. But it will certainly breed speculation that it did. Such discussion will in some way serve the reputation of the F.B.I. Or not. You had to bravely contravene bureau protocols to make your contribution, so to you we owe a special thanks!

4. Anthony Weiner: You also found a surprising way to contribute! Thank you, sir  your act never gets old!
Ive never been a good sleeper, but now more than ever, after having lost my job as a news anchor this past summer, I find myself lying awake at night thinking about my daughter  and your daughters, too. Ive been asking myself this simple question: Will our girls finally be the ones to have workplaces free from sexual harassment? This question became even more compelling during the presidential race, where offensive comments about women were dismissed as locker room talk.

I want to do everything I can to end sexual harassment in the workplace. I didnt expect to be cast in this role. But as a result of the news reports concerning my departure from Fox News, letters, emails and texts from victims of harassment have poured in to me, and I cant turn away.

Just a few weeks ago, the comedian Heather McDonald, inspired by my story, publicly spoke about the time her boss just came out and asked if he could hold her breasts, as if that were a normal part of a working relationship. A former flight attendant wrote to tell me that her boss routinely harassed her sexually, and when she complained to human resources, they told her that she was the one who needed sexual harassment training. A tenured teacher at a religious school told me she had to quit her job. An Iraq war veteran, who endured repeated sexual harassment in the Army, returned to civilian life only to find even greater abuse on Wall Street.

Since my story went public, Ive been cast as a victim  another role I never thought Id have to play. My parents raised me with a never-give-up attitude, telling me I could be anything I wanted to be. I was a serious violinist and a valedictorian of my high school class. I knew all about hard work.
So it seems that most Jewish Americans are in the losing camp. Seventy-two percent of Jews have an unfavorable view of the winning candidate, Donald J. Trump, according to another J Street poll. Some Jewish organizations clashed with Mr. Trump  denouncing his words against Muslim immigrants and arguing that his campaign encouraged anti-Semitic language. When the American Israel Public Affairs Committee asked Mr. Trump to speak at its policy conference, some critics called the invitation shameful. In word and deed, Jewish Americans  even many Republican-leaning Jews  steered clear of Mr. Trump.

Now Mr. Trump has been elected president. And Israel, while surprised by his rise, is quickly getting used to this new reality. Israeli Jews, like their American counterparts, would have preferred a Clinton victory and were somewhat suspicious of Mr. Trumps erratic ways.

Then again, the president-elect says that he supports Israel, he seems to have amicable relations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and he has surrounded himself with people like Rudolph Giuliani and Newt Gingrich, who are well known for their friendship with Israel. Whats not to like?

If all goes well, Israelis are going to love the Trump administration. Mr. Trump seems uninterested in pressuring Israel to give away land and he has promised to move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a longtime request by Israel, which views Jerusalem as its capital. His view of the international agreement on Irans nuclear program is as bleak as Israels, and he vowed to make it a priority to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran.

If his policies match his campaign rhetoric, Israelis, with time, will grow to like him. American Jews, meanwhile, will seethe. Israel is dear to the hearts of most American Jews, but it is not a main political consideration when they vote in America. Fewer than 10 percent of them cite Israel as one of the most important issues in deciding for whom they vote.
Despite this behavior, despite the obvious need for the next president to be alert to Mr. Putins mischief and to be willing to resist it, Mr. Trump has so far been Mr. Putins apologist.

Mr. Trump has dismissed the intelligence communitys finding that Russia was behind the hacking, displaying a disrespect for the facts and for the security institutions that compile them. On Thursday, a senior Russian official admitted that the Kremlin had been in contact with Trump allies during the campaign. While its not unusual for presidential campaigns to be in touch with foreign leaders, the situation raises heightened concerns given the hacking and the connections between a former senior Trump campaign official and the pro-Russia former president of Ukraine.

Since Mr. Trump has refused to criticize the Kremlin, its important that Mr. Obama figure out, before he leaves office, how to punish Russia for the hacking in a way that demonstrates Washingtons determination to resist cyberattacks without further escalating the conflict. Getting the balance right will not be easy. Mr. Obama should also keep talking with Russia on mutually acceptable cyber-deterrence guidelines that set rules for regulating, defending against and deterring malicious intrusions in cyberspace.

The deteriorating relationship between Moscow and Washington is a long way from what was envisioned when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and there were high hopes that Russia would become a democracy integrated with the West. In 2009, Mr. Obama authorized Hillary Clinton, his first secretary of state, to reset relations, aiming to foster cooperation.

The two sides worked together on an arms control treaty and the Iran nuclear deal, but on the whole the reset failed, largely because of Mr. Putin. Restoring Russia to power and to a central role in world affairs turned out to be more important to Mr. Putin, and the Russians, than peaceful or profitable ties with the West. His foreign policy is a fairly consistent continuation of Soviet policy  preventing Western encirclement by moving into Ukraine; fighting proxy battles to support Russian interests, as in Syria; and challenging American power wherever possible.
We invited readers to draft a to-do list for the new presidents first 100 days. Hundreds did.

To the Editor: After a deeply polarizing election, Donald Trumps priority should be bipartisanship. So, here are three things President Trump ought to do:

1. Nominate a moderate Supreme Court justice, such as Judge Consuelo Maria Callahan of the Ninth Circuit. Ms. Callahan, who is Hispanic, was nominated by George W. Bush and was confirmed 99 to 0 by the Senate.

2. Select several Democrats for high-profile cabinet positions. Senators Joe Manchin and Joe Donnelly, both of whom are known for their bipartisanship, would be good candidates.

3. Resist the temptation to fill vacancies with partisan surrogates like Newt Gingrich and Rudy Giuliani. Instead, Mr. Trump should look to outsiders, such as Paul Brest, former dean of Stanford Law School, and the activist investor Carl Icahn.

Mr. Trump emphasizes the value of being unpredictable. Reaching out across the aisle would be the best way for him to demonstrate that quality.
Republicans will run into additional difficulties when they try to eliminate Mr. Obamas signature accomplishment, Obamacare. Republicans in Congress have voted more than 60 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but theyve spent far less time thinking about how to replace it. Would the 20 million Americans who have gained health insurance lose it? Would a Republican version of the law retain its prohibitions against insurance companies denying coverage to patients with pre-existing conditions?

Throughout the Obama administration, the G.O.P. has had the mind-set of an opposition party, condemning policies without thinking deeply about how to reform them. When Republicans have total control of the government, they will bear the responsibility for its failures. Perhaps this will encourage a new Republican seriousness about policy and an honest attempt to educate their base about the trade-offs inherent in governing.

Over the past several decades, the Republican Party has become a coalition of conservative ideologies rather than a coalition of interests. A shared opposition to Democrats has helped paper over the contradictions between libertarians, social conservatives, fiscal conservatives and neoconservatives. Now that the common enemy has been vanquished (at least temporarily), the rival conservatives will be tempted to go to war with one another. Rogue Republican factions in Congress like the House Freedom Caucus could even use the threat of a government shutdown or debt default against their own administration. The need to keep order in his ranks may encourage Mr. Trump to become a Richard Nixon-style leader, pursuing an agenda that gives enough to each faction that it remains sullen but not mutinous.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, is wary of repeating the overreach that occurred the last time the Republicans controlled all three branches. The attempt to reshape the Middle East was the most obvious example, but so, too, was George W. Bushs push to partially privatize Social Security. Yet Mr. McConnell and others have been promising for years that if the party were given complete control of government, the conservative utopia would follow. The establishment may now be forced, at long last, to stand up to those on the right who are calling for Republicans to repeal the institutions of the New Deal and the Progressive era.

Much of Mr. Trumps support, particularly in the swing states of the Midwest, came from white working-class voters who missed out on the economic recovery of the past several years and felt victimized by globalization and elites. Mr. Trumps populism presents a stark contradiction to House Speaker Paul D. Ryans positions on free trade, immigration and cutbacks in Social Security and Medicare. If the Republican Party wants to keep its new working-class constituency, it will have to make the economy work for them. The G.O.P. is unlikely to retain these voters if most of the benefits from its tax cuts and other economic policies are seen to go to the partys most affluent supporters.

One split thats likely to develop will be over how long the party is expected to maintain its control over the government. Those who anticipate only a two- or four-year window will press for the rapid enactment of a maximalist conservative program, even at the risk of an intense backlash. Others, however, will focus on the long game. Theyll try to build an enduring Republican coalition by doing everything possible to increase productivity and stimulate broad-based economic prosperity, and theyll enact legislation that can command at least some degree of bipartisan support.

Such an agenda would begin with Mr. Trumps ambitious goal of leveraging as much as a trillion dollars to rebuild our deteriorating infrastructure. Mr. Trump will not be able to bring back the manufacturing jobs he promised, but he could put his supporters to work building roads and bridges instead.
Each Saturday, Farhad Manjoo and Mike Isaac, technology reporters at The New York Times, review the weeks news, offering analysis and maybe a joke or two about the most important developments in the tech industry.

Farhad: Hello, Mike. What a week. We usually start this thing with some kind of funny intro, but I wasnt feeling it this morning. So I asked my Amazon Echo for a joke. Heres what she came up with:

Why was the turkey not hungry on Thanksgiving?

Because he was already stuffed.

Mike: Holy moly. I think a dad joke like that is about all I can handle right now.

Farhad: O.K., on to tech  oh, who are we kidding? No one cares about tech news this week. Donald J. Trump won the presidency, surprising everyone in the whole world. Also, everyone in tech.

You and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, the epicenter of the tech industry and also one of the most liberal places in the country. In San Francisco, Trump won less than 10 percent of the vote. In Santa Clara County, home to Google, Facebook and Apple, he got barely over 20 percent.
A new president is really vulnerable and open to all sorts of influence by strong-willed advisers, said Robert Dallek, a presidential historian. Trumps appointments over the next six weeks will be very significant because they can show whether he wants to create some unity in the country, or whether he really intends to deliver on his ideas.

One of the influences on Mr. Trump could come from an unlikely quarter: President Obama. Meeting in the Oval Office on Thursday, Mr. Trump said he looked forward to dealing with the president in the future, including counsel. A day later, in interviews with The Wall Street Journal and 60 Minutes, he said he had decided to retain elements of Mr. Obamas landmark health care law after their conversation  a hint, at least, that he might govern less radically than he had campaigned.

White House officials expressed hope that Mr. Obama would be able to impress on Mr. Trump the importance of other parts of his legacy, like the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal. The two will have the kind of peer-to-peer relationship that only fellow presidents can have  something that administration officials hope will appeal to Mr. Trumps pride, as well as his desire to succeed, and make him view Mr. Obama less as a rival.

They conceded, though, that there was little historical precedent for such a relationship, especially when the incoming president had ousted the incumbents party after such an acrid campaign, and that Mr. Trump and Mr. Obama were never likely to become buddies.

Mr. Trump is drawing mainly from a pool of trusted aides and supporters, according to people familiar with the campaign. On Friday, he named three of his grown children  Ivanka, Donald Jr. and Eric  as well as his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to his transition team, an arrangement that rang alarm bells in Washington because they will also manage his businesses. The Trump family, it is clear, will wield unusual power in the composition of an administration that is already shaping up as remarkable for its clannishness.
WASHINGTON  The Obama administration is negotiating with Malaysia over a deal to repatriate and continue to incarcerate a Guantanamo Bay detainee accused of being an accessory to two major terrorist attacks in Indonesia, officials said.

While challenges remain, the prospective deal is important because it could set up a way to prosecute the detainee and two others, including an Indonesian man best known as Hambali, who is accused of masterminding the two attacks. They are among the 30 men who have been held in indefinite wartime detention without charges for over a decade and who are still deemed too dangerous to release.

The high-level talks also have broader importance for the future of the United States security cooperation and relationship with Malaysia. They are being held amid tensions over Chinas efforts to assert greater control over the South China Sea and over a scandal involving Malaysias prime minister, whom the Justice Department recently accused in a civil complaint of playing a role in a billion-dollar corruption scheme.

Early this month, the State and Defense Department envoys for closing Guantanamo, Lee Wolosky and Paul Lewis, and the chief prosecutor of the military commissions system, Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, flew to Malaysia. They met on Nov. 2 with the Malaysian deputy prime minister and other top Malaysian officials to discuss the potential deal, officials said.
Macomb Countys autoworkers were hardly alone in gravitating toward Mr. Trump. Patricia Meadows, a retired waitress, voted for Mr. Obama in 2012 because she liked him, she said, and was hopeful about his health care law. But this time around, Ms. Meadows had no use for Mrs. Clinton or any candidate who had spent time in the nations capital. Mr. Trump was the lesser of two evils because he was not so political, she said.

I think everybody in Washington needs a kick in the rear, Ms. Meadows, 68, said on Thursday as she ate fried fish at a diner in Warren, a weathered city at the countys southern end. And I think Washington needs to be done with the Clintons.

She added, however, that she hoped Mr. Trump would not do away with the health care  Mr. Obamas Affordable Care Act  as he had promised on the campaign trail. Her daughter had obtained subsidized insurance coverage through the law for $50 a month.

I think he was bluffing, Ms. Meadows said with a frown.

Mayor James R. Fouts of Warren said Trump supporters here were especially motivated by Mr. Trumps promise to overturn or overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement, which they blame for the loss of American manufacturing jobs to Mexico. All year, Mr. Trump has attacked Ford Motor Company in particular for planning to move all of its small car production to Mexico.
As he raced across the country before the election, President Obama warned supporters about the stakes. All the progress weve made over these last eight years, he said, goes out the window if we dont win this election.

Hillary Clinton, his anointed successor, did not win, and so now Mr. Obama will find out whether his prediction was just campaign hyperbole or if his legacy really has just gone out the window. Not only are specific initiatives like his health care and climate change programs at risk, but so, too, is the broader vision Mr. Obama articulated for America.

Suddenly, the progressive, post-racial, bridge-building society he promised has given way to an angry, jeering, us-against-them nation to be led by a new president who relishes reality-show name-calling with racial overtones. In none of Mr. Obamas worst-case scenarios when he came to office was this the way he imagined leaving.

Since the electoral earthquake that made Donald J. Trump his designated successor, Mr. Obama has consoled his team  and himself  by telling them that they moved the country forward despite this obvious setback. Change does not follow a straight line, he told crying aides. Instead, it tends to zig and zag.
He added: They didnt like Hillary. She just didnt come off as being honest.

Polls got wrong something that residents in swing states plainly saw: Enthusiasm for Mr. Trump was boundless, while the feeling for Mrs. Clinton, outside of a handful of liberal strongholds, was like a body on life support. John McCall, 70, a lawyer who drove from his daughters house in Philadelphia to his home in Canton, Ohio, said he was surprised by the difference in yard signs.

We were amazed, Mr. McCall, who voted for Mr. Trump, said as he ate lunch at Athens Restaurant in Canton. Once you got to the middle of Pennsylvania, it was Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump. But where were her signs? There was just a complete lack. It was the same in Ohio.

He added, When we got home, I told my wife that this election is a complete lock.

The numbers in Stark County tell the tale. In the 2012 presidential election, there were about 79,000 registered Democrats, compared with about 63,000 registered Republicans, according to the countys Board of Elections. In this election, the number of Democrats had fallen to about 42,500, while the number of Republicans had risen to more than 72,400. (Unaffiliated registrations also rose, and some said Democrats were changing parties to block Mr. Trump in the primary race.) Ultimately, Mr. Trump took 56 percent of the countys vote, to Mrs. Clintons 39 percent.
ERIE, Pa.  Sean D. Wiley recalled the moment it hit him, hard, that the people he had known all of his life and represented in the Pennsylvania State Senate were abandoning his Democratic Party.

Union workers at the General Electric plant just east of here, which makes locomotives, told Mr. Wiley that they would vote for Donald J. Trump. Once Erie Countys largest employer, the plant has shed thousands of $34-an-hour workers and moved production to a nonunion factory in Texas.

In their desperation to hang onto jobs, General Electrics workers embraced Mr. Trump even though his pledge to tear up trade deals to rebuild American manufacturing would seem to have little to do with their own situation, with jobs moving to another state.

Mr. Wiley, who lost his Senate seat in Harrisburg, the state capital, on Election Day, said he had warned voters ad nauseam during the campaign that Republicans in the legislature would pass an anti-union, right-to-work law, but it was to no avail.
The F.B.I. has concluded two times, including after a surprise review that began just 11 days before the election, that Mrs. Clinton should not face criminal prosecution over her handling of her private email server. Mrs. Clinton on Saturday blamed her loss in part on the F.B.I.s last-minute intervention.

Even so, legal analysts said there was little doubt that as president, Mr. Trump would have the power to direct his attorney general  Rudolph W. Giuliani has been frequently mentioned for the job  to appoint an outside special counsel to reinvestigate the matter in light of new evidence that may have developed.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal that was published on Friday, Mr. Trump deflected a question about naming a special prosecutor.

Its not something Ive given a lot of thought, because I want to solve health care, jobs, border control, tax reform, he said.

But his top aides have left the door open to such a move.

In an appearance Thursday on Fox News, Mr. Giuliani  a top adviser to Mr. Trump on legal and national security issues  said he did not think that Mr. Obama should pardon Mrs. Clinton, and he raised the prospect that the Trump administration could investigate not only the email server, but also the Clinton Foundation, the family charity. Several F.B.I. offices are known to have examined questions about the charitys acceptance of gifts from foreign leaders, but those inquiries appear to have been paused.

Mr. Giuliani said that during the campaign Mr. Trump had talked about an independent counsel doing it, who would be not a Republican, not a Democrat, somebody free of any political question.

The decision about appointing a special prosecutor is a tough one, Mr. Giuliani said in a separate appearance on CNN. Its been a tradition in our politics to put things behind us, he said. On the other hand, you have to look at, how bad was it?
Thousands of demonstrators filled public squares, parks and streets in the countrys three largest cities on Saturday to protest President-elect Donald J. Trump, part of a wave of dissent that has swelled since the presidential contest last week.

They were transgender people, the children of immigrants, and parents toting infants on their back. They were families, students, and men and women of all ages and races. Many carried cardboard signs  Show the world what the popular vote looks like, read one, Putin Won, said another. As throngs marched through city streets, the participants joined in a cry of Not my president!

In one of the largest anti-Trump demonstrations since his election on Tuesday, a mass of people marched from Union Square in Manhattan to Trump Tower, the headquarters and home of Mr. Trump. Protesters marched around one of Mr. Trumps buildings in Chicago. In Los Angeles, thousands of people marched up Wilshire Boulevard, forming a crowd that stretched for nearly a dozen blocks.

Im just doing my part in democracy, said Alfred Diaz, 25, who joined the protest in Los Angeles. I feel that this is a way for me to voice my opinion.
As part of his presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump promised an unforgiving approach to illegal immigration, including building a wall along the border with Mexico and stepping up deportations beyond even President Obamas record removal rates. Now, among the array of immigration challenges he will face upon taking office, Mr. Trump will have to contend with this surge of migrants, an issue that has overwhelmed not only American border officials but also governments throughout the region.

Some American officials have floated the theory that families may be migrating together in the hope that adults will have a better chance of avoiding detention in the United States if they try to enter with children.

But interviews with migrants and their advocates suggest that families are fleeing  sometimes in groups of as many as 15 people  because they have no alternative. Gangs in certain communities in the Northern Triangle have become so merciless, and their control so widespread, that a family is often left with a stark choice: Comply, flee or die.

Today the violence is widespread, and because its widespread, its affecting the whole family, said Diego Lorente, the director of the Fray Matias de Cordova Human Rights Center in Tapachula.

Almost all of the migrants said they had once had no intention of ever leaving their countries.

Alberto said he had a thriving business breeding livestock and dogs. His wife ran a food stand. Their youngest children were on track to attend college, he said. They were active members of their church.

The family first fled in 2013 to northern El Salvador, where Alberto rebuilt his business and the children returned to school. But the gang members tracked them down, forcing them to move two more times, he said. They finally fled the country in March.
Peter Hendrikx, the Netherlands

When it comes to relations to Russia, which are a bit tense, Im quite sure Trump is better than Clinton. In my opinion the attitude toward Russia has been way too negative here in Europe. Of course, there are a lot of problems with Russia not being a democracy and all, but that big country in the East has been in far worse condition and extremely more dangerous in the past than it is now.

Sven Jans, Sweden

I hope he can apply his skill in bullying people this time for good  and his own place in history  by getting Netanyahu and the Palestinians to make peace for their peoples future and the worlds stability. My husband, son and daughter have served in the army; I hope my grandchildren will never be in danger in the same way.

Elinore Liebersohn Koenigsfeld, Israel

I am deeply concerned with president-elect Mr. Trump for obvious reasons, but I am honestly relieved that Ms. Clinton couldnt get the job. Her foreign policy frightened me in terms of going back to the Cold War era. She is, unlike Mr. Obama, an interventionist, who would have inflamed international tensions, leaving Germany (and Europe) in an acid test between the West and East, facing armament.

Christian Weidner, Germany

I think it brings hard time and aggression from Washington as Mr. Trump is unpredictable.

Khawar Mehmood, Pakistan

It will be good for Europe, once President Trump is clear about his policy in fighting ISIS alongside Russia, holding a strong position in the region just like Russia, by doing the right thing, killing terrorists.

Maria da Graca, Portugal

Economic Impact

His plan to send back migrants will have a very deep impact in the social and economic conditions of my home country, place of origin of thousands of migrant workers.

Otton Solis, Costa Rica

It has already take down the value of our currency.

Jose Franco, Mexico

Heads of state who succeed in generating wealth are rare. When that happens everyone is benefited, unfortunately the world lacks leaders with this ability, but there is no doubt that Donald Trump is one of these men. It will surely bring great progress to the United States and to the world.
The Mosavis were victims of a hardening in Norwegian government policies and popular attitudes toward asylum seekers. Their daughter, Aghdas, had been the first to reach Norway, arriving in 2011 at age 13 with a group of migrants after she was separated from the family in Turkey. The Norwegian authorities then paid for her parents and siblings to fly to join her on family reunification grounds, in 2012.

Norway has now become the most determined of all European countries to expel Afghan asylum seekers. Ninety percent of Afghan asylum claims are rejected as invalid, according to the Norwegian Organization for Asylum Seekers, compared with 40 percent to 50 percent in most European countries.

Norway has returned 442 Afghans this year, 278 of them against their will, said Bjorn Frode Skaaret, the migration attache at the Norwegian Embassy in Kabul. Other European countries have had more repatriations this year, but none are known to have had so many forcible ones.

Aghdas, now 18 and in her final year of high school, was allowed to stay in Norway on humanitarian grounds because she had established a strong connection to the country through years of schooling. But she might give up plans to study nanotechnology at college, she said, so she can work and send money to her family in Afghanistan. She has already found a part-time job at a 7-Eleven store in the town where the family had settled, Fredrikstad.

Their lawyer said members of the family who were sent back to Afghanistan had a similar claim, especially because the two boys have had nearly all their formal education in Norwegian, making them poorly equipped to rejoin Afghan society.

My opinion is the Norwegian government has broken the law, said Sigrid Broch, their lawyer. Its a very integrated family in every way. Its heartbreaking, especially for Massoud, who has never been living in Afghanistan in any way since age 2.

The family was deported on Massouds seventh birthday, and it had arranged a party for him, complete with trampolines and other activities. The nine children who were invited were mostly Norwegians, including his best friend, Hans. Massoud was deported before anyone could warn the guests the party was off.
KABUL, Afghanistan  A suicide bomber managed to sneak onto the main American military base in Afghanistan on Saturday and kill four Americans, according to American and Afghan officials.

The attacker entered on foot hidden among a group of workers reporting for duty at Bagram Air Base early in the morning, said Abdul Wahid Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan Province, where the military base and airfield are. Once inside the base, the attacker detonated explosives, Mr. Sediqi said.

The blast killed two American service members and two American contractors working on the base, Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said in a statement on Saturday morning.

The explosion also wounded 16 American service members and a Polish soldier serving with the NATO coalition forces, the statement said.
SEOUL, South Korea  In one of the largest anti-government protests in recent decades, hundreds of thousands of South Koreans filled central Seoul on Saturday to demand the resignation of President Park Geun-hye, whose administration has been paralyzed by a scandal involving an unofficial presidential adviser.

You are surrounded! Park Geun-hye, come out and surrender! protesters chanted, their voices reverberating through the center of the capital.

The main boulevard that faces the presidential offices and residence, known as the Blue House, shimmered with light from candles held by the protesters. Police buses formed a barricade to block protesters from getting too close to the presidential compound.

Outrage at Ms. Park has grown in recent weeks over allegations that she let a private adviser manipulate her and extort large sums from Korean companies.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan  A powerful bomb blast ripped through a Sufi shrine in southwestern Pakistan on Saturday evening, killing at least 52 people and wounding at least 100 others, officials said.

The bombing, believed to have been carried out by a suicide attacker, occurred in the Khuzdar district of the restive province of Baluchistan. Hundreds of worshipers were inside the shrine of the Sufi saint Shah Bilal Noorani, and dozens were performing a devotional dhamal dance when the bomber struck.

Every day, around sunset, there is a dhamal here, and there are large numbers of people who come for this, Nawaz Ali, the shrines custodian, was quoted as saying by local news media outlets.

The Taliban and other extremist Sunni groups have attacked Sufi shrines and gatherings in recent years. The Sufi tradition offers a tolerant version of Islam that is spurned by extremists like the Taliban.
BERLIN  And then there was one.

Germanys chancellor, Angela Merkel, has emerged as the last powerful defender of Europe and the trans-Atlantic alliance after the election of Donald J. Trump. But after 11 years in power, she is tired, her associates say, and under siege seemingly from all directions.

She is under pressure from the same forces that elevated Mr. Trump in America, fueled Britains vote to exit the European Union and are now propelling the populist Marine Le Pen in France. At home, the hard-right Alternative for Germany party has scored a string of victories in state elections.

Ms. Merkel needs to fend off a resurgent Russia that is promoting its brand of illiberal democracy by backing right-wing parties throughout the Continent and fanning the flames of populism. But with Mr. Trump openly admiring Russias president, Vladimir V. Putin, even maintaining economic sanctions imposed on Moscow over conflicts in Crimea and Ukraine will be a challenge.

Never before has so much ridden on the Germans, said Simon Tilford, the deputy director of the Center for European Reform in London. Were very fortunate that Germany is led now by Merkel, because there is a chance she will step up and do what Europe needs her to do.
OTTAWA  An array of factors makes Canada seem like a less-than-attractive place to invest these days.

The global collapse of prices for oil and commodities that come from mines and forests have hurt an economy that depends heavily on natural resources. A surge in factory production that was expected  or at least hoped for  after the Canadian dollar shrank in value has not really materialized.

Economic growth has lagged behind that of the United States, and Canadian financial markets have posted only about half the growth of their American counterparts since the dark days of 2008.

But Kiki Delaney, the founder and president of Delaney Capital Management, is undeterred.

Why dont I talk about some of the reasons to be hopeful about Canada because it seems popular not to be, she said by phone from Toronto, where her company is based. I actually am relatively optimistic about Canada.
NEW DELHI  Nandan Nilekani, a co-founder of one of Indias biggest information technology services companies, is an older billionaire but a young investor. In his nearly 30 years of starting and then building up Infosys, he did not have the time to focus on investing anywhere else, he said. Not to mention that most of his wealth was tied up in the company.

His next step was public service, as he set up Indias unique identification system, where, once again, he did not have the luxury to think about personal investments. Now that he is finally a free man at the age of 61, he is more focused on what to do with his money.

Mr. Nilekani says he is concerned about the bad debt piling up on the balance sheets of banks in India, but he worries more about an increase in anti-globalization sentiment.

Between Brexit and Trump, are we entering a world thats less enchanted with globalization? he asked. His concern is because of his continuing investment in Infosys, which has a strong global exposure with nearly 90 percent of its revenue coming from the United States and Europe.
We dont have companies with a lot of capital  land, machines, tools, or anything else, he said. It is all risk, all hard to sell.

Mr. Kozlov, 42, is married to a prominent political activist, Olga Romanova. Like many businessmen, he failed once spectacularly, before bouncing back  with a Russian twist.

I had a corporate dispute with my partner, who was a member of the Senate, and well-connected with prosecutors, he explained. At issue was ownership of a factory outside Moscow that was making artificial leather. In 2008, Mr. Kozlov was arrested on fraud charges he said were trumped up.

Ms. Romanova formed a group, called Russia Behind Bars, to draw attention to her husbands detention and the broader problem of arrests of businessmen. It organized the wives into support and lobby groups.

When his legal problems were finally resolved, Ms. Romanova suggested the couple leave Russia. My wife said, You are exonerated, but its better to leave. Get out. Mr. Kozlov, though, said he knew no other place to go, felt he could still do business in his hometown, still had friends, and in any case, Moscow is the city I love most in the world.

You need to fight to the end, he said of this experience. Paying bribes is a shortcut for the wealthy in Russia, he said, but also a trap. With persistence, its possible to run a transparent business, he said. The chances are it will be all right.

We have been through more than one crisis in Russia, and times of crisis are always the best for investing, he said. Its always a time to start. Some parts of the economy fall, other parts rise. It never happens that everything falls at once.
SAN FRANCISCO  Late on Tuesday night, as it became clear that Donald J. Trump would defeat Hillary Clinton to win the presidential election, a private chat sprang up on Facebook among several vice presidents and executives of the social network.

What role, they asked each other, had their company played in the elections outcome?

Facebooks top executives concluded that they should address the issue and assuage staff concerns at a quarterly all-hands meeting. They also called a smaller meeting with the companys policy team, according to three people who saw the private chat and are familiar with the decisions; they requested anonymity because the discussion was confidential.

Facebook has been in the eye of a postelection storm for the last few days, embroiled in accusations that it helped spread misinformation and fake news stories that influenced how the American electorate voted. The online conversation among Facebooks executives on Tuesday, which was one of several private message threads that began among the companys top ranks, showed that the social network was internally questioning what its responsibilities might be.

Even as Facebook has outwardly defended itself as a nonpartisan information source  Mark. Zuckerberg, chairman and chief executive, said at a conference on Thursday that Facebook affecting the election was a pretty crazy idea  many company executives and employees have been asking one another if, or how, they shaped the minds, opinions and votes of Americans.
Ramzi bin al-Shibh, an admitted and unapologetic co-conspirator in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was captured in Pakistan in 2002. For years, the C.I.A. shuttled him through its network of prisons, interrogating him with some of its most brutal methods.

The full list of techniques used against him remains classified, but a Senate Intelligence Committee report and former government officials have said that he was chained naked to the ceiling, deprived of sleep for more than 72 hours at a time, and subjected to long stretches of darkness, cold temperatures and persistent loud music. In at least one prison, in Romania, officials said the prefabricated cells were kept on springs to keep prisoners slightly off balance. After Mr. bin al-Shibh had been kept in isolation for more than two and a half years, government psychologists noted a clear and escalating effect on his psychological functioning."
Republicans further cemented their control of state governments in this years elections. They will control the governors office and both chambers of the state legislature, a governing trifecta, in four more states  Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri and New Hampshire.

Where one party controls the State Senate, House and governorship. REPUBLICAN SPLIT DEMOCRAT INDEPENDENT, NONPARTISAN OR AS YET UNDECIDED Where one party controls the State Senate, House and governorship. ME. WASH. MONT. N.D. MINN. VT. N.H. ORE. MASS. N.Y. WIS. IDAHO S.D. R.I. MICH. WYO. CONN. PA. IOWA N.J. OHIO NEB. MD. DEL. NEV. IND. ILL. W.VA. UTAH COLO. VA. KAN. MO. KY. CALIF. N.C. TENN. OKLA. S.C. ARK. ARIZ. N.M. ALA. GA. MISS. TEX. LA. ALASKA FLA. HAWAII REPUBLICAN SPLIT DEMOCRAT NONPARTISAN OR UNDECIDED CHANGE TO COMPLETE CONTROL Where one party controls the State Senate, House and governorship. ME. WASH. VT. MONT. N.D. MINN. N.H. ORE. MASS. N.Y. WIS. IDAHO S.D. R.I. MICH. WYO. CONN. PA. IOWA N.J. OHIO NEB. MD. DEL. NEV. IND. ILL. W.VA. UTAH COLO. VA. KAN. MO. KY. CALIF. N.C. TENN. OKLA. S.C. ARK. ARIZ. N.M. ALA. GA. MISS. TEX. LA. ALASKA FLA. HAWAII REPUBLICAN SPLIT DEMOCRAT NONPARTISAN OR UNDECIDED CHANGE TO COMPLETE CONTROL

The net effect of the elections Tuesday will be that Republicans will have a trifecta in 24 states, while Democrats will have just six, as of Friday.

While Democrats picked up a trifecta in one state, they lost trifectas in two others.

The losses are a harsh rebuke to President Obamas call in October for Democrats to make gains in state legislatures when it appeared that Donald J. Trumps campaign was stumbling.

State legislature control Of both House and Senate Governor party State legislature control Of both House and Senate Me. Wash. Vt. Mont. N.D. Minn. N.H. Ore. Mass. N.Y. Wis. Idaho S.D. R.I. Mich. Conn. Wyo. Pa. N.J. Iowa Ohio Neb. Del. Nev. Ind. Ill. Md. W.Va. Utah Colo. Va. Kan. Mo. Ky. Calif. N.C. Tenn. Okla. S.C. Ark. Ariz. N.M. Ala. Ga. Miss. Tex. La. Fla. Alaska Hawaii Governor party Me. Wash. Vt. Mont. Minn. N.D. N.H. Ore. N.Y. Mass. Idaho Wis. S.D. Mich. R.I. Wyo. Conn. Pa. Iowa N.J. Ohio Neb. Del. Nev. Ind. Ill. Md. W.Va. Utah Colo. Va. Kan. Mo. Ky. Calif. N.C. Tenn. Okla. S.C. Ariz. Ark. N.M. Ga. Ala. Miss. Tex. La. Fla. Alaska Hawaii State legislature control Governor party Of both House and Senate Me. Me. Wash. Wash. Vt. Vt. Mont. Minn. Mont. N.D. N.D. Minn. N.H. N.H. Ore. Ore. Mass. N.Y. N.Y. Mass. Wis. Idaho Idaho Wis. S.D. S.D. Mich. R.I. Mich. R.I. Conn. Wyo. Wyo. Conn. Pa. Pa. N.J. Iowa Iowa N.J. Ohio Ohio Neb. Neb. Del. Del. Nev. Nev. Ind. Ind. Ill. Ill. Md. Md. W.Va. W.Va. Utah Utah Colo. Colo. Va. Va. Kan. Kan. Mo. Mo. Ky. Ky. Calif. Calif. N.C. N.C. Tenn. Tenn. Okla. Okla. S.C. S.C. Ark. Ariz. Ariz. Ark. N.M. N.M. Ga. Ala. Ala. Ga. Miss. Miss. Tex. Tex. La. La. Fla. Fla. Alaska Alaska Hawaii Hawaii

Here are the states where the governors office or control of at least one chamber of the state legislature changed hands.

Three states elected a Republican governor to succeed a Democrat.

Governor Senate House

Two State Senates switched to Republican control, and one is tied.

Governor Senate House

Kentuckys House switched to the Republicans, while New Mexicos went to the Democrats.

Governor Senate House

In Nevada, the State Senate and the House switched to Democratic control.

Governor Senate House

Thirty-nine states did not have any changes in party control.
The president and chief executive of Exxon Mobil would oversee a department that has centered on alliance building and globalism, which Mr. Trump has said he would dismantle. Read more 

Mr. Tillerson was sharply questioned on his views on Russia, where he has had close business ties. He expressed reservations on climate change and said that he did not view it as the imminent national security threat that some others did.
Opelika came out to thank and support the veterans who have carried America on their shoulders for decades at the City of Opelika Veterans Day Services Program on Friday.

This line of Americans willing to risk their lives is long and never-ending, said keynote speaker Maj. Gen. Perry G. Smith. They preserve peace in faraway lands or here at home.

Smith said the Alabama National Guard has over 300 servicemen and women deployed. He said America has not seen the last of war, and he wants everyone to support those who sacrificed so much for America.

We will never forget our veterans or our prisoners of war, or those unaccounted for, he said to the crowd. We cant forget the families of veterans, for they too have served.

World War II veteran Paul Gibson served in the Navy as a Steward, and he said he is glad people have chosen to not forget him and the individuals who make up the U.S. Military.

Its an honor to be here and feel that you did a job, he said.

Gibson said he remembered when men returning from war were not welcomed by gracious Americans.

It feels good to know veterans are finally being honored. As years go on, people realize how important veterans are and were, he said.

Vietnam veterans were awarded lapel pins for their services. The Disabled American Veterans Chapter 95 presented each veteran with a pin that has A Grateful Nation Thanks and Honors You engraved on it.

The City of Opelika gave all veterans a challenge coin with a message reading: Thank you for your service. Freedom isnt free. The City of Opelika seal is on the other side of the coin.

Throughout Smiths speech, the words thank  and veterans continued to echo through the microphone.

Today, in the name of peace, we pay tribute to our veterans," he said. We say thank you. All Americans are charged with the responsibility of ensuring the dedication of veterans is not forgotten.
KABUL, Afghanistan  A suicide bomber managed to sneak onto the main American military base in Afghanistan on Saturday and kill four people, according to U.S. and Afghan officials.

The attacker entered on foot hidden among a group of workers reporting for duty at Bagram Air Base early in the morning, said Abdul Wahid Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan Province, where the military base and airfield is. Once inside the base, the attacker detonated explosives, killing four people, Sediqi said.

The American military confirmed in a statement that four people had been killed. About 14 were wounded, the statement said.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the attack on the militants behalf and said that it had killed a large number of American soldiers. The Taliban often give inflated casualty figures after an attack.

Sediqi said he believed the dead and wounded included both foreigners and Afghans. The suicide attacker was able to pass from the first checkpost at the gate of the base and enter the base, he said.

Bagram is heavily guarded, with several layers of security and a series of gates and checkposts controlling entry. Attacks inside the base are rare, although there have been a number of incidents near its outer gates, and rockets have been fired into it.

The bulk of the roughly 10,000 American soldiers still in Afghanistan are believed to be based at Bagram.
Never in my life have I wanted to be proven wrong more than I do right now, wrote filmmaker Michael Moore in July. Calling it awful, depressing news, he predicted: Donald J. Trump is going to win in November.

What did he see that eluded experts like the Princeton Election Consortium, which gave Hillary Clinton a 99 percent chance of winning, and the Monmouth University Poll, which said she had a 6-point lead?

Moore didnt look at polling, he looked at history. Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, he wrote, were traditionally Democratic states that each had elected a Republican governor since 2010. And trade policies like NAFTA had royally screwed the people of those states.

Moore pointed out Mitt Romney lost the 2012 election by 64 electoral votes. Add up the electoral votes cast by Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Its 64, he wrote. This is how it will happen in November.

At Stony Brook University in New York, political science professor Helmut Norpoth developed a predictive model that has correctly called every election going back to 1912, with the exception of the razor-close 1960 Kennedy-Nixon race. The model analyzes the relative strength of candidates performances in primaries.

In late February, Norpoth said the model was predicting that Trump had a 97 percent chance of defeating Clinton and a 99 percent chance of beating Bernie Sanders.

Another professor who got it right was Allan Lichtman of American University in Washington, D.C. Lichtman, a historian, developed his 13 Keys to the White House model with Russian scientist Vladimir Keilis-Borok. It has accurately predicted the outcome of every election since 1984, with the exception of the 2000 Bush-Gore race.

Based on the results of elections from 1860 to 1980, the 13 keys are true/false statements where an answer of true favors the incumbent presidents party holding the White House. If six or more of the keys turn false, the incumbent party loses.

Lichtman says elections are primarily judgments on the performance of the party in power. Elections dont turn on debates, speeches, advertisements, issues, party loyalty, he said in August, but on whether the party holding the White House governs well enough that the American people give them another four years.

By October, the 13 keys predicted a Trump victory.

The Clinton campaign relied on a sophisticated data operation and a complex algorithm it named Ada. Analyzing daily polling results, Ada said Pennsylvania was very important.

Of course, Benjamin Franklin knew that, and he was just working with a kite in the rain.

No amount of data can replace human understanding of the message in a voters answer to a pollsters question.

In a 2014 email released by WikiLeaks, Clinton campaign insider Neera Tanden warned that an astonishing percentage of voters said their incomes are falling behind the cost of living today. Tanden accurately predicted poor results for Democrats in the 2014 midterm elections.

Simply put, we have put little on the table that would address the concerns of a middle-class family worried about rising costs as their wages are squeezed, she wrote. Economic populism is rising, but it cant be met with just sentiment. It needs to be met with solutions.

It was met in New Hampshire by Bernie Sanders, and in November by Donald Trump.

Susan Shelley is a columnist for the Southern California News Group. Reach her at Susan@SusanShelley.com and follow her on Twitter: @Susan_Shelley.
DANVILLE, Calif.  Mike Baughman considered himself one of the lucky ones, returning from Vietnam without any major injuries or psychological scars. But after falling ill nearly a half-century later, he found out he did not escape the war after all.

The 64-year-old is among hundreds of veterans who have been diagnosed with a rare bile duct cancer that may be linked to their time in the service and an unexpected source: parasites in raw or poorly cooked river fish.

The worms infect an estimated 25 million people, mostly in Asia, but are less known in America. They can easily be wiped out with a few pills early on. Left untreated, a cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma can develop, often killing patients just a few months after symptoms appear.

The U.S. government acknowledges that liver flukes, endemic in the steamy jungles of Vietnam, are likely killing some former soldiers. Ralph Erickson, who heads post-deployment health services at the Department of Veterans Affairs, said about 700 cholangiocarcinoma patients have passed through the agencys medical system in the past 15 years.

Less than half of those submitted claims for benefits, in part because they were unaware of a potential link to time in service. Of the claims submitted, 3 out of 4 have been rejected, according to data obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act.

The VA requires veterans to show medical conditions are at least as likely as not related to their time in service to receive financial help, but doctors note that often isnt easy with bile duct cancer caused by liver flukes.

The parasites typically go undetected, sometimes living for more than 25 years without making their hosts sick. The body reacts by trying to wall off the organisms. This causes inflammation and scarring and, over time, can lead to cancer. The first symptoms are often jaundice, itchy skin and rapid weight loss. By then, the disease is usually advanced.

If American doctors better understood bile duct cancer and the potential risks to those who served in Vietnam, they could use ultrasounds to check veterans for inflammation, and then surgery might be possible for some of them, said Jeff Bethony, a liver fluke expert at George Washington University.

Early is key, he said, adding he regularly receives desperate letters from veterans family members. The VA should be testing for this.

Once diagnosed, most men dont realize there may be a connection to their service in Vietnam. The few who figure it out often spend their final months fighting for recognition and benefits, leaving them feeling angry and abandoned, as many did when they first came home from the war.

Hard to believe, Baughman said in his living room, flipping through a photo album from his war days. I dodged all those bullets, then get killed by a fish.



Baughman had just turned 19 when his draft number came up in late 1970. He was soon deployed to central Vietnam near Hue to do reconnaissance in the mountains. Although he was the youngest in his Army unit, he quickly became one of its most valuable members.

The Vietnamese like to shoot the first guy in line, and last guy, Baughman said. And so thats what I trained to do: Be the first guy in.

He would walk point clearing thick jungle with a machete and, thanks partly to growing up hunting in the hills of West Virginia, he proved gifted at noticing the smallest twig or leaf brushed out of place by the enemy. It was his job to spot booby traps and potential ambushes.

Often on long missions, sometimes forced to sleep outside with sheets of monsoon rain pelting down, his unit would run out of rations and go fishing for dinner near the border with Laos.

We would throw a grenade in the water, and then scoop them off the river floor, Baughman said. We called it fish on a stick.

The men would use a helmet and a tiny blue smokeless flame to cook the fish as best they could, but it never really got done.

Years later, when he returned home, those makeshift meals became just another story he would tell about roughing it in Vietnam. He went on to earn a masters degree and became a successful engineer in Silicon Valley working for Atari, Apple and others.

In October 2013, he was about to remarry and decided to get a long-overdue physical. He felt fine, but his blood work indicated there might be a problem with his liver. Further testing revealed he had bile duct cancer.

After researching the condition, Baughman discovered that worms ingested decades ago in that raw fish on a stick could be killing him. He turned to the VA for help, and his private physician wrote a letter highlighting the potential connection between the worms and the disease.

He went to a VA doctor as well, who also acknowledged liver flukes were one of the main risk factors for the cancer but concluded there was no evidence of infection from Baughmans service time.

He was twice denied benefits in 2015, and is waiting for the results of his latest appeal.



Liver flukes are found mainly in parts of Southeast Asia, China and South Korea, where residents and tourists alike risk infection from specific types of freshwater fish such as tilapia and carp.

In one location in Laos, researchers found liver flukes  which can survive pickling and fermentation  in about 60 percent of villagers, and in some parts of Vietnam, up to 40 percent were infected. Experts say its hard to know how many people in the region may be dying from cholangiocarcinoma caused by the parasites because there are few cancer registries.

In northeastern Thailand, where many villagers have a taste for the sour fish dish pla som, new bile duct cancers affect about 84 in 100,000 people, the worlds highest recorded rate. Little research has been conducted outside of Thailand, where mobile clinics routinely perform bile duct ultrasound screenings in hard-hit areas.

Once cancer is detected, surgery is sometimes an option, depending on the tumors location. Liver transplants typically arent performed due to organ shortages and poor prognosis.

In the United States, cholangiocarcinoma is extremely rare, with roughly 5,000 people diagnosed each year, including some Asian immigrants who ate infected fish in their native countries. Liver flukes arent the only risk factor for the disease; others include hepatitis B and C, cirrhosis and bile duct stones.

But some physicians say for Vietnam veterans diagnosed decades after U.S.-backed Saigon fell to communist forces in 1975, the cancer is as likely as not tied to their service time. And by VA standards, that should be enough to receive benefits.

Asked if it was likely men were infected on the battlefield, Dr. Banchob Sripa, a leading expert on the disease at Khon Kaen University in Thailand, said it is the only way to explain it. He said doctors in the U.S. and Australia, which also sent troops to the war, have contacted him for help in determining whether the parasites are to blame for veterans cancer.

More than 100 appeals for cholangiocarcinoma dating back to the early 1990s are on the VAs website. Though Erickson said there have been no significant case increases among veterans in recent years, data collected following an AP inquiry showed the number of benefit claims has increased sixfold since 2003.

Claims hit a high of 60 last year, with nearly 80 percent denied. Decisions appear to be haphazard. Some are approved automatically. Others, presented with the same evidence, are denied.

For instance, some rejections were based on the fact that parasites were not found in stool samples, but those tests were conducted years after the worms would have died. Other claims were dismissed because the veteran did not report his illness within a year of leaving Vietnam, yet symptoms typically dont appear until decades later.

VA officials say while theyre sympathetic, its up to the men to prove that liver flukes from Vietnam are killing them. They say because the cancer remains rare, it would be unrealistic and onerous to carry out regular screenings.

This is still a legal process that both the VA and the veteran have to go through, and we will look at each case and all the evidence that is presented to us and make a determination at that point, said Steve Westerfeld, a spokesman for the VAs Veterans Benefits Administration. Certainly any veteran has an opportunity to appeal.

Many do, sometimes two or three times before either getting approved or giving up.

Its discouraging to fight for something that you think should probably be available for people who actually went over and served, Mike Brown of Valencia, California, told the AP earlier this year after learning he had bile duct cancer. He died last month at age 68, just days after finding out the VA had approved his claim.

Often, its the widows who are left fighting.

Its bad enough, said Anne Petitti, whose husband, Mario, died from the disease in 2010, just a few months after being diagnosed. They shouldnt be put through the wringer or have to go through all the red tape.

She eventually won her fight with the VA, and set up a Facebook page to help other veterans navigate the system while also cataloging new cases.

How much veterans, or their families, are compensated depends on many factors, including to what degree the illness is affecting their ability to have productive lives. An unmarried veteran can get nearly $3,000 a month, but some spouses said they get about half that amount. For many, its not about the money. Its about raising awareness, both among veterans and the VA, and receiving recognition for their service.

Most vets understand very quickly its a terminal disease and that they dont have much time, Petitti said.

Baughman talks about his own future with caution, even though hes already beaten the odds: He was supposed to have died last November.

The illness forced him to stop working, and his medical bills have skyrocketed from all the tests, radiation and chemotherapy. Hes luckier than some because he has good insurance.

Hes not in touch with most of the guys from his old unit, but he worries about them too. Unlike todays troops, those who served in Vietnam were shunned when they came home. Its one more reason having this medical condition recognized by the VA matters so much to him.

Itd be nice to have me win my little battle, he said. But  I want the government to do it for everybody.

Associated Press writer Tran Van Minh contributed to this report from Hanoi, Vietnam.
He didnt get my vote. (Neither did she.) But hes about to be my president and until his official conduct demands otherwise, I intend to afford him the dignity and respect befitting someone who assumes the highest office in the land. Thats what I promised when, three weeks before the election, I wrote here that I was very concerned about what would follow the campaign. I said that regardless of the victor, the outcome would require forbearance.

Had Hillary Clinton won, I argued that wed need to end the fixation with Benghazi, stop repeating FBI Director James Comeys words that she was extremely careless with her private email servers, and cease blaming the rise of ISIS on her stewardship at the State Department. A Donald Trump victory, I wrote, would mean not judging him based on his comments about Mexico sending us its rapists, or mocking of a New York Times reporter with a disability, and statements evidencing misogyny. At the time, her election seemed a certainty.

That Trump was victorious doesnt change my premise. Im willing to give the president-elect a fresh start in the name of national unity. That doesnt mean Ill soon forget the past, but that from this moment forward it will be his actions as president that will determine his reception, at least from me.

However remote, there is the prospect of his surprising us and governing in a manner different than he campaigned. The Trump who accepted victory in the wee hours of Wednesday morning was not the candidate who stood on stage and belittled Little Marco or Lyin Ted. Instead, in his acceptance speech he noted that:

Hillary has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time, and we owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country. I mean that very sincerely. Now it is time for America to bind the wounds of division, have to get together. To all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.

The following morning, Clinton, draped in nonpartisan purple and accompanied by former President Bill Clinton wearing a tie of the same shade, struck a similar chord:

We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead. Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power and we dont just respect that, we cherish it.

Then President Obama echoed the conciliatory words of the combatants when he said:  the day after, we have to remember that were actually all on one team. This is an intramural scrimmage. Were not Democrats first. Were not Republicans first. We are Americans first. Were patriots first. We all want whats best for this country. Thats what I heard in Mr. Trumps remarks last night. Thats what I heard when I spoke to him directly. And I was heartened by that. Thats what the country needs  a sense of unity; a sense of inclusion; a respect for our institutions, our way of life, rule of law; and a respect for each other. I hope that he maintains that spirit throughout this transition, and I certainly hope thats how his presidency has a chance to begin.

Trump, Clinton, and Obama are acting as statesmen and providing leadership desperately needed by the nation. Now their message needs to be followed by other politicians and the public. Its time to elevate the debate; return civility to governance; and end partisan gridlock. This is not a time for paybacks.

Last week, when Clintons election seemed inevitable, Republicans were speaking openly about holding congressional hearings on her private email server, further investigating Benghazi, and leaving the Antonin Scalia seat on the Supreme Court open in perpetuity. Some even raised the specter of her impeachment before her election. All of that would have been a disservice, a continuation of the type of obstructionism placed in the path of Obama ever since Mitch McConnell rallied Republicans around the idea that the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.

Dont misunderstand. Partisan competition is healthy  democracy depends on it. Im not advocating that Trump be given a policy blank check. But McConnells comments ushered in an ugly era of vitriol and obstructionism that went far beyond trying to defeat someone at the ballot box. Perhaps its naive to think Trump is capable of better given the way in which he campaigned with such vengeance toward crooked Hillary. But he gave me cause for hope when in primary season he cited Two Corinthians.

Im not crediting him for quoting Scripture  to the contrary, his awkward reference to the New Testament during a campaign appearance at Liberty University evidenced a lack of devotion to beliefs certain of his supporters hold dear. Some saw a shallow attempt to ingratiate  Id like to think I heard words from a man who wasnt a true believer, but is a dealmaker, a pragmatist who knows how to sell and close a deal. This former Democrat who once contributed to the candidate he just defeated never showed an ideological commitment to any extreme before becoming a candidate.

Maybe thats what well get in the White House: a compromiser in chief. One can hope.

Michael Smerconish can be heard from 9 a.m. to noon on SiriusXMs POTUS Channel 124 and seen hosting Smerconish at 9 a.m. Saturdays on CNN.
Having won their fight for a $15 minimum wage, labor unions and aligned advocacy groups now want to play an active role in policing employers. Cities in the Los Angeles metro area are facilitating the effort by enlisting the same activists that pushed for the wage hike for business community outreach.

In Pasadena, the citys Planning and Community Development department provided a contract to the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, whose director Pablo Alvarado strongly supported the campaign to raise Pasadenas minimum wage to $15. NDLONs purported mission in its city-supported capacity is employer education about the new law; the citys contract stipulates that NDLON will conduct training for employers and employees, community outreach at neighborhood forums and meetings, and assist with mediation when there are accusations of unpaid wages.

But NDLONs methods used in their crusade against alleged wage theft suggest a less-neutral approach. Besides packing City Council hearings with its sign-bearing members, the groups leader is famous, or rather infamous, for preferring less-than-official means of resolving accusations of wage theft.

The most effective way (to recover unpaid wages), Alvarado said to Pasadena Now, is demonstrating in front of the owners establishment. The official channels  where both sides have their chance to be heard  apparently take too long for Alvarado. Earlier this year, at a Pasadena Korean BBQ establishment, 16 affiliated protestors loudly disturbed patrons until the restaurant paid up a wage claim.

Thats justice, Alvarado-style  and its unclear how an organization that takes this approach to allegations of wage theft can be a fair mediator for the city.

Pasadena is not alone in effectively deputizing labor activists as the wage police. The city of Santa Monica enlisted the Restaurant Opportunities Center Los Angeles, along with two other groups, to head the year-long effort to educate the citys employees and business owners about the new minimum wage law. Selected by the city due to its knowledge of the Santa Monica community and the citys specific wage law, as well as demonstrated expertise in labor law outreach and advocacy, ROC-LA was heavily involved in lobbying for the ordinance.

The choice of ROC is a curious one: The organizations national founder listed its original goal as organizing the mostly non-union restaurant workforce, and creating a labor-friendly climate. ROC accomplishes this by accusing restaurant industry employers of paying poverty wages, while also alleging bad behavior of their targets in the private sector based on biased or unrepresentative surveys.

Similar to Alvarados NDLON, ROC made a name for itself with loud and raucous protests in front of restaurants, designed to pressure restaurant owners to cave to the organizations demands. In an ironic twist of fate, ROC was later sued by its own employees for, among other things, failure to pay minimum wage. (One newspaper headline read Social Justice Hypocrites.)

Unfortunately, this outreach trend isnt limited to these two cities. According to testimony from one union-backed organization, San Francisco awards nearly a half-million dollars to immigrant and low-income community organizations for a similar purpose. Los Angeles and Seattle have followed suit, and other cities have been encouraged to adopt this as a best practice.

Much like judges will recuse themselves from a case due to a conflict of interest, ROC-LA and NDLON should have been disqualified from policing the business owners theyve made a career of attacking. The question that California city councils should ask is whether or not the same forces that fought businesses for new wage regulations can truly be impartial in assisting the administration of those regulations.

Michael Saltsman is research director at the Employment Policies Institute.
SAN JOSE  Authorities are investigating another security breach at Mineta San Jose International Airport after a transient somehow made his way onto a restricted airfield.

KNTV in the Bay Area reports that an electrician saw the man early Thursday and called airport police.

Airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barns says a review is underway to determine how to prevent another incident.

Its at least the 10th time an intruder has gotten onto San Joses airfield since the start of 2014, and it happened despite security upgrades such as higher perimeter fencing.

In the most publicized incident, a teenager scaled the fence in 2014 and survived a flight to Hawaii in a jet wheel well.

The Associated Press reported this year that San Jose was tied for the fifth most perimeter-security breaches nationally since 2004.
Thousands of demonstrators angry about Donald Trumps presidential victory are expected to march through one of Los Angeles largest immigrant communities Saturday as part of several rallies planned across the nation.

We want to send a message were not going to allow hate and fear to stop us from taking to the streets, said Ron Gochez, an organizer with Union del Barrio Los Angeles, the group coordinating the 10 a.m. event in MacArthur Park.

Weve studied Trumps 100-day program and its clearly laid out with attacks against Muslims, attacks against immigrants, and attacks on everyone else, Gochez said Friday. Thats why we have to send a message both to our communities and Donald Trump that we are not afraid. This is a time not to cry but to organize.

This weekends protests  slated for a dozen cities including Cincinnati, New York and Washington, D.C. as well as in Dublin, Ireland and Melbourne, Australia  follow a series of mostly peaceful demonstrations across the nation as a result of Republican nominee Trumps win. Some violence and vandalism have been reported, however, and the Los Angeles Police Department will monitor Saturdays event.

We will be there to protect each individuals right to protest, said LAPD Sgt. Frank Preciado.

Protesters say they are angered, fearful and concerned about Trumps proposals on everything from deporting undocumented immigrants to denying entry of refugees from some Islamic countries to his administrations anticipated views on the LGBTQ community.

Anna Wagner, one of the organizers of a protest in the San Fernando Valley earlier in the week, said such demonstrations will continue to honor the real deep pain that people are feeling for the acts of injustice that have been inspired and emboldened by Donald Trumps rhetoric.

She called the anti-Trump protest movement resilient.

Ultimately, we are standing united against hate, and this country is larger than any political party or president elect, she said.

Saturdays protest is expected to draw at least 13,000 people, with some writing on social media that they planned to drive to MacArthur Park from El Monte, Santa Ana, Irvine and even Oakland.

Meanwhile, in Long Beach, protesters plan to gather at Bixby Park at 6 p.m. Saturday and march toward downtown wearing black in solidarity in mourning.

Trump supporters, in the meantime, said they back the right for people to demonstrate, but added that protesters eventually need to respect the American electoral process.

If people want to take to the streets and protest, I support them 100 percent, but I dont support people destroying their communities, said Randy Economy, who is part of the Trump for America campaign in California. As a gay man, he said he believes Trump will be a president for all Americans. He called the rhetoric among anti-Trump protesters fear mongering.

Tim Clark, the California Director at the Donald Trump for President campaign said one message hed like to get across to those who oppose Trump is that his presidency will include strengthening the countrys economy.

The first thing I would tell them is the prosperity that is coming under a Trump presidency is a Trump prosperity for all, Clark said. They should take hope in the changes coming in the economy.

They also said Americans need to start coming together.

The nations voters spoke and elected a man who could put our nation on the right plan, Clark said. Lets move forward together. We want them to take great hope in the change that is coming.

Meanwhile, about a dozen Trump supporters stood near the entrance to Camp Pendleton on Friday, waving flags and holding Make America Great Again signs, drawing support from passing drivers and bicyclists.

The rally included veterans and other community members, and a few active-duty Marines. It was organized by Jeff Schwilk, founder of San Diegans for Secure Borders Coalition, to recognize veterans and to celebrate Trumps presidential victory.

We are here to celebrate our new commander and chief, said Schwilk, an immigration security analyst. We want him to restore the military and make it strong again and put veterans first instead of illegal criminals.

American veterans are living on the street and committing suicide at 22 a day. Its time to reverse that. There is no better day to celebrate that than on Veterans Day.
Not my president.

That was the rallying cry as thousands of people marched peacefully from MacArthur Park to Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday in protest of Donald Trumps presidency.

The march was one of a dozen or so planned around the world, with anti-Trump rallies also held Saturday in New York City and Chicago along with Mexico City and Berlin.

In Long Beach, about 500 protesters marched through downtown Saturday evening chanting slogans against the president-elect. The demonstration remained largely peaceful as of 8 p.m. while the march continued to weave through downtown with cries of We reject the president-elect.

At the L.A. event, demonstrators waved American, Mexican and rainbow flags. They carried signs decrying Trumps statements about immigration and the environment, women and Muslims. They yelled support for LGBT rights and Muslim-Americans while blasting the Electoral College.

Maria Elena Olgun Hernandez didnt expect to get to participate since she was working at her familys cellphone store along 3rd Street.

Then the march, which was organized by Latin-American political group Union del Barrio Los Angeles, took an unexpected turn straight in front of her shop.

I really feel a part of it, she said, expressing particular joy at all of the non-Hispanic faces in the crowd passing by her door. It makes me feel that theres hope in humanity.

As a Mexican immigrant, she said she was heartbroken at the outcome of Tuesdays election.

We have children at home, and they just lost hope, Hernandez said, with fears of deportation and discrimination rampant. Its like a bad joke coming into reality.

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As members of the trans community, Shaina Freeman and Danielle Berg said they also feel tangible fear that their personal liberties may be impacted under Trumps administration.

We do feel like weve been targeted, said Berg, 47.

The pair  who came from Long Beach carrying signs that said Dump Trump and I will not go quietly  cited past statements by Trump against same-sex marriage and policies of Vice President-Elect Mike Pence.

Im here on behalf of all trans people along with all Muslims, blacks and Hispanics to say this is not acceptable, Freeman, 43, said.

While some of the protests held nightly since Trumps victory Tuesday night have led to violence and vandalism, Officer R. Rocha with the Los Angeles Police Department said he hadnt heard of any arrests or incidents during Saturdays event.

It stands out as being super peaceful, Rocha said.

But later in the night through at least midnight, about 300 protesters were still walking the streets of L.A., some tagging vehicles and buildings. At least three arrests were reported by police.

Police stood in a line along S. Figueroa Street at 6th Street and on the 4th Street bridge with their riot helmet visors flipped up. As protestors walked by, some stopped to take pictures with the officers and call out their appreciation.

Thank you for protecting and serving us! one marcher hollered.

Theyve been great, Rocha said. And hopefully theyre getting their message across.

The march did cause headaches for some drivers.

Wilshire Boulevard was blocked off for miles, while cross streets throughout the city were open. That meant lines of cars were sometimes backed up for blocks, with drivers forced to wait for long stretches or make illegal U-turns along tight streets while motorcyclists squeezed through the crowds.

One driver, who declined to give her name, said shed been waiting 20 minutes to go half a block to get to an appointment.

Other drivers honked in support, while one blocked SUV began blasting a hip-hop song that curses Donald Trump. A boy, perhaps 12 years old, jumped on the roof of the vehicle to cheer marchers along.

There was no sign of any clashes between Trump supporters and protestors. And Trump allies watching from afar said they hope it stays that way.

One of the greatest things about America is that people have the right to protest, Randy Economy, who was with the Trump delegation from California, said by phone Saturday. But the fact of the matter is, Donald Trump is the 45th president of the United States. We need to adhere to the results of the election.

Economy said he understands that emotions are raw and that theres a fear factor right now. But hes optimistic that Trump will bring some protestors around over time, calling him a heartful man.

Im very excited about the future of the country, he said.

Paul Hicks didnt echo that sentiment.

He and his wife, Nina Eganova, drove from Santa Clarita on Saturday with their 8-year-old son, Alex, to join the demonstration.

Obviously we cant kick Trump out, Paul Hicks said. But we can stand in solidarity with immigrants and women and the other races. And I can teach my son to do the same.

Tao Jones, a Vietnamese immigrant, had no concerns about bringing her 8-year-old daughter, Belle, to the rally.

Were in a blue state, she said. Were safe here. And we believe in the best of America.

Jones said she wanted Belle to see like-minded people coming together to have a voice. And she expects theyll do it many more times over the next four years.

Jeremiah Dobruck contributed to this report.
In 2000, then-17-year-old Orange County boy Andrew McMahon and his band Something Corporate recorded their debut album Ready  Break at the Galaxy Theater in Santa Ana.

On Friday night, McMahon, now a 34-year-old Emmy Award-nominated songwriter, musician and founder of the non-profit Dear Jack Foundation, packed the house at that same venue  now called the Observatory  for an evening of music, charity, storytelling and silly fun.

Upon entering the intimate venue for the seventh annual Dear Jack Foundation Benefit Concert, attendees could volunteer to have their cheeks swabbed for testing to join the national bone marrow registry or purchase cancer awareness merchandise, with all proceeds benefitting musician McMahons foundation that assists adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer.

Before leukemia survivor McMahon with his band Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness took the stage to perform, cancer victims and the foundations representatives told their personal stories of survival to the crowd. Then the lights dimmed and laughter and screams erupted as McMahon came out from the back of the venue, crowd surfing on a giant inflatable duck while singing his song Canyon Moon.

McMahons voice never missed a beat as he surfed on the inflatable, eventually making it to his piano and band waiting for him on stage, and going right into playing High Dive. Another surprise, especially for those who have followed McMahons 17-year music career, came when members of his former alternative rock band Jacks Mannequin entered the stage to perform the songs Resolution and Last Straw from the groups 2008 album The Glass Passenger.

The crowd appeared elated at the Jacks Mannequin reunion, but deafening cheers broke out when members of Something Corporate entered, including drummer Brian Ireland, bassist Kevin Clutch, and guitarists William Tell and Josh Partington. The large group performed the songs Konstantine and Hurricane, then gave one another hugs before leaving the stage.

McMahon and his In the Wilderness members then performed Maps for the Getaway from their 2014 self-titled album, before introducing their new single Fire Escape, which debuted in September. As soon as the poppy rock song began, large inflatable tube men blew up on all sides of the stage, with pieces of confetti dropping from the ceiling.

McMahon thanked his crowd for contributing to the Dear Jack Foundation and announced the nights goal of raising $160,000. Members of Jacks Mannequin re-entered the stage to perform Mixed Tape, which McMahon introduced as a song written during his own fight with cancer, before calling out 22-year-old acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivor Kris Carrier to play the drums alongside the band on Holiday From Real.

The In the Wilderness band continued with All Our Lives, and McMahon played a solo ballad of Swim on the piano. The energy exploded as Something Corporate members jumped back into the spotlight to perform the old songs Punk Rock Princess and I Woke Up in a Car  both very different from the matured sound of the previous tunes, but clearly very dear to longstanding fans singing their lungs out.

After performing the Jacks Mannequin songs Restless Dream and Dark Blue, McMahon announced the band was going to do something it has done in past shows, but he felt was more relevant and needed today than ever before.

No matter what you believe, no matter what you stand for, in this room, we all stand for one thing: music, McMahon said. Actually we stand for two things: music and charity. And I cant think of two better reasons to dance under this parachute.

A massive colorful parachute was then brought out and placed over the crowd standing in the pit, and McMahon joined them under it, while performing the song Synesthesia  again, never missing a beat.

The band took a five-minute break and returned fully charged with a cover of Tom Pettys American Girl and the bands 2014 hit song Cecilia and the Satellite. McMahon is known for his impressive harmonica skills, as well as jumping on top of his piano like a jungle gym while still managing to play in key, and he demonstrated both talents for the nights finale.

To close the two-hour show, all members of the three bands joined one another on stage to perform the song La La Lie, with the appropriate lyrics, Ive got friends who  will help me pull through, to which McMahon thanked everyone in the room and on stage for being his friend through this journey we call life.
It was only fitting that the dedication ceremony of a World War II-era barracks that will soon become home to Orange Countys only veterans museum took place on the day the nation honors those whove served.

The more than 400 people who attended the dedication of Heroes Hall at the OC Fairgrounds on Friday listened as local officials praised the two-story renovated building and recalled the sacrifices of Americas veterans.

Janet Nguyen spoke with admiration of Vietnam Vets who fought alongside her father, a South Vietnamese soldier. County Supervisor Michelle Steele thanked the veterans for helping defend her homeland, South Korea, from the north during the Korean War.

Earlier in the day, dozens of Vietnam veterans were each presented with a pin commemorating the war and honoring their service, something many service members were denied upon returning home to a war-weary and hostile public.

The roughly $4 million museum, expected to open in February, will be housed in a former cadet barracks on what used to be the Santa Ana Army Air Base.

This is a place where veterans will be honored forever and a place where they can come and find peace and solace and connect with their memories and look to their futures, said Nick Berardino, a former Marine and chairman of the OC Fair Board of Directors.

Crews gutted the building except for the original wood floors and shingled wood exterior. A commemorative memorial modeled after the Congressional Medal of Honor was installed near the front steps over the summer.

The museums first planned exhibit is based on the Tim O Brien book The Things They Carried. It uses words and images to show the items carried in the Vietnam War. The first pieces are expected to arrive in several weeks and will be housed on the first floor, Berardino said.

The second floor will feature SAAAB, tales of former air base residents, including Joe DiMaggio, Gene Autry and Joseph Heller.

The air base was one of three training facilities in the U.S. during World War II when it was open from 1942-46.

Cadets underwent pre-flight training and more than half of military pilots were trained there. More than 150,000 cadets went through the installation, which was home to 26,000 servicemen.

Newport Beach resident Mike Hartunian trained at the air base twice, washing out the first time and then graduating in 1944 as a bombardier. He was held as a prisoner of war by the German army for five months after getting shot down over Vienna on his 15th bombing mission later that year.

The 94-year-old said he was fond of his time at the base, charging other GIs a small fee to drive them to and from Los Angeles on his off time.

I enjoyed it here, he said. I think the new museum is great.

Frank Hoyt, 92, a retired major in the Air Force Reserve and Laguna Woods resident, said he recognized the museum building from his 11-week stint on the air base.

It was a wonderful experience for a 19-year-old kid, he said.

Just before the ceremony finished, veterans of the five branches of the armed forces stood as their flags were hoisted up a pole.

Kathy Kramer, CEO of the OC Fair 7 Event Center, said she had a surreal experience while standing on the museum grounds Thursday night.

You can feel the hearts of the veterans here, she said. I just knew our fallen soldiers were looking down and they were smiling at how proud they were that we have this museum.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@scng.com
SANTA ANA  The Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, a former Councilman and a political newcomer who unseated an incumbent, have been elected to office, all on the promise that public safety will be a priority.

Miguel Pulido, Santa Anas mayor for the past 22 years, won his way to a 12th two-year term with 53 percent of the vote versus 33 percent for Valley High School teacher and community activist Benjamin Vazquez and 14 percent for perennial candidate Steve Rocco, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters results on Wednesday.

Im grateful to the residents and voters of Santa Ana for their strong vote of confidence, Pulido said, adding about crime, Weve been doing a lot better the last few years but more recently, with some of the cutbacks and reductions in the police department, its getting away from us and I want to get it back under control.

Under an eight-year mayoral term limit that went into effect in 2012, Pulido would not be eligible for re-election to the seat past 2020.

Pulido-endorsed Jose Solorio, a former Santa Ana Councilman and State Assemblyman, won the Ward 3 seat with 43 percent of the vote and at least 28 more points than any of the six other candidates in the incumbent-less race.

Solorio moved from his home in Ward 1 and rented an apartment in Ward 3 to run for the seat. He said concern with the spike in crime prompted him to seek office, and was endorsed by the Santa Ana Police Officers Association.

I felt like the voters agreed that having somebody with state and local government experience will be able to help move the city forward, Solorio said.

With his political experience, Solorio had the greatest name recognition but his campaign wasnt without controversy. He was investigated and fined by the California Fair Political Practices Commission last week for using campaign funds to pay for part of his rent at his new apartment. Solorio reimbursed his campaign and faces a $3,500 penalty from the state watchdog agency.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Ward 5 incumbent Roman Reyna garnered only 45 percent of the vote versus 56 percent for Juan Villegas, a sheriffs officer with no political background other than what hes absorbed from being on duty at county Board of Supervisors meetings.

Its been a long time since an incumbent has been ousted  Ron May in the 1980s, Pulido said. That was a big deal.

Villegas said he ran a grassroots campaign, walking and knocking on doors almost daily.

I would like to bring back code enforcement, make sure our youth programs are up and running to make sure that theyre secure, he said. Of course, we also need to bring the police staffing up to par.

Ward 1 incumbent and Mayor Pro Tem Vincent Sarmiento regained his seat with 55 percent of the vote to 45 percent for Jessica Cha, a family law attorney who cast herself as the candidate to vote for if residents wanted change.

Sarmiento, appointed to the Council in January 2007 and formally elected in 2008 and 2012, emphasized his track record and leadership in helping the city bounce back from the brink of bankruptcy several years ago.

Im very humbled by the overwhelming victory yesterday, Sarmiento said in a text message on Wednesday. Im glad that our message of good governance resonated with Santa Ana voters and am looking forward to continuing a period of prosperity and hope in our city.

Councilwoman Michele Martinez will stay in her Ward 2 seat after an unsuccessful bid for Orange County Board of Supervisors District 1.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7762 or jkwong@ocregister.com or on Twitter: @JessicaGKwong
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The tension in the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact which began since 12:15, November 11, was maintained overnight November 11-12 also.

The NKRs Defense Army told ARMENPRESS overall overnight November 11-12 Azerbaijan made 55 ceasefire violations, firing around 570 shots from various caliber small arms, large caliber heavy machine guns and sniper rifles at NKR posts.

Azerbaijani forces also used 60mm and 82mm mortars in the north-eastern (Yarimja) and northern (Talish) directions, firing 13 and 56 shells respectively.

The Defense Army of NKR didnt suffer losses during the aggression of Azerbaijan.

Defense Army forces are in full control of the situation and confidently continue their service.

As of this moment the situation in the frontline is relatively calm.
President-elect Donald Trump signaled he may take a more flexible view of what to do with the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obamas signature health law thats often called Obamacare.

Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced, Trump told the Wall Street Journal.

Trump said Obama suggested areas of the health law to keep during his meeting Thursday with the president, according to the Journal.

Shares of health care companies appeared to have mixed reactions.

HCA Holdings Inc., the largest U.S. hospital chain, pared losses to 3.4 percent, from as much as 5.6 percent.

Centene Corp., which sells Medicaid and Obamacare plans, closed near its lows of the day, down 8.6 percent.

The New York Times reported that more than 100,000 Americans rushed to buy ACA health insurance Wednesday, the day after Trump was elected. It was the biggest turnout yet during this years signup period.

On the trail, Trump called for repealing and replacing the disaster known as Obamacare.

His initial health plan, published Thursday on his transition website, also called for scuttling the health law.

Despite criticisms about the law coming from Trump and his allies, millions of people depend on it for coverage.

A Trump Administration will work with Congress to repeal the ACA and replace it with a solution that includes Health Savings Accounts, and returns the historic role in regulating health insurance to the States, according to the website.

Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he values two features of the ACA: a ban on insurers denying coverage to individuals who are sick, and a provision allowing children to stay on their parents plans for a period of time.

His transition website lays out an approach to the issue of coverage for individuals who are sick with pre-existing conditions thats different from the ACA.

On the site, Trump says hed use high-risk pools  state insurance programs for individuals who are sick or otherwise unable to get coverage  to cover those with large medical expenses who have not maintained continuous coverage.

Both of the features of the ACA that Trump said he favors are also included in House Speaker Paul Ryans health plan.

Ryans plan is widely viewed as a roadmap to conservative ideas that could replace the Affordable Care Act.
The war for the White House is over. News flash: Donald Trump won, Hillary Clinton lost.

Now, a whole lot of people who cast hearts and ballots for one side or the other are left to deal with the societal and emotional hangover born of 18 months of the most bitterly divisive presidential campaign in modern memory.

Can we go forward together? Not yet, apparently. Tens of thousands of people around the country have taken to the streets this week to protest Trumps election. Others, in smaller numbers so far (though, to be fair, its tough to protest in favor of the guy who won) are picking up placards for Trump.

Whats more, a spin through Facebook or Twitter or any Letters to the Editor page will show that people on both sides have yet to stop calling each other names.

In the echo chambers of the like-minded, its easy to find folks to reinforce your own view.

But what happens when your family and friends, your classmates and colleagues, are on the opposite side of your particular battle line? How do we get past the insults, the social media mudslinging, to sit down together, literally or figuratively, and give thanks for our common bonds?

How the heck are we going to get through the holidays?

We set out to find a few voters who are living through these questions, to ask how they hope to move forward as Americans regardless of candidate or creed.

TRIBAL OUTCASTS

Devon McLaren is worried about Thanksgiving.

The 28-year-old teacher from Aliso Viejo said that while she and her immediate family backed Clinton, the rest of her extended family went for Trump.

Right now, were having a really hard time even trying to think about how were going to interact with our family, she said the day after the election. Im kind of avoiding the phone.

Its a strange place in which she finds herself.

Most of her friends, she said, care about the same kinds of issues that led McLaren to support Clinton.

But her comfort zone ends there. When it comes to family, and with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties all vocal Trump backers, she and her mom, stepfather and sister feel like outsiders in the clan.

I personally would try to avoid (talking politics) because I know youre not really going to be able to change anyones minds, McLaren said.

But my mom was consistently dragged into these conversations with my immigrant grandparents.

She said her mom was struggling with the election results.

Were trying to move on, McLaren said.

The five stages of grief  I think were all in the anger stage right now.

TRUMP MAN ON CAMPUS

For Adam Duarte, a 24-year-old from Dana Point, the election gave him a clear picture of the split between two sides of the world through which he moves.

His family all backed Trump and talked about the election in terms of how bad it would be if Clinton won. Many of his friends on social media, though, held the opposite point of view.

He was ambivalent about both candidates.

It was such a drawn-out divisive process to get one of them into the office, said Duarte, who works as a facilities manager at Compass Bible Church in Aliso Viejo while working toward a degree in English at UC Irvine.

After examining their campaigns, I didnt take a side. I voted, but I really wasnt hoping for one side or the other.

He picked Trump, in the end, but he wasnt enthusiastic about it.

(It) wasnt support for Trump as much as it was opposition to Hillary and what she represents, Duarte said of his vote.

I honestly had a great deal of respect for Bernie Sanders, he said of Clintons challenger in the Democratic primary.

I definitely sympathized with him. I understand for my generation this is a frustrating time.

His decision was fine with his family. But he found intolerance from some he knows socially or from school.

A lot of the negativity I found was from people on my social media, my Facebook and Twitter, who were posting statuses like, If you voted for Trump please unfriend me now because you support his this or that, he said.

Those were mostly classmates.

And on the flip side of that, he added, were a lot of conservative family members who were like, If Hillary Clinton gets elected, God help us, were doomed.

SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSES

Every morning, Gail Carstens starts her day with a walk into the hills above her home in Tustin.

And every morning, the lifelong Democrat and Clinton backer is accompanied by a neighbor who lives two doors down on her street.

Theyre neighbors geographically, but in different universes politically. The neighbor does not like Clinton.

Shes the polar opposite, said Carstens, 70, who works as a school librarian. And, basically, its really simple: We just agreed not to talk about it.

In fact, she defriended me from her Facebook feed, and it was fine with me, she said. She would post all that kind of stuff, and I would respond to all of the trolls.

So we rarely talked about it. Thats how we dealt with it, because its important to me. She gets me walking, which I have to do, and I only respond if she brings it up.

At the school where she works as a librarian, its not an issue  folks know not to get into politics there, she said. Her husband, who is retired, shares her politics, and she sometimes worries that hell get too worked up when hes out and about.

Hes a regular at the coffee shop. Its like his version of the British pub, Carstens said.

He actually goes in shifts, she added. He has his liberal shift and his conservative shift.

I said to him on the day after, Maybe you shouldnt go to the coffee shop  because he will speak his mind.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

So, how do all these Trump supporters and Clinton supporters and supporters of neither go forward?

McLaren, Duarte and Carstens all had different thoughts on how theyll proceed.

Well move on, obviously, because we love each other, McLaren said of the interfamily differences over the outcome of the presidential campaign.

I dont think anyones going to be throwing blows over this, she said, adding that it was hard to grasp how people we love could vote a way she would not.

I will probably be seeing all of them on Thanksgiving, she said. And I think by the end of Thanksgiving well all move on  unless something incredibly traumatic happens by the end of the day.

Duartes family get-togethers wont have that friction because they all backed the same candidate, and he won. But Duarte is concerned about the fault lines that have split his social media circles, and he has some thoughts on how those might be mended.

I really didnt speak up on a lot of their statuses, mostly because Ive done the whole Facebook arguing in the past and its never really accomplished anything, he said.

I do believe that if I went to them and said, I voted for Trump, do you want to unfriend me? And we sat down and talked about it face to face, I dont think they would.

As for Carstens, she plans to practice acceptance of the political differences with her neighbor and embrace the benefits of the time they spend walking.

She came to my door on Wednesday and said, I didnt think youd want to walk this morning, Carstens said. All I said was I was happy that I didnt have any grandchildren.  She said, Well Im happy I do.

The most important thing is that we are neighbors  and shes doing me a favor by getting me walking.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7787 or plarsen@ocregister.com
NEW YORK  Robert Vaughn, the debonair, Oscar-nominated actor whose many film roles were eclipsed by his hugely popular turn in televisions The Man From U.N.C.L.E., has died. He was 83.

Vaughn died Friday morning after a brief battle with acute leukemia, according to his manager, Matthew Sullivan.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was an immediate hit when it debuted on NBC in 1964. It was part of an avalanche of secret-agent shows (I Spy, Mission: Impossible, Secret Agent), spoofs (Get Smart), books (The Spy Who Came in From the Cold) and even songs (Secret Agent Man) inspired by the James Bond films.

Vaughns urbane superspy Napoleon Solo teamed with Scottish actor David McCallums Illya Kuryakin, a soft-spoken, Russian-born agent. The pair, who had put aside Cold War differences, worked together each week for the mysterious U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) in combating the international crime syndicate THRUSH. The show aired until early 1968.

In recent years, Vaughn had starred for eight seasons on the British crime-caper series Hustle, playing Albert Stroller, the lone Yank in a band of London-based con artists.

Before U.N.C.L.E. Vaughn earned an Oscar nomination in 1959 for his supporting role in The Young Philadelphians, in which he played a wounded war veteran accused of murder. The following year, he turned in a memorable performance as a gunfighter who had lost his nerve in The Magnificent Seven.

A liberal Democrat, Vaughn became passionately opposed to the Vietnam War. Vaughn became a friend of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and campaigned for him during his 1968 run for the presidency. When Kennedy was assassinated that year, Vaughn was so upset that he moved to England for five years.

Returning to the U.S., the actor earned a Ph.D from USC. His doctoral dissertation was an overview of the House Un-American Activities Commissions effect on American theater. It resulted in a well-received book, Only Victims: A Study of Show Business Blacklisting.

Vaughn was also drawn to politics in several TV roles. He portrayed Harry S. Truman in The Man from Independence, Woodrow Wilson in Backstairs at the White House and a presidential aide in the 12-hour Washington: Behind Closed Doors, for which he won an Emmy.

He also toured in a one-man play, F.D.R., about Franklin D. Roosevelts battles with polio.

Vaughn married actress Linda Staab in 1974. He is survived by his wife, their son Cassidy and daughter Caitlin.
SANTA ANA  When Thomas Walsh died in his familys longtime home in March at age 69, he left behind no will or trust or known heirs.

The countys Public Administrators Office, which handles the affairs in such instances, stepped in to manage the estate.

And in the Walsh home in Santa Anas Floral Park neighborhood, the county workers discovered that Thomas Walshs late father, Kenneth Ambrose Walsh, was a World War II hero, a fighter pilot who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor and had kept a mini museum chronicling his decades of service in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Medals, photos and paintings of fighter jets adorned walls and tabletops. A framed photo showed a smiling Walsh meeting President Franklin Roosevelt. Another shows him bending down to received the Medal of Honor as his wife, Beulah, clasps the blue ribbon.

Walsh kept all of his flight logs and piles of albums filled with grainy photos of his military buddies. In a glass display case were medals  the Distinguished Flying Cross (he earned seven in all), the Air Medal (he earned 15), and the World War II Victory Medal.

He kept just about everything, said Ron Freeman, chief deputy public administrator. Its a wonderful tribute to his great service to our country.

This trove of medals and memorabilia, where would it end up?

A MISSING MEDAL

Kenneth Walsh died from a heart attack in 1998, at age 81, as he was preparing to head to an air show in Oshkosh, Wis. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

His other son, Kenneth Walsh Jr., a Vietnam veteran, had died four months earlier. His wife, Beulah, died in 2001, leaving Thomas alone in the home.

After Thomas Walshs March death, the county soon discovered that there wasnt a will or trust or obvious heir.

The Public Administrators Office, which handles 100 or so cases a year, secured the home, kept an eye on the estate and began working to locate any relatives.

If none were found, the estate, valued at roughly $2 million with the Santa Ana home, would have gone to the state. But officials are in touch with some relatives, although it is unclear so far as to their wishes for the memorabilia.

Perhaps, Freeman said, the county could explore options to possibly display the fighter pilots collection for the public.

Lots of people would love to see this, he said.

On Thursday, the Orange County District Attorneys Office, which oversees the Public Administrators Office, put on display Walshs collection so its employees could see it, in honor of the 241st anniversary of the Marine Corps: dozens of framed photos, medals and other treasures.

But one of the most important medals was missing.

The county found the blue ribbon for his Medal of Honor  the countrys highest military honor  but not the medal itself.

I dont think its lost, Freeman said. Im sure its somewhere, but we dont have it.

A LIFETIME OF SERVICE

As of July, there have been 3,515 Medals of Honor awarded to military heroes since the first was presented in 1863. Walsh, in an interview with the Register in 1987, credited his to training and luck.

You train and train and train, he said. When youre in mortal combat, you act instinctively, and the trained man survives. Courage is a split-second decision. And lets face it, you have to be lucky.

On Aug. 15, 1943, Walsh, at the controls of a F4U Corsair, led eight planes protecting U.S. ships and infantry near Vella Lavella, part of a chain that makes up the Soloman Islands, where they encountered 30 Japanese fighter planes. Three

American planes developed engine trouble and had to peel off.

First Lt. Walsh repeatedly dived his plane into an enemy formation outnumbering his own division six-to-one, his Medal of Honor citation reads, and, although his plane was hit numerous times, shot down two Japanese dive bombers and one fighter.

Two weeks later, Walsh became separated from his group and was alone when he encountered 50 Japanese fighter planes. He managed to destroy four before he was shot down and rescued at sea.

In all, Walsh shot down 21 Japanese aircraft. The number of air victories to earn the title of ace varies. Oftentimes, that number is five. Clearly, Walsh was an ace.

In 1945, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. In the Korean War, he served as a transport pilot. His last post was at the now-shuttered El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1962, and at some point settled in Santa Ana instead of returning to his native East Coast.

A MARINE NEIGHBOR

After his death, Kenneth Walshs estate and assets were never properly passed on to his wife and then on to the surviving son, so the county found itself trying to resolve the estates of the parents and the two sons. Thomas Walsh, an IRS Treasury investigator, never even transferred the house deed into his own name after his mother died.

Whats surprising is that it had taken three or four deaths in the family to get to this point, said Freeman, the deputy public administrator.

Thomas Walshs body was found in the home after he didnt show up to the hospital for a scheduled surgery, neighbors said, and someone in the neighborhood called police after she hadnt seen him in several weeks.

Neighbors in Floral Park in Santa Ana, once covered with orange and walnut groves and now home to picturesque residences built in the 1920s to the 1950s, said the elder Walshes were friendly and kept an immaculate yard.

Beulah Walshs Chevy Impala, with 495 miles on the odometer, remained in the garage long after her death, neighbors said. Thomas Walsh was living alone by the time Dick Austin and his family moved in next door in 2001.

Originally from Forth Worth, Texas, Austin was a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot who served six years of active duty and five years in the reserves, retiring as a major.

Thomas Walsh was at first aloof, but his eyes lit up when he learned of Austins military service.

He was exited to hear that I was a pilot and got to talking about his dad and all the stuff he had done and the number of kills he had, said Austin, 64. He was extremely proud of his dad. To work his way up like that to one of the top pilots in all of the Pacific area is pretty phenomenal.

Austin said Thomas Walsh would sometimes travel to Florida and Washington, D.C., apparently to consider donating at least some of his fathers military memorabilia to a museum or veterans orgranization. He said Walsh mentioned having cousins in Washington, D.C., on his fathers side, but said he was not in touch with them.

The neighbors became friendly, sometimes talking about the military. Walsh never once invited Austin into his home to show off his fathers collection.

Its a shame, he said. Because as a Marine, I would love to see it.

Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com
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The American history professor brought cinnamon rolls to class. With extra frosting.

The historic presidential upset the night before seemed to call for food on this Wednesday morning. Food to comfort the despondent Democrats in the room. And for the Trump voters, food to celebrate the Republican candidates victory. In Room 217 at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where Fred Nielsen was teaching a class called U.S. History Viewed Right and Left, the box of Cinnabon was meant to appeal to all.

I have no idea whether your personal suns came up in the morning or not, professor Nielsen said that morning. At the very least, we unite around cinnamon rolls.

Attentive students might have recognized President Abraham Lincoln in their professors gesture.

A week earlier, Nielsen had invoked Lincoln to illustrate how the 16th president tried to bring consensus in a time of conflict. Speaking in 1861 to a nation on the brink of civil war, Lincoln implored his fellow citizens to stay in the marriage. Dont leave, Lincoln seemed to be saying in his first inaugural address. We can work this out!

We are not enemies, but friends, Nielsen read from an excerpt of the Lincoln speech he flashed on a projection screen. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.

These words, now 155 years old, sound all too relevant at a divisive time. In their poetry and meaning I could see why Nielsen called this the greatest single paragraph spoken by maybe anyone, ever.

I keep reading this paragraph over and over again, Nielsen told the class. I keep looking for the better angels of our nature.

But back in 1861, no amount of poetry or urgency could keep the country together. A month after Lincolns speech, Confederate soldiers fired on a Union garrison in South Carolina, and the Civil War was on.

History does not offer tidy solutions for the perplexing present. And Nielsen reminds students of that every day in a history course he designed based on radically different authors who present the story of America through their radically different lenses. On the left is the late self-described democratic socialist Howard Zinn, whose 1980 book, A Peoples History of the United States, tells us about the past from the bottom up, emphasizing race, gender, social class and the clashes and conflicts. On the right is a current conservative American history professor, Larry Schweikart, who with Michael Allen wrote A Patriots History of the United States, in 2004. Their book tells American history in more traditional fashion, emphasizing leaders and events.

In between, Nielsen assigns articles, like one from 1963 on paranoia in politics, and emphasizes other texts ranging from an 1852 speech railing against the Fourth of July by ex-slave Frederick Douglass to a new book called White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America.

Nielsen is coy, avoiding casting himself in any ideological camp. Instead he steps aside and lets the various storytellers do the work of explaining American history.

Rather than present his students with a neat, narrative line, he challenges them with a zigzag of people, places, passions and confounding paradoxes: a nation birthed in freedom that kept the institution of slavery for nearly a century; a nation that prizes the common good but also individual rights; a nation that values laws and consensus but also allows for sharp disagreement and conflict.

One of several classes I attended involved the rarity of a nation that could go to war with itself  and afterward, come back together. Four years after his first inaugural address, following a war that left 620,000 dead  the equivalent of 6 million today, in proportion to the size of the U.S. population  Lincoln still preached the gospel of consensus.

With malice toward none, with charity for all, his second inaugural address ended, let us strive to finish the work we are in.

Like everyone else feeling their way through the gloom of sharp national divide, I saw these words as hopeful.

Nielsen seemed to agree.

No better advocate for reconciliation, peace and unity, Nielsen said in class. But. Theres always a but. 

Did the nation really come together after the Civil War? Did it really resolve the issue of racial injustice?

One of the authors studied in the class argues that historys emphasis on the Civil War battles and eventual reunion paid short shrift to race, to the countrys detriment.

Which is more important to emphasize? Nielsen asked. White America emphasizes reunion.

A century after the war that ended slavery, Nielsen said, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. still had to sound the call for racial justice. And a half-century or so after King, race still divides America. Just look at the 2016 election results. The white vote carried Donald Trump into office, while blacks, Latinos and other racial minorities overwhelmingly chose Hillary Clinton.

I had come to this history class seeking clarity in the present and hope for the future. Nielsen told the class hed dodged my central question: How do we come together?

Maybe we shouldnt, he told the class, pointing out the necessary roles of people who demanded more than mere reconciliation, such as the revolutionary Founding Fathers and Douglass, who had given this advice: Agitate, agitate, agitate.

Conflict, Nielsen said, adds grit to the gears to help us see problems. Consensus helps us move forward to solve them. Both are valuable, but what is needed  and seems so elusive right now  is the balance between the two.

Too much of either, and we wind up at war or we smother the voices of change.

Nielsens class challenges students to look for consensus by listening to voices from the left, the right and in between. And on the morning after the election, he explained how history offers a dose of humility that can prompt people to change.

A wonderful way to start the day is to look in the mirror, he told the class, and say Youre not so hot yourself. 

Seeing our own flaws  as individuals and as a country  allows us to approach others more humbly, which leads to empathy, which leads to understanding, which eventually leads to more unity.

If history gives America a look in the mirror, for all our flaws, we can still take comfort in something student Adam Moen pointed out. Were still around.

The U.S., said Moen, a grad student, hasnt died yet.
Heres a campaign I could get behind: more collaborations among Nebraska Shakespeare, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Creighton University.

The three entities on Friday premiered part two of A War of Roses at CUs Lied Center. Nebraska Shakespeare Artistic Director Vincent Carlson-Brown condensed and distilled William Shakespeares Henry VI trilogy to create the two plays.

Like the first part  Foreign Flames at UNO  A Fire Within featured students from both schools as well as professional actors, each of whom studied at one of the universities. And like part one it was compelling theater, though both would have had even more impact had they been shorter. Several scenes could have been pared down.

A Fire Within was on a traditional stage rather than in the more intimate L-shaped configuration at UNO. To me, that watered down the drama a little bit. Some characters were beheaded in part two, and I couldnt help but think how much more shocking it would be if the audience were closer to the action.

The overall production quality, however, was first class, from director Amy Lanes staging to Bill van Deests beautiful set and lighting, Lindsay Papes costumes  more traditional to Shakespeare than those at UNO  and Bryan Wilsons sound design, which featured some appropriately eerie chantlike music.

The story picks up where Foreign Flames left off: Henry VI (Nick Zadina, who has degrees from both CU and UNO) is haunted by the fiery death of Joan of Arc. Margaret (Sarah Carlson-Brown), a French dukes daughter, is in love with the earl of Suffolk (Anthony Clark-Kaczmarek). Suffolk uses that to his advantage: He brings Margaret to England to marry Henry as a means to control the king and the country.

The duke of York (Scott Kurz in both productions) still plans to seize the throne and hires Jack Cade (Vincent Carlson-Brown) to create small-town chaos toward that end. A bloody war between the two factions  the York family and Henrys Lancaster family  breaks out, and Henry eventually relinquishes his crown and his sons claim to it. In the end, Yorks son, the hunchback Richard III (UNO senior Dennis Stessman) has ascended to the throne and utters the opening lines to his famous speech: Now is the winter of our discontent ...

Carlson-Browns Cade and his aides in the rebellion are among the shows standouts. As Cade, he is cagey yet crazy, often providing comic relief, as do minions Tom (Garett Garniss), Dick (Esther Aruguete) and Harry (Ben Adams). Playing a man, Aruguete gets a chance to shine: Her broad actions and piercing battle cries are both funny and threatening. She was an audience favorite.

Zadina, Clark-Kaczmarek and Sarah Carlson-Brown also deserve special mention, as does UNO sophomore Torisa Walker as the Duke of Somerset.

Walker has impressed me every time Ive seen her onstage (the last being as Ariel in The Little Mermaid at the Rose). Shes young enough that she probably hasnt done much Shakespeare, but she nailed it  and, really, you could say that about all of the youngest cast members. Some stood out more than others, but each did a credible job.

In program notes, director Lane said A War of Roses grew out of years of planning, sacrifice, creativity and collaboration among three outstanding organizations. The result was definitely worth it. I wont be the last to suggest that they do it again.
Childrens Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha will now provide specialty physician services for Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals new pediatric unit in Omaha.

The two organizations have signed a new physician-coverage agreement intended to improve patient care and strengthen the long-standing relationship between the two organizations, officials said.

Childrens over the past decade had consistently referred patients who need rehabilitation to Madonnas childrens unit in Lincoln and is expected to be a key player in referring patients to Madonnas Omaha hospital, which opened last month. Once at Madonna, however, patients often still need access to care from Childrens pediatric hospitalists and specialists.

Access to our pediatric experts will make care more efficient and seamless for children and families at Madonna, Dr. Richard Azizkhan, Childrens president and CEO, said in a statement.

Paul Dongilli, Madonnas president and CEO, called the relationship the best possible combination of care for our patients.

Both institutions, officials said, will continue to explore additional strategic initiatives and opportunities that could benefit pediatric patients and families.

Childrens and the University of Nebraska Medical Center recently announced that they will begin setting up a network for pediatric clinical trials as part of a national effort to improve childrens health. And Childrens and Nebraska Medicine, UNMCs clinical partner, last month signed an agreement to build on their existing relationship.

julie.anderson@owh.com, 402-444-1223
Gas prices are down in Omaha and across Nebraska and Iowa, dropping a nickel or more in some locations.

The price for regular unleaded gas has dipped below $2 per gallon at many spots around Omaha.

Whats driving the price dip? OPEC.

Its all about OPEC, said gasbuddy.coms Patrick DeHaan. Its a very sensitive market right now.

Last month, he said, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries considered cutting oil production, which caused prices to increase. Now, DeHaan said, OPEC is indicating it may not cut production, which has led to the recent price drop.

Oil was trading at $43 a barrel Friday, he said.

Consumers will get a better picture of whether prices will rise or fall following OPECs meeting in Vienna on Nov. 30.

Well probably continue to see a gentle decline until then, DeHaan said. The upcoming OPEC meeting is critical, he said.

AAA Nebraskas Rose White said she didnt expect a price increase before Thanksgiving due to high inventory levels and falling commodity and wholesale prices.

Forecasting gas prices can be difficult, she said, when factoring in hurricane seasons, global matters and refinery and pipeline issues such as unscheduled shutdowns.

DeHaan said Donald Trumps victory in the presidential election has had no effect on prices. Trumps impact will come after he names his Cabinet and announces an energy policy, DeHaan said.

Friday, according to gasprices.aaa.com, Omahas average price for a gallon of regular unleaded was $2.12, down 5 cents in the past week. Iowas average also was off a nickel, to $2.10. The average for Nebraska was down 6 cents to $2.13.

In Omaha, regular unleaded gas was selling for as low as $1.83 per gallon, according to gasbuddy.com.

In the past month, average prices have decreased 7 cents nationally, 8 cents in Omaha, 12 cents in Nebraska and 11 cents in Iowa.

Air travelers also are taking advantage of the lower prices, White said.

In some markets where the competition among air carriers is high, she said, we are seeing great rates for those planning to travel by air this holiday season.
Some Nebraska Public Power District customers will see higher fixed charges on their monthly bills when 2017 rolls around.

The statewide electric utilitys board on Thursday approved an increased monthly customer charge that will raise the fixed fee to $20.75 from $19 for residential retail customers in cities including Kearney, York and Norfolk. That charge will increase again to $22 in 2018.

NPPD will lower those customers electricity rates for winter and summer usage.

Company officials wouldnt discuss details on Friday, spokesman Mark Becker said, because they were out for the Veterans Day holiday. Becker said in response to a request to talk to Jerry Chlopek, chairman of the boards customer and support services committee, that the board had asked for all comments about the fixed charge increase to be run through NPPDs corporate communications department.

In a statement, Tim Arlt, NPPDs general manager of retail, said that even with the increased fixed costs, energy charges will be reduced in many customer classes to offset the impact of the customer charge increase.

Those rates will fall to 10.36 cents per kilo

watt-hour from 10.61 cents for summer usage. For winter usage, the rate will fall to 8.37 cents per unit from 8.67 cents for the first 750 kilowatt-hours consumed, after which the rate will be 6.22 cents from the current 6.23 cents per unit.

The move by the Columbus-based utility is an attempt to adjust to increasing costs to provide electricity during a period of sluggish demand and cratered wholesale prices on the open market. Those trends have been intensifying in recent years and have put a dent in utilities revenue.

The Omaha Public Power District board of directors in December 2015 approved a similar measure  one that was met with fierce opposition  which took effect in June. Thats when residents fixed fees began increasing from $10.25 a month to $30 a month in 2019; small commercial customers charges will grow from $13.53 to $33 per month.

OPPD customers rate per kilowatt-hour will fall 22 percent from current levels over that period.

Such changes come during a period when the industry is in flux.

Nebraskas three largest utilities each lowered its long-term estimates of average annual demand growth this year, according to an annual forecast from the Nebraska Power Association. OPPD lowered its estimate by 1.2 percent through 2035, followed by a 0.7 percent reduction at Lincoln Electric System and a 0.4 percent decline at NPPD.

Main drivers of slower-than-expected demand growth include more energy-efficient appliances and programs promoted by the utilities to drive down demand.

Meanwhile, low natural gas prices ushered in by the boom in production from hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, have depressed prices of power bought and sold on the open market in recent years.

NPPD in 2015 reported revenue of $134.6 million from such sales, down 22 percent from 2014; revenue from those sales at OPPD fell 12 percent to $195.5 million over that period.

In response, officials at both utilities are scrambling to find places to cut costs.

The answer has been especially dramatic at OPPD, which wrote off nearly $1 billion in June when the board approved managements recommendation to shut down the nuclear power plant at Fort Calhoun. The plant produced its last electricity on Oct. 24.

NPPD President and Chief Executive Pat Pope has said his utilitys Cooper nuclear plant in Brownville is safe from such a fate.

But cost-cutting measures elsewhere in the organization will be important to controlling rates in the future, Pope said this week at an industry conference in Lincoln.
Protesters upset about Donald Trumps election as the nations next president gathered again Friday night at the Gene Leahy mall in downtown Omaha.

About 150 people with signs at 14th and Farnam gathered about 4:30 p.m. Primed by a leader with a bullhorn, they chanted Not my president and What do you do when youre under attack? Fight back!

A few times, the protesters left and marched through the Old Market and downtown area before returning to the corner. The rally ended about three hours after it began.

The demonstration followed one Wednesday night that ended with two people arrested and police using pepperballs to disperse a crowd that had blocked streets in the Old Market.

Anti-Trump protest downtown. "Love Trumps Hate! Love Trumps hate!" pic.twitter.com/HKkVJWfNPM  Andrew Nelson (@nelson_aj) November 11, 2016
The row of 26 elaborately decorated Christmas trees ended with a 12-foot beauty  Lanes tree  covered in white ribbons and snowflakes and dotted with a few bursts of blue ornaments.

The tree was named and decorated in honor of Lane Thomas Graves, the 2-year-old Elkhorn boy who was killed by an alligator at a Disney World resort in June.

On Saturday morning at the Hilton Omaha, as part of the first Lane Thomas Foundation event, children could pose with Santa Claus underneath Lanes tree.

Several hundred people came to the free Lanes Light Event on Saturday, and about 400 people attended the fundraising auction of the trees on Friday night, event organizers said. Each of the trees sold, though the amount raised had not been announced by Saturday afternoon.

Lanes tree will go to the Childrens Hospital & Medical Centers Carolyn Scott Rainbow House, which provides a place to stay for families with a child receiving treatment.

Its really special to have the community support for this foundation, volunteer Lesley Brandt said. She said the event is the springboard for the foundation, which plans to provide financial assistance for families with children receiving organ transplants at Omaha hospitals.

The foundations motto is A beacon of hope, a light of love, and each of the first 200 attendees Saturday received a lighthouse ornament to honor Lane.

Tucked into several of the trees were small memorials to Lane, including one with his photo and others engraved with in loving memory.

One small tree, sponsored by Nebraska Organ Recovery, was covered in 19 ornaments  each selected by a family of a child who had been an organ donor.

Other displays included a tree with a nature theme, a lime-green Grinch face, a tree decorated with lollipops and a carousel horse.

JoLynn Thorson said she enjoyed getting holiday decorating ideas from the event. She brought her 2-year-old granddaughter and said although seeing Santa and eating cookies were the highlights, she kept thinking about Lane.

It hit home because of my granddaughter, she said. The whole community followed that sad story, but its wonderful that we can come support the foundation and the family of that little guy. Im so glad to know that something good could come from such a tragedy.
Florence Lakin, the matriarch of a metro-area family known for its philanthropy, died Friday at 96.

Florence and her husband, the late Charles Lakin, provided the crucial funding for the Lakin Human Services campus in Council Bluffs, as well as a new YMCA and a Habitat for Humanity facility in that city. Each will bear the Lakin name.

Throughout southwest Iowa the couple funded scholarships, a coveted annual teacher award, a community center and many other endeavors.

In the 1990s a substantial gift from the Lakins to The World-Heralds charitable agency, Goodfellows, proved transformative. The donation  in the form of a dollar-for-dollar match of reader donations to the annual fundraising drive  allowed Goodfellows to embark on a new mission of providing year-round emergency assistance, beyond helping just during the holidays.

The Lakins also began funding swimming lessons for low-income children after a child nearly drowned on a field trip. The lessons are offered through Completely Kids in Omaha and Council Bluffs Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands.

Former Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan said Saturday the Lakin family has had an impact on the area in a positive way that has reached thousands.

All the things they were involved in, they were an incredible group of people, he said. They did things for others while never forgetting where they came from.

Current Mayor Matt Walsh said the Lakin family focused on helping others and made contributions to the area that especially helped children. Numerous contributions were made throughout southwest Iowa, he said. Its a loss that will be felt in our communities.

Charles Lakin died in April at age 94. The couple had been married for 77 years.

The Lakins built their life together through hard work, Tom Pribil, a longtime family friend and general manager of Charles E. Lakin Enterprises, said following Charles death.

When they got married she was cleaning rooms and he was washing dishes in a motel in Texas, Pribil said.

They spent little time in Texas and quickly returned to their southwest Iowa roots: She was from Malvern and he was from Emerson.

They began building an agricultural empire with a farm south of Emerson. Over the years, holdings included an implement dealership, a fertilizer company, grain elevators and thousands of acres of farmland. At one point Lakin was believed to be Iowas largest individual landowner. Other holdings include citrus groves and processing plants in Arizona.

Services for Florence Lakin were pending through Heafey-Hoffman Dworak & Cutler Mortuaries and Crematory.

The World-Herald News Service contributed to this report.
LINCOLN  Thousands of immigrants brought to Nebraska and Iowa illegally as children may lose their ability to work and drive if Donald Trump follows through on a pledge to end a key immigration policy of the Obama administration.

Once he takes office in January, the Republican president-elect has indicated he will execute his promised crackdown on illegal immigration. Trumps transition website says he will cancel unconstitutional executive orders  which his advisers have said include President Barack Obamas 2012 program that suspended deportation for about 750,000 people who arrived here illegally as children.

About 3,300 immigrants in Nebraska and another 2,700 in Iowa have qualified for temporary work permits and Social Security numbers under the federal program, which is known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

The likelihood of the programs demise has stoked anxiety and fear among immigrants who were raised and educated in the U.S. and have no connections to their native lands, said Kristin Fearnow, an Omaha immigration attorney. They had to step out of the shadows and submit detailed government applications to qualify for the federal program.

Theres a lot of trepidation, she said. It feels like a collective holding of our breath, hoping that some of the things we heard during the election are rhetoric.

The same goes for broader categories of immigrants who have come to the United States without authorization. Most hold jobs, and some even own businesses that employ U.S. citizens, Fearnow said.

Trumps website also re-emphasized his other immigration-related proposals, which include building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, prohibiting visas for people from certain high-risk nations and withholding funds from sanctuary cities.

The president-elect listed immigration as one of his top three priorities the day after the election.

Were looking very strongly at immigration, Trump told reporters Wednesday after meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Were going to look at the borders, very importantly, were looking very strongly at health care and were looking at jobs  big league jobs.

Also, Trumps transition team has been joined by Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state who is the author of a controversial immigration housing ordinance in Fremont, Nebraska, and in municipalities in Alabama and Arizona.

Kobach told a Kansas television station that there will be a lot of changes coming on the immigration front.

The DACA program was heavily debated in Nebraska, the final state to agree to issue drivers licenses to such immigrants. In 2015 lawmakers overwhelmingly supported a bill that authorized driving privileges for DACA recipients.

Immigration hard-liners said it was wrong to grant a state benefit to illegal immigrants, but business, industry and agricultural groups got behind the bill as a way to help address the states shortage of qualified workers.

This year Nebraska lawmakers voted to grant professional licenses to the same category of immigrants. In both cases, they overrode the vetoes of Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Now it appears Trump, with his own executive action, could undo the work of state lawmakers.

A provision of the drivers license bill says that if the approved lawful status is terminated, the immigrants must return their operators licenses to the Department of Motor Vehicles. State professional licenses held by the immigrants expire when their federal work permits end.

The DMV will take no action unless changes are implemented at the federal level, a spokesman for Ricketts said.

State Sen. John McCollister of Omaha, who prioritized the drivers license bill, said he hopes Trump will ultimately leave the DACA program intact. But he also said he wants to see the federal government finally accomplish immigration reform.

State Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte voted against both measures because, as he put it, they violated the rule of law. But Groene said he would tell Trump and members of Congress to focus first on securing the borders and then address sanctuary programs such as DACA.

He also indicated he would not support sending people back to countries that were completely unfamiliar to them.

I really think the hard-line immigration people would soften if the holes were plugged, he said. I really do. Im one of them.

Doug Kagan, president of Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, said he fully supports elimination of DACA and the deportation of DACA recipients. But he would advocate for an accelerated application process that would allow DACA immigrants to return if they had clean criminal histories.

He, too, would like to see the president-elect focus on other immigration priorities.

I think the best thing that Trump came up with is to get federal law enforcement to remove over 2 million criminal illegal aliens in this country, Kagan said. Were very much in favor of that.

Emiliano Lerda, director of Justice for Our Neighbors-Nebraska, said he and other immigration advocates are waiting for more information. Whatever actions the president-elect takes will be heavily scrutinized and could trigger court battles.

The uncertainly is unnerving, he admitted, but its also bringing people together.

Ive heard many people expressing their love and support for each other, she said. Expressing support for immigrants in the community in general.

This report includes material from Bloomberg News.
J&K: 2 held for spying for Pakistan

India

oi-PTI

Jammu, Nov 13: Two persons were arrest from along the RS Pura sector on the international border in Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly spying for Pakistan and sharing secret information on social networking app Whatsapp, police said on Saturday.

Police got information that Satvinder Singh and Dadu were roaming in the area along the international border in Suchetgarh sector and were taking pictures of the security establishments, a police officer said.

Acting swiftly, both of them were nabbed and during their questioning they revealed that they were collecting the secret information regarding the locations of the Army and other security forces, and sharing the same with Pakistan through Whatsapp, he said.

Both of them have been arrested and booked under various sections of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), the officer said, adding further investigations were on.

PTI
Adequate quantity of salt is there in every state, says Arun Jaitley

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Nov 12: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday dismissed canard about shortage of salt in the country as "concocted rumours" and stressed adequate quantity is available in every state.

"Some people are spreading irresponsible rumours, like it happened yesterday regarding salt. It is there in adequate quantity in every state," he told reporters here.

He said that some of these rumours started on day one of the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. "These are all concocted rumours," he said, adding statements like some people were aware of the demonetisation earlier tantamount to "taking liberty with truth".

The Commerce and Industry Ministry too has dismissed the rumours of shortage of salt in the market. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), which comes under the Ministry, in a series of tweets said there is sufficient stock of salt in the country.

"Do not panic, plenty of edible salt stocks are available in North Eastern Sates, Bihar an West Bengal. Say No To Rumours!," it said. Salt produced at Nawa and Phalodi from Rajasthan is supplied to Delhi.

Also read: Recalibrating ATMs will take two weeks: Arun Jaitley

"Refined salt is available in market at the rate of Rs 8-18 as per brand. Adequate edible salt has been supplied to Delhi & NCR areas by salt producers from Santalpur and Kharaghoda from Gujarat. There is no scarcity in Delhi," it added.

Salt producers and suppliers from Tamil Nadu confirmed that there is no scarcity of salt in the entire state, DIPP said, adding "no scarcity of salt and it is sold at normal rates in West Bengal".

Adequate salt has been produced, stocked and being supplied in Gujarat, which produces 75 per cent total salt in India. Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that "authorities are in the field and reporting back. No shortage".

Rumours about shortage of salt triggered panic among people in areas like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi and Maharashtra.

PTI
Even a Muslim nation has Lord Ganesha's pic on notes: Kejriwal writes to PM Modi

Second time lucky? AAP conducts Punjab-like 'Who should be CM' survey in Gujarat

Why is BJP not bringing Uniform Civil Code across the country: Kejriwal in Gujarat

BJP's tact to divert attention from Morbi, says a stung Kejriwal after Sukesh's claims

Arvind Kejriwal calls demonetisation a major scam, levels charges of favouritism against Modi

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, Nov 12: On Saturday, Delhi Chief Minister conducted a press meet in Delhi, where he told reporters that the recent measure of Narendra Modi-led government to demonetise high value currency notes was a "major scam".

The press meet comes close on the heels of major difficulties faced by customers to exchange money from banks for the last three days.

Kejriwal accused Modi government of selectively leaking the demonetisation move decision to some people and 'favourite corporate houses'.

Before addressing the media, Kejriwal tweeted:

From evidence pouring in, demonitization is turning out to be a huge scam. Will present evidence at 10 am in a press conf  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 12, 2016

Recently, Modi announced the scarpping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, as a measure to fight against black money and corruption.

"A huge scam has been perpetrated a few days ago in the name of tackling corruption," Kejriwal said.

"When the PM announced the move, he had informed all of his friends who had black money and they secured their money," the Delhi CM added.

The AAP leader questioned the "intent and implementation" of the move. Kejriwal told reporters that the government had gone ahead with the move knowing fully well that the ATMs presently used are not configured to dispense the new Rs 2000 notes.

"What kind of person holds black money in this country? Is it the Adanis, Ambanis, Subhash Chandras and Badals? Or is it rickshawala, cobbler, labourer or farmer?" he asked.

The Delhi Chief Minister demanded the government to roll back demonetisation decision.

"The government must roll back demonetisation decision immediately. This will lead to massive financial crisis by causing loss of jobs," Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal said demonetisation is a "surgical strike" on common man and not black money.

OneIndia News
Chaos, anger, anxiety: What it is to wait outside the banks and ATMs today

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Nov 12: The government is anticipating trouble at banks and post offices and hence on Friday decided to issue an advisory to step up security. The abrupt manner in which the announcement to declare invalid the Rs 500 and 1,000 notes were made has taken many by surprise.

While it was a move to clean out black money and fake currency, the common man has been in queue outside banks, ATMs and post offices for the past three days. Many have come to banks and returned empty handed prompting them to ask the question why they are not getting their hard earned money.

Clearly the banks were struggling to cope up with the demand. Some ATMs are not even ready to dispense the new notes and they say this would take at least a couple days more. Most ATMs remained shut despite banks proudly proclaiming through mails and messages that their services would be open for extended hours.

Fearing hell out there:

The advisory issued by the ministry for home affairs is in anticipation of trouble. The government fears that violence could break out if people are made to wait too long and also return empty handed. All states have been told to step up security outside the banks and ATMs for the next couple of days to ensure that nothing untoward takes place.

Meanwhile the scenes at the banks are nothing short of hell. There is no clear communication on when the ATMs would open.

The security guard outside the bank gives everyone a time when the ATMs would open and when asked why they cannot put out a board, he has no response. It was clear that the banks were not sure of when they would get cash.

Some were visibly irritated to find the banks closed at 10 AM. The bank staff tell the people that it would take another hour to open. While offering no explaination why there is a delay, they tend to suggest indirectly that the cash has not reached them as yet.

There were a lot of nervous faces outside the banks. It is a weekend and the they are unable to decide on how to shop for grocery and other essentials in shops or from cart vendors which do not have card machines. Borrowing money is out of the option, because none seem to have it. The other point is none seem to have the money to lend.

There is chaos, anger and anxiety out on the streets for everyone to see. At times the situation is worrying and a police personnel that this correspondent spoke with says, " if people run out of patience, then it could get real bad. Let us hope that this is resolved soon.

We understand that it may take time till November 15. Let us wish that committeemen is honoured," he also says.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Saturday, November 12, 2016, 12:14 [IST]
How the flame of Azadi was kept ablaze by the tribal community: PM Modi explains

Currency ban- Here are the provisions under which the decision was taken

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Nov 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that the Rs 500 and 1,000 notes shall cease to be legal tender from November 9 2016 onwards. A day after this announcement there were at least three petitions filed in the Supreme Court and High Courts challenging the validity of this ban.

The Supreme Court is likely to take up the matter on November 15 for hearing. The Karnataka High Court which dealt with a similar petition rejected the same.

When the SC takes up the matter it would have to hear the central government before passing any interim order since a caveat has been filed. The question now is under what provisions was this ban on currency imposed.

Provisions under which Rs 500, 1,000 were declared invalid:

- The Government of India in the Ministry of Finance, vide F. No. 10/3/2016-Cy.I dated 8th November, 2016 published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), dated the 8th November, 2016, the Central Government declared that the bank notes of existing series of denomination of the value of five hundred rupees and one thousand rupees (hereinafter referred to as the specified bank notes), shall cease to be legal tender on and from the 9th November, 2016.

- The notes were declared invalid under sub-section (2) of section 26 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934).

- Sub Section 26 subject to the provisions of sub-section (2) states that every bank note shall be legal tender at any place in 1[India] in payment, or on account for the amount expressed therein, and shall be guaranteed by the

- Further it stats that on the recommendation of the Central Board the Central Government may, by notification in the Gazette of India, declare that, with effect from such date as may be specified in the notification, any series of bank notes of any denomination shall cease to be legal tender.

OneIndia News
Congress will bring back old pension scheme in Gujarat, if voted to power: Rahul Gandhi

Prez, PM Modi express grief over deaths in Gujarat bridge collapse, Cong asks party workers to extend help

Demonetisation - Congress holds Modi responsible for inconvenience

India

oi-Vikas

New Delhi, Nov 12 The Congress party on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Union government over the demonetisation issue and held Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for inconvenience caused to the people.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said the decision was not well thought out and was made in haste.

"My question is...account is mine, money is mine, then why should I stand in a line?," Sibal told the media here.

He further called for a commission of inquiry to be setup to probe the money spent by the BJP before Narendra Modi came to power.

He trained his guns at the Prime Minister Modi and asked as to why he was in Japan when country is in crisis.

"At a time when the PM should have been present in the country, he is not here but in Japan," he said.

Meanwhile, long queues were seen outside banks and ATMs for the third consecutive day today.

People faced a great deal of inconvenience as several ATMs went dry yesterday due to cash crunch.

In a bid to ease the situation, government has extended the use of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes for utility bills till November 14.

In a major attempt to tackle hoarding of black money, corruption and terror financing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on November 8, announced that all Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 rupee notes would cease to be valid in all forms of transactions.

Oneindia News
Govt aims at printing all currency notes in India

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Nov 12: In the next two years, the government proposes to print 100 per cent of the currency notes in India. At the moment only 70 per cent of the notes are being printed in India, while the remaining abroad. India imports bank notes from the United Kingdom and France while the rest are printed in the country.

Officials say that the aim is to ensure that over the next two years, all notes will be produced in India. With regard to the new Rs 2,000 note, the official says this was printed only in India. However for the new Rs 500 note, paper had been imported the official also added.

It was the Prime Minister's Office that insisted the notes should all be printed in India. It was said that gradually over the next two years 100 per cent of the notes should be printed within the country itself.

The PMO felt that the reliance on getting the notes printed abroad should stopped.

When asked if this move to have all the notes printed within India had anything to do with security reasons, the officer answered in the negative.

Currency ban- Here are the provisions under which the decision was taken

We do not believe that those companies abroad providing us with the bank notes have compromised security. They have been in the business for long and would not indulge in such acts. There were two companies which were in fact under the scanner, but investigations did not reveal any flaws in their operation, the officer also added.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Saturday, November 12, 2016, 8:19 [IST]
Digital Rupee in India: What is blockchain technology and how does it work?

Hilarious bank deposit slip- Reason/Purpose for payment-Modi

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Nov 12: There is never a light moment on the social media. Over the past couple of days the social media has been all about the currency ban and how people are waiting outside banks and ATMs to get some money.

Of course let us not forget to mention the selfies that the people are clicking with their new Rs 2,000 notes.

While jokes and rumours have been circulated in abundance on the social media, here is a deposit slip that will crack you up. This person visited the bank to deposit Rs 10,000. In the column where he has to mention, Reason/Purpose of payment, he writes "Modi."

This deposit slip is being widely circulated on the social media. The slip from the look of it appears to have been used at a bank in Bengaluru as it has the pin code 560005. It is hilarious no doubt, but then OneIndia cannot vouch for the authenticity of the slip.

What ever it may be, do see the slip and laugh away. You need it as you must be pretty stressed after waiting outside banks and ATMs for the past two days.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Saturday, November 12, 2016, 8:49 [IST]
Why the probe into the Ahmedabad serial blasts was one of the most challenging

IM sending recruits on rotation basis to al-Qaeda camps: IB report

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Nov 12: Intelligence Bureau officials have reported the presence of several Indian Mujahideen members in al-Qaeda camps of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

There has been some buzz in these camps over the past couple of months with Indian Mujahideen members of Indian origin training over there, the Intelligence Bureau states.

The Indian Mujahideen which split into two three years back. While one faction joined the ISIS the other moved towards the al-Qaeda. In the past couple of years there have been more strides in the world of terrorism made by the faction that went along with the ISIS.

However the past few months has witnessed a surge in activity. Indian recruits of the IM under Riyaz Bhatkal are being sent on a rotation basis to al-Qaeda camps situated both in Pakistan and Afghanistan, an intelligence bureau report states.

It is likely that they are being trained to fight alongside the al-Qaeda which has been facing immense losses in Afghanistan, the report also states.

The move to be part of the al-Qaeda was a plan laid down by one of the founding members of the Indian Mujahideen, Riyaz Bhatkal who continues to be holed up in Karachi. There was a set back to this plan following the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal in 2013.

This faction was lying low for a long time, but with the sudden surge in activity it appears as though they are planning on a grand revival, the IB report also states.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Saturday, November 12, 2016, 9:33 [IST]
Jayalalithaa can leave hospital when she feels fit says doctor

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Nov 12: Tamil Nadu chief minister is doing well and she can leave hospital when she feels fit said her doctor today. She has been in hospital for two months now and is doing well the doctor also said.

The doctor also said that the infection is completely under control. She can leave when she feels fit, Chairman of the Appolo Hospital where the CM is admitted said.

There have been no medical bulletins from Appolo hospital for sometime now. The last time there was an update was when Dr Prathap Reddy of Appolo spoke with the media.

He had said that the CM had made remarkable progress and would be discharged very soon from hospital.

Will Jayalalithaa face a probe on 'unverified' thumb impression?

In Tamil Nadu there have been prayers offered for the speedy recovery of thenCM. With CM in hospital it is O Paneerselavam who in charge of all her portfolios.

OneIndia News
Demonetisation: Things will be back to normal by month end

Explained: How FASTag-like technology will help you avoid queues at petrol pumps?

Long queues outside banks, ATMs for third consecutive day

India

oi-Vikas

New Delhi, Nov 12 Even as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) maintained that there is enough currency to meet the demand , long queues were seen outside banks and ATMs for the third consecutive day today.

People faced a great deal of inconvenience as several ATMs went dry yesterday due to cash crunch.

In a bid to ease the situation, government has extended the use of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes for utility bills till November 14.

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry has come up with newspaper advertisements assuring people that their hard earned money is safe and urged them not to panic.

The income tax department has asked banks to report all cash deposits exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh during the 50-day window provided to exchange the demonetised notes.

In a major attempt to tackle hoarding of black money, corruption and terror financing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on November 8, announced that all Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 rupee notes would cease to be valid in all forms of transactions.

Oneindia News

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Story first published: Saturday, November 12, 2016, 11:09 [IST]
How the flame of Azadi was kept ablaze by the tribal community: PM Modi explains

Modi leaves for India after concluding Japan visit

India

oi-PTI

Osaka (Japan), Nov 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for home after concluding his three-day visit to Japan, during which the two countries signed a landmark civil nuclear deal and nine other agreements in various areas.

Modi left from the Japanese city of Osaka for New Delhi. "Sayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM @narendramodi enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Before his departure, Modi addressed a luncheon gathering of business leaders in Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay. He also travelled in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which is being introduced in India on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch, with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

During the visit, India and Japan signed 10 pacts covering a range of areas such as boosting Japanese investment in infrastructure, railways, and for cooperation in space and agriculture, as part of agreements to bolster bilateral ties.

PTI
IRCTC update: 115 trains cancelled on Nov 01; here is the complete list

IGNOU Admissions 2022: Last date for registration extended again

Pinch of salt: Price of salt soars to Rs 400/Kg in Delhi, Rs 700/Kg in Mumbai

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, Nov 12: Believe it or not, within hours last evening, salt prices shot up to Rs 400 per kg in Delhi and Rs 700 per kg in Mumbai following rumours about its scarcity.

Several television reports showed how in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, National Capital Region (NCR), Mumbai and Kolkata, people stood in long queues in front of wholesale shops to buy salt.

Taking advantage of the situation, some shopkeepers quickly increased the price of cooking salt.

#WATCH: Panic among people after rumours of salt shortage in UP, authorities say there is no shortage (visuals from Allahabad) pic.twitter.com/batUz6ylhM  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 11, 2016

Generally one kg of salt is priced between Rs 15 to Rs 35.

In order to control the situation, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal refuted the rumours.

"Some people are spreading rumours that there is shortage of salt and sugar, this is false," he said.

Mumbai Police also tweeted, "Please do not believe in any rumours. There is no shortage of salt or any other necessary commodity nor any price hike info."

Delhi Police also issued an advisory on Twitter.

Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan said that there is no shortage and appealed the state governments to take action against the person spreading rumours.

Reports say rumours were circulated on social media and WhatsApp by mischief mongers.

OneIndia News
Santa Claus goes down on knees in busy shopping mall to salute a World War II veteran

Soldier killed, another injured as Pakistan violates ceasefire

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Srinagar, Nov 12: An Indian Army soldier was killed and another injured as Pakistan Army violated ceasefire along the line of control (LoC) in Kupwara district in Kashmir on Saturday, police said.

According to the police, Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked shelling and firing at Indian positions on the LoC in Karnah sector.

"Gunman Harshit Batoriya was killed and Mankamla injured due to the firing. The injured soldier has been rushed to hospital.

"Two other soldiers were injured yesterday (Friday) in Pakistan ceasefire violation in Keran sector," police said here.

IANS


Truth has come out, says Sasikala in reaction to OPS's remark before panel

Jayalalithaa death probe: TN cabinet to decide on enquiry against Sasikala and others

Never interfered in medical treatment of Jayalalithaa: Sasikala denies all allegations levelled by panel

Was it Jayalalithaa's thumb impression? Activist seeks probe

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Chennai, Nov 12: It seems Chennai-based social activist Traffic Ramaswamy is adamant to prove that thumb impression of Jayalalithaa on nomination papers of AIADMK candidates for the November 19 bypolls is "unverified and illegal".

After the Madras High Court dismissed a PIL filed earlier by Ramaswamy, challenging affixing of thumb impression of the ailing chief minister on nomination papers of AIADMK candidates, the social activist wants a probe into the matter by fingerprint experts.

Now, Ramaswamy has filed a petition in the chief judicial magistrate court at Egmore, Chennai, seeking a probe by the fingerprint division of state crime record bureau to verify the authenticity of Amma's thumb impression on nomination papers.

Ramaswamy alleged that Apollo Hospitals chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy, Dr Abraham of Apollo Hospitals, professor of minimal surgery at the Government Hospital in Chennai Dr Balaji, chief election commissioner Dr Nazim Zaidi and chief electoral officer Rajesh Lakhoni "had conspired and colluded to enable the unverified fingerprints, supposedly of the chief minister to be implanted on the attestation papers under suspicious circumstances and falsely attested the same..."

The court will hear the petition on Monday (November 14).

Reports say Amma has an inflamed right hand as she had undergone tracheostomy and thus had to affix her left thumb impression in the poll documents.

AIADMK candidates in Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and Thirupparankundram assembly segments had filed Forms A and B, featuring the left thumb impression of AIADMK supremo, instead of her signature.

All three constituencies go to the polls on November 19.

The AIADMK had taken permission from the Election Commission to allow Jayalalithaa to put her thumb impression in view of her health and the poll body had given its nod.

The AIADMK supremo is undergoing treatment in Apollo Hospitals, Chennai since September 22.

OneIndia News
One shot in Oregon amid nationwide anti-Trump protests

International

oi-PTI

Portland, Nov 12: As protests of President-elect Donald Trump entered another day, police in Portland, Oregon, say one person was shot by a man who had gotten into a confrontation with a protester.

Portland police said the person who was shot was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening. Police said they were looking for the shooter, who apparently fled in his vehicle after the attack early today morning on a Willamette River bridge.

The shooting followed rowdy yesterday night protests, when police used tear gas in response to "burning projectiles" thrown at officers, police said on Twitter.

Hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti. Authorities reported instances of vandalism and assault during a rally that organisers had billed as peaceful earlier in the day.

In other parts of the country, spirited demonstrations on college campuses and peaceful marches along downtown streets have taken place since Wednesday. Hundreds joined a today afternoon "love rally" in Washington Square Park in Manhattan.

Leslie Holmes, 65, a website developer from Wilton, Connecticut, took an hour-long train ride to the demonstration - her first protest since the 1970s, when she hit the streets of San Francisco to oppose the Vietnam War.

She described herself as an armchair liberal but declared, "I'm not going to be armchair anymore." "I don't want to live in a country where my friends aren't included, and my friends are fearful, and my children are going to grow up in a world that's frightening, and my granddaughters can look forward to being excluded from jobs and politics and fulfilling their potential, so I'm here for them," she said.

Evening marches disrupted traffic in Miami and Atlanta. Trump supporter Nicolas Quirico was traveling from South Beach to Miami. His car was among hundreds stopped when protesters blocked Interstate 395.

"Trump will be our president. There is no way around that, and the sooner people grasp that, the better off we will be," he said.

"There is a difference between a peaceful protest and standing in a major highway backing up traffic for 5 miles. This is wrong."

More than a thousand protesters took to the streets across California after night fell including downtown Los Angeles, where over 200 were arrested a night earlier.

In Bakersfield, where Trump is far more popular than in most of the state, some held signs reading "Anti-Trump, Pro-USA."

PTI
Family, Friends: Donald Trump names Mike Pence, children to White House transition team

International

oi-PTI

Washington, Nov 12: Donald Trump shook up his White House transition team, putting running mate Mike Pence in charge and naming a cohort of Washington insiders -- and three of his children -- to help nail down picks for his future cabinet.

The reshuffle by the Republican president-elect came after thousands of angry protesters took to the streets for a second straight night, sign of the acute tensions coursing through the nation after the most divisive campaign in memory.

In Portland, a march by some 4,000 protesters turned violent, with cars vandalized and projectiles thrown at police, who used rubber bullets and pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

Twenty-five people were arrested. Yesterday, the real estate tycoon-turned-world-leader was ensconced in his luxury Manhattan apartment at Trump Tower.

As the aides who guided him to victory marched in to help Trump map out the way forward, he announced he was elevating Vice President-elect Mike Pence to lead the transition.

He also included three of his children and his son-in-law Jared Kushner on the team -- a move likely to raise eyebrows, since the tycoon earlier announced that should he win he would place his vast business interests into a blind trust operated by Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump.

And in a clear shift with the tone of his abrasive campaign, he named a string of insider figures from the very establishment that he railed so strongly, including Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus.

"Drain the swamp" became a popular Trump refrain in the closing weeks of the race as he vowed to end the ways of the US capital.

Trump tweeted yesterday that he had a "busy day" ahead.

"Will soon be making some very important decisions on the people who will be running our government!"

Predictions swiftly turned to who would serve as his chief of staff, with the names of Priebus and Steve Bannon, the combative political operative who came from conservative news organisation Breitbart to chair Trump's campaign, thrown about.

The 70-year-old incoming president has a mammoth task of fleshing out his cabinet.

The names of several Trump surrogates have been mentioned for top-level posts, including Giuliani, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, Senator Jeff Sessions and retired lieutenant-general Michael Flynn.

Trump's finance chairman, Goldman Sachs veteran Steven Mnuchin, is reportedly a strong consideration for Treasury secretary, along with JP Morgan chief executive Jamie Dimon.

PTI
How the flame of Azadi was kept ablaze by the tribal community: PM Modi explains

PM Modi, Abe ride on Japan's famed Shinkansen bullet train

International

oi-PTI

Tokyo, Nov 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe today travelled in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which is being introduced in India on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch.

Modi and Abe travelled in the train, whose speed ranges from 240 kms per hour to 320 kms per hour, from Tokyo to Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in Japan. "On the way to Kobe with PM @AbeShinzo. We are on board the Shinkansen bullet train," Prime Minister Modi tweeted along with pictures of him in deep conversation with Abe.

"A unique friendship on a unique train journey. PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo inside the Shinkansen bullet train to Kobe," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. The construction of the high-speed train corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will start in 2018 and the train service will be operational from 2023.

Abe, at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi here yesterday, had said that the designing of the project will begin by the end of this year. He said the ambitious project "symbolises a new dimension in the special relations" between the two countries and hoped that introduction of the rapid train network will spur further economic growth in India.

The high speed rail system 'Shinkansen' was introduced in Japan in 1964. Earlier when Modi arrived at the Tokyo Station to board the train Swarup said, "Putting #IndiaJapan relations on the fast track! PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo arrive at Tokyo Station to board the Shinkansen."

PTI
How the flame of Azadi was kept ablaze by the tribal community: PM Modi explains

Salute Indian people for hailing demonetisation initiative - Modi

International

oi-Vikas

Kobe, Nov 12 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the decision to demonetise Rs.500 and 1000 currency notes was taken to cleanse the system and not to cause inconvenience.

Addressing the Indian Diaspora in Japan, the Prime Minister said the decision was not an overnight one, adding that ample planning was done before announcing the move.

"I was pondering over the difficulties, our team was thinking of ways. But obviously I couldn't share it with anyone," he said in his speech.

Grateful to the Indian community for the warmth. Delighted to interact with them at the community programme. https://t.co/zdiDTBE0cg pic.twitter.com/RBmI0EY8NG  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 12 November 2016

He expressed his gratitude towards the people for hailing the decision on demonetisation.

"I salute the people of India for hailing this initiative, despite all difficulties they have supported us," he said.

Asserting that those hoarding black money will not spared, the Prime Minister said honest people need not worry as they will get time to exchange the banned currency notes.

"Till 30 December, there will be no trouble caused to anyone. Everything that is yours, you will get it," he said.

He also said that India had maintained its postilion as one of the fastest growing economies despite two years of drought.

Earlier, the Prime Minister received a warm welcome by the people of Indian origin in Japan.

"I have had the good fortune of visiting you all even before I became the PM... In 2001, when Gujarat was hit by a strong earthquake, Kobe was the first to reach out to help," he told them.

Prime Minister Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Japan, travelled to Kobe from Tokyo in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

At Kobe, Modi was received was received at Hyogo prefecture guest house by the Governor of Hyogo Toshizo Ido and Mayor of Kobe Kyuzo Hisamaoto were present at Hyogo house.

An agreement was also signed between the state of Gujarat and Hyogo Prefectural Government to promote cooperation between them in the fields of academics, business, culture, disaster management and environmental protection.

Oneindia News

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Story first published: Saturday, November 12, 2016, 14:11 [IST]
Explosion kills 4 in largest US base in Afghanistan

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Kabul, Nov 12: At least four people were killed early today in an explosion inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, NATO said, with the Taliban claiming responsibility for the major security breach. The explosion struck at dawn inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield north of Kabul, as the Taliban step up attacks on Western targets before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs.

The nationalities of those killed were not immediately known after the blast, which highlights a worsening security situation nearly two years after NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan. "An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded," NATO said in a statement.

Explosion at Bagram Airfield; casualties; more information as available pic.twitter.com/wpK4mlhqfr  Resolute Support (@ResoluteSupport) November 12, 2016

"Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident." Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province where Bagram is located, said the blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base.

"We don't know the identity of victims yet, but the attacker was either one of the Afghan labourers working there," Sediqi told AFP. Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi said the explosion that struck around 0100 GMT was powerful and reverberated across the area. "To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences," said John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

"For the family and friends of those wounded in today's attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today." Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was behind the suicide attack inside Bagram, claiming it inflicted "heavy casualties on US invaders".

The brazen attack represents an alarming security breach inside what is regarded as one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan. Bagram Airfield, close to Kabul, has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents. Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistan's largest US military base. It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.

The latest attack comes after a powerful Taliban truck bomb struck the German consulate in Afghanistan's northern Mazar-i-Sharif city late Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding more than 100 others. The uptick in attacks comes just days after a bitter US presidential election.

IANS
Central team roped in as dengue cases in Bihar rise to over 5000

Hindi journalist shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Bihar

Patna

oi-Madhuri

By Madhuri

Sasaram, Nov 12: A journalist was shot dead on Saturday early morning allegedly by three unidentified persons near his residence here over his articles on illegal stone chips units, the police said.

The deceased has been identified as Dharmender Singh who worked with a Hindi daily.

According to sub divisional police officer Alok Ranjan, ''Dharmendra, was at a tea stall near his house early in morning when three bike-borne assailants assailant pumped bullet in his stomach.'' The victim, who was profusely bleeding was rushed to a nearby hospital by the locals from where he was referred to a Hospital in Varanasi. However, Dharmendra succumbed to injuries on his way to Varanasi. Dharmendra is survived by wife and a son.

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case and have launched a hunt for the perpetrators. The murder is suspectedly linked to illegal quarrying business in Rohtas district.

Earlier, the killing of another scribe, Rajdeo Ranjan, at Siwan in the same district in May last had sent shockwaves throughout the country.
Accompanied by his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in Japan, on the famous superfast bullet train- the Shinkansen, whose speed ranges from 240 kms per hour to 320 kms per hour. Prime Minister Modi tweeted along with pictures of him in deep conversation with Abe. Watch video to know more.
The new Twitter owner has fired back at the author, whose horrified "f*** that" reaction to a plan to charge for a verification..

The Hollywood Reporter 01 Nov 2022
China may meet overcapacity-cut target in advance Updated: 2016-11-12 10:47 (Xinhua)

BEIJING - China is likely to meet this year's targets early for reducing overcapacity in the coal and steel sectors, a Chinese official said Friday.

Li Pumin, secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, told a press conference that the steel industry had completed its annual target of reducing production capacity by 45 million tons by the end of October.

The coal sector is also likely to meet its annual goal of cutting capacity by 250 million tons in advance, Li said.

At present, both sectors have made encouraging headway in cutting overcapacity, which helps to improve corporate profitability, optimize structure and balance market supply and demand, he said.

Facing surging coal prices and short supply in some areas, Li added the country would coordinate coal, electricity and heating supply to stabilize market prices while firmly cutting overcapacity and adjusting the sector's structure.

Cutting overcapacity is one of the major tasks in the country's supply-side structural reform.

In May, the Ministry of Finance earmarked a special fund of 100 billion yuan ($14.68 billion) to subsidize local governments and state-owned companies in reducing steel and coal overcapacity.
Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva's supporters are celebrating his narrow election victory in Brazil but there is tension in the air over..

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High speed railway joins battle to deliver for Singles' Day Updated: 2016-11-12 10:51 (Xinhua)

BEIJING - High Speed Railway (HSR) trains are joining the battle to deliver goods for the Singles' Day (Nov 11) shopping spree, in Beijing from Friday.

According to Beijing Railway Bureau (BRB), four daily trains will be running at 160 km per hour to carry goods from Beijing to Shanghai and Guangdong in the next 10 days, shortening each trip to 15 hours, including loading and unloading time.

"Each train has 15 compartments, and can carry 340 tons of goods," said Zhang Jinchao, deputy director at the BRB logistics center. "A total of 1,837 tons of goods have been transported today, with one of the trains carrying goods sold on JD.com and delivered by SF express," Zhang said Friday.

According to BRB, the center expects to send around 13,500 tons of goods and receive 14,000 tons during the Nov 11-20 period, both 80 percent increases compared with a year earlier.

HSR now covers over 500 cities in China, including major cities as well as counties in eastern and central China.

Since the first piece of HSR track was laid in the early 2000s, China's HSR network has seen average 30 percent annual growth in passenger trips, and the network exceeded 20,000 kilometers long as of September, according to China Railway Corp. The network is expected to reach 38,000 km by 2025.

Sales on Alibaba surpassed 10 billion yuan (about $1.47 billion) in just six minutes 58 seconds after the Singles' Day began, almost six minutes ahead of last year, the company said.

According to China Express Association, over one billion packages are estimated to be transported for the Singles' Day shopping spree, double last year's figure.

Nearly 14 billion packages were delivered in China in 2014, exceeding the United States for the first time.

"People say that e-commerce in China is a miracle, but in my opinion, the fast development of express services in China is the real miracle," said Jack Ma, president of the nation's e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Online shoppers in China reached 447 million by June this year, according to a China Internet Network Information Center report.

"We are selling more goods and delivering them faster. Delivering goods was a headache during Singles' Day five years ago, but now shoppers can receive what they bought in two or three days," said Zhang Yong, Alibaba's CEO.

Cainiao, an express delivery platform using big data, has made it possible for goods to travel faster. Over 70 percent of packages in China use this platform.

"If we don't try a new method and build a stronger logistics network, online retail will be hindered," said Tong Wenhong, Cainiao's CEO.

"Courier services have been renovating the delivery network. Cainiao uses big data to help courier companies optimize the process and improve delivery efficiency," added Tong.

Over 20 billion packages were delivered last year, using more than 2 million delivery staff. Aliresearch has predicted that the number of packages in China will reach 100 billion in the coming five to eight years.

Social logistics now accounts for nearly 11 trillion yuan (about $1.62 trillion), accounting for 16 percent of GDP last year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.
by  Graham Pierrepoint



Donald Trump would have been soundly defeated by Bernie Sanders, data suggests.

The big story that is engulfing world media this week is, of course, that Donald Trump will be ascending to the US Presidency, and that the Republican Party has a clear majority in the Houses of Congress. This news has been greeted by many with concern, while others who genuinely voted for Trump are still celebrating  but the people most affected by the win are arguably the Democratic Party, who faces passing Barack Obamas eight-year legacy into Trumps hands, with many fearing that much of his work may be undone.

There, too, has been outcry of disappointment in the Democrats  while Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, many media outlets are keen to establish that her one-time Primaries rival, Senator Bernie Sanders, could have been a more effective opposition against Donald Trump. Certainly, the movement around Sanders was bigger than there has been around a US politician for some time, perhaps since Obama came to office  but despite his popularity particularly with young and working-class voters, he was ultimately unsuccessful in his bid to beat Clinton to the punch. But would Sanders have beaten Trump had he reached the final stages of the election?

The answer isnt as cut and dried as many media outlets are advising  while Sanders would have undoubtedly won over a demographic that has a considerable voice in key battleground states and in Democratic safe zones, it is also argued that Sanders policies and political stance in general may have alienated those aligned right of center  Sanders, after all, is a self-proclaimed socialist, and this is not a word that gets applied to mainstream US politicians too often in 2016.

Sanders has charisma, like-ability and a clear vision  but Trump too has a certain charisma, a presence that clearly led him all the way to the White House  and some are suggesting that the Senator may have performed better than Clinton on the grounds that he appealed to more of the general electorate. Whether this is true or not, we will never know  US Uncut is keen to advise that available data suggests Sanders may likely have trumped Trump if it came to the punch, but Democratic voters made their choice alternatively. The bottom line, perhaps, comes from a tweet that the source quotes direct from Donald Trump in May  I would rather run against Crooked Hillary than Bernie Sanders and that will happen because the books are cooked against Bernie!.
Candidate Donald vs president-elect Trump Updated: 2016-11-12 07:57 By Zhang Zhouxiang(China Daily)

Before:

"I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words."

"My IQ is one of the highest - and you all know it! Please don't feel so stupid or insecure; it's not your fault."

After:

"We will get along with all other nations, willing to get along with us ... We will have great relationships."

"Every single American will have the opportunity to realize his or her fullest potential."

These contradictory statements are made by the same person, Donald Trump, who has just won the 2016 US presidential election and will become the 45th US president on Jan 20.

Trump was famous for being a big mouth during the presidential election campaign. Yet as soon as he won the election, he changed his style. He gave a victory speech like all normal US politicians and he is no longer the "reckless" campaigner.

On Thursday, after his first face-to-face meeting with US President Barack Obama in the White House, the president-elect even said he had "great respect" for Obama and called him a "very good man". That was in total contrast to his vitriolic barbs against Obama during the election campaign.

In fact, quite a number of scholars and media outlets say the outrageous comments by Trump were just campaign rhetoric. There will, of course, be changes in policies, but the US political system will remain the same and US interests will still be supreme.

So did Trump use the outrageous remarks as a strategy just to win votes? Nobody knows. But if he did use them as a strategy, it has worked.

As Darrell M. West, a senior researcher at Brookings Institution, said, Trump has won a very important group of voters, white blue-collar workers. Those white blue-collar workers believe they lost their jobs because of globalization and because Obama adopted favorable policies toward the minorities such as African Americans.

That's why Trump's remarks appealed to them: He called for trade protectionism and promised to curb immigration into the US.

But white blue-collar workers are not the only group that supports Trump. His supporters include many college graduates trying to find a job, war veterans who feel lost and all those who believe they have been deprived by globalization.

Trump won also because his supporters turned up in greater numbers to vote than those of Clinton. While Clinton focused on the elite group, Trump sought help from people living at the bottom of American society. Remember the slogan, "We are the 99 percent".

Trump's success has a lot to do with social media, too. Few, if any, TV channel dared to broadcast his racist, misogynistic and politically incorrect remarks in full for reasons of propriety. But they spread quickly on Twitter, perhaps because they appealed to Americans who are tired of elite politicians and their overused politically correct statements that do not solve any problems.

Furthermore, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation decided to drop the charge against Clinton in the email scandal on Nov 6, some people protested on Twitter, with one even launching a hashtag: "Hillary for Prision". The creator used "prision" instead of "prison" to bypass as well as make fun of the censorship on Twitter, which further damaged Clinton's image and pushed Trump toward his victory.

China Daily's editorial on Thursday said president-elect Trump may be different from Trump the presidential candidate. Trump will be sworn in as US president on Jan 20, 2017, and he has plenty of time to adjust to his new job.

The author is a writer with China Daily. zhangzhouxiang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/12/2016 page5)
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The monopoly of knowledge creation brings with it an illusion of choice, which is a major factor behind the massive upset or disappointment at the results of the U.S. presidential election.

This elections has left most of the world--not just Americans--in a stupor of disbelief at the sweeping victory by Donald Trump. Why is this so? Because majority of the human family who have access to the news media are discipled by it. In Asia, Africa and across the globe, many are disappointed at the results because the news media and polls reported in favour of Clinton while demonizing Trump but in reality revealed something else.

What happened and why are so many disenchanted and/or confused? This is the subject this piece will attempt to interrogate.

I am neither a North American nor a supporter of either of its two major parties. I am simply a global citizen who is interested in happenings in the government, governance and leadership spaces in our world. The just-ended presidential election is of particular interest to me because it was historic, game-changing and filled with many lessons in the aforementioned spaces of interest, which I will cover in subsequent papers.

This election and the subsequent results have unearthed the current architecture of global-governance infrastructure and the systems that run on them. The current world order was set in place after World War 2.

Today we'll discuss the news media and its role in the global upset of this decade. We will look at its role in the just-ended US presidential elections.

The news media is sometimes known as the Fourth Estate. What does this mean? According to Wikipedia:

"Fourth Estate" most commonly refers to the news media, especially print journalism or "the press" . Thomas Carlyle attributed the origin of the term to Edmund Burke, who used it in a parliamentary debate in 1787 on the opening up of press reporting of the House of Commons of Great Britain.

What specifically did Carlyle say? He wrote:

Burke said there were Three Estates in Parliament; but , in the Reporters' Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important than they all . It is not a figure of speech, or a witty saying; it is a literal fact, ... Printing, which comes necessarily out of Writing, I say often, is equivalent to Democracy: invent Writing, Democracy is inevitable ... Whoever can speak, speaking now to the whole nation, becomes a power, a branch of government, with inalienable weight in lawmaking, in all acts of authority . It matters not what rank he has, what revenues or garnitures: the requisite thing is that he have a tongue which others will listen to; this and nothing more is requisite.



--Carlyle (1905) pp.349-350

Burke understood the immense influence that reporters have--so much so he equated their work to a branch of government with inalienable weight in lawmaking, in all acts of authority. And yet many will argue that this is the only branch of government that under big-brother government goes largely unregulated because speech must be "free".

The Fourth Estate stands for the fourth 'power' that checks and counterbalances the three state 'powers', namely the executive, legislature and judiciary. But the question is who balances their unfettered power and authority?

The Fourth Estate is depicted as the people's watchdog. To be effective as a watchdog, it is commonly assumed that the news media must be independent of the state. In other words, it can only act as a watchdog by a free-market organization of the news media. It is also commonly assumed that news media is concerned with rational debate and, for this to transpire, it must not only be independent of national governments but also of their owners who may at times operate as transnational entities. The news media is not only accorded the role of watchdog but also as a civic forum and agenda setter--speaking truth to power.

The question though is who speaks truth to the new media? They shape public opinion but who shapes theirs?

Because of the power they wield, the owners of these news-media outlets are sometimes more powerful than presidents. The next sections will capture why. And because politicasters know and understand the power of the new media to shape the perception and public opinion, they form alliances with these owners who have influence in their organizations. It is an age-old truth that "he who pays the piper calls the tune" and this is certainly true for the news media. Owners call shots. And majority of the news media are owned by a few families with close ties to politicasters.

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From Reader Supported News



Libertarian Candidate Gary Johnson

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I spent the past three weeks traveling with the Libertarian presidential campaign of former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson. The transition from the Democrats to the Libertarians was not an easy one for me. I consider myself to be liberal or progressive or whichever term is in vogue now. I was a third generation Democrat. Indeed, to hear my grandfather tell the story, Franklin Roosevelt was personally waiting for him at Ellis Island to give him American citizenship and a job. We owed our loyalty to the Democrats, he used to say. We were there for the Democrats because they were there for us. The WPA taught my grandparents how to speak English, and WPA classes taught them the information they needed to become citizens.

We were a Western Pennsylvania union family. My mother recalled with tears of joy shaking John F. Kennedy's hand during the 1960 presidential campaign. The first time I ever saw my father cry was when Robert Kennedy was assassinated in 1968. My parents protested the war in Vietnam. They marched for civil rights. I was the only kid in my second-grade class to vote for McGovern over Nixon in the student straw poll.

In college I was the vice president of the George Washington University College Democrats. I introduced former senator George McGovern when he announced his candidacy for president at GW in 1983. I later took a student coordinating job on the McGovern campaign.

I considered myself to be a mainstream Democrat through the Bush years. I voted for Mondale in 1984, Dukakis in 1988, Clinton in 1992 and 1996, Gore in 2000, Kerry in 2004, and Obama, proudly, in 2008. But it was Obama who eventually turned me.

I had spent nearly 15 years in the CIA. (Liberals are patriots, too, after all.) I opposed the Iraq War during that period, as had many of my CIA colleagues, and I was vehemently opposed to the Bush administrations use of drones in warfare. I truly believed that Obama would change all that. In fact, though, the Obama national security policy was nothing more than an extension of the Bush national security policy, only bloodier, at least when it came to the use of drones.

Indeed, according to The New York Times, Bush killed some 296 "terrorists" and 195 civilians in 50 drone strikes between 2002, the date of the first drone strike, and January 2009. Obama killed 3,040 "terrorists" and 391 civilians in 506 drone strikes during his presidency. Amnesty International's figures are far more chilling than The New York Times', citing Pakistani and NGO reports documenting "thousands" of civilian deaths in Pakistan alone.

I had already begun to sour on Obama when I was arrested and charged with five felonies related to an interview I had given to ABC News in 2007, blowing the whistle on the CIA's torture program. The Bush Justice Department had closed the case against me in December 2008, finding that I had not committed a crime. I had no idea that the Obama Justice Department had secretly reopened the case four weeks later. I was the only CIA officer ever charged with a crime related to the torture program -- not because I tortured anybody, but because I told the American people that torture was taking place.

Obama admitted that "we tortured some folks," but he never charged the torturers with a crime. Nor did he charge the CIA leaders who came up with the torture program, the lawyers who twisted the law to justify it, or the CIA officers who destroyed evidence of it. Meanwhile, I did 23 months in a federal prison.

Ronald Reagan famously said that he didn't leave the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party left him. I felt exactly the same way. What was the difference between the Democrats and Republicans on the issues of war and peace, torture, and diplomacy? There was none. Obama told authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann in their book "Double Down: Game Change 2012" that he couldn't understand why liberals were disappointed with his handling of counterterrorism. "I never said I was a liberal," Obama stated. It was time for me to look for a new home. I voted for Gary Johnson in the 2012 election.

About three weeks after I got to prison, I received a letter from Gary Johnson. Johnson, the former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico, had switched to the Libertarians in 2011. "I think you got screwed," he said in the letter, adding that he had followed my case closely. I learned later that he had also sent letters to the Attorney General and to the director of the Bureau of Prisons asking that they transfer me to home confinement.

When I got home nearly two years later, one of the first calls I received was also from Gary Johnson. He said that he was running for president again in 2016 and he wanted to know if I would serve as an adviser to the party. I accepted.

I admire and support Libertarian ideas on war and peace and on government overreach. They oppose the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They oppose intervention in Syria, Libya, and elsewhere. They want to slash the Pentagon budget. The want to immediately end the "war on drugs." The Libertarians also understand that the Obama administration has launched an unprecedented war on whistleblowers. Johnson has said publicly that if he were to be elected president, he would pardon Ed Snowden, Chelsea Manning, Tom Drake, Jeffrey Sterling, and me. The Libertarians are also strong supporters of marriage equality and marijuana legalization, issues that are very important to me.

This isn't to say that I support everything the Libertarians stand for. They're utterly wrong, for example, in their support for private prisons, their opposition to an increase in the minimum wage, and universal healthcare.

There are also serious organizational problems within the Libertarian Party. We are just beginning to see a rift between young millennials who support a more inclusive party with much in common with the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party, and old guard party members who oppose all government programs on principle and generally just want to be left alone.

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New Research Report on Real-Time Parking System Market, 2016-2026

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Proliferating number of vehicle combined with the escalating traffic has led to a serious issue of parking in urban cities. In the absence of any systematic method or a system, sufficient time and fuel is wasted over parking. As much as more than twenty five percent of the traffic is contributed by vehicles cruising for parking. Problems are further exacerbated if there are limited parking spaces and or if they are available for any particular period of time. Therefore there arises a strong need for real time information on the availability of parking in a particular region and location. The parking industry has witnessed major technological metamorphosis, and with the introduction of new technology and systems efficient and convenient parking operation can be achieved. A real time parking system collects the data either through cameras or sensors, analyses the input and presents a location to the user either through an inbuilt device in car or through a mobile application. The utilization of real time parking system by parking operator and customer is enabling a smoother transition and efficient management of traffic and parking in a location.Global real-time parking system market: DynamicsThe real time parking system market demand is propelled with increasing usage of such systems in urban cities. The demand is further boosted with enhanced features offered by modern real time parking system such as parking spot price, spot guidance and airport and transit connections along with other services. With increasing adoption of efficient real time parking system the demand for these system is expected arise from airport, hospital, mall parking, commercial parking garages, universities, on street municipal and other event avenues. The strong integration of real time parking system and Internet of Things and cloud data is opening new avenues for the users and manufacturers. The integration is enabling users to access real time parking condition and for paid parking structures, its helping user opt for simple payment method through payment wallet. Although owing to high capital cost of equipment for real time parking systems, the adoption is relatively low but with economic pricing of these systems the application for commercial purpose is expected to increase.Request Free Report Sample@Global real-time parking system market: SegmentationReal-time parking system market can be segmented on the basis of location, type and application.On the basis of type, real time parking system market can be segmented as:SoftwareHardwareServicesThe Real time parking system market can be segmented on the basis of LocationOnstreetOffstreetOthersOn the basis of application, the real time parking system market can be segmented as:CommercialPersonalTransport and AviationGovernmentOthersSend An Enquiry@Global real-time parking system market: Region-wise OutlookOn the basis of region, the real-time parking system market can be segmented into North America, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excl. Japan, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, Eastern Europe, and Japan. The North America and Western Europe are currently one of the largest markets real-time parking system, yet the demand for real-time parking system is relatively moderate in the regions owing to maturing automotive sales. The rising sales of automobile and increasing vehicle density in Japan and APEJ are propelling the demand for real time parking system market in the region, therefore the market is anticipated to account for substantial market share during the forecast period. Likewise Latin America real time parking system market is expected to gain significant market share over the forecast period. The Middle East and Africa real time parking system market is expected to create sustainable opportunities in key markets of Qatar, Dubai, Turkey and South Africa among other countries.Global real-time parking system market: Key PlayersSome of the key players identified in the real-time parking system market are: Streetline, Smart Parking Ltd., ParkMe Inc., Parknav, T2 SYSTEMS, Spot Innovation, Inc., INRIX, Inc., ParkWhiz API, Robotic Parking Systems, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., and PARKMATIC among many other participant.Browse Full Report@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
oronary Stents Market Estimated to Register a CAGR of 6.6% Between 2016 and 2026

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Future Market Insights provides an in-depth analysis of the global coronary stents market in a new report titled Coronary Stents Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026. Coronary stents is a billion dollars industry that occupies a significant market share in the cardiovascular market. In terms of revenue, the global coronary stents market is estimated to reach a market valuation of US$ 6,002.9 Mn by 2016 end and is expected to register a CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period. The global coronary stents market is expected to represent incremental opportunity of US$ 5,318.7 Mn between 2016 and 2026.According to Future Market Insights, factors such as an increase in the prevalence of coronary artery disease, obesity, and minimal invasive procedures; and an increasing preference for advanced stenting procedures by cardiologists are some of the factors fuelling the growth of the global coronary stents market. Economic factors such as an increase in awareness campaigns about cardiovascular diseases conducted by government bodies, rapid progress in medical technology, and extended reimbursement support are also expected to boost the growth of the global coronary stents market over the forecast period.Request Free Report Sample@Segmentation highlightsThe global coronary stents market is segmented on the basis of Product Type (Drug Eluting Stent, Bare Metal Stent, Bioresorbable Vascular Stent); Raw Material (Cobalt Chromium, Stainless Steel, Platinum-Chromium, Nickel-Titanium, Polymer); and End Use (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centres, Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratories).The Drug Eluting Stent product type segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 8,750.2 Mn by 2026. The Bioresorbable Vascular Stent segment is estimated to account for 11.0% revenue share by 2016 endThe Polymer raw material segment is estimated to account for the highest market share of 29.2% by the end of 2016. The Cobalt Chromium segment is expected to register a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast periodThe Hospitals end use segment is anticipated to account for 70.9% value share of the global coronary stents market by the end of 2016. The Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratories segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 2,526.8 Mn by the end of 2026, registering a CAGR of 8.0% over the forecast periodRegional projectionsThe global coronary stents market is segmented on the basis of region into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, MEA, and Japan. The APEJ market is estimated to be valued at US$ 4,165.2 Mn by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 8% during the forecast period. The North America coronary stents market is expected to dominate the global coronary stents market in terms of revenue by 2016 end and is likely to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. The coronary stents market in North America is estimated to account for 29.2% market share of the global coronary stents market by 2016 end. The North America region is likely to be the second most attractive market with an attractiveness index of 2.5 during the forecast period. The markets in North America, Western Europe, and APEJ represent the highest growth opportunities in the global coronary stents market owing to a large patient population and an increasing demand for coronary stents in these regions.Send An Enquiry@Vendor insightsThe global coronary stents market report profiles some of the top companies operating in the market. Leading market players featured in the report include Terumo Corporation, Boston Scientific Corporation, Medtronic, Vascular Concepts, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Biotronik SE & Co. KG, Abbott Laboratories, Biosensors International Group, Ltd., Hexacath, and Stentys SA. Key market players are focussing on increasing their footprints in emerging markets such as Asia Pacific and are expanding their manufacturing facilities and distribution network to gain a larger share of the global coronary stents market.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Social Media Engagement Applications Market Global Industry Analysis, size, share and Forecast 2016-2026

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Social Media Engagement Applications allows different kinds of users to exchange data which can be in the form of text, image, video, audio etc. via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn etc. Because of variety of features and advantages offered by these media services, their user base have grown exponentially and is still growing.A lot of established companies have their business model based on social media applications such as Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn etc., while there are other companies who are attracting huge traffic from these social media applications which ultimately reflects as sales conversion.With the advent of smartphone and its increasing penetration among the users, mobile applications now contributes major chunk of the revenue for social media companies. Even government organizations are actively participating in social media platforms either to advertise about their works, or to provide information about a particular topic to users or for opinion polls. Increasing penetration among social media users have enabled many advertisement agencies, PR firms, mobile apps and service provider companies whose business model is based on social media engagement applications and this trend is expected to continue.Request for sample report:Social Media Engagement Applications Market SegmentationOn the basis of platforms:Social Networks-applications which allow users to connect with each other via a profile or group of profiles. Most common social networking sites are Facebook, LinkedIn etc.Media Sharing- media sharing platforms allows users to upload and exchange different sorts of media such as video, pictures etc. YouTube, Instagram are the most common platforms for media sharing.Microblogging microblogging platforms allows users to exchange content in the form of comments, images, video links etc. Twitter is a famous microblogging platform.Blog Forums  blog forums allows users to exchange ideas with each other in the form of blogs and posts. Wordpress is one such famous blogging platform and there are several others.Social New - websites and their mobile apps publishing news articles or information comes under this category. Some of the famous social news platform are Digg, Reddit, etc.Others - lots of other social media platforms have come in the market such as location based services, social bookmarking, aggregators, collaboration tools, broadcasting tools etc.There are other sub segments of social media engagement applications market. Some of them are:Sub segment on the basis of device usage:Desktop - users accessing social media applications from desktopsSmartphone Web  smartphoneusers accessing social media from websites but not mobile applicationsSmartphone App - smartphoneusers accessing social media from mobile applications but not websiteTablet Web - tabletusers accessing social media from websites but not mobile applicationsTablet App - tabletusers accessing social media from mobile applications but not websitesSub segment on the basis of users:Individual  individual users using social media for personal usageCorporates - corporate entities using social media for advertisement, ad sales or other purposesGovernment Agencies - government agencies using social media platforms for advertisement or to provide public domain informationOther - lots of other users such as NGOs, communities, organizations etc.Sub segment on the basis of demography:Gender - usage of social media applications is relatively high in males than femalesAge  according to age, social media users can be segmented into age brackets such as < 15, 15-30, 30-50, 50 >Profession  by profession market can be segmented into professional and personal usersOthersSegmentation of social media engagement applications market on the basis of geography:North America (U.S., Canada)Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)JapanMiddle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa)Request for TOC:Regional OverviewRegional usage of social media platform depends highly on regions population and accessibility of the internet and smartphone devices, which is why largest percentage of users are located in APAC regions followed by European, American and other regions. With increasing accessibility of the technology and supporting devices to poorer nations, distribution of usage of social media platforms will solely rely upon population of regions.Increasing internet usage, smartphone penetration will be the major drivers for global social media engagement application market. Other drivers which will contribute in market growth are increasing awareness among non-users, decreasing cost of broadband and data tariffs, increasing benefits offered through applications etc.Difficult to use GUIs, social and economic factors, accessibility issues will restrain the growth of social media engagement application market. Government regulation also restrict social media usage for example China has blocked social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. and thus deprive a huge chunk of worlds population away from the benefits of social media.Major social media engagements applications are Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram etc. Business model may differ from company to company but the underlying structure of these companies is based upon usage of social media engagement applications traffic.About us:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact us:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment Market To Make Great Impact In Near Future by 2026

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Bioprocessing referred as biopharmaceutical manufacturing, is a part of bioprocess engineering which aims at establishing reproducible and robust manufacturing process for the production of therapeutic cells. The products of bioprocess are of high commercial value and targeted application. Bioprocess Manufacturing is differentiated into two major processes: Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream process involves steps such as media development, cell culture, and development, harvesting of cells and fermentation. This process is done under the stringent aseptic condition, and particular temperature and pH levels are maintained throughout the process. Cell Banking is also done by upstream processes. The primary objective upstream processes are to provide an environment necessary for the growth of cells. Since the upstream process is a part of bio manufacturing process, it involves the production of therapeutic proteins, antibiotics, hormones, enzymes, blood substitutes, and vaccines. Many of the diseases like lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus and growth hormone insufficiency that can be treated by specific proteins produced from bioprocesses. There are two types of cells used in the bioprocessing equipment, mammalian cells, and bacterial cells.Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment Market: Drivers and RestraintsAs the prevalence and incidence of chronic diseases have increased, there is a need to increase the production of substances to cure them. With innovation in technology, equipment with the well-established production system, providing high-quality biologic drugs and increased productivity is possible. This, in turn, increases the usage of upstream processing equipment which drives the biopharmaceutical market. Along with this increase in the need for cell therapy research, drug discovery, antibody production, monoclonal antibody and recombinant productions are also the major drivers for the upstream bioprocessing equipment market. However, the high cost incurred in setting up an upstream processing unit, its maintenance as the current challenge is to eliminate the contamination and the space required for the setup are the major restraining factors for the growth the Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment.Request Free Report Sample@Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment Market: SegmentationThe upstream bioprocessing equipment market can be segmented according to the type of cell used, type of processing, by product, by end users, and by geography. By type of cell, the upstream bioprocessing equipment is segmented as mammalian cell and bacterial cell. According to the processing, the market is segmented into disposable, single  use bioprocessing system and continuous bioprocessing systems. By type of product the bioreactors and fermenters. By end users, the upstream bioprocessing equipment market is segmented into biopharmaceutical manufacturing companies and research organizations. Geographical segmentation is North America, West Europe, APEJ, Japan, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa.Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment Market: OverviewThe Single-use bioprocessing units are the major drivers in the coming decade as single-use bioprocessing units eliminated the risk of contamination. It also reduces the time required for the sterilization between batch which in turn also increases the efficacy. Over a decade disposable and single  use processing units have gained momentum as it is possible to develop a small amount of drugs used for pre  clinical and clinical testing. The future in the upstream bioprocessing system is single  bioprocessing units as it has all kinds of the system used in upstream processing such as bioreactors, membrane absorbers, bioprocess containers, disposable mixers, and samplers.Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment Market: Regional OverviewGeographically the market for bioprocessing equipment is increasing globally. The U.S. and Europe been the strong regions for the growth of upstream processes equipment has it has shown double-digit growth over last year. In U.S. the Single-use bioprocessing units have grown significantly when compared to continuous bioprocessing system. Along with Europe and U.S., the emerging markets like Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa shows great potential for the growth of upstream bioprocessing equipment market. Japanese beverage, food and pharmaceutical industry are diversifying into high-value products which boosted the growth of upstream bioprocessing equipment in Japan. The government in Japan also provides financial support for research and development to industry players for the growth, which enables the industry to prosper.Visit For TOC@Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment Market: Key PlayersThe top players in the Upstream Bioprocessing Equipment market are GE Healthcare, Merck KGaA, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co.KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific, BiOZEEN and Katalyst Bio EngineeringAbout Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Packaging Tapes Market Trends, Regulations And Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2026

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The demand for packaging tapes is gaining traction on the backdrop of colossal growth from the packaging industry. Several types of industries use packaging tapes, and these tapes have to undergo extreme climate conditions during transportation. Vendors are pushed by the challenges of introducing innovative products such as UV resistance tapes and light weight tapes. Various advanced technologies and machinery are being used across the globe by manufacturers for tape and substrate processing to reduce the time taken by the products to reach the market. The latest packaging tapes offer good adhesion, absolute transparency, and high aging resistance and clean positioning. At extremely low temperatures acrylate-based pressure-sensitive adhesives provide easy labeling and use of ultra-violet acrylate adhesives delivers extraordinary aging resistance. Because of the growing need for product identification and easy marketing the global packaging tape market is witnessing a demand for printed packaging tapes.Availability of various innovative designs and materials in the global packaging tapes market has sufficiently increased its application in several industries. Industries such as food and beverages, retail packaging, e-commerce, and automobile are putting packaging tapes to numerous uses. In the automotive industry, the demand for high-quality tapes such as filament tapes is anticipated to increase during the forecast period. Parcel tapes will contribute the largest share in the global packaging tape market. These tapes are widely accepted in various verticals such as food and beverages, and automotive, etc. The most frequently used parcel tapes are translucent and brown primarily used for packaging of corrugated boxes and common sealing or enclosing.Request Free Report Sample@Based on the type of tape, the global packaging tape market is segmented into:Filament tapesDouble-sided tapesParcel tapesLight-duty packaging tapesOthersBased on the material used the global packaging tape market is segmented into:AcrylicHot MeltOthersBased on the application the global packaging tape market is segmented into:Food & BeveragesChemicalsConsumer GoodsOthersIn terms of geography, the global packaging tape market has been divided into five key regions including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa.The global packaging tape market is expected to register healthy CAGR during the forecast period. North America is anticipated to be the dominant market for global packaging tape market followed by Asia Pacific and Europe. The increase in the purchasing power of customers in developing countries like India and China has increased the demand for different food products, beverages and retail products causing rapid growth in packaging tape market.Visit For TOC@Packaging Tapes Market - Major Players:Some of the key players in the global packaging tape market are 3M, Avery Dennison, Henkel, Nitto Denko, and Tesa. Other prominent vendors in the market are Advance Tapes International, Adhesives Research, Bostik, Dow Corning, Evans Adhesive, Franklin International, H.B. Fuller, Intertape Polymer, Lintec, Lohmann, LORD, MACtac etc.About Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. On 12 November President of Nagorno Karabakh Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory letter to ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Russian Federation Oleg Yesayan on the occasion of his 70th birthday anniversary.

The letter reads:

"Dear Mr. Yesayan,

On behalf of the people and leadership of Nagorno Karabakh and personally myself I congratulate You on Your 70th birthday anniversary, a memorable jubilee, which is a good opportunity to value Your passed way.

You earned that right being next to your native people in the hardest moments and devoting yourself selflessly to the patriotic mission of realizing our national goals.

Occupying high and responsible positions both in Nagorno Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia, including the position of NKR first prime-minister and NKR National Assembly chairman You have contributed Your knowledge and experience of political and state figure to the formation and development of our newly-independent republic.

I once again congratulate You and wish peace, health, success and all the best".
Portland Public Schools is looking for a new leader. Know anyone?



A survey posted online by Portland Public Schools not only asks for input on what to look for in a superintendent, but also asks for names.

Oregon's largest school district's previous superintendent stepped down in July after a lead scandal revealed a district that had not only neglected building maintenance but also struggled with managerial accountability. Now, the district is scrambling to rebuild trust, its staff after a slew of departures and its aging, hazard-filled buildings.

Those looking to take the online survey can do so here. It's essentially one question, with boxes to add additional comments and suggest someone for the job.

The one question asks the survey taker to identify priority characteristics for a new superintendent.

"While all of the characteristics listed on the survey are important and may be highly desirable, the purpose of the survey is to determine the most important characteristics for our new superintendent at this time and for the next few years," the survey says.



"Therefore, please identify the five most important statements to you as you consider the needs of the District and the "Desired Characteristics" of its next leader."



Some of those statements:

-- Lead in an encouraging, participatory, transparent, and team-focused manner.

-- Foster a positive professional climate of mutual trust, communication and respect among faculty, staff, and administrators.

-- Provide safe and caring school environments.

-- Effectively plan and manage the long-term financial health of the District.

The survey asks the taker to identify their relationship to Portland Public Schools, so data could reveal if parents, students or staff have particular priorities.

The district will hold five community forums next week: On Monday night at Roosevelt High School, Tuesday afternoon and evening at district headquarters, Wednesday night at Madison High School and Thursday evening at Wilson High School.

School board members have said they hope to have a candidate by the end of the school year.

-- Bethany Barnes
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Donald Trump speaks during a May rally in Eugene.

(Randy L. Rasmussen/Special to The Oregonian)

TRUMP SOLD HIS SOUL: When the financial tsunami hits home, don't think for one minute that Donald Trump supporters are not going to go down with the ship like the rest of us.

Trump sold his soul to the devil. He gets everything he wants and the rest of us will pay for it. Trump has no intention of helping America. He is in this to line his own pockets and pat himself on the back. We are going to be governed by a bunch of gangsters, and you know it.

When the "you know what" hits the "you know what" in the heart of even Trump supporters, keep your complaining to yourself. You had plenty of warning.

I will never call Trump "Mr. President."

Xan Nemeth Graf, Northeast Portland

*

AMERICA ZIGS AND ZAGS: Thoughts regarding the anti-Trump protests (from a Hillary Clinton supporter): The concerns felt by many Americans, such as Muslim Americans, are understandable. We must alleviate those concerns, because we are indeed stronger together. But those who sincerely share that goal will not riot.

Don't tell us that disruption is your only hope. We learned in the Vietnam War years that unlawful and violent protests are counterproductive; they turned many faces against the anti-war movement. Those who smashed windows in the Pearl create sympathy for the man they would "dump," and embarrass those who opposed him through democratic processes. And those who interfere in the daily lives of Portlanders by blocking streets are striking out at people who voted overwhelmingly for Clinton.

As Obama said on Nov. 9, we Americans zig and zag on our path. Take his advice. Get in the political arena and work harder next time. That, not disruption, is your best hope to make the path zag your way.

J. Faust, Southwest Portland

*

'WE'RE GONNA BE OK': Everyone has been freaking out the last few days, scared the sky is falling. We all thought it was going to go the other way. What this tells us is that change "Trumped" everything. That's why Bernie Sanders did so well, and that's why Trump won. People truly are so sick of the status quo in Washington, D.C., that they were willing to overlook all else.

I went through the grieving process, then I realized I believe Trump is a lot more centrist than we all think. He told the Republicans what they wanted to hear to get elected. He's not right-wing religious; he couldn't even name a Bible verse. He knew he had to squawk in their direction to get the vote.

Anyway, we are where we are. Hopefully he will be a better president than so many of us think he can be. He is about to get a wake-up call when he feels the weight of the job. There is a reason presidents go gray so fast.

It certainly puts the Republicans in the hot seat. No one to blame if it all doesn't go well. In that case, it sets up a major shift in the House and Senate.

We're gonna be OK. Gloom and doom doesn't serve anyone.

Bart Spaugh, Southwest Portland

*

WALDEN STANDS WITH TRUMP?: Rep. Greg Walden, you and your candidate did not kick anyone's tails on Election Day. Your party lost in Oregon and also lost the popular vote nationally. Do you really stand with Trump? This man of questionable character?

Donna Thompson, Lake Oswego.
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Economists, from left, R. Glenn Hubbard, left, Martin Feldstein, and William Rudin, greet Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as he arrives to speak at the Economic Club of New York, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, in New York.

(AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

By Megan McArdle

In 1975, the economist Milton Friedman gave a series of lectures in Chile, as well as a small amount of advice to Augusto Pinochet, the country's right-wing dictator. The advice was not on how to best crack down on political dissent, or where to hide the bodies of dissidents you were trying to disappear; it involved economic policy, and was advice that was similar to what he'd have given any government. Nonetheless, Friedman's left-wing critics somewhat predictably used this brief interlude in a decades-long career to tar him and his ideas.

Whether Friedman should have advised Pinochet has long been a matter of cocktail-party debate in right-wing circles. Is it better for experts to send a message by withholding their expertise? Or if you have good advice to give, is it better to offer it to bad governments -- to benefit their people, even if incidentally the advice benefits the bad governments as well? The utilitarian calculus is, to say the least, unclear.

Well, on the right today, it's no longer just cocktail-party chatter. A lot of #NeverTrump wonks are likely to find themselves torn between being #NeverTrump and being wonks -- between their consciences and their callings.

I don't see a moral obligation for anyone to serve in a Trump administration. But people who opposed Donald Trump, on both the left and right, should commit right now to one thing: We will not tar good people for joining the Trump administration. Their motives will not be questioned, and if things do turn out as some of his critics fear, the people in his foreign and domestic policy apparatus will not suffer guilt by association. It is just too important that Trump have good advisers.

Trump will be the least policy-savvy president in history. He has built no ideological framework for future policies, much less a set of detailed proposals. He has few advisers, in part because so many of the usual contenders have come out against him.

Now he is going to have to have advisers. He is going to have to staff regulatory agencies. He is going to have to decide about policy priorities, and push legislation to advance them. If smart, competent people refuse to be a part of that, because they think it's likely that they will suffer permanent stigma from having joined his team, then Trump's administration will still do all those things -- but it will do them poorly, and the nation will suffer.

The most vital area for Trump to staff with good people is his foreign policy and defense team. Those people will be making decisions in a short time frame, and often behind closed doors, with little public check on their thought process. But his domestic team matters too. These are the folks who will have to make thousands of decisions that affect our daily lives, from education to what companies are allowed to merge. If his cabinet is filled with inexperienced folks or narrow activists, those decisions can be disastrous. So if a good person enters the administration, don't question his judgment or her character. Applaud.

During the Bush years there was a cottage industry of liberal economists who dinged conservatives like Greg Mankiw and Glenn Hubbard for saying complimentary things about policies that were, let us say, somewhat less than well-supported by economic science. Needless to say, such cheap shots could easily have been taken at folks like Austan Goolsbee and Jason Furman during the Obama years. I didn't take them.

Good economists in an administration cannot come out and say "This is bad policy," for obvious reasons; their job is to have those conversations internally, and then support their boss's decisions. That will also be the job of an adviser in a Trump administration, and we want good people in there making the good arguments.

When I tweeted a much shorter version of this thought this morning, I was beset by angry progressives talking about "Vichy" and "quislings" and saying that they wanted the Trump administration to fail as spectacularly as possible. While I understand the grief that those people are feeling, America, and the world, cannot afford this kind of thinking. There are things more important than political fights. One of them is making sure that the man in charge of the world's biggest rich economy, and its biggest nuclear arsenal, has smart and sober-minded people around him. We all need to do everything we can to make sure that's the case.

I don't know if Trump will ask people I admire to serve in his cabinet; I don't know that they will be willing to serve if he does. But whoever does serve will have my respect for their willingness to take on a difficult job; my most charitable assessment of their motives; and my fervent hope that they will prove to be able stewards.

McArdle is a Bloomberg View columnist writing on economics, business and public policy.

For more columns from Bloomberg View, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/view.

(c) 2016, Bloomberg View
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Care for veterans, but dont discount yourself and colleagues. Thats the goal at the Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center in Saginaw.

Armed with a new approach, the center is looking at veteran care differently. New programs aim to envision a veteran in need not as a diagnosis, but as an individual. A person.

In October, staff got their chance with one of 35,433 veterans the center served this year. A 71-year-old Vietnam veteran had admitted himself several times for respiratory issues. He had difficulty breathing. Dawn Bass, nurse manager of palliative care in the centers end of life wing, said a few tweaks were made to his medicine, he felt better and was sent home.

His situation worsened, though.

He said I know Im dying, Bass said.

Feeling what Bass called really panicked, he made a revelation to staff: he had never been baptized. It was important for him to be. It was his last wish.

It became an urgent need of his, Bass said. I thought, this will be easy. Well get a chaplain, holy water ... and well baptize him.

The wrench thrown into that plan: his faith required a full immersion baptism. Staff began to think way outside the box, Bass said  they floated the idea of getting an inflatable pool and doing the baptism on site. That didnt pan out.

Instead, we were able to arrange for him to be baptized in a local church of his denomination. The center provided transportation and sent staff.

We were able to accomplish that in 24 hours from when he said his final wish to the baptism.

Not bad for a government agency bogged down by red tape and restrictions.

To do that, it took a lot of people who care a lot about veterans, Bass said. We were willing to take several policies and say, You know what? Were going to violate these policies in this situation.

The mans 93-year-old mother wasnt able to attend. Bass said afterward, the veteran had said he knew he could go to heaven, and that his mom would be so proud.

It was really a touching event, Bass said. It made a difference for all of us.

The man died four days later.

To those caring for veterans at the VA center in Saginaw, it gave firsthand experience of the changes and new approaches the center is taking. Dubbed Re-igniting the Spirit of Caring, a three-day retreat aims to educate and inspire staff to bring them back to the core of why they choose the profession of caring for others.

Some additions are small: a calming hand sign placed outside patient rooms to remind staff to take a moment to center themselves before engaging with the veteran so they can be present in the interaction. On a whiteboard inside the room, they write things about the veteran for staff to get to know the veteran as a person and not just a patient. The center encourages staff to take breaks. A comfort room helps re-energize and calm staff.

This is something thats been a culture change for us, said Amanda Pearson, a registered nurse and relationship-base care coordinator.

The VA center in Saginaw opened in 1950. Statewide, 1,060 full-time equivalent employees work at nine outpatient clinics.

In the last few several years, weve shown constant growth, said Carrie L. Seward, the centers public affairs officer. And, we have a lot of veterans in the Midland community that we take care of.

The center reports treating 33,723 veterans in 2014; 34,725 in 2015; and 35,433 this year.

We also lose thousands of veterans who pass away or move, she said.

Regardless, we try to market the VA as much as possible because we believe we can take better care of vets than the private sector.

What the public might not know is the VA does a ton of research. We have lots of performance measures, being a government agency.

She said the five-star facility is third in its category of hospitals in the nation.

We are one of the best VAs in the Midwest and we have the data and info to back that, Seward said.

Veterans are evaluated case-by-case.

There are definitely significantly different needs based on the age group and the war period were serving, Bass said. Even now, we have millennials coming in with different needs.

They also know many veterans wont seek help, or may not need it.

Some of our vets dont seek veteran care because they think others need help more than they do, Seward said. Many are younger veterans. They wont come in because theyre busy getting back to life. They put their mental and physical health needs on hold until finding a job or house.

The center encourages those with injuries or illnesses related to their service to stop by the center, at 1500 Weiss St. in Saginaw, to check eligibility status, which is income-based. A common ailment is hearing loss, which Seward says is prevalent in veterans of all ages due to exposure to artillery and machinery.

Ailments dont have to be connected to a veterans time spent in the military, either  the center has wellness programs to help quit smoking, treat diabetes and lose weight.

Were here for any vet who qualifies for treatment of their wellness, Bass said.
As a teenager, Clay Maxwell cut firewood to pay for flying lessons at Barstow Airport. "After getting my solo license, I would sell firewood and pay for more lessons," he recalled.

Little did he know that two years after graduating from Meridian High School in 1966, he would be flying a Huey Cobra helicopter over Vietnam, loaded with rockets, a grenade launcher and a Gatling gun that could fire nearly 2,000 rounds per minute.

The 1960s were a tough time for young men Maxwells age. "My family was always patriotic," Maxwell said. "I didnt care for the general attitude of many of my peers, and I really felt it was my duty to help defend my country and its principles."

Having a love for aviation, he left Michigan State University, enlisted in the Army and signed on as a candidate for fixed-wing pilot training.

"At the time the Army had all the fixed-wing pilots they needed," Maxwell said. He signed up for helicopter pilot training where his skills could be used.

After nearly ten months of intensive training at Army bases in Texas, Alabama and Georgia, he was assigned to a Huey Cobra helicopter with the D Troop 25th * Cavalry Infantry Division. His next assignment was in the jungles of Cu Chi, Vietnam, between Saigon and the Cambodian border.

In describing his helicopter, Maxwell said, "It carried 76 rockets, each with the striking force of the 105 howitzer used by the artillery in World War II, a Gatling gun and a 40mm grenade launcher." He added, "The Cobra was strictly an attack helicopter, and thats exactly what we did."

In the beginning of his flight career, his inclination was to be assigned to a Medivac unit, airlifting downed crews from dangerous situations. "I soon learned that I was safer in an attack aircraft," he said. "At least I had firepower, and could protect myself."

One of his greatest fears was firing too close to his own ground troops because the enemy often would plant itself near American troops, knowing the Americans would not fire on themselves. Often, the Viet Cong would dig tunnels under the American bases.

"Traveling at 140 miles an hour at treetop level, it was difficult targeting the enemy," he recalled.

Another of his greatest fears was being captured. "The Viet Cong were not known for their compassion," he said. It was well known that American prisoners in Vietnam were tortured, even to the point of death.

Maxwells aircraft took continual fire from his missions at treetop level as well as at 2,000 feet. One of the hazards in flying over a jungle was he could not see the enemy, but they could see him. "Whenever we heard a humming noise over our FM radios, it meant we better get out of there fast. Enemy guns had us locked in on radar," he said.

Maxwell had more combat assault missions than he cares to remember, frequently under heavy ground fire from the Viet Cong.

"It was an interesting education in human nature," recalled Maxwell. "One day you would feel invincible and might take all kinds of risks. Another day you would just find it harder to initiate action. You would just do your job and head back to base."

That wasnt the only experience Maxwell had in human nature. On one occasion, he was forced to crash land in a rice paddy. He was near the Cambodian border when he lost his tail rotor gearbox, in effect losing his center of gravity, and he began spinning toward earth. "I never found out if it had been shot by Cong gunfire or if it was due to mechanical failure," he said with a shrug. The date was Friday, Dec. 13, 1968.

Maxwell had called the "Mayday" signal into his radio before the crippled chopper had fallen nearly 2,000 feet and slammed to the ground. Fortunately he could control the pitch on the main rotor to somewhat slow his vertical descent.

Both Maxwell and his copilot, Scott Moore, suffered crushed back vertebrae. Moore was paralyzed from the waist down, as was Maxwell, temporarily.

"I was in pain," Maxwell remembered, "but I had to get my copilot and myself away from there. We didnt know if or when it might explode."

An item in the Midland Daily News shortly after stated that Maxwells parents, Peter and Doris Maxwell, had received a telephone call from their son to let them know he had been injured, but was doing well. Another helicopter in the area saw the crash landing and went to their aid. Maxwell helped remove Moore from the downed helicopter and he was taken to a base hospital. Then a second aircraft came back and picked up Maxwell.

It was fortunate his disabled ship, if it had to crash, found an open rice paddy in which to come down. "It was an easy rescue," said Maxwell. "If we had come down in the trees, it would have been a different story."

With a compression fracture in his back, he was flown to the base hospital, then to a military hospital in Yokohama, Japan. "After seeing some of the other men there, and the medical problems they were having, I was almost ashamed to be there. So many were a thousand times worse off than I."

After a month in the Yokohama hospital, Maxwell was given a choice. "The doc said, I can send you back to the States, or you can go back to Vietnam. Whats your choice? Now that was a no-brainer," Maxwell said with a laugh. He spent the next couple of weeks in a hospital in Ft. Devins, Mass.

In an earlier experience that nearly cost the lives of both himself and his copilot, they were saved by nature itself. "We were coming in low from a night mission," he said. "It was during an electrical storm. On our approach, we didnt use landing lights because we didnt want to attract attention from enemy fire. Suddenly there was this flash of lightning, and we saw right in front of us, an outline of a huge dead tree. We both pulled back hard on our sticks, and we could hear the limbs dragging on the bottom of the helicopter," he said.

"I can still hear that sound of the tree scraping on our aircraft. If it had not been for that lightning bolt, we would have crashed head-on into the tree."

Maxwell said that in a war, everyone in battle looks out for his buddies as much as he does for himself. As proof of that, he had an experience that earned for him the Army Commendation Medal for Heroism.

On Nov. 4, 1968, a Midland Daily News clipping reads, in part, "Maxwell, who served as a helicopter pilot with the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam, was cited for heroic actions . . . in providing covering fire to protect the crews of several downed copters." And from an Army newspaper, "Despite the intense enemy fire directed at his aircraft, Maxwell courageously made several low-level firing passes upon the enemy positions."

Philosophically, Maxwell believes that one of the problems of the returning Vietnam veteran was that one day he would be fighting the enemy in the jungle, then flown back to the States for discharge and would be wearing civilian clothes, walking down concrete sidewalks the next day.

"There was just no time given to make the adjustment," he said. "In World War II, when most of the troops came home by ship, they had up to maybe three weeks to talk out their experiences with people who had also been there. Then when they got to the States, the docks were filled with people who welcomed them home as heroes. The transition was smoother."

Maxwell said he did not sleep well for at least ten years after returning home, and that he couldnt even talk about his war experiences during that time.

Thinking back, Maxwell related one of his major disappointments lightheartedly. Three times he missed seeing his "hero," and it was caused by his injuries.

"I always loved Bob Hope," he said with a smile. "I was medivaced out of Nam two days before he and his entourage arrived. I had also left Saigon just before he got there, and Hope had left the Yokohoma hospital five days before I arrived." With a disappointed smile, he added, "I found out later that Hope had toured the floor I was on at the hospital." Maxwell never did see Bob Hope.

Including the Purple Heart, Maxwell earned more than a dozen medals and commendations, but his most revered are the two Distinguished Flying Crosses, given for heroes and certified by the President of the United States. The first one was dated the Fourth of July, 1968.

In August 1970, Chief Warrant Officer Maxwell returned to the quiet life of farming on the family farm in Hope, where he remains 30 years later. He no longer flies because, "When its good flying weather, its also good farming weather."
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(After a grueling election, Hillary Clinton was favored to win the presidency going into Tuesday's presidential election. The world was stunned by the eventual victory of Donald Trump, see how newspapers around the globe presented the news on their front pages, above.)



LONDON - Allies recoiled. Adversaries rejoiced. And on the day after U.S. voters made Donald Trump the country's 45th president, the world was left to collectively wonder: What happened to America?

The question hung in the air even as once-unthinkable congratulatory messages poured into Trump Tower from capitals across the globe.

Foreign leaders who had spent months disparaging the Republican nominee as unfit for office were forced to reckon with the reality that he will soon govern the world's sole superpower. U.S. foes who may have only dreamed of a Trump presidency seemed to scarcely believe their good fortune.

Through it all on Wednesday was a palpable sense that Trump's stunning victory could fundamentally transform the global order - though in this endlessly unpredictable year, no one dared forecast exactly how.

"We have no idea what this American president is going to do, when this voice of anger will be the most powerful man in the world," Norbert Rottgen, chairman of the German parliament's foreign affairs committee, told public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk. "Whether he knows his allies and friends, how he is going to approach Vladimir Putin, an authoritarian ruler, how he is going to act when it comes to the question of nuclear armament, all these questions are completely open."

That profound uncertainty was masked by a succession of bland statements from Trump's soon-to-be counterparts among the ranks of global leaders.

Through gritted teeth, democratically elected allies congratulated Trump on his victory and promised business as usual.

In Britain - where the Parliament in January debated banning Trump from even visiting the country - Prime Minister Theresa May said her nation and the United States had "an enduring and special relationship based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise." That, she insisted, would carry forward under Trump.

Global autocrats were far more enthusiastic.

News of the Republican's victory was greeted with broad smiles and a round of applause in the lower house of the Russian parliament. In a Moscow ceremony to welcome new ambassadors, Putin referenced Trump's call for warmer ties and said "Russia is ready and willing to restore full-fledged relations with the United States."

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, whose record of imprisoning opponents and restricting speech has earned him condemnation from human rights groups, said he "looks forward to the presidency of President Donald Trump to inject a new spirit into the trajectory of Egyptian-American relations."

In a later statement, Sissi's office boasted that the Egyptian president was the first world leader to reach Trump by phone and personally congratulate him.

Burundi's controversial leader, Pierre Nkurunziza, who has been accused of directing the killing of civilians, said of Trump, "Your victory is the victory of all Americans."

Democracy activists and human rights campaigners, meanwhile, were despairing.

In Brazil, analysts noted that the United States now has the kind of leader more commonly associated with Latin America - a "caudilho," an authoritarian and charismatic figure often linked to military or landowning elites who responds to a desire for "dramatic solutions."

"The North American electorate broke open the shell of the serpent's egg that Donald Trump incubated during the campaign this Tuesday," wrote Clovis Rossi, a columnist for Brazil's Folha de S.Paulo newspaper." Therefore all of the demons that the politically correct had buried or at least eased in United States society are loose."

In the Middle East, Trump's win was seen as a decisive victory for Syrian President Bashar Assad, Egypt's Sissi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other leaders who routinely flout the rights of their political opponents.

"[Trump] is not going to talk about human rights, definitely," said Hisyar Ozsoy, a parliament member representing Turkey's opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, or HDP, whose leaders have recently been arrested. "He will remain deaf and blind to whatever happens here if he wants to work with Turkey."

Erdogan, who had criticized Trump during the presidential campaign for showing intolerance toward Muslims, said that the Republican's victory was a "positive sign" and the "beginning of a new era in the United States."

There was no such optimism among the United States' closest democratic allies.

In Europe, there was never any secret about the continent's overwhelming preference for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

For months, leaders have spoken openly of their contempt for Trump and their fear of the consequences should he be elected - views that, according to pre-election polls, were reflected in a European public that saw a Trump win as a reason to be "afraid." On Wednesday, the terms "shock" and "nightmare" were trending on Twitter in Germany.

Trump's win had many European nations scrambling to understand his intentions on foreign policy, which have been only loosely sketched out.

Envoys from major U.S. allies typically meet campaign advisers to Democrats and Republicans ahead of elections to try to understand how elections will affect them. That was easy to do with the Clinton campaign, which was studded with veterans from her decades in the public eye. But countries such as Germany - Europe's dominant power - have not been able to secure meetings with the Trump campaign, officials said.

In Brussels, diplomats fretted about the consequences for NATO, which was the target of sharp rhetoric from Trump during the campaign as he questioned the priorities of the military alliance. While the Obama administration has committed a battalion of troops to Eastern Europe to deter a resurgent Russia, Trump has proposed a radically different approach to the Kremlin.

But mainstream leaders who just a day before were openly criticizing Trump moved quickly Wednesday to play nice, recognizing that they had no choice but to work with the new American president.

"It wasn't what we were expecting," said David McAllister, a German lawmaker who is the head of the European Parliament's delegation to the United States. "We Europeans need the Americans to guarantee our security, and we have a huge interest in transatlantic relations."

The quiet grimaces from Europe's mainstream contrasted vividly with the cheers from the continent's far right.

Trump's win was immediately seen as possible harbinger of a far-right victory in France's 2017 presidential election, which analysts now say could represent a third chapter in a string of stunning populist upheavals.

"It's a divine surprise for the National Front," said Dominique Moisi, a co-founder of the French Institute for International Relations. "Suddenly the possibility that after Brexit and after Trump there could be Marine Le Pen is striking the French."

To many in Britain, Trump's victory was stunning - but also familiar, coming as it did less than five months after the country voted to leave the European Union.

"Trump said himself that his election would be 'Brexit plus plus.' and he was right," said Thomas Roulet, a management professor at King's College London.

Nowhere was the result felt more keenly than in Mexico, where the peso crumbled. "It feels like our nightmare is here," tweeted Jorge Guajardo, who was Mexico's ambassador to China from 2007 to 2013.

Trump's disdain for Mexican immigrants and his pledges to build a wall along the Mexican border and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement have made him a figure of hate for many Mexicans.

"Mexico will have a very big problem having good relations with him," said Raul Benitez Manaut, a professor at Mexico's National Autonomous University. "Mexicans are very nationalistic, and they feel aggrieved by Trump."

In South Africa, as well, many were angered by the election of a man who had called their nation "a crime-ridden mess that is just waiting to explode."

A Trump victory "is a victory for right-wing racist politics. It doesn't bode well for the world," Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille told the country's Business Day newspaper.

Trump's victory was also deeply concerning to the governments in Japan and South Korea, Washington's two closest allies in Asia. On the campaign trail, Trump had repeatedly pledged to upend the American military pacts with both countries, saying neither was paying enough for its defense against a nuclear-armed North Korea and a strengthening China.

"The current situation seems like the beginning of the U.S.'s decline and a beginning of the failure of democracy," said Hasung Jang, a professor of finance at Korea University in Seoul.

China's state media made a similar point.

"The probably most divisive and scandalous election in American history has eroded voters' faith in the two-party system, as many voters called it a game of money, power, and influence," wrote the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Meanwhile, governments that have been out of favor under President Barack Obama foresaw new opportunities under Trump. Israeli politicians called for Trump to make good on his campaign promise to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, a long-running source of contention. And they predicted an even bigger triumph in the region's decades of conflict.

"The era of the Palestinian state is over," said Education Minister Naftali Bennett.

Others in countries on the outs with Obama were far less sanguine.

In the Philippines, the mood was somber at the U.S. Embassy's election party, with a crowd of Filipino Americans and students eager to study in the United States expressing fear, shock and disappointment.

"The U.S. is known as a country for immigrants, as the land of the free, but he wants to build a wall," said Carlos Llamas, a 19-year-old college junior studying consular and diplomatic affairs. "As president you are chief diplomat for your country, but he doesn't act like that."

---

Denyer reported from Beijing. The Washington Post's Joshua Partlow in Mexico City; Michael Birnbaum in Brussels; Loveday Morris and William Booth in Irbil, Iraq; Erin Cunningham in Istanbul; Emily Rauhala in Manila; Rama Lakshmi in New Delhi; Yuki Oda in Tokyo; Yoonjung Seo in Seoul; Congcong Zhang, Luna Lin and Jin Xin in Beijing; Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin; Sudarsan Raghavan in Cairo; Pamela Constable in Kabul; Louisa Loveluck and Liz Sly in Beirut; Kevin Sieff in Nairobi; Dom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro; and James McAuley in Paris contributed to this report.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department.

Friday, Nov. 11

12:04 a.m.  A motorist was arrested at U.S. 10 and Jefferson Avenue for drunken driving.

2:09 a.m.  A motorist was cited at Christie Court and North Saginaw Road for unregistered vehicle and driving without insurance.

Thursday, Nov. 10

8:30 a.m.  A deputy was assigned to a Midland Township location to monitor traffic at a school bus stop. No violations were seen.

12:18 p.m.  A deputy was sent to a single vehicle crash in Greendale Township, in which two people were hurt. Charges of driving without a license, driving an unregistered vehicle and careless driving are being requested against a 17-year-old male.

2:46 p.m.  Three chain saws, a total value of $500, were stolen from a Homer Township address. There are no suspects.

8:49 p.m.  Deputies were sent to an assault and suicidal person at a Larkin Township home. The victim was taken to the emergency room for a mental evaluation. A report on the assault is being sent to the prosecutor.

8:51 p.m.  Deputies were sent to a Homer Township address for a report of a domestic assault. A report is being sent to the prosecutor for review.

9:57 p.m.  Deputies responded to a Village of Sanford home for a report of a disorderly person.

11:39 p.m.  A motorist was arrested at South Saginaw Road and Rodd Street for driving without a license.

11:54 p.m.  A deputy was called to a Midland Township home after the resident reported finding a spy camera. The device was found to be a small light similar to those found in toys.
Over the years Ive had the honor of interviewing many local veterans about their military experiences, and, without fail, Im left in awe by their bravery, heroic acts and humility.

Their families are just as incredible. Some have sadly paid the ultimate price of losing a loved one in service. Yet military families embrace their role in supporting the men and women who protect our freedom.

This past week I sifted through archives to find veterans stories that made a big impact on me.

In 1987, I had the privilege of interviewing Fred Pyle of Pontiac about his 20-year career in the U.S. Navy. Pyle, who died in 2008, was stationed at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

After spending two hours with him, I returned to the newsroom to discover my notebook was nearly empty. I was so fascinated by his account, I had forgotten to take thorough notes and had to call him back for a few key facts.

He was just 18 years old that terrible December morning. He was in the mess hall serving hash browns and boiled eggs when the Japanese attack began and launched the U.S. into World War II.

For the few hours of the attack, he loaded shells into a five-inch anti-aircraft gun. He wasnt sure exactly how long he was at the post because his entire concentration was on loading the gun.

I did it until I was told to cease, he said. Then he hopped on the bow of a motor boat heading out to rescue sailors from burning ships.

We went right up to the ships, he told me. The Oklahoma had capsized and men were standing on what should have been the boats bottom.

Some of the people he rescued were swimming, while others were floating, badly burned or wounded. The young hero lost track of how many men he pulled from the water that day.

That afternoon in 1987, as he recalled memories of a pilot being shot while parachuting from a burning plane, Pyle wept. He said he hadnt really talked much about the experience of that day. Yet, he was willing to share his amazing story with me, with humility and courage. Ill never forget it.

While his account recalled the beginning of World War II, I interviewed another Pontiac man whose experience helped bring about the wars end. More than 30 years ago, on June 6, 1984, I interviewed Henry Vertrees of Pontiac for the 40th anniversary of D-Day.

Vertrees, who died in 2010, was a sergeant in the U.S. Army and involved in the D-Day Invasion and Battle of the Bulge. The list of his service decorations and awards was lengthy, yet he humbly claimed he was simply doing his duty.

Like Pyle, Vertrees recalled what was on the menu the day of that key battle. On June 5, 1944, the day before D-Day, breakfast included scrambled eggs, bacon and English porridge.

The invasion was a brilliant operation, he told me at his Pontiac home. He vividly recalled the complexity and massive scale of the operation.

Gen. Dwight Eisenhowers voice came over a public address system and told the men the Allied Forces had invaded the continent of Europe and they were headed to battle.

When he finished, everyone was stunned, said Vertrees. It was quiet, and then there was a lot of cheering. Everyone was relieved because we knew what we had to do. We knew we must do this before we could go home.

Both Pyle and Vertrees paid tribute to their fallen brothers and sisters, downplaying their own contributions. They were grateful, each said, to come home to their families. And Im grateful to have known both of these heroes.

Thank you to all the veterans who have served our great country.
DECATUR  Danny Jones, a firefighter for the Jamestown, Pa., Volunteer Fire Department, was on duty a few days after Sept. 11, 2001, when he received a call for first responders to help with an operation at the Flight 93 crash site.

We were called to do body part recovery and plane recovery, said Jones, 52, a retired paramedic who has been serving as a firefighter since he was 16 years old. They called it 'Operation Clean Sweep,' the final cleanup operation.

Jones, who lived about 160 miles away from the crash site near Shankstown, Pa., was given a bucket to collect scraps from the plane and flags to mark any tissue from people, which would be collected by medical personnel.

United Airlines Flight 93 was the fourth plane hijacked during the terrorist attack. Everyone aboard was killed, including 33 passengers and seven crew members, as brave passengers charged the cockpit, forcing the hijackers to crash the Boeing 757 into a field, instead of their intended target in Washington, D.C.

There were pieces of scrap metal all over the place, Jones said during a phone interview. It was obviously a very devastating crash. One of those things you wish you never saw but you did. I was very honored to be there and help out.

One of the pieces made its way to Decatur, and is part of a memorial unveiled this week in the foyer of the Macon County Courts Facility. The piece is set back in its own case, so it appears to be within the body of a bald eagle that gazes in the direction of an ascending aircraft above a field.

The U.S. flag provides the backdrop, over the famous quote from Todd Beamer, the apparent leader of the passenger rebellion: Are you guys ready? Let's roll.

On the day Jones volunteered to help at the crash site, the major pieces of the plane had already been cleared away. What was left were the smaller fragments, which Jones and others discovered by crawling around.

With the permission of authorities, Jones took home several small fragments.

In October 2015, John Axe, a Decatur man, stopped at the Jamestown fire station, where firefighters invited him to park his rig, loaded with a steel I-beam from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. Axe was returning the beam to Decatur to build a 9/11 memorial. It was obtained through the efforts of the George A. Mueller Beer Co.

When I heard the beam was over there, I thought one of those pieces should go with that, Jones said.

Jones offered Axe the best piece he had, a 2-by-6-inch slice of aluminum with two rivets in it. After Axe returned to Decatur, he wondered what he should do with the tiny remnant of history.

He contacted Macon County sheriff's Lt. Jon Butts, who thought of a place in the courthouse. After more discussion with county officials, Dynagraphics Inc., was commissioned to fabricate the memorial.

Butts said the memorial is dedicated to the 40 heroes who perished on Sept. 11, after boarding a flight from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco. The four hijackers, affiliated with Al Qaeda, also were killed.
Our beleaguered state will have less clout in Washington with Donald Trump's election and continued Republican control of Congress. Thats no small matter when a spike in federal infrastructure spending and job creation is on the Trump agenda. Unfortunately, our part of Illinois is unlikely to be spared the effects of diminished influence. Allow me to explain.

First, theres that electoral map. The president-elect probably has burned the image into his mind for easy reference  the one with the big blue blob in the middle of a sea of red, a stark reminder that Illinois voters denied him the Land of Lincolns 20 electoral votes.

Then theres the fact that Illinois congressional delegation is about to become even more heavily weighted with out-of-power Democrats. It starts with our state about to be represented by two Democratic senators with Tammy Duckworth having drubbed Mark Kirk. It continues with another of Illinois 18 House seats about to be occupied by a Democrat. The score, come January: 11 Democrats and seven Republicans.

And theres the GOP loyalty factor. Anybody think Trump will forget how U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, whose district extends south toward Gibson City, was one of the first and most vocal Republican congressmen to call out Trump as a con artist and unfit to be commander-in-chief? No invitation to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll for you, congressman.

How about Rep. Rodney Davis on-and-off support of Trump? He endorsed Trump, then un-endorsed him. He also visibly resigned from Trumps agriculture advisory committee, which never met. Davis, who represents parts of McLean and 13 other counties stretching from Champaign-Urbana toward St. Louis, may need to protect his right flank from a possible challenger in a primary only 16 months from now. Thats because voters in all but one of his 14 counties supported Trump on Tuesday. And he didnt.

Among this areas congressmen, only Rep. Darin LaHood meekly embraced the GOP nominee, eager to prove his Republican bona fides.

I couldnt help but notice how none of the 19 photos in his three mass mailers included an image of his father, Ray LaHood. Some Republicans consider the senior LaHood a traitor because he went from being a GOP congressman to being a member of President Obamas Cabinet. Only one of the 19 counties in the younger LaHoods 18th district didnt line up behind Trump this week.

Finally, and importantly, we have Gov. Bruce Rauner, still another Republican who distanced himself from Trump. He may have to wait a long time for a Trump White House to return a phone call.

In the meantime, wish our president-elect well and pray for our state. And our country.

Schock treatment

This area had already lost standing in Washington last year when Aaron Schock resigned from Congress and Illinois surrendered a seat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

Shock was indicted this week on federal charges that he defrauded the government and campaign committees and tried to cover it up. He says our federal justice system is broken. Just for the record, the U.S. attorney for Central Illinois last year had 346 convictions and zero acquittals.

Green light?

With voter endorsement of the Safe Roads (aka Lockbox) amendment to the Illinois Constitution, dont be surprised if theres Springfield chatter about maybe increasing some fees and taxes. With assurances the revenue cant be spent on anything but transportation, coupled with such decisive passage of the amendment, citizens might be viewed as willing to support a higher gas tax or license fee.

The turnaround

Hats off to Cardinals fans who genuinely cheered for the Cubs in the World Series. Maybe even to the St. Louis fan heard to say, Way to go, Cubs. I hope you win it again  in 108 years.
The role of a father is to raise his children, provide and nurture them but what this father in Missouri did to his family is clearly not a father's role. As an act of revenge to his wife for wanting to end their nine-year marriage, Christopher Cadenbach kidnapped his young boys, Ethan and Owen. He shot them and killed himself after.

According to a news article on PEOPLE, authorities are now in search of Christopher Cadenbachfor being charged with domestic violence following two alleged attacks on his wife and for killing his two sons.

As what Ken Cox, the deputy chief St. Louis County Police Department described the event as a tragic ending as cited on Washington Post. He told the reporters that the children; Ethan aged 5 and Owen aged 4, own died after being fatally shot inside Cliff Cave County Park in Oakville, Missouri. By mother.

Cadenbach made alarming statements while they were in a park with his mother and his two sons causing his mother to report him of domestic violence. The authorities then initiated a statewide AMBER alert.

After arriving at Cliff Cave County Park, the authorities saw a car matching the vehicle described in the AMBER alert. A police helicopter hovering above the area recorded a video footage of a man approaching the car and firing two shots.

The number of shots was not clearly determined because as the police was nearing Cadenbach, the area was pitch black and shots rang out. Ethan and Owen were both dead when they finally reached the vehicle.

Elisa Sartorius-Cadenbach, the mother of the two boys, wanted to end her nine-year marriagewith Cadenbach. She thinks that Cadenbach just snapped and as a revenge for pressing charges against him, he did the most hurtful way possible .

To help the family for the boys' burial, a GoFundMe account was created.
Some American states have banned commercial surrogacy but this has not stopped wealthy Chinese citizens, single or gay individuals or even infertile couples, to turn to American surrogates. And those looking for surrogates in the Unites States are flocking in California, thanks to the state's favorable laws and reliable physicians.

Dianna Barindelli of Modesto, California already has two young daughters but has agreed to become a surrogate first in 2012 because she still wanted to get pregnant. She belongs to an exclusive surrogate agency in Encino known as the Center for Surrogate Parenting. She became a surrogate for a Chinese couple again in 2014 and recently to a Taiwanese couple, according to Hollywood Reporter.

The rising demand for surrogates has been blamed on China's one-child policy, which forced wealthy Chinese couples to turn to foreign surrogates so they could still spawn male children while circumventing the policy. In January this year, China changed tactics and implemented a two-child policy to save the country and the economy from its aging population but while it initially banned surrogates, ConceiveAbilities said the main law-making body of China reversed this prohibition draft but unfortunately, it is still in effect as implemented by the Health Ministry.

Foreign surrogacy has proven to be a big business as it can cost as much as $120,000 but wealthy Chinese are willing to pay the price to be able to conceive a child who would be entitled to a U.S. citizenship. Reuters said it is actually an investment for Chinese families who dream of someday immigrating to the United States when their children turn 21 and become eligible to get Green Cards for them.

Even though there is no actual data on the rising demand of Chinese for American surrogates, this is evident with the decision of fertility and surrogacy clinics and agencies in the U.S. to employ people who can speak Mandarin and to include Chinese translations for their websites. John Weltman, president of the Circle Surrogacy in Boston said they have handled six surrogacy cases for the Chinese in the past five years and expect this to double in the next months.
Most women go through excruciating pain when they have their period. Period pains are one of the worst conditions that women have to go through as some could not be alleviated by medication. With numerous alternatives to relieve menstrual cramps, one of the best options was manufactured by a Swiss chocolate company called, "Chocolate with Love."

A Swiss chocolate company came up with a way to help women who struggle with menstrual cramps every time they'd have their period. Independent reports that "Chocolate with Love" is specifically formulated for women who struggle with dysmenorrhea.

The dark chocolate is called Frauenmond, which is a German term for "woman's moon." Marc Widmer, the man behind the chocolate that alleviates menstrual cramps, told 20 Minuten that he drew inspiration from a group of farmers that manufactures tea of the same name. He stated that the farmers taught him how to come up with the right blend of ingredients that can give women relief when they'd struggle with their monthly period.

Widmer then added that he was taught to use specific ingredients, which include a variety of herbs from the Swiss Alps that produces a calming effect. It was mentioned the one Frauenmond chocolate bar contains a total of 60 percent cocoa and 17 different types of herbs, which help the chocolate bar to effectively increase the serotonin and regulated blood flow.

The chocolate may be the best thing that women can get a hold of while going through period cramps, but Widmer explains that it should not be used as a medical substitute. It was then highlighted that the Frauenmond chocolate IS NOT a medicinal product, thus consulting health care professionals in dealing with severe menstrual cramps is still the best option.

As a woman, what's the best hack for you to soothe your menstrual cramps? Share it with us through the comment section below.
A teenager from Florida who happened to have fought cancer successfully wore a shirt that read "Survivor". However, he was told that his attire didn't conform to the dress code of the school.

On Nov. 2, Tyler Powers dressed up in the American Cancer Society's purple shirt, which had a label of "Survivor" on it. Powers wore this shirt to his school, Ridgewood High School in New Port Richey.

Powers stated that at only seven years of age, he successfully beat his first encounter with cancer following his diagnosis with lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of five. However, at the age of eight, he relapsed but two years later was declared cancer-free again.

Tyler Powers told the Huffington post that during the second period at school, one of his teachers disapproved his shirt saying that it didn't meet the school's dress requirements. The reason given to him was that one of the logos on the shirt was too large.

According to the Ridgewood High School, the school's dress code includes that the logos should not be larger than one quarter. Whatever logic runs behind this so-called rule, Tyler was temporarily suspended until he had on a new shirt to wear.

Powers went to the suspension room where he was given three choices. As he stated "I went down there where I had three options: I could get a change of clothes that they provide, a free Ridgewood shirt, and they would confiscate my shirt until the end of the day or I could call my parents and they would have their workday interrupted and bring me a change of clothes down or I could accept ISS and stay there all day."

Tyler wore on a temporary shirt that the school had provided him with. The Communications and Government Relations Director of Pasco Country Schools, Linda Cobbe told the Huffington Post that Ridgewood would amend and modify the dress code and these policies will soon be implemented.

Regarding Tyler's case, Linda stated that the big logo on his shirt transgressed the rules. She also said that Tyler wasn't kept in the school's in-suspension rooms but was rather given the choice of wearing a new shirt provided by the school and continue with his school routine.
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In the order in which I saw them.

Specter of the Rose: Utterly whackadoo noirish thing by Ben Hecht, set in the world of ballet. Youd think Id love it! But the acting is just not great, and the main characters are wafer-thin. If youre more willing than I was to succumb to the pasteboard melodrama of it all you might love this. There is one truly great line: If we jailed all the people I dislike, the world would become a pensive vacuum.

Hunger: Intense, complex Bobby Sands/Maze prison hunger strike biopic directed by Steve McQueen. Victor Morton pointed out the use of sound and unexpected camera angles to create disorientation and anxiety. He also notes that its almost three separate movies: Act one is institutional life in a horror-prison, with empathy for the guards but unsparing portrayal of their brutality. (And equally blunt portrayal of how it doesnt actually workthe prison is not secure. Every concession the prison administration makes to human kindness is exploited by the strikers and their families; so then the prison fights back with pointless violence and degradation.) Act two is a two-handed argument between Sands and a sympathetic priest. Its terrific, human-scale and inexorable. Act three is the hunger strike itself. This movie fulfills its mandate with intelligence and artistic rigor.

Dont Bother to Knock: Brisk, poignant tale of a tough guy (Richard Widmark, always a joy), a hotel chanteuse (Ann Baxter), and a babysitter with some hidden demons (Marilyn Monroe, perfectly portraying a haunted lamb). Surprised to find that this is a movie about empathy: Chicks dig it, but also, chicks can go too far and you have to empathize anyway, because we all have reasons for what we do. Sexy when it needs to be, horror-tinged when it needs to be (Monroe skids toward The Nanny in one passage), a well-constructed small film.

Dead Ringer: BETTE DAVIS IS TWINS! There is a NOIR HARPSICHORD! Great, great music for this tale of two sisters. Margaret marries the scion of a wealthy California Catholic family (the mantilla Catholicism just drips from this thingalthough note that Dona Anna is progressive enough to think you should pray for suicides souls, which seems daring to me although I wasnt around in the early 60s) and Edith sinks into financial desperation running a cheapie nightclub. When the estranged sisters meet again crime! passion! Bette Davis not quite managing to act opposite a phantom of herself!

No, this was really fun, a classic crime-doesnt-pay noir downer. I do think Davis isnt at her best here, especially in the scenes she shares with herself.

Coming to America: Somehow I had never seen this before. Its so great, you guys. Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall are both phenomenal in multiple roles. The dating in New York montage is ridiculously great (I have a secret. [pause] I WORSHIP THE DEVIL), the African costumes and dance are phenomenal, and like Tuff Turf this movie seamlessly meshes shameless adoration of the trappings of wealth and ghetto pride in your ramshackle, violent hometown. The 80s, my friends. This is streaming on Netflix in the US and you should take advantage if you can.
From my friend, the Zen teacher Josh Bartok. Reprinted with permission

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for meand there was no one left to speak for me.

Martin Niemoller, Protestant Pastor in Nazi Germany

Dear ones,

Like so many of us, yesterday I was too paralyzed by sadness, grief, and terror to be able to do much more than stumble darkly through my dayon very, very few hours of sleep. I am still terrified, still grieving, and still sad beyond wordsbut amid my disorientation and incapacitation I can begin to think about first steps forward in the service of the sangha of all beings.

What is happening in the US is not, tragically, new. Its been here since the founding of the countrybut its now rising up like a tsunami with undeniable force. And, of course, weve seen it elsewhere. In the 1940s, in Budapest, Hungary my Jewish fathers family was killed by Nazis. Ultimately, I think the transgenerational trauma of that event in part led to my dads suicide in 2008. And I know I still experience the transgenerational traumatic effects of it, especially and renewedly now. Truly, the karma of all actions ripples and resonates throughout space and time. This is the principle that lets us actualize our bodhisattva vows.

What we do matters. What we dont do matters. What we say matters, and what we dont say matters. Even what we think matters.

It is very, very clear to me that we need each other more now than ever before. The sangha, larger and smaller, needs us. People of color, Muslims, Jews, women, girls, and LGBTIQ people need us. I need us. We need us.

I am not an expert in social justice, activism, or fighting racism. I am not experienced in being part of spiritual leadership as my country begins to solidify as a dystopian fascist oligarchy. I really dont know what to do.

But is clear that doing nothing, saying nothing is a default on the debt of gratitude I owe to the Buddha, the Dharma, and all beings.

Holding the space of grief and fear for myself and others, bearing witness, hurting when its time to hurt, living from love in every way we canall of this is profoundly important, essential, life-sustaining, grounding, and of real power for the Way. Our spiritual practice is more urgent now than ever before. It can give us the possibility of reorienting choicefully moment by moment, encounter to encounter, to love, to simple kindness. It will let us be undestroyed amid the destructive powers of the world.

But that is not enough. Me being undestroyed is not enough; you and I being undestroyed is not enough. Indeed, nothing will be enoughbut we must not take false refuge in not-enoughness, and we must not let the insufficiency of each response deter us from all. We cant take false refuge in our own okayness or in the okayness that is not our own.

Doing what we can, when we can, in the amount can, we can begin to requite the debt we owe to all beings.

So what should we do, what can we do? I dont know AND, amid that not-knowing, heres something a Facebook friend, Rob Santos, wrote:

****

As a well-privileged white guy, I will not be forced to make an action plan. If I do nothing for four years, I know Ill be spared. I can afford to do nothing if I choose. Being a good liberal, I can rest comfortably in an armchair and launch knowing criticisms of how fucked it all is, without once getting up and contributing bodily energy to protecting those who are more exposed, to resisting Trumpism with my actions, not just my words.

Heres what Ive done so far:

1) Spent time to contemplate my options independently, before asking you others what to do. Did my best to imagine the possibilities, what Im capable of, who Ill need to ask for help, a timeline, etc.

2) Asked others for input and revised my plan based on that.

Heres what I have so far:

1) When I witness acts of hate and marginalization, move to the side of the victim and invite them to a safer place.

2) To the extent that its reasonably safe, spoil the moment for the aggressor with my words, I.e., tell them thats not cool/thats racism/youre abusing a stranger. Speak so they and others can hear. Drop a note a shame on them, to create some inner friction for them in future moments.

3) Volunteer with an organization that already exists to fight Trumpism and protect those most under threat. Show up, do actual work, and give money.

4) Signal boost. Echo and promote the ideas and voices of others who are not as easily heard as I am.

5) Take opportunities to compassionately engage other cis white men to challenge themselves to state their individual plans for action.

******

I need you. The sangha needs you. The world needs you, personallyyour own your own energy, your own time and effort, and your own showing up.

I hope to see many, many of you there.

We cant do itany of itby ourselves, and nobody else can do it for us.

With a heavy heart,

And profound appreciation for all you,

Josh

(The Reverend Josh Rosenthal Bartok is a Zen priest and abbot of the Greater Boston Zen Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is considered one of the leading figures among the new generation of Western Zen teachers.)
Patna: Six months after criminals on the payroll of former Siwan MP and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Mohammed Shahabuddin shot and killed a Hindi daily journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, yet another scribe in Bihar was gunned down on Saturday morning in Sasaram district.

Dharmendra Singh, a Dainik Bhaskar reporter in his forties, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle near a tea stall outside his house in Rohtas on Saturday morning.

He was rushed to a local hospital but due to lack of advanced medical care in the region, he was advised to be taken to a hospital in Varanasi. However, he succumbed to his injuries before he could reach the hospital.

As reported, Singh was in the crosshair of the mining mafia for reporting against them.

Authorities have launched a manhunt to apprehend the killers.

Reactions following the murder of another journalist in Bihar were as on party lines as expected.

Janata Dal  U spokesperson Sanjay Singh said the police were doing the job and the killers would soon be arrested and brought to justice. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) President and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, on the other hand, slammed the Nitish government for allowing the return of Jungle Raj in Bihar.

"Criminals have taken over the state but Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is traveling the state under the banner of 'Nishchay Yatra' in an attempt to continue to fool the public about his non-existent accomplishments," Paswan said adding there was no rule of law in Bihar and the government had completely failed in keeping the criminals in check.
Iran Expects Trump To Accept Nuclear Deal 'Once Dust Settles'

11/12/16

Source: RFE/RL

PRAGUE -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he believes the next U.S. administration will accept the landmark nuclear deal signed by Tehran and world powers, despite U.S. President-elect Donald Trump pledging to "tear up" the agreement.





Iranian FM Javad Zarif Zarif, speaking in the Czech capital on November 11





An array of international sanctions targeting Iran were lifted earlier this year following the deal, which curbs the country's controversial nuclear program.



Zarif, speaking in the Czech capital on November 11, said that he expects Trump to support the deal "once the dust has settled and people are briefed about the realities of the region and the world."



"It will be in the interest of everybody to remain committed in practice to the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)," said Zarif, referring to the official name of the nuclear deal. "But if there are doubts about the implementation, then Iran will have its own options as well."







Iranian and Czech FMs Javad Zarif (L) and Lubomir Zaoralek at a press conference





During the election campaign, Trump called the deal "disastrous" and said it would be his "No. 1 priority" to dismantle it.



U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner and other U.S. experts said on November 10 that the deal is not legally binding and that Trump could not only refuse to abide by the deal but could reverse President Barack Obama's executive orders carrying out the U.S. side of the deal by easing economic sanctions on Iran.



Their assessment contradicted Iranian President Hassan Rohani's assertion on November 9 that there is "no possibility" Trump could dismantle the deal because it was approved by multiple nations on the UN Security Council.

Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami Demands Trump Apologize For Calling Iranians 'Terrorists'

11/12/16

Source: RFE/RL

Iranian Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami warned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump not to play games with Iran, and said Trump should apologize to the Iranian people for calling them "terrorists" during his campaign.





Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami speaking at the Friday prayers in Tehran on November 11



Trump should known that Iranians "will offer resistance against the United States of America until their very last breath," the influential cleric said during Friday prayers in Tehran on November 11.



Trump should know better than to play with "the tail of the lion," Khatami added, as Tehran has successfully foiled and frustrated several of Trump's White House predecessors, he said.



Trump should "respectfully apologize to the nation" for his harsh charges against Iran during the campaign, Khatami said, noting that "We respect the people of other countries and we respect their elections."



Meanwhile, the powerful Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called Trump's election a sign of American decline.



He urged Americans to resist Trump's intolerant views of Muslims and minorities.



"Peace be upon the American people, those who like moderation and who want peace and peaceful coexistence between religions and ethnicities," Sadr said.

Based on reporting by AP and dpa

Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Trial of Seven Leading Members of Banned Iranian Reformist Party Postponed

11/12/16

Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran

Former Politicians Sent Letter to Parliament Criticizing Persecution of Oppositionists





Seven Leading Members of Banned Iranian Reformist Party



The trial of seven former reformist politicians who have been charged with "assembly and collusion against national security" and "membership in an illegal group" was postponed after Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court agreed to a request from their defense lawyers for more time to prepare.

On November 5, 2016, two days before their originally scheduled trial date, the defendants sent a letter to Parliament criticizing the Judiciary for targeting oppositionists through the use of vaguely defined laws and charging them with catch-all national security crimes.

"The lack of a definition for security crimes has given the Judiciary an open hand to prosecute nearly every form of legal political activity," said the letter. "As you can see, no one has been [officially] prosecuted for political crimes, rather all the charges are security related."

"Many detained political activists are denied the right to a lawyer until the start of their trials," continued the letter. "The presence of a lawyer in court is important not just for his legal expertise in defending the rights of his clients, but also to counter unlawful motions put forward by the prosecution."

The seven senior members of the now banned reformist political party, the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF)-Mohammad Reza Khatami, Mohammad Naimipour, Mohsen Safaie Farahani, Hamidreza Jalaiepour, Hossein Kashefi, Ali Shakouri-Rad and Azar Mansouri-were initially summoned to court on September 7, 2016; their trial was initially set for November 7, 2016.

The IIPF was established following the election of Mohammad Khatami as the Islamic Republic's first reformist president in 1997. Many of the group's members joined his cabinet or were elected to Parliament, but after leading protests against the widely disputed result of Iran's 2009 presidential election, several of the party's senior members were arrested and jailed.



In 2010, the IIPF was banned. Its leadership protested against the ruling for being without legal foundation and in 2015 formed the Union of Islamic Iran People Party.

According to Article 1 of the Political Crimes Law that came into effect on May 18, 2016: "Every crime mentioned in Article 2 of this law, if committed against the country's internal or external political statesmen, with the intention to reform state affairs, will be considered a political crime, even if the perpetrator has no intention to strike at the state's very foundation." Examples of crimes listed in Article 2 include, "insulting or defaming the heads of the three branches of state (Executive, Legislature and Judiciary), vice presidents, ministers and members of Parliament."

Based on Article 48 of Iran's Criminal Procedure Code, "Once a suspect comes under criminal supervision, he or she can seek the presence of lawyer." However, an added amendment states: "During preliminary investigations involving national security crimes inside or outside of the country... suspects can choose a lawyer or lawyers from the Bar Association who are approved by the Judiciary."

Referring to the Revolutionary Guards and its Intelligence Organization, and the Intelligence Ministry, the letter also lamented "the great corruption within a military institution for engaging in [internal] security matters" in parallel with other intelligence and security organizations.
EU-Iran Relations in the Trump Era

11/12/16

by Eldar Mamedov (source: LobeLog)



Three Musketeers: New Gingrich, Bob Corker and John Bolton

Hawks slated for top jobs in the Trump administration

(artwork by DonkeyHotey, flickr published by Iranian daily Shargh)





One undeniable benefit of the historic nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is that it opened the channels of communications between Iran and the EU beyond the narrow issue of the implementation of the agreement. As the high-level political consultations between the EU and Iran on November 8-9 in Brussels have shown, the bilateral agenda now includes economic cooperation, discussions on regional issues, notably Syria, and even a nascent dialogue on human rights. Thus, the Brussels meetings have provided a suitable opportunity for both Europeans and Iranians to compare notes on the election of Donald Trump as the US president and what it means for the survival of the JCPOA and broader normalization of EU-Iran relations. What emerged from the conversations shows a considerable convergence of views.

Despite Trump's pre-electoral pledge to renegotiate the deal that he deemed to be "disastrous," both Iranians and Europeans have adopted a wait-and-see approach. To illustrate how the electoral rhetoric may not match the real actions in office, Iranians pointed to the quiet removal from Trump's webpage of his statement vowing to ban Muslims from entering the US. Another glimmer of hope, from the Iranian perspective, lies in Trump's repeated expressions of willingness to work with Russia in Syria and the broader Middle East on the ultimate goal of defeating the so-called Islamic State (ISIS or IS). Since Tehran's already works closely with Moscow to achieve these priorities, it would be very hard for Trump to square the circle by simultaneously cooperating with Russia and antagonizing Iran. According to this most optimistic reading, Trump foreign policy's uncertainty holds out some possibility of a more restrained and realist course-as opposed to Hillary Clinton's predictably hawkish policies that might have undermined the nuclear deal even without consciously seeking such an outcome.

There is, however, a danger of some neoconservatives moving closer to Trump and setting his administration on a more aggressive course than his campaign pronouncements suggested. Already some notorious uber-hawks, such as New Gingrich, John Bolton, and Rudy Giuliani, are slated for top jobs in the Trump administration, including the crucial secretary-of-state job. All three have deep ties with the Iranian dissident cult MEK, on the US terror list until 2012, bitterly opposed to the current Iranian government and advocating regime change in Iran. Although the Saudis, Iran's archrivals in the region, cast their lot with Clinton, they may now be busy trying to figure out how they can "buy off" Trump. And one of Trump's top donors, Sheldon Adelson, a casino magnate with strong pro-Likud views, has threatened Iran with a nuclear strike.

This uncertainty has prompted analysts like Ariane Tabatabai from the Center for Strategic and International Studies to call on the EU to be more assertive in safeguarding and implementing the deal and act as a check on America. The EU might do exactly that. Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief and chair of the Joint Commission tasked with overseeing the implementation of the JCPOA, explicitly emphasized the multilateral character of the Iran deal, codified by a UN SC resolution. Since Iran, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, complies with its commitments on the deal, there is absolutely no incentive on the EU side to renegotiate the deal.





EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif

(photo by Islamic Republic News Agency)



Furthermore, the EU's own interests have been pushing it to invest in its relations with Iran. The EU is closer to the Middle East than the US and is directly affected by the turmoil there in the shape of a terrorist threat and irregular migration. Whether it is the Syrian war or the flow of refugees from Afghanistan, Europeans realize they have to deal with Iran. They also see it as a potentially lucrative market for their businesses. The traffic of officials and businesspeople between Tehran and European capitals is heavy these days. On October 25, the European Parliament (EP) adopted a forward-looking report on relations with Iran. The Council of the EU, the main foreign-policy making body representing the bloc's 28 member states, is preparing to adopt its new guidelines on relations with Iran, which are expected to overlap significantly with the EP report.

More broadly, there are signs that the election of Trump is already stimulating some hard thinking about the EU's strategic autonomy. Plans to create a "defense union" are likely to gain further momentum. Of course, transatlantic relations possess a certain inertia that will likely persist. This link is long-standing and deserves to survive the Trump presidency. However, the EU is unlikely to follow the US in doing something as self-defeating as revoking or even re-negotiating the nuclear deal with Iran. What could, however, put the EU in an indefensible position is if Iranian hardliners sabotage the implementation of the deal as a response to American non-delivery on its commitments. It is only to be hoped that cooler heads will prevail in Tehran in the face of possible provocations from the Republican-led White House and Congress.

There is, however, a wild card on the European side as well-Europe's own right-wing populists, such as the leader of the French National Front Marine Le Pen. Her election as France's president can no longer be ruled out. Le Pen and her Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF), a far-right group in the EP, generally sticks to a superficially friendly line on Iran, regularly lambasting Iran's foes such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. This, however, is part of a general backlash against the French elites, known for their close relations with the Gulf despots, rather than an expression of support for Iran. Le Pen is known for her staunch support for Israel. In the European Parliament vote on the Iran report, she and most of her colleagues from the ENF group abstained. Should Le Pen, who professed her enthusiastic support for Trump, be elected as the president of France, the Iran deal might suffer another blow.

In a world of growing uncertainty, the current leaders of the EU and Iran must do their utmost to ensure that the Iran deal survives the complicated politics of some of its parties. The stakes could not be higher: the fate of a working agreement that not only defused a potentially devastating conflict but also opened a way for re-engaging with one of the key countries in the Middle East.

This article reflects the personal views of the author and not necessarily the opinions of the European Parliament.



About the Author



Eldar Mamedov has degrees from the University of Latvia and the Diplomatic School in Madrid, Spain. He has worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and as a diplomat in Latvian embassies in Washington D.C. and Madrid. Since 2007, Mamedov has served as a political adviser for the social-democrats in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament (EP) and is in charge of the delegation for inter-parliamentary relations between the EP and Iran.
Iranian reporter Mohsen Khazaei killed in Aleppo, Syria

11/12/16

Source: Press TV

Iranian reporter Mohsen Khazaei was killed in Syria's Aleppo on November 12, 2016 while reporting the fighting between Syrian government forces and terrorists in the embattled city.



Iranian reporter Mohsen Khazaei





Mohsen Khazaei was killed on Saturday while his cameraman sustained injuries and was transferred to hospital.



The Iranian reporter lost his life when shrapnel from a mortar shell hit him in the head. His cameraman was also injured in the shoulder.





Aleppo, Syria



Aleppo, once Syria's second largest city, has been the scene of fighting between Syrian forces and terrorists.



It has been divided over the past four years between Damascus forces in the west and terrorists in the east, making it a front line battleground.



Backed by Russian air cover, the Syrian army in September launched operations to reunite the divided northwestern city.
The Iranian nuclear deal is not a bilateral agreement between U.S. and Iran: EU's Federica Mogherini

11/12/16

Source: Tehran Times

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Wednesday that the JCPOA, the official name for the nuclear deal between Iran and great powers, is a "multilateral agreement" and that she is tasked to guarantee its full implementation.





EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini

(source: frontpage of Iranian daily Arman)





Republican Donald Trump, who unexpectedly won the U.S. presidency on Tuesday, had argued during his campaigns that he would renegotiate the nuclear deal if he was elected president.



"The Iranian deal, the nuclear deal, is not a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Iran," she said in an interview with CNN.



"It's a multilateral agreement that we have negotiated. I have a personal, direct responsibility as, still, the chair of the joint commission that supervises the implementation of the agreement, to guarantee that it is fully implemented by all sides - all sides - and this is enframed into a UN Security Council resolution, actually more than one," she added.



She said, "So it is not a bilateral or unilateral issue. It is a multilateral agreement in the framework of the UN."



Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday that Iran wants all parties to stick to the international nuclear deal but has options if that does not happen.



"Of course Iran's options are not limited but our hope and our desire and our preference is for the full implementation of the nuclear agreement, which is not bilateral for one side to be able to scrap," Zarif asserted Zarif in a news conference in Bratislava after meeting his Slovak counterpart Miroslav Lajcak.



Also on Wednesday Zarif said Trump must stick to international agreements including the nuclear deal which was reached in July 2015 and took effect in January 2016.



President Hassan Rouhani also said on Wednesday that the election of Trump will have no effect on Iran's behavior.



The nuclear agreement that was signed between Iran, and six great powers - China, Russia, the U.S, Britain, France, and Germany - in July 2015 went into effect in January.



According to the JCPOA, Iran is tasked to limit its nuclear activities and instead sanctions against the country are removed.
Pars Generation+ holds Arts & Culture Mixer in San Francisco

11/12/16

Source: Pars Equality Center (PEC), San Jose, California

Pars Generation+ hosted a lively Art & Culture Mixer on Election Night 2016 at the Cambria Gallery in San Francisco. As young professionals and community leaders networked, they viewed the "Iran Unveiled" Photography Exhibit, as well as works by renowned Persian artist Elham Ashrafi and street artist Keyvan Shovir (a.k.a "CK1"). Persian cuisine by Apple, Inc.'s own Chef Naz Afarin Mahini and Komaaj Catering was served, while Election 2016 results were viewed on a monitor.





see more photos on facebook





Over 200 guests were in attendance, including renowned Bay Area philanthropist Bita Daryabari (Pars Equality Centerexecutive director) and Sepideh Nasiri (award-winning entrepreneur and Gen+ founder), along with her impressive Gen+ Board Members: Mahnaz Milani Baladi (Apple, Inc.), Nima Rahimi (San Francisco District Attorney's Office), Shadi Rezvan (senior manager of Services and Transformation, Twitter), Elnaz Eilkhani (Iranican Inc. / iTutor Group) and Navid Shahdi (engineering manager, Oculus/Facebook). Other VIP guests included artist/photographer Omid Scheybani (formerly with Google), Ehsan Saeedi (founder, Gate) and Soso Sazesh (founder/CEO, Growth Pilots), as well as a number of other Bay Area and Silicon Valley investors and tech start-up executives. The event raised $5k to assist young Iranian newcomers.







Nasiri says, "It was a wonderful night to come together to showcase these talented artists and chefs. The Persian community in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley has so many incredible resources--from top companies to influencers and investors--and Pars Generation+ is all about making introductions to newcomers and empowering one another by providing new opportunities for career success."

Pars Generation+ (ages 21 - 40) is the newest program from Pars Equality Center, the leading non-profit organization providing social, legal and community services to the Iranian-American community.

For more information, please see the press release.

Photo Credit: Devlin Shand for Drew Altizer Photography



Generation+ Board members with philanthropist Bita Daryabari:

(Left to right) Mahnaz Milani Baladi (Apple, Inc.), attorney Nima Rahimi (San Francisco District Attorney's Office), Bita Daryabari (founder/executive director, Pars Equality Center), Shadi Rezvan (senior manager of Services and Transformation, Twitter), Sepideh Nasiri (serial entrepreneur / Gen+ founder), and Elnaz Eilkhani (executive director, Iranican Inc. / iTutor Group). Board member Navid Shahdi (engineering manager, Oculus/Facebook) not pictured.





Kevin Shovir a.k.a "CK1" with his works of art.

CK1 is an Iranian visual and graffiti artist pioneer. He explores Iranian root culture poets like Hafez and Rumi with the use of Persian alphabet/Islamic art motifs in his work. He was among the first artists that established the Iranian graffiti movement that emerged in Tehran in 2002. CK1 moved to San Francisco in 2011 where he has done many street and public art projects, such as the Clarion Alley mural project, SFMTA and the Chinese Culture Center project with Justin Hoover and Shaghayegh Cyrous.







Apple, Inc.'s own Chef Naz Afarin (Affie) Mahini

Presenting Persian cuisine with Pars Equality Center COO Reza Obadaee.









Gen+ Board members:

Navid Shahdi (engineering manager, Oculus/Facebook), Elnaz Eilkhani (executive director, Iranican Inc. / iTutor Group), Sepideh Nasiri (serial entrepreneur / Gen+ founder), Mahnaz Milani Baladi (Apple, Inc.), Shadi Rezvan (senior manager of Services and Transformation, Twitter), with guest and entrepreneur Abbos Roohparvar.



About Pars Generation+

Managing director Sepideh Nasiri conceived Pars Generation+ in October 2015 and launched in May 2016. Nasiri, a serial entrepreneur and the former vice president at Women 2.0, saw a gap in her community for the 21 - 40 demographic, so she approached Pars Equality Center to create a solution. Pars Generation+ is now the glue that brings the next generation of Iranian Americans together as individuals and organizations through "community, careers and connections." The organization provides the younger generation of Iranians, both American-born and immigrants, with career mentors, peer mentors and career opportunities. Pars Generation+ acts as a catalyst for social, cultural and economic integration of Iranians and Persian speaking communities to achieve their highest potential, stay connected and share their Iranian heritage. (website)



About Pars Equality Center

Founded in 2010 by renowned entrepreneur and humanitarian Bita Daryabari, the Pars Equality Center (PEC) is the first non-profit organization of its kind, supporting the full integration of people of Persian (Iranian) origin in the United States. PEC provides social and legal support for all members of the Iranian-American community, including refugees, immigrants and the American-born. The Center advocates for more positive perceptions of Persians in the U.S. media, while offering services and programs that help establish, integrate and support Iranian-Americans so that they are able to function responsibly and productively in American society. Daryabari's aim is to create a more just and compassionate community in which Iranians of all cultures and beliefs participate. PEC is headquartered in the San Jose-based Daryabari Iranian Community Center, which opened in April 2015, making it the first and most comprehensive non-profit legal, social and community support center providing direct services to Iranians in the United States. Additional PEC offices are also located in Menlo Park, Los Angeles and Orange County. Popular programs include the Silver Club for the 55+ demographic, while Generation+ is aimed at the younger generation, ages 21 to 40. (website)
Iveth Diaz, who as a child moved with her family from Mexico to the United States, knows her status here is fragile.

For the past four years, Diaz, 25, has been able to work and study in the United States legally through President Barack Obamas executive action on immigration.

Recently, however, a number of undocumented immigrants such as Diaz, who worked as a coordinator for Cal State San Bernardinos Office of Graduate Studies, had to leave their jobs when the government did not renew their work applications on time.

The delay was blamed on technical difficulties, but to Diaz and others, it was a reminder of just how temporary this program is.

President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, has said he will repeal Obamas program, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

Having to start over seems unfathomable for Diaz.

You start with not having anything. Then theres this possibility of actually achieving something. Having that taken away and starting from the beginning, Diaz said. Its like an emotional roller coaster.

About 713,300 immigrants have been granted DACA status by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as of December 2015, according to the Migration Policy Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C.

DACA recipients are largely from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Many of them live in California.

The designation is available only for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. before the age of 16. DACA provides work authorization, the ability to apply for a Social Security number, and temporary protection from deportation. DACA status must be renewed every two years.

Anti-illegal immigration advocates oppose it.

We believe it should come to an end, said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates stopping illegal immigration.

To Mehlman, the program is a form of amnesty because it allowed people to remain in the country who are here illegally without any potential consequence.

Tulvio Durand, who voted for Trump, said he doesnt believe people who are here illegally should get any preferences.

Its not fair, said Durand, from Anza, an unincorporated community in Southwest Riverside County. Benefits should not be extended to undocumented immigrants when people waiting in line legally are not even considered, he said.

POTENTIAL TARGETS?

For undocumented immigrants, terminating the program would affect every aspect of their lives here  from their permission to work to facing the possibility of deportation.

They also fear that personal information they provided to the government when they applied for DACA, could be used against them in a potential deportation roundup.

Because the program requires immigrants to disclose personal information, they fear being easy targets for deportation, said Luz Gallegos with TODEC Legal Center, an immigrant rights group serving the Inland Empire.

Trump will be inaugurated Jan. 20, 2017 and until that time, DACA will remain in place and applications will continue to be processed.

Those who receive or apply for DACA will not necessarily be targeted for deportation, but no one really knows, said Jose Magana-Salgado, an immigration policy attorney with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

Magana-Salgado said administrative programs like this have never been used for wholesale deportation in the past, and it would be extremely costly for the government to try to deport all DACA recipients.

However, Trump is more unpredictable than past presidents, so we do not really know what to expect, he said.

Magana-Salgado advised for those who have not yet applied for DACA, to think twice about it now.

Filing the application and paying the fees, may result in no benefit and expose them to Department of Homeland Security, he said.

NOT GIVING UP

Diazs work application recently went through and she is expected to get her job back at the university, where she earned her bachelors degree in sociology.

What we have accomplished is due to our efforts, our sacrifices, said Diaz, who this year earned a masters degree in higher education from the University of Redlands. This is not something we will easily be giving up, she said.

I think we have become very silent and very submissive to the point in which we simply take what is given to us. This election has shown the power of not being vocal enough.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9462, amolina@scng.com, or on Twitter @alemolina
Stunned doesnt describe it. One side prepares for a victory party. The other side is poised for a crushing defeat.

Then, as election day morphs into election night, the outcome and the emotions flip.

And a Donald Trump supporter from Riverside County celebrates with an adult beverage or two.

And a Hillary Clinton supporter from Santa Monica doesnt recognize America after the vote.

And a Jill Stein voter from Orange County pledges to support the protesters along the controversial pipeline in North Dakota.

The Southern California News Group followed three voters before, during and after election day. They spoke candidly about the stunning day.

A SHOT FOR A GREAT DAY

His night ended in a dive bar.

Mario Herrera, a Trump supporter from Murrieta, went to Joannies Cantina and ordered two celebratory drinks: a Goose IPA beer and a shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey.

There has been no gloating and no taunting, said Herrera, 27, who works as a Republican political consultant.

But there has been a lot of happiness.

Herrera spent election day walking precincts, monitoring polling places and working the phones. Then he went to two Republican celebration parties.

We were sweaty, gross and smelly and everybody else was in ties, he said. It was awesome.

Up until 7 p.m., he said, he thought Trump was going to lose. Then the numbers started rolling in.

There was an overwhelming amount of positivity, Herrera said.

Yesterday was a good day to be an American.

What kind of president is Donald Trump going to be?

An executive type like you would see in a board room, Herrera said. I dont think Donald Trump is going to make positive change. But he is going to put people in positions to flourish.

WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICA?

Mark Sarvas had planned to watch the election results with his students at UCLA, where he teaches a class in novel writing.

Sarvas, 52, a Clinton supporter, turned off the media coverage when he could see the numbers werent cooperating.

This feels like chapter one of the worst post-apocalyptic novel ever written, he wrote on Twitter. And later: Alec Baldwin is gonna be busy for the next four years.

Wednesday morning, he was angry.

I no longer recognize this country, he said. Hatred, fear and racism have triumphed in America. Its a terrible day for the whole world.

What happens next?

We go forward, Sarvas said. Its all we can ever do.

He said he didnt want to answer anymore questions.

SANTA CLAUS CAME, KINDA

Sabrina Rios went to bed before she knew the results.

Rios, 22, a student at Saddleback College, woke up at 4 a.m. Wednesday and turned on the television.

It was like Christmas in reverse, she said, meaning she was not happy with the present left for her in the morning.

For a second, I didnt believe it. But it was true.

Rios, who voted for Green Party candidate Jill Stein, took some heat from her friends. Some unfriended her on Facebook. Some said Trumps victory happened because of her.

Some people have stopped talking to me, she said.

With a day to think about it, shes still happy with her vote. Rios wants to send the message that America needs more than two major parties.

Its a wake-up call, Rios said.

She was quite critical of Hillary Clinton. She didnt inspire voters, Rios said. Trump is completely offensive. But he inspired his voters by awakening their anger.

Now that the election is over, Rios will concentrate on another protest. Shes not in favor of the pipeline being built on Native American land in North Dakota.

Shes started a GoFundMe page to raise money for her Re-Right History project. On Nov. 23, Rios and a few friends plan to use the money they raise to buy food and drive to North Dakota. They will distribute food to all the people on front lines of the pipeline  protesters, workers, security personnel and anyone else who is there.
This election brought radical change to the White House. But for the most part, Inland voters sent back the same faces to Washington, D.C., and Sacramento.

That said, not every incumbent won. Those who did enter a reshaped political landscape offering opportunity and obstacles to lawmakers influence and agendas.

Heres a look at the election results and what they mean for our lawmakers.

CONGRESS

Hillary Clinton won California by a wide margin, with that win extending to Riverside and San Bernardino counties. She beat Donald Trump 49 to 47 percent in Riverside County and 52 to 43 percent in San Bernardino County, according to unofficial election results posted Friday afternoon.

Congressional incumbents enjoy friendly district lines, better name recognition than their challengers and campaign coffers bursting with cash. Not surprisingly, all the Inland delegations incumbents won re-election by fairly comfortable margins.

As a result, the Inland Empire will send four Democrats  Pete Aguilar of Redlands; Raul Ruiz of La Quinta; Mark Takano of Riverside and Norma Torres of Pomona  back to Capitol Hill along with Republicans Ken Calvert of Corona, Paul Cook of Yucca Valley and Duncan Hunter of Alpine. Reps. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena and Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, also represent small portions of San Bernardino County.

Democrats gained seats in the House of Representatives, but not nearly as many as they hoped. The GOP still controls the House and U.S. Senate, so Aguilar, Ruiz, Takano and Torres will find it harder to pursue their agendas, although theres a chance Takano retains his ranking minority member status on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

For Hunter, who endorsed Trump early and represents most of Temecula, the Trump White House could offer a new and prominent role. BuzzFeed speculated that Hunter, a Marine Corps veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, is on the short list for secretary of defense.

Calvert, who heads an appropriations subcommittee dealing with the Department of the Interior and environmental spending, seems to have played his cards right on Trump, who many Republican lawmakers shunned after the release of a video in which he spoke lewdly about women and bragged about groping them.

Calvert endorsed Trump before the Republican National Convention and while he chided Trump over the video, the congressman didnt pull his support. That could help Calvert with a president-elect known to hold grudges.

In terms of negativity, the race between Aguilar and Republican Paul Chabot stood out. Most incumbents in safe districts dont bother to take their challengers head-on  why give them attention?  but Aguilars campaign went after Chabot aggressively, running ads linking him to Trump and portraying him as an extremist.

Chabot, who ran against Aguilar in 2014, blamed his loss on the GOP establishment.

Lack of jobs, fear of terrorism and high crime are top issues for (district) voters, Chabot said in a news release. One would have assumed that the Party would have rushed in to fight with us to win back a seat on these critical matters, and then communicated them to the voters  basic campaigning 101.

Chabot had an uphill battle in the race. Democrats hold a 12-percentage point edge in the 31st Districts voter registration.

STATE LEGISLATURE

With two exceptions, Inland voters re-elected incumbents in the Assembly and state Senate.

In the 60th Assembly District, Corona Republican incumbent Eric Linder appears to have succumbed to Riverside Countys shift from red to purple. Unofficial results showed him losing by about 4,280 votes  52 to 48 percent  to Eastvale Democrat Sabrina Cervantes for a seat representing Corona, Norco, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley and part of the city of Riverside.

The state GOP might have underestimated the danger Linder faced, said Rob Pyers of the California Target Book, which studies legislative races. In the past year, the districts voter registration profile changed to favor Democrats.

The other unseated incumbent is Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown, D-San Bernardino, who lost to Grand Terrace Democrat Eloise Reyes in a big-money contest featuring progressive groups favoring Reyes and business interests backing Brown. The candidates ran in the 47th Assembly District, which includes Colton, Grand Terrace, Fontana, Rialto and part of San Bernardino city.

I cant discount the possibility that the Trump effect galvanized Latino voters and inspired a rally around the Reyes candidacy, Pyers said. Similarly, the partisan Republicans who voted straight ticket down the ballot may have simply skipped over this one.

Pyers also credited the Chevron Cheryl media campaign launched by Browns critics to paint her as a puppet of Big Oil. (It) looks more and more like a masterfully executed bit of political jiu-jitsu that deflected the force of the oil industrys spending back against its intended beneficiary, Pyers said.

It remains to be seen how Reyes will mesh with Democrats who backed Brown; Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon visited the 47th District to campaign on Browns behalf. Reyes has an ally in state Sen. Connie Levya, D-Chino, who endorsed Reyes to the chagrin of Assembly Democrats.

Also competitive was the race for the 40th Assembly District, which includes Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga and a portion of San Bernardino city. Assemblyman Marc Steinorth, R-Rancho Cucamonga, led Democrat Abigail Medina by almost 4,300 votes  52 to 48 percent  as of Friday afternoon, although Medinas camp had yet to concede, citing the desire for every vote to be counted.

The 40th District race also featured big spending by outside groups as Democrats saw Steinorths seat as a stepping stone to a two-thirds legislative supermajority. President Barack Obama endorsed Medina, a rarity for a state legislative candidate.

Pyers said Steinorths appeal to Latinos  a pro-Steinorth Spanish language ad featured San Bernardino County Supervisor Josie Gonzales  may have helped. Independent expenditure committees spent more to support Steinorth and oppose Medina than they did to boost Medina, Pyers added.

Reyes and Leyva aside, the Inland Sacramento delegation tilts more moderate and Republican. It includes the Assembly GOP caucus leader  Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley  a vocal Trump supporter and unabashed conservative in Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, and moderate Democrats in state Sen. Richard Roth and Assemblyman Jose Medina, both of Riverside.

California Republicans already are politically weak, and their influence would further shrink if Democrats secure a legislative supermajority allwing them them to pass tax increases and emergency legislation without GOP support. It was unclear Friday whether that supermajority was realized.

If it is, the big fight in Sacramento will pit liberals against business groups that swung their support to moderate Democrats as the GOP faltered. Browns loss is a major win for progressives seeking to stymie moderate opposition to new labor laws and environmental regulations.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9547 or jhorseman@scng.com
This ones for the ladies  specifically, the talented musicians who make up the only womens Air Force Band in U.S. history.

On Wednesday, during veterans week, they returned to the Inland Empire for a reunion performance at Cal State San Bernardinos Recital Hall.

The marching and concert band of 30 or so played toe-tappin brass band favorites, from The Air Force Song to the Dixieland Strut  part of an eclectic repertoire of classics.

They were joined on stage by two Cal State music majors, Kayla Wright-Solar and Angela Mejia.

The 543rd U.S. Air Force Women in the Air Force Band, which was founded in 1951 at San Antonios Lackland Air Force Base, moved its headquarters to Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino in 1958.

It remained there until 1961, when the Air Force deactivated the band.

These women were the original womens Air Force musicians and remember Norton in 1961.

Since then, many of the groups original members have been playing reunion concerts, gathering from their home states of Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Arizona, Texas, New York, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida.

Jan Boxill, a 77-year-old saxophone player who lives in North Carolina, remembers being at Norton.

I especially remember Highland Avenue and the mountains, Jan said. But so much has changed, the rest of the city isnt familiar. Cal State had not been built yet when we were here.

A retired philosophy professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Jan said the women in the band always have fun when they get together to play and usually have two rehearsals and one concert each year.

In the past 10 years, the band has been even more active, performing at schools and for vets, traveling at its own expense.

Conducted by Jan Wurst, a retired music and band teacher from South Carolina, the band at its peak included 235 members, with about 50 members for any given show.

They played for both military and civilians at events such as the Rose Parade, Mardi Gras in New Orleans and the Kentucky Derby.

The women didnt just play music together. They played and worked together  rehearsed every morning, mowed the base lawns, some did office work and conducted instrument practices. Many trained as medics.

It was a fun time, Wurst said. The best three years of my life, until I met my husband and had children.

While the band was in the area for its veterans week reunion concert, it also had one of its favorite gigs: playing for veterans at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Medical Center in Loma Linda.

On Thursday afternoon, the Womens Air Force Band performed for veterans before visiting Norton Air Force Base Museum at San Bernardino International Airport.

For more information about the Womens Air Force Band, go to wafband.org.

Contact the writer: mnolan@scng.com Twitter: @MichelNolan
Since the election, April Hunter has wished she could move to her husbands native Scotland, not so much to escape a Trump presidency, but for the universal healthcare offered there.

Thats whats affecting me personally is the health scare, said Hunter, 46, a school health assistant from Santa Clarita who voted for Hillary Clinton. Im still really worried about how thats going to play out.

Hunters husband works part time after losing his job as a video game artist. He has diabetes and is covered with a federally-subsidized policy through the states Obamacare exchange, Covered California, for $150 a month. Hunter said they cant afford to add him to her employer-sponsored policy because his share would be full price.

Were not leeches; were not trying to bilk the system, Hunter said. Were just trying to make it.

Trumps election ushers in a time of high anxiety for people with health insurance under President Barack Obamas law, which expanded coverage to millions but has struggled to find widespread public acceptance.

While repeal of Obamacare now seems likely, that may take Congress months. A replacement for the 2010 health care law could take even longer, and may retain some of its features. Republicans are saying they want to protect people who now are covered from losing health care in the shift. While Congress labors, the Trump administration could use its regulatory powers to make changes.

Voters dont want Washington to fix Obamacare, they want to make health care affordable, said House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, whose committee oversees much of health care. Im confident we will have more truly affordable health care for just as many Americans.

Nationwide, as many as 30 million people could be affected.

Most directly hit would be some 10 million who have private coverage through the laws subsidized markets, and about 9 million covered under its Medicaid expansion. Another 5 million to 9 million people who buy individual policies outside the health law markets are exposed to its ups and downs.

Across Southern California, residents who rely on Covered California policies are grappling with what will happen to the Affordable Care Act.

Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, said this week that enrollees have been calling and posting on Facebook with questions about the future of their coverage. Open enrollment for next year started Nov. 1.

Were seeking to provide them the assurance we can that their coverage is not in jeopardy, Lee said.

He advised Californians to take a deep breath and proceed with shopping around for the best price. He noted that state and federal contracts with insurers are already in place for next year.

Coverage is going to remain intact for 2017 and for the foreseeable future, Lee said. Rates wont change. Financial assistance wont change. Looking further down the horizon, there will be changes. The nature and form of those changes is something we all need to monitor and watch.

Lee will personally deliver that message in Southern California beginning Saturday as he kicks off an open enrollment tour, which includes a stop Saturday afternoon at Quote Selection Insurance Services in Huntington Beach.

George Balteria, chief executive of Quote Selection, said as his customers ask what to expect, he advises them to proceed with picking a plan for next year, reminding them that coverage begins before Donald Trump takes office.

People are really looking for an answer right now and there is no answer, Balteria said. The tragedy probably would be to have a person dissuaded emotionally from signing up now that Trump is in, thinking this is all going to go away.

Covered California has an enrollment center at the Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce office in Riverside.

So far, the office hasnt taken any calls from those concerned about Covered Californias future and there hasnt been a spike in enrollments at the center since the election, said Ellary Bhimji, a certified enrollment counselor and executive director of the Navigator Program.

Newport Beach resident Hollie Young, 58, a breast cancer survivor, said shes very worried about if she could get coverage and what it would cost if the health law is repealed. She and her husband, who are self-employed, have a $523 monthly Kaiser Permanente policy through Covered California.

I have a preexisting condition, Young said. If I cant go to Kaiser, no one else will take me if it goes back to the way it was before. If he does take it away, our premium is going to be $1,600 for the two of us, back to what it was before Obamacare. We dont have that money right now.

Republicans say they wont let thast happen.

Its our goal to dismantle Obamacare and actually focus on lowering the cost of coverage for people, said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., a member of the Republican leadership. Its a commitment on behalf of Congress and the president-elect to get this done.

Staff Writer Jeff Horseman and Richard Alonso-Zaldivar of The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Contact the writer: cperkes@scng.com
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Los Angeles today, marching from MacArthur Park to Downtown L.A. in protest of Donald Trumps presidency.

The march is one of a dozen or so planned around the world Saturday, with anti-Trump rallies scheduled in New York City and Cincinnati along with Ireland and Australia.

The organized events come on the heels of four straight nights of protests across the country. While many have been peaceful, Santa Ana protestors threw rocks at police Wednesday night and one person was shot in protests late Friday night in Portland, Ore.

Todays march in Los Angeles was organized by Union del Barrio Los Angeles, a local chapter of the national Latin-American political group. It started at 10 a.m. at MacArthur Park, with the march reaching the U.S. Federal Building, then heading back to the park.

Check back for updates, stories and reactions throughout the day.

***

1:45 p.m.

Maria Elena Olgun Hernandez didnt expect to get to participate in Saturdays anti-Trump protest through Downtown L.A., since she was working at her familys cell phone store along 3rd Street.

Then the march took an unexpected turn straight in front of her shop.

I really feel a part of it, she said, feeling particular joy at all of the non-Hispanic white faces in the crowd passing by her door. It makes me feel that theres hope in humanity.

As a Mexican immigrant, she said she was heartbroken at the outcome of Tuesdays election.

We have children at home, and they just lost hope, Hernandez said, with fears of deportation and discrimination rampant. Its like a bad joke coming into reality.

11:35 a.m.

More than an hour into the massive anti-Trump protest, everything was looking peaceful.

Officer R. Rocha with the Los Angeles Police Department said he hadnt heard of any arrests or incidents so far.

It stands out as being super peaceful, Rocha said.

Police stood in a line along S. Figueroa Street at 6th Street and on the 4th Street bridge with their riot helmet visors flipped up. As protestors walked by, they thanked the officers for protecting their right to march and stopped to take pictures.

Thank you for protecting and serving us! one marcher called out.

Theyve been great, Rocha said. And hopefully theyre getting their message across.

11:24 a.m.

The march is causing headaches for some drivers, but inspiring others.

While Wilshire Boulevard was blocked off for the protest for miles, cross streets throughout the city were open. That meant lines of cars were sometimes backed up for blocks in every direction, with drivers forced to wait for long stretches or make illegal U-turns along tight streets while motorcyclists squeezed through the crowds.

One driver, who declined to give her name, said shed been waiting 20 minutes to go half a block to get to an appointment.

It was sometimes tough to tell whether drivers were honking in anger or support. But a few drivers made their stance clear.

One blocked SUV began blasting a hip-hop song that curses Donald Trump. A boy, perhaps 12 years old, jumped on the roof of the vehicle and yelled his support for the protestors.

10:53 a.m.

Families are protesting Trump together.

Paul Hicks and his wife, Nina Eganova, drove from Santa Clarita to L.A.s MacArthur Park on Saturday with their 8-year-old son, Alex.

Obviously we cant kick Trump out, Paul Hicks said. But we can stand in solidarity with immigrants and women and the other races. And I can teach my son to do the same.

Tao Jones, a Vietnamese immigrant, had no concerns about bringing her 8-year-old daughter, Belle, to the rally.

Were in a blue state, she said. Were safe here. And we believe in the best of America.

Jones said she wanted Belle to see like-minded people coming together to have a voice. And she expects theyll do it many more times over the next four years.

10:35 a.m.

Not my president.

That was one of the rallying cries as thousands of people marched up Wilshire Boulevard from MacArthur Park, shutting down the busy Los Angeles road on Saturday.

Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go.

Protestors carried signs decrying Trumps positions on immigration, comments toward women, position on global warming and more.

Women shouted: My body, my choice.

Men echoed: Your body, your choice.

Drivers blasted their horns and people hung out of windows of nearby buildings, watching the crowd grow larger throughout the morning.

Love trumps hate gathered the most steam, with people shouting the mantra as they marched with their children and their dogs, their signs and their Dump Trump t-shirts.

There was no end to the march in sight at 10:30, with the crowds winding their way toward the U.S. Federal Building in Downtown L.A.

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9:47 a.m.

LBGT protestors say they feel targeted by Trump.

While some people are distraught over Trumps election, Shaina Freeman and Danielle Berg said they feel tangible fear that their personal liberties may be impacted under his administration.

Freeman and Berg are members of the trans community. They came together from Long Beach to MacArthur Park early Saturday carrying signs for the planned anti-Trump march.

We do feel like weve been targeted, said Berg, 47.
Two men were injured  one of them critically  in an exchange of gunfire between two cars near University Village in eastern Riverside on Saturday, Nov. 12, according to officials.

Officer Ryan Railsback said that the car-to-car shooting happened about 4:37 a.m. at the intersection of University and Iowa avenues and was the result of an altercation.

The driver of a red sedan was shot in the head before the car veered off the road and struck a sign. He is in grave condition at a local hospital, Railsback said.

UPDATE: Hemet man shot in Riverside dies after 2 days in hospital

A passenger in a silver sedan suffered a gunshot wound to his upper arm. Railsback said he was had been released from the hospital Saturday night and was being interviewed along with the silver sedans driver.

A total of three people were involved, Railsback said, and all were in their 20s.

On Sunday, Railsback said the investigation was ongoing, and the only arrest made was for a parole violation. He didnt say who was arrested.

Railsback said Saturday that it was unknown what prompted the altercation, which may have started at a hookah lounge in the 1200 block of University Avenue. At least one of the three people was believed to have come from the location, he said.

Riverside police blocked streets near the intersection of Iowa and University avenues for several hours Saturday morning. University Avenue was closed between Iowa north to University Village, and five officers were seen walking in a row down University, inspecting the pavement for evidence.

Around 9:30 a.m., homicide investigators and a K-9 unit were at the scene.

The central hub of the investigation appeared to be near the Arco gas station along University.

Businesses in the surrounding area were told to expect street closures until the early afternoon, while officers completed their investigation. In an email shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday, Railsback wrote that all the roads had been reopened.

Police ask anyone with information about the shooting to call 951-354-2007.
Cash-strapped and homeless, former Marine Darrin Snyder arrived in San Bernardino County in August, family in tow, following a cross-country trip from Virginia Beach.

When we first came out here, we were basically living out of a cargo trailer and a tent at different campgrounds or in the Wal-Mart parking lot, Snyder, 49, said.

Through the local nonprofit KEYS, Snyder and his family received vouchers for temporary stays at various motels. They are now residing at the Thrif-T-Lodge in Redlands.

On Monday, the Snyder familys luck took a turn for the better when a Realtor Snyder had been in contact with announced Snyder was clear to move into a five-bedroom, three-bath house in Victorville with a three-car garage.

Update: Homeless former Marine Darrin Snyder moves into new home

Snyder, 49, couldnt be more ecstatic. He now not only has enough space for his two daughters, granddaughter and future son-in-law, but also his wheelchair and other equipment he uses to accommodate his disability.

It takes up an entire room of a house, and now I have a nice garage to put them in, Snyder said of his equipment. Snyder suffers from two blown knees, a herniated disc and other ailments, including diabetes.

From Oct. 11 through Thursday, the county and its partner agencies placed 34 veterans into permanent housing during Operation Reveille  a rapid rehousing program for veterans modeled after programs in Tampa and St. Louis. Snyder was one of several veterans who attended a recognition ceremony Thursday in a conference room at the Behavioral Health Department honoring the Realtors and partner agencies that have worked with the county in its continuing efforts to end veteran homelessness.

We said, Why dont we try and house one veteran a day for 30 days and see how it goes, and we were able to house 34, said Tom Hernandez, the countys homeless services manager.

Philip Mangano, former executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness under former President George W. Bush and CEO of the American Roundtable to Abolish Homelessness, has been working with the county the last two years on its homeless programs. He was the one who pitched Operation Reveille to the county and its partner agencies.

You basically upgrade everything youre doing for a concentrated period of time. You concentrate the resources, and the intent is to get as many veterans housed in as short a period of time as possible, Mangano said.

While the county and its partners consider the effort a success, more veterans still are in need of housing.

We have about 85 total we still need to house, said Karen Young-Lowe, CEO of Colton-based Lighthouse Social Service Centers, one of the countys partner agencies.

The goal is to have all 85 housed by years end, Young-Lowe said.

Vietnam War veteran Wayne Owens, 61, was a redeye gunner during his tour of duty with the U.S. Army from 1974 until the wars end. For nearly 20 years, he has called the streets of San Bernardino County his home.

Like Snyder, Owens has been provided temporary housing at the Thrif-T-Lodge in Redlands, but on Thursday, he received good news from Crystal Chavira, a housing specialist for KEYS: A property owner in San Bernardino was ready for Owens to move into a back unit at his house on Massachussetts Avenue on the citys westside.

Furthermore, Lucky Buy Appliances in San Bernardino has agreed to fully furnish Owens new residence with two couches, a dining room set, bed and a television set, Chavira said.

Owens still was trying to wrap his mind around the idea Thursday.

I havent had a place to call my own home for 20 years, Owens said. Ive lived on the street, in a car or have stayed with others, but now, finally, I have a place  with my name on it.

Contact the writer: jnelson@scng.comTwitter: @SBCountyNow
Thousands of demonstrators angry about Donald Trumps presidential victory are expected to march through one of Los Angeles largest immigrant communities Saturday as part of several rallies planned across the nation.

We want to send a message were not going to allow hate and fear to stop us from taking to the streets, said Ron Gochez, an organizer with Union del Barrio Los Angeles, the group coordinating the 10 a.m. event in MacArthur Park.

Weve studied Trumps 100 day program and its clearly laid out with attacks against Muslims, attacks against immigrants, and attacks on everyone else, Gochez said Friday. Thats why we have to send a message both to our communities and Donald Trump that we are not afraid. This is a time not to cry but to organize.

This weekends protests  slated for a dozen cities including Cincinnati, New York and Washington, D.C. as well as in Dublin, Ireland and Melbourne, Australia  follow a series of mostly peaceful demonstrations across the nation as a result of Republican nominee Trumps win. Some violence and vandalism have been reported, however, and the Los Angeles Police Department will monitor Saturdays event.

We will be there to protect each individuals right to protest, said LAPD Sgt. Frank Preciado.

Protesters say they are angered, fearful and concerned about Trumps proposals on everything from deporting undocumented immigrants to denying entry of refugees from some Islamic countries to his administrations anticipated views on the LGBTQ community.

Trump supporters said they back the right for people to demonstrate, but added that protesters eventually need to respect the American electoral process.

If people want to take to the streets and protest, I support them 100 percent, but I dont support people destroying their communities, said Randy Economy, who is part of the Trump for America campaign in California. As a gay man, he said he believes Trump will be a president for all Americans. He called the rhetoric among anti-Trump protesters fear mongering.

About 30 people waved signs and shouted slogans  some of them obscene  during an anti-Trump protest Friday at Duck Pond Park at the corner of Rancho California Road and Ynez Road in Temecula.

Overall, the protest was peaceful, and no arrests were made, said Riverside County sheriffs Deputy Armando Munoz.

Meanwhile, in Palm Springs, protesters plan to gather at Frances Stevens Park at 5:30 p.m. Saturday for an event that will include a moment of silence/vigil with candles for all those already in pain, being oppressed, and living in fear after the election, according to a post by organizers on Facebook.

We view this election as a major setback to minorities, women, the LGBT community, intellectualism, and common decency, organizers posted on Facebook today. This event is to express our pain and anger in order to move forward in peace, solidarity, and action. We will not be silenced by hate.

The Palm Springs Police Department will be present at the event, at the request of the protesters, they said.

Tim Clark, the California Director at the Donald Trump for President campaign said one message hed like to get across to those who oppose Trump is that his presidency will include strengthening the countrys economy.

The first thing I would tell them is the prosperity that is coming under a Trump presidency is a Trump prosperity for all, Clark said. They should take hope in the changes coming in the economy.

They also said Americans need to start coming together.

The nations voters spoke and elected a man who could put our nation on the right plan, Clark said. Lets move forward together. We want them to take great hope in the change that is coming.

Meanwhile, about a dozen Trump supporters stood near the entrance to Camp Pendleton, Friday, waving flags and holding Make America Great Again signs, drawing support from passing drivers and bicyclists.

The rally included veterans and other community members, and a few active-duty Marines. It was organized by Jeff Schwilk, founder of San Diegans for Secure Borders Coalition, to recognize veterans and to celebrate Trumps Tuesday presidential victory.

We are here to celebrate our new commander and chief, said Schwilk, an immigration security analyst. We want him to restore the military and make it strong again and put veterans first instead of illegal criminals. American veterans are living on the street and committing suicide at 22 a day. Its time to reverse that. There is no better day to celebrate that than on Veterans Day.

Staff writers Erika Ritchie and Brian Rokos and City News Service contributed to this story.

Contact the writer: sabram@scng.com or @sabramLA on Twitter
It was a cross curriculum art lesson that included elements of culture, local history and science.

The focus of the lesson? Rock paintings.

The interest in this part of our culture is decimating and dying, said Kim Marcus, 56, Noli Indian School head counselor and culture department director. If it continues to fade, the rock is just going to be a rock.

Each month or so, Marcus  who is from the San Manuel and Santa Rosa Indian reservations  selects a student to teach about this traditional art form. He said students are chosen for their character and values on campus.

This months student was junior Violet Chacon.

Born in Banning, Violet has attended the San Jacinto school on the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians reservation for the past year since moving back to California from Arizona.

Marcus told Violet the purpose of the lesson is to pass down knowledge from master to apprentice. He will work with her to complete a pictograph in about four sessions. He said being selected for this project gives the student an opportunity to reflect on how important they are.

Absorb yourself in what you are doing when you are drawing, he told his young student. Some people call it meditation  these times of quietness.

Already an artist, Violet was eager to explore the cultural side of the lesson. She was raised to learn as much as she can about every culture, not just her own.

In my tribe there are not a lot of us, said Violet, a member of the San Juan Southern Paiute based in Utah. My great grandmother was taken from her reservation when she was young and placed at the Sherman Indian boarding school (in Riverside).

She had been separated from her seven sisters and, after years of searching, found only one.

She forgot her language and culture and that really hurt her, said Violet, who lives in San Jacinto. It makes me feel kind of sad that I dont know my language but I want to learn what I can about my culture and keep it going with my kids.

Violet plans to attend Northern Arizona University as an aerospace or chemical engineer major. She will be the first girl in her family to graduate from high school and attend college.

Marcus said his great-great grandfather, Julian Tortes, was one of the last shamans of his Cahuilla tribe, living from 1840 to 1945, and made one of the last marks on a rock design in Idyllwild. A printed copy of that pictograph was the guide used by Violet and Marcus as they recreated the design on a large slate slab.

Through these one-on-one lessons, students are taught ancient paint techniques using locally found rocks such as hematite, ochre and zinc. They also learn how to make paint from ground rocks mixed with egg whites, which serves as a binding agent for the paints application.

Marcus also covers ethnobotany  the study of the relationships between people and plants  to explain the art tools they use. A yucca plant twig was stripped to create a sharp point for drawing and yucca fiber is used as a paint brush.

The code of life and the lineage stay imprinted in both the spiritual and physical world through these designs, Marcus said. They were used to help grieve the passing of a loved one because you could touch the area of the rock they made a handprint on as an infant and realize their spirit is always here.

Contact the writer: community@pressenterprise.com
EndPoint Homeopathic Clinic, a healthcare center in Ghana, has been adjudged the Most Result-Oriented Homeopathic Clinic in West Africa by WAI  West Africa International Press Ltd.



The body presented EndPoint Homeopathic Clinic with the award at the recently held 7th West Africa International Governance and Leadership Conference at the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Accra, for improving public health in accordance with homeopathic principles, as well as safeguarding the interests of the homeopathic profession in West Africa.



In a congratulatory message, the Chief Executive Officer of EndPoint Homeopathic Clinic, Dr. Adu Boateng, expressed his profound gratitude to the entire staff of the facility for their hard work.



He also used the opportunity to encourage them to work harder in order to exceed the clinics current market positioning in the healthcare sector in Africa.









Speaking to GhanaCelebrities.Com after the awards ceremony, Dr. Adu Boateng said they are not going relax just because they have won an award. According to him, the award is going to encourage them do more to support healthcare in Ghana and Africa.



The awards event also saw other dignitaries and organizations win various awards in different categories.



EndPoint Homeopathic Clinic has been a provider of quality healthcare and unparalleled services; promoting and advancing the science of homeopathy for the past seven years. The clinic was awarded the Natural Healthcare Facility in Ghana by the Health Legend Foundation Africa in 2015 and has several awards to its name.

Source: ghanacelebrities









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The Youth Desk Officer of Ipas-Ghana Cynthia Tawiah has revealed that, a number of pastors wives in Ghana sometimes visit health facilities that provides abortion care to terminate their unwanted pregnancies.



According to her, it is erroneous for society to criminalize and demonize safe abortion care since it is confined in the laws of Ghana and permitted under certain circumstances.



In an interview with Kasapa News at the sidelines of a presser held in Koforidua on Thursday, by the IPAS Ghana Youth Advisory Board,Cynthia Tawiah stated that, many young ladies are dying because of unsafe abortion, society stigma has also made even safe comprehensive abortion care  criminal but i can tell you that a number of Pastors wives sometimes do abort their unwanted pregnacies. They do visit one of our providers who is also wife of a pastor ,for termination of their pregnancies.



Ipas -Ghana has urged government to make comprehensive abortion care affordable and accessible for the youth in Ghana to help reduce the high rate of unsafe abortion related deaths in the country.



It is estimated that, over 47,000 women die each year due to unsafe abortion and its accounts for 11% of maternal deaths in Ghana.



Addressing the media, the Communication and Advocacy Chairman of IPAS Ghanas Youth Board, Philip Duah recommended strongly for increase in access to family planning services for all with a hope that  safe and affordable abortion care will someday become a reality for everyone adding that  as a fundamental human right, all women everywhere should have access to reproductive Health and Family Planning services including safe abortion. 



According to IPAS Ghana Youth Advisory Board, although Ghanas abortion law is considered relatively liberal, the criminalization of abortion, coupled with traditional values, social perceptions and religious teachings, has created a situation where quacks and charlatans take advantage to carry out abortion in clandestine and life  threatening manner.



Under the laws of Ghana,certain conditions allow a woman or girl to have a safe abortion.This can be done by a well trained health service provider in most government health facilities. These are;rape, incest mental health reasons, a minor who is pregnant, when the pregnancy would put the womans life in Danger, when the pregnancy would cause a serious diseases or deform the baby  adding that studies have shown that  lack of or inaccurate information is primary reason why young women tends to seek abortion services later than adults IPAS is therefore calling for intensify awareness creation  the fight to remove restrictions on family planing , safe abortion services and other reproductive rights is a collective responsibility which the youth must collectively work to educate those who are not informed ,misinformed, socially or ethically marginalized and isolated in society then we will have more young people dying each year out of unsafe abortion. 

Source: kasapa









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As Ghana votes on 7th December, 2016 for the next government of the 4th Republic, we New Patriotic Party (NPP) Spain branch hold the position that Ghanaians have been punished enough by the ever, all time incompetent President John Mahama and his NDC party.



It is in this direction that we urge all concerned and well-reasoning Ghanaians to punish John Mahama and the NDC on December 7th.



So far, Ghanaians through no fault of theirs have witnessed nothing short of series of bad omen being visited upon them by a league of heartless, no mercy leaders who don't give a hoot about anybody's welfare.



Multiple killer taxes, collapsed businesses, rising unemployment, poor healthcare services, bad economic policies---alas reckless borrowing, non-stop opened-to-all corruption, are some of the notable legacies of the John Mahama administration.



As a matter of fact, it is high time we told John Mahama and NDC, enough is indeed enough! Ghanaians cannot continue to suffer in this hell chamber of the NDC; Not again for the next 4-years!!



We would also like to remind Ghanaians to vote massively for the NPP and Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo since the NPP has made better economic policies available as alternatives to the continuous non-beneficial initiatives of John Mahama and the NDC.



We believe in the intergrity of Nana Akufo-Addo and we know he is the man to deliver our good nation Ghana from the eminent economic collapse staring us in the face. Ghana needs drastic change at this stage of it's nationhood.



John Mahama Must Go!! NDC Must Go!!! Nana Addo Beba!!!!



Long Live Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo!

Long Live Our Economic Prophet Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia!!!!!!



Long Live The NPP!!!

Victory 2016, Change We Must!!!

Kukruduuuu!!! Eeessshhi!

Kukuruduuu!!! Power!

Kukuruduuu!!! Power Power!

Lamptey J.N

General Secretary

NPP Spain Branch

Source: NPP Spain









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Wanluv Kubolor has said his songs are not popular on radio in Ghana because he refuses to pay payola to DJs.



Asked by Prince Benjamin, host of the Class Drive on Class91.3FM on Friday 11 November, why his songs, despite being of good quality, remained unpopular in the country, Kubolor responded: Because I have never paid payola.



He explained that his hit song, Kokonsa, received massive airplay because he had just arrived from abroad as a new artiste.



Kokonsa was a fluke and it was never even playlisted. Some few radio stations playlisted it and Kokonsa was just like me coming to Ghana, moving back from America, and so there was also the aura of me coming from America and so people were just playing it. But when they saw that I wasnt coming to give them any dollars, they stopped, he revealed.



Wanluv Kubolor explained that he viewed payola as an unfair means for some artistes to make it in Ghana.



I havent subscribed to the culture of payola be it on television or radio and it somehow means in the Ghanaian perspective Im a bad business person because I do know if I took part in payola I will be successful. However, I dont find it fair to artistes who may be better than me but cannot afford payola, he noted.



The award-winning artiste added: I get paid when my songs are played on the BBC or somewhere else in the world. On the radio in Germany, Hungary, Romania, wherever it is, they send me payments but Ghana does not have a royalty system yet



Wanluv Kubolor has three solo albums and eight albums as a member of the FOKN Bois.



He is arguably the most revolutionary artiste in Ghana, credited with creating a unique sound that pushes the borders of Afro-Pop.

Source: Classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Donald Trump definitely isnt the only President* facing mass protests right now.

Seoul has exploded with an estimated one hundred thousand demonstrators calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to resign after a top-to-bottom ridiculous political scandal.

Reports on-site claim there are as many as 30,000 law enforcement officers present, many in full riot gear.

Footage from the city reveals the sheer magnitude of the protest, and its expected to grow larger still:

Seoul right now. Anti-Park Geun-hye protest already notably bigger than last weekend, people still coming in their thousands. pic.twitter.com/8TSnCwmbnb  James Pearson (@pearswick) November 12, 2016

Up to a million people protesting in Seoul urging Park Geun-hye to resign #SeoulProtest pic.twitter.com/yR4zi2ySMU  Jongwi Translation (@JongwiTrans) November 12, 2016

This is just a small chunk of the massive and peaceful anti-government protest happening in central Seoul. pic.twitter.com/Y1yqN1yKRu  James Pearson (@pearswick) November 12, 2016

Candlelit protest in Seoul.Broad coalition of young and old,families,many sections of society calling for resignation of Pres. Park Geun-hye pic.twitter.com/8639wHkv3X  Daniel Tudor ??? ?? (@danielrtudor) November 12, 2016

Those protests sprung up while the Western world was fretting over the US election; at the same time, Park found herself embroiled in one of the craziest political scandals in recent memory.

Seriously, this one just gets wilder as it goes along.

Its alleged that Park gave long-time friend Choi Soon-sil access to classified government documents and even let her edit speeches, despite her complete lack of government credentials.

Not only that, but Choi is accused of embezzling funds from a series of South Koreas largest companies, and shes currently under arrest for charges of fraud and abuse of power.

Why would Park stick by her mate through all of that? Well, Park was a devotee of Chois father, who ran a legitimate religious cult. As such, detractors believe her allegiances lay with Choi first, and with South Korea second.

Faith in Parks leadership tanked, along with her poll numbers. Park has issued apologies for this entire drama, and she says shes prepared to face investigation, but the masses outside the presidential Blue House just want her gone.

#Seoul plaza right now. Mass protest against president #ParkGeunHye could see half million protesters, say local media pic.twitter.com/scPLL8tTMg  Elise Hu (??? ?) (@elisewho) November 12, 2016

Investigators have announced theyre deepening their search, so watch this very vocal space.

*Technically still President-Elect, but you know.

Source: BBC / The Guardian.

Photo: James Pearson / Twitter.
Donald Trumps brutal takedown of Hillary Clinton in last weeks US Election caught a lot of analysts and media experts with their pants down. With the bizarre tirade of leaks coming out about the reality TV stars vile past, polls showing him down several points and huge celebrity endorsements going his opponents way, it seemed Clinton would get in no sweat.

But one dude made the call  American University History Professor Allan Lichtman. His  unusual method of predicting election outcomes turned out to be right this time, predicting Trump would narrowly get in.

Now, hes got another big call  this time based off a gut feeling. Lichtman reckons Trump will do something totally fked, giving the Republicans a chance to turf him out.

They dont want Trump as president, because they cant control him. Hes unpredictable. Theyd love to have Pence  an absolutely down the line, conservative, controllable Republican. And Im quite certain Trump will give someone grounds for impeachment, either by doing something that endangers national security or because it helps his pocketbook.

Mike Pence, his running mate and probable VP, would be thrust into the hot seat.

via GIPHY

That would make Trump the first president to get kicked out while in power, despite two earlier attempts by the house to boot Andrew Johnson in 1868, and Bill Clinton in 1998. Johnson tried to amass too much power over Congress, and Clinton infamously got that blowjob  two things that wouldnt sound too surprising in a story about Trump.

Hes got four years from January 20 to hold on, so lets see if hes able to resist  well, being the Trump we all know and love.

Ah, America. Its good to see theyre chasing the Aussie past-time of trying to kick out the boss of the country mid-term.

Source: Washington Post

Image: Getty


Between underage drinking, occasional violence and ~rumours~ of drugs  theres plenty of reasons for coppers to keep an eye on the Schoolies crowd. While year on year they thank school leavers for staying safe and generally being champs, theyve gotta make sure everyone gets home to their parents safe.

Usually theyre focused on bad eggs, but this year Gold Coast Cops will be hitting up law abiding young people, with a plan to score some signups for next years police academy. Police, Firies and Paramedics will join the military to have a careers expo targeting young people looking to shave their heads and become a badass. The Ambulance Service will also be around to teach CPR, to make sure you know what to do if your mate goes south.

Schoolies Chairman Mark Reaburn said it shows Schoolies a a whole lot more responsible than the media sometimes makes them out to be. Its a show of faith in the kids. Theres a very strong police presence at Schoolies and theyve obviously noticed some potential recruits here.

Gold Coast Police say  shockingly  that it will be a bit different to the usual schoolies experience: Its a new initiative at this years Schoolies and will hopefully prove popular with the kids who want to refresh from the partying

Cause hey, theres no reason why cops cant be cool too.

via GIPHY

Source: Courier Mail

Image: Superbad
After becoming the first sitting Prime Minister to participate in Sydneys Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras this year, Malcolm Turnbull has been banned from formally taking part in Australias largest pride festival in 2017.

Turnbull was knocked off the invitation list to next years festivities thanks to a motion passed at todays Mardi Gras annual general meeting, which stated his support for the same-sex marriage plebiscite renders him an unsuitable ambassador.

As such, Mardi Gras does not believe that a Prime Minister who denies us equality should be welcome as an official guest at our parade.





Cat Rose, who proposed the motion, said he was happy to come and get his media opportunity and spruik his supposedly pro-gay values but what has he given us since?



He has been nothing but a conduit for homophobes wanting to derail marriage equality through a vindictive plebiscite.

Patrick Wright, who seconded the motion, said the first Mardi Gras in 1978 was a protest against the criminalisation of homosexuality, Turnbull should hear this protest in 2017 as a protest against him.

FWIW, theres nothing stopping Turnbull from attending the fest in the same way he did last year, and considering it courses right through his electorate of Wentworth, theres still a chance hell make an appearance.

Last year, Labors Bill Shorten also became the first sitting leader of a Federal party to participate in the parade. Considering his partys successful post-election opposition to the plebiscite, its lookin unlikely hell be booted off the invite list too.



Source: Daily Telegraph / Supplied.

Photo: Pacific Press / Getty.
Memes have come a long way since the longcat days  once good for a lol or two, now theyve been instrumental in electing a president. So when Spain announced a change in laws that could see the artform banned the internet was fucking livid. The law change would extend a ban on defaming or offending people to the online world  but many online activists fear its meant to prevent criticism of the government.

Upon the news breaking  ten thousand Adobe Photoshop licenses whirred into action, aiming to block out the Spanish government with the same irreverent banter that got them into trouble in the first place. Their rallying cry? #SinMemesNoHayDemocracia  No Democracy Without Memes.

Yeah, it doesnt make much sense to me either. Luckily, its 2016 and computers have our back: Here we have the new hispanic man evolved

#SinMemesNoHayDemocracia aqui tenemos el nuevo homo hispanico evolucionado pic.twitter.com/QSpW88ad7Z  Basquethai (@Basquethai) November 11, 2016

I know if our government banned memes  Id be the first to grab an Adler Shotgun pitchfork and head to the streets.

Francisco here legit calls memes the language of the soul. *wipes tear off eye*

#SinMemesNoHayDemocracia



Cuando quieren prohibir el idioma del alma pic.twitter.com/giKEj8xVO6  Francisco Emanuel (@Natsu123345) November 11, 2016

The Spanish Government hasnt committed to any action just yet  but it may take more than a Twitter storm to change the conservative Popular Partys mind.

Source: Twitter
Mother Nature can be a magnificently passive-aggressive bitch when she wants to be. Case in point: overnight, in Florida, firefighters had to rescue a bald eagle from a storm drain, when it got stuck there following an aerial battle.

Whats that you say? A majestic symbol of America was just literally dragged into the gutter after a nasty and unexpected shitfight? Nope, theres no symbolism there. NONE WHATSOEVER.

Crew from St 71/A Shift still working with @MyFWC to rescue one of the bald eagles on Goldenrod Rd pic.twitter.com/tkfktvkU1P  OCFire Rescue (@OCFireRescue) November 10, 2016

Fire and rescue workers from Orange County, Florida, Tweeted photos of the incident several hours ago, and they have since gone viral as hell.

Per reports in the Washington Post, experts at the Audobon Center for Birds of Prey believe that the two birds began fighting in the air when one flew into the others territory.

They likely became attached during the fight and fell into the gutter. After about an hour, one of the birds flew away, while the other, believed to be a five-year-old female, fell further into the drain.

Traffic was held up as rescue crews attempted to pull the second bird from the drain. The bald eagle was eventually freed after 90 minutes, and taken to a wildlife sanctuary.

Per the Post, the injured bird suffered puncture wounds on its body, leg and chest, as well as a cracked beak. It will require up to six weeks of recovery before being released back into the wild.

Thats it folks, nothing to see here, move along.

Source: Washington Post.

Photo: OC Fire Rescue.
After busting out two surprise twist endings on the nation in a matter of months, the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchise is going to need a way to get itself back into viewers good books.

In his first interview after Georgia Love crushed his and Australias heart, your boy Matthew Johnson dropped a few hints that he might be up for returning for another crack at televised courtship.

Apparently, Johnson is still thinking about his prospects of becoming the next Bachelor bachelor, and in an interview with The Saturday Telegraph, he said hes honoured that so many people want him for the job.

HINT HINT, CHANNEL TEN.

Asked about the support that fans have thrown his way, he said:

I havent been asked but the fact that people are even suggesting I could be a good fit for it, I am really honoured by that. [There are] definitely things that are appealing about the prospect of going on the show again.To have somebody else give you a selection of 15 to 20 really incredible girls, it is almost like someone else does the hard work for you to give you that shortlist. Going on the show and meeting someone would be really exciting but theres also a lot of pressure from that too. It is a lot easier being one of multiple people focusing on the one girl instead of being somebody who has to break multiple hearts. At some point you have to be the bad guy and people are going to disagree with your decisions.

Summing up his time on the The Bachelorette, Johnson said:

I just tried to be as genuine as I could. Id like to think Im a kind and considerate guy with a good sense of humour and someone who values a long lasting relationship, because that is what I am looking for.

Just for the record, Matty J currently single, saying:

Im not ready to jump into another relationship at all. Im just trying to focus on friends and family and getting back into work so Im not dating any time soon.

HINT HI Well, okay, lets just go ahead and assume Im not dating any time soon to mean Im not dating until I get a call from Channel Ten.

Source: The Saturday Telegraph.

Photo: Matthew Johnson / Instagram.
This year has been pretty rough on everyone, celebrity couples included, and it has now claimed Bella Hadid and The Weeknd, with reports that the model and musician have called off their 18-month romance.

Per a helpful, anonymous source who spoke to E! News, the two fell victim to that most Hollywood of relationship issues: scheduling conflicts.

The source said that the two are both still very much in love with each other, [but] they know they needed to officially break things off so they can do them for a while.

Hadid recently celebrated her 20th birthday party, and per the same source: Things seemed perfect to all their close friends, but they both were dealing with many weeks of conflicting schedules that led to not seeing each other for a while.

Bella has booked the Victorias Secret Fashion Show, which is happening in Paris on December 5, and The Weeknd is set to perform there, so thats going to be somewhat awkward for all concerned.

The source also said:

Bella was so excited that shes walking in the Victorias Secret Show this year, and she knows it may be a bit strange having her ex perform. She will be OK, because shell have all her best friends there.

The Weeknd, meanwhile, will be launching his second album, Starboy, on November 25.

Source: E Online.

Photo: Taylor Hill / Getty.
More than 300 midstaters converged on the state Capitol and marched through downtown Harrisburg in what was, by turns, an angry and joyous celebration of American free speech Friday night.

Black, brown and white; mostly young, and all anti-Donald Trump, they came to add their voice to what's become a series of nightly national protests over an election prize that - in their view - got away, and that - in these demonstrators' worst fears - may lead to steps backward in civil rights, environmental protections and other areas.

The protest was, in the end, peaceful, though there was a Grade A mouth battle in the middle of Second Street when some onlookers thought someone was going to try to burn a flag and they rushed in to try to stop it.

But despite lots of profanity, three impromptu street marches that slowed city traffic, and more than a few middle fingers, the night ended peacefully, and without any arrests.

Most attendees said that while they do accept the results of Tuesday's vote, they wanted to send a message that they don't accept what they saw as the president-elect's campaign vitriol aimed at immigrants, Muslims, his mockery of the disabled, or his lack of respect for women.

"Violent people are now emboldened because of this man. ... They are out in the open, and this endangers millions of people in this country," said Angela Kirkland, a 29-year-old Harrisburg woman who helped coordinate the protest.

And if that kind of speech turns into policy initiatives, she warned, Trump and his allies need to see that they are going to have a fight on their hands.

"We are going to do everything we can to make sure that we do not go back to the 1950s," Kirkland, who is black, vowed.

Others said they also wanted to show the rest of the world that Trump's more inflammatory statements on illegal immigration, Muslims and even world trade doesn't represent the entirety of America.

"I hope that this shows the world that not all Americans stand by this, and that there's a very loud faction of us that are very against it," said Ellen Hietsch, a white Dickinson College senior from Carlisle.

Still more said just spending some time with like-minded people after a bruising and divisive campaign was therapeutic.

"For me, I needed to be with people who are going through the same thing, going through the same feelings and trying to process this, because it just doesn't make sense," said James Howie, a 54-year-old white man from New Cumberland, who said he's mostly worried about an erosion of civil rights for racial minorities, religious minorities, gays and lesbians and others under Trump.

"You know, the guy (Trump) used to be in Howard Stern's Wack-Pack," Howie continued, referring to the cast of regulars on Stern's mother-of-all-shock-jock syndicated radio show in the 1990s. "He was the rich millionaire. ... And now he's going to be president of the United States? It just doesn't make sense."

There were some light moments, like when a group of street musicians set up outside Niko's Pizza on North 2nd Street pumped up the volume for the passing parade, resulting in what felt like a 20-minute dance party.

And there was flat-out, in-your-face anger, like when 24-year-old Army veteran Anthony Lippold and some friends reacted to what they thought was going to be a flag-burning.

"I'm not against this protest," Lippold, of York Twp., explained after the tempers subsided. "What I'm against is the desecration of my flag that my brothers (in the military) have died for. Especially on Veteran's Day.

"All they're doing is inciting hatred," Lippold said of some of the protestors.

Some of the demonstrators, however, said that for the first time in their lives they felt like they were on the receiving end of the kind of hatred that they hoped now mostly resided in stories from their parents and grandparents.

Marcus Coates, a 27-year-old software engineer from Fairfax, Va. who was in Harrisburg to visit his girlfriend, said he doesn't question the motives of most Trump voters.

He said he does believe that Trump used forms of hate speech to get elected and, in the process, has fueled a backlash against the historic step taken with the 2008 election of Barack Obama.

"The divide has always been there... but it seems like people now just feel like they can say whatever they want to say," Coates, who is black, said. "We want unity. We want everybody to work together."

For the 22-year-old Hietsch and her friends, there was actually some comfort to be found in the frayed nerves.

"I always thought deep down that we'd make the right choice in the end even though I knew that America was a flawed country," she said.

"I lost a lot of faith Tuesday night, but to see so many rallies popping up almost immediately with so many people tapping their emotions into this, it's really inspiring."
WILLIAMSPORT -- A Philadelphia native who had been released from prison three months ago has been charged with the murder of a mother and her adult son in their Williamsport residence on Halloween night.

Jordan A. Rawls

Jordan Adonis Rawls, 24, turned himself in to city police Friday evening after learning he was a person of interest in the double homicide.

Agent Trent Peacock said Rawls was unaware there was an arrest warrant charging him with two counts each of criminal homicide and conspiracy to commit robbery along with one count each of robbery, attempted robbery, convicted felon not to possess a firearm, possession of a firearm without a license and possessing an instrument of crime.

Rawls, who was committed to the Lycoming County Prison without bail, told District Judge Christian D. Frey he is on probation after completing a two-year sentence for armed robbery in Philadelphia under the name Richard Rawls.

Rawls, who is unemployed, has a girlfriend and address in Williamsport but returned to Philadelphia for a time after the shooting, Peacock said.

Joseph Sentore Coleman Jr.

Still sought for the murders of Kristine Kibler, 50, and her son, Shane Wright, 25, is Joseph Sentore Coleman Jr., 25, who has a record of drug arrests in Lycoming County.

The arrest affidavit alleges Rawls and Coleman planned to rob Wright in the half of double house in the 600 block of Poplar Street in which he, his mother and others lived.

A third man, who is cooperating with the police, told them he had been coerced by Coleman, who previously had threatened to kill him and his family for testifying against him in a 2013 robbery case.

The man told police that on the evening of Oct. 31 at Coleman's request he picked him up and then Rawls.

He said he heard them plan to rob Wright and that Coleman knew he sold marijuana and Molly, a synthetic psychoactive drug, the affidavit alleges.

That individual, who has not been charged, told investigators he was directed by Coleman to go into the Poplar Street house to determine the location of Wright and other occupants.

When he returned to the car, Coleman and Rawls, each with a handgun, went into the house just before 10 p.m., after which he heard two gunshots, he told police.

The unidentified man then drove Coleman and Rawls from the scene, the affidavit states.

Wright was discovered dead from a head wound at the front door, police said.

Kibler, who was shot in the abdomen, died a short time later at Williamsport Regional Medical Center.

Wright's sister, Cheyanna Wright, told police she and her boyfriend heard a scuffle outside their bedroom and saw a masked gunman holding onto Kibler.

Cheyanna Wright told investigators she and her boyfriend retreated into their bedroom when the gun was pointed at them. After they heard a gunshot they found Kibler in the hallway, she said.
Hillary Clinton rally in Philadelphia on the eve of 2016 Election Night

President Obama and Hillary Clinton wave to the crowd at her election eve rally at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Nov. 7, 2016. Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com

(Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com)

By Debbie Dingell

I was the crazy one. I predicted that Hillary Clinton was in trouble in Michigan during the Democratic primary. I observed that Donald Trump could win the Republican nomination for president. And at Rotary clubs, local chambers of commerce, union halls and mosques, I noted that we could see a Trump presidency. "That's Debbie, it's hyperbole, she is nuts."

U.S. Rep. Debbie, D-Mich. (Washington Post photo)

It's now our reality, and as Americans we need to understand why. My district reflects much of this country's diversity. Ann Arbor is a university- and start-up town. Ypsilanti is urban, and its issues mirror those of larger cities such as Detroit and Chicago.

Dearborn is headquarters to Ford Motor Co. and has the largest Muslim population in the country. The "Downrivers" - a collection of communities south of Detroit - mean auto plants and manufacturing with strong union membership.

Much of the district is Democratic and those voters strongly supported Bernie Sanders in the primary.

That result didn't surprise me, but it did infuriate me that Clinton and her team didn't show up until the weekend before the primary, when it suddenly became clear they had a problem. I took Bill Clinton grocery shopping that Saturday - too little, way too late.

They never stopped on a campus; never went to a union hall; never talked to the Arab American community. Sanders was in my district 10 times during the primary. How would any sane person not predict how this one would go? It was fixable for the general election.

From the beginning, I knew the Downrivers would support Trump both in the Republican primary and in the general. I witness the emotions and passions of their residents every day, and I believe they are what elected Trump president.

The ordinary working man or woman in this country isn't asking for a lot. They want to make a decent living.

They want to be able to provide for their family, buy a home in a safe neighborhood, put food on the table, go the doctor when they need to, afford their medicines and educate their children. What many don't understand is how these things are in danger of becoming unattainable for too many Americans.

In my first week as a member of Congress, I flew to Michigan with President Barack Obama to visit an auto plant and see the results of his policies that saved the auto industry and thousands of jobs in Michigan.

At the time, I thanked the president profusely for his leadership because I know what would have happened to my state and the country had he not implemented his strong economic plan.

But I also said to him: Mr. President, with all due respect, many of these workers don't translate what you have done to them. They don't feel better off. Their real wages have not risen in decades, and in fact for many it has dropped. They have less purchasing power; their health insurance costs more; they don't trust their pensions to be there; and because we are a cyclical industry, they are frightened that something bad could happen at any time.

Add to that, trade deals that they view as shipping jobs overseas and threatening the ones they have here. Top it off with fear about national security and potential threats at workplaces or movie theaters and you have workers who are scared, worried and concerned in their hearts and souls.

The president did save my state's industry. But what many keep missing is that working men and women don't see this in their lives. They feel the system is rigged against them.

And those workers are white, black, Hispanic, Muslim - all races, creeds and colors. Economic and national security fears overcame all other factors when they walked into the voting booth.

These first days post-election are emotional. My Muslim constituents are terrified; I literally had a shaking 8-year-old sobbing in my arms that she would be killed in school.

Black young people on college campuses are stunned and anxious about what their future holds. Women - and as one myself who has multiple stories of inappropriate sexual harassment in the workplace - ponder how to make certain we don't go backwards.

One of the biggest challenges we face as a country, not just as a party, is how to make our diversity a strength, not a weakness. We have to come together as Americans first and foremost.

After this campaign, that is no easy feat.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Democrat, represents Michigan's 12th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She wrote this piece for The Washington Post, where it first appeared.
Letters to the Editor: How could anyone vote for Prop 3?
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations issued details on the November 12 fire of a CPS gas station in Heratsi Street, downtown Yerevan.

Multiple firefighters and the rapid response team of the crisis management center were dispatched to the scene.

The fire was contained at 10:24 and put out at 10:30.

The fire completely destroyed a ZIL truck which was parked in the station, around 9 tons of petrol, two fuel dispensers. Two office spaces of the station were also badly damaged.

The 56 year old driver of the truck was hospitalized with various degree burns. Doctors say he is in a moderate condition.

An employee of the station sustained facial burns and was treated by first responders at the scene.
Alliance aims to fortify precision medicine oncology decision support for clinicians

Philips IntelliSpace Genomics solution leverages N-of-Ones extensive and variant database and interpretation solutions to extend the reach and scale of personalized medicine Amsterdam, the Netherlands  Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, and N-of-One, Inc., the leader in clinical interpretation of molecular tests in oncology, today announced they are teaming up to enhance the capabilities of Philips IntelliSpace Genomics solution. The two companies will collaborate on the clinical analysis, annotation and interpretation of oncology cases processed through Philips new precision medicine solution for oncology. This healthcare informatics solution integrates genomic information with full patient context to empower clinicians with precision diagnostics and therapeutics, to enable them to measure the success of precision healthcare programs. Profiling tumors using genomic information is critical for complex cancer cases, yet challenges remain in rapidly and accurately interpreting genomic findings in the context of a patients condition. While most cancer patients have thousands of gene variants and mutations, only a small number actually drive the individuals specific cancer or may have actionable therapeutic implications for a particular patient. The Philips IntelliSpace Genomics solution, which uniquely integrates complete patient information, is coupled with N-of-Ones rich experience and extensive knowledge-bases. For the first time, clinicians will have full access to N-of-Ones variant database during the case filtering and interpretation process, providing them ready access to the vast amount of available reference literature, guidelines, and evidence, in a fully interactive framework. The aim is to help clinicians determine which treatment options, clinical trials or medications, are best suited to a specific case. N-of-One has been a pioneer in the field, and by integrating their information directly on our IntelliSpace Genomics solution, we aim to reduce the turn-around time for these cancer cases, said Louis Culot, General Manager, Philips Genomics. Providing specialists with the most relevant treatment options through the analysis of each patients unique molecular profile will help extend the reach and scale of personalized medicine. Philips is a clear leader in clinical informatics, integrating and managing big data in the healthcare settings, said Chris Cournoyer, CEO of N-of-One. We believe that incorporating N-of-Ones Variant Database along with its patient case analysis and interpretation services will be further enabled by tight integration with this leading digital health solution. In addition to integrating and processing genomic information from an array of high-throughput platforms, IntelliSpace Genomics provides full traceability of data processing and cases for unprecedented reproducibility and audit of interpretation and results. Uniquely, it can also leverage existing patient information available in healthcare settings including past treatment history and lab results, while providing analytics to empower precision healthcare decision support. Earlier today, Philips and Westchester Medical Center (WMCHealth) announced the launch of WMCHealths new precision medicine initiative for personalized cancer treatment, which will use Philips IntelliSpace Genomics solution to integrate large-scale genomic analysis with extensive patient clinical data. The WMCHealth precision medicine initiative will be covering 15 hospitals and oncology practices in the New York Metro area and Hudson Valley.
A new brand of smartphones and consumer electronics is entering the Philippine market  Luna Phone from South Korea with manufacturing by Foxconn.

Their first smartphone is simply called the Luna. It flaunts a 5.5 inch full HD display in a premium-looking metallic body with a powerful Snapdragon 801 chip underneath.

Of course, Luna has 4G LTE connectivity although theres only one SIM card slot and dual SIM slots (confirmed by a Luna Phone representative). It also supports NFC and USB OTG.

The official price of the Luna smartphone in the Philippines is 12,990.00. The company is taking pre-orders in its Facebook page.

It will be available on the first week of December 2016 on online shopping website Lazada.

Luna  Smartphone Specifications:

5.5 Inch Full HD LTPS Display (1080 x 1920 Pixels, 401 ppi)

Android 5.0.2 Lollipop OS

Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Chipset

2.5GHz Quad Core Krait 400 CPU

Adreno 330 GPU

3GB of RAM

13.0 MP Main Camera with Autofocus and Dual LED Flash

8.0 MP Front Camera

16GB Internal Storage

Expandable Up to 128GB via microSD

Dual micro-SIM

4G LTE (700MHz), 3G HSPA+, 2G EDGE and GPRS Networks

Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac (Dual Band)

NFC Support

Bluetooth 4.0

A-GPS

USB OTG

MicroUSB 2.0

3.5mm Audio Jack

Gyroscope

Compass

Accelerometer

Proximity Sensor

Ambient Light Sensor

157.677.17.38mm @ 186g

2900mAh Battery

12,990.00 Official Price in the Philippines












Top 6 Reasons To Visit Langkawi

We visited Langkawi in 2007 before we revisited the island recently. Thus, we see many positives from our five days trip on this beautiful island. We rented a car and drove around the island for destinations and food. Thus, we stayed in a couple of hotels too on this trip.

Based on our experience, we summarized our thoughts in Top 6 Reasons To Visit Langkawi. Maybe it is time for you to visit the island again.

1.Flying to Langkawi Is Cheap

Flying to Langkawi within Malaysia is cheap. There are plenty of promotions from airlines and you can get really cheap air fares. Whether you are flying with Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Malindo or Firefly, you just need to wait for the promos or book early to fly cheap. On our trip to Langkawi, we flew with Malaysia Airlines but we were really spoilt with choices.

Share Pin Flying with Malaysia Airlines

For super peak season, you can easily get airfares around RM 200 or less for return ticket. That is really cheap compare to other destinations in Malaysia.

For other times, you can easily get return tickets for less than RM 150. The airfare is probably cheaper than your taxi fares from Kuala Lumpur to the airport.

2.Many accommodations

When we went in 2007, we were disappointed by the accommodations available back then. The stay and the experience was horrible. Moving forward to 2016, we saw many new hotels are built on the island especially the Cenang area.

Share Pin Chantique Boutique Resort

We stayed a few nights here and there in Langkawi. From budget to luxury hotels, we were very impressed. Even for boutique and budget hotels, the rates are reasonable and the service is way better than it used to be. The front desk and service staffs are friendlier and courteous. You can hear greetings whenever you meet them and this is the progress of their public relation skills.

If you want amazing deals of airfare and accommodations, you can always get the best deals from SaleDuck.com. It is all about saving and getting the best deals online.





3.Langkawi Is Duty Free Island

Share Pin Duty Free Shops at Coco Valley

Langkawi is a duty free island. This means you can get really good deals on ciggies, alcohols, chocolates and many more. We dont really encourage people to smoke but they are cheaper in Langkawi. For the booze, you can either get it in duty free shops or bars. Chocolates is one of the popular souvenirs in Langkawi. You can find many duty free shops around the island.

4.You Can Find Good Food

Share Pin Authentic Malay food in Warung Jati Aisya

Surprisingly you still can find good food in Langkawi. You can find really good local Malay food in stalls, restaurants and night markets around the island. For seafood, there are plenty to choose from in Kuah Town. For fine dining, many posh hotels offer top notch dining experience in their restaurants.

Share Pin Flower crabs at Wonderland Restaurant in Kuah

Overall, the food is above average and of course you cant compare to the ones in Penang, Melaka and Kuala Lumpur. In our opinion, you still can find good food in Langkawi.



5.Attractions and Activities

There are plenty of attractions in Langkawi. The Langkawi GeoPark, museums, Skybridge, aquarium, beaches, islands and many more. There are many places ideal for photography. For the best deals in cameras and smartphones, you can check out the best deals online.

Share Pin Penguins in Langkawi Underwater World.

For breath taking view of the island, you need to visit Langkawi Skycab and Skybridge. You will be mesmerised by the natural beauty of the island and the Andaman Sea. Your heart will be literally stopped when you walk around the Skybridge overlooking the forest and the sea.

Share Pin Taking the cable car to Langkawi SkyCab

There are a few 3D museums in Langkawi if you are traveling in a group. Lots of photographs and lots of fun.

Share Pin The beautiful Langkawi Skybridge

Island hopping is another must do activity in Langkawi or you can also do the mangrove forest tour. If you want a memorable evening, the sunset cruise dinner is a must to do.

Share Pin Tanjung Rhu Beach

We were quite surprised to find many beautiful sandy beaches on the island. Pantai Cenang, Pantai Tengkorak, Tanjung Rhu are some of the recommended beaches on the island.

6.It is affordable

For Malaysians, you dont need to have a passport and it is cheaper to travel local since the ringgit depreciate against other currencies in this few years. The food, the activities, the attractions and the accommodations are still affordable. Like we mentioned earlier, you can get great travel deals to Langkawi at SaleDuck.com

For non-Malaysians, with the depreciating ringgit, Langkawi is a must to visit. If you convert, you can really shop, eat and stay like a king. Remember, Langkawi is a duty free island so there are plenty of things to shop and to buy!

Lastly, if you are a Malaysian, you can save RM 200 for your passport to travel to Langkawi. If you are doing a family travel, you can save many ringgit for sure.

We hope our travel story and experience inspired you to visit Langkawi. If you like this, remember to share this among your friends.

You can always follow our Instagram for our travel pictures.

Wilson Ng A Father and traveler who enjoys to eat, shop, travel and taking pictures with Samsung S22 Ultra and Sony ZV-1. Im a full time blogger, youtuber and father for two. I used to travel around 17 International trips per year but now staying at home. Remember to follow us at www.instagram.com/placesandfoods and www.youtube.com/placesandfoods. For advertisements or features, contact me at [email protected] See author's posts
Charity Vine is a new company based in South Plainfield, NJ, that was developed to help raise money online to support the families of fallen and injured first responders. Its innovative revenue source will be a combination of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing. It is scheduled to officially launch this month.

People can use Charity Vine to raise money for a certain cause or they can raise money to help fund an invention or start-up, with fees 25% less than other websites, according to the CEO. "But the main impetus for starting this website was to help raise money for those killed in the line of duty," says Peter Magnani, CEO of Charity Vine and an active police officer. "I have really been sickened over the events of the past couple years and thought someone needed to step up and help."

LINE OF DUTY DEATHS:

For any first responder (police, fire, EMS) killed in the line of duty, CharityVine will launch a campaign to raise money for the family of the fallen hero. The campaign will run for one month with a goal of $100,000 (but not limited to $100,000). "If every officer donated just $1, we could smash that goal and really make a difference for the families," says Magnani. "Charity Vine will also donate 100% of our fees back to the family so we will not keep a single dime. We will deliver a check to the union president/delegate (or the chief of police if a union doesn't exist in that area) who can then present the check to the family on our behalf."

LINE OF DUTY INJURY:

For first responders injured in the line of duty, Charity Vine will launch a campaign for that injured person. Line of duty injury will be defined as significant injury. This will be done on a case by case basis. This is meant to be a debilitating injury that seriously affects income or their capabilities to return to work. Charity Vine will donate 40% of its fees to the person injured in the line of duty.

CHARITIES:

Charity Vine is also giving charities a new way of raising money. This can include state or local PBAs, FOPs, and fire unions. "Instead of other websites that charge up to 10% for charities to raise money on their sites, we are going to charge a flat rate of 2% which is half of our normal fee," Magnani says. To register your police or fire union with Charity Vine, you can send an email to [email protected].

CONTACT:

In the event of a line-of-duty death or injury, Charity Vine will rely on local unions and/or departments to contact the organization within a couple days of the incident. Starting a campaign shortly after the incident, will dramatically increase the chances of meeting fundraising goals for the families, Magnani emphasizes.

Representatives of the union/department can contact Charity Vine at [email protected]. Information needed will include photos of the first responder, name, rank, brief description of incident, family information (children's ages, spouse name, etc.), along with contact information for the department. One of Charity Vine's first responder liaisons, also police officers, will be in contact shortly after receiving the initial request for the campaign.

Any police officer wishing to be notified of new campaigns for line of duty deaths or injuries can visit www.charityvine.com/firstresponders and sign up with their email address. his registration will only be for line of duty deaths and injuries and will not be used for any other purpose.

"I really hope this will help the families affected by these tragedies," says Magnani. "This will give our active officers a way to contribute to these families and ensure an easier future."
Thousands protesting Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election took to the streets for a third night of demonstrations and vigils in several U.S. cities, with a protest in Portland, OR, turning into a "riot," reports CNN.

An anti-Trump rally in Portland, OR, revved up as protesters confronted police Thursday night. What started out as a peaceful march, with more than 4,000 people, quickly turned violent.

Over the course of the evening, "anarchists" in the crowd threw objects at officers, vandalized local businesses and damaged cars, Portland Police Sgt. Pete Simpson said.

Police publicly declared a "riot" due to "extensive criminal and dangerous behavior" and called the protest "unlawful," according to posts on the department's Twitter page.

The crowd was dispersed using "less lethal munitions" and at least 26 protesters were arrested, police said.

Protests and marches continued in other U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Denver, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Dallas, and Oakland, CA.

Some of the roughly 1,000 protesters in Oakland broke store windows, left graffiti on buildings and threw M-80 firecrackers, Molotov cocktails and bottles at police officers, authorities said.

Eleven people were arrested in Oakland, including someone who had seven Molotov cocktails in his possession, police said. Some of those arrested are accused of assaulting police officers.

In Los Angeles, about 185 protesters were arrested Thursday night into Friday morning, police Officer Norma Eisenman said -- including some on suspicion of blocking roads, and minors accused of violating curfew.
Police and emergency officials were called to a reported stabbing and sexual assault at a mental health facility outside of Pittsburgh Friday, reports KDKA.

Sources said the situation at at Turtle Creek Valley Mental Health involved a man with a gun and a knife. It was later discovered that the gun was actually a BB gun.

It is now known that six people were stabbed before the suspect, reportedly a former patient, was shot by responding police.

A counselor inside sent text messages to family claiming the suspect had stabbed multiple people inside the facility and that the suspect pulled a gun on her near an elevator inside.

Three SWAT officers "engaged the suspect," and fired shots at 3:13 p.m. The suspect was hit and was still alive and in surgery when the police last checked, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"Right now, no one is deceased as a result of this incident," said Allegheny County police Superintendent Coleman McDonough about 5 p.m.

Six stabbing victims and suspect Dustin Johnson, 38, Johnson were taken to at least four local hospitals for treatments. It's unclear how Johnson got in with weapons.
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Donald Trumps inner circle is sort of a rogues gallery of corrupt, ethics-challenged or corruption-adjacent politicians so it should be no surprise that hes already having to shake up his transition team due to long time pal Chris Christies Bridgegate scandal.

After two of Chris Christies close allies were convicted over the Bridgegate scandal and claimed that the Republican Governor was involved in the plot to close the bridge as a form of political retribution, a criminal summons was issued for the Republican Governor and close Trump pal, Donald Trump is shaking up the transition team Christie was leading for him, according to Glenn Thrush and Louise Nelson at Politico.

They report that Mike Pence will replace Chris Christie as transition team leader. The source said Christie will still be around hardly a ringing endorsement  and that Sen. Jeff Sessions chief of staff, Rick Dearborn, will help run the transition effort, especially the day-to-day operations.

Of note, Christie, one of the first prominent Republicans to endorse Trump, had been rumored to be under consideration for the position of attorney general.

That seems about right for a man who is considering putting Sarah Palin in charge of the Interior.

Donald Trump said he was going to drain the swamp, but what he meant was obvious given those who staffed his transition team and provided input on policies. What he meant was he would reward the corrupt gang he hangs with whom he hangs around by elevating them to the highest offices where they can do the most damage and about which they either know nothing or have a resume that should exclude them from that position.

Or in one case he will take a Goldman Sachs veteran and put him in charge of monetary policy, after railing about Hillary Clinton even speaking to Goldman Sachs. Trump is draining the swamp by filling his cabinet with the very lobbyists he campaigned against.

Anti-establishment really means unacceptable to society, already rejected or found guilty of ethics violations or with a cloud of criminal abuse of power so large it threatens to pollute the entire executive branch or big, big money.

Republicans railed on about the Chicago machine only to elect the New York mob style machine.

This is the clownshow that will be the Trump administration. We will try to keep up as he sifts through his corrupt New York FBI mob type buddies and the usual crowd of already discredited and humiliated politicians.

Its worth noting that Chris Christie is accused of doing exactly what Donald Trump has done in his professional life  abusing his power to get even with people. The thing is, doing this in the capacity of a civil servant is illegal. Its Nixonian. There is no darker form of corruption, except perhaps to be communicating with the Kremlin as it hacks your opponents emails in your effort to get elected. This, too, is something Donald Trump has been accused of and the man hasnt even taken residence yet in the White House.

Draining the swamp means filling it up with the most corrupt people Trump can find. You know what they say, water seeks its own level.
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BREAKING IRONY ALERT!!! Fox News and Trumpeters are NOW calling for Political Correctness, after the least politically correct candidate since people were allowed to vote won the election. Following the surprising results, the so-called news channel has spent a lot of time hitting the #NeverTrump protesters; making fun of those who have offered Agent Orange an olive branch; and insisting that Donald Trump has a mandate, despite the fact that he lost the popular vote.

Which reminds Friday Fox Follies of this wonderful rap by Gil Scott-Heron in which he discussed Ronald Reagans supposed mandate. Listen while you read:

As they now treat Trumps election like The Second Coming, lets not forget that, for its part, Fox News did everything in its power to delegitimize President Obama with phony stories and sheer propaganda over the last 8 years.

Thats why its more important now than ever to remind people how the right treated the election of Barack Obama. Rush Limbaugh famously said of the president-elect, I hope he fails. The GOP leadership met on the eve of Obamas inauguration and vowed to block everything President Obama would ever propose.

On the night of Barack Obamas inauguration, a group of top GOP luminaries quietly gathered in a Washington steakhouse to lick their wounds and ultimately create the outline of a plan for how to deal with the incoming administration.



The room was filled. It was a whos who of ranking members who had at one point been committee chairmen, or in the majority, who now wondered out loud whether they were in the permanent minority, Frank Luntz, who organized the event, told FRONTLINE.



Among them were Senate power brokers Jim DeMint, Jon Kyl and Tom Coburn, and conservative congressmen Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy and Paul Ryan.



After three hours of strategizing, they decided they needed to fight Obama on everything. The new president had no idea what the Republicans were planning.

And, block him at every turn they did, with the help of GOP TV  I mean Fox.

Yet, even Political Correctness is suspect at Fox. After Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted out that shell work with the new president, Fox & Friends attacked her for backpedaling. It just goes to show ya: You cant win for losing.

A round-up of other election headlines:

THE SILVER LINING: A President Trump will be too busy over the next 4 years (or until hes impeached, whichever comes first) to start up TrumpTV, which Rupert Murdock never thought would be a reality in the first place.

Murdoch Family Asked by Shareholders to

Defend Fox News Role in Trumps Ascension

At the 21st Century Fox annual meeting, one shareholder asked co-chairman Rupert Murdoch if he expected a backlash for FNCs sometimes favorable coverage of Trump.



All the media is given too much credit for influence. People can make up their own minds, Murdoch told the shareholders assembled at Fox Studios in Los Angeles.



A questioner also wondered whether FNC might have to face competition from a Trump TV, which was rumored to be in the works should Trump have lost the election, and some observers predict it is still a possibility.



There was never any risk of a Trump TV. It would have taken a big investment, Murdoch said.

BOOK CORNER: Next Tuesday Megyn Kellys book Settle For More will be released by HarperCollins Publishing, an imprint owned by News Corp., the same company that owns the Fox News Channel. Stories have begun to leak on whats between the covers.

NYT Review Of Megyn Kellys New Book

Details Shady Trump And Ailes Behavior

Review: Megyn Kelly Tells Tales Out of

Fox News in Her Memoir, Settle for More

Megyn Kelly: By the Book

Megyn Kellys Debate Question

Was Leaked To Donald Trump

That last headline was quickly denied:

For the record, my book "Settle for More" does not suggest Trump had any debate Qs in advance, nor do I believe that he did.  Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) November 11, 2016

Meanwhile, the morning after the election the Golden Girl appeared on Live:

FFF predicts that Fox News will be forced to cough up the Big Bucks if it wants to keep her at the station. Her profile increases by the day.

LAST CARLSON STANDING: After Gretchen Carlson accused Roget Ailes of sexual harassment, and he was allowed to resign with a $40 million parachute, there were several realignments of on-air personalities the station, which continues. Last week we learned that Tucker Carlson would be getting the 7PM slot after Greta Van Susteren took a hike. For the past several weeks Brit Hume has held the slot, but he was just a placeholder.

But now, Fox News Announces Name, Reveals Details of Tucker Carlsons New Show [emphasis mine]:

Spirited Debate. Powerful Reporting. And it all happens LIVE. Tucker hears YOUR voice and is tackling the issues YOU care about. Following this historic Presidential election, Tucker is taking you to every corner of America, while utilizing the nationwide and global resources of the Fox News Channel. Tucker takes no prisoners as he calls out the status quo. You can count on Tuckers signature style as he tackles political correctness in Campus Craziness. And ridiculous overblown outrage gets put in its place when Tuckers TwitterStorm comes along.



Tucker Carlson Tonight will take you to the heart of issues largely uncovered by the media. And @TuckerCarlson will interact with viewers LIVE, each and every weeknight using #Tucker.

Tackles Political Correctness? Really? Tucker Carlson Tonight? Why not Politically Incorrect? Oh. Wait!

VANILLA MILKSHAKES FOR EVERYBODY: The most myopic anchor at Fox News during the election campaign was, without debate, Bill OReilly, who was never able to see how his decades-long friendship with Donald Trump skewed everything he said about Agent Orange.

Bill OReilly: I Never Endorse Candidates (I Just

Suggest Hillary Clintons An Immoral Baby Killer)

Bill OReilly: On What Level Is Donald

Trump More Corrupt Than Hillary Clinton?

Bill OReilly Claims Anti-Trump Protests

Are A Sign Theres A Civil War Brewing

It will be interesting to see how The Falafel King covers for the President elect over the next four years (or until hes impeached, whichever comes first).

A LITTLE NOSTALGIA FOR THE OLD FOLKS: Its been several years since Glenn Beck quit was fired by the Fox News Channel and launched his own media empire. News about The Beckerhead always makes me nostalgic. I got my start writing Fox News criticism by covering him for NewsHounds. He started by calling President Obama a racist with a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture.

Now In surprising reversal, Glenn Beck tells New Yorker Obama made me a better man.

With The Blaze going down in flames Beck seems to be trying a new tactic:

Glenn Beck Tries Out Decency

Glenn Beck: A Changed Man?

Glenn Beck Says Trump Is A Frightening Sociopath

The New, Reasonable Glenn Beck Asks

Everyone To Go Just A Little Bit Crazy With Him

Glenn Beck: Its Difficult For Me To

Consider Myself A Conservative  If This

Is What A Conservative Or Republican Is

No matter how he tries to WHITEwash his past, lets not forget How Glenn Beck Gave Us Donald Trump. Now he says hes now supporting President Trump. More flip flops than Miami Beach.

Headly Westerfield is a proud Canadian, relieved to say Donald Trump is #NotMyPresident.
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The Washington Posts David Farenthold is reporting that Donald Trump, after having made an illegal contribution from his foundation to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, has now added her to his transition team  already full of lobbyists  making his purchase of Bondi complete.

Fla. AG Bondi added to @realDonaldTrump's transition team. Trump Fdn gave illegal $25K gift to Bondi's campaign grp. https://t.co/U6ySKDJTAF  David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) November 11, 2016

Trump says the donation was a mistake but this latest move seems thoroughly intentional. The $25,000 gift was made in 2013 and Trump was penalized $2,500 by the IRS this year. At the time Bondi was considering a case against Trump University but she dropped the idea after Trumps donation.

Watch Bondi praise Trump and condemn Hillary Clintons lawlessness at the RNC courtesy of The Washington Post:

So Bondi would not protect the citizens of her state from Trumps rapaciousness and you can be sure neither she nor anybody else in Trumps administration, will work any harder on behalf of any American. Trump says he only has the best people working for him. While this is not true, he will certainly have the most corrupt.
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By Ian Simpson and David Ingram

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters)  U.S. President-elect Donald Trump denounced Americans who protested against his election and hours later praised them on Friday, underscoring contradictions that have raised questions about his leadership style.

Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud! Trump tweeted early on Friday.

It was a sharp shift in tone from his tweet hours earlier dismissing the demonstrators in eight cities as professional protesters, incited by the media.

The contradictory tweets were further evidence of Trumps mixed messages since he announced his candidacy 17 months ago. After Clinton conceded defeat early on Wednesday, he took a far more conciliatory tone than he had often displayed during his campaign and promised to be a president for all Americans.

Anti-Trump demonstrators voiced concerns his presidency, due to start on Jan. 20, would infringe on Americans civil and human rights. They cited his campaign promises to restrict immigration and register Muslims, as well as allegations the Republican Trump, a former reality-TV star, sexually abused women.

In various cities, marchers chanted slogans including, No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here! and carried signs reading, Impeach Trump.

White supremacist groups including the Ku Klux Klan have praised Trumps election and some civil rights advocacy groups have reported a spike of attacks on minorities following Trumps Tuesday victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Trump has rejected the KKKs support.

PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE

Tensions were high on Thursday night in Baltimore where Mark Patro, 60, and his partner, Yanni Stavropoulos, 39, marched in an anti-Trump demonstration carrying the rainbow flag of the gay rights movement.

Were here to bring to Donald Trumps attention that we dont support his rhetoric, said Patro, a draftsman. We intend to resist, and I believe that resistance will continue for many Americans throughout his presidency.

The crowds on the streets of eight cities including New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, on Thursday were diverse in their ethnic makeup and largely made up of young adults and college students.

One measure of young Americans feeling for Trump: A poll by the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion prior to the election showed that some 66 percent of young U.S. adults aged 18 to 35 thought Trump should have dropped out of the race following the October release of a 2005 video in which he was seen talking about groping women.

This antipathy towards Trump is very real and very deep-seated, said Joshua Dyck, an associate professor of political science at the school. I suspect that protests, especially on college campuses, will be a more or less permanent feature of his presidency.

With the country evenly divided, many voters were shocked by the result given that opinion polls failed to predict Trumps triumph. The Republican Party also managed to maintain its majorities in both houses of Congress in Tuesdays vote.

MORE PROTESTS PLANNED

More anti-Trump demonstrations were planned for the weekend in cities including New York and Los Angeles, and a group calling itself #NotMyPresident scheduled an anti-Trump rally for Washington on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, when the New York real-estate developer formally succeeds President Barack Obama.

Thursdays gatherings were generally smaller in scale and less intense than Wednesdays, and teenagers and young adults again dominated the racially mixed crowds.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Friday acknowledged the tight race with Clinton, but said anti-Trump protesters had to accept the election results. He pointed to Trumps call for unity and meetings on Thursday with Obama and Republican leaders as reasons for reassurance.

Everyone needs to just take a deep breath, take the weekend  count our blessings, and lets come back on Monday, Priebus said.

Security barricades were in place around some of Trumps highly visible properties, including the newly opened Trump International Hotel near the White House and in Trump Tower on New Yorks Fifth Avenue, where he lives.

Trumps base of support in the election was the broad middle of the country, from the Heartland through the Rust Belt, with voters in states that had long supported Democrats shifting their support to Trump after he promised to renegotiate trade deals with other countries.

In Washington two Trump supporters carried signs reading: All We are Saying is Give Trump a Chance.

A protest in Portland, Oregon, late on Thursday grew violent with demonstrators throwing objects at police and damaging cars at a dealership. Police arrested at least 26 people.

In Los Angeles, police arrested about 185 people, mostly for blocking roadways or being juveniles out past curfew, during a Thursday night march, police spokeswoman Norma Eisenman said in a telephone interview.

One officer was hospitalized for injuries suffered during the protest, she said.

(Additional reporting by Donna Owens in Baltimore, Steve Dipaola in Portland, Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, and Susan Heavey in Washington; Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Howard Goller)
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It was pretty much a certainty going in that Republicans who voted for Trump were not going to get what they were promised, beyond a vehicle to mainstream their hate and intolerance. It has already been demonstrated that theyre not getting lower taxes, and anything like affordable healthcare is as mythical as a unicorn.

What they  and the rest of us  will also get instead of a drained swamp in DC is a swamp filled with lobbyists eager to line Republican pockets with cash. The New York Times is reporting that while Trump campaigned against lobbyistsnow theyre on his transition team.

Trump tweeted the day before the election that America must decide between failed policies or fresh perspective, a corrupt system or an outsider, failing to add a corrupt outsider. Its a promise of fresh corruption, at any rate.

Since the Obama administration was free of corruption, what drain the swamp really meant was to get rid of the Democrats so there would be no obstacles in the way of what is likely destined to be the most corrupt administration in the history of the United States.

According to the Times Eric Lipton, the American Enterprise Institutes Jeffrey Eisenach is the head of the team that is helping to pick staff members at the Federal Communications Commission. And to no ones surprise. Eisenach is a foe of regulation who in August came under fire from the Times for publishing telecom-funded articles on net neutrality.

At that time, Lipton wrote that whether or not Eisenach could be called a think tank scholar or corporate consultant depended on the day. Obviously, regulation is going to get a short shrift in the Trump administration, where corporate profits trump  if youll pardon the expression  free and untrammeled access to the internet.

Other names that crop up are lobbyist Michael Catanzaro who has represented various energy companies, and Michael Torrey, who runs a firm that has earned millions of dollars helping food industry players such as the American Beverage Association and the dairy giant Dean Foods, is helping set up the new team at the Department of Agriculture.

Trump doesnt want to talk about any of this of course, though his transition team is no secret, and Lipton points out that to critics of Mr. Trump  both Democrats and Republicans  the inclusion of advisers with industry ties is a first sign that he may not follow through on all of his promises.

That would seem too obvious to need repeating to any but the corporate media, which was so indispensable to Trump during his campaign. Reluctant as they are to admit their own role in Trumps success, they seem no more eager to expose their Wunderkind as the con artist he is.

What American can expect is a full-scale reaming at the hands of Donald Trump and his minions. Because, as Lipton tells us, Transition teams help new presidents pick the new cabinet, as well as up to 4,000 political appointees who will take over top posts in agencies across the government, you can be sure that reaming will be thorough.

Our planet will suffer, along with our environment and our food and water. Corporations will enjoy it. The rest of us may not be able to sit without a cushioned donut for a few years.
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Donald Trump was quite outraged by the hacked emails that suggested Donna Brazile had fed Hillary Clinton a debate question. Trump said Brazile should be fired from the DNC and suggested that if he had done this, he would end up in the electric chair. What would happen if I did that? The electric chair, I think.

Trump claimed it showed that the primary was rigged.

He should know, as Megyn Kelly revealed in her book that someone fed Donald Trump at least her first debate question.

Then, the day before the first presidential debate, Mr. Trump was in a lather again, Ms. Kelly writes. He called Fox executives, saying hed heard that her first question was a very pointed question directed at him. This disconcerted her, because it was true: It was about his history of using disparaging language about women, Jennifer Senior at the Brazile repeated her denials of aiding Clinton, Well, Kelly, since I play straight up and I play straight up with you, I did not receive any questions from CNN.

So Kelly knew at that time that Donald Trump had been aided by someone, probably at Fox News, in the same way as Donna Brazile was being accused of aiding Trump.

The alleged Brazile leak caused CNN to let go of Donna Brazile, while they hung on to the man still being paid by Donald Trump, Corey Lewandowski  the man who has left CNN now reportedly to go work in the Trump administration.

Senior also notes that on the day of the debate, Kelly might have been poisoned. On the day of the debate, Ms. Kelly writes, she woke up feeling great. Then an overzealous, suspiciously enthusiastic driver picked her up to take her to the convention center. He insisted on getting her coffee, though shed repeatedly declined his offer. Once it was in her hand, she drank it. And within 15 minutes, she was violently ill, vomiting so uncontrollably that it was unclear if shed be able to help moderate that evening. It was so bad that she kept a trash pail beneath her desk throughout the debate, just in case.

Kelly writes that there was stomach bug going around, Senior notes. Its impossible to know what happened, but the scariest thing is it wouldnt be outside the realm of possibility given how both Trump and Ailes deal with their enemies.

The Trump family is big on their persecution complex, repeatedly crying that Donald Trump would be in the electric chair if he did what he accused Clinton of doing. His son also spent time on the trail whining hysterically about the electric chair for his father. These are not tough people, built for politics. These are people who are used to silencing dissent with lawyers or through intimidation.

It turns out that Donald Trump was aided in the exact same way as he accused Clinton of being aided. Donald Trump is a projection specialist, if nothing else.

You can bet that now that the shoe is on the other foot, there will be an excuse for Donald Trump. It wont matter to Donald Trump or his followers who were so outraged, just like it didnt matter to Fox News that someone at their network probably leaked at least the first question to the Republican nominee.
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By Laila Kearney

(Reuters)  Seattle financial worker Harrison Karlewicz had been considering joining an environmental activist group for a while. The day after Donald Trump won the White House, he signed up.

That was a big push for me, kind of a wakeup call, the 25-year-old said, after joining 350 Seattle, a group that stages mass protests against fossil fuel use. I thought, I dont feel involved. I want to get out there.'

During his campaign, Trump said global warming was a hoax and called for the Environmental Protection Agency to be gutted. He promised to cancel the Paris climate agreement between the United States and nearly 200 other countries to slow climate change, and he pledged to revive the coal industry.

Karlewicz represents what environmental activists say is the silver lining of Trumps electoral victory: Environmentally minded people angered by the outcome are rallying to their cause.

At 350 Seattle, people packed a volunteer drop-in meeting after news of Trumps confirmed win, said organizer Emily Johnston. The group blocked a rail line in Washington state that transports oil to Shell and Tesoro refineries earlier this year.

This was surprising to me, because I personally was so shaken that I felt practically paralyzed, and I know many other people did, too, Johnston said. The fact that many others responded by immediately engaging is incredibly heartening.

Jay OHara, a Vermont-based climate-change activist with the Climate Disobedience Center and a mastermind behind a coal shipment blockade in 2013 that spurred more radical fossil fuel activism, said Trumps win represents an opportunity for environmentalists to focus on a clear enemy.

In some ways, it can almost be seen as a relief, he said of Trumps win. We are going to have a real fight here, or maybe an actual argument.

Johnston, of 350 Seattle, who camped for a week at North Dakotas Standing Rock Sioux reservation to protest pipeline construction, said that protesters would continue to take advantage of the vulnerability of energy infrastructure.

All these pipelines, all these tankers, all these trains have to go through thousands of miles and could be potential protest targets, she said.

DEFENDING GAINS

Some of the well established national environmental organizations that helped draft the Obama administrations environmental initiatives, like the Clean Power Plan to curb carbon dioxide emissions, will be shifting to a defensive posture under Trumps leadership.

Well be in the Congress, in the courts, in the boardrooms and in the streets, said Gene Karpinski, president of the Washington-based League of Conservation Voters, which backed Trumps Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and spent over $45 million to support candidates in the 2016 elections.

Karpinski said he expected legal action to prevent Trump from following through on his agenda.

Trump has appointed Myron Ebell, a known climate skeptic, to guide the reshaping of the EPA, and Trump energy adviser Kevin Cramer, a U.S. representative from North Dakota, said Trump is likely to target the Clean Power Plan and Waters of the United States rules during his first 100 days in office.

Dan Farber, an environmental law professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, said the best that advocates for climate change action could hope for from courts is to play successful defense against an anti-environmental onslaught from the new administration.

Its a fairly grim situation, he added.

Several groups also said they would put a greater focus on state-level environmental initiatives to sidestep Trumps administration.

The Sierra Club, which is headquartered in California, said it would push ahead with its Beyond Coal campaign, which has led to the retirement of hundreds of coal plants since it was launched more than a decade ago. The campaign mobilizes local activists and lawyers to push utilities and state regulators to shutter older plants and replace them with renewable energy.

Clearly, we are going to have to fight and resist the worst impulses of the next administration, said Michael Brune, Sierra Clubs executive director. But we are also mindful that despite all odds, we were able to make great progress during the Bush administration and we hope to do it again.

(Reporting by Laila Kearned in New York; Additional reporting by Nia Williams, Nicole Mordant, Valerie Volcovici, and Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Simon Webb and Cynthia Osterman)
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Emanuel AMEs former secretary is suing the church and the Rev. Norvel Goff for ending her employment after she questioned the handling of donations that poured into the church after a gunman killed nine worshippers. Read moreFormer secretary at Emanuel AME sues for unpaid wages
Deanna Pan is an enterprise reporter for The Post and Courier, where she writes about education and other issues. She grew up in the suburbs of Cincinnati and graduated with a degree in English from Ohio State University in 2012.
The possibility that legislators will further restrict abortions in South Carolina this year narrowed to near-impossible one week before Election Day, as a committee trying to work out a compromise considered bans with no chance of becoming law. Read moreSC legislators remain at impasse over abortion ban days before proposal expires
Electric vehicles arent a panacea. They dont reduce traffic congestion or the need to spend billions of dollars repairing and expanding our highways, the way mass transit, ride sharing and more walkable and bicycleable communities can. To the contrary, they make it more difficult to pay for the necessary upgrades, because despite some modest steps, politicians here and elsewhere have been unwilling to change our tax laws to ensure that vehicles using little or no gasoline pay their fair share for those improvements. Read moreEditorial: SC electric vehicle expansion helps state in multiple ways
Three environmental groups filed suit Wednesday alleging state regulators are allowing U.S. Steel's Minntac facility to pollute local waters, damaging wild rice beds.

The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Save Lake Superior Association and Save Our Sky Blue Waters filed the complaint in Ramsey County Court against the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which oversees Minntac's water discharge permit under the Clean Water Act.

Attorney Hudson Kingston says with a copper-nickel mine seeking to start operations in the state, it's time for officials to enforce existing laws at existing mines.

"Right now the mining industry isn't complying with the Clean Water Act as it is," he said. "Having new mines being put in raises the specter that this is just going to be a worse problem as time goes on. So we see this as being about the agency's ability to regulate mining at all."

MPCA Commissioner John Linc Stine said he was aware of the lawsuit but still was reviewing it.

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Kingston says political pressures have led to delays in writing a new permit for Minntac and that mining doesn't deserve special treatment.

"All sorts of other parts of Minnesota's industry complies with the Clean Water Act. There's no reason that the mining industry shouldn't also comply with the law," he said.
MAPLE GROVE  Students at a suburban Minneapolis high school have been greeted with messages of love the day after racist graffiti was discovered in a school bathroom.

When students walked into Maple Grove Senior High School on Thursday, they were met with welcoming cheers and notes with messages such as "Love always wins."

On Wednesday, students posted on social media about racist graffiti found at their school, which included messages such as (hashtag) "#whitesonly" and (hashtag) "#gobacktoafrica." Another area included a racial epithet.

In a statement, Principal Bart Becker said the racist messages "endanger the safety of our students and staff of color, and create a climate that is not conducive to learning."

The district and Maple Grove police are investigating to determine who wrote the graffiti.
Dr. B Speaks!

It always seems impossible until it's done. That is the way Nelson Mandela put it. His quote motivates mission-driven people to accomplish d Read moreTeacher assistants help support teachers and students to learn
Glenn Reynolds posts an email with an important postscript to Freakout at General Mills. The email sent to Glenn by an InstaPundit reader elucidates the addressees of the message sent out by General Millss Orwellian Vice President for Global Inclusion to employees traumatized by the election of Donald Trump:

I worked over 15 years at General Mills, and whats critical to note is that the addressing of Ken Charless note  Employee Network & WIL Network  means that everybody but white males is invited to his little soiree. The Employee Networks are all the racially delineated corporate support groups, and WIL is Women in Leadership.

This is appalling and embarrassing  but not at all surprising. The companys latest news is that their Chief Marketing Officer, Ann Simonds, has launched a search for a new ad agency that requires the applicants to have 50% women and 20% women of color in their creative departments to even be considered. Seeing that in the news, and knowing how horribly their US sales have tanked, made me think repeatedly of your quip about the business results of companies that go full-SJW.

Feel free to use my words but not my name  I still have to make a living in the corporate world, where this kind of talk is double-plus-ungood, unfortunately.
I heard someone say today that the person we should thank most for Trumps victory is Jon Stewart. He had a point: support for Trump was, in large part, a rebellion against the smug liberal ignorance that Stewart embodies.

Of course, when you think of smug liberal ignorance, the New York Times comes to mind. Today the Times sent the following email to its subscribers:

To our readers, When the biggest political story of the year reached a dramatic and unexpected climax late Tuesday night, our newsroom turned on a dime and did what it has done for nearly two years  cover the 2016 election with agility and creativity. After such an erratic and unpredictable election there are inevitable questions: Did Donald Trumps sheer unconventionality lead us and other news outlets to underestimate his support among American voters? What forces and strains in America drove this divisive election and outcome? Most important, how will a president who remains a largely enigmatic figure actually govern when he takes office? As we reflect on this weeks momentous result, and the months of reporting and polling that preceded it, we aim to rededicate ourselves to the fundamental mission of Times journalism. That is to report America and the world honestly, without fear or favor, striving always to understand and reflect all political perspectives and life experiences in the stories that we bring to you. It is also to hold power to account, impartially and unflinchingly.

Was that last bit intended to be funny? I dont know.

We believe we reported on both candidates fairly during the presidential campaign.

No, you dont. You did what you always to: you tried to elect the Democratic nominee, and defeat the Republican nominee.

You can rely on The New York Times to bring the same fairness, the same level of scrutiny, the same independence to our coverage of the new president and his team.

That promise is sincere: I am sure the Times will cover Trump the President just as fairly as it covered Trump the nominee.

We cannot deliver the independent, original journalism for which we are known without the loyalty of our subscribers. We want to take this opportunity, on behalf of all Times journalists, to thank you for that loyalty. Sincerely, Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr.

Publisher Dean Baquet

Executive Editor

Two friends sent me the Times email. (Dont ask my why they still subscribe, they must be gluttons for punishment!) The first commented briefly: they STILL dont get it! That they screwed up royally and are loathed

The second sent me his responsive email to the Times:

Dear Mr. Sulzberger and Mr. Baquet, You are either joking, lying or badly deluded. The coverage of the NYT has only become more biased (and may I say more predictable) in recent years. It may be fairer to call most of what I read advocacy. You and your staff have no exposure to, understanding of or balance toward half of the country. Your derision and scorn leap off the page. Perhaps that is why only (you can check the polling figures to be exact but this number sticks in my mind) 6% of people believe the major media in this country is fair. As the flagship newspaper that is on you. May I suggest you undertake some deeper introspection and market research. If your readership wants a liberal, progressive, LBGT, etc perspective/echo chamber, I can respect that as a business decision. But then please own it and as a Southern Senator or LBJ once said, stop pissing on my leg and telling me it is raining. And dont wonder why half the country thinks you are a wing of the Democratic party. It might also be good to have your staff avoid private dinner parties with the head of presidential campaign and other journalists at the start of a campaign (thanks Wikileaks for that news as I guess the NYT was too busy covering the conspiracies of private citizens meetings with the Koch brothers). A good first step would be to bring some real intellectual diversity to your newsroom and op-ed page. Get some people whove actually been to Wisconsin outside of Madison (if you had, youd have not been shocked when Trump carried the state as youd have seen signs in quantities never seen in previous elections). Get some people who can handle a firearm without getting physically ill. Find someone who is pro-life and can cover the March for Life in January fairly (btw youll find the crowd is both much larger and much law abiding than the BLM mobs youve spilt so much fawning ink upon). You have one conservative Op-Ed writer (Douthat). I went to college with David Brooks so I can say he was a progressive then and is a progressive now so either dump him or one of the other liberal/progressive writers. Sign up some more real conservatives so you can give your readers some intellectual diversity. Weve subscribed to the Sunday Times for decades but were planning to drop you after the election. Now that Trump has won, well probably wait until 1 February just to enjoy the balanced anguish. Best regards.

Do you think they will print it? Or respond to it?

Just kidding.
The Federal Government has released the sectoral performance details of capital allocations in the 2016 Appropriation Act for the different ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as at the end of October.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, said on Friday last week that government had spent about N3.577 trillion, or 58.7 per cent of the N6.06 trillion 2016 budget.

The amount included a total of N2.44 trillion for capital, non-debt recurrent and service-wide vote expenditures, in addition to about N1.14 trillion, or 46.7 per cent paid out to service domestic and foreign debts.

The total expenditure also included about N44billion transferred to the Sinking Fund to retire maturing obligations on bonds issued to contractors handling various projects across the country.

He said all the releases had been cash-backed. In terms of performance, the minister said this translated to 79 per cent, in terms of the pro-rated budget allocation for the three quarters up to September 30, 2016.

Mr. Udoma described a total of N753.6 billion already released for capital expenditure in 2016 out of a total allocation of N1.8 trillion allocation approved for capital expenditure as the highest in the nations recent history, even in the era of low oil prices.

Details of the capital releases obtained by PREMIUM TIMES from the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters showed the Ministry of Power with the highest allocation of N209.25 billion, followed by defence (N69.5 billion), and transport (N30.54 billion).

The Ministry of Agriculture has so far received N29.58 billion; water resources (N25.2 billion); interior (N21.2 billion); health (N18.47 billion); education (N16.74 billion) and Niger Delta (N8.16 billion).

The other ministries included science and technology (N6.68 billion), mines and steel development (N3.36 billion), petroleum resources (N2.414 billion) and other agencies (N312.5 billion).

2016-CAPITAL-RELEASES-AS-AT-31ST-OCTOBER-2016.pdf
Turkey has halted the activities of 370 non-governmental groups including human rights and childrens organisations over their alleged terrorist links, the government said as it widens purges following a failed coup in July.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus defended the ban on the activities of the NGOs operating across the country, which was announced by the Interior Ministry late on Friday.

The organisations are not shut down, they are being suspended. There is strong evidence that they are linked to terrorist organizations, Mr. Kurtulmus said.

Turkey has to fight terrorism on so many different fronts. We are trying to clear the state institutions from Gulenists. At the same time we are fighting against Kurdish militants and Islamic State, Mr. Kurtulmus told reporters on Saturday.

More than 110,000 people have been sacked or suspended from their jobs and 37,000 arrested since the failed coup for suspected links to U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for the plot. He denies the accusations.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan calls the exiled clerics network the Gulenist Terror Organisation and says the unprecedented crackdown is crucial to rid state institutions of infiltrators seeking to topple the government.

Of the 370 associations affected by Fridays ban, 153 were allegedly linked to the Gulen movement, 190 to the Kurdish militant group PKK, 19 to the far-leftist militant group DHKP-C, and eight to Islamic State, the interior ministry said.

It added that investigations into the groups were continuing and pledged determination to fight all kinds of structures, groups and institutions with links to terror organizations.

Among the groups affected were bodies representing lawyers, and the Union of Turkish Bar Associations vowed to take a stand against any unlawful intervention on legal firms.

Its impossible for us to find the closure or activity cessation of organizations without court rulings democratic, it added in a statement.

The scale of the purges has alarmed Turkeys Western allies and foreign investors.

Human rights groups and opposition parties say Mr. Erdogan, who traces his political roots to a banned Islamist party, is using the coup as a pretext to muzzle all dissent in the European Union-candidate nation.

(Reuters/NAN)
The Governing Council of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, has sacked three whistleblowers who spearheaded a petition to the anti-graft agency, EFCC, against the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Olusola Oyewole.

The petitioners accused Mr. Oyewole of misappropriation of funds and abuse of office.

The council also dismissed another 18 staff of the institution.

The decisions were reached at the end of a meeting presided over by the chairman of the council, Adeseye Ogunlewe, late Thursday in Abeokuta.

The affected whistle blowers are Lasun Somoye, Abdulsalaam Sobbor and Bimbo Bankole., all members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported how, based on the staffs petition, the vice chancellor, Mr. Ogunlewe and the bursar were quizzed by the EFCC.

While the allegations were still being investigated, the vice-chancellor suspended the three petitioners indefinitely. On Thursday, the staff were dismissed.

Thursdays governing council meeting was said to have been attended by all members of the council, except the representative of the Federal Ministry of Education.

When contacted, Head, Directorate of Public Relation of the university, Emi Alawode, confirmed that there was a meeting of the council on Thursday.

She declined to disclose the details and outcome of the meeting.

However, in reaction to the development, Friday, SSANU wrote a letter titled, Repression of Staff For Reporting Corruption Cases to EFCC to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The union accused the university management of victimising whistleblowers rather than address the allegations raised.
In this second part, Festus Owete continues the review of the performance of Nigerias ministers, a year after they were appointed.

The first part reviewed the performance of handlers of five ministries.

The ministers were appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 11, 2015.

6) Ministry: Transportation

Minister: Chibuike Amaechi

State Minister (Aviation): Hadi Sirika

Promises: To complete all rail projects, including the Lagos-Ibadan, Port Harcourt-Calabar, Abuja-Kaduna, Lagos-Kano, Lagos-Calabar, Warri-Ajaokuta-Obaro-Abuja Rail projects and extend rail lines to all parts of the country.

-To encourage dry ports. To implement contingency plans for many of the countrys airports beginning with those of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano. To concession the airports to improve safety and capacity.

-Provide efficient inland waterways.

Achievements:

-Completed the $1.457 billion Abuja-Kaduna Rail line conceived by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration with tracks were laid by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

-Prepared and forwarded Bills of National Transport Commission and Nigerian Railway Corporation to the National Assembly to enhance regulation and further opening opportunities for private sector investment into critical transport infrastructure.

-Near completion of the international terminal at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu began by the Jonathan administration.

 Nigeria, as a member of the International Martime Organisation (IMO) submitted herself to the IMOs voluntary audit.

-Initiated moves for establishment of a new national shipping line through a Public Private Partnership arrangement.

-Establishment of inland ports. Inaugurated the Bakassi Deep Sea Port steering and delivery committee. Plans for the construction of Deep Sea Ports in Lekki and Badagry have begun following FECs approval of the projects.

Failures:

-The transport sector still contributes a meagre 1.41 per cent to the Gross National Product.

-Scrapping of the Maritime University project on the ground that the previous administration paid too much to acquire a land for the institution.

-The nations airports are still in pitiable condition, a situation admitted by the minister of state recently. The decrepit facilities at most of the airports affect the low passenger traffic.

-Nigerias airports still host only 15 million passengers compared to counterparts abroad.

-Increasing cases of delayed flights. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said that domestic airlines operating in the country recorded 7, 722 cases of delayed flights in the third quarter of 2016. It had said the airlines recorded 16,353 cases between January and June.

Score: Average

7) Ministry: Education:

Minister: Adamu Adamu

State Minister: Anthony Onwuka

Promises: To address the out-of-school children phenomenon, strengthen basic and secondary school education, capacity building and professional development for teacher education, quality and access in higher education.

Others are providing e-learning, technical and vocational education and training, education data and planning and adult literacy ad special needs education.

Achievements:

-Presented a roadmap for radical change in the education sector between 2016 and 2019.

-Commenced process for the abolition of dichotomy between the Higher National Diploma (HND) and university degree.

-Modification of the United Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for candidates seeking admission into the higher institutions of learning.

-Approval of eight new private universities.

Failures:

-Nigerias literacy level has not reduced. The nation currently has 65 million illiterates, according to UNESCO.

-Funding of education: Only eight per cent was allocated to the education sector in 2016 against the stipulated 26 per cent proposed by the UNESCO.

-About 11 million school age Nigerian children are out of school, making the country the highest in the world.

-There is still proliferation of unregulated private schools.

Decline in teaching profession. Over 40 per cent of Nigerian teachers are not qualified as they do not possess the prescribed minimum qualifications (NCE) for teaching.

-Unabated decline in quality of education.

-Labour disputes still thrive in the system.

Score: Below Average

8) Ministry: Defence

Minister: Mansur Mohammed Dan-Ali

Promises: Better welfare for both civilian staff and military officers; accountability and due process in procurement process in the ministry; degrade terrorism by December of 2015; and quelling the activities of oil thieves, pipeline vandals and other social vices.

Achievements:

-Significant degradation of terrorist activities in the north-east in line with the marching order by President Muhammadu Buhari to end terrorism by December 2015.

-Release of 21 of the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram.

-Commuting of the death sentence passed on 66 soldiers to 10 years imprisonment. The soldiers were court martialed for mutiny and trying to kill their commanding officer in the war on Boko Haram. The Army Council also ordered the release of Brigadier General Enitan Ransome-Kuti who was tried by a special court martial for cowardice while serving as Commander of a Joint Multinational Task Force in Baga, Borno State. He was also demoted to the rank of colonel.

-Compulsory retirement of about 41 army officers for their alleged involvement in the $2.1 billion arms procurement deal and unprofessional conduct during the 2015 elections. All the affected officers were in the ranks of major general, brigadier general, colonel, lieutenant colonel and major. Some of them said they were not given fair hearing.

Failures:

-Pockets of bombing by the Boko Haram insurgents still occur despite the significant degradation of the Boko Haram insurgents. In October alone, scores of traders and travellers were killed when the insurgents bombed the Mun Garage in Maiduguri. Also, about nine persons were killed when bombs went off along Maiduguri-Damboa Road close to the IDPs Camp. Scores of soldiers have also been killed while about 83 troops are still missing.

-Allegations of extra-judicial killings by the military continue. There were reports of soldiers killing unarmed pro-Biafra protesters, members of the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria and civilians in Niger Delta region.

-Controversial reinstatement of Major General Ahmadu Mohammed into the military. Amnesty International had alleged Mr. Mohammeds involvement in human rights abuses while serving as GOC 7 Division, Maiduguri, Borno State.

-Controversial handling of the allegation against the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, who owns property in Dubai. Rather than investigating the matter as demanded by Nigerians, Mr. Dan-Ali said the allegation was calculated to distract the military from its war against insurgency.

-Controversial compulsory retirement of Mustapha Onoiveta, former ADC to late President Umaru YarAdua and Ojogbane Adegbe, former ADC to Goodluck Jonathan, which many alleged was politically-motivated.

-Dismissal of senior army officials without following due process allegedly for vendetta.

-Inability to contain the activities of Niger Delta militant blowing up oil pipelines. Apart from affecting the crude oil production leading to loss of revenue, Nigeria lost a colossal 3000 MW of electricity between April and September to consistent vandalisation and sabotage of the pipelines and assets.

 Majority of the kidnapped Chibok girls yet to be released.

Score: Average

9) Ministry: Health

Minister: Professor Isaac Adewole.

State Minister: Osagie Ehanire

Promises:

Women and child health care to be given adequate attention; Teaching hospitals to be equipped; improved provision of deliver health care services from the grassroots level to the federal level; rehabilitate north-east primary health care; build, renovate and revitalize 10,000 primary health care facilities in the 774 local government areas.

Achievements:

-Launched Rapid Result Initiative programme tagged Better Health for all to produce quick and visible impact in the lives of Nigerians, especially the vulnerable and the poor.

-Commenced the establishment of 10,000 primary health centres in the nations 109 senatorial districts and set up a 19-member committee to eradicate the disease. Released N420 million to each of the 36 states and Abuja to revitalize primary health care centres.

-Moved to establish the National Health Policy which will give up to 100 million Nigerians access to basic and affordable health care services.

-Initiating moves to discourage Nigerians from seeking medical attention abroad.

Failures:

-Fresh outbreak of Lassa fever. Over 80 cases identified since mid-November 2015.

-Two fresh cases of Wild Polio Virus diagnosed barely two years after Nigeria was declared polio-free. This came as the country was billed to be declared polio free in 2017.

-No cancer machine is currently working in Nigeria

-More Nigerians still seek medical treatment abroad. Statistics show that over 5000 Nigerians seek medical treatment abroad annually and spend as much as N250 billion.

-Infant mortality rate still on the rise

Score: Below Average

10) Ministry: Finance

Minister: Kemi Adeosun

Promises: I promise to make hard work my watchword as a Minister of Finance. I will do my best to bring innovations into the system to improve the economy and do my best in line with the vision of Mr. President to bring a new lease of life to our people without leaving any stone unturned.

-Reduce cost of governance and strengthen institutions to combat corruption extract inefficiencies in public service.

-Increase government expenditure on infrastructure and fund budget deficit and negative balance cost effectively.

-Pursue aggressive programme of fiscal housekeeping.

Achievements:

-Successfully implemented the Treasury Single Accounts conceived by the Jonathan administration. Between June 2015 and April 2016, TSA saved the economy some N3 trillion.

-Discovered about 30,000 ghost workers thus reducing federal governments wage bill from N165 billion to N142 billion.

 Sets up efficiency unit in the Federal Ministry of Finance to set guidelines and standards to benchmark government expenditure for efficiency and reduction in costs and overheads;

 Saves about N12 billion annually through introduction of price guidelines and shared services policy among MDAs by the Efficiency Unit to increase transparency in the procurement process.

-Early release of capital votes to ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government.

Failures:

 Nigerias economy went into recession.

-Untidy 2016 budget process leading to squabbles between the executive and legislature.

-Nigeria proposing to borrow a whopping $29.960 billion in the next three years to fund infrastructure. It will be the biggest borrowing by the country.

Score: Average
The Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin, was filled to capacity as the new Governor of Edo, Godwin Obaseki, took oath of office on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the main bowl of the stadium was filled to capacity as well-wishers, associates, friends and family members thronged the stadium to witness the ceremony.

Among the dignitaries, who were at the event, which also marks the end of Adams Oshiomholes two terms as governor of the state, was the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Some others were Aliko Dangote; Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State; Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun; and the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Ondo, Rotimi Akeredolu.

Also at the event were former military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, and a host of ministers such as that of the Ministry of Information and Orientation, Lai Mohammed.

Mr. Obaseki, the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in the September 29 gubernatorial election in Edo State, won the two-way contest with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, winning most of the votes.

Ize-Iyamu of PDP came second in the votes collated and announced by INEC.

After collating the results across the state, INEC said APC won 13 of the states 18 local government areas.

(NAN)
The Nigerian military said on Saturday that no ransom was paid for the release of the 21 Chibok girls freed by the Boko Haram.

The girls were among the over 200 female students kidnapped from their government owned school in Chibok, Borno State, in April 2014. Scores of the remaining g girls are still with the insurgents.

The federal government had in October denied swapping Boko Haram members in detention for the freed girls, saying the release was the

product of painstaking negotiations and trust on both sides.

On Saturday, the military spokesperson, Rabe Abubakar, said reports of payment of ransom were not true.

Read the full statement by Mr. Abubakar below.

The attention of Defence Headquarters (DHQ), has been drawn to a news story by the Punch newspapers alleging that ransom was paid by the government in exchange for the recently released of 21 of the abducted Chibok girls. This unsubstantiated story, to say the least, is quite unfortunate. It is important to recall here that several statements have been issued by the military high command to clarify the issue surrounding the release of the girls, which the whole world applauded. It is therefore worrisome that some sections of the media continue to undermine this modest effort of the government, security agencies and other stakeholders. It is imperative to state categorically that the sponsors of this media campaign have a hidden agenda which is best known to them.

The military and other security agencies will not be distracted and would remain focussed in achieving its objectives in the North East. The important thing is that the release have been made and circumstances surrounding this effort should not be a matter of controversy so as not to overheat the polity and jeopardising the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining girls and other innocent citizens still in captivity of the terrorists.

The insinuations that ransom was paid to the terrorists which the terrorists used to escalate the recent attacks in the North East is completely false and imagination of the author. The general public should therefore discountenance it in its entirety.

The DHQ wishes to once more remind the media to be cautious of such reports which has serious implication on national and to further add that, as partners in progress, the media also has a stake in the ongoing efforts to restore lasting peace in the North East and the country in general.
The presidency has denied that the government paid ransom to free the 21 Chibok girls released by Boko Haram last month.

In a statement on Saturday evening, Mr. Buharis spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said the government has no such money under any allocation to pay out this outrageous sum of money as ransom.

The presidencys reaction comes a few hours after the Nigerian military issued a similar rebuttal to media reports that $21 million ransom was paid.

The 21 girls were among the over 200 kidnapped by the Boko Haram in April 2014. The others are still being held by the terrorists whose insurgency has caused the death of over 20,000 people and displacement of millions of others since 2009.

Mr. Shehu also used to statement to highlight the administrations successes against Boko Haram.

As at the time he came into power, Boko Haram occupied 80 per cent of Borno State, 40 per cent of Yobe, and a significant segment of Adamawa, he said.

Read Mr. Shehus full statement below:

Over the past few days, some newspaper reports ascribing the recent terrorist attacks in Borno State to the governments negotiation of the release of 21 Chibok girls, with a particular report alleging the exchange of USD 21 million for the girls are false and should be disregarded by members of the public. This loose talk is journalism at its most irresponsible and its most dismaying.

As a responsible government that is run on the basis of the constitution and budgets duly appropriated by the National Assembly, we have no such money under any allocation to pay out this outrageous sum of money as ransom.

Beyond the call of journalism, the newspaper making this charge has a national duty to point how and where this money was paid, and to supply leads as to where the powerful weapons were bought by the terrorists.

From the inception of President Muhammadu Buharis administration, the media, local and international groups, have persistently pressured the government to do everything possible to facilitate the release of the Chibok girls. During the election campaigns, President Buhari himself expressed commitment to this and also to bringing an end to terrorism in our country. We then wonder why anyone is turning the defeat of terror and return of the missing persons against the government.

As at the time he came into power, Boko Haram occupied 80 percent of Borno State, 40 percent of Yobe, and a significant segment of Adamawa. Today, the group does not control any territory. The government also has successfully enabled the release of 23 Chibok girls, while negotiations for the release of more, possibly all the rest, are in progress.

The successes recorded by the government in the fight against terrorism have been a result of collaboration between our countrys various security agencies, particularly the Department of State Services, the Police, the Civil Defence, Air Force, the Navy and the Army. Representatives from these arms of our security agencies were also involved in the process of the release of the 21 Chibok girls. It is, therefore, unfair and reckless of any medium to quote unnamed, allegedly disgruntled sources within the military, who now claim that the girls release has reinvigorated Boko Haram.

Boko Haram operated freely before the Buhari administration came into power, before they had the Chibok girls and after the girls were abducted from their school. Therefore, whatever the group relies on for strength cannot suddenly be ascribed to the conditions of the negotiations brokered by the local interlocutor, the Swiss government and help from them the International Red Cross, ICRC.

May I humbly, once again appeal to the Nigerian media to continue their unflinching support to the military and other security agencies as they fight to free our country from terrorism. Terrorism and insurgencies remain the biggest threat to Nigerias security, economy and national development. The war against terrorism is a matter of life and death, not a marketing tool for selling more newspapers or increasing traffic to websites.

The President has utmost confidence in the nations media and urges them to do more to assist and augment the nations internal security.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, says 27 states have provided the ministry with land on which to build houses for the masses.

Mr. Fashola told journalists in Lagos on Friday night that the government had to lay the structure and establish a system before calling for private participation in the housing sector.

He said most of the building materials to be used would be sourced locally to fast-track growth and reduce unemployment.

If we achieve what we are planning, we would have built a system; if it becomes enduring like the new pension scheme, the better.

When acceptability has set in, the private sector can be called in, he said, adding that the Federal Mortgage Bank would play a significant role in providing funds.

Mr. Fashola said the socio-cultural needs of each geopolitical zone would be considered in arriving at what architectural designs to choose for a particular town.

He said that the targeted group would be civil servants on levels eight to 15 and their contemporaries in the private sector who would spend an agreed number of years to pay for the houses.

According to the minister, once successfully established, it will be built on by successive administrations at all tiers of government and the private sector.

(NAN)
A group of newly recruited staff of the National Teachers Institute, NTI, Kaduna, has petitioned the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, over the suspension of their appointments by the new management of the institute.

The suspension of the 150 new staff was effected at the point of capture of their data in the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) at the office of Accountant General in Abuja, allegedly on the orders of the new Director General of the institute, Garba Azare.

In their petition, dated October 29 and signed on their behalf by Habibu Balarabe and Muktar Barau, the affected workers said they were employed by the institute, sequel to approval granted the institute for a staff replacement exercise.

They said the approval had been granted by the minister as the final part of the process, through a letter dated March 9, with reference no. NTI/D/HME/315/127.

The petition was copied to the Presidency, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Head of Civil Service, Chairman of Federal Character Commission, National Human Right Commission, Public Complaints Commission and President of Nigeria Labour Congress.

They said the NTI had also secured approval for their appointments from the Federal Character Commission (FCC), through a series of correspondences between the two organisations.

According to the petitioners, representatives of the FCC were also present at their recruitment interview conducted on March 23 and 24, after which the commission issued certificates of compliance to the institute over the recruitment process.

They said it was upon receipt of the certificates that the institute issued them letters of offer of appointment, to which they had duly conveyed their acceptance.

The petition continued: Furthermore, individual files were opened for each new staff and file number issued thereto, (both open and secured file) and staff number issued. Account details were collected and registration with various insurance companies duly perfected.

Moreover, the new staff were requested to go to Treasury House (Office of the Accountant General, Abuja) for IPPIS exercise between 4th and 8th August 2016. The exercise had already started with biometric capturing of some of us.

To our utter dismay, the exercise was abruptly suspended on 5th August, 2016 for no reason and since then we were left to continue wallowing in financial turmoil and economic quagmire, the petitioners added.

They lamented that a significant number of them are heads of families who had already resigned from their former places of employment.

A senior official of the NTI, who pleaded anonymity because he had no authority to speak on the issue, said the exercise was stopped by the new director general because he was only made aware of the exercise by someone at the Accountant Generals office.

It was not part of his handing over note by the former DG, Ladan Sharehu, he said.

The Acting Registrar of the NTI, Mahmoud Usman, confirmed the suspension of the appointments of the new recruits.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES in his office in Kaduna, Mr. Usman said the new Director General ordered suspension of the exercise because it was not included in the handing over note by his predecessor.

The new Director General came in and the exercise took place as you rightly said in April 2016, while he was appointed on the 1st of August and resumed duty. In the handing over given to him, there was nothing in respect of giving employment.

FCC invited us for an interactive session with the new Director General. We discussed thoroughly, and FCC itself wrote us back saying that they have withdrawn whatever waiver they had given. That is as far as I know, the registrar said.

So I believe when he got wind of it, he consulted with the Honourable Minister and then the DG gave a directive that the purported exercise of the enrolment of the IPPIS should stop, Mr. Usman said.

But he said he was not familiar with the petition by the affected persons.

The date you are talking of, I was not the registrar here and that letter of petition is not before us here, he said.

But when contacted, the former DG said he had contacted the new DG over the matter.

Mr. Sharehu, an associate professor, said (the new DG), whom I have a very good understanding with, told me the stoppage is not from him and that he would try to find out.

On why the exercise was not included in his handing over note, Mr. Sharehu explained that the exercise had already been concluded and the candidates had been employed, hence there was no need to include it in the handing over note.

You put in a handing over note something that is ongoing and not what had already been completed. FCC had certified. So, as far as I am concerned, we though it is a concluded exercise, so there was no need to include it in our handing over note.

If I had known it is a precondition, why not? I would have included it and everything we had done in the past in the handing over note.

Even the FCC commended the exercise, because about 32-35 states were captured across the country. To the best of my ability, I can defend this exercise anywhere, he added.

The affected staff, however, pleaded for amicable resolution of the issue, because when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffer.
Suspended lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has written an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, imploring him to end his long silence about the budget fraud allegations in the House of Representatives.

It is the first time the embattled lawmaker will write directly to the president since the controversy broke out and he used it to attack Speaker Yakubu Dogara and other usual targets.

In the letter, emailed to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Jibrin said he decided to write the president and copy the public after all his efforts to have an audience with the him were frustrated.

I write this letter to you as a last resort to seek action on the allegations of budget fraud, abuse of office and corruption I levelled against Speaker Yakubu Dogara and three other Principal Officers of the House of Representatives, Mr. Jibrin said.

The letter came a few days after he said hed gone on exile partly because of the presidents reluctance to intervene in the scandal which has been rocking the National Assembly for four months.

The silence of the presidency is no longer sending the right message to Nigerians and the international community, Mr. Jibrin said in a statement on November 7.

In his letter on Friday, Mr. Jibrin, who was suspended on September 28 over his face off with lawmakers, informed the president about alleged sharp practices of House members and called on him to act.

Your Excellency, the House of Representatives stinks of corruption and something urgent must be done to salvage the situation, Mr. Jibrin said. We have a golden opportunity to show the world that there is zero tolerance for corruption under your leadership.

Mr. Jibrin said the president should order prioritised investigation into the padding claims with a focus on bringing culpable members to justice.

I pray that you direct the various agencies that I submitted petitions to expedite action on the matter as Nigerians and the world are watching to see how we will deal with this issue of incontrovertible corruption by Speaker Dogara and others and systemic corruption in the House, Mr. Jibrin said.

Mr. Dogaras spokesman, Turaki Hassan, declined comments on Friday night. But his principal has repeatedly denied all the allegations of budget padding against him.

The demands for Mr. Buharis intervention stand in sharp contrast from Mr. Jibrins October 1 statement in which he described the presidents silence as a blessing in disguise.

If Mr. President had jumped into the matter at the early stage, trust Nigerians, they would have concluded that the presidency is using me to fight the House, Mr. Jibrin said in his Independence Day statement. Such perception and blackmail would have been difficult to deal with.

The lawmaker went on exile last week, sparking speculation that he fled the country to avoid a pending charges against him by the authorities.

But he denied fleeing from prosecution, said he travelled because his safety was not guaranteed in Nigeria and hell return to the country when invited to testify in the budget fraud investigation.

I will be available once my attention is required in respect of my petition against the Speaker and others or any petition that may come against me, he said.
Nigeria and Russia have agreed on areas of military cooperation, an official has said.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Abba-Ibrahim, also said Nigeria will soon stop the importation of wheat from Russia. .

We have two agreements on military cooperation which we have negotiated and are likely to be signed very soon.

They are on technical cooperation, training and purchase of modern military equipment at moderate prices than going into the international market, she said.

Mrs. Abba-Ibrahim, represented by Baba Garba, Director, European Affairs in the ministry, made the disclosure at the end of the fourth Joint Commission meeting between Russia and Nigeria in Abuja on Friday.

We import a lot of wheat from Russia and we are telling Russia that this has to stop.

We want the Russian companies and farmers to come to Nigeria to show us how we can grow our agriculture sector with modern technology, the minister said.

The Russian delegation was led by Dianov Yurievich, Deputy, Head Russian Delegation in Nigeria.

Mrs. Abba-Ibrahim said the meeting was to foster the existing relationship between the two countries. She noted that Nigeria and Russia had enjoyed cordial relations over time.

Russia has always been in support of Nigeria at different international fora, it has been in support of Nigeria in the area of fighting terrorism, she said.

Mrs. Abba-Ibrahim said the meeting considered various areas of cooperation, including solid minerals, atomic energy, trade, power, works and housing, transport, petroleum, communication, water resources, defence, agriculture and health.

She said Russian companies expressed interest in investing in some areas of the Nigerian economy, especially in pursuing the diversification of the economy through mining, agriculture, among others.

Mr. Yurievich lauded the cordial relations between the two countries.

He said that the expert meetings showed that many Russian companies were interested in investing in Nigeria, while Nigerian companies also showed interest in Russia.

(NAN)
heidi lamar

Heidi Lamar's decision to become a Canadian citizen was far more romantic than trying to flee a Donald Trump presidency  something many Americans seem rather eager to do.

"My Canadian husband came in for a massage and left with a wife instead," Lamar, the owner of Spa Lamar in Scottsdale, Arizona, told Business Insider.

That was 2010. By 2012, the two were married and Lamar was filing for permanent residence to spend more time with her husband, who owned a business in Toronto. Today, they split their time between the two countries.

And even though full citizenship is still a few years away, Lamar says there are clear pros and cons to living on the other side of the border.

Pros

Politics

To many Canadians, America's 18 months of mainstream election coverage seems downright bizarre. People just don't take that kind of interest in politics, Lamar says.

The Canadian candidates also take a more lighthearted approach. She points to one campaign ad that ran while current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was running for office. Seated around a table, a group of seasoned politicians looked at a mock-up of Trudeau's resume and concluded that, despite his great hair, he was "just not ready."

"In the traditional Canadian niceness, that was as mean as his opposing campaign got," Lamar said.

Friendly culture

Lamar says Canadians hate to hear they're all so "nice," but she insists they really are a wholesome bunch.

"It's a friendlier place," she said. "I don't think Americans are unfriendly, but I think they just tend to be more focused on working and not as focused on the other parts of life."

Work-life balance

According to Lamar, Canadians seem to place a greater value on spending time with family and friends. She was surprised to find out most companies observe a monthly paid holiday. There are no national holidays in August, for instance, so a number of Canadian provinces observe Civic Holiday on the first Monday of the month.

Story continues

"There's definitely a different mentality about work-life balance in Canada, which I really enjoy," Lamar said.

Wages

According to 2013 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development data on minimum wages, Canada's average take-home wage, adjusted for purchasing power, is the ninth-best in the world. The US came in 11th, $0.92 behind Canada.

Lamar says that's one reason people generally leave smaller tips in Canada than they do in the US. Instead of leaving 20% for a server, people might leave 15% because wages are higher and more consistent across jobs, Lamar says.

Cons

Cost of living

Wages may be higher, but Lamar says the costs of most goods are, too.

Canada's tax and tariff laws, combined with its shipping costs and lack of economies of scale, create a retail environment in which many Canadians may prefer to travel across the border to buy clothes and furniture at lower prices.

Consumer choice

The drawbacks also extend to the selection of goods offered in Canada. Lamar says Canadians are horrified that Canada's Netflix library is only half the size of America's, which inevitably leads to the desired title getting pirated.

A lot of Americans might also be disappointed to learn there are no Target stores in Canada. The beloved mega-retailer had to close the last of its 133 stores in 2015 because of failures on multiple fronts, perhaps the largest being high prices.

Environmental impact

Canada is one of the world's leading oil producers. As such, it ranks as the eighth-largest producer of greenhouse gases, despite Canadians making up only 0.5% of the total global population.

Weaning the country from its dependence on coal has been one of Canada's top priorities in recent years, according to Canadian officials.

Lamar says these factors make it hard to decide where she'd rather spend her time, even in a Trump America. Instead, she reverts to playing the role of the romantic.

"This is going to sound sappy, but honestly wherever my husband is, I am enjoying more," she said.

NOW WATCH: How to move to Canada and become a Canadian citizen





More From Business Insider


Troops of the Operation Delta Safe in the Niger Delta have freed nine kidnap victims, impounded 56 bags of Indian hemp, and arrested two suspected drug dealers during an operation.

Olaolu Daudu, the Coordinator of the Joint Media Campaign Centre of Operation Delta Safe, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Yenagoa on Saturday that measures had been put in place to restore peace in the region.

Troops in Delta foiled an armed robbery attempt and rescued 6 civilians returning from market along Bomadi Agadama road by Ohoro Junction in Ughelli North Local Government Area. The suspected robbers fled on sighting troops.

In another development, troops deployed at Koluama conducted a raid on Sea Pirates hideout in Kasabubou Forupa Waterways, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

Troops rescued three persons namely; Peter Atijera, Lukeman Balogun and Pious John and recovered Speedboat mounted with Double Engine 115/80 Horse Power, 2 Binoculars and one Motorola radio.

The Air Component of Operation DELTA SAFE while on patrol over Isaka town, Kidney Island, Alakiri and Bille in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State sighted two barges loaded with illegally refined products which were incapacitated, Mr. Daudu, a lieutenant colonel, said.

According to him, troops of Sector 3 resolved a major fracas between the youth of Ayama village in Aladja community of Warri South West in the process of which one Sunday Obuche of Ayama Community was killed.

Mr. Daudu noted that the presence of troops forestalled the degeneration of the crisis and further loss of lives.

He stated that the corpse of Mr. Obuche has been deposited at the Oviam Aladja Police Station while a meeting with the warring factions will be held to forestall reprisal attacks.

The spokesman also said the troops rescued three indigenous staff of LEX Oil, who were kidnapped on November 3 at Ikuru town in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers.

Furthermore, troops in conjunction with personnel of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) conducted a raid on a suspected illegal drug dealers hideout at Emu Obodeti Community in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Delta State.

The operation led to the arrest of one Moses Eni and Mrs Boyi Kamanda with 55 bags of substance suspected to be Indian hemp recovered.

The items are in the custody of the NDLEA office in Kwale, Delta State, Mr. Daudu stated.

(NAN)
Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, said on Saturday he still intends to destroy his green card, but wont be railroaded into fulfilling the promise.

The professor said the media and online critics should let him make good his promise on his own terms and at his convenience, especially since he didnt make the promise directly to them but under the semblance of his privacy.

I have been asked several times  interestingly only by the foreign media, with the exception of The Interview  whether indeed I did make such a statement at any time, and whether I still intended to carry it out, and the answer remains a categorical Yes.

Mr. Soyinka was reacting to a deluge of disparaging comments directed at him following the emergence of Donald Trump as the newly-elected President of the United States.

The attackers were hanging on a statement Mr. Soyinka made a few days before the American election in which he said he would destroy his green card should Mr. Trump emerge victorious in the election.

The moment they announce his [Trumps] victory, I will cut my green card myself and start packing up, Mr. Soyinka told a gathering at Oxford University last week.

The attackers immediately bailed on the famous social critic, with some speculating that he had allegedly denied making the promise.

Mr. Soyinka first responded on Friday, telling The Interview newsmagazine that the public should watch out for his exit from the United States on or before January 20 when Mr. Trump is expected to be sworn in.

Come January 20, 2017; watch my WOLEXIT! (Donald Trump will be sworn-in as the 45th President of the United States of America on Friday, January 20, 2017), the Interview quoted Mr. Soyinka as saying.

On Saturday, Mr. Soyinka followed his remarks with a 4,000-word essay laced with his signature vocabularies to affirm his true position on the matter.

The professor described his online critics on the matter as noisome creatures and nattering nitwits.

Mr. Soyinka said many of those attacking him on the Internet would be more reluctant to do so if they really knew he had been negotiating his relations with both peoples and nations from his own sovereign entity which he named the Autonomous Republic of Ijegba.

He said destroying his documents to enter the United States was similar to measures hed taking against different countries over the past decade.

Countries including China, Cuba, South Africa and even Australia have been no-go destinations for him due to their different transgressions towards him.

For instance, Mr. Soyinka said he declined going to Australia within the past 15 years because of a stringent visa application policy that the country had towards senior citizens, especially those above the age of 70.

That application document was highly disrespectful of age and I wondered what kind of mentality had crafted it, Mr. Soyinka said.

The alleged failure of Chinese government to show remorse for the deadly repression of Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 and frequent outbreak of xenophobic attacks in South Africa were the reasons the professor cited for staying away from those countries.

Although he admitted that tearing the green card might be physically exhausting, he, nonetheless, said he will embark on shredding it to fulfil his promise but only at his convenience.

But dont get nervous, or start jumping for joy too soon  the Nigerian passport is just as tough to rip, physically, as is the green card.

Finally, Mr. Soyinka said he failed to understand why people were so fixated about his decision to destroy a document that belongs to him.

I simply fail to understand why this has gone beyond a flurry of public commentary and hilarious cartoons, and turned into a masturbatory for some, a vomitory for others, and an epileptic sanatorium for a self-reproducing number, he said.
The mining of solid minerals including Diamond, Gold, Bitumen and Barite in Adamawa by a Swiss firm is to commence in December, an official has said.

The state Commissioner of Solid Mineral Resources, Shanti Shashi, made this known Saturday in Yola at the 4th Adamawa Community Dialogue organized by an NGO, the Adamawa Community Advancement Initiative, ACAI.

Ms. Shashi said the Swiss firm, BTP Swiss Sovereign Asset, and the Adamawa Mining Company would be involved in the mining of seven minerals comprising diamond, gold, zinc, bitumen, barite, uranium and platinum in the state under a three-year agreement.

She said that the state government, which was committed to tapping its solid mineral resources, had already acquired 12 mineral exploration licenses from the Federal Government.

While noting the numerous potentials of Adamawa in area of solid mineral resources, Ms. Shashi said the state was far ahead of other states in its level of preparation to exploit the resources.

Adamawa is the most organized state as far as solid minerals is concern. We have gone far in talks with Dangote Group on Guyuk Cement factory, she said.

She lauded ACAI for organizing stakeholders dialogue with the theme Adamawa Without Oil Money: Meeting The Challenges of Sustainable Development Through Agriculture and Solid Minerals Resources Development, which she described as timely and assured the state government commitment to key in.

In his paper, Economic Diversification through Solid Mineral Resources Development: The Adamawa State Prospects, Saidu Baba lamented the long years neglect of agriculture and solid minerals which used to be the mainstay of the nations economy.

Why we are in recession is because the money we realized from oil sector was not utilized to develop other sectors like solid minerals and agriculture, the professor said.

While noting that Adamawa has the mineral potentials to generate revenue, Mr. Baba said analysis has proven that Adamawa has limestone, coal, gypsum, baryte, clays and granites potentials.

It is therefore recommended that the state government should consider well-organized and coordinated investments in these minerals, advisably through joint venture programmes as is done in the oil and gas sector.

In his remarks, the Convener of ACAI, Bashir Ahmad, said the annual dialogue was meant to serve as a platform for Adamawa citizens to come together and discuss challenges of good governance and sustainable development in the state, with a view to coming up with common terms as to surmounting them.

While noting the current recession and the dwindling monthly allocation from Federation Account, Ahmed said Adamawa, with a population of over three million, needed to diversify if it must meet its obligation to the electorate.

We must create immediate alternative sources of revenues to fund our developmental programmes since monthly allocation, which comes mainly from oil money, can hardly even pay the monthly salaries, Mr. Ahmad said.

(NAN)
The police in Rivers State have banned the use of Supernumerary Police license plate number in the state.

A release by the police spokesperson in the state, Nnamdi Omoni, said that the commissioner of police has also banned private individuals and corporate organizations from using revolving lights atop their vehicles.

Mr. Omoni, a deputy superintendent of police, said that people were using spy plate numbers and revolving lights on vehicles, indiscriminately, to breach traffic regulations and perpetrate other criminal acts in the state.

The Command is disturbed by this trend and henceforth warns those concerned to within the next seven (7) days remove the unauthorized Spy plate numbers and revolving lights or face Prosecution, Mr. Omoni said, adding that police officers have been directed to arrest defaulters and impound their vehicles.

The police authorities in Abuja, last year, changed the uniform of the Spy police to grey and black trouser to distinguish them from the police.

The then Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, had said the measure was part of his administrations strategy of curtailing the activities of criminally minded persons who disguise in police uniform to perpetuate their nefarious activities.

Supernumerary Police, otherwise known as Spy police, is a collection of security personnel recruited on temporary basis by the police authorities to fill the shortfall in the number of police officers.

They are assigned mainly to protect private or public properties  like banks, schools and multinational companies  and their services as spy police ends immediately their services are no longer required by the individual or organisation.
There was tight security within and around the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, where the new Governor of Edo, Godwin Obaseki, will take his oath of office.

The security personnel which were drawn from the Police, Army, State Security Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, were positioned inside and around the venue.

The News agency of Nigeria reports that stadium road and adjoining streets within the precinct of the stadium were also heavily guarded by security personnel.

Apart from ensuring free-flow of traffic to and from the stadium by the police and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, security personnel were also on hand to control movement of people into the stadium.

It would be recalled that former governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, whose government was inaugurated on November 12, 2008, handed over to Mr. Obaseki last night in a brief ceremony in government house.

The former labour leader, after his first inauguration in 2008, won a re-election as the governor for his second term in July 2012.

The new governor, Mr. Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress, had on September 28 won the governorship race by defeating the People Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.


Pobierz zdjecie Przeczytaj o zasadach pobierania zdjec President for joint preparations for Poland's independence centenary (photo by Krzysztof Sitkowski / KPRP) (1)

President Andrzej Duda appealed for joint preparations for the centenary of Poland's independence. He made the appeal after a ceremonious changing of the guard and a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Poland's Independence Day on Friday.

"I believe that maybe in 2017, but above all in 2018, we could go together in a single march to honour independent Poland," the president stressed, appealing for commitment of all political forces. May be of interest to you "Poland's independence an achievement of generations"

"I believe that (...) in 2018 we will be able not only to take part in a single ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of Poland's independence but also to attend a single march. A single march in honour of an independent, sovereign and free Poland," the president stressed.

"Poland's independence was an achievement of generations of Poles. It was an achievement of people who opposed the attitude (...) of those who were called traitors (...)," the president said.

"The heroes, the architects of Poland's independence would surely want us to be united as far as fundamental matters are concerned," the president stressed.

"And it is an independent and sovereign Poland, one Poland for all of us, which is a foundation," the president said.

Earlier in the morning the president, PM Beata Szydlo, and Sejm and Senate Speakers Marek Kuchcinski and Stanislaw Karczewski attended a mass at the Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw's district of Wilanow. The mass, attended by a few thousand people, was described by Warsaw Metropolitan Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz as a historic event.

Two hundred and twenty-five years after the resolution taken by the Four-Year Sejm (parliament) to build a Temple of Divine Providence, the church officially opened on Friday. It was to be built as an expression of thanksgiving for the adoption of the May 3, 1791 Constitution.

Also on Friday morning President Duda together with other state officials laid a wreath at the monument to Jozef Pilsudski at the Belvedere Palace in Warsaw.

President Duda then presented state distinctions to a group of Poles for their meritorious service to the state and society, including transplant surgeon Marek Krawczyk, Olympic champion Anita Wlodarczyk and businessman Roman Kluska.

"Poles never ceased to exist as a nation. Poles are a nation which has never surrendered," President Duda said during the ceremony.

He also posthumously promoted Colonel Ryszard Kuklinski to the rank of general. The head of state presented the promotion documents to the director of the Kuklinski Museum in Warsaw.

Kuklinski, a Polish Army colonel, worked for the CIA during the Cold War and passed on documents about the Polish communist government's secret plans to impose martial law in the country in 1981.

In a letter on Poland's Independence Day published on the President's Office website the president wrote that "independence is not a good which is won once and for all. It is a task and a challenge."

The president stressed that one should learn from the determination and enthusiasm of the architects of an independent Poland.

"Today we are celebrating Poland's National Independence Day. It is a national holiday since it belongs to all Poles. We are all united by the idea of independence and a common state which is its best safeguard," the president wrote.

In the afternoon at the Presidential Palace, President Duda hosted members of the diplomatic corps, politicians as well as representatives of NGOs, war veteran and youth organisations and local government.

Observances marking Poland's Independence Day were also held outside Poland, including Vilnius, Budapest and Kiev.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite extended her wishes to the Polish president and the Polish people, underlining that "Lithuania's and Poland's striving for freedom, courage and determination of people to live in freedom, in countries defending the interests of their citizens, led the two countries along the same historical path".

In Budapest, flowers were laid at a plaque commemorating Pilsudski. (PAP)
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Set in the sunny disposition of Rajasthan skies, and amidst the vast green expanse of Balicha, IIM Udaipur, in association with Secure Meters are ready to host the second edition of it national management fest  Solaris 2016 on 12th and 13th of November.In drawing parallels with the Indian economic context, the journey of the institute and Solaris in general has been nothing short of the aptly titled The Quantum Leap i.e. the Indian economic boom post liberalization and the way forward.The two-day long extravaganza,consisting of four management summits, events and competitions, sees participation from pan-India management schools and other graduate and post-graduate colleges, young professionals and established industry giants. The fest is entirely conceptualized and managed by students of the institute with help from generous sponsors supporting them throughout the process. Solaris has joined hands with the giants of their respective fields, includingHotel Inder Residency as hospitality partner, Question Pro as online research partner, Bloomberg as knowledge partner, TOPSIM - Tata Interactive Systemsas simulation partners andNearbuyas event partner.Leadership SummitThe prestigious event will be kick started with the flagship event of Solaris  the Leadership Summit, organized by the Media and Industry Interaction Cell (MiiC) of IIM Udaipur. The theme for this years summit is "Rise - Traverse, Transform, Transcend" where in luminaries from different fields of the industry will be talking about how they, with their managerial skills, have taken todays corporate giants to the very acme of success or have rescued them from troubled waters and thereby creating an impact in the society.The summit will be a spectator to dignitaries such as Mr. SatyabrataDey (Chairman, Sreeleathers Limited), Mr. JithinNedumala (Co-founder, Make A Difference), Mr. Ashish Gupta (Vice President, Reliance Industries Limited), Mr. Ashoke Banerjee (Former Senior Executive Director, GSK) and Mr. Sanjay Tripathi (Senior Executive Vice-President, HDFC Life) will be delivering speeches on their respective fields and illuminating the audiences with their vast knowledge of the industry through an interactive session.Antardrishti  The Annual Business Conclave of IIM UdaipurThe Leadership Summit will be followed by thebusiness conclave  Antardrishti, organized, in collaboration by ConsultU, The Consulting Club and PiE, The Economics Club of IIM Udaipur. The summit will see luminaries suchas Mr. GurumoorthyMahalingam (Executive Director, RBI), Mr. Abhishant Pant (Founder, Cashless Journey), Mr. Sriram Krishnan (Head  Securities Services, Deutsche Bank India), Mr. Kumar Karpe (CEO, TechProcess Payment Services Limited), Mr. Nipun Kumar (Head  Strategy and Planning, Hero FinCorp Limited) and Mr. Rajesh Prasad (Vice-President, RuPay Acceptance) address the participants on several economic topics including Emerging Trends in Payments Systems and India : Future Growth Driver of World Economy.Mr. Frederico Gil Sander, World Banks Senior Country Economist for India will also be engaging the audiences which will provide a great opportunity to discuss the contemporary macroeconomic factors affecting India and their interplay with global economic and financial situation amongst other economic issues.The fest continues with a stimulating line up of events and competitions conducted by the Marketing Club - Marclan, a business quiz conducted by the Literary and Quizzing society - Potpourri along with individual events by the operations club - Skein and the finance club- Finomina.Arth-Samvaad- The Finance SummitThe second day of the management fest will commence with the Finance Summit - Arth-Samvaad, the flagship event of Finomina, the Finance Club of IIM Udaipur. The thought provoking session will consist of interactive panel discussions and a face-off session. This year the summit will include topics from the structural issues in Indian Economy like "Is the time ripe for corporate debt market to flourish in India?" and "Is the Indian Market correctly valued in current times?" Speakers such as Mr. Nirmal Jain (Chairman, IIFL), Mr. Kapil Bali (CEO, Yes Securities Limited), Mr. Sarbvir Singh (MD, Capital18) and Mr. Harsha Upadhyaya (CIO, Equity, Kotak MF) will be gracing the stage and sharing their insights into these issues with the present members of audience.Samvaah- The Annual Marketing Conclave of IIM UdaipurThe final summit of the managerial extravaganza isSamvaah  the Marketing Conclave, organized by Marclan  the Marketing Club of IIM Udaipur. The summit discusses the shifting power dynamics in the evolving marketplace, the paradoxes wrought by connectivity and the growing subculture splintering that shapes the future consumers. Renowned stalwarts from the marketing industry such as Ms. Manmeet Vohra (Director, Marketing and Category, Starbucks India), Mr. Vikas Mehta (Group CMO & President, Marketing Services, MullenLowe Lintas Group), Mr. Subhamoy Das, Mr. Subhranshu Singh (Head of Marketing, Star Sports, India), Ms. SuparnaMitra (CMO, Titan) and Mr. Suraja Kishore (National Head- Planning, Truth Central McCann Worldgroup, McCann Erickson) would be taking up the stage at Samvaah and engaging with the participants, speaking about the inner workings of the marketing industry in these changed times. This year the Summit will include topics like "Marketing Beyond Conventional Strategies" and "The Sway of Brand Communications".Competitions and WorkshopsThe day is packed with competitions from all fields in business including marketing, finance, economics, operations and quizzes. A staggering amount of prize money is on offer through the course of 20+ events incepting days before the actual day of the fest and reaching their finales during Solaris. The competitions boast of total prize money of upwards of Rs 4 lakhs, a staggering amount for competitions primarily testing the students proficiency in their managerial studies.The event will also see participation from various colleges on a pan-India basis with teams registering from every nook and cranny of the country in the online rounds. The Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SolarisIIMU/?fref=ts ) is decked with advertisements, marketing plans and short movies from colleges far and wide expressing their enthusiasm and interest in the fests competitions. Some of them who will reach the final round have been invited to the campus for a chance to win the grand prizes of those events.Keynote Address - Dr. Hasit B. JoshipuraThe second chapter of Solaris will reach its culmination with a riveting keynote address from esteemed speakers like Dr. Hasit B. Joshipura, the current Head  Corporate Centre, Larsen & Toubro, and former Managing Director, GSK Pharmaceuticals Limited, India. Dr. Joshipura will be enlightening the students with his experiences and immense knowledge in the art of choosing the mergers and acquisitions that are the right fit for a company.Final WordThe second leg of the annual management fest of IIM Udaipur is destined to be a leap forward from Solaris15, and continue the events success as one of the top-ranking business extravaganzas of the country. As the torchbearers light the proverbial inaugural lamp IIM Udaipur is ready to take that Quantum Leap, not just for now, but for all Solaris to come. Ignite. Illuminate. Inspire.
ATLANTIC CITY  Laura Hall worked at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort for 26 years and on Atlantic Citys casino floors for 36 years.

Then one day in October, she didnt anymore.

So this week, a month after the Taj Mahals owners closed the casino, Hall made the rounds at a job fair in Ballys Atlantic City.

She wasnt alone. Before the sponsors opened the doors where a collection of employers and social-service agencies had set up at tables, dozens of unemployed or underemployed local residents waited to go in and find a lead on their next paychecks.

Many, but not all, lost their jobs in the closing of the Taj, which shut its doors Oct. 10. The event led the New Jersey Coalition for Financial Education to organize the session in a Ballys ballroom.

Denise Clark, of Pleasantville, was a production cook for 22 years at the Taj. Shes looking for another job in the kitchen, but she also went to school to be a medical assistant, so she has some flexibility in her training. She also has some urgency, because her husband was a Taj chef, so he lost his income in the shutdown, too.

When it was booming, it was booming, Clark said. But now that the boom is long gone, This is not a good feeling. And were too old to start over.

Angela Pate is looking mainly for part-time work, because shes going back to college for a psychology degree. She also worked in the casinos of Atlantic City, her hometown of 22 years, half of that time as a maintenance mechanic at Tropicana Atlantic City.

Its hard to get jobs. There are a lot of people out looking, said Pate, who regularly checks job-hunting websites but hasnt found work that works for her.

And David Fabel spent more time in hospitals than casinos as a nurse. But when his latest employers staffing contract ran out, Fabel was out of a job but looking to stay in a field in which he has 30 years of experience.

A lot of places dont have full-time. Its part-time or pool, things like that, he said.

Nasrin Jahan, of Galloway Township, worked 19 years at the Taj and was friendly there with Clark. So the two were glad to see each other even at a job fair, but they have more in common than just a former employer. Jahans husband also lost his job recently at an Atlantic City casino, Tropicana, so her family is in trouble, too.

And her current career goal is simple: Anything, any job. Just a full-time job is what Im looking for.

Behind the employers desks, recruiters included the Philadelphia Police Department, where Officer Kenneth Scott said the starting salary is almost $49,500, plus full benefits. The department recruits in several states and figured Atlantic City could be fertile ground with its high unemployment rate.

Harry Ross, president of Ross Environmental Solutions, was there looking for a few salespeople, one in Atlantic County.

We train, theres a company vehicle, and our salespeople average over $50,000 a year, he said. Its a great job that nobody would ever think is a great job.

Several other tables were filled by people who had advice and help for workers looking for new jobs. Kimberly Warrick is client-services director for NJ SHARES, a coalition that assists low-income people with energy and utility bills. Shes a regular at job fairs on the theory that if people are out of work, then they probably need help.

Other social-service agencies included the United Way, where Fran Wise, a manager, was connecting struggling job hunters with programs that could help them. They included former Taj Mahal casino supervisor Hall, of Millville, who asked how she could find a job that pays $20 an hour to try to replace her better-paying casino job.

Wise mentioned a Rowan University program called Women in Sustainable Employment that might be able to help. Hall said shed check it out.

I know Im not going to make what I did, Hall said. Around here now, youre lucky to get $10 or $13 an hour.
ATLANTIC CITY  Jennifer Scamorza once asked her students if they ever ask to use the bathroom just so they can get up from their desks and take a walk.

Almost every hand went up, she said.

Between tests, Advanced Placement courses, bullying and annual evaluations, school can be a stressful place for both teachers and students. More educators are looking for ways to help themselves and their students cope.

For 15 years Scamarza, of Tinton Falls, was an elementary school teacher. Now she directs Yoga University, which offers workshops on mindfulness and yoga techniques teachers can use in the classroom so students dont have to use the bathroom as an excuse for a break.

The workload today can be challenging, Scamarza said Friday after her workshop at the New Jersey Education Association convention in Atlantic City. This is a wonderful way to create balance. The mind and body work together.

The yoga program and another on Brain Breaks were presented under a category of physical education. But Jacqueline Malaska, executive director of the New Jersey Association of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, was thrilled at how many teachers attending were regular classroom teachers.

Kids need to move, she said. They need breaks from just sitting.

That message is spreading.

The Brain Breaks workshop had so many participants it exceeded room capacity of 62 people and had to turn away at least 20 more.

Christine Baccarella, who taught physical education for 40 years, said the breaks are attractive to teachers because they are easy and quick.

They can keep teaching while theyre moving, she said about the breaks that include Rock, Paper, Scissor Math and teaching the class to make the sound of rain.

Grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are helping groups spread the message that helping children be active and healthy is everyones job  from the school nurse to the cafeteria staff.

Kids come in with issues from home, said Sheila Caldwell, a school nurse in Matawan-Aberdeen. The school has to give them ways to relieve the stress and focus if they are going to learn.

Scamarza taught some simple breathing exercises and yoga poses that could be incorporated into the school day.

Joseph Parsons, a teacher in Glen Rock, said yoga is being added to the physical education curriculum there.

Vineland High School physical education teacher Elliott DeShields and district social worker Tiffany Ewen-Magolda attended the yoga workshop to get new ideas.

Im looking for me, and the kids, DeShields said. I will absolutely integrate this into class.

Ewen-Magolda said students with emotional problems need coping skills, and she can incorporate the breathing techniques into counseling sessions.

Bridgeton physical education teacher Terry Love studies yoga and has his yoga instructor come into school for some sessions. Hed also like to encourage other classroom teachers to try some of Scamarzas techniques.

Everything comes in 15-second blasts today for kids, he said. I came away with some great ideas to get students focus back on class.

Malaska said cutting back recess to squeeze in more academics is counterproductive. Studies have shown that giving breaks to both children and adults makes them more focused and productive when they return.

Recess is where kids can go let off steam, she said.
Swirling snowflakes and snow-covered marshes greeted Dana Gibson the first time she and her family drove to the 1948 cottage that would become their Rappahannock River weekend place.

It reminded me of that scene in Doctor Zhivago when they come upon the abandoned country house frozen in time and push the door open, Gibson says.

It was January 2014. Gibson, husband Mark Longenderfer and their two sons pushed open the front door the real estate agent said would be unlocked. Inside, the one-story house was a time capsule of vintage cottage living: whitewashed walls, heart-of-pine floors, board-and-batten walls. It was said to have been built of World War II Navy surplus materials, including Jeep crates. The house had not been lived in for several years; some old wicker with faded chintz cushions, iron beds and a few wobbly tables had been left behind. An old-fashioned but airy kitchen offered views of the water.

We all liked it right away, says Longenderfer, 53, a general contractor. It was an easy, casual, come-in-and-throw-your-stuff-down kind of place.

They bought the 1,100-square-foot house, less than two hours away from their Richmond home, as a family retreat. Now Gibson, Longenderfer and sons Jack, 18, and DeWolf, 16, come to their Northern Neck house in all seasons. In the fall, that means enjoying the sound of geese flying overhead as they take Paco, their beagle, for a walk.

We enjoy the simple things here: good food, a breeze, a sunset, says Gibson, 52, who designs home accessories, fabrics and wallpapers. While some people would have knocked the place down and started over, keeping whats old is important to me. I wanted to keep this place authentic. Our decor is rustic and casual, with a bit of glamping style.

That means baggy white slipcovers, rush carpeting and painted chests mixed with a few fancy curtains and glitzy chandeliers.

Fishing poles are mounted to the rafters of the enclosed porch, where the family sometimes has dinner by the light of a silver candelabra.

The house has a breezy, open plan. There are three small bedrooms and a side sleeping porch. Theres a nice living-dining room, and the front porch, which has a stunning water view, has several ceiling fans and cozy spaces to relax.

Gibson seems to have inherited a talent for art and design. Her mother is a painter. Her great-grandfather was Charles Dana Gibson, a 19th-century illustrator and artist and creator of the elegant Gibson Girl, modeled after his wife, Irene Langhorne Gibson. Nancy Lancaster, Dana Gibsons great-aunt and an owner of the London decorating firm Colefax and Fowler, was one of the most celebrated design figures of the past century, known for her classic English country-house style of floral chintz fabrics, old portraits and painted furniture.

Gibson was always attracted to art and design and began her business in the 1990s with a line of hand-sculpted porcelains that were sold at shops such as Neiman Marcus and Henri Bendel. She eventually expanded to other home accessories, such as trays, lamps and tole wastebaskets, often in bold patterns and colors. Today, she designs fabrics and wallcoverings for Stroheim, furniture for Miles Talbott, and napkins and notecards for Caspari.

In furnishing her rural cottage, Gibson must have channeled Lancaster, who was known for making country houses livable. Although there is a casualness about it all, with thrift shop paintings leaning against the wall and boho throws from World Market tossed about, there are also touches of glamour. She kept the whitewashed walls and chose upholstery and curtains in neutral shades of brown, gray and green.

The couple didnt do much to the structure of the house. Longenderfer and his crew insulated the living room ceiling and raised the kitchen ceiling. They took out the claw-foot tub from one of the bathrooms and replaced it with a tiled shower. They left the country kitchen pretty much as is, adding a retro Smeg fridge, open shelving and an old table.

The bedrooms are furnished simply, with comfortable beds, homey quilts, botanical prints and old mirrors. One bedroom has a chunky, white four-poster bed Gibson found on Craigslist for $125. In another, a decoupage lamp she received as a gift was topped by a custom shade sewn from a cowhide she picked up at a flea market. Curtains are made of one of her floral fabrics, and shes papered a few walls in her wallcoverings.

Shes known for jewel tones in her work, and youll see them around in small doses. There are piles of iridescent silk pillows on the daybed in the sleeping porch. The dining chairs, which came with the house, have seat covers upholstered in five vivid colors, an idea she picked up from a room by French fashion designer Christian Lacroix. Gibsons seat covers are felt, a fabric she says does well with wet bathing suits.

The family enjoys being by the river. DeWolf and his father go striper fishing, and dinner might be fish tacos from their catch of the day. Other local seafood is as fresh as can be, thanks to a neighborhood waterman and an oyster farm down the lane. They might enjoy a casual dinner by the river bank, at a table and a bunch of chairs Gibson pulled from various rooms, lit by a line of bulbs strung between trees.

Gibsons sons are always telling her not to doll up the place too much; they like it just as it is. We do things here as a family we dont seem to have time to do at home, Gibson says. We watch the sun go down from the deck. When its raining, we play board games. Its a total escape.
The mother of a Middle Township boy missing for 25 years hopes a documentary debuting at the Cape May Film Festival on Saturday will help draw more attention to the case.

Maureen Himebaugh said she still has hope her son Mark is alive, although she knows realistically he could be gone.

Ive been told that if it is made into a movie that there would be a lot more exposure, Himebaugh said. I just want closure.

Nov. 25 is the 25th anniversary of the day 11-year-old Mark was last seen in Del Haven, Middle Township.

The One Percent: The Mark Himebaugh Story is co-produced by Ed Claypoole and Rip Saling, whose uncle is the longtime boyfriend of Maureen Himebaugh.

Himebaugh, 64, who still lives in the same Del Haven house, said she will watch the 15-minute film for the first time Saturday.

There are so many possibilities about what could have happened to Mark, said Saling, 43, of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Our whole goal is to bring answers to his disappearance.

A huge marsh fire diverted traffic off Bayshore Road the day Mark Himebaugh went missing. He got off his school bus and stopped to watch the fire before heading home about 3:30 p.m. along Sun Ray Beach Boulevard.

He saw his mom, who told investigators she let her son know she was going to run an errand and would be back soon.

Investigators at the time said he was last seen by a worker at Cape May County Park South playing with an unidentified girl his age at the playground on Bayshore Road.

Himebaughs disappearance prompted a massive search involving hundreds of volunteers and members of law enforcement. The search party found the boys white L.A. Gear sneaker a half-block from his house, raising fears he had been abducted.

No one ever has been charged in the disappearance, but police identified Pennsylvanian Thomas Butcavage as a person of interest in the case. He is serving a 36-year prison sentence after being convicted of child molestation in 1999.

The documentary will be shown 4 to 5:30 p.m. at West Cape May Borough Hall at 732 Broadway as part of the Cape May Film Festival.

We interviewed family, friends, former cops, detectives, people who had dogs out there that day. (We used) news footage, Saling said.

A daytime festival pass for Saturday costs $15; an evening pass $20; entire weekend $50.

Saling, who runs Rip Roarin Productions video company, said he hopes to expand on The One Percent after the festival.

Our goal is hoping to get this into a full episode  a TV episode  or a full feature film, he said.

The films title is based on a statistic that about 1 percent of children reported missing by a caregiver are never found, according to the trailer.

Maureen Himebaugh said she was approached by Saling and Claypoole two years ago, when they began the project.

I think its good its happening now, Himebaugh, said. Were hoping for an answer. Contact: 609-272-7411 JTomczuk@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressTomczuk
Dozens of people lined Philadelphia Avenue in Egg Harbor City to cheer on veterans, students and community leaders in the annual Veterans Day Parade.

The parade featured veterans spanning from World War II to the Iraq War.

Many people braved a chilly night to see the Cedar Creek High School Marching Band, students from the Egg Harbor City Community School and others march in the parade as America celebrated and thanked everyone who has served in the Armed Forces.

There were also several ceremonies around South Jersey that included a moment of silence at 11 a.m. to commemorate the end of World War I. Countries in Europe also held a moment of silence at 11 a.m. to commemorate the end of the war. In many countries, the day is known as Armistice Day.

The United States celebrated Armistice Day until it was changed to Veterans Day after World War II.

In Atlantic City, Mayor Don Guardian attended a special ceremony at ODonnell Memorial Park. The park features monuments to both World Wars.
ATLANTIC CITY  One man was arrested and two more are wanted after a reported home invasion early Thursday morning.

At 12:30 a.m., officers were sent to the 600 block of Drexel Avenue for a report of three men entering a home with handguns.

Officers Anthony Abrams and Alberto Valles were responding when they saw a minivan speeding toward them, police said in a news release.

As the minivan passed, the officers saw the men inside had ski masks on, police said. They turned and sped after the van with lights and sirens on, police said.

The driver refused to stop and the officers pursued them onto the 1100 block of Mediterranean Avenue, where all three people in the van jumped out while it was still moving, and it crashed into a fence, police said.

The officers chased one suspect, Akram Daughtery, 20, of Atlantic City, police said. They took him into custody without incident, police said. He was still wearing his ski mask, police said.

Inside the van, officers found a handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets, police said. Later, police received a call from a resident who reported a handgun at Pennsylvania and Sewell avenues.

The other two men were not caught, and police are searching for them. They were described as two black men wearing all black.

Daughtery is charged with robbery, burglary, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of hollow-point ammunition, obstruction of justice and resisting arrest by flight.

He was sent to the Atlantic County jail on $250,000 bail.

Detective Matthew Cocuzza is investigating. Anyone with information is urged to call the Atlantic City Police Department Criminal Investigations Section at 609-347-5766.

Information can be texted to tip411 (847411). Begin the text with ACPD. All texts are anonymous.
ATLANTIC CITY  Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy said Friday hed end a state takeover of the city if hes elected governor.

Murphy spoke after a rally at Kelseys restaurant on Pacific Avenue, where he received endorsements from the citys Democratic Committee, City Council members and local religious leaders.

I think you have to find a better solution, Murphy said. I wish someone could show me the evidence where (state takeovers) have worked and where the people of the community have benefited. And I dont see the evidence.

The state Local Finance Board voted Wednesday to take major decision-making powers away from the citys government and grant them to a state official, who could sell city assets, break union contracts and take other actions to fix the citys finances.

Collective bargaining agreements are going to be tossed out the window. Assets will be sold, Murphy told a crowd inside Kelseys. This is not a good thing for this community.

Murphy is a former U.S. ambassador to Germany and finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He worked for 23 years at Goldman Sachs.

Murphy said he believes the citys budget is bloated and there are legitimate questions about the citys fiscal recovery plan the state rejected last week.

But, he said, hed work with the city as opposed to big-footing the community.

They got five months, Murphy said, referring to the 150 days the city had to draft its recovery plan. They need more time. It almost feels like it was set up to fail.

Murphy, if elected governor, wouldnt take office until January 2018, more than a year after the state takeover is implemented.

Council President Marty Small, Councilman Frank Gilliam and city Democratic Committee Chairwoman Joyce Mollineaux introduced Murphy.

Its important that Atlantic City has a governor who will walk and run with them to the finish line, and not run over us, Small said.

Gilliam said electing Murphy would help Atlantic City become a much more successful place than weve had under Gov. (Chris) Christie.
ATLANTIC CITY  Investors may find the resort a safer bet now that New Jersey voters overwhelmingly shot down expanding casinos to North Jersey, casino-industry watchers and developers said.

I think its a pretty fair assumption the North Jersey casino ballot question probably had a chilling effect on investors, and they waited, said Chris Paladino, who heads the Atlantic City Development Corp., which is building a Stockton University campus and South Jersey Gas headquarters in Atlantic City.

He added that uncertainty over a state takeover could have had a similar effect, but that issue has been resolved, too.

What remains to be seen is how the market reacts to the failed ballot question. Leading up to Tuesday, much of the focus had been on what would happen if it passes. Fitch Ratings in June said as many as four Atlantic City casinos could close if gambling expanded in New Jersey.(tncms-asset)b46ccdfa-a533-11e6-b625-00163ec2aa77(/tncms-asset)

Those thinking seriously about playing Monopoly for real should move forward, said Robert Ambrose, an instructor of hospitality and gaming at Drexel University. The city is an investors market right now, and those with vision and funding should be looking at the landscape.

There is already some indication as to what the threat of expanded gambling could mean to reinvestment.

Carl Icahn, owner of the now-shuttered Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, said in March he was holding off on investing $100 million in the property because of the vote. He ended up closing the property Oct. 10 after a labor impasse with Unite Here Local 54.

Rummy Pandit, executive director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton University, expects the referendums margin of victory  three of four voters rejected it  will discourage the idea from resurfacing soon.(tncms-asset)672b2036-a1dd-11e6-b6a1-00163ec2aa77(/tncms-asset)

But the area cant get complacent, he said.

The idea is far from dead.

Our Turn NJ, a nonprofit campaign favoring the expansion of casino gaming, said it is still committed to bringing casinos to North Jersey.

New Jersey has to start from the beginning on gaming expansion, North Jersey casino supporters Paul Fireman and Jeff Gural said in a joint statement. What the people of this state need to see is a transparent, competitive plan that outlines in full detail how gaming expansion would work.

The states first effort to legalize gambling failed in 1974 before it was passed two years later, giving Atlantic City a New Jersey casino monopoly.

Paladino said he remains optimistic about the citys future. He said people in Chelsea neighborhood or those coming off the Boardwalk have been checking out the progress of the development site and have been eager to talk about it.(tncms-asset)d96a2ce6-a057-11e6-92ae-00163ec2aa77(/tncms-asset)

That neighborhood is seeing some excitement, he said.

Staff Writer Christian Hetrick contributed to this report.
ATLANTIC CITY  Joshua DeLeon earned $200 a week driving for Uber, a side job he used to buy an engagement ring for his girlfriend.

Then he got a $300 ticket from Atlantic Citys mercantile office for operating without a proper license, and he quit.

I was under the impression this was a legal business, said DeLeon, 29, of Egg Harbor Township. It should be a legal process.

Some Uber drivers operate surreptitiously to avoid fines, others are being chased by local regulators in what Atlantic City Licensing Director Dale Finch called a cat-and-mouse game.

Atlantic City has issued more than 300 tickets to ride-hailing drivers so far this year, Finch said.

DeLeon found himself, like many others, stuck in a legal limbo. Because ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft are unregulated in New Jersey, some municipalities consider them illegal.

While state legislators are still working on a bill to protect consumers and eliminate a patchwork of local laws, the lack of statewide regulations has created a complicated problem for the drivers, the towns and taxi companies. Taxi drivers say they pay registration and licensing fees  and have different requirements for background checks  that their new competitors dont.

Stuck in between are people like 30-year-old Mays Landing resident Anthony Mazzone, a personal trainer at Tilton Fitness who drives for Uber on weekends.

Mazzone said he has learned quick how to avoid getting a ticket, staying away from taxi lines at certain casinos and using his app to get in contact with riders to let them know exactly where they will meet.

That is what makes the job uncomfortable. Its not picking people up that you dont know. Its not going to places where youre unfamiliar. Its the fact that you could be given a citation for driving a drunk person, he said.

Other states and towns have wrestled with the legality of Uber and Lyft. Earlier this month, Pennsylvania passed a law legalizing ride-hailing companies, but not after some uncertainty over whether to allow the service. Both companies pulled out of Austin, Texas, after the city wanted to require fingerprinting for drivers.

In October, the New Jersey Assembly passed a bill that would address some concerns, including requirements regarding driver eligibility, insurance coverage and records retention, but does not include a controversial fingerprinting requirement proposed previously.

Uber spokesman Craig Ewer said the company instituted measures to keep passengers safe, including photos of the driver, license plate numbers and car descriptions, and ratings for both drivers and passengers.

Ewer said the company agrees that statewide regulation would give riders and drivers the certainty they need that ridesharing is here to stay. He said Uber runs extensive background checks on its drivers, looking at criminal history, motor vehicle records and sex offender databases.

Ewer said Uber would leave the state, as it has left other areas, if fingerprinting were required because they are based on incomplete data and can potentially discriminate against minority communities. No date for a Senate vote on the New Jersey legislation has been set.

Finch, who supports fingerprinting, said Atlantic Citys major concern is background checks.

Uber says that they do a complete background check, and all the limos and taxis say the background check they use is not sufficient, he said.

Finch said Atlantic City will have to come up with an ordinance if the state doesnt take action.

Taxis and limos bring in money for the city. According to Finch, taxi drivers each pay an annual fee of $60 in addition to a $150 annual fee for a taxi medallion, which can have up to four drivers registered to it. There are 250 taxi medallions registered in the city. Limousine drivers pay an annual fee of $100.

Its the weekends where its very competitive between the limos and the taxis and now Uber, and the citys not booming like it was, so everyone is kind of fighting for the same dollar, Finch said.

Mercantile inspectors monitor valet lines at casinos on weekends to catch unlicensed drivers, he said.

DeLeon, an emergency room nurse, said he was stopped while picking up a client at Harrahs Resort.

Out of nowhere, this one valet driver said, Are you an Uber driver? Then some guy came over and he asked for my license, but he didnt introduce himself, DeLeon said.

DeLeon later received two tickets in the mail. At his court date, there were seven ride-hailing drivers facing charges of operating an unlicensed limousine or taxi, he said.

Uber sent a lawyer to represent the drivers, but one of the two tickets was still imposed.

Uber driver Stephen Plettner, 32, of Atlantic City, said he also uses Uber as a form of supplemental income. He hasnt been ticketed yet.

I did have an Atlantic City mercantile official very, very harshly rap on my window and try to stop me when I had riders in my car. They were quite terrified. They had no idea what was going on, said Plettner.

Over the summer, Sea Isle City issued $200 to $300 tickets to more than 40 Uber drivers. At a meeting in September, Councilwoman Mary Tighe asked whether the city was going to come up with a compromise to allow ride-hailing companies to operate in the city, which has a lively bar scene.

Tighe said the city continues to wait for the statewide legislation to move forward, but it wont wait forever.

No, were not waiting for the state, she said, adding city officials plan to have rules in place before next summer so we dont run into the same problems.
A Labor Day weekend storm that mostly skirted the Jersey Shore may have put a damper on what looked to be a promising summer for beach tag sales.

In Ocean City, for example, only 1,507 daily beach tags were sold in September, about one-seventh the sales from a year ago.

By midsummer, many shore towns reported a slight bump in tag sales, up about 2 percent in Ocean City, 1 percent in Sea Isle City and 4 percent in Harvey Cedars from a year ago. Margate and Brigantine revenues were up nearly 6 percent.

But the pace tailed off in August and September.

Ocean City reported a 1.5 percent decrease in revenue for 2016 compared to last year.

The threat of Tropical Storm Hermine essentially wiped out September daily tag sales, said Doug Bergen, the citys public information officer, who noted 2015 was a record year for beach tag revenue.

Bergen said the storm, which stayed mostly offshore, brought high winds and caused beach erosion down the coast, restricting access to the surf.

The beach tag staff did not patrol during Labor Day weekend, he said.

August saw a dip, too.

Bergen said the exceptionally hot weather and early return of children to school may be to blame for sales in August, when about 12,500 fewer tags were sold compared to last August.

Sea Isle Business Administrator George Savastano reported a 2 percent decline in revenue, citing the weather as a main factor.

Some towns had increases for the year, even though the pace of sales slowed in late summer.

Margate saw a 4.5 percent increase in sales over 2015, according to Chief Financial Officer Lisa McLaughlin. The city had a higher percentage of pre-season and early season sales.

McLaughlin said the city also began advertising its preseason tag sales earlier this year.

We send notice of preseason sales with the mailing of our water and sewer bills. When we send the bills out early, the preseason sales increase, she said.

Harvey Cedars saw a 2 percent rise in overall sales for the year. Before midsummer, the increase was even higher, about 4 percent.

The weather, the condition of the beaches, the economy as a whole, gas prices, all affect the amount of tourism we get and, therefore, the amount of beach badges sold, Chief Financial Officer Laura Cohen said.

Cohen said the city might see even more revenue this year since it will begin selling a holiday beach tag for the first time.

So there will be more to come, she said.

Ocean City, Margate, Sea Isle and Harvey Cedars officials say they currently have no plans to increase beach tag prices.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The Aghdzk excavation site, where relics of Armenian Arshakuni Kings were discovered  will become a tourist destination.

According to Culture Minister Armen Amiryan, financing is required for relevant infrastructures.

Facilities for preserving the monument, further research and exhibition will be created here, the minister said.

Lawmaker Aragats Akhoyan said the Armenian people must preserve and value the monument.

The remains of our Kings are in his excavation site. We must raise awareness of this site to the public, he said.

The largest relic-chest of three excavated chests by the expedition in the Aghdzk village excavation site was opened, which contained remains and relics of Armenian Kings.

According to Culture minister Armen Amiryan, excavation financing is carried out since 2014.

17 million AMD was provided to excavation of the monument in 2016. Results showed that we have to continue excavations, the minister said.

Archaeologist, head of the Aghdzk expedition Hakob Simonyan said excavations this year began in May and are still underway.

The expedition of the historic-cultural heritage scientific-research center is working here. The Hungarians and Iranians are also interested in this monument and soon they will also be included in the expedition, he said.

According to Simonyan, a museum dedicated to the Armenian statehood is planned to be opened in the excavation site soon.

Aghdzk is a village on the slopes of Mount Aragats in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It is home to the Arshakuni Mausoleum, a large grave monument complex and basilica of the 4th to 5th centuries.

King Shapur II of Persia exhumed the bones of the Armenian kings and attempted to take them to Persia symbolically taking Armenia's power. When Sparapet Vassak Mamikonian defeated the Persians and reclaimed the bones of the Arshakuni monarchs, he buried them at Aghdzk. Remains of the monuments and the basilica may still to be seen.
Afghan security personnel stop people as they block the road near the largest US military base in Bagram, 50 km north of Kabul, after an explosion on November 12, 2016 (AFP Photo/Shah Marai)

Kabul (AFP) - Four Americans were killed on Saturday in a suicide bombing inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said, in a major breach of security.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield, north of the capital Kabul, which left 16 other US service members and a Polish soldier wounded as the insurgents ramp up attacks on Western targets.

The dead included two American soldiers and two contractors, in an assault which highlights rising insecurity in Afghanistan nearly two years after US-led NATO forces formally ended their combat operations.

"Force protection is always a top priority for us in Afghanistan, and we will investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it," defense secretary Carter said, adding he was "deeply saddened" by the news.

"We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future."

The blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base, said Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province where Bagram is located.

"The attacker was one of the Afghan labourers working there," Sediqi told AFP.

Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi described the explosion around 0100 GMT as "powerful", saying it reverberated across the area. The base was put on lockdown following the attack.

The attack represents a brazen security breach inside one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan.

The United States has around 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, with the largest contingent stationed at the Bagram base.

The base is enveloped by multiple layers of Afghan and American guards, security cameras and watch towers, and a surveillance blimp keeps a close watch on the surrounding areas.

- Rising insecurity -

"To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences," said John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

Story continues

"For the family and friends of those wounded in today's attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today."

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said one of the insurgent group's suicide bombers carried out the assault, claiming it inflicted "heavy casualties on US invaders".

The militants are stepping up attacks nationwide before the onset of winter, when the fighting usually ebbs.

Bagram Airfield has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near the base in one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.

The latest assault came after a powerful Taliban truck bomb struck the German consulate in Afghanistan's northern Mazar-i-Sharif city late Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding more than 100 others.

The uptick in attacks comes just days after a bitter US presidential election.

Afghanistan got scarcely a passing mention in the election campaign -- even though the situation there will be an urgent matter for the new president.

President-elect Donald Trump is set to inherit America's longest war with no end in sight.
The annual award, presented by the International Travel & Health Insurance Journal (ITIJ), was announced in Berlin, Germany at the International Travel and Health Insurance Industry Conference (ITIC).

As the recipient of the 2016 Cost Containment/Claims Management Company of the Year, New Frontier Group was recognized from a large field of global competitors. Most notably, it was given this prestigious award based on its "remarkable growth" and "professional reputation of focusing on the needs of its customers, irrespective of the company size."

Each year ITIJ's annual global conference concludes with an awards gala honoring companies for their outstanding contributions of excellence and innovation. Winners are selected by a panel of industry leaders who are experts in the areas of the travel insurance provisions.

Accepting the award before 800 industry associates, clients and guests, New Frontier Group President and CEO Gitte Bach, proudly acknowledged the spectacular year New Frontier Group experienced in its market growth. Ms. Bach thanked clients for their support and collaboration while equally expressing appreciation for the extraordinary performance of the New Frontier Group team.

"The last 12 months have been phenomenal for New Frontier Group and I am so proud to have been named 2016 Cost Containment/Claims Management Company of the Year. I believe this award recognizes our company and our team for their superior service and acknowledges the competitive advantage we have built in using technological advancements to provide global healthcare solutions."

This was the first year New Frontier Group was nominated and thus being awarded the 2016 Cost Containment/Claims Management Company of the Year, makes it all the more special. In addition, it was also given the great honor of being a first time finalist for the ITIJ Marketing Campaign of the Year.

About New Frontier Group: New Frontier Group is the global leader as the first point of contact for worldwide International Insurance and Assistance Teams. New Frontier Group leads the travel industry's global healthcare management services by providing a business suite of customized assistance, full service solutions and cost savings for its worldwide clients. New Frontier Group is an independently owned U.S. based International Company established in 2002.

Find New Frontier Group Online

Website: www.newfrontiergroup.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontier-international-group

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSFPtJET67YUHER-itjHrXw

Gitte Bach  President & CEO New Frontier Group

800.318.2090

bach@newfrontiergroup.com





Related Links

http://www.newfrontiergroup.com



SOURCE New Frontier Group
DUBLIN, Nov 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Biomarkers Market Analysis & Trends - Product, Type, Disease Indication, Application - Forecast to 2025" report to their offering.

The Global Biomarkers Market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 14.2% to reach approximately $88.32 billion by 2025.

This industry report analyzes the global markets for Biomarkers across all the given segments on global as well as regional levels presented in the research scope. The study provides historical market data for 2013, 2014 revenue estimations are presented for 2015 and forecasts from 2016 till 2025.

The study focuses on market trends, leading players, supply chain trends, technological innovations, key developments, and future strategies. With comprehensive market assessment across the major geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Latin America and Rest of the world the report is a valuable asset for the existing players, new entrants and the future investors.

The study presents detailed market analysis with inputs derived from industry professionals across the value chain. A special focus has been made on 23 countries such as U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, Spain, France, Italy, China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, etc. The market data is gathered from extensive primary interviews and secondary research. The market size is calculated based on the revenue generated through sales from all the given segments and sub segments in the research scope. The market sizing analysis includes both top-down and bottom-up approaches for data validation and accuracy measures.

Report Highlights:

The report provides a detailed analysis on current and future market trends to identify the investment opportunities

Market forecasts till 2025, using estimated market values as the base numbers

Key market trends across the business segments, Regions and Countries

Key developments and strategies observed in the market

Market Dynamics such as Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities and other trends

In-depth company profiles of key players and upcoming prominent players

Growth prospects among the emerging nations through 2025

Market opportunities and recommendations for new investments

Companies Mentioned:

Abbott Laboratories, Inc.

Agilent Technologies Inc.

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

Biosims Technologies

Cisbio Bioassays

EKF Diagnostics Holdings, Inc.

ENZO Biochem, Inc.

Eisai Co. Ltd.

Ge Healthcare

Merck & Co, Inc.

Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC.

Perkinelmer, Inc.

Qiagen N.V.

Siemens AG

Signosis, Inc.

Singulex, Inc.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Report Structure:

1 Market Outline

2 Executive Summary

3 Market Overview

4 Biomarkers Market, By Products

5 Biomarkers Market, By Type

6 Biomarkers Market, By Disease Indication

7 Biomarkers Market, By Application

8 Biomarkers Market, By Geography

9 Key Player Activities

10 Leading Companies

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ds4sl6/biomarkers_market

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com



SOURCE Research and Markets
MCKINNEY, Texas, Nov. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Torchmark Corporation (NYSE: TMK) announced today that Steven P. Johnson was elected to its Board of Directors on November 2, 2016. A Texas resident, Mr. Johnson holds a B.B.A. degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin  Eau Claire. During his 41-year career with Deloitte & Touche, he held a variety of positions, including direct client service and senior firm leadership roles, ultimately serving as Deputy Managing Partner-Operations. Since his retirement in June 2013, he has served as a financial consultant/advisor for Boulder Creek Development, LLP and its affiliated companies.

Torchmark also announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $.14 per share on all of the outstanding common stock of the Company held of record as of the close of business of the Company's transfer agent on January 6, 2017. The dividend will be paid on February 1, 2017.

Torchmark Corporation is a holding company specializing in life and supplemental health insurance for "middle income" Americans marketed through multiple distribution channels including direct response, and exclusive and independent agencies. Torchmark has several nationally recognized insurance subsidiaries. Globe Life And Accident is a direct-response provider of life insurance known for its administrative efficiencies. American Income Life provides individual life insurance to working families. Liberty National Life is one of the oldest traditional life insurers in the Southeast. United American is a consumer-oriented provider of supplemental life and health insurance. Family Heritage Life provides individual supplemental health insurance.

Related Links

http://www.torchmarkcorp.com



SOURCE Torchmark Corporation
BAGSVRD, Denmark, November 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

This material is intended for global medical media only.

For journalistic assessment and preparation before publication.

Results from a study comparing the pharmacodynamics of Tresiba (insulin degludec) with insulin glargine U300 in people with type 1 diabetes were presented today at the 16th Annual Diabetes Technology Meeting in Bethesda, US. Treatment with Tresiba (0.4 U/kg) resulted in lower day-to-day and within-day variability* in glucose-lowering effect,compared with insulin glargine U300 (0.4 U/kg).[1]

The study showed that the day-to-day variability was approximately four times lower with Tresiba than with insulin glargine U300. Within-day variability was approximately 40% lower with Tresiba, with the glucose-lowering effect being more evenly distributed across 24 hours compared to insulin glargine U300.[1] In addition, insulin glargine U300 showed a 30% lower potency assessed by the total glucose-lowering effect compared to Tresiba.[1]

"While large-scale head-to-head trials are needed to compare the efficacy and safety of new insulins, pharmacodynamic studies are important, as they enable us to better understand their pharmacological properties. The more stable the glucose lowering profile of insulin, the easier it is to titrate and can help reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia in patients with diabetes," says Dr Tim Heise, lead scientist at the Profil Institute in Germany.

*within-day variability was assessed in a post-hoc analysis and calculated as the relative fluctuation, in order to account for the difference in potency between Tresiba and insulin glargine U300.

About the NN1250-4227 study

This was a phase 1, single-centre, double-blind, two-period, cross-over trial, where people with type 1 diabetes were randomly assigned to receive Tresiba or insulin glargine U300 at a dose of 0.4 U/kg/day. A total of 57 people completed the study. Both treatments were administered once daily for 12 days, followed by a 7-21 day period in which the participants received no study treatment, before being crossed over to receive the other treatment for a further 12 days. In order to assess the pharmacodynamic variability in the glucose-lowering effect of Tresiba and insulin glargine U300, each participant underwent six 24-hour glucose clamps (three during each 12-day study period) performed at steady state (where glucose levels are stabilised in the participants).[1]

About Tresiba

Tresiba is a once-daily basal insulin that provides a duration of action beyond 42 hours.[2],[3] It is important for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to establish a routine for insulin treatment. On occasions when administration at the same time of day is not possible, Tresiba allows for flexibility in day-to-day dosing time when needed.[2],[4],[5] Tresiba received its first regulatory approval in September 2012 and has since been approved in more than 80 countries globally. It was most recently approved by the FDA in the United States on 26 September 2015.

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to help people defeat other serious chronic conditions: haemophilia, growth disorders and obesity. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 42,600 people in 75 countries and markets its products in more than 180 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube

Further information

Media:



Katrine Sperling

+45-4442-6718

krsp@novonordisk.com



Asa Josefsson

+45-3079-7708

aajf@novonordisk.com



Michael Bachner (US)

+1-609-664-7308

mzyb@novonordisk.com



Investors:



Peter Hugreffe Ankersen

+45-3075-9085

phak@novonordisk.com



Melanie Raouzeos

+45-3075-3479

mrz@novonordisk.com



Hanna Ogren

+45-3079-8519

haoe@novonordisk.com



Anders Mikkelsen

+45-3079-4461

armk@novonordisk.com



Kasper Veje (US)

+1-609-235-8567

kpvj@novonordisk.com



References

1. Heise T, Nrskov M, Nosek L, et al. Insulin degludec: Four-times lower pharmacodynamic within-patient variability compared to insulin glargine U300 in type 1 diabetes. Annual Diabetes Technology Meeting 2016, Poster presentation

2. EMA. Tresiba Summary of Product Characteristics. Available at: http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/EPAR_-_Product_Information/human/002498/WC500138940.pdf Last accessed: November 2016

3. Haahr H, Heise T. A review of the pharmacological properties of insulin degludec and their clinical relevance. Clinical Pharmacokinetics. 2014; 53:787-800

4. Meneghini L, Atkin SL, Gough SC, et al. The efficacy and safety of insulin degludec given in variable once-daily dosing intervals compared with insulin glargine and insulin degludec dosed at the same time daily: a 26-week, randomized, open-label, parallel-group, treat-to-target trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2013; 36:858-864

5. Mathieu C, Hollander P, Miranda-Palma B, et al. Efficacy and safety of insulin degludec in a flexible dosing regimen vs insulin glargine in patients with type 1 diabetes (BEGIN: Flex T1): a 26-week randomized, treat-to-target trial with a 26-week extension. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2013; 98:1154-1162

SOURCE Novo Nordisk
DUBLIN, Nov. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), a leading global pharmaceutical company today announced that data on nebivolol will be presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Annual Scientific Meeting scheduled November 12-16th, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Nebivolol is approved and marketed in the US as BYSTOLIC for the treatment of hypertension to lower blood pressure.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150612/222796LOGO

"Hypertension is associated with serious cardiovascular risks and represents a significant public health issue," said Gavin Corcoran, Chief Medical Officer at Allergan. "We are pleased to support health outcomes and clinical research to elucidate the role nebivolol may play in managing this costly and burdensome condition."

The posters include data from two hypertension studies. The scheduled times and titles of the presentations are as follows:

Poster Presentations:

"Cardiovascular Outcomes with Nebivolol, Atenolol and Metoprolol in Patients with Hypertension: A Large Retrospective Cohort Study"

Presenter: Alan Gradman

Program #: P55385

Date/Time: Monday, November 14 th , 10:45 AM  12:00 PM CT

,  Location: Science and Technology Hall (Population Science Section)

"A Double-Blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized study examining nebivolol compared to atenolol on endothelial function and cardiovascular risk in patients with early vascular disease (EVIDENCE)"

Presenter: Daniel Duprez

Program #: P54746

Date/Time: Tuesday, November 15 th , 10:45 AM  12:00 PM CT

,  Location: Science and Technology Hall (Clinical Science Section)

About Bystolic

Nebivolol (marketed in the U.S. as BYSTOLIC) is indicated for the treatment of hypertension and may be used alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. These benefits have been seen in controlled trials of antihypertensive drugs from a wide variety of pharmacologic classes, including the class to which this drug principally belongs. There are no controlled trials demonstrating risk reduction with nebivolol.

Nebivolol is a cardioselective beta blocker up to and including the 10mg dose and in extensive metabolizers. While nebivolol's mechanism of action has not been definitively established, possible factors that may be involved include vasodilation, decreased peripheral vascular resistance, reduced heart rate and myocardial contractility, suppression of renin, and reduced sympathetic activity.

MPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR BYSTOLIC

Contraindications

BYSTOLIC is contraindicated in patients with severe bradycardia, heart block greater than first degree, cardiogenic shock, decompensated cardiac failure, sick sinus syndrome (unless a permanent pacemaker is in place), severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh >B), and in patients who are hypersensitive to any component of this product.

Warnings and Precautions

Do not abruptly discontinue BYSTOLIC therapy in patients with coronary artery disease. Severe exacerbation of angina, myocardial infarction, and ventricular arrhythmias have been reported following the abrupt discontinuation of therapy with beta blockers. Myocardial infarction and ventricular arrhythmias may occur with or without preceding exacerbation of the angina pectoris. Caution patients without overt coronary artery disease against interruption or abrupt discontinuation of therapy. As with other beta blockers, when discontinuation of BYSTOLIC is planned, carefully observe and advise patients to minimize physical activity. Taper BYSTOLIC over 1 to 2 weeks when possible. If the angina worsens or acute coronary insufficiency develops, restart BYSTOLIC promptly, at least temporarily.

BYSTOLIC was not studied in patients with angina pectoris or who had a recent MI. In general, patients with bronchospastic diseases should not receive beta blockers.

Because beta blocker withdrawal has been associated with an increased risk of MI and chest pain, patients already on beta blockers should generally continue treatment throughout the perioperative period. If BYSTOLIC is to be continued perioperatively, monitor patients closely when anesthetic agents which depress myocardial function, such as ether, cyclopropane, and trichloroethylene are used. If beta-blocking therapy is withdrawn prior to major surgery, the impaired ability of the heart to respond to reflex adrenergic stimuli may augment the risks of general anesthesia and surgical procedures.

The beta-blocking effects of BYSTOLIC can be reversed by beta agonists, e.g., dobutamine or isoproterenol. However, such patients may be subject to protracted severe hypotension. Additionally, difficulty in restarting and maintaining the heartbeat has been reported with beta blockers.

Beta blockers may mask some of the manifestations of hypoglycemia, particularly tachycardia. Advise patients subject to spontaneous hypoglycemia and diabetic patients receiving insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents about these possibilities.

Beta blockers may mask clinical signs of hyperthyroidism, such as tachycardia. Abrupt withdrawal of beta blockers in these patients may be followed by an exacerbation of symptoms or may precipitate a thyroid storm.

Beta blockers can precipitate or aggravate symptoms of arterial insufficiency in patients with peripheral vascular disease.

Because of significant negative inotropic and chronotropic effects in patients treated with beta blockers and calcium channel blockers of the verapamil and diltiazem type, monitor the ECG and blood pressure of patients treated concomitantly with these agents.

When BYSTOLIC is co-administered with an inhibitor or an inducer of CYP2D6, monitor patients closely and adjust the nebivolol dose according to blood pressure response. The dose of BYSTOLIC may need to be reduced. When BYSTOLIC is administered with fluoxetine, significant increases in d-nebivolol may be observed (i.e., an 8-fold increase in AUC and a 3-fold increase in C max for d-nebivolol).

for d-nebivolol). Renal clearance of nebivolol is decreased in patients with severe renal impairment. In patients with severe renal impairment (ClCr less than 30 mL/min) the recommended initial dose is 2.5 mg once daily; titrate up slowly if needed. BYSTOLIC has not been studied in patients receiving dialysis.

Metabolism of nebivolol is decreased in patients with moderate hepatic impairment. In patients with moderate hepatic impairment, the recommended initial dose is 2.5 mg once daily; titrate up slowly if needed. BYSTOLIC has not been studied in patients with severe hepatic impairment and therefore it is not recommended in that population.

Patients with a history of severe anaphylactic reactions to a variety of allergens may be more reactive to repeated challenge and may be unresponsive to the usual doses of epinephrine while taking beta blockers.

In patients with known or suspected pheochromocytoma, initiate an alpha blocker prior to the use of any beta blocker.

Adverse Reactions

The most common adverse events with BYSTOLIC versus placebo (approximately 1% and greater than placebo) were headache, fatigue, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, insomnia, chest pain, bradycardia, dyspnea, rash, and peripheral edema. The most common adverse events that led to discontinuation of BYSTOLIC were headache (0.4%), nausea (0.2%), and bradycardia (0.2%).

Drug Interactions

Use caution when BYSTOLIC is co-administered with CYP2D6 inhibitors (quinidine, propafenone, fluoxetine, paroxetine, etc.). Do not use BYSTOLIC with other beta blockers. Both digitalis glycosides and beta blockers slow atrioventricular conduction and decrease heart rate. Concomitant use can increase the risk of bradycardia. BYSTOLIC can exacerbate the effects of myocardial depressants or inhibitors of AV conduction, such as certain calcium antagonists (particularly of the phenylalkylamine [verapamil] and benzothiazepine [diltiazem] classes), or antiarrhythmic agents, such as disopyramide.



Use in Specific Populations

Use BYSTOLIC during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. BYSTOLIC is not recommended during nursing.

The safety and effectiveness of BYSTOLIC have not been established in pediatric patients.

In a placebo-controlled trial of 2128 patients (1067 BYSTOLIC, 1061 placebo) over 70 years of age with chronic heart failure receiving a maximum dose of 10 mg per day for a median of 20 months, no worsening of heart failure was reported with nebivolol compared to placebo. However, if heart failure worsens, consider discontinuation of BYSTOLIC.

Please also see the full Prescribing Information for Bystolic at BystolicHCP.com

About Hypertension

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hypertension has been called the "silent killer" because it often has no warning signs or symptoms and has been associated with serious cardiovascular (CV) risks, such as stroke and myocardial infarction. Hypertension represents a significant public health issue with high prevalence in the United States. According to the National Institute for Health Statistics, approximately 30 percent of adults in the U.S. have hypertension. Inadequate control of hypertension is a significant public health problem, with approximately half of all patients still not achieving target goals. Numerous antihypertensive drugs, from a variety of pharmacologic classes and with different mechanisms of action, have been shown in randomized controlled trials to reduce CV morbidity and mortality, and it can be concluded that it is blood pressure reduction that is largely responsible for those benefits In addition, approximately two-thirds of hypertensive patients will require more than one drug to achieve blood pressure goals,.

About Allergan plc

Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a bold, global pharmaceutical company and a leader in a new industry model  Growth Pharma. Allergan is focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing branded pharmaceuticals, devices and biologic products for patients around the world.

Allergan markets a portfolio of leading brands and best-in-class products for the central nervous system, eye care, medical aesthetics and dermatology, gastroenterology, women's health, urology and anti-infective therapeutic categories.

Allergan is an industry leader in Open Science, the Company's R&D model, which defines our approach to identifying and developing game-changing ideas and innovation for better patient care. This approach has led to Allergan building one of the broadest development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry with 70+ mid-to-late stage pipeline programs in development.

Allergan Forward-Looking Statement

Statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Allergan's current perspective of existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from Allergan's current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Allergan's business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of FDA approvals or actions, if any; the impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and continued demand for Allergan's products; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Allergan's periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Allergan's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 (certain of such periodic public filings having been filed under the "Actavis plc" name). Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

CONTACTS:

Investors:

Lisa DeFrancesco

(862) 261-7152

Media:

Mark Marmur

(862) 261-7558

Fran DeSena

(973) 517-3132

SOURCE Allergan plc

Related Links

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OKLAHOMA CITY, Nov. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Paintless dent repair Okc | Hail Restore Launches New Website for improved user experience.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161112/438565

Hail Restore: OKC headquarters at 2130 NW 40th St. Oklahoma city, Ok 73112

The most passionate, proven and popular paintless dent repair company in Oklahoma City, OK just went live with a new website that makes it faster and easier to find them, review their work, ask questions and schedule a free estimate for all your auto hail damage and auto collision repair needs in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

"We noticed that our site was blah, and not too appealing to our clients looking for paintless dent repair with outdated, boring websites that were hard to find and even harder to use," says paintless dent repair Okc webmaster James McElhany. "We finally have it dialed in."

An SEO specialist, James works closely with OKC business owners to keep them from drowning in the Sea of Sameness.

"You do a few Google searches to size up the competition, and what you see is laughable. It's like - hey, 2003 called they want their website back," he adds.

"It's mid-2016. Your online presence is everything these days. You need a website that's smart, simple, beautiful, intuitive - and it must work flawlessly on smartphones and tablets. I think we nailed it with this project. The paintless dent repair company I own has the new website working beautifully, but more important, our phone is blowing up," explains James.

You can check out his handiwork by visiting:

http://www.PaintlessDentRepairOkcOk.com

Services include:

Hail Restore offers the following services to all our clients in OKC and the metro: Paintless Dent Repair, large dent repair, Scratch repair, bumper repair, windshield replacement, auto hail repair, and collision services.

"The internet is incredibly noisy. I hit 'mute' on that noise by making websites that work. They show up everywhere; look great on all devices, especially mobile; and make it easy and obvious to find information, ask questions, contact the business, and become a customer. I expect Hail Restore / Paintless Dent Repair OKC to double it's clients' auto hail damage and auto collision repairs over the next 90 days."

A self-proclaimed perfectionist, workaholic and control freak, James can't help but differentiate himself from other OKC SEO companies by refusing to outsource to low-level employees, or worse, overseas contractors.

"I don't have the most scalable SEO service," he chuckles. "But doing each step myself is the reason my process works so well. It's not that my search engine optimization competitors don't know SEO - they're just not willing to roll up their sleeves and grind like me. That's the difference."

To see if James has any openings to get your dents fixed or auto body and paint, please visit:

http://www.paintlessdentrepairokcok.com

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This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Hail Restore

Related Links

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NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE: PBYI).

On September 30, 2016, a United States District Judge for the Central District of California United States District Court denied a motion to dismiss in a shareholder class action against Puma, CEO, President, and Chairman Alan H. Auerbach, and Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration and Treasurer Charles R. Eyler. The class action alleged that, in violation of the federal securities laws, Puma and the other defendants failed to inform shareholders that the shift in what its breast cancer drug, called neratinib, could actually treat would require additional studies and push the timeline for filing the NDA into the first quarter of 2016, and that Puma made false and misleading statements concerning the results for its phase 3 trial.

In denying Puma's motion to dismiss the securities fraud class action, the court stated that the plaintiff had "adequately and specifically alleged why each of these statements and several others could be false or at least misleading." The court further held that the complaint contained allegations adequate to show that Auerback "knew about the allegedly real trial results when he made the alleged misrepresentations."

KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Puma's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to Puma's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws.

If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Puma shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]).

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner

[email protected]

1-877-515-1850

206 Covington St.

Madisonville, LA 70447

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160819/399590LOGO

SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Related Links

http://www.ksfcounsel.com


Kathmandu, Nov 11 : Nepal's banking system has held banned Indian currency (IC) 500 and 1,000 notes worth Rs 35 million ($524,737).

"As reported by the banking institutions licensed by us, they have held banned IC notes worth 35 million rupees as of Thursday," said Narayan Poudel, spokesperson of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), adding that the amount could cross Rs 40 million ($599,700) once remaining a few banking institutions send their details about the stock of such notes.

However, Nepalese central bank believes that the traders and general public living in bordering areas with India as well as Nepalese migrant workers who had returned from India might have held huge amount of these notes, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We don't have record of IC notes held by general public," said Poudel.

The IC notes denominated upto 100 rupee has long been freely exchangeable in Nepal.

But, India had allowed Nepal to use IC notes of 500 and 1,000 rupees last year only after Nepal made request to its southern neighbour for such provision considering easing Nepalese migrant to carry Indian currency notes while returning home. They were facing the risk of being robbed on the way while carrying large bundle of low denominated IC notes.

After India allowed Nepal to use of IC notes of 500 and 1,000 rupees last year, the Himalayan nation had allowed Nepalese migrant workers and Indian nationals to carry such notes upto 25,000 rupees in Nepal.

Sudden Indian decision of banning the use of these notes left shockwaves across Nepal's banking sector as well as people around the bordering areas and migrant workers' families. Officials of NRB and Nepalese banks said that they were getting constant inquiries from people whether the IC notes held by them would be exchanged.

Meanwhile, Nepal's central bank has asked Indian central bank Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to make arrangement for exchanging the banned notes available with Nepal's banking system as well as the cash held by people upto 25,000 rupees.

"We have written the RBI for making exchange of legally available stock of such IC notes in Nepal," said Basudev Adhikari, director of foreign exchange management department at NRB.

"We have also written to Nepal's Finance Ministry for making diplomatic initiative with India for settling the issue."
New Delhi, Nov 11 : With the seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) bringing together delegates from almost every country across the world to India, a team of international experts has warned that any attempt to limit the choice of e-cigarettes to consumers would be a huge mistake and do untold harm to millions of smokers.

"Much of the campaign against e-cigarettes has been driven by emotion and ideology, not evidence," said Riccardo Polosa, Director of the Institute for Internal and Emergency Medicine at University of Catania in Italy.

Several studies have, in fact, shown that electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), of which e-cigarettes are the most common prototype, can help smokers quit and they are significantly less harmful than combustible cigarettes, according to the experts.

"In reality, no one is dying from this product," Polosa said.

The seventh session of the Conference of the Parties that has brought together the WHO FCTC's 180 Parties is being held in Greater Noida from November 7-12.

"There are widespread rumours in social media that delegations of countries with little or no experience on the topic are driving an agenda to prohibit ENDS," Polosa and his colleagues said in a statement.

"Such a course of action would be a huge mistake and do untold harm to millions of smokers. We hope these rumours are untrue and do not reflect the current climate and the real intentions of WHO COP7 delegates. ENDS represent the greatest opportunity in generations to prevent and reduce the harm of smoking," the statement added.

Julian Morris, Vice President of Research at US-based non-profit Reason Foundation, emphasised that smokers need to have wide range of harm-reduction choices.

Konstantinos Farsalinos, a research fellow at the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in Athens, Greece, and Christopher Russell, a behavioural psychologist and senior research fellow at the Centre for Substance Use Research, Glasgow, Scotland were other signatories of the statement.

"Many states in India have banned the use of e-cigarettes without any evidence on their adverse effects," Morris, who co-authored the paper "The Vapour Revolution: How Bottom Up Innovation is Saving Lives" with economist Amir Ullah Khan, noted.

"In India, there is hardly any data on the extent of e-cigarette use. How is it possible to assess the impact of the product without any local data and surveillance?" Morris asked.

Experts who have assessed vapour produced by heating e-liquids in a vape device have found that it contains only a tiny fraction of the number of chemicals in tobacco smoke -- and most of those chemicals are harmless, Morris and Khan noted in the paper.

Although not binding, the World Health Organisation and its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control exert considerable influence on domestic policies towards tobacco in many countries, and therefore the conference should include all stakeholders to encourage detailed deliberation and transparent decision-making, the experts pointed out.
Mumbai, Nov 11 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday said there was enough cash made available with banks all over the country for exchange of demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, though it may "take a while for the banks to recalibrate their ATMs".

"There is enough cash available with banks and all arrangements have been made to reach the currency notes all over the country," RBI said in a statement.

"As mentioned in RBI communications, it may take a while for the banks to recalibrate their ATMs," it added, and said that several ATMs have started functioning from Friday morning to allow withdrawals up to Rs 2,000 to begin with.

Bank branches started exchanging notes since Thursday.

RBI said that consequent to the demonetization of existing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bank notes, it has made arrangements to distribute the notes in new Rs 2,000 and other denominations across the country.

"Once the ATMs are functional, members of public will be able to withdraw from ATMs up to a maximum of Rs 2,000 per card per day up to November 18, 2016; and after that withdraw up to Rs 4,000 per day per card," the statement said.

The facility for exchanging the withdrawn denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 is available for nearly 50 days.

"The Reserve Bank appeals to members of public to be patient and urges them to exchange their old notes at their convenience, any time before December 30, 2016," it said.
Chandigarh, Nov 11 : All 42 opposition Congress legislators in Punjab on Friday submitted their resignations over the Supreme Court decision on a presidential reference regarding a 2004 law on sharing of the Sutlej-Yamuna river waters.

The Congress also announced a statewide protest on November 13 over what it said was the state government's failure to represent Punjab's case strongly in the apex court, which declared as "unconstitutional" a Punjab assembly-passed 2004 law to deny Haryana its share in the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal water.

On Thursday, the ruling Akali Dal announced a special one-day Punjab assembly session on November 16 to discuss the issue threadbare.

The 42 Congress legislators, including Leader of Opposition Charanjit Singh Channi, handed over their resignations to assembly Secretary Shashi Lakhanpal Mishra here in the absence of Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal.

Senior Congress leaders Amarinder Singh, who announced his resignation as Lok Sabha member on Thursday, and Rajya Sabha members Partap Singh Bajwa and Ambika Soni accompanied the party legislators.

"(Chief Minister Parkash Singh) Badal has failed to protect the interests of Punjab's people. We will stage a statewide protest on the issue on Sunday," Amarinder Singh told reporters here.

"I am not in Parliament and our MLAs are not in the Vidhan Sabha. We will go to the people," he said.

"Why is Badal not protecting Punjab's interests? Is it because he has made a lot of money and doesn't care what happens in his area," Amarinder asked.

Parkash Singh Badal told reporters: "Our decision to not allow any water to flow out of the state is not a violation of the Supreme Court verdict. The most important thing for Punjab is to save its river waters."

"We will fight for the state's rights rather than run away. If we were to resign, Governor's rule will be imposed. Who will then defend the rights of Punjab? We will do anything to oppose any attempt at building the SYL canal," Badal's son Sukhbir, who is the Deputy Chief Minister, said.

The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal has announced a statewide agitation from December 8 and also call on President Pranab Mukherjee to request him not to accept the Supreme Court's advice on the SYL issue, a senior Akali leader had told IANS.

At the initiative of the then Congress government headed by Amarinder Singh, the Punjab assembly had in 2004 unanimously passed the law terminating all the agreements with Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh and Delhi on the sharing of the waters of Sutlej-Yamuna rivers.

This Act was brought to tide over the January 15, 2002, apex court judgement and decree and subsequent judgement and order of June 4, 2004.
Greater Noida, Nov 11 : As South Asian countries including India have proposed an alternate crop farming for tobacco farmers, the President of International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA), Daniel Green, on Friday termed the move aggressive, saying the decision will affect the livelihood of 30 million tobacco growers across the world.

Daniel Green -- an American tobacco grower -- said that such a decision without involving the tobacco farmers in the discussions can leave a massive dent on their revenue generation and the livelihood of the farmers and their families.

"Unfortunately this is an issue which is very complicated. Tobacco farmers are not the same in every region of the world, there are different regions and in different regions different crops need to be examined so that it works. We are not even aware of which specific crop they are proposing," Green told IANS in an interview.

He said that there were a lot of tobacco farmers who were producing a lot of other crops as well and they better knew what works and what doesn't, which makes it mandatory for the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) to include tobacco farmers in policy making instead of keeping them out of the entire discussion.

ITGA is the world's biggest association of tobacco growers.

The tobacco farmers have been banned from participating at the ongoing World Health Organisation - Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), world's biggest convention on tobacco control. The six-day long conference was inaugurated by Health Minister J.P. Nadda and Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena on Nov 7, and is being attended by 1,500 delegation from 185 countries.

India along with other South Asian Countries proposed the alternate crop system for tobacco growers in the region on Thursday. If it is supported by all the member nations of the convention then it will become mandatory for the governments to seek alternate crop for tobacco growers.

Speaking further on the issue, Green said : "In recent years on the side of the FCTC there has not been any research on alternate crop farming for tobacco farming. Even there has not been any research on the funding issue of the research, then how can they propose what is good or bad for tobacco farmers."

Calling the entire move a huge jolt for tobacco growers across the world, Green also said that so far there has been no other crop to generate revenue like the way tobacco does.

"A lot of small farmers cultivate this on a very small plot of land and make their family survive. In such situations if the farmers are asked to grow something else on the same land how will they survive and generate the same amount of revenue, which till now was enough for their family, even if the plot of land was small," said Green, adding that globally, at least 30 million farmers and their families will get affected if the decision for alternate crops farming is implemented.

"We have been writing to the FCTC Secretariat for years to let us participate and also invite them to visit our farms and know what tobacco farmers are all about and understand their hardship. Instead of initiating a civil dialogue and understanding the problems about the issue, they are calling us criminals," added Green.

The ITGA also expressed its outrage over the recent comments made by the head of FCTC Secretariat Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva, where she in the first media briefing of the convention called the tobacco farmers "manipulative and bribe payers to get their demands fulfilled".

Countering the allegations, Green said: "We have repeatedly been denied our right to be heard since the creation of the FCTC nearly 15 years ago. We acknowledge the well-known harmful effects of tobacco use and understand the need for tobacco regulation, but such regulation should be rational and science-based."

"Instead, we see extreme, emotionally driven proposals that only result in missed opportunities to protect public health and fail to provide alternative economic opportunities to tobacco-dependent farm families and their communities," said Green.

(Rupesh Dutta can be contacted at Rupesh.d@ians.in )
Tokyo, Nov 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is meeting his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe for the annual India-Japan bilateral summit, arrived at Tokyo Station to board the Shinkansen bullet train on Saturday.

"Putting #IndiaJapan relations on the fast track! PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo arrive at Tokyo Station to board the Shinkansen," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

"A unique friendship on a unique train journey. PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo inside the Shinkansen bullet train to Kobe," Swarup said in another tweet accompanied by a picture of the two leaders inside the train.

Modi, accompanied by Abe, will travel to Kobe using the bullet train. The same technology will be deployed for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Railway.

Today is the last day of the three-day summit.

Modi, who arrived here on Thursday, started Friday by calling on Japanese Emperor Akihito.

This is his second visit to Japan in two years.
Luxembourg City, Nov 12 : European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has warned that Donald Trump's election risks upsetting bilateral relations between the two, media reports said.

"The election of Trump poses the risk of upsetting intercontinental relations in their foundation and in their structure," the Independent quoted Juncker as saying at at a conference in Luxembourg, Europe.

"We will need to teach the president-elect what Europe is and how it works," he added.

His blunt remarks reflected widespread shock among Europeans at the election of Trump, who had praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and questioned the principle of collective defence in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

He also recalled a statement made by Trump, in which he seemed to think that Belgium, the country that headquarters EU and Nato, was a city.

"I think we will waste two years before Mr. Trump tours the world he does not know," he said.

Junkers comments come in contrast to reactions of other leaders in EU who have said they look forward to working with the next Republican president.

Trump shockingly defeated Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the US presidential elections on November 8 and will succeed President Barack Obama on January 20, 2017.
New York, Nov 12 : Thousands of people all across the US continued to march down streets and interstates opposing Republican Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election..

One of the biggest crowds gathered outside 58-storey Trump Tower in New York on Friday. This was the third night of protests since Trump's election on Tuesday night, CNN reported.

More demonstrations are expected through the weekend, according to authorities.

In Miami, hundreds of people walked down Biscayne Boulevard chanting "Love Trumps Hate" and carrying signs with messages such as "How many judges will it take to ruin America?".

Much of the group walked onto Interstate 395 and surrounded cars. Four lanes of traffic came to a standstill.

Interstate 80 in Iowa city was shut down briefly by about 75 protesters, Sgt. Chris Akers with the Iowa City Police Department said. However, no one was arrested, CNN said.

Trump tweeted twice about the protests. On Thursday he said, "Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!"

On Friday he said: "Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last (Thursday) night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!"

Protests occurred in many other cities, including in New Haven, Connecticut; Orlando, Florida; Chicago; Boston; Asheville, North Carolina; Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee; Ohio State University in Columbus; and high schools in Denver and Omaha.

The groups were angry about policies Trump has promised to enforce concerning immigration, the environment, LGBT rights and other issued.

The Facebook page for a protest planned in Burlington, Vermont, said: "Come protest the xenophobia, racism, homophobia, misogyny,and climate science denial of the Trump/Pence regime!! Come show your support for our Muslim, queer, immigrant, and female family!!"

In Portland, Oregon, city officials appealed on Friday for calm after a Thursday night protest by about 4,000 people turned violent. Windows on businesses were broken and a car dealership was vandalised. Twenty-five people were arrested, CNN noted.

In Boston, hundreds of people gathered in Boston Common -- central public park -- for a "Love Rally in the Common".

Organisers said on Facebook: "Let's unite together to peacefully show all of those whom Donald Trump or his supporters have put down that we still care about them, and to give them an opportunity to have their voices be heard."

A similar rally was held in Washington Square in New York, the Facebook page said. "Spread love and peace through the country, and help start the movement #LoveStillTrumpsHate", CNN added.
Jammu, Nov 12 : Many families returned home to villages along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu as calm prevailed for the fifth consecutive day on Saturday.

Scores of families returned to their daily routine of normal activities reaping crops, tending to livestock while children resumed classes in border villages in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Both the Pakistan Rangers and the Indian Army maintained quiet along the IB and LoC.

Farmers in R.S. Pura sector started harvesting their 'Basmati' rice crop, famous for its flavour and grain quality.

Similar agricultural activities were seen in Suchetgarh, Samba, Hira Nagar, Kathua and other places.

Scores of cattle left to stray as owners migrated following the indiscriminate Pakistan shelling, were also tended to by the owners.

Schools that were shut in areas affected by the shelling were re-opened and children returned to their classes after almost a fortnight.

Around 400 schools in five districts were affected by the shelling.

Highest level of alertness by the Indian Army on the LoC and the Border Security Force on the IB continued in Jammu and Kashmir.

Defence ditches dug in areas away from the range of Pakistan shelling continued to be manned by the Army. However, they did allow the villagers to return to their homes beyond these ditches.
Islamabad, Nov 12 : The first Chinese trade convoy carrying 75 containers for export to the Middle East and Africa arrived in Pakistan's Gwadar port through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor while a Chinese ship docked at the deep-water port, as both countries prepare to formally launch trade activities through the upgraded port.

The ship anchored at the port on Friday and a second trade convoy was scheduled to arrive on Saturday, Dawn online reported.

The goods will be exported to countries in the Middle East and Africa.

The CPEC is a $46 billion network of roads, railways and energy pipelines linking western China to the Gwadar deep-water port on Pakistan's Arabian Sea coast. The corridor passes through Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province.

The loading of 300 containers on ships will be completed on Saturday and they will depart from the port the following day for destinations in the Middle East and Africa, Ary News reported.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend a ceremony on Sunday to mark the opening of trade activities through the corridor.

Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri and ambassadors of 15 other countries will also attend the event.

The Gwadar Yakjehti Council took out a procession in support of the CPEC project.

China will invest $46 billion in Pakistan over six years under the CPEC project which links Kashgar in China's Xinjiang province to Gwadar port close to Pakistan's border with Iran.

About $4.5 billion of the planned investment in the corridor will go towards road infrastructure, with two-thirds of the total $46 billion funnelled towards energy projects.
Osaka (Japan), Nov 12 : Concluding his three-day visit to Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for India from the Japanese city of Osaka on Saturday.

"Sayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM @narendramodi enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Modi arrived in Japan on Thursday to attend the annual India-Japan bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Friday.

Following the summit, 10 agreements were signed between the two sides, including the landmark civil nuclear agreement.

Modi also attended an India-Japan Business Leaders' Forum and addressed a luncheon meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Keidanren or the Japanese Business Federation.

On Saturday, Modi, along with Abe, travelled by the Shinkansen high-speed rail from Tokyo to Kobe and visited the Kawasaki Heavy Industries plant there to get first hand knowledge of the technology.

The Prime Minister interacted with the Indian community both in Tokyo and Kobe.

This was Modi's second visit to Japan in two years.
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 12 : Amid chaos in banking operations in Kerala following demonetisation, a three-day state conference of bank employees began in Thodupuzha on Saturday, leaving many furious.

State BJP General Secretary K. Surendran lashed out at the organisers of the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) for holding the meet at a time when they should have been more committed to the customers' needs.

"The CPI-M in Kerala should have advised the organisers of the conference to postpone their meet as people were running from pillar to post for withdrawing their money.

"In the three-day meeting, a few of the CPI-M ministers are also taking part. May be the CPI-M is playing a political game to enable people to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said Surendran.

Inaugurating the event, CITU state general secretary and senior CPI-M leader Elamaram Kareem said the meeting was planned not in consultation with the Prime Minister but long back.

"Everything has been taken care of so that the normal banking operations would not be affected as adequate staff is there in the banks," said Kareem.

According to information, of the 550 employees who were to take part in the event on Saturday only 375 were registered.

People across the state on Saturday thronged various ATMs and banks to withdraw their money, but like Friday the ATMs were cash-dry in an hour.

"It's unfortunate that they are acting irresponsibly. Many are suffering as restrictions on withdrawal are in place. Everyone would have appreciated if they had postponed the meeting," said an angry housewife.

She said that this was an unprecedented situation as she returned after waiting for an hour to withdraw money from an ATM.

K.S. Krishna, general secretary of the State Bank of Travancore Employees Union overseeing the operations of the various ATMs of the bank, said the problem now was that there was a shortage of Rs 100 notes.

"We directly operate most of our ATMs and on Friday itself we refilled at least five to six times," he said.

Krishan said: "So far there is no information on the new Rs 500 denomination. The distribution of currencies is done by the local Reserve Bank of India offices."

Meanwhile with Sunday also a working day for all the banks in the state, the problem of shortage of Rs 100 notes appears to be the main issue.

According to estimates, Kerala has about 6,900 bank branches and 8,000 ATMs.
New Delhi, Nov 12 : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday hit out at opposition parties for raising questions on the government's move to demonitise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, saying that some of them were "feeling the pain".

Addressing a press conference here, Jaitley said some of the political reactions to the government's decision were "irresponsible".

He took a dig at Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav who had termed the decision anarchist and called for keeping it in abeyance for at least a week.

"Some people are feeling the pain. (Saying that) give break for a week... This gives the whole game away," he said.

He also slammed Congress leader Kapil Sibal for his remark that why should a person stand in line to deal with his own money.

"You have to pay tax on your own money," Jaitley said, adding that people have a right to know if Congress has paid its taxes.

Sibal had on Saturday accused the Narendra Modi government of carrying out its decision to demonatising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes "in haste and in an unplanned manner" and said people were suffering due to it.

The decision to demonitise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes was taken on Tuesday.
Greater Noida, Nov 12 : As part of the global efforts to find alternative sources of livelihood for tobacco farmers, WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on Saturday adopted a resolution to ensure that non-tobacco producing countries do not produce tobacco.

Over 180 nations -- which participated in the seventh edition of the World Health Organisation's FCTC -- decided to hold meetings with commerce, environment, agriculture and health departments of their countries along with members of the tobacco industry to find other alternatives for tobacco growers.

"We want to help the tobacco growers. The point is that tobacco industries are using farmers at the forefront for their own benefits. The supply chain of tobacco has to be broken," said Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva, head of the convention secretariat of WHO FCTC.

She made the remarks while addressing the media at the concluding ceremony of the six-day COP 7 WHO FCTC.

"The tobacco industry is misled and generates a perception that the convention is against the farmers but it is not like that. We want to help them by reaching out to them," da Costa e Silva told IANS.

Additional Health Secretary Arun Panda, who was also present at the event, told IANS: "We have decided to convene a meeting of various departments such as health, agriculture and others to decide alternative sources of livelihood for the tobacco growers."

India and Bangladesh have proposed to find alternative crops and livelihood for tobacco farmers in Southeast Asia. The proposal was supported by several other countries.

The proposal was in accordance with Article 17 and 18 of the WHO FCTC convention which talk about provisions of support for economically viable alternative activities and protection of the environment and the health of persons respectively.

According to International Tobacco Growers Association, the alternative crop farming for the tobacco growers will affect at least 30 million farmers across the world.
Greater Noida, Nov 12 : The eighth edition of the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) will be held in Geneva under the presidency of India, it was announced here on Saturday.

According to a senior health official, the event is likely to be held in late 2018.

"The event is to be presided by India in Geneva in 2018," the official told IANS.

WHO FCTC is the world's biggest convention to frame anti-tobacco control policies. The seventh edition of the six-day-long convention concluded here on Saturday.
Mumbai, Nov 12 : Actor Aamir Khan has supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. He says the country's interest comes before anything including the release of his film "Dangal".

Asked if the decision might impact "Dangal" release, Aamir said: "It is more important to agree with what is good for nation. We should not see it's short term impact. What is necessary for the country needs to be done. If my film is getting affected, it is a small thing."

Aamir expressed his views about the move at the song launch of the film here on Saturday.

Nitesh Tiwari's film sees Aamir portraying the role of Mahavir Singh Phogat, who taught wrestling to his daughters Babita Kumari and Geeta Phogat. Geeta was India's first female wrestler to win at the 2010 Commonwealth Games where she clinched the gold medal while Babita won the silver.

Aamir plays both the younger and older characters of Phogat in the film. "Dangal" is scheduled to release on December 23.

Tiwari also said that "it is bound to affect certain things and help certain things. We should see it's larger picture".

Talking about his film, Aamir said: "The central thought of the film is that a girl is no lesser than a boy. The message of the film is that we should not create a difference between girls and boys."
Kohora (Kaziranga National Park, Assam), Nov 12 : The demonetization move by the Centre has badly hit domestic and foreign tourists visiting the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, with ATMs running out of cash and tourists unable to pay for services availed.

Cash is the only mode of payment not just for the jeep and elephant safaris, but also for the homestays around the park, much preferred by tourists.

Hundreds of people, including tourists, were seen thronging the ATMs and bank branches in and around Kaziranga, either to exchange the demonetized Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 currencies or to withdraw new bills from the banks.

"I waited in the only ATM in Kohora range of the park on Friday for over four hours. There was a long queue and by the time my turn came, the cash was exhausted," said Parimal Moore of New Delhi.

"We were supposed to leave the park on Friday but had to wait for one more day as we needed to pay for the elephant safari which we had taken on Thursday," he added.

Moore was here with his family to visit the park -- famous for the one-horned rhinos.

Moore is not the only one to have faced such a situation. Hundreds of other tourists visiting the park had to extend their stay due to the crisis triggered by the government's demonetization move.

Some tourists complained that the State Bank of India authorities had not replenished the ATMs for a second time in the day, adding to their woes.

"We paid for the hotel stays with the credit card but we need cash as we are moving further to Nagaland and Mizoram as part of our package to visit the northeast," said Derrik Weber, a tourist from Germany.

"We had already extended our stay here for a day. Now we don't have any cash due to the rush at the ATMs and banks. We hope that the local administration would sort it out quickly," he said.

"Our dates are scheduled for the trip and more changes would create problem for us," said Weber, who is visiting Assam and the northeast for the first time with his friends.

"We enjoyed visiting Kaziranga but the lack of cash now has made it a little troublesome. We understand the crisis and hope that the banks will have sufficient currencies soon to deal with it," said Archana Singh, a resident of Baroda.

She said that she managed to withdraw money on Friday but she needs another Rs 2,000 to pay some bills and move out to Guwahati.

Long queues were seen at most ATMs and banks in almost all places across the state for the second consecutive day on Saturday after the ATMs started functioning following a two-day closure.

Although the concerned bank authorities claimed to have loaded most of the ATMs with new currencies, yet some ATMs, particularly those located in remote areas, remained either closed or cashless adding to the woes.
New Delhi, Nov 12 : A day after standing in a queue at a bank, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday appealed to his party workers and the youth of the nation to help people standing in queues at banks and ATMs due to the demonetisation move.

"It is my appeal to all the Congress workers and the youth that they should help people in queues outside banks, especially senior citizens and the ones finding it difficult to fill the form," Gandhi said in a video tweeted by INC India Twitter handle.

"People are facing a very difficult time. The entire country -- including women, labourers, farmers -- is queued outside bank branches."

"They need our help. We must stand for them. Wherever you see queues and find people suffering, give them water and help them in filling the form," Gandhi said.

After the government demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on Tuesday night, the Congress leader had himself joined a queue at a bank on Friday to get the demonetised currency notes exchanged.
Chennai, Nov 12 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa's infection is fully under control and she needs recuperation, Apollo Hospitals said on Saturday.

Jayalalithaa's infection is under control and what is needed is recuperation, Apollo Hospitals' Chairman Pratap C. Reddy told reporters here.

According to him, Jayalalithaa's discharge depends on her as she can go home whenever she feels like.

The 68-year-old Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital for fever and dehydration on September 22.

The doctors later said she needed a longer stay at the hospital as she was suffering from infection and put her on respiratory support.

According to Apollo Hospitals, a team of specialist doctors -- cardiologists, respiratory physicians, consultants for infectious diseases, diabetologist and endocrinologist -- treated her.
Hyderabad, Nov 12 : There was no end to the hardships being faced by people following the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes as chaos continued at banks across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.

Lakhs of people were standing in queues since morning outside banks in Hyderabad and other towns and villages in Telangana.

With Automated Teller Machines remaining cashless in both the Telugu states, there seems to be no end in sight to the people's woes.

People had to wait for hours to exchange or deposit the demonetised notes. Those coming for the exchange were seen returning disappointed at not getting the much needed small currency notes.

At many banks, people were given two new notes of Rs 2,000 in exchange for the demonetised notes. At banks in Vijayawada in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, people refused to accept the big currency notes.

According to them, the availability of new notes of Rs 500 would have provided some relief.

Many skipped their work to stand in queues. Patience was running out as people vented their anger over poor arrangements made at the banks at a few places.

With severe shortage of Rs 100 or lesser denominations, people were facing a tough time in buying milk, vegetables and other daily essentials.

While those having debit or credit cards got them swiped at major stores, others had no option but to stand in serpentine queues at banks for the exchange.

ATMs remained cashless for a fourth consecutive day. A few machines which were functional with Rs 100 notes ran out of cash in no time.

Officials said it would take more time for the ATMs to re-open as they were not re-calibrated to dispense the new currency notes.

Business remained dull in both the states due to demonetisation. Small traders were the worst affected. They complained that their business had come down by 50 per cent.

The rumours of salt and sugar shortage since Friday night added to the people's woes. The two essential commodities ran out of stock at a few places as people resorted to panic buying.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said there was no shortage of salt or sugar. He said strict action would be taken against those spreading rumours.
Chandigarh, Nov 12 : Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday asked Congress leader Amarinder Singh and his party legislators from Punjab, who quit over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal dispute with Haryana, as to why other Congress MPs had not resigned to express solidarity with them.

"It's ironical that as polls for the state assembly are due within a few months, all the Congress MLAs have resigned, but MPs have shied away as they have fairly enough time to end their tenure," Badal alleged.

Addressing a public gathering in the Lambi assembly segment, Badal said the resignation were aimed at deriving political benefit rather than safeguarding the interests of the state.

He said it was an open secret that Amarinder Singh was desirous of contesting assembly polls due to which he had resigned from the Lok Sabha on pretext of the Supreme Court verdict on the SYL canal only to mislead people.

Justifying the ruling Akali Dal leaders' decision to not offer resignations, Badal said a special session of the assembly on November 16 would be held to chalk out a strategy to deal with the crisis.

He said instead of raising people's concern, the Congress has deceived them by tendering resignations.

He said they have also sought time from President Pranab Mukherjee so that the entire cabinet could present the case of Punjab for not sharing canal water with Haryana.

Slamming the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Chief Minister termed it a "two-faced" party.

He said the AAP government in Delhi has submitted an affidavit against the state in the Supreme Court in the case relating to the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal water.

To lodge their protest over the verdict, Amarinder Singh and all Congress legislators, including Leader of Opposition Charanjit Singh Channi, submitted their resignations here on Friday.

The Supreme Court has ruled that Punjab has no right to unilaterally terminate the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal water sharing agreement with neighbouring states.
New Delhi, Nov 12 : The Congress on Saturday demanded a probe whether black money was involved in the BJP's campaign in the 2014 polls if the ruling party was serious about tackling the malaise, while attacking it on the "hasty" and "ill-planned" demonetisation move which had left the nation "suffering".

"If the BJP is actually serious about ending the menace of black money, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi should set up a commission of inquiry to probe if any black money was involved in BJP's election campaign before he became the Prime Minister," senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal told reporters here.

"The visuals of the campaign on TV suggested there was a lot of black money involved in it," he said.

Sibal added that the Prime Minister should also promise that in all the coming elections, including Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the BJP will make details of all its expenses public.

"Prime Minister Modi should promise to the nation that in all the coming elections, the BJP will put details of all the expenses on its website regarding setting up of tents, tables, arrangement of drinking water etc along with details of the cheques used to make the payments.

"It is only then that the people will realise it (demonetisation) is not another 'jumla'," Sibal said.

He slammed the Narendra Modi government for acting "in haste and in an unplanned" manner by demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, and said the nation was suffering due to it.

"This is a decision made in haste, not a well thought out decision. Black money getting converted into another type of black money now," he said, also targeted Modi for travelling to Japan while leaving the nation in chaos.

"At a time when the Prime Minister should have been present in the country, he is not here but in Japan," he said.

Sibal said people are facing inconvenience due to the government's move as there were long queues outside banks and ATMs to deposit or exchange their spiked currency or take out cash.

"Account is mine, money is mine, then why should I stand in a line?" he asked.

He added there are many places in India which have no bank branches, let alone ATMs.

"The result is that people are being exploited. Dollar is being sold in black market at the rate of Rs 180 to Rs 200. Touts are accepting Rs 1000 notes giving back Rs 700 in valid denominations."

"Is that not black money? The black money is not getting exposed, it is just being converted," Sibal said.

"Gold prices have risen to Rs 70000. People will sell the same gold later and get back their black money," he added.

"Narendra Modi says that he is a common man, but neither has he ever stood in a line in an ATM, nor does he know how expenses run. He doesn't know the price of flour, pulses, sugar."

Sibal's comments come a day after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi joined a queue outside a bank to withdraw money.

Taken aback by the mass crisis, the government has extended till November 14 midnight the original 72-hour deadline for utilities to use the banned currency.
New Delhi, Nov 12 : Tempers ran high as millions of anxious cash-starved people waited for hours for the third day in a row on Saturday outside overworked banks to deposit or exchange their spiked denomination notes or withdraw cash from heavily crowded ATMs across India.

There was no end in sight to the misery as people continued to suffer in getting cash to buy daily essentials. And to add to their miseries, many complained that shopkeepers have started charging exorbitant rates as retail sales plummeted.

Desperate people began forming serpentine queues outside banks much before they opened - the way they have been doing since Wednesday morning, a day after the government announced demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

The frustration and anger was growing among people holding the now-invalid 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in the winding queues outside almost all banks in the country.

Although a second Saturday is a holiday for most banks, the government had ordered them to function over the weekend to cater to customers who wanted cash in lower denominations and new currency notes of Rs 2,000.

The long queues spilled on to the roads, creating traffic bottlenecks at various places.

"This is a complete mess," rued Shankar, a south Delhi resident. "At this rate how will any of us even get into the bank and when?"

Police had to be called in after a quarrel broke out among impatient crowds outside the Central Bank of India at Gulmohar Park in south Delhi.

In Mumbai, many cancelled their long weekend break and queued up outside banks and ATMs to fight the cash constraint. "We had plans to drive down to Dahanu for a family beach holiday. But we cancelled it at the last minute as we had no spare cash left," rued a businessman, Chittaranjan Shah.

ATMs, dispensing only Rs 100 notes, were running out of cash. Nearly two lakh teller machines, which account for much of the cash withdrawal in India, are yet to be readied to dispense Rs 50 notes or newly-minted Rs 2,000 bills.

This has added to the problem - a fact Finance Minister Arun Jaitley acknowledged.

Jaitley said it would take two-three weeks to recalibrate the ATMs across the country for the new notes. "It will be a slow process. Such a big cash replacement cannot happen in a mechanical way overnight," the minister said.

The government appealed for patience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Japan, saying people had largely hailed his decision but some were being prodded to protest.

In Chennai, several angry customers vented their frustration at ATMs after failing to take out money from their accounts, officials said.

"The loss due to vandalism will be around Rs 10 crore and we have claimed compensation from the banks," V. Balasubramanian, President of a white label ATM operator, told IANS.

Fisticuffs also broke out among customers in several parts of the country with some ire directed at bank officials who have been called upon by the government to meet the huge demand for currency notes of lower denomination.

Amid the cashlessness, shopkeepers were charging higher rates.

"I bought a packet of biscuits which normally costs Rs 10 for Rs 15. And the shopkeeper refused to return change saying he doesn't have any," Sarita Dhar, a Noida resident, told IANS. She said she had given a Rs 100 note to the shopkeeper and was forced to buy goods for the entire money "that too at higher rates".

Asked about over charging, a grocery owner in Lajpat Nagar said: "I am selling less and wholesale prices have also gone up. I have to make up for losses. Who will pay?"

Business across the nation remained dull as small traders said they were badly affected because their business has gone down by nearly 50 per cent in the last three days.

Industrial hubs in Punjab and Haryana were also suffering as representatives complained their business transactions were badly hit.

Imran Khan, a private company employee in Noida, said the government should have planned better to deal with the situation.

Another anxious customer, a small business owner in Noida, seeing the massive queue ahead of him, sarcastically said: "Better go and ask Modi what to do."

A man standing outside a bank in Delhi's Chandni Chowk said he took leave to get some cash to meet his daily needs.

But till evening his wait had not ended like millions of others across the country.
New Delhi, Nov 12 : Tackling endless queues of waiting people, long working hours, and a working weekend, has left bank staffers a harried lot as they bear the brunt of angry customers questioning delays in changing the demonetised currency notes, with sometimes incidents of violence being reported at certain branches.

The queues were longer on Saturday, the third day after currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 were demonetised by the government, to tackle black money.

Bank employees said they were facing a logistics nightmare as many branches were not equipped to handle such large crowds.

"We are overloaded with work due to sudden announcement of demonetisation. People are cashless, we understand their problem, but we are doing our best," Preeti, a bank employee in the national capital, told IANS.

"We realise that people require money for meeting their daily needs. They must cooperate with bank officials who are also humans and have sacrificed their holidays for helping people," Preeti said.

She said the work overload was beginning to tell on the health condition of bank employees as they are not getting enough time for rest.

Similar story was told by other bank staffers, all of whom have been issued instructions not to interact with media.

"We are facing a huge problem as customers are not listening to bank officials and creating chaos inside and outside the banks," a senior government bank officer told IANS.

She added that people standing for hours are getting frustrated and angry, which is making the working environment in the bank difficult.

"The crowd is impatient, they are pushing and creating a ruckus. They also broke some glass panes in the bank," she said.

Another bank officer told IANS that he has been returning home late at night for the past few days and arrives in office early the next the morning.

"We are not even getting time to drink water or eat, but the crowd continues to grow," he said.

With people panicking, many banks kept their doors shut, and allowed limited numbers inside while queues outside grew longer.

Sadly for many customers on Saturday, which was only a half working day for banks, it was closing time before they could make it inside.

The manger of a branch of HDFC bank in south Delhi, said they were doing their best, and asked people to be patient.

"The directive we got is to keep the branch open till 3.30 p.m., we cannot do anything about it," the manager said, adding that he was not authorised to speak to media.

He said they had sufficient currency, but the crowd was too large to handle.

"We have a currency chest, and sufficient cash, it will suffice till Monday. Banks are closed on Monday, so we will get more cash then," the manager said.

"But most of the crowd comprises of those who do not have accounts with us. We have limited capacity," he said.

Asked about the ATMs, the manager admitted that they were not able to fill cash.

"The cash that was filled was emptied in an hour. We have not been able to fill cash after that," he said.

The new Rs 2,000 notes are not being filled in ATMs, he said, adding that a software update will be needed to give out these notes from the ATMs.

He added that the size of the currency will not be a problem for the machines as it was of the same size as Rs 100 notes.

Asked about the delays, the manager clarified that cashiers had to check every single demonetised currency note deposited so that there are no fake bills.

"The process takes time, we are all working since morning, and we will be working tomorrow as well," he added.
New Delhi, Nov 12 : The opposition parties on Saturday said the central government's move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes had caused enormous hardship to people, with the Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress demanding its rollback.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said demonetisation will not bring black money into the banking system but only result in it changing hands. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee termed it a hasty decision while her Uttar Pradesh counterpart Akhilesh Yadav said it was a very badly executed move.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who addressed a press conference in the national capital on Saturday, said some reactions of political parties were "irresponsible" and some of them were "feeling the pain".

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi appealed to his party workers to help common people as they stood in serpentine queues outside banks to get currency notes exchanged.

"It is my appeal to all the Congress workers that they should help people in the queues outside banks specially senior citizens and the ones finding it difficult to fill the form," Gandhi said in a tweet.

Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said the move was not demonetisation but "old notes for new" and a Central Board of Direct Taxes report had advised against it.

"This scheme is not demonetisation. This is 'Old Notes for New'. Unprepared government pushes common people into misery and despair," Chidambaram said in a tweet.

"The half-baked plan has benefited only touts and middlemen. Government should publish the 2012 CBDT report that advised against demonetisation," he added.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had advised the Centre to avoid issuing Rs 2,000 currency notes, saying it would bring more harm to the public than benefit.

Another Congress leader Kapil Sibal said the government had acted "in haste and in an unplanned" manner.

He targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and termed the demonetisation a 'jumla'.

Sibal said people were facing inconvenience due to the government's move as there were long queues outside banks and ATMs to deposit or exchange their spiked currency or take out cash.

"Account is mine, money is mine, then why should I stand in a line," asked Sibal.

Arvind Kejriwal alleged that those close to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were already aware of the government's move and had taken care of their black money before Tuesday night's announcement.

Demanding withdrawal of the decision, Kejriwal said the economy will collapse in the coming days if the decision was not withdrawn.

"The black money will only change hands. For example, a person having Rs 10 crore worth of black money will not deposit in bank. Because he will be charged 30 per cent tax and 200 per cent penalty on that, leaving him with only Rs 1 crore," Kejriwal told reporters.

Kejriwal, who also visited Azadpur wholesale vegetable market, later tweeted that the Prime Minister should take action against the "big and powerful corrupt" rather than harass the 'aam aadmi' (common man).

Mamata Banerjee, who visited banks and ATMs in Kolkata, said the decision has been taken without prior planning.

"Some people are standing for four-five hours. All are common people. There are youth, employees, shopkeepers, housewives, students, self-employed people, and I don't see them having black money. This is a black policy of the black government," Banerjee said.

Banerjee tweeted later and demanded the "draconian decision" of demonetisation should be withdrawn.

"Visited many public/private sector banks, 50 ATMs in Kolkata. People complaining. No 100/50 Rs. After hours in queue people only receive a Rs 2,000 note...How will they use this one 2,000 note for all daily needs? Total chaos, anger," she tweeted.

Akhilesh Yadav, speaking at an event in Lucknow, said common people were being put to trouble standing in long queues and still not getting their own hard earned money.

He said the move is not only badly planned but rolled out in an even worse manner.

The central government had announced on Tuesday that it was demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.
New Delhi, Nov 12 : India and China will hold joint training exercise "Hand in Hand" in Pune from November 15 to 27, an official statement said.

This will be the sixth edition of the annual joint training exercise by the Indian Army with People's Liberation Army of China, held alternately in India and China.

The first exercise was held in China at Kunming of Yunnan province in 2007 and the previous installment, in October 2015, held in Kunming Military Academy at Yunnan.

"The aim of the joint training is to share the expertise in drills and practices while tackling insurgency and terrorism, thereby promoting healthy military to military relations between the two armies and developing joint strategies for conducting operations in a counter terrorism environment.

"Forming part of the different levels of the military to military engagement across the entire spectrum of operations, this exercise will enrich the two contingents in further honing basic military skills," the statement said.

The exercise is planned at the company level with respective battalion headquarters controlling the training.

It will be supervised by a Joint Directing Panel comprising senior officials of both the nations.

The exercise will be conducted in three phases - the first consisting of familiarization with the weapons and equipment, the second phase of the conduct of basic training that includes combat conditioning, firing of personal weapon, support weapon and practice of drills like establishment of covert observation post, house clearing, cordon and search and humanitarian and disaster relief operations.

The third phase of the exercise is the conduct of joint exercise itself.

"Exercise Hand-in-Hand contributes immensely in developing mutual understanding and respect for each other's military. The exercise will be attended by the senior military observers of both the countries," the statement added.
Islamabad, Nov 12 : A Pakistani woman who was raped on the orders of a panchayat in Gujrat in Pakistan died after she set herself on fire, a media report said on Saturday.

According to reports, a panchayat in Gujrat asked a man whose minor daughter had been raped to rape the daughter of the rapist, Geo news reported.

The man who had raped the minor girl had served a prison sentence that a local court had given him.

The victim who self-immolated was married and pregnant. In a statement she gave to the police on her death bed at Mayo Hospital in Lahore, the woman said she was raped on the orders of a panchayat.

Her husband refused to register a case against the perpetrators. "I don't want to register a case. Only Allah will give me justice," he said.

Eleven members of the panchayat have been detained for interrogation, police said.

Rape survivor Mukhtaran Mai said that such incidents will continue until justice is given to the victims.

Mukhtaran Mai added that the treatment meted out to rape victims and their families are the reason why cases against perpetrators are not registered.

Mukhtaran Mai was raped by four men after being dragged into the house of a Mastoi tribesman in her native village of Meerwala, in Muzaffargarh district of Pakistan.

The parliament in October made amendments to the rape law which make DNA test for victims mandatory, penalise the police for delaying investigation, and allow victims to testify in court through an in-camera session.
Rabat, Nov 12 : Moroccan authorities dismantled a criminal network composed of four persons in the cities of Tangiers and Oujda, the Interior Ministry said.

A member of this network is wanted for international drug trafficking while two others are former convicts in terrorism-related cases, the ministry said in a statement, MAP news agency reported on Saturday.

One of these former detainees had links with extremists abroad while the second one fought in Iraq and Syria in the ranks of an extremist group which had planned terrorist attacks in the kingdom, the statement added.

The fourth member of this network was transferred from Belgium to Morocco in 2014 after serving a prison sentence for kidnapping, murder and drug trafficking.

The members of this network abducted a man in Tangiers after having taken possession of his car that they intended to sell, before it was seized by security personnel.

This security operation provides information on close links between terrorist organisations and organised crime networks, which are one of the main sources of terrorist funding, the statement said.

The members of this network will be brought to justice pending the completion of the investigation led under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor's office, it added.
New Delhi, Nov 12 : Once a market bustling with customers, Chandani Chowk now appears relatively forlorn with shops have few customers due to a cash squeeze and their owners too facing a money crunch for purchases. Traders said it will take at least two months for them to be able to regain sale volumes due to government's sudden decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

A trader, who wished not be named, said: "We are failing to understand what is the government's intention behind this move. We are suffering huge losses, which is going to remain for few more months. It will be difficult for us to do business with less cash flow. We are exasperated. However, we cannot protests against it to avoid any negative repercussions."

According to the shopkeepers, one of the jewellery shops in the area was raided by the Income Tax department on Friday. "They did not tell us the actual reason for the raid. Everyone is scared. We see no other option than accepting the new regime," said a merchant, also requesting anonymity.

All ATMs and the banks in the area were crowded since morning to get new currency notes. On other hand, shops in the area had worn deserted look.

Many traders in Chandni Chowk market said that their business was expected to remain dull until adequeate number of currency notes of Rs 100 and Rs 50 are in the circulation.

"It's consecutive fourth day that we have not done any business. Although customers are getting new notes of Rs 500, and Rs 2000, they are facing problems in buying goods due to shortage of Rs 100, and Rs 50 notes.

"How are we supposed to return Rs 200 if a customer gives us Rs 500 note for a product of Rs 300, if we do not have enough cash?" asked Mohan Agarwal, a saree merchant.

Brijbhan Agarwal, a cloth merchant, said that orders from factories in Ahmedabad and Mumbai were stopped due to dip in the demand. "We hope things are settled down soon. However, the slowdown is the market is expected for at least two months," he said.

Meanwhile, there were traders, who backed the demonetisation move. Pawan Sharma, a saree merchant, said "We need not worry if we do not have unaccounted money. It is a good move that will benefit us in the long term."

There were few innovative traders among their gloomy neighbours, who took up to the online payment options to keep their business going.

Sanjay Tondon, a cloth merchant, have posted a big sticker of 'Paytm' and online banking payment outside his shop to woo customers without enough cash.

Interestingly, the only shops which claimed to have remained unaffected from the negative effect of demonetisation are famous Parantha shops. Rajat Sharma, of Gangaprasad Parathawale, said: "Initially, there was little problem with change. However, we have not witnessed any fall in the number of customers as of yet."
Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala vyapara vyavasaya ekopana samithy (KVVES) has announced that shops across the State will remain shut indefinitely from Tuesday in protest against the crisis triggered by the union government decision to demonitise currency notes of 500 and 1000 denominations.

The shutdown comes in the wake of protests by traders in the State that the centres demonitisation drive undertaken without proper forethought had jeopardised the daily commercial transactions in the State.

Even shops that had been doing brisk business has been recording nominal sales in the last few days since the withdrawal of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes, small shopkeepers say.

Long queues of people trying to exchange old notes for new currency or deposit the now-defunct currency notes continue to manifest in banks across the State.

Justifying the call for shutdown, KVVES State general secretary Joby Chungath told reporters that the failure of the centre to foresee the crisis kicked up by the demonitisation had hurt the trading community.

Shops across the State were experiencing poor patronage because of the currency crisis, he said, adding that the situation was such that only the rich could afford to make purchases using plastic money.

Supermarkets in the State, however, seem to have benefited from the crisis. Most of them have recorded brisk sales what with people facing shortage of low denomination notes making use of the credit/debit card facility available in such shops to make purchases.
Washington, Nov 13 : A man sustained a gunshot wound during a protest in Portland, Oregon, where hundreds of people took to the streets to show their rejection of Donald Trump's election as US president.

In a statement, the Portland Police Bureau said the victim was injured in a shooting early Friday on the Morrison Bridge around 12.45 a.m. while protesters were cutting off traffic, Efe news agency reported.

A man who was riding in a sedan engaged in a confrontation with one of the protesters, the bureau said, adding that the "suspect got out of the vehicle and fired multiple shots injuring the victim".

According to a statement by the police the suspect -- described as an African-American male in his late teens -- fled the scene and is being sought by police, which said the victim was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

The incident occurred amid violent protests in Portland in which the police fired tear gas on Friday night after "burning projectiles" were hurled at officers.

The demonstrators in Portland cut off traffic, sprayed walls with graffiti and engaged in acts of vandalism, local authorities said.

Marches organised by the "Not My President" movement continued on Friday night in cities across the United States, a slogan that began as a Twitter hashtag after the surprising election result became clear in the wee hours of Wednesday.
Mosul, Nov 13 : Thousands of women from the Yazidi minority are being held by the Islamic State jihadist group in the embattled Iraqi city of Mosul, local news site Ara News reported, citing a prominent human rights activist.

"A total of 3,400 Yazidi women and girls remain enslaved for IS sex use. Only a few have escaped since the Mosul operation," Ara News quoted Nadia Murad as saying on Friday.

Murad said she recently been receiving calls from Yazidi families asking for help to free their women and girls from IS captivity.

"A Yazidi mother told me her 16-year-old daughter's rescue from IS sex slavery costs 15,000 dollars and she cannot pay," she said.

"It is unbearable," said Murad, who survived IS enslavement and was nominated for this year's Nobel Peace prize for her efforts to alleviate the plight of Yazidi women at the hands of IS.

Yezidi women are reported to have been moved to Mosul for use as human shields as well as sex slaves, the United Nations human rights office said on Friday describing the scale of civilian suffering in the IS stronghold as "numbing and "intolerable".

IS executed over 60 people this week for alleged "treason" in Mosul after rulings by the so-called IS 'courts' according to the UN. Other reported atrocities include torture, chemical attacks, large-scale use of human shields and sexual exploitation of women and girls.

The Iraqi army, Kurdish Peshmerga forces, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen in mid-October began an operation to route IS militants from Mosul, and last week entered the eastern outskirts of the city, which IS overran in 2014.

Kurdish forces have recently discovered several mass graves in the Yezidi Sinjar region of Iraq. IS attacked Sinjar in August 2014, murdering hundreds of people and abducting thousands of women and girls who they forced into sexual slavery.

Almost 4,000 Yazidis who were enslaved remain unaccounted for, the UN said in August.
Although many Americans remain saddened or exultant by the results of the presidential vote, the November ballot produced key health-related results worth a quick post-mortem:

Big Soda: Voters in the northern California cities of San Francisco, Oakland, and Albany joined residents of Boulder, Colo., in approving new soda taxes in what analysts are calling a devastating defeat for soft drink advocates. The campaign in the Bay Area alone became costly, with the two sides spending an estimated $50 million. Big Sugar and Big Soda found themselves battling health-minded billionaires and public health experts in decrying the harms, particularly in kids, caused by excess sugar consumption, especially through soda drinking. Voters in Philadelphia earlier this year rejected Big Soda-financed campaigns to enact soda taxes, which also are in place in Mexico. Even as soft drink consumption continues to decline, the industry also soon may see new beverage taxes enacted in Cook County, Ill. (the Chicago area) and perhaps at the federal level, says the Wall Street Journal. Ive written about the sugary beverage taxes, and the unsavory roles that Big Soda and its cousin Big Sugar have played in trying to sway research on their products health harms.

Big Pharma: California voters, barraged by almost $130 million in campaign spending, defeated by a 54-46 margin a proposal to curb skyrocketing prescription drug prices. The states Proposition 61 sought to lower those prices by requiring that state agencies pay no more for medicines than the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. The measure was supported by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and others who wanted the nations largest state to try to hold the line against Big Pharma and its skyrocketing prices. The industry and its supporters said the ballot measure wouldnt work and it might cut off some Californians from medicines they desperately need. This ballot measure became one of the most expensive in the states history, the Los Angeles Times says.

Marijuana: Americas not just a red-versus-blue nation. It also split on Election Day into a green and not so country, as more states approved recreational or medicinal use of marijuana. Ballot measures from coast to coast, especially with sprawling California joining the recreational use states, create a challenge for federal officials, who must enforce drug laws restricting pot use, President Obama has said. Republicans have taken a tougher stance against legalized pot, whether for recreational or medicinal use. Ive written on how pot legalization creates growing concerns about road safety. Colorado and Oregon pioneered recreational use, and serious public policy research is under way on the issue.

Obamacare: The day after Donald J. Trump was elected president, more than 100,000 Americans raced to sign up for Obamacare health insurance during what some analysts saw as an already doomed annual open-enrollment period. Whats clear about Obamacare, however, is what isnt: Although the GOP made it a signature element of the 2016 election campaign that the party would repeal and replace the ACA, a lot can and will happen before that pledge may be fulfilled. The president-elect may not agree with his allies on the Hill, as he already has suggested he will keep parts of Obamacare, which wont be easy to wipe away after it has been in place for years now. The health care industry is powerful and deeply invested in many aspects of the ACA, and though caught short by the GOP sweep, its political force has yet to be felt on Obamacares future. Although there are direct presidential steps that could be taken to gut the ACA, the governor of Kentucky, for one, has found how politically parlous it can be to cut big chunks of the population off from health coverage. If the politicians truly want to show that a new day has dawned, they could stop the bitterly partisan nonsense about so crucial an issue as Americans health careespecially its access, quality, safety, and affordability. Ive said before that its insufficient to keep repeating that Obamacare must be repealed and replaced. With what? How will our health care be better with an alternative?
EuroTier has always been a successful event for the Norkem Group

Norkem, a leading supplier of additives and supplements will be attending the EuroTier event in Hanover, Germany this year. EuroTier is the worlds leading trade event for animal production.

Norkem will be attending with solutions in the following categories:



Aquafeed

Cleaning and disinfecting products

Feed premixes

Minerals

Phosphate feeds

Supplementary feed

Vitamins and active agents

Norkem supplies a comprehensive range of products in this industry sector. They are a leader in the field of animal feed supplements and distribute their full range of products internationally.

This will be the first time that Norkem have exhibited their Aquafeed range, a specialist range of products aimed at the fish food industry. They now offer raw materials which are used in the manufacture of a wide selection of aquatic feed products.

A spokesperson for Norkem said EuroTier has always been a successful event for the Norkem Group, this years EuroTier is expected to be the busiest exhibition for us to date. As a leading global company we need to be here and in keeping with this, past EuroTier events have generated leads for us from over 50 different countries.

Norkems Group Marketing team said we are totally committed to making this event a huge success and our stand will be manned with 16 members of staff, speaking 6 different languages.

We operate in many niche markets and animal nutrition and health is one of the most important industry sectors for Norkem. Visitors will have an opportunity to speak to our experienced sales team who can advise on the many products available across our range and how they can be tailored to individual needs.

EuroTier is running from 15th to 18th November 2016 at Hanover Exhibition Grounds, Messegelande, 30521 Hannover, Germany. Visit Norkem at their stand H14, hall 20.

About Norkem

Norkem are a major global stockist, distributor and producer of high quality speciality and general chemicals including unique solutions for the animal nutrition and health sector.

Privately owned, Norkem was established in 1970. With a head office situated in the United Kingdom and sister offices located in The Netherlands, Spain, Chile, USA, Australia and China. They also have production facilities in the UK, Belgium and Australia.
St. John Berchmans Heart

For the first time, the enshrined heart of Saint John Berchmans will travel outside of its homeland of Belgium. The heart will arrive at St. John Berchmans Cathedral in Shreveport, the only Cathedral in the world to bear his name, on Thursday, December 8th and remain on display until December 18th. His Eminence Edwin F. Cardinal OBrien will travel from the Vatican to be the special guest of honor as we mark the 150th anniversary of the apparition and miracle of St. John Berchmans which took place in Louisiana.

On December 14th, the heart will travel to Grand Coteau, Louisiana, to the site where Blessed Berchmans appeared to young Mary Wilson on December 14, 1866, while she was near death in the infirmary at the Academy of the Sacred Heart. On the ninth day of a Novena prayed through his intercession, Blessed John Berchmans appeared to Wilson and immediately, completely cured her of her lengthy, debilitating illness. This was the miracle which led to his canonization by Pope Leo XIII on January 15, 1888.

John Berchmans was born on March 13, 1599 in Diest, which is present day Belgium. He was the oldest of 5 children and his love for the Lord was evident at an early age. John Berchmans entered the Jesuit novitiate and made his first vows on September 25, 1618. Shortly thereafter, he was sent to Rome to continue his philosophy studies. While in Rome, he became ill and died on August 13, 1621 at the age of 22. While he lay in state, a blind woman was able to regain her eyesight after touching his fingers to her eyes. That was the first miracle that began the beatification process for John Berchmans. His heart was returned to his homeland where it is kept in a silver reliquary at a church in Mechelen.

Throughout the 10 days, St. John Berchmans Cathedral will host a number of scholars and exhibits.

For more information on the events please check out the website SJBdevotion.org. There is information about the visit and special rates at the Hilton Shreveport for visitors.
I hope the County of Los Angeles hears the message this jury sent -- loud and clear.

The Law Office of Shawn A. McMillan, A.P.C. announces that last Friday, after seven years of litigation, a Los Angeles County jury in the case of Rafaelina Duval v. County of Los Angeles et al., Case No. BC470714, tried at the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles -- Stanley Mosk Court House, in Dept. 89 before the Hon. William A. MacLaughlin, has found that the Department of Children and Family Services guilty of the unwarranted seizure of a child from his mother with "malice, oppression, and fraud," according to court documents.

Los Angeles County, Supervising Social Worker Kimberly Rogers, and Social Worker Susan Pender will be required to pay Rafaelina Duval $3.1 million dollars.

Ms. Duvals baby, Ryan, was seized from her custody the evening of November 3, 2009, when he was only 15 months old. According to the complaint, DCFS social workers falsely accused Duval of general neglect and willfully and intentionally starving her child. The complaint also alleges that Baby Ryan was taken without a warrant  and only after the maternal grandfather called the social workers white trash and accused them of racism.

Attorney Shawn McMillan says, The law is very clear and the social workers get training on this, you can not seize a child from its parents unless theres an emergency."

According to Ms. Duval's complaint, not only was baby Ryan taken away without a warrant, social workers ordered no reunification. Allegedly, the government social workers falsely accused Ms. Duval of suffering from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy  an exceedingly rare mental illness. Ms. Duval was only allowed monitored visitation --- an hour an half every two weeks.

In addition to the jurys findings against Ms. Rogers and Ms. Pender, the jury also unanimously (12 - 0) found that the County of Los Angeles has an official custom and/or practice of seizing children from their parents without a warrant, failed to enact an official policy or procedure when it should have done so, and knew, because of a pattern of similar violations that its official customs or practices were likely to result in the violation of parents rights to be free of unwarranted seizures of their children.

The jury awarded Ms. Duval $2.9 million to compensate her for the emotional distress she suffered as a result of the unwarranted and malicious seizure of her baby. By separate verdict, the jury also awarded Ms. Duval an additional $165,000 based on the Defendants' disability based discrimination -- for a total verdict of $3.1 Million. Ms. Duval says, No amount of money can ever replace what they took from me.

San Diego Lawyer Shawn A. McMillan, of the Law Offices of Shawn A. McMillan, A.P.C., was lead trial counsel in the case. Attorneys Tiffany Chung, Stephen King, and Richard Prager were co-counsel at trial.
Momtrepreneur, Tricia Messeroux, creator of her internationally renown brand, Toddlewood, is bringing the red carpet experience to all girls right here in Long Island. Toddlewood is a brand beloved by global media outlets like Access Hollywood, The View, The Today Show, Huffington Post, just to name a few, and has now made a home in Baldwin Harbor.

Toddlewood creator, Tricia Messeroux, who lives in Baldwin Harbor with her daughters, Skylar (age 11) and Sunday (age 5) welcomes all Long Island media outlets to The Toddlewood Studio on Thursday, November 17, 2016 from 5pm to 8pm. The Toddlewood Experience is an exclusive gathering of TV, Print, Radio, Digital Media and Blogger enthusiasts along with their fabulous children.

You are invited to discover what the studio has to offer, what's next for the Toddlewood Brand locally and globally, the 2017 Awards Season (Golden Globes, The Grammys and The Oscars) and Toddlewood Birthday Party Experience. Media and pint-sized guest will be able to explore the Toddlewood Studio and chat with Tricia Messeroux, and her mini-mogul daughters Sunday and Sky, on building the Toddlewood brand and the world of kids!

WHO: Toddlewood Experience Long Island Preview

WHEN: Thursday, November 17, 2016

TIME: 5:00PM-8:00PM

5:00pm:

Media Check-In

Toddlewood: Lights, Camera Action Corners:

Arrive Camera Ready for your professional photo shoot with Tricia - Toddlewood

6:30pm:

Brand Experience Unveil

Q&A Session with Toddlewood Creator Tricia Messeroux

WHERE: Toddlewood Studio

818 Merrick Rd, Baldwin, NY 11510

Parking and Entrance directly behind the studio

RSVP:

https://toddlewoodexperience2016.eventbrite.com

RSVP CONTACT: Donyshia Boston-Hill

db(at)keeperofthebrand(dot)com

917-697-1699

Press Coverage Submission Deadline:

Tuesday, November 15, 2016 by Noon

Hashtag: #Toddlewood #Skystheliminit #Sundayinthecity

Toddlewood ToddleWood, Toddlers in Hollywood, the brainchild of this New York photographer Tricia Messeroux, transforms everyday kids into superstar celebrities, iconic figures and historic legendsall captured in breathtaking photographs. As Creative Director and Senior Photographer of Big Eye Photography, Tricia leads a dynamic team of talented costume designers, gifted hair & makeup artists and a diligent production crew  all of whom play an important role in bringing these photographs to life. Celebrity looks range from young to old and classic to contemporary. Over 100 celebrities are depicted in Toddlewoods diverse portfolio including Oprah Winfrey, Audrey Hepburn, P. Diddy, J Lo, Destinys Child, Marilyn Monroe, Josephine Baker and so many others! Toddlewood began in 2008 with a simple yet unique idea and has now grown to be an international brand. Toddlewood receives continuous calls from Dublin, Australia, London, Columbia, Japan, China, Mexico just to name a few. Tricia and Toddlewoods media exposure has been and continues to be of the top A-list media outlets in Television, On-line, Magazine ad Newspapers. Toddlewood is becoming a household name! This brand is the one to follow.
In response to the recent incidents of violence and intimidation following the election, the National Education Policy Center issued the following statement:

"In the lead-up to this years election and in its aftermath there are widespread reports of violence and intimidation against people because of their race, religion, language, nationality, perceived immigration status, disability, gender, sexual orientation or political affiliation. We at the National Education Policy Center, housed at the University of Colorado Boulder, deplore these acts.

"As researchers working to improve our public education system, we are alarmed by the impact of this violence and intimidation on our nations young people, on the schools they attend, and in the communities where they live. Bigotry, bullying, xenophobia, and violence have no place in our societyespecially in our schools. Children have a basic human right to live in communities and attend schools where adults will protect them. We commit ourselves to confronting hatred when we see it and to working with the targeted communities to ensure the safety of all people.

"We ask all those who share our concerns to stand together to express strong support of a democratic society in which we all feel accepted, safe and protected. We urge students, parents, educators and members of our communities to reject the devaluing of civility, to embrace our diversity, and to listen to and learn from one another. Together we must strive to create a compassionate world for our children and ourselves."

For those who experience or witness acts of violence, please report to the Southern Poverty Law Centers Report Hate Website. #reporthate

Here are some additional resources for educators and parents:

Southern Poverty Law Centers Teaching Tolerance Project

Anti-Defamation Leagues Curriculum Resource on Helping Students Make Sense of News Stories About Bias and Injustice
Movoto Real Estate Fresno County is one of the top 10 producers of agricultural products, yet its food insecurity rate is higher than the national average at 29 percent of children living in food-insecure homes.

Movoto Real Estates mission is to make it easier for people to sell homes and find their dream home. Which is why they understand more than anyone that a house isnt a home without food on the table.

This holiday season, Movoto is partnering with Grocery Outlet stores across Fresno and Clovis to hold a food drive to help strike out hunger. The drive will be held on Saturday, November 12 and Sunday, November 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at all 5 Grocery Outlet locations. All donations are welcome and will go to the Community Food Bank.

Hunger doesnt seem like it should be an issue in Fresno County, one of the top 10 producers of fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products. However, its child food insecurity rate is higher than the national average at 29 percent of children living in food-insecure homes according to Feed Americas Map the Meal Gap 2016 study. A 2014 survey by Fresno Hunger Count also found that of over 42,000 people surveyed, a whopping 51% of households reported experiencing food shortages at least one month per year.

Its the ultimate irony, said Movotos Director of Real Estate Operations Maximillian Diez. The US gets so much of its food from Fresno County. Meanwhile many residents of this community go hungry every day. Most people dont realize this.

He continued, Making people aware of this problem and providing a means to help are the first steps to solving it. We hope that this event will raise awareness that this problem exists and we need to come together to end hunger in our community.

For Julie Fulcher, Movotos Fresno Area Manager, this cause is particularly important to her. Ive built my entire life and career in the Fresno community and when I see that there are people struggling, it really hits home, she explained.

People feel shame that they are struggling to provide for their families, and theyre afraid to reach out for help. They shouldnt be. Everyone goes through tough times. The real mission of food banks is to provide a support network. A community is only as strong as the people we bolster up, Fulcher said. I want people to know that were all in this together.

I grew up in a family and a community where sharing food was the ultimate bonding experience, added Diez. Getting a roof over your head is step one for Movoto. Now, helping you put food on the table is step two. I can speak for the entire Movoto team when I say coming to help feed Fresno is the least we can do for a community that has been so welcoming and generous to us.

Food Drive Locations:

Grocery Outlet NW Fresno - 3566 W Shaw Ave Fresno

Grocery Outlet Fresno - 1825 E Ashlan Ave Fresno

Grocery Outlet Fresno - 2820 Tulare St Fresno

Grocery Outlet Fresno - 5175 E Belmont Ave Fresno

Grocery Outlet Clovis - 1848 Clovis Ave Clovis

About Movoto Real Estate

Movoto Real Estate was founded on a simple principle: Selling and buying real estate is too complicated. Thats why Movoto has dedicated over a decade to simplifying it. From humble beginnings as a three-person startup in 2005, the company has grown to become the second largest online real estate company in the US. With the backing of Recruit Holdings, owner of the largest real estate portal in Japan, Movoto has developed a real estate network of over 3,500 agents across all 50 states.

About Grocery Outlet

Based in Emeryville, California, Grocery Outlet offers big savings on brand name products, with customers able to save 40% to 70% compared to conventional retailers. The fastest growing, extreme-value grocer in the U.S., Grocery Outlet has over 250 locations in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Grocery Outlet carries a full range of products. From fresh produce, meat, deli and dairy to a wide assortment of natural and organic choices. They also offer a large selection of beer and wine, health and beauty care, as well as seasonal items. A third-generation, family-led company founded in 1946, Grocery Outlets mission has always been to provide customers an exciting place to find WOW savings on name brands they trust. Grocery Outlet stores are run by independent owner-operators in the local community. For more information, please visit http://www.GroceryOutlet.com

About Community Food Bank

Community Food Bank is the regions largest community-based, non-profit agency dedicated solely to ending hunger in the Central Valley. Community Food Bank has experienced tremendous growth since its beginning in 1992, and now serves at the center of a vast network of more than 200 non-profit agencies, including schools, churches, community kitchens and more, throughout Fresno, Madera, Kings, Kern and Tulare Counties. Community Food Bank operates several food distribution and outreach programs, which combined, distribute more than 38 million pounds of food to families in need each year and serve more than 280,000 people monthly  of whom 90,000 are children.
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thiel trump

Silicon Valley venture capitalist Peter Thiel will join the Trump transition team, according to a report from ex-Fortune reporter Dan Primack.

The Trump team confirmed the appointment on Friday.

"The mission of our team will be clear: put together the most highly qualified group of successful leaders who will be able to implement our change agenda in Washington," Trump said in a statement.

The Huffington Post first reported on Thursday that Thiel could even be a candidate to lead the team, replacing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in the post if he were to step down. On Friday, Trump's team said vice president-elect Mike Pence would lead the transition team. A representative for Thiel could not be reached for comment.

While Thiel was once seen as the outlier in the tech industry for supporting Trump, he's become the most powerful representative of it overnight.

Thiel has been a strong Trump supporter since he delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention and pledged to donate $1.25 million to his campaign. In an interview with the New York Times, Thiel said he'd be interested in helping out the Trump administration, but not in any formal capacity or a role that requires him to move to Washington. Instead, he hopes the tech community takes action.

"At the end of the day, it would be crazy to simply spend four years issuing denunciatory tweets on Twitter. For a day or two, thats fine. But I hope Silicon Valley will be more productive than that," Thiel told the Times.

Thiel's support of Trump has ruffled some feathers in the tech industry. One of his Thiel Fellows, college students paid $100,000 to drop out of college, decided Thursday to drop out of the program and decline the money. Other leaders, like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Y Combinator President Sam Altman, had to defend Thiel's links to their organizations.

NOW WATCH: Watch Peter Thiel tell the RNC audience that he's proud to be gay and Republican





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A sign for the headquarters of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc is seen in Laval, Quebec June 14, 2016. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi/File Photo

By Carl O'Donnell and Svea Herbst-Bayliss

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Plc (VRX.TO), the drugmaker that became a poster child for high drug prices during the U.S. election season, may change its name to help boost its reputation, board member and top investor William Ackman told CNBC on Wednesday.

A name change would be the latest effort by the company to break from its past, after hiring a new chief executive, overhauling the board and exploring billions of dollars in asset sales to pay down a $30 billion debt load.

Valeant's stock has declined more than 90 percent in the past year, erasing nearly $90 billion in market capitalization, over disclosures that it secretly worked with a specialty pharmacy to boost sales of its medicines. The company is the subject of multiple investigations by federal agencies and state prosecutors.

"Former Valeant (Chief Executive) Michael Pearson went crazy in my opinion," Ackman said during his interview with CNBC.

A number of names are being considered, including taking on the well-known moniker of its largest business, eyecare specialist Bausch & Lomb, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the media. There has been no final decision to change its name at all, they added.

Previously named Biovail and based in the United States, the drugmaker acquired Canada's Valeant in 2010 and chose that as its corporate identity.

The acquisition, a so-called "tax inversion" because Valeant moved its headquarters to low-tax Canada, was a key step in its aggressive, debt-financed dealmaking spree under Pearson. The acquisitions helped reshape the specialty pharmaceutical industry and eventually left Valeant with around $30 billion in debt.

Some of the high points of Pearson's buying binge include its $8.7 billion acquisition of Bausch & Lomb in 2013 and its $14.5 billion purchase of stomach-drug company Salix Pharmaceuticals in 2015.

Story continues

The deals made Valeant a darling of Wall Street, attracting such big name hedge funds as Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management and the Sequoia Fund and notching returns in excess of 1,000 percent during Pearson's tenure.

In recent weeks, Valeant has been exploring a sale of its Salix business, according to media reports, that could fetch around $10 billion and would leave Bausch & Lomb as the largest single business in the company.

(Reporting by Carl O'Donnell; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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Like it or not, Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. So its probably not a bad idea to read the available material on the man who will be at the helm of our country for the next four years. Weve done a lot of coverage of Trumpreviews of his books and of books about him, commentary on the election, reactions from writers, and more. Here's a handy roundup.

From the Newsletters

Tip Sheet

Marc Leeds, author of The Vonnegut Encyclopedia (Delacorte) and cofounder of the Kurt Vonnegut Society, picks the 10 best Kurt Vonnegut books.

Childrens Bookshelf

HarperCollins Childrens Books senior editor and PW Star Watch Superstar Andrew Harwell reports on his trip to the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Religion BookLine

The Bible gets a graphic novel makeover in a new three-volume edition from Kingstone.

Global Rights Report

An Italian book about how to find happiness, written from the perspective of a cat, is getting picked up in multiple territories.

Sign up for these and other great, free newsletters.

Blogs

ShelfTalker

Why its sometimes cheaper to buy books from your local independent bookseller than from Amazon.

Podcasts

Week Ahead

PW senior writer Andrew Albanese talks about the new modes of storytelling featured at the recent Books in Browsers conference in San Francisco.

More to Come

PW senior editor Calvin Reid talks with Miriam Libicki about her new book, Toward a Hot Jew (Fantagraphics), a collection of autobiographical graphic essays that explore a variety of issues through the lens of Jewish identity.

FaithCast

Kathleen Dowling Singh discusses her new book, The Grace in Living (Wisdom), and explains why spiritual awakening is far easier to accomplish than we think.

PW Radio

Donika Kelly discusses her debut poetry collection, Bestiary (Graywolf), which our starred review called astounding.

The most-read review on publishersweekly.com last week was The Man Who Wanted to Know Everything by D.A. Mishani (Harper).

If you havent yet checked out our editors picks for the years best books, you owe it to yourself to go do that right now. Weve selected 150 exceptional books for readers of all ages.
Harper Goes into Survival Mode with Sharp

Sara Nelson, in one of her first acquisitions at Harper, preempted world rights to Adrienne Sharps historical novel Survival City. The book, which Nelson said is a very cinematic work about a girl growing up with her gangster father and showgirl mother in Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the 1930s and 1940s, was sold by agent Gail Hochman at Brandt & Hochman. Nelson added that the book is an atmospheric look at the world of Jewish gangsters. Sharp is most recently the author of 2010s The True Memoirs of Little K (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

Beckers New Series to Tor Teen

In a world English rights preempt, Elayne Becker at Tor Teen bought Joanna Hathaways debut, a YA fantasy called Dark of the West. The book is the first in a planned series that, the publisher said, is set in a realm similar to 20th-century Europe. Becker, who bought three books in total, brokered the agreement with Steven Salpeter at Curtis Brown Ltd. Dark of the West, told from dueling points of view, follows a pair of star-crossed lovers: an idealistic princess trying to suppress an impending uprising, and a young fighter pilot who has been given the job of spying on her.

McCarty Seals Six Figures at Berkley

Monica McCarty closed a six-figure, three-book, world English rights deal for a new contemporary romance series with Berkleys Cindy Hwang. The new series, called the Lost Platoon, marks McCartys first foray into contemporary romance. (She has established herself as a bestselling author of historical romance with series such as the Highland Guard and the Campbell Trilogy.) The new series, Berkley said, will follow a navy outfit called SEAL Team Nine, with each book in the series featuring a different SEAL hero working to unravel who wants the team dead and why. Annelise Robey at the Jane Rotrosen Agency represented McCarty.

Running Press Asks 36 Questions of Szpyrka

At Running Press, Adrienne Szpyrka took world English rights to Vicki Grants YA novel 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You. Grant, who was represented by Fiona Kenshole at Transatlantic Agency, follows two strangers who try to answer the titular number of questions to see if they can fall in love. RP said the book, which was inspired by a Modern Love column in the New York Times, is told in the language of modern romance, including texting, q&a, and IM. 36 Questions is slated for fall 2017.

BuzzFeed Ed Strikes Deal at Bloomsbury

Cindy Loh at Bloomsbury took world rights to two childrens books by Isaac Fitzgerald, one an untitled YA novel and the other an untitled picture book. Fitzgerald is the books editor at BuzzFeed and the novel, the publisher said, is loosely based on a May article he did for the website that went viral called Confessions of a Former Former Fat Kid. Nancy Miller at Bloomsbury coacquired the title and will be editing it. The picture book, which will be edited by Sarah Shumway, is about, Bloomsbury said, a girl whose salty grandfather inspires voyages of imagination. Fitzgerald has cowritten two books, both published by Bloomsbury: Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them and Knives & Ink: Chefs and the Stories Behind Their Tattoos (with Recipes).

Smith Takes Pearl to Scholastic

At Scholastics Graphix imprint, Cassandra Pelham nabbed world rights to a YA graphic novel by Sherri L. Smith called Pearl. Illustrated by Christine Norrie, the book, set in 1941, follows a 13-year-old Japanese-American girl visiting family in Japan when Pearl Harbor is attacked. Kirby Kim at Janklow & Nesbit, who represented Smith, said that after the attack the young heroine is enlisted as a monitor girl to translate radio transmissions for the Japanese army, and must learn how to adjust to her new life in a foreign, war-torn land. The book is set for 2018. Norrie did not use an agent in the deal.

Correction: An earlier version of this story identified Sara Nelson as an editor at Ecco; she's at Harper. Additionally, the young heroine of Pearl is visiting family in Japan when Pearl Harbor is attacked, she is not visiting family near the military base.
Most of the books in Spanish found in the U.S. market are imported from Spain and Latin America, and distributors and wholesalers have played a significant role in making Spanish-language titles from large and midsize overseas publishers available here. As demand for Spanish-language books in the U.S. has grown, more independent and smaller presses are making their way into the market via established and new distributors.

One of the newest distributors to enter the market is Miami-based American Book Group (ABG), which began representing publishers from Mexico and Spain in 2015. Some of the Mexican publishers that it represents are Grupo Planetas BookIt series and its Diana imprint, childrens publisher Tres Abejas, New Age publisher Acqua Ediciones, and Selector USA, a joint initiative between ABG and Mexicos Editorial Selector. ABGs Spanish clients include Editorial Sol 90, which offers books with beautiful computer-generated illustrations.

ABGs director of sales, Ernesto Martinez, attributes the companys early success in signing clients to having a warehouse in Miami, giving publishers access to the U.S. market through print-on-demand, and distributing e-books.

In addition to working with foreign publishers, ABG has found a niche in representing major U.S. houses that publish Spanish-language books to independent bookstores. Many independent-bookstore owners want to offer books in Spanish but dont know the language or the market well enough to make a selection that will appeal to their consumers, Martinez explains. We help them in selecting titles. Its really about consultative selling.

ABG primarily sells to independent bookstores, libraries, wholesalers, museums, and schools, as well as Hispanic retailers such as Hispanic grocery stores and retailers focused on meeting the needs of the Hispanic consumer. When asked what makes ABG different from other distributors, Martinez says that, unlike other distributors, we are not here to disrupt the market, but to offer our service to publishers. He adds, We have a focus on metadata and making sure the complete information is available. We are also very selective in the titles we offer and provide consulting services to buyers.

ABG has also expanded into publishing. In addition to the recently launched Selector USA imprint, ABG publishes a series called MariaGarcia: Tu Guia Latina (Maria Garcia: Your Latina Guide), a series of practical how-to books, where part of the content is delivered through the book and additional information is available on a dedicated website.

Lectorum is a well-established and growing distributor that has been in business for 56 years and that was purchased by Alex Correa in 2009. The company works with more than 200 publishers and has a wide selection of childrens and YA books, which make up 70% of its catalogue, with adult trade titles comprising the remaining 30%. Of the books that it distributes, close to 80% are imported from Spain and Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia are its primary providers). The balance of its list comes from domestic publishers and consists mainly of nonfiction books.

Lectorum is the sole distributor of Spanish-language books for the Chicago and New York City public school systems. School and library sales represent about 50% of Lectorums total while the other half comes from retail chains, distributors, and wholesalers.

Over the past few years, according to Correa, the category product mix has changed: In the past, about 40% of our sales were fiction and 60% nonfiction, but the market has transformed and now the numbers have inverted. He attributes much of the change to the effect transformations in school curriculums have had on the school market, where demand for fables and for fiction books has increased.

The types of books requested from libraries and the trade market have not changed much in the last couple of years, with translations often doing better than original works in Spanish. In the school market, however, the demand is still strong for original works in Spanish and for books that reflect the colloquial language and the local culture from a wide range of countries.

Dual-language programs in the school market have also fueled the demand for books in Spanish. Places you would not think of having a high demand for books in Spanish, such as Utah, are creating a shift that is inclusive instead exclusive of non-Hispanics, Correa says. Dual-language or bilingual programs are designed for Hispanic and non-Hispanic childrenthey are designed for a global generation.

One of Lectorums bestsellers for 2016 is Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School, which has sold more than 10,000 copies thus far this year. Another bestseller has been a Cuban cookbook by Veronica Cervera, La cocina Cubana de Vero. In October, Lectorum began distributing the international bestseller El monstruo de colores (The Colored Monster).

Although Correa has an eye for which books will work in the U.S., he is at times surprised by the success of certain titles. For the 20th-anniversary edition of El flamboyant amarillo (The Yellow Flamboyant), by Puerto Rican author Georgina Lazaro, published this year, he expected sales of about 3,000 copies, but in eight months Lectorum sold more than 12,000 copies. Another surprise has been La calle es libre (The Street Is Free) by Kurusa Monika Doppert, a book with annual sales of about 600 copies, but which this year has already sold more than 8,000 copies. Some books become classics and with time school districts include them in the curriculum and that can have a huge impact on the number of copies sold, Correa explains.

Lectorums plan for the Guadalajara International Book Fair is to provide visiting U.S. librarians and educators with tablets equipped with scanners so that they can create their own wish lists of books. Additionally, a day before FIL, Lectorum will take its clients to visit a local vendor of DVDs and CDs and have staff on hand to help the clients with the selection process.

IPG has a long history of distributing books in Spanish and, over the past few years, has been growing its list of publishers and titles. This year alone, IPG added six new publishers to its roster of more than 40 Spanish-language publishers. About 80% of those publishers come from countries with large publishing industries, such as Spain, Mexico, and Argentina.

IPG has exclusive U.S., Canadian, and Puerto Rican distribution rights for many of the publishers that it works with. Childrens and YA books make up about 70% of IPGs offering, with the remaining 30% coming from adult fiction and nonfiction. In general, nonfiction sells better than fiction for IPG. The distributors top accounts are Amazon, Brodart, Ingram, and Baker & Taylor, with the school and library market doing better than retailers.

Diana Calice, managing director of IPGs Spanish distribution program, says that the company has added new clients to respond to shifts in the marketplace. The sale of books in Spanish has been increasing and I think that part of it is due to a new generation of Hispanics and non-Hispanics that want to learn Spanish, she says. Calice explains that often parents dont speak Spanish but want their children to learn the language. That trend has sparked sales of bilingual books, which allow parents to read along with their children. IPG offers a specialty catalogue of just bilingual books and books that are available in both languages.

One of IPGs bestselling authors is Walter Riso, published by Editorial Oceano of Mexico. Calice points out that Risos books consistently do well in the U.S. market and that his latest book, Maravillosamente imperfecto, escandalosamente feliz (Beautifully Imperfect Outrageously Happy) had great presale numbers before it even reached their warehouse in September. Another bestseller for IPG is El unico e incomparable Ivan (The One and Only Ivan) by Catherine Applegatea 2013 Newberry Award winner that Calice says continuously sells outrageously well.

In general, childrens and YA books do well for IPG, with YA in translation doing better than original works in Spanish, Calice says, noting that there is less of a YA offering from Spanish-language publishers than from their U.S. counterparts. Self-help for adults continues to do exceptionally well, Calice adds.

Bilingual Publications Company is a boutique operation that selects each title with urban libraries in mind. Owned by Linda Goodman, Bilingual Publications currently works with about 100 publishers, of which 60% are from Spain, 15% are from Mexico, 5% are from other countries (Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico), and about 20% are from the U.S. Goodman notes that, to meet the growing demand for books from Central America, Bilingual Publications will be looking for them at FIL. Its product offering is evenly split between childrens/YA and adult trade. Goodman says that the strongest demand among children and young adults is for fiction, whereas for adult books there is greater demand for nonfiction. A recent strong area in adult nonfiction has been for practical self-help books.

Bilingual Publications clients are public libraries in the U.S., with an emphasis on urban, big-city libraries. These libraries have a greater need for culturally diverse books in Spanish, Goodman says.

One of the trends that Goodman has seen in the last couple of years has been a growing demand in adult collection building at libraries. She explains that librarians are being asked by their patrons for more books on home repair, computer skills, raising children, and health and wellness. Goodman has also seen a decrease in the demand for literary fiction, but has seen a growing demand for light fiction such as chick lit and romance. Comics as well as manga are also seeing an increase in sales, and YA sales are going through impressive growth.

Although Baker & Taylor is a wholesaler and not a distributor, it is still an important provider of books in Spanish to the U.S. market. About three years ago, B&T stopped importing material from Spain and Latin America and now relies on distributors. B&T still stocks material in Spanish, but only from U.S.-based publishers and those offered by U.S.-based distributors, says Diane Mangan, director of merchandising, childrens, basics, small press, Spanish, and digital at B&T.

B&T currently works with around 250 Spanish-language publishers. Approximately 80% of B&Ts sales come from an estimated 20% of these publishers. As is the case with B&Ts distributors, most of the publishers B&T works with are from Spain, with Mexico and Argentina following in second and third place. B&T has between 50,00060,000 active Spanish-language titles at any given time with about 250 new releases being offered every month.

Mangan explains that literary and historical fiction are doing very well, but that adult nonfiction still accounts for about 35% of B&Ts sales. A similar percentage of its sales comes from childrens and YA, and the balance from adult fiction. Not surprisingly, one of its bestsellers this year is the new Harry Potter title Harry Potter y el legado maldito (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). Another title that is doing very well is the latest novel by Nobel Prizewinner Mario Vargas Llosa, Cinco esquinas (Five Points).

B&Ts sales of books in Spanish are split between school and public libraries and between online and bricks-and-mortar retailers. B&T continues to see a very strong increase in the sales of Spanish-language booksa 33% increase over last year, with purchases from public libraries up 40% over last year. When asked about B&Ts future plans, Mangan says, We plan to continue working with the current business model, as it allows us to stock more titles and a higher number of copies of each title.

Although each of the distributors sees slightly different trends occurring in the market (largely dependent on who their primary customers areschools, public libraries, trade, etc.), one common denominator is the growing demand for books in Spanish. With the consolidation of the major publishers, customers are turning to smaller and more niche publishers to satisfy that demand.
Cheers to the Rock Island County voters who OKd a 1 cent sales tax increase to finance school construction, and to put our school facilities on a level playing field with surrounding counties.

Its about curb appeal, of course. Its important how our schools look when newcomers are trying to choose where to put down roots in our bistate area or when young families are buying that first home or growing ones are searching for a larger place to call home.

Weve been at a major disadvantage to Iowa schools for years as they have taken advantage of a 1 percent sales tax to do amazing things that districts on this side of the river simply could not afford to duplicate. Henry County already has seen what the 1 cent school facilities sales tax can finance in the plans for a new facility in Geneseo. Were hungry for some of that in RICo.

More than that, however, its crucial that kids learn in a safe environment that is capable of preparing them for the 21st century world; today, many of our older facilities have a hard time keeping up with exploding technological needs. These funds, over time, also will help them do that.

We join county school superintendents in thanking voters for investing in our childrens schools. And we urge those administrators and the school boards they serve to never forget their promises to be transparent, wise shepherds of these new dollars, to ensure they are used to lower your property tax burden and are spent only as the law requires and as they have pledged to do.

Jeers, millions of them, to match the amount of dollars wasted by too many political campaigns on unfair, misleading and downright nasty advertising.

It wasnt just a national phenomenon, though thank goodness we never have to see those presidential train wreck ads again -- or least not for another three years or so. Unfortunately, Quad-Citians also were subjected to costly pieces about state races on both sides of the river that did little to inform our community but much to lower the civility of this election.

Among them were ads for one of the most expensive races in Illinois: Rep. Mike Smiddy vs. Savanna Mayor Tony McCombie. According to a graphic by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, more than $60 was invested per voter to elect Ms. McCombie. Mr. Smiddy spent just under that amount in a losing bid. What a waste.

As in other races, some of these ads were produced by outside groups; but a surprising number came for candidate campaigns, as well.

Bronx cheers, too, to bistate television stations which lapped up those negative advertising dollars as their newsrooms busily fact checked these moneymakers. Of course, the news department wouldnt need to fact check ads if stations insisted they be fair and factual in the first place. Thats what newspapers do; which may be why so many candidates dont seek to reach out to discerning newspaper consumers through print and online newspaper ads.

Cheers to the folks at Butterball who added a texting feature to their Butterball Hotline. Tech savvy cooks eager for expert help can now simply type in Forgot 2 defrost early. What 2 do now? and the experts at Butterball will answer in kind.

Its hardly the first innovation for the hotline since it began in 1981 with six home economists working the phones to answer 11,000 turkey-cooking questions. These days, closer to 50 experts help 100,000-plus home cooks make it through the holidays.

This latest upgrade, however, seems tailor-made for todays young, first-time holiday cooks, many of whom will no doubt prefer to text rather than talk.

Technological dinosaurs, or those who are hopeless in the kitchen and require more hand-holding, still can use the regular hotline at any time of day (experts are on call 24 hours). So dont despair that picky Aunt Ida will be unable to eat a dry bird or that Uncle Henry will grouse about it being under-cooked because you havent mastered texting.

The Turkey Talk line at 1-800-Butterball 24/7 is already open, and will begin taking your texts starting Nov. 17 and ending Nov. 24.
A Davenport man pleaded guilty Thursday to robbing two Davenport banks in April.

Shawn Eugene Lee, 38, was charged with two counts of bank robbery, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.

A complaint filed June 1 against Mr. Lee says he robbed the Northwest Bank and Trust at 1454 W. Locust St. and US Bank at 3624 Division St. on April 25 and 27, respectively.

In both instances Mr. Lee is said to have handed a bank teller a note demanding money and threatening violence. "Give me all the 100's and 50's," one of the notes said. "No Games, No Alarm Button, No dye packs and no one gets hurt."

The robber took approximately $1,250 from Northwest Bank and Trust and $1,100 from US Bank.

Davenport police say witnesses described Mr. Lee's appearance, clothing and vehicle. Police located Mr. Lee's vehicle the evening of April 27 and arrested Mr. Lee in connection with the robberies. Upon the arrest, police found the clothes the robber was said to have been wearing and $733 cash, according to court documents.

Bank robbery is punishable by up to 20 years. Mr. Lee's sentencing is set for March 9, 2017.
While civil rights became the most notable struggle of the postwar era in Illinois, others found plenty of different issues to protest. The Vietnam War and equal rights for women were among the most controversial.

American involvement in Vietnam began in 1959, but it was a few years before antiwar sentiment permeated the nation. Though many of the fiercest protests were staged on the coasts, as well as on politically charged campuses such as Cal-Berkeley, Michigan and Wisconsin, there were ample protesters in the Land of Lincoln. Some were tepid and involved quiet vigils while others were fiery, resulting in widespread property damage and confrontations with police and militia.

The University of Illinois became the epicenter of the antiwar movement, with organizations such as the Students for a Democratic Society, the Committee to End the War in Vietnam and the Champaign-Urbana Draft Resistance Union. In early 1970, students were outraged when news broke of the universitys relationship with the Department of Defense and plans to install the Illiac IV computer project at the school.

Student activists called for the project and the schools ROTC program to be canceled, to no avail. Riots erupted in pockets across Champaign-Urbana, and military recruiting stations were hit with firebombs. The project was finally transferred in February 1971.

The invasion of Cambodia, along with the deadly confrontation at Kent State in Ohio on May 4, 1970, sparked more protests, especially in Champaign-Urbana. There, riots resulted in numerous broken windows, damaged police cars and low classroom attendance.

At Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, police used tear gas to hold off student protests, and hundreds were arrested during weeklong violent outbursts. At Illinois State in Normal, students clashed with police and local residents as university officials banned the lowering of flags to half-staff to remember the victims of Kent State.

A few years later, another divisive issue consumed Illinoisans as Congress approved the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) for womens rights in March 1972. Seven years were given for three-fourths of the states, or 38 in all, to ratify the measure. Within three months, nineteen states had ratified the ERA, a number that jumped to 31 in 1973.

In 1972, there were only four female legislators in Illinois -- three in the House and one in the Senate. Not surprisingly, the ERA faced an uphill battle in the state legislature, as the Executive Committee in the House moved to block the bill from a reading before the entire body. Gov. Richard Ogilvie forced the legislatures hand, and the House finally considered the measure. The ERA fell 14 votes short in the House that May.

Eleven more women won seats in the legislature that fall, but it made little difference. Among the most vocal opponents of the ERA was Phyllis Schlafly, of Alton, a Republican activist and former congressional candidate who headed the STOP ERA movement that attracted 80,000 followers nationally.

The ERA went down to defeat in the legislature in both 1973 and 1976. By 1977, 34 states had ratified the ERA, and Congress granted a three-year extension. In 1978, another vote in the legislature fell six votes short. In 1980, a rally of 50,000 supporters was held on the lakefront in Chicago, while in Springfield, some militant supporters headed protests that attracted national attention.

One notable ERA opponent was George Ryan, a top House Republican who blocked a proposed change to allow a simple majority to ratify, rather than the usual three-fifths majority. Some militant protests wrote Ryans name in blood on the floor of the state capitol. The ERA never passed in Illinois or nationally.

Certainly, tens of thousands of Illinoisans never participated in any protests and continued to lead quiet lives. But the many who spoke out in protest created a fury at various times in the 1960s and '70s.

Tom Emery is a freelance writer and researcher who lives in Carlinville. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL  When you think of an Army ceremony, the first thing that may come to mind is the blast of the howitzers rendering honors.

The deafening boom.

The smoke.

The smell of gunpowder.

True to this Army tradition, a battery of howitzers fired Oct. 21 in honor of Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Johnson succeeding Command Sgt. Maj. Sam Young as the senior enlisted leader of First Army at a Change of Responsibility ceremony at Rock Island Arsenal.

Its not for me, Sgt. Maj. Young said. This ceremony is for the soldiers.

There was just one problem: finding anyone qualified to fire the Arsenals historic M2A2 105mm howitzers.

Sgt. Maj. Young turned to Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Guerard, the 181th Infantry Brigades only qualified cannon crewmember, based out of Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, to organize a salute battery of three howitzers for the ceremony.

Were not combat arms anymore, Sgt. Guerard said. Im the last [cannon crewmember] left at McCoy.

Sgt. Guerard would not only have to learn to fire M2A2 guns, but also teach a team of infantrymen with no prior artillery experience.

A Worcester, Mass., native with 20 years of service and four deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, Sgt. Guerard has trained with numerous different field artillery weapons throughout his Army career.

Ive fired a lot of different guns, he said. You just got to figure them out, every gun has its niche.

Sgt. 1st Class Robert Lambeth, a Houston native who volunteered to accompany the seven-man battery to the ceremony, credited Sgt. Guerard with the teams success.

We learned everything from him, Sgt. Lambeth said. We never touched [these guns] prior to this.

The salute battery carried out their portion of the Change of Responsibility smoothly. They fired 15 volleys total, in honor of Sgt. Maj. Young and his retirement in February 2017.

As First Armys senior enlisted leader, Ill tell you Im very proud of this ceremony, and Im very proud of the noncommissioned officers, Sgt. Maj. Young said. Because as you noticed earlier, this is all noncommissioned officers running this ceremony today. So as it goes off without a hitch, you know who to credit.
SILVIS -- With flags fluttering and eight crosses ramrod straight, Silvis honored veterans living and dead on Friday.

About 100 people attended the Veterans Day ceremony at the the city's Hero Street Memorial Park. Many were civilians. Here and there, as clothing decoration, was a unit patch, a pin marking rank or other signs of someone with previous service. A number of active duty military also were present in dress or everyday uniforms.

The park is dedicated to America's veterans -- in particular, eight Silvis men killed during war: Pfc. Joe Gomez; Pfc. Peter Masias; Sgt. Tony Pompa; brothers Pfc. Frank Sandoval and Pfc. Joseph Sandoval; Staff Sgt. Claro Soliz; Pfc. Johnny Munos; and Pvt. William Sandoval, not related to Frank or Joseph Sandoval.

On Friday, each man was represented by a white cross set into the ground.

"They went forth as young men to fight," said Maj. Gen. Edward Daly, commander of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command.

All eight died while serving, he said. Their stories mirror those of many other soldiers and their families across the nation.

Maj. Gen. Daly said American veterans as a whole have had an impact that can be observed around the world. He also thanked, for their sacrifice, the families that lost a loved one serving in the military.

"Your loved ones will never, never, never be forgotten," Maj. Gen. Daly said.

Brian Munos, a Navy veteran who grew up on Hero Street, said his fellow veterans are America's heroes.

"They are part of a brotherhood and sisterhood that has given countless years of service to preserve our way of life," he said.

As they spoke, American flags flew along the top of the hill behind them. A Silvis fire truck suspended another the size of a truck from its extended bucket. Other flags -- either solid red, white or blue with a badge or coat of arms -- represented the branches of the U.S. military.

Veterans who had served in Vietnam received particular attention at Friday's ceremony.

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Donald Hilbert, who also participated in the ceremony, is part of a national campaign to acknowledge the service men and women of this era. He said they did not always get the best of welcomes when they returned home.

"It's about time we thank and honor our Vietnam veterans," Maj. Gen. Hilbert said.

Ten Vietnam veterans were brought up at the end of the ceremony, and Maj. Gen. Hilbert gave each a lapel pin recognizing their service.

"It was a nice honor," said Fred Hernandez, who had been a soldier with the 25th Infantry Division.
MILAN -- The 77th annual Milan Santa Fund has raised $3,920.02 toward its $10,000 goal.

The fund, sponsored by the Milan Womans Club, provides clothing, shoes and toys for children. Food baskets for holiday dinners are provided for the families and eligible seniors in conjunction with the Milan Lions Club.

Applications for assistance will be accepted from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 at the Blackhawk Township Office, 230 West 4th St., Milan.

Last year, more than $11,000 was raised to help more than 35 families with 80 children and 12 senior citizens. To contribute, send donations to Milan Santa Fund, P.O. Box 962, Milan, IL 61264.

Contributions so far this year include:

Trinity United Methodist Women, $70

Milan American Legion Post 569, $100

Milan Improvement Project, $400

Milan Chamber of Commerce, $300

Blackhawk Township, $150

Tim Nonnenmann Builders Inc., $50

Airport Mini Storage, $200

Milan License Inc., $100

Merls Business Machines, $10

Thermo King Quad Cities Inc., $100

Kar Mart Inc., $250

Village Auto Outlet, $250

B&B Drain Tech QC Inc., $50

Optimist Club of Milan, $200

Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home Inc., $100

Pagalos Pizzeria and Gelato Cafe, $50

Pat Verschoore, $100

Union Federal Savings and Loan, $50

Hughes Auto Repair Inc., $50

Robert and Shirley Bonnett, $50

In memory of Harriet Young, by Raymond Young, $50

Glen and Marbro Osborn, $15

David and Karen Felton, $25

Anonymous, $50

Bonnett Florist, $100

Kenneth Collinson, attorney, $50

Milan Blacktop Inc., $200

Ronald Nalevanko-Ullrich Builders Inc., $100

Ed & Pam Sims, $500

Knights of Pythias, $100

Midwest Horseshoeing Supply in memory of Dick and Deloris Partlow, $50

FOE No. 956 Ladies Auxiliary, $50.02
ROCK ISLAND -- Many high school students could go a full four years without attending a single school board meeting. But Rock Island High School junior Jada Veasey has set a personal goal to graduate with three years of experience as a student school board member.

Not all students are aware the opportunity exists. The role is not available in every school district.

On Sept. 27, Ms. Veasey returned to her spot on the school board for a second year as student school board member. She and newcomers sophomore Donell Clark and junior Man Lun will serve throughout the 2016-2017 school year.

Ms. Veasey said she was thrilled her application to return to the school board was approved.

I always knew that I wanted to do it, she said. As soon as I got on, I knew I wanted to do it all three years. I really like the adults on the board and I really like being involved in policy making decisions.

One of those adults is her grandfather, Jim Veasey, a 12-year school board member. Ms. Veasey said that, while she doesnt get to vote, she often gets her grandfathers ear.

Sometimes hell ask my opinion on some things, not always on voting issues, she said. Sometimes I know they are going to vote -- if I could vote, heres how I would vote it. He doesnt just go off my opinion.

Mr. Veasey said seeing his granddaughter serve on the board is interesting because he knows her as a quiet individual. He said her views sometimes surprise him.

Shes a good spokesperson for the students, he said. When shes got something to say, shell give her views.

He also said he believes student board members play an important role.

As a board member, you want to hear the students views on whats happening, he said. Being a board member means you are away from things, but as a student they are about it every day. Its good to have their input.

Ms. Veasey said her grandfather was not the only reason she wanted to be a student member. She described herself as pretty political and an active young person interested in politics, but said her post-high school goals do not include becoming a regular school board member.

She said once considered studying political science and becoming a lawyer or seeking public office. But a hyperthyroidism issue in middle school piqued her interest in medicine and she now hopes to become a nurse.

I still think its fascinating and I still I like being an active participant, she said. I think as an adult Ill attend board meetings for various things. I dont think Ill do what the board members do; it looks like a lot of pressure.

She felt some of that pressure last year when, during a board discussion on administrator residency requirements, she stated students care more where the staff's hearts are than where their homes are.

After that meeting, pretty much everyone in the room came forward and thanked me, she said. Im speaking about a kids perspective; I dont try to look at it the way they would look at it. They have to consider different, more adult, perspectives.

Ms. Veasey said she doesn't feels comfortable chiming in on budgeting. "Im in it more for the school-type dealio," she said. "This is, like, local politics for teenagers -- the most local itll get.

Davenport and Bettendorf schools also have non-voting student school board members. Davenport has eight -- two from each of the four high schools -- while Bettendord just has one.

Nationally, a 2014 report found 25 states allow students to serve on school boards while 14 states have laws that prohibit students from serving on school boards.

SoundOut -- a group that works with K-12 schools to champion student voice, engagement and involvement. -- states students who serve on school boards have higher academic achievement, and the schools have an improved culture.

SoundOut states Illinois students may join and vote on district school boards and may join the state school board as non-voting members. Iowa does not have laws for students joining or voting on district school boards, but students can join the state school board as non-voting members.
DAVENPORT -- Sixteen area schools collected 378,461 pounds of food during the 2016 Student Hunger Drive, according to figures released Thursday night.

That compares to 657,305 pounds collected last year and the record tally of 1.1 million pounds in 2002. This year's collection was the least since 360,275 pounds were collected in 1996.

"We really emphasized the quality of the food with the students this year," said Mike Miller, executive director of the River Bend Foodbank.

"Instead of emphasizing food that weighed the most pounds, they focused on collecting food they would like to eat," he said. "We received more nutritious food this year than we ever have.

Liz Treiber, Executive Director of the Student Hunger Drive, said she was proud of the students.

"Their energy and creativity hosting all kinds of wonderful events, all for the cause of helping people in need really touches my heart, she said.

According to Student Hunger Drive Advisory Board President Beth Hancock, this year's students "exceeded far beyond our expectations.

"Each school united their school communities, by including every class, every student and even their intermediate and elementary schools, parents and neighbors, she said.

Winners of the 2016 Student Hunger Drive school awards included:

Most Pounds Collected: Bettendorf High School, 62,392 pounds

Division A: (more than 1,251 students):

1st -- Bettendorf High School, 40 pounds per student collecting

2nd, -- United Township High School, 26 pounds

Most Improved -- Davenport West High School, up 70 percent

Division B: (300-1,250 students)

1st -- Alleman High School, 140 pounds per student

2nd  Assumption High School, 48 pounds per student

Division C: (25-299 students)

1st  Rivermont Collegiate High School, 284 pounds per student

2nd  Morning Star Academy, 103 pounds per student

Mission Challenge Winner: Orion High School

Participation Awards of $600 were awarded to Alleman High School, Assumption High School, Bettendorf High School, Central High School, Moline High School, Morning Star Academy, North High School, North Scott High School, Orion High School, Pleasant Valley High School, Quad Cities Christian School, Rivermont Collegiate, Rock Island High School, Thurgood Marshall, West High School and United Township High School.
MOLINE -- The knitted prostheses created by Tova Cravens have traveled as far as Denmark.

Mrs. Cravens, of Orion, began knitting prostheses for local mastectomy patients in 2011. Since then, she has helped similar efforts start in Denmark and Florida.

She said an October 2011 story in The Dispatch/Argus about knitted prostheses by Judy Brumbaugh, of East Moline, prompted her to contact the woman and join her cause. After meeting just a couple of times, the two women agreed they could not knit fast enough to meet the demand for the light alternatives to the commercially available prostheses.

"We call ourselves the 'Bosom Buddies of the QC, and we made some posters asking other women to join us and placed the posters around the Quad-City area, Mrs. Cravens said. On Nov. 11, 2011, they were joined by a woman they met in the cafeteria at the former Trinity hospital (now Unity Point Health -- Moline Campus) on 7th Street Moline.

During the past five years, the group has grown to 20-some knitters who have created more than 3,000 prostheses.

In 2013, Mrs. Cravens visited her native country of Denmark and was interviewed for a magazine article about the prostheses. The article was published Nov. 6, 2013; in December, she was asked to help start similar groups there.

"Since then, more than 500 prostheses have been donated by many volunteer knitters there, she said. "And last April, via an article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune in Florida, more than 328 women learned of the project, which worldwide is known as Knitted Knockers.

In addition to requests for prostheses, Mrs. Cravens said the group also has received inquiries from knitters wanting to help.

"We now have 60 knitters listed from several cities along the Florida Suncoast, she said.

"Unfortunately, for various reasons, many of the original knitters have left our group or are not very active anymore in the Quad-Cities, she said. We are still a small, dedicated group which meets from 1:15 to 3:15 p.m. every Wednesday in the cafeteria at 7th Street, Moline, to knit and fit any recipients who show up.

In a 2011 interview, Mrs. Brumbaugh was emphatic the focus be on encouraging knitters to help knit the "knockers." She began the work earlier in 2011 when her sister-in-law in Normal received a gift of knitted knockers from a friend.

Mrs. Brumbaugh said she had been knitting chemocaps for people who lost hair because of chemotherapy treatments. After the call from her sister-in-law, Mrs. Brumbaugh said she put aside her cap work and focused on the knitted knockers.

She said it is a little more difficult to make the knitted prostheses because a knitter doesn't know the exact sizes.

"The knitted ones are softer and more comfortable than many prostheses made for mastectomy patients, she said.

What we hope people will do is begin doing what we are doing -- knitting, she said. I want the word out that the knitted knockers are available at no cost to people who have had mastectomies.

Mrs. Brumbaugh said the knitted knockers are available at some area medical offices and hospital mammogram departments. Mrs. Cravens said there is a need for knitters to help make the prostheses and "provide a better, more comfortable daily life at absolutely no cost" to their recipients.

The knitters provide their own materials, time and expertise. Their reward, Mrs. Cravens said, is in knowing they are doing something for someone who can never repay them.

"The best reward is when we get to see the joy and happiness on the face of a recipient, she said.
Today

--Two Rivers United Methodist Church, 1820 5th Ave., Rock Island: noon, free meal, every Saturday.

--First Presbyterian Church, 1702 Iowa St., Davenport: 7:30 p.m.; Performing Arts Series performer Kavita Shah, jazz fusion vocalist; in partnership with Quad City Arts; kavitashahmusic.com; $15 for adults; $10 for students; series tickets, $50 for adults and $30 for students; tickets available at the door or in advance at the church office or by calling 563-326-1691; fpcdavenport.org/PAS.htm.

--Celebration with Spirit: 3:30-6:30 p.m., Unity Church of the Quad Cities, 5102 47th Ave., Moline; presented by Barbara Douglass; spirit world messages; connect with loved ones, and "Universal Source;" not affiliated with Unity Church; $5; 1-330-714-0535

Sunday, Nov. 13

--Broadway Presbyterian, 710 23rd St., Rock Island: 10:30 a.m., joyful celebration; service; followed by a fellowship coffee and issues class.

--Hillsdale United Methodist Church, 124 Butzer St.: 7 p.m. community praise/hymn sing; followed by refreshments; 309-658-2145.

Tuesday, Nov. 15

--Kings Harvest Homeless Shelter, 824 W. 3rd St., Davenport: 7 p.m., winter shelter volunteer training class; shelter runs from Dec.1 through April 15; meal site reopens today, after an Oct. 6 F1 tornado; 9-10 a.m., today, free breakfast; winter shelter reopens Dec. 1; all other ministries will remain closed until further notice, 563-570-4536.

Thursday, Nov. 17

--"Women at the Well:" 5:45 p.m. doors open; 6:30 p.m., simple meal served; followed by a "Centering Prayer, A Closer Relationship With God, presented by Carol Mizeur and Dick Jensen; Believers Together Building, 3209 60th St., Moline; raffle prizes; door prizes; menu of turkey stuffing sandwiches with cranberry relish, dill pickle, pumpkin bar desserts; $5; get tickets at parish office, 3209 60th St. Moline; 309-762-4634.

Saturday, Nov. 19

--Orion United Methodist Church: trivia night; 5 p.m., doors open; 6 p.m., trivia begins; at newly renovated Methodist Activity Center, 1104 5th St., immediately north of the church; $80 eight-member tables; multimedia event including video, audio selection and picture category; mulligans and "double-down" stickers sold; participants may bring food; walking tacos, hot dogs and beverages available for donations; 309-526-8511 or orionumc@frontiernet.net; proceeds to benefit youth mission trips to Toronto, Canada, and Louisville, Ky.

Sunday, Nov. 20

--St. John's United Methodist Church, 109 E. 14 St.: "3rd Sunday at 3" concert series; featuring Davenport Chordbusters Chorus; 2 p.m., doors open; free; Bruce Wallace, 563-324-5278.

--Monthly Quad Cities inter-parish pro-life Mass: 9 a.m.; Sacred Heart Cathedral, 422 East 10th St., Davenport.

Thursday, Nov. 24

--Broadway Church, 710 23rd St., Rock Island: noon-1 p.m.; free traditional Thanksgiving Dinner; guests may bring dishes to pass, but don't need to; 309-786-2631.

Sunday, Nov. 27

--RiverBend Bronze Handbell Choir Holiday Concert: 4 p.m.; St. Johns United Methodist Church, 109 E. 14th St., Davenport; free.

Miscellaneous

The following churches will offer grief share during the holidays programs:

--Harvest Bible Chapel, 3800 East 53rd St. Davenport: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 13

--First Evangelical Free Church, 3321 7th St., Moline: 5-7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 14

--Elim Covenant Church, 5201 18th Ave., Moline: 3-5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 20

--Heritage Church Bettendorf, 2700 Middle Road, Bettendorf: 5-7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 20

--Saint John Vianney Catholic Church, 4097 18th St., Bettendorf: 2-4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 4

--River Bend Foodbank recently received $8,000 from the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation to address food insecurity in eastern Iowa/western Illinois. The donation is part of a program called "Fill Your Tank," which celebrates Enterprise Rent-A-Cars 60th anniversary by providing $60 million during six years to fight hunger around the globe.
Several of my relatives and I sat around a bonfire last week and reminisced happily about our lives when we were growing up. Nevertheless, we recognized much is better today because of technological advances.

Prayer was said every morning in the public schools. We were proud to say the pledge to the American flag and we loved to sing the national anthem even with its impossible reach of one excruciating high note.

In our imaginations we could see Francis Scott Key as he penned the lyrics for the Star Spangled Banner while watching the battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. He was on the British ship, HMS Tonnant, as a guest of British officers. He was there to negotiate the release of prisoners who had been arrested for jailing British troops who were looting local farms.

Since Key was now familiar with the British ship he was not allowed to leave during the Battle of Baltimore on the night of Sept. 13-14, 1814.

At dawn, Key was able to see the American flag still waving at the fort. Thus he wrote, Oh say can you see at the dawns early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming," the first lines of the Star Spangled Banner. (Many people proud to be Americans on 9/11 bought many flags. That day Wal-Mart alone sold 88,000 American flags.)

School Christmas programs allowed songs relating to God and Jesus. But that changed. As a school music teacher in the 1990s, I was strictly forbidden to use any song relating to God in one of the schools where I taught. So we sang about Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. The irony was that I must include songs of Hanukkah, a Jewish religious holiday. Eventually I saw the unfairness of this and thereafter ended every program with Silent Night.

My relatives remembered how well our school teachers were respected. Students did not talk during class without permission. Nor did they disrupt the class.

I have long thought the politicians of today are way off in their thinking about our failing education system. We dont need better schools and better teachers. We need students who dont think its cool to disrupt class and parents who will back the teacher in discipline situations. In my day if we got sent to the principal, which we didnt, we could expect our parents to be extremely upset with us later. All schools today should have cameras in the classroom. That would end a lot of the problems.

My brother reminded us that our teachers were poorly paid. He said many were old maids," widows, or very young. Few seemed to be homeowners.

We all remembered that everyone had a lot of respect for the police and the judicial system. If you got stopped by the police, parents usually assumed there was a good reason, same as if you got trouble in school.

For recreation kids played outside; rode bikes; played dodge ball until it was outlawed as being dangerous; and often watched "Gunsmoke and other television shows with their whole family. The family ate most meals together at the dining room table especially on Sunday.

Other memories of the past included dogs allowed to run free; doctors made home visits; single lane highways creating traffic jams; dirt roads; flat tires; cars using much more engine oil; drive-in movies; and local movie theaters in every small town.

My brother remembered our movie theater in our hometown of Cambridge. He said the owner had once owned a theater in Chicago, thus he was able to get first-run movies. You could pay a dime and watch cartoons all afternoon. The theater was always packed so we ended up sitting uncomfortably in the front row looking up at the screen.

My sister-in- law said she is tired of being defensive about wishing someone a Merry Christmas.
Almost 50 Illinois counties have filed lawsuits against Democratic Governor, JB Pritzker, and the ill crafted SAFE-T Act. Introduced in the General Assembly by the Illinois Black Caucus, the Act passed the Democratic-led General Assembly in the wee hours of Jan. 13, 2021. Amongst many of its weaknesses and deficiencies, the Act eliminates cash bail, emboldens criminals, and makes it even more difficult for law enforcement to keep offenders off our streets. Public Safety personnel and States Attorneys across our great State have decried the legislation, noting that it was drafted and written with very little constructive input from Public Safety leadership, from either party; potentially impacting every Illinois community with dangerous consequences. Allowing perpetrators to bail out of jail, based on their good word that they will be glad to return to court is laughable, at best, and both ludicrous and dangerous, at worst. Soon after the SAFE-T Act was passed at the State level, the Republican-led Henry County Board drafted a resolution, requesting that the General Assembly repeal and replace the SAFE-T Act with a new criminal justice bill, this time with input from professional law enforcement, States Attorneys from across the State, and other Public Safety officials. We unanimously passed our resolution on May 19, 2022, and encourage all County Boards in Illinois to follow our lead. Our Republican-led Board in Henry County believes we all, Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, deserve effective and fair law enforcement in our communities.
Even though it has been investigating the technology it regards as a new frontier for two years, Sky has revealed that virtual reality still has quality issues hindering mass adoption.

Speaking at the 4K-UHD Summit 2016 in Seville , Massimo Bertolotti, head of engineering and innovation Sky Italia, said that the companys fundamental intention regarding VR was to create new content and product experiences for customers. He added that as regards content at least, all the trends pointed to the fact that VR was an interesting platform from which Sky could create a new experience in a country where it had not yet rolled out 4K services ( unlike the case with its subsidiaries in the UK and Germany ).Bertolotti said that the task ahead for Sky Italia was to go and generate content to create such new experiences from sport to films and from TV series to documentaries. The experience established for each of these categories would be different, plus, and most crucially, he said that the company was busily rolling out 360-degree video in news.The executive stressed that he was not taking about TV  360-degree is not ready for that yet, he said  but nevertheless he regarded 360-degree video for news as a revolution where Sky had the opportunity not just to show some highlights but instead have the possibility for real context and real live views.VR can offer a new relationship between the customer and the digital platform. In some cases journalists have difficulties in presenting in 30 seconds a full story. They can do so now and let the users really understand the context, he revealed.Yet despite this process, Bertolotti cautioned that Sky Italia was not yet fully ready for VR. In the two years that the company has been using VR, it was confident that it found a good post-production ecosystem and workflow and had a good idea as to what content will be interesting or not. But one big issue was quality.A portion of [the picture that is delivered to a user] is less than 4K for users. Also users typically watch VR from a mobile phone and they often cant get a 4K stream all of the time. Our technology people are working on a solution for this but it affects workflow, every part of which has to change.Concluding, Bertolotti said that Skys roadmap was to create an ecosystem of the future despite VR not enjoying the same levels of investment enjoyed by 4K service and that maybe it would be two or three years before the full story emerged.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have gathered in the South Korean capital, Seoul, to demand the resignation of President Park Geun-hye, BBC reports.

Large numbers of police officers are being deployed to prevent demonstrators reaching the presidential palace.

Ms Park is accused of allowing her friend, Choi Soon-sil, to access government documents without clearance.

The president, whose approval ratings have plummeted over the scandal, has said she is "heartbroken".

Organisers said one million had turned out to protest on Saturday, while police put the number at 260,000.

It is the latest in a series of mass rallies against her over the issue.

Ms Choi is accused of trying to extort huge sums of money from South Korean companies and is under arrest on charges of fraud and abuse of power.

She was detained last week on suspicion of using her friendship with Ms Park to solicit business donations for a non-profit fund she controlled.

The protesters are more raucous than than they were last week - still peaceful but there's more chanting than there was then.

The focus of the protest is President Park Geun-hye, whose presidential compound (known as the Blue House because of its blue roof) is a short distance from the march and the main stage of the rally. If she is at home there, the noise will be inescapable.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 officers are on stand-by around the perimeter of the Blue House. Many are in riot gear. Huge barricades have been erected, with water cannon in position.

At the moment, President Park does not face any criminal charges, but people close to her are being investigated for corruption. Her close friend of 40 years' standing has been charged with setting up two foundations and soliciting millions of dollars from big companies, including Samsung, on the strength of her closeness to the president.
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From closing time of the polls to hours after Donald Trump was announced as President-Elect, the University of Georgia community and Athenians had much to say about election day from beginning to end.
The second section of TEDxUGA started with a performance by the Athens Tango Project, a group of international performers from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, whose mission is to bring authentic tango music to the United States.

The group of four comes from Poland, Nicaragua, Argentina and the U.S.
ADVANCE FOR MONDAY, NOV. 7, 2016 - In this Saturday, May 7, 2016 photo, Saudi women's rights activist Souad al-Shammary puts on a head scarf in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, May 7, 2016. Once a devout girl who tended sheep, al-Shammary is a twice-divorced mother of six and Islamic law graduate who is taking on Saudi Arabias powerful religious establishment. She is a liberal feminist who roots her arguments in Islam, and has been jailed for her views. (AP Photo)

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By AYA BATRAWY, Associated Press

JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP)  When Souad al-Shammary posted a series of tweets about the thick beards worn by Saudi clerics, she never imagined she would land in jail.

She put up images of several men with beards: An Orthodox Jew, a hipster, a communist, an Ottoman Caliph, a Sikh, and a Muslim. She wrote that having a beard was not what made a man holy or a Muslim. And she pointed out that one of Islam's staunchest critics during the time of Prophet Muhammad had an even longer beard than him.

The frank comments are typical of this twice-divorced mother of six and graduate of Islamic law, who is in many ways a walking challenge to taboos in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia. Raised a devout girl in a large tribe where she tended sheep, al-Shammary is now a 42-year-old liberal feminist who roots her arguments in Islam, taking on Saudi Arabia's powerful religious establishment.

She has paid a price for her opinions. She spent three months in prison without charge for "agitating public opinion." She has been barred by the government from traveling abroad. Her co-founder of the online forum Free Saudi Liberals Network, blogger Raif Badawi, is serving a 10-year prison sentence and was publicly lashed 50 times. Her father disowned her in public.

None of it was enough to keep her quiet.

"I have rights that I don't view as against my religion," says al-Shammary. "I want to ask for these rights, and I want those who make decisions to hear me and act."

___

Across the Arab world, female Islamic scholars and activists have long been pushing for interpretations of Shariah law that allow women more freedom. They hold that Islam considers men and women as equals before God, but centuries of selective interpretation have twisted its spirit.

"Discrimination came from a reading of the religion, not the religion itself," says Olfa Youssef, a professor of Islamic studies in Tunisia and member of the Musawah global movement of Muslim feminists.

Al-Shammary is one of the most vocal and high-profile religious and women's rights activists within Saudi Arabia. Advocates here are demanding an end to so-called male guardianship rules that essentially treat women as minors, and recently sent a petition to King Salman that garnered about 14,700 signatures.

"She's very sure of what she's saying  she doesn't hesitate," says Sahar Nassief, a friend and fellow Saudi activist. "She literally comes from a Bedouin environment, a desert environment. She's very proud of her background, but this makes her a bit blunt with everyone and very blunt in what she says."

The boldness is evident in how she looks and carries herself.

At a little past 10 p.m., al-Shammary arrives at a relaxed rooftop restaurant in the coastal city of Jiddah in a multi-colored abaya, the loose robe all women in Saudi Arabia must wear in public. But unlike the black abayas of most, hers is a rainbow of gold, beige and bronze stripes. Her auburn-dyed hair, infused with subtle but trendy streaks of blue, purposefully and willfully peaks out from under a loosely wrapped tan headscarf. Her pink lip gloss is shiny, her nails painted dark red.

She counters what she calls the views of some women that all of life is just for "worship, worship, worship."

"You can wear lipstick and take care of your looks," she says. "I would say to them: This isn't forbidden."

Al-Shammary grew up the daughter of a peasant farmer in Ha'il, a landlocked province north of the capital, Riyadh. As the eldest of 12 children, she was in charge of the sheep.

She was not just religious but a practicing Salafi, a Muslim who adheres to a literalist interpretation of Shariah. She even had leanings toward Sayyid Qutb, whose books are banned across much of the Arab world because extremists use them to justify killing Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

She was deeply affected by the wars in Afghanistan and Bosnia, where Muslim men and boys were massacred. It was also at this time that the Sahwa Movement, or Islamic Awakening, was reaching its peak in Saudi Arabia. Conservatives demanded a bigger role for the clergy in government, and students no longer sang folk songs or performed traditional dance in schools. Women began wearing the full face veil even in communities where it wasn't the custom. Segregation of the sexes became more entrenched.

Al-Shammary had little exposure to the outside world in Ha'il. There were no malls, no satellite television receivers and no movie theaters in sight. Her hobby was listening to the news bulletin on the radio, writing it out and reading it back to her father. She also listened to conservative sermons on tapes shared among neighbors and friends.

"Around the world, stars are artists, actors, comedians, musicians. Our stars were religious men," she says.

She graduated from the University of Ha'il with a degree in Islamic studies and became a public school teacher. She spanked girls if she heard them singing, and worked closely with other women to raise money for Sunni jihadis in Afghanistan fighting Communist Soviet forces.

At 17, she married a man twice her age from the same tribe, who offered her financial stability. She had a girl, Yara, and was divorced at 20.

She re-married, to the chief judge in Ha'il who'd overseen her divorce proceedings, a man of prominence and religious stature as head of the Shariah courts there. He had other wives and children, even grandchildren. Most importantly, though, he had no objections to her daughter staying with her.

"He was older than my father," she says. "It wasn't love but a feeling of security."

In the end, it did not protect her.

___

Al-Shammary's journey to activism began on the day her daughter was taken from her.

Almost as soon as Yara turned seven, her ex-husband gained custody. Since al-Shammary had remarried, the court ruled that the girl should live with her father rather than in a house with another man.

"When they took her and said, 'this is Allah's will' and 'this is Islam', this is when my internal rebellion was sparked," says al-Shammary. "There is no way that there is a God in this universe that would accept this injustice and this pain on the basis that I am a woman."

Her ex-husband rejected tribal mediation as an alternative. Her husband, the judge, refused to interfere and wouldn't allow her to appeal, citing Shariah law. Her parents backed the court's decision and told her to be patient; it was the path to heaven.

During long walks in Ha'il's hills and farms, al-Shammary stood under the open sky, refusing to believe that God could want a mother separated from her child.

For eight years, she fought her parents, her community and anyone who stood between her and Yara, whom she wasn't able to see. She talked about the case in television interviews. She tried several times to whisk her daughter away after school, but was always stopped by authorities. Her ex-husband moved Yara to a farm outside the city to live in isolation with her grandmother.

"I became crazy, but in front of my parents and my husband the judge, and the tribal community around him, and because of my position in the community and my name, I was expected to just sit like this and be a hero," she says, making an expressionless face and clasping her hands.

She had five children from her second marriage, but it wasn't long before she was divorced for a second time. And nothing made up for the loss of Yara.

"I prayed for a miracle to come down from the sky," she says. "I'd open the Quran. From the first verse on the first page to the last verse on the last page, there isn't a single thing that says, keep a daughter from her mother."

When Yara's father fell ill and the grandmother passed away, he finally allowed her, then 16, to live with her mother again. Al-Shammary relocated to the more liberal city of Jiddah with all her children finally under one roof.

She used her knowledge of Shariah by trying her hand at being a legal adviser for women in need, whom she had power of attorney to represent in court. She grew impatient with the judicial system, certain that it came down to personal connections or the whims of male judges.

Sometimes her advice was more Machiavellian than pious. Once she told a friend of hers to wear some make-up, find out which judge was slated to oversee her case, and then cry in front of him and plead for her court date to be moved up. It worked.

She shared her thoughts online on how Islam sees people, including women, as born free and equal. She began reading about liberalism. Although many in Saudi Arabia equate liberalism with heresy, al-Shammary began describing herself as a liberal, saying it was "a translation of the spirit of Islam."

So began a war of words  and of images.

After she posted the pictures of men with beards, she was called a hypocrite, a disbeliever, wicked and evil. Sheikh Abdullah al-Manee, a member of Saudi Arabia's highest religious council, described her as "malicious" and called for her speedy trial. He told the state-linked Sabq newspaper that "Souad al-Shammary is a criminal and she will be held accountable for her transgressions against the prophet."

Her outspokenness and her appearances on television talk shows without a face veil were not easy on her family in Ha'il. Her younger brother, Fayez, recalls being told by a community elder: "You aren't a man. How can you allow your sister to behave like this?"

Fayez says he left Ha'il for about seven years because the comments became unbearable. His marriage proposal to a girl from another tribe was rejected because of his sister's reputation. He also came to blows with one of his younger brothers who cursed her flagrant disregard for social norms, with the two ending up in the hospital.

He describes the moment she posted pictures online with her hair showing.

"She opened a door that I couldn't defend," he said.

Even Yara opposed her at first.

"I was somehow against the idea. Like, mom, you are an activist? You are a human rights activist? You are women's activist? What does that even mean?" Yara asked. "I was so, so scared."

Kids at school would taunt her sons. In turn, they sometimes lashed out against their mother, says Fayez. Yara said they support their mother but also question how far she has taken her activism.

Despite prominent figures calling for al-Shammary's arrest and trial, she didn't think it could happen. She was sure she had not committed a crime.

"I hadn't crossed the line of Shariah," she says. "I am a graduate of Shariah."

The authorities thought otherwise.

___

After several rounds of interrogation, she was detained at the women's section of Jiddah's Briman prison on October 28, 2014. She was accused of agitating public opinion. She was never tried or convicted.

In prison, al-Shammary continued her advocacy behind bars, telling women that music is permissible and explaining their legal rights. She says female Muslim missionaries began appearing in prison more often, telling women their time there was the will of God. The television was always turned onto the religious Majd channel.

Al-Shammary wondered what would come first: Her reading the Quran front to back, or her release from prison.

She was released from detention on January 29, 2015  before she could finish reading the Quran. She had to sign a pledge to reduce her activism. And a male relative, Fayez, had to sign for her release.

She continues to tweet to her more than 207,000 followers, though she says she weighs her words more carefully than before. She acknowledges being brash and unwavering by nature, first as a conservative Salafi and then as a liberal. Her brazenness, she says, is a part of her character.

It has also helped her succeed in her goals. Fayez notes that the right of women to have their own identity cards, for example, would not have happened without people like his sister speaking out, at a cost.

Yara supports her mother's activism, although she still wishes al-Shammary would not give others ammunition against her by arguing about the hijab or with influential religious figures.

"She is so encouraging to me," Yara says. "She survived stuff that you can't survive."
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Q: Redding resident has three pecan trees, approximately 14 years old. Only one of the three trees produces nuts, but even that one isn't very productive. The trees were grazed by deer when they were younger. What is wrong with the trees and how can she get them to produce?

A: Pecan trees grow best in areas with summer heat and a long growing season for good nut development. Pecan trees are grown in areas of the Sacramento Valley where soil and water conditions are appropriate.

There are several possibilities for the lack of nut production from your pecan trees, as outlined below.

 Pecan trees are monoecious. This means that they produce separate male and female flowers on the same plant. Male flowers are located on 4-5 inch long catkins, while female flowers are small, yellowish-green, and grow on spikes at the tips of shoots.

Fruit (nuts) don't form until the pollen from the male flower is transferred to the female flower. Without pollination, you may have a lot of flowers but not much fruit.

Oftentimes, a single tree won't produce very many nuts, since the female and male flowers don't bloom at the same time. Pecans that shed pollen (from the male catkin) before the female flower is mature are "Type I" pollinators.

When the female flower matures before the pollen from the male flower is mature the trees are described as "Type II" pollinators. Typically, you want to plant both Type 1 and Type II pollinator trees for adequate cross pollination.

Therefore, you many need to add another healthy tree to assist in pollination and hence nut production. (See the UC Davis link below for a list of pecan varieties, with early and late pollen shed.)

Pecans are wind pollinated, so trees should be planted in relatively close proximity to ensure adequate pollination. Pecan trees will often vary between a heavy one year and a light crop the next year.

 You may have a poor producing variety of pecan tree. Do you know if they are all the same variety of tree? Consider adding another tree that is a good producer. See the UC Davis link below for a list of pecan varieties.

 Water is probably the most important environmental factor in the growing of pecans. Lack of water will reduce the production of nuts, the size of nuts, as well as leaf and shoot growth.

Adequate soil moisture is important from bloom through late summer and fall. For mature pecan trees, the Arizona Cooperative Extension recommends that you "soak the soil four feet deep in an area that is at least three feet wider than the drip line".

 Pecan trees grow best in well-drained, sandy loam soil, so if you have heavy soils it maybe limiting growth and production of the trees.

 Pecan trees that are grown from seedlings typically don't produce nuts for 10 years. However, pecan trees grown from grafted rootstock will typically produce in about 4-8 years. Your trees are old enough to produce nuts, but they may be stunted from poor growing conditions, deer grazing, etc.

 Proper fertilization of the trees is important, especially for nitrogen and zinc.

Here are some references on Pecan trees: http://bit.ly/2fCsGv0 and http://bit.ly/2ejNhYY (UC Davis site).
Courtesy of Dave Jacobs Professional Guide Service

Pictured this week is guide Dave Jacobs with a 34.5 pound Smith River king salmon that grabbed a sardine-wrapped K-16 Kwikfish recently.

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Sacramento River salmon

With drier weather returning to the Sacramento River Valley, much better salmon fishing conditions are occurring now. The Sacramento River has dropped and cleared, bringing up nice schools of late fall king salmon. These are the biggest and brightest king salmon of the year on the Sacramento River with November and December being the two top producing months. This is the time of year that quality salmon not quantity is more the norm. Best bets are back-bouncing sardine-wrapped large Brad's Killer Fish plugs in the KF-16 sizes. Anglers are also enjoying some good striped bass fishing throughout the entire Sacramento River system for large resident striped bass 12 to 30 pounds.

Smith River salmon

Some very good king salmon are being caught on the Smith River as the recent rains have continued to keep the Smith at fishable levels. The king salmon have been very large and fresh as new kings move upriver with every passing high tide. The salmon fishing has become tougher as the Smith is low and clear at the time of this report, but higher river flows are coming next week with another good shot of rain forecast for the area. Better salmon fishing has been happening just to the north this week on the Chetco River near Brookings, Oregon. The better river flows and color have also made for very favorable fishing conditions there as well. There are reports of darker kings along with a few fresher salmon mixed in the daily catches.

Trinity River steelhead

Steelhead fishing has started out very slow with few adult steelhead being caught from Lewiston downriver to Del Loma. Reports from both the drift boaters and bank anglers say the fishing has been dead slow due to lack of steelhead in the Trinity River at this time. Steelhead fishing could improve, but reports from the lower Trinity River have not been good lately. Anglers can expect large crowds on the Trinity River this holiday weekend.

This weeks salmon and steelhead fishing reports for the Sacramento, Trinity, Smith and Chetco rivers are courtesy of Dave Jacobs Professional Guide Service. For more local river fishing information in Northern California and Southern Oregon, call guide Dave Jacobs at 530-646-9110 or visit the areas most current river fishing website at www.sacramentofishing.com.
In this Friday, Nov. 4, 2016 photo, paraplegic hunter Gary Dupuis, Ashburnham, Mass., waits in his all-terrain wheelchair, equipped with a shooting rack for his shotgun, while deer hunting in Devens, Mass. The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife officials and volunteers have run a program that gets paraplegic hunters into the woods to hunt for deer during a special season. This year's hunt was held over this past weekend at five sites throughout the state, giving people who use wheelchairs a recreational opportunity they wouldn't otherwise get. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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By MARK PRATT, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP)  For more than 40 years, paraplegic hunters have gathered in the predawn darkness around Massachusetts for an opportunity that would otherwise be difficult, if not impossible.

The specialized deer hunt brings together sportsmen and women, volunteers and workers from the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife for three days every fall.

John Pelletier broke his back when he fell out of a tree stand while hunting in 2004, and the program has allowed him to continue what he calls his passion. He now takes his .50-caliber muzzle-loader to the Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod to hunt every year.

"Some guys get a mistress when they hit 40; I started hunting," said a laughing Pelletier, 57, of Westport, who uses a specialized wheelchair with what he describes as mountain bike tires that give him better maneuverability in the wild. "These hunts really afford me the opportunity to get back in the woods like I did before."

Most states make accommodations for disabled hunters, said Bill Fertig, director of the resource center at the United Spinal Association, a New York-based organization that advocates for improving the quality of life of people living with spinal cord injuries.

But Massachusetts is among fewer than a dozen states that set aside special seasons and specific hunting areas for the disabled. Many offer waived or reduced fees for disabled hunters, allow them to hunt from their vehicles or allow the use of specialized equipment which hunters who have full use of their legs are not allowed to use.

"Being able to do what you used to do, or what everybody else can do, especially if it's your passion, is part of what makes you who you are," Fertig said.

Trina Morruzi, a wildlife biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife who has been coordinating the program for 16 years, said it started in 1972 when a group of paraplegic sportsmen went to state legislators and got a statute passed establishing the three-day hunt, held Thursday, Friday and Saturday this year.

The number of sites where the hunt is offered has grown over the years, giving more people the opportunity to participate.

This year it was held in five spots  in Williamstown and Mount Washington in the Berkshire Mountains; in a wildlife area near the Quabbin Reservoir, the state's largest body of water; at the former Fort Devens army base; and on Cape Cod, a site added in 2011.

About 25 to 30 disabled hunters participate every year, along with dozens of volunteers and state workers. The state allows anyone who doesn't have use of their legs to participate, Moruzzi said. In the past, at least two quadriplegic hunters have participated with highly specialized equipment, although there were none this year, she said.

Volunteers scout out the woods in the days before the hunt, looking for the best places to set up blinds, said Dave Esielionis, 71, of Shirley, a volunteer at the Devens location. They place plywood in the woods so wheelchairs don't get stuck in mud.

They meet before dawn on hunt days, helping hunters out of their vehicles and escorting them to the sites. They check on them during the day, and if they get a deer, they help them haul their game out of the woods.

The harvest rate for the paraplegic hunt is about the same as the as the harvest rate for all hunters, Moruzzi said.
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By Dottie Smith of the Redding Record Searchlight

Travelin' in Time is a weekly look at historical places in the north state.

The location

Baird U.S. Fish Hatchery, which was located along McCloud River, a short distance north of its confluence with Pit River.

The history

The Baird U.S. Fish Hatchery was the first salmon-breeding station in the United States. It was established in 1872 by Livingston Stone, who had been instructed to travel to California from the East with several assistants to find the best salmon-spawning grounds. He was also instructed to establish a salmon hatchery and collect and incubate the eggs for later shipment to the East.

The establishment of the hatchery was an attempt by the United States government to help the declining Atlantic coast salmon industry. Stone found the perfect place on the McCloud River near the confluence with Pit River. It was a well-known site where American Indians speared giant fish.

Stone established and managed the first hatchery station on the west bank of McCloud River directly across the river from Shasta Caverns. The hatchery was named for Professor Spencer E. Baird, the first federal fish commissioner who was also the assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. In 1873, 2 million salmon eggs were shipped east on railroad express cars packed between layers of moss gathered from springs at Mt. Shasta.

In 1874, permanent buildings and a rack in the river were constructed. In 1876, a permanent hatchery was constructed on the east bank of McCloud River directly below Shasta Caverns.

The hatchery was washed away by floods in 1881, rebuilt in 1882 and destroyed by floods again in 1937. Because Shasta Dam was under construction in 1937, hatchery operations had to be moved because its location eventually would be covered by water. Operations were transferred to the Battle Creek National Fish Cultural Station and the Mill Creek Hatchery (Tehama County) until 1943 when the Coleman National Fish Hatchery was completed and took over operations. Today, the site of the hatchery lies beneath Lake Shasta.

The Baird Hatchery was the first in the National Fish Hatchery System, now the largest hatchery complex in the world.

The present

In 1997, the Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery was built along the Sacramento River near the base of Shasta Dam. Stone is now known as the "Father of Fish Culture on the Pacific Coast."

Dottie Smith is the author of "The Dictionary of Early Shasta County History" and the former curator of the Shasta College Museum. Check out her daily history blog at Redding.com. Contact her at historydottie@yahoo.com.
This screenshot from the California Department of Justice's website shows missing Mountain Gate woman Sherri Papini classified as a "voluntary missing adult." Some dispute that title and are asking the agency to change it.

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By Alayna Shulman of the Redding Record Searchlight

UPDATE, 9 a.m. Monday:

The California Department of Justice has reclassified Sherri Papini's disappearance as one under "suspicious circumstances."

Original story:

Shasta County sheriff's officials don't know why the California Department of Justice identifies local missing woman Sherri Papini as someone who left her family, and they've asked the agency to change the "voluntary missing adult" classification assigned to her.

While the sheriff's office is still trying to determine whether Papini, 34, may have indeed left her Mountain Gate home voluntarily, the California Department of Justice's definitive use of the "voluntary missing" label has some concerned that people won't be keeping an eye out for Papini.

"It's important, because we want to bring Sherri home," Sheriff's Lt. Anthony Bertain said. "This is a serious case; it's a missing person at risk, and we're just still trying to determine voluntarily or involuntarily missing."

A state law enforcement training document describes a "voluntary missing adult" as someone who "left of their own free will."

Bertain said he doesn't know why the state agency has Papini classified as a voluntary missing adult instead of the more vague "missing at risk" label his office has been using.

"Missing at risk" essentially means there's no evidence of a crime yet, but there's also no history of leaving the home or anything else to indicate a person's disappearance was willful.

That's the case for Papini, whom family describe as a "supermom" who would never abandon her husband or children, ages 2 and 4. They firmly believe she must have been abducted.

The sheriff's office contacted the DOJ after a Record Searchlight reporter inquired about Papini's classification and hasn't heard back yet, Bertain said.

"It's up to them," he said. "The ball's in their court."

The agency also hasn't responded to a message from the Record Searchlight.

Papini may be classified as a "voluntary missing" person simply because there isn't enough evidence to the contrary, according to guidelines in a training document from the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

That document says even someone who is "otherwise very dependable" and mysteriously doesn't show up for work one day would fit the "voluntary missing adult" bill.

But based on that training document, it appears classifications for missing people have some room for interpretation. For example, the "otherwise very dependable" person detailed in the "voluntary missing" example could also easily fit the description for an "at risk" missing person or even someone missing under "suspicious circumstances."

The document describes several scenarios that could mean a missing person is "at risk," including simply that her or she "has no pattern of running away." Similarly, it describes "suspicious circumstances" cases as ones where foul play seems to be involved, including simply because "the disappearance it out of character."

Bertain said the classification for Papini could just be an error, though.

Local missing woman Heather Cameron is classified as missing under suspicious circumstances, but her case also had more of a smoking gun than Papini's -- she made a frantic 911 call saying she'd been drugged before she was reported missing.

Tera Smith is also classified as missing under suspicious circumstances. The 16-year-old Central Valley High School student went missing in the late 1990s after going for a jog, though friends and family have long suspected her karate instructor killed her.

The only clue revealed to the public so far in Papini's disappearance is that her phone and headphones were found on the side of the road near where she went missing on Sunrise Drive in Mountain Gate.

Papini's sister, Sheila Koester, expressed relief that the justice department's listing may be changed.

"I'm not sure why it was classified that way," she said.

Social media posters also expressed confusion and concern at the classification.

"You'd think the justice system would flip the classification around," one Websleuths.com user wrote. "Shouldn't they classify it as suspicious circumstances until they have concrete evidence that they left voluntarily?"

Another user brought up the case of a woman reportedly missing voluntarily, but who was actually being held against her will.

Papini's strange disappearance after taking an afternoon jog has made international headlines. Part of the mystery is that her husband passed a lie-detector test and isn't considered a suspect in her disappearance, and she doesn't have any known mental health conditions that could explain it, officials have said.

There was nothing new to report on the investigation Friday, Bertain said.

There's a $50,000 reward for information that leads to her whereabouts. Secret Witness of Shasta County, Inc. is offering $10,000 of it -- specifically the portion that would lead to an arrest or conviction -- while Papini supporters have raised an extra $40,000 for any information that leads to her whereabouts.

If you have information on Papini, call:

The Shasta County Sheriff's office at 530-245-6135

Secret Witness at 530-243-2319
Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight

Louise Dufault of Mount Shasta reads a prayer at the gravesite of her husband, Navy veteran Duane Dufault, Friday during a Veterans Day ceremony at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo.

SHARE Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight Randal Blair of Oakland, center, and others honored Veterans Day Friday at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo. Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight Jim Nobili, left, and Fred Williams, both Army Vietnam veterans, look at a new Vietnam Veterans Monument Friday after a Veterans Day celebration Friday at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo. Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight Barbara Norred, left, visits the grave of her husband, Bill Norred, who served in the Army National Guard, Friday with her friend Gayle Shuey, both of Redding, before a Veterans Day celebration at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo. Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight The Huppus Witam Native American Color Guard participated in the Veterans Day ceremony, Friday at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo.

By Jim Schultz of the Redding Record Searchlight

Under mostly cloudy skies, an estimated 700 to 800 Shasta County residents turned out Friday at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo for a Veterans Day observance to pay homage to this nation's veterans, living and dead.

"On this day we give our utmost gratitude to our veterans," said Mark George, the cemetery's staff services manager. "We remember and honor those who have given and sacrificed so much."

Friday's observance, which also saw the dedication of a long-awaited Vietnam veterans monument, was filled with emotion, both happy and sad, as guest speakers paid tribute to America's military.

Among them was Abu Bakr H. Salahuddin, a Vietnam War combat veteran who converted to Islam in 1968 and was instrumental in the creation of the Imam Islamic Center of Redding.

The 69-year-old Salahuddin, who was thrice wounded in Vietnam, said Muslims have fought and died for this country in each of its wars dating back to the American Revolution.

And, he said, they continue to serve  and die  in the military while protecting this county's freedom.

California Air National Guard Lt. Col. James B. Vogus, the chief physician and surgeon for the Northern California Veterans Home in Redding, said he veterans share a special bond.

"They have a bond the regular civilians don't understand," he said, quoting the famous St. Crispin's Day speech from William Shakespeare's play, "Henry V."

Friday's Veterans Day observance, which included remarks from retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Robert Burroughs, its master of ceremonies, also saw a helicopter fly-over, music by Mistletoe Elementary School, Sequoia Middle School and the Jefferson Pipe Band.

Additionally, it included a rifle salute by a California state honor guard, a blessing from the Huppus Witam Native American color guard and a gift presentation to 11-year-old Preston Sharp of Redding.

The Columbia Elementary School student was recognized for his work placing flags and plastic flowers at the graves of veterans throughout Shasta County to honor them.

Another big highlight of the Veterans Day ceremony was the dedication of a new Vietnam veteran monument by local artist and Vietnam combat veteran Carl Turner.

Turner, who designed the sculpture, said he and the now late Mike Wiley began the project seven years.

And it took quite a lot of work  and hurdles to overcome  to bring the project to fruition.

The monument, which includes the names of 46 Shasta County residents who died in the Vietnam War, took Vietnam combat veteran Jim Nobili's breath away.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" the 68-year-old Redding man asked as he walked from the monument after admiring it.

But the Veterans Day ceremony at the Igo cemetery wasn't the only such observance in Shasta County.

The Redding Elks Lodge also hosted its 88th annual Veterans Day cognac toast Friday.

The ceremony at the Elks Lodge, which traditionally attracts about 200 people, began in 1928 by Judge Albert Ross and Loren Ewing to recognize the end of World War I.
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By Sean Longoria of the Redding Record Searchlight

Redding could soon be scrambling to keep nine firefighters after the failure Measure D, which would have funded those positions past July.

The tax measure, which unofficial election results show Redding voters rejected by nearly two-to-one, would have also allowed the department to hire 10 more firefighters and meet the so-far elusive standard of three firefighters per engine, speeding up responses and lessening the drain on an already thinly staffed department.

"Bottom line is that more firefighters translates to faster and more effective delivery of services during emergencies," Redding Fire Chief Gerry Gray said.

The nine positions  apprentice firefighters who earn less than their full-fledged counterparts  had previously been funded by grants and a one-time use of cash reserves in the city's general fund. Without a replacement funding source, the department will lose positions, which amount to about 12 percent of its current staffing, Gray said.

The loss comes as firefighters are busier than ever. The Fire Department received nearly 10,000 for service between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 and is on track to hit nearly 14,000 calls, well above the average of more than 12,000 per year for the last four years.

"The loss of these nine positions will surely impact our ability to deliver emergency services," Gray said. "However, we will continue to provide the best level of service with the resources and personnel available to us."

City Councilman-elect Adam McElvain said he'd look to grants or other sources of funding to keep the firefighters if possible, though his primary concern and desired target for any extra money is city police.

"The general fund is growing. Our revenues are growing. We need to make sure that most, if not all, of that money is earmarked for law enforcement," McElvain said.

Fellow newcomer Julie Winter offered a different take and said she'll look at possibly continuing the use of reserve funding to keep the firefighters on staff.

"We'll be looking at every area of the budget," she said.

Winter also favored a full autopsy on Measure D.

"Do we go back to the people and say 'You didn't pass Measure D. What would you pass?'" Winter said.
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President-elect Donald Trump's election is a major blow to globalization, and will probably lead to a period of U.S. nationalist populism.

Judging from what he has said publicly in recent months, Trump wants to take a step back from some of America's major trade, climate and political commitments with the rest of the world. He probably won't be able to do it all, even if he controls both houses of Congress, but he will owe it to his base to move in that direction.

"Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo," Trump said in his July 21 acceptance speech as party nominee at the Republican National Convention. He said then that "the most important difference" between his plan and that of his opponent, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, was that "our plan will put America first."

On immigration, Trump is unlikely to make a serious effort to deport the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. It's too costly and would raise too many legal issues.

Rather, Trump is likely to increase deportations, which already reached record numbers under President Barack Obama, and publicize them more than his predecessor. Trump may also terminate or scale down Obama's executive action to give temporary visas to about 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the country as infants.

On his proposal to build a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexican border, Trump will probably expand the existing wall, and talk a lot about that. But he won't get Congress to give him anywhere near the $12 billion to $25 billion that would be needed to complete it.

He will probably ask for the funds, and then blame Congress for the next four years for not authorizing them. Besides, Trump will need to avoid a nationalist backlash in Mexico, which could result in Mexico electing leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in the 2018 elections.

On trade, Trump has threatened to withdraw from or renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. But it will be hard for him to renegotiate NAFTA, because Mexico and Canada will oppose it, and his own Republican Party lawmakers are not likely to approve a unilateral U.S. withdrawal.

His proposed 35 percent tariff on Mexican imports would mean that the price of a Mexico-assembled Ford Fusion car bought in the United States would go up from $24,000 to $32,000. I doubt Trump will want that to see that happen to U.S. consumers. More likely, he will impose some import fees to appease his anti-trade supporters.

On the other hand, Trump's victory will most likely kill President Obama's Trans Pacific Partnership free trade deal between the United States and 11 Asian and Latin American countries, as well as Obama's proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union.

On climate change, Trump has said he does not believe in human-caused climate change, and has promised to cancel the 2015 Paris Agreement signed by Obama with nearly 200 countries to cut carbon dioxide emissions. While Trump cannot withdraw from that deal in the short term, he will probably drag his feet in implementing it, possibly driving China and India to do the same.

Where I see the biggest impact of Trump's nationalist populism will be in the areas of nation-building, human rights and democracy.

Trump has suggested that he will try to improve U.S. ties with autocrats such as Russia's Vladimir Putin, despite Putin's horrible human rights record. "I don't think we have a right to lecture" other countries, Trump told The New York Times on June 20.

My opinion: Trump's nationalist populism, alongside Britain's recent decision to leave the European Union, seems to be leading us to a less globalized, more fragmented world. We are likely to see a lesser U.S. effort to strike diplomatic alliances with like-minded democratic countries, and a U.S. retrenchment from its role as a global champion of democracy and human rights.

Yes, we should give Trump a chance to succeed before criticizing him. But some of us will remain nervous about the possibility that his "America first" credo will lead to isolationism and to a dangerous era of short-sighted unilateralism.

Email Andres Oppenheimer at aoppenheimer@miamiherald.com.
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Like it or not, the Green Rush is now upon us. Voters in California and eight other states considered marijuana-related measures on Tuesday and passed at least seven, including our Proposition 64, which legalized recreational use of the drug.

Californians who are 21 and older can now possess, transport, buy and use up to an ounce of weed without fear. And stores licensed to sell nonmedical pot can open on or before Jan. 1, 2018.

The only question now: Is California ready for this?

A lot rides on the answer, for the entire nation. As home to the world's sixth-largest economy, the state is poised to be a bellwether in the long, national fight to legalize a drug that many argue has untapped benefits, but also poses some threat to public health.

Emboldened by California, advocates are betting more states will legalize pot. Another hope, though more remote, is that the federal government will cease classifying weed as if it were on par with meth, as an addictive substance with no medical value.

If even some of this happens, it will put a major dent in the War on Drugs, a failed effort that has put far too many people behind bars, particularly people of color.

Already six states  home to more than 20 percent of the population  allow adults to use small amounts of weed for recreational purposes. They include Nevada and Massachusetts, where voters approved ballot initiatives Tuesday. Maine is leaning that way, too, but votes were still being counted Wednesday. The number is even higher for states with medical weed.

That means it's crucial that California gets this right. We can't afford a repeat of the regulatory messiness that followed the legalization of medical pot.

Cities must craft ordinances with care to capture what's sure to be millions of dollars in tax revenue from commercial cultivation. Being shortsighted and greedy will only harm residents, particularly in poor neighborhoods that will be magnets for growing sites. So we understand why Sacramento City Councilmen Allen Warren and Eric Guerra want more money for their districts to negate the impacts.

Meanwhile, the state must come up with ways to discourage people from driving stoned, and to keep the drug away from teens and children.

Given that Proposition 64 was bankrolled by Silicon Valley investors, at least one of whom envisions becoming the Philip Morris of the marijuana business, we fear profit motives will trump ethical behavior.

But while we remain unsure, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom swears California is ready, and the initiative was his baby. No matter what happens, there's no disowning it.

This editorial originally was published in the Sacramento Bee.
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Don Mayo wrote in a letter on Nov. 7 about our airport service. Let's talk about the facts.

Since 2014, smaller airports such as Chico, Modesto and Klamath Falls have lost their air service. Klamath Falls is just now re-establishing some service.

In 2015 our passenger enplanements rose by 31 percent, and in 2016 they rose again by 37 percent. United's flights to San Francisco are now all jets. The planes are larger, quieter, more reliable, more comfortable, and flight time is shorter. Our fares to SFO have been greatly reduced. In all, there have been many great additions to our air service. In April, we added service with Pen Air to Arcata/Eureka and Portland.

Here's our problem. Only 12 percent of the people in Shasta County who buy airline tickets depart from Redding Municipal. As a community, if we use our airport rather than driving to Sacramento or San Francisco, we'll be able to continue to grow our service and secure even more competitive air fares and new destinations.

In the past, many people have had unpleasant experiences traveling out of Redding to San Francisco, mostly due to weather issues in San Francisco. Others have found that the fares were very high. These issues are becoming remnants of the past. The jet service helps to minimize the challenges of San Francisco. In addition, the fare structure has been revamped to be more competitive. The fares will still be slightly higher than fares you'll find out of Sacramento. However, when you factor in the cost of gasoline, wear and tear on your vehicles, the higher cost of parking and the time lost traveling to and from the airport, you'll find our current fares to be extremely attractive.

San Francisco, due to its airport runway design, will never be a perfect answer. If the community would like to see alternative destinations, we need to use our airport. The airlines will not use their valuable planes, crews and gates without evidence of a market. A comment was made about Medford, and how it has more extensive service. The difference is that their community uses the airport. Their market does not have the larger airports as alternatives within a reasonable drive as we do. It would seem our proximity to these larger airports is both a blessing and a curse.

My recommendation is to give RDD a try. My last seven trips have been out of Redding. It is convenient, cost effective and very comfortable. You can change our prospects for expanded service by showing the airlines that a market exists.

Tony Giovaniello is president of Shasta EDC. He lives in Redding.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley witll spearhead the campaign with BJP President Amit Shah as its chief strategist, reports Archis Mohan.

Concerned at a 'sustained campaign' by political rivals to discredit the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, the Narendra Modi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party have launched a multi-pronged outreach.

The spearhead of the campaign is Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP President Amit Shah is the chief strategist.

The government has decided not to rely for this outreach on the government machinery, but on the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh cadres on the ground and on social media.

Added to this is the BJP's sharply defined political onslaught, founded on the binary of nationalists versus anti-nationals, on its rivals for criticising the scheme.

On Friday, November 11, Shah asked those slamming the move -- the Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Samajwadi Party, the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party -- why they were batting for anti-national elements whom the move had hurt -- terrorists, drug smugglers, hawala operators, and Maoists.

According to sources, Shah has personally listed 80 news television channels, including English and regional language channels, to which Jaitley will give interviews in the days to come.

The BJP has already issued orders to put up over 1,000 informative hoardings, with the PM's photograph, about demonetisation and its benefits.

These will initially come up in bigger urban centres.

Sources in the Press Information Bureau, the Union government's department responsible for spreading the message of government programmes and policies, admitted that the secrecy around the PM's announcement had also meant that no plan was in place to reach out to the public. This has led to a lack of ownership among government departments to propagate the move.

The BJP president has stepped forward to plug this gap.

BJP and RSS cadres across the country, particularly in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, have been asked to convince people that they should help in making the Modi government's decision a success in the national interest.

Shah made it evident that the Modi government's 'surgical strike' on 'black money' will be his party's poll plank in the forthcoming assembly polls in five states. He claimed that as many as 20 million people were issued new notes on Thursday, November 10.

At Shastri Bhavan, which houses several ministries, there were long queues outside the ATMs inside the premises. The queues stretched till the entry/exit gates.

Visibly nervous ministers were seen dashing from the gates to their cars, lest they found themselves in the midst of an angry group of people.

Senior ministers and party leaders are biting their nails, hoping that the next few days bring a semblance of order to the chaos and pass off without any untoward incident which might alter the positive discourse generated by the government move.

Demonetisation damage greater than its benefits, says Kaushik Basu On day-2 of the demonetization drive, serpentine queues have reported from banks and ATMs around the country

Demonetisation unlikely to lead to windfall for govt: Experts

Anup Roy reports from Mumbai:

Many, including some in the government, are saying that the withdrawal of high value currency notes will lead to a windfall to the Centre through dividends earned from the Reserve Bank of India, but people familiar with RBI balance sheet say that is unlikely the case.

What the withdrawal of the currency notes would ensure is complete elimination of fake high value currency notes and getting some grip on the black money situation. For that, the government, the Reserve Bank and banks will have to incur necessary cost, without expecting any other monetary gain.

Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian, who once suggested that the RBI must use its foreign exchange reserves to recapitalise banks, and in turn was criticised by then central bank governor Raghuram Rajan, said on Wednesday, November 9, that the demonetisation is 'not a wealth reduction in the economy, but a wealth transfer.'

'Instead of seeing it (the demonetisation) as a reduction of wealth, it must be seen as transfer of unaccounted wealth. It should be seen as a transfer of this unaccounted wealth from the private sector to the government and the public sector, which will boost economy,' Subramanian said in Delhi.

Subsequently, State Bank of India group Chief Economist Soumya Kanti Ghosh wrote in his research report that the demonetisation can be used as a fiscal tool.

Ghosh estimated that the unaccounted cash not coming back into the system could be 'significantly higher than Rs 2,500 billion, or Rs 2.5 lakh crore.'

This number could even be a 'gross under-estimation' as he calculated that Rs 9 lakh crore could be the possible unaccounted cash in the system.

Currency issued is a liability for the RBI. It is a promise that the RBI owes a particular value to the holder of the legal tender.

If this money is not returned to the banks (and therefore the RBI), the central bank's direct liability gets reduced by that much of amount.

Therefore, the assets will have to be reduced too, in short, the RBI will have to shrink the balance sheet, reasoned the SBI.

The shrunk part can then be transferred to the government as dividend, goes the logic.

Alternatively, since the RBI would not be knowing how much of old notes have to exchanged, the central bank will likely print extra money and a cash-payout against the currencies can be done to the government.

Or, 'as the RBI will issue notes only against the old notes, there has to be a decline of equivalent amount from RBI asset side/cash pay-outs,' said the research report.

'Whichever way we look into it, we would expect the RBI to transfer this windfall to the government over a period leading to significant fiscal headroom for the government... such amount may be at least Rs 2.5 lakh crores, but with a significant upward bias.'

The RBI has been instructed by a committee headed by Y H Malegam that the entire reserves of the RBI should be transferred to the government as dividend for three years starting fiscal 2014.

Therefore, the entire non-accounted money, which could be theoretically ploughed back as a reserve, can come to the government as dividend.

But that is not going to happen. Here's why:

The above logic is flawed, say other economists and central bank balance sheet experts.

First, the held back money cannot be wiped out from the RBI balance sheet, but will reside as a 'nominal' reserve. Second, the RBI gives dividend to the government through real reserves earned through real investment activities, like earning interest on US treasuries, or foreign exchange transactions.

The dividend is never paid out of 'nominal' reserves, said a central bank watcher who declined to be named.

The money not returned to the banks are legal, but undeclared. They are still a liability to the RBI and the central bank had already created assets against the value in the past.

"RBI cannot just go and declare that I hereby, am foregoing my liability," said a senior economist who did not wish to be named.

"It would be akin to forfeiting public money and a central bank cannot do so," said the economist, adding, to forfeit the money, the government has to issue an executive order that the undeclared wealth is now that of the government, which will have its own ramifications.

"That doesn't happen unless there is an Emergency or a war-like situation."

Instead, the RBI liability shifts from the 'Notes Issued' head to 'Other Liabilities and Provisions' in its balance sheet.

Economists explain that a government cannot just take away public money, and the RBI cannot extinguish its liability, because the central bank has to honour the value any time a person with legal and taxed money lay claim on the value.

And the RBI can only give a procedural excuse, but cannot deny honoring the value.

Therefore, even if the government makes the paper valueless, the promise of the RBI governor cannot be eroded.

The promise will have to be fulfilled, albeit, through another set of papers or other legal tenders.

The I-T dept has asked banks to report all cash deposits exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh, during the 50-day window provided to tender the now-defunct notes, reports Indivjal Dhasmana.

The Enforcement Directorate is keeping an eye on 67 forex dealers exchanging old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes across the country for any possible forex norm violations and money laundering.

Parallelly, the Income Tax department conducted surveys across the country to check hawala money exchange, while the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence visited big jewellers to examine stock and sales details.

Amid rumours that the I-T department is conducting surveys in the steel sector, the sources clarified that so far only jewellery, money exchangers and charitable trusts are on the government radar.

The DGCEI has sought information on sales and stocks of big jewellers between November 7 and 11.

The I-T department has asked banks to report all cash deposits exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh during the 50-day window provided to tender the now-defunct notes.

Previously, banks were required to report cash deposits that exceeded Rs 10 lakh in one full year.

But in view of apprehensions that a large number of illegal or black money may be sought to be converted into white, the revenue department has issued fresh set of instructions, a top official said.

Arup Roychoudhury reports: World Bank Chief Economist and India's former chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu said the demonetization drive was not 'good economics' and that the damage it causes will be greater than its benefits.

'GST was good economics; the demonetization is not. Its economics is complex & the collateral damage is likely to far outstrip the benefits,' Basu tweeted on Friday evening.

Basu was the CEA in the finance ministry from December 2009 to July 2012.

IMAGE: The queues outside banks, November 10, 2016. Photograph: Hiitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
Amid rising anger among people across India over exchanging the scrapped currency, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday regretted hardships caused due to withdrawal of high denomination notes but advised the public to be patient as the move will have larger benefits for the economy in long term.

He said it may take up to 3 weeks for all the 2 lakh cash vending ATMs to operate normally as each one has to be calibrated individually to dispense new sized notes of Rs 2000 and Rs 500 besides lower denomination currency of Rs 100.

Assuring that the Reserve Bureau of India and banks have stacked up enough currency to replace the Rs 14 lakh crore worth of Rs 1000/500 notes that have been declared invalid, he said the government is constantly monitoring the situation as it is a massive operation.

As banks have been asked to remain open this weekend to cope with the rush, the finance ministry held a video-conference call with top RBI officials to assess the emerging situation and coordinate currency distribution across the country.

At a hurriedly called press conference, Jaitley urged people not to flock the banks to exchange the now-defunct banknotes, asking them to stagger it over the 50-day window provided by the government for the purpose.

The briefing, second in three days, was called after anger and chaos over never-ending queues were witnessed at banks that struggled to exchange old notes and give out newer Rs 2000 notes and smaller denomination currency.

Hardly 40 per cent of the ATMs were operating in the country and they too ran out of cash within hours. The new Rs 500 note was available only in Delhi and Mumbai and RBI has already started releasing soiled Rs 100 notes to cope with the demand.

ATMs could not have been calibrated (before the announcement) because of secrecy issue. Thousands of people are involved in recalibration exercise (and) secrecy could not have been maintained. Recalibration takes at least 2-3 weeks, he said.

Terming demonetisation as a massive operation, he said there will be inconvenience in the first few days but the long term advantages of this are to the overall economy.

It is a regret that people are being inconvenienced. Because a replacement of this magnitude will cause inconvenience as you have to go to the bank, you have to stand in a queue, he said.

In the short run, he said, some obvious disruption will be caused in the short term.

But once the money is available both in the system and more so in the banking system, the advantages of that to the economy and businesses will be far more. The capacity of the banks with all this additional capital to lend and support businesses is going to be far higher.

And therefore medium term and long term advantages to the economy as against this temporary inconvenience or disruption, are far too many, he said.

Jaitley said banks have expressed concern about managing crowds and also that some customers are asking for smaller denomination currency.

Even though large quantum of currency is available, in the given branch that particular choice may not be available. And therefore, I would appeal to people to take whichever currency is available rather than insist on a particular choice, he said.

Jaitley hoped that with the passage of time banks will service more people and the crowds will then start thinning.

The RBI and banks are in readiness... The situation now is peaceful, there are long queues but very orderly queues, he said, adding that there is no limit on the number of times you can exchange currencies.

In some parts of the country banks would remain closed on Monday on account of Guru Nanak Birthday. They will, however, remain open in Western and Southern India.

As much as 86 per cent of the currency or about Rs 14 lakh crore was doing rounds in the economy in the form of high denominations 500 and 1,000 rupee notes.

While demonetising Rs 500/1,000 notes, the government had announced it would bring in new 500 and 2,000 rupee notes of different design and colour.

A lot of security features have been put into the new Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 notes so that counterfeiting becomes impossible, Jaitley said.

The government, Jaitley said, will consider suggestions on whether to remove surcharge on card transactions as it aims to move towards a less cash economy.

Giving an example of the countrys largest lender State Bank of India, which controls 20-25 per cent of banking business, he said that in two-half days it has done 2.28 crore transactions.

You can make an estimate that total banking system would have done about 4-5 times of that of SBI which is about Rs 2 lakh crore, he said.

In the last two-and-a-half days, he said, SBI received deposits worth Rs 47,868 crore.

SBI alone has exchanged notes of 58 lakh customers, while 22 lakh customers have used ATMs and 33 lakh have withdrawn cash.

Four thousand currency chests have adequate amount of currency... Currency exchange of such a massive magnitude cannot happen mechanically overnight, Jaitley said.

Image: People queue up outside an ATM to withdraw money in Chennai. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo
The PM addressing the Indian diaspora in Japan also hinted that there is no guarantee that no further steps would be taken after December 30 till when people can deposit the demonetised notes.

Hinting at more action to unearth black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said those holding unaccounted money will not be spared and there is no guarantee that no further steps would be taken after December 30 till when people can deposit the demonetised notes.

He assured honest people that they will not face any trouble.

I would like to announce once again that after the end of this scheme, there is no guarantee that something new will not be introduced to punish you (thikane lagane ke liye), Modi said.

He was addressing the Indian community at a reception in Kobe, Japan.

I make it very clear that if anything unaccounted comes up, then I will check its records since Independence. Will deploy as many people as required for this. Honest people will not face any problem. No one will be spared. Those who know me, they are intelligent as well. They think it is better to offer it in Ganga than in banks, Modi said.

He was referring to reports of the demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes flowing in Ganga river.

Modi termed the demonetisation as Swachhata Abhiyan and hailed the undaunting spirit of people despite their hardship following its announcement on November 8.

I salute my countrymen. People stood in line for four hours, six hours but accepted the decision in national interest the way people of Japan tackled the aftermath of the 2011 disaster, he said.

I thought long and hard about the possible difficulties and it was also important to keep it a secret. It had to be done suddenly but I never thought I will receive blessings for this, he said.

I salute each and every Indian. Many families had weddings, health problems... yes they faced inconvenience but they accepted the decision, the prime minister said.

Apparently referring to the opposition which has attacked the government action, Modi said a section is trying to incite people for speaking out against him but people have accepted the decision in the national interest.

Law should be equal for everyone. People are happy about the fact that even Modis Rs 1000 notes are not usable anymore, Modi said.

Underlining that the world is acknowledging that India is the fastest growing economy among the large global economies, he said the country is also receiving historically high FDI.

IMF, World Bank all are saying in one voice. IMF also said that India is the shining star. World economists believe India is growing at a very fast rate... I have my own definitions of FDI. The first definition is First Develop India and the second is the Foreign Direct Investment. India is receiving historically high rate of FDI, he said.

In the last two years, black money to the tune of Rs 1.25 lakh crore have been unearthed due to various initiatives of the government, Modi added.

Photographs: @MEAIndia/Twitter
A glass door of a bank in Kerala was broken and clashes with bank officials erupted in Gujarat sparking police action as the weekend rush added to the chaos over demonetisation across the country for the third day on Saturday with serpentine queues outside bank branches growing longer.

IMAGE: A bank employee hands out request slips for the exchange of old high denomination bank notes at a bank in Old Delhi. Photograph: Cathal McNaughton/Reuters

The endless wait to get valid currency notes was also taking a toll on people waiting for hours in long queues as there were reports of many elderly people collapsing out of fatigue.

Security was beefed up outside bank branches as millions of anxious people struggling to buy daily items waited for hours to exchange the banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes even as the ATMs went dry soon after they were stocked due to the huge rush.

The crowd is more since its a weekend and many people have an off today. The crowd is swelling by the hour, a senior police officer said in Delhi.

IMAGE: People argue with the security after they are stopped from entering a bank in Mumbai. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters

Enraged over not getting ration from a fair price shop due to shortage of cash, people at Bardaha village in Chhattarpur in Madhya Pradesh allegedly looted groceries from the outlet in protest. Police claimed there was no such incident.

To add to the misery of cash-strapped people, several ATMs were non-functional.

Angry customers waiting outside a branch of the State Bank of Travancore at Vavvakkam in Kollam district allegedly broke a glass door after it decided to down shutters due to heavy rush when around 200 persons were inside the premises.

IMAGE: Women wait for ATM counters to open in Jammu. Photograph: Mukesh Gupta/Reuters

Apparently angered over this, more than 200 persons who were waiting in the queue outside the branch allegedly broke a glass door of the bank, officials said, adding the situation is now under control.

At several places in Gujarat, people clashed with bank officials leading to police action including lathi-charge and detention.

At a bank branch at Shihori in Banaskantha district, police resorted to lathi-charge after people clashed with bank officials when they refused to dispense money.

IMAGE: People queue up outside a bank to exchange their old Rs 1000 and 500 notes in Lucknow. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

Similar incident was reported at a bank branch in Abdasa in Kutch when people clashed with bank officials.

In the national capital, Delhi Police deployed more forces to maintain calm and warned of strict action against those trying to spread rumours on social media.

To manage anxious crowds, as many as 3,400 personnel of paramilitary and Delhi Police along with 200 quick reaction teams were deployed at ATMs.

IMAGE: A person collects a Rs 2000 note in a bank in Beawar. Photograph: PTI Photo

In addition to this, Rapid Action Force jawans were also deployed at certain points to monitor the situation. Senior officers of Delhi Police were also present at important junctions to oversee the security arrangements.

People complained of difficulties with several ATMs remaining closed, and banks exchanging the scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes with coins and small denomination currency.

Nobody is accepting old currency notes, even hospitals are now refusing to do so because of which we are facing difficulty. Several ATMs still remain closed, said Ramesh Agarwal, who came to exchange his old notes at a bank in Ahmedabad.

IMAGE: Rapid Action Force jawans were also deployed at certain points to ensure that there was no chaos. Photograph: PTI Photo

A bank in Mumbai is said to have floated a mobile ATM to dispense money to customers.

Shrikant Manohar, who drew money from the mobile ATM said, It was no less than a surprise. People lined up for hours, while I got cash with this mobile ATM as it came to my doorsteps.
International education consultant NNS Chandra shares advice on how to pick the right international education.

In an online chat with readers every Friday, overseas education consultant NNS Chandra offers advice on how to pick the right course and career abroad.

For those who missed the chat on November 11, here's the unedited transcript:

Celine Thomas: Respected syam sir, I am interested to study organisational behaviour in my masters, and how can I proceed?

NNS Chandra: Hi Celina, in the context of new wave of globalization and its impact in workplaces, a solid training in organisational behaviour can be very helpful in securing a meaningful career. Appreciate. I would request you to consider and research top programs. Universities like in ILR school in Cornell. Great programme.

Requirements remain same in most cases like GRE/SOP etc, but in some program there can be additional requirements of in person interview and establishment of credentials and interest

What did you study for in bachelors, where you stand on academics, how much are you excited about this area? write to me, I can probably give some ideas, directions. All the best.

Shreyas: Sir, I read on Internet that you are the country manager and responsible for conducting AMC exams. I want to write that. How can I register?

NNS Chandra: Thanks for your inquiry on AMC. American Math Contest 8 is for 7th and 8th graders. Which grade are you in Shreya? if you go online you should get lots of data on this important test

Hi Shreyas, again, appreciate your interest in AMC. You can register, still, if you contact TLPS directly. you can reach out to them by google TransitionsLab Prep school I suppose

Aryan Bansal: Respected Sir, my name is Aryan and I'm 14yrs old. I'm in 9th grade and have a great interest in studying abroad , in MIT. That's my dream which I want to accomplish for sure. I need your guidance for it as you have a great experience and can really help me. I want to do PhD in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Please guide accordingly ! Thank You

NNS Chandra: Please feel free to e-mail me for all details on American Math Contests (AMC 8). Stay focused. All the best.

Mukesh Arora: Hi sir, I am saksham arora. Want to pursue my engineering from USA or from Singapore. Please advice which country will be best for computer engineering. Thanks.

NNS Chandra: My experience and in my opinion, for wider choice of academic opportunities are in USA, Arora.

Divyesh Rohit: Hello sir, I have completed my M.Tech, I would like to know which country is good for pursuing PhD with more funding opportunities.

NNS Chandra: Divyeash, my experience, if you got a good research going on with a good idea, institute and professors/guide, American universities give top dollars.

Ashish Kumar Singh: Dear Sir, Good Morning. I am an author of computer science book (from class 1-10 CBSE (Hot selling books in India), my qualification is BCA MCA (IGNOU) and MBA (UPTU).

Please suggest me for PhD degree. Which country is better for me? Kindly give me any ideas to settle in abroad.

NNS Chandra: Hello Vijay,I would recommend him to take a look at SI New House school of public communication at Syracuse University.

I studied MCM here. Please ask him to email me. Based on his future goals I could be able to guide his college selection

Have questions for NNS Chandra? Post them here!

Lead image used for representational purposes only. Image: Reuters
At least 30 people, including women and children, were killed and more than 100 others injured on Saturday in a suicide attack carried out by a 14-year-old boy at a popular sufi shrine in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province.

Some media reports put the death toll at 40 in the blast that occurred in the remote Hub region in Lasbela district where devotees were attending a Sufi dance called "dhamaal" at Dargah Shah Noorani shrine.

The target of the attack was an area where believers would perform 'dhamaal'. The blast site is situated some 250 kilometre away from Karachi.

Balochistan Interior Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed the blast which happened when about 500 to 600 devotees were present at shrine.

"Thirty people have been killed and 100 injured in the blast including women and children," said Tehsildar Javed Iqbal.

However, the Express Tribune reported that at least 40 people were killed in the blast.

It cited police sources as saying that the blast was a suicide attack carried out by a 14-year-old boy. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Rescue teams had reached the blast site and started shifting the deceased and injured to the hospital. However, rescuers were facing difficulty in accessing the site as the shrine is located in a remote area.

The death toll is feared to rise with women and children casulaties in the deadly blast.

"The shrine is located some 250 kilometres from Karachi in the remote mountains of Uthal and our vehicles have been dispatched there to carry out rescue operations and shift the injured to the hospitals," said Hakeen Lassi, an official of the Edhi Trust Foundation.

Local tehsildar Iqbal said security arrangements at the shrine were not proper. "It is sad that although thousands of devotees from Karachi and other parts of the country visit the shrine everyday but there are no medical emergencies or ambulances at the site," he said.

He said the devotees take part in the 'dhamaal' everyday after sunset and the blast took place close to where they were dancing inside the compound of the shrine.

Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have strongly condemned the bomb blast. They directed the concerned authorities to speed up the rescue activities and provide best medical facilities to the injured.

This is not the first time that extremists have targeted a shrine in Balochistan. This is the third major incident of a bombing in the province since August.

In August, about 70 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack outside the civil hospital in the provincial capital Quetta. Last month, 64 police cadets and two army men were killed when three terrorists raided a police training centre in Quetta.
Dharmendra Singh, a journalist with the Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bihars Rohtas in wee hours on Saturday.



Singh was standing at a tea stall near his house early in morning when three bike-borne assailants opened fire on him, peppering his chest with bullets.



The incident took place near Amra Lake in the Mufassil police station area.



Locals immediately rushed Singh to the Sadar Hospital in Sasaram, where he received primary treatment and was referred to Varanasi.



However, Singh succumbed to injuries on his way to Varanasi.



A case has been registered and the police is investigating to nab the assailants.



Earlier in October this year, a local television journalist was allegedly shot dead by motorcycle-borne miscreants in Dheena area in Uttar

Pradesh, making it the third such incident in four months.Hemant Yadav, 45, worked with a news channel was shot by bike-borne miscreants, Superintendent of police Amit Verma said.In June, journalist Jagendra Singh was allegedly set on fire during a police raid at his house in Shahjahanpur.His family alleged that the police officials set him on fire.Singh, who was in his 50s, succumbed to injuries on June 8.An FIR was registered against six persons including a UP minister, who was said to be angry over Singhs Facebook posts about his illegal mining activities and land grabbing.In another incident, two persons in Bareilly district, allegedly killed a part-time reporter from a local Hindi daily Sanjay Pathak, in August.Police said Pathak, 42, was hit several times on the head with some heavy object and might have died of excessive bleeding.
Anti-Donald Trump rallies entered the fourth day on Saturday as demonstrators across the country kept disavowing the president-elect.



Since Donald Trumps unexpected victory in the US presidential election on Tuesday, protests had emerged in major cities across the country, as thousands of people poured onto the streets to rail against the ascension of a man who had, at various points, belittled women, immigrants and numerous other groups.

Heres a look at the violence that has unravelled in America post the elections.

Demonstrators protest in response to the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Mark Makela/Reuters

Protesters highlighted the fact that the US president-elect had won the election on a rhetoric of hate and violence towards minorities and women. Here seen a protester in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Mark Makela/Reuters

Demonstrators stage a rally against Trump in the Barrio Logan area of in San Diego, California. Hundreds of people turned up on Friday and the protests continued a day later too. Photograph: Sandy Huffaker/Reuters

Florida too continued to witness protests on the fourth day as protesters refused to back down, carrying placards reading 'Down with White Supremacy' and 'Deport Trump'. Photograph: Javier Galeano/Reuters

Police were called in Florida to ensure that the protests remained peaceful and violence was avoided at all costs. Photograph: Javier Galeano/Reuters

Demonstrators standing in front of Trump Tower in New York said they wanted to show solidarity with those they feel may be targeted by Trump's policies once he takes office in January, including Mexicans and Muslims. Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The demonstration aimed "to send a message of love to anybody who's feeling threatened, who's afraid of being targeted -- to immigrants, to minorities, to anybody shaken by the (election) result, said protesters in New York. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Similar protests were also witnessed in Chicago. Photograph: John Gress/Getty Images
Donald Trump has indicated that he will consider retaining an "amended" version of the Affordable Care Act, a marked shift in stance on his major campaign promise of repealing President Barack Obama's flagship healthcare law.

The President-elect made the apparent U-turn after his meeting with Obama at the White House this week, according to the Wall Street Journal.

In an interview with the newspaper, Trump said his priority is to move "quickly" on Obamacare, which has become "expensive and unworkable".

At the same time, he "showed a willingness to preserve at least two provisions" of the law after the outgoing president Barack Obama asked him to reconsider repealing it during their meeting at the White House on Thursday, the daily said.

"Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced," Trump said. "I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that."

According to the Journal, Trump said he favours retaining a key part of Obamacare that stops insurers from refusing to cover people because they have existing conditions, as well as a provision that allows parents to provide years of additional coverage for children on their insurance policies. "I like those very much."

Trump also appeared to be committed on his promises of bringing jobs back through improved international trade deals and massive infrastructure investment, besides focusing on defeating ISIS.

"I want a country that loves each other. I want to stress that," Trump said in his first interview after winning the November 8 presidential elections, in which he defeated Hillary Clinton after mounting one of the most divisive campaigns in recent memory.

Trump said he would create jobs through nationwide infrastructure projects and improved international trade deals.

He also said he would preserve American jobs by potentially imposing tariffs on products of US companies that relocate overseas, thereby reducing the incentive to move plants abroad, the Journal reported.

Trump so far has spoken to several world leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is yet to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said he got a "beautiful" letter from Putin.

On Syria, he said his main focus would be defeating ISIS rather than removing its current president Bashar al-Assad.

"My attitude was you're fighting Syria, Syria is fighting ISIS, and you have to get rid of ISIS. Russia is now totally aligned with Syria, and now you have Iran, which is becoming powerful, because of us, is aligned with Syria... Now we're backing rebels against Syria, and we have no idea who these people are," Trump said.

If the US attacks Assad, Trump said, "we end up fighting Russia, fighting Syria."

On the Israel-Palestine conflict, Trump said hopes to craft a deal.

"That's the ultimate deal. As a deal maker, I'd like to do the deal that can't be made. And do it for humanity's sake," Trump told the daily.
President-elect Donald Trump has shaken up his White House transition team, appointing Vice President-elect Mike Pence as its head and three of his children as part of the group that would shape the direction of Trump's administration beginning January 2017.

Trump, who won the general elections on November 8, would be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on January 20, 2017, replacing Barack Obama, whose tenure ends that day.

Till then, the 70-year-old real estate tycoon has a transition team which would help him prepare to hit the ground running from day one.

The announcement by Trump came on Friday that Pence would be head of his transition team which was previously held by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

According to a media release, Pence would replace the New Jersey Governor to serve as the Chairman of the Presidential Transition Team.

Dr Ben Carson, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Speaker of House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, USA (Ret) former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Senator Jeff Sessions will join the team's

executive committee as vice chairs, it said.

Among other members are two of his sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump along with daughter Ivanka Trump. The Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, Trump Campaign CEO Stephen K Bannon are other members of the transition team.

"Together this outstanding group of advisors, led by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, will build on the initial work done under the leadership of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to help prepare a transformative government ready to lead from day one," Trump said.

"The mission of our team will be clear: put together the most highly qualified group of successful leaders who will be able to implement our changed agenda in Washington. Together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding this nation specifically jobs, security and opportunity. This team is going to get to work immediately to Make America Great Again," he said.

He also announced that Chief of Staff to Senator Sessions, Rick Dearborn, will join Presidential Transition Team as executive director.

"President-elect Trump will bring about fundamental change in Washington and these are the right people to make that happen," Pence said.

"This team of experienced leaders will form the building blocks of our Presidential Transition Team staff leadership roster, and will work with elected officials and tireless volunteers to prepare our government for the transfer of power on January 20th," he said.

Photograph: John Sommers II/Reuters
Morgan County Election Board reviews financial records

The Morgan County Election Board met Friday to review the campaign finance reports of local candidates running for office.
The parliament of Afghanistan has dismissed three government ministers because of poor performance.

The legislature on November 12 voted to fire Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and asked President Ashraf Ghani to nominate a replacement.

The respected minister of foreign affairs could not get a vote of confidence from parliament, so we request that the president introduces a new candidate to parliament, speaker Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi told the parliament session after the vote.

Lawmakers also fired Public Works Minister Mahmud Balligh and Social Services Minister Nasreen Oryakhtel, accusing them of spending only 70 percent of the funds allocated to their ministries.

Based on reporting by Reuters
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Portland, Oregon, late on November 10 for a second night of protests against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds and detained several protesters who had smashed store windows, set off fireworks, and started small fires. (AP)
Mohammad Nayeb-Zehi was among the hundreds of worshippers who gathered on September 30 at the Great Mosalla, a religious site in Iran's southeastern city of Zahedan, for Friday Prayers.

Just hours later, the 16-year-old's family learned he was dead.

Nayeb-Zehi was among the scores of people gunned down by security forces in a brutal crackdown following anti-government protests in Zahedan, the provincial capital of Sistan-Baluchistan Province, which is home to the country's Baluch minority.

"He was a simple laborer and not political," Nayeb-Zehi's brother, Ahmad, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda in a telephone interview from Zahedan, adding that his sibling had been shot in the heart. "We're in pain, and we cannot accept it."

The crackdown in Zahedan came amid weeks-long nationwide protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who died on September 16, days after she was detained by Iran's morality police.

In Sistan-Baluchistan, public anger at the authorities escalated amid reports that a 15-year-old Baluch girl had been raped by a police official in the province's southern port city of Chabahar.

The violence erupted soon after protesters gathered outside a police station near the central mosque in Zahedan. Members of the crowd chanted anti-government slogans, and some threw rocks. Security forces responded with deadly force by firing on the crowd from the station, according to witnesses.

Security forces also raided the central mosque and the nearby Great Mosalla and opened fire on worshippers using live ammunition, rights groups said, adding that many were shot in the head, heart, neck, or torso, revealing a clear intent to kill or seriously wound.

At least 94 people were killed and 350 wounded on that day, referred to as "Bloody Friday," according to the U.S.-based Iran Human Rights Documentation Center. At least 13 minors were among those killed, including Nayeb-Zehi.

The victims were overwhelmingly Baluch -- a mostly Sunni ethnic group that has long faced disproportionate discrimination at the hands of the Iranian authorities.

"He was martyred inside the Mosalla while holding his prayer mat," said Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi.

Nayeb-Zehi's family first visited Zahedan's Khatam al-Anbia hospital, hoping he was among the wounded. They later found his body in a seminary at the Great Mosalla.

"We entered a room there and saw about 10 bodies," said Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi. "[Mohammad] was among them."

He said the authorities prevented the family from filming the scene. "I told them this has to be documented, it has to be published by international media," he said, adding that footage later emerged on social media showing the gruesome scene at the seminary.

The family refused to send Nayeb-Zehi's body to the morgue. Instead, his body lay in the living room for around 24 hours before he was buried.

"We said he was martyred and there was no need for an autopsy," said Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi.

The authorities accused Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group, of attacking the police station. The group is recognized as a terrorist organization by both Iran and the United States and has previously claimed deadly attacks in Sistan-Baluchistan targeting Iranian security forces.

But local and independent sources have rejected the authorities' claims.

The authorities have also reported a much lower number of fatalities, announcing that only 19 people, including several members of the security forces, were killed.

Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi said the authorities were "rubbing salt into the wounds of the people" by claiming "terrorists" were involved.

He said he witnessed a military helicopter shooting at civilians near the Great Mosalla. "I haven't even seen such scenes in Hollywood movies," he said. "A helicopter was shooting at people. A lady was shot in front of my eyes."

RFE/RL could not verify his account. But activists have accused security forces of shooting at protestors from helicopters.

"I don't know what the intention of this crime was," he said. "Our only demand from the establishment is for the murderers of our [family members] to be punished."

The killings have led to widespread anger in Sistan-Baluchistan, one of Iran's poorest provinces.

Anti-establishment protests have been reported in Zahedan since the crackdown, including on October 14 and October 21, when protesters took to the streets after Friday Prayers and chanted "Death to the dictator."

During his Friday Prayers sermon on October 21, influential Sunni cleric Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi said senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were "responsible" for the September 30 killings.

"We are surprised by the silence of the high-ranking officials," he said in his sermon, which was posted on his website.

"Scores were killed here without any reason. I don't have the exact number. Some have reported 90, some say less, some say more," Ismaeelzahi added.

He also said people will not be satisfied until "those who killed the people" are brought to justice.

The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center said the events of September 30 amounted to "a massacre of protesters by security forces."

"The government's total denial of responsibility for the massacring of citizens by its security apparatus is consistent with similar past denials and is evidence that internal calls for investigation of such crimes are insufficient," said the rights group, which documents human rights violations in Iran.
Chinas massive One Belt, One Road (OBOR) project aims to connect the world like never before, using land and sea routes to form trade links across Asia and Europe and down to Africa. Its an extremely ambitious project that will take many years to realize but already OBOR has many people excited about the economic possibilities to come.

Among the billions of people who could benefit immensely from OBOR are the roughly 65 million residents of Central Asia. But being part of OBOR is not necessarily a guarantee for a better future.

To look at OBOR in Central Asia, and some of the potential advantages and disadvantages, RFE/RL assembled a Majlis, or panel, to review the situation.

Moderating the discussion was RFE/RL Media Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir. From Exeter University in the U.K., senior lecturer and Central Asian expert David Lewis joined the discussion. From Geneva, journalist, researcher, and native of Kyrgyzstan Cholpon Orozobekova, who has written for the Jamestown Foundation and The Diplomat took part. I was just back from Washington, New York, and the CESS conference at Princeton and was raring to go, so I pitched in a few comments also.

As Lewis mentioned at the start of the Majlis, the numbers for OBOR are genuinely unprecedented -- $1 trillion of investment with routes potentially reaching some 44 countries with more than half the population of the planet. And, as Lewis pointed out, This being the initiative of [Chinese President] Xi Jinping, its something that the Chinese leadership is committed to and it does involve significant funding for Central Asia in particular, and of course, governments, at least in Central Asia, are very enthusiastic about funding flowing into major infrastructure projects.

OBOR has already started in Central Asia. Lewis recalled the oil pipeline from Kazakhstan, the natural gas pipelines from Turkmenistan, and a road network from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan already lead to China.

These projects and others were started, and some completed, before the autumn of 2013 when Beijing first articulated the OBOR project. As Orozobekova reminded, In 2013, trade between China and the five Central Asian states was $50 billion already, while, for example, trade between Russia and these [Central Asian] countries was only $30 billion.

That trend has only become stronger as Russias economy has weakened, limiting Russian investment potential. China, meanwhile, has continued to vigorously pursue OBOR. In February this year, the first cargo train from China arrived in Iran after passing through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan along new railways in the latter two countries. In September, the first train from China to Afghanistan arrived after crossing through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

According to the plan, the part of the route that runs through Central Asia should continue west through northern Iran into Turkey. Central Asia could benefit greatly from this new route for shipping goods to, and receiving goods from countries with access to the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.

But already parts of Central Asia are seeing some of the negative aspects that come with these Chinese-funded projects.

In Central Asia there are some concerns regarding the flow of migrants from China, Lewis said. He explained: Typically Chinese companies like to use their own people, bring in Chinese labor to get a job done. Its often very effective but it doesnt always give people local jobs and employ local specialists.

That has led to problems in the oil fields of western Kazakhstan where Chinese employees work, in mining areas in Kyrgyzstan where Chinese employees work, and along various parts of the roads being constructed in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan where locals work alongside Chinese workers. Sometimes the problems are caused by rumors of the Chinese receiving better wages, sometimes the lack of the locals ability to communicate with the Chinese workers has led to fights.

Chinese farmers are also tending agricultural land in Tajikistan vacated by local farmers who left to find work in Russia. A proposal to lease farmland in Kazakhstan earlier this year sparked the largest protests seen there in some 20 years, when rumors spread that Chinese farmers would lease portions of Kazakhstans farmland.

Orozobekova said, In Central Asia there are some concerns regarding the flow of migrants from China.

Additionally, while Chinese workers are coming to Central Asia, Lewis said, China just doesnt offer that kind of labor migration, theres no real option to go to China to work. So Central Asias migrant laborers continue to mainly go to Russia.

And there are also environmental concerns. Chinese companies do not have a good track record when it comes to ecological considerations. Lewis explained, In Kyrgyzstan and in Tajikistan recently, new cement plants developed by China are notoriously polluting industries and can have a really negative effect on local people. Refineries in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan built or operated by Chinese companies have also received complaints from local administrations and residents.

Orozobekova also pointed out for Kyrgyzstan, OBOR is a competitor project. She said many in Kyrgyzstan are overwhelmed with the EEU, the Eurasian Economic Union. The EEU is the Russian-led organization that also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan officially joined in August 2015. Orozobekova said, When it comes to OBOR and the EEU theres a little bit of a clash between them because currently, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan joined the EEU with Russia [and] there are so many problems within this organization [EEU].

And Orozobekova reminded that since 1998, Kyrgyzstan is also a member of the World Trade Organization, so officials in Bishkek must do some furious juggling to try to simultaneously meet the regulations of all these organizations.

And Lewis noted, We know theres a slowdown going on in the Chinese economy and so these very ambitious plans, which require a lot of funding, may be more difficult than was considered.

OBOR is a thick topic, and one the Majlis will address again in the near future. Participants in this latest Majlis session explored more deeply the benefits and detriments of being one of the first sections of OBOR, including potential security problems, now and in the future.

An audio recording of the discussion can be heard at:

Listen to or download the Majlis podcast above or subscribe to Majlis on iTunes.
The Pentagon says a suicide bomber attacked NATO's Bagram airfield in Afghanistan, killing four Americans and wounding many others.

The Defense Department said in a statement that the blast on November 12 killed two U.S. service members and two U.S. contractors, and 16 other U.S. service members were wounded.

A Polish soldier was also wounded.

Secretary of State John Kerry condemned the attack on the U.S. military's largest base in Afghanistan, calling it "abhorrent and cowardly."

He pledged to reporters while in New Zealand on November 13 that the U.S. mission in Afghanistan "will not be deterred by these individual acts."

The Defense Department gave few details about the location and circumstances of the blast.

A statement released by the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said the explosion occurred at the base north of Kabul at dawn on November 12, and that force-protection and medical teams were at the scene.

Local media reported that a man posing as a laborer got access to the base and detonated a suicide vest.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid posted a statement on Twitter claiming responsibility for the attack.

Bagram has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.

In December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six U.S. soldiers near the base.

It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.

Late on November 10, the Taliban carried out a suicide attack in the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif that killed four people and wounded more than 100.

About 10,000 U.S. troops are stationed at Bagram on a mission to support and train Afghan security forces.

With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP
The world's chemical arms watchdog took the unprecedented step of condemning Syria and the Islamic State group on November 11 for using toxic weapons.

The executive body of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons also voiced concern about "gaps and discrepancies" in Syria's 2013 declaration about the size of its toxic arms stockpile.

In a resolution adopted by a rare majority vote, it said it "condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic."

It pointed to findings by a recent joint investigation with the United Nations which concluded that Syria and IS had used chemical weapons in four documented incidents in 2014 and 2015.

The group urged Syria. which has denied using chemical weapons, "to comply fully with its obligations" under the chemical weapons ban treaty, which Damascus signed in 2013.

The group said the regime's chemical warfare must "desist immediately" and it demanded that Damascus authorize additional inspections of sites in Syria where further alleged incidents have been reported.

The group's mandate to investigate instances of chemical use in Syria expires next week, and diplomats said Russia likely will block an extension.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP


Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump are alike in being pragmatic and focused on solving problems.

"No one expects that relationship will improve in a fortnight between Moscow and Washington. We have a very heavy burden of disagreements on our shoulders. But nonetheless, if our two leaders...are wise enough to have a political will to talk to each other and to try to solve problems not by confronting each other, not by using, let's say language of sanctions or

other illogical things hurting both sides, then we really have a chance at least to talk and try to solve the problems," Peskov said.

"Actually, they seem to be very pragmatic, both of them. They point out as a main objective to protect national interests. We've heard Mr. Trump mentioning overwhelming priority of America's national interests, and the same is being proclaimed by President Putin," said Peskov, who is considered close to Putin.

"At the same time, they both expressed readiness to develop good relationships with other countries in the world... This is a very good, very positive coincidence."

Based on reporting by CNN and TASS
Igor Dodon, Moldova's pro-Russia Socialist Party leader, has claimed victory in the country's presidential election over pro-European candidate Maia Sandu.

The Central Election Commission said early on November 14 that with 98.5 percent of the ballots counted, Dodon was leading 54.06 percent to 45.94 percent for Sandu, the candidate from the Party for Action and Solidarity.

Dodon said at a press conference in Chisinau that "we can say that we won" and promised to be a president for all Moldovans, both those that support joining the EU and those that want closer ties to Moscow.

He said Sandu had waged a "tough but good fight" and asked her to help "calm down" society.

Officials said about 53.3 percent of registered voters cast ballots on November 13.



But there were lines of Moldovans who were not able to vote at the countrys embassies in London, Bucharest, Bologna, Moscow, and other cities because election officials did not send enough ballot papers.

Sandu called on elections officials to resign, claiming the elections had been poorly organized.

"Hundreds of people were not able to vote," she said. "Hundreds of citizens that traveled a long journey, that waited in the cold and rain and were not able to vote. Moldovan authorities didn't respect the constitutional right of Moldovan citizens...to be able to vote."

Despite the controversy, the margin of victory for Dodon appeared to be far larger than the number of Moldovans who were unable to vote at polling stations abroad -- voters considered to be largely in favor of Sandu.

Sandu also complained about the high number of people who voted in the breakaway region of Transdniester, a very pro-Russia region, where a reported 9,000 people cast ballots.

People who live in Transdniester, which has self-proclaimed itself an independent country, don't usually take part in Moldovan elections.

Political analysts had predicted that in the second round, Sandu needed to encourage a higher turnout by young pro-EU voters who did not cast ballots during the first-round vote on October 30.

They had estimated that turnout needed to be at least 54 percent on November 13 for Sandu to have any chance to win, and about 60 percent for her to have a strong chance of becoming the country's next president.

The vote is the first since 1997 in which Moldovas president is being elected by a national vote rather than by parliament.

Dodon, a former trade minister under a communist government, had about a 10-point lead over Sandu in the first round of voting in October but fell just short of gaining a majority to avoid the November 13 runoff.

Sandu, a former World Bank economist and education minister, has called for closer ties with the European Union and warned about the danger of a closer economic relationship with Russia, which is Moldovas leading energy supplier.

After casting her ballot in Chisinau on November 13, Sandu said she had "voted for the people who believe in civility, the truth, honest work, education, and decency."

Dodon said after voting on November 13 that he had cast his ballot for a "united, independent, and sovereign" Moldova, and against "those who want to destroy the Republic of Moldova."

In an earlier campaign speech Dodon had argued: "Life in Moldova has become unbearable. Our partnership with Russia has been destroyed [and] we lost access to a massive market."

Dodon wants to reverse the country's moves toward European integration, which includes a historic association agreement signed in 2014 despite bitter opposition from Russia.

He has been criticized in Ukraine for saying Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, is Russian territory.

Moscow fears Moldova moving closer to the European Union, similar to what happened in Ukraine in 2014.

Russia also has thousands of troops stationed in a disputed military presence in the mainly Russian-speaking territory of Transdniester, which broke away from Moldova following a short war that killed several hundred people.

Russia still keeps a contingent of troops ostensibly as peacekeepers in the breakaway region.

Sandu has called for Russia to withdraw the troops.

But opinion polls suggest that a banking corruption scandal in the country of 3.5 million sapped the enthusiasm of many Moldovans for European integration.

Moldova is one of Europes poorest countries, and economic conditions there only worsened by the turmoil that erupted in late 2014 when nearly $1 billion -- around 10 percent of the country's GDP -- disappeared from three banks.

Earlier this week, however, the International Monetary Fund approved nearly $180 million of loans to support Moldova  saying government reforms and an improving economy had strengthened the banking sector there.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and TASS
Peru's president told Russian Today that Pacific-rim countries should forge a new trade deal with China and Russia if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, as expected, scraps an agreement reached with President Barack Obama.

In the face of opposition from Trump and congressional Republicans, Obama on November 11 officially abandoned efforts to enact his 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, which as written excludes China and Russia.

"It can be replaced with a similar deal, but without the United States," Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a former Wall Street banker and free-trade advocate, told RT on November 11. "I think it'd be best to have an Asia-Pacific deal that includes China, and includes Russia as well... It'd have to be a new negotiation."

Peru next week will host an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, bringing together heads-of state from China, Russia, the United States, and Japan for the first time since Trump's unexpected election on November 8.

Obama plans to inform the other leaders that the trade deal's fate now rests in the hands of Trump, who campaigned on trashing the deal.

China already is pushing an alternative to Obama's agreement.

Based on reporting by Russia Today, Reuters, and Radio New Zealand


Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his countrys armed forces are not threatening anyone but are necessary to effectively provide for the security of our own country and people.

Putin made the comments on November 12 during a visit to a defense contractor in Yaroslavl.

The president noted that Russias military has increased many times over the number of drills it conducts, including snap drills, which for some reason from time to time worries our counterparts.

When they have drills, we do not worry, Putin said. But for some reason they begin worrying at once. They are so nervous.

There has been a sharp increase in the number of interactions between Russian and NATO military forces in recent months. On November 10, the Russian Navy said it forced a Dutch submarine that was allegedly near its naval task force in the eastern Mediterranean Sea to withdraw.

Such clumsy attempts to dangerously maneuver within the immediate proximity of a group of Russian vessels could lead to grave navigation accidents, a Russian Defense Ministry official said.

NATO countered that it is monitoring the flotilla in a measured and responsible way.

Bases on reporting by TASS, Interfax, and Reuters
Russian security officials say they have arrested 10 suspected terrorists during a special operation in Moscow and St. Petersburg on November 12.



The detainees were described as Central Asians, and the statement by the Federal Security Service noted the cooperation of the security agencies of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.



The service said that four powerful improvised explosive devices were found during the raids, as well as remote-control devices, firearms, ammunition, and communications devices.



Officials accused the detainees of having contacts with the Islamic State terrorist organization.



Russian-speaking fighters from ex-Soviet Central Asia and the Caucasus are among the largest groups operating in Syria and Iraq alongside lslamic State, and, in some cases, comprise the most potent fighting units there too.



Thats stoked worries in Moscow and Central Asian capitals that the battle-hardened fighters may return their home countries to commit terrorist attacks.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax
A Russian hacker who was convicted for his leading role in one of the largest data thefts in U.S. history has been released from prison after serving most of his 12-year sentence.

Vladimir Drinkman was released from a Pennsylvania jail on October 28, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons told RFE/RL.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not respond to an RFE/RL request for comment on whether Drinkman had been turned over for deportation, a process that can take up to several months. Drinkman's lawyer, Igor Litvak, declined to comment. RFE/RL could not immediately reach Drinkman.

Drinkman was a key member of a criminal hacking group that penetrated major U.S. corporations, including Heartland Payment Systems, which at the time it was breached in 2008 was one of the biggest U.S. payment-processing firms. The Heartland attack -- the largest breach in history at the time -- cost the payment company more than $200 million in losses.

Varonis, a U.S.-based cybersecurity firm, ranks the attack on Heartland among the 10 largest data breaches of all time.

Chuck Brooks, a cybersecurity expert and adjunct professor at Georgetown University, said the Heartland hack was a "wake-up call" for the payments and financial industries to enhance their cyberdefenses.



He said the breach led to stronger security policies, including a better understanding by CEOs and CFOs of the threats to business sustainability and reputation.

"After the breach, many companies added more stringent data and security policies, including encryption, multifactor authentication, and monitoring of systems and networks," Brooks told RFE/RL.

Heartland also later established the Payments Processing Information Sharing Council (PPISC), which serves as a forum for banks and payment processors to share information about breaches and compliance issues, he noted.

In addition to breaking into Heartland, the hacking gang also breached Nasdaq OMX Group, 7-Eleven, JC Penney, JetBlue Airways, and others, according to prosecutors. In total, they stole the data of more than 160 million credit cards, leading to more than $300 million in damages.

Greg Hunter, a Virginia-based lawyer who has represented cybercriminals from the former Soviet Union, said the Heartland case demonstrated the sophisticated evolution of Russian-speaking hackers.

"This was the beginning of specialization," Hunter told RFE/RL. "Rather than an individual hacker spending a lot of time stealing credit card data and then trying to monetize it, you had guys specializing in breaching the security apparatus of a site, others selling the data."

The appearance of hacker forums was critical to the phenomenon of a division of labor, he said.

Hacker sites "allowed these guys to find each other and work together. A guy who breaches banks could just focus on that, knowing he could find others to either help him know what to get and how to use it, or just buy his services outright," Hunter said.

Several of the most commonly used forums where hackers bought and sold stolen credit card data and traded tips included Cardplanet and Direct Connection. A Russian man, Aleksei Burkov, was extradited from Israel to the United States and later pleaded guilty in 2020 to U.S. charges related to his oversight of those forums.

He was deported to Russia last year.

According to U.S. court filings, Drinkman and another co-conspirator, Alexandr Kalinin, specialized in penetrating network security and gaining access to the corporate data systems. Drinkman along with a third man, Roman Kotov, also focused on mining the networks to steal valuable data.

Another Russian man, Dmitry Smilyanets, then sold the stolen credit card information on forums for $10 to $50 each and distributed the proceeds of the scheme to the others, according to prosecutors.

Kalinin and Kotov, both of whom are Russian citizens, are believed to still be in Russia.

Drinkman was arrested in the Netherlands in June 2012 at the request of the United States, along with Smilyanets.

While Smilyanets cooperated with U.S. authorities and arrived in the United States a few months after his arrest, Drinkman fought his extradition for more than a year.

Ultimately, Drinkman pleaded guilty in 2015 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, including time served since his arrest. It is one of the harshest sentences given to a Russian hacker.

Drinkman served a total of 10 years and four months, or 86 percent of his sentence. U.S. federal prisoners earn credit each year for good behavior and typically serve 85 percent of their sentence.

Smilyanets was sentenced to just time served, or less than six years, and currently resides in the United States, where he works as a cyberthreat intelligence analyst.

He declined to comment when contacted by RFE/RL.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has expressed a desire to hold a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the near future.

Trump made the comment in an interview published by The Wall Street Journal on November 12.

Trump said he had received an excellent letter from Putin, referring to a congratulatory telegram the Russian leader sent on November 9 expressing a desire to work to return Russian-American relations to a stable path of development.

Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told the U.S. television network CNN on November 11 that both Putin and Trump are very pragmatic.

At the same time, they both expressed readiness to develop good relationships with other countries, Peskov said. This is a very good, very positive coincidence.

Based on reporting by The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and TASS
15

Construction of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) is complete. In mid-November, the giant steel structure will start sliding into place over Chernobyl's old crumbling concrete sarcophagus. The end walls that will seal the covering will be built in 2017. When finished, the confinement structure is expected to keep radiation from leaking for the next 100 years.
The leader of a fledgling women's militia in northern Afghanistan says dozens of volunteers have joined the fight since a handful of women recently took up arms to rebuff a Taliban attack on their community.

Women in the district of Darz-Aab, in Jowzjan Province, initially fought alongside local forces to prevent the antigovernment militants from overrunning the village of Shahtoot in late October.

Their ranks have since grown to as many as 45 women, locals say, many of whom have sold livestock to buy guns.

Fifty-three-year-old Zarmina, the wife of a local police officer who so far commands the female fighters, said she and the other women had no other choice.

"The number of police personnel was too small, so we had to take up guns alongside our husbands," Zarmina told RFE/RL's Afghan Service. "As the Taliban attacked a police post, I put aside my scarf and fired from different places."

"I had 21 bullets and killed seven Taliban," she claimed.

The force comprises mainly ethnic Uzbeks and Aimaqs, a Persian-speaking minority in Jowzjan, a multiethnic province that borders Turkmenistan to the north.

Darz-Aab Governor Ramatullah Hashar said local officials, tribal elders, and villagers threw a ceremony in a show of support for the women's initiative.

"The area where these women dare to fight against the Taliban is located about 20 kilometers from the district center, and we have encouraged them," Hashar said. "They have been welcomed by villagers and elders of their tribes."

All-Female Militia

Halimah Sadaf, a member of the provincial council, told RFE/RL that some of the all-female militia members in Shahtoot are among the 51 women in the area who fought against Soviet troops in the 1980s.

"Darz-Aab was one of the main areas where the [mujahedin] rose up against the Soviet invasion," Sadaf said, "so the women in this area are able to fight, are able to lead, and they are courageous."

Local officials have urged the government to supply the female fighters with weapons and other equipment.

But more importantly, they said, the local police force needs reinforcement.

"We have 1,600 police in Jowzjan, which is not enough," Mohammad Razaghafori, spokesman of the provincial governor, said. "Conditions have changed now, and [the government] needs to increase the number of local and national police to ensure security in all districts so that women don't have to fight."

Security in the Darz-Aab district has been worsening in recent months, with the Taliban stepping up attacks on Afghan national forces across the country.

The Darz-Aab governor said last month that fighters affiliated with the militant group Islamist State (IS), which controls swaths of Syria and Iraq and claims to be creating a global caliphate, had also increased operations in that district and had captured several villages.

Afghan First Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum, who is currently leading the military campaign against the Taliban in northern Afghanistan, warned that IS is planning to bring 7,000 fighters to the country's north.



This report was prepared by Alim Rahmanyar, translated by Safiullah Stanikzai, and written by Antoine Blua.
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On 12 November Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory letter to ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Russian Federation Oleg Yesayan in connection with his 70th birthday anniversary, Central Information Department of the Office of the Artsakh Republic President stated.

November 12, 2016, 10:35 Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory letter to ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary Oleg Yesayan

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 12, ARTSAKHPRESS: The letter runs as follows:

"Respectful Mr. Yesayan,

On behalf of the people and authorities of Artsakh and personally myself I congratulate You on Your 70th birthday anniversary, a memorable jubilee, that is a good opportunity to evaluate Your passed way.

You earned that right being beside native people in the hardest moments and devoting Yourself selflessly to the patriotic mission of realizing our national goals.

Occupying high and responsible positions both in Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia including the position of NKR first prime-minister and NKR National Assembly chairman You have contributed Your knowledge and experience of political and state figure to the formation and development of our newly-independent republic.

I once again congratulate You and wish peace, robust health, success and all the best".
Henrico County police are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred in the 1100 block of Wilkinson Road.

Police said a 911 call came in about 10 p.m. Friday for a shooting at the Tobacco Town store in the Chamberlayne Farms shopping center.

The arriving officers found an employee on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound. Henrico fire and EMS treated the victim, but he died at the scene.

The victim was identified as 35-year-old Rajulbhai Raj Patel.
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ALROSA kicks off Investment Diamonds Project

11 november 2016 News

Andrey Zharkov, President of ALROSA (PJSC), the worlds largest diamond miner by volume in carats, approved the plan of actions to implement the companys Investment Diamonds Project.

Currently, ALROSA is completing procedures to systematize its internal document flow system comprising work and labor contracts for cutting diamonds and transition of diamonds within the company, as well as making necessary amendments to the companys accounting policy.

ALROSA started to prepare polished goods for exchange trade last October, including in particular their selection and identification. The project will be presented to general public in March 2017. ALROSA plans to start retail trading in investment diamonds in 2018.

"The aim of the investment diamond selling project is to support Russias diamond manufacturing industry, as well as to create a market employing investment properties of diamonds," says Andrey Zharkov, President of ALROSA.




Rapaport Statement on the U.S. Election Results

11 november 2016 News

(Rapaport) - America is moving to a new future based on different values and priorities. Trumps triumph will have a major impact on political, social and economic conditions. A tidal wave of disruption, filled with challenges and opportunities, is coming our way.

Trumps election is the victory of the angry majority of Americans demanding change. They want to break away from the past and will demand a radical overhaul of U.S. regulatory, trade, and foreign policy. The war against the political establishment and the policies of the past has been won. America has spoken decisively, electing a Republican President, Senate and House of Representatives.

Long standing political and economic relationships will come under pressure as Washington moves to more forceful America first policies. Americas trade and foreign policy will prioritize local beneficiation over globalization. America will no longer sacrifice its priorities for the benefit of the old global political order.

Trumpism will have major impact on the U.S. and global economy. Socialist policies will be replaced with a new capitalist approach to government and the economy. Political powers will realign to create new economic opportunities for Americans. Lower taxes, higher domestic employment and the end of Obamacare will increase disposable income and encourage investment in local businesses. This will fuel new domestic economic growth.

We are witnessing a perfect storm of unprecedented uncertainty. Markets will play an increasingly important role valuating greater risk and adapting to change. While the new order may not guarantee prosperity it does guarantee a fundamental change in direction and priorities for the U.S. and the world. For many, it offers hope for a better future.

The diamond and jewelry trade will benefit from the new regime. Increases in disposable income and new businesses will create a more prosperous middle class and greater numbers of wealthy consumers. Global uncertainty will increase demand for investment diamonds as a store of wealth.

President-elect Trumps victory, while positively dangerous, sets the stage for growth and development. We expect changes that will have long term impact on the future of America and the world.






Michael McFaul, a U.S. ex-ambassador, Michael McFaul, reportedly said that he has been banned from traveling to Russia.



McFaul announced via social media that he has been placed on "the Kremlin's sanctions list", that prevent him from traveling to Russia.



He said the ban was due to his close affiliation with US President Barack Obama.



He said that he had applied for a Russian visa to travel to Moscow in December, in order to do transition work for the Hillary Clinton presidency before she lost the race to Donald Trump on November 9.

"Hope that I am not on the Russia travel ban list forever. Since 1983, I've been living in and travelling to that country," he said in a public post on Facebook.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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By SA Commercial Prop News - I-Net Bridge

Coega Development Corporation, operator of the Coega IDZ outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, says it expects more investor deals this year.



The Coega Development Corporation, operator of the Coega IDZ outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, says it expects more investor deals this year.

The corporation's spokesperson Ayanda Vilakazi said some of the highlights expected in the year included the First Automotive Works Group (FAW), which confirmed plans to expand into the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) with an investment totalling R677-million.

FAW will start with 5,000 medium to heavy commercial vehicles and 30,000 passenger and light commercial vehicles in subsequent phases. The official signing and sod turning ceremony is planned for the first quarter of 2012.

The Coega Development Corporation is the operator of the Coega IDZ outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Established in 1999 the corporation is owned by government.

Vilakazi said Coega's investment account currently reflected a total of R140 billion in investment value, comprising R7.5 billion in investments that are currently being implemented, R5.8-billion in delayed projects, R1.2 billion towards operational expenses, R8.1 billion currently being negotiated and those still in feasibility stages were worth a whooping R116.3-billion.

The German-based EAB Astrum Energy signed an agreement with the corporation in the third quarter of 2011 for the development of a 13MW Photo Voltaic (PV) solar farm and has already commenced with the environmental permitting process. EAB will bid in the second round of the Department of Energy's renewable energy procurement process to become the preferred bidder next month.

"Moreover, GDF Suez from France has signed an agreement to construct a 330MW power peaking plant in the IDZ. They are awaiting a generating license and power purchasing agreement (PPA) before construction can commence in earnest. A total of 1,000 construction jobs will be created.

"AGNI Steel commenced construction in April 2011 and is on track to commission their mild steel billet plant in June 2012. Only platforms were planned for the 2011 calendar year and a custom shell/top structure will be erected during 2012," the corporation said.
Several local companies successful in Best of the Best awards
It is no secret that the American Presidential election fever has gripped the world. Despite being far, far away on these remote shores of Samoa, it has been hard to escape the election mania. It is the one thing people have been talking about for the past few days.

Donald Trumps stunning upset against all the odds has heightened the public interest in what has been a very interesting campaign. The fact is this election  and the shocking outcome with regards to how Trump overcame the so-called projections to win  will continue to be the topic of conversation for the next few weeks, months and possibly years to come.

And thats understandable especially given the fact that just about everybody got it wrong. As a matter of fact, as this piece was being compiled yesterday, there was a story about the pollsters calling an emergency meeting to find out just how they got it so wrong.

We know polls based on public opinion are not the be all and end all judgment when it comes to these matters but youd expect them to be reliable to an extent. In this case, they were all wrong. It will certainly be interesting to learn more and find out what exactly happened.

Away from all the questions, the excitement and the protests though, there is one aspect about the American election I personally admire. That is the humility and the spirit with which the candidates immediately come together when they know their rival has had the better of them.

Indeed, what stood out for me was the manner in which Hillary Clinton and incumbent President Barack Obama swallowed the bitterness of defeat and accepted the unthinkable that Trump had actually won. This reflects the maturity of the American democracy, one that is the envy of the world.

Folks, its easy to remain positive when you win. Losing, however, is a different matter altogether. It takes character and class to remain poised when all you really want to do is break down and cry.

But we dont see that in the American election  with the candidates at least.

Over the years, weve seen some pretty awkward concession speeches at the end of the Presidential election. Weve heard plenty of speeches with venom  the types that clearly reflect the sore losers in the candidates.

But Hillary Clinton remained all class in her concessionary speech, albeit a day later.

Last night I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country. I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans, she said.

I know how disappointed you feel, because I feel it, too. And so do tens of millions of Americans who invested their hopes and dreams in this effort. This is painful, and it will be for a long time.

But I want you to remember this: Our campaign was never about one person or even one election. It was about the country we love and about building an America thats hopeful, inclusive and bighearted.

We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought, but I still believe in America, and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.

Wow what class. It wasnt just Hillary Clinton though. Now listen to President Barack Obama.

Now, it is no secret that the president-elect and I have some pretty significant differences, he said. But remember, eight years ago President Bush and I had some pretty significant differences. But President Bushs team could not have been more professional or more gracious in making sure we had a smooth transition so that we could hit the ground running.

And one thing you realize quickly in this job is that the presidency and the vice presidency is bigger than any of us. So I have instructed my team to follow the example that President Bushs team set eight years ago, and work as hard as we can to make sure that this is a successful transition for the president-elect.

Because we are now all rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country. The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.

And in rallying the country to get behind Trump, Obama said: Now, everybody is sad when their side loses an election, but the day after we have to remember that were actually all on one team. This is an intramural scrimmage. Were not Democrats first. Were not Republicans first. We are Americans first. Were patriots first.

We all want whats best for this country. Thats what I heard in Mr. Trumps remarks last night. Thats what I heard when I spoke to him directly. And I was heartened by that. Thats what the country needs -- a sense of unity, a sense of inclusion, a respect for our institutions, our way of life, rule of law, and respect for each other.

But it wasnt just one-way traffic. Even Trump acknowledged his rivals and paid tribute to them.

Listen to him: Ive just received a call from Secretary Clinton. She congratulated us  its about us  on our victory, and I congratulated her and her family on a very, very hard-fought campaign. I mean, she  she fought very hard.

Hillary has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time, and we owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country. I mean that very sincerely.

Now its time for America to bind the wounds of division; have to get together. To all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people. Its time. I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important to me.

Indeed, if America is such a world leader in most things, politicians from Samoa  and all over the world for that matter  would do well to observe and learn from their example when it comes to humility, accepting defeat.

Politics is ruthless but at the end of the day, politicians are people with feelings. They have families to go home to.

Its certainly a lesson for the politicians of this country who expend so much money and resources on election petitions. Sometimes youve just got to admit that your competitor was better. We cannot win all the time. But we can be gracious in defeat and prove to be the better person.

Have a wonderful weekend Samoa, God bless!
The sultriest rich chocolate infused with hints of tropical flavors that only Samoa is known for has just hit the market.

Yesterday, Wilex Samoa launched its first line of hand-picked premium line of chocolate and cocoa products: Koko Loa.

The name Koko Loa was inspired by the Samoan legend of Tagaloa, the Samoan mythical creator of the universe and the heaven, and its connection with the aiga (family) of the founders of Wilex-Samoa , Tagaloa Eddie Wilson- hence Koko Loa- Heaven Sent with Alofa from Samoa.

The Koko Loa line consist of the Samoan Origin 72%, Fruit and Nut which is infused with locally grown products like mango and papaya and the lama nut. Finally, the most popular, Coconut Milk Chocolate. The line also features exquisite cocoa powders: Premium and Pacific Brand Cocoa.

Wilex Samoa is an award winning, locally family owned business, and has overcome massive obstacles to be the pioneers of the koko industry that they are today. Before moving to their factory to Lelata, the family started their journey of making award winning chocolates in Moataa.

However, in 2003 the factory was destroyed by fire.

Being the headstrong ambitious business man that he is, Mr. Wilson picked up and moved the factory to Lelata to start anew. Again, tragedy struck in 2012 when Cyclone Evan ravished the facilities.

For a weaker person, this may have been a sign to give up, but not for Mr. Wilson.

He regrouped and started from scrap as he did before. He cited that another meaning behind the name Koko Loa, was that it was the mighty strength of Tagaloa that pushed him to continue to pursue his dream. In his own words , Mr. Wilson said, You would think anybody else would give up, Tagaloa Lagi said, No, continue to do it. And 13 years later, the dream is revived.

Just recently, Wilex received a  Business Accelerator Award under the Pacific Cooperation Foundation in New Zealand as well as the Exporter of the Year back in 2003.

Wilex Samoa proves they are just as invested in growing the local farming industry as it is in making succulent chocolates. A long term dream for the founders is to better the lives of local farmers by offering them a sustainable market. As his lucrative koko Samoa continues to prosper, Mr. Wilson unselfishly encourages other local farmers to plant more koko. He is working in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture as well as local farming associations to build the production of koko in Samoa.

In the not so distant future, we are going to come up with a 100% Samoa made chocolate and all the ingredients will be from here, said Mr. Wilson. We can never grow enough koko Samoa. The whole world wants what we produce.

The delicately crafted chocolates are available at the Sheraton Hotels, Wilex Factory in Lelata, and will soon be available online and at exclusive boutique stores.
Corruption and how to address it was on the agenda for Members of Parliament who attended an integrity workshop at Taumeasina Island Resort yesterday.

Organised by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (U.N.D.O.C) and the UN Development Programme (U.N.D.P) under the UN Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (U.N.P.R.A.C) Project, the workshop for Members of Parliament was to introduce the UN Convention against Corruption (U.N.C.A.C), which Samoa has yet to ratify.

More than twenty Members of Parliaments including Associate Ministers were in attendance. Part of the workshop was led by Chair of Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (G.O.P.A.C) Oceania, John Hyde, focusing on ways to strengthen the integrity of Parliament and its members.

The discussion was stimulating

But it was the suggestion that Samoa become a member of G.O.P.A.C which is free of charge as opposed to the Inter Parliament Union (I.P.U) and Commonwealth Parliament Association (C.P.A) that led to some concerns from the M.Ps.

One of them was former Finance Minister and Member of Parliament for Palauli ile Falefa, Faumuina Tiatia Liuga. He pointed out that being a member of I.P.U and C.P.A requires Samoa to pay fees. Faumuina questioned Mr. Hyde if he was trying to lure us to join free of charge.

That is a conflict of interest, its corruption, said Faumuina.

A former Member for Perth West Australian Parliament, Mr Hyde disagreed.

He told Faumuina that another way of looking at it is the I.P.U is using Samoan money that perhaps it doesnt need.

With G.O.P.AC there are no real costs involved, insisted Mr. Hyde.

So the cost of this meeting is being funded through investment by the United Nations. Other parliaments may have to pay for meetings when they are able to.

But Faumuina was not satisfied. He pointed out that U.N. money is also taxpayers money from other countries.

You mention something that youd be touching on benefits for us to become members of G.O.P.A.C so its a conflict of interest, he said.

But Mr. Hyde clarified that you are not going to get money for being a G.O.P.A.C member.

The benefits are your improvement in terms of knowledge base as a Member of Parliament. All these workshops you do whether its on population development on health, on finance its about increasing your knowledge.

The G.O.P.A.C Oceania Chair explained that they are not trying to tell the M.Ps how to vote for anything.

Im not telling you what is right and wrong, he said. But its trying to increase your knowledge on integrity policy within government right to information, freedom of information, anti money laundering. There is no personal benefit.

Faumuina also emphasised that in a small island like Samoa everyone is related and the context of corruption differs. He said whatever is discussed in Parliament it is for the benefit of all.

Because Samoa is a family we cannot separate them from us, said Faumuina.

In that context of corruption  meaning we are not allowed to make laws in Parliament because we are all related. I understand Niue is even smaller with less than 20,000 people. How can you define corruption in the context of counter tradition and belief of Christianity?

Again Mr. Hyde explained that although everyone is related but the issue isnt that you are related to people that will benefit from a hospital for an example.

The issue is transparency. If your brother in law is going to be the best road builder in Samoa so on merit he gets the contract to build a new airport. Its about transparency.

The M.P. for Urban West, Faumuina Wayne Fong suggested that what is defined as corruption should be categorised on different levels from low to extreme.

He said a different basket for different levels of corruption should be done instead of labeling everyone as being part of such corruption.

The M.P. for Vaisigano No. 1, Lopaoo Natanielu Mua, wanted to know what the terms are for Samoa to join U.N.C.A.C.

Lopaoo questioned the consistency of methods presented with big economies.

Look at the American election two days ago. Some $25million was donated by big companies to the campaign, he said.

They buy their own safety and I find it very insulting. Its not healthy that big economies and countries are trying to sell this to us and yet they openly practice it.

Whats going on here is not consistent with the methods you are trying to tell us to change our Constitution that will counter some of the elements that contradicts with our methods and agreements.

Lopaoo said some of the biggest democratic countries in the world are openly practicing corruption. He did not name any of the countries.

In response, Mr. Hyde said its not about U.N.C.A.C trying to change the Constitution.

Its the good things that Samoa is doing already that are best practice within the UN Convention, he said.

The UN Convention doesnt try to change the Constitution - it encourages you to look at what are the gaps in your country.

What can we do better if we could oversee businesses taking money out of Samoa and hiding it overseas. The Convention makes it easier for you to get with the U.S government to get your Samoan money back.

Its not about changing and its not about ranking one country is less corrupt as the other, its looking at what are your values.

Again this is first meeting with parliamentary on Integrity and you are going to have to decide because you make the laws.

The workshop aimed to inform Parliamentarians on the requirements and good practices of anti-corruption implementation including the adoption of U.N.C.A.C, stimulate further strengthening of integrity in Samoa, consistent with U.N.C.A.C, explore the establishment of a G.O.P.A.C Chapter in Samoa and raise awareness of the assistance available to Samoa in implementing under the U.N.P.R.A.C project.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump isn't going to rip up the Iran nuclear deal on day one as president, but his vows to renegotiate the terms and increase enforcement could imperil an agreement that has put off the threat of Tehran developing atomic weapons. Emboldened Republican lawmakers are already considering ways to test Iran's resolve to live up to the deal.

As a candidate, Trump issued a variety of statements about last year's pact. He called it "stupid," a "lopsided disgrace" and the "worst deal ever negotiated," railing against its time-limited restrictions on Iran's enrichment of uranium and other nuclear activity, and exaggerating the scale of U.S. concessions.

Trump said that he doesn't want to simply tear up the agreement. Instead, he spoke of reopening the diplomacy and declared that unlike President Barack Obama's diplomats, he would have been prepared to walk away from talks.

Trump's exact plans are vague, however, and a renegotiation would be difficult. Iran has little incentive to open talks over a deal it is satisfied with. And none of the other countries in the seven-nation accord has expressed interest in picking apart an understanding that took more than a decade of stop-and-go diplomacy and almost two full years of negotiation to complete.

As Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said: If the U.S. tears up the agreement, "we will light it on fire." President Hassan Rouhani said this week no country could simply change what was agreed, pointing to a U.N. Security Council resolution that endorsed the package.

The deal, which went into effect in January, forced Iran to pull back from the brink of nuclear weapons capacity in exchange for an end to many of the U.S. and European sanctions that devastated Iran's economy. It has been largely respected despite undiminished U.S.-Iranian tensions throughout the Middle East, including their support for rival sides in Syria and Yemen's civil wars.

Each side has leverage: Iran doesn't want a new onslaught of U.S.-led economic pressure and America would be alarmed by any Iranian escalation of its nuclear program. But the accord rests on fragile ground, with powerful constituencies in Washington and Tehran vehemently opposed and looking for any excuse to break it apart. In such a climate, it's unclear what Trump's demands for a renegotiation might mean.

"The agreement is valid only as long as all parties uphold it," State Department spokesman Mark Toner acknowledged Wednesday in the agency's first briefing since Trump's stunning election victory over Hillary Clinton to become the 45th president.

Last summer, Walid Phares, a Trump adviser on the Middle East, said Trump wouldn't pull out of an agreement with America's "institutional signature," but rather revise elements through one-on-one negotiations with Iran or with a larger grouping of allies.

Daryl Kimball, executive director of the pro-deal Arms Control Association, said that re-litigating the deal would unsettle American allies, with no clear picture of what Trump would be trying to accomplish.

Trump could also send the deal to Congress, whose Republican majority has opposed it.

GOP lawmakers are examining a slew of possible actions. Among the likeliest pieces of legislation is one targeting sectors of Iran's economy supporting ballistic missile work, including those specifically exempted from sanctions under the nuclear deal. Another goes after Iran's Revolutionary Guard for its military activity in Syria and support of terrorism.

Iran could use either as an excuse to push past the limits of the nuclear deal, which may partly explain Republican motivations.

Trump has largely avoided talk of killing the agreement, but has said he would police the deal "so tough they don't have a chance."

The U.N. nuclear agency has confirmed minor Iranian violations, specifically on its stockpiling of heavy water that can be used in plutonium production. It has faced no punishment. Iran also has repeatedly breached a ballistic missile ban that was extended for eight years under the nuclear deal, prompting some limited sanctions from Washington.

The Obama administration has been hamstrung. Determined to protect the president's foreign policy legacy, it has gone above and beyond the agreement's stipulation that no new nuclear-related sanctions be introduced.

When Yemen's Iran-backed Shiite rebels fired missiles at U.S. Navy vessels, the retaliatory action didn't extend to Tehran. Nor has Iran faced repercussions for joining Syria and Russia's offensive in Aleppo, which has drawn U.S. charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

And whenever top Iranian officials have complained about the speed and scope of their post-deal economic recovery, top Obama officials like Secretary of State John Kerry have served as pitchmen to international banks and companies hesitant about investing in Iran.

"It is a whole new reality," said Mark Dubowitz, an Iran sanctions proponent at the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies. What does he expect from Trump? "No more free lunches for the Iranians, no more unilateral concessions, no more excuses."
Tijuana is in one of the biggest residential building periods of the last decade and, despite some possible plans under a Trump presidency, most industry watchers arent worried.

The Mexican border town has benefited from its proximity to San Diego County and the American dollars many of its residents earn.

Roughly 2,000 condos are being built over the next two years in Tijuana and real estate agency Probien, which is handling much of the sales, says about half the buyers are Mexicans who work in California.

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Sergio Gonzalez, business developer for Probien, said Trumps triumph would not stop Tijuanas growth and instead presented a new opportunity for those paid in American dollars to get more for their money in Mexico.

We see it as a positive thing because theres nothing we can do about it, Gonzalez said. A Trump (presidency) cannot stop so many projects.

Many Tijuana residents are worried about growing numbers of U.S. deportees ending up in their city, what ending or retooling the North American Free Trade Agreement could mean and the implications of a new border wall.

While short-term anxiety is expected that really doesnt slow demand for homes in Tijuana, said Gary London, San Diego real estate consultant and program steering member of Urban Land Institutes San Diego-Tijuana branch.

However, he said the affordability for homes for Mexicans, especially new condos in Tijuana, is still unclear.

The challenge is going to be to get warm bodies that can afford these homes into these units. I think that was a challenge on Monday and a challenge on Friday, London said. Theres very little historical basis to understand whether high-rise condos can sell in Tijuana.

For Mexicans in Tijuana without a job in the U.S., the ability to buy one of the new condos could be tough if current trends continue. The peso has continued to drop to record lows since Trump was proclaimed winner. It hit 21 pesos per dollar on Friday afternoon, dropping roughly 13 percent since Tuesday night.

On the American side of the border, some economists have suggested investing in Mexico is cheap now, with the theory the peso will eventually go back up.

New condos in the Mexican city are going for around $200,000 to $300,000, which is much less than what the average new condo is going for across the border in San Diego County. Still, Probien says Americans make up less than 2 percent of sales.

Considering Tijuana already has a wall on the border, most in the industry said any border wall construction by Trump will probably not affect them.

Much of the funding for Tijuanas new development is coming from Mexico City, as opposed to foreign companies. Even with a reduced peso, Probiens Gonzalez said the pent-up demand for housing in Tijuana would keep investors very interested.

It is estimated more than $100 million will be invested in Tijuana condos over the next three years, according to Hector Bustamante, director general of Bustamante Realty Group.

Bustamante said Tijuanas real estate market will remain resilient to a Trump presidency because it is selling almost entirely to locals, and the projects are from Mexican builders.

There is an optimistic future in all stages of real estate development in Baja, he said. Tijuana is one of the most attractive cites to invest in all of Mexico and we are experiencing a boom.

Theres other indication that investment in Mexico under a Trump presidency will not slow.

Jorge Perez, CEO of Miami-based real estate developer The Related Group, told Forbes Mexico this week he plans to invest $100 million in Mexico for luxury real estate developments. Argentinian-born Perez is a personal friend of Trump and a billionaire.

No word on if that investment would include Tijuana, instead telling the magazine he was focused on Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara.

phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar

ALSO

What will a President Trump mean for SoCal Housing?

UPDATES:

Nov. 17: An original version of the article said Artha Capital, developer of the Bajalta project, did not respond to inquiries. It was the result of miscommunication.
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Q:Im confused between rules and CC&Rs. Our board, over the years, has implemented new rules. How is this different than making changes to the CC&Rs, which would require homeowner approval? For example, the board passed a rule prohibiting playing in the street. When I bought my house, there was no such prohibition. Now, after my kids started playing in the streets, they prohibit it. I didnt get to vote on this. Can the board just implement new rules whenever they want?  R.D., Vista.

A:CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions) are generally amended by a membership vote, while operating rules are created and amended only by vote of the board. Civil 5350 requires operating rules be written, and per Sections 4205 and 4350(c) cannot conflict with the CC&Rs or bylaws.

Boards can adopt and change rules but should consider the communitys desires. Civil 4360(a) requires the verbatim text of any proposed rule change be published at least 30 days before the vote to approve the change. At the meeting to vote on the change, the board must per Civil 4360(b) provide an open forum opportunity on the proposed change. The board should heed member input, because, if the board seriously misreads the communitys desire, the members can under Section 4365 petition for a membership meeting to overturn the rule change. A majority of a quorum of the entire membership can vote to overturn the change. So no, directors cannot do whatever they want  they must always keep an ear open to the community.

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However, most lawyers would strongly recommend against allowing recreation in the streets, due to safety concerns.

QWhere is there, in any writing of CC&Rs, or in bylaws, the notion that an homeowners association board can determine, on its own, what is beneficial to the homeowners group by enacting its own self-sustaining policies? Where do they have the authority to make determinations on what will reduce homeowner conflict, and what can they cite in legal terms to give themselves that mandate?

Where, if anywhere, in CC&Rs or in bylaws, is disciplinary confidentiality granted to the board?  S.F., San Diego

A:Boards are required to have at least five different types of written rules  architectural application policies (per Civil 4765(a)(1)), assessment collection policies (Civil 5310(a)(7)), internal dispute resolution procedures (Civil 5905), election rules (Civil 5105) and a schedule of fines (Civil 5850). In addition to these required rules, a board may under Civil 4350 adopt other operating rules which are deemed beneficial for the community. Associations need this flexibility, because the CC&Rs are hard to amend and cannot anticipate every issue.

Certain board items concerning members must be confidential, including disciplinary or reimbursement assessment hearings, assessment foreclosure votes, and delinquent member proposed payment plans. The law allows those matters to be in closed session, protecting the privacy of the involved homeowner. No law specifically requires that disciplinary actions be confidential. However, nothing is gained from potentially embarrassing the complainer or the subject of the complaint. The goal of discipline is to stop the objectionable conduct.

The superlative board, manager and counsel follow the letter of the law but also act with an eye toward decreasing conflict. Keeping the process confidential helps.

Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. is a Fellow of the College of Community Association Lawyers and Managing Partner of Richardson Harman Ober PC, a law firm known for community association advice. Submit questions to KRichardson@RHOpc.com. Past columns at www.HOAHomefront.com.
A small but enthusiastic crowd supporting President-elect Donald Trump and local veterans waved flags and signs, and shouted to passing cars, during a rally outside the main gate of Camp Pendleton on Friday.

We thought this would be a good way to honor our veterans on Veterans Day and support our new commander-in-chief, said organizer Jeff Schwilk, founder of San Diegans for Secure Borders and a Trump backer.

Participants came and went during the two-hour roadside event, which at its peak had roughly 20 participants. Many of the passersby honked their horns or gave the thumbs-up sign as they passed the jovial group.

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Oceanside resident Mari Hayden, a retired accountant and property manager, said she worked for 18 months to help Donald Trump win Tuesdays election, by attending rallies, going door-to-door, and calling people on the telephone.

I totally believe in the power of prayer, Hayden said, And my prayers were answered.

Another flag-waver was Steven Morales, a San Diego resident who participated after seeing a notice on Facebook. He wore a red Make America Great Again ball cap and carried his 1-year-old son, Steven Jr., in a backpack.

Im happy to be a part of it, Morales said.

Morales said hes a Latino and third-generation American who likes Trumps idea of building a wall between the United States and Mexico.

My parents and grandparents were all Texans, born and raised, he said.

I love the idea that he wants to change Washington, Morales said of the president-elect. Hes willing to do the things that no other president will do  hell drain the swamp.

Three young Marines driving onto the Marine Corps base stopped briefly to thank the demonstrators.

Everyone here really supports our military, and we need that, said Lance Cpl. Frank Profaci, 22, whos from New York City. We havent had that in a long time.

He and his fellow Marines like Trump because they believe he will support the military and civilian police officers, Profaci said.

Trumps comments about women shouldnt bother anyone, said another Marine, Ben Rotes, 21, a PFC from Fullerton.

He doesnt have a filter, and I love that, Rotes said. He says what needs to be said.

What about the failed Trump University?

Everybody has done some things theyre not proud of, Rotes said. I know I have.

Melissa Kraus of Oceanside called Trump a leader thats going to fight for us. Hell build a wall and make us stronger.

She was at the rally with her mother, Debbie Kraus. Both women said they believe Trumps opponent, Hillary Clinton, was not qualified to be president and should be in prison for some of the things she has done.

The peaceful rally at Camp Pendletons gate was dwarfed by a number of large, impromptu demonstrations opposing Trump in major cities including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles since Tuesdays election.

Nearly 200 people were arrested in Los Angeles late Thursday and early Friday, mostly for vandalism or disobedience of police.

philip.diehl@sduniontribnue.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
With more than 20 breweries debuting across San Diego County this year, its no wonder beer fans chase the latest while seeking the greatest.

But as the eighth annual San Diego Beer Week ends Sunday, lets revisit a cooler-ful of classics that transformed a local cottage industry into an international juggernaut.

San Diego County, where Karl Strauss launched the modern beer industry in 1989, is now home to 130 breweries. Four locals  Stone, Ballast Point, Green Flash and Strauss  rank among the nations 50 largest craft breweries.

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Last month, county brewers came home from Denvers annual Great American Beer Festival with 18 medals, as many as all the breweries from Missouri, New York, New Jersey and Texas combined.

While most of our breweries are modest in scale, San Diego beer is big business. In 2015, it generated more than $850 million in sales and employed 4,512 people.

Literally thousands of unique beers are made here. Choosing the best is an impossible task. But spotlighting five that altered how beer is marketed, sold and appreciated?

Sure, we can do that. Here are five that put San Diego on the international beer map.

Beer: Red Trolley (5.8 percent alcohol by volume)

Brewery: Karl Strauss Brewing Co.

Year: 1989

Back story: After decades as a solid local performer, Red Trolley enjoyed a late-in-life renaissance that helped broaden San Diego beers reputation.

Introduced as a Christmas ale during Karl Strauss first year, it was an immediate hit  locally. Thanks to limited distribution and the brewerys ban on entering competitions, it was relatively unknown outside San Diego County.

When the brewery dropped its ban, though, Red Trolleys reputation soared. Re-branded as an Irish red ale, it swept that category at the 2010 World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival.

More gold medals followed at the 2012 World Beer Cup and 13 Great American Beer Festival.

Impact: By the time Red Trolley rolled into competition, San Diego was already known for brewing excellence  primarily due to hoppy India Pale Ales and robust stouts.

Red Trolley expanded this palate while affirming the brewerys decision to compete. (That decision paid off this year, when Karl Strauss was named best American mid-sized brewery at the Great American Beer Festival.)

While not taking a medal this year, Red Trolley is the brewerys best-selling beer. Despite the ales new identity and several updated labels, the recipe remains the same as it was in 1989.

I have gone to great lengths to ensure that it stays the same, said Paul Segura, Karl Strauss brewmaster. I would get in great trouble if it changed. I would lose my job.



Beer: Arrogant Bastard Ale (7.2 percent alcohol by volume)

Brewery: Stone Brewing

Year: 1996

Back story: Although Stone co-founder Steve Wagner made this beer before the brewery opened in July 1996, it was not released until November 1997.

The Bastards parents figured it was too extreme for public consumption.

There was no indication in the brewing industry, even on the fringes of craft brewing, that such an intense beer would have any place, said Wagners business partner, Greg Koch.

Yet Arrogant Bastard was a hit, paving the way for more strong ales (and more beers with racy names, such as Raging Bitch Ale from Marylands Flying Dog).

Impact: Arrogant Bastard cemented Stones irreverent, rebellious reputation. Clearly, this wasnt your parents PBR or Miller Lite.

Instead, this brew was pugnacious  and tough. Stone defeated attempts to ban Arrogant Bastard in Indiana and Ohio, where state officials argued the name was obscene.

The label is also provocative. The text opens with a challenge: This is an aggressive beer. You probably wont like it. And it closes with an insult: Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make a beer taste better. Perhaps youre mouthing your words as you read this.

Ignoring Madison Avenue, Arrogant Bastards snarky gospel was spread by word of mouth. In 2015, Stone established Arrogant Brewing to promote the original Bastard and its offspring, including Double Bastard and Wussie, a pilsner.



Beer: Speedway Stout (12 percent alcohol by volume)

Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Co.

Year: 2001

Back story: In 1998, a fan asked brewer Skip Virgilio to make a coffee-laced stout. Virgilio, then AleSmiths owner, complied with modest batches in December 98 and March 99.

While potent  the second version came in at 8.5 percent  those beers were no match for the Russian Imperial Stouts the brewer savored during the 2001 strong ale festival at Pizza Port Carlsbad.

In December 2001, Virgilio produced a massive Russian Imperial Stout: Speedway. Roasted malts, dark Ryan Bros. coffee, silky texture, a 12 percent alcohol wallop  this was a stout on steroids, unlike anything seen before.

I give Skip credit for creating a true masterpiece, said Peter Zien, who bought AleSmith from Virgilio in July 2002. Weve been doing Speedway ever since.

A portion of Speedway is still aged in bourbon barrels, just as Virgilio did 14 years ago when this was a rare practice.

I sort of give him credit for starting that whole barrel-aged craze, Zien said.

Impact: Once heralded as the worlds best beer by ratebeer.com, Speedway has won numerous awards, including a silver medal at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival.

Its a steady seller with surprisingly broad appeal.

Year after year, Speedway is either No. 1 or No. 2, Zien said. And theres no typical Speedway drinker. Young ladies will come in and say, Give me a Speedway.



Beer: Sculpin IPA (7 percent alcohol by volume)

Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits

Year: 2005

Back story: In an August 2015 document filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Ballast Point listed its strengths and weaknesses.

Landing in both categories: Sculpin.

Along with its grapefruit variant, that beer accounted for more than half of the brewerys $48.9 million sales in 2014. Its a huge asset for Ballast Point, unless 

There can be no assurance that we will maintain or increase market demand for these products, the company noted in its SEC filing, or that any decrease will be sufficiently offset by growth in our other products.

Ballast Point neednt have worried. The enduring appeal of Sculpin, one of the first India Pale Ales with fresh tropical notes, was a key factor behind Constellation Brands decision to pay $1 billion for this San Diego brewery.

Sculpin is a moneymaker and a peacemaker, helping broker a truce in the IBU wars. In the 1990s, breweries around the world vied for the bitterest India Pale Ales, making beers with 90, 100, 110 or more International Bittering Units.

Whereas Sculpin is the new generation with a lighter body, said Colby Chandler, a Ballast Point vice president.

Its 70 IBUs and 7 percent alcohol, but it drinks like a pale ale.

Impact: Based on recipes by Doug Duffield and George Cautalin, then employees at Ballast Points Home Brew Mart, Sculpin debuted in six-packs at the unheard-of price of $15.

Nonetheless, the beer sold, in bottles, cans and on draft, across the country.

When it rolled out into New York City, said Joshua Bernstein, a Brooklyn-based beer writer, everyone went for it. That lush, tropical, stinging profile was unique  it increased the possibilities of what brewers could do with the IPA.

At the Great American Beer Festival, it won gold (2007) and silver (2009) medals. Another gold was awarded Sculpin at the 2010 World Beer Cup, where Ballast Point was named small brewery of the year.

That was the real tipping point for us, Chandler said, when you start to see our numbers taking off.



Beer: Le Freak (9.2 percent volume by alcohol)

Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Co.

Year: 2005

How it changed the world: Credit the Belgians. San Diegos Louis Mello told friends at Green Flash about Houblon Chouffe, a Belgian tripel that used hops from the Pacific Northwest.

Chuck Silva, then head brewer for the Flash, sampled the import.

Well, he told himself, if they can do this, then I can do it my way!

The result was Le Freak, a groundbreaking cross between an American Imperial IPA and a Belgian-style tripel.

We think its the first Belgian IPA made in America, said Mike Hinkley, Green Flashs co-owner.

The first, but not the last. Le Freak inspired so many competitors that the Great American Beer Festival competition instituted a new category, the American-Belgo-Style Ale. Le Freak twice took gold in that category  in 2012 and 15  plus a silver in 2014.

Impact: In 2012, Le Freak also won a bronze medal at the World Beer Cup and a gold at the Brussels Beer Challenge.

Despite that win in the Belgian capital, overseas attitudes toward Le Freak are complicated even though Green Flash maintains a business alliance with Belgiums St.-Feuillien.

Dominque Friart, the leader of St.-Feuillien, came to our brewery in 2009, Hinkley remembers. She drank our saison and tripel and loved them.

And she hated Le Freak.

Perhaps it was the exuberant American execution that troubled Friart, not the hybrid style. Later, she invited Silva to cross the Atlantic and brew a collaboration beer: Belgian Coast IPA.



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Joyce Yang made her San Diego Symphony debut on Friday playing Rachmaninoffs Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor, op. 18, and judging from the applause after each movement, San Diegans are eager to have her return soon.

Yangs account was marked by poise not usually associated with the work, a concern more for poetry instead of bombast. There was a welcome understatement to her conception of the concerto which, in other hands, can descend into florid affectation or pompous histrionics.

She dispatched Rachmaninoffs hand-stretching chords and cascades of notes with cool keyboard demeanor. Guest conductor Johannes Debus  music director of the Canadian Opera Company  guided the orchestra in sympathy with Yang, providing support that was in tune to her in both pitch and rhythm.

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A notable moment of interplay occurred in the last movement, as Yang coyly teased out the second theme (made famous to the general public by a TV hawker selling The Worlds Greatest Melodies with the reassurance that you might recognize this as Full Moon and Empty Arms, but its really the Second Piano Concerto by Rachmaninoff.) Debus counterpointed this with poignant orchestral swells.

For an encore, Yang played Earl Wilds hyper-Romantic arrangement of George Gershwins The Man I Love. She played it well, and the audience clearly enjoyed it, but the arrangement strikes my ears as a disfigurement. Its the aural equivalent of taking a perfectly lovely woman blessed with natural beauty, and giving her grotesque breast and lip enlargements, over-styling her hair, and slathering on too much makeup. Gershwin created a brief piano arrangement of this song that is 10 times more endearing than Wilds unnecessary cosmetic surgery.

Debus was a slender fellow with a large presence on the podium. His conducting technique was vigorous and broadly physical. He leaned into his cues with big full-armed sweeps, prompting enthusiastic playing from the orchestra.

He employed a flexible rubato, lingering on phrase endings, pushing ahead to build momentum. The orchestra responded in kind, persuasive collaborators in his musical vision.

His rendering of The White Peacock by Charles Tomlinson Griffes focused on its mystical aspects, more so than the exotic. Griffes is an intriguing What if? of early 20th century American music; he formed an intoxicating synthesis of Scriabins formal and harmonic innovations with French impressionism. His Piano Sonata suggests a possible way forward with that combination, but Griffes died shortly after that and had little impact on his contemporaries or on subsequent generations.

The last time the San Diego Symphony played The White Peacock was nearly 60 years ago, when Robert Shaw was its conductor. Debus brought this musical orchid to life, allowing the audience to savor its fragrance. Invaluable contributions were made by Sarah Skuster in a poignant oboe melody, Rose Lombardo with airy touches of flute, and Sheryl Renk on a sensuous clarinet part. Renk was also noteworthy in the melancholy second movement of Rachmaninoffs concerto.

The program closed with Mozarts Symphony no. 41 in C major. Debus pared the string section down by half, yet his rendition of the work brought to mind Bernstein in its emphasis on robust, if at times outsized, Romantic gestures. Its a vision of Mozart that may turn off listeners accustomed to authentic performance practices, yet Debus and the musicians persuasively argued the merits of that old school of interpretation.

San Diego Symphony presents Rachmaninoff and Mozart

When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: Copley Symphony Hall at Jacobs Music Center, 750 B St., downtown San Diego

Tickets: $20-$75

Phone: (619) 235-0804

Online: sandiegosymphony.org

Hertzog is a freelance writer.
President-elect Donald Trump named Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the vice president-elect, to head their transition team, abruptly replacing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Friday amid increasing signs that the effort to prepare the next White House is off to a rocky start.

Trump also took the unusual step of naming his three oldest children and his son-in-law to top posts, moves certain to create potential conflicts of interest given that his attorney said Trump would put his children in charge of his assets while he is president.

The transition team is always crucial, but especially so for the first president elected without experience in either government or the military. In addition to recruiting thousands of people to staff the White House, Cabinet agencies, embassies and other key government posts, the transition team needs to make sure Trump is briefed and prepared to take responsibility for the government and for implementing his policy initiatives as soon as he is inaugurated in just 76 days.

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You need to have your team on the field when the clock starts, said Max Stier, who heads the Partnership for Public Service, a Washington nonprofit that focuses on good-government practices. This is not simply about achieving the policy promises; its also about keeping us safe. Transitions are the point of maximum vulnerability for our nation.

The effort is almost always well underway before a new president is elected, given the complexity and critical nature of the job, even as candidates know the work will be in vain if they are not chosen by the voters. Legislation passed in 2010, and updated in 2015, formalized much of the process for the transition from George W. Bush to Obama after the 2008 election, considered one of the smoothest in history. Both Trump and Hillary Clinton formed transition teams months ago that began working with the White House on first steps toward a potential handoff.

One of the biggest dangers is that people will underestimate the scope, said former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, who ran Mitt Romneys transition team in 2012.

That may have happened in Trumps case. Following Trumps meeting Thursday at the White House with the president, several Obama officials privately noted the extent to which Trump and his staff seemed unprepared to discuss basic aspects of staffing a new administration and daunted by the extent of the challenges ahead. A follow-up meeting between Trump aides and White House transition officials scheduled for Friday was canceled, a senior Obama aide said.

To be sure, some of the observations made by White House officials could be colored by partisan differences or concern that Trump appears set to dismantle Obamas legacy achievements. Many had counted on a smoother transition to a Clinton administration in which top personnel would likely include former coworkers.

Trumps decision to elevate Pence to run his transition team was one of several announced Friday.

Pence has proved a loyal second to Trump, backing him when other establishment Republicans were critical and finding ways to explain some of his more controversial statements in public. A former member of the House, Pence also has close ties to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and other top Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Christies departure came after the recent convictions of two former top aides for creating a traffic jam leading to the George Washington Bridge to punish a mayor who would not endorse him to be reelected New Jersey governor.

The mission of our team will be clear: Put together the most highly qualified group of successful leaders who will be able to implement our change agenda in Washington, Trump said. Together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding this nation.

Christie was retained as a vice chair of the team, along with several of Trumps most visible campaign advisors: Dr. Ben Carson, a former GOP primary rival; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn; former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.).

Sessions, who may be the most hard-line member of the Senate on immigration, has long been among Trumps most influential advisors. Stephen Miller, a former top aide to Sessions, has been Trumps top policy advisor and will take a similar role in the transition team. Rick Dearborn, Sessions chief of staff, was named as the executive director for the transition team.

The team also includes Stephen K. Bannon, Trumps campaign chief who is on leave from heading the arch-conservative Breitbart News. Several prominent business people, including Peter Thiel, one of the only major figures in Silicon Valley to endorse Trump, were named, as was Pam Bondi, the Florida attorney general who solicited and accepted a $25,000 campaign donation from Trumps family foundation in 2013, four days after Bondi said her office was considering joining a New York state probe of Trump University.

Rep. Devin Nunes, the Tulare Republican who leads the House Select Intelligence Committee, was also given a top spot. He could be a key bridge for Trump and the intelligence community, which has been reluctant to rally behind Trump.

Trumps children and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who guided him throughout the campaign, appear to have retained their influence in an official capacity. Kushners presence at the White House on Thursday drew notice from Obamas staff when he asked, as they toured the West Wing, how many of the individuals there would remain into the next administration. Nearly all will depart along with the president.

Briefing reporters Friday about the presidents trip next week to Greece, Germany and Peru, Ben Rhodes, Obamas deputy national security advisor, repeatedly referred to the imperative of fully educating the incoming administration about the major foreign policy issues Trump will face.

The main focus of the conversation [between Trump and Obama] ... was determining how to make the best use of this transition period to fully brief up the president-elect and his team, he said. Theres a great deal of complexity.

Trumps spokespeople did not respond to calls and emails asking about his preparation.

Passages on Trumps transition website, GreatAgain.gov, were copied from the site of the Center for Presidential Transition, a nonprofit that had consulted with both campaigns about the transition, Politico reported.

Its in everybodys interest to have a good transition, said Martha Kumar, the director of the White House Transition Project. Were living in a world of great vulnerability. You cant afford to not prepare well.

Los Angeles Times staff writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

Twitter: @noahbierman, @mikememoli and @cparsons

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4 p.m.: This article was updated with more details on Donald Trumps transition team and with comments from White House officials.

This article was originally published at 11:25 a.m.
Widely considered to have made the short list of candidates for top national security jobs in Donald Trumps administration, Rep. Duncan Hunter of Alpine pledged Friday to make the Pentagon great again after eight years of Democratic control.

Im excited about a warrior culture, a warrior mentality put back into the (military), as opposed to a corporate culture ruled over by the bureaucrats and lawyers, Hunter, a Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a phone interview.

The warrior culture is going to get infused into (the department) again. Its probably going to take a while because a lot of guys who had that mentality are no longer there, but maybe peoples true colors can show now, a little bit, he added.

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An early endorser of Trumps presidential campaign, Hunter remained steadfastly loyal to the New York TV star and real estate tycoon, even after the presidential candidate rankled many military veterans and key GOP national security figures through a series of controversial statements.

On the campaign stump, for example, Trump mocked Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam; claimed to be smarter than many of Americas generals; and proposed a slew of divisive plans such as forcing Muslim-Americans to register for a counter-terrorism database.

Listen, hes not a politician. Hes never been in public office, Hunter said Friday. Hes never had to talk and had everything that he says dissected and taken apart, right? Theres a learning period here and its pretty steep, but I think hes doing great now.

Hunter, a Marine combat veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, has been rumored for several top spots on Trumps national security team. Those include secretary or deputy secretary of defense, Army secretary or a spot on the National Security Council  a position also of interest to retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, a Trump confidante.

Recently re-elected in a landslide, Hunter insisted that holding a safe House seat in a largely Republican district pales in importance to serving his nation at the highest levels during wartime, a belief he said is shared by his constituents.

Unanimously theyve said, Do it. Get into the administration and try to affect things from there because Trump needs you, he said.

If tapped as secretary of defense, the 39-year-old Hunter would become the youngest person in American history to assume the Pentagons top post. The short list for that job is believed to include former Sen. Jim Talent, a Republican from Missouri, and Stephen Hadley, who was a national security adviser to President George W. Bush.

At the Pentagon, Hunter said, he would work to overturn a string of initiatives launched by President Barack Obamas administration that he believes make the country less safe, such as opening up infantry and special-operations units to women.

Id reverse (that policy) immediately, Hunter said.

He also wants to preserve the Armys armored brigades and fix a naval force thats increasingly dependent on vessels like the nimble but small littoral combat ship, which Hunter called a Navy screw-up and a congressional screw-up.

Design flaws, cost overruns and questionable command oversight have dogged the warships.

Criticizing Obama for what he views as hasty and reactive foreign-policy decisions, Hunter said Trumps incoming team will ink a grand strategy  prioritizing where the president will project power to achieve security goals vital to the nation, often in concert with overseas allies.

On the campaign trail, Trump suggested abandoning or reducing Americas commitment to North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies that skimped on defense spending. He also complained about a perceived lack of financial support from longtime allies Japan and South Korea.

Hunter said the two Asian nations dedicate substantial resources to host American troops stationed on their home soil, but that several NATO states could spend more to maintain mutual-defense obligations.

To Hunter, the thornier problem is how to address rising Russian power.

Keep Russia in Syria, because I think Russia should be in Syria. Im not a guy whos upset about that. But get them out of Ukraine, he said.

The San Diego Union-Tribune and a handful of other news organizations received leaked documents from the Trump camp that appear to sketch out the vetting process for picks to fill top agency positions.

Despite a campaign highlighted by relentless indictments of establishment GOP figures and calls to drain the swamp of Beltway insiders and special-interest groups, Trumps transition team brims with lobbyists, longtime think-tank hands and retired senior military leaders, according to those documents.

The transition action team is run by Ron Nicol, a Dallas-based telecommunications consultant who served as a junior Navy officer on a nuclear ballistic missile submarine.

Under him is retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a Vietnam War veteran best known for leading part of the Coalition Provisional Authority in the wake of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He is tasked with choosing defense and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs officials.

Former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican who retired from the FBI, is overseeing the team charged with identifying leaders for the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Council, according to the paperwork.

Kellogg and Rogers have delegated key details of the selection process to Mira Ricardel, a Washington-based business strategist and a former vice president for defense contractor Boeing; conservative Heritage Foundation think-tank scholar James Jay Carafano; tobacco industry lobbyist Cindy Hayden; and Ronald Burgess, a retired Army general who directed the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Hunter said Trump carries no post-election baggage, such as job promises for national security figures from the GOP establishment. To Hunter, Obamas White House arrogantly relied more on Ivy League diplomas than it did subject-matter experts and combat-tested military personnel.

Just because youve got a degree from a foreign policy place doesnt make you an expert in the world, Hunter said. This (current) administration  which is full of young people with high and lofty ideals and a lot of degrees  frankly, Id take one of my staff sergeants over them any day.

They understand what war means. They understand the enemy. They understand who were fighting.

Hunters willingness to join the Trump team clashes with many in the Republican Partys national security intelligentsia. More than 100 elite Republican defense figures signed open letters urging Americans to reject Trumps candidacy. Others took to the airwaves and social media to back Trumps GOP foes during the primary or Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Christopher Swift, who formerly served in the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control, probed terrorist funding and rogue nations undergoing economic sanctions  such as Iran during George W. Bushs administration.

On Friday, he told the Union-Tribune he wont budge on his decision to boycott a Trump administration built on brinksmanship and bullying. He had supported Ohio Gov. John Kasich during the Republican primary.

If the boss is toxic, then his administration will be toxic, said Swift, now a prominent attorney and a national security instructor at Georgetown University. You might think that you can temper that, but you serve at his will.

Trumps election also sparked debate among defense figures worldwide about future cooperation with his administration.

Rex Brynen, a political scientist at McGill University in Montreal, published an open letter in the online journal Business Insider warning Americans on the eve of Tuesdays election that a Trump administration would increasingly be seen by (Americas) closest and most loyal allies as part of the problem, not part of the solution.

In the wake of Trumps victory, the Middle East expert, former intelligence analyst and frequent defense adviser to the Canadian government said he has cut all ties to the United States security agencies  except for initiatives such as humanitarian missions conducted jointly with Americas northern neighbor.

Citing Trumps racist and xenophobic campaign statements calling for the slaying of suspected terrorists families and a ban on Muslims immigrating to the U.S., Brynen said he feared the incoming administration could become not only dangerous to Canada, but also to the United States.

Trump and his transition team have not specified when they will announce their top agency picks.

cprine@sduniontribune.com
About 150 anti-Donald Trump protesters were arrested in downtown Los Angeles early Saturday morning after refusing the LAPDs order to disperse on what marked the fourth night of unrest following the presidential election.

One by one, police led the protesters out of Grand Park, securing their hands with zip-ties before loading them onto school buses. Protesters who threw rocks at police were shot at with beanbag guns outside Grand Park.

A demonstrator named Tarik, who refused to give his last name, said he couldnt understand why police chose to arrest so many people after a protest that was largely calm.

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By my views of what is just and what is right, this is wrong, he said.

The demonstration drew an estimated 3,000 protesters. Pumping their fists in the air, demonstrators cheered and whistled as they marched among honking cars in the streets around City Hall Friday evening, sometimes chanting, Not my president.

By midnight, the crowd had marched from City Hall to LA Live and toward the Westlake neighborhood before circling back downtown. As they passed apartment buildings, people stepped out of their homes to cheer.

When the crowd returned to City Hall just before midnight, the LAPD issued a dispersal order, calling the gathering a violent congregation and threatening to use less-than-lethal force if necessary.

A group of protesters gathered at Grand Park and refused to leave, including one dressed as a brick-wall that read, Wall off Trump. As police surrounded the park, several demonstrators panicked and ran, while others were blocked in.

Youre not going home, you had your chance, an LAPD officer told someone who asked to leave.

Shortly thereafter, police began making the arrests.

Earlier in the evening, the LAPD had detained two people, while the California Highway Patrol arrested several for vandalism and one protester who allegedly threw a thermos at officers. Demonstrators who saw the arrests yelled at officers, who then led the suspects away.

Someone tried tagging the ABC van again but couldn't quite stick the landing. pic.twitter.com/Ne3Gku5Q8c  James Queally (@JamesQueallyLAT) November 12, 2016

The CHP, whose officers blocked on ramps and off ramps throughout downtown, thwarted a group of demonstrators from entering the 110 Freeway.

Were trying to take a proactive approach to prevent them from getting on there, CHP Officer Stephan Brandt said.

The LAPD had made its presence felt earlier on Friday than in past nights, posting at least two dozen officers wearing riot helmets in the middle of Spring Street near City Hall around 8:30 p.m. But the officers stepped out of the way as the group began to march, remaining still even as several protesters berated them and accused them of supporting Trump.

Once they start being disruptive is when were going to take enforcement action, LAPD Officer Tony Im said. Were just allowing them to voice their opinion and just make sure theyre not hurting anyone.

Mike Thornton, a 55-year-old veteran who served in the U.S. Army in 1991, limped alongside the protesters wielding a cane and said he was out to protest Trumps proposed healthcare cuts. He dismissed suggestions that the protesters had offended military members by demonstrating on Veterans Day.

Theyve been coming up and shaking peoples hands. Some of their family members are veterans, he said. Its about more than veterans. We need to stand up for everybody. Thats the way it should be.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @AleneTchek

james.queally@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @JamesQueallyLAT

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1:27 a.m.: This article has been updated with updated arrest numbers.

1:15 a.m.: This article has been updated with protester quotes.

12:45 a.m.: This article has been updated with arrest of protesters.

12:35 a.m.: This article was updated with protesters being surrounded by police.

12 a.m.: This article was updated with the LAPD order to disperse.

11:31 p.m.: This article was updated with an updated crowd estimate and information about arrests.

9:56 p.m.: This article was updated with an updated crowd estimate and additional information from the LAPD.

9:23 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the protests.

This article was originally published at 8:40 p.m.
How does a triple murderer declared legally insane get released from a state mental hospital? Heres a San Diego case that shows a possible path.

One Sunday in 2005, Michael Monroe Brown picked up an aluminum bat and fatally bludgeoned his Doberman pinscher at his San Diego home.

Afterward, Brown  then a 48-year-old self-employed house painter  drove to his mothers home in Mira Mesa and beat her to death, along with his stepfather and younger brother.

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He also killed the family dog, a Pomeranian.

They were grisly attacks, ones he immediately claimed responsibility for in a call to 911 and in subsequent statements to police. Brown, who has a history of mental illness, was charged with three counts of murder and two counts of animal cruelty.

I just want whats coming to me, he told a San Diego police officer around the time of his arrest. Its written in stone.

Brown admitted to the charges in Superior Court but was found to have been legally insane when he committed the killings. That meant he would lose his freedom but be locked away in a state mental hospital instead of prison.

Now, after nearly 10 years of confinement, Brown wants to be released from the hospital so he can continue his mental health treatment as an outpatient and under supervision. For that to happen, his doctors and the court would have to find that hes no longer a danger to others because of his mental illness.

A trial on that issue is set for Dec. 6.

Brown, now 59, was sent to Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino County in 2007. The facility contains more than 1,500 beds, including those reserved for patients deemed incompetent to stand trial or those found not guilty by reason of insanity.

A person in the latter category  about 38 percent of the hospitals population  can be committed for treatment for a period equal to the maximum sentence for his or her offenses.

Brown pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, meaning he was unable to distinguish between right and wrong when he committed the crimes. He was sent to Patton, where hes a patient, not an inmate, for three life terms.

The ultimate goal is for the patient to reintegrate into the community with an increased awareness of their role within society and to take responsibility for personal and public safety, according to the Department of State Hospitals website.

Treatment involves helping the patient develop insight into their mental illness and how the symptoms of mental illness led to the commission of a crime, the site says.

A defense lawyer argued in trial that Brown suffered from schizophrenia and was experiencing a psychotic delusion at the time of the slayings. He said Brown believed God had commanded him to kill his family so he would be sent to prison and save mankind.

On March 20, 2005, Brown attacked his mother, Shizuko Taeko Beck, 69; stepfather, Joseph Beck; 70; and brother, Kenneth Brown, 44, at a house on Delphinus Way in Mira Mesa. The Becks died soon after they were discovered in the living room. The brother, who was found in a back bedroom, died two days later.

The late Judge William Kennedy, who presided over the bench trial, said Browns recorded statements to police shortly after the killings revealed a psychotic mind.

Since then, Brown has undergone treatment at the hospital, although the specific details of what that entails remain confidential. Court records show authorities at Patton recommended in October 2015 that he be placed on supervised community outpatient treatment.

A judge denied that recommendation in February after authorities at Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center, which administers the conditional release program referred to as CONREP, said he should remain under treatment at Patton.

CONREP monitors adults released in Los Angeles and San Diego counties.

In March, the Public Defenders Office filed a petition on Browns behalf for placement into the conditional release program and a finding that he is now legally sane. Its not clear where he would likely be placed.

After ordering additional reports and psychiatric evaluations this year, Judge David Danielsen confirmed the trial date last week.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
Republican Rep. Darrell Issas lead over Democratic Challenger Doug Applegate has shrunk slightly, according to a new updated vote count.

Issa has 51 percent of the vote to 49 percent for Applegate, said to the Secretary of States website Friday night. Thats a shift of one-tenth of a percent to Applegate from the previous update.

The raw tally gives Issa 100,934 votes to 96,830 for Applegate.

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The district includes portions of San Diego and Orange counties and registrars from both are continuing to count hundreds of thousands of provisional as well as late-arriving vote-by-mail ballots. Its not known how many of those ballots are from the 49th Congressional District.

Applegate led in the San Diego area, which accounts for about 75 percent of the district. Issa was wining by a larger margin in the Orange County portions of the district.

Issa has said he is confident his lead will hold, while Applegate said that there are too many votes left to be counted to determine the winner.

Registrars in both counties are verifying and counting ballots and have 30 days from the election on Tuesday to complete their work. Employees are working extended hours and weekends, and both counties are updating results regularly.

The Issa-Applegate race was one of the most-followed in the country as Democrats saw a chance to not only pick up a seat in the House but defeat Issa, a frequent critic of President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Issa finished the June primary with 50.8 percent of the vote to Applegates 45.5 percent. Far-left candidate Ryan Wingo, an independent, received another 3.7 percent.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
Covered California, the states health insurance exchange, is at a crossroads brought about by President-elect Donald Trumps vow to repeal at least parts of the Affordable Care Act.

Obamacare pays income-based subsidies to 87 percent of the 1.3 million Californians currently covered by plans sold through the exchange. Elimination of those payments could very well lead to mass cancellations by consumers no longer able to afford their insurance policies.

Amid this potential turmoil, Covered California executive director Peter Lee arrived in San Diego to kick off a statewide promotional tour aimed at getting Californians to renew their policies or sign up if they havent enrolled in previous years.

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On Friday, a day before the tour was scheduled to start, Lee sat down with The San Diego Union-Tribune to discuss the present standing and potential future of the law that has extended health insurance to about 20 million Americans  as well as Covered Californias slice of that picture.

The following is an edited version of his conversation.

Question: How has your organization prepared for the possibility of major changes to the Affordable Care Act in 2017?

Answer: We always recognized that we cant predict whats going to happen in the election, so we did modeling to say, for example, if subsidies went from 400 percent of (the federal poverty income level) to 250 percent of poverty, what happens? What would happen is  about 300,000 Californians would be without insurance. We also modeled what happens if the subsidies are eliminated. If that happens, we lose 1.3 million people. Our raison detre goes away without the subsidies, and there would be 1.3 million people back on the rolls of the uninsured.

Question: What would you say to those who decide not to renew their coverage or not enroll for the first time because theyre worried about a repeal?

Answer: To me, it really is like talking about the theoretical possibility that a comet will hit Earth tomorrow. There are endless possibilities, but some of them can be cuckoo. Yes, the president-elect has said we want to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, but weve also heard him say he wants to make sure all Americans have health coverage, he doesnt want to pull things out by the roots, he wants to ensure that people who have pre-existing medical conditions will maintain their coverage.

Hundreds of health plans around the nation have signed contracts for terms of engagement for 2017. The idea that they would just pull the rug out from under 22 million people, to me, just doesnt pass the smell test. We want Californians to take a deep breath, get the benefits the law provides. And we can and should be part of the policy debates that will take time.

Were focused on the here and now  getting people enrolled. Big change does not happen overnight, but what does happen overnight is people can get hit by a car, people can get cancer. Does it make sense to make sure that we spend money to let people know they can get insurance now, while they can, at good subsidized rates? Absolutely.

Question: Do you see a path forward for Covered California if whatever new version of the Affordable Care Act no longer relies on health exchanges or no longer grants subsidies?

Answer: Its too soon to say. Premium subsidies are central to how we help people get coverage they couldnt afford otherwise. If the nature of the subsidies is dramatically different, we will be dramatically different. Weve got time to figure that out. I hope that President-elect Trump and the new Congress will say, Yeah, many people need subsidies. Health care in America is too expensive for many people to have it without financial help. Separate from subsidies, though, is the fact that health care in America costs too much. We need to look at pharmaceutical costs. We need to look at waste, which is incredible. We need to look at changing how care delivery is done.

Question: Covered California has been innovative in some aspects of its operations, including its decision to be an active purchaser of insurance coverage on behalf of Californians. What do you think policymakers in Washington, D.C., should understand as they consider revisions to Obamacare?

Answer: We think some of the lessons weve learned in California are worthwhile to share with the new Congress and the new administration. The national stories about health plans fleeing from exchanges are a good example. San Diego is a great example of what weve been able to accomplish. Here we have six health plans being offered and theyre big, brand-name plans with good networks and competitive prices. Some of those plans have bigger rate increases than others for next year. Some enrollees are seeing no increase while others might see 20 percent plus, but there are enough other options available that they can shop, they can change plans.

We think that what we have in California is a lesson for the nation in how you have a program where plans arent fleeing from exchanges but want to participate.

paul.sisson@sduniountribune.com

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsisson
A taboo-busting reminder of Adolf Hitlers life has popped up in Germanys capital with the opening of a new exhibit -- a replica of the Nazi dictators bunker.

The Berlin Story Bunker re-creates a section of Hitlers 3,000-square-foot underground living space near the end of World War II. It includes copies of furniture, a portrait of Frederick the Great, Hitlers favorite Prussian leader, a small desk that holds a miniature brass statue of Hitlers dog Blondi and an iron oxygen bottle with a mask.

The original custom-made Fuehrerbunker built in 1944 about a mile away was encased in a 13-foot-thick concrete shell and buried 30 feet underground. It was designed to keep Hitler safe from bombings by Allied Air Forces and Soviet artillery pummeling Berlin late in World War II. Its also where he committed suicide in 1945 after finally accepting that his Nazi Germany was about to lose the war.

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The bunker was partly destroyed after the war ended in 1945, closed off to the public in the no-mans land east of the Berlin Wall in Communist East Germany before ultimately being sealed in the early 1990s in the aftermath of German reunification. Authorities did not want the location turning into a shrine for neo-Nazis.

Bristling at criticism that they might be glorifying Hitler and the infamous hole in the ground where his newlywed bride, Eva Braun, poisoned herself before he shot himself on April 30, 1945, the creators of the Fuehrerbunker replica insist that it is designed to be educational.

A lot of people have a difficult-to-define fascination with Hitler and his bunker, Enno Lenze, one of the organizers of the privately funded exhibit, said in an interview after a recent tour. Its a peculiar combination of voyeurism, a curiosity about separating the facts from fiction where Hitler killed himself, and a genuine interest in the history of what it felt like where the Third Reich essentially ended.

Although Germans have meticulously studied the causes, horrors and aftermath of the Nazi regime, precious few seemed to have any particular interest in knowing precisely where the reviled Hitlers bunker was located. Yet local officials say many foreign tourists have been curious about where the bunker and the Berlin Wall were. The disappointment was palpable for many that there was no monument, no memorial and nothing to mark the spot where the Third Reich ended until a small plaque was put up in 2006.

Interior view of a replica of the living room and study of Adolf Hitlers bunker in in Berlin on Oct. 27, 2016. (Michael Sohn / AP)

Over the last 25 years, a growing number of small representative sections of the Berlin Wall  which was almost entirely torn down in haste in 1989 and 1990  were rebuilt for tourists. It seemed to be a question of time before something about the bunker was added to the citys list of tourist attractions.

There are so many tourists coming to Berlin who want to know more about what was going on here during the war, said Wieland Giebel, who is also part of the Historiale organization that created and operates the exhibit, which opened Oct. 28. One of the most-asked questions we get is: Where was Hitlers bunker? He added that the idea was to give people a sense of what the bunker was like during those final days of the Nazi regime.

Officials from other state-backed exhibits on the Nazi era in Berlins museum-filled landscape, such as the nearby Topography of Terror that explores the Gestapos history and Nazi crimes, have dismissed the Fuehrerbunker exhibit as sensationalism. Some Jewish leaders in Berlin and historians have expressed reservations about any attempt to make Hitler, seen by many as the incarnation of evil, appear in a normal light.

The 2004 film Downfall sparked controversy in Germany about Hitlers final days because at times it portrayed him doing everyday activities such as eating spaghetti and showing kindness to his secretary and dog.

On the one hand, the new exhibit brings this aspect of history to people who might not otherwise get to experience it, Arnd Bauerkaempfer, a historian at Berlins Free University, said in an interview. But on the other hand the danger is that this suggests a fake authenticity and there is also a danger that it personalizes the history of Hitler in his bunker.

Bauerkaempfer said the exhibit reflected a yearning among the latest generation of postwar Germans to view the Hitler era with some detachment as a part of the countrys overall history rather than a part of their own lives.

To a certain degree its a good thing that German society is able to look at the Nazi era with fewer inhibitions than earlier generations had, he said. But the truth is that Hitler is never, ever going to be just a normal part of German history.

In 2008, a German man angrily pushed his way past security guards to tear off the head of a waxwork figure of Hitler on the opening day of the exhibit at Berlins Madame Tussauds museum. The wax head was later repaired and restored but then the figure was kept behind a security glass. The controversy filled Berlin newspaper headlines for weeks.

A photographer takes a picture of a model of Adolf Hitlers bunker on Oct. 27, 2016. The model is part of an exhibition, located in another World War II bunker, which offers an overview of the history of Hitlers bunker and the end of the war. (Michael Sohn / AP)

Adolf Hitlers study in a model of the Fuehrerbunker in Berlin on Oct. 27, 2016. (Wolfgang Kumm / EPA)

To deter right-wing extremists or Nazi sympathizers from causing disruptions at the new Fuehrerbunker, visitors are required to take part in a 90-minute guided tour of the dingy premises with its suffocating and bleak feel. Any extremists will be denied entry or summarily kicked off the premises, Lenze said, and their 12-euro ($15) entrance fee donated to charities for victims of right-wing violence.

Nevertheless, some Germans harbor the same fears that long prevented Germany from marking the bunkers original location: that the Fuehrerbunker replica will become a destination for pilgrimages.

There are always a lot of fears in Germany that doing an exhibit like this will get you painted as a far-right supporter, said Lenze, 34, who was often puzzled about a reticence among fellow Germans to touch the subject. People start to panic when it involves Hitler. Its sometimes hard to understand. Weve got to stop panicking and have enough faith to look into all these aspects. I think its important to look at the end of Hitler to help understand how it all happened and how democracy got shunted aside.

This should help set the record straight, Lenze said. No, the ceilings werent made from marble. No, there wasnt a secret escape tunnel to the airport. No, he didnt flee to Argentina ... His death in this bunker was effectively the end of World War II in Europe.
Two ballot measures approved by San Diego voters on Tuesday seem likely to move the city politically to the left by increasing the importance of higher-turnout November elections.

But local leaders and political analysts disagree about how profoundly the changes will boost Democrats at the expense of Republicans, and some say that Measures K and L might have other consequences.

Those could include making independent voters more powerful than voters in either party, increasing the number of candidates running for office and sharply boosting the amount spent on campaigns by organized labor, business groups and other special interests.

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Measure K amends the city charter to require November runoffs between the two candidates receiving the most votes in a June primary, regardless of whether one of them gets more than 50 percent.

Since San Diego went to district elections in 1989, the city has allowed candidates to clinch victory in primaries and avoid November runoffs if they receive a majority of the vote in June.

The change forces all city politicians to face a larger electorate and makes it impossible for them to have election careers like that of Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who has never been on a November ballot in any of his races for City Council or mayor.

Measure L amends the charter to require elections prompted by citizens initiatives, such as the Chargers stadium measure, and referendums, such as a failed effort in June to nullify the citys minimum wage increase, to take place in November.

The City Council, however, could schedule elections on ballot measures during June primaries or call for a special election  if a majority of the council deems the matter urgent.

Measure K will be a boon to local Democrats and diminish the power of Republicans, said Carl Luna, a political scientist from the University of San Diego.

Registered Democrats in the city already outnumber registered Republicans by nearly two to one, but the full effect of that hasnt been felt in primaries because Democrats typically turn out in lower numbers for those contests than Republicans.

Despite a registration advantage of 298,000 Democrats  41.7 percent -- to 170,000 Republicans  23.6 percent, Democrats have only a narrow 5-4 majority on the council and Mayor Faulconer is a Republican.

Requiring November runoffs will make San Diego more of a blue city and make it much harder for Republicans to ever turn it red, Luna said.

Ultimately it will turn San Diego from kind of a sky blue to a Cerulean blue, he said. Unless local Republicans can find a way to reach out to emerging new voter constituencies, they may become here in San Diego what they are statewide -- a permanent minority party.

Vince Vasquez, a political analyst from National University, agreed that Democrats will benefit and predicted the prospects of a November runoff will prompt the party to mount more serious challenges in previously safe Republican districts.

That could put more Republican seats in play or make them even toss-ups in the future, Vasquez said.

But he said the more significant beneficiaries figure to be independent voters, whose numbers increase even more sharply than Democrats when turnout in primaries is compared to turnout in general elections.

While many independents are young voters who lean progressive, others are fiscally conservative.

That creates a higher level of volatility and more competitiveness, said Vasquez, adding that even progressive independents might not feel any affinity for Democrats. The fact that they are registering as independents suggests there is something they dont like about the two-party system and partisan politics.

Having independents, who account for 213,000 of registered voters  29.8 percent  be potentially decisive in elections will likely prompt both parties to spend more money in campaigns because independent voters are harder to reach and harder to sway, Vasquez said.

Another reason to expect more money in campaigns is that Democrats will likely perceive as winnable more elections in previously safe Republican districts, he said.

I think this will facilitate more money, specifically on the Democratic side, he said. I could see more wallets opening up, which would make the races more competitive by itself.

Increased spending by Democrats will almost certainly prompt increased spending by Republicans in a kind of arms race. And that will likely spill over into spending by organized labor, which typically backs Democrats, and the business community, which typically backs Republicans.

Vasquez said one thing likely to temper how much Democrats benefit from the changes is that city elections remain nonpartisan, so candidates dont have a D or an R next to their name.

That eliminates the benefit of party-line voters to Democrats in city elections, and also eliminates a psychological barrier some Democrats have toward voting for Republicans, he said.

When you remind people of that partisan aspect, I think it makes them less likely to support cross-over choices, Vasquez, referring to the absence of Ds and Rs in city races. Not for every voter, but for a significant number of voters.

Vasquez also said the changes are more likely to affect races in presidential election years, such as 2016 and 2020, than off-year elections, such as 2018.

Thats because turnout tends to surge much more dramatically between the primary and general elections in presidential years.

He also said the quality of the candidate and how well they engage the public will remain key factors in all races.

And Vasquez said complaints that Faulconer has never won in November are mostly hollow, noting that the mayor had extremely high approval ratings this spring and would likely have won easily in November if forced to a runoff despite getting 57 percent of the vote in June.

On ballot measures, the changes will make it harder for the business community to have voters approve policies opposed by labor groups in low turnout elections.

Examples include, Vasquez said, measures in recent years that eliminated pensions for most new city workers and that created a program for outsourcing city jobs to the private sector.

The changes could also boost the prospects for some tax increases because primary voters are typically more conservative and more anti-tax. But most groups pursuing citizens initiatives are aware of that and have already been targeting general elections for such proposals.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
As the national consumption of margarine increases, so, too, does the divorce rate in Maine and vice versa. Between 2000 and 2009, in fact, those two seemingly unrelated sets of data correlate with eerie precision. Over the same time period, the more Americans buy Japanese cars, the more people commit suicide by crashing their vehicles.

These correlations are irrefutable, yet ridiculous. Who could claim that eating margarine causes people to file for divorce? I gleaned these statistical absurdities from the website of the author of a book called Spurious Correlations. Its subtitle echoes a maxim common among statisticians: Correlation does not equal causation.

That well-known phrase is worth remembering as Californians analyze the results of Proposition 47, a statewide initiative passed last year that has led to the release from prison and jails of 13,000 offenders. Mainly, it reduced the punishment for a handful of drug and property crimes by reclassifying them from felonies to misdemeanors.

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Since the initiatives passage, crime rates have gone up in California, especially in the states 10 largest cities. Law-enforcement officials  including San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman  have been blaming the new voter-approved law for the crime increases. Certainly, theres nothing ridiculous about asserting that letting more offenders out on the street might lead to higher crime rates. But just because the correlation exists and the theory is plausible doesnt prove causation.

A November study by the Stanford Justice Advocacy Project looks at the data to date. The correlation that is suggested by some law enforcement officials, frankly, does not square with the available data, and, certainly, the data that has been released by state agencies  indicates that those whove been released early under Proposition 47 are not responsible for the crimes being reported, argued the projects director Michael Romano.

The Stanford report points to a recidivism rate of 5 percent among those released under the new law  far below the states typical 42-percent rate. The advocacy project helped draft the initiative, so its hardly an unbiased source here. Then again, many of the police agencies blaming the proposition for the crime hikes had been strong opponents of it.

Another Proposition 47 backer, the American Civil Liberties Union of California, also looked at the existing data (gleaned from counties, probation departments, health agencies and sheriffs departments across the state). It released a report last month that calls the measure a success based on reduced incarceration rates and predicted cost savings.

The fact is that its way too early to assess 2015 crime rates in California at all, let alone potential causes, according to the report. ACLU officials have, however, argued that some law-enforcement officials are resistant to the initiatives changes, which has resulted in spotty implementation.

The group proposed a variety of ideas to help boost its success. For instance, the ACLU calls for giving police more options than to arrest, and pointed to cities in other states that let police officers divert petty drug offenders, prostitutes and other low-level offenders directly into treatment and mental-health programs rather than jail.

The Los Angeles Times recently asked in an editorial what the Los Angeles County sheriffs department and district attorneys office have been doing with the extra money from Proposition 47, given the reduction in arrests and incarceration rates: It is in the nature of bureaucracy . For increases in workload to be accompanied by demands for more funding but decreases in workload to be absorbed without anyone offering up or even acknowledging their savings.

But if law-enforcement agencies do realize savings, that frees up money that can be used for the kind of programs the ACLU report detailed. The Association of Deputy District Attorneys disputes the notion of cost savings, by arguing that costs simply have been shifted around.

Proposition 47 isnt the only major reform that has softened Californias tough approach toward crime and incarceration. The Brown administration implemented a realignment program that has moved prisoners from state penitentiaries to the county jails (and included early releases) to comply with a federal court order to reduce prison overcrowding. Voters also reformed Californias toughest-in-the-nation Three Strikes law in 2012.

Crime rates have generally fallen since those two far-reaching criminal-justice-related reforms. The Public Policy Institute of California last year noted that state violent crime rates are at their lowest level since the 1960s and property crime rates are near record lows. Those latter rates spiked in 2012, but then continued their hard-to-explain free fall.

Of course, the correlation between falling crime rates and criminal-justice reform may be as specious as those previously mentioned oddball comparisons  or the premature declaration that Proposition 47 is the culprit in recent increases. When it comes to crime and recent policy changes, Californians might just need to wait for more data.
A man accused of breaking vehicle windows in Grant Hill was bitten by a police dog when he became combative toward an officer Friday, San Diego police said.

He was taken into custody, along with another man who threw rocks at officers during the arrest, police said.

The first suspect, who was reportedly drunk, was smashing windows on Market Street near 30th Street about 2:20 p.m. When an officer got there, the man charged the officer, police said.

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A crowd began to gather during the struggle, and the officer called for backup. As other officers arrived, an onlooker threw rocks at them.

A police dog was released to subdue the combative man. He was taken into custody and taken to a hospital for treatment.

The suspect who hurled rocks ran away, but officers chased him and caught up a block away. He, too, was arrested.

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
About 200 people peacefully rallied and marched near Chicano Park Friday night to protest the election of Donald Trump as president.

Organizers said the demonstration also was meant to promote culture and create a sense of community among the groups Trump vilified during his presidential campaign.

Union del Barrio, a political group that advocates for Latino rights, organized the protest.

Speakers during the rally voiced support for immigrants, Muslims, LGBT people and women.

We understand that the people are afraid and we want to reverse that fear, said Rosangela Escamilla, a member of Union del Barrio. We want to build community and we want to build a sense of empowerment.

The rally began on the corner of the intersection of Cesar Chavez Parkway and Logan Avenue. Protesters then walked half a mile north to Imperial Avenue at 25th Street, chanting: Fuera, Trump.

Or, in English: Trump has to go.

Their signs said Not my president United against hate and Build bridges not walls.

Protesters circle the intersection of 25th Street and Imperial Avenue pic.twitter.com/7trAQtuPkW  David Hernandez (@D4VIDHernandez) November 12, 2016

Jazmin Gonsalez, 31, said she turned out last-minute to be vocal about her dissatisfaction with Trumps victory. Gonsalez said she voted for Hillary Clinton.

Ive been taught since I was little to support my community. My grandfather taught me that, my mother taught me that. So thats why Im here.

(Trump) is president-elect, but hes not president because of the popular vote, she added.

Kiki Ochoa, another member of Union Del Bario, said his organization hopes to build a coalition of some sorts to stand up to a Trump presidency.

If he begins to try to implement some of the things he said he was going to do, we have to be prepared to defend ourselves in a peaceful fashion, Ochoa said. Were not going to let people push us around. We need as many folks as possible.

The demonstration ended in Chicano Park, with a traditional Aztec dance performance.

It comes two days after about 500 protesters marched in downtown San Diego, where 18 people were arrested by the end of the night. The peaceful demonstration against Trump took a turn when some protesters yelled anti-police chants. Police later declared the gathering an unlawful assembly. Also Wednesday, students at UC San Diego twice protested Trumps win over Hillary Clinton.

Other cities where protests have sparked in the days since Trumps victory include Los Angeles, Seattle, Oakland and Chicago.

200 or so people march near Chicano Park to protest President-elect Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/GsGen392bl  David Hernandez (@D4VIDHernandez) November 12, 2016

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
In some ways, San Diego's leopard sharks are a lot like its humans. They love summer, they flock to shallow waters on sunny days, and they hate being poked and harassed. But if you keep a respectful distance, you could make some happy memories together.

"Were approaching the peak right now," said Andrew Nosal, a post-doctoral researcher at the Birch Aquarium and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography and a shark expert. "The best time of year to see the leopard sharks is between late June and early December, with the peak being August and September."

Here are a few more of his tips for making the most out of leopard shark season.

When to go: These sleek, shy, spotted creatures prefer the warmest water possible. That means late afternoon. "If its sunny, its going to be a lot easier to see the sharks," Nosal said. But he added they come out throughout the day. Why do they seek out warm water? "The interesting thing is that the sharks in La Jolla are 97 percent female and they all are pregnant, and so it appears that these pregnant female leopard sharks are in a sense incubating their developing embryos, like a mother bird sits on her eggs to maintain that ideal temperature for development."

Postdoctoral researcher Andy Nosal holds a leopard shark. Birch/SIO (Birch/SIO)

Where to find them: One of the best spots in San Diego is in the waters near The Marine Room restaurant, off La Jolla Shores. Not because they like clam chowder, but because the waves there are gentlest along that stretch of beach. Why not 100 meters north or south of there? Nosal explained that there's an offshore underwater canyon that breaks the waves.

Kayak, wade, snorkel or scuba: Nosal said snorkeling with "very calm, deliberate kicks, no splashing, no noise," is the best approach. "It's also possible simply to wade out into waist deep water, but it's less likely you'll spot them." Kayaking is a good option for people who don't want to get into the water. Scuba diving is the worst option, since it seems the bubbles scare the little guys away. "Leopard sharks are generally nonaggressive," he said. "Theyre actually quite timid. So in order to get close, its actually best not to make too much noise. The best thing to do is to stay motionless and allow the shark to come to you."

Staying safe: The biggest threat is the water, Nosal said. He urged people to be wary of rip tides and currents. As for the sharks, they're docile -- until something bothers them. "These animals do have teeth and they will defend themselves if provoked, he said. "If someone were to pull on a leopard shark's tail, for example, I wouldn't be surprised if the shark would turn and try and defend itself. ... Its always important to remember these are wild animals and should not be touched or harassed in any way." Not just because it might backfire, but because the sharks "deserve respect."
The longtime CEO of Mental Health Systems, a nonprofit social-services organization that sought reimbursements from San Diego County for bills it had not paid, has sued her former employer for wrongful termination.

Kimberly Bond was put on leave in May following allegations of improper financial practices and dismissed the next month. Her lawsuit claims she was terminated for trying to correct problems at Mental Health Systems and thwarted by a board member who later succeeded her as CEO.

Bonds husband, a former MHS executive named David Conn who also was let go earlier this year, is a co-plaintiff. Their lawsuit names both the charity and current CEO James Callaghan as defendants.

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Defendants had actual knowledge of the misconduct as well as the pervasive, harassing, intimidating and retaliating environment in which plaintiff was forced to work, the complaint states. Furthermore, defendants maliciously and intentionally authorized and ratified the acts of plaintiffs supervisors and the MHS board of directors.

Attorney Frank Polek, who represents Mental Health Systems, issued a statement rejecting the assertions from Bond and her husband. He said the organization has made changes to improve operations and would vigorously defend the lawsuit.

Through Mr. Callaghans leadership, the company has worked closely with the County of San Diego to respond to each of the countys concerns, he wrote. The company has instituted reforms and controls to ensure that past issues remain in the past.

The lawsuit filed last week in San Diego Superior Court is the latest twist in a series of allegations and cross-accusations that began erupting at the charity in February.

At that time, chief financial officer Michael Hawkey filed a whistleblower complaint, accusing Bond of directing him to hold onto checks due to various vendors. Under the practice, the charity filed for reimbursements from San Diego County without actually paying vendors.

Hawkey, who was placed on leave in February and later fired, accused Mental Health Systems of diverting millions of dollars to a for-profit company it purchased in 2013 that was losing money.

His complaint further alleged that MHS wrongly paid a Pennsylvania consultancy called Open Minds more than $1 million for little or no work, and that Conn served on a board advising the company.

In response, the county conducted a special review that validated several of the allegations.

County officials ordered numerous immediate corrections and demanded Mental Health Systems repay almost $200,000 and justify $2.1 million in questionable payments.

San Diego County spokesman Michael Workman issued a statement this month defending ongoing work being performed by the nonprofit.

MHS continues to provide quality services to our customers, he wrote. They have also made the improvements cited in our audit. We continue to monitor their contracts closely.

The charity has dozens of contracts with San Diego County that generate about $35 million a year and agreements with other government agencies worth millions more. The nonprofit provides drug and alcohol treatment, therapy and other services to needy clients and families.

In a statement to U-T Watchdog earlier this year, Bond defended the practice of holding checks. Her lawsuit claims that when she tried to put a halt to the practice, the MHS board and Callaghan specifically chose to keep Mr. Hawkeys practices in place.

The wrongful-termination suit accused the board of retaliating against Bond for cutting off $10,000 in monthly payments to the charitys co-founders, William Mead and William Eastwood, who negotiated the 15-year arrangement when they left the nonprofit. And, it says, MHS sought to blame Bond for the organizations problems.

Mr. Callaghan instigated an alleged internal MHS investigation committee whereby the committee embarked on a plan to hide MHS liability for improper financial accounting as well as lack of fiduciary oversight by the board and wrongly placed the entire blame on Ms. Bond, the suit states.

The company that owns Open Minds  the consultancy whose work was questioned by Hawkey  sued MHS in August. The complaint said that MHS failed to pay more than $200,000 in billings racked up between June and January.

Court papers in that case, filed in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania, detail thousands of dollars in travel costs incurred by Open Minds, including limousine rides, lavish meals and multi-night stays at a Coronado resort and spa.

They also spell out $300-per-hour fees charged by Open Minds consultants to help prepare for and participate in MHS meetings and perform other services. MHS lawyers want that case thrown out, or at least moved to San Diego.

Ninety-six percent of Open Minds alleged unpaid invoices can be attributed to the billing and travel expenses of three employees, only one of whom is located in Pennsylvania, they wrote in a brief Oct. 20. All relevant records are located in San Diego. All relevant conduct occurred in San Diego.

Open Minds had a private agreement with Conn that paid the MHS executive a commission for work he brought to the Pennsylvania consulting firm, court records show.

Bond said earlier this year that her husband was a volunteer for Open Minds who never collected any income from his work for the consultants, but in court papers MHS said Open Minds does not dispute that it paid Conn for services.

Work performed by MHS on behalf of government agencies can be costly and complicated because the clients confront challenges with addiction, homelessness, mental illness and other problems.

Last week, San Diego County purchasing officials announced they were awarding a new contract to MHS for treatment and housing services to homeless San Diego residents on behalf of the San Diego Housing Commission. MHS also was selected to provide behavioral health services for a drug court and re-entry program of the county Health and Human Services Agency.

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
Consumer advocates at the California Public Utilities Commission are fighting a San Diego Gas & Electric Co. plan to charge customers hundreds of millions of dollars for expenses leftover from San Diego Countys 2007 wildfires.

In testimony filed with state regulators, the Office of Ratepayer Advocates said utility shareholders should pay the costs remaining from three North County fires that killed two people and destroyed more than 1,300 homes.

SDG&Es actions in regards to the 2007 Witch, Guejito and Rice fires were not those of a prudent manager, said the office, an independent division within the state utilities commission.

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The 49 pages of testimony were submitted to the commission judge last month, as both sides in a rate-setting proceeding prepare for five days of public hearings scheduled for early next year.

SDG&E is seeking permission to charge customers $379 million for legal fees and other costs resulting from the wildfires, an assessment that would add $1.67 a month to each residential bill for six years.

The company defended the plan to assign the remaining fire expenses to customers, saying the charges are just and reasonable.

The costs for liabilities, including losses not covered by insurance or settlement claims, are ordinarily approved for inclusion in a utilitys rates, SDG&E lawyers told regulators.

The utility has incurred more than $2 billion of costs for settlements and other outlays associated with the fires. Liability insurance coverage offset $1.1 billion of those expenses, and the utility received payments from other implicated businesses, including Cox Communications, a tree trimming company and an electrical contractor.

The company is seeking to recover its remaining costs from ratepayers.

The fires erupted in October 2007, when high temperatures and dry conditions combined with gusting Santa Ana winds across San Diego County.

Within hours, heavy winds pushed arcing power lines at multiple sites into tree branches and sparks ignited the vegetation.

According to the Office of Ratepayer Advocates, the utility did not comply with state rules governing vegetation management. The company should not be rewarded for ignoring regulations, the testimony concluded.

SDG&Es failure to maintain clearances as required by General Order 95 directly led to the ignition of the Witch Fire, the office stated.

Utility lawyers argued that even though investigators concluded later that SDG&E power lines started the Witch, Guejito and Rice fires, the company should be allowed to recover its costs from ratepayers.

The alleged involvement of SDG&E facilities in the ignitions of the three fires does not show that SDG&E acted unreasonably or imprudently, they wrote to the judge.

The powerline-caused fires were three of what turned out to be a spate of devastating wildfires that erupted across the county that weekend and over the next several days.

By Oct. 23, two days after the Witch Fire was first reported outside Santa Ysabel, hundreds of thousands of acres were ablaze in San Diego County and 500,000 people were forced to evacuate.

The firestorm claimed at least 10 lives, destroyed thousands of homes and outbuildings and took weeks to wrestle under control..

The Office of Ratepayer Advocates also cited previous testimony that SDG&E was alerted months before the Rice Fire that one tree in particular was too close to its equipment.

The tree had strong growth towards the lines, and I felt it would encroach in the 4-foot distance from the primary line in the facilities within three months, a tree inspector hired by SDG&E said under oath in 2008.

In addition to the commissions Office of Ratepayer Advocates, the funding request from SDG&E is also opposed by five other consumer groups.

The risk of losses due to poor planning provides an incentive for companies to take risk-reducing behavior, the Mussey Grade Road Alliance wrote in its opposition filing.

After the hearings in late January, a proposed decision from the judge is expected to be issued by June.

Regardless of which way that decision goes, a majority of commissioners would need to approve the ruling before the $379 million could be added to customers bills.

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
In the next several weeks, millions of high school seniors will apply to colleges and universities across the nation. If you are one of them  and if you come from a low-income family or are a minority student  I urge you not to look at higher education rankings systems that emphasize reputation, acceptance rates and alumni giving.

Instead, keep your eye on rankings that rely upon a different set of numbers: Namely, graduation and retention rates. Thats because the current trends in enrolling and graduating low-income and minority students threaten social justice in higher education.

American Council on Education statistics show that college enrollment among low-income students has fallen to 46 percent, 20 percent below the national average. While African American and Latino/a enrollment is rising somewhat, there are troubling gaps in outcomes for these students.

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According to the U.S. Department of Education, among students enrolled in four-year institutions, only 41 percent of African-American students and 53 percent of Latino/a students ultimately attain bachelors degrees. Thats compared to at least 70 percent of Asian counterparts and 63 percent of Caucasians.

While some institutions focus on efforts to ensure low-income and minority students en masse get their degrees and move into rewarding careers, theyre probably not listed among the private colleges and universities that dominate the top 10 lists in the U.S. News & World Report, Wall Street Journal or Forbes rankings. The nations public higher education institutions, less frequently cited at the top of these rankings, enroll more than 70 percent of all four-year college students  including a preponderance of low-income and minority students.

So applicants and their parents should look to other higher education resources to gauge more relevant measures. For example, the U.S. Department of Educations College Scorecard allows you to compare tuition and living costs, graduation rates and income after graduation.

Furthermore, there are important questions students should ask about any school theyre considering:

 What is the diversity picture? Will you be 1 in 100 on your campus, or 1 in 5? Statistics show having a critical mass of diversity in the student population makes a difference. If you have a group of people like you on campus, you are more likely to succeed.

 Does the institution offer first-year programs such as learning communities, which help create small cohorts of freshmen studying particular courses? Experience has shown that these programs help students keep up with studies and get off to a good start toward graduation. At larger institutions, learning communities can help keep the collegiate experience from being overwhelming for freshmen. Thanks to learning communities, weve been able to recently increase our freshmen retention rates at UC Riverside by more than 6 percent, with particular success among women, Hispanic, Asian-American, first-generation, and low-income students.

 Low-income and minority students should always ask about these types of programs and support systems: When it comes to enrolling, retaining and graduating students, these are the efforts that make the difference.

Investment in a college degree transforms society, and improves an individuals chances of getting ahead. University of California research shows that, within five years of graduation, UC students who qualified for federal Pell Grant aid have an annual income of approximately $50,000  more than double the combined salaries of their parents.

So start your college search not with a default to high-profile rankings systems, but with an earnest look at the measures that will guarantee your success in college and beyond.

Wilcox is chancellor of UC Riverside.
Jerry Brown made an appearance in San Francisco last week and patted himself on the back for whats been accomplished during his second governorship.

But that doesnt mean we are finished, Brown quickly added. There are some real things that you can always read about in the paper that havent been done. Were not finished with pension reform. We still got to do much more there. Its going to take a while, but thats still on the agenda.

Is it?

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Four years ago, Brown proposed a fairly modest reform of public employee pensions but, as is his wont, settled for less than a half-a-loaf when the Democrat-controlled Legislature, under pressure from unions, balked at a major overhaul.

Officially, the token reform would save taxpayers about $30 billion in non-teacher pension costs over 30 years, but thats only 6 percent of the $500 billion they are expected to pay out for pensions over that period, as pension cost guru David Crane points out.

As a result, unless Brown makes good on his semi-promise to pursue deeper reforms, costs will continue to mount as the number of pensioners climbs and as the California Public Employees Retirement System and other pension funds fall very short of their ambitious earnings projections.

The states payments to CalPERS have climbed 69 percent during the six years of Browns governorship, from $3.2 billion a year to $5.4 billion, with no end in sight.

A recent audit of just one of the six state employee pension systems, covering state firefighters and non-Highway Patrol peace officers, reveals that its unfunded liability jumped 18 percent during the 2014-15 fiscal year, from $9.9 billion to $11.7 billion  and that assumes that CalPERS will meet its earnings projection, currently 7.5 percent a year.

A CalPERS document provides an even more telling set of statistics about the sharp increase in the percentage of payroll that the state must pay into the system.

For instance, in 1979-80, during Browns first governorship, the state paid 31.4 percent of Highway Patrol officers salaries into the pension fund. It dipped to as low as 13.4 percent in the late 1990s when CalPERS was seeing huge earnings in the go-go stock market of the era and  unwisely  reduced payments from government employers.

Simultaneously, CalPERS sponsored a big increase in pension benefits, promising it would cost taxpayers nothing, but then lost more than $100 billion in last decades recession. Ever since, its been ramping up demands on employers to cover its losses, as well as sharply increasing payouts to pensioners.

During this fiscal year, the state must cough up 50 percent of CHP officers salaries for pensions, a 59 percent increase during Browns second governorship.

The same pattern is true of other pension systems, both state and local, and the very mild reform that Brown and the Legislature enacted in 2012  mostly to claim that they had done something  will not make a serious dent in the ever-deepening pension crisis.

Brown says its still on his agenda, but time is running out quickly and hes shown no inclination to get serious.

Walters is a columnist with the Sacramento Bee.
Your article about the economic benefit of the huge military presence in San Diego ($23B defense spending in San Diego County last year, report says, Nov. 2) would be more credible if you included the costs to our communities. Each person the military sends here requires more roads, more health and safety services, and more education. Yet the military has special tax treatment. Also, there are huge opportunity costs in having so much land tied up in nonproductive activities.

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The report contrasts with the U-Ts article Study: San Diego seventh worst city for building wealth (Nov. 1). Although the military hires a lot of people, those jobs are relatively low-paying. This same reports show San Francisco as the top spot for wealth creation. The Bay Area let go of its military bases 30 years ago to great benefit.

San Diego will continue to miss its potential until it stops relying on the easy money from the military.

Paul Grantham

San Diego

Military should not lower its standards

Regarding Overweight, tattooed, stoned? The Pentagon may still want you (Nov. 3): So we learn from the U-T that the U.S. military plans to further relax its recruiting standards. Rest easy, fellow citizens, secure in the knowledge that as you sleep, your countrys defense will now be cared for at least in part by portly potheads.

Thomas J. Barbarie

University City

La Jolla not alone in frustration over repairs

Regarding Storm drain repair angers businesses (Nov. 8): So, the businesses (and Im sure the residents also) are frustrated with the lack of work being done on Avenida de la Playa in La Jolla. Well, Arnold Way in Alpine had the same problem from 2012 through 2016.

I have lived in the area for almost 30 years and never seen any type of flooding there. Yet, the lack of work continued. And if you submit a claim for damages to your vehicle, the county denies it. Where is all the money going?

Allen Stanko

Alpine

Voters made the right call on death penalty

Regarding Readers weigh in on the death penalty (Oct. 23): The purpose of the death penalty isnt, as alleged recently by a U-T reader, to reduce the number of murders.

Killings will continue, probably at the same rate. An effective death penalty rids us of killers instead of warehousing them for life at public expense.

Voter rejection of Proposition 62 (repeal of the death penalty) and approval of Proposition 66 (speeding up the death-penalty process) puts us on track to a major reform that wont decrease the number of killers but will mete out just, expeditious punishment to those who murder and save the expense of lifetime maintenance for them

Dale Rodebaugh

San Diego

Good to see church catching up with times

Your article Diocese delves into family and marriage (Oct. 30) was very interesting and informative, showing the contradiction between ancient teachings and modern societies.

I applaud the dioceses efforts  however belated  to deeply explore these issues. I think the root of these struggles is similar to the political struggles our country is going through  the past versus the present, and the nature of change.

Humans slowly evolved from caves and hunter-gathering tribes to farms, villages and cities, to 57 Chevys and drive-through caramel macchiato lattes  things the people who wrote the Bible and our Constitution could not have anticipated.

Founders of this country studied Roman history and government and knew the value of old wisdom must be informed by and adapted to change.

Dick Eiden

Vista

Voters shouldnt face so many propositions

I think that in the next election we, the citizens of California, should encourage a proposition that would limit the number of propositions and measures on each ballot. This year on my ballot, in addition to all of the candidates, there were 17 statewide propositions and 14 local measures  way too confusing.

Perhaps two or three of each would be enough, and a wonderful additional benefit would be a significant lower number of silly TV commercials and inane mailers in the weeks prior to the election.

Dan Collins

San Diego

Reaction to Trump election continues

The one headline Results: Republican scores stunning wins in Democratic strongholds (Nov. 9) explains the results of this election.

A campaign that celebrated the variety of Americans and their gratitude for living in a country founded on high ideals, was viciously mischaracterized by people who think of themselves as the political elite.

Democrats, blacks, Latinos, Asians, Muslims and women could all go online and detect the difference between the reporting and the actions of both candidates.

Valerie E. Looper

San Diego

* * *

Trump is the president-elect. I can hear the Kremlin cheering from here.

Linda Duryea

Coronado

* * *

Over the past eight years, hope and change gave way to lack of transparency, divisiveness, corruption, abandonment of rule of law, disregard of our Constitution, gridlock in Washington and frustration/anger over our government.

This resulted in a groundswell of frustration, anger and great sadness over the direction of our republic. Now the improbable has happened, with a complete outsider-political newcomer being elected president. And now it is our turn to hope, and we do hope.

Richard Schauer

Escondido

* * *

All Democrats crying in their lattes should remember Trump University (Trump University trial goes on despite presidential win, Nov. 9), coming soon to a courtroom near you.

As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, paraphrasing John Paul Jones: We have only just begun to fight. The midterm election starts today.

Kennedy Gammage

San Diego

Will plastic bag ban really solve anything?

Walmart charges 10 cents for a new composition plastic bag. Will it help solve the plastic bag disposal problem?

For a dime, most will throw them in the trash rather than clean and carry them back to the store.

Clifford H. Wiersma

Escondido

Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
We deal with a subject from which adventurous steps are always expected.

November 12, 2016, 13:54 Intentional behavior of Azerbaijan leaves no alternative to the Status Quo. Shavarsh Kocharyan

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 12, ARTSAKHPRESS: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan told the above-said in an interview with Artsakhpress, referring to Azerbaijani provocative actions from yesterday morning in some parts of contact line.

"April showed that Azerbaijan failed its blitz-Krieg and, in spite of its calculations, the potential of Armenian states was much higher. Such actions of Baku only hinder the resumption of negotiations, in particular, the implementation of the agreements of Vienna and St. Petersburg. Such intentional behavior of Azerbaijan leaves no alternative to the status quo, which is very often a subject of complaint by them. Otherwise, they would enable to implement these agreements, "said Sh. Kocharyan.

Speaking about the current stage of the negotiation process, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs said that it should be divided into two platforms. The first one is negotiations, in connection with the settlement process. The second level is negotiations aimed at strengthening the ceasefire regime.

"Today we speak only about the second platform; we many times said that if there are shootings, provocations, speaking about progress in process of negotiations will be just a naivety. From this viewpoint, these recent provocations once again suggest that the Vienna agreements should be immediately implemented," he concluded.
Bang Rak, Bangkok -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/11/2016 -- IDP Thailand, a recognized global careers firm is extending a great opportunity for students who wish to pursue their higher education in the UK. They are offering a complete cash back offer for the IELTS test which normally costs about 6685 THB. This offer is valid only for those applicants who confirm their UK application and the refund will be initiated once they receive the Britain student visa.



IDP Thailand is conducting an exclusive interview program on 14 November, 2016 for US and UK at the Novotel to counsel students on making the right education choices. They would extend the cash back on IELTS for all UK applicants. The cash back is offered on the IELTS test which is quite expensive and this is a one-time offer for all the students willing to apply for the UK. The cash back will be given after the students receive the Britain's student visa.



The firm takes pride in offering excellent counseling support for their students who were able to make informed choices on studying abroad. As IDP is also certified by the American International Recruitment Council they were able to guide over 420,000 students to renowned universities in Australia, Britain, Amerca, Canada and New Zealand. This is an established organization with the best counselors providing perfect guidance to the students to increase their proficiency in the English Language. IELTS has been made a mandate by many organizations to test the level of proficiency and the certificate is highly regarded for employment in all the major continents.



IDP Thailand is extending this campaign to all their offices enabling students to benefit from the offer and aim for their desired study abroad. The teams at IDP constantly thrive to create such opportunities to students. Students can register on the website and schedule a counseling session before deciding on the options available. The cash back offer is attracting a lot of students to IDP as they offer reliable processing right from the time the student signs up with them. They take care of complete application process, accommodation services at the airport, entry for seminars offered by IDP and preparation courses for the IELTS test.



About IDP Education Thailand

IDP Education Thailand is an overseas career institute with over 100 branches across 32 countries. IDP owns the IELTS test administered by IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment. IDP focuses on their students providing constant guidance in making informed career choices by becoming proficient in English language.



To know more about IDP Thailand visit https://www.idp.com/thailand/studyabroad



Media Contacts:

IDP Education Thailand

313 Si Lom, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Phone: +66 2 638 3111

Fax: 66 2231 0139

Business Email: ielts.thailand@idp.com

https://www.idp.com/thailand/studyabroad
Nature is indeed mysterious. Three fishermen caught a disgusting whale vomit. But it is not bad news. It is worth millions of dollars.

Ambergris or whale vomit was caught by three fishermen from Oman. With a total weight of 176 pounds or 80 kilograms. The value of the whale vomit can cost up to US$3 million.

The whale vomit or ambergris is a rare ingredient in high-priced perfumes and other fragrances. It causes the scents last longer and it is bought at a high price because it is very hard to find -- and whale vomit is not available every day.

Scientists think that the ambergris came from the secreted whale stomach to help them quandary food items and other objects that they were not able to digest. After a vast amount of ambergris is produced, the whale then poops it out or vomit it.

The three fishermen found the ambergris off the coast of Quarayat, which is a region in northeast Oman. Khalid Al Sinani has been spending almost his entire life fishing around the area. He admitted that he hopes to find the nasty treasure, as reported by Hasan Shaban Al Lawati in Times of Oman.

               60          . pic.twitter.com/mAYXgANPVE     (@zajel_oman) November 1, 2016

Khalid Al Sinani said, "We used a rope to collect it and carry it inside the boat. I was told earlier that ambergris has an icky smell, but after a couple of days, it imparts a pleasant scent. We rushed back to the beach with joy and happiness."

As of now, a Saudi trader already offered the fishermen to purchase the ambergris for 13,500 (US$3,599.91) SR (Saudi riyal) per kilogram that are a total of 1 million SR equivalent to more or less $2.8 million. However, Al Sinani will wait for an auction and hopes to sell the ambergris for a higher price.

Meanwhile, it has already been reported that not only Al Sinani and his fellow fishermen who found the treasured vomit but also different people already have. However, the ones that they found is the largest to be recorded as of today, according to Science Alert.
Unveiled at the IFA 2016 Berlin event stage, the highly anticipated Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch is currently up for pre-orders in the US for $349.99 via select third-party retail stores as well as Samsung websites. Notably, the next gen Samsung Gear S3 has already been rolled out in South Korea beginning Friday, November 11. The smartwatch will hit market shelves in the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, Dubai and Singapore on 18 November.

What's unique about the new smartwatch is that it's reportedly the first device coming from the tech giant which connects to higher-speed LTE networks. The Samsung Gear S3 has been rolled out in three variants- Classic, Frontier, and Frontier LTE.

The Classic and the Frontier Gear S3 models feature the same specs including 1.3-inch Super AMOLED display with 360 x 360 resolution and Gorilla Glass SR+ screen protection, Samsung's Exynos 7270 dual 1GHz processor, Tizen OS, 768MB RAM, 4GB of storage and built-in GPS. However, the two smartwatch differs in terms of physical appearance. While, the Classic model features a stainless steel body and rotating bezel and gives a luxury watch feel, the Frontier Gear S3 variant has a rugged exterior look. The Frontier version weighs in at 62 grams and the Classic version at 57 grams. The third out of the lot, the Frontier LTE edition supports high-speed wireless Internet connectivity.

Notably, wearers will be able to send text messages, track location, as well as stream music from Spotify using the new Samsung smartwatch without depending on the smartphone. There's also support for Samsung Pay, speedometer, an alti/barometer, handwriting recognition, SOS signaling and a built-in speaker for voice messaging.

The Gear S3 smartwatch, as claimed by the tech giant, meets IP68 water resistance standards, and can survive in waters of 5 feet for nearly 30 minutes. The newly introduced wearables feature 380 mAh batteries which is expected to last up to four days on a single charge. Tech enthusiasts are speculating that Samsung Gear S3 will give a tough competition to Apple Watch Series 2.

Stay tuned to SWR for more updates and latest news on Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch.
FLORENCE, S.C.  More than 600 veterans, service members and Florence residents attended the eighth annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday morning at Florence Veterans Park.

The event was both celebratory and emotional as people from across Florence County arrived to honor living veterans and remember those who have died. Retired Army Col. Barry Wingard led the Veterans Day proceedings and welcomed everyone to one of the most beautiful settings anywhere around here.

Our park opened in 2008 on Veterans Day, and we have had a program every Veterans Day since, Wingard said. On this beautiful day, we have probably the most ambitious program since our first Veterans Day ceremony.

Wingard acknowledged a number of attendees, most notably those joining him on stage in front of the crowd. Gulf War Veteran Regi Armstrong was among those and took the opportunity to introduce his friend and the ceremonys keynote speaker, Brig. Gen. Viet X. Luong.

Luong was the first Vietnamese-born general/flag officer in the U.S. military. He and Armstrong attended the University Of Southern California together as ROTC classmates, and Armstrong said even then there was always something special about Luong.

Everyone liked him. He was funny and he was fearless, Armstrong said. My classmate was back then, his career has been, and he is now a testament to the best in the American soldier. Our country is blessed to have him as a U.S. Army general, and we are blessed to have him as our speaker.

Luong said speaking at Florence Veterans Park in front of the mass of veterans, civic leaders and others from the Florence community was an extraordinary opportunity for him and something he was honored to be a part of.

This is a very special occasion, not only for you all but for me to be standing in front of you, Luong said. It is truly a privilege for me to be speaking at this ceremony.

Luongs address moved many people to tears as he recalled the time he and his family were rescued from Vietnam as political refugees. Luong was only 9 years old when he boarded a military helicopter taking him away from Saigon and toward safety aboard an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Luong grew emotional as he remembered talking to his father in those moments.

When we walked off the aircraft, my father told us we were embarked on the carrier USS Hancock. And I remember looking up at him and asking him what that meant, Luong said, holding backs tears. And he told me, Son, this means that nothing in the world can harm you now.

Luong said it was then that he decided to serve in the U.S. military. Luong continued his address, speaking of the unrelenting service of those who have donned a military uniform and the countless sacrifices both service members and their loved ones know all too well.

Luong mentioned a few of his men by name, recognizing their valor in the face of imminent danger. Luong and the crowd of hundreds wiped tears from their eyes as Luong retold the stories of the servicemen who fought alongside him and gave their lives to save others.

Its really hard for me to retell these stories, but I think its important that they be told, Luong said. I believe it is my duty to preserve these soldiers legacy and honor their sacrifice and service.

We live in the best country in the world. Let it be known to all who wish us harm that the men and women of America are ready to defend our nation and preserve our status as a brilliant beacon of democracy.

Luong's speech was followed by the unveiling of two new monuments added to the parks collection. The new U.S. Army monument  a black granite obelisk with scenes etched into it honoring the Army  was revealed near the front of the park. Luong and other Army veterans removed the blanket to show off one of the parks newest additions.

Florence resident Rob Seastrunk attended the ceremony not only to honor the veterans but more specifically to watch the unveiling of the new U.S. Army monument.

A great friend of mine did this, and he been working on it for a long time, Seastrunk said. Ive been seeing it progress in pictures.

Along with the Army monument, a new sculpture titled Alone with Memories was presented during the ceremony. The sculpture shows a woman mourning the loss of her loved one who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service.

A World War I monument was relocated from American Legion Post 1 to the Florence Veterans Park, and 36 names were added to the Wall of Honor. First-grade teacher Karen Munn enjoyed each monument the park had on display and encouraged her students to be a part of the annual ceremony so they can appreciate Veterans Day and the history behind it.

I think its important to teach patriotism and to extend that no matter what the circumstances are, Munn said. So we can appreciate the freedoms that we have.
Many of the Obamacare insurance plans announced huge rate hikes, and who is at fault? The companies blame the president.

Now you can choose to like or dislike the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but I have saved a lot of money by keeping my college students on my insurance.

Before the ACA, many of my cardiac neonates were denied coverage because (I wish I were kidding) the child was born with a pre-existing condition. Thats right, before I had the chance to make the diagnosis, which is when the condition officially "exists," the company retroactively denied coverage, even if you had a family policy, which is a contract they wrote and made you sign, which stipulates coverage for family members.

Many of my families dont get insurance through their job, and many of them dont qualify for Medicaid, so before the ACA, many of them went without coverage, and some bought expensive policies that, oddly enough, covered next to nothing, or had $50,000 deductibles, or had low lifetime limits. What did these patients do? Many of them died from treatable diseases, but under the ACA, patients cant be punished because they are sick. The companies have to honor contracts, with reasonable deductibles, without some arbitrary limit that kicks off when your chemotherapy is far from over.

But now, after these insurance companies lobbied hard for the ACA (yielding them thousands of new customers and historic profits), the companies are screaming poverty, but if historic profits equal poverty, why do they need monumental profits?

Consider this: Six of the biggest heath insurance companies are Anthem, Centene, United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna and Humana. These are publicly traded companies, so the CEO salaries are public record, ranging from $8.1 million/year for Anthem to $66.1 million/year for United Healthcare, for a total of nearly $158 million/year for just these six people. And dont forget, each CEO has a staff of vice presidents who are extremely well paid, and each VP has a team of assistant VPs who are really well paid, and so on, and so on, and so on.

And finally: The United Healthcare CEO just announced the companys second-quarter profits grew 17 percent year-over-year, and with a straight face, this CEO blames Obama for forcing the company to raise prices another 25 percent. That CEO is paying himself $33,050/hour, so if this is poverty, what could possibly be adequate?

Our president is not perfect, and the ACA has many areas that need work, but why are these companies getting a free pass?

CHARLES TRANT

Florence
"Initially, we thought it was a battle. The explosion made our houses shake. We saw the smoke from our village," Lone Khin villager Daw Ma Kyi told The Myanmar Times .

The cylindrical object, which is about 12 feet (3.7 meters) long and 5 feet in diameter, blasted into the village of Lone Khin, near a jade mine. Villagers woke early in the morning to a loud boom and vibrations, when the object fell to the ground. Though no one was injured, the UFO ripped through a jade miner's tent, and afterwards, the smell of burning filled the air, according to The Myanmar Times.

At first glance, the object looks like it may have come from an aircraft.

"I think it was an engine because I found a diode and many copper wires at the tail of the body," villager Ko Maung Myo told The Myanmar Times. "It also looks like a jet engine block."

However, government officials say that they haven't identified the object and are sending experts to examine it. One former government official with the Department of Aviation said that the image shown on Facebook of the metal "UFO" looked more like a rocket booster than part of a commercial plane.

RELATED: 'UFO' Seen in Live Space Station Video Is Just Fluff

Just yesterday China announced the successful launch of a Long March Rocket 11 into space, along with five satellites and an experimental X-ray pulsar navigation spacecraft, Spaceflight Insider reported. The XPNAV-1 (an acronym for Maichong Xing Shiyan Weixing), a 530-pound (240 kilograms) spacecraft fitted with solar arrays and two detectors that use X-ray emissions from pulsars to navigate, is meant to identify the locations of spacecraft in deep space.

Space debris is a regular part of satellite and rocket launches. Though the odds of any individual person getting struck by detritus is low, the odds that it hits one of the seven billion people on Earth is surprisingly high: After the launch of a school bus-sized satellite in 2011, Mark Matney, a scientist in the Orbital Debris Program Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, previously told Live Science that the odds of anyone being hit by that debris immediately after the launch were approximately one in 3,200.

Space is littered with junk from past exploration. All told, there were at least 500,00 pieces of space junk marble-size or larger that are orbiting our planet in 2010, though most pieces are on the small side. Of that space junk, more than 20,000 pieces are larger than a softball, according to NASA. In 2012, Switzerland proposed building a kind of space janitor to clean up some of that debris.

More From LiveScience:

Original article on Live Science.

WATCH: How We Know Europe's Mars Lander Crashed
Press Release

November 12, 2016 ANGARA: ISSUE IMPLEMENTING RULES ON BALIKBAYAN BOX AS CHRISTMAS SEASON NEARS Senator Sonny Angara has called for the immediate implementation of higher tax exemption ceiling for balikbayan boxes as Christmas season nears. Pursuant to Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), which was signed into law in May, balikbayan boxes sent by any Filipino worker or resident abroad not exceeding P150,000 in value are exempted from taxes and duties. As balikbayan boxes usually take four to six weeks to arrive, Angara urged the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to fast-track the Customs Administrative Order (CAO) for balikbayan boxes so that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) can finally enjoy the benefits of the new law especially during the holiday season. "Sigurado akong nagsisimula nang mamili ng mga ipapadala ang ating mga kababayan abroad. Kapag naipatupad ang batas na ito, tiyak na maraming OFW ang matutuwa dahil mas mura na ang pagpapadala ng balikbayan box dahil wala ng buwis," said Angara, chairman of the Senate ways and means committee, who sponsored the CMTA law. According to the BOC, the number of balikbayan boxes shipped to the country, which is around 400,000 every month, doubles during the Christmas season. Angara cited studies that showed that overseas Filipinos, on the average, send balikbayan boxes to their families back home three to four times a year, containing approximately P80,000 worth of goods and items. Before the CMTA was enacted, the tax exemption ceiling for balikbayan boxes was only P10,000. The new law also provides that overseas Filipinos can send up to three P150,000-worth of tax and duty free balikbayan boxes in a year, given that the goods are not in commercial quantities nor intended for barter, sale or for hire. Based on the latest data from the Commission on Overseas Filipinos, there are over 10 million Filipinos working or residing abroad. "Ang balikbayan box ay hindi lamang lalagyan ng mga pasalubong. Sa pamamagitan ng mga padalang ito, parang ramdam na rin ng pamilyang Pilipino ang presensiya at pagmamahal ng kanilang mga kaanak sa abroad. Ito ay nagbibigay ng ilang minutong pagsasalo-salo ng mga pamilyang magkakahiwalay tuwing Pasko," the lawmaker said. The BOC has conducted a public consultation on rules governing balikbayan boxes last November 3, and has posted the draft CAO for balikbayan boxes on its CMTA microsite. The bureau said it aims to implement the CAO early December. On top of the tax and duty free balikbayan boxes, the CMTA law also grants Filipinos, who have stayed in a foreign country for at least 10 years and are returning to the Philippines, tax exemption for the personal and household effects, not exceeding P350,000, they will be bringing with them when they return to the country. As for Filipinos who have lived overseas for at least five years, they will be entitled to tax and duty free personal and household effects amounting to P250,000, while those who have stayed abroad for less than five years can enjoy P150,000 tax-free ceiling. RA 10863 raises as well the de minimis value, which refers to the value of tax and duty free goods and the minimum cost of goods required to undergo formal Customs entry, from the present P10 to P10,000. The 166-page CMTA generally aims to simplify, modernize and align with global best practices the country's customs procedures. The Department of Finance plans to consolidate the CAOs of the major provisions of the law to form the implementing rules and regulations of the CMTA.
Press Release

November 12, 2016 Sen. Grace Poe on emergency powers

Excerpt from a student forum organized by the 2016 Students' PR Congress and the

Public Relations Society of the Philippines

De La Salle University, Manila

Nov. 12, 2016 I am tasked, being chairman of the public services committee which includes air, ground and land transportation, to pass the emergency powers for the President to solve traffic. But let me tell you, we want to give that emergency powers already but it's not that easy. Even if we give that to them, you think traffic will be solved immediately? No. A lot of the things they can do now, like clearing the places with no parking zones, by making sure that there are enough parking lots, by making sure that law enforcers are actually doing their jobs. With the emergency powers, we have to be careful. Because they want to spend eight trillion pesos, can you imagine how much money that is. I said, we will give it but we need to put safeguards para hindi tayo pwedeng pagnakawan. Because the last time we granted emergency powers, this was in the early 90s when we had a lot of brownouts and because of that, we had to contract out more power plants. Until now, we have one of the most expensive power rates in the world and some people say it's because of the emergency powers. The government gave so much sovereign guarantees, yun bang kahit hindi gamitin yung kuryente na iyon babayaran pa rin iyan ng gobyerno. Kanino pinapasa ang gastos? Sa atin din, kaya nga tipid na tipid tayo...pero when you go to other countries like Thailand or Singapore...hindi naman nila binabayaran katulad ng pagbabayad natin.
Press Release

November 12, 2016 Action urged on thousands of gov't nurses facing 'endo' Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto is rallying his colleagues "to rescue the thousands of Department of Health jobs in peril" as the proposed 2017 budget for the DOH's grassroots manpower deployment program will not be able to retain the number of personnel currently hired. Recto said thousands of nurses, doctor, dentists will face the dreaded "endo" (end of contract) at the end of the year if Congress will not override the government's plan to drastically downsize the number of frontline health personnel. He said the Senate can explore many options "to save these jobs or at least cushion the effects of what amounts to be a mass retrenchment." "First, we can infuse funds. The 6,000 affected nurses alone would require something like P2 billion," Recto said. "We can also insert a provision in the national budget would state that the affected personnel should have first priority in being absorbed by other or new programs of the Rural Health Practice Program (RHPP)," he said, referring to the official name of the rural manpower assignment project. Another option is to insert a "firewall" provision, exempting poor, distant towns from the personnel cuts, Recto said. "We can insist that the status quo be maintained for 3rd class to 6th class towns." Recto said he is working closely with and is in full support of the solutions being pursued by Health Secretary Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial on how to minimize the displacement "which was something that was merely imposed on the DOH." The proposed cut was triggered by the payroll ceiling given to DOH for 2017 which could not accommodate the retention of all RHPP personnel as it has to fund the second round salary increases for its regular personnel under the Salary Standardization Law IV. Unless rectified, the number of doctors hired under the RHHP will be slashed by one-half, and nurses, by one-third. Recto said that under the agency's Doctor to the Barrios program, the number of physicians assigned to low-income towns will go down from 946 this year to 435 next year, or 511 fewer. But it is in the deployment of nurses where the biggest cut is observed - from 15,727 this year to 9,349 in 2017, which means 6,378 nurses contracted under the Nurse Deployment Program will be axed. The senator said the number of DOH-paid dentists who will be assigned to rural clinics will also be reduced from the 2016 level of 324 to 243 next year. While fewer doctors, nurses and dentists will be dispatched, the number of medical technologists and midwives hired would stay at 308 and 3,100 respectively. Overall, RHPP slots will be slashed from the current 21,118 to 18,825 next year. To augment the number of health professionals in impoverished towns, the DOH pays for the salaries of those it has hired under the RHPP. The good news is that the DOH will hire 2,587 UHC (Universal Health Coverage) Implementers and 2,803 Public Health Associates (PHAs) he said. PHAs are either nurses or nursing associates who will be paid P19,000 a month. UHC Implementers, on the other hand, can be any licensed health professional who will be given a salary of P26,000 a month or a doctor whose take-home pay is P56,000 monthly. "The displaced personnel should be accommodated in the above programs," Recto said. "And their pay should be augmented by local counterpart. Kung hindi lahat ma-absorb, then Congress should fund the deficit." RHPP's proposed budget for 2017 is P7.03 billion.
Veterans Day is a day in which America recognizes all veterans- Airmen, Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Coast Guardsmen.

To show support for Seymour Johnson and local veterans, Wayne County holds an annual Veterans Day Parade in Downtown Goldsboro, North Carolina. This year, an estimated 8,000 people attended the parade which featured a formation of more than 220 Airmen marching through the streets.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, approximately 3.5 million U.S. Air Force veterans are alive around the world today. Every base, including Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, has their share of local heroes, whether they be past or present.

Modern heroes like Capt. Mark McDowell, 336th Fighter Squadron pilot, was killed in action in 2009 while deployed supporting OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. On July 17, an F-15E Strike Eagle flown by McDowell crashed near the Ghazni Province of Afghanistan, killing him and a fellow warrior, Capt. Thomas Gramith, 336th Fighter Squadron weapons system officer.

While many veterans fought for freedom, others made history by breaking barriers and paving the way for the ground-breaking capabilities available today.

On Oct. 14, 1947, Capt. Chuck Yeager became the first pilot confirmed to exceed the speed of sound in level flight. He would later go on to become the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing commander.

Countless other veterans have broken barriers and records over the years- in areas ranging from technology development to wartime operations, to organizational culture and command excellence.

Chief Master Sgt. Shane Wagner, 4th Fighter Wing command chief, said he believes the Air Force has come a long way since the first years of his enlistment.

I believe technology has become more advanced and will continue to do so, said Wagner. But it would not have been that way if it wasnt for the Airmen before us laying the foundation and those serving today.

Wagners father served in the Air Force before him, so he is very appreciative for this holiday. Veterans Day means a lot to me, said Wagner. I have friends who served before me and I get a chance to listen to their stories and hear their sacrifices. We all sacrifice something to wear this uniform and its truly an honor.

Col. Christopher Sage, 4th Fighter Wing commander, believes coming together as a community to celebrate veterans whove carried out brave actions with quiet courage, allows all who wore the uniform to be honored formally.

Our veterans have faced different challenges over the years, but everyone paid the same price: Being away from family, putting duty, honor and country above personal gain, said Sage. We often think of historical figures when we celebrate this day, but many of you have your own heroes in mind. Grandfathers who stormed the beaches of Normandy, aunts or uncles you look up to for answering their nations call to serve. I am proud to be serving my country, and to be a part of this incredible community.
A woman with a pink flower tucked behind her ear peers at the laptop screen, scrutinizing the face of her husband. Across the world in Kabul, he mouths I love you and waves goodbye.

Minutes later, the Marine steps on a land mine and loses three limbs. When he gets home, he learns to eat pasta with a prosthetic hand and take the right dosage of medicine. He goes back to school and opens Christmas presents. We never learn his name, but theres a reason for that  the film, Birthday is supposed to encompass the experience of all veterans as they return from war and reintegrate into society.

The film is one of 14 that will be shown at the fifth annual San Francisco Veterans Film Festival this weekend in the San Francisco Main Librarys Koret Auditorium. Admission is free, event sponsors say, to encourage more people to come and learn about the increasingly isolated demographic.

Many of the films are made by veterans, and all of them are about veterans, said festival founder Eddie Ramirez of Bernal Heights, who was inspired after volunteering with veterans. The film festival is here to bridge the gap between veterans and society. Getting out of the military is a huge adjustment. These films portray the plight and stories of our veterans so we can all learn something new.

San Franciscos military bases on Treasure Island, at Hunters Point and in the Presidio may be gone, but veterans remain. More than 1.9 million former servicemen and women live in California. In San Francisco, about 300 veterans are homeless.

Mayor Ed Lee has prioritized building housing for the citys veterans in recent years, finding stable units for 700 people since 2014. This week, he announced plans to open another 75 units of supportive housing for veterans.

Homelessness is one of many common issues veterans face that go unrecognized, filmmakers said.

Civilians on the whole are oblivious to what our troops go through during war, said Chris King, the creator of the film, Birthday. King, 52, of Roseville (Placer County), was stationed with the armys airborne division in Turkey during the first Gulf War.

It was surprising and saddening how uninformed and ignorant a lot of the population is, he said. They just know what theyve seen on television or in theaters. Our film festival is helping people learn and understand our vets.

In Tango on the Balcony, a 20-minute short, footage shows a soldier dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Cell phones tucked in pockets look like handguns. The shriek of sirens and roar of traffic are enough to transport him back to Iraq and Afghanistan. Bottles of pills arent enough to numb the pain. He tries unsuccessfully to assimilate back into city life.

Filmmaker Minos Papas, 39, of Brooklyn, drew from his military experience in his home country of Cyprus, where he said he was an infantry sergeant. Everyone in the country is required to serve two years in the military, he said, and there is a nationwide understanding of what that is like. That is lacking in America.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

We as civilians tend to judge veterans with a peacetime yardstick, Papas said. But veterans have to go through extraordinary circumstances during war and face things that we will never have to. There is a huge military and civilian divide in the cultural sense in the United States. Veterans can only find understanding with other veterans. Theres this huge divide.

Susan Sipprelle, the director of Soldier on: Life After Deployment, said creating the film led to a greater understanding of veterans issues. The 80-minute movie follows three characters as they confront different aspects of life after being discharged. One woman recovers from a military sexual trauma while another suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

These issues are especially relevant now, said Sipprelle, 58, of Angelwood, N.J. Women are a necessary part of our armed forces today to fill our recruitment needs. I became very passionate about the fact that we accept this demographic that serves us and do everything in our power to recognize them. The message is that these are real people, all of them.

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn S.F. Veterans Film Festival

10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Main Librarys Koret Auditorium. More information: www.sfveteransfilmfestival.org
For nearly 40 years the Macys Mens Store on Stockton Street played the same role as similar department stores on key corners in cities like Seattle, Chicago and New York.

It housed five floors of retail and three floors of offices. Macys West Coast executives were perched on the upper floors over one of Union Squares busiest intersections. Downstairs were the sales floors, bustling with downtown businessmen who came to freshen up their wardrobes.

Those days are long gone. Macys shut down its West Coast headquarters at 120 Stockton St. in 2012, and those upper floors have been empty ever since. This week, Macys announced that it had sold the 263,000-square-foot building to Morgan Stanley for $275 million  its mens department will be moving across the street to its main store.

Morgan Stanley executives have already met with city planning officials to discuss what the zoning allows there but have not made any decisions about what they might to do with the property, which Macys will continue to occupy for another year or two.

The news created a buzz around Union Square about what would become of the seven-story, bunker-like concrete edifice that has anchored the corner of Stockton and OFarrell since 1974.

Retail specialist Kazuko Morgan of Cushman & Wakefield said Morgan Stanley would likely redevelop the building for multiple retail tenants with offices upstairs. She expects Morgan Stanley will seek to increase the current 80,000 square feet used for office space.

Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

Given how much they are paying for it, it has got to be multitenant, she said. Macys has amassed a lot of great real estate across the country, and like any other retailer they are trying to be more efficient. Do you really need a five-story mens store today? Probably not. Today, its about maximizing your efficiency and sales per square foot.

The Macys property sits in C-3-R zoning, which allows retail and housing but prohibits new office space without a conditional use authorization, which requires extra approvals. The property has an 80-foot height limit, although that could be increased to 130 feet with a downtown plan exemption, according to Daniel Sider, the Planning Departments senior adviser for special projects. Morgan Stanley could conceivably add five stories of housing or commercial space on top of the current building. Its unlikely the bank would knock the store down and start from scratch because of the years it would take to get approvals and the difficulty of building in such a congested area.

If Morgan Stanley does attempt to increase the amount of office space in the building, it will be joining a growing group of Union Square retail property owners looking to swap display racks for cubicles, Sider said.

Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

Like Macys, Saks Fifth Avenue recently announced a plan to shut down its mens store at 220 Post St., creating a vacant space that the property owners would like to convert to offices. The owners of the historic Britex building on Geary Street recently applied to convert the upper floors to offices, but later backtracked and said they would like to renew the lease of the fabrics store. Several other conversion applications, including 90 Grant and 300 Grant, are in the works.

While property owners may earn higher profits housing tech workers than leasing retail space, so far the city planners are not enthusiastic about the trend. Earlier this month, the Planning Commission declined to approve a conversion at 222 Sutter St., space vacated a few years ago by Loehmanns, and continued the matter until next spring. Sider said the half dozen retail-to-office conversion applications have made planners uneasy.

We are taking this trend seriously, Sider said. We want to make sure that if we are comfortable with some level of conversion, its done in a thoughtful and deliberative manner.

Planning Commissioner Dennis Richards said some upper-floor conversions might make sense, but not too many.

We have a premier shopping district on the West Coast, and the encroachment of office space is not supposed to happen, Richards said. Are we going to destroy an economic engine of the city if we allow office to slip in? Its a slippery slope.

In the case of Macys Mens Store, the new retail landscape can be seen less than a mile away at 680 Folsom St., where the retailer has its new 250,000-square-foot Macys.com headquarters.

Department stores are becoming leaner and more efficient, while the real estate they sit on is well suited to tech companies that prefer large floor plates. Buildings that would have been considered white elephants are suddenly in vogue, according to broker Daniel Cressman, who has represented Macys in a number of transactions, including selling some of its brick-and-mortar stores.

It would take a needle in a haystack to fill (the Macys Mens Store) with a single retail tenant  that would be bucking the trend, Cressman said. Everybody is shrinking. You can thank Amazon for that.

But even as retail as a sector is shrinking, Union Square retains some of the lowest vacancy rates and highest rents in the country, Morgan said. She expects Morgan Stanley will take the bones of the Macys building and revitalize it with an eclectic mix of businesses, a reworked exterior with more glass and a more welcoming entrance, said Morgan.

In the old days you wanted to be in a vault. Today, the consumer likes transparency, Morgan said. They like to see activity on the street, foot traffic, different things going on.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SFjkdineen
The first and most legendary of all of San Franciscos bohemian cafes was a restaurant called Coppas. Its heyday only lasted three years, but in that brief time it left an invisible legacy of fun, camaraderie and good conversation.

Coppas crowning glory was its wildly creative murals, done on the fly by the artists and writers who made the place their second home. The Coppa murals may have been the hippest, wittiest, most ahead-of-their-time artistic improvisations ever to froth up in San Francisco. They were a hilariously proto-Dadaist masterpiece, created 10 years before that anarchic artistic movement, whose 100th anniversary is being celebrated this month by City Lights books, was born at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich.

Original Coppas Restaurant, to give its full name, was opened in 1904 by Giuseppe Coppa, an Italian from Turin who had come to California in the 1890s. It was on the ground floor of the Montgomery Block, also known as the Monkey Block, the huge 1853 building located where the Transamerica Pyramid now stands.

As Warren Unna notes in The Coppa Murals: A Pageant of Bohemian Life in San Francisco at the Turn of the Century, Coppas first regular patrons were Italian fishermen wearing scarlet Garibaldis. Soon, however, a convivial group of free-spirited writers and artists discovered the long, narrow room with 21 tables.

Poppa Coppa, as he was affectionately called, routinely extended credit to his often-impecunious scribblers and daubers. Not that prices were steep: The table dhotel meal, which included salad, excellent pasta, plenty of crusty French bread, an entree, black coffee and good red wine, cost 50 cents.

The leader of the Coppa gang was Porter Garnett, a writer, editor and designer best known as the co-creator, with fellow Coppan Gelett Burgess, of the whimsical 1895 literary magazine the Lark. The most flamboyant regular was Mexican-born painter Xavier Martinez, who had studied in Paris, had a drooping mustache and was given to belting out French chansons at the drop of his soft-brimmed hat. His friend Maynard Dixon, a noted painter and illustrator who smoked marijuana on a trip to Mexico with Martinez and called his Coppa pals the fuzzy bunch, was another key member.

George Sterling, a hard-drinking, moody bohemian poet whom Burgess described as an eager girlhound, often held forth at Coppas. The short-story writer James Hopper, who was to write the finest piece of journalism about the 1906 earthquake and fire, rubbed shoulders with the earnest young socialist Jack London, who would write the second-best piece.

This merry gang gathered at the center table at Coppas to talk about the universe, art and their love lives, which they routinely tried to improve by bringing in women on a kind of tryout basis. There was an unwritten rule that only one new girlfriend at a time could be brought to the center table, Unna writes. Then the group would take a vote under the table. Mary Austin rated a thumbs down when George Sterling brought her and she wasnt asked again.

She was writing beautiful stuff but she wasnt pretty, Jimmy Hopper, the Carmel writer, once remarked, and then explained, The pretty ones didnt have to write very much to get in again.

Time has repaid the group for its treatment of Austin: Her works are still read today, while those of the Coppa gang, except for Londons, are largely (if not always justly) forgotten.

The Coppa murals were inspired when Garnett and sculptor Robert Aitken spontaneously drew a caricature of former Mayor James Phelan on a blank screen at the Bohemian Club. Encouraged by the result, they offered to redo Coppas red-wallpaper decor. Coppa agreed and turned the place over to them on a Sunday in 1905, giving them free lunch and all the wine they could drink.

That day Garnett took a box of chalk and climbed on a table, with no idea what he was going to draw.

The first thing was a lobster, Unna writes, the fons et origo of the Coppa Gallery. A gigantic drawing of a nearly nude man and woman by Aitken followed.

Over the coming weekends, other Coppans added their bits, all in charcoal, chalk or crayon. Soon the cafes upper walls were covered with a melange of surreal sketches, archaic quotations, mock Homeric lists of great artists that included many of the Coppans, and the weird doodley creatures that Burgess called Goops, all topped with a frieze of stenciled black cats.

Garnett told Unna that the murals only objective was that most engaging of all games  fooling the public. One scroll, by Carolyn Wells, the first woman contributor to the Lark, contained the words, Oh, love, dead and your adjectives still in you! Another scroll, taken from a Constantinople street cry, read, In the name of the prophet, figs!

Next to a large devil catching a fish above the words, It is a crime, Garnett drew a matron peering through her lorgnette at a table of bohemians, saying Freaks! to her bald companion, who responds, Yes, artists! One of the artists returns the compliment, saying, Rastaquoueres! a southern French word for Philistines, to which a companion replies, Oui, cretins!

In an interview with Unna the day before he died in 1951, Garnett took pains to make clear that the Coppans were not tainted with that vulgar exhibitionism known as professional bohemianism. ... They had no knowledge of being on display, nor were they bent on outraging or titillating a peering public. ... The Coppans lived for the joy of living.

Ironically, the murals soon attracted precisely those rastaquoueres the Coppans detested, who came in droves to gawk.

One of the cryptic quotations on the wall, from Oscar Wildes Salome, read, Something terrible is about to happen. On April 18, 1906, it did. The earthquake spared the Monkey Block, but looters broke into the cafe and destroyed everything.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

At the request of the Coppans, Coppa opened the ruined restaurant and served a last supper by candlelight. It turned out to be the swan song of San Franciscos turn-of-the-century bohemians. Coppa tried to recapture the magic with several reincarnations of his cafe, but the bohemians had scattered.

Soon after Coppa abandoned his Monkey Block location, the wondrous murals were destroyed. They had lasted one year.

Gary Kamiya is the author of the best-selling book Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco, awarded the Northern California Book Award in creative nonfiction. All the material in Portals of the Past is original for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: metro@sfchronicle.com

Trivia time

Previous trivia question: What is the only planet besides Earth not to have a San Francisco street named after it?

Answer: Jupiter. (Pluto is also unnamed, but no longer considered a planet.)

This weeks trivia question: How many armed members of the Second Committee of Vigilance were there at its height?

Editors note

Every corner in San Francisco has an astonishing story to tell. Gary Kamiyas Portals of the Past tells those lost stories, using a specific location to illuminate San Franciscos extraordinary history  from the days when giant mammoths wandered through what is now North Beach to the Gold Rush delirium, the dot-com madness and beyond. His column appears every other Saturday, alternating with Peter Hartlaubs OurSF.
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It doesnt make much difference if you are a fourth-generation Californian like my family or a transplant like most of my neighbors. We all know one thing: This region is different.

But we did not realize how big the difference was until the shock of Tuesdays election. Take a look. We all voted for the loser, and by huge numbers.

Hillary Clinton carried San Francisco with 85.3 percent of the vote. The next president of the United States got only 9.9 percent. Well, thats to be expected. You know San Francisco. But Alameda County voted 79 to 15 percent for Clinton. Marins total was 78 to 16, San Mateo 76 to 19, Santa Clara 73 to 21, Sonoma 70 to 22, Contra Costa 68 to 26. The closest President-elect Donald Trump got was in Solano County, where he lost 61.9 percent to 32.5 Thats pretty amazing.

Not to mention the vote in California: 61.5 percent for Clinton, the loser, 33.2 for Trump, the winner. The whole Pacific Coast  California, Oregon and Washington  all ended up on the wrong side of history this month.

Or maybe not. Perhaps the United States is out of step with us. The Trump message, Make America Great Again and all the rest, didnt resonate in this part of the world. Perhaps thats because we really are different.

Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

You can see this for yourself.

Dont just go to some familiar restaurant or park in your neighborhood. Go to the Embarcadero or Montgomery BART stations in San Francisco. Stand at the foot of the escalator and look at who is riding: whites, Asians, Latinos, black folks, straights, gays, everybody, going to work. Just look. These people dont resemble the vision of the America Trump sees, or even what Clinton saw.

This place is different. You could go to Walnut Creek or Fremont and see nearly the same variety of people. The Bay Area has become a huge diverse mix of people, maybe unique in the world.

This would all be a curiosity, like the patchwork quilt Jesse Jackson used to talk about. But California is a giant economic engine, the sixth-largest economy in the world. And the Bay Area, with something like 8 million people, has an economy that ranks 21st in the world. With $630 billion in gross domestic product, the Bay Area has a larger economy than Argentina, which has five times the population.

It means the Bay Area, with all its famous flaws and quirks, outperforms countries with long and proud traditions. It now has an economy that is bigger than the economies of Sweden, or Belgium or Poland, and San Francisco Bay wasnt even discovered by Europeans until 1769. We are not South Dakota, or Arkansas. We have to be taken seriously.

What we hear about now, of course, are fringe movements, like Calexit, which is trending on the Internet. Calexit seeks to have California secede from the union. It was an overnight sensation, a flash in the pan, a one-day-wonder from La-La Land.

You know how it is on the Left Coast, as they say in the East. The very idea of an independent California is not only unthinkable, but impossible. It will never happen.

But this is a new age. We will shortly have a president who wants to build a wall on the border with Mexico and make that nation pay for it, who said he would do all kinds of amazing things on his first day, his first hour in office. Can he do all this? Not likely. But he can threaten to do them.

What have you got to lose? Trump said more than once during the campaign. So what has California or the Bay Area got to lose by threatening to secede from a country that seems to be so much different from our values?

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Threaten to walk. Its the oldest tactic in business or in labor disputes when it looks as if you wont get what you want. Threaten to quit. Make a stand. Thats called the art of the deal.

Its a tactic Trump understands. He got where he is by bluff and threats.

We should raise lawful hell and make sure the new Trump administration understands that this part of the world did not support the new political order and make it deal with us.

How? Well, we have the smartest people in the world here. Well figure it out.

Carl Nolte is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. His column appears every Sunday. Email: cnolte@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carlnoltesf
A Superior Court judge is poised to compel HomeAway to give San Francisco detailed information on its vacation-rental hosts so the city can ensure theyre paying the hotel tax and business registration fees.

San Francisco Treasurer Jose Cisneros subpoenaed host records from HomeAway a year ago, and City Attorney Dennis Herrera went to court in June seeking to force HomeAway to comply.

Judge Harold Kahn rejected HomeAways contention that the subpoena violated the First Amendment and the federal Stored Communications Act. He disagreed with the Texas companys assertion that the citys request, which sought contact and booking information for all local hosts from Jan. 1, 2012 to Oct. 5, 2015, was burdensome or overbroad. He then stayed his order, giving the company until Nov. 21 to decide whether it will appeal.

HomeAway, which was purchased for $3.9 billion a year ago by travel giant Expedia, said it does not comment on pending litigation. HomeAway and its VRBO subsidiary have about 1,770 vacation listings in San Francisco, according to a city report. The company has stated that most are second homes, meaning they do not comply with city rules that only primary residences can be rented to travelers.

This action is an important step in our efforts to collect transient occupancy taxes from short-term rentals operating in San Francisco, said San Francisco Treasurer Jose Cisneros in an email. Businesses in San Francisco cant ignore our laws. (This) action should put on strong notice anyone who has yet to register their business and collect and remit taxes as required.

The decision could be relevant to Airbnb and other vacation-hosting companies as well.The Superior Courts order ... supports (San Franciscos) authority to seek similar information from hosting platforms in connection with future investigations and enforcement actions, said Jim Emery, an assistant city attorney.

While San Francisco and Airbnb often butt heads, tax collection is one area where they agree. Airbnb collects and remits the citys 14 percent hotel tax for all guest stays, and provides information on hosts and guest stays to the tax collector. By law, that information is confidential.

For hosts who only use Airbnb, there is no filing or payment obligation because Airbnb, as a qualified website company, has committed to pay and file on behalf of all their hosts, said David Augustine, the city tax collector.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
For the last year and a half, the technocrats of Silicon Valley have made clear where their allegiances lie: With few exceptions, they organized for Hillary Clinton, supported progressive causes, pushed for looser immigration restrictions, donated tens of millions of dollars to Democrats and related campaigns.

By election day, they thought it would be enough. They thought they had won.

Donald Trump is the president Silicon Valley never saw coming.

Yet the very technology born and burnished in the region may have helped tip the scales in favor of the bombastic real estate mogul. For an industry that claims to be driven by data, there was another irony: Those same tools of communication and connection could have alerted the nation to the likelihood he would win.

As liberals searched for someone to blame for their startling upset Tuesday night, social media became an easy target.

Twitter gave Trump an unfiltered bully pulpit from which he attacked rivals and espoused ideas at all hours of the night and day.

Facebook, which recent studies have shown reaches nearly 80 percent of adults who use the Internet, allowed false news stories and partisan memes to circulate, creating echo chambers that insulated voters from fact-driven analysis, critics said.

Social media is mostly the reason things turned out the way they did, said Frank Speiser, co-founder of social media analytics firm SocialFlow. The election, he said, was driven not by campaigns ability to reach swing voters but by their motivating supporters to go to the polls by demonizing the opponent.

Social media, he said, had the No. 1 impact on this election. Hands down.

Both Facebook and Twitter rejected the idea that their services were complicit in Trumps eventual victory, as did several other tech leaders who spoke to The Chronicle after the election.

Scapegoating social media for an election result ignores the vital roles that candidates, journalists and voters play in the democratic process, a Twitter spokesman said.

That it influenced the election in any way is a pretty crazy idea, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at a tech conference Thursday. Theres a profound lack of empathy in asserting that the only reason why someone could have voted the way that they did is because they saw some fake news.

But Speiser, whose tools are used by top media organizations like the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, said computer algorithms help limit the information people see on social networks. Tracking clicks, shares and likes on Facebook and Twitter allowed Speiser to make a prediction most pollsters and journalists did not  that Donald Trump would win.

Speiser had called the British vote to leave the European Union in a similar fashion. Hes not proud of it.

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Older voters were discounted, because they werent as loud and they werent as involved in the political process, but they were on social media from the beginning, Speiser said. No one believed me. Not even my parents believed me. It wasnt like I hoped Trump would win. I was trying to warn people. ... Maybe theyll listen next time around.

On the day of the election, he said, social media confirmed Trumps victory hours before it was clear which candidate had won.

What people tend to do is they vote, and they go home and they read up about their candidate and post on social media about their candidate, he said. By about noon, whole parts of the country, swing states, were going Trump.

The tech industry was shocked. To the largely progressive Silicon Valley elite, it didnt seem possible that Trumps campaign of isolationism, fear-mongering and racism had succeeded.

But had they paid attention to their own data, Speiser said, they would have seen what he saw.

In the wake of the election, some have suggested that people saw only what they wanted in the signals available to them.

I was shocked, said Elli Kaplan, CEO of biotech company Neurotrack. It was a very eye-opening thing that happened, and I think that what I realized, which I think many others realized, (was) how deeply divided, how much more divided, our country is.

With the exception of PayPal co-founder and venture capitalist Peter Thiel, a Trump supporter who spoke at the Republican National Convention, most tech leaders embraced Clintons candidacy.

And though Thiel, a Facebook board member, may be the most famous political donor in Silicon Valley  his support of $1.25 million to Trumps campaign and pro-Trump super PACs was loudly and repeatedly denounced by his colleagues  the tech industry donated far more to the Clinton campaign.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz pledged $20 million to various pro-Clinton organizations. Google, Twitter and LinkedIn employees gave millions, too.

Y Combinator co-founders Paul Graham and Jessica Livingston, who are married, each contributed $300,000 to the Hillary Victory Fund, Graham wrote in an email. Almost everyone they knew in the tech world supported Clinton, he added.

In retrospect, I wonder if any amount of money would have made a difference, Graham wrote. The main thing I hope we all do  is not get demoralized. This is one step back, but maybe if we dont give up it will be followed by two steps forward. Thats about as much as you can hope for in politics.

As techies post-election shock abated, several began looking ahead.

Some took a hard-line approach, like GrubHub CEO Matt Maloney, who suggested that employees who dont believe in diversity and inclusion should leave the organization, and said he would fire Donald Trump if he were an employee.

Others sought to build bridges.

Amy Errett, CEO of San Francisco beauty company Madison Reed, wondered if she and her fellow founders could do more to put jobs in other parts of the country.

The responsibility Silicon Valley has is to not villainize the otherness, but to understand the struggle and to engage in a positive way to create some impact, Errett said.

She brought her 65-member staff together Wednesday morning to let employees voice their opinions, both positive and negative.

Jimmy Chion, an artist and mechanical engineer, is hosting a brainstorming session to talk about what role tech should play in elections.

Silicon Valleys values are to make the world more connected, to bring us closer together ... unfortunately it seems like its either backfired or were not doing the right thing, he said. We all might feel more connected locally, but maybe thats not true nationally. But I feel like that idea is more important now than ever before.

Marissa Lang, Jessica Floum and Wendy Lee are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mlang@sfchronicle.com, jfloum@sfchronicle.com, wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @marissa_jae, @jfloum, @thewendylee
The San Jose Police Department / / The San Jose Police Department /

A registered sex offender arrested in August on suspicion of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 33-year-old woman in San Jose is facing additional charges after six other women told police he sexually assaulted them, too, officials said.

Damou Joseph Evans, 46, of Morgan Hill, was first arrested in San Jose on Aug. 25 after police were notified that he sexually assaulted a woman multiple times in July, officials said.
One look at the 400-year-old oak tree that dominated the front yard of the 1950s home and Taylor and Oscar Sanin were sold.

Looking to escape San Francisco for more sun and space, they had expanded their search beyond Marin County and landed in Napas Monticello Park area. When we drove up to the house and saw the giant tree and the circular drive, it just felt warm and welcoming. We looked at each other and said, This is the one, Taylor remembers.

Behind the front door was the icing on the real estate cake: a large living room with fireplace, three guest rooms for their extended family and an expansive backyard that Taylor later transformed from dirt patch to outdoor oasis. Summers are now spent entertaining around a modern pool surrounded by bamboo (a nod to Oscars Colombian roots), a set of butterfly chairs and a fire pit where they cozy up to outdoor movies under a sweet Japanese maple, and an al fresco dining area. Part of choosing Napa was that we knew it would be easy to convince people to come visit! Oscar says.

In the living room, mossy velvet sofas from Ralph Lauren anchor their art collection, which includes an eccentric Slim Aarons photograph of Truman Capote and a century-old oil painting handed down from Taylors great-grandparents. The couple lean toward furniture that tells a story, and heirlooms merge gracefully with design classics: A century-old grandfather clock feels at home with Gio Ponti red shaggy chairs and a Willy Rizzo coffee table.

Oscars passion for collecting started when he discovered Pegaso Gallery Design while living in Los Angeles. The owner, George Gomez, is from my hometown in Colombia and has dedicated his life to restoring designer furniture, he says. Over 15 years, hes collected such pieces as an Ico Parisi dining set from the 50s and a Paolo Venini glass chandelier. Through the years, George and I have become very close and are always exchanging ideas, Oscar says.

One idea brewing in Oscars mind was to design a more comfortable Pilates machine. He was turned on to the workout by his doctor after suffering serious injuries in an accident and opting for an alternative to major surgery. Working with a team of industrial designers and fitness consultants, Oscar designed the FitFormer and a new workout to go with it. Around the same time, he met Taylor. Both were in Palm Springs, enjoying an escape from Los Angeles, but it took three years for him to work up the nerve to ask her out. We had our first date three years after meeting and have been together ever since, says Oscar. They married at Taylors family cottage on Lake Michigan, the spot where her parents and brother also married.

The Napa house had one major shortcoming: It lacked a master bedroom. The Sanins recruited the homes in-law unit, converting it into their new space. My walk-in closet used to be the kitchen! Taylor says. Maison Jansen period chairs and an oriental rug that her grandmother brought back from Iran in 1968 add a punch of color to the otherwise neutral space. A former greenhouse, attached to the now master bedroom, serves as a workout room.

Together the pair launched Pilates ProWorks studio in San Francisco in 2010, and in cities across the U.S. and in Colombia since then. The perk of running a business together? We are on the same schedule so we can travel and spend time together, and work trips are a little more fun, Taylor says. Of course, there are challenges too, like not talking about work on a date night!

Theresa Gonzalez is a freelance writer. Email: home@sfchronicle.com

Tips from Taylor and Oscars home

Let Pinterest be your muse: Rather than work with a landscape designer, Taylor looked to Pinterest for ideas that would turn their yard into a modern escape. We knew we wanted pavers with grass and a deck flush to the edge of the pool, she says. A pool with a shallow shelf was a bonus for their friends kids, too.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Keep it personal: In addition to a helping of family heirlooms, photographs from Taylor, who had a former life in TV and film production, are sprinkled throughout the space as is her collection of vintage cameras. Find ways to mix in old treasures with new finds to add layers of style to your space.

Let your travels be your guide: The couple travel for work and bring back decor souvenirs like a pillow made of a Turkish wool rug and works from Colombian craftspeople.

Give guest rooms personality: Taylor and Oscar infused some quirk into their guest rooms, including a pink-hued theme with Mario Bellini chairs, a design of the year in 1969.

Renovate slowly: Still on the Sanin wish list is a new kitchen. All of our friends here are either chefs or winemakers so its really raised the bar in terms of dinner parties, Taylor says. But theres no rush as they take in the slower pace of Napa life and enjoy the remaining warm days outdoors.

 T.G.
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San Francisco is facing a $380 million funding gap that could delay the construction of affordable housing on Treasure Island.

Of the 8,000 homes to be built during the huge redevelopment of Treasure and Yerba Buena islands, 27.2 percent will be offered at a below-market rate. That will make 2,173 units available to people earning up to 120 percent of the area median income, or $120,000 for a family of four. But an unexpected surge in construction costs and the addition of affordable units have increased the projects price tag  which was estimated to be less than $600 million in 2011  to $970 million.

Costs do go up, and generally speaking, we would expect our revenues to keep pace, said Bob Beck, a spokesman for the Treasure Island Redevelopment Authority, the nonprofit public benefit agency overseeing economic development of the islands. But in this case it hasnt. Weve seen an extraordinary increase in construction costs. It was not really foreseeable, and if it had been, people might have approached things in a different way in 2011.

The price for building affordable housing on the islands has jumped from $220 to $325 per square foot, Beck said. The agencys financing program will generate only about $160 million, still leaving a $380 million shortfall.

Meanwhile, the city has also increased its commitment to building more affordable housing, offering 489 more units on the islands than the original plan of 1,684 units, further raising costs.

Although the agency has known about the money shortfall for at least a year, it has been unable to secure extra cash. The Board of Supervisors decided last week to defer a vote approving special financing districts on Treasure and Yerba Buena islands until Nov. 15, when it expects to hear more-concrete funding solutions.

Postponing the vote hasnt yet affected the projects timeline, Beck said.

Michael Macor/The Chronicle

Throwing out general ideas about how we are going to do this isnt enough, Supervisor Aaron Peskin said. We need to have a written-down series of strategies, and we should determine which one of those strategies is likely to get us to $380 million. I would like to see a more robust plan to look at and inform the board before we pass these items.

The legislation at the board would approve special financing districts to reinvest any property taxes generated on the islands and a community facilities district to gather fees for things like sea level rise adaptation projects and park maintenance. Rather than putting the money back into the citys general fund, an infrastructure and revitalization financing district would pay the developers, including Lennar Corp., for various public projects and improvements. The districts are expected to bring in $1.2 billion for the islands over 43 years, according to a city report.

But Supervisor Jane Kim, whose district includes the islands, said the board wanted to ensure the citys affordable housing commitment would be met before approving the legislation. She has advocated for raising the percentage of affordable units to 30 percent, up from the planned 27.2 percent.

Weve known about this funding gap for a year now, she said. We entitled and approved this project assuming a high level of affordable housing. That was our commitment to residents and also to the larger, broader community. We want to make sure we follow through on that.

Increasing the amount of affordable housing to 30 percent would be nearly impossible because the money from buyers and renters wouldnt cover the costs, Treasure Island Development Authority officials told the supervisors this year. The cost to develop an extra 227 affordable units to get to 30 percent would be at least $650,000 apiece.

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The construction of affordable housing units would be greatly delayed because the bulk of project generated revenues would be available only as they accrue, authority officials said in a report to the supervisors.

Covering the current $380 million gap alone could come from reconstituting the projects redevelopment agency, allowing the islands to receive the states share of property taxes or vehicle license fees, Beck said. A state carbon tax-funded program could also bring in grant money.

Theres no silver bullet or single solution, he said. It will have to be a quilt of many measures to close the gap over time.

The redevelopment of Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island is already under way, with plans to create the new residences, hundreds of hotel rooms and retail and office spaces over the next 20 years.

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn

Funding falling short

Soaring expenses and the addition of affordable units to the Treasure Island redevelopment have resulted in a $380 million shortfall. Some changes since 2011:
This has to be the creepiest greeting card in the history of newspapers.

The Chronicles front page from Nov. 12, 1969, covers two letters sent from the Zodiac killer to the journalists at 901 Mission St.

The cryptic killer who calls himself Zodiac broke silence yesterday to claim credit for two more murders  possibly the young teenage girls savagely stabbed to death in San Jose three months ago, the story read.

The San Jose slayings werent tied to the Zodiac, who claimed to have killed 37 people. Five deaths and two injuries in four Zodiac attacks have been confirmed, with many more attributed to him.

The greeting card was printed on the front page and featured a hanging fountain pen with the printed message: Sorry I havent written, but I just washed my pen ...

Its tough to imagine that card being sent from anyone without being creepy, but the message that was written by the killer made an especially disturbing claim: The Zodiac said two police officers spoke with him three minutes after he shot taxi driver Paul Stine dead in Presidio Heights months before.

The attacks and letters wouldnt stop.

Top O the Top of the News: Stanford officials are about to take official notice that not all of its coeds are virgins. Page 4. Its math majors, however ...

Top O the Top of the News No. 2: Britains prime minister said no pay raise for Queen Elizabeth will be considered until after the election. Page 15. Thats right, Queeny, hock your jewels if you cant afford the corgi chow.

See more front pages: Go to SFChronicle.com/covers to search a database of hundreds of Chronicle Covers articles that showcase the newspapers history.

More from the Archive The Vault Home of the San Francisco Chronicle's archive and more than 150 years of journalism covering the Bay Area and beyond.

Chronicle Covers highlights one classic Chronicle newspaper page from our archive every day for 366 days. Library director Bill Van Niekerken and producers Kimberly Chua, Michelle Devera and Jillian Sullivan contributed to the project. Tim ORourke is the executive producer and editor of SFChronicle.com. Email: torourke@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TimothyORourke

(Click to enlarge)




THE WALL OF SHAME

"The only thing [Trump's] mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin's c--k holster."

--STEPHEN COLBERT

"[Ivanka Trump] Your father is a racist birther. Steve Bannon an anti-Semitic opportunist. You and your husband are enabling hatred. F--- your shoes."

--BRADLEY WHITFORD

"Melania [Trump] is a hooker."

--JACOB BERNSTEIN

"And my job is to shut other white people down when they want to interrupt."

"We have to, at the DNC, provide training. We have to teach them how to communicate, how to be sensitive, and how to shut their mouths if they're white."

--SALLY BOYNTON BROWN

"And to our detractors that insist that this march will never add up to anything: F--- you! F---you!

"Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House."

--MADONNA

"Barron Trump looks like a very handsome date-rapist-to-be."

--STEPHEN SPINOLA

"Barron [Trump] will be this country's first homeschool shooter."

--KATIE RICH

"Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners, and if we kick 'em all out, you'll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts."

--MERYL STREEP

"There's a billion to one chance we're living in base reality."

[That means we're almost positively living in a simulation, like a video game.]

--ELON MUSK

"When I would deny that there was a significant racist component in some of the politics on our side, it was because the people I hung out with were certainly not. When suddenly, this rock is turned over, there is this'Oh shit, did I not see that?'"

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

"In any other scenario, Hillary Clinton's lying about her emails, and her pay-for-play relationship with the Clinton Foundation would be disqualifying issues. The only reason they're not disqualifying is because Donald Trump is a fundamentally more repellent, dishonest figure."

--CHARLIE SYKES

"I made a mistake in recalling the events of twelve years ago... I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a following aircraft."

--BRIAN WILLIAMS

"I'm here to tell you if you elect me governor of this state, I will end the civil war."

--TOM BARRETT

"I would not look to the U.S. Constitution, if I were drafting a constitution in the year 2012. I might look at the constitution of South Africa. That was a deliberate attempt to have a fundamental instrument of government that embraced basic human rights, had an independent judiciary. It really is, I think, a great piece of work that was done."

--RUTH BADER GINSBURG

"Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now, do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?"

--ROBERT DE NIRO

"The death of Andrew Breitbart disproves the adage that only the good die young."

--JULIAN BOND

"The National Institute of Health has said that it is a danger to women's health and safety of their families that for 30 years to be exposed to the prospects of pregnancy."

--GWEN MOORE

"[Tea Party Republicans] have acted like terrorists."

--JOE BIDEN

"Why did- Couldn't the President have said at that moment, way back in December of last year, 'no game playing. No hostage-taking. No terrorizing this country with the debt ceiling. I'm not going to negotiate with you guys. You can't play it that way.' Could he have done that?"

--CHRIS MATTHEWS

"[T]he tea-party Hobbits could return to Middle Earth having defeated Mordor."

--WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL

"I remember distinctly an image of--we were sitting on his couches, and I was looking at [Obama's] pant leg and his perfectly creased pant, and I'm thinking, a) he's going to be president and b) he'll be a very good president."

--DAVID BROOKS

"I feel like calling her back and smackin' her around."

--FRED CLARK, DEMOCRAT

"The picture was of me, and I sent it."

--ANTHONY WEINER

"[I]f you go back to the year 2000, when we had an obvious disaster and - and saw that our voting process needed refinement, and we did that in the America Votes Act and made sure that we could iron out those kinks, now you have the Republicans, who want to literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws and literally - and very transparently - block access to the polls to voters who are more likely to vote Democratic candidates than Republican candidates. And it's nothing short of that blatant."

--DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

"This is probably one of the worst times we've seen because the numbers of people elected to Congress. I went through this as co-chair of the arts caucus. In '94 people were elected simply to come here to kill the National Endowment for the Arts. Now theyre here to kill women."

--LOUISE SLAUGHTER

"The protesters have proven today that theyre not going away. It was a pretty rough night last night. You can imagine if people said, well, we just cant fight the power. Instead, this morning, they came by tens, by hundreds, by thousands. By midday today, it was easily more than 10,000, perhaps as many as 15,000 people on the square here in Madison. Not organized by anyone, just grassroots citizens who came out just like the Minutemen in 1776."

--JOHN NICHOLS

"They're sitting on the money, they're using it for their own -- they're putting it someplace else with no interest in helping you with your life, with that money. We've allowed them to take that. That's not theirs, that's a national resource, that's ours. We all have this -- we all benefit from this or we all suffer as a result of not having it. I think we need to go back to taxing these people at the proper rates."

--MICHAEL MOORE

"Why don't we just raise the taxes and let these folks have their collective bargaining, have their union representation and go back to their jobs? Raise the taxes on the wealthy."

--DAVID LETTERMAN

"In 1933, [Hitler] abolished unions and that's what our Governor [Scott Walker] is doing today."

--LENA TAYLOR, Democrat State Senator

"So I would urge my Republican colleagues, no matter how strongly they feel -- you know, we have three branches of government. We have a House. We have a Senate. We have a president. And all three of us are going to have to come together and give some, but it is playing with fire to risk the shutting down of the government."

--CHUCK SCHUMER

"Well, when you start off with the Preamble of the Constitution, you talk about the pursuit of happiness."

--JOHN LEWIS

"I'm Rebecca Kleefisch. I performed fellatio on all the talk show hosts in Milwaukee. And they endorsed me and that's how I became lieutenant governor."

--SLY SYLVESTER

"Do you think this Constitution-loving is getting out of hand? I mean, is it a nod to the Tea Party?"

--JOY BEHAR

"We cant just leave it up to the parents."

"[Military leaders] tell us that childhood obesity isnt just a public health issue; they tell us that it is not just an economic threat -- it is a national security threat as well."

--MICHELLE OBAMA

"Actually, I did not take part in [the assassination of Sarah Palin]. I led it."

--KATHLEEN PARKER

"[The repeal of ObamaCare is] a kind of creeping genocide."

--JESSE JACKSON

"[Obama] has to realize that Mitch McConnell has virtually said so that politically he wants to cut out his heart and throw his liver to the dogs."

--DAN RATHER

"And the instructions are not to improvise a comedy sketch, but to elect a group of unqualified, unstable individuals who will do what they are told, in exchange for money and power, and march this nation as far backward as they can get, backward to Jim Crow, or backward to the breadlines of the '30s, or backward to hanging union organizers, or backward to the trusts and the robber barons.

"Result: the Tea Party. Vote backward, vote Tea Party. And if you are somehow indifferent to what is planned for next Tuesday, it is nothing short of an attempted use of democracy to end this democracy."

--KEITH "Reagan's dead and he was a lousy President" OLBERMANN

"I gotta wonder when people are gonna start wearing uniforms. I mean they've got an army out there in Alaska of militia people. You've got these guys going around acting like street thugs. I mean it isn't far from what we saw in the thirties, where all of a sudden, political parties started showing up in uniform."

--CHRIS MATTHEWS

"[Sharron Angle] is a moron on top of being evil... I'd like to see her do this ad in the South Bronx. Come here, bitch. Come to New York and do it. I'm not praying for her. She's going to hell. She's going to hell, this bitch."

--JOY BEHAR

"So people have been hurting and I understand that. And it doesn't give them comfort or solace for me to tell them, you know, but for me, we'd be in a worldwide depression."

--HARRY REID

"And to play Dick Cheney, all I had to do was find my Dick Cheney. And you can find all the villainy in the world in your own heart, and that's what an actor's job is. I always say to kids, inside you is Hitler and Jesus. And you got to find the appropriate person and bring them out."

--RICHARD DREYFUSS

"Because I live in the District of Columbia which is so predominantly Democratic, I am a registered Democrat. But I am an avowed neutral. And to put that into practice, I take my young daughter into the voting booth and she votes for me. She's now 14. We've been doing this since she was about age 4. She's now quite informed."

--BOB WOODWARD

"Sarah Palin's an idiot. Come on. This is a remarkably, stunningly, jaw-droppingly incompetent and mean woman."

"The Democrats may have moved into the center, but the Republicans have moved into a mental institution."

--AARON SORKIN

"Perhaps the greatest threat of all is the undermining of our Constitution and the systematic attack against the inalienable rights of the citizens of this nation, rights that are guaranteed by our Constitution. At the vanguard of this insidious attack is the Tea Party. This band of misguided citizens is moving perilously close to achieving villainous ends."

--HARRY BELAFONTE

"[Christine O'Donnell is] a witch who doesn't masturbate."

--JOY BEHAR

"Ah, the Tea Party, the nativist bed-wetters who somehow control our national dialogue. Yes, I call them the Pee Party, Jay, because they're always peeing in their pants about something. They're just, they're afraid of a mosque being built in New York. They're afraid of guns. You know, they think Obama, who like every other pussy Democrat has never said a single word about gun control, but they are very sure that he and his Negro army are coming after their guns. You know what? If you think that he's coming after your guns, you need to get out of your chat room and have your house tested for lead. He's not coming after your guns or your Bible or your fishing pole or your chewing tobacco."

--BILL MAHER

"That's a trade-off society is making because of very, very high medical costs, and a lack of willingness to say, you know, is spending a million dollars on that last three months of life for that patient, would it be better not to lay off those ten teachers and to make that trade-off in medical costs. But that;s called the 'Death Panel' and you're not supposed to have that discussion."

--BILL GATES

"NOT the 'whiteman's bitch'"

--IESHUH GRIFFIN

"[If Rush Limbaugh suffered a heart attack in my presence, I would] laugh loudly like a maniac and watch his eyes bug out. I never knew I had this much hate in me. But he deserves it."

--SARAH SPITZ

"You want freedom, you going to have to kill some crackers. You going to have to kill some of their babies."

--KING SAMIR SHABAZZ

"If this was Texas, which is the state that, that is directly on the border with Mexico, and they were calling for a measure like this, saying that they had a major issue with, you know, with undocumented people flooding their borders, I would say I would have to look twice at this. "But this is a state that is a ways removed from the border. And, um, it just, it doesn't make sense to me that when you google this subject, if you put in 'Arizona S.B. 1070,' that you see a picture of the governor of Arizona meeting with President Obama in May of 2010. If you have direct linkage to the president, there are already National Guard troops on the border in Arizona."

--PEGGY WEST

"Tell [the Jews] to get the hell out of Palestine. Remember, these people are occupied and it's their land. It's not German. It's not Poland. [The Jews] can go home. Poland. Germany."

--HELEN THOMAS

"After the last eight years, it's good to have a president that knows what a library is."

--PAUL McCARTNEY

"By the way, I just want to point out I'm wearing my splash shield because I was told I was going to be in the splash zone (during Harry Smith's colonoscopy on live TV)."

--KATIE COURIC

"And that Word is, we have to give voice to what that means in terms of public policy that would be in keeping with the values of the Word."

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

"Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance or that people could start a business and be entrepreneurial and take risk, but not job loss because of a child with asthma or someone in the family is bipolaryou name it, any condition  is job-locking."

--NANCY PELOSI

"Back in World War II, we viewed the Japanese as 'yellow, slant-eyed dogs' that believed in different gods. They were out to kill us because our way of living was different. We, in turn, wanted to annihilate them because they were different. Does that sound familiar, by any chance, to what's going on today?"

--TOM HANKS

"The 'White Right' is trying to set Barack up to be assassinated.... Here are Christians praying for God to kill Barack Obama."

--LOUIS FARRAKHAN

"I refuse to accept the notion that the United States of America is not going to lead the world economically throughout the 20th Century."

--JOE BIDEN

"Obama's critics keep blasting him for Chicago-style politics. So, fine. Channel your inner Al Capone and go gangsta against your foes. Let 'em know that if they aren't with you, they are against you, and will pay the price."

--ROLAND MARTIN

"Martha Coakley is running to fill the rest of Ted Kennedy's term, and her opponent is a far-right tea-bagger Republican."

--CHUCK SCHUMER

"I tell you what, if I lived in Massachusetts, I'd try to vote ten times. I don't know if they'd let me or not, but I'd try to. Yeah, that's right, I'd cheat to keep these bastards out. I would. 'Cause that's exactly what they are."

--ED SCHULTZ

"We also see how revved up the tea baggers are at the thought of hijacking health care reform and every chance we have at making progress in Washington."

--JOHN KERRY

"A few years ago, this guy (Obama) would have been getting us coffee."

--BILL CLINTON

"I didn't realize I had written a column defending Roman Polanski and minimized his crime - are you sure it was me? I mean, I? There is, apparently, more to this crime than it would seem, and it may sound like a hollow defense, but in Hollywood I am not sure a 13-year-old is really a 13-year-old."

--TOM SHALES

"Joe Wilson yelled 'You lie!' at a president who didn't. But, fair or not, what I heard was an unspoken word in the air: You lie, boy!"

--MAUREEN DOWD

"One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game... During the 7th inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez."

--DAVID LETTERMAN

"I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasnt lived that life."

--SONIA SOTOMAYOR

"We all considered sexual abuse of minors as a moral evil, but had no understanding of its criminal nature."

--REMBERT WEAKLAND, Archbishop of Milwaukee 1977- 2002

"You know, you might want to look into this, [President Obama], because I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker, but he was so strung out on Oxycontin he missed his flight."

"Rush Limbaugh -- 'I hope the country fails.' I hope his kidneys fail."

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

"[Obama] told me I did a great job. The first lady said the same thing. I got a 'well done' from the president, I'm on cloud nine."

--WANDA SYKES

"Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less."

--COLIN POWELL

"[Tea Party goers are] just a bunch of wimpy, whiny, weasels who don't love their country."

--PAUL BEGALA

"I wouldn't want [gay marriage] to go to the United States Supreme Court now because that homophobe Antonin Scalia has too many votes on this current court."

--BARNEY FRANK

"Going forward, my mind will be open to every solution -- except one. We should not -- we must not -- and I will not -- raise taxes."

--JIM DOYLE, Liar

"He's a terrorist. Rush Limbaugh is a terrorist."

--JOY BEHAR

"You know, I just want to say to her (Sarah Palin), just very quickly...F--- you."

--JON STEWART

"Should I be worried about being a slave and being returned to slavery?"

--WHOOPI GOLDBERG

"I also believe that America is the greatest sin against God."

--FR. MICHAEL PFLEGER

"Those who think they can revive the stinking corpse of the usurping and fake Israeli regime by throwing a birthday party are seriously mistaken. Today the reason for the Zionist regime's existence is questioned, and this regime is on its way to annihilation."

--MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD

"We'll be eight degrees hotter in ten, not ten but 30 or 40 years and basically none of the crops will grow. Most of the people will have died and the rest of us will be cannibals."

--TED TURNER

"Look, [Mitt] Romney comes from a religion founded by a criminal who was anti-American, pro-slavery, and a rapist. And he comes from that lineage and says, 'I respect this religion fully.'"

--LAWRENCE O'DONNELL

"Mexico does not end at its borders... Where there is a Mexican, there is Mexico."

--FELIPE CALDERON

"The planet has a fever. If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor. If the doctor says you need to intervene here, you don't say, 'Well, I read a science fiction novel that told me it's not a problem.' If the crib's on fire, you don't speculate that the baby is flame retardant."

--AL GORE

"Don't fear the terrorists. They're mothers and fathers."

--ROSIE O'DONNELL

"Is America ready for a black president? Well, I say we just had a retarded one. When did being black become a bigger deterrent than being retarded?"

--CHRIS ROCK

"Shut the f--- up! Shut up if you can't take a joke [about President Bush]!"

--BARBRA STREISAND

"Right, oh, yeah, Happy 9/11! Celebrate the day, right?"

--JAMES BROLIN, Mr. Barbra Streisand

"I think President Bush very well may have signed an authorization for the 9/11 attacks."

--KEVIN BARRETT, UW-MADISON Lecturer

"I said what I said. I am not guilty."

--SADDAM HUSSEIN

"Terri will not be starved to death. Her nutrition and hydration will be taken away."

--MICHAEL SCHIAVO

"On the eve of the election last month my wife Judith and I were driving home late in the afternoon and turned on the radio for the traffic and weather. What we instantly got was a freak show of political pornography: lies, distortions, and half-truths -- half-truths being perhaps the blackest of all lies. "

--BILL MOYERS

"I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for."

--HOWARD DEAN

"The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not 'insurgents' or 'terrorists' or 'The Enemy.' They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow -- and they will win."

--MICHAEL MOORE

"And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the--of--the historical customs, religious customs."

--JOHN KERRY

"F---ing retarded."

"[Republicans] can go f--- themselves!"

--RAHM EMANUEL

"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president."

--HILLARY CLINTON

"It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."

--BILL CLINTON

"And let me tell you something -- for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment."

--MICHELLE OBAMA

"If asking a billionaire to pay the same tax rate as a Jew, uh, as a janitor, makes me a warrior for the working class, I wear that with a badge of honor."

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

"If you love me, you got to help me pass this bill."

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

"[F]or most of my lifetime, the United States was such a dominant economic power, we were such a large market, our industry, our technology, our manufacturing was so significant that we always met the rest of the world economically on our terms. And now, because of the incredible rise of India and China and Brazil and other countries, the United States remains the largest economic and the largest market but theres real competition out there. And that's potentially healthy. It makes -- Michelle was saying earlier I like tough questions because it keeps me on my toes. Well, this will keep America on its toes."

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

"If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, 'We're gonna PUNISH OUR ENEMIES and we're gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us,' if they don't see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it's gonna be harder and that's why I think it's so important that people focus on voting on November 2."

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

"We don't mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but THEY GOTTA SIT IN BACK."

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

"We can absorb a terrorist attack. We'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever... we absorbed it and we are stronger."

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

"We're buying shrimp, guys."

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

"We are the ones we've been waiting for."

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

"We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers so I know whose ass to kick."

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

"We're not trying to push financial reform because we begrudge success that's fairly earned. I mean, I do think at a certain point you've made enough money. But, you know, part of the American way is, you know, you can just keep on making it if youre providing a good product or you're providing good service. We don't want people to stop fulfilling the core responsibilities of the financial system to help grow the economy."

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

"If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."

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

"It is a vital national security interest of the United States to reduce these conflicts because whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower, and when conflicts break out, one way or another we get pulled into them. And that ends up costing us significantly in terms of both blood and treasure."

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

"But I -- I think that the most important thing for the public to understand is, we're not handling any of these cases any different than the Bush administration handled them all through 9/11."

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

"One such translator was an American of Haitian descent, representative of the extraordinary work that our men and women in uniform do all around the world -- Navy CORPSE-MAN Christian [sic] Brossard. And lying on a gurney aboard the USNS Comfort, a woman asked Christopher: 'Where do you come from? What country? After my operation,' she said, 'I will pray for that country.' And in Creole, CORPSE-MAN Brossard responded, 'Etazini.' The United States of America."

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

"I hear that Dr. Joe Medicine Crow was around, and so I want to give a shout-out to that Congressional Medal of Honor winner. It's good to see you."

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

"We are God's partners in matters of life and death."

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

"[T]he Cambridge police acted stupidly."

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

"I am going to teach [my daughters] first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby."

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

"The reforms we seek would bring greater competition, choice, savings, and INEFFICIENCIES to our health care system."

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

"Over the last 15 months, weve traveled to every corner of the United States. Ive now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it."

--BARACK OBAMA
For many reasons, this was a dispiriting presidential election, but a significant lesson learned is our countrys vulnerability to creating a class of outsiders.

We are deeply polarized in a way that affects how we live our lives, how we choose where to live, and the news and information we consume.

President Obama bemoaned this polarization earlier this year, warning that the poisonous political climate is a growing threat. Political insults have become the norm, and bipartisanship is penalized rather than rewarded. He concluded that if we cant compromise, by definition, we cant govern ourselves. This is a dire assessment by the leader of our nation.

The impact of polarization is far reaching and lasts beyond the campaign season. It reduces participation in our civic society and results in disengagement from community life, our government, and our politics.

Those who hold strongly negative feelings about the opposite political party are much more likely to participate in politics than everybody else, according to the Pew Research Center. This makes them more likely to be heard by the politicians. The rest are sitting it out, and that leaves a huge percentage of Americans out of the process of solving the problems we face.

For a nation like ours that holds itself out as the gold standard of representative democracy, our voter turnout rate tells a different story. This year, 225 million Americans were eligible to vote. But the the number of people who actually voted was far less  perhaps slightly more than half. Too many do not think their voice matters. Many voters were disenchanted with the establishment and wanted something new.

Some people believe this cynicism about government and decline in civic participation is because there is too much money in politics. As a commissioner on the Federal Election Commission, which has jurisdiction over the administration of our campaign finance laws, many expect me to agree. But I dont.

In our system, money is needed in political campaigns. Candidates need to hire staff, organize and convey their message. Money enables them to inform voters.

The concern is not the amount of money, but that the vast majority of campaign funds come from a tiny, highly unrepresentative segment of people who then wield disproportionate power. Notably, the most prolific donors to super PACs are overwhelmingly white and male, even as the voter-eligible population is at its most diverse in American history.

Those wealthy donors then have greater influence on public policy, including which problems to prioritize, and which to ignore. They also may have the ability to dictate who can run for office in the first place.

Incredibly, in the election that just ended, less than one-half of 1 percent of the entire U.S. population contributed amounts greater than $200 to political campaigns. Yet this infinitesimal sliver of Americans was responsible for 70 percent of the money raised. Just 60 people were responsible for more than 57 percent of the $370 million that super PACs spent on behalf of presidential campaigns by the end of October, according to the Wall Street Journal.

And thats just the money that we know about so far. Undisclosed campaign spending  or dark money  is deeply troubling to voters. It should be. Anonymous spenders pumped more than $180 million into this years federal races to purposefully hide who is behind campaigns.

The relationship between money and our political system alone doesnt fully explain peoples disaffection from government. Many also feel that government is not responsive to their needs. Americans do not know who to hold accountable because the whole system seems out of balance.

Trust in government has suffered seriously and trust is essential to what makes our democratic system legitimate.

Unfortunately, evidence abounds that legitimacy of our democracy is, in fact, waning. A study published in the Journal of Democracy found in two decades that citizens in Western democracies, including the United States, have become more cynical about the value of democracy as a political system, less hopeful that anything they do might influence public policy, and more willing to express support for authoritarian alternatives. Most disturbingly, it found that younger Americans are even more likely to be disenchanted with democracy.

If trust remains low, then people are not only less likely to vote, but to uphold their end of the social contract and participate in shaping  and upholding  the rule of law.

We must renew our commitment to civic participation. It underlies the basis for representative government, and is essential to us as a society. Everyone should have a voice in our civic affairs.

Participation in government matters.

Together, we must reduce barriers so that its easier  not harder  to vote. More people should be encouraged to run for office, particularly those who have traditionally been under-represented  women, communities of color, and people of modest income. If people feel that they have a part in shaping outcomes, then the perception that the system is rigged may lessen. As the late Abner Mikva taught us, democracy is a verb.

Ann Ravel is a commissioner on the Federal Election Commission. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at http://bit.ly/SFChronicleletters.
Donald Trump was not a victim of media bias, as much as he ranted about those horrible people with press badges who made up lies and were party to the establishment conspiracy against him. The president-elect was the beneficiary of media complicity.

In every quantifiable way, Trump drew more attention than any of his opponents, from the Republican primary against what became his cast of 16 foils to the general election campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

The media fascination with Trump, especially on cable news, began early and never wavered. Trump received the equivalent of nearly $2 billion in media coverage during the primary season, according to MediaQuant, a firm that assigns a dollar value to coverage based on advertising rates. Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders accounted for just over $1 billion combined during the same period.

An analysis of nearly 22,000 online articles in eight major media outlets by the team at Data Face show that Trump was mentioned in more than twice as many as Clinton leading to the climax of the campaign.

As someone who works in an office with cable news in the background most of the day, I can attest that the stations broke away repeatedly for Trump stump speeches. And the Trump obsession was good for business. CNNs television and digital platforms exceeded projections by about $100 million during the just-completed election cycle. Turner Broadcasting CEO John Martin told Recode that CNN was on the verge of its best year in history.

The media were no longer the messenger. They became the conduit.

But it must be noted that most news judgments are not driven by the profit margins: They are drawn by various elements  consequence, timeliness, proximity  that include, perhaps most of all, conflict. A conflict with public perception, a conflict with the status quo, a conflict with widely accepted values and, yes, a conflict between a leaders assertion and the verifiable facts.

Donald Trump delivered all of the above, and then some.

The prospect that he would say something outrageous guaranteed him air time that none of his opponents operating within the realm of responsibility could hope to attain. It was reflected in the start-to-finish coverage of his rallies. It was evident in the way Trump dominated the primary debates. The very rules assured him a huge edge: If you were attacked, you were provided a chance to respond. He attacked, and his attacks prompted counterattacks. It led to Ben Carsons plaintive plea in a February debate, Can somebody attack me, please?

Trump played to the medias weakness for conflict with the acuity of someone who had mastered the genre of reality television. He inoculated himself against fact-checkers and critical stories by assuring his adoring supporters that even the most respected news organizations in the U.S.  the New York Times and Washington Post  were despicably dishonest. He proceeded to lie and distort and scare voters with speculation and disinformation with an audacity not seen by a major-party candidate in modern American history.

Attempts to correct the record only played into his hands. Howard Kurtz of Fox News suggested that Trump received 10 times more negative coverage than Clinton in the general election.

Trump not only fought back against that, I think he benefited from that, Kurtz said on Fox. A lot of the people who support him or are inclined to support him despite the media see us collectively part of the establishment, and he was fighting against us. He was fighting against them.

The Trump campaign turned accepted truths on their head, for both political strategists and journalists.

For most political strategists, a media campaign is all about control. Keep the candidate on message. Ration his or her exposure generally and, most of all, his or her situations that defy orchestration. Screen everything possible in advance.

Until the final weeks of the campaign, Trump was as accessible and undisciplined as anyone in national politics. He was ubiquitous on TV and, often, unhinged in his response to every slight. He had his sycophants  Sean Hannity of Fox News tops that list  but to his credit he did not duck more aggressive and substantial journalists. By contrast, Clinton went nearly a year without a take-all-questions news conference. Her one-on-one interviews tended to be terse, and with reporters regarded as less threatening.

The upshot was that Trump was able to define himself to an unusual degree, warts and all, and Clinton assumed that her carefully controlled image would be conveyed through a more flattering filter.

It worked for him.

For those of us in the journalism profession, weve been ingrained with the premise that light would follow truth; that a candidates contradictions and character flaws, if presented for public scrutiny, would make a difference.

In this case, it did not.

The press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally, conservative columnist Salena Zito wrote of Trump in September.

One of the rituals of American journalism is that, every four years, those of us who care about the profession do a postmortem on the election. Did we dive deep enough into the policy prescriptions of the candidates? Did we focus too much on personality, polls or the horse race?

One thing that never has arisen is our obligation to fact-check the candidates statements and their records. It was always taken as a matter of faith that those things mattered to voters.

They did. At least until 2016.

John Diaz is The San Francisco Chronicles editorial page editor. Email: jdiaz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnDiazChron

How far will Trump go to challenge press freedom?

Donald Trump has not only chastised journalists, he has talked about undercutting their roles in ominous ways.

Libel law

Trumps threat: To open up laws that would make it easier to sue news organizations. So when the New York Times writes a hit piece which is a total disgrace or when the Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because theyre totally protected.

Reality check: The U.S. Supreme Courts 1964 Times vs. Sullivan ruling gave journalists wide berth, under the First Amendment, to report on public figures. A successful libel suit would need to meet the high burden of showing that the story was published with malice, knowing it to be false. Besides, libel laws are set at the state level.

Retribution

Trumps threat: To go after the business interests of his perceived media adversaries. Trump has suggested he would pursue Amazon (whose founder, Jeff Bezos, now owns the Washington Post) for avoiding taxes and would oppose the proposed AT&T takeover of Time Warner (parent company of CNN).

Reality check: Each move would be possible within the powers of his administration, but would be widely perceived as Nixonian and could validate concerns about his authoritarian instincts.
The ballot-box win legalizing marijuana puts the state on a long glide path toward full availability, not the instant access that many voters think. The public may be impatient, but theres good sense behind the slow rollout.

Californias history with cannabis isnt simple. It was approved for medical use 20 years ago, but it took until last year for Sacramento to adopt standards in that area. In the meantime, millions used flimsy excuses to obtain medical cards to qualify for pot produced with few standards or environmental rules. Its been a free and easy mess on city streets and back-country hillsides for too long.

This confusion is why Proposition 64 is welcome, even if it will take a year to take hold. Once the vote is certified, pot users can carry an ounce and grow six plants indoors or in a contained area. But buying it at a dispensary, opening an outlet and verifying standards and tax methods all need to be worked out over the next year. With a possible $1 billion in tax revenue, the state has every reason to follow through on its end.

This drawn-out schedule is one of the benefits of the process. The nuts and bolts of Prop. 64 were the result of a 24-person panel commissioned by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the chief apostle of the legalization path, who argued against erasing all the rules overnight.

Prop. 64 also comes with other provisions giving cities more controls that could inhibit or advance access. San Francisco, for example, is pushing hard to speed up licensing at the urging of Mayor Ed Lee. An advisory panel is talking up the citys potential as a research and testing hub enabled by its tech industry.

Compare that with Oakland, tangled up with its own plan to make the city an investor and give an advantage to operators with drug records.

Elsewhere, some 80 percent of the states cities and counties are banning forms of cannabis sales, an indication that voters may be tolerant of legal weed but dont want it peddled near them.

President-elect Trumps role is a question. As a candidate he fell in line with the Obama administrations willingness to let states decide. But marijuana remains classified as a dangerous drug, casting a shadow over banking and legal operations.

This cloud of illegality needs to be removed. While California works carefully on rolling out rules on legalized weed, Washington needs to do its part. The legal path isnt complete yet.
The organization that is Cirque du Soleil is, in a way, much like a circus act itself. With multiple shows running all over the world  18 in 2016, including the latest, Luzia, which will play under the Grand Chapiteau at AT&T Park from Thursday, Nov. 17, through Jan. 29, 2017; and at San Joses Taylor Street Bridge from Feb. 9 through March 19, 2017  it is a company of jugglers keeping many balls in the air. It also means constant reinvention as the Cirque must find original ideas for each new show.

The challenge is always when you create a new show every year or two, you need to find a way to make a very different DNA, so it doesnt always taste the same way for the spectator, says Patricia Ruel, a longtime Cirque du Soleil set and prop designer, who began her association with the organization at age 25 in 2004 when she was the prop designer on the Las Vegas MGM Grand show Ka, and who is director of creation on Luzia.

All sorts of inspirations go into choosing the theme for a Cirque du Soleil show. Sometimes it comes down to curiosity about other cultures for the Montreal group. Dralion, for example, a show that combines elements of Chinese and Western circuses, arose out of a desire to explore Chinese culture.

Then theres Ovo, a show that examines the life of insects, but Ruel notes that in hiring Brazilian composer Berna Ceppas to score the show and another Brazilian, Gringo Cardia, to design the props and sets, the show also reflects the influence of Brazilian culture.

Its not always influenced by a country, says Ruel. Kurios, for example, was steampunk. It was more to explore an aesthetic. Sometimes its more musical. Sometimes its more in the story line. Every time, we try to find a theme or a director and a theme that will bring us a different aesthetic.

Over the past dozen years, Ruel has been at the birth of many a theme. She was scenic designer on Wintuk, a family-friendly show built on winter and a childs wish for a snow day, and Banana Shpeel, a show with DNA close to the Cirques own roots, taking its inspiration from vaudeville and clowns. Ruel was props designer on Amaluna, a twist on Shakespeares The Tempest that pays homage to the goddess. She also designed props for Viva Elvis and The Beatles Love, two shows drawn not just from iconic music but also from the biographies of the musicians who made it. Love remains one of Ruels favorites.

If youve seen that show, you know there are thousands and thousands of props, she says.

In a way, it was another Cirque du Soleil show that led to the creation of Luzia. Since 2014, Joya, a show set in the Mayan jungle and inspired by the migration of the monarch butterfly, has been in residence at Riviera Maya in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Spending so much time in the country, Jean-Francois, Cirques chief creative content officer and director of creation and Luzias creative guide, suggested that Mexico as the theme for a new show.

The show Luzia gives a lot of impressions, Ruel says. We didnt want to be teaching Mexican history or Mexican culture. We wanted to give people the impression of Mexico, creating different tableaux that give an impression and that feeling that people who live there or people who travel a lot in Mexico have felt. This is how we wanted to approach the show and the overall theme of the Mexican culture.

This imagined vision of Mexico presented challenges for the creative team. Precipitation is an important, visually arresting element in Luzia, but how to make it happen? The solution was to develop a new rain curtain and a basin system to collect the water that falls through small holes in the stage.

For Daniel Finzi, the rain is very particular, Ruel say. He did in the past create a show named Rain, so hes very sensitive to that in Mexico. We always think of Mexico as sunny, but Mexico is also rain. And the way the rain falls in the country is very different from place to place. If you get a hard rain in Mexico City, its so strong and so powerful.

A lot of Mexicans have seen the show, and they come out of it very proud of their culture and their country. With our show, we bring out the best of that culture and that country.

Pam Grady is a San Francisco freelance writer. Twitter: @cinepam

Cirque du Soleil: Luzia

Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, through Jan. 29, 2017. Under the Grand Chapiteau, AT&T Park, Parking Lot A, S.F. Feb. 9, through March 13, 2017. Taylor Street Bridge, San Jose. $49-$310. www.cirquedusoleil.com/LUZIA/BayArea

To see a preview: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qZCbmwp4dc&feature=youtu.be
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SACRAMENTO  A little-noticed group that has tried for two years to build momentum for the idea that California would be better off if it seceded from the United States attracted sudden and intense interest this week following Donald Trumps election victory.

Yes California seeks to place a referendum on the statewide 2019 ballot asking voters if the state should exit the union. Following Trumps election, the group said 11,000 emails flooded into the organization from Californians dreading the future.

And although constitutional experts say its virtually impossible for the Golden State to break away, plenty of Californians are relishing the idea and touting it as #Calexit on social media.

And some are serious.

Shortly before Trumps victory was official, Silicon Valley investors began tweeting about putting their money to work to finance Californias divorce.

Hyperloop One co-founder Shervin Pishevar wrote a series of tweets that began with: If Trump wins I am announcing and funding a legitimate campaign for California to become its own nation.

Rich Pedroncelli/AP

But Kermit Roosevelt, a constitutional law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, says a California secession would never happen because its not in the best interest of the United States.

There is no way this will happen, Roosevelt said. Im not surprised people are talking about it. If the election had gone differently, it would be Texas trying to do this. But its not realistic.

Roosevelt said there is currently no legal framework allowing states to secede. Creating the framework would require an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. An amendment can be proposed with two-thirds approval from both houses of Congress or at a constitutional convention, called for by two-thirds of state legislatures. That amendment would then have to be ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures.

What state would be next? Roosevelt said. One of the reasons we wanted one country was that America would be better on the global scale if we werent fragmented like Europe.

California is not alone in fantasizing about life without federal rule. In Oregon on Friday, two people submitted a ballot proposal for that states secession from the union.

Jeff Chiu/AP

Marcus Ruiz Evans, a spokesman for Yes California, says his organization has plans laid out  and knows what its up against. Sure, the idea of seceding is almost impossible, but that doesnt mean it couldnt happen, Evans said.

The odds may be similar to what some pegged Trumps chances of winning the presidency were last year when the political outsider announced his intention to run, supporters said.

But Evans said the first step isnt to gauge whether seceding is feasible. He said first they must find out whether Californians want to go it alone.

You cant even have these questions on constitutionality and whether America will allow it until we establish California wants it, Evans said. You have to have a vote.

The group lists nine points  on issues including education, immigration, trade, regulation and the environment  for why it believes California, which it says has the sixth-largest economy in the world, would be better off as its own nation. It argues California loses money by subsidizing other states and then has to raise state taxes to improve its own infrastructure, schools and colleges. The group also says Californias culture and values set the state apart from the rest of the country.

Yes California is raising money to fund signature gathering for a ballot measure in 2018 that would call for a special election in 2019 in which voters in the state could decide if they want to secede.

Were telling protesters, When you are done being upset, if you want to be part of something to fix it, we are here, Evans said.

Some Trump supporters, including conservative radio host Bill Mitchell, welcomed Californias departure, saying on Twitter that #Calexit isnt a bad idea. Send all the illegals there and the rest of us never have another Democrat President.

The secessionist effort joins other movements to redraw Californias map. Some rural Northern California residents, along with parts of southern Oregon, have been fighting for years to carve out a new independent State of Jefferson. And Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper put $5 million into a failed proposal to divide California into six separate states.

But Silicon Valleys response to #Calexit is hardly uniform.

I think its the absolute wrong reaction, said Venky Ganesan, managing director at Menlo Ventures. When you have trouble in your marriage, you dont call your divorce attorney. You call a therapist first.

Melody Gutierrez and Jessica Floum are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com, jfloum@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez, @jfloum
MURDOCK  Citizens from across Cass County gathered in Elmwood and Murdock on Friday for a pair of Veterans Day ceremonies.

Elmwood-Murdock Public Schools hosted morning and afternoon assembles for students and local residents. The morning program took place at the junior/senior high school site in Murdock and the afternoon assembly was held at the elementary building in Elmwood. Both programs featured vocal and instrumental music from students.

Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Hynes delivered the keynote address at both events. Hynes is the state public affairs officer for the Nebraska National Guard and is a 30-year military veteran. He has been deployed in locations such as Europe, Southwest Asia and the Pacific Rim throughout his career.

Hynes told audience members that a long list of veterans have hailed from Elmwood, Murdock and the surrounding countryside. He said local residents could be proud of the tasks their friends and neighbors have accomplished for the United States.

The country we have today is a direct result of the work our veterans have done on behalf of all of us, Hynes said.

Hynes said veterans have played cornerstone roles in communities throughout America. He said their selfless attitudes have allowed them to create constructive partnerships with many of their fellow citizens.

One of the first things that is taught in the military is that it is extremely important to put the needs of your team in front of your individual desires, Hynes said. This is a lesson that veterans have carried on for the rest of their lives after their military service is finished. Service before self is part of their DNA.

Hynes also emphasized the importance of remembering the families of veterans. He said family members have made vital contributions throughout the countrys history with their work on the homefront. He asked audience members to thank veterans families for their commitment and dedication.

Elmwood-Murdock High School student Shailee Hayek read names of local veterans during a public appreciation portion of the ceremony. Junior high students conducted a flag-folding presentation for the audiences, and Hayek read a proclamation from President Barack Obama regarding the importance of Veterans Day.

Members of the Oxbow Quilters presented 11 local veterans with Quilts of Valor for their service. Ed Blunt, Steve Bruttig, Gary Buck, Terry Drake, Tom Jones, Jim Panska, Herman Platt, Jim Stephen, Don Stille, Lyle Stohlmann and Bruce Stock received homemade quilts from the group.

Nineteen residents from Elmwood, Murdock, Louisville, Greenwood, Plattsmouth, Ashland, Springfield, Shubert and Lincoln are members of the Oxbow Quilters. Linda Barnes, Bonnie Brewer, Bonnie Bruttig, Peggy Clements, Marthena DeGarmo, Debbie Gilbert, Maureen Gulizia, Judy Hendrix, Pat Klaumann, Diane Mayfield, Marcia Mullinex, Lois Oliver, Lori Pankonin, Evelyn Schafer, Kennetha Scheer, Judy Schlosser, Karyl Smith, Sara Velder and Sarah Vodicka sewed quilts for the area veterans.
If you missed it ...

In a week when the market got a Trump bump, Silicon Valley felt down in the dumps and everyone but Peter Thiel looked like a chump, we also saw...

Gunmakers miss out on Wednesdays rally. Shares in Sturm, Ruger & Co. and Smith & Wesson dropped after the election. Gun sales rose after President Obama was elected because buyers appeared concerned about tighter firearms regulations.

Facebook mistakenly report that some of its users, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, were dead. We hope people who love Mark will find comfort in the things others share to remember and celebrate his life, a message above his profile and those of others said. The social network quickly fixed the bug and said it was a terrible error.

A federal grand jury indict Sushovan Hussain, the former chief financial officer of British software maker Autonomy. He faced charges of engaging in fraud to make the company more attractive to Hewlett-Packard, which bought it in 2011 for about $10 billion. HP later wrote off most of the purchase price. A lawyer for Hussain denied that hed committed fraud.

Megyn Kelly make waves with her new memoir, Settle for More, which goes on sale Tuesday. The New York Times said one passage suggested Kelly feared she might have been poisoned in advance of one debate. Kelly disputed that interpretation, saying shed caught a stomach virus.

The Daily Briefing is compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techbriefing
The toxic cocktail of emboldened Trumpism and jilted liberalism appears to have intoxicated the Bay Area.

Reports of behavior one could not have imagined a week ago almost feel commonplace after the election. Think that's overly dramatic? Here's a small sampling of the reports sent to SFGATE:

 A self-identifying American citizen speaking on the phone in Assyrian while traveling on BART Thursday was confronted by another woman on the train. While being recorded, the woman calls her "an ugly, mean, evil little pig who might get deported."

 A politically-charged argument late this week that took place onboard a flight from SFO to Puerto Vallarta became heated enough that the passengers needed to be separated, and the pilot needed to calm the cabin by speaking over the PA.



 On Wednesday, a woman at a gas station in Napa says she witnessed a man walk up to an Asian-American woman and say, over and over again, "We won. Now get the f--- out of my country." As the man continued to yell, the witness ran over and "threw [her] arms around her" as she cried.

 In a parking garage on the San Jose State campus Wednesday afternoon, a 19-year-old woman named Esra Altun reported that a man approached her from behind and yanked her by her hijab, causing it to tighten around her neck and choke her. When she broke free, he was gone. Altun says the skin on her attacker's hand was white, but that she can't say for sure that it was racially-motivated violence.

 A female student attending Woodside High School on the Peninsula who supported Donald Trump in the election was physically attacked on Wednesday. Her father believes the attack was politically motivated, as the student posted on her Instagram account the night before that she hoped Trump would win.

 Milpitas High School principal Phil Morales was put on leave following an on campus student protest. During the demonstration, he stood before the protesting student body and said "F--- Donald Trump" over a megaphone.

 A 14-year-old Latina high school student in Vallejo told Univison (via CBS SF) that her physical education teacher approached her Wednesday and asked, "Did you get your plane tickets? Because you are going to leave." The student's mother is working to have him removed from working at the school.

 A San Francisco woman named Divya Dhar wrote on Facebook that a white man shoved her and then drew a knife on her. She says he called her the n-word "very aggressively for several minutes." She reports that she and a few other people then called the police to report the incident.

Sure, a few reports across the country are turning out to be fake (although those tend to be the remarkably disturbing acts). But the local stories may seem relatively tame compared to the 5th grate assassination plots at a school in Sacramento and threats of lynchings seen elsewhere.

This is the Bay Area. Sure, some companies still struggle to pay women an equal wage and people have been known to spew anger over traffic resulting from a Black Lives Matter protest.

Reactions to the incidents listed above on SFGATE and on SFGATE's Facebook page indicate many Bay Area residents thought the region was long past shouting "get out of our country" to fellow Americans.

Some of the rage is expected. As a candidate, President-elect Donald Trump said that he would accept the results of the election if he won. Opponents waving "not my president" signs are now returning that favor.

A post-election admonition from Bernie Sanders seemed especially directed to cities like San Francisco, where he won 45.8% of the vote in June.

"To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him. To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him," Sanders said.

The members of the California Legislature Thursday echoed the request to show the rest of the country that strength and civility can overcome bullying, releasing a statement saying, "California has long set an example for other states to follow."

The joint statement continues, "California was not a part of this nation when its history began, but we are clearly now the keeper of its future."

On Saturday, President-elect Trump tweeted, "This will prove to be a great time in the lives of ALL Americans. We will unite and we will win, win, win!"

To win and unite, Trump will have to mollify the countless #NotMyPresident respondents to that Tweet, many asking for a swift rebuke of violence in the name of Trump. A response from @BestofRaps to @realDonaldTrump said, "I find it concerning how fast you were to denounce protests, but not the hate crimes spreading like wildfire."

In his victory speech, the president-elect said, "I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be President for all of Americans, and this is so important to me. For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I'm reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country."

How he will reach out beyond the tweets will become apparent in the weeks to come.
Live birds in stadiums or warehouses are pretty common sights, but how about a live deer in a store?

Shoppers in Stillwater, Oklahoma got the surprise of a lifetime when a deer somehow managed to break into an American Eagle store.
A remarkably wise California third-grader offered some words of advice to President-elect Donald Trump in a letter-writing assignment at school on Wednesday.

8-year-old Amira Hubbard quoted First Lady Michelle Obama, suggesting Trump go high, when others go low, and also President Barrack Obama.
Clarence Ditlow III, widely regarded as Americas foremost advocate for automotive safety, who championed seat belts, air bags and electronics to avert crashes, and campaigns to force the recall of millions of dangerously flawed motor vehicles, died Thursday night in Washington. He was 72.

His death, at George Washington University Hospital, was caused by cancer, said Daniel Becker, a friend and associate.

As head of the Center for Auto Safety, based in Washington, for 40 years, Mr. Ditlow exposed hundreds of automotive defects. He was instrumental in forcing manufacturers to recall the Ford Pintos with infamous exploding gas tanks, Toyotas that suddenly accelerated out of control and GM pickup trucks with sidesaddle gas tanks that blew up in collisions, killing more than 1,000 people.

With a budget less than half the cost of one General Motors Super Bowl commercial, Mr. Ditlow took on auto industry giants in lawsuits that tightened standards for ignition systems, air bags and fuel efficiency; lobbied government agencies to ban driving while texting or using cell phones; and achieved lemon laws in all 50 states that made it easier for buyers to return defective vehicles.

He was the nightmare of the misbehaving auto industry and the dream of safety-conscious motorists, Ralph Nader, the consumer advocate and Mr. Ditlows mentor, said in an interview in October. He was also honest, ethical and self-effacing.

An engineer and lawyer, Mr. Ditlow collaborated with Nader on The Lemon Book (1980), on The Lemon Book: Auto Rights (1990) and on many safety articles. He also wrote about the tendency of some vehicles to roll over, to jump from park into reverse gear and to power off with a loss of all controls and air bags while being driven.

When regulators sleep and auto companies place profits over safety, safety defects pile up, Mr. Ditlow and Nader wrote in an opinion piece in the New York Times in 2014. A record number of vehicles  more than 50 million  have been recalled this year, a result of congressional hearings and Justice Department prosecutions, which exposed a mass of deadly defects that the auto industry had concealed.

Mr. Ditlow never achieved the fame of Nader, whose landmark book, Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-in Dangers of the American Automobile (1965), accused car manufacturers of hiding defects at the cost of untold lives. The book also prompted Congress to create what became the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to enforce safety standards and supervise recalls.

But Mr. Ditlow carried to fruition many of the initiatives that Nader began after he and Consumers Union jointly founded the Center for Auto Safety in 1970. Mr. Ditlow, who became the centers executive director in 1976, was instrumental, for example, in long campaigns to require that all motor vehicles have seat belts and air bags.

Over four decades, Mr. Ditlow badgered the traffic safety administration for more stringent standards, saying its leaders were often political appointees reluctant to move against the powerful auto industry.

He also became the industrys fiercest critic, issuing scathing reports on defective vehicles and related problems ranging from child car-seat flaws to dangerously designed engine mounts. He testified at scores of congressional hearings on safety and warranty issues, consumer protection, air pollution and fuel economy.

And he successfully pushed for myriad recalls by the traffic safety administration: There were 60 million vehicle recalls in the last year, including 11 million for defective ignition switches and millions more for defective Takata air bags; 1.4 million GM cars in 2014 for engine and air bag shut-offs; two million Jeeps in 2013 for exploding gas tanks; 7 million Toyotas in 2010 for sudden acceleration; and, in the 1970s, 6.7 million Chevrolets for defective engine mounts and 1.5 million Ford Pintos  half of all those produced  for fuel-tank fires in rear-end collisions.

In addition to millions of other recalls in the 80s and 90s, Mr. Ditlow and his organization achieved lemon laws in all 50 states to protect consumers. Over the last 25 years, he also served on the boards of Consumers Union, the environmental group Friends of the Earth and the Canadian auto-safety organization Automobile Protection Association.

He often sought data under the Freedom of Information laws and sometimes found shocking unintended revelations. In 1978, he discovered a secret internal memo that raised questions about the safety of Firestone 500 steel-belted radial tires sold in the 70s. A dozen deaths resulted from blowouts caused by tires that overheated. He pressed the issue, and 15 million tires were recalled.

This year, 60 million vehicles are under recall, Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign, a unit of the Center for Auto Safety, said in an interview in October. The vast majority of the defects were discovered by Clarence and pursued by him to protect the driving public. Hundreds of thousands of people are alive today because of his work.

Clarence Mintzer Ditlow III was born Jan. 26, 1944, one of three children of Clarence Mintzer Ditlow Jr. and the former Myrtice Lamb, and grew up in Camp Hill, Pa. His father was a service manager at a Chevrolet dealership in Harrisburg, Pa.

He earned a bachelors degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania in 1965. After working for five years as a patent examiner in the U.S. Patent Office, he received a juris doctorate from Georgetown University in 1970 and a masters degree in law at Harvard in 1971.

Drawn by Naders crusading for consumers, Mr. Ditlow, in the late 60s, joined what the press called Naders Raiders, young volunteers who investigated the Federal Trade Commission and in their reports found it to be passive and ineffective. A formal study by the American Bar Association then led to an overhaul that emphasized more aggressive consumer protections and antitrust enforcement.

Later, Mr. Ditlow joined another Nader spinoff, the Public Interest Research Group, which lobbied for consumer protections, environmental regulations and other progressive goals. He was a lawyer for the group until 1976, when, at Naders behest, he took over the Center for Auto Safety.

Mr. Ditlow, who lived in Washington, is survived by his wife, Marilyn J. Herman, and a sister.

He continued the fight into his last months. This year, he urged that auto executives who had concealed dangerous defects in their products be criminally prosecuted. And in a USA Today blog in August, he argued that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was endangering lives by not issuing standards on driverless vehicles.

In its zeal to advance driverless vehicles, NHTSA has forgotten its mission is to ensure safety, not promote gee-whiz vehicle technology to increase sales, he wrote. It is an inherent conflict of interest for any agency to both promote and regulate technology. NHTSAs deference to industry initiatives in lieu of safety standards represents an abdication of regulatory responsibilities that is unprecedented in the history of the agency.
For most of 2016, American politics could best be described as caught in a populist moment. Populism has always come in two variations, and weve seen both this year. The most familiar form, ably represented in all its raw madness-of-crowds by Donald Trump, is based on resentment of immigrants and other non-majority identities (racial, ethnic, linguistic and religious most prominently), and rancor directed at political elites for their perceived role in changing social norms. This is the populism familiar from historian Richard Hofstadters status anxiety explanation of late 19th century populism, or, in more recent history, the presidential campaigns of George Wallace.

The other version of populism is built around policies that would support working and low-income families, often coupled with a sharp critique of economic elites  the 99 percent versus the 1 percent. This was the populism that Bernie Sanders rode during a surprisingly successful challenge to the anointed Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, and that mobilized younger voters almost as powerfully as Barack Obama had eight years earlier.

It would be a mistake to treat these two populisms as flip sides of the same coin. The white cultural resentment generated by Trump  particularly because it represents a distinct minority defined by identity rather than ideology  is a profound challenge to the Republican Party and to mainstream conservatism, just as Wallaces was to the Democratic Party in another era. The policy differences between populist Democrats like Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren and their mainstream counterparts such as Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine, however, are subtle. Sanders proposals, for example, flowed easily enough into the party platform and the vision of its nominee Clinton. Remaining policy differences between the two camps are relatively minor, such as those between free college and debt-free college, or between a restoration of the New Deal-era Glass-Steagall banking regulations repealed in 1998 and a proposed new regulatory regime. These are still differences of ideology, but modest ones; and the differences in identity between the Sanders and Clinton camps, other than on matters of age and style, are hard to find. Instead, the lefts version of populism can seem more like a fresh coat of paint, or a sharper argument for otherwise standard liberal policies.

Nonetheless, the distinction between left populism and mainstream progressive politics does diverge in one significant way: Sanders and Warren want to name names. Their narrative, like Trumps, is one of heroes and villains  the villains being not immigrants, but the millionaire and billionaire class or big political donors. Warren, for example, has been relentlessly focused on personnel, more insistent on limiting the revolving door between Washington and Wall Street, and going after the Obama administration acolytes of former Citigroup C hairman and Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin (whom she blames for the tame treatment of executives during the financial crisis) than on any other particular policy.

In Clintons view of the world, though, there are few villains, and when they are named it is with legalistic care. (Trump himself is a villain, but carefully distinguished from other Republicans, even those who support him.) Politics, in this view, is a matter of problems, to be fixed, often by elites wielding dispassionate expertise.

So one of the central questions of our era has become: Does successful American politics need villains? Since the rise of the Tea Party in 2009, left populists have imagined that the politics of resentment that motivates the right can be co-opted or converted to the left, redirected toward corporations, Wall Street and the wealthy. While Trump attacks the corruption that leads to, in his view, bad trade deals, an ill-fated embrace of immigration and diversity, and American failure, left populists seem to be betting that an attack on corruption that names alternative targets betraying the American idealthe Citizens United decision, middle-class wage stagnation, or the cost of college  will hook voters in the same way.

But there are major flaws in this thinking. The bonds of right populism are not so easily broken and reformed. The heroes and villains of Trumps narrative (he is the only hero) are not forged by policy positions but by deep ties of cultural identity and affinity. Put more bluntly, white Trump and Tea Party supporters are not interested in a populism that involves an alliance with non-white, younger, culturally diverse voters. Meanwhile, the relentless attack on corruption from populists on both sides has led to the strange paradox that voters still view Clinton, merely a lifelong denizen of the existing political system, as more corrupt than the genuinely venal Trump, a master of tax scams, direct-marketing scams and charity scams. Politics based on resentment and attacks on corruption have merely deepened mistrust of government, which is in itself a barrier to the policies that left populists favor.

Instead, perhaps what American politics really needs is a third kind of populism. Instead of the them populism of left and right, we should look to the tradition of us populism  one in which citizens work together, from local to national levels of government, to define and solve problems. A politics in which citizens are not just engaged as angry protesters calling on the system to change, but as part of the system itself.

America has had a populism like this before, as described in historian Lawrence Goodwyns portraits of the rise of late-19th century agrarian alliances, in Democratic Promise: The Populist Moment in America, and several other books. Where Hofstadter saw only resentment and status anxiety, Goodwyn saw millions of people who had been quiescent suddenly becoming engaged, participating fully through unions, farmers alliances, and new political movements to redesign the economic structures of a fast-growing country. He celebrated the cross-racial alliances forged in the South and the transformations of political consciousness experienced by individuals participating in this democratic renascence.

Our democracy would benefit from an investment in this kind of us populism, especially its ideas about refining existing institutions to strengthen citizen voices and public trust, and creating new mechanisms for public engagement and deliberation. This might include steps such as setting up participatory budgeting or seeing labor unions, community organizations, and similar associations as civil society institutions  rather than just economic claimants.

This new populism cant simply be conjured into existence. It has to rise up from the lived experience of millions of individuals. But we have tools, including new technologies and new techniques of organizing, that can help. There are signs of a more meaningful and participatory democracy emerging in many American cities. Perhaps by the next presidential election, this budding us populism can compete with the populism of resentment that dominated in 2016.

Mark Schmitt is the director of the Political Reform Program at New America. He wrote this for Zocalo Public Square. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at http://bit.ly/SFChronicleletters.
KABUL  A suicide bomber apparently posing as a laborer killed four Americans and wounded 16 others Saturday at Bagram Air Base in northern Afghanistan, U.S. and Afghan officials said.

A Polish soldier participating in the NATO mission was also among the wounded.

The Taliban claimed responsibility.

Afghan officials said the bomber was wearing the kind of clothing normally worn by local laborers, who line up at dawn to enter the base.

Two American service members and two contractors working on the base were killed in the explosion, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said.

I want to express my sincere condolences to the families of the fallen, and I want to reassure the loved ones of those injured that they are getting the best possible care, Carter said in a statement.

Bagram Air Base is a military installation where U.S. fighter jets, drones and thousands of military personnel and contractors are based in the ongoing fight against a resurgent Taliban.

The U.S. has 9,800 troops in the country advising Afghan forces, but President Obama announced that the number will drop to 8,400 by years end.

The Afghan military has struggled to defend the country against increased Taliban attacks, despite support by U.S. special forces advisers and daily air strikes by U.S. warplanes. On Friday, Taliban fighters killed six people in a suicide bomb attack on the German consulate in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
BENGALURU: The Taiwanese multinational electronics company Asus, introduced the top-notch version of its smartphone- ZenFone 3 Max 5.5. The new phone, successor to Zenfone Max is named based on the huge battery pack it houses. The phone is launched in two variants- a 5.2-inch and a 5.5-inch display.

The new 5.5 inch model comes with a 1920 by 1080p full HD IPS display with fingerprint and smudge resistant oleophobic coating, offering 10 finger captive touch and glove touch support. The display fits clean into the body with 73% screen-to-body ratio, presenting a premium look. The display is crafted with 2.5D contoured glass and has up to 450nits brightness for outdoor readability with a Blue-light filter for eye care.

The phone is powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon Octa-Core 430 1.4GHz Processor and Adreno 505 graphics processor coupled with 3GB RAM, 32GB expandable storage designed for optimum gaming and performance. The Zenfone 3 Max houses a 16 MP PixelMaster 3.0 camera with Dual-LED real tone flash and f/2.0 aperture offering Ultra-fast instant focus and subject tracking TriTech AF and Real-time HDR. The selfie camera can take 8 MP shots with f/2.2 aperture. Other features include, dual SIM support, fingerprint sensor, and a 4100mAh battery. Another interesting feature is that the Zenfone 3 can be used as a power bank to charge other devices with the bundled OTG cable.

The smartphone runs on latest Android 6.0 operating system with ASUS ZenUI 3.0 interface. The 5.5-inch variant comes with a price tag of about 17,999.

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EXPRESS BUS STOPS

An individual allegedly stole an MTA Express bus Friday evening.

(Hilton Flores)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A male was taken into custody after he allegedly stole an MTA bus on the North Shore Friday evening.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., the driver of an x10 MTA express bus, which runs from Castleton and Jewett avenues to Midtown Manhattan, was inspecting the bus before beginning the route, when an individual boarded the bus and allegedly displayed a firearm, according a spokeswoman for the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

The individual then demanded that the driver take him to the bus depot.

While en route to the depot, the individual demanded the driver get off of the bus, the spokeswoman said.

The individual began driving the bus erratically for about a half mile, before hitting three unoccupied parked cars before hitting a telephone pole at the intersection of Castleton and Broadway avenues.

Officers from the 120th precinct took the individual into custody and charges are pending, the spokeswoman said.

The identity of the male individual is unknown at this time, according to the spokeswoman.

The joyride caused no injuries to the bus driver, pedestrians or motorists, the spokeswoman said.
protest.jpg

Anti-Trump protests have roiled cities across America.

(AP photos)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - There are protests in the streets over Donald Trump's election as president of the United States. Some of the protests have turned violent.

Just like the riotous protests we saw from Republicans right after Barack Obama got elected in 2008, remember? Of course you don't. Because they never happened, despite all doomy predictions to the contrary.

So be it. Everybody has a right to protest. It's one of the best things about living in America. Go ahead, march in the streets. Shout out loud that Trump isn't your president. Dig in and oppose him. Marshal your forces and get ready for 2020. It's the American way. This country was built on dissent.

But while the protestors are aiming at Trump, they should also look a little deeper when it comes casting blame over how a supposedly sure thing for Hillary Clinton turned to ashes around midnight on Election Night.

If you're a Hillary supporter, the picture is pretty bleak. According to exit polls, 42 percent of women voted for Trump, including 53 percent of white women. How does that happen amid all of Trump's vile talk about women and the accusations of sexual assault against him?

And while Hillary won 88 percent of the black vote, that was less than the 93 percent that President Barack Obama won in 2012. The difference? Hillary didn't do as well with black men. In addition, Trump got 29 percent of the Hispanic vote, despite all his talk about Mexican murderers and rapists.

These were key constituencies that Hillary relied on to deliver the White House to her, to the point that she made no real effort to reach out to working-class white voters. Identity politics can bite you on the behind sometimes.

The Dems will have plenty of opportunity to chew it all over as they pick a new chair of the Democratic National Committee. Sparks are already flying in the process. Remember when it was the GOP in turmoil after Hurricane Trump blew through? The shoe is suddenly on the other foot. Blaming everything on James Comey will only go so far.

And while we're at it, can we cool it with the memes that compare 11/9 to 9/11? Were you living in America when radical Islamic terrorists flew hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center and killed 3,000 people? You'd compare the peaceful transfer of power via presidential election to that? Friends, you need to exhale and get a grip. Or have your heads examined.

And when you're done doing that, you can file away all the comparisons to Kristallnacht as well. We know that there are some on the left who believe that Trump is Hitler. They thought Mitt Romney was Hitler too. And George W. Bush. It's one of those themes that the left rolls out there during presidential elections.

But Trump has a long way to go before he can be mentioned in the same breath as a guy responsible for millions upon millions of deaths and the total devastation of Europe. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's let him at least pick a cabinet first.

So the protests will likely go on. And some folks in California want to secede. Wonder how the Dems would feel about losing their biggest basket of electoral votes? But protest is easy. Figuring out where it all went wrong will take more time.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The wife and estate of a father of five killed two years ago when the mezzanine collapsed during demolition of the old Dana Ford Lincoln car dealership in Travis has sued the dealer and building owner, alleging wrongful death and Labor Law violations.

Delfino Jesus Velazquez Mendizabal, 43, of West Brighton, was buried in the debris and asphyxiated on Nov. 28, 2014, when the mezzanine above the steel-framed car showroom collapsed on him and three other workers, said officials.

His co-workers managed to escape unharmed.

The victim was working at the time for Formica Construction of Port Richmond. Authorities previously identified him as Delfino Velazquez.

The suit was filed in state Supreme Court, St. George, by the victim's spouse, Martha Garcia Rodriguez, and Ana Guzman, who are the administrators of his estate.

It seeks unspecified monetary damages from Dana Motors, Valencia Developers and Iron Horse Development and Management Inc. The latter two entities are identified as the building owners in the plaintiffs' civil complaint.

Formica Construction is not a named defendant. Workers cannot sue their employers for liability, except in certain circumstances.

But those employers can be brought into the action by third parties.

"This construction-related death - and we handle many such cases - is one of the most egregious examples of an unsafe work environment that our office has seen," said the plaintiffs' attorney, John P. Beatty, of the Manhattan-based firm Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore.

"What compounds this tragedy for Delfino's hard-working immigrant family is that this collapse should never have been permitted to occur," Beatty said. "There were so many opportunities for the owners and contractors to protect Delfino and his co-workers, and not only did they willfully fail to protect him as they were required to do under the law, they turned that demolition work site into a deathtrap for anyone entering into it, which has now left his five children, including a disabled son, fatherless, and his wife, Martha, a widow."

A message left at Dana Ford Lincoln was not immediately returned and attempts to contact Valencia Developers and Iron Horse Development were unsuccessful.

Among other things, the suit alleges the defendants were negligent by failing to conduct a "required" pre-demolition engineering survey "to determine the building's stability and the possibility of structural collapse" and "ignor(ed) required safety practices by removing load-supporting sections of walls and floors before upper-level sections of the buildings were demolished and removed."

The complaint also contends the defendants failed to shore or brace walls and "improperly cause(d) the mezzanine structure supports to be weakened by improper methods of demolition" on Nov. 25, 26 and 28.

In addition, the defendants failed "to heed the verbalized concerns" of the victim and others regarding the integrity of the building and mezzanine before the collapse at 266 West Service Road, the complaint alleges.

The complaint doesn't specify the workers' alleged concerns.

According to Advance reports, the destruction of the old dealership had been taking place on and off for a few months before the deadly incident.

Dana had upgraded from its original 36,000-square-foot location -- the building which was being demolished -- into a brand-new 100,000- square-foot building in the summer of 2014.

The new facility, located next to the original building, was created to be more green-friendly: It was equipped with LED lighting, radiant floor heating and energy-efficient cooling systems.

After the collapse, a six-month probe by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that Formica Construction had violated demolition safety regulations designed to prevent such incidents.

The agency cited Formica for three willful, three serious and one other-than-serious violation and proposed $121,000 in total fines, spokesman Ted Fitzgerald said.

Inspectors found that Formica, which, according to the Buildings Department, lacked a valid permit to perform the demolition, violated safety laws both before and during the dealership demolition.

The company failed to conduct a pre-demolition engineering survey to assess the stability of the building, and then failed to adhere to safety practices once the demolition started, the OSHA report states.

Once underway, Formica removed load-supporting sections of walls and floors before upper level sections of the building were removed, did not brace walls and floors against collapse while workers were inside the dealership and failed to perform any ongoing inspections to identify weakened or deteriorated walls and floors that may pose hazards, according to OSHA's report.

The company also did not train its workers to recognize such hazards or keep a record of workplace injuries or illnesses, the report states.

"This worker's death should never have happened," Patricia Jones, OSHA area director for Staten Island, said when the agency issued its findings. "Had Formica Construction chosen to plan and carry out the demolition correctly, this collapse would not have occurred, and Mr. [Velazquez] would not have died."

Formica is contesting the violations, said Fitzgerald, the spokesman.

In the meantime, the Staten Island district attorney's office is conducting a separate investigation into possible criminal charges.

Earlier this year, Ken Formica, whose brother William Formica, owns the company, told the Advance the firm denies fault.

Ken Formica, who was in Florida at the time of the incident, disputed that the company's employees were even performing demolition when the mezzanine collapsed on Velazquez.

He said Formica Construction was merely cleaning the inside of the building after Dana Ford had held a "huge auction."

"There were desks, chairs, filing cabinets, all garbage. ... We were just cleaning the inside of the building out," said Formica.

Formica blamed the collapse on the building's faulty construction, and the cold weather, which registered just above freezing, according to historical temperature data.

"The building wasn't built the way it was supposed to be," he said. "It was just an accident waiting to happen."

The building was about 30 years old.

Beatty, the plaintiffs' lawyer, said Velazquez's death "highlights the hazards confronted every day by construction workers at job sites throughout New York trying to support their families."

"It also further evidences that immigrant construction workers continue to die disproportionately in our city, and proves that when construction workers are not provided with safe place to work, which our Labor Laws require, tragedies such as this are inevitable and will continue to happen," he said.
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BRITT  Shyanne Siems had one thought when she woke up to hear two Iowa police officers had been shot and killed early Nov. 2.

It hit me that it could have been my brother, Siems, of Britt, said of the deaths of Des Moines Sgt. Anthony Beminio and Urbandale Officer Justin Martin. Her brother works in law enforcement in the Eagle Grove area.

That thought soon turned into another.

Siems quickly messaged her boyfriend, Jacobey Anderson, about making shirts to sell as a fundraiser for the Beminio and Martin families. Anderson owns Anderson Sign and Graphics. His business, based out of their house in Britt, sells T-shirts, signs and decals through his website.

I thought it was a good idea, Anderson said of the T-shirt sales. Siems and Anderson mocked up a T-shirt design and decal and started promoting them on their Facebook page on Nov. 3.

The shirts feature an Iowa logo on one with the words Iowa Strong on the other. The T-shirts cost $20 and the decals are $10. Siems and Anderson will donate $10 per shirt divided between the Beminio and Martin families. Each family will also get $2.50 for each decal sale.

Siems had set a goal to raise $500 for each family.

Weve completely surpassed that, she said.

It took off a lot more than I thought it would, Anderson said.

Siems then turned to ask Anderson where they were at on Nov. 4.

A little over $1,000 for each family, Anderson said.

Thats in a day-and-a-half. I shouldnt be surprised, but I really am, Siems said.

The amount of T-shirt sales surprised her, she said, but not the states response to the two officer deaths.

I think its something that hits close to home. Iowa is a close-knit state as it is, Siems said.

The pair have received orders from all over Iowa and even, she said, from as far away as Texas.

Weve had messages from people out of state who said they used to live in Iowa. This was their way to support their home state, Siems said.

Other messages came in from Beminio and Martins friends and colleagues.

They thank us for doing it, Siems said.

She said they just wanted to find a way to help their families. Especially, she said, because it could have been hers that woke up to hear the news.

The pair said they want to express our deep gratitude and thanks to everyone that has supported this project.

Its very heart-warming that people care so much for people theyve never met and are willing to support their families during this, Siems said.

The T-shirts can be pre-orders through Nov. 16 at:
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Buffett became one of the richest people in the world by betting on US businesses like insurers, utilities and a railroad, and said he expects them to thrive, even when politicians implement policies that he sees as counterproductive.

He pointed to Trump's plan to dismantle the North American Free Trade Agreement as damaging to the world's largest economy in aggregate, even if increased imports did cost jobs in some US regions.

"I think it's a bad idea, a very bad idea, but I'm not going to say it will cause a recession," said Buffett. "Any time you start playing around with retaliatory-type trade things, it's very likely that the other side is going to start playing too. That's been the history."

Buffett said that an "instructor-in-chief" is needed to sell the public on the benefits of increased international commerce. He also said that many Republicans in Congress support free trade deals, which could limit Trump's chances of following through on his vows.

"This is not exclusive to Donald Trump," Buffett said. "There are a lot of things in campaigns that don't happen after an election."
Iron ore, the pacesetter of this year's commodities rally, may be headed for a drop.

Prices that have doubled since bottoming will face growing pressure on rising supply from Australia and Brazil as well as headwinds to demand in China, according to research firm Capital Economics.

Iron ore prices have rallied to the highest in two years, boosting the shares of mining companies. Credit:Bloomberg

"We think it is overdone," said Caroline Bain, a London-based commodities economist at the group, referring to the surge that's taken the raw material to the highest level in two years above $US75 a metric ton. "The Chinese authorities are taking steps to take the heat out of the property market and the impact of earlier stimulus will start to fade."

Iron ore has climbed as China, its biggest user, buttressed growth, aiding the property market so much that authorities are now seeking to prevent excessive gains.
How to fix a government that, no matter what it does, seems to come off badly. HG and Roy would have prescribed a spell in the room of mirrors  although perhaps not duds-down  to force its members to take a really good look at themselves.

Such introspection might reveal an uncomfortable truth: that by flexing their muscles and making themselves look strong, right-wingers in the Coalition party room are on a fool's errand that has made their prime minister look weak.

Whether it be cracking the whip to demand superannuation changes, or niche ideological hobby horses such as the jihad against the "bad, bad, law" of section18C, and that "crook organisation" run by the "thought police" at the Human Rights Commission, conservative hardliners are merely hastening their own demise. If Turnbull fails, so do they.

Worse, they are ensuring that Bill Shorten becomes Australia's next prime minister.
The news that buyers in the NSW Tralee development have been given the green light to walk away from their land and sales contracts is a worrying sign for the future of the project.

The Tralee  now South Jerrabomberra  housing development started life more than a decade ago and despite necessary approvals, it seems further delays are set to plague it.

That is bad news for the buyers who lined up to buy the blocks when they went on sale but also for the company, and for the industry overall.

Tralee, along with nearby Googong, is considered to be a more economical purchase for first home buyers and those looking for a block of land rather than plots offered in Canberra.
Some of the biggest alleged free speech champions on the right of Australian politics have used the defamation law to protect their own reputations even though they are trying to remove the "insult and offend" protection in the Racial Discrimination Act.

And Attorney-General George Brandis has argued that people should be able to get a court order to stop a story being published if they thought it might defame them  despite the free speech implications.

Attorney-General George Brandis has argued that people should be able to get a court to stop a story being published if they thought it might defame them. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Cases under section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act against a group of QUT students and cartoonist Bill Leak have prompted conservatives in parliament to push for the controversial section to be repealed or amended.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has agreed to set up a parliamentary inquiry into the law.
MASON CITY  The City Council on Tuesday will consider awarding a contract for work on a quiet zone project that will alleviate the need for noisy train whistles in many parts of the city.

Quiet zones will allow train traffic to move through the city without the necessity of loud horns blowing to warn motorists and pedestrians. In quiet zones, medians are placed in such a way that vehicles cannot cross railroad tracks when gates are down.

The result of the planned work will be a quiet zone along the Union Pacific rail line from 15th Street Southwest to Ninth Street Northwest, a distance of about 1 miles. The plan necessitates the closing of the crossing at Ninth Street Northwest.

Mid-Continent Contracting submitted the low bid for the construction work of $111,836.75. There was one other bidder, McKiness Excavating, with a bid of $149,799.

The work involves the removal of street and sidewalk pavement, storm sewer modifications, installation of traffic control signage, site restoration and miscellaneous incidentals at grade crossings of the Union Pacific Railroad at Fourth Street Southwest and Ninth Street Northwest.

The project also includes the installation of required supplementary safety measures which include mountable medians with channelizing devices, sidewalk, fencing, signage modifications and miscellaneous incidentals at grade crossings of the railroad at 15h Street Southwest, Sixth Street Southwest and First Street Northwest.

City Administrator Brent Trout said the engineers estimate was $103,052. The project was budgeted at $90,000 to be funded with local option sales tax revenue. Trout said the budget will have to be amended to include the increases.

The council meets at 7 p.m. in the Mason City Room of the public library.
A top adviser to One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts was once a Labor operative tasked with destroying Pauline Hanson's party  until he was forced out of the ALP for his role in a vote-rigging scandal.

Sean Black subsequently gravitated towards conservative politics but controversy has followed him every step of the way.

He was accused of bullying and flying into fits of uncontrollable rage during his years as a Queensland local councillor, tried to set up the Australian version of the US Tea Party fringe group and was kicked out of a restaurant when he threw a coaster at a man wearing a T-shirt insulting Tony Abbott.

Mr Black is also the ex-husband of Hajnal Ban, a former Liberal Party figure who underwent radical bone-breaking cosmetic surgery to make her taller but whose fledgling political career was cut short when she was found to have misused vast sums of money taken from an elderly friend suffering dementia.
After hiring a car in Glasgow recently, I drove along Greenock Road, Paisley, and stopped outside number 101, a place I hadn't been since I was nine years old. To see those massive grey blocks of tenement houses stretching for miles along Greenock Road then continuing west along McFarlane Street was to tie the fabric of my life back together, joining the time I'd come to know in sunny Australia as a migrant kid to my first nine or so years.

My mother was a dressmaker and when we lived here she seemed always to be straightening or remodelling the curtains in the bay windows that extend the living rooms of these places. In the bay window of our old ground-floor flat, stood a woman of my mother's age, hairstyle and build, critically examining the curtains, pins in her mouth. It was as if we hadn't left.

Edinburgh Castle has an imposing presence in the Scottish capital Credit:Joas Souza

Catching sight of me open-mouthed outside, my hand still on the open car door, the woman waved and the spell broke. Of course she wasn't my mum. This was not an episode of Doctor Who, though there are, or were, several authentic blue police phone boxes scattered around the area.

Aside from rebooting my childhood memories, such as trudging to Mossvale Primary School in winter through snow, and taking the skin off my knees in falls while sliding wilfully along the frozen puddles that formed in long depressions in the pavements, Paisley has much wider appeal. It's the largest town in Scotland  it somehow hasn't yet qualified for city status  and the home of the famous Paisley print, a legacy of the town's importance as a centre for textiles in the early 19th century.
It's been a hell of a week for women's empowerment, but just a day after Hillary Clinton was turfed onto the political scrap heap by renowned feminist and President-elect Donald Trump, back in Sydney a chorus of applause was greeting girl power.

On Thursday over morning tea at the Centennial Hotel in Paddington, Harper's Bazaar Australia unveiled its Women of the Year issue, giving star billing to former Prime Minister Tony Abbott's chief of staff Peta Credlin, who, along with a line-up of other high achievers, was described as one of the great "disruptors" of 2016.

Julia Gillard and Delta Goodrem at the 10th annual Cosmopolitan Women of the Year Awards in Sydney. Credit:Cosmo

"I'm not driven by big dollars and I don't want a slow or, indeed, an easy life. I want to live a life that matters. I believe in the battle for ideas, because the battle for ideas shapes lives and it shapes countries, hence my love of politics," Credlin, who is now working for James Packer's private company as a senior adviser, writes in next week's edition of Harpers.

"I'm comfortable wearing the tag of 'disruptor' so long as I'm honest and true to myself. I would feel I'd let myself down if I didn't speak up on things I care about. We need women like us in politics  women who are prepared to speak up and to shake the tree. Women who can't be bullied or pushed around. If you are just warming a seat then you need to give the seat to someone else, because we need women in public life who are brave and fearless."
The goal of MADE, according to vice president and managing director Barnett Zitron, is to make fashion more accessible and give visionary brands a platform to connect to fans and buyers alike.

The event, which brings together consumers and industry leaders, was launched in New York back in 2009 to help counteract the crushing affects of the global financial crisis on the ragtrade.

The three-day fashion and skating festival kicked off at Carriageworks on Friday night with an exclusive premiere of The High Life: Slim Aarons, a documentary chronicling the life and work of the famed American photographer and his sun-drenched images.

If one was to consider fashion as the Golden Girls, the official Fashion Week Australia would be the extroverted Blanche, and the inaugural MADE event is the whip smart, sassy Dorothy.

"Fashion Week, especially New York Fashion Week, is very commercialised and very expensive for designers, with MADE it's all about the festivalisation of fashion by encouraging customers and industry types to mix and discover something new," he told Fairfax Media.

MADE is the event which launched the careers of designers Alexander Wang and Jeremy Scott and will on Saturday debut the first fashion show by Faith Connexion, the Paris-based luxury label whose oversized denim jackets and hand-painted jeans are loved by Kim Kardashian and Rihanna. So reclusive is the creative team, no one knows who is responsible for the brand that is rumoured to be headed up by former Balmain creative director Christophe Decarnin.

Sydney is the third platform of the MADE fashion, music and culture format, following in the footsteps of New York and Los Angeles. The Australian chapter will focus on fashion, sport and skateboarding with pop-up stores, DJ sets and skating competitions starring Corbin Harris and 16-year-old world champion Poppy Starr Olsen.

"Sydney is a perfect melting pot for this type of event," Zitron said. "We know that Sydney is a unique, we know that it is highly cosmopolitan, the fashion culture here is unique to the city, it involves sport, it involves an outdoor lifestyle, streetwear, music and it's that unique mix of culture that goes into what people respond, it's also what has inspired our event."

So confident of the success of the event, organisers IMG, owners of the official Fashion Week Australia, have locked in the event into the official international fashion calender.
But with some parents struggling to get a place and others paying upwards of $190 a day in inner-city areas, costs to the taxpayer of a staggering $10 billion a year in parent subsidies, and childcare workers among the lowest paid in the country, exactly who is winning from our childcare system? Easy as ABC: the childcare services industry made almost $1 billion in profit in 2015. Credit:Phil Carrick Labor's early childhood spokeswoman Kate Ellis is worried. "Services are established where they are profitable  not necessarily where vulnerable children need access to quality early education, or where they will be the most affordable and convenient for working parents on lower wages," she said in a speech at the National Press Club last month.

"Increasingly decisions about early education services in Australia are being made in corporate interests  based on the highest price the market can bear  not community need." G8 Education declined an invitation to comment on how it balanced the needs of children in its care with the imperative to make money for its shareholders. Early childhood advocates say the picture is complicated and there are for-profit providers who do genuinely work in the best interests of the children in their care. Samantha Page from advocacy group Early Childhood Australia said: "If they are committed to high-quality service delivery, early learning outcomes for children and supporting families to balance parenting with workforce participation then they are likely to run services that benefit children.

"However if they are focused on cost cutting to increase profit margins, that is not good for the children attending those services." How it works for families Under the current system, eligible families can claim the income-tested Child Care Benefit, paid directly to care providers to reduce fees for families. In addition all families, no matter their income level, can claim the Child Care Rebate, which covers up to 50 per cent of out of pocket childcare costs, up to $7500 per child, per year. In 2016-17, the federal government expects to spend about $8.2 billion on childcare fee assistance  that's $4.2 billion for the childcare benefit and about $3.9 billion for the childcare rebate. The government's childcare reform plan (the "Jobs for Families" package) to simplify the childcare subsidy system to one payment, cap hourly fee subsidies and inject an additional $3 billion in targeted childcare funding for lower income families has stalled in the Senate.

The government plans to spend $10 billion each year on childcare support from mid-2018. For comparison, total government spending on primary and high schools in Australia in 2015 was $43 billion. The Education Minister Simon Birmingham would not comment on corporate profits in the sector. But the minister said the Coalition had brought childcare price increases down to about 5.2 per cent in the year to September 2015, "well below the 10-year September quarter average of 6.7 per cent and 7.4 per cent during Labor's last term in office". "The Turnbull government's priority in childcare is assistance that helps families and is deliberately targeted at families on the lowest incomes and those working the most hours," he said. The companies cashing in

The listed company G8 Education Limited is the largest operator with a 7.9 per cent market share, according to IBISWorld, followed by Goodstart Early Learning, the not-for-profit which took over ABC Learning's centres and now has a 7.2 per cent share. G8 Education, which badges its 489 daycare centres with 20 "local" brands, reported a profit of $88.6 million in 2015-16 after an aggressive acquisition binge of nearly 300 centres over two years. The Folkestone Education Trust, which owns 393 early learning properties (including some in New Zealand) made $106.8 million net profit in 2015-16, up 20.5 per cent on the previous year. Folkestone's annual report says growth was partly driven through rent hikes of 5.5 per cent. "This growth is further supported by the continued rise in daily fees per place," the report said. The ASX 300-listed property group Arena REIT, which owns 189 childcare properties in Australia, reported a $25.6 million profit in 2015, up 16 per cent on the previous year. It makes rental income of between $1400 and $3900 per licensed childcare place, according to its annual report. Property developer Meriton has also spied opportunity, announcing it will retain ownership of the childcare centres it builds as part of its residential developments, with at least 26 built or on the way.

And private equity has moved into the sector in the past 18 months, buying up groups with about 100-150 centres, including Affinity and Guardian Early Learning Group. Analysts are predicting a lot more consolidation, given the top four providers account for just a quarter of the market, with demographic growth driving demand and government subsidies pouring in. The five-year outlook is bullish for investors, with analysts anticipating 5.8 per cent annual growth in the sector. The alternatives Schools are not permitted to run on a for-profit basis, and many early childhood advocates argue privately that childcare should be the same. But unscrambling that egg would be politically difficult. Jo Briskey, from parent advocacy group The Parenthood, said the priority in the early learning sector should be kids getting access to quality care, parents getting the support they need and educators getting paid properly.
A community's battle against poker machines has pitted school students, irate aged-care residents, the local council and 3500 petitioners against a high-profile Sydney pub baron.

It will reach its conclusion in court on Monday when the case closes and the verdict is expected to be handed down.

Some of Australia's top alcohol harm experts have given evidence in the case, as hotelier Peter De Angelis refuses to give up on his plan to open a large pub in Casula in western Sydney.

With a capacity for 500 to 1000 patrons, the proposed Casula Hotel would be 135 metres from a primary school, and just metres from an aged-care home.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull would not be welcome as an official guest of Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras under a motion passed at the organisation's annual general meeting on Saturday.

In March, Mr Turnbull became the first sitting Australian prime minister to attend the event. But activists angered by his support of a divisive plebiscite on same-sex marriage say he should not be invited in 2017.

Malcolm Turnbull expects at least 50 per cent of voters will take part in the same-sex marriage postal vote

Cat Rose and Patrick White, of Sydney-based activist group Community Action Against Homophobia, brought forward the motion to say Mr Turnbull was not welcome as an official guest while he "denied equality" to the LGBTIQ community.



"We ask the Board to act in accordance with this position and issue a public statement as it applies to the current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the 2017 Mardi Gras parade and does not invite him as an official guest to the parade," the motion read.



The board still has to consider the motion, which was passed 75-63. Ms Rose said she expected the board's support.

"The reason against it was given as: does Mardi Gras ever uninvite anyone?" Ms Rose said. "We put the argument that it's the prime minister of Australia, and he's really used and abused our community."
A 29-year-old man has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting a 20-year-old in the neck in Sydney's north-west on Friday night.

Police were called to Windsor Road in Baulkham Hills at 9.45pm on Friday and attempted to resuscitate the victim, who later died at Westmead Hospital of a single bullet wound to his neck.

A man arrested at a home nearby has been charged with murder, possessing unlicensed firearms, possessing an indictable quantity of cannabis and cultivating a prohibited plant.

Police took him to Hornsby Hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
It has been 3339 days since Mark and Faye Leveson were last able to pinpoint their son's whereabouts.

They have been searching ever since.

In a sensational breakthrough last week, Michael Atkins  the man acquitted of murdering Matthew Leveson  told police where he had buried his former boyfriend's body. While a third day of searching in the Royal National Park ended in frustration on Saturday, the Leveson family feel they are edging closer to fulfilling the "promise" they made to their son.

"We'll be here until he's found ... we'll be here to the end," said Mrs Leveson who added: "We made a promise to him nine years ago, nine long years ... until we bring him home."
The NSW Nationals are at risk of being "trumped" in Orange, with a massive primary swing of more than 60 per cent in some booths set to see preference votes decide the close race.

The Coalition partner is staring down the potential of a devastating loss in the byelection after voters in the central-west electorate turned away in droves on Saturday.

The figures on the NSW electoral commission website on Sunday morning show Nationals candidate Scott Barrett had won 29.4 per cent of primary votes but Philip Donato, from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers (SFF) party which has never held a lower house seat in the state, is not far behind.

Mr Donato trails with 24 per cent of the vote but may claim victory thanks to Labor preferences.
MASON CITY  Democrats fell like dominoes as election results came in from across the state Tuesday night.

Many politicians and pundits said the Donald Trump influence was a big factor on down-ballot races.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs, in the Legislature for 30 years, lost to his Republican opponent Dan Dawson, a political newcomer.

Had Gronstal won, he would no longer have been majority leader because Republicans took over control of the Senate.

In North Iowa, the Republican juggernaut was shown in the presidential race:

In Worth County President Obama won with 60.3 percent of the vote in 2008 and with 56.3 percent in 2012. In 2016, Trump won with 57.6 percent.

In Floyd County, the Obama victory margins were 59.6 percent in 2008 and 56.7 percent in 2012. This year, Trump won with 54.3 percent.

In Cerro Gordo County, Obama had 59.7 percent in 2008 and 55.9 percent in 2012. Trump carried the county Tuesday with 50.6 percent.

In Worth and Cerro Gordo counties, it was the first GOP victory in a presidential race since 1980. In Mitchell and Floyd counties, it was the first Republican win since 1984. In Winnebago County, the Republican victory was the first since 1992.

It was the same pattern throughout North Iowa. State and county races had similar results.

In Cerro Gordo County, Democratic supervisors Jay Urdahl and Phil Dougherty, in office for 28 years and 16 years respectively, lost to Republicans Tim Latham and Chris Watts, neither of whom has held public office.

In Worth County, incumbent Supervisor Dave Haugen, a Democrat, lost by five votes to Republican Mark Smeby; and Sheriff Jay Langenbau, a Democrat, lost to Chief Deputy Dan Fank, a Republican.

Also, Northwood Mayor Jane Bloomingdale, a Republican, was elected to the Legislature, defeating Democrat Tim Hejhal.

In Floyd County, Democrat Roy Schwickerath, the former Charles City fire chief, lost his county supervisor position to Republican Linda Tjaelen.

In Senate District 26 covering several North Iowa counties, Republican Waylon Brown toppled Democrat incumbent Mary Jo Wilhelm.

Asked what caused the Republican tidal wave, Urdahl, who was denied his eighth term in Cerro Gordo County, said he could sum it up in one word: Trump.

North Iowa Community College history instructor Bennett Smith agreed and said the Urdahl loss was a good example.

Jay is an institution in Cerro Gordo County politics. And this year, for him, that was part of the problem. People wanted change, said Smith.

It was a fascinating election. The wave of support for Trump was greater than most anyone expected  and the Trump effect had far more down-ballot influence than I would have thought, Smith said.

Smith said voter motivation for change also could have been triggered by feelings toward President Obama and the Clintons.

Todd Blodgett of Clear Lake, a Republican stalwart who once worked in the Reagan White House, said, There truly was a hidden Trump vote.

Many people are part of a social or professional milieu where being for Trump was seen as disgusting or worse, Blodgett said. The attacks on Trump only reinforced their loyalty to him, and in the voting booth they vented.

John Stone, Cerro Gordo Democratic chairman for the past 10 years, assessed the damage and the cause.

I think it was Trump, he said. I also think some of our people didnt vote for whatever reason and other voters just wanted change. Will they be happy with the change? I doubt it.

Two North Iowa Democratic incumbents survived the onslaught.

State Rep. Sharon Steckman, a Democrat in District 53 (Mason City and Rockwell), defeated her Republican opponent Barbara Hovland, and state Rep. Todd Prichard, a Democrat from Charles City, staved off a challenge from Republican Stacie Stokes.
Editor's Note: All charges against Liam Gordon Murphy were dismissed by the court on June 20, 2018.

Over many months, the British-born Sydneysider built up an international cult following in the online fetish world under the secretive pseudonym The Wolf.

The website FetLife boasts more than 5.3 million members Credit:FetLife.com

Among the 5 million users of website FetLife, dubbed as "Like Facebook but run by kinksters", were men wanting to replicate his lifestyle and women, called his "maidens", who wanted to be with him.

He published a book of his supposed sexual exploits with people he met online and in 2015 a festival was held in the US dedicated to "Wolf--king:
A man has been hit in the face with a metal bar during a home invasion and burglary on the Gold Coast on Friday afternoon.

Police said about 2.45pm four men forced their way into an Ocean Street residence at Burleigh Heads and hit a 49-year-old male occupant in the face multiple times with a metal bar.

Police are searching for four attackers after a 49-year-old man was bashed with a metal bar at a Burleigh Heads property.

The attackers then stole the victim's phone, laptop and car keys before fleeing in the victim's car.

The man was taken to Robina Hospital in a stable condition with suspected facial fractures.
Police have charged a man with unlawful wounding after an alleged stabbing at a Gold Coast playground on Saturday night.

The 19-year-old Coolangatta man will appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on December 12.

Police charged a 19-year-old man on Sunday after a stabbing at a Gold Coast playground. Credit:Glenn Hunt

He was charged after a 19-year-old Currumbin Waters man was stabbed in the neck with a broken bottle at a Gold Coast Highway playground in Palm Beach.

Police said the victim saw the man smashing beer bottles at the playground about 9.30pm and asked him to stop.
One man has died and another is fighting for his life in hospital after a crash in south eastern Victoria overnight.

A police spokeswoman said it's believed the driver, a 28-year-old Moe man, may have lost control and hit a power pole on Swan Road in Morwell, just after midnight.

About 8500 people went to hospitals during the thunderstorm asthma crisis. Credit:Dominic O'Brien

The passenger, a 45-year-old Hazelwood North man, died at the scene.

The 28-year-old driver was trapped inside the vehicle "for some time", police said.
"F--- Trump and Hanson too, we're going to fight them through and through." So chanted about 80 protesters on the Flinders Street station steps in an anti-Donald Trump rally that followed a string of largely student-led demonstrations across the US.

The crowd that included socialists, Latinos, feminists, LGBT people, anarchists and unionists - many of whom were university students - gathered for the rally on Saturday, which was organised by the Monash Student Association.

They waved banners reading "We wanted Bernie" and "#pussyfightsback", and circulated copies of the socialist magazine Red Flag, which had emblazoned on its front page: 'How could this monster win?'

About 15 police ringed the protesters, as they delivered impassioned speeches drawing similarities between US President-elect and the rise of the far-right in Australia, regularly citing Pauline Hanson and the Rise Up Australia group.
Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said paramedics were initially called to the centre due to reports of youths on the roof.

Victoria Police spokeswoman Amelia Penhall said several units "responding to a disturbance" were "assisting the Department of Health and Human Services to resolve the situation".

Emergency services were called to the Melbourne Youth Justice Centre in Parkville about 8.45pm.

Roads surrounding a major Melbourne youth detention centre were blocked off after a disturbance inside on Saturday night.

Housing affordability advocates are set to call on the government to turn the youth justice centre into affordable housing. Credit:Wayne Taylor

"We got called to an incident there at 8.51pm," he said.

"We've sent a couple of units and we're still on stand by," he said at 10.30pm.

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade confirmed firefighters were also on stand by.

Department spokesman Mike Griffin did not elaborate on the nature of the incident.



"At no point was there a risk to security of the facility," he said.



"The department will thoroughly examine the circumstances leading up to the incident."
Police in South Australia have arrested fugitive Lachlan Mitchell four days after he escaped from a Victorian youth detention prison.

Mitchell was taken into custody at 12.30am on Saturday after a raid on a house in Hackham West, south of Adelaide. An alleged accomplice was also arrested.

Malmsbury Juvenile Justice Centre

The 20-year-old has been on the run since Tuesday, when he fled the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre and got into a black ute waiting for him with South Australian number plates.

Police are investigating whether the pair were involved in an aggravated robbery at Mount Gambier on Thursday, where a man had his car stolen at gunpoint.
As private schools expand student residences to accommodate the flow of international students, Wesley College is tapping into another booming, albeit neglected market: busy, professional parents.

After years of childcare, nannies or long visits to grandma's house, parents working full-time are searching for age-appropriate care for their adolescent children during the week.

Working parents demanding increased flexibility from employers are being offered an alternative: weekly boarding. Credit:Justin McManus

"Not being at home is a big challenge for parents," said Wesley College's principal, Dr Helen Drennen, who is offering parents the chance to enrol their children in the school's new $15 million Learning in Residence, a boarding program that runs from Monday to Friday only.

"In most cases, both parents are working and many of them are engaged in a lot of travel ... they're worried that their child's development might be impacted by their absence from home."
Elly Warren loved the water and the creatures that lived in it, particularly sharks.

Just a couple of weeks before her death, the adventurous 20-year-old backpacker was swimming in her wetsuit with whale sharks off the coast of Mozambique.

There were photos of Elly having fun on the beach; there was the six-week stint volunteering alongside scientists for an eco-research company; and there were the plans to study as a marine biologist back in Australia.

Sadly, those dreams have been snuffed out. It was the trip of a lifetime that ended Elly's life.
Darlene Marie Betts

MASON CITY  Darlene Marie Betts, 86, of Mason City, IA, died Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 14, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Mason City, with the Rev. Kevin Jones officiating.

Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, Mason City.

Interment will take place in Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the Darlene Betts memorial fund in care of the family.

Arrangements are with Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory, Mason City.
A baby kangaroo has been rescued during a police raid on a property in Wooroloo.

The joey, and a dead kangaroo, were found when Midland detectives and officers from Mundaring searched a house and seized a rifle, ammunition and gun parts.

A baby kangaroo has been rescued during a police raid in Wooroloo. Credit:Mundaring Police

A dune-buggy, quad bike and off-road bike were also seized on suspicion they had been stolen.

A spokesman for WA Police said the joey had been handed over to staff from the Department of Parks and Wildlife.
Lima: Peruvian prosecutors said they have evidence to convict ex-president Ollanta Humala of money laundering, accusing him of taking illicit funds from Venezuela and Brazilian construction companies.

A judge granted prosecutors' request to order Mr Humala to deposit a 50,000 soles ($19, 450) bail bond to ensure he appears in court and cooperates with the money laundering probe that started shortly after his five-year term ended in July.

An inmate dressed to represent Peru's then president Ollanta Humala, waves during an Independence Day parade inside the Ancon II prison on the outskirts of Lima in July. Credit:AP

Mr Humala has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has said he will cooperate fully with prosecutors.

Prosecutor German Juarez said he has "serious and founded elements for conviction" that includes documents and statements from witnesses and informants, the attorney general's office said in a statement.
Miami: Thousands of protesters continue to take their frustrations over Donald Trump's election to the streets in several US cities, including Portland, Oregon, where one person has been shot.

The unidentified person was wounded on Portland's Morrison Bridge in the early hours of Saturday as dozens of protesters crossed during their demonstration, one of several across the country denouncing Trump's rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims and women.

"Everyone needs to leave the area immediately," police said on Twitter and they asked witnesses to come forward. The condition and circumstance of the shooting were not clear with officials unavailable for comment.

Earlier in the night, protesters blocked traffic and threw objects at Portland police dressed in riot gear who responded with pepper spray and flash-bang devices.
Big Trump supporter: Ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Credit:AP With little clarity from Trump himself, some of his surrogates and advisers have given a mixed view of what Trump will hope to accomplish in his first 100 days in office, discounting some of his most well-known proposals. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump adviser, cast doubt this week on whether the new president would seek to have Mexico fund Trump's proposed border wall - a pledge that inspired regular chants of "Build that wall!" during campaign rallies. "He'll spend a lot of time controlling the border. He may not spend very much time trying to get Mexico to pay for it, but it was a great campaign device," Gingrich said Thursday during a conference call sponsored by Dentons, a global law firm. Former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a close adviser to Trump, sounded certain that the wall would be built - but was far from clear about the timeline. He said during an interview on CNN that he believes Trump should prioritise tax reform in his first 100 days rather than issues like building the border wall.

"The wall is going to take a while," Giuliani said. "Absolutely he's going to build it; it's a campaign promise. He's not going to break a campaign promise." On deportations, the campaign has yet to detail how many undocumented immigrants might be targeted for immediate removal by the Trump administration. The number could range anywhere from 1 million to 6 million, according to various priorities Trump outlined over time throughout the campaign. During the Republican primaries, he repeatedly said that all of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants would have to leave. Other proposals also carry constitutional and ethical implications. After calling for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" in 2015, Trump recast the idea this year as encompassing countries that have been "compromised by terrorism." He has not been clear about what is on the table now that he will be the president. After exiting a meeting with Republican leaders Thursday on Capitol Hill, Trump was asked by reporters to list his top three priorities after taking office. He mentioned securing the border, health-care reform and job creation. "Will you ask Congress to ban all Muslims from entering the country?" a reporter asked. Trump appeared to hear the question before thanking everybody and walking away.

Trump said during the campaign that he would reinstate the use of waterboarding against terrorism suspects - a practice that Congress made illegal after its use during the George W. Bush administration. But former House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Rogers said this week that Trump's waterboarding remarks were just "campaign talk," according to CNN. The future president, who ran on an anti-establishment message, also faces pressure to accede to conservative orthodoxies that run counter to promises he made on the campaign trail. Speaking about the months ahead, House Speaker Paul Ryan signaled this week that he would consider cutting Medicare, arguing that the program "is going broke" and would need to be reformed at the same time Republicans repeal Obamacare. That, however, would contradict Trump's vows not to touch entitlement programs. Ryan has proposed turning Medicare into a "premium support" model, which would involve doling out federal subsidies for private insurance rather than the current single-payer model. On international trade, it remains unclear whether Trump will follow through on his recommendations for punitive tariffs against China. Trump made a point throughout his campaign of trashing the Chinese for devaluing their currency, and said on occasion that he would put a tax on goods from China as a retaliation. "The tax should be 45 per cent," he told the New York Times in January, a figure he used on several occasions. But senior policy adviser Wilbur Ross, who has consulted with Trump on his first 100 days, sought to walk back those campaign claims during an interview this week with Yahoo Finance, denying that Trump had made the suggestion.

"He's been misquoted about the 45 per cent on China. Everybody says, 'Oh, he's going to slap 45 per cent tariff on everything out of China.' That's not what he said, and it's not what he intends," Ross said. "What he actually said was if it turns out that the Chinese yuan is 45 per cent overvalued, or as much as 45, and if they won't negotiate with us, then it may become necessary as a negotiating measure to threaten them with as much as a 45 per cent tariff." Trump has railed against the Iranian nuclear deal, promising to undo and renegotiate the agreement as it currently stands. In October, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said a Trump administration would "rip up the Iran deal." But Trump's advisers have been vaguer on the topic this week. "'Ripping up' is maybe a too strong of word. He's gonna take that agreement, it's been done before in international context, and then review it," Trump adviser Walid Phares told the BBC Thursday. "He will take the agreement, review it, send it to Congress, demand from Iranians to restore few issues or change few issues. And there will be a discussion; it could be a tense discussion.

"But the agreement as is right now ... is not going to be accepted by a Trump administration," Phares said. Trump indicated this year that he would move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which his campaign said in a statement was "the eternal capital of the Jewish People" that must be recognised "as the undivided capital of the state of Israel." Phares hedged during the BBC interview and said that Trump had committed to doing it only "through consensus." Palestinian leaders would not support such a plan. Loading But Trump adviser David Friedman told the Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, "It was a campaign promise, and there is every intention to keep it."
London: Britain is facing a diplomatic crisis with the United States over Donald Trump's plans to forge an alliance with Vladimir Putin and bolster the Syrian regime.

In a significant foreign policy split, officials admitted that Britain will have some "very difficult" conversations with the president-elect in the coming months over his approach to Russia.

Mr Trump used his first interviews since winning the election to indicate that he will withdraw support for rebels in Syria and thanked Vladimir Putin for sending him a "beautiful" letter.

Mr Trump said he will instead join forces with Russia and focus on defeating Islamic State (IS). He has previously said it would be "nice" if the US and Russia could work together to "knock the hell out of" IS.
Centre, from left: Rudy Giuliani and Chris Christie are likely to named in Trump's cabinet. Credit:Bloomberg The transition team was treated as something of a backwater. Trump appeared to care little about it, and the adviser who was most involved with it, Paul Manafort, left the campaign in August. "We'll figure it out on election night," a superstitious Mr Trump reportedly told pleading aides, according the Telegraph, London. House Speaker Paul Ryan with Donald Trump, his wife Melania and Vice president-elect Mike Pence. Credit:AP But Trump held a few meetings on Wednesday to spur that process, huddling with a group that included his children; Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee; and Stephen Bannon, the chairman of Breitbart News Network, who helped steer Trump's campaign. Trump met separately with a group of aides to Governor Mike Pence of Indiana, his running mate, along with Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Michael Leavitt, a former governor of Utah who managed Romney's transition team, said Trump's transition would probably focus at first on a few key appointments, like naming a White House chief of staff. Donald Trump's running mate Mike Pence is staunchly anti-choice. Credit:John Locher Leavitt said he met several times with Trump's team to discuss the mechanics of transition planning and described it as a "full-blown" operation. "There are whole series of things that have to happen: getting a team on the field, beginning to lay out the how-to of the commitments the president-elect has made," Leavitt said. "Right now, they're going to be focused mostly on personnel and logistics." Yet the transition aides in Washington were given a limited mandate for mapping out an administration, people briefed on their efforts said. They were asked to line up potential candidates for Cabinet-level offices, but not to fill out full staff rosters for federal departments and agencies, one person said.

The appointment of Pence makes Christie, along with Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, and Michael Flynn, a retired lieutenant general who has been a top campaign supporter, will serve as vice chairs of the transition, the sources said. The transition team is adding 12 members, including a Republican donor, Rebekah Mercer; Bannon; Priebus; Peter Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal; Republican lawmaker Marsha Blackburn, and three of Trump's adult children and Kushner. Trump's administration is being assembled behind the scenes. But like much else in the nation's capital, little stays secret for long. The list of names being mentioned as possibilities for crucial posts in Trump's Cabinet is growing by the hour, giving official Washington what it craves most: a never-ending parlour game as speculation grows about who might actually get the nod. A big revelation may come soon, according to Trump himself, who took to Twitter on Friday morning with some news. "Busy day planned in New York," the president-elect said. "Will soon be making some very important decisions on the people who will be running our government."

One thing is clear already: Those helping Trump make the decisions are the members of his campaign's inner circle. At Trump Tower on Friday morning, the president-elect's closest aides arrived, one by one, waving to journalists as they entered elevators to Trump's offices. Those included David Bossie, the deputy campaign manager; Bannon, and Hope Hicks, the campaign spokeswoman. Giuliani arrived just before 10am, a few minutes after Corey Lewandowski, Trump's former campaign manager. Brad Parscale, the campaign's digital director, also headed up to the top floors. The latest name to be swept into the speculation maelstrom is Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase. He is said to be a candidate for secretary of the Treasury, according to a report by CNBC, although the banker - who was close to President Barack Obama - has repeatedly denied being interested in the job. And the speculation could be short-lived. In 2014, Trump mocked Dimon during an interview with his biographer, Michael D'Antonio. Trump dismissed Dimon, a fellow New Yorker, as being too willing to settle lawsuits - something the President-elect proudly declares he never does. "I watch this guy, Jamie Dimon, settle every case," Trump told D'Antonio, according to transcripts of the interview obtained by The New York Times. When D'Antonio notes that Trump seems "bugged by that," Trump responds that he is.

"I can't believe he does it," Trump says. "I can't believe he gives away billions of dollars. He gets sued. I'm dying to sue him so he gives me a billion dollars." Whether that exchange suggests that Trump would not offer the Treasury job to Dimon is unclear. Aides to Trump have declined to confirm who is on the shortlist for Cabinet posts. And despite the president-elect's return to Twitter on Thursday night, he has so far said nothing specific about his possible picks. For now, Trump is firmly ensconced in Trump Tower, where he returned after his whirlwind day at the White House and Capitol Hill on Thursday. The building has been transformed into a kind of fortress by the Secret Service and the local police. It has now been ringed by Jersey barriers and concrete blocks marked with "NYPD." The Secret Service has set up checkpoints on each end of 56th Street near the tower, and pedestrian access has been restricted around the building. Loading
The endless election, finally, has ended. Let the books, and the rehashing of the election, begin.

Publishing executives say that few campaign-related book proposals had circulated prior to this week's seismic results  but that changed quickly. The election created a new narrative, a fresh set of victors and a scramble to understand an outcome that few media elites  and seemingly no polls  had predicted.

The election accounts of US President-elect Donald Trump and campaign manager Kellyanne Conway will be in high demand among book editors. Credit:Bloomberg

"There's going to be a cascade. An awful lot of people want to weigh in," says veteran editor Peter Osnos, founder of the imprint PublicAffairs, who has worked on books with Donald Trump ("Until I was ousted on Art of the Deal"), Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

Campaign-trail accounts have long been a staple of publishing and many have become classics of the genre, including Theodore White's The Making of the President 1960, Joe McGinnis' The Selling of the President 1968, and Richard Ben Cramer's What It Takes, a history of the 1988 campaign.
New York: Back in October last year when the idea of a Donald Trump administration seemed like little more than a fantasy, Steve Bannon, soon to be one of the most powerful men in the United States, was already making waves in Washington.

Bannon was the executive chairman of Breitbart News, a far right online outfit that made Fox News look fair and balanced, dainty even. But he was having an impact. Bloomberg published a long profile of him in which his DC political editor Matthew Boyle observed, "If there's an explosion or a fire somewhere, Steve's probably nearby with some matches".

Bloomberg called him the most dangerous political operative in America.

Now Bannon sits toward the apex of Trump's government-in-waiting. Trump is considering appointing him chief of staff. At the very least he will be a senior counsellor to the incoming president.
GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), announces that there will be a road closure on Sunday, November 13.

The road closure will be on Front Street from the Roman Catholic Cemetery up until the Court House including the Wilhelmina Steeg from 12.00pm to 12.00am.

All alleys from the Back Street leading towards Front Street will also be closed off during the aforementioned timeframe.

This will allow for emergency response vehicles to have proper access to Front Street in the event of an incident.

All deliveries must be completed before 11.00am. No exceptions will be made once the street and alleys have been closed off.

Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconveniences this may cause.
The Public Prosecutor Office (OM) BES will issue the suspects in the investigation "Drum" the subpoena for the pretrial hearing to be held on December 9, 2016, at 09.30 hours. The lawyers of the suspects have been informed already about this planning. The summons will be issued in the foreseeable future and delivered to the defendants.

The pretrial session on December 9 is a so-called Pro-forma session. The case will not be treated with substance. The facts and the evidence will not be discussed with the suspects during this court session. It is customary that the defendants and their lawyers have the opportunity during this court hearing to ask for an additional investigation if needed. The request will be decided by the court.

Seven suspects are in custody in the investigation "Drum". The investigation is still ongoing and there is now a much better idea what happened during the evening of August 17 during the armed robbery and subsequent shooting incident, were police officer Ferry Bakx was shot and killed. At present, the investigation is in a stage wherein, for example, the colleagues of Bakx must

be heard in order to further complement the image of all the events. This examination and any resulting research activities will be conducted at the request of the Public Prosecutor and the Police Corps Caribbean Netherlands (KPCN) by the Dutch state investigation department (Rijksrecherche). The Rijksrecherche will be part of the entire "Drum" investigation.

Both the prosecution and the KPCN believe that there should arise no doubt about the objectivity in the investigation "Drum". This is why when it comes to action by members of KPCN, the Rijksrecherche acts as the investigative authority.
There is a scene in the movie Network in which television newscaster Howard Beal, who is slowly losing his mind, goes on the air and rants about all the ills of the country.

He tells viewers if they agree, to go to their windows, open them and shout, Im as mad as hell, and Im not going to take this anymore.

Last Tuesday night, millions of Americans figuratively went to their windows, opened them, and shouted they were mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.

Donald Trump turned out to be the perfect solution for the mad as hell electorate.

Tip ONeil, the speaker of the house of a generation past, used to say, All politics is local  and that was demonstrated in North Iowa by how many incumbent Democrat officeholders, supposedly secure in their positions, were unceremoniously booted out by the voters.

How did it happen? Cerro Gordo County Supervisor Jay Urdahl, ousted after 28 years in office, said the answer is one word: Trump.

He and fellow supervisor Phil Dougherty, with 16 years on the board, both lost to smart, energetic, capable opponents, Tim Latham and Chris Watts. But the winners chief qualification this year is that they werent Democrats already in office.

The county Board of Supervisors typically doesnt get much attention from the public. It is made up of three elected officials who meet every Tuesday morning at the courthouse. Their agenda is not exciting: Roads and bridges and drainage ditches and, oh yes, manure management. Sounds like the lyrics to a sad, bad country song.

But the board is also responsible for a multi-million dollar budget that is used to take care of the roads and bridges and drainage ditches and for the general health and welfare of county residents.

The election results will have a profound effect on the conduct of county government. Heres why:

It is a three-member board. That means there will be a 66 percent turnover of board members in January. It is likely that no other government entity in Iowa will top that much of a changing of the guard.

The total years of experience on the board will go from 46 to 2 years. Casey Callanan, the only board member not up for re-election, was elected just two years ago. He will now be the senior member of the board.

One of the first tasks of this inexperienced board will be to approve the budget for the next fiscal year. Its greatest asset will be Heather Mathre, the budget manager, who has been through this process many times. Incidentally, one of the provisions of the budget will be pay raises for elected officials as recommended by the Compensation Board. In their campaigns, Watts and Latham each called for a pay freeze for supervisors.

This will be the first time in at least a generation that the board will be made up of three Republicans, although political affiliation hardly plays a role in county government. A point of reference: Democrat Urdahl was first elected in 1988.

Latham and Watts campaigned on a platform of change and are sure to hit the ground running. We wish them success.

Urdahl and Dougherty have given a good portion of their adult lives to public service. We thank them and wish them well.
POINTE BLANCHE:--- The second new cruise vessel on its inaugural call for the month of November, Thomson Discovery (TUI Discovery), was welcomed on Thursday, November 10 by representatives of Port St. Maarten and other stakeholders.

Captain John Westgarth-Pratt thanked Port St. Maarten for its hospitality and cooperation during the welcome ceremony that included representatives from the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, Dutch St. Maarten Taxi Association, Accessible Ventures and the ships agent S.E.L. Maduro & Sons.

Prior to arriving at Port St. Maarten, TUI Discovery had completed a six-day Trans-Atlantic crossing from Las Palmas, Grand Canary Islands before docking in Antigua a day before. The next port of call on Friday was St. Kitts.

TUI Discovery will be in the Caribbean Region for a six-month period and homeporting out of Barbados.

Ichel Moeslikan on behalf of Port St. Maarten Management, presented Captain John Westgarth-Pratt with a plaque and welcomed his passengers and crew to the destination. The vessel was in port with over 1800 British cruise passengers.

In the summer of 2016, Thomson Cruises (TUI) the Discovery, its newest and one of its biggest ships joined its fleet.

The Thomson Group is part of TUI UK & Ireland, the European cruise passenger is a significant market for the country.

Thomson Cruises employs approximately 18,000 people. The company started back up in 1965 with the aim of making foreign travel accessible to all in the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

Thomson Cruises has five ships in its fleet, namely, Thomson Majesty, Thomson Spirit, Thomson Celebration, Thomson Dream, and TUI Discovery. In the summer of 2017, the cruise line will receive its sixth ship, TUI Discovery 2.

TUI Discovery has a gross tonnage of 69,130; length of 264 meters; beam 32 meters; featuring 11 decks and can carry 1,830 passengers and 761 crew.

PHOTO CUTLINE: TUI Discovery Captain John Westgarth-Pratt receiving a plaque from Port St. Maarten Commercial Department representative Ichel Moeslikan as Dutch St. Maarten Taxi Association rep looks on.
MARIGOT/PHILIPSBURG:----The annual St. Maarten/St. Martin day celebration was this year blighted by a marked lack of unity as the absence of members of the St. Maarten Executive Council was apparent at the usually joint commemoration activity on November 11th.

A decision was taken by the afore mentioned Executive Council not to attend the celebratory activities which were held this year on the French St. Martin. Both sides of the island alternate the hosting of activities to observe St. Maarten/St. Martin Day each year with elected officials from both sides attending Church services, parades and jointly laying wreaths at the border. This year, however, the only elected officials of St. Maarten who were in attendance at the St Maarten/St. Martin Day celebrations were former Prime Minister of St. Maarten and Democratic Party leader, MP Sarah Wescott-Williams, DP number two Emil Lee and MP Maurice Lake, none of whom are part of the ruling coalition.

Reports reaching SMN News indicate that the decision of the William Marlin lead coalition government to boycott the celebration was communicated to St. Martin authorities on the morning on November 11th. News that the St. Maarten delegation had boycotted the celebrations was not totally unexpected since tensions had been rising for almost a two week period over an Oyster Pond border dispute.

This border dispute is an existing bone of contention for both sides of the island with officials on both sides staking their claim. Representatives of the Dutch Government and of the government in France with representatives of the local government on both sides met roughly two years ago to discuss the border issues and it was agreed that the status quo would be maintained until future discussions. Bad feelings arose again recently after a permit for work was granted to Captain Oliver for work in the Oyster Pond area which the French interpreted as not sticking to the agreed upon status quo and retaliated with barricades being placed in the area.

Prime Minister Marlin called on the powers that be on St. Martin to have the barricades removed at once and the situation culminated with the November 11th boycott. Officials from French St. Martin in their St. Maarten/St. Martin Day address noted and lamented the absence of their Dutch counterparts with St. Martin's senator Arnell citing the lack of unity and questioning the thinking of the St. Maarten officials.

While the absence of the St. Maarten elected officials at the ceremony was a topic of conversation among many, the audience gathered to witness and cheer the parade, listen to the speeches of the officials and socialize with friends and family was a good mix of persons from both sides of the island.
A guide to voter rights in Indiana. What you need to know before you cast a ballot
NEW ORLEANS, La., Nov. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (KSF), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Tenet Healthcare Corp. (NYSE:THC).



On October 3, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Tenet and two of its hospitals have agreed to pay more than $513 million and enter guilty pleas to resolve criminal and civil claims accusing the companies of conspiring to defraud the government concerning payments of kickbacks to clinics for referrals of pregnant immigrants, who would falsely be told that Medicaid would cover the cost of childbirth and newborn care only if they delivered at a Tenet hospital.

Under the pleas, the subsidiaries will forfeit $145 million, which is the amount the hospitals netted from Medicare and Medicaid for services provided to patients referred as part of the scheme. Tenet will pay $368 million to settle alleged False Claims Act violations in a whistleblower lawsuit, with the U.S. getting $244 million and the state of Georgia getting most of the remainder.

Then, Tenet and certain of its executives were sued in a securities class action lawsuit, which charged them with failing to disclose material information to shareholders, violating federal securities laws.

KSFs investigation is focusing on whether Tenets officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to Tenets shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws.

If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Tenet shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com).

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.
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NEW ORLEANS, La., Nov. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until January 9, 2017 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuit against Agria Corporation (NYSE:GRO), if they purchased the Companys American Depositary Shares (ADRs) between December 16, 2011 through November 4, 2016, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.



What You May Do

If you purchased shares of Agria and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com). If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by January 9, 2017.

About the Lawsuit

Agria and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On November 4, 2016, Agria revealed that it received a letter from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) stating that the NYSE decided to commence proceedings to delist Agria ADRs from the NYSE. The NYSEs letter further claimed that Agria: (i) through a top executive and other intermediaries engaged in trading intended to artificially inflate Agrias stock price, including to improperly avoid having the company delisted for failing to comply with NYSEs continued listing standards; and (ii) provided incomplete, misleading, or false information in connection with investigations related to these issues.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.
WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), a member of Congress active on a wide range of space issues, is being considered for key posts in the Trump administration, including NASA administrator.

Sources familiar with the transition planning for the Trump administration say that Bridenstine is being considered for both the NASA administrator post as well as Secretary of the Air Force. Bridenstine, in addition to being a member of Congress, serves in the Oklahoma Air National Guard after previously being a pilot in the U.S. Navy.

Bridenstine has been active on space issues since first being elected to the House of Representatives in 2012, serving on the House Science Committee and House Armed Services Committee. Those posts have given him a voice on both civil and national security space policy issues. [Related: What a Trump Administration May Mean for NASA]

He is best known for the introduction in April of the American Space Renaissance Act, a comprehensive space policy bill that covered topics in national security, civil and commercial space. The bill was designed to provide what he called a "holistic" approach to space policy, rather that treating those topics separately.

U.S. Rep James Bridenstine (R-Okla.) (Image credit: US House of Representatives)

"What we're trying to do is to bring a lot of elements together and make sure that in the end, the technologies being advanced are relevant to all the different enterprises that exist," he said in a SpaceNews interview prior to the introduction of the act.

The bill has not advanced in Congress since its introduction, but Bridenstine said from the beginning he did not expect the legislation to pass as a standalone bill. "This bill will serve as a repository for the best space reform ideas," he said in a speech at the 31st Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in April. "Many of its policies can be inserted into other bills that will pass."

In a Nov. 2 speech at a meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group in Columbia, Maryland, Bridenstine endorsed exploration of the moon by NASA, as well as regulatory changes to make it easier for commercial ventures to mount their own missions. He has supported a concept called "enhanced payload review," modeled on the Federal Aviation Administration's existing payload review process for commercial launch licenses, as a way to eliminate regulatory uncertainty about government oversight of non-traditional commercial space ventures.

"The United States of America is the only nation that can protect space for the free world and for responsible entities, and preserves space for generations to come," he said in that speech. "This is our Sputnik moment. America must forever be the preeminent spacefaring nation, and the moon is our path to being so." [Related: The Biggest Space Issues Facing President-elect Donald Trump ]

While Bridenstine is seen as a rising star on space issues in Congress, his influence there may be limited. When first elected in 2012, he said he would serve no more than three terms, a pledge he reiterated during this year's campaign for a third term.

Bridenstine originally backed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for the Republican nomination for president. He switched to Trump when Cruz dropped out the race earlier this year.

Bridenstine remained a strong supporter for Trump, even after the release of a controversial video in early October involving Trump that caused a number of Republicans, including Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, to withdraw their support for Trump. "Given the stakes of this election, if Paul Ryan isn't for Trump, then I'm not for Paul Ryan," Bridenstine tweeted Oct. 12.

Work on the NASA transition team for the incoming Trump administration is reportedly being led by Mark Albrecht, who was the executive secretary of the National Space Council during the George H.W. Bush administration. Space policy advisers to the Trump campaign said in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 8 election that re-establishing the council would be a priority for the Trump administration.

Albrecht may also be considered for the NASA administrator position. Another name circulated as a potential candidate for the job is former astronaut Eileen Collins, who spoke briefly at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland July but stopped short of formally endorsing Trump. Collins, in that speech, said that the nation needed "leadership that will make America's space program first again."

Defense transition leaders

Bridenstine's name has also been mentioned in connection with the position of Secretary of the Air Force. Among other potential candidates for the position is former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, who earlier in his career worked for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization.

The overall Defense and Veterans Affairs transition effort for the incoming Trump administration is being led by retired Army Lt. Gen. Joseph "Keith" Kellogg. He's most well known for being part of the U.S. efforts to rebuild Iraq following the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Kellogg served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq from November 2003 to March 2004 while working for Oracle Corporation, a technology and IT-focused defense contractor. He later worked as the executive vice president for research and technology systems for CACI International, a national security focused IT provider, and then as the senior vice president for ground combat programs at Cubic Defense Applications.

Kellogg is a 32-year veteran whose career includes commanding the famous 82nd Airborne Division and working for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He served as the 82nd's Chief of Staff during Operation Desert Storm, and also served two tours of duty in Vietnam.

Mira Ricardel, who is leading the defense subdivision of President-elect Trump's Defense and Veterans Affairs transition team, was the acting assistant secretary of defense for international security during the George W. Bush administration.

She left government in 2005 and spent nine years doing business development for Boeing Network and Space Systems and Boeing Strategic Missile & Defense Systems before joining a small Alexandria, Virginia-based consulting firm, Federal Budget IQ, last November.

That transition team is considering several people for Secretary of Defense, according to a list circulated by Mike Tierney, vice president of consulting firm Jacques & Associates. They include Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Jim Talent (R-Mont.), former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and former Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, whose served as a defense policy advisor for the Trump campaign.

SpaceNews editor-in-chief Brian Berger and staff writer Phillip Swarts contributed to this report.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
Annie Jump Cannon was a female astronomer best known for coming up with the current system of stellar classification. Her system  ranking stars as O, B, A, F, G, K or M, with "O" being the hottest stars and "M" the coolest (the sun is a "G" star)  is still used today. She also created a saying  "Oh! Be A Fine Girl  Kiss Me!"  to help astronomers remember the letter sequence.

Cannon began her career as one of several dozen female "computers"  then defined as people who did calculations  hired by Edward Charles Pickering, director of the Harvard College Observatory, to analyze photographic plates of stars  considered unspecialized and tedious work. They were largely unrecognized in their time, but are becoming better-known today for their fundamental contributions to astronomy. [Related: Harvard's 'Computers': The Women Who Measured the Stars]

Cannon's career

Cannon was born in December 1863 and studied physics and astronomy at Wellesley College before graduating in 1884. After pursuing other things for a few years  such as photography  she did more advanced studies in astronomy at Wellesley and the Harvard-affiliated female institution, Radcliffe College, according to Britannica.

Cannon joined the group then called "Pickering's Harem" (which would be considered a derogatory term today) in 1896, where she and others worked on better classifying star spectra on photographic plates. A member of the group, Williamina Fleming, came up with a classification system ranging from letters A to Q based on how strong their hydrogen spectral lines were, Britannica added. This work was refined by another Harvard computer, Antonia Maury.

"Cannon simplified two earlier schemes into one that astronomers still use today. Her classification had just seven letters arranged by decreasing temperature: OBAFGKM," wrote Air and Space Smithsonian of her work. "Over the course of her life, Cannon classified the spectra of over 350,000 stars  legend has it that she could look at any stellar spectra and classify it in just three seconds."

Her work was published in nine volumes of the Henry Draper Catalogue between 1918-1924, according to Harvard. She also made the Harvard Catalogue of Variable Stars. By 1911, Pickering wanted Cannon to be the curator of astronomical photographs, but the Harvard president of the time refused to add her to the staff list, Harvard added.

Cannon's appointment was finally made official in 1938. She won multiple awards, including the Henry Draper Medal of the National Academy of Sciences. Cannon retired in 1940 and continued doing research until she died the following year.

Cannon's legacy

While Cannon was one of the more famous female computers at Harvard, critics note that Pickering received much more credit than they did. Pickering was highly decorated in his lifetime, Smithsonian Magazine pointed out, and there are craters named after him on the moon and Mars. Meanwhile, the magazine added, "Annie Jump Cannon's enduring achievement was dubbed the Harvard  not the Cannon  system of spectral classification."

Cannon's spectral classification system is still used today  with a variant. The modern Morgan-Keenan spectral classification system still uses the OBAFGKM sequence, but subdivides each star into a luminosity class to more precisely define its type.

One part of Cannon's legacy is an "Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy" given by the American Astronomical Society every year to a woman who received her Ph.D. no more than five years ago. Cannon herself established the fund out of prize money she won in her lifetime. The first recipient in 1934 became the first full professor of astronomy at Harvard: Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin.

Additional resource
NEW ORLEANS, La., Nov. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until January 9, 2017 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuit against The Allstate Corporation (NYSE:ALL), if they purchased the Companys securities between October 30, 2014 and August 3, 2015, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.



What You May Do

If you purchased shares of Allstate and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com). If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by January 9, 2017.

About the Lawsuit

Allstate and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On August 3, 2015, Allstate announced disappointing second quarter 2015 financial results, reporting a third consecutive quarter of increased auto claims frequency, a 57% decline in operating income, and operating earnings per share that were $0.34 below analysts' consensus estimate. Allstates CEO stated that the lower quarterly profit was driven by a deterioration in auto insurance margins and [a]uto insurance margins decreased as higher claim frequency and severity more than offset average auto insurance price increases.

On this news, the price of Allstates stock plummeted.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.
Algiers, November 12, 2016 (SPS) - Algeria, through Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, has reaffirmed its support to the negotiation process between Morocco and the Polisario Front in order to find a definitive solution to Western Sahara conflict, allowing Saharawi people to enjoy their right to self-determination.

In an interview with pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat (Friday's issue), Sellal said the settlement of "Western Sahara conflict is sponsored by the United Nations and there is a negotiation process between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), on the basis of the right to self-determination."

Algeria "backs the process and hopes that the negotiations will quickly end by a definitive and fair settlement to the conflict." (SPS)

062/090/700




Wandering past some of the 26,000 CDs nestled in their berths, David Waring pauses before Herbie Hancocks 1973 album, Head Hunters. As Waring plucks it from the pack, he smiles. Now here is something big from my misspent youth, he says with a self-deprecating chuckle. I actually played some cuts from this in a band at that time.

We are standing in the music section of the Greenwich Library where Waring has served as music librarian for nearly 30 years. He was only five years into his tenure, when a most fortuitous event occurred. Clementine Lockwood Peterson, a longtime Greenwich resident who died in 1992, left a bequest of $25 million to the library. It launched a foundation to expand business and music resources.

That accounts for this expanse, Waring says, as he regards two long lines of racks that hold the librarys CD collection in the Peterson Wing, which opened in 1999. The nice thing about this collection, and not coincidentally about this job, is that with the amount of money we have at our disposal we can really tailor something to every taste.

He backs this up a few moments later as we pass some CDs by the late composer and musician, Moondog, also known as Louis Thomas Hardin. Somebody will be interested in that, which is a great treat, Waring says. We certainly have canonic selections  but also more obscure stuff. Greenwichs clientele is fairly sophisticated and, with that in mind, these will circulate.

Its a rare repository that has Blind Lemon Jeffersons King of the Country Blues CD of recordings from the 1920s and Beyonces sixth studio album, 2016s Lemonade. There is a place for Sergio Mendes Bom Tempo and Santigolds 2008 debut Santoland. You can find Soul Coughing, Alice Cooper and Mazzy Star. Box sets cover the careers of the Everly Brothers, Randy Newman, Sara Vaughan and Dinah Washington, among others. We havent even begun to talk about classical, gospel, sacred nongospel, country, reggae, folk and world music.

Waring, who is aided by his colleague, Ed Morrissey, takes his curatorial duties seriously  a clue that indeed his youth was a well-spent one, self-deprecating statements aside.

A drummer who performed in bands of many genres (these days, he considers himself a lapsed musician), he grew up in a house where a mix of music was played and appreciated. Warings fathers tastes leaned toward French Impressionism and Russian composers of the 20th century. That line continues in the son, who also has picked up a fondness for contemporary classical and jazz. Waring knows his rock, pop and blues, too. Music lovers tend to create collections that best reflect their passions and interests. Waring takes his tastes into consideration, but deploys them in the context of building a public collection.

He looks for seminal works, or other important recordings in the arc of an artist. Sometimes, as with the case of Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra or David Bowie, its best to just secure complete discographies. When asked about some treasures, Waring cites pianist Jean-Philippe Collards take on Faures Barcarolles, which is considered a classic; it is an example of a recording that, perhaps, someday may become hard to find, as the music industry shifts to the driving force in sales these days  singular downloads and streaming devices.

In many ways, the collection stems the tide of streaming. You can come in for one song and get a whole album  imagine that. As those who cut their proverbial musical teeth on LPs and CDs can tell you, sometimes you ended up liking another track on the album a whole lot more than the one that first drew you to the disc.

By having a collection of this breadth, you can indulge your curiosity, says Waring, who strives to maintain the balance between being culturally relevant and reflective of contemporary tastes. Of course, you can do that with a couple of keystrokes online, too.

If online music is your thing, the library also subscribes to digital media services Hoopla and Naxos Music Library, which are gaining popularity.

Just as book collections become a cultural repository of contemporary tastes, multiple viewpoints, historical relevance and scholarly reference, music is an art to be appreciated and studied. Tracking trends is not necessarily the music staffs main motivation, but they read plenty of reviews and routinely weed to add more selections. However, they also hold tight to titles that may have sluggish circulation, but are important works. Its about curating an enduring selection.

Waring doesnt have exact numbers, but he says rock is the most popular category, with soundtracks, jazz and classical holding tight. If a record circulates twice in a year, he is happy, though there are plenty more that perpetually circulate.

If you tire of searching for Insane Clown Posse, for instance, some folk music from Peru or The Lumineers, there also are periodicals, books, concert DVDs and sheet music, as well as an area to listen to music. The library has become widely known for the breadth and depth of these resources.

Most people building their own (music) collection do not have a professional mandate to cover the bases, Waring says. Fortunately, that coincides with the way I listen to music anyway.

chennessy@hearstmedia.com; Twitter: @xtinahennessy
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STAMFORD  Wendy Cardenas has worried about her citizenship status since before she could work or drive a car  since before she could decide on her own where to live.

Its a fear we live with every day, she said. Its not something that happened because of Trump. Its a fear because the immigration system is broken.

Cardenas emigrated with her family from Peru at the age of 12 after her father lost his job as a mechanical engineer.

Now that shes 27 and has built a life in Stamford, Cardenas is among the undocumented immigrants whose already high anxiety has escalated since Donald Trump  who has vowed to deport the countrys 11 million undocumented immigrants and build a wall separating the United States and Mexico  was elected president.

Cardenas is part of a community that immigration advocates say would suffer greatly if Trumps plans are enacted.

Since she was brought here as a child, Cardenas would have benefited from the Dream Act, legislation proposed in 2001 to provide a pathway to citizenship for those who grew up here illegally.

While the bill failed in 2010, Cardenas has been able to stay here  without a path to citizenship  thanks to President Barack Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which allows people like Cardenas to receive a two-year renewable work permit and avoid deportation, although they are still considered undocumented.

Cardenas has been helped by DACA, but fears it will be eliminated by Trump.

More Information Questions answered An information session focused on the results of the presidential election, and our community of immigrants and religious diversity will be held at Neighbors Link Stamford community center at 75 Selleck Street on Monday, Nov. 14, at 6pm. For questions before the event, call (203) 674-8585. See More Collapse

This is a long journey, said Cardenas, who works at Neighbors Link, an organization in Stamford that provides resources to immigrants. Ive been fighting for all of this since I was 16, so its nothing new. Well continue fighting.

High anxiety

Immigration advocates at Neighbors Link say the mass deportation of undocumented people could have a disastrous effect on families.

They have a life here, they have their schools here, so its not just the logistics  the social implications are tremendous, said Michelle Saldivar, the organizations associate executive director. A whole generation of Hispanics will suffer those consequences.

Immigrants  documented and undocumented  make up nearly 38 percent of Stamfords population, said Anka Badurina, skills development director at Neighbors Link.

While many are from Central and South America, Badurina said that students in Stamford public schools speak 73 languages, representing the citys global diversity.

Watching Hillary Clintons concession speech Wednesday at Neighbors Link  whose community center is on Selleck Street in the Waterside neighborhood  Badurina described seeing a Moroccan woman wearing a headscarf who was visibly shaken.

She said, I love my scarf but Im so afraid, Badurina recalled. Its not only immigrants. People are afraid.

That fear has spread to legal immigrants, who believe they could also be targeted or worry about losing friends and family who are undocumented.

Ines Reyes, 52, emigrated from Honduras in 1993 and worked at UBS for 14 years before recently losing her job. She lives in Stamford legally with her two daughters.

Still, she is worried.

We all have somebody  an uncle, a cousin, a friend  whos undocumented, Reyes said through a translator. There are people with residency and papers who are equally as nervous.

Reyes said her 9-year-old daughter and the girls friends believe they may be kicked out of the country on the day Trump becomes president.

She started packing her bags, said Reyes. Its not just the adults who are suffering. The kids are very worried.

She said her daughter is also feeling tension among her classmates at Roxbury Elementary School.

Shes afraid to go to school because theres an atmosphere of rejection, Reyes said.

Dont panic

Neighbors Link will hold a community meeting on Monday at 6 p.m. to offer information and guidance in the wake of the election results. Officials from city government, schools and the police department will be on hand.

The organization held a similar meeting in January following U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that targeted several people in Stamford.

Were trying to calm people down and make sure theyre informed, Badurina said. In speaking with the community you can see theres a lot of misinformation.

Neighbors Link advises people to have a plan, but to wait before spending money on an immigration attorney. The group also warns against fraudulent notarios, or scam artists that obtain a U.S. notary license to prey on Latin American immigrants who confuse them with highly trained legal professionals.

There are many questions we cant answer, the police cant answer, the mayor cant answer. But we know that some things will change and some things will not change, Saldivar said. No need to panic right now, but prepare if you can.

Cardenas has delivered a similar message to her parents.

When I heard the news, I thought about them before myself, she said. The first thing was to talk to them and tell them to stay strong and that Ill be OK. Because even though theyre undocumented, theyre worried about me.

eskalka@scni.com
Startups fail for a wide array of reasons: A lack of money (duh). Poor marketing. A pivot gone awry. Legal challenges.

Related: Beware of These 6 Assumptions in Your Startup

Outside of those common issues, another, different reason manages to top the list year after year. Analytics firm CB Insights recently found that about half of startups fail because of inadequate market need. A similar study uncovered the same lead trend in 2014.

Post-mortem essays by startup founders provide color commentary to go with these statistics. HelloParking founders have said they regret not spending more time getting to know their target users. 37coins has pointed to not being able to find product-market fit. In hindsight, Treehouse Logic leaders said they recognized the problem they were solving simply wasn't widespread.

There are more case studies, but you get the picture. Going to market with the wrong product is the most common reason startup ventures flounder rather than flourish. So, don't let this be you; here's how.

1. Assume nothing.

Let's start by breaking down the "no market need" issue. There are essentially three components at play: the market, the need and the product. When founders say there's no market need for their products or services, they're basically saying their assumptions were wrong in one or more of these areas.

If there's one universal trait across startups, it's that most first releases fail. Founders don't like to admit it, but their go-to-market strategies are often a giant tangled ball of untested assumptions.

A lot of companies start from their "great idea moment" and jump right into building the masterpiece product of their grand vision. If -- and this is a big if -- the product is released, it's often late and over budget. Then the market doesn't react as expected, which makes it easy to blame the market.

What's more likely is that the product does not clearly solve a specific need, or the targeted market segment is faulty. In their post-mortem assessments, 42 percent of founders said they had developed solutions for problems that interested them, not necessarily because they were inspired by a validated market need.

Unfortunately, product visions don't always fit the market need like a glove. So, involve your customers in the journey of establishing your product vision, and keep an open mind along the way. Your customers will be the judges of whether your product meshes with the market.

2. Focus on viability.

Regardless of the reason for any disconnect between product and market, the result is the same: Many startups don't determine the viability of their products until it's too late.

You might have the best concept in the world, but you need to first consider whether there's a market. Here are four tricks to determine whether your brilliant idea is feasible:

1. Do your homework. Set aside some time to study other startups that have already tested some of your assumptions. Start with a Google search to gather as much information as possible to learn from others' mistakes and successes. Seek opportunities to talk with founders of companies in similar markets and use them as advisors whenever you can. This will give you some valuable data that can reduce the number of untested assumptions in your plan.

2. Get out of the building. Before you build anything, validate the market by spending time interacting with it. Online resources such as QuickMVP, Bubble and Wix make it relatively easy and inexpensive to build experiments that you can take to market. Talk with potential customers to truly understand and assess an opportunity. This can be a time-consuming process, but it's absolutely worth the investment.

Getting a firsthand view of customer problems and validation (or not) of your idea will hone your solution and provide a foundation for discovering markets, identifying customers and, eventually, scaling the business.

Related: 3 Tips to Align Your Startup's 'Core Value' With Customers'

3. Plan to fail.

It's highly unlikely that you're going to get it right on the first attempt. Even Thomas Edison failed a few times before he found the right filament for the lightbulb. Try to change your own definition of a startup, which can dramatically alter how you think about your company. Steve Blank defines startups as "temporary organizations used to search for repeatable and scalable business models."

Approach the process as a series of experiments -- failures included -- that will lead you to product-market fit. When you do ultimately fail, you won't spend all of your money (or ramen stash) on the first release. Most importantly, risk failure only if you're willing to learn from it and make changes.

4. Build just enough.

Your first job is to form some hypotheses based on your core underlying assumptions. If many of the assumptions relate to whether a problem exists, you might be able to get by with a simple experiment. The next step is to figure out how to build a minimum viable product that will allow you to test those assumptions in the real market without a heavy (and expensive) product build.

Explore manual automation hacks that can help you build the product you envision without fully automating the process from the start. It's a quick and practical approach that gives you the flexibility -- and budget -- to iterate.

Leaders sometimes fall back on a "build it and they will come" assumption; they believe their idea is so good that there is no need for any customer discovery. But that's not likely to work.

Related: How Working for 8 Failed Startups Catapulted My Success

Instead, investing the time to listen, learn and test from the start is the best way to ensure that the product you deliver matches the reality of your market.

Related:

4 Tactics to Help Your Company Avoid the Top Startup Killer

If You're Going to Fail, Fail Smart

Failure Is Just a Temporary Resting Place



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
STAMFORD Do not underestimate the power of a sticker.

It can motivate children to learn their spelling words and multiplication tables. And, more than ever, it can propel adults to the polls on Election Day.

I Voted stickers were all the craze in this years presidential balloting.

In Dallas, early voters blasted registrars so much for not giving out stickers that county officials quickly bought 1 million of them in time for Election Day.

A woman whod just moved to Massachusetts was so dismayed to learn during the primaries that her new town was sticker-less that she raised $385 and bought a box for registrars to hand out Tuesday.

To read more, click here or below.
Danish English

Bagsvrd, Denmark, 12 November 2016 - Results from a study comparing the pharmacodynamics of Tresiba (insulin degludec) with insulin glargine U300 in people with type 1 diabetes were presented today at the 16th Annual Diabetes Technology Meeting in Bethesda, US. Treatment with Tresiba (0.4 U/kg) resulted in lower day-to-day and within-day variability* in glucose-lowering effect, compared with insulin glargine U300 (0.4 U/kg).1

The study showed that the day-to-day variability was approximately four times lower with Tresiba than with insulin glargine U300. Within-day variability was approximately 40% lower with Tresiba, with the glucose-lowering effect being more evenly distributed across 24 hours compared to insulin glargine U300.1 In addition, insulin glargine U300 showed a 30% lower potency assessed by the total glucose-lowering effect compared to Tresiba.1

"While large-scale head-to-head trials are needed to compare the efficacy and safety of new insulins, pharmacodynamic studies are important, as they enable us to better understand their pharmacological properties. The more stable the glucose lowering profile of insulin, the easier it is to titrate and can help reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia in patients with diabetes," says Dr Tim Heise, lead scientist at the Profil Institute in Germany.

About the NN1250-4227 study

This was a phase 1, single-centre, double-blind, two-period, cross-over trial, where people with type 1 diabetes were randomly assigned to receive Tresiba or insulin glargine U300 at a dose of 0.4 U/kg/day. A total of 57 people completed the study. Both treatments were administered once daily for 12 days, followed by a 7-21 day period in which the participants received no study treatment, before being crossed over to receive the other treatment for a further 12 days. In order to assess the pharmacodynamic variability in the glucose-lowering effect of Tresiba and insulin glargine U300, each participant underwent six 24-hour glucose clamps (three during each 12-day study period) performed at steady state (where glucose levels are stabilised in the participants).1

About Tresiba

Tresiba is a once-daily basal insulin that provides a duration of action beyond 42 hours.2,3 It is important for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to establish a routine for insulin treatment. On occasions when administration at the same time of day is not possible, Tresiba allows for flexibility in day-to-day dosing time when needed.2,4,5 Tresiba received its first regulatory approval in September 2012 and has since been approved in more than 80 countries globally. It was most recently approved by the FDA in the United States on 26 September 2015.





Further information

Media: Katrine Sperling +45 4442 6718 krsp@novonordisk.com Asa Josefsson +45 3079 7708 aajf@novonordisk.com



Investors: Peter Hugreffe Ankersen +45 3075 9085 phak@novonordisk.com Melanie Raouzeos +45 3075 3479 mrz@novonordisk.com Hanna Ogren +45 3079 8519 haoe@novonordisk.com Anders Mikkelsen +45 3079 4461 armk@novonordisk.com Kasper Veje (US) +1 609 235 8567 kpvj@novonordisk.com

*within-day variability was assessed in a post-hoc analysis and calculated as the relative fluctuation, in order to account for the difference in potency between Tresibaand insulin glargine U300.



References

1. Heise T, Nrskov M, Nosek L, et al. Insulin degludec: Four-times lower pharmacodynamic within-patient variability compared to insulin glargine U300 in type 1 diabetes. Annual Diabetes Technology Meeting 2016, Poster presentation

2. EMA. Tresiba Summary of Product Characteristics. Available at: http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/EPAR_-_Product_Information/human/002498/WC500138940.pdf Last accessed: November 2016

3. Haahr H, Heise T. A review of the pharmacological properties of insulin degludec and their clinical relevance. Clinical Pharmacokinetics. 2014; 53:787-800

4. Meneghini L, Atkin SL, Gough SC, et al. The efficacy and safety of insulin degludec given in variable once-daily dosing intervals compared with insulin glargine and insulin degludec dosed at the same time daily: a 26-week, randomized, open-label, parallel-group, treat-to-target trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2013; 36:858-864

5. Mathieu C, Hollander P, Miranda-Palma B, et al. Efficacy and safety of insulin degludec in a flexible dosing regimen vs insulin glargine in patients with type 1 diabetes (BEGIN: Flex T1): a 26-week randomized, treat-to-target trial with a 26-week extension. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2013; 98:1154-1162
T housands of people gathered in London to watch the annual Lord Mayor's Show.

Beginning with a river pageant at 9am on Saturday morning, the show is the first public engagement for new Lord Mayor Andrew Parmley.

The event, which has taken place for over 800 years, sees the Lord Mayor travel from the Guildhall to the Royal Courts of Justice where he swears allegiance to the crown.

Crowds lined the streets at 11am for the world-famous annual procession which had around 7,000 people taking part this year.

Lord Mayor's Show 2016 1 /13 Lord Mayor's Show 2016 The new Lord Mayor of London Andrew Parmley in his State Coach at Guildhall PA The balcony of Mansion House in London PA Members of the Company of Pikeman and Musketeers march PA Crowds lined the route despite the rain PA A mounted band plays during the show PA The new Lord Mayor of London Andrew Parmley inspects troops outside Mansion House PA Members of the Company of Pikeman and Musketeers outside Mansion House PA The new Lord Mayor of London Andrew Parmley during the Lord Mayor's Show PA A marching band plays in the rain PA The Lord Mayor in his golden coach PA

Among those who came along was Dame Barbara Windsor, who told London Live it was a very emotional day for her.

She said: "It's the first time I've ever been here so I'm really thrilled and honoured."

"I just wish God had been kind to us with the weather."

The celebrations will continue into the early evening with a firework display over the Thames at 5.15pm.

Rockets will be set off from an area between Blackfriars and Waterloo, closing roads so they can be seen from both sides of the river.

Free walking tours are also being held in the City from 3pm.
N ew research by the BBC suggests that black British children are 12 times less likely to become Prime Minister than white British children.

According to a model developed by statistician Dr Faiza Shaheen, the average black child born in the UK today has a 1 in 17 million chance of becoming Prime Minister, compared to a 1 in 1.4 million chance for the average white child.

Dr Shaheens model also suggests that a white child born into a wealthy household, who goes to a private school at a top university, is 90 times more likely than the average black person to become PM.

The UK has had 54 prime ministers since the creation of the role in 1721 - all of them have been white.

The research was conducted as part of a one-off BBC documentary presented by actor David Harewood called Will Britain Ever Have A Black Prime Minister?

He said, This demonstrated to me that the system is structured in an elitist way that favours those with wealth and privilege over others, particularly people of colour.

If youre a state school educated black kid even if you cross all those hurdles, the system still inherently is going to disadvantage you.

If theres one thing Ive learned from my own life, its that black people can and will, despite the odds, break through those barriers to success.
LISLE, Ill., Nov. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kretschmar Premium Meats & Cheeses has partnered with Evansville IGA and country music star Easton Corbin to donate $1,000 to Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Kretschmar made the donation in Evansville, Ind. on Friday as part of its Legendary Wishes campaign, which helps Make-A-Wish grant wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f3e731f2-048e-4afa-bccc-83f3c987da08

Three-time American Country Award winner Easton Corbin invited Wish Kid Elizabeth and her family backstage before his performance. Corbin presented a donation of $1,000 to help Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana grant future wishes.

"It was an honor to present Make-A-Wish with a check for $1,000 to help bring more wishes to life," said Corbin. "I'm proud to show my support for this cause. This is something really special that Kretschmar is doing across the country to make dreams come true for our young heroes, whose spirit and courage inspires us.

12-year-old Elizabeth and her family were also treated to a live performance by Corbin, Kretschmars brand ambassador for 2016. Easton hit the music scene in 2009 with a #1 single, "A Little More Country Than That" and won several Breakthrough Artist awards. Since then, Corbin has released three hit albums with songs including "Roll With It," "Lovin' You is Fun," and "All Over the Road." Corbin has a full schedule in 2016 and is currently touring with Carrie Underwood, as well as performing in his own headlining shows.

Supporting Make-A-Wish and making wishes come true for children is something very gratifying for us, said Michael J. Sargent, Senior Brand Manager, Smithfield Foods. Our contribution can support Make-A-Wish throughout the year, and were thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to help fulfill special wishes for children.

Since partnering with Make-A-Wish in 2012, Kretschmar has donated more than $600,000 nationally and sponsored more than 12 wishes with local chapters through its Legendary Wishes campaign. Along with its retail partners, Kretschmar has raised additional funding through in-store sales of Make-A-Wish paper stars, employee donations and sandwich fundraisers. Those efforts have raised more than $85,000, which was given to local Make-A-Wish chapters to grant even more wishes.

"A granted wish has the power to rally an entire community together to create lasting memories for a child, said Doug Kelly, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana. Were incredibly grateful for the support of Kretschmar and Evansville IGA who are working together to make future wishes just like Elizabeth's heartfelt wish come true.

This year, Kretschmar helped grant three wishes across the country. In Joplin, Mo., Kretschmar teamed up with Make-A-Wish Missouri to grant a 17-year-olds wish to restore his fathers 1970 pick-up. Along with Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee, Kretschmar granted the wish of a teen who wanted to attend the CMA Music Festival in Nashville. The 17-year-old experienced the country music trip of a lifetime; four days of VIP treatment in the Music City, including an all-star concert at Nissan Stadium and a private Kretschmar Country concert. Kretschmar also helped send a 14-year-old girl to the San Francisco Zoo through Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana.

For more information about Kretschmar Deli and its involvement with Make-A-Wish visit www.KretschmarDeli.com or www.Facebook.com/KretschmarDeli.

Kretschmar is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Kretschmar

Kretschmar Premium Deli Meats & Cheeses has meant quality since 1883. Our hams are made with a unique hardwood smoking process. Kretschmar poultry and beef are hand-trimmed using the finest cuts. Our full line of Off-The-Bone deli meats are delicately sliced from the leanest, most tender cuts. And our premium Wisconsin cheeses repeatedly win in competitions world-wide. Try the Legendary Taste of Kretschmar today. For great recipes and more, like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/kretschmardeli or visit our website at www.kretschmardeli.com.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cook's, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curly's, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true has positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Headquartered in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world's leading children's charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 28,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 21 minutes. It has granted more than 270,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,800 in 2015 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at www.wish.org to learn more.

About Easton Corbin

Mercury Nashville recording artist Easton Corbin is lauded for his traditional country sound, authentic lyrics and mastery of understatement. American Songwriter says, "Easton Corbin has one of those rare, glorious voices that was made-just made-for singing country music." His self-titled debut album released in 2010 and spawned back-to-back hits "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll With It;" making him the first country male artist in 17 years to have his first two consecutive singles reach No. 1. In 2012 the Gilchrist County Florida native released his sophomore album, All Over The Road, which included the Top 5 hits "Lovin' You Is Fun" and "All Over The Road." Corbin set a career-best debut on Country Airplay with his top 5 hit single, "Baby Be My Love Song," from his No. 1 debuting album About To Get Real. His current single "Yup" is climbing the country singles chart. Corbin is currently on tour with Carrie Underwood's The Storyteller Tour.
R elatives of two victims killed in the Croydon tram tragedy have paid tribute hours after they were identified by police.

Family and friends of Donald Collett described the 62-year-old as a well-loved, funny and generous man who could light up a room with his smile.

While loved ones of Philip Logan said the 52-year-old father-of-four was a true family man with more love compassion and zest for life than words can express.

Both men were named by British Transport Police as among the seven victims of the tragedy when a packed commuter tram overturned in south London on Wednesday.

"Funny and generous": Mr Collett's family paid tribute to the 62-year-old / British Transport Police

Robert Huxley, 63, from New Addington was also identified after other victims Dane Chinnery, Mark Smith, Philip Seary and Dorota Rynkiewicz were named among the dead by friends and family.

Mr Colletts family said: "Don was a well loved, funny and generous man, who could light up a room with his smile.

He is tragically leaving behind a loving family, partner, adored friends and work colleagues.

"Zest for life": Philip Logan was a father-of-four, grandfather and great-grandfather / British Transport Police

"Please rest in peace and know you are truly loved and greatly missed. We are struggling to deal with this tragic news and ask for privacy at this sad time."

While Mr Logans relatives said: Philip Logan known to all who knew him as Loag, a loving husband to Marilyn, brother to Susan, father to Lee, Tracy, Lisa and Adele, grandfather and great grandfather.

Tragedy: The tram overturned near Sandilands stop / PA

He was a true family man and generous friend to all with a magnificently dry sense of humor.

"Phil was a man with more love compassion and zest for life than words can express. He will be immensely missed by all that knew him."

Dane Chinnery, 19, from New Addington, was described by friends as a lovely guy and really good fun.

Victim: Friends have paid tribute to Dane Chinnery, 19, killed in the crash in Croydon

One wrote: The life of our brother was taken from him. Aged 19, Dane lost his life with the tram crash on his way to work.

Recovery: Workers and a heavy crane arrive at the scene in Croydon. / PA

"He was red, white and blue all the way through, and simply loved Palace.

Mother-of-two Dorota Rynkiewicz, 35, was described as an amazing mother who was devoted to her young family.

Dorota Rynkiewicz, 35, pictured with husband Andrzej, a pro golfer

She was on her daily commute to Euston when the tram overturned near the Sandilands stop.

Her sister-in-law Kasia Rynkiewicz told the Standard: She was an amazing mother and definitely a hard-working person. She was on her way to work so early in the morning to provide for her kids.

Marching together: Friends and relatives of the victims paid tribute near the crash scene / PA

Tributes paid on social media to young father Mark Smith, 35, who worked for his father's double glazing firm.

Mr Smith attended Thomas More Roman Catholic High School in Purley before studying at Coulsdon College and is believed to have been engaged to marry his fiancee Indre Novikovaite.

Mark Smith pictured with his partner Indre Novikovaite / Facebook

His friends and relatives described him as a man who always had a smile on his face and made everyone laugh after news of his death emerged.

His cousin, Tom Smith, said his family had been left in bits after the tragedy as he paid tribute to him in a Facebook post.

Extra minute's silence to remember Croydon tram crash victims

Father-of-three Philip Seary, 57, who was also known as Tank was also confirmed among the victims of the tragedy.

His son-in-law Darren Mimms told the Croydon Guardian: "Phil was a devoted family man. He devoted his life to his children and his wife, and was well known among the community."

Victim: Phil Seary was named as one of the victims killed in the Croydon tram disaster / Facebook

The names were released shortly after up to a hundred friends and relatives of the victims marched to the crash scene in an emotional tribute to those who lost their lives.

People spilled out on to the streets in a sign of unity as they hugged one another, sang songs and clapped in remembrance of the six men and one woman who died.

Family and friends pay tribute to Croydon tram crash victims

Six men and one woman died and more than 50 people were injured when the carriages flipped over as the tram turned around a sharp bend at around 6.10am near the Sandilands stop while travelling from New Addington to Wimbledon.

The tram's driver was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and questioned by investigators who have said the vehicle was travelling "significantly" above the permitted speed.

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The 42-year-old man from Beckenham was released on bail, and investigators are probing whether the driver had fallen asleep.

An online fundraising page set up by Croydon Council to enable "ongoing care and support" to those directly affected by the crash has raised more than 10,000.
B oris Johnson has snubbed an emergency EU foreign ministers' meeting called to discuss Donald Trump's shock US election victory.

The move highlights the widening gulf between London and the continent over how to respond to the new US president-elect.

Earlier, a senior German politician warned Theresa May was "delusional" if she believed the incoming Republican administration would give the UK a good trade deal.

But Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson, who branded vocal European concern about the US election result as a "whinge-o-rama", was dismissive of the need for a special EU meeting.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The Foreign Secretary will not attend the meeting convened for Sunday. There is a regular Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday where a range of issues can be discussed in the normal way.

"We do not see the need for an additional meeting on Sunday because the US election timetable is long established.

"An act of democracy has taken place, there is a transition period and we will work with the current and future administrations to ensure the best outcomes for Britain."

In further signs of tensions between the UK and EU, Czech state secretary for European affairs Tomas Prouza warned plans floated at the Tory conference to make companies list foreign workers were "stoking the fires" of anti-immigrant feeling in the UK.

Mr Prouza said the idea was similar to ones seen during the rise of fascism in the 1930s.

He called on Mrs May to "condemn these ideas" as he noted there had been an "enormous" rise in attacks on Czechs in Britain since the June vote to quit the EU.

"I think the performance at the Conservative Party conference was again stoking the fires.

"When you had all these ideas of British companies that would have to report the number of foreigners they employ, maybe even the names of the foreigners they employ, that is very similar to what we have seen on the continent in the 1930s.

"I think we all remember what it led to. So I think we see it as very dangerous, and I was really hoping that Prime Minister May would condemn these ideas very quickly and it's not happened. So that is a worry.

"At the moment we need to support the security of Czechs. We've seen an enormous increase in attacks on Czechs and other foreigners on British soil," he told BBC Radio Four's Analysis programme.

The suggestion by Home Secretary Amber Rudd that companies should count foreign workers was roundly condemned, forcing the Government to state it would not mean that individual non-British staff would be listed.
A leading German politician has warned Theresa May that she is "delusional" if she believes Britain can get a good trade deal from Donald Trump.

Axel Schafer, a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Social Democrat coalition partner, said the PM's hope that President-elect Trump will look favourably on the UK will come to nothing.

Referring to the shock election of Mr Trump, Mr Schafer told The Times: "What changed is the likelihood of a speedy and preferential trade deal between UK and US.

"Even before Tuesday the chances were rather low, now the hope for this kind of deal seems delusional."

The pointed remarks came after ministers talked up the chances of a close working relationship with the surprise winner of the race to the White House.

Underlining the starkly different approach to Mr Trump taken by London and the continent, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told his EU counterparts to end the "whinge-o-rama" over the outcome of the US election.

The tone was in marked contrast to that of European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, who said: "I think that we'll waste time for two years while Mr Trump tours a world that he is completely unaware of.

Riots break out after Donald Trump US wins Presidential Election 1 /14 Riots break out after Donald Trump US wins Presidential Election Protesters march on their way to Waterfront Park in Portland Jim Ryan/The Oregonian via AP Protesters in Minneapolis after Donald Trump's win Adam Bettcher/Reuters Protesters cross the Hawthorne Bridge in Portland Jim Ryan/The Oregonian via AP Protest: Anti-Trump activists gather in Portland Mark Graves/The Oregonian/OregonLive.com via AP A police officer looks on at protesters Steve Dipaola/Reuters Arrest: Police detain a demonstrator during a protest in Portland Steve Dipaola/Reuters Anti-Trump protest: A man looks at broken glass after a riot swept through the area Steve Dipaola/Reuters A driver's windshield was damaged after she drove in the area with protesters demonstrating against Tuesday's U.S. presidential election results Jim Ryan/The Oregonian via AP Oakland police officers dawn gas masks as tensions raise as demonstrators block streets before marching in protest against President-elect Donald Trump Peter Da Silva/EPA A demonstrator pleads others to stand back from the police line during a demonstration in Oakland, California following the election Stephen Lam/Reuters A masked demonstrator scuffles with police officers during a demonstration following the election of Donald Trump as President-elect Stephen Lam/Reuters

"We have to teach the new president of the USA what Europe is, and how it works. The trans-Atlantic alliance, and the Nato alliance, is called into question, so it could be quite pernicious.

"With regards to refugees and other non-Americans, Trump has an approach which in no way coincides with the approach in Europe."

The comments came as Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said his party would vote against triggering Article 50, which formally launches withdrawal negotiations with the EU, unless there was a guarantee that the final Brexit deal with Brussels is put to a fresh referendum.

He insisted he respected the decision made by voters in favour of leaving the EU but said nobody should have a deal "imposed" upon them.

Although the Lib Dems only have eight MPs they have more than 100 peers in the Lords, which could spell trouble for the Government if judges rule that a full Act of Parliament is required before Article 50 can be triggered, as the legislation would have to clear both Houses.

MPs from other parties - including a Labour frontbencher - have indicated they would be prepared to oppose Article 50.

The Government is challenging a High Court ruling that Parliament must have the final say on triggering Article 50 with a hearing in the Supreme Court next month, arguing that prerogative powers could be used.

A Government spokeswoman said: "Our position is clear: the country voted to leave the EU and we will respect the will of the British people.

"The Government told the High Court that as a matter of firm policy, once given, the Article 50 notice would not be withdrawn. Because legal proceedings are under way it would not be appropriate to comment further."

Additional reporting by the Press Assocation.
P olice have started a drugs investigation after allegations Labour MP Keith Vaz used male prostitutes and discussed paying for cocaine.

Mr Vaz, 59, a married father of two, quit as chairman of the influential House of Commons Home Affairs committee in September after becoming embroiled in the scandal.

Scotland Yard said police had received a letter on September 7 asking them to look into matter, which stemmed from a Sunday Mirror sting.

Mr Vaz, the Labour MP for Leicester East, faced allegations he had sex at his London flat with male prostitutes.

He also allegedly had a conversation regarding cocaine with one of the male escorts.

During the discussion, in which the MP said he did not want to use the drug, he indicated that he would pay for it for the other man at a later date, according to the Sunday Mirror.

The Metropolitan Police Service's Special Enquiry Team, part of Specialist Crime and Operations, began an assessment process to see "what criminal offences - if any - may have been committed," according to Scotland Yard.

A spokesman said: "Following that assessment, which included obtaining early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, the MPS is now investigating offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

"The investigation started on Thursday, November 10."

The investigation comes just over a week after Mr Vaz was appointed to Parliament's Justice Committee, which oversees Britain's criminal justice system.

In the wake of the revelations, Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who has been highly critical of Mr Vaz, said he would write to Scotland Yard calling for Mr Vaz to be investigated for misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to supply controlled substances.

Mr Vaz made a public apology to his wife and children over the claims.

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday the MP's wife Maria Fernandes said she would "forgive her husband".
B BC executives have defended the decision to air an interview with French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Remembrance Sunday following an angry backlash on social media.

Critics hit out at the corporation accusing it of giving a platform for fascism and branded the timing inappropriate after it emerged the National Front leader would appear during a pre-recorded interview.

But the BBC has dismissed the outrage, claiming the controversial politician is a serious contender for the French presidency.

Andrew Marr Show editor Rob Burley posted a series of tweets justifying why Ms Le Pen was chosen to be interviewed on the political programme.

Andrew Marr explains why he interviewed Le Pen

"Good news": French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said she was pleased with Mr Trump's win / AFP PHOTO / Martin BUREAUMARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images

Among the reasons he stated was Donald Trumps shock election win which he said made victory for Ms Le Pen a possibility.

Ms Le Pen posted a series of tweets following Mr Trump's stunning upset over Hillary Clinton which she described as "good news" for France.

He wrote: Marine Le Pen is a controversial booking. But she is a serious contender for the French Presidency whatever you think of her views. . .

Her party's support - 6m in 2015 elections, 6m in the last Presidential Election and her ratings ahead of 2017 election significant. .

In French politics she is "normalised" by public support. We either treat her seriously or censor her.

The shocks to conventional wisdom of the Referendum result & Donald Trump's election make her victory a possibility if it wasn't already.

His intervention came amid a storm of angry tweets from social media users.

Journalist Liam OHare wrote: The BBC has invited a neo-fascist - Marine Le Pen - to be a guest on the Andrew Marr show this Sunday. Remembrance Sunday. Lest we forget?

Caroline Evans posted: On Remembrance Sunday #Marr sees Marine Le Pen as an appropriate guest. BBC frequently allowing fascism to be an acceptable political view.

And Irene Klein tweeted: I really admire your work, but giving fascists a platform is what brought us here in the first place. Please stop.

The Andrew Marr Show is broadcast on BBC1 on Sundays at 9am.
G ina Miller, the businesswoman who successfully took the Government to court over when Brexit can be triggered, has revealed police have told her to avoid public spaces for her own safety.

Mrs Miller said her family has been targeted with abuse following her appearance on the Andrew Marr show where she clashed with Nigel Farage over the legal ruling.

The 51-year-old was thrust into the spotlight when she led the legal challenge to Theresa Mays plan to trigger Article 50 without the input of parliament, instead using the royal prerogative.

Speaking to the Guardian from a private members club in Mayfair, Mrs Miller said she had been told to avoid public spaces for her own safety.

Clash: Nigel Farage and Gina Miller argued over Brexit on the Andrew Marr show / Reuters/BBC

She said: It isnt safe for me to go outside.

Mrs Miller added the abuse her family had received in the wake of the legal ruling and Andrew Marr appearance felt surreal.

What is Article 50? - Explained

She added: I thought I did a court case about preserving the rule of law and the British constitution, and now on a Sunday afternoon I'm walking into a police station.

We knew it would be bad. But nothing like this, obviously. It's bullying of the worst degree, and I'm not going to let them win.

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This is not the society we have to live in. If anything, all this has proved, more than anything, is that I have to do this.

Mrs Miller told the Guardian she has been forced to run her business from a VIP club, adding: We knew it would be bad. But nothing like this, obviously. It's bullying of the worst degree, and I'm not going to let them win.

This is not the society we have to live in. If anything, all this has proved, more than anything, is that I have to do this.

The Government launched an immediate appeal against the ruling following permission from the Supreme Court. The challenge will be heard on December 5 and is expected to last four days.
A protester has been shot at an anti-Donald Trump rally in the US as demonstrations turned violent.

The man was blasted with a gun while crossing Morrison Bridge in Portland after a long demonstration, police said.

Local media reported the protester had become embroiled in an argument with a car driver before he was shot several times. His condition is not thought to be life-threatening.

"Everyone needs to leave the area immediately," police said on Twitter, as they asked witnesses to come forward.

Shooting: A man was shot multiple times / REUTERS

Earlier in the night, protesters blocked traffic and threw projectiles at police dressed in riot gear who responded with pepper spray.

Portland: A police officer sprays the crowd during the protest / REUTERS

At one point, police pushed protesters back and appeared to take at least one person into custody.

Demonstration: Protests have been held across the country / REUTERS

Protesters demonstrating against the election of Mr Trump had gathered in several US cities for a third night on Friday, hours after the president-elect praised their "passion".

Alongside Portland, thousands took to the streets in Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York and San Francisco, voicing anger at Trump's inflammatory and often deeply controversial campaign rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims and women.

Riots break out after Donald Trump US wins Presidential Election 1 /14 Riots break out after Donald Trump US wins Presidential Election Protesters march on their way to Waterfront Park in Portland Jim Ryan/The Oregonian via AP Protesters in Minneapolis after Donald Trump's win Adam Bettcher/Reuters Protesters cross the Hawthorne Bridge in Portland Jim Ryan/The Oregonian via AP Protest: Anti-Trump activists gather in Portland Mark Graves/The Oregonian/OregonLive.com via AP A police officer looks on at protesters Steve Dipaola/Reuters Arrest: Police detain a demonstrator during a protest in Portland Steve Dipaola/Reuters Anti-Trump protest: A man looks at broken glass after a riot swept through the area Steve Dipaola/Reuters A driver's windshield was damaged after she drove in the area with protesters demonstrating against Tuesday's U.S. presidential election results Jim Ryan/The Oregonian via AP Oakland police officers dawn gas masks as tensions raise as demonstrators block streets before marching in protest against President-elect Donald Trump Peter Da Silva/EPA A demonstrator pleads others to stand back from the police line during a demonstration in Oakland, California following the election Stephen Lam/Reuters A masked demonstrator scuffles with police officers during a demonstration following the election of Donald Trump as President-elect Stephen Lam/Reuters

Hundreds of protesters marched through the streets of Los Angeles, blocking traffic as they waved signs in opposition of Trump and chanted: "We reject the president elect" and "Whose streets? Our Streets".

Several thousand activists marched through downtown Miami, with a few hundred making their way onto a highway, halting traffic in both directions.

In New York, demonstrators again gathered in Washington Square Park and by Trump Tower, where the Republican president-elect lives, on Fifth Avenue.

Trump, who initially denounced Americans who protested against his election, saying they had been "incited" by the media, reversed course and praised them on Friday.

"Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!" Trump said on Twitter.
X Factor fans have demanded Honey G to be kicked off the show after she revealed she dabbled with Class A drugs.

Outraged viewers demanded Simon Cowell to take action against the London rapper, whose real name is Anna Georgette Gilford, following an interview she gave to the Sun.

The 35-year-old was branded a disgrace after she told the tabloid of her drug-taking history in which she admitted she used cocaine, ecstasy and magic mushrooms.

She also confessed to battling against an addiction to marijuana which she said she only now takes recreationally.

She revealed her addiction developed after she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted while at college.

Revelations: Honey G made the confession in the Sun / ITV

The performer added she didnt take Class A drugs anymore, adding I would not touch that nowadays.

She told the Sun: I did class A drugs.

Im hardcore and Im totally real.

I have struggled with addiction. I have nothing to hide. I did do some class A drugs like cocaine and I did pills.

Controversial: Honey G said she had used Class A drugs / ITV

I did a magic mushroom that I will never do again  that was probably one of the worst experiences.

The thing about me is there is actually a story behind me and my life. Its not like, Hi Ive just turned up on X Factor.

Ive been a musician my entire life and Ive been through real experiences. Im totally real, hardcore and I have experienced things that are real.

The interview sparked an angry backlash on social media as fans demanded for her to be ejected from the contest over the revelations.

Anger: Honey G revelations have led fans to call for her to be axed from the show / ITV

Carolyne Jensen tweeted: @TheXFactor drug use is drug use. Show a backbone and get rid of honey g, set a good example to youngsters.

Jennifer Blaylock posted: #xfactor only just seen media on honey g doing drugs! She should be BOOTED off the show immediatly,her fan base are young children!

Jonno Gregory wrote: So they got rid of @FrankieCocozza but not honey g..@ITV @TheXFactor just doesn't make sence?! Chuck out the fake "rapper"! @anniesturdydovz (sic)

And Roisin Fleming tweeted: @The_Honey_G taking drugs??? #XFactor GET RID OF HONEY G she is a disgrace to the X factor.

The Sun reported X Factor chiefs had spoken to Honey G about her illegal drug use and that she assured them she had not taken them while on the show.

X Factor spokesman Rick Behari told the Sun: Weve spoken to Honey and shes assured us she has not taken drugs while being on the show.
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The Lowes Charitable and Educational Foundation has awarded a $40,000 grant to Iredell-Statesville Schools for the restoration of the White Building, one of the last original buildings on campus when Harmony Elementary was a farm school in the early 1900s.

The White Building will be used as an extra learning environment to provide local children with an opportunity to see how classrooms looked in that time period. The building will later be open for community use. With the grant from Lowes, updates will be made to the buildings electrical and HVAC systems.

The Lowe's hometown grant program is dedicated to helping meet critical needs in the communities where Lowes employees and customers live and work.

The Iredell-Statesville Schools grant was recommended by Lowes hometown grant advisory committee comprised of representatives from education, recreation and business in Lake Norman-area communities. The committee reviews applications quarterly and recommends grants to the Lowes Charitable and Educational Foundation board of directors. The foundation has earmarked $250,000 in annual contributions for Lake Norman-area community improvement and public school projects.
When Whitney Gilbert and Shadese (DeeDee) Griffith began dating more than a year ago, neither could have expected that they and their family w
Joneal Joplin will give his 100th performance at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis when he plays Jacob Marley in the next show on the Browning Mainstage, A Christmas Carol.

Hell be among friends. Nearly the entire cast of the Dickens classic, adapted for the stage by David H. Bell, is composed of St. Louis actors  and John Rensenhouse, who stars as Ebenezer Scrooge, is nearly a local himself. (He lives in Kansas City but has appeared here many times.) Look for a host of familiar faces, among them Peggy Billo, Alan Knoll, Amy Loui, Ben Nordstrom, Michael James Reed, Chris Tipp, Jacqueline Thompson, Jerry Vogel, Susie Wall and Donna Weinsting. Muny Kids will be in the show as well, including Owen Hanford as Tiny Tim.

Some theaters, such as the Goodman in Chicago and the Alliance in Atlanta, have performed A Christmas Carol every year for decades. The Rep hasnt done that, although it staged three consecutive productions in 1979, 1980 and 1981.

But artistic director Steven Woolf believes that the theaters 50th anniversary season is exactly the right time to bring it back. Its a great holiday show, says Woolf, who is directing. It just makes sense to do it now.

In recent seasons, a different version of A Christmas Carol has often played the Fox Theatre. This year, however, the Fox salutes the holidays with another apt seasonal treat: the enduring musical Annie. The story of a plucky orphan, a stray dog and their bald benefactor ends happily-ever-after on Christmas morning, with everyone gathered around a towering tree and looking forward to Tomorrow.

Come to think of it, thats kind of the way that A Christmas Carol ends, too.

Heres a guide to live theater during the Yuletide season. Most of the shows arent holiday-specific  which might be just the change of pace youre looking for. And dont forget, theater tickets make great gifts.

All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914

For the fourth year, Mustard Seed Theatre revives its production of the a cappella musical about a real event. Early in World War I, soldiers on both sides lay down their weapons to mark Christmas Eve together. This is the last time that Mustard Seed plans to present All Is Calm.

When Through Dec. 11  Where Fontbonne University Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Boulevard  How much $30-$35  More info 314-719-8060; mustardseedtheatre.com

Spectrum 2016

First Run Theater, dedicated to nurturing area writers, stages a program of short, homegrown plays. Expect a range of styles and moods.

When Through Nov. 20  Where Southhampton Presbyterian Church Theatre, 4716 Macklind Avenue  How much $8-$15  More info 314-352-5114; firstruntheatre.com

Hamlet: See What I See

A new troupe, Rebels and Misfits, takes off with an immersive adaptation of Shakespeares tragedy that aims to erase the line between actors and audience. You have to be over 18 for this production, which starts with a cocktail party.

When Through Friday  Where Barnett on Washington, 3207 Washington Boulevard  How much $33.50-$55  More info 314-555-1111; metrotix.com

After Orlando

Writers from across the country and around the world contributed three-minute scripts in response to the massacre at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Fla. The production here, featuring many St. Louis actors, is presented by That Uppity Theatre Company and St. Lou Fringe in association with Missing Bolts Productions and the NoPassport Theatre Alliance. There will be a panel discussion, too.

When 7:30 p.m. Monday  Where Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand Boulevard  How much Free; reservations suggested  More info eventbrite.com

Fun Home

In this Tony-winning musical based on Alison Bechdels graphic memoir, a lesbian cartoonist looks back on her unhappy youth and her relationship with her father, a controlling, closeted, deeply unhappy man who killed himself. Its an honest, touching reminder that family life is harder than it looks.

When Tuesday through Nov. 27  Where Fox Theatre, 527 North Grand Boulevard  How much $20-$90  More info 314-534-1111; metrotix.com

boom

College romances come and go. But in boom at R-S Theatrics, two students luckless liaison expands to cataclysmic proportions.

When Friday through Dec. 4  Where The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive  How much $15-$20  More info 314-252-8812; brownpapertickets.com

Dixies Tupperware Party

In this bawdy one-woman comedy, an ex-con from an Alabama trailer park decides to set her life right by selling plastic storage bowls. She soon becomes a big success, throwing parties Betty Crocker never imagined. And yes, you might even buy some Tupperware while youre laughing. Dont bring the kids.

When Nov. 29-Dec. 18  Where Playhouse @ Westport Plaza, 635 West Port Plaza  How much $60  More info 314-534-1111; metrotix.com

A Christmas Carol

The Reps production of Charles Dickens holiday classic enjoys a timely tie-in at the St. Louis Art Museum. Docents lead free, one-hour tours featuring vintage Christmas cards and English paintings, furniture and decorative arts. You dont need a reservation. For more information, visit slam.org.

When Nov. 30-Dec. 24  Where Browning Mainstage, Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves  How much $18-$88.50  More info 314-968-4925; repstl.org

Driving Miss Daisy

Over 25 years, a strong-minded Jewish widow and her thoughtful black chauffeur develop mutual respect and a touching friendship. The New Jewish Theatre production stars the companys artistic director, Kathleen Sitzer, as Daisy Werthan and J. Samuel Davis as the driver, Hoke.

When Dec. 1-18  Where Wool Studio Theatre, Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive  How much $39.50-$43.50  More info 314-442-8283; newjewishtheatre.org

Buyer and Cellar

An unemployed actor gets a job running a very special mall, where Barbra Streisand is proprietor and sole customer. Will Bonfiglio stars in Stray Dog Theatres production of the one-man comedy.

When Dec. 1-17  Where Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Avenue  How much $20-$25  More info 314-865-1995; straydogtheatre.org

American Buffalo

In David Mamets raw drama, three lowlifes plan to steal a valuable coin collection and make a fortune. Who are they kidding? Bobby Miller directs the St. Louis Actors Studio production.

When Dec. 2-18  Where Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle Avenue  How much $30-$35  More info 1-800-982-2787; ticketmaster.com

Annie

Annie, the red-headed orphan from the comic strips, leads a Hard-Knock Life. But once she meets Daddy Warbucks, each can say I Dont Need Anything But You. And, unlike in the comics, onstage everybody has irises in their eyes.

When Dec. 2-4  Where Fox Theatre, 527 North Grand Boulevard  How much $30-$90  More info 314-534-1111; metrotix.com

Adverse Effects

After their daughters death, a couple starts digging to find out what happened  a search that leads them to disturbing questions about Big Pharma and the government. Tesseract Theatre presents the drama by its artistic director, Taylor Gruenloh.

When Dec. 2-11  Where .ZACK Arts Incubator, 3224 Locust Street  How much $10-$15  More info 314-534-1111; metrotix.com

The Making of the Star Wars Holiday Special

Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre, mutant offspring of St. Louis Shakespeare, staged this show just once, in 1978. It brings back TV stars of the era in a show about Chewbacca, whose friends help him return home to spend the holidays with his Wookie family. The Monkeys founder, Donna Northcott, directs this goofball production.

When Dec. 2-10  Where Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Boulevard  How much $10-$15  More info 314-361-5664; stlshakespeare.org

Finding Neverland

This Broadway hit, based on the 2004 movie with Kate Winslet and Johnny Depp, weaves the story of Peter Pan into the life of its creator, James M. Barrie. When he meets a lovely widow with four boys, they lead him to discover the imaginative world that he gave to us all.

When Dec. 6-18  Where Fox Theatre, 527 North Grand Boulevard  How much $25-$88  More info 314-534-1111; metrotix.com

The Book of Moron

In his one-man off-Broadway show, satirist Robert Dubac scours a culture of Kardashians and selfies in a search for meaning. He has very limited success, but the show, described as a head trip on a banana peel, has done way better.
A Samsung phone user in France says her Galaxy J5 smartphone caught fire and exploded on Sunday. The model is different from the Galaxy Note 7 that has been recalled worldwide.

Lamya Bouyirdane told The Associated Press on Monday that she noticed the phone was very hot after she asked her four-year-old son to pass it over during a family gathering at her home. She said she threw the phone away when she realized it had "swollen up" and smoke was coming out.

"I panicked when I saw the smoke and I had the reflex to throw it away," said Bouyirdane, a mother of three in the southwestern French city of Pau.

The phone then caught fire and the back blew off. Her partner quickly extinguished it.

Bouyirdane said she bought the phone new last June on a website offering discounts.

The South Korean company recently recalled millions of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones globally because of a problem that caused the batteries to overheat and catch fire.
The gunman was identified as Orlando Harris, 19, a recent graduate of the school. One survivor heard him say he was 'tired of everybody' in the school and that his gun jammed at one point.
At least 75 people downtown have been treated within the past week for apparent overdoses on synthetic cannabis, sparking a plea Friday from the regions largest homeless services provider: Please dont give money to panhandlers.

The St. Patrick Center team is deeply concerned about the recent rash of K2 overdoses among our communitys homeless population, said Kelly Peach, communications director for the downtown center, referring to the more popular name for synthetic cannabis. With this in mind, we strongly caution all who feel compelled to give money to people in our region who are panhandling.

In several parts of downtown, as well as at major intersections in the city, panhandlers are often spotted asking for money.

We know, due to our many years of experience and first-hand accounts, that they may use your money to support bad habits, including substance abuse, Peach said.

Peach said that because K2 can be bought on the streets for as little as $2, even a small donation can put a life at risk. Though not usually fatal, K2 is very dangerous to anyone who takes it.

St. Louis officials huddled at City Hall on Wednesday to come up with a game plan to combat the problem and said they had talked with some of the victims to try to determine where they got the K2. Police said later that day that three people had been taken into custody for questioning. Police said at least two of them had been seen on videotape making suspicious exchanges. A bag or two of a tobacco-like substance was found with them that officers said needed to be examined.

The overdoses continued on Friday. At least two people who were seen passed out on Locust Street were taken away by ambulance. In addition, police made at least one arrest related to the sale of a suspicious substance.

Earlier this week, Police Chief Sam Dotson along with Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson, a board member at St. Patrick Center, met with center CEO Laurie Phillips to figure out a way to curtail the problem.

Peach said that in addition to the danger of the drug, the overdoses are putting a strain on the citys emergency crews called to treat those who have used K2. The calls have primarily been around the New Life Evangelistic Center, at 14th and Locust streets.

New Life received a cease and desist notice on Wednesday for operating without a permit, a move apparently unrelated to the overdoses. But downtown residents who have been putting pressure on City Hall to shut down New Life say the sale of K2 and overdoses near the homeless shelter are just other examples of why it should no longer be a part of the neighborhood.

While the city and the Rev. Larry Rice, operator of New Life, are often at odds, they are in agreement that the seller or sellers of K2 are taking advantage of the citys homeless population.

Somebody is preying on the most vulnerable people in society, Rice said Wednesday. He said he had spoken with several of his clients about steering clear of K2. City leaders and law enforcement officials have said they think the K2 leading to the overdoses has been mixed with another ingredient.

Peach and Mary Ellen Ponder, Mayor Francis Slays chief of staff, referred to the K2 as a bad batch.

Were not advocating that people not support the homeless population, Peach said. Rather, we strongly suggest that your resources would be better used when given to the service agencies that are trained and ready to help people in crisis, such as those with drug addictions. When we can engage people into programs and case management, we can help reduce the strain that is placed upon our first responders and hospital systems.
JEFFERSON CITY  During his failed campaign for governor, Attorney General Chris Koster tried to hammer home the fact that his opponent, Eric Greitens, had no experience in government.

The vanquished Democrat said voters shouldnt elect someone who would need training wheels as their top elected official in Missouri.

But like the voters who cast their ballots for Greitens on Tuesday, the elected officials of both parties who will be working with the governor-elect say he should be given a chance to show what an outsider can do.

When I walked in here 13 years ago, the only experience I had was serving on a fire board. This is a lot bigger job, said Democratic state Sen. Gina Walsh, the newly minted minority leader in the Legislatures upper chamber.

Im willing to give the governor the benefit of the doubt, Walsh said.

Those comments mirrored the thoughts of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as Greitens, 42, a former Navy SEAL with no political experience, emerged from a costly and divisive campaign for governor in a state that went bright red on Election Day.

On Thursday, two days after he beat Koster by a 51-45 margin, Greitens arrived at the Capitol to meet with outgoing Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat. He made a closed-door appearance with Republicans who control the Senate, had lunch and then met separately with individual lawmakers who are ready to offer him advice in the new Republican-controlled landscape of Missouri politics.

Greitens, a Maryland Heights native who founded a charity to help veterans, offered little on the campaign trail in terms of specific policy proposals. But, in the wake of his victory over a man with 22 years in politics, a picture began to emerge of what he may attempt to tackle in his first year in office.

It will likely include transforming Missouri into an anti-union, pro-business right-to-work state and eliminating regulations that could hamper the growth of the economy.

Still, it remains somewhat unclear how Greitens will handle his role as the chief executive of a $27 billion enterprise that oversees everything from 32,000 prison inmates to thousands of miles of roads.

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, whose district includes Greitens home in St. Louis Central West End, said she is hopeful the former Democrat remembers the importance of Missouris largest city when it comes to economic development.

I hope and pray that he takes a vested interest in one of the economic engines for this state, and that is the St. Louis area, said Nasheed, D-St. Louis. Hopefully, he has some of the Democratic values somewhere tucked in deep down.

Nasheed, who is among the mere nine Democrats facing a Republican supermajority in the Senate, said Greitens inexperience in government may not be negative.

I think that at the end of the day he doesnt have the baggage of being a politician, Nasheed told the Post-Dispatch.

Republican leaders also said Greitens lack of political experience shouldnt be a red flag. Rather, it is something to be embraced, much like Republican Donald Trumps victory in the presidential race, they said.

You dont come in with any preconceived knowledge, said Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard, R-Joplin. He has a different vision. He hasnt been here before.

And Republicans are ready to get to work after Nixon served as a veto pen-wielding roadblock to the many of their initiatives.

Its a lot easier to count to 82 than it is to 109, said Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, referring to how many votes it takes to pass a bill in his chamber outright rather than override a governors veto. And I anticipate that well be able to move some of those priorities that weve come up short on before.

At the top of that priority list is a right-to-work law they argue will improve the states business climate, but Nixon has long contended is anti-worker, with unions vehemently opposing the change.

Richard said it would probably be the No. 1 issue, with Republicans aiming to approve the law soon after the session convenes in January.

As GOP leaders praised the new chief executive last week, they also hinted at other items on the policy agenda for 2017  items they hope are more palatable to Greitens than they were to Nixon.

(It) starts with labor reform, tort reform and education reform, Richardson said. We want an agenda that we think moves Missouris economy in a better direction.

That education reform likely includes a controversial student transfer bill twice vetoed by Nixon, Richardson said.

The legislation would have allowed children in unaccredited school systems to attend higher performing schools at their home districts expense. Supporters say it would expand options for parents unhappy with their public schools, but Nixon argued the proposed changes were too expensive and created more problems than solutions.

Republicans have also long tried to push tort reform, or changes to the states legal system that make it a less favorable climate for lawsuits. And Greitens has said that he wants to change the way the state selects its judges.

Richard said he expects tort reform to be part of the discussion when Senate lawmakers meet in Kansas City later this month.

Also on tap is increased funding for the states transportation system, more ethics reform measures and changes to state regulations.

Richard said the new governor may be able to use his executive power to strike some regulations, while others may need to be dealt with through legislation.

We will be pressing those issues pretty quick, Richard said.

Greitens also will be expected to follow through on his pledge to clean up Jefferson City by banning lobbyist gifts to lawmakers and ending the revolving door that allows so many ex-lawmakers to become lobbyists as soon as they leave office. House Republicans were on board with a total ban on gifts last session, but the Senate watered down the bill before failing to approve it altogether.

In a call with reporters Friday, Austin Chambers, Greitens campaign manager and senior adviser, said the governor-elect still plans to remake the way things are done in Jefferson City.

Eric meant that during the campaign, Chambers said.

While excited by that prospect, some lawmakers still acknowledge that there are areas Greitens will need to work to get up to speed, such as funding for the states roads and bridges.

Infrastructure is something hes very interested in, said Senate Majority Leader Mike Kehoe, adding that he and other lawmakers will work to help Greitens understand its complicated funding processes. I think hell be very willing to listen to that.

And Kehoe is not the only legislator ready to bend Greitens ear. On Thursday, after Greitens made the rounds in the Capitol, state Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, buttonholed the governor-elect in a Capitol corridor, hoping to get a private meeting with him.

Schaaf, who is a physician, says he hopes to teach Greitens the ropes of governing.

There are several of us who supported him who will help mentor him along as needed to make sure that he has the knowledge he needs to navigate the system, Schaaf said. Hes actually a very brilliant person. Hell be able to pick right up on it.
ST. LOUIS  Many of the 300 or so people at a rally here Friday showed up like walking wounded. The group struggled to accept the reality that Donald Trump is going to be their next president.

Some cried. Others sang. They all listened as people took turns opening up their hearts at a microphone.

I woke up and I felt like a piece of my identity was stolen, Dustin Smith, 30, who teaches corporate responsibility at Webster University, told the crowd. This is not me. This is not America. So I just need a hug.

The title of the rally, held at sunset near the middle of the Washington University campus, was #LoveStillTrumpsHate. It was for marginalized communities and anybody who felt silenced by the election results.

This love needs to continue into next week, next month and next year, said law student Elizabeth Doyon, 25, one of the student organizers for the event. We need to prove that love wins.

She encouraged listeners to avoid anger and instead invest their time in books and conversations.

I am inspired by your presence, Doyon said. I am hopeful that together we can work toward a better community.

Some other rallies and protests across the country on Friday werent nearly as peaceful. Apart from a few angry calls to rush to the streets and demand to be heard, which seemed to garner the loudest cheers of the evening at Washington University, the crowd there focused more on picking themselves up and moving forward, one step in front of the other.

Marissa Ornelas, 19, a public health student at St. Louis University, showed up wrapped in a Mexican flag and carrying a sign that read: No human being is illegal.

Trump has made really demeaning comments toward women and minorities and I am both, said Ornelas, who grew up in Dallas. So I feel like I need to stand up for people like me until we reach equality.

Other signs in the mix were Be love, Make America love again and I refuse to live in fear.

But it was clear many were scared, for instance a lesbian in the crowd who, until this week, was going to wait until next year to get married.

I fear that my marriage equality is on the line, said Kelly Alcorn, 57, who traveled from Jefferson County to the rally.

Nadab Habtamu, 22, an engineering student from Ethiopia, listened to the numerous testimonials from the back row.

I really appreciated the election process  every vote counts  but not the result, he said. We should not disregard what the scientific community has to say about climate change and global warming for the sake of political advancement.

State Rep. Stacey Newman, D-Richmond Heights, asked to wipe away any sad faces in the crowd. She said Democrats in Jefferson City were trying to do the same as they approached a new legislative session loaded with important issues.

As a leader, I am responsible, as people before me, to keep fighting for the values and issues that we believe strongly in, she said.

Do we hide under the covers or do we look at it as a movement? she said. You cant wait for a candidate that is likable or one that will drag you out the door to vote for them. Your job as citizens is to fight back and be a part of democracy.
Populism for the Rich

BUCHAREST  I recently joined a tour in Bucharest of the Palace of Parliament, the gigantic folly built in the 1980s on the orders of the late Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who was executed before he could see it finished. The statistics rehearsed by our guide were staggering: the third biggest edifice in the world, 220,000 square feet of carpet, one million cubic meters of marble, 3,500 tons of crystal. The enormous marble stairways had to be rebuilt several times to match exactly the steps of the dictator, who was a small man.

To construct this neoclassical monstrosity, an entire swath of the city, a beautiful area of eighteenth-century houses, churches, and synagogues, was razed, displacing 40,000 people.

More than a million people worked on the project non-stop day and night. It pretty much bankrupted the state, even as Ceausescus subjects had to do without heat and electricity for much of the time. It still costs more than $6 million a year to maintain the palace, which now houses the Romanian parliament and an art museum, leaving 70% of the building unused.

Ceausescus folly is a monument to megalomania. But it is by no means unique, except in its size (though Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has tried to rival it in scale with his new palace in Ankara). It is indeed remarkable how megalomaniacs of a certain kind think alike, or at least share a similar taste in architecture. Hitlers plans for the reconstruction of Berlin reflected the same neoclassical gigantism. And the interior of the palace in Bucharest, a kind of Louis XIV style on steroids, is just a more extravagant version of Donald Trumps living quarters in Florida and New York.

These places are what you get when socially insecure outsiders dream of being the Sun King. To mention Trump in the same breath as Hitler and Ceausescu is perhaps unfair. Trump is not a murderous tyrant. And his social background is more complicated.

Hitler was the son of a minor customs official, and Ceausescu was of poor peasant stock. Both men felt small and provincial in their capital cities. Their way of dominating the more sophisticated urban elites was to oppress them violently and rebuild the cities according to their own grandiose dreams.

Trump, too, wants everything bearing his name to be bigger and shinier than everything else.



But he was born in New York and inherited a considerable amount of money from his father, Fred Trump, a real-estate developer with a somewhat shady reputation. And yet he, too, appears to seethe with resentment against the elites who might look down on him as an uncouth arriviste, with his absurd golden skyscrapers and rococo mansions full of gilded chairs and massive chandeliers.

Modern populism is often described as a new class war between the beneficiaries of a globalized world and those who feel left behind. Supporters of Trump in the United States and of Brexit in the United Kingdom are, on the whole, less educated than the establishment they oppose. But they could never have gotten as far as they have on their own. The Tea Party in the US would have been relatively marginal without powerful backers and demagogues. And these are often newly rich men who share their followers bitterness.

This was clearly the case in Italy, where former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose background is almost identical to Trumps, managed to tap into the dreams and resentments of millions of people.

Populist movements in other countries show a similar pattern. In Thailand, the Sino-Thai business tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, the son of a nouveau-riche father like Berlusconi and Trump, ran against Bangkoks social and political elites, becoming Prime Minister with the backing of provincial and rural voters, before being ousted in a military coup. In the Netherlands, a newly rich class of real-estate moguls backed the right-wing populist Pim Fortuyn and his cruder successor, Geert Wilders.

The newly rich are as important a force in the rise of populism as the poorer and less educated people who feel neglected by the elites. Despite huge inequalities of wealth, they share a deep anger at those whom they suspect of looking down on them. And they are not entirely wrong.

No matter how many palaces or yachts new money can acquire, old money will continue to despise the acquirer. Likewise, the educated urban class tends to dismiss the voters who supported Brexit or back Trump as stupid and ill-bred.

It is the fusion of resentments, felt by the newly rich as much as by the left behind, that drives right-wing populism. In extreme circumstances, this can result in dictatorship, with the tyrant free to indulge bizarre fantasies at the expense of millions under their control.

So far, in Europe and the US, the demagogues can only serve up dreams: taking back our country, making it great again, and so on. To stop such dreams from becoming political nightmares, something more is needed than technocratic expertise, or calls for civility and moderation. Angry people cannot easily be persuaded by luminous reason. They must be offered an alternative vision.

The problem today, all over the world, is that such an alternative is not readily at hand. The French Revolution happened more than two centuries ago. Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity is only a historic slogan today. But this might be a good time to update it.
THE Cotswolds Conservation Boards chairman, Liz Eyre, has walked the 102-mile Cotswold Way National Trail to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cotswolds as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Liz, began the golden anniversary walk in March from outside Bath Abbey and completed it in ten stages over seven months, reaching Chipping Campden last week. She was joined by members and staff from the board, its voluntary wardens, walking groups, and local residents along the way.

She said: In addition to celebrating all that our des- ignation means, especially in this the 50th anniversary year, the walk offered me many other opportunities.

I was able to meet and thank those that are our vol- untary arm working tirelessly in many ways for the accessibility of the Cotswolds. I reconnected with the variety of landscapes that make up the area. I fell in love with many of our views.

I was surprised at the extent of the variety of people from other countries, drawn to what we hold so dear. The whole journey was physically and mentally enriching.

The Cotswolds was designated an Area of Out- standing Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1966 in recognition of the rich, diverse and high quality landscape across the counties of Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Glouces- tershire and Oxfordshire.

It is looked after by the Cotswolds Conservation Board  an independent organisation established in 2004 which has 37 members  15 nominated by local authorities, eight by parish councils and 14 appointed by the Secretary of State, and is the second largest pro- tected landscape in England after the Lake District National Park. See www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk/50
In her upcoming memoir, Settle for More, Megyn Kelly revealed that she was one of the many women who was sexually harassed by Fox News founder Roger Ailes. But she also may have been instrumental in his undoing, according to excerpts from the yet-to-be-released book that were obtained by the New York Times.

After Gretchen Carlson filed her sexual harassment lawsuit against Ailes, 21st Century Fox vowed to conduct an "internal review" of his behavior. But Kelly wrote that she heard that Ailes was "working to limit the review to just a small circle of staffersthose that had worked directly with Gretchen."

"He wanted the net cast very narrowly to exclude virtually all of the Fox News talent," Kelly wrote. "I knew what that would likely mean." Kelly feared the review would not be rigorous and that Ailes wouldn't be held accountable.

After Ailes left the network in July, some employees spoke out in his defenseKelly did publicly defend him, and after hearing that the investigation would likely be limited to Carlson's staff, she decided to speak out against him.

"The choice became clear: honor my ethical code, or abide by my loyalty to Roger. There was no way to do both," she wrote.

That same month, she called Lachlan Murdoch and asked him to get a "general counsel" on the line before detailing her own allegations of sexual harassment by Ailes, which she also wrote about in her memoir. Ailes allegedly offered to advance her career "in exchange for sexual favors" and tried "physical advances" after she rejected his advances.

In January 2006, Ailes allegedly tried to grab her "repeatedly" and kiss her. When she shoved him away, "he asked me an ominous question: 'When is your contract up?'" before trying to kiss her again.

Within days of her call to Murdoch, 21st Century Fox announced that they had hired Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison to conduct the investigation, an announcement which became public on July 11th, five days after Carlson filed her suit. Ailes left Fox News on July 21st.

"Despite Roger's attempts to prewire it, the Paul, Weiss review was not a whitewash," Kelly wrote in her memoir. "They were genuinely searching for the truth. When they found it, they knew Roger had to go."
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Children who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting are more likely to survive, and to have better neurological outcomes, when they receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Researchers studying a large U.S. registry of cardiac arrests compared outcomes for two bystander resuscitation techniques, and also recommend improving provision of bystander CPR in minority communities to improve outcomes in children.

"Over 5000 children have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest every year in the United States," said study leader Maryam Y. Naim, MD, of the Cardiac Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). "The overall mortality of these arrests remains high, but we know that providing bystander CPR can improve survival. Our study offers more information relevant to saving children's lives."

Naim and colleagues report their results today online in JAMA Pediatrics.

The research team analyzed a subset of data from the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES), a large national database of non-traumatic cardiac arrests established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The team evaluated 3900 cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in children up to age 18 from 2013 to 2015. About 60 percent of the arrests occurred in infants, 60 percent in females, and about 84 percent in homes or residences. Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of the arrests were not witnessed.

Overall, 440 (11.3 percent) of the 3900 children survived, and the majority of those survivors (354 or 9.1 percent of the 3900) had neurologically favorable outcomes. In 46 percent of the 3900 cases, someone provided bystander CPR, most commonly a family member. Children who received bystander CPR had an advantage in overall survival compared to those receiving no bystander CPR13.2 percent versus 9.5 percent. They also had better rates of neurologically favorable survival10.3 percent compared to 7.59 percent in those with no bystander CPR.

The researchers also analyzed two types of bystander CPR for 1411 of the total cases in which such data was available, comparing conventional CPR, which includes both chest compressions and rescue breaths, to compression-only CPR. Although both methods are equally effective for adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the American Heart Association recommends conventional CPR for children. In this study, the first to compare both methods in U.S. children, 49 percent of children who had an OHCA received conventional CPR and 51 percent received compression-only CPR. Importantly, neurologically favorable survival was more likely to occur after conventional CPR than after the compression-only technique.

One other finding relates to infants, who suffer the majority of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. In infants, conventional CPR showed higher overall survival, and compression-only CPR had rates of survival similar to no bystander CPR.

Finally, the study team found a racial disparity in those receiving bystander CPR. White children were significantly more likely to receive bystander CPR than Black or Hispanic children, similarly to previous findings in adults who receive bystander CPR. "This finding suggests that public health interventions in Black and Hispanic communities should focus on education on how to perform bystander CPR," said Naim.

Formerly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CARES is now supported by the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, the Medtronic Foundation HeartRescue Program, Physio-Control Corporation, Zoll Corporation, and in-kind support from Emory University. Co-authors with Naim were from CHOP, the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Emory University, University of Texas Health Science Center and Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree, Colo.

Maryam Y. Naim et al, "Association of Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation with Overall and Neurologically Favorable Survival After Pediatric Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in the United States: A Report from the CARES Surveillance Registry," JAMA Pediatrics, published Nov. 12, 2016.

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 535-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu

Contact: Joey McCool RyanChildren's Hospital of Philadelphia(267) 426-6070, (267) 258-6735[email protected]

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SOURCE The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Shreveport, La. (PRWEB) November 12, 2016

For the first time, the enshrined heart of Saint John Berchmans will travel outside of its homeland of Belgium. The heart will arrive at St. John Berchmans Cathedral in Shreveport, the only Cathedral in the world to bear his name, on Thursday, December 8th and remain on display until December 18th. His Eminence Edwin F. Cardinal O'Brien will travel from the Vatican to be the special guest of honor as we mark the 150th anniversary of the apparition and miracle of St. John Berchmans which took place in Louisiana.

On December 14th, the heart will travel to Grand Coteau, Louisiana, to the site where Blessed Berchmans appeared to young Mary Wilson on December 14, 1866, while she was near death in the infirmary at the Academy of the Sacred Heart. On the ninth day of a Novena prayed through his intercession, Blessed John Berchmans appeared to Wilson and immediately, completely cured her of her lengthy, debilitating illness. This was the miracle which led to his canonization by Pope Leo XIII on January 15, 1888.

John Berchmans was born on March 13, 1599 in Diest, which is present day Belgium. He was the oldest of 5 children and his love for the Lord was evident at an early age. John Berchmans entered the Jesuit novitiate and made his first vows on September 25, 1618. Shortly thereafter, he was sent to Rome to continue his philosophy studies. While in Rome, he became ill and died on August 13, 1621 at the age of 22. While he lay in state, a blind woman was able to regain her eyesight after touching his fingers to her eyes. That was the first miracle that began the beatification process for John Berchmans. His heart was returned to his homeland where it is kept in a silver reliquary at a church in Mechelen.

Throughout the 10 days, St. John Berchmans Cathedral will host a number of scholars and exhibits.

For more information on the events please check out the website SJBdevotion.org. There is information about the visit and special rates at the Hilton Shreveport for visitors.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/11/prweb13843398.htm
LISLE, Ill., Nov. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kretschmar Premium Meats & Cheeses has partnered with Evansville IGA and country music star Easton Corbin to donate $1,000 to Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Kretschmar made the donation in Evansville, Ind. on Friday as part of its Legendary Wishes campaign, which helps Make-A-Wish grant wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses.

Country Music Artist Easton Corbin Presents Make-A-Wish with $1,000 Donation, Wish Kid Elizabeth Accepts on their Behalf.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f3e731f2-048e-4afa-bccc-83f3c987da08

Three-time American Country Award winner Easton Corbin invited Wish Kid Elizabeth and her family backstage before his performance. Corbin presented a donation of $1,000 to help Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana grant future wishes.

"It was an honor to present Make-A-Wish with a check for $1,000 to help bring more wishes to life," said Corbin. "I'm proud to show my support for this cause. This is something really special that Kretschmar is doing across the country to make dreams come true for our young heroes, whose spirit and courage inspires us.

12-year-old Elizabeth and her family were also treated to a live performance by Corbin, Kretschmars brand ambassador for 2016. Easton hit the music scene in 2009 with a #1 single, "A Little More Country Than That" and won several Breakthrough Artist awards. Since then, Corbin has released three hit albums with songs including "Roll With It," "Lovin' You is Fun," and "All Over the Road." Corbin has a full schedule in 2016 and is currently touring with Carrie Underwood, as well as performing in his own headlining shows.

Supporting Make-A-Wish and making wishes come true for children is something very gratifying for us, said Michael J. Sargent, Senior Brand Manager, Smithfield Foods. Our contribution can support Make-A-Wish throughout the year, and were thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to help fulfill special wishes for children.

Since partnering with Make-A-Wish in 2012, Kretschmar has donated more than $600,000 nationally and sponsored more than 12 wishes with local chapters through its Legendary Wishes campaign. Along with its retail partners, Kretschmar has raised additional funding through in-store sales of Make-A-Wish paper stars, employee donations and sandwich fundraisers. Those efforts have raised more than $85,000, which was given to local Make-A-Wish chapters to grant even more wishes.

"A granted wish has the power to rally an entire community together to create lasting memories for a child, said Doug Kelly, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana. Were incredibly grateful for the support of Kretschmar and Evansville IGA who are working together to make future wishes just like Elizabeth's heartfelt wish come true.

This year, Kretschmar helped grant three wishes across the country. In Joplin, Mo., Kretschmar teamed up with Make-A-Wish Missouri to grant a 17-year-olds wish to restore his fathers 1970 pick-up. Along with Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee, Kretschmar granted the wish of a teen who wanted to attend the CMA Music Festival in Nashville. The 17-year-old experienced the country music trip of a lifetime; four days of VIP treatment in the Music City, including an all-star concert at Nissan Stadium and a private Kretschmar Country concert. Kretschmar also helped send a 14-year-old girl to the San Francisco Zoo through Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana.

For more information about Kretschmar Deli and its involvement with Make-A-Wish visit www.KretschmarDeli.com or www.Facebook.com/KretschmarDeli.

Kretschmar is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About KretschmarKretschmar Premium Deli Meats & Cheeses has meant quality since 1883. Our hams are made with a unique hardwood smoking process. Kretschmar poultry and beef are hand-trimmed using the finest cuts. Our full line of Off-The-Bone deli meats are delicately sliced from the leanest, most tender cuts. And our premium Wisconsin cheeses repeatedly win in competitions world-wide. Try the Legendary Taste of Kretschmar today. For great recipes and more, like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/kretschmardeli or visit our website at www.kretschmardeli.com.

About Smithfield FoodsSmithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cook's, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curly's, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Make-A-WishMake-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true has positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Headquartered in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world's leading children's charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 28,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 21 minutes. It has granted more than 270,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,800 in 2015 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at www.wish.org to learn more.

About Easton CorbinMercury Nashville recording artist Easton Corbin is lauded for his traditional country sound, authentic lyrics and mastery of understatement. American Songwriter says, "Easton Corbin has one of those rare, glorious voices that was made-just made-for singing country music." His self-titled debut album released in 2010 and spawned back-to-back hits "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll With It;" making him the first country male artist in 17 years to have his first two consecutive singles reach No. 1. In 2012 the Gilchrist County Florida native released his sophomore album, All Over The Road, which included the Top 5 hits "Lovin' You Is Fun" and "All Over The Road." Corbin set a career-best debut on Country Airplay with his top 5 hit single, "Baby Be My Love Song," from his No. 1 debuting album About To Get Real. His current single "Yup" is climbing the country singles chart. Corbin is currently on tour with Carrie Underwood's The Storyteller Tour.

Contact: Leah Rubertino Breaking Limits for Kretschmar (626) 676.3735 [email protected]

Source: Smithfield Foods
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Genalyte Inc. an emerging clinical diagnostics company, today released the first-ever clinical abstracts for the Maverick Detection System, demonstrating the potential for the diagnostics system to be used in a near patient setting to improve the turnaround time for test results.

Genalyte sponsored two pilot studies incorporating the Maverick platform into rheumatology offices. The combined studies tested more than 750 patients over a span of four months, comparing the real-time results of the Maverick with those of standard lab procedures and patient diagnosis.

Both studies (abstracts can be found here and here) were presented at the 2016 American College of Rheumatology/ Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ACR/ARHP) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Key conclusions included the following:

Successful demonstration of the feasibility of performing multiplex ANA testing on whole blood in a near patient setting

Extremely high correlation between positive and negative results comparing whole blood tested on the Maverick system with serum tested using previously approved devices

Extremely high correlation of test results between venous draw and finger-stick blood samples

Potential for use of the Maverick system in the outpatient setting to improve turnaround time for diagnosis, increase proximity of patient testing (near-patient in the physician office)

"Genalyte's goal is to put a rapid and powerful suite of diagnostic tests in every physician's office, and these initial trials illustrate that our team has made significant strides in that direction," said Dr. Cary Gunn, Genalyte's founder and CEO.

"The 2016 American College of Rheumatology meeting marks a major milestone in Genalyte's clinical development program," said Dr. Rick Hockett, Genalyte's Chief Medical Officer. "Dr. Reddy's presentation of in-office clinical trial data as well as independent validation data from Dr. Miyara's group at le Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital demonstrate Genalyte's commitment to engaging in the clinical peer review process for the evaluation of our novel diagnostic platform."

Dr. Smitha Reddy, medical director of the Arthritis Care and Research Center of San Diego, said the company-sponsored study demonstrated, "the feasibility of performing multiplex ANA testing on whole blood in a near patient setting in an outpatient clinic." Added Dr. Reddy, "There is high correlation between venous blood and finger-stick blood, and between positive and negative results on the Maverick and comparative devices."

Dr. Cary Gunn is available to discuss the results and the Maverick system. Interested members of the media should contact [email protected] to set up an interview or request more information.

About Genalyte Genalyte's vision is to transform the doctor-patient relationship by bringing the doctor, the patient, and the lab together to provide results when they matter: Now. Genalyte's platform is being designed with the goal of providing test results from a whole blood sample within fifteen minutes in the physician's office. Providing diagnostic results at the time and place they are needed  when the patient is sitting in front of the doctorhas the potential to empower physicians, improve quality of care for patients, and reduce resource utilization across the healthcare system. Genalyte's technology is based on a proprietary silicon biosensor design that is currently in use by pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations and academic researchers. For more information, visit www.genalyte.com.

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SOURCE Genalyte Inc.
By Lisa Barrington

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Arab Spring unrest of 2011 has cost the region's economies an estimated $614 billion of growth because of regime change, continuing conflict and falling oil prices, a United Nations agency said on Thursday.

The figure from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), equivalent to 6 percent of GDP up to the end of last year, is based on growth projections made before the uprisings that toppled four leaders and mired Yemen, Syria and Libya in war.

Published on Thursday, it is the first estimate of its kind by a global economic body.

In its sixth year of conflict, Syria alone has suffered GDP and capital losses of $259 billion since 2011, according to estimates from the National Agenda for the Future of Syria, another U.N. program.

Oil prices began to slide in mid-2014 and fell to 13-year lows this January, hitting producer countries such as Saudi Arabia, and others including Lebanon that rely heavily on remittances from citizens working in Gulf Arab states.

Mohamed el Moctar Mohamed el Hacene, ESCWA's Economic Development director, said the oil downturn would probably benefit producer countries. "They will put in place economic reforms leading to real diversification," he told Reuters.

Meanwhile the region needed more financial support from the international community.

"We have seen in Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Balkans the support they got in order to recover after conflict. We have not seen so far such support occurring for the Arab region," el Hacene said.

(Reporting by Lisa Barrington; editing by John Stonestreet)
By Francois Murphy

VIENNA (Reuters) - The independent candidate in Austria's tight presidential run-off plans to use the far right's support for Donald Trump as a weapon against it to ensure the U.S. election outcome will not help his opponent as many suspect.

Former Greens leader Alexander Van der Bellen narrowly won a run-off in May against the anti-immigration Freedom Party's Norbert Hofer, but the result was overturned in July. The re-run is due to be held on Dec. 4.

Events since the original run-off, including Britain's vote to exit the European Union, appear to have had little effect on the race for Austria's largely ceremonial presidency, with polls giving a slight edge to Hofer but within the margin of error.

But Trump's victory on Tuesday, on top of Brexit, has raised the prospect of a right-wing populist wave sweeping the West.

A survey in Austria by pollster Market conducted on Tuesday found 58 percent of respondents believe Trump's victory would boost Hofer's chances of winning, with only 14 percent saying it would lift Van der Bellen.

"It is, I think, a mistake to change strategy in a short-term panic," Van der Bellen, a softly spoken, 72-year-old former economics professor, told Reuters in an interview on Friday. "You can refine and change tactics, but not the broad line."

Asked what tactical changes he had in mind, he said: "Point out slightly more directly what it means if you support Donald Trump in such a fervent manner. Does it mean you also support what he (promised) during the campaign? Does it mean you are against health insurance in Austria? Does it mean you want to wall off the borders whatever the cost?"

The Freedom Party (FPO), which like Trump has capitalized on grassroots fears about unemployment and immigration as well as anger at the political establishment, congratulated Trump on his victory. But it has been less enthusiastic in its support for him than some of its European allies, such as the far-right National Front in France.

Van der Bellen is also seeking to capitalize on Hofer's U-turn on Britain's Brexit vote - Hofer initially said Austria could hold its own referendum on leaving the EU within a year, but now no longer wants one.

"Mr Hofer is constantly changing his strategy," Van der Bellen said, and was likely to dissolve parliament to bring about a snap election that polls suggest his party would win.

NO SUPERMAN

Van der Bellen has also said that a Hofer victory would lead to the FPO taking control of government, but he stopped short on Friday of saying he would use the president's influence in forming coalitions to block the FPO entirely.

"I would in any case like for a pro-European government to lead the country after the election. Whether I can have my way is another question, but that is my goal," he said.

It was not clear what effect Trump's victory would have in Austria, a country with less income disparity and a stronger welfare state than Britain or the United States, he said.

"We just saw how much opinion polls are worth during Trump's election," he said, referring to the stunning upset victory. "That alone does not unsettle me. Rather I would say that we just don't know (what effect it will have)."

The chain-smoking former economist added that while he understood some of the public anger fuelling support for his 45-year-old opponent, he was only willing to go so far in promising to make things better.

"I am not saying I am Superman. That goes against who I am and I worked in academia too long to speak so boastfully. But I dare say that it would be better for Austria's economy if I were elected than Mr Hofer," he said.

(Editing by Mark Heinrich)
A trader passes by the post where Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., is traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 25, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) - The former chief financial officer of British software company Autonomy has been indicted on U.S. charges of engaging in a fraudulent scheme to deceive investors and Hewlett Packard (NYSE: HPE) about his firm's performance before its sale in 2011.

Sushovan Hussain, a UK resident who was Autonomy's CFO at the time of its $11 billion acquisition by HP, was charged in an indictment filed on Thursday in federal court in San Francisco with conspiracy and wire fraud.

The indictment alleged that beginning in October 2009, Hussain and others sought to deceive Autonomy's investors and HP about the company's performance, financial condition and prospects for growth.

The scheme had several objectives, the indictment said, including to artificially increase and maintain Autonomy's share price to make the company attractive to potential buyers like HP.

Hussain, who remains in the United Kingdom, has not been arrested. John Keker, his lawyer, said in a statement on Friday that Hussain was innocent and would be acquitted at trial.

"He defrauded no one and, as Autonomy's CFO, acted at all times with the highest standards of honesty, integrity and competence," Keker said.

The indictment marked the latest fallout from the deal, which was supposed to form the central part of HP's move into software but instead led the U.S. company a year later to write-off three-quarters of Autonomy's value.

Last year, HP sued Autonomy's co-founder Mike Lynch and Hussain, seeking $5.1 billion in a lawsuit that accused them of engaging in fraudulent activities to boost the company's value.

Both men have denied wrongdoing. Lynch countersued HP last year, saying at the time that "HP was simply incompetent in its operation of Autonomy, and the acquisition was doomed from the very beginning."

Hewlett Packard Enterprise did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for former Autonomy management, including Lynch and Hussain, said that the group is certain of Hussain's innocence and HP lied to the markets and shareholders.

The case is U.S. v. Hussain, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 16-cr-00462.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York and Peter Henderson in San Francisco; editing by Tom Brown and Cynthia Osterman)
(Reuters) - A knife-wielding man was shot by police after stabbing six people at a mental health clinic outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Friday afternoon, authorities said.

Dustin Johnson, 38, is accused of starting the attack shortly after entering the Turtle Creek Valley Mental Health center in Homestead around 2 p.m. local time (1900 GMT), the Allegheny County Police Department said.

Police said Johnson went to the fifth floor of the facility where he stabbed the victims, while armed with two knives as well as what appeared to be a handgun but was later determined to be a BB gun.

Johnson stabbed two residents and three employees, local media reported. One of the residents was in a critical condition while the rest of the victims were stable, WPXI.com reported.

Police said SWAT officers were attempting to negotiate with Johnson when the victims and their relatives began calling 911, saying they were bleeding out from their wounds. Three officers subsequently opened fire on Johnson, police said.

Police said Johnson was taken to an area hospital and was undergoing surgery.

Local broadcaster WTAE interviewed staff member CJ Fulton who witnessed the incident and said Johnson was a former patient.

Fulton said Johnson "was angry from something that happened when he was staying there with us, when he was a patient, and he started saying, 'You ruined my life,'" before launching into his stabbing spree.

(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
While there are policy debacles yet to come under a Trump presidency, those are still somewhat in the future. An immediate consequence of Trump's election has been an emboldening of America's more hateful citizens, who are making themselves heard around the country, including in New York. Now though, the Arab Association of New York's Kayla Santosuosso is trying to help push back against that wave of hate, with an effort that will allow people to volunteer to escort "people of color, LGBTQ folks, and Muslims" on their subway commutes in order to keep them safe from harassment.

Santosuosso's Google Form asks for your name, the best time you can help someone with their commute, where your commute takes you to and from and a little information about yourself. She told Gothamist that the initial idea for the form came after she got a Facebook message from a friend of a friend. That person had reached out to Santosuosso to see if she could help find someone who would ride downtown with a Muslim woman in Harlem who had been harassed on the subway two days in a row following the election. Santosuosso managed to connect the woman with someone who drives in from White Plains to Chelsea and volunteered to pick her up every day, but in the mean time, her Facebook post asking for help had been shared a number of times even outside of her normal friend network.

Seeing the response, Santosuosso said she created the Google Form at 12:30 in the morning yesterday. "In the back of my head, I thought I'd make this Google Form and at the very least well have this list of 50 people that I can connect in my own time," Santosuosso said. She had 50 people when she woke up, but then after spending a few hours in meetings yesterday, Santosuosso said the number of responses had shot up to 2,232, and were still coming in "every five to ten seconds."

"Clearly there are signs of hope coming out of this," Santosuosso said. "This is showing that theres a ton of energy and a ton of drive for folks to show up in the wake of this election and support their neighbors, especially those that are more vulnerable. People have asked what they do now, how to make themselves useful, and this is resonating because its one simple act that lets them help someone and get them home safely."

Santosuosso also said that as the sign up sheet got more attention, she heard from people in other cities and states, places as far away as California, New Orleans and Boston. With the attention from those other cities in mind, and knowing that there are people who want to help in some small way but don't commute on the subway, Santosuosso said that she's currently talking with other organizing groups on how to best put people's energy to work. "Clearly theres 2200 people willing to put their bodies on the line, so how do we harness it effectively?" she said.

"Were in the first couple days, but weve got 4 to 8 years ahead of us," she said. "So I'm trying to figure out how to keep the response from dying out." And even after Trump, America will still be dealing with this new reality. "The danger isnt just Trump, its Trumpism, and the people whove been emboldened by him," Santosuosso said.

The plan going forward is to put together and then send what Santosuosso called a toolkit to people that will show them organizations that need donations, volunteers and supplies, and try to connect people's skills with groups that need their specific help.

Santosuosso said that because of the huge amount of people who signed up, she's not going to immediately start matching people up for escorts. Not until she's "come up with an effective way to provide training." She said that she's been talking with national anti-racist and de-escalation organizers, and that "knowing the urgency going forward well harness people's energy quickly."

In the mean time, if you do see someone being harassed on the subway, Santosuosso said that there are small steps you can take to help someone. "If you see someone you think is being harassed, go over,ask them if theyre okay and need help. If theyre non-responsive, just walk away but keep an eye on the situation. If you see they need help, talk to the person doing the harassment, ask them a bunch of questions, like what their name is and where they're from. Tear the focus away from the harassed person, and disrupt and deescalate the situation." She also suggested taking a deescalation class from a group like Showing Up For Racial Justice.
Bangladeshs cheap labour and Sri Lankas skilled workforce can go hand-in-hand By Raj Moorthy View(s): View(s):

While the unemployment rate is increasing and labour is becoming very cheap in Bangladesh, the Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh and the High Commission of Bangladesh in Sri Lanka is encouraging Sri Lankan corporates and businesses to invest in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has very cheap labour whereas Sri Lanka has a skilled workforce to educate and train the young unemployed people in Bangladesh, says Tofail Ahmed, Minister of Commerce of Bangladesh.

He made this comment to the Business Times on the sidelines of a discussion on Bangladesh and Sri Lanka frontiers of economic opportunities and engagements that was held at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo on Tuesday.

In Bangladeshs population of more than 160 million people, 76 per cent of them are youth under the age of 40 and many are unemployed. Every year two million people join the labour force. Sri Lanka has skilled workforce in the IT, Finance, Banking and many other sectors, but the need for labour is tremendously increasing. Bangladesh has plenty of labourers on the other hand which both countries can work together hand-in-hand if partnerships and businesses move to Bangladesh, added Mr. Ahmed.

He also mentioned during the discussion that diversification of products and markets are what Bangladesh is looking at today. We are the second largest readymade apparel exporters in the world next to China whereas US is the number one market for Bangladeshs exports. The country is heading towards digitization while the economy and GDP are exponentially growing. We are expecting 8.2 per cent GDP growth target by 2021. Our investment policies are liberal whereas investments will be fully protected by law. While there are platinum factories in Bangladesh, we are planning to set up green factories in the country.

He noted that agriculture and IT are the key areas in Bangladesh while leather, pharmaceutical and cement industries are growing tremendously in the country.

It was also stated during the discussion that 45 Sri Lankan companies have invested in Bangladesh and only a few Bangladeshi companies are present in Sri Lanka. Bangladesh is the 44th largest economy in the world and one of the largest financial markets in South Asia. Huge opportunities are available in many sectors such as medical tourism, research and innovation. The country is targeting to move into a middle income country by 2021 and a developed country by 2041. 100 economy zones will be set up by the government in Bangladesh, according to officials.
Driving innovation through classrooms View(s):

Kussi Amma Sera may have got it wrong after all. Or did we? In our column two weeks ago we predicted an Achcharu budget or an unpredictable one and suggested some advice from our band of chefs but it seems the Finance Minister

(and his masterchefs) may have got it right after all.

Praise when praise is due is our motto and on three issues close to our heart  education, innovation and technology  Maithripala, Ranil and Ravi (and teams from the UNP and the SLFP as the media was told were involved in budget preparation) seemed to have got it right on the money. To some extent at least.

The UNP and the SLFP appear to have concocted a nice formula for their Achcharu in the chatty-pot perhaps giving our band of Achcharu chefs a run for their money.

How is that? For the reasons stated here. Ravi has addressed issues like poor infrastructure, teacher training, curricula development and also spoken of reforms targeting zero drop-outs, a mandatory education for 13 years and expanding options for students to continue onto education, with a focus on science and technology-based education  issues that were raised at a recent discussion on education organized by the Sunday Times Business Club.

The focus of that discussion was whether education is geared towards todays technology-driven marketplace. That discussion referred to the need for an education system that meets the demands of the world, while the medical profession represented at the meeting spoke of the lack of time for precious play, rest and recreation.

The need for an attitudinal change in the education system, moving away from a system of memorizing which takes away the skill of questioning and building a system that promotes thinking was stressed at that education discussion. Play, reading, rest and sleep were noted as fundamentals in an education structure that takes on a new world filled with development and challenges, in many ways a world of the unknown as the pace of change is very vast and rapid in this fascinating, technologically-driven era.

Innovation, creation and critical thinking are the new mantra and the Business Times has contributed in many ways profiling start-ups with innovative business ideas and having special pages focusing on technology. In fact today, the start-ups page features ParaQum Technologies, whose founder and university teacher Dr. Ajith Pasqual says his objective is to mak e electronics a significant contributor to the national economy and exports.

Ajiths reading is spot-on, because electronics and everything that goes with it are the future and that is written in the stars, even our astrologers would tell you.

For that matter, last week checking out a design exhibition in Colombo steered by Linda Speldewinde, who has transformed the fashion design space with new technology, I was fascinated by a presentation from a young designer from Tel Aviv, Danit Peleg.

I was drawn to the discussion not because of a penchant for fashion designing but out of curiousity to see what technology was being used for. And that presentation floored me, for it showed how Danit had experimented with creating dresses using 3-D printing which can be made at home.

Can you imagine making your own dress at home? she asked showing a video presentation on how she created a dress using 3-D printing described as an additive manufacturing process that creates a physical object from a digital design.

Danit highlighted how a 3-D printed dress can have LED lights which light up when you send a text. Imagine if the T-shirt worn by a DJ lights up at an event when everyone texts that they love him, she said.

According to Danit, 3-D clothes can be printed at home; you dont need a store-front to display and sell clothes. You can email the design and print the dress, shirt or whatever at home. Fashion stores could be a thing of the past!

Think about it. This could be a reincarnation of the baby boomers generation who grew up with mothers and wives doing a lot of sewing at home on cranky, old pedal-driven machines. The only difference: a change of machine!

Danit said that after the design is 3-D printed in a small machine at home, the pieces are glued together which is the fun part. Just like knitting  then a favoured past-time at home, which mothers and wives did whenever they had a moment to spare amidst their busy running-the-house-and-family schedule.

3-D dresses, however are made of rubberized material and need some inner, soft fabric, but the day will dawn soon (given the speed of innovation) when a softer, wearable fabric is created. Nanotechnology is coming up with some amazing creations  even in our backyard at the Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology 50-acre nanotechnology park at Homagama. Among some of the developments is a fabric that doesnt get dirty or smelly (with sweat) and doesnt need to be washed for many days or weeks.

Now back to Ravi Ks budget: The Finance Minister said the right things needed for a futuristic education stream like smart classrooms (with provision for free tabs for almost 175,000 students who enter the AL classes and around 28,000 AL teachers) and urged telecom service providers to support this initiative by providing Wi-Fi connections.

In enhancing IT facilities in 3,500 schools, schools are to be provided with funds to rent a maximum of 50 computers each, and new subjects like Hospitality Management, Fashion Design, Digital Technology, Logistics, and Financial Literacy amongst many others are being introduced at the OL and AL.

The savings habit among children is also being encouraged with banks, as part of their CSR, being urged to help open savings accounts for all school children. Perhaps, the Minister must have read last weeks column where we spoke about inculcating a savings habit that can generate funds to develop the nation with less foreign and local commercial borrowings.

Another good proposal was the offer of scholarships for undergraduates of the 17 state universities who are the top 3 in the faculties of Engineering, Medicine, Bio and Physical Science, Accountancy, Finance and Law to top universities around the world like Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, NUS, etc to follow post graduate studies up to PhD level. These universities are a driving force in the world on innovation and these offers should also take into account how these students can and should, on completion, contribute to the countrys development paradigm with progressive ideas and thoughts. These were some of the points that emerged at the education discussion (referred to earlier) where Paediatric Neurologist Dr. Jithangi Wanigasinghe strongly implored the authorities to formulate an education structure that is based on critical thinking, questioning and thought along with adequate time for play, rest and recreation.

In todays busy world, most corporate executives will tell you a relaxed walk in the park energises the mind, creating vibrant thought and ideas.

The proposal to encourage pedagogical training for academic and administrative staff is also a step in the right direction with teachers at all levels being connected to a different art or science of teaching where writing on a blackboard and telling students what to learn is a thing of the past.

Another very important proposal is a cost sheet for patients in government hospitals and university students. For example, a patient in a state hospital on being discharged would be provided with the total cost of that care  sometimes running into millions of rupees if one accessed private medical care for example and if it includes surgery. In the universities, each student would be told what it costs for his or her education, for as Ravi says so that they are conscious of the funds allocated from the taxes collected from the common man in the country. This also importantly addresses the ridiculous thought ingrained in most university students that the government is obliged to provide a job, rather than working hard for it.

This proposal is an innovation, thinking out-of-the-box exercise and drives home the fact that in both health and education, someone else is paying for the services we use, and often abuse.

Perhaps another important exercise  maybe in the next budget  is to measure the performance of MPs in economic terms vis-a-vis the money spent from taxpayers funds. For all the shouting and hollering in Parliament, are they making a significant, productive and meaningful contribution?

There were many other proposals on science, technology start-ups and innovation but as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Will the Government deliver on all these promises? In the 2016 budget at least 20 key proposals were not implemented with some being repeated in the 2017 budget. I rest my case.
Hayleys profits down due to Rs.459 mln loss from tea/rubber View(s):

Sri Lankas leading diversified conglomerate, Hayleys PLC has recorded a 18 per cent Year-on-Year (YOY) increase in revenue with growth in Construction, Agriculture, and Hand Protection sectors supporting the group to post revenue in excess of Rs. 52 billion by the end of the first half of 2016 (1H16).

Profit Before Tax (PBT) during the period stood at Rs. 2.5 billion with the Transportation and Logistics sector achieving a turnover of Rs.11billion against Rs. 7.3 billion in1H15. The groups Construction Materials segment recorded revenue of Rs.1.9 billion, improving on a previous Rs. 1.7 billion in 1H15, according to a company media statement.

Revenue in the Agriculture sector recorded impressive growth, rising to Rs. 6.5 billion by the end of the half, against Rs. 4.8 billion in the corresponding period of 2015. Similarly, the groups Hand Protection segment recorded revenue of Rs. 7 billion over a previous Rs. 6 billion.

However, as was the case across the Sri Lankan Plantation sector, crop losses due to adverse weather conditions and a Government ban on weedicides resulted in the groups plantation segment revenue shrinking from Rs. 4.7 billion down to Rs. 4.4 billion during the period in review, ultimately leading to a loss of Rs. 459 million during 1H16, the statement said.

Commenting on the performance and outlook of the group, Hayleys Chairman, Mohan Pandithage stated: While the systemic issues in the Sri Lankan Plantation sector did have a negative effect on the bottom line, these effects were largely mitigated by strong performances across the Hayleys Group  particularly with regard to the Hand protection, and construction material segments. Technology, innovation and sustainability continue serve as a catalyst for new growth opportunities within the Hayleys Group.
Udayangas website identical to Sri Lanka embassy web View(s):

That a Sri Lankan court has issued a warrant for the arrest of former Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga is well known. However not known, and only pointed out last week by a Sri Lankan national in Qatar, is that the former on-the-run-ambassador for whom an Interpol warrant has also been issued has an identical Sri Lankan embassy in Russia website. It is titled Previous website of Embassy of Sri Lanka and carries the Sri Lankan government logo. This picture shows the official embassy website and Mr. Weeratungas website. The two website addresses are http://www.srilankaembassy.org/ (udayangas) and http://www.srilankaembassy.ru/en/ (official government one).
Inclusion or exclusion: The Budget debate kicks off By Chandani Kirinde, Our Lobby Correspondent View(s): View(s):

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said the second budget of the yahapalanaya government which he presented to Parliament on Thursday was aimed at accelerating growth with social inclusion but as the debate on its merits and demerits got underway, opposition lawmakers tried to blow the lid off what government MPs referred to as a people friendly budget.

Over the course of his lengthy budget speech, Minister Karunanayake outlined the governments vision for the countrys economic growth aimed at achieving far reaching reforms that would propel Sri Lanka to be a strong high-income economy in the Asian region

The medium term strategy of the government is focused on generating one million employment opportunities, enhancing income levels, developing rural economies, ensuring ownership of land to rural and estate sector working class, the middle class and the public sector employees, thus creating a strongly vibrant much wider middle class. Strong emphasis on all policies and programmes will be placed on the alleviation of poverty in all manifestations beginning 2017, the Minister said.

While peoples expectations from this budget were rather low in comparison to the previous year when there was a clamour for pay hikes and other perks particularly from employees in the state sector., the low expectations may have led to the somber mood inside the Chamber when Mr. Karunanayake delivered the speech. President Maithripala Sirisena joined other lawmakers in the Chamber to listen to the Budget speech.

On Friday the debate on the second reading of the Appropriation Bill got underway with Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A.Sumanthiran opening the debate. He touched on the subject of social inclusion which he said was vital when economic measures are put in place. However he said an overall scrutiny of the budget showed that that there was more room for social exclusion than inclusion.

When handling the economy, it is vital to ensure that the citizens live contended lives and know their troubles are shared with all the country. This can only be achieved with real social inclusion, Mr.Sumanthiran said.

He said that while the budget has spoken of creating more jobs and increasing production in various sectors, it has not been spelled out clearly how these goals would be reached.

JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti was among those in the Opposition who was critical of the Budget saying that it neither contained a vision for the future nor any sound economic policies.

This is a tax on tax Budget with more burdens heaped on the public who are already reeling with the recent increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT). Now even more taxes have been imposed on the public through this budget. While we understand that taxes need to be imposed to collect government revenue, the already burdened public should not be taxed more, he said.

However Government members defended the Budget with Minister of Public Enterprises Development Kabeer Hasheem saying that what the country needed were economic polices that moved the country forward and not ones which led to stagnation.

The countrys economic woes are ones that we inherited from the previous government. We lost many benefits during the previous regime like the GSP. Problems that could have been solved easily were allowed to aggravate and now we have to tackle them, he said.

The Minister said that it was poor management of the economy by the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime that eventually forced the former president to hold an early presidential poll. The former President knew his government was going bankrupt and the only solution was to call an election, he said.

UPFP Colombo District (Joint Opposition Group) MP Bandula Gunawardena said the government is talking of attracting foreign investors but was acting in a manner that was detrimental to such a move. Recently the Finance Minister criticised the Chinese Ambassador. China is one of the biggest investors in Sri Lanka. With this kind of behaviour how can you attract foreign investors? he asked.

Mr.Gunawardena also announced that the JO MPs would vote against the Budget.

The vote on the Second Reading of the Budget will be taken on November 18 while the final vote on the Appropriation Bill will be on December 10.
Let us rebuild our country, starting in our homes View(s):

Our Lord Buddha and founders of other religions have given a clear direction about the efforts that are expected from us in life. All living beings, humans and animals wish to be happy. We dislike grief. If that is the case both the rulers and the people must realise that as we cannot clap with one hand, we must think diligently and make an effort to develop ourselves.

The main aim of education should be training for proper living. In the past, parents had practical experience of this. They were known as the initial teachers and brought up their children without making them a burden to society. When the parents reached old age, with the help of the children they spent that time usefully and passed away peacefully.

If people are sick and unable to move about, and dependent on others, they cannot be happy. The Lord Buddha had preached that good health is the biggest wealth. The people in those days took trouble to take care of their bodies and minds because even if they had wealth they knew it was of little use if they were invalided.

To correct this situation the Gangaramaya and our devotees are ready to help. In a months time we are hoping to start a health clinic at Mahindarama Road in Punchi Borella. We will educate the people on how to take care of their bodies and minds. Those who are keen to learn, will be able to live in a healthy way, without taking medicinal drugs regularly. Our ancestors have shown us that if we act wisely with good intentions and blessings, we could achieve many things that we cannot achieve with medicine.

I wish to share a recent personal experience. A constant loud noise was coming to both my ears and I suffered from hearing defect. I consulted many doctors and surgery was also recommended. But I got some advice from a patient doctor. He said that when water or some other substance gets into the ear, hearing will be impaired till this is removed. He recommended some medication and I began cleaning my ears and doing some exercise. I was healed in a day or two. For such and related ailments, a few exercises will help. We learnt this from our parents. We shake the ears after a bath. There are many who insert pieces of cotton into their ears and have trouble. Today we do not have proper ear-cleaning devices. These were made of ivory or even gold plated. Things have changed today.

People involved in paper manufacture know that a lot of harmful chemicals are used. So they will not use tissue paper to clean their eyes, nose or ears. There is even the danger of getting cancer because of these tissues. A gentleman who works close to our temple complained to me that he cannot properly feel the taste of food. I advised him to bite a few pepper seeds and clean his mouth with salt. After a few days he told me he was cured. The best medicine against oral cancer is to wash the mouth several times a day with a mixture of salt, lemon and pepper. This is a good primary remedy. People have forgotten such basic remedies practised by us in the past. We need to tell the people about these home remedies for various ailments and popularise them.

If agriculture is going down, something tangible needs to be done about it. More than two thirds of our paddy fields have become fallow. The Gangaramaya is organising village level agricultural societies and we will donate hand tillers to them. We also have educated and made good citizens of young people who had gone astray. This was done at our technical training Institute. But today, only a few youth come for technical education.

Some of them go for labour jobs where they earn a lot. They go for the money. If this trend continues, we will not have the required number of technically qualified workers. We might have to get foreign workers. Already we know that there is a large foreign labour force in our country.

Instead of death donation societies, the Gangaramaya is organising cultivation societies to cultivate lands that have gone fallow. Please donate old or new hand tillers for this mission. In this way we can promote rural development. This week, India demonetized Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes. I wish this will be done in other countries also. Those who love Sri Lanka must take steps to grow something in whatever space available and obtain a harvest. Many of those cutting plants or trees are not planting anything in its place.

It seems that we have too many lazy people in our country. Without love and dedication, little or nothing could be achieved. So we are we are waiting for learned and honest people to rise and take up the challenge to rebuild society and our country.

If we are to put the country on the correct path people must have sufficient sleep at night. Local TV and radio channels must end their transmission by 10 pm. The government also should control foreign channels. We must be able to have a good family life and help people to live in a proper manner. It is time to cast away the stigma of being lazy, weak, and ignorant and organise ourselves to rebuild our country. Without going far, let us begin this in our homes.
That pesky problem of calling a government to account View(s):

When the Experts Panel of the European Union (EU) released its Interim Report in August 2009 on the question of whether to renew GSP Plus benefits for Sri Lanka, it signaled an early warning of trouble to come.

Sunny optimism about regaining EU GSP Plus

The report expressed considerable dismay in regard to multiple violations of the Rule of Law. This was opined to offend the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention against Torture (CAT) and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Punishment and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). From that point onwards, the Rajapaksa Presidency went down an unpleasantly slippery slope to the final EU decision refusing the continuation of the benefit.

Let us leave aside for the moment the argument as to whether adherence to the international human rights order should be used as a veritable bargaining tool to obtain what amounts to a duty free or trade benefit having direct impact on thousands of lower income workers. One may support or oppose this approach with equally excellent points of views for or against as the case may be. But the stubborn realpolitik is that this is the standard to which not only the Government of Sri Lanka but also EU officials themselves must conform if the facility is to be restored.

Currently, the Government has expressed sunny optimism that it will regain the GSP Plus backed by even sunnier assurances of EU officials in Brussels. Therefore it is relevant to examine how Sri Lankas proposed Counter-Terror draft law meant to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) offends every substantial principle of international law underlying the Experts Report on which the European Unions decision to discontinue the GSP Plus benefit was based.

Confessions under the PTA

Incidentally it is a matter of relief that the proponents of this draft within the Government as well as those co-opted into government ranks have now finally conceded ownership of this atrocious document. At one level, if any were uneasily reluctant to take the bull proverbially by the horns and rigorously critique the draft on the basis that its exact status was unclear, they may now be reassured. Mortifyingly this is indeed what has officially been proposed by the yahapalanaya Government as the basis for a new Counter-Terror law for Sri Lanka.

Returning to substantive issues, the PTA has long been foremost on the ranking of laws offending constitutional and international standards. Its allowing of confessions to police officers as forming a basis for convictions was a particularly sore point. This allowance has been continued by the Counter-Terror draft albeit tossing a sop or two by stipulating that the prosecution has to prove the voluntary nature of the confession and that a government forensic medical specialist must examine the suspect, supervised by a magistrate.

But as pointed out earlier in these column spaces, this so-called protection is farcical. From the Supreme Court downwards, the sheer inefficacy of magisterial supervision in custodial torture cases has been adversely commented on and documented in multifarious instances. And the prosecutions burden to prove the voluntariness of the confession is no weighty task given the frighteningly secretive circumstances in which these confessions customarily take place.

Not relying purely on judicial discretion

Granted these are questions that have perplexed the best of our judges. The division of opinion therein is best seen in Theivandrans Case (2002) where then Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, writing a 26 page opinion, declined to accept the argument that confessions obtainable under the PTA are solely sufficient to convict an accused in the absence of corroborative evidence.

His categorical question was as to why, when the ordinary law of the country shuts such confessions out, are they allowed under what amounts to a special politically motivated law? This view was not shared by his colleagues on the Bench including (surprisingly) the late Justice MDH Fernando. However all the judges concurred that the particular confession in issue lacked congruity and consistency. Consequently the conviction was not allowed to stand. But the fragility of this outcome is well seen in the fact that the Court of Appeal examining the same facts had concluded that there was nothing wrong in regard to the integrity of the confession.

The ruling of the appeal court was set aside by the Supreme Court in this instance. Nevertheless, given a different Bench at the time, the matter may well have gone the other way. This is indeed what happens in the majority of cases under the PTA. Herein lies the danger in allowing individual judges to decide rather than laying down a firm principle of law disallowing such confessions. Sri Lankas age old Criminal Procedure Code excludes confessions to police officers as a general principle precisely on the reasoning that the possibility of coercion is too real to even take the risk.

An overriding principle at stake

In 2009 the EU Experts underscored Sri Lankas problems in theory and in practice. Citing critical national assessments including this columnists analyses in this column and elsewhere, the Experts pinpointed not only theoretical failings but also concluded that even legally secured rights are not practically implemented.

For example, the excellent Anti-Torture Act (1994) giving effect to the UN Convention Against Torture was frustrated due to bad investigations, lackadaisical prosecutions and a sluggish legal system. That was the case then. This remains the same now.

Consequently  and even if wiser thought prevails with a well drafted law replacing the PTA  a slick ticking off the boxes will not do. Instead, this Government has to ensure practical changes in implementing legal rights. If the Rajapaksa State was punished for its callous obduracy by the EU, then the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe alliance must surely be held to that same standard. Absent this, the outcome will not be kind.

No room for crippling conjecture

In other words, if the EU GSP Plus privilege is restored sans actual structural reform, it will only worsen the creeping fears of some that the Rajapaksa Presidency was penalized for its refusal to dance to the tune of international pied pipers rather than failure to ensure the betterment of the people. There must be no room be left for such crippling conjecture. Its impact will only have negative repercussions on Sri Lankas internal reform process.

That would be most unforgivable.
Trump trumps: Will he dump liberal America? View(s):

And so, the American voters have picked the unknown devil (instead of the known devil) to lead them for the next four years. In their somewhat skewed election process, the defeated candidate got more popular votes than the winner who to the much over-rated most powerful job in the world  the President of the United States of America.

They were unable to break the glass ceiling in electing their first woman leader, throwing her and her baggage of 30 years in public life out of the window. Not all the coconuts broken by Tamil National Alliance politicians for her victory were of any use. Maybe they should have broken more. The silent majority in America ignored what the President-elects detractors said about him, and voted for change.

Misleadingly called the policeman of the world, given the United States pre-eminence in world affairs (and that is not necessarily a compliment), many are those who say, not always in jest, that the worlds citizens too must also have a vote in picking the man or woman for the job.

The Donald Trump victory only reinforces a growing global trend we have referred to recently (Oct. 9) that all over the world, the ruled are reacting against the rulers  even if they have been placed in power and place by these same voters. They are reluctant to trust the rulers implicitly. Britains Brexit vote is a textbook case. The anti-incumbency trend that Sri Lankans experienced in January last year, terribly misread by those cocooned in office, is a worldwide phenomenon. In the US, this week, many people did not trust the Government of the day  even though the incumbent President remains popular.

The disturbing signs of the US election and what is happening in much of Europe today are that the world is becoming more and more insular. The refugee problem, started by the triggering of wars by the US and European nations in West Asia and Africa, and the unequal world economic order have given momentum to a refugee crisis last seen during World War II, 70 years ago. This has given rise to xenophobia and momentum to the Far Right in Europe, and now in the US with the influx of migrants, sending shivers through local inhabitants. Home-grown terrorism as a corollary to this migration has only compounded the fear psychosis within native populations in the US and the West.

It was the white voters afraid of foreigners taking their jobs and indulging in terrorist acts who tipped the US election this week in Trumps favour for that was his strident message that resonated with the voter.

There are some salient features that Sri Lankan leaders might take serious note of from the US elections. One is that these elections  and the subsequent oath-taking, are held on fixed dates and not subject to the whims and fancies of the incumbent President. Here regrettably, we have seen in recent years, all types of shenanigans from calling snap elections to secret oath ceremonies behind closed doors.

The US and the world now enter an era of uncertainty in January next year. It is a leap into the unknown, but that is not always a bad scenario because there was so much amiss not least in the management of US foreign policy.

However much President Barack Obama resisted going to war (he always maintained that war was not the only option to settle disputes), he could not take on the Generals in the Pentagon backed by the multibillion-dollar arms industry, the CIA and those who run Washington. That is why his job is not necessarily the most powerful in the world. He is restricted and constrained by The Establishment. If President-elect Trump thinks he can change Washington and The Establishment, good luck to him. Unless he fits into the mainstream of US politricks, he will face the consequences from within The Establishment.

Many Sri Lankans are not all that unhappy with the outcome of the US election considering the stories that the pro-Eelam Diaspora lobby had made heavy donations to the Clinton Foundation and exercised some influence over the one-time Secretary of State. The ruling UNP, has an alliance with the winning Republican Party through the IDU (International Democratic Union) of which it is a partner, and its representatives attended the Republican Convention (not the Democratic Convention) this year. On the other hand, Mr. Trump is a renegade Republican and his anti-Free Trade Agreement thinking as well as threatening big US companies investing abroad with huge penalties does not bode well for Sri Lanka looking for foreign investors and trade pacts with the US. The Foreign Minister made deep friendships with the Democratic Party-fuelled State Department and through them the Tamil Diaspora, but he will now have to start all over again with the new dispensation.

One redeeming factor would be that a Trump Administration would be least interested in the UNHRC Resolution against Sri Lanka, or one hopes so, particularly when the UNHRC chief undiplomatically weighed in against a Trump Presidency. It is now up to Sri Lanka to take advantage of this change of guard in Washington come 2017.

Sri Lanka has rarely been on the radar of the White House, and much of US policy towards Sri Lanka is dictated by the State Department and to some extent, Congress. A State Department under Mr. Trump may not be best placed to push its human rights agenda around the world calling for minority rights with its President being accused of being a white supremacist.

For many years, the US distinguished its citizens from foreigners as Americans and Aliens respectively. The latter definition was the old, outdated language now changed in many countries to non-residents. Though relatively sober in his victory speech, if one is to go by his election rhetoric, the newly elected President of the United States of America  and those who voted for him  might want to bring that old definition of Aliens back to their lexicon. God bless America.

Climate talks at crossroads

The US President-elect Donald Trump has gone on record calling the current debate on Climate Change a hoax. This week, in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh, ministers and environmentalist are gathered to follow up on the historic Paris summit of a year ago that decided to hold the increase in global average temperature.

But come January, and if the Trump Administration thinks all this global warming talk is a hoax, and the worlds biggest polluter and contributor to the warming of Planet Earth is not an active participant to a world strategy to tackle the biggest common problem faced by humankind, then all this discussions on Climate Change is just hot air, after all.
Jetwing Yala tops Asia Pacific for sustainability View(s):

While Jetwing Hotels lives up to its promise of being the home of Sri Lankan hospitality through its exceptional service, the Jetwing family is also committed to the cause of sustainability. In recognition of the practices ensued at Jetwing Yala, the hotel was announced as a HICAP Award winner for sustainable operations.

The official announcement of HICAP went on to say that Jetwing Yala homes one of the countrys largest privately owned solar installations of 300 kilowatts, which meets 40 percent of the hotels daily electricity needs. The plant supplies excess energy at peak back to the national grid, helping to cushion grid fluctuations experienced by local residents. Its cooling is operated by a vapour absorption chiller, run sustainably via steam generated from a biomass boiler using sustainable cinnamon wood procured locally. Hot water is provided entirely through renewable energy, and lighting is 100 percent LED. The renewable energy applications and efficient operations reduce CO2 by about 60 percent compared to if comparable conventional technologies were used. All wastewater is collected, treated, and reused onsite. All waste generated at the hotel is separated at source and quantified prior to disposal.

Jetwing Yala provides a holistic experience to its guests; from traveller comforts, engaging in excursions to being a part of responsible tourism, this property is in perfect unison with the natural world. While the official announcement gives a general understanding of the sustainable initiatives at Jetwing Yala, the team at the property strives for harmony with the environment through every day practices.
Stars come out at the MTV Europe Music Awards View(s):

Justin Bieber edged out Lady Gaga as biggest winner at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Rotterdam, taking home three awards on the strength of support from his fans  the Beliebers.

The evening honoured legend Prince, who passed on in April by colouring the awards in his signature purple colour. Bieber, who was nominated in five categories, won for Biggest (Most) Fans, Best Canadian Act, and Best Song for Sorry. Gaga, who is on tour in Japan, won for Best Female and Best Look. American funk revivalist Bruno Mars kicked off the show with his first big-stage performance of 24K Magic, the follow-up to his smash 2014 hit Uptown Funk.

Veteran U.S. act Green Day gave the night a political tinge, closing it out with their signature 2004 song American Idiot, their protest against the Bush administration, calling for people to ignore propaganda and think for themselves.

Green Day were honored with a Global Icon  career achievement  award. They had been nominated in the Best Live category but were edged out by rising U.S. stars Twenty One Pilots, who also won in the Best Alternative category.

Other big names who won but did not perform on Sunday included Coldplay for Best Rock and Drake for Best Hip Hop. Beyonce, who, along with Bieber had been nominated in five categories, won nothing.

Canadian R&B star The Weeknd won for Best Video with Starboy, featuring Daft Punk, and he performed the gloomy, pulsing number live, emerging from a star-covered dome on center stage. Canadian Shawn Mendes, a favorite with the many teenage girls in the audience, won in the Best Male category and played a piano rendition of his ballad Mercy. He dedicated the win to his mother, saying it was her birthday. European artists featured heavily in the performances, with Dutch DJ Martin Garrix performing In the Name of Love together with the shows American host, Bebe Rexha.

Garrix won in the Best Electronic and Best World Stage, or past MTV performance, categories. Honored as Best New Act, Swedish teen Zara Larsson performed a medley of her biggest hits, Lush Life and Aint My Fault in an all-white suit with thigh-high boots reminiscent of ABBA.

REUTERS
Airlines challenge border security deal View(s):

BAR says multinational giant will profit more than the State from ten-year contract

By Namini Wijedasa

The Board of Airline Representatives in Sri Lanka (BAR) is opposing a Government proposal to award a ten-year contract to the multinational information technology company SITA for enhancing border security  a deal which industry sources say will earn far more revenue for the company than for the State.

Each passenger flying into and out of Sri Lanka will be taxed US$ 5 on their two-way tickets for these services  a fee that airlines say is much too high. But, under the proposed agreement, a higher percentage of the tax will go to SITA, industry sources said.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has already issued a directive with regard to the implementation of an Advanced Passenger Processing (APP) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) project in Sri Lanka.

It was to have taken effect yesterday but has been delayed over industry protests. The project was first floated by SITA as an unsolicited proposal.

APP is a system whereby required data elements are collected and transmitted by airlines to border control agencies at the time of check-in. PNR is a record in the database of a computer reservation system that contains the itinerary for a passenger or a group of passengers travelling together.

Industry sources welcomed the move but questioned why the Government wanted to sign a contract with SITA for ten years when technology was bound to change much faster. They also ask why the bulk of the fee charged from passengers for the service is going to the company and not to the Government.

BAR has taken a strong stand against the proposal. While appreciating the Governments efforts to enhance border security, it is with dismay we note that a third party service provider has been contracted to collect this surcharge per each inbound and outbound traveller despite the alternate recommendations made by our Association that are deemed to be cost effective and in accordance with international standards, it says, in a letter to Civil Aviation director General H.M.C. Nimalsiri.

All airlines will comply if APP is a requirement by the State, provided the funds are collected by a Government Authority and we would like to reiterate that our members do not wish to deal with any third party directly, it insisted. The Board of Airline Representatives also believes that it is not practical to sign an agreement for 10 years with the constant advances in technology for data analysis.

We would also like to point out that as per your circular only transit passengers are excluded from paying this surcharge and hence please clarify whether infants too have to pay this fee, it said. Also, please enlighten to us whether this levy is interline-able.

The BARs greatest concern is that, with the additional cost burden on the traveller, Sri Lanka will be unable to compete effectively within the region.
Biggest road project going to bid-rigging Japanese company View(s):

The road construction arm of Taisei Corporation, a Japanese firm tipped to receive the contract for the costly third section of the Central Expressway (CE III), was charged with bid rigging by the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) earlier this year.

Taisei Corporation is also currently grappling with a yawning sinkhole that opened in a major street in Fukuoka, Japan, on Tuesday. The company is a key member of a consortium extending a subway line under the street. The sinkhole began with two smaller holes that grew into one huge depression.

Bid rigging is defined as a form of fraud in which a commercial contract is promised to one party even though for the sake of appearance several other parties also present a bid. In February, the JFTC investigated bid rigging allegations against Taisei Rotec Co Ltd, which does road and infrastructure construction for Taisei Corporation. It found criminal violation of the Antimonopoly Act and filed charges.

The 2016 annual report of Taisei Corporation acknowledges the suit and expresses deep regret that training and guidance to prevent bid-rigging had failed to be conducted sufficiently. It vows to obey compliance requirements with increased rigour and to bolster measures to prevent a recurrence.

But Taisei Corporation is now facing similar allegations in Sri Lanka, with authoritative sources insisting that the CE III tender is being fixed in the companys favour. They question the Governments reluctance to solicit open, competitive bids for what will be one of the countrys most expensive road projects to date.

Sri Lankas Highways Ministry  under instructions from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM)  eschewed transparent, competitive bidding for CE III from the outset. Instead, it opted for limited tenders from Japanese companies, saying this was a prerequisite to securing a concessional tied loan from the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd (BTMU).

Then, instead of opening the project out to all Japanese firms, the Ministry instructed the Japanese Embassy to nominate contractors. The Embassy came back with just three: Taisei Corporation, Penta Ocean Construction Co Ltd and Wakachiku Construction Co Ltd. It said they were recommended by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Sri Lanka.

In the first round, only Taisei Corporation submitted a bid. Penta Ocean Construction specialises in marine works and land reclamation, not road building. Wakachiku Construction has mostly been involved with bridge work in Sri Lanka. But Taiseis bid was cancelled because it had neglected to submit the mandatory bid bond.

Incidentally, Penta Ocean Construction was also investigated for bid-rigging in 2006 and slapped with a bidding suspension and other administrative penalties by Central and Local Governments. Penta later introduced a Bid Rigging Eradication and Compliance Declaration under which it resolved not to carry out, force others or overlook illegal acts or acts that may lead to suspicious activities.

After the Taisei bid was cancelled, however, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes Secretary wrote to his counterpart in the Highways Ministry saying: Japanese authorities at the highest levels have forwarded a letter requesting that the third phase be awarded to a Japanese construction company and regretting the lapse on the part of the tenderer.

The Government then chose to float a two-week tender to allow the same three pre-selected Japanese companies to bid again. It specified that the bid bonds must be provided. Officials said this has made a mockery of the procurement process.

According to official documents seen by the Sunday Times, the Government is to secure a yen loan equivalent of US$ 1 billion from BTMU for the project. The interest would be 0.95 percent above six-month Japanese yen (JPY) LIBOR. There would additionally be an insurance fee of 10.07 percent; an arrangement fee of 1.1 percent; and an annual fee of 0.25 percent, raising the total to about six percent above JPY LIBOR.
Budget under fire for offer to CTC View(s):

By Kumudini Hettiarachchi

The Government has committed a major faux pas in its fight against tobacco and alcohol consumption by seeking sponsorship from the Ceylon Tobacco Company, as per a proposal in Budget 2017. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayakes request for the Ceylon Tobacco Company to donate Rs. 500 million to the Presidential Fund to be utilised by the Presidential Task Force for the anti-smoking campaign is in direct violation of Article 13 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Sri Lanka is one of the key signatories to this convention.

Health sector experts said it was contrary to President Maithripala Sirisenas pronouncements in Sri Lanka and on the international arena on the devious ways the tobacco industry uses to get involved in policy issues.

The guidelines for implementation of Article 13 of the WHO FCTC call for the rejection of partnerships and non-binding or non-enforceable agreements with the tobacco industry. They state that the tobacco industry should not be a partner in an initiative linked to setting up or implementing public health policies given that its interests are in direct conflict with the goals on public health policy.

In fact, the President delivering the keynote address at the Seventh Session of the Conference of Parties to the WHO FCTC held in Noida, India, on November 7 said, We know that the industry will try to influence policymakers in many ways, often support petitioners to challenge government legislation and persuade the mass media.

This, to me, is a direct interference in the internal policy matters of any country. We need not have any compromise of any kind with the tobacco industry, the President is quoted as saying in comments at the conference posted on his own website. See http://www.president.gov.lk/resist-the-attempts-of-the-tobacco-industry-to-undermine-tobacco-control-president-urges-the-world.

A health sector expert said the offer to the Ceylon Tobacco Company to sponsor a health policy-related campaign  even if it is to do with anti-smoking  is a blatant contradiction of the Governments own position and furthermore the Presidents fervent appeal to prevent devious ways in which the tobacco lobby tries to influence health policy formulation. On the other hand, the Ceylon Tobacco Company will gladly accept the offer to get involved in a partnership with the state, he said.
President yet to ratify two RTI Commission nominees View(s):

President Maithripala Sirisena is yet to ratify appointments for the remaining two posts of commissioners on the Right to Information (RTI) Commission, nearly three weeks since the Constitutional Council (CC) sent its recommendations, the Sunday Times learns.

Three members of the five-member commission received their letters of appointment from the President on September 30 after they were recommended by the CC. Last month, the CC forwarded the names of two individuals to the President to fill the remaining two posts. While the quorum for any meeting of the Commission is three, there is a question as to whether the Commission needs all five members to function. The RTI Bill is due to take effect from February of next year.

Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Karunarathna Paranawithana said he was unaware as to whether there was a delay in ratifying the names that were sent to the President. He however, stated the two positions would definitely be filled long before the law comes into effect.

The three members of the commission who have already received their letters of appointment are former civil servant Mahinda Gammanpila (Chairman), attorney-at-law S. G. Punchihewa and attorney-at-law Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena (nominee of the Editors Guild of Sri Lanka, the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka, the Free Media Movement, the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association and the Sri Lanka Press Institute).

The appointments were made following recommendations by the CC after calling for nominations from organisations of publishers, editors and media persons, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and other civil society organisations.

According to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, No 12 of 2016, the nominated persons should have distinguished themselves in public life with proven knowledge, experience and eminence in the fields of law, governance, public administration, social services, journalism, science and technology or management.
TNA rejects offer of pre-fab houses for N-E war-affected people View(s):

By Namini Wijedasa

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) this week rejected the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Ministrys proposal to build 65,000 prefabricated, steel houses for war-affected people in the North and East.

The project, solicited by the French steel giant ArcelorMittal, has been in the pipeline since last year. Despite repeated objections to the quality, cost and type of housing offered by the company, it is still under evaluation. Just last week, a Ministry official had rung up Northern Province Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran and asked him whether 20,000 of these prefab houses could be built in Mullaitivu.

I said he might consider putting them up in the up-country area since the climate is different, Mr Wigneswaran told the Sunday Times. But not here. It would further bring bickering among the people of the several districts if they try to drive a wedge by building only in one district.

ArcelorMittals prefabricated steel units cost Rs. 2.18 million each without taxes. The companys quoted prices will cost the Government a total of US$1 billion for the houses, not counting interest payments on the loans to be obtained for implementation. The Ministry of Rehabilitation and Resettlement justifies the sum saying it includes a large number of amenities such as pantry cupboards, gas cooker and cylinder, sink, cooking utensils, dining table with chairs, TV with stand, pedestal fan and a laptop computer with WIFI facility.

Mr Wigneswaran said that, for reasons of climate, terrain and culture, the prefabricated houses have been rejected by their engineers, builders, peoples representatives and even the Government Agent. Furthermore, the houses are only worth Rs 1.1 million per house. With some things like beds, TV, gas cooker, etc, maybe we could fix the maximum price at Rs. 1.5 million. But they are spending Rs. 2.1 million per house!

We dont want those steel cages, TNA Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran said in Parliament on Friday. We dont want prefabricated houses. We want brick-and-mortar houses that we can give to our children and grandchildren, those that can stand the test of time and that will be permanent houses.

Mr. Sumanthiran was opening the debate on the second reading of the budget. He revealed that Rehabilitation Minister D. M. Swaminathan had been calling up TNA Members from the North and East and asking them, Do you want houses, how many houses do you want?

We all want houses, Mr. Sumanthiran said. But we dont want those prefabricated houses on which somebodys making a killing.  The prefab houses did not have a foundation, he continued, adding, You have to fix wheels and drag it around.

So you cant give it to your children, he said. Our people have been displaced time and again, but you dont have to give them houses that can be displayed like this. We want a veedu (home), not a koodu (cage).

We worked with a group of civil society people who expended a lot of energy and time and brought in five local banks which made a proposal, Mr Sumanthiran disclosed. In this proposal, they estimate the cost of a house at Rs. 800,000. If other facilities like community halls and parksare to be provided in those villages, the cost of each unit would have beenaround Rs. 1 million.

So, for less than half the cost of what the Honourable Minister has proposed, we facilitated a counter proposal funded by local banks, he elaborated. You dont even have to expend foreign currency for it.

Mr. Sumanthiran stressed that the TNA was not blocking the housing project. When people have made proposals to do it for half the cost, why is it that the Minister is intent on implementing that questionable proposal of his? he asked. None of our members have asked for those houses.

The group that made the alternate proposal has issued a statement saying there has been no response from the Ministry to date, Mr Sumanthiran said. He urged the Government to take note of this.
VIP migrants find haven in Colombo wetlands View(s):

By Malaka Rodrigo

This is the bird migration season and the remaining wetlands around Colombo are attracting some special migrant birds, particularly in the wetlands around Thalawathugoda.

While testing his new camera, Erich Joseph was lucky to capture the comb duck in a spot close to the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital. This is a rare migrant and the sighting in our capital city indicates the importance of protecting the remaining wetland habitat in Colombo and its suburbs.

Another migrant, the glossy ibis, has also taken refuge in the Thalawathugoda wetlands. Rishani Gunasinghe, who managed to photograph a small flock of these birds, says that although they look a dull black at a distance, light shining on their feathers brings out their real beauty.
Forget the elephants, theres a Black necked stork! On a routine visit to the Uda Walawe national park, Srilal Miththapala has a rare sighting View(s): View(s):

I was on a quick, and somewhat overdue visit to the Uda Walawe National Park (UWNP) last week with my friend and one-time colleague Ashoka Ranjeewa, now carrying out some research into male elephant behaviour in the park. We had booked the just refurbished Park Bungalow Thim-biriyamankada for an overnight stay.

Since Ashoka has already done some preliminary reconnaissance in the past few days we knew (as most of the trackers did) that most of the elephants were to be found on the eastern side of the park in the Mau-Ara (stream)area. Due to the prevailing drought, the stream had all but dried out, leaving behind a rich mulch where young grass shoots were sprouting. It was obvious that this was what was attracting elephants to the area, somewhat like the phenomena of the Gathering in Minneriya, albeit on a smaller scale.

So the place was a hive of activity with many jeeps, and excited tourists. We had parked on a side and patiently watched the feeding behaviour of the elephants.

As always we had some very good close sightings. There is no doubt that UWNP is the best place to see wild elephants in their natural habitat all year round. My initial studies carried out in 2001/02 under the auspices of the US Fish & Wild Life Services, and the subsequent long term studies done by Dr. Shermin de Silva (de Silva et al. 2011) and Ashoka Ranjeewa, has shown that the park may be having over 1,000 elephants, the highest density of elephants in any wild life park in Sri Lanka. So elephants do take pride of place for any visitor to the UWNP.

As the evening shadows lengthened the influx of jeeps and chattering tourists reduced, leaving us peace and calm. We drove upstream along the dried up river bed, until we could go no further, due to the very muddy conditions. A small body of water ahead had a large number of painted storks together in one melee. I zoomed in with my 300 mm telephoto to get a better shot of this gathering, when something unusual came across my field of view. It was a large bird with a black head. We quickly forgot all about elephants and trained all our telephoto lenses and binoculars at the spot to make a better identification.

Neither of us could really believe what we were seeing. Slowly we turned to each other and whispered disbelievingly Black necked stork? Bird books were quickly retrieved and referred to, and it began to dawn on us that this was indeed a very rare sighting of a Black necked stork.

Now Black necked storks (Ephippiorhynchusasiaticus) are tall, long-necked wading birds in the stork family. It is a large bird, 129150 cm (5159 inches) tall, having a 230-centimetre (91 inches) wingspan. The average weight is around 4,100 grams (145 oz) (Ref Wiki). It is said to be the largest of all birds in Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka, the species is a rare breeding resident, with only 48 breeding pairs seen in Ruhuna National Park. It is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. And the icing on the cake was that from all reports, it had never been sighted ever before in the UWNP. This was subsequently confirmed to me by experts Deepal Warakagoda and Dr. Devaka Weerakoon.

We took whatever pictures we could from that distance, watching for long as we could, until dusk was upon us, and we had to reluctantly retreat back to the bungalow.

We were thankful that UWNP had shared with us this wonderful and unique sight.
The word of the Dhamma: From missionaries to electronic media By Rajitha Weerakoon Tomorrow is Il Full Moon Poya View(s): View(s):

The teledrama Sidu,  the endearing story of a little samanera (novice) and his lay friends, continues to make waves. Set in a rustic Buddhist temple in verdant surroundings, the story though not on the traditional lines of a direct Buddhist story, demonstrates a gentle and effective way in which the powerful electronic medium can be used to disseminate the Teachings of the Buddha.

The subtle underlining of this moving story is impermanence, the need to forsake worldly attachments to achieve objectives of the teachings of the Buddha, the concept of karma  that actions committed during lives past or present have a reaction, austere livelihood for monks with the dispelling of common myths and traditional beliefs  all conveyed by the loku hamuduruwo as the story unfolds.

The teledrama also delivers the message that the rules need not stifle the behaviour of a samanera. The little monk although in robes, shows the same impish delights of a little child towards pets, in this instance, the temple cat and he leads a normal active life of a playful growing boy. The Chief Priest guides the samanera gently while enriching his mind with Buddhist teachings and showing him the way to be an exemplary monk in adulthood.

Communication networks available in this electronic era have been used today to impart the words of the Buddha. We have an exclusive Buddhist TV channel, Buddhist radio broadcasting stations and Buddhist websites. However, the present generation despite being advanced electronically, are moving away from traditional lifestyles based on religious concepts. This, those interested in propagating Buddhism say, calls for the need to illuminate their minds with the Teachings of the Buddha through electronic devices the present generation is familiar with.

Ven. Daranagama Kusala Dhamma Nayaka Thera, the Chief Incumbent of Sri SambodhiVihara, Colombo, pioneered the setting up of the first exclusive Buddhist television channel in Sri Lanka so that the timeless message of the Buddha, embedded in the Four Noble Truths will maintain its validity. And the solutions the Doctrine offers through the Buddhas Noble Eightfold Path will light up the world.

The propagation of the Dhamma through electronic disciplines has given recourse to Buddhist Teachings to many more than those who trek to the temples. This indeed is a far cry from the days of the Buddha when He, on a Il Full Moon Poya Day, sent out His first contingent of 60 missionaries to the four corners of the country to spread the teachings.

The Buddha had spent the Vas Period (rainy season) at Isipathanaaramaya in Benares. During the Vas period, monks remain in monasteries holding discussions and analyzing and clarifying the Buddhist scriptures. At the end of the Vas period, the Buddha addressed the Arahats and said O monks, preach this pristine Dhamma out of compassion and love towards one and all  for Bahujanahitaya and Bahujanasukkaya.

He also said monks, I am now free from all shackles, be they human or divine. You too are free from all shackles. Therefore, go now from this moment and wander for the welfare and happiness of many out of compassion for the world. Let not two go in the same direction. Preach the Dhamma that is pristine.

The missionaries needed to adapt teaching techniques to suit each new culture they encountered in these areas they visited. They had to bear in mind that there were many religions, beliefs, faiths, rituals and cults that had taken root in ancient India. Appropriate methods and strategies therefore had to be employed to propagate the Dhamma. The Buddhas Teachings spread at the beginning, in the neighbouring areas, slowly due to the limitations of ancient communications. The early missionaries carried the message on trade routes used by merchants. They stopped in villages, towns and cities to teach the Dhamma facing many odds. It may have been the reason that it took over 250 years for the Doctrine to reach Sri Lanka and 500 years to China.Also, the methods these missionaries used were markedly different from those of other faiths.

When they arrived in an area, they needed to translate texts into local languages and dialects. Usually, they tried to find common features with the already established faiths rather than oppose it. They proceeded with the Teachings thereafter. Buddhist mission endeavours in these early times had been usually gentle, unobtrusive and a response to a need rather than creating a need. The compassionate words of the Buddha thus spread slowly but surely, generating peace and tranquility in the minds and hearts of the people.
Artists and sculptors together present their work View(s):

The Georeg Keyt Foundation will present its annual exhibition of artists and sculptors Sri Lankan Art from November 16-21 at the J.D.A Perera Galleries in Horton Place, Colombo 7. The exhibition was earlier called Sculptors and Painters of Sri Lanka.

Deshamanya Ken Balendra and Mrs. Balendra will open the exhibition on the 16th evening and it will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily thereafter. The exhibition is an opportunity for Sri Lankan artists to present their current work together and for Sri Lanka to be aware of the development of the visual arts a press release from the organisers stated. Nations Trust Bank and American Express Cards are sponsors of the exhibition.
Exposing students across the country to the exciting world of reading View(s):

The British Council in collaboration with HSBC has embarked on the second year of a project to foster reading in children, by engaging them and their respective teachers and families in a series of activities, community events and competitions based on reading.

HSBC Kids Read is an award-winning scheme developed to equip children with the skills and interest to pursue reading beyond the classroom. The programme, now in its fifth year, started in West Asia and North Africa in partnership between the British Council and HSBC, and has reached approximately 50,000 students and 1,000 teachers directly. It aims to engage the community, teachers, primary students and HSBC colleagues through providing schools with access to exciting and colourful fiction books from the UK to help start or build upon a school library with training in best practice for story-telling and using them.

The first Kids Read Community Event of 2016 was held on October 22 at the Green Grass Hotel in Jaffna town. Following the success of four community events in 2015 reaching nearly 500 children, the event in Jaffna was attended by 125 children from rural areas outside of the city, 12 storytellers and organisers and five HSBC volunteers.

Last year in Sri Lanka, HSBC Kids Read reached 2,000 children in seven schools and through four community events, 13 teachers were directly trained and the children were exposed to 220 new books.

This year, HSBC and British Council hope to reach more than 50 teachers, and expose 4,500 children to exciting storytelling techniques and 300 colourful and exciting storybooks from the UK. The project is working with 25 schools across five clusters in the following five regions: Gampaha, Hatton, Jaffna, Matara and Trincomalee. The Regional English Support Centres (RESCs) in each of these clusters is the focal point for the schools, and two RESC trainers from each cluster will assist the British Council with the coordination and day-to-day running of the project.

The second event of the year will be held in Hatton on November 19, at the Krishana Bhavan Cultural Hall from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.lk
Moments with the legendary Amaradeva View(s):

By Satharathilaka Banda Atugoda

As a silent admirer of the late pandit W.D. Amaradeva, I paid my last respects to a maestro at Independence Square with a heavy heart, wishing that he be born among us, in this blessed land, before he attains the supreme bliss, as sung by him, Sasara wasana thuru nivan dakina thuru, Pinketha hela ran derane yali upadinnata hetu wasana wewa.

While bringing my palms together in veneration, my mind went back to the many meetings, musical performances, I have enjoyed, and lived with his lyrics and voice at least for a few moments. The first of such soirees was at the Kurunegala Town Hall, in the1958-59, period when the great musician took us all to a world of our dreams with songs like, Ipida mere yali ipide nothira sasara sagare,. It was an extraordinary picture with his nimble fingers and hands moving in waves in keeping with the words sung.

There was total silence in the audience, as Amaradeva led them to a meditative trance. As a pupils in the university entrance class, we felt that here was a guru who would create a national music tradition. Amaradeva had returned from his music studies in Bhathkande in India. I, as a close relative of the late W.B. Makuloluwe, who spoke of deshiya sangeethaya with us, and built traditional music, looked to Amaradeva in the same light. It was the era of nationalism ushered in 1956, in which we all were ardent acolytes, and supporters and we imbibed anything nationalistic and yearned to meet Amaradeva more.

It was during the 1960 -1964 period at Peradeniya University that we had the opportunity to meet him with more refined lyrical pieces. Invited by the Gandharva Sabha and Sinhala Sangamaya, we had occasion to greet him and share a few words. The music soirees were at the open air theatre and the youthful undergraduates, especially, asked for encores on songs like Pinamuko kalugange, Kiri bebalena hanadpane, Palu anduru nil ahasa mamai, Mindada hi sera wedi salena hada, and Shantha me re yame, the list goes on.

There were emotions rekindled, appealing to the young, on love, sorrow, melancholy, nature and hope for the future. Amaradeva was invited at least twice annually to the campus by some society, to get away from the boredom of academia over-whelming us everyday. Our 60 Peradeniya batch, in fact, hold a peduru sajje annually, where we sing the songs we sang in the 1960s, among which Amaradevas creations are at the top; we have published a collection of those songs, along with others, including his lyrics. That is the respect and gratitude we rendered unto him for making our lives so purposeful, during our student days.

More renderings by Amaradeva were organized by us at various places, during our professional lives. We invited him to London sponsored by the Sri-Lanka Associations, from the 1970 to the 1980s. These musical evenings were attended by almost all Sri Lankans living in the UK, and music lovers from other nationalities. Depending on the requests of the audience, Amaradeva sang songs like Hantane kandu muduna sisara, Irata muwaven indagena isa peeranawa, Kabaya irila eeta kamak nehe, Swarna wimaneta eha lokayen, and of course, Sasara wasana thuru. He honoured us by accepting our invitations to have a meal with us after the soirees. There were many such evening meetings over dinner. One of the poignant moments I could remember was when he was at our residence. I presumed he would like to hear some songs by him on a long play music disc, which was gifted to me by one of my friends. It was a long play disc, popular at that time and I started to play it on the player when Amaradeva was enjoying his dinner with the others. I thought Amaradeva would be happy to listen to music by him which we enjoy when abroad.. These songs really brought a feeling of nostalgia, especially when away from the motherland. Amaradeva called me and I went to him thinking he will express his happiness to me that we possess these gee-thetis by him. Quite the contrary happened; he asked me, Who is singing that song,. I knew that something had gone wrong. I kept silent for a moment. From where did you get it. I said, Sir It was gifted to me by a friend of mine Stop playing that tape here he said. This is what music thieves do to our songs. When they cannot get the original voice they get it from some duplicate.

I immediately took the disc off from the player, and apologised to guru. He said, you have nothing to do with it. It is how people live on our renderings. I felt thoroughly embarrassed, but I realised how fervently the maestro preserved the musical discipline, and lived to perfection, in his songs..

Wherever, we served abroad we invited Amaradeva to our midst. He enjoyed these visits, and especially the visit to India. It must have taken him to his days at Bhathkande with his music fraternity.

I became an ardent follower of his lyrics and songs, and he appreciated it. I never thought he would leave us so unexpectedly, In fact I regret very much we could not call on him recently due to unavoidable circumstances. A great son of our motherland has left us, creating a void which can not be filled.

We can only sing those famous lines, Sasara wasana thuru  Nivan dakina thuru, hoping he will be reborn in this blessed land of ours.
Pity the poor souls who have to enforce the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways. Developed over the past 81 years, it contains 816 pages of rules, diagrams and images governing traffic control devices like signs, signals, and pavement markings. Then along comes New York state, proposing an edgy, new "I Love NY" branding campaign that would, in order to be legal, require a whole new category of signs  and at least another two or three pages of rules, diagrams and images.

So, you can hardly blame the federal government for its response, which was  in a word  "No."

New York officials, clearly wedded to their new campaign, interpreted that to mean something along the lines of, "Sure, go ahead, you crazy marketing geniuses."

Whether they truly are is not the issue. The problem is, the state has been repeatedly told that the new signs have no business being on the side of the road  in space that has long been limited to traffic control devices containing at least a smidgen of recognizable, navigational wisdom for motorists. To ignore the federal government's ruling could, ultimately, threaten federal funding for New York's highways.

So, we have to question why New York is picking this particular battle with Washington, DC.

The signs themselves don't appear to be terribly dangerous to travelers, unless a driver is immediately compelled to download the "I Love NY" app after seeing the logo on a sign. But, vaguely suggesting a download is about as close as these signs get to offering a clear navigational tip for motorists. Mostly, the signs are meant to be followed when the drivers are somewhere else.

Perhaps this will turn out to be a really good investment, spurring economic growth through tourism. After all, there's a whole book on how New York City "branded its way out of a crisis," and these signs cost significantly less than the $50 million spent on marketing Start-Up NY.

Unless, of course, New York has to begin subtracting federal highway dollars, while adding money to take the signs down.

It seems like a gamble that could have been avoided by tweaking the marketing strategy instead of starting a fight.

 The Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester

Federal officials have worked hard to portray themselves as the cavalry riding to the rescue of residents of Flint, Mich. It turns out they were walking, and slowly, at that.

Local, state and federal officials deserve severe criticism for what happened in Flint. In essence, efforts to save money for the municipal government resulted in use of a public water source that leached lead out of waterlines. That created a substantial threat to the health of those who drank the water.

But once the story broke, federal officials dodged their responsibility. And they did not offer as much emergency assistance as they might have; President Barack Obama turned down one request for funding for Flint.

Accusations have been made that some officials did not do all they could have to avoid the problem because Flint has a high percentage of poor, minority residents.

If such apathy was a factor, Washington deserves a large share of criticism.

It was reported in October that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials knew how serious the problem was in June 2015  but waited seven months before declaring an emergency.

That is inexcusable, of course. But has anyone at the EPA been punished? Of course not.

 The Leader-Herald, Gloversville

Every year at this time, the Enterprise welcomes hundreds of costumed kids into our front door, takes their pictures and sends them away with a little more candy in their bags and buckets. In fact, the newspaper organizes Saranac Lake's Downtown Trick-or-Treat every year, involving businesses throughout the Broadway and Main Street area.

We publish some photos and post all of them on our website, and these days, we also do a costume contest for kids under the age of 12. For the contest, we ask kids (or their parents) for their names, phone numbers and addresses so we can let them know if they win.

But a surprising number of kids did not know their phone numbers, or their addresses. And these weren't preschoolers; some were 8-, 9-, even 10-year-olds.

For as long as we have been around, virtually every school-age child knew his or her phone number and address. Parents made sure they did. Not knowing it is a safety concern, we think.

Now, we understand there are probably several reasons behind this. First, most people are not as good at memorizing phone numbers as they used to be, because we use cellphones that contain our contacts in their memory. When we call or text someone, we don't dial a memorized number; we push a button with the person's name on it. In our own newsroom, it used to be that a sign of a good reporter was that he or she knew all their regular sources' numbers by heart. Now those same old-school reporters have to look up all but a few of those same numbers.

Second, the days of the land-line phone are fading. Now instead of one number for a family, one often has to know each member's cellphone number.

Third, more children's parents are no longer together, so they belong to multiple households - a complex situation for a young person.

Still, what if the child gets hurt or is being chased by bullies on the way home from school? If he or she encounters an adult willing to help, whom should that helper call? Where is the home where the helper could take the child?

Parents, we suggest you help your children memorize at least one phone number and one home street address. We hope it's never needed, but it might be, and it's a simple precaution.

 The Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Saranac Lake
Eastern Bay of Plenty Police are appealing to the public for information that will help them track down Douglas Tarei who has a warrant out for his arrest.

Area prevention manager senior sergeant Yvonne Parker says the 40-year-old is wanted on burglary and vehicle theft charges and was recently living in the Eatern Bay township of Taneatau.

If anyone knows his whereabouts please call you nearest police station.

Information can also be provided to police anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.
Wilson

Brian Wilson, 40, of Clay, has been charged with assaulting and seriously injuring his baby daughter. The infant died on Friday.

(Onondaga County Sheriff's Office)

CLAY, N.Y. -- A baby who was assaulted by her father and who had been in critical condition has died, the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office said.

Sgt. Jon Seeber, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, said 9-month-old Faith Wilson succumbed to her injuries around 3 p.m. Friday at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

Brian Wilson, 40, of 4028 Bonstead Road, Clay, was arrested Wednesday and charged with assaulting his 9-month-old daughter. Wilson is accused of assaulting his daughter at his Bonstead Road home. When the infant started to show "signs of distress" Monday, Wilson brought his baby to Strong Memorial Hospital, Seeber said.

When doctors evaluated the baby they discovered she had severe bleeding in her brain along with other injuries. Hospital staff notified Child Protective Services and police.

Wilson was charged with reckless assault of a child, a felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. He was arraigned in Clay Town Court. Due to a criminal record, Wilson is being held at the Onondaga County jail.

Seeber said detectives are working closely with the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office and that more charges against Wilson are likely.

Contact Ken Sturtz: 315-766-7833 | Email | Twitter | Facebook | Google+
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse police are investigating a stabbing that occurred early Saturday morning at a nightclub downtown.

A 31-year-old man was stabbed to his left armpit area around 2:20 a.m., said police spokesman Sgt. Richard Helterline. His injury is not considered life threatening.

The man told police got into a dispute with a man at the Trexx nightclub on the 300 block of N. Clinton Street, and the suspect stabbed him after that, Helterline said. Police met and interviewed the victim at the hospital.

Police ask anyone with information to call the the department's Criminal Investigations Division at (315)442-5222 or use its anonymous "SPD Tips" app.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- As you drive away from Armory Square and pass the Fayette Firefighters Memorial Park, youll see it.

A striking new mural adorns one side of AccessCNY's Syracuse District Office at 420 E. Genesee St. It reads: "We are the mighty Salt City: SYRACUSE."
Ann Ryan

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Le Moyne College English professor Ann Ryan didn't plan on speaking Thursday when students gathered for post-election rallies, but as tensions started to boil over she spoke up.

Le Moyne students held a rally outside of Grewen Hall around 3:30 p.m. to protest the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. A smaller crowd of Donald Trump supporters also rallied on campus. Tensions started to rise when four pickup trucks drove near the gathering, one flying a Confederate flag.

Ryan said the conduct of the students started to become unproductive - both groups of students started to villainize each other, shouting back and forth.

"The average American college students are fundamentally decent human beings," Ryan told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard on Friday. "It's tempting to imitate the easy, simplistic, angry rhetoric that surrounds us."

Ryan, who graduated from Le Monye and has been teaching there since 1994, told the crowd Thursday that she loved them and reminded them that they are a community.

"I want you to remember right now that this isn't a game," Ryan told the students gathered in front of Grewen Hall. "You guys are still a community. Those of you who voted for Trump, congratulations. I respect the democracy. I respect him as my president. For those who did not, we will continue to fight for the values that we believe in. But you guys are not enemies and I want you to remember that."

Ryan said she hoped that by speaking up it would calm the crowd, which it did. There were no incidents after she spoke.

Ryan said the students rallying are leaders in the community.

"We can't allow them to behave in the way our current leaders have behaved," she said.

Videos of her speaking to the students have gone viral on Twitter and YouTube with the videos being viewed by thousands of people and shared by many. The videos, including a copy posted this morning on Syracuse.com, has generated hundreds of comments, many praising the professor for her comments.

"I'm humbled and very surprised," she said. "I'm grateful for the kind words that I have received."

Veronica Ung-Kono, a Le Moyne student said, the rally started as a silent protest for human rights.

"Following the election, a lot of campus members who are generally marginalized in society felt fear and anxiety, because they feel uncertain of their futures in America," Ung-Kono said.

Ung-Kono said when the pickup trucks drove by, it deeply moved people, which led to them chanting "love trumps hate" and marching on campus.

Le Moyne College President Linda LeMura said Friday the incident was "deeply upsetting."

"What the flag stands for, in both the past and present, is not tolerated on our campus," LeMura said in the email to staff and students.

Ryan said it was a cowardly drive-by.

"We are Le Moyne and we are better than what is just about to happen here," Ryan told the crowd on Thursday. "Can you remember that?"

The crowd - on both sides - answered back with cheers.
Senate.jpg

A commission debating whether New York State elected officials in the Senate (above) and the Assembly should get a pay raise are running out of time.

(File photo)

ALBANY, N.Y. - The commission weighing a pay increase for legislators has failed to reach a consensus, and the deadline is near.

The New York State Commission on Legislative, Judicial and Executive Compensation cancelled its meeting Thursday, and a commissioner told Syracuse.com Friday that it was because they couldn't reach an agreement on whether to recommend the increases.

The commission first convened in February to provide an independent recommendation on whether state legislators, who haven't had a raise since 1999, deserve more money. The seven-member commission is composed of appointments from both chambers of the Legislature and the executive branch.

One commissioner has recommended a pay increase from legislators' current base salary of $79,500 to $116,900 a year. Most legislators also receive extra money for sitting on committees.

To make a pay-raise recommendation, at least one commissioner from each of the three authorities - the governor's office, the Assembly and the Senate - has to vote in favor of it. That doesn't look like it will happen at the moment, said Fran Reiter, one of the three governor's appointees.

"As of right now, I think I can speak for my colleagues among the governor's appointees," Reiter said in a phone interview Friday. "There is nobody prepared right now to vote for a raise."

If the commission is going to recommend a pay increase, it has to do so quickly. The statute that governs the commission requires such a recommendation by Nov. 15, next Tuesday. That's the date the commission rescheduled its meeting to after canceling Thursday.

Reiter said the holdup, at least for her, is that a pay increase should be tied to ethics reform. Some reform proposals that have come forward are to strip pensions of officials convicted of corruption, establishing an ethics commission and preventing limited liability corporations from donating anonymously to campaigns.

"I've made it absolutely clear that I can't support a raise without ethics reform," she said. "And 10 months later, no ethics reform."

The Tuesday meeting will happen at 11 a.m. Tuesday in New York City. Past meetings have been broadcast live, and transcripts are available at the commission's website.

The pay raise debate is occurring as the vast majority of New York Legislature incumbents are returning for duty at the upcoming legislative session. Just one incumbent of 199 up for re-election on Tuesday was ousted from his seat. The rest were re-elected.

Government watchdog groups and others have been calling for ethics reform after. the leaders of the Assembly and Senate were convicted this year of bribery. Federal prosecutors have also brought corruption charges against two former administration aides, a lobbyist and Syracuse and Buffalo business executives involved in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's economic development projects.

Reporter Patrick Lohmann covers New York state government and other topics. He can be reached any time: Email | Twitter | (315)766-6670


Interior Assistant Secretary Discusses Health Care Coverage Options with Representatives from the Freely Associated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau Living in Hawaii and U.S. Mainland

41,380 FAS Citizens Live in the 50 States; 19,830 in Guam and CNMI

News Release from US DOI, November 10, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 10, 2016)  Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Esther Kiaaina today held an outreach meeting with government representatives from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), the Republic of Palau, and community leaders from across the U.S. mainland to discuss health care coverage options and encourage citizens of the Freely Associated States (FAS) who live in the 50 U.S. States to enroll in health insurance plans available under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Todays meeting which addressed current law under the ACA and additional health care coverage options including Medicare and community health centers was focused on FAS communities on the U.S. mainland where greater outreach and educational awareness is needed. The U.S. territories are exempt from providing ACA-qualified health plans and Hawaii's state officials and community leaders have been actively engaged in their own outreach efforts.

Citizens of the FSM, RMI and Palau are legal nonimmigrants under the Compacts of Free Association with the United States, and are eligible to obtain insurance coverage under the ACA. Assistant Secretary Kiaaina encouraged these FAS citizens living in the U.S. to enroll for 2017 to ensure health care coverage and access to basic health services.

While the Compacts of Free Association allow for Micronesians, Marshallese and Palauans entry into the United Status as legal nonimmigrants for an indefinite period of time to live, work, and study, FAS citizens were stripped of eligibility for federal public benefits under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, otherwise known as the Welfare Reform Act, said Assistant Secretary Kiaaina. However, the ACA does provide FAS citizens the opportunity to obtain health care coverage in the absence of public health assistance programs. Health care access is critical to improving quality of life for these communities living in the United States.

In a recent U.S. Census Bureau estimate of 2010-2014 data, there are approximately 41,380 citizens from the FSM, RMI and Palau living in the 50 states, a number which does not include U.S. citizens from the FAS. The five states with the highest number of FAS citizens are Hawaii (17,205), Arkansas (3,625), Washington (3,430), Oregon (2,580), and Texas (2,090). Another 19,830 FAS nationals are estimated to be living in the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands according to a Census enumeration derived from the 2010 Census.

The recent estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau for FAS citizens living in the 50 states will be helpful to policy makers in federal agencies and the U.S. Congress who may be considering proposals and cost estimates to reinstate federal public benefits to these communities to alleviate financial costs on impacted jurisdictions, said Assistant Secretary Kiaaina.

---30---

The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for coordinating federal policy with respect to the territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and administering and overseeing U.S. federal assistance provided to the freely associated states of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau under the Compacts of Free Association. On behalf of the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas executes these responsibilities through the Office of Insular Affairs whose mission is to foster economic opportunities, promote government efficiency, and improve the quality of life for the people of the insular areas.

Reality: On day one of the Trump Administration, we will ask Congress to immediately deliver a full repeal of Obamacare
MISSOULA -- Fliers citing the American Nazi Party have appeared on some Missoula doorsteps, touting "the white working class" and disparaging Jews.

Late Friday afternoon on the eve of Shabbat, Har Shalom, a synagogue in Missoula, requested police patrol after receiving hate literature, said Lt. Jake Rosling of the Missoula Police Department. Details of the incident and material were not immediately available.

However, the Montana Human Rights Network received reports of at least three literature drops that took place within 24 hours after Republican Donald Trump was elected president, network co-director Rachel Carroll Rivas said Friday.

The network also has roughly six reports from across the state of vandalism, graffiti, and minor assaults this week. Rivas said she does not have details about the alleged incidents or perpetrators and does not know if they are linked to the American Nazi Party or white supremacists.

But Trump has made racist remarks, and the victims in the alleged incidents believed the acts directed at them were purposeful, she said.

"Folks feel targeted because of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity," Rivas said.

Trump's campaign did not create bigotry or anti-Semitism, she said. However, she said his election was partly the result of those attitudes, and reports from Montana and across the country indicate a spike in activity since Election Day.

"There are folks who feel really emboldened by what has happened in the last week to air their bigotry," Rivas said.

'Jewish Run Media'

A Missoula resident who received two bundled fliers provided a photograph to the Missoulian. Both show crudely designed text printed in black on 8 1/2-by-11-inch sheets of paper.

One is titled "The Jewish Run Media" and said Jews brainwash the public, who then elect corrupt politicians. The flier asks for a $5 donation for an American Nazi Party information kit.

"The Jews' purpose is to destroy us and our families from the inside out, slowly and gradually perverting us with their own special kind of poison," reads the text in all capital letters.

The flier closes with "the 14 words" -- "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."

Another flier demands "Free healthcare for the white working class," also in all caps.

"For a free national health service for all, tax the bankers, tax the rich! National socialist revolution for America! We demand health and justice."

The tagline is the American Nazi Party's website, www.anp14.com.

The national director of media outreach for the American Nazi Party did not immediately respond to an email Friday afternoon. A Montana contact was not listed on the website or literature.

White supremacists in MT

In Montana, the Flathead has been a focus of activity by white supremacists trying to draw to the state a population with similar leanings, Rivas said.

Missoula also has seen its fair share of activity, especially around the year 2000, she said. However, a couple of times a year, off and on for the past few years, the network will receive reports of action by the far right in Missoula.

"There's at least been a spike for the time being," Rivas said. "I can only hope it wanes, but I do think that the white supremacist movement has themselves claimed Donald Trump as their candidate, so they feel, I think, very empowered right now."

Councilwoman Emily Bentley said she is looking to Republicans who were elected into office to speak against the rhetoric and violence.

"I've personally been asking them to show leadership and speak out against this hate. It's so awful," Bentley said.

She said the Trump supporters she knows do not support hate or the Nazi agenda.

"I feel strongly that most Trump supporters, especially the silent supporters, did not vote for bigotry and hate but voted in spite of it because they were suffering," Bentley said.

"I know that most of the country does not feel this way, and it is our job to reject it every step of the way."

Rivas, with the network, agreed the correct response is to "say no."

"It's really important for people to say no, that it's not appropriate to target others based on their identity, and that to reinforce who we are, which is a democracy where all people should have the right to exist and live their lives and be part of a community," Rivas said.

She also encouraged people to organize and come together to make spaces where human rights are valued. She suggested people use the Montana Human Rights Network as the resource it has been designed to be for more than two decades.

"At least we feel prepared to do the hard work it's going to take to create welcoming communities and a progressive state and country again," Rivas said.
Hyperloop One, which aims to fulfill the vision of high-speed transportation promoted by Elon Musk, has signed a deal to develop a line between Dubai and UAE capital Abu Dhabi, Dubai reportedly announced this week.

No financial terms have been disclosed, but the project reportedly will have several stations throughout Dubai connecting the hyperloop system to Abu Dhabi.

Pods will carry passengers and cargo between the two.

Dubais government-backed port operator, DP World, reportedly also has signed an agreement with Hyperloop One to look into using the technology at its industrial Jebel Ali port.

Dubai last month announced a competition inviting participants to present design plans for a hyperloop track between various airports.

Hyperloop Challenges

SpaceX, helmed by Musk, is building a mile-long test track for hyperloop pods in California.

Hyperloop One, which is constructing a test track in the Nevada desert, this spring demonstrated a mag-lev Hyperloop sled that ran for 100 yards or so.

Musk proposed the hyperloop concept as a way to bring high-speed travel to California. A hyperloop journey between Los Angeles and San Francisco would take about 30 minutes.

SpaceX also has a Hyperloop competition under way. An MIT team won the first round in February.

Why the Middle East?

Abu Dhabi and the Emirates would be a good choice, because the Emirates are willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money on a project like this, said Jim McGregor, a principal analyst at Tirias Research.

Doing this in the United States would be a political disaster, because the final cost is likely to be exponentially higher than the original optimistic estimates, he told TechNewsWorld.

Investment documents indicate Hyperloop One plans to raise up to US$250 million in its next funding round early next year; it reportedly raised $50 million last month.

The cost of the Hyperloop One projects could exceed Musks original projections substantially, based on internal estimates in company documents, but Hyperloop One has forecast huge profits for itself and its partners.

When Musk floated the hyperloop concept in 2013, he estimated that a route between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area would cost about $6 billion.

That figure raised doubts from the get-go. Among those opposed to Musks concept and critical of his estimates are proponents of a $68 billion high-speed rail project that has been years in the making.

Other Problems for Hyperloop

Regulatory and other issues also could have driven the hyperloop project abroad.

Here in the United States, a project has to be competitive with other forms of transportation  and there many alternatives, observed Michael Jude, a program manager at Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan.

U.S. regulators havent a clue how to deal with the hyperloop, he told TechNewsWorld.

Further, safety is an issue, because youve got this thing going at marginal supersonic speeds 20 feet above ground, and if a truck or something ran into one of the supports and damaged or knocked down a tube, youve got a ballistic missile, Jude said. The liability is going to be unthinkable.

Such projects must be cost-justified in the U.S., which might be difficult, he suggested, and there is also the specter of terrorism.

There are no markets outside the U.S. that would support a hyperloop, Jude maintained.

This is a solution looking for a problem, he said. Its hideously expensive, and its a great terrorist target.
A new study by University of Miami researchers suggests that the Indian Ocean's Agulhas Current is growing wider but not more powerful. The results can be correlated with data on global climate change, pointing to how intensifying winds are not a result of the flow rate but the width of the current.

The study used evaluations from three different scientific cruises to the Agulhas Current. The phenomenon is the Indian Ocean's translation of the Gulf Stream, and the analyses showed long-term implications in the current's transport.

The analyses were carried out by observing 22 years of satellite data, and the findings now suggest the current is broader and not necessarily more powerful.

Agulhas Current Wider Activity

The data has estimated such increase in the width of the current since 1990, as the turbulence from meandering and eddying has increased at its turn. The phenomenon is currently one of the most powerful of its type worldwide, and it flows along the eastern coast of South Africa.

As part of its trajectory, the Agulhas transports warm and salty water in a direction starting from the tropics and flowing toward the poles. Because of its activity, the current has a tremendous impact on the regional climate of Africa and, given its intensity, on the global climate as well. The water circulation enhanced by its powerful movement contributes to the effects of global warming, changing the western boundary currents.

Climate Change Research On Oceans

Past research shows that fast-paced climate change can be detected over the western boundaries of the areas that the current affects, along with the expansion of its effects.

The results of the research have a significant impact on the way scientists interpret the effects of global warming, as both the poleward heat transport and the exchange of pollutants are now part of this mechanism.

The current study interpreted the data gathered in the course of an experiment called "Agulhas Current Time-Series," which was funded by the National Science Foundation. The experiment provided constant data, aiming for a better scientific comprehension of how climate change impacts ocean activity.

Other significant changes in natural phenomena arising from climate change include more frequent super typhoons in Asia, where highly destructive storms have dramatically increased in the past few years. Both their intensities and extent of damage are believed to be the effect of manmade climate change.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
It's a case of David versus Goliath in the software industry, or at least, that's what the founder of Kaspersky Lab would like to have you think.

The security company, which interestingly likens itself to the biblical David, is facing off with Microsoft, obviously the giant in this battle for dominance in the antivirus wars.

Eugene Kaspersky, the developer behind the popular Kaspersky antivirus software, has lodged a complaint in Russia, and soon in the European Union, against Microsoft over allegations of anticompetitive behavior.

Windows Defender Bundled With Windows 10

Kaspersky is criticizing the way Microsoft has been bundling its own brand of antivirus software  the Windows Defender  with the Windows 10 upgrade.

But this isn't the first time Microsoft has come under attack for its aggressive way of peddling its software. Reminders for customers to switch to Windows 10 were constantly pushed out via pesky, sometimes even deceptive, notifications.

In the case of the Windows Defender, it wasn't simply a notice to upgrade.

Upon actual installation of Windows 10, Microsoft's latest and greatest operating system, into one's computer, the new OS scans for the presence of third-party antimalware tools  like the Kaspersky antivirus  and deactivates them.

"When you upgrade to Windows 10, Microsoft automatically and without any warning deactivates all 'incompatible' security software and, in its place, installs  you guessed it  its own Defender antivirus," Kaspersky argues in his ominously titled blog post, "That's It. I've Had Enough!"

Kaspersky vs Microsoft

The bundling together of Microsoft's OS with a built-in antivirus is genius for those who no longer want to shop around for a different brand of antimalware. But for others well acquainted with the best protective software on the market, who know the intricacies of a third-party tool like the Kaspersky antivirus versus Windows Defender, the move somehow leaves device owners with a very limited range of options for their antivirus.

"Microsoft elegantly seizes niche markets by squeezing out independent developers and offering users its own products, which are in no way better," Kaspersky notes.

'Incompatible' Security Software

That's not all there is to Kaspersky's gripe against Microsoft's domineering ways. Independent developers were also said to have been given only one week to create software suitable to the new iteration of the OS.

"Even if [the] software did manage to be compatible according to the initial check before the upgrade, weird things tended to happen," says Kaspersky, "and Defender would still take over."

Instead, he wants Microsoft to give independent developers ample time to create bug fixes, and not simply one week to rush things. Otherwise, any other third-party software would fall into pitholes that would lead to the default Windows antivirus kicking in.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Dinosaurs never had a rapid evolution and they evolved slowly. This notion goes against previous theories that talk about a sudden surge in evolution.

This new fact has been reinforced by the discovery of fossils in Brazil where two small dinosaurs and a lagerpetid were found together. The latter is a precursor of dinosaurs.

According to scientists, the discovery is unique as it is the first time a dinosaur and lagerpetid were found together, giving proof that they lived side by side during the early phase of dinosaur evolution.

Published in the Nov. 10 issue of the journal Current Biology, the study draws the conclusion that dinosaurs and their precursors coexisted nicely and the evolution process had been gradual.

"We now know for sure that dinosaurs and dinosaur precursors lived alongside one another and that the rise of dinosaurs was more gradual, not a fast overtaking of other animals of the time," said Max Langer, a paleontologist at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.

The Carnian Santa Maria Formation, from where the fossils of lagerpetid (Ixalerpeton) and Saurischian dinosaur (Buriolestes) were spotted, is an old rock formation with an approximate age of 230 million years.

Affirming that the animals were contemporaries during the formative stages of dinosaurs' evolution, the scientists reiterated that the lagerpetid specimen had all the supporting features - skull, forelimb elements, associated vertebrae and scapular - to assert this.

Their tooth also bore evidence that the early dinosaurs ate "all kinds of small animals, but most probably not plants."

As dinosaurs acquired their characteristic anatomical traits gradually, it follows that Buriolestes must have been the oldest known Sauropodomorpha - the long-necked dinosaurs.

Noting the two animals have filled important gaps in the evolutionary history of dinosaurs' anatomical features, the researchers are now using CT scans to come up with more in-depth descriptions of the animals' anatomy. They are planning to obtain a more specific radio isotopic date on the oldest rocks where dinosaurs have been found while being on the lookout for more Triassic fossils.

Mud Dragon Fossils In China

Meanwhile, a dinosaur fossil discovery at a building site in southern China has given scientists vital clues to a family of creatures that thrived immediately before the species was wiped out.

Naming the bird-like species "Mud Dragon," the scientists said it was lying with wings outstretched. They believe the creature must have died after having been stuck in the mud about 70 million years ago.

Bearing the scientific name Tongtianlong limosus, the scientists said the two-legged animal was part of a group of feathered dinosaurs known as oviraptorosaurs.

They are mainly distinguished by crests of bone on the heads that are used in luring mates and attacking rivals.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Biopharmaceutical company Pfizer has announced a major expansion of its humanitarian assistance program, giving broader access to the Prevnar 13 vaccine it produces in humanitarian emergency situations. The company will offer a new multidose vial (MDV) at the lowest price worldwide.

The price of the vaccine is now $3.10 per dose. Aside from lowering the market price of the vaccine, the company will also donate money from the first year of implementation of the program to support humanitarian groups and organizations.

This program follows a previous initiative by the British drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, which stated back in September that it would cut the price of its pneumococcal vaccine, called Synflorix, to $3.05 when it comes to humanitarian crises.

Pfizer Humanitarian Assistance Program

Humanitarian organizations fighting to reach a category of very vulnerable people should be supported in their efforts, said Pfizer. The Nov. 11 announcement stated that civil society organizations (CSOs) will have special pricings of the vaccine, thus continuing the company's trademark involvement in these types of actions.

Additionally, Pfizer will also donate a number of vaccines in order to help the emergency needs of these vulnerable populations, and starting 2017 refugees will also have the possibility to receive the latest Prevenar 13 vaccine, which will contain four doses within the same size that currently only incorporates one dosage.

This new type of vaccine, incorporating the effects of four shots into just one, is especially created in order to help the developing world populations. The storage and transportation of the vaccines will also benefit from reduced pricing offers, for the same purpose as the previously announced measures. The vaccines have, additionally, been prequalified by the World Health Organization.

Pneumococcal Vaccine Access and Administration

The vaccine was approved in the European Union in 2009, when infants and children were given the possibility to be administered the shots in order to prevent the pneumococcal disease. The shots are currently and extensively used in more than 150 countries worldwide, including the United States, Japan, Australia or Canada, against pneumococcal viral problems.

Among the safety precautions that the users should know, people with former severe allergic reactions should not be administered with the medicine, as well as children with unsteady immune systems. The clinical and safety information about the administration of the vaccine also state that some of the most common adverse reactions were pain at the injection site, headaches or fatigue, increased or decreased sleep and fever.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Even before the release of the film, it seemed clear that the Avengers wouldn't exactly survive Captain America: Civil War. Divided over the Sokovia Accords and Bucky Barnes, Captain America leaves the superhero team he helped create behind at the end of the film after a climactic battle with former friend Tony Stark.

At least, that's what most fans remember. But one small detail noticed by a fan on Reddit points towards Captain America actually leaving the Avengers behind far earlier in the film.

If one looks closely at Cap's costume while he battles Crossbones in Nigeria, an Avengers patch can be seen on Steve's left shoulder. Later in the film when Steve goes out on his own to find Bucky, that patch is gone, never to be seen again for the rest of the film.

There are a couple of ways to read into that little detail. The first is the most boring and mundane explanation: perhaps Steve simply has two Captain America outfits, and the one he wears in the second half of the film doesn't sport an Avengers logo. It sounds goofy, but it also seems unlikely that Steve only owns one version of his costume. What if it gets damaged? Surely he has to wash it at some point, and if so, what does he wear while saving the day while his costume is in the washer? Having multiple costumes only makes sense.

In all seriousness though, a more likely answer could be that Steve removed the patch not because he had already decided to quit the Avengers, but because he didn't want the Avengers to be blamed for Steve intervening in Bucky's escape. Removing the patch was Steve's way of saying he was acting alone in his actions and not as part of the official Avengers team, though the rest of the world probably didn't view it that way, patch or not.

The third possibility is that Captain America did indeed decide his time with the Avengers was over much earlier in the film, removing the patch as a way of forever severing his ties with the superhero organization. He might have seen the rift between his supporters and Iron Man's as too large to repair even before the fight between the two.

Regardless, the Avengers as fans know it is no more by the end of the movie. Steve even drops the mantle of Captain America, relinquishing his iconic shield before breaking a number of fellow heroes out of a government prison in the middle of the ocean. Though the Avengers will no doubt reunite to take on the Mad Titan Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, this newly discovered detail just goes to show that Steve was more than ready to leave the Avengers behind if it meant doing what he thought was right.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
HTC opened up preorders for a neat upgrade kit to make the HTC Vive wireless, but the add-on sold out in mere minutes.

HTC Vive fans clearly wanted the option of untethering their VR headset for a wireless experience, ditching the cumbersome cable that keeps one tethered to a PC.

Vive X startup TPCAST and HTC decided to launch the "world's first tether-less VR upgrade kit for HTC Vive" and started taking preorders for the device on Friday, only to see the add-on vanish in no time.

HTC's China Regional President of Vive, Alvin W. Graylin, tells UnloadVR that the kit completely sold out in just 18 minutes. Those who managed to snag a kit out of this initial stock should get their device in the first quarter of next year.

How Does It Work?

TPCAST's tether-less upgrade kit for the HTC Vive simply clips on to the VR headset wirelessly connected to a PC, enabling users to play Vive games without having to keep the headset tethered to the PC via a cable.

Graylin touted that using the HTC Vive with the kit yielded "no noticeable difference" compared to the regular, tethered Vive experience. However, UploadVR found a note on TPCAST's website that mentioned a "lowest latency" of 15ms for the kit.

Even so, being able to use the powerful HTC Vive without having to stay wired to a PC is definitely an exciting prospect and it's not surprising the kit sold out so fast.

No Worldwide Availability Yet

The upgrade kit went up for preorder through HTC Vive's Chinese website and, although Graylin had previously told UploadVR that it was available for users worldwide as well, it wasn't the case. The order form only allows users to enter addresses in China, so the units can't be shipped elsewhere on the globe.

However, Graylin says that a new batch of tether-less upgrade kits for the HTC Vive may go up for preorder next month and those units might be more accessible for international customers.

Another SKU for the upgrade kit, offering a larger battery, should become available in the first quarter of 2017 too. This model has not gone up for preorder just yet, which means that the standard models that just sold out will likely ship out first. HTC also decided to prioritize customers who already have the HTC Vive, which is why it asked for the gadget's serial number in the purchase process for the kit.

Graylin did not offer a specific date for when the upgrade kit would go back up for preorder, but we'll keep you up to date as soon as we learn more.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google's been accused of giving its previous flagships, the Nexus 5X and 6P, less attention that the pair deserves, now that the company's focus is beelining full speed ahead in the direction of its self-branded premium smartphones, the Google Pixel and XL.

Google recently pulled the Nexus 5X and 6P from its online store to provide some ample vacancy for its new phones. To add insult to injury, several features included in its Android Nougat operating system were absent in the Nougat update for the Nexus 5X and 6P, which was a letdown for users who fancy night mode and even fingerprint gestures found on the Pixel phones.

Will Night Mode Return To The Nexus 5X And Nexus 6P?

According to Google, it wasn't able to carry over the night Mode feature for the Nexus 5X and 6P because it requires a driver support not present on the devices. Despite this, users still clamored for night mode. During the beta test for Nougat, many of them submitted this omission as a bug, saying that night mode is nowhere to be found in the settings menu.

Now, it seems that Google is pushing back. Someone from Google, most likely a moderator or employee that handles firmware issues, has labeled the night mode bug as "closed," with a "FutureRelease" status.

This might be indicative the the night mode feature will return to the Nexus 5X and 6P, perhaps via a software update. Whether or not it's true that the night mode requires a different driver to work, the upset has likely caused Google to avoid disappointing owners of the Nexus 5X and 6P.

Why Some Nougat Feautres Are't Present On The Nexus 5X And 6P

It's highly possible that the night mode feature wasn't carried over to avoid confusion with a virtually similar feature on Pixel phones called "Night Light." It doesn't seem like a major semantic disruption if you think about it, although they may have been also signaling that the best, full-fledged Nougat experience can only be found on the Pixel phones, and that other smartphones will have, by some measure, a reduced and inferior build.

Is it a marketing tactic? We can't say for sure, but it's good to know that the feature will potentially return. We'll find out if it does once Android 7.1 officially arrives on the Nexus 5X and 6P. Meanwhile, don't hold your breath for this once since Google might not bring it over at all.

For the uninitiated, the night mode feature dims the screen with a red tint during certain times of the day, particularly at evening, to reduce blue light, which has been proven to disrupt healthy sleeping patterns upon prolonged exposure.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
If you own the Sony Xperia X Performance smartphone  which hit U.S. shelves in July  you would be pleased to learn that the handset is now receiving a software update that fixes the niggling accelerometer issue.

As promised, Sony has now pushed out a software update which resolves the accelerometer issue. Some handset owners were also facing issues with the responsiveness of the screen rotation functionality, the barometer, magnetometer, gyroscope etc., and this update will fix these problems as well.

What Was The Xperia X Performance Bug?

Xperia X Performance owners were complaining of encountering issues with the handset as the device's accelerometer would suddenly stop functioning. The Sony Talk Support forums were replete with handset owners griping about the problem.

"The accelerometer of my X Performance stops after some days, so autorotate and other stuff do not work anymore until I reboot," complained one user.

"Same problem: accelerometer and gyroscope both stopped working randomly. Build 282. The phone is only three days old. Should I send it back?" lamented another.

What Action Did Sony Take?

Sony acknowledged the problem with the Xperia X Performance in October and confirmed at the time that an update to resolve the issue would be made available in the near future.

"I've just received information that a new software update will be available shortly with a solution for this. Until the new software update is available, if the accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, ambient light, proximity sensor, barometer or screen rotation stops responding, please try to restart the phone as a workaround," noted Sony Xperia's support staff three weeks ago.

The Update

Now thanks to the new software update for the Xperia X Performance, people will no longer have to reboot their smartphone  the temporary workaround  to get it to operate.

The software update has the firmware version 35.0.A.1.297 and it is an over-the-air (OTA) one. The update will be rolled out for both the Dual-SIM F8132 and single SIM F8131 variants of the Xperia X Performance smartphone.

Users would be hoping that the update will squash the niggling bugs on the Xperia X smartphone  which has begun receiving the beta of the Android 7.0 Nougat in November  for good.

Since the update is an OTA one, it is being pushed out in phases and could take a while before it makes its way to your Xperia X Performance handset, so be patient.

We suggest you ensure you have sufficient memory space and battery charge before downloading the software update. To manually check if your Xperia X Performance smartphone has received the bug fix, go to Settings > About Device > Software Updates > Check for Update.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Googles new Pixel smartphone hacked at PwnFest 2016 in less than a minute

Chinese hackers has hacked the recently launched Google Pixel smartphone in less than 60 seconds at The PwnFest 2016 event in Seoul. A team called White-Hat hackers from Qihoo 360 was able to demonstrate the ability to achieve remote code execution to win the cash prize of $120,000 for hacking the Pixel.

In order to get the remote code execution (RCE) on the smartphone, the team first showed a proof-of-concept exploit which used a zero-day vulnerability. The exploit allowed the intruders to install malicious code on Googles new own-brand smartphones without any difficulty.

Qihoo 360 used the vulnerability to launch the Google Play Store before opening Chrome and displaying a web page with the message Pwned By 360 Alpha Team. The team then went on to hack the Adobe Flash with a combination of a decade-old, vulnerability method and won cash prize of $120,000 again.

This is not the first time that a hacker team has reported security vulnerabilities of the Google Pixel. Prior to Qihoo, Keen Team of Tencent discovered and used a zero-day exploit to get into the smartphone data at the Mobile Pwn2Own event in Japan. Google has been informed about both the vulnerabilities, which is most likely to be fixed via monthly security update patches.

Further, besides Pixel and Adobe Flash, Microsoft Edge in Windows 10 was also hacked in PwnFest hacking competition. The concerned companies are said to be notified about the exploits so that they could repair the vulnerabilities.

PwnFest is a bug pwning festival for better security organized by POC with the help of sponsors, vendors, and judges in 2016.
BILLINGS -- A major campaign funding organization chaired by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., is waiting to hear back from its attorneys before deciding whether to return donations caught up on political controversy.

Tester told The Billings Gazette on Friday that the Democratic National Senatorial Campaign Committee hasn't decided whether to return money it received from Boston-based Thornton Law Firm.

The law firm, which has given $200,000 to the DSCC this election cycle, has been accused of running a straw-man donor scheme in order to circumvent federal restrictions on how much individuals can donate to campaign.

Straw-man donor schemes involve donors intent on exceeding campaign donation limits using other people to pass money on to campaigns. Donations by Thornton employees were questioned because the donors received bonuses equal, or nearly equal to the amount they gave to campaigns shortly after donations were made.

Tester gave the U.S. Treasury $51,800 of the personal campaign donations he had received from the group after an investigation by the Boston Globe and the Center for Responsive Politics concluded that Thornton might have broken campaign laws. The story lead with an anecdote about Tester traveling to the Boston law firm and leaving with $26,400 in checks in 2010.

There's been no indication Tester, or other federal lawmakers receiving cash from Thornton realized the donations were questionable.

"They've got an attorney that's supposed to be looking for that stuff right now to make sure it was legal or illegal," Tester said. "If it was illegal, it will be going back. If it's not, it won't."

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, DSCC, is a major funding source for Democrats running for the U.S. Senate. Like many of the candidates it supports, DSCC received significant amounts of money from the Boston-based Thornton Law Firm.

DSCC's daily operations are managed by Executive Director Tom Lopach, a Helena native and Tester's former chief of staff. Lopach was DSCC finance director in 2008. Tester's 2012 campaign director, Preston Elliott, is the DSCC deputy executive director. DSCC's national finance director is Valerie Charca Friedman, who was the national finance director of Tester's re-election campaign.

A fourth DSCC staffer, Christie Roberts, was Tester's research director in 2012.

Asked whether he planned to seek re-election in 2018, Tester replied, "That's the plan."

Following Tuesday's election results, which saw the number of statewide elected Democrats in Montana shrink from five to two and President-elect Donald Trump take a commanding majority of the Montana vote, Tester said he was willing to work with Trump.

"I just think that elections matter, and I think the people of Montana spoke," Tester said. "The people of the nation spoke, and I think it's time, at the federal level, to give President Trump the opportunity to govern and work with him where we can, hold him accountable where he needs to be held accountable. Move the country forward."
The Venezuelan president described the day with his Colombian counterpart as fruitful, intense and extensive. | Read More
This year, nine Native Americans will serve in Montana's Legislature, an increase over last year, though members of the American Indian Caucus are concerned about how they will work with a state government that is more dominated by Republicans.

American Indians make up 7.4 percent of Montanans but have historically been under-represented in the Legislature. In the 2015 session, there were eight American Indian legislators  three in the Senate and five in the House  for 5.3 percent of the 150 members. This year it will be 6 percent. The highest number since 1989, when the state started tracking, was 10 members in 2007.

The Native caucus is critical to addressing issues that affect the people, families, and communities on Montana's seven reservations and the Little Shell tribe, said Amanda Frickle, executive director of the Montana Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

"They bring really important legislative priorities to the table that might otherwise be overlooked. It's an important part of a representative democracy."

Frickle said having people in the Legislature who understand and see what happens daily in Indian Country ensures that the body takes up issues that disproportionately affect reservations -- such as a lack of access to health care and high suicide rates.

But she expressed concern over the caucus' ability this year to work with Republicans, who she says often don't support Native issues, citing a failed bill from 2015 that would have directed money to a program that works to improve poorly performing schools.

Going into Election Day, Native legislators were guaranteed at least eight seats in 2017, including holdover state Sen. Lea Whitford, D-Browning.

In the House, incumbent Democrat George Kipp III ran unopposed in House District 15. The same is true for Democrat incumbent Susan Webber of Browning in HD16, Jonathan Windy Boy of Box Elder in HD32, incumbent Rae Peppers of Lame Deer in HD41 and Sharon Stewart Peregoy of Crow Agency in HD42.

Republican Jason Small of Busby won Senate District 21, which was a contest between two Native candidates, the other being Democrat Carolyn Pease-Lopez. It was a similar situation in Senate District 16, where Democrat Frank Smith of Poplar beat Republican G. Bruce Meyers of Box Elder, who had been the state representative for House District 32 last session.

Democrat Shane Morigeau of Missoula won against non-Native Republican Cyndi Kenck of Frenchtown in House District 95.

Democrats had hoped for 11 representatives, but Democrat Joey Jayne lost her primary in Senate District 47, and on Tuesday in House District 25, Democrat Garrett Lankford, a member of the Little Shell Tribe, lost against non-Native Republican Jeremy Trebas of Great Falls.

Republicans had a net gain of two seats in the Legislature and hold all statewide elected offices except the governorship. Native communities often support Democratic candidates, though there are exceptions such as Small and Meyers.

Webber said the Native caucus has always faced an uphill battle.

"We've been literally and figuratively the minority's minority," Webber said. "I know it looks like we have a lot of people in the Indian caucus, a lot of people were elected, but in reality it should be more. But just us getting in there, from my perspective, is a real positive."

Native legislators often carry bills that represent other groups of society that struggle, such as the poor or disabled, Webber said. "What affects the Indians, we look at it also affecting those other groups within the larger population."

She said Republicans can get into the mentality of viewing the state's Indians as what she calls "fort Indians."

"Indians a long time ago, they were at the gate of the fort asking for food -- for the food that was supposed to have come to us with our treaties but was squandered or sold off. We couldn't go out and hunt anymore, so we became fort Indians. That's what we're seeing. It's a stereotype, but we're getting better."

Last session was dominated by Medicaid expansion and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' water compact, Webber said. She hopes this year to take up issues of economic development.

"I see that we are people who want to pick themselves up," Webber said. "So many people here have so many ideas, and the reservations are just gold mines for business if we actually had the opportunity and the capital."

During her freshman session in 2015, Webber said she felt the division among the other legislators.

"As an Indian in the Legislature, you stand out. You're a different color, and that really plays a part in it." She said racial tensions played a much larger role than she expected.

"We're educated; we've paid our dues. We're survivors," Webber said. She added that she expects to see the same thing this session.

Jeff Essmann, the chairman of the Montana Republican Party and state representative from Billings, said his party will work with the Native caucus, and that the Republican platform offers many things Indian Country wants.

"I do not think the Native American caucus is in the sole possession of the Montana Democratic Party," Essmann said. In 2011, the Republican party had four representatives in the Native caucus, last session had Rep. G. Bruce Meyers of Box Elder, and this session will have the newly elected Small.

"I believe that our pro-growth policies are in the best interest of all Montanans, including our Native populations," added Essmann.

At the Republican party's winter meeting, the vice chairman of the Crow tribe at the time spoke, as did Carlyle Begay, a former state senator from Arizona. Begay in 2015 switched parties from Democrat to Republican because he felt the GOP platform better aligned with the needs he saw among his state's Native population.

Essmann said the same is true in Montana, that his party's policies are the best way to help Native people.

He said, "The best way out of poverty is steady income. A good paycheck brings self-esteem, the ability to make choices and not be stuck with a poorly managed, federally controlled health service."

He said Republicans are best suited to address the economic concerns such as Webber's.

"Why would you want to continue to be dependent on a federal government that has done nothing but mismanage your assets for 100 years or more and a poorly managed, federally run health care system when you could be independent and make your own choices and have your own life?"
BILLINGS -- The push to scrap the Clean Power Plan is on following Donald Trumps presidential victory, though its unlikely to save coal-fired polluters like Colstrip's power plant.

Meeting with the press Wednesday morning, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he hoped Trump would immediately scrap the Clean Power Plan, which called on states to cut greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants and other sources by 2030.

Day one would be a good idea, McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, told Roll Call, suggesting the new president stop the EPAs legal battles supporting the Clean Power Plan.

Montana is one of 24 states suing the EPA over the emissions plan, which is aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox has said the EPA is overstepping its authority by making new law with the CPP.

EPAs prescribed emissions reductions for Montana were the nations steepest, 47 percent. Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock accused the EPA of moving the goalposts because based on earlier planning, Montana had expected a prescribed emissions cut of about half that amount.

Gov. Bullock's office did not return calls Wednesday.

Colstrip was an obvious emissions target. It was the nations 15th largest producer of greenhouse gases, emitting 13.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases annually, according to EPA. Carbon dioxide contributes to climate change.

Trump has said climate change is a hoax promoted by China.

But Colstrip is facing more imminent challenges, which will persist regardless of whether Trump scraps the Clean Power Plan.

Talen Energy and Puget Sound Energy, the owners of the two oldest units at the four-unit power plant, have agreed to shut down their units no later than 2022. The agreement settled an emissions violations lawsuit brought by the Sierra Club and the Montana Environmental Information Center.

The units targeted for closure opened in the 1970s. Agreeing to shutter the units made better financial sense than adding costly pollution controls, the owners said. Cheap natural gas has cut into coals share of the energy market and eroded profits. Talen Energy, which operates all four Colstrip units through an agreement with the power plant's five other owners, said this summer that it is currently losing millions.

The settlement with the Sierra Club is whats determining the future of Units 1 and 2 at this point, said Grant Ringel, of Puget Sound Energy.

The timing of the closure means the two oldest units will be shuttered before the Clean Power Plan came into play.

Montana shelved its efforts to curb greenhouse gases under the Clean Power Plan as soon as a federal judge granted the states a stay in February. Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock appointed a 27-member advisory panel to address the Clean Power Plan in January, but disbanded it after a couple weeks.

Since the task force was suspended, at DEQ we havent worked on the Clean Power Plan, said Kristi Ponozzo, of the Department of Environmental Quality.

Last month, a federal judge ordered the EPA to assess jobs loss related to enacting the Clean Power Plan.
If you're curious to see a renovation project done almost entirely by prisoners, the old red schoolhouse on South Boulevard in Beauregard Town offers the latest example.

The building, which started out as the Louisiana School for the Deaf in 1939 and later housed the Baton Rouge Police Department, has been gutted from top to bottom and features desks, chairs, cabinetry and large conference tables made from scratch by state inmates.

The renovated space, adjacent to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections headquarters at 504 Mayflower St., will house employees of that agency's credit union along with Prison Enterprises, the branch of the department that sells inmate-made products to public agencies.

The $6.9 million price tag is considered a bargain given how much the project likely would have cost if the labor hadn't been essentially free.

The two-story structure, also called "Building 10," will have showrooms for potential customers to shop around for the other items that Louisiana's inmates make, like state license plates, jail beds, prison outfits and office furniture.

Some nearly-completed rooms with bright walls and stark, slanting sunlight resembled naked art galleries on a recent Thursday. An old-fashioned seal of Louisiana with a mint-green background, part of the original building, remains inlaid in the lobby.

Members of the city police department, who worked in the building when it sparkled considerably less, are likely to be envious to see what's been done with the place.

There are even plans to have inmates provide some of the artwork in the building.

The project's manager, Gary Shotwell, said he's also hoping a talented prisoner will paint a mural above the teller windows in the credit union, a bank only open to corrections employees and to those who work for certain organizations that contract with the state agency such as private prison operators LaSalle Corrections and Louisiana Workforce LLC.

Baton Rouge government named 'top 10 digital city'

For the second year in a row, Baton Rouge has been named one of the Center for Digital Government's top 10 digital cities.

The city-parish's geographic information systems department has been particularly visible over the past year, and has created several maps in the aftermath of floods that devastated Baton Rouge showing the extent of the damage. They also used maps to show in real time where crews were picking up debris across the parish.

Baton Rouge was ranked 10th overall last year and moved up to being ranked 5th overall this year.

I cant say enough about the work of our entire team throughout the past year in terms of all the strides weve made with technology, particularly given some of these advances have come during one of the most devastating natural disasters in the history of the U.S., said Eric Romero, the city-parish's interim director of the Department of Information Services.

Prison health care privatization delayed again

Baton Rouge's Metro Council again delayed voting on a contract Wednesday to privatize health care at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison in the wake of push back from the health care professionals who work there.

Mayor-President Kip Holden's administration wants to privatize the medical care at the parish prison, which they say would give them better budget stability and lead to better patient outcomes. But the prison's nurses and doctors have disagreed, saying the city is getting the raw end of the deal with the company CorrectHealth.

"If you take your time and really look at this contract, there's a lot of pitfalls in there you're not aware of," said physician Charlie Bridges, one of the doctors who works at the prison.

Nurses went to the Metro Council more than a year ago and asked for help with dangerously low levels of staffing and supply shortages. Some said they felt like city-parish leaders are now retaliating against them for asking for help.

The Metro Council is scheduled to vote on the contract November 22.

Advocate staff writers Maya Lau and Andrea Gallo contributed to this article.
The three men Pointe Coupee Parish authorities were looking for overnight in connection with a double shooting near an elementary school in Maringouin were arrested and booked in the parish jail Friday.

Capt. Steve Juge, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, said Anthony D. Smith, 77260 Rivet St.; LaJulian J. Thomas, 10530 Coates St.; and Ashton A. Simmons, 77110 Jackson Ave., were each booked on two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of two Opelousas men Thursday morning.

'Shootup' in Pointe Coupee temporarily locks down nearby school; authorities hunt for vehicle MARINGOUIN  Two men were wounded in a double shooting Thursday near an elementary school in

Authorities were on the hunt for three men in a red Mustang after witnesses told investigators the occupants in the vehicle opened fire on two men who were in a pickup truck in the 1100 block of La. 977, down the street from Valverda Elementary School. Juge said previously the people in the two vehicles had stopped in the middle of the street and were talking to each other through open windows.

Sheriff Bud Torres said his investigators believe the Thursday shooting was "a drug deal gone bad."

The Sheriff's Office shared the credit of the arrests of Smith, 20, Thomas, 21, and Simmons, 21, with the Maringouin Police Department.

As for the victims, Torres said Friday one had to undergo surgery for his wounds and the other was in fair condition.

One victim was shot in the chest and face and other shot once in the leg and back. The Sheriff's Office did not release their names.

Judge said Friday a gun was found in the victim's vehicle but he did not know if it had been fired during the shooting.
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Authorities are searching for a man whose arrest under a stolen identity caused an innocent man to be booked into jail.
Donald Trump's election creates several uncertainties for Louisiana, but one of the largest may be concerning the future of more than 336,000 residents who are getting health care coverage through the state's expanded Medicaid program.

Trump, a Republican who had a historic defeat over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, campaigned heavily on the repeal of the federal Affordable Care Act, which made Medicaid expansion possible for the state earlier this year.

Trump's campaign didn't respond to The Advocate's request for comment on what he thinks should happen to the newly-covered Medicaid patients.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Trump said in an interview he will consider keeping some pieces of President Barack Obama's signature health care law after meeting with Obama earlier this week.

Louisiana road to Medicaid expansion long, winding but finally here Against all odds, Louisiana has become the 31st state  perhaps more noteworthy, the first s

I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that, Trump told The WSJ. Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced."

Republicans who control Congress have long pushed for changes to the ACA. With GOP control of both chambers and the presidency beginning in January, their chances are better than ever.

"I think there are a lot of unknowns here, and I think that Louisiana and all the expansion states really need to watch what the Republican president and Republican congress plan to do with it," said Diane Rowland, a health policy expert at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, signed the order expanding Medicaid shortly after taking office in January. Former Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican, had repeatedly refused to do so, citing his objections to the Affordable Care Act. Benefits kicked in for the newly-covered on July 1.

Enrollment has swelled to 336,688 and is on track to top 400,000 people by June 30. Nearly 40 percent of the new Medicaid patients are 25-39 year olds. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, 22 adults have been diagnosed with colon cancer after they were screened with their Medicaid coverage and are now seeking treatment, and 18 women have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Under the expansion, adults who make below 138 percent of the federal poverty level  about $33,500 a year for a family of four or $16,200 for a single adult  are among the newly eligible population.

Previously, childless adults were not eligible for Medicaid in Louisiana, and the income restrictions for people with children were tighter.

"I'm concerned because we don't have any answers," Edwards told The Advocate in an interview this week when asked about the future of Medicaid expansion under a Trump administration. "There's no information out there about what the repeal and replace looks like."

But Edwards said he's remaining optimistic that the expansion component will survive.

"I just don't believe at the end of the day that the new president or Congress will cause all these people around the country to lose their coverage," he said.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, a Jefferson Republican and ally of Trump, said the current Medicaid system isn't working and he supports Trump's efforts to put more in the hands of the states.

"Medicaid is the most broken form of health care in the country," he said. "Under Obamacare we put millions of people into a system that was already breaking."

"It costs billions of dollars and produces a very sub-par result in terms of what people could get," he added.

Under the ACA, the federal government will pick up 100 percent of the tab for the states new Medicaid enrollees through the end of the year. The federal match rate will gradually scale back to 90 percent, with the state picking up the other 10 percent by 2020.

The state budget that the Louisiana Legislature approved after two special sessions and the regular session earlier this year, relies on $184 million that the state will bring down in expansion dollars to fund other state services.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Baton Rouge Republican who will become the state's senior senator in January, said he favors calls to change how the money comes to the state for Medicaid. Legislation he has backed for several years would set up a "per capita" model that reimburses states for each Medicaid-eligible patient but at a lower rate than the current match.

"We would make it more beneficial to both the state and the patient," Cassidy said.

A doctor, Cassidy said he hasn't heard from Trump's allies or advisers about whether the model he supports would be backed by the president-elect.

"I feel comfortable that this will be considered," he said. "If a federal taxpayer is giving money to provide medical services for poor people. It's not supposed to be a piggy bank for everything else."

Trump's campaign website says that he favors shifting Medicaid to a "block grant" program where the federal government gives each state an amount of money and lets it create its own version of Medicaid, with incentives to keep costs low.

"The state governments know their people best and can manage the administration of Medicaid far better without federal overhead," his website reads. "States will have the incentives to seek out and eliminate fraud, waste and abuse to preserve our precious resources."

Families USA, a health care advocacy group, argues that block granting Medicaid will make the program more costly for states or lead to sweeping cuts in eligibility.

We will fight at the grass roots level and in the halls of Congress to make sure Mr. Trumps proposed ACA repeal and Medicaid restructuring dont happen," Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, said in a statement. "Millions of people should not have their lives placed in jeopardy through reckless action.
Advocate file photo by MATTHEW HINTON -- An automatic license plate reader is seen at Palmetto Street and Orpheum Street in Metairie in June 2015. Like Jefferson Parish, New Orleans will be installing dozens in the coming months.
Let us not be too hard on Gov. John Bel Edwards's office for appointing a deadbeat to the state Tax Commission.
The Catholic archbishop for Canberra says he regrets his decision not to attend a healing ceremony for Marist abuse victims, asking "sincerely for forgiveness from those whom I have offended".

Archbishop Christopher Prowse was invited to Marist's healing ceremony on Thursday night, but declined to attend.

Archbishop Christopher Prowse has apologised for not attending the Marist healing ceremony this week. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

A spokeswoman said on Friday that the Catholic church's leader in Canberra and Goulburn had viewed it as a "Marist-specific" event, and that he'd wanted to wait for the royal commission to end so the archdiocese could hold its own.

The decision angered abuse survivors, who viewed his absence as a continuing sign of a flawed attitude on the abuse crisis from the Catholic Church.
Rubbery figures I've heard some nonsense in my time as executive director of Clubs Australia but nothing quite as nonsensical as the editorial "It's time to tackle pokie reform" (October 30, p18). The suggestion that clubs have been built "on the base of human misery" is particularly offensive and not borne out by the facts. ACT Clubs have provided more than $150 million in community contributions over the past decade alone, providing crucial funding for worthy causes including Canberra Hospital, Camp Quality, Care Flight and various local schools and sporting clubs. Part of that contribution comes from gaming revenue, but the assertion that problem gamblers account for almost half of all gambling losses in the ACT is utterly false. The latest prevalence study found that problem gamblers account for 15.6 per cent of all

poker machine expenditure. Not-for-profit clubs are up for a sensible and balanced debate on poker machines, but it must take into account the 2500 jobs created by clubs in the ACT and the more than $300 million paid in gaming taxes to the ACT government over the past 10 years. And it must be based on the facts, not rubbery figures. Anthony Ball, executive director, Clubs Australia Canberrans sold a pup

Thank you, Stephen Jeffery (Letters, November 6) for pointing out how different Capital Metro (Stage 1) will be compared with the Gold Coast's GLink (both about 12 kilometres). Let's compare other realities. GLink cost $1.2 billion, of which the federal and Queensland governments contributed $600million; CMetro Stage 1 will cost $1.3billion, of which Canberrans pay the lot. GLink services a "string of pearls" from Broadbeach, through Surface Paradise and its beaches, to the medical/hospital complex and the university, through the densest residential area in Australia, servicing a normal population of more than 500,000 and with more than 5 million tourists a year. What will the Gungahlin-Civic link service in comparison? Commuter rushes morning and evening (now serviced by Red Rapids) and almost nothing the rest of the day.

In its first year, GLink carried 6.5million passengers. CMetro Stage 1, at its maximum (business case figures) will carry 6.3 million passengers a year, resulting in a subsidy of about $10.50 for every passenger. And as far as a "killing" by the government on real estate value capture along the Stage1 corridor is concerned, think again. The government is obliged, under an agreement with the federal government, to rehouse about 1100 public tenants in units along Northbourne Avenue to free up that land for sale. It has already been reported that rehousing those tenants will cost Canberra taxpayers $500million. How much will be left of "value capture" after that lot is paid for? Canberrans have been sold a pup with light rail. M. Silex, Erindale NBN's poor delivery

Just loved Paul Malone ("Change is fine ...", Letters, November 6) regarding connecting to the NBN. I have finally been connected after six months and 57 phone calls to Telstra and NBN, the longest call being 3.5 hours. Never an apology; conflicting "explanations" regarding delays; allocated a new landline number without informing me about the new number, or that I needed a new number; and borderline bullying by phone messaging. The connection was completed only after action by the office of my local member, Gai Brodtmann, including her own personal, and much appreciated, attention. And I now have three, not one, new modems!

Ross Kingham, Canberra Seeking to bolster the company's (NBN) credentials by appointing former politicians to local boards is surely a sign of utter desperation ("Spy fear over China link to NBN", November 6, p6). With former, and present, Australian politicians held in such poor odour, most people might prefer to take their chances with the Huawei arm of the People's Liberation Army. With Australia's own record of bugging (Timor-Leste, for example), it is ironic to be hoisted with one's own petard! Albert M. White, Queanbeyan

Parallel universes While he was studiously misappropriating probability theory to suit his pseudo-religious conclusions, I wonder if Peter Cooper (Letters, November 6) ever considered the astronomical improbability of someone such as himself, with no science or mathematics training beyond secondary school, accomplishing in a few lines of English what theoretical physicists fixated on numbers and equations have unsuccessfully spent decades attempting to do, proving definitively that parallel universes cannot exist? David Dunning and Justin Kruger's salient paper on the subject is evidently just as relevant today as it was when published 17 years ago. James Allan, Narrabundah Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message eld, not as an attached le. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.
While we queued for the tour, the staff handed out glow sticks. "If it gets too much and you want the scary business to stop, just wave the stick," a young woman instructed my dubious eight-year-old. We tiptoed inside. Shadowy passages. Creepy noises. Ghoulish characters leaping from hidden corners. A cobwebbed bookshelf. A dining room table with skeletons sitting around it in perverse mockery of a family meal  on one plate, human brains. I was staring, mesmerised, at the served-up brains when my eight-year-old began shrieking and whipping the air with her glow stick.

Logic and coherence being so November 7, I'm going to start with an anecdote from Halloween, an American cultural export that Australians have embraced with fervour. The weekend before last I attended Halloween festivities at the St Kilda town hall, which included a "haunted manor" tour in the neo-classical town hall.

One consequence of cataclysm is that our perception of time alters dramatically; a machete slices through it and for a while there's only before and after. Maybe by the time you read this piece, which I started writing late last week, people will have started to acclimatise to the surreal. I might as well get it over with and type the words, "President-elect Donald Trump", as the new normal.

Donald Trump's demeanour has transformed since being elected.

The night prior to the US election I stayed up late reading about nonagenarian and centenarian women born before August 18 1920, when the final state ratified the 19th Amendment to the US constitution giving women the right to vote. These elderly women were casting their ballots for the candidate they hoped would be their first female president, a woman who had fought for decades to improve the lot of women and children, a feminist. I shed tears of joyful anticipation.

The journey itself from before to after does not bear dwelling on. An ominous loss for the Democratic Party in Florida. The map of the US awash in red as if someone had opened a vein. In the cosy echo chamber of social media, a collective meltdown where only a few hours earlier people had posted upbeat music videos and photos of beaming women dressed in pantsuits to mark the momentous day. "This. Isn't Happening." And similar sentiments, over and over, in large font.

My ears ring with the sound of shattering glass; the splintering of so many assumptions. About meritocracy, the sanctity of law, the power of reason, the value of decency, even a residual faith in the idea of progress, that there are dark places we'll never go back to. The CNN commentator Van Jones gave voice to this on election night when he said: "You tell your kids, 'Don't be a bully.' You tell your kids, 'Don't be a bigot.' You tell your kids, 'Do your homework and be prepared.' Then you have this outcome, and you have people putting children to bed tonight and they're afraid of breakfast."

One feature of the anti-Trump echo chamber is loud pontificating from people of varying expertise who think they're not really in it or can hear the voices from outside where others cannot. Within hours of the result op-ed writers were diagnosing the Democratic Party as out-of-touch with the concerns of working-class whites. How could the party have chosen Hillary Clinton, the consummate insider, as its presidential candidate in this era of anti-elitist backlash?
Taking out the trash" is a tried and true political tactic. It occurs on the days the public's attention is focused elsewhere.

It is then governments rid themselves of bad news, inconvenient reports or maladroit ministers  the theory, of course, being that the media coverage  and electors' interest  will be minimal.

Premier Daniel Andrews' failed a leadership test with his handling of the Steve Herbert affair.

And so it was, in the midst of the tumultuous US presidential election count on Wednesday, Victoria's embattled minister for training, skills, international education and corrections, Steve Herbert, resigned. In a statement in which he also announced he would not be recontesting the 2018 election, Mr Herbert said he was concerned events of the past two weeks were proving too much of a distraction from the work of the Andrews government. Indeed.

Mr Herbert  and Premier Daniel Andrews  had spent the past two weeks hunkered down, seemingly hoping to ride out their dog of a storm. The erstwhile minister had been caught using his ministerial car to chauffer his pets, Ted and Patch, from his property in Parkdale to his residence at Trentham, about 120 kilometres away. The driver would return to pick up Mr Herbert after he finished work  and then trek back to Trentham, where presumably the minister would enjoy a most happy reunion with his hounds.
He was escorted under guard to Royal North Shore Hospital for mental health assessment. On Friday a spokesman from NSW Police Media told PS: "We are not providing any further comment" and said due to privacy laws no further information about the 38-year-old man's whereabouts could be released. Peta Credlin and Julia Gillard agree on push for more women in power It's been a hell of a week for women's empowerment, but just a day after Hillary Clinton was turfed onto the political scrap heap by renowned feminist and President-elect Donald Trump, back in Sydney a chorus of applause was greeting girl power. On Thursday over morning tea at the Centennial Hotel in Paddington, Harper's Bazaar Australia unveiled its Women of the Year issue, giving star billing to former Prime Minister Tony Abbott's chief of staff Peta Credlin, who, along with a line-up of other high achievers, was described as one of the great "disruptors" of 2016.

Julia Gillard and Delta Goodrem at the 10th annual Cosmopolitan Women of the Year Awards in Sydney on Thursday. Credit:Cosmo "I'm not driven by big dollars and I don't want a slow or, indeed, an easy life. I want to live a life that matters. I believe in the battle for ideas, because the battle for ideas shapes lives and it shapes countries, hence my love of politics," Credlin, who is now working for James Packer's private company as a senior adviser, writes in next week's edition of Harpers. "I'm comfortable wearing the tag of 'disruptor' so long as I'm honest and true to myself. I would feel I'd let myself down if I didn't speak up on things I care about. We need women like us in politics  women who are prepared to speak up and to shake the tree. Women who can't be bullied or pushed around. If you are just warming a seat then you need to give the seat to someone else, because we need women in public life who are brave and fearless." Peta Credlin arrives at the ACT magistrates court to face DUI charges. Credit:Rohan Thomson And just a few hours after Credlin was being showered in adulation, one of her great foes, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who accused Abbott and by default Credlin, of misogyny during their opposition years, was gracing a stage across the road in Centennial Park, but this time for Cosmopolitan magazine's Women of the Year Awards.

Gillard, who was a presenting a gong to Delta Goodrem, told the room: "I'm absolutely sure, it'll be so common for a woman to become prime minister here or to be leading in other nations that we don't even bother talking about it anymore so yes, I want to see the next generation of women getting right in there, so please do. Don't be deterred." Now, we can only wonder, would Gillard still feel so supportive if that next female prime minister turned out to be Credlin? Nine gets upfront and personal at celeb-spinning TV love parade The annual beauty parade of television networks flaunting their assets for the coming year has been taking place over the past couple of weeks. Mostly for advertising executives and a few television writers, "upfronts" normally run for an hour or so with a few drinks and nibblies dispensed as network talent is "showcased". Teaser videos of upcoming shows are rolled (usually with the volume way too high) and plenty of fists are punched in the air as network executives puff their chests.

Channel Nine flaunting its assets for the coming year. The objective: to convince clients to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars worth of advertising. On Tuesday Channel Nine turned the upfronts concept on its head, hosting about 500 people at The Star casino complex for what turned out to be a five-hour network love-in, a cross between a Hillsong rally and Donald Trump convention, complete with dancing brides, pyrotechnics, network celebrities and a whiz-bang stage set. The Oscars-like stage featured giant Lazy Susans which spun to reveal the network's "jewels", with the likes of Tracy Grimshaw and Shane Warne under spotlights, although when Tracy's Lazy Susan, shared with Liz Hayes and Peter Overton, came to an abrupt halt mid-spin it was hard to resist giggling. But the giggles were better than the groans that came after Leila McKinnon got all Melania Trump on us and enthused about Nine's digital strategy to capture Australian women with its "revolutionary" formula: recipes, relationship advice, celebrity gossip, fashion and astrology charts.

And then, when the fireworks went off, there was serious concern for Richard Wilkins' trademark mane, though Dickie's magnificent plumage appeared unsinged when PS caught up with him afterwards. Behind all the razzle-dazzle, the upfronts also give an indication of who's in and who's out at the various networks. With Karl Stefanovic conveniently crossing live via satellite from New York, the absence of colleague Tara Brown, still reeling from the 60 Minutes Lebanese debacle, was noted. As Brown's huge image filled one of the giant screens on the stage, one observer noted to PS: "This looks just like the in memoriam section of the Logies." Eek! Seal and Erica Packer hunting for Sydney home as filming for The Voice looms When pop star Seal travels, he usually does so with a sizeable entourage in tow given his ever-growing family brood  which presently stands at nine.

With the pop star set to return to Sydney in early January to commence filming as a judge on Channel Nine's next series of The Voice, PS hears he will also be bringing his girlfriend and former Sydney resident Erica Packer with him, along with the three children (Indigo, 8, Jackson, 6, and Emmanuelle, 4) she shares with ex-husband, embattled billionaire James Packer. Seal and Erica Packer take the children to get Froyo in Brentwood, California. Credit:Ninja/INFphoto.com With seven offspring between them, the hunt has commenced in earnest to find a big enough home to accommodate Los Angeles-based Seal and his girlfriend's families, though it is unclear exactly how long they will be in town. The last time he was in town with Erica the pair managed to bunker down at his girlfriend's former marital home in Vaucluse, the $70 million mega home James Packer built but barely spent a night in as his second marriage unravelled. That home has since been sold, meaning new, temporary digs will need to be secured.

Shooting of The Voice begins in January for a two- to three-week period, followed by a month's break before shooting resumes in February for another couple of weeks. The show then goes into hiatus until mid year, when Seal is required to remain in Sydney for at least two months throughout the live shows. "I think they will be looking forward to basing themselves in Sydney for a few months, which Erica will be looking forward to given that it is her old home town and she has family and many friends here," says an insider on The Voice. Having the three Packer children in Sydney will also be welcome news for family matriarch Ros Packer, who has remained close to both Erica and the children throughout their parent's divorce, as has father James Packer. Given the very public meltdown of James Packer's engagement with pop star Mariah Carey, and the airing of private details involving the bust-up, including Packer's pre-nup proposal, the timing of the family's home coming is said to be welcome news for Ros Packer. Friends say she is understandably weary of the never-ending stream of controversies that have consumed the Packers over recent months, from China to Mariah.

Lizzie Buttrose's high noon at the Joh Bailey salon Was controversial Sydney socialite Lizzie Buttrose auditioning for a bit-part in the upcoming series of Real Housewives of Sydney at Joh Bailey's Double Bay salon on Wednesday night? Buttrose launched into an unseemly catfight with RHOS's Victoria Rees, who had teamed up with Wrinkles Schminkles beauty potions to raise money for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. With a camera crew documenting proceedings for the Foxtel show, it looks almost certain that Ita Buttrose's headline-grabbing niece will get her mug on the box, which comes after her well-documented run-ins with the local constabulary in recent months, with police attending Lizzie Buttrose's home four times in 18 months. High drama. Trump caricature funnier than the real thing
When I was seven, I stole a book. It was just a pamphlet of baby names but, as kids sometimes do, I wanted it so I took it. My father Joseph realised what I'd done and furiously marched me back to the shop to return it and apologise to the owner. It was ironic, given that a few years later he started robbing banks.

Dad carried out 11 robberies in the summer of 1994, after losing his job in a car factory. He'd walk into a bank and slide a handwritten note across the counter: "This is a robbery, give me all the bills in your drawer."

Is there anything wrong with being average? Credit:Stocksy

When the police eventually caught up with him, he was sitting in a bar, drinking a beer and eating a sandwich. I was 13 and my sister Boo was 15, and his crimes were a complete surprise to us. We didn't know he'd lost his job, so didn't question where his money was coming from.

My mum Nora had divorced him in 1989. She suspected something but never confronted him as she didn't want to get involved.
A 20-year-old man has died after being shot in the neck at a home in what is believed to be a "targeted" attack in Sydney's north west on Friday night.

Police were called to the home, near a shopping centre on Windsor Road, Baulkham Hills, after reports of a shooting about 9.45pm.

Officers found the man outside a home bleeding heavily from a single gunshot wound to the neck, having staggered about 200m up busy Windsor Road. He was taken to Westmead Hospital where he died a short time later.

A 29-year-old man was arrested at the scene and is being questioned by police.
A crashed hang glider pilot has been found dead after an air, land and sea search off Rainbow Beach, east of the Queensland city of Gympie.

Police said the 61-year-old man was forced to make an emergency descent near Double Island Point around 2pm on Saturday and his body was found in bushland on Sunday mornring.

The body of a missing hang glider pilot has been found in bushland near Double Island Point.

His yellow glider had been spotted by the RACQ rescue helicopter about 750m inland from the ocean on Sunday morning.

An extensive air and water search had been undertaken to find the man as it was not known if he came down on land or in the water.
Costumes of all shapes and sizes were on display in Queensland on Saturday as Supanova took over the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

From students and a teachers' aid to a professional costume designer and even a forensic mortuary technician - people from far and wide gathered to celebrate their love of pop culture.

Georgie Collins, left, and Niamh Bell at Supernova in Brisbane. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Supa-star guests included Nathan Fillion (Richard Castle - Castle), Lucy Hale (Aria Montgomery - Pretty Little Liars), Carice van Houten (Melisandre - Game of Thrones) and Michelle Gomez (Missy - Doctor Who).

With Donald Trump making headlines across the globe, Brisbane Times thought a topical question would be which superhero or supervillian Donald Trump most resembles and what superpower should the President-elect possess?
A fresh branch-stacking scandal has ignited in Bill Shorten's home state, sparking a heated factional brawl between powerbrokers at Labor's latest state conference.

In extraordinary scenes in Melbourne on Saturday, party heavyweights  including recently retired senator Stephen Conroy and Federal MP Andrew Giles  embarked on an angry war of words over membership rorts that insiders say have spiralled "out of control".

Stephen Conroy with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in 2015. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The stoush came as delegates made a renewed attempt to tighten ALP rules after a recent membership surge identified about 1300 "irregularities" in federal seats such as Scullin, Lalor, and Holt  including unusually high numbers of recruits involving people of Indian backgrounds. In some seats, the conference heard, membership had jumped from 150 to 600 people over two weekends  an apparent bid by stackers to wield more power over policy and preselections.

Mr Giles, who represents the seat of Scullin and is an influential figure in Labor's Left, urged members to vote in favour of a motion that would force people to join a local branch (and not just sign up through the party's central system) if they wanted the right to vote for preselections or local conference delegates.
Thousands of people sleeping rough or in temporary shelters will have access to new housing and support as part of a $109 million plan the Andrews government describes as the biggest response to homelessness in Victoria's history.

With more people seeking housing services than ever before, Premier Daniel Andrews has unveiled a package of reforms that will give 19,000 people who are currently on the streets or at risk of homelessness the help they need to get back on their feet.

A sight that is becoming all too common across Melbourne. Credit:Justin McManus

The five year-investment  launched at the ALP state conference in Melbourne on Saturday  will also include $10 million to provide housing subsidies to young people leaving state care, who are often over-represented among those experiencing chronic homelessness. In addition, the plan will provide:

*120 new or developed housing units.
A skyscraper proposed by the Liberal Party's federal treasurer is among the apartment towers set to be rejected by the Andrews government under strict new planning rules for the troubled Fishermans Bend development precinct.

But the new rules, to be introduced on Monday, fail to address affordable housing, one of the key criticisms of the former Baillieu and Napthine governments' handling of the area's redevelopment.

The rules will likely scupper seven high-rise towers, a handful of those proposed after former planning minister Matthew Guy in 2012 controversially rezoned 250 hectares of industrial land south-west of the CBD and dubbed it Fishermans Bend.

Another 11 towers are expected to be sent back to the drawing board for minor redesigns
DECATUR -- From the time PawPrint Ministries' Jennifer Dahn first heard Cody Floyd's story at a Wounded Warrior Project event in the summer of 2014, she knew she had to connect comfort dogs with veterans.

Two years later, it's about to happen. Dale and Erica Colee, who own Dale's Southlake Pharmacy and Colee's Corner Drugs, teamed with PawPrint Ministries to raise $15,000, the result of the Friends Helping Veterans fundraiser.

A check was presented Friday during the Decatur Rotary Club's Veterans One to One Luncheon, and that money is being used to help train two puppies that will live in the homes of veterans and give comfort to veterans in their communities.

One of those dogs is already in the home of a veteran. Her name is Minnie, and she belongs to Rob Fafoglia of Springfield. The other hasn't been born yet, but is expected to join Floyd's family sometime in the new year.

"That day I heard (Floyd's) story, I began to realize the amount veterans sacrifice not only while they serve, but for the rest of their lives," Dahn said. "At that time PawPrints Ministries was still just a dream, but that day I added to that dream the hope we'd be able to find and place a comfort dog with a local veteran to give back to other veterans."

Floyd was a combat medic and spent nearly a year in Afghanistan with the 3rd Squadron 61st Calvary Regiment 4th Infantry Division. In 2009, he was injured at the Battle of Keating, at which seven U.S. Soldiers died in action and one died of wounds suffered at the battle later. The story was captured in the book "The Outpost" by Jake Tapper.

From those events, Floyd has post-traumatic stress syndrome. His comfort dog will not only give therapy to veterans -- it will also be Floyd's service dog.

"We've been big fans of PawPrint Ministries from day one, but I just kind of sat in the wings for a while, not realizing what (Dahn) had up her sleeve," Floyd said with a laugh. "When she asked me to be a part of it, it was a no-brainer.

"It's going to help a ton of veterans. There's a huge need in this community. I don't think people realize how many disabled veterans there are who could benefit from a comfort dog coming in and hanging out with them."

Fafoglia comes to Decatur once a week to train the dog and himself. Floyd has already started training, working with the two dogs that are already in his home to prepare them for the comfort dog.

"We have to get my two dogs up to par so the comfort dog doesn't come around our dogs, lose training and revert to rambunctiousness," Floyd said.

The keynote speaker at the event helped raise the $15,000 that was given to PawPrint Ministries: Ron Stephens of Greenville. Stephens is a wounded Vietnam veteran and former member of the Illinois House of Representatives who raises money for veterans projects by pledging to walk one mile for every $100 raised.

Early in his speech, Stephens asked: "Do we have any officers here?"

A few men in the crowd raised their hands.

"OK, I'll talk slow," he said, and the crowd erupted in laughter.

"It says in the Bill of Rights I can say that," Stephens said. "I love the Bill of Rights. I leave copies of it around my grandkids hoping one day they'll pick it up and take something from it."

Stephens said he also leaves copies of Thomas Paine's famous pre-Revolutionary War pamphlet "Common Sense" around his grandchildren. He read a passage from Paine's "The Crisis" that ends:

"Heaven knows how to set a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated."
Paris: It was a Front National festival. As France woke up in shock after the election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States, the first French politician to offer him felicitations on his upset victory was a grinning Marine Le Pen, president of the far-right Front National, congratulating herself on having called it right again after Brexit.

Then came her closest aide, Florian Philippot, and her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen. The next domino to fall, they implied, would be France in next year's presidential elections.

French far-right leader Marine le Pen arrives to make a statement on the US presidential election on Wednesday. Credit:AP

While the expression worn by French President Francois Hollande - the face of a dozen funeral commemorations - seemed to be more of a comment on his own coming defeat, his Foreign Secretary Jean-Marc Ayrault broke diplomatic protocol to imply defiance: "Mr Trump's victory is cause for much worry".

European politics has become unpredictable, an uncharted territory where the only fixed point is the anger of masses of popular voters. They feel the elites have abandoned them to unemployment and the consequences of a mass immigration.
Baghdad: Iraqi government forces have killed and tortured civilians south of Mosul, rights groups claim, in the first such reports of alleged abuse in a US-backed campaign to retake the city from Islamic State.

Amnesty International said up to six people were found dead last month in the Shura and Qayyara sub-districts who security forces suspected of ties to the ultra-hardline jihadist group which seized a third of Iraqi territory in 2014.

"Men in federal police uniform have carried out multiple unlawful killings, apprehending and then deliberately killing in cold blood residents in villages south of Mosul," said Lynn Maalouf, deputy director for research at Amnesty's Beirut office.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi denied the Amnesty report, saying local residents, not government forces, had killed Islamic State members.
Hillary Clinton blamed the renewed FBI inquiry into her State Department email system for blunting her momentum in the presidential election and the closure of that inquiry two days before Election Day for energising voters for Donald Trump.

"There are lots of reasons why an election like this is not successful," Clinton told top donors on a farewell conference call on Saturday local time.

"But our analysis is that (FBI Director James B) Comey's letter raising doubts that were groundless, baseless, proven to be, stopped our momentum," she said.

"We dropped, and we had to keep really pushing ahead to regain our advantage - which going into the last weekend, we had. We were once again up in all but two of the battleground states, and we were up considerably in some that we ended up losing. And we were feeling like we had put it back together," she continued.
New York: Incoming US President Donald Trump has reportedly rehired former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, four months after sacking him amid a scandal involving claims he manhandled a female reporter.

Lewandowski, resigned on Friday from his role as a CNN political commentator, ending a television deal that had attracted scrutiny and harsh criticism about the cable channel's journalistic ethics.

Corey Lewandowski, then campaign manager for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, in April. Credit:AP

Lewandowski, who joined CNN as a paid contributor days after being fired by Trump in June, has expressed interest in a senior adviser role in the White House, according to a person briefed on discussions within the Trump transition team. CNN reported soon after that he had departed to take on an undisclosed position ith Trump's team.

The former campaign manager's name has also been mentioned as a potential chairman of the Republican National Committee, this person said. Lewandowski has been frequently spotted this week at Trump Tower in Manhattan, chatting with senior aides and attending meetings.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
NORMAL  In the process of figuring out the best way to make candles for his startup business, Jon Korsgard burned himself with hot wax and caused a bowl to explode in a microwave.

But the pain of those pitfalls melted away when Scandles, the custom candle-making business he started with fellow Illinois State University senior Alexander Steenbergen, won the grand prize Friday in this year's Startup Showcase, sponsored by the George and Martha Means Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Illinois State.

Scandles was among 16 contestants in the 2016 competition.

Mark Hoelscher, director of the Means Center, said the quality of the entries has been increasing over the years.

In the early days of the competition, which began in 2000, students put together business plans for potential businesses. As the competition grew, the focus was on taking steps toward creating a business.

It's getting to the point that you can't win this unless you have an existing business and a proven track record, Hoelscher said.

He was pleased to see this year's contestants come from four different colleges on the ISU campus, not just the College of Business.

As the grand prize winner, Scandles will receive $5,000 in financial support from the Means Center. The other three finalists will receive $1,000 to $3,000.

Korsgard of Naperville and Steenbergen of Peoria are business information systems majors. Their business combines business savvy with knowledge in candle making and the use of 3-D printers, Steenbergen said.

By using a 3-D printer to make molds, they are able to make custom candles in a variety of shapes, colors and scents, Korsgard said.

He said a simple mold, such as one used to make a flat candle in a particular shape, only costs about $1. More complex, larger molds might cost $7, he said. That's far less expensive than more traditional mold making, according to the young businessmen.

Their business plan includes donating a percentage of the money they make to charity.

Other finalists were:

 Ryan Long, a junior in construction management at ISU, with Quick List Handyman, a licensed and insured household repair service, second place.

 Kevin Evans, a sophomore in entrepreneurship at ISU, and two friends, Daniel Bevan and Derrick Griffin, with Binapro, a social media platform for innovators to collaborate, third place.

 Febin Chirayath, a freshman in political science, with Jollychest, a service to create personalized care packages for college students.
During the final leg of his presidential campaign, Donald Trump dismissed the dozen or so women who had recently accused him of sexual assault and misconduct as liars.

For starters, they were too ugly to be sexually assaulted. He claimed he didnt even know them, despite the fact that one interviewed him on the record for a story and another had been a Celebrity Apprentice contestant.

All of these women will be sued after the election, Trump vowed.

On Friday, celebrity attorney Gloria Allred goaded President-elect Trump to deliver on his word during a press conference in Los Angeles with Summer Servos, the Celebrity Apprentice contestant who claims Trump made inappropriate sexual advances towards her in 2007 when she was vying for a job at the Trump Organization.

Servos said her business had suffered since Trump called her a liar, and that despite enduring threats, bullying, and other repercussions all because I chose to speak the truth, shes not backing down.

Servos shuddered as she called on Trump to retract his threat to sue her and his other accusers.

Even though its hard and painful to go up against the worlds most powerful man, I will continue to speak the truth and I refuse to be intimidated into silence, Servos said in prepared statements. The truth is always the right option and will win out in the end, she concluded before sobbing into Allreds shoulder.

Allred stated that she has no present intent to bring a lawsuit against Mr. Trump, but that if he sues his accusers shell recommend that they consider filing a lawsuit against him for defamation.

Of all the lofty promises Trump has made that either threaten democracy or highlight his misogynistic, xenophobic rhetoric, legal experts say its unlikely hell act on this one.

[Trump] would have to deal with the law as it is, not as he would like it to be, Michael Gerhardt, a professor of Constitutional Law at the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill, told The Daily Beast earlier this week.

Truth is a defense, Gerhardt said, and evidence gathered during litigation wouldnt just be humiliating for President Trump but could warrant an impeachment.

Allreds daughter, attorney Lisa Bloom, also represents several Trump accusers and has threatened to depose Trump if he files suit against her client Jill Harth, who told the New York Times that Trump made numerous unwanted advances on her while he was married to Marla Maples, including one time in his daughter Ivankas bedroom.

I was admiring the decoration, and next thing I know hes pushing me against a wall and has his hands all over me, Harth said, stressing that she protested as he tried to kiss her before she ran out of the room.

In a statement several weeks ago, Bloom said she would subpoena [Trumps] business and personal records as well as any recordings that may exist in which he brags about sexual assault, such as the Access Hollywood recording and potentially, the Apprentice raw footage.

On Friday, Allred cited Paula Jones lawsuit against then-President Bill Clinton as a precedent for a potential defamation suit against Trump, noting that Jones' suit did proceed while he was in office for actions prior to him becoming president.

But she and Servos had not called a press conference to talk about impeachment; they were simply asking President Trump to act presidential.

Will he seize the opportunity and accept my challenge? We will await the president elects response.

If Trump did not retract his threat to sue his accusers, Allred said the answer was simple.

In the third debate with Hillary, Mr. Trump was asked by Chris Wallace what he would do if he lost the election, Allred said. Chris Wallace asked him if he would concede to the winner in part for the good of the country.

Mr. Trump responded: What I am saying is that I will tell you at that time. I will keep you in suspense, okay?

My response to the question of what we will do if Mr. Trump does not retract his threat to sue the accusers is the same as Mr. Trumps response in the debate. What I am saying is that I will tell you at the time. I will keep you in suspense, okay?
On November 5, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama unveiled his transition team: a collection of longtime servants of politics and government, none of whom were related to him through blood or marriage.

In contrast, President-elect Donald Trumps newly announced transition team reads more like a seating chart for Thanksgiving dinner at Mar-a-Lago, full of family members who have also been tasked with running his businesses so that he can run the country. What this means for his abilityor desireto avoid unprecedented conflicts of interest is uncertain, but it doesnt look promising.

Today, Trumps Transition Team Executive Committee, led by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, is made up of a handful of members of Congress; the Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi, who declined to investigate Trump University; the tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who funded secret lawsuits against Gawker, the media company, ultimately bankrupting it; and former Breitbart News executive Steve Bannon, who served as CEO of the Trump campaign.

Unconventional enough.

But then theres Donald Jr., Eric, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushnerall of whom played crucial roles on the Trump campaign, and three of whomthe Trump childrenare expected to take over the family business so that Daddy can run the country.

Trump previously promised the children will run his business via a blind trust, a dubious claim from the outset, since, by definition, a blind trust means an independent party.

Presidents have historically moved their finances to blind trusts to prevent conflicts, though President Obama chose instead to put his money in US Treasury bonds. And as The Daily Beasts Tim Mak previously reported, the only way to ensure Trumps business dealings werent informing policy or vice versa would be for Congress to get involved and pass new regulations closing the loopholes which grant special treatment to the president and Vice President, something Congress was already unlikely to do due to a lack of understanding of the issue, and now is even less inclined to do since Republicans controls both chambers.

Regardless, Trumps claim that a blind trust run by his kids would sufficiently disconnect him from his business seems even more dubious, given the their roles in the incoming administration.

Asked how the Trump children could do both, a spokesperson for the Trump Organization provided The Daily Beast with few answers.

We are in the process of vetting various structures with the goal of the immediate transfer of management of The Trump Organization and its portfolio of businesses to Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump as well as a team of highly skilled executives, the Trump Organization official said. This is a top priority at the Organization and the structure that is ultimately selected will comply with all applicable rules and regulations.

Michael Cohen, Trumps attorney, said Thursday on CNN that everything will be done legally. He added that Trump is, not interested in the company anymore.

But, as The Wall Street Journal reported in July, the president and vice president of the United States arent constrained by the same laws as executives in other branches of government, laws that force those lawmakers and officials to recuse themselves on certain issues or divest from investments that could improperly enrich them.

Because the president of the United States is the single most consequential decision maker on the planet, Norman Eisen, a fellow at Brookings Institution and the former ethics counsel to the Obama administration, told the Journal, Congress has decided his hands shouldnt be tied on any issue because of conflicts of interest over any potential financial or personal gain.

The election of a celebrity businessman with dealings all over the world is a first for the United States, and because Trump never engaged in the standard practice of releasing his tax returns, the media and the public are not even aware of the extent to which he is beholden to business interests outside of America. But we do know a bit.

As Newsweek reported in September, If Trump gets into the White House, the president of the United States will be in a business deal with an Azerbaijani billionaire whose father is a prominent government official identified by American intelligence as a money launderer for the Iranian military. The Trump Organizations partners in India would place Americas crucial but shaky alliance with Pakistan at risk. Relations between Trump and Turkeys government are deteriorating in part because of his business connections there, and that countrys president has told people close to him that he will not allow a Trump-led America to use a military base that has been a critical staging area for the bombing campaign in Syria against the Islamic State group, known as ISIS. In other words, all these entanglements would imperil the national security of the United States.

Throughout his campaign, Trump found ways to enrich himself. He bought his own books at retail cost from Barnes & Noble, potentially profiting improperly from their sale. He frequented his own restaurants in the atrium of Trump Tower and paid for it with campaign funds, and paid his own company rent for apartments for employees of his campaign. He also spent millions of dollars on Tag Air Inc., the company which runs his private jet and of which he is CEO.

Theres little reason to believe his desire to maintain his wealth or his interest in the well-being of his company ended on Election Day.

The Trump children were effective surrogates for their father because of their palpable loyalty to him, which at least in Ivankas case, threatened her own brand of womens clothing and accessories, which has been boycotted by women unhappy with her fathers rhetoric and policy propels (as they are). All three children work for their father at the Trump Organization and appear to be close to him. None of them have any conventional political or governmental experience outside of his campaign, and even then, they did little by way of crafting policy. Ivanka essentially assumed the role of a political spouse for her father, speaking and appearing on his behalf with more frequency than his actual wife, Melania. While Don Jr. and Eric assumed less vital but still visible roles.

What exactly theyll end up doing in the White House is not yet clear, but if theyre working for the Trump Organization, one has to wonder whose brand will come first: Trumps or Americas.
Dear President-Elect Trump,

You may not remember me, but we have crossed paths before. Most recently, last year I introduced legislation in the New York State Senate to strip your name from Donald J. Trump State Park. I argued that you had not earned the honor of having a state park named for you. Since you are now the first New Yorker elected president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt, I have decided not to reintroduce the legislation this year. As President-elect, you have an opportunity to earn the honor.

For the sake of our country, I hope you do.

However, you should know that the things you said during the campaign, your previous treatment of women, and your temperament make me worry that you will not. I worry for my Brooklyn and Manhattan Senate district. I worry for the city we both call home. And I worry for our country.

More than anything, I worry for my two boys. Theo is five. Humphrey is two. You should know that they did not support you either, although you can blame my wife and me for that.

In truth, you should also blame their grandmother, my mother-in-law. She was born in a displaced persons camp in Germany in 1948. Both of her parents survived the Holocaust and came here to begin again, create a life that mocked the fate tattooed on their arms. My mother-in-law was the first in her family to go to college, and the first to go to graduate school. She raised two extraordinary women to believe that anyone, even a woman, could become president of this exceptional country. Your campaign rejected everything this country has offered her: a welcoming shore, an open door of opportunity for those willing to work hard, increasing respect for women in the workplace and in society.

You should know that my young sons rejection of your candidacy can also be blamed on their Granny, my mother. She was raised on military bases across the country by two Southern parents, an Air Force officer and a former Randolph-Macon Womens College May Queen. My mother joined the Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1964 to fight against segregation and Jim Crow, then worked at the American Civil Liberties Union and Bronx Legal Services. Your campaign undermined everything she has held dear: the dignity and honor of military service, an inexorable march toward inclusion and fairness, our constitutions assurance of blind justice.

You should know that it is not just on my sons behalf that I write, or on their grandmothers. Many of my constituents are worried about your presidency. Some are frankly despondent. In truth, my wife and I have not been sleeping either.

On all of their behalves, in response to our most profound fears, I urgently and respectfully make the following requests, Mr. President-elect:

1. Appoint an appropriately credentialed Secretary of Defense to whom you defer before committing any military resources anywhere on earth or renegotiating any military treaties, privately, publicly, or on Twitter. And do not use, threaten to use, or even mention using, nuclear weapons.

2. Allow the Department of Justice to operate independently, without political interference, under the guidance of a non-partisan Attorney General who will defend civil rights and the rule of law.

3. Confirm that you will not at any point, for any reason, seize extraordinary constitutional powers in response to any crisis without the written support of the leaders of both parties in both houses of Congress, and that you will immediately seek, and respect, judicial guidance.

4. Disavow anyone who suggests that taking our country back refers to taking from people based on who they are or how they identify. When you talk about those who are being left behind, explicitly include everyone who is being left behind by a system that many of us, regardless of our backgrounds, agree benefits a select few.

As lifelong New Yorkers, you and I have crossed paths more than once. Years before I introduced my bill to strip your name from a state park, we had a more positive connection. A young woman named Darlene Bertil was terribly injured in the Haitian earthquake, losing both of her arms. Referred by a Navy doctor who had been assigned to the relief effort, I helped Darlene come to this country. While touring the Hospital for Special Surgery, which donated her prosthetics, you met her. Moved by her story of enrolling in college as an undocumented immigrant, you offered unsolicited supportand even declined to publicly take credit for your generous act. I hope you are able to apply the respect and empathy you showed for Darlene to everyone in this country who needs a fair shake and a helping hand, regardless of their race, gender, religion or nationality.

Actually, our first meeting was decades earlier. When I was six, my father, a son of immigrants who rose from poverty to prominence in our city, brought me to Mayor Kochs Statue of Liberty Centennial celebration. I have a recollection of being introduced to you, already as familiar a celebrity as the mayor himself. I was allowed to stay out late to watch the fireworks, as I assume you did too. I hope that you never forget that night, never forget the values that the statue represents.

Today, I represent the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, part of my melting pot district in which people feel adrift, floating away from the rest of the country. As president, it is your job to guide us back in, provide reassurance that all of us are in fact part of America.

Even more important, it is your sacred duty to make sure that the promise of Ellis Island and the Statue of Libertythe welcoming shores, the unmatched opportunity, the belief in fairness and reliance on lawsare firmly secure in our government and our national identity.

For more than a century, they have been a beacon around the globe, and a source of strength across the nation.

To be clear, I will be shocked if my sons support you, or their grandmothers do. Or, to be honest, if I do. The chasm between your worldview and ours is too great. That is the way of democracy; sometimes we will not support the person in the White House or the party that controls Congress. But there is something in our country much more important than the outcome of any election. There is our nation itself. Whoever the president is, I desperately want my sons to grow up with the same faith in our United Statesour path toward a more perfect unionthat their grandmothers have, their mother has, and I have.

I am writing to urge you to preserve that faith; but please understand, with or without your cooperation, it will be preserved.

Sincerely,

Daniel Squadron
Kaji Sherpa remembers two key parts about his childhood in Nepal: being responsible for looking after a herd of cows and having an excellent view of the highest mountain in the world.

He would stare up at Mount Everests breathtaking expanse and the golden crown that was rumored to be sitting at its peak. I used to think that one day, I will look at that golden crown, Sherpa said in his native tongue of Sherpa, an unwritten language spoken by a community of only about 50,000 people.

Years later, Mr. Speed, as he is fondly called these days, did just that. Well, not the illusive golden crown part, but he made it to the top of the mountain and now is known to hold the speed record for climbing Everest.

His story is one of almost a dozen personal narratives recorded for the Endangered Language Alliances (ELA) Voices of the Himalayas project in an attempt to document endangered dialects and deeply meaningful human experiences, said project coordinator Nawang Tsering Gurung.

But the project is only one example of the work that the language alliance has done over the last six years in an effort to help revitalize and meticulously document languages before all fluent speakers are gone.

The worlds languages are disappearing at an unparalleled rate. Hundreds of them have shriveled down to only a few fluent speakers, and within a century, many of the worlds 7,000 languages are expected to have disappeared altogether, according to the Endangered Language Alliances website.

With each language lost, piles of extremely valuable informationfrom migration patterns to food recipesvanishes along with it.

Six years ago, linguist Daniel Kaufman launched the ELA to help rewrite that dismal linguistic forecast.

Today, the organization has worked with at least 60 languages, hailing from the Caribbean to the Middle East and everywhere in between. In some cases, that work means supporting active revitalization efforts within the community, such as hosting classes on the Mayan language Kiche, but many times it means initiating a last-ditch effort to document as much of the language as possible before all of its fluent speakers are gone.

The ELA is based in New York, a hotbed of language diversity that touts some 800 dialects. Last week, the organization released an in-depth map detailing the nearly 200 languages spoken in Queens, New York.

It includes the more obvious language communities, such as placing Greek in Astoria and Spanish in Corona.

It also pinpoints the lesser-known language communities, such as Sarnami Hindustani (a dialect combining elements of Dutch, the Indian language Bhojpuri, and the Creole language Sranan) in Richmond Hill, and Bukharian in Forest Hills (one of the biggest communities of the Central Asian language in the world).

And then there are the more historical linguistic phenomena, such as the languages created by gangs on Rikers Island so the jails guards couldnt understand what they were saying.

The map was part of a Queens Museum exhibit and published in Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas.

The ELA is now working on maps of the rest of the boroughs, said Ross Perlin, the organizations assistant director. Together it will form a kind of unprecedented language map of New York, he said.

But the organization has much more work to do if its going to have a sizable impact on the worlds many disappearing languages.

Its pretty challenging work, and the trend lines are not great, said Perlin. In fact, just last month the last fluent speaker of the Native American language Wichita died in Oklahoma.

So what is actually lost when a language ceases to exist? Language activist Ken Hale, who died in 2001, described that loss the best: Its like dropping a bomb on a museum, the Louvre.

Languages can reveal everything from cultural and botanical information, to major historical events and human migrations. For example, linguists believe that a tribe on the island of St. Vincent had a strong influence on the Garifuna language because a group of escaped West African slaves intermarried with members of the islands locals.

Languages can also reveal telling details on what life was like for early migrants. In a recent recording for the Voices of the Himalayas project, Tsering Paljor described his journey almost 20 years ago from Tibet to New York.

In his native language of Tibetan, he explained what it was like never going to school and then landing at the JFK airport without knowing any English, and making a living doing construction work.

Today, he works as a very popular cook for those in the Himalayan community of New York. These are stories that really have lived in peoples languages; in their mother tongue, said Perlin.

In 2012, the ELA launched a sister organization in Toronto, another highly linguistically diverse city that has some 200 languages. Other organizations, linguists, and policymakers throughout the world have also been doing endangered language documentation work.

But most only got started within the last two decades, which means thatlike the ELAthey are working up a very steep incline to salvage those dialects that still exist. Some of this is really kind of last-minute work, said Perlin.

The prospects are not all bleak. The ELA now has hundreds of hours of video and audio recordings of dozens of languages, many of which you wouldnt be able to even find online.

Some of that footage is actually the first time the dialect has ever been recorded. Their classes have also helped revitalization efforts of languages, such as Hawaiian, which had less than 100 fluent speakers in the 1970s, and has grown to thousands of speakers, said Perlin.

They are surely making some important progress. But in an area in which each language lost means valuable information about a communitys history and culture disappears too, some progress might not be quite good enough.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies. Low 59F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. Low 59F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Plantation Rum releases new overproof rum

Maison Ferrand proprietor and Plantation Rum master blender, Alexandre Gabriel is releasing a new Plantation Rum.

Plantation Rum arranged a team of experts to create the new Plantation OFTD (Old Fashioned Traditional Dark) overproof rum.

It is a blend of rums from Guyana, Jamaica and Barbados, offered at an overproof 69% ABV. The rum is tailored for cocktails and punches.

Started at a secret-meeting in New Orleans in 2015, Plantation gathered seven 'rum-geeks'; Plantation's Alexandre Gabriel, Jeff Berry, Martin Cate, Paul McFadyen, Paul McGee, Scotty Schuder and David Wondrich.

David Wondrich is a spirits and cocktail historian and long-time friend of Alexandre Gabriel (David has also advised on Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula Cognac, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao and Plantation Pineapple Rum). Jeff Berry is proprietor of Latitude 29 in New Orleans; Martin Cate is proprietor of Smugglers Cove in San Francisco; Paul McFadyen is proprietor of Trailer Happiness in London; Paul McGee is proprietor of Lost Lake in Chicago; and Scotty Schuder is proprietor of Dirty Dick in Paris.

The secret meeting took hours as the group tasted numerous historical overproof rums and research samples. Alexandre took these notes back to his laboratory in Bonbonnet, Cognac the Maison Ferrand estate, where he created several barrel samples.

The culmination of their work happened when Alexandre invited his six friends to the Chateau de Bonbonnet in December 2015. There, they gathered and tasted the samples they had talked about and envisioned. They tasted through not only the barrel samples Alexandre created but compared them to the historic overproof rums. Then they tasted 'the one.' And all unanimously agreed on the final version that is today Plantation OFTD overproof rum.

Alexandre says: At Maison Ferrand, I often feel that we are a team of misfits having fun. With the OFTD band of rum geeks, I felt at home. I will never forget the special moments we had creating this rum: the secret meeting at Arnauds, the week in Cognac, the many samples tasted and the discussions about the true nature of overproof rum spoken with the same gravitas and intensity of statesmen discussing peace treaties. And all the time we were having a ball! These special moments of communion with a talented and passionate team are the reason I love my job. These guys are my rum brothers for life.

Plantation OFTD overproof rum is bottled at 69% ABV (138 proof) and available from this month in the UK with an RRP of US$31.99/1L.

12 November 2016 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, editorial assistant
Podcast: Who comes out ahead in the Charlie Jones vs. Iowa football reunion?

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Artsakh has called on the OSCE Minsk Group to condemn intensified Azerbaijani shelling along the northeastern Line of Contact, warning that Baku is ratcheting up military operations along the border.

In statement released yesterday, the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that Azerbaijani forces shelled frontline Artsakh Defense Army positions near the villages of Talish and Yarimja with 60 and 82 mm mortars.

Such massive use of mortars occurring for the first time after a large-scale aggression against Nagorno Karabakh in April, has become the continuation of recent escalation of tension on the Line of Contact by Azerbaijan, the statement reads.

Labelling such acts as flagrant violations of the agreements reached at summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg, the ministry says Artsakh forces will suppress any actions of Azerbaijan, threatening the security of the Republic, the peace and stability in the region.
When Doug Nordman (@MilitaryGuid) retired from the military, he sensed a need for a retirement roadmap for service members, veterans and their families. In this video, the author of The Military Guide to Financial Independence & Early Retirement explains how he came to write the book and retire in Hawaii. He also reveals what he learned from serving his country.

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NORWALK  Faith leaders from Norwalk and two nearby cities will gather at Grace Baptist Church Monday afternoon to call upon state leaders to develop a fair education funding formula.

The group, consisting of leaders from Norwalk, Bridgeport and Milford, will meet at 3 p.m. to urge all newly elected and re-elected Connecticut General Assembly members to adopt a fair, equitable, and predictable education funding formula by the end of the 2017 session.

The call to action follows an open letter sent and signed by more than 100 clergy leaders from across the state late last month urging immediate action to develop a fair education funding formula as called for in Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawshers recent CCJEF v. Rell ruling.

For too many years, we have seen too many students in our communities struggle in schools that are not meeting their learning needs, where they are not being prepared to succeed after they graduate and  in many cases  where a culture of low expectations persists, the letter reads. We know that change and a better education are not only possible, but necessary for our children to be successful and for our communities and the churches we lead to thrive. But achieving this goal  a great education for every child  requires choices to be made.

On Sept. 7 Moukawsher made his ruling in the case that gave the state six months to change what has been dubbed an irrational school funding formula into a rational one.

The decision was appealed by state Attorney General George Jepsen and was subsequently taken up by the state Supreme Court.

The clergy leaders said that process could jeopardize or further delay action to fix the long-standing problems.

We all recognize that the problems in our education system didnt happen overnight. This is not about assigning blame, the letter read. At the same time, we recognize that this court case has taken over a decade to get to a decision and we know that our children cannot wait another decade for someone else to decide they deserve great schools.

Richard Clarke, of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Norwalk; Carl McCluster, of Shiloh Baptist Church in Bridgeport; Lenore Jordan, of The New Place of Worship in Norwalk, Lindsay Curtis, of Grace Baptist Church in Milford; Deborah Fludd, of New Light Missionary Baptist Church in Norwalk and Henry G. Floyd Sr., of New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Norwalk will be in attendance Monday.

KSchultz@thehour.com; 203-354-1049; @kevinedschultz
Recent comments in The Independent prompted me to speak in defense of Dan Quick. Knowing Dan for years as a friend, neighbor and co-worker, he is many things  but first and foremost he is honest. Anyone who knows him knows this to be true. From the beginning of his campaign, Dan eschewed negative tactics, choosing to win, or not, on the merits of his platform and character.

I believe he did that. No doubt there was misinformation disseminated by both sides. How many negative comments came from the voice of Dan or Alice Quick? Is it possible that the political parties themselves or their affiliated groups sponsored negative ads without the candidates involvement or consent? Then perhaps the accusations were unjustified.

We judge a persons character from their actions. No one likes it when the loser cries foul. No one is pure enough to question anothers foundation of faith. Thats not part of our Midwestern values. Even with all the mudslinging in the presidential race, Hillary Clinton had the professionalism to congratulate Donald Trump and offer to work with him. The best way to cut through the rhetoric and distortion is to verify it for yourself. Reread the articles in The Independent and watch the debate videos. Were sending the right person to Lincoln.

Success in the Nebraska Legislature isnt measured by ones ability to make split-second decisions or answer a complicated four-part debate question in 90 seconds. Its about listening to your constituents, making thoroughly researched and well-thought-out decisions, standing your ground when its important, compromising when necessary, and sometimes humbly accepting defeat. Its about earning the trust and respect of fellow legislators and Nebraskans. Dan Quick will do that. His experience and character will serve him well in the state Senate. We desperately need more statesmen and fewer politicians.
222 Artisan Bakery is kneading out new breads after sending two of their bakers, Trevor Taynor and Dustin Sheets, to the San Francisco Baking Institute Oct. 2 through Oct. 20.

After learning how to bake baguettes, ciabatta, challah, ryes, and various others, both bakers have brought back the recipes and knowledge to the kitchen where it all started.

Taynor said the institute was unforgettable and worth attending.

It was a beautiful experience. You worked in groups, so whatever table you were at, you worked with them all week long. From meeting people from Brazil and Spain and all over the U.S., even in Australia, you get to meet a lot of people there for the same reason, from different backgrounds. The instructor was fantastic too; everything was really helpful. They were there to help you out and it was just to learn, Taynor said.

Continued from Page 1

(We did) everything between doing straight breads without any pre-fermented dough or levain cultures or anything like that to all that through different sweet breads, rye breads, all the different sourdoughs. How to treat different inclusions because you mix those in differently.

Both bakers learned the details of mixing, fermenting, shaping and baking breads, as well as delving into various innovative baking techniques for each different kind of bread. Taynor said after purchasing the building for 222 Artisan Bakery, they also inherited the recipes that went along with it, which inspired their recent trip.

It was a conscious decision because whenever we took this place over, we learned from somebody that learned from somebody else. So instead of playing that game of telephone and just assuming different things and not really knowing why bread would turn out certain ways. Like what little ingredient does what; its kind of just like the knowledge of all the little things that go into it, he said.

The bakerys bread menu includes baguettes, sourdough, French farm haus, rye, 9-grain, country white, whole wheat, ciabatta, and seasonal breads. The new breads are in the process of being added.

Taynor said after completing the institute courses, the most rewarding aspect was learning more about the craft.

So youre in a classroom and you go into the baking lab. For the first week, its like 50/50 and by the end of it its 90 baking and 10 percent in the classroom. So you have all of this knowledge that theyll teach you and you see the different ways of mixing  not even just including different flours but its how you mix all of the flours. Then you will take one recipe and do it five different ways and seeing all of the results you can getThe rewarding part is knowing that you can specifically do one type of bread any way that you want to and make it your own, he said.

After bringing the recipes and the knowledge back to Edwardsville, Taynor said it has been an adjustment making the new recipes in a different environment.

Baking things in San Francisco and doing it here is a little different. There are different climate factors, like humidity and everything like that that really goes into it. So you meticulously take notes on what the temperature is in the kitchen, the humidity thats in the air, what the temperature of the flour is, baking times, because all ovens are different. Their equipment is different than what we have. So I just brought that back so we could figure out whats the best way of doing it here, he said.

(So far) weve done some Challah bread, some Finnish rye; we actually get some barley from Recess Brewing. We had a barley rye, we did a multigrain; anything between super fluffy and sweet to really dense and hearty. Ive tried to do that spectrum and try to figure out which ones I like the most and go from there.

Before starting the courses, Taynor said ultimately he and Sheets wanted to learn how to improve the bakerys products.

(It) really was to see how we can make our bread better. Not that our bread was bad to begin with; the process was. It was to learn why we are doing it the way that we are doing it; to see if there was a more efficient way or any little thing to do to just improve on what we have already, he said.

The institute will be having other courses relating to pizza in February of next year and Taynor said he hopes he can attend, especially given the growing popularity of the bakerys Artisan pizzas as well.

For more information on the bakery or upcoming breads, visit the 222 Artisan Bakery website at www.222bakery.com or visit their Facebook page by searching 222 Artisan Bakery.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12, 2016

The diminishing use of the Javanese language for everyday communication deeply concerns Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, who is worried that future generations of Javanese people will encounter difficulties in understanding and speaking their own dialect.

Javanese has almost faded away because it is beginning to be spoken very rarely, Ganjar said during the 6th Javanese Language Congress in Yogyakarta on Wednesday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Many people struggle to pronounce or comprehend texts in Javanese, he said, particularly kromo inggil, the highest level of Javanese, because they are not used to speaking the language on a daily basis.

In an effort to tackle this matter, Ganjar will demand that every Thursday, government events or occasions be conducted and spoken entirely in Javanese. Aside from that, he will also oblige all employees in Central Java to dress up in cultural clothing distinct to an Indonesian region or province on the 15th of every month.

(Read also: Only half of Yogyakarta's students use Javanese properly)

Ganjar, while visiting Suriname, noticed that Javanese was well preserved because it was regularly spoken there, both by the Surinamese and Indonesians. When I speak in Javanese, they understand, even some of them reply in kromo inggil."

The Javanese Language Congress is a conference that discusses Javanese language and culture, held in turns between Central Java, East Java and Yogyakarta. (mra/kes)
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Linkedin Barbara Ortutay (Associated Press) New York, United States  Sat, November 12, 2016

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the idea that fake news spread on Facebook influenced the outcome of the U.S. election is "crazy."

Still, the majority of Americans (six in 10) say they get at least some news from social media , mostly Facebook, according to the Pew Research Center. While a lot of this news comes from established outlets  whether CNN or BuzzFeed News, misinformation spreads on Facebook just as information does, shared by users, recommended by software and amplified by both.

Sources of spurious information have ranged from news articles produced by "content farms" for the sole purpose of getting clicks, to "hyperpartisan" sites from both sides of the political spectrum, churning out stories that are misleading at best.

Case in point: "FBI AGENT SUSPECTED IN HILLARY EMAIL LEAKS FOUND DEAD IN APPARENT MURDER-SUICIDE"  a fabricated headline from a fake news site called the Denver Guardian, was shared thousands of times in the days leading up to the election.

Is it possible that voters were swayed for or against a candidate, much like those same people might buy a product after seeing an ad on Facebook?

Zuckerberg says voters deserve more credit.

During an interview Thursday with "The Facebook Effect" author David Kirkpatrick, Zuckerberg said idea that people voted the way they did because of bogus information on Facebook shows a "profound lack of empathy" for supporters of Donald Trump.

"Voters make decisions based on their lived experience," he said.

Given the acerbic political contest from which the country just emerged, when countless longtime friends, even family, were unfriended, many are left to wonder if there would be an alternative American history being written today if it were not for Facebook, Twitter and the like.

This, after all, was the first truly social media election, playing out on Twitter and Facebook as much or more than it did on major networks, in living rooms and around watercoolers.

But isn't social media just a reflection of our world as it exists? Has Facebook become an easy scapegoat when the answer is far more complex?

While Pew found that many believe political discussions on social media to be "uniquely angry and disrespectful," a comparable number have the same impression of face-to-face conversations when it comes to Democrats, the GOP, or another party.

(Read also: Late-night hosts mark Trump's election with jokes, therapy)

FILTER BUBBLE?

When it comes to Facebook users, Zuckerberg said almost everyone has friends on the "other side." Even if 90 percent of your friends are Democrats, for example, 10 percent will be Republican. Still, that's not a very big number, and the idea of a "filter bubble"  that social media allows people to surround themselves only with the people and ideas with whom they agree, has been a hot topic this election cycle.

"By far the biggest filter in the system is not that the content isn't there, that you don't have friends who support the other candidate or that are of another religion," Zuckerberg said. "But it's that you just don't click on it. You actually tune it out when you see it. I don't know what to do about that."

A DIFFICULT LINE

Facebook has long denied that it's a publisher or a media company, or that it acts remotely like either. Its cheery slogan  to make the world more "open and connected"  seemingly invites a broad range of viewpoints, diverse, lively discussion and the free flow of information, rather than censorship.

But it could also make clamping down on fake news difficult. At a time when everyone seems entitled, not just to their own opinions, but to their own facts, one person's misleading headline might be another person's heartfelt truth.

"We take misinformation on Facebook very seriously," Adam Mosseri, the executive in charge of Facebook's news feed, said in a statement to the tech blog TechCrunch this week. "We value authentic communication, and hear consistently from those who use Facebook that they prefer not to see misinformation."

Facebook acknowledges that it has more work to do, and it seems to be putting a lot of faith in the power of data, artificial intelligence and algorithms as the solution.

Over the summer, Facebook fired the small group of journalists in charge of its "trending" items and replaced them with an algorithm. The catalyst appeared to be a report in a tech blog, based on an anonymous source, that the editors routinely suppressed conservative viewpoints.

Subsequently, fake stories ahead of the election began to trend.
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Linkedin Agnes Anya and Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 11 2016

In a rare sight during an election season, as many as 300 police personnel stood by on Jl. Raya Kedoya Utara in West Jakarta on Thursday, all to safeguard a gubernatorial candidate who wanted to reach out to his voters.

The police lineup extended up to 150 meters. The men were armed with helmets, body protectors, shields, batons and long-barreled weapons. Each of them was also equipped with 10 tear gas canisters.

Behind them also stood on guard other security forces, including policewomen with headscarves and a number of tactical vehicles such as a Barracuda vehicle and another equipped with a water cannon, kompas.com reported.

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Linkedin Riki Ibrahim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 11 2016

Geothermal energy has remained largely underdeveloped and underutilized in Indonesia, despite the many advantages it has to offer compared to currently widely used types of energy like oil, gas and coal.

Indonesia, however, needs to come up with fiscal incentives to turn these comparative advantages for geothermal into a significant contribution to the governments plan to build by 2019 power plants to produce 35,000 megawatts of electricity.

Under the 2014 National Energy Policy, renewable energy must contribute up to 23 percent of Indonesias overall energy mix by 2025. Geothermal currently accounts for a small part of that mix, a mere 1,493.5 MW. The government plans to bring this up to 7,000 MW by 2025, which means building at a rate of 550 MW a year.

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Linkedin Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, November 11 2016

Indonesia harbors hopes for US president-elect Donald Trump to formulate a foreign policy stance that consistently upholds the principles of democracy, tolerance and pluralism despite the fact that Trump hinted at different sentiments throughout his election campaign.

On the subject of Palestinian self-determination, which President Joko Jokowi Widodo strongly supports, Trump remains something of an enigma, despite his perceived closeness to Israel and the pivotal role the US has held in the Middle East peace process for decades.

Jakarta considers the maverick billionaires flirtations with Israel, in addition to his infamous tirades against religious and racial minorities, as nothing more than political rhetoric, ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said.

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Linkedin Corry Elyda and Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12, 2016

The political campaign of incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama has suffered a setback as a result of frequent disruptions from protesters who gather near his campaign stops.

On Thursday, Ahok canceled a campaign rally in North Kedoya, West Jakarta, following a protest from local residents who rejected his presence in the area.

Media reports said that when Ahok arrived at the location, there was already a strong presence from riot police, who tried to prevent protesters from taking to the streets and disrupting traffic.

More than 200 police personnel in riot gear and two water cannons were on standby to secure the location prior to Ahoks arrival.

Concerned that his presence would create tension and traffic congestion, Ahoks campaign team decided to call off the event.

On Friday, Ahoks running mate Djarot Saiful Hidayat ordered his campaign team to identify individuals responsible for disrupting the campaign and filed a report with the police.

I have asked our legal team to file a police report against people who mobilize others to disrupt the AhokDjarot campaign. This is a criminal offense, Djarot said as quoted by Antara news agency on Friday.

Following a large-scale anti-Ahok rally on Nov. 4, opposition against the governor has intensified, with some even calling for him to drop out of the gubernatorial election.

More than 100,000 Muslim protesters took to the streets last week, calling for the prosecution of Ahok, who they accused of blasphemy.

Ahok has been accused of making a blasphemous remark that some Muslims considered had insulted Islam, regarding the Quranic verse of Al-Maidah: 51 during an official visit to Thousand Islands in September.

On Thursday, Ahok rejected the call for him to quit the race. I have told [them]. If I am asked to drop out of the race, its better for me to be apprehended and imprisoned, he said.

Ahok suspected that the protests against him were also aimed at President Joko Jokowi Widodo, who has backed him in the election.

The President could be ousted as the situation could be uncontrollable. People will stage protests for days. Everything will be more chaotic, he said as quoted by kompas.com.

Ahok said the blasphemy case was being used by several parties as a pretext to prevent his reelection.

What is the ultimate goal if I back down? I think in the end, it is because they are afraid that I [could] become governor again. How come they are so afraid of me becoming governor? he said.

Meanwhile, the National Police have dropped a plan to provide greater transparency in the handling of the blasphemy claims.

The National Polices Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) chief Comr. Gen. Ari Dono Sukmanto said on Friday that a case screening on the alleged blasphemy would not be televised as planned.

The screening is scheduled for Tuesday at 9 a.m.

Ari maintained that although no television cameras would be present, the process would proceed in a transparent manner.

He said case screenings should always be held behind closed doors but as per the Presidents request for transparency, members of the public could attend an open session.

Representatives from the polices General Supervision Inspectorate (Irwasum), internal affairs division (Propam) and legal division, as well as the Indonesian Ombudsman and the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) are expected to attend the session.

Journalists will be allowed to cover the opening session.

The police have sought testimony from Islam Defenders Front (FPI) chairman Habib Rizieq Shihab and Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) chairman Maruf Amin regarding the blasphemy allegations.
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Linkedin Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12, 2016

Gubernatorial candidate Anies Baswedan said he could understand why some people objected to the presence of his strongest rival, Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, in their areas, but he has made it clear they should allow him to campaign.

Anies, a former education and culture minister, declined to answer whether it was fair or not for Ahok to be unable to campaign. The gubernatorial candidate, however, said that even though the residents did not agree with a candidate, they should still welcome him or her.

They should welcome, meet and tell [their aspirations] to the candidate because it was their opportunity to reveal their perspectives, thoughts and feelings, he told reporters after performing Friday prayer in Kebon Siri, Central Jakarta.

It was the first statement Anies made regarding the difficulties his rival, Ahok, is facing in reaching out to voters in the campaign period.

Read also: Ahok-Djarot faces continual opposition on trail

Ahok has become a target of protests by many people, especially Islamic organization members, because they accuse him of having insulted the Quran during his visit to the Thousand Islands in September.

More than 100,000 people gathered around the National Monument (Monas) park in Central Jakarta last week to demand he be charged with blasphemy.

On Thursday, Ahok, already guarded by 300 police officers, was forced to call off this campaigning on Jl. Raya Kedoya Utara in West Jakarta after being advised by the police to do so because of the large number of people protesting against his visit.

Ahoks running mate, incumbent Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat, has also faced disruptions of his campaign visits.

The latest incident occured on Wednesday during a stop in Kembangan Utara, in West Jakarta.

Djarot, who is Muslim and Javanese, decided to confront the protesters to ask them to stop, but they refused to do so, forcing Djarot to leave the premises.

The Ahok-Djarot campaign team had filed a formal complaint about the campaign disruptions with the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu). The pair said they believed that the protests were coordinated and did not involve local residents.

Since last week, the Ahok-Djarot pair has not made their campaign schedule public for security reasons. On Friday, when Anies and Agus were campaigning, Ahok decided not to campaign, while Djarot went to Malang, East Java.

Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, the other contender in the gubernatorial race, said he was not in the position to decide whether it is fair for Ahok if he could not campaign because of rowdy protests from some groups.

I cannot say whether it is fair or not. It depends on the society, he said during a campaign stop in Paseban market in Central Jakarta on Friday.

When asked if he would call on the public to welcome Ahok when he visits, Agus said: I have nothing to do with the case. The residents also have heart.

Do not think that the residents do not have heart and feeling. Let them decide it by themselves, he said.

Political observer Pangi Syarwi Chaniago called on the General Elections Commission (KPU), religious leaders and the political stakeholders to ease religious tension in the capital as it had disadvantaged Ahok. The government should take stern action against protesters as they hinder people from exercising their political rights, he said.

He said President Joko Jokowi Widodo should call on the residents to treat candidates equally as preventing them from campaigning was discriminatory.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, November 12 2016

On the evening of Oct. 20, Jakartas traffic was hell broken loose, but at the residence of Mexican Ambassador to Indonesia Federico Salas in Patra Kuningan, Jakarta, there was a champagne fiesta. The most genuine of laughter met with the finest of attire, charming ladies and gentlemen graced by pristine attitudes filled the entire grand foyer of the ambassadors white colonial casa.

The event was called Mexican Food and Champagne Pairing organized by the Ordre des Coteaux de Champange and supported by the acclaimed Dimatique Fine Wines.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12 2016

Didi Diarsa Aldiana, who lives in Depok, West Java, said the reason he made a bicycle from old, unproductive rubber trees was that he believed in climate change.

For too long, he said, farmers had been burning unproductive trees, a practice that could contribute to a greenhouse effect in the atmosphere. He wondered if he could use the old rubber trees for other purposes.

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Anti-Trump protesters gathered on Library Mall before continuing up State Street to the Capitol Thursday night.
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Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12, 2016

Emotion took center stage at the Constitutional Court on Thursday as fact witnesses in a petition against a transitional provision in the 2006 Citizenship Law told the bench about issues facing their families.

In tears, they said the provision posed a risk to transnational families, particularly as it hampered children of mixed marriages in obtaining Indonesian citizenship.

Megawati Gani, an Indonesian who married an American in 2002, was surprised when her two children, who hold American passports, received different treatment when seeking Indonesian visas at the Indonesian Consulate General in New York in 2014.

Her first child, born in 2003, received an Indonesian visa, while her second child, born on the day the law was enacted in 2006, instead received an Indonesian passport. At the time, they lived in Connecticut, a two-hour drive from New York, where the closest Indonesian representative office is located.

It was because I was preoccupied by my daily activities and limited social life that I did not get the chance to learn about the 2006 Citizenship Law, fact witness Megawati told the bench.

It was only after she brought her children to live in Indonesia  following a split from her husband  that the provision in question tore apart the family, with her 13-yearold son leaving the country in June to live with his father in the US.

Perhaps it was because he saw the hurdles I was facing when seeking his stay permit that my son told me he would like to return to the US with his father, Megawati said as she began to weep.

In June, my son left for the US and parted with me and his little sibling because he is indeed a foreign citizen.

Megawati was among four Indonesian mothers of transnational children who took the stand as fact witnesses for Ira Natapradja, a petitioner who is challenging the transitional provision that recently jeopardized her daughter Gloria Natapradja Hamels membership of the national flag-hoisting team, with the help of the Indonesian Mixed-Marriage Society (Perca).

Another witness was Kevin Joshua Scheunemann, who had to file for naturalization despite being born to an Indonesian mother in 1991.

Some deem the 2006 law progressive as it allows dual nationality for children under 18 who are born to transnational couples, unlike the previous 1958 law that automatically recognized transnational children of foreign fathers as aliens.

Under the existing 2006 law, when children turn 18, they have three years to choose one citizenship, otherwise they automatically lose the right to choose and the state will only recognize their foreign citizenship.

But it is the transitional provision in question, which is supposed to provide leeway for children born to mixed-marriage couples before the law was enacted, that has hampered many children in obtaining Indonesian citizenship.

The article stipulates that those children are only entitled to Indonesian citizenship if they registered with the Law and Human Rights Ministry within four years after the law was enacted, or by 2010.

Almost all the witnesses said a lack of information about the article had kept them in the dark, resulting in them losing the chance to obtain limited dual citizenship for their children, as in the case of Yuliana, the mother of a 14-year-old girl born in 2002 who found out about the requirement years after the grace period had ended.

Other than the lack of information, different views of ministry and immigration officials had also hampered Scheunemann in obtaining Indonesian citizenship. He instead became a German national despite his German father becoming an Indonesian citizen in 2010.

Representing the government in the judicial review case, Hotman Sitorus of the Law and Human Rights Ministry said the government, without doubt, has no intention to stir up such intricate problems.
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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12, 2016

Groups of people causing disruptions at several campaign stops of inactive Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama recently might have been organized by an individual or certain party, Ahoks campaign team suspects.

A spokesman for the team, Jerry Sambuaga, said Saturday that the people disrupting the campaigns were not residents of the places where they had protested.

I think it would be strange if [the disturbances] were not organized. Why? Because the local residents welcomed Ahok and they were even angry at the people [who protested his visit], he said without mentioning the names of any parties suspected of being behind the protests.

(Read also:I'd rather be arrested and jailed than drop out of race: Ahok)

On Nov. 2, Ahok had to cut short a campaign stop in Rawa Belong, West Jakarta, and be rushed to safety by security personnel when a protest against his visit turned violent. The incident left one of his aides hospitalized.

Most recently, the incumbent governor had to cancel another visit to Kedoya, also in West Jakarta, on Thursday after a group of people claiming to be local residents rejected the visit.

Ahoks team has reported the incident to both the Jakarta Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) and the police. Bawaslu Jakarta chairman Mimah Susanti said the agency was following up on the report, including communicating with the police.

Mimah said every candidate had the right to campaign and disrupting campaigns was a criminal act according to prevailing laws. (jun)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12 2016

With e-commerce booming in the country, the government is pushing state-owned postal service PT Pos Indonesia to benefit from the growing industry by providing logistical support for online businesses.

Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said the government had instructed Pos Indonesia to intensify efforts to pursue such opportunities and expand its existing core business, which currently relies on mail and package deliveries for individuals and corporate customers.

This [business] repositioning strategy will transform Pos Indonesia from a company that focuses on mail delivery to becoming the logistical backbone of Indonesias e-commerce, Rudiantara said on Friday.

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Linkedin Sondang Grace Sirait (The Jakarta Post) Yangon  Sat, November 12 2016

If there were a common thread behind the recent rise of global modest fashion and the popularity of hijab trends on Instagram, it would be the transformative role of social media.



Franka Soeria believes social media played a crucial role in the recent rise of global modest fashion and the popularity of hijab trends.



The Indonesian-born woman is behind the recent success of the Modest Fashion Week in Istanbul, an event that has been dubbed the coming out party of modest fashion, considering Turkey is currently the largest consumer for the multi-billion-dollar industry.



By taking OOTD [Outfit of the Day] pictures on social media, these women inspired each other and made millions of other women follow in their footsteps. Demand for modest fashion outfits has given rise to many new designers and brands, which in turn prompted a growing number of events, specialized media, apps and so on, she says.



As a fashion enthusiast and fervent believer in the power of social media, Franka also created the first online look book for modest fashion, called alahijab.com  think Instagram, but for modest fashion. Thus far, the website, which also serves as a marketplace for all things modest, has inspired numerous online and offline communities.



Modest fashion communities are randomly spread everywhere and not connected to each other. I want them to connect to and inspire each other, she says.



It was only natural to connect the dots. Almost in every corner of the world, modest fashion is growing. I have met some amazing modest fashion initiators from around the globe, including from places like the Maldives, Kenya, Nigeria and Cyprus. Somehow we connect with each other. I see myself as a bridge to those communities, she says.



Things just fell into place for Franka, whose day job is running international relations for modanisa.com, a popular Turkey-based modest fashion startup that now caters to 400 million Muslim women across the world, carrying 300 brands and more than 22 designers.



Aside from that, she also advises a host of modest fashion events in the Middle East. Last month, she was in Indonesia in her capacity as a member of the Advisory Council of the International Islamic Fair.



Upon graduation from National University in South Jakarta in 2007, where she majored in English Literature, Franka spent some time working as a journalist and later as a copywriter and public relations officer for Indonesia Fashion Week.



Its been a life-changing journey for the 35-year old, who only began to wear a hijab upon moving to Turkey in 2013. Her husband is a Turkish pilot whom she met in New York and with whom she now has a toddler son. It never occurred to her to wear a hijab while living in Indonesia, because it was too mainstream.



I didnt want people to say that Im wearing the hijab only to be accepted in hijabi communities. So I started wearing it in a country where nobody knew me. The Hijab reflects my personal relationship with God, and I wear it for myself, not to impress people, she says.



As a working mother, Franka leads a busy life filled with a lot of juggling between incessant business emails, important phone calls and imperative diaper changes. Her bottomless zeal has won Franka praise from those whove worked closely with her.



Shes a hard-working mother, but at the same time, she balances her business life, family life and social life perfectly, says Frankas husband, Ismail Semin.



Her friends and colleagues have paid similar compliments.





What I like the most about her is that she is honest and actually cares for the people she works with. That latter quality I dont think you can find easily in people nowadays, says Samah Safi Bayazid, a Jordanian-American hijabi filmmaker who has collaborated with Franka.



As fashion consultant, Franka has helped numerous modest fashion outlets, big and small, better understand and target their market. Its something she longs to do in her home country as well.



Hence her next project  a platform to connect Indonesias modest fashion industry with the world, but that will require a dramatic change in perspective, she believes.



Indonesians need to be out there, not just once in a while, but more often.



Were focused on making our country the center of modest fashion, while those in western countries are struggling with Islamophobia or extremism.



See, the focus is different. Indonesian designs are awesome on the catwalk, but sometimes we are way too advanced. We forget that the world is not ready yet for something thats too much out of the box, she says.



Modest fashion designs have to be relatable. Its not an art. Its reality.



 Photos courtesy of Franka Soeria

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Linkedin Myrna Remata Evora (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12 2016

I am in awe by how Indonesian young people, especially girls, tirelessly voice their concerns for the attainment of childrens rights in Indonesia.

In particular, I am proud and have the utmost admiration for those who have advocated for the prevention of child marriage to the government through their own creative ways and style.

For the International Day of the Girl, commemorated on Oct. 11, a group of young people were given the chance to represent the minister and her deputies in the Women Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry.

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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12 2016

The administration of President Joko Jokowi Widodo has been trying to reach out to as many Islamic organizations as possible to prevent another large-scale rally in the capital to push for the prosecution of Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaha Purnama for alleged blasphemy, but an analyst says the move comes too late.

On Friday, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu initiated a friendly gathering with several Muslim figures during which he called on Muslims to set an example in maintaining harmony among religious groups in the country.

As Muslims we are bound to uphold Islamic teachings of the Quran and hadith; however, as good citizens we shall obey all laws and regulations to protect the unity of the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia, Ryamizard said in his keynote speech.

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Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung  Sat, November 12, 2016

Five regional heads in Greater Bandung have finally agreed to launch a collaborative program to address the threat of flooding on the heels of some of the worst flooding to hit the area in years.

The five regions are Bandung city, Bandung regency, Cimahi city, West Bandung regency and Sumedang regency.

Acting West Java governor Deddy Mizwar said the five regions had not coordinated with each other on flood mitigation and the results had been dismal.

Now, we have a detailed engineering design and a five-year master plan, so its clear now who is doing what, when they will do it and from where the funds will come, Deddy said in Bandung on Thursday.

The joint flood management system uses numerical modeling designed by the Water Resource Development and Research Center (PPPSDA).

Based on our data, average rainfall has dropped, but it still causes floods. This is attributed to local effects related to the characteristics of watersheds, said Ferry Indrawan from the PPPSDA.

The floods, added Ferry, occurred as a result of less water absorption in catchment areas north of Bandung as well as water being hampered from entering 13 tributaries in the rising Citarum River.

Land subsidence due to excess groundwater pumping is also to blame, said Ferry.

According to Ferry, flooding in the Greater Bandung area has been taking place for a long time.

Massive flooding once occurred in 1986, but after carrying out river normalization, the area of flooding diminished. Major floods reoccurred in 2010, 2013, 2014 and again this year.

Based on the model of floods taking place once every five years, the flooded area could be as large as 3,461 hectares, but after the regions make efforts to address it, the flooded area could be reduced to 2,761 hectares. The floods dont stop, but they can be minimized, Ferry said, adding that estimations about the extent of floods excluded flood data from Bandung city.

Bandung city experienced severe floods in the past three weeks, causing several roads to be inundated and the Citepus River to overflow, which swept away at least three cars.

Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil claimed he was yet to see data on losses caused by the floods.

However, according to data from the West Java Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), the losses suffered by residents at the end of October this year reached Rp 16.8 billion (about US$1.3 million).

West Java BPBD Emergency Section head Alif Nur Anhar said the losses mostly came from houses damaged by the floods. The total amount of damage in Arjuna and Padjadjaran subdistricts [where 513 homes were submerged] reached Rp 10.3 billion, said Alif.

In Cibadak subdistrict, the floods inundated 300 houses and caused up to Rp 6,075 billion in damages. Apart from that, a school suffered losses of up to Rp 294 million, added Alif.

Meanwhile, the central government will realize the construction of a water tunnel in Curug Jompong, West Bandung regency, West Java, to cope with flooding triggered by the overflowing of the Citarum River.

The design of the 350-meter long and 8.5-meter wide water tunnel, which resembles the mass rapid transport underground tunnel in Jakarta, will be completed by February next year and is expected to be operational by 2019.

Public Works and Public Housing Ministry Directorate of Water Resources Citarum River Basin Area Center (BBWS) head Yudha Mediawan said the water tunnel project was aimed at draining water more quickly from the Curug Jompong region, which was the only outlet for the Citarum River that has 13 tributaries.

Yudha added that the presence of rocks in Curug Jompong slowed down the flow of water in the river. When water discharged from the tributaries rises due to rain, often water that should have entered Citarum River instead overflowed into surrounding areas.

The capacity of the tunnel is 500,000 cubic meters per second, compared to the capacity of the Citarum River during the biennial flooding, which is 565 cubic meters per second. When Citarum Rivers water level is high, we will open the tunnel so that the river level will drop, said Yudha in Bandung on Thursday.

Floods due to the overflowing Citarum River were still inundating at least three districts in Bandung regency as of Friday noon. The three districts, Baleendah, Dayeuhkolot and Bojongsoang, are all located south of Bandung city.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12 2016

The campaign team of Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Anies Baswedan and his running mate Sandiaga Uno has denied vote-buying allegations, saying the candidate pairs donations to orphans, a tradition during Islamic New Year celebrations, may have been misconstrued as vote-buying.

They may have misconstrued donations to orphans in West Jakarta, said Syarif, secretary to the Anies-Sandiaga campaign team, as reported by tribunnews.com on Friday. He did not elaborate on where or when the donation was made.

The Jakarta Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu Jakarta) has warned all gubernatorial candidates against campaign violations.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12 2016

Morgan Oey, a former member of boy band SMASH, is among the few actors to appear in more than two films this year. His latest project Melbourne Rewind is slated for release on Nov. 17.

Most of the films scenes were shot in Australia where the cast and crew spent 10 days during the past winter.

It was our first time visiting the country, so we were all excited to be there, the 26-year-old said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Friday.

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Linkedin Andi Hajramurni (The Jakarta Post) Makassar  Sat, November 12, 2016

Yusniar, a 27-year-old housewife, never thought that a comment on her personal Facebook account would put her in detention, lead to a trial and possibly send her to jail.

A resident of Jl. Sultan Alauddin in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Yusniar has been charged with violating the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law and the Criminal Code (KUHP) on defamation, which carry a maximum penalty of six years in prison.

She was detained by the Makassar prosecutors office on Oct. 24 and has been undergoing trial at the Makassar District Court since Nov. 2.

The case began when Sudirman Sijaya, a councilor of the Jeneponto legislative council in South Sulawesi, who said he was also a lawyer, filed a report against Yusniar over a Facebook post.

She wrote a status on March 14 in Makassarese that read: Thank God. The problem is finally over. Stupid councilor, stupid lawyer. [You] want to help a guilty person, [but it is] clearly my parents land [that you] came and disturbed.

The post came a day after her parents house on Jl. Sultan Alauddin was attacked by 100 people, including Sudirman. Yusniar did not mention any names in her status.

Yusniars lawyer, Abdul Azis Dumpa of the Makassar Legal Aid Institute (LBH), said on Thursday that the charge was forced and did not have any legal standing.

The status on my clients Facebook account did not contain elements of insults or defamation because no name was mentioned. The plaintiff does not have legal standing, he said.

However, Sudirman insisted that the status clearly referred to him and was publicly known about.

I didnt know about Facebook. I know about the status because many people told me that I was abused and insulted, he said.

Meanwhile, Yusniar questioned the case, saying she wrote the status simply as a form of expression as she was emotional after the mob damaged her parents house. The property had been involved in a family dispute between her father Baharuddin and his sister Daeng Kebo.

Efforts to settle the dispute were made by the Pabaeng-baeng subdistrict administration but Daeng Kebo failed to attend.

All of a sudden on March 13 a group of some 100 people came, promptly damaging [the property], but we stopped them, Yusniar said, adding that someone then yelled, Just demolish it! I am a councilor and a lawyer.

In fact we did not know who had come, she said.

Tamalate Police personnel stopped the mob from demolishing the house. The police also organized a meeting between the two disputing parties and Sudirman prepared a document for a peaceful agreement. The case was not taken to court and Baharuddin considered it over.

The event inspired Yusniar to write the Facebook status that later led to her detention. She and her father visited Sudirman three times in Jeneponto to apologize and ask him to halt the case, but Sudirman refused, she said.

Two proposals for suspended detention have been filed but have not yet been granted.

The case adds to a list of people implicated in crimes because of the draconian law, which has been deemed by the public as a threat to freedom of expression. The most infamous was housewife Prita Mulyasari, who was declared guilty and sent to prison for complaining about OMNI International Hospital in 2009 through a private email that went viral. The most recent case involved a man in Medan, North Sumatra, who was sentenced to 14 months in prison in August for being tagged in a story on Facebook.

The House of Representatives passed a revised draft of the ITE Law on Oct. 27, which provided more detail on online defamation to prevent multiple interpretations. However, further steps are pending and the law has not yet taken effect.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12, 2016

The Indonesian government and tobacco farmers are waiting anxiously for the result of a dispute settlement against Australias plain tobacco packaging policy that they expect will come out in 2017, more than three years after the government submitted a request for consultations with the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The Trade Ministrys director general for foreign trade negotiations, Iman Pambagyo, said he hoped that the settlement result would be in favor of tobacco-producing countries.

We expect WTO panelists to announce the result in the first quarter of 2017. We still think that the policy violates the trade rules, he said.

He added that while Indonesia fully supported the objectives of improving public health and protecting the environment, it was the countrys right to defend its economy against regulations that violated international trade rules, disciplines and obligations.

According to the WTO, on Sept. 20, 2013, Indonesia requested consultations with Australia concerning certain Australian laws and regulations that impose restrictions on trademarks, geographical indications and other plain packaging requirements on tobacco products and packaging.

The move came nearly a year after Australia became the first country that obliges all cigarettes sold in its jurisdiction to be wrapped in dark brown packaging in December 2012.

The Australian government found that it was the least attractive color, particularly for young people.

The policy went into force along with a tax increase to realize the countrys plan to bring down smoking rates from 16.6 percent in 2007 to less than 10 percent in 2018.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics claims that smoking rates decreased to 12.8 percent a year after the policy took effect, compared to 15.1 percent in 2010.

Australias move has been copied by the UK and France, which regulate that all cigarette packages manufactured for those countries must be in plain form.

Singapore considered a similar provision last year as well, but dropped the idea after encountering some technical difficulties.

After Indonesia submitted its consultation request to the WTO, several other countries and blocs requested to join the consultations, namely Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Nicaragua and the European Union.

The Indonesian Tobacco Farmers Association (APTI) told The Jakarta Post that although Australia was not the main buyer of Indonesian tobacco, more countries would apply similar policies.

The policys provision will decrease our tobacco exports as antitobacco movements have emerged in other countries, APTI head Wisnu Brata said.

Djarum, Sampoerna and Gudang Garam are among the companies whose cigarette brands are available in Australia.

Data from the Industry Ministry show that some 6 million people are involved in tobacco farms and businesses across the country. Many of them are export-oriented, such as in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), East Java and Central Java.

The value of tobacco exports reached US$981 billion in 2015 and $1.02 trillion in 2014. (adt)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Batam  Sat, November 12 2016

A Western Fleet Quick Response (WFQR) team from the Navys Tanjungpinang naval base IV has seized 19 containers allegedly carrying illegal goods from Singapore, including Singaporean armed forces uniforms.

The Navy said it was investigating the reason behind the alleged smuggling of military uniforms into Indonesia.

Naval base commander Commodore S.Irawan said the container carrying Singaporean military uniforms was not the main target of the WFQR team. During its operation on Wednesday, the team initially aimed to inspect cargo carried by freighter KLM Putri Setia, which had docked at an illegal port in Batam.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12 2016

House of Representatives deputy speakers Fadli Zon and Fahri Hamzah have been reported to the Houses ethics council for an alleged breach of ethics.

A group calling itself the National Committee for the Upholding of Justice (KPPJ) accused the two House leaders of violating the 2014 law on legislative institutions, known as the MD3 Law, when they took part in a massive rally demanding the prosecution of Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama for alleged blasphemy last week.

The MD3 Law stipulates that a House member should maintain national stability. That said, we are reporting them for this alleged breach of ethics, KPPJs lawyer Finsen Mendrofa said as quoted by Antara news agency on Friday.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12, 2016

President Joko Jokowi Widodo says he expects to see no more rallies over inactive Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnamas alleged blasphemy.

We hope there are no more demonstrations. They are a waste of energy, Jokowi said in front of a meeting of Muslim scholars from the National Awakening Party in Ancol, North Jakarta, on Saturday as reported by tribunnews.com.

(Read also: Rally erupts in violence)

Jokowi reiterated that he was not taking Ahoks side, but only wished to let law enforcement bodies handle the case.

Since the beginning I have said that I would not intervene in any legal issues. Let the law enforcement personnel handle it, the president said.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims staged a demonstration in front of the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Nov. 4, demanding that the government jail Ahok for blasphemy. The rally ended in violence with two cars set on fire.

Ahok has repeatedly apologized and said he never intended to insult Islam and the Quran during a speech he gave in the Thousand Islands regency. The accusations began after an edited video of his speech there went viral last month. (jun)
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Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Depok, West Java  Sat, November 12, 2016

The headquarters of the National Polices Mobile Brigade (Brimob) and the Navys Marine Corps are the latest stops on President Joko Jokowi Widodos attempt to reach various elements of the country after the religiously-driven rally on Nov. 4 that almost brought the capital to a standstill.

Repeating the same message he conveyed while visiting the headquarters of other military units, including the elite Kopassus corps in the past couple of days, President Jokowi told the Marines on Friday that he was the highest authority of the military, instructing them to be the forefront [of power] in facing any power that aims to disrupt nations unity.

In the Brimob headquarters earlier that day, Jokowis voice sounded firm when he carefully delivered his points on the nature of Indonesia as a country that consisted of diverse ethnicities and faiths.

We will move backward if our energy is wasted on arguing about religions and ethnic groups, he said. Many countries have expressed appreciation for our diversity, and we want to be the best example of a country that successfully manages diversity.

On the sidelines of Jokowis visit, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian declared full support for the President and called on members of his force to be loyal to him. As servants of the country, we must show loyalty, especially when there are dynamics in the country.

Tito also repeatedly emphasized the non-negotiable loyalty of all members of the police institution to serve the legitimate government of Jokowi, the highest commander of the National Police, who was elected by the people through a constitutional mechanism.

He even specifically cited the crucial role of all Brimob personnel to protect the President, as well as the nation, during any rebellion against the legitimate authority.

You are the hope when insurgency emerges, Tito said.

Our highest commander will come and deliver his orders, which we must obey.

Jokowis visits to the armed forces have sparked speculation that there is a real threat against the government following the Nov. 4 rally and ahead of another large rally that is expected to take place on Nov. 25.

But presidential spokesman Johan Budi toned down the speculation, saying that Jokowi was confident that his moves would bring national unity and stability.

Well, people can have different perceptions of Jokowis moves and those depend on the person who has the perception and what interest he has, Johan said.

Other than the armed forces, Jokowi, who met with a number of religious leaders from different groups following the rally, is also set to meet political figures over the weekend, particularly those from Islamic political parties.

Political analysts have also praised Jokowis moves, saying that the President has run the right strategy to deliver the message that he is present as the highest commander of the countrys armed forces.

Yunarto Wijaya of the Jakarta-based Charta Politika said Jokowi had shown to the public that Indonesias defense and security instruments are all solid under his command. Through his tour, Jokowi has answered the people who questioned his whereabouts during last Fridays rally.

It makes the public, both those who are involved [in the sectarian conflict] and those who are not, feel that the nation is in a safe condition. Its a symbol that the President is here, Yunarto told the Post.

Marguerite Afra Sapiie and Margareth S. Aritonang contributed to this story.
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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12, 2016

The Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, the backbone of President Joko Jokowi Widodos infrastructure projects, is struggling to meet its budget disbursement target with less than two months left before the end of this year.

The ministry revealed that as of Friday, it had only disbursed 61.07 percent of its budget: an amount of Rp 59.3 trillion (US$4.44 billion). Its total budget for 2016 has been set at Rp 97.1 trillion.

The result mirrored its disbursement posted in the same period in 2015, when it had only channeled 58 percent of its budget as of mid-November.

The ministry, however, remains optimistic that it will be able to disburse 93 percent of its budget for the full year, similar to the 94.4 percent rate reported in 2015.

We stand by our target. In infrastructure development, many contracts end in early December and some contractors usually ask for funds to be disbursed by the end of their work, Public Works and Public Housing Ministry secretarygeneral Anita Firmanti said over the phone.

Infrastructure development is expected to help spur economic growth, which slowed to 5.02 percent year-on-year (yoy) in the third quarter on the back of reduced government spending and weak global trade.

The ministry is currently in charge of many strategic projects, such as the construction of 1,000 kilometers of new toll roads and of 49 new dams until 2019.

The slow progress is also reflected in the slow progress of operational toll roads, which are expected to reach 70 km this year, a downward revision from the initial target of 136 km.

The ministrys Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT) has so far only added 44 km of new toll roads. It seems that many of the toll road projects will miss the targeted operational date because of land procurement and weather issues, BPJT head Herry Trisaputra Zuna said.

However, Anita claims that everything is under control and that many issues that previously hampered progress had been solved, including those related to land procurement through the establishment of a special public service agency for National Asset Management (LMAN).

The LMAN reimburses the funds spent by toll road operators for land procurement, specifically for government-backed projects.

The ministry is planning to ask contractors to bring in more reinforcements  in the form of additional construction equipment  and simplify budget disbursement administration in an attempt to expedite the projects.

Earlier in August, it attributed the slow budget disbursement to uncertainties regarding a number of projects after the government-proposed budget cuts as state revenue sources contracted. The Public Works and Public Housing Ministry eventually suffered from a Rp 15.3 trillion cut this year.

Meanwhile, Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) Indonesia research director Mohammad Faisal stated that even though the ministrys budget disbursement was lower than other ministries with an average of 64 percent, it was still acceptable, considering the difficulty of its projects.

The ministry has different characteristics compared to other ministries. Its still not that worrying. It has carried out bids [for projects] early this year, which is good, he said.

In 2016, it has put 1,556 projects, worth Rp 8.16 trillion, on auction.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, November 12 2016

US Embassy promotes Bunaken marine sustainability

Manado, North Sulawesi



Local scientists and top diplomats of the US Embassy in Jakarta recently visited Manado to study the rich marine diversity of Bunaken National Marine Park and learn about Indonesias efforts to preserve its ocean environment.



This visit serves as a follow-up event to the 2016 Our Ocean conference that was held in September in Washington, DC. The conferences focus was on promoting the Blue Economy and sustainable fishing. Indonesia is set to host this conference in 2018.



Marine parks, such as Bunaken, are incredibly valuable to local livelihoods and by engaging in the protection and management of the area, economic development and environmental protection can be balanced, said the US Embassys charge daffaires, Brian McFeeters.

AFTERNOON TEA AT THE WESTIN

Setiabudi, South Jakarta



The Westin Jakartas Lobby Lounge, which is located on the 52nd floor, is providing its customers a chance to unwind at the end of the day by enjoying their new offering of Afternoon Tea.



Served from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for Rp 388,000 ++ per set, this offer includes two selections of Jing tea. Among the possible choices are English Breakfast, Earl Grey, chamomile and Jasmine Silver Needle.



The tea is available alongside a range of sandwiches (such as Salmon Brioche and Prawn Avocado Focaccia), pastries (like Viola Pop Cake and Blueberry Tartlet) and freshly baked scones (served with Kaya Jam and Mascarpone Whipped Cream).



To make reservations call (021) 27887788.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, November 12, 2016

The Trade Ministry said Friday that it had warned online marketplace Tokopedia about selling black market smartphones, in an effort to ensure that companies were complying with the countrys regulations.

We have warned them; the black market is prohibited in any country, for any kind of product, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukito told reporters in Jakarta.

Tokopedia recently banned the sale of four types of Apple smartphones on its platform  the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, 7 and 7 plus  because Apple is not officially allowed to sell the phones in Indonesia, Kompas newspaper reported.

The Industry Ministry introduced in September a regulation that 4G LTE smartphones must have a certain percentage of local content in their hardware or software.

Yes, there is an [official] letter from the Trade Ministry. We hope that this act is not selective [for only one company], said Tokopedia CEO William Tanuwijaya.

Besides Tokopedia, Enggar said the ministry had also sent official warning letters to e-commerce platform Lazada Indonesia and other online services. (win)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, November 12 2016

On Nov. 7, The Jakarta Post published an article by Phil Hogan, European Union Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, entitled Unlocking potential to increase EU-RI trade.

In his article, the EU agriculture commissioner recommended Indonesia move away from palm oil as the main export to the European Union. As an expert in farming, he must know that even smallholder farmers here in Indonesia can yield about two tons per hectare per year. That is four times, 300 percent, more than any other edible oil crop, such as canola, corn, sunflower, soy and olive.

When smallholder farmers are integrated into sustainable farming with large reputable companies, certified by the ISPO (the Agriculture Ministrys Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil) and even by the foreign RSPO and ISCC, then their yield can increase to over five tons per hectare per year, or over 10 times, one can say a 1,000 percent better yield than any other similar crop. Why is he recommending that we stop producing palm oil?

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Linkedin ANN Desk (Eleven Media Group/ANN) Naypyitaw  Sat, November 12, 2016

Myanmar's Eleven Media Group CEO Dr Than Htut Aung and chief editor Wai Phyo were charged under section 66(d) of Telecommunications Act by Yangon chief minister Phyo Min Thein over an article A year after the Nov. 8 polls by Dr Than Htut Aung.

The article was featured on Asia News Network as well.

Wai Phyo said: CEO and I came to police to be questioned as the Yangon Region government sued us under section 66(d) of Telecommunications Act.

Press Council refuses to intervene



The Myanmar Press Council announced on Thursday it could not intervene in a case involving the Eleven Media Group (EMG) in regard to an editorial published by the Daily Eleven newspaper on Sunday titled Myanmar: A year after the Nov 8 polls, despite a request to do so by Yangon Region Government.

The press council said it received a letter this week from Moe Hein, director of Yangon Region Government, asking for the council to intervene in regard to the editorial, which it alleged was incorrect.

It said Chief Minister of Yangon Region Phyo Min Thein held a press conference on Wednesday to announce that he had filed a case against Eleven Media Groups CEO and the group under Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law.

The council said in the statement that it would not intervene in an attempt to mediate the case, given the Yangon Region Government would first need to agree to withdraw its initial lawsuit, as stipulated in the Media Law.

The council also replied to the region government.

Eleven Media received a letter on Monday bearing the seal of the Yangon Region Government and written by director Moe Hein on behalf of the chief minister. It asked two main questions: (A) Who is the rich man who gave a gift to the elected minister and was recently released from jail after serving time for his involvement in a drugs case and received approval for building a new city under the new government? (B) Who is the businessman who wears the Patek Philippe watch?

Eleven Media denounced the letter as a bid to pressure the organisation by asking for sources and defying media ethics. Eleven Media said it would not provide answers. However, the organisation said it would cooperate if a proper investigation was undertaken.
A Belleville man who initially came to the attention of police as they investigated an online relationship with a 14-year-old girl was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for possessing child pornography.

As Madison police investigated a case in which Brandon E. Freeman, 33, was alleged to have persuaded the girl to send him nude pictures of herself, they found child pornography on a cellphone that belonged to him, according to a criminal complaint.

Dane County Circuit Judge Josann Reynolds said that she was deeply disturbed by Freemans contact with the girl, who told you her age, and yet you persevered in having her text you in a submissive fashion and send you sexually explicit photos of herself.

More disturbing, Reynolds said, was the content of the child pornography described in the criminal complaint, which included a clip of an infant.

Freeman was initially charged in March with four counts of causing a child to expose intimate parts. Those charges were dismissed in May. In the complaint, the girl told police in January that she had met a then-32-year-old man through social media and started talking to him because she wanted attention. She said she sent pictures of whatever the man wanted. Police were able to identify the man as Freeman.

After police searched Freemans cellphone, he was charged with possessing child pornography that he had downloaded from the Internet. He told police that he had deleted the pictures of the girl, a criminal complaint states.

Freeman apologized for what he did, to the court and to his mother, and said he was ready to commit to sex offender treatment.

After his release from prison, Reynolds said, Freeman will be on extended supervision for five years, and will be a sex offender registrant for 15 years after that.

His lawyer, Nathan Otis, who asked for the mandatory minimum three-year prison sentence, said Freeman has never given excuses for his behavior, but accepted his mistakes and the punishment he has coming.

Hes someone whos not beyond repair, Otis said.
(front page)

Election reflects effects on workers of capitalist crisis

After confidently predicting that Democrat Hillary Clinton would take the presidency Nov. 8 and heaping scorn on workers who turned out to hear her challenger Republican Donald Trump, big sections of the propertied rulers and their media outlets, pollsters and pundits were stunned by Trumps victory.

The outcome came as no surprise, however, to millions of workers tarred as deplorables by Clinton. Deplorables Rise Up to Reshape America, read a Wall Street Journal headline hours after the election.

Millions of workers have grown frustrated and angry by the impact of years of smoldering depression conditions on their lives and refusal of any party in Washington to do anything about it. They dont buy President Barack Obamas assurances, echoed by Clinton, that Americas economy is not just better than it was eight years ago  it is the strongest, most durable economy in the world.

Most workers face a sharply different reality  high unemployment and underemployment, speedup and unsafe working conditions, and an epidemic of opiate addiction and other social disasters arising from the moral and political crisis of capitalism.

Far from representing a sweeping victory for the right, Trumps election shows the impact of years of capitalist crisis on working people, Alyson Kennedy, who ran as presidential candidate for the Socialist Workers Party, told the Militant Nov. 9.

There is a hunger among workers for a way forward. Before the election and after, the SWP is focused on talking with workers on their doorsteps, she said. Many respond to our call for uniting workers to organize unions, oppose Washingtons wars, support a womans right to choose abortion, defend immigrants from attacks and oppose attacks on Muslims and mosques. They are open to what we say about ending the capitalist dictatorship and establishing a workers and farmers government.

Vote doesnt reflect workers shifting to right

Trump won despite his demagogic attacks on immigrants, Muslims, women and others, not because of them. He tapped into working-class discontent, running as an outsider. He defeated 16 opponents for the Republican nomination, attracting crowds of workers in the hard-hit industrial states by talking about the working class and the grinding crisis they face.

If we had 5 percent unemployment do you really think wed have these gatherings? he asked.

He won the election in part by being seen as the lesser evil by millions of workers in the Midwest and elsewhere who are Caucasian and who voted for Obamas promise of change and didnt get it.

In his victory speech Trump demagogically pledged to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals. Were going to rebuild our infrastructure and put millions of our people to work as we rebuild it.

Its possible the rulers may take steps to try and achieve some economic stability, but they wont touch the underlying crisis and it will not last.

The Clinton camp and the majority of the ruling-class media, oblivious to what most workers face, said the interest in Trump was the reaction of racists and rightists. But Trumps election doesnt reflect a shift to the right in the working class. Above all it reflects workers search for change from years of depression conditions and wars, seen through the distorted lens of the bourgeois elections.

Trump appealed to African-Americans, saying, I will be your greatest champion. He won 8 percent of the African-American vote compared to Mitt Romneys 6 percent four years ago, while Clinton won 88 percent, down from 93 percent Obama won in 2012.

Clintons backers placed great hopes in a big turnout by Blacks frightened about Trump. But many remember the Bill Clinton administration championing laws that increased incarceration rates and ended welfare as we know it, disproportionately affecting workers who are Black.

Workers distrusted both candidates

Both candidates were viewed with distrust by the majority of workers. Exit polls showed 71 percent who voted believe those without papers working in the U.S. should be offered legal status, 68 percent are bothered by Trumps treatment of women, and 73 percent are angry with the federal government  all wings of it.

Many didnt like Clintons attraction to the use of U.S. military might abroad  from Libya to her call for the Pentagon to enforce a no-fly zone in Syria, risking a conflict with Moscow.

Both capitalist parties have been and remain divided and in crisis. Many Republican officials and candidates refused to back or vote for Trump.

The Occupy Wall Street wing of the Democratic Party, led by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former presidential candidate Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, will be emboldened by the election returns. Campaigning for Clinton at Iowa State University Nov. 5, Sanders had no comment when Kaleb Vanfosson, president of the Students for Bernie club, was forcibly removed from the stage after saying that there was no point in voting for Clinton.
(front page)

Ankara steps up attacks on Kurds in Turkey, Syria

The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accelerated its offensive against the Kurdish population and a broader crackdown on political rights. Authorities arrested the co-chairs of the Kurdish-based Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) and 10 other HDP members of parliament Nov. 4, accusing them of backing the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

The repression goes hand in hand with Turkish military incursions in Iraq and Syria, where Ankara is seeking greater weight in relation to Washington and Moscow, and to its capitalist rivals in the region.

The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Joe Dunford, flew to Ankara Nov. 6 to coordinate operational planning against Islamic State with his Turkish counterpart and to work through some challenging issues. Washington and Ankara are allies in NATO, but their aims arent the same. The U.S. rulers want to stabilize the region in their imperialist interests. Erdogans priority is to prevent the emergence of an independent Kurdish region in Syria and the impetus that gives to the Kurdish national struggle within Turkey.

Washington is depending on forces led by the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) in its drive to capture the city of Raqqa in Syria from Islamic State. Syrian Kurdish leaders announced Nov. 6 that the military push towards Raqqa had begun, but warned that it would come to a halt if the Turkish military mounted new attacks on them. Ankara calls the YPG terrorist and a wing of the PKK.

We strongly condemn the arrests of our Co-Chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag as well as our MPs and demand their immediate release, said Hisyar Ozsoy, a vice co-chair of the HDP, in a Nov. 4 statement. The manufactured charges against them and all other party members must be dropped.

An editorial in the Nov. 4 Daily Sabah labeled the HDP terror-supporting fanatics and called for it to be outlawed.

Thousands framed up in Turkey

Thousands of HDP members, officers and elected officials have been imprisoned since June 2015, when it became the first Kurdish-based party to win more than 10 percent of the vote and gain seats in Turkeys parliament. In May, Erdogans government stripped most HDP legislators of their parliamentary immunity from prosecution. As he could not prevent us from entering parliament, he now orders us into prison, Ozsoy said.

Kurdish political leaders narrowly escaped a suicide bomb attack on police buildings where they were being detained in Diyarbakir, the main Kurdish city, Nov. 4. Islamic State said it carried out the attack, which killed 11, including a municipal Kurdish leader. Ankara blamed the PKK.

Kurds make up the largest oppressed nationality without their own state. They live in Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey, where they comprise some 20 percent of the population. Since the breakdown of a cease-fire in July 2015 with the PKK, the Turkish army has laid siege to cities and towns across the Kurdish southeast, killing hundreds, including many civilians, and displacing several hundred thousand. Many buildings have been damaged in the offensive, which has included armored vehicles and airstrikes.

Terror attacks by Stalinist PKK forces have killed additional civilians.

The Erdogan government has shuttered Kurdish-language newspapers, radio stations and television channels. Overseas journalists and agencies are barred from visiting the southeast. As it carried out the latest arrests, Ankara shut down the internet in Diyarbakir and blocked social media websites nationwide.

Under the state of emergency adopted July 20 following a failed coup attempt against him, Erdogan and his cabinet can bypass parliament and rule by decree and restrict or suspend rights and freedoms.

Under decrees issued overnight Oct. 30, 10,000 civil servants were dismissed, including academics, teachers and health workers considered disloyal to Erdogans government. Over 100,000 had already been fired since July, with 37,000 arrested. The targets are both Kurds and alleged followers of former ally cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Erdogan claims masterminded the coup attempt. Gulen has lived in the U.S. since 1999.

The editor and 14 staff were arrested at the prominent daily Cumhuriyet, one of the last remaining newspapers not under government control. Since July, 185 media outlets have been closed and over 100 journalists imprisoned.

There are increasing reports of extreme violence and torture against those in jail.

Erdogan plans to change Turkeys constitution to codify the executive powers he has assumed. I dont care if they call me a dictator, he told the media Nov. 6.

Conflict over attack on Raqqa

The YPG and allied Arab and Turkmen militias that make up the Syrian Democratic Forces are mounting the assault on Raqqa, backed by U.S. airstrikes and special operations troops. The plan is to liberate the surrounding countryside, then encircle the city, SDF representative Talal Sillo told The Associated Press Nov. 6. The operation, which involves some 30,000 fighters, is expected to take months.

This operation is timed to coincide with the efforts of Iraqi government troops, peshmerga Kurdish forces and U.S. troops and bombers to oust Islamic State from Mosul. Over Baghdads opposition, Erdogan has established a military base in Iraq outside Mosul and says it will defend its interests there.

Raqqa has been controlled by Islamic State since early 2014 and is its leadership center. The Turkish government has been demanding that Washington end collaboration with the SDF and instead support a Turkish-led offensive. Washington says there may be a role for Ankara in the final assault and occupation of Raqqa.

The Turkish military is continuing to attack the SDF as it advances into northern Syria, aiming to block Kurdish forces from linking territory in the east and west that would result in an autonomous Kurdish region along Syrias border with Turkey. Ankara says it intends to push the SDF from cities and towns recently liberated from Islamic State and create a military buffer zone. It is also building a large concrete wall along its 560-mile border with Syria.





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Philly transit strikers return to work after tentative contract deal

PHILADELPHIA  Some 4,700 members of Transport Workers Union Local 234 began returning to work Nov. 7 after negotiators from the union and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority announced a tentative agreement on a five-year contract.

After transit bosses refused to back off concession demands on health care, pensions, safety and wages, the union representing operators and maintenance workers struck Nov. 1, halting buses, subways and trolleys across the city. SEPTA is the sixth largest public transit system in the country.

SEPTA managers and Democratic Party city and state politicians tried to turn working-class sentiment against the strikers, complaining their strike would make it harder for workers to vote Nov. 8. Hillary Clinton was locked in a tight race in Pennsylvania, seeking to turn out a big vote in Philadelphia to offset Donald Trumps support in other parts of the state.

Clinton held a final rally on election eve featuring Bill and Chelsea Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi.

They want to make the election bigger than the strike, a bus operator called Brother Bernie told the Militant at the Midvale Bus Depot Nov. 6.

The lesson is to fight for what you want and not back down, operator Samill Peterson said. We ask for your support and we will support all who fight.

Bosses requested an injunction Nov. 4 in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court seeking to end the strike, which they called a clear and present danger to the publics health, safety and welfare. They said the strike would keep children from school, stifle medical treatment and disenfranchise voters. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf said he would file an amicus brief in support. The Democratic city administration filed a second motion demanding an injunction to force strikers back to work on election day.

Prominent Democratic friends of labor  including Mayor Jim Kenney, City Council President Darrell Clarke and U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, a former Carpenters union official  pressed for the strike to end before the election.

A compliant media joined the anti-union campaign, blaming the strike for every conceivable social problem. Philadelphia Inquirer headlines included SEPTA Strike Makes Methadone Clinics Scramble and Philly High Schools Bearing Brunt of SEPTA Strike.

Strikers and their supporters blame SEPTA and its drive to wring concessions from workers for the stoppage. They saw the strike as a necessary form of struggle to beat back the bosses attacks.

SEPTA argued that it had a defined pool of money available for the new contract, saying the union must accept that and choose which of their demands to cut.

The company demanded an increase of $352 a month in what transit workers have to pay for health care.

Strikers patiently explained the difficult working conditions that they face every day and seek to change, including only nine hours recovery time between shifts, an inadequate five-minute break between bus runs, and only 10 minutes to report in and conduct a safety check on their bus.

This has to change, said driver Peterson. This is a serious fatigue and safety issue, including for the riders.

One issue that particularly galled strikers was that their pensions are capped while managers pensions are not.

Socialist Workers Party vice presidential candidate Osborne Hart walked the picket lines with TWU members at several locations. SEPTA went right to the courts to try and break the strike, he told strikers Nov. 6. The bosses do everything they can to slander workers who go on strike, to paint us as greedy and selfish, and to get the courts and cops to limit the effectiveness of our strikes. This injunction is not just about SEPTA and the union here, but what faces unionists everywhere.

The bosses and their politicians want to weaken and bust our unions, which are the front-line defense organizations of the working class, Hart said. They fear our capacity to fight, to gain solidarity and to win.

Chris Hoeppner contributed to this article.





Related articles:

On The Picket Line







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SWP files to extend disclosure exemption, defend workers rights

The Socialist Workers Party filed a request with the Federal Elections Commission Oct. 31 to extend the SWPs long-standing exemption from having to turn over the names, addresses and occupations of contributors to its election campaigns. First won in 1974, the exemption strengthens workers ability to engage in independent working-class political activity free from interference by the government, bosses or right wingers.

The SWP won and has maintained this exemption for the same reason the government and its cops have targeted the party from the beginning, John Studer, the Socialist Workers Partys national campaign director, told the Militant Nov. 7. Over decades the SWP has shown its ability to chart a revolutionary political course to strengthen working-class struggles and to win workers to the fight to overturn the rule of capital. That includes mounting an effective fight against disclosing supporters names.

The SWPs disclosure exemption is justified because it has faced a long history of being subject to both government and private threats, harassments and reprisals, states the application filed by the partys attorneys, Michael Krinsky and Lindsey Frank, of the prominent civil liberties firm Rabinowitz, Boudin, Standard, Krinsky & Lieberman.

The request documents continuing threats and harassment directed at the Socialist Workers Party and supporters of its election campaigns. And it documents federal, state and local governments well-publicized programs of stepped-up surveillance of advocacy groups engaging in protected First Amendment activities.

One key argument for the exemption is the decades-long campaign against the Socialist Workers Party by the FBI and other spy agencies. This record, and the FBIs secret SWP Disruption Program, were exposed in a landmark 15-year legal battle against the government won by the SWP in 1986. The FBI was forced to admit that between 1960 and 1976 alone it collected more than 8 million documents on the partys members and supporters, used some 1,300 undercover informers to spy on and disrupt the party, and conducted more than 200 burglaries of party offices.

This history is especially resonant today when revelations continue to be made of mass surveillance by the government of protests, demonstrations and political advocacy groups engaged in constitutionally protected activity, such as union and Black Lives Matter activities, as well as government surveillance of the Muslim community, Krinsky and Frank state.

The application points to the explosion of spy agencies targeting unions and political activity in recent years  FBI-run Fusion Centers, Joint Terrorism Task Forces, special state police units and city Muslim squads, as well as electronic surveillance by outfits like the National Security Agency.

Private surveillance of protected First Amendment activities has also increased, the SWP attorneys say. They cite a November 2015 report by Bloomberg Businessweek that describes how retail giant Walmart has hired an intelligence-gathering service from Lockheed-Martin, contacted the FBI, staffed up its labor hotline, ranked stores by labor activity and kept eyes on employees in an effort to counter workers campaigning for better conditions. Members and supporters of the SWP, including the partys 2016 presidential and vice-presidential candidates, have worked at Walmart and participated in actions for $15 and a union.

The exemption request details 33 specific examples of harassment, threats and reprisals directed at the Socialist Workers Party and its supporters over the last four years. These include:

 A July 2013 break-in at the home of Jacob Perasso in Omaha, Nebraska. Perasso, a well-known SWP member who had been the partys candidate for City Council, found his papers strewn about, but the only thing stolen was a smart phone containing political contacts, although other items of value were in plain sight;

 On Oct. 4, 2014, the plate glass window of the partys campaign headquarters in Los Angeles was smashed following a public forum opposing Washingtons wars in Iraq and Afghanistan;

 SWP campaigners staffing a literature table at an Oct. 9, 2016, rally in Washington, D.C. to free Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar Lopez were repeatedly accosted by a man who verbally insulted them, shoved one campaigner and kicked the door of their car;

 Several state and federal prisons have improperly refused to permit inmates to receive issues of the Militant, which editorially supports the Socialist Workers Party, because of the political content of the articles (see article in this issue);

 A series of documented incidents of harassment by police and threats by individuals aimed at supporters of the Socialist Workers Party campaigning door to door across the country; and

 Declarations about individuals who expressed support for the party but declined to sign a petition or subscribe to the Militant for fear of reprisal from the government and/or their employers.

The bosses and their government agencies increasingly fear the working class, Studer said. Not because there are large labor battles or social movements yet, but because more and more workers recognize the rulers have no solution to the crisis of their capitalist system except to deepen their attacks on us. That has sparked a far-reaching discussion among workers and the Socialist Workers Party is getting an unprecedented response.

Its also why the rulers keep driving against political rights and civil liberties, often in the name of fighting terrorism, he added. The fight to maintain the SWPs disclosure exemption defends rights working people need. Militant readers can support this effort by documenting any cases of threats or harassment by cops, government agencies, bosses or rightist thugs.





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Militant appeals censorship: Rights do not end where prison walls begin







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(feature article)

Clinton presidency: Incarceration, deportations soar

From the pages of The Clintons Anti-Working-Class Record

During the eight years of the Clinton presidency, between 1993 and 2001, the number of people locked behind bars in US prisons jumped by nearly 60 percent. While the United States has 5 percent of the worlds population, today it has 25 percent of the worlds prisoners.

As throughout history, the overwhelming majority of those incarcerated are workers, with the law coming down disproportionately on those who are Black, Latino, or Native American. Today fully one of every three young males who are Black is either in prison, on parole, or on probation. Lockdowns and solitary confinement, with their dehumanizing effects  designed to make you feel helpless and worthless  are increasingly the norm. 

Its also necessary for class-conscious workers to recognize, explain, and raise our voices against the outrage that nowhere is the denial of the franchise to working people more far-reaching than in US prisons. Forty-eight out of the fifty states, as well as the federal government, bar prisoners sentenced on felony charges from voting while incarcerated (and many while on parole or probation). Twelve states disenfranchise certain people even after theyre no longer behind bars or on parole or probation, in several cases permanently.1

No human being is illegal

In 1996 Clinton signed into law the condescendingly named Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, adopted by a Republican Congress. That law expands the powers of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)to round up and deport those charged with being illegal immigrants without the right to judicial review or appeal. Simultaneously the White House and Congress funded the expansion of the hatedinto the largest federal cop agency, one that has stepped up factory raids and deportations to record numbers in recent years.

Far from aiming to stem the flow of labor from the Americas and elsewhere into the United States, the rulers need immigrant workers as a superexploitable labor pool and intend for their repressive measures to heighten insecurity and fear among them. Maintaining this second-class status for immigrants is one of the ways the employers promote competition and conflict among workers in order to press down wages and conditions of the entire working class and further divide and weaken the unions and efforts to organize the unorganized.

Under the Star Chamber provisions of the 1996 Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (once again, the name itself stands in condemnation of its ruling-class authors), the US government has stepped up its preventive detention of individuals on the basis of secret evidence. Most are immigrants from Arab or other majority Muslim countries accused of links with terrorist organizations  the code word the US rulers increasingly use to rationalize both assaults on democratic rights at home and military strikes abroad (actually mass murder from the air).

The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act also greatly weakens centuries-old habeas corpus protections, making it much easier for federal judges all the way up to the Supreme Court to deny the release or refuse to commute the death sentences of prisoners presenting evidence they were erroneously incarcerated or wrongly condemned to death. Among other things, the law denies the right of death-row prisoners to submit more than one habeas corpus petition for federal court review of their cases  one strike and youre out.

As a result of this legislation, together with the Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, the number of immigrants held in US immigration jails any given day awaiting the outcome of threatened deportations has jumped to some 20,000 people at the opening of the new century  a 245 percent increase just since 1996.

1. This would be inexcusable even if only a handful of workers and others were denied voting rights in this way. But thats not the case. In 2016 nearly 6 million people  some 2.5 percent of the adult US population  have temporarily or forever lost the right to cast a ballot due to a felony conviction. In Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia, more than 7 percent of the adult population was barred from voting on this basis in 2010. Nationwide nearly 8 percent of African American men are disenfranchised, with between 20 percent and 23 percent in Florida, Kentucky, and Virginia! 

2. In March 2003, as part of a post-9/11 reorganization of federal police and spying agencies, the state functions carried out by the INS were transferred from the Department of Justice to the newly formed Department of Homeland Security and divided among three bodies: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); US Customs and Border Protection (CBP); and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
(Socialist Workers Party statement)

Build the SWP, the party workers need

The 2016 election campaign was a victory for the Socialist Workers Party. Thousands of workers across the country today know more about the party and its program. Party members and supporters gained an unprecedented hearing going door to door in cities and small towns, from coal miners in West Virginia to farmworkers in California, discussing a working-class perspective in face of the historic crisis of the capitalist system were living through. And we continue to do so today, tomorrow and thereafter.

Donald Trump and the other Republicans and Democrats elected yesterday become the managing committee entrusted by the propertied ruling families to run U.S. capitalisms political affairs. Today that means attacks on workers wages, working conditions and political rights, and using Washingtons military to defend U.S. imperialist interests, at the expense of workers lives here and around the world.

The SWP explains above all why the capitalist rulers  including all the politicians who serve them in the Democratic and Republican parties alike  increasingly fear working people. They have no way out of the crisis of their system except to deepen their attacks on us. They fear that their offensive against our class will lead us to the political road, and the sense of self-worth gained through struggle and human solidarity, to take power out of their hands.

The Socialist Workers Party discusses why the working class needs to unite in defense of its own interests, and not fall into the trap of looking to the bosses and their parties. What a contrast to the bourgeois candidates! Hillary Clinton contemptuously called workers who refuse to vote for her deplorables. Donald Trump demagogically tries to turn us against each other, targeting Mexicans, Muslims and women.

We point to what our class is capable of, including the example set by workers and farmers in Cuba. Theyve shown in practice that we can overcome the divisions the rulers sow among us, that we can make a socialist revolution and establish a government that acts in our interests, extending solidarity to fellow workers around the world. Thats why Washington never stops searching for a way to overturn the Cuban Revolution, and why the SWP has never stopped defending it and demanding an end to the U.S. embargo.
Protesters starting at Bascom Hall moved toward the UW-Madison homecoming parade route Friday, halting the parade momentarily and disrupting traffic in the area, university police said.

The protesters gathered to denounce the university's handling of a man at Camp Randall Stadium who wore an Obama mask and a noose around his neck, university police spokesman Marc Lovicott said.

"In general, the sentiment of the protesters was like that of what we've seen across the country with race issues," Lovicott said.

The parade started around 5 p.m., and attendants were disappointed when the university marching band did not appear for the parade. Lovicott said the bus carrying the marching band was stuck in traffic.

Lovicott said the slow traffic keeping the bus may have been caused by the protesters who blocked streets.

Madison police officers were called in to manage traffic Downtown.

Lovicott said the protesters dispersed around 6:30 p.m.
(Eric Gay/AP)

Marriage rights

(Bill Tiernan/AP)

I am a woman and I am part of the #LGBT+ Community. I am terrified of the next four years. What will happen? #ElectionNight #LGBTfamily  Julie Marie Ward (@HeartOfNashvlle) November 9, 2016



To every #LGBTQ person across the nation feeling stunned, disheartened & questioning if they have a place in our country today, we say this: pic.twitter.com/eKXdJuBj5D  HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) November 9, 2016



Discrimination laws

(J Pat Carter/AP)

As part of the lgbt community I am scared. But we all meed to stay strong.#LGBT #NotMyPresident  Averee (@TheeRoyalPain) November 10, 2016



Transgender rights

(Chuck Burton/AP)

2016 has been a terrible year for the LGBT community. HB2 then Pulse and now a Trump presidency. What a terrifying and hateful world.  Delaney (@MaybeImDelaney) November 9, 2016



Trumps team

Ken Blackwell (Mary Altaffer/AP)

I'm just as worried about Pence. The guy's practically a Christian fundamentalist. #LGBT for #Trump is a joke!  Tom Milnes (@TomOliverMilnes) November 9, 2016



For the LGBT community, the election of a man who not only doesnt mention LGBT rights as any part of his policies, but has actually spoken out against them, is disturbing. So what will a Trump regime mean for the LGBT community?Well, at best his views appear to be confused. At worst, they could pose real danger to legislative progress made during the Obama administration. After the mass shooting at the Orlando nightclub, Trump told the crowds at a rally in Atlanta: We want to live in a country where gay and lesbian Americans and all Americans are safe from radical Islam, which, by the way, wants to murder and has murdered gays and they enslave women. Then he attended a gathering of evangelical pastors called Rediscovering God in America, Renewal Project, in Orlando. Many of the pastors in attendance are known for expressing their anti-LGBT views. Trump was criticised heavily for the timing  just two months after the 49 people were murdered.In June 2015, under Barack Obamas presidency, the US Supreme Court ruled that the 14 states that banned same-sex marriage  including Michigan, Texas and Ohio  would no longer be able to do so. But Trump has said he would replace Supreme Court judges with others who better represent his views. The president-elect has never made his feelings on same-sex marriage a secret. In 2011 he was asked whether he favoured gay marriage duringwith Bill OReilly, and he said: Im against it. He added: I just dont feel good about it. I dont feel right about it. Im against it and I take a lot of heat because I come from New York. You know, for New York its like, how can you be against gay marriage? But Im opposed to gay marriage.Then he didon Fox News in January this year in which he was asked about the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. Trump said: If Im elected, I would be very strong on putting certain judges on the bench that I think maybe could change things. He was asked: Are you saying that if you became president, you might try to appoint justices to overrule the decision on same-sex marriage? Trump replied: I would strongly consider that, yes.Human Rights Campaigns Legal Director Sarah Warbelow said its not impossible that marriage equality will be overturned but its not likely, during aheld after the result. She said: Congress and President-elect Trump do not have the power to unilaterally undo marriage equality. What they do have the power to do is to appoint justices to the Supreme Court. But at least in the short run, all five justices who voted to bring marriage equality are still on the bench and that is not going to change in the near future. No one who is currently married should experience any problems about having the marriage recognised by the federal government or the state government.A (now deleted) section of Trumpsdeclared: If I am elected president and Congress passes the First Amendment Defence Act, I will sign it to protect the deeply held religious beliefs of Catholics and the beliefs of Americans of all faiths. The act uses religious freedom to effectively legalise anti-LGBT discrimination across all states, allowing employers, businesses, landlords and healthcare providers to discriminate on the basis of their own religion. So a hotel manger could refuse a same-sex couple a room together for example.In the US LGBT people arent protected from discrimination under federal law, only some state laws. Currently 18 states dont have any state laws which protect employment rights for LGBT people, while a further 10 only protect people in public employment. Warbelow explained protections under state laws wont change in the short run and the courts will continue to accept discrimination complaints. But she said: We do have concerns that the new administration will very likely not enforce these as vigorously as the Obama administration has.One of the major things Obama did through the Department of Justice and Education was to issue guidance protecting transgender people, particularly students. But HRCs government affairs director David Stacy said: That guidance I think is at very grave risk. Its been opposed by Republicans in Congress, its been challenged in court. And I think theres a significant likelihood that the Department of Justice will withdraw that guidance. However that doesnt mean the underlying law is any different. School districts for example have a moral and legal responsibility to ensure every student has a safe learning environment and that transgender students are treated in accordance with their gender identity.One particular area of contention is North Carolina, where the votes for governor are still being counted  the state that has whats known as the anti-trans H.B.2 bathroom bill. The race is between Republican Pat McCrory (who passed and signed the H.B.2 bill) and Democrat Roy Cooper. The law repealed all local ordinances protecting LGBT people from discrimination, and required all transgender people to use the bathroom that coordinates with the gender on their birth certificate, not the gender they identify as. Unfortunately though, Trump appeared to support the North Carolina law inwith The News & Observer in July. He was asked whether the H.B.2 was a law he supported or whether the state should have made some changes to it. Trump replied: Im going with the state. They know whats going on, they see whats happening, and generally speaking Im with the state on things like this. Ive spoken to your governor (McCrory), Ive spoken to a lot of different people, and Im going with the state.Another, quite big, concern is the rest of the people in Trumps administration. The vice president-to-be Mike Pence has proven himself to have very strong anti-LGBT rights views. He wrote on his 2000that money should be moved away from supporting HIV treatment towards institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behaviour.Meanwhile Trump has just appointed Ken Blackwell as head of his domestic policy transition team. Blackwell was the secretary of state for Ohio  he also runs the Family Research Council, an organisation which directs people on its website to advice on struggling with unwanted same-sex attractions and how to fight homosexual activism in schools. Trumps campaign manager Steve Bannon is also expected to take an important place in the new presidents top team. Before taking on the position on the Trump campaign he was the editor of right-wing website Breitbart. It has often been accused of publishing articles with anti-LGBT slurs. Equality Floridas CEO Nadine Smith had a positive message though: There remain millions more voters who did not support Trump. And millions more still who did not vote at all. As community organisers we have nourished civil rights movements on fewer crumbs than that.
Situated in eastern Copenhagen is what many consider Denmark's answer to Amsterdam  the self-proclaimed autonomous commune of Christiania.

history Renowned for its hippie lifestyle and acceptance of 'soft drugs', the neighbourhood is something of modern folklore. Make sure to check out the neighbourhood'sand the current situation before I tell you a bit more about Christiania's future!

But things are changing in the free state. It is common for the police, who are reluctant to enter Christiania, to wait at the entrance to the commune at day's end and perform routine searches and arrests on suspected cannabis dealers leaving the district. In August, during one such interaction, a man known to the police in relation to marijuana dealings pulled out a gun and shot two police officers and once civilian. The man was later shot and killed by the police.

In the wake of this incident the Christiania residents decided that the stalls which made up Pusher Street, the area where most cannabis trade in Copenhagen is concentrated, should be removed with immediate effect. Although there are still weed dealers operating in the area the intention is, for now, to drive those selling drugs out of the area completely. In a press statement on 1st September a spokesman for the community made a plea for those who support Christiania to stop buying cannabis there.

The residents of Christiania have always adopted a liberal attitude to marijuana, so whats changed now? The answer is that this attitude has changed, but rather tolerance for the criminal activity it entails has run out.

In the beginning the commune's cannabis market was run by the residents themselves, but was over time taken over by criminal gangs, whose presence has led to increased violence and unrest in the community.

This is not the first time the so-called Green Light District has been shut down. On several occasions, most recently in 2004, police raids led to the dismantling of the Pusher Street stalls. This is however the first time the removal has been led by the community's residents.

Dudva , check it out here





So what now? For now, at least, it seems that Pusher Street is gone for good. That doesn't necessarily mean the end of Christianias cannabis market though. Stalls selling all sorts of marijuana-related merchandise still adorn the streets, and its still relatively easy to source drug dealers, although they no longer cover their faces with masks. It's unclear whether those residents pushing to end the practice in the neighbourhood altogether will be successful, or even whether the disappearance of the stalls is going to be permanent, although this is seemingly the longest period of absence they have ever known.

These recent events in Christiania have led to a resurgence in debate regarding the legalisation of cannabis, with many arguing that the move would take the money generated by the half a million visitors who flock there every year out of criminal hands. There is currently not nearly enough support in the Danish parliament for this idea, but increasing pressure from the public in general and Christiania residents in particular may lead to a re-examination of the issue in the search for a solution to the communes problems.
here

The show has now run for an incredible 15 series, with the 16th series beginning this Sunday, with another bunch of athletes, soap stars and British reality stars coming face to face with their deepest darkest fears - much to our amusement.So, grab a cup of cockroaches and join us on a trip down memory lane as we revisit some of the show's most memorable moments and faces over the last 15 years.The kind that you couldn't possibly believe but you REALLY wanted to."Bam. Step. Bam. Step""Michael's my name and I'm real cool, stuck in the jungle feeling like a fool.""I don't understand the ticks""You're a chippy oik with the brains of a pea and the mouth of diarrhoea."And the bugs hadn't even been released yet.That fall though.How many decibels??And the rats actually scatter in fear. "You're no good in the bloody water, are you?" It doesn't get any more tense than this.Post-Andre of course.We all know that I'm A Celeb would be nothing without them.You're welcome.
For almost a year, Department of Natural Resources staff have combed Lake Kegonsa using boats, all-terrain vehicles and even airplanes. Over water and ice, theyve chased radio signals emitted from a group of 20 carp that were caught and tagged last fall in an attempt to track migratory patterns of the sediment-churning species.

Now, Friends of Lake Kegonsa, a group of homeowners, businesses and lake users, plan to use the data to assist an expensive carp eradication project that they hope will remove a million pounds of the fish.

Introduced to American waters during the mid-1800s, bottom-feeding carp quickly became a domineering species in lakes, churning up sediment, uprooting plants and reproducing in mass numbers.

By 1934, carp became such a nuisance in the Yahara lakes that the state established Fish Camp Launch on Kegonsas northern shore to harvest carp for use as gefilte fish, animal feed and fertilizer. The state closed the facility that is now Fish Camp County Park in 1969 because of increased operating costs and a declining market for the fish.

Over the years, carp removal projects, such as a 1989 effort in Delavan Lake, used rotenone, a naturally occurring chemical, to kill all the lakes fish before restocking it with only desirable species.

In 2005, scientists dammed off part of Lake Wingra and removed carp from the area and found that water quality within the carp-free area quickly improved. Carp tend to cluster in groups, so the experiment led to the tracking and removal of some 7,000 carp from the lake between 2007 and 2009.

Since then, the Judas fish tracking technique has been used on other small bodies of water, but the Friends of Lake Kegonsa hope to replicate the transformation Lake Wingra has seen on a much larger scale.

The problem is that Lake Wingra is like 320 acres and Kegonsa is 3,200 acres, said Peter Foy, president of the organization. It was very easy to work on Lake Wingra, Cherokee Marsh  but the question is: Would it work here?

Richard Lathrop, a retired DNR scientist who works closely with UW-Madisons Center for Limnology, believes that it will.

(Lake) Waubesa would benefit from a carp removal, but its so connected by the river system to Upper Mud Lake and (Lake) Monona. You could remove them but theyd be going back and forth, where Kegonsa is a little more isolated, Lathrop said. We think a lot of carp spawn in Lower Mud (Lake), but they dont hang out in the river (leading to Kegonsa) because its got a gradient sand bottom, so theres really no habitat.

That scientific optimism prompted Friends of Lake Kegonsa and Dane County officials to pay the DNR $15,500 for the bi-weekly tracking, but Foy said its likely his group will have to dedicate its annual dues to subsidize the removal for each of the next five years.

The DNR has no formal population estimates for carp in Kegonsa, but Foy said rough estimates based on the average size of the 20 carp caught for tracking indicate there could be some 1.9 million pounds of the fish in the lake.

How many pounds must be removed before water quality begins to improve and native fish species begin controlling carp reproduction is undetermined, according to DNR fisheries supervisor David Rowe. For now, Foy has set a goal to remove 200,000 pounds of fish in each of the next five winters and the DNR will continue tracking.

Were talking 1 million pounds of fish. Thats a lot of fish, Foy said.

The best time to remove the carp is late winter when they gather at the deepest part of the lake, so the plan is for commercial fishermen to do most, if not all, of their work through the ice in February or March, Foy said.

One key problem: The state doesnt pay for carp removal, and market forces tend to make commercial carp fishing worthwhile only during the lead-up to Jewish holidays. Since the commercial fishermen want 25 cents a pound for carp, Friends of Lake Kegonsa will have to pay the difference, which could reach 10 cents a pound, Foy said.

So the cost of the project could reach upward of $30,000, according to Foy. Fortunately, were sitting in fair shape to complete this and do it right, he said.

Whenever the market turns, Kegonsa is ready to be seined for carp.

Typically, the state restricts commercial fishing to the Great Lakes and Mississippi River, however, the DNR has allowed contract fishing for carp removal projects on some inland bodies of water, such as Lake Koshkonong and Beaver Dam Lake.

The agency recently added Kegonsa to that list, entering into a contract with Larocque Fishing of Prairie du Chien.

We have the option to renew that contract up to four times, Rowe said. If the fisherman doesnt show us that theyre fishing as hard, we can either change the contract when we renew it and put minimum standards on, or relist the contract (for bid).

[Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect a correction. In the original version, the last name of Peter Foy was misspelled.]
I have learned the hard way not to put my personal life on the Internet. But suffice it to say that, God willing, things should be pretty much back to norm...

2 weeks ago
Phuket business consortium vows Singapore-style bus network within five years

PHUKET: A consortium of 25 investors, driven by key people from prominent Phuket business families, are spending B100 million to design a public transportation system for Phuket. The group have already contracted a feasibility study into the mass-transit system, which will include a bus network, and say they hope to see it under development as early as next year.

transporttourismconstructioneconomics

By Supatra Sutham

Saturday 12 November 2016, 11:00AM

The PKCD group has already commissioned a feasibility study funded with their own B100 million and expect to have the bus network operating within five years.

The PKCD group has already commissioned a feasibility study funded with their own B100 million and expect to have the bus network operating within five years.

The PKCD group has already commissioned a feasibility study funded with their own B100 million and expect to have the bus network operating within five years.

Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan was the guest of honour for the announcement at the Pearl Hotel on Wednesday night (Nov 8), which also revealed that the consortium will be collaborating with the government as a public-private infrastructure development alliance.

The investors, under the banner of the Phuket City Development Co Ltd (PKCD) corporation, will draw up a 20-year development plan to improve Phukets transport infrastructure, which for decades primarily has been under the control of private tuk-tuk, taxi and limousine cartels.

Top priority has been given to delivering a mass-transit bus network to operate in concert with the light-rail project that is still awaiting approval by the Cabinet.

Phuket has been waiting more than 10 years for the planned light-rail system which  when, or if  it arrives will provide public transport from Tha Noon in Phang Nga to the north of Phuket, past Phuket International Airport, through Phuket Town and terminate at Chalong Circle in the south of the island.

Developing the bus network has been given top priority and is expected to cost B400 million, said PKCD co-founder Kan Prachumpan who is also the chief executive of The Beach Group of companies which has developed more than a billion baht of properties in its 18 years of operations in Phuket.

We are working on a 20-year master plan with smart urban planning, he told The Phuket News. Our concept is Innovation, Green Infrastructure and Green Mobility for Sustainable Phuket. We want to develop our public transit to be comparable with Singapore.

Our projects will focus on development related to the growth of tourism, especially transportation. We are still in our first stage, and the B100mn investment (used to form PKCD) is being used to hire a project consultant and will be used to design public mass transit for five main lines (routes) and other areas, Mr Kan said.

For our next phase, we will invest in low-floor transit buses, transit repair depots, digital advertising, traffic direction and so on. For this stage we will need at least B400mn, he added.

The smart buses are to be low-emission, air-conditioned, offer free WiFi and be able to be tracked by GPS.

I promise within five years, well see these buses running Mr Kan said.

The Prince of Songkla University and Mahidol University are conducting a survey for us to figure out why people have stopped using public buses, explained fellow PKCD co-founder Montavee Hongsyok of Phukets Anuphas Group.

The new bus network will not displace the 36 pink Po Thong buses provided by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO), he added.

We will still use Po Thong on some routes as they have become an icon of Phuket, he said

After developing a local bus network along Phukets main commuter routes, PKCD will submit a tender for building Phukets light-rail system, but only from the Heroines Monument to Chalong Circle, via Phuket Town, Mr Kan said.

This project will need at least B20 billion. Mr Kan explained, adding that to fund the mega-project, PKCD will be floated on the Stock Exchange of Thailand to draw investment from the public.

Present for the launch on Wednesday was also PKCD co-founder Suradech Taweesaengsakulthai, who is also the CEO of Khon Kaen City Development Co Ltd, which initiated the same form of public-private development corporation in that northeastern city.

My province did not have enough money to improve our infrastructure, so we businessmen have to do it, he explained.

I am glad that I am part of the development of Phuket, and now Phuket and Khon Kaen are moving forward together to increase market capital, he added.

Gov Chockdee voiced his support. PKCD is good for Phuket, he said.

The company belongs to Phuketians and no one should know more about this island than local people and what needs to be done to their city. We are truly support this enterprise, he added.
Phuket motorist fined for assault on petrol pump attendant

PHUKET: A Phuket motorist has been charged with with assault and fined B500 following a video of him attacking a petrol pump attendant going viral despite the attendant not wanting to press charges against his attacker. Police say they fined the man to set an example to the general public.

crimepolicetransportviolence

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Saturday 12 November 2016, 09:43AM

The attack took place after the driver of the vehicle was refused gasoline because he did not turn off the vehicle's engine. Photo: screengrab

The attack, which according to CCTV footage took place at 6:27pm on Thursday (Nov 10), occurred after pump attendant, Usaman Satapoh 32, refused to serve motorist, Pariwat Ponsamak, 30, because he did not switch off his engine as asked.

The incident went viral in Phuket social media circles late on Thursday night when CCTV footage surfaced showing an angry motorist pulling up at a Shell petrol station in Mai Khao in his black Honda sedan while the pump attendant was serving another driver.

The motorist exited his car, bearing Phuket licence plates KorThor 5577, and kicked the pump attendant in the back, which forced the attendants face into the side of the car he was attending to, injuring his chin. (See story here.)

Both men went to Tha Chatchai Police Station following the incident and Pariwat apologised to Mr Usaman. Police were told by Mr Usaman that he did not want to press charges so both men were released.

However, yesterday (Nov 11), Tha Chatchat Police Chief Col Prawit Suthiriangaroon ordered Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Watcharin Jirathikanwiwat to bring both parties back to station after comments were made on social media demanding justice for Mr Usaman.

Once called back Pariwat was charged with assault and fined B500.

Col Prawit said that he pressed the charges against Pariwat to set an example for the general public to think hard before they take matters into their own hands.
By Emma Friedlander

friedlan@grinnell.edu

Grinnellians flocked to various locations throughout campus Tuesday night to view the results of the 2016 general election. Anticipation of a sweeping Hillary Clinton victory turned to surprise, shock and fear for some as they were hit with the realization that political outsider Donald Trump would win the United States presidency.

Anna Schierenbeck 18, co-chair of Grinnell Campus Democrats was working in Lyles pub at a campus watch party as the news came in. After pouring hours into political field organization throughout the campaign cycle, Schierenbeck was shocked at Trumps unexpected win.

I wish I had given more thought to the idea that there could be a Donald Trump presidency, Schierenbeck said. I was so surprised, and Im mad at myself for not thinking that this could be real. I dont know if I ever took this seriously enough.

Despite the sweeping Republican victory at all levels of government, including in Poweshiek County, Campus Democrats saw unprecedented success this year in getting college students out to vote. Grinnellians contributed 616 early votes, which, in combination with votes cast on Nov. 8, surpasses the 683 votes cast in 2012 and 591 votes cast in 2008.

As a campus organization we really, really did everything we could. We have record breaking early vote numbers this year and got a residential agreement we got to happen with the College, Schierenbeck said. We worked hard and we did everything we could, but as a national consciousness, we could have taken this a lot more seriously.

Almost immediately following the announcement of Trumps victory, students Alice Herman 18, Michelle Risacher 17 and Simone Downs 17 began to organize a campus-wide conversation about the result. At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, students, faculty, staff and other community members convened in the JRC courtyard to share their thoughts and concerns.

The first thing that came to my mind as the results were coming through was that I wanted to be around people who were processing it as well, Herman said. We thought it would be a time when people were emotionally compelled to skip class or take time out of their schedule to gather and do something.

Throughout the afternoon, individuals spoke about processing the result, what this means for the nation and how to move forward from here.

This is the first time that I can say categorically that student initiative brought tears to my eyes, said Professor Katya Gibel Mevorach, Anthropology, about the student organized discussion. It was amazing to be that fast.

The 1 p.m. discussion was followed by another community discussion at 4 p.m. in the Harris Center, organized by College administration. The event was preempted by a campus memo that President Raynard Kington sent out earlier that day, expressing the Colleges support for students during this trying time.

Every institution has the obligation to respond any time something is this penetrating and pervasive in creating concerns, Kington said. The Trump campaign violated so many principles of a liberal arts institution. Usual rules about presidents and institutions not engaging in a political contest needed to be thrown out the window. Finally what I acknowledged was, in order to achieve the goal of helping a lot of students deal with a really complicated and painful issue  that was worth the smaller chance that a smaller number of students might be by hurt our response.

Later on Wednesday night, the Student Government Association (SGA) released the Resolution to Reaffirm Support for Impacted Students, Staff and Faculty on Grinnells Campus via email and Facebook. The resolution was written by Toby Baratta 17, SGA Diversity Officer, in collaboration with Cassidy Hilburn 19, alumni and other students A direct response to the Republican election victory, the resolution aimed to articulate the need for continuing support on campus for those who feel concerned or endangered by the changing political climate.

It says something when the entire Campus Council, which is supposed to be representative of all students, [agrees on] something, Baratta said.

While SGA recognizes that not all students feel the same way about the election, the resolution does solidify their rejection of hateful attitudes associated with Trumps victory.

Everyone on this campus has the right to vote in their own way. Many students may have voted for Trump for reasons other than racism or xenophobia, Baratta said. We are condemning the behaviors and actions that are specifically bringing harm to people on this campus rather than individuals behaviors.

Although shock from the election is fresh for many, others are already beginning to assess how this unexpected political result occurred and what democrats and progressives need to do going forward. Many who spoke at Wednesdays events pointed to the polarization present in our own community, epitomized by the divide between those at the College and those in the town.

For people in this town, they point at this campus and the people that work here and go to school here as examples of elite liberalism, said Professor Patrick Inglis, sociology. We talk about this bubble on and on but its true. Had Clinton won, it would have been a party atmosphere yesterday. But for the people who walk into Rabbitts [Tavern] at 7 a.m. after getting off the night shift and drink whiskey for a few hours, nothing would have changed for them had Clinton won. Or the janitorial staff that shows up at 5 or 6 a.m. and leaves by 11 and goes off to some other job, that we dont talk to,  the dishwashers or people who work in the Dining Hall from the town make less than student workers. That wouldnt have changed.

President Kington and Angela Voos, Chief of Staff, also recognize the need to breach the town-and-gown divide during these polarizing times. They encourage efforts on an individual basis.

Im thinking about joining a local fraternal organization that I would never otherwise think of joining. Because at the core, thats who voted. Part of the problem and the shock comes from the fact that many of us had no interaction with anyone who would admit that they were going to vote for Trump, Kington said. They could have the chance to see me differently and I might have the chance to see them differently.

Students and academics are also grappling with how and why this outcome happened. Because data forecasts and media coverage so heavily favored a Clinton victory, many are second-guessing or reconsidering the approach towards and usefulness of data in political campaigns. These steps forward also require reassessing the existing political structure in the United States and how democrats should change or regroup.

Im not one who discounts polling data, but at its best  what you have is a behavioral indication, what someone says about what theyre thinking or what theyre doing. Its really hard to get a measurement that reliably, accurately or validly reflects that, said Professor Barbara Trish, Political Science. I really dont think the forecasts of a Clinton presidency were any signs of bias in the media  its just a prediction that things will turn out the way they usually do.

Despite many concerns about the consequences of a Trump presidency, especially in conjunction with a Republican House and Senate and a likely right-leaning Supreme Court, Trish looks to historical precedent to think realistically about the implications of Trumps term in office.

I hesitate to put myself in Donald Trumps mind, but I suspect that he, like every president, will experience how difficult it is to get anything done, Trish said. Even though you have unified republican control, not only do you have institutional tensions, but also those individual members of congress who are tied to their own constituencies.  Governing is completely different than the campaign or election season, for all presidents.

In these early days following the election, perhaps the greatest focus for Grinnells campus is processing and planning the next steps to secure and revitalize every persons safety, rights and ability to evoke change.

Personally, I want to see institutionalized structures change, said Anita Dewitt 17, SGA President. This is something Ive been pushing for a while. This event is huge and theres going to be immediate response that is detrimental and violent. But a lot of people who are not privileged, every single day of their lives, its the same struggle. Its just that other people realized it today.
By Keli Vitaioli

vitaioli@grinnell.edu

11 Grinnell students will make a supply trip to Standing Rock, ND beginning yesterday and returning Sunday. They will deliver banners, food, warm clothes and other donations that were collected and made in the week leading up to the trip. Planning began soon after massive support for the protests was expressed on Facebook, wherein people across the United States checked into Standing Rock as a response to rumors that the police had been using check ins to target protestors. Some students, including Annie Casey and Fintan Mason, both 17, felt they had the means to organize.

It started as a conversation in my kitchen  it just generated this organic conversation about what it means to stand in solidarity and what it means to show support, Casey said. We felt like it was a really powerful moment where people were cognizant of the issue for the first time in a really present way and linking themselves to that issue as a powerful statement, and we wanted to ask how we could do more.

Members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe founded the Sacred Stone Protest Camp on April 1, 2015. Since the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval of the pipeline in July of 2015, protestors have faced responses from police in the form of tear gas and arrests and more violent cases of rubber bullets and stand offs with white militant groups.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe heads the protests. The 3.8 billion dollar Dakota Access Pipeline is attempting to run through land that belongs to the Tribe, according to the Fort-Laramie Treaty of 1851 and also native claims. More than 100 other tribes have joined the cause, along with other water protectors from across the country. Construction of the pipeline threatens drinking water, sacred sites and historic lands. The pipeline was previously purposed to run through predominantly white Bismarck, and when the inhabitants balked at the possibility of their water supply being threatened, it was shifted south into Native American land.

The Grinnell group has connections in Standing Rock that they are working to support. Casey has connected with a caravan from her home town that has organized food caravans to the protestors. Mason connected with Dena Eakle, whose farm he worked on this fall break in Wisconsin. Eakle is in the process of winterizing her camp and preparing the camp to persevere through a tough winter.

[Eakle] is the one who pushed me to start thinking about this issue more and to be aware that we are all on native land and how important it is to stand up for people whose voices have been oppressed historically, Mason said. Our plan is to go out there and help her and the people she has brought with her to build a permanent camp to set up the tents, to possibly put together the stoves and whatever help they may need.

As winter draws closer, there is optimism for the readjustment of the permits initially granting the land to the pipelines use, leaving protestors to play a waiting game.

The students were funded by the Colleges Services group for 85 percent of their travel costs and one large meal, which they will prepare Saturday night for the protestors or donate in the form of perishable foods.

This conversation arose in Food House, and what we have to give and what were good at doing is cooking meals for large numbers of people, so the idea sort of grew out of how do we demonstrate support through cooking a meal for people who might need it, Casey said.

Preparations at Grinnell have expanded beyond the initial food preparation mission. Organizers found that support amassed from all areas of the community. Even alumni support has been notable, raising 2,500 dollars in donations.

I think more than anything it has been amazing to see how many people are willing and enthusiastic to share their gifts. There are people in the art department who are sewing banners. With the community there are people designing t-shirts and making pins and gifting us baked goods and really using all the creative and intellectual capacity of this community to make this the best statement of support we can as a community, Casey said.

Mason and Casey see this trip as based in the history of the College.

It is our history as Grinnellians. Our history is rooted in direct action and protest and raising our collective voices when we find things that are unjust in this world, and thats really our motivation as a community to show up and be there when it matters, Casey said.

While the trip is one of support and the students will not be involved in any of the direct protests, there is still uncertainty as to what awaits them.

No matter how much planning weve put into this theres still this dark space come Thursday, Mason said. We just have no idea what to expect, but at the same time it just makes me feel even stronger that I need to be there this trip is really, really important.

There is still a lot of important work that can occur behind the scenes within the Grinnell community.

Make as much noise as possible in any way that you can  not everyone has to show up at the actual protest, Mason said. If you can, thats great, but theres still a lot of work that can be done behind the scenes.
By Megan Tcheng

tchengme@grinnell.edu

Professor Tammy Nyden, philosophy, received the prestigious Isabel Turner Award at a ceremony hosted by the Iowa City Human Rights Commission late last month.

The annual award recognizes the distinguished efforts and concerted volunteer contributions of human rights activists across the state of Iowa. Turner, for whom the award is named, served as a passionate activist for human rights and the environment in Iowa City. Over the course of her career, Turner actively participated in the Iowa City Human Rights Commission and, as a member of the Johnson County Regional Planning Commission, she helped to enact the countys extensive transportation plan.

Nyden, a passionate advocate and local activist, was honored for her dedication to the improvement of Iowa childrens mental health services. As a concerned citizen and the mother of a child with a mental health disorder, Nyden has spent the last two years working to enact reform on local and state level. From the beginning, Nydens efforts have largely been inspired by her personal experiences as a parent and her struggle to access comprehensive mental health resources for her child.

When we were initially trying to find help for [our son], we came across a range of different support groups, but we couldnt find any advocacy organizations that focused specifically on childrens mental health. I just wanted to join a movement  I hadnt planned on starting one, Nyden said.

After recognizing the lack of available resources for children in need of mental health support, Nyden, along with two similarly motivated families, created Parents Creating Change, an Iowa-based advocacy group. Starting as a small Facebook group, Nydens coalition grew from the ground up.

Following the organization and gradual development of their group, Parents Creating Change eventually associated with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). As a larger, nationwide organization, NAMI presented Nyden and her partners not only with direct resources, but also with a larger platform for their organized efforts. Ultimately, the relationship allowed for the formation of the NAMI Iowa Childrens Mental Health Committee, on which Nyden currently serves as an active member.

Within the past year, the Iowa Childrens Mental Health Committee has enlisted the support of a range of related member groups, including professional institutions, local organizations and individual politicians. The committee also released a formal, statewide call for action, which directed attention towards the redesign of childrens mental health services.

Since the documents 2015 release, the call for action has served as an impetus for government-wide conversation. After over two years of work, Nyden and her fellow committee members have helped to raise awareness for childrens mental health and enact growing change.

Reflecting on her plans for the future, Nyden is quick to point out Iowas remaining areas of weakness.

We want a system that is protective and that will help to make all kids as resilient as they can be. Even beyond that, we need to account for children that are at risk  whether it be in terms of their genetics or their personal upbringing, Nyden said. As a society, we can prevent so many of the difficulties of life on disability. First, though, we need to help these kids and give them access to resources.

Nyden is hoping to conduct a MAP this summer on childrens mental health policy with students from a variety of academic disciplines. Students interested in participating in this MAP should contact Nyden at [nyden].
By Michael Cummings

cummings@grinnell.edu

Thousands of political races across the country were decided Tuesday night, ranging from President of the United States to County Sheriff. While most eyes on campus were turned towards Donald Trumps unexpected win, a number of races in Iowa may have lasting effects on the lives of Grinnellians and people all over the state.

In Poweshiek County, rural voters ensured a Republican sweep. Trump won the county 51 percent to Clintons 44 percent, and the county overwhelmingly voted red in the U.S. Senate and House races, sending Senator Chuck Grassley and Congressman Rod Blum back to Washington.

At the local level, State Senator Tim Kapucian won his district, which includes Poweshiek and two other counties, with 60 percent of the vote. Democrat Dennis Mathahs claimed 34 percent of voters, and Libertarian John George claimed a paltry 6 percent. In State House District 76, which includes Poweshiek County and half of neighboring Iowa County, incumbent Republican Dave Maxwell handily defeated Democrat Jacob Tornholm.

There was little competition for county-wide offices, as Democratic County Auditor Diana Dawley won her bid to join the Poweshiek Board of Supervisors, Republican Missy Eilander won her race to replace Dawley as Auditor and Democratic Sheriff Thomas Kriegel won reelection, each without facing an opponent.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley was seeking reelection to the Senate seat which he has held since 1981. His opponent, former Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge, was recruited by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to run against him because many thought that the staple of Iowa politics, Chuck Grassley, might have more vulnerabilities this election.

These predictions turned out to be false, however, as Grassley easily defeated Judge 60 percent to 36 percent. Grassley handily won all of Iowas 99 counties but one  Johnson County, which is home to the far-left leaning Iowa City.

Iowas four Congressional districts were also up for grabs this election, with incumbent Representatives Rod Blum (R, IA-01), Dave Loebsack (D, IA-02), David Young (R, IA-03) and Steve King (R, IA-04) fending off challengers.

In the First District, which includes northeast Iowa as well as Grinnell, Democrats saw an opportunity to defeat Blum, who at one point had been rated the Houses most vulnerable Republican. Unfortunately, former Cedar Rapids Councilwoman and 2014 nominee for Lieutenant Governor Monica Vernon was unable to instigate an upset. Blum won 54 percent of the vote, likely helped along by the immense popularity of Trump in the state.

In the Second District, Iowas lone Democrat in Congress, former political science professor, Dave Loebsack faced off against the Rand Paul-endorsed Dr. Christopher Peters. Unlike the majority of his party, Peters appealed to younger voters, a tactic which gave Loebsack one of his toughest races since he was first elected in 2006. Loebsack prevailed in the end, however, winning 54 percent of voters in his southeast Iowa district.

Iowas Third District, home to Des Moines, was seen by some as another opportunity for a Democratic pick-up. Freshman Rep. Young was not seen as a particularly popular candidate, and his race against Iraq veteran Jim Mowrer was originally rated as a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. However, Mowrer ended up only winning one county as Young swept the southwest Iowa district.

Finally, the Fourth District in northwest Iowa was perhaps the most unsurprising outcome of the four House races. Ultra-popular conservative Steve King easily defeated his opponent, Kim Weaver, 62 percent to 39 percent.

While all five incumbents won reelection in Iowas Senate and House races, much bigger change occurred in state legislative races down ballot. Prior to the election, Democrats had a slim majority of 25 seats to the Republicans 23, with one seat held by an independent and one seat left vacant after the recent death of State Senator Joe Seng (D-Davenport). In the State House prior to Election Day Republicans had a 57-43 lead over Democrats.

In the State House, where all 100 seats were up on ballots across the state, Republicans claimed victory by managing to unseat two Democrats, expanding their lead to 59-41. But the most damage to Democrats came in the State Senate, where Republicans managed to pick up 6 seats, defeating Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal (D-Council Bluffs) as well as Senators Chris Brase (D-Muscatine), Mary Jo Wilhelm (D-Creston), Brian Schoenjahn (D-Arlington), Steve Sodders (D-State Center) and Tom Courtney (D-Burlington).

Republicans now control both houses of the State Legislature as well as the Governors mansion, giving them total control over statewide policy.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday lambasted the Modi government, saying that it was conducting surgical strikes against the people of India.

"After creating all this trouble, the prime minister has left for a foreign country," she said.

Mamata hit the streets and took stock of the situation as thousands of ATM in Kolkata went dry.

"I was travelling in the city and found that the ATMs were closed. What a mess they have created in the name of unearthing black money," she said.

Mamata on Saturday asked CPM and Congress join her.

I am ready to join hands with even the CPM. We should take the fight to Delhi, said she.

The West Bengal chief minister also wrote a poem in which she said that the Modi government would face a triple talaq in the coming election.

On Saturday, she entered into a quarrel with some of the bank staffers in Kolkata for giving only Rs 2000 notes.

What rubbish. What is the use of giving a person Rs 2000. Even Rs 100 has vanished from the market, she said.

She instigated the people not to accept Rs 2000 note.

Just refuse it. You all belong to working class. The real black money holder fled to a foreign country (without naming PM), she told the people standing in queue in front of a bank.

Mamata threatened that she would take up the matter with Delhi on Sunday.

Lets see what I can do. I will not let the matter end like this, she said.

She also rebuked prime ministers statement from Japan.

He destroyed the economy and fled the country without providing protection to the people. Its a financial emergency, she said.

If they wish, they may shoot me, kill me or even can put me behind jail. But I am least bothered, she said.
The Syrian army captured the Dahiyet al-Assad district of western Aleppo on Saturday, reversing all the gains made by rebels two weeks into their counter-attack against government-held areas, a war monitor and rebel official said.

State television said the army swept the suburban area for landmines after regaining full control. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based war monitor, said the army and its allies made several advances on the divided city's western edge this week, hampering the rebel offensive to break the siege on opposition-held districts.

Syrian government forces took Minian village and nearby positions, which were captured by rebels last month, the observatory said. Zakaria Malahifji, head of the political office of the Fastaqim rebel group fighting in Aleppo, confirmed the army's advances. "Of course, when the regime takes control, it has a negative effect, but there is persistence among the factions," he said. "And hopefully there will be change in the coming days."

The city had been divided for years between the government-held west and rebel-held east. Syrian government forces launched a major Russian-backed assault on eastern Aleppo in September after besieging the area, which the United Nations says is home to 275,000 people. On Oct. 28, rebels counter-attacked in a bid to break the siege, targeting western districts of Aleppo in an offensive that included Islamist militants and rebels fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner. But their progress slowed after early advances. Aleppo has become the most intense front in the war pitting president Bashar al-Assad, helped by Iran, Shi'ite militias and Russian air power, against mostly Sunni rebels groups, some backed by Turkey, the United States and Gulf monarchies.

Quoting a Syrian military source, state news agency SANA said the army and its allies were steadily advancing on the western outskirts. This week the army also captured the 1070 apartments district and nearby hills in southwest Aleppo, a focal point of fighting for months and important because of its position alongside a corridor used by the government into the western zone. Russia said its air force had been observing a moratorium on air strikes on rebel-held eastern Aleppo since Oct. 18.

The observatory and emergency workers in eastern Aleppo said heavy air-strikes had killed at least 450 people, and hit hospitals and other civilian facilities prior to that.Rebel shelling of government-held western Aleppo has meanwhile killed 92 people, including 29 children, during the two-week offensive, the observatory reported.
No to notes: British travelers in India heading to the bank may well be at the back of a queue of thousands.

Visitors to India risk seeing their money become worthless after the Indian government suddenly discontinued all 500 and 1,000 notes this week.

Catching the whole country unawares on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modhi made the move to crackdown on tax evasion and corruption.

The notes, equivalent to 6 and 12 and very widely held, were immediately invalidated and unusable - sending banks into chaos as millions flocked to cash in the notes.

ATMs were closed for much of last week and massive queues built up yesterday when some reopened. Most quickly ran out cash.

Many low-income Indians, traders and ordinary savers who rely on the cash economy have been badly hit.

Indian residents and visitors alike have until 30 December to exchange their 500 and 1,000 rupees notes for smaller notes or for the new 2,000 notes, after which date they will become worthless.

Tourists who are currently in India can exchange the discontinued notes for a value of up to 5,000 rupees at airport exchange counters - although some sources report this might only be allowed until Friday.

There is a maximum cap of 4,000 rupees per day in cash, while anything above that amount will be paid into a bank account - if the holder has an Indian one.

Many westerners backpacking around India carry substantial amounts in cash as some regions are rural and remote, with few ATMs. Those heading to towns to find a bank may well be at the back of a queue of thousands.

Meanwhile, those in the UK who are still in possession of 500 and 1,000 rupees notes are unable to exchange them.

People queue outside outside RBI headquarters in New Delhi to exchange old high denomination bank notes in Old Delhi, India

Indian banks with branches in Britain  State Bank of India, ICICI and Punjabi  said they wont accept the discontinued notes.

This means that, unless travellers are heading back to India before the end of the year or have friends or family heading there in the short-term, they are set to see their cash become worthless.

State Bank of India UK does not deal in Indian Rupee Notes from our UK branches and hence, we will not be in a position to handle the Rupee note exchange process (including withdrawal of old notes),' the Bank says in a note.

Rupees are a closed currency  meaning they are not supposed to cross borders.

However, since 2014 both residents and non-residents of India are allowed to take up to 25,000 rupees in and out of the country.
If you think of a typical Wall Street trader, you've probably got an image in your mind of someone wearing a multi-coloured blazer screaming down the phone to buy pork belly stocks, or make a bet on the next orange crop in Florida.

Trading in these commodities has long been the domain of city slickers.

But in recent years, increasing numbers of ordinary savers have been taking bets on everything from gold to more obscure metals such as palladium.

Many commodities have risen sharply this week on the hopes that US president-elect Donald Trump would lead to a resurgence in American manufacturing and a return to the use of fossil fuels.

Trumped: Many commodities have risen this week on the hopes that Donald Trump will spark a resurgence in American manufacturing and a return to the use of fossil fuels

The way ordinary investors can tap in to this market is through an ultra-cheap tracker called an exchange traded fund.

These are becoming so popular they are even leading to a slump in hedge funds, which have had more than 22billion taken out of them in the past three months.

In contrast to expensive and slow-moving hedge funds, exchange traded funds are nimble ways of getting in and out of the market.

They can track a chosen stock market such as the FTSE 100 or asset just as tracker funds do, but their stock market listing means investors can move money in and out of them whenever they want.

Typically you buy ETFs through a fund supermarket such as Hargreaves Lansdown or Bestinvest, where you pay a one-off trading charge just as you would to buy company shares.

The speed of the investment means you can hold these funds for the long term but also use them to take shorter-term strategic positions.

Over the past month about 400million has flowed into Source Physical Gold ETF.

Investors used gold as a short-term insurance policy, a safe place to store their cash while they waited to see how things panned out across the pond.

BlackRock's ETF arm, iShares, reported a 561 per cent increase in trading in gold trackers on election day.

Its iShares S&P500 ETF, which tracks the US stock market, saw trading levels 627 per cent higher than usual.

The Latin America tracker saw 1376 per cent more trading than usual as fearful investors worried about the implication of a Mexican wall and high import tariffs.

The way ordinary investors can tap in to this market is through an ultra-cheap tracker called an exchange traded fund

In this way trackers can empower investors to make their own decisions. It's easy to take a bet on the price of coffee beans, orange juice or the latest avocado crop.

Coal and copper has been popular in the past week because of Trump's promise of policies that would see a return to more fossil fuel use and an infrastructure boom.

EFTs are not for everyone though. Some can be incredibly complicated, with currency hedging (essentially a bet on currency movements) and leveraging which can magnify losses.

Most savers would be better suited to a fund run by a manager.

Ordinary funds are costly, however, and even their managers don't get everything right.

Hedge-fund manager Crispin Odey saw the assets of his flagship fund plunge around 60% in the first nine months of the year

Renowned hedge-fund manager Crispin Odey saw the assets of his flagship fund plunge around 60 per cent in the first nine months of the year as he was wrong-footed by the market.

And investors in that fund will have paid through the nose for a very bumpy ride, as hedge funds often charge around 2 per cent a year as well as hefty performance fees.

It's a lot to pay to get it wrong.

Even a bog-standard investment fund charges around 0.8 per cent a year  and often, in volatile times, the manager will hold extra money in cash, which means he can't generate a return on it.

Meanwhile, the annual fee for investing in an ETF can be as little as 0.06 per cent.

That can mean serious savings over the long term.

If you invested 10,000 in a fund which grew at 5 per cent a year but charged 1 per cent, after a decade you would have 32,014.

But if the charge was just 0.1 per cent, you would have 41,942.

So while many proponents of so-called active funds (those with a manager at the helm) highlight their ability to produce superior returns, those returns have to be good enough to offset their charges.
Javed Ahmed and his wife Talat have bought 30,000 shares in Tate & Lyle at 660p each, spending a total of 198,000.

Shares in the ingredients firm fell heavily on Wednesday as Donald Trump won the US election.

Fears about the company's exposure to Mexico  where Trump plans to build a wall  saw the stock fall more than 12 per cent.
Deliveroo boss William Shu was paid 102,135 in the year to December 2015

Deliveroo's boss nearly doubled his pay last year, despite his workers fighting for better wages.

William Shu, chief executive of the takeaway delivery firm, was paid 102,135 in the year to December 2015, compared to 53,333 he earned in 2014.

Losses widened to 18.1million, up from 1.4million a year before following its expansion into Europe, Hong Kong and the US.

Earlier this week the food couriers at Deliveroo joined forces with the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain to demand more rights.

The drivers said they should be classed as employees and entitled to paid holiday, minimum wage and trade union recognition.
PANIC PREVENTION Regulators are considering changing the rules governing commercial property funds to prevent a repeat of the investor panic that followed the UK's vote to leave the European Union.

Major funds worth around 18billion in total were forced to suspend their activities after running out of ready cash when investors demanded their money, fearing that property prices would collapse.

The Financial Conduct Authority is expected to focus on how the industry and its investors can be better protected during periods of market stress.

SHELL INVESTMENT Royal Dutch Shell will invest 8billion in Brazil over five years now that the country has opened up its oil industry to foreign companies.

Shell is a major player as a Petrobras partner in Brazil's massive Libra oil field, and acquired more assets through its merger with BG Group.

NOTES MAYHEM Indian financial shares dived as customers struggled to get hold of new high-denomination bank notes introduced on Thursday.

It follows the government's decision to withdraw 500 and 1,000 rupee notes and replace them with new 2,000 rupee bills. The move is designed to tackle fraud.

BA STRIKE British Airways cabin crew will vote on strike action in a dispute over pay.

Members of Unite will start voting next week, with the result due in mid December. Unite said crew had rejected a 2 per cent pay offer.

DAM FINE BHP Billiton, Vale and their joint venture Samarco have been ordered by a court to pay 289million damages for the collapse of a dam in Brazil that claimed 19 lives.

The dam disaster in November 2015 caused a deadly mudslide and polluted a river.

COPPER TOP Copper prices are set for their best week in 30 years as expectation grows that US president-elect Donald Trump will unleash a massive infrastructure programme.

Trump has previously pledged to create 'millions' of jobs through public works projects.

OPERATIONS DITCHED Barclays has sold its consumer payments businesses in Spain and Portugal.
Select the Times' Boys and Girls Athletes of the Week for Oct. 24-30
Colonie

Dominion Distribution, a Norfolk, Va., company that set up racks of free magazines and renters guides in supermarkets and pharmacies, is leaving the upstate New York market.

Juana Barrios, a marketing manager for the company, informed clients in a Nov. 7 letter that the company would be ceasing upstate operations by the end of the year.

"Despite enormous efforts to keep Dominion Distribution a viable business in the upstate NY market, we struggle with reaching the level of efficiency required to do so," Barrios wrote. "Unfortunately, we do not anticipate things changing in the foreseeable future."

Dominion Distribution is affiliated with Dominion Enterprises, which runs websites and publications like ForRent.com and Homes.com. They are part of Landmark Media Enterprises, the media company that owns The Virginian-Pilot.

It is unclear how many local jobs will be lost in Dominion Distribution's exit from the Capital Region market.

Dominion Enterprises appears to have offices in White Plains and New York City, although some people may work out of Albany.

A spokesperson for Dominion Enterprises couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Dominion Distribution delivered free copies of 518Life to local Price Chopper and Hannaford supermarkets in the Capital Region.

lrulison@timesunion.com  518-454-5504  @larryrulison
Albany

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was emphatic on Sunday that Donald Trump is "un-New York."

On Tuesday night, he introduced Gold Star father Khizr Khan as the man who "made the point that Donald Trump's hypocrisy was poisonous to the social fabric of this nation."

Cuomo, a staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton and Housing and Urban Development secretary in the Bill Clinton administration, predicted "a good night when it's over."

Come Wednesday, he was having "a good conversation" with President-elect Trump.

Over the course of five days, New York's governor has pragmatically shifted his tone in discussing the Republican business mogul turned politician, though he hasn't necessarily changed his words. In a Wednesday interview after he and other Democrats were dealt a gut punch in the form of a Trump victory speech and again in speaking to reporters on Thursday, Cuomo made plain that a canyon remains between his philosophies on, among other topics, immigration and LGBT rights and Trump's philosophies. But he also clearly stated that a positive relationship between New York and the federal government must and will continue.

"I have grave philosophical differences with the positions that Donald Trump laid out in the campaign, and that is not going to change and that is not going to go away," Cuomo told reporters in Syracuse Thursday. He added, "We won't allow a federal government that attacks immigrants in our state."

But at the same time, "we will also work with the federal government, which is very important for the people of this state," Cuomo said.

Cuomo said in a NY1 interview Wednesday that he called Trump to congratulate him and the two discussed infrastructure, a key area of focus for the governor.

"We were talking about the need for infrastructure, the need to get it done differently so that it's actually on-time, on-budget," Cuomo said. "Mr. Trump is very much a private-sector builder. I've built in the private sector also. So he has a natural orientation towards the needs of this type of urban area."

Cuomo went on to say that a Trump White House would be a bonus for New York and the entire Northeast. He said previous Republican administrations have been insensitive to the urban areas of the region, but Trump's New York roots help him understand the challenges of the region.

The Cuomo-Trump relationship may have become raw during the presidential election cycle, but cordiality between the Cuomo family and Trump goes back for decades. Trump once was a supporter of Cuomo's father, Mario Cuomo, during his time as governor.

The Times Union reported earlier this year that correspondence between the two men shows that Trump was complimentary of the elder Cuomo, a sentiment in part seemingly fueled by the desire of a developer to be looked upon favorably by powerful state officials.

Trump also has been a donor to Andrew Cuomo's election efforts.

But politics brings out heated rhetoric.

As as he put a nail in the coffin of speculation that he actually would run, Trump boldly stated that he would have won in a race for governor against Cuomo in 2014. During the speculation period, he told Briebart that Cuomo was scared of him.

In December 2015, before Trump became the Republican nominee for president, Cuomo said Trump "could be a recruitment poster for ISIL, because he is fanning the flames of hate."

As Cuomo himself has stated over the past two days, that sentiment isn't disappearing. But stating it less vociferously seems to be a cross between the need to govern and the perpetual campaign that keeps political rhetoric alive in today's world.

"In a more ideal world, they'd say, 'OK, we're going to lay down our swords, and we're going to govern for awhile," said Bob Bellafiore, a longtime Capitol observer and former spokesman for Gov. George Pataki. "Politicians all have long memories, and while they are willing to shake hands and work with people who previously attacked them, they never forget and they'll look for an opportunity."

How the two men talk to each other in private over at least the next two years (Cuomo is up for re-election in 2018) is likely to remain between them. But even in the thick of the campaign heat, they apparently were able to put their campaign politics aside in a face-to-face meeting.

The two saw each other at the 9/11 memorial ceremony in September. The topic of conversation, according to Trump, who discussed it in a radio interview: "Just the weather."

mhamilton@timesunion.com  518-454-5449  @Matt_Hamilton10
Portland, Ore.

Spurred by fear and outrage, protesters around the country rallied and marched Friday as they have done daily since Donald Trump's presidential election victory.

The spirited demonstrations on college campuses and along downtown streets were mostly peaceful following previous outbreaks of window-smashing and fire-setting.

Hundreds of people attended a "love rally" in Washington Square Park in Manhattan.

Leslie Holmes, 65, a website developer from Wilton, Conn., took an hour-long train ride to the demonstration  her first protest since the 1970s, when she hit the streets of San Francisco to oppose the Vietnam War.

She described herself as an armchair liberal but declared, "I'm not going to be armchair anymore."

"I don't want to live in a country where my friends aren't included, and my friends are fearful, and my children are going to grow up in a world that's frightening, and my granddaughters can look forward to being excluded from jobs and politics and fulfilling their potential, so I'm here for them," she said.

In Tennessee, Vanderbilt University students sang civil rights songs and marched through campus across a Nashville street, temporarily blocking traffic.

In Chicago, multiple groups planned protests through Saturday.

Previous demonstrations drew thousands in New York, Los Angeles and other urban centers.
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Greenwich

As Hillary Clinton's campaign neared the finish line Tuesday, thousands of people made an Election Day statement about women's rights by visiting the Rochester grave of Susan B. Anthony, the pioneering suffragist.

But in the rural Washington County hamlet of Battenville, where Anthony's childhood home has been owned by the State of New York since 2006, only one person was around.

The forlorn setting was more haunted house than historic site.

"People stop by all the time and get out and walk around the house," neighbor Gerald Coble said Tuesday. "During the summertime there is somebody there every day or two. They see the sign and they suddenly stop and they knock on the door and ask questions."

Anthony lived in the house her father built in 1832 before her family lost everything in the 1839 financial crash. Today, the building's wood trim is rotting, paint is peeling from the bricks, and a few windows are open to the air. Gaping holes are visible in the foundation and wall, and the one-acre yard is overgrown and scattered with discarded items and faded "no trespassing" signs.

In 2006, the state purchased the house for $1 after it went into foreclosure. Since 2007, it has been on the National Register of Historic Places, sitting empty as the state delays restoration work.

"I have been disappointed with the management of this national treasure that is one of the state park properties in that region," Assembly member Steven Englebright said Wednesday.

The Long Island Democrat, who helped the state take control of the property in 2006, said that regional parks director Alane Ball Chinian "has made it pretty clear that she did not welcome having this property added to the inventories of responsibilities for that region. I keep hoping that she will take a more responsible approach, but I haven't seen that yet."

Englebright said the house is vitally important because it was where Anthony's earliest life experiences forged political views that were considered radical at the time. Besides being an ardent advocate of women's rights, she was a Quaker and abolitionist who collected anti-slavery petitions at the age of 17, when she still lived in the house.

Englebright said Anthony experienced seeing all of her mother's intimate personal possessions taken to satisfy her father's debts.

"They took everything, and Susan watched as her parents were devastated," the lawmaker said. "This is something that apparently took place at that house in a driving snow. It's a place where a lot of her values and perceptions for justice and law as it related to women in our society were formed."

Randy Simons, a spokesman for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the property owner, said a request for proposals to contract for the structural work would be "going out soon." Chinian did not respond to a request for comment.

Sen. Betty Little, R-Queensbury, whose district includes the house, said the Legislature passed a bill this year to let a "resident curator" move into historic properties to fix them up and keep on eye on them. "At the present time there aren't any other big plans (for the house) right now," she said.

Tuesday, the only hint in Battenville of the kind of outpouring of pride in Clinton's historic but unsuccessful candidacy was a homemade sign along State Route 29 that said VOTE and a single "I Voted" sticker on the rusty sign identifying the building. There were also hand-printed signs with the Twitter hashtags #imwithher and #election2016.

Tuesday in Rochester, "I Voted" stickers plastered Anthony's tombstone in the Mount Hope Cemetery, where opening hours were extended into the night to accommodate the crush of visitors. The spontaneous outpouring on Election Day drew national coverage and went out internationally on Facebook Live and Twitter. In New York City, visitors went to the cemetery where Anthony's lifelong friend and fellow reformer Elizabeth Cady Stanton  who was born in Johnstown  is buried.

Anthony was arrested for voting in the 1872 presidential election. Her trial in federal court and subsequent conviction led women's rights advocates to switch from seeking redress through the court system to pushing for a constitutional amendment.

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The 19th Amendment was finally ratified in 1920, 14 years after Anthony died at age 86.

Two other homes where she lived are restored historic sites: Anthony's birthplace in Adams, Mass., and her Rochester house.

Battenville is a hamlet of historic homes and buildings in Greenwich about 40 miles northeast of Albany near the Vermont border.

The state had ambitious plans in 2006 when former Gov. George Pataki's administration announced the property transfer.

"For historians, preservationists, and future generations of New Yorkers, we are delighted to be the new steward of the house and help safeguard the rich heritage it represents for one of the most pivotal figures in the women's movement and social reform," said then-Parks Commissioner Bernadette Castro.

Anthony's father's mill across the street on the Battenkill River is now is ruins. Neighbor Gerald Coble has restored the Thomas McLean house he lives in near it as well as the Stoops Hotel tavern directly next to the Anthony House, both also listed on the National Register.

"It was hard to get anybody really interested in it" even before the state took title, said Debi Craig, a local resident who is president of the North Star Historical Project, a group that researches Underground Railroad history and has become involved in efforts to save the building.

She is hopeful the state will move soon on the Susan B. Anthony house given the renewed attention prompted by Clinton's historic if ultimately unsuccessful presidential campaign. "It's a shame the house has been sitting vacant all these years."
Tanner Jackman, 13, from left, Gavin Griffin, 12, and C.J. Bromley, are part of a unique junior reenactors group. They research battles, talk to veterans, hunt down historically-accurate uniforms and gear, and film reenactments. On Veterans Day, the trio visited veterans graves at Woodlawn Cemetery.
[November 12, 2016] Opdivo (nivolumab) and Yervoy (ipilimumab) Regimen Shows Promising Efficacy and Safety in Previously Treated Patients With Advanced Form of Bladder Cancer

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) announced today additional results from the Phase 1/2 open-label CheckMate-032 trial investigating two combination schedules of Opdivo (nivolumab) plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) previously treated with platinum-based therapy. In these preliminary data, the primary endpoint of investigator-assessed confirmed objective response rate (ORR) was 38.5% (95% CI: 20.2 - 59.4) in patients who received Opdivo 1 mg/kg plus Yervoy 3 mg/kg (n=26) compared to 26.0% (95% CI: 17.9 - 35.5) in patients treated with Opdivo 3 mg/kg plus Yervoy 1 mg/kg (n=104). No new safety signals have been identified. The incidence of Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events (AEs) was 30.8% in the Opdivo 1 mg/kg plus Yervoy 3 mg/kg group and 31.7% in the Opdivo 3 mg/kg plus Yervoy 1 mg/kg group. Treatment-related AEs led to discontinuation of therapy in 7.7% of patients in the Opdivo 1 mg/kg plus Yervoy 3 mg/kg group and 13.5% in the Opdivo 3 mg/kg plus Yervoy 1 mg/kg group. These data were presented at the 31st Annual Meeting and Associated Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) in National Harbor, Md., during the Oral Late-breaking Abstract Session II today from 11:30 - 11:45 a.m. EST. "Metastatic urothelial carcinoma is an area of significant unmet medical need, especially for patients in the advanced stages of the disease who have progressed on standard chemotherapy," said Padmanee Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., study investigator and professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "Earlier this year, we presented encouraging results from this trial for Opdivo monotherapy, and now we are seeing the promise of a combination regimen with Opdivo and Yervoy for previously treated patients with this common type of advanced bladder cancer. These findings support the need for further study of combination therapy to assess outcomes and potential survival in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma." Urothelial carcinoma is the most common type of bladder cancer, accounting for approximately 90% of bladder cancer cases. Bladder cancer is the ninth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, with an estimated 430,000 new cases diagnosed per year and more than 165,000 deaths annually. The majority of bladder cancers are diagnosed at an early stage, but rates of recurrence and disease progression are high, and approximately 78% of patients will experience a recurrence within five years. Survival rates vary depending on the stage and type of the cancer and when it is diagnosed. For Stage IV bladder cancer, the five-year survival rate is 15%. "These results from the CheckMate -032 study support further development of the Opdivo plus Yervoy regimen for treatment of metastatic urothelial carcinoma in platinum refractory patients," commented Vicki Goodman, M.D., development lead, Melanoma and Genitourinary Cancers, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "The findings also bolster our belief that combining our Immuno-Oncology agents, Opdivo and Yervoy, can potentially advance cancer care." About CheckMate -032 CheckMate -032 is an ongoing Phase 1/2 open-label trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of Opdivo monotherapy, or Opdivo combined with Yervoy, in advanced or metastatic solid tumors. The trial enrolled patients regardless of PD-L1 expression. The primary endpoint is investigator-assessed confirmed objective response rate (ORR), confirmed by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1. Secondary endpoints include safety, duration of response (DOR), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Data presented at SITC is specific to a cohort of 208 patients with metastatic or locally advanced urothelial cancer (mUC) who have received one or more prior lines of platinum-based therapy. In the arms evaluating combination therapy, patients were treated with either one of two combination schedules - Opdivo 1 mg/kg plus Yervoy 3 mg/kg (n=26) or Opdivo 3 mg/kg plus Yervoy 1 mg/kg (n=104) every three weeks for four cycles, followed by Opdivo 3 mg/kg every two weeks. All patients were treated until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients were followed for a median of 7.8 months in the Opdivo 1 mg/kg plus Yervoy 3 mg/kg group (n = 26) and 16.7 months in the Opdivo 3 mg/kg plus Yervoy 1 mg/kg group (n = 104). For the primary endpoint, the highest ORR was observed in the Opdivo 1 mg/kg plus Yervoy 3 mg/kg group: 38.5% (95% CI: 20.2 - 59.4). The ORR was 26.0% (95% CI: 17.9 - 35.5) in the Opdivo 3 mg/kg plus Yervoy 1 mg/kg group. The incidence of Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events (AEs) was 30.8% in the Opdivo 1 mg/kg plus Yervoy 3 mg/kg group and 31.7% in the Opdivo 3 mg/kg plus Yervoy 1 mg/kg group. Treatment-related AEs led to discontinuation of therapy in 7.7% of patients in the Opdivo 1 mg/kg plus Yervoy 3 mg/kg group and 13.5% in the Opdivo 3 mg/kg plus Yervoy 1 mg/kg group. One death was reported in the Opdivo 3 mg/kg plus Yervoy 1 mg/kg group due to pneumonitis. Bristol-Myers Squibb: At the Forefront of Immuno-Oncology Science & Innovation At Bristol-Myers Squibb, patients are at the center of everything we do. Our vision for the future of cancer care is focused on researching and developing transformational Immuno-Oncology (I-O) medicines that will raise survival expectations in hard-to-treat cancers and will change the way patients live with cancer. We are leading the scientific understanding of I-O through our extensive portfolio of investigational and approved agents, including the first combination of two I-O agents in metastatic melanoma, and our differentiated clinical development program, which is studying broad patient populations across more than 20 types of cancers with 11 clinical-stage molecules designed to target different immune system pathways. Our deep expertise and innovative clinical trial designs uniquely position us to advance the science of combinations across multiple tumors and potentially deliver the next wave of I-O combination regimens with a sense of urgency. We also continue to pioneer research that will help facilitate a deeper understanding of the role of immune biomarkers and inform which patients will benefit most from I-O therapies. We understand making the promise of I-O a reality for the many patients who may benefit from these therapies requires not only innovation on our part but also close collaboration with leading experts in the field. Our partnerships with academia, government, advocacy and biotech companies support our collective goal of providing new treatment options to advance the standards of clinical practice. .About Opdivo Opdivo is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that is designed to uniquely harness the body's own immune system to help restore anti-tumor immune response. By harnessing the body's own immune system to fight cancer, Opdivo has become an important treatment option across multiple cancers. Opdivo's leading global development program is based on Bristol-Myers Squibb's scientific expertise in the field of Immuno-Oncology and includes a broad range of clinical trials across all phases, including Phase 3, in a variety of tumor types. To date, the Opdivo clinical development program has enrolled more than 25,000 patients. The Opdivo trials have contributed to gaining a deeper understanding of the potential role of biomarkers in patient care, particularly regarding how patients may benefit from Opdivo across the continuum of PD-L1 expression. In July 2014, Opdivo was the first PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to receive regulatory approval anywhere in the world. Opdivo is currently approved in more than 57 countries, including the United States, the European Union and Japan. In October 2015, the company's Opdivo and Yervoy combination regimen was the first Immuno-Oncology combination to receive regulatory approval for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and is currently approved in more than 47 countries, including the United States and the European Union. INDICATIONS OPDIVO (nivolumab) as a single agent is indicated for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on progression-free survival. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials OPDIVO (nivolumab) as a single agent is indicated for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 wild-type unresectable or metastatic melanoma. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on progression-free survival. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving OPDIVO. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior anti-angiogenic therapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) that has relapsed or progressed after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and post-transplantation brentuximab vedotin. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with disease progression on or after platinum-based therapy. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION WARNING: IMMUNE-MEDIATED ADVERSE REACTIONS YERVOY can result in severe and fatal immune-mediated adverse reactions. These immune-mediated reactions may involve any organ system; however, the most common severe immune-mediated adverse reactions are enterocolitis, hepatitis, dermatitis (including toxic epidermal ecrolysis), neuropathy, and endocrinopathy. The majority of these immune-mediated reactions initially manifested during treatment; however, a minority occurred weeks to months after discontinuation of YERVOY.



Assess patients for signs and symptoms of enterocolitis, dermatitis, neuropathy, and endocrinopathy and evaluate clinical chemistries including liver function tests (LFTs), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level, and thyroid function tests at baseline and before each dose. Permanently discontinue YERVOY and initiate systemic high-dose corticosteroid therapy for severe immune-mediated reactions.

Immune-Mediated Pneumonitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated pneumonitis. Fatal cases have been reported. Monitor patients for signs with radiographic imaging and for symptoms of pneumonitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or more severe pneumonitis. Permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 and withhold until resolution for Grade 2. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, fatal cases of immune-mediated pneumonitis have occurred. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.1% (61/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 6% (25/407) of patients. In Checkmate 205 and 039, pneumonitis, including interstitial lung disease, occurred in 4.9% (13/263) of patients receiving OPDIVO. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.4% (9/263) of patients receiving OPDIVO: Grade 3 (n=1) and Grade 2 (n=8). Immune-Mediated Colitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated colitis. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of colitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 (of more than 5 days duration), 3, or 4 colitis. Withhold OPDIVO monotherapy for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 or recurrent colitis upon re-initiation of OPDIVO. When administered with YERVOY, withhold OPDIVO and YERVOY for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 or recurrent colitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 2.9% (58/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 26% (107/407) of patients including three fatal cases. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal (diarrhea of =7 stools above baseline, fever, ileus, peritoneal signs; Grade 3-5) immune-mediated enterocolitis occurred in 34 (7%) patients. Across all YERVOY-treated patients in that study (n=511), 5 (1%) developed intestinal perforation, 4 (0.8%) died as a result of complications, and 26 (5%) were hospitalized for severe enterocolitis. Immune-Mediated Hepatitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated hepatitis. Monitor patients for abnormal liver tests prior to and periodically during treatment. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater transaminase elevations. Withhold for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 immune-mediated hepatitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 1.8% (35/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 13% (51/407) of patients. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal hepatotoxicity (AST or ALT elevations >5x the ULN or total bilirubin elevations >3x the ULN; Grade 3-5) occurred in 8 (2%) patients, with fatal hepatic failure in 0.2% and hospitalization in 0.4%. Immune-Mediated Neuropathies In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, 1 case of fatal Guillain-Barre syndrome and 1 case of severe (Grade 3) peripheral motor neuropathy were reported. Immune-Mediated Endocrinopathies OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated hypophysitis, immune-mediated adrenal insufficiency, autoimmune thyroid disorders, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of hypophysitis, signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency, thyroid function prior to and periodically during treatment, and hyperglycemia. Administer hormone replacement as clinically indicated and corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater hypophysitis. Withhold for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 hypophysitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 3 or 4 adrenal insufficiency. Withhold for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 adrenal insufficiency. Administer hormone-replacement therapy for hypothyroidism. Initiate medical management for control of hyperthyroidism. Withhold OPDIVO for Grade 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 hyperglycemia. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypophysitis occurred in 0.6% (12/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, hypophysitis occurred in 9% (36/407) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 1% (20/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 5% (21/407) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis resulting in hypothyroidism occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 2.7% (54/1994) of patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis resulting in hypothyroidism occurred in 22% (89/407) of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 8% (34/407) of patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, diabetes occurred in 0.9% (17/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, diabetes occurred in 1.5% (6/407) of patients. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe to life-threatening immune-mediated endocrinopathies (requiring hospitalization, urgent medical intervention, or interfering with activities of daily living; Grade 3-4) occurred in 9 (1.8%) patients. All 9 patients had hypopituitarism, and some had additional concomitant endocrinopathies such as adrenal insufficiency, hypogonadism, and hypothyroidism. 6 of the 9 patients were hospitalized for severe endocrinopathies. Immune-Mediated Nephritis and Renal Dysfunction OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated nephritis. Monitor patients for elevated serum creatinine prior to and periodically during treatment. Administer corticosteroids for Grades 2-4 increased serum creatinine. Withhold OPDIVO for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 increased serum creatinine. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 1.2% (23/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 2.2% (9/407) of patients. Immune-Mediated Skin Adverse Reactions and Dermatitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated rash, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), some cases with fatal outcome. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 3 or 4 rash. Withhold for Grade 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 rash. For symptoms or signs of SJS or TEN, withhold OPDIVO and refer the patient for specialized care for assessment and treatment; if confirmed, permanently discontinue. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated rash occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated rash occurred in 22.6% (92/407) of patients. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal immune-mediated dermatitis (eg, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, or rash complicated by full thickness dermal ulceration, or necrotic, bullous, or hemorrhagic manifestations; Grade 3-5) occurred in 13 (2.5%) patients. 1 (0.2%) patient died as a result of toxic epidermal necrolysis. 1 additional patient required hospitalization for severe dermatitis. Immune-Mediated Encephalitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated encephalitis. Evaluation of patients with neurologic symptoms may include, but not be limited to, consultation with a neurologist, brain MRI, and lumbar puncture. Withhold OPDIVO in patients with new-onset moderate to severe neurologic signs or symptoms and evaluate to rule out other causes. If other etiologies are ruled out, administer corticosteroids and permanently discontinue OPDIVO for immune-mediated encephalitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, encephalitis occurred in 0.2% (3/1994) of patients. Fatal limbic encephalitis occurred in one patient after 7.2 months of exposure despite discontinuation of OPDIVO and administration of corticosteroids. Encephalitis occurred in one patient receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (0.2%) after 1.7 months of exposure. Other Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions Based on the severity of adverse reaction, permanently discontinue or withhold treatment, administer high-dose corticosteroids, and, if appropriate, initiate hormone-replacement therapy. Across clinical trials of OPDIVO the following clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions occurred in <1.0% of patients receiving OPDIVO: uveitis, iritis, pancreatitis, facial and abducens nerve paresis, demyelination, polymyalgia rheumatica, autoimmune neuropathy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, hypopituitarism, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, gastritis, duodenitis, sarcoidosis, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi lymphadenitis), myositis, myocarditis, rhabdomyolysis, motor dysfunction, vasculitis, and myasthenic syndrome. Infusion Reactions OPDIVO can cause severe infusion reactions, which have been reported in <1.0% of patients in clinical trials. Discontinue OPDIVO in patients with Grade 3 or 4 infusion reactions. Interrupt or slow the rate of infusion in patients with Grade 1 or 2. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, infusion-related reactions occurred in 6.4% (127/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.5% (10/407) of patients. Complications of Allogeneic HSCT after OPDIVO Complications, including fatal events, occurred in patients who received allogeneic HSCT after OPDIVO. Outcomes were evaluated in 17 patients from Checkmate 205 and 039, who underwent allogeneic HSCT after discontinuing OPDIVO (15 with reduced-intensity conditioning, 2 with myeloablative conditioning). Thirty-five percent (6/17) of patients died from complications of allogeneic HSCT after OPDIVO. Five deaths occurred in the setting of severe or refractory GVHD. Grade 3 or higher acute GVHD was reported in 29% (5/17) of patients. Hyperacute GVHD was reported in 20% (n=2) of patients. A steroid-requiring febrile syndrome, without an identified infectious cause, was reported in 35% (n=6) of patients. Two cases of encephalitis were reported: Grade 3 (n=1) lymphocytic encephalitis without an identified infectious cause, and Grade 3 (n=1) suspected viral encephalitis. Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) occurred in one patient, who received reduced-intensity conditioned allogeneic HSCT and died of GVHD and multi-organ failure. Other cases of hepatic VOD after reduced-intensity conditioned allogeneic HSCT have also been reported in patients with lymphoma who received a PD-1 receptor blocking antibody before transplantation. Cases of fatal hyperacute GVHD have also been reported. These complications may occur despite intervening therapy between PD-1 blockade and allogeneic HSCT. Follow patients closely for early evidence of transplant-related complications such as hyperacute GVHD, severe (Grade 3 to 4) acute GVHD, steroid-requiring febrile syndrome, hepatic VOD, and other immune-mediated adverse reactions, and intervene promptly. Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on their mechanisms of action, OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with an OPDIVO- or YERVOY- containing regimen and for at least 5 months after the last dose of OPDIVO. Lactation It is not known whether OPDIVO or YERVOY is present in human milk. Because many drugs, including antibodies, are excreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from an OPDIVO-containing regimen, advise women to discontinue breastfeeding during treatment. Advise women to discontinue nursing during treatment with YERVOY and for 3 months following the final dose. Serious Adverse Reactions In Checkmate 037, serious adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=268). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 42% of patients receiving OPDIVO . The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse drug reactions reported in 2% to <5% of patients receiving OPDIVO were abdominal pain, hyponatremia, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and increased lipase. In Checkmate 066, serious adverse reactions occurred in 36% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=206). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were gamma-glutamyltransferase increase (3.9%) and diarrhea (3.4%). In Checkmate 067, serious adverse reactions (73% and 37%), adverse reactions leading to permanent discontinuation (43% and 14%) or to dosing delays (55% and 28%), and Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions (72% and 44%) all occurred more frequently in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) relative to the OPDIVO arm (n=313). The most frequent (=10%) serious adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm and the OPDIVO arm, respectively, were diarrhea (13% and 2.6%), colitis (10% and 1.6%), and pyrexia (10% and 0.6%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, serious adverse reactions occurred in 46% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in at least 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, dyspnea, pyrexia, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and respiratory failure. In Checkmate 025, serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were acute kidney injury, pleural effusion, pneumonia, diarrhea, and hypercalcemia. In Checkmate 205 and 039, among all patients (safety population [n=263]), adverse reactions leading to discontinuation (4.2%) or to dosing delays (23%) occurred. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =1% of patients were infusion-related reaction, pneumonia, pleural effusion, pyrexia, rash and pneumonitis. Ten patients died from causes other than disease progression, including 6 who died from complications of allogeneic HSCT. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 21% of patients in the safety population (n=263) and 27% of patients in the subset of patients evaluated for efficacy (efficacy population [n=95]). In Checkmate 141, serious adverse reactions occurred in 49% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in at least 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, dyspnea, respiratory failure, respiratory tract infections, and sepsis. Common Adverse Reactions In Checkmate 037, the most common adverse reaction (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=268) was rash (21%). In Checkmate 066, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=206) vs dacarbazine (n=205) were fatigue (49% vs 39%), musculoskeletal pain (32% vs 25%), rash (28% vs 12%), and pruritus (23% vs 12%). In Checkmate 067, the most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) were fatigue (59%), rash (53%), diarrhea (52%), nausea (40%), pyrexia (37%), vomiting (28%), and dyspnea (20%). The most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO (n=313) arm were fatigue (53%), rash (40%), diarrhea (31%), and nausea (28%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418) were fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, cough, dyspnea, and decreased appetite. In Checkmate 025, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406) vs everolimus (n=397) were asthenic conditions (56% vs 57%), cough (34% vs 38%), nausea (28% vs 29%), rash (28% vs 36%), dyspnea (27% vs 31%), diarrhea (25% vs 32%), constipation (23% vs 18%), decreased appetite (23% vs 30%), back pain (21% vs 16%), and arthralgia (20% vs 14%). In Checkmate 205 and 039, among all patients (safety population [n=263]) and the subset of patients in the efficacy population (n=95), respectively, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) were fatigue (32% and 43%), upper respiratory tract infection (28% and 48%), pyrexia (24% and 35%), diarrhea (23% and 30%), and cough (22% and 35%). In the subset of patients in the efficacy population (n=95), the most common adverse reactions also included rash (31%), musculoskeletal pain (27%), pruritus (25%), nausea (23%), arthralgia (21%), and peripheral neuropathy (21%). In Checkmate 141, the most common adverse reactions (=10%) in patients receiving OPDIVO were cough and dyspnea at a higher incidence than investigator's choice. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, the most common adverse reactions (=5%) in patients who received YERVOY at 3 mg/kg were fatigue (41%), diarrhea (32%), pruritus (31%), rash (29%), and colitis (8%). CHECKMATE Trials and Patient Populations CheckMate 067 - advanced melanoma alone or in combination with YERVOY; CheckMate 037 and 066 - advanced melanoma; CheckMate 017 - squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); CheckMate 057 - non-squamous NSCLC; CheckMate 025 - renal cell carcinoma; CheckMate 205/039 - classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Please see U.S. Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNING regarding immune-mediated adverse reactions, for YERVOY. Please see U.S. Full Prescribing Information for OPDIVO. About the Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Collaboration In 2011, through a collaboration agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (Ono) Bristol-Myers Squibb expanded its territorial rights to develop and commercialize Opdivo globally except in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where Ono had retained all rights to the compound at the time. On July 23, 2014, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono further expanded the companies' strategic collaboration agreement to jointly develop and commercialize multiple immunotherapies - as single agents and combination regimens - for patients with cancer in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. About Bristol-Myers Squibb Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol-Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Bristol-Myers Squibb Forward-Looking Statement This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Among other risks, there can be no guarantee that the Opdivo and Yervoy combination regimen will receive regulatory approval for an additional indication described herein. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Bristol-Myers Squibb's business, particularly those identified in the cautionary factors discussion in Bristol-Myers Squibb's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Bristol-Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161112005009/en/

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Two candidates seeking NLCS Board District 2 seat

In this year's general election, two candidates are seeking election to the district two seat on the NLCS board: Adam Parsley and Michael Patton.
The AT&T 5G network has grown in the past year, with testing firms hailing its speeds. But with rivals T-Mobile and Verizon both making splashy 5G moves at the start of 2021, the question is whether AT&T can keep up as the year goes on.

For now, AT&T's focus appears to be on continuing the progress it made throughout 2020  efforts that included launching a nationwide 5G service to augment its high-speed deployments in three dozen cities and adding more 5G devices to its phone lineup.

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While AT&T's 5G network currently reaches more than 230 million people in 14,000 cities and towns across the U.S., it still trails T-Mobile, which covers 287 million people with its 5G setup. Verizon also covers 230 million people, even though its nationwide network launched after AT&T's.

In other words, AT&T still has a long way to go in building out 5G coverage. Here's where the network stands as we approach the halfway mark of 2021.

AT&T 5G bands

First off, its critical to explain how AT&T splits its 5G service up. Theres the nationwide sub-6GHz service mentioned above, which offers speeds about as fast, if not slightly better than 4G LTE. In spite of AT&Ts nationwide banner, this isnt available everywhere yet, though its much more common to find than AT&Ts 5G Plus network, which involves a completely different kind of technology.

5G Plus is AT&Ts name for its millimeter-wave (mmWave) 5G infrastructure. When you hear carriers advertise data speeds in excess of 1 Gbps or downloading entire movies or seasons of TV shows in a minute, this is the kind of 5G theyre referring to. But while millimeter-wave 5G offers exponentially faster speeds than sub-6GHz 5G or 4G LTE, it is exponentially more limited in terms of range, which is why its only available in cities or high-traffic indoor spaces.

AT&T 5G cities and coverage map

(Image credit: AT&T)

AT&Ts 5G Plus can only be found in 38 cities in 19 states at the time of this writing. (A 20th state  Colorado  boasts an AT&T 5G Plus installment in its sports arena.) California has the most 5G Plus-supported cities by far, claiming nine of the total 38. You can find a comprehensive list on AT&Ts website (opens in new tab).

AT&T is also focusing on getting 5G Plus into arenas, stadiums and convention centers. It currently reaches 20 of those venues, with plans to reach 35 or so by year's end.

AT&Ts long-range 5G service now reaches 230 million Americans, according to the latest figures from the carrier. That's short of what T-Mobile's 5G covers, though both networks are actively growing all the time.

AT&T 5G speeds

AT&Ts 5G infrastructure has made significant strides over the past two years. Initially, the carriers 5G Plus service topped out at 400 Mbps. In February 2019, AT&T reported that had improved to a peak throughput of 2 Gbps on its commercial network in Atlanta. That is fast enough to download a 2-hour HD film in 10 seconds.

Unfortunately, we didnt quite see that kind of performance when we conducted hands-on testing of AT&Ts 5G Plus service in Las Vegas in the summer of 2019. At that time, we recorded peak speeds just shy of 1 Gbps  far better than LTE, of course, but a good sight off the 1.5 Gbps average speed claims the carrier had made at the time. Additionally, it was very difficult to track down a signal in our experience, owing to 5G Plus limited range.

AT&Ts standard 5G service, built on sub-6GHz infrastructure, is far easier to locate, in exchange for speeds a fraction as fast. As a point of comparison, T-Mobile's 5G network is built on the same low-band spectrum AT&T uses for its nationwide network (that is, not 5G Plus), and the speeds we've seen there are at best only slightly faster than what we get from LTE.

To be fair, speeds have improved since our initial testing, and AT&T can point to some good recent results from third party network testing. Ookla declared AT&T 5G to be the fastest of the major carriers as of the end of last year, overtaking previous speed champ Verizon. (That may have been the result of Verizon launching its nationwide network and seeing those slower speeds drop its average from the lofty heights achieved by millimeter wave-based 5G.) A report from RootMetrics gives AT&T the nod for the fastest 5G speeds, and while Opensignal (opens in new tab) thinks T-Mobile has the faster 5G, it noted that AT&T's 5G footprint had grown considerably through the latter half of 2020.

AT&T 5G phones and devices

You'll find both the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the iPhone 12 Pro Max among AT&T's 5G phones. (Image credit: Future)

Most new 2020 flagship phones supported AT&Ts 5G network, though the type of 5G they work with differed on a case-by-case basis. Some handsets, like last year's Samsung Galaxy S20, only offered sub-6GHz connectivity and skip out on millimeter-wave signals. Other phones, like the Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, supported both 5G configurations, for the fastest possible speeds in any condition.

You may have noticed a theme there. Indeed, the vast majority of 5G handsets available last year through AT&T were Samsung devices. But that finally changed with October's iPhone 12 launch.

All four iPhone 12 models work on the full range of AT&T's 5G deployment, across sub-6GHz and mmWave. They are even said to support a new type of 5G infrastructure called C-band (opens in new tab), which will provide AT&T users with the sort of mid-band service that offers higher speeds than LTE with a slight hit to coverage, like T-Mobile currently has.

Currently, AT&T offers a pretty compelling range of 5G phones at various price points. Here's an updated list of what's available through AT&T:

AT&T 5G hotspots

AT&T's first 5G-compatible product was actually the Netgear Nighthawk, a hotspot that could pull in a 5G signal and blast it to your supported devices over Wi-Fi. This device was ultimately discontinued, but now AT&T has replaced that with a successor, called the Netgear Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot Pro. You'll find it among the best mobile hotspots currently available.

The new Nighthawk model, available for $509, supports Wi-Fi 6, meaning you'll lose as little speed as possible from that 5G connection when tethering. It also can service up to 32 devices.

AT&Ts Unlimited Extra and Unlimited Elite plans include hotspot data. But the allotment of hotspot data  30GB for Elite and 15GB for Extra  runs at 4G speeds.

AT&T 5G plans: What youll pay

Heres the good news: AT&T doesnt charge extra for 5G service across its three unlimited plans. However, depending on how much you spend and what tier you select, youll get more or less full-speed data before AT&T starts throttling you or deprioritizing your service behind that of other users.

The base $65/month Unlimited Starter plan slows your service at any time when AT&Ts network is stressed. That means that although it includes 5G service, the consistency of that service may be in flux from moment to moment. To get the best possible data speeds, youll want to at least choose the $75/month Unlimited Extra plan, which allots 50GB of full-speed data, whether youre on 4G or 5G. The $85/month Unlimited Elite plan doubles that allotment to 100GB before you run the risk of being slowed. See how AT&T's pricing compares in our look at the best unlimited data plan for each wireless carrier.

More customers are now able to access AT&T 5G. In addition to the current unlimited plans, AT&T said in March that it would access to both 5G and 5G Plus to customers with older unlimited plans. Prepaid customers can get 5G coverage through AT&T's $75-a-month unlimited data plan. (Auto-pay enrollment drops that cost down to $60.)

AT&T 5G outlook

More than two years since AT&T launched its first 5G Plus market, the carriers 5G deployment has finally reaching a point where many of its customers can take advantage of it. Thats thanks to the launch of the carriers nationwide sub-6GHz network as well as the rash of 5G-capable phones that have been dropping throughout the past year.

AT&T customers living in an urban area covered by both the carriers regular and 5G Plus services have the unique opportunity to take advantage of both faster speeds and more extensive coverage. And that will only continue in the coming months, as AT&T expands the reach of both types of 5G infrastructure.

AT&T hopes to add 5G Plus coverage in 17 more venues by year's end. After adding 5G Plus to the airport in Tampa, Fla., the carrier wants to bring high-speed 5G to seven additional airports.

As for its nationwide network, AT&T plans to begin rolling out its C-band spectrum by the end of 2021, with more deployment for the year after that. Such a move would complement the existing low-band network, bringing faster mid-band speeds similar to what T-Mobile is doing with its own 5G efforts.

Of course, more than 100 million people already have access to that mid-band coverage in T-Mobile's network. Once again, AT&T finds itself with plenty of 5G ground to make up in the year ahead.

We tried gaming on a 5G smartphone and here's how that went!
Microsoft Origins

Microsoft is well known today for its Windows operating system, which is used on computers around the world. It's hard to think of a time when Microsoft didn't produce Windows. In the beginning, however, Microsoft developed other operating systems such as Altair BASIC. Over the years, Microsoft developed other OSes outside of the Windows product line, which contributed to the development of Windows.

In this article, we will look at the major desktop-oriented operating systems developed by Microsoft. This means we will not look closely at server operating systems or versions of Windows designed for mobile phones, cars, or other devices.



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MS-DOS (1981)

Although Microsoft got its start with Altair BASIC, it didn't become the OS powerhouse that it is until the introduction of MS-DOS. The initial release of MS-DOS (known as 86-DOS at this time) was actually developed by Tim Paterson, who worked for Seattle Computer Products at the time. In many ways, it was a clone of the CP/M OS developed by Digital Research, but Paterson made it compatible with x86 processors and introduced the FAT12 file system as the primary disk format.

Microsoft later acquired 86-DOS from Seattle Computer Products and hired Paterson to continue development on the OS. After rebranding the OS as MS-DOS, it was licensed to IBM, which rebranded it again as PC-DOS.

MS-DOS was not particularly unique in terms of its functionality or user interface, but it had two key advantages over all other contemporary DOS-like OSes. First, it supported x86 processors, which would ultimately become the most heavily used type of computer processor. Second, Microsoft's contract with IBM lead to an enormous amount of software being developed for MS-DOS/PC-DOS. These advantages allowed Microsoft's MS-DOS to dominate the PC market for the next decade.



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Windows 1.0 (1985)

Immediately after Microsoft launched MS-DOS, it started working on the first version of Windows. This early version of Windows 1.0 is best viewed as a graphical user interface (GUI) for MS-DOS; the OS itself is incapable of operating without DOS. Microsoft introduced new APIs with Windows 1.0 that allowed programs to run natively on the Windows OS itself, but the number of programs that used these APIs was dwarfed by the ever growing library of MS-DOS applications. Windows 1.0 also introduced virtual memory, which allowed the OS to use a limited amount of space on the hard drive as RAM. Virtual memory is significantly slower than actual RAM, but larger applications that require more than the available amount of RAM to run can take advantage of the capacity.



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Windows 2.0 (1987)

Windows 2.0 was an overhaul of the original Windows 1.0 operating system and had a richer feature set. A key improvement found in Windows 2.0 was the ability to have Windows overlap each other. This made multitasking easier, because users could better utilize the available desktop real estate.



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OS/2 (1987)

Although IBM's OS/2 was technically a competitor to Microsoft's Windows, it is worth noting that it was co-developed by Microsoft. Early versions of OS/2 looked similar to Windows 2.0 and Windows 3.0, but they were functionally quite different. Both OS/2 and Windows (all versions) were capable of executing DOS software, and they both aimed to extend the functionality of the PC by allowing you to multitask between DOS and native software.

Eventually IBM and Microsoft would clash as Windows and OS/2 competed against each other in the market. Microsoft ultimately ended its involvement with OS/2; at the time, it was developing OS/2 3.0. Instead of putting the project on hold, Microsoft used its work on OS/2 3.0 to jump start its development of a new OS that would later be known as Windows NT.

As for OS/2, it was actively developed by IBM into the late 1990s, and the company continued to provide support until December 31, 2006. OS/2 ultimately failed to be profitable to maintain, however, as it was developed specifically for IBM's hardware and was more expensive than Windows. It was later sold to another company and is still developed under the name "eComStation."



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Windows 2.1 (1988)

Windows 2.1 was an incremental update to the Windows 2.0 operating system. It was optimized to take advantage of new features present in Intel 80286 and 80386 processors. This lead to the operating system sometimes being referred to as Windows/286 and Windows/386. One of the key improvements was the inclusion of HIMEM.sys, which allowed Windows 2.1 to access larger amounts of memory than Windows 2.0. Microsoft also added support for protected mode on Intel 80386 processors, which allowed the processor to run multiple programs in parallel. Before the introduction of protected mode, you could work on only a single application at a time; all other applications were suspended in the background.

Windows 2.1 was subsequently replaced by Windows 2.11 in 1989, but the two OSes are essentially identical. The key improvements in 2.11 included improved drivers and support for AppleTalk.

Due to the enhancements in Windows 2.1, it was the first Windows operating system to require a hard disk drive.



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Windows 3.0 (1990)

Windows 3.0 featured numerous improvements over Windows 2.11, but it is closely related to its predecessor. The user interface was polished, and support was added for 16-color images. In VGA mode, the OS was capable of rendering 256 colors on screen at the same time. The OS also supported an enhanced protected mode that allowed programs to easily access larger amounts of system memory. "Larger," though, is relative, as Windows 3.0 could support a maximum of 16MB of RAM. Fully installed, the OS consumed roughly 5MB of space.

Windows 3.0 quickly outshined its predecessors due to its numerous enhancements. By working with OEMs to ship systems with Windows pre-installed and by pricing the OS competitively against OS/2 and Apple's Mac OS, Microsoft was able to sell millions of copies of Windows 3.0 in its first year.

As an interesting side note, this was also the first version of Windows to ship with Solitaire.



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Windows 3.1 (1992)

Microsoft continued to improve Windows 3.0, which lead to the release of Windows 3.1.

There are three key improvements inherent in Windows 3.1. First, it removes support for real mode. This limited the OS to running on 80286 or newer hardware, but it significantly improved system stability. Second, it added Truetype font support, which made Windows more useful for office and document publishing work. Third, it raised the maximum memory support to 4GB, with individual programs able to access up to 16MB each. The OS required a minimum of 1MB of RAM and at least 15MB of hard drive space to be fully installed.

Microsoft also produced a few alternative versions of Windows 3.1, such as Windows for Workgroups 3.1 and Windows 3.1 Multimedia PC. These versions of Windows 3.1 contained enhancements that were important to specific clients, but not particularly useful to everyone.



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Windows NT 3.1 (1993)

In 1993, Microsoft released its first version of Windows NT. The OS was called Windows NT 3.1 to mimic Windows 3.1, which had been released the previous year.

Although Windows NT and Windows 3.1 look similar, they are actually quite different. Unlike Windows 3.1, Windows NT 3.1 was built from scratch as a fully 32-bit OS. It was started as a redesign of IBM's OS/2, but the design was forked and heavily modified. This gave Windows NT 3.1 the ability to run applications created for Windows, MS-DOS, and OS/2. Microsoft also created the OS to support multiple processing architectures. Upon its release, it was able to run on x86 and MIPS CPUs, and it later gained support for DEC's Alpha processors. Windows NT 3.1 was also more stable than Windows 3.1.

Although Windows NT 3.1 was more advanced and feature rich than Windows 3.1, it had limited sales and was less successful than its counterpart. The operating system had relatively high system requirements for its time, which prevented most people from using it. The minimum requirements for the OS were a 32-bit 25MHz 80386 processor, 12MB of RAM, and a 75MB HDD. As a result, Windows NT 3.1 was mostly reserved for use on servers and high-end business systems.



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Windows 95 Part 1 (1995)

After the release of Windows 3.1, Microsoft planned to cease development of future DOS-based OSes. Windows 3.1 would be maintained as a consumer-oriented product for a number of years, while Microsoft worked on future versions of Windows NT. Eventually, a more user-friendly OS known as "Cairo" was to be released as a solution for both consumers and businesses. Fierce competition from other operating systems such as Mac OS and OS/2, however, cut into Microsoft's market share and showed the company that it needed to quickly develop a new operating system to battle Apple and IBM. As Cairo was still years away from being finished at that time, Microsoft turned its attention to creating a new OS that would become Windows 95.



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Windows 95 Part 2 (1995)

The initial design goals for Windows 95 were to create a more user-friendly OS that supported 32-bit software, was easier to install, and was more stable. Originally, Microsoft planned to make the OS easier to use by simplifying the way software and networks were configured by end users.

The user interface was supposed to remain unchanged from Windows 3.1, as Microsoft was already developing a new UI for Cairo. Ultimately, though, Microsoft ported the new UI to the Windows 95 project. As a result, Windows 95 became the first version of Windows to feature the Start bar, and it also was the first to use Windows Explorer.

Windows 95 was technically still DOS-based like Windows 3.1, but it also had an unprecedented degree of independence from DOS in terms of its architecture and internal operation. System stability was significantly increased by running multiple virtual machines under the OS. This reduced the impact of a single piece of software crashing. It also placed a layer of software between programs and the hardware, which made it less likely a software crash would cause the entire OS to fail.

Performance was drastically improved in Windows 95, because the OS supported execution of preemptively multitasked 32-bit applications in protected mode. The OS was also able to use faster processors, and it had practical memory support for up to 512MB of RAM. The minimum requirements called for just a 32-bit processor, 4MB of RAM, and 50MB of hard drive space. This meant the OS could be run on a wide number of computers that didn't meet the requirements of Windows NT.

As For Cairo, it was ultimately scrapped, but parts of its code were re-used in future OSes.



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THE LATEST KANSAS CITY PROTEST AGAINST TRUMP WASN'T ANGRY BUT INSTEAD PRESENTED SOLEMN OCCASION WHEREIN ACTIVISTS SHARED PERSONAL STORIES INSPIRED BY THE ELECTION OUTCOME!!!

Don't Be Silent, We Need To Be Safe









Once again our blog community wasto note the weekend of political protest confronting Kansas City and now through the work of citizen media we have important andcoverage of last night's protest.To wit . . .Check citizen media reaction andfrom the weekend of Kansas City anti-Trump protest:We made to the steps of City Hall Friday night and the statements we heard were heartbreaking. We blurred the lens to protect the identity of the speakers.Hate Crimes have seen an increase since the Donald Trump Win For The Presidency.SPLC had counted 201 incidents of election-related harassment and intimidation across the country as of Friday, November 11th at 5pm.Victims of oppression include, Anti Asian, Anti Black, Anti Disability, Anti Immigrant, Anti LGBT, Anti Muslim and Anti Woman,Grafitti of KKK, Trump & Swastikas are reported everywhere.We've talked to a person who had considered suicide the past month or won't talk to their parents because they voted for Donald Trump. We talked to a woman who's children are black and a boy came up to her 6th grade daughter and said I'm sorry they're going to slave you?As Chris Hedges wrote last night on his blog:We are the most spied upon, watched, eavesdropped, photographed and monitored population in human history Even though many of us didn't vote for Donald Trump there is a heavy atmosphere down on Main last night like we needed to wear a tee shirt that read "Never Trump". I realized this when a group of black college students car stalled at the gas pump at Quick Trip on Main Street. We heard that ominous repeated click of a dead car battery and our driver asked me if they thought the car was stalled and I said "yes, you might need a wrench and some sandpaper but we can give you a jump"? A young black student who I suspect had her "drink on" stuck her head out the car window and said, "sir, you're being a racist"? The other students in the car immediately told her to "shut up". We got the car started and the young woman was quite gracious as we said goodbye and I closed the car hood for them, but it opened my eyes of the shock doctrine that occurred as a result of this election . . .#########More news . . .Developing . . .
"Don't miss the horses . . . Five mounted officers far left of pic across the street."

Thanks to our. . .As the crowd grows, TKC blog community reminds us:Update from KMBC:Developing . . .
The European Commission congratulates Elefsina, Greece, which has been selected to become a European Capital of Culture in 2021.

Tibor Navracsics, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, said: "In 2021, Greece will host its fourth European Capital of Culture after Athens in 1985, Thessaloniki in 1997 and Patras in 2006. Many cities competed for the title, with 14 initial contenders narrowed down to three finalists. This shows once again how popular this EU initiative is with cities and citizens. I congratulate Elefsina on its successful bid. I look forward to seeing Elefsina give visitors from Europe and all over the world the opportunity to discover the city and its cultural assets but also to appreciate the diversity of cultures in the European Union as well as our shared values  this is today more vital than ever. As many previous European Capitals of Culture have shown, the title can bring significant long-term cultural, as well as economic and social benefits  benefits that Elefsina now stands to reap as well."

With today's decision, the line-up of European Capitals of Culture for 2021 is now complete with Elefsina joining Timisoara in Romania and Novi Sad in Serbia, a candidate country for EU membership. European Capitals of Culture is one of the most recognised EU projects. European Capitals of Culture provide Europeans with an opportunity to learn more about each other's cultures, to enter into intercultural dialogue and to enjoy their shared history and values.

"The work starts now. All together, the municipal authority and the citizens, should unite our forces for the success of this important obligation we undertook," the mayor of Elefsina, George Tsoukalas said after the European Commission's announcement that Eleusis (along with Timisoara in Romania and Novi Sad in Serbia) was chosen as European Capital of Culture for 2021.

Tsoukalas also stressed the need "to bring Elefsina in the European scene and to give the city what it deserves," and sent "warm congratulations" to the other two Greek candidate cities (Kalamata, Rhodes) "for their effort throughout the preparation."

Finally, the mayor thanked all those that contributed to this effort.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: BishkekRocks License: CC-BY-SA
The Minister of Finance Euclid Tsakalotos argued that the Greek government and the International Monetary Fund want a clear solution for the public debt, in a statement for the Efimerida ton Syntakton newspaper.

Mr. Tsakalotos argue that debt relief is an essential component of Greeces path to exiting the bailout program in 2018. Debt relief, he added, is something that Greeces European partners are about to do now and in the future.

The Finance Ministers statements came after the recent comments of IMFs Gerry Rice, who underlined that debt relief measures could be linked to the conditional accomplishment of certain targets. These measures do not need to be implemented in advance for the Fund to participate n the Greek program, he added.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
U.S. President Barack Obama is in full accord with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the Greek debt is not sustainable and must be settled

U.S. President Barack Obama is in full accord with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the Greek debt is not sustainable and must be settled, a White House spokesman said on Friday, adding that the President will ask for debt relief during his visit to Athens next week.

According to a report by ERT correspondent to Washington DC Lena Argiri, the spokesman said Obama recognizes the sacrifices of the Greek people and his visit will send a message of support.

He will also praise the government on the reforms implemented and stress that theres still work to be done.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
McDonald's celebrates its 25th anniversary in Greece this year with network of 23 restaurants and two McCafes around the country

McDonald's celebrates its 25th anniversary in Greece this year with network of 23 restaurants and two McCafes around the country, with a workforce of 450, serving more than 4 million meals annually.

Premier Capital Hellas, owned by Premier Capital plc based in Malta, is the operator of McDonald's network in Greece. Premier Capital plc took over as Developmental Licensee of McDonald's in 2011. In the last six years, and despite adverse economic conditions prevailing in the country, Premier Capital is implementing a long-term strategy with the aim to develop and strengthen the brand and enhance its relation with consumers.

Premier Capital has completed investments worth more than 10.4 million euros to open new restaurants and to rennovate existing ones. The company plans to open two new restaurants soon, with the aim to open at least eight new restaurants in the next three years, raising its network to 33. New investments will total 11.9 million euros, creating around 250 new job positions.

Premier Capital is Developmental Licensee of McDonald's in Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Romania, serving more than 100 million consumers with annual sales of 230 million euros.

Victor Tedesco, managing director for Greece said: "We took over the operation of McDonald's in Greece in 2011 and we already see positive results. We believe that the Greek market is much biggest prospects and significant prospects of improving McDonald's network".

To celebrate its 25th anniversary in Greece, McDonald's cooperated with chef Dimitris Skarmoutsos to create new new anniversay premium burgers.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Source: ANA-MPA
A third of the issues in the economy chapter of the Cyprus problem have been agreed, Sigma TVs sources said

A third of the issues in the economy chapter of the Cyprus problem have been agreed, Sigma TVs sources said on Friday.

The same sources have said that the property issue and compensation for lost properties will be one of the main pillars setting out the sustainability of the economics of a Cyprus solution.

The cost of compensation, Sigmas sources have said, will be set out by the territorial readjustments, which are being discussed in Mont Pelerin. The same sources added that the cost will be approximately 25 billion.

Sigma has learned that both sides have agreed on the economy chapter:

Monetary policy and financial supervision be exercised on the base of the European Central Banks instructions

The euro will be adopted on the first day of a solution

There will be three budgets (federal and that of the constituent states)

Direct taxes will be an income of the constituent states

Indirect taxes will be an income of the federal government

The constituent states will have the right to make international agreements in the sectors of trade, tourism, and investments

Sigmas sources have said that the estimation is that the federal budget will be in surplus.

Sigma has learned that the main source of income for the federal government will be through indirect taxes, which include VAT and consumption taxes.

The same sources added that after the functioning costs of the government are covered, than the leftover, which is estimated at 4.6 billion will be given to the constituent states.

Sources said that the income of the federal state will be given as follows:

The net federal income will be 4.6 billion

94% of the net income (4.4 billion) will be given to the constituent states on the basis of the per capita GDP

The 6% that is left over (233 million) will be given for a certain time to the Turkish Cypriot constituent state for development. This time period, the same sources said, will last until the living standard of the Turkish Cypriots reaches 85% of the living standard of the Greek Cypriots.

Sigmas sources added that debt has also been agreed, with the plan outlining that each constituent state will be responsible for its own debt, while the federal government will be the guarantor of each state.

Sources said that the Turkish Cypriot side has said it is committed to not having debt in the case of a solution. Sources added however that if the federal state is to be the guarantor of debt for the constituent states, than there needs to be a mechanism, which will regulate its funds.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
The Greek coalition government spokesperson Dimitris Tzanakopoulos announced that the government was pleased by the formation of a new National Council for Radio and Television (ESR)

The Greek coalition government spokesperson Dimitris Tzanakopoulos announced that the government was pleased by the formation of a new National Council for Radio and Television (ESR) on Thursday, during a journalist briefing. Mr. Tzanakopoulos noted that the establishment of the Ministry of Digital Policy was necessary in order to rationalize expenditure.

Regarding the comments of IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice, Mr. Tzanakopoulos commented that they are very close to the Greek governments positions. He also stressed that the coalition governments aim is to complete the second bailout program review by 5 December.

The government spokesperson underlined the need to resolve the dispute between the National Bank of Greece and the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund, adding that the Greek government does not intervene in the appointment of bank managements.

Finally, when asked about the recent election of US President Donald Trump, Mr. Tzanakopoulos revealed that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras may possibly contact him over the next few days.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Greece received on Friday the first three Boeing CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters following an agreement with the United States signed earlier this year.

The deal includes the acquisition of 10 Chinook helicopters plus five more which will be donated by the United States. The helicopters will be used by the Air Force and will be stationed in Pachi Megaron, creating a new battalion of transport helicopters.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Adrian Pingstone License: CC-BY-SA
Three of Trumps cabinet-in-waiting  vice-president-elect Mike Pence, secretary of foreign affairs contender, Newt Gringrich, and Michael Flynn, pegged for National Defense Council, all want to strengthen ties between Washington and Ankara.

Michael Flynn, a retired lieutenant who had helped Trump restore relations with the alienated veterans and the military establishment of the country, pointed out on the eve of the U.S. presidential elections that Turkey should be a top priority on Washingtons foreign policy agenda.

Turkey should be a top priority in U.S. foreign policy, wrote Flynn in a recent article, stressing that president Barack Obama failed to understand the importance of Ankaras geopolitical position. He added that Turkey is the U.S.s most important ally in the war against the Islamic State. Foreign secretary contender Newt Gingrich, is also pro-Turkey, and has expressed his admiration for Kemal Ataturk, referring to him as Father of the Turks. The morning after the U.S. presidential elections, Michael Pence told Turkish news agency Dogan and the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet that the new U.S. administration wants to improve relations with Turkey. Turkey is the U.S.s most important ally in the region. We will bring our relations with Turkey to a better stance, just like in the old days, he said.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Gage Skidmore License: CC-BY-SA
Cyprus leaders will be holding meetings on the territorial readjustment issue in Geneva, Switzerland on November 20

At a one-on-one meeting on Friday night in Mont Pelerin, President Nicos Anastasiades had requested to have a one week break to consult with Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras and Greek Cypriot parties after week-long talks on the Cyprus problems territorial readjustment chapter, Turkish Cypriot spokesperson Baris Burcu said.

After the break leaders will be holding meetings on the territorial readjustment issue in Geneva, Switzerland on November 20.

Burcu added that the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci had agreed to the break in talks.

Akincis spokesperson said that some progress had been made in outlining the territorial readjustment criteria, and that the Turkish Cypriot leader had not requested the break.

WANTED ANASTASIADES TO FEEL COMFORTABLE

Burcu has said that President Anastasiades had requested to meet with the Turkish Cypriot leader one-on-one on Friday night.

We were not very pleased with this request, but surely if we are to move forward in a future partnership and create political will, we did not want to let down our interlocutor, Mr Anastasiades. We thought that this would surely make him feel more comfortable, Burcu said.

On the negotiations held in Mont Pelerin, Burcu added that once the criteria are agreed and a date is set for the five-party conference, with guarantor powers, then both sides can work together on putting the criteria down on a map.

POSITIVE REACTION TO MONT PELERIN TALKS

Asked if the week-long discussions in Switzerland were a lost opportunity, Burcu said no, adding that they worked for five-days on their goal.

Burcu said that there was no map submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side, but that the three criteria for the territory issue along with all other issues were discussed.

TO GENEVA WITH THE SAME FORMULA

Burcu has said that in Geneva, where territorial readjustment issues will be discussed, both sides will need 2-3-4 days to discuss how this process will be completed.

GOAL OF AGREEMENT ON TERRITORY ISSUE WITHIN REACH

Government spokesperson Nikos Christodoulides said that the Greek Cypriot side considers that the goal of reaching an agreement on the territory issue during talks in Geneva is within reach.

In his statements, Christodoulides said that the aim of the talks in Geneva is to have an agreement on the territorial adjustment criteria that will then be used to draw a map, so that the two sides can enter the final phase of the negotiations.

Asked about the prospects to achieve a comprehensive agreement on the territory issue in Geneva, Christodoulides said that this is their goal. We consider that it is within reach. It will depend on the results of the dialogue. No one can determine what the final outcome will be, he added.

CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE IN MONT PELERIN

The spokesman said that a constructive dialogue took place between the two leaders in Mont Pelerin, noting that progress was achieved on the issues discussed.

Asked if there was progress during the discussion on territorial adjustment criteria, Christodoulides said that there was progress but there are still issues that need to be further discussed or for which a more in depth exchange of views needs to be made.

He added that there has been a remarkable progress "that allows us to be optimistic."

Asked how many days the talks in Geneva will last, he said that their initial decision is three days.

Invited to say if any map was put on the table, he replied that the territory criteria have not been agreed yet. Neither side has tabled a map, he added.

Asked why the talks will continue in Geneva, Christodoulides recalled that the Turkish Cypriot leader does not want to discuss the territory issue in Nicosia.

SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT CHAPTER

For us what is important is not the venue but to have a substantive discussion on this very important chapter and this is why it was agreed to continue abroad, he said.

Asked if Akinci had brought up his demand to set a date for a five-party or a multi-lateral conference, Christodoulides he added that this issue was not discussed as there was no agreement on criteria that would be used to draw a map.

He said that what is important is not just to determine a date for the conference but to have such progress so that the conference has chances to succeed. Otherwise, he added, there will be a serious risk of failure that will also threaten the process itself.

Replying to another question, he said that the two leaders exchanged views on the security issue during a one-on-one meeting they had.

Christodoulides said that the two negotiators will continue their meetings in Nicosia during the week break.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Bahrain is working on a new social housing project in the southern governorate, which will see the construction of a modern residential area for its nationals, said a report.



The country continues to make significant progress in fast-tracking residential development projects, reported the BNA citing His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister.



He was speaking during his visit to the project site along with the Prince of Wales.



The Crown Prince highlighted Bahrains commitment to ensuring the availability of modern and affordable housing across the kingdom, which is why the government, in its current action plan, has pledged to deliver an unprecedented 25,000 housing units, said the report.



The project will see the construction of a modern residential area in collaboration with Prince of Wales Foundation for Building Community.



Prince Charless foundation has overseen large-scale housing projects in the UK and is currently advising on homes in Bahrain's southern governorate and other development projects across different parts of the kingdom.



The Crown Prince stressed that Bahrain was delighted that the Princes Foundation for Building Community, was actively contributing to this goal by engaging with the Ministry of Housing and local communities to design a new residential area in the Southern Governorate.



The Minister of Housing, who accompanied the Crown Prince and Prince Charles during their visit, remarked that the southern town housing project was symbolic of the productive and mutually beneficial relationship between Bahrain and the UK, stated the report.



During the visit, the Crown Prince and Prince Charles inspected housing prototype units, it added.
Giving a major impetus to the tea, coffee and allied sectors, the fourth edition of the World Tea Coffee Expo (WTCE) ended on a successful note in India's commercial capital Mumbai attracting more than 3,400 targeted business visitors from the country and abroad.



The expo witnessed striking of bulk deals, joint ventures/alliances, franchise enquiries, appointment of marketing agents and generation of large number of business leads, said the organisers.



Indias only globally recognized tea and coffee show had on display innovative products, machineries, equipment, technologies and vending solutions from 67 companies to over 3,400 decision makers visiting from countries like Russia, Singapore, Iran, US, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal and UAE in addition to buyers from across India.



Apart from India, companies from Italy, US, China, UK, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka also participated as exhibitors.



A key highlight was the pavilion from Tea Board of India and Sri Lanka Tea Board besides a two-day high level conference discussing issues facing the sector and skill imparting workshops on the closing day.



Visitors included senior level decision makers comprising retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hypermarkets/multi-product retail chains, tea/coffee estate owners, potential franchisees, HoReCa sector professionals many of whom placed large orders with exhibitors.



Further to positive reviews from Exhibitors and visitors alike, the 5th Edition of the expo in 2017 is also planned to be held at Mumbai  the commercial capital of India and a centre which attracts serious buyers from all parts of the country and the globe, remarked Priti Kapadia, the director, Sentinel Exhibitions Asia Private, the organisers of this unique trade show.



According to her, the expo was the perfect platform for tea and coffee companies to come together under one roof to showcase their products, network, share learning and experiences and find suitable solutions to the industrys problems.



This niche trade fair was inaugurated by Saroja Sirisena, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Mumbai.



Speaking at the launch, she said: "India and Sri Lanka can share their natural advantage to ensure leadership in global tea and coffee markets. Organized trade platforms like World Tea & Coffee Expo can go a long way in forging larger business partnerships."



Most of the exhibitors were upbeat about the expo and expressed satisfaction at having taken part.



Mansour Aldawood, Arab Dalla Trading Establishment, from Saudi Arabia said: "For unique and exclusive products like ours we could not have asked for a better platform than WTCE. We got statistics of customer needs and can implement a best-in-class demand planning strategy."



Grahame Hackney of Instantina UK, pointed out that the company had been participating for the last two editions displaying its unique coffee products and it can be said that there is no better expo that gives such focused and quality visitors.



"WTCE is heading in the right direction as far as Tea & Coffee industries are concerned," he noted.



Bhuman Dani of TGL, observed: "For a start-up tea company like ours, WTCE turned out to be an excellent platform to launch our innovative products and in turn get national recognition among the stalwarts of the Indian Tea industry."



Uday Udani of the Pacific Plastics Industries, said: "We never expected such tremendous footfalls and have generated a good number enquiries for our packaging machineries which we hope to convert into actual business."



According to Anil Chandhok of Chenab Impex, the expo was a good experience and the company drew good response from visitors for its displayed imported teas.



"We had many visitors from different buyer sectors, which we would not have met otherwise," he added.



Piyush Monga of Synergy, Infrastructure Solution, pointed out that WTCE was a perfect place for all its products, as it not only got good branding but also a lot of genuine business visitors who were interested in the tea and coffee premixes.



Rekha Agarwal of Sira Impex, said: "For our slimming tea - which we had also exhibited in the 2015 edition - we can say that the 2016 expo has matured in terms of size, exhibitors and visitors."



Rajesh Surana of Tetrahedron Beverages stated that it had been a part of WTCE for 3 editions. "We can now safely give our verdict that this has been one of the best in terms of visitor quality, publicity and branding."



Sanjay Gupta of Budwhite Teas noted that WTCE this year had surpassed all its expectations in terms of visitors and leads generated.



"The quality of the visitors this year was business oriented," remarked Gupta, a third time exhibitor.



Aditya Agarwal of Lajwab Tulsi Tea, said: "It was a right decision to exhibit for the first times at WTCE & we are sure with such great management & perfection, this show is bound to grow larger year after year."



Buoyed by the tremendous response, the organisers are now planning to make the 2017 edition much larger in terms of content and size. The dates of the event are likely to announced soon, they added.-TradeArabia News Service
Traveling to other countries requires socializing and communicating. Being able to talk to different kinds of people is inevitable especially when the place is unfamiliar to you.

Despite the many words you can use while you travel, Treksplorer and Hostel Bookers listed some common phrases used when traveling.

Hello, Hi, How are you?, I'm fine, Thank you, Welcome, Please, I'm sorry

These are some of the basic greeting phrases you usually hear and say when you travel. In order to be polite, greeting the citizens well establishes a peaceful relationship with them. A simple smile can also brighten up the atmosphere. It is also an act of humility as you face people with a different upbringing.

My name is, What's your name, How old are you, Nice to meet you, Where are you from

These are some common introduction phrases. It would be nice to socialize and make friends with the locals of the country you are visiting. You'd be able to ask them information about the country and its culture.

Can you understand English? Do you know how to speak in? I can speak in English, What time is it? Can you write that down? I only speak a little, Where is? How can I get there?

These are phrases for language and communication. You usually ask these kinds of phrases when you ask locals for direction, transportation, and other questions most tourists do not know.

How much? I'd like to buy? Do you accept debit/credit cards? Do you have a cheaper one? It's too expensive, What time do you close? Do you have this in? Can I have the bill?

These are phrases for shopping. You use these phrases when you want to buy something or ask about an item you need. It will also help you get an item for a lower price and negotiate with the seller. These are important phrases since you will be purchasing lots of items when you travel.

Help! Can you call the police? Can you call the ambulance? Is there a pharmacy nearby? Can I use your phone?

These are phrases used for emergencies. Whenever an unexpected situation arises, you need help from the people near you. These phrases are used to communicate to them when you are in trouble or in need of urgent help.

These are some common phrases you usually encounter with when you travel. Learning this kind of phrases using the language of the country you'll be traveling to will really be helpful. It shows how you can be humble as you communicate with people pf different race. Here is a video of the basic phrases you need when travelling:

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Laws are created for the common good. It passes on different stages before it becomes a law that everyone must follow. If you commit something against the laws, you'll be fined or even go to prison. Most of these laws are understandable and logical. However, Daily Mail and Thought Catalog are some laws that are too unusual to consider as laws.

1. Prohibition of being fat

Last 2009, a law was passed in Japan giving a waistline limit for men and women beyond 40 years of age. Women should have a waistline not more than 35 ins and 31 ins for men.

2. Proxy Weddings are allowed

Proxy weddings, where a friend can substitute the groom or bride as a proxy in his wedding, is allowed in Montana. These proxy weddings are for those who work for the military.

3. Killing a cheating husband

If a wife catches her husband cheating, it is legal to kill him only when she kills him using her bare hands. This law was present in Hong Kong.

4. Changing of lightbulbs

In Victoria, Australia, not everyone can change the light bulbs even on their own homes. Only licensed electricians are allowed to change lightbulbs. If you do not follow this rule you will pay a fine.

5. Upside down stamp

In delivering your mail, if you place the monarch's head upside-down in a wrong way in your postage stamp, you may already be accused of treason. On a Thursday, farting beyond 6pm in a public place is considered illegal in Florida.

7. Smiling all the time

There is a law where you will pay a fine if you frown in Milan. You should always smile because of this law. However, hospital visits and funerals can be exempted.

8. No to confetti

Throwing of confetti and silly strings are not allowed and is illegal in Mobile, Alabama. These laws may seem illogical and crazy, but yes, they have existed at some point in time in some countries. Bet you didn't expect them. Find more crazy laws in this video:

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Thanksgiving Day, is an important public holiday celebrated in the United States. This year, it falls on November 24. This celebration is known for the festive get-together of the family plus the turkey. Tourists from neighboring countries are getting excited to join in the celebration as well.

In a report by ABC News, "An airline trade group said Wednesday that about 27.3 million people will fly on U.S. airlines over a 12-day period that starts Nov. 18 and ends the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. That's up 2.5 percent from last year."

The countries' leading airlines assured the public that they can handle higher number of travellers this season because of their quick-screening program called Pre Check. This program literally means that you'll skip the majority of the airport security line, you can now keep your shoes and belt on and walk right through without the hassle.

Transportation Security Administration's Pre Check is now available at more than 180 airports and 19 airlines nationwide. List of airlines are: Aeromexico, Delta Air Lines, Etihad Airways, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Cape Air, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Lufthansa, OneJet, Seaborne Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin America, WestJet and Hawaiian Airlines.

Almost 4 million people are now enrolled in Pre Check and more than 5 million registered in other programs such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Global Entry.

TSA projected in a report that, "For Thanksgiving travelers, the airline group expects the busiest travel days to be the Wednesday before and the Sunday and Monday after the holiday. Over the 12-day period, the airlines expect about 55,000 more passengers per day, but they say they have added about 74,000 seats per day with bigger planes and more flights."

They are encouraging people to sign up for Pre Check to prevent lengthy security lines and for easier transaction. They also enlarged their staff to accommodate the flooding of vacationist.

How it Works:

1. Enroll online- Apply online through TSA website. Fill in necessary information and submit your application. Schedule an appointment at any of 380+ registration centers.

2. Background Check- Once you get your schedule, go in person for background check and fingerprinting. It will be done in 10 minutes.

3. Enjoy TSA Pre Check- Add your KTN or "Known Traveler Number" to your ticket and enjoy Thanksgiving Holiday.

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Responsible Travel has been in search of the most inspiring individuals and organizations that have been a good steward of nature, preserves and respect tourist destinations and local people as well. This year, the organization's annual awarding celebration called World Responsible Tourism Awards will be held at WTM London on November 8. Thirteen finalists will be competing for this year's award. Here are some of the nominees:

Misool Eco Resort, Indonesia

Diver's heaven-on-earth, the pristine reef are one of the world's best tourist spots for diving. The resort has built a 465sq mile Marine Protected Area. With the participation of the local communities, the resort was able to preserve and develop marine resources.

Bushman's Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Resort, South Africa

Situated in the foothills of the Cederberg Mountains, this award-winning lodge is an ecological oasis. Have a relaxing vacation in the scenic open plains and see the ancient sandstone formations, plus over 130 sites of bush art paintings, which were made as far as 10,000 years ago. The reserve is known for its good employment practices.

Lemon Tree Hotels, India

The hotel focuses on bringing a healthy planet by engaging in energy efficiency and conservation by using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) instead of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), planting of trees and shrubs on hotel grounds and supports in using of green building materials. It also addresses the needs of its employees, to testify, it is considered as one of the Top 100 Great Places to Work For in India. They also hire people with physical and intellectual disabilities like orthopedically handicapped or someone with Down Syndrome.

World Cetacean Alliance

The WCA worldwide cause on captivity is concentrated on the rehabilitation and release of dolphins, porpoises and whales currently housed in dolphinariums and aquariums around the globe. The Working Group for Responsible Whale and Dolphin Watching is the driving force behind the WCA Whale Heritage Sites accreditation scheme that aims to set new standards for responsible whale and dolphin watching destinations. A number of new Whale Heritage Sites will be used in the coming years so that travellers can enjoy watching these marine animals in a safer place.

Karen Bevans, Director of Tourism, quoted in the Responsible Travel website, "We are extremely proud to be backing these thirteen incredible organisations. It's incredibly inspiring to see the calibre and variety of sustainable and responsible tourism outfits across the world. As we move forward with the next stage of our sustainable tourism plan here in Belize, we hope that their stories will in turn inspire businesses in our country, as well as in other parts of the world, to invest in, and achieve more through sustainable tourism."

Other nominees are: Xaus Lodge, South Africa; Burj Al Arab Aquarium, United Arab Emirates; East African Safari & Touring Company, Tanzania; Elevate Destinations, USA; Friends International - Childsafe Movement, Cambodia; Sam Veasna Centre, Cambodia; Sapa O'Chau, Vietnam; Tren Ecuador, Ecuador; and Viaggi Solidali, Italy.

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Nato has been on high alert amidst tension between Russia and the Baltic states are rising. A number of approximately 300,000 ground troops were put on "high alert" for a faster response time if ever a combat situation arises.

Independent reports, 4,000 Nato troops was about to be stationed at the Russian border and the Baltic states last October. It is considered one of the biggest military tension since the Cold War, and troop members will come from allied countries. "We have seen Russia being much more active in many different ways," Jens Stoltenberg, Nato secretary general, said. "We have seen a more assertive Russia implementing a substantial military build-up over many years - tripling defence spending since 2000 in real terms; developing new military capabilities; exercising their forces and using military force against neighbours.

"We have also seen Russia using propaganda in Europe among Nato allies and that is exactly the reason why Nato is responding. We are responding with the biggest reinforcement of our collective defence since the end of the Cold War." The typical time for troops to be deployed is six months, but they want to shorten it to two months.

In 2014, Russia took over Crimea, and ex-Soviet countries like, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia fears the same strategy will be done to them. As a result, alliance's are preparing for the worst. A US think-tank believes that in a matter of hours, Russia could outnumber Nato's troops in the Baltic states.

Also, Russia has been moving its battleships toward the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, according to The Times. Adding, Russian fighter jets having been flying over Nato's defence line in the Baltic states. One German pilot said that the Russian fighter jets are "armed to the teeth", carrying about six missiles up to ten. Beside this issue, Nato has been dealing with surveillance, hybrid warfare and cyberattacks done by Russia and other non-Nato states.

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Maui is the second largest island of Hawaii. It is an all-in-one island that offers the best nature adventures. Aside from cliff diving, windsurfing, hiking, and diving, it also boasts of the best snorkeling spots because of its shallow and clear water.

Here are the best places for snorkeling in Maui.

1. Honolua Bay

Honolua Bay is located at the north west of Maui and is a Marine Life Conservation District. This means that fishing is not allowed around the area which constitutes to it having a healthy aquatic environment with lots of fish of different species and brightly colored corals. The trek that is inside a forest to reach the bay is also extraordinary.

2. Ulua Beach

One of the beaches in Wailea, Ulua Beach offers the best snorkeling spot for beginners since the waters are shallow and sandy. Introductory scuba lessons are often done here which often takes place in the morning because the water is clearer at that time of day. Afternoon swims are less appealing because of the wind that makes the waves.

3. Honokeana Bay

If you want to encounter Green Sea turtles, Honokeana Bay is the best snorkeling spot to do your search. The Green Sea turtles eat the algae that grows on the rocks of the shore. Just be warned for waves since it makes snorkeling harder when the current keeps on changing directions. It is best to observe the water first and make sure that it is calm before you enter.

4. Kapalua Bay

Kapalua Bay offers two spots for snorkeling, one is the left rocky side (Lahaina) and the other is the calmer side (Kapalua). For beginner snorkelers, it is best to stick for the steadier water since the rocky side can get unruly. Lahaina has astounding coral and rock formations that have pockets in them. You can see different marine species here like octopus, crustaceans, puffer fish, and many others.

5. Ka'anapali Beach

Pu'u Keka'a, commonly known as Black Rock, is Ka'anapali's best snorkeling spot. It has shallow waters that is easy to enter into. The beach is surrounded by hotels which makes for the best accommodations.

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BASRA, IRAQ - The lakeside palace of former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, has been transformed into an artefact-filled art museum. The Basra Museum is the first museum to open in the country in decades.

Following the death of Hussein in 2003, the palace was used as a cafeteria for British troops. After the evacuation of the British in 2008, Iraqi locals began an international movement to obtain funds geared towards the restoration of the then-heavily-damaged property.

Museum director Qahtan al-Obaid, told the Associated Press that he selected the location so as to remove the traces of dictatorship and tyranny and replacing it with civilization and humanity. He also proceeded to express hopes that the museum's opening will revive culture and tradition in Basra.

After eight years of hard work, fund-raising, and campaigning, the Basra Museum has opened its doors to reveal the 4,000 artefacts and exhibits from Iraq's ancient periods. However, due to heavy repair costs and a lack of adequate funding, only one of the museum's intended four halls have been made open to the public.

According to Forbes, the restoration of the hall totalled about $750,000 for repairs and renovations. The same source indicated that the raising of the funds for the initial hall was done with the support of a British charity known as Friends of Basrah Museum.

Iraqi locals behind the building of the museum have expressed their hopes of showing their fellow Iraqis a way to better understand their history, as well as show them Iraq in a different light. The museum seeks to celebrate its great ancient civilization without featuring the dark destruction of the modern day.

A post made through the Basra Screen Instagram account states that the reopening of the largest museum in the city is an essential step in the conservation of the land's tribal heritage. It also continues to state that it is their hope to bring knowledge and tradition to the country's new generations.

Basra Museum is prepared to receive visitors on Sundays to Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every week. Inquiries and donations may be made via the Friends of Basrah Museum website.

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The best wineries of Germany produce the best products from the vineyard regions of the slopes located beside the Rhine River. Most of the plantations are dated back from the Roman era which makes their product better with time.

Here is a list of the country's best vineyard regions that produce the finest red and white wines in the world that you could encounter in Germany's wine tour packages.

1. Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

Start your wine tasting tour in Germany at the Mosel wine region, the third largest wine producer in the country. The best grapes are gathered at the slopes of the nearby Mosel River, and the end product provides a light and delicate yet rigid quality.

2. Palatinate

Known as the Pfalz region in German, it produced mostly Muller-Thurgau, Riesling, Silvaner, and Kerner. Because of its relatively warm climate, other Mediterranean fruits flourish here like figs and lemons. This region also host the Wurstmarkt, the world's largest wine festival in September at Bad Durkheim.

3. Rheingau

The Rheingau region is one of the smallest producers of wine in Germany, occupying only three percent of vineyard plantings. Despite that, its vineyard on the slopes beside the Rhine River enables the region to produce best quality of Riesling grapes, which makes up 80 percent of its total plantings. Rheingau is also known for its Spatburgunder, commonly known in France as Pinot Noir.

4. Rheinhassen

Simillar to Rheingau, the Rheinhassen region also has vineyard slopes beside the Rhine River, the Rheinterrasse, which produces the region's highest quality wines. Rheinhassen delivers 25 percent of wine in Germany making it the largest region to produce basic day-to-day wine.

5. Baden

Germany's longest wine region encompassing Basel, Switzerland, and Manheim beside Rhein River, Baden is also the third largest vineyard region in the country. The area is protected by the mountains of Vosges and the trees of the Black Forest which enables it to have a warm climate. This helps on having a fuller alcohol content on the products.

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 11

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the first compressed natural gas (CNG) station in Sector 44 and piped natural gas (PNG) supply in Sector 49 here today.

MP Kirron Kher, Mayor Arun Sood, BJP president Sanjay Tandon and Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla were also present on the occasion.

Pradhan said both projects would help the city to become pollution-free. He asked the authorities to come up with at least 30 CNG stations in the city within two years.

He hailed the initiatives taken by the UT Administration to make Chandigarh first kerosene-free city of India. The project with an estimate of over Rs 400 crore will supply PNG to more than 5 lakh households and provide CNG to vehicles through 30 CNG stations.

Over 3,000-km pipeline will be laid in the tricity to take the fuel at the doorsteps of the residents. Work on laying internal pipeline has been completed in four housing societies in Sector 49. Entire Chandigarh will be covered within a year. Residents will get PNG at the rate of Rs 23.65 scm, while CNG will be available at the rate of Rs 41.60 per kg in the city.

The project implemented by Indian Adani Gas Private Limited will also cover all villages of the areas. After Chandigarh, Panchkula, Nalagarh, Zirakpur and Baddi will also be connected soon.

Family happy to use facility

The family that got the first PNG connection was delighted to use the new facility. Veena Kumar, a resident of SBI Society, Sector 49, said now she would have no tension of booking an LPG cylinder. Jagdish Kumar said now they felt like they were living in a smart city.

Minister hails ut admn

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan hailed the initiatives taken by the UT Administration to make Chandigarh first kerosene-free city of India. The project with an estimate of over Rs 400 crore will supply PNG to more than 5 lakh households and provide CNG to vehicles through 30 CNG stations.

Other areas to be connected soon

The project implemented by Indian Adani Gas Private Limited will also cover all villages of the areas. After Chandigarh, Panchkula, Nalagarh, Zirakpur and Baddi will also be connected soon.
Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 12

Having learnt a lesson from violence during the Jat agitation, khaps have decided to first meet Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and then Prime Minister Narendra Modi for implementation of the Supreme Court (SC) verdict in the SYL canal issue before disconnecting Punjab from Delhi.

Khap leaders will meet Khattar on November 16 to seek time from the Prime Minister for a meeting.

During the Jat agitation in February, criminals damaged properties and innocents are still behind bars. We do not want to create any law and order problem in the state. After a meeting of the khaps in Jind today, we have decided to first meet the Chief Minister and then the Prime Minister for their immediate intervention as the BJP is an alliance partner in Punjab, said Tek Ram Kandela, convener of the Sarv Khap Panchayat, Haryana.

The khaps had called a meeting in Jind to finalise their agitation plans. But during the meeting, some senior khap leaders said that their agitation might go out of hand like the February one. Later, all khap leaders decided to first meet the CM and then the PM on the issue.

Though young khap leaders had adopted aggressive stand as all Punjab politicians were openly refused to accept the Supreme Court verdict, but senior khap leaders were unwilling to take any chance.

Now, the apex court has decided the case in our favour and we strongly believe that Punjab will have to accept it. We dont want any politics over the issue and just want justice. We hope Khattar will facilitate our meeting with the PM as early as possible, said Kandela.

Sube Singh Sumain, spokesman, Samasat Jat Samaj Sanghthan of the state, said that they had not cancelled their agitation plan, but only deferred it for some time.

We have been receiving calls from leaders of other communities to start an agitation to secure justice for Haryana. But, we do not want to take any decision in haste and decided to first meet the Prime Minister for his intervention, said Sumain.
Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 12

The scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes has cast a shadow over the four-day International Lavi Fair at Rampur, with cash-starved buyers and sellers looking for a quick-fix solution.

Lavi is the only fair in Himachal where only trade-related activities take place. It is not associated with any God, Goddess, deity or religious traditions. During this time, Rampur is flooded with local goods and traders from other parts of the state come here eyeing a healthy profit.

The temporary market yard, set up for the fair, has failed to attract buyers as most of them are cashless. Many traders coming to the fair for decades have not turned up this time due to apprehensions of a sluggish trade following the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes with the cash inflow virtually choked.

Local producers used to bring chilgoza, dried fruits, pashmina wool, pattoos, shawls, apple, kala jeera , shilajeet and other items. But this time, the arrival of goods is less and the price of 1-kg chilgoza has shot up to Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,300 from last years Rs 450 to Rs 500 due to low production.

The arrival of delicious Kinnauri apple has also dropped. Apple growers who usually have money in abundance during this period have no cash to buy the goods.

The arrival of Chamurath horses from the Spiti Valley also declined as only 17 horses were brought to the fair. Last year, the number was 100. Sources said buyers, especially Army personnel, directly purchased about 80 horses in the 2-3 age-group from Spiti as the prices shoot up during the fair. However the highest price fetched today was Rs 58,000.

The police are relieved as they dont have to raid gamblers dens. Gambling during the fair is common and it continues for several days even after the fair is over.

Reports stated that people turned up for gambling and used the old currency notes. The Lavi Fair has always been an important event. Rampur is an entry point to Tibet, Kinnaur, Afghanistan and Ladakh.
Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, November 12

The demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes has affected people, small traders, hoteliers but foreigners, who are here to enjoy the serene atmosphere of the state, are harassed the most.

Sanjeev Gandhi, general secretary of the Upper Dharamsala Hotel Association, said long queues in front of banks had left the foreigners in trouble. Taking undue advantage, some money exchange officials and agents were offering them their services in return of up to 70 per cent commission of their currency, he said.

Anat Sheena, a tourist from Israel, said she had some Indian currency notes. Now, nobody was accepting the currency. Today, I went to a bank but there were long queues and I failed to exchange the currency. Then, I went to a local money exchanger but he was asking for huge money in exchange of the currency. I was feeling exploited, she said.

Alexander, another tourist from the US, said: The Indian Government should have set up special counters for foreign tourists in banks and other places. We have been informed that the foreigners can exchange up to Rs 5,000 at airports. However, there is no such facility at Gaggal Airport in Kangra. Most foreigners coming to India do not have bank accounts here. They keep cash as guest houses and small hotels do not accept credit cards or debit cards, he said.

Pankaj, a restaurant owner in McLeodganj, said most eating joints in Dharamsala, were wearing a deserted look. The people were not coming to the joints as they were short of cash. The situation might improve after some days, but for the time being, the business at restaurants had been hit, he said.

Hoteliers and restaurant owners were expecting a slump in their business for at least six months.

Arpit Bawa runs a gift shop in lower Dharamsala. He said he used to bring gifts from wholesale markets in Ludhiana or Delhi and sell these here. Now, the entire trading had come to a halt. Uncertainty was prevailing as to how the trading would take place, he said.

Jewellers had closed shops apprehending income tax raids. Sources said that banks had refused to accept huge cash amounts from some jewellers in Palampur. The cash was allegedly generated from sales of gold the day demonetisation of currency was announced.

Sources said many agents were also making the rounds near banks, offering people to convert their black money into white. Some of them were even giving post-dated cheques as an assurance. They were charging from 25 per cent to 40 per cent of the value of their currency.

A source in the Income Tax Department said cheque exchange between people who did not have any business might come under scrutiny. However, for the time being the department was turning a blind eye to such transactions. Sources said people were using the accounts of their near and dear ones to deposit amounts up to Rs 2.5 lakh.
Mandi, November 12

Mandi MP Ramswaroop Sharma has urged the Reserve Bank of Indias zonal chief to send a sufficient amount of cash for banks in remote areas of Mandi which may get cut-off from the rest of the state any time due to snowfall.

Sharma held a meeting with officials of various banks here today and urged them to provide efficient services to the public.

He said Rs 111 crore had been deposited at the Himachal Gramin Bank in Mandi in the past three days, adding, accounts were being opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojna. He also urged people to cooperate with the bank authorities.

Meanwhile, people waited in long queues to deposit and exchange currency.  TNS
Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 12

Five Congress councillors of the Municipal Corporation of Jalandhar (MCJ) today offered their resignation to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Captain Amarinder Singh in protest against the Supreme Courts verdict on Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue.

Councillor Sushil Rinku from ward number 46, Harsimran Bunty from ward number 47, Amanjit Kaur Major from ward number 48, Kamlesh Grover from ward number 49 and Balkishen Bali from ward number 7 submitted their resignations. Out of these five, Rinku and Bali are also vying assembly tickets to contest the forthcoming elections in the state.

Rinku said the sharing of water with Haryana would not only put a affect on farmers in rural areas, but would also adversely affect the economy in urban areas. The economy of Punjab, being a major agrarian state, depends much on rural areas. The SYL decision will affect the crop yield and disrupt the economy cycle in urban areas as well, said Rinku.

While calling it a political gimmick, leader of opposition in the corporation Jagdish Raja said the councillors had offered resignation on their personal level. So far, no directions have come from the party high command in this regard. If we get such directions in future, appropiate action will be taken in time.

Meanwhile, Jalandhar District Congress Committee (urban) today burnt the effigies of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The protest was organised to condemn the state government and the Centre over their unfavourable role in the SYL issue.

District Congress Committee president Rajinder Berri alleged that Badal and Modi were directly responsible for the Supreme Court verdict on the SYL issue. He claimed that they had cheated the interests of the state and that the Chief Minister and Sukhbir Badal had been shedding crocodile tears on the verdict.

Berri said the resignation of PPCC president Capt Amrinder Singh and other Congress MLAs showed who were the real well wishers of Punjab. He said Akalis and BJP MLAs should have resigned to show their solidarity to Punjab. He called upon Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla to clear the stand of his party on the issue.

Phagwara : In Phagwara too, the Congress held demonstrations against the SAD-BJP government for their unclear stand on the SYL issue. Activists led by former minister Joginder Singh Maan and ticket seeker Balbir Sodhi burnt effigies of Chief Minister Badal and Prime Minister Modi at Rest House Chowk and near Bus Stand, respectively during separate programmes in Phagwara.

The BJP came out defensive. Party national secretary Chugh said it was height of betrayal that Capt Amarinder Singh who was witness to the exploitation of Punjab farmers at the hands of Indira Gandhi was now claiming to be their sympathiser by resigning from a post which he was otherwise likely to quit as he was all set to contest state assembly election from Patiala.

Chugh said it was unfortunate and ridiculous that small-time leaders of the Congress from the state burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Slamming the Congress leaders for their shameful act, Chugh said rather they should had burnt the effigies of their leader Indira Gandhi.

The BJP leader said that the SAD-BJP government won't allow even a single drop of water to flow out of Punjab and were all set to explore all legal possibilities in this regard. He said that the alliance partners with the help of people of Punjab would fight this battle in a peaceful manner.

Cong enacting resignation drama: BJP

Phagwara:The BJP on Saturday ridiculed the resignation of Congress MLAs as a "drama". Party national secretary Tarun Chugh said that Capt Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress MLAs were pretending to be martyrs without sacrificing anything. He said it was surprising that the Congress has decided to indulge in theatrics by resigning when the term of the present Vidhan Sabha was scheduled to end in a matter of just two months. Chugh said that it was public knowledge that the then Prime Minister and Congress president Indira Gandhi was the 'architect and creator' of SYL and Capt Amarinder Singh had not only given his consent to the move but also welcomed Mrs Gandhi when she came to lay the foundation stone of SYL canal. OC
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 12

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has awarded Rs 2-lakh compensation to an amputee, who the police say was a timber smuggler and was injured during a dispute with other timber smugglers.

In its judgment this week, the newly appointed rights commission, while disposing of a complaint by the petitioner, Mohammad Elias Gujjar, a resident of Wangam Doban in Bandipora district, has directed the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh with further directions to the Home Secretary to file a compliance report in four weeks.

In his complaint before the SHRC, filed in May 2012, the petitioner had submitted that on July 26, 2003, some unidentified armed persons entered his house, dragged him out of his house and shot at him. During the incident, he suffered multiple injuries, resulting in the amputation of his leg. Subsequently, an FIR was lodged at the Bandipora police station, resulting in filing of a challan on March 23, 2011, before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Bandipora.

However, the police, in its challan, have tried to establish a case that the petitioner was involved in timber smuggling and during a dispute with other smugglers, he suffered the gunshot wound.

With this position, the police filed a charge sheet against the petitioner in March 2011 before the CJM, Bandipora, under Section 379 of the RPC and Section 6 of the Forest Act, while making him an accused in the case. However, the case setup up by the police did not withstand the judicial scrutiny and subsequently lead to the acquittal of the petitioner by the trail court in August 2011.

I have no doubt in mind that the petitioner suffered a gunshot wound which resulted in amputation of one of his legs, SHRC chairperson Justice Bilal Nazki (retd) observed in his orders while deciding Gujjars complaint, adding that these facts have not been denied by the state. In fact, these facts have been admitted by the state in the FIR, he observed.

He has submitted that he is 36 years old and suffered injuries when he was in his 20s. He submits that he has no source of income. The gunshot suffered by him can be attributed to the overall situation in which the state finds itself for many years resulting in the failure to protect a young man and then blaming him for the tragedy he suffered, the SHRC order reads.

Therefore, a compensation of Rs 2 lakh is ordered to be paid in his favour. The compliance report shall be filed by the Home Secretary within four weeks, it added.
Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 12

In the wake of increasing tension over water sharing between Punjab and Haryana and the Punjab government mulling legal options to scrap all water-sharing agreements with neighbouring states, the issue of Shahpur Kandi barrage between Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab may snowball into a major controversy if the Punjab government scraps the pact with J&K unilaterally.

Scraping water pact with J&K will incur huge losses to the Punjab government and it will not be able to construct Rs 6,000-crore Shahpur Kandi barrage, aiming at tapping the extra water flowing towards Pakistan from the Ranjit Sagar Dam.

For this project, Punjab needs 40,000 hectares, out of which 35,000 hectares fall in J&K. Without J&Ks support Punjab cant construct the barrage. If Punjab scraps the 1979 pact, J&K being a riparian party and having the ownership of the Ravi as well will not provide Punjab land to construct the Shahpur Kandi barrage.

We will be keeping an eye what the Punjab government decides on November 16 during the special session of the legislative Assembly. Our stand is clear as we want the Punjab government to address our concerns and pay the losses and other things, said Sanjeev Verma, Commissioner Secretary, Irrigation Department, J&K.

On October 9, the Union Water Resources Ministry had convened a meeting, attended by J&K and Punjab official, to break the deadlock between the two states over the resumption of work on the project. Verma had represented J&K in this meeting.

He had made it clear to the Union ministry and Punjab government that J&K wanted Punjab to first pay the losses, Rs 8,650 crore, of water and electricity sharing pact of 1979, which Punjab never adhered. Besides, under this pact Punjab had to construct a 2-km Shahpur Kandi canal, give J&K 300 cusecs of water, 16 per cent electricity being generated from the Ranjit Sagar Dam, compensation to people dislocated due to the project and employment to one person of each family.

J&K has suffered a huge loss due to the absence of Shahpur Kandi canal which could have provide irrigation water to 1.33 lakh acres of agricultural land making Jammu surplus region in food grain. J&K had to spend Rs 245 crore on this canal project but it needed support from the Punjab government. In 2004, the Punjab government had scarped the water sharing pacts with Haryana and Rajasthan and there were rumours that pact with J&K was also scrapped but the Punjab government had cleared the confusion.

Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal had written two letters to former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and had clarified that they havent scrapped the pact but losses werent paid. Non-payment of losses has irked J&K and it hasnt allowed Punjab to go ahead with the Shahpur Kandi barrage project.

After the change of government in the state, the PDP-BJP government under the leadership of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had taken up the issue with the Central government. On June 20, 2015, Mufti had said J&K would seek the Central governments intervention to solve the issue with Punjab. On October 16, 2015, Mufti had again said J&K would address concerns of Punjab and had agreed to sign new pact on the lines of 1979 agreement, but it also couldnt solve the issue.

After Muftis death, his daughter Mehbooba Mufti took over and she on August 16 this year constituted a panel headed by the Chief Secretary to resolve the differences with Punjab. The panel had discussion with the Punjab government and Union Water Ministry but so far it hasnt succeeded in convincing the Punjab government to pay the losses. Both in J&K and Punjab, the BJP is part of the government and any one-sided decision will be difficult for the party to substantiate as which side it will go.
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 12

A soldier was killed in a fresh ceasefire violation in north Kashmirs Kupwara district.

The soldier was critically wounded during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, in Keran sector when Pakistani fired at a number of Indian posts.

The soldier was critically wounded due to a splinter injury and he succumbed to his injuries, Defence sources said.

The identity of the soldier could not be established immediately.

India and Pakistan exchanged fire during the most part of the night. There are reports that two residential houses in Keran were also damaged in the shelling.

There have been many ceasefire violations in Keran and neighbouring Machil sector in the past fortnight.

On November 9, a soldier was killed at Machil sector in Kupwara district.
Beijing, November 12

India will not become a pawn for Japan to contain China, a Chinese state-run media said on Saturday, accusing Japan of exploiting Sino-India disputes for its own interests.

Japan wants to use the disputes between China and India to court India to help contain China. Japan seeks to urge India to meddle in the South China Sea issue, even at the cost of changing its long-held position of reducing nuclear usage to offer special benefits of civil nuclear cooperation to India, Global Times said in an editorial on Prime Minister Narendra Modis three-day visit to Japan.

Looking at Japans diplomatic policies over the past few years, (Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo) Abe administration has become more active trying to sway regional powers to encircle China, the daily said.

It said that India is in need of acquiring nuclear and military technology from Japan and attracting more investment for its manufacturing industries and infrastructure, like high-speed railways.

The daily, however, said that India is not likely to change its position according to the wishes of Japan.

India takes a multilateral approach to diplomacy and pursues a status as a leading power. Japans plans are full of antagonism, which contradict Indias policies. Therefore India will practically assess specific cooperation with Japan case by case, the daily said.

India will not become a pawn for Japan to contain China, as it wants to become a power on par with China and Japan and benefit from both sides. India will get closer to Japan but will not enter into a brotherhood relationship, it said.

The editorial, which was apparently written before India and Japan issued joint statement yesterday, said that both sides hinted they would include the South China Sea Arbitration in their joint statement.

India and Japan yesterday sought a peaceful solution to the territorial disputes in the strategic South China Sea, saying parties involved in the matter must not resort to threat or use of force, in remarks that could anger China which is opposed to any outside interference. PTI
Jitendra K Shrivastava

Tribune News Service

Patna, November 12

A journalist associated with a vernacular daily was shot dead at Sasaram in Rohtas district of Bihar in the wee hours of Saturday.

Dharmendra Singh was a resident of Amara Talab village falling under Muffasil police station of Rohtas.

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Assailants shot at at Singh on Saturday when he was taking his morning tea at home. He suffered injuries and was rushed to hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. The criminals escaped from the spot.

Police took almost four hours to reach the spot and initiate a probe. Autopsy is being performed. Locals are angry at police for being late.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Modi rushed to the journalists house to offer condolences.

About six months ago, another journalist of a vernacular daily, Rajdev Ranjan, had been killed in Siwan district of Bihar. The probe of Rajdevs murder is being carried out by the CBI.

Singh, who had been serving several vernacular dailies, was brave and bold in his writing.
Washington, November 12

Indian-origin California Attorney General Kamala Harris has the potential to become the first woman president of the United States, a media report has said, days after Hillary Clinton was unable to break the highest glass ceiling.

The 51-year-old Harris, whose mother was from Chennai and father from Jamaica, won the US Senate seat from California in a landslide election this Tuesday, becoming the first black and Asian senator from the state.

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Soon thereafter she launched her nationwide campaign against Trumps anti-immigrant policies and mass deportation.

Meet Kamala Harris, who could become the first woman President. Californias popular attorney general is headed to Capitol Hill. The White House might be next, The Huffington Post wrote on Friday.

The Huffungton Post article came a day after she denounced Trumpism.

Noting that she had already made history with her Senate win, the daily said she had impressive track record as California Attorney General and had top Democratic leadership, including the outgoing President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, on her side.

These alliances could help boost Harris profile across the country should she choose to run for president in 2020, The Huffington Post wrote.

In her concession speech, Clinton had said that the glass ceiling could be broken much earlier than thought.

I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but some day someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now, Clinton told her supporters in New York on Wednesday.

To all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams, Clinton said. PTI
Osaka (Japan), November 12

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday left for home after concluding his three-day visit to Japan, during which the two countries signed a landmark civil nuclear deal and nine other agreements in various areas.

Modi left from the Japanese city of Osaka for New Delhi.

"Sayonara Japan! An important friendship stands strengthened as PM @narendramodi enplanes from Osaka for the journey back to Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Before his departure, Modi addressed a luncheon gathering of business leaders in Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay.

He also travelled in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which is being introduced in India on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch, with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

During the visit, India and Japan signed 10 pacts covering a range of areas such as boosting Japanese investment in infrastructure, railways, and for cooperation in space and agriculture, as part of agreements to bolster bilateral ties.  PTI
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 12

Apart from the signing of the landmark civil nuclear cooperation agreement between India and Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modis Japan visit also saw a number of other important accomplishments.

Earlier today, Modi, accompanied by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, travelled from Tokyo to Kobe by the Shinkansen bullet train whose speed ranges from 240 km to 320 km per hour. The same technology is going to be deployed for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Railway.

During the PMs visit, a specific time frame was fixed for implementing this ambitious project. The construction of the high-speed train corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will start in 2018 and the train service will be operational from 2023. Also, this again symbolises the growing warmth in India-Japan relations.

China and Japan today are global competitors when it comes to high-speed rail contracts. The fact that India chose Japan over China for this $15 billion project has given Tokyo a hope that New Delhi would choose it again for another five planned rail lines.

Abe also announced a relaxation of visa requirement for Indian students and expressed his intention to expand the number of visa application sites for Indian nationals to 20.

Another significant takeaway from the talks between Modi and Abe has been Japans support to Indias membership bid for the elite nuclear club NSG, besides the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group.
Kolkata, November 12

Upping the ante against the BJP, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said she is not averse to working with CPI(M) and other opposition parties like the Congress, SP, BSP to fight against the "anti-people" the Modi government which has imposed an "undeclared emergency".

"We may have ideological differences with CPI-M but we are ready to work with it and other opposition parties like the Congress, SP, BSP to save the country. The anti-people Modi government has imposed an undeclared emergency in the country," she told a press conference at the state secretariat.

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"Congress, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh ji, (Arvind) Kejriwal have protested against the demonetisation issue. Let all the opposition parties work together to save the country," she said, adding that BJP will lose deposits in upcoming elections.

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of conducting a surgical strike on the common people in the name of unearthing black money, she said that the demonetisation move was taken without any proper planning causing immense hardship.

"The Modi goverment had misled the people on the surgical strikes (in PoK). The people do not know what had happened," she said.

TMC Parliamentary party will raise the issue on the floor of Parliament and will seek answers on the issue of surgical strikes, she said.

Turning to Modi's statement from Japan on the future steps to curb black money, she said, "Now the Prime Minister is threatening the people of the country from foreign land.

"What will he do? He can put us in jail or shoot us for raising voice. I don't care. He can also declare emergency," she said.

Terming the demonetisation move as "dangerous, disastrous and draconian", Banerjee demanded that a probe should be carried out by the Chief Justice of India to find out the financial loss in the country during the period after the announcement of demonetisation of high value currency.

"I heard that the ruling party (BJP) knew about the demonetisation of the high value notes," Banerjee said, adding, "Why should the common people be punished?"

Earlier in the day, she visited banks and ATMs in the city to witness the "hardship" faced by the common people and demanded withdrawal of the decision.

"I visited several bank branches and ATMs since the morning. I spoke to the people...How they were facing this inconvenience due to an ill-planned and anti-people policy.

Those who have black money are not standing in long queues," she said.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 12

Around 1,000 pilgrims did not join the jatha that left for Nankana Sahib today, apparently due to cash crunch.

About 2,000 devotees today left for Pakistan to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak that falls on November 14.

The jatha  under the banner of the SGPC  was flagged off by its president Kirpal Singh Badungar from the Golden Temple complex.

The Pakistan Embassy had granted visas to 3,000 pilgrims to visit Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda in Sheikhupur district, Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib before returning on November 21.

In all, 2,014 devotees (1,260 men and 754 women) crossed the border through the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post.

Immigration authorities confirmed that during investigation, it was found that around 80 per cent of the pilgrims who didnt come dropped the idea of going to Pakistan as they could not arrange the new currency notes.
Chandigarh, November 11

Stepping up pressure on the SYL canal issue ahead of the Assembly elections, all 42 Congress MLAs today submitted their resignation letters to the Speaker. A Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting was held thereafter where it was decided to launch a drive against the Badal government for its failure to protect Punjabs rights.

Exhibiting unity, the MLAs, led by PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh and CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi, decided to burn the CMs effigies in all 117 Assembly constituencies tomorrow.

Edit: Control hotheads

Ambika Soni, Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo, all MPs, were at the meeting too. A state-level rally will be held on November 13 at Abohars Gunjal village located in the area most affected by the SYL decision, Sunil Jakhar, PPCC vice-president, said. Capt Amarinder, attacking the Centre, said despite the CM and the Punjab BJP claims that not a drop of water would be allowed to flow into the SYL, Badals daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur and other MPs have not resigned, exposing doublespeak.

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He said the party would go to the people, imploring them to ensure a clear win for the Congress in the elections so it was able to pass the legislation to give them justice.  TNS

Akalis to move motion in LS against SC verdict

Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal will move an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha next week for a debate on whether the judiciary is above the Constitution or not. SADs Prem Singh Chandumajra said the Supreme Courts ruling invalidating the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act 2004 was unconstitutional, adding that it could not take away the states rights over riverwaters. Meanwhile, Punjab has constituted a three-member legal team to formulate opinion on the possible options, including scrapping all water-sharing pacts. TNS
Vandana Shukla in Chandigarh

The script runs from left to right, in Devnagari Shree Katasraj Mandir painted with swastika sign on both sides, on a notice board. The subsequent lines run, from right to left, in Urdu, giving detailed information about the antiquity of the temple complex and the relevance it holds for the Hindus, in Chakwal district of Pakistan.

The current border tension has not deterred a few dedicated individuals to renew efforts to arrange a trip, especially around Shivratri festival to Katasraj. The Evacuee Trust Property Board of Pakistan (ETPBP) and the country's Tourism Development Corporation have come forward to help.

Why Katasraj?

Locals know it as Katas Quila, because the temple complex spreads across many acres. In its best days, it must have been a vast complex as it housed a renowned university. Famous Iranian mathematician Alberuni measured the circumference of the earth while he was studying Sanskrit here. The temple complex had saptgraha - a group of seven temples - and many other big and small temples constructed over a period of 1,000 years under the rule of the Hindu Shahi. A few murals and frescos that survived vagaries of time and vandalism give a clear picture of its lost grandeur. Legend has it that Lord Krishna himself made a Shivlinga here to worship Shiva, the temple also finds a mention in Mahabharata, as Dvaitavana, in the epic. Several caves surround the temple where the Pandavas spent time during their forced exile. The holy pond, as the legend goes, was created by the inconsolable grief of Shiva at the death of his wife Sati; the tears formed two pools of water; one at Pushkar near Ajmer and the other at Katas.

Ruins of a huge Buddhist stupa and havelis built during the reign of Sikh rulers span era up to the British rule, preserving at least 1,500 years of history.

The pilgrimage

In 2006-07, the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Integration and Tourism Development Corporation of Pakistan decided to place idols in the seven temples to restore their lost glory, aimed to attract Hindu pilgrims and tourists to Shree Katasraj. The government set aside Rs 51.06 million for the restoration project. Hindu pilgrims trickled in, but the lack of facilities at the site and visa issues remained a deterrent.

People on both sides have resolved to change the scenario. Pilgrimage, on both sides, can re-forge strong ties putting pressure on the governments to relax visa restrictions. Among the revival seekers is Aliya Harir, of Justice, Aid, and Development (JAD) Foundation, Islamabad, who stayed put in India with a group of 20 young girls, to promote people-to-people contact during the heightened animosity between the two countries post Uri attacks. "Katasraj is deeply rooted in the Indian identity. Today, when the temple has geographically become a part of Pakistan, it makes no difference to the sacredness Hindus attach to it. A history of 1,500 years can't be undone by present-day borders. We want to welcome our Indian brothers and sisters to Katasraj, to take blessings home."

When Hindus and other minorities got equal voting rights, the Pakistan government sanctioned funds for renovation and building a dharamshala at Katasraj for the visiting pilgrims. Good roads were constructed leading to Nanakana Sahib and Katasraj. As a result, the number of people going to the temple has increased. "I visited the temple complex a few years ago. I wrote to the Pakistan government for its maintenance. They responded," says Satyapaul Grover, of South Asia Fraternity. He and another NGO, Yuvsatta, are involved in peace initiatives and want 200 people to visit Katasraj this March, during Shivratri.

The Pakistan government has put up the temple pictures and details of its history on its websites. The government is also nominating the temple complex for World Heritage Site status, for thousands of years of spirituality attached to it - of different faiths, says Chaudhary Kabir Ahmed Khan, former MD, Pakistan Tourism Corporation.

vandanashukla10@gmail.com
Mukesh Ranjan in New Delhi

It was a bright afternoon in the national capital on November 8. There was a flurry of activity at the Prime Ministers Office: Narendra Modi was to meet the three Service chiefs along with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The PM was to meet the President too. The impending meetings set off all sorts of rumours, given the tense Indo-Pak border situation. Even before Modi came out of Rashtrapati Bhawan, it was announced that the he would address the nation on Doordarshan at 8 pm. It was the perfect day for news hounds. And for the PM, too.

All eyes were glued to the TV, a rare moment for any Prime Minister, indeed. Then came the bombshell: Modi shot down Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes over the Indian financial spread. Black money and corruption are the biggest obstacles in eradicating poverty, the PM said. By the stroke of midnight of Nov 8 these notes ceased to be a legal tender. Another surgical strike, exclaimed a reporter.

Modi has twin objectives: hit hard at black money facilitated by hawala transactions and unaccounted domestic wealth; neutralize Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) linked to terror funding. It is well-known that most illegal wealth is stashed in high denomination currency notes. The estimation of the total non-taxed cash transaction in the system could only be known after December 30. Until then Indian citizens are allowed to deposit or exchange the two high-denomination notes. The decision to introduce new Rs 2,000 notes as well others is guided by logistical reasons as exchanging high-value notes with smaller ones would create a chaos.

Its perhaps the most significant move ever taken to curtail the parallel economy. It will give a sharp boost to all formal channels of payments, which, in turn, will help the formal economy to grow at a faster clip in the long term, said ICICI Bank Ltd managing director and chief executive officer Chanda Kochhar. Officials associated with financial & revenue intelligence refer to a study conducted by the Kolkata-based Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Two things came to the fore: a) intelligence sources put the FICN of the face value of Rs 70,000 crore (allegedly pumped in by Pakistan); b) the total visible FICN is estimated at only Rs 400 crore.

Intelligence reports say around 80 per cent of the FICN is routed to India through Bangladesh. The NIA has been engaging with its counterparts in Dhaka to crack down on gangs involved in the activity in that country, particularly at airport and ports. Another area of concern is hawala channel being extensively used by Pakistans ISI to finance terror networks. The hawala operators would generally stock Rs1,000 and Rs 500 denomination notes because these were easy to handle due to less volume.

To check counterfeits, Finance and Home ministries, RBI, security and intelligence agencies are working in tandem. An FICN Coordination Group is functional in the Home Ministry to share intelligence among various security agencies.
KV Prasad in New Delhi

There will be something unusual when the 115th US Congress comes into session early January. The world knows that Donald Trump will take oath of office on the Capitol Hill on January 20, as the 45th President of the United States, but there is more for India to look forward to.

From the time early immigrants from the sub-continent reached the shores across Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in the late 1800s onwards, the Indian community has indeed arrived to make a distinct mark on the politics in the land they preferred to live.

For the 3.4 million strong Indian-Americans, who constitute barely one per cent of the US population, the citizens of land of immigrants have elected five people from the community as members of Congress: Kamala Harris to the Senate and Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthy, Rohit RoKhanna and Pramila Jayapal to the House of Representatives. A fifth contestant Peter Jacob failed to win his election.

From the time Dalip Singh Saund got elected to the House in 1956 as the first Asian-American, the incremental transition of the community transformed into a distinct identity as Indian-Americans, which in itself narrates the success story.

Having achieved economic success and social mobility, the Indian-Americans average annual household income is in the range of $ 88,000, nearly double of an average American take-home. Besides they have earned a unique place in the US as a community of highly talented, educated and skilled personnel who straddle across fields as academia, computers, entrepreneurs, space, oceans, medical and research and excel.

The entry of this bunch of highly energetic individuals as members of the US Congress stamps the completion of a long voyage as each of them made it to the top of political heap in this land of opportunities by sheer grit, hard work, focus and determination.

Each of them lived the American dream and a set of ideals of democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and equality wherein freedom includes pursuit of happiness and social mobility for the family and children through hard work.

While India and Indians can take pride that children of immigrants have made a mark on the political map of the US, it will be unfair to expect that their focus will be more on the home country, they or their parents/grandparents came from.

Read what Pramila Jayapal, 51-year, rights activists told her supporters after the triumph: We fought for and won higher wages for all of Washingtons hard working families. We fought for and won protections against senseless gun violence. I am proud to be the new voice and fighter for the people of Washington States 7th Congressional District. I have never backed down before, and I will not back down now.

Ro Khanna, 39, ran his campaign promising to move beyond the gridlock in Washington with concrete solutions to strengthen public schools in his area, create good paying jobs, and to move Americas economy into the 21st century. Raja Krishnamoorthy, 43, entered the race because he felt working people deserved a voice in Congress. I believe that a fair minimum wage, paid maternity leave, and equal pay for equal work are not extreme partisan ideas  they are concrete policies to help lift up working people in this country and rebuild a shrinking middle class. All politics, as they say is local. And Indian-Americans have got it under their skin to get a fine grasp of issues that matter to the people. And all the five Indian-Americans were elected on a Democratic ticket.

At the same time, Indians are also working with the Republicans and one of the prominent faces is Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, who was former vice chairman of the California Republican Party. On Trumps victory, she told the US-India Political Affairs Committee that his victory heralds a new era of opportunity and promise for all Americans, which will naturally benefit Indian Americans

Indian Americans can expect the new President to focus on lowering regulatory burdens, reducing taxes on individuals and corporations, focusing on jobs and growth for America... I fully expect to see many prominent Indian Americans in the new administration, Kaur said. Congratulating President-elect Donald Trump on behalf of the community and pledging to work with the new administration, Sanjay Puri, the force behind USINPAC said the new President must work on kick-starting the economy, tackling ISIS and terrorism in Asia.

Trump has already arrived in Mumbai!

Donald Trump, president-elect of the United States, is popular in India as well going by the number of developers queuing up to construct iconic buildings bearing his name. Premium high-rises bearing the Trump Towers insignia are coming up in Mumbai, Pune and Gurgaon with developers from other cities like Kolkata showing interest as well. According to information available from Tribeca Developers, there are five ongoing projects bearing the Trump moniker which should be completed in the next couple of years.

There are no cash investments from either Donald Trump or his companies in these projects. Developers pay for the use of the Trump name and logo in addition to fees for consultancy services, according to sources.

Two projects in Maharashtra alone are: the Trump Tower in Mumbai being constructed by the Lodha group, and another is in Pune being constructed by Panchshil Realty. Sources in the real estate business said both buildings are premium projects and aim to attract the rich and famous in the two cities.

We have already sold most of the flats in the 75-storey tower which will be completed by the end of 2018, a spokesperson for the Lodha group said.

Just how much will be spent on licensing the Trump name is unclear with the company representative citing business confidentiality.

The total value of the Trump realty projects in the country is valued at over US $ 1.5 billion. Promoters of Panchshil realty are already negotiating with the Trump Organization for more projects in Pune.

Shiv Kumar in Mumbai
Aditi Garg

Mirchi & Mime, a restaurant in Powai, Mumbai, is wait-staffed by hearing-and-speech impaired persons. For some customers, it is the novelty of the theme that draws them to the restaurant. Many, however, are unsure about how to react. But the pleasant disposition and charm of these specially abled persons puts them at ease. The noble gesture apart, it is, however, the good food and ambience at the bar and grill that draws people back. According to Prashant Issar, co-owner of the joint, Mulling over the concept of a restaurant, my business partner and I decided to focus on creating value for not just ourselves but also for society at large. Since hearing and speech impaired persons are born with the traits important for the hospitality industry  a pleasant disposition, focused and intuitive  we felt Mirchi and Mime would be perfect to put their key strengths to use. We, however, had a tough time convincing their parents that this was indeed an opportunity for their children. The candidates too were wary of the offer as they had suffered many prejudices.

Sixteen months down the line, the restaurant has managed to get the highest rating from Zomato. With plans to start a second restaurant soon, it has proved that these boys and girls were the right choice.

Prepping for the mainstream

When Dr Jitender Aggarwal, a dentist, lost his eyes, he experienced first hand the apathy that a disability brings. This realisation that the world is a different place when you are not in the mainstream egged him on to start the Sarthak Educational Trust in 2008. He wanted to enable the differently abled to be financially independent. With nine centres around India, the trust is growing to accommodate the need to provide skill-based training in ITES, BPO, retail and hospitality.

According to Arun Sharma, project manager of the Chandigarh centre, It is not about charity or mercy but the respect earned through meaningful employment. Besides skill upgradation, we have started an early intervention programme that aims to identify disability early in life. This enables better integration by minimising the impact of disability.

People like Bhagyashree Vartak have dedicated their lives for such people. A special educator and supervisor at Rochiram T Thadani High School for Hearing Handicapped, she has been working with specially abled people for the past 24 years. Nothing gives her more pleasure than seeing the differently abled live independently. Her students are studying in normal schools. Some of them have done post graduation and featured in ads. They have even won international accolades.

I have been conferred with many awards but it is the success of my students that matters the most, she says. She was a part of the Silent Indian National Anthem performed by the hearing and speech impaired, along with Sangeeta Gala, which was aired on TV channels, cinema halls and won three medals at the Cannes International Film Festival, France.

Not a burden on anyone

Once in the mainstream, they try to be the best. From being chosen star employees of the month to outperforming the average, there is no frontier they wont breach to make their presence felt. With the right training, they are not a burden on their families. Being financially independent gives them a sense of pride at being able to become a contributing member in the household.

Hearing impaired since birth, Mandeep Singh from Ropar, Punjab, got a major confidence boost after he trained in assembling products in retail at Sarthak. Hes presently employed at Gilard Electronics. With a bit of help, he now enjoys being gainfully employed.

Vinay Kumar from Chandigarh is afflicted in his lower limbs but with training, he has been able to overcome his inhibitions. Working as a customer care executive at Dr ITM Limited, he is happy that he no longer needs to depend on others and can contribute to his familys finances.

Talent cannot be subdued by disability. A recent example is that of Australias Got Talent contestant Emmanuel Kelly, who didnt let his impaired limbs hold him back. His singing ability has come to define him.

The big screen as well as the small screen has been giving these people the much deserved, and long overdue, centre stage.

The new KFC Friendship Bucket ad brings sign language into our living rooms and pitches it as something that expands the horizons of your friendship. They are as full of life as we are and only when we give them a chance can they show that they are just as friendly, trustworthy, patriotic or for that matter, annoying, as us. KFC, which aims to create a robust team where specially-abled employees will constitute 10 per cent of the total workforce, has around 170 such persons on its rolls at present.

Need for change

Do you feel uneasy knowing that the person taking your order or billing you for your purchase is disabled? This apprehension has kept many specially abled people stuck inside homes when they could have easily be working alongside us, with as much dignity. At Elante Mall, Chandigarh, Lifestyles hearing impaired staff more than makes up for it with their efficiency and the most endearing smiles.

The need today is not to keep them away from direct interactions but for us to accept them. If Stephen Hawking can defy all odds and define science as we know it, Thomas Edison could light up the world and Beethoven could give a symphony that is heralded as the greatest works of music ever, there really is no disability that stops a person other than their own willingness. A supportive society could go a long way in making the world a better place for them.
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, November 12

Over 2,000 BJP activists from Haridwar city Assembly segment will take part in the Parivartan rally to be addressed by BJP national president Amit Shah at Bannu Intermediate College tomorrow.

District BJP president Suresh Rathore, while addressing mediapersons at the partys city office in Devpura, said workers were quite enthusiastic over the event.

It will be a record breaking rally as post surgical strikes on Pakistan-based terror launch pads and the recent historic decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has increased manifold, he said.

Vikas Tiwari, in charge of city Assembly affairs and vice-president of the district unit, said more than 40 buses, carrying party workers to participate in the rally, would be flagged off by city legislator Madan Kaushik from Rishikul ground for Dehradun. Party office-bearers Kamani Sadana, Nitin Jolly, Sudhanshu Pundit among others were present on the occasion.
Kabul, November 12

Four Americans were killed in a suicide bombing inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan today, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said, in a major breach of security.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield, north of the capital Kabul, which left 16 other US service members and a Polish soldier wounded as the insurgents ramp up attacks on Western targets.

The dead included two American soldiers and two contractors, in an assault which highlights rising insecurity in Afghanistan nearly two years after US-led NATO forces formally ended their combat operations.

Force protection is always a top priority for us in Afghanistan, and we will investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it, Defense Secretary Carter said, adding that he was deeply saddened by the news.

We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future, he said.

The blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base, said Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of the Parwan province where Bagram is located.

The attacker was one of the Afghan labourers working there, Sediqi said.

Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi described the explosion as powerful, saying it reverberated across the area. The base was put on lockdown following the attack. The attack represents a brazen security breach inside one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan.

The US has around 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, with the largest contingent stationed at the Bagram base.

Bagram Airfield has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.  AFP
Dhaka, November 12

An Islamist militant leader, the prime suspect in the brutal murders of a secular blogger and a publisher in Bangladesh, has been arrested from the national capital, police said on Saturday.

Khairul Islam alias Fahim, a leader of intelligence wing of the outlawed Ansar al-Islam also known as Ansarullah Bangla Team, was arrested from Kamlapur Rail Station area in Dhaka last night, said Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of the Detective Branch of Police.

Khairul, 24, was believed to be involved in the murders of Jagriti Prakashani publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan and secular activist Niladri Chatterjee Niloy, besides scores of deadly attacks on secular activists and foreigners.

Khairul participated in the murders of Dipan and Niloy, Joint Commissioner Detective Branch of Police Abdul Baten was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune.

Baten said Khairul admitted his involvement in the killings during primary interrogation.

He said Khairul had joined the group in 2013 and the next year he met its senior leader Sayed Ziaul Haque, a sacked army major for his involvement in a failed coup in December 2011.

Khairul had started to collect information about the duo since January 2015 and provided it to the outfits Askari section (armed wing) to carry out the killings, he added.

Seeing CCTV footage, Khairul has identified four people involved in blogger and secular writer Avijits killing and we are analysing the information, Baten said.

Dipan was hacked to death at his office in Dhakas Shabagh area in broad daylight on October 31, 2015. The group had claimed responsibility for the murder.

Niloy was hacked to dead at his residence on August 7 last year.

Bangladesh has seen a spate of gruesome attacks on secular activists, religious minorities, bloggers and foreigners, many of whom have been hacked to death with machetes.

The country has launched a massive crackdown on militants after the July 1 Dhaka terror attack in which 22 people, mostly foreigners, were killed.  PTI
Kabul, November 12

At least four people were killed early on Saturday in an explosion inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, NATO said, with the Taliban claiming responsibility for the major security breach.

The explosion struck at dawn inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield north of Kabul, as the Taliban step up attacks on Western targets before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs.

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The nationalities of those killed were not immediately known after the blast, which highlights a worsening security situation nearly two years after NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan.

An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded, NATO said in a statement.

Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident.

Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province where Bagram is located, said the blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base.

We dont know the identity of victims yet, but the attacker was either one of the Afghan labourers working there, Sediqi told AFP.

Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi said the explosion that struck around 0100 GMT was powerful and reverberated across the area.

To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences, said John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

For the family and friends of those wounded in todays attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was behind the suicide attack inside Bagram, claiming it inflicted heavy casualties on US invaders.

The brazen attack represents an alarming security breach inside what is regarded as one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan.

Bagram Airfield, close to Kabul, has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistans largest US military base. It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.

The latest attack comes after a powerful Taliban truck bomb struck the German consulate in Afghanistans northern Mazar-i-Sharif city late Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding more than 100 others.

The uptick in attacks comes just days after a bitter US presidential election. AFP
Los Angeles, November 12

Lady Gaga, Pink, Sia and other celebrities are encouraging their fans to legally prevent Donald Trump from assuming presidency as a part of a new campaign against the newly elected US president.

The effort is attached to a petition with more than 3.1 million signatures at publishing asking the electors of the Electoral College to reject their states votes on December 19 and instead vote for Hillary Clinton, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Gaga also took to Twitter to request her fans to sign the petition.

Me trying to figure out how the United States let a racist, sexist, homophobic and unqualified man win the presidential election. pic.twitter.com/6syf7XqSuA  Lady Gaga (@gagamonster96) November 11, 2016

If you feel scared about the current state of American politics and Whitehouse sign this petition, she wrote.

Pink also tweeted, Electoral College Electors: Electoral College Make Hillary Clinton President on December 19 - Sign the petition.

The petition argues, Mr Trump is unfit to serve. His scapegoating of so many Americans, and his impulsivity, bullying, lying, admitted history of sexual assault, and utter lack of experience make him a danger to the Republic.  PTI
Arlington (US), November 12

Three days after election day, President Barack Obama used his last Veterans Day speech to urge Americans to learn from the example of veterans as a divided nation seeks to forge unity after the bitter 2016 campaign.

Obama, in remarks at Arlington National Cemetery, noted that Veterans Day often comes on the heels of hard-fought campaigns that lay bare disagreements across our nation.

But the American instinct has never been to find isolation in opposite corners, Obama said.

It is to find strength in our common creed, to forge unity from our great diversity, to maintain that strength and unity even when it is hard.

He added that now that the election is over, as we search for ways to come together, to reconnect with one another and with the principles that are more enduring than transitory politics, some of our best examples are the men and women we salute on Veterans Day.

Tuesdays election of Republican Donald Trump led to protests across the country.

Obama noted that the US military is the countrys most diverse institution, comprised of immigrants and native-born service members representing all religions and no religion. He says they are all forged into common service.

With just two months left in his term, Obama also noted how hes aged over the past eight years.

He read excerpts from an essay by a middle-schooler who wrote that veterans are special because they will defend people regardless of their race, gender, hair color or other differences.

After eight years in office, I particularly appreciate that he included hair color, Obama quipped.

Turning serious again on his final Veterans Day as commander in chief, Obama said that whenever the world makes you cynical, whenever you doubt that courage and goodness and selflessness is possible, then stop and look to a veteran. On Veterans Day, we acknowledge humbly that we can never serve our veterans in quite the same way that they served us, but we can try. We can practice kindness, we can pay it forward, we can volunteer, we can serve, we can respect one another, we can always get each others backs, he said.

Before speaking, the president laid a wreath at the cemeterys Tomb of the Unknowns. He bowed his head in silent tribute before a bugler played taps.

Obama also held a breakfast reception at the White House with veterans and their families.  AP
Washington, November 12

Twitter users have flooded the micro-blogging website with calls to assassinate the President-elect Donald Trump and the US authorities were probing the threat, media reported on Saturday.

Some posts called for both Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence to be assassinated, and theres even an #AssassinateTrump hashtag, New York Post reported.

A user wrote that the only remaining question after the historic and polarising election is who will assassinate Trump.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Last weekend, Trump was rushed off a stage in Nevada where Secret Service agents took action after an unidentified individual shouted gun in front of the stage.

Meanwhile, thousands of people all across the US continued to march down streets and interstates opposing Trumps victory in the presidential election.

More demonstrations were expected through the weekend, according to the authorities.

Trump tweeted twice about the protests. On Thursday, he said, Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!

On Friday, he said: Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last (Thursday) night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud! IANS
Tonight a Nine documentary Murder in Melbourne, looks at three profile murder cases: Jill Meagher, Dermot OToole and David Greene.

Narrated by Nine News reporter Alexis Daish, this incredibly moving program investigates failings in Victorias parole system, which could be said to be responsible for two of the murders.

The program opens with the botched robbery and killing of Dublin-born jeweller Dermot OToole in July 2013. We see poignant interviews with his wife and family.

David Greene was attacked while managing a hostel in Melbourne one year earlier. The program documents the plight of his parents, Aidan and Catherine, who on hearing of his attack flew to Melbourne, only to have to sanction his life-support being switched off 12 days later. They then had to face Davids killer in court.

The most infamous Melbourne murder in recent history is of course that of Jill Meagher. Jills death became one of the highest profile murder cases in Australias history, not just because of its brutality, but because her killer, Adrian Bayley, a convicted rapist, was out on parole at the time.

Convicted armed robber Gavin Perry was also on parole. Perry was a highly dangerous career criminal and quickly went on a spree of armed robberies, which eventually led to the death of Dermot OToole.

This is an engrossing and touching portrait of ordinary families coping with devastating loss and the difficult and heartbreaking journey to get justice for their loved ones.

9:30pm tonight on Nine.
Well heres a love story The Bachelor hadnt planned on.

Two contestants, originally vying for the affections of Richie Strahan, have confirmed that they have fallen in love.

Megan Marx and Tiffany Scanlon told the Daily Mail they confessed their love for each other on holiday in Bali, Indonesia in June.

While we were in the show, it was just a friendship. It probably wasnt until we were in Bali together that it was like Oh, this is more, Tiffany said.

We had very different experiences when we were on the show. Obviously I found Tiffany very attractive but I was there to get to know Richie, she said. But instantly we knew there was a very strong connection. I was so excited to meet her in Bali.

The couple revealed no one seemed to notice they had become more than friends during that fateful holiday  and it took months for anyone to find out.

It started in June and it wasnt until October that people noticed! So it was quite a long time, Tiffany revealed.

The pair admitted their fellow contestants had a feeling something was going on between them during filming.

Its been interesting talking to other girls on the show, because they just knew something was going on, Megan said.

Funny how none of that made the edit.

Congrats!
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and two servicemen were wounded in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine over the last day.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson for ATO issues Colonel Andriy Lysenko stated this at a press briefing in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Over the past day as a result of combat actions, unfortunately, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and two servicemen were wounded, he said. ish
On Monday, November 14, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will pay an official visit to Sweden.

This has been reported by the press service of the Head of State.

The visit program includes meetings of President Petro Poroshenko with the Swedish prime minister, the speaker of the Riksdag (parliament) of Sweden, as well as the leader of the Moderate Party, which leads the opposition Alliance in the Swedish parliament.

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US president-elect Donald Trump and French President Francois Hollande vowed in a telephone call Friday to try to "clarify positions" on potentially thorny issues, including Ukraine and the Middle East.

In a first call lasting 7-8 minutes the two leaders discussed the fight against terrorism, the battle against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, the conflict in eastern Ukraine and the Paris climate accord, a French presidential source told AFP.

The two men expressed a "desire to work together," the source added.

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Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion has urged all countries to remain firm about upholding sanctions against Russia for its actions toward Ukraine.

"The behavior of Russia in Ukraine and Syria is problematic to say the least. Because of that, it is important to be very frank in our relationship with Russia," Dion told a news conference in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Reuters reported.

"About Ukraine, there are sanctions that are existing and Canada is insisting that all countries must be very firm about these sanctions," Dion added.

Sanctions were imposed by the United States and the European Union, as well as Canada, to punish Russia for its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Western leaders have said Trump must not ignore Russian actions in Crimea and Syria when he sits down with Putin. Canada has sought closer relations with Russia despite tensions over Moscow's actions in Ukraine, but remains a strong ally of Ukraine.
NASA has already expressed its concern over SpaceX's fueling process. How will the space agency respond to the investigation conducted by Elon Musk and his company on the Falcon 9 rocket's explosion last Sep. 1?

It was previously reported that NASA is alarmed over SpaceX's "unique and contrarian fueling process." It seems that the space agency is concerned with the process because it involves people on board the spacecraft.

Earlier this month, NASA's advisory committee issued another warning to SpaceX. It was noted that Musk and Gwynne Shotwell, the president of SpaceX, suspected the fueling process to be one of the main reasons of the blast. The explosion happened within 93 milliseconds in the preparation of the spacecraft.

Experts criticize the use of the same fueling process especially when it happens just 30 minutes before the launch. Around this time, the crew would already be required to be strapped to their seats.

Space News reported that one of NASA's advisory committees' criticisms of SpaceX's commercial crew mission plans have raised questions about the roles and responsibilities of said committees. The space agency released a letter submitted by Thomas Stafford last December.

Stafford is a former astronaut who is now the chairman of the International Space Station Advisory Committee. He addressed his letter to Bill Gerstenmaier, who is NASA's associate administrator for human exploration and operations.

Stafford expressed concern about SpaceX fueling plans. Specifically, he is worried about having astronauts on board its crewed Dragon spacecraft before the Falcon 9 rocket, which will launch it, gets fueled.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the committee's warnings could become complications to SpaceX's plans of bringing crews to and from the International Space Station. Questions on the safety of the fueling process would also become NASA's responsibility and on whether they will authorize practices that contradict longstanding safety protocols.

Elon Musk recently confirmed that the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blast was caused by supercooled oxygen. He added that the oxygen was too cold, though, that it actually turned solid. It was noted that the liquid helium containers inside the oxygen tank may have been responsible for pushing the oxygen to combustion.
Black students at the University of Pennsylvania received hateful text messages. They were specifically targeted for their race.

The Daily Pennsylvanian, the university's student newspaper, reported that several UPenn black freshmen were added to a GroupMe message named "Mud Men." They were bombarded with racial slurs and graphic images with racially explicit content.

A member of the group posted a photo of lynchings with the caption, "I love America." The same individual also posted an event into the message called "Daily lynching."

The University of Pennsylvania has released a statement on Twitter revealing that the GroupMe account "appears to be based in Oklahoma." Police and information security staff are already working to find the exact location of the account.

In an official statement, President Amy Gutmann, Provost Vincent Price and Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli shared their thoughts about the racist messages to Penn students. The statement was issued to the whole school community.

"We are absolutely appalled that earlier today Black freshman students at Penn were added to a racist GroupMe account that appears to be based in Oklahoma," they said. "The account itself is totally repugnant: it contains violent, racist and thoroughly disgusting images and messages. This is simply deplorable."

They also confirmed that the administration is doing everything it can to address the impact that these racist messages have on black students on campus. They are increasing campus safety and are reaching out to affected students.

"This is absolutely vile material and completely offensive to everyone on our campus," they added. "We are both angry and saddened that it was directed to our students or to anyone. The people responsible for this are reprehensible."

This is not the first time that minority groups have been attacked on campus. Since Donald Trump has won the elections, hostile acts against minority students in schools have increased.

There have been several instances this week that suggest how Donald Trump's victory at the U.S. 2016 election has sparked backlash among the minority groups on campuses. Universities have been trying to pacify fears about the nation's future by organizing meetings and counseling sessions.
Hundreds and thousands of high school students from different states have walked out of their classes on November 9 to protest the victory of Donald Trump in the presidential election. Because of this, teachers were faced with the challenge of making their students understand what the Trump presidency would mean for their future.

Emotions were hightened in almost every part of the nation during the election day, and students started asking a lot of questions and expressed their fears about their future, while others were celebrating and hopeful of the promise that the new administration will bring. These educators, especially the ones in schools where there was a larger number of immigrants and minority populations, were confronted with classrooms of worried and troubled students. Many of these teachers set aside the discussion on their lessons and took the time to explain and discuss the election, hoping to ease the fears that the students might have.

"They are worried and scared about the uncertainty surrounding their community," said Tyler Alabanza-Behard, an English teacher at a charter high school in Houston, where many students are undocumented immigrants. Instead of conducting a class, he was confronted with many questions he had a difficulty answering "They were asking questions I couldn't answer: 'What will happen to my family? What will happen to my friends?'"

Jake Zebley, a high school teacher from Maryland's Eastern Shore, also shared how one of his Hispanic students approached him with a look of defeat on his face, saying "I guess today is our last day," Zebley recounted the 9th grader saying. "Because Trump won, my family might be deported."

Just like the rest of the teachers, Zebley tried to comfort the student and began the discussion in the class with the explanation about the different branches of the US government and how the power and the authority is balanced.

"Students started to be far less fearful and a little more optimistic because they knew it was not one person who could set the course of their future," he said.
Gem Valley (Sapa)

This coffee shop is located on the way to Cat Cat Village. The wood caf is a destination of many visitors who travel to Sapa. The shop space is rustic, and is decorated by paintings of an artist from Hanoi. There are tables along the corridor overlooking the valley of Cat Cat village. In the early morning or late afternoon, the clouds stretch across the valley, creating magical atmosphere here.

Fansipan Terrace (Sapa)

Less than 1 km away from the Stone Cathedral in the centre of Sapa, this coffee shop has a cozy indoor space and open outdoor area. Sitting outdoors, tourists can both enjoy coffee and see clouds. Sitting inside, they can also see the clouds outside the window. Besides drinks, the shop serves fast food in Asian and European style.

Wind Cafe (Tam Dao)

Located at an altitude of nearly 1,000 meters above sea level, the town of Tam Dao has a cool climate all year round. Quan Gio (Wind) cafe is situated in a prime location, covered with clouds on all sides. The shop also has binoculars so visitors can watch the scenes around.

Me Linh (Dalat)

This coffee shop is designed in the style of houses on stilts, with wood as the main material. There is an open space with a vaulted canopy to welcome natural sunlight, and simple tables and chairs, where you can drink coffee and see the vast coffee plantation and a large lake. Not located in the city center, the cafe is in Ta Nung, about 15 km from Da Lat.
Swimmers are seen in the water despite shark warning signs posted on the beach in the Australia's northern New South Wales city of Newcastle. (AFP/Peter Parks)

The 46-year-old man, whose name has not been released, lost track of his boat when the anchor broke while diving with a friend about 12 nautical miles off the coast of Geraldton in Western Australia late Thursday.

His friend found the boat but the man failed to return. Rescuers searched the area after the alarm was raised but found no sign of the missing man, Western Australia Police said in a statement.

The man managed to swim to shore in the early hours of Friday after seeing torch lights on a small beach. Family members who had been searching for the man in the area found him a short time later.

"The wind was blowing 20 to 25 knots from the south and the water can get very confusing out there," Geraldton Volunteer Marine Rescue Group spokesman Ian Beard told the Western Australian newspaper.

"He would have been borderline hypothermic by the time he got to shore. He should go out and buy himself a book of lotto tickets."

"He's very, very lucky to have made it ashore... (the wetsuit) stopped him from getting hypothermia," Beard told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

There are a handful of shark attacks on people off the coast of Western Australia every year, according to conservation groups.

Local media reported this week that a fisherman in Geraldton had caught a 3.85-metre (12-foot) hammerhead shark, and two years ago a great white shark was found dead on a nearby beach with a sea lion stuck in its throat.

The tale of survival came less than a week after a diver was plucked to safety after drifting more than 30 miles from his boat following a solo dive at the Yongala wreck on the Great Barrier Reef.
Inova car from Toyota Motor Vietnam reached the highest rate of local parts at 37 per cent. Photo toyotavn.com.vn

Speaking at a meeting with domestic automakers and representatives from ministries in Ha Noi on Thursday, Dung said the implementation of free trade agreements would be challenging for the industry, however, the opportunities would expand as the domestic market develops, along with the regional market.

To reach the targets, the deputy PM emphasised the importance of remaining determined, taking bold actions and assuring unanimity between the Government and business community. It also needed to focus on development targets to take action and solve difficulties for businesses, including auto assemblers and parts suppliers.

Dung asked automakers to develop more initiatives in the industry by strengthening co-ordination among domestic businesses and international enterprises.

According to the report from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the automobile industry consists of more than 400 businesses, with most being small and medium enterprises. They have a total production capacity of about 460,000 units per year. Of which, 47 per cent are foreign-invested businesses, the remainder being domestic businesses.

In the 2001-2014 period, the industry reached an average growth rate of 17 per cent annually and contributes more than US$1 billion to the State budget per year, while creating jobs for about 100,000 workers.

The ministry said that locally-produced trucks and passenger vehicles with ten seats and above, and special-purpose vehicles, had reached the high rate of using locally supplied parts from 45 per cent to 55 per cent, while meeting 70 to 90 per cent of the markets demand.

However, the industry failed to gain the target of supplying 60 per cent of local parts for vehicles with nine seats and below by 2010. In fact, it has currently gained an average rate of 7-10 per cent, of which the Inova car from Toyota Motor Vietnam (TMV) reached the highest rate, at 37 per cent.

The ministry said the industry was able to produce some simple parts, such as mirrors, glass, seats, electric wires, batteries, tubes and some plastic products. Of the total 400 auto businesses, few had invested in those production technologies used in manufacturing auto bodies.

Also, the industry has failed to obtain the targets of selling cars at reasonable prices. Car prices in Viet Nam remain high, compared with nearby countries, said the ministry.

Representative from TMV said the industry has been placed on the list of prioritised sectors, but the countrys current policies were similar to other countries, so it had not yet been able to make breakthroughs in the industrys development.

Meanwhile, representatives of other automakers, including Hyundai Thanh Cong, Ford Vietnam and Vietnam Engine and Agricultural Machinery Corporation, agreed that the Governments policies on supporting businesses and the auto market were quite responsive to the current situation, though they had been implemented ineffectively.

The implementation of policies needs to be concrete, explicit and easy to understand. As for policies which directly affect businesses, it is necessary to set up itineraries with detailed and suitable steps, said the representative from Ford Vietnam.

Discussing import taxes on automobiles, which will be greatly reduced in the next few years due to free trade agreements, the representative of carmaker Truong Hai Automobile JSC (Thaco) said there would be two scenarios.

In the first, businesses which have auto production and assembling factories in Viet Nam and other ASEAN countries will try to maintain production of several models, while shifting to imports. In a second scenario, there will appear a new investment wave from giant automakers which have never built factories in ASEAN. With the Governments policies on encouraging and luring investment, the investors may want to set up business in Viet Nam with an eye on the regional market.

Therefore, if Viet Nam has the correct policies, there will be many opportunities to develop its automobile industry, said the Thaco representative.

To head up new opportunities, Deputy PM Dung said businesses needed to restructure its operation, select key products, reduce production costs, improve quality and cut product prices.

As for State management bodies, Dung assigned relevant ministries and sectors to take prompt actions on checking mechanisms and policies to fill up or revise, if needed.

Further, the Government will prioritise to develop the part supply industry by pushing co-operation, expanding markets and implementing policies to attract investors.
PQC initiated its second phase in April 2015, with total investment of more than VND2 trillion (US$89.4) for all categories, including runway, hangar, passenger terminal and outdoor parking.

On average, the airport daily serves 42 flight both arrivals and departures. In the last nine months, it served 1.6 million visitors to Phu Quoc, an increase of 47.18 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Hung also noted that the total land area provided to the airport by the district to date and in use since 2002 was 905ha, helping the airport to increase the annual number of visitors to the airport.

Presently, PQC has finished some 35 per cent of total construction. It is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2017.

The number of visitors to Phu Quoc through the four main domestic routes from Ha Noi, HCM City, Hai Phong and Can Tho, together with international direct routes from countries such as Russia, Sweden or China is increasing significantly due to a larger number of flights available to the area.
Six Vietnamese crewmen, including the captain of the Royal 16 cargo ship are abducted by pirates in sea off the Philippines on Friday, according to the Viet Nam Maritime Administration. - Photo cand.com.vn

The pirates seized six crewmen, including the captain, after releasing the boat and 13 other crewmen, one of whom was shot in the hand by the pirates, the administration said.

Owned by the Quy Sang Maritime Transport Joint Stock Company in the northern province of Thai Binh, the vessel, which departed from the coast off Quang Ninh Province on November 5 carrying a large cargo of cement, sent an emergency signal at about 3:30pm today, while some 10 nautical miles west-southwest off Baliland Island, the administration reported.

After being released, the boat, with its 13 remaining crewmen, continued to sail until reaching Zamboanga, also in the Philippines.

The Filipino coast guard had begun an investigation, said the VNMA.

The Vietnamese maritime authority added that it had informed the regional anti-piracy co-operation agency about the abduction, as well as other agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Earlier, AFP, a French news agency, reported that the Vietnamese cargo vessel was captured by gunmen in the southern Philippine waters, an area where the Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants have been on a kidnapping-for-ransom spree.

The attack brought to at least eight the number of people abducted from vessels in the region over the past week, including an elderly German sailor, raising fears authorities are unable to control the worsening piracy problem.

In recent months, Abu Sayyaf has been accused of kidnapping dozens of Indonesian and Malaysian sailors in waters off the southern Philippines.

Over the weekend, an Abu Sayyaf commander claimed responsibility for abducting a 70-year-old German sailor and murdering his wife, AFP reported.
Once the project comes into operation, it will later on serve as a base for the two parties to construct an additional solar panel production plant in the provinces Sao Mai Industrial Park.

However, before implementing the solar power plant, Koyo will install a 1MW solar power generator system with the total investment capital of $1.5 million for International Development and Investment Corporation (IDI), Sao Mais subsidiary in Vam Cong Industrial Cluster in the southern province of Dong Thaps Lap Vo district. Following this, Sao Mais remaining factories in Vam Cong Industrial Cluster will be equipped with 1MW solar power generators.

Co-operating to build the solar power plant marks the deepening relationship between the two parties. Since December 2015, Koyo and Sao Mai have been actively implementing cooperation programmes. Notably, Koyo has provided a number of products for Sao Mai to use, including LED lighting systems saving energy in the groups manufacturing plants, and an outdoor intelligent lighting system using solar energy for advanced urban residential areas and resorts.

Chairman Koi-chi-Kawa-ji said that Koyo will provide technical support for Sao Mai to develop large-scale solar power projects in the central provinces of Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan. In addition, Koyo will co-operate with Sao Mai to develop projects in Africa.

Established in 1996, Koyo specialises in manufacturing energy-saving products and providing a range of products and services that support the continued operation of businesses and government agencies during emergencies, such as natural disasters including earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods or a breakout of infectious diseases. In addition, it constructs and operates solar power plants in Japan and Africa.

Meanwhile, Sao Mai is a conglomerate operating in the real estate, seafood processing, and cooking oil manufacturing sectors. It currently has 15 member companies with a total chartered capital of VND6 trillion ($264.8 million).
In 2006, Kim Hong was working with Trump on bringing the Miss Universe pageant to Vietnam. At that time, many other countries around the world also wanted to host this beauty pageant. However, in the process of discussion and negotiations, Trump was convinced by the effort of the Vietnamese team and helped to realise this biggest beauty pageant in the universe in Vietnam in 2007.

The Miss Universe pageant was then held successfully in the city of Nha Trang in Vietnams central coastal province of Khanh Hoa in that year. Through this beauty pageant, Vietnams image, culture, history, economy and people has been widely promoted worldwide through NBC channel.

Kim Hong is very excited at Trumps victory to become the 45th US president and looks forward to seeing him again in the future. As a Vietnamese citizen, I wish the friendship of Vietnam and the US will develop sustainably, she said.
Music Time in Africa is VOAs longest running English language program. Since 1965, this award-winning program has featured pan African music that spans all genres and generations. Ethnomusicologist and Host Heather Maxwell keeps you up to date on whats happening in African music with exclusive interviews, cultural information, and of course, great music -- including rare recordings from the Leo Sarkisian Library of African Music.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghanis beleaguered national unity government suffered a major political blow Saturday, when the parliaments majority voted out three key Cabinet members, including the foreign minister.

Lawmakers ousted the ministers for failing to adequately perform their duties and for being unable to implement the essential development budgets they were allocated for their respective ministries.

The parliament plans to summon three ministers every day over the next week to seek an explanation for not spending their respective development budgets before deciding their fates.

Among those dismissed were Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, Minister for Public Works Mahmoud Baligh and Nasreen Oryakhel, minister for Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled.

While announcing the outcome of Saturdays voting, Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, the speaker of the lower house, or Wolesi Jirga, asked Ghani to introduce new minister-designates for the confidence vote.

Rabbani took charge of his office in February 2015, months before Baligh and Oryakhel joined the Cabinet.

The political setback comes as differences continue to plague the workings of Ghanis unity government, in which Abdullah Abdullah, his election rival, turned coalition partner, holds the office of Chief Executive.

While the two leaders have agreed on policies related to national security and foreign affairs, they remain apart on internal political workings, such as appointments to key government offices and ambassadorial positions.
Brazilian officials said Friday the federal government won't intervene to help the financially strapped state of Rio de Janeiro.

Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles told reporters the government cannot adopt measures to help one state because all states are facing financial difficulties.

Protests erupts

Late Friday, clashes erupted between police and demonstrators in Rio following a march against spending cut proposals by both the federal and state governments.

Thousands of people, mostly public school teachers, university professors and union members, marched to the state legislative assembly building. Toward the end of the mostly peaceful protest a small group of masked men known as Black Blocs began throwing glass bottles and fireworks toward police, who responded with teargas, stun grenades and pepper spray. At least two people were detained.

Local media reported this week that Rio de Janeiro Gov. Fernando Pezao was thinking about asking the federal government for help with the financial crisis. But Pezao told reporters Friday he did not plan to ask the government to intervene.

State owes federal governments

Brazils government Thursday froze Rios accounts until it pays 140 million reals ($42 million) it owes the national administration.

The state declared a state of financial emergency before Rios 2016 Olympic Games in August, but many public workers havent been paid in months.

Because the financial crisis stems from a drop in global oil and commodity prices, Meirelles has suggested that the state borrow funds from international banks, using future oil revenue as a guarantee.
Intensive talks at a Swiss resort aimed at reaching a deal to reunify the ethnically divided island have broken off and will reconvene in Geneva on November 20, officials said Friday.

Cypriot government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides told The Associated Press that talks in Geneva will again concentrate on how much territory Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will administer under an envisioned federation.

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akinci, the leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots, have spent the last five days at the Swiss resort of Mont Pelerin trying to trash out an agreement on territory that would pave the way for a final summit to discuss the pivotal issue of security.

A Turkish invasion in 1974 following a coup aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece split the island into a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north and an internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence and maintains more than 35,000 troops in the north.

Progress has been made

A United Nations statement said significant progress has been made on territory, as well as other interconnected issues like how many people will reclaim homes and property lost during the war.

The statement said both leaders agreed on the nine-day pause after Anastasiades requested it.

Territory is crucial to any Cyprus accord for both sides. Greek Cypriots have said territorial adjustments must provide for at least 100,000 people to reclaim lost homes an property.

Turkish Cypriots want the least amount of people being displaced from homes they now live in under any arrangement.

Greek Cypriot negotiators in Mont Pelerin sought to outline on maps how much territory either side would administer before agreeing to a final summit on security. Turkish Cypriots wanted a security summit date before agreeing on maps.

A final summit would focus on who and how security would be provided for a federal Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots insist on Turkey being able to militarily intervene on their behalf -- something Greek Cypriots reject.
The judge in the death penalty trial of Dylann Roof believes it's possible the white man charged with gunning down nine black parishioners in Charleston last year may not be mentally competent to stand trial, according to newly unsealed court documents.

A defense motion unsealed Friday mentions U.S. Judge Richard Gergel's finding that it's reasonable to believe Roof "may presently be suffering from a mental disease or defect." The motion says the judge's finding doesn't alter Roof's constitutional rights.

Gergel ordered another competency exam for Roof earlier this week, one day after halting jury selection, because of the defense motion. He held a hearing with only himself, Roof and defense lawyers present to consider the defense motion.



"The court is mindful that this delay in jury selection may be disappointing to some," reads Tuesday's order. But "under the present circumstances, the court finds this brief delay in jury selection to serve the ends of justice."

The judge expects a report on the evaluation Monday and will hold a hearing Wednesday. Gergel plans to rule within days whether Roof is competent and, if so, begin jury selection for Roof's trial Nov. 21.

Much of the unsealed defense motion is redacted, including several lines preceding the reference to Gergel's "reasonable cause" finding.

If Roof is declared incompetent, he should be transferred to a Bureau of Prisons hospital for further evaluation and treatment "aimed at restoring him to competence," the motion reads. Roof's attorneys want the doctor's report disclosed to them first.

They also want Wednesday's hearing to be closed and any disputes about the competency finding to be sealed.

The prosecution opposes both requests, saying the "victims should not be held in the dark."

Prosecutors have asked that Wednesday's hearing be open to the public.

"Particularly in light of the strong interests of the victims to be present for the hearing, there is no overriding interest in closing the hearing," reads the document signed by acting U.S. Attorney Beth Drake.

About 70 motions, documents and orders have been filed in the case since September. The overwhelming majority have been sealed from public view.

Roof is charged with hate crimes, obstruction of religion and other counts in the killings at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Authorities said he sat with 12 people in a prayer meeting for nearly an hour before firing dozens of times, killing nine and leaving three unharmed so they could tell the world the shootings were because he hated black people.

Gergel's order may delay opening statements until 2017. The judge plans to question the 500 prospective jurors in groups of 10, twice a day, until he qualifies 70 for lawyers to choose from. That process is expected to take several weeks.

Roof's lawyers have said previously that he would plead guilty to the charges in federal court if prosecutors would agree not to seek the death penalty.

State prosecutors also plan a death penalty trial for Roof on nine counts of murder after the federal trial is finished.
EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says U.S. President-elect Donald Trump poses risks for the relationship between the European Union and the United States.

Speaking to students at a conference in Luxemburg late Friday, Juncker said Trump must get up to speed on how Europe works in order to avoid two years of wasted time when he assumes the presidency in January.

Generally speaking, Juncker said, the political class and the U.S. in general take no interest at all in Europe. Mr. Trump has said during his campaign  I was just telling this to our president here  that Belgium is a little village in Europe. Its spot on if you look from very far, but it does not reflect the reality. So we have to teach the president-elect what Europe really is and how Europe works.

Juncker reminded his audience that Trump had called NATO into question, which could have harmful consequences because it is the model of Europes defense.

He called into question the Trans-Atlantic Alliance, which is actually quite pernicious, and so he questions the model of the defense of Europe, Juncker said. With regards to refugees and non-American whites, Trump has an approach which in no way coincides with the convictions and feelings in Europe. I think that we will waste two years before Mr. Trump gets to know the parts of the world he is unaware of.

Junckers blunt remarks reflected the shock and concern among some European leaders at the election of Trump, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, among other statements, and questioned the principle of collective defense in NATO.

During the U.S. election campaign, candidate Trump was also a vocal critic of the open border migration policies of some EU nations.

Juncker's comments contrasted with the more diplomatic reactions of other European leaders, who have said they look forward to working with the next Republican president.

On Wednesday, after Trumps victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk invited him to an EU-U.S. summit to discuss issues including terrorism and Ukraine.
Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, said Friday that Moscow had banned him from entering the country.

McFaul, who was ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, wrote on Facebook that Russia had banned him because of his close ties to President Barack Obama.

"Was told that I am [on] the Kremlin's sanctions list because of my close affiliation with Obama," he wrote. "I will take that as a compliment!"

McFaul said the move was a response to U.S. visa bans for senior Russian officials following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

He said he found out about the ban when he applied for a Russian visa in order to travel to the country in December to do work for Hillary Clinton's presidential transition if she had won the election.

McFaul, who is now a professor at Stanford University, wrote on Facebook that he hoped he was not on the Russia travel ban list forever. "Since 1983, I've been living in and traveling to that country," he said.

On Friday, he also tweeted: "I probably have been on travel ban list since 2014, in response to U.S. sanctions. Just found out now because I sought to apply for a visa."
In the outskirts of Mosul, bullets and mortar fire are nearly constant by day, and the occasional sound of an airstrike or a car being hit by a rocket makes no one look up.



Civilians still live in the area, some having fled the inner city in recent days, with no desire to move into the rapidly filling refugee camps just outside the war zone.

About 200 meters from the last suicide car bomb attack he has witnessed, Noaaf Zanoon lives with his family in a home someone else abandoned when they fled. In a nearby field of dust, the bodies of two IS soldiers now rot where they fell.



Our house was shaking, he tells us, offering us some of the lunch Iraqi soldiers had just handed him. When asked about what it is like living with the constant sound of battle, he laughs. In the relative safety of the outskirts of the city, hes not afraid of the bullets.



Islamic State fighters would come into our home and fight from inside it or right in front of it, he says. Sometimes they run from home to home to try to get the army to shoot the people.



Commanders say three more Mosul districts have been recaptured from Islamic State militants but the fight is slow going because ISs most powerful weapon at the moment is human shields.



The biggest challenge we face is the presence of civilians because there are so many, explains Lt. General Abdulwahab al-Saady, who commands counterterrorism forces from the front lines, at a base about two kilometers from where plumes of smoke mark the fighting in the inner city. Some of these people are staying in their houses and refuse to leave.

About 10 minutes later, a rocket hits a car soldiers say was rigged as a suicide bomb, another common IS military tactic, less than 300 meters away.



Downstairs, a constant stream of families pack into military trucks after fleeing the nearby violence. One man is held back because he is carrying a piece of IS-approved identification.



IS was shooting at us as we ran away, says 14-year-old Mashara, who is still wearing a black veil as required by IS. We ask her and other women if they are wearing their veils by choice.



No, they made us, says one woman as she boards the crowded truck. We have just kept them on so people dont take our pictures.



Guarding Civilians Complex



On the dusty fields and amid the rubble, civilians who arent moving farther from the battle search for basic supplies, like wheat. Many carry white flags as they walk to declare that they are not IS escaped from their front line, a tactic commonly employed, as civilian vehicles stream out of the war zones, also bearing white flags  or rather white cloth tied to sticks  but not perfect, say some civilians.



The militants sometimes hang white flags too, explained Nadia Mustafa as she waited to get onto an Army bus to a refugee camp last week with a group of women all veiled in black. A few days later we meet her again at the camp, now unveiled and grinning in a pink headscarf.



Even people fleeing, she says, are sometimes infiltrated by IS militants and caught as they are screened at checkpoints and refugee camps. The International Organization for Migration says nearly 50,000 people have fled their homes as the Mosul offensive ends its forth week.



There were two militants wearing veils among the women we came with, she says. They were wearing makeup and everything.
Moldovan are facing a critical choice for the presidency, as the country votes in a run-off election that will determine whether it moves closer to Moscow or the European Union.

Igor Dodon, a Socialist former trade minister, had a sizable lead in the first round of voting last month, but failed to gain an outright majority and avoid facing second-place finisher Maia Sandu in the November 13 run-off.

Sandu, a former World Bank economist and education minister, has called for closer ties with the European Union, and warned about the danger of closer economic relationship with Russia, which is Moldovas leading energy supplier.

Dodon wants to reverse the countrys move toward European integration, which included a historic association agreement signed in 2014 despite bitter opposition from Russia.

The vote is the first since 1997 where the president will be elected by national balloting instead of by parliament.

The tiny country of 3.5 million is one of Europes poorest, a situation only worsened by the turmoil that erupted in late 2014 when nearly $1 billion -- around 10 percent of the country's GDP -- disappeared from three banks.

Moscow fears Moldova moving closer to the European Union, similar to what happened in Ukraine in 2014.

Russia also has thousands of troops stationed in the disputed military presence in the mainly Russian-speaking territory of Transdniester, which broke away following a short war that killed some 1,000 people.

Russia still keeps a contingent of troops ostensibly as peacekeepers in the territory.

Polls show the banking crisis sapped many Moldovans enthusiasm for European integration. It also prompted the European Union and the International Monetary Fund to suspend financial aid.

Earlier this week, however, the IMF approved nearly $180 million of loans for Moldova ahead of a presidential runoff election that could see the former Soviet republic move closer to Europe or tilt toward Russia.

The Washington-based fund cited what it said was Moldovas improving economy and government reform to strengthen the banking sector.
The daily protests that have sprung up against Donald Trump since his election as U.S. president continued Saturday across the country in blue, red and swing states alike.

Thousands of demonstrators marched to Trump Tower in New York City on Saturday afternoon with signs and chants including "Black lives matter" and "Not my president."

After protests on Wednesday, a cordon of heavy trucks loaded with sand was put in place to protect the Trump Tower apartment building, and demonstrators are still being kept a block away.

More demonstrations have been planned and organized on Facebook for Saturday throughout the country in places such as Kentucky, Michigan, Las Vegas and Seattle.

Protests turned violent in the West Coast city of Portland, Oregon, early Saturday amid fears a Trump presidency will erode Americans' civil rights and trigger unrest.

Also Saturday, hundreds of Germans and U.S. citizens living in Germany gathered in Berlin near Brandenburg Gate and the U.S. Embassy to protest Trump's election, saying his policies would hurt civil and human rights.

Hundreds of protesters marched Friday through the streets of Portland, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti.

Portland police used tear gas and flash-bang grenades on protesters in response to demonstrators throwing burning projectiles at officers. Authorities said vandalism and assault had taken place during the rally, which organizers had billed as a peaceful event earlier in the day.

One demonstrator was shot in the leg early Saturday, according to witnesses. It was not immediately clear who shot the protester.

But plans for another night of protests were already underway in Portland.

Blocking freeways

Police down the coast in Los Angeles said Friday that they had detained 185 people, many of them for trying to blockade the city's crowded freeways.

In New York, hundreds of people gathered in Washington Square Park for a "love rally" late Friday, then set out for Manhattan's Union Square, a traditional destination for political marches, about a half mile (one kilometer) away. They held signs saying "Love will always trump hate" and chanted "Not my president" as they walked.

In Philadelphia, about 100 students from Temple University marched from their campus to City Hall to voice their concern that Trump would divide the country, not unite it.

Trump has responded to the protests with two notes on Twitter that sent a mixed message about his reaction. Late Thursday he complained that "professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!"

Perhaps responding to those who thought his initial message was unpresidential or inappropriate, he tweeted Friday: "Love the fact that small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud."

The wave of protests began just hours after Trump's stunning upset victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was confirmed early Wednesday, and demonstrations have sprung up daily since then in more than a dozen U.S. cities.

'Immigrants welcome here!'

Demonstrators in all of these locations angrily recalled some of Trump's inflammatory and controversial comments during his campaign, about immigrants, Muslims and women. One of the slogans they have chanted is: "No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here."

Many of the protesters have said they intend to continue their rallies and demonstrations during the weeks ahead, even until the new president's inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on January 20.

IN PHOTOS: Trump Critics Continue Rallies Across US, Beyond

Meanwhile, reports also are emerging of racist incidents at a number of U.S. schools and universities, including chants of "white power," anti-black graffiti and in some cases physical clashes.

Since Trump's election, reports have shown an uptick in racist incidents and hate crimes across the country. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups, documented more than 200 incidents of hateful harassment and intimidation in the three days after Election Day.
Robert Redford says he is planning on retiring from acting soon to focus on directing and on his first love  art.

The 80-year old star of Out of Africa and The Sting told his grandson Dylan in an online interview that he was getting tired of acting.

"I'm an impatient person, so it's hard for me to sit around and do take after take after take," Redford said in the interview published November 10 for the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. "Going back to sketching  that's sort of where my head is right now."

Redford, who has never won an Oscar for acting despite a storied 50-year career, will not be departing from the big screen any time soon.

He said he has two more acting projects in the works. One is a love story for older people with Jane Fonda, his co-star in the 1967 romantic comedy Barefoot in the Park, and the other is a lighter movie with Casey Affleck and Sissy Spacek. According to movie website IMDB.com, both movies are expected to be released in 2017.

"Once they're done then I'm going to say, 'Okay, that's goodbye to all that,' and then just focus on directing," he said.

Redford recalled that his first love was art and that he spent time in Europe as a teenager "exploring storytelling through painting."

Movies like All the President's Men, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Way We Were made Redford into one of the world's biggest movie stars of the 1970s and 1980s.

He later turned to directing, winning an Oscar for the 1980 film Ordinary People.

In 1978, Redford helped found what became the Sundance Film Festival in Utah to promote independent movies, and which has grown to be the most influential independent film gathering in the world.
Many Americans are wearing a single safety pin fastened to their shirts since the election of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump as a symbol of solidarity against intolerance.

The small gesture is intended show quiet support for minorities, women, immigrants, and LGBT people who may feel marginalized by hateful rhetoric surrounding Trump's campaign. His campaign promises to deport immigrants and ban Muslims from the country in addition to lewd comments degrading women have fueled fears of xenophobia now that he is poised to take office.

Since his election Tuesday, reports have shown an uptick in racist incidents and hate crimes across the country. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups, documented more than 200 incidents of hateful harassment and intimidation in the three days after election day.

The safety pin trend has spread on social media, following a trend from earlier this year when opponents of Brexit in the UK also wore safety pins in solidarity with immigrants and minority groups who also experienced a reported surge in hate crimes.
As this week's unexpected and stunning electoral victory of business mogul and now President-elect Donald Trump sunk in, some Americans dismayed by the results organized street protests, and college students walked off university campuses.

And, not surprisingly, online activists took to the most visible of all social media platforms, Twitter.

#Calexit, a Twitter feed devoted to Californians who want to secede from the United States, sprung up and quickly gained traction in the digital world.

According to the founder of YesCalifornia.org, Louis Marinelli, the reality of Trump in the White House has resulted in an explosion of support for his group.

So is California really going to exit the United States? YesCalifornia.org indicates Californians will get a chance to vote on a measure (not unlike Britain's Brexit vote, which saw U.K. voters choosing to exit the European Union).

A closer inspection of the website wording reveals that a 2019 vote on succession is not a sure thing:

In the Spring of 2019, Californians will go to the polls in a historic vote to decide by referendum if California should exit the Union, a #Calexit vote.

You will have this historic opportunity because the Yes California Independence Campaign will qualify a citizens initiative for the 2018 ballot that if passed would call for a special election for Californians to vote for or against the independence of California from the United States."

Why are these Californians pushing for such a drastic step?

"After the failure of immigration reform in 2014 that would have given undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship, it was obvious the federal government was broken," Marinelli said.

"It was the straw that broke the camel's back."

Marinelli's website has published a list of nine reasons to secede, driven by the following guiding principle:

"It is about California taking its place in the world, standing as an equal among nations. We believe in two fundamental truths: (1) California exerts a positive influence on the rest of the world, and (2) California could do more good as an independent country than it is able to do as just a U.S. state. In 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the international community with their Brexit vote. Our Calexit referendum is about California joining the international community."

It notes that California is the sixth largest economy in the world. Organizers say their state has more economic might that France, with a population that exceeds Poland.

Another important factor: Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took California decisively, winning 61.5 percent of the vote and all 55 electoral college votes.

And now YesCalifornia.org has some competition.

Just two days after the election, NewAmerica.com was formed by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, founder of Hyperloop One and managing director of Sherpa Capital, his seed fund that has invested in hugely popular companies such Uber and Airbnb.

From a legal standpoint, the movement to exit the United States will be an uphill battle. The U.S. Constitution does not directly address state succession.

But the Supreme Court set a precedent in a 1869 case, Texas vs. White, in which the justices ruled that no U.S. state can unilaterally secede without the consent of the remaining states.

Marinelli remains undaunted.

"The U.S. Constitution cedes a lot of power to the states, you know, the 10th Amendment argument," he said. "And the U.S. Congress has ratified the United Nations charter, which guarantees the right to self determination.

"I think we'll be OK."
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has told The Wall Street Journal that, after discussing the matter with President Barack Obama, he will consider keeping certain parts of the Affordable Care Act, which has been dubbed Obamacare.

In his first interview since being elected Tuesday, Trump said he might keep the prohibition against denial of coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and the provision that allows parents to keep their children on their insurance plan several years into adulthood.

Trump said he liked those two aspects of Obamacare "very much."

Trump has said repealing the 2010 health care law would be one of his highest priorities after taking office. But in Friday's interview, he said of his conversation with Obama, "I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that."

Regarding his top priority when taking office, Trump refused to single one out. "I have a lot of first priorities," he said.
Turkey has warned its citizens living in or traveling to the United States to avoid "social tensions" in major American cities, such as angry protests against Donald Trump's presidential election victory.

The Ankara government on Saturday also advised caution for any visitors who might encounter "racist" outbursts, which many Americans see as the action of extremists possibly emboldened by Trump's comments critical of immigrants.

Turkey did not specifically cite postelection political turmoil in the United States in connection with either of its warnings.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement urged Turks "to be vigilant due to the risks linked to current events and social tensions."

Turkey, which itself has been the subject of frequent travel warnings by Western governments in recent months, also noted "the increase, over the last few days, of verbal and physical aggression of a xenophobic or racist nature across the U.S."

Turkish tourists and those who reside in the U.S. were told to watch for possible future advisories on the website of the Turkish Embassy in Washington.

The Ankara government regularly condemns violence or threats of violence against Muslims in the United States and Europe, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sounded a warning Saturday about intolerance, which he said "is spreading like the plague in some European countries."
The U.N. adviser on genocide said Friday that South Sudan, embroiled in civil war since 2013, was at a "strong risk of violence escalating along ethnic lines, with the potential for genocide."

Adama Dieng spoke to reporters in South Sudan's capital, Juba, at the end of his five-day visit to the nation.

Information Minister Michael Makuei disagreed with Dieng and said the U.N. adviser's assessment was "very unfortunate."

"Here in South Sudan, what is happening has nothing to do with genocide," Makuei said.

South Sudan was formed in 2011 and has been beset by internal violence for most of the time since. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced more than a million people to flee to neighboring countries.

Coalition collapsed

An attempt at uniting the two main warring factions in a transitional government collapsed earlier this year, after First Vice President Riek Machar, a former rebel leader who had accepted the second-ranking job in the government, abandoned Juba. Soldiers loyal to him soon resumed fighting against the forces of President Salva Kiir's government.

A peace deal signed in August did little to reduce the fighting, and tribal and political tensions flared anew after a controversial speech by Kiir last month, seen as a broad threat of reprisals against any opposition to his government.

"As a lesson from the genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda," Dieng told an interviewer, "we can only express concern with what has been developing recently in South Sudan, which led to many people ... seek[ing] refuge," either in neighboring Uganda or in calmer provinces of South Sudan.

Dieng said he "delivered the message to [the Kiir government] that the situation is not hopeless."

'No one in control'

In an interview with the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Dieng said, "There is still room to fend off further escalation of this ethnically fueled tension. But there is conflict almost all over the country. And the lid is off the kettle, and the security apparatus is so fragmented that no one has permanent control anymore."

"What is important now," the U.N. official said, "is that President Salva Kiir, who is in charge of law and order, takes the measures which are required to bring to a halt the escalation of the ongoing ethnically fueled violence."

Separately, the European Union said it would give South Sudan $84.8 million in emergency aid to help those affected by the civil war. About half of that money will go to humanitarian groups, while the rest will assist refugees in South Sudan and in Uganda.

Asked to explain his warning about escalation of the ethnic violence between Kiir's Dinka people and Machar's Nuers, Dieng noted that "genocide is a process [that] doesn't happen overnight. It requires resources, time and planning."

Defining genocide

The U.N. adviser said there are a number of factors that differentiate war crimes and crimes against humanity from genocide, which is marked by "an intention to destroy in whole or in part a protected group." Comparing the situation in South Sudan today to the bloodshed in Rwanda a generation ago, Dieng said "inflammatory speech is one of the indicators, and it is increasing today in South Sudan."

In another development Friday, South Sudan's National Security Service shut down one of the country's largest national broadcasters, Eye Radio. The station is known for its reggae music and messages of unity and peace, and it is funded in part by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Government officials in Juba did not give any reason for the action.

Told of the closure of Eye Radio by a reporter, Dieng reacted with dismay. He said South Sudan's government "should have encouraged, congratulated and used [Eye Radio] as a model, and said, 'From now onwards, that is the message we want.' "
Venezuelas government and opposition resumed talks Friday evening aimed at easing a political standoff in the country stricken by a spiraling economic crisis.

The expectations for a breakthrough were low because the opposition is insisting on a recall referendum against Socialist President Nicolas Maduro, while the administration is showing little indication of agreeing to that.

The dialogue is part of a Vatican-led effort to defuse the countrys political crisis after Pope Francis met privately with Maduro.

The Vatican envoy, Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, hailed the meeting as a good first step.

I think it's very positive that the government delegation and the opposition have met, have spoken, facing delicate and important topics for the life of the country, Celli said. I see this moment as very positive. One of the ex-presidents used the word miracle that the two delegations talk and do so in a respectful, attentive manner, because that is unquestionable.

Talks open; Maduro not seen

Television footage showed four top Socialist Party officials and four counterparts from the opposition participating in the meeting, which was to continue Saturday. Also in attendance were representatives from the church and regional and international delegates. Maduro did not appear in the images.

A short time before the meeting got underway, Maduro declared he had done everything in his power to achieve a resolution with opposition leaders who for months had been seeking to remove him.

I have done everything, both possible and impossible, for there to be peace talks with the right  without ultimatums and without bullying, the socialist leader said.

In an attempt to defuse the countrys political crisis, Maduro and his political team met for the first time in two years October 30 with several opposition leaders, including Democratic Unity coalition Secretary-General Jesus Torrealba and opposition Governor Henri Falcon.

Unhappy electorate

Mass street protests erupted after authorities last month blocked the oppositions bid to hold a referendum on removing Maduro from office.

Maduro said blocking the referendum was an independent decision by the judicial and electoral authorities based on fraud allegations. He has distanced himself from the issue.

Maduros political opponents have accused him of staging a coup by stopping the effort to hold a vote to remove him.
A sensible Brexit Is In Spains Interests As Well Says Deputy Chief Minister

The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia has said that a managed and sensible Brexit discussion is in the best interests of both Spain and Gibraltar. Dr Garcia was addressing students from the College of Further Education, Bayside and Westside Schools following a presentation delivered by a group who had returned from a visit to the EU institutions in Brussels.

The Deputy Chief Minister explained that there were 12,000 people, mostly Spanish nationals, who live in Spain and work in Gibraltar and who count on a fluid border in order to make a living. He told those present that 25% of the GDP of the surrounding area of Spain is generated by Gibraltar and added that Gibraltar PLC is the second largest employer for Andalucia after its regional Government.

Dr Garcia went on to reject the proposal by Mr Margallo for shared sovereignty between the UK and Spain as the price to pay for remaining in the European Union.

He outlined the work that the Government has done so far in relation to Brexit, from meetings with the UK Government including Prime Minister Theresa May, to a comprehensive statistical analysis of the impact of leaving the European Union across every area of Government and across the private sector in Gibraltar. He also went over the lobbying work that continued to be conducted both in public and behind the scenes.

This on-going work was designed to best protect the position of Gibraltar.

Dr Garcia said that even today different parts of the British family of nations enjoyed a different degree of participation with the European Union.

The Deputy Chief Minister went on to detail the procedure for departure from the European Union under Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon. Gibraltar and the UK will remain in the EU and entitled to the rights bestowed by EU membership until the moment of departure in years to come. Even then, Gibraltar would continue to maintain a relationship with the European Union.

He thanked those students who went on the educational visit to Brussels and encouraged others to participate in the next one.
Remembrance Sunday

This year, Sunday 13th November will be observed as Remembrance Sunday. As last year, the Ceremony of Remembrance will be held at the British War Memorial on Line Wall Road, opposite City Hall, at noon.

The Ceremony is organised by Her Majestys Government of Gibraltar. His Excellency the Governor, in his capacity as Her Majesty The Queens representative in Gibraltar, will lead the service.

On his arrival, His Excellency will read the Bidding. This will be followed by the observance of the Two Minutes Silence, the beginning and end of which will be signalled by a saluting gun. The Last Post will be sounded, after which wreaths will be laid and an inter-denominational service will be held. The Ceremony will conclude with the sounding of Reveille and the singing of the National Anthem.

Medals and decorations may be worn with civilian dress by all those entitled to do so. The medals of deceased Services Personnel may be worn by relatives.

Persons or Organisations, who have pre-ordered the official wreaths from Mr Solomon Levy MBE JP, may collect them from The Convent Courtyard, from 10:00am until noon, with the last day of collection being on Thursday 10th November. The cost of the wreaths is 25.00. Cheques should be made payable to The Gibraltar Poppy Day Appeal Fund.
Simon Rattle conducts the Berlin Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. Photo: Chris Lee

Crisis can be good for art, and art offers succor in a crisis. The Berlin Philharmonics Carnegie Hall concerts this week were planned a year or two ago, and it arrived in time to bring timely musical dispatches from another perilous decade. A little more than 100 years ago, while blustering bureaucrats were busy leading Europe toward apocalypse, a group of young composers in Vienna forged a new music of hard, glittering sensuality. Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and Alban Berg have been blamed for leading 20th-century composers into a modernist wilderness, but the music they wrote in those years before World War I had the compressed clarity of diamonds. The Berliners, led by Simon Rattle, played three sets of orchestral miniatures  Schoenbergs Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16; Weberns Six Pieces, Op. 6b; and Bergs Three Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6  as a single suite of revelations. Rattle sees that collection as the eleventh symphony that Mahler would have written had he lived to discover the explosive power of brevity.

Weberns Six Pieces are famously terse giants. The composer plucks sounds from a massive orchestra and gives each thought a single exhalation, nothing more. Cough, and a climax has sped by. Rattle made the score sound at once expansive and intimate, rendering a vast emotional panorama in close-up whispered detail. Threads of melancholy, terror, joy, and wistfulness were wound so tightly together that there was almost no time to register one before moving on to the next.

The term avant-garde doesnt have much meaning today; its martial implications dont apply now that the market sweeps up freshly minted art-school grads and the big institutions keep trolling for novelty. You cant attack an establishment that hugs you back. But in Vienna in 1909, Schoenberg, Webern, and Berg really did form a revolutionary unit of atonal warriors. Linking their separate works into an expressionistic chain elided the differences between them, but the payoff was an electrifying arc.

Over two evenings, Rattle surrounded the Schoenberg-Webern-Berg triptych with music of different decades and disparate styles but a similarly dark intricacy: Brahmss Second Symphony (1877), Mahlers Symphony No. 7 (1905), and Pierre Boulezs Eclat (1965). What united them was the way they all set seductive miniatures in a cosmic vision. Boulez tosses out gnomic bursts of sound that go speeding off into the ether before you quite know what youve just heard. Mahler begins the second movement of his Seventh Symphony with a plaintive horn call that whips up a nocturnal muttering of winds. In each of these moments, Rattle and the orchestra showed us the blackness behind the notes, an emptiness made more infinite by bright shards of beauty.
David Yates Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

David Yates, who just wrapped the first of five Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them films, has signed on for the four others according to the A.V. Club. The veteran British director  who also helmed the final four Harry Potter pictures  has gambled that the current state of our world is not, in fact, the apocalypse and that there will be new movies to make and watch for at least the next decade (approximately). So, if you want to know who to direct your Who Should Play Young Dumbledore requests toward, you now have your answer. And, if youre looking to bide your time between Fantastic Beasts entries by watching other things Yates has directed, may we recommend the excellent (and not at all kid friendly) 2003 BBC miniseries State of Play? Or, you know, read a book or something. Your choice.
Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore. Photo: Warner Brothers

Vulture has always had a special interest in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Not content to be mere observers, we like to poke our heads under the hood (or into Newts suitcase, as it were), and offer unsolicited advice. Lucky for us, Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts producer David Heyman has been willing to entertain our suggestions and gamely play along. Hes already encouraged our pitches for who should direct and who should play the lead character Newt Scamander, and now hes opening the door for Dumbledore  who should play the future head of Hogwarts in these prequel films? (Hes only mentioned in the first film, but the name-drop sets the stage for an appearance in the films to come).

This particular bit of casting is a little tricky, and not just because the character is such a fan favorite. Two separate actors have already played Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series: Richard Harris in the first two films, and Michael Gambon after Harriss death in 2002. (Three, if you count Toby Regbo, who played a teenage Dumbledore for a few photographs.)

But this Dumbledore is considerably younger, given that he would be in his mid-40s during the time Newt Scamander is finding his fantastic beasts. I dont necessarily want him to look like Michael Gambon or Richard Harris, Heyman told us at the Fantastic Beasts world premiere on Thursday. The two of them didnt really look that much alike, but you want to capture the twinkle. You want to capture the wisdom, and the experience. But you also want to capture the mischief. Also, the man has demons. Hes not the same person we might imagine him to be. There are a lot of other sides to him. What we want is to find someone who is a great actor, who will be a worthy adversary. Do you have some possibilities for me?

We had three. First up, Hugh Laurie. Interesting, Heyman considered, while director David Yates  who had worked with Laurie on the BBC adaptation of The Young Visiters, chimed in. I love Hugh Laurie. Hes such a fine actor, and hes a lovely guy. Thats not a bad idea.

Second option, Damian Lewis. Hmmm, Heyman mulled. He might be too young, even though I love Damian, Yates said. (If age is the issue, Lewis, 45, is closer to Dumbledores age at this point in the story than the 57-year-old Laurie.)

And third option, pulling from the Harry Potter film universe, could be Ciaran Hinds, who played Albuss younger brother Aberforth in The Deathly Hallows. The films had already established a resemblance between the two, and Hinds is a youthful 63-year-old who might be able to play a bit younger. (Indeed, if Albus and Aberforth were closer to 150 years old at the time of the original Potter stories, they might not always appear close to their physical age as it is). But Heyman shot it down: Too old. He might be too old. Ciarans lovely, but Dumbledores got to look a little younger.

So 45 might be too young, 63 too old  we need a great British actor who probably hasnt already taken a role in this universe, which rules out a lot of qualified folks. Its a quandary, all right, and the producers and director are trying to sort out it out before shooting for the next Fantastic Beasts film starts in July. So think about it, Heyman urged. Pitch me. Any suggestions?
Photo: Michael Stewart/Getty Images

Eddie Redmayne has a suitcase to thank for his lead role as Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. On one rainy winter night, the actor took a break from shooting The Danish Girl to take a top secret meeting with director David Yates about a then-unknown subject at a club in London. Its a basement in Soho, and its got a big roaring fire, big armchairs, Yates told Vulture at the films premiere on Thursday. And the great thing about having meetings there is that its very quiet, because I have a very soft voice, and there, people can actually hear what Im saying!

Yates needed a quiet spot because he was planning to tell Redmayne about Newt Scamander, the magizoologist who travels the globe researching (and taking care of) the magical creatures of the wizarding world. Despite the booklet J.K. Rowling wrote for charity, there wasnt a lot known about Newt  he wasnt fully fleshed out, and Rowling was still in progress on the screenplay, So I couldnt actually give him a script to read. I had to tell him about it.

When Redmayne went to the club, he brought along a little Globe-Trotter suitcase that he uses for his own life, to keep his work inside  not knowing that Newt would have a similar signature case of his own. Literally, when he walked in, it made me think of what Jo told us about Newt, Yates said. And as soon as he walked in, I went, Oh my god, its Newt Scamander!

I didnt know! Redmayne said in his defense. I didnt know anything about the story, or about Newt. Once Yates started filling him in, the actor started to gently nudge his own case away. I was slightly embarrassed that I had somehow subconsciously dressed like him. I didnt want to be one of those actors who come to meetings or auditions dressed up like the character.

Yates and Redmayne continued to meet a few more times over a period of months while Rowlings screenplay was in progress, and at each meeting, he tried to tantalize him a little more with what Redmayne calls a few chapters worth of new information: I was literally being told the story, so by the time I read the script, I would have some idea about where it would be going.

I was desperate to keep him in the frame, Yates said. I said, Please dont take anything else until the script is done! I wanted Jo to be happy with the script, and for me to be happy with the script, before we sent it to him.

By the time he got the script, Redmayne was impressed with all the details Rowling included in between the lines of dialogue. It was all there, sort of fully formed, he said. I had an absolute sense of who Newt was. And just in case he had any extra questions, Rowling took an hour to discuss the character with him a week before filming. She filled me in on where Newt came from, in her imagination, he said. Theres a much larger story about good versus evil that she wants to tell, and hes our way into it. Well, Newt, plus his suitcase.
Photo: David Becker/Getty Images

Days after Donald Trump shockingly defeated Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, notable Clinton supporter Katy Perry has written a moving open letter on her Instagram page that implores her fans and supporters to donate what they can to Planned Parenthood. Perry herself donated $10,000 to the nonprofit organization, whose future currently stands in limbo with a Trump presidency, as he has vowed to defund it (and Obamacare) if elected into office. In the letter, Perry discussed how much Planned Parenthood helped her learn about womens reproductive-health care in her teenage years:

Its time to turn words into action! There are so many steps to take, but my first vow is to support organizations that may have their funding support taken from them in the future by the government. I am making a public donation to Planned Parenthood for the teenage me who made several visits to first a clinic in Santa Barbara and then Los Angeles, CA to educate myself on my sexual health, a subject I had little to no information on because of my sheltered upbringing. I had no idea how things worked down there, and had no idea how to make a plan for them. Planned Parenthood educated me on my body and my reproductive health, so that I could focus on my dreams and using my voice until I knew the timing was right for me to make a plan to have a family. Since then, I have been able to focus wholeheartedly on bringing messages of strength and becoming a voice for others. Without this education, I may have had a different life path.

Perry also explained how important Planned Parenthood is to low-income families, like the one she grew up in:

That is just my experience, but I know Planned Parenthoods broader range of services can sometimes be the only medical support low-income families ever see. I know what its like to need help. I came from a lower- to middle-class family and never grew up with the option of health insurance. I remember having 13 cavities as a teenager, and the best option my parents could come up with was to try and take me to Mexico because we couldnt afford anything in California. I am grateful for and stand in support of Planned Parenthood for giving Katheryn Hudson the knowledge to plan, and for continuing to be a haven for women to learn all options for their future. Now, more than ever, we all need to protect and create safe places for each other. I hope I can help inspire you to make a gift as well, and become a member and an ally. #wewontgoback

To learn how to donate to Planned Parenthood and other charities, click here.
Laverne Cox Photo: Mike Windle/Getty Images

When it comes to the fight-or-flight response to moments of crisis, it looks like some of your favorite celebrities are choosing fight. Celebrities like Lady Gaga, Pink, and Laverne Cox are all sharing and asking their fans to sign a Change.org petition (currently bearing over 3 million signatures) that asks the electors of the Electoral College to vote Hillary Clinton, and not Donald Trump, president when they cast their internal ballots on December 19. Hillary won the popular vote. The only reason Trump won is because of the Electoral College, the petition states. The Electoral College can actually give the White House to either candidate. So why not use this most undemocratic of our institutions to ensure a democratic result? It looks like very few people in this country, celebrity or not, are ready to take this result lying down.
The city of Waco is preparing a master plan to guide the next decade of park development, and its looking for residents to weigh in.

The city is holding public meetings this week on the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan, which sets priorities for building new parks and improving existing ones.

The meetings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Waco Multipurpose Building, 1020 Elm Ave. and 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Dewey Community Center, 925 N. Ninth St. Residents can also fill out a survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/wacoparks.

This gives us an opportunity to have somewhat of an understanding of what the community expects of us in the number of parks we have, where theyre located, and what goes in those parks, from splash pads to playgrounds, parks and recreation director John Williams said. These are the kinds of things were trying to ascertain through community input.

In the past decade, the city has made major improvements at its signature Cameron Park, extended the riverwalk and upgraded neighborhood parks and recreation centers, all based on the plan that was last updated in 2005.

That plan needs to be updated so the city can be eligible for state and federal grants, Williams said.

The first public meeting on the plan was held at South Waco Community Center on Thursday, but few people showed up, he said.

Williams said the parks staff will draft a plan over the next months that will be sent to the parks board for a recommendation to the Waco City Council.
A man who police say robbed a downtown pharmacy of prescription pills, then led police on a low-speed pursuit while taking some of the pills, was indicted Wednesday.

A McLennan County grand jury indicted Justin Lee Chaney, 29, of Wortham, on a first-degree felony aggravated robbery charge in the Sept. 4 robbery at CVS Pharmacy, 820 S. Fifth St.

Waco police say Chaney walked into the pharmacy, pulled a gun and asked for prescription painkillers and anxiety medication.

After the arrest, police said Chaneys attire, which included a dress, makeup and a wig, helped an officer identify him quickly.

The suspect, dressed as a woman, wig and all, had a gun, or what looked like a gun, Waco police Sgt. Gary Greene said. It turned out to be a BB gun, but it looked like a real gun.

A police officer spotted him leaving and had a low-speed pursuit. He was seen opening bottles (of the prescription medication) and taking them before he got him stopped.

Officers stopped the man, later identified as Chaney, near the intersection of South 11th Street and Webster Avenue, where he was taken into custody.

Greene said officers recovered the BB gun.

Chaney also was indicted for evading arrest in a vehicle, a second-degree felony.

In another robbery case, the grand jury indicted Ernest Earl Washington Jr., 25, in an Aug. 18 robbery of the Subway restaurant at 5530 Bosque Blvd.

According to reports filed in the case, Washington walked into the restaurant about midnight and told employees there he missed working with them.

Police say Washington then pulled a pistol, told the employees, Back up, Ill pop you, and demanded cash from the register.

Employees recognized Washington as a former employee of the restaurant and picked him out of a police photo array, reports state.

He was arrested at his home in the 3800 block of Frederick Avenue by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Service Task Force.
Words of appreciation, cheers of support and salutes to and from military veterans marked the annual Veterans Day parade through downtown Waco on Friday.

I definitely appreciate this, because this was not what we got when we came home, said Bob Rochelle, who served in the U.S. Army for 22 years, including two tours in Vietnam. They spat on us when we came home from Vietnam, but this is really great. You can tell that all of the veterans really appreciate this.

Rochelle, 79, who served from 1954 to 1975, stood and saluted American flags as they made their way down the parade route. More than 3,000 people participated in the annual homage that included several local schools, clubs and service groups, McLennan County Veterans Association vice president Danny Smith said.

It is outstanding. Just the seeing all these people out here honoring the veterans is very touching. . . . Everywhere you go out here, people are thanking you for being a veteran, Smith, a U.S. Army veteran, said. It really means a lot.

The two-hour parade made its way down Austin Avenue to the sounds of marching bands, revving motorcycles and clapping hands. The parade, which started in 1921, had more than 130 entries this year and showcased patriotism and left smiles on the faces of participants and spectators.

So incredibly thankful

I am just so incredibly thankful to all of the men and women who have served and are serving our country, parade spectator Mindi Selman said. Its a thank you to the men and woman for their sacrifice, and not only for the service members, but to the families who stay home and support the service members.

Selman held a hand-made Thank You sign as she stood on the corner of Eighth Street and Austin Avenue with her two daughters, Reagan, 10, and Piper, 3. Her 9-year-old son had a school engagement during the parade, but Selman said it was important for her family to honor veterans, especially since she said she has several family members who have served or are serving in the armed forces. That includes her oldest son, who is enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton.

This is just really important that my kids see this and say thank you, she said.

Bill Maley, 82, said he was drafted twice, first in 1958, when he served until 1960. Then, he was re-enlisted shortly before the Cuban missile crisis. On Friday, he served as one of five judges who watched parade participants move into downtown Waco.

It is always nice when someone thinks of you, but when I got called, I went and did what I was supposed to do, Maley said. I was just doing my job.
Several hundred people gathered Friday at Baylor University to walk a student to class after she reported another student on campus pushed her and called her the n-word.

The demonstration, which interim President David Garland participated in, came after a Thursday night gathering on campus that included one side chanting Build A Wall and another shouting All love, no hate.

Both events stemmed from reactions to and messages of Donald Trumps selection as the next president of the United States.

Baylor students joined the wildfire of demonstrations on college campuses across the country that started almost immediately after the announcement the former reality TV star won the White House. About 2,000 people gathered at UCLA on Wednesday, dozens joined on the campus of Cornell University that same day, and more than 300 students marched at the University of Texas, among other events, according to Politico.

This was the first presidential election many of the students voted in.

Trump wrote in a tweet Thursday night that hed just had a very open and successful presidential election.

Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair! the tweet continued.

Nine hours later, he sent another tweet saying he appreciates the passion protestors showed.

We will all come together and be proud! the tweet concluded.

Many of the people gathered at Baylor this week said they were not there to speak out against the election results but against the past year and a half and ongoing messages of racism, bigotry and prejudice coming from the campaign and president-elect.

Baylor officials released a statement Thursday stating the administration had been made aware of the incident in which Natasha Nkhama was pushed and subjected to racially offensive language from another student.

Baylor officials said they spoke with Nkhama and are working to ensure she feels safe.

Nkhama, 19, said she filed a report with the university and is undecided on whether to file a police report.

To me it doesnt matter, because now he knows that he cant do that anymore and he cant get away with it on campus, the psychology sophomore said.

The university statement encourages anyone who feels they are subjected to any bias-motivated action to report it at baylor.edu/reportit.

We are a caring, Christian community in which acts of violence and insensitivity have no place, vice president for student life Kevin P. Jackson said in a statement. As Baylor Bears, it is our responsibility to care for and treat each other with love, compassion and dignity. Any behavior short of this demands our full attention so that we can hold each other accountable while seeking to reconcile and restore damaged relationships.

Nkhama exited the Tidwell Bible Building about 9:55 a.m. Friday not knowing several hundred people would be waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Students, faculty and administrators burst into applause at her appearance, sending Nkhama into emotional tears and burying her face into a hug with her friend Erica Kaze.

During the walk, Nkhama said, she felt overwhelmed by the show of support and super loved.

I know that things like that on campus wont happen again because theres so many people that wont stand for it, she said as she walked with her arms linked with friends.

Many students said they walked to show that even one incident is worth standing up against.

During the summer, Sam Davidson, 25, a third-year Truett Seminary student, did a study program at Auschwitz to learn how the Holocaust happened.

Little things matter

It started with very small things, very small acts of discrimination, very small propaganda, very small things people didnt really notice, things nobody got upset about. And suddenly its 1944 and theres been a genocide that nobody stopped when they could, Davidson said. So little things matter. Little things start big things.

Nkhama had posted a video to social media telling her story after the racially charged incident. The video rapidly spread across student channels, prompting strangers to join in supporting Nkhama. In the video she said she was on her way to class when a guy went out of his way to bump into her and shoved her off the sidewalk and said, No n-----s allowed on the sidewalk. She said another student told the guy to stop, and the initial student said, Im just trying to make America great again.

Davidson said he saw the video on social media and wanted to join in the show of solidarity.

I think little things like pushing someone off the sidewalk and using the n-word when nobody else is around, if you dont respond to that and condemn that when it happens in weird outlying things like that, its just going to grow, he said. Its just going to continue to be acceptable, mainstream, not something that people are going to freak out about.

Baylor University spokeswoman Lori Fogleman said officials estimated 300 to 350 faculty, staff and administrators attended the walk.

Graduate student Kristiana Baez, 26, said anyone who experiences this type of violence needs to know they have a support system.

I also hope people who supported Donald Trump understand what that means and what people who take it to the extreme will do as a response, because he invoked Donald Trump when he did what he did, she said about the person who pushed Nkhama. This is what weve been saying for a long time. Queer people, people of color, women, have understood since the beginning that his campaign and his presidency is one that incites violent rhetoric, one that tries to divide not unify.

Sporting an I walk with Natasha sticker, Garland said he watched Nkhamas video and immediately called university officials to find out what was happening.

This is who Baylor really is, he said about Fridays show of support. We stand with all of our students.

Geology student Adrian Charles, 20, said no matter who is president there should not be injustice.

We do see whats going on and we are taking a stand against it, Charles said.

Health science studies senior Ariel Roman Hicks, 21, said she walked to show her support and that black lives do matter.

With everything going on and the hostility of Trump and things like that, its not OK, Hicks said. We just want to support everything and support unity and support the black community.

Thursday protests

What started as a group of a few dozen people quickly turned to more than 200 on Thursday as students gathered for about an hour on Baylors campus.

Holding a sign that read Im not a rapist or a criminal, art student Loisa Perez, 21, said she is afraid.

Trumps bigotry and rhetoric against Mexicans during the campaign has been hateful, and his message has caused supporters to attack and assault others, she said.

My people have been personally sought out, and it needs to stop. It needs too, Perez, who voted in Tuesdays election, said. Im scared for my family, for my friends. There are people that are first-generation Mexican Americans who have crossed over here, and their parents struggled a lot to build a life for them here. And honestly, it is so terrifying that people and families could be torn apart because of this, because of his words.

Many held signs that read, I love my country. Why cant it love me, Dont grab my pussy, Love your neighbor as yourself, Stop hurting people, My university may ignore a pussy-grabber, but I sure as hell wont, and Its personal not political, among others.

Most of those who gathered expressed concern over the rhetoric from Trump during his campaign as well as certain supporters who have turned those messages into violence. While the group stood together, another collection of students began gathering across from them wearing Trump stickers or holding campaign signs.

Wearing a Trump sticker, finance freshman Connor Price, 19, said he came to offer an open dialogue with the other side, or the Republican party, as he clarified.

My main issue with these kinds of protests and the main reason Im out here is because these protests have been turning extremely violent at other universities, you know fist fights, burning of American flags, and honestly I dont want to see that happen here, Price said, adding hes not sure what he would do if something happened. I just dont want to see it happen.

Price said everyone needs to put differences aside and work together. He said Trump is not going to do the extreme things people are quoting.

When it comes to checks and balances, it wont happen, he said. They are not going to ban all Muslims from the United States. Theyre not going to kick out all the Hispanic population in the United States. That would be absolutely asinine. Fear doesnt make sense.

The event began as a giant circle, with individuals from each side meeting in the middle to talk.

Once that ended, the chanting began: Build a wall, We Love Trump, and Lock her up rang out from some, while All love, no hate, rang from others.

Wrapped in a rainbow flag, Junior Micah Furlong, 20, said he attended the demonstration because as a community everyone should stand up for minorities when they are discriminated against.

Furlong said Trump promised to further the agendas of vice president-elect Mike Pence, who rose to the national stage after signing an expansive anti-LGBT measure into law.

The LGBTQ community didnt choose this life. They didnt choose to be discriminated against. They didnt choose to not be allowed to marry the person they love. No one would choose that in this sort of world that is so hateful and so spiteful of anything different, he said.

Accounting junior Nitya Nandamudi, 20, said he happened to pass the event and decided to join. Nandamudi said he believes Trump is less bad for America than the other options presented. Nandamudi said he didnt like the sign being held by a student that read, Not my president, but sympathizes with people who feel discriminated against.

Freshman Kelsey Rood, 19, said she needs to use her voice to stand up for those being targeted, including, the LGBTQ and black communities.

I think when an entire country, or half a country, votes to elect someone that is not shameful about how he oppresses others, someone needs to say something, Rood said.

Junior Aysha Siddiqui, 20, said the event wasnt a protest. The idea was to let people who support Trump defend their position.

I dont feel safe in my own city, and thats not OK, Siddiqui said. Its a scary world right now.

Siddiqui said shes afraid someone will pull off her hijab.

Freshman Sierra Christerson, 18, said she came to hear both sides and share her opinion. Christerson said she voted for Trump and believes he will do great things. She said Trump does not have a problem with the LGBTQ community or the black community like many are complaining, but he does take issue with individuals who are not in the country legally.

What is happening is people are using his presidency as a means to say its OK to be misogynistic and homophobic and racist, and thats not what I voted for, Christerson said. Thats not what I believe that Donald Trump wants. I feel like he really does want to make this country great.
J.D. Chastain, 91, was serving aboard the USS Saratoga in late February 1945 when Japanese planes attacked the ship, which was supporting the U.S. invasion of Iwo Jima. The man who served as grand marshal of Wacos Veterans Day parade Friday found himself in the battle of his life as six bombs and five Kamikaze pilots slammed into the vessel Chastain was trying to protect with an anti-aircraft gun.

I was shooting as hard as I could, Chastain said.

Smoke began to billow around his position, clouding his view of the attackers.

The mayhem continued for about half an hour, but Chastain and the Saratoga survived, limping back to land for repairs.

But others were not so fortunate. He recalls that 123 shipmates were killed and more than 300 wounded, Chastain said.

Chastain has lived a rich life and has a trove of stories to tell, but not all involve his military service of 33 years, counting time in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

As a member of the Texas Department of Public Safety crime lab, he identified the dead after two horrific plane crashes in Texas. One involved Braniff Flight 352 between Dallas and Houston that in 1968 plunged into a field near the Navarro County community of Dawson, killing all 85 passengers on board.

Chastain supervised creation of field labs for the DPS and implemented a protocol for estimating blood alcohol levels that eliminated gaffes that had everybody testing drunk for a week and everybody testing sober the following week, Chastain said.

I was head of the crime lab for more than 30 years, having joined the DPS in 1948, Chastain said.

He was born on a farm near Grosvenor in Brown County and moved often as a Navy man and with the DPS before retiring to Hewitt to live closer to family members.

I graduated from Howard Payne University with a degree in chemistry, he said. A friend of a friend told me the DPS was hiring, and they put me in the crime lab at about the time it was expanding. I traveled so much they called me Wagon Wheels.

Late in the evening of Sept. 29, 1959, Chastain was dispatched to Buffalo, a farming community in Leon County, where another Braniff flight was 23 minutes into a trip from Houston to Dallas when it exploded and crashed into a potato field. All 28 passengers and six crew members were killed, and witnesses began calling for help.

A report in a Leon County newspaper said authorities moved the remains of the victims to the Buffalo High School gym, which had been set up as a temporary morgue.

We sent a crew over there, identified the dead and released the bodies, Chastain said, his voice rising. The FBI sent over a team, and I told them we already had completed the identifications. That began my running fight with the FBI. I saw a law enforcement bulletin quoting C. Lester Trotter as saying we had misidentified some of the dead.

That was a lie, and I challenged him on it later at a meeting of the International Chiefs of Police.

Chastain said Trotter, former assistant director of the FBI, now deceased, told him he only meant the Texas team had not used fingerprinting in its process.

That was true, Chastain said, adding he sometimes took a more direct approach to sorting out the gruesome details of a crash scene.

If you find a billfold all tied up in the clothing of someone in this situation, you know good and well it belongs to that person, he said.

The Buffalo crash featured a bizarre twist in that the Braniff flight was scheduled to fly to New York after its stops in Texas. Word spread that a hit man involved in the ambush and murder of mob heavyweight Albert Anastasia in a New York barbershop in 1957 was among the flights passengers.

A bunch of hoods came down from the East Coast to reclaim the body. You could recognize them as thugs just to look at them, Chastain said. They asked if he had any money on him, and I said he had about $300 in a money bag. They said that was chicken feed and that he would have had more, and I told him that was all I found.

Chastain said he instructed the men to visit the nearby high school, where the mobsters body and those of others had been placed in bags.

They paid the funeral director $50 to look inside the bag and dug around until they were satisfied with what they found, Chastain said.

When Chastain hurried to the scene of the crash near Dawson in 1968, he was followed shortly thereafter by a crew from the FBI, with specific instructions ringing in their ears.

I talked to one of the agents, and he said, Trotter told us that if you are here, we should just go home. 

And they did, leaving Chastain to deal with the aftermath of a crash he thinks was caused by an engine mount breaking, causing the engine to break loose.

Accuracy is essential

Working in a crime lab, accuracy is essential, Chastain said. He would examine bodies for moles, birthmarks, tattoos or appendectomy and C-section scars, then would compare notes with relatives. Often he would recruit the help of dentists who had made charts of dental work performed on victims.

You better make sure you are dadgum right before releasing the body to the next of kin, he said. You dont rush.

Harkening back to his active-duty hitch in the Navy, Chastain said he signed up 1943 and had much to learn, having grown up on a farm with 10 brothers and sisters.

Before I joined the Navy, I had never even ridden a public bus, he told the Tribune-Herald in a 2013 interview. I didnt even know what a pizza was.

He said he distinctly remembers how tired he stayed from constant chores aboard the USS Saratoga and the taste of beans for breakfast. He spent an enjoyable time in Hawaii tuning up airplanes but was even more thrilled to return home in 1946.

The whole time in the service, I never had a leave, he said.

Testified 3,000 times

Back in Texas, after graduating from college, he broadened the influence of the DPS crime lab and estimated he testified in court at least 3,000 times.

Thats where I developed a purple-passion hate for defense attorneys, he said.

He testified before the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals about the use of so-called drunkometers and the need for scientific principles and controls to properly gauge alcohol levels in the bloodstream.

The decision of the court led to technical supervisors being stationed all over the state who can supervise the use of instruments by various agencies, he said.

After retirement, he served as a Brown County commissioner in Brownood, leaving after 2 1/2 terms because I was getting tired of it.

He and his wife, Mary Ann, have five children and 12 grandchildren, and several call Central Texas home.

Im thankful every day I did move to Waco, he said. Its convenient for getting to my doctor and everywhere else.

Chastain typically starts his day with a steaming cup of coffee at the Shipley Do-Nuts shop at Hewitt Drive and U.S. Highway 84.

This year was the first he served as grand marshal of the Veterans Day parade in Waco, and he got a big kick out of the experience, he said. He might tell you a story about it.
Sen. John Cornyn, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Rep. Bill Flores:

You got exactly what you wanted: a Republican president, a Republican Senate and a Republican House. Youre probably still pinching yourselves to make sure this has really happened. Me, too.

But starting in January 2017, for at least two years (possibly four) you and your fellow Republicans are in charge. (Aside: Im betting two instead of four. I suspect influential moderate-to-liberal Americans from President Obama on down will spend 2017 scouring the country for qualified Democratic challengers to House and Senate Republicans, urging them to run and raising money for their campaigns. In two years it will have become obvious to even the most diehard conservatives that things are not going as planned.)

For now, though, you have the power. No Democratic president and no Democratic majority in either legislative branch can stop you. So what does this mean? Do you now follow through on your Republican platform and on the things President-elect Trump promoted to scare the country into putting him into office? Things like:

Repealing Obamacare?

Taking back a womans right to reproductive freedom?

Cutting taxes, especially for the rich?

Cutting social services to defray the cost of those tax cuts?

Restructuring and decreasing Social Security to defray the cost of those tax cuts?

Rubber-stamping President-elect Trumps restrictive immigration policies?

Discriminating against an entire major religion and profiling its followers?

Reneging on our commitment to our NATO allies unless they pay up?

Cozying up to Vladimir Putin and throwing our Eastern European allies under the bus?

Creating restrictive trade laws that will (you know they will) ultimately hurt American consumers and wont bring back one job to American workers in this 21st century global economy?

I could go on and on, Sen. Cornyn, Sen. Cruz and Rep. Flores, but you get the point. You and your Republican colleagues have had it easy. All you had to do was sit on anything President Obama wanted to accomplish. All you had to do was not even allow a vote on his Supreme Court nominee. All you had to do was obstruct.

And it was fun, wasnt it? All I saw from you, Rep. Flores, both in your newsletters and your tightly controlled town-hall meetings, were consistent, never-ending screeds against President Obama and anything he tried to do.

Now you guys are in charge across the board. Now you get to take on something a little harder than being the opposition to a president you despised. Now you get to enact some legislation. Now the country can go in the direction you want it to. Again, how about restricting abortions? A majority of Americans believe abortions should be legal in the first trimester  but go ahead, see what happens if you abort Roe vs. Wade.

And, hey, lets repeal Obamacare, and throw 20 million formerly uninsured Americans off of health-care coverage. (Yes, it needs some tweaking, but dont lie and say repeal and replace  you know you have no interest in replacing.)

And lets enact massive tax cuts and then watch the federal deficit skyrocket like weve never seen before. Thats a tough one for three guys who call themselves fiscal conservatives, isnt it?

Oh, and dont forget to follow through on President-elect Trumps pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. And while youre at it, approve the billions well need to build that wall, because you can take it to the bank that Mexicos not going to pay for it.

Yes, I have been very nasty here, in opposition to your and President-elect Trumps nasty positions. But I hope the gist of this sinks in anyway. You now have an awesome responsibility, one that you have managed to shirk for years, while at the same time gleefully throwing roadblocks at everything President Obama tried to do for our country. Do you really believe all the positions you have taken? Once more: Do you really believe all the positions you and your Republican colleagues have taken? If you do, no one can stop you. You have the power.

If you act on these positions, God help us all. But if its been a stay-in-office game to throw red meat to your conservative constituents who dont see the real-life consequences of enacting the things they espouse  if its been a game, and deep down in your heart of hearts you know that most of what you say you want would cause irreparable harm to many, many people and to our country and to the world  then, PLEASE, become the statesmen that you are capable of becoming and take your jobs in January very, very seriously. Thank you.

Ray Lanford, a retired Temple College English instructor and director of distance education, lives in Woodway.
WAHOO  As of Oct. 30, Steve Malina is chief deputy with the Saunders County Sheriffs Department.

Malina was previously a captain with the department, but was appointed to the administrative position after former Chief Deputy Bob Thorson stepped down, said Saunders County Sheriff Kevin Stukenholtz.

Thorson will remain with the department as deputy, training supervisor and be in charge of scheduling. He chose to step down, wanting less responsibility, Stukenholtz said.

Not too much is going to change. He (Thorson) did a wonderful job for us, said Chief Deputy Steve Malina.

Malina is from Prague and is a graduate of Prague High School.

He joined the military in 1995 with the Nebraska Air National Guard and is currently a master sergeant with their security forces, normally known as military police.

Malina served with the Schuyler Police Department to begin his career, and also served with the Butler County Sheriffs Department, before coming home to Saunders County in 2003.

He is already involved in several pretty large projects, Stukenholtz said.

He will still do day-to-day investigations and activities. But the biggest thing is that in the absence of the sheriff, Malina will be the acting sheriff, Stukenholtz said.

Malina said hes been focused on implementing updated technological aspects to law enforcement in his recent responsibilities.

In addition to the newly purchased record management system for the department, Malina said hes working on updating the radio system to a state-wide network and bringing dispatch to the next generation 911 system.

Malina did the research and got recommendations for the new records management system. He is doing the same with the radio system that is not currently compatible with other departments, Stukenholtz said.

Malina said that with the help of the newer technologies, he will hope to improve communication between deputies.

This will include a web-based email system that can let other deputies know what has been going on while they were off duty.

Nobody wants to be blind-sided by anything, Malina said.

He said hes been consistently pushing to get laptops in the patrol cars and technology at their fingertips.

Using the internet and connecting to various systems will help deputies do their job, Malina said.

For example, a recent arrest made at Bomgaars in Wahoo would not have been possible if not for the technology.

Malina said that if he had not had his laptop with him, he would not have been able to look up and see that the individual had a warrant.

He was not in the system, but it was updated online, Malina said.

Malina said he hopes to move the ball forward and bring more technology to the sheriffs department.

Im confident he will do an excellent job, Stukenholtz said.
WAHOO  Anticipating high voter turnout Nov. 8, poll workers received instruction from Saunders County Election Commissioner Patti Lindgren on how to run the polls and deal with what she anticipates to be an increase in numbers.

Its going to be busy, Lindgren told the poll workers last Thursday.

Looking at potentially 75 percent voter turnout, Lindgren said peak hours at the polls normally run during lunch, after work and a late rush to the finish.

Nobody should be gone from 11 to one, after work or during the last rush between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., Lindgren said to the nearly 20 poll workers from across the county.

Of the group of poll workers, only two at the training had not done it in the past, and the average age of poll workers for Saunders County is between 65 and 70 years old.

Your bodies dont move as fast as they used to, but your brains are ok, Lindgren said.

The experienced workers usually provide for an efficient election day, she said.

In addition to ensuring a full staff at peak voting hours, Lindgren said the other goal of last weeks training was to reduce chaos in regard to selfies.

Voters taking selfies of themselves and their ballots was now allowed at the polls.

We just want to make sure the polls run smoothly and dont want to make a potentially bad situation worse, she said.

Lindgren said poll workers were to engage those they see taking selfies that might be capturing more than what is allowed.

Selfie sticks were not allowed, Lindgren said.

Lindgren also said poll workers were to engage voters to prohibit electioneering.

She said poll workers had to have voters remove hats, coats, buttons or anything that might be considered electioneering, and that they ask voters to turn their shirts inside out or cover anything that might also be considered electioneering.

Overall, Nebraska has a good system in place, Lindgren said.

Electronic machines were not used, as even the Automark machines use paper ballots, not electronic ballots, she said.

This prohibits any electronic tampering with votes, she said.

She said there were ways to double check the rumored possibility of voters going from one county to another.

Any of those rumors out there, nip it in the bud. It doesnt happen here in Nebraska, Lindgren said.
WAHOO  The Christian Womens Connection will meet at noon on Tuesday, Nov 15 at South Haven, 1400 Mark Drive in Wahoo.

The guest speaker will be Melanie Golightly of Lenexa, Kan. Golightlys topic will be Pursuing Perfection: A Journey from Frustration to Contentment. Guests are asked to bring or buy silent auction items including baked goods. Proceeds will go to Stonecroft Missions. Lunch will be catered by Cookies and Cream Cafe of Wahoo.
WAHOO  From playing cribbage to knocking out the enemy with down the throat shots, the men who sailed with the USS Wahoo were hailed on Sunday.

The 54th Annual Submarine Veterans Memorial Service was once again held in the shadow of the courthouse, near the torpedo monument that was erected in 1962.

The keynote speaker for the service was Rear Admiral Thomas Ishee, the deputy commander at the U.S. Strategic Command.

All submarines lost during World War II were tolled during the ceremony. But, Ishee said he wanted to direct his comments to the USS Wahoo and the men lost that day when the submarine sank to the bottom of enemy waters near Japan.

Reading several passages from a book written by Dick OKane, a former officer aboard the submarine, Ishee detailed some of the activities of the men and the submarines seven patrols.

One of the passages he read described her as a cribbage playing ship.

He read about one of the shore leaves in Hawaii, in between patrols, and how the men set sail for another mission.

I can almost see their faces out there in the surf, Ishee said. I can see it because Ive seen the generations of sailors who have come after them.

Still other passages he read touted the USS Wahoos war tactics under Commander Mush Morton.

Ishee called Mortons trademark Down the Throat strategy bold and controversial.

That was dangerous, he said.

Yet, the submarine was one of the most successful during World War II.

Ishee was not the only speaker recalling the submarine and the men aboard.

Wahoo Mayor Loren Lindahl reminded those attending Sundays service that one of the 79 men who went to a watery grave was Wahoos own Robert Jasa. He pointed out a photo discovered several years ago on the west coast that had a Wahoo stamp on the back.

Former Wahoo resident Betty Edstrom believed she knew the connection, as she recognized one of the sailors pictured as that of Jasa, who she planned to marry after the war.

You think of the sacrifices he made. You think of how her life changed because of it, Lindahl said.

The mayor said all those who served in the military deserved gratitude than can probably never be adequately expressed.

How can we thank you, he asked. Words do not do justice. Memorials do not do justice.

We all strive to honor those who serve.

Pat Hancock of Wahoo, a member of the Nebraska Base of U.S. Submarine Veterans Inc., served as master of ceremonies for Sundays service.

He said the hosting group was pleased by the number of area residents who attended the memorial service. Base members gathered during the weekend for their annual meeting as well.

As long as the community continued to support the annual memorial service, he said the group would continue the event.
WAHOO  Veterans Day has a special meaning for those currently serving in the military, and Sgt. 1st Class Maren Stewart is doing her part to tout the benefits of service.

Two weeks after 9-11, the then University of Nebraska at Lincoln geography student joined the Nebraska Army National Guard.

Today, Stewart is working on a masters degree in geography, specializing in geographic information sciences (GIS) and is the recruiting and retention non-commissioned officer with offices in Wahoo, Mead and Lincoln.

Stewart has been a recruiter with the Nebraska Army National Guard for 12 year, but spent her first three years as a Blackhawk helicopter mechanic.

Stewart served with the 24th med-air ambulance unit and was deployed on a year-long peace-keeping mission in Kosovo in 2003.

I loved my deployment and training, Stewart said. As a recruiter and former Nebraska Army National Guard marketing director, she is committed to showing others the benefits of the Army National Guard.

Theres a giant misunderstanding about what we do, Stewart said. What we do and the capacity we serve.

Whether learning something new or supplementing immediate educational endeavors, there are more than 60 occupations that the guard can help people work toward, Stewart said.

These include everything from traditional military concepts, like combat arms, medics, military police and equipment operators, to information technology specialists, public affairs, plumbers and electricians, she said.

These skills help with the Nebraska Army National Guards state and federal missions, Stewart said.

The skills of the citizen soldiers aid the state with natural disasters or homeland security issues when called upon by the governor.

As part of the federal mission, the National Guard is a reserve asset for active Army overseas, helping take the burden off active army, Stewart said.

Nationwide, there are 340,000 soldiers in the National Guard and Nebraskas 3,400 make up just one percent of the sum, Stewart said.

Stewart said another misconception is of the caliber of individual it takes to be in the Army National Guard.

You have to be morally, mentally and physically qualified, she said. Youve got to have that spark of wanting to serve your country and community.

Service to the military adds an extra family.

The supports you get are people you can lean on, she added. Its like another family you have.

Stewart said they are always looking for high-caliber, dedicated individuals between the ages of 17 and 34 desiring to participate in something greater than their selves.

Its an opportunity to be a hometown hero, Stewart said.

To contact Stewart for more information about the Nebraska Army National Guard, call 402-669-2075 or email at maren.c.stewart.mil @mail.mil.

They (the Army National Guard) are a wonderful group of people. Its a wonderful option if people are looking at military service, but still want to pursue civilian goals, Stewart said.
WAHOO  Wahoo community members will have the opportunity to get an inside look at the Fire and Rescue Departments during an Oct. 16 open house.

From 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., community members can meet Wahoos firefighters and EMT personnel while learning about fire prevention and safety.

Well have all of our equipment out of the station, said Wahoo Fire and Rescue Department Fire Prevention Officer Carl Warford.

This will include the departments newest fire truck, which will be loaded with kids and adults for fire truck rides around town.

Other fire prevention activities include a fire extinguisher simulator, grease fire demonstrations at approximately 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., a live structure fire at 2 p.m. and a seat belt simulator by the Nebraska State Patrol. Warford said guests are free to attend any or all of the afternoons events.

The 2016 Wahoo Fire Open House is the second annual. Warford said the department has hosted them in the past around the time of the Saunders County Fair, but hope to make it an annual event after last years revitalization proved a success.

This caps off our fire prevention week, he said.

Fire prevention week is Oct. 9 through 15, and typically includes area fire departments visiting local elementary schools. Warford said the department wanted to do more.

We always go to the school, and its great to get those second graders and down, but what about everybody else? (The open house) is a good time to talk to more of the community, he said.

He said there is no official count from last years open house attendance, but his best guess is that around 250 to 300 people circulated through the two hour event.
Dude, wasnt it just Labor Day? And now I am shivering in my house in socks and a fleece refusing to turn on the heat and admit its October. But Halloween is upon us and that is the beginning of

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Ms Dinnison made an online complaint under section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, claiming she had experienced racial hatred as a result of the cartoon. But the commission on Friday wrote to Leak's employer, The Australian, to inform them controversial case would not go ahead.

The Australian Human Rights Commission says it has closed the file on Mr Leak's August cartoon - which depicted a neglectful indigenous parent - after Perth woman Melissa Dinnison decided not to proceed.

Cartoonist Bill Leak. Credit:Stephen Baccon

"It shows what a farcical process this is. I've got News Corp backing me legally. But if I was a private citizen, this would have cost me an absolute fortune," he told The Australian.

"She has put me through a month or so of incredible stress. She never met me, she doesn't have to justify anything she does. No one asked her any questions and it doesn't cost her a cent. As a consequence my life has been thrown into utter chaos. And at time when it just happens to suit her, she just decides this could turn into a bit of a hassle, so she can withdraw it."

The case helped fuel calls from free speech advocates and some in the Turnbull government for changes to 18C.

The government confirmed this week Parliament's human rights committee will examine freedom of speech, including possible changes to 18C and the commission's complaints-handling process.
The Turnbull government will ramp up its boat turnback operations to ensure the people smuggling route from Indonesia remains closed after it unveils a new international refugee resettlement deal.

The Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, is expected to confirm on Sunday the government has done a deal with the United States and possibly a handful of other countries to resettle many of the 1300 people languishing on Nauru and Manus Island.

It is understood those who have been judged to be genuine refugees will be given the option of resettling in the third countries or returning to their country of origin as the government seeks to close the offshore detention centres.

It is not yet clear what will happen to those detainees who have already had their refugee applications rejected, or to those who have immediate family in Australia and want to reunite with them.
Outgoing first lady Michelle Obama will not be contesting the 2020 US presidential election according to one of her closest friends.

Speaking to Vogue, Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to Barack Obama and one of the couple's closest friends, ruled out the popular, self-described "Mother in Chief" will enter politics once Donald Trump's time in the White House comes to a close.

"Absolutely not," Jarrett said when pressed on Mrs Obama's rousing speeches made during Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful election campaign.

Jarrett adds that her speeches, which included the infamous "When they go low, we go high" moment, connected with voters because Mrs Obama is not a politician and "never will be".
The first meeting in the Oval Office between US President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump was quite an awkward affair.

The pair, who have had plenty of negative things to say about each other, wore tight smiles in front of the gathered press pack.

They barely looked at each other as they sat, legs apart, in almost identical poses.

Fairfax Media spoke to two body language experts who forensically analysed a series of photographs to point out the non-verbal cues each of the men were giving.
More than two million people support a petition, calling on voters in the Electoral College to make Hillary Clinton our next President, whether or not a majority of the voters in their state supported her.

Technically, it's possible, but experts say there's virtually no chance that will happen.

The petition was launched Wednesday on the website www.change.org. Already it's closing in on three million supporters.

The author of the petition argues that Donald Trump is unfit to serve, and Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. So it says, the electors should defy convention, in some cases state law, and vote for Clinton.

The internet is awash in comments encouraging Clinton supporters to sign on.

"We can have change-dot-org petitions. we can have protests," said WDBJ7 political analyst Harry Wilson, "but this is not going to happen. No. In a simple word no."

Wilson says that not only is it inconceivable that enough electors would change their votes to elect Clinton, but he says it's also a terrible idea for our democracy.

"This was by all measures that we've seen thus far, a free and fair election and for people to say we're simply going to ignore that and vote to overturn it, that's simply bad for the country," Wilson told WDBJ7 Friday afternoon. "That would be an incredibly bad precedent to set, regardless of who wins regardless of how you feel, that's just frankly...a terrible, terrible idea."
State Street Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of financial products and services to institutional investors worldwide. The company offers investment servicing products and services, including custody; product accounting; daily pricing and administration; master trust and master custody; depotbank services; record-keeping; cash management; foreign exchange, brokerage and other trading services; securities finance and enhanced custody products; deposit and short-term investment facilities; loans and lease financing; investment manager and alternative investment manager operations outsourcing; performance, risk, and compliance analytics; and financial data management to support institutional investors. It also engages in the provision of portfolio management and risk analytics, as well as trading and post-trade settlement services with integrated compliance and managed data. In addition, the company offers investment management strategies and products, such as core and enhanced indexing, multi-asset strategies, active quantitative and fundamental active capabilities, and alternative investment strategies. Further, it provides services and solutions, including environmental, social, and governance investing; defined benefit and defined contribution; and global fiduciary solutions, as well as exchange-traded fund under the SPDR ETF brand. The company provides its products and services to mutual funds, collective investment funds and other investment pools, corporate and public retirement plans, insurance companies, foundations, endowments, and investment managers. State Street Corporation was founded in 1792 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
AutoZone, Inc. retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories. The company offers various products for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products. Its products include A/C compressors, batteries and accessories, bearings, belts and hoses, calipers, chassis, clutches, CV axles, engines, fuel pumps, fuses, ignition and lighting products, mufflers, radiators, starters and alternators, thermostats, and water pumps, as well as tire repairs. In addition, the company offers maintenance products, such as antifreeze and windshield washer fluids; brake drums, rotors, shoes, and pads; brake and power steering fluids, and oil and fuel additives; oil and transmission fluids; oil, cabin, air, fuel, and transmission filters; oxygen sensors; paints and accessories; refrigerants and accessories; shock absorbers and struts; spark plugs and wires; and windshield wipers. Further, it provides air fresheners, cell phone accessories, drinks and snacks, floor mats and seat covers, interior and exterior accessories, mirrors, performance products, protectants and cleaners, sealants and adhesives, steering wheel covers, stereos and radios, tools, and wash and wax products, as well as towing services. Additionally, the company provides a sales program that offers commercial credit and delivery of parts and other products; sells automotive diagnostic and repair software under the ALLDATA brand through alldata.com; and automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products through autozone.com. As of August 27, 2022, it operated 6,168 stores in the United States; 703 stores in Mexico; and 72 stores in Brazil. The company was founded in 1979 and is based in Memphis, Tennessee.
Whats the furore about Donald Trump not winning the popular vote?

Right here at home the FNM had 394 less votes than the opposition in 2007 yet won the Government with 23 seats to 18 for the PLP.

The current PLP Government had 4,316 less votes than the opposition in 2012 yet won the Government with 29 seats and 9 for the FNM.

While the system in the US is different than ours, this is not the first time a president has been elected with fewer popular votes than their opponent. In this case Trump won far more States than Clinton so why should the vote in populace California override the votes of smaller States for example?

No system is perfect, nor is this unique so I'm not sure what the fuss is all about.
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All persons are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. According to Sheriff Mark Herford the following felony arrest were made for the week of 10/17/22 - 10/23/22. 10/18/22 Jennifer Gibson was arrested by BPSO Patrol Division and charged with Illegal Use of CDS in Presenc
Ballot proposal asks Kentucky voters whether there's a right to an abortion
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Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said Thursday that he will consult with the state's Native American leaders before fulfilling any future requests for law-enforcement assistance at the site of an oil pipeline protest in North Dakota.Conditions near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation have changed since he approved the last request from North Dakota in October as part of a compact between states to assist in emergencies, Bullock said in a statement. Then, the state sent 10 highway patrol troopers to help police the protest, and those troopers are due to return home on Sunday.The governor added that he supports President Barack Obama's call for pausing construction of the $3.8 billion pipeline through North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois.. "Working government to government, we look forward to a quick and peaceful resolution"Officials from Montana's Native American tribes contacted the governor's office after the state sent its troopers to North Dakota last month. "Our discussions have been varied, and we have appreciated all of them," Abel said.Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin had announced plans to take four deputies to the protest, but then canceled them after receiving numerous calls and emails by people urging him not to do so.Gootkin told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.Wyoming also has drawn fire from tribal leaders for sending six troopers to the protests last month. Gov. Matt Mead previously said sending the troopers represented only a desire to extend emergency help to another state and didn't signal that Wyoming had taken a position on the pipeline controversy.Those troopers returned home on Wednesday.Capt. Shawn Dickerson, co-commander of the Special Services Squad at the Wyoming Highway Patrol, said the troopers did not use any force against the protesters "beyond normal crowd control movements."Wyoming officials said there are no plans to send more troopers.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On Friday, small groups of people gathered in communities across the province to honour soldiers who died in the line of duty.

In many rural towns, the community cenotaph is one of the few remaining places for people to gather. The lists of names found on them are often short. Even in those days, many of these communities were small. But local family histories in these communities tend to be interwoven by marriage; their collective memories are long.

And although Royal Canadian Legions in many rural areas are struggling as their members age, they remain dedicated to keeping those memories not only alive, but meaningful.

SUPPLIED A sign honouring Albert Saunders, who died in the 1917 Halifax explosion.

So it was that the members of the legion in Holland, Man., came up with the idea of naming local water bodies and landmarks in the farming community after area soldiers who didnt come home  instead of adhering to the provincial custom of naming a place in a remote part of the province.

These arent big lakes like you might find in the north. In fact, many of the creeks and tributaries theyve been lining up for their project arent much more than glorified ditches. But they are local, accessible and places where a sign can be erected to tell a story. Thats how memories live on.

The homesteads in many municipalities date back over 135 years. There are creeks, hills etc. that are unnamed to this day, said Les Ferris, who heads up the local legion.

After nearly five years of work, they were successful in getting two area creeks named after local servicemen, and potentially a third.

There is now a Saunders Creek, named after Albert Saunders who died in Halifax in 1917 while trying to scuttle the burning munitions ship before it exploded, wiping out much of the city. There is also a McGill Creek, named after James McGill, whose plane was shot down behind enemy lines in 1918.

But then the provincial government announced earlier this year it was officially extending a program initiated to honour Second World War veterans to include soldiers who fought and died in the First World War.

So far, 4,200 lakes, islands, bays and other geographical features have been pinned with the names of fallen soldiers. Families can nominate loved ones and ask that a geographical designation be made.

Recently, the Holland legion received notice that future nominations from its area would be designated according to the provincial program protocols, which follow a randomized approach to designating an unnamed northern waterway.

Ferris agrees that the provincial program is a noble gesture. But he questions why the designations must be limited to remote and unmarked northern locations reachable only by float plane.

As a legion, our motto is, We will remember them. We hope your department will remember them honourably in their local communities rather than taking the easy way out in naming remote locations that no one will ever see, he wrote in a letter to the province.

By naming local geographical formations, the public is able to identify that these men actually lived here and are not just a name in a book or on the local cenotaph.

No one from the provincial government agreed to be interviewed. An emailed statement issued by a spokesperson who refused to be named says the random approach has ensured that every casualty, regardless of the soldiers rank, decoration, hometown, military or personal achievements is treated equally and respectfully.

Correspondence between Ferris and provincial officials suggests the government thinks it too complicated to choose landmarks in more populated areas. Permissions must be obtained from local municipalities, which takes too long. And what happens if two soldiers had lived close to the same creek?

No doubt it is more complicated, but it seems to Ferris and his crew the province is taking the easy way out. Its a good thing those young men and women who voluntarily agreed to fight in the First World War didnt make the same call. Lest we forget.

Laura Rance is editorial director for Farm Business Communications. She can be reached at

laura@fbcpublishing.com or 204-792-4382.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CANADIANS who rallied for Ukraines independence fear president-elect Donald Trump will let it slip away if he cosies up to Russia.

The reality-TV stars warm words for Russian President Vladimir Putin and reports of wealthy Russians investing in Trumps businesses could mean the U.S. will ignore Russian aggression in eastern Europe, critics say.

Russians in (Russias) parliament were applauding that Trump won on Tuesday, said Winnipegs Denys Volkov.

FREE PRESS FILES Russians in (Russias) parliament were applauding that Trump won on Tuesday, said Winnipegs Denys Volkov.

In Ukrainian news reports, citizens have expressed concern about a Trump presidency  that it might end U.S. sanctions against Russia for its interference in Ukraine, formally recognize Russias 2014 seizure of the Crimean Peninsula and allow the Kremlin to restore its influence in eastern Europe.

Sanctions are working, said Volkov, the past chairman of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress-Manitoba Euromaidan committee. Thats why Russia wants them loosened.

Volkov is originally from eastern Ukraine.

Trump said while campaigning that the U.S. might not fulfil its NATO obligations. NATO backs a sovereign, independent and stable Ukraine thats committed to democracy and the rule of law.

Since the conflict began, NATO says it has adopted a firm position in support of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, condemning Russias illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea and the violence and insecurity in eastern Ukraine caused by Russia and Russian-backed separatists.

Supporters of Ukraine independence didnt expect Trump would be elected president of the U.S., the foundational superpower behind NATO.

Ukrainians are really frustrated and disappointed, said global politics Prof. Tanya Narozhna at the University of Winnipeg.

They put all of their eggs in Clintons basket, Narozhna said.

Ukraine backed Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons campaign and leaked information that Trump adviser Paul Manafort had worked for ousted Russian-backed president Viktor Yanukovych, she said.

Ukrainians were instrumental in damaging the campaign for Trump, said Narozhna, who is originally from Ukraine.

When the Soviet Union fell apart, Ukraine went with the West, embracing democracy and capitalism, she said. Ukraine gave up its pursuit of nuclear weapons in exchange for guarantees that its territorial integrity would not be compromised, Narozhna said. Now, no one knows if those guarantees will be honoured, she said.

Trump sends such conflicting messages, she said. His flagrant, blatant, incompetence when it comes to global politics make it difficult to get a read on what he will do, Narozhna said.

When asked about Russia and Ukraine when he was campaigning, Trump told a journalist that Putin would never go into Ukraine. He was unaware that Crimea is part of Ukraine, she said. When the situation was explained to him, Trump blamed U.S. President Barack Obama for being weak and not standing up to Russia. Later, Trump said it was clear to him that the people of Crimea want to be part of Russia.

In some sense its scary, said Narozhna. On the other hand, there are lots of policies that are much more entrenched, she said.

Much will be decided by the State Department, the Department of Defence and the Pentagon, and much will depend on who Trump puts in charge of those departments, she said.

Who knows? We may be in for some surprises, said Narozhna.

The head of the Ukrainian Canada Congress said it is hopeful that support for Ukraine will continue with Trump as president.

We cant speculate on where his policies may end up, said Ihor Michalchyshyn, executive director of the congress that is a voice for 1.3 million Ukrainian-Canadians.

Our community is paying very close attention, said Michalchyshyn in Ottawa. Canada, the U.S. and the European Union have shown very strong support for Ukraines territorial integrity.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was 1995 when a collective of six Vancouver actresses  all moms  gravitated toward each other to put on a show about the down-and-dirty truths of motherhood. The fruit of their labours was a non-musical cabaret designed to provoke familiar laughs as they touch on matriarchal memes: altered bodies, parenting panic, diapers, discipline and how unbridled laughter can be a tricky proposition after childbirth.

The production of Moms the Word currently playing at PTE is a revival, with a new cast of actor-moms replacing the original creators.

The script remains a messy masala of different experiences: one mom is afflicted with post-partum depression. One must endure the hardships of a premature birth  doing her best to mother a child in a neonatal intensive care unit. One mom writes plaintive letters to her partner as the responsibilities of stay-at-home parenting drives a wedge between them.

The revival poses the question: is the 21-year-old work relevant in the age of parenting apps and mommy bloggers?

The answer, sadly, is no, notwithstanding a few contemporizing tweaks. With a two-hour running time (including intermission), it actually feels as random as a selection of Google search results with nothing really helping the stories to cohere together beyond than the big, broad subject of motherhood.

The show was created under the assumption that there is empowerment in sharing experiences. Audience members have a selection of moms with whom they may be able to relate:

Alison (Trish Cooper), the mom with the premature baby, is very funny in a scene in which she is jiggling her infant to keep her asleep in her baby-carrier, and she cant stop jiggling after she puts the baby down. (This reminded me of seeing my wife, post-maternity, jiggling a bag of groceries on her hip out of sheer habit.)

In the role of Deborah, Jenny Wasko-Paterson also has a lovely comic moment set in a public pool locker room, where her child goes on the run at the worst possible moment.

Robin (Lisa C. Ravensbergen) talks about how her propensity for foul language makes her uneasy once she notices her own toddler dropping F-bombs. She also tells a story of her distant relative facing hardships during the First World War that comes out of left field and then flies back from whence it came with no significant connection to the contemporary narrative flow.

The letter-writing Linda (Yumi Ogawa) gets things rolling with a replay of the childbirth experience, describing the shifting climates of the delivery room during the stages of labour and childbirth. The most composed of all the moms, Jill (Sarah Donald) isnt above re-enacting her own childbirth experience to shake up a community club gathering of judgmental moms.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Five performer-parents take the stage in Moms the Word, which runs till Nov. 27 at Prairie Theatre Exchange. Written 21 years ago, the work is showing its age.

Director Michael Shamata sets a snappy pace as he bounces the focus between the five cast members, but he fails to find a unifying thread in the material that ties it all together. Also, he has a more culturally diverse cast than the six women who originated the play, but he doesnt use that mix in a meaningful way.

The set design by Pam Johnson  three doors against a white backdrop  seems antithetical to the action. It is sterile and pristine with a poltergeist-like jumble of chairs as an inadequate signifier of the physical chaos that accompanies parenthood. The lighting design by Bryan Kenney is likewise jarringly precise and high-tech, raising the question: how does the motherhood theme lead to an esthetic out of a Michael Jackson video?

randall.king@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @FreepKing

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Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Reid Bricker, Jill Tardiff, Ronald Wilderman. Those three names have beat out a bleak rhythm in repeated critics calls to revamp mental-health services in Winnipeg.

Behind the headlines and beyond the doors of overcrowded hospitals, however, there are glimmers of hope for a brighter future.

Taylor Demetrioff and Ray Houssin have both struggled with mentalillness and are among a group of volunteers and staff with community agencies hard at work to reduce stigma and help kids learn strategies to improve their mental health.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Taylor Demetrioff (right) and Ray Houssin are among a group of volunteers and staff with community agencies hard at work to reduce stigma and help kids learn strategies to improve their mental health.

Demetrioff co-ordinates the youth-focused MILE 5 (Mental Illness Literacy Education) program run by the Canadian Mental Health Association of Manitoba and Winnipeg, a community agency United Way Winnipeg provides with core funding.

Its about creating a safe space and about showing students we can talk about these things. Its a judgment-free zone, and it shows them that mental illness doesnt need to be scary, Demetrioff said of the classes he leads.

Bricker, 33, vanished after being released from a Winnipeg hospital a year ago last month. His remains were discovered in the Red River last summer.

His parents later reported their son had left a suicide note saying he was sorry before his final disappearance, which was also the last of his three hospital admissions for mental illness.

Brickers disappearance, along with the suicide of former principal Tardiff and the death of Wilderman, who had autism and died when he was supposed to have a health agency looking out for him, became the provinces highest-profile cases in the calls for better hospital, institutional and community services in 2015.

The good news is theres a foundation in place to build on.

MILE 5 is a five-day, school-based program taught to kids in grades 7, 9 and 11 in two city school divisions. The program is designed to arm kids with coping strategies and an awareness of community services to help manage mental-health challenges.

Demetrioff leads the sessions  one period a day for five days in a row  with the teacher present and brings in someone such as Ray Houssin, whos learning how to manage his own mental illness.

Houssin, a 57-year-old school principal, shares his own story with students and opens the floor for discussion. The appearances make him feel like hes giving back something of value, he said.

He explains to kids mental illness isnt like a cold virus you shake off. Mental illness is often chronic, but there is hope, and there can be healing.

More and more I can say I recognize the triggers that set me off. Now, Im managing my illness daily, Houssin said.

Both Houssin and Demetrioff note children who have taken part in the program are understanding and receptive to the information.

Ive always been impressed with the resiliency of kids. I dont think we give them enough credit for being able to handle sensitive issues, Houssin said.

Houssin said hes battled a sense of inferiority all his life. His coping strategy was to be an overachiever, which drove him to be a workaholic until his health broke down, and he was forced to leave the workforce and go on disability.

Its important for students to realize Im not an expert, that this is how my life with mental illness affected me. And its important to say to kids how it could affect them differently, Houssin said.

The Canadian Mental Health Association is one of nine United Way-supported agencies that provided mental-health support to more than 7,000 students and young adults last year.

This story is one in a series to support the 2016 United Way campaign. The charity announced four goals for its Three Years for a Better Winnipeg plan, unveiled this fall: to provide more mentors to kids; to give 4,000 more kids access to mental-health services; to connect more people with job skills and money-management training; and to help 2,700 more families with support services close to home.

If you would like to help, please donate to the United Way Winnipeg online at UnitedWayWinnipeg.ca/give or call 204-477-UWAY (8929).

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/11/2016 (2180 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It looks as if former mayor Susan Thompson will finally get the recognition she deserves. The citys executive policy committee unanimously supported a motion to name the civic building after her. The credit must go to another woman: Devi Sharma, who has worked tirelessly behind to scenes to move this proposal forward.

In 2013, Margo Goodhand, then-editor of the Free Press, pointed out how Ms. Thompson had been ignored. At that time, there was no park, street, bridge or even back lane named after the former mayor, despite the fact she had served the city for two terms, from 1992 to 1998.

It was only this year Ms. Thompson received the Order of Manitoba. Sam Katz, who was mayor from 2004 until 2014, was honoured in 2004, and Bill Norrie, mayor from 1979 to 1992 was inducted in 2000.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Former Winnipeg mayor Susan Thompson

According to a list provided by the citys archivist, there are currently 14 Winnipeg parks named after women. Former deputy mayor and city councillor Brenda Leipsic has a dog park named after her, as does speedskater Clara Hughes, who won multiple medals in the Winter and Summer Olympics. In a ceremony honouring Ms. Hughes and three other Manitoba Olympic athletes in 2006, Mr. Katz said he now knew how it felt to be Hugh Hefner. It seems being a female Olympian can only be significant if it makes a balding, short and old white man feel attractive. But at least he named a park after her.

There are also 31 streets named after women in this city, most of them named after daughters or wives of prominent men. However, three names stand out. Youville Street is named after Sister LEsperance Youville of the Grey nuns, the first teacher in a school established by Archbishop Tache. Talbot Avenue is named after Alice Talbot, the first principal of Talbot School and wife of Archbishop Matheson. Parker Avenue recognizes journalist Elizabeth Fulton Parker, who assisted in founding the YWCA in Winnipeg, the Womens Canadian Club and the Alpine Club of Canada, and Warnock Street is named for Sally Warnock, the former president of the Winnipeg Humane Society.

Finally, there are 19 buildings named after women in Winnipeg, many of which recognize early educators or nurses in Winnipeg. Cindy Klassens name can be found over the Cindy Klassen Recreation Centre on Sargent Avenue. This also houses the Susan Auch Oval, another civic facility named after a woman.

Soon, Susan Thompson may also find her name over a building, something she says she is honoured to accept on behalf of all women within the City of Winnipeg government. This should be impetus to recognize other female trailblazers in the city such as Jessie Kirk, the first woman on city council in 1920 or Pearl McGonigal who became the first female deputy mayor of Winnipeg (and later the first lieutenant-governor) or Devi Sharma, the first woman to be named Speaker.

Winnipegs history includes women. They should be honoured.
Speaking on Modi government's demonetisation policy, Aamir Khan said that one must not look at the short term impact of the move but realise that what needs to be done for the good of the country needs to be done.

By Hardeep Dugal: At a recent event in Mumbai, actor Aamir Khan spoke about the demonetisation policy of the Modi Government and said that it was a one off incident where the short-term impact on the common man should not be made the focus of discussion.







Rather he insisted that what needs to be done in the larger interest of the nation must be done. Mr. Perfectionist made this comment at the song launch event of his upcoming film Dangal that is due for release on the 23rd of December.

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Accompanying him on stage were his reel daughters and the film's script writer Nitesh Tiwari. When asked if he faced any problems in returning Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes to the bank, the actor jokingly admitted that he remained unaffected by the move since he hardly had any cash. He went on to add that he paid all his taxes on time and that the decision by the Government did not impact him at all.









Sticking to the theme of the event which was centered around Children's Day, the actor also spoke at length about his childhood days. Since the song is about a strict father, Aamir revealed that he thought his father to be extremely strict, but added that he believed himself to be a loving father.

Speaking about the film, where Aamir's character encourages his daughters to fight Kushti, something considered to be done only by the boys, the actor said that girls were no less than boys in any manner and that it was about time to acknowledge this.

He also spoke about the fact that the medals that India won at this year's Olympics was all thanks to women. Speaking of shattering the glass ceiling, Aamir avoided voicing his opinion on Hillary Clinton's defeat in the recently held US Presidential elections that saw Donald Trump emerging victorious.

--- ENDS ---
BAGHDAD (AP)  Iraqi troops fired at positions held by the Islamic State group in and around the northern city of Mosul on Thursday but did not advance as they regrouped and cleared neighborhoods once occupied by the extremists, military officials said.

Troops are screening residents fleeing from Mosul, searching for any IS militants trying to sneak out among the more than 34,000 civilians fleeing to displacement camps and host communities in nearby provinces.

Amnesty International reported allegations against security forces of arbitrary detention, forced disappearances and ill-treatment of prisoners, including an account that up to six people were extrajudicially executed in late October over suspected ties to IS.

The London-based rights organization said the alleged killings took place near the area of Shura and Qayara outside Mosul, and it urged the government to investigate.

Men in Federal Police uniform have carried out multiple unlawful killings, apprehending and then deliberately killing in cold blood residents in villages south of Mosul, said Lynn Maalouf, deputy director for research at Amnestys Beirut office.

In some cases the residents were tortured before they were shot dead execution-style, she said, adding that it was crucial for Iraqi authorities to bring those responsible to justice.

Without effective measures to suppress and punish serious violations, there is a real risk that we could see war crimes of this kind repeated in other Iraqi villages and towns during the Mosul offensive, Maalouf added.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi denied the report, calling it incorrect information, and saying in a statement that IS fighters were the ones responsible for the killing of civilians.

Since the offensive to retake Iraqs second-largest city began Oct. 17, the Shiite-led government has tried to prevent revenge attacks against the mainly Sunni residents of Mosul and surrounding areas. State-sanctioned Shiite militias and Kurdish forces say they wont enter the city, and the government has vowed to investigate any human rights violations and hold people accountable.

In late October, an Iraqi manning a checkpoint south of Mosul with soldiers, Federal Police and local militiamen told The Associated Press that he personally killed two men he said he knew to be IS militants because he saw them commit crimes. The AP could not independently confirm his account.

A group of soldiers at the checkpoint also told AP they had heard reports of suspected IS fighters being beaten and killed by security forces. One private said the alleged abuses were supposedly carried out by local tribal and militia fighters in apparent revenge attacks.

At the time, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool said officials had not registered any violation of any kind by the security forces against civilians.

Iraqi troops are converging from several fronts on Mosul, the second-largest city and the last major IS holdout in Iraq. Kurdish peshmerga forces are holding a line north of the city, while Iraqi army and militarized police units approach from the south, and government-sanctioned Shiite militias are guarding western approaches.

Col. John Dorrian, a spokesman for the U.S.-led forces operating the air campaign against IS, said advancing troops and aircraft have destroyed some 70 tunnels the jihadis had been using to launch surprise attacks from inside densely populated areas.

Theyve set up elaborate defenses, and we have to assume theyll do anything among the civilian population because they dont care about anyone, he said, noting that airstrikes had hit hundreds of IS positions in the 3-week-old Mosul campaign.

In eastern Mosul, where troops have a foothold in a sliver of territory, special forces control the Zahra neighborhood, once named for former dictator Saddam Hussein,

They have taken at least half of the Aden neighborhood, where clashes were ongoing, while the regular armys 9th Division is stationed in the Intisar neighborhood, military officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters. Skirmishes also continued in the southern outskirts.

The offensive has slowed recently as the special forces  the troops that have advanced the farthest  push into more densely populated areas of eastern Mosul, where they cannot rely as much on airstrikes and shelling because of the risk to civilians who have been told to stay in their homes.

In the south, forces are positioned at the town of Hamam al-Alil, said Brig. Firas Bashar, the spokesman for Nineveh operations command.

To the northeast, about 8 miles from Mosul, the peshmerga continued to take territory in the town of Bashiqa, believed to be largely deserted except for dozens of IS fighters. The peshmerga have surrounded the town for weeks, assaulting it with mortar and artillery fire.

At a church in newly freed territory, priests rang bells for the first time in two years Wednesday.

We are so happy at the liberation, said the Rev. Elkhoury Alfaran Elkhoury of the Mart Shoomy Church in the village of Bahzani, near Bashiqa.

They want to give a message to the world, and that message is damage, their message is destruction, their message is death, he said, pointing out what the jihadis had done to the church while they occupied the area.

Theyve set up elaborate defenses, and we have to assume theyll do anything among the civilian population because they dont care about anyone. Col. John Dorian
All readers are invited, regardless if they have read the book or not. Copies of each month's selection will be handed out at the meeting and are to be returned at the next meeting.
It's been nearly a quarter of a century since foreign correspondent David Aikman wrote a novel about a second American Civil War, with a government led by urban socialists going to war with heartland conservatives.

Alas, the more things change, the more they remain the same.

About a year ago, the bitter political events unfolding on cable news channels made it rather clear that it was time for a new edition of that post-Cold War thriller, "When the Almond Tree Blossoms."

"No matter who wins ... there are people out there who think we are headed toward some kind of civil war," said Aikman, in an interview just before Election Day.

"It's disappointing that our nation really hasn't come to terms with all of its internal problems. Right now, it feels like it would take a miracle  some kind of divine intervention  to heal the divisions we see in American life today."

Aikman was born in Surrey, England, and studied at Oxford's Worcester College before coming to America in the 1960s to pursue a doctorate in Russian and Chinese history. After contemplating a career in diplomacy  he speaks German, French, Chinese and Russian  he moved into journalism and became the senior foreign correspondent at Time magazine. Among his many adventures, Aikman witnessed the 1989 massacre in China's Tiananmen Square and introduced readers to a Russian politico named Boris Yeltsin.

Ironically, Aikman wrote "When the Almond Tree Blossoms"  the title is rebel code drawn from Ecclesiastes  while preparing to become a naturalized United States citizen in 1993. In the novel, the liberal "People's Movement"  backed by Russia  rules the bicoastal power centers, as well as the industrial Midwest. The "Constitutionalists" control most of the Bible Belt and have dug into the Rocky Mountain West. But who will the pragmatic Chinese support?

Aikman said he wouldn't "change one iota" of his vision of Russia evolving into a totalitarian regime run by a strongman. On the other hand, "China has actually become much nastier in recent months, especially on religious issues," he said.

Aikman built his fictional civil war primarily on political and economic trends, along with a dash of conflict about morality and culture. Decades later, it's clear that cultural tensions  often linked to religion and sexuality  are creating deep cracks in American life.

Rather than violent conflict, "I think we're going to see an 'OK Corral' shootout between state courts and legislatures over decisions by the Supreme Court and executive orders from the White House," he said. "It seems that Congress has lost the ability to find compromises on our most divisive issues."

For example, what happens if other states join Massachusetts in declaring religious sanctuaries "public spaces" under that state's new transgender anti-discrimination law? At some point, clergy may need to start adding "trigger warnings" to their sermons, offering outsiders an opportunity to leave their services if they do not believe ancient doctrines affirmed in that body of believers.

Obviously, said Aikman, the U.S. Supreme Court is not through dealing with hot-button cases involving religious liberty and the Sexual Revolution.

In the newest edition of his book, Aikman also added a postscript highlighting themes in the novel that have, if anything, become more relevant through the years.

For example, he wrote: "A major component of the book  the People's Movement's hostility toward Israel and indeed toward American Jews  has been expressed so far only by fairly far-left elements of the American political scene. There nevertheless remains a serious danger that anti-Semitic and anti-Israel sentiments within the United States itself could at some point develop into a major internal ethnic squabble in which Jews are blamed for many things wrong with American life."

Over the years, readers have asked Aikman why he ended the book at a crucial turning point, as an action by China created a new dynamic in the war.

The short answer is that he wanted to produce a sequel, but instead turned to writing a number of nonfiction projects, such as his books "Jesus in Beijing" and "One Nation Without God?"

"I have an outline and I know the rest of the story," he said. "I have to admit that I find it surprising, and rather sad, that the topic remains so relevant."
Helmut Kury has found through extensive research that punishment shouldnt always fit the crime.

The University of Freiburg professor and international researcher has made a career of studying and comparing issues facing criminal justice systems across Europe and the United States, and will give a presentation on his findings Monday at the University of Wisconsin-Baraboo/Sauk County.

Kury will compare and contrast prison systems in Europe and the United States, focusing on the difference in incarceration rates and the political issues that fuel the discrepancy.

The United States has a much higher incarceration rate than many European countries, he said.

Until 1970, the number of prisoners in the United States was similar to that of European nations. Following the war on drugs, incarceration rates began to rise, culminating with about 2.3 million prisoners behind bars today, according to The United States Bureau of Justice Statistics. Thats about 25 percent of the entire worlds prisoner population.

It was the feeling that drugs are a huge problem and they should punish the drug addict and the drug user, Kury said. That caused the incarceration rate in the U.S. to jump up more and more.

Many drug addicts and other criminals require treatment instead of punishment, according to Kury.

He said harsh punishments have proven ineffective in lowering crime rates. The United States, for example, employs the death penalty in 33 states, yet records higher crime rates than Canada, which does not.

States that use capital punishment have higher severe crime rates than those that have abolished the punishment as well, Kury added.

Kury instead advocates for restorative justice programs, which are aimed at rehabilitation, rather than punishment.

Restorative justice brings the offender and victim together if both are willing to do so  thats very important, he said. It not only benefits the offender but also the victim. They learn more about the background of the crime, and the offender can explain his behavior.

Restorative justice programs date back to ancient times and have proven more effective in reducing crime rates than harsh punishments, Kury said.

Research shows that both parties, the offender and the victim, after restorative justice are more satisfied with the process, he said.

But the benefits arent limited to offender and victim. Kury added that the programs are cheaper than traditional punishments and have proven effective in reducing recidivism rates.

Despite the United States high incarceration rates, Kury said hes impressed by some restorative programs already in place.

The high incarceration rates are only one side, he said. Im astonished by how many excellent programs you have here.

UW-Baraboo sociology professor Annette Kuhlman helped to bring Kury to campus after working with him on several comparative international criminology projects. She hopes Kurys presentation will show attendees there are more effective measures to reduce crime than severe punishments.

The traditional way of punishment judges a person on a behavior from one moment, Kuhlman said. Offenders are still human beings, and there are more effective, humane ways to punish criminals and reduce recidivism rates.
New York City has been fighting a war against the sharing economy for years, and the anti-innovation forces scored a big victory last month when Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that outlaws the advertisement of short-term rental properties.

Previously, it had been illegal to rent  but not to advertise  such properties, a loophole that helped many participants in the sharing economy skirt the law. Adding another layer of regulation  with stiff penalties for violations  will likely decimate the market.

The new law imposes hefty fines: a minimum of $1,000 and up to $7,500 for multiple offenses.

The new prohibitions were a huge victory for the hotels, labor unions, Democrats and housing activists who were pushing for the measure. LaSalle Hotel CEO Michael Bernello told investors the legislation was a big boost in the arm for the business, according to Fortune Magazine. The hotel industry  both its executives and labor unions  has long been worried about how Airbnb and other homesharing and rental services cut into their business.

Homesharing services compromise efforts to maintain and promote affordable housing by allowing those units to be used as unregulated hotels, a spokesman for Cuomo said, according to the New York Post.

The new restrictions apply only to those who engage in homesharing for their entire units, however. It will still be legal to advertise short-term rentals of single or multiple bedrooms.

Gig economy advocates are crying foul, not just on the principle but on the law.

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 bars states from doing precisely this: making online platforms responsible for the speech of their users, said Berin Szoka, president of TechFreedom. That safe harbor has been vital for the development of internet services.

The law also presents free speech concerns.

New York will also likely lose on First Amendment grounds, said TechFreedom legal fellow Ashkhen Kazaryan. Its not clear, but New York may to be trying to evade First Amendment scrutiny simply by criminalizing sharing your own home, as other jurisdictions have.

New Yorks challenge to the sharing economy and its broader battle to regulate what people can do with their private property have reached new lows with the ban on short-term rental advertising.

New Yorkers are not allowed to rent out their own property as they see fit. The cartel-like alliance of hotels and service employee unions has triumphed over property rights and innovation.

The overreach may yet prove a bridge too far as the legislation is challenged in court, but for now the nannies have scored a win.
Congratulations on your victory @realDonaldTrump. As our President, Columba and I will pray for you in the days and months to come.
Josiah Hoege turned to the veterans in Portage High Schools gymnasium Friday when he explained why hes ready to put his life on pause in service of his country.

Theyve done their part, and now its time to do ours, the senior told hundreds of assembled students and community members. Hoege plans to enlist in the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. He was one of four high school seniors who will serve in the military and spoke in the schools 12th annual Veterans Day ceremony.

Today I encourage you to thank a veteran. It really does mean a lot, Hoege said.

The ceremonys theme was Service and Transitions. The other students who plan to serve their country include Alex Braatz who has already joined the U.S. Army, Kade Kreitzman who plans to join the U.S. Marine Corps and Austin Brouwer who plans to join the U.S. Air Force.

Kreitzman wants to defend this country.

Service, to Brouwer, means being part of something bigger than me.

To Braatz, service means giving back and making my family proud.

The school honored dozens of local veterans with a flower, individually, announcing their names and the decade they served.

Veterans are ordinary people who do extraordinary things, teacher and ceremony organizer Ed Carlson said. Today we commend you for our service.

Tom Drury, U.S. Navy veteran and keynote speaker, noted the many circumstances that have led veterans to enlist, but the one similarity is everyone raised their hand and served. Drury in his corporate career made a point to recruit veterans for his company due to their strong leadership skills, workers who were only a few years older than you, he told students.

Support for veterans in American hasnt always been exceptional, Drury said, but he believes America is finally starting to support all veterans, pushing past any political feelings that, in the past, sometimes got in the way.

One thing about the military is combat experience changes everybody, Drury recalled of a conversation he had with an old friend.

At the end of the ceremony local veterans presented Carlson with a flag and plaque to honor his hard work in making the schools ceremony what it is today.

Carlson was persistent during the early planning stages of the program, said Norm Bednarek, a veteran who taught in the schools technology education department at the time. The ideas Carlson came up with are still part of the ceremony today and keep expanding.

Looking around today, all I can say is wow, Bednarek said.
WISCONSIN DELLS  If she learned nothing else on the Sixth District Congressional campaign trail, Sarah Lloyd said, she learned the importance of listening.

The message that she heard loud and clear from her defeat at the hands of first-term Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbeulah, and from the victory of Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump, was that rural and small-town voters want their voices heard.

Ive learned that we want to listen more to the issues that are important to people of the Sixth District, especially the Portages and the Montellos, she said. As Democrats, we must listen, to establish what solutions people are looking for.

The Wisconsin Dells dairy farmer, a Democrat, got 37.3 percent of the vote to Grothmans 57.2 percent in the final tally from Tuesdays election. An independent candidate, Jeff Dahlke of Mequon, picked up 5.5 percent of the vote.

The Sixth District  which, after redrawing as a result of the 2010 census, includes parts of 11 counties, including all of Columbia and Marquette counties  includes much of the historically conservative Fox River Valley.

In her home county, Columbia County, Lloyd kept up with Grothman, and even finished slightly ahead of him, with 13,778 votes to Grothmans 13,081 and 1,594 for Dahlke. (Democrat Russ Feingold of Middleton, who was hoping to unseat Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Oshkosh, would have done so if it were up to Columbia County voters. He got 15,056 votes to Johnsons 13,557, in unofficial results. The numbers arent official until after Mondays canvass.)

Lloyd said she interprets the victory of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as indicating that people are looking for an anti-establishment candidate, at least at the Presidential level.

But although Grothmans term will only be his second in Congress, Lloyd noted that Grothman is the epitome of a career politician, with 12 years in the state Assembly and a decade in the state Senate.

Lloyd said she thinks many Democratic voters in the Sixth District didnt cast ballots in Tuesdays election, possibly because Democratic candidates didnt adequately communicate their understanding of, or solutions for, the struggles of rural people and their communities.

Lloyds campaign started with a small, simple brochure asking for $5 donations, and noting that those at the top are getting richer, but the rest of us are losing ground.

During the campaign, she talked of how the recent obstructionism of Congress is not helping the economic and social struggles common to many to people.

We as Democrats need to go out there and be part of the solution in our communities, she said.

Whether that will entail another run for Congress in two years remains to be seen, Lloyd said. She said she plans to meet with supporters soon to discuss that very issue.

I am a true believer in small-d democracy, Lloyd said. We have elections, and that is how we have this exchange of ideas and exchange of solutions  and that is a good thing about the United States.

For now, shes back on her town of Newport farm, where she and her husband, Nels Nelson, operate a 400-cow dairy farm.

My chickens are happy, she said, that Im back to take care of them.
Sauk Prairie will get a glimpse of one of the two eclipses that will occur over the next thirty days. The total solar eclipse is only visible over the Atlantic Ocean ending toward the North Pole on March 20, and the total lunar eclipse is best seen in western North America on April 4. However, the partial phase of the lunar eclipse will greet those who rise before the sun on the morning of April 4.

The Full Moon occurs on April 4 at 7:05 a.m., but the moon sets just before this, around 6:40 a.m., as the partial eclipse is ongoing. The partial phase begins around 5:17 a.m., as the moon slips into the deeper part of Earths shadow and begins to turn a bit red. The moon will become close to completely eclipsed around 6:34 a.m., just as it is setting. This will make for a strange and wondrous view for those awaking to the day to find a blood red moon setting in the west.

At the same time that the moon is setting, the sun is rising in the east. Sunrise will continue to arrive earlier every morning and sunset later every evening from the spring equinox on March 20 through June. Spring arrives precisely on March 20 at 5:45 p.m.

Spring planets and constellations

On March 21, a day after the new moon and eclipse graces the far north, a crescent moon returns to the sky just after sunset. The moon will be right beside Mars, and the next night the moon rises a bit higher to float beside Venus. On March 29 the moon will be high in the sky and not far from Jupiter. The moon and Saturn keep close quarters around April 8, but they dont rise until after midnight.

Back in the west, Venus draws attention as it shines at magnitude -4 and stays above the horizon for three hours. In early April, Venus closes in on the star cluster the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus. This grouping of stars is setting in the west while the spring constellations rise in the east. Leo, Virgo, and Libra rise up from the horizon, carrying along a slew of distant galaxies that can be viewed through large telescopes. Ursa Major, the Big Dipper, is taking on its spring look, with the bowl of the dipper turning upside down as it sends spring showers to Earth.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 12 (PTI) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today dismissed canard about shortage of salt in the country as "concocted rumours" and stressed adequate quantity is available in every state. "Some people are spreading irresponsible rumours, like it happened yesterday regarding salt. It is there in adequate quantity in every state," he told reporters here.

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He said that some of these rumours started on day one of the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. "These are all concocted rumours," he said, adding statements like some people were aware of the demonetisation earlier tantamount to "taking liberty with truth".

The Commerce and Industry Ministry too has dismissed the rumours of shortage of salt in the market.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), which comes under the Ministry, in a series of tweets said there is sufficient stock of salt in the country.

"Do not panic, plenty of edible salt stocks are available in North Eastern Sates, Bihar an West Bengal. Say No To Rumours!," it said.

Salt produced at Nawa and Phalodi from Rajasthan is supplied to Delhi.

"Refined salt is available in market at the rate of Rs 8-18 as per brand. Adequate edible salt has been supplied to Delhi & NCR areas by salt producers from Santalpur and Kharaghoda from Gujarat. There is no scarcity in Delhi," it added.

Salt producers and suppliers from Tamil Nadu confirmed that there is no scarcity of salt in the entire state, DIPP said, adding "no scarcity of salt and it is sold at normal rates in West Bengal".

Adequate salt has been produced, stocked and being supplied in Gujarat, which produces 75 per cent total salt in India.

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that "authorities are in the field and reporting back. No shortage".

Rumours about shortage of salt triggered panic among people in areas like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi and Maharashtra. PTI JD DP RR CS MR

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FeesMustFall: Student Revolt, Decolonisation and Governance in South Africa

WSG and Wits Press are giving 100 free copies to current Wits students who cannot afford to purchase the book.

WSG and Wits Press are giving 100 free copies of FeesMustFall: Student Revolt, Decolonisation and Governance in South Africa to current Wits students who cannot afford to purchase the book. Write to us about your #FeesMustFall experiences to stand a chance of getting a free copy.

FeesMustFall: Student Revolt, Decolonisation and Governance in South Africa dissects the influence of the days of the 2015 student protests that shook the government and would be repeated in 2016. The books reflections represent a snapshot in time, reflecting on a segment of the overall revolt and its impact. In convening the voices to write this book, we at the Wits School of Governance argued that the 2015-2016 voices of revolt deserve scholarly and activist exploration, even while the longer-term impact continues to unfold. The analysis ends in mid-2016, as disillusionment with the implementation of the early gains of #FeesMustFall set in, as rumours of a second cycle of revolt solidified, and as government and university managements worked to persuade a politically diverse (and by now confident in their abilities) student generation that more profound change was on the way.

We forefront students primary voices, and let them relate the narratives of what the students did to power in South Africa. This collection of voices within a broad, flat structure and diverse movement speaks the issues and reflects the contradictions of the time. In their writings, this books student and activist authors reveal, with no holds barred, how coloniality, race, patriarchy, structural and physical violence alienate, colour and continue to taint life in South African society and its universities. The students write, or co-write with workers, their lived experiences in the section that contains the core narratives on The roots of the revolution. Students Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh (Chapter 3), Omhle Ntshingila (Chapter 4, in conversation with workers Richard Ndebele and Virginia Monageng), activist-academic Gillian Godsell with student Kgotsi Chikane (Chapter 2), and in Chapter 5 with students Refiloe Lepere, Swankie Mofoko and Ayabonga Nase bring the texture of the struggles and the gaping holes in the 1994 rainbow into the heart of political praxis and the student revolt.
The Boeing Company is the worlds largest manufacturer of airplanes and commands more than 50% of the market in some channels and categories. The company and its family of subsidiaries design, develops, manufacture, sell, service, and supports commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense, human space flight, and related services worldwide. The company operates through four segments including Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital providing products and services to end-users in 150 countries.

Boeing got its start in 1910 when William E. Boeing developed a love for aircraft. Soon after he takes his first plane ride which leads him to build a hangar and begin construction of his first plane. The onset of WWI helped spur the companys growth but business was cut drastically in its wake. The start of WWII was another milestone for the company and one that led to its current position of dominance. The company was incorporated in 1916 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. Boeing employs over 140,000 people in 65 countries making it one of the most diverse employers on the planet.

The Commercial Airplanes segment is built around the iconic 7-series which includes the 737, 747, and 787. The segment provides commercial jet aircraft for passenger and cargo requirements, as well as fleet support services for regional, national, and international air carriers and logistics and freight companies. In terms of global volume, the company estimates about 90% of all air freight is carried aboard one of its jets. This segment also includes the Dreamliner family of planes. The Dreamliner is a game-changing airplane for many carriers as it opens up the potential for new one-stop destinations because of its capacity and range.

The Defense, Space & Security segment develops and manufactures a range of systems including manned and unmanned aircraft, missiles, missile defense systems, satellites, communications equipment, and intelligence systems for governments. Among the many iconic brands within this segment are the AH-64 Apache, Air Force One, B-52, C-17 Globemaster, Chinook, F/A-18, and the V-22 Osprey VTOL aircraft used by the Marines.

The Global Services segment offers a range of products and services that include supply chain and logistics management, engineering, maintenance, upgrades, conversions, spare parts, pilot and maintenance training, technical and maintenance documents, and data analytics to its commercial and defense customers.

Boeing is also a leader in innovation, leveraging its many decades and avenues of experience to further aerospace and defense technology. Among the many innovations is the MQ-25 Stingray which will be the worlds first autonomous aircraft. The Stingray is only one of many areas of research that also include drones and undersea vehicles.
BP, plc, once known as British Petroleum, is one of the worlds 7 oil & gas supermajors with operations spanning the globe. In terms of revenue, it ranks 4th on the list and the company is vertically integrated as well with operations in all segments of the oil and gas sector. Operations are currently underway in 80 countries around the world, the company can produce 3.7 million barrels of oil equivalents per day, and it lays claim to nearly 20 billion barrels in proven reserves. On the retail end of the business, the company operates more than 18,700 fuel stations and its largest segment is in the US.

The company was founded in 1908 with the purpose of exploring for and producing oil in the middle east. The company expanded into Alaska in 1959 and then accelerated its expansion when it merged with Amoco in 1998. Another merger with Burhman Castrol in 2000 created the company that is traded today.

BP, plc rebranded itself in 2000 giving new meaning to its name. The once British Petroleum is now Beyond Petroleum and focused on a major shift in its business. The company is working hard to move away from non-renewable carbon-based energy and into biofuels, solar, and wind. The company hopes to be net-zero in regard to carbon emissions and production by 2050 or earlier and is well on the way to doing so. Among the many avenues of advance are the build-out of solar and wind farms as well as the expansion of a major EV charging network. The network totaled more than 9,000 stations around the middle of 2022 and expansion was ramping in order to meet the goal of 100,000 EV stations before 2050.

BP p.l.c. currently operates through 4 segments including Gas & Low Carbon Energy, Oil Production & Operations, Customers & Products, and Rosneft segments. The company produces and trades in natural gas and oil liquids, offers biofuels, and operates wind and solar power generating facilities. The company also provides de-carbonization solutions and services, such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, as part of its green agenda.

In addition, it produces and refines oil and gas for its downstream operations as well as invests in upstream, downstream, and alternative energy companies including advanced mobility. Advanced mobility is the future of transportation and includes technologies like EV, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cells. To that end, the company is building 7 hydrogen production and storage hubs in key locations around the world. The company aims to produce blue and green hydrogen for the global transportation industry with production beginning in 2027. Blue hydrogen is hydrogen captured from the companys natural gas deposits using a process that captures the waste carbon.
This is a current list of the top 250 companies by market capitalization on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Learn more .

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one of the largest, and most recognizable, stock exchanges in the world. The NYSE is in New York City, New York at 11 Wall Street. The NYSE has been in existence since the earliest days of the United States becoming a nation, in 1792 and is primarily made up of blue-chip companies with large market capitalizations. In fact, many of the stocks that make up the Dow Jones Composite Index (i.e. The Dow) are listed on the NYSE.

This article gives a brief history of the New York Stock Exchange. In addition, it covers topics such as what kind of stocks trade on the exchange, what are the listing requirements, how trading is performed, and what the daily price movement of the NYSE tells investors about investor sentiment.

What Were the Origins of the NYSE?

Today, the New York Stock Exchange is known as the center of the financial universe. However, the exchanges origin is far more humble. On May 17, 1792, 24 stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement creating a centralized exchange to help provide order to the securities market in what was still a young nation. The "Buttonwood Agreement comes from the tree of the same name under which the founders signed the agreement.

An initial benefit of the exchange was how it removed the need for auctioneers when trading commodities like wheat and tobacco and to set a commission rate. The exchange initially focused on government bonds.

However, the exchange had no formal home. Business was usually conducted informally in the local coffeehouses. In 1817, the exchange changed its name to the New York Stock & Exchange Board which later became the New York Stock Exchange. At this time, the exchange adopted a constitution that set the rules for trading. A group of stockbrokers met twice a day at 40 Wall Street to trade 30 stocks and bonds.

Over time, the exchange moved became the financial hub of the country and moved to its current location in 1865.

What Kind of Stocks Trade on the NYSE?

As of June 2022, the NYSE includes approximately 2,400 companies with a market capitalization of over $28.2 trillion. Although the NYSE trades stocks of all market capitalizations, its best known for trading the stocks of large cap companies. These have the benefit of being mature companies in mature industries. And many of these companies reward shareholders with dividends.

However, that also means that many of these companies are better suited for value investors as opposed to growth investors. In bear markets this stability can be a benefit for investors as these stocks tend to perform less bad than more volatile stocks. But in a bull market, these stocks are not likely to provide investors with the growth that they look for.

An interesting fact about how the NYSE and NASDAQ operate is that the companies with the five largest market caps on the NYSE are also listed on the NASDAQ exchange.

What Are the Listing Requirements For the NYSE?

The NYSE has strict guidelines that govern the types of companies that can list on the exchange. Here are the major requirements that all companies must meet:

The company must have at least 2,200 shareholders

The company must trade over 100,000 shares per month

The company must have a market valuation of over $100 million

The company must generate more than $75 million in annual revenue

However, there is at least one advantage of having such stringent requirements. That is the companies that meet the requirements generally find it easier to get more investors funds when they hold their initial public offering (IPO).

Once a company begins trading on the NYSE, it must continue to meet these requirements. If it doesnt it can be delisted. In addition to these requirements, the stock must continue to trade above $1. If the price of a stock drops below $1 for more than 29 consecutive trading days, the stock receives an Initial Price Violation Notice.

At that point, the company has 10 days to provide the exchange with a plan for bringing their shares above $1.

How are Trades Executed on the NYSE?

For over a century, the floor of the NYSE was the place for investors to be. This meant trades were conducted by traders who ran buy and sell orders across the trading floor looking to broker a deal for their clients. But with the birth of the NASDAQ exchange in 1971, the New York Stock Exchange began conducting electronic trading.

However, the NYSE continues to conduct trades in an auction style. Brokers purchase stocks on behalf of their clients or firms. Every order features a broker who will enter the order electronically and a specialist who serves as the market maker for that stock. The specialist posts bid and ask prices and manages the actual execution of the trades. And there are still a handful of stockbrokers who still traffic buy and sell orders physically on the floor of the exchange.

How Does the NYSE Signal Investor Sentiment?

Like its counterpart, the NASDAQ, the NYSE measures the risk appetite of investors. When the NYSE is moving higher over a length of time, it signals that a risk on environment. Conversely when the NYSE moves lower over a significant period, it signals that investors are moving to a risk off position.

Some Final Thoughts on the NYSE

Financial news networks plan their programming schedule around the opening and closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange. Its still considered a distinguished honor when individuals or groups are invited to ring the opening bell. In fact, Warren Buffett is attributed with saying that in the short term, the stock market acts like a voting machine. A fact that many U.S. presidents will attest to.

The NYSE is the oldest and most recognizable of all the stock exchanges. It also has the most stringent requirements for inclusion. And those requirements must be maintained even after a stock begins publicly trading on the exchange.

Although the NYSE still has a small in-person Trading Floor, much of the trading is done electronically to provide traders with the speed to execute trades.
By PTI: Guwahati, Nov 12 (PTI) Continuing its operations against alleged corruption in the Assam Public Service Commission, police today arrested APSCs Assistant Examination Controller Pabitra Koibatra here, and made seizures from the house of the wife of APSCs arrested Chairman Rakesh Paul.

Koibatra was taken into custody from his house and his interrogation was on, police said.

Police searched a flat in the name of Pauls wife and seized 11 APSC answer scripts, nine marks tabulation scripts, Rs 10 lakh in cash, a laptop and three mobile phones.

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Following the arrest of APSC Chairman on November 4, its Member Samedur Rahman, who had been absconding, was arrested on November 9 from Rangia near Guwahati.

Rahmans name came to light in connection with the cash-for-job scam when his personal security officer Mabud Ali Choudhury was captured based on arrested Dibrugarh Town Planning engineer Naba Kanta Patirs statement.

Patir was arrested on October 27 following a complaint filed by a dental surgeon that he had promised to give her a job through the APSC for a bribe of Rs 10 lakh.

The Assam government at a Cabinet meeting on November 9 adopted a proposal to approach the state Governor for suspension of APSC Chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul.

On November 7, CID sleuths had sealed three rooms, including confidential room and answer script storing strong room, in the APSC headquarters office in Guwahati.

Police were also on the lookout for Pauls brother in whose press duplicate answer scripts were allegedly printed for the cash-for-job APSC examinees would write fresh exams to replace their actual scripts with less marks.

APSC has been mired in controversies with allegations of corruption in selection and appointment of Assam Civil Service (ACS), Assam Police Service (APS), Education Service, allied services and all gazetted posts for exchange of hefty amounts of money. PTI ESB NN IKA

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Intu owns and manages some of the best shopping centres, in some of the strongest locations, in the UK and Spain. Our UK portfolio is made up of 17 centres, including eight of the top-20, and in Spain we own three of the country's top-10 centres, with advanced plans to build a fourth. We are passionate about creating compelling experiences, in centre and online, that make our customers smile and help our retailers flourish. We attract around 400 million customer visits and 26 million website visits a year offering a multichannel approach that truly supports retail strategies. Our strategic focus on prime, high-footfall flagship destinations, combined with the strength and popularity of our brand, means that intu offers enhanced footfall, dwell time and loyalty. This helps our tenants flourish, driving occupancy and income growth. We are committed to our local communities, with our centres supporting nearly 130,000 jobs (representing about 3 per cent of the total UK retail workforce), and to operating with environmental responsibility. We have already met or exceeded a significant number of our 2020 environmental targets.
The following companies are subsidiares of Kroger: 84.51 HQ Building Company LLC, 84.51 LLC, Alpha Beta Company, Ansonborough Square Investors I LLC, Ansonborough Square Retail LLC, Ardrey Kell Investments LLC, Bay Area Warehouse Stores Inc., Beech Tree Holdings LLC, Bleecker Ventures LLC, Bluefield Beverage Company, Box Cutter Inc., CB&S Advertising Agency Inc., Cala Co., Cala Foods Inc., Cheeses of All Nations Inc., Country Oven Inc., Crawford Stores Inc., Creedmoor Retail LLC, Dillon Companies LLC, Dillon Real Estate Co. Inc., Dillons, Distribution Trucking Company, Dotto Inc., Edgewood Plaza Holdings LLC, Embassy International Inc., FM Inc., FMJ Inc., Farmacia Doral Inc., Food 4 Less GM Inc., Food 4 Less Holdings Inc., Food 4 Less Merchandising Inc., Food 4 Less of California Inc., Food 4 Less of Southern California Inc., Fred Meyer, Fred Meyer Inc., Fred Meyer Jewelers Inc., Fred Meyer Stores Inc., Glasswing Labs LLC, Glendale/Goodwin Realty I LLC, Grubstake Investments LLC, HT Fuel DE LLC, HT Fuel NC LLC, HT Fuel SC LLC, HT Fuel VA LLC, HTGBD LLC, HTP Bluffton LLC, HTP Plaza LLC, HTP Relo LLC, HTPS LLC, HTTAH LLC, Harris Teeter, Harris Teeter LLC, Harris Teeter Properties LLC, Harris Teeter Supermarkets Inc., Harris-Teeter Services Inc., Healthy Options Inc., Henpil Inc., Home Chef, Hood-Clayton Logistics LLC, Hughes Markets Inc., Hughes Realty Inc., I.T.A. Inc., IRP LLC, ITAC 119 LLC, ITAC 265 LLC, Inter-American Foods Inc., Inter-American Products Inc., J.V. Distributing Inc., Jondex Corp., Jubilee Carolina LLC, KCDE  2013 LLC, KCDE-2 LLC, KCDE-3 LLC, KCDE-4 LLC, KCDE-5 LLC, KGO LLC, KPF LLC, KPS LLC, KRGP LLC, KRLP Inc., KV Anderson LLC, Kee Trans Inc., Kessel FP, Kiosk Medicine Kentucky LLC, Kirkpatrick West Retail LLC, Kroger Community Development Entity LLC, Kroger Dedicated Logistics Co., Kroger Fulfillment Network LLC, Kroger G.O. LLC, Kroger HQ LLC, Kroger LM Real Estate Holdings LLC, Kroger Limited Partnership I, Kroger Limited Partnership II, Kroger MC Holdings LLC, Kroger MTL Management LLC, Kroger Management Co., Kroger Management  Corryville LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Athens I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Champaign I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Champaign II LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Cincinnati I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Dallas I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Danville I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Logansport I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Missouri I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Oak Ridge I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Olney I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Omaha I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Portsmouth I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Starkville I LLC, Kroger Management  NMTC Topeka I LLC, Kroger NMTC Fremont I LLC, Kroger OZ1 Inc., Kroger OZ1 LLC, Kroger OZ2 Inc., Kroger OZ2 LLC, Kroger OZ3 Inc., Kroger OZ3 LLC, Kroger Opportunity Fund I Inc., Kroger Prescription Plans Inc., Kroger Specialty Infusion AL LLC, Kroger Specialty Infusion CA LLC, Kroger Specialty Infusion Holdings Inc., Kroger Specialty Infusion TX LLC, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy CA LLC, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy FL 2 LLC, Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Holdings 2 Inc., Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Holdings 3 Inc., Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Holdings I Inc., Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Holdings Inc., Kroger Specialty Pharmacy Inc., Kroger Specialty Pharmacy LA LLC, Kroger Texas L.P., LCGP3 Home Cooking Inc., Latta Village LLC, Local Mkt LLC, Main & Vine LLC, Matthews Property 1 LLC, Mega Marts LLC, Michigan Dairy L.L.C., ModernHealth LTC, Murrays Cheese LLC, Murrays Cheese LLC, Murrays LIC LLC, Murrays Table LLC, Pace Dairy Foods Company, Paramount Logistics LLC, Pay Less Super Markets Inc., Peyton's-Southeastern Inc., Plum Labs LLC, Pontiac Foods Inc., Queen City Assurance Inc., RBF LLC, RGC Southeast Properties LLC, Ralphs Grocery Company, Relish Labs LLC, Rocket Newco Inc., Roundy's, Roundys Acquisition Corp., Roundys Illinois LLC, Roundys Inc., Roundys Supermarkets Inc., Second Story Inc., Shop-Rite LLC, Smiths Beverage of Wyoming Inc., Smiths Food & Drug Centers Inc., Southern Ice Cream Specialties Inc., Stallings Investors I LLC, Sunrise R&D Holdings LLC, Sunrise Technology LLC, TLC Corporate Services LLC, TLC Immunization Clinic LLC, TLC of Georgia LLC, The Kroger Co. of Michigan, The Little Clinic LLC, The Little Clinic Management Services LLC, The Little Clinic of Arizona LLC, The Little Clinic of Colorado LLC, The Little Clinic of IN LLC, The Little Clinic of Kansas LLC, The Little Clinic of Mississippi LLC, The Little Clinic of Ohio LLC, The Little Clinic of TX LLC, The Little Clinic of Tennessee LLC, The Little Clinic of VA LLC, Topvalco Inc., Ultimate Mart LLC, Ultra Mart Foods LLC, Vandervoort Dairy Foods Company, Vine Court Assurance Incorporated, Vitacost, Vitacost.com Inc., Woodmont Holdings LLC, and YOU Technology.

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By Adila Matra: Two artists are travelling across the country, creating stories out of yarn. Delhi-based artists Rahul Chaudhary and Pankaj Saroj are part of a fourmonth-long project, titled Yarn Yatra, which will have them cover 13,000 kilometers through the eastern and western coasts of India mostly by train. The project has been developed under the aegis of the Raj Art Initiative (TRAI), a cultural initiative by Panipatbased Raj Group.

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Also read: There are 84 ways to drape a saree and this initiative is creating 84 short films about them

They want Indians to see the 'yarn bombed' objects and be reminded of the importance weaving had and still holds in our culture. "To realise this," says Chaudhary, "we couldn't imagine a better language, than engaging the yarn in public spaces like trees, tea stalls, benches, bus stops and the like. Through 'Yarn Yatra', the effort is to reach out to the masses and embed visual imagery of yarn knitting and weaving." The artists have already covered the western part of the country like Jabalpur, Bhopal, Ujjain, Baroda, Ahmedabad and Mumbai and are currently on the tour of the east coast, hoping to yarn bomb Lucknow, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Kolkata, Bolpur, Guwahati and Majuli, the last river island of Asia and hub of Assamese weaving.

Also read: Passionate about cycling and gender equality, this 'Rockstar Monk' is not a religious man

In December, they will travel from Delhi to Panipat. "Since all these yarn interactions are in public spaces, they can be found in parts of the old and new city, outside public spaces like museums and art institutions, and on tea stalls and at bus stops. But this is art for art's sake and because of their exposure to the public, their life is extended to the time that someone does not consider removing them," says Saroj. What can we expect in Delhi? "We intend to move through Delhi in the first week of December, and Delhi can definitely expect a colourful visual imagery of yarn bombing in parks, around bus stops, tea stalls and other such vendors," says the artists.

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By PTI: Mumbai, Nov 12 (PTI) A doctor attached to a nursing home in suburban Govandi allegedly refused to treat a premature baby as the parents could not pay the necessary deposit in the wake of demonetisation, following which a case was registered against her. Jagadish Sharma, father of the newborn, had filed a case in this regard with Shivajinagar police station in the city. On November 8, Sharmas wife Kiran, who was pregnant, was admitted to the nursing home for tests, including sonography. She was expected to deliver a baby around December 7. On November 9, Kiran went into labour prematurely and gave birth to a boy at home before she could be taken to hospital. Afterwards the mother and the boy were rushed to the nursing home. The woman doctor administered preliminary treatment but allegedly refused to treat the baby further unless Sharma, a carpenter by profession, paid a deposit of Rs 6,000 in notes of less than Rs 500 denomination, police said.

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Sharma alleged that he requested for some time for getting the Rs 500 notes changed into lower-value currency but the doctor refused and turned them away.

The mother and the baby were taken to another hospital where the infants condition worsened and he died before getting treatment, as per the complaint.

"Today we registered a case against the doctor for causing death by negligence (IPC section 304A) and disobedience of order duly promulgated by public servant (IPC section 188)," said Shahaji Umap, Deputy Commissioner of Police, zone VI.

There were clear instructions from the state government to hospitals that they must continue to accept Rs 1,000 and 500 notes and a circular to this effect had been issued, the DCP said.

"In our investigation we found that the baby died due to refusal by the doctor to treat him," the officer said.

No arrest has been made so far. PTI DC KRK AAR

--- ENDS ---




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By PTI: From Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, Nov 12 (PTI) An Islamist militant leader who "directly took part" in the brutal murders of a secular blogger and a publisher in Bangladesh has been arrested here, police said today as they identified an ex-army officer as the mastermind of fatal attacks on secular writers in the country.

Khairul Islam alias Fahim, a leader of intelligence wing of the outlawed Ansar al-Islam also known as Ansarullah Bangla Team, was arrested from Kamlapur Rail Station area in Dhaka last night, said Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of polices detective branch.

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Khairul, 24, was believed to be involved in the murders of Jagriti Prakashani publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan and secular activist Niladri Chatterjee Niloy, besides scores of deadly attacks on secular activists and foreigners.

"Ansar al Islam or Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) has claimed responsibility of murdering most of the secular writers and bloggers... Our investigations reconfirms that ABT leader (fugitive) major Syed Ziaul Haque was behind all those attacks," a police spokesman told PTI.

Police said Khairul "directly took part" in the murders of Niloy and Dipan last year.

"This Fahim or Jishan admitted to us his direct involvement in the murders of the two and links to the killings of other bloggers as well," said Abdul Baten, Joint Commissioner of Dhaka polices detective branch.

He said Khairul had joined the group in 2013 and the next year he met Haque, a sacked army major for his involvement in a failed coup in December 2011.

Khairul had started to collect information about the duo since January 2015 and provided it to the outfits Askari section (armed wing) to carry out the killings, he added.

Polices comments on Haque, whom they termed as "operational chief", came three months after they announced a bounty of Taka 20 lakh (USD 25.4 thousand) on his arrest.

Haque and Bangladeshi Canadian Tamim Chowdhury were identified as leaders of militant outfits, one being responsible for the July 1 terrorist attack on a Dhaka cafe.

Chowdhury, said to be a top leader of Neo-JMB known to be inclined to ISIS, was killed two months ago in a police crackdown while Haque is still on the run.

Dipan was hacked to death at his office in Dhakas Shabagh area in broad daylight on October 31, 2015. The group had claimed responsibility for the murder.

Niloy was hacked to dead at his Dhaka residence on August 7 last year.

Bangladesh has seen a spate of gruesome attacks on secular activists, religious minorities, bloggers and foreigners, many of whom have been hacked to death with machetes.

The country has launched a massive crackdown on militants after the July 1 Dhaka terror attack in which 22 people, mostly foreigners, were killed. PTI AR/MRJ MRJ

--- ENDS ---

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Warrant of Further Detention Granted For Man Arrested on Suspicion of Terrorism Offences

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Nov 12th, 2016

A warrant of further detention has been granted for a man who was arrested in Wrexham on suspicion of terrorism related offences.

The 48-year-old man was arrested at a property on Yale Park, Wrexham on Thursday 10 November.

In a statement released by South Wales Police on Thursday it was confirmed that the man had been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Thursdays statement added: The man was arrested under terrorism legislation, meaning officers have an initial 48 hours to question the suspect before charging, releasing or applying for a warrant of further detention.

An update provided by South Wales Police this afternoon, says: A warrant of further detention has been granted for a 48 year old man arrested in Wrexham under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 as part of a joint operation between Wales Extremism Counter Terrorism Unit (WECTU), North Wales Police and West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit (WMCTU).

The man is being questioned at a police station in the West Midlands.

The warrant of further detention enables police officers to keep the suspect in custody until Thursday 17th November at which time they will either charge, release or apply for another warrant of further detention.

It has been confirmed by the WECTU that the investigation does not concern any immediate threat to public safety.

Yesterday searches continued at the property, with South Wales Police issuing a public appeal for anyone who may have any information concerning the premises.

Anyone with any information is advised to contact North Wales Police on 101 quoting event number: U171432.
The Australian political, corporate and media establishment has responded with bewilderment to the fact that Donald Trump will be the next president of the United Statesa development it did not want and had almost universally declared impossible, prior to November 8.

During the election campaign, Trump insisted that an administration he headed would repudiate the Trans Pacific Partnership economic agreement; impose sweeping tariffs, not only on China but on other key Australian trading partners, such as Japan and India; declare Beijing a currency manipulator and provoke open trade war; and demand that US allies in Europe increase military spending as the price for ongoing security relations with Washington. In Asia, Trump condemned the expense associated with maintaining US basing arrangements in Japan and South Korea, and expressed indifference to both countries assembling their own nuclear arsenals.

While there was general commentary on these declarations, none of them was taken particularly seriously within Australias ruling circles. The assessment made by the US and Australian media opinion-makersthat Trump was unelectable due to his populist rhetoric and manifest personality flawswas simply accepted as fact.

Labor Party opposition leader Bill Shorten, who has the closest ties to the American establishment, was so confident of Trumps defeat that he broke with diplomatic protocol and publicly commented on the US election in October. By his own words and his own actions, Shorten declared, Trump has confirmed the worst fears of millions in the United States and beyond its borders that he is entirely unsuitable to be leader of the free world.

Shorten continued: I know I am not the only one relieved that with every passing day, with every disgusting, demeaning comment Mister Trump makes, the possibility of him being president fades.

Summing up the view of the vast majority of the Australian elite on the eve of the election, Greg Sheridan, the pro-Republican Party, right-wing foreign editor of Rupert Murdochs Australian, wrote on November 8: You can take it to the bankthe American election is effectively all over, Hillary Clinton has won.

Since Clintons concession in the early hours of November 9, a panicked Australian political establishment has rushed to accommodate to Trumps victory while seeking to work out the extent of its implications.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who heads an unstable conservative Liberal and National Party coalition government, was the second world leader after Israels to have Trump answer his phone call. Turnbull delivered personal congratulations and vowed to work closely with the new administration.

Labors Bill Shorten began his backtracking from his previous comments on Trump with a Facebook statement declaring: Australians should also know our alliance with the United States has grown and thrived for seven decadesno matter whos in charge.

Reports indicate that the Australian embassy in Washington and diplomatic staff in Canberra are scrambling to establish contact with the somewhat unknown individuals who may be installed into key security, foreign policy and economic secretarial and under-secretarial posts of Trumps administration.

Media commentators and strategic analysts, however, unimpeded by the diplomatic restraints of political office, are giving full vent to their fears and uncertainties.

Since World War II, Australian imperialism has looked to and relied upon the United States to assert its strategic and economic interests on the world arena and particularly in Asia. In exchange, Canberra has functioned as the loyal adjunct of Washington on virtually every international issue. It plays a major role as part of the ANZUS military alliance with the US, hosts critical American military bases and has dispatched its own armed forces to participate in every predatory war that US imperialism has waged to assert is global hegemony, from Korea and Vietnam, to Iraq in 19901991, and, over the past 15 years, to Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Since 2011, Canberra has functioned as one of Washingtons main allies in the Obama administrations pivot to Asia. It has become thoroughly embroiled in the US agenda of threatening China with war if it fails to bow to Washingtons demands, aimed at enshrining American dominance over the Asia-Pacific region. At the centre of the pivot has been its most crucial economic aspect, the Trans Pacific Partnership, which would establish a regional trading bloc that excluded China, putting pressure on the latter to radically open up those areas of its economy that remain protected from penetration by US, Japanese, Australian and other financial and corporate conglomerates.

The implications of the TPPs collapse, and of the development of a US administration that retreats from both the economic and military aspects of the pivot, has been one of the main subjects in the post-election media commentary in Australian strategic circles.

On November 9, the Australian Financial Review (AFR) bluntly editorialised: In a year when globalisation and open markets have been under pressure as never before, its greatest bastion has fallen to a political huckster with a contradictory and self-defeating agenda. Strategically, it is a historic rupture in the post-war world. Mr Trump vows to abandon the global leadership that Washington assumed in 1945. Others may move into the vacuum. Australia will need to look to the like-minded in East Asia to counterbalance the influence of rising regional giant China. The region will become more heavily armed and dangerous. With a less reliable America, we may find ourselves with greater regional strategic responsibility.

Strategic analyst Hugh White, one of the few establishment critics of Australian involvement in the pivot, wrote the same day in the AFR: He [Trump] is not going to stand up for US allies. But without those allies America cannot remain the leading power in Asia. Indeed, without those allies, America cannot remain a significant strategic player in Asia at all. If Trump acts as he has talked, we might be seeing the end of the American era in Asia.

Paul Kelly, Rupert Murdochs editor-at-large at his flag-ship Australian, has authored a stream of worried commentary on the US elections. In todays edition, he wrote: Beware confident predictions about what Trumpism means once the man sits in the Oval Office. This is a classic in Donald Rumsfelds notion of known unknownsthings we know we dont know.

It is imperative that Trump, in office, change the style and content of his proposed foreign policy. Threats to NATO and to US allies Japan and South Korea are reckless and a threat to world stability. They risk fuelling a huge anti-Americanism in democracies around the globe while achieving little for the US national interest.

Kellys reference to anti-Americanism has been echoed by other commentators. What they are referring to, however, is not hostility among ordinary people toward the American population, but a potential turn by the ruling elites of various countries to develop alternatives to their longstanding alliances and relations with the United States.

James Brown, a former military officer who works with the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, told the media on November 9 that Trumps victory meant Australia would have to be more cautious in how we cooperate and collaborate with the US in Asia. We would be more worried about the way the US would support us in any sort of security situation, so it might lead us to take another look at our defence strategy.

Former Labor Party Prime Minister Paul Keating has been the most explicit. Speaking on an Australian Broadcasting Corporation current affairs program, Keating declared: The foreign policy of Australia is basically we have tag-along rights to the US. Its time to cut the tag. Its time to get out of it.

Behind the perplexity gripping the Australian establishment lies the threat of the breakdown of its alignment with the US, which has provided the framework for the countrys foreign policy, defence and investment and trade relations for more than 75 years. The advent of a Trump presidency, which itself is a symptom of the collapse of Americas global primacy, is now compelling the Australian ruling elites to reassess how they can defend their interests in a world dominated by geo-strategic and economic uncertainties.
Talks are currently ongoing in Berlins city hall on a prospective red-red-green (Left PartySocial Democratic Party (SPD)Green Party) state government. This week saw discussions on public security and administration. Initial information about the content of the discussions confirms that the strengthening of the state apparatus and police will continue and even be intensified under red-red-green.

The newsletter from the state Left Party reported on Thursday that representatives from the SPD, Left Party and Greens met on Monday for their tenth round of talks to discuss the range of issues of public security and civil rights. The measures which were agreed for the domestic sphere, read like a wish list from the police presidium.

Among other things, it called for better accessibility and a stronger police presence in residential areas to be established and a guard unit created for central Berlin. Vacant positions by the police ought to be filled as soon as possible, and well-qualified training and continuous career development secured. In addition, a head office for cooperation between police, fire brigade and rescue workers  should be established and  a plan developed for a disaster response command centre. The employment of intelligence operatives by the police is to be permitted in appropriate emergency situations.

The Left Party and Greens already made clear during the election campaign that they supported in all essentials the law-and-order agenda of the grand coalition and intended to continue it. The Greens campaigned with their own security plan, which included 500 additional police officers and the legal regulation of the right of an officer to fire their weapon as a last resort, which remains illegal in the state of Berlin.

The Left Party also called in its election programme for more police officers. Particularly on buses and trains, as well as train stations in public transport they would ensure security with additional personnel, it stated. Under the section Improve the working conditions of the police, it added, The basis upon which the police can fulfil their task responsibly is well-funded training and equipping. Therefore  more police officers must be hired.

The specific role of the red-red-green coalition consists in justifying the strengthening of the state apparatus with phrases about civil rights and promoting democracy, as well as claims to be strengthening the rights of women and immigrants. The coalition intends to increase the share of women and migrants in the police, fire brigade and rescue services, the Left Partys newsletter states.

The red-red-green propaganda campaign aims to integrate a better-off section of the middle class into its campaign for a stronger state while at the same time concealing its reactionary orientation. The real goal is in fact the suppression of the working class. Red-red-green is arming itself for class battles in the capital, which will only be intensified by social divisions, the refugee crisis and the growth of militarism.

According to a report by the Berliner Zeitung, as the red-red-green talks continue special operations units of the police are to receive 6 million in equipment and weaponry over the coming two years. This will include machine guns, top of the range bulletproof vests and protective breathing apparatus.

Armoured vehicles will also soon be driving on Berlins streets. The bidding process is currently underway for the construction of the so-called Survivor R. The 500,000 vehicles are strongly modelled on the armoured vehicles used in the US to transport SWAT teams of heavily armed police. Survivor R was developed by the Dusseldorf-based firm Rheinmetall and the Austrian company Achleitner.

The equipment alone makes clear that the police in Berlin are preparing for civil war-type scenarios: the vehicle provides protection against attacks by machine guns, hand grenades, and nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; a mechanism for firing smoke grenades or tear gas in variable quantities is provided. The installation of a firing unit with two guns is possible, which can be fired and loaded from inside the vehicle.

Along with the vehicles, the special operations units will receive 100 NP7 pistols. The modern close-range weapons are mainly used by the German army and generally used in attacks on targets within a range of 150 metres. According to the web site of the producer Heckler & Koch, the weapons are a step in the direction of machine guns in comparison to standard pistols and have been developed as the ideal accompanying weapon for the modern soldier. Just last summer, interior senator Frank Henkel announced the arming of the Berlin police with Tasers.

The money for the weaponry is to come from the anti-terrorism package, which was passed by the House of Representatives in November 2015 in response to the terrorist attacks in Paris. The package contains 33 million in funding. On top of the additional 1,000 positions with the police, fire brigade and rescue services, a 75-man task force for emergency security situations is to be trained.

The package was supported by all parliamentary parties at the time. As a party of government, the SPD supported the measures from the outset, while the Greens attacked the measures from the right. The Greens Benedikt Lux accused the interior senator during the December, 10, 2015 debate of being neither law nor order. Referring to the lack of practice firing ranges, he asked in irritated fashion, And you want to protect Berlin from terrorism? Where can the shooting of a terrorist be practiced?

The Left Party also backed the security buildup. The chairman of the parliamentary group in the House of Representatives, Udo Wolf, responded to the anti-terrorism package with the remark that the equipping of the special operations units had already been comprehensively upgraded under the SPD-Left Party coalition. His colleague, Hakan Tas, called for more money from the government for the combatting of day-to-day criminality in the city. He also complained that shooting practice for the police had to be abandoned because of a lack of firing ranges.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 12 (PTI) India and Bhutan today signed the Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit that aims to enhance trade between the two countries through trade facilitation, cutting down documentation and adding additional exit/entry points for Bhutans trade with other countries.

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the Minister for Economic Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan, Tengye Lyonpo Lekey Dorji signed the Agreement, Commerce Ministry said.

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"The new bilateral Trade Agreement aims to enhance trade between the two countries through trade facilitation by improving procedures, cutting down on documentation and adding additional exit/entry points for Bhutan?s trade with other countries," it added.

It is also expected to further strengthen the excellent relations between the two countries, it said.

The first Agreement on Trade and Commerce between Bhutan and India was signed in 1972. Since then, the Agreement has been renewed four times.

The last Agreement was renewed on July 28, 2006 and was valid till July 29, 2016. The validity of the Agreement was extended for a period of one year or till the date of coming into force of the new Agreement, whichever is earlier, by exchange of diplomatic notes between the two countries. PTI RNK JM

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Last month, the World Socialist Web Site detailed the despicable role of Britains pseudo-left groups, in alliance with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters, in the defeat of the struggle waged by 50,000 junior doctors.

The Junior Doctors Committee (JDC) of the British Medical Association (BMA) includes several Corbyn supporters who hold leading positions. The JDCs calling off, at the end of September, of 15 days of strikes set for October, November and December was essential in allowing the Conservative government to impose a vastly inferior contract on the doctors. Junior doctors who joined the health service in the summer have been working under the new contract since October, with all others to follow.

The contract includes the reduction of unsocial payments for weekend working, with Saturday and Sunday between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. reclassified as normal working days and nightshift rates reduced, along with the elimination of automatic pay progression.

For more than a year, junior doctorsall those below consultant gradefought with determination to oppose the contract, striking on five occasions in the face of a right-wing media campaign aimed at demonising them for daring to oppose the destruction of their jobs, terms and conditions. Opposing a relentless battery of government-led propaganda, they took the first all-out strike, without emergency cover, in the nearly 70-year history of the NHS.

Dr. Ellen McCourt was then the JDC interim chair. She stated that the BMA were .now planning a range of other actions in order to resist it  On Wednesday, the JDC announced that neither strikes nor any other forms of protest will now take place. The existing mandate for industrial action was terminated, with the JDC stating that another mandate will not be sought.

Yesterday, the head of the BMA Council, Dr. Mark Porter, told BBC Radio 4s Today, We need to move ahead, work with the government and employers on protecting our members as they move across to this contract.

Junior doctors took to social media to denounce the BMA, with one accusing it of selling a generation of doctors out. Another said it had failed completely and utterly. A further posting read, Corruption on the highest scale. Collusion with government for own aims. Betrayal of all doctors. Another doctor stated, Membership cancelled.

A short statement posted on the BMAs web site confirming the end of the dispute included a message from new interim chair of the JDC, Dr. Peter Campbell. Campbell is a supporter of the pseudo-left Alliance for Workers Liberty. He said, With the contract being introduced as existing contracts expire, we believe the best way of achieving the best outcome for all our members is to work with the Government and NHS Employers to monitor the implementation of the contract and raise additional issues.

Campbell made the statement as the new interim JDC chair, due to the resignation of McCourt from the post on November 4. McCourt stated upon resigning, I have continued to listen to junior doctors and it has become increasingly apparent to me that my position is untenable. This was a reference to the mounting hostility of junior doctors to the enormity of the BMAs betrayal.

In July, McCourt took over from previous JDC chair, Dr. Johann Malawana, following his resignation when a poll of junior doctors rejected the contract he had backed. Malawana attempted to sell the deal to an angry membership, which had thrown out the virtually unchanged contract months before. Prior to her own sell-out, McCourt was described invariably as a left alternative to Malawana.

Similarly, when Campbell took over, the Daily Telegraph wrote that McCourt will be replaced by her deputy Dr. Peter Campbell, a Momentum supporter from the more militant wing of the union.

The truth is that there is nothing militant or even slightly oppositional about Campbell or any pseudo-left flunkey in the BMA leadership. Their role is to suppress every struggle by workers.

Campbells first act in taking over as JDC chair, at the JDCs meeting on November 5, was to collaborate with the unions right wing to ensure a crushing defeat for the doctors.

Campbell and fellow Momentum figure Yannis Gourtsoyannis played a critical role in bolstering the union bureaucracy at every stage, with the backing of the Socialist Workers Party and Socialist Party. In July, Campbell, as McCourts deputy on the JDC, was claiming the BMA was being transformed into a fighting organisation. He enthused, Six months ago I couldnt get the BMA to make a placard. Today we have taken 8 days of industrial action and won significant concessions from a first year Tory government. If the BMA can do this, imagine the labour movement pushing together in one direction.

As the BMA called off the strike dates in September, Campbell was quoted by the Telegraph stating that the JDC was unable to continue strike action that all of the feedback said was wrong.

Everything was done by the JDC to limit the doctors struggle and isolate their strike, under conditions where it had widespread, deep support in a general population opposed to the break-up and privatisation of the NHS.

In recent blog postings, Campbell gives details of his own role in the sell-out. He writes, On the 24th September a newly elected JDC met for the first time. Following elections the strategy for Industrial Action was debated. Following the feedback from the Northern Region I argued for a reduction in the length of industrial action to 3 days [from a proposed five]. That this was the best compromise between the action required and what juniors were willing to take.

Campbells compromise was rejected. He continued that the JDC voted to suspend all industrial action, and to consider other methods of resisting imposition.

Campbell writes as if junior doctors were less ready for struggle than the BMA bureaucracy. But in his October 11 blog posting, he was drawing the attention of the union bureaucracy to the growing anger and rebellious mood of BMA members in opposition to the betrayal of their fight. He noted that the JDCs suspension of industrial action has been followed by a huge amount of criticism from some junior doctors  He continued, Some junior doctors are extremely angry. Within the Junior Doctors Contract Forum on Facebook, just short of 2000 have been advocating the reinstatement of industrial action 

Giving a foretaste of the betrayal less than a month later, Campbell wrote, Currently industrial action is suspended. In reality it would be very unlikely for the JDC to call more industrial action without going back to the membership for a new mandate.

Hostility to the class struggle is what really unites the pseudo-left behind Corbyn as their chosen leader. Since his election as Labour Party leader 14 months ago, Corbyn has capitulated to the Labour right wing at every turn. Never once did he make an appeal for action by Labours half a million members or the working class more broadly in defence of the junior doctors, supporting instead Labours official position of urging compromise by the Tories.
California state and local government officials reported Thursday afternoon that as many as five million votes remain to be counted in the presidential election. This includes both mail-in ballots postmarked no later than November 8 and provisional ballots cast by voters who went to the wrong precinct to vote because they had moved.

If the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton maintains the 62 percent majority that she has won so far in California voting, the count of all the outstanding ballots would likely increase her popular vote lead from the current estimate of 400,000 to approximately two million votes.

If anything, this is likely to be a low estimate, since provisional ballots are disproportionately cast in low-income and minority working-class districts, where Clinton ran up margins approaching 90 percent. More than one million ballots remain to be counted in Los Angeles County alone, and 600,000 in San Diego County. Clinton won more than 80 percent of the vote in Los Angeles and nearly 60 percent in San Diego.

This means that Clinton, the loser in the Electoral College to Donald Trump, would have a margin in the popular vote exceeding at least three winners of US presidential elections in the last half-century. John F. Kennedy won the 1960 election over Richard Nixon by 112,000 votes; Nixon won the 1968 election over Hubert Humphrey by 510,000 votes; and Jimmy Carter won the 1976 election over Gerald Ford by 1.7 million votes.

Clintons margin in the popular vote could be four times the size of Al Gores in 2000. Gore carried the popular vote by 540,000 over George W. Bush, only to lose in the Electoral College after the Supreme Court intervened to halt a recount of ballots in Florida.

Up until now the media has said almost nothing about the scale of Clintons popular vote margin. A posting by David Leonhardt in the online edition of the New York Times is the only reference in national publications, along with occasional reports in the California-based media.

Trumps vote total was actually below that won by Republicans Mitt Romney in 2012 and George W. Bush in 2004, and just barely above the total received by John McCain in 2008, when he lost to Barack Obama by a margin of ten million votes.

As the scale of Clintons lead in the popular vote becomes more widely known, Trumps elevation to the presidency will be seen ever-more widely as politically illegitimate.

It is known, of course, that victory in a presidential election is determined by the allocation of votes in the archaic Electoral College. But in the first 211 years of American presidential history, between 1789 and 2000, there were only three occasions in which the presidency went to the candidate who lost the popular vote.

This first occurred in 1824, whenafter a four-way contest in which no candidate received sufficient electoral votes to winthe House of Representatives awarded John Quincy Adams the presidency. There was widespread popular outrage over the corrupt bargain that denied Andrew Jacksonthe winner in the popular votethe White House. The presidency of Adams remained under a cloud, and Jackson defeated him in the election of 1828.

In 1876, Democratic candidate Samuel Tilden received approximately 250,000 more votes than Republican Rutherford Hayes, but failed to secure the necessary Electoral College majority. After several months of intense negotiations, the Democrats accepted the elevation of Hayes into the White House. However, the Democrats exacted from the Republicans an immense political concession: the withdrawal of Federal troops from the South, which effectively ended the post-Civil War Reconstruction.

In 1888, President Grover Cleveland lost his bid for reelection to his Republican opponent, Benjamin Harrison. In this case, the Republican candidate won a substantial majority in the Electoral College, but he received approximately 80,000 votes less than President Cleveland. Harrison entered the White House, but the fact that he had lost the popular voteeven though by a relatively small marginundermined his political authority. Cleveland defeated him in the election of 1892.

For the 112 years after Cleveland's defeat in 1888, every winning presidential candidate obtained more votes than his rival. Throughout the twentieth century, the results in the Electoral College ratified the outcome of the popular vote.

But two out of the last five elections have resulted in the victory of Republican candidatesBush and Trumpwho lost the popular vote.

George W. Bushs popular vote deficit in the election of 2000 was significant: approximately 500,000 votes. In Trumps case, the deficitwhich may reach between 1.5 and 2 million voteswill in all likelihood be so substantial that it can hardly be viewed as merely a peculiar anomaly.

The scale of Trumps defeat in the popular vote underscores the political cowardice that has been displayed by the Democratic Party in its response to the election. Given the circumstances, the Democrats are under no political obligation to do more than acknowledge that Trump, because of his electoral vote majority, has merely won the right to plant his backside in the presidential chair of the Oval Office.

However, there is no justification for the haste with which the Obama administration and the Democratic Party have rushed to build up Trumps authority and prestige. Neither Obama nor Clinton have issued a warning to Trump, stating bluntly that the unprecedented scale of his defeat in the popular vote has clearly deprived him of any right to claim a mandate for his reactionary agenda. Their silence is all the more criminal as demonstrations protesting Trumps victory are taking place throughout the country.

The dubious legitimacy of a Trump administration is being further undermined as its political physiognomy becomes clearer. On Friday, Trump reshuffled his transition team, putting his vice president-elect and Christian fundamentalist Mike Pence in charge as chairman, installing ultra-right figures like Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich as vice chairs, and naming his three children and his son-in-law to the transition executive committee. The White House is to become another branch of the Trump family enterprise!

President Obama, the leader of the Democratic Party who campaigned throughout the country for Clinton, has said nothing at all about her victory in the popular vote and has repeatedly declared his determination to insure a peaceful and smooth transition to power for Trump and the Republicans.

Can anyone doubt that if the roles had been reversed, and Clinton had won the Electoral College while Trump rolled up a big margin in the popular vote, that the Republican Party would have proceeded far differently?

Always the more ruthless and aggressive of the two right-wing capitalist parties, the Republicans would have denounced a Clinton victory in the Electoral College as rigged and undemocratic, demanded her renunciation of the presidency, lobbied for the presidential electors to ignore the vote in their states and accede to the will of the people as expressed in the nationwide vote tally, and threatened obstruction and even impeachment of the new president.

The one area where the Democrats and those sections of the military and intelligence agencies that backed Clinton may be pushing for influence in a Trump cabinet is on foreign policy. They do not want to see a retreat on the aggressive attitude toward Russia, which was at the center of Clintons election campaign.

California Governor Jerry Brown, soon to be the most powerful elected Democrat, has said nothing about the political implications of the landslide against Trump in his state, the most populous in the United States. Trump has threatened mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, who number in the millions in California, with millions more California citizens in their immediate families.

Again, if the roles had been reversed, with Clinton taking office as a minority president, Republican governors would have been up in arms, seeking to demonstrate their opposition to and defiance of a federal government they would declare illegitimate and oppressive. This was already the case with the Republicans under Obama.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who heads the coalition government under the pseudo-left party Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left), reshuffled his cabinet at the beginning of November. This is in response to the growing political and social crisis in the country and is directed at working more closely with international lenders, in order to enforce the agreed austerity more rigorously. The new cabinet was sworn in on November 5.

Tsipras had excluded all voices from the government or negotiations that represented an obstacle in relations with the creditors, Greek newspaper To Ethnos commented on the reshuffle. He wanted to create new political room for manoeuvre and demonstrate willingness to reform, wrote Spiegel Online. Tsipras described the step as a chance for a new beginninga typical Tsipras euphemism for a new wave of social attacks.

The losers in the reshuffle include the Shipping Minister Theodoris Dritsas, Minister for Economics and Development Panos Skourletis, Culture Minister Aristidis Baltas and Education Minister Nikos Filisfour veteran Syriza cadre.

Dritsas had served as shipping minister in two terms of the Syriza government, and is responsible for the privatisation of the Port of Piraus. He is part of the 53+ movement, the so-called left wing of Syriza, and had several times expressed criticism of the privatisation plans, without fundamentally rejecting them.

Now Dritsas is being replaced by Panagiotis Kouroumblis, who was a member of the social democratic Pasok until 2011, voting for the first austerity memorandum as a parliamentary deputy at the time. He later switched to Syriza and served in its first cabinet as health minister, and as interior minister in its second cabinet.

He has been replaced at the Interior Ministry by Panos Skourletis, an old comrade of Tsipras, who had previously delayed several privatisations, such as the sale of the water and power plants.

Former minister for education, research and religious affairs, Nikos Filis, had come into conflict with the Orthodox Church because he wanted to replace Greek-Orthodox teaching with a more general religious instruction in schools. However, Tsipras adopted a more conciliatory attitude towards the Archbishop of Athens, who had expressed sharp criticism of Filis, implicitly demanding his sacking.

Tsipras has integrated a number of younger faces in his cabinet, whom he can rely on in the negotiations with the international creditors. Among his loyal apparatchiks are the Labour Minister Efi Achtsioglou, his new State Secretary Dimitris Liakos and government spokesman Dimitris Tsanakopoulos.

Before her appointment, the 31-year-old lawyer Achtsioglou headed the Political Bureau of the Labour Ministry and was involved in negotiations with the creditors concerning labour law and social security. According to the newspaper To Vima, shortly after entering office, she signed off on the new negotiating guidelines with the European experts group, which is demanding reform of Greek labour law. Achtsioglou had wanted to pursue several of their demands, including the introduction of short-time working. The European representatives also proposed extending the mass sackings, changing the minimum wage in the private sector and limiting industry-wide labour contracts and negotiations.

Achtsioglou has to introduce 21 ministerial decisions in the next days, including measures affecting pensions. Supplementary pensions are to be cut by a further 439 million in 2017. This year, pension cuts have already amounted to some 230 million.

This policy is meeting growing resistance. In October, the Syriza government had shown it was willing to attack protesting pensioners using tear gas. Last Wednesday, thousands of angry pensioners demonstrated again in Athens, loudly demanding their money back, which the government had stolen from the pension fund. The day before, new cuts in supplementary pensions came into effect, hitting over 248,000 pensioners.

The demonstration ended at the Labour Ministry, where several pensioners symbolically burnt the letter they had received from the Labour Minister about the pension cuts. Similar protests were held in Thessaloniki and the central Greek town of Larissa.

Tsipras reshuffle has also strengthened ties to big business. His right-hand in economic questions is now State Secretary Liakos, who enjoys the best links with financial and business circles. He has worked for years as an investment manager and leading stock market figure, and enjoys good relations with the European Commission and the Bank of Greece and its manager Janis Stournaras, who at the highpoint of the crisis between 2012 and 2014 was finance minister in the right-wing Samaras government.

Liakos political career was encouraged in 2012 by then vice premier Ioannis Dragasakis. He worked on the third memorandum and in 2015, under Finance Minister Janis Varoufakis, participated in negotiations with the European institutions. At that time, in contrast to Varoufakis, he supported a wide-ranging deal with the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.

A close associate of Tsipras is also the 34-year-old government spokesman Tsanakopoulos, who graduated in law at the University of London; between 2012 and 2014 he was legal adviser to Tsipras and in 2015 headed his political bureau.

Two other new appointments send a clear signal to the international creditors:

One is Dimitris Papadimitriou, professor and president of the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College in New York. The well-known economist, who enjoys extensive connections in US business circles and regularly writes for the Greek business newspaper Kathimerini, was a surprise appointment as minister for economics and development.

Papadimitrious state secretary is now Stergios Pitsiorlas, who since 2015 was head of the privatisation body TAIPED, which is organising the selling off of Greek state assets. These include the sale of several regional airports to Germanys Fraport AG. In the 1990s, the lawyer was an EU adviser on economic aid to Greece, and since 2008 has held leading positions in construction companies and other businesses, including in renewable energy, an area in which Greece wants to work more closely with German business in the future.

In April, in an interview with Spiegel Online, Pitsiorlas made clear that he was an important man for Tsipras privatisation plans. Der Spiegel pointed to growing resistance in the government to the privatisation fund, which had been characterised by Shipping Minister Dritsas (since deposed) as a state within a state. Pitsiorlas responded optimistically: There is conflict in the government, but Prime Minister Tsipras is personally engaged and intransigent ministers ordered to push forward the privatisations as planned. He dubbed the new super-fund, which will conduct even larger privatisation projects, a successful concept for Greece, praising the German cuts diktat: The pressure exercised by Germany to establish this fund will have positive consequences.

Finance Minister Efklidis Tsakalotos, Foreign Minister Nikos Kotsias and Vice Premier Dragasakis retained their postsa signal to the international institutions that the previous course will be maintained.

Defence Minister Panos Kammenos, from the right-wing populist coalition partner the Independent Greeks (Anel), remained in office. The new cabinet has even expanded the position of Anel. In future, the economically significant Tourism Ministry will be headed by Elena Kountoura. The daughter of a well-known general and monarchist, Kountoura came to Anel via an illustrious career as a model and as a politician in New Democracy (ND) for many years.

The cabinet reshuffle marks a further turn to the right by the pseudo-left Syriza government, which has capitulated to the international financial elite on every issue since coming to power in January 2015. Tsipras is closing ranks and pushing through a hard line against inner-party critics. He needs a government he can rely on in the coming period of class battles. After nearly two years of brutal austerity, the pseudo-left Syriza has lost all its support in the working class.

A recent poll by the University of Macedonia showed Syriza plummeting to 15 percent, while ND rose to 30 percent. The fascist Golden Dawn, with 7 percent, remained in third place, losing some ground. But the mood in the population is directed against the entire political establishment. This is reflected in the fact that all party leaders were rated negatively by over 60 percent of those questioned. The fascist Nikolaos Michaloliakos polled worst, with an 86.5 percent negative rating, followed by Anel boss Kammenos (82.5 percent) and Tsipras (75 percent). Panagiotis Lafazanis, who founded the pseudo-left party Popular Unity along with other ex-Syriza members in an effort to capture workers discontent, received a 72.5 percent negative rating.
Asia

Pakistan: Strike by model college employees in Islamabad in third week

Teaching and non-teaching staff at the government-run Islamabad Model Colleges have been on strike since October 25 over the governments failure to resolve promotion procedures and other issues. Called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC), the strike brought academic and administrative activities at 20 colleges to a halt.

Demands include a range of issues affecting teachers as well as non-teaching staff including pay-scale upgrade, time scale promotions and revision of promotion formulas, and allowances on par with other government employees. Another main demand was the timely payment of salaries to, and permanency for, daily wage workers who were frequently forced to wait weeks if not months to draw pay checks.

The JAC, formed by several unions, has warned that the strike will continue as long as the Capital Administration and Development Division and the Federal Directorate of Education continued to ignore the unions demands.

Bangladeshi garment workers locked out

Around 100 demonstrating garment workers formed a human chain on the Dhaka-Chandra highway in Ashulia on Monday to demand that their factory be reopened and wage arrears be paid.

CNB Composite workers alleged that management responded to their demonstration outside the factory on October 15 by illegally sacking 20 workers. Two days later the company closed the factory for an indefinite period. The workers were organised by the Trade Union Federation.

India: Tamil Nadu highway toll collectors strike

Over 120 highway toll collectors from the Samayapuram Toll Plaza on the Tiruchi Chennai Highway suddenly walked off the job on Wednesday in a dispute over wages and bullying. The workers, who were organised by the Tamil Nadu General Workers Union, which is affiliated with the Stalinist All India Trade Union Congress, allowed vehicles to pass through the tolls for free.

The toll collectors demanded an increase in basic salaries, a dearness allowance, job guarantees and bonuses and an end to victimisation of their maintenance supervisor. They presented a memorandum to the Labor Commissioner and returned to work later in the day when management agreed to consider their grievances.

Rural childcare workers protest in Punjab and Haryana

Rural childcare (anganwadi) workers demonstrated in Bathinda (Punjab) and Amritsar (Haryana) on November 7 and 9 respectively to demand wage-scale upgrades, increased benefits, a retirement benefit and improvements in rations supplied to the anganwadi centres.

A march by protesters in Amritsar was stopped by police, blocking the road for several hours. In Bathinda, demonstrators sat outside the Public Works Department ministers residence. They have threatened to hold more protests in front of the homes of other cabinet ministers.

Punjab government employees remain on strike

District administration employees in Ludhiana have been on strike since November 2 in a dispute over poor staffing levels, for a salary increase, dearness allowance and the recruitment of an additional 45 to 50 workers. All administration work, including registration of marriages and land transactions, has ceased. The pay demands are in line with the seventh pay commission recommendations.

A Deputy Commissioners Office Employees Union spokesman said that the strike was indefinite and pointed out that the sixth pay commission recommendation had still not been implemented and that dearness allowance payments were three years outstanding.

Punjab sanitation workers end state-wide strike

Sanitation workers from 200 urban local bodies across Punjab called off their four-day strike on Tuesday after the state government accepted most of their demands. The workers wanted a cashless health benefit up to 50,000 rupees ($US752) under the Mai Bhago scheme; establishment of a separate unit of sanitation workers and sewer-men; provision of homes under the central governments housing scheme for the poor; and the removal of existing stringent conditions for job permanency.

Sri Lanka: Jaffna Municipal Council cleaning workers on strike

For the second time this year, temporary and permanent cleaning workers of Jaffna, in northern Sri Lanka, walked off the job on November 7 to demand permanent positions for 127 workers who have been employed on a temporary basis for ten years.

The previous strike was called off after union leaders accepted false promises from the government. The strikers told World Socialist Web Site reporters that they have been isolated and ignored by the government.

Cambodian garment workers demand unpaid wages

Around 250 employees from the Chinese-owned garment factory, Kiang Yan, in Phnom Penhs Por Sen Chey district have been protesting outside their closed factory since November 4 to demand wages for October. The owners closed the factory claiming they were bankrupt. A delegation of 200 workers has filed a complaint with the ministry of labour on Wednesday seeking assistance to recover their pay.

Seventy factories have shut down so far this year in Cambodia, according to the garment industrys employers association. Prime Minister Hun Sen arrogantly declared this week that garment workers had to improve their productivity in order to prevent local factories from moving to other cheaper labour neighbouring countries.

Australia and the Pacific

South Australian shipbuilding workers stop work

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) members from the government-owned Adelaide-based ship and submarine builder ASC in Adelaide held a stop work meeting on Thursday to decide on future strike action in a dispute over a new work agreement. The workers recently voted overwhelmingly in a protected industrial action ballot for strike action.

The shipbuilding workers are concerned that the federal Liberal-National coalition government is attempting to impose its public-sector bargaining policy to a new agreement. According to the AMWU, hard-won rights, such as the workforce being consulted on hours of work and changes to shift patterns, are under threat. The union claims that 98 percent of members have rejected ASC management's proposed new agreement.

The Turnbull government recently announced that ASC would be split into three separate companies, falsely claiming that existing work conditions would be maintained. The dispute comes a week after the union rubber-stamped the destruction of 120 jobs. Management has threatened that more jobs would be eliminated.

New Zealand: St John ambulance union calls off work bans

Paramedics employed by the government-subsidised ambulance service St John New Zealand ended five days of work bans on Tuesday evening. The bans included not wearing uniforms, completing paperwork or covering extra shifts.

The Ambulance Professionals First union, which cover over 1,000 ambulance workers, called for low-level industrial bans commencing on November 4 after members rejected a one percent pay rise in return for the elimination of time-and-a-half for extra work which is used to cover under-staffing. The paramedics want the extended working hours cut, complaining that it is unsafe because they are near breaking point from exhaustion.

St Johns latest offer includes a 1.25 percent pay increase. The union wants a 2 percent pay rise and benefits of all 11 official public holidays, saying that on average its members are restricted to seven because of St Johns rostering practices. St John has offered an increase to eight. No further action has been proposed.

New Zealand hospital doctors threaten to strike again

Following a 48-hour strike on October 18, junior doctors at government hospitals of 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) across New Zealand this week threatened to strike again, after rejecting the DHBs revised offer in their dispute for safer rosters and safer hours.

Doctors said that the DHBs expectation that safer rosters could be implemented within six months after negotiations, provided all DHBs were in agreement, was unacceptable. This open-ended commitment would be implemented only if doctors accepted annual pay cuts of between $5,000 and $7,000 in their new contract.

The New Zealand Resident Doctors Association (NZRDA), representing 3,200 doctors, wants major changes to rosters. It wants the seven consecutive nights roster changed to a maximum of four nights, followed by three days off, and the 12 consecutive days roster, followed by two days off, changed to rosters with a maximum of 10 days in a row and four days off.

A government spokesman confirmed that resident doctors work an average of 53 hours a week but claimed that safer working hours would cost $60 million and require the recruitment of another 160 junior doctors.

The NZRDA announced that it intends to issue a strike notice for another 48-hour period commencing 7 a.m. on November 23.

Papua New Guinea nurses walk out

The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Nurses Association called nurses out on strike on Thursday after the government failed to pay outstanding wages by Monday as promised. According to the nurses association, the governments budget management committee had agreed to pay the nurses award in accordance with the agreement signed in 2015.

The agreement included salary increases, nurses work-value study and establishment of a housing committee. Nurses are still receiving wages and conditions set under their old contract, which expired in 2013.

At least 700 nurses spontaneously walked off the job over the issue on September 14 after the association decided to cancel a strike planned for that day. The nurses told the media that they were not confident that the association was taking necessary action.

The PNGNA insisted that the official strike was called off because the associations executive and the government had reached a near positive outcome.

The government later claimed that it could not honour the agreement because there was no appropriation in the 2016 budget for an upgrade in the nurses award.

In the 2017 national budget handed down last week by Prime Minister Peter ONeill, however, has slashed health spending from 1.5 billion kina to 1.2 billion.
US President-elect Donald Trump reorganized his transition team on Friday, naming Vice President-elect Mike Pence to replace New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as chairman, and installing ultra-right figures as vice chairs, alongside four members of his own family.

The presence of Trumps three adult children, Ivanka, Eric and Donald, Jr., and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as members of the panel planning his new government is extraordinary and unprecedented, and gives a quasi-dynastic character to the Trump presidency. Throughout the campaign, Trump claimed that he would separate his billion-dollar hotel and resort empire from a Trump administration by turning over the business to his children. Instead, he has named his children to set up his administration.

The installation of Pence seems to be an admission that Christie is hopelessly damaged goods, after several of his former top aides were convicted in the George Washington Bridge traffic tie-up scandal, in which they said he was intimately involved. It is also an olive branch to the Christian fundamentalist right and to congressional Republicans, since Pence is an evangelical antiabortion zealot and a former House Republican leader.

Christie is demoted to vice chair of the transition, along with former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, and Michael Flynn, the retired lieutenant general who has been Trumps main spokesman on military matters.

The panel will be involved in picking top White House staff and the heads of 15 Cabinet departments, as well as moving ahead with nominations for 1,000 other jobs that require Senate confirmation, and 3,000 additional presidential appointees.

The transition team also announced twelve other members on Friday, including Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus; California high-tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who was almost alone to support Trump among Silicon Valley moguls; and Stephen Bannon, Trumps campaign chairman and the head of the Breitbart News website, home to many in the neo-fascist alt-right.

Wall Street continued its upward climb following Trumps Election Day victory, with a more modest rise on Friday. Among the significant transition appointments is that of Paul Atkins, a former Republican member of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the George W. Bush administration, to recommend policies on financial regulation.

The appointment of Atkins coincides with reports that Jeb Hensarling, a prominent right-wing Texas Republican congressman, is being considered for the post of Treasury Secretary, according to the Wall Street Journal. Hensarling, the chair of the House Financial Services Committee for the past six years, is a leading advocate of repealing or rolling back the Dodd-Frank law passed in 2010.

The extremely weak regulatory measures in Dodd-Frank are still too much for the Republicans. Trump and his critics in the Republican establishment are in general agreement on giving big business and the banks a free hand in stepping up the exploitation of the working class and laying the basis for even more frenzied financial speculation. Among measures favored by Hensarling are looser regulations for insurers, as well as removing government restraints on consumer-finance products such as mortgages and payday loans, which have had such devastating consequences for millions of workers desperate for credit.

Other transition team and possible Cabinet appointments seem calculated with an eye to the destruction of federally financed social services, with reactionary opponents of programs like education, health care and environmental protection tipped for selection to administer the agencies responsible for them.

Ultra-right former presidential candidate Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon who was one of the first to drop out of the race and endorse Trump for the Republican nomination earlier this year, is reportedly being considered to head the Department of Health and Human Services or to become the next surgeon general. Carson is a religious fundamentalist and a fierce opponent of abortion rights and public health measures more generally.

Another new member of Trumps transition team is Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Kobach is a notorious advocate of voter ID laws and other measures to restrict voting rights, as well as anti-immigrant measures. He will be advis[ing] Trump on policy issues and prepare him for his first 100 days in office, according to the Journal.

Kobach was the prime mover of language in the Republican Party platform calling for the erection of a border wall between the US and Mexico. This became one of the signature lines in the Trump campaign, as he sought to divert anger and frustration over the economic crisis into the reactionary channels of anti-immigrant demagogy.

Another important appointment is that of Trumps transition adviser for the Environmental Protection Agency. This individual, who could well end up running the EPA himself, is Myron Ebell, director of the Center of Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. As reactionary as the official spokesmen on the environment, both Republican and Democrat, have been in recent years, Ebell marks a significant departure. As media reports have explained, Ebell is an opponent of alarmism over climate change. The New York Times reports that he has asserted that whatever warming caused by greenhouse gas pollution is modest and could be beneficial.
It did not take long for the executives that run the US trade unions to offer their loyal services to President-elect Donald Trump. While millions of workers and young people are disgusted and angered over the election of the ultra-right billionaire, the AFL-CIO and the United Auto Workers (UAW) issued statements Thursday cozying up to Trump and praising his economic nationalism and protectionist trade policies.

On Thursday, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka issued a groveling statement, saying, The President-elect made promises in this campaignon trade, on restoring manufacturing, on reviving our communities. We will work to make many of those promises a reality. If he is willing to work with us, consistent with our values, we are ready to work with him.

In comments to reporters Thursday, UAW President Dennis Williams echoed these remarks, adding that he wanted to meet with Trump as soon as possible to discuss trade issues. Williams said he saw a great opportunity to find some common ground with Trump, including the imposition of a 35 percent tariff on automakers that import vehicles from Mexico.

We agree NAFTA either needs to be renegotiated or ended, Williams said, referring to the North American Free Trade Agreement. Im prepared to sit down and talk to him about tradeI think his position on trade is right on.

Dodging the question of why the UAW, which has long been a mainstay of the Democratic Party, would loyally work with a Republican president, Williams said, When I see that, I dont see the traditional Republican president. I see somebody who made a lot of commitment to workers about fairness and being part of the American dream, rebuilding the American middle class, creating opportunities. Well see what he does.

The claim that Trump will do anything to benefit working people is a fraud. He is committed to a right-wing policy of corporate tax cuts, deregulation and slashing wages. Trumps closest allies include billionaire asset stripper Wilbur Ross who destroyed the jobs and pensions of thousands of steelworkers, auto parts workers and coal miners, as he bought and flipped entire industries. Another is Carl Icahn, the corporate raider who did the same to airline workers and Trumps casino workers, and left Trumps post-election celebration to invest a billion dollars to buy up stocks as the market plunged, only to make a bundle as its shot back up.

These anti-working class policies, however, are entirely compatible with the role of the unions themselves in enforcing cuts on the workers they claim to represent.

The AFL-CIO and Change to Win labor federations and their affiliated unions spent a record $150 million in their failed effort to elect Hillary Clinton, the favored candidate of Wall Street. Like the leaders of other Democratic Party aligned organizations, Trumka denounced Trump as a fraud, saying he would slash wages, cut corporate taxes and break the unions. But the impact of stagnant wages and deteriorating living standards, aided and abetted by the unions, led to the failure of the get-out-the-vote campaign for Hillary Clinton.

The unions' endorsement of Clinton was in line with their longtime political alliance with the Democratic Party, which over the past eight years under Obama has spearheaded the attack on autoworkers and the working class as a whole. The Obama administrations restructuring of the auto industry in 2009 was based on forcing workers to accept major cuts in wages and benefits, along with the destruction of tens of thousands of jobs.

While the Democratic vote declined sharply since 2012among black, white and immigrant workersa section of industrial workers in the former Democratic strongholds of Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Iowa voted for Trump, who postured as an anti-establishment candidate.

The unions have worked with the Democrats because the Democrats have generally favored using the unions to police the working class, in the process ensuring that union executives receive a portion of the proceeds. However, with the election of Trump, these same executives are seeking to guarantee their interests under a future Republican administration.

At the same time, there is a natural affinity for the proto-fascist Trump within the union apparatus, which has long spewed the poison of economic nationalism and anti-Asian and anti-Mexican chauvinism. Thoroughly hostile to class-consciousness and socialism, and proponents of the corporatist outlook of labor-management-government cooperation for the national interest, the union bureaucracy is a breeding ground for a future fascistic movement.

This has objective roots that go beyond the corruption of this or that union bureaucrat. In the 1980s, the UAW and other unionswhich like unions around the world are based on a nationalist and pro-capitalist programhad no progressive answer to the globalization of production and historic decline in the position of American industry. Instead, they isolated strikes, collaborated with the bosses to slash jobs and wages, and fully integrated themselves into the structure of corporate management.

At its 1983 constitutional convention, which sanctioned the destruction of tens of thousands of jobs, the UAW bureaucracy officially adopted the doctrine of corporatism, which rejects the fact that workers have interests apart from and hostile to those of the capitalist owners. In an analysis of this move, the Workers League, the forerunner of the Socialist Equality Party, pointed out that the UAWs proposals for the adoption of a national industrial policy and the integration of labor and capital into bodies recognized by the state were virtually identical to the program carried out by Italian fascism under Mussolini.

To undermine class consciousness among militant workers, the UAW and other unions relentlessly promoted the lie that it was foreign workers, not capitalism, that were responsible for the destruction of jobs. The only answer, therefore, was to sacrifice all the gains won by workers over generations of struggle to make US companies more competitive, i.e., profitable. So vicious was the anti-Japanese racism of the UAW in the 1980s and 1990s that it led to the murder of 27-year-old Vincent Chin, a Chinese American raised in Detroit, who was beaten to death by a Chrysler foreman and his laid-off son.

The unions support for Trumps plans to build a Fortress America would only trigger trade war policies by Americas economic rivals, ushering in a collapse of the US and world economy and inevitably leading to world war, similar to the 1930s and 1940s.

The union executives are also offering Trump their services as a labor police force in exchange for getting a prominent role in future infrastructure projects and national plans to coerce more output from workers for war. Williams stressed that the UAW supports Trumps plan for an infrastructure program and said he would urge the President-elect to establish industrial apprentice training programs similar to those in Germany.

A Trump administration will be dominated by crisis, both internal and external, and incapable of resolving the entrenched problems of American capitalism. It will also confront mass social opposition from the working class. Millions will quickly come to realize the billionaire charlatan has no ability, let alone intention, to improve the conditions of anyone except his own ruling class.

The embrace of Trump will only further discredit the UAW and other unions, which are increasingly facing rank-and-file opposition to their pro-corporate policies. In the fight against the ruling class and in defense of jobs, wages and basic social rights, the working class confronts in the unions a bitter enemy.
Naomi Spencer, the Socialist Equality Party's candidate for West Virginia's House of Delegates, spoke at the November 5 conference Socialism vs Capitalism and War about the experiences of her campaign. Her powerful speech stressed that contrary to the slanderous portrayal in the media, the working class in Appalachia, one of the poorest areas in the country, is searching for political alternatives to capitalism.

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Western Texas College (WTC) and Texas Tech Universitys National Wind Institute (NWI) on Thursday, November 10, 2016 signed a 2 + 2 agreement on Thursday, November 10, 2016. The agreement will allow students earning an associates degree at Western Texas College to transfer coursework toward a bachelors degree in wind energy at Texas Tech. Students will be encouraged to complete the associates degree before transferring to Texas Tech

The agreement was signed by representatives of both NWI and Western Texas College in a ceremony on the Texas Tech campus.

With the robust development of wind power we are seeing in our community and the nation, WTC is excited to offer this innovative program, said Barb Beebe, president of Western Texas College. Our partnership enables WTC to better serve the needs of our students by offering a seamless transfer to Texas Tech. This partnership provides students with the tools and education needed to succeed in the energy sector. Western Texas College hopes to continue the history of successful partnerships with Texas Tech University far into the future.

Students at Western Texas College also will be able to transfer additional coursework, and Texas Tech will accept both the transferable core curriculum and other coursework within the Texas common course numbering system.

Our relationship with Western Texas College has been important in the growth of the Wind Energy Education Program within the National Wind Institute at Texas Tech, said Andy Swift, associate director of education for the NWI. With more than 180 students now majoring in wind energy and an 80 percent placement rate in the growing renewable power sector, we look forward to formalizing transfer opportunities for regional students from WTC to complete their studies at Texas Tech and be successful leaders and professionals in this growing energy industry.

WTC students who wish to transfer their coursework to Texas Tech must meet assured admission requirements for the wind energy program. Those requirements include:

Earning an associate of arts in general studies-science degree at WTC with a 2.25 or better GPA; or

Completing 30 or more semester hours of transferable college work beyond high school with a 2.25 cumulative GPA, which allows students to complete an associate degree via reverse transfer option; or

Completing 24 hours or more semester hours of transferable college work beyond high school with a 2.25 cumulative GPA; or

Completing 12-23 semester hours of transferable college work beyond high school with a 2.50 cumulative GPA; or

Transferring students with fewer than 12 transferable hours must meet the same assured admission standards required of new freshmen from high school with a minimum 2.50 GPA in the work completed.

The agreement will run through 2018 unless either institution desires to terminate the partnership prior to the end of the term. The agreement will be subject to an annual review by representatives of both Western Texas College and Texas Tech.

Our relationship with Western Texas College has been important in the growth of the Wind Energy Education Program within the National Wind Institute at Texas Tech, said Andy Swift, associate director of education for the NWI. With more than 180 students now majoring in wind energy and an 80 percent placement rate in the growing renewable power sector, we look forward to formalizing transfer opportunities for regional students from WTC to complete their studies at Texas Tech and be successful leaders and professionals in this growing energy industry.

This is not the first agreement between the schools to help students earn degrees at both institutions. In 2012, a similar partnership was executed to allow students to transfer coursework earned in an associate of science in wind energy at WTC toward a bachelor of science in wind energy at Texas Tech, with a goal of increasing opportunities for Hispanic and low-income students.

Texas Tech and Western Texas College have had a long partnership working together in wind energy that spans more than six years, said Marina Gonzales, WTC wind energy curriculum specialist. WTC received funding to start a wind energy program through a Title V grant. Since then, WTC has established the necessary science courses needed to provide a seamless transfer. We have worked with Texas Tech very closely to write a hands-on curriculum that prepares students to develop and design wind farms.

Texas Tech aided Western Texas College in the creation of five wind energy courses at the community college level that was the equivalent of lower division undergraduate courses toward a bachelors degree in wind energy. Those five courses are part of the transferable curriculum in the new agreement between the institutions.
By Hemul Goel: As the host of Colors TV's (semi) celebrity reality show Big Boss 10, Salman Khan is the housemates' only point of contact with the outside world.

Also read: Bigg Boss 10 Day 26: Captain Bani faces criticism for her decisions



However, it seems like the contestants won't be too excited after the latest edition of Weekend ka Vaar as the actor will be seen slamming them for their continuous display of a lethargic attitude. As the show has progressed and mind-games seem to have taken precedence, housemates have been more interested in manipulations than completing their physical tasks.

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Also read: BB10: Bigg Boss to punish Gaurav, Rahul, Bani; Om Swami can't hide his happiness



Salman will specifically be seen calling out celebrities for that attitude and will also show a clip of Rohan, Rahul and Gaurav lazying around.

Adding "Would you watch Bigg Boss if the contestants are as lethargic as you guys are," the actor leaves them wondering about their actions.



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TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- Florida is home to more than one and a half million veterans, with about 500,000 who served in the Vietnam War.

Dozens were part of Friday's annual Veterans Day parade in Tallahassee.

Charles Thompson served in the U.S. Army for 23 years. He said he embraced every day, knowing he was fighting for a cause he believed in: the freedom of the United States.

"Jobs were short, and there was an opportunity that I can do something to benefit not just me, but the country," he said.

Over the course of his service, Thompson was stationed in Georgia, South Carolina and Colorado and deployed to Germany and Vietnam.

"I enjoyed it -- even the bad days, I enjoyed it, because I knew in the end, it was going to be worth the cause," he said.

It was a cause not many stood behind during the Vietnam War, leading to mixed reactions when Thompson returned.

"I met people that really hated me. I met people that shed tears with me," he said, "so I learned to accept it."

Still, Thompson said he values respect for veterans and for the flag.

"To a lot of people that flag don't mean nothing, but to a veteran or to a military person -- anyone that's serving -- that flag means a whole lot," he said.

As the country turns to a new president, Thompson said Americans need to put differences aside.

"I'm hoping for the best," he said. "I hope we all are, and I hope the country comes together. Just be one America."
A Hindi daily correspondent was today shot dead in the Rohtas district of Bihar.

By Indo-Asian News Service: A correspondent of a Hindi daily was shot dead in the Rohtas district of Bihar today.

Dharmender Singh, a correspondent of Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, was shot dead outside a roadside tea shop, a police official said.

In May, Rajdeo Ranjan, a senior journalist of Hindi daily Hindustan was shot dead by unidentified assailant in Siwan district.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation is still probing the case.

ALSO READ:

Journalist Rajdeo Ranjan shot dead in Bihar's Siwan

CBI inquiry in Bihar journalist murder case



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Amit Shah said the party will focus on infrastructure development, youth-oriented employment facilities and better law and order.

By India Today Web Desk: The Bharatiya Janata Party has not decided whether to project anyone as chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh, party president Amit Shah has said.

FIGHT FOR UTTAR PRADESH

Speaking at a function in Lucknow, Amit Shah took a dig at the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government in the state, saying: "Government in UP should be for people, not for family."

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"BJP," he said, "stands for politics of performance, not appeasement."

Also read: UP Assembly elections: Amit Shah amassing backstabbers using his clout, says Raj Babbar



With the crucial UP elections said to be months away, Shah laid out BJP's priorities for UP. He said the party will focus on infrastructure development, youth-oriented employment facilities and better law and order.

"(We will) make Uttar Pradesh an engine of growth to ensure country's double digit growth," he said, adding that there is immense scope for development in UP.

AMIT SHAH HITS OUT AGAINST OPPOSITION

Later, the BJP president also took a swipe at the opposition over the reactions on the government's demonetisation initiative.

Also read: Modi's masterstroke, inconvenience to common people temporary: Amit Shah on demonetisation



"The way some rival parties are rattled, it seems BJP will benefit," Shah said.



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By PTI: London, Nov 12 (PTI) Common bacteria on human skin secrete a protein which protects us from the reactive oxygen species thought to contribute to several skin diseases, a new study has found.

The protein has an equally strong effect on dangerous oxygen species as known antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E.

The skin bacterium is called Propionibacterium acnes.

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"The name originates from the fact that the bacterium was first discovered on a patient with severe acne. But whether it causes acne is uncertain - it may have been present merely because it is so common," said Rolf Lood from Lund University in Sweden.

He discovered that the "acne bacterium" secretes a protein called RoxP. This protein protects against what is known as oxidative stress, a condition in which reactive oxygen species damage cells. A common cause of oxidative stress on the skin is UV radiation from the Sun.

"This protein is important for the bacteriums very survival on our skin. The bacterium improves its living environment by secreting RoxP, but in doing so it also benefits us," said Lood.

Oxidative stress is considered to be a contributing factor in several skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and skin cancer.

Since Propionibacterium acnes is so common, it is present in both healthy individuals and people with skin diseases.

According to Lood, people have different amounts of the bacterium on their skin, and it can also produce more or less of the protective protein RoxP.

This will now be further studied in both patients and laboratory animals, researchers said.

The human study will compare patients with basal cell carcinoma, a pre-cancerous condition called actinic keratosis and a healthy control group.

The study will be able to show whether there is any connection between the degree of illness and the amount of RoxP on the patients skin.

The study on laboratory animals will also examine whether RoxP also functions as protection. Here, mice who have been given RoxP and others who have not will be exposed to UV radiation.

The researchers will then observe whether the RoxP mice have a better outcome than those who were not given the protective protein.

"If the study results are positive, they could lead to the inclusion of RoxP in sunscreens and its use in the treatment of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis," said Lood.

The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports. PTI MHN MHN

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Cebu would not be complete without trying one of the delicacies that Cebuanos are most proud of  Lechon. So naturally, trying out one of the best lechon in all of Cebu was included in the itinerary of our



House of Lechon is famous for their lechon specific of a place called Carcar. There are a lot of popular brands of lechon in Cebu and it is said that House of Lechon is one of them. They say that a visit inwould not be complete without trying one of the delicacies that Cebuanos are most proud of . So naturally, trying out one of the best lechon in all of Cebu was included in the itinerary of our Cebu Food Crawl with the Food Crew PH . Hence, on our second day, dinner time was spent at House of Lechon.is famous for their lechon specific of a place called Carcar. There are a lot ofand it is said thatis one of them.







And I never wonder why it is tagged as one of the most popular because upon trying out their roasted pork offering, I immediately figured it definitely is one of the best of all the Cebu lechon I have tried in the past.







It was dinner time when we visited, and since we are on a food crawl there were three restaurants we have visited throughout the day prior to visiting The House of Lechon. Although I am thankful for the feast we had the entire day, it was a little unfortunate that the degree of satiety I was dealing with that time made it impossible for me to accommodate more than a couple of dishes.





But I was thankful that kindly people from The House of Lechon served us a feast. I remember spotting dishes such as grilled tuna belly, baked scallops, oysters, and lechon sisig among many others. If only I could eat more, I definitely would have feasted on those dishes like a mad man.





Anyway, despite missing all the other dishes, I did not let the night pass without trying the lechon of course. We were served with two varieties; the regular one and the spicy one. The regular one was everything I had hoped it to be. Crisp skin, tender meat  an entire flavorful grub that requires no sauce because everything is good as it is. The spicy variant on the other hand, I find quite addictive.





I could have written a more elaborate blog post about House of Lechon had I tried all of the dishes. But then again, isnt it a good reason to plan a trip again to Cebu to try out all the other dishes I have missed? Who knows, soon enough, you might find me writing again about House of Lechon sometime soon. What I am sure of is that I will be coming back again.





House of Lechon is located at Acacia St. Kamputhaw, Cebu City, Philippines. You may get in touch with them thru contact number (032)321-0958.








Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus response to the Uvda investigative report is definitely a cause for concern. Because there are two Netanyahus. The first is a prime minister one could be proud of.

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In the past few months, I have had the opportunity of talking to people who met Netanyahu at his office. You heard one, you heard them all. We are talking about an impressive, fascinating man with a lot of knowledge. A close friend of mine who participated in a meeting at Netanyahus office on a certain issue, which is not at the top of the public agenda, was amazed by his command of the smallest details. His round of meetings with newspaper editorial boards led to similar impressions among some of his biggest opponents of all people. I received a similar impression in the meetings or conversations we have had in recent years. There is much more than meets the eye in this man.

Something in Netanyahu's personal conduct is making the finest people escape, sometimes in horror (Photo: EPA)

And there is the second Netanyahu. The Uvda program, which was aired Monday, only confirmed what has been published in recent years by Netanyahus associates. His former associates, to be exact. No, this is not a leftist plot, and its not that there are no rightful arguments against the media or against the left. There are. But even if we subtract the biases, something in the prime ministers bureau seems completely out of order. I doubt there is a single journalist who has not heard similar testimonies. There is no guiding hand from the left. These are concerned testimonies of right-wing people.

The first Netanyahu can present an impressive series of achievements. Israel succeeded in neutralizing itself from the collapse of most Middle Eastern states. Terrorism is continuing, but on a restrained level. There is a lot of talk about a regional alliance. Netanyahu is succeeding in creating it. We can also take pride in the relations with Africa, India and China. Despite the ongoing failure in dealing with housing prices, Israel is enjoying economic prosperity, with a low unemployment rate and an increase in the number of ultra-Orthodox Jews joining the labor market. These achievements are not despite Netanyahu. They are also thanks to Netanyahu.

But the second Netanyahu is singlehandedly undermining these achievements. Something in his personal conduct is making the finest people flee, sometimes in horror. There is no exaggeration here by hostile media. Ehud Olmert, might I remind you, was also punched by the media, although there was an almost direct correlation between his move to the left and the rise in the level of punches. Ariel Sharon may have been handled with kid gloves, but not every prime minister leaning to the left receives such treatment.

And what is worse is that in some of Israels basic problems, the second Netanyahu is abandoning the national interest in favor of the political, party and personal interest. This can be seen in the way he is giving in to the Haredim, at the expense of Israels highly important relationship with US Jews; in his insistence on creating a crisis with Obama, which only hurt Israel; in the way he is crawling to the one-state reality, although he knows its a creeping disaster; in his conduct concerning the media. For several weeks now, he has been trying to destroy the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation as part of his battle against free press. And this week, to add fuel to the fire, he issued the letter against journalist Ilana Dayan.

There is a heated debate within the media. Dayan is not a sacred cow. She can be criticized. The thing is that Netanyahu finds it difficult to understand that what people are allowed to write as part of the media debate should not be said by a prime minister. He is neither Donald Trump nor Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Israel is not Turkey. A prime minister in Israel should provide matter-of-fact answers, even when the questions are annoying, irritating and maybe even point to a bias against him.

As for the media debate, we are living in a different era today. There are enough journalists criticizing the media and its biases, including myself. Thats the reason why Dayan was the subject of blatant, profound and mainly matter-of-fact criticism following her investigative report in 2005 on the killing of a 13-year-old girl by IDF troops in Gaza. That is the meaning of freedom of speech.

That problematic investigative report did not turn her into a radical leftist, just like the investigative report on radical left-wing activists did not turn her into a radical rightist. And when the personal attack on Dayan joins an attack on the media and an attempt to harm journalists, the prime minister is showing signs of losing his senses. That is definitely troubling.

God is my witness that I often try to go back and write about Netanyahus achievements. But these achievements cannot hide the flaws, the conduct, the testimonies by former associates, the priority given to the personal interest over the national interest, and it definitely does not justify the prime ministers attack on a journalist who published an investigative report against him. The second Netanyahu manages to overshadow the first Netanyahu. its not just bad for Netanyahu, its bad for Israel.
By India Today Web Desk: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has accused the Modi government of selectively leaking the demonetisation move decision to some people and 'favourite corporate houses'. Kejriwal said that the BJP leaders were aware of the government decision beforehand.

Kejriwal said, "In the days leading to the announcement of demonetisation decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, thousands of crores of rupees were deposited in bank accounts of some people and corporate houses."

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The Delhi CM alleged that while the Modi government has benefitted "their own people and creating problems for the aam aadmi."

This is not the surgical strike on black money but on the common people of the country, Kejriwal said.

PEOPLE WITH BLACK MONEY ARE BUYING DOLLARS



"People, who have stashed black money in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations are buying dollar, which is being sold at Rs 120 in black market in Delhi. Gold is being sold in black market at Rs 60,000 in Delhi," Kejriwal said.

"Touts are active in Delhi. They are readily exchanging any amount of black money stashed in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. These touts are related to BJP," the Delhi CM said.

The government has deliberately created this financial crisis, Kejriwal said.

"The government must roll back demonetisation decision immediately. This will lead to massive financial crisis by causing loss of jobs," Kejriwal said.

Also read: Demonetisation nightmare hits peak marriage season





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US President-elect Donald Trump will have a dramatic impact on the direction the United States moves in. His influence is expected to include all aspects of the international systems. Its only natural that Israeli officials are attempting to understand his impact on Israeli national security.

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Unlike previous administrations, which had a clear agenda before being elected, Israel is facing an administration with an undefined policy on Middle Eastern affairs. Israels conduct will be significant in determining the Trump administrations policy.

Trump and Netanyahu in New York in September. A pro-Israel position despite problematic comments made in the past (Photo: Kobi Gideon, GPO)

Israel and the US have a solid basis of shared values and interests. There is no alternative to the US as the most important world power supporting Israel. Neither Russia nor China help Israels security with billions of dollars or supply modern arms systems to reinforce the IDF. Nor are they the ones that veto anti-Israel resolutions at the Security Council.

Although foreign policy was not a significant factor in the elections, Trump voiced a pro-Israel position despite problematic comments he had made in the past. Israel has an opportunity to turn over a new leaf, influence the policyand be an integral part of it. When the prime minister is invited to the White House, he should reach understandings with the president on six important points which will serve as the basis for restoring the special relations and strengthening the strategic alliance between the two countries.

First of all, the trust that was lost during the Obama era must be restored: The leaders should present their top interests and red lines to each other. Its important that they agree not to surprise each other. Renewing the relationship between the president and prime minister is extremely important.

Secondly, it should be noted that the US pursued a foreign policy that negatively affected its relations with its allies in the region. Not just Israel, but also Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey want to see a different policy. Israels good relations with Egypt and Jordan, its common interests with Saudi Arabia and a renewal of its relations with Turkey could serve as a basis for a strong alliance which will better deal with the challenges.

The third point has to do with the crisis in Syria. The 500,000 people who have died, the 2 million who have been injured and the 10 million refugees are a moral stain on the Western world. We must examine how the US and its allies shape a different strategy vis-a-vis the Russians and the Iranians who support the murderous Assad regime.

The fourth point is Iran, the most significant threat to Israel in the long run. The nuclear agreement is an established fact, and in the short run its risks are low compared to other alternatives. It is unlikely that the Trump administration will cancel it. Nonetheless, this is a problematic agreement in the long run, when the Iranians receive legitimacy for a wide, advanced nuclear program and are at point-blank range from a bomb. The Israelis and Americans should agree on the principle that a regime calling for Israels destruction will not receive legitimacy for a wide nuclear program, as the agreement gives Iran in another decade. We must restore full intelligence coordination to uncover Iranian violations and reach an agreement that the US will give Israel all the operational abilities to act, if all other alternatives are exhausted.

The fifth point is the peace process. The change of president is an opportunity to look into new paradigms for agreements combining the Arab world. New ideas which will preserve the two-state idea as possible but will recognize the impossibility of reaching a permanent agreement at this time. Renewing the understandings according to the George W. Bush letter from 2004, which US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignored, is a first step. Building in Jerusalems Jewish neighborhoods cannot be seen as equal to building in areas that will not be part of Israel. Such an agreement will significantly reduce the tension around the settlement issue, which has poisoned the relations.

Finally, Israels security, as a fundamental part of the relations, should be validated and reinforced: the multi-year aid, maintaining the relative advantage in weapon systems, supporting missile defense programs and the agreements on the special strategy abilities attributed to Israel will all strengthen the special relations between the two countries and serve as a basis for diplomatic breakthroughs.
Venezuela's opposition and the government of President Nicolas Maduro engaged in a new round of talks on Friday evening as part of a Vatican-backed dialogue process meant to ease a political standoff amid the spiraling economic crisis.

Neither side appeared optimistic, however, with the opposition insisting on a recall referendum against Maduro and the Socialist administration showing little indication of agreeing to that.

The government released a small group of jailed opposition activists following the start of talks last week, and the opposition postponed a political trial in Congress against Maduro and canceled a march to the presidential palace. But Jesus Torrealba, executive secretary of the opposition's Democratic Unity coalition, said before the meeting on Friday that Maduro's adversaries were ready to resume confrontation.
Rowdy protests continued for Friday night in Portland, Oregon, as people around the country protested Donald Trump's presidential election victory.

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In Portland, one person was shot during an altercation with an unknown man who took umbrage with the protester, shot him and drive away. Portland Police used tear gas and flash-bang grenades Friday to try to disperse the crowd after hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti. Authorities said "burning projectiles" were thrown at police and vandalism and assault had taken place during the rally, which organizers had billed as peaceful earlier in the day.

"Everyone needs to leave the area immediately," the police wrote on its Twitter page.

Anti-Trump protests across the US (: )

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An anti-Trump protest in Philadelphia (Photo: Reuters)

In other parts of the country, there were spirited demonstrations on college campuses and peaceful marches along downtown streets.





An anti-trump protest in Texas (Photo: MCT)

Hundreds joined an afternoon "love rally" in Washington Square Park in Manhattan.

Leslie Holmes, 65, a website developer from Wilton, Connecticut, took an hour-long train ride to the demonstrationher first protest since the 1970s, when she hit the streets of San Francisco to oppose the Vietnam War.

An anti-Trump protest in Philadelphia (Photo: Reuters)

She described herself as an armchair liberal but declared, "I'm not going to be armchair anymore."

"I don't want to live in a country where my friends aren't included, and my friends are fearful, and my children are going to grow up in a world that's frightening, and my granddaughters can look forward to being excluded from jobs and politics and fulfilling their potential, so I'm here for them," she said.

An anti-Trump protest in Philadelphia (Photo: Reuters)

Evening marches disrupted traffic in Miami and Atlanta.

Trump supporter Nicolas Quirico was traveling from South Beach to Miami. His car was among hundreds stopped when protesters blocked Interstate 395.

"Trump will be our president. There is no way around that, and the sooner people grasp that, the better off we will be," he said. "There is a difference between a peaceful protest and standing in a major highway backing up traffic for 5 miles. This is wrong."

An anti-Trump protest in Philadelphia (Photo: Reuters)

More than a thousand protesters took to the streets across California after night fell including downtown Los Angeles, where over 200 were arrested a night earlier. In Bakersfield, where Trump is far more popular than in most of the state, some held signs reading "Anti-Trump, Pro-USA."

Small protests also were held in Detroit; Minneapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Olympia, Washington and Iowa City.

An anti-Trump protest in Portland (Photo: AP)

More than 200 people, carrying signs gathered on the steps of the Washington state Capitol. The group chanted "not my president" and "no Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA."

In Tennessee, Vanderbilt University students sang civil rights songs and marched through campus across a Nashville street, temporarily blocking traffic. A protest also occurred in Minneapolis.

In Chicago, multiple groups planned protests through Saturday.

An anti-Trump protest in San Diego (Photo: Reuters)

Nadia Gavino, 25, learned about the rallies on Twitter and protested Thursday evening. Gavino, whose father is from Peru and whose mother is of Mexican and Lithuanian heritage, said she took Trump's harshest statements about immigrants and Latinos personally.

"I obviously agree that he's racist, he's sexist, he's phobic, he's misogynistic. He's all these things you don't want in a leader," she said.

An anti-Trump protest in Philadelphia (Photo: Reuters)

Ashley Lynne Nagel, 27, said she joined a Thursday night demonstration in Denver.

"I have a leader I fear for the first time in my life," said Nagel, a Bernie Sanders supporter who voted for Hillary Clinton.

"It's not that we're sore losers," she said. "It's that we are genuinely upset, angry, terrified that a platform based off of racism, xenophobia and homophobia has become so powerful and now has complete control of our representation."

Demonstrations also were planned Saturday in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and other areas.

An anti-Trump protest in Philadelphia (Photo: Reuters)

Previous demonstrations drew thousands of people in New York and other large urban centers. The largely peaceful demonstrations were overshadowed by sporadic episodes of vandalism, violence and street-blocking.
Turkey's military killed 18 ISIS militants in northern Syria over the last 24 hours, the army said on Saturday, intensifying strikes against the militant group. Four buildings and one vehicle used by the ISIS fighters were destroyed in the strikes, an army statement said.

Separately, five Turkey-backed rebels and five ISIS militants were killed in clashes on the ground, the army said in its statement. In addition, it said coalition forces conducted six air strikes which killed another 10 ISIS militants.

Turkey is backing a group of Syrian Arabs and Turkmen in northern Syria in its Euphrates Shield operation, which has swept Islamic State from its southern border.
A 62-year-old Israeli man named Eli Cohen was murdered and buried in cement, while two other Israelis are suspected of invovlement in the crime.

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The victim lived in Thailand, and according to police, there is evidence linking the two suspectsa 50-year-old father and his 17-year-old sonto the crime. The father is a criminal with known ties to drug smuggling who was previously accused of murdering another Israeli in Thailand. He was later acquitted of murder but convicted of disposing of the body.

The victim, Eli Cohen

Thai media are reporting that the father confessed to the crime during police interrogation, saying that he had murdered Cohen over suspicion that he was having an affair with the suspect's girlfriend.

The victim was a retired police officer with familyin Israel. The body was reportedly hidden in a suitcase and buried in the cement that makes up the stairway to the suspect's home. After arrving at the scene, police found blood stains along with incriminating smells such as formalin, used as a disinfectant. They then broke the cement and found the body hidden in it.

The Foreign Ministry responded by saying that the matter is currently being looked into.
Giving his first interview following his shocking win on Tuesday, US President-elect Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he would very much like to make a peace deal happen between Israel and the Palestinians.

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Describing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as "the war that never ends," Trump said that he views a possible peace agreement as "the ultimate deal," and one that would love to help bring about, "for humanity's sake."

US President-elect Donald Trump (Photo: MCT)

Trump expressed a decidedly different view than US President Barack Obama regarding the war in Syria. While Obama's administration has been supporting relatively moderate rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad , Trump said that his main focus pertaining to the Syrian conflict would be to defeat ISIS, while not going up against powerful such forces as Russia unless absolutely necessary.

Trump (L) and US President Barack Obama (Photo: Reuters)

My attitude was youre fighting Syria, Syria is fighting ISIS, and you have to get rid of ISIS. Russia is now totally aligned with Syria, and now you have Iran, which is becoming powerful, because of us, is aligned with Syria.  Now were backing rebels against Syria, and we have no idea who these people are.

Stopping on public health, Trump said that he was looking to quickly move on US President Barack Obama's universal healthcare plan, which Trump views as cumbersome, expensive and unusable.

Despite this, Trump did mention a willingness to keep two parts of the healthcare plan, namely, prohibiting insurers to deny healthcare due to a preexisting condition and allowing parents to additional years of coverage for their children. This following his meeting with Obama on Thursday, during which Obama asked Trump to consider their continued existence.

After a campaign full of accusations of corruption and "rigged systems," and after lashing out at Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, his adversary Hillary Clinton and her husband former President Bill Clinton, Trump has been taking a more conciliatory tone ever since he won the electoral vote.

"I want a country that loves each other," he said. The specifics of this statement at present remain unclear. In any case, when asked whether he had taken his aggressive rhetoric too far, Trump responded by simply saying, "No, I won."

Trump made many statements over the course of his campaign, from banning Muslims to opposing women's rights . During a particularly fiery exchange with Clinton at one of the presidential debates, Trump promised to set up a special investigator to look into Clinton's dealings during her time as secretary of State, promising to do everything he can to make sure she will go to prison for her alleged crimes.

When asked about this promise post-election, though, Trump did not answer, saying only that he had not given the matter much thought ever since his election.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye faced mounting pressure to step down on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators marched in the capital to protest allegations that she let a friend meddle in state affairs.

Saturday's rally in downtown Seoul was the largest so far in a crisis engulfing Park, 64, and organizers said some 850,000 people packed streets running through the city centre including a 12-lane thoroughfare. Police estimated the crowd at 260,000.

Students, families including young couples pushing strollers and protesters in wheelchairs were among the crowd during the peaceful march, which contrasted with the violence of some previous rallies dominated by militant unions and civic groups that clashed with police.
The motorized scooter, with chrome gleaming in the sun, is mounted on a turning platform. Visitors to the fourth annual Fuel Choices Summit, hosted by the prime minster, stop and take selfies with the gleaming futuristic-looking bike.

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"This is the Inu, which means dog in Japanese, and it's your best companion in the city," Ori Dadoosh, the CEO of Green Ride told The Media Line. "It's a two-wheeled smart electric scooter that folds from the regular scooter position to a suitcase position so you can take it with you to your office or to a coffee shop."

The Inu responds to voice commands like "fold" and "open", and is connected to one's smartphone. The scooter can go between 15 and 25 miles on one charge, usually more than enough for a daily commute within the city.

The Inu (Photo: Linda Gradstein/The Media Line)

"When you approach the vehicle it recognizes you and the vehicle computer and the smartphone connect," Dadoosh said. "You don't need a key, you see all the information on a display and you control the smartphone from the handlebars you can answer calls you can even do selfies."

The scooter will cost between $3,000 and $5,000, depending on the type of battery. The target market is Tel Aviv, where traffic is snarled much of the day. He said that almost 50 percent of the world's population lives in cities, and traffic in almost all of them wastes time and resources.

There were dozens of new smart products on offer at the Fuel Choices Summit. The summit is meant to spark a "dialogue about the world's most forward-thinking approaches to transportation, cutting edge technologies and future business models, and to promote Israel's ambitious goal of reducing 60% of the country's oil consumption by 2025."

Some of the products on offer seem more far-fetched than others. Omer Bar-Yohay, the CEO of EViation, introduced an all-electric six-person air taxi with a 600-mile range.

"For the first time in history, the changes in technology, manufacturing, aerodynamic design and batteries is making the concept of an electric aircraft possible," Bar-Yohay said. "Because it is electric, you can put your propellers wherever you want, and the motor is much smaller."

The aircraft, which will cost about a million dollars each, are meant to be used as commuter planes. Eventually, he said, it could go driverless.

Israel launched the Fuel Choices Initiative in 2011 to dramatically reduce dependence on oil.

"We see a unique opportunity for a revolution in transportation," Eyal Rosner, Chairman and Director of Administration of the Fuel Choices Initiative, said. "Current global processes provide an opportunity ripe for change: The growing awareness of the geopolitical strategic need to reduce reliance on oil as the sole source of energy in transportation; a desire and urgency to reduce pollution and combat global warming; and technological advances that in recent years have gained momentum and are changing our perception of transport."

Many in the field also expect that more vehicles will become driverless. In Finland, two self-driving mini-buses carrying up to twelve persons have begun a month-long trial in Helsinki. Unlike most of the world, Finland does not require vehicles on public roads to have a driver.

Many of the exhibitors in Israel said that Israel is a particularly good market for electric vehicles because the entire country is smaller than New Jersey. At the same time, Better Place, a company that offered electric cars and battery-switching stations went bankrupt in 2013 after selling just 1,500 cars in Israel.

Nanjing, a city of eight million in eastern China, already has thousands of electric buses. Better Place has adapted its technology to the Chinese market and will offer battery switching for these electric buses.

Article written by Linda Gradstein

Reprinted with permission from The Media Line
The play A Simple Story was performed for the first time at the Kiryat Arba community center by Israel's national theatre Habima on Thursday evening just outside of Hebron.

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This first-time performance by Habima in the West Bank drew public criticism last month when it was announced, with fans and left-wing organizations calling for the theatre to cancel the performance

Before Thursday's performance, Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev addressed these protests to the audience, saying "It won't help them. There will be more performances in Kiryat Arba, Bethel, Elkana and Ariel."

Miri Regev in Kiryat Arba Thursday (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Of the cast, only the actor Shlomi Bertenov refused to perform for ideological reasons. He was replaced by Shachar Raz.

Regev also said, "I'm happy that tonight we'll see here on the stage in Kiryat Arba actors who didn't give in to pressure from the organization Breaking the Silence, which tried until the last minute to prevent them from performing. I'm ashamed every time anew to see how human rights organizations crudely trample the rights of the residents of Judea and Samaria."

She addressed the name of the play, saying, " When Habima, the national theatre of the State of Israel, supported by the government of Israeli, comes to perform here in the city of the patriarchs, it's 'a simple story.'"

Earlier, the actress Yevgenia Dodina toured the city of Hebron with members Breaking the Silence. They visited, inter alia, Shuhada Street and Tel Rumeida. They there encountered right-wing activists Noam Arnon and Itamar Ben Gvir, who told the actress that the fact that she was visiting with representatives of Breaking the Silence constituted taking a side in the conflict.

Dr. Chaim Weiss, one of the leaders of the fight to prevent the theatre's performance in the West Bank, said at the time to Ynet, "The problem isn't with the Israeli citizens, of course; the problem is with the location. It's occupied territory. We don't run cultural life in occupied territory. We also mustn't hold cities in occupied territory."

At the time, Habima's management commented, "The theater's management rejects in disgust any call to exclude citizens and exclude towns, and condemns any attempt to culturally boycott any place where Israeli citizens live. The Habima Theatre is the national theater of the state of Israel. As such, it will continue to provide artistic content and provide quality culture for all Israeli citizens.
KABUL- An explosion at a U.S. airfield in Afghanistan early Saturday killed four people, the head of international forces in the country said.

U.S. Army Gen. John Nicholson said another 14 people were wounded in the attack inside Bagram Air Field. He said the blast was caused by an "explosive device," without providing further details. The incident was being investigated, he said in a statement.

An earlier statement from NATO's Resolute Support mission said the blast happened around 5.30 am (0100 GMT) and that "force protection and medical teams are responding to the situation."

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which they said was carried out by a suicide bomber inside the base. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the insurgent group, said the attack had been planned for four months.
Many chemists across the national capital are refusing to take Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes leading to chaos at such stores located near hospitals including country's premier hospital, AIIMS.

By Supriya Bhardwaj: Staring at AIIMS building in Delhi with more than 20 currency notes - each worth Rs 1,000 - in his hand, Ghaziabad resident Umesh Sharma is a worried man. His grandson is admitted in the hospital to get a treatment for kidney related ailment.

He has tried to get medicines for his ailing grandson from the medical stores that are stationed on the Yusuf Sarai road.

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However, much to Sharma's disappointment, medical stores have refused to give medicines since Sharma only has Rs 1,000 currency note.

"My grandson is undergoing a treatment. I sold some part of my land and arranged Rs 2 lakh for his treatment. The day my grandson was admitted in hospital, PM Modi made the announcement that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes were banned. Till yesterday they gave us medicines but today these chemists are refusing to do so. Now what to do," said Sharma.

CHEMISTS REFUSE TO TAKE RS 500, RS 1000 NOTES



Many chemists across the national capital are refusing to take Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes leading to chaos at such stores located near hospitals including country's premier hospital, AIIMS.

Also read:Demonetisation of 500, 1000 rupee notes: 5 rumours you must not fall for

"We are not asking them to give us medicines for free. We are giving them currency notes but the chemists are asking us to make payment for medicines from credit card," added Manoj Pratap. The Noida resident's wife had met with an accident and is undergoing treatment in Safdurjung hospital.

The Central government while announcing demonetisation of Rs 500, Rs 1,000 had permitted civil / government hospitals to accept these banned currency notes till November 11. Later this date was extended for three more days.

Also read:

Rush for cash at ATMs: Good samaritans make standing in queues easier



MAKE PAYMENT VIA CREDIT / DEBIT CARDS: CHEMISTS



The private chemist store owners while talking to India Today said that they have been acknowledging banned currency notes till Friday but even now they have also run out of small denomination currency.

Medical store owners are now asking consumers to make payment through credit or debit cards.

--- ENDS ---
MOSCOW - Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested 10 people from Central Asia with links to Islamic State who planned to carry out attacks with firearms and explosives in Moscow and St Petersburg, Russian news agencies reported on Saturday.

The FSB said in a statement that the 10 had been detained with the help of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It said they had been plotting assaults with automatic weapons and home-made explosives in public places in the two Russian cities.

Moscow last year launched a campaign of air strikes in Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad take on various rebel groups as well as the Islamic State militant group. The Kremlin has said its main objective is to crush ISIS.

Thousands of Russians have been fighting in Syria with anti-Assad forces, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in early November, warning of possible attacks by them when they return home.
ABIDJAN- Congo has stepped up border patrols after the former military chief of a once powerful rebel group vanished from a camp for demobilized fighters in neighbouring Uganda, and unidentified soldiers were spotted in the area.

Julien Paluku, governor of the North Kivu province in Congo's volatile east, said Ugandan authorities no longer knew the whereabouts of Sultani Makenga, who was the military chief of the M23 rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"We were in contact with the Ugandan intelligence services who confirmed that, since Friday, ex-Colonel Makenga may have fled and the Ugandan services have not been able to locate him," Paluku told Reuters on Saturday.

An official with M23's political wing declined to comment and referred questions about Makenga to the Ugandan authorities. A Ugandan army spokesman said he did not know if Makenga had disappeared but would seek to confirm his whereabouts.
PARIS- France condemned on Saturday an attack on a NATO air base in Afghanistan that killed four Americans, and reiterated its support for those fighting terrorism in Afghanistan.

""France reiterates its support for the American and Polish governments, whose citizens were hit in the attack," the Foreign Ministry said a statement.

Saturday's attack by a Taliban suicide bomber killed two U.S. military service members and two contractors.
GAZA - Days after the 12th anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leaders descended into new recriminations over who may have been involved in the demise of the former president.

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Coming two weeks before a meeting that is expected to overhaul the leadership of Fatah, the party of Arafat and President Mahmoud Abbas, the accusations underscore a growing animosity that threatens the movement's stability.

Speaking at a memorial on Thursday in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Abbas said he knew who was behind Arafat's death and that an investigating panel would soon reveal its findings.

Abbas and the Hamas leadership meet in Qatar

"The result will come out in the nearest time possible and you will be surprised to know who did it," Abbas said. Although he stopped short of naming suspects, Abbas's comments were widely seen as referring to his main political rivalMohammad Dahlan, a former Fatah security chief.

Dahlan, a fierce Abbas critic who lives in self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates, took to Facebook on Saturday to point the finger at Abbas.

"He (Abbas) is not qualified to make accusations and he personally is in the circle of accusation and the sole beneficiary of Abu Ammar disappearance," Dahlan wrote, referring to Arafat by his nickname.

Abbas's office could not be reached for comment.

Officials within Fatah are growing increasingly impatient with Abbas's leadership and rival groups have been emerging ahead of a party congress, the first since 2009, set to take place this month.

Dahlan, 55, retains influence within Fatah's revolutionary council and central committee - the equivalent of Fatah's parliament.

Abbas, 81, is expected at the party congress to push for the election of a new central committee and revolutionary council that would be free of Dahlan loyalists.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arab states have been pressuring Abbas to resolve divisions in Fatah and with the rival Hamas movement. Neighbouring states and diplomats fear the festering divisions could lead to conflict.

Arafat, who signed the 1993 Oslo interim peace accord with Israel but led a deadly uprising after subsequent talks broke down in 2000, died in 2004 aged 75 in a French hospital four weeks after falling ill.

The official cause of death was a massive stroke, but French doctors were unable at the time to determine the origin of the illness and no autopsy was carried out. Palestinian leaders have blamed Israel. Israel denies involvement.

A French investigation was opened in 2012 at the request of Arafat's widow, and his remains were exhumed for tests that were examined separately by French, Russian and Swiss experts.

The Swiss reported their results were consistent with but not proof of poisoning by reactive polonium. The French concluded he did not die of poisoning and Russian experts were reported to have found no traces of polonium in his body.

The investigation was closed in 2015.
Following the publication of a story on a financially troubled lone soldier in Ynet's Hebrew-language newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, a flood of phone calls came in from readers who wanted to help support the former soldier, "Jonathan," and a bill was proposed to pay discharged lone soldiers NIS 1,000 a month for their first year after discharge.

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From an ultra-Orthodox background, Jonathan left his religious lifestyle and enlisted in the IDF as a combat soldier. As his family completely disassociated from him, the military defined him as a lone soldier. Rather than live for free on one of the kibbutzim that offers free accommodation for lone soldiers or in a Beit Hahayal that offers similar benefits, Jonathan elected to live in a rented apartment, which allegedly caused him to accumulate debts.

Jonathan (Photo: Dana Kopel)

Since his discharge, he has worked as a waiter, but he has not managed to pay off his overdraft. Recently, due to his chronic delinquency in rate payments, his landlord had asked him to leave his shared apartment.

Since the article's publication, Israelis have reached out to help. Some have transferred money to his bank account, others have offered to adopt him, and yet others offered him regular work that would help increase his income.

One person even asked to pay his rent for half a year. "It was so moving to get such support," said Jonathan. "Until the article was published, I was alone in the world, and suddenly the entire nation of Israel is embracing me. It's the beautiful Israeli-ness, and I'm happy that the nation of Israel joins together to help each other and doesn't leave me alone."

Regarding the bill, which is supported by Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beytenu), Jonathan said, "I know firsthand the hardships of lone solders after discharge, and this is very encouraging news for them. I thank everyone who reached out to help me."

The bill was submitted on Wednesday by MKs Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beytenu) and Itzik Shmuli (Zionist Union). It would cost the state NIS 12 million per annum. The MKs explained that, unlike soldiers with families in Israel, discharged lone soldiers are on their own when they have to acclimatize to adult life outside the army.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday rejected accusations that he had been involved in a campaign of incitement that preceded the 1995 assassination of Premier Yitzhak Rabin.

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In a message on his Facebook page, Netanyahu called Rabin's killing on November 4 that year by Jewish extremist Yigal Amir a "shocking political murder that all of us condemn".

"Since the murder there have been continuous attempts to distort the historical truth and blame me for the incitement that preceded the killing," he wrote.

Benjamin Netanyahu and Yitzhak Rabin (Photos: Yaakov Saar/GPO, Moti Milrod)

He posted video clips taken before the assassination, showing him condemning virulent statements against Rabin.

Rabin won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for his role in negotiating the Oslo peace accords, which envisioned an independent Palestinian state.

Amir, who was opposed to the Oslo accords, is now serving a life sentence for shooting Rabin dead at a peace rally in a central Tel Aviv square.

Netanyahu and his Likud party have often been accused of taking part in the hate campaign that preceded Rabin's assassination.

Last week, Likud MP and close ally David Bitan, chairman of Netanyahu's governing coalition, provoked uproar by claiming that Rabin's killing was "not political".
29.1 million people have diabetes, about 1 out of 11 people.

Diabetes can cause health problems, such as heart disease and blindness. It also can cause the kidneys to stop working, and loss of one or both legs, feet or toes. Every five minutes, 2 people die of something linked to diabetes and 14 adults find out they have diabetes.

WHAT IS DIABETES?

It is a disease where blood sugar (glucose) levels are above normal.

Most of the food we eat is turned into sugar for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps the glucose get to the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, one of two things happens. Your body either doesnt make enough insulin or cant use the insulin as well as it should.

WHAT ARE THE

SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES?

People who think they may have diabetes must visit their doctor. They might have some of these signs:

 Going to the bathroom often

 Being overly thirsty

 Losing weight without trying

 More hungry than normal

 Sudden changes in eyesight

 Tingling or numbness in hands or feet

 Feeling very tired much of the time

 Very dry skin

 Sores that are slow to heal

 More infections than normal

Sometimes a person may have nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains. You may have diabetes and not show any of the above signs too.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF DIABETES?

Type 1 Diabetes - Your pancreas doesnt make insulin, a hormone needed to change the sugar, starches and other food you eat into energy. To survive, people with Type 1 diabetes must have insulin daily either by shots or a pump.

Type 2 Diabetes - Either your pancreas doesnt make enough insulin or your bodys cells dont react to it in the right way. Sugar from the food you eat builds up in your blood stream. If not controlled, this can cause harm to your eyes, nerves, feet and kidneys.

Prediabetes is a higher than normal blood sugar level. It is not quite high enough to be labeled as diabetes. One in three American adults has prediabetes, and most do not know they have it. This is why it is vital to visit your doctor on a routine basis.

Gestational Diabetes happens only during pregnancy. Too much glucose in the blood is not good for pregnant women or their babies.

You are at a greater risk for having prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes if you:

 Are 45 years of age or older

 Weigh more than you should for your height and body build

 Have a family history of Type 2 diabetes

 Are active less than three times per week

 Ever gave birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds

 Ever had diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes)

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR DIABETES?

Healthy eating, staying active, and insulin shots are the main ways to treat Type 1 diabetes. The amount of insulin taken needs to work with the amount of food eaten and daily activity. Blood sugar levels need to be closely watched and tested often.

Healthy eating, physical activity, and blood sugar testing are ways to manage Type 2 diabetes. Many people with Type 2 diabetes also might need pills, insulin shots, or both to control their blood sugar levels.

A number of studies have shown that staying active can greatly lower the risk of getting Type 2 diabetes. Make healthy changes now to stop Type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Prevention Program is offered throughout the Four Corners District. This year long class is for people who are pre-diabetic or at risk for getting diabetes. It helps them lessen the chance of getting this disease, or to not get it at all. Call Four Corners to learn more about this class.

Visit with your doctor to learn more about your health. For information on diabetes and other health topics, call Four Corners Health Department @ 1-877-337-3573. Send email to info@fourcorners.ne.gov.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Osman Saifullah Khan submitted the resolution to withdraw 1,000 and 5,000 rupee notes after India went ahead with demonetisation.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Taking a cue from demonetisation of higher currency notes in India, a Pakistani opposition party lawmaker has submitted a resolution in the Senate to withdraw 1,000 and 5,000 rupee notes from circulation in the country to tackle corruption.

The resolution submitted by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Osman Saifullah Khan comes at a time when Pakistan's population is gradually shifting to cash economy due to the government's ill-conceived taxation policies, said Express News.

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"The house urges the government to take steps to withdraw from circulation as legal tender the high denomination Rs 5,000 and Rs 1,000 notes so as to reduce illicit money flows, encourage the use of bank accounts and reduce the size of undocumented economy," reads the resolution..

Also read: Demonetization: Double trouble for northeast, petrol pumps in Manipur without fuel



This is the only way that will compel people to use banking channels and launch a crackdown on black money circulating in the economy, said Khan, speaking at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance on Thursday.

However, Committee Chairman Senator Saleem Mandviwalla underlined the need for taking the views of all stakeholders.

The resolution was moved in the Senate a couple of days after Indian Prime Minister Modi announced the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 bank notes, making them invalid in a major assault on black money, fake currency and corruption.

"At this point, we do not see a reason to withdraw the Rs 5,000 currency note," Abid Qamar, spokesman for the State Bank of Pakistan, told Express News.

Also read: Black money surgical strike destroys Pakistan's fake currency network



Pakistan's economy has already started making a gradual shift to cash as protection against the government's taxation policies, official statistics reveal.

In fiscal year 2015-16, the growth in banking sector deposits was far lower than the previous year while the currency in circulation increased at a much rapid pace, revealed minutes of the last Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting.

The General Pervez Musharraf-led government had introduced the Rs 5,000 denomination notes despite resistance from the State Bank of Pakistan. The notes made it easy for the people to keep cash instead of depositing money in banks.

Also read: Man's message telling PM Modi how to use black money is going viral

Also watch:



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Washington, DC - The Federal Trade Commission has charged that in numerous instances, prepaid card company NetSpend Corporation deceived consumers, many of whom do not have bank accounts, about access to funds deposited on defendants debit cards.

According to the FTCs complaint, NetSpend tells consumers that its reloadable prepaid debit cards offer an alternative way to store and immediately access their funds. But once people have loaded funds onto the cards, many of them find they cannot access their money, either because NetSpend denies or delays activation of the card, or because it blocks consumers from using it, the FTC alleges. The FTC seeks to return consumers funds and ensure that NetSpend provides them with promised access to their funds in the future.

Innovative financial products can offer many benefits to consumers. However, when companies promise consumers immediate access to their funds, they need to honor those promises, said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection. Were committed to protecting consumers  particularly those who are financially strapped  from deceptive practices involving their payment choices.

According to the FTCs complaint, NetSpend claims in marketing materials and on its website that consumers who purchase the NetSpend card can use it today, that they will have immediate access, and that their money is always available. NetSpend also claims consumers are guaranteed approval for a card. In fact, the FTC alleges many consumers did not receive access to their funds as promised. According to the complaint, consumers must go through an identity verification process as required by law before the prepaid debit card can be activated, and many people have difficulty satisfying this requirement. According to the complaint, many consumers who could not access their funds for weeks  or at all suffered severe financial hardship such as evictions, car repossession, and late fees on bills.

In addition, the complaint alleges that consumers who closed accounts and requested refunds waited several weeks for their money. In other cases, consumers funds were allegedly depleted by company fees.

The FTC also alleges that NetSpend misrepresents that when customers dispute charges on their cards, it will grant provisional credits so they can access their funds while the error is resolved. In many cases, however, NetSpend has failed to grant provisional credits as promised.

The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 2-1. Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen voted no. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
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Washington, DC - The peaceful transfer of power is a bedrock principle of our democracy. The President was grateful for the time and care put into the 2008 transition by President Bushs Administration. That is why he directed his team last year to make a smooth transition between administrations a top priority of his final year in office even as he remained committed to using every remaining day of his presidency to deliver on his agenda for the American people.

Starting in early 2016, Administration officials began to map out the transition planning, including three key components: preparing for the incoming administration, ensuring this Administrations records are appropriately archived, and facilitating the off-boarding of current Administration personnel. To coordinate the planning across government, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough convened the Presidents Cabinet in March to give an overview of the transition process and set the expectation that the transition should be a top priority for every federal agency.

The President also established the White House Transition Coordinating Council (WHTCC) and the Agency Transition Directors Council (ATDC), which have met regularly throughout the year. The transition has also been a standing agenda item for the monthly Presidents Management Council (PMC) meeting, comprised of Deputy Secretaries of major agencies. To coordinate government-wide activities, the Administration also established a regular meeting of agencies with special transition responsibilities, including the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), General Services Administration (GSA), Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Government Ethics (OGE), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These agencies play a unique government-wide role during a presidential transition, such as DOJ which processes security clearances for the incoming teams or OGE which reviews the ethics requirements for nominees.

After the nominating conventions, each candidates transition team began working out of GSA-provided space and began attending WHTCC and ATDC meetings and engaging regularly with Administration officials on their planning efforts. For example, the Administration and both candidates transition teams developed common expectations for engaging with agencies so agencies knew what to expect right after the election. This collaboration helped agencies better plan for and focus their efforts on what the transition teams would most likely need. Throughout this period, the Administration assisted both candidates transition teams in a non-partisan manner, providing equitable services and information to each.

Post-Election Transition Period

As with past presidential transitions, following the Election, the Federal government has begun to engage with the President-Elects Transition Team (PTT). This week, Agency Review Teams selected by the President-Elect, will begin to reach out to their designated counterparts at agencies across the government. The President-Elects Agency Review Teams will receive detailed, agency-specific briefings that have been prepared by current Administration officials. Those briefings include organizational charts, budget materials, briefings on key agency priorities and areas of responsibility, and other materials describing the essential functions of that agency. In addition to the initial briefings, designated employees across the Administration will work closely with their Agency Review Teams in order to facilitate open communication between the outgoing and incoming Administrations. Simultaneously, the President-Elects Transition Team will establish policy teams that will work out of GSA-provided office space in Washington, D.C.

The Administration is also taking steps to ensure the next President and his or her team is prepared from day one to protect our national security. As part of a longstanding tradition, building off the intelligence briefings the two candidates received before the election, the President-Elect and other senior officials will begin receiving daily intelligence briefings from the intelligence community. In addition, the Administration is hosting two interagency exercises to inform and familiarize the incoming administration on domestic incident management practices used by the current administration. These exercises are designed to provide a high-level perspective on a series of challenges that the next administration may confront and to introduce the key authorities, policies, capabilities, and structures that are currently in place to respond to major domestic incidents.

The Administration will also continue its work in the two other areas of focus: archiving records and off-boarding current Administration personnel. Thus far, the Administration has transferred roughly 283 million files to NARA, comprising 122,000 GB of data. In addition to the transfer of electronic records, NARA has also begun to facilitate the move of the Presidents physical records to Chicago, Illinois, where they will ultimately be preserved at President Obamas library. This move includes the transfer of textual, electronic, and audiovisual records, and tens of thousands of presidential gifts.

And, the Administration is committed to providing out-going appointees the information they need to plan for their own transitions. In support of the well-respected principle that the incoming President selects her or his own team, the President has asked appointees to submit resignation letters effective no later than the inauguration of the new President. In conjunction with this off-boarding process, Administration officials have been working with agency personnel offices to provide additional personnel and benefits information to appointees prior to the end of the Administration.

Modernizing the Transition

In undertaking the transition, the Administration has sought to streamline, formalize, and modernize the transition. Key improvements to the transition process that the Administration has implemented include:

Beginning Formal Transition Planning Earlier: Recognizing the significant challenge posed by a Presidential transition, the Obama Administration began the formal transition planning process at the beginning of this year. In May, the President signed an Executive Order appointing the first Federal Transition Coordinator to centralize transition planning across the agencies. The President also established the two transition councils, the WHTCC and ATDC  marking the earliest the Federal government has ever begun formal interagency preparations for the Presidential transition. To ensure agencies are prepared for the drastic personnel change that comes with transition, the Administration also began to prepare senior career officials who may serve in acting political positions for their new role earlier in the transition process.

In addition, recognizing the unprecedented volume of electronic data from this administration that needs to be preserved, Administration officials began monthly planning meetings with NARA in 2012 and commenced the first testruns of data transfers in April 2015. The Executive of the President (EOP) then began to transfer presidential records to NARAs Electronic Records Archive in May 2016 the earliest that the EOP has ever begun transferring substantial quantities of electronic records to NARA in preparation for a transition.

Streamlined Transition Materials: In conjunction with the ATDC, the Administration hosted conversations on best practices for assembling transition materials for the next Administration. Drawing upon the expertise of individuals with previous transition experience, these conversations resulted in tailored and more concise briefing materials that more readily addressed the needs of the incoming teams. In addition, in some cases, agencies used modern technology including collaboration websites, tablets and apps to deliver that material. For example, the DHS pre-loaded materials onto tablets in a searchable format.

In addition, the White House has worked to better document the broader transition planning effort in order to hand the next Administration a step-by-step guide of how to manage a government-wide transition. This effort includes documenting the Agency Review Team process, collating guidance documents, establishing key milestones, and other metrics.

Developed Architecture for A Digital Transition: Recognizing the unique and unprecedented challenge of archiving and preserving the Administrations digital infrastructure, the Administration set out several months ago to develop a plan that would: 1) ensure the proper archiving of all digital records, consistent with the Presidential Records Act; 2) where possible, allow real time access to the content the Administration created on the platforms in which the content originated; and 3) ensure that the next president and administration could continue to use and build upon the digital assets this Administration created to connect directly with the people they serve. As a result, the Administration developed and released a first-of-its-kind digital transition plan that meets these key goals.

Developed New On-Boarding Systems: One of the biggest challenges facing the incoming Administration is filling over 4,000 political appointee positions as quickly as possible. To better streamline this process, GSA working in conjunction with the Presidential Personnel Office (PPO) and White House IT collaborated with the candidates transition teams to design and develop an online human resources application for the collection, categorization, assignment, and processing of applications for positions in the new Administration. This approach combined the IT expertise of GSA and White House IT with the real-world experience of PPO who manages the appointee process from application through appointment. This new system can serve as a single tool for processing a candidate from application through appointment, rather than the multiple systems used at the beginning of the current Administration. In addition, PPO provided data on executive branch agencies, offices, and positions with which to populate the system, avoiding the need to duplicate the lengthy and labor-intensive data collection and entry conducted for the current system utilized by PPO. After the Inauguration, this new tool can be utilized by the incoming President to replace the legacy system currently used by PPO, allowing the incoming Administration to use the same tool and processes before and after the Inauguration. It can also be more easily tailored to the specific policies and processes the new Administration decides to adopt.

In addition, the OGE has developed a new e-filing system, Integrity, which allows nominees for Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed (PAS) positions to enter their financial disclosure information online through a secure website and for ethics officials to review the forms and communicate back with the nominees via the automated system. In September 2016, OGE held orientation sessions on Integrity for each campaign's transition team and has been working with each team so they are prepared to use the system to enter information of potential PAS nominees starting the day after the election and throughout the Presidential transition.

Engaged Agencies Not Traditionally Included In the Formal Transition Planning Process: In addition to the formal transition councils that the President established, the Administration, for the first time, has also held formal transition planning meetings with smaller agencies, boards and commissions across the government who are not otherwise represented on the two councils. This group, including more than 200 entities, has been engaged fully in the transition process from the beginning and has met regularly over the past several months. The Administration undertook this whole-of-government approach to transition planning in order to help these smaller agencies, board and commissions prepare for the upcoming transition by developing briefing materials for the incoming teams, ensuring continuity of operations as they off-board appointees, and have in place the necessary infrastructure to support incoming appointees.
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Washington, DC - The Vice President spoke with His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman earlier. The Vice President thanked the Sultan for his continued leadership in seeking to defuse regional tensions and advance a political and security settlement in Yemen.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the enduring bilateral partnership, to include deepening economic engagement, and agreed to continue close cooperation between the United States and the Sultanate of Oman to advance regional peace and stability.
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The best-seller author Chetan slammed the government and the RBI for subjecting people to inconvenience in the absence of enough cash on hand.

By India Today Web Desk: After film star Aamir Khan, best-seller author Chetan Bhagat has also come out in support of the demonetisation move of the Modi government. But, this support came with a rider.

Speaking at the Sahitya AajTak event in New Delhi, Chetan Bhagat said, "Demonetisation is a very bold decision. We have had prime ministers in India who just sat idle without doing much. But, what the current PM did was brave."

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Also read: Sahitya AajTak: This poet wants Modi, Sharif's mothers to discuss India-Pakistan peace



"Demonetisation involved political risks as we are in a democracy," he added.

MAKING PEOPLE STAND IN LONG QUEUES NOT PATRIOTISM

But, Chetan Bhagat was not at all happy with the implementation of this move aimed at striking hard at black money hoarders.

He said, "I don't have any problem with demonetisation, but people have been standing in queues for three days. Asking someone to go through all this is not patriotism."

Also read: Lyrical Sibal at Sahitya AajTak: Only time will tell who wins 2019 elections



"Demonetisation is a very good step against black money, but it was planned badly. Someone's inefficiency is causing problems to millions of people," Chetan Bhagat said.

BLAME GOVT FOR INCONVENIENCE TO PEOPLE



Chetan Bhagat slammed the government and the RBI for making people vulnerable in the absence of enough cash on hand.

"The new notes of Rs 2,000 don't fit in the ATMs. So, even though we have two lakh ATMs in the country, people have to wait for hours outside banks as the new notes cannot be disbursed through these machines," Chetan Bhagat said.

Also read: Ashutosh Rana at Sahitya AajTak: Facebook, Twitter activism is not patriotism



Long queues were seen over the last three days across the country as people scrambled to the banks to exchange the demonetised currency notes.

Daily wage earners are the biggest losers due to poor implementation of a bold decision by the government, Chetan Bhagat said.

WATCH VIDEO

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Washington: Donald Trump has indicated that he will consider retaining an "amended" version of the Affordable Care Act, a marked shift in stance on his major campaign promise of repealing President Barack Obama's flagship healthcare law.

The President-elect made the apparent U-turn after his meeting with Obama at the White House this week, according to the Wall Street Journal.

In an interview with the newspaper, Trump said his priority is to move "quickly" on Obamacare, which has become "expensive and unworkable".

At the same time, he "showed a willingness to preserve at least two provisions" of the law after the outgoing president Barack Obama asked him to reconsider repealing it during their meeting at the White House on Thursday, the daily said.

"Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced," Trump said. "I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that."

According to the Journal, Donald Trump said he favours retaining a key part of Obamacare that stops insurers from refusing to cover people because they have existing conditions, as well as a provision that allows parents to provide years of additional coverage for children on their insurance policies. "I like those very much."

Trump also appeared to be committed on his promises of bringing jobs back through improved international trade deals and massive infrastructure investment, besides focusing on defeating ISIS.

"I want a country that loves each other. I want to stress that," Trump said in his first interview after winning the November 8 presidential elections, in which he defeated Hillary Clinton after mounting one of the most divisive campaigns in recent memory.

Trump said he would create jobs through nationwide

infrastructure projects and improved international trade deals.

He also said he would preserve American jobs by potentially imposing tariffs on products of US companies that relocate overseas, thereby reducing the incentive to move plants abroad, the Journal reported.

Trump so far has spoken to several world leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is yet to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said he got a "beautiful" letter from Putin.

On Syria, he said his main focus would be defeating ISIS rather than removing its current president Bashar al-Assad.

"My attitude was you're fighting Syria, Syria is fighting ISIS, and you have to get rid of ISIS. Russia is now totally aligned with Syria, and now you have Iran, which is becoming powerful, because of us, is aligned with Syria...Now we're backing rebels against Syria, and we have no idea who these people are," Trump said.

If the US attacks Assad, Trump said, "we end up fighting Russia, fighting Syria."

On the Israel-Palestine conflict, Trump said hopes to craft a deal.

"That's the ultimate deal. As a deal maker, I'd like to do the deal that can't be made. And do it for humanity's sake," Trump told the daily.
Dhaka: An Islamist militant leader, the prime suspect in the brutal murders of a secular blogger and a publisher in Bangladesh, has been arrested from the national capital, police said today.

Khairul Islam alias Fahim, a leader of intelligence wing of the outlawed Ansar al-Islam also known as Ansarullah Bangla Team, was arrested from Kamlapur Rail Station area in Dhaka last night, said Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of the Detective Branch of Police.

Khairul, 24, was believed to be involved in the murders of Jagriti Prakashani publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan and secular activist Niladri Chatterjee Niloy, besides scores of deadly attacks on secular activists and foreigners.

Khairul participated in the murders of Dipan and Niloy, Joint Commissioner Detective Branch of Police Abdul Baten was quoted as saying by 'Dhaka Tribune'.

Baten said Khairul admitted his involvement in the killings during primary interrogation.

He said Khairul had joined the group in 2013 and the next year he met its senior leader Sayed Ziaul Haque, a sacked army major for his involvement in a failed coup in December 2011.

Khairul had started to collect information about the duo since January 2015 and provided it to the outfit's Askari section (armed wing) to carry out the killings, he added.

"Seeing CCTV footage, Khairul has identified four people involved in blogger and secular writer Avijit's killing and we are analysing the information," Baten said.

Dipan was hacked to death at his office in Dhaka's Shabagh area in broad daylight on October 31, 2015. The group had claimed responsibility for the murder.

Niloy was hacked to dead at his residence on August 7 last year.
Tokyo: A man set a woman on fire following an argument in a restaurant in Japan, local media reported today, in a rare act of violence in the country.

The 52-year-old Iranian man was seen pouring liquid over his 36-year-old Filipina girlfriend before setting her alight at the eatery in Ibaraki prefecture, north of Tokyo, yesterday, reports cited police as saying.

Workers at the restaurant called an ambulance, saying: "People are burning."

The couple was taken to hospital with severe burns and both remain unconscious, public broadcaster NHK said.

There were several customers inside the restaurant at the time of the incident, but no one else was injured, the reports said.

Police are treating the case as attempted murder.

The man and woman had been advised by police to stay away from each following a dispute involving their child, Kyodo News reported.
Bihar: A journalist was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bihar`s Rohtas district on Saturday, police said.

Dharmender Singh, a correspondent of Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, was shot dead outside a roadside tea shop, a police official said.

In May, Rajdeo Ranjan, a senior journalist of Hindi daily Hindustan was shot dead by unidentified assailant in Siwan district.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is still probing the case.
New Delhi: The Congress has given a notice, seeking suspension of business on Day One of the Parliament`s Winter Session, i.e. on November 16 to discuss the demonetisation issue.

Congress party`s leader Anand Sharma has given suspension on business under rule 267 in Rajya Sabha for discussion on the issue of demonetisation.

The Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha is related to suspension of rules which says `Any member, may, with the consent of the Chairman, move that any rule may be suspended in its application to a motion related to the business listed before the Council of that day and if the motion is carried, the rule in question shall be suspended for the time being.

`Earlier, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) gave a notice in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes on November 16 and said it would bring an adjournment motion on the subject in the Lok Sabha on the same day.

The Winter Session will commence on November 16 and will be in session until December 16.
New Delhi: Delhi Police on Saturday received nearly 4,500 calls till 6 PM as cash-strapped people standing in long queues outside banks and ATMs resorted to violence in some parts of the city.

"We received over 4,000 calls today. There were sporadic incidents of violence reported from the city but there were no reports of any grievous injury," said Sanjay Beniwal, Special Commissioner of Police (Operations).

Police said a case of stone pelting at IDBI bank in Roop Nagar was reported and one person was arrested.

At 12 noon, Imran (44), who had already withdrawn money from the bank once, tried to go inside again and was stopped by a security guard, they said.

He got into a scuffle with the guard and called six-seven other men who resorted to stone pelting, police said.

Imran is a resident of Malkaganj and was arrested from the spot, police said, adding they are scanning the CCTV footage from the bank to identify the other accused.

"No one was reported to be injured in stone pelting. The bank operations resumed after few hours," said a senior police official.

He said a case under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) IPC has been registered against the accused.

There were dime a dozen rumours floating about incidents of violence even as Twitter added more fuel to fire, police sources said.

A purported video from Metro Mall in Seelampur area of northeast Delhi went viral where people were "plundering goods" and police had to intervene.

Ajit Singla, DCP (Northeast) said, "The reports of miscreants taking away stocks from a mall in Seelampur area are false and baseless. It is a self-catering Mall which allows entry to card holders only and routine disbursal of stocks was being done."

He said some mischievous elements tried to show it as looting but local police intervened immediately and removed the miscreants.

"No complaint of looting received. Regular operations are being carried out in all market places in Delhi. Strict action as per law is being taken any such rumour mongering," he said.
By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: After the opposition, now the BJP is facing heat from its own ally over the scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes citing "torture" to common man , Shivsena Chief Uddhav Thackeray came down heavily on the move. It is seen as the most brazen attack on the Modi government's war on black money.

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Calling the serpentine queues outside banks as a "torture" Shivsena President Uddhav Thackeray went on to warn the Modi government of a surgical strike by the citizens that may cost him dear.



"Prime Minister Modi always talks about Mann ki Baat, this time he spoke about "dhan ki Baat" but he forgot the most important thing that is "Jan ki baat". The long queues outside the banks are nothing but a torture to the common man", said Thackeray while talking to mediapersons at Shivsena Bhawan in Central Mumbai.

"We are not against the move against black money, but the way it is being implemented," added Uddhav.

"Some people are calling this as a surgical strike against black money. But if angered people launch a surgical strike against the government, it will cost them dear,"warned Uddhav.

Also read: Saamana cartoon row: Uddhav Thackeray apologies to Maharashtra women



The Shivsena president even targeted Modi of not taking action against black money stashed in Swiss banks and instead adding to the woes of the common man? "we thought that after this move our PM would go to Switzerland and launch a surgical strike on swiss bank accounts? but instead he went to Japan. The people of this nation have shown faith in this govt but they are forgetting that these are the people who elected them to power"said Uddhav.

Citing the death of a senior citizen in queue at Mulund in suburban Mumbai, Uddhav Thackeray blamed the govt for the death. The Sena president said that the government should have at least made some alternate arrangement to avoid inconvenience.

Also read: Arvind Kejriwal demands roll back of demonetisation; says Modi government leaked information



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New Delhi: As Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Najeeb Ahmed continues to remain missing, the case has been handed over to the Crime Branch of Delhi Police.

Najeeb Ahmed went missing on the intervening night of October 14-15 after being allegedly beaten by a 20-strong mob of students who had gone campaigning to his door for hostel elections.

A Delhi police team recently visited Darbhanga in Bihar in search of the JNU student, but in vain.

The JNU Students Union (JNUSU) has called upon major student organisations across the country to hold campus protests on November 14-15 and to intensify the fight for Najeeb Ahmed.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured Fatima Nafees that the police are doing everything possible to locate her missing son.

A Delhi is expected to visit Badaun to speak to a doctor, who was treating Najeeb for depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), even as his family members claimed that he was suffering from insomnia only and no other mental disorder.

A psychiatrist from VIMHANS, who had been consulted by Najeeb and his mother twice in August and September was questioned by the SIT on October 23 to know about Najeeb's mental condition.\

Najeeb's sister Sadaf also rubbished allegations that he was mentally unstable.

"He had cracked university exams, he is a studious child. Do you think a person studying at such a prestigious institution can be mentally unstable? I request (all)...please don't defame him. He had sleeping problems that children who are studying often have due to pressure. He had no other problem," she told the media persons.
Panaji: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the coastal state of Goa tomorrow to lay foundation stone for two projects, namely Greenfield airport in North Goa and Tuem Electronic city.

Modi is scheduled to address a public meeting at 10 AM near here tomorrow during which he will lay foundation stone for Greenfield airport at Mopa and Tuem Electronic City, both located in northernmost taluka of Pernem.

The public function would be held at Dr Shama Prasad Mukherjee stadium in Bambolim village near here.

BJP President Amit Shah had launched the party's election campaign from the same venue on August 20 this year.

This would be the second visit of the Prime Minister to the state in the last two months, the first one being during the BRICS summit in South Goa.

This will also be his first ever public address in India after the demonetisation move.

The Prime Minister will leave the state in the afternoon to address another event in Pune.

The Goa government has already signed a concessional agreement with Bengaluru based GMR Airports, a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure to design, build, finance and operate the international airport for 40 years with the extension option for another 20 years.

The first phase of the airport is expected to be commissioned in the financial year 2019-20.

"The win of Mopa airport is a very significant milestone for the Group. Many of us may not realise this, but Mopa airport is the first airport to be privatised in India after over a decade with the last bid process having been completed in May 2006," Srinivas Bommidala, Chairman-Airports, GMR Group had said after signing the concessional agreement last week.

"Even though Goa has been witnessing unprecedented growth over the past 3-4 years and crossed the 5 million tourist mark last year, we believe that Goa harbours a significantly higher potential and having a dedicated 24 hour operational civil airport will unlock the latent tourism potential of the state," he said.

The second project of Tuem Electronic City is expected to generate 25,000 jobs for the youth in the state.

Chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar had said that within next one year, the work of building the structure will start and in next five years, the Electronic City will be fully operational.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Japan, addressed the Indian diaspora in Kobe on Saturday.

During his address, he spoke on number of issues including central government's recent demonetisation move.

Highlight of PM Modi's speech:

I have had the good fortune of visiting you all even before I became the PM.

In 2001, when Gujarat was hit by a strong earthquake, Kobe was the first to reach out to help. Thank you for the love i got.

I am sure whatever happens in India makes you very proud. The good in India is happening due to 125 crore Indians

I am committed to make India poverty-free.

Despite two years of serious drought, the entire world has acknowledged that India is the fastest growing large economy globally.

'First develop India', is my definition of FDI. however the other one is Foreign Direct Investment. India is getting historically high FDI and is moving quickly on the path of economic progress

We have asked poor people that even if they do not have a penny, we will open their bank account. When we assumed office what did we do first- we opened bank accounts for the poor.

A large section of population did not have bank account when BJP came to power, but we launched a massive drive to open new accounts. Now almost all people have bank accounts in the country.

On the night of 8th November, government demonetised Rs 500 and 1000. Despite all inconveniences, they have accepted the decision.

I was pondering over the difficulties, our team was thinking of ways. But obviously I couldn't share it with anyone. It is a massive cleaning campaign.

This is not an overnight decision, first we had brought in a scheme. Its not that no opportunity was given, it was given.

I salute the people of India for hailing this initiative, despite all difficulties they have supported us.

Earlier no one used to put a single rupee in river Ganga, now you can see notes flowing in it. Government will do everything to protect the honest whereas dishonest will have to pay.

People of India want to fight against corruption and black money. I have recently experienced Indians don't back down when they have to serve their country.

Till 30 December, there will be no trouble caused to anyone. Everything that is yours, you will get it.

Will check records since Independence. If I come across unaccounted cash, no body will be spared.

A warm welcome given to PM Modi by Indian community in Kobe. Watch video:
London: An investigation has been opened into Britain's longest-serving Indian-origin lawmaker Keith Vaz over alleged drug offences, the Scotland Yard on Saturday said.

Vaz, 59, resigned as chair of parliament's influential home affairs select committee in September amid?a?sex scandal over allegations involving male prostitutes. The Metropolitan Police had said it was assessing if there was evidence to open a criminal investigation.

"Following that assessment, which included obtaining early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, the Metropolitan police service is now investigating offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The investigation started on Thursday November 10," the Met Police said in a statement.

A 'Sunday Mirror' article on September 4 said the Labour MP had paid male escorts and was secretly recorded offering to pay for cocaine if it was brought to a future meeting. He, however, had stressed that he did not want any himself.

He was also accused of encouraging others to use poppers, an illegal party drug.

The Met had received a letter soon after asking them to investigate.

The correspondence was passed on to a specialist team, which "started an assessment process to identify what criminal offences ? if any ? may have been committed".

Vaz, who had apologised to his family after the newspaper allegations, said on Friday: "I welcome a full investigation as a means of establishing the true facts and I am confident the police will pursue all lines of enquiry. I will cooperate with the investigation in any way I can."

It was announced at the end of last month that the 59-year-old had been appointed to the justice committee, despite opposition in Parliament.

MPs voted for him to be appointed to the committee by 203 votes to seven, a majority of 196.

Electing MPs to vacancies on Commons committees is mostly uncontentious, with each party given a set allocation of places.

The rare vote on the Labour Party backed appointment of?Vaz?came after Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen objected to the appointment over allegations hanging over?Vaz.

Bridgen had said then: "An allegation in the?'Sunday Mirror', with supporting video footage, implied [Mr?Vaz] had offered to purchase class A drugs while using the services of escorts.

"And yet here we are only a relatively few weeks later and the same member is seeking a position on the prestigious and influential justice committee while matters relating to his recent resignation remain.

"A potential police investigation still hangs over him."
New Delhi: Rejecting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal`s allegations against the Centre over demonetization as laughable, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told ANI, "I can see that Congress and Kejriwal are all about political hypocrisy and lies are their passwords."

"They have become a laboratory of putting the progress of nation into dire straits. The only thing that they are good at is, how to defame the progress and reforms of our nation, how to spread rumours, how to create rumours," said Naqvi."And, I think, that their rumours are nothing but humour for our country.

Black money was an obstacle in the growth of the poor and the weaker sections of society.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started a revolution against black money and both the Congress and AAP are doing nothing but igniting fire in the minds of the public through which they can harm the ruling BJP government," he added.

Naqvi further said that both the Congress and the AAP are disappointed and are doing all this out of desperation.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday asserted that a few corporate houses were informed before hand about the radical decision to demonetize.

"In the name of demonetisation, a huge scam is being played out. Before the Prime Minister Modi announced the move on Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its friends had been alerted before and they had stashed their cash," Kejriwal said.

He said that in the last three months, thousands of crores of rupees have been deposited in bank accounts of some people and corporate houses, adding that deposition of such large sums creates suspicions.
Motihari (Bihar): Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Saturday said the Centre's surprising demonetisation move was the final nail in the coffin against black money.

Terming the government's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes as a "surgical strike" on black money, the Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister said, "With this decision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a drive against black money, corruption and terrorism, and the decision will prove to be the last nail in the coffin against black money."

Singh, while talking to reporters at party office here said that the PM has kept his promise on black money, which he made during 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The decision to demonetise the high-denomination notes had become indispensable in the interest of national security and economy, Singh said, adding that Pakistan was trying to hurt Indian economy by pumping fake currency notes meant to fund terror outfits.

The PM's surgical strike on black money has poured cold water on Pakistan's nefarious design, he said, adding that the move would help in checking corruption and terrorism both.

Admitting that the decision would cause problems to around 75 per cent of people for a couple of days, while 24 per cent would face problems for 10-20 days, the minister said, "Merely one per cent of people would face difficulties in real terms...This is a step taken in the interest of honest people."

Singh, who represents Motihari Lok Sabha constituency for the fifth term, said demonetisation would have a "positive impact" on Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and other states due next year as "there is hardly any party which does not use black money in elections".

The Union minister also said that the Bihar government was trying to befool the people of the state by terming the Centrally-sponsored schemes as its own.

The Central government has sanctioned funds for potable water, drainage construction, electrification under 'Deen Dayal Upadhyaya' scheme besides fixing a deadline of March 2018 for these works. 'PM Grameen Sadak Yojana' will be completed by March 2019, he said, adding that "people are wise and understand everything."
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday slammed Modi government's demonetisation move saying, it's a surgical strike on the common man, not on black money.

Briefing the press today morning, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief demanded the decision of demonetisation of Rs 500/1000 notes to be rolled back.

Hitting out at the Centre, Kejriwal alleged, in the name of fighting black money a big scam has been given a shape.

The Delhi CM accused PM Modi of passing the crucial decision to some of his 'friends' before announcing it publicly so that they could safely convert their black money into white.

Political parties including, AAP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party have been continuously hitting out at PM Modi for taking such a bold decision to tackle the menace of corruption, black money, terrorism and hawala.

BJP president Amit Shah on Friday asserted that rival parties have exposed themselves and shown their true face by criticising the Centre's demonetisation move which, he said, has rattled those with black money and fake currency and made some political parties poor as well.

Meanwhile, reacting to Kejriwal's charges BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, Arvind Kejriwal is nothing more than the rumour monger, but rumour is like a humour for India.

Meanwhile, crores of anxious people massed outside banks and ATMs across the country today for a third day to deposit or exchange their spiked currency or take out cash.

Serpentine queues started forming outside all banks much before they opened, armed with their old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes.

Saturday is the third day after banks opened across the country following a day's closure after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday night that 500 and 1,000 rupee notes would no more be legal tender.

The government has extended the use of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes till November 14, in railway ticket booking counters, ticket counters of government buses and airline ticket counters at airports.

The high denomination notes will also be legal tender in Petrol, diesel and CNG gas stations authorised by public sector oil companies, consumer co-operative stores authorised by state or central government.

The government has also extended suspension of fee collection at all toll plazas on national highways till the midnight of November 14.

The demonetised notes can be used for payments towards utility bills by individuals for arrears and current bills, government said, however no advance payments will be allowed using the old currency.

The Reserve Bank of India has assured that there is enough cash available with banks and all arrangements have been made to reach the currency notes all over the country.
Tokyo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Japan, on Saturday addressed the Indian diaspora in Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay.

PM Modi, who was on his three day-visit to Japan, spoke on number of issues including government's recent demonetisation move.

In his address, PM Modi emphasized on the alliance the two countries share and said, "In 2001, when Gujarat was hit by a strong earthquake, Kobe was the first to reach out to help. Thank you for the love I got."

"I am sure whatever happens in India makes you very proud. The good in India is happening due to 125 crore Indians," Modi said.

Talking about FDI, PM Modi said that he "sees the trend acronym as First develop India".

"First develop India, is my definition of FDI. however the other one is Foreign Direct Investment. India is getting historically high FDI and is moving quickly on the path of economic progress," he said.

"A large section of population did not have bank account when BJP came to power, but we launched a massive drive to open new accounts. Now almost all people have bank accounts in the country," he added.

Modi said people back home were hailing his decision of rendering Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes invalid but some of them were being prodded to speak against the government because of politics.

"We have seen the rich getting poor, but the poor in our nation has showed us what it means to be rich," he said.

"I know it is difficult. People are made to speak against Modi but I salute the people.. Some stood in the queues for five hours, six hours but endured the hardship. The same way as people in Japan endured in 2011," Modi said, referring the earthquake-triggered tsunami five years ago that hit Japan.

He said the government had not taken the decision on demonetization in haste. "We had given 50 days to people to show their unaccounted wealth till September, before the government decided to render the large currency bills illegal tender."

"I was pondering over the difficulties, our team was thinking of ways. But obviously I couldn't share it with anyone. It is a massive cleaning campaign. This is not an overnight decision, first we had brought in a scheme. It's not that no opportunity was given, it was given," Modi said.

Modi further added that the government will go through all personal records since Independence, if required, on the issue of black money.

"We will check all the records since Independence. If I come across any unaccounted cash, no one will be spared. Will go to any length to track black money," Modi said.

"Till 30 December, there will be no trouble caused to anyone. Everything that is yours, you will get it. However, there's no guarantee that no new measure will be introduced after December 30 to crackdown on black money holders," he said.

"I believe very clearly, that unaccounted money if it comes to light, then the accounts will be scanned from Independence."

Hitting back at Opposition parties for slamming Centre over demonetisation of notes, Modi said, "The Opposition have failed to provoke people against me over the issue.
New Delhi: India and China will hold joint training exercise "Hand in Hand" in Pune from November 15 to 27, an official statement said.

This will be the sixth edition of the annual joint training exercise by the Indian Army with People's Liberation Army of China, held alternately in India and China.

The first exercise was held in China at Kunming of Yunnan province in 2007 and the previous installment, in October 2015, held in Kunming Military Academy at Yunnan.

"The aim of the joint training is to share the expertise in drills and practices while tackling insurgency and terrorism, thereby promoting healthy military to military relations between the two armies and developing joint strategies for conducting operations in a counter terrorism environment.

"Forming part of the different levels of the military to military engagement across the entire spectrum of operations, this exercise will enrich the two contingents in further honing basic military skills," the statement said.

The exercise is planned at the company level with respective battalion headquarters controlling the training.

It will be supervised by a Joint Directing Panel comprising senior officials of both the nations.

The exercise will be conducted in three phases - the first consisting of familiarization with the weapons and equipment, the second phase of the conduct of basic training that includes combat conditioning, firing of personal weapon, support weapon and practice of drills like establishment of covert observation post, house clearing, cordon and search and humanitarian and disaster relief operations.

The third phase of the exercise is the conduct of joint exercise itself.

"Exercise Hand-in-Hand contributes immensely in developing mutual understanding and respect for each other`s military. The exercise will be attended by the senior military observers of both the countries," the statement added.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Saturday night after concluding his three-day Japan visit.

During the visit Prime Minister Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of outer space, which would enable cooperation in satellite navigation, planetary exploration and space industry promotion, joint missions and studies.

Both the leaders also signed a historic civil nuclear cooperation deal and the Gujarat Government and Hyogo Prefecture also exchanged MoU of Cooperation.

Pitching for `Make in India` initiative here Prime Minister Modi said that Tokyo plays an important role in the scheme, as India needs scale, speed and skill.

He also met Japanese Emperor Akihito, where they discussed the common bonds between their nations and deliberated on the future of Asia.
The Supreme Court has directed the CAG to submit its report on the toll collection within four months.

By Harish V Nair: In a significant move, the Supreme Court on Friday roped in the Comptroller and Auditor General to verify the claim of the DND flyway toll company that the total cost of the project had not yet been recovered and they should be allowed to levy more.



Ruling that the expressway will continue to remain toll-free till further orders, a bench headed by chief justice T S Thakur directed the concessionaire - Noida Toll Bridge Company to place before the CAG, the entire record pertaining to recovery of the total project cost of the DND as per the contract and agreement.

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READ | Toll-free DND: Supreme Court asks CAG how much did it take to build the 9.2-km flyway



The CAG has been directed to submit its report within four weeks. The apex court is hearing a petition filed by the toll company challenging the October 27 Allahabad High Court order asking it not to levy any more toll as it "had recovered returns, interests and cost incurred on the construction of the DND flyway and, therefore, they are not entitled to receive any more money". Also, the court held as "faulty" the formula it adopted to calculate the total project cost.

READ | Delhi-Noida DND Flyway is toll free: Allahabad High Court's Diwali gift for NCR



HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED

The expressway, which opened in 2001, considerably reduces the travel time between Delhi and Noida. Commuters, however, often face huge traffic jams. An average of 1.5 lakh vehicles take the route daily.

Two months ago, there were massive protests at the eight-lane flyway by activists who demanded that toll be scrapped, alleging corruption and overcharging. The toll free order of High Court had come on a PIL filed by a group of Noida residents.

WATCH | Happy Diwali Delhi: Noida DND now toll-free



On Friday, the Supreme Court disagreed with the company's argument that its refusal to stay Allahabad High Court's verdict would cause the firm irreparable loss. The apex court said while the company can be compensated later if it succeeds in its appeal, it will be impossible to provide restitution to the lakhs of commuters from whom the toll fee would be collected to repay them on dismissal of the Special Leave Petition (SLP).

READ | Janhit Morcha starts its indefinite protest at DND flyway to make it toll-free



Challenging the high court verdict, the company said that the court did not take into account all aspects and factors like interest on construction cost, depreciation and maintenance expenses, which come to around Rs 12.5 lakh per day.

To this, the bench said prima facie the issue that arose in the appeal required a detailed scrutiny as conflicting claims have been made regarding recovery of the total cost of the project by the concessionaire. The CAG shall be at the liberty to call for and examine all such records having a bearing on the financial aspects, as it requires to facilitate its decision, the apex court said on Friday.



--- ENDS ---

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Tokyo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on Saturday travelled in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train, which is being introduced in India on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch.

Modi and Abe travelled in the train, whose speed ranges from 240 kms per hour to 320 kms per hour, from Tokyo to Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in Japan.

"On the way to Kobe with PM @AbeShinzo. We are on board the Shinkansen bullet train," Prime Minister Modi tweeted along with pictures of him in deep conversation with Abe.

"A unique friendship on a unique train journey. PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo inside the Shinkansen bullet train to Kobe," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

The construction of the high-speed train corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will start in 2018 and the train service will be operational from 2023.

Abe, at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi here yesterday, had said that the designing of the project will begin by the end of this year.

He said the ambitious project "symbolises a new dimension in the special relations" between the two countries and hoped that introduction of the rapid train network will spur further economic growth in India.

The high speed rail system 'Shinkansen' was introduced in Japan in 1964.

Also Read: India, Japan sign 'historic' civil nuclear agreement

Earlier when Modi arrived at the Tokyo Station to board the train Swarup said, "Putting #IndiaJapan relations on the fast track! PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo arrive at Tokyo Station to board the Shinkansen."
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday rejected as "irresponsible" the criticism of political parties on the government's demonetisation drive, saying some people are having problem with the cleaning up of the system.

Jaitley also said that spurt in bank deposits in the July- September quarter, which Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attributed to selective leak of the drive to BJP friends, was on account of payment of 7th Pay Commission arrears to government employees.

"Different kinds of political reactions keep coming and some of them are even irresponsible. Some people have a problem with this attempt of cleaning up the political system," he told reporters here.

Dismissing the suggestions that one week should have been given to people to adjust, he said this would have amounted to leaving everyone to go scot-free and "this gives the whole game away (of cleaning the system)".

Kejriwal has dubbed the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes a "huge scam" and alleged BJP had told all its "friends" about the move much before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement.

He termed the Centre's decision as a "surgical strike" on common man's "small savings" and not on "black marketeers" and demanded its immediate roll back.

Congress spokesperson Kapil Sibal has described the demonetisation as another "jumla" (gimmick) for political reasons and suggested that BJP should make public all its expenses in upcoming polls in UP, Punjab and other states if it was serious about eliminating black money and corruption.

On Congress party's assertion that why should people stand in queue to get their own money back from banks, Jaitley said it is the right of the government to know whether the money has been legitimately earned.

"Whether you have paid tax on your money, people of the country and government have the right to know. Even on your own money, you have to pay tax and that is what we are trying to ensure. And this money has come through legitimate means or not, that also the country has a right to know," the Finance Minister said.
Hyderabad: Two prisoners escaped from Warangal Central Jail in Telangana early on Saturday, police said. A manhunt is on to nab the convicts.

The jail break at the high security prison in Warangal district is believed to have occurred between 2.30 a.m. and 4 a.m.

Sainik Singh, a native of Uttar Pradesh and Rajesh Yadav of Bihar, scaled the prison wall with the help of bedspreads and escaped.

Both convicts were shifted from Cherlapally Jail on the outskirts of Hyderabad to Warangal Central Jail a couple of months ago as they were involved in fighting with prison staff.

Sainik Singh was convicted for five years in theft of an AK-47 rifle while Rajesh Yadav was serving life sentence for a murder.

Police launched a hunt for the notorious criminals in Warangal and surrounding districts. Officials said a tight vigil was being kept at bus and railway stations.

The jail break sent shock waves in the prison department. Senior officials rushed to the jail and began an investigation.

A probe is on to find out how they managed to break open the cell and scale the high walls without being noticed by the guards.

The officials were also trying to find out if CCTV cameras were functioning. They are suspecting that the wires atop the compound wall were not electrified at the time of the escape.
Lucknow: With a view to establish direct contact with people for preparing its 'vision document' for the crucial 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, BJP president Amit Shah today kicked off the party campaign here.

He said that as part of the 'Uttar Pradesh ki janata ki awaaz' campaign, the party will approach people to know about their aspirations and expectations from BJP, and take their suggestions in writing.

The BJP chief also launched a mobile number for the campaign, stating that the party will call back all those who would give a miss call on the number.

"Some 1,500 suggestion boxes named 'akansha' will be placed for taking written suggestions ...1,500 interactive programmes will be held for taking suggestions of youth, women and other sections of society," he said, adding that this process of dialogue and interaction will be completed in two months time.

"On the basis of the suggestions, the party will prepare its vision document," he said while flagging off 75 video vans for recording people's suggestions.

In an interaction with media persons later, Shah took a dig at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who had yesterday stood in a queue to withdraw money from a bank.

"No one goes to bank in a Land Rover to withdraw Rs 4,000," he said.

To a question on SP state unit president Shivpal Singh Yadav blaming BJP for spreading rumours on shortage of salt, Shah said, "He is facing BJP phobia."

The BJP president said that his party was committed on the issue of construction of Ram temple and its stand was totally clear.

At another programme in the state capital, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad termed demonetisation as a "right step to check circulation of fake currency notes and ISI backed terror activities."

"But it is difficult to comprehend the opposition by AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, BSP, SP and Congress...The entire nation needs to stand united on this issue," he said.
Jammu: Many families returned home to villages along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu as calm prevailed for the fifth consecutive day on Saturday.

Scores of families returned to their daily routine of normal activities reaping crops, tending to livestock while children resumed classes in border villages in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Both the Pakistan Rangers and the Indian Army maintained quiet along the IB and LoC.

Farmers in R.S. Pura sector started harvesting their 'Basmati' rice crop, famous for its flavour and grain quality.

Similar agricultural activities were seen in Suchetgarh, Samba, Hira Nagar, Kathua and other places.

Scores of cattle left to stray as owners migrated following the indiscriminate Pakistan shelling, were also tended to by the owners.

Schools that were shut in areas affected by the shelling were re-opened and children returned to their classes after almost a fortnight.

Around 400 schools in five districts were affected by the shelling.

Highest level of alertness by the Indian Army on the LoC and the Border Security Force on the IB continued in Jammu and Kashmir.

Defence ditches dug in areas away from the range of Pakistan shelling continued to be manned by the Army. However, they did allow the villagers to return to their homes beyond these ditches.
Srinagar: Authorities today lifted curfew from parts of the summer capital where the curbs were imposed to foil the separatists' plans of holding a congregation at Jamia Masjid here even as normal life remained affected in Kashmir Valley for the 127th consecutive day.

"Curfew has been lifted in the five police station areas of the city where it was imposed yesterday as a precautionary measure," a police official said.

He said there were no curbs on the movement of people anywhere in the Valley.

The lifting of the restrictions led to an increased movement of people and transport in the city.

Inter-district cabs were also plying on some routes connecting the other districts of the Valley with the summer capital.

Some shops were also open in the areas in the civil lines and the outskirts of the city as well as in some of the rural areas in other districts of Kashmir.

However, most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments in the rest of the Valley were shut due to the strike.

They are expected to open later in the evening today as the separatists have announced a 15-hour relaxation in the strike.

As many as 85 people, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the ongoing unrest in the Valley.
Srinagar: The body of a 25-year-old man was recovered from Jhelum river in south Kashmir's Anantnag district today, police said.

The body was retrieved from the river at Gadhanzpora in Bijbehara area of the district, a police official said.

He said the person has been identified as Firdous Ahmad Mir (25), a resident of Ari Goripora village of Kangan in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district.

His identity was established though an identity card found in his pocket.

The body has been taken to sub-district hospital Bijbehara for medico-legal formalities, the official said.

He said police has registered a case and taken up investigation.
Kozhikode: An elderly woman was taken into custody for allegedly trying to exchange fake currency notes with a face value of Rs 37,000 at the State Bank of India's Kondotty branch in Malappuram district on Saturday, police said.

Police said 65-year-old Mariyumma went to the branch this morning to deposit Rs 49,500 into her account. Bank officials, who checked the notes-all in Rs 1000 denomination-found Rs 37,000 to be fake out of the total amount.

On a complaint from the branch manager, she was taken into custody, they said.

The woman has claimed that the money was meant for house construction. Both her children were working in the Gulf, police said, adding, further details could be known only after investigation.

Banks across the city continued to witness heavy rush with people queuing up early to exchange and deposit Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes.

Heavy rush was also witnessed at ATMs which opened in the morning but went dry within hours.
Kolkota: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday vowed to keep side all the ideological differences between her Trinamool Congress and arch rival CPM in order to save the country from draconian decisions.

Referring to the Centre's decision to demonetise Rs 500/1000 notes, she said, We may have ideological differences with CPI-M but we are ready to work with it, Congress, SP, BSP to save the country.

Terming it a dangerous move, she demanded the government to immediately withdraw the draconian decision to demonetise the currency notes.

I personally visited several banks today to listen to tales of hardship of common people. More than two lakh ATMs are closed, money is not available; people are facing lot of problems, the Indian Express quoted her as saying.

She accused the government of being anti-poor and said that this black decision has profited only a few money launderers.

Only 1 % people hold black money; why are the other 99% being harassed for this, Banerjee said at a press conference.

A sudden midnight decision was taken. But few people in the ruling party knew about it, the Express quoted her as saying.

He party has called for a discussion on the issue in Rajya Sabha when it ofens for the winter session on November 16. The party also reportedly plans to bring an adjournment motion in the house on the same day.
Burhanpur: Police seized scrapped Rs 1,000 currency notes amounting to Rs four crore from a car during a search in Madhya Pradesh's Burhanpur district, an official said on Saturday.

Shahpur station in-charge Sanjay Pathak told IANS that two suitcases and a bag packed with currency notes were seized from a car coming from Malkapur town of Buldhana district of Maharashtra at the Anturli checkpost.

The accused, Shabbir Hussain, a resident of Burhanpur, was travelling with his family. He told the police that he was carrying Rs 50 lakh in currency notes. During interrogation, it was found that Hussain was carrying Rs four crore in the banned currency notes of Rs 1,000 denomination, Pathak added.

The seized notes have been handed over to the income tax department and a case under section 102 has been registered against Hussain, he said.

In view of the coming assembly by-polls in Nepanagar constituency of Madhya Pradesh, checkposts have been erected to search vehicles.
This will be PM Modi's gift to the state before the assembly elections there in February. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will also attend the function.

By Manjeet Negi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of a new international airport at Mopa in north Goa tomorrow. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will also attend the function. This will be the PM's gift to Goa before elections there in February.

This would be the second visit of the Prime Minister to the state in the last two months, the first one being during the BRICS summit in south Goa.

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MODI TO ADDRESS PUBLIC MEET IN GOA



Modi is scheduled to address a public meeting at 10 am tomorrow during which he will lay the foundation stone for Greenfield airport at Mopa and Tuem Electronic City, both located in the northernmost taluka of Pernem.

The public function would be held at Dr Shama Prasad Mukherjee stadium in Bambolim village near Tiswadi town.

Also read: After demonetisation, 1,000 per cent rise in rail ticket bookings; airport counter sales also soar



GOA CROSSED 5-MILLION TOURIST FOOTFALL MARK LAST YEAR



The first phase of the airport is expected to be commissioned in the financial year 2019-20. Goa has been witnessing unprecedented growth over the past 3-4 years and crossed the 5 million mark of footfall of tourists last year.

The 24-hour-long operational civil airport will unlock the latent tourism potential of the state.

--- ENDS ---
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena today urged Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to extend the deadline for using the demonetised notes for utility payments and exchange till December 30.

"The party has req the @FinMinIndia to extend the deadline of use of demonitised notes for utility payments and exchange till 30th December (sic)," Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray tweeted.

Yesterday, tapping the popular mood amid reports of inconvenience to the people after the Centre demonetised high-value currency notes, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had described the move as "torture for people" even as he dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to conduct a "surgical strike" on the Swiss banks to bring back black money.

The prime minister had, on November 8, announced his government's decision to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes.

Long queues were seen outside banks even today as the people jostled to exchange the demonetised currency notes across the country.

They had also queued up before ATMs to procure Rs 100 and new currency notes even as some of the machines went dry soon after they were stocked up due to the huge rush.
New Delhi: Members of JNU Students Union (JNUSU) on Saturday burnt an effigy of Home Minister Rajnath Singh and varsity Vice Chancellor M. Jagdesh Kumar for failing to trace Najeeb Ahmed, a student missing for 28 days.

The effigy which bore the title `Home Minister` and `JNU VC` was set on fire at the campus administration block, also known as Freedom Square.

The protest was attended by about 100 students at which an appeal of `Chalo JNU` was also announced by JNUSU President Mohit Pandey.

"We will intensify the protests now. Almost 50 campuses are with us... and while burning this effigy here, there are many which are being burnt at other places as well," Pandey said at the protest.
New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has sought time from President Pranab Mukherjee as the state government decided in the cabinet meeting on Thursday night that entire Council of Ministers would meet the President to request him not to accept the verdict of the Supreme Court about water distribution and construction of Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal.

In the letter written to President Mukherjee, Badal said that the Punjab Government respects the court and the Constitution.

In the letter, it is noted that Punjab has constitutional and legitimate right on its waters.

The Chief Minister said water is a lifeline of everybody and Punjab`s agricultural land will go barren without water and industry will also be affected.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) sources said the government wants to meet the President before the Special Session of Punjab assembly convened on 16th of this month to discuss the situation in the wake of the verdict.

Congress will not participate in the session as all its 42 MLAs have submitted their resignation to the Speaker yesterday.

The Supreme Court`s verdict on the SYL canal on Thursday came as a huge setback to the Punjab Government, as it set aside Punjab government`s order repealing water sharing agreement with Haryana.

The apex court ruled that the legislations passed by the Punjab Government on the SYL canal dispute stood null and void as a bilateral agreement couldn`t be tampered with by one party alone.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's infection is under control and she can leave the hospital whenever she feels fit, Apollo Hospitals chairman Pratap C Reddy said on Saturday.

Giving details about AIADMK supremo's 'health condition, Reddy said: There is no fixed date as to when the Tamil Nadu CM will be discharged, depends upon her. She has to reinvigorate herself to go back.

Jayalalithaa was admitted to the Apollo Hospital on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration.

Later, the hospital had said she was being treated for infection with respiratory support among others.

The last bulletin on Jayalalithaa was issued on October 21 where it said she continued to be under treatment and observation for all vital parameters, respiratory support and passive physiotherapy.

According to Apollo, a team of specialists like cardiologists, respiratory physicians, consultants for infectious diseases, diabetologist and endocrinologist was treating Jayalalithaa.
Around 1,400 migrants were on Saturday rescued in the Mediterranean, as thousands of people continue to risk the dangerous crossing despite the arrival of winter.

The migrants were onboard seven different vessels including six rubber dinghies, said the Italian coastguard, which coordinated the rescue operations.

One of the boats, whose passengers were rescued by a ship operated by the charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), was crammed with 800 people including nearly two dozen children, the aid group said.

The charities SOS Mediterranee, Migrant Offshore Aid Station and Jugend Rettet also took part in the rescues.

Since the start of November -- when attempts to cross the Mediterranean tend to drop as the winter chill sets in -- nearly 5,400 migrants have landed in Italy, hoping to start new lives in Europe.

This compares to slightly over 3,200 for the whole of November last year.

More than 4,000 men, women and children have died in the Mediterranean this year, according to international organisations, as Europe continues to struggle with its worst migration crisis since World War II.

Sub-Saharan Africans have made up many of those attempting to reach Italy from Libya in recent months.
Dhaka: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in a video conference, has urged the countrymen to put in their best efforts to maintain communal harmony and ensure safety and security of the people of minority communities in the aftermath of attacks on Hindu temples and members of the community in the Muslim-majority country.

She made the appeal during a video conference, that was projected in 2981 villages, upazilas of eight districts of the division, with peoples representatives, professional leaders and officials of Rajshahi division from her Gonobhaban official residence on Saturday, reports the Dhaka Tribune."

As a Muslim majority country it is the responsibility of all of us to take care of the minorities," she told the conference.

"You have to remain careful so that no such incident, which are taking place sporadically in different parts of the country, take place anywhere in the country," she said.

She also urged the countrymen to resist all evil designs against development, saying peace is the foremost prerequisite for the country to continue the ongoing development.

Hasina cautioned everyone against a possible fresh spate of violence in the country as "BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) leaders have already given the hints and threatened to go for tough movement from November".

She accused the BNP-Jamaat clique of driving the country to the "path of destruction" and said, "they are also responsible for destroying the morality of the youths".
Dhaka: An Islamist militant leader who "directly took part" in the brutal murders of a secular blogger and a publisher in Bangladesh has been arrested here, police said on Saturday as they identified an ex-army officer as the mastermind of fatal attacks on secular writers in the country.

Khairul Islam alias Fahim, a leader of intelligence wing of the outlawed Ansar al-Islam also known as Ansarullah Bangla Team, was arrested from Kamlapur Rail Station area in Dhaka last night, said Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of police's detective branch.

Khairul, 24, was believed to be involved in the murders of Jagriti Prakashani publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan and secular activist Niladri Chatterjee Niloy, besides scores of deadly attacks on secular activists and foreigners.

"Ansar al Islam or Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) has claimed responsibility of murdering most of the secular writers and bloggers... Our investigations reconfirms that ABT leader (fugitive) major Syed Ziaul Haque was behind all those attacks," a police spokesman told PTI.

Police said Khairul "directly took part" in the murders of Niloy and Dipan last year.

"This Fahim or Jishan admitted to us his direct involvement in the murders of the two and links to the killings of other bloggers as well," said Abdul Baten, Joint Commissioner of Dhaka police's detective branch.

He said Khairul had joined the group in 2013 and the next year he met Haque, a sacked army major for his involvement in a failed coup in December 2011.

Khairul had started to collect information about the duo since January 2015 and provided it to the outfit's Askari section (armed wing) to carry out the killings, he added.

Police's comments on Haque, whom they termed as "operational chief", came three months after they announced a bounty of Taka 20 lakh (USD 25.4 thousand) on his arrest.

Haque and Bangladeshi Canadian Tamim Chowdhury were identified as leaders of militant outfits, one being responsible for the July 1 terrorist attack on a Dhaka cafe.

Chowdhury, said to be a top leader of Neo-JMB known to be inclined to ISIS, was killed two months ago in a police crackdown while Haque is still on the run.

Dipan was hacked to death at his office in Dhaka's Shabagh area in broad daylight on October 31, 2015. The group had claimed responsibility for the murder.

Niloy was hacked to dead at his Dhaka residence on August 7 last year.

Bangladesh has seen a spate of gruesome attacks on secular activists, religious minorities, bloggers and foreigners, many of whom have been hacked to death with machetes.

The country has launched a massive crackdown on militants after the July 1 Dhaka terror attack in which 22 people, mostly foreigners, were killed.
Kabul: At least four people were killed early Saturday in an explosion inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, NATO said, with the Taliban claiming responsibility for the major security breach.

The explosion struck at dawn inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield north of Kabul, as the Taliban step up attacks on Western targets before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs.

The nationalities of those killed were not immediately known after the blast, which highlights a worsening security situation nearly two years after NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan.

"An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Four people have died in the attack and approximately 14 have been wounded," NATO said in a statement.

"Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident."

Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province where Bagram is located, said the blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base.

"We don`t know the identity of victims yet, but the attacker was either one of the Afghan labourers working there," Sediqi told AFP.

Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi said the explosion that struck around 0100 GMT was powerful and reverberated across the area.

"To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences," said John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

"For the family and friends of those wounded in today`s attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today."

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was behind the suicide attack inside Bagram, claiming it inflicted "heavy casualties on US invaders".

The brazen attack represents an alarming security breach inside what is regarded as one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan.

Bagram Airfield, close to Kabul, has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistan`s largest US military base.

It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.

The latest attack comes after a powerful Taliban truck bomb struck the German consulate in Afghanistan`s northern Mazar-i-Sharif city late Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding more than 100 others.

The uptick in attacks comes just days after a bitter US presidential election.

Afghanistan got scarcely a passing mention in the election campaign -- even though the situation there will be an urgent matter for the new president.

President-elect Donald Trump is set to inherit America`s longest war with no end in sight.
Washington: Chinese ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said that Beijing hopes to forge an effective cooperative partnership with the Trump administration so as to carry forward China-U.S. relations.

Asked to comment on US president-elect Donald Trump`s threats during his campaign trail to impose high tariffs on Chinese imports and fight a trade war with China, Cui said China never wants to have any war, either trade war or other wars, with any country, reports Xinhua.

"Besides, both China and the U.S. are members of the WTO (World Trade Organization), so we should both play by the WTO rules," he said.

He said the China-U.S. relations are based on and defined by growing common interests and mutual needs adding that the two countries are cooperating with each other in many other areas.China and the United States have benefited a great deal from the growing relationship and enhanced cooperation in the past decades.

"I`m confident this will continue," said the ambassador.Trump won the U.S. presidential race November 8 and is to take office on January 20.
Washington: Hillary Clinton has blamed FBI director James Comey for her loss in the US presidential race, claiming that re-opening the probe into her email use broke the momentum towards victory.

Clinton yesterday told fundraisers and donors in a conference call that Comey's two letters to Congress on the probe had tilted crucial states towards Republican Donald Trump, US media including Quartz and CNN reported.

"There are lots of reasons why an election like this is not successful," Democrat Clinton told her national finance committee, a person on the call told online magazine Quartz.

"But our analysis is that Jim Comey's letter raising doubts that were groundless (and) baseless -- and proven to be -- stopped our momentum."

On October 28 -- less than two weeks before Election Day -- Comey dropped a bombshell by informing Congress the FBI was looking once more into Clinton's controversial email practices as secretary of state after new messages were uncovered.

His second letter, on November 6, just three days before the election, stated that the FBI's review of the new emails had uncovered no wrongdoing, and that the bureau had not changed its July recommendation not to charge Clinton.

While the first letter reopened old wounds and reminded voters of the controversy, the second letter, according to Clinton, had the perverse effect of energizing rival Donald Trump's base, Quartz reported.

The letters came just as Clinton was building momentum following strong performances at all three presidential debates, and after the release of a damaging recording of Trump boasting about groping women.

"After the third debate we felt so good about where we were," Clinton said, according to Quartz's source, who chose to remain anonymous. The campaign analysis "showed that we were up in all but two of the battleground states, where we were tied or one point behind. In Arizona we were even. We felt real wind at our back."

But she said the FBI's last-minute role was too much to "overcome," a donor on the call told CNN.

In July Comey said that the FBI would not recommend criminal charges against Clinton for handling classified documents and sensitive information on a private email account.

Comey however slammed the practice as "extremely careless."

The FBI chief came under fierce criticism for effectively reopening the Clinton probe so close to the November 8 vote, without knowing whether the new emails were relevant.
H-1B is a potential area of conflict between the two countries.

By Press Trust of India: Donald Trump's administration would build on progress made in Indo-US ties and be less tolerant of Pakistan's "dual policies" on terror, but the issue of H-1B visas could be a potential area of friction with New Delhi, a noted US expert on South Asian issues has said.

HI-B UNDER SCANNER

"It seems likely that a Trump administration will build on the marked progress made in US-India relations over the last couple of years," Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation, a top American think-tank told PTI.

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She said there is bipartisan recognition in the US that India plays an important role when it comes to achieving American objectives in the Asia Pacific, namely ensuring a rules-based international order and free and open seaways.

However, H-1B is a potential area of conflict between the two countries, she noted.

Also read: Donald Trump's business empire poses unprecedented potential conflicts of interest

Also read: See you in court: American Civil Liberties Union to President-elect Trump



"One area of potential friction could be over the H1-B visa issue. It is still unclear how Trump's global business background will impact on his commitment to protect American workers," she said.

"He has both acknowledged the importance of allowing high tech companies to access global talent, while also pointing out potential flaws and misuse of the H1-B visa program. His administration may seek some changes to the H1-B visa requirements but is unlikely to do away with the program completely," Curtis said.

TRUMP'S STAND ON TERRORISM TO FIND FAVOUR FROM INDIANS

"President-elect Trump made several positive comments about India on the campaign trail, which seems to reflect his support for bolstering the partnership," said Curtis, who at The Heritage, focuses on US national security issues and regional geopolitics.

Curtis said Trump's tougher stance on terrorism, in general, will find favour among Indians, who are wary of attacks by Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

"It is expected that a Trump administration will work more closely with India on combating terrorism in the region and will be less tolerant of Pakistan's dual policies toward terrorism," Curtis said.

Also read: While you can't toke up in India, here's how America voted for Trump and ganja

Watch video here



--- ENDS ---
Dutch police said Saturday they had arrested nearly 200 people protesting against Black Pete, the sidekick of Dutch Saint Nicholas accused of being a racist stereotype.

"We arrested about 190 people who were demonstrating in Rotterdam, where the protests were banned for the day," local police spokeswoman Lillian van Duijvenbode told AFP.

"We asked them to stop their demonstration at three different places in town, but they refused," she added, saying possible legal action would be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Several thousand people including many children had gathered earlier in the day in Maasluis, a small town between Rotterdam and The Hague, to watch the arrival by boat and parade of Saint Nicholas and his companions.

They traditionally bring gifts for children at the start of December, but every year there is a debate on whether Black Pete represents a racist stereotype.

While many Dutch people refuse to countenance a change in the tradition, critics say his Afro hair, black skin, red lips and earrings are a reminder of the era when the Netherlands exploited slaves, notably in Surinam.

The traditional festivities for Saint Nicolas date back to the 16th century, with the first appearance of Black Pete in the 1850s.
Yangon: Myanmar's military said its troops killed six people and lost two soldiers in clashes with attackers in Rakhine state Saturday, in the latest flare-up of violence in the crisis-hit region.

Northern Rakhine, which is home to the Muslim Rohingya minority and borders Bangladesh, has been under military lockdown ever since surprise raids on border posts left nine police dead last month.

Soldiers have killed several dozen people and arrested scores in their hunt for the attackers, who the government says are radicalised Rohingya militants with links to overseas Islamists.

The crisis and reports of grave rights abuses being carried out in tandem with the security crackdown have piled international pressure on Myanmar's new civilian government and raised questions about its ability to control the army.

Authorities have also heavily restricted access to the area, making it difficult to independently verify government reports or accusations of army abuse.

Today the military said it came under fresh attacks in the border region, first by a mob of some 60 people wielding "small guns and swords".

The clash broke out in the early morning during a "clearance operation" in Ma Yinn Taung village in Maungdaw township, according to an army statement.

"In that fight, six dead bodies of attackers along with a gun which the attackers stole on 9 October were retrieved," it said, adding that one soldier also died while others were wounded.

Troops then followed the attackers to nearby Gwa Zone village where they encountered a 500-strong armed mob, the military said.

"The army fought back but the group of attackers was very large and the army had to use two helicopters," the statement said, adding that one officer was killed in the operation.

The resurgence of violence in western Rakhine has deepened and complicated a crisis that already posed a critical challenge to the new administration led by democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

The state has sizzled with religious tension ever since waves of violence between the majority Buddhist population and the Muslim Rohingya left more than 200 dead in 2012.

More than 100,000 people, mostly Rohingya, were pushed into displacement camps by the bloodshed and have languished there ever since.
Beijing: India will not become a "pawn" for Japan to contain China, a Chinese state-run media on Saturday said, accusing Japan of exploiting Sino-India disputes for its own interests.

"Japan wants to use the disputes between China and India to court India to help contain China. Japan seeks to urge India to meddle in the South China Sea issue, even at the cost of changing its long-held position of reducing nuclear usage to offer special benefits of civil nuclear cooperation to India," Global Times said in an editorial on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to Japan.

"Looking at Japan's diplomatic policies over the past few years, (Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo) Abe administration has become more active trying to sway regional powers to encircle China," the daily said.

It said that India is in need of acquiring nuclear and military technology from Japan and attracting more investment for its manufacturing industries and infrastructure, like high-speed railways.

The daily, however, said that India is not likely to change its position according to the wishes of Japan.

"India takes a multilateral approach to diplomacy and pursues a status as a leading power. Japan's plans are full of antagonism, which contradict India's policies. Therefore India will practically assess specific cooperation with Japan case by case," the daily said.

"India will not become a pawn for Japan to contain China, as it wants to become a power on par with China and Japan and benefit from both sides. India will get closer to Japan but will not enter into a brotherhood relationship," it said.

The editorial, which was apparently written before India and Japan issued joint statement yesterday, said that "both sides hinted they would include the South China Sea Arbitration in their joint statement".

India and Japan yesterday sought a peaceful solution to the territorial disputes in the strategic South China Sea, saying parties involved in the matter must not resort to "threat or use of force", in remarks that could anger China which is opposed to any outside interference.

There is no official reaction by China yet about the outcome of Modi's visit, but ahead of his visit Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told media that New Delhi and Tokyo should respect the legitimate concerns of their neighbours.

A Chinese state media report on Wednesday warned India that it may suffer "great losses" in bilateral trade if it joins Japan in asking China to abide by an international tribunal's ruling quashing Beijing's claims over the SCS.

China has been making aggressive advances in the strategic region - parts of which are also claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei - by rapidly building artificial islets that experts fear could be potentially used as military posts.
Washington: A man sustained a gunshot wound during a protest in Portland, Oregon, where hundreds of people took to the streets to show their rejection of Donald Trump`s election as US president.

In a statement, the Portland Police Bureau said the victim was injured in a shooting early Friday on the Morrison Bridge around 12.45 a.m. while protesters were cutting off traffic, Efe news agency reported.

A man who was riding in a sedan engaged in a confrontation with one of the protesters, the bureau said, adding that the "suspect got out of the vehicle and fired multiple shots injuring the victim".

According to a statement by the police the suspect -- described as an African-American male in his late teens -- fled the scene and is being sought by police, which said the victim was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

The incident occurred amid violent protests in Portland in which the police fired tear gas on Friday night after "burning projectiles" were hurled at officers.

The demonstrators in Portland cut off traffic, sprayed walls with graffiti and engaged in acts of vandalism, local authorities said.

Marches organised by the "Not My President" movement continued on Friday night in cities across the United States, a slogan that began as a Twitter hashtag after the surprising election result became clear in the wee hours of Wednesday.
Islamabad: Afghan Taliban negotiators have told Pakistan that they cannot hold peace talks with President Ashraf Ghani led Afghanistan government for now.

"The Taliban representatives have wrapped up their nearly two-week visit and conveyed to Pakistani officials that they have not yet decided to enter into dialogue with the Kabul administration," the Express Tribune quoted a Taliban source, as saying.

"The Taliban leaders insisted they could only say whether or not the group will join talks after two or three months," the source added.

Three senior members of the Qatar-based Taliban political office arrived in Pakistan in late October after reports suggested that a senior Taliban leader had met Afghanistan`s spy chief in the Gulf country in the presence a senior American official.

Pakistan is seemingly upset at the Taliban`s refusal and could press them to review their stance on the peace process. It is widely believed that the arrest of senior Taliban leader

Ahmadullah Muti alias Mullah Nanai, a senior Taliban leaders opposed to negotiations, last month in Balochistan was aimed at conveying a message to the group to join the peace process.

Taliban sources confirmed the detention of Nanai and three other leaders but gave no reasons for the arrests.

A Taliban official had earlier stated that the Qatar-based Taliban leaders had also 'sought an explanation' from Pakistan about the arrest of the leaders.
Portland: As protests of President-elect Donald Trump entered another day, police in Portland, Oregon, say one person was shot by a man who had gotten into a confrontation with a protester.

Portland police said the person who was shot was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.

Police said they were looking for the shooter, who apparently fled in his vehicle after the attack early today morning on a Willamette River bridge.

The shooting followed rowdy yesterday night protests, when police used tear gas in response to "burning projectiles" thrown at officers, police said on Twitter. Hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti.

Authorities reported instances of vandalism and assault during a rally that organisers had billed as peaceful earlier in the day.

In other parts of the country, spirited demonstrations on college campuses and peaceful marches along downtown streets have taken place since Wednesday.

Hundreds joined a today afternoon "love rally" in Washington Square Park in Manhattan.

Leslie Holmes, 65, a website developer from Wilton, Connecticut, took an hour-long train ride to the demonstration - her first protest since the 1970s, when she hit the streets of San Francisco to oppose the Vietnam War.

She described herself as an armchair liberal but declared, "I'm not going to be armchair anymore."

"I don't want to live in a country where my friends aren't included, and my friends are fearful, and my children are going to grow up in a world that's frightening, and my granddaughters can look forward to being excluded from jobs and politics and fulfilling their potential, so I'm here for them," she said.

Evening marches disrupted traffic in Miami and Atlanta. Trump supporter Nicolas Quirico was traveling from South Beach to Miami. His car was among hundreds stopped when protesters blocked Interstate 395.

"Trump will be our president. There is no way around that, and the sooner people grasp that, the better off we will be," he said. "There is a difference between a peaceful protest and standing in a major highway backing up traffic for 5 miles. This is wrong."

More than a thousand protesters took to the streets across California after night fell including downtown Los Angeles, where over 200 were arrested a night earlier. In Bakersfield, where Trump is far more popular than in most of the state, some held signs reading "Anti-Trump, Pro-USA."
Tokyo: Accompanied by his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday travelled to Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in Japan, on the famous superfast bullet train- the Shinkansen, whose speed ranges from 240 kms per hour to 320 kms per hour.

"On the way to Kobe with PM @AbeShinzo.

e are on board the Shinkansen bullet train," Prime Minister Modi tweeted along with pictures of him in deep conversation with Abe.

Both the leaders boarded the train along with their respective delegations from Tokyo and following their arrival in Kobe, they will visit the Kawasaki Heavy Industries facility, where high-speed trains are manufactured.

Yesterday during the joint statement, Abe had said that Prime Minister Modi will see for himself that the Shinkansen train`s technology is the safest in the world.

One of the most interesting features of the train is that for most of its journey, the magnetic levitation train does make contact with the ground, but hovers 10 centimetres above as it`s propelled through the air with electrically-charged magnets on either side of the track.

Just like a plane, its wheels go up when it gets up enough speed.
Beirut: Syrian government forces have recaptured all of the areas taken by rebel fighters in a recent assault intended to break the regime siege on eastern Aleppo, a monitor said Saturday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the army had recaptured key areas including the western district of Dahiyet al-Assad and the village of Minyan outside the city.

The reversals undo all of the progress made during a recent push by opposition fighters, including former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham front, as they tried to end a government siege on eastern Aleppo city.

Government forces surrounded rebel-held east Aleppo in July, severing the last supply line into opposition neighbourhoods and imposing a blockade that has led to food and fuel shortages.

Rebels have tried several times to break the siege, succeeding briefly in August, but no aid has entered the east since July.

The monitor said over 450 fighters and civilians had been killed since the rebels began their latest bid to break the siege on October 28.
Islamabad: Afghan Taliban negotiators have told Pakistan that they need more time to prepare themselves for the peace talks with the Afghan government, a media report said on Saturday.

Afghan government has been trying to woo the militant group for peace talks after a leading warlord of Soviet jihad era, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, inked agreement to end violence.

Three senior members of the Qatar-based Taliban political office arrived in Pakistan in late October after reports suggested that a senior Taliban leader had met Afghanistan's spy chief in the Gulf country in the presence a senior US official, the Express Tribune reported.

"The Taliban representatives have wrapped up their nearly two-week visit and conveyed to Pakistani officials that they have not yet decided to enter into dialogue with the Kabul administration," the paper said, citing a Taliban source.

"The Taliban leaders insisted they could only say whether or not the group will join talks after two or three months."

Other sources familiar with Taliban internal discussions said Pakistan told the visiting negotiators that it wants the Taliban to join the peace process.

Pakistan is seemingly upset at the Taliban's refusal to come to the negotiation table and could press them to review their stance on the peace process.

It is widely believed that the arrest of senior Taliban leader Ahmadullah Muti alias Mullah Nanai last month in Balochistan was aimed at conveying a message to the group to join the peace process.

Taliban sources confirmed the detention of Nanai and three other leaders but gave no reasons for the arrests.

A Taliban official had earlier stated that the Qatar-based Taliban leaders had also "sought an explanation" from Pakistan over the arrest of their leaders.

The refusal by Taliban to end violence is a major setback to Kabul as it has pinned hope on insurgents agreeing for peace to retrieve the sagging fortunes of the country.
A Special Heliborne Operation provides necessary momentum to surprise the enemy and multiply the chances of success of overall plan at higher level.

By Manjeet Negi: In a significant show of strength and joint manship, troops of strike formation of Indian Army carried out a two-day long Special Heliborne exercise in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

A Special Heliborne Operation provides necessary momentum to surprise the enemy and multiply the chances of success of overall plan at higher level.

These types of operations need surgical precision for execution by highly trained troops with robust mental and physical capabilities.

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WHAT HAPPENED

The exercise, was aimed at fine tuning operational and logistics aspects of Heliborne operations. A large force comprising of elements of diverse elements of combat and combat support arms were successfully integrated and inducted, deep behind the enemy lines by medium lift helicopters of Air Force to achieve simultaneity in effort.

Attack and armed helicopters were also employed in close support of the Heliborne column. Long range weapon systems available with Army were also used to deliver large amount of TNT and steel in support of the Heliborne force. Strike aircrafts of the Indian Air Force provided critical fire support and air protection to the column.

The exercise conducted in battle like condition was reviewed by large number of senior officers of Army and Air Force, and major lessons were drawn. The exercise also showcased a high degree of synergy between the Indian Army and Air Force.

Various Electronic Counter Measures were fielded making use of latest electronic communication equipment. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were employed to gain real time information of enemy activities which was shared with various command and control centers for planning and execution of coordinated operations.

--- ENDS ---
Washington: Speaking for the first time since her concession speech to C President-elect Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton has said that the days following her shocking defeat in presidential polls have been "very, very tough" for her.

"I am not going to sugarcoat it. These have been very, very tough days," Clinton told her campaign members and volunteers in a conference call yesterday.

Clinton spoke for the first time since her concession speech to president-elect Donald Trump.

Trump, 70, would be sworn in as the US President on January 20, 2017.

"This is a tough time for our country. I think we have seen how people have been reacting to the events of this election and I know we have got to be reaching out to each other to keep it clear in our own minds that what we did is so important," she said.

"It looks like we are on the path to winning the popular vote, and that says volumes about the importance of your work and the lasting impact it will have," Clinton said.

As per latest information, the former Secretary of State received 47.72 per cent of the popular votes as against 47.41 per cent by Trump.

However, Trump was declared elected as he has got 306 electoral college votes as against Clinton's 232.

A candidate needs 270 electoral college votes to win the presidential elections.

There has been multiple times in the US history of presidential elections that the winning candidate has received less popular vote than the one who lost.

During her remarks that lasted for about 15 minutes, Clinton described her campaign as "one of the greatest honours" of her life.

"This is a hard loss for all of us because we know what was at stake in this election and we have to do everything we can to continue to support the causes we believe in. When you are ready, I hope you will get up and back in there and keep fighting," she told her supporters.

Meanwhile, in a thank you note to Hillary's supporters, Clinton Campaign Manager Robby Mook said there is no doubt that there are many difficult days ahead for the US and the world.

"Hillary has shown us every single day. The measure of a person is not whether you get knocked down but whether you get back up. As she said on Wednesday, 'Let us have faith in each other. Let us not grow weary and lose heart, for there are more seasons to come and there is more work to do'," he said.
The United States must resist the "urge" of isolationism under new leader Donald Trump and work with allies, outgoing President Barack Obama said Saturday ahead of his last visit to Europe.

"Our best chance for progress is to resist the urge to turn inward and instead reinvigorate our shared values and work together to ensure that our political and economic institutions deliver the security and prosperity our people deserve," Obama told Greece`s Kathimerini newspaper.

Obama, who travels to Greece and Germany from Tuesday before heading to Peru, fired repeated messages towards his incoming successor Trump in the interview.

"I believe that European integration is one of the greatest political and economic achievements of modern times, with benefits for EU members, the United States and the entire world," Obama said.

"Europe is our largest economic partner and we have a profound economic interest in a Europe that is stable and growing."

Trump`s election this week, already greeted by protests in some US cities, has thrown delicately balanced geopolitics into flux.

During the campaign, the brash Republican called into question long-standing alliances including NATO, global agreements on climate and Iran`s nuclear programme, and appeared to side with Russia on key policy issues.

Across America and the world, questions are now being raised about Trump`s respect for the rule of law and the separation of powers.

"Prosperity and growth thrive in transparent, predictable, stable environments where the rule of law protects individual rights and provides local entrepreneurs the confidence they need to grow and international businesses the sense of security they need to invest," Obama said.

In fighting the war in Syria, he noted, "we have to stay true to the values and respect for human dignity that are at the core of our democratic, pluralistic societies."
By PTI: Hyderabad, Nov 12 (PTI) Rumours of salt shortage led to panic among citizens in some parts of the city late last night, but police asserted that such information was baseless and warned those spreading such rumours.

People mobbed shops late last night and this morning following the rumours and traders sold salt for Rs 80 and Rs 100 per kg at some places, some city residents claimed. Rumours of shortage of sugar also did the rounds in the city.

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Hyderabad deputy mayor Baba Fasiuddin and Jubilee Hills MLA Maganti Gopinath visited some shops at Borabanda area in the morning and asked police inspector to file cases against those who sold salt for higher prices, a release said.

The deputy mayor told residents in the locality not to buy any product for higher prices and that they would be available for MRP only.

Dismissing the rumours of shortage of salt, the Hyderabad Police today warned that strong action would be taken against those spreading such false information.

"In social media, some rumours have been floating around stating there is acute shortage of common salt/ table salt. Such news is absolutely false and baseless," a release from the Commissioner of Police said.

Adequate quantities of salt are available in the market in Hyderabad, it said, asking people not to believe such rumours.

"Strong action will be initiated against those spreading these rumours," it added. PTI SJR NRB IKA RDS

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ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's debt office has a short list of banks to manage its planned $1 billion Eurobond sale, but the government has not made a final decision, a senior official said on Friday. Nigeria, Africa's largest economy, wants to sell $1 billion in Eurobonds by the end of the year, although no bank has been appointed yet to arrange the issue. The official, who did not wish to be identified, said the list has been sent to Nigeria's Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), after which the finance minister will offer the names to the cabinet for approval. He did not disclose how long the process might take. "The names have been picked but it has to go through government process," he told Reuters. "The issue will happen this year." Nigeria has $500 million of commitments for the planned Eurobond and any decision to increase the size of the offer will depend on pricing, Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun has said. The official said Adeosun met with Moody's Investors Service on Friday to discuss Nigeria's ratings before the bond sale. Moody's downgraded Nigeria's sovereign rating to B1 from Ba3 in April, citing risks to government efforts to diversify revenues away from oil, its mainstay. Citibank and Deutsche Bank managed previous issues by Nigeria in 2010 and 2013. (Reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha, editing by Larry King)
It was a Wednesday morning late in June and Sudhanshu Kumar was in class joshing with friends. The class was to leave for the school assembly in a few minutes when the student of Dayanand Public School, Jamshedpur, heard a loud cracking sound and then felt an excruciating pain in his back.

It took the Class XI student a few seconds to realise he had been shot before he slumped on the desk, bleeding. Kumar had been shot by a classmate sitting two rows behind him. The assailant was chased down and caught, at which point he claimed that the gun had gone off accidentally. School authorities recovered two countrymade handguns from him, one of which was a 7.65 mm pistol with a spent chamber. Kumar still lives, but with a bullet lodged perilously close to his spine as the doctors decide on whether to operate on him or not.

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That was on June 22, 2016. A week later, a countrymade single-shot pistol, popularly called a katta, was recovered from a Class VIII student of RMS High School, again in Jamshedpur. The 13-year-old was showing it off to his classmates.

Thankfully, there were no fatalities in the two incidents. But these are key pointers to how getting a firearm in Jharkhand today is, quite literally, child's play. Illegal guns are now the murder weapon of choice in the state, according to the National Crime Records Bureau's latest report for 2015. The state, last year, registered an astounding 700 per cent rise in murders where such firearms were used (all 638 of them were committed by unlicensed, illegal guns). Suddenly, it seems, the state has emerged as a hotspot for a booming trade in countrymade weapons.

THE WILD EAST

In December 2015, banker Nishant Kumar, a credit manager with Bank of India, was shot dead in Bokaro. He was returning at night around 10.35 pm when two youths on a bike rammed into his white Maruti Swift from behind, just a kilometre from his Chira Chas home. When he stopped, one of them took out a revolver and shot him in the head. A month later, police arrested Vikash Jaiswal, who had hired professional killers to eliminate Nishant to win back his ex-girlfriend.

Ranchi SSP Praveen Singh with seized guns

But that wasn't Jharkhand's most sensational case of the year, not by a long shot. That ribbon went to a case from earlier in June 2015, when gang boss Sushil 'Baba' Srivastava and two of his associates were gunned down in public, inside the Hazaribagh court premises. Hired shooter Vikas Tewari used an illegally manufactured AK-47 to spray bullets and had the whole legal fraternity cowering in fear. Tewari escaped, but was arrested a month later in Delhi.

June 2015 also saw the death of Congress leader Prahlad Prasad, this time in Latehar district. Two motorcycle-borne killers shot him dead. Latehar saw another gun-related murder too that month. The victim, this time, was another bank employee, Vikas Gupta.

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The trend continued into 2016 as well. On April 14, Jamshedpur police arrested six hired killers with loaded firearms and nipped in the bud a second attempt on the life of a city trader (name withheld) against whom a jailed gangster had issued a contract. In May, journalist Indradeo Yadav was shot dead, assailants pumping four bullets into him. Police investigations revealed that he was killed for refusing to pay 'levy' against some contract work.

The cause behind the sudden spurt in the use of illegal firearms is not known, but the effect is already clear. Jharkhand has emerged as India's new dial-a-murder capital. In fact, the state has surpassed Bihar by accounting for 664 of the total 2,408 'murders for (financial) gain', like robbery and contract killing, committed across India. This is more than one-fourth of the total such murders committed in the country in 2015. This is also the highest number of murders (for gain) recorded in Jharkhand since it was carved out of Bihar in November 2000.

It's a dubious distinction for a state which trailed all others in murders under all categories (except for unnatural witchcraft deaths, a remnant of the state's tribal traditions). Jharkhand had accounted for just 209 of the total 1,702 murders committed for gain in the country in 2014. The corresponding figure in 2013 was just 108 for Jharkhand when as many as 1,671 murders for gain were reported across the country.

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Police officials are puzzled by the sudden spike in murder numbers. A senior police official links the high murder rate to the substantial reduction in left-wing extremist violence in 2015. Last year was the first in recent times when no cases of Maoist attacks on police stations were registered. Sustained police offensives also meant that Maoists were not able to hold even one of their infamous 'kangaroo courts'. A senior IPS officer says "there have been several instances when we have got tip-offs of Maoists resorting to contract killing". The officer didn't want to reveal his name as he didn't have official proof to defend his claims. The crime rate also seems to be connected with the state's growing overall prosperity. The murders-for-gain figures point to that. (The Jharkhand Economic Survey, 2015-16, says the real income of the state has recorded an impressive growth, and it's the third consecutive year when the growth rate has crossed 8 per cent.)

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GUNS FROM BIHAR

India's new prohibition capital, Bihar, blames Jharkhand for the bootlegging happening in its border districts. But Jharkhand, it now emerges, can blame Bihar for a far deadlier contraband. The trickle of illegal weapons from there has turned into a flood. In 2015 alone, Jharkhand police recovered 455 countrymade weapons, and officials say it's just the tip of the iceberg. A majority of these-revolvers, pistols, double/single barrel guns-were supplied by arms manufacturers from Munger in Bihar to criminals in different places in Jharkhand, says Sampat Meena, IGP in the state CID.

Unlike Bihar, Jharkhand has never been known as a land of illegal gun factories. In Bihar, at least a couple of dozen illegal gun manufacturing units are sealed every year. In fact, it's a cottage industry in areas like Munger. At least 2,000 workers are said to be involved in illegal gun-making in Bihar. There are also mini gun factories, which are often homes where a group of men work on different components. Last year, as many as 40 mini gun factories were unearthed in Bihar.

The Jharkhand police, in turn, have only busted two such units in the state, and that too in 2013 and 2014. So it didn't take them long to join the dots. The guns were flowing in from Bihar. The modus operandi goes thus, say officials: A buyer in Jharkhand places a phone call to an arms agent in the state, activating an entire mechanism of sourcing and supply that stretches from the firearms factories of Munger to the buyers in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Latehar, besides other districts. The favoured route for gunrunners seems to be via Jamui, Deoghar and Giridih in Jharkhand.

The cost of the weapon depends on the model and quality. A country-made pistol, or katta, at between Rs 2,000 and 5,000 is the cheapest while a knockoff of an AK-47 or a carbine costs over Rs 1 lakh. As soon as the money is transferred into the agent's bank account (full payment upfront), local arms agents in Bihar procure the weapons from the arms factories.

The guns are sent through a sophisticated network of 'arms mules', local couriers who operate from Ranchi, West Singhbhum (Chaibasa and Chakradharpur), East Singhbhum (Jamshedpur), Bokaro and Dhanbad districts of Jharkhand. The mules are selected for their ability to blend into the crowds. Women and children are frequently used. Last month, Bihar police caught a 10-year-old schoolboy from Jamalpur junction with a bag containing 10 countrymade pistols. He was promised a princely sum of Rs 2,000 for delivering the consignment at the desired point in Jharkhand and an advance of Rs 200 was paid to him.

"It is not always possible to check every individual travelling in inter-state buses and trains from Bihar to Jharkhand. You cannot frisk every passenger, it just inconveniences everyone," says a police official while commenting on how difficult it is to monitor the trade.

Click here to Enlarge Illustration by Tanmoy Chakraborty

The easy availability of countrymade guns and ammunition in Jharkhand flies in the face of the Centre's move in July this year to tighten the provisions of the Indian Arms Act of 1959. It is now not only difficult to get firearms licences, but even air rifles and blank firing guns (used by the film industry). Even paintball guns have been brought under the ambit of arms licensing. "The government forgets that it's law-abiding citizens who seek gun licences," says Sanjeev Kumar, a Patna High Court lawyer. The need of the hour is a crackdown on the illegal gun industry, which can be done if the pilferage of legal ammunition is plugged and the guilty taken to task."

An even bigger national problem is how the cartridges-which are only manufactured in government-owned ordnance factories-are being pilfered out. In fact, the entire gun-running business would collapse if the smuggling of legally produced cartridges could be plugged.

Police officials suspect that at least 10-15 groups of arms suppliers are active in the state. Arms busts, one top police official in Ranchi confesses, do little to stem the problem. "Just about 25 per cent of the illegal weapons are usually recovered by us," the official says ruefully. The state will have a lot more to rue if the violence picks up further.

Follow the writer on Twitter @amitabh1975

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SATURDAY, Nov. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The odds of surviving cardiac arrest seem higher for patients who've been taking cholesterol-lowering statins, a new study shows.

Researchers in Taiwan studied the medical records of nearly 138,000 cardiac arrest patients. Those already using statins such as Lipitor (atorvastatin) or Crestor (rosuvastatin) were about 19 percent more likely to survive to hospital admission and 47 percent more likely to be discharged. Also, they were 50 percent more likely to be alive a year later, the study found.

"When considering statin use for patients with high cholesterol, the benefit of surviving sudden cardiac arrest should also be considered, as statin use before cardiac arrest might improve outcomes of those patients," said study author Dr. Ping-Hsun Yu.

Yu is a researcher from the National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine in New Taipei City.

The greatest survival benefit from statins was seen in patients with type 2 diabetes, Yu's team said.

Cardiac arrest is the abrupt loss of heart function. Death often occurs instantly or shortly after symptoms appear, according to the American Heart Association.

"We know that a large proportion of cardiac arrests occur due to coronary plaque rupture," said Dr. Puneet Gandotra, director of the cardiac catheterization laboratories at Northwell Health Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, N.Y.

"This rupture leads to a snowball effect in arteries and can cause arteries to get blocked, resulting in a heart attack or cardiac arrest," he explained.

So how might statins help?

"I feel that due to statin therapy, there is significant plaque stability and the effects of rupture are not as significant. Thus, an improvement in survival is noticed with patients on statin therapy who have cardiac arrests," Gandotra said.

Statins are often prescribed for patients after a heart attack or stroke as a way to prevent a second cardiovascular event. However, "this does not mean that everyone should be on statin therapy," Gandotra said.

These drugs can have side effects, such as muscle pain and weakness and higher blood sugar levels. In addition, the value of statins for preventing a first cardiac arrest or stroke is not clear, the researchers added.

Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of Women's Heart Health at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said, "What we learn from studies like this is that [statins] have other benefits.

"A study like this gives me a reason to say, 'There are more reasons for you to take a statin than just to lower your cholesterol,' " Steinbaum said.

For the study, Yu and colleagues divided the medical records of almost 138,000 patients according to whether they had used statins for 90 days within the year before their cardiac arrest. The researchers also accounted for gender, age, other medical problems, number of hospitalizations, post-resuscitation and other variables.

Because more than 95 percent of the patients in the study were Asian, these results might not apply to other groups or ethnic populations, Yu said.

The findings were to be presented on Sunday at the American Heart Association annual meeting, in New Orleans. Data and conclusions presented at medical meetings are usually considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

More information

For more about statins, visit the American Heart Association.
Portugal arrests 20 neo-Nazis for hate crimes, attempted murder

Portuguese anti-terrorism police have arrested 20 suspected members of a skinhead group based out of the US. They have been accused of hate crimes, attempted murder and robbery.



AFP/Reuters/November 11, 2016

The National Anti-Terrorism Unit conducted a raid against a neo-Nazi group, arresting 20 ultra-nationalists, police said on Tuesday.

Those detained were allegedly part of the Hammerskin Nation, a skinhead group founded in 1988 and based out of Dallas, Texas in the US.

"In our country they seek, among other things, to expel and prevent the entry of all ethnic minorities to Portugal," prosecutors said.

The searches, which took place across the country, were conducted as part of an investigation into hate crimes which took place between 2013 and 2015.

The crimes include robbery, religious and sexual discrimination, and at least one attempted murder, the Lisbon District Prosecutors office said in a statement.

Some of those arrested were suspected of being involved in an attack on a group of anti-fascist communist activists in 2015 following an anti-immigration rally in Lisbon.

The police operation against neo-Nazi gangs was the largest since 2007 when 30 ultra nationalists were arrested along their leader Mario Machado.

Attacks on refugees and immigrants are rare in Portugal, western Europe's poorest country. The nation has large minority communities rooted in its African ex-colonies along with Brazil and India.

To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject click here.
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By PTI: Colombo, Nov 12 (PTI) Five Indian nationals who had escaped from the Colombo suburbandetention center where they were held for their alleged involvement in a kidney racket have been remandedto police custody until November 24.

They were recaptured by the Pesalai police in Thalaimannar in the northeast yesterday and produced before the Mannar magistrate, police said.

The suspects have been remanded to police custody until November 24, they said.

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Some eight Indian nationals were arrested on March 4for violating visa conditions. They were later found to be involved in illegal kidney transplants in Colombo hospitals.

They were detained at the Mirihana detention Center after producing them before the Colombo Magistrates Court.

One of the suspects had escaped from the detention center earlier and fled to India.

The others had escaped the Mirihna detention centre last week. PTI CORR SUA SUA DK

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The use of old defunct 500 and 1,000 notes for paying household utility bills, fuel, taxes and fees and purchases from co-operative stores has been extended till Nov 14.

By Press Trust of India: Indian Railways on November 11, extended the use of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, which have been demonetised by the NDA government, for ticketing, onboard catering and refund of tickets by another 72 hours to November 14.



RAILWAYS TO RESCUE



All concerned in the Indian Railways have been instructed to comply with the latest instruction, a railway spokesperson said.

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However, the precautionary measures, like refund of cancelled tickets would be done through ticket deposit receipts (TDR) and not in cash among others, would continue, he added.

Also read: Cash rush: Enough currency with banks; please be patient, RBI tells people

Also read: This is how RBI will dispose of 2,203 crore currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000



While withdrawing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes from the night of November 8-9, the government had allowed use of the old currency at government hospitals, railway ticketing, public transport, airline ticketing at airports, milk booths, crematoria/burial grounds and petrol pumps for 72 hours.

The railways had announced stop giving refund for cancellation of tickets in cash and instead issuing ticket deposit receipts (TDR).

In case of refund amount touching Rs 10,000 or above, the railways will only transfer the amount to the customer's bank account and the person concerned is required to furnish account details for receiving the amount while cancelling the ticket.

The government had demonitised Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes from the midnight of October 8 with the aim to fight black money and corruption, while exempting a few emergency services like hospitals, petrol pumps, railways and airports for 72 hours days up to November 11.

Also read: Have too many old notes but don't know how to deposit them? Here's the cheat sheet



THE LIST EXPANDS

This list was later expanded to include payments for metro rail tickets, highway and road toll, purchase of medicines on doctor prescription from the government and private pharmacies, LPG gas cylinders, railway catering, electricity and water bills and ASI monument entry tickets.

The time limit set was to expire on Friday, but it has now been extended by another 72 hours.

Also read: Arun Jaitley to India Today: Rs 500-1000 currency revamp not the only step govt will take



However, the demonitisation move has attracted heavy rush at ticket counters at railway stations resulting in cash shortage. "So we are giving TDR to those who are cancelling tickets and if the refund amount is Rs 10,000 or more then it would be returned to the bank account of the person," a railways official said.

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The government extended use of old defunct 500 and 1,000 notes for paying household utility bills, fuel, taxes and fees and purchases from co-operative stores by another 72 hours to November 14 after banks struggled to cope with rush of people to get alternative currency.

Watch video here



--- ENDS ---
By PTI: From M Zulqernain

Lahore, Nov 12 (PTI) Over 2,100 Sikh pilgrims from India arrived here today to participate in the 548 birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, at his birthplace in Nankana Sahib in Pakistans Punjab province.

"More than 2,100 Sikhs arrived here today from India on three special trains," Evacuee Trust Property Board spokesman Amer Hashmi told PTI.

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He said the Pakistans embassy in New Delhi had issued more than 3,300 visas to Indian Sikhs however only 2,100 pilgrims have arrived here so far.

Hashmi said ETPB chief Siddiqul Farooq and Pakistan Gurdwara Parbhandik Committee office-bearers greeted them at Wagah Border.

Several Sikhs have complained about currency exchange rate at the Wagah immigration.

However, authorities have promised to intervene and assured better currency exchange rate to the Sikh pilgrims.

The officials also deported a Sikh pilgrim after he was found to be on the list of black-listed passengers, Hashmi said, adding for the first time the visiting Sikhs were served food at the Wagah railway station.

Talking to reporters, Sikh leader Sardar Sohan Singh said: "We always receive love from the people of Pakistan. We want cordial relations between the two countries and people to people contact."

Saddiqul Farooq said the board has taken good care of the Sikh holy places in Pakistan.

"You will find a difference when you get to Gurdwara Janamasthan in Nankana Sahib," he said.

He told the Sikh groups leaders about extensive renovation work in gurdwaras in the country especially in the Punjab province.

The Indian Sikhs have left for Nankana Sahib, some 80 km from Lahore, where they will attend the main function on November 13.

The Indian pilgrims will also visit other gurdwaras in Punjab province before they leave for India on November 21.

Guru Nanak Dev was born at Rai Bhoi Ki Talvandi (present day Nankana Sahib) near Lahore. He spent the last years of his life at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, about three kilometers from the International Border that separates India and Pakistan. PTI MZ SUA SUA

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Awami League presidium member Dr Abdur Razzak at a discussion held at the National Press Club on Saturday said, "Endangering our lives we fought in the Liberation war for a non-communal Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony, here we live with people from all religions and Islam should not be accommodated as state religion in the constitution of Bangladesh."

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Bangladeshi ruling party Awami League leader Dr Abdur Razzak said that Islam will be withdrawn as the state religion from the constitution of Bangladesh.

Awami League presidium member Dr Abdur Razzak at a discussion held at the National Press Club on Saturday said, "Endangering our lives we fought in the Liberation war for a non-communal Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony, here we live with people from all religions and Islam should not be accommodated as state religion in the constitution of Bangladesh."

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Islam was made the religion of the state by autocratic ruler Hussain Mohammad Ershad damnifying the main spirit of Liberation War. He added "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim" at the beginning of the constitution.

Abdur Razzak was speaking at a round table titled "Deep Rooted Unity of Common People of Bangladesh and India to Counter Terrorism" organised by SAARC cultural society, where he said, "In different programs I told the journalist that I do not believe Islam should be in the constitution as state religion. It's merely a strategy. If opportunity comes we will repeal Islam from the constitution."

Secretary of West Bengal state committee Sri Pritam Ghosh, Padma Shri awarded medalled social worker Sri Ajay Dutta and spokesperson of Assam state committee Shiladitya Dev Pramukh spoke at the roundtable which was presided by the SAARC Cultural Society President Syed Abu Hossain.

Off late, the Hindu Community has become a victim of communal attack in different parts of the country including Nasirnagar of Brahmanbaria. Following the attacks demand of repeal of Islam from the constitution came from different quarters.



--- ENDS ---
Javed Akhtar said that there are several personal laws in use in the country but they all should conform to the Constitution.

By India Today Web Desk: Noted lyricist Javed Akhtar has said that the practice of triple talaq should be abolished immediately. He, however, said that he was not sure about implementing a uniform civil code in the country.

Speaking at the Sahitya Aaj Tak, the biggest confluence of biggest literati of India, Akhtar said, "People are talking about it now, I have been saying this for past 20-25 years."

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Javed Akhtar slammed the All India Muslim Personal Law Board for opposing triple talaq.

Responding to a query on uniform civil code, Akhtar said, "I cannot say to which extent a uniform civil code, if implemented, would be possible. Ours is a very vast country with different practices of marriage, inheritance and talaq."

The government should prepare a draft of uniform civil code and then it should be discussed for a year by all the stakeholders before taking a final decision, the noted lyricist and poet said.

Watch Sahitya AajTak here



CONSTITUTION IS A TOUCHSTONE

Javed Akhtar said that there are several personal laws in use in the country but they all should conform to the Constitution.

"Hindu personal law, Christian personal law, Muslim personal law and Parsi personal law are in use in the country. But, we have a touchstone. If there is any discrepancy, then the Constitution must prevail," said Akhtar

Javed Akhtar urged the government to make it clear by law to all the stakeholders that if a "personal law is in contravention with the Constitution, then it should not hold".

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

On the question of freedom of expression, Javed Akhtar treaded the middle path without going to any extreme.

"Some people say that freedom of expression has ended. But, I speak whatever I wish to. But, it is also not true that nothing is happening against it," Javed Akhtar said.

He said, "Attempts are being made to suppress freedom of expression."

"There was a scene in Sholay, released in 1975, wherein Veeru hides behind the idol of Lord Shiva and tells Basant to fall in love with him. I cannot write that scene today," Akhtar said.

Targeting extreme right wing groups, Akhtar said, "I cannot write the Sholay scene today. Some people will make an issue out of it. Islam was always in danger. Now, Hinduism is also in danger."

Watch the video

PRASOON JOSHI AT SAHITYA AAJTAK



Speaking at the event, another noted poet, lyricist and ad-guru Prasoon Joshi recited his latest poem, written in praise of female athletes won medals for the country.

Prasoon Joshi lamented that the outlook of society is still not favourable for women.

--- ENDS ---

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Over 10 lakh traders working under the Kerala Vyapara Vyavasaya Ekopana Samithi across 14 districts of the state will shut their shops indefinitely from Tuesday due to shortage of currency following demonetisation.

By Revathi Rajeevan: Over 10 lakh traders working under the Kerala Vyapara Vyavasaya Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) organisation across 14 districts of the state will shut their shops indefinitely from Tuesday as they are facing currency shortage following the demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes.

Shops and establishments including restaurants fall under the KVVES. The shops have not been able to function normally ever since the Government announced on November 8 that 500 and 1000 rupee notes will not be legal tender.

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NO POINT IN KEEPING SHOPS OPEN



"There is no point in keeping the shops open in such a scenario. We cannot take old currency notes and we do not have enough change to give customers in exchange for their new 2000 rupee notes. Until the situation returns to normal, we will keep the shops shut," said Peringamala Ramachandran, vice-president of the samithi.

Also read: Demonetisation of 500, 1000 rupee notes: 5 rumours you must not fall for



Ramachandran clarified that this was not a protest against the government's decision.

WELCOME GOVERNMENT'S DECISION: KVVES



"We accept the government's decision and think it is a good one. But the situation demands that we shut shops," he added.

According to the samithi, there are around 10.5 lakhs traders in the state under the samithi.

Also read: Delhi: Chemists, medical stores witness chaos as they refuse to acknowledge Rs 500, Rs 1,000 notes



--- ENDS ---
Chris Cillizza

Chris Cillizza is the managing editor of PostPolitics and he writes "The Fix," a politics blog for The Washington Post. He also covers the White House for the newspaper and website. Chris has appeared as a guest on NBC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, Fox News Channel and CNN to talk politics. He lives in Virginia with his wife and sons.
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Armenian PM and Iranian President hold talks in Tehran

Kopirkin: Karabakh status issue should be left to next generations

14 people injured in Chicago Halloween night shooting

Armenias Pashinyan arrives in Iran

Armenia economy minister: Government predicts 7% economic growth in 2023

Turkish and Ukraine defense ministers discuss situation with grain deal

Copper prices are rising

Russia envoy to Armenia: Many common paradigms being broken in South Caucasus

Israel holds fifth parliamentary elections since 2019

Lavrov: Over past decades we managed to lay solid foundations for strategic partnership, alliance with Armenia

Oil goes up in price

Primakov Readings international forum kicks off in Yerevan

One person killed in Toronto shooting

Armenias Pashinyan heads for Iran

Newspaper: Armenia premier sends intelligence to Artsakh on day of rally

Putin on choosing Turkey as Russia natural gas supply junction: Erdogan is man of his word

Russia, Turkey FMs discuss South Caucasus

Kremlin: Armenia, Azerbaijan confirmed their interest in Russia mediation

Armenia PM concludes visit to Russias Sochi

Putin: Europe will not be able to exclude Russia from Yerevan-Baku relations normalization process

Putin on extending mandate of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh: It will depend on other matters

Putin: No Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty yet

IMF forecasts $1 trillion unforeseen profit for oil exporter

Lavrov and Cavusoglu discuss recent developments in Caucasus

Seoul and Warsaw sign key agreements on nuclear energy development in Poland

Statement by leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on results of meeting in Sochi

Saudi Arabia and UAE defend OPEC decision

Putin: Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan agree on joint statement

U.S. wants EU to impose export restrictions against China

Thunberg calls UN conference place for lies and fraud
By PTI: Ghaziabad, Nov 11 (PTI) Thirteen people were killed and three were injured in a massive fire which broke out today at an unlicensed garment manufacturing factory which was being run in a residential area here, police said.

Senior Superintendent of Police of Ghaziabad Deepak Kumar Singh said that around 5.30 am district fire control room received information regarding massive fire breaking out in a garment manufacturing unit situated near Jaipal Chowk in Shahid Nagar locality of Sahibabad.

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Fire tenders from Sahibabad fire station rushed to the spot but due to narrow and congested lanes and the parking of vehicles in the area the fire dousing operations were hindered as the fire tenders could not reach near the incident site, the SSP said.

The garment factory was unlicensed and was being run in residential area, he said.

Electrical short circuit may be one of the probable cause of the fire, the SSP said adding police is investigating other angles also.

At the time of fire 16 workers were sleeping on first floor of the factory.

Ten of the workers were suffocated to death while three others were charred to death.

Remaining three workers with minor burn injuries jumped from the first floor to save themselves who were immediately rushed to nearby GTB Hospital in North East Delhi.

An FIR has been registered against the factory owners Nazakat and Rizwan under section 304A IPC (Causing death due to negligence) and both of them have been arrested, police said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced ex-gratia compensation of two lakh rupees to 13 families of deceased labourers.

"Expressing heartfelt condolences for the people who lost their lives in the incident," he said condoling the deaths in the fire through an official statement here.

The Chief Minister has directed the Ghaziabad District Hospital to provide adequate help to all those affected by the fire, it said.

A committee has been constituted to scrutinise the illegal dyeing and other factories being run in the area, said District Magistrate Nidhi Kesrwani.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi condoled the loss of lives in the fire tragedy.

"Very sad to learn that a fire in a garment factory in Sahibabad has claimed many lives.My thoughts & prayers are with the bereaved families", he tweeted. PTI COR RG

--- ENDS ---
STEPANAKERT.  The tension, which began on Friday at 12:15pm along the along the line of contact between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces, was maintained also until the early morning hours on Saturday.

The adversary violated the ceasefire along the line of contact more than 55 times, from late Friday night to early Saturday morning, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) Defense Army informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

During this time the Azerbaijani armed forces fired around 570 shots toward the Armenian position-holders, and by way of various caliber weapons, large-caliber sniper rifles, and machine guns.

In addition, the adversary fired mortar shells in northeasterly (Yaremja village) and northerly (Talish village) directions of the line of contact.

The NKR Defense Army, however, suffered no casualties as a result of this aggression by the adversary.

The Artsakh defense army vanguard units are in full control over the frontline, and they continue confidently carrying out the military task set before them.

The situation on the frontline is relatively calm at this time.
Jim Costa, a State of California Democratic Party member of the House of Representatives of the US Congress, told the Voice of America Armenian service that he does not believe that President-elect Donald Trump has relevant information on Armenian Genocide, and we need to see whom he will appoint as the new US Secretary of State.

To note, Congressman Costa was re-elected in Tuesdays elections.

When asked whether Armenian Genocide recognition at the level of the US President is possible during Trumps term in office, he responded that the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues should raise this matter sooner or later.

As per Jim Costa, it is very important as to what US foreign policy team Trump will select.

The congressman, for his part, pledged to continue the ongoing effortstogether with his colleagues in the US Congresstoward recognition of Armenian Genocide, deepening of US-Armenia relations, and resolving matters with respect to several other important issues for Armenia.
YEREVAN.  The 16-year-old worker also suffered burns as a result of Saturday mornings fire at a gas station in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.

A vehicle (driver H. T, 56) that was at the gas station, about 9.6 tons of gasoline that was stored in the reservoir of this gas station, and two fuel dispensers were completely destroyed by the fire, whereas two offices were partially destroyed, the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Police informed that the driver of the said vehicle had parked his car to fill it with gasoline, and there was an explosion for yet unknown reasons.

The driver was injured in the ensuing fire. He was taken to hospital, whose staff informed us that he had sustained burns, but he is not in critical condition, and he has been transferred to the Research Center of Radiation Medicine and Burns.

As reported earlier, the MES received a call on Saturday at 10:08am. Accordingly, a fire had broken out at a gasoline station in capital city Yerevan, and rescuers were needed.

Crisis Management Center quick response teams and operative groups as well as four fire brigades were dispatched to the scene.

The fire was put out at 10:30am.
YEREVAN.  The First Deputy Defense Minister of Armenia, Davit Tonoyan, on Friday met in Brussels with chairman of the European Union Military Committee (EUMC), General Mikhail Kostarakos.

They discussed the prospects for Armenia-EU military cooperation, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In addition, the EU representative informed about the opportunities and the format for the partners participation in the international peacekeeping and stability missions.

At the ensuing talk, Tonoyan briefed Kostarakos on the present-day situation along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and the line of contact between the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) and Azerbaijani armed forces.

The interlocutors also exchanged views on regional security issues.
We deal with a subject from which adventuristic steps are always expected.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Shavarsh Kocharyan, who is visiting the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh), on Saturday told the aforementioned to ARTSAKHpress news agency.

He noted this when asked about the Azerbaijani provocations since Friday morning, in some parts of the line of contact between the Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijani armed forces.

[Azerbaijans military aggression in] April showed that Azerbaijans blitzkrieg was not carried out and, contrary to its calculations, the capability of the [two] Armenian states was much higher, noted Kocharyan. Such actions by Baku only hinder the resumption of the negotiation process, especially the implementation of the agreements of Vienna and Saint Petersburg. Such intentional conduct by the Azerbaijani authorities leaves no alternative to the status quo, from which they themselves often complain. Otherwise, they would enable to implement these agreements.

Speaking about the current phase in the negotiation process, the deputy FM of Armenia said this phase should be divided into two platforms.

One [of them] is the actual talks in connection with the settlement [of the Karabakh conflict], he noted. The secondthe talks aimed at strengthening the ceasefire regime.

Today we speak only about the second platform because, as we have said repeatedly, as long as there are shootings, [and] provocations, speaking that there could be progress in the process of negotiations is just naivety. From this viewpoint, these latest provocations [by Azerbaijan] once again suggest that the Vienna agreements should immediately be begun to be implemented.
By PTI: Mumbai, Nov 12 (PTI) Mauritius Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth is set to visit the city on November 18, where he is expected to discuss various issues, including one that provides a subsidy for Bollywood films shot there, with the Maharashtra government.

An official from the Maharashtra Finance department said Jugnauth, along with a team of eight officials will visit Mumbai on November 18, where the both governments are expected to sign deals which would benefit manufacturers and exporters in both nations.

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"Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar will hold a meeting with the Mauritius PM at the state guest house Sahyadri, where a 100 people, besides officials from both governments, would be invited," he said.

"60 industrialists, 20 Bollywood personalities and 20 secretaries of Maharashtra government would be among the 100 invitees, who will take part in the meeting," he added.

As per the official, both sides would discuss on ways to make exporters and manufacturers in both countries work together and that Maharashtra government will aggressively promote its Ease of doing business initiative to the Mauritius government.

"Also, Maharashtra government will try to persuade Mauritius to give a subsidy on Bollywood films being shot there. That in turn will boost the tourism sector of Mauritius," he added.

Besides, the official said that state government will also promote Maharashtra as a beach tourism destination, by adopting the Mauritius model of tourism to beautify the states beaches, as part of efforts to improve the quality of the shores.

"We want to replicate the efforts put in by the Mauritius government to beautify their beaches. We will thus seek their expertise in doing so," he said. PTI MM NRB MR BAS

--- ENDS ---
There is great potential for tourism development in Tavush Province, and the respective steps need to be taken.

Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan on Friday noted the abovementioned, in Dilijan town of this province, during his talk with Governor Hovik Abovyan, and the community leaders of Tavush.

We truly wish to implement a major project in connection with tourism, said Karapetyan. We believe [that] Armenia is underestimated as a country of tourism. [But] in the near future, the cheap airline service and the granting of some privileges to Russian citizens will contribute to the growth of the [tourism] sector [in Armenia]. But, we also need to provide quality services.

The interlocutors also discussed the state of the historical and cultural monuments and monasteries in Tavush Province, and their preservation and maintenance.

Separately, the PM underscored the progressive plans toward improving the quality of education in this province, and based on modern technology.

The Premier also noted that the government will repair the roads in Armenias border communities, but by priority.

We have a special attitude toward border villages, and we are not speaking in the language of business, stressed Karen Karapetyan. We have mandatory things to do here.
We expect to receive the development projects of all communities, by the years end.

Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan on Friday stated the above-said, in Dilijan town of Tavush Province, during his talk with Governor Hovik Abovyan, and the community leaders of this province.

We will give priority to the most promising [development] projects, where the community [itself] shoulders burden, aside from expecting that there should be investment, support by the government, added Karapetyan. And all this will be within the framework of the rules of the game, with which we have agreed to move forward.

The PM also spoke about the need for determining the strengths and weaknesses of Tavush Province, and developing respective plans.

The discussants conferred on the avenues for the development of several domains in Tavush.

The Premier also asked about the state of health care in this province. Karen Karapetyan stressed that this sector needs a critical change, and instructed the minister of health and those in charge of the healthcare sector in Tavush to work together and submit a respective plan.
By PTI: Mumbai, Nov 11 (PTI) Mega Maldives Airlines today announced non-stop flights to Male from New Delhi starting November 15.

Flight number LV 305 (from New Delhi to Male) will be operational on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, whereas flight LV 304 (from Male to New Delhi) will fly on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the Maldivian carrier said in a statement.

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Founded in 2009, Mega is a US-Maldives joint venture and has now become the fourth largest international airline flying to the island country, which is a popular tourist hotspot.

Ahmed Mohamed, Ambassador of Maldives to India, said, "We are very excited to start a direct flight from New Delhi to Maldives (its capital Male). This is a very good step considering that a large number of Indians travel to Maldives every year for vacation."

The airline has also introduced a special inaugural fare of Rs 23,500 for the first two flights.

Meanwhile, Air India has also started a direct flight (AI 263) from New Delhi to Male, via Thiruvananthapuram. PTI SM RSY ABM

--- ENDS ---
STEPANAKERT. - The official propaganda of the adversary country continues making unsuccessful attempts to mislead the international community.

Specifically, today the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry disseminated a message that last night the Karabakh side allegedly used 60 and 82 mm mortars, which is nothing but another misinformation, the Nagrono-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Karabakh) Defense Army noted in its statement.

Although the situation remained relatively calm on the contact line between the Karabakh-Azerbaijani opposing forces during the daytime on November 12, the adversary continued to violate the ceasefire regime in several sections of the frontline, using 120 mm mortar in the northeastern direction of the Defense Army.

The NKR Defense Ministry remains committed to its obligations taken up in Vienna and St. Petersburg and urges the Azerbaijani side to refrain from escalating the situation, the statement reads.
STEPANAKERT.  Aggressive statements by Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev once again prove who we are dealing with, spokesperson for Karabakh president Davit Babayan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The head of state who is publicly making such statements, suggests drawing parallels with the situation in Germany in the late 30s of the last century. It is clear what this [the statements] led to. The Azerbaijani leadership does not have to forget this in the long run. Such statements do not compliment to a normal person, Babayan said.

He added that Karabakh will enhance combat readiness of the armed forces, will strengthen the border and prevent any aggressive moves by the adversary in order not to make the military rhetoric come true.
The criminal prosecution against 19 citizens, who had been arrested during a rally in Armenias city of Gyumri when demanding to hand over to the Armenian side the Russian soldier Valery Permyakov, has been dismissed.

The criminal prosecution has been dismissed on the grounds of the absence of the components of crime, the press-service of the Investigative Committee reports.

The rally, during which stones were thrown at the police, took place on 15 January 2015.

Various activities were carried out in the framework of the incident: over 100 citizens were questioned, expert examinations were commissioned and the scene of incident was inspected.

Valery Permyakov, a serviceman of the 102nd Russian Military Base in Armenias Gyumri town, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Avetisyan family in this town.

The brutal murder took place on January 12, 2015. According to the indictment, Valery Permyakov entered the Avetisyan family home on that day, and he killed home residents Aida Avetisyan, Hasmik Avetisyan, Seryozha Avetisyan, Armen Avetisyan, Araksya Poghosyan, and little girl Hasmik Avetisyan. Subsequently, he stabbed 6-month-old Seryozha Avetisyan five times. The baby boy died in the hospital one week later.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 12 (PTI) The weekend saw even more rush and chaos outside bank branches and ATMs with cash-strapped people struggling to buy even daily items even as Delhi Police deployed more forces to maintain calm and warned of strict action against those trying to spread rumours on social media.

To manage anxious crowds, as many as 3,400 personnel of paramilitary and Delhi Police along with 200 quick reaction teams have been deployed at ATMs and banks across the national capital.

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In addition to this, RAF jawans were also deployed at certain points to monitor the situation. Senior officers of Delhi Police were also present at important junctions to oversee the security arrangements.

"The crowd is more since its a weekend and many people have an off today. The crowd is swelling by the hour," a senior police officer said.

In Chandni Chowk, owing to a large crowd outside ATMs, rumour spread that there was a stampede in which four people were injured. Following the rumours, senior officials from the district also visited the area to calm the situation.

Referring to the rumour, senior officers said they will come down strictly on people who spread rumours to create panic.

"There is no stampede outside any #Bank or #ATM in #ChandniChowk. Please dont spread or come under the influence of any #Rumour ! We will also be taking cognisance of all social media accounts which are spreading #Rumours !! Its an offence under section 505 of IPC. (sic)" said DCP(North) Madhur Verma, in a series of tweets.

"Dont believe in #rumours! Situation is peaceful and people are cooperating. #CashRush #Bealert. Appeal to all to maintain peace and law and order when waiting in line at Bank! #Bealert #Besafe #CashRush #Alliswell," tweeted Esha Pandey, additional DCP-I (North).

Yesterday, rumours had spread about shortage of salt following which clashes also broke out in certain parts of Delhi and police officers took to social media to dispel rumours. PTI SLB AAR

--- ENDS ---
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A series of non-performing loans due to a slumped oil and gas industry have put three of our local banks in a tight position. They are facing higher impairment charges and weaker interest margins in the 3rd quarter of the year.

According to Bloomberg, DBS is facing S$255mil in impairment charges. OCBC is also expected to submit its second-in-a-row quarterly profit decline, while UOB could post a 10% dip.





Source: Bloomberg

Source: Bloomberg

The underlying situation



OCBC, UOB and DBS have had to set aside more funds to seal the holes in the losses of its loans to the oil and gas industry. The oil and gas industry has been hurt by the drop in energy prices.





Source: Thinkstock/Getty Images

Source: Thinkstock/Getty Images

Swissco Holdings Ltd, for example, signalled weeks ago that it could default in its loan repayment  the company was unable to pay its interest in October. Other companies such as KS Energy Ltd and AusGroup Ltd are seeking for more flexible payment terms from its creditors.

The sourness in the deal has caused these local banks a lot of pain in the second quarter. The distraught energy services firm Swiber Holdings Ltd cast a shadow on DBS gain in its fee income and interest, so much so that the banks profit plummeted by 6%. OCBC had also announced a 15% profit decline.

Banks can withstand with healthy buffers







Source: Thinkstock/Getty Images

Source: Thinkstock/Getty Images

Goldman Sachs analyst Melissa Kuang, says OCBCs impairment charges could possibly be increased by 3.4% and UOBs by 7%. Fitch Ratings have also indicated that the uprising of NPLs related to the oil and gas industry would cause a modest rise of bad-loan ratios.

However, the banks are in a secure place  they are able to withstand even further asset-quality deterioration thanks to their healthy provision buffers and disciplined underwriting benchmarks.

The tilt in Singapore Interbank Offered Rates (SIBOR)



The borrowing costs have dropped this year while Singapore dollar value has risen. This has caused a shift in the SIBOR rate, with a fall of 0.6% for the months of July to September.

Story continues

The credit growth has also been pulled down by the nations slow economy, with data from the Monetary Authority of Singapore indicating a decline of 1.6% in total operating loans, however consumer loans are still thriving.

(By Annette Rowena)

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GovTech, a brand new government department, has been set up with the aim to transform the public sector.

The innovation lab for digital services is all part of the realisation of Singapores Smart Nation dream, utilising technology to advance the nation and lives of its citizens through harnessing the power of data.

The Government Technology Agency of Singapore, or GovTech for short, is far from the average boring and prosaic government office one might picture.

Its housed in Mapletree Business City, and the headquarters of the lab are a haven of calm and relaxation.





Source: Mapletree

Source: Mapletre

Source: Mapletree[/caption]

But this is not at all reflective of the dynamism of ideas and creativity found within the walls.

Through the use of data science, analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, GovTech will partner with public agencies, industry and citizens to transform and improve public service delivery.

So what exactly are some of GovTechs promised initiatives?







Source: Ministry of Communications and Information

Source: Ministry of Communications and Information

MyInfo



MyInfo already exists as a consent-based personal data platform. It stores things like names, addresses, phone numberes and NRIC numbers from a number of government agencies.

Those include the Inland Revenue and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.

The potential of expanding MyInfo to the financial sector will be a priority for GovTech, who will join forces with the Ministry of Finance and the Monetary Authority of Singapore to scope the potential for this.

What it would mean for citizens is a simplified application process with no need to show physical documents for verification. If successfully implemented in the financial sector, it could expand elsewhere.

Parents Gateway







Source: Thinkstock/Getty Images

Source: Thinkstock/Getty Images

This new service will run trials at five undisclosed schools starting in November, to gauge the benefits of improving efficiency for things such as paying school fees and signing consent forms.

Story continues

The obvious benefactors include busy parents. School staff would potentially welcome the removal of the traditional chasing of missing or incomplete forms.

Like many of GovTechs proposed projects and initiatives, its all about streamlining services and improving convenience. An added advantange to the digitisation of the process is that it is much greener than the current paper procedures and save printing costs.

National Trade Platform







Source: Thinkstock/Getty Images

Source: Thinkstock/Getty Images

The NTP, as its known, will aim to streamline transactions between businesses and the government.

Ultimately, it is hoped the NTP will become the sole platform for commerce information management, supporting companies with things like trade, logistics and more.

Existing platforms like TradeNet and TradeXchange will, in time, be replaced by the NTP.

Financially it is hoped that the new platform could potentially bring up to S$600 million man-hour savings annually for businesses.

The bigger picture



All in all, GovTech is an agency to bring about more efficient use of Singapore citizens time. Its services aim to increase convenience for Singaporeans by cutting the time of laborious but necessary day-to-day activities.

Lots of residents will rejoice at less time wasted filling in forms and more time for productive activities. But there are certain elements of GovTech that are questionable.

Data-sharing: a breach of privacy?







Source: Unsplash

Source: Unsplash

Well, in order to provide these services, a considerable amount of data will need to be tracked and stored.

In comes the argument about personal security and privacy, and the ever present worry of overexposure, exploitation or even theft of personal data.

GovTech also plans to explore new ways to harness data, including looking into high-frequency data like electricity consumption and public transport.

It also recently demonstrated how it has used data to present how local economies are doing, although it stresses this service should be used to complement rather than replace existing economic performance indicators.

With projects and targets such as these, as well as the longer-term and larger scale goal of becoming a Smart Nation, critics are going to have to accept that their achievement simply requires increased connectivity and data sharing  which is the backbone of a Smart Nation.

However, the people in charge will have to work hard to find a line between the Smart Nation vision and protecting personal data.





Source: Thinkstock/Getty Images

Source: Thinkstock/Getty Images

Theyll also be working hard developing technical expertise in the agency, focussing on application development, cybersecurity, data science, geospatial technology, government ICT infrastructure and sensors and Internet of Things.

Building talent means building the portal size. There are currently more than 600 datasets from 70 public agencies available on the portal.

But GovTech says it aims to be more than just a repository. While it will store data, it will also strive to make it more relevant, applicable and understandable for the public and developers. Its also easier for the relevant people to access, and this helps to foster what the agency calls a culture of co-creation.

(By Sarah Thorp)

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There have been so much talk surrounding robo-advisory services and its players. But the first trade on a robo-advisor platform in Southeast Asia was only executed just this month in Singapore.

The purchase of a position in the diversified risk All Weather Portfolio was the first on WeInvest, a robo-advisor platform in Singapore. It was done in collaboration with Lighthouse Canton, a Singapore based investment advisory company.



About WeInvest







Source: WeInvest

Source: WeInvest

WeInvest provides investors the ability to visually compare and track the performance of investment opportunities once their preferred parameters have been defined. Investors are also given the clarity in all costs and fine print related to investments. Through this one platform, investors will be able to make an informed decision on any investment opportunity.

It provides a range of passive asset allocation portfolios and thematic baskets across a fully supported suite of strategies, asset classes and currencies.

Lighthouse Canton, a formidable partner







Source: Lighthouse Canton

Source: Lighthouse Canton

Lighthouse Canton, its partner, has assets under management of US$400mil. They offer clients access to investment strategies from as little as 0.4%.

Lighthouse Canton, together with the WeInvest platform, offer investors access to reduced advisory fees, due to its minimised capital expenditure and operational expenses. Another advantage is that this service is both desktop and mobile-enabled.

WeInvest CEO, Bhaskar Prabhakara says, Our platform as a service is a fully-supported end-to-end model; our clients can launch and execute with minimal outlay. The inbuilt flexibility allows for a high degree of customization with the shortest time to market.

Research from Business Insider Intelligence shows that robo-advisory services will be predominantly utilized by pre-existing investors, with robo-advisors managing 10% of global AUM by 2020. We designed our range of investment products specifically to meet investor appetites, drawing on our extensive expertise in the market, explains Lighthouse Canton CEO, Shilpi Chowdhary.

Story continues

This is a significant day for the investment management community as we turn the page on robo-advisory in Southeast Asia, he adds.

(By Annette Rowena)

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ZAMBOANGA CITY  At least 10 suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits hijacked a Vietnam-registered cargo vessel and kidnapped its captain and five other officers off Basilan yesterday morning.

One of the crew of M/V Royal 16 identified as Dham Yan Trong, an electrician, was shot and wounded by the gunmen, Jerome Cayabyab, commander of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Zamboanga station, said.

Cayabyab said Trong was transported to a local hospital by M/V Lorcon (Lorenzo Container) Ilo-ilo, which provided assistance to the Vietnamese ship.

Trong was accompanied to the hospital by Lei Ninh Khao, a fourth engineer of M/V Royal.

Khao told authorities that the gunmen shot Trong when he ran as they were about to seize him.

Cayabyab said M/V Royal was passing near Sibago Island, Mohammad Ajul in Lamitan, Basilan when 10 armed men on a speed boat intercepted the vessel around 6 a.m.

M/V Lorcon sent a distress call, which was received by the PCG.

Cayabyab said they have yet to identify the hostages, including the ship captain, chief mate, second officer, third officer, bosun (boatswain) and a seaman.

They were all Vietnamese aboard the ship, Cayabyab said.

He said they were still trying to determine the point of origin and destination of the Vietnamese vessel when it was hijacked.

Maj. Filemon Tan, spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command, said sea and naval assets have been dispatched to rescue the hostages.

German Jurgen Kantner, 70, is being held captive by the Abu Sayyaf. His partner Sabina Wetch, 59, was killed by the bandits on the couples private yacht in the vicinity of Tanjong Luuk Pisuk in Sabah last Sunday.
The Bengali poem, which is 32 lines long has accused Narendra Modi for rising intolerance in the country.

By Indrajit Kundu: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has been vociferously opposing Modi government's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes. In a series of tweets, Mamata Banerjee has already given a war cry against the step and has called for an immediate rollback of the same.

Ahead of the winter session of the Parliament, Mamata is busy drawing up a plan to corner the Narendra Modi government over the issue and has reached out to other like-minded parties to fight together against what she has termed as an "anti-poor" policy.

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Also read:

It will take two-three weeks to recalibrate ATMs for new notes, says Arun Jaitley



Mamata Banerjee has penned her thoughts on the matter through a poem. The Bengal Chief Minister has indeed written a poem in protest against the Centre's decision. This comes on a day when Banerjee gave an impromptu visit to a few banks in Kolkata and met people waiting for hours in long queues.

Also read:Arun Jaitley to India Today: Rs 500-1000 currency revamp not the only step govt will take

The Bengali poem, which is 32 lines long has accused Narendra Modi for rising intolerance in the country. In one of the lines she wrote, "all have turned beggar in a day" while terming the decision an "unplanned dream."

She ended with an ominous prophecy for Modi. "Be prepared for teen talaq from the people," she wrote in the end.

I have penned a poem on the #DeMonetisation issue pic.twitter.com/V7Rnhpyii6 Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 12, 2016

Also read:

Crackdown on black money: Is Govt's bold decision a real game-changer?

--- ENDS ---
With this being National Small Business Week, were excited to bring you a special conversation featuring Barbara Corcoran  serial entrepreneur, best selling author, keynote speaker, and co-star of the extremely popular show Shark Tank.

Barbara shares with us her thoughts on entrepreneurship today, what was the most successful business she invested in, her definition of success, and why it drives her crazy when she invests in a company that doesnt share her passion for business.

* * * * *

Small Business Trends: When it comes to Shark Tank and all the different contestants that you get a chance to sit in front of and have pitch to you and your co-stars there, what does that tell you about the state of entrepreneurship today?

Barbara Corcoran: Entrepreneurship is not just the people pitching on Shark Tank, but the cab driver that took me over to the set, the waitress whos pitching me her new idea. I mean, its been a release of a flood of people ushering in their great business idea. Now many of the business ideas on first blush to me sound like theyre pretty stupid and theyre not going to go anywhere. But who am I to say?

I failed at my first business of Flower of the Week Club. And then I succeeded at my second business. And so what Ive learned more than anything is to just tell people the dream is great. Try it. You dont want to die thinking you wish you should have, could have.

Small Business Trends: You mentioned there are a lot of ideas that get brought to your attention through the show. Is it harder to get ideas to market today than it was years ago, even though technology seems to make it easier?

Barbara Corcoran: In the easier column, I would put crowd funding. A boom to small business if you can pitch well and convince regular people that youre on to something, almost everybody will give you ten bucks to a hundred bucks and invest in you. You never had that before. I think on the easy column its a more level playing field. You can be found online. If youre really scrappy, can write a good blog, get people to like you, get creative, you have a level playing field.

And then also its getting a little bit easier to fund small businesses. Im not talking about the fancy kind from angel investors. Fund Box I know came out recently. You can actually fund your outstanding invoices which might not seem like a big deal. But when youve used your credit cards to fund your business and you have invoices and you cant convert them to cash, that becomes a big deal pretty quickly.

On the negative side, theres so much clutter and so much trying to get everybodys eyeball and attention and ear constantly. Its harder to get them to listen to you. And that becomes a bigger issue, but not just for the little business, for the big business too. Theyre struggling with the same thing. So its more good news than bad, I would say in the final tally.

Small Business Trends: How do entrepreneurs quantify their intangibles as well as the tangibles? How does that help you to understand what it is?



Barbara Corcoran: Im not a numbers person. Ive never read a financial statement. I ran a huge thousand-man employee business, and I never read a financial statement. But I had hired myself a minority partner who was a whiz at that kind of stuff. And so I believe you dont have to know a damn thing about math and numbers to be hugely successful in a business. And sometimes that kind of left-brain analysis stuff can get in your way because you dont do things on a leap and a prayer and an intuition and a trust of your gut very often. You have to analyze it and justify it.

Its great to hear somebody has sales, but Im more of a believer in the potential for those sales. And the potential for sales is trying to use your God-given common sense judgment to figure out whether enough people out there might buy the thing.

And so I pay attention above everything else to my trust of the entrepreneur. Are they the right type of people? Do they have the traits that its going to take to hit the finish line and having success on the their hands? Or are they not wired to be an entrepreneur? And so I pay attention to the entrepreneur 90 percent of it, and then the 10 percent is the business piece.

Small Business Trends: What is the most successful company you invested in, and why was that considered  at least by you  a success?

Barbara Corcoran: Well, its two ways to quantify success, I believe. One is sheer dollars returned, and the answer to that would be Grace and Lace that makes lacey socks and shawls and ladies clothing. Very sexy, great designer, but thats not why. I mean, shes got a great product. It sells like hotcakes, and they sold over a million dollars worth of product within the three days from the night they aired on Shark Tank. So thats the most successful in terms of returning money to me, and Ive gotten a 20 to $1 return in two years flat. Thats pretty remarkable.

But my idea of the most successful businesses are the ones I think have the most expandability; that I could grow them the farthest, that I could make the biggest business of them. And what is interesting is in all the good ones, all the entrepreneurs are the same. They all have the same qualities of taking a hit and getting back up without feeling sorry for themselves. Theyre all street smart versus book smart. Theyre all very clever on their feet. They can think fast in a situational problem and theyre all fiercely competitive. All those traits are common to all the best businesses.

Small Business Trends: If you were to look out over the next four to five years or so, what kinds of business opportunities do you think entrepreneurs  maybe first time entrepreneurs  should focus in on?

Barbara Corcoran: I dont think theres an answer to that because entrepreneurs has an s on it which means its a lot of different people. I think the heart and soul of a business that will succeed is when you have an entrepreneur who has a product or service theyre really excited about.

And generally when someones excited about a service or a product, it means they do it well.

You dont get excited about things that you just dont do well at, right? So if you have something youre really excited about, that would be the best thing to do.

See Also: 8 Live Chat Best Practices You Never Knew

Small Business Trends: What is more irritating to you? This is a question specifically around the show. Missing out on a contestant that you really feel confident theyre going to be successful or picking somebody and then they dont really turn out the way you thought they would.

Barbara Corcoran: When I dont get an entrepreneur Im really excited about, its like ouch. I hustled. I couldnt get him, and I cant stand the fact, so Im very competitive. Im fiercely competitive. Its more Im upset that somebody else got him. Not that I didnt get him, but somebody else got him. Thats my ridiculous competitiveness, right? But once they leave that set, I dont remember them. I dont think about them, and I genuinely hope they do very well with their new partner. Too bad it wasnt me.

But on the other side of the equation, when I pick up an entrepreneur and work like crazy with them and theyre not a good entrepreneur and they dont have the work ethic or the stamina or the spirit or the drive or all the things it takes, and theyre using my time, that hurts a lot.

I have a wall in my office where I have every single one of my entrepreneurs I invested in in a beautiful frame. And the minute I see that theyre not matching my intensity and desire to succeed, I flip that photo over and I dont spend any more time thinking about them, because theyre not going to make it.

Small Business Trends: Maybe you could talk a little bit about your partnership with Canon.

Barbara Corcoran: I know this sounds like a ridiculous thing, but why does a typical copy machine have to be longer than it is wide? It takes up too much space, and thats how I feel. And theyre ugly to look at. So I like the little Maxify printer, and when they wanted me to partner up with them, I said, send me the machine. And I put it in competition to probably the best-selling machine on the market, and I watched my office staff. And guess why Maxify won over the other machine? Because it doesnt take any time to warm up and I could get two Maxifys side-by-side in the same space that I could get my one old clunker with the side wing that looked like the barbeque machine that was too big and you should have never bought it in the first place? So I like the neatness of it, okay?

And even though I have a large, successful business now and invest in a lot of places, I cant stand losing money I dont have to lose. So I always figured out the cheapest way to do anything more than once. And before I signed up with the Maxify printer, I did the numbers and found out its cheaper per page than all my other machines.

Small Business Trends: One last quick question. It literally just came to me from a friend on Facebook. Shes heard its harder for women to get funding for businesses than it is for men.

Barbara Corcoran: It is true. Theres a very well-known Harvard study that was done roughly 18 months ago  and I hope Im representing it properly  but it unequivocally proved that men get funding from angel investors three to one over women. And they had very sharp women go in and make the pitch.

They had very sharp men go in and do the exact same pitch, and two out of three of the funders went to the men. One in three went to the women. You cant argue with that. They even tested it beyond that and had female voices on a video pitch. The exact same video pitch, they had a male voice  equally credible voices. The men got the funding two to one. Its definitely true, without a doubt.

Small Business Trends: Well, lets end this on a higher note. What last piece of advice would you give folks who are really serious, who do have a great idea, who do have the passion but maybe need a little piece  a nugget  of information to get them going to success. What would you tell them?

Barbara Corcoran: I think its very important to ask yourself, when youre 60 or 50 and you havent done it and youve been carrying this idea in your heart and your head for a while, how are you going to feel about that? Ive met so many entrepreneurs that have won, lost, won again, lost again on different businesses. And I tell you, I have never met anyone who regretted trying anything. Even losing their house  they didnt regret that they tried it. But boy, have I met enough moany, groanies who say I wonder what would have happened. I wonder if I could have gotten rich. I wonder if What a waste of a way to spend your life. I think youve got to try it and the sooner you try it the better. Before you have kids, the mortgage and life sits on your chest.

This is part of the One-on-One Interview series with thought leaders. The transcript has been edited for publication. If it's an audio or video interview, click on the embedded player above, or subscribe via iTunes or via Stitcher.
Marketing is constantly evolving. So if you want to create a marketing plan for the coming year, you need all the most updated tools and strategies. Members of our small business community shared some of their top tips in posts this week. Check out ten of the best ways to update your marketing strategy in the list below.

Use These 20 Essential Marketing Tools

If you want to take your marketing to the next level, you need the right tools. That means you likely need a lot of different marketing services that focus on different purposes. There are 20 different marketing tools that can be essential to your business listed in this Zaneguide post by Zane J. Heil.

Factor the Effects of Decision Fatigue into Your Marketing

Decision fatigue is a theory that can potentially keep your customers from making purchases. But if you factor that theory into your marketing, as this Two Feet Marketing post by David Lowbridge suggests, you can give your business a better chance. You can also see what BizSugar members had to say about the post here.

Write Winning Content for Short Attention Span Readers

Todays consumers arent likely to spend a lot of time reading your content if it doesnt grab their attention right away. That means you need to know how to write for readers with short attention spans, as this post by Lisa Froelings on The Sociable details.

Get More Local Website Traffic

For local businesses, online marketing is still essential. Local search tips like the ones in this Search Engine Journal post by Mandy Wodnick can help you get more local website traffic and reach more customers who are looking for businesses in your area.

Achieve Marketing ROI With These Tips

If you want your marketing efforts to be successful, you need a real plan and the ability to actually measure results, as detailed in this post by Rachel Strella of Strella Social Media. You can also see discussion about the post by BizSugar members here.

Use A/B Testing to Build Buyer Personas

If you want to effectively market your business, you need to create accurate buyer personas to give you an idea about who youre marketing to. And you can use A/B testing to achieve that thanks to the information in this Kissmetrics post by Aaron Agius.

Make Your Blog Visually Appealing

Blogs can be great marketing tools for businesses. But you need your blog to visually appeal to readers and potential customers if you want it to have any impact. These tips from Neil Patel offer some ways for you to make your blog more visually appealing.

Get Influencers to Read Your Blog Posts

In addition, influencers can have a big impact on the effectiveness of your blog posts. This post by Tony Paull of Tony Paull Consulting features some ways you can get influencers to read your blog posts. And members of the BizSugar community also comment on the post here.

Consider These Small Business Conferences for 2017

Conferences can be a great way to network and improve your businesss reach. And there are many different small business conferences throughout the year for you to consider. Here are some for 2017 shared by Nicholas Milewski on the Plousio blog.

Dial in Your Visual Ads

When it comes to visual advertising, there are many different online tools and platforms you can use to create your strategy. This Marketing Land post by Brad OBrien includes some tips for using platforms like Pinterest and Snapchat to dial in your visual ads.

If youd like to suggest your favorite small business content to be considered for an upcoming community roundup, please send your news tips to: sbtips@gmail.com.
Friends Anh Nguyen and Tammie Nguyen had long floated the idea of opening their own restaurant.

A year ago, they decided to give it a go; they even traveled back to their native Vietnam to learn more about the food business.

But months of searching Albuquerque for the right location for their SweeTea proved fruitless. Nothing suited them  at least until they were shown an 1,810-square-foot restaurant space at Montgomery Plaza at Montgomery and San Mateo. It had been vacant for a few months following the high-profile shooting in which two owners were killed by a family member. Anh and Tammie said they were a little uneasy at first about moving into the space, but everything seemed right  the size, the centralized location on a major thoroughfare and even the proximity to a high school.

We were a little hesitant at first when we were looking at the space, but we weighed the pros and cons and it just worked for us. It fit our needs, Tammie said.

They have since invested what Anh says is close to $200,000 renovating and reinventing it for their concept, an international eatery a little in the mold of the 85C bakery chain found in California and beyond. They crafted a menu of pastries that customers can pluck from self-serve cases: think custard buns and Asian-influenced banana bread. They will stock chilled cases with desserts like Tokyo cheesecake  a lighter variation of the dish  and a matcha tiramisu.

Their kitchen will also produce a full menu of heartier dishes to order, like bahn mi sandwiches, rice bowls and spring rolls, and they have a line of coffee drinks and milk teas, flavored teas and more. Inspiration comes from Vietnam, but also China, Taiwan and elsewhere.

We felt like this is the right time to enter the market and bring the different regions together in one store, said Anh.

Anh, a pharmacist, and Tammie, a former software engineer who is scratching her entrepreneurial itch, carefully honed the concept and atmosphere, taking special care to completely reinvent the space, improving everything from the baseboards to the lights to the bathrooms.

The duo are hosting a soft opening Saturday, with plans for a formal grand opening on Nov. 19.

Pegasus Retails Anthony Johnson, who brokered the lease for SweeTea and whose firm also represents the landlord, said the 440,000-square-foot center at Montgomery and San Mateo is about 97 percent occupied outside of the former Itz building at the northern end.

Its some of the best real estate in the city, the shopping center itself, he said. We put (the House of Pho space) out there to the market and we had a lot of activity  actually a ton of activity. They became the frontrunner when their concept made sense (for the site).
As the state of New Mexico continues to struggle with a $458 million projected budget shortfall this fiscal year  and the states courts deal with self-imposed cuts including a $500,000 reduction in mileage reimbursement for judges, court staff, jurors, interpreters and court-ordered witnesses  it is important to recognize that short-term savings can have long-term costs.

So the return on investment the states specialty courts deliver in reduced recidivism and helping defendants become productive contributing members of society should be considered.

Bernalillo Countys Metropolitan Court alone has 10 specialty courts aimed at specific demographic groups  from DWI Recovery Court (recidivism rate of 5.5 percent) to Mental Health Court (which has reduced the recidivism rate by about 90 percent). The 2nd Judicial District Court has a Veterans Court program, helping veterans through non-violent criminal cases and connecting them with support services an alternative to incarceration. Its recidivism rate for graduates is just 7 percent.

Metro Court Judge Linda Rogers has explained that the therapeutic courts save money for merchants who deal with these crimes, for the jail, for the hospitals and, obviously, for the families of these folks. It also saves time for police who do not have to respond repeatedly to these call-outs. The defendant benefits the most, but we do not forget this is part of the criminal justice system.

As the courts continue to try to work smarter in tough budget times the value of these specialty courts need to be part of the budget discussion.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

A new lawsuit alleges that the Archdiocese of Santa Fe has transferred virtually all its parishes and real property into a trust since 2012 to shield the assets from possible creditors, including survivors of clerical sexual abuse.

The allegations are included in one of two lawsuits filed this week by two New Mexico men who allege they were abused as children by former priests in the archdiocese.

Albuquerque attorney Brad Hall is asking a 2nd Judicial District judge to rule that the properties transferred into trust remain available to help pay court judgments against the archdiocese.

Hall has filed more than 60 clerical abuse lawsuits against the archdiocese since 2012, most of which have since been settled for undisclosed amounts.

We believe it is a deliberate strategy to avoid paying creditors in the event that we go to trial and win a big judgment, said Lisa Ford, an Albuquerque attorney who works with Hall.

The strategy of shielding assets has been used by numerous other dioceses when they file bankruptcy, Ford said.

Phone and email messages left Friday for the archdioceses spokeswoman were not returned.

Deeds filed with the Bernalillo County Clerks Office show that the archdiocese has transferred many of its Bernalillo County parishes and real properties into a trust controlled by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Real Estate Corp.

The archdiocese formed the nonprofit Archdiocese of Santa Fe Real Estate Corp. in December 2012, according to records filed with the New Mexico Secretary of States Office.

State records also show that the archdiocese incorporated most of its 92 parishes as nonprofits in 2012 and 2013.

In a lawsuit filed this week, Hall alleged that the archdiocese transferred virtually all of its corporate assets to the newly incorporated parishes and the ADSF Real Estate Corporation in 2012 and 2013.

Archdiocese officials retain control of the incorporated parishes and the real estate corporation, the suit said.

The transfers were made for the primary purpose of shielding those assets from creditors, including alleged sexual abuse victims, it said.

Some U.S. dioceses involved in bankruptcy protection cases have drawn accusations of shielding assets for transferring money and property into a variety of trusts.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee transferred $57 million into a cemetery fund before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2011, prompting accusations that it was attempting to shield assets from sexual abuse claimants. The archdiocese settled the case last year for $21 million.

The alleged victim in Halls lawsuit is a 48-year-old Albuquerque man who said he was sexually abused as a boy by Jason Sigler, a former priest who served time in a Michigan prison from 2003 to 2014 after pleading guilty to multiple charges of sexually abusing minors.

Sigler did not respond to voice-mail messages left by the Journal on Friday.

The second lawsuit was filed this week by an Albuquerque man, 56, who alleged he was sexually abused as a boy by Edward Rutowski, now deceased, a former pastor at Nativity of our Blessed Virgin Mary in Albuquerque.
Several community groups interested in police reform have raised concerns about what they contend is the Albuquerque police chiefs lack of involvement in the process, according to recent court filings.

APD spokeswoman Celina Espinoza disputed the contention that Chief Gorden Eden isnt involved, saying the chief has a very good sense, he has a very good understanding and he has a hand in all the reforms.

The coalition, APD Forward, said it is becoming increasingly dismayed by Eden and his top officials.

The organization said Community Policing Councils in the city have reported frustrations with the chiefs not attending their meetings, the Police Oversight Board has complained that the chief has ignored its findings and discipline recommendations, and the city attorney, instead of the police chief, is often the person who publicly explains the reform efforts. APD Forward also said Eden hasnt been present at some settlement-agreement meetings.

City Attorney Jessica Hernandezs prominence signals to the community that the city views the reform primarily as a legal dispute rather than as a transformative process spearheaded by the departments top brass, Peter Simonson, the executive director of the ACLU of New Mexico, said in a letter sent to parties in the reform effort this week.

He said strong, visible leadership from a police departments chief has helped other departments reform. APDs Espinoza said the chief delegates many of the reform tasks to members of his command staff, depending on subject matter. For example, commanders from each area command attend Community Policing Council meetings and high-ranking internal officers are at Police Oversight Board meetings.

Espinoza said some of the concerns raised recently are being addressed. For example, the department hired Nicole Chavez-Lucero, the mother of deceased teen Jaydon Chavez-Silver, to improve communication between the CPCs and the police. And Espinoza said the department will work to address concerns raised by the civilian oversight group.

Albuquerque police are undergoing a years-long reform effort that stems from a U.S. Department of Justice investigation that found the department has a pattern of excessive force. Police are currently putting in place a series of reforms, which include things like additional training for officers, that aim to address the DOJs findings.

Periodically throughout the reform process, James Ginger, an independent monitor overseeing police reform, files status reports in court. Gingers fourth such report was filed earlier this month. The report said there are ongoing problems with use-of-force training and investigations.

In anticipation of a hearing on the report Nov. 18, organizations involved with police reform can submit letters that are filed in court that outline their concerns.

The subject of Edens non-participation was brought up by several groups.

Beth Mohr, the chairwoman of the Police Oversight Board, said in a letter that city rules require the chief to respond in writing if he disagrees with the findings or a discipline recommendation from the board. Mohr said shes not aware of the chief ever giving the board such a response.

There has been, and there continues to be, no consequences for the chief or APD for violating the ordinance, she said.

Eric Olivas, the chairman of the Northeast Albuquerque CPC, also said in a recent letter that the group has grown frustrated that Eden hasnt accepted any of its invitations to attend a meeting. There are six CPCs throughout Albuquerque.

We do not ask for Edens attendance at every meeting, but once every two years would, at a minimum, signal a basic level of interest, Olivas said.
By PTI: Bhubaneswar, Nov 12 (PTI) Welcoming the Supreme Court judgement on the case to levy Entry Tax by states, the Odisha government today said it would earn Rs 1,500 crore from different companies.

"In pursuance to interim orders of the Supreme Court of India and High Court of Orissa, some dealers have paid 50 per cent of Entry Tax due on imported scheduled goods and some dealers have paid one third of Entry Tax due on scheduled goods brought/procured from outside the State which are not manufactured here," state Finance Minister Pradip Kumar Amat said.

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He said it was expected that the dealers would pay the balance pending Entry Tax about Rs 1,500 crore and interest there on after Division Benches vacated the stay. PTI AAM PR KIS SNP

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Republicans Dave Heil and Jay Block won seats on the Sandoval County Commission, while Sandoval County Treasurer Laura Montoya and County Clerk Eileen Garbagni were re-elected to second terms on an Election Day that saw more than 60 percent of eligible county voters head to the polls.

Most of the incumbents in local legislative races won re-election, the exception being District 23 Republican Rep. Paul Pacheco, who fell to former Sandoval County Commissioner and Democrat Daymon Ely in a very close race. According to the New Mexico Secretary of States website, there may be an automatic recount.

In the presidential contest, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton received 44.8 percent of the vote in the county, while Republican candidate Donald Trump had 42 percent, and former New Mexico governor and Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson had 10.7 percent.

According to unofficial results from the Secretary of State website, 64.8 percent of eligible county voters voted in Tuesdays general election. The number of Sandoval County voters (61,713) outpaced general elections in 2012 (54,245), 2008 (58,798) and 2004 (45,863).

Final numbers from the countys bureau of elections are expected to be available Thursday.

Heil took the District 4 seat by beating Democrat Alexis Jimenez. Both are from Rio Rancho. Heil, who gathered 54.7 percent of the vote, will succeed commissioner Glenn Walters, who could not run again because of term limits.

I appreciate all those who voted for me and worked for me, and I look forward to doing the job for the citizens of Sandoval County and Rio Rancho, Heil said.

Political newcomer Block, also of Rio Rancho, edged incumbent Democrat Nora Scherzinger of Corrales for the District 2 commission seat. He had almost 51 percent of the vote to Scherzingers 49 percent.

Block, who spoke with the Observer after the election, thanked Scherzinger for her work with the county as a commissioner and as an educator. He said his first days as commissioner will be spent pushing for more transparency from the commission, which includes his proposal to have public comment at the beginning of commission meetings, as opposed to being held near the end of each meeting.

We have to be accountable to the people, we have to serve them, they should be included in the county commission meeting, Block said.

The other commission seat up for election, in District 5, will be taken by Democrat F. Kenneth Eichwald, who was unopposed. He will succeed Democrat Darryl Madalena, who could not run again because of term limits.

Montoya, a Democrat, beat Republican challenger Leroy Lovato of Bernalillo to win another term as county treasurer. The incumbent, a Rio Rancho resident, gained 50.1 percent of the vote to Lovatos 49.8 percent.

Garbagni, a Democrat from Bernalillo, defeated Republican Donald Lemm of Rio Rancho with 52 percent of the vote.

Legislative races

In local legislative races, incumbent Republican Jason Harper won his third term in House District 57 as he defeated Democrat Donna Tillman with 55 percent of the vote. Both are from Rio Rancho.

In the race for House District 23, Ely, a Democrat from Corrales, denied Pacheco his third term, taking 50.3 percent of the vote to Pachecos 49.6 percent. Pacheco is from Albuquerque.

House District 44 incumbent Jane Powdrell-Culbert of Corrales and House District 60 incumbent Tim Lewis of Rio Rancho were unopposed. Both are Republicans.

In Senate races, the District 9 incumbent, Democrat John Sapien, narrowly beat Republican Diego Espinoza to win a third term. Sapien had 50.2 percent of the vote to Espinozas 49.7 percent. There may be an automatic recount, according to the Secretary of State website.

Republican Candace Gould won the Senate District 10 seat, taking almost 50.8 percent of the vote to Democrat David Simons 49.1 percent.

Incumbent District 40 Sen. Craig Brandt, a Republican from Rio Rancho, won his bid for a third term over Democrat Linda Allison, winning 55.3 percent of the vote.
Each year, Veterans Day events are attended by fewer and fewer men and women who served in the armed forces during World War II, nearly all of whom are now in their 90s.

As they leave us, they take with them their personal stories and recollections of their time in uniform.

Jaime Bacas story will not be one of those lost to time. His recollections have been preserved thanks to a documentary produced earlier this year by Tom Baker, a retired aerial photographer, author and history buff from Albuquerque.

According to the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services 2016 Annual Report, as of 2015, there were 5,117 World War II veterans living in New Mexico, a decline of 1,025 from 2014.

Born in 1923, Baca, a native New Mexican, attended St. Marys High School in Albuquerque.

I had a religious inclination and thought about the priesthood, he told the Journal this week during a conversation at his Rio Rancho home. With the war, that was put on hold and I went to California to work in an aircraft factory that made B-25 twin engine bomber planes.

The following year, 1942, Baca was drafted into the Army Air Corps and, after more than a year of training, wound up in the Pacific theater serving as a waist gunner aboard a four-engine B-24 Liberator.

By that time, it was clear that Germany and Japan wanted to conquer the world, and at the beginning of the war they were doing quite a job of it, until the U.S. came in and they became more defensive, said Baca, 93, a retired teacher currently serving as a deacon at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Rio Rancho. We had no question in our mind what we were fighting for.

Baca was stationed at various airfields on the northern coast of New Guinea and islands off the coast, where he was assigned to the 320th Squadron of the 90th Bomb Group, the Jolly Rogers, as they were known from their skull and cross bombs insignia.

For me, I was relieved to go to the Pacific because, over in Europe, they were bombing whole cities without any compunction and killing civilians, he said. In the Pacific, I knew we would be bombing strictly military targets. Maybe it was my religious convictions, but the bombing of whole cities bothered me; I suspect other guys felt that way, too, but we never talked about it. We kept those things to ourselves.

To be sure, the Pacific theater was far from easy duty.

It was hot and humid, and rained all the time, Baca said. We lived in tents, worked in mud, clothing and shoes rotted, and the food was atrocious. Everything was either canned or dehydrated. There was no fresh anything.

The airmen were also subjected to tropical illnesses including cholera, beriberi, typhus, dysentery, tropical ulcers and blackwater fever. I had malaria practically the whole time I was over there and took medication every day, he said.

If none of those things were fatal, there were plenty of other ways to die.

On some of those islands, the airstrip ran from one end of the island to the other and the bombers were so overloaded that sometimes they couldnt get up and would crash into the sea in a fireball, he said. The Japanese bombed the air bases all the time. On one island, we were bombed 30 nights in a row.

New Guinea had its own dangers because of indigenous cannibalistic tribes. During Bacas time there, the military confirmed that at least three airmen who survived a crash in the interior of the country were captured, killed and consumed, he said.

Baca remembers one particularly harrowing bombing run in a brand new B-24. The 10-person aircraft, along with others, was to fly a 3,000-mile round trip from New Guinea to the Philippines, overloaded with extra fuel tanks and bombs. One engine early on malfunctioned. With three engines, the plane barely made it though a violent storm, survived Japanese fighter plane attacks and anti-aircraft shelling over the target site. Unable to return all the way, the crew landed their damaged aircraft at a U.S. airfield in Indonesia and were picked up by another plane flying with their group. Finally arriving at their home airbase, they realized that, of 18 B-24s with 180 men that departed on the mission, only five aircraft and 60 men returned.

After 48 missions, Baca qualified to return stateside in April 1945. Germany fell later that month, and subsequently the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki forced the Japanese to surrender. The war ended and Baca was discharged. He attended school on the G.I. Bill, receiving a degree in history and later a masters degree in counseling. He taught junior high and high school in Bernalillo for 30 years.

His career as a teacher was only briefly interrupted when he finally attended seminary school to become a priest, but that didnt work out, he said. I was already 36 years old and the adjustment was very difficult. After retiring from teaching in 1981, Baca become a church deacon.

Reflecting on the significance of Veterans Day, he momentarily became silent. You appreciate life a lot more when you are surrounded by death, he said. Theres a certain amount of survivors guilt. Why did I survive over there for a year while other guys got shot down and killed after a week?

That, he said, is a bigger question for a higher power.

Buy the film Veterans Day observed

Copies of Tom Bakers documentary about Jaime Baca and the Jolly Rogers, can be purchased for $10 by calling 281-1775. Proceeds will go toward history education programs.
CHICAGO  In a year in which immigrants have been dragged through the mud and certain politicians have called on them to be driven from this country, its ironic (and heartening) that six of this years Nobel laureates are American immigrants.

Five of them were born in Great Britain, the other in Finland, and all are affiliated with top-tier U.S. universities like Princeton, MIT and Northwestern University.

Sir J. Fraser Stoddart, a Scottish-born researcher at Northwestern who won the prize in chemistry along with French and Dutch researchers, told the political website The Hill: Its particularly pertinent to have these discussions in view of the political climate on both sides of the pond at the moment. The naturalized U.S. citizen concluded, I think the United States is what it is today largely because of open borders.

He neednt have equivocated  thats absolutely historically correct. We can look back through our centuries of welcoming immigrants and its generally seen as an unqualified good.

The problem is that conflicting political agendas, media accounts and advocacy organizations casting of immigrants as archetypically good or evil  unlawfully present drug smugglers and violent criminals or angelically humble, poor, hardworking and striving for the American Dream  leave out the vast majority of immigrants who dont fit neatly into either stereotype.

Some politicians have convinced large swaths of the American public that immigrants come to the U.S. to take jobs. But, according to New American Economy (NAE), a bipartisan immigration-reform advocacy organization, even when excluding large, publicly traded firms, businesses owned by immigrants employed about 6 million workers in 2007, the most recent year for which figures are available.

In a new report, Reason for Reform: Entrepreneurship, NAE found that 2.9 million foreign-born entrepreneurs generated $65.5 billion in business income in 2014 alone. In that same year, immigrants made up more than 20 percent of all entrepreneurs in the country, despite representing just 13 percent of the population overall.

Also flipping the script on how we tend to talk about immigrants is NAEs assertion that foreign-born entrepreneurs were instrumental in the countrys recovery from the Great Recession.

Between 2007 and 2011, a period when the country struggled to create new jobs, immigrant entrepreneurs played a large role founding new businesses in several key states, said the report. Foreign-born entrepreneurs started 44.6 percent of new businesses in California during that period, as well as 42 percent of new businesses in New York State.

The fact is that Americans value immigrants, NAE executive director Jeremy Robbins told me. We fundamentally know that our great competitive advantage in the world is that were the place people want to come to. When you look at the strongest nations in the world, they are aging societies with no great potential for immigration like the U.S.  its a strength because, for instance, we dont just need Ph.D.s, highly skilled doctors and surgeons, but also home health aides.

(Another recent NAE publication estimated that by 2022, the need for home health aides will increase by nearly 50 percent. The organization sees young immigrant workers as the answer to addressing the current and future shortage of home health aides, especially in rural communities.)

Immigration is not a panacea to solve our countrys economic woes, Robbins said, but, when you look at Social Security, Medicaid and other structural programs in this country, immigrants pay way more into those systems than they take out.

Theres no question that this is true about legal immigrants.

And though there are competing analyses about whether unlawfully present immigrants contribute more to the economy than they cost in education and health expenses, what cannot be denied is that, according to the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, illegal immigrants contribute more than $11.6 billion to state and local coffers each year and pay an average 8 percent of their incomes in state and local taxes.

The institute estimates that if comprehensive immigration reform were to pass, the combined state and local tax contributions of our 11 million unauthorized immigrants would increase by more than $2 billion.

In this context, the broken immigration system should be seen as a puzzle  one that, once solved, will reward our country with brains and money.

E-mail: estherjcepeda@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
University of New Mexico community members debated Friday whether the next leader of the university needs extensive academic experience or if savvy management skills are more valuable.

That was the main conversation at a forum of about 40 hosted by UNMs Board of Regents to solicit input in replacing President Bob Frank when his term concludes at Mays end.

Eighteen people spoke during the 90-minute forum, saying the new president should also have knowledge of New Mexico and a commitment to diversity on campus.

Most faculty members who spoke said academic credentials were necessary.

What I see as a really essential leadership quality is that, first and foremost, our university president has to be an excellent teacher, said Melissa Bokovoy, chairwoman of the history department. Many faculty members said a president without academic credentials would have a hard time earning their respect.

Others argued that the next president would need to make tough decisions to guide the university through trying financial times. The state earlier this year cut the universitys budget by about 5 percent.

James Lewis, the president of the Alumni Association of the University of New Mexico and a former state treasurer, said UNM needs a good manager for financial success. He shared a quote from Ray Kroc, the man credited with the success of McDonalds.

He said this, You dont get a cook to run McDonalds. He could be the best cook in the world, but he is not a manager,  Lewis said.

Frank did not attend the forum.

The regents also recently announced a committee of students, faculty, staff, community members and state lawmakers to help in the search. The board of regents said the search would be national, but it has not said more specifically what its looking for in a candidate, such as what his or her salary would be or how long he or she would be attached to the university.

Jack Fortner, currently the longest serving regent with 18 years of experience, led the forum. He posed the administration-acumen versus academic-credentials question because the university had previously hired someone who was not from an academic background, former President Louis Caldera.

He said that at the time, the regents thought Calderas management experience  he had been a California state lawmaker and worked in the Clinton administration  would be beneficial to UNM. Caldera served as president from 2003 to 2006, and resigned before the end of his contract.

Fortner said it was important for the committee to know what people think is important in the next president.

I just want to know if the committee finds what they think is the right person, is it OK that he doesnt have a strong academic background? The committee needs to hear this, Fortner said.
No, the declining jail population is not to blame for last years spike in auto thefts in Albuquerque, according to a University of New Mexico researcher.

Paul Guerin, the director for the Institute for Social Research, reached this conclusion, which is at odds with a city-funded $68,000 study released last month. Guerin discussed his analysis of the city study during a Bernalillo County Criminal Justice Review Council meeting Thursday.

Correlations are used more often incorrectly than they are correctly in social sciences, Guerin said in an interview. Oftentimes, they are not used well. I think this is an occasion where there is not enough information to accurately describe the correlation.

Peter Winograd, a former UNM professor, completed the citys study. The findings were announced by Mayor Richard Berry as he kicked off a series of crime-fighting initiatives he is trying to bring to the city, which include hiring security firms to handle nonemergency, low-priority police tasks.

Winograd said that while he and Guerin disagreed on the methodology used to complete the citys study, they both agreed that a small number of criminals are responsible for the spike in crime.

He said his conclusions were not based solely on the correlation between declining jail population and increasing auto theft, but rather by analyzing data from more than 100 suspects who committed multiple auto thefts.

The number of auto thefts in Albuquerque jumped from 2,773 in 2010 to 5,179 in 2015. During that same time, the average daily population at the Metropolitan Detention Center dropped from 3,007 to 1,712. That, Winograd found, showed the two were strongly correlated.

But Guerin found that, by analyzing about 15 years of data, the correlation is much weaker. In fact, there were high numbers of auto thefts from 2005 to 2009, when the jails population was at its highest, according to county statistics.

Groups from various parts of the criminal justice system in Albuquerque  prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges and county officials  for the past several years have worked to make reforms to lower the jails population. The changes were made amid a yearslong federal lawsuit against the county over conditions, like overcrowding, at the MDC, one of the countrys largest jails.

Bernalillo County operates the facility, which has more than 2,000 beds.

It was wrong. It was flat wrong and it was unfair to say, Peter Cubra, an attorney involved in the federal litigation at the jail, said of the mayors crime study.

Unlike prisons, which confine convicts, the vast majority of people at jails like MDC havent been convicted of a crime and are waiting for their day in court. So the mayors study perplexed many criminal justice professionals, who said it seemed to imply that locking up people without first convicting them was a sound crime-fighting strategy.

Albuquerque police Chief Gorden Eden said that when discussing improvements to the local criminal justice system, its important to remember the effect crime has on the victims.

I firmly agree there are people in jail who should not be in jail. Theres no reason for them to be in jail awaiting trial, Eden said. The purpose of the (mayors) study was to identify  the people who reoffend.
The driver who prosecutors said drunkenly ran a red light, slamming into an SUV and killing two people, faces 30 years in prison after pleading no contest to eight charges this week.

Steven Trujillo, 37, pleaded no contest to two counts of vehicular homicide and six counts of great bodily injury by vehicle. Prosecutor Guinevere Ice said his blood-alcohol level was .20 percent, more than twice the legal limit. Trujillo had two prior DWI convictions, one in 2008 and one in 2012.

In exchange for Trujillos plea, the state dropped two charges against him  fleeing a law enforcement officer and third-offense DWI.

Although the plea agreement calls for a 30-year sentence, Trujillo will be sentenced by 2nd Judicial District Judge Alisa Hadfield at a hearing Dec. 16.

Trujillo, Ice said, was involved in a minor collision on July 12, 2015, and left the scene. Deputies said that, as he left, Trujillo threw multiple beer bottles out the window of his truck.

A deputy located his truck and attempted to stop it. Ice said he fled at a high rate of speed.

At one point, he ran a red light, hitting a vehicle with nine individuals in it, she said. Two of those individuals died as a result of that crash.

The SUV slid into and knocked down a large light pole close to Rio Bravo and Del Rio west of Isleta.

The crash killed Mary Soto, 30, and Elijah Sandoval, 14. Six more passengers suffered injuries, including severe burns and broken bones, Ice said. Sandovals mother, Veronica Prieto, lost her arm.

Losing an arm and losing a kid and losing a friend, Prieto said, that was a lot.

She and Soto and their kids, she said, were headed home after a summer day spent swimming.

While Prieto said shes relieved that the criminal process is drawing to a close, she said shes still angry. Shes angry at Trujillo and shes angry at the justice system that let him out on the street despite prior DWI convictions and pending domestic violence charges.

Trujillos attorney, Stefanie Gulley, declined to comment on the plea agreement.

The SUVs occupants were not wearing their seatbelts at the time of the wreck, deputies said. Seven passengers were ejected from the vehicle.
DENVER  Amid a national push for greater police accountability, voters in several major cities have approved measures to create or strengthen civilian oversight of law enforcement.

The trend reflects growing public demand for independent reviews of misconduct claims after deadly police encounters in cities such as Ferguson, Missouri, Baltimore and New York spotlighted police use-of-force and interaction with minorities.

Voters in New Orleans, Honolulu, Miami and San Francisco passed plans Tuesday to bolster existing civilian oversight programs. In Oakland, California, voters created a powerful civilian-run police commission to investigate problems within the department reeling from a sex scandal involving several officers.

Denver voters added provisions to the city charter to protect the existing independent monitor system. The measure makes it impossible for officials to cut the position without another public vote.

Theres a recognition that to help fix the issues in policing, we need not only to be focused on the few bad apples but to identify problems with the barrel itself, said Denvers independent monitor, Nicholas Mitchell.

Civilian police review boards began forming during the civil rights movement in the 1960s and flourished in the early 1990s after Rodney Kings beating by police officers in Los Angeles was captured on video, said Samuel Walker, a policing expert who studies citizen oversight.

Yet some efforts fizzled or shrank over the years due to budget cuts and other problems before the recent resurgence.

A Justice Department-funded study by the National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement found at least 144 such oversight agencies in 2016 in the nation  up from 100 in 2001. Some cities such as New York and Chicago have inspector generals or police monitors who review policy and procedure; others have boards that eye citizen complaints about officers.

Many of those efforts were launched through executive orders or because city councils approved ordinances. Its unusual that the issue has been put directly to voters, Walker said, a sign that more people see civilian oversight as a key part of public safety.

Once the consciousness of people has been awakened, their horror and outrage have manifested, as well as their desire to do something about it, said Rashidah Grinage, coordinator of the Coalition for Police Accountability, which drafted the measure in Oakland giving the seven person panel the power to discipline personnel, including the chief.

Voters in Honolulu overwhelmingly passed a city charter amendment giving the civilian oversight commission power to fire the chief, as well as to subpoena witnesses and evidence as it conducts investigations.

Supporters in Hawaii have been calling for more civilian oversight of the department, which has been under investigation by a grand jury over allegations of civil rights abuses and corruption that emerged from a theft case involving the police chiefs mailbox, according to a federal public defender.

Some police unions have welcomed civilian oversight but leaders expressed concern about the fairness of the disciplinary process for officers.

Weve worked hand in hand with civilians as part of the discipline process for a long time, said Denver police Sgt. Bryan ONeill, vice president of the citys Police Protective Association. Such programs can improve community trust, he said, it just has to be administered fairly and appropriately.

___

Associated Press writer Cathy Bussewitz in Honolulu contributed to this report.
Temperatures are cooling down, but New Mexicos film industry remains hot.

In November and December, traditionally a slow period for films, the state will see 10 productions in various stages of the filming process  pre-production, principal photography or post-production.

Were as busy as weve ever been, said Nick Maniatis, New Mexico Film Office director.

Those 10 productions  three movies and seven television shows  translate into more than 13,000 part-time and full-time jobs.

And many of the productions are repeat customers.

For instance, Soldado, the sequel to the Oscar-nominated film Sicario, recently began filming in the Duke City.

The same is true for television shows. Sony Pictures is producing the third season of Better Call Saul, the spin-off of the five-season blockbuster Breaking Bad.

And NBC Universal, which is responsible for In Plain Sight and The Night Shift, is in the middle of production on the highly anticipated freshman series Midnight, Texas.

Maniatis said the surge is due to a combination of factors.

The productions are comfortable with our program and know how it works, he said. They know how good our crew is and how good our facilities are. Its a win all around.

The influx of films may also be tied to other states tinkering with their incentive packages.

Louisiana, which has been a force in the film industry, has suffered a downturn since mid-2015. Legislators there passed a law aimed to control ballooning costs for its generous incentive program, and eventually placed a yearly cap of $180 million on payouts to film companies.

While the cap remains much higher than New Mexicos, just the uncertainty of lawmakers discussing changes can dampen film interest, said Maniatis.

Soldados budget is estimated around $30 million and is expected to take three months to film here.

Meanwhile, one week of filming a TV production funnels $1 million into the community, according to the Albuquerque Film Office.

A single episode usually takes eight days to shoot. Newer shows pour even more money into the production through start-up costs. And the states film incentives  a 30 percent tax rebate on all New Mexico goods and services and a $50 million cap on incentives  remains one of the most stable in the country.

Louisiana is dealing with what we saw in 2011, Maniatis said, referring to New Mexico lawmakers discussion and eventual altering of incentives. When you start to make changes, film companies take notice. It will take them (Louisiana) two or three years to recover. We may be reaping some of the benefit of the fallout.

Thousands of workers

Since Oct. 31, the NM Film Office has announced the productions Midnight, Texas, Soldado, Get Shorty and Monsters of God.

Those four productions alone will hire a total 7,400 background actors and employ 1,064 crew members.

This is in addition to the current productions Better Call Saul, Cliffs of Freedom and Godless, which are hiring 3,150 background actors and 580 crew members.

Maniatis said it helps that each production is at a different point in the process.

Some of the productions will pick up many of the crew members once theyre done. Its designed to keep New Mexicans working.

The film office keeps track of all the productions in the state and those coming.

We work with those that are interested in coming here, he said. Its like putting together a puzzle. We will have to ask productions to push two weeks until another project is done. We help create jobs and in my estimation, thats our most important mission.

Full house

Albuquerque Studios has had one of its busiest years and all nine stages are full.

Matt Rauchberg, senior vice president for business development at Albuquerque Studios, said all the states studios basically are busy.

Santa Fe (Studios) is full. Garson (Studios) is full, he said. I-25 Studios has a production coming in, Rauchberg says.

One of the exciting things for Rauchberg is the new back lot that Midnight, Texas built on the property.

Just behind studios 6 and 7, NBC Universal spent $2.5 million building a Western street for the TV series.

The buildings continue to demonstrate how we are building our infrastructure and facilities, Rauchberg said. Well have tremendous interior sets and a modern Western street. Its an asset.

Rauchberg pointed to improved production talent as well.

We have spent 10 years building skilled crew and some of the best sound stages, he said. We couldnt do this volume of high-end TV without the skilled crew.

No sign of slowdown

Maniatis doesnt see any signs of slowing down.

He and his staff are constantly looking for new productions to lure to New Mexico.

We have a lot of interest in the state and weve been putting out a lot of great work, he said. We will also go after a show. I wanted to get Westworld on HBO and I tried to bring Stephen Kings The Dark Tower here. Those didnt work out, but were trying.

Maniatis goal is to bring film projects to the entire state.

When Batman v Superman went to Deming, I was thrilled, he said. Recently, Hostiles went up to Farmington. I met with people in Gallup on how to get productions there. Albuquerque and Santa Fe will always get their fair share. I am trying to spread it around.

The state is coming off a second record year for the film industry.

In fiscal year 2016, which ended July 1, the direct spend into the state economy reached $387 million.

Thats up from fiscal year 2015s record high of $288 million.

Maniatis hopes there will be another record for fiscal year 2017.

The whole industry is about creating jobs, he said. This is one of the biggest job creators in the state. And its growing.

Movies

Soldado  200 crew, 70 stunt, 1,500 background

Cliffs of Freedom  200 crew, 800 background

One unannounced film

TV Series

Monsters of God  125 crew, 600 background,

Better Call Saul  70-90 crew

Midnight, Texas  450 crew, 1,800 background

Godless  280 crew, 30 principal actors, 2,350 background

Longmire  150 crew, 1,050 background

Get Shorty  289 crew, 3,500 background

Graves  200 crew, 2,500 background

Source: NM Film Office
LAS CRUCES  On the 11th hour, of the 11th day and 11th month, Las Crucens gathered to commemorate Veterans Day.

A parade in downtown Las Cruces and a ceremony in Mesilla highlighted Fridays events. The parade drew an estimated crowd of about 3,000 residents who lined Main Street and portions of Water Street. Mesillas Veterans Day ceremony drew approximately 175 people.

Youre why were here today, shouted 7-year-old Jacob Garcia, as he shook hands with two Las Cruces veterans who served in the Gulf War. I had fun, added Garcia, as the veterans smiled back at him.

Garcia was among hundreds of Las Cruces children who marched in or watched the citys 22nd annual Veterans Day Parade. About 190 students from Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School chanted and waved to people who lined the streets as the parade passed, and parade organizers said about 250 Central Elementary School students watched the parade from an area near Water Street and Griggs Avenue.

We think a holiday like this should not be a school day, Amanda Apodaca said. A holiday like this, kids should be with their parents, their families. If the (Las Cruces public) schools can let their students out on election, they should let them out for a holiday like Veterans Day, too.

Two of Apodacas four children participated in the parade. Apodaca and her husband took their other two children to the parade to watch their sibilings.

Fridays parade was the first time in many years that a military parade was conducted on Main Street. Andy Hume, downtown planning and development coordinator for the city of Las Cruces, said it has been at least 50 years since a Veterans Parade had marched on Main Street.

It was at least that, Hume said. The last time there was a parade similar to this up Main Street was maybe the mid 60s, before urban renewal.

There were other historical notes that underscored Fridays parade.

James Turner, the parades master of ceremonies, who also serves as a veterans service officer with the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services said Veterans Day was 62 years old. He told the parade crowd that Veterans Day was established in 1954 by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Before that, it had been known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, commemorating the end of World War I.

Also, an often forgotten tradition of Veterans Day and its predecessor Armistice Day, was observed. Before the parade began, everyone was asked to participate in a two-minute moment in silence to honor all military veterans.

Mayor Ken Miyagishimas father, Mike Miyagishima, served in the U.S. Air Force, and he gave him and all other veterans tribute.

We appreciate our veterans so much, were sorry we can only give them one day a year, but we try to do the best we can, Miyagishima said.

Greg Branson, a U.S. Army veteran who moved to Las Cruces 10 months ago, said the citys efforts to salute veterans was very much appreciated.

Ive lived throughout the Midwest and Im impressed, so far, how people in this city seem to go out of their way to acknowledge veterans, Branson said. Had I known they would get this kind of recognition, this kind of appreciation, I probably would have moved here five years ago, when I retired.

Where I lived before, it didnt seem like those communities really seemed to care very much about veterans. But seeing this makes me feel, as a veteran, that the time I spent in the service was worth it.

Fermin Rubio, who retired in January 2010 as Las Cruces city attorney, was especially impressed with Fridays parade. Rubio left his position with the city for the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate Generals Corps. Rubio is now an Air Force brigadier general with the New Mexico Air National Guard.

It was a great event, awesome, Rubio said. I continue to be so impressed with this communitys patriotism.

While the Veterans Day ceremony in Mesilla was much smaller, that suited La Mesa veteran Sonny Hernandez just fine.

Ive lived in the south valley all of my life, said Hernandez, a Vietnam veteran. Except for the two years I served in Vietnam in the early 70s, Ive always lived on our familys farm. I appreciate the big events with all their fanfare, but its the smaller, quieter ones, like this in Mesilla, that Im the most grateful for.

Participants in Mesillas Veterans Day ceremony were treated to lunch by Andele Restaurant after the event.

Steve Ramirez can be reached at 575-541-5452, sramirez@lcsun-news.com, or @SteveRamirez6 on Twitter.



2016 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.)

Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at www.lcsun-news.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

_____
By PTI: "It is very much on the lines of those we signed

"It is very much on the lines of those we signed earlier," said Jaishankar.

Besides the US, India has signed civil nuclear deal with Russia, South Korea, Mangolia, France, Namibia, Argentina, Canada, Kazakhstan and Australia.

Asked about Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes reference to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and CTBT, the Foreign Secretary said India understands Japan will have those positions.

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"Japan is a NPT and CTBT signatory. We understand that Japan would have those positions. From our point of view we have a very strong non-proliferation record, very responsible record.

"That is the record which has been basis for international cooperation in civil nuclear energy with us. So while we are not a party to the NPT, there was a broad recognition including by Abe that this is a country which has a very responsible record, truely a worthy partner in nuclear sector," Jaishankar said.

Referring to CTBT, he said India had declared "a voluntary unilateral moratorium and in fact during the time of NSG exemption, we had made a policy statement laying out our position. That commitment of 2008 was reiterated which lies at the heart of our case (for membership) of the NSG."

Asked whether there was a termination clause in the pact, he said most of the nuclear cooperation pacts have such provisions.

On whether there was Japan specific features in the agreement, he said he talked about annexures pertaining to reprocessing and some other provisions including change in technical definitions, adding concerns and priorities of the partner countries are incorporated. PTI AKK MPB NSA

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Panaji, Nov 12 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unlikely to make any election-related announcement in his speech here tomorrow, Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said today.

Assembly election is due in the state early next year.

"This is a government function, not an election campaign meeting. So, I dont expect him to make any election-related announcement," Parsekar told reporters after inspecting the preparations for tomorrows event at Shama Prasad Mukherjee stadium.

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Parsekar and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar visited the stadium where the prime minister is expected to address a 10,000-strong crowd after laying the foundation stones for Greenfield airport at Mopa and Tuem Electronic City in north Goa.

Modi will be arriving at Dabolim airport in the state directly from Japan.

The chief minister said the government had distributed 10,000 invitations for the event, though the demand for the same was higher than that.

"We need a bigger stadium for this kind of events. Our plan is to have an auditorium which can accommodate 15,000 people (in the future)," he said.

The prime minister is scheduled to spend around two hours in Goa before flying to Belgaum in Karnataka and then, to Pune. PTI RPS KRK RC

--- ENDS ---
The Mexican Ambassador to Ireland says his country will not pay for a wall between it and the United States.

Miguel Malfavon said that while Mexico was not happy with how the campaign was run, it is ready to work with President-elect Donald Trump.
WASHINGTON -- Allopurinol, a widely used treatment for lowering serum urate levels, does not appear to increase risk of kidney deterioration in gout patients with normal or near-normal kidney function, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a gradual loss of kidney function that can lead to fluid, electrolyte and waste build-up in its advanced stages. Gout, a condition marked by high levels of uric acid that can crystallize and settle in joints, can contribute to CKD in some patients.

Hyperuricemia, or high serum urate levels in the blood, can lead to CKD, but clinicians have been cautious about using allopurinol in these patients because of potential adverse events. Researchers conducted a study to examine the risk of allopurinol use in gout patients who have normal kidney function and need to lower their urate levels.

"Gout management is frequently suboptimal. Further exacerbating this poor management is the common practice of lowering the dose of or stopping allopurinol when a patient with gout begins to have a decline in kidney function, which inevitably adds to the poor control of their gout," said Ana Beatriz Vargas-Santos, PhD, who conducted the study while she was at the Clinical Epidemiology Research and Training Unit at the Boston University School of Medicine. "However, it is not clear that allopurinol is detrimental to kidney function, with some small studies suggesting that it may actually be beneficial for preventing renal decline. We therefore investigated the risk of developing CKD related to allopurinol initiation among subjects with normal or near-normal kidney function. If no such increased risk is found, then this would mean that clinicians should not unnecessarily stop, hold or decrease the dose of allopurinol when a patient's kidney function declines, and instead should think about other factors that may be contributing to the kidney function decline."

The study used electronic health record information from The Health Improvement Network (THIN), a database of patients treated by general practitioners in the United Kingdom. They included patients aged 18 to 89 with incident gout between 2000 and 2014 who had at least one contact with a general practitioner within a year before the study period. They looked at the relationship between allopurinol use by patients with gout to the development of CKD Stage 3 or higher. Since patients who initiated allopurinol may have stopped and non-users may have started the therapy during the study period, they performed a sensitivity analysis to censor study subjects whose exposure to the drug changed at some point.

The researchers identified 13,727 patients who starting allopurinol and were matched by propensity score to 13,727 patients who did not use the drug. The subjects had a mean age of 58 and body-mass index of 30, and a mean follow-up time of four years for both groups. Allopurinol use was not associated with an increased risk of developing CKD ?Stage 3 compared with non-use, with 1,401 of the allopurinol initiators and 1,319 non-users having developed CKD at ?Stage 3 disease, resulting in a relative risk of 1.05, which was not statistically significant. Allopurinol can help lower serum urate levels to improve gout symptoms without an increased risk to the kidneys, they concluded.

"Our results help to mitigate the concern that allopurinol is harmful to the kidney functioning of patients with gout," said Dr. Vargas-Santos. "This might encourage physicians to properly dose allopurinol, resulting in better outcomes for these patients. More studies are needed to further clarify this issue, including studies among subjects with established and advanced chronic kidney disease."

This research was supported by funding from the NIH's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

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About the American College of Rheumatology

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., the American College of Rheumatology is an international medical society representing over 9,400 rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals with a mission to Advance Rheumatology! In doing so, the ACR offers education, research, advocacy and practice management support to help its members continue their innovative work and provide quality patient care. Rheumatologists are experts in the diagnosis, management and treatment of more than 100 different types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. For more information, visit http://www.rheumatology.org.

About the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

The ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting is the premier meeting in rheumatology. With more than 450 sessions and thousands of abstracts, it offers a superior combination of basic science, clinical science, tech-med courses, career enhancement education and interactive discussions on improving patient care. For more information about the meeting, visit http://www.acrannualmeeting.org/, or join the conversation on Twitter by following the official #ACR16 hashtag.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 12, 2016 -- While compressions-only or Hands-Only CPR is as good as conventional CPR for adults, children benefit more from the conventional approach that includes rescue breaths. But black and Hispanic children are more likely to receive the compressions-only method, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2016.

Last year, Philadelphia researchers reported that bystander CPR on kids has increased and this year they report the comparison between conventional CPR attempts and Hands-Only attempts.

Using a large national registry in the United States, researchers examined the outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in children 18 years and younger. Of 1,458 arrests treated with bystander CPR between 2013-2015, 49 percent of children received conventional CPR, 50 percent were given compressions-only CPR, and 1 percent had ventilation-only CPR. Among the findings:

Compressions-only CPR was used more often in black children (56 percent) and Hispanic children (64 percent) than in white children (49 percent).

Although black children were more likely to receive compressions-only CPR, their survival was better if they received conventional CPR.

Conventional CPR was associated with a 60 percent better chance of survival and a 50 percent better chance of being discharged from the hospital with good brain function.

Infants were more likely to receive conventional CPR, and that approach improved their survival more than compressions-only CPR.

Overall, survival was 17 percent for conventional CPR and 14 percent for compressions-only CPR.

The American Heart Association recommends conventional CPR (compressions and rescue breaths) for infants and children, but if rescuers are unwilling or unable to deliver breaths, they should perform compressions-only CPR.

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Maryam Y. Naim, M.D., assistant professor Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine and Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine;

Note: Scientific presentation time is 3:45 p.m. CT, Sunday, Nov. 13 in Great Hall D.

Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at http://www.heart.org/corporatefunding.
By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his visit to Japan, today addressed the Indian community there. PM Modi was addressing a gathering at Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in central Japan.



PM Modi thanked people of India for supporting demonetisation despite hardships.He added that he is confident about the perseverance of Indians. "I salute the people of India for hailing this initiative, despite all difficulties they have supported us," said PM Narendra Modi

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In his address, PM Modi emphasized on the alliance between Kobe and Gujarat. He said that Kobe helped Gujarat greatly during 2001 earthquake that shattered the state. Talking about FDI PM Modi said that he sees the trend acronym as 'First develop India'.

"We have told the poor that even if they don't have a penny, we will help them open a bank account," said PM Modi.

"We have seen the rich getting poor, but the poor in our nation has showed us what it means to be rich," he said.

ON DEMONETISATION

The Prime Minister thanked they citizens of Indian for supporting the decision to scrap Rs 500 and 1,000 notes on November 8.



"Earlier nobody threw money in River Ganga, but now people have started showering the river with Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes," he said.

He said that demonetisation too was a kind of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan and was not meant to cause any discomfort to anyone.

Also read: Why a civil nuclear deal PM Modi will sign with Japan today is huge for India



Prime Minister Modi said that demonetisation was not an overnight decision and that they had brought a scheme. He added that they gave opportunity to the citizens.

"Till 30 December, there will be no trouble caused to anyone. Everything that is yours, you will get it," said PM Modi. He added that there will be guaranteed returns from this scheme.

Also read: Prime Minister's popularity drops as Modi loses over 3 lakh followers on Twitter





--- ENDS ---
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 12, 2016 -- CPR increases the chance of survival after sudden cardiac arrest, yet knowledge of this life-saving procedure is low in many communities, especially among older adults, according to separate studies presented during the Resuscitation Science Symposium at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2016.

In two studies - one in the United States and the other in Denmark - older adults emerged as an overlooked demographic and a target area for improved CPR training. Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after sudden cardiac arrest.

In the American study (Presentation18), a random digit dial telephone survey of 9,022 respondents age 18 and older found that only 18 percent reported that they were currently trained in CPR delivery - via either conventional CPR or chest compression-only approaches. About 65 percent said they had received CPR training at some point.

According to the survey:

Higher education level was linked with a 43 percent increased likelihood of ever being CPR-trained.

Higher household income was l with a 7 percent increased likelihood of ever being CPR-trained.

Compared to younger adults, those age 50 and older were 50 percent less likely to be CPR trained.

In fact, there was a steep drop in the likelihood of having CPR training after age 50.

"Cardiac arrest occurs among people in their 50s and 60s, and most cardiac arrests occur in the home, yet that is the population that is poorly trained or has not kept up with current training," said Benjamin Abella, M.D., M.Phil., senior study author and director of the University of Penn's Center for Resuscitation Science and an associated professor of Emergency Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

"If we expect one of the key links in the chain of survival to be the bystander response, including the use of automatic external defibrillators and the delivery of CPR, then we really need to better understand what gets bystanders to act, what gets bystanders to learn and refresh their CPR skills and the current ways to seek training in any given community," he said.

In the Denmark analysis (Presentation 229), 99 questionnaire responses from adults over 65 years old, found reluctance among the elderly to perform CPR. The biggest barriers were lack of knowledge and a fear of doing harm to the person under cardiac arrest.

If they witnessed a cardiac arrest:

85 percent of respondents said they would be willing to call the Emergency Medical Services (EMS);

35 percent would provide rescue breaths;

36 percent would give chest compressions;

35 percent would use an automated external defibrillator (AED); and

only 15 percent said that they would be willing to do all of the above.

"We do believe there needs to be a special focus on the elderly," said Lise Qvirin Krogh, lead study author and research fellow at Arhus University Hospital's Research Center for Emergency Medicine in Denmark. "Calling the EMS is a very big step in the right direction, but they can help the victim much more by also starting CPR."

The study sample was small and the data was collected from members of leisure clubs who may be more active than the general elderly population, Krogh said. But the research is a start in identifying areas to improve the quality of bystander delivery of CPR among elderly.

"It was surprising that among these respondents it was only about 35 percent who would actually start CPR," she said. "The willingness to perform CPR is very dependent on the knowledge about CPR. With this study we can get closer to strategies to increase the knowledge about CPR and focus CPR training among the elderly."

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Co-authors of the U.S. research are Audrey Blewer, M.P.H.; Marion Leary, M.S.N., R.N.; David Dutwin, Ph.D.; Said Ibrahim, M.D.; Bryan McNally, M.D.; Monique Anderson, M.D. and Laurie Morrison, M.D.

Co-authors of the Denmark research are Mette Nebsbjerg, M.D.; Stinne Rasmussen, M.D.; Katrine Bjrnshave, M.D.; Kristian Krogh, M.D., Ph.D.; Jonas Poulsen, M.D. Ph.D.; and Bo Lfgren, M.D., Ph.D.

Author disclosures are on the abstract.

The U.S. study was partially funded by a grant from the American Heart Association, the National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute.

Note: Scientific presentation of Presentation 18 is 3:15 p.m. CT, Sunday, Nov. 13 in Room 203-205 and scientific presentation of Presentation 229 is 8:24 a.m. CT, Sunday, Nov. 13 in Great Hall D.

Additional Resources:

AHA expert perspective video (via Skype) interview clips (for download/edit) and images related to this news release are on the right column of the release link at http://newsroom.heart.org/news/cpr-skills-low-among-older-adults?preview=7c759e9d764ee9e9e713aa385430a976

Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations an1d corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at http://www.heart.org/corporatefunding.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 12, 2016 -- Patients who have been taking statins are likely to survive longer after a cardiac arrest than those who are not taking them, according to research from Taiwan researchers presented during the Resuscitation Science Symposium at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2016.

A study analyzing the records of nearly 138,000 patients who suffered out-of-hospital-cardiac arrest in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database found that the prior use of statins was associated with higher rates of survival after cardiac arrest than was non-use. Statin users were significantly more likely than non-users to be still alive a year after the episode. Within the statin group, a subgroup of patients with Type 2 diabetes showed the most improvement in survival rate.

The study also found that with the prior use of statins, patients were:

About 19 percent more likely to survive to reach a hospital;

About 47 percent more likely to survive long enough to be discharged from hospital;

50 percent more likely to survive for at least a year afterwards; and

most likely to see a benefit from prior use of statins if they had Type 2 diabetes.

"There is some risk associated with statins, but this study confirms the benefit," said Ping-Hsun Yu, M.D., study senior author and a researcher at the Taipei Hospital Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan.

For patients who have already experienced a heart attack or ischemic stroke, cholesterol-lowering statins are often prescribed to prevent a second cardiovascular event. However, because these drugs can cause significant side effects (most commonly reported are muscle pain and weakness and increased blood sugar levels), the recommendation to use statins for the prevention of a first cardiac arrest or stroke is not clear.

Yu and his colleagues sorted the records according to whether or not the patients had used statins within 90 days of a cardiac event and researchers accounted for gender, age, underlying conditions, years of hospitalization, post-resuscitation factors, and several other variables.

More than 95 percent of the research population in the analysis were Asian, so researchers say these results might not apply to other ethnic groups or to multi-ethnic populations like that of the United States. The pre-existing database also did not distinguish among different dosages or types of statin. A prospect for further study, said Yu, "may be to divide the statins into different subgroups to see if different potencies or types result in different outcomes."

###

Co-authors are Chien-Hua Huang, M.D.; Min-Shan Tsai, M.D. and Wen-Jone Chen, M.D., Ph.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract.

The National Taiwan University Hospital provided funding for access to the National Health Insurance Research Database.

Note: Scientific presentation time is 11:15 a.m. CT, Sunday, Nov. 13 in Room 206-207.

Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at http://www.heart.org/corporatefunding.
WASHINGTON (Nov. 11, 2016) -- Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) will honor Roger I. Glass, MD, PhD, with the 2016 Cura Personalis Award at its Ninth Annual GUMC Convocation on Thursday, Nov. 17. Glass also will be the Convocation keynote speaker.

The Cura Personalis Award, GUMC's highest honor, is bestowed upon a health professional who has made outstanding contributions to human health guided by compassion and service. A Catholic, Jesuit concept, cura personalis is Latin for "care of the whole person" and is GUMC's founding principle.

Glass, director of the Fogarty International Center and associate director for international research for the National Institutes of Health, was selected for the award because he embodies Georgetown's emphasis on social justice.

"Our award winner reflects this ideal by leading a federal research effort that doesn't ask how the U.S. can help itself, but rather by examining our contributions and impact in the world as it pertains to improving health on a global scale," announced Edward B. Healton, MD, PhD, GUMC's Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and Executive Dean of its School of Medicine.

Glass, a member of the National Academy of Medicine, was named director of the Fogarty International Center in 2006. His research has been targeted towards epidemiologic studies to anticipate the introduction of rotavirus vaccines leading to the prevention of debilitating gastroenteritis infections. An award-winning researcher, Glass has co-authored more than 600 research papers and chapters. He has maintained field studies in India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Mexico, Israel, Russia, Vietnam, China and elsewhere, and he is fluent and often lectures in five languages.

"I am delighted and humbled to receive this award for efforts to build sustainable research capacity in low- and middle-income countries," said Glass. "By empowering local scientists and governments to determine and address their own research priorities, we are giving them the necessary tools to improve the health of their own people."

In addition to the keynote address, Glass will be the featured panelist during the Convocation's colloquium on global health titled: "Building Global Health Capacity at Georgetown: Responsibilities and Priorities," from 10:00 -11:30 a.m. Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia will present the Cura Personalis medal to Glass during the Convocation ceremony from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. where Glass will also deliver the keynote address. All activities take place on the Georgetown University Medical Center campus at 4000 Reservoir Rd., NW, in Washington.

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Media should RSVP by emailing Karen Teber at km463@Georgetown.edu.

About Georgetown University Medical Center

Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) is an internationally recognized academic medical center with a three-part mission of research, teaching and patient care (through MedStar Health). GUMC's mission is carried out with a strong emphasis on public service and a dedication to the Catholic, Jesuit principle of cura personalis -- or "care of the whole person." The Medical Center includes the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing & Health Studies, both nationally ranked; Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute; and the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization, which accounts for the majority of externally funded research at GUMC including a Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health. Connect with GUMC on Facebook (Facebook.com/GUMCUpdate), Twitter (@gumedcenter) and Instagram (@gumedcenter).
McLaren McLaren looked reasonable in FP1, and had pace for the top 10 in FP2, but Buttons day ended prematurely when three red warning lights illuminated on his dashboard to indicate a problem in the exhaust region, just as Alonso was rolling to a halt in Turn 3 with ERS water pressure problems. Fernando Alonso - FP1: 1:14.296, P14; FP2: 1:13.572, P11 We saw today that we seem to be a little bit more competitive here than at some of the previous races, and I believe theres a chance for us to make it into Q3 tomorrow. In the second session, I had to stop the car due to the fact that we saw an anomaly in ERS water pressure data. Were going to change the engine anyway for tomorrow, so this issue wont affect me at all for the rest of my weekend. With the high temperatures we had today, I think everyone suffered a lack of grip and degradation, but it looks like the weather is going to change, with some lower temperatures, cloud and rain. That would help us, as it would help reshuffle the deck a little. Tomorrow we need to have a good qualifying session  thats very important as overtaking around here can be quite difficult. Jenson Button - FP1: 1:14.252, P13; FP2: 1:13.440, P10 On low fuel, the car didnt feel too bad, it was relatively fun to drive. The balance still needs a bit of work on high fuel, but we didnt get much running done because we had an issue with the exhaust temperatures and had to stop. Neither car did much long-running today, which is a pity because we need that information, particularly for our understanding of the Option tyres performance. Fortunately, the problem on my car should be very easy to solve; its just hurt todays running. Hopefully, we can get plenty of running in tomorrow  we need it. With the anticipated lower temperatures, qualifying should be fun  getting into Q3 will be tough, but that should be our aim. For the race itself, Id like the weather to sort itself out and rain! Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda Racing Director It was frustrating to see both cars stop in quick succession of each other, particularly as it meant that we werent able to complete our proposed long-run plan at the end of FP2. Looking at it pragmatically, its better that these issues occur during free practice rather than during qualifying or the race, and Im sure well be able to quickly resolve the problems before tomorrows sessions. In addition, with mixed and rainy conditions forecast for the remainder of the weekend, todays lack of running may not prove too consequential at the end of Sundays race. On a more positive note, we were able to complete a fairly comprehensive test programme this morning, running through a number of correlation exercises and test-item evaluations, all of which should prove useful to our knowledge and understanding of next years car. Well have a little bit more work to do during FP3 tomorrow, but weve nonetheless made a positive start to the race weekend.

Enlarge Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren MP4-31 at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Info Close

Manor Ocon had a completely different FP1 to the one hed had in Mexico, to his relief. He said that he could start attacking a new track straight away, and was positive about how his day had evolved. Wehrlein had the opposite experience, with handling problems on his car which significantly compromised his FP2 and left him on his back foot. Pascal Wehrlein - FP1: 1:14.948, P20; FP2: 1:14.958, P22 Ive been struggling with some car issues today. We looked at it between FP1 and FP2, but FP2 ended up being massively compromised. I had to stay in the garage for most of the session. Its not ideal, but Fridays can be like that, and now we just need to get to the bottom of the problem and fix it before tomorrow. Challenges are there to be overcome and they simply make you fight harder. I was able to get out on track for the end of the session and even though I had half the laps of some people out there, I was pleased with where we ended up, considering. Ill come back tomorrow and see what weve got for qualifying. Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:14.827, P18; FP2: 1:14.317, P18 Im loving the track; its a circuit that has a lot of character and is short but really interesting. With the car, it feels like a much better start to the weekend than Mexico and I think weve done a good job to get up to speed quite quickly. Theres more to come as we build towards qualifying and the race, but with how things look so far, I think we can have a nice fight with the cars around us. I think we found the problem and my car feels back to normal after the problems we had in Mexico. Im much happier with the way the car is handling and the pace looks good - ahead of a Renault and a Sauber. So far so good. Dave Ryan, Racing director Not the best start to the weekend on Pascals side of the garage. Weve experienced a few problems in both sessions, some of which we identified and got on top of and some of which require further investigation. That lost him quite a bit of time confined to the garage and his programme was significantly impacted. However, he did a good job to come back from that and had a positive end to what has been a pretty poor couple of sessions. We need to sort those problems out for him. With Esteban, he had a straightforward day and was able to demonstrate that our one-lap pace is looking good versus our immediate competitors, but theres still a lot of work to do to prepare for the race.

Enlarge Pascal Wehrlein (GER) Manor Racing MRT05 locks up at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Info Close

Haas Grosjean had an ambitious FP1 programme, testing the halo during his installation lap before focusing on comparing brake packages from Brembo and Carbone Industrie. He tried the former for nine laps, then switched to the latter for the remaining 15 that he did on mediums. He liked the Carbone Industrie wares and suggested that he would retain them for the rest of the weekend. Gutierrez said he didnt the get the balance perfect on his VF-16, which Leclerc had again driven well in FP1. Romain Grosjean - FP1: 1:14.507, P15; FP2: 1:14.074, P15 The main item of the day was trying the new brakes. Im pretty happy with them. I think Im going to stick with them all weekend long. Were still not perfect in terms of maps, balance and usage and so on, but the feeling was pretty good. Weve been struggling a bit with the heat and the temperature of the track, and our afternoon was a little more difficult than our morning. There are a few items here and there to work on to get the car to go faster, but at least we have some direction in where to go and what to do. Esteban Gutierrez - FP2: 1:14.558, P20 It was nice to get back driving after sitting out FP1. I think it was important just to do our program. It was a little compact fitting it all into FP2, but it went reasonably well in terms of evaluating the car. Now we can improve a lot. I was not very happy with the balance, so we have some work to do tonight to try to put that together. We need to try to optimize everything for tomorrow. Charles Leclerc - FP1: 1:15.391, P21 It was great to get back into the car. I love the Interlagos track. Its my first time here. I love the second sector, especially. Its very interesting. Its been a long time since Ive driven a racecar because were on a bit of a break in GP3 at the moment, and its been even longer since I drove the Formula One car. It was a bit of an adaptation in my first runs this morning, but in the end it all went well. We ran through our program and the team gave me the feedback that I was helpful to them, so thats all good. Guenther Steiner, Team principal I would say we had an abnormally good Friday, as Fridays lately havent been very good to us. Today we had a problem-free FP1 and FP2. In FP1, Charles drove Estebans car and Romain his. It went pretty well. We did our program and made progress. In FP2, Esteban was back in his car and we got through our whole program. It seems like as soon as temperatures go up, our car goes slower and we lose grip. I think we know now how to cure this. We still have work to do, but fortunately the forecast has it getting cooler, so that may help us. But we cannot rely on fortune, so everybodys working hard to see that we get the performance in the car for tomorrow. We also tested different brakes on Romains car. They seem to be working fine. We had no issues. Well now review if we continue to use them or not.

Enlarge Romain Grosjean (FRA) Haas VF-16 at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Info Close

Red Bull Red Bull got off to a strong start to their weekend, with both drivers looking decent on single-lap pace against the Mercedes in FP1, and showing pretty competitive race pace in FP2, though Verstappen felt that some lunchtime changes had not been for the better. Neither driver believes that they are on Mercedes' pace, however, and both are praying for rain on Sunday. Daniel Ricciardo - FP1: 1:12.371, P4; FP2: 1:12.828, P5 Today it was really hot and you could feel the tyres were having a hard time, and it means we were not as quick as wed like. On the long run today I didnt feel we were that strong towards the end of it but I feel that once the track cools its going to be completely different. We are a bit closer to Mercedes than we probably expected, and theres still a bit more to come from the car, but to really have a chance to win then I think we need some rain to help us. The rain would be fun just to change it up a little bit but even if its just cooler tomorrow and on Sunday as forecast it will be better on the tyres. Of course we will try and improve what we have done today but I think tomorrow will be another story. Max Verstappen - FP1: 1:11.991, P2; FP2: 1:12.928, P6 First practice was really good this morning, we then made some changes for second practice which meant my short run pace wasnt fantastic, along with the increase in track temperature. We went back on some of those changes and the long run in FP2 looked quite positive. I think we are happy with the pace over that distance, we just need to make some modifications for tomorrow to get the short distance pace back. Using both the soft and medium compound today meant we got a good understanding of how they will react around here, no real surprises to be honest. Mercedes are still too far ahead in my opinion but after them we are up there and competitive. I am hoping it will rain on Sunday as this will close the gap, give us a good shot at winning and add to the excitement. If conditions are like this then it will be a bit tougher for us to be up front.

Enlarge Max Verstappen (NED) Red Bull Racing RB12 at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Info Close

Renault Palmer ran the halo in FP1, when he also tried the medium and soft tyres. Sirotkin only used the mediums in his second run for the team but that was truncated by a wiring problem. In FP2 Magnussen and Palmer both used the mediums and softs. The Dane was happier with his RS16s balance than was the newly re-signed Briton. Jolyon Palmer - FP1: 1:14.908, P19; FP2: 1:14.436, P19 Despite the fact that we did a decent amount of laps today, I think that there is still some work to be done as I havent felt completely happy with the car. I want to make a jump forward tomorrow. The positive is that we have gathered a lot of data with all the running done in FP1 and in FP2. I tried the halo for the first time early on this morning and my first impression is that it felt a bit like I had a roof over my head. Kevin Magnussen - FP2: 1:14.109, P16 We did a good afternoons work and I felt comfortable pretty much straight away. I was able to get some good laps under my belt including a respectable long run. Im happy with the way today went and look forward to preparing for the rest of the weekend with all the data weve gathered. Sergey Sirotkin - FP1: 1:15.800, P22 It was very nice to be back at the wheel of the R.S.16 this morning as its been a while. Interlagos is a legendary circuit so it was great to drive around this historic track behind the wheel of an F1 car. Unfortunately we didnt do as many laps as we would have liked due to a problem with the car after Id completed 10 laps. These things happen and thats what practice is for. Of course, it was frustrating not to get more time driving, however Im still really looking forward to my next opportunity for an outing with the team. Bob Bell, Chief Technical Officer Despite the issue encountered this morning, it has been a reasonably positive day. Sergey was unfortunate to lose laps because of a wiring loom glitch, however we were able to complete a normal Friday morning programme with Jo. In the afternoon we completed our full programme so have plenty of data to work on. Kevin was happier with his car than Jo so we know theres work to be done. We hope to be able to improve on both sides of the garage ahead of qualifying.

Enlarge Kevin Magnussen (DEN) Renault Sport F1 Team RS16 at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Info Close

Ferrari Vettel said he wasnt happy with his fast-lap pace and that it was generally a tricky day regarding the heat and getting the tyres dialled in. He had a spin at Mergulho at the end of FP1, but said he was optimistic for tomorrow. Raikkonen said he hadnt got the car fully balanced yet, and lost time in FP2 when a discarded visor blocked a duct and caused his brakes to overheat. Sebastian Vettel - FP1: 1:13.567, P9; FP2: 1:13.002, P7 "I think it was a tricky day. The track was very slippery, the temperature hot, and I think everybody was struggling with the tires. It was a bit difficult to find the rhythm. The long run was a bit better for us: I haven't seen what the others were doing, but I felt a bit more confident with more time and more laps in the car. So in total we tried a lot of things, and now we need to go and see what actually was best. Towards the end of the day it seemed to calm down a bit more, finding the rhythm, which wasn't the case for the short run, for the fast lap, where I wasn't very happy. The good news today are that the gaps were very close. Mercedes for sure, as expected, is a bit up front: but other than that, if it stays like this, it bodes well for tomorrow." Kimi Raikkonen - FP1: 1:13.569, P10; FP2: 1:13.047, P8 "It was a pretty normal Friday: we tried different things to make it better for tomorrow. It was a bit tricky to find the balance, the set-up is not ideal yet, but we are going in the right direction. I only did a few laps with the Soft, it felt pretty ok and obviously it has the best grip. Unfortunately at the end of the second session we had an issue with one visor which obstructed the cooling duct: the brakes overheated and I had to stop."

Next Previous Enlarge 1 / 2 Kevin Magnussen (DEN) Renault Sport F1 Team RS16 and Sebastian Vettel (GER) Ferrari SF16-H at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari SF16-H at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Info Close

Force India Hulkenberg said hed had a good start and that he generally feels like Force India can have another strong weekend. Perez aid his cars balance need more work, and that he never got a clear lap in FP2 and that there was thus more to come his side of the garage. Nico Hulkenberg - FP1: 1:13.293, P7; FP2: 1:13.299, P9 "It was a good Friday - just what you want from a day like this. We had two dry sessions and collected some very useful tyre information with two long runs. The car feels ok, but there is still a lot that can be done to improve the balance overnight. Its a good starting point. Its still too early to know just how competitive we are, but it feels like we have the potential for a strong weekend." Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:13.289, P6; FP2: 1:13.918, P14 "A very hot day, but things went to plan and I feel positive. This afternoon I didnt get a clear lap for my first run on the soft tyres so I feel there is more potential to come. We tried a few set-up adjustments that did not really work, but weve learned some things which will give us a better direction for tomorrow. We expect the weather to be slightly cooler over the weekend, but I still think the work weve done today is representative and we just need to adjust if the track temperatures drop. Overall I feel happy with what weve done today and we have a good idea of where we need to improve overnight." Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal "As the forecast indicated, we had a very hot day with high temperatures, up to 50 degrees on track, in both FP1 and FP2. This allowed us to learn a lot about the set-up of the car and the performance of the tyres in these conditions. However, we are aware that cooler weather is expected for the rest of the weekend, with a realistic chance of rain, so we need to keep that in mind when looking at a qualifying and race set-up. Overall, it was a fairly standard Friday in which we were able to complete our programme with no issues. Both drivers were quite happy with the car by the time we got to the long runs at the end of the day, but there is still some work to do in regard to our low-fuel performance. It will be our focus tonight as we prepare for the weekend."

Next Previous Enlarge 1 / 2 Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Force India VJM09 with halo at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Sergio Perez (MEX) Force India VJM09 at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Info Close

Williams Williams were pleasantly surprised that their set-up was quick, after plenty of simulator work beforehand. They had a strong and very fruitful day and their best performance in a while. The only problem was a flat-spotted tyre that hurt Massas pace slightly. Valtteri Bottas - FP1: 1:13.129, P5; FP2: 1:12.761, P3 "For a Friday, it was good. The balance was quite good in the first run, so it has just been fine tuning after that. The long runs were consistent, the car feels ok and the pace seems promising. But its only Friday so, like every weekend, we will need to find a lot more for tomorrow because everyone else will improve as well. Im happy with today, but its tomorrow and Sunday that count. I think we can be more competitive than we were in the last race, but its difficult to say in detail after practice because everyone is trying different things." Felipe Massa - FP1: 1:13.318, P8; FP2: 1:12.789, P4 "Its definitely been a good day. Its always nice to see your name near the top of the leaderboard. Im really looking for that competitiveness tomorrow and especially on Sunday. This is a track that I love and the people here really support me, which gives me so much more confidence. I hope we can stay up there this weekend. It wont be easy but I will definitely try!" Rob Smedley, Head of Performance Engineering "We are pleasantly surprised at how good our pace was today. Weve done a lot of set-up and development work in the simulator, and then subsequently on the track here, and the drivers are happy with the results. We knew we had to take a slightly different approach for a track like this, with the low-speed corners, so thats what weve been concentrating on. Both the low and high fuel runs looked good, we could run the soft tyre easily as long as we need to, and it was good on the medium tyre as well. There was a lot of degradation on the high fuel, but the degradation was high today so the aim is to have relatively less than other people. Felipe suffered a flat spot on his long run that knocked his pace back a little bit, but overall were in good shape."

Next Previous Enlarge 1 / 2 Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Williams FW38 at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Felipe Massa (BRA) Williams FW38 at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Info Close

Toro Rosso Sainz said he had a scrappy day, with some cooling problems in the morning. Kvyat had a right rear puncture then that cost him time, but said that otherwise his day had ticked all the boxes. Daniil Kvyat - FP1: 1:14.090, P12; FP2: 1:13.689, P12 "It was a decent day. Even if we missed a bit of track time this morning, weve completed a good amount of laps today, as we were able to catch-up well in FP2. Weve ticked all the boxes and it therefore was a useful Friday. It will be an interesting race on Sunday because its quite hot here as we saw today, but the conditions can quickly change and we will need to be fast reacting to them." Carlos Sainz - FP1: 1:13.711, P11; FP2: 1:13.801, P13 "It was a bit of a scrappy Friday if we compare it to the last two, but it still hasnt been a bad day. During this mornings FP1 we were not able to run as much as we wanted due to some cooling issues, but these were solved for FP2. We had some catch-up to do this afternoon but in the end we were able to complete our programme, and thats what counts. This is a challenging track, particularly the last sector, which is flat-out and up-hill and where we lose a bit of time. Despite this, we are still in the fight and I feel comfortable in the car." Jody Egginton, Head of Vehicle Performance "Dry weather here at Interlagos today has allowed us to complete our run planned programme, although we had a bit of catching-up to do following a few issues disrupting both sides of the garage in FP1. Focusing on the soft and medium compounds and opposing tyre usage at specific points in the FP2 programme has provided us with a large and useful amount of data to optimise our long and short run pace further. We feel that, although today was reasonable, there is still lap time to be found from short runs and we can also make similar gains on long runs. This is why this will remain a focus for tomorrow, when we expect to see lower track and ambient conditions. However, looking at the weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday, we could well also be switching our focus to wet-running at some points, so we will be working hard to cover all scenarios tonight."

Next Previous Enlarge 1 / 2 Daniil Kvyat (RUS) Scuderia Toro Rosso STR11 at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Carlos Sainz jr (ESP) Scuderia Toro Rosso STR11 locks up at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Info Close

Sauber Nasr had a positive day in front of his home crowd, but Ericsson admitted that his spin at the start of FP2 flat-spotted his medium tyres so badly that they couldnt be used again, and that that indiscretion meant he didnt get the balance fully dialled in. Marcus Ericsson - FP1: 1:14.654, P17; FP2: 1:14.695, P21 "In FP1 it was interesting to test the halo system. For me it was positive, I did not have any issues with it in terms of visibility. The rest of FP1 was ok. In the afternoon session, it was unfortunate that I spun on my first lap in FP2, which flat spotted my medium tyres. We could not use them anymore for the rest of the session. On the soft tyres we have a bit of work to do in order to get them to work better. I am not fully satisfied with the balance of the car, so we need to improve that for tomorrow as well. But thats what Fridays are there for. We know what we need to do in order to be stronger for the rest of the weekend." Felipe Nasr - FP1: 1:14.631, P16; FP2: 1:14.309, P17 "First of all, it is great to be back in Brazil and to be driving in front of my home crowd. In terms of the practice sessions, it was a positive Friday. We were able to work through our programme today. I feel that we can improve the balance of the car, although we already made improvements for the afternoon session. We were able to make the right adjustments on the car for the warmer conditions in FP2. Tomorrow we have to anticipate the weather change to get the best out of the car."

Next Previous Enlarge 1 / 2 Marcus Ericsson (SWE) Sauber C35 at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Felipe Nasr (BRA) Sauber C35 at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Info Close

Mercedes Hamilton was very happy with the way things went, but like many said how hot it was out on the track. Rosberg reported high degradation on the softs that led to blistered rears, and that the medium gave up grip quite quickly too, but both drivers were happy with their short- and their long-run pace with the caveat that Red Bull looked strong in both, too. Lewis Hamilton - FP1: 1:11.895, P1; FP2: 1:12.271, P1 "It's been a good day. We got through all of our run programmes and the car is feeling really good. It's pretty tough out here physically right now with the heat as high as it is. Not just in the car but for the guys in the garage too. Finding the right balance isn't easy either in these conditions as the tyres are getting really hot. But our long run pace seems to be strong so we can be happy with the start we've made today." Nico Rosberg - FP1: 1:12.125, P3; FP2: 1:12.301, P2 "It's been very hot out there today - more so than we expect it to be for the rest of the weekend. As a result, that makes it difficult to fully prepare for qualifying and the race. Other than that, it was a pretty normal Friday. Our car looks quick but Red Bull are definitely close. The Soft tyre is degrading quite a lot on the long runs, with blistering on the rears. There's a surprising amount of degradation on the Medium tyre too - but I think overall we've got decent pace on the long runs. Strategy-wise it won't be straightforward for the race. But, again, it's meant to get quite a lot colder so we could see something completely different on Sunday. It's great to be back in Brazil. It's a proper race track and it always feels special driving somewhere with so much history and tradition." Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical) "Great weather here at Interlagos today - although the risk of sudden rain has already proven itself to be a threat since we arrived earlier this week. Our programme so far has run exactly as planned, with no problems to report on either car. We worked exclusively with the Soft and Medium tyres and our pace on both compounds at low and high fuel looks relatively encouraging. We are, however, a long way from the conditions we expect to see in qualifying and the race. We have a lot more work to do before then, with the potential for a very close competition. This is a circuit renowned for throwing jokers into the pack, so we take nothing for granted heading into the weekend."

Next Previous Enlarge 1 / 2 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes-Benz F1 W07 Hybrid at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes-Benz F1 W07 Hybrid at Formula One World Championship, Rd20, Brazilian Grand Prix, Practice, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday 11 November 2016.  Sutton Images Info Close

Pirelli Paul Hembery, motorsport director "A busy day at Interlagos today, but well see how useful it turns out to be over the rest of the weekend. The teams got a good initial read on the wear and degradation rates here, which seem reasonably high on the soft tyre in particular, with the right-rear tyre doing the most work over a lap of Interlagos. Whether its wet or dry were likely to see a multi-stop race, but the weather will be the key determining factor of both qualifying and the grand prix itself."
Denver (Colorado) headquartered company Mika Yoga Wear has removed yoga mat carrying image of Hindu deity Ganesha and apologized after upset Hindus complained calling it highly inappropriate.

Mika Yoga Wear Founder & Creative Director Laura Costa, in an email to distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest, wrote: We hear your concern & would like to apologize for this offense. We worked with a local artist on this design & believe neither of us knew this would be inappropriate, so thank you for letting us know. We have removed this product from our site & will not continue to make more of this design. Sending our sincerest apologies. May you believe we meant no intentional harm & hope you will accept that this was a mistake we are grateful to be learning from.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada today, thanked Mika Yoga Wear and Costa for understanding the concerns of Hindu community, which found image of Lord Ganesha on a yoga mat highly disrespectful.

Rajan Zed suggested corporations to send their senior executives for training in religious and cultural sensitivity so that they had an understanding of the feelings of customers and communities when introducing new products or launching advertising campaigns.

Zed had said that Lord Ganesha was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to sit on or put feet/buttocks/legs on or sweat on. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed had noted.

Zed had indicated that such trivialization of Hindu deity was disturbing to the Hindus world over. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers, Zed added.

Mika Yoga Wear; which sells tops, shorts, pants+legging, capris, swimwear, bodysuits, mats, leg warmers, jewelry, etc.; aims to produceflattering clothing for women all over the world. It also reportedly runs a production center in Brazil and a factory in Peru. Its Ganesha mat, which was priced at $64, was Designed to Grip Better with Sweat.

There are about three million Hindus in USA.

Source : From Our Correspondent
Nicola Sturgeon will meet politicians and business leaders in Dublin later this month in an effort to strengthen Scotland's relationship with Ireland.

The First Minister will host meetings with Irish President Michael D Higgins and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan as well as meeting about 100 business representatives.

She will also become the first serving head of government to address the Seanad during the visit.

Ms Sturgeon said she looked forward to speaking about the Scottish Government's plans to protect Scotland's interests in the European Union (EU) following the vote for the UK to leave the bloc.

The announcement follows a report that the Irish Government had rejected direct talks with Ms Sturgeon over the plans.

The First Minister has said she will seek discussions with EU institutions and other EU member states to "explore all possible options to protect Scotland's place in the EU".

The Herald newspaper said Irish Minister for the Diaspora and International Development Joe McHugh had confirmed formal Brexit talks would take place only with the UK Government.

Speaking in advance of her visit, Ms Sturgeon said: "Scotland and Ireland have a shared history and a long tradition of co-operation on a range of issues.

"In the post-Brexit landscape, it has become even more important that we work together to protect our shared interests.

"Last year we established an innovation and investment hub in Dublin to strengthen our relationship with Ireland and promote inward investment.

"I am proud and humbled to have been invited to address the Seanad and recognise what an honour this is.

"I am looking forward to the opportunity to speak to senators about my hopes for continued work between our two nations and my plans to protect Scotland's interests in the EU."
The election of Donald Trump implies that anything is possible when it comes to the maintenance of democracy as we know it. His campaign was replete with un-American themes, and thick with insults. Yet all of that was apparently discounted because he purveyed a brand of change which, while fraudulent, was also irresistible to half the electorate.

His presidency will be compelling. He will have to dilute much of the agenda on which he ran, but unless he abandons it altogether there will be major ramifications for large swathes of the USA, and the world beyond.

It will be fascinating to observe how he handles power. This is a man who spent a life in business, mainly in the rough-hewn world of development. Compromise in this milieu is often regarded as weakness. Everything is the deal, every move designed to carve out a short-cut to success.

How will such a creature restrain himself while holding the levers of executive power? If family, friends or relatives approach him looking for a favour, or to be cut some slack, will The Donald respond that he cant do a thing now as he is working for the American people? Lets wait and see.

One thing is clear. His election follows a trend. Populist strongmen are in vogue, from Putin in Russia to Hungarys Viktor Orban, and Hollands Geert Wilders, and even Marine Le Pen, a populist strongwoman. All must be salivating at the dawning of Trumpland.

But what about us here on this windswept outpost of Europe?

Two factors that have driven the right-wing populism sweeping across the western world are thankfully absent in this country. While many have been left adrift in society, and laden with debt, there are precious few pining to go back to the future.

The Brexiteers look back to the 1970s as the optimal time when prosperity was theirs and every section of society knew their place. The Trumpeteers would prefer the 1950s, something of a golden age for white America.

Here, the economic good times only began rolling in the 1990s, too recent in the rear view mirror to be cast as a Nirvana lost in the mists of time.

Globalisation is blamed for changed circumstances in places like the rust belt of America or the north of England. Conveniently, they ignore the impact of automation, which has been a much bigger factor in the decline of big industry.

For this country, globalisation has been a boon, as foreign direct investment has transformed the economy.

The other factor driving right-wing populism is the identification of an Other who can be blamed for the ills of the world. This Other has been identified as the immigrant. The immigrant is to blame for swiping away a world that was more secure, most certain. Its all so easy.

Apart from the racism stoked up by this wantonly warped perception, it is also illogical. How would Britains NHS function without the input of immigrants? How would the US economy function if the 11 million illegal immigrants were repatriated?

But logic and facts are surplus to the requirements of populism. Trump and the Brexiteers have the immigrants to blame, just as in a different, even more unstable time, Hitler had the Jews.

Even if a virulent strain of right-wing populism took hold in this country, they would have a problem identifying an Other. Immigration into the country has largely been, and has been seen to be, a positive exercise. Attempts to stoke up anti-immigrant sentiment have largely been a failure.

Not that that is any cause for complacency. Cast your mind back to the late 1990s when asylum seekers and immigrants first began to arrive here on foot of the rising economy. There was much breast-beating and not a little opposition to what appeared to be the changing face of the country.

Some politicians were not adverse to drawing a kick here and there. Michael Healy Rae, then a councillor, said at a meeting in 2000 that Kenmare, County Kerry, was in danger of becoming like Harlem and that most refugees were freeloaders, blackguards and hoodlums. He was not alone. Stories of refugees being allocated not just big houses, but cars and other various goodies, found their way into public square. Had social medias echo chamber been around at the time, it is quite likely that things could have turned ugly.

When the economy collapsed in 2008 thankfully there were no efforts in politics to target immigrants for blame. We have been lucky, no more than that.

Recent years have thrown up other conditions that would be manna for any populist leader bearing easy solutions.

The economic collapse and the foisting of bank debt on the citizens generated unprecedented levels of anger and resentment. The political system was exposed as one part gormless, one part feckless and one part in thrall to the alleged wisdom of bankers. As austerity bit, top bankers and politicians sailed off into retirement with obscene pensions sticking out of their arse pockets.

A world that many had come to know, albeit over a short few years, was whipped away. Standards of living plummeted for most, while those on the upper rungs of the socio-economic ladder appeared to be doing just fine.

A chasm also opened up between urban and rural, city and country. Principally in economic terms, but also in social matters, a widening divide that had been masked through the years of illusory plenty, came clearly into view.

While countries like Spain and Greece reached for something new in politics, the conservative Irish electorate went back and forth between Tweedledum Fianna Fail and Tweedledee Fine Gael.

In fact, the only manifestation of a populist uprising over the last eight years was not at the ballot box but in the campaign to oppose water charges. The ultimate outcome, this column would argue, has been a setback in terms of respect for resources and organising the provision of water.

Equally, though, it could be said that its been a small price to pay for the relative stability that has endured. The USA got Donald Trump. We got trade unionist Brendan Ogle. No contest.

So for now, things muddle on. No vision of a better future is offered from our leaders. Our country is still being led by a lame duck who has been in parliament since 1975. An unprecedented crisis in housing continues to be addressed only within the confines of the market. Large swathes of the young and those in rural Ireland are feeling left behind. If you didnt know better, youd think this was a place waiting for Trump to happen along.
Alumni Fund Social Justice Internships

Evan Mok-Lamme 17

Nov. 3, 2016

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. While searching for internship possibilities, Evan Mok-Lamme 17 found the perfect opportunity at Karis Community, a transitional nonprofit for individuals recovering from serious and persistent mental illness. Mok-Lamme believed hed be able to work throughout the Denver-based organization, learning all aspects of running a nonprofit.

The only problem? The 10-week internship was unpaid.

But thanks to support from members of the Illinois Wesleyan University Class of 1970, Mok-Lamme accepted the internship, where he gained experience in areas ranging from grant writing to using outreach assessment tools at a homeless youth drop-in center.

I was astonished how much I was able to do in just one summer, Mok-Lamme said. If I had taken an internship with another organization, I am confident I would not have been able to work in such a variety of environments.

Mok-Lamme received a $2,500 stipend from the Fund for Human Rights, Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice at Illinois Wesleyan. Administered by the Center for Human Rights and Social Justice, the fund was established to support relevant student internships and campus programming in human rights, environmental sustainability and social justice.

A native of Grand Junction, Colo., Mok-Lamme was already familiar with Karis before applying for an internship with the organization. He was hopeful an internship would provide him with the opportunity to work in several different areas of the organization. One of his most significant tasks included work on a grant proposal. Mok-Lammes contributions included writing the program narratives of several Karis facilities for the proposal, which was successfully granted.

He also planned two special events, including a grand opening for a dairy. Seventy-five percent of the dairys workers are Karis youth. Mok-Lamme also received training in motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, de-escalation techniques and conflict resolution for his work at the nonprofits 12-bed emergency teen shelter and downtown Grand Junction drop-in center.

My internship experience would not have been possible without the funding I received from the Fund for Human Rights, Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice, said Mok-Lamme, an International Studies major.

Landon Piccatto 17

Landon Piccatto 17 also received a stipend for his internship closer to home. He spent the summer working on development of a Social Justice and Diversity room at The Ames Library. Piccatto said the room will provide a space to showcase the history of social justice and diversity at Illinois Wesleyan. A history major, Piccatto spent his summer combing through Illinois Wesleyans University Archives and digging through online newspaper sources. He produced a timeline that matched key Illinois Wesleyan people and occurrences with national or state events relating to social justice. In the process, he discovered some of the people who walked the grounds of Illinois Wesleyan before him  people like Sigmund Livingston, School of Law Class of 1883, who founded the Anti-Defamation League in 1913; Arnold Diggs, who was an early member of the NAACP; and Phill Wilson 77, founder of the Black AIDS Institute.

I think people will see there is a lot of history at Illinois Wesleyan in this field, Piccatto said of IWU student and alumni contributions to social justice.

He said the internship provided an opportunity for hands-on archival research. In addition to several Illinois Wesleyan faculty and staff, he also tapped the expertise of McLean County Museum of History Archivist Bill Kemp. All of these people taught me to be a better researcher, said Piccatto. This networking was really crucial to my success, and also helped me to better understand what I want to do in the future.

Because of the $1,500 stipend, he chose The Ames Library internship because it was something I wanted to do and something I ended up really enjoying, he said. I didnt have to take a different internship just to have a resume builder.

Throughout this academic year the Center for Human Rights and Social Justice will offer up to $5,000 in individual stipends to qualified students who complete internships in the appropriate thematic areas. Internships are just one example of experiential learning opportunities for students at Illinois Wesleyan  66 percent of recent graduates report completing at least one internship experience during their time as students.
Modi's sudden announcement on October 8 created panic amidst public and has left them clueless. They thronged banks and ATMs, fighting and protesting against government's decision as they are unable to buy even the basic necessities.

By India Today Web Desk: Thanks to Modi government's latest move to curb black money, Indians have been spending hours standing in long queues outside banks and ATMs to exchange or deposit money, for the past three days.

Modi's sudden announcement on October 8 created panic amidst public and has left them clueless. They thronged banks and ATMs, fighting and protesting against government's decision as they are unable to buy even the basic necessities.



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Also Read: India Goes to ATMs: Long, angry queues; cops called in few places





However, there are the good samaritans who have been offering help to people standing in lines.

Also Read: Delhi: Hospitals reject banned currency, turn away patients as demonetisation kicks in

Punjab National Bank today installed a mobile ATM machine outside AIIMS hospital in Delhi to ensure that the patients are able to exchange cash.

Delhi: PNB installs a mobile ATM van outside AIIMS hospital to ensure no inconvenience is caused to the people for exchange of cash pic.twitter.com/IklUOpEaI7 ANI (@ANI_news) November 12, 2016

2. Volunteers have been helping people to fill the currency exchange forms outside banks.

Amazing! Lot of volunteers are supporting common man in filling their exchange forms outside Banks. Asked who are you? They said INDIANS???? pic.twitter.com/zGjfiZVJdI Tanmay Shankar (@Shanktan) November 12, 2016

3. Pizza Hut employees across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru visited bank branches in the city to serve a glass of water and free slices to bank employees and people standing in the queue.

Also Read: Waiting in long queues outside banks? You might just get some free pizzas!

4. Many Sikh volunteers have been offering tea and refreshments to people waiting outside the banks.



A Billion Salute to the gesture shown by Sikh brothers

They offered tea n refreshments to the people waiting outside @ICICIBank#BlackMoney pic.twitter.com/WRTuEpADJD |-D_Angry_LORD-|???? (@TheAngryLord) November 12, 2016

5. And lastly, the bank employees who have been working late hours to help the public.



--- ENDS ---
University to Receive Diversity and Inclusion Award

Celebrating inclusion, students participating in three Pre-Orientation programs come together for a group photo.

Nov. 10, 2016

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. Illinois Wesleyan University will receive the NASPA Region IV-East Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award at the NASPA regional conference Nov. 15-17 in St. Louis. The award is presented to a college or university office, department or division demonstrating achievement in celebrating and creating a welcoming and inclusive campus environment.

NASPA is the professional organization of student affairs administrators in higher education. In Illinois Wesleyans application for the award, Vice President for Student Affairs Karla Carney-Hall noted she believes it is the universitys comprehensive, collaborative, action-oriented approach of student-centered commitment to diversity and inclusion that merits the award.

The annual Council for IWU Women Summit brings alumni, faculty, staff and students together.

Among the highlights of the universitys comprehensive approach: a university-wide strategic planning working group on diversity revised Illinois Wesleyans strategic plan for diversity and inclusion, which outlines comprehensive strategies for educational efforts, recruitment of students, faculty and staff, and sustained commitment to diversity and inclusion. An annual diversity progress report sets a new standard for reporting progress and holds us accountable to action, said Carney-Hall, who is also dean of students.

Among several strategic initiatives, Carney-Hall cited three pre-orientation programs that collaborate toward a message of inclusion; four diversity series of speakers and co-curricular events offered collaboratively between faculty and staff; the Summer Enrichment Program for students, developing leadership and identity development; and three collaborative educational summits.

In nomination materials, one recent graduate discussed the universitys growth in supporting an inclusive campus environment. As former vice president of both Student Senate and Black Student Union, Ashley Spain 16 noted her involvement has allowed her to spend a lot of time with university administrators. Our campus is not perfect by any means and we still have issues that need to be addressed, she wrote in her nomination letter. However, we have come a long way in regards to diversity, and staff in Student Affairs is largely responsible for the good work that is happening. I have seen a great deal of growth by my university in the area of providing support and services for marginalized populations and in truly supporting an inclusive campus environment.

By Reilly Kasprak 17
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected an artillery unit stationed on an island bordering South Korea and ordered a firing drill on the spot, the North's state-run newswire reported Friday.

Kim stressed the need to train soldiers there as "indomitable fighters" during a visit to the artillery detachment on Mahap island, said the Korean Central News Agency, which did not elaborate on when the visit was made. North Korean news outlets usually report its leader's activities one day after they are made.

Mahap is a border island, just 18 kilometers from South Korea's northernmost Baengnyeong Island in the West Sea.

During the visit, Kim mounted an observation post to be briefed on a firepower strike plan and combat readiness, the agency said.

Kim, in particular, made a surprise order to soldiers to strike a designated target, and guided a live shell firing drill, according to the agency.

Kim's latest inspection came only two days after he made another military visit, which the news agency reported, where he instructed soldiers to raise their combat readiness.

Experts say Kim's military inspections just before and after the U.S. election are designed to make his presence known. (Yonhap)
Veteran Ghanaian actress, Grace Omaboe popularly known as Maame Dokono has called on celebrities in the country to save for the future.

Maame Dokono speaking in an interview with DJ Sly on Ark Fms Weekend City Show postulated the need for them to save or invest for the future, now that they are earning something.

When asked whether creative art should be a full time job or part time, she answered: Creative art should be a full time job. It is supposed to be a full time job in order to give you a livelihood.

On what hinders the development of the industry, the Obra star stated: We do not receive much encouragement and piracy too is another challenge. We cannot compare ourselves to the foreigners due to piracy and monetary problems. We cannot liken ourselves to the Nigerians, the marketing and everything there is perfect.

Maame Dokono said the veterans sacrificed a lot to pave way for the new crop of actors/actress to enjoy.

She said there is the need for Ghanaian movie stars to attach another job to what they do as actors or celebs because the environment will not allow them meet their future needs. According to her it is only peculiar to Ghana.

Maame Dokono believes the passage of the film bill into law will bring many changes into the industry.

She also appealed to the Creative Arts Ministry to put more measures in place to safeguard the future of Ghanaian celebrities.
The late broadcast journalist Confidence K. Baah whose sudden demise occurred at the Effiduase Government Hospital on the 16th of October 2016 after turning for his

broadcast duties that is, breaking news on Kessben fm the day before his sudden passing, will therefore be laid to rest on the 12th November 2016 at his hometown in Effiduase in Ashanti.

The initial proposed date for Confidence K. Baah Burial as was announced at the one week memorial was 19th November, But further meetings between Kessben Media and family of the bereaved journalist arrived with the new and confirmed date for the interment at his hometown of Effiduase followed by the final funeral rites at the jubilee park near Prempeh Assembly in Kumasi.

The late confidence K. Baah was 36 at the time of his passing and host of Kessben TV morning show, Adeakye Abia and co-host of Breaking news on Kessben FM.

It was reported in sections of the media the broadcast journalist with Kessben TV/FM, Confidence K. Baah died of asphyxia (suffocation) caused by food particles, after the post-mortem examination of his body.

Asphyxia experts revealed is the condition where the body either does not get enough oxygen to continue normal function or has too much carbon dioxide to function properly without adequate oxygen, nerve cells in the brain.

At his one week observation at Kumasi, the mother of the deceased, Janet Afua Ako charged investigators and other relevant authorities to intensify their operations to ensure perpetrators are apprehended.

I dont believe my son died naturally so I am appealing to the police to do their investigations well because I suspect foul play somewhere She insisted.

The one-week observation of Confidence K. Baah funeral attracted personalities across all spheres of life within the region and beyond.

The late broadcast journalist Confidence K. Baah whose sudden demise occurred at the Effiduase Government Hospital on the 16th of October 2016 after turning for his

broadcast duties that is, breaking news on Kessben fm the day before his sudden passing, will therefore be laid to rest on the 12th November 2016 at his hometown in Effiduase in Ashanti.

The initial proposed date for Confidence K. Baah Burial as was announced at the one week memorial was 19th November, But further meetings between Kessben Media and family of the bereaved journalist arrived with the new and confirmed date for the interment at his hometown of Effiduase followed by the final funeral rites at the jubilee park near Prempeh Assembly in Kumasi.

The late confidence K. Baah was 36 at the time of his passing and host of Kessben TV morning show, Adeakye Abia and co-host of Breaking news on Kessben FM.

It was reported in sections of the media the broadcast journalist with Kessben TV/FM, Confidence K. Baah died of asphyxia (suffocation) caused by food particles, after the post-mortem examination of his body.

Asphyxia experts revealed is the condition where the body either does not get enough oxygen to continue normal function or has too much carbon dioxide to function properly without adequate oxygen, nerve cells in the brain.

At his one week observation at Kumasi, the mother of the deceased, Janet Afua Ako charged investigators and other relevant authorities to intensify their operations to ensure perpetrators are apprehended.

I dont believe my son died naturally so I am appealing to the police to do their investigations well because I suspect foul play somewhere She insisted.

The one-week observation of Confidence K. Baah funeral attracted personalities across all spheres of life within the region and beyond.

Source: konkonsagh.biz
Adaklu Kodzobi (V/R), Nov.11, GNA - Mr Kwame Agbodza, Member of Parliament for Adaklu, has expressed unhappiness with some contractors for stalling government projects in the District.

'The most annoying part is that some of these contractors are members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC),' he said.

Mr Agbodza, who was addressing some chiefs and people of the District as part of his 'accounting to the people tour', made particular mention of the Ho-Adaklu Kodzobi road, the on-going Community Senior High School and the CHPS compound at Adaklu Kodzobi.

He said it is not true that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government had neglected the District and catalogued a number of developmental projects including 30 classroom blocks, CHPS compounds, upgrading of feeder roads and the provision of water by government.

Mr Agbodza reiterated government's effort at improving the lots of the citizenry and urged the electorate to reciprocate government's gesture by voting massively for the NDC.

Mr Emmanuel Sky Ganaku, the District Chief Executive (DCE), advised the people not to be swayed by 'sweet tongued politicians' who were going round deceiving people for political power.

Togbe Dzegblade IV, Chief of Adaklu Kodzobi, appealed to politicians to refrain from the campaign of insults saying 'remember we have only one Ghana, which we all must work to protect and develop'.

GNA
By A.B. Kafui Kanyi, GNA

Ho, Nov. 11, GNA - More than 500 people in Ho were on Thursday screened and treated for various ailments free of charge by Vodafone Ghana Foundation, under its 'Healthfest' programme.

The beneficiaries, mainly women and children, were given medication and talk on preventive healthcare.

Mr Ebenezar Amankwah, Corporate Relations Manager, Vodafone told the Ghana News Agency that the event, done annually, was to offer opportunity to the less privileged to access healthcare at no cost.

'The motivation is doing good, no commercial strings attached,' he said.

Mr Amankwah said Vodafone was committed to bringing quality healthcare to the doorstep of the vulnerable.

He said Vodafone's 'healthline 255 and Vodafone Healthline TV' were a concerted effort at touching key sectors of the Ghanaian society.

GNA
From Desmond Davies, London Bureau Chief

London, Nov. 11, GNA - African countries have set out their stalls with regard to the use of coal to develop the continent's low electricity capacity in order to tackle poverty. They are doing so amid calls for other means of generating energy at the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, where the recently ratified Paris Agreement, dealing with reducing greenhouse gasses emissions and financing to combat climate change beginning in 2020, is top on the agenda.

The 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) is also taking place at a time of momentous political change in the US, where President-elect Donald Trump pledged during his campaign to revive America's moribund coal industry.

His promise saw him winning overwhelmingly in once thriving coal mining communities, helping him to secure key swing states.

Outgoing President Barack Obama, who launched his Power Africa Initiative in 2013 to increase electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa by adding more than 30,000 megawatts of electricity generation, is not a fan of coal, given the hue and cry over climate change.

He announced then that his administration would no longer back the use of coal abroad for electricity generation unless there were carbon emission controls.

But coal-fired power plants currently fuel 41 per cent of global electricity, and in some countries coal fuels a higher percentage of electricity, according to the World Coal

Association.

As the reality of the need for reliable energy bites, the world's biggest economies, such as

China, India, Germany and now the US, have openly stated that coal will be part of their energy mix for decades to come.

Not surprisingly, African countries are also keen to bank on coal to help generate power on a continent where 620 million people lack access to electricity.

Added to this is the uncertainty of electricity supply, which inevitably inhibits foreign investment and eventually stunts development.

'There's never been a country that has developed with intermittent power," Jim Yong Kim, the President of the World Bank, has said.

So, during the last US-Africa Leaders' Summit in Washington in 2014, Obama was told that

Africa would turn to coal for power, just as developed countries had done to fuel industrialisation.

Sospeter Muhongo, Tanzania's current Minister of Mines and Energy, said then when he was

Minister of Power: 'We in Africa, we should not be in the discussion of whether we should use coal or not.

'In my country of Tanzania, we are going to use our natural resources because we have reserves which go beyond five billion tons.'

In Ghana, the government has set out a plan to double the country's electricity capacity by

2020 and stimulate economic growth.

Currently, some seven million Ghanaians - or 28 per cent of the population - do not have access to electricity; in urban areas this is eight per cent while among rural communities this is 50 per cent.

The government's plan is to add three gigawatts of capacity in four years' time, which would provide electricity not just for the whole population but also for industrial use.

Current capacity stands at 3.6 gigawatts and the energy mix consists of 56 per cent from gas and oil thermal plants, 43 per cent hydroelectric, and 0.6 per cent from solar.

The 2020 plan includes two gigawatts from a single coal-fired power station; 0.4 per cent from liquid petroleum gas; 0.2 gigawatts from small-scale solar, with the rest yet to be confirmed.

President John Mahama has spoken about the country's energy crisis and the pressure on the government to meet rising electricity demands of 10 per cent annually.

'The effects and frustrations posed by the power deficit are clearly felt in our work places, our homes, schools and hospitals.

'Big businesses and industries are also suffering and threatening to lay off workers,' he said, adding: 'I do not intend to manage the situation as has been done in the past, I intend to fix it.'

Ghana's former Power Minister, Dr Kwabena Donkor, noted: 'Ghana has a responsibility to remain competitive.

'We are looking at the introduction of clean coal energy to address future needs while the renewable sector builds up.'

Although the plan will provide millions more Ghanaians with safe and secure electricity supply, Western government are talking against the use of coal for this purpose by African and emerging nations.

But, as experts point out, the extremely important coal-fuelled plant at Ekumfi in Ghana's

Central Region, which will start taking shape in April 2017, will alone account for two gigawatts of the government's energy plan, making it vital to the country's energy future.

Ghana is also leading the world by opting to install high-efficiency low-emissions (HELE), extremely critical technology in the country's coal stations.

Nigeria, too, is forging ahead with the use of coal to generate electricity.

In an oil-rich country that has a woeful reputation for power failures, any attempt to address the situation is crucial, according to experts.

Nigerian Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun told a recent joint meeting of the International

Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank: 'We in Nigeria have coal but we have a power problem, yet we've been blocked because it is not green.

'There is some hypocrisy because we have the entire Western industrialisation built on coal energy.

'They are saying: 'You have to use solar and wind', which are the most expensive,' she added.

In July, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo added his voice to the debate: 'We in

Africa, we should use what we have to generate power for our people.'

India, too, is fighting back, as Energy Minister Piyush Goyal put it: 'We are not apologetic of using coal.

'The US and the West have developed on the back of cheap energy - coal - for the last 150 years.'

Even developed countries are committing themselves to continuing to use coal for generating energy.

Germany's Economy Minister, Sigmar Gabriel, said last month: 'It [coal-fuelled power] will on no account be switched off in the next decade - in my opinion not even in the one after that.'

African governments have pointed out that the original UN Framework Convention on

Climate Change (UNFCCC) places development first when it states: 'Economic and social development and poverty eradication are the first and overriding priority of the developing country partner.'

There does not seem to be any running away from the use of coal to fuel power, given that some 2,300 coal-fired power stations are being built or planned around the world.

The increased demand is coming mainly from African and Asian countries.

Both the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the International Energy Agency

(IAE) are expecting Africa to increase its coal use.

The EIA is projecting a rise of 70 per cent between 2010 and 2040 while the IEA is expecting an increase of almost 50 per cent between 2011 and 2035.

Africa has 35 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves and at the current rate of consumption, it would last 122 years.

The IEA estimates that African countries need $400 billion over the next 20 years to provide power to citizens without electricity.

Experts say that despite America's policy to discourage coal-fired power plants, there are many countries ready to help.

Benjamin Sporton, Chief Executive of the World Coal Association, noted: 'For many countries, coal will continue to play a significant role in economic development, industrialisation and urbanisation.

'It's important to recognise that so far 19 countries have included low emission coal technology in their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), which are the foundation of the Paris Agreement.

'This means that for the Paris Agreement to be successful, we need to support these countries, most of which are developing and emerging economies, to shift their coal fired electricity to more efficient technologies so they can meet their climate commitments,' he added.

The Association said that at the ongoing COP22 negotiations on implementing the Paris

Agreement in Marrakesh, it was important to look at ways of facilitating technology transfer and financial support for low emission coal technologies.

GNA
The dowry amount of Rs 35,000 that Sah had managed to collect was all in the form of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: In a fallout of demonetisation, a bride's father suffered a massive stroke on Friday afternoon in Bihar's Kaimur district and later died fearing that the groom's family might not accept the amount of Rs. 35,000/- demanded as dowry in Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes.

The victim Ram Awadh Sah (45) had fixed the marriage of the eldest of his four daughters and the marriage was supposed to take place early next year.

advertisement

In the evening on November 8, PM Modi had announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes would be demonetised.

DOWRY AMOUNT IN OBSOLETE 500, 1000 RUPEE NOTES



According to sources, the groom's family had demanded Rs. 35,000 as dowry which Sah was supposed to give during the Tilak ceremony today. The dowry amount of Rs 35,000 that Sah had managed to collect was all in of 500 and 1000 rupee notes, which are now not in use. He was apprehensive of the fact that the groom's father would reject the amount of the now banned currency notes.

Also read: Man commits suicide, wife files dowry harassment case against him



The tension over the uncertainty of his daughter's wedding caused Sah to suffer a stroke, following which he was admitted to a local hospital.

However, after his condition deteriorated, he was rushed to Varanasi but each of the three hospitals there where his family sought to get him admitted to refused to hospitalise him after the authorities there said that they would not accept Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes his familt was carrying.

SAH DIED WHILE BEING TAKEN TO HOSPITAL



By the time Sah was taken to a fourth hospital, he died.

Also read: Rajasthan woman gangraped by husband, in-laws; tattooed with profanities over dowry

"Sah was tensed since the time Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes were demonetised and feared that the groom's father would not accept dowry in the form of the now-scrapped notes", said Shanti Devi, a relative of the deceased.

Sah ran a small grocery shop for a living and is survived by his wife and six children, including four daughters.

--- ENDS ---
By Samuel Akapule, GNA

Navrongo (U/E), Nov. 11, GNA - Members of the Our Lady of Mercy (OLAM) Kaana Manga Women Association have embarked on a peace march in the Navrongo Township to create awareness on the need for peace in this election period.

The peace march was also aimed at drawing the attention of all women in the country to use their influential abilities at home to convince their sons and husbands to eschew acts that could lead to violence.

Speaking to the women after the march, Mrs Victoria Asuliwono said women have the ability to help ensure peace if they chose to do so.

She said God has endowed women with the gift of patience, love and compassion and other influential attributes and urged all Ghanaian women to use such attributes to help maintain peace in the coming election.

'You must be reminded that as Ghanaian women, in times of violence it is us and our children who suffer the most. With the few days left for the election it is very crucial for all of us as women to play an important role by educating our families, communities and Ghanaians in general to stay away from violence', she said.

Mrs Asuliwono appealed to men and the youth to refrain from utterances and negative acts that has the tendency to jeopardize peace and stability of the country.

Mr Emmanuel Atiga, the Project Director of OLAM, said his outfit in collaboration with Kaana Manga Women's Group with sponsorship from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA ), organised the event to build the capacity of the women and to remind them on their role in peace making.

He said in order to help contribute to ensuring peaceful election OLAM in collaboration with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has built the capacity of the women in peace building

The event held on the theme: 'Empowering Women as Agents for Peace towards 2016 general election', attracted many women and the youth.

They carried placards with inscriptions such as 'Conflicts slow down development', 'Stop Abusive Language', 'Ghana, our piece, our pride', 'Women are Peace Ambassadors', among others.

Mr James Brown Fankey ,the Kassena Nankana Municipal Director of Social Welfare and Community Development, who received the group on behalf of Dr Stanislaus Alu Kandingdi , the Municipal Chief Executive, after their peace march lauded the effort of the group.

He said Ghana was one country and nothing should be done to mar the current peace in the country and expressed optimism that with the support of the Ghanaian women, the election would be conducted peacefully.

GNA
According to a research finding by Mr Charles Ampong Adjei, a public health specialist, women who test positive for hepatitis B infection suffer psychological and social afflictions including depression, anxiety, and stigmatisation.

The Valley View University lecturer revealed this at a maiden scientific based workshop organised by Hepatitis Alliance of Ghana which took off on the 9th of November at the Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate premises.

He continued to say that:  There is no doubt that hepatitis B infection is negatively affecting social relationships particularly among discordant couples. " The marriages of some women in Ghana are threatened and others divorced following their "HBV" positivity" : He added.

Also, he attributed this to stigma promoting messages on hepatitis B infection by unqualified persons on radio which seems to associate the infection with promiscuity. He therefore called on health professionals to be interested in disseminating hepatitis B related information to the general public.

Another Guest speaker who also delivered implausibly at the workshop is Dr Florence Naab, who is a renowned lecturer at university of Ghana .

She also admonished the health workers to screen expectants who visit the clinic for hepatitis B. This according to her will afford them opportunity to identify those who are positive and administer birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine to their newborns within 24 hours after birth.

Dr. Adwoa Agyei Nkansah, a physician specialist at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital added a perfect touch to the programme by cautioning the health workers who made it to the workshop not to stigmatise Hepatitis B positive individuals when caring for them and also urged the attendees to spread the good message as well.

Over 200 hundred health professionals including nurses and midwives turned up for the maiden edition of Hepatitis Alliance of Ghana's Workshop which sounds very impressive.
The monopoly of knowledge creation brings with it an illusion of choice which is a major factor behind the massive upset or disappointment at the results of the U.S. presidential election.

This elections has left most of the worldnot just Americansin a stupor of disbelief at the sweeping victory by Donald Trump. Why is this so? Because majority of the human family who have access to the news media are discipled by it. In Asia, Africa and across the globe, many are disappointed at the results because the news media and polls reported in favour of Clinton while demonizing Trump but reality revealed something else.

What happened and why are so many disenchanted and/or confused? This is the subject this piece will attempt to interrogate.

I am neither a North American nor a supporter of either of its two major parties. I am simply a global citizen who is interested in happenings in the government, governance and leadership spaces in our world. The just ended presidential election is of particular interest to me because it was historic, game-changing and filled with many lessons in the aforementioned spaces of interest which I will cover in subsequent papers.

This election and the subsequent results have unearthed the current architecture of global governance infrastructure and the systems that run on them. The current world order was set in place after World War 2.

Today well discuss the news media and its role in the global upset of this decade. We will look at its role in the just ended US presidential elections.

What is the Fourth Estate?

The news media is sometimes known as the Fourth Estate. What does this mean? According to Wikipedia:

"Fourth Estate" most commonly refers to the news media, especially print journalism or "the press" . Thomas Carlyle attributed the origin of the term to Edmund Burke, who used it in a parliamentary debate in 1787 on the opening up of press reporting of the House of Commons of Great Britain.

What specifically did Carlyle say? He wrote:

Burke said there were Three Estates in Parliament; but , in the Reporters' Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important than they all . It is not a figure of speech, or a witty saying; it is a literal fact, ... Printing, which comes necessarily out of Writing, I say often, is equivalent to Democracy: invent Writing, Democracy is inevitable ... Whoever can speak, speaking now to the whole nation, becomes a power, a branch of government, with inalienable weight in lawmaking, in all acts of authority . It matters not what rank he has, what revenues or garnitures: the requisite thing is that he have a tongue which others will listen to; this and nothing more is requisite.Carlyle (1905) pp.349-350

Burke understood the immense influence that reporters haveso much so he equated their work to a branch of government with inalienable weight in lawmaking, in all acts of authority. And yet many will argue that this is the only branch of government which under big-brother government goes largely unregulated because speech must be free.

The Fourth Estate stands for the fourth 'power' which checks and counterbalances the three state 'powers' namely the executive, legislature and judiciary. But the question is who balances their unfettered power and authority?

Role of the Fourth Estate

The Fourth Estate is depicted as the people's watchdog. To be effective as a watchdog, it is commonly assumed that the news media must be independent of the state. In other words, it can only act as a watchdog by a free market organization of the news media. It is also commonly assumed that news media is concerned with rational debate and for this to transpire; it must not only be independent of national governments but also of their owners who may at times operate as transnational entities. The news media is not only accorded the role of watchdog but also as a civic forum and agenda setterspeaking truth to power.

The question though is who speaks truth to the new media? They shape public opinion but who shapes theirs?

Politicasters and the Fourth Estate

Because of the power they wield, the owners of these news media outlets are sometimes more powerful than presidents. The next sections will capture why. And because politicasters know and understand the power of the new media to shape the perception and public opinion, they form alliances with these owners who have influence in their organizations. It is an age old truth that he who pays the piper calls the tune and this is certainly true for the news media. Owners call shots. And majority of the news media are owned by a few families with close ties to politicasters.

Who Owns the Fourth Estate?

As per Wikipedia, Media cross-ownership is the ownership of multiple media businesses by a person or corporation. These businesses can include broadcast and cable television, film, radio, newspaper, magazine, book publishing, music, video games, and various online entities. But before discussing monopoly of the news, what is the nature of news media ownership?

In a 2003 paper published in the Journal of Law and Economics, vol. XLVI (October 2003)] and authored by Simeon Djankov (World Bank), Caralee Mcliesh (World Bank), Tatiana Nenova (World Bank) and Andrei Shleifer (Harvard University), the authors acknowledge that, In modern economies and societies, the availability of information is central to better decision making by voters, consumers, and investors . Much of that information is provided by the media, including newspapers, television, and radio, which collect information and make it available to the public.

Put in simple language, what majority of people know as reality is shaped by the news media they have access to. The news media is a discipler of mena great tool for manufacturing and shaping knowledge.

The question asked by the aforementioned paper is whether the news media should be owned by government or private entities. It goes without saying that the answer is both, except that it should tilt more towards private ownership. A better question is whether it should be owned by a few private entities or whether monopolies should be broken up between many private actors who are not interlinked or tightly knitted together.

According to the paper, newspapers in Western Europe and the Americas are held predominately privately. In Western Europe, none of the top five daily newspapers are owned by the state. In the Americas, the majority of the newspapers have been owned and managed by single families for many decades.

There is a 2012 article by Ashley Lutz in the Business Insider titled, These 6 Corporations Control 90% Of The Media In America in which she shares an infographic by Jason at Frugal Dad which explains that, almost all media comes from the same six sources...consolidated from 50 companies back in 1983. The title of the Infographic is Media Consolidation: The Illusion of Choice. The big six own news outlets on multiple continents.

A Wikipedia article states that, Over time the amount of media merging has increased and the number of media outlets have increased. That translates to fewer companies owning more media outlets, increasing the concentration of ownership. In 1983, 90% of US media was controlled by fifty companies; today, 90% is controlled by just six companies. It is thus not surprising that more than half of Americans via a 2012 Gallup poll say they have little or no trust in the mass media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly.

Another article by Anup Shah which discusses Media Conglomerates, Mergers, Concentration of Ownership states that, Some nations can influence and control their media greatly. In addition, powerful corporations also have enormous influence on mainstream media . It further explains that not only is there concentration of ownership but also Interlocking Directorates, that is, where a director of one company may sit on a board of another company. As pointed out by U.S. media watchdog, Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) for example, Media corporations share members of the board of directors with a variety of other large corporations, including banks, investment companies, oil companies, health care and pharmaceutical companies and technology companies. It adds the following quote from The Media Monopoly, 6th Edition, (Beacon Press, 2000), pp. 3536, 45 authored by Ben H. Bagdikian

It is not often the public hears of  clear destruction of editorial independence. In most cases there is no visible imposition of the parent firms policies, and the policies are often not absolute, conditioned as they are by the desire for profits.  The problem is  subtle and profound. In a democracy  a wide spectrum of ideas has equitable access to the marketplace [justifying a private publishers imposing his personal politics on the decision of what to print]. The effect of a corporate line [exerting control over public ideas] is not so different from that of a party line [of a country imposing controls].  Detecting how most of the mass media impose political tests on what the public will see and hear is not as straightforward as [it may] seem. Political intervention in its most pervasive form is not open and explicit but is concealed under seemingly apolitical reasons [such as the natural choices that have to be made on the countless number of works that might not be published for legitimate non-political based reasons].  Most difficult of all to document is the implicit influence of corporate chiefs. Most bosses do not have to tell their subordinates what they like and dislike. (Emphasis added)



The deeper social loss of giantism in the media is not in its unfair advantage in profits and power; this is real and it is serious. But the gravest loss is in the self-serving censorship of political and social ideas, in news, magazine articles, books, broadcasting, and movies. Some intervention by owners is direct and blunt. But most of the screening is subtle, some not even occurring at a conscious level, as when subordinates learn by habit to conform to owners ideas. But subtle or not, the ultimate result is distorted reality and impoverished ideas.

Bagdikian adds on p.222 that If the number of outlets is growing and the number of owners declining, then each owner controls even more formidable communications power.

Another article in Asia-Pacific Research on July 06, 2016 by Bill Rosenburg states what happens to reporters who refuse to bend to the will of their bosses. The article states:

In a notorious case, reporters at a television station owned by Fox, a News Corporation subsidiary in the USA, produced a report critical of Monsanto. They were sacked when they refused to modify their story. The station manager pressured them to back down by saying:  We paid $3 billion for these stations. Well tell you what the news is. The news is what we say it is! 

The Capture of the Fourth Estate

The Fourth Estate today in the global West is probably the worst source of full, accurate, and fair news because it has been captured through mergers and consolidationseffectively creating monopolies that supply their services to the highest biddermainly politicasters and interests groups. This is why so many are disenchanted with the results of the elections. They were fed garbage. I derive the term capture from the terminology regulatory capture which is defined thus by Wikipedia:

Regulatory capture is a form of government failure that occurs when a regulatory agency, created to act in the public interest, instead advances the commercial or political concerns of special interest groups that dominate the industry or sector it is charged with regulating. When regulatory capture occurs the interests of firms or political groups are prioritised over the interests of the public, leading to a net loss to society as a whole. Government agencies suffering regulatory capture are called "captured agencies".

The Fourth Estate is supposed to be a watchdog speaking truth to powerindependent in its operations but alas we find it is not always so. Dogs can be captured with the right incentivemammon. Instead of the guardians of free speech operating a system that promotes competition, the system in place promotes monopolies with all the trappings that come with it. Few families control the Fourth Estate in the world with their outlets and reach being transnational and transcontinental. What this means is few families dictate what you read, hear and listen to. Politicasters, understanding the immense power wielded by the Fourth Estate as a branch of government with inalienable weight in lawmaking, in all acts of authority, find ways and means to align with these owners.

In many instances, the owners of the Fourth Estate are backers of politicasters and their campaigns. This unholy marriage between owners and politicasters is the bane of true news. This is what leads to the capture of the Fourth Estate. Instead of seeking the interests of the public and offering a variety of news coverage from all angles, the Fourth Estate find themselves prioritising the interests of firms or political groups over the interests of the public, leading to a net loss to society as a whole. News media agencies suffering regulatory capture are called by me "captured agencies" of the Forth Estate.

The Illusion of Choice & the U.S. Election

The idea that todays news media can be accurate and fair is thus an illusion. If there are specific folks who determine what is news and what is not, then where is choice?

A simple survey of all the big media outlets leading towards the presidential election will show how one-sided the reporting was in favour of Mrs. Clinton. When the establishment hated Trump, so did the news media it courted. Even their polls did not tell the correct storyleaving a large section of the global population feeling disappointed by the results of the election.

The global news media spearheaded by Western bosses had assured the masses of a loss for what the news media had painted as the worst possible president for the USA. The news media predictions failed woefully.

Each time a major news media outlet came out with a poll in favour of Mrs. Clinton; there were dozens of twitter polls by ordinary citizens that contradicted it.

Whats worse is that much of the allegations against Mr. Trump were without solid basis whereas there were mountains of evidence supplied by hacks in Soros organization as well as thousands of leaked emails by Wikileaks that highlighted great flaws in Mrs. Clinton but the media did not seem to think these were news worthy.

To highlight my point, an Associate Professor at the MIT Media Lab Cesar A. Hidalgo who is a self-professed Clinton supporter came up with an email visualization tool of the leaked Clinton emails.

Despite this tool attracting upon its release 300,000 views in less than a week i.e. about 50,000 views per day, it received no reaction from the news media. The dead silence is telltale of a dependent (vis-a-vis independent) news media establishment possibly under the control/capture of a few.

The tool became the top story of the Internetisbeautiful subreddit, and made it to Reddits frontpage. It collected more than 3000 upvotes and 700 comments. Soon a moderator single-handedly removed it in an authoritarian move. The interest of the public was unquestionable; however, the Fourth Estate of government deemed it not fit to report. The reputation of the U.S. as a bastion of freedom is brought into question by such occurrences. Whats more, the Assistant Professor in question started being called a Trump supporter by colleagues and received some heat for setting up the tool. He then penned the following:

[T]his election has muddled the gears of democracy. When we cannot learn from those we oppose, or agree when they have a valid point, our learning stops Cesar A. Hidalgo, MIT Assistant Professor

The professor is of course right. Clearly the news media had a challenge with one of the candidates and were intent on one-sided reportage. Is this what the founding fathers envisioneda society built on bias? I thought it was a government for the people and by the people, in which case, the news media should report what interests the people. It seems like it is now a government over the people and by transnational elites who act as backers of the political establishment. I wonder what Snowden would say about this.

What are the repercussions for the international systems and the nations within it? I honestly do not know but I presume it cannot be good. Why? Americas policies affect other nations within the system. If the American political establishment and electorate cannot learn from each other or from an outsider even when he has valid points, they can definitely not learn from other nations in the international system that may have an opposing view to theirs. This is a frightening thought considering that we are talking of a nation whose capability/power is probably unsurpassed in human history.

It is presupposed the US is a democracy and the election results reflects the will of the majority and yet after the elections, the riots, demonstrations and #HeIsNotMyPresident hashtag reveals a deep seated hate for the Trump faction by the losing side and their unwillingness to accept the will of the winning side. This unwillingness to accept other perspectives different from ours is dangerous.

What Should The World Expect?

What would a Trump Presidency hold for the rest of the world? Trump said in his acceptance speech, I want to tell the world community that while we will always put Americas interests first, we will deal fairly with everyone, with everyone all people and all other nations. We will seek common ground, not hostility; partnership, not conflict.

Fairness is key. If the President elects words are anything to go by, hopefully there will be peaceful relations with other states and the poor shall not have the rich riding roughshod over them. This is in stark contrast to much of the twisted foreign policy of previous US Government administrations who lived by the you are with us or against us code.

This code resulted in democratically elected Prime Minister Mosaddeghs removal from power in a coup detat on 19 August 1953, organised and carried out by the CIA at the request of MI6, which chose Iranian General Fazlollah Zahedi to succeed Mosaddegh. It was dubbed Operation Ajax. Since then, elected governments who refused to sacrifice the future of their people to Western commercial and geopolitical interests have suffered a similar fate and the Fourth Estate covered up the atrocities.

Thankfully, declassified documents, leaked emails as well as tapped phone conversations have uncovered the real news. More recently in the Ukraine, the US almost got away with organizing a coup detat and pinning it on Putin. A leaked phone call laid bare the plot which former Dick Cheney aide Victoria Nuland, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs later confessed to.

The war on Iraq, Lybia and now Syria is not any different. The US is great nation but for some time now it has been hijacked by politicasters and charlatans who promote intolerance and war mongering that benefits the military industrial complex. America lost its way when it started playing bully. It will not finding it by continuing on this path of destruction. A nation can find ways of looking out for its national interests without messing up other parts of the world. One of such ways is called negotiation.

The nation needs to dial down the intolerance and become more tolerant of opposing views within its own borders and its media establishment needs to be de-monopolized and made as free as can be. It is my wish that Trumps words concerning common ground, not hostility; partnership, not conflict pans out to be true. If it does, America will reclaim her greatness in the table of nations.
The Executive Director of IMANI Ghana says the Victory of Republicans Donald Trump in the US has proven false all the polls which favored Democratics Hilary Clinton.

Franklin Cudjoe says the media backed by some individuals decided to bastardize Mr Trump and this resulted in the kind of negative reportage he received.

I wasnt surprised at his win [because] those polls were corruptly rigged, he told Raymond Acquah, host of Joy FMs Ghana Connect programme Friday.

The Wednesday victory of Mr Trump over his fierce contender Mrs Clinton has sent shockwaves throughout the world.

The announcement has sparked some riots and protests across the United States by supporters of Mrs Clinton who believe their candidate was given a wrong deal especially when all the major polls conducted had pointed to a massive win for her.

The former First Lady was tipped to win the election by a bigger margin against Mr Trump who was seen as a lousy fellow because of his policies of stopping immigration and constructing a wall to separate Mexico and US.

Opinions polled by major research institutions in the country heavily predicted a 48-9 percent for Mrs Clinton and 41-2 for Mr Trump.

However, this was short-lived after the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) reopened a case in which the Democratic candidate was being investigated for tampering with classified documents.

FBI Director, James Comey wrote to the US Congress few days to the polls that his outfit's position that the former First Lady should not be prosecuted stands.

At the end of the elections, out of 538 electoral votes, Mr Trump polled 279 votes while Mrs Clinton had 218 votes, topping the 270 votes needed for the said majority.

He lost the popular votes by 395,595 difference. He had 60,071,650 representing 47.4 as against Mrs Clintons 60,467,245 which represents 47.7 percent of the votes.

"This is record-breaking," the IMANI boss said in reaction to the performance of one of the most 'despised' presidential candidate throughout history.

Mr Cudjoe said the deliberate attempt to muzzle the election for the former First Lady has been exposed by the results.

"The doom hasn't stopped," he said, adding after the businessman was declared winner people are making vile predictions that he would be the worst President in the history of the US.

Even though he did not take part in voting in person, a Yale University student said he was not surprised by the outcome of the elections.

Tunde Akim said anyone with a perfect understanding of the US history would appreciate the reason the Republican nominee won because of the state of the economy which many Americans feared might worsen under Clinton leadership.

"The US is such a world power and more people need to realize how our politics is conducted," he said.

Assisting Editor of Joy Business, George Wiafe, a Ghanaian Clintonite, read a story from Bloomberg which said the world financial market has had some setbacks due to the polls results.

More than one Trillion was wiped off the value of bonds around the world this week as President-Elect Donald Trumps policies are seen as...," he said inconclusively when IMANI boss interjected.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | Email: [email protected]
Johannesburg (AFP) - Across Africa, the approaching presidency of Donald Trump has provoked deep uncertainty over how the United States will pursue policies ranging from counter-terrorism and trade, to aid and climate change.

Many African countries had high hopes that Barack Obama would bring transformative benefits to the continent and were left disappointed as he winds down his time in office.

But Trump's rise to power poses fresh questions that reveal the lack of concrete detail on his foreign policy plans -- while the president-elect himself has seldom addressed African issues directly.

One possible pointer is Trump's often repeated vow to kill "terrorists", which may lead to more aggressive US intervention against Islamist forces such as Nigeria's Boko Haram, linked to the Islamic State group, and Shabaab militants in Kenya, Somalia and elsewhere.

"Donald Trump can be described as a strongman leader, and strongman leaders tend to only see military solutions," Ryan Cummings, director of the intelligence firm Signal Risk in Cape Town, told AFP.

"The US directly deploying in Africa or having a more overt presence would be a salient recruitment tool for many armed groups.

"The question is whether he is going to assist on the democratisation reforms and other projects that help stop extremism?"

Many African countries had high hopes that Barack Obama would bring transformative benefits to the continent and have been left disappointed as he winds down his time in office

Any increased US intervention would, however, go against Trump's isolationist stance -- a paradox that highlights increased unpredictability under his watch.

One of Trump's clearest themes on the campaign trail was his opposition to international trade deals that he says have put millions of Americans out of work.

That could spell trouble for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which gives 39 African nations duty-free access to the US market on about 7,000 products including textiles, cars, fruit and wine.

Less aid money?

Obama used AGOA as a tool to promote human rights, cutting Swaziland out of the deal in 2015 over alleged oppression in the small southern African nation.

In contrast, Trump's victory acceptance speech on Wednesday suggested a more protectionist approach to international relations, stressing "we will always put America's interests first".

Trump's potential pivot to isolationism could also impact the aid money that the US spends on health, education, agriculture and humanitarian crises across Africa.

USAID spent $700 million in Malawi alone over the last five years on a programme to improve quality of life in one of the world's poorest countries

USAID spent $700 million in Malawi alone over the last five years on a programme to improve quality of life in one of the world's poorest countries.

"Isolationism is implicit in all of his 'make America great again' rhetoric," said Zachary Donnenfeld, researcher at the Pretoria-based Institute of Security Studies.

"There is also evidence to suggest that he may have support for rolling back America's commitments to improving human development abroad."

Africa is seen as especially vulnerable to drought and floods caused by climate change, and Trump's election has shaken the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

He has dismissed alarm about global warming and threatened to renegotiate or cancel US backing for the landmark Paris climate deal signed last year.

As African leaders rushed to congratulate the incoming president, Peter Vale, a professor of humanities at the University of Johannesburg, advised them to try to build whatever relationship they can with the Trump government.

"Africa is likely to slide down the list of foreign policy priorities of a Donald Trump administration," Vale wrote in an analysis briefing.

"He is going to be intolerant and disinterested in issues around the domestic politics of African countries.

"The worst that African countries can do, however difficult it will be politically, would be to show their displeasure and hold their noses."
Rome (AFP) - They arrive in their hundreds every month, their heads full of dreams of new lives in Europe. In reality, many of them are destined for years of sexual slavery.

And in Italy's migrant-saturated southern ports, prising these young Nigerian girls away from their traffickers is a formidable challenge.

With each new landing of migrants rescued at sea, the well-worn processing procedures have an almost ritualistic aspect to them: a first identification interview, cuddly toys for the children and a specialist from the International Organization for Migration paying particular attention to any young women.

Nigerian females have been landing in Italy in significant numbers since the 1980s, lured by the promise of jobs only to find themselves with colossal debts to the traffickers who got them here.

The trade has exploded in recent years. According to IOM figures, 433 Nigerian women arrived in 2013, 1,454 in 2014, 5,653 last year and 7,768 in the first nine months of 2016.

"We estimate that between 70 and 80 percent of them are in danger of being forced into prostitution," said the IOM's Luca Pianese, adding that the numbers do not include hundreds of minors.

Stephanie from Nigeria poses on October 1, 2015 with her daughter Francesca Marina, born on May 3, 2015 during a rescue operation by the Italian Navy off the coast of Sicily

Some of the women will end up working on the streets of Italy, others in France, Spain, Austria or other European countries where demand seems to grow incessantly.

Pianese, who works as part of a 13-strong team that includes two women of Nigerian origin, has learned how to spot the signs that newly arrived women have been trafficked.

Most of the victims come from Edo state in southern Nigeria, they invariably have had only the most basic education and say they can remember little about how they got from Nigeria to the Mediterranean.

Smashing dreams

Usually the women have a phone number they have been told to call when they arrive.

Sometimes they will be accompanied by a minder. "You have to separate them from false sisters and pretend husbands," said Pianese.

Then comes the painful bit. "They arrive here full of hope, confident they are headed for a better future," the aid worker says.

Over 140 migrants and refugees, mainly from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone, wait to disembark at the Augusta harbour in eastern Italy on September 27, 2015

"Unfortunately our duty is to smash their dream."

That involves explaining that the future envisaged for these young women involves long hours perched on the edge of out-the-way roads, servicing 10 to 20 clients a day for less than 20 euros (dollars) a time with no guarantee that some of the punters will not be violent.

There is also some positive news to be shared: Italian law guarantees residency rights and social support to women trafficked for prostitution, even if they have not got to the stage of being forced to sell their bodies in Italy.

Despite that, the IOM says barely 300 women accepted such help between the start of 2015 and the end of August.

According to Nigerian nun Monica Chikwe, who coordinates a network of safe houses for trafficked African women, that is not surprising.

In Nigeria, "no one tells the truth" and when they hear about Europe "all the girls can see are sequins", she says.

For many, abuse and violence starts en route, in particular in Libya. Yet a degree of gratitude persists alongside fear of the people smugglers who, after all, have delivered on their promise to get them to Europe.

50,000 euro debt

Even those women savvy enough to suspect that all might not be as it has been presented to them have little idea of the violence that awaits them -- or how hard it will be for them to repay the debts they have incurred.

Typically this will be between 20,000 and 50,000 euros (dollars).

"These are sums way above what other migrants have paid," says Maurizio Scalia, a public prosecutor in Palermo in Sicily who has been helping to track down individual traffickers and now wants to expand the scope of his investigation to "get a picture of the whole system".

Adding to the problems involved in smashing the smugglers' business model is the fact that many of the victims have taken part in voodoo ceremonies before they leave Nigeria and fear reprisals against their families if they do not pay back their debts.

As a result, most of them will maintain a stony silence until they reach reception centres, where traffickers will come to find them. In such cases, all the IOM can do is give them an emergency number they can call at any time.

Sometimes it works. Earlier this month Sicilian police were able to liberate a young Nigerian who had landed on October 24 and dialled for help after being kidnapped by three of her compatriots and told she would have to prostitute herself to reimburse 30,000 euros.

The toll-free number received some 150 calls in 2015 and the first half of this year.

Faced with the sharp increase of young women confronting the same plight, the Italian government recently allocated 15 million euros to establish specialist reception centres.

They are already nearly all full.
Ghanaian nuclear Scientists joined other nuclear experts across Africa in a two weeks capacity training in St Petersburg to discuss nuclear power on the continent and gain an overview of the global nuclear sector. The goal is to support Ghana and other African countries on the use of nuclear technology for the generation of electricity and other energy services. Also in a range of nuclear applications in medicine, agriculture and industry need for a greatly expanded global cadre of nuclear professionals. This is timely training as Ghana continues to find alternative energy to meets its energy shortfall.

Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agencys (IAEA) and Russian nuclear provider, Rosatom, shared their experiences and best practices regarding technical, legal, financial and social aspects of national nuclear programs. Participants were introduced to a range of topics on the use of nuclear energy, such as nuclear infrastructure development, safety culture management, advances in reactor technologies and nuclear knowledge management. The Joint Rosatom-IAEA Nuclear Energy Management School is committed to transferring decades of management experience and knowledge to professionals from countries looking to develop nuclear power.

Daniel Agyeman Wordson, a participant from the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission said: This training presented clearly how Rosatom handles specific issues in nuclear management. Rosatom experts gave us clear view of how the work should be done for newcomer countries. Russia has been a key player in the nuclear sphere for many years and Rosatom professionals have acquired great experience in nuclear infrastructure development. Moreover, Rosatom puts an emphasis on educating newcomer countries. Russian method/practice is a systematic and comprehensive approach.

Several technical tours were also organized. Participants had an opportunity to visit the construction site of Leningrad NPP 2 (VVER-1200 reactors), to investigate the reactor and turbine halls and experience the full-scope simulators of operated and constructed units. Trainees also visited the Emergency Response Center of Rosatom (St. Petersburg), the full-scope simulator of Floating NPP Akademik Lomonosov and the Nuclear Industry Information Center (NIIC) in Saint Petersburg.

Rosatom, apart from joint projects, is committed to preparing more than 300 students from 37 countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Ethiopia, to take up roles in their local nuclear sectors. In Russia, 20 special universities have extensive IAEA supported programs specifically aimed at equipping international students to deliver on the benefits of nuclear technology. In 2016 Russian universities hosted more than 1300 students from 28 countries.
Since its founding, America has been a beacon of democracy to many around the world. Routinely, whenever there have been post-election disputes, in places like Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana, there have been self-righteous lectures from America about resolving disputes peacefully.

However, since the election of Donald Trump, unfolding events have cast a very dark shadow on America's democratic reputation. From Atlanta to New York to Portland, to mention only a few cities, there are thousands of protesters on the streets, protesting the election of Mr. Trump. In Chicago, a white man was beaten by two blacks amidst shouts of "Don't vote Trump" by onlookers.

Elsewhere, there were others with placards, saying, "Not my President" and "Impeach Donald Trump ", who went on rampage, burning cars and destroying property. On the other hand, graffiti have been painted in a high school in Illinois, stating, " Go back to Africa" and "Make America Great again".

Obviously, these two are not the same. Those marching in the streets are not protesting rigging or any irregularities in the elections. They are protesting the very fact that he won. Ironically, during the waning days of this bitter campaign, Mr. Trump had been criticized for refusing to pledge that he would accept the election results. Mrs. Clinton opined that Mr. Trump was "talking down our democracy".

A few days later, the Democratic candidate asserted that Mr. Trump's refusal to commit to the results was a "direct threat to our democracy " Imagine, for a moment, what would have happened if Republicans had marched into the streets to protest the election of President Obama? They would have been called racists and worse. It is not clear what the protesters want.

Do they want a new vote? Do they want him to give up the mandate he won fair and square? As Hillary said, with some exaggeration, since the founding of the Republic, regardless of how divisive a campaign is, Americans have always found a way to come together and to transfer power peacefully, except in 1860, when Lincoln was elected. Within weeks, Southern states were leaving the Union and the civil war was under way. It is time for the Democrats to accept the results of this election and end the lawlessness.

It is hypocritical for those who were scandalized by the possibility that Trump might not accept the results to refuse to accept it or to make apologies for those on the streets. Let President Obama, Hillary and the leaders of the Democratic party do their duty by denouncing those who want to dishonour the mandate Mr. Trump won. Let law enforcement crack down on all those breaking the law on all sides.

Let America return to her lofty perch as the Beacon of democracy for the world. That is where America belongs.

Arthur K
Founder and leader of Glorious Word Power Ministry International, Rev. Isaac Owusu-Bempah says he is ready to lose his church building if Nana Addo does not win the upcoming elections as he has prophesized.

According to him there is no condition with this prophecy like it was four years ago.

You can call me a fake prophet or burn down my church building if the New Patriotic Party [NPP] does not win the upcoming polls, he said.

Speaking to Kwame Nkrumah Tikesie host of Ade Akye Abia morning show on Okay FM, Rev Owusu Bempah said Angles would come down from heaven to vote for Akufo-Addo even if Ghanaians refuse to vote for him.

I say this year is for no other Presidential candidate other than Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party [NPP], no matter what happens, he emphasized.

Expressing himself further, he said though he is not a politician, he would make sure he says what God reveals to him whether it would be regarded or not.

Mine is to act as the prophecy of God come to me.

I am saying with no single doubt again that Nana Addo would be the President of Ghana come December 7th. It is already written in heaven and so it shall be on earth, Rev. Owusu Bempah said.
Yesterday God glorified himself again and proved to the world that the wisdom of this world is foolishness to him. When I was retiring to bed on Tuesday night, Hillary Clinton was leading the American presidential race only to wake up and hear that Donald Trump's republican party had overtaken Hillary's democrats. They did not just win the presidency but also majority of the senate and house of representatives.

As I sat down quietly behind my television set, I asked myself a simple question, "what made Trump triumph?". In trying to find answers to this question, I remembered the story of Balaam's donkey when God opened its eye and spoke through it(Numb 22:21-39).

A donkey could speak for the first time whilst a prophet(Balaam) could not even see the angel of God.

I also remembered the story of Samuel when God had sent him to anoint David but decided to look at physical appearance and anoint a different person(1 Sam 16)

Jesus Christ in Matthew 20:16, made a bold statement that the first shall be the last and the last shall be the first.

Hillary received all the international support any presidential candidate needed, from Europe, Africa etc. Pollsters from all over the world ruled out the possibility of Trump presidency. He was painted as evil, arrogant, unintelligent etc. He was mocked and counted off yet he won the election convincingly, even in states which were seen as democrats stronghold

As I have always stated, God's will is different from man's will. Most often we tag people as evil and don't even give them a little chance to express themselves, we always want things to go our way and neglect the God factor.

We forget that God can use an "evil man" to turn the heart of people to himself. Though Hillary was somewhat seen as "perfect and a unifier", her party's agenda was evil (legalization of abortion, deportation of immigrants, Muslims, etc) whilst that of Trump's democrats was godly

Though we may be surprised physically with the turn of events, we must as believers look beyond what everybody sees because God chooses whomever he wants to.

We can all learn a lesson from what happened if we truly want to learn and we can equally sit down and point holes but it is God's will that always prevail.

It is therefore possible that after all the pampering and flattering we can still miss heaven. We may be counted off, despised and rejected and still make it depending on the hand that carries us. As we continue to discuss the new president Trump, let us ask ourselves the important questions, "WHAT MADE TRUMP TRIUMPH?"

God bless you................

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It is 1 pm and Rituraj Sinha, president of Cash Logistics Association of India, the body which has undertaken the task to re-fill the cash requirement in ATMs, has been awake for the past 72 hours.

Each ATM has upto Rs 40 lakh cash capacity, but with the new order, the capacity has been reduced to Rs 10 lakh cash. Photo: Reuters

By Devina Gupta: As serpentine queues grow outside the ATMs, a network of 40,000 trained men and women are working round the clock to replenish cash in them.

It is 1 pm and Rituraj Sinha, president of Cash Logistics Association of India, the body which has undertaken the task to re-fill the cash requirement in ATMs, has been awake for the past 72 hours.

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"We told employees to come with their toothbrush and change to office, it's a massive task to ensure 2.2 lakh ATMs in 650 districts are fully functional for the public," Rituraj Sinha told India Today.

While total estimate of old currency in circulation is 22 lakh crore, the ATMs have around 14 lakh crore old notes.

"Our first task is to withdraw the old 500 and 1000 currency in the ATMs. We have now been able to extract almost 90 per cent of such notes. But the next step is to re-fill the ATMs. Each ATM has up to Rs 40 lakh cash capacity, but since we can for now only put Rs 100 notes, this capacity is reduced to Rs 10 lakh cash," said Rituraj Sinha.

The 8,800 cash vans, which were supplying notes to 25,000 ATMs per day, are now speeding to meet the shortfall of 72,000 ATMs per day.

"By the time we fill one ATM in 20 minutes, it gets dry in 3 hours. Footfall in each ATM has gone up from 100 to 3000 people per day. We are facing shortfall of over 40,000 trained men. The problem is you can't hire anyone, due to the sensitive business, without a proper background check and a prior approval by banks," Sinha said.

Sources in the Finance Ministry have told India Today that while the ATM withdrawal limit was set to ease out money dispensation, it will take one more week to re-configure each ATM to give out higher denomination notes.

For now, the ATMs which have a withdrawal limit of Rs 2000 per day, for the next week will not be dispensing new notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2000.

"When the decision was announced, deputy RBI governor in a meeting told us that this is a service to the nation. Mr Gandhi told us to set aside all the limitations and this is what we are trying to do," Rituraj Sinha told India Today before ducking back to the central monitoring room to get a bi-hourly update of the ATM refill drive across the nation.

--- ENDS ---

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12.11.2016 LISTEN

During one of my speaking engagements with students in Kumasi some years ago, I posed this question to them: What are the essentials to success in life?

They mentioned among others the following-have a dream, vision, a plan, set goals, determination, focus, hard work, believing in oneself, optimism, courage etc. They were right. However, associating with the right people should be added to the list as it is a major factor in the recipe for success.

Lets examine the lives of three successful people and how their association with the right people contributed in a large measure to their personal development, success and achievement.

Angelina Jolie was a renowned American actress. Both parents were in the movie industry.

When she was about a year old, her parents divorced and her father left leaving behind many unresolved problems.

She had a difficult childhood. She faced many challenges during her school days. Drugs became her friend and this nearly ruined her life.

In the midst of these challenges, her mother provided the inspiration she needed to get on with life. It was her mother who saw the potential in her and encouraged her to take to acting. She featured in many movies and was credited with being an amazing actress.

Something beautiful was to emerge from her plight-humanitarianism. At age 26, she adopted her first child and gave much needed assistance to refugees. Of course she had her own biological kids.

Her mother, brother and the kids she looked after made her life tick. The encouragement from her family and kids as well as her humanitarian efforts turned her life from one of misery to the shining lights of peace, joy and happiness.

Her phenomenal success in the movie industry can be attributed to her association with the right people, namely her mother, brother, and children who cheered on with inspiration, positivity and encouragement.

Henry Ford was born on a farm near Dearborn, Michigan, United States. He was the eldest of six children born to his parents, middle-class farmers.

Ford spent most of his time on the farm which he disliked anyway. He wanted to be a mechanic because he seemed to have a knack for this area. Unfortunately his father did not like that idea as he wanted Ford working in the farm.

Ford had to be in a place he could horn his machinist skills. A company employed him to repair watches and steam engines.

His business life was not so rosy. Many of his businesses collapsed. He once said: Failure is a chance to begin again more intelligently. It is just a resting place. We learn more from our failures than our successes.

Ford caught a vision to produce cars. In 1892 he produced his first car in his work shed. All this while, Ford worked with Detroit Edison Company as an engineer and machinist.

In 1896, Henry Ford met the great inventor Thomas Edison. After listening to the exploits of Ford and the giant strides he has made, Edison encouraged him, saying: There is a big future for any light-weight engine that can develop a high horsepower and is self-contained keep on with your engine. If you can get what you are after, I can see a great future.

These inspirational words of Edison gave Ford the courage to persevere through what were to be some very bleak years. Despite the hurdles, Ford went on to become one of the most successful industrialists in the United States. Today, his company, Ford Motor Company is the worlds largest producer of trucks, the worlds second largest producer of cars and trucks combined, and one of the largest providers of financial services worldwide.

Jim Rohn was an American motivational speaker, author and entrepreneur. His parents were farmers.

Jim had only a year of college education. In some of the books he authored, he spoke about Earl Shoaff as the one who inspired him to achieve success and great fortune.

Before coming into contact with Shoaff, Jim was a stock clerk in a department store. He was taught many things by his mentor, Shoaff. He was given guidelines on public speaking and writing.

Jim Rohn conducted seminars for 40 years of his life and helped many people gain a deep insight about success and achievement. Most of the strategies he taught were those imparted to him by his mentor.

In all of the above examples, we can see that these highly successful people achieved greatness and they owe much of it to the influence and support of their mentors and influencers. They associated with the right people who provided inspiration, light, support and encouragement.

In conclusion, when we associate with the right people we can bring success and achievement into our own lives as they are a source of social support and encouragement. There is power in associating with the right people. They help us focus on our goals and also provide the motivation for us to gear our efforts towards the achievement of our dreams and vision.

Email: [email protected]

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Marrakech, 12 November, 2016  From Iowa windfarms to Delhi train networks, panels at the Business and Industry "BINGO" Day at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) highlighted business successes and outlined priorities for expanding future investment.

The day kicked off with COP22 President Salaheddine Mezouar speaking on the importance of partnerships and technology. We have to transform technology into real projects, he said. We need more commitment from companies for the transformation.

Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun, President, La Confederation Generale des Entreprises du Maroc (CGEM), pointed to Moroccan business climate initiatives. While climate change presents challenges, she said it, it also represents opportunities for Moroccos economic community through green business. We have amazing projects and solutions. We need training, we need capacity building, she said. We must bridge the technology gap. Climate change knows no boundaries.

An example of Morocco's leadership in renewables is the Noor Power Station, Africans largest power station, which connected to the Moroccan power grid in February 2016. Noor 1, the first section at the town of Ouarzazate, provides 160 megawatts (MW) of the ultimate 580MW capacity. The Moroccan government plans to generate 42% of its energy from renewables by 2020, with plans to reach 52% by 2030.

At the New Energy Realities panel organized by the International Chamber of Commerce and The World Energy Council the focus was on changes brought on by the rapidly increasing interest in investment in clean energy  and the profitability of many companies. Its now much easier for banks to mobilize capital for green investments because of low carbon trends, said Abyd Karmali, Managing Director, Climate Finance, Bank of America Merrill Lynch. There has been a 9-1 shift towards renewables. A future challenge: 50-70% of investment required for renewable energy is in emerging markets.

For investment to grow in the low-carbon businesses, companies and investors need clear and consistent climate-related financial disclosures, said Michael Wilkins, Managing Director, Infrastructure Finance Ratings, S&P Global Ratings. Recommendations by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures are due out in Q2 2017.

The FSB Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) will develop voluntary, consistent climate-related financial risk disclosures for use by companies in providing information to investors, lenders, insurers, and other stakeholders.

The Task Force will consider the physical, liability and transition risks associated with climate change and what constitutes effective financial disclosures across industries. Core elements of the recommendations will include Governance, Strategy, Risk Management and Metrics and Targets.

The business plan session organized by The Business Council for Sustainable Energy, Edison Electric Institute and the U.S. Green Building Council, Cathy Woollums, senior vice president, environmental services and chief environment counsel, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, pointed to one of their companys success stories: the thriving windfarm industry in Iowa. By 2019, the company expects windfarm to serve 85% its customer load  while providing land use payments to farmers.

Abdhesh Singh, executive director, electrical of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, described how innovative energy efficiencies have been built into the entire rail system, including cooling for the trains. A panel member said this weeks US Election results were unlikely to provide immediate harm to the international green business industry.

Said one panel member. The clean energy proposition has never been more sound, said Dawn Martin, COO of Ceres.
The Government is to improve irrigation systems across the country to support all-year round agriculture, Mr Bright Demordzi, the Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agriculture, has said.

He said as part of the improvement scheme, the irrigation systems are being equipped with solar systems to make electricity available to support agro-industrial and domestic activities.

Consequently, the Agricultural Committee Vice Chair appealed to the people to vote massively for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), and retain President John Dramani Mahama, and parliamentary candidates on the NDC ticket for the project to be sustained.

Mr Demordzi, who is the Member of Parliament for Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro, was addressing the electorate at separate rallies at Tuba, farming and fishing community in the constituency.

The campaign was supported by a group of outgoing Members of Parliament from the NDC who have come together to promote the re-election of President John Dramani Mahama, as well as candidates in constituencies facing challenges for a resounding victory.

Known as 2016 NDC MP Exit Group, the 49-member group is composed of current NDC Members of Parliament who could not make it at the Partys primaries and NDC MPs who would not be contesting at the parliamentary polls on December 7.

Hajia Mary Salifu Boforo, First Deputy Majority Chief Whip is the leader of the group, and Mr Emmanuel Nii Ashie Moore, MP for Adentan, the originator.

Tuba in the Ga South Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra Region is predominantly, a Muslim community, with settlers from across the country.

The provision of irrigation facilities to support agriculture has been a challenge to the people, as a canal system provided needs to be worked on as a result of siltation and break down.

Mr Demordzi, popularly called International Fisherman, by colleague legislators entreated the people to give him a second term in parliament to push through for the canal project to be worked on.

He said a similar project at Ashaiman, has been equipped with solar systems, and it was the intention of the NDC government to de-silt the canal system at Weija though the the Parliamentary Select Committee of Agriculture.

Mr Ashie Moore, who is also the outgoing MP for Adenta, urged the electorate to retain Mr Demordzi for a second term since the first term is a learning period, and an additional four more years would provide President Mahama and Mr Demordzi the chance to complete uncompleted projects and programmes.

He said the voting for the presidential candidate for one party and the parliamentary candidate of another party, -skirt and blouse- voting was not welcome in the NDC.

In the NDC, we wear kaba and slit, beautiful dressing to the admiration of all, Mr Ashie Moore said, entreating the electorate to give the nod for a second term to President Mahama, and the NDC parliamentary candidate.

Mr Emmanuel Akolbire Opam Brown, the outgoing MP for Bolgatanga Central, said the position of Mr Demordzi as Vice Chair of Select Committee of Agriculture shows he is very relevant to the House.

We believe strongly that you should support President Mahama and Mr Demordzi to get a second term.

Mr Donald Daari Soditey, outgoing MP for Sawla Kalba Constituency, and former Vice Chair of the Agriculture Select Committee, said he knew Mr Demordzi as an effective legislator.

He advised the electorate not to be deceived by any defection from the NDC, explaining that defectors are seen as traitors from the parties and are often untrustworthy.

Wing Commander (rtd) Francis Kabenlah Anaman, outgoing MP for Jomoro, said the intention of the NDC is transform the constituency into what he called one in town.

Mr Demordzi donated quantities of bags of seeds of different vegetables, received by Mr Samuel Evans Lartey, Scheme Manager of the Weija Irrigation Scheme, to be distributed to the farmers.

Later at the Tuba mosque, the delegation also distributed various items to the residents.


Marrakech, 11 November, 2016  Anne Hidalgo, Paris Mayor and Chief of C40 - the Cities Climate Leadership Group, introduced the Women4Climate initiative in Marrakech this morning.

On hand to speak on the distinguished panel of women leaders were Patricia Espinosa, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; Laurence Tubiana, the French Ambassador to international climate negotiations; Celeste Ketcha-Courtes, Mayor of Bangangte, Cameroon; as well as representative Hakima El Haite, COP22 Special Envoy and Climate Champion of Morocco.

The Paris Agreement was largely brought about by the tireless efforts of women like Laurence Tubiana, which is why Hidalgo said, women will be essential in making it a reality in our cities.

"Study after study has shown that women are the most vulnerable [to climate change] and that's why there is a need for strong leadership on this issue...like these excellent role models," said Espinosa.

El Haite spoke about how Women are the first victims of climate change but are also outstanding actors of change. She said we cannot ignore 50% of the world, if you want to develop the whole world.

El Haite has been advocating Moroccos support of women in climate leadership and climate action, even presenting in Washington, DC earlier this year with Hidalgo.

Ketcha-Courtes is now the head of the Local Elected Women in Africa network, which was founded in Tangier, and said, African women are the natural managers of everything. We are ready, we are in the action! of making the Paris Agreement goals a reality.

The initiative will be officially launched in December at the C40 summit in Mexico City.
Senior journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako says he shares the view that United States President-elect, Donald Trump could be impeached.

Speaking on Joy FM/MultiTV news analysis programme Newsflie, he said Mr. Trumps win at last Tuesdays polls was the last thing he expected and was shocked and devastated by the news.

The businessman caused millions worldwide to jump out of their skin when he emerged victorious in the fierce race between him and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton snatched defeat from the jaws of victory after Mr. Trump won in battleground states of Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, Tuesday night in America.

Donald Trump pictured above

For millions of Americans, the reality of the country under a Trump administration should never come to pass.

They have since the night filled streets in some cities in the States with "Not My President', 'Love. Trumps hate' placards and chants.

Picture: Picture: (REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni TEMPLATE OUT) Some protestors pictured above

But a prediction by one of the few professional prognosticators of a Donald Trump win could give them hope.

Prof. Allan Lichtman in September told the Huffington Post that if elected, Trump would eventually be impeached by a Republican Congress that would prefer a President Mike Pence someone whom establishment Republicans know and trust.

The Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper thinks the professor's prediction could manifest "unless the system tames him [Trump] but prior to the election I did not think he showed the requisite temperament to be president of the United State in the modern setting."

Mr Baako expressed his disapproval for the protests that have hit the United States after the election.

"I think that...they ought to accept the verdict and live with it for the next four years...for all you know President Trump may do things that could cause some little problems for him and if you want him out, you go through the due process...a possible impeachment otherwise you live with it till the four years come," he indicated.

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com
The President of policy think tank, IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe has accused the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei of hurting the reputation of the commission with some of her decisions.

According to him, Charlotte Osei performed creditably well at the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) where she headed till her new role at the EC.

At the NCCE she did a stellar job, I'm not one of those who sit from afar and criticize just for criticizing, we went closer and we understood that she did really well at the NCCE but she is messing up at the EC, Franklin Cudjoe said on the Big Issue today [Saturday, November 12, 2016].

Charlotte Osei

Background

The IMANI boss' comment comes on the back of accusations by some political parties that the Electoral Commission under Charlotte Osei's leadership has not been fair to them especially within the nomination period.

The EC has come under pressure for disqualifying some presidential aspirants from the 2016 presidential race.

The EC had explained that it disqualified the presidential hopefuls which included the Progressive People's Party's Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom and Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings of the National Democratic Party because of some errors on their nomination forms.

They however dragged the EC to court over the decision.

The Supreme Court on November 7, 2016 ordered the EC to extend the deadline for the nomination period, which afforded the parties to rectify the errors on the nomination forms but some including Hassan Ayariga of the All Peoples Congress (APC) failed to make it into the race.

Even though some of the aspirants were able to correct the errors on their nomination forms and made it to the ballot, Mrs. Osei actions are still been questioned.

Lawsuits show EC has lost focus

Financial analyst, Sydney Casely-Hayford about a week ago accused the commission of losing focus .

He argued that the numerous court cases the EC has had to defend in court shows that the commission has lost its focus on who it is representing and what its job is.



By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
Tikobo Nov. 12, (W/R), GNA - The Jomoro Rural Bank (JRB) Limited at Tikobo No. 1 in the Western Region last year made a profit of GHa 263,181.00 before tax as against GHa 1118,272.00 in the previous year.

This represents an increase of 122.52 per cent.

The Bank's total income also increased from GHa 2,081,917.00 in 2014 to GHa 2,751,345.00 in 2015 representing an increase of 32.15 per cent as compared to 28.02 per cent in 2014.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank, Professor Cosmas Cobbold made this known at the 19th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Shareholders of the Bank at Tikobo No.1.

He said the Bank's total assets went up from GHa 10,037,800.00 in 2014 to GHa 12,955,662.00 in the year under review.

Prof Cobbold indicated that the Bank total deposit also moved from GHa 8,763,505.00 in 2014 to GHa 11,359,625.00 in 2015, adding that the achievement was as a result of "Prudent Investment, Aggressive Loans Recoveries and Innovative Ideas" of the Directors and Managers of the Bank.

He said the Bank made advances to Customers in the sum of GHa 4,047,398.00 in the year under review as against GHa 3,634,613.00 the previous year while its investments increased from GHa 4,000, 000.00 to GHa 500,000.00 during the period under consideration.

Prof Cobbold said the Bank's Paid-up Capital increased from GHa 193,992.00 in 2014 to GHa 309,422.00 representing 59.50 per cent of the previous figure thus meeting the Bank of Ghana's (BoG) directives to Rural and Community Banks in the Country to increase their minimum Paid-up Capital from GHa 50,000.00 to GHa 300,000.00 by December 31, 2015.

This he said had been possible due to pragmatic measures the Board put in place at the last AGM, which proposed that Directors, Management Staff, Staff and Shareholders increase and acquire new shares, to address the situation.

He however expressed concern that, whilst Directors, Management and Staff of the Bank had increased their shares accordingly, only five out of 4000 Shareholders of the Bank have bought additional shares.

The Board Chairman appealed to Shareholders of the Bank to endeavour to buy more shares to prevent the BoG from merging the Bank with another bank in future.

Prof Cobbold said under the Bank's Cooperate Social Responsibility a total of GHa 8,107.22 was spent on the provision of various forms of assistance to about 16 institutions, Communities and associations in its catchment area.

Some the beneficiary institutions include the National Association of Nzema Students of the University of Cape Coast and Takoradi Polytechnic, Tikobo No. 1 Community, Jomoro and Ellembele District Assemblies Farmers Day, Western Nzema Traditional Council (WNTC) and Annor Adjaye Senior High School Cadet Corps, Ezinlibo.

Mr Kodwo Aye Kusi, Managing Director of Association of Rural Banks (ARB) Apex Bank Limited, in a speech read on his behalf indicated that JRB Limited had been classified as a "Satisfactory Rural Bank" in the country following this year's Second Quarter "Efficiency Monitoring Unit" of Apex Bank report.

He appealed to Shareholders of the Bank to buy more shares to propel it to greater heights in future.

Two customers and seven staff of the bank were awarded for their outstanding performances and long services.

GNA
12.11.2016 LISTEN

Ho, Nov. 12, GNA - Colonel Richard Bosrotsi, (Rtd), Chairman of the Volta Region Veterans Administration of Ghana (VAG) has asked Ghanaians to value the relative peace in the country and not joke with it.

He asked the citizenry to remain calm in all circumstances to preserve the peace of the country.

Col Bosrotsi was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of the 71st Remembrance Day Anniversary Parade at the Ho Jubilee Park.

'I have witnessed wars and what I can say is that war is not pleasant. Women and children suffer most. We don't want that. We want peace,' he said.

Col Bosrotsi said indications were that tension was building up in the country ahead of the December 7 polls and charged the media to be circumspect and ensure event free polls.

The parade was made up of 250 men and eight officers drawn from six contingents from the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, The Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority, Fire and Rescue Service, Ghana Immigration Service and Ghana Prison Service.

A call to remembrance was observed followed by the sounding of the siren after, which two minutes of silence followed in memory of the fallen service men.

Mr Francis Komla Ganyaglo, Deputy Regional Minister laid a wreath on behalf of the President and the People of the Republic of Ghana and Lt Col Selorm Kwame Amengor, Commanding Officer, 66 Artillery Regiment also laid one on behalf of the Regional Security Services.

Wreaths were also laid on behalf of the chiefs and people of the Region and old servicemen.

GNA
12.11.2016 LISTEN

Nsawam (E/R), Nov. 12, GNA - The Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly at the of September, this year, collected GHa 748,859.96 representing 66.03 per cent of its revenue target.

The Assembly budget for GHa 860,000.00 from its traditional revenue sources which were reviewed in line with the functional organisational assessment tool.

Mr Ben Ohene Aye, the Municipal Chief Executive disclosed this at the third ordinary meeting of the first session of the Assembly at Nsawam.

He said the Tender Committee of the Assembly had awarded on contract a three-classroom block each at Bishop Ato and Panpanso Krokese, and Community-based Health Planning and Service compounds at Cannery Quarters and Otukwadjo for ratification by the Assembly.

GNA
By Theophania Dzadza, GNA

Accra, Nov. 12, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) has set the parameters for the determination of the validity of a ballot paper.

'If a voter accidentally damages his or her ballot paper, for by tearing, dirtying it or if the ballot paper is severely torn when being removed from the ballot booklet, it must be cancelled and replaced.

'The voter should be given fresh ballot paper. A line must be ruled across the damaged ballot paper and the word 'Spoilt' written on it and placed in the envelop provided for the purpose,' the EC has stated in Election 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary manual tagged: 'A Guide to Voters,' made available to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

According to the EC, the Presiding Officer (PO) who is in charge of the Polling Station in deciding the validity of the ballot paper, must note that the entire space in the horizontal column which includes the photograph of the candidate, the symbol, and the blank voting space belong to the respective candidate and any thumb print made must be accepted.

The EC explained that a ballot paper should not be counted only if: 'It does not bear the official ballot validation of the polling station, it is blank, that is, it has no mark at all on it and so no candidate was selected.

'A ballot will also not be counted if it is marked for more than one candidate, there is reasonable doubt as to the candidate the person voted for, or something that identifies the voter has been written on it.''

The EC directed the Presiding Officers to show to Polling Agents present the 'Rejected Ballot paper,' and explain to him or her reason for rejecting the ballot.

The publication of the EC Guide to the Voter is captured under the 'GNA Tracks Election 2016 Project', being funded by GOIL, the foremost indigenous oil marketing company and CIMG 2015 Petroleum Company of the year.

The project seeks to sensitise the electorate on the various issues raised by political parties, the elections management body and other governance institutions.

It aims at ensuring gender and social inclusion in national politics and to provide voice for the youth, vulnerable groups, opinion leaders and the broader spectrum of the society, and to contribute to the achievement of peaceful polls.

Another objective of the project is to create a platform to dissect the manifestoes of all political parties and provide in-depth analysis of each thematic area to the electorate to enable them to make an informed judgment.

GNA
Trolling someone on social media does not resolve real-life problems. Instead, people must show their strength on the ground in bringing about changes for a better society, said the Congress leader.

By India Today Web Desk:

Poet and Bollywood actor Ashutosh Rana took a swipe on those, who create a frenzy on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter without attempting to solve problems on the ground.

"Problems cannot be resolved by shouting on social media. Many people are showing their strength on social media and not on the ground," Ashutosh Rana said.

ASHUTOSH RANA SLAMS TROLLING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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Ashutosh Rana recited a poem to make his point that if people wanted change in society, they needed to work for bringing those changes. Expressing anger or trolling someone on social media does not resolve real-life problems, Ashutosh Rana said.



Without referring to the debate over intolerance, acclaimed actor and new-age-poet Ashutosh Rana said that differences in opinion between two people or groups should be respected.

Ashutosh Rana said, "Disagreement is not opposition. If I disagree with someone, I need not oppose the person. Not agreeing with someone does not mean that one person is against the other."

Also read: Sahitya AajTak: This poet wants Modi, Sharif mothers to discuss Indo-Pak peace



INCULATE VALUE OF TOLERANCE IN CHILDREN



Emphasising that the value of tolerance should be inculcated in children, Ashutosh said, "Our life can become a warning to our children. We have the opportunity to become a good example for our children."

Underlining the significance of language as a medium of communication, Ashutosh Rana said, "If you wish to resolve a dispute, you need to start a dialogue. Only dialogue can end all disputes of the world."



WATCH VIDEO



Also read: Sahitya AajTak 2016: We strive to preserve tradition, says Kalli Purie



Rana came down heavily on people, who try to stir a controversy on social media without working on the ground.

Ashutosh Rana underscored the importance of promoting Hindi as a medium of communication.

Also read: Hindi cinema is 80 per cent Mastram, 20 per cent literature: Anurag Kashyap at Sahitya AajTak



--- ENDS ---
12.11.2016 LISTEN

Axim (W/R), Nov.12, GNA - Fishmongers in the country, have been advised to patronise the new smokeless oven for fish processing in order to safeguard the health of fish consumers.

The smokeless oven known as the Ahotor Oven was introduced by the Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP) after a research by the Fish Research Institute and approved by the Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Ghana Standard Authority.

Madam Gifty Baaba Asmah, the Executive Director of Daasgift Quality Foundation, a financial NGO, made the call at the inauguration of Ahotor Oven in Axim, in the Nzema East Municipality, in the Western Region, on Friday.

She urged fish processors to patronise the oven in view of its economic benefits, adding that it saved fish processors 40 per cent of the cost of firewood used for processing fish and also prevented them from inhaling smoke when smoking fish.

She said the oven had been introduced to fish processors in Elmina and Winneba in the Central Region, therefore the NGO had been educating fish processors in Shama District and Nzema East Municipality as well as other coastal communities in the Region to embrace the innovation for the sake of their health and safety.

Madam Asmah gave the assurance that the SFMP would pay 30 per cent of the cost of the oven which stood at GHa 1, 200.00 and also provide loans to interested fish processors to purchase them.

She advised fish processors to adhere to personal hygiene during fish processing by keeping their surroundings clean, keep the fishes in an iced-box and wear gloves and other protective gear.

Mr Thomas Suapim, the Regional President of the National Fish Processors and Traders Association, said fish was one of the most traded commodity in the world and constituted more than 60 per cent of animal protein consumed by many people.

He encouraged fishmongers to embrace the technology to safeguard the health of fish consumers.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the 'Feed the Future' initiative introduced by the US President Barack Obama, to reduce poverty and hunger in Africa thus, committed funds towards the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Management Project in 2014.

The project, among other things is aimed at rebuilding the marine fish stocks through the adoption of sustainable fishing practices and exploitation levels.

The fishing industry offers more than two million indirect jobs to Ghanaians and contributed as much as 4.5 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product at some point in time.

GNA
By Iddi Yire, GNA

Accra, Nov. 12, GNA - The Association of African Universities (AAU) has hailed Ghana for generously providing it with a new ultramodern two-storey Secretariat building.

Professor Etienne Ehouan Ehile, AAU Secretary-General, said Ghana was one of the key countries on the continent which continue to strongly promote the advancement of higher education, which was worth recognising.

He said the new ultramodern AAU Secretariat, located in Accra, would be inaugurated in June, 2017, as part of activities marking the golden jubilee celebration of the AAU.

"Fifty years of serving the African continent as its voice for matters on higher education and development issues, is indeed, a great feat worth celebrating," Prof Ehile remarked in Accra over the weekend at a high level panel discussion on 'Entrepreneurial Learning and Communities of Practice".

The panel discussion, which was hosted by the University of Professional Studies, (UPSA), was held as part of activities to climax the week- long celebration of the annual African Universities Day Celebration.

The objective of the 2016, African Universities Day is to promote critical dialogue among stakeholders on how to improve higher education in Africa.

The panel discussion featured high profile personalities such as Prof Goski Alabi, the Dean, Centre for International Education and Collaboration, UPSA; Mr Mike Henaku, the Chief Executive Officer, BEIGE Capital and Dr Josephine Larbi-Apau, Presbyterian University College.

Prof Ehile said the AAU was playing a key role in promoting and sustaining best practices across high education institutions on the continent.

He said the rate of unemployment among graduates in Africa could be said to have reached a worrisome level.

The World Bank in 2014, reported that as many as 50 per cent of graduates who leave Ghanaian universities and polytechnics failed to find jobs two years after their national service, and 20 per cent do not find jobs even after three years.

Prof Ehile noted that this situation was similar in Kenya and Mozambique, where the majority of university graduates relied on work in the informal sector, which was considered vulnerable employment.

"Due to this uncertainty in employability, mainly brought about by the lack of expansion of existing firms and lack of graduates with the requisite skills needed by specific industries, many calls have been made for African universities, in particular, to expose their students to the possibility of creating their own jobs by deepening their entrepreneurial skills," the Secretary-General said.

"Quality entrepreneurial education/learning is arguably one vital tool for fighting against poverty and unemployment in Africa," he added.

He said the effective implementation of quality entrepreneurial learning and systems by higher education institutions would therefore, enhance job creation, which would subsequently reduce unemployment, poverty and social vices in various economies on the continent.

Prof Joshua Alabi, UPSA, outgoing Vice Chancellor, in a speech read on his behalf, said the theme for the occasion "Entrepreneurial Learning and Communities of Practice", could not have come at a more opportune time given the high number of unemployed youth particularly graduates from higher educational institutions across Africa.

"This situation is indeed, a matter of deep concern and has engaged the attention of policy makers, educators, and managers of higher educational institutions; regarding the urgent need to stimulate job creation for the youth, who graduate from various higher educational institutions in Africa," he said.

"It is also heart-warming that AAU is engaging the various stakeholders, especially, from industry, to bridge the gap between research and industry and to ensure the relevance of curricula to national development," he added.

GNA
Accra, Nov. 12, GNA - The Accra Metropolitan Security Committee (METSEC), has put up stringent measures to prevent the recurrence of the firing of gunshots at Odododiodioo in Accra.

METSEC has therefore directed the immediate suspension of all political activities in the 13 constituencies in the Accra Metropolis.

There were gunshots by unidentified persons after a rally by the New Patriotic Party at the Odododiodioo Constituency on Tuesday and two people who sustained injuries are receiving treatment at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

The directives were given at an emergency security meeting by METSEC in Accra, chaired by Dr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive.

The METSEC recommended that all political parties must submit their programmes to the District Electoral Taskforce through the Metro Police Command and the Inter-Party Dialogue Committee.

In a resolution copied to the Ghana News Agency by Mr Sam Ayeh-Datey, the Coordinating Director of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and Secretary to METSEC said any individual or group of persons who parade themselves as members of the Taskforce would be arrested.

The METSEC had also directed the Inter-Party Dialogue Committee to be actively involved in the education, sensitisation and engagement of party activities to ensure peace.

'The Metro Police Commander will enforce all the laws on electoral offences to the letter to ensure peace, protection of lives and property,' the resolution said.

It warned against any act that would likely generate tension and advised party supporters to desist from any anything that would disturb public peace.

The METSEC expressed gratitude to the doctors at Korle-Bu for the saving the lives of those who received the gunshot wounds and those suffered cutlass wounds at Bukom, a suburb of Accra.

GNA
Accra, Nov. 12, GNA - Mr Fitzerald Odonkor, the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Bank has urged the youth to be innovative to turn their challenges into profitable ventures.

He said they should not wait till the opportunity knocked at their door, but should always be proactive.

Mr Odonkor gave the advice when the Youth Ministry of Harvest Chapel International, organised this year's Youth Empowerment Summit programme at the church's premises at South Tesano in Accra.

It was on the theme: 'Mind Works,' and it was the fourth in the series which was intended to empower the youth economically and spiritually to guide them to make sound career decisions whilst equipping them with basic economic skills.

He said: 'You should always scan the environment to identify the potential opportunity around you and be focus in pursuit of your career.'

Mr Odonkor advised the youth not to be swayed by the blowing socio-economic and political wind in order not to harm their cherished dreams and vision.

'Your gift would take you to the top but it is your character, which would keep you there.'

Mr Randy O. Bediako, the Chief Executive Officer of Kharis Group who spoke on branding and grooming said the greatest enemy of success was not the devil but ignorance.

He said hard work and prayer was critical ingredients to success, adding that; 'nobody has broken bones or die as a result of hard work' and urged the youth to shun laziness.

Mr Bediako said most young peoples' doors were closed because of the way they dress or carry themselves and therefore asked them to place value on their grooming and dress manner.

Ms Dzigbordi Dosoo, the Chief Executive Officer of Allure Africa Group advised the youth to identify with the five 'i's' - identity, inspiration, intellect, interest and implementation when pursuing their dreams.

'Firstly identify yourselves to know who you are, what you want and why you want it,' She said, adding that inspiration comes from God.

She advised the youth to find their interest and attach their intelligence to it and make God be at the centre of all they do as they implement their dream plan and action.

GNA
12.11.2016 LISTEN

Anton Wilhelm Amo's most devoted researcher and biographer, the East German scholar Burchard Brentjes, writes in his generally excellent 1977 study, Anton Wilhelm Amo: Der Schwarze Philosoph in Halle, that were it not for the peculiarities of Amo's life and identity, there would be little reason to study his work

At the same time, I had been interested for a while in the intellectual context of philosophy at the University of Halle in the first half of the 18th century. I had been working for some years on a critical edition and translation (with Francois Duchesneau) of G. W. Leibniz's 1709-10 controversy with the Halle Pietist physician, Georg Ernst Stahl. I had heard that Amo's 1734 work, De Humanae Mentis Apatheia, was a later echo of the same controversy that set Leibniz and Stahl against one another, and this for me was a sufficient reason to have a look at it.

I was amazed to find myself, as I first began reading it, often getting confused as to whether I was reading a 1734 academic dissertation of an anti-Stahlian student at Halle, or whether I was looking at Leibniz's own, earlier objections to Stahl! Amo's work gave me a sudden, vivid window into the intellectual legacy of the Leibniz-Stahl debate, and into what life as a philosopher at Halle in the 1730sforced to choose between conservative Pietism and a supposedly subversive variety of derivative Leibnizianism best represented in the work of Christian Wolffmust have been like

My earlier bias as a historian of philosophy, in favor of originality, missed the important truth that minor or derivative thinkers can often reveal to us a good deal of what was at stake in a historical debate. Amo is helping me to learn about Leibniz and Stahl, retroactively, as it were. What's more, I have no evidence that his work is derivative or unoriginal. His standing up against the Pietist view of the relationship between mind and body, as far as I can tell, is based on sound and rigorous reasoning, and also seems to have been a position that required a certain amount of moral courage to adopt (after all, it was ultimately Amo's defense of Leibnizian-Wolffianism that was to blame for his bad fortune in Germany).

And beyond these concerns about justification that emerge only within the rather narrow field of academic history of philosophy, there is of course the man, Amo, whose legacy deserves to be made known. As was argued as early as Abbe Gregoire's 1808 abolitionist survey, De la litterature des Negres, the very existence of Amo and his life's work is a strong testament against racism, and against the rather simplistic idea that the history of Western philosophy has always been a history of exclusion (Kenan Malik, Indian-born English neurobiologist, historian of science, lecturer, and writer. Kenan has given lectures at the University of London, Cambridge, Oxford, the London-based Institute of Historical research among others).

SPECIAL NOTES

See William Abrahams essay The Life and Times of Anton-Wilhelm Amo (Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, Vol. 7, 1964), and also Norbert Lochners Anton-Wilhelm Amo in Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana (Vol. 3, 1958).

For our readers information, Appiah mentions Amos critique of philosophical work done by mathematician Rene Descartes (see world-famous neuroscientist, philosopher and psychologist Antonio Damasios work Descartes Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain and Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain). We have discussed both men (Descartes and Damasio) in some of our articles and will not belabor them here.

What we can say is that, finally, Descartes, the Father of Modern Philosophy and the Father of Analytic Geometry, was a towering figure in Western thought. His book Meditations on First Philosophy is a standard text in most philosophy departments around the world, especially in the West. We owe the Cartesian coordinate system and modern rationalist epistemology to him. We hope this little information provides some background to the intellectual or philosophical conflict between the works of Amo and of Descartes.

In sum, Descartes was a towering figure in Western mathematics and philosophy (see Descartes Secret Notebook: A True Tale of Mathematics, Mystics, and the Quest to Understand the Universe).

CONTINUATION OF KWAME ANTHONY APPIAHS REITH LECTURE

So I have said that Amos education was an experiment. What hypothesis was it designed to test?

When the Rector of Wittenberg complemented Dr. Amo on his successful defense of his dissertation, he began by talking about his African background. He mentioned some of the most famous African writers from Antiquity, including the Roman playwright Terence, Tertullian and St. Augustine among the Christian Fathers, and he discussed the Moors who conquered Spain from Africa

So our dukes were presumably interested in a question not about Africans in general but about black people, about Negroes, about the Moor. But what could you learn from a single experiment with one black man? Did Anton Ulrich and his friends conclude that any black child, taken at random and given Amos education, would have ended up as a professor of philosophy?

And if Amo had not passed the exams, would they have concluded that this somehow showed something about every black person?

Three centuries later, we are bound to see Amos story through the prism of race. Not so in his day. Then, everyone agreed there is what I called peoples in the last lecture, which was about nationalism; that is to say groups of human beings defined by shared ancestry, real or imagined, as there had been since the beginnings of recorded history.

When Leibniz wrote aboutthats the librarian at the place where Amo was educatedwhen Leibniz wrote what distinguished one people from another, he thought what mattered was language

But the idea that each people shared an inherited biological nature was not yet the consensus of European thinkers. For one thing, most of them believed in the Biblical story of creation, and that meant that every living person was a descendant of Adam and Eve, and each was also a descendant of Noah.

For another, the idea of distinguishing between our biological and our non-biological features was still in the intellectual future.

When Leibniz wrote aboutthats the librarian at the place where Amo was educatedwhen Leibniz wrote what distinguished one people from another, he thought what mattered was language.

And if you read contemporaneous accounts given by European travelers and the thinkers who read them, the great debates at that time were about the role of climate and geography in shaping color and customs, not about inherited characteristics.

Indeed, the very word biology wasnt invented until about 1800. Until then, the discussions took place under the heading of Natural History.

And its only with the Swedish naturalist, Carl Linnaeus, who was Amos contemporary, that scholars began to think of human beings as part of nature in a way that meant that we could be classified, like other animals and plants, by genus and species.

And it was Linnaeus who first called us Homo sapiens, and who placed us alongside monkeys and apes in the natural order.

There were, however, notable forces of opposition. The Abbe Gregoire, the great French revolutionary Catholic priest and anti-slavery campaigner, published a survey of the cultural achievements of black people in 1808, less than two decades after the storming of the Bastille.

He subtitled it, researches on their intellectual faculties, their moral qualities and their literature, and he offered up Amo, among others, as evidence for the unity of the human race and the fundamental equality of black people.

He sent a copy of this book to Thomas Jefferson, who had remarked in his Notes on the State of Virginia that he could never find that a black had uttered a thought above the level of plain narration. Gregoire, with Amo in hand, urged him to think again.

Yet what did Amos example demonstrate? No one ever thought that because Plato or Descartes was a European, every European was capable of works of philosophical genius.

Amos relevance in Gregoires argument derived largely from the fact that, for black people, the racial essence was thought by many to rule out real intellectual capacity.

Hence Kants rather foolish remark that a black man could only say stupid things. Amos existence did refute that view. Still, skeptics could insist that Amo was just an exception

So Gregoire not only assembled a dozen such counterexamples in his book, but he reported on visiting a group of black children brought from Sierra Leone to a school founded by William Wilberforce in Clapham, and concluded that, so far as he could tell, there exists no difference between them and Europeans except that of color.

You couldnt tell much about what black people were capable of by seeing what most of them achieved in the appalling conditions of New World slavery, Gregoire.

As the freedwoman Harriet Jacobs put it somewhat genteelly later, there was reason to excuse enslaved people some deficiencies in consideration of circumstances.

Who knew what would happen if all black people were offered the education of Anton Wilhelm Amo?

As Gregoires activism suggests, the background to the debate about the capacity of the Negro was the explosion of African slavery in Europes New World colonies in the Americas.

In Amos years in Germany, the trans-Atlantic slave trade was rising to its mid-eighteenth-century peak, when nearly 200,000 people a year were transported in shackles from Africa to the New World.

Many historians have concluded that one reason for the increasingly negative view of the Negro through the later eighteenth century was the need to salve the consciences of those who trafficked in and exploited men and women.

As Gregoire put it, bleakly but bluntly, People have slandered Negroes, first in order to get the right to enslave them, and then to justify themselves for having enslaved them 

It is, perhaps, worth insisting that even if you could show that every single Negro wasnt much good at philosophy, it would not have justified black slavery.

As Thomas Jefferson said, in responding to the Abbe Gregoire, Because Sir Isaac Newton was superior to others in understanding; he was not therefore the lord of the person or property of others.

The slanders against the Negro race may have salved some Christian consciences: they could never have justified what had been done in enslaving millions of black people.

GUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AFTER APPIAHS PRESENTATION

SUE LAWLEY: But just answer my point about the progression, the progress actually.

KWAME ANTHONY APPIAH: So its possible for a black kid from Axim to come and be a professor of philosophy and get a PhD and teach and be leading processions, student processions, and being turned down by girls who he is attracted to

ATUKWE OKAI: It is an honour and a privilege to listen to Professor Appiah, considered the most cultured man in America. And a proud son of Ghana and Africa. Anton Wilhelm Amo. We learnt about some ten years ago or more that Professor

KWAME ANTHONY APPIAH: Willie Abraham.

ATUKWE OKAI: William Abraham.

KWAME ANTHONY APPIAH: Yeah.

ATUKWE OKAI: Was working on research about him, working on a book. Are you in a position to say how far he got with it?

KWAME ANTHONY APPIAH: Im not, but I will say that I mean obviously for those of us who do philosophy with a West African or even more specifically a Ghanaian connection, the discovery that there was somebody at the heart of the European Enlightenmenta little boy who played in the library where Leibniz was librarianhas been a source of excitement all along.

And Professor Abraham was the first person I think to draw our attention to this, but since then other philosophers, including other Ghanaian philosophers, including Kwasi Wiredu, for example, have written about him and we know more about him than we did when Professor Abraham first started talking about him.

KWAME ANTHONY APPIAH: Well its a very good question why he disappeared essentially between the Abbe Gregoire in the early nineteenth century and the late part of thethe second half of the 20th century, and I think that part of it is that that was a period in which the idea of the African intellectual, the African thinker who could sort of spar with Descartes was not comfortable for an awful lot of people because they had the view that that wasntthey had the racial fixation; they thought that what you could do in these dimensions and domains had to do with your race and so he was a sort of standing counterexample.

I should say another reason is that some of his work has disappeared. The most depressing thing, I think, is that he was the first person, so far as I can tell, of African descent to write about the law of slavery, and unfortunately we dont have that thesis. We do have some of his other work. We dont have that.

It would be fascinating to see what someone in his circumstances thought in a philosophical way about the basis of enslavement since he came from the Dutch West India Company to Europe. And even if he wasnt enslaved, for example his brother was. His brother ended up as a slave in Suriname.

We shall return with Part 3, the concluding section.

REFERENCES

Amo, Anton Wilhelm (1703?-1753). Retrieved from http://www.blackpast.org/gah/amo-anton-wilhelm-1703-1753

For transcript presentation, go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00729d9/episodes/player

See also http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/radio4/transcripts/reith3_colour.pdf

Anton Wilhelm Amo. An African Philosopher in the German Enlightenment. Retrieved from http://www.theamoproject.org/

Philosopher in European Universities. In: Current Anthropology. A world journal of the sciences of man (1975), Vol. 16, No.5, S. 443-444.
Communications Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah has called former Attorney-General Martin Amidu a damn big liar.

He dared the Kadema native of Builsa, highly reputed as an anti-corruption crusader, to come out of whatever hole he is hiding in, to challenge him.

Dr. Omane Boamah was commenting on legal processes filed by Mr. Amidu in Court on Joy FM/MultiTVs news analysis show Newsfile, Saturday, November 12, 2016.

The former A-G is in Supreme Court seeking to be allowed to orally examine National Democratic Congress financier, Alfred Agbesi Woyome on a 51.2 million cedi settlement award he wrongfully obtained from the state.

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong applied to the Supreme Court to orally examine Woyome to determine how he invested the money which the state wrongfully paid to him in 2010.

She, however, sought to discontinue this line of pursuing the businessman to retrieve the money which the Supreme Court ordered Woyome to return to the state.

Martin Amidu as a private citizen went to Court and obtained that judgment. Since then, the current A-G has been taking steps to retrieve the money  steps Mr. Amidu contends lack commitment.

Believing that the state is not being proactive in retrieving the money partly because of Woyomes ties to the governing party, Martin Amidu went to the Supreme Court asking to be allowed to orally examine Woyome.

He has claimed previously that the current A-G is retreating from orally examining Woyome because the businessman has threatened to mention names of government functionaries and NDC operatives who benefited from the money if he is put in the dock.

This allegation has been refuted by the government as baseless.

But Mr. Amidu in his processes filed before the court listed a number of cases he said the current A-Gs firm, Lithur, Brew & Company acted as lawyers for Woyome.

He argues this is proof of previous dealings between the A-G and Mr Woyome and evidence that she cannot be relied on to vigorously pursue the businessman for the money owed the state.

It has turned however that in all three cases, Lithur, Brew & Company represented opponents of Woyome.

Citing this, the Communications Minister said Martin Amidu told a big lie.

Kindly find attached video below.



Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
The Hague (AFP) - The Dutch national prosecutor said Saturday that two Rwandans living in the Netherlands accused of participating in the country's 1994 genocide would be extradited to their homeland.

"Two Rwandan residents of the Netherlands, a 40-year-old from Voorburg and a 57-year-old from Leusden, will be extradited to Rwanda today," the prosecutor said in a statement.

Rwanda had demanded the extraditions of Jean-Claude Iyamuremye and Jean-Baptiste Mugimba in 2012 and 2013 respectively to face trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The two are suspected of having been militiamen during a four-month massacre of some 800,000 people, mostly from Rwanda's Tutsi minority, in 1994.

The extraditions come after a lengthy legal battle. Dutch authorities had at first approved the extraditions but they were blocked on appeal as judges doubted the two would receive a fair trial. That ruling was later overturned in another appeal.

Iyamuremye is accused of having participated in a notorious massacre near the Official Technical School (ETO) outside the capital Kigali on April 11, 1994.

According to the website of Kigali's memorial centre, some 2,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed that day near the school after Belgian UN peacekeepers left the area.

Mugimba is believed to have attacked Tutsis in a neighbourhood of Kigali.

The Rwandan genocide was triggered by the assassination of the country's president Juvenal Habyarimana, from the Hutu majority, whose plane was shot down.
The New Patriotic Party presidential candidate, Nana Akufo Addo has said that the National Democratic Congress government will soon announce a reduction in the prices of petroleum products.

According to him, the move is because the NDC is desperate to stay in power.

Nana Akufo-Addo made this claim when he spoke to students of the Sunyani Polytechnic on Friday.

We're hearing that very soon, they are going to reduce the petroleum levy. We, in the NPP, have been calling for a reduction in the levy to bring relief to the people, but the Mahama government said no. Once again, with the elections around the corner, he is likely to reduce the prices, he said.

Fuel prices in Ghana at the pumps recently went up by between 22 percent and 27 percent, following the passage of the Energy Sector Levy by Parliament in December 2015.

Some petroleum watchers have complained about the increases which they say should be lower since crude prices in the international market have been reducing in recent times.

Akufo-Addo noted that with defeat staring him in the face, Mahama will do or say anything to keep him in power. After 8 years at the Presidency, he's not prepared to let go because of the benefits of the office to himself, his family and his close associates.



By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana
For the first time ever, Social Media is playing a crucial role in Ghana's parliamentary and presidential election.There have been a lot of issues revolving around the use of social media in Ghana with regards to the December 7th polls.Undoubtedly, we have come to an age where popular trends and most talked about stories emanate from various social media platforms like facebook, Twitter, watsapp, Instagram.

In the modern Ghana that we are currently, it seems the democracy we talk about everyday is much more experienced on social media than any other medium.

There has been much debate among major stakeholders as to whether social media should be banned during the upcoming elections in Ghana.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) John Kudalor hinted in May 2016 that Ghanaian authorities might consider shutting down social media platforms during December 7 elections to

maintain peace.

The IGP argued that the intention to shut down social media platforms during elections is based on the fact that some people abuse the space during voting.

However, the president of the republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama declared on the 14th of August 2016 that social media will not be shutdown during the upcoming elections.

This declaration by the president may have given most of us the youth some relief, more so, that is why it becomes very imperative for us

to be extremely diligent and careful about our activities on social media particularly before, during and after the 2016 general election.

I'm directing this post mainly to the youth since the age range of the majority of social media users in Ghana is from 18-29.

We must avoid posts and comments that may lead to verbal and physical violence. No one is saying you cant show your support

to party A or Party B, but you must do it in a way that it will not raise any eyebrow of indignation.

We should try our best to refrain from posts and comments that discriminate against any religion or question

the integrity of any tribe. For a long period of time the terrine of voting in Ghana has been mainly influenced by tribes and clans,

that is the very reason why i admonish every youth to do away with any social media propaganda that directs to a particular group of people

in the country. Such actions ignite hatred among ourselves as one people and eventually leads to tribal disputes.

Anytime you consciously or unconsciously make any political post that receives very negative and damaging comments, quickly delete the post and apologise

to prevent any furthur uproar. The kind of comments you make on others' posts should be mere opinions but not insults

or abuse of any kind. What i have realized as a Blogger and avid social media user, is that for most Ghanaian youth, they think their social media post

only reach some few people, so they post with the motive that not many people will see it after all. Many of us are ignorant

that on facebook for instance, if you make a public post, your friends, friends of your friends, mutual friends and

other acquiantances view your actions on your timeline. Never judge the reach of your post according to the number of likes you get,

social media alogorithms does not work like that.

I implore you to avoid sharing any political or electoral information that lacks credibility on any social media platforms.

As a result of social media, information have been on our fingertips. 4 out of every 5 Ghanaian youth will tell you they

get most of their news stories from social media. The activities of online bloggers and other public relation personnel, make it possible

for the numerous of information we chance upon on our news feeds. You can hardly determine the credibility of some of these

news stories posted by some writers and bloggers. Some of these sites that share such stories are even satirical websites,

which becomes detrimental to the average Ghanaian youth who reads only headlines of news stories. There is a huge power in evey information,

therefore before you click on the share button to share an information, make sure the source is very credible. Should you

share any false information in this election period, bear in mind that you are contributing to the incresing and spreading

of societal maladies.

Look out for impersonation and hacking of social media accounts. Some cyberpunks may hack the the accounts of public figures

to influence false information. This is a no new story as we've seen some Ghanaian musicians and public figures whose accounts

have been hacked for various reasons. Watch out for some of these cyber crimes in other to desist from any fake posts of

celebrities and public figures that calls for any social media rampage of any kind. Whenever you come across any unauthorized

activities on your social media wall, quickly reset your password to prevent any further destruction.

Finally do not heed to any group of people, media house or organisation that declares results of elections on social media

or any other platform. Know that it is only the Electoral Commission of Ghana that has the legitimate mandate by the

1992 constitution of Ghana to declare the results of the 2016 election.

We are the youth, the future of our motherland is in our hands, let us take diligence in our actions on social media to ensure free and fair elections in Ghana.

Long live the youth!

Long live Ghana!

Long Live Africa!

Barimah Amoaning Samuel

[email protected]
By Amadu Kamil Sanah, GNA

Accra, Nov. 12, GNA - Alhaji Samson Kwakwa, a member of the National Campaign Committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has put up three zongo campaign teams to champion the re-election of President John Dramani Mahama.

Alhaji Kwakwa who represents the Zongos on the NDC National Campaign team nationwide is also campaigning on the team of the Vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur.

The three teams which are currently campaigning in three Regions are led by Alhaji Aremeyaw Cool Younger, Zongo Caucus National Coordinator in the Western Region, Alhaji Ahmed Bentem, Deputy National Coordinator in the Ashanti Region and Alhaji Abdulai Yakubu, Zongo Caucus National Communications Officer in the Volta Region.

The Western Regional team visited Takoradi, Elubo, Axim and its surrounding zongo communities, while the Ashanti team toured the Zongos within Kumasi and the Volta team tour Ho, Hohoe, Kpando, Sogakope, Aflao, Kejebi, Akatsi and Adidome.

The teams on their tours meet with the people in zongo communities including chiefs, Imams, opinion leaders and traditional authorities on the need to re-elect President Mahama and NDC parliamentary candidates in the various constituencies.

Alhaji Younger said there was the need to intensify the door to door campaign to win more votes for the NDC which would confirm the re-election of President Mahama.

He recounted the achievements of President Mahama and his love for people living in zongos.

He said President Mahama would every year offer full scholarship to 80 female Muslims to study Medicine in Cuba to avert the uncomfortability of Christian male doctors treating female Muslims.

This he said had never happen in the history of any Government in the country and that the commitment towards the development of Muslims and Zongo communities was imbedded in the heart of President Mahama.

Alhaji Bentem said the NDC target to win 13 parliamentary seats in the Ashanti Region would be manifested through the massive turnout in zongo communities on December 7.

He said it was important that people in zongos came out early in their numbers to cast their votes.

He said the NDC and President Mahama had the Region at heart, and Kumasi, the regional capital had benefited more from the major projects that Government had initiated.

This he said include the reconstruction of the Kejetia Market to a modern facility, the revamping of Kumasi Shoe factory, the construction of the Community Day Senior High Schools in most parts of the Region.

Alhaji Bentem said the promises made by President Mahama during his first term campaign has been fulfilled and that the promises includes the completion of the first phase of the Tamale International Airport and the lifting of the Pilgrims from the Northern Zone at the airport direct to The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the construction of the Community Day Senior High Schools.

'The projects also include the expansion of the Tema and Takoradi harbours, the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Kasoa interchanges, the Eastern Corridor Roads, Regional and District hospitals and the construction of Ho, upgrading of Kumasi and expansion of Kotoka International airports.'

This he said indicates the President's commitment and determination to deliver again in initiating more developmental projects on his second term if he is re-elected to continue.

Alhaji Yakubu in his address reminded the chiefs and Imams of the introduction of the Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adha Muslims holidays by the NDC under the former President Jerry John Rawlings.

Alhaji Yakubu said President Mahama Government had shown much love to the people living in zongo communities by providing them potable water, roads, school building, health facilities and infrastructure development.

He said there was the need to seek blessings for President Mahama and reciprocate the love shown by massively voting for him to continue his second term.

The campaign teams presented branded NDC T-shirts, veils, scarfs and other paraphernalia to the communities to warn for people to felt the presence of the party in their communities.

The Chiefs and Imams said the zongo communities and Muslims chiefs recognised and appreciated the efforts of President Mahama towards development.

They pledged their support for President Mahama and urged him to maintain the peace the country was enjoying before, during and after the elections.

GNA
The Congress leader said that one may see a new thought-process emerging, adding that people had realised that they made a mistake in 2014.

By India Today Web Desk: In a veiled attack on the Modi government, former Union Minister Kapil Sibal said that the next general elections would bring a change of government at the Centre.

In a candid chat with noted journalist Punya Prasoon Vajpayee, Sibal said, "Time changes everything. Wait for 2019, you may see a new thought-process emerging."

Also read: Demonetisation effect: Kapil Sibal demands probe into BJP's funding for 2014 polls



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Kapil Sibal was at his lyrical best at the Sahitya AajTak event at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi, where he recited his poems.

Although Sibal evaded direct questions on politics, he said that people "realise that they made a mistake in 2014."

CONG ACCEPTS PEOPLE'S MANDATE OF 2014: SIBAL



"We did what we thought was right (during UPA rule). People thought we were wrong and we accept people's mandate of 2014. But now people are realising that they, perhaps, made a mistake," Sibal said.

However, the former union minister added, "We took some decisions and history will give its judgment in due course of time."

What happened in 2014 happens every five years, Sibal asserted.

ON ANNA MOVEMENT AND KEJRIWAL

Sibal came down heavily on Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal, who the Congress leader described as the real person behind the Anna movement.



Also read: Must respect differences in opinion: Ashutosh Rana at Sahitya AajTak on debate over intolerance



He said that during the Anna movement in Delhi, Kejriwal created a trust deficit for the government. "You need to trust the government of the day. If you don't like it, you will have to wait for five years," he said.

Sibal said, "If you doubt everything that the government does, everything will be ruined. There will be total anarchy."

KEJRIWAL DOUBTS EVERYTHING GOVT DOES



"Kejriwal and others did the same thing in 2013, when he started abusing everyone. He painted everyone with the same brush," Sibal stated.

Reciting a poetry, the Congress leader said that children and youth should be given freedom to choose. "With this thought, I brought some changes in the education system," said Sibal while evading direct questions on the Modi government's attempt to enunciate a new education policy.

WATCH VIDEO

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Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, in a warning to Nigerian politicians, has raised an alarm that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are likely to lose key personalities this year.

In a no-holds-barred chat with our correspondent, the revered Nigerian prophet noted that the PDP is under a spiritual attack and unless they go for cleansing, they are not likely to be free.

He added that the party will break into two and while the new version of the party will go, "the old will remain. The Makarfi/Sheriff synergy will not work."

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress will become enemies as some governors are also likely to betray President Muhammadu Buhari within and outside the party.

The Spiritual leader of the INRI Evangelistic Spiritual Church thereafter made a very damming prediction of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu floating another party.

"Some APC governors will dump Buhari and Tinubu while some PDP governors will be at crossroads and find it difficult to make certain decisions when it matters most.

READ ALSO: South west APC leaders await Tinubus directive on new party

"There shall also be unexpected removals from President Buhari's cabinet members while the SGF will run into crisis with the Chief of Staff. I see a change of affairs in Customs as well," Primate Ayodele explained further.

Ondo Elections

The man of God spoke also on the fast-approaching election in Ondo state, stating categorically that the date for the election will be postponed.

He said: "Ondo election will be fierce and the date will be shifted. This is because the aura for that day is not good; it could make the winner to lose and make the person who is supposed to lose emerge as winner of the polls.

Mimiko going to the court to upturn the judgment may boomerang and if he is not strategically positioned, he will cry while leaving the office."

Recession

Until the federal government declares a three-day prayer and fasting to seek the face of God, we are not likely to get out of the recession the country is presently going through.

I said it before and I am saying this again, that I am not interested in organising it. The government should seek a way of making this work because we need serious prayers to be able to get out of the present state of discomfort in the country.

Fuel Scarcity

The people surrounding President Buhari will create problems and he will face internal and external challenges. There shall also be severe fuel scarcity in the country.

Scarcity of petrol is looming again in the country between December and February next year, but we need to work really hard to avert this from happening.

Source: Legit.ng
"If we want a long lasting peace between India and Pakistan, we should make the mothers of the two prime minister part of the delegation. They will definitely establish not only peace between the two countries but they can forge a strong alliance," Rana said.

By India Today Web Desk: While the entire opposition lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making a surprise visit to Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's home in December last year, noted poet Munawwar Rana backed the efforts to normalise bilateral relations.

PM Modi had called on Sharif's mother during his visit to Lahore, where he attended a private function of the Pakistan PM.

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Munawwar Rana said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi did the right thing by paying a visit to Nawaz Sharif's mother last year."

"If we want a long lasting peace between India and Pakistan, we should make the mothers of the two prime minister part of the delegation. They will definitely establish not only peace between the two countries but they can forge a strong alliance," Rana said.

Participating in the Sahitya AajTak event at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi, Munawwar Rana enthralled the audience reciting his couplets dedicated to mothers.

His comments came in the backdrop of escalating tension at the border and LoC. More than 110 incidents of ceasefire violations have been reported from Pakistani side since September. About 20 soldiers have died in firing from Pakistan.

ALSO WATCH: SAHITYA AAJ TAK



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2016 WSOPC Caribbean: Martin Ryan Crowned PLO Champion!

November 12, 2016 Christian Zetzsche Contributor

Only 16 players returned to the tables of the Casino Royale in Sint Maarten for Day 2 of the $365 PLO Event #19 and Adrian Chandler was in the lead ahead of Martin Ryan. Three players from Trinidad & Tobago made the final table on Sint Maarten day, and it was Ryan (photo) who emerged victorious in heads-up against William Hicks after a steamrolling performance.

Place Player Country Prize 1 Martin Ryan Trinidad & Tobago $8,730 2 William Hicks Sint Maarten $5,400 3 Robbie Bakker Netherlands $3,700 4 Harold Mahaffey United States $2,750 5 Adrian Chandler Trinidad & Tobago $2,020 6 Cedric Adam France $1,520 7 William Cabre France $1,220 8 Aroon Maharaj Trinidad & Tobago $1,010 9 Augusto Cavazzini Italy $870

Ryan started on fire and took half the stack of Orlando Romero before Ben Beighle became the first casualty of the day. He came back as one of the shortest stacks and got it in with against the of Harold Mahaffey. There was no help on the board and that was it for Beighle. Dominik French followed next. He was left very short after Jacky Adda doubled through him and Ryan found aces to take his remaining few chips.

Romero got his chips in with middle-pair and an open-ended straight draw on the flop and Ryan looked him up with the same pair and an inferior gutshot only to make a flush with running clubs on turn and river. Adda followed next and of course it was once again Ryan who claimed the chips, reducing the field to the last 12. After a series of hands, both Christopher Staats and Jonathan Sellom were down to fewer than two big blinds and soon joined the rail to set up the bubble.

Darius Tamulevicius eventually ended up as the bubble boy in a battle of the blinds against Hicks. The Lithuanian got it in with and Hicks called with the . Hicks won the hand and Tamulevicius made his exit.

Augusto Cavazzini was the first player out in the money. He got it in with and Ryan called with to turn a flush and bust the Italian in ninth place. Aroon Maharaj followed in eighth place in a three-way all in. Chandler had doubled in a big pot against Hicks before and they saw a four-way limped pot. Maharaj had flopped top two with only to see Hicks show up with a set of queens. Chandler had aces and doubled Hicks in the very same hand.

William Cabres short stack ride ended in seventh place when he was at risk with the and got called by Hicks with . Cabre flopped top set, turned a straight and Hicks rivered a flush to claim the pot and send six players into the dinner break after.

What followed was half an hour of pure domination by Ryan to set a winner. Cedric Adam, son of Bounty Event winner Jean-Luc Adam, came back with the far shortest stack and first doubled before then busting against Ryan. He shoved a jack-high flop with kings and Ryan called with middle pair and a gutshot, then spiked two pair on the turn.

Chandler followed in fifth place when running with into the aces of Ryan and Mahaffey stood no chance with against the of Hicks. Down to three players, Robbie Bakker first doubled against Ryan before getting it in with top two soon after. Ryan called with a gutshot, turned a second gutshot and made a straight on the river.

Heads up lasted all but two hands and Hicks flopped trips fives only to find himself up against the flopped nut full house of Ryan on a king-high board. The one outer didnt come and Hicks had to settle for second pair. Ryan, who had been building massive stacks in previous events before running out dry, scooped the first-place payout of $8,730 as well as a WSOP Circuit ring for Trinidad & Tobago.

Back to Hold'em

Day 1 of the $365 No Limit Hold'em Event #22 saw a field of 98 unique players and 23 re-entries to create a prize pool of $36,290, of which the top 12 were to be paid. After 15 levels of 30 minutes each, the field of hopefuls has been whittled down to the last 18 and George Griffith bagged up the most chips with 254,000. His nearest follower Timothy Cavallin (161,500) is also from Barbados while PLO champion Martin Ryan (114,000) follows in third.

Other big stacks and notables include Mohammed Elmazouni (113,500), Gerald Mortensen (107,000), Peter Lawson (61,500), Jacco van Limpt (57,000), Jason Rivkin (45,000), Jeffrey Colpitts (30,500) and Stevan Prager (27,500).

Many familiar faces of the festival thus far took part but failed to advance to Day 2 includingRobert Cheung, Bounty Event champion Jean-Luc Adam and his son Cedric, Attila Juhas, Six-Handed winner Michael Lech, Walter Treccarichi, Dominik French and Robbie Bakker.

By the time level seven had started, half of the field had already been sent to the rail. Treccarichi was all in short with ace-jack only to see Colpitts with kings and Lawson with aces wake up behind him. Bakker first lost a flip to double Philippe Louisia and then sent the remaining chips to the very same opponent with king-ten versus king-queen. Cedric Adam called a river jam by van Limpt with a pair of sevens, but the Dutchman had rivered an ace holding the ace-deuce.

Lech busted in a big pot against Griffith after four-betting six-nine suited preflop and then jamming second-pair on the flop only to get called by Griffith with king-queen for top pair. The player from Barbardos increased his lead after Louisia four-bet jammed ace-jack into his aces in the last two levels of the day. French flopped a flush with five-six suited and Elmazouni shoved into him with ace-nine for a gutshot and the nut flush draw - another club hit on the river.

Table Seat Player Country Chip Count 1 1 George Griffith Barbados 254,000 1 2 Mohammed Elmazouni Netherlands 113,500 1 3 Michel Pecot France 61,000 1 4 - - - 1 5 Stevan Prager United States 27,500 1 6 Jeffrey Colpitts United States 30,500 1 7 - - - 1 8 Peter Lawson United States 61,500 6 1 Santiago Hernandez Uruguay 70,000 6 2 Russell Sullivan United States 60,000 6 3 - - - 6 4 Jean Luc Docquier France 36,500 6 5 Olivier Robveille Sint Maarten 75,500 6 6 Ian Gavlick United States 84,000 6 7 - - - 6 8 Jason Rivkin United States 45,000 18 1 Hubert Rimbaud Guadeloupe 41,500 18 2 Martin Ryan Trinidad & Tobago 114,000 18 3 Jacco van Limpt Netherlands 57,000 18 4 - - - 18 5 Gerald Mortensen United States 107,000 18 6 - - - 18 7 Ramon Baumbach Switzerland 36,500 18 8 Timothy Cavallin Barbados 161,500

George Griffith

The action will recommence tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. local time with the hunt for the top prize of $10,900 as well as the WSOP Circuit ring. As of 6 p.m. local time, the flagship event of the festival then finally kicks off with Day 1a of the highly anticipated $1,675 Main Event.

Several satellites awarded seats throughout the last week and the tournament boasts a guarantee of $250,000. There are two starting days on Nov. 12 and 13 and all players are allowed one re-entry per day, the starting stack is 20,000 chips. Each Day 1 will feature 11 levels of 40 minutes each, while the level duration then increases to 60 minutes as of Day 2 and for the final table on Nov. 15.

Sharelines Martin Ryan was crowned PLO champion at the WSOP Circuit in Sint Maarten, banking $8,730.
2016 WSOP Circuit Rozvadov: Francisco Arce In the Lead After Day 1a

November 12, 2016 Yori Epskamp Senior Content Manager

The first of two starting days of the 2016 WSOP Circuit 1,650 Main Event at King's Casino in Rozvadov attracted a field of 298 players. Thirty-three players opted for a reentry after they busted, which brought the total number of entries to 331. After 12 levels of 45 minutes each, 146 players bagged up chips and advanced to Day 2 on Sunday.

In one of the last hands of the day, a gigantic pot between Alexander Lakhov and Francisco Arce saw the latter take the chip lead off the former. From the button, Arce called a raise before Lakhov put in a three-bet to 11,000 while saying "six" from the blinds. The dealer told Lakhov it was a raise to 6,000 due to the verbal announcement, but Lakhov claimed he was talking about the "six position" with another player.

The floor got called over and ruled the verbal announcement as binding. Getting a great price, both the player in middle position and Arce called to see a flop. The flop came ace-king-four with two spades and all players quickly checked. On the offsuit seven-turn, Lakhov checked. The player in middle position bet 12,500, Arce called, Lakhov check-raised to 35,000, and only Arce called the raise.

The river was an offsuit jack and Lakhov moved all in without hesitation. Arce, with a healthy stack of 120,000 behind, suddenly had a decision for his tournament life. The Spanish pro sized up his opponent, considered it for 20 seconds, then flicked in a call.

Arce made a huge call with ace-three for just a weak pair of aces and got rewarded, as Lakhov had turned his pocket queens into a bluff and mucked. With the gigantic pot, Arce ended the day as the chip leader with 317,800. Despite losing that huge pot, Lahkov still starts Day 2 with 89,300 in chips.

Other notables to finish Day 1a with above-average stacks included Martin Slajer (204,900), Miroslav Forman (202,300), Matas Cimbolas (140,000) and Dominik Panka (38,000). The top 10 is as followed after Day 1a:

# Player Country Chip Count 1 Francisco Arce Spain 317,800 2 Dejan Divkovic Croatia 219,400 3 Miroslav Forman Czech Republic 208,300 4 Martin Slajer Czech Republic 204,900 5 Gerhard Brimmers Germany 167,300 6 Eddy Scharf Germany 147,000 7 Patrick Wagner Germany 146,700 8 Ondrej Drozd Czech Republic 146,100 9 Roel Elisa Van Gestel Belgium 141,400 10 Henning Wendlandt Germany 141,000

Players who failed to make Day 2 included Martin Staskzo, Tobias Peters, Bart Lybaert, Dan Murariu, Pierre Neuville, Johnny Hansen, Petr Jelinek and Martin Kabrhel.

Day 1b will be open for players who bagged a stack after Day 1a as well in case players would like another shot in this tournament. After two starting days, they can carry over the bigger stack to increase their chances at taking home a portion of the 1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool.

The second starting day gets underway at 2:00 p.m. local time on Saturday. The PokerNews Live Reporting team will be back at the tables to cover another huge starting day.

* Photo: Tomas Stacha, King's Poker Room Rozvadov

Sharelines Francisco Arce leads after Day 1a of the 1,000,000 guaranteed WSOP Circuit Rozvadov Main Event!
The new generation of KTM Duke 390 made its global debut at the 2016 EICMA in Milan on 8th November 2016. It was launched in India on 23rd Feb 2017, at a starting price of INR 2.25 lakh.

The new Duke 390 street fighter adopts a super aggressive design which is highlighted by a futuristic bifurcated headlamp which appears to employ LEDs. New generation Duke 390 is sharper and more refined than the current Duke 390.

Design updates include  redesigned fuel tank and razor sharp extensions further accentuate the motorcycles character. There is also a new rear subframe and revised exhaust system. This has allowed KTM pass the stringent EURO 4 emission norms, allowing the bike to go on sale in Europe. But at the same time, added extra weight to the bike.

The motorcycle also receives a new instrument console. It is a full-colour TFT unit similar to the one seen on Dukes flagship. It comes with bluetooth smartphone integration, which in KTM speak is called KTM MYRIDE. This will allow you to sync your bikes data with your phone. Also, it will also use some phone apps, for example maps, and stream it on the bikes console.

New Duke 390 also features new switch gears, riding modes and a new tail. On offer are two new colour themes  one is white and the other is orange. As far as equipment list is concerned, the Duke 390 will retain the dual-channel ABS, WP Suspension system. Tyres continue to be from Metzeler.

The 373.2 cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine which is hailed for its best-in-class performance has undergone tweaks to enhance refinement. The power output remains same at 44 PS, while torque output has been increased by 2 Nm to 37 Nm. The powertrain also benefits from ride-by-wire tech and slipper clutch. Being 10 kgs heavier, when the new Duke 390 is put to a 0-100 kmph acceleration test by YouTuber Vikas Rachamalla, this is what he found.

KTM Duke 390  Old vs New
Countryside visitors choose where to go based on the presence of features such as coastline, woodland or abundant footpaths, rather than a site's importance to conservation, according to new research.

While conservation organisations stress the important health, psychological and emotional wellbeing benefits of connecting people to nature, it isn't the sites with the highest conservation importance which people choose to visit.

The study into people's recreation habits, by Karen Hornigold, Dr Iain Lake and Dr Paul Dolman at the University of East Anglia (UEA), is important to inform both the provision of access to natural areas (a.k.a. "green infrastructure") and to mitigate recreational pressures to vulnerable conservation areas.

Ms Hornigold from the School of Environmental Sciences at UEA said: "There is a lack of understanding of recreationists' decision-making, but we must understand what drives countryside visitors to their location of choice if we want to support the management of countryside to balance both recreation and conservation of biodiversity."

The study is the first to model outdoor recreation at a national level, examining habitat preferences and the popularity of sites of conservation importance -- those designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

This unique analysis used a huge data set of countryside visits undertaken by the general public in England to show that, although conservation designated sites often offer greater public access than non-designated sites, this doesn't drive more people to these valuable areas.

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Dr Dolman said: "We found that recreationists preferred areas of coast or freshwater bodies, deciduous woodland, and sites with more footpaths over other sites such as arable land, coniferous woods or lowland heath. They aren't choosing where to go based on a site's importance to conservation but for the features it offers."

"If a site has attractive features, whether it is also of high nature conservation importance gives no additional attraction to general day-to-day recreationists, and in some cases appears to reduce the sites attraction. Although there is huge public support for nature conservation, this is not linked to greater recreational use by the general public."

In Western Europe, recreational amenity is seen as an important cultural ecosystem service, which can help justify policies to conserve biodiversity. While visitors can have undesirable impacts on important conservation sites, access to nature is essential to build public support for conservation, and use of these areas gives potential to generate revenue, further supporting biodiversity efforts.

Dr Dolman said: "The public expenditure on SSSI areas is significant -- more than 85million in 2008-9. Whilst underpinning biodiversity conservation, it does not bring direct benefits to the public in terms of recreational amenity

"But biodiversity conservation must be justified by the intrinsic value of nature and by the undeniable fact that huge numbers of the public want to see biodiversity conserved, not by the amenity value it provides."

The authors note that although many people who are informed about or interested in biodiversity do deliberately visit these areas of conservation importance, this does not reflect the recreational patterns of the general public as these preferences could not be detected in the nationwide sample.

"Protected areas do benefit the wider public, even if not directly through recreational use, and so the examination of the relationship between conservation and recreationally-used sites is pertinent and something which has significance far outside the UK," said Ms Hornigold. "The relationships identified from this nationally representative sample of English households is likely to apply to other urban-based countries."

'Recreational use of the countryside: no evidence that high nature value enhances a key ecosystem service' is published in the journal PLOS ONE on 9 November 2016.
The blast occurred in the remote Hub region in Lasbela district where devotees were attending a Sufi dance called "dhamaal" at Dargah Shah Noorani shrine.

By Reuters: An explosion claimed by militant group Islamic State ripped through a Muslim shrine in southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 52 people and wounding scores, officials said.



The blast at the Shah Noorani shrine occurred while hundreds of people were inside, local district commissioner Hashim Ghalzai told Reuters.

Provincial Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said 52 people were killed and that more than 105, including many women and children, were wounded.

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It was not clear whether the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber or a planted device, according to Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti.

Islamic State said in a statement via its Amaq news agency that its fighters had carried out Saturday's bombing.



"SHRINE LOCATED IN REMOTE AREA"



"The shrine is located some 250 kilometres from Karachi in the remote mountains of Uthal and our vehicles have been dispatched there to carry out rescue operations and shift injured to the hospitals," Lassi said.

He said the casualties have been confirmed to them by the organisers of the shrine in Lasbela.

The government dispatched 25 ambulances from the nearby town of Hub to the shrine, said Akbar Harifal, provincial home secretary for Baluchistan. The army was called in to assist with rescue operations, given the remoteness of the site, Bugti said.



The local tehsildar in Lasbela, Javed Iqbal said security arrangements at the Shah Noorani shrine were not properly arranged.

"It is sad that although thousands of devotees from Karachi and other parts of the country visit the shrine everyday but there are no medical emergencies or ambulances at the site," he said.

He said the devotees take part in the 'dhamaal' everyday after sunset and the blast took place close to where they were dancing in a trance inside the compound of the shrine.

PREVIOUS CASES

This is not the first time that extremists have targeted a shrine in Balochistan. This is the third major incident of a bomb going off in the province since August.

In August about 70 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack outside the civil hospital in the provincial capital Quetta. Last month, 64 police cadets and two army men were killed when three terrorists raided a police training centre in Quetta.

Also read:

At least 3 killed and 13 injured in explosion at NATO air base in Afghanistan

Watch the video



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Before we have self-healing cars or buildings, we need strong materials that can fully self-repair in water-free environments. Self-healing materials work very well if they are soft and wet, but research groups have found that the ability to self-repair diminishes as materials dry out. Scientists at Osaka University are beginning to bridge this gap with rigid materials that can repair 99% of a cut on the surface in semi-dry conditions. They present their prototypes, which are the first to combine physical and chemical approaches to self-healing, on November 10 in Chem.

"The combination of physical and chemical self-healing enables materials to exhibit rapid and efficient self-healing even in a dried, hard state," says senior author Akira Harada, a supramolecular polymer chemist at Osaka University. "Only a small amount of water vapor is needed to facilitate self-healing in the dried film state. In other words, water serves as a non-toxic glue in the self-healing process," adds co-author Yoshinori Takashima, an associate professor at Osaka University.

Material engineers use several strategies to generate self-healing materials. They can physically embed the material with microcapsules or pathways filled with healing agents or build the material by using molecules, such as polyrotaxane, that change shape in response to damage -- also called stress relaxation. Chemical self-healing materials use reversible bonds ranging from reversible chemical reactions to intermolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding.

Harada's lab combined physical and chemical self-healing mechanisms in their materials by using polyrotaxane as a backbone structure cross-linked by reversible interactions, in this case between boronic acid and diols. The polyrotaxane structure enables stress relaxation in recovery from a shallow dent, and the reversible nature of the bonds enables chemical self-healing from a deep cut. The combined approach allowed the materials to recover up to 80% of their strength within 10 minutes (without the combination, the materials could repair only up to 30% of their strength after an hour).

"Recent research on supramolecular polymeric materials has demonstrated that smart design leads to smart function on a macroscopic scale," says first author Masaki Nakahata, an assistant professor in engineering science at Osaka University. "Polymeric materials, both tough and self-healable, can open up a new frontier in materials science."

The scientists say their materials could be used in a wide variety of applications ranging from external coatings of cars and buildings to medical applications, such as self-healing adhesives and resins. They plan to continue working on the creation of a hard material that can self-heal under ambient conditions without the addition of any external cues.
In recent years, massive losses of honey bee colonies have occurred during winter in Europe and North America. It could be shown that the Varroa mite and the deformed wing virus are the main factors responsible for the alarming bee mortality. Researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna have succeeded for the first time in simulating the course of disease using artificial genetic material of the virus. The symptoms of the so-called mite disease were reproduced in the laboratory without mites by the injection of synthetic RNA. This enabled the prudent development of new strategies in order to protect the bee population in the future. The results were published in the journal PLOS ONE.

The honey bee Apis mellifera plays an important role for the pollination of fruit and vegetable plants, besides its significance for the production of honey and wax. Losses of entire bee colonies during winter have economic and -- in particular -- ecological consequences as pollinators are missing in spring during blossom. Apiculture in North America and Europe is especially affected by partly massive losses. Only during the winter months of 2014/2015, up to fifty per cent of all bee colonies in some Austrian regions collapsed.

The main trigger of this bee mortality does not seem to be the use of pesticides in modern agriculture. Many studies have shown that the survival of bee colonies strongly depends on the infestation with Varroa mites, widespread blood-sucking parasites, and the transmission of deformed wing virus by these mites. A research group from the Institute of Virology at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna has developed a new laboratory system, which enabled them to make an important step forward in the investigation of the virus. By using a molecular clone, they have simulated the course of disease in a targeted way under laboratory conditions.

Artificial viral genomes of deformed wing virus

Up to now, scientists have only used samples of the deformed wing virus, which they had taken from infected bees. "However, mixed and multiple infections can bias the results of such tests," stated lead author Benjamin Lamp. For the new test system, the researchers used artificial genetic material instead of natural samples of the deformed wing virus, in order to clearly correlate the course of disease to the virus.

"Initially, we amplify the genetic RNA material of a virus and save it as a DNA copy in a vector, a specific transport vehicle for genetic material. The resulting molecular clone enables us to produce artificial viruses, which are identical and genetically defined," explained Lamp. Insects infected with the artificial virus showed the same symptoms such as discolouration, dwarfism, death or the eponymous deformation of the wing that also occur in natural infections. Thus, it could be unambiguously shown that these symptoms are caused by the deformed wing virus.

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Deformed wing virus detected in gland tissue

Besides the infection with the viral RNA under controlled laboratory conditions, also an unbiased picture of the disease process could be shown. The scientists infected not only fully developed bees with the artificial genetic material of the virus, but also larvae and pupae. During the pupal stage, Lamp and his team analysed the target tissues and the host cells -- the cells the virus preferably infects.

The scientists found viral antigens -- the specific protein molecules of the deformed wing virus -- in all body areas. However, neural, gland and connective tissue cells were particularly affected. "The high concentrations of viral proteins -- the antigens -- in the glands could also indicate an oral transmission of the virus from one bee to another in the hive," explained Professor Till Rumenapf, last author and head of the Institute of Virology at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna. This could explain why the virus also remains present in the hives if it is not transmitted by the Varroa mite. However, no viral proteins were detected in muscle and blood cells.

Various applications of the new method

By using the molecular clone, different aspects of the viral lifecycle could be simulated, manipulated and studied under laboratory conditions. This concerns the transmission of the virus by the Varroa mite, the course of the infection and the viral replication in different stages of development of honey bees. Controlled experimental conditions will enable the development of new strategies in order to effectively reduce the losses of bee colonies caused by the virus.

The described experiments involved only one DWV strain, but the method can also be used for other strains. "In many cases, a bee is not only infected with one virus species. Our test system provides a tool to find out, which viruses are especially harmful and how viruses behave in multiple infections," explained Lamp. "Thus, we can develop targeted strategies against disease-causing viruses."

About the deformed wing virus

The deformed wing virus (DWV) belongs to the family of Iflaviridae. These viruses are so-called RNA viruses. Their genetic material only consists of one ribonucleotide strand, unlike the prevailing double-stranded DNA in mammals. In most but not all cases, infections with the deformed wing virus are bound to an infestation of a hive with the Varroa mite. "The virus persists in the hives and can even be detected if there are no parasites in the hive," explained Benjamin Lamp.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington are studying the ideal physical and mental states to help children and adults pay attention and practice self-control, by combining computer-game testing with a simultaneous ongoing analysis of heart-rate and skin activity.

"We know attention and self-regulation are critical for things like academic success, financial success, and general health and well-being," said Catherine Spann, a researcher at UTA's Learning Innovation and Networked Knowledge or LINK Research Lab and principal investigator of the study.

"We think that if we understand the different physical and emotional states related to attention and self-regulation, we could develop targeted interventions for children and adults to achieve greater well-being," she added.

Spann is currently conducting her Psychophysiology of Self-Regulation Study with volunteers age 7 and up, in collaboration with Research and Learning Center at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.

Participants complete a questionnaire about general levels of attention and self-regulation in everyday life, report how they are feeling, and then complete an attention and self-regulation task on an iPad. They wear a wristband to track their heart rate and skin activity, which indicate how calm and engaged they are.

"The wearable technology that we are using gives us information about their specific state and could tell us that they might not be ready to sit still and listen to a lecture or engage in certain learning activities," Spann said.

Scores on the task are based on a combination of accuracy and reaction time. Spann is also examining how certain aspects of individuals such as gender, age and general self-regulation in daily life, impact how the body responds during a specific task requiring attention and self-regulation, especially when it comes to learning.

George Siemens, executive director of the LINK Research Lab, underlined the importance of this research in the context of ongoing changes in education models.

"In order to make wise investments in our school systems, we need to better understand the core of learning," Siemens said.

"We need to understand the conditions under which people optimally learn and the ways that educators can best support students."

"The work that Dr. Spann is doing at the museum gives us important insight into how the mindsets and self-regulation of students impacts their ability to learn," he added.

Spann plans to discuss the preliminary findings of her study at the 2016 aWEAR Conference later this month.
For patients with degenerative spinal disease, surgery is more effective in reducing pain that interferes with sexual activity, compared to nonsurgical treatment, reports a study in the November 15 issue of Spine, published by Wolters Kluwer.

"Sex life is a relevant consideration for the majority of patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis," write Dr. Shane Burch of University of California-San Francisco and colleagues. "Operative treatment leads to improved sex life-related pain," in addition to reducing pain and disability from degenerative spinal conditions.

Lower Rate of Sex Life-Related Pain after Spinal Surgery

The researchers analyzed data from the Spine Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) -- one of the largest clinical trials of surgery for spinal disorders. Patients meeting strict criteria for spinal stenosis or degenerative spondylolisthesis were randomly assigned to surgery or nonsurgical treatment.

Patients with spinal stenosis or degenerative spondylolisthesis have narrowing of or pressure on the spinal canal, causing back pain, leg pain, and other symptoms. In the SPORT study, patients who did not improve with initial nonsurgical treatment were offered the opportunity to "cross over" to surgical treatment.

In response to questionnaires, about 30 percent of patients indicated that sexual function was not relevant to them. These patients were older (average 70 versus 63 years), more likely to be female and unmarried, and more likely to have coexisting joint problems.

Of 825 patients who said that sexual function was relevant, 531 underwent some kind of surgery (spinal decompression or spinal fusion) 294 received nonsurgical treatment. Before treatment, 55 percent of patients said they had at least some pain affecting their sex life.

Three months after back surgery, less than 20 percent of patients still had sex life-related pain. In contrast, about 40 percent of patients treated without surgery still had pain with sexual activity. The improvement persisted through four years' follow-up, and was significant for patients undergoing spinal decompression versus fusion.

The SPORT study was designed to clarify the benefits of surgical compared to nonsurgical treatment in patients with carefully defined spinal disorders. Previous results in patients with spinal stenosis/degenerative spondylolisthesis suggested that surgery provides greater improvement in pain and functioning.

Chronic back pain has known negative consequences for sexual function, contributing to decreased quality of life. Previous research has suggested that sexual function is improved after surgery for back pain. The new study is the first to include a large number of patients undergoing back surgery, and the first to include a comparison group of patients treated without surgery.

"The impetus behind our study was to initiate the process of understanding how back surgery affects patients' lives," says Dr. Burch. "An important aspect for many patients includes sex life. We have very limited data to discuss this topic, and we need to do a better job for our patients to inform them of what to expect after surgery."

Future studies will provide more complete information on how back surgery can improve sexual function and activity. Meanwhile, Dr. Burch and colleagues suggest that surgeons and other professionals caring for patients with back pain should be aware of and discuss the impact on sexual functioning. They conclude: "Sex-life function is relevant to patients with spinal pathology and should be addressed."
Orange County Animal Shelter in Orlando, Florida recently released a video that's spreading online featuring a rescued kitten, appropriately named Turkey, gobbling like a wild bird while she eats.

It's fairly common for felines to make other noises besides the typical "meow," especially when they're young and while they're eating because felines are highly competitive when it comes to resources (specifically food). The sound they emit is a low growl meant to ward off any possible competitor. According to the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, there might not even be an apparent threat to a cat's access to resources -- but if the cat perceives a change in how much control it might have over the outside environment, he or she might become more outwardly (and vocally) assertive. What many people perceive as an adorable noise is actually a sign of mild aggression.

But Dilara Goksel Parry, animal behavior consultant at Feline Minds, believes that Turkey might actually be gobbling as a sign of her inner conflict, as there are no other cats around to cause her to become vocally assertive. She says Turkey clearly appears tense, observing that she doesn't move her whole body forward and lean close to the can, as most kittens would. "She is likely in a slightly conflicted state," Parry said. "It's like she's thinking, I want to eat, but I am a little scared -- I don't want anyone to take this food away!'"

Hopefully, Turkey will be able to eat with a little more ease in the future. The shelter announced this morning that the kitten has been adopted, and she'll be headed off to her new home sometime in the next week. Meanwhile, here's another adorable kitten "growl," which Parry recommends.
The latest product to be unveiled by tech giant Google was not a new smartphone or wearable device or search feature designed to be used by millions of everyday consumers. Rather, it was a $6,000 whiteboard designed to be used in your office conference room.

The release of Jamboard puts the Silicon Valley behemoth into the niche but increasingly competitive market of interactive whiteboards, the high-tech equivalent of those dry-erase boards that employees use to scrawl out diagrams, lead presentations or brainstorm new ideas.

Microsoft and Google have both gotten into the interactive whiteboard market this year, creating new competition for the largest and most entrenched player, Smart Technologies, a Canadian firm recently acquired by Foxconn.

The last piece of equipment in the office and classroom that hasnt made it into the modern age is the whiteboard, said Smart Technologies chief technology officer Warren Barkley. We, along with Microsoft and Google, see this as an opportunity to move that static, physically isolated content into the wider world.

Though commonplace today, the standard whiteboard is an innovation itself. Popularized in the late 1980s and 1990s, the whiteboard has, in many instances, replaced the dusty blackboard that always left hands, clothes and floors coated in a thin layer of chalk residue.

The digital whiteboard is a more modern invention and it continues to evolve.

Smart Technologies takes credit for creating the first interactive whiteboard in 1991. Barkley said those devices were primarily large display devices that used projectors and had maybe one or two touch points. Today, interactive whiteboards come with high-tech LED touch screens whose ease of use more closely resembles a tablet computer.

That evolution has come with fits and starts, he said, and new arrivals could advance it further.

Googles Jamboard is a 55-inch touchscreen monitor that connects to the cloud and taps into Googles G Suite of productivity apps, including Google Drive, Docs and Calendar. Equipped with machine learning technology, the board is marketed as a tool for companies to make information gathering and brainstorming more seamless.

As senior product manager T.J. Varghese said succinctly in a recent blog post, At Google, weve set out to redefine meetings.

Varghese wrote in an email that the company will first offer Jamboard to the roughly two million customers who subscribe to its workplace software, and it will review how those businesses put the board to use before selling it to other corporate customers.

Its unclear whether Jamboard will have a meaningful impact on Googles income. It strikes a different tone from the companys other products, which are generally lower cost and marketed to the masses, because the electronic whiteboard is distinctly aimed at a business crowd with a hefty IT budget.

Google also faces stiff competition in the workplace technology market, said Vanessa Thompson, a research analyst at IDC, a market research firm specializing in technology.

In March, Microsoft began shipping its own interactive whiteboard, called Surface Hub. Much as Jamboard integrates with Googles other products, Surface Hub integrates with Microsofts established slate of workplace software, including Skype and Microsoft Office. The 55-inch Surface Hub sells for $8,999, and the 84-inch version goes for $21,999.

At the very highest level, I would say almost every company today is going through some form of digital transformation, said Julia Atalla, senior director of Microsofts Windows and Devices group. Medium- to large-size businesses, theyre looking at ways they can innovate faster.

Interactive whiteboard purveyors say their products meet that need. Collaboration has become harder in office environments where some employees work remotely or travel often, and information is increasingly stored in digital formats and shared through email. Having a digital interface that all workers in a meeting can connect with to share information, video conference and otherwise engage makes those gatherings more productive, they say.

But IT trends could also make the large capital investment needed to purchase the boards harder to justify, Thompson of IDC said.

There are some macro trends impacting the way we work, like decentralization in large organizations, small team-oriented work, personal productivity tools augmenting tools provided by organizations, Thompson said. These behavioural themes mean that workers are just as likely to use personal tools to share and collaborate as they are a space in the office.

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Canadians have long complained about sky-high air fares and fees on domestic routes, and on flights down south, millions are willing to trek across the border in search of better deals at U.S. airports.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau says hes heard the gripes, and is taking steps to open up competition by raising the limits on foreign ownership in Canadian airlines, in hopes of spurring no-frills airlines, known in the industry as ultra-low-cost carriers.

Those carriers like Allegiant Air in the U.S. or Irelands Ryanair offer only the basics  and passengers will often pay for any extras, whether its to bring a carry-on bag or to print a boarding pass at the airport.

In a speech last week in Montreal, Garneau said the Liberal government would bring in legislation to raise the foreign ownership cap from the current 25 per cent to 49 per cent  though no single investor can own more than 25 per cent.

This will lead to more options for Canadians, and allow the creation of new, low-cost airlines in Canada, Garneau said.

But its unclear whether the raising of foreign ownership caps will be enough to lower the price of flights within Canada, with some calling for additional relief for existing airlines or even more dramatic changes to long-held airline regulations.

Garneaus move certainly seemed to have an immediate positive impact on the industry.

In an unusual move, the minister granted exemptions to two companies  Vancouvers Canada Jetlines and Calgarys Enerjet  which had asked for the restrictions to be lifted, not wanting to wait for Parliament to enact legislation.

Later that same day, Enerjet announced it already has an investor lined up  Phoenix-based Indigo Partners, which helped launch low-cost carriers Spirit Airlines and which also owns Frontier Airlines.

Enerjet chief commercial officer Darcy Morgan says his carrier has a working name  FlyToo  which signals its goal of ensuring everyone can afford to fly, too.

We truly believe we are on a path to democratize travel in this country, he said, arguing cheaper air fares will have a ripple effect on the economy and create jobs.

Canada Jetlines president Jim Scott also praised the swift action. We were very surprised, and very pleased, he said. But it also signals that this government is very serious about establishing a third carrier to provide affordable air fare.

His company is planning on going public by doing a reverse takeover, which is when a private company merges with a dormant or shell company that already has a public listing, without having to go through an initial public offering process.

It plans to team up with junior miner Jet Metal, which has the ticker JET on the TSX venture exchange, and Scott estimates it needs to first raise $6 million by years end. Then it will look for other investors to help the carrier get off the ground, including paying for jets already on order with Boeing.

Ive had steady calls from interested parties, he said, adding partners should be finalized and announced in March, with launch by next summer, promising lower fares for consumers.

Next week, Jetlines staff will be touring southern Ontario airports looking at options that include Hamilton, Waterloo and London, and possibly others like Windsor or Kingston.

Jetlines has said it plans to have main bases in Vancouver and Hamilton, and will fly across Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Caribbean, starting with six Boeing 737 aircraft in the first year.

In theory, more competition should bring better prices, but not everyone thinks that will happen.

Dont hold your breath, says Ambarish Chandra, an economics professor at the University of Toronto. I am skeptical. Ill cheer them on. I would be happy to see more airlines, especially domestic airlines, but I would be surprised to see them build the network they need.

Thats because Canadas geography and population base just doesnt have the market size to support the kind of competition that is required, Chandra said.

To run a nation-wide airline with an efficient network requires economies of scale, he said. The odds are stacked against them (new airlines). I would be surprised to see them grow very fast, or do very well.

NewLeaf Travel, which has launched service out of Hamilton, argues its already growing, offering seats on Kelowna-based Flair Air, to cities in the west and east.

NewLeaf emphasizes it is not an airline, but a travel company, so not subject to any foreign ownership rules.

We have managed to find a way into the marketplace under the current constraints, New Leaf CEO Jim Young said. We have carried 80,000 customers since July.

NewLeaf runs a very limited schedule  often flying to certain destinations just once a week  with three planes.

Its launch did prompt WestJet to begin to match routes including Hamilton to Edmonton  and just this week, WestJet says it will fly between Hamilton and Vancouver four times a week, starting next April.

NewLeafs launch was initially delayed over licensing questions  which forced the company to cancel reservations and refund customers.

Enerjets Morgan argues his company is in a much better position to take off, given it already has an aviation operating licence, and is just looking for funding from investor.

It has also operated charters to send workers to oilsands projects in northern Alberta, down south to sun destinations for Transat, overseas in Europe for European airlines.

He acknowledged that the deal with Indigo Partners still needs to be finalized, but he touted the experience of its executives.

They are the pre-eminent financial backer (for low-cost carriers) and have an excellent track record, Morgan said, adding Indigo Partners will be the lead backer but not the only investor. He estimates tens of millions of dollars will need to be raised.

We would have a year advantage or maybe 18 months, just to get started, he said, though the company would have preferred no restrictions on foreign ownership as long as it was Canadian controlled.

Canadas two biggest airlines, Air Canada and WestJet Airlines, are not happy with the exemptions granted to the two carriers, adding the government should also tackle the issue of high airport fees and aviation taxes.

We dont necessarily like where the playing field is not levelled, in terms of the speed with which exemptions and other decisions are made, Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu said on a conference call this week.

If there is a process to change laws, to change restrictions, then we look forward to everybody having the opportunity to benefit within the same time frame.

Air Canada said its prepared to compete on fares, noting it has faced low-cost competition from the likes of Transat and WestJet for years, resulting in competitive fares.

Rovinescu also pointed to its discount carrier Rouge, which has a lower operating cost structure, saying it could be deployed on domestic routes, if needed. Rouge has flown routes during peak summer travel season and is flying now between Toronto and Kelowna, B.C., and Toronto and Deer Lake, N.L.

WestJet CEO Gregg Saretsky said in a statement that the biggest challenge to ensuring low fares for Canadian consumers is the rising cost of aviation infrastructure.

Canada is a much more expensive jurisdiction in which to operate than other jurisdictions, Saretsky said last week. We are disappointed the government has not signalled more clearly a willingness to meaningfully review aviation taxation and cost structure.

In fact, Chandra believes the best way to ensure lower fares in Canada is to open up domestic routes to foreign carriers, allowing U.S. airlines or British Airways or Lufthansa to fly between Toronto and Vancouver, or Halifax and Montreal.

It would allow competition on the busy routes  and it would have eventual spillover effect on other routes, he said.

Thats not permitted now and foreign airlines are not allowed to fly domestic routes inside the United States. But in Europe, carriers from other countries are permitted to fly such routes, resulting in cheap fares within European cities.

Given how large Canada is geographically and how small our population is, we need to be bold and think of new measures to create competition, Chandra said.

In an ideal world, we would have more competition. But it would take bold thinking, beyond just raising ownership caps, he said.

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The actress is all set to flaunt her vocal talent on November 19.

By Hemul Goel: Sonakshi Sinha's calendar seems to be choc-a-bloc these days. The actress who has been busy promoting her latest project Force 2, co-starring John Abraham, is also prepping up for a performance at the Global Citizen Festival.

Also read: Demi Lovato, Vidya Balan, Freida Pinto join Global Citizen Festival's star-studded lineup

To be held in Mumbai, the event will see names like Coldplay, AR Rahman, Demi Lovato and Jay Z among others, belt out their biggest hits. However, the excitement doesn't end there, as the event will also be an opportunity for Sonakshi to flaunt her vocal talent.

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The actress who has already shown her singing abilities in songs like Aaj Mood Ishqholic Hai and Rajj Rajj Ke (Akira) will be seen taking the stage at the festival.

A host of Bollywood personalities will lend their support to the event including the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Arijit Singh, to name a few.

Also read: You'll be blown away by Sonakshi Sinha's super fit and super fabulous avatar



Names from the sporting world like Sachin Tendulkar, Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik and boxer Vijender Singh will also be seen at the event.

Let's hope Sonakshi's November 18 release gets great reviews, so that the actress' voice is replete with celebratory tones.

--- ENDS ---
OTTAWAThousands of people braved wind and cold in Ottawa on Friday to pay tribute to and remember those who sacrificed much more than personal comfort for the country and its way of life.

The crowd started gathering early, lining security fences around the National War Memorial. They included current and former military members, out-of-town visitors and families with young children, a new generation of Canadians learning the importance of remembrance.

Inside the security perimeter, veterans from the Second World War and the Korean War huddled for warmth under red blankets. Their ranks were thinner this year, as they are every year, tangible evidence of the growing distance between those conflicts and today.

The annual parade past the memorial instead featured many veterans of Canadian peacekeeping operations, their blue berets bright under the grey skies that loomed over the ceremony, blocking out the sun and any hope for warmth.

There was a moment of surprise and shock, just as Gov. Gen. David Johnston and his wife Sharon arrived, when a gust of wind sent a piece of scaffolding from a nearby construction site crashing down on a woman in the crowd. She was taken away by medics, apparently nursing an injured shoulder.

Otherwise the crowd remained silent as the Peace Tower tolled 11 a.m. and the crisp bugle notes of the Last Post cut through the wind-whipped air. The onlookers listened quietly as cannons boomed a salute and prayers were offered for generations of military dead.

Johnston and his wife, both wearing military uniforms  he in the blue of the air force as commander-in-chief and she as an honorary navy captain  were joined in front of the memorial by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau and other dignitaries.

After the prayers, they and others placed wreaths. The Silver Cross Mother, Colleen Fitzpatrick of Prince George, B.C., laid a wreath on behalf of all bereaved mothers. Her son, Cpl. Darren Fitzpatrick, was mortally wounded in Afghanistan in March 2010.

After the dignitaries had left, the crowd surged forward to place poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Many spoke about the importance of remembrance and how the passage of time doesnt seem to have reduced the sense of respect and acknowledgment Canadians feel for those who have served.

The national service was one of dozens of ceremonies held across the country, from major cities to small towns.

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A majority of Canadian voters are dissatisfied with the results of the Tuesdays historic U.S. election and believe Donald Trump will be bad for Canada, a new poll suggests.

According to a Forum Research poll, 53 per cent of Canadian voters said they were not at all satisfied with the outcome of the election, while 17 per cent said they were not very satisfied. Fifty-five per cent of respondents agreed that Trump as president would be bad for Canada, and 73 per cent overall disapprove of him.

But Canadians didnt overwhelmingly support for Hillary Clinton either, with 40 per cent of respondents saying they disapproved of the Democratic candidate.

Even up here, Clinton has an image problem, Forum president Lorne Bozinoff said Friday, adding that he was slightly surprised her disapproval ratings were so high. Before the election, there was definitely a preference for Clinton over Trump, but people werent bowled over by her. She had some baggage.

While most Canadians dont approve of Trump, there does appear to be a faction of voters in Canada that do support the Republican president-elect. When it came to Conservative voters, 45 per cent approved of Trump (compared to 9 per cent of Liberal voters) and 52 per cent were satisfied with the election results (compared to 13 per cent of Liberals).

Its further proof that the Tories march to their own drum in this country, Bozinoff said. If we think, this would never happen in Canada, just look at the Tories. There is support for Trumpism, or whatever you want to call this philosophy.

Regionally, Trump received more support in Alberta, where 33 per cent said they approved of him, compared to 20 per cent in Ontario, 13 per cent in Quebec and 11 per cent in Atlantic Canada.

Albertans not only lean Conservative, but they had a huge stake in the election as Trump has talked the Keystone XL pipeline, Bozinoff said.

The poll also showed that 80 per cent of the women sampled said they disapproved of the Republican candidate, compared to 65 per cent of men.

Using interactive voice-response telephone calls, Forum surveyed 1,474 Canadian voters on Wednesday and Thursday. Results are considered accurate, plus or minus three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Despite rhetoric throughout the American election about the need to scrap international trade deals, a separate Forum poll with the same sample size found that Canadians still support Canadas major free trade agreements.

In the random sampling of voters, 51 per cent approved of the recently ratified Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) that Canada signed with Europe while 34 per cent were unsure. Meanwhile, 65 per cent of respondents approve of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signed with the U.S. and Mexico.

Where appropriate, results of the survey have been statistically weighted by age, region, and other variables to ensure the sample reflects the actual population according to the latest census data.

Forum houses its complete results in the data library of the University of Torontos political science department.

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MONTREALBehind the stiff upper lip that Justin Trudeau has been keeping in the wake of Donald Trumps presidential victory, he and his government are no less traumatized by the result of the American election than the majority of Canadians.

There is not a single member of the prime ministers caucus and precious few if any on the opposition benches who did not find the president-elects campaign abhorrent. That, in itself, is unprecedented in the modern history of the two countries.

Canadas current Parliament is made up of members who only a few months ago gave Barack Obama multiple standing ovations. The outgoing president finished his 50-minute address on chants of four more years.

If Trump and Obama have anything in common it is that they equally unite Canadians  in strikingly opposite ways.

But little of that was in evidence this week as Trudeau took stock of the outcome of the American election.

By the standards of past Liberal history, or even by the measure of the reaction of some of Canadas allies, the prime ministers reaction could almost be described as a non-reaction.

Compare, for instance, Trudeaus boilerplate statement on Trumps election with that of German chancellor Angela Merkel.

On the day after the U.S. vote, Merkel drew a clear line in the sand: Germany and American are bound by common values  democracy, freedom, as well as respect for the rule of law and the dignity of each and every person, regardless of their origin, skin colour, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or political views. It is based on these values that I wish to offer close co-operation, both with me personally and between our countries governments.

Merkel will soon be campaigning in the face of a strong anti-refugee, anti-immigration headwind. To cast herself as a bulwark against the excesses of Trumpism is fair game and, possibly, her best path to reelection.

Trudeau has no need to reassure Canadians as to his attachment to the progressive values that Trump has trampled on his way to the White House. The prime minister has little cause to fear that those who elected him will suffer from a case of Trump-envy. Even at the best of times Canadians tend to prize what distinguishes them from their American neighbours, and these are definitely not the best of times.

So far, Trudeaus caucus has toed the governments conciliatory line with a discipline second only to that exacted from his MPs by Stephen Harper. In their days, Jean Chretien and Paul Martin could only have dreamed of as discreet a caucus during a period of high tension on the Canada-U.S. front.

In the lead-up to the heated debate over Canadas participation in the Iraq War in 2002, Chretiens then-director of communications, Francine Duclos, was famously overheard calling George W. Bush a moron.

Herb Dhaliwal, then the minister of natural resources, described the former president as a failed statesman.

Ontario MP Janko Peric wondered out loud whether Bush actually cared for the people of Iraq.

Canada was watching the Iraq operation from the sidelines when then-Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish stomped on a doll of the American president  a gesture for which she was exiled from the government benches.

Those were pre-Twitter days. One can only imagine the cacophony that would have resulted if Chretien or Martins caucuses had been empowered with the opportunity to vent against the White House in 140-character increments.

But in this instance Trudeau has neither the luxury to have his MPs indulge in Trump bashing nor the political need to do so.

The Iraq episode was undoubtedly a major bump in the road. To a lesser degree, so was Barack Obamas veto on the Keystone XL pipeline. Both put strains on the Canada-U.S. relationship.

But in each case at least one of the protagonists was on the way out of politics. In 2003 Chretien was in his last year in office. At the time of the Keystone veto, Obamas presidency was drawing to a close. The notion that a more amenable partner might be just around the corner was not a delusion.

Trudeau, who is at the dawn of a first mandate, has no alternative but to play the long game. Expectations that he will find productive common ground with Trump are so low that it would normally not take much to exceed them. But then normal is not the first word that comes to mind when one looks at the new North American dynamics.

Chantal Hebert is a national affairs writer. Her column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

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Torontos black presence didnt begin with the Jamaican Canadian Association or Caribana or the incendiary Black Action Defense Committee or Black Lives Matter. The roots go much deeper, as three significant city events this past month remind us.

Take Mirvish Village around Bathurst and Bloor. That corner of the Annex is effused with the history of Honest Eds, soon to be the site of another condo project. But before Mirvishs general store and famous bargain centre bites the dust  and with it, memories of what some remember as the Black Eatons, efforts are afoot to retain some of that uncelebrated history.

Welcome to Blackhurst Street is an exhibition now running that commemorates the presence and contribution of black citizens in this Toronto neighbourhood  my first in Canada.

I arrived in 1969. The memories are fresh:

The Bathurst streetcar rumbling past my second-storey flat at 911 Bathurst to Dupont, past Hillcrest, up to Vaughan Rd. before merging onto St. Clair.

The first time seeing snowflakes, tumbling like chicken feathers from the sky, in early October, and putting on my first winter shoes, slip-sliding down Bathurst, past Wongs Restaurant with the best beef soup this side of Montego Bay, shuffling past Mascoll Beauty Supplies, Wisdom Barber, Joyces and the nascent retail strip, Bathurst subway station, then the beckoning magical bargains of Honest Eds, the lure of Rams Roti, Contrast Newspaper, the dreaded varsity enemies at Central Tech, and, finally, arriving at Harbord Collegiate, obviously under-dressed, and suitably frozen at the extremities.

About 127 years earlier, a black kid named William Peyton Hubbard was born at Bloor and Brunswick, one of 1,000 African Canadians in a Toronto population of 40,000. At times, one would hardly know the roots go so deep.

Thats why some citizens have set up the exhibition, Blackhurst Street. Its open Thursday to Sunday, 12 to 6 p.m. until Nov. 27 at Markham House, 610 Markham St.

Itah Sadu, bookstore owner of A Different Booklist (Bathurst and Lennox), is counting down the days when she must vacate to make room for the Honest Eds redevelopment. Shes hoping to keep the black presence and memories alive in a repurposed community space in the new project.

Last month Sadu convened former Contrast employees to reminisce about the newspaper, founded by Al Hamilton in 1969, as the eyes, ears and voice of Canadas black community.

When I worked at Contrast, starting 1979, it was clearly more than a newspaper and more like a community gathering place and resource centre and drop-in centre. Activists planned anti-racism and anti-apartheid strategy upstairs while reporters interviewed the latest complainant of police brutality. On the wall were pictures of former editors like (late Giller prize-winning author) Austin Clarke and City TVs Jojo Chintoh. Hamlin Grange and Cecil Foster and Arnold Auguste got their start here  forming part of Torontos literary history.

Hubbard rose to great heights as the citys first black alderman in 1894 (122 years later city council still has just one black councillor in Michael Thompson). He won 14 elections, served as acting mayor, invented and patented an oven, initiated several municipal improvements including the push for a publicly-owned hydro system, leading to the creation of Toronto Hydro.

City Councillor Paula Fletcher spearheaded the naming of William Hubbard Park at the restored Don Jail and the Bridgepoint health care centre (Broadview and Gerrard), steps from Hubbards former home.

A few miles south this past week, George Brown College cut the ribbons on its spanking new student residence in the Pan Am Games athlete village and named part of it the Lucie and Thornton Blackburn Conference Centre.

The Blackburns arrived before Hubbard, escaped slaves from Kentucky, via Detroit, by way of the Underground Railroad. Efforts to return them to slavery sparked Detroits first race riot in 1833 and helped establish Canadas refugee settlement laws and defined Canada as a refuge for enslaved Americans. The Blackburns started Torontos cab industry, played a key role in the abolitionist movement and are recognized as persons of national historical significance.

Buried in Torontos necropolis cemetery, next to the famous George Brown, their names now grace the newest residence of the college, named after Brown, founder of the Globe and Mail and a father of confederation.

Blackburns. Hubbard. Blackhurst. The more we learn, the more we celebrate, the more we legitimize, and the more we affirm the black presence in the Toronto mosaic.

Royson James column appears weekly in the Saturday Star.

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HAMILTON  A city councillor in Hamilton says a judge who reportedly wore a hat showing support for Donald Trump in the courtroom should step down or be removed from the bench.

Coun. Matthew Green spoke out on social media Friday following media reports that Judge Bernd Zabel wore a hat that read Make America Great Again, a campaign slogan used by the U.S. president-elect.

In his statement, Green says Ontarios judicial system should be strictly non-partisan.

He argues that because of the clear racism, sexism and xenophobia in the American election, Zabels display could underscore the distrust many Canadians feel towards the justice system.

The city councillor is calling on the Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice to remove Zabel from the bench if he does not resign.

The Hamilton Spectator reports that a complaint against Zabel has been filed with the Ontario Judicial Council.

Green says Zabels actions show incredibly poor judgment and disrespect for the Ontario Court of Justice.

If I was a person convicted by this man, Id be quickly filing for appeal, he wrote.

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History records that when Alexis de Tocqueville researched his classic 1835 study, Democracy in America, he also made a side trip to Upper Canada.

He never wrote a postscript on what would one day become Ontario. So herewith, a word on how our own provincial politics are being influenced by democracy in America today.

There is nothing close to Donald Trump at Queens Park  not the bigotry, racism, misogyny or coarseness. But his talent for truthiness has spread beyond Americas borders, and is making a side trip to Ontario.

The president-elect well understands what de Tocqueville might describe as the essence of democracy today: Choosing the lesser of two evils.

While Trump may have seemed the devil incarnate to some, he proved devilishly clever at out-demonizing his opponent  by delegitimizing and criminalizing her. Making her more evil.

Like any populist, he excelled at pressing peoples buttons  an electorate eager to lap up his conspiracy theories, but also a media ready to act as an echo chamber until it was too late; and a police force playing into his hands.

Who needs attack ads when you can merely harness an unwitting police as your attack dog, and an uncritical media as your lap dog? By the time journalists woke up to their duty to fact-check  and context-check  they had already done Trumps bidding.

Why is Ontario vulnerable to Trumps truthiness?

Lets look at how a Progressive Conservative candidate is casting the premier as a criminal, akin to Hillary Clinton, in a coming byelection.

My name is Andre Marin. Im your Ontario PC candidate in Ottawa-Vanier. But you might know me as a former Ontario ombudsman . . . and that is exactly why I had to take a stand against Kathleen Wynne, he writes in an email appeal for money sent last Tuesday  voting day in America.

Im an anti-corruption and ethics expert and this is one of the most unscrupulous and unethical governments in Ontarios history. Its one of the worst cases Ive seen in my career.

Lets ponder that historical reference for a moment. What is Wynne charged with that supposedly surpasses the span of history since the time of de Tocquevilles visit to Upper Canada?

In fact, there are no criminal charges against the premier or her team. There are no charges of any kind against Wynne, her cabinet or Liberal MPPs.

What, then, can Marin mean? The star PC candidate is referring to recent charges under the Elections Act  provincial offences, not criminal  alleging bribery by Wynnes former deputy chief of staff, Pat Sorbara, in another byelection nearly two years ago.

Ive argued elsewhere that the OPP have overreached, but as a lawyer Marin has the benefit of legal training stressing that an accused is innocent until proven guilty. You know, like former treasurer Greg Sorbara, who was wrongly named in a search warrant by the RCMP; or then-finance minister Ralph Goodale whom the RCMP probed at the behest of the NDP ahead of the 2006 federal election. Both were later exonerated  and the RCMP excoriated (not unlike the FBIs ill-timed intervention in the US election).

Ontarios NDP, taking a page from their federal cousins, demanded the probe that led the OPP to lay charges against Pat Sorbara. Our independent courts will have the final say on this case, but the independence of the office of the ombudsman has been diminished by Marins reckless partisanship so soon after leaving his job last year.

Until MPPs from all parties refused to renew his term, Marin served as a supposedly non-partisan officer of the legislature. Impartiality was part of the job description, yet Marin started trolling and taunting the Liberals on Twitter, filed lawsuits against both the government and the legislature, and now seeks revenge by running in the upcoming byelection.

Marin is merely the tip of the Tory spear. PC leader Patrick Brown and his caucus have seized on the so-called corruption narrative as the path of least resistance, but it may prove to be a dead end, and possibly self-defeating.

Whenever Brown plays the bribery card, the media may well point out that his PCs gave MPP Garfield Dunlop a job at party headquarters immediately after he relinquished elected office so that the leader could run in his riding in a byelection last year. Bribery, or business as usual?

And whenever NDP Leader Andrea Horwath talks darkly about criminality  as she did in her failed 2014 campaign, at the expense of privatization concerns  the media may remind voters of how she quietly dissuaded star MPP Jagmeet Singh from seeking federal office last year by appointing him deputy leader. An elegant NDP inducement?

Its not that Brown and Horwath are guilty of bribery  merely hypocrisy. Crooked Kathleen, we give you Crooked Patrick and Crooked Andrea.

When the dust (and dirt) settles, Ontarians may wonder why the opposition parties didnt spend more time on the issues people worry about: energy costs, climate change, health care and privatization. For that, we can thank democracy in America, which has spread, all these years later, to Ontario.

Martin Regg Cohns political column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. mcohn@thestar.ca , Twitter: @reggcohn

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WASHINGTONThe morning after the election, Sadia Jalali, a therapist, was called in to speak at her childrens Islamic school in Houston.

Emergency counselling.

She told the kids about the checks and balances confronting an American president, about the difference between politicians campaign rhetoric and behaviour in office. They were unconvinced, and they were terrified.

One asked, she said, Can he make us leave? Another: What country would we go to? And then, afterward, from a wide-eyed little boy: Can he kill us?

Fear, hate, retaliation and uncertainty have marked the three chaotic days since the stunning election victory of Donald Trump, with the jubilation of his larger-than-expected, largely white legion of supporters mixed with the horror of many members of racial and religious minority groups.

Trump has not directly addressed a spate of hate incidents. He and his team, though, have already signalled that he is planning to backtrack on several major policy pledges, from scrapping Obamacare to forcing Mexico to pay for a giant wall on its border, adding to the feeling of a country unsettled.

What is obvious: Barack Obamas policy legacy is in grave danger. What isnt obvious: which of Trumps promises he intends to even try to carry out.

I dont think anybody, except in his most inner circle, really knows. And even there, probably not, said Joel Aberbach, political science professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Obama, Trump and defeated Hillary Clinton have all appealed for peace and unity. While there was no sign of major looming strife, much of the country appeared to be on an emotional edge, wounds raw.

Dozens of racist incidents have been reported in the hours since the Republican demagogues upset win. Though not all of them could be definitively tied to the election, many of them appeared to be connected.

Water fountains at a Jacksonville, Fla. high school were labelled with signs reading Colored and Whites Only. At least five Muslim women around the country said people had attempted to remove their hijabs. A Spanish-speaking New York Times reporter in Arizona was scolded to speak English. An Asian lawyer in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., was told by a man in military clothing, I didnt go to Vietnam to serve you. Its a good thing youll all be gone soon.

I have heard more stories in the past 48 hours of Americans living in fear of their own government and their fellow Americans than I can remember hearing in five decades in politics, Democratic Nevada Sen. Harry Reid said in a statement.

At the same time, thousands of people opposed to Trump have taken to the streets of cities around the country to declare Trump not my president. Protesters in Los Angeles shut down a freeway. While mostly peaceful, some of the demonstrations have involved vandalism and violence against police officers; at least 28 people were arrested over a Portland protest on Thursday that police said involved some anarchist types.

There has been at least one incident of racial violence against a Trump supporter. A white man beaten by a group of black men after a minor car scrape in Chicago was taunted for being a Trump supporter, though they had no way of knowing he was.

Small groups in California and Oregon have talked about attempting to secede from the country, no-chance proposals that nonetheless speak to the level of dismay in liberal quarters.

Today, we woke up feeling like strangers in a foreign land, Californias Democratic legislative leaders said in a joint statement.

Trump has ignored demands from Reid and others to decry the bigotry being performed in his name. In responding to the protests, he appeared torn between his conspiratorial instincts and the new need to sound presidential.

Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair! he wrote on Twitter on Thursday. Nine hours later, he wrote, Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!

The rapid divergence in tone, typical of his campaign, was matched by a series of immediate apparent flip-flops on policy.

Close Trump adviser Newt Gingrich said Trumps major promise to make Mexico pay for a border wall was a mere campaign device. Trump himself, after meeting with Obama, told the Wall Street Journal that he was willing to retain important parts of Obamacare.

Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced, he said, a far cry from his promise of outright repeal.

James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, was typical of policy experts this week: he had absolutely no idea what Trump is going to do.

Trumps statements on nuclear policy during the campaigns were frequently wrong, sometimes contradictory and almost invariably puerile  strongly suggesting he hasnt thought about the subject much, Acton said in an email.

Trumps statements on other kinds of policy suggested the same.

Trump will have immense power when he takes office on Jan. 20. The president has broad discretion over foreign policy. He can eradicate many of Obamas sweeping executive orders on immigration and the environment with a few strokes of a pen. His party controls both the House and the Senate.

But some of his promises are wildly implausible. Some, like term limits for members of Congress, are dead on arrival with Republican legislators. Most of the others may or may not represent his true preferences.

It is basically a blank slate that needs to be filled in, one Trump adviser told New York magazine.

On a single issue, the global economy, Trump has struck a consistent theme for decades. His anti-free-trade rhetoric appears heartfelt: he has long believed the economy is a zero-sum game, in which there are winners and losers, and that the United States is being ripped off.

On almost everything else, he has flip-flopped  sometimes over a long period, sometimes within the past year.

When Obama announced the warming of relations with Cuba in 2015, Trump broke with Republican orthodoxy to say it was fine. By September of this year, he was talking like a traditional Republican hardliner, vowing to go back to the old way if the Castro regime didnt accept new demands.

He promised to deny entry to all Muslims, then all foreign Muslims, then most foreign Muslims with some exceptions, then said hed merely ban immigration from terror-prone regions, while not retracting the Muslim ban. Al Arabiya reported Thursday that aides had quietly advised Middle Eastern embassies to ignore Mr. Trumps rhetoric on the campaign trail.

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MAASSLUIS, NETHERLANDS  The Dutch incarnation of Saint Nicholas arrived in the Netherlands on Saturday amid a huge security operation to prevent violent confrontations between supporters and opponents of his helper, "Black Pete."

The children's character known as Sinterklaas has in recent years been at the centre of a heated debate about race in the Netherlands. That's because of his sidekick "Black Pete," who is often played by white people in blackface makeup.

Opponents claim he is a racist caricature who hearkens back to slavery, while supporters see him as a harmless figure of fun and an integral part of cherished Dutch tradition.

Thousands of people, including many children wearing "Black Pete" costumes who clambered up trees and street lights to get a better view, crowded into the historic harbour of Maassluis for the nationally televised arrival of Sinterklaas. They were watched over by hundreds of police and security guards amid fears of confrontations.

The celebrations passed peacefully in Maassluis, but police detained 180 anti-Black Pete activists in nearby Rotterdam for defying a ban on protests in that city.

Even Prime Minister Mark Rutte had appealed for calm ahead of the celebrations, using his weekly press conference Friday to tell people on both sides of the debate to "just be normal."

About 20 far-right activists were easily outnumbered by police as they demonstrated in Maassluis, holding up a banner that said: "We are not ashamed of Black Pete."

One of them, John Morren, said he was there to defend a Dutch tradition.

"We are demonstrating for the preservation of a children's party," he said.

Police said they arrested a man with a large knife in a bag near the festivities in Maassluis, but later tweeted that he was actually carrying a bag of tools and was not on his way to the celebration.

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BAGHDAD  A suicide car bomber from Daesh (also known as ISIS) attacked Iraqi special forces in Mosul on Saturday, setting off heavy fighting in the northern city.

The early morning attack in the Qadisiya neighbourhood, which the troops entered a day earlier, was followed by a barrage of gunfire, mortar rounds and rocket-propelled grenades, Iraqi officers said.

Fighting was also underway in the adjoining Arbajiya neighbourhood, the officers added, speaking on condition of anonymity because they arent authorized to brief reporters.

The Iraqi armed forces do not release casualty figures, but field medics have noted dozens of killed and wounded since the operation to liberate Iraqs second largest city began on Oct. 17.

Iraqi special forces entered Mosul earlier this month, gaining a foothold on the citys eastern edges. But the advance has slowed as they push into more densely populated neighbourhoods.

The urban landscape inside Mosul proper makes defence easier for the militants, eager to hold on to the last major Iraqi stronghold of their self-styled caliphate. Defeat in Mosul would be a major blow to their project, and they have said they are ready to fight to the death.

More from thestar.com:

Iraq troops converge on Mosul to drive out Daesh

Mosul marks beginning of Daesh caliphates end in Iraq, UN says

Human shields, barricades slow Iraqi advance into Mosul END

To the south of the city, militarized Iraqi police have come within 5 kilometres of Mosuls airport, which satellite images show has been heavily fortified.

The images, taken earlier this month by U.S.-based private intelligence firm Stratfor, show Daesh fighters have cleared terrain and levelled buildings around the airport and a nearby former military base on the west bank of the Tigris River. Rows of concrete barricades, earthen mounds and rubble are blocking other key routes into the city centre.

In Baghdad, meanwhile, bombings killed at least nine people and wounded 32 others, according to police and medical officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

The deadliest of the attacks hit the Kifah neighbourhood in the city centre, ripping through an area full of auto repair shops, killing three and wounding 10.

The capital has seen near-daily bombings since the Mosul operation began, but no large-scale attacks. Militants frequently target security forces and the Shiite majority as part of its campaign to destabilize the country.

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YOLA, NIGERIA  Lawmakers in northeastern Nigeria are investigating new allegations that officials have diverted crucial food aid intended for people who have fled from Boko Haram extremists.

The allegations in Adamawa state centre on officials and market traders accused of selling food items donated by Nigerias customs service, said Hassan Barguma, chair of a committee on refugees in the Adamawa state assembly.

Stealing food meant for starving children is beyond the pale, Barguma said.

Boko Harams seven-year-old insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced more than 2.6 million others in Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Lawmakers and officials are already investigating reports that food aid was stolen in Borno state, the birthplace of Boko Haram, where the U.N. has warned that tens of thousands of children could die from malnutrition. The reports sparked protests from refugees, who at one point blocked a main highway heading into Maiduguri, the northeasts largest city.

Nigerias customs service in August released 11 trucks of food aid including rice, oil and spaghetti for refugees in Adamawa state. Yet Barguma said many of the items did not reach refugees and were instead sold to local markets.

Sadiq Daware, deputy co-ordinator of Adamawas poverty alleviation office, denied the allegations.

Whoever tells you the items were diverted is very far away from the truth, he said.

He said local officials followed an approved distribution plan, though he noted that this called for some aid to be given to politicians and officials acting as intermediaries.

Refugee community representatives in Adamawa said they were infuriated by reports of stolen food aid and called for a thorough investigation.

We are being fed only once or twice daily, said Habu Ali, a community leader in Fufore. He said most refugees preferred to go out and fend for themselves rather than being treated like animals in the camps.

Falmata Ali, another refugee, said children in her camp were always crying out for more food.

We are tired of all these inhuman treatments. Let them take us back to our towns in Borno, she said.

Adamawa state once housed 60,000 refugees, although Nigerias National Emergency Management Agency reported Friday the figure had dropped to about 18,960 as people returned home.

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By India Today Web Desk: Tom Holland, who is playing Spider-Man in Marvel's brand new trilogy of Spider-Man films, got to know that he is playing the superhero thanks to his Instagram feed. The actor who played a cameo as Spider-Man in 2016's Captain America: Civil War will reprise the role in the new trilogy with the first film Spider-Man: Homecoming releasing on 2017.

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Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Tom said, "I was in my bed scrolling through Instagram. It had been about a month since my audition. And Marvel just posted a photo saying go to our website and find out who the next Spider-Man is. I went on the Marvel website on my computer and there it was: The new Spider-Man is Tom Holland. I went ballistic, like absolutely nuts."

MOVIE REVIEW: DOCTOR STRANGE

MOVIE REVIEW: LEONARDO DICAPRIO'S BEFORE THE FLOOD

Previous film incarnations of Spider-Man have been played by Toby Maguire in the trilogy directed by Sam Raimi and then by Andrew Garfield in two films which were reboots of the franchise. All these films had been produced by Sony Studios while the character was a creation of Marvel Comics. After a lot of discussions and talks, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures decided to co-produce the next Spider-Man film while including the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).







Speaking about his love for the character Spider-Man, Tom was quoted as saying, "I reckon I had 30 Spider-Man costumes over the years since I was a little baby. I had Spider-Man bed sheets. Two years ago, I went to a fancy dress party dressed as Spider-Man and looked like an absolute idiot. About a year afterwards, they announced they were recasting it, and I rang up my agents and was like, Please, please get me an audition.' And they said they've actually requested for you to do a self-tape."

Spider-Man: Homecoming releases in theatres on July 7 next year. Michael Keaton, who has earlier played Batman in film and was part of 2016's Oscars' Best Picture winner Spotlight's cast, is playing Vulture, the main villain of the film. Robert Downey Jr will make a special appearance in the film as Tony Stark/Iron Man.

--- ENDS ---
ISTANBUL  Turkey has issued a travel warning for its citizens about going to the United States, citing violent protests following Tuesdays contested presidential election as well as increasing verbal and physical attacks and harassment of an anti-immigrant and racist nature.

In a statement posted on the Foreign Ministrys website Saturday, it said the anti-Donald Trump demonstrations occasionally featured acts of crime and violence and noted that security forces had detained many demonstrators.

It says based on demonstrators social media posts, its clear the demonstrations will likely continue for some time.

Turkey earlier this month criticized a U.S. decision to order family members of employees posted to the Istanbul Consulate to leave because of security concerns. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu insisted that Istanbul or Ankara was not more unsafe than any U.S. state.

More from thestar.com:Turkey halts operations of 370 civic groups, raids offices

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When Leonard Cohen learned this summer that his former lover and muse Marianne Ihlen was terminally ill, he wrote her a letter. It was classic Cohen, a tender, beautiful consolation, but it also contained a dark clue about his own failing health. Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine, he wrote.

Two months later, he released his 14th album, You Want it Darker, which seemed to confirm the bleak self-prognosis. He appeared sanguine about it. On the albums opening track, Cohen sings, in his broken-down bass, Im ready, my lord. On Monday, the musician, poet and novelist, our countrys finest lyricist, died.

Cohen was obsessed with death throughout his nearly half-century career, but those who see him as a miserabilist prophet, the godfather of gloom, miss the point. He understood the dualities of life: that the world is at once somber and ridiculous, sacred and profane, tragic and funny. He wanted to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all. He whined, but he joked, despaired, but hoped. Theres a crack in everything, he sang. Thats how the light gets in.

Born in Montreal to prominent Jewish parents, Cohen found, at the age of 15, his literary model in the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca. The loneliness was dissolved, he said of the discovery, and you felt that you were this aching creature in the midst of an aching cosmos, and the ache was OK. To provide this same service for others became his own artistic mission, which he expressed in more modest terms: I think it just comes down to nudging the guy next to you and saying, Thats the way, isnt it?

No one did that in song like Cohen. His poetic power often sprang from his precision. Chelsea Hotel #2, his brief, aching ode to a morning spent with Janis Joplin, ends on a minor note. The truth is, I dont even think of you that often, he sings. In less capable hands it might seem cruel, but Cohens tribute is made more poignant by its exact proportionality. Not that often. He was right; thats the way.

Cohens maternal grandfather was a Talmudic scholar and the poet apparently inherited a lust for holy searching. He spent much of his life looking for illumination, in synagogues, churches and Hindu retreats, through drugs, alcohol and sex. His songs were reports from the spiritual trenches.

For six years at the end of the 1990s, he lived as a monk at a Buddhist temple, during which time he ceded complete control of his finances to his longtime business manager. In 2004, he discovered that his accounts had been drained. To make back what had been taken from him he decided to tour, something which had always made him uncomfortable and which he had not done for 15 years. But this time, taken aback by the outpouring from his fans, he found the experience spiritually uplifting.

Woody Allen once joked that he didnt want to achieve immortality through his work; he wanted to achieve it through not dying. Cohen wasnt like that. He sang on his last album that he was ready; he wrote that he was reaching out for Marianne. He saw on his last tours how loved he was, how resonant his songbook remained, and he knew what it meant: there is a crack even in death.

Cohen once said of his mentor, the Montreal poet Irving Layton, I taught him how to dress, he taught me how to live forever. He was half serious, half kidding, but like Lorca he will.

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We, the media, were also on the ballot.

- NBC anchor Lester Holt.

To put it bluntly, the media missed the story. Make no mistake. This is an epic fail.

- Margaret Sullivan, Media columnist, Washington Post

Mostly, I #blame my profession, media. We must undertake a harsh, honest post mortem.

- Jeff Jarvis, Journalism professor and author

Let the post mortems and the mea culpas begin.

Undoubtedly there are innumerable conferences to be held, books to be written and PhD dissertations to be defended on the subject of the media and Election 2016. This being the age of instant analysis via always-on social media, a great many wise words have already been proclaimed and a number of smart theses put forward to help us make sense of the historic ascension of Donald J. Trump, the man so many of us never for a second believed could ever be president of the United States of America.

I have read so many of these analyses by now, Ive gone down the rabbit hole. Did we, the media, fail? Or, did the media  especially the legacy print media  do its critical job of fact-checking and exposing lies but those facts simply did not matter to half of a highly polarized America? Did the media create Trump or did Trump, in demonizing the media, use journalism to his own ends? Should we blame a hollowed-out mainstream media faced with diminished resources, or was this myopia brought on by journalists and pundits grown comfortably complacent in the echo chambers of our filter bubbles?

Facts can be found to support any one of these theories  each in its own way a dismal indictment of the media and political journalism. Whatever we ultimately blame, the fact is, though Hillary Clinton captured more of the popular vote than Trump, our neighbors nevertheless elected a man with zero political experience who spewed racist, sexist, xenophobic hate throughout his campaign, and the media establishment, pollsters and pundits never really saw his victory coming.

For that, much media soul-searching is called for. Indeed, that began in earnest this week. As Kyle Pope, editor of the Columbia Journalism Review, put it so bluntly the morning after the election: Journalisms moment of reckoning has arrived.

Its inability to understand Donald Trumps rise over the last year, ending in his victory Tuesday night, clearly stands among journalisms great failures, certainly in a generation and probably in modern times, Pope wrote. In terms of our bellwether moments, this is our anti-Watergate.

Washington Post columnist Sullivans scathing election night column, headlined, The media didnt want to believe Trump could win. So they looked the other way, argued that the media missed the fact that many Americans wanted change. And although these voters shouted and screamed it, most journalists just werent listening. They didnt get it.

Sullivans view spoke straight to my heart and demands my personal mea culpa.

I should have listened to my dad.

Many months ago, when Trump was still vying to be the Republican Party nominee, my dad became fascinated by the billionaire businessmans run for president. Dad, who lives in Brantford, is a smart man who grew up poor, abandoned by his mother, and sadly, his education ended far too soon as a result of that.

I dont recall my dad ever expressing significant interest in any election anywhere but he became so taken by Trump he would even miss his beloved Leaf games to watch state primary races and Republican Party debates. His family and friends watched in amazement as dad became increasingly fixated on the U.S. election and Trump, the builder.

Trumps talk of restoring jobs to working men left behind by the collapse of U.S. manufacturing spoke to my dad, a blue-collar, union working man his entire pre-retirement life. When Trump became his partys candidate, dad was not surprised. He hoped and believed this man could become president, telling us, Hes got a chance, man.

And me, his journalist daughter, a forever feminist who so wanted to see a woman become president, how did I respond? I made fun of his stalwart support for Trump, making clear my informed view that such a lewd man could never be president. I all but outright told him it was ridiculous to think Trump could beat Clinton. After all, the New York Times had declared him unelectable and 99 per cent of the editorial pages of U.S. newspapers supported Clinton. And, of course, the polls told us Hillary had this one and, I explained to my dad, the polls told the story.

I did not understand that what my dad saw in Trump so too, seemingly, did so many others who came to believe in the political outsider who offered vague hope of a regular paycheque and the dignity that comes with it. That trumped all else, all that I and so many other journalists believed made Trump unelectable.

I did not see clearly. Now, I understand, that was my mistake. Dad, you called this one.

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In the aftermath of Donald Trump winning the U.S. presidency, we asked some of the more than 500 expats in Mexico, Panama, Belize and Nicaragua who answer questions on Best Places in the World to Retire how a Trump presidency would affect them. Here's what they said.

How Americans Will be Treated Abroad

Given that Donald Trump's main campaign promises included building a wall on the Mexican border, forcing Mexico to pay for it, renegotiating the NAFTA trade deal, and punishing American companies that have facilities abroad, it wouldn't be a leap for American expats in Mexico to fear resentment and perhaps even retaliation, if not from ordinary Mexicans, then from the Mexican government.

Don Nelson, a U.S.-based American attorney specializing in expat and international taxes, fears some form of retaliation, especially if Trump forces Mexico to "pay for the wall" through taxes on remittances from Mexicans in the U.S. to Mexico. "Mexico has a history of retaliation," said Nelson. As an example, Nelson cited when the Mexican government increased visitor permit requirements after the U.S. increased fees on Mexican nationals.

Nelson further explained that, while it is the law in Mexico that all foreigners who are in Mexico more than 180 days must pay income taxes to the Mexican government, the government doesn't currently seriously enforce the law, and this is one of the items that could conceivably change. "However, they won't kick us out," said Nelson, "because they need us."

Alfonso Galindo, a Southern California native who moved to Mexico, disagrees. "Donald Trump's win won't change anything," said Galindo. "Expats are very appreciated in Mexico. I don't predict that there will be any significant backlash at all. All my Mexican friends are not only talking to American expats who live here, but emailing supportive messages."

Galindo told us that the messages were along the lines of, "If you live in Mexico as an expat, we know you are a friend."

"Mexicans are not flipping out," said Galindo, "and overall, could care less."

Canadian Gary De Spiegelaere and his Mexican national wife live in the Mexican state of Yucatan. Both were vocal and public Trump supporters. De Spiegelaere reports that, after he explained the rationale behind Donald Trump's position to many of his Mexican friends and relatives, they understood.

"Mexicans are very polite," said De Spiegelaere. "They don't get angry over our politics, they get angry over their own politics. There has been no retaliation at all. Mexicans are some of the nicest people in the world."

Among many other overseas activities, Michael Cobb has co-founded Caye Bank in Belize and runs ECI Development, which has properties in Belize, Nicaragua and Panama. In the unusual times he's not traveling, he lives with his family in Nicaragua. Cobb told us that the people of smaller countries in Latin America that have had issues with the U.S. make a distinction between the U.S. government and U.S. expats. "They can and often do like the American people but not the American government. They're used to this," Cobb said, "and it should continue."

Changes President Trump May Make to Preferred U.S. Tax Treatment of US Expats

There are many income tax advantages to being a U.S. expat, including the Foreign Earned Tax Credit, which allows qualified expats to exclude over $100,000 annually from their U.S. tax return.

Nelson is concerned that the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion may be in danger. "Mr. Trump hasn't mentioned it specifically," said Nelson, "but he has indicated his intention to make the tax code more simple and do away with some benefits, and he certainly has voiced his desire to punish U.S. companies operating abroad."

"Maybe he will do nothing about the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion," said Nelson. "After all, many of Mr. Trump's associates run international businesses that would be harmed by reducing or eliminating the exclusion."

Cobb agreed that it was improbable that the U.S. tax code would be changed to harm expats. "I would find it very unlikely that the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion would be changed," said Cobb.

Cobb explained that there are too many U.S. natural resources companies and big financial institutions that rely on the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion as part of the overall compensation to their employees for living and working overseas. Said Cobb, "Even companies like Marriott depend on it."

Exchange Rate Benefits and Challenges

While the Belizean dollar is pegged at 2:1 to the U.S. dollar, Panama uses the U.S. dollar, and Nicaragua's currency has not been significantly affected by the U.S. presidential campaign, the Mexican peso has experienced a substantial decline, decreasing from 17.17 May 1 of this year to 20.54 Nov. 10.

Galindo explained, "The weakening of the Mexican peso relative to the U.S. dollar hasn't really hurt the average Mexican. The Mexican economy is large enough that it doesn't have to import a lot of goods, so the peso price of items hasn't really changed that much. For American or even Canadian expats, however, the weakening of the peso has been a huge benefit. It's like getting a 20% discount on everything. They love it!"

De Spiegelaere agrees. "This is an opportune time to come to Mexico with U.S. or Canadian dollars and buy because the exchange rate may eventually go back down. I'm certainly buying right now."

Change in Trade Policy and Agreements

When we asked Galindo if hostility between the U.S. and Mexican governments could develop as a result of changes in trade policy between the U.S. and Mexico, he said it would be unlikely that Mexico would suffer, because U.S. consumers would get mad at the results. "For example," Galindo said, "if the U.S. consumer can't get avocados year round because Mexico isn't shipping them to the U.S. any longer, those consumers will want a return the situation to like it was before."

Wayne Robbins, the president of The Placencia, a large residential and mixed-use development in Belize, sees opportunity for Belize as a result of the U.S. re-thinking and renegotiating trade agreements. "As the U.S. re-evaluates its trade agreements, it can have a fresh look at the advantages of trading with countries like Belize much more than it does now," said Robbins.

"Belize has many advantages," said Robins, "including that it is an English-speaking, British Commonwealth country that's geographically very close to the US. Everything will be in play."

Opportunities and Worries

Cobb told us his companies are experiencing increased interest as a result of the American election. "The U.S. is so polarized now that many of the opponents of Mr. Trump are looking for a 'Plan B', should their worst fears come to pass."

And this Plan B, according to Cobb, often involves having assets in several locations abroad. Said Cobb, "We see a strong buying cycle."

Galindo offered additional proof of popularity of exploring what Cobb called a "Plan B." "All the Internet and social media pages I manage", Galindo said, "have experienced a huge increase in traffic in the last few days."

Linda Jensen

, a U.S. expat and strong Trump supporter who lives in Boquete, Panama, has tried to calm her Panamanian and expat neighbors regarding the more outlandish fears of Trump's policies harming countries like Panama, including the rumor that he would re-negotiate the treaty wherein the U.S. gave Panama control over the Panama Canal. "Why would he want to hurt Panama's economy?" said Jensen. "He has a hotel in Panama City."

This article is commentary by an independent contributor.
Editors' pick: Originally published Nov. 11.

American elections normally don't get much attention in Asia.

Americans keep buying Asian-made goods regardless of who is president. And in trying to delay China's inevitable rise for as long as it can, the U.S. has been trying to maintain the region's geopolitical balance in its favor.

But it is different this time for Asia.

It remains to be seen if President-elect Donald J. Trump will follow through with everything he has said on the campaign trail. But if he does, it will mean trouble for Asia.

That means that it might be more difficult to find investment opportunities in Asia.

"We can't continue to allow China to rape our country," Trump said during the election campaign.

He has repeatedly said that one of the first things he would do as president is designate China as a currency manipulator. This designation is applied to countries that weaken their currency on purpose to make their exports cheaper and more competitive.

If this happens, the U.S. could put duties on "artificially cheap" Chinese imports.

Closely tied to this, Trump would like to see U.S.-China trade "reform."

In his opinion, the trade relationship between the two countries is balanced in China's favor, and he would like to tilt the balance back in the U.S.' favor.

Trump has said that China breaks the rules of international trade, steals commercial secrets, manipulates its currency and has been taking American jobs.

If Trump's proposed policies are enacted it could result in a U.S.-China trade war.

That would result in more tariffs and quotas on each others exports and imports, and history has shown that trade wars hurt everyone involved and result in a negative economic spiral.

In American history, the best example of how higher tariffs affect an economy is the Smoot-Hawley tariff bill of 1930. It raised tariffs on wide range of goods.

Other countries started doing the same thing, and world trade dropped 66% within four years.

The Smoot-Hawley tariffs were a major factor that contributed to the Great Depression and, indirectly, to World War II.

The Republican Party has been the pro-business, pro-free trade party for decades. But Trump has changed that.

He equates renegotiating, or canceling, long-standing trade deals with American "economic independence."

Trump has said that the North American Free Trade Agreement the first such deal among Canada, Mexico and the U.S. is "the worst trade deal in the history of the country."

He has also said the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a "terrible deal" for the U.S., even though this 12-country trade deal would encompass about 40% of the world's gross domestic product and 25% of global exports.

The TPP could increase GDP by an average of 1.1% in each of the participating countries by 2030.

But the TPP has yet to be approved by Congress, and now it won't be, according to the World Bank.

Trump isn't the first to take this anti-trade angle. U.K. voters' decision to leave the European Union in June reflected a growing global disenchantment with trade and openness, and he has effectively channeled the same sentiment.

Asian economies have benefited from Americans' endless need for stuff for decades. It started with Japan, then the so-called Asian tigers, then China and now the region's other emerging economies, such as Vietnam.

But Asian factories can only sell cheap stuff to the U.S. if America keeps buying it. If there are more and higher tariffs on Asian goods, the relationship will break down.

Asian economies need easy access to the U.S. market to continue as important manufacturing sectors.

Some of this production might eventually move to either the U.S. or to other countries, likely those favored by Trump. Either scenario would hurt Asia.

In his 1987 book, "The Art of the Deal," Trump outlined his top 11 negotiation strategies. One of them is to keep options open.

"I never get too attached to one deal or one approach ... I keep a lot of balls in the air, because most deals fall out, no matter how promising they seem at first," Trump wrote.

This could mean that his campaign bark is worse than his policy bite and his policies and positions are flexible.

So, there are challenging times ahead for Asia. It is home to the world's most dynamic economies, so there will always be investment opportunities, but they might get harder to find.

A lot more could be said about Trump and Asian and global markets, including where to invest and what will happen to markets over the next several months.

---

Check out this special report that shows the five sectors to invest in now that Trump has been elected. It also discusses in more detail Trump's potential impact on Asia. Download a free copy by clicking here.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.

Kim Iskyan is the founder of Truewealth Publishing, an independent investment research company based in Singapore.

Click here to sign up to receive the Truewealth Asian Investment Daily in your inbox every day, for free.
Editors' pick: Originally published Nov. 11.

On Thursday night, President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter (TWTR) to complain about the protests materializing across the U.S. in response to Tuesday's election results.

His first tweet called out "professional protesters" as being "incited by the media."

Several hours later, however, Trump changed his tune, praising the protesters as "small groups" who have "passion for our great country."

The two tweets illustrated what some critics have started to refer to as Trump's identity crisis: the unfiltered, uncensored Trump vs. the presidential, conciliatory Trump.

The unfiltered Trump is, in part, what helped him get almost double the amount of "free" airtime when compared to Hillary Clinton, according to a Wednesday report from Barclays.

"All the other candidates spent more, while Trump didn't bother to spend money advertising," said Barclays analyst Kannan Venkateshwar. "When a message gets posted on Facebook or Twitter, the effectiveness of posting that message is much higher. It's the most powerful form of advertising."

The election generated real results for Twitter, too: There were 75 million plus election-related tweets this year on Election Day, compared to just 31 million in 2012, according to data provided by the social media site.

As a result, there's a chance that both Twitter and Facebook's (FB) ad sales could "take a hit" from the election's end, according to TheStreet's technology columnist Eric Jhonsa. The stock market already appears nervous about Twitter's fourth-quarter sales in part because of a lack of sales guidance and the recent departure of COO Adam Bain.

Twitter's stock is up about 1% since the election but down about 20% for the year.

Jhonsa argued that Trump's win is probably better for Twitter than a Clinton win would have been.

"I think Twitter overall benefits from a Trump win relative to a Hillary win, since Trump is such a polarizing figure and bound to spark plenty more rants and arguments," Jhonsa said.

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It's not news that social media has revolutionized the presidency as an institution. In an October blog post on the White House website, Deputy Chief Digital Officer Kori Schulman detailed plans for how all of the numerous social media accounts related to the 44th presidential administration will be preserved, and later wiped clean, during the transition of power.

Most notably, the @POTUS handle will start with no tweets on its timeline beginning on Jan. 20. Donald Trump will then be given access to the account once he enters the oval office, which has prompted questions about what will happen to his personal Twitter handle, @realDonaldTrump.

Trump may not tweet from his personal account as much, in part, due to security risks, said Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research, in an email.

"We know that the campaign has had access to that account...but I would think they would want to prevail upon Trump to yield the account entirely to them going forward," Dawson said. "There's just too much risk entailed now that he's receiving daily security briefings and so on."

The White House staff is also likely to own the @POTUS account, Dawson added.

What's unknown is how Trump's habits on Twitter will change when he takes office. As of October 5, The New York Times noted that Trump had sent 28,000 tweets -- the equivalent of about 12 per day since he joined the site in March 2009. In the four days since Nov. 8, however, he's only tweeted seven times.

Trump's Twitter feed functioned as something like a continuous press conference, the Barclays report noted.

"A candidate with almost no organizational structure had the ability to communicate his chosen message globally through platforms like Twitter, respond through social media instead of press conferences, and define issues that impacted the election," the firm wrote.

Venkateshwar said it's activity like this that is leading to legacy media being eclipsed by social media. Legacy media has become more about message reach, while social media values a message's effectiveness, he added.

"The way I see the platform is that it's a broadcast platform," Venkateshwar said. "So in that sense, it's not that different from TV but it's different in that it's more targeted."

Twitter is also less censored than TV, Venkateshwar noted.

Whether that side of Trump will continue once he's in the White House is unclear, but it's evident that Trump had a impressive handle on how effective Twitter could be in communicating with his supporters.
AU Optronics Corp. researches, develops, produces, and sells thin film transistor liquid crystal displays and other flat panel displays. The company operates through two segments, Display and Solar. The Display segment designs, develops, manufactures, assembles, and markets flat panel displays for use in televisions (TVs), TV sets, and other related products; desktop monitors; mobile PCs, such as notebooks and tablets; mobile phones; and commercial and other applications, including displays for automobiles, industrial PCs, automated teller machines, point of sale terminals, pachinko machines, medical equipment, and others. This segment serves original equipment manufacturing service providers; and brand companies. The Solar segment manufactures and sells solar materials, including ingots, solar wafers, and solar modules, as well as provides technical engineering and maintenance services for solar system projects. This segment sells its ingot and solar wafer products primarily to solar cell manufacturers; and solar modules to installers, solar system integrators, property developers, and other value-added resellers. The company also engages in the renewable energy power generation; repairing and sale support of TFT-LCD modules, as well as sale support of solar-related products; injecting and stamping parts; manufacture and sale of molds, light guide plates, liquid crystal products, backlight modules, and related parts, as well as precision plastic and metal parts; IP related business; design, development and sales of software and hardware for health care industry; manufacture, assembly, and sale of automotive parts; manufacture and sale of motorized treadmills; and planning, design, and development of construction for environmental protection and related project management. It operates in the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and internationally. AU Optronics Corp. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Aviva plc provides various insurance, retirement, investment, and savings products in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and internationally. The company offers life insurance, long-term health and accident insurance, savings, pension, and annuity products, as well as pension fund business and lifetime mortgage products. It also provides insurance cover to individuals, small and medium-sized businesses for risks associated with motor vehicles and medical expenses, as well as property and liability, such as employers' and professional indemnity liabilities. In addition, the company provides investment management services for institutional pension fund mandates; and manages various retail investment products, including investment funds, unit trusts, open-ended investment companies, and individual savings accounts for third-party financial institutions, pension funds, public sector organizations, investment professionals, and private investors. It markets its products through a network of insurance brokers, as well as MyAviva platform. The company was formerly known as CGNU plc and changed its name to Aviva plc in July 2002. Aviva plc was founded in 1696 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Colleges across US are postponing exams, cancelling classes and providing stress-healing therapies to students as they complain of "serious stress" after Trump's victory.

By India Today Web Desk: The announcement of US Republican Donald Trump winning the presidential race has affected many. While a group of school children in Michigan chanted "build that wall" at Latino students, college students are taking extra time to accept the reality and come to terms with it.

Many colleges across United States of America have cancelled classes and exams so that students can accept Trump's victory. They are also being offered disaster counselling, dog therapy and even colouring book therapies.

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Donald Trump's victory was so shocking that students at Cornell University gathered on campus for a 'cry-in' session and the school staff provided tissues and hot chocolate, reported the Wall Street Journal .

Also read: Hate trumps love? Shocking calls for Trump's assassination flood Twitter



The University of Kansas announced that students may visit therapy dogs for comfort every other Wednesday.

According to Columbia University's newspaper, many midterm exams were postponed because students were glued to the election update. "It's not fair to have a test the following day when something so monumental is taking place, especially when this event is threatening so many groups of people in our country", a student said as reported by RT .

Some professors said that the students complained about "serious stress". "People looked tired; it looked like some people had probably been crying. I think it was very palpable in the room", political science professor Justin Phillips told Columbia University's newspaper .

Also read: Russia says it was in touch with Trump's campaign during election



A Yale professor made the midterm optional after students wrote "heartfelt letters" to him and there were few who feared for their own families.



BREAKING: Yale Econ 115 professor makes midterm exam optional after students write in expressing shock about presidential election: pic.twitter.com/JQY8GFsQiV Jon Victor (@jon_victor_) November 9, 2016

In March 2016, a Washington Post poll had showed that for 69 percent Americans the idea of Trump's presidency made them anxious.

--- ENDS ---
Forbes recently reported that Samsung may be putting another one of Apple's ideas to use and launch a leasing program for their line of Galaxy phones.

A source familiar with Samsung's plans told Forbes to expect the new program within the next few months.

Apple launched the iPhone Upgrade Program just two weeks ago, which allows customers to lease iPhones directly from Apple. Customers can choose to pay off the phone over a 6, 12, 18, or 24 month period, and will be allowed to upgrade their phone to the newest model after just a year. Program members get a new iPhone starting at $32/mo. Each phone is unlocked and comes with Apple Care.

Samsung will be expected to offer a similar (if not the same) program for their users.

As you may remember, a long, long time ago, you had to sign up for a 2-year contract with a carrier and pay for the phone at a discount before you could even activate it. Recently, carriers have shied away from 2-year contracts.

Verizon went as far as completely eliminating contracts, but they require users to pay phones off over a 2-year period before being able to upgrade.

Phone companies like Sprint and T-Mobile also allow users to finance phones. Sprint allows users to pay off new phones for $15/mo and upgrade any time.

It was told that the new financing program will be announced within the next several months, so it is unknown if it will be announced with new phones- expected to be released next August- or now, to be used with the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and Galaxy Note 5.

Follow @VAVEL_Tech on Twitter for more instant updates on this story and everything in the world of technology.

Jack Griffin is an editor for the Technology and Music sections of VAVEL USA.
Robert Vaughn, an Oscar-nominated actor who portrayed a suave spy in the 1960s television series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and who had a secondary career as a political activist and scholar of writers and actors blacklisted as a result of the midcentury communist scare, died Nov. 11 at a hospice facility in Danbury, Conn. He was 83.

The cause was acute leukemia, said his manager, Matthew Sullivan.

From 1964 to 1968, Mr. Vaughn was one of the most recognizable stars in Hollywood, playing Napoleon Solo in the NBC spy spoof The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The character was developed by Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, as something of a small-screen Bond.

Darkly handsome, with a prominent chin and a distinctive, cultivated voice, Mr. Vaughn starred alongside David McCallum, playing the Russian spy Illya Kuryakin. Together, they were an international crime-fighting duo defying Cold War convention in a tongue-in-cheek series that was one of the most popular shows of its time.

Each week, the pair from the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, a private organization involved in maintaining political and legal order anywhere in the world, accepted a mission from their boss, played by Leo G. Carroll. With wit and panache, they overcame the deadly gadgets and thugs put in their way by their nemesis, THRUSH  while finding time to romance glamorous women.

Actor Robert Vaughn. (Anonymous/AP)

No matter how perilous their travails, they always managed to escape with their well-fitted suits, stylish hair and debonair manner intact.

There was something cool about it, Ron Simon, curator of television and radio at the Paley Center for Media in New York, told the Los Angeles Times last year. It created an emotional resonance for TV. It became the most popular show on campus in 1964, 65 and 66  the first two seasons. It was a cultural phenomenon.

Mr. Vaughn and McCallum had a genial screen chemistry, trading quips and maintaining a blithe sang-froid in the face of danger. They received thousands of letters a week from fans, and when the Beatles came to the United States in 1966, they asked to meet Mr. Vaughn.

Throughout a six-decade acting career, Mr. Vaughn appeared in more than 100 films and as many television productions. In his early years in Hollywood, he was known as a man about town, often dating beautiful actresses (including Natalie Wood) and indulging in revelry with actor friends, including Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Richard Harris.

In 1959, he played opposite Paul Newman in The Young Philadelphians, a film about upper-class hypocrisy. He portrayed a neer-do-well from a wealthy family who loses an arm in the Korean War, becomes an alcoholic and later stands trial for murder. Mr. Vaughn was nominated for an Academy Award as best supporting actor but lost to Hugh Griffith from Ben Hur.

Mr. Vaughn was the last surviving principal actor from the classic 1960 western The Magnificent Seven, in which he played a reluctant gunfighter alongside Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson, Coburn and McQueen. He and McQueen were reunited in the 1968 drama Bullitt, in which Mr. Vaughn played a corrupt politician. The film, which starred McQueen as a rogue police officer and featured one of the great car chases in cinematic history, was a box-office success.

Beyond his acting, Mr. Vaughn had a serious side and was an engaged political activist throughout his career. He was a friend of Robert F. Kennedy and in 1966 took an early stance against U.S. involvement in Vietnam. He often spoke on college campuses and, on separate occasions, debated the Vietnam War with Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and conservative writer William F. Buckley Jr. on Buckleys Firing Line TV program.

Robert Vaughn with his Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actor for "Washington: Behind Closed Doors." 1979 photo. (AP/AP)

While making The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Mr. Vaughn took graduate courses at the University of Southern California, from which he received a doctorate in mass communications in 1970. His dissertation, about the chilling effects of the House Un-American Activities Committee on the theatrical world and Hollywood, was revised and published as a book, Only Victims: A Study of Show Business Blacklisting, in 1972. It is still in print.

Probably the greatest harm done to the theater, Mr. Vaughn said in 1972, was in an area that you cannot easily document  that is the words that were not written through intimidation and fear of future investigations. The committees methods and procedures silenced perhaps a generation of writers who might have contributed bounteously to a healthy theater in a democratic society.

Robert Francis Vaughn was born Nov. 22, 1932, in New York City. Both of his parents were actors, but they separated when he was an infant. He grew up with his grandparents in Minneapolis.

He occasionally appeared in radio serials as a child and began acting in stage plays at 12. In 1956, he received a bachelors degree in theater arts from what is now California State University at Los Angeles. He received a masters degree in the same field in 1960 from USC and was an early acting teacher of Jack Nicholsons.

Mr. Vaughn served in the Army and had a few small film roles before he was cast in The Young Philadelphians. A major role in the short-lived TV military drama The Lieutenant led to his star turn in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

He appeared in the 1969 World War II film The Bridge at Remagen before returning to television in 1972 in The Protectors, a detective show produced in England. He often acted in miniseries in the 1970s, including the political drama Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977), for which he won an Emmy Award for best supporting actor. He received another Emmy nomination for his portrayal of President Woodrow Wilson in Backstairs at the White House in 1979.

Mr. Vaughn played four other presidents in various stage and television productions  Richard M. Nixon, Harry S. Truman, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Over the years, he had recurring roles in several TV series and was in such films as The Towering Inferno, Superman III and Delta Force. He also appeared in many theatrical productions, including A.R. Gurneys Love Letters with Polly Bergen on Broadway in 1990.

From 2004 to 2012, Mr. Vaughn starred in the popular British TV series Hustle, playing an aging mentor to a group of con artists. He published a memoir, A Fortunate Life, in 2008 and appeared in a London production of the play Twelve Angry Men from 2013 to 2015.

Survivors include his wife of 42 years, Linda Staab Vaughn of Ridgefield, Conn.; two children; and two grandchildren.

While filming The Magnificent Seven in Mexico, Mr. Vaughn and McQueen had a near-disastrous evening at a brothel. They had no cash, and the establishment refused to accept McQueens Diners Club card.

We just ran, Mr. Vaughn recalled in a 2015 interview with the Irish Mirror. I jumped out the window and ended up climbing over a wall, and as I dropped down on to a street, I thought, This is the end for me. 


To celebrate Pizzeria Paradiso's 25th anniversary, the restaurant collaborated with Right Proper Brewing  founded by former Paradiso employee Thor Cheston  on a farmhouse ale called Maslow, named after the creator of the hierarchy of needs theory. (Fritz Hahn/The Washington Post)

Twenty-five years ago, chef Ruth Gresser opened the first Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont Circle. Ten years ago, she turned the basement of the Georgetown location into Birreria Paradiso, one of Washingtons first craft-centric beer bars, helmed by beverage director Thor Cheston, who went on to found Right Proper Brewing. It seems only appropriate that as Paradiso hits the silver anniversary, it would celebrate by collaborating with Right Proper on a special house beer for the occasion.

I didnt want to do a stereotypical Paradisos house beer,  says current beer director Josh Fernands. I wanted something more esoteric.

After kicking around ideas, Right Proper head brewer Nathan Zeender decided to brew a tribute to the bar itself. I was thinking about beers that go back to the early days at [Birreria] Paradiso, where I got my better beer education: [Jolly Pumpkin] Bam Biere, [Brasserie de la Senne] Taras Boulba, Allagash Wit, he says. Something in that tradition, with a sturdy amount of hopping.

The result is a farmhouse ale called Maslow, which Fernands named after psychologist Abraham Maslow, who created the theory of the hierarchy of needs. Its well structured yet approachable, with aromas of lemon grass and citrus from Right Propers house yeast culture; spice from Sterling, German Tettnang and Cascade hops; and a lingering flintiness and minerality in the finish. Zeender also used wheat and flaked oats to make the body a bit softer. It reminds me of all those wonderful Belgian beers I had 10 years ago in that basement in Georgetown, he says.

Maslow will be available at all three Pizzeria Paradiso locations (Dupont Circle, Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria) beginning Nov. 16, and it will be sold by the glass and growler at Right Propers brewpub in Shaw and brewery taproom in Brookland. The release comes with good news for beer fans in the Old Dominion: To get Maslow to the Old Town restaurant, Right Proper signed a deal with Fairfax-based Ferment-Nation distribution, which means more of the brewerys boundary-pushing beers will be available in Virginia bars soon.

 Fritz Hahn

Right Proper Brewing and Pizzeria Paradiso Maslow. rightproperbrewing.com and eatyourpizza.com. About $6 per glass.
This stretch of the Capital Beltway near Connecticut Avenue in Maryland was recently resurfaced with stone matrix asphalt, leaving a glossy, reflective surface that will fade over time. (Photo by Audrey Copeland/National Asphalt Pavement Association)

Answer Man and the Answer Wife were recently tooling around in the Answer Mobile when they noticed something striking about the pavement beneath their wheels. It was shiny. How shiny? Really shiny.

It was so shiny that vehicles were reflected in the glossy black surface. It was as though motorists were driving on a polished black granite countertop.

Answer Man was briefly concerned that the road  the Capital Beltway near Connecticut Avenue  was wet and might be slippery. (It wasnt.) Later he noticed a similar sheen on a stretch of Interstate 95 near Laurel, Md. What was going on?

Well, asphalt was going on  or, more precisely, had gone on. The roads had recently been resurfaced. And like a fleeting sunset or a delicate cherry blossom, the sheen would not last forever. It is probably fading as you read this.

David Buck, spokesman for Marylands State Highway Administration, said the gloss comes from using a higher percentage of liquid asphalt in the mix thats applied to the resurfaced road.

Time for Asphalt 101: Asphalt is a byproduct of the petroleum industry. Its a thick, gloopy leftover after oil has been refined into other things, such as fuel.

Someone figured out that we can take this byproduct, mix it with aggregate, and it becomes a very good road paving material because its flexible, said Audrey Copeland, vice president for engineering, research and technology at the National Asphalt Pavement Association.

Aggregate is the tiny bits of rock that make up the bulk of the road surface, held together by the sticky asphalt binder. In the 1990s, the U.S. asphalt industry started to embrace a paving practice that had been pioneered in Germany: stone matrix asphalt, or SMA.

Stone matrix asphalt uses larger aggregate and makes for a stronger surface thats more resistant to ruts and cracks, the twin evils of paving. But SMA requires a higher percentage of asphalt binder. While normal asphalt is typically 4.7 to 5.2 percent binder, SMA in Maryland has about 6.5 percent asphalt binder, said Marshall Klinefelter, vice president of technical services at the Maryland Asphalt Association.

A higher percentage of liquid asphalt adds to the cost  the price fluctuates with the oil market  but makes for a longer-lasting surface. Marshall said an SMA road can last five years longer than one paved without SMA.

The sticky mastic surrounding the aggregate gives it the mirror-like appearance, Marshall said. As tires pound over the pavement  and snow-removal equipment drops salt, sand and plow blades  the surface mastic is worn off, revealing the natural color of the aggregate below.

If a light-colored aggregate is used, the pavement will become light colored, Marshall wrote. A darker aggregate will not be as quickly noticed, as the pavement will continue to be dark colored, but with greatly reduced sheen.

SMA is also used on Virginias highways. This summer, SMA was laid on Interstate 66 west of Gainesville as part of the widening project at U.S. Route 15, said Trenton M. Clark, director of engineering at the Virginia Asphalt Association. Other SMA sections include the Dulles Toll Road, Fairfax County Parkway, Prince William Parkway and I-95.

People do tend to notice that distinctive sheen. When I worked for VDOT, I fielded this question once or twice a summer, Trenton wrote in an email.

Some critics in England and Australia have expressed concern that SMA makes for a slipperier road surface, at least until it is broken in.

Not so, said Buck, of the Maryland SHA. The look of the asphalt in no way compromises the safety or the friction of the new surface, he wrote in an email.

Given traffic in the Washington area, many of us spend nearly as much time sitting atop a patch of asphalt as we do rolling in a chair across a carpeted office or standing on a concrete shop floor. Boosters of asphalt say one of its best qualities is how quickly it can be applied.

Copeland, of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, drives that stretch of Beltway every day and noticed the glossy handiwork of the repaving crew. One morning she was driving on old pavement. The next morning she was on bumpy, milled pavement. (The top two inches of the old surface had been scraped away at night.) The next morning she was on fresh asphalt, as shiny as a new toy.

Question time

Are you curious about something you noticed in the Washington area? Answer Man may be able to help. Send your question to answerman@washpost.com.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
In 2015, organizers of Catharsis on the Mall received a permit for a Burning Man-inspired bonfire on the Mall near the Washington Monument. The National Park Service this year denied such a request. (Doug Sanford /Courtesy of DCMJ )

It started as a fringe Washington protest. The plan was to stay up all night, have a bonfire and march to the U.S. Capitol to demand more funding for veterans and research for post-traumatic stress disorder.

But after Tuesdays election, it morphed into something else  a giant, 48-hour psychedelic dance party, in full view of the White House  to deal with the trauma of electing Donald Trump as president.

This is D.C.s Burning Man, said Tim Clark, an art designer from San Diego who shipped his school bus-turned-100-foot-long-dragon from California to the District for the event. This is really helpful right now, I think people need this to shake off this whacky election.

While thousands have marched nightly in major cities since Tuesday, and some of those protests have turned violent, the spectacle unfolding Saturday in Washington was decidedly more mellow, but drawing a bigger audience.

Dubbed Catharsis on the Mall, the event attracted a kaleidoscope of young professionals, aging hippies and those in between. It was organized by many of the same activists who led a successful ballot measure campaign two years ago to legalize marijuana in the District.

A 30-foot-tall structure dubbed the Temple of Rebirth was to be set ablaze Saturday night near the Washington Monument, in a Burning Man-inspired protest to support veterans. But federal authorities rejected a permit request for the fire. (Aaron Davis/The Washington Post)

Saturday morning there was yoga. By noontime it had shifted into a dance party for hundreds, with techno music echoing off the nearby World War II Memorial.

Im just trying to let go of the anxiety from this week, said Anastasia Greene, 29, who works for the Wilderness Society. Dancing in a blue yoga jacket, Greene lifted her arms north toward Constitution Avenue: Weve been talking about sending good vibes toward the White House, she said.

Mary Burch Harmon, who works for the University of Maryland had stumbled onto the event with a group of visiting students from Argentina, the Congo, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. All stayed and began to dance.

Im afraid, Harmon said of the election results. I really feel scared of whats to come.

Late Saturday, the party was scheduled to culminate with a ritual burning of a wooden structure that organizers had dubbed the Temple of Rebirth.

The blaze was supposed to be an homage to a similar finale at the Burning Man festival, held each year in the Nevada desert. But it wont be as big as organizers had hoped.

The National Park Service denied a request to ignite the massive, 30-foot-tall wooden structure. A federal judge sided with the government Friday, citing concerns that embers from the fire could travel across the city, igniting other structures.

A school bus turned into a 100-foot-long dragon by artists in California provided a stage for musicians and DJs Saturday during Catharsis on the Mall. (Aaron Davis/The Washington Post)

Robert Roman Haferd, an attorney for the gathering, said organizers would still light three smaller fires  a moon, a sun and an egg, each about five feet tall by five feet wide  to stay within park service regulations. The moon and the sun represent the passage of time, and the egg, renewal, Haferd said. That still carries the message.

Adam Eidinger, a pro-marijuana activist said the theme for this years event emerged after the suicide of a District artist last year and the influence of veterans groups, which have supported marijuana legalization as a way to treat PTSD symptoms suffered by some soldiers.

But Eidinger said last weeks election results had reshaped the event. As organizers began erecting the temple Tuesday, they encouraged passersby to scrawl messages on the wood in marker. On Saturday, some were about personal loss and death. But many were about Trump and the election. Im not white + female. Scared of Trump, one read. This is a bad hombre, read another. Some offered words of hope: Dont get mad, get active, Decency will prevail. There is still room in this world for love.

The theme this year was trauma, and it seems especially appropriate after the trauma weve all experienced from this election, Eidinger said. We have a diverse group, all coming together around the therapy of psychedelics.
Fairfax County school officials are grappling with how to plug holes in the school systems budget after county voters rejected a meals tax that would have delivered an estimated $67 million annually.

The proposed levy would have added a four-percent tax on restaurant meals and prepared food in the county and was expected to yield an estimated $96 million, with 70 percent of that revenue going to county schools. About 290,000 voters  54 percent  rejected the proposal while 249,000 voted in favor of it, according to unofficial election results.

[Fairfax says no to meals tax]

The school system, one of the nations largest, now faces an even greater challenge in making ends meet in the coming fiscal year, when it is anticipating massive increases in retirement and health-care costs along with growing enrollment. Without the revenue from the meals tax, school officials might have to reconsider a plan to invest nearly $100 million in teacher pay, part of an effort to make salaries more competitive with neighboring districts.

Exacerbating matters, county schools will also lose out on about $4.4 million in state aid for teacher salaries next fiscal year because of a state budget shortfall.

Schools spokesman John Torre said that neither outgoing Superintendent Karen Garza nor Deputy Superintendent Steve Lockard were available to comment this week. In September, Garza announced that she would step down to take a job with an Ohio-based nonprofit group later this year, and Lockard is set to take over as interim superintendent upon her departure.

School Board chair Sandy Evans (Mason), who had campaigned for the measure, expressed deep disappointment that it did not pass, but she acknowledged that asking voters to pay more was a tough sell. She said the school system will now have to look for funding elsewhere to help make ends meet. She is pushing the state to postpone a mandated $25 million increase in the contribution to the state retirement fund that is set to take effect next year.

Well have to work with our funders at the county and at the state to see what we can do to bring our salaries up, because thats really an imperative for our school system, Evans said.

[Projected budget shortfalls in Fairfax County become a plea for a new meals tax]

Kevin Hickerson, president of the Fairfax Education Association, said he hopes the county will be able to make up for the loss in funding so the district can hold fast to its plan to give teachers raises.

Its a wait-and-see game right now, Hickerson said. Were going to have to take a long, hard look at our budget and see what the County Board of Supervisors is willing to do to supplement what were trying to do with Fairfax County Public Schools.

County supervisors provide more than half of the districts $2.7 billion budget, and its chair, Sharon Bulova (D), said she does not believe that the county is in a position to provide the kind of extra funding needed to pursue the school systems ambitious plan to boost teacher pay.

I dont see that happening, Bulova said. The voters have rejected the additional revenue that would have made it possible for us to aggressively move forward with increasing teacher salaries.

Supervisor Jeff C. McKay (D-Lee) echoed that sentiment, adding that the school system will have to sacrifice elsewhere if it wants to hold fast to its plan to increase teacher pay because the board is not likely to increase property taxes this year.

School Board member Elizabeth Schultz (Springfield), who describes herself as a fiscal conservative, opposed the meals tax. She said she believes taxpayers sent a message to school officials that they want their money to be better managed.

Thats a clear indication of what theyre asking us to do with their money, which is manage it a lot better and be far more discriminating in the way that its used for the advancement of students, Schultz said.

Schultz said the school system might have to weigh cuts and wants officials to reconsider the extra funding it provides to schools that serve large numbers of at-risk children. The extra staff, she said, does not appear to be helping to close the achievement gap.

Adding more staff, adding more money doesnt necessarily solve the problems, she said.

Patricia Sullivan and Antonio Olivo contributed to this report.
The racial and ethnic tensions that came to the forefront during this years presidential contest were felt in Washington-area schools in the days after the election, with threats, swastikas painted on walls and racist attacks alarming educators, parents and students.

Administrators at a Bethesda middle school found numerous images of a swastika drawn on the wall of a boys bathroom Friday, the second such incident at the school in the past two weeks.

In a letter sent to parents of students at Westland Middle School, Principal Alison L. Serino said administrators have contacted the Montgomery County Police Department to investigate the acts of vandalism.

We are very saddened by this incident, Serino wrote. This type of behavior will not be tolerated. Once the culprit(s) are identified, consequences will be administered in accordance with the MCPS Student Code of Conduct.

[Video shows Pa. teenagers celebrating, shouting white power]

In an interview Friday, Serino said that she was sad and disturbed about the incidents, and that she and her staff are planning to address the issue with students when they return to school for the coming week.

[Middle schoolers chant build that wall during lunch]

I think we need to double down on our efforts about respect, knowledge of one another and understanding where people are coming from, she said. I think its a really important time to be an educator.

Serino said that the incidents have caused concern and worry for the schools students. She added that while the school year has been mostly typical so far, there is heightened awareness around race, ethnicity and religion as a result of the tense presidential campaign, which drew on adult themes and has elicited racist and xenophobic acts nationwide.

[Vitriol only intensifies after bitter election]

School districts nationwide have been addressing heightened emotions as they navigate how to teach the outcome of the election. Superintendents and principals have been imploring their communities to embrace civil discourse and to use the election as a teachable moment. Yet there have been numerous examples of intolerance that have spurred concerns about the physical and psychological safety of students.

Officials in suburban Maryland are investigating an incident involving a white student who posted a photo of herself in blackface on social media, with a caption that used a racial epithet.

The principal of Atholton High School, in Columbia, Md., said in an email to families Thursday that administrators became aware of the photo as school let out that afternoon.

The letter, signed by Principal JoAnn Hutchens, described the image as a racially offensive and hurtful post, and said school officials were in contact with the students parents and would take appropriate action.

I am committed to ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for all students at Atholton High School, she wrote. I encourage all students to Think Before You Post. 

Howard County school officials said Friday that students who saw the image brought it to the attention of the principal and that soon afterward the teenagers parents also contacted Hutchens.

They said the image appeared to have been posted to an image-sharing app and then was reposted on other platforms.

The caption on the blackface photo said, im finally a n-----.

Howard school spokesman John White said the student, an 11th-grader whom district officials did not identify, was very apologetic about what she had done.

White said the district is working with the family as it investigates and would follow its student code of conduct in applying consequences. Under the code, disciplinary action may be taken for off-campus incidents that could have an adverse effect on schools.

Howard has seen other incidents of racial hatred, including a students social-media video last year that denigrated the value of black lives. District officials said Friday that the most recent episode reinforces the need for a community meeting  already planned for Monday night  to discuss the responsible use of technology and social media, and supporting an inclusive community.

Too many young people and adults post things without thinking about what happens next, White said. We want to make sure parents know about the latest technology and that students know there could be ramifications for a bad decision.

There have been a few instances of students hurling insults at others in the wake of the election in Loudoun County, Va., according to Wayde Byard, a spokesman for Loudoun County Public Schools. Byard said students in middle school and high school have been repeating lines they have heard on the campaign trail, including build the wall and drain the swamp.

What were seeing is nervousness on the part of our English-language-learning population. A lot of them have escaped war-torn places, and they are terrified of going back to those places, Byard said, referring to the countys growing immigrant population and fears of deportation under a new president. There have been untoward comments  nothing that is confrontational, more of gloating.

Byard said that most of the confrontations occur in the cafeteria and the halls as students are switching classes. The school system has asked teachers to have a presence in public areas to deter such comments.

Most of the time people are saying these things flippantly, and they think its funny, he said. Theyre not realizing how it might affect people.
An activist said: It seems that these children do not have any rights. They are inflicted with hunger, addiction, and nomadism. Almost once a year, they confiscate the poor and old shelters and they call the nomads as the illegal inhabitants that must leave.

The same activist also spoke about the miserable existence these children under the rule of the Mullahs regime lead. They said: The children like the adults are also searching for the garbage. The addiction is also prevailing among them. No matter if they do not have an identity card or a place to live; after all they are children. The Mullahs regime has accepted the convention on the rights of children.

The activist also said that those who live in the outskirts of the city have no access to basic living facilities. Hygiene is extremely poor and they do not have restrooms or clean water. The majority do not even have a birth certificate or identity card.

Where they live, the Iranian regime, under the pretext of getting rid of unauthorized settlements, comes along and removes the nomads, thus making them homeless in a cold winter. This type of situation is happening time and time again. Every 18 months or so shelters are removed from what the regime calls unauthorized people.

The activist said that the twenty children who have just been removed have nowhere to go. They are abandoned in this cold winter. Only two tents are left that each is allocated to the men and women. Please dont set these two tents on fire. They have told them to find a place by tomorrow otherwise, we will come tomorrow and set the two remaining tents on fire.

The poverty and misery of the Iranian people is getting worse and worse while at the same time the agents of the Mullahs regime steal and plunder the assets of these poor people.

The Iranian peoples money and investments are used to fund the export of terrorism and warmongering in the region.
University of Virginia leaders are considering options for reducing tuition costs for students, possibly by dipping into a multibillion-dollar strategic investment fund that was hidden from public view until this year.

Members of the U-Va. Board of Visitors on Friday discussed several plans concerning affordability at the public flagship in Charlottesville. The conversation appeared to emerge out of the revelation this summer of the existence of the universitys $2.2 billion strategic investment fund, which was quietly established and endowed within the past decade while the school raised tuition.

Virginia lawmakers expressed dismay when they learned about the fund, which U-Va. officials said is separate from the schools $6.8 billion endowment and was created to support academic experiences and research opportunities.

The school in October unveiled an initial disbursement of $26 million from the fund, including $6.8 million in financial aid for doctoral students, scholarships for business school students and loan-forgiving grants to law students who go into public service positions after graduation.

[Virginia colleges are bracing for potentially significant state budget cuts]

The boards consideration of lowering tuition costs comes after the university has increased the tuition for in-state students by 74 percent in the past seven years. Tuition for Virginia students this fall is $13,060, up from $11,892 the year before.

Sen. J. Chapman Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax), a member of the Senates education committee and a critic of the universitys investment fund, said freezing tuition, which he urged over the summer, is a step in the right direction. He said he would like U-Va. to use money from the massive stockpile to give refunds to families who have been squeezed by the tuition increases.

I hesitate to see them adopt a new program when the real recognition should be no, actually we were collecting money we didnt need in the first place, he said. Theyre sitting on so much cash vis-a-vis everybody else, including the state government.

The universitys endowment, reported at $6.1 billion as of June 2015, is the 18th-biggest in the country and one of the largest in public higher education.

Helen Dragas, a former board member whose tenure ended June 30, wrote in a column for The Washington Post that she was disappointed that the universitys money had not been spent on helping make the school more affordable.

Hoarding a multibillion-dollar slush fund for pet projects doesnt reflect reality, Dragas wrote. Many of Virginias families are already drowning in tuition debt that robs graduates of the opportunity to gain basic independence, let alone start small businesses that Virginia so desperately needs for economic growth.

[U-Va. set aside $2.2 billion for strategic investments. ]

The board discussion also came as the commonwealth faces a $1.5 billion budget shortfall and after Paul Reagan, chief of staff for Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), sent a letter to higher education leaders in the state urging them to make a concerted effort to identify real, ongoing efficiencies and related savings instead of placing students and their families under added financial strain.

Tuition and fee increases beyond what was already being proposed in an institutions six-year plan should not be considered as a mechanism to offset these reductions, Reagan wrote in the letter.

State policies in the past two decades have led to significant changes in how public universities are funded in Virginia.

The 2008 financial crisis dried up tax revenue and contributed to a steady decline in state funding. But as the economy improved, state funding levels for colleges remained 22 percent below what they were before the market meltdown, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

In the wake of Reagans warning, U-Va. is working to identify strategies to address the general fund reduction with the goal of minimizing any adverse impact to our students academic experience, U-Va. spokesman Anthony de Bruyn said.

[Former Rector Helen Dragas: What U-Va. needs is less privatization]

U-Va. anticipates the loss of state funding for the 2018 fiscal year will result in a base operating budget reduction of $10.5 million, on top of the one-time $3.3 million cost of covering a portion of the Virginia Retirement System premium increases.

Public universities rely heavily on philanthropy, tuition dollars and investment strategies to offset dwindling state funding. State flagships are especially feeling the fiscal pressure as they seek to compete with wealthy private universities for top-notch faculty and students while providing significant discounts to state residents. According to Moodys Investors Service, some public institutions, including the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State and Purdue University, have stockpiled enough cash and ready-access funds to operate for up to a year.

Credit analysts say robust reserves provide a measure of protection against economic and political volatility. Reserves also are much more flexible than endowments that typically carry stringent donor restrictions.

It seems like theyre using the fund in the manner that it was envisioned to serve, said Charlene Butterfield, credit analyst at S&P Global. The fact that theyre using it to make sure theyre providing the best education for their students and serving that demographic  thats what its designed to do.

Butterfield declined to comment on whether drawing down the fund could have credit implications for the university. Analysts at other agencies said it was too early to draw any conclusions.

De Bruyn said the U-Va. board plans to continue discussing tuition ideas at its next meeting, scheduled for December.
Robin Ficker, a Montgomery County Republican activist who launched a successful campaign for term limits, gathers signatures for the ballot measure last year. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Over the next year and a half, politics in Marylands most populous and economically powerful county is likely to be turned on its head.

A new limit of three consecutive terms for officeholders, overwhelmingly approved by Montgomery voters this past week, creates an unprecedented four open seats on the nine-member County Council and one in the county executives office. A new publicly financed campaign system will allow eligible candidates to leverage small individual contributions into bigger donations from taxpayers.

The rule changes are unlikely to alter the partisan makeup of political leadership in a county where Democrats enjoy a 3-to-1 voter-registration advantage over Republicans. But they will open the door to a new group of decision-makers charged with addressing traffic congestion, overcrowded schools, economic development and other urgent issues in a rapidly urbanizing county.

This has the potential to be a transformational election, said first-term council member Tom Hucker (D-Eastern County).

He and others say they anticipate a deep and unusually diverse field of candidates competing to replace the small, well-financed incumbent political class that has dominated county government for years.

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), center, is sworn in for his third term in 2014. He says he is retiring in two years, even without a new term-limits law. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

The two potential game changers  term limits and public campaign finance  were born at opposite ends of the countys political axis. Public funding, passed by the council in 2014, was championed by then-council member Phil Andrews and progressive groups such as Common Cause. The petition drive that put term limits on the ballot was spearheaded by Republican activist Robin Ficker with assistance from Help Save Maryland, a group opposed to county policies that are friendly to immigrants who are in the country illegally.

The measure passed by a margin of 70 percent to 30 percent, boosted by fatigue with the countys culture of incumbency and a degree of the antipathy toward government that swept President-elect Donald Trump into the White House.

Taken together, they seem likely to create a number of crowded Democratic and Republican primary races, featuring veteran politicians who are term-limited but seeking new posts, candidates backed by a business sector eager to promote new ideas, and hopefuls who may lack a deep donor base but see the possibility of competing with small contributions and matching funds.

A lot of people are salivating over it, said Gabriel Acevero, an organizer for United Food and Commercial Workers and vice president of the African American Democratic Club of Montgomery County. For a lot of folks, particularly candidates of color and women, this is a great opportunity.

Corporate influence

The countys business leaders, most of them in the real estate sector, have been a major source of campaign contributions in Montgomery. But they will be limited in their ability to directly fund candidates who choose to enter the public finance system, which bars PAC money and caps individual contributions at $150. The countys influential public employee unions will be subject to the same limits.

Big special-interest dollars are unlikely to be shut out of the political process completely, however. A new set of independent expenditure (IE) committees not bound by the small-donor law could spring up to support favored candidates.

2018 could be the year of the IE, said Steve Silverman, a former council member and county economic development director who now lobbies for corporate and nonprofit clients.

There are signs that the business sector will be newly aggressive in recruiting and supporting candidates of its own, who might bypass party primaries to run as independents. Private-sector leaders have become increasingly outspoken about their unhappiness with recent increases in property and recordation taxes, a higher minimum wage and what they consider a lackluster county record of attracting and retaining jobs  Marriott Internationals decision to remain in Bethesda notwithstanding.

The business community is very concerned that we have not been hitting the ball down the middle of the fairway, said Charles K. Nulsen III, president of Washington Property Company, which has extensive holdings in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Northern Virginia.

Last year Nulsen and other corporate leaders founded Empower Montgomery, a tax-exempt nonprofit intended to foster voter engagement and education around key issues. As a 501(c)(4) under federal tax law, Empower Montgomery cannot directly contribute to campaigns, but it can express support for or opposition to candidates as long as that is not its principal activity. It is not required to disclose the names of donors.

Silverman, an adviser to the group, said its focus will be on issues.

One executive involved with the group, health-services entrepreneur David T. Blair, is said by political insiders to be considering a run for council or county executive. Blair did not return phone messages last week. Another, more familiar business name in play is David Trone, the wine merchant who spent a record $13.4 million this spring in an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination to represent Marylands 8th Congressional District.

Multiple people in county politics, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, said Trone is considering a run for county executive, among other options. Through a spokesman, Trone said in an email: The campaign for Congress strengthened my commitment to be in public service. A number of people have suggested opportunities in that regard, and I am in the process of deciding on my next step.

Another group trying to recruit business-friendly candidates is headed by land-use attorney Robby Brewer and Barbara Henry, managing director of the Committee for Montgomery, which pursues a legislative agenda for the county in Annapolis. Henry declined to comment last week; Brewer did not return a phone message.

Political openings

The object of all the behind-the-scenes jockeying is the unprecedented lineup of open seats created by the passage of the term-limits ballot question.

Four council members, all Democrats, are barred from running for reelection: four-term at-large representatives George L. Leventhal and Nancy Floreen, and three-term lawmakers Roger Berliner (Potomac-Bethesda) and Marc Elrich (At-Large).

County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), one of just two people to have held the office over the past 22 years, is serving his third term and said even before the term-limits vote passed that he would retire after 2018.

Political chatter in the county is filled with the names of hopefuls who are looking hard at the opportunities  including term-limited council members who appear undeterred by the anti-incumbent sentiment that helped fuel the ballot amendment.

Both Leventhal and Elrich plan to run for county executive, and Floreen and Berliner may, as well. Council member Craig Rice (D-Upcounty), a two-term incumbent, also is weighing a bid, which could make him the only African American candidate in the field.

Leventhal is first out of the gate. His fundraiser in Silver Spring this coming Saturday limits contributions to $150 so he can qualify for matching funds. Elrich is expected to do the same.

The openings on the council and in the executives office also have attracted wide interest from many who have run before and lost, and from members of the countys state legislative delegation. At least two Democrats in Annapolis, state Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. and Del. Benjamin F. Kramer (Montgomery), whose father, Sid Kramer, was county executive from 1986 to 1990, said they are looking seriously at the executives race.

Both would have to relinquish safe seats to make the race, and a state lawmaker who became county executive probably would have to give up any outside employment. Anyone elected as executive or to the council could hold the post for no more than 12 years.

But the incentives are just as strong: a higher profile, no leadership to defer to, and a hefty raise over their current part-time government salaries of $46,000. (The county executive makes $190,000; council members will make $136,000 by the end of 2017).

I think probably every state legislator in Montgomery County is going to give it some thought, said Del. Alfred C. Carr Jr. (D-Montgomery), who is thinking about Berliners 1st District seat.

Other Democrats considering Berliners job are Dels. Ariana B. Kelly (Montgomery) and Marc A. Korman (District 16), as well as Andrew Friedson, a senior aide to Comptroller Peter Franchot and former campaign adviser to Trone. Those weighing at-large bids for council include Del. Charles E. Barkley (D-Montgomery)  who might also run in Upcountys 2nd District if Rice becomes a candidate for county executive  and at least two top county officials, Recreation Department Director (and former county Democratic chair) Gabriel Albornoz and White Oak planning director (and former Kensington mayor) Peter Fosselman, who said he also is considering the 1st District contest.

A chance for newcomers

Public financing also is expected to attract a less prominent group of Democratic activists who lack the established fundraising networks needed to run competitive campaigns.

To qualify, candidates for executive need to collect at least 500 contributions that add up to at least $40,000. At-large council candidates must get 250 donations worth $20,000. District seat candidates are required to secure 125 contributions totaling $10,000.

All contributions are limited to $150 per person. Those who qualify would have their donations matched with public money. The first $50 from each donor would be matched at the highest ratio: 6 to 1 for an executive candidate and 4 to 1 for a council contender.

The bill caps public contributions to county executive candidates at $1.5 million  $750,000 each for primary and general elections. At-large council hopefuls are limited to $250,000, and district council contenders to $125,000  sums large enough to run sustainable campaigns in Montgomery.

Id be lying if I said I wasnt paying attention, said William Roberts, 30, president of the Montgomery County Young Democrats. While he also may opt for an open state House seat, he said the public financing model will open the race for others.

Nows the time for young people who are serious about helping move the county forward to be able to run, he said.
An 82-year-old man died in Alexandria last month after a fight with a fellow retirement home resident.

Hunter Alexander, 82, died in a hospital on Oct. 26. Two days earlier, police said, he was assaulted by a 72-year-old man. Both were residents of Sunrise of Alexandria, an assisted-living facility.

Alexander taught Russian at Georgetown University before retiring, his niece Margy Alexander said, and he was a Navy veteran. He had lived at Sunrise for about five years and in Alexandria for most of his adult life.

I dont think it was malicious, she said of her uncles death. I think it was just an unfortunate accident, probably one that shouldnt have happened.

No charges have been filed. Police did not begin investigating the death until Friday. Sunrise did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Melania Trump stands with her husband Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in July. ( Mark Kauzlarich / Reuters/Reuters)

Three months ago, a 70-year-old political blogger operating from his Maryland townhouse let it rip.

Where is Melania Trump? he asked, going on to offer an answer: The potential first lady was reportedly having a nervous breakdown after her controversial GOP convention speech and her fears that a secret past would be revealed.

It is also widely known that Melania was not a working model but rather a high end escort, wrote Webster Tarpley in a blog post that would come to be quoted in court filings. Tarpley, a Princeton University graduate, has also asserted that President Obama is a puppet of Wall Street and that the 9/11 attacks were a false-flag operation.

Tarpleys claims about Melania Trump, posted in the heat of the campaign, were followed by similar allegations published in the Daily Mail, a British tabloid. Both pieces attracted the attention of Melania Trump and her attorneys, and both publications posted retractions.

On Sept. 1, in Montgomery County Circuit Court, Melania Trump sued Tarpley and the Daily Mail for defamation. Her attorneys cited a series of published allegations, including those made in Tarpleys blog post, according to court records. Now, as Melania Trump readies to become first lady, the lawsuit shows no signs of slowing down.

Webster Tarpley (Obtained by The Washington Post)

These are some of the most inflammatory allegations possible, her attorneys wrote in their most recent filing. Tarpley acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

Tarpley declined to comment for this article.

His neighbor, Sam Rosenbloom, said Thursday that he has known Tarpley for more than 10 years and described him as a pleasant person.

Clearly, political history is never far from his thoughts, said Rosenbloom, a Trump supporter who recently spray-painted Make America Great Again on the back of his own silver SUV.

I dont think he thought what he wrote would be so hurtful, Rosenbloom said of Tarpleys blog post. And obviously, he wasnt sensitive to the reach of Donald Trump.

Earlier: Tarpley fires back and Melania Trump

In a statement to The Washington Post, one of Tarpleys attorneys, John Owen, said: Mr. Tarpley is a political blogger who desires to engage his readers in a meaningful discourse on matters of public significance. In this instance, he shared information that was available on other media outlets, as he felt it important that there be a public dialogue regarding the rumored background of the prospective First Lady of the United States.

Sam Rosenbloom, a Donald Trump backer who shows his support on his SUV, is a neighbor of blogger Webster Tarpley. (Dan Morse/TWP)

Charles Harder, an attorney for Melania Trump, declined to comment Friday.

According to documents filed so far, the case could turn on the question of how far a publication can advance claims that it does not know to be true.

Tarpley has addressed the matter on his blog, saying he did not defame Melania Trump and he had simply passed on rumors and innuendo of others in his Aug. 2 Morning Briefing post.

While the tarpley.net editors, writers and contributors did not generate said rumors, the briefing in question was not diligent in fact-checking or maintaining a healthy distance between innuendo and fact, Tarpley wrote in his retraction and apology.

But on that stance, Melania Trump, through her attorneys, said that when read as a whole, Tarpleys Aug. 2 posting asserted a series of bogus claims as fact.

This is how the blog post began:

Where is Melania Trump? This question is being asked in elite parties at the roped-off clubs in Manhattans meatpacking district and other haunts of the gotham financier class. It is widely known among the jet set crowd that Melania never wanted Donald to run for president.

It was then that Tarpley wrote, without attribution, that it was widely known that Melania Trump had once worked as a high end escort.

As the 29-paragraph post continued, Tarpley offered what he said were various sources for his information that included unconfirmed reports, a knowledgable observer and allegations scattered across the internet.

Tarpleys attorneys, in court papers filed last month, asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit, saying Tarpley wasnt necessarily advancing the assertions as truth.

A pure expression of opinion is protected because it fails to assert an actual fact, attorney Danielle D. Giroux wrote. Likewise, rhetorical hyperbole might appear to make an assertion, but a reasonable reader or listener would not construe that assertion seriously.

Earlier: Melania Trump sues Tarpley and British tabloid

Tarpleys attorneys also took issue with eight specific passages that the Trump side said were false and defamatory. None of those statements, Tarpleys lawyers wrote, accused Melania Trump of committing a crime, having a disease or engaging in conduct, characteristics or a condition that would adversely affect her fitness for the proper conduct of her lawful business, trade or profession.

In response, Melania Trumps attorneys said the matter should proceed to trial, because the blog post involved more direct assertions than opinion or hyperbole.

Publishing, or republishing, defamatory allegations which, in addition to being false, clearly have no basis other than as unsubstantiated rumor, and doing so without even checking the veracity of the information, they wrote, easily clears the threshold of reckless disregard for the truth.

The lawyers also said the allegations were damaging.

Tarpley has the audacity to argue that calling someone a prostitute who had a mental breakdown does not constitute defamation as a matter of law and that such a complaint can be dismissed at the pleading stage. To state this argument is to refute it, wrote attorneys Harder and Donna E. McBride.

The Montgomery Circuit Judge assigned to the case, Sharon Burrell, has yet to rule on the motions.
FALLS CHURCH, VA - NOVEMBER 11: Kamal Kamal, 41, of Arlington, compared the feelings of fear to post-9-11, But in the 9-11 time, all the U.S. had that kind of fear, but now its like only minorities who have it. (Photo by Tara Bahrampour/The Washington Post) (Tara Bahrampour/TWP)

The worshippers poured into the Friday midday prayer service at the Dar al Hijrah Center in Falls Church, spilling off the red prayer mats and onto the marble floor. Reeling from the election results, many were seeking solace -- from each other and from community leaders and elected officials, including the Virginia attorney general, who had come to support them.

After the imams sermon, the visitors stepped up one by one to vow that, in the wake of the election as Muslims and other minorities around the country faced increased harassment and intimidation, they would stand with the Muslim community.

Im a white man, and the people that put the person in power that now has us concerned come from where I came from -- poor working class communities, Reverend Scott Sammler-Michael of the Accotink Unitarian Universalist Church in Burke, Va. told worshipers from Northern Virginia and beyond.

I must admit I was surprised at the amount of acceptance of such a nasty message that we had from a presidential candidate, he said. So Im here to tell you that you have allies in white working class communities. Urging more frequent contact between the Muslim community and his own, he added, You are not just my friends, you are my fellow citizens.

Over the past year, Muslim children in local public schools have been harrassed and beaten up and accused of being members of the Islamic State, said Colin Christopher, the mosques deputy director of government affairs. Now, he said, People are alarmed, but this community is strong, and our strength comes from our partners and our relationships.

Standing before the congregation, which had swelled to about 1,500 from its usual Friday midday attendance of around 1,200, Sandy Evans, chair of the Fairfax County school board, promised to protect their children.

We will not allow any bullying, we will not allow harassment of your children, your children will be safe at school, she said, and urged anyone hearing of any problems to go to school officials and also to come to her personally.

Attorney General Mark Herring vowed to work as hard as I can to defend and to protect your civil liberties.

Many speakers shared their own disappointment and anger over the election results.

Delegate Alfonso Lopez of Fairfax County told the worshipers, many of whom are also immigrants, of his fathers arrival to the U.S. from Central America at age 19 for a better life. After the election, he questioned to me for the first time what America is, and I tell you, that made me more upset than Ive been for many years.

Leaving the service, Sugiono Sugiarto, 47, said hearing the officials made him feel a little better. An immigrant from Indonesia who has lived in the U.S. since 2000, he had been floored by the election results.

My wife is Jewish, weve raised them with both religions, and its really scary for us, he said, standing with his two children outside the mosque.

The night that I heard Donald Trump was elected I discussed with my wife, how are we going to tell the kids? His voice grew thick with tears and he shook his head. My wife said weve got to tell them that the people man the people chose and elected for president is full of anger, full of hatred.

Kamal Kamal, 41, who immigrated from Morocco in 2000, compared the feelings of fear to post-9-11. But in the 9-11 time, all the U.S. had that kind of fear, but now its like only minorities who have it, he said as his 10-year-old son, Anas, listened.

This was something that I was not expecting. Its a really good thing that these people came out and are bringing their support.

As people streamed out of the mosque, strangers smiled at each other and some shook hands or offered hugs. Elizabeth Lower-Basch, who lives nearby, had never been to Dar al Hijrah before, but had the day off and decided to attend the service with her husband.

I heard about it and it just seemed important to show up, she said. It terrifies me that our leaders feel they need to say the things they did today. It should be obvious, but its not.
Capital Bikeshare has expanded from the original 114 stations six years ago to 426 this month. Membership in the past two years has grown from 24,000 to 31,600. This month the system reached nearly 15 million trips. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

When Allie Toomey grew weary of Metros chronic delays and service disruptions, she turned to the Capital Bikeshare station a block from her Pentagon City apartment. Now she commutes by bike.

It is a lot less hassle, said Toomey, 27, a social media manager at a nonprofit organization in Crystal City. I am in control of my commute. There is no traffic and no major incidents. But you never know with Metro anymore.

As Metro service has continued to decline in recent years, the regions system of 3,700 bikes  and counting  has increasingly become a favorite commuting alternative. Making that possible is the widespread access to the distinctive red bicycles as new stations are added to neighborhoods within the Districts eight wards and areas as far away as Reston, Va., and Shady Grove, Md.

Ridership trends this year suggest growing use of the bike system around Metros SafeTrack zones. The massive, year-long maintenance program has meant partial shutdowns, continuous single-tracking and the accompanying delays and crowding. The program has provided bike enthusiasts with an opportunity to promote bike-sharing as an alternative.

[SafeTrack closures: These D.C. Metro lines and stations will be disrupted in the next year]

Transportation officials and biking advocates say SafeTrack also has validated Capital Bikeshares value to the regions transit network.

People are discovering these other modes besides Metrorail during SafeTrack, and [Capital] Bikeshare is one of them, D.C. transportation planner Jim Sebastian said. It has been a real success and a real asset for our transportation system overall. A lot of people have come to rely on it.

The bike program is so integrated into the regions transportation system, he said, that not only is it used to get to Metro, but it also has replaced some Metro trips.

Systemwide, the number of trips since the beginning of SafeTrack in June increased about 7 percent compared with June to November 2015  from 1.7 million trips to more than 1.8 million.

In addition, Capital Bikeshare has sold 186,000 $2 single-fare trips, which were introduced when SafeTrack began. One-day and single-trip fares are also up about 58 percent compared to pre-SafeTrack numbers, Sebastian said. Bikeshares busiest week in its history was July 11-17, when 92,441 trips were taken, coinciding with a line segment shutdown between Reagan National Airport and Pentagon City stations, affecting the commutes of thousands of Blue and Yellow line riders in Northern Virginia.

Bike counts in Arlington and Alexandria were up during those early SafeTrack surges. But Bikeshare ridership has been steadily increasing with the systems growth, too, which has expanded from the original 114 stations six years ago to 426 this month. Membership in the past two years has grown to 31,600 from 24,000. This month, the system reached nearly 15 million trips.

Fifty-eight stations have been added to the system this year, including 31 in the District, which has the largest concentration of bikes and members. And, before the year closes, officials say at least five more stations will debut.

The most significant addition to the system this year was in Fairfax, which joined the regional program with plans to open 15 stations in Reston and 14 in Tysons Corner.

Capital Bikeshare started in the District and Arlington in 2010 and has expanded to Alexandria and Montgomery and Fairfax counties.

[Capital Bikeshare arrives in Fairfax County]

In the District, where a push for more bike infrastructure in recent years has led to a biking renaissance, officials are responding by installing an additional 30 stations next year in neighborhoods across the city.

The Districts portion of the program costs about $7.5 million a year to operate, but the city recovers 80 to 90 percent of the costs through memberships and advertising, Sebastian said.

Other participating jurisdictions recover a smaller percentage of their costs. Still, their officials say they see a big payoff from the program.

Certainly, Bikeshare is an integral part of the overall multimodal transportation system that Alexandria wants to offer to its residents, said Carrie Sanders, the citys deputy director for transportation and transit. It often serves as an important connection between neighborhoods and the Metrorail stations.

Alexandria installed 14 docking stations this year and will add two more before the end of the year. The city will end the year with twice the number of stations it had last year, and officials say there is money to add 10 stations a year for the next few years.

Montgomery, which joined the system in 2013, added its 58th docking station last week at Sligo Avenue and Carroll Lane in Silver Spring. It was the countys seventh station to be added this year, and there are plans to add nearly 20 more over the next year, expanding the programs reach to Wheaton, Shady Grove, White Flint and Twinbrook.

Capital Bikeshare provides a variety of membership options. An annual membership costs $85, but users can also buy a month-long membership for $28. If youre looking for even less of a commitment, theres a three-day membership for $17  or you can pay $8 for a 24-hour pass.

Long-term members get their own key to unlock bikes from docking stations; short-term members get an access code. The first 30 minutes of riding are free; fees accrue until the bike is returned to another station. Throughout the day, Bikeshare employees collect bikes from popular locations, such as downtown, and shuttle them back to neighborhoods for reuse.

In some areas, including Toomeys neighborhood in Arlington, Capital Bikeshare has become so popular that its getting increasingly difficult to find available bikes.

[Are ferry, gondola, high-speed rail ideas for D.C. region realistic or fantasy?]

On the first day of the current SafeTrack surge affecting the Red Line, some commuters reported having to visit multiple sites to find bikes or docking stations.

But biking has become the easiest and best commuting option for Toomey. She started to bike more regularly after Metros Silver Line opened two years ago and cut train frequency on her regular Blue Line route. Then came SafeTrack, bringing even more dysfunction to the system, she said. She decided to ditch Metro  even for nonwork trips.

I can take the Metro, but the Bikeshare is so much faster and cheaper  a lot cheaper, said Toomey, who saves a $2.15 one-way Metro fare with a 12-minute bike ride to work using her annual membership.

You can just grab a bike and drop it off somewhere. I dont have to worry about storing a bike or having a bike stolen, she said. You dont have to wait on the Metro.
A man riding on the Metro Green Line toward Hyattsville, Md., on Nov. 11 was caught on cellphone video asking another man on the train "does he know what deodorant is?" and "is he ever going to wear some in America." (Video: Melanie Boyer)

A man riding on the Metro Green Line toward Hyattsville, Md., on Nov. 11 was caught on cellphone video asking another man on the train "does he know what deodorant is?" and "is he ever going to wear some in America." (Video: Melanie Boyer)

A man unleashed a verbal attack against another man on Metros Green Line Friday in a confrontation that bystanders said appeared to be driven by post-election tensions around xenophobia.

Melanie Boyer, 40, who works for a nonprofit in the District, posted smartphone video to her Facebook page that captured part of the confrontation between an unidentified white man in a button-down shirt and khakis and a younger man .

[See the incident in this video taken by a bystander]

In the video, the white man rants about deodorant and demands to know whether the young man  who was out of the frame but was described by another passenger as Southeast Asian in appearance  would ever wear deodorant in America.

Its America. Welcome to America, the man yells. Deodorant! What do you think?

This isnt your America, someone interjects from the background.

What is he supposed to respond to? an unidentified woman asks.

Does he know what deodorant is? the man demands. Is he ever going to wear some, in America?

Who are you that he needs to answer that to? another passenger asks.

Rabiah Burks, 33, who was leaving her job at the American Bar Association, said she removed her earphones after she heard the man shouting. To her, the clash appeared to be motivated by anti-immigrant rage.

He started asking the guy, Why are you wearing gloves? Have you ever been in an environment thats less than 100 degrees? And then he started asking him whether or not he wears deodorant. He was really loud and belligerent on the train, so people started coming from all sides, Burks said.

Other passengers closed ranks around the target of the rant and tried to keep the confrontation from escalating, Boyer and and Burks said. Some used the emergency intercom on the train to summon the trains operator.

Both women said police met the train; their accounts differed as to whether the man was getting off at his stop or was ordered off. A spokesman for Metro Transit Police said Saturday that a search of all reports and calls for service failed to locate a record of the incident.

The confrontation occurred as the nation celebrated and seethed over Republican Donald Trumps stunning upset White House victory. Anti-Trump protests were organized in the District and several cities, and some became violent. The Council on American-Islamic Relations reported a sharp increase in the number of attacks on Muslims. There were also reports that Trump supporters had been attacked.

Burks, who is African American, said she was shaken by such a racially charged verbal assault in public and feared that the divisive presidential campaign has emboldened some to act on their worst impulses.

Im concerned that because of the change of the administration, its given people license to be, or to feel emboldened, to act out and behave in ways that were socially unacceptable before, Burks said. Now its okay to accost people based on race on the train, and its okay to discriminate against people, its okay to be vicious to people in public. . . We dont want a country thats at war with each other. Attacks  regardless of where they come from  are wrong.

Boyer, 40, said no one on the train explicitly linked the confrontation to Donald Trumps stunning upset victory.

I dont know if this was a direct response to the election. I dont know if this is related to the hate incidents weve seen that people are taking as a blank slate to treat minorities, she said. This man never said that this was Trumps America. He said this was America.

But Boyer also said it was the third troubling incident she had witnessed since the election. In another instance, a white man boarded the train and declared, This is Trumps America. You better get right with God. And then, at Metro Center, she saw a group of about eight African Americans in their late teens board a train when one of them began venting about his hatred of Donald Trump. One of them cursed Trumps name with an expletive, and then said: Trump wants to get rid of people who arent white. Not if I kill him first.

The only thing I kept thinking on the train is, this is going to be the next four years, Burks said. I think its going be a complete, unregulated license to be mean and nasty.

Still, both women said the reactions of their fellow passengers to intercede and protect the target of the abuse gave them hope.

It was nice to see how many people stood up and faced this guy down, Boyer said.


The sun sets over Coeburn, Va. (Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post)

Behind the barbers chair where Claude Rasnake diagnoses many of the worlds problems, he charted the to-do list of the Trump administration.

Social Security, Medicare, the tax code  maybe Trump and a Republican Congress can finally get them fixed. Dismantle Obamacare and fix roads and bridges, too. But all that comes later, after the top priority.

The first thing Id like him to do is fire that lady that runs the EPA, Rasnake, 81, said, working the trimmer around a customers ear. The Environmental Protection Agency makes regulations that limit the use of coal, and here that kills jobs.

Rasnake had pondered his vote for months. He didnt like Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton  didnt like the insults and the lies. But about a week ago he made up his mind, and it came down to this: Clinton had promised to put coal companies out of business and Trump donned a miners helmet and said he would help the dying industry.

[McConnell says its hard to tell if President Trump will bring back coal jobs]

That was the basis of our economy here, Rasnake said, as his customer began to grunt in agreement. Thats really hurt. Ive lost customers  some have had to move away. The ones that are left have a hard time getting by, month to month.



Claude Rasnake, 81, sits in his barber shop in Lebanon, Va. Rasnake voted for Trump with hopes that he would bring jobs to the area. (Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post)

This part of Virginia, the far Southwest, is almost as distant from Washington as Boston is. These are the red-state voters who went overwhelmingly for Trump but were canceled out by blue Northern Virginia. But while the Washington suburbs helped Clinton take Virginias 13 electoral votes, the people of these hard-hit hamlets and towns woke up Wednesday to find that their man had actually won the presidency.

I was elated. I was super surprised, said Roy Bonney, 49, who owns Red Oak Trading Co., a hardware and home improvement store in Coeburn. He had thought Trump shot his mouth off too much to get elected. Many voters here said the same, that they were unhappy with the way Trump talked and conducted himself.

But they voted for him by a huge margin. Russell County, where Lebanon is located, went 78 percent for Trump, 19 percent for Clinton. Wise County, where Coeburn is located, was 80 percent Trump. Dickenson, Tazewell, Lee, Scott and Buchanan counties  coal country  were all the same. Many areas went more heavily for Trump than they did for Mitt Romney four years ago.



Variety's window in Coeburn, Va., displays support for Trump. (Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post)

Unemployment in these counties runs roughly twice the statewide rate of 4 percent. Most of the job losses are from mining and related industries. Virginia coal production last year dropped 70 percent from its peak, in 1990, and is declining every year.

The growth jobs are in retail, food services, health care and social assistance, according to data from the Virginia Employment Commission. A lot of the work is part time.

Weve had a lot of factories closing down. Families have lost jobs, said Linda Smith, 39, who works part time at the Food City grocery store in Lebanon and cant afford health insurance, even under the Affordable Care Act. Her husband, who once worked in mining, is disabled from a car accident. Men dont know how to do nothing at all except work in the coal mines. . . . If [Trump] can get some of that opened back up, people will be happy.

In Wise County, Juan Lopez, 42, climbs down off the huge mining truck hes been repairing, hands blackened with grease. He came to the United States in 1991 from Mexico, got married, got his citizenship, had two children. We go to church, he said. Were trying to do it right.

Lopez voted for Trump. It was a vote to keep his job. They say if Trump can do it better [with the coal industry], we might be able to have jobs two or three more years, he said. But if not, we might be out by the end of next year.



Juan Lopez, 42, works at Double R Trucking in Coeburn, Va. (Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post)

Ricky Meade, 47, owner of Double R Trucking, stands between his trucks in Coeburn, Va. (Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post)

Lopezs employer, Ricky Meade, owns a vast fleet of trucks for hauling or loading coal  yellow and red Peterbilt and Kenworth rigs with 35-foot trailers, about 70 of them sitting idle behind a chain-link fence bearing Trump/Pence signs.

We went from running 85 trucks to running eight trucks, over the past three or four years, said Meade, 47. He grew up here, but now lives an hours drive away in Bristol, Tenn., so his daughters can have more opportunities. His customer base is down to a single mine. From 105 employees, he now has about 25.

Hes had to hire a man to do nothing but start up trucks and move them around, so they can stay in working condition.

The whole area, he said, is literally built on coal. All the commercial buildings are on sites that had been leveled by mining. All the jobs are connected. Everything you see, everything we got came in some way from coal. If it wasnt for coal this part of Virginia wouldnt exist.



Trucks are parked at Double R Trucking in Coeburn, Va. The trucking company has seen a loss of business because of a decline in coal production. (Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post)

Meade stayed up long past midnight Tuesday, watching election returns. Then he couldnt sleep and turned them on again. He never thought Trump would win, and didnt much like him. He was the lesser of two evils, but he was our only hope, he said. With Hillary I dont know that we would survive.

Now he wants to see if Trump will deliver on what he promised. If he lowers restrictions on power plants, then use of steam coal may go up and some miners may go back to work. I know he cant wave a magic wand. I know we cant get back to where we were two or three years ago, he said. I hope we can get back at least part of it.

That alone is a tall order. Coal is simply on the wane worldwide as climate change becomes more of a concern, natural gas remains cheap and alternate forms of energy become more cost-effective. U.S. coal consumption dropped 13 percent last year.

Back at Rasnakes barber shop, where he keeps his guitar in a chair because a lotta barbers play music, especially up here in these mountains, hope is barely hanging on. If were going to have any jobs here its going to have to be the coal companies. This little town is just drying up, said Kenneth Jessee, 67, who retired from a coal company three years ago to farm.

As Rasnake talked about his decision to vote for Trump, the man getting a haircut finally spoke up at the question of whether Trump can make a difference.

No, he cant, said William Sisk, 78, of Buchanan County. You wont see those people working in the coal industry no more. Natural gas is too cheap. Any kind of market for coal anymore is very weak.



Empty train cars sit on the tracks near Dante, Va. (Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post)

"Laid Off?" reads a sign outside Dominion's Hybrid Energy Center in Virginia City, Va. (Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post)

Sisk spent 30 years at Pittston Coal, he said, as Rasnake finished and whipped the cover off him. I made a good living at it, got a good retirement. But its gone, he said, referring to the industry, but also Pittston, which sold out years ago after a crippling strike.

It was the lifes blood here, Rasnake agreed.

A lot of people talk about [President] Obamas war on coal, Sisk said, standing and getting his cap. But the coal war was on long before Obama got there. The bottom dropped plum out when he got in there and he got all the blame for it. But I dont think its ever going to come back.

As Sisk stepped out into the sunlight, he confessed that he didnt vote for Trump. Hes too radical. He promised too much, he said. You can promise anything, but you got to deliver.

Sisk didnt vote at all.


Oregon Secession Act

Whereas the People of Oregon prize life liberty and the pursuit of happiness as unalienable rights of free people;



Whereas many other American States do not share values as shown by their electoral outcomes,

laws, and public policies,



Whereas irreconcilable differences exist between Oregon ind many other American States,



Whereas the U.S. Congress no longer is capable of addressing issues important to Oregon and protecting the rights of free people;



Whereas the federal government has proved a poor steward and manager of public resources in

Oregon;



Whereas governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed;



Whereas in the course of human events, it sometimes becomes necessary for one people to !he political bands that have connected them with another;



The People of Oregon therefore enact the following Oregon Secession Act:



Section 1 The Governor and Legislature shall actively pursue Oregon's peaceful secession from the United State of America. They shall seek secession alone or in conjunction with other states and Canadian provinces that seek to form a new nation, including but not limited to California, Washington, Hawaii, Nevada, Alaska and British Columbia.



Section 2 Upon securing a secession date, the Governor and Legislature shall support convening a Constitutional Convention with any other states or provinces that might have joined Oregon in secession. in secession.



The Governor, Legislature and Oregon Convention Delegates shall advocate for and support the following principles during formation and execution of the Constitutional Convention

a) The number of Convention delegates should be proportional to the population of each state and should be selected by nonpartisan election.



b) The Constitution should be grounded in democratic principles and preserve the life, liberty, equality and persuit of happiness of the people.



c) The Constitution should establish popular election of the chief executive.



d) The Constitution should require nonpartisan elections and forbid privileged ballot or electoral access based on affiliation with a private organization or political party.


A dear friend of mine dreads the annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage to her mother-in-laws house. She loathes everything from the five-hour car ride to the over-the-top seasonal decor.

I cant turn around without knocking some gourd off its perch, she says. But her biggest grievance is the decade of unsolicited, awkward  and, she feels, often inappropriate  advice that comes with the visit.

During her pregnancy, my friends mother-in-law cautioned her not to neglect her husbands emotional and sexual needs. When she was breast-feeding a new baby, her mother-in-law said she looked like a human pacifier. And at my friends 10th-anniverary party, her mother-in-law inquired whether everything was still hunky-dory in the marital bed.

[A mothers Internet sleuthing led to her daughters troubling diagnosis]

Friction between mother- and daughter-in-law isnt unique to my friend. According to Terri Apter, a psychologist at Britains University of Cambridge who has written several books on family relationships, in-laws rank among the top three reasons for marital strife, along with infidelity and stepchildren. About 60 percent of married women (but only 15 percent of married men) say they experience sustained stress because of their spouses mother.

Science can provide some insight into whats going on.

From an evolutionary perspective, a strategy called kin selection  that is, promoting an individuals own genetic lineage by favoring blood relatives  serves an important purpose. Were most kind and generous to close family members, and were often suspicious of those without a genetic link who have influence over our children and grandchildren. As a result, mothers- and daughters-in-law have been gently nudged apart for hundreds of thousands of years.

A social norm of male-dominated chimpanzee societies suggests our modern-day conflicts may have ancient roots. According to Duke primatologist Vanessa Woods, unrelated female chimps within a group frequently act viciously toward each other.

[This mother drank while pregnant. Heres what her daughters like at 43.]

While males stay with their mothers, sexually mature female chimps leave for other communities where mothers-in-law (blood relatives of males she will presumably mate with) are waiting to abuse them, Woods says. The newcomers are relegated to the bottom of the social hierarchy and suffer frequent beatings.

Yet our equally close cousins the bonobos behave in the opposite way. As with chimps, sexually mature females emigrate into new communities, but bonobo families are all about girl power. Females form alliances, dominating the males, and newly arrived females are welcomed. They are groomed and adored as they establish strong bonds with the other females in the family.

As our two primate cousins suggest, the dynamics of mothers- and daughters-in-law are often complicated, but scientists think they may have also had a surprising effect: the evolution of menopause. While many animals experience declining fertility as they age, just three species stop reproducing long before the end of their lives: humans, killer whales and pilot whales. A study led by biologist Mirkka Lahdenpera suggests that menopause may have evolved in humans so that mothers- and daughters-in-law would be less likely to be pregnant at the same time.

By looking at 200 years of data, much of it from pre-industrial Finns, researchers found that the child of a young mother was 66 percent less likely to survive when that mother gave birth around the same time as her mother-in-law.

The theory goes that menopause arose because it was better for everyone when Grandma pitched in to help raise a child rather than add another who would compete for resources and attention. While the evolutionary forces at work acted on the entire human population, it can be argued that the loss of fertility, hot flashes and weight gain are fair justification for every mother-in-law to hold a unconscious Darwinian grudge.

[How Alzheimers turned a daughter into her moms mom]

Of course, not all relationships are strained. Many of my girlfriends get slightly nauseated when I talk about my husbands mother, Susan, because I cant help but enjoy spending time with her. Shes thoughtful, a master chef and always willing to help tidy up the house when she visits. Ill never cook at her level or be as well organized, and were both okay with that. It also probably doesnt hurt that we live more than 2,000 miles apart.

Still, despite our warm rapport, the data isnt exactly on our side: Research by sociologist Terri Orbuch showed that women who reported a good relationship with their husbands parents after a year of marriage were 20 percent more likely than others to get divorced. Orbuch suspects these wives may not have set appropriate emotional boundaries with in-laws early on. (It can be a strain on a marriage when no topic is off limits.) If youre wondering, the opposite appears to be true for men. Husbands were 20 percent less likely to get divorced if they described a close relationship with their in-laws early in marriage.

Regardless of these figures, if our genes push unrelated family members apart to promote the success of genetically related members, the culture we live in influences relationships. Bonobo behavior, for instance, suggests that when female in-laws arent competing for male attention or approval, they can establish stronger alliances among themselves, Woods says. To extend this to humans, women might achieve more harmony by focusing on building connections with each other rather than by fixating on the men in our family circle.

On an individual basis, neuroscience offers hope that even the most testy mother-and-daughter-in-law relationships may be salvaged over time.

Studies have show that new experiences reshape areas of the brain involved in emotion in small ways as we store and process new information. This brain plasticity means that the way we feel about others  even about our in-laws  can change as we develop a deeper understanding of their motivations and values.

Last Christmas, something changed for my friend and her perception of her mother-in-law. Her children were finally old enough to grasp all that Grandma had done to make the holidays they spend together special, and as the kids beamed while taking in an abundance of lights and music, my friend saw the holidays through their eyes. She finally understood how hard her mother-in-law was working to create a sense of wonder for her family, and that suddenly mattered more than the occasional passive-aggressive or inappropriate remark directed at her. Before leaving, she embraced her husbands mother with a sincerity she never had before.

I actually felt grateful to have her in our lives, she told me while packing for this years visit. And most of all, she wryly added, Im grateful shell be the only mother-in-law Ill ever have to put up with.

Read more:

Theres a shortage of child psychiatrists, and kids are hurting

We had no hope: The amazing story of the baby born with his brain outside his skull

No, turkey doesnt make you sleepy: the science of Thanksgiving feasts

My mother had Alzheimers. Will my fate be the same?


Avis Meeks Day, a pediatrician at the Austin Regional Clinic in Texas, examines a girl. Last year, the clinic announced it would no longer accept new patients who arent getting fully vaccinated. (Courtesy of Austin Regional Clinic and Leindani Creative)

Pediatricians around the country, faced with persistent opposition to childhood vaccinations, are increasingly grappling with the difficult decision of whether to dismiss those families from their practices to protect their other patients.

Doctors say they are more willing to take this last-resort step because the anti-vaccine movement in recent years has contributed to a resurgence of preventable childhood diseases such as measles, mumps and whooping cough. Their practices also have been emboldened by families who say they will only choose physicians who require other families to vaccinate.

But the decision is ethically fraught. Doctors must balance their obligation to care for individual children against the potential harm to other patients. They must respect parents right to make their own medical decisions. And they need to consider the public health consequences of a refusal to treat, which could result in non-vaccinating families clustered in certain practices, raising the risk of disease outbreaks.

Until recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics considered it unacceptable to refuse families for not vaccinating.

Here are some of the most common arguments for and against vaccination. (The Washington Post)

At the large Salem, Ore., pediatric practice where Mark Helm is a partner, clinicians eventually felt that their top priority was to protect their many medically fragile patients, including children with cancer or weak immune systems and infants not yet old enough to be fully vaccinated. Last year, Childhood Health Associates of Salem became the first practice in Oregon to require all of its families to vaccinate their children fully and on schedule for the diseases most easily spread from person-to-person contact.

Our policy happened because it simply did not seem just to permit the kids who could not be vaccinated to face dire risks because another childs parent disbelieved vaccination, Helm explained. We did not want anyone to get measles because they passed through our waiting room.

In response, about a dozen families out of several thousand chose to leave the practice, Helm said. But other doctors groups in the community followed Childhood Healths lead and adopted similar measures. The overwhelming majority of Childhood Healths families have supported the move, blurting out thanks in person, on the practices website and Facebook page.

These are young parents and theyre saying, Im so glad about your policy. . . . I dont understand why people dont vaccinate their kids,  Helm recalled. That kind of spontaneous comment did not used to happen.

After years of meeting hesitation or reluctance from parents, he said, its just nice to hear parents say that  that they want their children to be vaccinated.

Some of the heightened appreciation of vaccines grew out of a 2015 measles outbreak that started at Disneyland in California. A single, unvaccinated child with measles led to the infection of 131 people, many of whom also were unvaccinated. One infected adult who visited several hospitals ended up exposing 98 infants, 14 pregnant women and 237 hospital employees, according to the California Department of Public Health.

[New data shows a deadly measles complication is more common than thought]

Following the Disneyland outbreak, California passed a law that requires almost all schoolchildren to be fully vaccinated to go to school, allowing only some medical exemptions. The debate over the bill helped raise awareness of the dangers of measles and other preventable diseases.

For years, the official position of the AAP was not to dismiss vaccine-resistant families. But recently, the AAP recognized what many individual pediatricians have been wrestling with on an ad hoc basis. This summer, it announced for the first time that dismissal is now an acceptable option if doctors have exhausted counseling efforts.

We found there was a lot of resentment at the AAP for hanging those of us who did choose to dismiss [patients] out on a limb with no institutional support, said Jesse Hackell, a Rockland, N.Y., pediatrician and an author of the AAP report. We felt that it was time for the AAP to recognize that there were many members who did choose this route, and that we were good pediatricians and loyal members.

The AAP found that pediatricians are increasingly likely to dismiss families who refuse vaccinations. In 2013, nearly 1 in 8 pediatricians reported that they always do so, twice as many as in 2006, according to a study comparing the survey results published this summer in Pediatrics.

Pediatricians say this more systematic and open acceptance of dismissing vaccine refusers is evident in email discussions and in one-on-one conversations at meetings. In addition to the public-health impact, there is also the personal frustration and burnout among providers who have repeated unsuccessful conversations with vaccine refusers, Hackell said.

[7 things about vaccines and autism that the movie Vaxxed wont tell you]

The changing landscape of vaccine hesitancy is also evident at professional gatherings. At a recent meeting of infectious-disease specialists in New Orleans, experts said many uninformed families are educable if pediatricians take the time to address their specific concerns. Only a card-carrying minority of anti-vaccine activists who try and convert you are unlikely to be persuaded, said C. Mary Healy, a pediatrics infectious-disease expert at the Baylor College of Medicine.

Still, only a minority of the several dozen audience members said they would dismiss those families.

Thats one of the hot-button issues right now, she said. While I can see situations where that is the only option, it really should be kept as a last-ditch option.



(Source: Immunization Action Coalition)

Nevertheless, some doctors say more families seem to want pediatricians to take a firm stand. Gary Marshall, a pediatric infectious-disease expert at the University of Louisville, said the university-run pediatric clinics have been getting telephone calls asking if we fire patients who refuse vaccines, he said, because they say if there are unvaccinated children nearby, they dont want to bring their kids to the clinic.

Its possible, Marshall said, that the tide is turning.

The modern anti-vaccine movement began in 1998, when a medical journal published a study suggesting a link between vaccines and autism. The study was later revealed to be an elaborate fraud, and scores of studies from around the world since then have shown conclusively that vaccines do not cause autism. Every relevant scientific and medical organization has examined the evidence and concluded that vaccines are safe and effective and that the real danger lies in skipping or delaying them.

Conspiracy theories against vaccines tend to be strongest in politically extreme communities suspicious of modern medicine, such as fundamentalist conservatives or back-to-nature liberals. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has made ambiguous comments about vaccines, and during a televised Republican primary debate, President-elect Donald Trump claimed that vaccines cause autism. Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who has been mentioned by Trump as a potential secretary of Health and Human Services, has said he would consider alternate vaccine schedules from the current protocol.

[More parents believe vaccines are unnecessary while a mumps outbreak grows]

Still, the vast majority of parents vaccinate their children fully, leading to a dramatic decline in the rates of severe illness and death from infectious disease.

In Austin, where anti-vaccine sentiment is fierce and the number of students with nonmedical exemptions to school immunization laws has soared statewide in the last decade, one of the areas largest medical providers adopted a policy in July 2015 requiring pediatric patients to be immunized.

The Austin Regional Clinic is a large, multispecialty practice that includes 70 pediatricians. Relatively few families left the practice as a result, said Alison Ziari, chief of pediatrics. Many families made a point to say how grateful they were. Growing parental awareness of disease risks led one mother to frantically call the clinic, on short notice, to get her sons immunization records last summer. The boy, not yet old enough to attend kindergarten, was going to a birthday party. The mother hosting the party required all children coming to the party to bring proof of immunization.



Knema Rezaei Bazazidad, a pediatrician at the Austin Regional Clinic, examines Evolet Garcia before updating her immunizations. The Austin Regional Clinic cares for about a third of the pediatric patients in the Texas region. (Courtesy of Austin Regional Clinic and Leindani Creative)

Doctors are finding that having a dismissal policy forces the tough discussion with families, and that, in turn, can often change minds, said Claire McCarthy, a pediatrician at Boston Childrens Hospital and a spokesperson for the AAP.

When you draw this line in the sand  vaccinate or get out  they realize how seriously we feel about it that were willing to sacrifice our patients and revenue, Hackell said.

Part of the underlying problem is that many clinicians and patients are too young to have experienced the deadly illnesses that were common before vaccines were available.

When McCarthy and Helm were in training, for example, a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection known as epiglottitis was common, and often associated with croup, a hacking cough. After effective Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines were licensed in the late 1980s, we dont see epiglottitis any more, McCarthy said.

[Young Americans are the only Americans who really doubt vaccine safety]

Jessica Roth is a firm believer in immunizing her children, now 4 and 2. Roth, 36, the development director for a childrens theater in Louisville, is expecting her third child in March.

It gives me pause, she said, referring to parents who refuse to immunize their children, including a distant family member. I believe in modern medicine and the scientific process. I want to do what I can so my children have the best option for a healthy life.

When Roth sees mothers in her Facebook moms group asking for doctors who will accept patients who arent immunized, she says she makes a mental note never to go that doctor if she ever has to change pediatricians.

Her pediatrician, Heather Felton, part of the University of Louisville practice, says doctors are still trying to figure out what their policy should be for vaccine refusers. So far, clinicians have been able to convince reluctant families.

When parents are unsure or reluctant to get their children vaccinated, Felton says her most powerful argument may come from her status not as a doctor, but as the mother of a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old baby.

I tell them I have two little girls, Felton said. I get them all their shots, and I get all of them on time.
MICHIGAN

Judge orders delivery of bottled water in Flint

A federal judge in Michigan has ordered state officials to offer bottled-water delivery to Flint residents who cannot easily pick up supplies from distribution sites in the city.

A safe water supply has always been critical to civilization, U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson wrote in a decision issued Thursday.

It has been more than a year since state officials acknowledged that the citys water was tainted with dangerous levels of lead, and more than two years since residents began complaining about their waters smell and appearance after a decision by a state-appointed emergency manager to switch the supply source to the Flint River to save money. Even now, residents cannot trust what flows from their taps.

Advocacy groups that had been a part of the federal lawsuit praised the ruling, saying it was a victory for residents who face the exhausting, ongoing task of picking up bottled water each week to bathe their children, cook their food and brush their teeth.

In addition to the door-to-door delivery, Lawson ordered public officials to provide Flint residents with clear and current information about lead contamination in the drinking water. He is requiring the state to file a status report on its efforts by Dec. 16.

Several cars from a Union Pacific train are seen derailed near Ellendale, Minn., Friday morning, Nov. 11, 2016. (Ryan Anderson/AP)

 Brady Dennis

NEW YORK

Tuskegee Airmen, their survivors receive Congressional Gold Medals

With tear-filled eyes shaded by a World War II veterans cap, Wallace Higgins accepted the Congressional Gold Medal on Friday for his service more than 70 years ago in the Tuskegee Airmen, the military program that trained African Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft during the war.

He was followed on stage at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, N.Y., by Herbert Thorpe, who earned B-25 pilots wings in 1945. Thorpe also accepted the medal on behalf of his late brother, Richard Thorpe, who died in a crash in Italy in 1945.

Relatives of two other Tuskegee Airmen accepted medals on those mens behalf from Rep. Chris Collins during Fridays ceremony. Flight Officer Leland Pennington, a member of the 301st Fighter Squadron, died while returning to base after a 1945 mission escorting bombers over Austria. Robert Johnson was killed in action in 1944.

President George W. Bush presented the Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen as a group in 2007, entitling individual members to receive bronze replicas.

 Associated Press
Rishi Sharma, left, interviews World War II veteran William R. Hahn at his home in Los Angeles in October. Sharma, 19, is on a mission to interview one WWII vet each day while he still can. (Nick Ut/AP)

For as long as he can remember, Rishi Sharmas heroes havent been sports stars or movie stars or any other kind of stars. Theyve been the U.S. combat veterans who won World War II.

Alarmed that even the youngest of them are now in their 90s and dying each day by the hundreds, the Southern California teenager has launched a campaign to try to ensure each ones legacy.

Im on a mission to in-depth film interview a World War II combat veteran every single day, the earnest 19-year-old says after a recent afternoon spent in the living room of William R. Hahn of Los Angeles, where Sharma mined the 93-year-olds memories for hours.

His Canon 70D camera rolling, his long, jet-black hair tied back in a tight ponytail, the son of Indian immigrants listened intently as Hahn recounted how he received the Silver Star for bravery by charging through a hail of gunfire on Easter Sunday 1945 as Allied forces took the German town of Hettstadt.

Asked if he considers himself a hero, Hahn chuckled.

Rishi Sharma is alarmed that even the youngest of surviving World War II combat veterans are now in their 90s. (Nick Ut/AP)

Not really, said the retired metal-shop teacher, who had a bullet come so close to him that it blew the canteen on his belt to smithereens. Other guys, he said, did similar things, and not all came back to talk about it.

Sharma wants to meet and honor every one who did, and he knows time is not on his side.

Of the approximately 16 million Americans who served in some capacity during WWII, some 620,000 survive, but they are dying at the rate of nearly 400 a day, according to the National WWII Museum.

I want to create this movement where people, where they just realize that we have such a limited time with these men who saved humanity, he says. Lets try to learn as much as we can from them and give them a proper send-off and make them feel like their sacrifices they made were worth it.

He figures he has got about 10 years to do that, so Sharma is putting off college, putting off finding a job, putting off looking for a girlfriend, putting off just about everything except occasionally eating and sleeping between interviewing combat veterans.

Since childhood, Sharma says, he has been fascinated by the sacrifices men his age made during WWII, risking their lives for freedom, then returning home to raise families and take everyday jobs as they transitioned back to civilian life.

He read every book and watched every documentary he could find. But it was not until his junior year at Agoura High School, just north of Los Angeles, that he became committed to meeting them.

He came across the name Lyle Bouck, one of the heroes of the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, as he read historian Stephen Ambroses book Citizen Soldiers.

Fascinated, he looked up Boucks phone number and called him, not realizing it was 1 a.m. where the 92-year-old war hero lives. A friendly voice on the other end of the phone told Sharma if he called back at a decent hour, Bouck would be happy to talk.

That was when the teen had an epiphany. It made me realize these guys are really out there! And I could do this for all of them.

Soon Sharma was riding his bike to every retirement home within pedaling distance. After he interviewed every combat-hardened soldier there, he turned to veterans halls, then the Internet.

Borrowing his parents car, he traveled to Oregon over the summer, then back down the California coast, interviewing still more people. He is up to about 160, and has plans to expand his travels in the weeks ahead to Arizona and other states and, on next months 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, to Hawaii.

He makes a DVD of every interview and gives it to the veteran. Some have passed on copies to the World War II museum.

Hes just totally dedicated and a very decent young fellow, says Howie Beach of Fullerton, whom Sharma recently interviewed. What he is doing is important, says Beach, another Silver Star recipient who at 91 sometimes speaks to high school groups.

But a lot of them go on their merry way, just taking their lives and their freedoms and all that for granted, Beach says of those students. So its good to see a young man like Rishi with such a convincing way about him.

Such an effort does not come cheap, however, and Sharma quickly exhausted his modest lifes savings carrying it out. He raised about $3,300 through a GoFundMe account and has spent most of that. To economize during the Oregon-Northern California trip, he limited himself to one meal every other day.

But Sharma, who also founded a nonprofit organization called Heroes of the Second World War, has huge dreams for his effort. He would like to eventually recruit others to help conduct interviews, perhaps get the interviews to museums and allow others to get to know some of the people he says have become his closest friends.

This one guy I interviewed in Oregon told me he hadnt been visited by anyone in over five months and that he was just waiting to die, Sharma recalled. This is a 94-year-old who saw combat in the South Pacific, and now he has no one.
When Joe Gavish saw the truck, with its I Hate Muslims bumper sticker and enormous flapping Trump flags, he knew it would catch fire on social media. So he quickly posted a video on Facebook, along with a plea to check this guy out.

But he did not quite expect the level of outrage provoked by the video, which went up the afternoon after Election Day and within about 24 hours had racked up 300,000 views. Strangers posted expletive-laden comments and dug up the truck owners name and address. Other commenters suggested the driver had good reason for his views. By Wednesday night, Gavish had deleted the video.

I felt like it was just spreading anger, said Gavish, 27, owner of Weard Beard Trading Co., a gemstone firm in Brooksville, Fla. I hope this country is heading in a good direction. Im just not sure right now.

Three days since businessman Donald Trump won the presidency, it is clear that the animosity wrought by a historically divisive election did not simply die in its wake, but may have intensified.

U.S. cities have been convulsed by anti-Trump protests. Swastikas, racial slurs and personal threats have appeared on public buildings and dorm room doors. And online, the vicious word-slinging between supporters of the two candidates has escalated to include videotaped accounts of personal confrontation and retribution.

1 of 75 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Protests swell across U.S. in wake of Trump victory View Photos Vigils and protests flared up across the country as opponents of President-elect Donald Trump expressed dismay with the election results, underscoring the difficult task he faces in uniting a fractured country. Caption Vigils and protests flare up among opponents of the president-elect. Nov. 20. 2016 People participate in an anti-hate rally at a Brooklyn park named in memory of Beastie Boys band member Adam Yauch after it was defaced with swastikas. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Wait 1 second to continue.

You cant fix months of really divisive rhetoric with a couple of calls for unity, said Oren Segal, director of the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism. We cant forget that a fringe element of our society was emboldened over a period of months, and its going to take more than words to create an atmosphere where people feel truly united.

At a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, President Obama again called for reconciliation. He noted that the federal holiday often follows a hard-fought political campaign  an exercise in the free speech and self-government that . . . often lays bare disagreements across our nation. But the American instinct has never been to find isolation in opposite corners. It is to find strength in our common creed, to forge unity from our great diversity, to sustain that strength and unity even when it is hard.

The remarks came after another night of unruly protesters in a handful of cities smashed cars, lit fires and vandalized buildings. At least 350 people have been arrested this week  more than half of them during protests in Los Angeles  amid demonstrations that included highway blockades, angry chants of Not my president and a rampage through Portland, Ore., that police declared a riot.

The protests continued for a third night on Friday in Atlanta, Miami and other cities, but remained largely peaceful.

Trump, too, departed briefly from his calls for reconciliation Thursday night to blast the protesters on Twitter, but tweeted Friday that the protesters were exercising their constitutional rights.

But a Trump adviser described the protesters as messed up and clueless.

If they want to protest and make fools of themselves, thats fine, Carl P. Paladino, Trumps New York campaign co-

chairman, said in an interview with The Washington Post. This isnt like Vietnam, where there was a war and misery to protest. I have no idea what these protesters are really protesting other than what the media tells them is a bad thing.

The vitriol was not limited to those angry about Tuesdays results. Across the country, women and minorities reported incidents of intimidation perpetrated by Trump supporters or those claiming to be, who under the cloak of anonymity seemed to see in the results a validation of their extremist views.

Many of the incidents took place at schools and colleges.

At Wake Forest University, some freshmen ran out of a dorm early Wednesday celebrating Trumps victory and using slurs, including the n-word. University officials condemned the behavior, and said two suspects have been identified.

On social media, students at the University of Pennsylvania shared screen shots of a text they received indicating they had been added to a racist Group Me account that included a daily lynching calendar. A law student posted on Facebook, I just cant stop crying. I feel sick to my stomach. I dont feel safe.

University officials are investigating in hopes of cutting off the offending account.

Leaders at Babson College in Massachusetts apologized for two male students who had driven a pickup truck around neighboring all-female Wellesley College, flying a Trump flag and shouting highly offensive remarks Wednesday.

And at New York Universitys Tandon School of Engineering, someone wrote Trump! on the door of a room reserved for Muslim prayer.

Elementary, middle and high school classrooms and cafeterias also became backdrops for the nations divisions.

In Newtown, Pa., swastikas and anti-gay epithets were scrawled on bathroom walls, and a Latina student found a note stuffed into her backpack, warning her to go back to Mexico. Middle school students in Royal Oak, Mich., erupted in Build the wall! chants during their lunch period, echoing a Trump rallying cry.

And on Wednesday, two white high school students in York County, Pa., were videotaped holding a Trump sign and parading through the halls as someone yelled white power.

Sandra Thompson, president of the NAACP branch in York County, wondered what it meant. Regardless of what they heard from politics, why did they believe that they could be so vocal in the midst of the school?

It was also unclear whether the rage and hostility of recent days would fade with greater distance from Election Day.

Part of that depends on events and decisions that have not yet been made, and part of that depends on the behavior of the president-elect, said Michael Barone, a historian and resident fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

Barone, who blames most of the post-election strife on liberals, said he couldnt recall a presidential election in American history that had inspired as much partisan rancor as this one.

But he and other experts also agreed that most of the 120 million people who voted have not visited their gloating or despair on their fellow citizens.

Theres been so much increased visibility for white supremacists and extremist groups as a consequence of this election, but that doesnt mean the majority of people who identify as Trump supporters are actually the white supremacists, said Segal, of the ADL. The majority of people, Republican or Democrat, are not extremist.

Nusrat Qadir Chaudhry, a Muslim neonatal-intensive-care nurse who wears a headscarf, said she was nearly paralyzed by anxiety when she got word of Trumps victory during her overnight hospital shift in Manhattan.

Two months ago she was assaulted by a white man in a parking lot, she told her co-workers. She feared it would happen again.

But when she walked out into the morning sunlight, no one shouted insults or attacked her. Instead she was approached by two female strangers. Im sorry, one said. Were not all like that. Then she offered her a hug.

susan.svrluga@washpost.com

Emma Brown, Mark Berman, Robert Costa and Alice Crites contributed to this report.
SOUTH SUDAN

U.N. warns of genocide risk as crisis worsens

South Sudans festering civil war risks spiraling into genocide, according to the U.N.s special adviser on the prevention of genocide, who cited recent examples of ethnically targeted rape, civilians being killed with machetes and villages being burned to the ground.

Speaking at a news conference in Juba, the capital, at the end of a five-day visit to South Sudan, Adama Dieng warned Friday of a strong risk of violence escalating along ethnic lines with the potential for genocide.

He said South Sudan is awash with weapons, has an undisciplined military, and is in a humanitarian and economic crisis. Genocide is a process, said Dieng, adding that all the elements are present for a disaster.

The accusation is very unfortunate, South Sudans minister of information, Michael Makuei, told the Associated Press.

I dont agree with him. It is a negative report, and it wont be of any help. Here in South Sudan what is happening has nothing to do with genocide, he said.

 Associated Press

POLAND

Nationalists march on Independence Day

Tens of thousands of far-right nationalists, burning flares and carrying Polish flags, marched peacefully through the streets of Warsaw on Friday to mark Polands Independence Day.

In a yearly ritual that has become one of the largest far-right gatherings in Europe, they marched under the slogan Poland, the Bastion of Europe.

The Interior Ministry estimated that 75,000 people joined the march; Warsaws town hall estimated the number at 60,000. It proceeded peacefully, in contrast to violence during several past marches.

The main organizers were the National Radical Camp and the All-Polish Youth, groups which take their names from radical nationalistic groups of the 1930s that pushed a virulently anti-Semitic ideology.

 Associated Press

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Croatian veterans face war crimes probe

Bosnian Serb police say they have filed complaints with the state prosecutor against several former members of the Croatian army, including generals, who are alleged to have committed war crimes in Bosnia during the 1992-1995 war.

Bosnian Serb police spokeswoman Mirna Miljanovic said Friday that the state prosecutor has opened investigations of military operations in which the Croatian army moved into Bosnia in 1995.

One of them was Operation Maestral, an offensive in which Croatian soldiers allegedly killed 181 Serb civilians near Mrkonjic Grad.

 Associated Press

Hollande, Prince Harry mark Armistice Day: French President Francois Hollande and Britains Prince Harry paid their respects Friday to the fallen of World War I, marking 98 years since the Allies claimed victory in the enormously bloody conflict. Hollande attended a solemn and chilly Armistice Day ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Harry, who served with the British Armed Forces in Afghanistan, attended a service at the national Armed Forces Memorial in Staffordshire, England.

Slovak brothers win burial competition: Two brothers from Slovakia won a grave-digging competition at an international exhibition of funeral, burial and cremation services Thursday. Ladislav and Csaba Skladan, ages 43 and 41, respectively, dug a grave 5 feet deep, 6 feet long and 3 feet wide in 54 minutes in the western Slovak town of Trencin, beating 10 two-member teams from Slovakia, Poland and Hungary as a small audience cheered loudly.

 From news services
Herblock, the legendary Post cartoonist, spent decades depicting Richard Nixon as a sinister figure with a 5 oclock shadow. The day after the 1968 election, Herblock sat down to draw the cartoonists office as a barbershop, a paper taped to the wall: This shop gives to every new president of the United States a free shave. Signed, H. Block, proprietor.

Herblock later explained his decision to employ a healing razor: In spite of his past, it seemed to me that an incoming president, particularly at a time of national divisions and crisis, was entitled to his chance to lead.

So is President-elect Donald Trump.

His clean shave does not mandate our empty mind. Not about the repulsive things Trump has said and done, nor about his manifest unfitness and unpreparedness for office. Nor does it signify naive optimism about Trumps willingness  or even his capacity  to change. As Herblock discovered, which surely did not surprise him, it turned out to be the same old Nixon.

But democracy and the constitutional order compel respect for the outcome. Patriotism demands hope that a better Trump can and will emerge, alongside the faith that a resilient system of checks and balances will operate to constrain his worst instincts.

(A 1968 Herblock Cartoon  The Herb Block Foundation)

I hope he fails, Rush Limbaugh said of Barack Obama before the inauguration in 2009, and it felt, as I listened to Limbaughs words, shocking. Yes, I hope Trump fails to implement the dangerous policies he has endorsed  his abandonment of international alliances; his cruel plan for mass deportations; his dangerous rhetoric about locking up opponents, opening up libel laws, launching trade wars.

But to hope that he fails as president is to bet against the country. As President Obama said at his White House meeting with Trump, We are now all rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country.

We have to hold out the possibility, until he proves us wrong, for a kinder, gentler Trump. It may be fanciful to expect a 70-year-old man to suddenly display a capacity for humility, empathy and tolerance that has been lacking not only during this ugly campaign but throughout his life.

But it is possible to rise to the occasion of the presidency and exceed expectations. Harry Truman and Gerald Ford come to mind, even if their mild examples underscore the distance Trump has to travel.

A clean shave should not be a free one. The price for Trump must be, first, a recognition of reality: that a majority of voters did not support him  indeed, that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. Second, Trump as president-elect, and as president, must demonstrate some comprehension of constitutional norms.

On these, the evidence, post-election, is unnervingly mixed. Trump struck the right tone in his victory speech and his White House visit. He spoke of the need to bind the wounds of division. He pledged to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans.

And then there was Thursday nights ominous tweet, characteristically thin-skinned and dismissive of free speech. Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!

Trump  or a grown-up with access to his Twitter account and some understanding of the Constitution  cleaned things up early Friday morning. Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country.

The cynical way to understand this about-face is that Thursday Night Trump is the real, unexpurgated Trump; and Friday Morning Trump is the spin-doctored version. That this is almost certainly accurate  no one thinks Trump woke up and thought better of his intemperate words on his own  does not answer the more salient question: Which Trump will emerge as president?

And will he assemble a Team of Inciters that inflames his worst instincts or a Team of Naysayers that tempers them? On Wednesday morning Trump spoke not of the Hillary Clinton who should be behind bars but the one who is owed a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country.

Then Thursday morning, Rudy Giuliani, a potential attorney general, popped off on the very close question of whether to prosecute Clinton.

Its been a tradition in our politics to put things behind us, Giuliani told CNN. Still, he said, suppose somebody comes along a year from now and is alleged to have stolen $50,000 from a charity  and [she] was never investigated for hundreds of millions. This is Giuliani deranged, not for the first time this election. No one has suggested Clinton stole anything from the foundation.

A clean shave  sure. But it can only last so long, and the shadow looms.

Read more from Ruth Marcuss archive, follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her updates on Facebook.
Regarding the Nov. 6 Metro article They take rules about dress as code for sexism:

Eboni Banks may have been surprised by the phone call from her daughters school caused by a dress code violation, but she should expect her daughter to miss reading [class] and forgo any other school activities during the violation.

There are consequences for breaking rules. I support Ms. Banks in her effort to correct public school regulations that are discriminatory  on any basis. The claim that the dress code is unfairly targeting girls may be true. Other school rules may target boys. Rules that seem reasonable should be enforced with no regard to gender. In this situation, it appears that Mattawoman Middle School did exactly that.

Scott Wathne, Washington

At 16, I was an A student, a fashionista and a troublemaker. One day I got it in my head to wear a midriff top to school, my bellybutton exposed by my hip-hugger jeans. I did not do it to make a statement. I just decided that was what I was going to wear that day. The principal took me out of a class and handed me a very ugly T-shirt to wear for the rest of the day. I am sure I rolled my eyes and smirked, but I put on the T-shirt and went back to class. I did not go home and complain to my parents that I had been singled out, embarrassed or treated badly. I just accepted it with a shrug.

Looking back, 40 years older and much wiser, I see I had no business wearing that shirt to school. It was not appropriate. The principals action was not about discrimination; it was about decorum. We should all have an internal dress code about what is and is not appropriate, a learned skill. Though I know that today we are a bit more lax about how we present ourselves in public, I suggest that parents give the school some credit for knowing what is appropriate in their environment and for trying to teach that lesson to children.

Marsha Schmidt, Burtonsville
Steven R. Weisman is vice president for publications and communications at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. His most recent book is The Great Tradeoff: Confronting Moral Conflicts in the Era of Globalization.

What could be more welcome in this cynical age than a collection of success stories proving that smart, pragmatic and farsighted leadership can solve the worlds economic and political crises?

At a time when most of us have glumly concluded that our governments are broken and our domestic and international problems are insurmountable, Jonathan Tepperman writes, I aim to show how the right individuals can overcome the most intimidating obstacles  if they follow the right strategies. Tepperman, managing editor of Foreign Affairs, calls his book a data-driven case for optimism at a moment of gathering darkness.

The Fix: How Nations Survive and Thrive in a World in Decline is organized around 10 case studies across the globe. Most fulfill the authors intention to write a good news book, but they often lack sufficient context or qualifications that would bring his optimism into better touch with reality. One of the most remarkable case studies is Rwandas effort to mete out justice and reconciliation through local courts in 2 million cases in the wake of its horrific war between Hutus and Tutsis in the 1990s. No less dramatic is the authors account of the rise of Rwandas president, Paul Kagame, the onetime rebel who led Tutsi forces to capture the capital, Kigali, and then years later set up a system to punish those guilty of genocide  and reintegrate them into society. You cant do one at the expense of the other, Kagame tells Tepperman, who goes on to note Kagames more recent authoritarian tendencies.

In another useful account, The Fix describes how President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico brought together three warring political parties to negotiate economic and political reforms, including the breakup of the failing state oil monopoly. All nations, Tepperman says, can follow Mexicos model  one that involved quiet negotiation, painful compromise, political leaders willing to take risks and keep their word, and above all a recognition that zero-sum politics accomplishes nothing.

"The Fix: How Nations Survive and Thrive in a World in Decline," by Jonathan Tepperman (Tim Duggan Books)

But the books main problem is precisely that its principal and oft-repeated point  that the instances cited provide clear lessons for other countries and leaders  is usually less than persuasive.

Canada, for instance, has surely achieved economic gains from luring immigrants and embracing a multicultural self-identity, surprising progress given that French Canadians were threatening to secede only a few decades ago. But Canadians do not have border issues like those in the United States and Europe, forcing them to cope with a flood of refugees and illegal immigrants. Canadas welcome mat, moreover, is rolled out only to foreigners with specific skill and education levels.

Indonesia has demonstrated some success in taming and co-opting Islamic extremists. But because the country is a diverse, secular and Pacific-oriented culture, it is not necessarily an invaluable object lesson for the Middle East, where fratricidal conflict among rival clerics, tribal groups, warlords and sects over the millennia has left a deep-rooted legacy of violence and hatred.

Tepperman rightly contends that South Korea deserves credit for its economic and political successes, including its progress in opening its formerly closed economy. But the book leaves the reader confused over whether the country has been helped or hurt by its history of brutal dictators, protectionism, currency manipulation, state intervention and favoritism shown to the giant industrial conglomerates known as chaebols.

Another chapter illuminates Brazils success under then-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in establishing its Bolsa Familia program of income transfers, which Tepperman reports has raised incomes and quality of life for 55 million Brazilians and become one of the worlds most ambitious antipoverty programs. While Bolsa Familia has had a positive impact, as have other such programs in the United States and elsewhere, Tepperman skirts over the long-developing corruption scandal that has ensnared Lula and his successor, Dilma Rousseff, and the more salient factors that drove economic growth  including Lulas overreliance on spiraling (and hidden) debts and on a boom in commodity exports to China that went bust last year.

Closer to home, too, Tepperman tends to sugarcoat reality. He portrays former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg as a modern Pericles: Like the city he led, much about the man  his wealth, his homes, his spending, and his policies  now seem larger than life. Bloomberg succeeded because he built on the accomplishments of his predecessors in creating open spaces, parks, infrastructure and higher-education opportunities, though the earlier groundwork on those efforts goes unmentioned in this book. Not to take anything away from Bloombergs achievements in protecting New Yorkers, but he was hardly the first mayor to reform police intelligence practices, and Tepperman too casually dismisses the citys overreach in infiltrating mosques and suspected radical hangouts under Bloomberg, not to mention a stop-and-frisk program that was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge.

The Fix concludes with a list of verities that could be found in a high school civics textbook: Leaders should take risks, use unconventional approaches and take advantage of crises to initiate bold actions, but they should also reject maximalist demands that do not allow for compromise, respect checks and balances, and avoid costly mistakes.

In the end, for all its informative stories, The Fix falls short of the promised deep dive into what ails a world in decline, as the books subtitle puts it. Tepperman seems to rely too heavily on a multitude of studies from think tanks, international organizations and scholars, in addition to self-serving interviews with heads of state. He remains convinced that the worlds problems result from leaders not seizing on the fixes he identifies because they havent yet found the wisdom and intestinal fortitude to do whats necessary. Its hard to dispute that such qualities are in short supply, but equally hard to think that they alone can save the day.
The Democratic Party elite determined they wanted former secretary of state Hillary Clinton as the presidential nominee, as hacked emails have shown, and they seem to have been manipulative in various ways to accomplish that. If they had bothered to check with ordinary voters or paid attention to the many people who felt the Bern as supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), they might have realized how much she was distrusted and disliked and let someone else head the ticket.

But they didnt, and now we all must accept the results.

Though I did not support him, President-elect Donald Trumps speech upon winning was conciliatory and encouraging. Hopefully, the country can now forsake the partisanship and blockage in government and unite for a better future.

Dolores B. Ruth, Annapolis
Heather Cox Richardson is a professor of history at Boston College and the author of To Make Men Free: A History of the Republican Party.

For 21 years, Marguerite LeHand was Franklin Delano Roosevelts secretary, nurse, cheerleader, adviser and possibly lover. Missy, as FDRs children nicknamed her, was so crucial to FDRs life and career that he split the income from his estate evenly between her and his wife, Eleanor. But LeHand kept no diary or records, and destroyed her letters. From the time she entered FDRs service in 1920, her focus was on the man she called FD.

Journalist Kathryn Smiths biography of LeHand presents her as she apparently saw herself: a satellite to the eras star. Coming into Roosevelts circle when a former boss plucked her from government work to join Roosevelts staff as he ran for vice president on the 1920 Democratic ticket, LeHand so impressed Eleanor that after the Democrats spectacular loss, she asked the young woman to work at the familys Hyde Park, N.Y., home. From there, LeHand became FDRs private secretary. She stayed at his side for the next two decades, answering his mail, nursing him through ill health, cheering on his dream of a health resort in rural Georgia. She accompanied FDR on his long rehabilitation vacations in the early 1920s: In the 116 weeks between 1924 and 1928 that FDR was away from his home and family, his mother was with him for two of those weeks, Eleanor for four and LeHand for 110. When FDR was elected governor of New York in 1929, LeHand was at his side, standing on call 24 hours a day for the four years he held that office.

From Albany, LeHand accompanied the Roosevelts to the White House, where she had her own suite and mediated between the president and his wife and children. She worked in a cubbyhole adjoining the Oval Office, where she monitored FDRs mail and calls and provided private access to the president. Deeply involved in policy discussions, she suggested the appointment of FDRs attorney general and the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter. When Time magazine ran a 1934 story about FDRs inner circle, LeHand and three men were on the cover. She was the first person in the White House to hear that Germany had invaded Poland, but she would not be at FDRs side during World War II. A massive stroke in June 1941 incapacitated her until her death in 1944 at age 47.

Was LeHand FDRs secretary? Lover? Adviser? Who knew? The 1920s ushered in the New Woman who smoked and drank, wore short skirts, and had a career. How did such a woman engage in politics? People tried to fit LeHand into a traditional mold, referring to her as a sort of super-secretary and noting her clothing. Superficially the most modern of modern women, she actually is like the old-fashioned wife and mother, sacrificing herself on the altar of duty and service, one reporter wrote. For her work has taken the place of husband and children and her office is her home.

"The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency," by Kathryn Smith E (Touchstone)

This confusion served LeHand well, enabling the child of Irish immigrants to become second only to Eleanor as the most powerful woman in America. That confusion extends less successfully to Smiths biography. Hampered by LeHands own determination to keep the spotlight on FDR, Smith has had to tell LeHands story by examining her few extant letters, her charm bracelets and some film clips, and by presenting the eras larger history, a task at which she excels. Smith has written a highly readable jaunt through some of the nations most trying years. She offers a quick and lucid account of Irish immigration, Massachusetts and Georgia history, the Great Crash, and FDRs New Deal. But the star of the story remains firmly who LeHand wanted it to be: FDR. LeHands clothing, love interests and calendar take up more space in her biography than her intellect and power.

But LeHand was a politician above all. While Smith suggests that she avoided marriage because inevitable pregnancies would strain a heart weakened by rheumatic fever, it seems likely that this daughter of immigrants, so extraordinarily talented that she continually caught the eye of superiors, built for herself the only political career open to her. By sitting at FDRs side, arguing, laughing, cajoling and adoring, she helped to create the New Deal. One observer noted that she was at once the efficient secretary, the helpful and lively participant in a policy conference, or the gracious hostess at the Roosevelt table. Missy, FDR often said, is my conscience. All this from a woman who once told a reporter that she would hate to be mixed up in politics.

The New Deal years offered women a political foothold. While Smith tends to dismiss Eleanor Roosevelt as a high-minded harpy whose painful confrontations with FDR were counterproductive, in fact Eleanor was even more central to her husbands career than LeHand. Eleanor hated the glad-handing of politics, but she made constant social calls to advance FDRs standing, joined him on the campaign trail and saved his nomination in 1936 by making an appeal directly to the convention. The first lady was the human face of the FDR bureaucracy, winning women and African Americans to the New Deal coalition.

Women first entered government service during the Civil War, and by the time FDR took office they were ubiquitous. Louise Hackmeister ran the White House switchboard; Malvina Tommy Thompson was Eleanors personal secretary. Legions of other women, making half a mans salary, performed the backroom duties that kept the government running. Phone calls, letters and access to officials all went through them. Exactly what that meant for government remains obscure, but it is certain they were vital to the structure and substance of American politics. LeHand was more than FDRs Girl Friday, as Smith calls her.

In New Deal America, political women had to define what it meant to be a female politician. LeHand attached herself to a star and stayed in his shadow as she helped change America. Smiths biography represents her subject perfectly.
REPUBLICANS ARE signaling that they will pursue an ambitious conservative agenda when they take the reins of government next year. But before that happens, the current Congress will convene in its lame-duck session, valuable legislative time that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said this week he hopes to put to good use.

The session may be consumed by arguments over federal budgeting. But if there is time for anything else, Mr. McConnell may push the 21st Century Cures Act, a bipartisan effort that has taken years to get close to passing. Congress should nudge it across the finish line  taking care to repair a few problems along the way.

The act, a version of which passed in the House last year, proposes a one-time, multibillion-dollar increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health. The money could provide a sharp boost to the Obama administrations cancer initiative, or to research into precision medicine, which tailors treatments to peoples genomes. Rapid progress in both is possible and could save many lives; new cancer drugs have emerged targeting specific mutations in tumor cells, and they have shown encouraging initial results in treating even some of the most complex cancers. The new funding could also go into competitive grants for scientists with particularly innovative projects that are nevertheless underfunded. Given that so many lifesaving pharmaceuticals have their origins in government-sponsored scientific research, the funding boost would be a good investment.

The new money alone, however, would struggle to attract strong bipartisan backing. So lawmakers linked it to various reforms of the Food and Drug Administrations approval process, arguing that the agency has been hamstrung in getting new drugs to market. One reform on the table would adjust hiring standards at the FDA, which is perpetually short-staffed. The agency has improved on the time it takes to approve new medications, but a more flexible hiring policy could help further. There are also worthwhile provisions that would give gravely sick patients with few options easier access to experimental medication.

Critics have raised some valid concerns. For example, lawmakers should ensure that a proposed adjustment to rules on the approval and use of new antibiotics does not have the unintended side effect of encouraging antibiotic overuse and resistance  the very problem the provision is supposed to combat.

The bills backers insist that the FDAs bottom-line legal mandate would continue to ensure that drugs were safe and effective, even as the agency was granted more flexibility in meeting that standard. This means, then, that it would be up to the FDA to use its new powers wisely.

Despite the caveats, though, the act is worth supporting. If the lame-duck Senate can pass its version and merge it with the Houses, addressing some of the concerns in the process, it would be a valuable use of Congresss time.
FROM 2:50 a.m. Wednesday until 9:19 p.m. Thursday, Donald Trump was responsible, reassuring  downright presidential. With a single tweet, he then rekindled every legitimate fear of the damage he might do from the White House. And nine hours after that, the president-elect reversed course again  with a contradictory, and statesmanlike, message on Twitter. Whether the opposing messages revealed conflicts within Mr. Trumps team or within his soul is beyond our ability to judge. But which tendency wins out is a critical question for the country.

The presidential Mr. Trump emerged onstage early Wednesday morning when he promised, in declaring victory, to be a president for all Americans. I say it is time for us to come together as one united people, he said. After a few hours rest, the Republican victor was on the phone, reassuring key allies. We will be steadfast and strong with respect to working with you to protect against the instability in North Korea, he told South Korean President Park Geun-hye, according to her office. On Thursday, Mr. Trump was describing the great honor of meeting for 90 minutes with President Obama, calling the president a very good man and saying he looked forward to receiving more advice from him.

All of this matters because transitions from one party to the other always are unsettling for the nation and for a world that depends on U.S. leadership  and, given Mr. Trumps unorthodox and often ugly route to the White House, particularly so in this case. To say that he needs to offer reassurance is not to suggest that Mr. Trump must abandon policies he campaigned on, though we opposed and will continue to oppose most of those. It does mean that he must recognize that half the electorate voted against him and that many of those voters fear there is no place in Mr. Trumps vision of America for them or their opposing views.

It was precisely such fears he stoked with his Thursday night tweet responding to protests taking place in numerous cities against his election. Just had a very open and successful presidential election, Mr. Trump posted on Twitter. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair! With its unfounded conspiratorial tone, its scapegoating and its sense of grievance, it raised the specter of a divisive, us-vs.-them presidency.

What should the president-elect have said? Precisely what he did say in a tweet at 6:14 a.m. Friday: Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud! Mr. Trump is entitled to condemn protesters who turn violent, as a minority of demonstrators did in Portland, Ore. But he should welcome the diversity of views. More than that, he should condemn the ugly episodes of intolerance that have been reported around the country since his election, often carried out in his name.

Some will dismiss Mr. Trumps second tweet as a transparent effort to mask his true character, only too evident in his first reaction. Others will see the shift over nine hours as an encouraging sign of a man on a learning curve. It lies within Mr. Trumps power to vindicate the second view.
While I appreciate the editorial kumbaya moment, I will not be one of those people who now reward abuse and disrespect [Keep America big-hearted, Nov. 10]. Republican Donald Trump was chosen by an electorate that through its votes supported xenophobia, racism, religious intolerance and even disdain for the disabled. It is not politics as usual for a candidate to demean women.

You cannot separate the candidate from the voter. Any voter who felt comfortable voting for someone who boasted about grabbing womens crotches is not anyone I care to even acknowledge. Nope.

Its time to stay strong for my friends who have been victims of Mr. Trumps hate. I dont see those who voted for Mr. Trump as American casualties. They have been duped by a man who lacks a sense of boundaries and morals. Perhaps they should be pitied, but they dont deserve to be embraced. Respecting anothers opinion is one thing; rewarding bad behavior is something else.

Pamela Kincheloe, Manassas

During this presidential campaign, the Republican nominee aligned himself with the leader of Russia while openly calling the president of the United States incompetent and stupid. The Republican nominee, with whom white supremacy groups aligned, maligned women, Hispanics, African Americans and Muslims. The battle cries We want our country back, Make America great again and Build the wall are laced with the flames of bigotry and hatred.

In the aftermath of the election, the political pollsters and reporters ponder how their estimates could have been so inaccurate. As during the campaign, there is the failure to acknowledge the obvious: A racism-based campaign was waged, and racism trumped qualification in the end.

Now I am being asked to unite. Did the Republican Party unite and allow President Obama to lead when he was elected in 2008? No. It questioned the legitimacy of Mr. Obama as a U.S. citizen. It became the party of no and opposed everything the president proposed. Republicans now seek to overturn initiatives supported by Mr. Obama. And I am expected to join hands with them now.

J.C. West, Silver Spring
General thoughts of fun stuff, like music, books and the like. Thanks for reading.
Robert D. Kaplan is a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and author of Earning the Rockies: How Geography Shapes Americas Role in the World, to be published in January.

President-elect Donald Trump is being called a realist in foreign policy. Dont believe it. He may have some crude realist instincts, but that only makes him a terrible messenger for realism. Realists like myself should be very nervous about his election.

Realism is a sensibility, not a specific guide to what to do in each crisis. And it is a sensibility rooted in a mature sense of the tragic  of all the things that can go wrong in foreign policy, so that caution and a knowledge of history are embedded in the realist mindset. Realism has been with us at least since Thucydides wrote The Peloponnesian War in the 5th century B.C., in which he defined human nature as driven by fear (phobos), self-interest (kerdos) and honor (doxa). Because the realist knows that he must work with such elemental forces rather than against them, he also knows, for example, that order comes before freedom and interests come before values. After all, without order there is no freedom for anybody, and without interests a state has no incentive to project its values.

Trump has given no indication that he has thought about any of this. He appears to have no sense of history and therefore no mature sense of the tragic. A sense of history comes mainly from reading. Thats how we know in the first place about such things as our obligations to allies and our role as the defender of the West. All previous presidents in modern times, without being intellectuals, have been readers to some extent. But Trump seems post-literate, a man who has made an end run around books directly to the digital age, where nothing is vetted, context is absent and lies proliferate.

Realists worship truth  for the ultimate lesson of history is that the truth of situations is often unpleasant. But Trumps statements throughout the campaign have repeatedly revealed a basic disregard of facts.

Realists know that while the balance of power is not a panacea, maintaining an advantageous balance of power with rivals is generally in a nations interest. Russian President Vladimir Putin has upset the balance of power from Central Europe to the Middle East, something that we need urgently to rectify, at the very least for the sake of a stronger negotiating position with Russia. Trump appears to have no understanding of this. Indeed, rather than being realistic, his benign statements about Putin are dangerously naive.

Realists know that because values follow interests and not the other way around, a free-trading regime in Asia gives us a greater stake in the region so that we have more incentive to project our values there. A free-trading regime among our allies also counters Chinas overbearing influence, which Trump claims he wants to curtail but  because he is not a realist  has no responsible idea about how to do it.

Realism is about moderation. It sees the value in the status quo while idealists only see the drawbacks in it. It is, therefore, wary of change. Trump, by contrast, wants an upheaval in the international system: from sparking trade wars, to increasing tensions with Mexico, to undermining NATO. Admitting the Baltic states into NATO may not have been altogether prudent from a realist point of view. But now that they are in the alliance, the credibility of NATO (and of the West) depends on defending them. Trump and his supporters clearly do not grasp this.

Realism, again, because it is a sensibility, and not a strategy, must be merged with a historically accurate vision of Americas place in the world. That place is no better defined than by the location of the Holocaust Memorial Museum adjacent to the Mall, showing that the Holocaust, which happened to Jews in Europe, has been by consensus granted entry into our national consciousness. This does not mean that the United States must intervene every time there is a major human rights violation somewhere  for that would be unrealistic. But it does mean that it must always take notice and, when practical, participate in a response, because Americas duty emerging out of the crucible of World War II and the Cold War has been to try  wherever possible  to expand the boundaries of civil society worldwide. Idealists are obsessed with this; realists are not. Realists know that national interest comes before any global interest. But realists, too, at least the respectable kind, harbor an internationalist vision.

History moves on. World War II and the Cold War recede. But the United States is the most well-endowed and advantageously located major state on Earth. That good fortune comes with responsibilities that extend beyond our own borders. Just look at the size of our 300-warship Navy and the location of our aircraft carriers on any given week. Realism is about utilizing such power to protect allies without precipitating conflict. It is not about abandoning them and precipitating conflict as a consequence. Hopefully, Trump will become a realist, but he has a long way to go.
At 8 p.m. on election night at St. Marys Episcopal Church in Foggy Bottom, the Rev. Father Bernard Anderson led a small gathering in prayer for the soon-to-be president-elect. They asked that the new president lead the country with strength and compassion, represent the best of the United States around the globe, be committed to justice and peace, and bring our nation together to address our challenges.

A few hours later, Donald Trump was elected the nations 45th chief executive.

God must have a sense of humor to put up with what we do to ourselves.

Or maybe the election was used to teach us some lessons  about ourselves.

We learned election night, if we didnt already know it in our heart of hearts, that we are not the inclusive, multiracial and multicultural country we make ourselves out to be. Despite projecting the image of a United States embodying a kumbaya-like spirit of human unity, our identities are rooted in race, religion and ideology. That showed up in the election returns. It could be seen in the faces of Trumps core constituencies.

The Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart asks: Is this my America? I dont know anymore. (Adriana Usero/The Washington Post)

And dont think of them as only old, Rust Belt, blue-collar supporters.

White people made Trump president.

He ran the table in virtually all categories, including college- and non-college-educated white men, and whites 18 to 29 years old.

Hillary Clintons camp, in contrast, consisted of a polyglot of colors, religions, sexual orientations and college-educated white women.

The sound of joyful exclusion could be heard in the voice of David Duke, the white nationalist former Ku Klux Klan leader who called Trumps electoral victory one of the most exciting nights of my life. Make no mistake about it, our people have played a HUGE role in electing Trump, Duke tweeted .

You have to wade through the euphemisms to see what Duke is getting at.

The Post described voters drawn to Trump as Americans alienated by the forces of globalization and multiculturalism and deeply frustrated with the inability of Washington to address their needs.

They were depicted this way in the New York Times: A largely overlooked coalition of mostly blue-collar white and working-class voters who felt that the promise of the United States had slipped their grasp amid decades of globalization and multiculturalism.

Ah, those words: globalization and multiculturalism.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, confronted with rising opposition to school busing, famously observed: It aint the bus, its us.

Drop the globalization and multiculturalism genteelism.

Call it what it is.

Its low-skilled brown people from Mexico showing up in the job market and competing with low-education white folks. Its non-Christian immigrants  yes, those Muslims  and illegal immigrants who have our people fearfully looking over their shoulders and, in some cases, down their noses.

Its lazy black people given everything by Washington, including the social advantages that white folks alone used to enjoy.

Its crooked Hillary Clinton and the prospect of her and Bill back in the White House working along with white liberal know-it-alls and international banks to plot the destruction of U.S. sovereignty  and not multiculturalism  that sent voters flocking to the polls for Trump.

Its the illegitimate President Obama, that secret Muslim born in Kenya, who supports the LGBT agenda, favors putting boys in girls locker rooms, promises entitlements to the undeserving, governs by executive order  and not globalization  that made them vote for Trump.

It is us  the resentment of us, along with all of the above, that stoked the powerful movement that materialized Election Day.

It is us, and from us, that they want to take back America  as if we ever had it.

Trumps unexpected victory offers a teachable moment to learn what we should already have known.

In the weeks leading up to the election, I couldnt believe my ears: College professors from Georgetown and Howard universities recounting tales of African American students who look down on voting  doesnt make a difference; politicians dont listen; no reason to hope, since Obamas hope and change changed little.

And this one on Election Day: The lines were too long.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said becoming a registered voter is a sacred right  among the highest mandates of our democratic traditions.

So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself, he declared. I cannot make up my mind  it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have helped to enact  I can only submit to the edict of others.

Many African Americans didnt vote, at least not like they did in 2008 and 2012, when Obama was on the ticket. That helped produce President-elect Donald Grab them by the p---y Trump.

Not voting is a failure of citizenship. But recalling our St. Marys prayer and Kings embrace of voting as a sacred right, not voting was also a sin.

That, too, is a teachable moment we will have four long years to ponder.

Read more from Colbert Kings archive.
Montgomery C. Meigs, pictured in a group of men in front of the Capitol in 1859, oversaw the expansion of the structure before devoting himself to the Civil War effort. (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)

Gary W. Gallagher is the John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia.

Montgomery Cunningham Meigs deserves a prominent place in the Union military pantheon. Without his performance as quartermaster general of the U.S. Army, more celebrated officers, including Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, would have faced far greater obstacles in suppressing the slaveholders rebellion. Meigs dealt with a staggering logistical challenge. The Army numbered approximately 15,000 at the time of Fort Sumter, but over the next four years more than 2.2 million citizen-soldiers fought for the Union. In an effort that anticipated the Arsenal of Democracy model of the 20th century, the United States mobilized and distributed the materiel necessary to equip and sustain armies that maneuvered over a vast strategic landscape. Meigs controlled expenditures totaling nearly $1.5 billion (the entire federal budget in 1860, before wartime demands created vast increases, had been less than $65 million) and earned a reputation for unwavering dedication and integrity.

Meigss wartime contributions followed years of antebellum engineering service, the most notable part of which shaped the infrastructure and appearance of Washington. After graduating fifth in his class at West Point in 1836, he worked on various projects before being selected in the early 1850s to devise a way to guarantee a reliable supply of clean water for Washington and to oversee expansion of the Capitol. He achieved notable success in both endeavors, though war intruded before the completion of either. He also orchestrated the conversion of the Arlington estate into a national cemetery and, after the war, designed the sprawling federal pension building, now the National Building Museum, located a few blocks off the Mall.

Robert OHarrow brings an eye for lively detail and an appreciative sympathy for his subject to The Quartermaster. The third modern biography of Meigs, OHarrows follows in the wake of Russell F. Weigleys Quartermaster General of the Union Army: A Biography of M. C. Meigs (1959), long the standard life, and David W. Millers Second Only to Grant: Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs (2001). Roughly 100 pages shorter than both earlier books, OHarrows narrative divides almost evenly between prewar and Civil War events, and the antebellum section focuses on Meigs work in the national capital.

Jefferson Davis, the secretary of war under Franklin Pierce, proved invaluable to Meigss early advancement. He helped secure the engineers appointment to manage both Washingtons water project and construction at the Capitol. Although just a captain in the spring of 1853, Meigs wielded considerable power and quickly displayed the energy, imagination and combative honesty that became hallmarks of his later career. In just a few months, OHarrow observes, Meigs had taken on more labor than any other man in Washington. On some days, he worked nearly around the clock in an unused committee room at the Capitol, a cluttered place that resembled the nest of a magpie or a mad scientists workbench.

"The Quartermaster: Montgomery C. Meigs, Lincolns General, Master Builder of the Union Army," by Robert O'Harrow Jr. (Simon & Schuster)

As progress on a sophisticated aqueduct and the Capitol continued into the administration of James Buchanan, Meigs clashed with John B. Floyd, a Virginian who succeeded Davis as secretary of war. In September 1860, Floyd, whose tenure in the War Department featured a number of scandals, removed Meigs after the two argued bitterly about contractors. By then, the first part of the water project had begun operation, and most pieces were in place for renovations to the Capitol, including the addition of the massive dome that would be completed during the war. The most notable element of the citys new aqueduct also reached fruition after fighting broke out. Called Union Bridge, it spanned Cabin John Creek and stood, Meigs noted in 1864, as the greatest masonry arch in the world. . . . A stone bears the inscription  Union Arch. Chief Engineer Capt. Montgomery C. Meigs. U.S. Corps of Engineers. Esto Perpetuo. Proud that his name always would be associated with the structure, Meigs added, It is a great monument.

However praiseworthy his antebellum activities, Meigs assumed more important duties as war engulfed the nation in 1861. General in Chief Winfield Scott urged President Abraham Lincoln to name Meigs quartermaster general, lauding the engineers high genius for science, engineering, and administration. On June 10, the president instructed the secretary of war to make the appointment. There might have been no man in the country, OHarrow maintains, better prepared than Meigs to be quartermaster general.

Just more than half of The Quartermaster details Meigss role in the Unions impressive logistical performance. Echoing themes most fully developed by historian Allan Nevins in the 1960s and 1970s, OHarrow examines, among other things, how Meigs employed technology (machine-made clothing and shoes, for example), created a bidding system for government contracts and pushed subordinates to bring Union advantages of production and delivery to bear on the war effort. In the summer of 1863, Meigs predicted victory because commanders such as Grant and Sherman provided clear direction to numerically superior Union forces, which also benefited from sound logistics that the rebels could not match. Conceding that Confederates are a gallant people and will make stern resistance, he assured Secretary of State William Henry Seward that it is the exhaustion of men and money that finally terminate all modern wars.

OHarrows descriptive, somewhat impressionistic text occasionally diminishes clarity. For example, readers might be uncertain about the contours of Meigss attitude toward slavery. But there is no doubt about his rock-ribbed unionism and increasing antipathy toward Confederates. Charged with caring for the Union dead early in the war, he recommended Arlington as a site. Bitterness about Robert E. Lees defection factored into the choice, OHarrow notes, and Meigs later insisted that the rebel chieftain and other Confederate leaders should be executed by the government which they have betrayed [and] attacked. The loss of his son John, a 22-year-old junior officer killed in the Shenandoah Valley in October 1864, hardened Meigss attitude. Confederate guerrillas, he averred, had murdered John, making him a martyr in the cause of liberty.

A former member of Lincolns Cabinet remarked that without Meigss superb contributions, the civil war in the United States could not have been prosecuted . . . with the smallest hope of success. The Quartermaster does much to sustain this judgment, highlighting the centrality of logistics to the Union victory and situating a principal architect of that success near center stage in the compelling national drama.
While most of the Districts registered voters favored Tuesdays referendum for D.C. statehood, it is not the best solution for addressing the District of Columbias shocking lack of voting rights and complete home rule.

Creating a state of the District of Columbia (or whatever name they give it) faces too many obstacles.

Congressional Republicans almost universally oppose the addition of two new senators from the District and would certainly block such a proposal. It is unlikely that legislators from either Maryland or Virginia would ultimately support a new state of the District of Columbia if that state had the power to levy a commuter tax, as it surely would. Politicians from large states might object to the dilution of their Senate power. Likewise, some rural state legislators might object to empowering the District with statehood for what they see as essentially a city. For these reasons, the chance of the District becoming a new state looks remote.

But there is a better way to achieve D.C. statehood.

The other path: join an existing state.

Imagine the District becoming Douglass County, Md. As a new unique jurisdiction in Maryland, the District would honor one of its most famous residents: the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass. And it would retain its unique identity while gaining both full voting rights and full home rule.

Could this approach win the needed support in Congress, Maryland and the District?

Reunion with Maryland probably would gain bipartisan support in Congress because Republicans have demonstrated support for giving D.C. residents voting rights through Maryland-based proposals that would not add two senators. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders in Maryland surely would like to gain almost 700,000 new residents who, with their addition, would make Maryland more Democratic, more highly educated and wealthier. (Compared with Maryland, the District has a higher percentage of registered Democrats, a higher percentage of college graduates and a higher per-capita income.)

Once D.C. residents realize that the state of the District of Columbia is a bridge too far, they will support achieving statehood citizenship with Marylands help. Voting rights and full home rule are the goals, and both can be achieved by reuniting with Maryland.

There is, of course, a precedent for this. The District was originally created with land ceded from Virginia and Maryland. The Virginia portion was successfully returned to Virginia in 1847 after Virginia voters approved it the prior year.

Douglass County, Md., is the best path to D.C. statehood.

The writer is the activities coordinator for the Committee for the Capital City.
D.C. MAYOR Muriel E. Bowser (D) said that her first request when she encounters President-elect Donald Trump will be to push for statehood for the District. She will be able to point to overwhelming support of residents as reflected in Tuesdays referendum, and she can argue the injustice inherent in the denial of a basic right to U.S. citizens. But she knows full well that with Tuesdays presidential election results, statehood has gone from highly unlikely to complete non-starter. So we urge her and other D.C. elected officials to work for something that might actually be politically possible: namely, House voting rights.

Mr. Trump, after all, has professed some interest in helping the District. He said on Meet the Press last year that he loves the people of the city and wants to do whats best for them. When he met with our editorial board in March, he allowed that while he was inclined to rule out statehood, having a vote in the House would be okay. It also should be noted that Republicans in the past have supported giving the Districts representative a vote in the House.

In fact, it was a Republican, then-Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (Va.), who came up with the creative plan  backed at the time by D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D)  that would have treated the District as a state for purposes of House representation. Under the plan, the House would have expanded from 435 to 437 seats, with a vote for the District balanced against a fourth seat for Utah, then next in line to enlarge its congressional delegation. Among the 22 Republicans who voted for the measure in 2007 were Paul D. Ryan (Wis.), now House speaker, and Mike Pence (Ind.), now vice president-elect. A plan, which rests on interpretation of a clause in the Constitution that gives Congress exclusive authority over the District, could be revived.

The District is mainly Democratic, with a significant African American population. Getting behind an effort to right the historic injustice against that population would send a powerful message about Mr. Trumps sincerity in wanting to be president for all Americans.
Mark J. Rozell is dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.

President-elect Donald Trumps showing in Virginia is not surprising, although most observers had written off the Old Dominion as not competitive this year. Early data from the reliable Virginia Public Access Project help us review what happened and consider what it portends for Virginia.

Experts wrongly said that a candidate could not compete in Virginia merely by winning the white vote. But this assumption was based on a turnout model from the 2008 and 2012 election cycles, which had an African American presidential nominee.

Although the white portion of the population in Virginia is declining relative to the fast-growing minority populations, except for election cycles with an African American leading the ticket  Doug Wilder, Barack Obama  minority turnout has never approached white turnout. Turnout among African Americans this year was down an astonishingly high almost nine percentage points from 2008 and 2012.

Indeed, the turnout in Northern Virginia precincts with substantial Latino populations was down about three percentage points from 2008 and 2012. A lower turnout among blacks and Latinos kept Virginia competitive.

Also, too many observers assumed that the white turnout percentage would remain steady. With his strong appeal to less-educated, non-urban, working-class white voters  a segment with lower turnout than educated whites  Trump reconfigured the electorate and put Virginia in play. Those voters turned out in higher percentages than in 2008 and 2012, and went more than 80 percent for Trump.

The Clinton campaign largely pulled its ads and resources out of Virginia in August, only to jump back into the state in the last two weeks as the race tightened in the polls. Staying in the commonwealth could have solidified the outcome earlier and obviated the need to expend critical resources there late in the campaign. Many Democratic activists and campaign workers pleaded with the Clinton campaign to stay continually active in Virginia, but the campaign thought Virginia was an easy pickup. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won the state, but at some cost.

This was supposed to be a change election year. Typically after one party controls the White House for a long time, the country is inclined to turn to the opposition party. If the Republicans had nominated anyone other than Trump, the Old Dominion easily could have been red this year. The assumption that a flawed nominee alone would overturn the cyclical patterns of elections was simply wrong. Either Trump had to pass the bar of credibility, or Democrats also had to nominate a flawed candidate to keep the normal cycles in place. Polls showed that many Virginia voters had highly negative views of Clinton.

Until 2008, Virginia was the countrys most reliable red state. From 1952 until Obamas win here in 2008, Virginia turned blue only once (and barely so), in the 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson landslide. During that period, Virginia was the only Southern state not to support fellow Southerner Jimmy Carter for president in 1976. Obama changed all of that, and now Virginia has gone blue for three consecutive election cycles. That is impressive. The streak could certainly continue.

But there is reason to pause: The margin by which Clinton took Fairfax County will be very difficult to replicate in future presidential elections. So will her suburban margins in the 1st, 2nd and 7th districts. And Trump made the rural areas relevant again. A future GOP nominee could easily win by replicating this rural enthusiasm, doing slightly better in the suburbs and being slightly more competitive in Fairfax.

Finally, consider that polls showed that many Virginians had a very negative view of Trump. A GOP nominee with a more positive standing with voters could have won the state. And, if he governs successfully, a much more popular incumbent President Trump could win in 2020.
President-elect Donald Trump can take an immediate, practical and shocking step now to show he wishes to be truly presidential. He should ask Republicans in the Senate to vote on the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.

Mr. Garland has been approved for other judicial posts with wide, bipartisan support. He is reasonable and moderate, not radical. Because Republicans claim to respect the Constitution, they should act accordingly and advise and consent, as the Constitution requires.

Never has a party blocked such a nomination for so long. How better to show respect for the Constitution and our American system than for Mr. Trump to encourage this vote?

Jill Barr, Bethesda

The Supreme Court almost always relies on the Constitution for interpreting and making decisions. However, it is not uncommon for the justices, when faced with important federal institutional, economic and social issues, to follow and study trends in other democratic foreign courts.

Insofar as Congress is representative democracy, I cannot find anywhere in the Constitution or case law that provides for the Senate to fail, refuse, delay or submit its authority to await guidance from a public vote. President Obama shall have the power, by and with the advice and Consent of the Senate, to appoint justices of the Supreme Court.

Mr. Obama should ask the Justice Department to file suit to force the Senate to act on its authority and responsibility to put his Supreme Court nominee to a vote in a timely manner.

Are the matters that come before the Supreme Court so inconsequential to Americans that the Senate can handle its responsibility as casually as if it were a private club?

Shelly Weinstein, Chevy Chase
Beverly Gage is a professor of history at Yale University. She is writing a biography of J. Edgar Hoover.

Two unexpected events made Harry S. Truman president of the United States. The first was Franklin Roosevelts sudden death by cerebral hemorrhage on April 12, 1945, less than three months into Trumans term as vice president. The second was Trumans election in his own right in November 1948, a race that almost nobody in the punditocracy predicted he would win.

That race bore certain similarities to our present one. As the awkward successor to a charismatic Democratic president, Truman found it hard to gin up enthusiasm among ordinary voters. Two offshoot anti-establishment candidacies added to his troubles: Henry Wallaces Progressive Party and Strom Thurmonds States Rights Democratic (or Dixiecrat) Party both drew votes from Trumans base.

Under those circumstances, the arch-reactionary Chicago Tribune felt so confident about the prospects of Trumans Republican rival, Thomas Dewey, that editors went ahead and declared victory before the votes were counted out West  thus producing the famous photograph of a gleeful Truman holding a Tribune declaring Dewey Defeats Truman. In the end, Truman pulled off a comfortable victory, with more than 49 percent of the popular vote to Deweys 45.1 percent.

Not long after this, as historian H.W. Brands notes in his engaging new book, The General vs. the President, Truman began to have second thoughts about whether the whole presidency thing was such a good idea after all. One of the countrys most prolific political historians, Brands has made a name for himself recounting the high drama of national politics, from The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr through Ronald Reagans unlikely ascendancy as president.

Though Truman rarely sought out such political drama, it had a way of finding him. In 1949, the first year of his second term, the Russians exploded their first atom bomb and the West lost China to the communists. The following year, accused Soviet spy Alger Hiss went to jail on perjury charges, Sen. Joseph McCarthy burst on the political scene, and North Korea invaded South Korea  and that was just the first six months. Of all these second-term events, though, none loomed larger in Washington than Trumans showdown with Gen. Douglas MacArthur, supreme allied commander in Asia and one of the most decorated soldiers in U.S. history.

In textbook accounts, their clash usually boils down to a single moment: In April 1951, Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination, thus restoring the primacy of civilian control over the military. Brands takes the long view of this incident, showing the slow escalation of a personal as well as strategic conflict in a rapidly shifting postwar environment where, frankly, nobody knew quite what to do.

His opening chapters offer portraits of two men hurtling through the world along different paths, one military and one civilian, one brimming with self-confidence, the other less sure he belonged in his position of power. At 70 years old, the old soldier MacArthur, who had defeated and then reconstructed Japan, felt sure he had all the answers. Truman, by contrast, often seemed out of his element, an accidental president besieged on all sides. Truman knew that MacArthur harbored presidential ambitions; the general had even floated the idea of running for the Republican nomination in 1948. Concluding that his post in Tokyo did not make an ideal base for a U.S. presidential campaign, MacArthur never fully entered the race, but the possibility that he might, or felt that he should, still rankled.

Then came Korea. In the annals of modern U.S. warfare, Korea is often the neglected middle child, caught between the glories of World War II and debacle of Vietnam. Brandss book reminds us what a terrifying  and unexpected  conflict it actually was. Sharing borders with the Soviet Union and China, Korea was no mere regional outpost or proxy battleground. It had the potential to erupt into a global nuclear conflict and to set off a war for the fate of the world.

Both Truman and MacArthur recognized this danger, but as Brands shows, they viewed the challenge in profoundly different ways. MacArthur sought a crushing military victory, modeling his actions on his recent total-war triumphs in the Pacific. Truman, by contrast, viewed the prevention of another catastrophic global war as his highest order of business. Other men in other circumstances might have been able to mediate such a difference of opinion, but in 1951 neither Truman nor MacArthur saw much room for compromise.

Brandss book follows this tragic arc, describing the two figures as their conflict widens and deepens and then, inexorably, erupts. Along the way he visits secondary players such as Secretary of State Dean Acheson, who oozed arrogance toward nearly everyone in Washington, and Marguerite Higgins, the New York Herald Tribunes pioneering female war correspondent in Korea. To tell these stories, Brands relies heavily on long quotes from official memos and newspaper reports; many chapters consist of little else. At its best, this technique gives The General vs. the President a you-are-there quality, showing how historical characters wrestled with difficult and uncertain situations. At its worst, it abdicates the role of the historian to interpret the available sources  to tell us not only what was said but what it all meant.

MacArthur and Truman themselves never read the same documents in the same way, and each man delivered his discontent with the other through the subtle messaging of Washington power politics. When the Veterans of Foreign Wars asked MacArthur for a statement about Korea, he happily obliged but neglected to consult with the president. When Truman wanted to meet MacArthur in person, the general insisted that the president fly to Wake Island  a 7,000-mile journey for Truman but only a 2,000-mile trip for the Tokyo-based MacArthur. Truman did his best to indulge his brilliant but cantankerous general, absorbing the slights without lashing back, at least in public. It was only when MacArthur declared his intent to widen the Korean conflict into China  in direct violation of both U.N. and White House directives  that Truman finally took drastic action and fired his famous subordinate.

Though he maintains an admirable even-handedness, Brands seems to side with the long-suffering Truman, who ultimately had no choice but to put the aggressive, pipe-smoking general in his place. But as Brands shows, in 1951 this was an act fraught with political peril. MacArthurs return to the United States started as one long celebrity pageant, with millions of Americans lining the streets for his motorcade in San Francisco, and millions more gazing toward the sky as his plane flew over the Midwest toward Washington. When MacArthur finally landed in the capital, he was whisked before Congress to testify about Korea and  to nobodys surprise  implicitly to denounce the president. Trumans reputation was saved not by his own actions but by the somber rebuttal of Gen. George Marshall, who informed Congress in no uncertain terms that MacArthur did not know what he was talking about. The president who fired a general, in short, also had to be saved by one.

Trumans approach arguably paid off over the long term: Despite tens of thousands of U.S. casualties, the Korean War did not escalate into World War III. Yet his actions also set the stage for future conflicts. Truman never asked Congress for a declaration of war in Korea, preferring to describe the conflict as a police action carried out under the auspices of the United Nations. Presidents ever since have followed his lead, dispatching U.S. troops around the world without congressional consent. Though many Americans in his own day viewed Truman as a weak president, he did as much as any modern executive to strengthen the powers of the White House and to change the character of modern war. American presidents  and generals  have been living with those consequences ever since.
Members of "Mothers of the Movement," a group of women whose children were killed in encounters with police offficers, listen as Hillary Clinton speaks in Raleigh, N.C., in October. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Tamara Dial was all in for Hillary Clinton.

The 38-year-old African American mother of a 1-year-old daughter donated money and volunteered to help the first woman to win a major-party nomination become the countrys first female president.

Dial, who lives in Charlotte, knew that not all black women shared her enthusiasm. I knew of a couple of black women who had issues with Hillary, but they were still going to vote for her, she said.

And vote for her they did. Black women, exit polls show, were by far Clintons strongest supporters, at 94 percent. By contrast, 53 percent of white women supported President-elect Donald Trump. This was Clintons and the Democrats most reliable voting bloc, and now they are trying to digest their defeat and move beyond it.

Having lost the White House and the House and Senate and now being at risk with the Supreme Court, I think what our need will be is an energetic and aggressive defense by Democrats remaining the House and Senate, said Jessica Byrd, founder of the D.C. consulting firm Three Point Strategies. Theyd better fight like hell to be a firewall to legislation that could hurt us.

In 2012, black women voted at a higher rate than any racial or gender group, and 96 percent of them voted to reelect President Obama. Black women made up a similar share of the electorate for this presidential contest, but they didnt have as much help from other segments of the Obama coalition, including black men, Hispanics and Asian Americans, all of whom voted at higher rates for Trump than they did four years ago for Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

I was devastated when she lost, Dial said. This whole Trump thing has me frightened. It has me frighten because I have a 1-year-old daughter and Im scared about how shes going to be treated. Im scared about the rights of all women.

Trumps victory Tuesday was the realization of black womens worst political fears. In exit polls from Election Day, 76 percent of black women said they were scared of a Trump win; in a Gallup poll in July, 72 percent of black women said they were strongly afraid of what would happen if their preferred candidate did not win the election.

No other group came close to that level of worry about a Trump presidency, either in the Gallup poll or in Tuesdays exit poll. In the exit poll, 56 percent of black men, 34 percent of white women and 26 percent of white men said that they were scared of Trump winning. Just under half of Latinas and 40 percent of Latino men said they feared a Trump presidency.

Feminist scholar Brittney Cooper described black female voters as both pragmatists and visionaries. We have a vision for the kind of future we want to build, but also an acute sense of taking care of the least of these, such as protecting funding for schools for our kids and benefits like Medicare and Social Security for the elderly. We always vote with those things in mind, she said.

Clinton enjoyed solid support among black voters during both the primary and general-election campaigns, although young African Americans were less enthusiastic about her than they were about Obama. Exit polls show 83 percent of black voters under 30 cast ballots for Clinton; four years ago, 91 percent of young black voters backed Obama.

The generational divide between older and younger African Americans over Clintons candidacy was embodied in one of the key issues affecting black communities in recent years  the deaths of unarmed African Americans during encounters with law enforcement officers. Some of the women whose children were killed in such incidents campaigned extensively for Clinton under the moniker Mothers of the Movement. Meanwhile, many of the young activists who were leading the Black Lives Matter movement through protests and confronting the presidential candidates over their plans to address police conduct vowed publicly that they could not support Clinton. They cited her support for harsh anti-crime legislation pushed by her husband in the 1990s and her use of the term super predator to describe some young offenders.

Dial, a classroom teacher for 16 years, said although she recalled Bill Clintons presidency as a period of economic prosperity, she acknowledged that the crime bill had contributed to the disproportionately high incarceration rate for black men. But Dial said that she was reassured after Clinton and her husband said last year that they regretted the damage that been done by the harsh anti-crime measures.

Like most black voters, she started out as a Clinton supporter in 2008 and this years was excited to get this opportunity to vote for her again.

Although she is disappointed, Dial said that she is not defeated. Im even more motivated to be involved. To canvass, to make calls, to make sure I encourage everyone I know to vote because 2016 has shown us that our individual vote really does matter, Dial said. I am not going to sit back and do nothing.

Sandra Fletcher, a retired federal employee who lives in Floridas Tampa Bay area, also said that members of her sorority and black women in her social circles worked hard phone banking and canvassing to elect Clinton.

The fact that her life mission and work was about family and children, that resonated with me and with other black women, Fletcher said. Shes been about public service all her life.

But most of all, Fletcher said, my vote for her was based on her qualifications. She was the most qualified person for the job.

Exit polls showed that 52 percent of black women said that they were excited about Clinton winning, making them the only group in which a majority of voters felt that way.

Glynda Carr, co-founder of Higher Heights, a nonpartisan group working to increase the number of black women in elected office, said an organizer in Cleveland shared a story of a cashier she encountered at a store the day after the election. The young woman, who was wearing a #BlackWomenVote button, lamented that her vote hadnt mattered.

Our organizer told her, Your vote does matter, regardless of who your candidate was.  Carr said.

The next task for Higher Heights is organizing women to participate in municipal elections next year and the next round of federal elections two years from now. The group also will poll black women online about which issues are important to them and write an open letter to the new White House and Congress.

Byrd, of Three Point Strategies, said defending legislation and policies put in place by Obama will be a priority among black female political organizers.

In the same way that the tea party of 2009 and 2010 rose up and created this new type of conservative energy, she said, wed better be investing and growing the same type of progressive energy so we can defend ourselves against the extremism thats coming.

Scott Clement and Emily Guskin contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump, center, stops to talk to reporters during a tour of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday with his wife Melania, left, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), right. (Bill OLeary/The Washington Post)

Nowhere did Donald Trumps candidacy inspire more trepidation or alarm than in the national security community, inhabited by many Republicans who vehemently denounced their partys nominee as dangerously unfit to be commander in chief.

Now, as President-elect Trump begins assembling his government, scores of former senior national security officials, foreign policy specialists and career civil servants are wrestling with a dilemma: refuse government service or join the administration of the 45th president?

Whether these seasoned experts step forward to help  and whether Trump accepts them into his administration  will send a powerful signal about the new presidents intentions and ability to broaden his sphere of influencers beyond the loyalists who helped steer him to an improbable triumph in the election.

I think its time for the intelligence guys to be professional and to suck it up, said Charles Allen, who served nearly five decades in the CIA and is the unofficial dean of former intelligence community officials. We work for the president and the Congress, and thats all we do. Were capable, and we have to do our job.

While most pronounced in the national security realm, this dynamic is evident throughout Trumps transition, which is tasked with filling about 4,100 federal jobs. Washingtons officialdom is waiting with nervous anticipation for Trumps first appointments, especially those in the West Wing who would serve as the presidents gatekeepers.

During his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly vowed to "drain the swamp" in D.C. and rid the federal government of political elites and lobbyists. But just days into his transition to president, Trump seems to be doing the opposite. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post)

Does the president-elect install as White House chief of staff a broadly acceptable insider such as Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who was recommended by House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.)? Or does he choose an antagonistic ideologue  perhaps Stephen K. Bannon, the Trump campaign chief executive who assailed the congressional leadership as chairman of Breitbart News?

Does he tap a sober-minded consensus choice such as Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.) as secretary of state or a combustible Trump confidant such as former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani or former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who are both said to be eyeing the diplomatic post? Does Trump appoint industry lobbyists and forsake his pledge to drain the swamp of special interests?

[Donors and lobbyists already shaping Trumps drain the swamp administration]

Personnel is policy, said Scott Reed, a Washington establishment fixture and the U.S. Chamber of Commerces top political strategist. Were going to be watching those first couple of appointments. It will set the tone on what kind of relationship the president-elect will have with the town.

Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said Saturday that a chief of staff announcement was imminent, telling reporters that Priebus was interested in the job and is one of several candidates Trump is considering.

So far, Trump has sent mixed signals. He selected Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who is regarded as an advocate of inclusion and a bridge to the Washington establishment and conservative think tanks, to lead the transition. He has populated his transition teams with experienced hands for areas including national security, intelligence and military.

You dont want to get in an echo chamber, where you only have yes people and you dont have any contrary thinking, said former Republican congressman Benjamin Quayle.

The Posts Marc Fisher explains how some of President-elect Donald Trumps traits could inform his leadership style when he takes office. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

Trumps advisers said the president-elect is mindful of the importance of cultivating strong relationships with the Republican-led Senate and House to pass his ambitious agenda, including a tax overhaul and a sweeping infrastructure program.

To that end, he tapped Rick Dearborn, a former chief of staff to Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) who is well known to lawmakers, as transition director. And Eric Ueland, a veteran Senate staffer who runs the Senate Budget Committee, has been mentioned as a likely pick to head Trumps Office of Management and Budget.

There is talk among people familiar with the effort that Trump is open to tapping a Democrat to fill at least one Cabinet position  perhaps as secretary of transportation, a nonideological post for which President Obama chose Republican Ray LaHood and George W. Bush chose Democrat Norman Y. Mineta.

Congressional Republicans, meanwhile, seem to be swooning at the unexpected opportunity to govern, though they could easily become alienated.

Ive been on the phone with giddy Republicans for about 48 hours now, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said. Everybody assumed wed come back and be the firewall [against a President Hillary Clinton], and now we see the opportunity to be the point of the spear.

[Trump maps out a new administration to bring a seismic shift to Washington]

Its their duty

Some of the Republican national security figures who signed a public letter condemning Trump during the campaign said they would never serve in his administration, and they could be blacklisted anyway. But even they have been counseling others that serving might be the right thing to do for the country.

As the seriousness of governing subsumes the vitriol of the campaign, a dozen national security experts interviewed said they believed experienced people will resume their roles as apolitical professionals and be willing to join the administration.

I know many of those people, and some would be sufficiently patriotic to think its their duty, said Jeffrey H. Smith, former CIA general counsel and head of Arnold & Porters national security law practice. Its just too important.

Eliot Cohen, who served as counselor to former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, was a driving force behind an open letter last spring, eventually signed by 122 Republican national security leaders who opposed Trumps candidacy and pledged not to serve in a Trump administration.

In an essay titled To An Anxious Friend, published Thursday in the American Interest, Cohen advised career military, diplomatic and intelligence officials to continue to do their jobs.

The government has to be staffed, wrote Cohen, who is director of the strategic studies program at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

Those accepting, he wrote, should understand the limits of their influence and the extent to which the administration is likely to be torn by infighting and bureaucratic skulduggery. They should say yes, he said, with two conditions . . . that they keep a signed but undated letter of resignation in their desk . . . and that they not recant a word of what they have said thus far.

Susan Hennessey, a fellow at Brookings and former attorney at the National Security Agency, said many of her friends who are career national security officers are trying to decide whether to remain in their jobs.

If you are a person who believes that Donald Trump threatens the very institution and poses a real threat to American security abroad because he is inexperienced and undisciplined, is it your duty to not participate or is it your duty to serve in hopes of providing him wise counsel? she asked.

[How Donald Trump won: The insiders tell their story]

The leadership of Trumps national security transition team includes former Republican officials and retired military officers well within the boundaries of the conservative mainstream.

The team is headed by former Army lieutenant general Ronald L. Burgess Jr., a previous Defense Intelligence Agency director, and Mike Rogers, a former House Intelligence Committee chairman. Other players include retired one-star general Michael Meese, a protege of David H. Petraeus in Iraq and Afghanistan; Mira Ricardel, a veteran of the Pentagon; retired lieutenant general Keith Kellogg, an early Trump supporter; and James Carafano, another retired military officer.

Others, particularly among those who have been active on Trumps campaign, have engendered more skepticism. Since the election, some have already made policy statements causing concern  and creating uncertainty as to whether they are speaking for the incoming administration.

Michael T. Flynn, the retired three-star general who often served as a Trump surrogate and a member of the 16-member top advisory group, on Election Day criticized Obamas policy on Turkey, a key but troubling ally in the fight against the Islamic State.

The United States, Flynn said in an opinion column published in the Hill, should show Turkey who its real friends are by extraditing the U.S. resident and Muslim cleric responsible, according to Ankara, for last summers coup attempt there. Because Turkey is such a crucial ally, Flynn wrote, the U.S. government should also stem its official criticism of the countrys crackdown on perceived political opponents.

The Obama administration has said there will be no political interference in the Justice Departments consideration of Turkeys request to extradite Fethullah Gulen.

On Thursday, Jason Greenblatt, named by Trump as one of his top advisers on Israel, said in Israeli radio interviews that the president-elect does not view Israeli settlements on Palestinian land as an obstacle to peace. Trump says the United States should not impose its own views on the issue, Greenblatt said, and should leave the two sides to work it out themselves.

U.S. policy under Obama has been sharply critical of the expanding settlements, which have been internationally condemned as illegal.

[Trump and aides hedge on major pledges, including Obamacare and the wall]

Trump is widely expected to reward his loyalists with plum posts. People familiar with preliminary talks said Giuliani is said to favor secretary of state but also is under consideration for attorney general and secretary of homeland security. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also is in the mix for attorney general and secretary of state, as well as commerce secretary. And Gingrich could end up in any of a wide range of roles across foreign or domestic policy.

Managers and ideologues

One factor contributing to the uncertainty is that the transitions center of gravity is not in Washington, where the government provides office space, but at Trump Tower, the president-elects midtown Manhattan skyscraper. His three oldest children  and especially his son-in-law, Jared Kushner  are exerting great influence over the early deliberations, as are many of his campaign loyalists, including Bannon and major donor Rebekah Mercer.

Darrell M. West, who heads governance studies at the Brookings Institution, said what he sees so far from the Trump transition is schizophrenia. . . . When you look at the names being floated, its a mix of managers and ideologues.

In his transitions first week, Trump has not announced any appointments. In 2008, President-elect Barack Obama named his White House chief of staff  then-Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.)  two days after the election.

Trumps transition team, which had been led by Christie, has been at work since the summer. But many members did not expect Trump to win and are only now delving into the serious work of assembling the administration and mapping out a detailed agenda to launch after Trumps Jan. 20 inauguration.

Its like the dog chasing the bus and weve finally caught it, so now we have to figure out what to do, said one Trump adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because transition talks are confidential.

For Trump, history offers different guides. President Ronald Reagan reached outside his inner circle of ideological Californians and brought in pragmatist James A. Baker III, who had run two primary campaigns against him, as his White House chief of staff.

President Bill Clinton staged a splashy transition, promising a Cabinet that would look like America. But in the end, he stacked his White House with longtime friends  Thomas F. Mack McLarty III, a kindergarten classmate, became chief of staff  and went on to have a chaotic first year.

The first glimmer of how President George W. Bushs administration would run came when he empowered his No. 2, Richard B. Cheney, to assemble the government. With the outcome of the 2000 election still in doubt pending a Florida recount and a Supreme Court ruling, Cheney did so from the kitchen table at his townhouse in McLean, Va., and populated the administration with his own allies.

Meanwhile, Obama, anxious to avoid Clintons mistakes, worked from the inside out. He put much of his early focus on filling jobs in the White House, led by the wily Emanuel, which foreshadowed a tightly centralized presidency.

Karen Tumulty contributed to this report.
CHARLESTON -- Approximately 150 Eastern Illinois University students and other community members gathered on campus early Friday evening to protest the election of Donald Trump as president.

Those who spoke at the rally on the steps of the Doudna Fine Arts Center voiced concerns about disparaging comments Trump has made regarding women, Latinos, and other groups of people within the United States.

Participants wrote "Love trumps hate" and other messages with chalk on the Doudna steps, carried signs with messages such as "EIU rejects racism," and periodically called out chants, including "When they go low, we go high."

EIU senior Dana Gilbertsen, who was one of the protest organizers, said she was pleased that the protest was peaceful and that it provided a supportive environment for those who feel marginalized by the results of Tuesday's election.

Both Gilbertsen and fellow protest organizer Sam Reiss, a freshman, noted that many of speakers at the protest were students who stepped forward during the event without prepared remarks.

"I like how everything came from the heart for a lot of people," Reiss said.

Some of the speakers also voiced concerns about Trump's vice president-elect, Mike Pence, supporting conversion therapy for homosexual individuals. They said conversion therapy has included electroshock therapy and has driven some recipients to suicide.

Speaker Austin Mejdrich said there are racists among those who voted for Trump, but it would be a mistake to think of the majority of his supporters as racists. Mejdrich said many of Trump's supporters have been hurt by economic tough times and other upheavals in the country over the years.

Mejdrich said Trump supporters gave voice to this hurt by voting for Trump, and now the rest of the nation is listening. However, he said those who voted against Trump also need to be vocal in expressing their concerns and vigilant in protecting their rights.

Speaker Alicia Henning opened the protest by noting that Friday was Veterans Day and by asking participants to take a moment to reflect on the service and sacrifice of veterans. This support for veterans was echoed by other speakers during the event.

Reiss said veterans fought and died to protect the rights of their countrymen, including the right to protest.
The battle for Donald Trumps presidency is underway, and theres nothing orderly about it. Washington is rife with rumor, speculation and trepidation. The rest of the country is in the dark and divided. Trump always said he liked to be unpredictable, and so it is left to others right now to imagine how all the conflicts, contradictions and questions will be resolved.

Two signs of the absence of clarity came Friday when Trump reshuffled the leadership of his transition team, jettisoning New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and some of his loyalists and installing Vice President-elect Mike Pence to run the show. At the same time came suggestions that Trump might back away from several key campaign pledges, raising once again the question of what his real convictions are. These might just be hiccups. If not, look out.

One big question ahead is which Donald Trump will emerge after Inauguration Day. Will it be the bombastic Trump of the campaign, the one who insulted his rivals and offended one group of people after another? Or will it be the more temperate, subdued and inclusive-sounding Trump who has been on display since the electoral college vote turned stunningly and decisively in his favor early Wednesday morning?

Republicans spent months encouraging Trump to pivot to a more presidential style. He resisted, believing that what got him the nomination and would get him the presidency was to knock his rivals as hard as possible and to be as provocative as he could at his campaign rallies. That was the role he adopted to win. No one has a clue as to how he envisions the role of president  how he will address the American people, how he will interact with members of Congress, how he will deal with allies and adversaries.

Trump ran as the outsider who would shake up the capital. By doing that, he became the tribune of the aggrieved, the left out, the people who have little regard for the views of Washingtons elites. But he is a lifelong dealmaker, and Washington is the ultimate dealmaking town. But dealmaking connotes backrooms dominated by insiders making compromises. Do Trumps core followers want Washington to work better, or do they expect him to be more disruptive, a president who puts the establishment in its place?

The Posts Marc Fisher explains how some of President-elect Donald Trumps traits could inform his leadership style when he takes office. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

[Pence replaces Christie as Trump transition leader]

A third issue is playing out daily as the president-elect begins to populate the government he will take over in January. He promised in the closing weeks of the campaign to drain the swamp in Washington. That is the rallying cry for a populist movement  Trumps movement. Inevitably, well-connected political insiders  lobbyists, lawyers, think-tank experts and members of the foreign policy establishment  will populate his transition. Who really will control a Trump government, the 45th president or those who could surround and smother him?

Still another question is Trumps relationship to the Republican Party. Republicans now have what theyve dreamed about for years: control of the presidency, Congress and, assuming Trump gets his way, eventually the Supreme Court. They also control most of the governorships and state legislatures. Republicans have lost the popular vote in six of the past seven presidential elections, but their grip on power is pervasive.

Republican congressional leaders are salivating over the prospect of having a free hand to enact a conservative agenda. But is their agenda the Trump agenda? House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) has an agenda ready to go, but how much will Trump go along? They differ on trade and entitlements, among other things. Trump wants to spend big on roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and airports, and put millions of people to work doing so. If that isnt a big-government, Democratic initiative, what is?

Trump presumably will want to put his stamp on things. If he regarded those congressional leaders as a corner of the swamp he wants to drain, as he suggested by his occasional tweets during the campaign, how does he avoid capitulating to the pressure now to act like a generic conservative Republican? Congressional leaders might see Trump as someone happy to delegate the substantive agenda to others. Trump knows the importance of developing and keeping his brand.

When Bill Clinton was newly elected in the fall of 1992, he held a summit with congressional leaders and, in essence, ceded power to them to set the legislative agenda. Campaign proposals to clean up Washington  symbolic or otherwise  were pushed to the back burner in deference to entrenched powers. His signature proposal to reform the welfare system, the centerpiece of his effort to redraw the image of his own party, took a back seat to other initiatives in part because there was no appetite to confront the partys liberal base. Clinton later came to regret his decision to defer to Democratic congressional leaders.

The analogy is imperfect but nonetheless holds lessons for Trump. The more he turns over the direction and priorities of his administration to congressional leaders, the more his anti-establishment message will fade to the background. Perhaps he doesnt care, but the people who supported him so passionately should.

People look at a home in Youngstown, Pa., that features a huge cutout of President-elect Donald Trump. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

[Trump advisers hedge on key campaign promises]

Trump has had little to say publicly since his victory. That has allowed the speculation machine to go into overdrive about his plans and the direction he intends to set. Because his operation speaks with many voices, because of the many factions now vying for attention and power, few people really know what Trump is thinking.

One early indicator of that thinking will be the selection of a White House chief of staff. From various reports, the competitors include Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, a true insider and the favorite of GOP congressional leaders, and Steve Bannon, the architect of Breitbart News, a keeper of the alt-right flame and one of the key strategists for Trump in the final few months of the campaign.

At this point eight years ago, then-President-elect Barack Obama had held his first news conference and had named his chief of staff. The identities of other top White House officials were well known. Trump has promised to move swiftly on top Cabinet positions and key White House jobs. Everyone knows that Trump prizes loyalty and has a long memory for slights and disparagements. What his governing principles and policy touchstones, particularly on foreign policy, amount to will be revealed in the choices he begins to make.

Trump won the election by riding a populist revolt driven by people angry, as Dan McGinn and Peter Hart wrote in the Wall Street Journal, at the failure of elected officials, at the absence of secure borders, at the arrogance of the affluent and well educated, at the media and the smugness of many journalists, at their place in the new economy and about being mocked and vilified as rubes, racists and deplorables.  They are likely to cut Trump considerable slack as president, but they did not vote for him to succumb and become part of the swamp.

One more thing. In the campaign between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, one side or the other was destined to come out of the election desperately unhappy and discouraged. These first days since Trump won have put people in leadership positions on their best behavior, despite the shocks to the political system and in particular to Clinton and her devastated team and Obama and his team, who now see the potential of his legacy unraveling.

Clinton was gracious in her concession speech. The president said his priority is to ensure a smooth transition. Trump was respectful and appeared sobered by his 90-minute meeting in the Oval Office. But the street protests remind everyone of the toll the campaign has taken and of the divisions that remain. It will take more than a smooth transition to overcome all that.
Trump arrives at the White House for a meeting with Obama and on Capitol Hill to meet with Republican congressional leaders.

Trump arrives at the White House for a meeting with Obama and on Capitol Hill to meet with Republican congressional leaders.

Trump arrives at the White House for a meeting with Obama and on Capitol Hill to meet with Republican congressional leaders.

President-elect Donald Trump and key advisers in recent days have backed away from some of the most sweeping pledges that the Republican candidate made on the campaign trail, suggesting that his administration may not deliver on promises that were important to his most fervent supporters.

Trump built his campaign message around bold vows to, among other things, force Mexico to pay for a massive border wall, fully repeal the Affordable Care Act and ban Muslims from entering the United States. But in the days since his upset election victory, he or his advisers have suggested that those proposals and others may be subject to revision.

On President Obamas health-care law, for example, Trump said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Friday that he would like to keep some parts of the law intact and may seek to amend the statute rather than repeal it. Trump said he came to the conclusion after Obama, during Trumps Oval Office visit Thursday, suggested areas of the law that should be preserved.

Trump suggested provisions that prevent insurers from refusing coverage for preexisting conditions and which allow children to stay on their parents health plans until age 26 should stay. I like those very much, he said.

In the same interview, Trump also avoided answering whether he would follow through on a campaign vow to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Democratic nominee Hillary Clintons use of a private email server while secretary of state. Its not something Ive given a lot of thought, because I want to solve health care, jobs, border control, tax reform, he said.

The Posts Marc Fisher explains how some of President-elect Donald Trumps traits could inform his leadership style when he takes office. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

[Trump health-care agenda evolves toward mainstream GOP thinking]

That ambivalent tone is a far cry from Trumps sweeping rhetoric on the campaign trail, where he repeatedly vowed to repeal and replace the ACA and led crowds in chants of Lock her up! in reference to Clinton. His lack of clarity on these and other issues has added more uncertainty to a tumultuous presidential transition, as he scrambles to build a team.

There is also no guarantee that Trump will not return to his previous positions. In August, he appeared to consider softening his proposal to deport millions of illegal immigrants en masse, only to give a rousing speech retaining his hard-line stance.

With little clarity from Trump himself, some of his surrogates and advisers have given a mixed view of what Trump will hope to accomplish in his first 100 days in office, discounting some of his most well-known proposals.

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump adviser, cast doubt this week on whether the new president would seek to have Mexico fund his proposed border wall  a pledge that inspired regular chants of Build that wall! during campaign rallies.

Hell spend a lot of time controlling the border. He may not spend very much time trying to get Mexico to pay for it, but it was a great campaign device, Gingrich said Thursday during a conference call sponsored by Dentons, a global law firm.

Former New York City mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, a close adviser to Trump, sounded certain that the wall would be built  but was far from clear about the timeline. He said during an interview on CNN Thursday that he thinks Trump should prioritize tax reform in his first 100 days rather than issues such as building the border wall.

During his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly vowed to "drain the swamp" in D.C. and rid the federal government of political elites and lobbyists. But just days into his transition to president, Trump seems to be doing the opposite. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post)

The wall is going to take a while, Giuliani said. Absolutely hes going to build it; its a campaign promise. Hes not going to break a campaign promise.

[Pence replaces Christie as leader of Trump transition effort]

On deportations, the campaign has yet to detail how many undocumented immigrants might be targeted for immediate removal by the Trump administration. The number could range from 1 million to 6 million, according to various priorities Trump outlined over time throughout the campaign. During the GOP primaries, he repeatedly said that all of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants would have to leave.

Other proposals also carry constitutional and ethical implications. After calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States in 2015, Trump recast the idea this year as encompassing countries that have been compromised by terrorism.

He has not been clear about what is on the table now that he will be the president. After exiting a meeting with Republican leaders Thursday on Capitol Hill, Trump was asked by reporters to list his top three priorities after taking office. He mentioned securing the border, health-care reform and job creation.

Will you ask Congress to ban all Muslims from entering the country? a reporter asked. Trump appeared to hear the question before thanking everybody and walking away.

Trump said during the campaign that he would reinstate the use of waterboarding against terrorism suspects  a practice that Congress made illegal after its use during the George W. Bush administration. But former House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said this week that Trumps waterboarding remarks were just campaign talk, according to CNN.

The future president, who ran on an anti-establishment message, also faces pressure to accede to conservative orthodoxies that run counter to promises he made on the campaign trail. Speaking about the months ahead, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) signaled this week that he would consider cutting Medicare, arguing that the program is going broke and would need to be reformed at the same time Republicans repeal Obamacare.

That, however, would contradict Trumps vows not to touch entitlement programs. Ryan has proposed turning Medicare into a premium support model, which would involve doling out federal subsidies for private insurance rather than the current single-payer model.

[Many of Trumps sweeping promises will be hard, if not impossible, to fulfill]

On international trade, it remains unclear whether Trump will follow through on his recommendations for punitive tariffs against China. Trump made a point throughout his campaign of trashing the Chinese for devaluing their currency, and said on occasion that he would put a tax on goods from China as a retaliation. The tax should be 45 percent, he told the New York Times in January, a figure he used on several occasions.

But senior policy adviser Wilbur Ross, who has consulted with Trump on his first 100 days, sought to walk back those campaign claims during an interview this week with Yahoo Finance, denying that Trump had made the suggestion.

Hes been misquoted about the 45 percent on China. Everybody says, Oh, hes going to slap 45 percent tariff on everything out of China. Thats not what he said, and its not what he intends, Ross said. What he actually said was if it turns out that the Chinese yuan is 45 percent overvalued, or as much as 45, and if they wont negotiate with us, then it may become necessary as a negotiating measure to threaten them with as much as a 45 percent tariff.

Trump has railed against the Iranian nuclear deal, promising to undo and renegotiate the agreement as it currently stands. In October, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said a Trump administration would rip up the Iran deal.

But Trumps advisers have been vaguer on the topic this week.

 Ripping up is maybe a too strong of word. Hes gonna take that agreement, its been done before in international context, and then review it, Trump adviser Walid Phares told the BBC Thursday. He will take the agreement, review it, send it to Congress, demand from Iranians to restore few issues or change few issues. And there will be a discussion; it could be a tense discussion.

But the agreement as is right now . . . is not going to be accepted by a Trump administration, Phares said.

Trump indicated this year that he would move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which his campaign said in a statement was the eternal capital of the Jewish People that must be recognized as the undivided capital of the state of Israel.

Phares hedged during the BBC interview and said that Trump had committed to doing it only through consensus. Palestinian leaders would not support such a plan.

But Trump adviser David Friedman told the Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, It was a campaign promise, and there is every intention to keep it.
President-elect Donald Trump came under swift scrutiny after condemning demonstrators in his first tweet since winning the presidency.

Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair! Trump wrote on Twitter on Thursday night.

Trump, who aggressively tweeted during the campaign, had been notably muted on Twitter in the final days leading to the election.

Reports suggest that his staff had been managing his Twitter feed to avoid messaging hiccups.

Trumps tweet came after thousands of protesters took to the streets Wednesday and Thursday to protest his victory, his character and campaign rhetoric, which was described as racist, misogynistic and inflammatory.

Critics argued that Trumps tweet came when he should be working to unite the nation after one of the most heated campaigns in modern political history.

By Friday morning, Trumps tweets had changed tone.

Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud! he tweeted early Friday morning.
Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters and campaign staffers in Manhattan the morning after losing the presidential election to Republican Donald Trump. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Amid the wreckage of Hillary Clintons loss, Democrats have started jockeying for control of the national party  and vigorously debating a dramatic course correction in response to Donald Trumps election.

The upcoming choice of a new Democratic National Committee chairman could become an early proxy fight between the establishment wing of the party, embodied by Clinton, and the partys more liberal members, many of them aligned with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the partys runner-up in the Democratic primaries.

Sanders and other liberal lawmakers and advocacy groups say the DNC needs to be reimagined as less of an insiders club focused on raising money and more of an advocate for the working-class voters won over Tuesday by the Republican president-elect.

With Clintons loss, the DNC chairman is certain to become a more visible face of the Democratic Party, and the contest to replace interim chairwoman Donna Brazile now appears to be a wide-open affair. Brazile stepped in for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), who announced her resignation in July after the release of a trove of hacked emails that suggested that the DNC was aiding Clinton in preference to Sanders in the primaries.

Had Clinton won Tuesday, she would have been expected to name a political ally to head the DNC.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) speaks during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg News)

[A series of strategic mistakes likely sealed Clintons fate]

The candidate garnering the most early attention is Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), a co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a favorite of liberal advocacy groups and a Muslim  a fact that his supporters argue would send a strong signal about the partys diversity during Trumps tenure.

Support for Ellison has extended beyond his liberal base; already backed by Sanders, he won the endorsement Friday of Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is expected to be the next Senate minority leader.

Ellison plans to announce his bid for the chairmanship Monday.

Sanders said he thinks a DNC preoccupied with raising large sums of money from wealthy donors was partly responsible for Tuesdays loss.

You cant tell working people youre on their side while at the same time youre raising money from Wall Street and the billionaire class, Sanders said. The Democratic Party has to be focused on grass-roots America and not wealthy people attending cocktail parties.

On a conference call Saturday between Clinton and her top donors, her finance director, Dennis Cheng, said Clintons fundraising operation had raised $972 million for her campaign, the DNC and state parties. Of that amount, 56 percent was generated by the people on this call, Cheng said.

Former Maryland governor Martin OMalley participates in a Democratic presidential primary debate in Iowa in November 2015. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)

In total, the campaign held more than 1,500 fundraisers, of which Clinton attended nearly 400 herself, and more than 3 million people made donations, Cheng said.

Sanders acknowledged the need for the party to continue its function as a fundraising vehicle but suggested a model akin to his presidential campaign, which raised much of its money from small-dollar donors.

Millions of people are willing to put in 20 bucks, 30 bucks, 50 bucks if theres a party to believe in, he said.

His views have been echoed by several liberal groups that are supportive of Ellison.

The Democratic establishment had their chance with this election, said Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. Its time for new leadership of the Democratic Party  younger, more diverse and more ideological  that is hungry to do things differently, like leading a movement instead of dragging people to the polls.

Those more closely aligned with Clinton are cautioning against overreacting to an election in which she appears to have won the popular vote. Among at least eight hopefuls for chairman who have emerged, still others are billing themselves as unifiers between Clinton and Sanders supporters.

Those include former Maryland governor Martin OMalley, who said Friday that he is taking a hard look at seeking the chairmanship. OMalley, who ended his presidential bid after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses, said he thinks he was the second choice of many Sanders supporters and that many Clinton supporters have encouraged him to seek the DNC role.

That puts me in a unique position right now to bridge that divide, said OMalley, who previously headed the Democratic Governors Association. We need to come together. We need to start acting like a party again.

At least four of those hoping to become party chairman are Latino, a sign of that demographics growing clout within the party.

During a conference call Thursday with members of the liberal advocacy group Democracy for America, Ellison said the party needs to become more of a presence in local communities across the country. He argued that television advertising and sophisticated data analysis of voter behavior is no substitute for getting Dems together around a pot of chili and getting to know them.

Already, Ellison has come under fire from some Democrats who argue that their party needs a full-time chairman and that his continuing to serve in Congress would make that impossible.

Former Vermont governor Howard Dean, who served as DNC chairman a decade ago, announced plans to try to regain the position and made the case for a full-time role.

Look, I like Keith Ellison a lot, Dean said during a Friday appearance on MSNBC. Hes a very good guy. Theres one problem: You cannot do this job and sit in a political office at the same time. Its not possible.

That view was echoed Friday by longtime Democratic operative Harold Ickes: I do think theres a very strong argument for a full-time DNC chair, especially for a party out of power.

Henry Munoz III, the DNCs national finance chairman who helped Clinton collect millions of dollars for her campaign, said Friday that he is considering a bid for party chairman but also is in touch with other Hispanic leaders about ensuring that the DNC more properly represents Latino concerns.

The one thing that is abundantly clear is that the Latino community held up their end of the bargain, Munoz said. We did deliver on our promise.

Hispanics accounted for at least 11 percent of all voters on Election Day, according to national exit polls  a one-percentage-point increase from the 2012 presidential election.

Munoz said the participation of Latinos would have been even greater if the party had been more attuned to their concerns in the past four years.

In addition to Munoz, outgoing Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) are said to be considering running for chairman. Munoz confirmed that he is in touch with all of them.

On the basis of the wide interest, I expect our perspective will be presented up front in the talks about the DNC going forward, he said.

I think were a long way from making a pick, he added.

Gallego, 36, a former U.S. Marine corporal who represents most of the Phoenix area, is popular with younger congressional Democrats and is seen as a rising figure in a new generation of Democratic leaders. Becerra, who was an avid campaigner for Clinton, is said to be considering the DNC job now that he will not have an opportunity to serve in a Clinton Cabinet, as he had expected.

Another potential contender eyeing the race is Jaime Harrison, chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party. Harrison said the next DNC chairman should focus far more on helping build the state Democratic parties, including his, across the country.

Theres no party-building thats taking place, he said. It becomes incredibly difficult to recruit candidates.

Jason Kander, who lost the Senate race in Missouri to Roy Blunt (R) on Tuesday, also is considering a run for chairman, according to people close to him.

Some longtime Democrats say the race has probably begun prematurely  particularly as the party is still mourning Clintons loss.

Former national chairman Don Fowler, a fixture in South Carolina, said, I think its somewhat ill-advised for people to get in and try to do all of this during a funeral.

Anne Gearan contributed to this report.
He called global warming a Chinese conspiracy and suggested a big fat dose of it might make frosty days more pleasant. Now the pending arrival of a climate denier to the White House has left scientists and treaty backers around the globe scrambling to reassess the path ahead to save the Earth.

Trumps rise, they fear, will elevate to the highest halls of power a school of thought considered largely fringe in most other corners of the globe: that human activity may not be behind the planets warming. Following his surprise victory, a cloud of anxiety has settled over international observers and negotiators meeting at a United Nations conference in Morocco  where they are trying to hash out details of the Paris Agreement struck last year in which over 190 countries including the United States agreed to cut carbon emissions.

Global leaders see the deal as key to combating potentially planet-ruining impacts, including rising seas that submerge coastal cities or fierce changes in weather patterns that could threaten global food supplies. But Trump has vowed to back out of the treaty  as well as to nix other green initiatives pushed by President Obama.

[What will President Trump mean for science?]

The center of the U.S. pledge is an ambitious promise to reduce the countrys greenhouse-gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. Not only has Trump threatened to step back from the Paris Agreement and the domestic Clean Power Plan, which would drive much of those reductions, but he also wants to fire up domestic coal, oil and gas industries in a manner that might trigger an emissions increase.

That prospect is setting off alarm bells among officials and climate-change experts from Beijing to Berlin.

I think he will be able to delay implementation in the U.S. if he chooses, and I think the rest of the world has to make a decision whether it will slow down or speed up because of this, said Christoph Bals, policy director at Germanwatch and an observer at the U.N. conference in Morocco. This will be the debate we will have in the next couple of months. I hope that most countries will decide to move on, because there are very serious consequences.

As with other of his most polarizing campaign pledges, it remains unclear whether Trump will follow through with his threat. But his selection of Myron Ebell, a well-known climate contrarian, to lead his Environmental Protection Agency transition team suggests Trump may mean business. So far, individuals close to or orchestrating Trumps energy and climate policy appear to have close ties to the fossil-fuel industry and climate-skeptic movement.

A U.S. withdrawal from the treaty, some argue, eventually could lead other reluctant nations, particularly in the developing world, to rethink their commitments. That would be especially true if the United States backs out of a part of the plan involving financial aid to help poorer countries make the transition to cleaner fuels and adapt to climate change.

Many developing-country pledges are conditional on financial support, and if the U.S. refuses to provide its fair share of the funding, the financial resources needed for developing countries to reduce their emissions will not materialize, and many conditional pledges will not be realized, said Robert Watson, a prominent climate scientist at the University of East Anglia who previously chaired the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and who called a Trump presidency a potential disaster for the climate.

One country where the United States stance, if it retreats from the Paris process, could cause difficulties is India, which is quickly hurtling toward becoming a global energy giant like China.

Andrew Light, the former senior climate negotiator at the State Department who led bilateral engagement with India before the Paris meeting and is now a professor at George Mason University, said India is unlikely to pull back from its ongoing domestic energy revamp regardless of what Trump does. But a U.S. pullout could complicate talks by reopening already settled debates, such as how much of the burden developed nations should shoulder.

India might revert back to a claim that developed countries caused this problem in the first place and theyre the ones who should solve it, Light said.

From Morocco, Alden Meyer, director of strategy for the Union of Concerned Scientists, described a new sense of unease at the U.N. conference. But so far, no nation has indicated its will to walk away if the United States does so, he said.

If Trump takes a divergent path, however, remaining nations would quickly need to redraft plans to limit the damage. A pullout, he warned, also could flood into other areas of global diplomacy, leaving Washington with a diminished voice on security, trade and other issues.

Frankly, he said, the other countries at the Morocco conference think the U.S. would be somewhat stupid to be not engaged in this process.

[Trumps victory shocks international climate negotiations]

Several factors may help limit the damage, even if Trumps America bails. One saving grace, observers said, is Chinas increasingly strong commitment to curbing emissions, in part to address a dramatic pollution crisis at home. A week before the U.S. elections, Chinas chief negotiator on climate change, Xie Zhenhua, sharply criticized Trumps position. I believe a wise political leader should take policy stances that conform with global trends, he said.

Said Laurence Blandford, director of international policy analysis at the Center for Clean Air Policy, This is a big opportunity for the Chinese to take leadership and ownership of climate direction, and they may just do that. If the United States does pull out of the treaty, he said, progress would continue but perhaps not as fast as before.

Also helping is that renewable energies such as solar and wind power are becoming dramatically less expensive, to the point where they are competitive with fossil fuels. That means market forces could propel them forward in the United States with or without federal backing.

In addition, Blandford said, international outreach to U.S. states could partially offset the impact of a federal withdrawal from the treaty.

California is not going to stop what its doing on climate change, even if Trump does, Blandford said.

Yet breaking away from the agreement would be no easy task. It came into legal force shortly before the U.S. election, and once a party has joined it, the agreements text states that a nation cannot withdraw for four years. That would seem, on its face, to rule out Trump simply exiting the accord.

However, Trump could guide a response in which the United States withdraws in all but name, pulling the country out of meetings or simply refusing to meet domestic emissions targets. If the Trump administration does not live up to that, the main penalty would be little more than censure and criticism from other countries.

Trump energy adviser Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) also has suggested that the Trump administration might submit the agreement to the Senate for ratification  a vote on which would probably fail.

Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin contributed to this report.

Read more

If youre looking for good news about climate change, this is about the best there is right now

Al Gore offers to work with Trump on climate change. Good luck with that.

Its going to be Trumps world, and not everybody likes it

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Army soldiers move the flag-draped remains of Army Staff Sgt. Kevin McEnroe, of Tucson, Ariz., from a C-17 aircraft at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Nov. 7. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The three Army Special Forces soldiers killed at a Jordanian military base this month were working for a CIA program to train moderate Syrian fighters when they were shot at a checkpoint under still-unclear circumstances, U.S. officials said.

The Nov. 4 slayings of the three soldiers is believed to be the deadliest single incident involving a CIA team since December 2009, when seven officers and contractors were killed in a suicide bombing in Khost, Afghanistan.

The Fort Campbell, Ky.-based soldiers  all members of the 5th Special Forces Group  were killed by a Jordanian soldier at an entry control point to Prince Faisal Air Base near Jafr, in the southern desert about 150 miles south of the capital, Amman, according to the officials. The shooter also was wounded in what was described by U.S. and Middle Eastern sources as an exchange of gunfire.

The soldiers, identified as Staff Sgt. Matthew Lewellen, Staff Sgt. Kevin McEnroe and Staff Sgt. James Moriarty, were among roughly 2,000 U.S. troops working in Jordan while participating in the U.S.-led campaign fighting the Islamic State. Some of the troops have been assigned to mobile artillery units along the Jordanian border while others assist CIA-led training programs for Syrian opposition fighters.

The CIA declined to comment on the shooting incident or on the soldiers possible role in agency programs.

What prompted the week-old shooting remained unclear, as U.S. and Jordanian officials have painted different narratives of the incident.

The FBI is investigating the possibility of a terrorist attack, but it has not discounted the possibility that the deaths could have been the result of a mistake at the gate, said a U.S. defense official who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

But Jordanian investigators say the evidence so far points not to a deliberate attack but to a chain of unfortunate events, according to a senior Middle Eastern security official briefed on the results of an internal Jordanian probe.

According to Jordanian accounts, the incident began with the accidental discharge of a weapon inside one of the Americans Humvees as a small convoy was preparing to enter the base following a training exercise with Syrian opposition fighters, the Middle Eastern official said. In the ensuing confusion, shots were fired at U.S. personnel, some of whom got out of their vehicle to take cover.

Security was heightened at the time, amping up the adrenaline among a guard force trained to respond rapidly to perceived threats, the official said. Investigators have found no evidence suggesting a deliberate targeting of the Americans, he said.

The incident took place five months after six Jordanian border guards were killed in a suicide-car bombing near the Syrian border. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack. Last November, a Jordanian police officer shot and killed two American contractors and three others inside a police training center near Amman.

Jordan has reacted defensively in the past to allegations that its citizens deliberately targeted Americans. The moderate Sunni Arab country relies heavily on U.S. military and economic aid, and works closely with U.S. intelligence agencies, making it a prime target for Islamist extremist groups. Years of cooperation between Jordanian and U.S. intelligence services has yielded a string of counterterrorism successes but also occasional disasters, including the 2009 Khost bombing, in which a Jordanian intelligence officer also was killed.

The shooting in Jordan comes on the heels of the deaths of two CIA paramilitary officers killed in Afghanistan, according to U.S. officials. The five deaths mark a period of heavy loss for the clandestine organization and highlights the extent to which the United States  having sidelined much of its conventional forces in the fight against the Islamic State and other militant groups  increasingly relies on a combination of drones, special operators and CIA paramilitary forces to wage its wars around the globe.

The deaths of the three soldiers also provide a rare window into the CIAs practice of detailing U.S. troops and special operators for clandestine missions. The 5th Special Forces Group previously had been deployed to Jordan in 2013 to train members of the Pentagons Syrian train-and-equip program, but the missions scope was severely curbed in the past year as it failed to produce large numbers of trained fighters willing to take on only the Islamic State.

The CIAs program, on the other hand, allows its trainees to fight both Syrian government forces and the terrorist group.

There have been at least two previous instances of service members dying while working for the CIA since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Ross Chapman was a Special Forces soldier detailed to the agency in 2002 when he was killed alongside CIA paramilitary officers in eastern Afghanistan, as was Marine Maj. Douglas Zembiec, who was killed during a shootout in Baghdad in 2007.

In both cases the men eventually were awarded stars on the CIAs memorial wall. Located in the CIAs front foyer, it tallies those who died serving the agency. It is unclear if the soldiers who died last week will receive similar recognition; the CIA does not always release names that correspond with the stars on the wall.

Adam Entous and Greg Miller contributed to this report.
CHARLESTON -- Kevin Caltry recognizes that "issues so polarizing" have "struck a flame on millions of arguments" in the United States.

But the Charleston Middle School student also thinks "we are in this together" and the country has the resiliency to get through obstacles, just as it has in the past.

He also feels the country's accomplishments were "born and carried on" by "the men and women who fight daily for our freedom."

Those are thoughts Kevin shared in his essay on the topic "The America I Believe In."

He and three other CMS students who were finalists in a VFW-sponsored contest read their essays during the school's annual Veterans Day assembly Friday. Kevin's was announced as the winner.

Second place went to Sam Bickford, third place to Aly Abou and fourth place went to Baley Myerscough.

The finalists were selected from 70 student submissions to the contest that Dale Downs, commander of Charleston VFW Post No. 1592, called "one of the best ever" in the seven years it's taken place at CMS.

Each of the four students received a cash prize and the four essays advanced to district competition in the essay contest.

Friday's assembly also featured other activities that have become traditions during the event's 18-year history.

Veterans who attended as relatives or guests of CMS students were recognized and there were performances of patriotic music by the school's band and choir.

A more recent feature of the assembly continued Friday, as CMS added two veterans to the 10 it's recognized as "honored veterans" over the last few years.

Receiving the recognition Friday were Brian Doty and Don Schaefer, as CMS teacher Robert Lynn said they were selected for their military service as well as their contributions to the Charleston school district.

Doty, a district custodian since 1997, served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and was a member of the Naval reserves.

Schaefer worked as an administrator in the school district and at Eastern Illinois University and was also a member of the Charleston school board. He served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956 and was a reserve member for six years.

Other Veterans Day activities in addition to the assembly took place Friday, including a panel discussion on military service made up of four veterans.

The panel's members were Schaefer; his son Curt, a National Guard veteran; grandson Wade, who served in the U.S. Army; and grandson McClain, also a National Guard veteran.

CMS started its Veterans Day event the year the state allowed schools to have attendance on some holidays.

District officials chose to have school on Veterans Day and decided to use it as a time to teach students about the meaning of the holiday. The middle school eventually expanded the recognition into the type of event that took place Friday.
Farhiyo Mohamed, right, mother of defendant Abdirahman Yasin Daud, leaves the federal courthouse in Minneapolis where her son was in June convicted of supporting terrorism. (Jim Gehrz/AP)

When Farhiyo Mohameds eldest son was convicted on charges of supporting the Islamic State, her world was upended. It wasnt just that her son was headed to prison; her support system evaporated. Longtime friends in her tightly knit Somali community in Minneapolis stopped visiting, afraid they might be tainted by association.

You call your friend, and your friend says, Dont call me because the FBI is following you,  said Mohamed, a 40-year-old mother of five who escaped war in her home country, survived years in a Kenyan refugee camp and immigrated to the United States in 2003.

Her face had been plastered on the local news. One day this summer, during the height of her sons trial, she was yelled at and called a Muslim terrorist during a trip to the post office.

[How a series of fringe anti-Muslim conspiracy theories went mainstream  via Donald Trump]

On a recent weekend in Reisterstown, Md., Mohamed learned she was not alone. About 60 Muslim Americans whose family members had also been convicted of terrorism charges were gathered at a yearly retreat to share their stories. For many of them, the group has become the only support system they have.

In the decade following 9/11, as an increasing number of terrorism prosecutions cropped up around the country, civil liberties lawyers and activists noticed the need to support Muslim families with members who were targets of counterterrorism investigations. They created a group called the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms and, in 2012, held their first conference.

For a lot of us, it was the very first time we had met, said Mariam Abu Ali, who maintains the innocence of her brother Ahmed, convicted in 2005 of plotting with al-Qaeda to kill President George W. Bush. It was a breath of fresh air, a sense of finally finding the support that we had been seeking all along.

Abu Ali said she had heard of many terrorism cases in Virginia, where she lived at the time, but it wasnt until the conference that she realized how many others were in her familys situation.

At the retreat, families participated in moderated discussions on different issues, including the criminal justice system. Many families shared their concern that their husbands and sons were entrapped by the government because paid informants were used to build cases against them.

Are we being treated as equal citizens as Somali Americans? asked Harun Abdurahman, a senior in high school who was at the retreat with his father, Yusuf Abdullah. His brother, Zacharia Abdurahman, was one of the six men who pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State in the Minneapolis case. Abdurahman said there should be educational programs for young men such as his brother, not prison sentences.

I come to the conference to listen [to other people], said Nadia Alessa, whose son Mohamed Alessa was convicted of conspiring to travel to Somalia to join the militant group al-Shabab. She was attending the retreat for the fourth time. Some hurt more than I do. My son got 22 years, but some have life sentences.

They also discussed the stigma of terrorism.

I felt shunned by my Pakistani community, said Shaheena Siraj, who lives in Jackson Heights, Queens, and whose son Matin was convicted of conspiring to plant explosives in a Manhattan subway station.

Many of my close friends dont associate with me anymore, said Yusuf Abdullah, 50, tall and thin in a purple flannel shirt. After his sons plea, he said, he felt the communitys support withdraw.

The word terrorism terrifies, he said, adding that his friends and relatives are afraid of calling him because they dont want their phone number to show up on law enforcements radar.

Nida Baker, daughter of Shukri Baker, who was convicted of providing material support to Hamas, said the stigma has even affected her marriage prospects.

Ive had guys who wanted to get to know me better, but they were afraid of the negative association, she said. And even if its not the guy himself, it might be his parents who are wary.

Reem Jayyousi was 16 when her father, Kifah Jayyousi, was sentenced to more than 12 years on a charge of providing material support to terrorists. Growing up in Dearborn, Mich., she struggled to understand why her father was behind bars. She never talked to any of her friends from school about this.

[Social media erupts over Md. state senators message to show love for Muslim, nonwhite students]

I met other kids at this conference, said Jayyousi, now 25, still struggling with the depression that began with her fathers conviction, I am not alone. There are other people like me.

Her depression worsened as she grew older.

In college I had a sleeping problem. Either I was depressed and I would sleep days at a time, or I was depressed and I couldnt sleep at all, she recalled. Whats the point of college? My dad went through college, was well-educated and then went to prison for something he didnt do.

Back home in Minneapolis, Abdullah said he struggles with sleep sometimes. In just a few days, he will attend his sons sentencing. Though the alienation hangs heavily over him, Abdullah has come away from the conference feeling a little less isolated.

It was heartbreaking. We thought we had the worst situation possible, but then I saw what some of the other families were going through, he said, I can relate to them more than I can relate to my own community.

He worries about whats going to happen in court.

But Im happy that my child is here and alive, and not in Syria, he said. Im glad they caught him before he left.
South Koreans from across the country and across generations peacefully took to the streets of the capital Saturday night, calling through songs, shouts and placards for the immediate resignation of their scandal-plagued president, Park Geun-hye.

With as many as 1 million people on the streets of Seoul, it was South Koreas largest demonstration in more than a decade  no small feat in a country with a vibrant protest culture  and it increased the pressure on Park over a widening corruption and influence-peddling controversy.

Most analysts, however, do not expect her to heed calls to quit, especially as neither the opposition nor the ruling party  nor Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. secretary general and potential South Korean presidential candidate  are ready for a snap election.

Still, the message from Saturdays candlelight protest was clear.

I want her to step down. I want an end to her administration and for an entirely new one to come in, said Lee Yu-jin, who had traveled for an hour to Seoul with her husband and 8-year-old daughter. If the wrong leader is elected, this kind of thing can happen. I want my daughter to know that we can take action.

South Koreas president is engulfed in a political scandal with plotlines straight out of a soap opera: rumors of secret advisers, nepotism and ill-gotten gains. (Anna Fifield, Yoonjung Seo, Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

[South Korean president offers to withdraw her prime minister nominee to quell scandal]

The Park administration has been plunged into the worst crisis of its turbulent tenure after news emerged that Park had been taking advice on topics as diverse as North Korea and her wardrobe from a lifelong friend with no policy experience and links to a questionable cult.

The woman, Choi Soon-sil, has also been accused of using her relationship with Park to solicit $70 million in donations for foundations from big businesses such as Samsung, which she is accused of embezzling instead. Choi has been arrested and is being questioned by prosecutors, as are several of Parks close aides.

Although South Korea is no stranger to corruption scandals, this one has infuriated people who think that democracy has been circumvented and wonder whether the country was being run by a shadow president with no experience. They are also angry that the institutions of government  from the prosecutors office to the presidential Blue House itself  not only did not intervene, but seemed to have helped Choi.

Many opposition lawmakers, and even some in the ruling Saenuri Party, are calling for Park to resign, triggering an election within 60 days. She has defied calls to step down, apparently wanting to stay until her term ends in February 2018.

But her efforts to quell the public fury through apologies and reshuffles have not worked. Her approval rating remains at 5 percent, Gallup Korea said Friday, a record low for any president.

[As a bizarre scandal unfolds, South Koreas president depicts herself as lonely]

For the third Saturday in a row, South Koreans turned out in central Seoul, demonstrating within earshot of the Blue House and calling on Park to step down.

Organizers said there were 1 million people at the protest, which had the atmosphere of a carnival. Police put the number at 260,000. Either way, it far surpassed the official estimate of 43,000 people who took part in the previous weeks protest, and also the 80,000 people who took to the streets in 2008 to protest the imports of U.S. beef during an outbreak of mad cow disease.

Tens of thousands of people had arrived by bus from the southern cities of Busan and Ulsan, and about 1,000 people from the southern island of Jeju flew into Seoul on 30 flights.

Student and womens groups, together with labor and farmers unions, had organized rallies in the lead-up to the main demonstration, which featured singers and speeches but none of the violence that has plagued past protests.

There were families with children, including babies in strollers, and people using wheelchairs. Some people sat on mats on the street, waving candles and eating snacks, while others marched toward the Blue House singing a specially written song with the lyrics Park Geun-hye must step down.

This incident has made us reflect on how we havent cared enough about politics and have not been keeping close enough watch on how the government is run, said Kim Wan-kyu, a 34-year-old office worker who joined the demonstration with two friends.

[Here is everything you need to know about South Koreas extraordinary presidential scandal]

Jo Sung-eun, 31, joined the protests for the first time Saturday. I came out in solidarity and in the hope Park will step down as soon as possible, Jo said.

Shes not the president for the people; shes been the president for one person, she said, referring to Choi.

Daniel Pinkston, a professor at Troy Universitys campus in Seoul, said the Choi scandal had become a focal point for other grievances that were simmering in South Korea.

The Choi Soon-sil case is like the last straw, he said. It has energized people to come out with all these wider grievances with labor relations, school fees, unemployment, economic inequality and insecurity.

The presidents office was taking the protests seriously and listening to the publics concerns, a spokesman said. Top aides to the president held meetings Saturday to discuss how to respond to the rally and were expected to convene again Sunday.

As people are furious about scandal, we are carefully watching the situation and trying to figure out a way to deal with it, an unnamed presidential official told the Yonhap News Agency.

Yoonjung Seo contributed to this report.

Read more:

The South Korean political scandal started with a card game in Macau

South Korean president says shes willing to be investigated in corruption scandal

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
The mosquito-borne disease suspected of causing serious birth defects is expected to spread to all countries in the Americas except Canada and Chile and remains a global health emergency, according to the World Health Organization.

The mosquito-borne disease suspected of causing serious birth defects is expected to spread to all countries in the Americas except Canada and Chile, the World Health Organization says.

The mosquito-borne disease suspected of causing serious birth defects is expected to spread to all countries in the Americas except Canada and Chile, the World Health Organization says.

The smell was so bad, it made her eyes water. Georgea Celane, a 34-year-old auditor from northern Brazil, was ordered in March to inspect a warehouse that stored insecticide to fight the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits Zika. When Celane opened the door of the warehouse, a cloud of bats flew out, and she discovered more than 100 boxes of expired insecticide covered in mold and animal feces.

I took some photos and had to get out to breathe, she said.

The warehouse sits on the banks of the Amazon River in northern Brazil. The global Zika outbreak has struck Brazil harder than any other country, with 100,000 confirmed cases and many more suspected, according to the World Health Organization. Zika can trigger microcephaly, a condition that often causes babies to be born with small heads and severe brain defects.

Brazils government has authorized hundreds of millions of dollars to slow the spread of transmissible diseases such as Zika  with $230 million made available to states in the past two years alone. But auditors have discovered that a lot of that money has either been misused by state authorities or not spent.

The reasons vary from mismanagement to cumbersome laws that limit states ability to use the federal money for capital investments and long-term projects. For instance, states can easily buy insecticide but not the machines or vehicles needed to spray them, officials say.

A 1-year-old girl, who has microcephaly, at a therapy session in Brazil. The nation has been hit hard by the world outbreak. (Felipe Dana/AP)

Another factor is at work. Zikas explosive arrival coincided with heightened scrutiny of government spending in the wake of a multibillion-dollar kickback scheme involving the state oil company.

The crackdown has prompted some state officials to be extremely cautious about using federal funds  or not use them at all.

More than half of Brazils 27 states left millions of dollars in federal sanitary vigilance funds sitting in banks in the past two years, according to government audits made public in September.

Its gotten to the point where nobody wants to touch federal resources, said Joao Francalino, planning director of the western state of Acres health agency. His state left 53 percent of the $3.3 million of sanitary vigilance funds in its account untouched. Everyone is afraid they will end up being sued or investigated.

[Zika is spreading and remains a global emergency, according to the WHO]

Brazils Transparency Ministry has nearly doubled its investigations into the use of federal funds by states and municipalities compared with 2014. The steep increase in inspections comes as Brazil has been shaken by the scandal linked to the oil company Petrobras, which has led to the arrests of dozens of politicians and business executives since March 2014. The ministry says that scandal didnt directly lead to its stepped-up enforcement actions, but that it did strengthen the publics demand for accountability.

Earlier this year, the ministry sent dozens of auditors such as Celane to review state use of federal money in the fight against the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits Zika as well as better-known viruses that cause dengue and chikungunya.

In many states, these visits marked the first time health agencies had been audited in nearly 10 years, according to the Transparency Ministrys records.

What the auditors found shocked them. In nearly a dozen states, they discovered overflowing or expired stocks of insecticide in warehouses, according to government audits. In three Brazilian states, conditions were so horrid that the warehouses themselves had become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing local residents chances of getting Zika, the reports show.

In her visit to the warehouse in the northern state of Amapa, Celane said, she found new and expired boxes of insecticide stored together with no clear identification. Both were covered with mold and animal feces.

Amapas health department said in a statement that it could not renovate the warehouse because it was on loan from the federal government, and that state authorities are preparing another location for the insecticide. It denied the newer boxes of insecticide were mingled with expired chemicals.

The Zika epidemic first emerged in 2015, when Brazilian authorities reported an unprecedented outbreak of microcephaly cases. Months later, scientists confirmed that pregnant women who were bitten by mosquitoes carrying the virus had an elevated risk of bearing babies with serious neurological damage. Brazils government rushed experts and insecticide to affected areas, and mobilized hundreds of thousands of soldiers to spread awareness about the mosquito.

[In the face of Zika, Southeast Asia sees grounds for cautious hope]

Although infection rates in Brazil have dropped in recent months, thanks to colder weather, the looming Brazilian summer is expected to bring another wave of cases.

State officials say they want to do everything they can to prevent Zika but are hamstrung by regulations that limit their ability to act quickly and creatively.

If you follow the budget rules to a T, you end up freezing health decisions you need to make. Its a constant battle trying to reconcile the urgency one faces in health agencies with following the law, said Nelson Tavares, the health secretary of Mato Grosso do Sul. The western Brazilian states health agency left 56 percent of available resources to fight the Zika mosquito sitting in the bank, despite suffering one of countrys highest rates of infections transmitted by the mosquito.

Government workers have complained for years that they are restricted to spending the health money only on short-term projects. State officials say they find themselves employing whole teams to determine lawful uses for federal funds.

Regulations arent the only problem. State agencies also sometimes lack the staff and expertise to use the health funds well  and wind up spending the money on anything that is within reach. That has contributed to an overabundance of education and pest-control projects at the expense of more difficult but equally necessary investments, such as care for children with microcephaly and rural home inspections, according to medical experts and local health agencies.

Bruno Brandao, a consultant for Transparency International in Brazil, said it was important to continue the anti-corruption campaign, despite the problems it had inadvertently caused.

We know that there are management problems, but there is a grave corruption problem, too, he said.

If corruption was consistently identified and punished, the rigorous earmarking of federal money wouldnt be as necessary, he said. The government creates controls upon controls to try to solve the problem, but we believe an extensive reform of the justice system, both of its laws and execution, would be a better solution.

The Transparency Ministry said it is aware of the bureaucratic headaches local managers face and is working to look at budgets more holistically during audits, evaluating what the spending accomplished rather than just what was bought.

As much of this money sits unused in bank accounts, the most vulnerable Brazilians bear the brunt of inaction.

Franice Barbosa, a fruit vendor from the outskirts of Brasilia who is expecting her third child, said she had low expectations of the government.

If I get Zika, I wont have financial conditions to care for a developmentally delayed child, and I know that the public sector wont help us, she said. So I put on repellent every single day. I have to prevent it all on my own.

Read more

Here are all the reported cases of Zika in the United States

Scientists are bewildered by Zikas path across Latin America

Zikas terrifying path

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Canadas Liberal government responded rapidly to the election of the fascistic billionaire Donald Trump as US president, proclaiming only hours after the votes had been tabulated that it is eager to cooperate with Trump and his incoming, far-right administration.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau quickly sent Trump his congratulations and in a subsequent phone call invited him to visit Canada at his earliest convenience. Speaking of his Wednesday evening conversation with Trump, Trudeau stated yesterday, It was a brief call, but it was a strong beginning to what is going to be a constructive relationship.

In what the press is describing as a goodwill gesture, Canadas ambassador to the US, David MacNaughton, announced Wednesday that the Trudeau government is prepared to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) if Trump so requests. Throughout his campaign to win the Republican nomination and then the presidency, Trump denounced NAFTA, vowing to scuttle it, if major changes were not made to it in favour of corporate America.

Said MacNaughton, If they want to have a discussion about improving NAFTA then we are ready to come to the table to try to put before the new administration anything that will benefit both Canada and the United States and obviously Mexico also.

The rapid moves to curry favour with Trump could not conceal the fact that the outcome of Tuesdays election has been greeted with shock and trepidation by virtually the entire Canadian elite. Canada relies on the United States for around three quarters of its exports and has been Washingtons closest military-strategic partner on the global stage for the past seven decades. There are deep fears that Trump will pursue a more protectionist economic policy by abandoning NAFTA and the prospective Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), while shifting away from the traditional military alliances, such as NATO, through which the Canadian bourgeoisie has asserted its own predatory interests.

The Trudeau government made no secret of its support for a Clinton presidency. Liberal officials were reportedly in regular contact with Clinton campaign manager John Podesta and other leading Democrats so as to offer advice on the campaign and discuss the agenda of a Clinton-led administration. But Trumps victory forced an abrupt shift, with Trudeau and his government quickly pivoting to offer their support to what will be the most right-wing administration in US history. According to the Globe and Mail, Trudeau issued instructions Wednesday for Liberal MPs not to publicly criticize the president-elect so as to underscore his governments commitment to developing a close partnership with Trump and his administration.

MacNaughton revealed that talks involving Canadian diplomats and leading Trump campaign figures, including Senator Jeff Sessions, were held last month to examine areas for cooperation. Referring to NAFTA, he even raised the prospect of returning to the 1989 Canada-US Free Trade Agreement, NAFTAs predecessor, if Trump chooses to abandon the trilateral pact.

Increased US tariffs and a thickening of the border due to increased security measuresanother Trump campaign promisewould roil the Canadian economy and badly disrupt the cross-border production chains upon which the auto and other manufacturing industries depend. A recent study by the Canadian government trade promotion agency, Export Development Canada, said almost 1 million jobs would be lost if NAFTA were to be abrogated.

Seeking to make the best out of a bad situation, and in response to the rise of economic nationalism around the globe, Canadas government has apparently decided to act preemptively on NAFTA. Its aim is to accommodate Trump, while also voicing corporate Canadas own demands for changes to the 22-year-old tri-lateral trade pact. MacNaughton signaled that in any renegotiation of NAFTA, Canada would be seeking free trade in softwood lumber, a perpetual irritant in Canada-US relations.

The Liberal government is also concerned about Trumps stance on climate change. Over the past year, Trudeau and Obama concluded agreements on clean energy with the goal of exploiting public concern over climate change to boost corporate profits through the development and use of renewable and clean energy alternatives to fossil fuels. Trump opposes such initiatives and this has raised doubts about the viability of Trudeaus plans to implement a carbon tax.

Trumps foreign and defence policies will have a major impact on Canada, whose military is closely integrated with the US armed forces. Trumps America First policy and his sharp criticism of NATO allies for purportedly not pulling their weight in defence spending has caused consternation, because the Liberals recognize that there is no public support for the type of increases Washington is demanding. To meet NATOs target of military spending equal to 2 percent of GDP, Canada would have to double its defence budget to more than $40 billion per year.

MacNaughton responded to questions on whether Trump would be pressuring Canada to hike military spending by emphasizing the Liberal governments willingness to mount aggressive military operations. Some people, when they want to talk about defence, send their accountants out and we tend to send our soldiers out. I think, continued MacNaughton, we have stepped up to the plate in terms of defence and NATO.

Indeed, under the one year-old Trudeau government, Canadian imperialism has continued to expand its already significant role in Washingtons principal military-strategic offensives. The Trudeau government has expanded Canadas role in the Mideast war, by tripling the number of Special Forces deployed to Iraq; pledged 450 troops to lead an anti-Russian NATO brigade in Latvia as part of NATOs encirclement of Russia; and increased Canadas involvement in the Asia-Pacific region as part of the US-led drive to isolate and confront China.

The demand that Canada provide even more support for the US in its drive to assert global hegemony unites the US political and military-security establishments. President Obama, in his speech to Parliament earlier this year, urged the Liberal government to move rapidly towards enacting NATOs 2 percent defence-spending target.

To lay the political groundwork for military spending hikes, greater Canadian involvement in wars of aggression, and Canadas participation in the US anti-ballistic missile shield program, the Liberals are currently conducting a defence policy review.

Nevertheless, substantial sections of the ruling elite have welcomed Obamas and now Trumps criticisms, seeing them as a means of pressing the government to massively hike military spending and rapidly proceed with the modernization of Canadas armed forces, that is, rearmament. In response to a question about Trumps demand US allies shoulder more of NATOs costs, David Perry, an analyst at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, told the Globe and Mail, Weve benefited since the Second World War from a whole number of co-operative arrangements with the United States on defence where the U.S. carries a disproportionate share financially.

More troubling from the standpoint of the Canadian ruling class has been Trumps ambivalence towards NATO, which is seen as critical for asserting Canadian imperialisms interests in Europe and countering Russia, including in the Arctic. The Globe and Mail, which fully endorsed the Democrats right-wing, anti-Russian hysteria during the election campaign, has repeatedly accused Trump of having ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Trudeau governments readiness to collaborate closely with the incoming Trump administration is a devastating exposure of its progressive posturing. In something of a contrast to the more confrontational tone being struck by some European politicians in the wake of Trumps victory, Canadas Liberals are going out of their way to pander to Trump.

Having made the deepening of the Canada-US alliance a key plank of their government, the Liberals are determined not to let the arch-reactionary, demagogue Trump get in the way. In this they are faithfully implementing the agenda of the Canadian bourgeoisie as a whole, which calculates that Canadian imperialism can only advance its rapacious global interests through a close partnership with US imperialism, the most aggressive and destabilizing force on the planet.

Although the vast majority of the Canadian bourgeoisie favoured Clinton, a small but important minority have welcomed Trumps victory, because of his advocacy of massive tax cuts for big business and the rich, privatization, and deregulation. Thus the Financial Post s Kevin Libin penned a column titled Cheer up, Canada, President Donald Trump just might be good for you.

Trumps victory has been welcomed by a large section of the opposition Conservative Party, which is currently in the midst of a leadership race to find a replacement for ex-Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Kellie Leitch, a right-winger who made her name in the previous government for her anti-immigrant positions, including calls for a snitch-line to denounce barbaric practices, is promoting herself as the Canadian Trump. Leitch is advocating all new immigrants be screened for their commitment to Canadian values.

Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose, who has sought to strike a more moderate tone, also embraced the Republican victory, noting that it paves the way for the revival of the Keystone XL oil pipeline project. Ambrose urged Trudeau, who also supports the project, to make its realization a priority now that it has the support of the incoming president, in addition to the Republican-dominated Congress.
Legislation to impose a lifetime ban on any refugees even visiting Australia passed the House of Representatives, parliaments lower house, last Thursday. The Liberal-National government remains determined to get the bill through the Senate despite widespread public opposition to its blatant violation of international law.

The bill bars any adult refugees detained in Australias offshore camps on Nauru or Papua New Guineas Manus Island since July 2013contemptuously described as the regional processing cohortfrom ever applying for any Australian visa. In order to punish them for trying to seek protection in Australia, they will be stopped from ever entering the country, even to visit their children or other family members.

This denial of basic legal and democratic rights flagrantly violates one of the core provisions of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which prohibits signatory countries from penalising or discriminating against asylum seekers, regardless of whether they arrive by means declared illegal by that countrys laws.

The legislation also gives the immigration minister an arbitrary power to lift the ban on selected individuals or classifications of refugeesin the supposed public interestopening the way for political, economic and social discrimination. The lawless character of that power is underscored by decreeing that the minister has no compellable duty to consider exempting anyone from the lifetime ban.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls government is intent on proceeding with the bill despite condemnation by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In a short statement last week, Thomas Albrecht, the UNHCR regional representative described the proposed legislation as deeply concerning.

Seeking asylum is not illegal, Albrecht stated. Refugees need and deserve protection and respect. The basic human right of every person to seek asylum from persecution is not diminished by their mode of arrival. Those forced to flee persecution need and deserve conducive conditions of protection, and a sustainable long-term solution.

According to media reports, the government is hoping to soon finalise a deal with the outgoing Obama administration to swap about 1,800 Nauru and Manus detainees for a similar number of Central American refugees who have been blocked from entering the United States.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the bill must be passed to ensure that any swap does not permit the detainees to eventually enter Australia. What we dont want is if somebody is to go to a third country that they apply for a tourist visa or some other way to circumvent what the governments policy is by coming back to Australia from that third country, he stated.

Any such deal would therefore be based on punishing refugees, barring them permanently from reunifying with family and friends, and overturning the basic democratic right to choose where to live.

Faced with deep popular disgust toward the legislation, the opposition Labor Party cynically decided last Tuesday to vote against it, while emphasising its bipartisan agreement on the basic anti-asylum seeker policy and its readiness to embrace a reactionary swap deal.

Labor leader Bill Shorten said his party maintained a unity ticket with the government on stopping any asylum seekers from ever settling in Australia. Shorten said the unity ticket did not extend, however, to a lifetime ban on tourists.

In essence, Labor has made a tactical shift to head off public outrage, while propping up the underlying framework of militarily repelling refugee boats and indefinitely detaining any asylum seekers who manage to arrive.

In fact, it was the previous Labor government that reopened the brutal Nauru and Manus camps in 2012, accompanied by a lifetime ban on detainees living in Australia. Under that policy, detainees would also be incarcerated for many yearsas long as refugees languished in camps in the Middle East and elsewhereto remove any incentive for asylum seekers to try to reach Australia by boat.

As a result of Labors latest tactical ploy, and the earlier stated opposition of the Greens to the bill, the government needs the support of eight of the ten other remaining senators (crossbenchers) for the legislation to pass the Senate.

The depth of the popular sentiment, however, has also provoked a rift in Senator Nick Xenophons team, which holds three Senate seats. Xenophon, a right-wing nationalist, has said he cannot guarantee the support of his two Senate colleagues for the bill.

This situation reflects the wider precariousness of the government, which only holds 30 of the 76 Senate seats and just a one-seat majority in the lower house.

The Greens welcomed Labors hypocritical stance, with their immigration spokesman Senator Nick McKim calling it a crawl towards a more compassionate approach to refugees. He said it was time for Labor to add some vertebrae to their newly formed spine and reject offshore detention and boat turnbacks.

McKims statement only serves to whitewash Labors record, and the role of the Greens themselves in ensuring the parliamentary survival of the last minority Labor government, from 2010 to 2013, as it imposed the total ban on refugee settlement.

The Labor Party does indeed have a spine when it comes to refugees. It has been a world leader in introducing anti-asylum legislation. In 1992, the Keating Labor government imposed mandatory detention of all asylum seekers, setting a global precedent. And it was the last Greens-backed Labor government that initiated the practice, which the Coalition government continues today, of forcibly returning Sri Lankan asylum seekers to face possible torture, imprisonment and death.

Labors face-saving stance was also heralded as a step forward by the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC), whose spokesman Ian Rintoul is a member of the pseudo-left state-capitalist group Solidarity. The RAC said: Labors stance makes it almost certain that Turnbulls bill will be defeated. It is a welcome first sign that the days of bipartisan support for offshore detention are ending.

This claim seeks to sow deadly illusions in Labor, and to divert the opposition of broad layers of working, professional and young people back into the hands of the parliamentary establishment.

Meanwhile, with Labors full support, unknown numbers of refugee boats are being intercepted at sea by the navy and either turned around with barely enough supplies to reach land or their passengers are transported back illegally to their country of origin. All this is being done behind the backs of the Australian population, under the cover of military secrecy.

The number of people trying to flee to Australia, and other countries, will only grow as the global refugee crisis deepens, driven by the escalation of violence and war across the Middle East by the US and its allies, including Australia.

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The search for a missing Texas teen  whose family was found slain in their home earlier this week  came to an end Thursday with the discovery of her body, PEOPLE confirms.

An AMBER Alert was issued for 16-year-old Kirsten Fritch after police discovered both her mother and sister dead in their home in Harris County, Texas, on Tuesday morning, authorities said in a statement.

Police said Cynthia Morris, 37, and her 13-year-old daughter, Breanna Pavilicek, had been shot.

On Thursday, Kirstens body was found behind a bar in a wooded area in Galveston County, Texas, according to Baytown, Texas, police Lt. Steve Dorris. Her body was discovered by a volunteer on an ATV helping comb the area in a community search.

The day before their discovery, Kirstens 21-year-old boyfriend, Jess Dobbs, was arrested outside that same bar. The owner told KPRC 2 that Dobbs was barefoot and covered in sweat.

He was charged with resisting an arrest and is a person of interest in all three killings, Dorris says.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

There is no known motive, Dorris tells PEOPLE. Dobbs refused to speak to police and asked for an attorney.

Kirstens grandmother Barbara DeRamus told KHOU that Dobbs and Kirsten met online.

DeRamus said he moved into the familys Baytown home a few weeks ago  against her mothers disapproval.

He just seemed like a low-life, DeRamus told the station. I thought, What was Kristen doing with this idiot?  (DeRamus could not immediately be reached by PEOPLE.)

Police have not yet charged Dobbs with murder in the three killings, Dorris says.

It was not immediately clear if he has entered a plea to his resisting arrest charge or actually retained an attorney after requesting one. He remains in custody.




UK record label Defected kicked off its first Croatia festival this August with performances from top house DJs. The imprint is back with a new lineup for next year's follow-up event, tapping the likes of MK, Todd Terry, Dennis Ferrer and more to grace the festival's stages.

Where Is the Next Ibiza? 5 Contenders -- From Mykonos to Croatia

For six days straight, dance music devotees will witness rousing performances interspersed throughout the island from main stages and beach performances to live sets and parties on boats. Simon Dunmore, Man Without A Clue, Deepah Ones, and a slew of other artists will join the star-studded affair along with Defected's own signees Sonny Fodera, Sam Divine, Franky Rizardo and Luke Solomon.

See the full lineup below. The event will be held from Aug. 10-15. Early Bird festival tickets are available for purchase here.
The U.S. housing market has recovered substantially since the housing crisis. The improvement, however, has been uneven, and in many U.S. cities housing markets continue to struggle. In some, property values and foreclosure rates have even worsened. In such cases, many homeowners find they have no choice but to abandon their property.

Property data company ATTOM Data Solutions compiled information provided by mail carriers in some 26,000 zip codes. 24/7 Wall St. combined zip code data to gather housing characteristics for more than 5,000 U.S. cities -- including vacancy rates. Nationwide, an estimated 1.6% of all residential properties have been flagged as vacant by mail carriers, according to recent figures released by real estate data tracking firm RealtyTrac.

ALSO READ: The Drunkest City in Each State

Indian Rocks Beach, Florida leads the nation in vacancy with 26.1% of housing units flagged as abandoned. Blackwell, Oklahoma rounds out the 20 cities with the highest vacancy rates with 10.0% of homes abandoned.

A significant share of these housing markets are part of metropolitan areas in the Rust Belt -- suburbs in and around cities like Detroit and St. Louis, as well as smaller cities like Gary, Indiana. These are places that lost hundreds of thousands of jobs - and consequently residents -- as the U.S. manufacturing sector declined in the second half of the last century.

Daren Blomquist, senior vice president at ATTOM Data Solutions, spoke to 24/7 Wall St. Places like Gary and Detroit are areas which over the last few decades have experienced a decrease in population, and an outflow of population means you end up with an oversupply of housing. Blomquist added that in these Midwestern cities, a disproportionately large share of available properties are older -- built in the 1950s and 60s. They are therefore less desirable to potential buyers and more likely to remain vacant as a result.

The subprime housing crisis took a toll on much of the American housing market. But while many U.S. cities have recovered by this point, a number of cities on this list have not. Poverty and home values in these cities remain similar to levels during the crisis -- or worse. In a number of Detroit-area towns on this list, for example, home values are more than 40% below their values five years prior. Blomquist explained, Theyve been left behind by the housing recovery that many other parts of the country have experienced.

Story continues

As further evidence of the link between poor economies and home vacancy, more than half of the 20 cities on this list have poverty rates at least double the national rate of 15.6% of the population.

To identify the 20 cities with the highest vacancy rates, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the percentage of residential properties flagged as vacant by postal carriers in 26,864 zip codes provided by Attom Data Solutions as of the end of the third quarter of 2016. We aggregated zip code data to the city level by combining housing characteristics for zip codes located in U.S. cities. Cities with fewer than 2,500 residential properties were excluded from our analysis. It is unusual for postal carriers to flag vacation homes as vacant. However, we attempted to eliminate the towns where vacated homes were likely second homes and not truly abandoned. Foreclosure rates, the percentage of vacant properties with open loans, in foreclosure, and bank owned were also provided by Attom Data Solutions. Social and economic data, including population estimates, poverty rates, median household income, and median home values are five-year averages through 2014 from the U.S. Census Bureaus American Community Survey (ACS). Population and home value changes were calculated using five-year averages through 2009. These are the latest and most accurate data for the cities reviewed.

These are 20 American ghost towns.

20. Blackwell, Oklahoma

> Vacancy rate: 10.0%

> Vacant properties: 363

> 5 yr. population change: -3.5%

> Median home value: $48,600

In the town of Blackwell, Oklahoma about one in every 10 homes are vacant. Founded in the late 19th century, Blackwell thrived due to its location on the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway. The town operated as a trading hub for a variety of agricultural products. At one point, Blackwell was home to a variety of companies and manufacturers, including several glass factories. According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, the town's population peaked in 1960 at 9,588 but then began to decline. As of the 2014, the town had just under 7,000 residents.

As is the case with so many towns with a large share of abandoned residential properties, real estate in Blackwell is inexpensive. The typical home in the metropolitan area costs just $48,600, less than a third of the national median home value of $175,700.

19. Coffeyville, Kansas

> Vacancy rate: 10.1%

> Vacant properties: 474

> 5 yr. population change: -2.1%

> Median home value: $56,100

Coffeyville, Kansas located just north of the states border with Oklahoma, has one of the highest shares of vacant properties in the country. A high share of vacant properties can be indicative of several social and economic struggles. In Coffeyville, nearly one in four residents are poor, a far larger share than is typical nationwide.

The town was once home to a number of companies and establishments, although it was best known for its brick and glass industries. Ball Brothers Glass Factory and Mason Fruit Jar Company, among others, once operated in the area. Most of these factories closed in the early 1900s. While this may have been a burden on the local economy, the citys population continued to rise, peaking in 1960 with 17,382 residents. The city is now home to only about 10,000 residents.

18. Okmulgee, Oklahoma

> Vacancy rate: 10.2%

> Vacant properties: 522

> 5 yr. population change: -1.7%

> Median home value: $64,700

More than one in 10 homes in Okmulgee, Oklahoma are vacant, a far greater share than the 1.6% vacancy rate nationwide. As is typical in areas with a large share of abandoned homes, Okmulgee is an economically depressed area. More than 28% of area residents live at or below the poverty line, well above the 15.6% national poverty rate.

ALSO READ: The Next 14 States to Legalize Marijuana

Things may be turning around for the eastern Oklahoma city, however. Currently, there are more than a dozen projects in the works to revitalize the Okmulgee downtown area, which could attract new residents and employment opportunities. And while property values in most cities with exceptionally high home vacancy rates have been plummeting in recent years, the typical Okmulgee home has appreciated 6.4% in the last half decade.

17. Fairfield, Alabama

> Vacancy rate: 10.4%

> Vacant properties: 403

> 5 yr. population change: -4.0%

> Median home value: $94,900

As is often the case in towns with a high vacancy rate, property in Fairfield is relatively cheap. The typical area home costs $94,900, roughly half of the median home value of $175,700 nationwide. Areas with high vacancy rates and cheap home values are also typically economically depressed and impoverished. About one in four Fairfield residents live at or below the poverty line, significantly worse than the one in six Americans who do nationwide.

Perhaps in part because of the citys declining population and tax base, Fairfield -- a city of about 10,000 people -- is in dire financial straits and on the verge of bankruptcy. In an attempt to avoid Chapter 9, the city council recently voted unanimously to disband the city's police department. Further exacerbating the citys economic woes has been the recent loss of major retailers. With Wal-Mart, Sears, and Kmart all leaving the area recently, the city's sales tax revenue further declined.

16. Breckenridge, Texas

> Vacancy rate: 11.2%

> Vacant properties: 298

> 5 yr. population change: 1.2%

> Median home value: $56,300

Few U.S. cities have a higher home vacancy rate than Breckenridge, Texas. More than 11% of area homes are effectively abandoned, a far larger share than the comparable 1.6% national share.

While in many U.S. cities with high vacancy the population is rapidly declining and property values are plummeting, Breckenridge is an exception. In the last half decade, the citys population has increased slightly, by 1.2%. Improvements in the housing market have been even more dramatic. The typical area home is now worth nearly 12% more than its value five years ago. These trends suggest conditions may be improving in the north Texas city.

15. Holdenville, Oklahoma

> Vacancy rate: 11.5%

> Vacant properties: 312

> 5 yr. population change: 4.6%

> Median home value: $53,300

While prisons provide relatively high paying jobs, they are often detrimental to local economies.

The Davis Correctional Facility, which opened in Holdenville, Oklahoma in 1996, does not appear to have helped its home city very much. More than one-quarter of area residents live at or below the poverty line, well above the 15.6% national poverty rate. Additionally, 11.5% of area homes are effectively abandoned, the highest vacancy rate in Oklahoma.

For some remaining Holdenville residents, homeownership has become slightly more profitable in recent years. The typical area home is worth $53,300 today, up 9.2% from five years ago. Over that same period, area population is up by 4.6%.

14. Harvey, Illinois

> Vacancy rate: 11.8%

> Vacant properties: 1,095

> 5 yr. population change: -9.9%

> Median home value: $81,000

More than 1,000 homes in Harvey, Illinois have been abandoned, or nearly 12% of all area homes. The citys exceptionally high vacancy rate has likely exacerbated housing market problems in Harvey as home values have been plummeting in recent years. The typical area home is worth $81,000, 19.4% less than its value five years ago. Due in large part to declining property values, roughly one third of homes in Harvey are worth less than what is owed on them. As is often the case in areas with declining home values and high vacancy, people have been leaving the city. Over the last five years alone, Harveys population is down by about 10%.

The Chicago suburb municipality is facing financial hardship. According to findings of a recent audit, the city is on the brink of insolvency, likely the result of mismanagement.

13. East St. Louis, Illinois

> Vacancy rate: 11.8%

> Vacant properties: 2,105

> 5 yr. population change: -8.1%

> Median home value: $57,000

East St. Louis, situated across the Mississippi River and the Missouri state border from St. Louis, has a higher share of vacant homes than any other city in Illinois. There are well over 2,000 abandoned homes in East St. Louis, or nearly 12% of all residential properties in the city. To many of those living in the city, homeownership may be more of a financial liability than a boon. Due to declining property values -- home prices dropped 7.3% in the last half decade -- more than 8% of East St. Louis homeowners owe more on their home than the property is worth.

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A shadow of its former self, the city is one of many to struggle due to the manufacturing sectors decline in the second half of the 20th century. The city lost more than 13,000 jobs between 1960 and 1987, largely due to plant shutdowns. The resulting urban decay led the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to at one point name East St. Louis the most distressed city in America. The city is now home to only 27,000 people, down from a peak of more than 82,000 in 1950. In the last five years alone, the citys population shrunk by 8.1%.

12. Marlin, Texas

> Vacancy rate: 11.9%

> Vacant properties: 320

> 5 yr. population change: -0.7%

> Median home value: $52,200

Marlin has a higher share of abandoned homes than any other city in Texas. Roughly 12% of homes in the area are vacant, a far higher share than the national home vacancy rate of 1.6%. Poor infrastructure in the central Texas town is likely not helping solve regional vacancy. The citys water plant failed on Thanksgiving Day last year, leaving residents without tap water for a week. At a city council meeting earlier this year, residents pleaded with officials to address the citys crumbling roads.

Like many U.S. cities with high vacancy rates, many Marlin residents are likely struggling. Well more than a third of area residents live at or below the poverty line, more than double the national poverty rate. Additionally, the median home value in the area is only $52,200, less than a third of the value of a typical American home.

11. Ecorse, Michigan

> Vacancy rate: 12.1%

> Vacant properties: 515

> 5 yr. population change: -7.6%

> Median home value: $39,200

Ecorse, Michigan is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, and like many towns in the region, it is suffering from economic depression that seems only to be getting worse. The areas already low median home value of $74,400 in 2009 fell to just $39,200 by 2014. Of the more than 4,800 towns and cities with available data for 2014, Ecorse is one of just 10 for which the typical home costs less than $40,000. About 29% of city residents live in poverty, nearly double the national poverty rate.

As is often the case in areas with a weak economy and inexpensive homes, Ecorses population is declining and a high share of its homes are vacant. The citys population of 9,401 is down from 10,171 five years earlier, a 7.6% drop. About 12% of property in the area is vacant.

10. Inkster, Michigan

> Vacancy rate: 12.4%

> Vacant properties: 1,143

> 5 yr. population change: -8.4%

> Median home value: $51,700

An estimated 12.4% of homes in Inkster, part of the greater Detroit metropolitan area, lie vacant, more than seven times the national vacancy rate. As is frequently the case in areas where a large share of property is abandoned, the Inkster housing market is clearly struggling, and conditions appear to be getting worse. In the last five years alone, the areas median home value fell from $96,700 to $51,700, each well below the corresponding U.S. values at the time.

An areas housing market is usually closely tied to its economy, and Inkster, like much of the Detroit region, is in dire economic straits. Across the country, 15.6% of the population lives at or below the poverty line. In Inkster, a whopping 37.0% of the population does.

9. Detroit, Michigan

> Vacancy rate: 14.3%

> Vacant properties: 37,771

> 5 yr. population change: -24.1%

> Median home value: $45,100

There are approximately 38,000 vacant properties in Detroit, by far the most of any U.S. city. This is more than double the combined vacant properties in Baltimore and St. Louis, which have the second and third most abandoned residences, respectively. Detroits long-term economic struggles, with the decline in regional auto manufacturing representing just one of the citys problems, has led to a long-term population loss. Since peaking in the 1950s, the greater Detroit areas population has dropped by half.

The housing market collapse of a few years ago appears to have further exacerbated Detroits population drain and weakened housing market. Over the past five years, Detroits population fell from about 916,000 to under 700,000. In 2009, the typical home in Detroit cost $85,400 compared to a national median home value of $185,400. By 2014, the median Detroit home price fell by nearly half to just $45,100, compared to a national median value of $175,700.

8. River Rouge, Michigan

> Vacancy rate: 14.5%

> Vacant properties: 491

> 5 yr. population change: -10.6%

> Median home value: $36,800

Within commuting distance of Detroit, River Rouge is one of many Rust Belt cities with a dwindling population and a near-nation leading home vacancy rate. There are 491 vacant homes in River Rouge, Michigan, equal to nearly 15% of all homes in the area. In the last five years, the city has lost 10.6% of its population, and home values have plummeted by 43.6%.

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Much like Flint, Michigan, roughly an hour to the north, River Rouge residents are currently living amidst an environmental and public health crisis. There are more than 50 major industrial operations in the city, including a coal-fired power plant that discharges more sulfur dioxide than is allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency. As a result, air quality in the area is poor, and residents are suffering. Michigan has the highest asthma incidence in the country, and in the Detroit metro area, which includes River Rouge, asthma is roughly 33% more common than it is statewide. The areas health issues may have contributed to its persistent high regional home vacancy.

7. Brigantine, New Jersey

> Vacancy rate: 15.2%

> Vacant properties: 1,681

> 5 yr. population change: -25.8%

> Median home value: $369,700

While Brigantine was voted one of the best places to live in New Jersey by New Jersey Monthly in 2008, in recent years the town has suffered from economic decline and population loss. Brigantine is an island city off the New Jersey coast, and in 2012 it was hit particularly hard by Superstorm Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record. Brigantine sustained substantial property damage, with the value of a typical home falling by roughly $80,000 since 2009. As a result of the decline in property value, 9% of all homes in Brigantine have underwater mortgages, meaning they owe more on their homes than the market value of their property. Nationwide, fewer than 1% of all homes have underwater mortgages.

6. Highland Park, Michigan

> Vacancy rate: 15.2%

> Vacant properties: 2,128

> 5 yr. population change: -25.1%

> Median home value: $39,100

Highland Park is one of many Michigan towns on this list which have been gutted by employment declines in the the Detroit region. Highland Park was hit especially hard. More than 15% of area homes have effectively been abandoned, and the area lost more than a quarter of its population in the last five years. Highland Parks high vacancy rate is punctuated by rapidly declining property values. The typical area home is worth only $39,100, or about 44% less than its worth in 2009.

As is the case in many areas with high vacancy rates, municipal services are facing serious fiscal stress. The citys school district faced a $7.8 million budget shortfall at the end of its 2016 fiscal year and was forced to close the local high school at the end of the 2015 academic year.

5. Flint, Michigan

> Vacancy rate: 15.5%

> Vacant properties: 8,992

> 5 yr. population change: -12.1%

> Median home value: $36,700

Home to roughly 200,000 people at its peak in 1960, Flints population has since declined by nearly half. The city is now home to just over 100,000 people, about 12% fewer than only half a decade ago. The mass exodus has had serious implications for Flints housing market. More than 15% of area homes have effectively been abandoned, and property values have plummeted by 43.1% over the last five years.

Flints population decline and high vacancy rate are largely the byproduct of steep declines in the areas once vibrant auto manufacturing sector. General Motors previously had multiple plants in the city, employing more than 82,000 people at peak in 1955. The number of GM employees declined steadily through the decades, and as of 2008, GM employed only 7,100 people in the area. More recently, the city received national attention due to lead contamination in its water supply. Population declines resulting from this public health crisis are not yet known.

4. Greenville, Mississippi

> Vacancy rate: 15.7%

> Vacant properties: 883

> 5 yr. population change: -7.6%

> Median home value: $76,200

Greenville is located in the Mississippi Delta, a floodplain along the Mississippi River in the northwest part of the state. While the Delta once flourished with prosperous agriculture and low-tech manufacturing sectors, foreign competition and mechanization in recent years have led to economic decline, and job and population losses. The Deltas population is close to half of what it was in 1940, and in the last five years the number of Greenville residents has fallen from 36,264 to 33,518. Like in many rural towns, residents are likely leaving for denser, more urban cities. An estimated 15.7% of residential properties in Greenville have been left vacant, approximately 10 times the national vacancy rate.

3. Gary, Indiana

> Vacancy rate: 20.3%

> Vacant properties: 6,505

> 5 yr. population change: -17.9%

> Median home value: $65,500

Once the second largest city in Indiana, Gary is one of many Midwestern towns whose industrial economy has declined as cheap steel from outside of the country reduced demand for U.S. steel. The population has fallen by more than 55% since its 1960 peak. Today, more than one in five homes are vacant, the third largest such share of any city or town in the country. Over the five years ending in 2014, real estate values fell from $69,400 to $65,500. At the same time, poverty also rose from 33.4% to 38.7%, likely hurting area home values. The price of a typical home in Gary fell by 5.6% over the same period. More than one out of every 200 properties are in foreclosure.

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2. Shenandoah, Pennsylvania

> Vacancy rate: 21.3%

> Vacant properties: 692

> 5 yr. population change: -3.6%

> Median home value: $31,900

Following the discovery of anthracite coal in the southern part of town in the early 19th century, Shenandoah became instrumental in meeting coal demand at the time. The city grew into one of the most diverse economies in Pennsylvania, finally incorporating in 1866. After cheap natural gas and other sources of energy began to reduce the demand for coal a more than a century later, however, mines became less profitable and many started to close. Like the majority of small mining towns in the Pennsylvania coal region, Shenandoah entered economic decline. The population today is less than one-fifth of what it was in 1910, and it has shrunk by 3.6% over the five years ending in 2014. An estimated 21.3% of all residential properties in Shenandoah today are vacant, the second largest share in the country.

1. Indian Rocks Beach, Florida

> Vacancy rate: 26.1%

> Vacant properties: 1,403

> 5 yr. population change: -19.4%

> Median home value: $385,100

Indian Rocks Beach is the only city in the country where more than one in four residential homes are vacant. However, the city shares some characteristics with a number of popular vacation destinations where vacancy rates are also relatively high. For example, Indian Rocks Beach has oceanfront access and relatively high property values.

Though some of the citys 1,403 vacant homes may be vacation properties, there are also multiple indicators to suggest many of these homes have indeed been abandoned. In the last five years, the citys population has decreased by 19.4%, even while the country's population as a whole grew by 4.2%. Additionally, in the last five years, the home values in the region declined by 32.4% over the last five years.

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5 reasons you need to drag yourself out of the house and go see Arrival right now

Its November, people, which means its Quality Movie Season. And one of the best movies in theaters right now is Arrival.

Arrival tells the story of Louise Banks (played by Amy Adams), a linguistics professor whose world is rocked when UFOs appear all over Earth.

Well, TBH, everyones world is rocked, because, ya know, aliens, but Louise is affected more than most. After all, shes the one the U.S. Army sends to try to figure out how to communicate with the tentacle-y creatures.

Arrival is science fiction at its finest. Its also just plain great movie-making at its finest. Here are all the reasons why you gotta book it to your nearest theater and catch a showing stat.

1. OMIGOD, AMY ADAMS, YOU GUYS.

Real talk, we, the movie-going public have been obsessed with Amy Adams since her screen debut in Drop Dead Gorgeous.

Five, count em, five Academy Awards nominations later, (Junebug, Doubt, The Fighter, The Master, and American Hustle for those keeping score at home) and Adams has become one of Hollywoods greatest treasures.

Adams always brings her A-game to the silver screen, but the performance she turns in for Arrival is one of her best.

Shes equal parts hilarious and haunting, a completely believable academic nerd and completely kickass heroine in this role. Sixth times a charm?

2. The supporting cast is also top-notch.

Jeremy Renner plays a theoretical physicist (and a pretty dreamy one at that) and Forest Whitaker plays U.S. Army Colonel Weber, who has a few killer one-liners up his sleeve.

3. The message of Arrival is that smart people can save the world.

Amy Adams Louise is a heroine who doesnt wield artillery or run around showing off her mixed martial arts training. Her weapon of choice is her badass brain. Shes an academic who basically saves the world with her smarts. Hows that for an advertisement for the importance of a quality education?

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Its not often that you see an academic play superhero in a big film but thats exactly what Amy Adams does here (and Jeremy Renner, playing a theoretical physicist, awesomely backs her up).

4. Arrival heralds a new age of Classy Sci-Fi.

With the last few years bringing us Gravity, Interstellar, and The Martian, the Classy Space Movie is clearly here to stay. But were super-hoping that Arrival also makes the Classy Sci-Fi movie a thing, and we start seeing movies about aliens and time travel seriously vying for Oscars alongside all the costume dramas and biopics.

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5. Arrival will inspire you to add to your reading list.

After seeing Arrival, youre going to want to add Ted Chiangs short story collection Stories of Your Life and Others to your reading list, stat (the movie is based on the title story in the collection). We are dying to see what else Chiangs brilliant brain has cooked up.

The post 5 reasons you need to drag yourself out of the house and go see Arrival right now appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Yangon (AFP) - Myanmar's military said its troops killed six people and lost two soldiers in clashes with attackers in Rakhine state on Saturday, in the latest flare-up of violence in the crisis-hit region.

Northern Rakhine, which is home to the Muslim Rohingya minority and borders Bangladesh, has been under military lockdown ever since surprise raids on border posts left nine police dead last month.

Soldiers have killed several dozen people and arrested scores in their hunt for the attackers, who the government says are radicalised Rohingya militants with links to overseas Islamists.

The crisis and reports of grave rights abuses being carried out in tandem with the security crackdown have piled international pressure on Myanmar's new civilian government and raised questions about its ability to control the army.

Authorities have also heavily restricted access to the area, making it difficult to independently verify government reports or accusations of army abuse.

On Saturday the military said it came under fresh attacks in the border region, first by a mob of some 60 people wielding "small guns and swords".

The clash broke out in the early morning during a "clearance operation" in Ma Yinn Taung village in Maungdaw township, according to an army statement.

"In that fight, six dead bodies of attackers along with a gun which the attackers stole on 9 October were retrieved," it said, adding that one soldier also died while others were wounded.

Troops then followed the attackers to nearby Gwa Zone village where they encountered a 500-strong armed mob, the military said.

"The army fought back but the group of attackers was very large and the army had to use two helicopters," the statement said, adding that one officer was killed in the operation.

The resurgence of violence in western Rakhine has deepened and complicated a crisis that already posed a critical challenge to the new administration led by democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

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The state has sizzled with religious tension ever since waves of violence between the majority Buddhist population and the Muslim Rohingya left more than 200 dead in 2012.

More than 100,000 people, mostly Rohingya, were pushed into displacement camps by the bloodshed and have languished there ever since.

International rights groups have repeatedly called on Suu Kyi to carve out a solution for the group.

But Buddhist nationalists at home viciously oppose any move to grant them citizenship, claiming the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh despite their long roots in the country.
This may have been a crazy week, filled with unexpected US presidential election results and lots of Black Friday leaks. But if theres one thing that hasnt changed compared to other weeks is that we have plenty of brand new movie trailers to check out, including fresh clips for Rogue One, and a first video for what will probably be an epic sci-fi masterpiece.

DONT MISS: Best Buy has a great Black Friday Galaxy S7 deal you can use right now

Collateral Beauty

This isnt your action-packed Will Smith movie. Collateral Beauty is a drama about a guy who lost his child, and hes now trying to fix himself by writing letters to concepts including Love, Time, or Death. The movie comes out on December 16th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1tfLWxcEzw

Ghost in the Shell

With all the action this week, we almost missed this new Ghost in the Shell teaser. Its a 13-second clip meant to make us want more. Mission accomplished! The movie launches on March 31st.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uR2BA3MFQE

Pet

Pet is a very, very, freaky thriller. Weve got a terribly deranged guy who kidnaps and locks a woman in a cage. Pet hits cinemas on December 2nd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3MnM0AP4zg

Renegades

Renegades is like George Clooneys Three Kings. Only its happening in Europe, where a team of five Navy Seals decides to hunt for Nazi gold buried at the bottom of a lake in Sarajevo. And it all happens in the mid-90s, in a war-torn country. Yes, we want to see this one when it comes out on February 3rd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl8INGEnrbQ

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The latest trailer for Rogue One brings more footage from the highly anticipated Star Wars film. Weve got crystals, Rebels, Darth Vader, and a Death Star that shoots. Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTl_Tt3dhPw

Solace

Rogue One might be the movie to see on December 16th, but Solace is going to be one other interesting proposition. Its a crime story featuring Anthony Hopkins, Jefferey Dean Morgan, and Colin Farrell. The latter is the bad guy, a criminal, whos being chased by the FBI.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEu7BS8IsuA

The Lego Batman Movie

Will Arnett. The Lego Batman Movie. Need I say more. Ok, fine! Rosario Dawson. Ralph Fiennes. Zach Galifianakis. Michael Cera. Mariah Carey. February 19th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqrQKZlCcjo

Underworld: Blood Wars

Vampires, werewolves, and Kate Beckinsale. Thats what the Underworld saga brought us, and the latest episode of the movie series launches on January 6th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y74du0Ex_g

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Ok, so Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a really annoying movie title. Im already having troubles remembering all of it. But Valerian happens to be Luc Bessons brand new film, set for a July 21st launch date. Its about time traveling and space, lots and lots of space. The cast includes Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Ethan Hawke, John Goodman, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Rutger Hauer, and lots of others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BszXhUjJz00

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Further evidence of the Aaron Sorkinization of American screenwriting, Miss Sloane is a talky, tense political thriller, full of verbal sparring and fiery monologues, undone by a really dumb ending. But that doesnt mean it isnt smart for most of its running time. Constructed like a magic act by first-time screenwriter Jonathan Perera, with tricks up every sleeve that keep audiences guessing, this twisty peek inside the sausage factory of American politics features characters who talk faster than most people think. Plus, its engaging  make that downright electrifying  to watch a female star as strong as Jessica Chastain carry a film about a D.C. lobbyist who risks her reputation for a cause she believes in.

Directed by handsome drama maestro John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and positioned as a cross between Michael Clayton and All the Presidents Men, the movie features morally bankrupt D.C. power players and blackmail scenes set in shady parking garages, making inspired use of genre cliches even as it offers a relatively fresh look at one of the most manipulative forces on Capitol Hill today: the special-interest lobbyist. Considering Chastains ball-busting work here and Sandra Bullocks turn as a ruthless political consultant in Our Brand Is Crisis last year, perhaps some glass ceilings have shattered during this election cycle after all.

Chastain plays Madeline Elizabeth Sloane, a copper-haired, iron-willed political strategist whos always a step ahead of her competition. Its about playing your trump card right after they play theirs, she says up front, tipping her hand a bit too much from the outset  though, like any good con-man caper, the movie still packs the capacity to blindside audiences. While there may be laws governing how lobbyists should operate, Sloane and her comrades at the Cole, Kravitz & Waterman consulting firm are experts at bending them. If swaying malleable congressmen were an Olympic sport, Sloane would be a gold medalist in ethical limbo, driven more by the competition than the causes themselves.

When we meet her, shes spinning a tariff on the importation of palm oil from Indonesia as a Nutella tax, and arranging for a senator to take a cushy research trip to the remote island nation. Its just these sorts of pay-for-play dealings, or the semblance thereof, that have inspired so much scandal around Hillary Clinton and other career politicians lately, and while it may be business as usual in Washington, the public has clearly had enough. Whether that translates into a desire by audiences to see one such wheeler-dealer take a well-calculated swan dive with her own career is another matter.

After successfully killing the Indonesian import-tax bill, Sloane makes a surprising about-face to her employers, rejecting a lucrative offer to represent the gun lobby. She resigns from the firm  leaving behind boss Sam Waterston and protege Alison Pill, both poached directly from Sorkins The Newsroom  and takes an offer to work the other side of the fence on the gun issue with a firm headed by an old-fashioned idealist (Mark Strong).

Taking four of her sharpest colleagues with her, she swiftly makes the scrappy outfit battle-ready, navigating the tricky personalities  and personal agendas  of her new team members, most notably a mixed-race survivor of a high-profile school shooting (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, the movies conscience), whose scruples nicely offset her new bosss anything-goes attitude. The movie makes no issue of the groups diversity, though its yet another bonus in a film with an agenda that has nothing to do with gun control but is more about not underestimating anyone, no matter their color or gender. Heck, even white guys get a chance to shine in unexpected ways here, as Forde (Jake Lacy), the Southern-drawling hustler Sloane sees when she needs a quick fix of intimacy-free sex, gets the chance to demonstrate himself as a man of principles (perhaps the only one in the whole film).

Screenwriter Perera landed a spot on last years Black List with the script, and though it crackles with confrontational exchanges and just enough in-the-trenches color to be convincing, it doesnt yet feel like hes found his own voice. Instead, hes clearly channeling other writers sparring style (though not enough of Armando Iannuccis wit or Paddy Chayefskys bite to deliver anywhere near their quotient of memorable zingers). And yet, as with J.C. Chandors 2011 Margin Call, one gets the sense that actors must not see this kind of material often enough, settling for ersatz Sorkin when its the best they can get.

For Chastain, whos a decade younger than the writer originally imagined, Sloane is an extension of the gender-blind game-changers she has played in Zero Dark Thirty, Interstellar, and The Martian  formidable professionals so capable and determined that their actions have world-changing consequences. Here, behind her dark, talon-like nails and impeccable smoky-eyes makeup, behind her characters shoulders-back confidence and ultra-confident strut, the actress affords tiny glimpses of Sloanes potential vulnerability, popping uppers like Tic Tacs or, in one rare instance, begging a colleague for forgiveness. Even so, the script enigmatically leaves what makes her tick an open question till the end.

While the ending seems antithetical to everything Chastain has shown us about the character, it makes her strong enough to stand up to the high-stakes Senate ethics hearing thats interwoven throughout the film, with John Lithgow as a seemingly above-reproach legislator determined to cleanse the system of such parasites.

But while a few too many plot twists all but elbow the gun control vote out of the picture, including a ludicrously contrived scene in which someone pulls a weapon on one of the members of Sloanes team, the inquest comes to assume far too central a role in the films outcome. Yes, no one is better positioned to destroy Sloane than her former colleagues, but surely they must realize that by going head-to-head, they risk bringing the whole system crashing down around them.

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Alden Ehrenreich admits hes been enjoying doing his homework to prep to play iconic spacefaring scoundrel Han Solo for an upcoming standalone Star Wars film  even when its gotten pretty trippy.

The actor, whos made a name for himself this year with impressive stints in the Coen brothers Hail Caesar and Warren Beattys Rules Dont Apply, landed the coveted role of the beloved smuggler and Rebel  first made famous by Harrison Ford  in a story set before the events of George Lucas original Star Wars trilogy. Ehrenreich won the role over dozens of Hollywood hopefuls after a successful series of screen tests for filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Lego Movie).

The main thing was just getting ready for the screen test, Ehernreich told PEOPLE at the world premiere of Rules Dont Apply at the American Film Institutes AFI Fest. My one screen test was on the Millennium Falcon  which was really cool  with Chewbacca. That was pretty trippy!

After his initial immersion in a galaxy far, far away, Ehrenreichs also gotten a taste of the world of Star Wars fandom, which has further fired him up.

Getting to be around that world, now Ive been around the fans a little bit, and just feeling the love, the real genuine love that people have for this franchise, is really exciting to me, he said. And also, just being able to work on this particular movie, with this character  Thats really the pleasure for me, is the job that I get to actually do on the day-to-day level. Yeah, I just cant wait!

Although the glamorous world of Old Hollywood hes inhabited in both Rules Dont Apply and Hail, Caesar! seems literally light years away from the Star Wars landscape, Ehrenreigh says theres a certain wish fulfillment hes found in each environment.

I think its part of a kind of love that you have for the time period that for me comes from movies, he says. It doesnt come from history books, certainly. It comes from the movies I grew up with and loving were the movies of that time, of that era. So getting to walk into that, almost into the movie in that sense, was really a dream come true  I felt like it was the closest Id ever get to be a part of the kinds of films that made me want to be an actor in the first place.

The as-yet-untitled Han Solo film, which recently cast Atlantas Donald Glover as a young Lando Calrissian, is expected in theaters in 2018.




People wave signs in support of Donald Trump at his election night rally in New York City. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Donald Trumps presidential win took many  including members of his own campaign  by surprise Tuesday night.

But for members of the alt-right, the amorphous, nationalist fringe movement that gained mainstream recognition during the 2016 campaign, the brash businessmans ascension through the Republican primary ranks and ultimately to the presidency was a victory many years in the making.

It was like I was in a bit of a dream last night, Richard Spencer told Yahoo News on Wednesday. It was like a pinch-me moment.

For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback. #Trump  Richard ???? Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) November 9, 2016

Spencer, who runs the National Policy Institute, a Virginia-based white nationalist think tank, is widely recognized as the founder of the alt-right. For Spencer and other members of the movement, Trumps election was more than just a victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

This is a very, very significant victory against virtually the entire American political and media class, said Jared Taylor, another prominent alt-right figure and the founder of the white nationalist magazine American Renaissance.

Trump, Taylor noted, received only two major newspaper endorsements compared to Clintons 57.

And yet he beat the establishment candidate, he said. Shows how completely out of touch American elites are with the people of their country.

Specifically, the people Taylor is referring to are white Americans.

We take it for granted that blacks will vote for candidates who promise good things for blacks. The same for Hispanics as well, he said. Taylor is a self-described race realist, or proponent of the widely-denounced theory that certain races are biologically superior to others, and has advocated on behalf of eugenics.

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You could argue that, for the first time, whites are clearly beginning to vote the way people of other races do  that is to say, in their own interests, he said.

More a loose web of far right ideologues than a cohesive political movement, the alt-right is connected by a shared interest in promoting a white national identity, fueled by the belief that white American culture is under attack.

Even now, alt-right leaders like Taylor are the first to admit that Trump is not one of us. But they are also quick to recognize Trumps campaign as a vehicle for their interests. Among other things, Trump has said he wants to build a massive wall along the U.S.s southern border, deport everyone living illegally in the U.S., and bar all Muslims from entering the country. Even Trumps campaign slogan  Make America Great Again  was interpreted by some as a nod to a time when American culture was less pluralistic.

Building a wall to keep out illegals, sending home all illegals, taking a very hard look at Muslims, ending sanctuary cities, putting an end to birthright citizenship, Taylor said, rattling off Trump campaign proposals that resonate with the alt-right.

Though the average Trump supporter does not identify as a part of the alt-right, a movement that many have never heard of, Spencer and others argue that it was these same antiestablishment viewpoints that ultimately earned Trump such widespread support among white voters.

White middle Americans, wherever they live, had been ignored by politicians of both parties, said Don Black, a former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard and the founder of Stormfront.org, one of the oldest and most popular white nationalist forums on the Internet. Immigration simply wasnt part of the debate because both parties wanted some form of amnesty for illegals. Nor was free trade and globalism. Then Trump threw a monkey wrench into the system.

Black said he couldnt help but take some pleasure in the shock and awe over Trumps victory Wednesday morning.

Taylor compared Trumps presidential win to the similarly unexpected success of this summers Brexit referendum to withdraw the United Kingdom from the European Union. Not only were both considered nearly impossible by pollsters, Taylor argued, but like Brexit, Trumps win is also part of a worldwide reawakening of nationalist sentiment.

Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, surrounded by a group of supporters, was a vocal supporter of Trumps bid for the White House. (Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP)

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a nonprofit that monitors extremist groups in the U.S., said the number of hate groups in the country has shot up dramatically in recent years. The SPLC attributes the proliferation of these groups to a variety of factors, including the election of the countrys first black president and the subsequent projection from the U.S. Census Bureau that, by 2050, whites will be a minority in the United States.

That drove a lot of fear into the hearts of people who were racially conscious, or racist, Ryan Lenz, editor of the SPLCs Hatewatch blog, told Yahoo News. Donald Trump tapped into that fear and stoked that fear.

Lenz said its not quite clear whether Trumps rhetoric riled that fear into racial rage or if this underlying hatred, fear of the other existed before Trump entered the presidential race and propelled his campaign forward.

What is clear is that three days after the election, there is palpable and real evidence that racism is alive and well in this country, Lenz said, referring to the growing list of people who have reported incidents of racially charged violence, harassment and intimidation in the 48 hours after Trump was elected president.

As of Friday evening, the SPLC had counted more than 201 cases of election-related hate speech and intimidation since Trumps win Tuesday, based on news articles, social media posts, and reports submitted through the centers website.

The irony is that  after Obamas election, many people were saying that we were living in a post-racial America, Lenz said. Eight years later, its very clear that we are not.

Trump delivers his acceptance speech after winning the presidency. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

While Trump often eagerly embraced his alt-right fans on Twitter, the support of known white nationalists like Taylor and former KKK leader David Duke attracted unwanted scrutiny to his campaign  forcing Trump to distance himself from some of his more recognizable radical supporters.

But the cold shoulder did little to deter Trumps admirers on the alt-right, whose views have long been relegated to the furthest corners of fringe.

I didnt see a lot of enthusiasm in those disavowals that he gave, Spencer said. But he didnt blame Trump for giving them, either. Ive been alienated from the Republican Party, been alienated from most of politics for most of my career.

Reluctant as the president-elect may have been to take the relationship public, Spencer said, we have this deep connection with Trump that we havent had with any other candidate, and I dont think he can really deny that.

Indeed, its hard to imagine a president other than Trump strongly considering Steve Bannon as his chief of staff, as reports suggest he is. Bannon, the former chairman of the alt-right Breitbart News, helped lead Trumps campaign in its final stages.

Lets be honest, Lenz said. The possibility that Donald Trump will bring extremist figures from the alt-right into his administration is real.

_____

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It took the Obama administration and congressional Democrats nearly two years to design and enact the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the revolutionary and highly controversial program that provides subsidized health insurance to 20 million previously uninsured Americans.

That followed decades of debate and infighting by Democratic and Republican lawmakers, public policy experts and the hospital and insurance industries on the most effective and financially feasible way to go. The fight over Obamacare became so inflammatory that not a single Republican in the House or Senate voted for it on final passage, fearing to invoke the wrath of the Tea Party.

Related: Obamacare--The Biggest Casualty of Trump's Stunning Victory Over Clinton

So its not surprising that in the wake of Republican billionaire Donald Trumps s historic victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton for president last week, Trump and Republican leaders who have long called for the repeal and replacement of Obamacare are now struggling to concoct a workable alternative that wont abruptly strip millions of low and middle-income people of their health care insurance and trigger a revolt.

Trump has begun to drop hints in interviews as to what Trumpcare might look like once he and Congress repeal the heart of President Obamas signature health care program. But for now it is very much a work in progress  and one with an uncertain timetable.

During the campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed repeal Obamacare on the first day of his presidency in January. Republican leaders including House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and House Budget Committee Chair Tom Price (R-GA) laid the groundwork for such action with legislation that could be rammed through the Senate with a simple majority under obscure budgetary rules and a 37-page blueprint of a replacement that reflects the Republicans preference for market-based solutions and reforms of Medicaid and Medicare.

Yet in an interview Friday with The Wall Street Journal, Trump appeared to soften his stand on Obamacare just as he appears to be downplaying some of his other highly controversial campaign pledges, such as barring all Muslims from the country and building a wall along the southern border.

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Related: Obamacare Suffers Another Big Blow as Aetna Pulls Out of 11 States

Trump complained that Obamacare had become so unworkable and expensive that you cant use it. He and other Republicans have cited a 22-percent increase in the average cost of premiums for the coming year and a surge in the number of insurers bailing out of the program as evidence. However, rather than promising instantaneous results, Trump told The Journal, Either Obamacare will be amended or repealed and replaced.

As he did a number of times during the campaign, Trump said he would consider preserving some elements of the Affordable Care Act, including a rule preventing private insurers from denying people coverage because of pre-existing medical problems and another that allows parents to keep their children on their policies until their children turn 26.

I like those very much, the president-elect said in the interview.

Trump said that his sudden change in tone on health care may have been influenced by his post-election meeting with Obama at the White House on Thursday when the president defended his health insurance program and suggested areas of Obamacare that should be preserved.

Related: A Big Problem for Obamacare: How Much Americans Can Afford

I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that, Trump said during the interview at his office in Trump Tower.

Beyond his comments to The Journal and similar remarks in another interview with CBSs 60 Minutes that will be aired in full on Sunday evening, new plans that have begun to appear on Trumps transition website differ from some of his heated campaign rhetoric and are more closely aligned with the mainstream Republican agenda.

For example, the revised health care proposals eliminate any mention of attempting to contain high drug prices by allowing the importation of cheaper brands  an apparent sop to the U.S. pharmaceutical industry that strongly opposes that measure. And the website includes new language regarding modernizing Medicare, a potential nod to congressional efforts to give people vouchers toward buying private health insurance, according to The New York Times.

Trumps election caught many by surprise and caused enormous consternation among health care consumer advocacy groups, medical providers, hospitals and insurers, all of whom have a huge economic stake in the perpetuation of a national health care program that has drawn millions of previously uninsured Americans into the market.

Related: This Obamacare Repeal Plan Cripples State Budgetsand Economies

Many of the most controversial provisions of the Affordable Care Act that Trump and the GOP now want to repeal were all carefully negotiated to meet the conflicting demands of special interests  including mandating uninsured Americans to purchase coverage, requiring employers to provide coverage for their workers, and determining the level of federal tax subsidies for lower-income families to acquire affordable health insurance.

One of the biggest tradeoffs involved the administrations demand for a prohibition against insurance companies discriminating against applicants with chronic health problems or older people with costlier medical needs. The insurers, in the end, went along with that, but only in return for the individual mandate that would force healthier, younger people into the market and lower the insurers overall costs of coverage.

If the Republicans and Trump succeed in tampering with or repealing these and other elements of the legislation, Obamacare will collapse of its own weight. Consumers denied federal subsidies will stop buying insurance on the government-run exchanges. Major health insurers that already have lost millions of dollars by miscalculating or low-balling the premiums they should charge will sharply scale back or end their coverage in many parts of the country. And hospitals and other health providers that have counted on a major increase in insured patients would suffer huge financial losses.

Related: More Bad News for the Remaining Obamacare Co-ops

There is also the question of what will become of the millions of low-income adults who have received health care coverage for the first time under the expanded Medicaid program in 31 states and the District of Columbia  with the federal government picking up 90 percent of the cost under Obamacare.

The notion of abruptly repealing the existing program and implementing a replacement in a seamless fashion without sending the insurance and hospital industries into a panic and rescinding coverage for more than 20 million Americans seems far-fetched at best.

Even if the Republicans give themselves a two-year transition period in which to develop a workable alternative before completely pulling the plug on Obamacare, the experience of the Democrats in negotiating the existing program is an important lesson in the daunting challenges facing Trump.

Still, the president-elect who has spent a career in real estate development and never served a day in public office betrayed little doubt that he could orchestrate such a sea change in federal health care policy and operations without creating widespread hardship for Americans  and a likely political backlash in the 2018 mid-term elections.

Were going to do it simultaneously  itll be just fine, he said during his interview with 60 Minutes.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Istanbul (AFP) - Turkey on Saturday warned its citizens living in or travelling to the United States to be vigilant due to "social tensions" and reported racist attacks following Donald Trump's presidential election victory.

Turkey -- where foreigners are routinely warned to take care due to bomb threats as well as unrest following a failed coup in July -- said its nationals should be careful as protests against Trump continue in US cities.

Ankara advised Turks who "live in the United States or who are planning to travel to the US to be vigilant due to risks linked to current events and social tensions," said a statement on the foreign ministry website.

It warned of the "increase, over the last few days, or verbal or physical aggression of a xenophobic or racist nature across the US".

Turks should notably "not approach zones where demonstrations are growing, take security precautions (and) closely follow news via local media."

The warning from Turkey came as thousands of protestors took to the streets of a number of US cities for the fourth straight day since Trump's shock victory over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's elections.

Ankara regularly condemns "Islamophobic" incidents which it says are increasing in western countries, including in Europe with which tensions have increased since the July coup attempt and subsequent clampdown.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned during a visit to Belarus on Saturday against "intolerance" which he said "is spreading like the plague in some European countries".
MATTOON -- Veterans reflected on their service in Vietnam, Iraq and other deployments as they gathered for the annual Veterans Day parade and ceremony on Friday in Mattoon.

A parade featuring the Mattoon High School and middle school marching bands and many other entries traveled east on Broadway Avenue to Peterson Park.

There, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars held a ceremony in front of the Vietnam memorial. The ceremony included Mattoon poet Penny Osborne reading her original work, "Red Blaze of Fire," about veterans and Rev. Steve Hayes, who is a Vietnam veteran, giving a guest presentation.

"We are so proud of our veterans and their service to our country," Hayes said.

The contingent from the American Legion included Henry Magee, who held a Legion flag during the ceremony. Magee said he served in Vietnam as an heavy equipment mechanic with the Army's 589th Engineer Battalion, repairing armored personnel carriers, bulldozers and other equipment.

Magee said there was a nice turnout for Friday's ceremony and beautiful weather. He said the ceremony is a good way to inform the general public about what the "brotherhood" of veterans has experienced during and after their service.

'I hope they get a little idea of what we have had to go through and how close we are," Magee said.

Vietnam veteran Bill Boyd of Mattoon attended the ceremony and took time beforehand to recall his service in Vietnam with the Army's 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Boyd said he served with a howitzer battery that provided fire support for troops on the front lines. The veteran said he vividly remembers their vehicle antennas whipping leaves in the jungle canopy and causing fire ants to fall down onto him.

"They bit hard. You got used to ducking under those overhead branches whenever you could," Boyd said.

In addition, Boyd noted that the commander of the 11th Armed Cavalry Regiment at the time was Col. George Pattoon IV, the son of the legendary World War II general. Boyd said, "He was the spitting image of his father."

Veteran Craig Koester of Mattoon recalled his service with the Navy Seabees, which include working on construction projects in Iraq in 2006. Koester something he particularly enjoyed most about his service was getting to work on projects for both deployed service members and local civilians, which helped build goodwill.

Koester, who retired in 2013, now serves as a registered nurse with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Mattoon. Koester said experiences of his service in Iraq has helped him connect with young veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who are under his care.

"They tend to open up a little bit more to me," Koester said.
Saturday saw the fourth day of anti-Trump protests in Los Angeles, New York City and major cities across the United States, with demonstrators documenting the election rallies on social media.

In L.A., several thousand demonstrators gathered in MacArthur Park and marched Wilshire Boulevard toward Downtown, with the crowd growing in numbers along its route. The chants ranged from, "This is what democracy looks like" to "Black Lives Matter."

Many marched to condemn what they saw as Trump's hate speech about Muslims, pledge to deport people in the country illegally and crude comments about women. Jennifer Cruz, 18, of Ventura, Calif., carried a sign that asked: "Legalize weed but not my Mom?" - a reference to Californians' Tuesday passage of a measure legalizing recreational marijuana use.

Cruz said her parents have been in the United States illegally for 30 years, although her mother has spent years seeking citizenship. She called the possibility of their deportation terrifying. "We talk about it almost every day," she said. "My Mom wants to leave it in the hands of God but I'm not just going to sit back and not do anything. I'm going to fight for my parents, even if it kills me." She added, "He doesn't realize all the families he's hurting."

Shawn Smith, 41, wore an American flag vest and held a glittery sign that said "Love Trumps Hate."

"What he's been able to do is make 50 percent of the nation look over their shoulder," he said. "If you're gay, if you're LGBT, if you're Muslim, if you're Latin, if you're special needs, if you're female, it's a much unsafer place now."

He added, "we're not going to just sit back and watch our rights being taken away, our health care being taken away."

Read more: Donald Trump Holes Up in Trump Tower Amid Protests

Wow! Thousands of peaceful protesters take over Wilshire Blvd. #saturdaymorning #Wilshire #LA pic.twitter.com/Og7RFZRkPt

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- Mali Maverick (@mali_maverick) November 12, 2016

Blade Runner LA Protest Style pic.twitter.com/4PBHHq7UEY

- UCLA UAW 2865 (@UAWUCLA) November 12, 2016

March against hate at mcarthur park. #notmypresident pic.twitter.com/bSfR7lQI27

- Eric Sherman (@WokeEric) November 12, 2016

Massive crowd marching thru #LA now protesting #Trump pic.twitter.com/cqtLou2OpT

- Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) November 12, 2016

Huge protest...thousands marching down Wilshire. @CBSLA #CBSLA pic.twitter.com/8UsrmCC5XE

- Greg Mills (@GregMillsTVNews) November 12, 2016

Anti-Trump protest along Wilshire Blvd near downtown pic.twitter.com/nv9qedIBz6

- Angelina Feliciano (@AngelinaCity_) November 12, 2016

Protester marching through downtown LA #laprotest Chanting #notmypresident pic.twitter.com/HKSqTXKwlB

- Katja Liebing (@KL_Courier) November 12, 2016

The grim reaper grabbed an iced coffee as the LA protest against Trump winds down. pic.twitter.com/E2dMbTBmS8

- Deborah Netburn (@DeborahNetburn) November 12, 2016

In Manhattan, protesters again gathered in Union Square before marching uptown to Trump Tower. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers joined, including castmembers of Netflix's Orange Is the New Black and documentary filmmaker and Trump critic Michael Moore, who also took to Twitter on Saturday while outside the president-elect's residence.

Police set up barricades in front of some of the most expensive stores in Manhattan as the group made its way along Fifth Avenue and blocked off one block around Trump Tower.

"I just can't have Donald Trump running this country and teaching our children racism, sexism and bigotry," said Noemi Abad, 30, a fashion designer, as she marched down the famous road. "Out of his own mouth he made this division. He needs to go - there's no place for racism in society in America."

Amid the protests outside, Trump himself remained holed up inside his Trump Tower.

I'm in the middle of thousands -tens of thousands?- of American voters outside Trump Tower demanding he step aside. He got the least votes.

- Michael Moore (@MMFlint) November 12, 2016

Oh my god I JUST realized this is the cast of Orange is the New Black pic.twitter.com/I8EZ9Xata3

- Nance (@nancyalligood) November 12, 2016

Possibly more than 10,000 people lining Fifth Avenue right now leading up to Trump Tower, chants of "Shame!" and "Pay your taxes!" pic.twitter.com/7v3gwvhxEz

- Laurie Brookins (@StyleWriterNYC) November 12, 2016

Massive anti #Trump protest blocked by nypd in front of Trump Tower #notmypresident pic.twitter.com/SUKgPVqScj

- Misha Gutkin (@MishaGutkin) November 12, 2016

They've barricaded Trump Tower, so we're taking a seat. #DumpTrump #NotMyPresident pic.twitter.com/rJp1kl9ZOh

- Farhad (@Yahktoe) November 12, 2016

The police have fenced off the entire block in front of Trump Tower pic.twitter.com/lor0L92DrT

- Colin Stokes (@ColinJStokes) November 12, 2016

Cops stopped anti-Trump protesters one block away from Trump Tower in NYC. Cops won't let them get any closer. pic.twitter.com/hql5myHpsW

- Ash J (@AshAgony) November 12, 2016

On 5th Ave NYC. Has to be well over 100,000 protesters heading up to Trump Tower pic.twitter.com/8kosC7QlIs

- Terry Reardon (@tejack47) November 12, 2016

Marching with tons of protesters down Fifth Ave to Trump Tower right now! pic.twitter.com/LDR3pqNWSu

- Patti (@PattiFromNYC) November 12, 2016

Police presence n media heavy here in NYC at Trump towers. Protesters still active n no access to Trump towers pic.twitter.com/urtMxHlur3

- Pam Palmater (@Pam_Palmater) November 12, 2016

thousands of anti-trump protesters marching down 5th ave in NYC as far as the eye can see pic.twitter.com/rFd8WT9Bkm

- Jenny G. Zhang (@jennygzhang) November 12, 2016

Anti-Trump protesters chanting in Midtown NYC as NYPD keeps them penned in one lane. pic.twitter.com/yNF5kVSuy4

- Ash J (@AshAgony) November 12, 2016

Trump protest in NYC marching from Union Square to trump Tower @realDonaldTrump #TrumpPresident pic.twitter.com/05Q3nycBt3

- Peter Gaudio (@petergaudio) November 12, 2016

Crowd steadily growing in Union Square for anti-Trump protest pic.twitter.com/7rXszdurrm

- Steven D'Souza (@cbcsteve) November 12, 2016

A packed anti-Trump protest in #unionsquare #nbc4ny pic.twitter.com/ByVzRLgW8F

- Checkey Beckford (@Checkey4NY) November 12, 2016

In downtown Chicago, protest signs read "I will not normalize racism" and "Love trumps hate" as hundreds of people, including families with small children, chanted "No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcome here" while marching through Millennium Park.

Sonja Spray, 29, who heard about the protest on Facebook, said she has signed an online petition urging the electoral college to honor the popular vote and elect Clinton. "Women aren't playthings. Journalists aren't pawns. People of color are not commodities. Marriage equality is not up for debate," Spray said.

Thousands of #protestors in downtown #chicago say #notrump #notmypresident !! pic.twitter.com/J5b1oCxj6H

- Maya Bauer (@mayaAKbauer) November 12, 2016

Pix from the anti-Trump protest in downtown Chicago today #notmypresident #Election2016 pic.twitter.com/QCK1Q3YbXt

- Jstn (@mellowgrelo) November 12, 2016

Trump protest passing the Chicago Theatre on State Street pic.twitter.com/6AsnYmk2jI

- Sam Charles (@samjcharles) November 12, 2016

#AntiTrumpProtest in Downtown #Chicago.#antitrumprally #AntiTrump #protest #photojournalism #reportage pic.twitter.com/ubpmpjhGMe

- Chris Riha (@TalentedMrRiha) November 12, 2016

"no hate no fear everyone is welcome here" #NotMyPresident peaceful protest in #Chicago pic.twitter.com/aaJnLIoiDC

- Josephine Keefe (@JosephineAnneK) November 12, 2016

#AntiTrumpProtest in Downtown #Chicago.#antitrumprally #AntiTrump #protest #photojournalism #reportage pic.twitter.com/LsLCocxCLU

- Chris Riha (@TalentedMrRiha) November 12, 2016

Protests were mainly peaceful, but in Portland, Ore., a man who was participating in a march was shot after a confrontation with someone in a vehicle Friday night. Police expect the man to survive and detained four people in connection with the shooting. A motive for the shooting was unclear. The four people detained are believed to be gang members, but the victim is not.

The shooting followed rowdy Friday night protests, when police used tear gas in response to "burning projectiles" thrown at officers, police said on Twitter. Hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti.

Authorities reported instances of vandalism and assault during a rally that organizers had billed as peaceful earlier in the day.

Read more: Police Call Portland Anti-Trump Protests Riot As President-Elect Tweets Dual Responses to Unrest

In other parts of the country, spirited demonstrations on college campuses and peaceful marches along downtown streets have taken place since Wednesday.

Protests also were held in Detroit; Minneapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Olympia, Washington, Iowa City and more.

More than 200 people, carrying signs, gathered on the steps of the Washington state Capitol. The group chanted "not my president" and "no Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA."

In Tennessee, Vanderbilt University students sang civil rights songs and marched through campus across a Nashville street, temporarily blocking traffic.

In Cincinnati, hundreds of protesters had already taken to the streets early Saturday afternoon to peacefully protest the jury's deadlock in the trial of a former white police officer who killed an unarmed black motorist in 2015.

Read more: One Injured in Oregon Shooting Amid Anti-Trump Protests

Demonstrations also took place internationally. A group of Mexicans at statue representing independence in Mexico City expressed their concerns about a possible wave of deportations. One school teacher said it would add to the "unrest" that's already in Mexico. About 300 people protested Trump's election as the next American president outside the U.S. Embassy near the landmark Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

President Barack Obama meets in Berlin next week with Chancellor Angela Merkel and several other European leaders, and is expected to confront global concerns about Trump's election.
By Norihiko Shirouzu

BEIJING (Reuters) - Audi AG (NSUG.DE) and Chinas SAIC Motor Corp have signed an agreement that will likely pave the way for the German luxury car maker to produce cars in China with SAIC, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Executives of Audi and SAIC formally signed the cooperation framework agreement on Friday, and the German car maker is expected to announce the move on Monday.

The two sides agreed to continue to talk and try to nail down details of a deal for Audi to produce cars in China with SAIC, the person said.

Neither SAIC nor Audi could be reached immediately for comment.

The move, if finalized, would allow Audi, a unit of Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE), to significantly expand its ability to produce cars in China, the worlds biggest auto market.

Audi currently produces all its cars in China jointly with FAW Group Corp [SASACJ.UL] in the southern city of Foshan, near Guangzhou, and in the northeastern city of Changchun. Both SAIC and FAW are Volkswagens joint venture partners.

Research firm Bernstein said in a note published on Wednesday that the implications of such a move (Audi producing cars in China with SAIC)  if realized  would be profound. It would provide Audi and its parent Volkswagen a way to reap more profit from China, it said.

In Foshan, Audi produces the A3 compact car and its variants, while in Changchun the German luxury brand assembles the long-wheel-base versions of the A4 and A6 sedans, as well as Q3 and Q5 crossover SUV models, among others.

Audi is expected to launch in China a plug-in electric hybrid version of the A6 L, a long-wheel-base version of the A6.

(Reporting By Norihiko Shirouzu; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Mitchell Starc offered Australia a lifeline with an inspired spell after a record low home total against South Africa on an opening day of carnage in the second Test in Hobart on Saturday.

The left-arm pace spearhead put the brakes on the Proteas with three wickets in 10 balls post-tea after the Australians were skittled for 85 off 32.5 overs.

The tourists reached stumps at 171 for five and pushed out their lead to 86. Temba Bavuma was unbeaten on 38 with Quinton de Kock on 28.

Up until Starc's intervention South Africa had seized control of the first day with a total of 15 wickets tumbling for a combined 256 runs under cloudy skies.

Vernon Philander powered the Proteas with five for 21 as Australia folded to their lowest total at home against South Africa to revive memories of recent catastrophic batting collapses.

The capitulation revisited the nightmares of their miserable 47 in Cape Town in 2011 and England's demolition of them for 60 at Trent Bridge last year.

"It was a magnificent all-round performance from everyone, catches needed to be taken, there was a run out and all those things add up to a collective team effort to bowl a team out," Philander said.

Skipper Steve Smith provided backbone with his unbeaten knock of 48 as the Australians failed to back up their talk of rebounding from their comprehensive 177-run thrashing by the Proteas in the Perth series opener.

"It was a bit of a reminder of Trent Bridge the way the ball was going around. At the end of the day 85 is not good enough from an Australian cricket team," coach Darren Lehmann lamented.

Just as South Africa looked well on the way to emulating the intimidating West Indies teams of the 1980s-1990s with three straight series wins in Australia, Starc struck.

He toe-capped Dean Elgar with a lethal yorker in front of the stumps with his first ball after tea then removed Stephen Cook with his penultimate delivery of the over.

Starc then had Perth centurion JP Duminy snapped up by Smith at second slip reducing the Proteas to 46 for three.

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Skipper Faf du Plessis followed lbw to Hazlewood for seven and Hashim Amla was caught behind off the same bowler for 47.

- Rout and about -

The Hobart rout followed Australia's first innings collapse of 10 for 86 in Perth when they squandered a 158-run opening stand to surrender meekly to the Proteas.

Cricket statisticians went into overdrive as Australia plumbed new lows in Hobart -- it was also their lowest home total since their 76 against the West Indies in 1984.

David Warner was the barometer of an approaching Australian maelstrom when he recklessly whooshed at a wide ball in Philander's opening over and was caught behind.

The hosts reached 43 for six at lunch after Usman Khawaja edged Philander to Amla at slip for four and threatened Adam Voges was out next ball, caught behind by Quinton de Kock.

Callum Ferguson, who fought off a hat-trick in his first ball faced in Tests, was brilliantly run out for three by a direct throw by fielding substitute Dane Vilas while going for a second run.

Wicketkeeper Peter Nevill perished after a DRS review of a lbw appeal off Kagiso Rabada.

Philander was forced to leave the field for shoulder treatment after a mid-pitch collision with Smith during a lbw appeal, but returned after lunch.

He bowled newcomer Joe Mennie for 10 and Duminy took a screamer in the gully to remove Starc, flinging himself to his right off Abbott.

Josh Hazlewood cracked two fours before he fell to a slips catch by Amla off Abbott.

De Kock took a blinding one-handed catch across the slips cordon to remove Nathan Lyon and end Australia's misery.
Meg Whitman

The company previously known as HP spent $11 billion to buy software maker Autonomy, only to write off most of that purchase a year later and claim fraud.

On Thursday, Autonomys former chief financial officer, Sushovan Hussain, was indicted in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on felony fraud charges, reports the Mercury News's Ethan Baron.

He faces up to 20 years in prison. Federal prosecutors are also requesting a judgment against him of at least $7.7 million, Baron reports.

Autonomy officials have always maintained that it was HP's own mismanagement of the company after the acquisition that caused the write-off.

HP in that form no longer exists. And Meg Whitman, the CEO of its descendant Hewlett Packard Enterprise, has already sold its software assets for $8.8 billion and spun them out into a new jointly owned venture.

But the legal problems for one of the Autonomy's top execs are still in full force.

Hussains attorney John Keker says that Hussain refutes all charges and is preparing to fight in court. Here is the full statement emailed to Business Insider.

Sushovan Hussain is innocent of wrongdoing. He defrauded no one and, as Autonomys CFO, acted at all times with the highest standards of honesty, integrity and competence. He will be acquitted at trial.



"It is a shame that the Department of Justice is lending its support to HPs attempts to blame others for its own catastrophic failings. Mr. Hussain is a U.K. citizen who properly applied U.K. accounting rules for a U.K. company. This issue does not belong in a U.S. criminal court.



"Its especially galling that the Justice Department is pursuing this case on behalf of HP, a company that went out of its way to employ a web of offshore shell companies to acquire Autonomy with the specific intent of avoiding payment of U.S. taxes.



"We look forward to trial.

NOW WATCH: JACK DANIELS MASTER DISTILLER: This is the real difference between scotch, whiskey, and bourbon





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The Bataclan concert hall in Paris denied entry to two members of the band Eagles of Death Metal, who performed at the venue the night that 89 people were killed there in a terrorist attack in November 2015.

According to a report from Paris AFP, the band members, including frontman Jesse Hughes were turned away while trying to attend a Sting concert by the venues co-director Jules Frutos.

They came, I threw them out  there are things you cant forgive, Frutos told AFP.

Hughes has been heavily criticized for his reaction to the 2015 attacks, including an interview in which he said he saw Muslims celebrating in the street during the attack. His anti-Muslim comments lead to the band getting dropped from two music festivals in France.

During an interview on Fox Business News in March, Hughes insinuated that the Bataclan security was in on the attacks. Hughes later apologized for making unfounded and baseless suggestions.

In a later interview he criticized Frances strict gun control policies.

Did your French gun control stop a single fing person from dying at the Bataclan? he said. If anyone can answer yes, Id like to hear it, because I dont think so.

Frutos told the AFP back in September that the Eagles of Death Metal had not approached him to perform again at the Bataclan, but said he would have refused if they had asked.

[Jesse Hughes] dared to make incredibly false declarations every two months. A pure craziness, accusing the security staff to have been the terroristss accomplices Enough. Zero. Period.

Variety has reached out for a comment from the venue and the band.

Stings performance marks the reopening of the venue. Hughes and the bands manager are in Paris this weekend to attend the national homage that will take place tomorrow for the one year anniversary of the tragedy. The Bataclans slate of upcoming concerts include Pete Doherty, Youssou Ndour, Marianne Faithfull, Yael Naim and The Flaming Lips, among others.

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Heavy security for Stings concert at the Bataclan in Paris, one year after the attacks, tweeted Variety foreign corespondent Elsa Keslassy, who contributed to this report.

Heavy security for Sting's concert at the Bataclan in Paris, one year after the attacks pic.twitter.com/6mKJWcO7BU  Elsa Keslassy (@ElsaKeslassy) November 12, 2016

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Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont campaigns for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Omaha, Neb., on Nov. 4, 2016. (Photo: Nati Harnik/AP)

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said he is upset but not surprised by Donald Trumps unexpected victory in the presidential election, because the GOP business moguls campaign tapped into the real and justified anger that many feel about the status quo.

In a New York Times op-ed published Friday night, Sanders argued that Trumps message was that the American people want change. But Sanders said he doubted that the president-elect would actually help working families and feared he would turn that anger against minorities, the poor and others.

I will keep an open mind to see what ideas Mr. Trump offers and when and how we can work together, he wrote. Having lost the nationwide popular vote, however, he would do well to heed the views of progressives. If the president-elect is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families, Im going to present some very real opportunities for him to earn my support.

As the Democratic Party picks up the pieces and tries to rebuild its brand and political infrastructure, many will look to leaders like Sanders, who became a progressive hero during his unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination. Indeed, Sanders has already become involved in the Democratic National Committee, backing Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota to become its next chair. Sanders involvement is striking, since he was elected to the Senate as an independent, not a Democrat.

In his Friday op-ed, Sanders noted that he supported former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee who bested him in the primaries. He further vowed to present a series of changes that the Democratic Party can make to once again address what he sees as the grievances of many disenfranchised Americans, without scapegoating minorities or engaging in other forms of demagoguery.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., campaigns for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at the University of Cincinnati on Nov. 3. (Photo: John Minchillo/AP)

In the coming days, I will also provide a series of reforms to reinvigorate the Democratic Party, he continued. I believe strongly that the party must break loose from its corporate establishment ties and, once again, become a grass-roots party of working people, the elderly and the poor.

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We must open the doors of the party to welcome in the idealism and energy of young people, and all Americans who are fighting for economic, social, racial and environmental justice. We must have the courage to take on the greed and power of Wall Street, the drug companies, the insurance companies and the fossil fuel industry.

When he suspended his presidential campaign, Sanders promised his supporters that their political revolution would endure. In his Friday op-ed, Sanders said that revolution must happen.

We are the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, Sanders said. When we stand together and dont let demagogues divide us up by race, gender or national origin, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. We must go forward, not backward.

Trumps victory over Clinton, who had been strongly favored in the polls, came as a shock to many people across the world. It was a moment of jubilation for many conservatives, especially among the loosely organized alt-right movement, and a moment of terror for many liberals, some of whom immediately kicked into protest mode and have been calling for the Electoral College to stop Trump from entering the Oval Office.

_____

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Bill Cosby is planning a comeback after his pending criminal trial and defamation lawsuits are over, his attorney Angela Agrusa said in a court motion filed Friday. Agrusa, who took over as Cosbys main lawyer earlier this year, said in the motion that there is no reason to believe otherwise.

The motion comes as part of the defamation case filed against Cosby by several women, in which access to his business records is being sought, including deals with his former representatives at CAA.

Cosbys legal team is seeking to seal these records, which court briefs say contain information about negotiated compensation, several contracts, and also records pertaining to CAAs split with Cosby after the sexual assault allegations became public. In the motion, Agrusa argues that releasing them would impact Cosbys future ability to negotiate deals. When Mr. Cosby is cleared from all liability and charges, and the impact of Plaintiffs defamatory conduct has subsided, he expects to resume his career, and there is no reason to believe otherwise. Disclosure of this type of financial and business information is irreversible. Even after his name is cleared, if released to the public, this information would improperly restrain his employment and tie his hands for renegotiation.

Cosby also faces criminal charges in Pennsylvania over allegedly sexually assaulting a former employee of Temple University.

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Billy Bob Thornton made an emotional confession about his ex Angelina Jolie

Its been 13 years since Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie were a celebrity power couple, but the relationship is hard to forget. The two drew plenty of public attention for their dramatic age difference, and pretty out there public behavior. But despite it all, the two seemed hopelessly in love (until they split, of course). The reasons behind the divorce were never made clear, but it seems the actor is finally ready to clear the air. In a new interview with GQ Magazine, Billy Bob Thornton opens up about his relationship with Angelina Jolie and why the marriage ended the way it did  and a lot of it fell to a lack of confidence on his part.

According to Billy Bob Thornton, his insecurities were a big factor as to why he and Angelina Jolie split after three years. Although the couple seemed desperately in love (even wearing vials of each others blood around their necks on the red carpet), behind the scenes Thornton was grappling with feelings of inadequacy.

The 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Arrivals

I never felt good enough for her, Thornton said in the remarkably candid interview. While Jolie was off doing diplomatic work and traveling to meet politicians as a powerful advocate, her husband was more comfortable hanging out at home with his friends.

Im real uncomfortable around rich and important people, confessed the Oscar-winner. The lifestyle differences proved too much, and the couple parted ways in 2003. Despite the intervening years and marriages (Thornton is on his sixth marriage, and Jolie has filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, her third husband), he says the two have remained friends. Billy Bob Thornton says he and Jolie speak every few months with no hint of awkwardness between them  now thats #ExGoals.

"Original Sin" Los Angeles Premiere

And even when theyre not chatting, Thornton has some very permanent reminders of his former love: two tattoos bearing Angelinas name. Love may not be eternal, but body art sure can stand the test of time.

The post Billy Bob Thornton made an emotional confession about his ex Angelina Jolie appeared first on HelloGiggles.
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It's been a terrifying couple of days for thousands of Americans, but it's been particularly hard for black students at the University of Pennsylvania.

On Friday, several black freshman found themselves added to a group text message that included multiple racial slurs, called students "dumb slaves" and included invitations for "daily lynchings." The texts, sent via an app called GroupMe, appears to have come from an account based in Oklahoma, University officials said.

SEE ALSO: Donald Trump's war on LGBTQ people has already begun

The GroupMe message came from an anonymous account and was labeled "Mudmen." In another group chat, called "Trump is love," one posted a photo of a red hat and the phrase "Grab them by the pussy." Other messages came from a user called "Daddy Trump."

Black students throughout @Penn's campus, like myself, have been added to this hateful GroupMe. I am petrified and all I want to do is cry. pic.twitter.com/DrqLvpXAW5  Chidera (@chiderasiegbu) November 11, 2016

On campus, students and staff reeled as university police and information security staff attempted to locate the origin of the account.

"The account contains violent, racist and thoroughly repugnant images and messages," Ron Ozio, director of campus media relations, told Mashable in an email. "Our police and information security staff are trying to locate the exact source and see what steps can be taken to cut the account off. Staff ... are trying to determine exactly how many students were impacted and how best to provide support. The University is taking every step possible to address both the source of the racist material and the impact it has had on Black students on campus."

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Students of color have since organized to address the concerns about the messages and the rise in hate speech over the past several days.

"Everyone was so sad, and now people are so angry," Melissa Tustin-Gore, a student at the university told Mashable. "Outside of directly attacking anyone, I don't understand how this could be worse."

Tustin-Gore suspects that whoever planned the attack is affiliated with the university, as they appear to have access to the university's phone directory.

Student around campus have been wearing safety pins as a symbol of solidarity for the people of color, women, LGBTQ folks and people with disabilities frightened by a Trump administration.

The University of Pennsylvania is Trump's alma mater.

RELATED: Watch this little girl at an anti-Trump rally
QUETTA, Pakistan (AP)  The death toll from a bomb blast at a Sufi shrine in southwest Pakistan Saturday has risen to 50 people with more than 100 wounded, officials said.

The Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for the suicide attack at the shrine of Sufi saint Shah Bilal Noorani in the southwestern province of Baluchistan.

Abdur Rasool, an official at the provinces home ministry, said rescuers were transporting the wounded to hospitals and the dead to local morgues, but were struggling in the difficult mountainous terrain, some 350 kilometers (217 miles) south of the provincial capital, Quetta.

The blast targeted worshippers as they were in the throes of their devotional dhamal dance, and the courtyard at the time was packed with families, women and children.

The Islamic State groups statement on the IS-affiliated Aamaq news agency said the suicide attack had targeted Shiites. The shrine is frequented by both Pakistans Sunni Muslim majority and Shiite minority. IS considers all Shiite Muslims heretics.

The blast comes ahead of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs pre-planned trip to the province tomorrow, where he will see off the first Chinese shipping consignment to Africa from Gwadar port.

Baluchistan home minister Sarfaraz Bugti, citing a lack of cellular services in the affected area, said the situation will be much clearer in the morning. He said over 500 people were present in the courtyard of the shrine when the blast happened.

Abdul Hakim Lasi, an official with the Edhi Foundations rescue service, said many of the injured were wounded in a panicked stampede after the blast.

One female witness, who was not identified by name, told the GEO television channel that a big bang took place in the midst of the dhamal dance in the shrines courtyard. I dont know how I escaped unhurt, she said. It was like a hell all around.

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A doctor at an area hospital told a local television station that the number of wounded being brought in had overwhelmed the hospitals capacity.

We dont have sufficient space so several people were treated outside on the ground, the doctor said adding that, Several wounded people have lost limbs.

A military statement said that four army medical teams and 45 army ambulances had been dispatched to the scene to assist.

Last month IS claimed responsibility for an attack in which three Islamic militants stormed a police academy in Quetta, killing 61 people, mostly cadets and trainees. Later, the banned sectarian militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed joint responsibility.

For over a decade, Baluchistan province has been the scene of a low-intensity insurgency by nationalist and separatist groups demanding a bigger share of regional resources.

___

Associated Press writer Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
Quetta (Pakistan) (AFP) - At least 25 people died and 35 others were injured when a bomb exploded at a Sufi shrine in southern Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Saturday, officials said.

The blast hit a crowd of worshippers participating in a ceremony at the shrine of Sufi saint Shah Noorani in Khuzdar district, some 760 kilometres (472 miles) south of provincial capital Quetta.

"At least 25 people have been killed in a bomb blast at Shah Noorani shrine," local government official Mohammad Hashim told AFP.

Another official, Zulfiqar Hashmi, confirmed the deaths and said that more than 35 people had suffered injuries.

Hakim Lasi, a rescue official with the Edhi Foundation, Pakistan's largest welfare organisation, told Geo TV channel the charity had received reports via wireless radio saying that up to 30 people had been killed and nearly 100 others wounded, including women and children.

Local officials said worshippers were taking part in a devotional dance session, which is held daily before dusk, when the blast occurred.

Rescuers were scrambling to reach the shrine, which is located in a remote, mountainous region with limited medical facilities.

Authorities have dispatched ambulances and medical workers from Karachi, a three-hour drive from the blast site.

Up to 600 people were at the shrine at the time of the attack, according to local official Tariq Mengal, who told Geo TV that many devotees travelled to the site from Karachi during weekends.

No-one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, which follows the killing of Amjad Sabri, a renowned Sufi singer, by two gunmen in Karachi in June.

Some observers have said that Sabri may have been assassinated because he was a high-profile Sufi.

Sufism, a mystic Islamic order that believes in living saints, worships through music, and is viewed as heretical by some hardline groups including the Taliban.

Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has oil and gas resources but is afflicted by Islamist militancy, sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and a separatist insurgency.

Local militants claimed to have worked with the Islamic State group to attack a police academy in Balochistan last month, killing 61 people in the deadliest assault on a security installation in Pakistan's history.

In August, a suicide bombing at a Quetta hospital claimed by the Islamic State group and a faction of the Pakistani Taliban killed 73 people.
Marrakech (Morocco) (AFP) - The host of global climate talks insisted Saturday that Donald Trump's election has not cast a cloud over the negotiations tasked with translating the landmark Paris climate pact into reality.

Moroccan foreign minister Salaheddine Mezouar put on a brave face as the talks hit the half-way point, saying they remained on track for the arrival next week of some 60 heads of state.

"No, the election of Donald Trump does not hover over this COP anymore," said Mezouar, using the acronym for the Conference of the Parties meeting in Marrakesh.

He noted that countries including China have reaffirmed their commitments to the 196-nation Paris Agreement, which was inked in December and entered into force last week, record time for an international treaty.

The tally of ratifications has hit 105, with new ones added almost daily, said Mezouar, the president of the forum.

Also on Saturday, Germany presented a plan to purge up to 95 percent of the CO2 from its economy by mid-century, a voluntary step other major carbon emitters have also pledged to take.

"The work is going very well," UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa told journalists, adding that technical committees would finish up in time for the arrival of presidents and ministers next Tuesday.

But the elephant in the room remained, despite efforts to ignore or banish it.

"The president-elect removed from his website the section concerning the Paris Agreement, which is a good sign," said the Moroccan minister.

A page posted on donaldjtrump.com did briefly disappear, but apparently only for technical reasons.

The promise oft repeated during the campaign -- that has deeply shaken the UN talks -- is in fact still there, black-on-white.

"We're going to cancel the Paris Climate Agreement," it reads, presented as part of Trump's 100-day action plan.

His administration will also "stop all payments of US tax dollars to UN global warming programs," it says.

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- 'We are waiting' -

The Obama administration promised $3 billion (2.8 million euros) to a special fund for poor nations already feeling the lash of climate-enhanced extreme weather, from superstorms to droughts to heatwaves.

So far, however, the US has only ponied up $500,000 (460,000).

A senior US official -- the first to comment publicly here since the election -- counselled a "wait-and-see" attitude.

"We should not just assume what is going to happen," said Catherine Novelli, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment.

"We have one president at a time. We are going to have to see how things develop," she added, echoing statements from many other delegates over the last three days.

Morocco's environment minister, meanwhile, expressed confidence that Trump would come around, pointing out that he has already reversed himself on other issues such as health care.

"I think that competition worldwide will push them to change their position," she told AFP, referring to the breakneck development of renewable energy around the world.

"Americans are the ones who went to the moon. They should also be the ones who create this revolution -- and it is a revolution.

"We heard the candidate. We have not yet heard the President. We are waiting," she added.

Under the Paris pact, rich countries have pledged at least $100 billion a year starting in 2020.

In an annex to the treaty, nations have also submitted voluntary pledges to cut the greenhouse gas emissions that cause dangerous global warming.

The agreement commits nations to collectively capping Earth's average temperature increase at under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

With 1.0C (1.8F) of warming to date, the world has already seen an uptick in deadly storms, droughts, heatwaves and flooding.

The 12-day talks run until November 18.
Brussels (AFP) - The European Union's founders believed its unity would be forged in crisis, but after Brexit and the election of Donald Trump to the White House the bloc looks shakier than ever.

On Sunday, foreign ministers from the 28 EU countries will hold talks in Brussels on the impact of a president who has previously questioned the decades-old transatlantic pact to defend the continent.

With populists on the rise, Russia posing an increasingly menacing presence to the east, the migration crisis and the endless fallout from the eurozone debt crash, many fear perpetual turmoil.

EU President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday that the events of 2016 were a "warning sign for all who believe in liberal democracy", and urged Europe to "finally get our act together".

But Trump's election has made it harder to regroup, given that Europe -- while trying to stay pragmatic in dealing with Washington -- has no idea what to really expect from the billionaire.

And European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker is worried that a lot of time could be wasted teaching Trump about Europe.

"Mr. Trump, during his campaign, said that Belgium was a village somewhere in Europe," Juncker told students in Luxembourg on Friday.

"We must teach the president-elect what Europe is and how it works," he said. "I believe we'll have two years of wasted time while Mr Trump tours a world he doesn't know."

- 'Leadership blow' -

Soul-searching has been the order of the day in Brussels ever since the body-blow of Britain's vote in June to become the first country to leave the EU in its 60-year history.

Tusk warned at the time that the "Western political civilisation" that has kept Europe at peace since World War II was now at risk.

That "civilisation" has seen both sides of the Atlantic broadly sharing the same commitment to the free market and liberal democracy, with America propping up Europe's defences.

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Until now. Trump's campaign threats to abandon the collective defence pledge that is the bedrock of the NATO military alliance was a major shock for Europe.

Juncker also warned that Trump's campaign rhetoric displayed huge ideological differences with Europe. He noted the businessman-turned-reality TV star had "taken a view of refugees and non-white Americans that does not reflect European convictions and feelings".

Both Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Francois Hollande have called on Trump to uphold democratic values in a sign of Europe's concerns.

Trump's apparent closeness to Russia will also be ringing alarm bells in Europe as it debates whether to keep up sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and looks for solutions to the conflict in Syria.

"The post-Second World War global leadership role of Western liberal democracy was already challenged," said Fabian Zuleeg of the European Policy Centre think-tank.

"But a Trump administration will increase US isolationist tendencies, which is a further blow to this leadership role."

- 'Plenty more shocks' -

Rattled European leaders have issued calls, after both Brexit and the Trump win, for Europe to seize its own destiny and tackle what they have dubbed a "polycrisis".

Trump and Brexit are at least being seen in some quarters as an opportunity to boost EU unity, with the bloc's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini saying it can be a "superpower" for peace.

Officials insist the bloc is more resilient than it is given credit for -- just as the EU's founding father Jean Monnet wrote in his memoirs that "Europe will be forged in crises".

But so far the EU's main response has been its time-honoured one: Call more meetings. Analysts say that is not enough.

"Europeans are muddling through," Judy Dempsey of the Carnegie Europe think-tank told a seminar this week. "One wonders how many wake-up calls the Europeans actually need to do something."

The timing is increasingly urgent. France holds presidential elections next year and far-right leader Marine Le Pen's chances of pulling off a Trump-like coup are suddenly being taken more seriously.

Far-right parties are also hoping for a boost in polls in the Netherlands and Austria, while Merkel, increasingly taking a role as the EU's moral anchor, is up for re-election.

Brexiteer-in-chief Nigel Farage exults over what many others fear.

"Don't think that the democratic revolution is over," he tweeted. "There are plenty more shocks to come. 2017 may surprise us as much as 2016."
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Leading Brexit campaigner and UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage visited U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at his home in New York City on Saturday and a Trump aide said the pair had a "very productive" meeting. "We're just tourists!" Farage joked with reporters after he was seen waiting for an elevator in the skyscraper's lobby. In brief comments later to reporters, Kellyanne Conway, manager of Trump's election campaign, confirmed the pair met while the president-elect was upstairs in the Trump Tower, enjoying time with his family, receiving phone calls and visitors. "I think they enjoy each other's company, and they actually had a chance to talk about freedom and winning and what this all means for the world," Conway said of the Farage meeting. A day after Trump's election victory, Farage told a British radio station he was "absolutely happy" and called on the U.S. real estate mogul to reverse "loathsome" Barack Obama's policy by making Britain his top priority. He also joked about sexual assault allegations against Trump, urging him to "schmooze" British Prime Minister Theresa May - but not touch her. He said he could attend any meeting to be the "responsible adult to make sure everything is OK." Farage has told the BBC he is willing to help May's government build bridges with the U.S. president-elect, and one UKIP official has suggested Farage be the next British ambassador to the United States. Farage, who spoke at a Trump rally during the election campaign, had predicted the former reality TV host would tap into the same dissatisfaction among voters that led to Britain deciding on June 23 to leave the European Union, or Brexit. Trump made repeated references to Brexit during his campaign, saying it had highlighted the desire for change among voters frustrated with traditional politics. (Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Dan Grebler)
Abbi Jacobson has already opened up about the dream guest stars for Broad City that she hopes to one day convince to appear on the show. But it turns out that theres one actress that Jacobson and her Broad City co-star, co-creator, and co-writer Ilana Glazer wanted to feature in the sitcom only for her to tragically turn it down.

Why tragically? Because it was none other than Academy Award winning actress Dame Judi Dench, whose mere appearance alongside Abbi and Ilana would have been so magical that theres every chance it would have caused televisions across the world to explode because of their combined star power.

Abbi Jacobson made this admission during her appearance on What Happens Live, when she was quizzed as to whether or not anybody had ever rejected the chance to appear on Broad City. Jacobson confirmed that was the case, as she made the stunning revelation that it was Dame Judi Dench.

But it turns out theres still hope, because Abbi Jacobson believes that it was the actresses representatives that turned down the show on her behalf rather than Dame Judi Dench herself.

I dont think she really was like had even a phone call and was like, You know what? No. I think just her reps, Jacobson explained, before she then provided further reason for why Denchs appearance on Broad City was only ever an outside shot.

I think she lives, you know, in England, Dench continued. Or maybe not England. I dont know exactly where she lives. But I dont think she wanted to come over for the show.

Theres only one way to find out if thats actually the case, though, Abbi: you need to give her a phone call and get a concrete answer. Until she does just that Ill forever harbour hope that Judi Dench will one day pop up in either Gowanus, Astoria, or some other preposterously hip spot in New York to provide sage advice for the girls.

Because, as Abbi herself put it during the same interview, Wouldnt that have been great? It still could be, Abbi. It still could be.

[Image via Comedy Central]
Yahoo Celebrity

With the final season of "Dead to Me" dropping on Netflix on Nov. 17, Applegate said, "This is the first time anyones going to see me the way I am. I put on 40 pounds; I cant walk without a cane. I want people to know that I am very aware of all of that."
The passing of one of Polands last great cinema auteurs has cast a shadow over the normally ebullient atmosphere in Bydgoszcz at this time of year  but the life and work of Andrzej Wajda is also celebrated as Camerimage, a film festival devoted to cinematographers, pays homage.

His final feature, Afterimage, screening as the fests opening night gala, considers conflicts that were deeply personal to the Polish master.

Fest director Marek Zydowicz says Afterimage, focused on the darkest days for art in recent Polish history, has special relevance to Wajdas life. Zydowicz calls the film one of the best Andrzej Wajda films, a truly independent reflection  both in spirit and in form  on the nature of being an artist, and on the horrifying idea that the world of politics can make the art and culture dependent on it.

A one-time World War II resistance fighter  and later a dissident forced into exile by the communist regime  Wajda knew too well the conflicts of his swan songs subject, the painter Wladyslaw Strzeminski, a theoretician and mentor who founded the Museum of Modern Art in Lodz in 1930. Strzeminski ran afoul of the authorities after struggles  both internal and external  to be true to his art, refusing to conform to party diktats for pictures that enthuse the masses.

Wajda, who initially studied to be a painter, also found himself dealing with authorities seeking more politically expedient work later in his career, which finally forced him into exile in Paris for years until his homecoming after the collapse of the Soviet-backed regime in 1989.

Although he served as a senator and was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2000 for contribution to world cinema, critics point to his early work, created under far less limelight while he was working as a theater director, as his most seminal.

Films such as Ashes Diamonds, Kanal and Generation, which formed his war trilogy, helped established a new vision in European cinema in the late 50s.

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Some of Wajdas best-known work, focusing on the role of working people under authoritarian rule, includes films such as 1976s Man of Marble and 1981s Man of Iron, featuring Solidarity movement leader Lech Walesa portraying himself. Follow-up Walesa: Man of Hope, which premiered in Venice in 2013, laid out the story of Walesas life, again considering the costs of speaking out in dangerous times.

Audiences flocked to see Wajda introduce Afterimage in Gdynia in September at Polands largest domestic film fest where artistic director Michal Oleszczyk oversaw the sold out appearance.

Andrzej Wajdas body of work is unparalleled, Oleszczyk says. His films have provided a unique mirror to our countrys violent, convoluted history and have themselves served as means of fighting for democracy.

As for Wajdas final film, Variety critic Dennis Harvey predicted Afterimage may struggle to reach screens in the West, like many of the directors other work. But he called the film a bitter tale of injustice, noting its all-too-informed account of the risks run by artists in a state where dissent is criminalized.

Despite his titanic reputation at home, Wajda somehow never achieved the acclaim abroad of contemporaries such as Krzysztof Kieslowski and Roman Polanski. But he was feted at Cannes early in his career for his luminous sketches of life during wartime.

His place in the world film canon is secure, says Oleszczyk, and we now look to the young generation of Polish filmmakers both to honor his legacy and  hopefully  challenge us with visions as intense and heartfelt as those of Wajda himself.

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Kabul (AFP) - Four Americans were killed on Saturday in a suicide bombing inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said, in a major breach of security.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing inside the heavily fortified Bagram Airfield, north of the capital Kabul, which left 16 other US service members and a Polish soldier wounded as the insurgents ramp up attacks on Western targets.

The dead included two American soldiers and two contractors, in an assault which highlights rising insecurity in Afghanistan nearly two years after US-led NATO forces formally ended their combat operations.

"Force protection is always a top priority for us in Afghanistan, and we will investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it," defense secretary Carter said, adding he was "deeply saddened" by the news.

"We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future."

The blast was caused by a suicide attacker who blew himself up near a dining facility inside the base, said Waheed Sediqi, spokesman for the governor of Parwan province where Bagram is located.

"The attacker was one of the Afghan labourers working there," Sediqi told AFP.

Bagram district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi described the explosion around 0100 GMT as "powerful", saying it reverberated across the area. The base was put on lockdown following the attack.

The attack represents a brazen security breach inside one of the most heavily guarded military installations in Afghanistan.

The United States has around 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, with the largest contingent stationed at the Bagram base.

The base is enveloped by multiple layers of Afghan and American guards, security cameras and watch towers, and a surveillance blimp keeps a close watch on the surrounding areas.

- Rising insecurity -

"To the family and friends of those who lost their lives today, we share your loss and our thoughts are with you. We offer you our deepest condolences," said John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

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"For the family and friends of those wounded in today's attack, let me assure you they are receiving the best care possible, and we will keep them in our thoughts today."

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said one of the insurgent group's suicide bombers carried out the assault, claiming it inflicted "heavy casualties on US invaders".

The militants are stepping up attacks nationwide before the onset of winter, when the fighting usually ebbs.

Bagram Airfield has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near the base in one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.

The latest assault came after a powerful Taliban truck bomb struck the German consulate in Afghanistan's northern Mazar-i-Sharif city late Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding more than 100 others.

The uptick in attacks comes just days after a bitter US presidential election.

Afghanistan got scarcely a passing mention in the election campaign -- even though the situation there will be an urgent matter for the new president.

President-elect Donald Trump is set to inherit America's longest war with no end in sight.
By Alan Baldwin SAO PAULO (Reuters) - An unidentified consortium of Chinese investors has made a 1.65 billion pound ($2.08 billion) takeover bid for McLaren with group head Ron Dennis seeking to stay in charge, Sky News reported on Friday. It said the offer, which Sky understood was presented to shareholders by Dennis last week, involved an asset manager and private equity funding. No details were given. The report, written by city editor Mark Kleinman, said Dennis's move prompted the 69-year-old's fellow shareholders -- Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat and Saudi-born businessman Mansour Ojjeh -- "to launch a plot to oust him as chief executive". Sportscar maker McLaren, whose Honda-powered Formula One team are competing at the Brazilian Grand Prix, would not comment when contacted by Reuters. Mumtalakat and Ojjeh could not be reached immediately. Sky cited sources as saying Dennis had failed to secure a High Court injunction against a move to sideline him until his contract expired in mid-January, and an emergency board meeting had been convened for Friday. Dennis, who has been involved with McLaren since 1980, stood down as Formula One team boss in 2009 but returned as group chief executive in January 2014. McLaren changed their name in 2014 to McLaren Technology Group, incorporating the sportscar company and applied technologies as well as the F1 team. Mumtalakat agreed that same year to sell some of their 50 percent stake to Dennis but that did not proceed as planned. Ojjeh and Dennis each own 25 percent. Dennis's position has been in doubt since Britain's autosport.com website reported last month that he would be leaving as chairman and chief executive when his contract expired. A McLaren spokesman said then that Dennis had stated "categorically" that he was not stepping down. Mahmood al-Kooheji, CEO of Mumtalakat told Reuters in Abu Dhabi last month that they had "great admiration" for Dennis. "He's a colleague, an inspirational chairman who is behind all the ideas," he said then. "Whatever he decides, we will support his decision. I hope he continues and I will try to make him stay." ($1 = 0.7938 pounds) (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Claire Labine, a nine-time daytime Emmy winner who created Ryans Hope for ABC and wrote for numerous other soaps over her career died this week from undisclosed causes. She was 82.

An alum of the University of Kentucky and Columbia Universitys School of Dramatic Arts, Labine began her writing career in the 1960s with a stint on Captain Kangaroo. After being fired two years into the job, she moved into Soaps, writing for CBSs Where The Heart Is where, within 2 years she was made head writer.

After CBS cancelled Where The Heart Is in 1973, Labine became head writer on Love of Life, which brought her to the attention of ABC. ABC wanted a companion series to General Hospital, and Labine pitched the idea that would become Ryans Hope, which debuted July, 1975. The show would earn eight daytime Emmys over its run, including Outstanding Drama twice. She would be fired twice from Ryans Hope but was always asked back; the show ended in 1989.

Labine became head writer on General Hospital in 1993, during her tenure devising some of the shows best-remembered storylines and winning another Emmy. Labine later served as head writer on One Life To Live and Guiding Light.

Several veterans of General Hospital mourned Labine on social media as the news became public.

Claire LaBine you will be missed you gave me a chance to play a character that had so many levels when no one else would so grateful to you  Maurice Benard (@MauriceBenard) November 12, 2016

Claire LaBine healed my soul & millions of others hearts through her art. She always stepped away if things became inauthentic #BadassChicks https://t.co/o7eN7OcVU8  Vanessa Marcil (@VanessaMarcilM) November 12, 2016

Soap Headwriter Claire Labine was one of the best! Rest In Peace dear gifted lady. #oltl #amc #ryanshope  Kassie DePaiva (@KassieDePaiva) November 11, 2016

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Washington (AFP) - Hillary Clinton's stunning loss to the populist Donald Trump has been all the more bitter for her supporters because while she trails in the all-important electoral college she won more popular votes, prompting new calls for reform of the US election system.

The former secretary of state was the victim of a system that awards electoral college votes mostly on a state-by-state basis. So she lost despite winning some 400,000 more popular votes than her adversary, according to preliminary results published by American media.

That number may be a drop of water when compared to the 130 million ballots cast in the presidential election Tuesday, but it gives Clinton and her Democratic backers bragging rights, even as it fans a sense of injustice: Some 60.4 million voters chose her, to 60 million who preferred her Republican rival Trump.

Thus, if the election were based on direct suffrage, the former first lady would now be president-elect, winning by a 48 percent to 47 percent margin.

Under the US system, each state has a number of electors based on its congressional representation -- which in turn depends on its population. So a big state like California has 55 electors, while a small one like New Hampshire has four.

Election to the presidency requires support from at least 270 electors, a simple majority of the 538 at play. The electors, mostly party activists, cast their ballots on Dec. 19 -- normally a simple formality.

- The battleground factor -

But the system can twist the popular will.

Because a state like California is so predictably Democratic -- just as a state like Kansas is so predictably Republican -- the fight mostly comes down to a handful of so-called battleground states that can swing either way and decide the outcome.

And Trump managed to win most of those key states -- like Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania -- assuring himself of at least 290 electors to Clinton's 228, easily surpassing the 270 needed.

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This raises "the question of how democratic our system is," noted Robert Shapiro, a political science professor at Columbia University in New York.

The "one person, one vote" rule, considered a pillar of democracy, does not square with a system of indirect suffrage, he said.

The system seems "to really fly in the face of this central principle of political equality," Douglas McAdam, a sociology professor at Stanford University in California, said Saturday on CNN.

- Calls for electoral defiance -

Rejecting this approach, a petition launched on the Change.org website and signed, as of Saturday, by nearly 3.5 million people, demands that the electoral college, when casting its votes on December 19, select not Trump but Clinton.

Technically, that is possible.

But in reality, the demand has little chance of succeeding, because electors are chosen precisely for their faithfulness to their party. Only a handful through US history have gone against the will of their states' voters.

Backers of the Change.org petition, who see Trump as "unfit" to govern, say that electors from states where he won the popular vote could still cast a vote for Clinton, though they might face a "small fine" for doing so.

As a candidate, Trump himself often denounced the electoral system as "rigged" and threatened that he might not respect its result.

He has not uttered such criticism since his victory Tuesday.

Clinton, for her part, has conceded, and asked her followers to respect Tuesday's outcome. She seems unlikely to support an electoral college rebellion.

- 'Upstanding citizens' -

McAdam said the US system, rooted in the Constitution, originally aimed at electing "really upstanding citizens who themselves would decide who the president was going to be," an idea meant to address fears that poorly educated voters might be swayed by dangerous and alluring demagogues.

"In an electoral college system, every vote certainly doesn't count equally," McAdam said. "The votes that happen to be cast in battleground states, the half a dozen states that decide elections, clearly count much more than votes" in reliably Republican or Democratic states.

Any modification of the electoral college would require amending the sacrosanct US Constitution, a long and delicate task, according to Shapiro.

Supporters of the current system say that if an election was extremely close, the resulting recount across all 50 states would be a nightmare -- witness the agonizingly long recount in a single state, Florida, in 2000.

- Specter of national recounts -

For McAdam, however, such recounts -- even if needed in several states -- would not be that difficult, "given modern technology."

Without amending the Constitution, individual states could adopt laws requiring electors to vote for the candidate who received the most popular votes nationwide.

But such ideas have made little headway.

Rob Richie, whose FairVote group advocates for several reforms of the system, has suggested changes both in the electoral college and the primary election systems.

He also suggests lowering the voting age from 18 to 17, in a country where voter participation has been notably low.

Only 56.9 percent of eligible Americans voted on Tuesday, according to Michael McDonald, a University of Florida professor who specializes in elections.
Another presidential election is in the books and a new President will be inaugurated in January. But to some voters, the constitutional process under the Electoral College remains in question.

trumpaccepts456

Donald Trump as the Electoral College winner

On Saturday morning, more than three million people had signed an online petition for the members of the Electoral College to choose Hillary Clinton, and not Donald Trump, as the next President. The symbolic protest has no chance of succeeding; there are checks and balances even in the Electoral College system, and in the end, Congress needs to accept votes submitted by Electoral College members on January 6, 2017.

In the Electoral College tally so far, Republican candidate Trump has 290 votes to 228 votes for Clinton, with Michigan and New Hampshires votes still being tallied. Trump needed 270 votes to win the race, and the peaceful transition of power is underway, with no candidate contesting the results.

Clinton has about a 400,000 vote lead in the national popular vote. If that lead holds up, she will join Andrew Jackson, Samuel Tilden, Grover Cleveland and Al Gore as presidential candidates who won the popular vote but lost the election, in the modern-election era.

And that has restarted a debate that was fairly heated after the 2000 election, when George W. Bush defeated Gore after the Supreme Court allowed Florida state officials to stop recounts in that states very close election. In years after Bush-Gore there were failed attempts to amend the Constitution to eliminate the Electoral College and use the popular vote as the means of electing a President and Vice President.

Another theory is that the states could get around the logistics of a constitutional amendment by agreeing in a compact to award their electoral votes to the national winner of the popular vote. That movement has failed to gain traction, with just 10 states and the District of Columbia taking part in the compact so far.

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In reality, the debate over the Electoral College is as old as the Constitution itself, and the College doesnt seem to be changing in the near future. Back in 1787, the Founders discussed several options for selecting a President, including a system where all of Congress, the governors of the states, select members of Congress (drawn by lot) or a direct election would be used to pick a President and Vice President.

None of the ideas was favored at the Constitutional Convention, and a compromise brokered by James Madison and other Founders gave birth to the Electoral College.

After the convention, Alexander Hamilton gave it an enthusiastic endorsement, with a few reservations. The mode of appointment of the Chief Magistrate of the United States is almost the only part of the system, of any consequence, which has escaped without severe censure, he said. I venture somewhat further, and hesitate not to affirm that if the manner of it be not perfect, it is at least excellent.

The Electoral College system gave more weight to smaller states in the election process, as part of a broader compromise to get Southern pro-slavery states and smaller states to approve the Constitution. It also allowed states to have a key role in the presidential election process, by controlling how electors were chosen. The total numbers of electors would be the same number of people who served in Congress. However, the system was also tailored for a candidate like George Washington, and the original system only lasted for about eight years after Washington left office.

In 1804, the 12th Amendment modified the Electoral College system to make sure separate votes were cast for President and Vice President. Since then, the system has remained in place, although the 23rd Amendment added three electors for a non-state, the District of Columbia.

The first challenges to the Electoral College system came when Jackson, the highest vote-getter in 1824, lost in a House run-off election and his supporters cried about a corrupt bargain that denied him the White House. Objections picked up after the World War II era. In 1948, a Gallup poll showed that 53 percent of Americans wanted the Electoral College eliminated. By 2013, that number had grown to 63 percent in Gallup polling.

Between the late 1940s and 1979, the Congressional Research Service says Congress held 17 hearings about eliminating the Electoral College. On three occasions, the House or the Senate approved language for a constitutional amendment  but not in the same Congress. Although an estimated 700 attempts have been made to propose eliminating or changing the Electoral College by a constitutional amendment, not one has been approved by Congress and sent to the states for ratification.

These proposals included replacing the Electoral College with a direct election, or changing how electoral votes are allocated based on congressional districts or in proportion to a states popular vote.

But as of 2016, the Electoral College remains in place. Its supporters point to the fact that the College has matched the popular vote in 53 of 57 elections held before 2016. It also remains consistent with the principle, embodied in Congress, that all states have some equal power despite their population size. A state like New Hampshire, with just four electoral votes, can make the difference in a close election.

Electoral College supporters believe that the lack of a constitutional amendment to change or eliminate the College reflects the will of the people. Back in 2000, the Cato Institutes John Samples argued that in the wake of the Bush-Gore election, the system was still relevant.

If the Founders had wished to create a pure democracy, they would have done so. Those who now wish to do away with the Electoral College are welcome to amend the Constitution, but if they succeed, they will be taking America further away from its roots as a constitutional republic, he said.

Former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm told the New York Times, in the wake of this election, the question should be revisited.

If we really subscribe to the notion that majority rules, then why do we deny the majority their chosen candidate? she asked.

Scott Bomboy is the editor in chief of the National Constitution Center.

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Paris (AFP) - Fishing and shipping nations gather in Portugal next week to consider the fate of the endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna and overharvested Mediterranean swordfish, two pricey gourmet favourites.

While conservationists want stricter protection of these and other species, some member nations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) are seeking bigger fishing allowances.

Representatives of the body's 51 parties -- 50 countries and the EU bloc -- will meet in the coastal town of Vilamoura for a week starting Monday.

"Additional actions are required if ICCAT is to achieve its mandate to sustainably manage the fish stocks and fisheries under its control," said the Pew Charitable Trusts, which advocates for nature conservation.

The ICCAT is responsible for conservation of tunas and related species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas, as well as creatures which get tangled up as by-catch in tuna fishing.

Two years ago, the commission's members decided on a 20 percent annual increase over three years in bluefin tuna quotas in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, despite objections that evidence of stock recovery was sketchy.

The Atlantic bluefin, called Thunnus Thynnus by scientists, is the biggest tuna, growing up to four metres (13 feet) in length.

It is a highly sought-after and expensive delicacy, especially as sushi and sashimi in Asia -- a single specimen has sold for more than $1.75 million (1.6 million euros), according to the WWF.

Europe does most of the fishing.

Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks were decimated to a low of 150,000 tonnes in the mid-2000s after a decade of quotas as high as 50,000 tonnes per year.

The fish spawn just once a year and do not reach reproductive maturity until they are eight to 12 years old, making their numbers vulnerable to overfishing.

With the aid of lower quotas, the spawning stock rebounded to 585,000 tonnes by 2013, nearly double the levels of the 1950s, according to ICCAT figures.

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But conservationists point out the numbers are mere estimates, given that headcounts are very hard to do. And illegal fishing is a major problem, they say.

The ICCAT has raised the 2014 quota of 13,500 tonnes to 16,142 tonnes in 2015 and 19,296 in 2016.

The 2017 quota was provisionally set at 23,155 tonnes, but has to be reviewed after a new stock assessment due early next year.

Some states, including Spain, have called for increases to be discussed already at this year's meeting, according to Paulus Tak, an international ocean policy expert at Pew.

And Turkey has lodged a formal objection to the 2014 decision, which means it can set its own quotas.

Not reviewing quotas ahead of the 2017 assessment was "critical", said Tak, "in order to avoid jeopardising the recovery of the stock".

- Swordfish, bigeye -

Conservation groups are also rallying for better protection of the Mediterranean swordfish.

The species as a whole is not threatened, but its Mediterranean sub-group is "overfished", according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which keeps a "Red List" of species that are endangered or at risk of becoming so.

"The Mediterranean swordfish stock is really in a bad condition," the WWF's Giuseppe Di Carlo told AFP ahead of the annual gathering.

"It has been overfished for the last 30 years and it is now getting urgent to put in place an ambitious recovery plan."

The Mediterranean stock has fallen an estimated two-thirds from 1985, and 70 percent of total catches were of immature fish -- before they had a chance to reproduce.

"But there is currently no plan for the sustainable management of this stock," said Di Carlo.

Italy is the main taker of Mediterranean swordfish, followed by Morocco, Spain and Greece.

The commission will also be asked to consider the status of other species at risk, including the bigeye tuna -- another favourite in sashimi.

"Although tuna do provide food and livelihoods for people, they are more than just seafood," said the WWF.

"Tuna are a top predator in the marine food chain, maintaining a balance in the ocean environment."
Less than three months after a new writing team was brought into the project, The Croods 2 is history. Sources confirm to Deadline that DreamWorks Animation and new corporate sib Universal Pictures have axed the long-in-the-works sequel to the 2013 toon.

Sources said the project had been going south for a while and that the companies were weighing priorities after DWA was sold to NBCUniversal parent Comcast this year. The Croods 2 didnt make the cut.

The film was to be the follow-up to The Croods, which dug up $587M worldwide, more than two-thirds of which came from outside North America. The sequel originally had been set for release December 22, 2017, via 20th Century Fox, but it was put on hold after Comcasts takeover of DWA.

Kevinand Dan Hageman, the brothers who came up with the story for Warner Bros The Lego Movie, were set in August to do a rewrite on Croods 2.

The news first was reported by our sister site Variety.

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The AFI Fest screening of Flirting with Disaster was presented by IndieWire and Miramax on Friday, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year along with the film.

While writer and director David O. Russells career has flourished since the film, starring Ben Stiller, Tea Leoni and Patricia Arquette, the filmmaker said that he still maintains the same work ethic and instills it in his crews.

Be passionate or dont be here, said Russell during a Q & A session at the Chinese 6 Theatres.

Watching the movie, I see myself as a beginning filmmaker and Im just cringing, he joked.

Flirting with Disaster tackles many issues that families and couples can relate to, according to Russell, and is something that hasnt aged.

Its about identity and social norms and how bizarre and oppressive they are. The norm of marriage, what youre family is supposed to be, etc. Its playing with these social norms that people try to live with that are never perfect, Russell added. Everybody is trying to make things work socially but they really dont work!

Russell also made a connection between his movie and the outcome of this years election, outlining the subversiveness of his film and the irony of it all.

Were in the middle of an America that made gay marriage legal and now, who knows, lets hope that stays, he said.

Russell also shined a small spotlight on the Standing Rock Pipeline, as he took a moment to read a text sent to him from Arquette who was unable to attend the panel.

Im at Standing Rock and have been asked to provide compost toilets for the water protectors. Here we are working tirelessly to get this done, she texted, and also expressed her love and gratitude for the director and was saddened she could not attend.

IndieWire, a news site for the independent film, TV and digital communities, was acquired by PMC earlier this year. It joined Variety and other Penske brands like Deadline Hollywood, TVLine and Hollywood Life.

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Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump's upset presidential election win has dominated global headlines, but for those against capital punishment, Election Day offered other surprise: three states voted to reinstate or otherwise support the death penalty.

The measures voted through in Oklahoma, Nebraska and California via referendum are not expected to spark a sharp rise in the number of executions, but activists say they are a step in the wrong direction.

"Those states have chosen a failed, broken policy when they had the chance to move towards a new dawn," said Shari Silberstein, director of the advocacy group Equal Justice USA.

"The death penalty's demise is inevitable. We have a long list of evidence why that's true," she added.

In 2016, the United States is on course for its lowest number of executions since 1991.

This comes as post-conviction appeals in capital cases tend to become more and more frequent than in other cases, increasing the time and cost before an execution can actually be carried out.

There is also a shortage of the chemicals needed for lethal injections because pharmaceutical firms, mainly those located in Europe where the death penalty has been abolished, refuse to supply them.

The death penalty was not a major issue in the presidential campaign, as neither Trump nor Hillary Clinton oppose it. But in three states of varying political stripes, voters chose to back it.

- Nitrogen gas -

In Oklahoma, the death penalty was legal, but it faced mounting challenges in court over the lethal injection materials used, with lawyers for inmates charging that they cause undue suffering -- a violation of the Eighth Amendment, which bans "cruel and unusual punishment."

Besides voting 65 percent in favor of Trump, voters in this conservative Midwestern state made clear they are tired of executions being delayed.

They voted two to one for a measure enshrining the death penalty in the state constitution -- a clause designed to counter possible judicial appeals from defense lawyers of death row inmates.

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The new law in Oklahoma also allows the authorities to choose "any method of execution not prohibited by the United States Constitution."

Authorities in Oklahoma now hope to be able to use nitrogen asphyxiation.

- Ban lifted -

Nebraska, a bit further to the north and also strongly Republican, reinstated the death penalty by a vote of 61 percent in favor. The referendum rescinds a law banning the death penalty that the state legislature passed last year.

But this Great Plains state, where the last execution was carried out in 1997, will likely run into a shortage of lethal chemicals. This problem affects nearly all of the 31 US states that allow the death penalty.

"Nebraska has no avenue to purchase killing drugs and has no execution process in place. There will be no executions there any time soon," said Helen Prejean, a nun whose work fighting the death penalty was immortalized in the Oscar-winning film "Dead Man Walking."

Prejean urged those against capital punishment not to be discouraged by the Election Day setbacks, the third of which came in California, where voters faced a radical choice.

Californians had to vote on two contradictory measures. One aimed to ban capital punishment; that was rejected by 54 percent of voters. The other aimed to speed up the procedure and limit prospects for appeal; it passed.

California has not executed anyone for a decade, but it has the most crowded death row of any US state, at 741 inmates.

Executions are now on hold in the Golden State because of lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the lethal injection method.

Experts expect longer delays in carrying out executions.

Elsewhere, in Georgia, authorities announced Thursday that Steven Frederick Spears, convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 2007, would be put to death next week.

If the execution goes ahead, the southern state will have carried out six executions this year -- a record since the Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment four decades ago.
By Martyn Herman LONDON (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic intends to come out fighting at next week's ATP World Tour Finals and prove that rumours of his decline have been grossly exaggerated. It seems a long time ago now that the all-conquering Serb was being tipped for a calendar-year grand slam, having won the Australian and French Open titles. Andy Murray was his victim in both those finals but last week the Scot evicted Djokovic from the ATP's world number one spot that he had jealously guarded for more than two years. Since his long-awaited first Roland Garros title in June, Djokovic has suffered some crushing blows; losing to Sam Querrey in the third round at Wimbledon, exiting the Rio Olympics in the first round and then being trumped by Stan Wawrinka in the U.S. Open final. He has not won a title since July and a first career loss to Marin Cilic in last week's Paris Masters opened the door for a hungry Murray to steam through to the summit for the first time. Niggling injuries have not helped Djokovic while rumours have abounded of emotional burnout. The 29-year-old admitted on Friday that his early-season exploits had taken a toll, but said he was determined to end the year on a high and claim a fifth consecutive Tour Finals title. "I'm here in London to crown this year with the best possible result," Djokovic told reporters on Friday. "I didn't get to recover fast after the French Open to compete on the highest level. I had to dig deep and take some time to reflect because it was an incredible achievement. Djokovic "It took a bit of time to get back on track but all in all it was a very good year." Djokovic, who has spent a total of 223 weeks as world number one during his career, can finish the year number one for the fifth time in the past six seasons if he wins in London. He starts 405 points behind Murray who arrives on the back of a 19-match winning streak. "I've had an amazing last four years at the O2 Arena. I'm hoping I can carry on with those great results," said the 12-times grand slam champion. "I still feel I have a lot of gas in the tank, a lot of years ahead of me. My mind is very positive to this sport." Djokovic's hopes of climbing back above home favourite Murray have been helped by him being placed in the easier group. He starts on Sunday against debutant Dominic Thiem and also plays French first-timer Gael Monfils and Milos Raonic. Murray must contend with U.S. Open champion Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori and Monday's opponent Marin Cilic, but whatever happens Djokovic knows their battle for supremacy will continue in 2017. "Looking at his qualities and commitment to the sport there is a good chance he can play at this level for a long time," Djokovic said. (Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Emma Watson and Thandie Newton just hung out for the best reason and we couldnt love them more

If you need a break from this emotionally draining week, Emma Watson has your back. Since her Harry Potter days, Emma has taken on some big roles. Most of them revolving around womens rights.

So its no surprise that Emma Watson would show her support along side Thandie Newton at the premiere of City of Joy.

The documentary highlighting the lives of women working in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo who are dedicated to overcoming sexual violence.

2016 DOC NYC - "City Of Joy" Premiere

Emma took a break from hiding books in the NYC subway to rally behind this worthy project. This is yet another display of Watsons amazing career trajectory.

@booksonthesubway @booksontheunderground @oursharedshelf #Mom&Me&Mom A photo posted by Emma Watson (@emmawatson) on Nov 9, 2016 at 2:13pm PST

Emma shares the views of Westworlds creators, who encourage strong female characters with modern takes on empowerment and sexuality. Thandie Newton plays one such character, and is therefore a perfect fit to befriend Emma at City of Joys premiere.

At the @Vdayorg #cityofjoy premiere in NYC last night From left: Christine Schuler Deschryver, Emma Watson, Eve Ensler and our Thandie. #congo #endviolenceagainstwomen KayX A photo posted by ThandieKay.com Instagram (@thandieandkay) on Nov 12, 2016 at 7:13am PST

Thandie has been outspoken on her social media this week, sending messages of hope and encouragement to those effected by the outcome of the election. Seems like her character Maeve could handle someone testing her.

I got the chance to write something on the guest board at #CBS This Morning. #WestworldFantasy x Thandie A photo posted by ThandieKay.com Instagram (@thandieandkay) on Nov 11, 2016 at 7:58am PST

via @thepanafrican  A photo posted by ThandieKay.com Instagram (@thandieandkay) on Nov 9, 2016 at 2:21pm PST

During a HeForShe event, Emma spoke out about gender issues.

She said, We dont often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that that they are and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence. If men dont have to be aggressive in order to be accepted women wont feel compelled to be submissive. If men dont have to control, women wont have to be controlled.

We totally agree with this beautiful sentiment and think Emma (and Thandie) both embody some seriously inspirational #GirlPower.

The post Emma Watson and Thandie Newton just hung out for the best reason and we couldnt love them more appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Ethan Coen penned a scathing essay for The New York Times, calling out several people in light of Donald Trump's election victory, with inspiration from Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon.

In Fallon's 'Thank You Notes' segment, people or organizations get a condescending correspondence of gratitude for the not-so-good things they've done. Coen took note and created his own.

Coen even added Fallon to the list of culprits that he deems responsible for this week's election results that gave Trump victory over Hillary Clinton.

The piece, titled "2016 Election Thank You Notes," starts off the list of eight with "Jill Stein voters" and Coen uses the opportunity to blame those who supported Stein, which in turn hampered Clinton's chances of winning. "If your vote for Ms. Stein did not end up advancing your green agenda, it did allow you to feel morally superior to all the compromising schmoes who voted for Hillary Clinton. And your feelings about your vote are more important than the consequences of your vote. So - thank you!"

Read more: Lena Dunham Writes Grieving, Motivational Letter About Hillary Clinton's Loss in Lenny

Fallon was fifth on the list, with Coen accusing the host of humanizing Trump, ultimately helping his campaign. "How did you manage to shine a nonthreatening light on someone who alarms so many women, frightens so many undocumented families and slurs so many minorities? Can't have been easy! Thanks!"

"All our media friends" was one group mentioned, as Coen used Clinton's email controversy as the main indicator of how things spiraled out of control due to the overwhelmingly biased coverage. "Thank you for preserving reportorial balance. You balanced Donald Trump's proposal that the military execute the innocent families of terrorists, against Hillary's emails. You balanced pot-stirring racist lies about President Obama's birth, against Hillary's emails."

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Coen also thanked the media for "following Les Moonves's principled lead when he said Donald Trump 'may not be good for America, but he's damn good for CBS.'"

Coen, added The Electoral College to the list by simply saying: "Thank you, for being you."

He also expressed his inability to thank Hillary Clinton for being a woman running against a man whose qualifications didn't measure up to hers. "I cannot thank: Hillary Clinton. She is not a morally perfect person - her fault! She was not the perfect candidate - her fault! Misogyny may have magnified her failings so as to show them balancing the outsized failings of her opponent - and that might not be her fault."

Others who made the list, include, Gary Johnson voters, James Comey, Anthony Weiner, who received a thank you for "also finding a surprising way to contribute!" and the American electorate, who received the final tribute: "We did it! We really did it!"

Read more: Robert De Niro on Donald Trump's Election: "I Feel Like I Did After 9/11" (Exclusive)
By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) - The former chief financial officer of British software company Autonomy has been indicted on U.S. charges of engaging in a fraudulent scheme to deceive investors and Hewlett Packard (HPE.N) about his firm's performance before its sale in 2011.

Sushovan Hussain, a UK resident who was Autonomy's CFO at the time of its $11 billion acquisition by HP, was charged in an indictment filed on Thursday in federal court in San Francisco with conspiracy and wire fraud.

The indictment alleged that beginning in October 2009, Hussain and others sought to deceive Autonomy's investors and HP about the company's performance, financial condition and prospects for growth.

The scheme had several objectives, the indictment said, including to artificially increase and maintain Autonomy's share price to make the company attractive to potential buyers like HP.

Hussain, who remains in the United Kingdom, has not been arrested. John Keker, his lawyer, said in a statement on Friday that Hussain was innocent and would be acquitted at trial.

"He defrauded no one and, as Autonomy's CFO, acted at all times with the highest standards of honesty, integrity and competence," Keker said.

The indictment marked the latest fallout from the deal, which was supposed to form the central part of HP's move into software but instead led the U.S. company a year later to write-off three-quarters of Autonomy's value.

Last year, HP sued Autonomy's co-founder Mike Lynch and Hussain, seeking $5.1 billion in a lawsuit that accused them of engaging in fraudulent activities to boost the company's value.

Both men have denied wrongdoing. Lynch countersued HP last year, saying at the time that "HP was simply incompetent in its operation of Autonomy, and the acquisition was doomed from the very beginning."

Hewlett Packard Enterprise did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for former Autonomy management, including Lynch and Hussain, said that the group is certain of Hussain's innocence and HP lied to the markets and shareholders.

The case is U.S. v. Hussain, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 16-cr-00462.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York and Peter Henderson in San Francisco; editing by Tom Brown and Cynthia Osterman)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has banned Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow under President Barack Obama, from entering the country, McFaul and Russian Foreign Ministry sources said. Russia has a travel ban in place on some U.S. officials in retaliation for a U.S. ban on Russian officials entering the United States. McFaul, U.S. ambassador in Moscow from 2012-2014, said he had learnt of the ban when applying for a visa to Russia to help defeated presidential candidate Hillary Clinton prepare for what he thought would be her transition to the White House. "I have hundreds of friends in Russia. I'm really sorry that these sanctions will make communicating with people harder," McFaul wrote on social media on Saturday. In a separate earlier post, he described why he thought he had been sanctioned. "(I) was told that I am the Kremlin's sanctions list because of my close affiliation with Obama. I will take that as a compliment! The U.S. sanctioned Russians close to (President Vladimir) Putin." "To the best of my knowledge, George Kennan was the last U.S. ambassador to USSR/Russia to be banned from traveling there." Moscow declared Kennan persona non grata in 1952. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not publicly confirm the ban, but ministry sources told Russian news agencies McFaul had been added to a sanctions list in 2014. He was not banned because of his support for Obama, a Foreign Ministry source told the TASS and RIA news agencies, but because of his "active participation in the destruction of the bilateral relationship and relentless lobbying in favor of a campaign to pressure Russia." The Kremlin had strained relations with McFaul when he was ambassador, bridling at his contacts with the opposition. McFaul is now a professor of political science at Stanford University. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
Billy Bob Thornton has nothing but positive things to say about his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie.

ET caught up with the 61-year-old actor at a press junket for his latest film, Bad Santa 2, at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles on Friday, where he gave us an update on how Jolie's been doing following her split from Brad Pitt.

WATCH: Billy Bob Thornton, Jonny Lee Miller and More: A Look Back at Angelina Jolie's Famous Exes

"She's seems, you know, OK to me when I talk to [her]," Thornton told ET's Denny Directo. "I don't talk to her that often though. You know?"

"We're still very good friends," he added, "but she's got her world. I've got mine."

Thornton and Jolie, 41, tied the knot in Las Vegas on May 5, 2000, after starring together in the Mike Newll-directed comedy-drama, Pushing Tin. They separated in June 2002 and divorced the following year.

"Once in a blue moon we come together," Thornton told ET of their now amicable friendship. "Every now and then we talk, you know? Whatever. But when people are going through their trials and tribulations I try to leave them alone unless they want to talk to me."

"In other words, I figure it's none of my business," he continued. "Unless someone makes it my business it's none of my business."

WATCH: Brad Pitt Makes First Appearance Since Angelina Jolie Divorce Filing at Private Screening

And when asked if he'll always be there for Jolie when she calls, his answer was sweet.

"Of course," he replied.

In addition to Thornton's role in Bad Santa 2, which hits theaters Nov. 23, fans can also catch the Arkansas native in the November issue of GQ.

"I never felt good enough for [Angelina]," he told the magazine, noting she was more of a social butterfly whereas he preferred to spend time at home. "I'm real uncomfortable around rich and important people."

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Back in 2014, Thornton told The Hollywood Reporter that he was "not fond" of that "crazy time" when he was married to Jolie, a time where the two made headlines for wearing vials of each other's blood around their necks.

WATCH: Brad Pitt Investigation Ends, 'No Proof' of Child Abuse Found

"Vial of blood is very simple," he explained. "You know those lockets you buy that are clear and you put a picture of your grannie in and wear it around your neck? She bought two of those."

"We were apart a lot because she [was] off making Tomb Raider and I'm making Monster's Ball," he added. "She thought it would be interesting and romantic if we took a little razor blade and sliced our fingers, smeared a little blood on these lockets and you wear it around your neck just like you wear your son or daughter's baby hair in one. Same thing."

As ET previously reported, Jolie began dating Pitt after meeting him on the set of their 2005 film, Mr. & Mrs. Smith. In September of this year, Jolie filed for divorce from the actor after two years of marriage and 11 years together.

WATCH: Angelina Jolie 'Relieved' Investigation Into Brad Pitt Child Abuse Claims Has Ended

Earlier this week, Pitt was cleared of child abuse allegations by the Department of Child and Family Services. Jolie's rep told ET in a statement that the mother of six was "relieved" that the investigation had concluded, and that her focus has always been on the health of her family.

Hear more in the video below.

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By Liana B. Baker and Greg Roumeliotis

(Reuters) - The private investment arm of Koch Industries, the industrial conglomerate of the billionaire Koch brothers, is nearing a deal to acquire a significant minority stake in Infor Inc that will value the business software company at roughly $10 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The deal, if completed, would mark the largest investment for Koch Equity Development LLC, the Koch Industries affiliate that invests excess cash from the parent company. It would also represent Koch's largest push into the technology sector.

The transaction could be announced as early as next week, the people said on Saturday, asking not to be named because the talks are private. As with any deal negotiation, talks could fall apart at the last minute, the people cautioned.

Koch's investment will be a mix of preferred and common equity, according to one of the sources.

Infor's majority owner, Golden Gate Capital, declined to comment. Infor and Koch Industries did not respond to requests for comment.

Koch Industries, which owns brands such as Brawny paper towels, Dixie Cups and Lycra, is controlled by Charles and David Koch, two of the world's richest men.

Based in New York, Infor helps companies automate business processes. It offers specialized software licenses to specific sectors, as opposed to selling one product to all its customers across industries. It competes with Oracle (ORCL.O), SAP SE (SAPG.DE) and IBM Corp (IBM.N).

Koch Equity previously invested preferred and common equity in Solera Holdings Inc, a technology provider to insurance companies, alongside technology-focused private equity firm Vista Equity, which bought the majority of the company last year. It also invested preferred and common equity into home security firm ADT Corp, which was bought by Apollo Global Management earlier this year.

In taking a stake in Infor, Koch Equity prevailed over private equity firms such as Blackstone Group LP (BX.N), CVC Capital Partners LTD (CVC.UL), Leonard Green & Partners LP and Apax Partners LLP that had been vying to buy either a minority or majority stake in the company, according to people familiar with the matter.

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Those firms all declined comment or could not be reached for comment.

The transaction would give Golden Gate Capital a chance to cash in on a portion of its long-held investment in Infor, though it would continue to control the company. Golden Gate has a perpetual buyout fund structure with no finite investment period or fund life.

Summit Partners, a private equity firm that also owns part of Infor, could not be reached for comment.

Reuters first reported in September that Infor had retained Morgan Stanley (MS.N) to help the company explore options after receiving investment interest.

Golden Gate has owned Infor since 2002, when it acquired one of its predecessor companies, Agilisys. The company changed its name to Infor in 2004, when Agilisys acquired German firm Infor Business Solutions AG.

Under Chief Executive Officer Charles Phillips, a former president of Oracle, Infor has sought to shift its business model to software-as-a-service, or software subscriptions delivered over the cloud to customers, as opposed to software installed on computers.

(This version of the story has been refiled to make clear in headline that private investment arm of Koch Industries and not parent company is taking stake in Infor)

(Reporting by Liana B. Baker in San Francisco and Greg Roumeliotis in Orlando; Editing by Leslie Adler)
The cold, gray drizzle of November finally found central Illinois on Election Day. No one complained, however, because the warm, dry harvest season had ended weeks before.

Fifty or more years ago, that was never the case on the southern Illinois dairy farm of my youth. In fact, if we were half-done with harvest on Election Day, we were very lucky. Done by Election Day? No one we knew was ever that lucky.

Back then, in the 1960s, Election Day was like a Sunday. My mother, a poll judge, would put on a church dress to earn, maybe, $10 over the 13- or 14-hour day. (The polling place, in fact, was a church.) And like Sunday, work stopped long enough for you to do your sacred duty. Moreover, in Illinois then, when the polls were open the taverns were closed.

That was a minor distraction to a local deputy who was the Democratic precinct boss as well as the owner of a well-known local watering hole. Officially, it was always closed on Election Day; unofficially, its back door was always open to anyone who voted right.

Not surprisingly, most everyone, either out of blind loyalty or blind thirst, did vote right and the precinct never went Republican while that deputy (later sheriff) wore a badge, a gun and a knowing smile.

It took little convincing; most southern Illinois farm folks had been Democrats since the election of Franklin Roosevelt in 1932.

It was Roosevelt, after all, whose hopeful words carried them through the Depression; Roosevelt who brought electricity to their dark corner of nowhere; and, praise heaven, Roosevelt who delivered a monthly pension check so a lifetime of hard work left no one broken and broke.

That loyalty, like America itself, began to crack in 1968, the worst election year ever. The Tet offensive came that February, then Martin Luther Kings murder in April, and Bobbys in June. (My mother woke my siblings and me that awful morning with the shocked cry, They shot another Kennedy! They shot another Kennedy!) Summer ended in clouds of tear gas and pools of blood at the Democratic convention in Chicago.

The ugly emptiness of the 2016 election might have been a bad dream but, by comparison, 1968 was a bloody nightmare.

My father, a thoughtful, informed voter for almost 70 years, backed Richard Nixon in 1968 because Nixon had promised to raise milk price supports, a key ingredient in our farms main enterprise. You have to vote for a man who understands farming, offered my father.

Nixon kept his word; he increased milk price supports before announcing his re-election bid in 1972. Shortly thereafter, Watergate investigators discovered he had done so only after pocketing at least $1 million in unreported campaign cash from the dairy lobby.

My father never commented on Nixons criminal deeds or the dairy lobbys dirty schemes. I suspect, however, that their corruption deeply offended him because he was a rules person. Rules, like fences, mattered. To him, breaking the rules to win wasnt winning. It was, in fact, losing because it meant you had first lost your dignity, then your honor.

Republicans didnt have the corner on the corruption market in the southern Illinois of my youth. Two years before Watergate, a well-known Illinois Democrat, Secretary of State Paul Powell, died after a brief illness. Within weeks, his executor discovered several shoe boxes filled with $800,000 in cash in Powells Springfield hotel room, as well as 49 cases of whiskey, 14 transistor radios and two cases of canned corn.

That was quite a haul for a southern Illinois boy who never made more than $30,000 a year as an elected official.

Powell, like Nixon and the vote right sheriff, werent  arent  the only scoundrels to hold public office. In fact, its quite likely we elected more than a few crooks, cheaters and knuckleheads this Election Day. We usually do. These folks, however, come and go.

We, the people, however, always persevere.
By Anthony Deutsch AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The executive body of the global chemical weapons watchdog voted on Friday to condemn the use of banned toxic agents by the Syrian government and by the militant group Islamic State, a source who took part in the closed session said. Roughly two-thirds of the 41 members on the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), endorsed a text compiled by Spain, sources told Reuters. An initial U.S. draft was replaced with a compromise text drafted by Spain, which dropped a reference to sanctions against those responsible for violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention, sources added. The OPCW's Executive Council, which meets behind closed doors, seldom votes on such matters, generally operating through consensus. But this text was supported by 28 members, including Germany, France, the United States and Britain. It was opposed by Russia, China, Sudan and Iran. There were nine abstentions. Russia and Iran are Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main allies against rebels seeking to overthrow him. Western and Gulf Arab states back the rebels. "There is a clear determination across the international community to hold those who have used these heinous weapons to account," said British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson in a statement responding to the vote. But a U.S.-Russian split over Syria highlighted continuing divisions. It was these two countries that in 2013 took the lead in getting the Damascus government to join the OPCW and avert threatened U.S.-led military intervention in Syria's civil war. A 13-month international inquiry by the OPCW and United Nations concluded in a series of reports that Syrian government forces, including helicopter squadrons, were responsible for the use of chlorine barrel bombs against civilians. The OPCW-U.N. mission found that the Syrian government carried out three toxic attacks in March and April of last year, while Islamic State militants had used sulphur mustard gas. The findings set the stage for a U.N. Security Council showdown between the five veto-wielding powers, likely pitting Russia and China against the United States, Britain and France over how those responsible for the attacks should be held accountable. Syrian authorities deny having used chemical weapons in the conflict. Islamic State has not commented. (Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton in Washington; Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
In February, Donald Trump vowed to make enhanced interrogation techniqueslike sleep deprivation, waterboarding, and a hell of a lot worse than waterboardingpart of his then-hypothetical administrations approach to fighting terrorism. He also promised to target the families of suspected terrorists. His pledges, sometimes reversed, then reinforced, all seemed like instances of his fiery, base-riling campaign rhetoric.

Trump faces significant hurdles to reviving George W. Bush-era interrogation practices amounting to torture; those hurdles include the Geneva Conventions and 2005s Detainee Treatment Act, which prohibited some of the worst abuses. But other restrictions, including a 2009 executive order signed by President Barack Obama barring the CIA from operating its own detention facilities and banning some interrogation techniques, could be quickly overturned by Trump.

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Now that Trump has won the presidency, the prospect of that rhetoric becoming policyor, at the very least, a viable possibilityhas revived a debate that seemed settled when Obama repudiated the policies of his predecessor with the declaration that we dont torture.

Were no longer saying that the United States does not torture, were saying the United States should torture, Alka Pradhan, a lawyer for Guantanamo Bay Military Commissions, told BuzzFeed. In Washington, rising Republican stars like Oklahoma Senator Tom Cotton believe Trump is prepared decide whether to bring torture back. If experienced intelligence professionals come to the president of the United States and say, We think this terrorist has critical information and we need to obtain it, and this is the only way we can obtain it, thats a tough call, Cotton, who does not believe that waterboarding is torture, told Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday. Donald Trumps a pretty tough guy, and I think hes ready to make those tough calls.

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The former FBI agent Ali Soufan is an experienced intelligence professional, with his own well-developed views on torture. He doesnt think its a tough call: He thinks it doesnt work. During his eight-year career with the bureau, Soufan investigated terrorism cases in the United States and around the world, including the 1999 millennium bombing plot in Jordan and the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen, a major al-Qaeda attack that foreshadowed the attacks of September 11, 2001. As Lawrence Wright wrote in a 2006 profile for The New Yorker, Soufan, who is Lebanese American, was one of only eight Arabic speakers in the bureau in 2000. He became one of its most sophisticated interrogators and experts on Islamic fundamentalism and al-Qaeda, extracting multiple confessions from terror suspects, including those of Osama bin Ladens driver Salim Hamdan and the al-Qaeda propagandist Ali al-Bahlul. Soufans language skills, his relentlessness, and his roots in the Middle East made him invaluable in helping the F.B.I. understand Al Qaeda, Wright wrote.

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In 2009, four years after resigning from the bureau, Soufan testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee during hearings on torture as the Obama administration and the Democrats sought to confront the abuses of the Bush years. Soufan testified that hed managed to successfully interrogate the senior al-Qaeda leader Abu Zubaydah without resorting to practices like waterboarding. [It] is a mistake to use what has become known as the enhanced interrogation techniques, a position shared by many professional operatives, including the CIA officers who were present at the initial phases of the Abu Zubaydah interrogation. ... These techniques, from an operational perspective, are ineffective, slow and unreliable, and as a result harmful to our efforts to defeat al-Qaeda, Soufan testified. In 2014, the Senate released the executive summary of its 6,700 page report on the torture program, detailing specific practices and previously unknown information about detainees.

I spoke to Soufan recently about torture and counterterrorism in the age of Trump. What follows is a condensed and edited transcript of our conversation.

Siddhartha Mahanta: Youve referred to [Trumps proposals] as something of a war crimes platform. Trumps also keen on keeping [the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay] open. What was the rationale offered, during the Bush years, for using so-called enhanced interrogation methods? How did you reach the conclusion that they don't work? And how did you and other agents grapple with the moral questions hereif torture is morally wrong, as well as illegal under international law, does it matter whether it works?

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Ali Soufan: There were lots of investigations into the efficacy of EITs [enhanced interrogation techniques]. There were investigations done by the FBI, by the [Department of Justice], by the CIAs own inspector general, and there was a congressional investigation by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that started as a bipartisan investigation and later became only a Democratic investigation. ... And there was one [common] thing among all these investigations: that these techniques did not work, and these techniques hurt the national security of the United States. Thats not me saying [it], this is the CIAs own IG thats saying that. This is the DOJs conclusion, this is the Senates conclusion.

There is rhetoric and there is reality. This is one of these things that, in reality, what we did hurt national security. ... Our military leaders in Iraq told us, again and again, that many of the foreign fighters that were coming to join the insurgency and attack our troops in Iraq were motivated by the images they saw [depicting detainee abuse in the Iraqi prison] Abu Ghraib, so this is an issue that has been investigated a lot. And unfortunately, it became about [the] rhetoric ... about bravado. But in reality, when we deal with national security, we deal [with] outcomes and conclusions. And as a person who was there, as a person who witnessed firsthand some of these techniques ... I can tell you that these techniques were harmful to our national security and harmful to our strategy. I hope that the new administration will move away from the rhetoricthe rhetoric of campaigningand start dealing with the reality of governing.

Mahanta: Given the conclusions you and other agents reached during that era, how are agents that you're in touch with currently reacting to the possibility those policies might come back?

Soufan: Well, [this applies] not only to FBI agents, but also CIA. You have a former CIA director [Michael Hayden] who ... said that if President Trump wants to do this, he should bring his own buckets with him, the agency is not going to do that. So its not only the FBI, its not an FBI vs. CIA thing. Its basically a conclusion that everybody agreed upon. Now we want to turn the page and move ahead. We dont want to look at the past.

Mahanta: If torture becomes policy again, based on what youve seen, what does that mean for ISIS and al-Qaeda recruitment?

Torture definitely does not have a good outcome.

Soufan: Military leaders in Iraq, and the intelligence community in Iraq, told us that many of the people who joined the insurgency were motivated by images of Abu Ghraib. If you look at terrorists that attacked, for example, in France, the one on Charlie Hebdo, [one of the two brothers involved, Cherif Kouachi], was arrested before. And if you look at the court documents, it clearly indicates that he became an extremist because of the images of Abu Ghraib, because of torture. So torture played a significant role in recruitment for groups like al-Qaeda and groups that later became known as ISIS. We have to keep that in mind. We have to do something not because it feels good; we have to do something because it has a good outcome. Torture definitely does not have a good outcome.

Mahanta: On the subject of the Paris attacks and the other attacks throughout Europe: Perhaps the bigger problem than recruits actually making their way to Iraq and Syria, is lone-wolf terror attacks. [Separately,] cells that form in different European cities ... are still clearly making an impact. Youve discussed this problem both in the United States and in Europe. Do you think weve gotten a handle on how to stop these guys from consolidating terror cells?

Soufan: You have to differentiate between Europe and the United States. The dynamics are very different. In Europe, you have communities that feel they are totally not integrated and neglected. In the United States we dont have that. In Europe ... you have community-based recruitment, you have people deciding to join these groups together, or join the war efforts in Iraq and Syria, and brothers, family members, sometimes friends from the neighborhood, they all go together. We dont have that in the United States. If you look at the foreign fighters, we have about 250 who traveled or attempted to travel from the United States to the conflict zone of Iraq and Syria. From western Europe, we have about 5,000 who did that.

We have to keep in mind that the Muslim American communitiesbecause its very diverse as you knoware the wealthiest Muslims in the world. They are the most diverse Muslim community in the world, they are the second-most educated [group] in the United States, after the Jewish American community. So Muslims in America are well-integrated, and we see every now and then an attack here, an attack there. Those individuals have some identity issues; we dont have the level [of problems] they have in Molenbeek, Belgium for example, or St. Genies in France, or in other places in Western Europe.

However, any successful strategy in combating international terrorism domestically, especially here in the United States, will heavily depend on bridging the differences and the sense of separation between the U.S. government and these specific [Muslim American] communities. Im not a fan of the term CVE [countering violent extremism] , per se, but the idea is to build bridges of trust with different communities, such as the Muslim communitieswe need their support, especially in developing a warning system for people who are falling into the dangerous path of radicalization. Community partnerships have been instrumental and have been quite effective.

The Trump campaign heavily promoted the false claim that Muslim Americans know about terrorists in their own communities, and they dont say anything. Thats not only not true, but it destroys any future cooperation, and it feeds directly to rhetoric of radical terrorist groupsthat the United States and the West are at war with Islam, at war with Muslims everywhere. There is a need to have a concerted and sustained effort to regain lost trust and ease the anxiety being felt by different communities in the United States, especially the American Muslim community. This is extremely important.

Mahanta: On a campaign stop in Youngstown, Ohio, on August 15, Donald Trump talked about one part of his plan for ISIS: so-called extreme vetting of those seeking to come to the United States, or temporarily banning Muslims from perceived problem spots like Syria, from which he falsely claimed that Barack Obama had let in tens of thousands [of people]. It entailed an ideological screening process to assess those who dont share our values and respect our people. In his speech, there was also a specific line about only allowing those who we expect to flourish in our countryand to embrace a tolerant American society to receive visas. Along with that, theres his [call for a] temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States [which briefly disappeared from his website on Thursday, only to reappear later], and a bar on those with hostile attitudes. Is there a precedent for something like extreme vetting? How exactly might something like this work on a practical level? And how, more generally, do you assess the idea as policy?

Soufan: Let me talk about visa applicants. You have visa applicants from non-waiver countries. Non-waiver countries mean countries where their citizens are required to obtain a visas to come to the United States. We have waiver countries like [the] U.K., [countries in] Europe[their] people dont need visas. But, you know, the great majority of countries around the world, they need visas [to come to the United States]. Visa applicants from those countries, non-waiver countries, they already face intense scrutiny. And refugees, believe it or not, they even face more scrutiny. It takes almost two years for someone to be granted refugee status. Thats if we know everything about them. So intelligence and security agencies, they work with liaison partners to vet the backgrounds, to vet the histories of both refugees and visa applicants.

As with many of the campaign issues, the extreme vetting idea is vague and without much meaning until its more narrowly defined.

The campaign rhetoric that tens of thousands of people, that you just mentioned, are flooding [into] the country without vetting, is false and is insulting to the countless professions across the government that work on these issues. As with many of the campaign issues, the extreme vetting idea is vague and without much meaning until its more narrowly defined. What does it mean to say someone, for example, [is] from a conflict area?  Or a place that has terrorismwhat does that mean? Shall all of Europe be placed on extreme vetting lists since all [those countries] struggle with terrorism? As reality replaces rhetoric, the issues will be clearer in terms of goals and in terms of implementation.  [The Trump administrations] success is our success, and their failure is our failure now. This is our government.

Mahanta: Trump also suggested that Americas allies abroad and in the Middle East need to share this approach, to the extent that hes discussed what he wants to do. But it makes me think about all the counterterrorism relationships weve had with countries over the years, from Germany, to Asia, to Israel, to the Jordanians, to Egypt, where [President Abdel Fattah al-] Sisi seems excited about Trump. Youre seeing a warm hand being extended by [Turkish President Tayyip] Erdogan right now, for example, another key partner both in counterterrorism and in the war on ISIS. First, how did these relationships evolve during the Bush years and through the Obama years? How, in your years with the FBI, did those relationships actually make your job easier, and make you more effective? And whats their future now?

Soufan: The U.S. strategy against terrorist groups, especially groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda, over the years, [has] specifically focused on enhancing the long-standing intelligence and military liaison and law-enforcement relationships with countries such as Jordan, or the countries that youve mentioned. Liaison relationships need to be tended to as one would manage any friendship or partnership, and trust is a huge issue in these relationships. And any divisive or demeaning statements from a U.S. administration makes that liaison effort much more difficult. ... Weve seen that under the Obama administration and under the Bush administration.

In the best of times, [counterterrorism, or CT] liaison work is incredibly difficult and depends on personalities and honesty and trust. If the rhetoric from the campaign finds its way into the administration and finds its way into the intelligence community and the law-enforcement community, effective CT liaison efforts will be, at the least, challenging with some countries around the world, especially countries that we need the most, such as Muslim nations. So if the United States moves towards a closer relationship with Russiajust giving you an example hereit would quite negatively impact the relationship with other countries and other groups that we consider allies. The fight in Syria is just one issue, in which the United States is focused on CT while Russia is focused on keeping the Assad regime in power and expanding Russian influence in the region. There might be some benefits to the overall U.S. CT strategy, where we have a closer relationship with Russia, right? Something positive might come out of that. The new administration has to assure that such benefits do not outweigh the costs in other areas.

I think most of the concerns about the impact of a Trump administration on counterterrorism and on foreign policy stem from the vague proposals and unprecedented rhetoric of this long and very divisive campaign. A fair amount of worry stems from the sheer volume of what isnt known. President-elect Trump, remember, he has never legislated or held any office at any level. And therefore he has no past performance with which to balance his sharp and often changing view. In business, he appears to be a pragmatic person. We need a wait and see approach before making any assessments.

But you know, a silver lining herethere could be very well positive developments with a Trump-led CT strategy. A turning the page, and starting with a fresh approach, as long as it is a better approach on Syria, on Yemen, on Libya, on Afghanistan, on Iraq, on the Middle East in general, [which] might lead to a better security environment. So what is unknown isnt necessarily negative, even if the potential for change is disconcerting.

Mahanta: What, more broadly, do we know about how Trump's counter-ISIS plans differ from Obama's? We're already [bombing] the shit out of ISIS as he has asked for. We're not, however, taking the oil, banning Muslims, or intentionally taking out their families. How do you expect the counter-ISIS campaign to change under Trump?

Soufan: Well its yet to be seen. There are no specifics for his policy and some of the things that were said, I hope it was just campaign rhetoric, because in reality I dont think the military will obey a President Trump by killing the families of terrorists. This is a war crime. And I dont think he will give that order, frankly, so I think its yet to be seen what his policy will be.

But it seems when it comes to ISIS, he has this idea about closer cooperation with Russia. And thats fine and dandy, and I think that might probably be positive [for] targeting ISIS and targeting al-Qaeda in Syria and Iraq. But at the same time, Russia has different plans that go beyond ISIS, beyond al-Qaeda. So maybe we agree with them on one element but we disagree on many other elements.

Mahanta: You had also talked about this idea of the way that collaboration between intelligence agencies from different countries works on a practical level. How easy is it to shut out the political rhetoric that seems to suggest that [agents] professional lives could be upended or changed dramatically over the next four years?

Soufan: We shouldn't take anything for granted. Things will change. Ill give you an example. If we started working with the Russians in targeting the Syrian opposition  as you know the Russians are focusing not only on ISIS, or on al-Qaeda, but a lot of other groups. Some of them are supported by the U.S. government. Others are directly supported by our allies who see the conflict in Syria as a regional conflict; one that has to do with Irans [influence] expanding in the region, or along the sectarian Shia-Sunni lines, or along ethnic fault lines: Kurds, Turkic, Arabs, etc. So our coordination with the Russians in Syria might anger some of our traditional allies in the Gulf. So in this case, will they continue to provide the necessary intelligence or will that hinder the relationships? There are lots of unknowns here.

Generally, I think the intelligence relationships are strong. And I think a lot of these professional people will continue to work with each other. But at least, its going to be challenging if some countries in the region feel they are being betrayed by the United States. Frankly there is a sense of anxiety not only in the Middle East, but also in Asia with Japan and South Korea, in Europe, with our NATO allies, in Ukraine and few other places. Again, we have to wait and see.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
The protests that erupted in cities nationwide after the surprise presidential election of Donald Trump Tuesday are continuing into their fourth day. In New York this afternoon, Michael Moore, whose anti-Donald doc Michael Moore in Trumpland was an October Surprise that couldnt compete with the FBIs, was turned away from Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, with press pool reports saying he left a Roger & Me-type note for his nemesis: Mr. Trump. Im here. I want to talk to you.

Moore reportedly entered Manhattans Trump Tower, the president-elects residence, just after 1 p.m. ET, taking escalators to a fourth-floor elevator bank when he was stopped by Secret Service.

He later tweeted:

I'm in the middle of thousands -tens of thousands?- of American voters outside Trump Tower demanding he step aside. He got the least votes.  Michael Moore (@MMFlint) November 12, 2016

The pool report says Moore left the note for Trump after being rebuffed at the fourth-floor elevator bank.

Todays protest in New York, with marchers walking from Union Square on 14th Street to Trump Tower near 57th Street, grew in size throughout the afternoon. Shortly after 5 p.m. ET, CNN was estimating the crowd at 10,000.

Moores request for a Trump meeting is the second such attempt by an outspoken critic in as many days: On last nights Real Time With Bill Maher, the HBO host invited the president-elect onto his show sometime after the series returns from hiatus in January.

Los Angeles Anti-Trump Protest, November 12

The protests in New York  11 demonstrators were arrested last night  was just one of the many anti-Trump demonstrations taking place today. Similar protests have been ongoing in Miami, Atlanta, Charleston and Portland, Oregon among other cities. In Los Angeles, an estimated 8,000 demonstrators have gathered in downtown as part of a march that begin at 10 AM in MacArthur Park. Unlike last nights demonstration, which saw the arrests of 187 adults and eight juvenile protesters by LAPD, this mornings protest has been peaceful, with attendees carrying signs and chanting slogans identifying core grievances, chief among them Trumps policy preferences and campaign rhetoric that were widely criticized as racist during the election season.

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The protests in Los Angeles are the first in the city to occur during daytime hours  previous protests have taken place at night. News networks are reporting that LAPD is trying to clear the streets near MacArthur Park, which remain blocked.

While Moore was protesting in Manhattan, MSNBC re-ran his Morning Joe panel appearance from Friday almost in its entirety. Moore lambasted not only Trump, but Democrats who betrayed the Flint residents whose drinking water has been poisoned by lead. When Barack Obama drank the water last summer as a sign of its safety, it was like a knife in the heart of the people of Flint, a black city, Moore said.

He also criticized the pundits of Morning Joe, who laughed last summer at the notion that Trump spent more money on red ball caps than polls and a ground game.

They have no ground game! They have no ground game!, Moore mocked. Are you kidding me? Their ground game started 30 years ago.

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Stockholm (AFP) - Five people were arrested and two were injured in Stockholm on Saturday in clashes between police and anti-fascists at a rally by Swedish neo-Nazis, police said.

An AFP photographer said thousands of anti-fascists gathered in central Stockholm to protest against a rally being held by the Nordic Resistance Movement (NMR).

Police placed a protective cordon around the NMR rally, which numbered hundreds of people, the photographer said.

Police said they made five arrests among anti-fascists who tried to break through police lines before the demonstration eventually dispersed in the afternoon.

Spokesman Lars Bystroem told TT news agency that a policeman was hit by a demonstrator, and a second individual was injured in circumstances that were unclear.

The NMR, set up in 1997, promotes an openly racist and anti-Semitic doctrine, and press commentators had questioned the wisdom of authorising Saturday's rally, given the likelihood of violence.
On Thursday, a man walked into a new shop inside the Gateway Mall, a womens clothing boutique where the stores name translates to pretty girl. After surveying the brilliantly colored dresses on display in the storefront and the bejeweled scarves and traditional womens garments contained inside, he turned to Riham Farhan, the owner of Rotana Beauty Shop.

Im not going to go to Michigan anymore," she said he told her. "We have a store here.

The way Farhan described it, to shop for not only traditional, but also fashionable dresses as a Muslim woman in Nebraska is a needle-in-haystack proposition. You might find a few pieces here and there, but shopping in Lincoln for, say, matching, customary dresses that her four daughters agreed upon was borderline impossible. Shopping with her two sons, at least, proved a bit easier.

For boys, you just pick it up and leave, Farhan said, laughing.

Instead of scouring the area for limited options, Farhan, who frequents Sams Club here, made periodic trips to superstores in the Detroit area, where neighborhoods with large Arab-American populations offer a substantial number of options. All it takes to get them is a 785-mile, one-way haul, one she said many Muslims and Lincoln residents of Arabic descent know rather well.

My husband hated it, she said. Were gonna go again? Theres no choice. Some people go to a different country to go shop. Some people call their parents, their family in Iraq or Dubai or somewhere else to send them a shipment. The shipment is really expensive, really expensive. They do DHL. Other than that, they might lose their shipment. They pay a lot.

So Im proud of myself for opening this business.

With Rotana, Farhan set out to shorten that trip for Lincolns Muslim population from a 12-hour drive or international flight to an escalator ride up to the second-floor boutique, located just across from Western World at Gateway.

The labels at Rotana reveal winter dresses made in the UAE, scarves from Kuwait, clothes from Qatar. A collection of African-made dresses adorned racks along the back wall as well. Before opening the doors on Nov. 3, Farhan made multiple, weeks-long trips to clothing producers throughout much of the Middle East to build a massive inventory for her Lincoln boutique. During the last two-week sojourn spent walking in high heels from clothier to clothier, she even bought something for herself, a pair of flats.

There arent many stores here that sell Arabic clothes, so were making it easier for everyone, really, said Farhan's son, Mohamed Solaiman, 16.

Nadia Eddmeiri, a longtime family friend of Farhans, said shed been to Rotana four or five times since it opened. She gazed on Thursday at a patterned abaya, an outer garment often worn over party attire -- very special for a lot of ladies, she said. It was 25 percent off as part of the grand opening sale, and she was intrigued.

I was in Iraq one time, I have to tell you, she said. I was shocked. My brother-in-law told me he spent $300 for one (for his wife). I said, are you nuts?

Having a storefront with such an array of options in Lincoln, she said, is something she hasnt had in the 33 years shes lived here since moving from Palestine.

Its hard to buy on the internet, said Eddmeiri. The internet, you buy it, its not the right thing, you return it, you lose money. No, I prefer to pay extra and have what I want to have. Its easier.

Her attention turned to a dress on one of the seven mannequins on display in the front of the store.

I need to wear that one and walk on the streets and dance around a little bit, she said.

She was joined Thursday by her younger sister, Kifaya Abdelghani. A former Lincoln resident, Abdelghani was visiting from Michigan. The shops there, she said, are too crowded.

I didnt even see anything, she said. Too much.

This place, she said, was special.

While friends of Farhans and classmates of her children have visited Rotana in its first week of business, so too have strangers to the longtime Lincoln family.

I was surprised, said Ahood Solaiman, the oldest of the six children. I didnt know that many people would be attracted to things we had. First of all, I didnt know we had that many Arab and Muslim people living in Lincoln. Also, I realized that people of different nationalities were also interested in the things that we sold here.

Ahood Solaiman, 19, came straight from Southeast Community College to work the counter at Rotana. At SCC, shes completing a set of general studies courses in advance of applying for medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Farhan, who moved here in 1997, said shed once planned to be a doctor. But, with six children, she said, things changed.

She said she does not like to stand still, and her store has kept her moving. Along with Rotana and another family business, Eves Fashions at 300 N. 27th St., Farhan is planning to offer permanent makeup soon after getting her certificate to perform the service.

Farhan, who wakes up at 6:30 a.m. to help get kids ready for schools, plural -- I have a lot of schools, she said, laughing -- credited the help of her husband and her six children for helping her realize an idea she's been planning out, she said, for upward of seven years.

As she thanked them, a young girl ran inside Rotana to check out the new place at the Gateway Mall.

"Saw the bright colors, and got sucked in," the girl's father, Andrew Prenosil, said.

"And the sparkles," added Jordan Prenosil.

Farhan offered each of them a chocolate and thanked them for stopping in.
PARIS (Reuters) - France condemned on Saturday an attack on a NATO air base in Afghanistan that killed four Americans, and reiterated its support for those fighting terrorism in Afghanistan. ""France reiterates its support for the American and Polish governments, whose citizens were hit in the attack," the Foreign Ministry said a statement. Saturday's attack by a Taliban suicide bomber killed two U.S. military service members and two contractors. Sixteen other U.S. service members were wounded, along with a Polish soldier who was part of the NATO mission, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement. (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; editing by John Stonestreet)
Your favorite fashion destination for party dresses and trendy accessories, Nasty Gal, just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Central District of California. And reportedly, its founder Sophia Amoruso is also expected to step down as executive chairwoman.

Nasty Gal has been heralded as one of the fastest-growing retail start-ups in the business, but within the year its encountered a few setbacks. In early 2016, the company laid off 10 percent of its staff and in September it was aggressively looking for a buyer. And in the petition filed on November 9, the 20 largest unsecured claims filed by creditors total $4,546,467.91.

Nasty Gals chief executive officer Sheree Waterson issued a statement about what the bankruptcy filing means to the future of the company. Our decision to initiate a court-supervised restructuring will enable us to address our immediate liquidity issues, restructure our balance sheet and correct structural issues including reducing our high occupancy costs and restoring compliance with our debt covenants, said Waterson in a press release to Fortune. We expect to maintain our high level of customer service and emerge stronger and even better able to deliver the product and experience that our customers expect and that we take pride in bringing to market.

RELATED STORY: See the Hair Loss Photos Behind the Wen Haircare Lawsuit Settlement

Sources tell Recode Amoruso will resign as executive chairwoman, although Nasty Gal has yet to confirm the news. Last year she stepped down as CEO to make room for someone who could take the company to the next level of maturity. Shes since published a second book, produces a podcast and has a Netflix series in the works. (Its being produced by Charlize Theron and New Girl creator Kay Cannon. #NBD.)

Amoruso launched the online retailer in 2006 to service the girl in progress after starting out in the business selling vintage pieces on Amazon. As she once told PEOPLE, the clothing was meant to empower its customers: We can dress you to take on the world and achieve your dreams.

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She spoke with PEOPLE in June about her rise to becoming a successful businesswoman, revealing that she started out by stealing books and reselling them on Amazon. I was doing that as a teenager because I thought capitalism was evil, she said. I thought corporations were evil. I thought that they were faceless and if I stole from them, Im not hurting anybody. Its not a noble thing to do.

She later started selling vintage finds before she designed her own clothes that maintained a vintage vibe. In June, Amoruso reached Forbes list of Richest Self-Made Women with an estimated net worth of $280 million.

Are you surprised by the bankruptcy news? Share below.




Kuwait City (AFP) - Candidates in Kuwait's parliamentary elections have focused their campaigns on unpopular government austerity measures as the oil-dependent Gulf country faces financial stress due to low crude prices.

Kuwait, which sits on around seven percent of the world's proven crude reserves, has resorted to a series of measures to cut spending and boost non-oil revenues in a bid to diversify its economy.

But measures including raising power and water charges and hiking petrol prices have triggered a political crisis, leading to the parliament being dissolved last month and snap polls being called for November 26.

"The government has tried to resolve the economic crisis by raising funds from citizens, like hiking petrol prices," independent candidate Hisham al-Baghli charged at an election rally this week.

"This policy will result in serious consequences for ordinary citizens," warned Baghli, a former lawmaker.

Before crude prices began to slide in mid-2014, Kuwait generated around 95 percent of its income from oil.

But the country's oil revenues dropped from a massive $97 billion in the fiscal year 2013/2014 to just $40 billion last fiscal year, which ended on March 31, according to finance ministry figures.

And oil income is projected to slide further to around $35 billion this fiscal year.

In 2015/2016, the OPEC state posted its first budget deficit of $15 billion after 16 years of surpluses.

The government -- which had increased its expenditures to record levels between 2006 and 2015, mainly on wages and subsidies -- cut its spending by around 15 percent after oil prices dropped by 60 percent.

It has lifted subsidies on diesel and kerosene, hiked petrol prices by 40 to 80 percent and decided to raise power charges from next year.

The measures have triggered fiery reactions from parliamentary candidates seeking to drum up public support.

- 'Red line' -

"Undermining the income of citizens through government measures is a red line... and will be firmly confronted by the next parliament," said Askar al-Enezi, a former lawmaker who hopes to be re-elected.

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Kuwait has been providing a generous cradle-to-grave welfare system to its nationals, who make up 30 percent of its population of 4.7 million.

"We won't allow the government to plug the budget deficit from the pockets of citizens," said Jamal al-Omar, another candidate.

The government has insisted that without austerity measures, it may not be able to pay wages, which account for over half of expenditures.

Hamad al-Matar, who is also running in the polls, said Kuwait's dependence on oil as its only source of income put the country in a precarious situation after the price slump.

"What has aggravated the economic crisis is rampant corruption in many state institutions," the former opposition member of parliament said.

He and other candidates said the government has failed to carry out economic reforms and diversify sources of income to reduce its dependence on oil.

During its 16 years of surpluses, Kuwait amassed reserves worth $600 billion invested mostly abroad.

But to plug growing budget shortfall, the country has started borrowing for the first time in two decades.

The government has issued domestic bonds worth $4.6 billion as part of measures to finance the budget deficit, the finance minister said on Tuesday.

It plans to start issuing foreign bonds totalling around $10 billion early next year, he said.

The Fitch Ratings agency believes fiscal measures in Kuwait will be implemented only partly, it said on Wednesday.

"Execution risks are also high for other proposed reforms... as they could prove to be complex and politically contentious," it said in a report.

A total of 454 candidates, including 15 women, have registered to stand for election to the 50-seat parliament.

The election sees the return of major opposition groups and individuals, ending a four-year boycott in protest against the government for amending the voting system.
Like half of the nation, Grace Coddington is still trying to deal with the results of Tuesday's election.

"I'm grieving," the former Vogue creative director told The Hollywood Reporter Thursday evening ahead of her book signing for Grace: The American Vogue Years (Phaidon, $175) at Melrose Place's Bookmarc. "I'm not American, so I couldn't vote, but obviously we all got very involved." (Coddington was born in the U.K.)

Indeed, Anna Wintour held fundraisers in support of Hillary Clinton, and Vogue endorsed the Democratic presidential nominee, making it the first time the fashion bible had officially endorsed a candidate. "Everybody's going crazy, but ultimately that's the deal, and we have to deal with it," noted Coddington.

Read more: In the Wake of Clinton Defeat, Pantsuit Nation Mobilizes for More Action

Coddington was in L.A. for a two-day Vogue photo shoot and figured she'd do another book signing for her latest tome while in town. When in La La Land, the legendary redhead said she enjoys dining at Sunset Tower because "it's just a place where you can flop down, and they don't question if you come in with a T-shirt and dusty pants or something."

Since stepping down at Vogue after nearly 30 years in January (she's now the creative director at large), the 75-year-old remains busier than ever. She released her aforementioned book in September, launched a fragrance with Comme des Garcons, fronted Calvin Klein's fall campaign and worked with Tiffany & Co. on its "Legendary Style" campaign starring Lupita Nyong'o and Elle Fanning. And she's showing no signs of slowing down. Her next goal? Making an animated film.

"I don't want to jinx it, but I'm talking to people now about the project," she revealed. "They tell me it's going to happen, but, you know, in Hollywood it's always tomorrow." She added with a laugh, "So I said, 'You better hurry up, I'm not getting any younger.' "

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Read more: Style Notes: Michelle Obama Covers 'Vogue'; Bella Hadid and The Weeknd Split

"I'm very excited to do it. It's another medium, so I think that's what would be particularly thrilling, and it can go anywhere," said Coddington, who shared that, should the project come together, she'd hope for the animation style to reflect a mix of old school, classic Mickey Mouse (think Steamboat Willie) and her own quirky artwork, as seen on her personal Instagram. "I want to work with my same team that I've always worked with, like Michael Roberts, who's worked with me throughout all the books and projects I've done."

Roberts also worked with Coddington on her 2012 memoir, Grace, which was optioned in 2015 by film-production company A24, the studio behind Room, American Honey and Moonlight. Between the movie adaptation of Grace and a potential animated film, it sounds like Hollywood can't get enough of her, either.
Rome (AFP) - The leader of Italy's populist Northern League declared his candidacy Saturday for prime minister, a month before a constitutional referendum which has put the government on the line.

"If I am asked, I am there. It is not a time for procrastination, for doubts, for fears," Matteo Salvini told a rally in Florence, organised by his party to call for a "No" vote in the crucial December 4 referendum.

"There is no lack of ideas and teams, and today we start a long march. If Brexit teaches us something, if the election of Donald Trump teaches us something, (it is that) today we get going to take power," he added.

The Northern League's policy platform includes key similarities with Trump's triumphant election campaign, including economic protectionism and fighting immigration.

The Italian poll also comes as populist parties across Europe ride a wave of anti-establishment fervour driven notably by anti-immigrant sentiment, which saw Britain vote to leave the EU in June.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has described next month's constitutional referendum as a battle between "nostalgia and the future".

The proposed reforms -- deemed the most important in Italy since World War II and already approved by parliament -- are aimed at increasing political stability in a country which has had 63 governments since 1945.

Renzi initially said he would resign if he lost the referendum, but has since backtracked, admitting that he had made "a mistake in personalising" the vote.

The "No" camp draws support from across Italy's broad political spectrum and currently enjoys a slight edge in opinion polls.
drain the swamp lock her up donal trump rally

Build that wall. Lock her up. Rigged.

At the bombastic and entertaining rallies now President-elect Donald Trump hosted throughout his campaign, the candidate yelled these refrains, and the crowd chanted them back.

In October, a new chant joined the canon: "Drain the swamp."

Trump announced his plans for sweeping ethics reform that day, pledging to "make our government honest once again."

Yet Trump is reportedly stacking his White House transition team with Washington lobbyists and GOP veterans, prompting some to question whether he really will "drain the swamp," and cleanse Washington of political insiders who are out of touch with ordinary Americans.

Where does the term come from?

Back when malaria was a problem in the US and Europe, draining swamps was an effective way to kill the mosquitoes that bred there and spread the disease.

The first person to apply the term to politics was a Democrat. "Socialists are not satisfied with killing a few of the mosquitoes which come from the capitalist swamp," Winfield E. Gaylord wrote in 1903. "They want to drain the swamp."

Trump likely drew his inspiration for the phrase from President Ronald Reagan. In 1980, Reagan called to "drain the swamp" of bureaucracy in Washington, and created the Grace Commission, which identified $424 billion of wasteful government spending that could be cut.

The commission's report overestimated potential savings and categorized necessary spending as "wasteful," so Congress didn't act on its recommendations.

Wow! I hear you Warren, Michigan. Streaming live - join us America. It is time to DRAIN THE SWAMP!

Watch: https://t.co/pjXELwc5E1  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2016

An inaccurate depiction

The kicker is that Washington wasn't even built on a swamp. That's a common misconception, since the city's in a low-lying area between the Anacostia and Potomoc rivers, as urban historian Don Hawkins explained in The Washington Post.

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Furthermore, draining a swamp is the worst thing you can do to it, environmentally speaking. It's even against the law in some municipalities of the US.

Draining an actual swamp can take necessary water from the environment that plants, animals, and other creatures need to survive.

It sure is catchy, though.

NOW WATCH: 'HOLD UP!': Watch Obama defend a Trump protester and scold the crowd at a Clinton rally





More From Business Insider


Hijabi women are finally getting their own emoji

Smartphones are (finally) getting a woman-in-hijab emoji.

Unicode, the company who designs the emoji keyboards on our phones, announced Unicode 10.0 will include a woman wearing a headscarf  thanks to a campaign organized by 15-year-old Rayouf Alhumedhi. Users will also have the option to select the headscarf as a loose piece of clothing, or in ghost mode with an invisible face.

The company has been working to make the emoji keyboard more diverse in recent updates, including making various skin colors available and adding more emojis of working women.

As such, an emoji to represent hijabi women was certainly long overdue.

Its finally happened! Hijab #emojis exist thanks to 15 year old Rayouf Alhumedhi via @ellemagazineus #diversity #hijabemoji #hijab A photo posted by Top of Her Game (@topofhergame) on Sep 21, 2016 at 2:49am PDT

Officials with Unicode havent said when 10.0 will be released. Were still waiting on Unicode 9.0, which will bring us an avocado, a shrug, and a facepalm emoji. As excited as we are to have an emoji to Instagram alongside our avocado toast, we definitely think the hijabi woman emoji should take priority.

Regardless, were happy to see more diversity on the emoji keyboard!

The post Hijabi women are finally getting their own emoji appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Hundreds of thousands of people reportedly turned out in Seoul on Saturday, November 12, to demand the resignation of President Park Geun-hye over suspicions that she allowed long-time confidante Choi Soon-sil manipulate power.

Some 25,000 police officers were deployed in what is expected to be the largest rally in South Korea since its democratization.

Choi has been accused of meddling in state affairs and pressuring companies to fund her foundations, according to South Korean news media. Park has issued two public apologies over the scandal but her approval ratings remain at an all-time low of five percent. Credit: Instagram/lahada1019 via Storyful
Former presidential candidate Dr Tan Cheng Bock has pledged to remain active in public life even if he cannot run for the Elected Presidency (EP), in his first public comments since he was effectively disqualified from the 2017 race.

I think you will hear a lot from me. Because you love this place, and you want to do what is best for the country, in whatever position you take, said Tan, 76, who was the guest of honour at a community event on Saturday (12 November) where he spoke briefly to reporters.

Of course, you like to be at that position because I want to see certain changes. But if I cant get that, if I cannot be, life still goes on. So just watch for all my programmes.

Tan added that he would give a proper account of his thoughts on the changes to the EP in due course.

The former Ayer Rajah Member of Parliament was attending a community event organised by Free Food for All, which mobilised more than 250 volunteers to prepare and distribute 5,000 biryani meals to the poor and needy all over Singapore.

On Tuesday (8 November), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told Parliament that the next Presidential Election, which is due in 2017, will be reserved for Malay candidates. The next day, the House passed a Bill to amend the Constitution to enshrine the move.

The move came following a review of the EP by the Constitutional Commission, which proposed a series of changes to the institution.

Tan, who lost the 2011 Presidential Election by just 7,382 votes, declared his intention to run for office again in March. He told Yahoo Singapore in an interview in June that he aimed to be a unifying figure for the country.

Asked by Yahoo Singapore if he felt let down by the latest developments, Tan said, Disappointed, well all be disappointed because what you want to do, you cannot do. But dont let that be a dampener in your life. Life must go on, and I think very likely, I will do many other things.
IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 12, 2016 / Khang & Khang LLP (the "Firm") announces a class action lawsuit against Pilgrim's Pride Corporation ("Pilgrim's Pride" or the "Company") (PPC). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares between February 21, 2014 and October 6, 2016 inclusive (the Class Period), are encouraged to contact the Firm prior to the December 19, 2016 lead plaintiff motion deadline.



If you purchased Pilgrims Pride shares during the Class Period, please contact Joon M. Khang, Esquire, of Khang & Khang, 18101 Von Karman Avenue, 3rd Floor, Irvine, CA 92612, by telephone: (949) 419-3834, or via e-mail at joon@khanglaw.com.



There has been no class certification in this case yet. Until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. You may choose to take no action and remain a passive class member.



The complaint alleges that Pilgrims Pride made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: the Company systematically colluded with several of its industry peers to fix prices in the market for broiler chickens; that the foregoing conduct constituted a violation of federal antitrust laws; that Pilgrims Prides revenues during the class period were the result of illegal conduct; that as a result of the above, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On October 7, 2016, Pivotal Research downgraded its peer company Tyson Foods, Inc. from buy to sell, due to fears of a class action against Tyson Foods, Pilgrims Pride other peers over price collusion in the broiler-chicken market. Allegedly, in 2008, Tyson Foods, Pilgrims Pride, and several other companies conspired by sharing proprietary data and reducing production to support prices. When this information emerged to the public, the stock price of Pilgrims Pride decreased, thus causing investors harm.



If you wish to learn more about this lawsuit at no charge to you, or if you have questions concerning this notice or your rights, please contact Joon M. Khang, a prominent litigator for almost two decades, by telephone: (949) 419-3834, or via e-mail at joon@khanglaw.com.



This press release may constitute Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions.



Contacts

Joon M. Khang, Esq.

Telephone: 949-419-3834

Facsimile: 949-225-4474

joon@khanglaw.com





Source: Khang & Khang LLP
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 11, 2016 / Lundin Law PC, a shareholder rights firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against InfuSystem Holdings, Inc. ("InfuSystem" or the "Company") (NYSE MKT: INFU) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws between May 12, 2015 and November 7, 2016 inclusive (the "Class Period"). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares during the Class Period should contact the firm prior to the January 9, 2017 lead plaintiff motion deadline.

To participate in this class action lawsuit, click here. You can also call Brian Lundin, Esquire, of Lundin Law PC, at 888-713-1033, or e-mail him at brian@lundinlawpc.com.

No class has been certified in the above action yet. Until a class is certified, you are not considered represented by an attorney. You may also choose to do nothing and be an absent class member.

According to the Complaint, InfuSystem made false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose: that InfuSystem lacked effective internal control over financial reporting; that the Company's financial statements from back to the beginning of 2015 overstated the estimated accounts receivable collections, which then overstated revenues and pre-tax income by a corresponding amount; that financial statements dating back to the beginning of 2015 could no longer be relied upon; and that as a result of the above, the Company's financial statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

Lundin Law PC was founded by Brian Lundin, a securities litigator based in Los Angeles dedicated to upholding shareholders' rights.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contact:

Lundin Law PC

Brian Lundin, Esq.

Telephone: 888-713-1033

Facsimile: 888-713-1125

brian@lundinlawpc.com

http://lundinlawpc.com/

SOURCE: Lundin Law PC
Mosul (Iraq) (AFP) - "Two grooms are coming," a low voice crackles over the walkie-talkie, prompting a lanky Iraqi special forces soldier listening in Mosul to shout: "Boys! They've just dispatched two suicide bombers!"

The small walkie-talkie that Iraq's elite Counter-Terrorism Service seized from an Islamic State jihadist group member in Mosul last week has proven priceless in their drive for Iraq's second city.

All day, members of the CTS's Mosul and Najaf regiments take turns clutching the device up to their ears to intercept communications between jihadists in the city, the last one IS holds in Iraq.

They try to decipher IS codes and pick up where exactly jihadists are positioned in nearby neighbourhoods.

"Last week, we saw a man transporting some goods on his motorcycle in this neighbourhood, and we suspected him of being an IS member," said Staff Lieutenant Colonel Muntadhar Salem, head of the CTS's Mosul regiment.

He raised his voice to a near-yell so he could be heard over the incoming and outgoing mortar fire in Mosul's eastern Al-Samah neighbourhood as he related how the walkie-talkie was obtained.

"I saw he had this walkie-talkie clipped to his shirt, so we took it from him and kept it," Salem said, refusing to elaborate on what happened to the man, whose name was apparently Abu Yusef.

"Someone on the other end was calling 'Abu Yusef, Abu Yusef,' and Abu Yusef wasn't answering," he chuckled.

The battle to retake Mosul is now in its fourth week, and CTS forces have been at the forefront of the assault on the city's east, pushing IS back from several neighbourhoods.

But there are still weeks, if not months, of fighting still to go.

- Keep tabs on IS moves -

Five IS walkie-talkies have been seized so far in Mosul and divvied up among various CTS regiments so that each can keep constant tabs on IS movements.

The Najaf regiment was the unit that figured out references to grooms indicated incoming suicide attackers.

Story continues

"It's because they believe they'll go to heaven and marry many women," scoffed Staff Lieutenant Colonel Ali Fadhel, commander of the regiment which has been monitoring Abu Yusef's walkie-talkie this week.

"They haven't changed their channels, which means they haven't figured out that we're listening," Fadhel said.

Two of his fighters -- Ahmed and Mohammed -- are on walkie-talkie duty.

Brows furrowed, the device sandwiched between them, they crouch outside the two-storey house that CTS forces have made their base in Al-Samah.

"That was an accent from Mosul, but sometimes you hear Algerian or Moroccan accents," Mohammed said.

A voice speaks up from the walkie-talkie: "Hussam? Hussam?"

Ahmed rolls his eyes, explaining that much of his time listening is spent waiting for valuable information or trying to make sure he doesn't lose the signal.

"But sometimes they reveal which neighbourhoods they're in and which weapons they're going to use against us -- whether mortars, rockets, snipers, or car bombs," he said.

Ahmed -- who first warned about the two incoming suicide bombers -- called out to his comrades just a hundred meters (yards) ahead, giving the position of IS fighters.

"Al-Qahira! They're between Al-Qahira and Tahrir!"

CTS members started firing mortar rounds towards the Tahrir area as Ahmed pressed the walkie-talkie back up to his ear once more.
(Reuters) - The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility on Saturday for an attack on a shrine in southwest Pakistan that killed at least 25 people, according to a statement released by the group's news agency. The attack took place shortly after sunset on Saturday evening, targeting worshippers at the shrine in the remote Khuzdar district of Pakistan's Baluchistan province. The IS statement said 35 people had been killed and more than 95 wounded in the attack, although local officials could only confirm 25 fatalities. "Thirty-five visitors of the Shia shrine were killed and 95 injured in a martyrdom attack by Islamic State fighters targeting the shrine in Baluchistan in Pakistan," read the statement. (Reporting by Omar Fahmy in CAIRO; Writing by Asad Hashim; Editing by Jon Boyle)
(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson said its experimental sirukumab treatment for rheumatoid arthritis showed mixed results against AbbVie Inc's top-selling Humira in a large trial. By one measure, patients with moderate to severe disease who took sirukumab showed significantly greater improvement in the Phase III study than those taking Humira, J&J said on Saturday. But another comparison showed no significant benefit of one drug over the other. In the 559-patient study, those taking sirukumab scored declines after 24 weeks of 2.58 with a low dose and 2.96 with a high dose on a widely used nine-point scale of disease activity. That compared favorably with an average decline of 2.19 for similar patients taking Humira, allowing sirukumab to achieve one of its two primary trial goals, J&J said. But although signs and symptoms of disease decreased by at least 50 percent among many patients, according to another measure, the proportion of those who achieved that goal was not significantly different across all groups. Serious side effects were seen in 7 percent of the low-dose sirukumab group and 3 percent of the high-dose patients, compared with 4 percent of those taking Humira. Results of the study, pitting the injectable drugs against each other as standalone treatments, were reported on Saturday at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Washington. The study enrolled patients who could not tolerate or who had failed to benefit from standard treatment methotrexate. Humira, like other older medicines such as Amgen Inc's Enbrel and J&J's Remicade, works by blocking a protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) that is involved in inflammation. Sirukumab is a member of an emerging new class of treatments that work instead by blocking IL-6, another protein involved in the inflammation process. (Reporting by Ransdell Pierson; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
Katy Perry publicly donated $10,000 to Planned Parenthood on Friday and encouraged her fans to support that or similar organizations that are in danger of having their government funding taken away, following Donald Trump's presidential election on Tuesday.

In an Instagram post announcing her contribution, Perry said, "It's time to turn words into action" and added that her first step is to support these sorts of organizations.

She continued, "I am making a public donation to Planned Parenthood for the teenage me who made several visits to first a clinic in Santa Barbara and then Los Angeles, CA to educate myself on my sexual health, a subject I had little to no information on because of my sheltered upbringing. I had no idea how things worked down there, and had no idea how to make a plan for them.

Read more: Katy Perry Joins Twitter Blackout to Protest Donald Trump

"Planned Parenthood educated me on my body and my reproductive health, so that I could focus on my dreams and using my voice until I knew the timing was right for me to make a plan to have a family. Since then, I have been able to focus wholeheartedly on bringing messages of strength and becoming a voice for others. Without this education, I may have had a different life path."

Although earlier this year Trump praised the "very good work" Planned Parenthood has done for "millions of women," more recently he outlined his pro-life policy specifics, with a call to ban the organization's federal-taxpayer funding.

While it's still too early to say what a Trump presidency might mean for Planned Parenthood's federal funding, it seems safe to assume that Republicans running each branch of government are not going to be inclined to treat the nonprofit favorably.

"That is just my experience, but I know Planned Parenthood's broader range of services can sometimes be the only medical support low-income families ever see," continued Perry. "I know what it's like to need help. I came from a lower- to middle-class family and never grew up with the option of health insurance. I remember having 13 cavities as a teenager, and the best option my parents could come up with was to try and take me to Mexico because we couldn't afford anything in California.

Story continues

Read more: Clinton's Hollywood Supporters Moved to Collective Tears by Concession Speech

"I am grateful for and stand in support of Planned Parenthood for giving Katheryn Hudson the knowledge to plan, and for continuing to be a haven for women to learn all options for their future. Now, more than ever, we all need to protect and create safe places for each other. I hope I can help inspire you to make a gift as well, and become a member and an ally."

It's time to turn words into actionThere are so many steps to take, but my first vow is to support organizations that may have their funding support taken from them in the future by the government. I am making a public donation to Planned Parenthood for the teenage me who made several visits to first a clinic in Santa Barbara and then Los Angeles, CA to educate myself on my sexual health, a subject I had little to no information on because of my sheltered upbringing. I had no idea how things worked down there, and had no idea how to make a plan for them. Planned Parenthood educated me on my body and my reproductive health, so that I could focus on my dreams and using my voice until I knew the timing was right for me to make a plan to have a family. Since then, I have been able to focus wholeheartedly on bringing messages of strength and becoming a voice for others. Without this education, I may have had a different life path. That is just my experience, but I know Planned Parenthood's broader range of services can sometimes be the only medical support low-income families ever see. I know what it's like to need help. I came from a lower- to middle-class family and never grew up with the option of health insurance. I remember having 13 cavities as a teenager, and the best option my parents could come up with was to try and take me to Mexico because we couldn't afford anything in California. I am grateful for and stand in support of Planned Parenthood for giving Katheryn Hudson the knowledge to plan, and for continuing to be a haven for women to learn all options for their future. Now, more than ever, we all need to protect and create safe places for each other. I hope I can help inspire you to make a gift as well, and become a member and an ally. Go to: https://www.plannedparenthood.org to show your support. #wewontgoback

A photo posted by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on Nov 11, 2016 at 5:19pm PST
Kylie Jenner shared some adorable moments with Tygas son and its the cuteness we need right now

Right now, were grateful for Kylie Jenners social media, because after such a long, difficult week, these adorable videos she shared of Tygas son King Cairo are exactly the pick-me-up we need.

We dont know if Tyga was busy or just needed a break, but his girlfriend Jenner was more than happy to help out and babysit his son King. Considering Kings mom Blac Chyna just gave birth to her daughter Dream, were sure Kings parents were glad for the help!

After Jenner helped Tyga throw King Cairo a birthday party last month, the two hung out and played around on Snapchat, shooting silly selfies and discovering all the fun filters.

A video posted by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kylizzlesnapchats) on Nov 10, 2016 at 7:38pm PST

A video posted by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kylizzlesnapchats) on Nov 10, 2016 at 7:43pm PST

A video posted by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kylizzlesnapchats) on Nov 10, 2016 at 7:38pm PST

And if this video is anything to go by, it seems they also ordered a delicious snack from Postmates.

A video posted by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kylizzlesnapchats) on Nov 10, 2016 at 7:40pm PST

Judging by the way King asks Jenner to come sit with him in the background of this Snap, we think the two are pretty close  and its beyond cute.

A video posted by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kylizzlesnapchats) on Nov 10, 2016 at 7:36pm PST

Despite the kind of convoluted family dynamics at play  Jenners dating King Cairos dad, Tyga, but after her older brother Robert Kardashian had baby Dream with Tygas ex, Blac Chyna, shes also the aunt to Kings little sister  everyone seems to be stepping up to the plate to take care of these two kids.

they don't know A photo posted by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Nov 8, 2016 at 12:30pm PST

Kylie and Tyga sure seem to have each others backs, and we think thats awesome.

The post Kylie Jenner shared some adorable moments with Tygas son and its the cuteness we need right now appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Lady Gaga, Pink, Sia and other celebrities have lent their support to a campaign to legally prevent Donald Trump from assuming presidency and is encouraging their fans to do the same.

The effort is attached to a petition with more than 3.1 million signatures at publishing asking the electors of the Electoral College to reject how their states voted on Dec. 19 and instead vote for Hillary Clinton.

Gaga posted to Twitter, "If you feel scared about the current state of American politics and Whitehouse sign this petition."

The petition argues that "Mr. Trump is unfit to serve. His scapegoating of so many Americans, and his impulsivity, bullying, lying, admitted history of sexual assault, and utter lack of experience make him a danger to the Republic."

It argues that while Trump won the electoral vote, Clinton's expected victory of the popular vote by more than 2 million votes and more than 1.5 percentage points deserves the presidency. And it explains how that might be possible, albeit a long shot.

Though electors (who are typically regular people) rarely differ from their state's voting, there is no federal law that requires them to do so.

If you feel scared about the current state of American politics and Whitehouse sign this petition: https://t.co/2K88hLD8hn

- #CountryOfKindness (@ladygaga) November 10, 2016

Electoral College Electors: Electoral College Make Hillary Clinton President on December 19 - Sign th... https://t.co/aCSR4Rovgp via @Change

- P!nk (@Pink) November 11, 2016

Electoral College: Make Hillary Clinton President on 12/19. Sign HERE: https://t.co/oPjJWDqBOF - Team Sia

- sia (@Sia) November 11, 2016

Petition asking Electoral College to vote HRC 12/19 https://t.co/kcev3DvIyS

- KOOL A.D. (@veeveeveeveevee) November 10, 2016

https://t.co/2CMUlug8b0

- #ImWithHer (@NormaniKordei) November 11, 2016

It's a long shot but desperate times call for desperate measures. Sign the petition and spread the word.https://t.co/Xi8PUUPQiU

Story continues

- Laverne Cox (@Lavernecox) November 11, 2016

 https://t.co/Ub1bWBqgES

- Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) November 11, 2016
A 215-foot-long artists book stretches down and curves around a large table made of wood and cardboard boxes in the center of Constellation Studios.

Made up of 20-centimeter-square prints by 303 artists from around the world bound end-to-end in a leporello style, the collective book, titled Metropolis, comes from Venice, Italy, the result of a collaboration among the artists, each delivering a view of the contemporary urban experience.

The prints are made in every possible printmaking technique -- woodcuts, linoleum prints, etchings, lithographs and mixed media works. Some are in stark black and white, others brightly colored.

Their imagery is just as varied -- a detailed street scene of buses near an ornate old building, views of the U.S. Capitol, clothes seen in white outline flapping in the breeze on a line, a portrait of a young girl and some pure abstractions, including one by Karen Kunc, one of two Lincoln artists along with recent University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate Keith Graham to have work in Metropolis.

One of three copies of the book, which folds up into a square box, Metropolis has traveled the globe, from Italy and Germany to Brazil and the United States. Its showing at Constellation is the first in the Midwest.

On two of the gallery walls are 175 more small squares -- from artists who responded to Kuncs call for work inspired by/responding to Italo Calvinos 1978 novel Invisible Cities, a series of dialogues between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan that describes fantastical cities.

Another international effort, the collection of images includes work from about 40 Italian artists as well as from University of Nebraska-Lincoln and high school students. Unlike Metropolis, the Invisible Cities images are not just prints.

I wanted to leave it open, Kunc said. I wanted a lot of local artists to take part and there arent enough printmakers here to do it.

The wide variety of artists and media make the Invisible Cities project contrast with Metropolis -- the high school work against that of professionals, the looseness of watercolor against the tight printmaking, digital prints against laboriously handcrafted woodcuts. And the wide array of Invisible Cities subject matter, like a portrait of Marco Polo and a depiction of an amusement park contrasting with the slightly more defined collection in the Italian book.

What Invisible Cities isnt -- at least not yet -- is a book. The process of putting the squares together in a slightly different arrangement than those in Metropolis will take place in December. That should allow Invisible Cities to be shown on a tabletop as well, sitting nearby, if not side by side with Metropolis.

When the Lincoln exhibition ends on Dec. 24, Metropolis will continue on its international tour. And Invisible Cities will, Kunc hopes, begin a journey as well.

I think Im going to be able to circulate Invisible Cities widely as well, Kunc said. "The Italians have invited us to go to Venice, so we already have an international venue.

The Invisible Cities portion of the exhibition also includes a shelf of artists books that were either created for the show, or in the case of a stunning 2012 book of drawings by Jean-Pierre Hebert, exquisitely published by Turkey Press, already based on the Calvino novel.

I spent the best part of an hour looking at the images in Metropolis, scanning the walls and paging through the Invisible Cities books, becoming ever more involved with the imagery and the thought-provoking responses to the theme -- be it a depiction of an old Italian city in the former or an imagined series of buildings on stilts that look like giant insects in the latter.

Thats the best measure of the show -- fully titled Metropolis & Invisible Cities: Interpretations on Urbanity -- that is one of the best art exhibitions in Lincoln of 2016.
Let this fierce AF 73-year-old woman sword fighter inspire you

Dont even think about messing with this this sword-fighting granny.

Meenakshi Raghavan is a 73-year-old grandmother. Shes also one of Indias best practitioners of kalaripayattu (kalari for short). Kalari is a martial art that uses swords, shields, and sticks.

Raghavan says she began learning kalari as a child and now has 66 years of experience. According to Barcroft TV, she regularly beats male competitors half her age.

The woman, who now teaches 150 students as young as 5 years old, says kalari is a way local women can learn to defend themselves while honoring tradition.

Doing what is good for you is often a challenging task for women. But, since kalari here was a family thing, I had full support from my family and the people in the locality to practice more, she told .

I say a single thing to every girl: Learn kalari. Im self sufficient, I dont need any security. I go out at night all by myself. With kalari, I dont need security, she said.

We needed to hear these kinds of empowering words today.

The post Let this fierce AF 73-year-old woman sword fighter inspire you appeared first on HelloGiggles.
You could call it Catholic guilt, although it's not known if religion brought about this fit of remorse.

What is known is that someone sent Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers $100 and asked him to pass it on in secret to Creighton University for a book the person borrowed decades past from the school's library, and didn't return.

The confessor was conscience stricken, Chambers said.

The senator, who has become as much poet as lawmaker, sent the money on to the head librarian on Oct. 10, accompanied by rhyme.

"Although not a 'religion-possessor,'

Some treat me like a 'father confessor,'

Which is to say, they show to me

A side they want none else to see.

... 'Place your secret,' say I, 'on my shelf --

'I'll keep it better than you will, yourself.'"

The rhyme continued with the person's plea.

"'Promise you'll see that this CASH will be given

Over to Creighton -- my 'sin' will be riven.

Peace then, again, may inhabit my soul;

Doing the right thing -- though late -- is my goal.'"

Creighton University librarian A. James Bothmer responded to the intermediary a week later.

"I am moved by the act of contrition by the anonymous 'borrower' of the book," he said, "and I am especially moved by your poetic explanation."

He said he would purchase a book in print, in an area of greatest need.

"And, please assure him/her that all is forgiven," Bothmer said.

Chambers then had to write another poem to the librarian on Oct. 20 to ask for a receipt, to assure the person the money was spent as required. He titled the poem, "Embarrassing Oversight."

Another week later, and Chambers got a second letter from Bothmer with the titles of books purchased with the $100. "Phantoms of the Prairie: The Return of Cougars to the Midwest," by John Laundre; "The Cougar: Beautiful, Wild and Dangerous," by Paula Wild; and "Common Law in Colonial America; V.3: The Chesapeake and New England, 1660-1750," by William Edward Nelson.

On Nov. 5, Bothmer got one more poem, "In RE: The Purloined Book."

"'Close the book' -- the Saga is ended;

The Trio of books you purchased is splendid!"

Bothmer asked if he could reprint Chambers' poem in a spring newsletter. Chambers replied, by all means, yes.

"Being totally frank, I am buoyed

By that prospect. Too, I've enjoyed

Communicating with you on 'the sin'

The 'Book Thief' committed. Maybe again

Some suff'ring 'sinner' may 'take the flame'

And once more invoke the 'repentance' game --

Acknowledging remorsefully: Crooks is crooks,

'But the worst crooks of all is them which steals books!'

In which contingency, I may be sought

To aid such poor 'sinner' to do as he ought,

By serving as 'pass-through' to help reach the Goal

Of making both 'sinner' and Library Whole.

In the event such occurs, I shan't shirk

Engaging in doing such 'uplifting' work.

In a small way (and it's small on its face) --

The World, it may make, a somewhat better place ...?"
An Asian news network on Saturday called for the release of two Myanmar media executives jailed for alleged defamation, the latest case to highlight limits on free speech under the country's new democratic government.

The CEO of Eleven Media Group and a chief editor of a newspaper it publishes were detained by police Friday over a column that accused the government of having "rosy relations" with corrupt officials.

The defamation lawsuit was brought by a minister from Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party, which came to power earlier this year after sweeping historic elections that ended five decades of military rule.

The column also accused the minister of receiving a $100,000 watch from a businessman who later won plum contracts. Although neither were directly named in the piece both called press conferences to deny the allegations.

On Saturday editors from the Asian News Network -- a consortium of English-language outlets across the region, including Eleven Media group -- expressed "shock and dismay" over the arrests of CEO Than Htut Aung and editor Wai Phyo.

The incident threatens to "impede the democratic processes that Ms Aung San Suu Kyi and her party had fought long and hard for," the network said, calling for the two men's immediate release.

Police said they are preparing to charge the journalists with violating a defamation clause under Myanmar's broadly worded telecommunications law -- legislation that was frequently used by the former quasi-military government to punish critics.

Despite hopes democracy activist Suu Kyi would usher in a new era of free expression, several people have been prosecuted for defamation since her party took over in late March.

In September a man was handed a nine month jail sentence for calling President Htin Kyaw -- Suu Kyi's ally -- "crazy" in a Facebook post.

A researcher for the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) was also recently charged under the law for criticising the still-powerful army in a Facebook post.

"While the new government has made some attempts to amend long-standing repressive laws that target activists and media workers, this case shows that those attempts do not go far enough," said Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty International's Regional Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
michael moore trumpland

Like him or not, Michael Moore was spot-on about the entire 2016 presidential election.

When Business Insider talked to the Oscar-winning filmmaker last December, he said that Donald Trump would be the Republican nominee, which was a shocking statement to political media and party leaders at the time.

But Moore, a staunch Democrat, was even more bullish on Trump's chances when we talked to him again in May, warning that the country needed to be "deadly serious" about his run for the presidency.

"I know that they [the Trump campaign] are planning to focus on Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. That's how he can win the election," Moore said. "If he can get those upper kind of Midwestern-type states, then he can pull it off."

And that's exactly what happened.

Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin  reliably blue states in recent presidential elections  all went for Trump on election night (it's still too close to call Michigan at the time of this story's writing).

Moore, who was a Bernie Sanders supporter in the primaries but supported Hillary Clinton once she became the Democratic nominee, even notched up his talk, saying on numerous shows in the months leading up to the election that Trump was going to win.

However, he did try to make undecideds (and perhaps some Trump voters, too) feel Clinton was the better choice by making the film "Michael Moore in TrumpLand," which was basically a 75-minute ad for the Democratic nominee.

It's in that movie where Moore could have laid out his most jarring prediction yet.

In the movie's most moving part, in which the filmmaker reads to his audience a letter he's written to the Trump voter, he explains why the businessman will win, thanks to the frustrations of hard-working middle Americans about the government. But then, Moore predicts, something happens to those who voted for Trump in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin:

"Over four million of them have signed a petition to have a do-over, they want to have another election," Moore says. "It ain't gonna happen because you used the ballot as an anger management tool, and now you're f---ed."

Story continues

Hey, he hasn't been wrong yet.

Watch Moore's letter to Trump voters in "Michael Moore in TrumpLand" below:

NOW WATCH: 2 millennials watched the original Star Wars for the first time





More From Business Insider


After a contentious and polarizing election, Americans need a way to come back together.

In Lincoln, that opportunity is Nov. 20, when people of all faiths and beliefs will gather for the fifth annual Community Interfaith Thanksgiving Service.

The service begins at 3 p.m. at South Street Temple, 2061 S. 20th St.

Its a nonpartisan event to celebrate diversity," said Rabbi Craig Lewis of Congregation Bnai Jeshurun (South Street Temple). "Part of our focus to celebrate the country that gives us that freedom.

This year, in the aftermath of an arduous presidential campaign, faith leaders say the service provides an opportunity to overcome fear, anger and alienation.

We have always been a community at the forefront of showing the importance of everybody, said Brian Pfoltner, music director at First Presbyterian Church, who has organized the music for the interfaith service for the past five years.

In a world, where we are confronted daily by our dramatic differences, this service celebrates what we bring together by being thankful for many of the same things, Pfoltner said.

Among those things: gratitude, service and freedom, common ideals among all faiths.

With all the negatives in the presidential campaign and the sense of distrust, this is one way to rebuild that trust by being able to look at another person and see what is the same, rather than what is different, Lewis said. The next step is to actually do something together. Pray and build a community. Do projects together with the shared purpose. The more projects we do together the more we can learn to trust each other and do greater things.

Start small and dream big, Lewis said.

The Interfaith Thanksgiving service started in 2012. It was inspired by the appearance of the Yuval Ron Ensemble at the Mayors annual prayer breakfast earlier that spring and a four-day music and mysticism workshop hosted by Arts for the Soul at First Presbyterian Church.

Yuval Ron Ensemble is a musical group comprised of Israeli, Arabic, Jewish, Christian and Armenian artists uniting the sacred musical traditions of Judaism, Sufism (Islamic mystical tradition) and the Armenian church. Through song, dance and storytelling the group travels the globe sharing a message of unity and understanding.

In a 2012 interview with the Lincoln Journal Star, Yuval Ron explained how music is a universally understood language -- much less clumsy than words.

Music is nonverbal, Ron said at that time. That is very important because we get into arguments with words.  Words are not perfect tools for expression sometimes.

But music -- because it is nonverbal -- different people from different paths may be moved deeply. Music creates a bridge. Something they both (sides) can appreciate, Ron said in the interview.

After the ensemble left Lincoln, the sense of needing to come together in peace and understanding prevailed. Former First Presbyterian Church Pastor Brent Johnston and Pfoltner talked of ways to continue the momentum.

Yuval Ron exuded this idea that there is a bond that can bring people together. For the ensemble the bridge was music. For Lincolns religious leaders it was a project.

If there is a project we can work together on and build trust with one another, who is to say we cant do the next project, Lewis said.

So Lewis opened the Jewish temple.

Local leaders with Lincolns Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths chose thanksgiving -- a core tenet of all faiths, and a non-religious American holiday celebrating the values held dear by those who live here.

Farida Ebrahim, vice president of the Lancaster County Faith Coalition, and a Muslim, recalled how that very first interfaith service filled about one-quarter of the chairs at South Street Temple.

Last year, there was not an empty seat in the temple, Ebrahim said. Not only has the service grown in numbers, but in faiths -- attracting people from Lincolns Bahai, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh communities.

We invite everyone we can think of, Pfoltner said. Craig (Lewis) has done wonderful job of making people feel welcome and a part of things. We work very hard so everyone can find a common element.

That means prayers of thanksgiving in all languages and traditions. It means leaders from every faith standing arm-in-arm at the front of the temple singing together, praying together and most of all coming together as fellow human beings.

I think this message of being together and seeing each other as human beings, puts an impression on people, where each year we are getting more numbers and more people who are delighted to see people from different faiths and different communities come together, Ebrahim said.

Said Lewis: You get to know (one another) on a personal level -- working together, singing together, praying together and eating interfaith cookies together.

And it is through this interaction that people see the differences are not insurmountable or to be feared.

We light candles of faith and hope for universal peace and prosperity, Lewis said.

At the temple, our core value is to be open to all people -- all races and nationalities -- as long as they come with love and peace in their hearts, Lewis said. That is part of the message I want to send. We can be in a place of disappointment, fear and anger, or a place where everybody can be accepted. We want to model that.

And for Pfoltner, who grew up in a small Iowa town where everybody talked alike and looked alike, the interfaith service is an opportunity to meet people whose paths might never otherwise cross with yours, and discover how these peaceful encounters can enrich your life.

The election brought to the forefront the things that divide us, he said.

Somehow what we do in Lincoln, Nebraska, wont change the world, but it may change our little corner of the world.

For Ebrahim and other refugees and immigrants, this corner of the world is home -- which is a message they hope will bridge the crevices that divide our country.

For right now, what would be better than for people of all faiths to come together and say we are still one nation, Ebrahim asked. We have to stick together and be the best we can.
Tyra Banks isnt just a supermodel, shes a super woman.

The beauty mogul, TV star and new mom talked to PEOPLE recently about juggling various projects while also being an amazing parent to 9-month-old York, her son with her boyfriend, Norwegian photographer Erik Asla.

My secret to balance is to focus on one thing at a time. I used to be the most amazing multitasker, doing three things at once, she says. Not anymore, now that I have my son. I think thats Mother Natures way of saying this life you created takes all of your brain power.

Banks adds, Now Im like, Mommys going on a conference call, and I give him to his dad.

Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Babies newsletter.

The Tyra Beauty founder shares that her own get ready routine has changed pretty dramatically since she became a mother.

My son, as he gets older, hes getting a lot more clingy so he wants to be held a lot more and be close to Mommy a lot more, so I have to do things fast, she says. We have a five-minute TYover at Tyra Beauty and that is like my savior because I have to slap it on like its war paint like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And then pick him up or else he gets crazy and demanding Mommys attention, so I have to go fast.

As York grows up, Banks is hopeful hell take after her in celebrating  and embracing  individual beauty.

I want to teach him that he doesnt need to go after chicks that are just cookie-cutter, she explains. I want him to understand that beauty has so many different shapes and sizes and colors and features. I hope that he can appreciate beauty like his mom does, like I do  that I see beauty in things that the world doesnt necessarily tell us are beautiful.

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She adds, That is why I created Americas Next Top Model  to really showcase all different types of beauty and to put them on a pedestal, things that arent necessarily cookie-cutter. So I hope he is able to see that and appreciate that.

And how does Banks fake a good nights sleep when shes super short on zzzs?

My son is teething so some nights I barely sleep. The next day my face will look swollen and Ill have bags under my eyes, she says. My track is to use my Instant Gratification mask to illuminate and smooth my skin. Then I walk into my office and everyones like, You look great! Im like, What? I slept for two hours! 

RELATED VIDEO: Tyra Banks Says Being a New Mom to Son York Is Heaven  Even When Shes Tired!

Unlike her no-sleep solution, Banks admits her current hair mantra might be her next beauty malfunction  at the hands of her baby boy!

Ive been wearing a lot of wigs. My assistant thinks that my son is going to pull off my wig in public because he holds my hair like reins on a horse, she says. I pin it on really well so it doesnt move, but I feel like one day it might, just a little bit.

When asked whether more kids are on the horizon for the star, Banks admits she cant really say at the moment.

I dont know, she says. Well see. We shall see. Im not sure.

For more from Tyra Banks, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now.

With reporting by JACKIE FIELDS

For more celebrity videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS.
New York (AFP) - Demonstrators took to the streets of Miami, New York, Portland and other US cities for a third straight night of nationwide protests to oppose Donald Trump's election as president.

People gathered in New York's Washington Square neighborhood in lower Manhattan on Friday, some carrying enormous red balloons and placards with hearts and the words "peace and love".

In Portland, Oregon, a man was injured in a shooting which city police believe resulted from a confrontation with someone at that protest.

According to witnesses cited by the New York Times, the altercation began when a car full of people grew angry about being stalled in traffic and one protester was shot in the leg.

Prior to the shooting Portland police reported on Twitter that projectiles were "being thrown at officers" for a second night, while local media said that police in riot gear used pepper spray and flash-bang devices to scatter the crowd.

In New York, the local ABC affiliate said an estimated 4,000 people gathered at Washington Square, while others descended on Union Square and marched through Midtown. Still more converged outside Trump Tower.

Some at Washington Square held signs reading "Your Wall Can't Stand in Our Way" -- a reference to the anti-immigration barrier the billionaire real estate baron has promised to build on the US border with Mexico.

The New York Police Department reported that 11 people had been arrested as of late Friday, the New York Times said.

Demonstrators said they wanted to show solidarity with those they felt may be targeted by Trump's policies once he takes office in January, including Mexicans and Muslims.

"We're here to support the people that Trump has insulted, to show our children that we all have a voice, and to stand up for people's rights," Kim Bayer, 41, told AFP.

Organizers plan another large demonstration in the same Washington Square location on Saturday, and more protests are expected across a number of cities over the weekend.

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Meanwhile, about a thousand protesters took part in a demonstration in Miami, hoisting signs against racism as they walked down Biscayne Boulevard opposing the deportation of undocumented immigrants.

At a small protest in California, about two dozen women wearing shorts and sports bras locked arms and staged a brief flash mob-style protest in the middle of a freeway south of Los Angeles on Friday, causing traffic to come to a standstill.

Several of the women carried placards that read "Unity" as they marched down the four-lane freeway in Costa Mesa.

Atlanta police estimated that the city's largest anti-Trump protest yet drew more than 1,000 people on Friday, according to local broadcaster WSB. Outside the Georgia Capitol, protesters reportedly burned a US flag.

And in Philadelphia, some 250 people gathered for a rally against the president-elect, ABC affiliate WPVI reported.

Further north in Boston more than a thousand people converged in the afternoon for a "Love Rally" against Trump's divisive rhetoric, local media said.

Demonstrations also occurred in Detroit, Dallas, Memphis, Orlando, Raleigh and a number of other cities.

Since Trump's shock victory on Tuesday over Democrat Hillary Clinton, who had been widely tipped to win, thousands have protested in cities across the United States.

While most of the demonstrations have been peaceful, officials said some erupted in violence that caused property damage.

There has also been an increase in violence by both Clinton and Trump supporters against partisans on the other side, law enforcement officials said.
By Alan Baldwin SAO PAULO, Nov 12 (Reuters) - McLaren chief executive Ron Dennis is fighting a move by other shareholders to force him out, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Saturday. Ecclestone told Reuters at the Brazilian Grand Prix, however, that he feared the 69-year-old Briton may have lost the battle already. "There was a court case yesterday where he wanted to overturn what had happened and he lost the case unfortunately, which is a pity because we don't want to lose Ron," Ecclestone said. Asked whether that meant Dennis was effectively out, he replied: "Apparently so, yes. I think he's appealing so he may win the appeal." Sky News reported on Friday that Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat and Saudi-born businessman Mansour Ojjeh, who between them hold 75 percent of the shares, wanted to oust Dennis. The report said an unidentified consortium of Chinese investors had made a 1.65 billion pound ($2.08 billion) takeover bid for McLaren, which Dennis supported but the other shareholders opposed. Sky cited sources as saying Dennis had failed to secure a High Court injunction against a move to sideline him until his contract expired in mid-January, and an emergency board meeting had been convened for Friday. McLaren would not comment on the report when approached by Reuters and the other shareholders could not be reached for reaction. However, a well-placed source said on Saturday morning that Dennis remained chairman and chief executive of McLaren Technology Group. Dennis, who has been involved with former champions McLaren since 1980 and is one of Formula One's biggest names, stood down as team principal in 2009 but returned as group chief executive in January 2014. McLaren changed their name in 2014 to McLaren Technology Group, incorporating the sportscar company and applied technologies as well as the F1 team. Mumtalakat agreed that same year to sell some of their shares to Dennis but that did not proceed as planned. Ojjeh and Dennis each own 25 percent. Dennis's position has been in doubt since Britain's autosport.com website reported last month that he would be leaving as chairman and chief executive when his contract expired. A McLaren spokesman said then that Dennis had stated "categorically" that he was not stepping down. (Editing by Ed Osmond)
London (AFP) - Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic will stage a dramatic battle to finish 2016 on top of the world as the two old rivals aim for the title at the ATP Tour Finals.

A friendly rivalry that began 15 years ago when they first faced off in European junior tournaments will reach a new level over the week as they fight to end the year as the world number one.

Murray shattered Djokovic's 122-week reign at the top last weekend when the Wimbledon champion became the first British man to reach pole position in the ATP rankings.

But Murray has only a 405-point lead over Djokovic in the rankings and the Scot can be passed by the Serb if he doesn't match or better his rival's performance at the prestigious season-ending event at London's O2 Arena.

As the top two seeds, Murray and Djokovic have been drawn in different groups in the eight-player tournament, meaning they can't meet before the semi-finals.

If their 35th Tour-level meeting comes in the final, it would be a fitting occasion to decide the top ranking, which last changed hands at the Tour Finals in 2001 when Lleyton Hewitt supplanted Gustavo Kuerten.

Murray has enjoyed an incredible 11 months on and off the court in which he has won Wimbledon for the second time, claimed a second Olympic singles gold medal and become a father to baby daughter Sophia.

"This year is the best I've had on court, the last few months have been the best in terms of my consistency," Murray said.

"Away from the court it's been by far the best in my life, a big change and a great change. I've really enjoyed being a parent.

"When I step on the court I will have a little more confidence and feel better about myself.

"I don't want to spend time discussing what's happened in the last few months. I want to keep getting better.

"That's what I've always tried to do. I don't feel any different."

- Centre of attention -

Although Murray has lost 24 of his clashes with Djokovic, few of his peers on the Tour question his right to be number one after such a strong year.

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Djokovic agrees, saying: "I have only words of praise for what he has achieved in the last year or so.

"Definitely he is a well deserved number one at this point. He has been the best player for the last six months without a doubt.

"Whether he can sustain that is not a question for me but looking at his qualities and commitment there is a good chance he can play at this level for a long time."

Djokovic has been in a slump since winning the French Open in June to complete his career Grand Slam, raising questions about his appetite for continued success.

But the 12-time major winner might find the O2 Arena is the ideal venue to restore his confidence.

He has won the Tour Finals for the last four years and another success this year would equal Roger Federer's record of six titles.

With Federer and Rafael Nadal both absent due to injury, Djokovic and Murray will be the centre of attention.

They could have very different paths to the trophy as Djokovic holds a remarkable 23-0 combined record against Milos Raonic, Gael Monfils and Dominic Thiem, who comprise his group stage opponents.

In contrast, Murray, who has never been past the semi-finals of the event, has to survive a tricky group featuring US Open champion Stan Wawrinka, as well as Japan's Kei Nishikori and Croatian Marin Cilic, who have both beaten the Scot this year.
Myanmar is probing whether to resume construction on a controversial Chinese-backed dam, state media reported Saturday, with promises to listen to fierce public opposition to the project.

The fate of the $3.6 billion Myitsone dam in northern Kachin state has hung in the balance since it was abruptly halted by Myanmar in 2011 following protests over environmental and safety concerns.

The hydropower project came to symbolise China's economic dominance in formerly junta-run Myanmar and now poses a delicate challenge to the country's new civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The veteran activist is eager to prevent renewed protests at home but also wants to maintain healthy ties with top investor Beijing, which has been lobbying her government to unfreeze the project.

China also holds strong sway over ethnic rebel militias along the two countries' restive border and has a key role to play in peace talks that Suu Kyi is determined to make progress on.

A commission advising Suu Kyi's administration on whether to scrap the dam submitted its first report to her government on Friday, according to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar.

It said an environmental and social impact assessment was underway and that the commission had already met local officials and other stakeholders.

A final decision on the project's fate would take into consideration environmental costs, the "desires and opinions of local people and societies and potential effects on foreign investment", the report added.

Local opposition to the dam has been fuelled by a mix of concerns, including its location near an active seismic fault line, the impact of flooding on local residents and a general lack of transparency in a project viewed as a resource grab by Beijing.

The dam was originally designed to funnel the vast majority of its electricity back to the mainland.

China was instrumental in shielding Myanmar's former junta from international sanctions and was rewarded with lucrative concessions that often had little trickle down benefit.

Beijing is still by far Myanmar's largest foreign investor, despite democratic reforms in recent years that have seen Western firms pour in.
supermoon reuters instagram

The most spectacular supermoon of the 21st century, so far, is happening soon.

It's an event worth remembering since there won't be another supermoon like it for the next 18 years. So, get your cameras ready and follow the advice of NASA's lead photographer Bill Ingalls:

"Don't make the mistake of photographing the moon by itself with no reference to anything. Instead, think of how to make the image creative  that means tying it into some land-based object. It can be a local landmark or anything to give your photo a sense of place," Ingalls said.

You might even want to plan ahead and scout out the perfect location. Ingalls sometimes asks for rooftop access and recommends including family or friends in some of the photos to make them more personal.

So when is the best time to see this spectacular supermoon? That depends on where you are.

Supermoons take place when the moon's closest approach to Earth coincides with a full moon. This can only happen four to six times within a single year.

At exactly 6:23 am EST on Monday, November 14 the full moon will be just 221,524 miles from Earth. That's about 30,000 miles closer than when Apollo 11 launched to the moon on July 16, 1969.

supermoon

For most people in the US, the moon will have set by 6:23 am EST on Monday, and therefore will not be visible. (You can check this handy moonset-moonrise calendar to figure out when the moon will set in your area on the morning of November 14.)

So, the best time for Americans to see the supermoon at its biggest and brightest will be late Sunday night or Monday evening. If you're photographing with a digital SLR camera, Ingalls said the daylight white balance setting is good for capturing moonlight (since it's reflected sunlight).

"Keep in mind that the moon is a moving object," he said. "It's a balancing act between trying to get the right exposure and realizing that the shutter speed typically needs to be a lot faster."

If, instead, you're using a smartphone, you probably won't get as impressive a shot, but you can still get a good view if you travel to the right place.

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"Youre not going to get a giant moon in your shot, but you can do something more panoramic, including some foreground thats interesting. Think about being in an urban area where its a little bit brighter," Ingalls said.

NOW WATCH: A rare supermoon is rising  heres when you should look up





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National Academy for Child Abduction Prevention releases information on the Grand Opening of their service to stop child kidnapping. Further information can be found at http://www.stopchildkidnapping.com.

SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 11, 2016 / The National Academy for Child Abduction Prevention (NACAPA) today announced the official launch date of its grand opening. This will circulate among attorneys and agencies within the child protective services world, as the date of the collaborative service for educating how to stop child kidnapping draws near. The National Academy for Child Abduction Prevention has also released three things the industry can expect from the upcoming launch.

The first thing folks should expect is a big improvement in the availability of local assistance through NACAPA advocates. A NACAPA Advocate is an Attorney licensed in the state of which they service who has joined the organization in an effort to educate, collaborate, and assist in the prevention of child kidnapping. The organization seeks to increase the number of Advocates it maintains throughout the United States to over 1,000 by the end of 2017. Roy Doppelt, President of NACAPA, says "Signing up with NACAPA allows both attorneys and interested supporters to assist in a noble cause, assisting to prevent child kidnapping." Whether a parent or not, this is of utmost importance to everyone. The increase in Advocates will allow NACAPA to offer assistance in virtually every major metropolitan area throughout the country. As more Attorneys join to become Advocates the availability of professional assistance options will increase.

In addition to increasing the availability of Advocates, NACAPA will heavily raise awareness of how to prevent child abduction as well as methods for recovery of children who have been abducted with information on the website. Articles will be published for public education at no charge and professional collaboration purposes. NACAPA will help raise awareness by allowing registered Advocates to publish their findings and recommendations developed to help prevent child abduction . This is to be expected from an organization who places this much value on educating the public in this sector of service.

As well as that, the National Academy for Child Abduction Prevention will be proactively reaching out to Attorneys and agencies. "There is no better time than now to get involved and help stop child kidnapping in your area, all across the United States and internationally. We need advocates to enroll now to see how they can help", says Doppelt.

Finally, for the long term followers of this noble cause, they'll be interested to know what went into the creation of the collaborative organization to stop child kidnapping. It has taken 3 years to put it together, from start to finish, from the initial idea to fully implementing the service.

Roy Doppelt, President of NACAPA adds "This is a very serious issues both for family law attorneys and the general public. Raising awareness may be the first step."

Further information about joining as an Advocate at the National Academy for Child Abduction Prevention can be discovered at http://www.stopchildkidnapping.com.

For more information, please visit http://www.stopchildkidnapping.com

Contact Info:

Name: Roy Doppelt

Email: Info@stopchildkidnapping.com

Organization: National Academy for Child Abduction Prevention Advocates

Address: 16496 Bernardo Center Drive Suite 211

SOURCE: National Academy for Child Abduction Prevention Advocates
By Camillus Eboh ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's oil minister urged militants on Friday to stop their attacks on oil facilities in Nigeria's southern Niger Delta hub and pursue talks with the government. The call comes after attacks in the last two weeks on the Trans Forcados Pipeline, the main contributor to the Forcados crude stream, the most recent of which was claimed by the Niger Delta Avengers militant group on Wednesday. The attacks took place despite most groups adhering to a ceasefire in the last few weeks while the government pursued talks with community leaders who, like the militants, want a greater share of Nigeria's energy wealth to go to the region that produces most of its oil. A petroleum ministry statement said on Friday that Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, minister of state for oil, had "expressed his grave concern and disappointment about the recent pipeline attacks", particularly coming after a meeting between local leaders and the president. "He urges all militants to stop and give the ensuing dialogue a chance to birth peace in the region," said the statement. Earlier this month President Muhammadu Buhari met with leaders from the southern swampland for the first time since the attacks began in January. They urged him to pull the army out of the region, order oil firms to move their headquarters there and spend more on development to end the militancy. (Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle, Greg Mahlich)
BOCA RATON, FL / ACCESSWIRE / November 12, 2016 / Abuse and neglect of nursing home and assisted living facility residents in South Florida is a reality that many adult children of elderly and disabled parents wish didn't exist. The fact is despite how well things look on the surface of a facility those who live there may not be getting the treatment and respect they deserve. Boca nursing home abuse lawyer Joe Osborne warns families to be vigilant of signs of abuse or neglect of their loved ones.

Nursing home abuse or neglect occurs when elderly or disabled individuals need care and are placed in nursing homes that may appear to be trustworthy (and many are) but residents suffer because of indifference, lack of staff, intentional abuse or even medical malpractice.

For many reasons, sometimes just temporary care after a hospital stay or permanent residency, families must place loved ones in nursing homes. Laws, rules and regulations state that when our loved ones are placed in nursing homes they have rights that must be protected. When those rights are violated by nurses, nurses' aides, physicians, health care providers or staff, and good quality care is not provided nursing home neglect and abuse occurs.

Osborne & Associates have handled hundreds of nursing home cases where individuals have received horrific and terrible treatment by facilities that range from failing to feed residents to lack of care resulting in bed sores to falls that result in serious injuries including broken hips.

A nursing home could be liable for injuries and medical conditions allowed to progress due to lack of care. The nursing home abuse law firm has investigated many claims where family members were admitted due to a specific reason (including dementia and ongoing issues with falling at home), and the nursing home knows of these problems but they fail to ensure residents' safety.

Warning signs of nursing home abuse (where mistreatment is intentional as opposed to neglect due to insufficient, uncaring staff or lack of resources) are things like:

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Food withholding or intentional lack of care resulting in lost weight, infections and injuries.

Sudden change in outlook or personality by the resident.

Physical restraints or bruises on arms or legs consistent with physical restraints.

The family member appears to be drugged.

Fear of staff.

Wounds or bruises.

Some residents present difficulties for nursing homes. They may suffer from psychiatric disorders or dementia but that doesn't excuse over medication to chemically sedate them, abuse or neglect. Facilities are relied upon and paid to properly care for residents. If they can't do so that resident should be elsewhere.

If you believe a loved one is suffering from abuse or neglect contact our office. Don't waste any time because records can be obtained from the nursing home, reports from state inspections can be reviewed and your family member can be interviewed to help determine if neglect or abuse is happening and whether there may be legal liability for the nursing home.

If you or a family member have questions about nursing home neglect or abuse in the South Florida area, contact Boca nursing home abuse lawyer Joe Osborne at (561) 800-4011 or fill out this online contact form. You can discuss your case, how the law may apply and your best legal options to protect your rights and obtain compensation for your loved one's injuries.

Press Contact:

Personal injury lawyer Joseph Osborne

561-800-4011

source: http://www.oa-lawfirm.com/nursing-home-abuse-dirty-little-secret-says-boca-nursing-home-abuse-lawyer/

SOURCE: Personal injury lawyer Joseph Osborne via Submit Press Release 123
The jury in a murder trial involving a former University of Cincinnati police officer shooting an unarmed black man has resulted in a mistrial, according to several reports.

On Saturday, Judge Megan Shanahan ordered a mistrial in the murder trial of Ray Tensing, a 26-year-old former police officer who shot 43-year-old Sam DuBose in the head after pulling him over for a missing front license plate in July 2015, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Its obvious to me you have made a sincere and contentious effort, the judge told the jury, which had deliberated for approximately 24 hours, before setting a new hearing date for Nov. 28 to determine whether the case will be re-tried.

The 12 men and women in the jury had been sequestered in a hotel since Wednesday, when deliberations started, according to WLWT5.

The jury listened to about five days of testimony in Tensings trial, in which the former police officer was charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter, according to WLWT5. They were also instructed that Tensing had to be convicted of one or none of the charges  not both. The murder charge carried a possible sentence of 15 years to life in prison, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. But the jury told the court they could not make a unanimous decision on either count, according to WCPO.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

Tensing testified that he feared that DuBose was going to kill him, but prosecutors repeatedly argued the evidence contradicted his story, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Tensing cried during his testimony, and said his arm was stuck in DuBoses car after he tried to stop him from driving away by grabbing his car keys.

I remember thinking, Oh my God, hes going to run me over and hes going to kill me,  Tensing said, according to the newspaper. Prosecutor Joe Deters said he was obviously disappointed with the results. During the trial, he argued that the prosecutions frame-by-frame analysis of Tensings body camera video proved he had nothing to fear during his interaction with DuBose. Deters told WCPO he would go through a process to analyze the probability of getting a conviction. If I believe we can win, Ill retry the case. Deters added that he hoped to make a decision on retrying by the Nov. 28 hearing scheduled by the judge.


Rest assured, Lincoln psychotherapist Peter Allman is not writing himself out of a job with his new book Shrink-Proof Your Life: Top Ten Ways to Stay Off the Therapists Couch.

But rather, his easy-to-read, thought-provoking self guidance book is more of a crib-sheet for clear and focused thinking to keep you upright when the bucking bronco of life drops you in the dirt.

Allman calls shrink-proof an outside force to help people break out of negative habits and free from suffocating" situations.

Shrink-Proof Your Life is Allmans third self-improvement book. His first, Little Me Can Live a Big Life: Integrating Paradoxes for Change, came out in 2009. His second, The Road to Freedom: Letting Go of Your Baggage was published in 2012.

Allman, one of the founders of Lincolns Lighthouse afterschool program, started writing in the 1990s after attending Nebraskas first Writers Conference and connecting with a handful of Lincoln writers interested in starting up their own writing group. The group meets monthly, sharing their writing, their feedback and encouragement.

Shrink-Proof has been in the back of his mind from the start.

I always loved David Lettermans top 10 lists," he said "People like lists."

And they also like to feel good about their lives.

With every client, I say my job is to equip you to become your own counselor," Allman said. "I have concretely given them things to take with them when they leave my office."

Somewhere along the line, it hit him: Maybe that is a book.

Weave in a psychotherapists top 10 list and you get Shrink-Proof Your Life.

The book starts with Allmans hard-learned realization, and now the premise for which he approaches all therapy: Nothing happens to you. Everything happens for you.

That is a 180 (degree turn) in my practice," Allman said. "I truly believe it."

We are not unsuspecting victims in lifes foibles, he said. If we believe things are happening to us, we become victims, powerless to stop the struggles that befall us.

... Life becomes meaningless, random and a sense of boredom can occur," Allman writes in "Shrink-Proof." "An ever-present anger and low level of depression can be present. You will feel like a victim.

But once you see that things happen for you, your whole perspective does an about face, he said. It causes us to ask ourselves: What is my issue that the universe is trying to get me to get?

When you believe the experiences are for you, then there is a meaning and purpose to life," Allman writes in chapter one of Shrink-Proof. "We wake up and see the messages within the experiences. We learn, grow and evolve into our better self.

The chapter addresses it directly: Name your issue.

Its not necessarily as easy as it sounds. Lots of us will toss up faux issues -- holograms of what is annoying us at the moment, while the underlying issue fuels our pain deep beneath the layers.

Each chapter, Allman writes about the power of our thoughts, and how we need to be aware of them.

I believe our thoughts create our reality, he said.

Its a belief long shared by some of the worlds greatest thinkers and leaders.

Albert Einstein said: "The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking."

Mahatma Gandhi said: Be the change you want to see in the world.

Negative self-defeating thoughts beget downtrodden, fatalistic thinking and behaviors.

Whereas positive thoughts make you feel grateful, content and even ambitious, Allman said.

Growth usually doesnt occur in quantum leaps, Allman writes. Our positive changes will come incrementally. Practice, practice and practice some more.

Practice is power. Practice does not create perfect. Practice creates permanent.

And the rest of the book is filled with fundamental strategies for coping, which, too, need be be practiced: Resolve the conflict, dont avoid it. Forgive and let go, so you can move forward. Accept what is, but always have a plan B. Self-parent, take control of your own thoughts and behaviors. Be non-attached, not every perceived slight or wrong signals deep-seated issues. And, talk to others.

Keeping things bottled inside leads to behavior problems, depression, substance abuse, physical aggression and anxiety, he said.

Our mind comes up with 25 to 30 thoughts every 30 seconds. If we keep the thoughts and the associated feelings inside, they get lost with all the other thoughts, Allman writes in Shrink-Proof. The feeling then become unregulated, which means we might act out the feelings inappropriately.

If we speak the thought out loud, the thought moves from our mid brain to our frontal lobe, then to our left hemisphere -- which is the language part of our brain. This process decreases our other thoughts by 75 percent. We then have the ability to hear what we said which helps us figure out what we are really thinking about specific situations. Speaking our thoughts also allows us to affirm what we really feel inside. We then have a fighting chance to deal with the thought and our emotions will be regulated.

In Shrink-Proof, Allman walks us through each strategy, sharing examples from past patients, as well as his own personal struggles.

The steps are not rocket science.

Although they may sound simple 

Dont say it is hard, Allman said. Say it will be a practice. Dont make it hard or difficult, just take it on as a practice.

Because science shows repetitive practice leads to new habits.

Try something only once, and your brain will bounce back to doing things the way it has always done in the past.

But if you practice consistently over the days and weeks ahead, you create a new healthy neuro-pathway in your brain, Allman writes.

Which leads us to the final three words in his book: Practice, practice, practice.
Oliver Stone has no desire to make a film about Donald Trump.

"People are fascinated by him, but I'm not as much," Stone told The Hollywood Reporter at the Los Cabos Film Festival. "But he has enormous balls, so you have to give him credit for that."

The three-time Oscar winner's directing credits include biographical movies about former presidents George W. Bush and Richard Nixon. Stone directed Trump in the 1987 drama Wall Street, but the scenes were edited out. What impressed him the most about Trump was "a confidence that I have to say I've never had."

Read more: Oliver Stone on Edward Snowden: "America Is Fed Bullshit and We Buy It" (Q&A)

Stone by no means considers himself a Trump or a Clinton supporter. He fears that Clinton's foreign policy of "regime change," especially in the Middle East, could have led to a potential World War III, and Trump, he says, called for the execution of Edward Snowden and more surveillance.

"It is the Game of Thrones," he said.

Stone told reporters at a Friday news conference in the Mexican resort town of Los Cabos that his latest film, about former NSA agent Snowden, generated no interest whatsoever from Hollywood studios because the corporations running movie studios collaborate with the government to get mergers approved.

Case in point, said the writer-director, is the proposed AT&T-Time Warner tie-up.

Stone has worked with Warner Bros. on several movies and has been allowed a certain amount of freedom, but his main concern now is that the merger, if approved by regulators, would be "the end of free speech."

"It comes by silence; they don't make your movie," he said. "The only reason Snowden got made was because the French and Germans, who respect Snowden, supported it."

Read more: What AT&T Might Do to Convince Regulators to Bless the Time Warner Deal
Working class people from the Rust Belt played a large part in getting Donald Trump elected earlier this week. These same types of people also played a role in voting the UK out of the European Union earlier this year.

Trump's campaign targeted people in once-booming manufacturing towns who felt the punch of globalization as jobs moved overseas. The Brexit campaign had similar success on the areas of Britain that hadn't shared in the prosperity of the UK capital, London.

This chart from $150 billion Bridgewater Associates, the world's biggest hedge fund, shows just how hard people across the US and Europe have been hit by globalization, and the loss of jobs to other countries and to technology.

Screen Shot 2016 11 11 at 1.00.50 PM

The graph is based on data from MIT economist David Autor and shows how much middle-skill jobs, which generally require some education after high school like community college classes, have declined in the past 26 years. And it really explains an awful lot.

"What this election highlighted more than anything is that there are lot of people in this country who, regardless of their political leanings, are hurting," Jeffrey Solomon, CEO of Cowen and Company, said in a note. "Many who feel like their voices havent been heard for a long time."

Autor defines middle-skill jobs as white collar clerical, administrative, and sales occupations, and blue collar production, craft and operative occupations.

In an April 2010 research document, Autor said: "The decline in middle-skill jobs has been detrimental to the earnings and labor force participation rates of workers without a four-year college education, and differentially so for males, who are increasingly concentrated in lowpaying service occupations."

Which populations tended to vote for Trump? White men, typically over 45, typically without a college degree, who believe the economy is in bad shape and that the effect of foreign trade is to take jobs away from America.

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In the UK, it is a similar story. Brexit voters were typically 45 and over and didn't stay in education beyond high school. In other words, the individuals who, in years gone by, may have taken up an apprenticeship, and found their way into a middle-skill, technical role, but have been replaced in recent years by overseas labor or robots.

That's not to say that these individuals haven't benefitted from globalization. Bridgewater estimates that the developed world has seen a 0.3% boost to annual growth, which over 40 years adds up to incomes that are on average 12% higher.

"Yes, these workers have benefited from cheaper goods, but the negatives, including job losses and stagnant incomes, are more directly visible and easily attributable to global competition," Bridgewater's Jason Rotenberg and Jeff Amato wrote in a Friday client note that was viewed by Business Insider.

The benefits of globalization are indeed harder to feel. Smartphones may be cheaper than they otherwise would be, for instance, but that's little consolation to someone who can't rely on the same line of work as his father.

Here is what Wall Street dealmaker Ken Moelis told Business Insider's Matt Turner recently:

"Turner: It feels like there is a group of people that has benefited from globalization, and a group of people who feel like they haven't. Those two worlds seem to be colliding.

Moelis: Let me say this: There is a perception that that group has not benefitted. As I said, without going too deep, without globalization I am not sure everyone would be able to have a supercomputer in their pocket at the low cost.

Moelis: But that is hard to understand, so there are some very difficult things to understand that globalization is providing, that people really think are just here but really are a function of some of that. There are some very difficult arguments.

Turner: Right. Real wages haven't increased, but if things are getting cheaper and you're able to now afford a supercomputer in your pocket with that wage that hasn't increased in five years, it is difficult to pick that out.

Moelis: If you can watch the ball game on the bus, when you used to miss it ... and by the way, I think that life expectancy over the last 10 years has increased dramatically. You're living longer.

You ever go out to a restaurant now? You can get quality food  you can go out and get the best food that was available 20 years ago. They'll put it on a plate, you'll sit in a plastic chair because nobody values the chair, the white tablecloth, the maitre d', but they'll put on your plate some great food for what used to be available at Applebee's prices. There are some really nice things going on, some external values being delivered to people. It's a story that is hard to tell."

The disconnect is also a story of growing income inequality. While the richest 5% of US households have seen incomes rise by 50% since 1990, incomes have barely grown for 80% of the population, Bridgwater notes below.

Screen Shot 2016 11 11 at 1.15.58 PM

Bridgewater's external PR firm Prosek Partners didn't respond to requests for comment.

NOW WATCH: Here's everything we know about former Goldman Sachs banker Steve Mnuchin - Trump's pick for Treasury Secretary





More From Business Insider


Organisers of a massive protest on Saturday calling for the resignation of South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said one million people had turned out for the demonstration, the Yonhap news agency reported.

But police, who had originally planned on a crowd of around 170,000, put the turnout at 260,000, Yonhap said.
The protests that erupted in several major cities after the election of Donald Trump as president were certainly expected. But Democrats, racial minorities, gays and lesbians, or conservative "Never Trumpers" who decide to continue to demonize Trump like these protesters are making a big and self-destructive mistake.



The reason is simple: Trump is not a career politician with positions set in stone. Like anyone just getting into the political world, Trump's positions on a number of policies have evolved ever since he began his campaign in 2015. Writing him off as a typical conservative, liberal or any other label is foolish. There has simply never been a president-elect more likely to change his mind on the issues, because he hasn't yet made up his mind on so many of those issues.

Nowhere is that more evident than it is with social issues. Wednesday night's protests were dominated by chants accusing Trump of being racist, sexist, and a homophobe. But are we really supposed to believe that a man who's been a very public playboy in the Manhattan social scene for 30-plus years is some kind of social conservative? Does anyone think Trump believes he has a mandate to roll back abortion laws, repeal gay marriage, or wipe out affirmative action?

Based on everything Trump said in rally after rally, especially down the stretch of the campaign, social issues are barely on his or his staff's radar. And when it is, it's not exactly regressive. Remember that, during his Republican convention acceptance speech, he called for gay rights and made a dramatic point of pausing to acknowledge to crowd's accompanying applause.

Contrast that with some of the leaders of the business community. Many of them are either staying silent or reaching out to Trump despite not supporting him in the election. The most stark example of this kind of wiser move comes from Amazon (AMZN) founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. Bezos, who also owns a controlling interest in the Washington Post, became a target for Trump's ire earlier this year after the newspaper began a steady stream of critical items about Trump on its news and editorial pages. Trump responded by saying Amazon might be a monopoly that should be broken up, and that he was considering suing the Post for libel. Who knows how Bezos reacted to Trump's election late Tuesday night, but publicly Bezos is extending an olive branch with this tweet Wednesday:

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"Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump. I for one give him my most open mind and wish him great success in his service to the country."

But that's not all. Just look at what some of Trump's sharpest political detractors are doing now. Senator Bernie Sanders issued a statement acknowledging that Trump has tapped into legitimate frustrations over "establishment economics and establishment politics." And he promised to work with Trump to fix that. Senator Elizabeth Warren has made similar comments, saying she will put aside her differences with Trump to, "rebuild our economy for working people." Sanders and Warren still peppered those conciliatory comments with sharp threats to oppose Trump on social issues, but they did not make that the sum total of their statements.

The anti-Trump protesters offer no such common ground. For them, it's all gloom and doom in all of its flag-burning, civil disobedience glory.

Instead, I would recommend simply asking him for the support for the cause or right you are fighting for. With his track record, you never know! He just may support it. In any case, that just seems like a more logical move at this point than making him an enemy before you even give him a chance to be an ally.

Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.



For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Homeless people were the guests of honor on Saturday night at a special benefit concert in the Vatican conducted by Oscar winning composer Ennio Morricone. Morricone, 88, who won this year's Academy Award for "The Hateful Eight," premiered a new, short composition for the event called "God, One of Us," and also conducted the orchestra in some of his most famous film sound tracks. They included three tracks from one of his most evocative sound scores, for the 1986 film "The Mission," by Roland Joffe and one from Sergio Leone's 1984 film "Once Upon a Time in America". Several thousand of Rome's homeless were given pride of place in the front rows of the large auditorium where Pope Francis holds some of his general audiences. Diplomats, Vatican officials and other VIPs were behind them. "I live in a tent. It was something else for me to be in the front row here," said Attila, a 48-year-old Hungarian man who lost his construction job in Rome and was brought to the concert by a Catholic charity. The pope is due to say a special Mass in honor of homeless people on Sunday as part of the Roman Catholic Church's Jubilee Year of Mercy. Morricone, one of the world's most prolific composers of film scores, is best known for the music that accompanied Italian director Sergio Leone's so-called Spaghetti Westerns, such as "A Fistful of Dollars," "For a Few Dollars More," and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." Donations made at the concert, where entry was free, will go to help build schools and churches in Uganda and Burkina Faso. (This version of the story has been refiled to correct typo in headline) (Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Bernard Orr)
An Arizona woman thought it was too good to be true when someone contacted her telling her theyd found her dog, Brownie, whod been missing for 9 years.

But, it wasnt.

Kathy Hamel, owner of Arizona Shih Tzu and Small Breed Rescue, had the pup turned into her after he was left in front of a tattoo parlor.

Read: Pup Squeals Excitedly While Reuniting With Owner After Being Lost and Trapped Under Car for Days

Hamel said she noticed a few days later that the 15-year-old Lhasa Apso dog had a microchip, although she wasnt optimistic about finding his owner because most chips dont have the owners current information.

The chip had been registered with two different companies and after calling both, Hamel was able to get a name for his owner.

She searched for the woman on Facebook and messaged her.

We asked her if she ever owned a dog named Brownie and it all came together from there. Her mother was still carrying the original flyer in her car. They had searched so long and hard for him that they had re-registered the microchip with another company six years after he disappeared hoping to still find him, Hamel told insideedition.com

Brownie was now deaf and blind and it was clear hed been neglected, but Brownies owner, Amy Baca, was astonished that he was alive.

Baca said that Brownie had run away one day when her family accidentally left the door open.

Neighbors usually brought the dog back, but on that day nine years ago, she said there were a lot of garage sales in the area and Brownie didnt return.

We think someone took him. We were always looking for him and putting out flyers, said Baca. On Friday I got a message on Facebook and she asked if it was my dog and sent me a picture."

Read: See The Joyful Moment Owner Was Reunited With Dog Believed Lost at Sea

Baca couldnt believe it.

I thought at first it was trick because we have been getting a lot of prank calls out it with people saying it was him and asking for money, Baca said.

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One she realized, however, that it really was her long lost pup, she was overjoyed.

I was crying. The conditions that they found him in, you could tell he was neglected. We are overwhelmed and really grateful for her (Hamel), said Baca. Ive heard of dog rescues, I just never in a million years thought I would see him again. I dont know how much longer hes going to live but at least we know hes back home with family.

Watch: Woman Has Tear-Jerking Reunion With Dog Who Was Adopted By Mistake

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Quetta (Pakistan) (AFP) - At least 43 people died and scores of others were injured when a bomb exploded at a remote Sufi shrine in southern Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Saturday, officials said.

The blast hit a crowd of worshippers participating in a ceremony at the shrine of the Sufi saint Shah Noorani in Khuzdar district, some 750 kilometres (460 miles) south of provincial capital Quetta.

"At least 43 people have been killed and dozens of others wounded," Sarfraz Bugti told a press conference in the southwestern port town of Gwadar, without providing a precise figure for those injured.

A senior police official and a security official confirmed the death toll.

Authorities earlier said 25 people had been killed and at least 35 others wounded.

Hakim Lasi, a rescue official with the Edhi Foundation, Pakistan's largest welfare organisation, told Geo TV channel the charity had received radio reports that nearly 100 others were wounded, including women and children.

Local officials said worshippers were taking part in a devotional dance session, which is held daily before dusk, when the blast occurred.

Rescuers were scrambling to reach the shrine, which is located in a remote, mountainous region with limited medical facilities.

Authorities have dispatched ambulances and medical workers from Karachi, a three-hour drive from the blast site.

- IS claim responsibility -

Pakistan Army spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said troops and medical teams had been dispatched but that "difficult terrain and long distance" were hampering their progress.

Bajwa said that 20 ambulances and 50 soldiers were about to reach the site, while a further 45 ambulances 100 troops were also on their way, along with medical teams.

A military helicopter would attempt evacuations at night, he added, but medical teams could not access the area by plane as their were no air strips close by.

President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the bombing in separate statements.

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"The government is determined to eliminate terrorism and extremists from the country," Hussain said in a statement expressing sympathy with the victims and their families.

A statement from Sharif's office said the prime minister called for the "best medical treatment" to be given to the wounded.

Up to 600 people were at the shrine at the time of the attack, according to local official Tariq Mengal, who told Geo TV that many devotees travelled to the site from Karachi during weekends.

The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack via Amaq, its affiliated news agency.

"35 dead and 95 wounded Shiite visitors in a martyrdom operation attack by the Islamic State fighter that targeted a shrine in a city in Balochistan," the agency said.

The bombing follows the killing of Amjad Sabri, a renowned Sufi singer, by two gunmen in Karachi in June.

Some observers have said that Sabri may have been assassinated because he was a high-profile Sufi.

Sufism, a mystic Islamic order that believes in living saints, worships through music, and is viewed as heretical by some hardline groups including the Taliban.

Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has oil and gas resources but is afflicted by Islamist militancy, sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and a separatist insurgency.

Local militants claimed to have worked with the Islamic State group to attack a police academy in Balochistan last month, killing 61 people in the deadliest assault on a security installation in Pakistan's history.

In August, a suicide bombing at a Quetta hospital claimed by the Islamic State group and a faction of the Pakistani Taliban killed 73 people.
Quetta (Pakistan) (AFP) - The death toll from a bombing at a Sufi shrine in southern Pakistan on Saturday rose to 52, with 105 injured, home minister for the southwestern Balochistan province said.

"At least 52 people have been killed and some 105 others wounded," Sarfraz Bugti told AFP.

The Islamic State group has claimed a suicide bomber targeted the shrine, but the minister said it was not immediately clear if this was a suicide attack.
Late last year, the University of Nebraska launched an initiative -- Food for Health -- focusing on food systems, health and the environment.

One of the departments positioning itself at the forefront of the system-wide research effort is the Department of Biomechanics at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, a new unit within the College of Education that employs researchers specializing in niche subject areas.

Plans were made to hire a researcher who would study how obesity affects the weight load on the knees, how it changes walking gait and ultimately leads to osteoarthritis and degeneration of cartilage in the knee.

But with lawmakers needing to address a projected $910 million revenue shortfall brought on by a slump in ag commodity prices, department Chairman Nick Stergiou said it appears the research position -- like hundreds of other jobs -- may go unfilled.

The university was wonderful to tell me they were going to support this new line in this marvelous initiative, he said. We started to meet with potential candidates and targeted a couple of people, but we have to take a step back now.

Hank Bounds, president of the NU system, announced a hiring freeze and travel restrictions in a letter to staff on Monday.

In a telephone interview on Friday, he said he has directed campus chancellors to make recommendations on essential hires this month while also taking a broader view of openings across each campus.

He'll ask them for a second request for essential hires in a few weeks.

Im asking campuses to be extraordinary strategic in whom we hire, he said.

On the same day Bounds' letter went out, about 400 positions -- administrative, faculty, staff and student jobs -- remained unfilled, based on a review of the various campus employment sites.

Of NUs 14,000 employees across the state, on campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney as well as county extension offices, research labs and other places, roughly 8,000 are paid all or in part through state funds.

Its a multi-billion dollar enterprise accounting for $1 out of every $5 of state appropriations, while also drawing revenue from tuition dollars, federal funds and private donations.

Grace Mims, chairwoman for the Department of Counseling and School Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, said two vacant faculty positions have put stress on others in a department that enrolls 177 students in counseling, mental health and student affairs.

One of the tenure-track positions went unfilled last year, she said, leaving the department operating at roughly three-fourths of its capacity, and placing all 45 students in one specific program -- many of whom will go to work in rural areas -- under a single adviser.

This year, we are covering them with adjuncts, Mims said. Its difficult because there are so few people that have this area of specialty, so we have asked a couple of retired adjuncts to step in.

Her department is submitting justifications to move forward with filling the positions. Those requests will be evaluated by deans, vice chancellors and campus chancellors.

Bounds, who has final say during the freeze, said he wants the university to continue to address its threefold mission of teaching, research and outreach, particularly in areas where NU has built momentum like in the Food for Health initiative.

Were not going to make decisions that will impact progress, Bounds said.

But, freezing hiring and limiting travel until both the university and state have a better handle on the fiscal future may help strike an important balance as campus leaders evaluate unfilled positions.

Both Stergiou and Mims said despite the hiring freeze, they remain optimistic about the future of the university.

UNK is a special place, Mims said. The state is going through a hard time and were going to try and help the state and our students. We understand there is a financial crisis for the state and we know universities are state-funded, so thats going to happen.

Stergiou said his researchers plan to roll up our sleeves and keep working, writing grants for external funding. He called NU the economic engine of the state.

Im personally very optimistic, he said. I think our leaders and the governor will consider the economic impact of higher education and the proposed budget will not affect it.

Bounds said he wants to find every penny of savings now to prepare for the upcoming legislative session.

Everybody is working really hard to make certain we are smart as we move through the next several months.
THE PERFORMER | Tom Ellis

THE SHOW | Lucifer

THE EPISODE | My Little Monkey (Nov. 7. 2016)

THE PERFORMANCE | The devil is in the details of Ellis portrayal of Lucifer Morningstar, as well evidenced in an episode that leaned heavily on a humor rooted in melancholy.

In the wake of taking his brother Uriels life and then truly scaring off Dr. Linda in the course of sorting through his guilt (by revealing his true face), Lucifer was frozen out by Chloe, for being too you. Being me seems to be a problem, doesnt it, Lucifer sighed, the mighty being again emotionally wounded. Everywhere I go, someone gets hurt.

As Lucifer latched onto the idea to thus be someone else Detective Douche, specifically  Ellis went all in, to increasingly comedic effect, spending much of the hour mimicking Dans every mannerism (and fashion choice), even trying on a dude accent. (Just watch the fellas scenes in the interrogation room, where Lucifer subtly apes Dans posture and tics, as his Dansformation takes hold. Hysterical.)

But when the tables got turned and Lucifer caught Dan spoofing him at an improv class, the narrative delved back into the Devils issues. Invited by the detective to explain how hes not living some charmed life, Ellis switched his face from the usual playful to pensive, as Lucifer lamented, Thats just it, Dan  the last person I opened up to, I hurt. A lot. Let alone how Ive hurt my own flesh and blood.

Capping Ellis work this week was an atypically warm moment where Lucifer demonstrated some learning, saying the things Chloe needed to hear after having the wound of her fathers murder reopened. As she pulled him into a tender hug, Ellis registered Lucifers (pleasant) surprise at having apparently righted some of his personalitys wrongs. All told, the Brits performance was a helluva good time.

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VIDEOSLucifer Adopts a Dude Accent for His Dansformation

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| In the premiere of Netflixs ultra-classy Queen Elizabeth II biodrama, The Crown, Winston Churchill is almost immediately called outrageous for stealing the spotlight from the bride at her future highness nuptials. But, its quickly added, you have to admire him. Similarly, we must give props to John Lithgow for so thoroughly expanding to fill the larger-than-life role. Whether scheming to ascertain King Georges condition or dissing his predecessor as prime minister (An empty taxi pulled up to the House of Commons, and Mr. Attlee got out), the veteran actors take on the Parliamentarian wasnt just what Great Britain needed (as Churchill blustered to his wife), it was exactly what the series needed as well. By the end of the hour, we didnt wonder why wedding guests cheered upon Churchills entrance.

Mom

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Allison Janney has never been funnier than she was in Thursdays Mom, as Bonnie and Adam dealt with trouble in the boudoir. Worried that she could no longer arouse her beau, Bonnie became completely unhinged, first losing her cool over breakfast, then completely cutting loose in a hysterical AA rant about wanting to punch all men in the penis. The true root of her frustration, however, went beyond sex, as proven by the few moments they were broken up, and Bonnie, in her first healthy relationship  possibly ever  became teary eyed thinking that she in some way screwed things up. Janney was superb, as much as weve come to expect excellent dramatic work from the West Wing and Masters of Sex alum.

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Few Good Girls Revolt with as much pluck as Genevieve Angelsons Patti, who in Episode 7 of the 1969-set Amazon series reach a new clarity about her want to be a journalist. Having learned that the men at News of the Week make three times as much as the girls, Patti was already fired up. But when sometime-beau Doug shared that he was nearing a book deal based on her research, the expression on Angelsons face made clear that Patti had reached her limit. I want what you have, she declared, when asked why her love for him is now sort of qualified. I want to be a reporter. Because of the zeal Angelson brings to the role, we want that for her, too.

Which performances knocked your socks off this week? Hit the comments!

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Lima (AFP) - A Peruvian judge has ordered former president Ollanta Humala to report to court every 30 days as a money laundering case in which he is a defendant is litigated.

Judge Richard Concepcion's ruling late Friday also states that the ex-president cannot change addresses and must post a $15,000 bail.

Prosecutors fear that Humala -- whose five year presidency ended in July -- might flee the country as the case winds through the courts.

Humala and his wife Nadine Heredia are accused of laundering some $1.5 million allegedly sent from Brazil and Venezuela to help fund his 2006 and 2011 presidential campaigns.

In both cases Humala was candidate for the leftist Nationalist Party, which he co-founded with his wife Nadine.

The hearing on Friday lasted 10 hours. Humala, who was not in the courtroom, denies all charges.

If found guilty he and his wife could face between eight and ten years prison.

Prosecutors believe the Venezuelan funds came directly from the government of then-president Hugo Chavez, and the Brazilian money from two large construction firms, the Odebrecht Group and Construtora OAS.

Both Brazilian companies became ensnared in pay-to-play cases during the government of leftist then-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Odebrecht CEO Marcelo Odebrecht was arrested in 2015 on corruption charges, while Construtora OAS filed for bankruptcy amid a corruption investigation.
LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian prosecutors said they have evidence to convict ex-president Ollanta Humala of money laundering, accusing him of taking illicit funds from Venezuela and Brazilian construction companies, the attorney general's office said Friday. A judge granted prosecutors' request to order Humala to deposit a 50,000 ($14,671) soles bail bond to ensure he appears in court and cooperates with the money laundering probe that started shortly after his five-year term ended in July. Humala has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has said he will cooperate fully with prosecutors. Prosecutor German Juarez said he has "serious and founded elements for conviction" that includes documents and statements from witnesses and informants, the attorney general's office said in a statement. However, prosecutors have not yet pressed charges against Humala, a former military officer who was once an ally of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez before he campaigned as a more moderate leftist in his successful 2011 bid for the presidency. Juarez said Humala took illicit funds from Venezuela and from the Brazilian construction companies Odebrecht and OAS to finance his 2006 and 2011 presidential bids, Juarez said. Odebrecht, OAS and the government of Venezuela could not immediately be reached outside of regular working hours on Friday. All have previously denied any wrongdoing. Humala's attorney Cesar Espinoza said prosecutors failed to corroborate the testimony of informants and appealed the judge's order, which requires Humala to appear in court every 30 days and to request permission if he wants to change his residence. (Reporting By Mitra Taj; Editing by Michael Perry)
Please  You MUST listen to Shia LaBeouf freestyle rap for five straight minutes

Welp, we have one more thing to add to our list of strange things we learned about Shia Labeouf after Even Stevens. And that thing is that apparently Shia LaBeouf has become a freestyle rapper in his free time? Yeah, no, were not kidding. If we were going to make a second list entitled things we think it least likely for Shia Labeouf to be good at, freestyle rapping wouldve definitely made the cut. But if weve learned anything about Shia in recent years, its that hes always looking for a new way to express himself, so the more we think about it, the lest surprised we are by this development.

Check out the full rap below. It starts at about 1:30 and goes on for like, five whole minutes.

We cant even imagine how hard it is to just spitball for so long.

Were not sure if this is Shias way of announcing his new music career, or if this is going to continue to be a hobby, but were keen to find out. While we dont necessarily think Eminem has to watch his back just yet, Shias definitely got some skill.

Its a dream yes sir Im the belle of the ball / Never thought my rhymes was eligible / Rhymes are negligible unintelligible / Now Im exceptional unquestionable no question Im full / My cup runneth over this st is going viral.

Alllllright, Shia. We see you.

The post Please  You MUST listen to Shia LaBeouf freestyle rap for five straight minutes appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Police arrested a Florida mom after they allegedly found her passed out in a stolen car full of heroin and syringes with her child in her lap.

Amanda Ray, 29, was charged with grand theft auto, child neglect, and drug possession.

Read: Mom Who Smothered Baby While in Drug-Induced Sleep Pleads Guilty: 'I Carry the Ultimate Punishment'

Police responded to the scene Tuesday on a report that a woman was asleep with an infant in her lap and when they arrived they woke her and ran her license plate, which uncovered that the vehicle she was in was reported stolen from Kentucky.

According to police, they found heroin after their car search as well as several unused and uncapped syringes and drug paraphernalia.

One of the syringes was puncturing a blue pacifier, the document stated. The stolen vehicle was also reportedly littered with soiled diapers, garbage, and spoiled milk.

Read: Mom Allegedly Kills 17-Month-Old Son, Texts Video of Child's Lifeless Body to Father: Cops

The woman's grandfather, Pete Decker, told the station Fox 30 his granddaughter had been to rehab but had gone back to using drugs.

Rays child was reportedly released into the custody of a family member and she was booked on $11,000 bond.

Watch: News Reporter Couple Plead Not Guilty To Child Abuse After Baby Ingested Cocaine

Related Articles:
Anti-Donald Trump protesters took to the streets of Portland for the fourth consecutive night on November 11.

Portland police department declared the protest an unlawful assembly as they attempted to disperse protesters with stun grenades and tear gas, arresting at least six people, according to reports citing police. The video here shows police warning protesters that tear gas would be used if they did not disperse.

Portland police department tweeted about protesters throwing burning projectiles before announcing a weekend curfew for those under 18.

A protest group born in the wake of Trumps election, Portlands Resistance, released a statement earlier on November 11 condemning violence and vandalism during protests the night before. Credit: Twitter/AngelaStanger via Storyful
South Korean prosecutors investigating a corruption scandal engulfing President Park Geun-Hye questioned the head of the country's largest steelmaker as well as a top Samsung executive on Saturday.

Posco chief executive Kwon Oh-Joon was grilled overnight about allegations surrounding the 2014 sale of the company's in-house advertising unit.

Kwon was the first head of a major South Korean conglomerate to be questioned over the scandal centred on Park's close personal friend Choi Soon-Sil.

The allegations are that one of Choi's associates attempted to force the company that bought Posco's advertising subsidiary to hand over 80 percent of its shares.

Kwon, 66, returned home early Saturday after undergoing 12 hours of intensive questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Yonhap news agency said.

Prosecutors are investigating allegations that Choi, 60, leveraged her personal ties with Park to coerce donations from large companies like Samsung and Posco to non-profit foundations which she set up and used for personal gain.

She is also accused of interfering in government affairs, despite holding no official position.

Park Sang-Jin, a Samsung Electronics' president for corporate relations, was also questioned Saturday about reports that Samsung Electronics may have funnelled as much as 2.8 million euros ($3.1 million) to Choi to bankroll her daughter's equestrian training in Germany.

Park was quizzed four days after prosecutors raided Samsung Electronics' headquarters in Seoul.

The world's largest smartphone maker has said it will cooperate with any investigations.
By Stephanie Keith and Julia Harte

MANDAN, N.D./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 40 people involved in protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline were arrested on Friday in rural North Dakota as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it would soon clarify its plans for the controversial project near sacred tribal lands.

Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Amy Gaskill said it would issue a decision on its next steps within a few days, though it would perhaps not be a final decision. And it was unclear if the agency's next action would resolve the question of whether the line can be built as planned under Lake Oahe, where construction ceased in September.

In North Dakota, police confronted about 100 protesters barricading a highway adjacent to a construction easement for the pipeline, which has drawn steady opposition from Native American and environmental activists since the summer.

Within the pipeline easement itself, officers found construction equipment vandalized, with wires cut, machinery spray-painted and windows smashed, the Morton County Sheriff's Department reported.

A total of 37 arrests were made, most of them at a second illegal roadblock nearby, sheriff's spokesman Rob Keller said. Private security personnel reported activists hurled rocks at them, and one protester who attacked an officer was pepper-sprayed, according to police.

A spokesperson for Energy Transfer Partners, which owns the pipeline, confirmed two to three pieces of equipment were damaged, but the extent was not known.

Smoke was seen billowing from a large excavation machine near a site off Route 6 in rural North Dakota, and protesters had also climbed into other equipment, according to a Reuters witness. Two workers were seen leaving the scene.

Completion of the $3.7 billion Dakota Access Pipeline, set to run 1,172 miles (1,885 km) from North Dakota to Illinois, was delayed in September so federal authorities could re-examine permits required by the Army Corps of Engineers.

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Plans called for the pipeline to pass under Lake Oahe, a federally owned water source, and to skirt the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation by about a half-mile (one km). Most of the construction has otherwise been completed.

The Standing Rock tribe and environmental activists said the project would threaten water supplies and sacred Native American sites and ultimately contribute to climate change. Protests have at times turned violent, as security dogs attacked activists during the summer and more recently as protesters set fire to vehicles and equipment.

The tribe continues to ask water protectors to remain peaceful and prayerful," said Standing Rock Sioux spokeswoman Chelsea Hawkins on Friday.

'NOTHING ... TO STOP'

The Obama administration requested a voluntary halt to construction within 20 miles (32 km) of the lake on each side.

Energy Transfer Partners, which owns the line, continued to build to the edge of the federal land where the lake is located.

The company earlier this week said it was "mobilizing" drilling equipment to prepare to tunnel under the lake. That has angered protesters, who planned more protests in coming days.

An ETP spokeswoman said, "Construction is actually complete in North Dakota, except for the bore under the lake, so there is nothing for them to stop."

Pipeline supporters say the project offers the fastest and most direct route for bringing Bakken shale oil from North Dakota to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries and would be safer than transporting the oil by road or rail.

(Reporting by Stephanie Keith in Mandan, North Dakota; additional reporting by Liz Hampton in Houston and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Cynthia Osterman)
New York (AFP) - President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to move aggressively on a conservative agenda in filling Supreme Court vacancies, cracking down on immigration and cutting taxes, but also sought to reassure worried Americans they have nothing to fear from his presidency.

Setting aside the strident tone of his campaign, the 70-year-old assumed a gentler manner in his first television interview since his shock election, saying he was "saddened" by reports of harassment of Muslims and Hispanics, and telling the perpetrators: "Stop It."

The interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," which was taped Friday and aired in full Sunday, offered Trump an opportunity to reintroduce himself after an ugly, name-calling campaign and surprise victory that sparked protests in cities across the United States.

"I just don't think they know me," the billionaire real estate mogul said at one point, of the thousands of protesters who have massed in streets below his Trump Tower headquarters.

Told that many Americans are scared of his presidency, Trump said: "Don't be afraid. We are going to bring our country back."

- Conservative agenda -

Millions were expected to tune in to Trump's interview for clues on how the billionaire will govern, and to what degree he intends to convert his slogans into policy.

Trump earlier Sunday named anti-establishment firebrand Steve Bannon his top strategist and senior Republican Reince Priebus his White House chief of staff, blending pragmatism with a rabble-rousing edge in the first appointments of his new administration.

On the issues, however, Trump made it clear he intends to aggressively push a right-wing agenda, pledging to name justices to the Supreme Court who are against abortion and for gun rights.

"The judges will be pro-life," Trump told CBS. "In terms of the whole gun situation," he added, "they're going to be very pro-Second Amendment."

He will have an immediate opportunity to fill a vacancy on the court left by the death of arch conservative justice Antonin Scalia. President Barack Obama's attempt to fill the seat was blocked by the Republican-controlled Senate.

Story continues

On immigration, Trump reaffirmed his signature campaign pledge to build a wall on the border with Mexico, although he conceded parts of it may be just a fence.

And he said as many as three million undocumented immigrants with criminal records would be deported or incarcerated.

"What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers," he said.

"We have a lot of these people, probably two million, it could be even three million, we are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarcerate," he said.

- Conciliatory notes -

He left the door open, however, on the fate of the millions of other immigrants in the country illegally.

"After the border is secured and after everything gets normalized, we're going to make a determination on the people that you're talking about who are terrific people," he said.

Immigration, he said, was one of three top legislative priorities he has discussed with House Speaker Paul Ryan, the others being action to undo Obama's signature health care reform and a bill to cut taxes and simplify the tax code.

Trump had previously indicated he would keep some aspects of Obamacare, including a ban on insurance companies denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

He also signaled that he would not seek to overturn the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States.

"It's law. It was settled in the Supreme Court. I mean it's done," Trump said when asked if he supports marriage equality. "And I'm -- I'm fine with that," he added.

He also confirmed he would forgo the $400,000 salary that comes with the office of US president.

"I'm not going to take the salary. I'm not taking it," he said. "I think I have to by law take $1, so I'll take $1 a year," he added.

In a call to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump told the leader he believes they will have "one of the strongest relationships for both countries moving forward," according to a statement released by the president-elect's team early Monday.

Trump -- who frequently savaged China on the campaign trail and threatened to impose a 45-percent tariff on Chinese-made goods -- agreed to meet "at an early date" to discuss the relationship, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said.

- Conspiracy-mongering -

While Trump has veered on some pledges, his choice of Bannon as top strategist suggests he intends to preserve his populist edge.

Bannon, who was campaign chairman in the final months of the Trump campaign, is CEO of the right-wing, conspiracy-mongering Breitbart News website known for withering attacks on the Republican elite.

It has railed against everything from Muslim immigrants to women, once telling females facing online harassment to go away and stop "screwing up the internet for men."

Priebus, meanwhile, is a seasoned political operative and head of the Republican National Committee, with close ties to Ryan, the House speaker.
When Annoushka Ducas couldnt find an engagement ring she liked, she decided to create one of her ownand from there a new eponymous jewelry brand was born. Robb Reports partner Beyond Bespoke interviewed Ducas to find out the story behind the Annoushka brand.

First, can you tell us about the Annoushka brand? How did you start and what has been the evolution of the brand since your launch?

As a designer, I have always been passionate about rethinking the way women buy and wear their jewelry. I had found a lot of traditional fine jewelry quite formal, both from a design and cultural perspective, so everything in me wanted to counteract that. I wanted to design pieces that women wanted to wear, that they wanted to buy for themselves and that would become an integral part of how they lived their daily lives.

Did you always want to design jewelry? Where did you start your career?

Growing up I had no idea what I wanted to do. I started designing about 25 years ago, when I created my first piece of jewelrymy engagement ring. I couldnt find anything I liked on the market; it was either too cold or too predictable. Much to Johns (my then husband-to-be) dismay, I created my own piece.

Comfort and practicality were at the top of my priorities as I wanted it to be something I would wear all the time. Although I was adamant that I wanted an emerald center stone, strangely enough I ended up with a ruby, which was the last thing I thought I wanted. However it was much better suited to my skin tone; its amazing how a stone can really speak to you. I decided on a bezel setting so it wouldnt get caught on anything, and to this day I have never taken it off.

What inspires your designsdo you focus on trends?

My approach to design is one of distillation. Something I might have been feeling on a personal level, or a wider social trend that I have noticed triggers a stream of thought which in turn brings forms, objects, pictures, colors and artworks to my attention in ways I hadnt previously considered.

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Additionally, I have always had a love of nature and these organic inspirations continue to emerge in our collections. Take Mythology or Butterflies; both of these collections were influenced by nature, thanks to a butterfly momentarily landing on my sleeve. This fleeting moment is reflected through the playfulness of the collection.

What is your design philosophy?

I love to create jewelry that is fun, comfortable and timelessmy pieces should feel like an old friend. I want to create jewelry with a yumminess that defines exquisite jewels and must-have pieces with a strong sense of sentimentalitya keepsake of individual memories. Comfort and tactility are also key, as are a mix of golds, textures, and colors.

What is it that appeals to your clients?

I think the strong sense of playfulness that my jewelry evokes means each piece can be worn with other collections. My clients often tell me how they are surprised by how well the pieces work alone or very naturally with jewelry they have had for yearsit allows them to think about jewelry in a different way.

Jewelry is such a personal thing for a woman and my motto is to dress up your jeans. Women should be wearing their jewelry daily and enjoying it rather than only saving it for their cocktail dress or ball gown.

Do you have a favorite collection or piece of jewelry?

The Dream Catcher collection is a firm favorite. The name of the collection came to me one morning and the designs followed a few weeks later. There is so much narrative and sentiment that I really love. The combination of rose gold, texture, brown and black diamonds, and mother-of-pearl (subtle but complex) gives the collection a sophisticated femininity. The pieces are dramatic yet simple and evoke a feeling that is so important in the world todaycapturing and holding on to your dreams.

What does British craftsmanship mean to you?

Having started out on my own in the world of jewelry design with little experience or specific training, nurturing craftsmanship is something very close to my heart. British craftsmanship is incredibly innovative and sets the bar very high. The high standard of craftsmanship in the jewelry world would not be achieved without the work of the new Goldsmiths Centre Apprenticeship Program, which I hope will rejuvenate the industry.

Who inspires you in the world of design?

I dont think theres one single person that inspires me. I tend to take reference or inspiration from things, places, and experiences, whether I am traveling to wonderful places in search of stones, or just for fun. I am fascinated by how other cultures adorn themselves and this subconsciously influences what I do. I love artI might see a shape or a picture that sparks something. I recently went to the Alexander Calder exhibition at Tate Modern and loved his drawings of circus characters, which prompted and inspired my Alphabet Hoopla collection.

Whats next?

Im excited about my new Flamenco collection, which launched in September. It explores the wonderful movement and attitude of the dance I spent so much time watching as a child with my best friend who lives in Jerez, Andalusia [Spain].

I am also very excited to be returning to Addis Ababa to visit the award-winning charity Give a Future, where I have supported the micro finance program for women for a few years now. On this trip I will also be visiting the mines from where my opals are sourced. My Ethiopian Opal Collection supports Give a Future, as 20 percent of each sale from the collection is donated to the micro-finance program. (beyond-bespoke.com)

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MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested 10 people from Central Asia with links to Islamic State who planned to carry out attacks with firearms and explosives in Moscow and St Petersburg, Russian news agencies reported on Saturday. The FSB said in a statement that the 10 had been detained with the help of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It said they had been plotting assaults with automatic weapons and home-made explosives in public places in the two Russian cities. Moscow last year launched a campaign of air strikes in Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad take on various rebel groups as well as the Islamic State militant group. The Kremlin has said its main objective is to crush Islamic State. Thousands of Russians have been fighting in Syria with anti-Assad forces, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in early November, warning of possible attacks by them when they return home. The Ferghana Valley, a fertile and densely populated strip of land that straddles Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, is considered to be the heart of Islamist militancy in Central Asia. Tajikistan also borders Afghanistan and is seen by some as a possible conduit for militant Islamists. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Helen Popper)
Ryan Phillippe says he gets mistaken for his daughters brother and she hates it!

Cruel Intentions alum, Ryan Phillippe might be a cool dad, but there is one thing that does repulse his daughter Ava, about him and we sort of get where shes coming from.

Looking like her mother, Reese Witherspoon, might not bother Ava, 17, but her dad looking so young, isnt her favorite thing about him. In fact, while promoting his new series, Shooter, Phillippe told The Late, Late Show With James Corden host that his oldest daughter gets embarrassed, by how young he appears.

On Wednesday, Phillippe appeared on the talkshow and opened up to James Corden about the fact that people have thought he was Avas brother, which was not cool in her mind. Lets be honest he does look pretty young with that pretty boy face, but we wouldnt want our dad being mistaken for our brother either, so we feel ya, Ava.

I get mistaken for her brother at times, which repulses her, Phillippe said. It absolutely repulses her that anyone could mistake me for being her brother.

happy father's day to the most artistic, intelligent, versatile, and all-around awesome guy in my life. you've always loved and supported me in whatever weirdness that comes, and I am so lucky to have a dad like you. I love you tons <3 A photo posted by Ava Phillippe (@avaphillippe) on Jun 21, 2015 at 6:38am PDT

#ladies. A photo posted by Ava Phillippe (@avaphillippe) on Sep 16, 2016 at 9:06pm PDT

Phillippe is 42 years old now, but he was a young dad, and therefore its not surprising that he hasnt aged much since he actually had Ava, with his ex-wife Witherspoon.

On the show, the Delaware native revealed that he became a dad the day before he turned 25, but he was actually prepared for fatherhood way before that because he helped run his familys day care business growing up.

It made me ready to be a young father because I grew up raising kids, he explained. I grew up working in the day care. I would teach the kids to swim, I would do magic shows for them.

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Really, having Phillippe as your swim teacher? That would NOT have been a bad day care to go to as a child!

Phillippe is also father to lookalike son, Deacon, 13, who he shares with Witherspoon and another daughter, Kailani Merizalde, which he had with his former girlfriend, Pitch Perfect actress, Alexis Knapp in 2011.

-we got this- d takin us to the apple for pop's promo n startup #SecretsandLies #Deedle A photo posted by @ryanphillippe on Feb 25, 2015 at 11:41am PST

The Secrets and Lies actor clearly falls into the hot dad category. Sorry  had to say it!

The post Ryan Phillippe says he gets mistaken for his daughters brother and she hates it! appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Shameless star Steve Howey and Person of Interest alum Sarah Shahi are being sued by a woman who claims that she suffered religious discrimination and sexual harassment while employed as the couples nanny, according to court papers obtained by TheWrap.

In her lawsuit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Sarah Alaseri  described as a young Muslim woman in the suit  says that she began working as the couples nanny in July 2012, and suffered harassment and discrimination throughout her tenure.

Alaeri claims that the couple ridiculed her for her religion, including mocking her for dressing modestly, fasting and wearing a full scarf to pray.

Also Read: Kardashians' Dash Boutique Slapped With Discrimination Lawsuit

In one instance, the suit claims, Howey yelled at her and told her that Muslims are required to throw people in the ocean.

The suit goes on to allege harassment, claiming that Shahi described a sexual encounter with an A list actor she was having affair with, telling Alaseri that the counter left her sore.

Alaseri also claims that Shahi encouraged her to run off with Howey so that Shahi could move on with life with her lover, and showed Alaseri a lewd photograph of her lovers private parts.

Also Read: Shaun White Blasts 'Bogus' Sexual Harassment Lawsuit From Former Bandmate

The suit goes on to allege that Shahi grabbed Plaintiffs backside, commenting, you have a perfect little butt.'

Representatives for Shahi an Howey have not yet responded to TheWraps request for comment.

Alaseri claims that, after being fired in May 2015, Howey and Shahi told her agency that she was a criminal. She also says shes owed wages and overtime for her tenure with the couple.

Alleging discrimination, harassment, wrongful retaliation and other counts, Alaseri is seeking unspecified damages.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

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Kardashians' Dash Boutique Slapped With Discrimination Lawsuit

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The Mile High City is now home to a stellar new attraction as the Star Wars and the Power of Costume exhibition opens at the Denver Art Museum on November 13. In promotion of the iconic space westerns wardrobe presentation, the Ritz-Carlton, Denver will be offering a themed overnight stay titled the Power of Costume by Day, the Luxury of a Guestroom by Night.

The museums temporary display (in collaboration with the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, and Lucasfilm Ltd.) will showcase more than 70 original costumesprized memorabilia from the film franchise. Among the galactic getups are Darth Vaders black body armor, a few of Queen Amidalas gowns, a Chewbacca suit, and C3PO and R2D2s droid duds. The display will be complemented with video commentary by a few of the movies designers and actors explaining their path to making cinematic history.

Those who reserve the Ritz-Carltons coinciding special receive one nights accommodation in one of its 202 recently renovated guestrooms, two VIP tickets to the museum (guaranteeing untimed and undated access with priority admittance), and an in-room continental breakfast. In addition, guests are given the opportunity to name their own star through the White Dwarf Research Corporation, a non-profit devoted to scientific research and education in the field of astronomy.

Star Wars and the Power of Costume will remain at the Denver Art Museum through April 2. Pricing for the hotels package starts at $394 per night. (ritzcarlton.com; denverartmuseum.org)

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By Javier Galeano MIAMI (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters took their frustrations over Donald Trump's election as the next U.S. president onto the streets on Friday and into Saturday in several cities, including Portland, Oregon, where one protester was shot. The unidentified man was wounded on Portland's Morrison Bridge at 12:45 a.m. local time as he and dozens of other protesters crossed it during their demonstration, one of several across the country denouncing Trump's campaign rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims and women. In the Portland incident, police said in a statement that a man got out of a vehicle on the bridge where he confronted and then shot a protester, who was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The suspect is still at large, police added. Earlier in the night, protesters blocked traffic and threw objects at Portland police dressed in riot gear who responded with pepper spray and flash-bang devices. At one point, police pushed protesters back and appeared to take at least one person into custody, according to footage on a local NBC affiliate. Hundreds of protesters also marched through the streets of Los Angeles, blocking traffic as they waved signs in opposition of Trump and chanted "We reject the president elect" and "Whose streets? Our Streets". Several thousand activists marched through downtown Miami, with a few hundred making their way onto a highway, halting traffic in both directions. In New York, demonstrators again gathered in Washington Square Park and by Trump Tower, where the Republican president-elect lives, on Fifth Avenue. Trump, who initially denounced Americans who protested against his election, saying they had been "incited" by the media, reversed course and praised them on Friday. "Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!" Trump said on Twitter. The tweets were further evidence of Trump's mixed messages since he announced his candidacy 17 months ago. After Democrat Hillary Clinton conceded defeat early on Wednesday, he took a far more conciliatory tone than he had often displayed during his campaign and promised to be a president for all Americans. CIVIL RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS Anti-Trump demonstrators have voiced concerns that his presidency, due to start on Jan. 20, would infringe on Americans' civil and human rights. They cited his campaign promises to restrict immigration and register Muslims, as well as allegations the former reality-TV star sexually abused women. Protesters in various cities have chanted slogans, including "No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here!" and carried signs reading "Impeach Trump". White supremacist groups including the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) have praised Trump's election, and some civil rights advocacy groups have reported a spike of attacks on minorities following Trump's victory on Tuesday. Trump has rejected the KKK's support. Most of the protests across the country, which have also taken place in Washington, D.C., have been largely comprised of young adults and college students. With the country evenly divided, many voters were shocked by the result given that opinion polls failed to predict Trump's triumph. The Republican Party also managed to maintain its majorities in both houses of Congress in Tuesday's vote. More anti-Trump demonstrations were planned for the weekend, including in New York and Los Angeles. A group calling itself "#NotMyPresident" has scheduled an anti-Trump rally for Washington on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, when the New York real-estate developer formally succeeds President Barack Obama. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus acknowledged on Friday the tight race with Clinton, but said anti-Trump protesters have to accept the election results. He pointed to Trump's call for unity and meetings on Thursday with Obama and Republican leaders as reasons for reassurance. Security barricades now shield some of Trump's most visible properties, including the newly opened Trump International Hotel near the White House and Trump Tower in New York. Trump's base of support in the election was the broad middle of the country, with voters in states that had long supported Democrats shifting to him after he promised to renegotiate trade deals with other countries. (Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Ian Simpson and Susan Heavey in Washington, D.C., Scott Malone in Boston, Gina Cherelus in New York, Donna Owens in Baltimore, Rory Carroll in San Francisco and Alex Dobuzinskis and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Michael Perry and Hugh Lawson)
Silicon Valley stars Kumail Nanjiani and Thomas Middleditch were called "cucks" and harassed by Donald Trump supporters while out at a bar in Los Angeles on Friday night.

The costars took to Twitter on Saturday morning to recount the incident, explaining how "two white dudes" in their twenties approached the stars of the HBO comedy to say their opinions about the president-elect are wrong. The pair, who were out in L.A.'s Silver Lake, were then called "cucks," a term that Middleditch explains as an "Alt right term. Look it up, it's not positive."

Was at a bar last night with @Middleditch. At the end of the night, 2 white dudes, 20's, who'd been there for hours came up to us.

- Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) November 12, 2016

"We're big fans of you guys. (To Thomas) I trolled you on twitter yesterday." He goes on to say how we're wrong about Trump.

- Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) November 12, 2016

I go "Hey we don't wanna discuss politics right now." His friends goes "oh they're cucks." Then starts yelling at us. "CUCKS CUCKS CUCKS!"

- Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) November 12, 2016

Middleditch shared Wikipedia's definition of "cuck," which is short for "cuckservative," a term being used among alt-right conservatives to describe someone who is weak and who has "bought into the key premises of the left."

The actor described the word as "the new term Trump bigots use." (See below.)

Nanjiani goes on to share that the bar kicked the Trump supporters out. "This happened at a bar in LA surrounded by ppl. I can't imagine what it must be like to be someone who looks like me in other parts," he writes. "We can't let hate/racism/bigotry/sexism be normalized. If something happens, be safe, but let it be known we won't stand for this."

He starts getting in my face. Thomas puts his hand on the dude's chest to stop him. "Don't touch me you cuck. Wanna go outside?"

Story continues

- Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) November 12, 2016

At this point, the bouncer runs over, grabs them, kicks them out. The bartender is awesome & apologetic. Thomas & I are stunned.

- Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) November 12, 2016

This happened at a bar in LA surrounded by ppl. I can't imagine what it must be like to be someone who looks like me in other parts.

- Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) November 12, 2016

We can't let hate/racism/bigotry/sexism be normalized. If something happens, be safe, but let it be known we won't stand for this.

- Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) November 12, 2016

Many ppl are like "just cuz I voted for Trump doesn't mean I'm racist/sexist." Ok, but at best, you ignored it, you overlooked it.

- Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) November 12, 2016

We thought Internet would give us access to ppl w different points of view. Instead it gives us access to many ppl w the same point of view.

- Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) November 12, 2016

He ends by tweeting, "In short, Im cuck af."

Middleditch also shared details of the incident on his Twitter feed, where he engaged in back-and-forth conversation with other Twitter users about the rhetoric.

Out with @kumailn; for no reason two dudes came at us with Trump right wing shit, calling us "cucks". Never in my life. I hate this. Week 1.

- Thomas Middleditch (@Middleditch) November 12, 2016

.@Shersbet @kumailn damn you. It's real. Wake up. Bouncer removed these people. Shame on you. What is happening?!

- Thomas Middleditch (@Middleditch) November 12, 2016

Btw, "cuck" is an Alt Right term. Look it up, it's not positive.

- Thomas Middleditch (@Middleditch) November 12, 2016

.@Tallarico @Thesixler @kumailn This was in Silver Lake. Gentrification central. Unbelievable.

- Thomas Middleditch (@Middleditch) November 12, 2016

.@kumailn Yes! Either you agreed with the sketchy rhetoric or you turned a blind eye to it. Bad news either way.

- Thomas Middleditch (@Middleditch) November 12, 2016

"Cuck". It's the new term Trump bigots use. https://t.co/vR4ulrfNkm

- Thomas Middleditch (@Middleditch) November 12, 2016

Read more: UPenn Alumni Call on Trump to Condemn Hate Crimes After Racism Against Black Students
Max Levchin, Affirm CEO

Max Levchin knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur since he was a 20-year-old computer science major at the University of Illinois.

And, as a Ukrainian immigrant, the PayPal (PYPL) co-founder and Affirm CEO said he had always felt he could realize his potential in the US. His views havent changed, even under president-elect Donald Trump.

We have been a magnet for the best and the brightest from around the world which has and will always continue to make our country so great, he said, and I hope entrepreneurs and students continue to come here to innovate.

Still, Trumps comments about restricting highly skilled foreigners from taking American jobs (not to mention his call for banning Muslims from entering the country and building a wall along the southern border) did not sit well with Levchin.

The sad thing is that he didnt invent xenophobia  I dont think people looked at him and got infected, he told Yahoo Finance earlier this year at South by Southwest. I dont know what kind of commentary this is on our society, but it bums me out.

However, Levchins tone has taken a marked shift, now that Trump ha. Hes hopeful Trump can eliminate his polarizing rhetoric and instead focus on the issues.

On infrastructure, I hope that as president, he can address our long-neglected national infrastructure  roads, bridges, tunnels, water, electrical grid, etc, he said in an interview with Yahoo Finance after the election. On immigration, I strongly hope he works with Congress on reasonable solutions and can pair his interest in border security with reasonable solutions for those here illegally and to improve high-skilled immigration.

Levchin said that if Trump wants to focus on protecting the US border by building a wall, he must also fix the countrys 50-year-old legal visa system, emphasizing that there must be a reasonable process for those here illegally who arent violent criminals.

He does not agree with Trumps declaration to eliminate Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), two programs that shield certain immigrants from deportation. Those programs have done significant good for the US, according to Levchin.

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He points out that DACA has benefitted 800,000 undocumented immigrants who arrived to the US as children. These immigrants are paying taxes, working in places like the tech industry and are in school.

Theyve all already passed a background check in the process of getting their work permits  and it would be a big mistake to revoke those for the 800,000 who have already received this, he said. Ultimately what we actually need is Congress to act to fix this situation and provide legal status to these Dreamers  and I would hope that can happen. 

But, in the meantime, he said its imperative to remain cautiously optimistic about the countrys future. Its still the breeding ground for the innovative, intrepid spirit that has been the underlying strength of the US, and its our duty to preserve it, he says.

Continue to speak out and tell your story to members of Congress, support other immigrant entrepreneurs and remain committed to fighting for what is right, Levchin said.

Melody Hahm is a writer at Yahoo Finance, covering entrepreneurship, technology and real estate. Follow her on Twitter @melodyhahm.

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DugongsAustralias version of the lovably chubby manatees of Floridaare hard to keep track of.

Despite growing up to 10 feet in length and weighing 800 pounds, dugongs are just needles in a haystack when it comes to locating individuals in the open ocean. For scientists trying to monitor the endangered species, thats a problem.

The marine mammals are under threat from boat strikes, fishing net entanglements, and habitat destruction, so obtaining accurate data on dugong populations is critical to conservation efforts.

Now researchers at Australias Murdoch University and Queensland University have combined drone technology with spatial imaging software to scan, photograph, and identify dugongs over large areas of open water.

Amanda Hodgson, a dugong researcher at Murdoch University, has been deploying drones since 2010 to take images of their habitat off the coast of Queensland, in the Torres Strait, and in Shark Bay off Western Australia.

While the drones did the photographing, humans like Hodgson were left to pore over the images, trying to identify the little gray specks that signified a dugong on the waters below.

RELATED: Australias Sea Cows Struggle to Survive Poachers

The research team has stared at more than 30,000 photographs of blue water, searching for dugongsa time-consuming endeavor. To speed things up, Hodgson recruited computer scientist Frederic Maire from Queensland University.

The team used Google-developed software called TensorFlow, a machine-learning platform that can be taught to pick out sea cows in photos automatically. But first, team members had to upload the images and point out where the dugongs were to the system, so it could learn to identify them.

The system is now searching images on its own. Maire told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the program is detecting about 80 percent of dugongs in the photos, and the rate is expected to improve over time.

To train this deep neural network you need a lot of data. Initially we didnt have much data, so we do this incrementally, he said. The more the neural network is provided with examples, the better it will get.

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The team believes the software could work for other species, including whales, koalas, and sharks.

We can imagine a drone patrolling the beaches, trained to detect sharks, and if a shark is detected, then send a text message to lifeguards to warn them, Maire said.

Take the Pledge: Keep the Iraq and Syria Regional Crises in the News!

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Original article from TakePart
A day shy of the anniversary of the Paris attacks, Sting reopened Paris' Bataclan theater with a minute of silence for the 90 killed and dedicated the song "50,000" to David Bowie and Prince, among others.

Coming on stage promptly at 9 p.m. to a subdued crowd, the British rocker began with remarks honoring the victims that were killed when terrorists stormed the theater last Nov. 13.

"We've got two important things to do tonight," he said in French. "First, to remember and honor those who lost their lives in the attacks a year ago and to celebrate the life and the music of this historic venue."

He then called for the minute of silence which proved to be an existential exhale for the tense crowd.

"We shall not forget them," he said before launching into 1988's "Fragile," whose lyrics read: "Nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could," before launching into "Message in a Bottle."

He then began a list of those musicians lost his year. "David Bowie, Prince, Glenn Frey, Lemmy..." he said before the crowd shouted "Leonard Cohen!"

"And Leonard," he added. "This is for them." He dedicated "FIfty Thousand" from his new album 57th & 9th to the late musicians.

His "Inshallah" was next, which might have proved more controversial. He explained the Arabic word as a "word of hope," however, noting the current migrant crisis that is plaguing Europe.

"And now for rock 'n' roll," he said, as he launched into "Petrol Head."

He dedicated the last song, "Empty Chair," to journalist Jim Foley and HBO doc made about him, Jim: The James Foley Story. He projected a photo of Foley behind the stage as he pulled out his acoustic guitar for an emotional rendition.

The star commanded the stage in slim jeans and a tight gray T-shirt. Despite the many signs reminding the crowd of the ban on film and photos, much of the audience held up phones throughout the show.

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Sting also took to his Instagram account Saturday night:

In re-opening the Bataclan, we have two important tasks to reconcile. First, to remember and honour those who lost their lives in the attack a year ago, and second to celebrate the life and the music that this historic theatre represents. In doing so we hope to respect the memory as well as the life affirming spirit of those who fell. We shall not forget them.

A photo posted by Sting (@theofficialsting) on Nov 12, 2016 at 12:25pm PST

See some of the social media posts below.

#BREAKING Sting performs his song "Fragile" at the #Bataclan reopening concert in #Paris pic.twitter.com/WDmWbarBEJ

- Lucid Hurricane (@LucidHuricane) November 12, 2016

Sting transforms The Bataclan back into what it always was. A concert venue. pic.twitter.com/sps9pdsSEx

- Nick Garnett (@NickGarnettBBC) November 12, 2016

Sting's set list tonight @le_bataclan #bataclan #paris pic.twitter.com/rnZRyVsOgU

- gigsinparis (@gigsinparis) November 12, 2016

This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.
Beirut (AFP) - Syrian government forces have recaptured all of the areas taken by rebel fighters in a recent assault intended to break the regime siege on eastern Aleppo, a monitor said Saturday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the army had recaptured key areas including the western district of Dahiyet al-Assad and the village of Minyan outside the city.

Regime forces also advanced south of the city, seizing two areas from the rebels.

The reversals undo all of the progress made during a recent push by opposition fighters, including former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham front, as they tried to end a government siege on the east of Aleppo city.

Government forces surrounded the city's rebel-held east in July, severing the last supply line into opposition neighbourhoods and imposing a blockade that has led to food and fuel shortages.

Rebels have tried several times to break the siege, succeeding briefly in August, but no aid has entered east Aleppo since July.

The monitor said that more than 450 fighters and civilians had been killed since the rebels began their latest bid to break the siege on October 28.

The dead include 215 Syrian and foreign opposition fighters, including some who carried out suicide bomb attacks, and 143 regime forces.

Nearly 100 civilians have also been killed, the majority of them in government-held west Aleppo where 30 children were among those killed in waves of rebel rocket fire.

Five civilians including one child were killed on Saturday in rebel shelling of government-held sectors of the city, the Observatory said.

And a reporter working for Iran's state television channel IRIB was killed on Saturday in a rebel mortar attack in Minyan, the broadcaster said.

Iran supports President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Once Syria's economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been ravaged by the war that began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

The city has been divided since mid-2012, and in September, the government announced an operation to recapture all of Aleppo.

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The government assault, backed by Russian warplanes, has killed hundreds of people in east Aleppo and damaged and destroyed infrastructure including hospitals.

A flotilla of Russian warships including the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is now in the eastern Mediterranean off Syria's coast, a naval commander has confirmed.

Russia's Interfax news agency had on Friday cited a Russian military and diplomatic source as saying that MiG and Sukhoi jets have been regularly flying into Syrian airspace from the Kuznetsov to "determine combat missions".

More than 300,000 people have been killed in Syria's five-year war.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army captured the Dahiyet al-Assad district of western Aleppo on Saturday, reversing all the gains made by rebels two weeks into their counter-attack against government-held areas, a war monitor and rebel official said. State television said the army swept the suburban area for landmines after regaining full control. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based war monitor, said the army and its allies made several advances on the divided city's western edge this week, hampering the rebel offensive to break the siege of opposition-held districts. After heavy air strikes pounded the area, Syrian government forces took Minian village and nearby positions, which were captured by rebels last month, the Observatory said. Zakaria Malahifji, head of the political office of the Fastaqim rebel group fighting in Aleppo, confirmed the army's advances. "Of course, when the regime takes control, it has a negative effect, but there is persistence" among the factions, he said. "And hopefully there will be change in the coming days." The city has been divided for years between the government-held west and rebel-held east. Syrian government forces launched a major Russian-backed assault on eastern Aleppo in September after besieging the area, which the United Nations says is home to 275,000 people. On Oct. 28, rebels counter-attacked in a bid to break the siege, targeting western districts of Aleppo in an offensive that included Islamist militants and rebels fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner. But their progress slowed after early advances. Aleppo has become the most intense front in the war pitting President Bashar al-Assad, helped by Iran, Shi'ite militias and Russian air power, against mostly Sunni rebels groups, some backed by Turkey, the United States and Gulf monarchies. Quoting a Syrian military source, state news agency SANA said the army and its allies were steadily advancing on the western outskirts. This week the army also captured the 1070 Apartments district and nearby hills in southwest Aleppo, a focal point of fighting for months and important because of its position alongside a corridor used by the government into the western zone. Russia says its air force has been observing a moratorium on air strikes on rebel-held eastern Aleppo since Oct. 18. The Observatory and emergency workers in eastern Aleppo said heavy air strikes had killed at least 450 people, and hit hospitals and other civilian facilities prior to that. Warplanes hit several areas of Aleppo's western suburbs and countryside on Saturday, where rebels had been trying to advance, the Observatory said. Rebel shelling of government-held western Aleppo has meanwhile killed 92 people, including 29 children, during the two-week offensive, the Observatory reported. (Reporting by Ellen Francis; Editing by Jon Boyle)
Tim Kennedy's fight with Rashad Evans fell through early on during UFC 205 fight week. As of Friday, after weigh-ins, he was still trying to get a fight, until he got definitive word during this exclusive interview with MMAWeekly.com.

Kennedy goes deep in this exclusive interview, talking about how his UFC 205 fight with Evans fell through and how he was still trying to get a fight, as we were conducting the interview.

When word came that he absolutely, positively was not going to fight at UFC 205, Kennedy expressed his disappointment, and shifted to what comes next. He and Evans have been rebooked for the fight card in Toronto in December.

TRENDING > Conor McGregor, Tyron Woodley Weigh-in Incident Leads to Twitter Blow-up

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Dakota Access pipeline workers attempted to drive a truck through a crowd of protesters near the construction site in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, on November 12. Several protesters tried to block the truck from passing through with their bodies.

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their supporters are protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. The group says the pipeline is disrupting their cultural sites, including burial grounds, and poses a threat to the water supply. The protesters have been met with private security forces and riot police throughout the protests, which have been going on for months. Credit: Facebook/Cherri Foytlin via Storyful
With the stunning victory of Donald Trump, the tremors of the political earthquake in the United States are being felt and absorbed around the world  but perhaps nowhere more acutely than in Mexico. From the outset of Trumps seemingly far-fetched campaign for the presidency, Mexico has been the chief proxy for the two central issues at the heart of his message to an anxious electorate: immigration and trade.

The prospect that he might now attempt to put in practice his outlandish proposals on both have understandably heightened apprehension in our southern neighbor. What seemed like a bad dream has become reality. The already shaky peso has fallen by some 13 percent, to more than 20 pesos per dollar  its biggest drop in more than two decades.

Trump, notably incoherent on many ideas, has been nothing but consistent in his call to build a wall, paid for by Mexico, on the border with the United States, that would seek to keep out Mexicans who, he has repeatedly  and falsely  claimed, are flooding into our country. The idea is not only morally abhorrent and offensive, but manifestly impractical and would come with an exorbitant cost. Few believe it could actually be implemented (probably including Trump, though the promise worked politically).

Trump has also pledged to deport the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants now residing in the United States  the majority of whom are Mexican. This proposal, too, is unworkable and would be absurdly expensive. Though at points during the campaign, Trump slightly moderated this extreme, hardline position, his rhetoric and tone have generally been virulent. In his radical stance on immigration  with Mexico as his prime target  Trump cynically, though shrewdly, played on the national security fears of what he wrongly contended was an uncontrolled situation on the border, as well as the presence of millions of unauthorized migrants in the United States.

Of course, what has most alienated Mexicans  and, by extension, Latin Americans, and many Latinos in the United States  has been Trumps nakedly bigoted language. His epithets of Mexicans as rapists and criminals and drug dealers have been profoundly hateful and insulting. For many Mexicans  some of whom I spoke with in Mexico over a year ago, well before Trump was the Republican nominee  the failure of other U.S. politicians and other leading figures to more forcefully and publicly repudiate such rhetoric was particularly hurtful. One prominent Mexican business leader told me that, as a result of such acquiescence, U.S.-Mexican relations had been set back by some 20 years. Even if Hillary Clinton had won, there would have been a lot of work to do to rebuild trust and repair the damage in bilateral relations.

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Trump also used Mexico, along with China, to drive home his markedly anti-trade message, which resonated widely in the United States in this election  including in the Democratic primary, as expressed in Bernie Sanderss formidable challenge to Clinton. Trump put his finger on a legitimate grievance felt by many left behind by the globalized economy.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), with the United States, Mexico, and Canada, signed by Bill Clinton in 1994 and backed by Hillary, was Trumps main target. He claimed that the deal was prejudicial for the United States and constantly complained that other countries are taking our jobs. Though Trump has promised to renegotiate NAFTA it is unclear whether he will follow through on his pledge. He has the authority to unilaterally withdraw from the agreement, but the economic costs of that decision would be prohibitive, as well as the political consequences of acting without the support of Congress. In any case, it is hard to imagine the future smiles and handshakes among the three amigos  the presidents of the United States and Mexico, and the Canadian prime minister  at the regular North American Leaders Summits.

Indeed, the relationship between Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan will be critical in determining the extent to which the real estate magnate implements policy changes both on trade and immigration. Ryan, after all, supports free trade agreements such as NAFTA and also embraces a far more liberal view on immigration, advocating a path to legal status for the 11 million undocumented. Having astutely employed his negative agenda on Mexico to be elected president, Trump will now have to turn to the task of governing and can no longer rely on empty slogans. His ability to keep his movement happy  yet deal with the Congress and act pragmatically in pursuing his agenda  will be tested.

However tempting it may be, it is a mistake, however, to believe that all Trump supporters back all of his preposterous ideas. A Mexican journalist who is based in Washington, D.C., and regularly (and bravely) covered Trump rallies throughout the campaign told me that the people he interviewed for the most part did not subscribe to his ideas about building a wall on the border or deporting millions of undocumented immigrants. They considered those proposals too radical and unrealistic. Rather, they attended the rallies because, to them, Trump was refreshingly straight-talking and seemed determined to shake things up in a corrupt Washington, which was ultimately the formula that got him elected.

Trumps Mexico focus gained heighted prominence with his unexpected visit with President Enrique Pena Nieto in September, which he tried to use to show that he knew something about foreign policy and to act presidential on an issue so fundamental for his campaign. For Pena Nieto, who was deeply worried about what a possible Trump presidency would mean for Mexico, the visit proved particularly infelicitous and was savagely criticized at home, especially for the failure to stand up to Trump and reject his incendiary, ominous rhetoric.

Now that Mexicans worst fears have been realized, the country faces the dilemma of how to deal with the incoming U.S. president  whether to seek to deepen areas of bilateral cooperation such as jointly monitoring the border, or stand its ground and pursue a more independent course and greater distance from the United States.

For Trump, the question is whether he will fully fathom what is at stake for the United States and find a path that is less threatening and abusive than his rhetoric has been. After all, Mexico is Americas third-largest trading partner (after Canada and China) and millions of U.S. jobs depend on preserving that relationship. The two societies are profoundly and increasingly intertwined. People of Mexican origin represent around two-thirds of the total Hispanic population in the United States. According to Pew Research Center, in 2012, more than 22 million people born in the United States self-identified as Hispanic of Mexican origin. And, for what its worth, more than 8 million people visited Mexico from the United States in 2015, representing nearly 18 percent of all travel abroad by Americans.

Expectations in Mexico for an easy and cordial relationship with the Trump administration are extremely low. The wounds left by the campaign are deep and are likely to persist. Trump, though, has showed time and again that he is full of surprises and is able to defy expectations. Whether he will do so on what George W. Bush rightly characterized 15 years ago as Americas most important bilateral relationship is a big question.

Photo credit: YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images
By Valerie Volcovici and Alister Doyle WASHINGTON/MARRAKESH, Morocco (Reuters) - Donald Trump is seeking quick ways of withdrawing from a global agreement to limit climate change, a source on his transition team said, defying widening international backing for the plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Since the U.S. President-elect was chosen, governments ranging from China to small island states have reaffirmed support for the 2015 Paris Agreement at 200-nation climate talks running until Nov. 18 in Marrakesh, Morocco. Trump, who has called global warming a hoax and has promised to quit the Paris Agreement, was considering ways to bypass a theoretical four-year procedure for leaving the accord, according to the source, who works on Trump's transition team for international energy and climate policy. "It was reckless for the Paris agreement to enter into force before the election" on Tuesday, the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Paris Agreement won enough backing for entry into force on Nov. 4. Alternatives were to send a letter withdrawing from a 1992 Convention that is the parent treaty of the Paris Agreement, voiding U.S. involvement in both in a year's time, or to issue a presidential order simply deleting the U.S. signature from the Paris accord, he said. Many nations have expressed hopes the United States will stay. Host Morocco said the agreement that seeks to phase out greenhouse gases in the second half of the century was strong enough to survive a pullout. "If one party decides to withdraw that it doesn't call the agreement into question," Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told a news conference. The agreement was reached by almost 200 nations in December and, as of Saturday, has been formally ratified by 109 representing 76 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, including the United States with 18 percent. The accord seeks to limit rising temperatures that have been linked to increasing economic damage from decertification, extinctions of animals and plants, heat waves, floods and rising sea levels. U.N. climate chief Patricia Espinosa declined to comment on the Trump source's remarks to Reuters. "The Paris Agreement carries an enormous amount of weight and credibility," she told a news conference. She said the United Nations hoped for a strong and constructive relationship with Trump. The Trump source blamed U.S. President Barack Obama for joining up by an executive order, without getting approval from the Senate. "There wouldn't be this diplomatic fallout on the broader international agenda if Obama hadn't rushed the adoption," he said. (Reporting by Valerie Volcovici in Washington and Alister Doyle in Morocco; editing by John Stonestreet)
Luxembourg (AFP) - US President-elect Donald Trump must get up to speed on how Europe works in order to avoid "two years of wasted time" when he assumes his new role, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said.

"Mr. Trump, during his campaign, said that Belgium was a village somewhere in Europe," Juncker said in his frank remarks to students in Luxembourg on the reality TV star's stunning election victory.

"We must teach the President-elect what Europe is and how it works," Juncker said, adding: "I believe we'll have two years of wasted time while Mr. Trump tours a world he doesn't know."

Juncker said that Trump had called NATO into question, which could have "harmful consequences" because it is the model of Europe's defence.

The populist had also "taken a view of refugees and non-white Americans that does not reflect European convictions and feelings", he added.

In June, Trump caused mirth on the continent when he called Belgium a "beautiful city", apparently confusing the country with its capital Brussels-- the seat of the European Union and NATO.

"The Americans, as a general rule, have no interest in Europe," Juncker said in his remarks to the students.

On Wednesday, after Trump's shock victory over rival Hillary Clinton, Juncker and European Council Chief Donald Tusk invited him to a EU-US summit to discuss issues including terrorism and Ukraine.

"We should spare no effort to ensure that the ties that bind us remain strong and durable," the two said in their letter to the president-elect.
For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS.

By Steve Holland and Luciana Lopez

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump began laying the groundwork on Friday to take office on Jan. 20, 2017, gathering the most loyal advisers from his insurgent campaign and three of his children to plot his transition strategy.

Trump put Vice President-elect Mike Pence in charge of his White House transition team, while demoting his former transition chief, tarnished New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, to one of the six vice-chair posts.

Daughter Ivanka and sons Eric and Donald Jr. and son-in-law Jared Kushner accounted for a fourth of the 16-member executive committee, which was filled with politicians and advisers who stuck with Trump during his rollercoaster first run for public office.

Aides huddled in the real-estate mogul's Trump Tower in New York City to begin prioritizing policy changes and considering Cabinet picks and other candidates for the 4,000 positions he will need to fill shortly after he takes the reins of the White House.

A member of the Trump transition team told Reuters there were more than 100 people now involved in developing "white papers" on what regulations to roll back after Jan. 20. Some environmental measures and a rule requiring retirement advisers to act in their clients' interests could be among the first on the chopping block, an industry lobbying source said.

Trump promised during his campaign to cut taxes, clamp down on immigration and repeal President Barack Obama's signature Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare.

But in interviews with the Wall Street Journal and CBS "60 Minutes" on Friday, he said he was open to keeping some provisions of Obamacare.

James Woolsey, a former CIA director who has advised Trump on foreign policy, said several of Trump's campaign promises were "advocacy of a general direction" that may require compromise - including his signature pledge to build a wall on the border with Mexico.

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Woolsey told CNN that border security could be achieved with a combination of fence and wall. "I dont think we ought to fall on our sword about the difference between a wall and fence. Maybe this will be cheaper because its mainly fence, but its a good fence. I wouldnt have any problem with that myself," he said.

Trump, a billionaire real estate magnate, also moved on Friday to extricate himself from his sprawling business empire, which will be overseen by his three grown children on the transition team.

His company said it was vetting new business structures for the transfer of control to the three and the arrangement would not violate conflict-of-interest laws. But government ethics experts said the move would fall short of blind trust standards and was unlikely to prevent potential conflicts of interest.

Trump said that Pence - who has strong ties to Republican leaders in Congress - will build on work done by Christie and has the mission of assembling "the most highly qualified group of successful leaders who will be able to implement our change agenda in Washington."

Christie, once viewed as a top candidate for attorney general, is dealing with political fallout from the 'Bridgegate' lane closure scandal. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani is now the leading contender for the top law enforcement job, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

'THERE'S A SCRAMBLE'

Trump's campaign spent relatively little time on transition planning during the campaign, and even his Republican supporters had been bracing for a loss to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's election.

"I was on Romney's transition team, and it was a well-oiled machine months before the election. Now theres a scramble," said one Republican source, referring to the party's 2012 presidential nominee, Mitt Romney.

Since Tuesday, dozens of possible cabinet appointees have been floated, from grassroots conservative heroes like Sarah Palin to seasoned Washington hands like David Malpass.

During his campaign, many establishment Republicans condemned Trump's racially inflammatory rhetoric as well as his attacks on trade deals and the NATO alliance, which could take many traditional names out of the running.

But outgoing Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte - who had distanced herself from Trump at points in her unsuccessful reelection campaign in New Hampshire - was being floated as a potential defense secretary on Friday, the Washington Post reported.

Trump's relatively small cadre of steadfast supporters is expected to play a prominent role in his administration. Campaign sources say Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions could serve as Defense Secretary, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich might be named as Secretary of State and retired General Michael Flynn could serve as national security adviser.

Those three, along with Giuliani and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, were named as vice chairs of the transition team.

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus is a strong candidate for White House chief of staff, according to sources close to the campaign. Trump campaign CEO Steve Bannon, a conservative provocateur, is also being considered for the job.

As Trump mulled his team, demonstrators hit the streets in major cities for the third straight night to denounce his election and the inflammatory campaign rhetoric on immigrants, Muslims and women. Thousands marched through Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York and San Francisco as night fell.

ECONOMIC, FOREIGN POLICY

Trump appears to be leaning toward seasoned Republicans for many economic positions. David Malpass, a former Treasury and State Department official, and Paul Atkins, a former Securities and Exchange Commission official, are guiding the transition team on economic issues.

"This is one area where the most Republican orthodoxy will come out," said Brandon Barford, a former Republican congressional staffer.

The Trump transition website, www.greatagain.gov, picked up on the tone of legislation aimed at weakening Dodd-Frank financial regulations that was released this summer by Republican chair of the House Financial Services Committee, Jeb Hensarling.

Trump's victory is forcing President Barack Obama to scale back his ambitions for his final months in office. Obama, who is set to meet with key allies from Europe and Asia next week during his final foreign trip, is giving up on a last-ditch attempt to seek congressional approval for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal before leaving office.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a TPP partner, is slated to meet with Trump next week in New York, and the president-elect also fielded calls from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on Friday.

But EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had a blunter reaction to the Trump transition. "I think we will waste two years before Mr. Trump tours the world he does not know," Juncker said on Friday.

(Additional reporting by David Shepardson, Emily Stephenson, Ginger Gibson, Eric Beech, Diane Bartz, Jason Lange, David Brunnstrom, David Lawder, Julia Harte and Julia Edwards Ainsley in Washington, Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Writing by Roberta Rampton and Andy Sullivan; Editing by Bill Rigby and Mary Milliken)
In his first full TV interview as president-elect, Donald Trump sat down with 60 Minutes' Lesley Stahl to discuss what's next for his family and for the country.

In the interview, which airs in its entirety on Sunday, Trump discussed Twitter, his stance on Obamacare and his phone call from Hillary Clinton on election night.

When Stahl asked about his plans for Twitter when he is commander-in-chief, Trump said he plans on using it as a tool for his presidency, calling it a "great form of communication." Boasting of 28 million followers, he said Twitter was "a method of fighting back," regarding negative stories about him in the press or stories he doesn't agree with.

"I'm going to be very restrained," he said. "I think it helped me win."

During his campaign, Trump vowed to repeal President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, but during his talk with Stahl, he seemed to step back from his position. He still says he plans to "repeal and replace" it, but he plans on keeping a few aspects of it as well, including covering people with pre-existing conditions and "children living with their parents."

Read more: Obama Welcomes Trump the White House

He also confirmed that he plans on repealing Obamacare "simultaneously" to when he introduces his new plan, so that there is no period of time when people are without coverage.

"That's what I do, I do a good job. I mean, I know how to do this stuff," he told Stahl. "We're not going to have a two-day period, and we're not going to have a two-year period where there's nothing. And it'll be great health care for much less money."

Trump also told 60 Minutes about Hillary Clinton's phone call on the night of the election, which he called "lovely" and "tough." He did concede that he thought it was "tougher for her than it would have been for me, and for me it would have been very difficult."

Story continues

"She couldn't have been nicer," Trump said of the call, adding that he thinks Clinton was a "strong" and "smart" competitor. Bill Clinton also called him, said Trump, and told him it was "an amazing run."

Read more: An L.A. Socialite Explains: Why I Voted for Trump

On Stahl's question about consulting former President Clinton for advice when he enters the White House, Trump answered that he would. "Well he's a very talented guy, both of them - this is a very talented family. Certainly, I would certainly think about that."

Also appearing on the show with Trump were his wife Melania and children Ivanka, Eric, Donald Jr. and Tiffany. The full interview will air Sunday on CBS.

Watch a segment of Sunday's interview below.
donald trump

President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to tweet a message urging unity among the American people as the nation continued to show signs of division over the results of a contentious and ugly election.

"This will prove to be a great time in the lives of ALL Americans. We will unite and we will win, win, win!" Trump tweeted.

The president-elect's tweet came as thousands took to city streets for the fourth day after election night to protest its results, with many chanting slogans like "not my president" and "no Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA."

Demonstrators have crowded in front of Trump Tower in Manhattan, blocked highways and roads across the country, and swarmed streets and college campuses in protests that have become more heated. During a march in Portland, Oregon, Friday night, a demonstrator was shot and injured, police said. The night before, police deemed an anti-Trump protest in Portland was a riot because of increasingly dangerous behavior.

Trump's most recent tweet urging unity stood in contrast to his initial response to the protests. Late Thursday night, he took to the social-media outlet to slam protesters and the media.

"Just had a very open and successful presidential election," he wrote on Twitter. "Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!"

When the tweet drew sharp criticism, Trump quickly changed his tone, tweeting: "Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!"

But activists geared up for another round of demonstrations throughout the weekend. A number of groups in major cities like New York and Chicago have planned protests throughout Saturday.

Ashley Lynne Nagel, a Bernie Sanders supporter who voted for Hillary Clinton and who joined a demonstration in Denver on Thursday, said of her protesting: "It's not that we're sore losers. It's that we are genuinely upset, angry, terrified that a platform based off of racism, xenophobia and homophobia has become so powerful and now has complete control of our representation."

Story continues

NOW WATCH: 'America has lost': The Philippines president just announced that he's allying with China, wants to talk to Putin





More From Business Insider


On Tuesday, Donald Trump was elected to be the 45th President of The United Sates of America. While many citizens either celebrated or protested this historic victory, Amazon AMZN CEO Jeff Bezos needed to back track on some of his previous comments about the President-Elect.

Bezos is the CEO of AMZN, which is currently trading at $738.39 per share. He also owns the Washington Post, a prestigious newspaper that he purchased in 2013 for $250 million. Both men have been exchanging words for over a year now over accusations made by Trump regarding Bezos' use of his newspaper company to get out of paying taxes. According to the President-Elect, "Amazon is getting away with murder tax-wise. He's using the Washington Post for power so that the politicians in Washington don't tax Amazon like they should be taxed."

Trump's biggest problem with AMZN is that he believes Bezos is outsourcing too many jobs to overseas nations and taking jobs from Americans. As quoted in the Seattle Times, "Free trade fills the company's sails  as it builds a planetary network of warehouses, transportation and profitable data centers that are turning it into a truly global store. At the end of 2015, more than a third of Amazon's physical footprint was in countries other than the U.S., and about 32 percent of its retail sales were made overseas. Trump has also railed against the trade deals that facilitate some of that commerce, saying they're not advantageous enough to the U.S."

Throughout his campaign, Trump's biggest message was to "Make America Great Again," implying the attempt to make more jobs here domestically. Trump believes Bezos is getting away with paying little to no taxes and embarking on foreign trade agreements that arent benefiting anyone in the United States besides Amazon itself.

Even though there is no proof that Bezos or Amazon is indeed using the political reach of the Washington Post to avoid paying taxes, the fact Donald Trump was elected president caused Bezos to concede to the future leader. Bezos tweeted from his verified Twitter TWTR account: "Congratulations to @RealDonaldTrump I for one give him my most open mind and wish him great success in his service to the country."

Story continues

This came after AMZN stock has seen an immense drop in price over the past few days. Prior to the election results on Tuesday, November 8th at 3:40pm, AMZN was trading at $789.72. In just three days, the stock has dropped over $51 to its current price of $738.39. Stockholders are showing fear that Trump being elected will cause some major negative changes to the company. This explains why Bezos tweeted that positive message for the President-Elect; he needs to help protect his companys well being.

Currently, AMZN is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM score of 'C.' Check back next week to see where the Zacks Rank grades AMZN.

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By Jilian Mincer and David Ingram NEW YORK (Reuters) - Planned Parenthood is reporting a spike in donations and demand for long-acting contraceptives since Donald Trump's election as U.S. president while abortion foes hope to gain momentum in their quest to cut public funding to the women's health organization. Officials with Planned Parenthood said its patrons are worried about the impact of a Trump presidency on access to abortions and birth control in the United States. Planned Parenthood, which draws the ire of many Republicans because it provides abortions, is bracing for one of the toughest battles in its 100-year history. It has about 650 health centers nationwide and relies on public funding for about half of its revenue, much of it from the Medicaid health insurance program for the poor. With Trump winning Tuesday's election and Republicans maintaining their control of Congress, it could be easier for lawmakers to cut funding to Planned Parenthood and dismantle outgoing President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, that mandates insurance coverage for contraceptives. "There have been attempts the last two years to defund them, and we will do anything we can to defund them," said Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, which opposes abortion. "I am very optimistic." Since the election, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America said it has received nearly 80,000 new donations nationwide, although it did not disclose the money amount. Planned Parenthood of Illinois said online appointments for long-acting contraceptives like IUDs, or intrauterine devices, rose nearly 50 percent in the past two days compared to the same period last week. It said it plans to increase the number of available appointments to meet demand. "We have been overwhelmed by community members making donations and contacting us to offer to volunteer and provide support," said Sarah Wheat, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, where successive Republican governors have cut funding to the organization. Online donations to the Texas affiliate tripled on Wednesday compared to the previous week, while 125 people have contacted the group to volunteer to help, Wheat said. Long a target of protest, and sometimes violence, by groups that oppose abortion on religious grounds, Planned Parenthood has in recent years worked to broaden its health services for women and men. MIXED SIGNALS Trump has sent mixed signals about abortion, saying in March that women who end pregnancies should face punishment. He later backtracked on his remarks. On Wednesday, his team said the new Trump administration would "protect innocent human life from conception to natural death," without elaborating. Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Trump's vice presidential running mate and the head of his transition team, is a strident opponent of abortion. Pence has pushed Congress to defund Planned Parenthood and signed a state law mandating that a fetus be buried or cremated after an abortion. Trump has also vowed to repeal and replace Obamacare, although he was quoted by the Wall Street Journal on Friday as saying he would consider saving some provisions. The law required for the first time that insurers cover the cost of many forms of birth control for women. While it is not clear yet how Trump will proceed with his pledge, some patients want to ensure they have a contraceptives plan in place, Planned Parenthood officials said. "They really have some concerns about the threats to the Affordable Care Act and the coverage for these services," said Katie Thiede, the vice president of development for Planned Parenthood of Illinois. The affiliate said demand for permanent sterilization climbed 57 percent over the past week. If Obamacare were to be repealed, an estimated 55 million women could lose access to no-copay preventive services including birth control, screenings for sexually transmitted infections, Pap tests and cancer screenings, according to government figures. Other challenges could come through court appointments, or through changes in funding rules for Medicaid. In the longer term, abortion rights advocates have expressed concern that Trump could appoint conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who could overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. (Reporting by Jilian Mincer and David Ingram; Editing by Will Dunham)
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As America came to grips with the upset electoral victory of Donald J. Trump for president, Secretary of State John Kerry  himself a former presidential candidate  was as far away from Washington as humanly possible.

On Thursday, Kerry became the highest-ranking U.S. official ever to visit Antarctica. He traveled to McMurdo Station, which is operated by the National Science Foundation. Kerry is getting a firsthand glimpse of the effects of climate change in Antarctica and the science research conducted there.

According to the State Department, Kerry is also planning to travel to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. With these travels, Kerry also becomes the first secretary of state to set foot on both of the world's land-based ice sheets, having visited Greenland in 2015. From Antarctica, Kerry will head to Morocco, where U.N. climate talks are taking place.

A U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo plane - carrying U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry - idles at the Williams Skiway in Antarctica

Image: State Department

Secretary Kerry walks away from a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane at the Pegasus Ice Field after arriving in Antarctica.

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT

Part of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT

U.S. research station

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT

Secretary Kerry flies over the Taylor Valley area near McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Image: Mark Ralston/AP

Blood Falls in the McMurdo Dry Valleys.

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT

Secretary Kerry hikes in front of Mount Erebus after visiting the historic Shackleton hut near McMurdo Station.

Image: Mark Ralston/AP

Blood Falls and the Taylor Glacier near McMurdo Station.

Image: mark ralston/AP

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his traveling party look at an Adelie penguin after it approached them at a U.S. research station.

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT

An Adelie penguin waddles toward U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his traveling party.

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT

A rookery of Adelie penguins in Cape Royds, Antarctica.

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT

A glacier flowing through a section of the McMurdo Dry Valleys.

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, and scientist Kelly Falkner outside the historic Shackleton hut near McMurdo Station.

Image: mark ralston/AP

Secretary Kerry speaks with National Science Foundation Division of Antarctic Sciences Director Scott Borg inside the hut in Cape Royds, Antarctica, where explorer Ernest Shackleton and 14 other men lived in 1908.

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT

Provisions brought by explorer Ernest Shackleton in 1908.

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT

Secretary Kerry signs a guestbook where explorer Ernest Shackleton lived.

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT

The crew walk on volcanic rock near the hut in Cape Royds.

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT

An iceberg in McMurdo Sound.

Image: STATE DEPARTMENT
Tupac Shakur contained multitudes. He was a brilliant poet, a highly trained and skilled actor, advocate and free-thinker. He's also the man who championed THUG LIFE (later explained as the backcronym The Hate U Give Little Infants F---s Everybody"), wrote songs about the disposability of women, and openly wished violence upon his enemies.

One of these does not cancel out the other -- 2Pac has done things worth glorifying and others worth condemning. But his words have outlived him, and many are just as relevant now as they were while he was still breathing. In the wake of an election that saw a man elected on a platform of discrimination and white supremacy, we looked for meaning in 2Pac's back catalog, searching for some of his most positive and socially conscious lyrics, in the hopes that 2Pac at his most woke can provide some levity for anyone confused or in pain.

"Brenda's Got a Baby"

From the jump, 2Pac's rhymes were imbued with complex narratives, humanizing the downtrodden with equal parts empathy and rage. This famous story of a 12 year old girl molested by her family, impregnated, turned out and strung out in the street is one of his darkest and most poignant. Pac lays out the story in a single verse, with strong active language that paints a vivid picture free of florid detail. It's been referenced by countless rappers, though not always so tactfully; Rick Ross once bragged on "Tupac's Back" that "Brenda's havin' my baby." Hmmm.

"Now the baby's in the trash heap balling

Momma can't help her, but it hurts to hear her calling

Brenda wants to run away

Momma say, you makin' me lose pay

The social workers here everyday

Now Brenda's gotta make her own way

Can't go to her family, they won't let her stay

No money no babysitter, she couldn't keep a job

She tried to sell crack, but end up getting robbed

So now what's next, there ain't nothing left to sell

Story continues

So she sees sex as a way of leaving hell

It's paying the rent, so she really can't complain

Prostitute, found slain, and Brenda's her name, she's got a baby"

"Trapped"

One of the more disturbing developments of the ubiquity of "trap" music is its divorce from its origin -- to call a neighborhood "The Trap" is quite literally referencing the systemic oppression that prevents its residents from climbing out of poverty. Here Pac delineates some of the Catch 22s of the Trap.

"You know they got me trapped in this prison of seclusion

Happiness, living on the streets is a delusion

Even a smooth criminal one day must get caught

Shot up or shot down with the bullet that he bought

Nine millimeter kickin' thinkin' about what the streets do to me

Cause they never talk peace in the black community"

"Holla if Ya Hear Me"

One of the things that made 2Pac so difficult for mainstream America to comprehend was the mere plurality of his existence. On tracks like "Holla If You Hear Me," he terrified pearl-clutching suburbanites with his THUG LIFE tales and his tacit approval of the life of crime. But with bars like these, he captures the anger and frustration of millions who feel trapped.

"Pump ya fists if ya feel me, holla if ya hear me

Learn to survive in the nine-tre'

I make rhyme pay, others make crime pay

Whatever it takes to live and stand

Cause nobody else'll give a damn

So we live like caged beasts

Waitin for the day to let the rage free

Still me, till they kill me

I love it when they fear me"

"Keep Your Head Up"

Quite possibly the most woke 2Pac song of all time, Pac celebrates blackness, women, and black women, promoting hope and positivity amidst tragic circumstances. The fact that it's so disparate from his most thugged out material is likely its greatest strength; if he can get the hardest, toughest gangsters to consider the strength and beauty of black women, maybe the rest of us can, too.

"Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice

I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots

I give a holla to my sisters on welfare

2Pac cares if don't nobody else care

And I know they like to beat you down a lot

When you come around the block, brothers clown a lot

But please don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up

Forgive, but don't forget, girl, keep your head up

And when he tells you you ain't nothing, don't believe him

And if he can't learn to love you, you should leave him

'Cause, sister, you don't need him"

"Dear Mama"

Most every thug loves his mama.

"I shed tears with my baby sister, over the years

We was poorer than the other little kids

And even though we had different daddies, the same drama

When things went wrong we'd blame Mama

I reminisce on the stress I caused, it was hell

Huggin' on my mama from a jail cell

And who'd think in elementary, hey

I'd see the penitentiary one day?

And running from the police, that's right

Mama catch me, put a whoopin' to my backside

And even as a crack fiend, Mama

You always was a black queen, Mama

I finally understand

For a woman it ain't easy trying to raise a man

You always was committed

A poor single mother on welfare, tell me how you did it

There's no way I can pay you back, but the plan

Is to show you that I understand; you are appreciated"

"To Live and Die in LA"

This Pac anthem to his adopted hometown of Los Angeles (Shakur was originally from the east coast) is a love letter to a complicated town. He speaks of gangs and police drama on equal terms with women and marijuana, and even calls out the Governor. But our favorite lyric is the start to the third verse, his hat tip to brown pride, and a commonality with segregated communities.

"It wouldn't be L.A. without Mexicans

Black love, brown pride, and the sets again

Pete Wilson tryin' to see us all broke

I'm on some bullshit out for everything they owe"

"White Manz World"

An anthem that feels as urgent in late 2016 as it did in 1996. What does it feel like to be black in a world where white is right? When half the voting public wants to be led by racists?

"Eatin' Jack-Mack, Starin' at the walls of silence

Inside this cage where they captured all my rage and violence

In time I learned a few lessons, never fall for riches

Apologizes to my true sisters, far from bitches

Help me raise my Black nation, reparations are due

It's true, caught up in this world I took advantage of you

So tell the babies how I love them, precious boys and girls

Born black in this white man's world"

"Ghetto Gospel"

It's hard to say what Pac would have thought of this posthumous Elton John collaboration, but despite the relatively cheesy production values, his verses are as thoughtful and carefully considered as ever. Verses of wizened reflection like these, released after his death, are part of why so many were so reluctant to accept that he was gone.

"If I could recollect before my hood days

I sit and reminisce, thinking of bliss and the good days

I stop and stare at the younger

My heart goes to 'em, they tested with stress that they under

And nowadays things change

Everyone's ashamed of the youth

'cause the truth look strange

And for me it's reversed

We left 'em a world that's cursed and it hurts

'Cause any day they'll push the button, and all good men like Malcolm X or Bobby Hutton died for nothin'

Don't it make you get teary? The world looks dreary

When you wipe your eyes see it clearly

There's no need for you to fear me

If you take your time and hear me

Maybe you can learn to cheer me

It ain't about black or white, 'cause we human

I hope we see the light before it's ruined; my ghetto gospel"

"Changes"

Nothin' more gangsta than a Bruce Hornsby sample, eh? The lead single from his posthumous Greatest Hits collection, chances are this was the first time your grandma heard Pac's bars, when the DJ threw it on at your homeboy's bar mitzvah. Post-Obama, people loved to quote and sample "We ain't ready to see a Black President," but Post-Trump, 'Pac's words appear more prescient than ever.

"I see no changes, all I see is racist faces

Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races

We under, I wonder what it takes to make this

One better place, let's erase the wasted

Take the evil out the people, they'll be acting right

'Cause both Black and White are smoking crack tonight

And the only time we chill is when we kill each other

It takes skill to be real, time to heal each other

And although it seems heaven-sent

We ain't ready to see a black president

It ain't a secret, don't conceal the fact:

The penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks

But some things will never change

Try to show another way, but you staying in the dope game

Now tell me, what's a mother to do?

Being real don't appeal to the brother in you

You gotta operate the easy way

"I made a G today," but you made it in a sleazy way

Selling crack to the kids

"I gotta get paid!", well hey, but that's the way it is""

"Can U C the Pride in the Panther"

The voice may be Yasiin Bey's (fka Mos Def), but the words are all Mr. Shakur's. Taken from a collection of his poems that contemporary artists reinterpreted ("The Rose That Grew from Concrete"), this first part of a two part interpretation of Pac's Panther metaphor is given some old-school spelling flair on Mos' interpretation. The original poem, below, quite directly evokes the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, of which his mother, Afeni Shakur, who was a member.

"Can You See the Pride In the Panther

As he grows in splendor and grace

Toppling obstacles placed in the way,

of the progression of his race.

Can You See the Pride In the Panther

as she nurtures her young all alone

The seed must grow regardless

of the fact that it is planted in stone.

Can You See the Pride In the Panthers

as they unify as one.

The flower blooms with brilliance,

and outshines the rays of the sun."
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey warned its citizens about travel to the United States on Saturday in response to what the foreign ministry called increasingly violent protests against President-elect Donald Trump. "Within the context of risks caused by the incidents and of social tension, our citizens who live in the U.S., or who are considering traveling there, should be cautious," the ministry said in a statement. Demonstrators planned to gather again on Saturday in U.S. cities nationwide to protest against Trump, whose election they say poses a threat to their civil and human rights, a day after a protester was shot in Portland, Oregon. Last month, the U.S. State Department updated its travel warning on Turkey, ordering family members of consulate employees in Istanbul to leave the country, citing threats against U.S. citizens. There has been growing tension between the two NATO allies after repeated calls from Turkey to extradite U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara blames for a failed coup in July. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Wednesday he hoped for an improvement in bilateral ties after Trump's victory, and again called for Gulen's extradition. (Writing by Ece Toksabay; editing by John Stonestreet)
A lot is being said now about the "silent secret Trump supporters."

This is my confession -- and explanation: I -- a 51-year-old, a Muslim, an immigrant woman "of color" -- am one of those silent voters for Donald Trump. And I'm not a "bigot," "racist," "chauvinist" or "white supremacist," as Trump voters are being called, nor part of some "whitelash."

For much of this past year, I have kept my electoral preference secret: I was leaning toward Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Tuesday evening, just minutes before the polls closed at Forestville Elementary School in mostly Democratic Fairfax County, I slipped between the cardboard partitions in the polling booth, a pen balanced carefully between my fingers, to mark my ballot for president, coloring in the circle beside the names of Trump and his running mate, Mike Pence.

After Hillary Clinton called Trump to concede, making him America's president-elect, a friend on Twitter wrote a message of apology to the world, saying there are millions of Americans who don't share Trump's "hatred/division/ignorance." She ended: "Ashamed of millions that do."

That would presumably include me -- but it doesn't, and that is where the dismissal of voter concerns about Clinton led to her defeat. I most certainly reject the trifecta of "hatred/division/ignorance." I support the Democratic Party's position on abortion, same-sex marriage and climate change.

But I am a single mother who can't afford health insurance under Obamacare. The president's mortgage-loan modification program, "HOPE NOW," didn't help me. Tuesday, I drove into Virginia from my hometown of Morgantown, W.Va., where I see rural America and ordinary Americans, like me, still struggling to make ends meet, after eight years of the Obama administration.

Finally, as a liberal Muslim who has experienced, first-hand, Islamic extremism in this world, I have been opposed to the decision by President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party to tap dance around the "Islam" in Islamic State. Of course, Trump's rhetoric has been far more than indelicate and folks can have policy differences with his recommendations, but, to me, it has been exaggerated and demonized by the governments of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, their media channels, such as Al Jazeera, and their proxies in the West, in a convenient distraction from the issue that most worries me as a human being on this earth: extremist Islam of the kind that has spilled blood from the hallways of the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai to the dance floor of the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla.

By mid-October, it was one Aug. 17, 2014, email from the WikiLeaks treasure trove of Clinton emails that poisoned the well for me. In it, Clinton told aide John Podesta: "We need to use our diplomatic and more traditional intelligence assets to bring pressure on the governments of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which are providing clandestine financial and logistic support to ISIL," the politically correct name for the Islamic State, "and other radical Sunni groups in the region."

The revelations of multimillion-dollar donations to the Clinton Foundation from Qatar and Saudi Arabia killed my support for Clinton. Yes, I want equal pay. No, I reject Trump's "locker room" banter, the idea of a "wall" between the United States and Mexico and a plan to "ban" Muslims. But I trust the United States and don't buy the political hyperbole -- agenda-driven identity politics of its own -- that demonized Trump and his supporters.

Days before the election, a journalist from India emailed me, asking: What are your thoughts being a Muslim in "Trump's America"?

I wrote that as a child of India, arriving in the United States at the age of 4 in the summer of 1969, I have absolutely no fears about being a Muslim in a "Trump America." The checks and balances in America and our rich history of social justice and civil rights will never allow the fear-mongering that has been attached to candidate Trump's rhetoric to come to fruition.

What worried me the most were my concerns about the influence of theocratic Muslim dictatorships, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, in a Hillary Clinton America. These dictatorships are no shining examples of progressive society with their failure to offer fundamental human rights and pathways to citizenship to immigrants from India, refugees from Syria and the entire class of de facto slaves that live in those dictatorships.

We have to stand up with moral courage against not just hate against Muslims, but hate by Muslims, so that everyone can live with sukhun, or peace of mind, I finished in my reflections to the journalist in India.

He didn't get the email. I didn't resend it, afraid of the wrath I'd receive. But, then, I voted.
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's military killed 18 Islamic State militants in northern Syria over the last 24 hours, the army said on Saturday, intensifying strikes against the militant group. Four buildings and one vehicle used by the Islamic State fighters were destroyed in the strikes, an army statement said. Separately, five Turkey-backed rebels and five Islamic State militants were killed in clashes on the ground, the army said in its statement. In addition, it said coalition forces conducted six air strikes which killed another 10 Islamic State militants. Turkey is backing a group of Syrian Arabs and Turkmen in northern Syria in its Euphrates Shield operation, which has swept Islamic State from its southern border. The hardline Sunni group claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack in the Turkish southeastern city of Diyarbakir that killed 11 last week. However, an offshoot of the Kurdish militant Kurdish group PKK claimed the same attack. Kurdish militants, Islamic State radicals and far leftists have all staged attacks on civilians in Turkey in recent years. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Jon Boyle)
We know which Disney movie is playing on repeat in Kim Kardashian Wests house this fall!

On Friday, new father Rob Kardashian  he welcomed daughter Dream Renee Kardashian with fiancee Blac Chyna on Nov. 10  took the reins of his older sisters website to share some photos from her favorite holiday: Halloween!

Although the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star has largely remained out of the spotlight since being bound, gagged and robbed at gunpoint of millions of dollars worth of jewelry in her No Address Hotel room during Paris Fashion week, she didnt refrain from dressing up with her children as characters from Aladdin on Oct. 31.

Now you know Kim loves Halloween. She couldnt disappoint North once she found a Princess Jasmine costume from back in the day, Rob, 29, penned on Kims website.

North is crazy into Princess Jasmine right now. So being the good mommy she is, she wore her old princess Jasmine costume to match North! he continued. They got a magic carpet, lamp and Saint had to be Aladdin. Kourt threw a Halloween dinner for the fam. This will be my life next Halloween!

In the adorable photos, Kim, 36, and daughter North, 3, wear similar two-piece Princess Jasmine costumes while son Saint, 11 months, dons an Aladdin costume, complete with a purple vest, white pants and a red cap. Also in attendance was sister Kourtney Kardashian, niece Penelope Disick, mom Kris Jenner, grandma Mary Jo MJ Shannon and brother-in-law Kanye West.

PEOPLE previously reported that although Kim still prefers to lay low following the international incident, she is now excited for Halloween. She has decorated her house with spider webs and has costumes for the kids, the source told PEOPLE of the mother of two. They will celebrate with Kourtney and her kids. Even though Kim has changed her life, she still makes it fun for the kids.




Liane Hornsey Uber

Uber is bringing in Liane Hornsey, a longtime VP at Google and current operating partner at SoftBank, to be its new Chief HR Officer.

The move gives Uber a seasoned executive with public company experience to help manage the $66 billion ride-hailing service's rapidly swelling ranks and to guide it through the various challenges facing startups as they evolve into giant businesses.

Travis Kalanick announced the hiring in an email to Uber employees on Friday, calling her "one of the most sought-after 'people people' in the world," according to a source inside the ride-hailing company.

Uber confirmed Hornsey's hire to Business Insider, but declined further comment. SoftBank and Hornsey didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The opening at Uber, one of the fastest-growing companies in tech, became available in July when its former head of HR Renee Atwood left to join Twitter. Atwood had been at the company from when it was 605 employees to more than 5,000.

Hornsey, though, brings in experience of running human resources at a large, public company  something Uber will need as it matures into a company with IPO potential.

Hornsey's LinkedIn shows she had spent nine years at Google as its Vice President of Global People Operations before she moved to being a VP on the sales side, reporting to Nikesh Arora.

She followed Arora to SoftBank International in September 2015 to be its Chief Administrative Officer and operating partner, helping other startups with their HR needs. Arora left his position in June 2016, and now Hornsey's departure follows nearly six months after. Hornsey will start at Uber in January.

NOW WATCH: Uber is redesigning their app for the first time since 2012  here's what is changing





More From Business Insider


(Reuters) - A University of Oklahoma student has been temporarily suspended on suspicion of sending racist messages, including threats of lynchings, to black freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, the two universities said on Saturday. The messages were sent to more than 150 students at the University of Pennsylvania, Trump's alma mater, and included racial slurs and pictures of Africa-Americans being hanged, students told local media. "This is absolutely vile material and completely offensive to everyone on our campus," University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann said in a statement. "This is simply deplorable." University of Oklahoma President David Boren notified Gutmann that his school had identified a suspect, who has not been named. "The university has already determined from its preliminary inquiry that there's a basis for a temporary suspension of the student under our student code while we continue to gather all of the facts," Boren said in a statement. The messages, including some sent from a source called "Trump's Disciples," came as civil rights groups said racial and religious minorities have been targeted nationwide after the election of Donald Trump as president. They have said his divisive campaign rhetoric emboldened a few supporters to spread racist messages, although Trump has called for unity since his election and denounced white supremacist groups that have backed him. Since his election this week, thousands have gathered at protests in several major U.S. cities to rally against the president-elect, who they say will threaten civil and human rights. Trump supporters have also taken to social media to say they have been targeted and assaulted by supporters of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Dan Grebler)
University of Pennsylvania administrators on Friday condemned the contents of a racist GroupMe account that targeted black students at the Ivy League university.

We are absolutely appalled that earlier today Black freshman students at Penn were added to a racist GroupMe account that appears to be based in Oklahoma, the university said in a joint statement released by President Amy Gutmann, Provost Vincent Price and Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli.

The account itself is totally repugnant: it contains violent, racist and thoroughly disgusting images and messages. This is simply deplorable.

Screenshots of the account shared on social media showed messages that included racial slurs, a calendar invite for a daily lynching and old images of African-American lynchings. It also included references to President-elect Donald Trumps comments about grabbing women by the genitals without consent.

I stared an administrator in the eye and literally lost it. And quite honestly I just cant stop crying. I feel sick to my stomach. I dont feel safe, said University of Pennsylvania student Calvary Rogers on Facebook. He said the group, to which all black freshmen were added, was named N-gger Lynching.

University police are working on investigating the origins of the account and taking steps to block it, the universitys statement said. They have also increased campus safety.

This is absolutely vile material and completely offensive to everyone on our campus, the statement said. We are both angry and saddened that it was directed to our students or to anyone. The people responsible for this are reprehensible.

The racist incident is one of many that have taken place on college campuses and schools across the country in Trumps name since he was elected president of the United States on Tuesday. Trump railed against political correctness throughout his campaign, often using racist and sexist rhetoric.

The racist events at @Penn & other PA schools are unacceptable. We will do everything we can to end & prevent these hateful incidents, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said on Twitter.
Venice (AFP) - Several hundred citizens of Venice rallied on Saturday to draw attention to an exodus of residents that they fear is sucking the life out of the fabled Italian city.

Venetians of all ages took part in the "Venexodus" demonstration, clutching signs bearing slogans such as "Farewell, Venice," and "I won't go, I will stay and resist," as well as suitcases to symbolise the constant departures.

A man dressed in the historic costume of a doge -- the leaders of Venice for more than a thousand years -- boarded a gondola for a symbolic farewell trip.

More than 60,000 tourists arrive in Italy's Adriatic jewel each day -- a tally that outstrips the number of full-time residents.

"Venice is losing 1,000 residents each year. It now has less than 55,000 people, compared to 100,000 40 years ago -- the danger is very great," said Matteo Secchi, head of the association venessia.com which organised the rally.

- Museum town? -

Secchi drew a comparison with Pompeii -- the preserved Roman town that the volcano Vesuvius destroyed in the year 79.

"We are turning into Pompei, a town which people come to visit and say it's magnificent, but no one lives there," Secchi told AFP.

"Venetians are not against tourists. It's right for tourists to visit Venice, but it is also right for its inhabitants to be able to be live there. The challenge is to reconcile these two different worlds."

Housing is one of Venetians' biggest complaints -- costs have rocketed as private owners rent out apartments to tourists for short-term lets.

There are also gripes over jobs.

"Many of my friends have had to leave the city, not just because of housing problems but also because the only work here is in tourism," said Marco Vidal, a 35-year-old Venetian.

"If you have training in a different field, you are obliged to leave. The local authorities gave up years ago the idea of encouraging people to live in Venice, creating jobs and making it a city with a future, rather than an amusement park."

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Activists have been campaigning since the last decade for efforts to roll back the exodus.

But the lure of the Grand Canal, St. Mark's Square and the Bridge of Sighs for foreign visitors remains unquenched, as the arrival of giant cruis eships testifies.

Today, with an annual influx of some 20 million people, the city's narrow streets and canal bridges can get extremely crowded.

- 'Nothing to buy' -

Shops serving local people, such as those selling groceries or hardware, have been supplanted by souvenir stores.

In September a thousand young Venetians, responding to an activist group called Generation 90, gathered with empty shopping bags to draw attention to the shortage of ordinary shopping facilities.

Proposals for easing the exodus are many, although campaigners despair at whether these will ever be implemented.

Generation 90 spokesman Marco Caberlotto said it was time to set a daily limit on numbers gaining access to St. Mark's Square, with places reserved in advance at a small fee.

Noting that 40,000 people commute to Venice each day for work, he also pushed for tax changes to encourage landlords to rent their properties to locals rather than to tourists for overnight stays.

Secchi said another priority was to rent out 2,000 apartments that are owned by the authorities but lie empty because of chronic bureaucratic problems.

The city hall told AFP it had set up a consultation process for finding "the right balance" between residents and tourists.

Initiatives include giving Venetians priority to the "vaporetto" ferries and local authorities are looking at ways of stimulating jobs in the non-tourism sector and encouraging families to settle.

After Saturday's rally, the city hall received a delegation of demonstrators, who said they were encouraged by what had been said.
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's government and opposition on Saturday reached tentative deals in the areas of elections and foreign aid as part of a Vatican-backed dialogue process, though the agreements fell far short of initial opposition demands. Allies of President Nicolas Maduro will consider letting foreign donors provide food and medicine to the crisis-hit country and work toward naming new directors to the national elections authority, which the opposition says favors Maduro. "We agree to promote respectful political action," said ruling Socialist Party Director Jorge Rodriguez, reading from a conciliatory joint statement agreed to by both sides. "The common good is above our legitimate differences." The steady decay of the OPEC nation's economy and a growing political standoff over a referendum on Maduro's rule led both the Vatican and U.S. diplomats to set up a dialogue in late October. The two sides will meet again on Dec. 6, contrary to the opposition's vow to walk away from the talks if the government did not set in motion a recall referendum on Maduro's rule and release more than 100 jailed opposition activists. They will work together to name two new members to the five-member elections board, which last month scuttled an opposition recall effort and escalated the country's political standoff. The government allowing foreign assistance effectively acknowledges the dire situation in Venezuela, where millions are struggling to eat three meals per day. But rather than agreeing to the release of more than 100 jailed opposition activists, the joint statement made a vague nod to releasing detainees - without providing names or numbers. The agreement also involves holding new elections for legislators from the state of Amazonas who were suspended from their posts by a court sentence last year. Maduro critics on Saturday called that an overly generous concession. "I can't stay quiet as I watch the way we give more oxygen to the dictatorship," wrote opposition politician Reinaldo Diaz in a tweet that was retweeted by the official account of hard-line opposition party Popular Will. The dialogue has been hailed in the international community for bringing the two sides to the table. But the talks may break down once the two sides begin serious discussions on the issue of the recall referendum, which Socialist Party officials have repeatedly ruled out. (This version of the story has been refiled to correct quote in paragraph 10 to say 'we' instead 'the government') (Reporting by Brian Ellsworth and Fabian Cambero; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
To the women of America: A letter of support from your Irish sisters

Now that Donald Trump is president-elect, women across the country rightfully fear what this means for our reproductive rights  but we are ready to fight. One of our readers in Ireland  a country where women are fighting for abortion access  has sent a letter of solidarity.

To the women of America,

I am sitting in my university library on a chilly autumnal day, and its difficult to actually comprehend the enormity of what has happened in America. A man who built a campaign off of sexist, racist, and homophobic ideals now has control over the most diverse and influential country in the world. And I want to tell you that I am so sorry.

I ache for the millions of immigrants who are now fearing deportation, for Americas Muslim community who will deal with even more undeserved hate and prejudice. I ache for American women who now know that more than half of the population does not value women. And I ache for the many sexual violence survivors who now must watch a man who has been accused of rape and assault become their leader, and threaten to punish any woman that chooses to take control of her reproductive rights.

You might ask what right I have to comment on this. As an outsider, it may seem easy for me to step away from my computer and forget about all of this. I dont have to deal with the impact of Trumps ignorance and hate. I live in Ireland.

However, this doesnt stop us. This doesnt stop us from continuing to prove to our families, friends, and ourselves that we are worth more. When we are in rough waters, that is when we show our true strength.

We show it in small ways daily, when we stand our ground and do whats right for ourselves, be it in our personal or professional lives. And we show it in big ways, too  like when we protest for our rights.

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In late September, the women of Ireland showed the world and our government that we have had enough of our extremely strict abortion laws  laws which the UN insists are breaching human rights.

We did this by storming the streets of Dublin in the thousands to get behind the hugely successful Repeal campaign  a campaign to repeal the eighth amendment in our constitution that equates the life of the unborn to the life of a living, breathing woman.

A photo posted by 100days2repeal8th (@100days2repeal8th) on Jul 17, 2016 at 10:24am PDT

In history, we have done the same.

In late 1980s Ireland, divorce was still illegal and unmarried pregnant women could be subjected to forced adoptions. Women demanded change and got it. In 1990, Irelands first female president, Mary Robinson, was elected  and with that came better access to contraception and a 1996 referendum that legalized divorce.

Supporters Protest Over Suspended Sentence For Abortion Ruling

Ireland has changed enormously in my short life time. We were once a nation that so brazenly violated womens rights. We had little access to contraception, no possibility of divorce, and homosexuality was a criminal act the year I was born. Im now 23 years old, and our journey inspires me. We are now the first country to have legalized gay marriage by popular vote, and we are in the middle of a battle for our reproductive rights.

We will not stop until we are equal, and neither will you.

"Love Trumps Hate" Rally Held In New York's Washington Square Park

Women of America, you have been dealt a devastating blow. The best woman didnt win. Its a slap in the face and a step backwards.

But if theres something I truly believe, its that Irish women share a unique quality with American women. This unquenchable thirst for better. We will not be silenced, we will not be stopped, and we will not be put back in our place  and neither will you.

This is going to be a difficult four years, and I know you know that. But your collective future will be brighter, so long as you continue to fight, continue to educate yourself and those around you, and continue to remember you deserve better.

Know that we are sending only hope, encouragement, and understanding.

Love,

Your sisters from across the pond.

Jennifer Lynch is an annoying feminist, aspiring writer, wine drinker, and Colin Firth lover. She is studying English and psychology in Ireland. Watch her struggle with technology on Instagram and on Twitter.

The post To the women of America: A letter of support from your Irish sisters appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Many liberals are telling themselves a story about Donald Trump's victory that is depressing, frightening, self-congratulatory and not entirely true: that it represents the voters' endorsement of racism, misogyny, ignorance and generally being a jerk.

Trump may indeed represent those things. But he didn't win the presidency because American voters were ratifying his worst elements. As Amy Walter of Cook Political Report observed, "Voters did not like Trump, but voted for him anyway":

- 60 percent of voters viewed him unfavorably, yet he got 15% of those voters to vote for him.

- 63 percent of voters said they didn't think he had the "temperament" to be president, he got 20% of those voters to support him.

- 60 percent of voters said they didn't think he was qualified to be president and yet 18 percent gave him their vote.

He also pulled 29 percent of the voters who said his treatment of women bothered them.

People voted for Trump for all kinds of reasons.

Many wanted to elect someone from outside the system and were voting for change in much the same way Barack Obama's voters were in 2008. (In fact, many of Trump's crucial working-class white voters had also voted for Obama, which undermines the racism explanation.) When exit polls asked what quality in a candidate matters most, a plurality of voters, 39 percent, said "can bring change." Trump captured 83 percent of those votes.

Some voters were upset that their health insurance premiums are skyrocketing, and they believed he could do something about that. As a friend of mine wrote on Facebook, "I didn't get as many fliers this year from campaigns on issues or on behalf of candidates, but did get something from Blue Shield last week. As I opened it up, I quipped to myself that this was campaign material from the RNC. How many other Americans got similar mailings and felt similar outrage, but decided to vent it against the party in power?"

Others think that Trump can cut through various kinds of red tape and allow the public and private sectors to "get things done," especially by improving roads, airports and other infrastructure. He likes to portray himself as a builder, and many people -- including his high-profile Silicon Valley supporter Peter Thiel -- are drawn to that image.

Many Trump voters were simply people who tend to vote Republican. Hillary Clinton offered them no reason to switch allegiances. When Election Day arrived, they did what they usually do.

I don't like Trump, but I know enough of his voters, and have read enough about others, to know that very few were embracing the whole package. Trump's coalition certainly includes an element who are tired of being told that they're worthless and awful -- Won't it be great when stupid white men are put in their place! -- and are punching back, sometimes in deplorable ways. For them, voting for Trump is a way of combating political correctness. But it's also a positive vote for someone they believe is proud of them and proud of their country.

Liberals want to turn Trump's victory into an endorsement of racism and misogyny. That's a dumb strategy if you're against those things. The liberal belief that half the country is made up of horrible people is a big reason Trump got elected, and the more Democrats keep repeating it, the more likely their worst fears are to come true.
San Francisco (AFP) - Facebook accidentally declared its founder Mark Zuckerberg and many other users dead on Friday, acknowledging after fixing the problem that it had committed a "terrible error."

"For a brief period today, a message meant for memorialized profiles was mistakenly posted to other accounts," a Facebook spokesperson told AFP.

"This was a terrible error that we have now fixed."

Media reports indicated that some two million errant memorials were posted on profile pages.

Even Facebook co-founder and chief executive Zuckerberg was memorialized in a message at his profile page expressing hope that people who loved him would take comfort in posts people shared in tribute to his life.

"Poor Mark," read an @JudiD23 tweet that included weeping face emojis.

"Couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

The social network apologized and said it worked as quickly as possible to correct the problem.

"Damn. I should have used Facebook Live to show how I was Facebook Dead," Search Engine Land editor Danny Sullivan said in a message fired off at Twitter.

Facebook Live feature lets people broadcast video in real-time at the leading social network.

The mistaken memorial notices contained links to forms that can be submitted to have people's accounts at the leading social network modified into online memorials after they die.

Part of the process is showing proof of death.

Some wondered whether the mishap was a botched test promotion of the feature, rather than a software glitch.

- #FacebookDead -

Comments tagged #FacebookDead or #FacebookRapture went viral at Twitter, with people joking that the scenario marked a fitting end to tumultuous week.

"I think this is Facebook's way of flagging the people who died inside on Tuesday," read a tweet from @billkalpak.

A darkly humorous post on Twitter by @JnPhillip was in the form of a note reading "Dear Facebook, Donald Trump does not get inaugurated until January 20th. Nuclear annihilation occurs Jan. 21st."

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"Naturally, Facebook waited until 2016 to kill us all," tweeted @kriheli.

Some quipped that the mistake shook confidence in Facebook's feature for checking on people after disasters, or its claim that hoax stories are not a worry at the social network.

A not-dead-yet Zuckerberg defended the integrity of News Feed stories duing an on-stage chat at a Techonomy conference in California the night before being memorialized on his profile page.

Zuckerberg rejected the idea that bogus stories shared at the social network paved a path of victory for President-elect Trump.

"The idea that fake news on Facebook, which is a very small amount of the content, influenced the election in any way I think is a pretty crazy idea," Zuckerberg said during an on-stage chat at the conference.

The News Feed at Facebook has evolved from early days of being about sharing personal tidbits with friends or family to becoming a platform for important news.
As the leaves change and people swap their decorative gourds for twinkle lights, many travelers around the world are looking for a place to visit for the end of fall.

Though the old Cole Porter song points out that Paris has its charms with each season, a series of new initiatives, coupled with autumnal traditions and smaller crowds, make November the perfect time to visit the City of Light.

Airfares are lower than usual, according to tourism industry professionals, so a few days in Paris doesnt have to break the bank. Each year November tends to be one of the calmer moments for Paris, as it sits between the throngs of August arrivals and the crush of Christmas tourists.

Visitors wont have to spend an hour to get into the Muse Rodin or the Louvre, and the lull can give travelers the chance to experience Paris as the Parisians do. With the heat lamps turned on, caf-goers can enjoy a vin chaud (mulled wine) or grog (hot lemon rum tea) on terraces across the city.

I think its also the weather and the mood of being in the city thats hard to describe: you have that beautiful Parisian light set against the Belle Epoque architecture, Mimi Chloe Park, a spokesperson for tourism development agency Atout France, told Travel + Leisure.

Notre Dame, Paris, France

The crisp air doesnt have quite as much bite as New England, but the trees that line the Champs Elyses and other boulevards throughout Paris shine with red, orange and yellow leaves. Free merry-go-rounds and ice-skating rinks dot the Champs-Elyses and the Hotel de Ville.

Alongside old traditions, Parisian authorities recently instituted a whole host of new initiatives to make visiting the capital city easier. The Ile-de-France region, which includes Paris, announced in October that they would create a program to place multi-lingual greeters throughout the city. These English-speaking guides can help give directions, suggestions and other advice to tourists.

The Paris region also announced the addition of a CityPass that will double as a subway ticket as well as entry to several popular attractions, in an effort to prevent tourists from carrying large sums of cash throughout the city.

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While some travelers have shied away from Paris in the wake of a series of terror attacks in the past several years, government officials and security experts alike have reassured travelers that the city remains a safe place to visit. In the run-up to the one-year anniversary of the November 13 attacks, security is likely to be tighter than ever.

Since the crowds of holiday season travelers may not have yet arrived, visitors to the Paris region in November can still take advantage of many of the festive traditions. Most department stores have already unveiled their gorgeous window displays, and decorative lights drape the streets and windowsills.

Christmas Market, Paris, France

One tradition that is a must-see is the Christmas markets, or marchs de Noel. Set up throughout Paris, these festive installments allow vendors and craftsmen from throughout the country to sell their artisan products. Its the perfect place to pick up one-of-a-kind gifts for friends and family, from savon de Marseille, to sachets of lavender from Provence, to salted caramels and gingerbread.

Other seasonal delights include the autumn festival, which incorporates art, music and other theater performances, according to Atout France.

The arrival of the Beaujolais nouveau, which takes place on the third Thursday of November each year, is a citywide tradition. The new red wine vintage is an event that becomes cause for celebration, with tastings and events throughout the city.

November is a time whenParis and its visitors can take a breath before the chaos of the holiday season ensues. Its a moment to drink Beaujolais and be merry.

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UPDATED, 7 AM: A couple hours after President-elect Donald Trump tweeted petulantly that protesters marching for a second day were being very unfair to him someone on his team reminded him he won. Either that or they took over his Twitter account again, for one of those presidential Trump social-media course-corrections weve read so much about.

Anyway, this is what was posted to his account:

Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2016

That previous late-night tweet.

Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2016

had been written at the same time he had tweeted, presidentially, that he had great chemistry with Obama when the met for the first time, at the White House, hours earlier  and Melania liked Mrs. O a lot:

A fantastic day in D.C. Met with President Obama for first time. Really good meeting, great chemistry. Melania liked Mrs. O a lot!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2016

Previous, November 10, 9 PM PT: Just days after staffers reportedly limited Donald Trumps access to the social media platform due to concerns that his tendency to express his most petulant thoughts would impact his electoral chances, the President-elect is back on Twitter tonight. And true to form, hes expressing his most petulant thoughts.

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This time the objects of Donalds wrath are protestors who, for the second night in a row, have taken to the streets of several American cities to demonstrate against Trumps ultimately successful bid for the Presidency of the United States. In a tweet posted two hours ago, Trump first praised as open and successful an election hed spent months insisting would be rigged, before laying into protestors who, he says, are the pawns of the national news media.

Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2016

Denver protestor November 10, 2016

Tonights protests arent quite as widespread as last night, but thousands are still gathering in cities such as New York City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Oakland, Dallas and Denver. In Denver, things kicked off with an estimated 2500 protestors chanting The People United  Will Never Be Divided! while carrying Love Trumps Hate signs. Meanwhile 500 protestors were estimated to have attended the Philadelphia demonstration, and unspecified thousands in NYC.

Trump had his first official meeting with soon-to-be former President Obama today, and has granted his first post-victory interview to 60 Minutes.

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Oprah Winfrey is feeling hopeful for the future.

Following the results of the 2016 election, which declared Donald Trump the 45th President of the United States over Hillary Clinton earlier this week, ET caught up with the 62-year-old media mogul on the set of her OWN series, Greenleaf, in Georgia.

WATCH: Donald and Melania Trump Meet With Barack and Michelle Obama at the White House

When Brooke Anderson asked if she would ever run for office one day, in hopes of becoming the first female president, Winfrey laughed, implying a hard no.

"That will never happen to me!" Winfrey, who endorsed Democratic hopeful Clinton in the election, exclaimed. "I think we have, you know, we America has spoken. That is the one thing I can say will never happen to me."

She is, however, looking forward to moving on from Clinton's election loss, and has found comfort in our future leader after watching Trump pay a visit to President Barack Obama at the White House on Thursday.

"I just saw the two of them together, I will say this: I just saw President-elect Trump with President Obama in the White House and it gave me hope," she said. "To hear President-elect Trump say that he had respect for President Obama, it felt that he had reached a moment where he was actually humbled by that experience."

"To hear President Obama say that he has renewed confidence in the peaceful transition, I think everybody can take a deep breath," she continued. "Everybody can take a deep breath now! Thank you."

RELATED: Miley Cyrus Says She's Done Crying Over President-Elect Donald Trump: 'I Am Accepting and Hopeful'

Winfrey admitted that even just saying those words out loud made her feel better.

"I feel good. I feel good," she said, adding, "Thank you. Thank you, thank you."

She echoed those same sentiments during an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, telling the outlet, "Hope is still alive."

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"I could sense, maybe I'm wrong, but I could sense from Donald Trump's body language even when he came out for the acceptance speech, that brotha has been humbled by this world thing," she continued. "I think it's a humbling process that now you literally have the weight of the world on your shoulders."

Back in June, ET chatted with Winfrey about Clinton, and what it would be like to witness the politician make history as the first female to be elected as president.

"I really believe that is going to happen," she said at the time. "It's about time that we make that decision."

"Regardless of your politics, it's a seminal moment for women," she added. "What this says is, there is no ceiling, that ceiling just went boom! It says anything is possible when you can be leader of the free world."

WATCH: Oprah Winfrey Endorses Hillary Clinton in Upcoming Election

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Jay Bhatt

Executive Director, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions & Deloitte Health Equity Institute

Jay Bhatt, D.O., MPH, MPA is a physician executive, internist, geriatrician, and public health innovator. As Executive Director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions (DCHS) and the Deloitte Health Equity Institute (DHEI), Dr. Bhatt directs the research, insights, and eminence agenda across the life sciences and health care industry while driving high-impact collaborations to advance health equity. He is a prominent thought leader around the issues of health equity, health care transformation, public health, and innovation. Passionate about patient care, Dr. Bhatt will continue practicing medicine at local community health centers in Chicago and Cook County while serving in his leadership role at Deloitte. Prior to joining Deloitte, Dr. Bhatt was senior vice president and chief medical officer at the American Hospital Association. While there, in addition to his enterprise role, he served as president of the Health Research and Educational Trust and helped lead the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity. His early work in health care involved practicing primary care at Erie Family Health Center, sitting on faculty at Northwestern Medicine, acting as chief health officer of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, and serving as managing deputy commissioner and chief innovation officer for the Chicago Department of Public Health. Dr. Bhatt earned a B.A. from the University of Chicago; Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine; Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago; and Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government as a Zuckerman and Commonwealth Fund Minority Health Policy Fellow. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics. Dr. Bhatt's work has earned the attention of top media outlets seeking his expertise. He is a recipient of the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Award, a Presidential Leadership Scholar, and an Aspen Institute Health Innovator Fellow.
Most Nebraska counties broke stronger for Donald Trump on Tuesday than for any other GOP presidential nominee in at least 16 years.

The president-elect outperformed his recent Republican predecessors in 84 of the state's 93 counties, according to Matt Waite, a data journalist and professor of practice at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Trump garnered more support in those counties than Mitt Romney, John McCain or George W. Bush (twice).

Waite didn't look further back than 2000 because of time constraints and less-accessible data.

Lancaster and Douglas were the only counties Trump lost, according to unofficial final results from the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office.

"There were only a handful of counties that were actually competitive," Waite said Friday. "It was pretty much Lancaster, Douglas and then everyone else."

Hillary Clinton polled above 30 percent in four other counties: Dakota, Saline, Sarpy and Thurston.

And Trump scored support from more than 85 percent of voters in 18 counties: Arthur, Banner, Blaine, Boyd, Brown, Chase, Cherry, Dundy, Grant, Hayes, Holt, Hooker, Keya Paha, Logan, McPherson, Rock, Sheridan and Thomas.

In Grant County, he won 93 percent of the vote. In Hayes County, 92 percent.

"That's high," Waite said. "Even by Nebraska standards that's high."

Locally, Trump had his strongest showings outside of Lincoln: Precincts in Firth, Hallam, Martell/Sprague, Roca, Stevens Creek, Panama, Cheney and Raymond all showed stronger than 65 percent support for Trump.

Clinton performed best among people who voted just south of downtown Lincoln at First Presbyterian Church at 17th and F streets, Grace Lutheran Church at 22nd and Washington and First Christian Church at 16th and K.

The local numbers are consistent with national trends that show Democrats swarming cities and Republicans clustering in suburbs or in small towns and rural areas, said John Hibbing, a political science professor at UNL.

"People like to live around people who think like them."

But Hibbing said the narrative that Trump's victory was the result of anxiety among working-class white people is "not entirely correct."

"The Trump vote was not just a bunch of poor people and economically threatened individuals," he said.

In exit polls conducted by national media outlets, Clinton saw more support than Trump in income brackets under $50,000.

Trump also had support from 42 percent of women  "a pretty startlingly large minority," Hibbing said.

He said one possibility is that Trump voters are more sensitive to perceived threats -- racial, economic, military, criminal, etc.

Former Gov. Dave Heineman, who was Trump's honorary campaign chairman in Nebraska, said the candidate's historic success across much of the state can be attributed to voters' desire for change.

"I think that is a reflection of middle-class Nebraskans, middle-class Americans who want change," he said. "They are unhappy with both political parties and what they have failed to accomplish at the federal level."
As Nebraskas 150th anniversary of statehood approaches in 2017 it is interesting to investigate what was actually going on in the city of Lancaster in 1866 before being renamed Lincoln in 1867 as well as in Omaha, then the territorial capital.

While it might be reasonably assumed that Lancaster would have been growing, in actuality it was languishing. It was on no major trails, had no navigable waterways, coal deposits or even timber. Had it not been chosen as Nebraskas first state capital, it quite possibly might not even exist today.

The question of statehood first began being debated in 1858 when the Omaha Times lobbied in its favor. A March 1860 statehood vote failed 1,987 to 1,877, but in 1864, Congress passed a statehood enabling act, and two years later the territorial legislature framed a constitution that was ratified by popular vote on June 21, 1866.

One week later, Congress passed Nebraskas admission bill but President Andrew Johnson immediately vetoed it. In January 1867 a recrafted admission bill also was vetoed by the president, however, in February and March, his veto was overridden with the stipulation that Nebraska had to agree there would be no denial of the elective franchise, or any other right, to any person by reason of race or color.

On Feb. 20, 1867, the legislature ratified the condition and on March 1, 1867, President Johnson unenthusiastically signed the act approving Nebraskas statehood.

In Omaha, which had been Nebraskas territorial capital since 1854, the Civil Wars end began a period of exceptional growth and prosperity as Americas population moved westward. Substantial houses and business blocks were being constructed, the Northwestern Railroad arrived, a Union Pacific roundhouse and new building for the First National Bank were completed, the Omaha Herald was established and the citys population exceeded 10,000.

Meantime Lancaster, which had been laid out around the Methodist Seminary in 1864, had a population in the neighborhood of 30 by 1866.

During the June election for governor that year, the entire county of Lancaster cast only 165 votes, favoring David Butler over J. Sterling Morton two to one. The homes of Capt. W.T. Donovan, Milt Langdon, Jacob Dawson, Dr. J.M. McKesson, J.M. Young and Luke Lavender were supplemented only by a few dugouts on the banks of Salt Creek.

The only major building was the stone seminary, which would sit north of todays northeast corner of Ninth and P streets though there were three stores and a blacksmith shop as well.

Stephen Pound, who had just arrived in the village, operated a store, which he set up in one corner of the old Jacob Dawson double log cabin on the south side of O Street at about Seventh Street. Brothers Martin and Jacob Pflug operated another store. They featured groceries, a barrel of whiskey, some hardware and a few dry goods on the east side of 10th Street between O and P streets.

The Hardenberg brothers partnered with Rev. Peter Shamp in a combination hotel and general store on P Street just west of Ninth, paying their employees in merchandise. Staples in their inventory included dried cod, coffee and black, unrefined sugar which sold for 3 to 4 cents a pound. Robert Monteith and his son also began construction of a small frame shoe shop on the north side of P Street.

The seminary building hosted the establishment of First Congregational Church, Lancasters first organized church, in August. It held a small subscription school and sponsored a debate between congressional candidates T.M. Marquette and J. Sterling Morton, which drew an enthusiastic crowd of nearly 50.

The primary economic salvation of the community was the salt works where E.H. and T. F. George, Jacob Harbender, S.B. and W. Linderman had just bought out J.S. Gregorys 1864 claim for their Nebraska Salt Co. and also set up a portable saw mill. Local crops of that year almost had been destroyed by grasshoppers.

Lancaster County was noted as being one of the least settled of the eastern counties and the total real estate and personal property value was a mere $202,647. Although the village counted an occasional buffalo, there were deer, antelope, ducks and geese in abundance. Still, there was not a single tree to break the monotony.

The Capital Commission, which that summer chose Lancaster as Nebraskas first capital, was almost blindly optimistic about the potential of the salt industry and the gift of the land on which Lancaster sat. It is no wonder that one pundit of the day said there would have been some decency in making Plattsmouth, Nebraska City or Columbus the state capital, if Omaha could not be retained, but to locate it in a wild country, remote from any present or probable lines of travel, has not only the merit that either the commissioners are insane or have concluded to bring the whole South Platte movement into contempt.

However wild their choice must have seemed, the village of Lancaster disappointed no one in becoming the present highly successful capital city of nearly 300,000 today.
No, this is not about the 2016 national election. It is, however, about how our minds are sharpened by the divergent viewpoints we read before making them up.

Years ago, and some even today, opinion pages were the reflection of the judgements of the newspapers editor. Today, editorial boards replace in part, the unilateral views of yesterdays editors.

Such is true of the Lincoln Journal Stars opinion page over which Gordon Winters presides with splendid, thoughtful skills honed as a reporter.

Years ago Gordon and I attended sessions provided by what was then known as the National College of the State Judiciary in Reno, Nevada. Im sure he has availed himself of continuing education in his field. Hes a fine editor with many years under his belt, as the old saying goes.

Complementing the locally written editorials are syndicated columnists who express pro and con viewpoints, often differing from the Journal Stars editorials.

This smorgasbord does indeed fill the mind and sharpen its ultimate decisions, be they right or wrong.

Older readers of the former Lincoln Star will remember its editor, J. E. Lawrence. He presided over the editorials and wrote on local, national and international subjects.

Lawrence was followed by superb journalists such as Bob Schrepf and, Nancy Hicks.

For many years, including the time I was hired by the Evening State Journal, the Star and the Journal were competing newspapers.

Over on the Journal side, at my hiring, was Editor Frank L. Williams, who wrote most editorials. For years the editorial page included a column called More or Less Personal. It was almost always written by Williams. Among his news sources was the chief clerk of the Burlington Railroad. Readers smiled when Williams wrote in that column about railroading. They joked that it should read, More or Less Burlington.

Williams was followed by Raymond A. McConnell Jr., whose father was senior pastor of First-Plymouth Congregational Church.

When Raymond Jr.s children were young, he wrote of Trampled Terraces. Selections from it were published by the University of Nebraska Press. He also wrote from England during World War II while German bombs were falling on London.

Jack Hart, a WWII submariner, became editorial page editor after stints at various select reporting jobs. I may not have the sequence right, but other Journal editorial page writers included Kathryn Duerfeldt who also wrote a history of First-Plymouth Church. She knew Nebraska and the world. A brother was an Admiral in command of the U.S. Navys Mediterrian Fleet. She served with Governor Dwight Griswold when he headed the Greek-Turkish Aid Mission.

Dick Herman, hired as an editor, also covered education, but really starred as a Capitol reporter. He became opinion page editor and wrote splendid editorials. He and Bob Nelson, a superb writer, created a fine page. Nelson, of Scandinavian heritage, wrote a book titled If Only I Could Come to America.

Kathleen Rutledge, a Phi Beta Kappa, earned a degree at UNL. She worked her way up through the newsroom ranks. She became the newspapers opinion page editor and ultimately its editor. She has been inducted into Nebraska Newspaper Hall of Fame as the only woman ever to hold the position of editor of a Nebraska metropolitan newspaper.

Friskie, often my valued canine companion, joined me a while ago. She needs to visit her groomer. We both have white hair, but hers grows thicker and longer than mine. Id say shes about middle-aged for a canine. Were in my den now and I know shell be asking for a treat when we go up to the kitchen.

I have some dark chocolate on one shelf, so I think Ill snack on a few squares. Animals and humans both love treats. Enjoy yours too!

After our much-loved Huskers were whipped by Ohio State, we need a win here at home. Win or lose, Im a Husker fan!
An absolutely incredible meal! Thats how the crew of the annual Pasty Day Fundraiser describes its pasties, which will be available for sale to the public on Sunday, Dec. 4, at Hammes Tavern, 2005 Taylor Ave.

Racines Pasty Day is a tradition which started 25 years ago as a small operation and has grown, with time, into a full-scale pasty production that generates more than 1,000 of the freshly baked meal in a crust  as well as thousands of dollars of support for local causes, including the Racine County Food Bank and veterans organizations.

A crew of area volunteers gets together each year for the three-day preparation process and they invite the public to purchase the finished product at a cost of $6 each. Orders can be placed in advance by calling 262-955-2549, or pasties can purchased Dec. 4 at Hammes, where patrons can eat them on site or take them to-go.

For those not familiar, a pasty is a hand-held, meat-and-vegetable pie, the origins of which can be traced back at least as far as the 17th and 18th centuries when the Cornish pasty served as a meal for miners working in the Cornwall region of the United Kingdom. Some, like local pasty master Steve Klinkhammer, credit the Welsh with its creation, while others trace its roots back to 13th century England when it was served to the wealthy upper class.

Yooper delight

No matter where it was first baked, the pasty made its way to Michigans Upper Peninsula in the 1840s, when miners from the U.K. immigrated there, according to www.history.com. It was there, much later, that Klinkhammer  who was born in Racine and grew up in the U.P.  learned to love it.

Klinkhammer brought his passion (and his recipe) for pasties with him when he returned to Racine in 1976, after serving in the U.S. Navy. And years later he and his friend and fellow veteran Bill May started making pasties for a group of guys that gathered at Georges Tavern for Packers games.

That first year we made about 30, said Klinkhammer, a nurse anesthetist and professor at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, Ill. And things just kind of took off from there.

The Pasty Day Fundraiser grew out of the demand for Klinkhammers Yooper pasties and today is organized by a core group that  along with him and May  includes Rick Fink and Connie Kirchner. They are joined each year by more than 20 other volunteers from throughout the community who spend the first weekend in December cutting-up root vegetables, mixing and rolling crust and baking all the ingredients together in one tasty, convenient package which they call the U.P. Gourmet version of the pasty.

Each pastry pocket is filled with a seasoned mixture of beef and pork, along with plenty of root vegetables including rutabagas, parsnips, turnips, carrots, potatoes and onions. A veggie version, without meat, is also available.

Secrets to success

While he was willing to share some of the keys to his pasty success  such as insisting on Crisco, in the blue can, and boiling water instead of cold water for the perfect crust  Klinkhammer keeps the secret of his seasonings to himself. Id have to kill you, if I told you that, he said.

Whatever those secrets may be, they bring forth an aroma that, when wafting out through the vents at Hammes, have brought neighbors into the tavern to inquire What are you guys cooking and how can we get some?, Klinkhammer said.

Last year, the pasty team produced and sold more than 1,000 pasties and gave $4,000 in proceeds back to the local community, through donations to several charitable organizations. Through the years the primary recipients of funds raised by the event have been the Racine County Food Bank and Racines Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 767. But other organizations, including the Womens Resource Center and the Homeless Assistance Leadership Organization, have benefited, too.

Our goal has always been to keep the money local, Klinkhammer said. It has always been the type of event that brought people together, and everyone feels good when we give the money away.

Tasty and fun

He and his pasty-making crew have adapted some time-saving techniques in recent years, including the use of a commercial-grade dicing machine, which has reduced vegetable chopping time from 14 hours by hand to about two hours. But, everything else is still done by hand.

Weve come a long way, Klinkhammer said. Our process is a little more efficient, but our product is still as good as it was the first day.

And even though production days can be long, they are something participants look forward to.

It is a great couple of days in the kitchen, Klinkhammer said. Its fun and people get to know each other.

Give it a shot

Kirchner, the crews volunteer coordinator and head mixologist, said that in addition to her passion for supporting the Food Bank, she likes being part of Pasty Day because of the events fellowship.

The same group of people come back every year and some of them I only get to see once a year, said Kirchner, a retired healthcare worker and Klinkhammers cousin. It is always a good time.

A lot of love and care goes into making each pasty, she said. And being behind the scenes and seeing how everyone involved works toward the same goal of producing a quality product has made her appreciate pasties even more. Kirchner encourages anyone who has never tried one  and may be hesitant to do so  to Step outside the box and give it a shot on Dec. 4.

Its just an awesome thing, she said. Even if you dont like it, youll be donating to a good cause.
DOVER  Gov. Scott Walker stopped by the Wisconsin Veterans Home-Union Grove Friday morning to thank veterans of the U.S. military for their service for Veterans Day.

The event was attended by more than 100 veterans from various branches of the military, who packed the basement of Boland Hall at the veterans home, 21425 Spring St. In addition, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, County Executive Jonathan Delagrave and other local and state officials attended the event.

Wisconsin has a long and rich history of sacrifice and service to our country, Vos said. Its on this Veterans Day that we never forget and always say the two most important words that veterans need to hear: thank you.

Walker, who grew up in Delavan, spoke of a veteran he looked up to in his community. Walker saw the man as a leader in his actions and his service to the country and the community.

"Our thank you is both for your service provided in the military for the service you provided to this country," Walker said. "And, for so many of you here and others across the state, for continuing to stay engaged and providing that kind of leadership in communities all across this great state. We just cant say thank you enough."

Vos attended a ceremony at Union Grove High School before the event at the veterans home. Vos said the school raised $15,000 over the past few months to send 30 veterans on an Honor Flight, a program that takes aging veterans for a tour of the monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.

Rich history

Vos said it is important to support our veterans for all they have done for the country.

Wisconsin has a long and rich history of sacrifice and service to our country, Vos said. Its on this Veterans Day that we never forget and always say the two most important words that veterans need to hear: thank you.

Between the speeches, the Member Chimers performed renditions of "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "America the Beautiful," and "God Bless America."

After the ceremony, veterans were able to meet and talk with Walker, while others enjoyed cake in the back of the room.

"Today, as we should every day, say thank you," Walker said. "Thank you to our veterans; thank you to our service members still fighting as we speak today and thank you to your families."
MOUNT PLEASANT  Mount Pleasant community policing officers will park squads in front of Malickis Piggly Wiggly located at 5201 Washington Ave., Mount Pleasant, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19. Customers are encouraged to purchase $5 or $10 pre-made bags of food items to be stuffed into the squads.

All the bags of food collected will be donated to the Racine County Food Bank and will benefit members who reside in the community. According to the website, The Food Bank serves as Racine County's "United Way of Food" and distributes food, free of charge to food pantries, emergency shelters, community meal sites and social service agencies throughout Racine County.

The Food Bank efficiently and effectively obtains resources and facilitates distribution of food and necessities to Racine County individuals and families in need, through a network of direct service providers. The goal is to equalize distribution of resources through the community and to serve as an advocate on behalf of the community in reducing hunger.
Banks urged to import smaller unit gold bars

The Federation of Gold and Silver Dealers Association (Fenegosida) has criticised commercial banks for not importing smaller unit gold bars despite getting the green signal from the government. Their reluctance to do so has prevented small traders from buying bullion from banks, the federation said.
Cardamom trading falls as price plunges 50pc

Cardamom trading has virtually come to a halt in the eastern parts of Nepal following a 50 percent drop in the spices price.
Demo to press for new municipality

Locals shut Bhurigaun in Bardiya district on Friday demanding that the government form Thakurbaba Municipality by incorporating at least four Village Development Committees. They also blocked the East West Highway for one-and-a-half hours.
Dont let the refugees down

If the US and Europe were to close their doors to refugees now, they would have turned their back on the great achievements they have made in the field of human rights and justice
Envoy Paudyal given ministerial rank

The government has given newly appointed Ambassador to China Leelamani Paudyal the ministerial status.
First 100 days of govt: CPN-UML says govt has failed on every front

The main opposition, CPN- UML, has described the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led governments first 100 days as a failure.
Frantic crowds cross border to unload Indian currency

Frantic crowds have started besieging banks and shops at Nepal-India border points like Sunauli and Nautanwa to exchange their 500- and 1,000-rupee Indian banknotes, terrified that they were going to become worthless.
Heritage in Danger

In Patan Durbar, a perimeter fence has gone up around Mani Mandap for its reconstruction. Soon the navakunda traditional foundation of this important representative of the sixteen pillared mandap buildings will be expunged and replaced by a steel-grillage footing.
Indian Army chief in Kathmandu

Indian Chief of the Army Staff Gen Dalbir Singh arrived in Kathmandu on Friday on a three-day official visit at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart Gen Rajendra Chhetri.
Japan and India sign civil nuclear agreement

Japan and India have signed a civil nuclear agreement after talks in Tokyo between their two leaders.
Just what the doctor ordered

Even though predictable in structure, the film does dazzle with some truly daring and immersive effects where space is bent, flipped and shattered at will. theres a terrific fluidity and coherence to the action choreography here
Karki ran safe house to spy on people

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) at the behest of now suspended chief commissioner Lok Man Singh Karki used to operate a safe house in Dhapasi, Kathmandu, according to multiple sources at the CIAA. The safe house was being operated in full knowledge of Nepali Police administration, the sources told the Post.
Nepal urges China to ease fuel import

Nepal has urged China to ease the process of importing petroleum products from the northern neighbour.
PM Dahal, NC President Deuba discuss constitution amendment

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba held a meeting with Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday.
PM in Sindhupalchok for retreat

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has reached Sukute Resort in Sanga, Sindhupalchowk, to take a break from his hectic schedule.
Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade.
The war that reshaped the world

Srinath Raghavans book comes as a breather that looks at how India played its part in the Second World Warand how the conflict changed the course of history, for India and South Asia
Visiting Indian Army Chief Singh calls on PM Dahal

Visiting Indian Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal at the latter's official residence at Baluwatar today.
Week in pictures: 5 - 11 November 2016

Here are some of the best photos of the past week captured by our photographers.
World's largest Thangka art exhibition in Kathmandu

The world's biggest Thangka art paintings by artists of 16 countries is on display at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu.
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ANGOLA  The Steuben County Economic Development Corp. again will be presenting to the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority a request for funding for the Steuben County Enterprise Center.

On Tuesday the SCEDC is returning before the RDA after having been removed from consideration for $700,000 in funding in July.

The SCEDC is now seeking $300,000 and lists a project cost of nearly $1.9 million. The request is 17 percent of the project cost.

The original request of $700,000 was for approximately 20 percent of the Enterprise Center cost of $3.8 million.

The RDA will meet in the Geneva Town Hall at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The RDA board holds its meetings around the 11-county region.

Presenting for the SCEDC will be its new Executive Director, Isaac Lee, who was hired last month.

On Thursday Lee reached out to various community leaders in hopes of getting a crowd at the meeting to show support for the project.

Initially the request was on the Regional Development Authoritys July 19 agenda, but consideration of it was delayed because the RDA said there were too many unanswered questions on the SCEDCs application, Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly reported at the time.

The RDA is charged with giving the initial approval of Regional Cities funding requests. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. grants final approval.

The Steuben Enterprise Center funding proposal is included in the original Road to One Million plan that won northeast Indiana $42 million in Regional Cities development money from the state of Indiana. Not all of the projects that have been approved thus far can make that claim.

A few projects, like the Trine University MTI Center, which is a sports arena, was funded, as was a downtown Fort Wayne development. These projects were not on the original proposal to the state.

Projects being proposed are supposed to improve quality of life in northeast Indiana.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"American history" redirects here. For the history of the continents, see History of the Americas

The date of the start of the history of the United States is a subject of debate among historians. Older textbooks start with the arrival of Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492 and emphasize the European background, or they start around 1600 and emphasize the American frontier. In recent decades American schools and universities typically have shifted back in time to include more on the colonial period and much more on the prehistory of the Native peoples.[1][2]

Indigenous people lived in what is now the United States for thousands of years before European colonists began to arrive, mostly from England, after 1600. The Spanish had small settlements in Florida and the Southwest, and the French along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. By the 1770s, thirteen British coloniescontained two and a half million people along the Atlantic coast east of the Appalachian Mountains. In the 1760s, the British government imposed a series of new taxes while rejecting the American argument that any new taxes had to be approved by the people (see Stamp Act 1765). Tax resistance, especially the Boston Tea Party (1774), led to punitive laws (the Intolerable Acts) by Parliament designed to end self-government in Massachusetts. American Patriots (as they called themselves) adhered to a political ideology called republicanism that emphasized civic duty, virtue, and opposition to corruption, fancy luxuries and aristocracy.

Armed conflict began in 1775 as Patriots drove the royal officials out of every colony and assembled in mass meetings and conventions. In 1776, Congress declared that there was a new, independent nation, the United States of America, not just a collection of disparate colonies. With large-scale military and financial support from France and military leadership by General George Washington, the American Patriots won the Revolutionary War.

The peace treaty of 1783 gave the new nation the land east of the Mississippi River (except Florida and Canada). The central government established by the Articles of Confederation proved ineffectual at providing stability, as it had no authority to collect taxes and had no executive officer. Congress called a conventionto meet secretly in Philadelphia in 1787. It wrote a new Constitution, which was adopted in 1789. In 1791, a Bill of Rights was added to guarantee inalienable rights. With Washington as the first president and Alexander Hamilton his chief political and financial adviser, a strong central government was created. When Thomas Jefferson became president he purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, doubling the size of the United States. A second and final war with Britain was fought in 1812.

Encouraged by the notion of Manifest Destiny, federal territory expanded all the way to the Pacific. The U.S. always was large in terms of area, but its population was small, only 4 million in 1790. Population growth was rapid, reaching 7.2 million in 1810, 32 million in 1860, 76 million in 1900, 132 million in 1940, and 321 million in 2015. Economic growth in terms of overall GDP was even faster. However the nation's military strength was quite limited in peacetime before 1940. The expansion was driven by a quest for inexpensive land for yeoman farmers and slave owners. The expansion of slavery was increasingly controversial and fueled political and constitutional battles, which were resolved by compromises. Slavery was abolished in all states north of the MasonDixon line by 1804, but the Southcontinued to profit off the institution, producing high-value cotton exports to feed increasing high demand in Europe. The 1860 presidential election of Republican Abraham Lincoln was on a platform of ending the expansion of slavery and putting it on a path to extinction.

Seven cotton-based deep South slave states seceded and later founded the Confederacy months before Lincoln's inauguration. No nation ever recognized the Confederacy, but it opened the war by attacking Fort Sumter in 1861. A surge of nationalist outrage in the North fueled a long, intense American Civil War (1861-1865). It was fought largely in the South as the overwhelming material and manpower advantages of the North proved decisive in a long war. The war's result was restoration of the Union, the impoverishment of the South, and the abolition of slavery. In the Reconstruction era (18631877), legal and voting rights were extended to the freed slave. The national government emerged much stronger, and because of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, it gained the explicit duty to protect individual rights. However, when white Democrats regained their power in the South during the 1870s, often by paramilitary suppression of voting, they passed Jim Crow laws to maintain white supremacy, and new disfranchising constitutions that prevented most African Americans and many poor whites from voting, a situation that continued for decades until gains of the civil rights movement in the 1960s and passage of federal legislation to enforce constitutional rights.[3]

The United States became the world's leading industrial power at the turn of the 20th century due to an outburst of entrepreneurship in the Northeast and Midwest and the arrival of millions of immigrant workers and farmers from Europe. The national railroad network was completed with the work of Chinese immigrants and large-scale mining and factories industrialized the Northeast and Midwest. Mass dissatisfaction with corruption, inefficiency and traditional politics stimulated the Progressive movement, from the 1890s to 1920s, which led to many social and political reforms. In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed women's suffrage (right to vote). This followed the 16th and 17th amendments in 1913, which established the first national income tax and direct election of US senators to Congress. Initially neutral during World War I, the US declared war on Germany in 1917 and later funded the Allied victory the following year.

After a prosperous decade in the 1920s, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 marked the onset of the decade-long worldwide Great Depression. Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt ended the Republican dominance of the White House and implemented his New Deal programs for relief, recovery, and reform. The New Deal, which defined modern American liberalism, included relief for the unemployed, support for farmers, Social Security and a minimum wage. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States later entered World War II along with Britain, the Soviet Union, China, and the smaller number of Allied nations. The U.S. financed the Allied war effort and helped defeat Nazi Germany in the European theater and culminated in using the newly invented nuclear weapons on Japanese strategic cities that helped defeat Imperial Japan in the Pacific theater at the cost of 407,000 Americans throughout both theaters of World War II.

The United States and the Soviet Union emerged as rival superpowers after World War II. During the Cold War, the US and the USSR confronted each other indirectly in the arms race, the Space Race, proxy wars, and propaganda campaigns. US foreign policy during the Cold War was built around the support of Western Europe and Japan along with the policy of "containment" or stopping the spread of communism. The US joined the wars in Korea and Vietnam to try to stop its spread. In the 1960s, in large part due to the strength of the civil rights movement, another wave of social reforms were enacted by enforcing the constitutional rights of voting and freedom of movement to African-Americans and other racial minorities. Native American activism also rose. The Cold War ended when the Soviet Union officially dissolved in 1991, leaving the United States as the world's only superpower. As the 21st century began, international conflict centered around the Middle East following the September 11 attacks by Al-Qaedaon the United States in 2001. In 2008, the United States had its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, which has been followed by slower than usual rates of economic growth during the 2010s.
PRAIRIE DU SAC, Wis./HILLSBORO  Jeanette Hofmeister, 83, of Prairie du Sac and formerly of Hillsboro passed away Monday, Nov. 7, 2016, at her residence.

She was born July 3, 1933, to Frank and Tillie (Brisko) Sotka in Chicago. Jeanette was united in marriage to Sonny Hofmeister May 31, 1954. Together they farmed in the town of Hillsboro, for many years and he preceded her in death Oct. 25, 1992. Jeanette was best known for her cakes and cookies.

Survivors include her children, Jill (Dan) Preston of Sparta, Bob (Kay) Hofmeister of Hillsboro, and Ann (Casey) Blum of Sauk City; 11 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren and two on the way; sister-in-law, Marta McDonald; and her special companion Zoey.

There will a celebration of Jeanettes life with a gathering of family and friends from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Firemens Community Center, 203 Mill St., Hillsboro.

She lived out her biggest dream to see the Chicago Cubs win the World Series, please feel free to wear your Cubs shirt at the get together.

Picha Funeral Home in Hillsboro, is assisting the family; for online information go to www.pichafuneralhomes.com.
BROWNSVILLE  The overlook was packed with retired natural resource professionals, from DNR staff to biologists, during Saturday mornings waterfowl and tundra swan viewing excursion. And while the group boasted a wealth of wildlife knowledge, all were eager to point out the real pro in the group: 15-year-old Tony Dodge.

Hes got eagle eyes, said Fritz Funk, pointing at Dodge, whose eyes were glued to a telescope binocular overlooking the Mississippi River. Sometimes hell have the scope out and strangers will walk up to him to ask questions, thinking hes one of the naturalists.

Dodge was one of 10 youths participating in the outing, organized by KAMO  Kids and Mentors Outdoors  which offers 70-some members frequent nature-based activities throughout the year, including fishing, archery and farm visits. The local branch of KAMO was founded by regional director Mike Brown, a retired science teacher, with the hope of getting kids exposed to the outdoors.

Its so beneficial for kids of all ages to be outside. The benefits play into a lot of issues kids are dealing with today  depression, anxiety, obesity, ADHD, Brown said. Its a little foreign for some of them, and its hard to get them out of the house, but once theyre outside they love it  they dont want to leave.

Brown describes KAMO outings as a mix of observation, safety instruction and education, saying, We have people who are career environmentalists who just love to share their knowledge with the kids.

Dodge, a four-year KAMO participant, eagerly soaks up the information the mentors provide, listening intently before going home to research the topics further.

Theres a whole lot of variety of birds you can see  theyre fun and interesting to watch. The wood ducks are my favorite because they have a lot of different colors and are beautiful to look at, Dodge said. (With KAMO) you get to do outside things you might not do with your family.

The group has held more than 30 events already this year and generally visits the Brownsville overlook twice a year.

The trip (to the overlook) is something you can count on, Brown said. Its a sure bet there is going to be a pretty big display of migrant birds.

Indeed, the shallow water was packed with Canada geese near the shore. A mass of tundra swans settled further out, the adults recognizable from their white feathers and black beaks, while the baby swans, called cygnets, start out gray with pink bills. Up to 45 percent of the eastern population of tundra swans use the area as a stopover point during their fall migration to the Atlantic Coast. They start arriving in late October and stay until the water freezes and generally come closer to the shallow water in mid-November.

The have to be able feed in low water so their necks can reach to the bottom and pluck the arrowhead tubers out of the ground, explained KAMO member Jim March, formerly with the DNR. This is really a remarkable spot for bird watching. You see some birds by Goose Island, but this is definitely one of a kind.

If anyone wants to learn about birds and waterfowl migration, this is the place to come, Funk agreed. Its an incredible opportunity to see birds close up. If you go out on a boat, youll scare them off.

While some of group ventured down to the rocky shore for a closer look, Chelsea Flaten, 9, was content to perch on the base of the tourist binoculars, excited to discover birds she had never seen and learn facts she never knew, a reaction that embodies the spirit of KAMO.

For many kids, this is the first time theyve been on the river, Funk said. We just want to get them outdoors and see all the amazing things.
MILWAUKEE (AP)  Milwaukees elections chief said Wisconsins voter ID law caused problems at the polls in the city and likely contributed to lower voter turnout.

Milwaukee saw a decline of about 41,000 voters in Tuesdays election compared with 2012, when President Barack Obama won broad support in the city and coasted to re-election.

We saw some of the greatest declines were in the districts we projected would have the most trouble with voter ID requirements, said Neil Albrecht, executive director of the citys Election Commission.

According to Albrecht the four districts with the most transient, high poverty residents had trouble meeting the photo identification requirement. Before those voters had the option of corroborating witnesses that could vouch for them at the polls.

We had a lot of calls, Albrecht said. There were college students with roommate situations or spouses where everything was in one spouses name.

But Tom Evenson, a spokesman for Republican Gov. Scott Walker, claims the voter ID law didnt hurt voter turnout.

Voter turnout in this years presidential primary was the highest since 1972 with voter ID in place, so to now suggest turnout was down in the general election because of it is wrong, Evenson said. We have made voting easy while ensuring it is hard to cheat. Lower turnout in the general election was true nationwide. It was not unique to Wisconsin or voter ID.

Albrecht acknowledged that some of the drop-off in turnout had to do with the candidates and less enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. He also did not have statistics detailing how many voters were turned away for not having the proper ID.

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin had 250 volunteers observing polls Tuesday, mostly in places that have historically had a high number of election day registrations, such as college campuses and urban communities.

Executive director Andrea Kaminski said observers didnt see a big problem at the polls but fears some voters never went to the polls due to the ID requirements.

How many people are like that? she said. Those are the people we cant count.

Voter turnout in this years presidential primary was the highest since 1972 with voter ID in place, so to now suggest turnout was down in the general election because of it is wrong. Tom Evenson, governors spokesman
BURNSVILLE, Minn. (AP)  Most people get tattoos to stand out; some get them to fit in. Good Look Inks clients probably dont want their tattoos to get noticed at all  at least not as tattoos.

The Burnsville-based companys technicians ink permanent hairlike impressions onto their clients largely bald heads  a process called scalp micropigmentation  to create the appearance of a buzz cut for clients who have lost their hair or the appearance of fuller hair for clients who have thinning strands. The company also treats clients who cannot regrow their hair after chemotherapy, who have the hair-loss condition known as alopecia or who have scars from earlier hair transplant surgeries.

Hair loss is kind of a scary thing, said Johnathon Hastin, a customer from Cottage Grove who acts as a kind of unpaid brand ambassador for the company. It kind of just went away in six months when I was 22.

Hastin first heard of Good Look Ink when he was applying to work for them, though he now works as a project manager for a commercial moving company. I didnt know they did hair restoration. I thought it was a tattoo parlor, he said. Hastin had the procedure done in May and now meets with prospective clients so they can see what the results look like in person.

Expansion to Los Angeles

Good Look Ink opened its first location in Los Angeles last month because the bulk of their clientele comes from outside the state, Good Look Ink CEO Roxanne Chihos said.

Our No. 1 demand was from California, she said.

Good Look Ink has over 100 monthly clients, but only 15 percent of them come from areas within driving distance of Burnsville, including from Iowa and the Dakotas, Chihos said. Because of this, the companys two locations are intentionally near airports. Burnsville is 14 miles away from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Los Angeles location is 2 miles away from Los Angeles International Airport.

The companys standard procedure costs about $3,400, though they offer more expensive packages that include transportation, meals and lodging. Good Look Ink also offers guaranteed financing, in-house or through California-based United Medical Credit, for the procedure at an additional cost, Chihos said.

Chihos plans to expand the business to major national and international cities in the next three to five years.

The first canvas

Good Look Inks technique was first developed by Leah Matsch of Hastings. Matsch, a former tattoo artist who is now the companys technical director, began developing the process in 2007, after meeting a man who was dissatisfied with the results of a similar procedure he underwent elsewhere.

Matsch had been looking into applying tattoo art toward permanent cosmetics and breast reconstruction because breast cancer runs in her family. She saw a Craigslist ad the man had placed and the two met at a coffee shop. Shortly after, they began developing the technique, using his head as a canvas. After two years of fine tuning, Matsch and Good Look Ink went into business in 2009.

Before joining Good Look Ink in 2015, Chihos worked seven years with the Hair Club for Men and Women as a regional director until 2004. I was thrilled to go back into the hair loss industry, Chihos said. She added that she did so because she knew she had a right solution to hair loss.

According to Matsch, her technique is set apart by the pigments, machines and needles it uses, the depth of the impressions it makes, and its one-day completion.

The procedure starts with color.

We blend a custom pigment for each client, Matsch said. We have to match skin tones and hair tones. Matsch explained that she does not use black tattoo ink because it is generally carbon-based, and impressions made with that ink tend to turn blue. Matsch also explained that if the impressions are made too deeply into the skin, they expand over time.

A lot of it is feel, she said. Its the feel you get when putting in the impression. Hairline skin is tighter, so you have to eye and feel. Matsch said that the companys machines use less power than standard tattoo machines, so the impressions dont go in as far. Barely through the dermal layer, Chihos, the CEO, said. Too shallow and the skin ejects the pigment; too deep and it expands.

Not all scalp micropigmentation providers complete the procedure in one day, Chihos said. Matsch said the six- to seven-hour procedure at Good Look Ink begins with a small area in the back of the head, and the technician tattoos from there to the front. Before completing the hairline, they draw a temporary one on the clients head using a makeup pencil to make sure its where it should be, Matsch said.

In Minnesota, tattoo artists are required to have 200 hours of training before they receive their license to practice from the Minnesota Department of Health. Good Look Ink technicians are required to have an additional 200 hours of training in its method of scalp micropigmentation before they can practice there, Chihos said. We train everyone in-house. We look for people with artistic ability, and we look for people who understand that this is a permanent procedure.

A womans touch

(This) industry is a little bit strange, because everyone is embarrassed about it, Chihos said. Good Look Ink, primarily operated by women, has a predominantly male clientele. A lot of our (male) clients like a womans opinion for this, Chihos said.

However, Chihos highlighted that its not simply men who suffer hair loss. Theres a lot of alopecia in women, Chihos said. In the female market, there are not really options for women. They havent perfected transplants for (them). Women are generally limited to cutting their hair short, wearing wigs that could be found out or attaching hair that does not go to the scalp, Chihos added.

Hastin said he knows what its like to feel insecurity after having hair loss. Its almost like we have our own cause, he said. When youre a bald guy and you see another bald guy in a restaurant, you can probably have a conversation with them. Its kind of a club.

Its almost like we have our own cause. When youre a bald guy and you see another bald guy in a restaurant, you can probably have a conversation with them. Its kind of a club. Johnathon Hastin
We try very hard to not have political discussions at our family gatherings, my friend told me over dinner.

How sad, I replied.

This comment  one Ive heard many times in past months  stood in sharp contrast to the enthusiastic spirit of community I felt the night before.

I joined many neighbors in celebrating the release of a new album of local music. The accomplishment is a collaboration of three local musicians  Yata, Sinz and Orfield  in a delightful compilation entitled Dancing in the Light.

The crowd was enthusiastic, clapping in time with the music. One couple joined hands to dance even among the standing-room-only crowd.

As we left the concert, neighbors reminded each other of the dinner coming up in Alma. Parishioners at St Johns Lutheran Church will join hands to host a fundraiser for the victims of the flood in Buffalo County.

Somehow, we must figure out a way of taking the joining of hands from our local neighborhoods and apply it to the big decisions we make at the state and national levels.

By the time you read this, the election will be over. However, I am writing before Election Day. I do not yet know the outcome. What I do know is that we must find ways to unite a divided state and nation  to join hands with people whose beliefs are different from our own.

To understand something of how we can join hands while respecting our differences, I turned to the French Nobel Prize-winning author Albert Camus:

Yes, the essential thing is to leave room, however limited it may be, for the exchange of views that is still possible; the essential thing is to bring about an easing of the situation, however slight and temporary it may be. And to achieve that, each of us must preach pacification to his people  After all, Gandhi proved that it is possible to fight for ones people and win without for a moment losing the worlds respect.

Mr. Camus wrote these words during the struggle for Algerian independence. Colonialism was ending. It was a time of terrorism and difficult Arab-European relations. His words are still relevant.

Problems must be seen in relation to the future, without endlessly going back over the errors of the past.

We share much. For example, we share our love of our community, of music that reflects our neighborhood, of our concern for flood victims.

In addition, we share a concern about the future: of economic imbalance, of needs unmet, of public dollars unwisely spent.

When fighting for your truth, you must take care not to kill it with the very arms you are using to defend it.

Force will never convince another of the truth. Minds are changed with honest dialogue that respects the opinion of others.

I shall not try to change anything that I think or anything that you think (insofar as I can judge of it) in order to reach a reconciliation that would be agreeable to all. On the contrary, what I feel like telling you today is that the world needs real dialogue, that falsehood is just as much the opposite of dialogue as is silence, and that the only possible dialogue is the kind between people who remain what they are and speak their minds.

We join hands to celebrate the music of our neighborhood. We collect needed funds for our neighbors suffering tragedy. Can we move this real dialogue to the next level?

Somehow, we must begin.

As Gandhi said, You must be the change you want to see in the world.

Democrat Kathleen Vinehout, Alma, represents the 31st state Senate District.
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Restaurateurs Wade McElroy and Russell Malixi (Horse Thief BBQ) opened two Highland Park spots in September. The high-ceilinged Birdie, in the front portion of the lot, serves Mediterranean- and Italian-inspired fare and bills itself as a "neighborhood cafe," and the back portion of the lot is a cocktail bar that goes by the name Good Housekeeping.

Head chef Joey Booterbaugh says what he serves is what he would serve people at his own home, and is based on the abundance of high-quality ingredients he has access to in L.A. You'll get unfussy dishes that are delicious without trying too hard, and are easily sharable without leaving you and your friends fighting over the final meatball.

In the front, try the hand-rolled cavatelli in the Butcher's Pasta, featuring ricotta, mint, parsley and a copious amount of minced veal and lamb. The veg-friendly Black Pepper Tagiatelle is warm and autumnal, with sunchoke puree, cavolo nero, hazelnuts and finely shaved pecorino. Delectable toasts come topped with heaping portions of mushroom, steak tartare or ricotta, beets and honey. And the star of the show at Birdie is the fried chicken, which crumbles in your mouth like cotton candy and comes with a perfectly piquant Moroccan dipping sauce.

Former Bestia cocktails wizards Nicholas Krok and Jeremy Simpson (now dubbed Spirit Animal) created a drinks to pair with the food at Birdie, like the Feeling Spritzy (with prosecco, Campari, amaro, lemon, bitters and soda), or the tart and punchy Troublemaker (with gin, grapefruit, vermouth, lime, sugar and bitters).

Meanwhile, Good Housekeeping, located in the back, has its own separate drink menu and vibe. There you'll find twists on classic cocktails in a cozy former furniture store that still bears its original moniker in faded lettering. Krok and Simpson's cocktails at Good Housekeeping are inspired by flipping through old cocktail books and trying something different with each one, like flipping a Negroni by using rum instead of vermouth. The Daiquiri No. 1 tinges the original's sweetness with a chartreuse syrup, while the Paloma finds some sort of heaven between ingredients like lime juice, bell pepper, mezcal and Squirt. And a gin fizz gets the holiday treatment with a nice peppermint kick. Small, tucked away and invisible from Figueroa, the bars best feature is its intimate feel.

Cafe Birdie and Good Housekeeping are both located at 5631 N Figueroa St. in Highland Park, (323) 739-6928.
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16 (2) Feb 15 (1) Feb 14 (1) Feb 13 (1) Feb 12 (2) Feb 11 (1) Feb 10 (2) Feb 09 (1) Feb 08 (1) Feb 07 (1) Feb 06 (1) Feb 05 (5) Feb 03 (1) Feb 02 (1) Feb 01 (1) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (5) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (3) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (2) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (5) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (1) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (5) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (6) Dec 14 (4) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (5) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (4) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (5) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (5) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 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17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (2) Aug 06 (2) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (2) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (6) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (4) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (2) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (2) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (1) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (2) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (2) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 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16 (5) Feb 15 (4) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (5) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (2) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (6) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (4) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (2) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (7) Nov 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18 (3) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (5) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (2) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (6) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (8) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (2) May 29 (2) May 28 (2) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (3) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) 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Modernism and the Death of the Victorian Dream

When I was at Cambridge, I had the opportunity to attend a course of lectures by the eminent architectural and cultural historian, Dalibor Vesely, described on Wikipedia as "one of the most outstanding architectural teachers of the late twentieth century." These lectures, which attracted a large audience outside the Architecture department, had a tremendous effect on my thinking about intellectual history in the Victorian and modern periods, and I want to try to replicate here a small part of his thinking about that period, which came to be dominant in Cambridge intellectual life from the early eighties on.



It is important, as Veseley suggested, to understand the immense optimism of the Victorian era. The nineteenth century saw the industrial revolution, which massively increased the output of goods and food, making famine a distant thing for many. We saw the development of vaccines, which offered the very real prospect of seeing many of the maladies which had plagued mankind eliminated. And equally important was the development of our understanding in a systematic way. Progress in genetics, the mapping out of the periodic table of the elements and other such developments led to a faith that mankind was on the verge of moving past all of its previous horrors, to a new golden age. This led to such heroic quests as Freud's attempt to reduce all human behavior to something as clearly delineated as the periodic table, or the long dead belief among modern architects that all design could be properly derived from an understanding of material function.



Well, most all of this, as we know, came to a devastating crash with World War I, where the world learned to its horror that progress can go the wrong way as easily as the right way, depending on who directs that progress. And yet, through all of this, there remained a vestige of this heroic dream; and that was that morally, the world was moving into a new age, where abundant food and resources would allow the ages-old hatred and greed that had always plagued mankind to wither and die; where one by one, the world's people were learning to live in tolerance, and have a concern for the welfare of others.



I think we can now safely abandon that conceit, as, if anything, more delusional than the other Victorian dreams. Evil; hatred, greed, the lust for cruelty for its own sake, the intense desire to punish others just for being different; these are an inseparable part of humanity. We don't all suffer from these maladies; in fact the majority of people at any given time may be perfectly decent. But it is seemingly beyond our capacity to eliminate this evil entirely from the human race, and those who are evil enough can succeed in blinding large parts of the populace to what it is that they are really supporting, so that endless horrors can be unleashed on us in their name. Our country alone, supposedly the shining light of the earth, has slaughtered between two and four million civilians in Vietnam, and another million in Iraq, without a shred of justification, and without most Americans giving a damn.



People of good will have let their guard down again in this country, and assumed that their good will was contagious, and that it would be stronger than the lust for degradation that exists buried in so many. Well, it wasn't, and now we are faced with the result.



"The right" has now shown itself, over and over again, for a century and a half, to be not the other side of some long-winded political or cultural debate; it is the face of evil, the face of greed, the face of hatred, the face of violence, alive today as it has been throughout the existence of mankind. We must never, ever again delude ourselves into thinking that it is merely a political opponent. Our attitude from this day forth must be to crush it like the diseased creature that it is. There is no compromise with it.



The great failing of Obama was to push out of his consciousness this fact, as the right betrayed him, and lied to him, and suckered him over and over again. Had he really fought the good fight against these people, instead of portraying them as reasonable opponents, we might have been in a different place today. We must never make this mistake again. I want to make it clear that, I fear, it is too late for this resolve to save the United States, which may have just made an irreversible move toward the scrap heap of history, but next time, next country, maybe the populace will have the sense not to let false patriots casually extinguish the "shining light on the hill" about which they like to pontificate so insistently.






Our story today is, "The Devil and Tom Walker. " It was written by Washington Irving. Here is Shep O'Neal with our story.

Before we begin our story, let us go back 300 years to the late 1600s. In those years, one of the most famous men in the world was Captain William Kidd. Captain Kidd was a pirate. He sailed the seas, capturing any ships he found. He and his men took money from these ships. Captain Kidd hid this money in different places.

Captain Kidd was captured by the English in Boston, Massachusetts and executed in the year 1701.

From that time on, people all over the world searched in many places for Captain Kidd's stolen money.

The people who lived in Massachusetts in the seventeen hundreds believed Captain Kidd buried some of his treasure near Boston. Not far from Boston was a small river which ran into the Atlantic Ocean. An old story said that Captain Kidd had come up this river from the ocean. Then he buried his gold and silver and jewels under a big tree.

The story said that this treasure was protected by the devil himself, who was a good friend of Captain Kidd.

In the year seventeen twenty-seven, a man named Tom Walker lived near this place. Tom Walker was not a pleasant man. He loved only one thing -- money. There was only one person worse than Tom. That was his wife. She also loved money. These two were so hungry for money that they even stole things from each other.

One day, Tom Walker was returning home through a dark forest. He walked slowly and carefully, so that he would not fall into a pool of mud.

At last, he reached a piece of dry ground. Tom sat down on a tree that had fallen. As he rested, he dug into the earth with a stick. He knew the story that Indians had killed prisoners here as sacrifices to the Devil. But this did not trouble him. The only devil Tom was afraid of was his wife.

Tom's stick hit something hard. He dug it out of the earth. It was a human skull. In the skull was an Indian ax.

Suddenly, Tom Walker heard an angry voice: "Don't touch that skull!"

Tom looked up. He saw a giant sitting on a broken tree. Tom had never seen such a man. He wore the clothes of an Indian. His skin was almost black and covered with ashes. His eyes were big and red. His black hair stood up from his head. He carried a large ax.

The giant asked, "What are you doing on my land?" But Tom Walker was not afraid. He answered, "What do you mean? This land belongs to Mister Peabody."

The strange man laughed and pointed to the tall trees. Tom saw that one of the trees had been cut by an ax. He looked more closely and saw that the name Peabody had been cut into the tree. Mr. Peabody was a man who got rich by stealing from Indians.

Tom looked at the other trees. Every one had the name of some rich, important man from Massachusetts. Tom looked at the tree on which he was sitting. It also had a name cut into it -- the name of Absalom Crowninshield. Tom remembered that Mister Crowninshield was a very rich man. People said he got his money as Captain Kidd did -- by stealing ships.

Suddenly, the giant shouted: "Crowninshield is ready to be burned! I'm going to burn many trees this winter!"

Tom told the man that he had no right to cut Mister Peabody's trees. The stranger laughed and said, "I have every right to cut these trees. This land belonged to me a long time before Englishmen came to Massachusetts. The Indians were here. Then you Englishmen killed the Indians. Now I show Englishmen how to buy and sell slaves. And I teach their women how to be witches."

Tom Walker now knew that the giant was the Devil himself. But Tom Walker was still not afraid.

The giant said Captain Kidd had buried great treasures under the trees, but nobody could have them unless the giant permitted it. He said Tom could have these treasures. But Tom had to agree to give the giant what he demanded.

Tom Walker loved money as much as he loved life. But he asked for time to think.

Tom went home. He told his wife what had happened. She wanted Captain Kidd's treasure. She urged him to give the Devil what he wanted. Tom said no.

At last, Misses Walker decided to do what Tom refused to do. She put all her silver in a large piece of cloth and went to see the dark giant. Two days passed. She did not return home. She was never seen again.

People said later that Tom went to the place where he had met the giant. He saw his wife's cloth hanging in a tree. He was happy, because he wanted to get her silver. But when he opened the cloth, there was no silver in it -- only a human heart.

Tom was sorry he lost the silver, but not sorry he lost his wife. He wanted to thank the giant for this. And so, every day he looked for the giant. Tom finally decided that he would give the giant what he wanted in exchange for Captain Kidd's treasure.

One night, Tom Walker met the giant and offered his soul in exchange for Captain Kidd's treasure. The Devil now wanted more than that. He said that Tom would have to use the treasure to do the Devil's work. He wanted Tom to buy a ship and bring slaves to America.

As we have said, Tom Walker was a hard man who loved nothing but money. But even he could not agree to buy and sell human beings as slaves. He refused to do this.

The Devil then said that his second most important work was lending money. The men who did this work for the Devil forced poor people who borrowed money to pay back much more than they had received.

Tom said he would like this kind of work. So the Devil gave him Captain Kidd's treasure.

A few days later, Tom Walker was a lender of money in Boston. Everyone who needed help -- and there were many who did -- came to him. Tom Walker became the richest man in Boston. When people were not able to pay him, he took away their farms, their horses, and their houses.

As he got older and richer, Tom began to worry. What would happen when he died? He had promised his soul to the Devil. Maybe. . .maybe. . . he could break that promise.

Tom then became very religious. He went to church every week. He thought that if he prayed enough, he could escape from the Devil.

One day, Tom took the land of a man who had borrowed money. The poor man asked for more time to pay. "Please do not destroy me!" he said. "You have already taken all my money!"

Tom got angry and started to shout, "Let the Devil take me if I have taken any money from you!"

That was the end of Tom Walker. For just then, he heard a noise. He opened the door. There was the black giant, holding a black horse. The giant said, "Tom, I have come for you." He picked up Tom and put him on the horse. Then he hit the horse, which ran off, carrying Tom.

Nobody ever saw Tom Walker again. A farmer said that he saw the black horse, with a man on it, running wildly into the forest.

After Tom Walker disappeared, the government decided to take Tom's property. But there was nothing to take. All the papers which showed that Tom owned land and houses were burned to ashes. His boxes of gold and silver had nothing in them but small pieces of wood. The wood came from newly cut trees. Tom's horses died, and his house suddenly burned to ashes.

You have heard the story, "The Devil and Tom Walker." It was written by Washington Irving. Our storyteller was Shep O'Neal.

Now it's your turn. Are there any folk tales or traditional stories in your country about a person making a deal with the devil? Write to us in the comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

treasure  n. a large collection of money, jewels or other things of great value

devil - n. the Devil the most powerful spirit of evil in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam who is often represented as the ruler of hell

skull - n. the structure of bones that form the head and face of a person or animal

ax - n. a tool that has a heavy metal blade and a long handle and that is used for chopping wood

giant - n. a legendary creature usually thought of as being an extremely large and powerful person

witch - n. a woman who is thought to have magic powers

lend - v. to give (something) to (someone) to be used for a period of time and then returned

slave - n. someone who is legally owned by another person and is forced to work for that person without pay
From cigars and ponies to the brink of nuclear war, a look at the unique intricacies of the life of John F. Kennedy, assassinated in Dallas on
Ive got nothing on the presidential election except that I will continue to support this country always and the president such as he deserves it.

Instead Im writing today about tax reform in Nebraska. I do not believe the efforts at tax relief we will see proposed in the upcoming legislative session are in-line with what rural Nebraskans are demanding.

Specifically, rural landowners are in dire need of property tax relief, while Gov. Pete Ricketts has an eye to cut income tax rates as well as property tax reform.

Obviously if you asked most people if they want to pay less in income tax, they will say yes. I would say yes. Nobody wants to pay taxes. But income taxes are not what threaten to sink agricultural producers.

Earlier this year, the governor used his speech at the state Republican convention to call for more of what he called platform Republicans, as well as to call out by name Republican senators who voted against the party platform in recent legislative sessions.

Give Ricketts credit for at least one thing: he is a man who puts his considerable money where his mouth is (see the $400,000 he and his family spent to reinstate the death penalty, for example). To facilitate his quest for lower personal and corporate income tax rates, hes trying to finance a Unicameral in his own image.

According to figures cited by the Omaha World-Herald, in 2015 and 2016 Ricketts personally donated to 14 state senate candidates, one of whom (Joni Craighead) wasnt up for re-election this year. (Note: Ill include the list at the bottom of this piece.)

Ricketts donations totaled $75,000, $35,000 of which went to three candidates. So, how did he do? Not great from a strictly numerical standpoint: seven of the 13 Ricketts-backed candidates running this year lost.

Still, five of the nine candidates to whom the governor donated $5,000 or more were victorious, including two of the three to whom he donated $10,000 or more. Ricketts donated $15,000 to Suzanne Geists successful District 25 campaign. $15,000!

I suppose youd have to wait until after the next legislative session to ask Ricketts if his donations were a worthwhile investment. More important to the governors income tax plans than any of this years candidates, however, is Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion. Smith is seeking the chairmanship of the Revenue Committee in the upcoming session.

Platte Institute for Economic Research CEO Jim Vokal wrote in a Nov. 9 column that Smith plans to introduce a plan for revenue-neutral income and property tax reform. Revenue-neutral means that were not talking about a tax reduction so much as a tax shift, moving the burden off high-wage earners and property owners and onto everybody through new sales taxes.

Nebraskas state sales tax rate of 5.5-percent may not necessarily go up. Rather, taxes might be implemented on services that are currently exempt, of which there are a lot, actually. The Open Sky Policy Institute is a good source of information on what the tax exempt services are, if one is inclined to learn more.

I do not and will never support income tax cuts that almost entirely benefit high-wage earners yet are paid for by increasing sales taxes on everybody else. Im just not wired that way. I think its a repulsive idea.

But I also cannot ignore the distress of property owners who are being financially strangled by the imbalanced way Nebraska funds its public schools.

At a recent town hall meeting with the governor in Lexington, a local landowner said 30-percent of his revenue goes solely to property taxes, yet the school district he lives in, Cozad, receives very little money from the state government.

Is that fair? No. No it is not.

For property taxes to go down, the State of Nebraska must radically increase the amount of aid it sends to school districts. To do that, it has to increase the amount of revenue it takes in.

As I am not a property owner, it is not in my own interest to support a sales tax increase of any kind. But I think the cost of education should fall more equally across all Nebraskans. Everyone has a stake in it.

I also think Gov. Ricketts should find a better use of his time than to push for income tax cuts that mostly benefit people like him.

If sales taxes are to go up, the money should be used entirely to reduce property taxes across the state, and for no other purpose beyond that pursuit. Income tax is not the pressing issue, and rate cuts should not be financed by increasing the financial burden of all Nebraskans through new taxes.

(Note: this piece was amended Sunday morning to reflect that Ricketts has also identified property tax reform as a priority. The piece was also edited to better reinforce the writer's opinion that income tax cuts should not be financed by sales tax increases.)

Gov. Ricketts donations to Legislative campaigns

January 2015 to present

Suzanne Geist, District 25 $15,000

John Lowe Sr., District 37 $10,000

Karl Elmshaeuser, District 47 $10,000

Joni Albrecht, District 17 $6,000

Mike Hilgers, District 21 $5,000

*Nicole Fox, District 7 $5,000

Dave Schnoor, District 15 $5,000

Lou Ann Linehan, District 39 $5,000

Ian Swanson, District 31 $5,000

John Murante, District 49 $2,500

**Joni Craighead, District 6 $2,500

Michael Cook, District 45 $2,500

Dick Clark, District 27 $1,000

Tommy Garrett, District 3 $500

*Eliminated in the May primary

**Not up for re-election this year.

Source:Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission
Former U.S. Army Ranger Kris Paronto, who served on the CIA annex security team during the terrorist attack in Benghazi,Libya on Sept. 11, 2012 spoke in Lexington on Friday for Veteran's Day.

Paronto spoke at the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles to hundreds in attendance about his experience on the night of the Benghazi attacks. He shed light on the night filled with gun fights, injuries and death, as recounted the book, "13 Hours."

He talked about the lack of strong security forces at the U.S. consulate, as terrorists moved into a neighboring building. Paronto also highlighted the deep bond he had with his partners on the security team, which included three Marines and two Navy Seals.

Having been deployed to war zones for 10 years prior to serving in Benghazi, Paronto said his security team promised to come to the rescue of the staff at the consulate. He said he knew it was only a matter of time before the mission would be attacked.

"We would never leave them behind," Paronto said.

When his chief and director did not give the okay for the annex team to go rescue the consulate when it was attacked, Paronto said his team decided to buck authority.

After the teams armored vehicles were parked near the consulate, the squad was engaged in a fire-fight through 400 meters of road to get to the building itself, Paronto said.

He remembers vividly the green color of lawns in the area and orange color of rounds flying through the sky.

Once through the consulate gates, it was close to impossible to see with the fire and burning diesel, he said.

Ultimately, two of his team were killed. Another lost an arm but was rescued along with two other injured team members, Paronto said.

Once in a firefight, Paronto said, as a Ranger who enjoyed misery, "I'm gonna fight my all and enjoy it."

Paronto said one information technology service worker at the consulate was killed but his body was rescued. Casualties forced the group to leave and later be rescued, not by the U.S. government, but by a group of loyalists to former Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi, he said.

His big regret that he would live with for the rest of his life was unknowingly leaving U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens behind, Paronto said. Stevens' rank, based on the military system, would have been a three star general, he noted.

Coming back to the United States and becoming a public feature was hard for him, Paronto said. He got to the point where he wanted to give up and take his own life, until a woman at an airport spoke to him and gave him some reassuring words.

The woman told Paronto, "I believe you. Don't stop telling your story."

The 11th-Hour ceremony at the museum was one of several observances around the area.

Cozad High School gyms bleachers were full, people of all ages and backgrounds, all there for a shared desire to honor those whove served.

John Grinde, veteran and former superintendent for Cozads schools, was the Master of Ceremonies. He began the program by informing students the proper etiquette for the presentation of colors, and as the color guard did so every student showed their appreciation accordingly. The Cozad band, in full uniform, played the national anthem and Grinde continued.

He spoke first, specifically, to the sixth graders. Youll find that veterans are not just the history of the the country. Grinde said. He then asked any audience members who served in major conflicts from World War II to the second war in Iraq to stand individually, showing that their own community had contributed to these wars. You see, these veterans are also a part of your history.

Two essays from Cozad students had been awarded first and second place in the Patriots Pen contest. Second place winner, Aaliyah Wilkins read her essay to the crowd about what freedom meant to her, personally. The first place essay written and read by Ashley Grace Burkholder, contained jokes about her familys views on society today, but stressed the importance of dedicating ourselves to preserving the forefathers vision for the country.

The students were also very respectful of veteran Larry Harvill, who spoke of his service in Berlin, decoding Russian messages in the early 1960s.

The program was held in theCozadHigh School gymnasium at 10 a.m. Friday morning.

The guest speaker at the Elwood Public School Veterans Day program was Air Force veteran Larry Reynolds, accompanied by his daughter Shannon Keller. Reynolds talked about his military career, different aircraft and the importance of serving in the military because, "freedom is not free."

In Overton, dozens of veterans were the guest of honor for a program that featured patriotic musical performances and a video presentation prepared by students Morgan Area, Courtney Johnson, and Hannah Wolfe.

As the Overton High School band played the hymns of the United States military services, veterans of each branch were asked to stand and be recognized when their song was played.

Student Jake Lammers read a brief history of Veterans Day, and Wolfe read the rules of proper flag etiquette as part of the program.

Veterans Day is a particularly important event for Lexington Middle School students and staff. Many students raised their hands for having family members both currently active in the military and in the past.

Veteran Tony Hanson led the Lexington Honor Guard in the presentation of the American flag. All students, parents, and staff stood silently with their hands over their hearts and recited the pledge of allegiance.

Director Brian Botsford led the Choir in singing the Star Spangled Banner and America the Free.

The Veterans Day programs importance for LMS stems from their history of involvement with the Dawson County Hero Flight, last year raising three thousand dollars in donation for the program. Two Hero Flight attendees spoke at the program, Gary Moritz and Richard Prasch, who talked about their experiences going on the trip.

When they exited the bus in Omaha to get on the plane, there was a big crowd of people applauding and cheering. Prasch said of his journey. We then got on the plane. When we landed in Washington D.C., it was again to the sound of applause, it was very heartwarming.

Some people smiled as they finished the program with a slideshow of images from the Hero Flights attended by Prasch and Moritz, some were moved to tears. The honored guests pride in the children was expressed many times, and many thanks were given for their help in sending them to Washington D.C.

LMS program was held at 2 p.m. in the Lexington Middle School Auditorium, Friday afternoon.

At Lexington High School, retired counselor Betsy Noller spoke to students about her late husband Wayne, a Vietnam veteran.

Student Martin Ruiz spoke about the history of Veterans Day. A video was played, and a moving rendition of Taps was played.
Here is the picture and below that the engraving. I have posted it before here on BCN.

1968 Vietnam

2016 Georgia

Me: I am overwhelmed. I received the plaque today. I don't have any words that can express my thanks for this gift. I hung it on my entrance wall under the Ozzie and Rosey display.



Thank you so much. When did you make this and how? I assume it was a scan from the picture and then programed into a CNC machine. I am amazed at the detail of the picture. I am greatly touched by your thoughts. I have been thinking quite a bit about Vietnam this past year since I am writing a recap for the family history.. My plan is to travel to Washington DC in 2018, which will be the 50th year anniversary. I don't know if I will have the courage to do that but that is the plan.



I try to keep the memories at a distance least I fall into the well, but this gesture brings back many great memories of our shared experience.



Like you hardly a day goes by that I don't think about something from Vietnam. I did not dwell on it for many years but as I aged, I found it was a bit easier to revisit some of the memories.

Welcome Home Brother!!!!

Gary: Tony my friend,



I first thought of this when we made contact a few years back. I saw that picture and said it was perfect. I worked on the model now and then and was not sure if it would be something that would help you or bring bad memories.



I went ahead and did this when we planned our trip and I knew I would be close to where you live.



I have done many engravings mostly in wood. Most have been things like The Last Supper and Jesus and the Lamb. Have done a few of the Stations of the Cross. I love to give them out when I think it will do someone some good. Just little is all I hope for.



I have software that will allow me to create depth based on color. I have two CNC machines in my garage. I am mostly a wood worker but sometimes metal is the correct thing to use.



When I finished yours I looked at it and thought. Dang there was just too much going on so this time I darkened it with a permanent marker and then used very fine steel wool to highlight what I wanted.



Everyone that saw it loved it. I am so happy that you do.



The trip to the Wall was hard for me. I cried the whole time I walked along that wall. But there was healing from the compaction of the people who saw my pain.



I know it will never completely go away but I try to take steps when I can. I find it very hard to talk to anyone that doesn't know without getting emotional but its ok to show your pain.



I going to give you a link to something I did a number of years ago that was my first step in healing. I was at a retreat through our church for Veterans. A Healing Retreat. I was interviewed and an article was written and has been viewed worldwide because of the magazine it was in. My hope is somehow it has helped someone else.



A veteran seeks to heal deep spiritual wounds of warfare



Welcome Home to you.



I will send some pictures of the wall in a few days.



Gary

Ascher returned home and went to Mass with his wife, as he had on occasion for years. That day at Holy Trinity, Father Dave Gutmann gave a homily contrasting false guilt and true guilt. The notion hit Ascher between the eyes.

Gary sent this picture of his visit to the wall in DC.

It is the tracings of those in our unit who perished during his year in country.

I wrote an article about my search for a way to explain the Vietnam experience. I made reference to an old combat buddy who was traveling through Georgia and wanted to meet up. See the article here for the context of this extension of that article. In Search of the perfect Vietnam metaphor Part I As the time approached, I began to have second thoughts about digging back into that abyss. When I got the phone call from him that they were leaving Asheville, NC in route to Atlanta, I made up an excuse that I had to go visit my brother in Chattanooga, Tn. It was a lie and Gary probably knew it.He told me he had a memento he wanted to send me and he would mail it when he got back to Portland. We talked for a couple of hours on the phone and several times afterward.When he got back home he mailed the memento to me. I got it in the mail today. It was an engraved plaque with one of my pictures on it that he had clipped from our unit website. Gary has a home shop with a CNC type engraver.Needless to say I was overwhelmed when I opened the box. Gary carried the 90MM Recoilless rifle and that round I have in my hands is a 90MM round. Because of the size of those rounds, almost everyone carried a round with them when we were heading out to set up a temporary logger site.Gary said when he saw that picture on our website, he immediately know he had to make an engraving of it for me. We had not talked or emailed in 48 years. I have only been able to make contact with a few of my combat buddies over the years, and most of the time we exchanged emails and then let the moved on with our lives.It is an interesting trait that some combat buddies want to attend reunions and enjoy reliving all the comradery of their experience and some like me prefer to keep the memories in the past but ever close to the surface. Gary, like me had decided that he did not care to revisit his time until he grew older and had some distance between 1968 and now.Below is the email exchange we had after I received the plaque.Below is the picture of the wall inside my front door. It is the first thing anyone sees when they enter the house and the last when they leave.Here is his Gary's reply.If you follow the link to the article you will see that Gary also had the misgiving of guilt that all combat veterans carry. Here is a short quote from the Article.I began to realize that my guilt and misgivings were not a result of my combat but of my good fortune. You see, Gary spent the whole 364 and a wake-up in the field. I only spent 180 days or so before I was reassigned to the rear. My guilt came from a very different experience, which is a story for another day. Suffice it to say, that it was easier to accept a comrades death when you were there with them than it was when you were in the "'rear with the gear."Here is a young Gary in 1968.
Anand: A 47-year-old farmer on Saturday died after suffering heart attack while he was standing in a queue for more than two hours outside a bank at Tarapur town in the district to exchange demonetised currency notes, police said.

"Barkat Sheikh died due to a heart attack when he was standing in a queue at the Corporation Bank branch to exchange his demonetised notes," Tarapur police inspector KC Rathwa said.

Sheikh, who hailed from nearby Moraj village in Tarapur tehsil, was rushed to a private hospital where he died during treatment, Rathwa said.

"Sheikh had to pay money to farm labourers and needed to exchange the demonetised currency notes. He was standing in the line for around two hours after which he suffered the attack," he said.

The scramble by millions of panicked consumers to exchange banned currency or deposit them had turned tragic yesterday when 3 persons died in separate incidents in Maharashtra and Kerala.

Long queues were seen outside banks even today as people jostled to exchange the demonetised Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes across the country.
Kobe: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called for greater participation and engagement of Japanese industries, saying it will benefit Japan and India's MSME sector for which it could prove "transformational".

Addressing a luncheon gathering of business leaders, Modi recalled his association with Hyogo Prefecture and his visits to Kobe, a city on Osaka Bay in Japan, in 2007 and 2012.

Modi, who travelled to Kobe from Tokyo in Japan's famed high-speed Shinkansen bullet train along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, was received at Hyogo prefecture guest house.

The Governor of Hyogo Toshizo Ido and Mayor of Kobe Kyuzo Hisamaoto were present at Hyogo house.

An agreement has been signed between the state of Gujarat and Hyogo Prefectural Government to promote cooperation between them in the fields of academics, business, culture, disaster management and environmental protection.

"A stronger web of state and provincial connections. The leaders witness exchange of MoU of Coopn between Gujarat Govt and Hyogo Prefecture," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Thanking Governor Ido for valuable efforts two develop relations with Gujarat, Modi said ties between the two sides is characterised by complete trust and mutual confidence.

"Greater participation and engagement of industries in Hyogo will benefit Japan and India's MSME sector for which it could prove transformational," Modi said.

The Prime Minister said Indian community in Kobe has a long history of trade and commerce. "I congratulate all residents of Kobe on forthcoming 150 years of its port," he said.
Some acolytes of Indian prime minister would like to see Donald Trump as Narendra Modi of the USA. Like Modi in 2014, they would say, Trump touched the raw nerve of the US citizens in 2016 to win a decisive victory (though he polled less popular votes than Hillary Clinton). Both seized power at their national capitals though both were ranked outsiders to the national politics, they aver.

The critics of Indian prime minister point to a different kind of similarity between Trump and Modi. They say that there is, of course, a glaring similarity between Donald Trumps rise to the presidency in the USA and Narendra Modis ascension to the top job in India  both had polarised voters in their respective countries along religious and ethnic lines.

In the USA, Donald Trump demonised the Muslims and the immigrants and managed to win over the overwhelming majority of the White Christian population who had grown tired of the threats from the radicalised Muslim immigrants.

In India, Narendra Modi had successfully preyed upon the Congress governments pandering to Muslims as a vote bank and succeeded in winning over a majority of the Hindu votes by his pledge to end the "pseudo-secularist" practices.

There is an element of truth in both the arguments. Modi, with his magnetic electoral campaign, won an absolute majority for his party for the first time in 2014 (no party had won an absolute majority after 1984 landslide for the Congress). Donald Trump staged a spectacular campaign to not only win the top job himself, but to ensure the unprecedented Republican majority in both the houses of the American Congress  House of Representative as well as the Senate.

But the comparison between the two ends there. Donald Trump represented a persona that symbolised anti-establishment whereas Modi was essentially an alternative proponent of the establishment.

In 2013-14, the BJP was the second largest party in national politics, next to Congress. The Congress, which was in power since 2004, had been embroiled in a series of corruption scandals and the prospect of it losing power was looming large.

The obvious beneficiary-to-be of this loss for the Congress was the BJP. Naturally, whoever was to be the mascot of the BJPs national campaign was to be anointed the prime minister. Narendra Modi did fit the bill because he represented the core values of the BJP and its ideological custodian, the RSS.

Of course, in the national politics, he had a contender in Lal krishna Advani, the deputy prime minister in the previous BJP-led government in the centre during the 1999-2004 period. The then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had retired from politics. Vajpayee could not be resurrected as he was suffering from Alzheimers disease.

But L K Advani had become a persona non grata for the BJPs establishment (represented by the RSS) ever since he spoke those "insulting words" (to hindus) praising Mohammad Ali Jinnah's secular stance after the formation of the Pakistan state.

What Advani had said was a statement of fact; though Jinnah was instrumental in the creation of the state of Pakistan on religious (communal) grounds, he, as the governor-general of the newly created Pakistan, had sought to found a secular state once his communal agenda had fructified. But the intellectually-dwarfed cannot discern the shades of the grey; they can visualise politics only within the binary of the white and the black.

How could Advani speak a word of praise for Jinnah, "the enemy of the Indian state"?

With the RSS intervention, Advani was shown his place. He was removed as the leader of the opposition. He was virtually consigned to the history of the BJP politics. He should have known better. He had risen to the helm of the BJP politics when he was looked up as the most polarising figure  when he strode the Ram rath pledging to set up a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya after demolishing the Babri Masjid. But the moment he chose to become a more inclusive politician  deciding issues on the basis of historical facts rather than hysterical lens  he was bound to fall foul of the BJP establishment. And that is what happened.

When the RSS took the call to anoint Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate (he had replaced Advani as the most polarising figure in the BJP after the 2001 riots in Gujarat in which 3,000 Muslims died under his stewardship as chief minister of Gujarat), Advani refused to attend BJPs National Council Meeting in June 2013 and subsequently in September 2013 in protest. But once the establishment cold-shouldered him, Advani  once the unquestioned leader of the BJP  found little support within the party. He was left to sulk; Narendra Modi became the new face of the BJP establishment long before the BJP came to power in 2014.

But Donald Trump was an outsider to the Republican establishment in the USA. Narendra Modi was a BJP chief minister of a prosperous state like Gujarat for three terms before he became the prime minister, but Donald Trump had never held any political office. When he jumped into the electoral fray in the Republican primaries, the Republican establishment elites dismissed him as a billionaire spending his ill-gotten money for fifteen minutes of national fame. Trump, however, did not suffer from name recognition deficit as he was invariably a gossip item in the mainstream media for his maverick, often notorious, ways.

What made Trump a hit with the masses was his polarising assertions  his diatribe against Muslims and other immigrants. But such divisive talk was anathema to the Republican establishment which was on the same plane with the Democratic establishment as far as inclusive politics was considered (the main difference between the two being their differing approach to the poor and the issues involving poverty).

So, the Republican establishment distanced itself from the jingoistic rhetoric of Trump, but he found resonance in the mainstream white Americans who had got tired of the cliched inclusiveness mouthed by the entire political establishment.

There lies the crucial difference between the American and Indian political landscape  and between Trump and Modi.

Indian mainstream political discourse has always been a battle cry between two brands of politics  between inclusiveness and divisiveness; the former represented by the Congress and a host of regional parties and the latter by the BJP and a few regional outfits. Narendra Modi was a quintessential establishment face of the BJP  he symbolised the party's polarised politics by his words and actions.

So far, the mainstream American political discourse  both Democratic and Republican  prided itself in its diversity and inclusiveness; Trump decisively shifted the American goalpost and made divisive discourse the hallmark of American politics. That way, Trump truly symbolises the anti-Establishment face in the American political landscape.
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Matthew 7:1-3King James Version (KJV)

14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15King James Version (KJV)

The Army had a detailed method for accounting for the location and duty status of each soldier in each unit. Each unit submitted a morning report showing strength and number of soldiers in each unit as of the date of the report.If I remember correctly, the procedure then was to list them on the morning report as "In Transit" for a short time period and then to "AWOL" for thirty days and finally change the status to "Deserted" after thirty days. That of course assumes that there was no evidence of capture or combat related action. The Army had a daily head count on every assigned soldier and the rules for classification are clearly documented in the Field Manuals. Late reporting to duty was usually applied to GI returning from R&R or in country leave. They would be put in In transit status.I was reassigned from the field to the rear detachment later in my tour of duty as a company clerk and later NCOIC (Non Commissioned Officer in Charge). The job was to keep the rear detachment of a company in order and manage the coming and going of various GI to and from R&R, Sick Call and various other reasons for being in the rear with the gear. In short, I was the bad cop. Anyone who has ever been in the military knows that GI can be very creative in their efforts to get out of certain duties. We called it "Shamming" when a guy would have a phony reason to come back from the field to base camp for no reason. To board the resupply copter from the field to base camp, you had to convince the Platoon Leader or medic that you needed to be back for one reason or the other.My job did not make me the most popular guy in the unit, but those I spent time with in the field with understood my good fortune. The key was to remember that you were there in support of them. One of the side benefits of NCOIC was I was the one who usually made the decision on how to handle late returnees from R&R. R&R usually lasted for seven days including transit. I had the ability if not the authority to request a guy from the field to come in for his R&R, which was a scheduled event. I usually gave them a day back before they had to leave country. If they were late, I would list them as in transit for a day. I could stretch the R&R out to 10-12 days before they had to return to the field.Normally the First Sargent and Executive Officer did not get into the details of individual soldiers and that allowed me to have a little latitude. I must admit I used it to my maximum ability. That flexibility changed if the unit was engaged in heavy combat in which case "Every Swinging D#&k" was sent to the field.Long before I was in the rear, we had a guy in our unit who lost his good sense and went AWOL in country. I do not remember the exact details now but I think he just did not return from R&R. He Probably got drunk and hooked up with the underground GI's. The investigation revealed that he did return back in country but between Saigon and our base Camp in Dau Tieng he just disappeared. I knew him well, we had been in several firefights, and he never demonstrated any fear or cowardice in combat. I suspect that he just dug himself a hole and the longer he stayed AWOL, the harder it was to return voluntarily.Surprisingly, it was easy to blend in as rarely were anyone checking papers or orders. If you were in fatigues, you could come and go freely. This was especially true in the major cities like Saigon (I will eventually learn that it now called Ho Chi Minh City, the winners get to name it anything they want).One must remember that the Vietnamese are very friendly people. They are used to the presence of Foreigners as colonist, invaders, or liberators in their society. You make up your own mind into what category the US GI's fell. I do not care about your opinion on the matter.Getting into Vietnam was easy, moving around in the country was easy as you could get a hop on various copters and fixed wing planes from base camp to base camp if they had room. Getting out of Vietnam was a bit different. If you wanted to get on a plane bound for the good old US of A. You had to have orders and everything would be checked thoroughly. That in essence made The Nam a large prison filled with inmates who were doing their time.Eventually, they either caught he surrendered in Saigon and returned him to the 25th Division Brig for processing. For some reason he was assigned back to the Company while awaiting trial. He had free movement in the base camp and was now my responsibility. I asked him if he planned to take off again and he gave me his word he was ready to take his punishment and go home. My memory is that he was way past his twelve-month tour and would have already been back in the states had he stayed in the unit.By the time the trial came around, most of his close buddies had already DEROS'ed back to the World. Only two of us had served in the field with him and his Adjutant appointed attorney asked if we would testify on his behalf. Both of us agreed. It was a short testimony and we both vouched that he never showed any signs of cowardice and had actually been wounded in battle and received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. That was confirmed by his military records. He performed his duties as an infantry soldier.We were never asked our opinion on the matter, but merely if he was a good soldier prior to going AWOL. We both agreed and testified that yes, he was. He was convicted at the general court martial and I suspect sentenced to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to serve his time. I do not remember the exact penalty.I have often thought of him over the years and wondered what became of him. The veteran who maintains our website has requested most of the after action reports and rosters of the units and actions. He is the go to guy for facts about the unit operations but I have not bothered to check it out. I have tried to look up deserters and suspect it is public knowledge but just not digitized on the internet.I just wanted to put it behind me and never bothered to research or document any events except one on April 4, 1968. As I approach my own DEROS from this earth, I have often thought back on those days am now writing my memories of that year for my family. It is strange how the memories long buried and covered over come back with such clarity when you just scratch the surface a bit.Above is a picture I took of him while he was awaiting his court martial. One would wonder why he I allowed him to have possession of a weapon while under arrest. It is not loaded the magazine is empty and this is a staged picture. He was on what I guess you would call house arrest. I took this picture as a joke about him being a pseudo-enemy. Many would not understand why others and I would not look upon this guy as an enemy, but the fact is most understood that he had just lost his way and became embedded in the Vietnamese society. One thing I do know was that he was not a coward or an anti-war protester. He was just an American boy who made a tragic mistake and most likely has paid the price for the rest of his life. In some respects, he is no different than most of us. If he is alive today, he no doubt has some terrible memories and may even be second-guessing his actions during his service. In that respect, he is on the same emotional merry-go-round, albeit from going around in a different direction. I recall his name, but I cannot find him listed in my copies of the Company rosters.My Christian upbringing has taught me to be wary of making judgement about other people in regards to their salvation. It also teaches me to forgive others. Judgement is right and proper in the secular world but when it comes to the spiritual gatekeeper role, there is but one judge and it is not me.
Panaji: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the coastal state of Goa on Sunday to lay foundation stone for two projects, namely Greenfield airport in North Goa and Tuem Electronic city.

Modi is scheduled to address a public meeting at 10 AM near Panaji on Sunday during which he will lay foundation stone for Greenfield airport at Mopa and Tuem Electronic City, both located in northernmost taluka of Pernem.

The public function would be held at Dr Shama Prasad Mukherjee stadium in Bambolim village near here.

BJP President Amit Shah had launched the party's election campaign from the same venue on 20 August this year.

This would be the second visit of the Prime Minister to the state in the last two months, the first one being during the Brics summit in South Goa.

This will also be his first ever public address in India after the demonetisation move.

The Prime Minister will leave the state in the afternoon to address another event in Pune.

The Goa government has already signed a concessional agreement with Bengaluru based GMR Airports, a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure to design, build, finance and operate the international airport for 40 years with the extension option for another 20 years.

The first phase of the airport is expected to be commissioned in the financial year 2019-20.

"The win of Mopa airport is a very significant milestone for the Group. Many of us may not realise this, but Mopa airport is the first airport to be privatised in India after over a decade with the last bid process having been completed in May 2006," Srinivas Bommidala, Chairman-Airports, GMR Group had said after signing the concessional agreement last week.

"Even though Goa has been witnessing unprecedented growth over the past 3-4 years and crossed the 5 million tourist mark last year, we believe that Goa harbours a significantly higher potential and having a dedicated 24 hour operational civil airport will unlock the latent tourism potential of the state," he said.

The second project of Tuem Electronic City is expected to generate 25,000 jobs for the youth in the state.

Chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar had said that within next one year, the work of building the structure will start and in next five years, the Electronic City will be fully operational.
Trust Arvind Kejriwal to ask uncomfortable questions. Always first off the block to seek answers from the government, more specifically from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he has done it again. This time the issue is demonetisation. And some of his stinging questions make sense.

If some outsider was in possession of a currency note worth Rs 2,000 before it made its public appearance, then the conclusion is as simple as it is harsh: The entire population of the country, which trusted the government has been taken for a royal ride. If bank deposits swelled in anticipation of demonetisation, meaning hoarders of black money had prior information about the change and had enough time to load stashed money into bank accounts, then it means nothing short of betrayal of public faith.

Total secrecy is vital to any such exercise. The purpose is to catch black money hoarders off-guard, leave them with no time to react. If Sanjeev Kamboj, BJP leader from Punjab, did post a picture of the new Rs 2,000 note before 8 November, it means a whole lot of people, at least in the BJP circles, were privy to the information of a demonetisation plan. It is not improbable that the information would have been passed on to many hoarders. This makes many Indians queuing up at banks and ATMs, sacrificing their daily work and maybe wages, to withdraw or exchange money absolute foolish. The demonetisation exercise is thus, as Kejriwal puts it, a 'scam'.

Kejriwal has put doubts in our minds. True to his usual shoot and scoot style, he may not produce hard evidence of all that he alleged. It's the responsibility of the government to refute him and explain to people what happened, both in the case of Kamboj and bank deposits. It has to come out with bank deposit details of the July-September quarter and convince us that the additional deposit, if there's some, is not due to spurious money taken out from lockers at homes. Kamboj may claim the picture he posted was not of the real note. But then the fact that he knew something about new currency notes is a serious matter. The BJP cannot escape by calling all allegations baseless.

Now that Kejriwal has dropped the bomb, politics will take over. The new currency issue hits political parties the hardest because most of their illegal poll-time transactions are conducted in cash of high denomination. Prior knowledge of demonetisation gives unfair advantage to the party or parties who have it. Some commentators have said that the Samajwadi Party in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh will be particularly hit and the fallout of demonetisation suits the BJP well. Expect harsh reaction from it and others.

It is surprising that the Congress saw no hint of foul play in the whole demonetisation matter. Even P Chidambaram, former finance minister, made no remark to this effect while criticising the government's move. It's to be seen whether the party rallies itself on the issue to take on the government.
Kabul, Afghanistan: An explosion struck Bagram Airfield close to Kabul early Saturday, Nato said, confirming some casualties in an apparent insurgent assault on the largest US military base in Afghanistan.

Abdul Shakoor Quddusi, the head of Bagram district, said three people were killed and 15 others were wounded in the "powerful blast", but could not confirm the nationalities of the victims.

The Afghan defence ministry said it was aware of the explosion but could not immediately confirm the casualties.

No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast, which occurred as the Taliban step up nationwide attacks before the onset of winter, when fighting usually ebbs.

"We can confirm that there was an explosion at Bagram Airfield this morning just after 5:30 am (0100 GMT). There have been casualties," the military coalition said in a brief statement.

"Our Force Protection and medical teams are responding to the situation," it added, without specifying what caused the explosion.

The blast highlights a worsening security situation nearly two years after Nato formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan, with Afghan forces struggling to rein in

Bagram Airfield, close to Kabul, has frequently come under attack by Taliban insurgents.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistan's largest US military base.

It was one of the deadliest attacks on foreign troops in the country in 2015.
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On one point, President-elect Donald Trump has it right.Reporters, as he often intimated throughout his successful campaign, are biased. But not in the ways you may think. Or in ways in which politicians and pundits have led you to believe are true.News organizations lean one way or the other because they are a reflection of their readers and communities they serve, so to speak. As diverse and distinct as the listeners or viewers who consume their products.Taking this a step further, reporters and editors are, at their cores, inherently flawed humans yet free-thinking individuals. Editors and reporters decide which stories to write and which angles to pursue. They'll decide which sources to use and which sources to quote. Which quotes to use and which quotes to omit. But all the time with an eye toward accuracy and fairness.One reads The New York Times because he expects certain insights and perspectives. Same goes for readers of The Washington Times or people who rely on MSNBC, NPR, or FOX News. These news organizations have identified a target audience, and they focus their respective aims toward reaching those people, who have come to expect, shall we say, a certain perspective.Without taking sides.That said, the goals for any news organization or group should be fairness and truth. But that isn't always the case, and that presents a huge problem.Politicians, and many Americans, in general, refer to this eclectic collection of reporting and opinion as the media, an imagined entity.No such media collective exists.Sure, national papers such as the Times and Wall Street Journal and network and cable news outlets garner the most attention and therefore are part of the mainstream media. They dominate the airwaves and the myriad avenues for social media, and most have unlimited access to an incessant cacophony of news, opinion, and speculation.At Carolina Journal, we cover government from a fair and honest perspective, with veteran reporters who write with both eyes toward accuracy and truth. We appeal to people who believe in liberty and free markets. People who care about the future of North Carolina.Trump and Hillary Clinton got continuous coverage, although one study says Trump got much more.And that coverage isn't what one would call good.The Media Research Center, which leans hard to the right, in October found that, since July, Trump receivedthe group's website says.For the study, the MRC explains, it analyzedWithout a doubt, Trump was the focus of what the study's authors classify as negative coverage, but has it really changed individual perceptions about the candidates?I would say no.I want to believe American voters, as a whole, aren't swayed by shouts and proclamations emanating from a winding parade of pundits and political observers.Rather, it's my hope people - whatever their leanings - wade carefully through the clutter, separating and categorizing as they go. "Keep this, trash that. I'll decide on that later."I think politicians - and other newsmakers, for that matter - too often lump all news outlets under the "media" umbrella, and that's not fair. A reporter from the local newspaper doesn't deserve a barrage of vitriol when singled out during a rally. It's simply not acceptable.Today, the proverbial pile of clutter can overwhelm nuggets of gold stashed in a shoebox hidden in a closet or cubby hole. More than ever, people get their news in any number of ways from any number of outlets, whether via TV or social media. From newspapers or radio. Through blogs or partisan websites.Yes, reporters are individuals, and, like anyone else, they have beliefs and opinions. But, like that local reporter, writers and editors are paid to do a job.Unfortunately, some of these mainstream media groups hoisting guidons promoting a commitment to finding the truth through fair and accurate reporting - playing it right down the middle, as they say - allow reporters to flash personal agendas and blatantly take sides.In many cases Tuesday night, the hand-wringing was audible, the angst palpable.People alleging or detecting bias would do well to first consider the proverbial source and, if warranted, throw that information in their specially marked pile of trash.Sure, those little pieces of junk can become big, rotting piles. And, in regard to your personal collection, they should go away.But don't call it the "media," and don't throw all journalists in the scrap heap. Clear the clutter, please. But use a discerning eye.
Over in the National Black-Footed Ferret Conversation Center in Colorado a rare anomaly is afoot due to the partnering or befriending of a coyote and a badger, usually, not just enemies but lunch for each other depending on who wins the fight. Is it just anomaly? Maybe, but this is taking place all over the world with other species.

Top 10 include: ferret and coyote, dog and wolf, mouse and cat, bear-lion-tiger, bird and monkey, birds and rhinos, deer/elk/moose and dogs and monkeys and lemurs, buddying-up.

So overall, its starting to look like the co-existing species in the wild animal kingdom are doing better than their Hominid biped friends. In Isaiah 11:6 (KJ) it reads The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

This, to me, is about innocence; openness and trust to the full reality of Love at work without needing to speak of it. God is is-ness, present, and the peace that passes all understanding, (or beyond the need of understanding).

It is natural to live as those and with those who love to love. It is more challenging to love those who hate. But we must remember that hate is not a reality in the midst of Love. It is only opportunity to love more. It is not always ours to do, to fix someone or something through our love. It is only to acknowledge that love is, and move on to re-fill our own vessel.

Meister Eckhart wrote: Always with God, good is unfolding. Apprehend God in all things, for God is in all things. Every single creature is full of God and is a book about God.

Every creature is a word of God. If I spent enough time with the tiniest creature  even a caterpillar  I would never have to prepare a sermon. So full of God is every creature.

Creation itself is the first and primary face of God. Loving creation is a good place to start for those who are looking for something that constantly returns love. Start gathering from there and listen and watch and become filled from that which is innocent and beautiful.

Jesus clearly taught that if we seek first Gods kingdom and the universal law of love (love God and love one another, Matthew 22:37-40), all the rest would take care of itself (see Matthew 6:33).

Internally, and externally, in loves way, we would no longer blatantly defy the laws of nature but seek to live in harmony and sustainability with Earth and all her creatures. This radical lifestyle demands a sense of inherent dignity that is of God and not an off-and-on dignity determined by egocentric humans.

Not believing in the presence of Perfect Love everywhere present is like fish in a huge ocean looking for water. Ego falls away in this understanding. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is not here or there but within each of us, and apparently in the coyote and the badger too!

Further, the peace and love is most observable when we are most in need of it, whether or not we are expectant. It comes silently and as much unseen (in prayer, meditation, a walk in the woods etc.), as leaven works in a batch of dough (see Matthew 13:33).

Each day we have the opportunity to curl up with our enemy thoughts and ask that they change to peace, understanding and love. In this way, each of us is allowing the Kingdom of God to be seen and felt by those needing it most. This is love in action.

Remember when children in an Amish school were shot and killed? And again, the Amish people forgave the killer. And the Kingdom of God was observed.

A young man walked into a church, was invited to join the Bible study, and he took out a gun and killed some of those people. Then, those who lived through the ordeal went to him and forgave him. And the Kingdom of God was observed.

Little children get an idea to do something for others by starting an enterprise that surprisingly brings in thousands and millions of dollars for kids with cancer: the Kingdom of God is observable. And the Kingdom of God is observed.

These and all those who lost their lives to madness still mourn but they turned within and found strength and peace that passes all understanding. And a little child shall lead them.

For our Country and our Earth and all Life:

The light of God surrounds us.

The love of God enfolds us.

The power of God protects us.

The presence of God watches over us.

Wherever we are God is,

And all is well.
TWIN FALLS  A man shot and killed another man before turning the gun on himself in an apparent murder-suicide early Saturday in a Twin Falls home as police sought to rescue children inside, police said.

The names of the men have not been released, and the children were not harmed.

Twin Falls Police officers witnessed the suspect shoot and kill himself shortly after breaking into a basement window in an attempt to evacuate two children from a home where shots had been fired, Lt. Terry Thueson said.

(The officers) werent in there long; it happened pretty quick, Thueson told the Times-News.

One child was sleeping in the basement while the other was in an upstairs bedroom, and neither child was believed to have witnessed either death, Thueson said.

After witnessing the suspect take his own life, police discovered the man had also shot and killed another man inside the home.

We have information that indicates the victim and suspect knew each other, Thueson said in a statement. At this time there are no suspects at large and no threat to public safety.

Thueson said police know the connection between the two men but couldnt provide further details.

The shooting happened shortly after midnight at the home at 161 Juniper St. N.

Officers initially responded about 12:10 a.m. to 274 Teton St. where it was reported there was a drunk man with a gun, police said. The 911 caller reported the man had fired a round into the ground and was pointing the gun at people in the area, but the suspect was no longer on scene when officers arrived.

But while police investigated the incident on Teton Street, they heard a woman screaming near Juniper Street and Shoup Avenue, and as they went to investigate, they heard several shots fired, police said. The woman told the officers her children were inside the home at 161 Juniper St., and police devised a plan to break into a basement window where a child was sleeping to try to evacuate the children.

As officers entered the basement bedroom, they were able to see up a short stairway and witnessed the suspect take his own life, police said in a statement.

What happened in the shooting is really clear cut, Thueson said. Its just a matter of sitting down with the prosecutor and reviewing and closing the case before more details can be released. That meeting with Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs is expected to happen Monday, Thueson said.

The apparent murder-suicide is the second this year in the Magic Valley and comes almost two years to the day of the last such incident in Twin Falls.
TWIN FALLS  A 76-year-old Twin Falls man pleaded guilty Monday to sexual battery of a minor, but he will not go to prison and instead will be sentenced to supervised probation.

William Billy Smith pleaded guilty Monday in Twin Falls County District Court to a felony count of sexual battery of a minor under 16 or 17 years of age. In exchange for his plea on that charge, prosecutors dismissed a felony count of transferring of bodily fluids containing the HIV virus.

Smith was indicted on the charges in June, and details of the crime, revealed to a Twin Falls grand jury, have remained sealed.

According to terms of the plea deal, Smith will be sentenced to a prison term of five to 15 years, but he wont actually go to prison. Instead, hell be put on supervised probation, which hell complete in Missouri where he is from and has close family. He also must register as a sex offender.

His age and his health were major factors in not seeking a prison term, Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs told the Times-News Monday.

But the most significant factor was the desire of the victim and the victims family to settle it this way rather than go to trial, Loebs said.

The plea hearing actually began last Tuesday but was interrupted when a dispute arose about whether Smith would plead guilty to sexual battery by oral-to-genital contact or manual-to-genital contact.

Changing the wording from oral to manual would change the indictment and would potentially create issues with an appeal down the road, 5th District Judge Richard Bevan said last week.

Smith ultimately solved any potential problem by pleading guilty to oral-to-genital contact.

The victim and victims family approved the probation sentence, Deputy Prosecutor Suzanne Craig told Bevan in court last week. Craig said it was also important to the victim and family that Smith be registered as a sex offender, that a no-contact order be imposed between him and the victim and that he receive a lengthy underlying sentence in case he violates probation.

The victim and family are totally on board with this? Bevan asked Craig.

Absolutely, your honor, Craig answered.

Smith will also be ordered to pay restitution and could face a civil fine up to $5,000. Hes set to be sentence Jan. 9 after he undergoes a presentence investigation and psychosexual evaluation.
HANSEN  Hidden away 30 miles south of town are two clusters of summer homes, four organizational camps and a ski lodge, all on federal land in the South Hills. Thirty-five miles east as the crow flies is another tract of summer homes and a ski lodge on Mount Harrison.

The buildings were constructed in the 1940s and 50s as part of the U.S. Forest Services efforts to make use of public land. Today the structures are being assessed for their historic value.

The cabins  eight in the the Balsam tract near Diamondfield Jack Campground, nine in the Deadline Ridge tract and 10 in the Thompson Flats tract  are privately owned, part-time residences, said Loren Poppert, ranger for the Minidoka District of the Sawtooth National Forest. Cabin owners pay an annual lease fee to the Forest Service and a special-use permit for each comes up for renewal every 20 years.

Over the decades, some cabin owners have wanted to build additions or alter the exterior of their cabins in some way but were caught in a bureaucratic bottleneck.

To authorize those changes, the State Historic Preservation Office has to determine whether the modifications will affect the historical character of the structure. Before that determination can be made, a cabin must have a permit assessment on file with the Forest Service  documentation that evaluates the buildings eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, a product of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.

One of the challenges is we havent been able to be responsive to cabin owners' requests for assessments because of budget cuts, Poppert said. The Forest Service is responsible for the assessments, he said, but without the manpower it could be years before pending assessments are complete.

Thousands of owners of structures on public land face the same dilemma, said Ray Strolberg, former president of Rock Creek Homeowners Association. Idaho alone has 700 summer homes on federal land, including those in the South Hills and on Mount Harrison.

Strolberg was recently honored with a regional foresters award for his recent efforts to break the local bottleneck.

What Ray did was admirable, Poppert said. He proactively brought all the parties together to form a coalition and the group voted to hire an outside contractor to do the assessment.

Of the properties in the Minidoka district, only Pomerelle Mountain Resort was previously assessed. The ski resort installed a new triple chairlift in 2015 and needed the assessment done before the project could be approved. Pomerelle owners hired Kerry Davis, a Boise historian, to do the assessment.

Though several owners opted out, Strolbergs group hired Davis to do a group assessment in the Minidoka district at a fraction of the total cost of individual assessments. The coalition is the first of its kind in Idaho.

Whats really great about this project is that everyone chipped in to do this efficiently, said Davis, who has thousands of assessments under her belt. Davis did all the field work in one day.

Davis draft has been sent to the Forest Service for review, then it will be forwarded to the State Historic Preservation Office. The assessment will expedite the review and approval process in the future.

Ive documented 25,000 buildings  homes, barns, bridges  over the course of 18 years, Davis said. But Ive never documented so many outhouses.
Cheer

Across the Magic Valley on Friday, from cemeteries to schools, parks to places of business, we honored veterans who have served in defense of our country.

Its easy to fly a flag or say a prayer on Veterans Day, but finding tangible ways to thank veterans is sometimes a bit more difficult. So a special thanks should go out to all the small businesses who offered discounts and free services to veterans on Friday.

Jeer

Jeers to all the folks who didnt vote Tuesday, especially when you consider the lengths to which some Magic Valley voters went to cast ballots. One poll judge said a woman in labor cast a ballot in Twin Falls. One young College of Southern Idaho student drove to Boise when she realized she couldnt vote here. And in Rupert, volunteers used flashlights to help guide voters when a truck crashed into a pole, knocking out power to the polling place.

About 125 million Americans voted on Tuesday. If you werent one of them, you missed your chance to have a say and participate in something wonderful.

Cheer

Whoever said folks arent interested in local affairs? Fourteen people are seeking a single open seat on the Twin Falls City Council.

On Tuesday, Don Hall was elected to the county board, meaning his seat will come open when he takes his new office in January. Mayor Shawn Barigar will appoint his replacement, with the City Councils approval.

The candidates are: Ann Beck, Robert Beer, Neil Christensen, Matthew Coleman, J. Craig Hawkins, Karlan Jensen, John Kapeleris, Craig Manning, Ron Maughan, Jim ODonnell, Sherry Olsen-Frank, Christopher Reid, Eric Smallwood and Ken Wiesmore.

Theyll make pitches to the Council at its regular meeting Monday.

Congrats and good luck to all who threw their hats in the ring. That so many candidates are seeking to make a difference bodes well for the civic spirit in Twin Falls.
Voters may have thought Judge Mike Morgan was a Republican in nonpartisan Supreme Court race because GOP had top billing in other partisan contests, analyst suggests

Typically, experts and analysts can distill an election's outcome down to a small list of reasonable conclusions. But Superior Court Judge Mike Morgan's 8-point win against incumbent Associate Justice Bob Edmunds for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court has defied those expectations.Joe Stewart, executive director of the North Carolina Free Enterprise Foundation, said during a post-election briefing Wednesday.He said drilling down on the results is needed to determine how a Superior Court judge engineered what normally would be considered an upset over the high court's sitting senior associate justice.Though the Supreme Court is nonpartisan, Morgan, a Wake County a Democrat, received an endorsement from President Obama. Morgan's win Tuesday night shifts the balance of power on the court to the left.The result was a bit of an outlier. Republicans did well throughout the state and, obviously, nationally, with just a few noteworthy exceptions. Among that group in North Carolina are Democrats Roy Cooper and Josh Stein, the presumptive winners for governor and attorney general, respectively.N.C. Court of Appeals races reverted to Tuesday's norm. All five races - including one for a vacated seat - were won by Republicans.Granted, Morgan was a solid candidate. He has been a Superior Court judge for more than 11 years, and he was a District Court judge in Wake County for 10 years. But the incumbent, Edmunds, who in 2008 defeated Suzanne Reynolds in a tight race, was respected by all sides as well.So what gives? Could it be that Edmunds, a Republican who has served on the high court since 2001, was simply unlucky?Gerry Cohen, a Raleigh attorney and a former special counsel to the North Carolina General Assembly, suggests just that.Republicans appeared first on the state's 2016 General Election ballot, which reflects the party of the governor. A change in the law added party affiliation to nonpartisan appeals court races as well. As the thought goes, people voting Republican down the ballot simply became accustomed to filling in the top line and, as a result, voted for Morgan.Voting, said Cohen, "the same line."In this instance, Morgan got top billing over Edmunds.Partisan races are listed alphabetically, but a District Court case in North Carolina roughly 20 years ago jumbled the alphabet for nonpartisan contests, including those for the Supreme Court.It's not fair to list candidates going A to Z every time, the decision said, so every two years the Board of Elections, in a random draw, starts the alphabet somewhere other than A. In this scenario, with the alphabet starting somewhere after E, Morgan got first billing.Candidates know about the process, as does the Board of Elections and elections supervisors.asks Cohen.Of six black candidates on the ballot, Morgan was the lone winner, Cohen says. It's possible Morgan's visibility in the black community was higher than that of Edmunds, in part because Morgan competed in a June primary after the state's high court ruled the so-called retention election unconstitutional. Edmunds won the primary, but Morgan finished a strong second in a four-candidate field.Cohen also referenced the infamous 2012 "banjo ad" for Paul Newby, which he used to defeat Sam Ervin IV in another Supreme Court race.Cohen said.he said,Cohen was a classmate of Edmunds at the University of North Carolina law school, and, as a lawyer in Wake County, he's familiar with Morgan's work on the bench.He said Edmunds was


Amanda Blakley works with students at the Nancy Darden Child Development Center on campus. (Photo by Cliff Hollis)

The 2016 election season has come to a close, but the polarized attitudes surrounding the campaigns may still continue to impact our children. The amount of negative campaigning, especially in swing states like North Carolina, has been difficult to conceal from our youngest citizens, according to two child development experts at East Carolina University.said Dr. Sheresa Blanchard, assistant professor of human development and family science at ECU.Blanchard and her colleague, Melissa Nolan, director of the Nancy Darden Child Development Center at ECU, offers tips for discussing the outcome of the election with children.Whether your candidate wins or loses, it's an opportunity for adults to display good sportsmanship. Children mirror the emotions and attitudes of their parents, and the emotions this election year have run high.said Blanchard.Try to remain as neutral as possible when talking about the outcome of the election.said Blanchard.These kinds of statements can lead to fear and uncertainty. Nolan encourages parents to reassure their children that they are still safe and will be taken care of no matter the outcome.Blanchard and Nolan agree that it's OK to be honest with your children and share what you are feeling. Give them the space and the opportunity to share their emotions too and ask questions. Ask them how they feel about what they've seen and heard.said Nolan. She suggests encouraging children to ask questions and for adults to stick with short honest answers.she added.Use opportunities that arise to teach and model, tolerance.said Nolan.Blanchard said parents can try to find optimism in the situation.
In this episode of The John Woodard Show, John Woodard Interviews Sandy Smith. Sandy is a successful business executive who has started businesses, created jobs, and worked her way up the hard way. The high energy, can-do attitude Sandy brings is exactly what's needed in D.C. to drain the swamp...
ATLANTA  Masjid Al-Muminun, a mosque in south Atlanta, is one of the few that play the call to prayer over external speakers, letting the sound drift through the neighborhood. Ahmed Najee-ullah, a leader in the congregation, said neighbors set their watches by it.

We are in those parts of the African-American community where a lot of people wouldnt venture and the communities that were in appreciate us being there, he said. They have this perception that we represent the best in them.

Najee-ullah is one of many black Americans who converted to Islam during the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960s and 70s. He said mosques are welcomed as beacons of stability in many black neighborhoods.

Things have changed in the decades since Masjid Al-Muminun opened in the early 80s. As the U.S. Muslim population grows, communities are seeking to establish Islamic institutions such as mosques, schools and cemeteries in otherwise homogenous suburban and rural areas.

These efforts can be met with hostility.

In Newton County, Georgia, hundreds turned out to oppose a proposed mosque during a town hall meeting in August.

(Muslims) carry hate and it is known in their faith that all infidels will die if you dont believe like they believe, one woman said. I dont want to see our town destroyed.

Her sentiment was echoed by dozens of speakers.

Versions of this have played out across the United States in recent years. Controversies over Muslim worship centers appears to coincide with a surge in anti-Muslim rhetoric and activity.

A study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at the University of California, San Bernardino, found that hate crimes against Muslims increased 78 percent in 2015. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has warned that 2016 is on track to surpass that. Over the summer, a Muslim woman was set on fire on a New York City street and a Florida mosque was torched. Three Kansas men were arrested and charged with a bomb plot targeting Somali Muslims.

While the government does not collect information about religious affiliation on the census, the Pew Research Center estimated there were 3.3 million Muslims living in the United States in 2015. About 1.7 million of them, according to Pew, immigrated from 1992 to 2012. The Muslim population is expected to reach 8.1 million by 2050, or 2.1 percent of the total population.

***

The Atlanta area, like many cities, is home to a large, diverse Muslim community, although there are no numbers available.

Conversations with Muslim residents and community leaders in Georgia reveal a split in opinion on how to respond to anti-Muslim animosity.

Based on these interviews, American-born children of immigrants and African-American Muslims, whose history of activism is often overlooked in the broader conversation about Islam in America, tend toward a less apologetic approach. Older, immigrant Muslims may tread more cautiously, eschewing lawsuits and official complaints in favor of working behind the scenes to assuage the fears of non-Muslims, even when faced with threats of violence.

When opponents of the Newton County mosque called it a terrorist training ground, Imam Mohammad Islam counseled his congregation, which bought the property to use primarily as a cemetery, to be patient.

Several weeks later, a local militia shot a menacing video at the site in which a man calling himself General Blood Agent disparaged Muslims as followers of the Antichrist. The imam did not call in the police, although the county deemed the video threatening enough to cancel a scheduled meeting to address the mosque.

Were not going to go and take shelter in the law, said Islam, who arrived from Bangladesh over 20 years ago and now ministers to a congregation in Doraville. I believe if we are patient, we are tolerant, we depend on God almighty.

Meanwhile, against the imams wishes, the Georgia branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called the Justice Department and led the charge to publicly shame the county for its handling of the case.

Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the executive director of CAIR Georgia, said that while he respected the imams position as a matter of religious principle, he felt he had a duty as an attorney and the leader of a civil rights organization to take a stand.

As the plan for a mosque became common knowledge, the County Commission issued a temporary moratorium on all new places of worship, an act CAIR called discriminatory.

County Commissioner John Douglas told a local newspaper he feared the mosque would make Newton a prime area for the federal government to resettle refugees from the Middle East.

The commission then held two public meetings to discuss the mosque, even though the property owner had no business before the county.

When a government violates the Constitution, then I have to put my foot down, Mitchell said. Of the militia, he said: Some people, you cannot negotiate with. Some people will not respond to kind acts and warm smiles.

Mitchell, who is black, said he embraced Islam as a teenager, having been raised by a Unitarian Christian mother and a father who converted to Islam as a college student.

That unique background that African-Americans have experienced in this country, winning a fight for civil rights, I think, informs how we deal today with violations of our civil rights, Mitchell said.

Muslim immigrants, he added, may come from countries where criticizing the government could land a person in jail or worse.

If you come from a culture that is not accustomed to speaking up against authority, then you might have a different way of dealing with discrimination here in America, Mitchell said.

But Imam Islam, who objected to CAIRs methods, also rejected this characterization.

We know that theres a Constitution, what is our right, we know it, so dont think we are not aware or we dont know, he said. We will give time, and time is the best thing to heal any scar.

***

The controversy over the Newton County mosque and cemetery appears to have resolved itself after the temporary moratorium on new places of worship expired, the congregation conducted a monthlong outreach campaign, and CAIR threatened legal action.

Meanwhile, Muslim community leaders say mosques are vital bulwarks against Islamophobia and radicalization.

Sheikh Muhammad Al Ninowy, the imam and founding director of the Madina Institute in Duluth, said blocking construction of mosques may lead more young people to seek information about Islam online, where they are vulnerable to radical ideologues.

The problem is when young people dont go actually to mosque, when mosques are not allowed to exist, he said. Whoever gets a hold of him first on Google gets a hold of their mind and heart.

Last year, the Madina Institute opened what Al Ninowy believes to be the first Islamic seminary in the country accredited by a department of education.

We found it to be absolutely urgent to start training our own homegrown American Muslims to be religious leaders of this community, Al Ninowy said. Not only (do) they speak the language and they understand it, but they understand the culture, they understand what it is to be an American and what it is to be an American Muslim and what are the priorities of American Muslims and how do we deal with Islamophobia, lets say, how do we deal with violent extremism as well.
I write as a Christian pastor on behalf of my friends Shanti, Dawood, Ali, Jamar, Samir, and dozens of other Muslims who are friends, and on behalf of the rest of us who are interested in living in a civil, fair and free society.

The fear of Muslim refugees in Western Montana has ramped up to an emphatic state by a group called Act for America, many of whom claim to be Christian. They are also a known hate group by the Montana Human Rights Network. They are adamant that Islam is inherently a violent religion and that most if not all Muslims have a covert agenda to take over our government and impose Sharia law. They even charge that Islam requires Muslims to work toward killing or eliminating non-Muslims from the world. They have a handful of websites, impassioned speakers, anecdotal evidence, and quotes from the Quran to back up these claims.

At the same time, the terrorist acts of ISIS and Al-Qaeda fuel their fear mongering. The extremists of this group want to close our borders to all Muslims because we can never trust our government to vet the terrorists, and we cant trust any Muslim not to be a terrorist.

The problem with this position is that there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary if you are willing to look.

We already have about 3.3 million Muslims living peacefully in this country, many for generations. They are one of the hardest working, faithful, peaceful, and contributing subsets of people in the United States. They are business owners, laborers, professionals and students. I have met many Muslim people in my time through college and beyond, and with few exceptions they have been incredibly warm, friendly, intelligent, compassionate and humorous people. In addition, these friendships have always added understanding, perspective, and benefit to my own life and the community around us.

Beyond that, there are around 1.7 billion Muslims in the world living in over 100 countries and speaking many different languages. The vast majority of them are wonderful, compassionate, and faithful people who love their families and are open to the diversity of life and faith around them. In addition, the countries with the most Muslims  India, Pakistan, and Indonesia  are among the most peaceful nations in the world.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, since 9/11 we have had over 784,000 refugee immigrants come to the United States, many of whom are Muslim. The number of them who have carried out terrorist attacks is zero, compared to 28 domestic terror attacks by our own citizens. The evidence does not support a blanket statement that our vetting process is broken or that it can never work.

The anti-Muslim voices often quote selected texts from the Quran that seemingly allow or suggest violence towards outside people and forces. This is not a fair way to assess the core tenets and teachings of Islam. One can find very disturbing passages from the Bible that have been used to condone violence and terrorism such as stoning adulterers to death, cutting thieves hands off, killing whole tribes who were in desired lands, and treating women as if they are property to name just a few. Throughout history these Biblical texts were used by Christians to justify slavery, the subjugation of women, the ruthless killing and mistreatment of Native Americans, and even the genocide of the Jewish people during the Holocaust. Of course, most Christians today renounce those texts and adamantly claim that they are not central or consistent with the core tenets or teachings of our faith. They denounce the misuse of our tradition and the Bible as a weapon of abuse and violence towards others.

Yes, ISIS is using Islam to recruit and declare war on many others, most of whom are Muslims. Muslims all around the world have denounced their violence and interpretations of the faith and will say they are not following Islam. Imams and Muslim leaders consistently teach that the core teachings of Islam ask followers to live a life of empathy, peace, humility, prayer and action that helps ensure the goodwill of all, Muslims and others alike. In addition, they have high regard and respect for Judaism, Christianity and other world religions.

This message is consistently repeated by Islamic teachers and Muslim leaders throughout this country and around the world. If Christians ask the world not to judge us by the horrific actions of some in our name, why cant we grant the same benefit of doubt to our Muslim neighbors?

When Christians are quick to judge and eager to generalize a world religion based on the actions of a few, then we are not living out our own faith very well.

To start, we have the Ninth Commandment that we shall not bear false witness against our neighbor. Also, there are many Old Testament texts that are adamant about giving the resident alien safe passage and hospitality, such as Deuteronomy 10:19: "So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Also, Jesus is very clear about the need to love the neighbor. In Luke 10 he tells the parable of the Good Samaritan at a time when no one in the audience could imagine that there was a good Samaritan. He also gets run out of his home synagogue in Luke 4 when he challenges their own prejudices and mentions foreign heroes such as Naman the Syrian who was healed from leprosy.

In Luke 6 in the Beatitudes, Jesus calls on us to do to others as you would have them do to you and even to love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Also, in the Gospel of Mark, after the feeding of the 5,000 (Mark 6), which represented all of the Jewish world, he takes his disciples across to the other side (Gentile world) and we get the feeding of the 4,000 (Mark 8), which represented everyone else.

These paired stories make it clear that all people are part of Gods creation and should be fed and cared for no matter what. That is the heart of the Christian story and one that we are called to live out in Western Montana. Its time for Christians and others to step up and love the neighbor just as we would hope to be loved if we were refugees in their land.
QUINCY, Ill. (AP)  An unlikely path recently brought the Rev. Keela Neumann to Quincy's First Christian Church.

A Hamilton native and longtime teacher, Neumann was installed as First Christian's pastor in June.

"I used to be a schoolteacher in Camp Point, at Central. I taught science," Neumann said. "My last child went off to college, and I said, 'Well, I'm not going to just sit here.' Then I went to seminary."

Neumann began her new life in the ministry at Brite Divinity School in Texas. In 2005, she completed her studies at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.

"I had gotten more and more active in my church over the years," Neumann said, reflecting on her journey. "I'm actually one of those people that wasn't raised in a church, but I knew it was important for my kids. I got them very involved, and in order for them to be involved, I was involved."

Neumann remembers the first time she was asked to be an elder of her church. Although she refused, saying she was incapable of fulfilling the duties, the moment had a profound impact on her.

"That was kind of the first button that was pushed to make me move forward," she said. "It was the next year that I became an elder. I didn't have the answers to all the questions, though. I wanted to know more."

The biggest joy Neumann has received from the transition into the clergy, she said, is the realization that life can still be fun, even as a pastor.

"You can play. God has a sense of humor," Neumann said. "These people here at this church have a great sense of humor. They love to laugh, and they also have very giving hearts."

Neumann alluded to the church's work with its youth group as being indicative of the church's overall attitude.

"We have a wonderful youth group here that is made up of kids that are mostly not even members of this church," Neumann said. "Here, they are just loved and accepted though."

First Christian Church recently hosted a mixer dinner with the Islamic Center of Quincy and Salem Evangelical United Church of Christ.

"This church is more forward-thinking, more progressive," Neumann said. "This fellowship hall was full, and we all mixed up at the tables so everybody was sitting with somebody they didn't know. It was wonderful. We had to beat on glasses to get people's attention."

For Neumann, the event highlighted how little followers of the two religions know about each other.

"We think about the fact we don't really understand the Quran and their beliefs," Neumann said. "But I never really thought about the fact they don't really understand ours, either. One gentleman asked me, 'So you guys use something called the New Testament?'"

While she never expected to settle in Quincy as a pastor, Neumann said First Christian Church could potentially be her final stop.

"I see this church becoming a force of goodness in the community, but that doesn't mean everybody is going to know," she said. "I don't think this church is loud. It kind of makes me sad that the public doesn't know the heart of this church. It is open, loving and accepting."
CLINTON  In the end, it wasn't so much about winning as helping others.

On Friday, Clinton School wrapped up its SOCKtober event by donating 501 pairs of socks to the Poverello Center. It was the end of a monthlong competition between grade bands to see who could donate the most.

Grades 3-5 won, lining up Friday afternoon to toss pair after pair into the back of Pov volunteer and outreach coordinator Anastasia Bakos' car. Their grade band brought in the most: 191 pairs of socks. Grades 6-8 brought 162 and grades K-2 brought 148.

The idea came from Katie Wardisiani, in her first year teaching at Clinton, a K-8 school. She teaches art, band, music, P.E., Spanish and choir. She was inspired by a video by "Kid President," a character portrayed by 12-year-old Robby Novak, who quickly became a YouTube and TV sensation.

Wardisiani showed the video to her students.

"It was a great way to give back, and learn what it's like to be kind to someone else," she said.

***

That's the conclusion fourth-grader Annabelle Henkins came to.

In the first week, her grade band was winning with 60 pairs of socks. But in weeks two and three, the older students took the lead.

"The first day Mrs. W. told us about it we were all so happy, but we thought there's no way we can win with all these big kids," Henkins said.

In the final week, Henkins and her peers pulled through, out-donating the big kids.

"But it didn't matter whether we won," she said. "It's about helping people."

Bakos came to Clinton on Friday to talk to the students about who they're helping.

The Pov is an emergency shelter and food pantry in Missoula. It has a short-term emergency shelter program and a separate housing program for veterans.

Its soup kitchen runs 24/7, 365 days a year, serving 350 to 450 meals a day. The food pantry serves 190 to 210 households at least once a month.

On average, they shelter 110 to 130 people a night, as well as 20 veterans.

The Pov doesn't typically provide clothing, Bakos said, but as it's getting colder they appreciate donations such as this one from Clinton School.

It's the first school to have this kind of event benefiting the Pov, she said.

"How do you afford everything?" one student asked.

They survive on donations, Bakos said, "and fantastic individuals like you all."

***

Wardisiani didn't pressure the students to donate socks.

Some kids were able to bring one pair. Others brought 20. She didn't have an end goal in mind because she didn't want to be disappointed.

She was shocked when the school's 206 students came through with 501 pairs of socks  and so was Bakos.

The Pov was so thrilled about the donation that they wanted to give back in their own way, so they brought doughnuts for the winning grades on Friday afternoon  half a doughnut per student.

Wardisiani moved to Missoula last year from a busy Chicago suburb. She said the difference, and sense of community, is obvious.

"This community is small, and everyone knows each other," she said.

While it's only 20 minutes from Missoula, Clinton "feels like a totally different world."

"We look out for each other," she said. "From a small community, this is the kind of thing where they come together."

Henkins said she and her peers didn't quite grasp what they were doing when Wardisiani first announced the project.

"Then we started understanding it more, that people can't afford nice socks," Henkins said.

Helping people who don't have what the students have was an important lesson, Wardisiani said.

"I really like it 'cause we get to help people stay warm," said third-grader Abigail Nelson. "We get to help people who are homeless. It's really kind and respectful. This was a great opportunity."
The morning fog had just started to lift Friday as Army Sgt. Samuel Redfern and Betsy Mulligan-Dague met and hugged after the conclusion of the Veterans Day ceremony on the lawn of the Missoula County Courthouse.

Redfern, who said he had been a strong Donald Trump supporter, and Mulligan-Dague, executive director of the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center, said that after a week marked by the end of a divisive and emotionally exhausting presidential election, nothing was more welcome than the opportunity to come together as a community to honor the nations veterans.

Its going to take some time to heal, and I think that veterans will have an important role to play in that, Redfern said.

As they have for 35 years, Missoulians met in front of the World War I Doughboy statue at the 11th hour of the 11th day on the 11th month for the ceremony. In his opening remarks, Vietnam veteran Mike Halligan noted that one thing wasn't the same.

The emcee role usually would have been performed by Dan Gallagher, the commander of American Legion Post 101, who was in the hospital recovering from a health condition.

Halligan continued a tradition that began last year in the Missoula Veterans Day ceremony. He bestowed upon Standing Master Brenda Desmond an award commemorating her continued support of veterans through the treatment court over which she presides. That court works with soldiers who have been in legal trouble after returning from service in the military.

Desmond thanked the court staff and veteran mentors who have made the treatment court possible, and asked the audience to challenge ourselves to address the unacceptable problems that veterans have getting access to the kind of care and resources they deserve when they come home.

County Commissioner Jean Curtiss, one of the keynote speakers at the ceremony, said when she left the office Thursday she hadnt decided what she would talk about, but the night before had come across a story about Minnie Spotted-Wolf from Heart Butte, who was the first Native American woman to become a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, and talked about her history.

We know that in Montana, our Natives are proud to serve and have served a lot, she said.

Redfern came to the podium to introduce 12-year Army veteran Staff Sgt. Vanessa Josey, with whom he had served in Mosul, Iraq.

Josey said she was happy to see all of the people who had turned up to honor veterans, and said that community support means a lot.

Today I represent one of the 22 million veterans in the United States, Josey said. Here we are today stronger as America. Here we are today stronger as Montana. Here we are today stronger as Missoula.
An update on delisting of the Greater Yellowstone grizzly bear population is one of the items on the agenda of the the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee when it meets in Cody, Wyo., Nov. 16-17.

The meetings will start at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and 8 a.m. on Thursday and will be held at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, 720 Sheridan Ave. The public is welcome to attend all sessions. Time for public comments will be included.

Other items on the agenda include: work on updating the Conservation Strategy; a report on the Wyoming grizzly bear management program; and grizzly bear research and monitoring across the entire region.

A copy of the meeting agenda is posted at http://tinyurl.com/YESfall16. Minutes from past IGBC meetings and all the recovery subcommittees can also be found there.
It is now legal to use websites like Airbnb or VRBO for short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods in Missoula, although perhaps as many as a hundred people have already been doing it for a long time.

A new law covering the rental of private homes to short-term visitors in Missoula went into effect on Nov. 2. The ordinance allows homeowners in residential-zoned districts to rent their homes for up to 30 days at a time as long as they register with the city, inform their neighbors and pay a fee. They must also register a Lodging Facility Use and Sales tax account with the Montana Department of Revenue.

Vacation rentals or short-term rentals were illegal before the city council passed the Tourist Homes ordinance. The city relied on complaint-driven enforcement, meaning the only time an illegal vacation rental could be disciplined was when a neighbor complained. City council member John DiBari helped lead an effort to bring them into compliance, saying he thought the old system was inequitable.

Tourist homes are now required to register at Development Services in City Hall and to notify neighboring homeowners within 150 feet of the rental property. The initial registration costs $50, with an annual renewal fee of $25. A three-strikes-and-out policy is in place to protect neighborhoods from nuisance tourist home operators, according to city communications director Ginny Merriam.

There is an online complaint form at ci.missoula.mt.us/2076/Tourist-Home, or people who have complaints about unregistered tourist homes can call 552-6630. Complaints about nuisance issues at tourist homes can call the non-emergency Missoula Police Department line at 258-3452.

The citys new website on Tourist Homes reminds people that the operation of a tourist home is not covered by standard homeowners insurance, or may not be allowed by homeowner association covenants or condominium by-laws.

City senior planner Tom Zavitz estimated that there were probably over 75 tourist homes operating illegally within city limits.

Its really hard to pin down, so thats just a guess, he said. We also dont know how many are going to come in (and register). (The number of people registering) has not been great across the country.

Zavitz said the city has only received four legitimate complaints about tourist homes in the last three years, so this new law isnt about reigning in an out-of-control issue.

The city council is getting ahead of this one, he explained. We are getting people registered so we can address any problems. Just because of the problems we have seen in other communities, being ahead of this is better than chasing something thats already happened.

The law does not apply to people who are living in their home and renting out a room or an accessory dwelling unit on the same property. The city council did have discussions about requiring people to get an inspection from the health department, but they scrapped that plan. State law prohibits long-term rental landlords from having to get a health department inspection.

***

Not everyone is happy about the new law. Michael Fitzgerald, the owner of a technology company in Missoula called Submittable, is concerned that single-family homes will be taken off the market and used as tourist homes instead, thereby decreasing the already short supply of housing. That he says, will increase housing prices in town over the long term.

As a business owner with 32 employees being paid a median wage of three times the normal, its also discomforting to see the council work toward increasing rental and housing prices, he said. Missoula already struggles with a disparity between wages and home prices. Pushing residential homes into the commercial market will only further exacerbate this disparity.

Fitzgerald believes the ordinance simply empowers people who have second and third homes they want to turn into what he calls motels.

Previously, neighbors had recourse if they didnt want to live next to a motel, now they have none, he said.

Fitzgerald also said that he also has concerns that neighbors would be exposed to a constant revolving door of strangers in their community and that an influx of tourists homes would gut the tax base.

"In places like Missoula where rents and home prices are already completely out of whack with our local wages, allowing commercial landlords to turn homes into motels defies fiscal or civil logic," he said.
HELENA  Nine Native American lawmakers will serve in the 2017 session of Montana's Legislature, an increase over last year, though members of the American Indian Caucus are concerned about how they will work with a state government that is more dominated by Republicans.

American Indians make up 7.4 percent of Montanans but have historically been under-represented in the Legislature. In the 2015 session, there were eight American Indian legislators  three in the Senate and five in the House  for 5.3 percent of the 150 members. In 2017, it will be 6 percent. The highest number since 1989, when the state started tracking, was 10 members in 2007.

The American Indian Caucus is critical to addressing issues that affect the people, families, and communities on Montana's seven reservations and the Little Shell tribe, said Amanda Frickle, executive director of the Montana Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

"They bring really important legislative priorities to the table that might otherwise be overlooked. It's an important part of a representative democracy."

Frickle said having people in the Legislature who understand and see what happens daily in Indian Country ensures that the body takes up issues that disproportionately affect reservations  such as a lack of access to health care and high suicide rates.

But she expressed concern over the caucus' ability in 2017 to work with Republicans, who she says often don't support Native issues, citing a failed bill from 2015 that would have directed money to a program that works to improve poorly performing schools.

Going into Election Day, Native legislators were guaranteed at least eight seats in 2017, including holdover state Sen. Lea Whitford, D-Browning.

In the House, incumbent Democrat George Kipp III ran unopposed in House District 15. The same is true for Democrat incumbent Susan Webber of Browning in HD 16, Jonathan Windy Boy of Box Elder in HD 32, incumbent Rae Peppers of Lame Deer in HD 41, and Sharon Stewart Peregoy of Crow Agency in HD 42.

Republican Jason Small of Busby won Senate District 21, which was a contest between two Native candidates, the other being Democrat Carolyn Pease-Lopez. It was a similar situation in Senate District 16, where Democrat Frank Smith of Poplar beat Republican G. Bruce Meyers of Box Elder, who had been the state representative for House District 32 last session.

Democrat Shane Morigeau of Missoula won against non-Native Republican Cyndi Kenck of Frenchtown in House District 95.

Democrats had hoped for 11 representatives, but Democrat Joey Jayne lost her primary in Senate District 47, and on Tuesday in House District 25, Democrat Garrett Lankford, a member of the Little Shell Tribe, lost against non-Native Republican Jeremy Trebas of Great Falls.

Republicans hold majorities in both houses of the Legislature and hold all statewide elected offices except the governorship. Native communities often support Democratic candidates, though there are exceptions such as Small and Meyers.

Webber said the Native caucus has always faced an uphill battle.

"We've been literally and figuratively the minority's minority," Webber said. "I know it looks like we have a lot of people in the Indian caucus, a lot of people were elected, but in reality it should be more. But just us getting in there, from my perspective, is a real positive."

Native legislators often carry bills that represent other groups of society that struggle, such as the poor or disabled, Webber said. "What affects the Indians, we look at it also affecting those other groups within the larger population."

She said Republicans can get into the mentality of viewing the state's Indians as what she calls "fort Indians."

"Indians a long time ago, they were at the gate of the fort asking for food  for the food that was supposed to have come to us with our treaties but was squandered or sold off. We couldn't go out and hunt anymore, so we became fort Indians. That's what we're seeing. It's a stereotype, but we're getting better."

Last session was dominated by Medicaid expansion and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' water compact, Webber said. She hopes this year to take up issues of economic development.

"I see that we are people who want to pick themselves up," Webber said. "So many people here have so many ideas, and the reservations are just gold mines for business if we actually had the opportunity and the capital."

During her freshman session in 2015, Webber said she felt the division among the other legislators.

"As an Indian in the Legislature, you stand out. You're a different color, and that really plays a part in it." She said racial tensions played a much larger role than she expected.

"We're educated; we've paid our dues. We're survivors," Webber said. She added that she expects to see the same thing this session.

Jeff Essmann, the chairman of the Montana Republican Party and state representative from Billings, said his party will work with the American Indian Caucus, and that the Republican platform offers many things Indian Country wants.

"I do not think the Native American caucus is in the sole possession of the Montana Democratic Party," Essmann said. In 2011, the Republican party had four representatives in the American Indian Caucus. Last session it had Rep. G. Bruce Meyers of Box Elder, and this session will have the newly elected Small.

"I believe that our pro-growth policies are in the best interest of all Montanans, including our Native populations," added Essmann.

At the Republican party's winter meeting, the vice chairman of the Crow tribe at the time spoke, as did Carlyle Begay, a former state senator from Arizona. Begay in 2015 switched parties from Democrat to Republican because he felt the GOP platform better aligned with the needs he saw among his state's Native population.

Essmann said the same is true in Montana, that his party's policies are the best way to help Native people.

He said, "The best way out of poverty is steady income. A good paycheck brings self-esteem, the ability to make choices and not be stuck with a poorly managed, federally controlled health service."

He said Republicans are best suited to address the economic concerns such as Webber's.

"Why would you want to continue to be dependent on a federal government that has done nothing but mismanage your assets for 100 years or more and a poorly managed, federally run health care system when you could be independent and make your own choices and have your own life?"
HAMILTON  A Stevensville man is being held on $100,000 bond after being arrested for failing to register as a sexual offender following a foot chase that ended with a deputy tackling the man.

Douglas E. Heinisch, 21, appeared before Ravalli County Justice Jennifer Ray on a felony charge of failure to register as a sexual offender and four misdemeanor counts including resisting arrest and obstructing a peace officer.

Heinisch was arrested shortly after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday when a deputy in Stevensville noticed a vehicle with a broken taillight turning into the alley behind the Stevensville Fire Department.

During the subsequent traffic stop, the deputy found Heinisch and two passengers including a 16-year-old. Heinisch said he didnt have a drivers license and told the officer his name was Harley J. Sheppard and provided a birth date.

A few minutes later, the dispatcher told the deputy that no such person existed.

At that point, an affidavit said Heinisch took off running despite the deputys order to stop.

The deputy caught up with Heinisch after a two-block long chase and tackled him. The affidavit said Heinisch immediately began to resist and fight the deputy. Once he regained his feet, Heinisch took a fighting stance.

The deputy took him to the ground a second time.

By this time, another deputy had arrived and the two were able to handcuff Heinisch behind his back.

The affidavit said it was determined that Heinisch was a sexual offender with a conviction in Oregon for assault, rape and sodomy. Conditions of the conviction prohibited Heinisch from being in contact with either of the people in the car with him that night.

There is an active warrant for his arrest on a probation violation in Oregon, the affidavit said.

Heinisch admitted later that he had been living in Stevensville since Sept. 17. He had not registered or made contact with law enforcement to register as a sexual offender.
Two people familiar with the reorganization discussion said Jared Kushner, Mr. Trumps son-in-law, had wanted to marginalize Mr. Christie, who had come to recognize that he was not in the running to serve as a top adviser in Mr. Trumps White House. It was unclear whether concerns about his ability to be confirmed might prevent him from being offered a cabinet post.

The changes will also push aside Richard H. Bagger, a former top aide to Mr. Christie who had been working on the transition. The transition team said Mr. Bagger will return to the private sector but will remain an adviser.

Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, and Michael T. Flynn, a retired lieutenant general who has been a top campaign supporter, will also serve as vice chairmen of the transition, the transition team said Friday afternoon.

The 16-member advisory committee is made up of four women and 12 men. It will include several members of Congress; Rebekah Mercer, a top Republican donor; Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee; Peter Thiel, a founder of PayPal; Attorney General Pam Bondi of Florida; Steven Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive; and Anthony Scaramucci, a hedge-fund manager and Trump supporter. Mr. Bannon will also serve on the committee. A political committee supporting Ms. Bondi received a $25,000 donation from the Trump Foundation, raising questions because it was around the time her office was reviewing allegations against Mr. Trumps for-profit education programs.

This team of experienced leaders will form the building blocks of our presidential transition team staff leadership roster, and will work with elected officials and tireless volunteers to prepare our government for the transfer of power on Jan. 20, Mr. Pence said in a statement.

There are some indications that the transition effort was slow to start, perhaps the result of Mr. Trumps upset victory, which caught much of the political world by surprise. At least a few of the people helping organize the search for Mr. Trump were tapped at the last minute, while others have been preparing quietly for weeks.

At the Pentagon and the State Department, officials of the Obama administration said on Thursday that they had not yet heard from Mr. Trumps transition team about beginning the complex work of transferring responsibilities and authority. A spokesman for the State Department said he did not have any firm word on when briefings might begin for designated officials from the new government.
Butte may soon be a forerunner for a new concept in the world of rural economic development.

This is because the folks at Headwaters RC&D are teaming up with a Wyoming-based company to bring crowdfunding to Butte.

On Wednesday, Headwaters officials announced that Butte has been selected to be one of among 20-plus test sites for a research project that will investigate the effectiveness of crowdfunding as a tool for economic development.

In case you dont have your finger on the pulse of everything tech, crowdfunding is an internet-based fundraising technique thats gained popularity in recent years.

Sites like GoFundMe and Kickstarter have led the way in the concept, and they work like this: instead of applying for grants or getting a bank loan, businesses, organizations, or individuals can harness the power of the internet by submitting fundraising campaigns to websites where users can donate to projects of their choice.

In 2015 alone, crowdfunding platforms raised more than $34 billion worldwide, and their websites have yielded some sophisticated campaigns replete with slickly produced promotional videos.

While crowdfunding seems to have demonstrated its usefulness in the marketplace of ideas, The Local Crowd, the company behind the research project, plans to give the concept a grassroots, community-driven twist.

Company co-founder Diane Wolverton said both she and her business partner Kim Vincent are passionate about promoting economic development in rural America.

Wolverton has over 21 years of experience in economic development, having served as the state director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of Wyoming and the executive director of the Wyoming Smart Capital Network.

Vincent, meanwhile, is a counselor at the Wyoming Women's Business Center in addition to running her own small business in downtown Laramie and lecturing in an adjunct position at the University of Wyoming.

In 2012, Wolverton said, the duo started The Local Crowd after hearing about crowdfundings success in other spheres.

When I saw crowdfunding come on the scene, I thought there must be some way it can be tooled for rural America, said Wolverton, noting that small businesses in rural communities often have difficulty locating the capital they need.

To solve this problem, Wolverton and Vincent came up with the idea of creating a crowdfunding platform geared toward fundraising at the local, community level.

They received a $100,000 grant from the USDA to conduct a feasibility study, and in 2015, they got a $500,000 grant to implement the platform and conduct a research project using different test sites.

To take part in the project, Headwaters officials submitted an application for Butte to become one of the test sites.

Julie Jaksha, the Small Business Development Center director at Headwaters, said she decided to take part in the project after hearing about The Local Crowd from economic development leaders in Bozeman, who are also taking part in the study.

Jaksha said she thought Butte would be a good candidate because of the level of community engagement among its business owners.

They want to support each other, said Jaksha. I think that its pretty exciting, and I think its going to be a good tool for economic development.

Wolverton agreed.

They had an awesome and enthusiastic team and a real desire to help local businesses, she said. Also we thought the story of the building of Our Lady of the Rockies shows that the community has a history and culture of coming together for projects they care about.

Wolverton added that one cornerstone of The Local Crowd  and what sets it apart from other crowdfunding platforms  is its emphasis on local people supporting local projects.

But what also sets it apart, Wolverton said, is the multiple ways that residents can support campaigns.

In addition to donating money, donors can also offer in-kind support or matching donations. Similarly, the platform allows businesses to donate sponsored rewards for donors while the funds from offline fundraisers can also be added to the campaigns.

So far communities that have signed up for The Local Group study are Driggs, Idaho; Fulton County, Illinois; Laramie; and Bozeman, among others, and projects have included everything from funding an artist incubator to helping launch a dried fruit company.

The next step in the process for Headwaters officials will be to take part in an eight-week online training program to introduce them to the crowdfunding software.

Were training the trainers, said Wolverton.

After the training, Headwaters officials will be versed in promoting the platform and teaching organizations how to use the platform and submit and run a successful campaign.

The target date for the launch of Buttes crowdfunding page  which will be hosted on The Local Crowd website  is early 2017.

All in all, Jaksha said, innovative solutions like crowdfunding can help those entrepreneurs who have difficulty raising the capital necessary to start their business.

Also, she said its a great way to double down on investment.

By investing in local projects, Jaksha said, she hopes residents will also become invested in their success.
St. James Christmas party Dec. 14

St. James Healthcare past and present employees will have a no-host Christmas party at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, at Perkins.

Reservations are due by Dec. 1 by calling Betty McNabb at 406-782-9550.

Car seat clinic Wednesday

A childrens car seat clinic will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, at the Uptown Fire Station, Montana and Galena.

Car seats will be checked for correct installation, making sure the seat matches your childs weight and age, recall information, and more.

Details: Mary Jo Stosich at the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department, 406-497-5087.

Mullan Road Conference in Deer Lodge

The Deer Lodge Historic Preservation Commission will host the next Mullan Road Conference May 19-21, 2017, in Deer Lodge. The Preservation Commission will meet 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, at City Hall to discuss the conference. The public is invited.

Soldier and explorer John Mullan led two road-building expeditions from Montana to Washington, in 1859-60 and 1861-62, and his work through the wilderness continues to intrigue travelers and historians to this day. For many years Mullan road enthusiasts have met in various cities throughout the Northwest to learn and discuss the road, its routes, impacts, and legacy.

Mullans military wagon road stretched the 624 miles from Fort Benton, Montana to Walla Walla, Washington. Many portions of I-90 from Spokane to the Deer Lodge Valley, sections of Highway 12 and other routes follow it. Statues of Mullan, designed by frontier artist Edgar S. Paxson, are located in Fort Benton, Great Falls, Deer Lodge, Garrison, Bonner, Missoula, and De Borgia.

 Pat Hansen for The Montana Standard
MUSCATINE, Iowa  John Moses Biah has all the American markers of success: a modest but inviting home in Newell Avenue, a car and a steady job at Allsteel. In his living room, a gargantuan flat-screen TV engulfs the wall behind it, and a plush rug adorns the floor.

On his brown sectional sofa, he recalls his previous life. A life marred by conflict, strife and hunger. A life as a refugee. He describes his previous life in big, urgent gestures, as though words alone are not enough to convey the message fully.

My life was very difficult. A lot of family members were killed, he said.

Biah lived in the Liberian capital of Monrovia with his parents, sisters and extended family when the civil war erupted in 1989. When rebels took over the city, he and his family fled the city by foot, walking for a month until they reached Ivory Coast.

Later the same rebel group came to Ivory Coast and we moved to Guinea, he said.

In Guinea, Biah and his extended family lived in a refugee camp ran by the U.N. International Organization for Migration, which assists migrants in need. In the camp, two of his nieces died of pneumonia. He and his family would eventually come to the US, and would settle in different parts of the country.

Biahs story is not unusual, said Pastor Bruce Martin of Calvary Church in Muscatine. He estimates that since 1995, more than 600 Liberian refugees have made the city their home. The church created the Liberian Fellowship, where many Liberians congregate to worship.

The first Liberian refugee to ever come to Muscatine learned about the city because engineering company Stanley Consultants has branches in the city and in Monrovia, Martin said.

Many Liberians who come to the country as refugees eventually move to Muscatine to work in factories such as Tyson, Heinz and Allsteel.

Biah was one of them. He initially settled in Minnesota, while other family members settled in Georgia. He visited his friend in Muscatine a decade ago, and his friend convinced him to settle in Muscatine. Biah got a job in Allsteel in 2006 and has since made his home in the Muscatine.

The life he had built in the United States is stable and productive. He studies agriculture in Muscatine Community College. He also has a fiance, Cecilia, an old friend from Monrovia who used to live in Atlanta.

He recalls his first few weeks in the United States with joy.

There was an abundance of food, he said.

And there was snow. Lots of it.

It was my very first time to have seen snow in my life. It was like a miracle to me, he said.
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
A major campaign funding organization chaired by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., is waiting to hear back from its attorneys before deciding whether to return donations caught up on political controversy.

Tester told The Gazette on Friday that the Democratic National Senatorial Campaign Committee hasn't decided whether to return money it received from Boston-based Thornton Law Firm.

The law firm, which has given $200,000 to the DSCC this election cycle, has been accused of running a straw-man donor scheme in order to circumvent federal restrictions on how much individuals can donate to campaign.

Straw-man donor schemes involve donors intent on exceeding campaign donation limits using other people to pass money on to campaigns. Donations by Thornton employees were questioned because the donors received bonuses equal, or nearly equal to the amount they gave to campaigns shortly after donations were made.

Tester gave the U.S. Treasury $51,800 of the personal campaign donations he had received from the group after an investigation by the Boston Globe and the Center for Responsive Politics concluded that Thornton might have broken campaign laws. The story lead with an anecdote about Tester traveling to the Boston law firm and leaving with $26,400 in checks in 2010.

There's been no indication Tester, or other federal lawmakers receiving cash from Thornton realized the donations were questionable.

"They've got an attorney that's supposed to be looking for that stuff right now to make sure it was legal or illegal," Tester said. "If it was illegal, it will be going back. If it's not, it won't."

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, DSCC, is a major funding source for Democrats running for the U.S. Senate. Like many of the candidates it supports, DSCC received significant amounts of money from the Boston-based Thornton Law Firm.

DSCC's daily operations are managed by Executive Director Tom Lopach, a Helena native and Tester's former chief of staff. Lopach was DSCC finance director in 2008. Tester's 2012 campaign director, Preston Elliott, is the DSCC deputy executive director. DSCC's national finance director is Valerie Charca Friedman, who was the national finance director of Tester's re-election campaign.

A fourth DSCC staffer, Christie Roberts, was Tester's research director in 2012.

Asked whether he planned to seek re-election in 2018, Tester replied, "That's the plan."

Following Tuesday's election results, which saw the number of statewide elected Democrats in Montana shrink from five to two and President-elect Donald Trump take a commanding majority of the Montana vote, Tester said he was willing to work with Trump.

"I just think that elections matter, and I think the people of Montana spoke," Tester said. "The people of the nation spoke, and I think it's time, at the federal level, to give President Trump the opportunity to govern and work with him where we can, hold him accountable where he needs to be held accountable. Move the country forward."
About 25 veterans related to students at Sandstone Elementary were honored during a Veterans Day assembly at the school Friday.

"They're all a part of Sandstone," said principal Mark Venner. "This is more of a big family for us, and we need to make sure we appreciate what we have here."

Veterans were joined by students  sons, daughters, or extended family  as School District 2's Native American drum group, Soaring Eagle, played a series of songs to honor soldiers. Dancers accompanied a U.S. and Montana flag as they marched around the school gym.

Students clapped as each veteran was individually introduced.

"Every school is celebrating different cultures and veterans in different ways. But not every school was able to get everyone together," Venner said. "It's because of these people that we have the things we have."

Veterans Day also coincides with November being American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. Native Americans have long signed up for military service at a higher rate than other Americans; SD2 recently named its new Heights middle school after Joe Medicine Crow, a World War II hero and noted Crow tribal historian.

Montana as a whole has one of the highest rates of service by population of any state. Of the nearly 100,000 men and women who served, about 78,000 are wartime veterans. Of those, most served in the Vietnam War, followed closely by the Gulf War.

"We want to thank you and let you know how humbled we are to have you in our community," said Sandstone fifth-grade teacher Nate Warner.
Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito and Billings City Attorney Brent Brooks are working quickly to comply with the notification requirements of Marsys Law, approved Tuesday by Montana voters by a 65 percent margin.

Constitutional Initiative 116, the Crime Victims Bill of Rights, assures crime victims, among other things, the right to be notified and to be heard in any proceeding involving the release, plea, sentencing, disposition, adjudication or parole of the defendant or youth accused of delinquency and any proceeding implicating the rights of the victim.

Twito said this week that information technology vendors are visiting Billings next week to update his office software. That software allows crime victims a password to access updates in their case.

The new law requires that crime victims be handed a Marsys card, directing them how to access information on the case theyre involved in. The two prosecutors are cooperating to develop the card and get it in the hands of people who deal with crime victims, including law enforcement and social services like Angela's Piazza and YWCA Billings.

Twito said the new law probably wont require hiring additional staff, but not so for Brooks office, which has a higher volume of cases.

Brooks and City Administrator Tina Volek plan to ask the Billings City Council for an additional employee to update information however city officials decide to deliver it, through a website, phone or text delivery system, Brooks said.

The new position is expected to cost the city $66,000, including salary and benefits. Brooks said hell seek to hire a person trained as a victim witness specialist.

We are trying to use technology as much as possible to comply with Marsys Law, Brooks said.

Brooks said the new law also greatly expands the definition of who is a victim. For example, people who are victimized in a crash by someone driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs must be notified of the offender's court schedule to, for example, help the victim seek money to meet his or her insurance deductible.

It greatly expands the potential responsibility of our office and the county attorneys office, Brooks said.

Brooks said the additional notification requirements could mean that some court appearances that happen quickly now may not happen as quickly. Changes in pleas will likely be slower than they have been in the past, because the victim has the right to appear before the court and comment on the change of plea.

Twito said hes in favor of parts of the new law, but would have preferred it to be enacted statutorily rather than by constitutional initiative.

Twito said he worries about the way some provisions of Marsys Law will be interpreted by the courts. For example: Will victims have the right to appointed counsel if they believe their rights are not being adhered to?

Will my office have to have a special prosecutor? What if (victims) are financially unable to hire an attorney, Twito said. From a financial standpoint, that would be massive.

On the plus side, Twito said, the law makes clear that victims are to be paid restitution first. I think thats great, he said. Often in the criminal justice system, victims can be seen as secondary.
Every Veterans Day for the past seven years, residents of Independence Hall in the Heights have welcomed the public to an open house at the transitional living facility for former military service members.

This time, a pair of veterans who live there  William Rides Horse and Kenneth Walker  gave open house attendees an idea of some of the travails they've dealt with since bearing arms in their nations defense.

I am one of those with scars you cant see, said Walker, who moved to Montana from Georgia to fight wildfires but found he couldnt because of battle-induced anxiety.

He credited veterans programs, including Independence Hall, which is managed by Volunteers of America, with pushing me and helping me through a lot of pain. He said he became homeless over the summer because my fiancee had had enough of my anger, and I dont blame her. Independence Hall took me in, and Bill, (Holder, the transitional facilitys director) I thank you.

Walker said new medication, a new job and a new place to live should mean hes out of Independence Hall by next week.

Being able to do what I need to do in my right mind  I am so grateful, he told a crowd of about 40 people.

Im a Marine, and we Marines really dont write speeches, Rides Horse said, proceeding to tell from the heart his story of combat service in Afghanistan.

I live my life for the sisters and brothers who were killed in front of me, he said. Today is not just for remembering the veterans who came back, but for our fallen comrades, said Rides Horse, who became homeless in December 2015.

As veterans here at Independence Hall, we live day by day and help each other in any way possible, he said. We dont just cook for one person  we are family oriented. Its like we are still in the service.

Organizers and participants in the Brothers in Arms motorcycle rally, held each summer and running from Independence Hall to Roundup, roared into the parking lot to present Holder with a check for $6,000, the money raised during this years event.

Holder said the donation will be spent on Christmas gifts for the residents as well as upkeep on the seven-year-old facility, at 710 Lake Elmo Drive.

I am really proud and honored to be here, said Lyn Ohl of Roundup, the rallys secretary/treasurer. Ive been listening to patriotic songs on the radio all day. We are honored to make a difference in veterans lives, she said, handing the check to Holder.

If you bug me in a few months, Holder said, Ill give you a report (on how the money was spent).

Yellowstone County Commissioner-elect Denis Pitman recalled the initial meeting held nine years ago to discuss what would become Independence Hall.

The idea was to help veterans get through their issues  not by rescuing, but by offering them a place to become stable, Pitman said. This is the action behind the words Thank you for your service. Its absolutely the proudest thing that I have done.

Maria Nyberg, grant per diem liaison with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said that two-thirds of the veterans served by Independence Hall and five other transitional housing facilities around the state eventually have secured their own permanent housing.

Local communities, she said, are a big reason that homelessness among veterans nationwide is down 47 percent since 2010.

Independence Hall helps veterans reach for the services they need in order to continue the healing process," she said, calling the veterans she serves "industrious, hard-working and skilled people."
A crowd gathered Friday morning for a community Veterans Day service in downtown Napa, while over at Napa Christian school on Pine Street, nearly 250 students and adults met for prayer, songs and a Skype chat with American troops in Iraq.

Were celebrating the people who served our country, said fourth grader Gavinn Gibson, 10, who recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang Nifty Fifty United States with fellow classmates.

The elementary choir charmed parents in the crowd, causing them to break out their cell phones to take photos and record video.

I thought all of the kids did really good, especially the littles, said senior Madeleine Carr, 18. Theyre really cute.

The students had been practicing for weeks in order to honor veterans in the community, according to the schools director of development, Charlotte Henderson.

We dont have to convince them to do this, she said. They want to do it.

Although this was the eighth year the school held a special Veterans Day assembly, Carr said that this year was extra special thanks to a call from the troops.

During the assembly, the school connected to Pfc. Tyler Travis and other members of the U.S. Army who are stationed in Iraq. Tylers mother, Karen Travis, acted as a liaison between the students and the soldiers, asking them questions such as Whats the food like? and What do you miss most from home?

The conversation didnt last long, but several students said it was cool to see the soldiers and get a glimpse about how they live. It was especially impactful, though, since Tyler Travis is a graduate of Napa Christian.

He was a senior here when I was a freshman, Carr said. So it was really cool to see him and talk to his mom.

I think that really brings the reality for kids, Henderson said. He used to go to school here and now hes serving the country, she said.

Seventh-grader Drake Hiddleson, 13, said that he enjoyed seeing the troops. Not only did his grandparents serve in the armed forces, but Drake hopes to become a Marine when he grows up.

Ive wanted to be a Marine since I was like 4, he said. Its something that his grandfather has encouraged him to do and he thinks it is a great way to give back. He said he thinks the best part of being a Marine will be knowing that Im doing something good for my country.

The Jones family, who have strong ties to Napa Christian, also enjoyed the assembly.

It was very nice, said Fredi Ray Jones, 89. I think the kids need to see the veterans. Thats why we took time off today to come here because theres a lot of kids that really arent acquainted with it.

Fredi Ray Jones started sending letters and packages to troops at her church when she was only 15-years-old in the 1940s. She met her husband, Ethan Jones, at the same church and the two have been married for 70 years. Ethan Jones served in the Army.

Im proud of my dad, said Larry Jones, who attended the assembly with his parents.

Even Henderson was affected by some of the performances, she said.

I got a little choked up on the Navy song, Anchors Away because it made me think of my dad and my brother. Her family members both came back after serving, she said, but hearing the songs made her remember their service. It just kind of brings it home, she said. You just kind of forget about it sometimes.